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BEST OF 2016-2017 ISSUE FEATURES

ARTS

SPORTS

Philip Taylor Designs Prosthetic Arms for Children

Standout Softball Player Faith Leslie Makes Home Run History

An Inside Look at Wilde Lake’s spring musical, Seussical the Musical

THE PAW PRINT An Independent Publication • VOLUME 44 ISSUE 1•

Culture Day Unites Diverse Community

By Anjali DasSarma Editor-in-Chief

Songs and laughter flow out from the gymnasium as streams of students wander in to experience the sights and sounds from all over the world through Wilde Lake’s Culture Day. A cheery song bounces around the room as the Island Cats play their steel drums. A girl in a white skirt with her jet black hair tucked in neat bun whirls around, laughing by the Mexico table.

The room is buzzing with energy. For Wilde Lake, Culture Day is especially unique, with students from over 56 countries who attend this school participating.

Junior Damandeep Singh represented India at Culture Day, flinging colored powder at students like they do during the festival of Holi. This is his second year participating.

“This year, we [wanted to include] the ESOL students who are new in the school to help them meet with other students from their countries. [This] made for a more friendly environment,” said Singh.

Ms. Buteau, who teaches English Language Learner students, helped organize the event.

“We had everything in the main gym this year, which makes

This kind of unity can’t be felt at any event anywhere else at Wilde Lake.

-Alan Garcia

caption

(Left) Evelyn Omergie plays a traditional hand game with her friends. (Top Right) Jennifer Benavides and Vanessa Herrera represent Mexico at Culture Day, while Wonee Pak (Bottom Right) shares Korean culture with students (Photographs by Rachel Eisenhauer).

it more centralized. We had so many student volunteers, over 100,” said Ms. Buteau.

This year, each group was able to bring in their own speakers to blast their music, which added to the cacophony coming from every corner of the room. After seeing

the united effort, Ms. Buteau said she was pleased. “I’m so proud of the students for coming together.

It was mostly International Club members, then more leaders in the school community joined in,” said Ms. Buteau.

Senior Eunice Na was able

to participate for two years, and recognized Wilde Lake’s uniqueness. “This is only one out of a few Culture Days in Howard County, and that’s what makes it so special. It’s so many people coming together,” said Na. Nana Nyarko, sophomore,

participated both this year and last year, and wanted to put her own culture on display. “I wanted to let people know about our special culture. It’s nice to explore all of our differences. Although we’re different cultures, as a school, we’re all one culture,” she said.

Restorative Practices Seek to Build Community and Engage Students

By Misbah Farooqi Editor-in-Chief When one of Ms. Chavarria’s students never came back to class after being arrested in school, she knew that the current disciplinary methods had to change.

After researching other disciplinary methods, Ms. Chavarria discovered restorative justice. Restorative justice focuses on mending the harmed relationship between the offender and the victim, rather than solely seeking to punish the offender.

One of the most common ways to practice

restorative justice is through the restorative circles. The circles are inclusive safe spaces where participants are encouraged to share their thoughts on a topic, with the assurance that all voices will be heard and valued.

These circles seek to restore relationships, build community, and establish trust among the participants. Ms. Chavarria, along with other teachers and administrators at Wilde Lake, have established them in their classrooms and through student groups.

Ms. Chavarria started the circles in her classes last year, and has sought to hold them twice a week and whenever else necessary

depending on how the students are feeling about current events.

“The circles hone in on how students are feeling. I feel like it is hard for high school students to identify their feelings and voice them. The circles help them find their own voice and become comfortable enough to share their feelings,” said Ms. Chavarria.

Restorative practices have gone beyond Ms. Chavarria’s classroom, and are now being implemented in a variety of settings at Wilde Lake. The administration and other staff members have created a number of groups within the student body to allow

students to have their voices heard and their ideas shared.

“The goal with the circles is to establish better relationships with the kids and staff members. When you have better relationships, this leads to more engagement and better grades,” said administrator Ms. Jensen.

Administration seeks to expand the practices into next year, with more trained staff incorporating restorative circles in their classrooms in hopes of engaging more students in their education.

The Year in News Post-Election, Students Express Shock, Disappointment

By Ihsaan Fanusie Writer Published: December 7, 2016 After the 2016 presidential election, Wilde Lake, just like the rest of the United States, was shocked and full of mixed emotions.

On Tuesday, November 8, millions of people cast their votes in the presidential election. By early morning of November 9, it was declared by most major news stations that Republican nominee Donald Trump had been named president-elect.

The New York Times wrote on their website that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had an 85 percent chance of winning the election.

The Huffington Post put her chances at 98 percent. Like most pollsters, they were incorrect.

“All the polls seemed to be [showing] Hillary [as the projected winner],” said senior Alan Garcia.

Students across the country who were unhappy with the unexpected result took to the

streets in protest. The day after the election, over 1,500 students conducted a walkout at Berkeley High School in California to protest Trump’s win.

In a Des Moines high school, hundreds of students left class in protest. Dozens of college students did the same at the University of Pittsburgh, leading to the arrest of two people.

The reaction of students at Wilde Lake was somewhat different, as the halls were mostly quiet, though that doesn’t mean students didn’t care.

On the Wednesday after the election, many Wilde Lake students were simply shocked and in a state of disappointment.

“It definitely affected people,” said senior Lia Conforti. “From what I know from talking to people, a lot of my friends were negatively affected by the election [outcome]. We were worried and stressed out about it.”

Others were disappointed, but didn’t feel as if the result of the election changed their dayto-day lives.

“Personally, in my everyday life it really didn’t affect me

“Trump has done some good things but not very many. His healthcare bill was a fail. And with the Immigration executive order, I feel like it’s not okay to ban an entire culture.

Eric Hall, Grade 9 (Photograph by Rachel Henry)

too much,” said senior Griffin Diven. “But I think that there are people out there who are worried about how their daily actions are going to be affected.”

“I feel like we were kind of discouraged,” said Mikayla Dixon, a senior and the head of Delta Scholars. “It was quiet, like no one knew what to say.”

Most students were able to handle their feelings without conflicting with others.

“I didn’t notice conflict between students, but I did notice a lot of students were really upset. I feel like most teachers were pretty responsive to students if they were uneasy,” said Diven.

Wilde Lake staff and administration were also affected by the presidential election result. Principal James LeMon said he wanted to give students an outlet to express their thoughts and opinions in a respectful way.

“You could feel the emotion in the building,” said Mr. LeMon. “Several students came to me expressing their feelings and wanting to do something.”

Mr. LeMon also said that he did not observe any conflict or

tension among students. “I am not aware of any arguments that happened,” said Mr. LeMon. On the week following the election, administration worked in conjunction with students to organize an after-school event in which students could express their emotions. The event had about 80 people in attendance and gave students an outlet for their views and emotions after the election.

“We want to make sure that we continue to do those types of things, give kids a chance to talk openly. I think generally students feel that we can [talk openly] pretty productively here,” said Mr. LeMon. Mr. LeMon felt as though, even under the stressful circumstances, teachers were prepared to deal with the emotionally charged situation.

“Our goal is to give teachers some resources [to deal with student emotions],” said Mr. LeMon. “I think overall our staff did a really good job with it. No matter who’s in charge of the country, it doesn’t change who we are as people. We still have to respect each other.”

“In the beginning I thought he would be a lot worse. It shocked me a litle bit when he got into work right away.

Still, I think he could be better about being inclusive.

Alexandra Mouangue Grade 9 (Photograph by Rachel Henry)

SGA Hosts Leadership Discussion

By Gabby Christopher Opinions and Sports Editor Published: January 30, 2017 In early January, as a response to the high demand for more opportunities to learn about Wilde Lake’s diversity, the SGA put together a leadership conference.

Students who attended were coming up with new ways to make Wilde Lake more inclusive.

SGA took this into consideration and created the Leadership Conference. They made it into an in-school activity so more students could attend.

“We decided to have the conference to foster a sense of unity. Our goal is to get the students talking and start planning next steps to make changes in the school,” said SGA President Misbah Farooqi.

Students were put into groups and discussed problems.

“I thought it was a good idea because there are a lot of clubs and organizations at Wilde Lake that should work together,” said senior Michael Boyer. “I think it was really beneficial for us to talk about ways to improve our school community.”

Principal LeMon also attended the conference. “I’m glad we had this because we like students incorporating their ideas of what they think Wilde Lake needs. We should try to plan to have more events like this later this year and for the years to come,” he said.

Hogan’s Executive Order Causes Controversy Over Howard School Calendar

By Rachel Henry Writer Published: October 7, 2016 In August, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered all Maryland public schools to begin after Labor Day and finish before June 15, elective next school year.

In the past, the Howard County public school calendar has begun during the last few days in August and has not finished before June 15. In some years, students’ last days have dragged on past June 20 due to missed school because of snow days held earlier in the year.

A potential impact of this executive order could be a shorter school year.

According to HCPSS, students begin before Labor Day to account for possible inclement

weather.

Howard County citizens and employees seem to have varying opinions on this new executive order. Former Howard County Board of Education member, Ann DeLacy, doubts the executive order will even be able to stay in place by the start of the 2017-2018 school year. “I personally believe that the Governor’s executive order will be overturned by the General Assembly and therefore not impact our school calendar,” said Ms. DeLacy.

Mr. LeMon also has some problems with the calendar changes. “I believe it’s going to be a big adjustment to the school system’s calendar,” said Mr. LeMon. “Unfortunately, the change could cut away some of the holidays. I suppose that means there would be more instructional time, but that’s a give and take.”

Students seem to see the executive order a little bit differently than staff. The elimination of start and end dates seems to excite students because it gives them an extended summer.

“It sounds pretty good,” said freshman Jordan Murray. “I’d rather have school end early because I’d like to have a longer break.”

As opposed to students, long time Howard County Board of Education member, Sandra French, finds the order quite frustrating.

“It’s not the just the calendar,” she said. “It’s the way we run our schools. We have to reflect what our community wants, and if there’s all of this interference from different levels of government, it makes it very difficult to honor the constituents that we represent,” said Mrs. French. “I

think that [the executive order] interfering with what the law says is the local board’s responsibility,” said Mrs. French. “It just doesn’t seem to fair to go and say nobody else’s opinion counts.”

According to Mrs. French, starting before Labor Day would be a tremendous change for Howard County schools, and is to many people. “It’s not relevant for modern day,” she said. “It used to start that way so kids could continue working on the farms.”

According to Mrs. French, limiting the calendar to certain beginning and ending dates restricts the control the county has over regulating what days we can take off during the middle of the year. These dates would include religious holidays celebrated by different cultures that Howard County would like to accommodate.

“We are trying to be culturally sensitive to all student groups,” said Mrs. French. “We want them to have at least one day homework free so they can celebrate their holiday. I’m not sure if we are going to be able to honor those.

Then the debate will be, do you take away spring break?”

According to Mrs. French, citizens of Howard County are working to get this order overturned. “There will be a challenge from the General Assembly, but their 90 day session will not begin until mid-January,” said Mrs. French.

“When an issue is taken out of our hands,” said Mrs. French, “like with the Governor’s executive order, we cannot truly be responsive to our county.”

The Year in News

Women’s March Inspires Students to Get Involved

By Misbah Farooqi Editor-in-Chief Published: January 29, 2017 “This is what democracy looks like!” shouted thousands of women and men in pink knitted hats, famously dubbed “pussy hats,” holding signs with messages like “girls just wanna have fundamental human rights” and “there is no planet B” This was the scene that took place at the Women’s March on January 21, the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, in Washington D.C. Started by group of women on Facebook, the March became a movement symbolizing the fight for all the rights and causes that President Donald Trump had promised to take away during his campaign.

The March’s mission focused on giving a voice to those who had felt dehumanized by the President. The goal of the March was to empower groups who had felt silenced, such as immigrants, Natives, Muslims, blacks, and those who identified as LGBTQ. Not only did thousands attend the March in D.C., but over five million people around the world came out to march at the numerous Sister Marches that were held across the globe. Many students from Wilde Lake also attended the Women’s March in D.C., and had positive experiences to share.

“I thought the March was very powerful and sent an important message that said that many people do not agree with Trump’s policies and will fight for women’s rights. I had a lot of fun, and it was nice to be surrounded by people who support equal rights,” said senior Lia Conforti.

Senior Jennifer Benavides also shared a similar sentiment as Conforti, and believed

that going to the March was a great way for her to express how she was feeling in today’s political climate.

“I loved the March! I got really emotional knowing that I was going to be a part of history and that I was practicing one of my constitutional rights. The March made me really happy, because I felt only love and unity,” said Benavides.

The students who marched all came for the same reason: to support equal rights and those who were marginalized by the government. They all felt at risk due to President Trump’s policies and beliefs, “Personally, I marched because I have always been passionate about gender equality. Even though I could be negatively impacted by a Trump presidency, I definitely will not be the most affected. I felt like it was important to not just march for myself but in support of all women of different ethnicities and sexual orientations who might be more at risk,” said senior Faith Leslie.

Most of the students who attended the March plan on continuing the momentum and want to engage in other forms of activism during the next four years and beyond.

“I plan on continuing the momentum afterwards by supporting organizations such as Planned Parenthood that have the resources to make a large scale impact. I think the role of students in marches like the Women’s March is to represent the next generation and advocate for or against legislation that affects our future,” said Leslie.

Leslie and other students who attended also want to encourage their peers to get involved and continue to fight for what they believe in.

Despite Election Results, Trump Supporters Feel Silenced

By Savannah Jackson Writer Published: January 30, 2017 Immediately following the presidential election of 2016, the student body was split between those who supported Hillary Clinton and those who supported Donald Trump. Many Trump supporters at Wilde Lake felt categorized, silenced, and stereotyped.

A Wilde Lake sophomore who comes from a Trump-supporting family felt the heat around the results. “There are a lot of people who are angry over the way that the election turned out,” said the sophomore. “[The] violence, fires, and riots [that have been] occurring, [were not present] eight years ago when President Barack Obama was elected. I feel that people aren’t giving Trump a chance to prove himself, so I think we need to hold on a bit longer and see what happens,” said the sophomore.

A junior here at Wilde Lake is concerned with the way the media portrayed Trump as a candidate. “The media and America aren’t focused on the positivity Donald Trump can bring to America,” said the junior. “Trump has said that he won’t prosecute Hillary

Clinton and has cancelled all of his plans to register Muslims. He’s built an empire from a one million dollar loan and has made it into a three billion dollar [business].”

Still, the sophomore admits to the flaws of Donald Trump. “There are a lot of things Trump has done and said that make him very unfit for presidency.”

The junior has a similar view saying, “He’s done a lot of things that nobody in a professional aspect should [do].”

However, they both believe in Trump’s central message.

Another sophomore who attends Wilde Lake feels like it’s time for America to give Trump a chance. “If he does terribly, let’s kick him out in 2020,” said the sophomore. “He’s only in office for four years, not a lifetime.”

“I support Trump, but I don’t feel like I can say it here,” said the sophomore.

“At this school, we need to respect other’s opinions, even if they’re different from our own.”

Principal LeMon wants students to feel that they can express their opinions peacefully. “No one should feel like they can’t talk about their views,” said Mr. LeMon. “At this school, we want to give everyone a safe place to be able to talk about their political views.”

“The media and America aren’t focused on the positivity Donald Trump can bring to America.”

Superintendent Dr. Foose Gives Seniors Opportunity to Speak

Dr. Foose responds to concerns and comments that Wilde Lake seniors had to share about the current school system (Photograph by Natalie Varela).

By Anjali DasSarma Editor-in-Chief Published: January 11, 2017

Superintendent Dr. Renee Foose reached out to Principal LeMon to set up a meeting with Wilde Lake seniors on December

13, 2016. This meeting, which was organized with students voicing their concerns while Dr. Foose listened, was a continuation of Dr. Foose’s outreach to understand the climates of each of the high schools in Howard County.

Entering the mini theater, Dr. Foose was greeted by around 30 seniors sitting in lines of chairs. “How many days ‘til you graduate?” she asked with a smile. There were a smattering of answers, and some laughter as one student called out “too many!”

While the environment remained a little tense at first, students soon became comfortable and, as ideas were called out, students received applause or criticism from their peers. Dr. Foose moved around the front of the room, listening and responding to what each student had to say.

Dr. Foose plans to visit all of the high schools in the county

in order to get an accurate representation of each individual school.

“My goals [for the discussion] were to hear from the students directly, of their experiences, of the opportunities they had or that they didn’t have, or what they would like to have. The big thing is how do we make the school system better? I need the voice of the students to tell me about their experiences [and] what is happening on the ground, so that we can scale that up,” said Dr. Foose. “Every school is different, and has unique challenges and unique experiences so it’s insightful to me to see what those differences are.”

For Dr. Foose, this was an effort to make a connection with students in order to maintain the quality education HCPSS offers.

“I wanted to discuss what [the students] wanted to discuss,” said Dr. Foose. “I want to continue to

have the best school system in the state, that is needed to prepare students for their future.”

Students, like Alex Tummings, felt like the conversation covered some important topics, such as the quality arts program in Wilde Lake. “I enjoyed the parts of it that were constructive, but there were some things that weren’t really too constructive or relevant. I enjoyed the questions that really brought up important issues,” said Tummings.

Nick David stated that he wants to see some sort of result from this experience. “I think we need to see some sort of change or action, before we see that something was actually accomplished,” said David. “I feel like my voice was heard, but I think that being heard and being listened to are two different things, so I feel as though [Dr. Foose] was hearing what we were saying but actually listening to

it and taking it as something important is completely different.

For her to care and actually do something about it, that would mean a lot to us.”

John White, who has been the Director of Communications in HCPSS since December of 2015, wants the county to continue these kinds of conversations that give students a voice. “[We are] making sure teachers have the resources they need to have these conversations about the things that are on the students’ minds, whatever worries them, whatever questions they have, so that there can be open conversations, particularly in subjects like government and social studies,” said Mr. White.

“It’s going to take all of us to make the school system the best it can be,” said Dr. Foose.

The Year in Features With Depression, You Don’t Have To Struggle Alone

Depression affects many teenagers, especially aggravating symptoms in students who are stressed by school. If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, you can speak to someone through the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (Photograph by Natalie Varela).

By Savannah Jackson Writer “In past generations, people didn’t really talk about it. You just kind of pretended that it wasn’t there.” That’s what one Wilde Lake teacher has to say about her struggle with depression.

“I’ve probably had [depression] my whole life,” she said. Depression ran in her family, but due to the stigma around depression (the idea that someone doesn’t have depression,

and is just being overdramatic) they chose not to acknowledge it, she said.

In her middle school and high school years, she found that her depression worsened. “I went to school with people that were very image-conscious, and I think I went through a brief eating disorder phase. I wanted to be like everyone else,” she said. “You go through those awkward middle school and early high school years where you feel like you’re

Philip Taylor Seeks Innovations in Prosthetics

By Rachel Eisenhauer Arts and Sports Editor Published: March 1, 2017 Most children spend their childhoods racing up and down plastic slides, toddling around parks and screeching after scraping a knee or an elbow. But for children who have disabilities, a simple crash can have more serious consequences.

A typical prosthetic can range anywhere from $5,000-$50,000, according to ABCNews.com, and only lasts three to five years if it doesn’t get damaged along the way.

Children are more accident-prone and with their constant growth, the prosthetics has to be replaced more frequently. Additionally, children do not have access to the same highergrade prosthetics that adults do.

Sophomore Philip Taylor wants to change this. After meeting an army veteran with a prosthetic leg, he realized he had the potential to make something that makes a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

Through Wilde Lake’s GT Research program, Philip has been able to work on a design for a 3D

hideous, and you feel that you’re different from everyone else. It’s hard being a teenager. Things are always changing. Especially when nobody in your family is really trying to get you help, so not only is it bad, but there’s also nobody helping you get better,” she said.

“Especially being a female is hard because women are hard on each other. [We’re] very judgemental about everything.”

According to the journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America,

printed prosthetic arm for children, which would only cost between $100$150.

Philip’s design would have a module socket, which will allow the place where the arm joins with the prosthetic to expand and contract with the growth of the child. Each piece will also be detachable, allowing parts to be replaced as needed without buying a whole new limb.

Philip is designing a musclesensing prosthetic. When you squeeze your hand, the muscle in your arm flexes. With a muscle sensor, it can read that and use it as potential energy. It will send a signal to an RPM chip that will control all the motors.

One flex would make a hand open and close, two would make it point or perform a different function, based on its programming.

The completed design will be uploaded to a website called e-NABLE. Anyone in the world can come to this website, select Philip’s design, adjust it to fit themselves and pick their favorite color, then 3D print the design and have it in a short amount of time.

approximately three to eight percent of adolescents struggle with depression. In 2015, “an estimated three million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in the past year (National Institute of Mental Health).”

This is about 12.5 percent of the U.S. population for people ages 12 to 17. It is approximated that 20 percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood. 30 percent of teens who experience depression also develop a substance abuse problem. Teens with depression are 12 times as likely to attempt suicide.

Depression typically begins in teens and young adult years (between ages 12 to 30). Statistics show that more women are diagnosed with depression, but this may also be because more women seek treatment.

There are certain risk factors that make a person more likely to develop depression. Some of these include: low self esteem, being too self critical or pessimistic, experiencing traumatic or stressful events, having a family history of depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism or suicide, having a serious chronic illness, or taking certain medications.

These statistics show that not only is depression prevalent among teens, but that those who don’t get help face serious

difficulties in their lives.

Mr. Channel, Wilde Lake’s school psychologist, states the stress from school can factor into a teen’s depression. “I think a lot of stress causes you to feel pretty depressed,” he said. “I think the balance isn’t there. Like it’s okay to know that I’m not going to do well sometimes and be okay with that.”

He feels that grades become too important to some students, and it makes school a lot more stressful. “Grades [have] become way too serious,” said Mr. Channel.

The teacher started taking her son to therapy when he started experiencing symptoms at 15.

Then she started going to the therapist on her own when he went off to college, since her mother didn’t want to help her. “[Therapy] helped a lot,” she said.

“It just helps you feel better.”

She advises students who deal with depression to get help from anyone they can. “Find somebody that you can talk to.

If your parents don’t support you getting professional help, then use everybody at school that you know. They could be your counselor or somebody else’s counselor. Just find somebody in your life that can listen to you and try to get [you] help,” she says.

Even though sometimes it feels like there’s no way out, in the words of someone who’s been through it, “You can survive.”

Ms. Jones Reflects on Her Experiences in Segregated Howard County

By Misbah Farooqi Editor-in-Chief It’s often hard to remember that there was a time when Howard County was segregated, but Wilde Lake substitute, Ms. Jones, vividly remembers that time.

Growing up in Howard County in the 1950s, Ms. Jones, a well-known and charismatic substitute teacher at Wilde Lake, lived during a time of segregation and as a young girl, was forced to grapple with the reality of inequality and intolerance.

At the time, she was districted to attend Guilford Elementary, which was the local public school for black children. However, her parents wanted to send her to the local all-white Catholic school, St. Augustine, where she enrolled in the first grade in 1955.

While the pastor at her Catholic elementary school was tolerant enough to let her attend, not everyone was as welcoming.

“A week after riding the bus,

the bus driver handed me an envelope and said ‘make sure you give this to your parents.’

After that, I remember that I wasn’t riding the bus anymore,” she recalls of her experience of being forced off the bus.

Ms. Jones’ parents were told that since the buses weren’t integrated, she wasn’t allowed to ride on it. As a result, she was forced to take the cab to school everyday.

Her experiences in the classroom, however, were better.

She recalled that the students in her first grade class did not treat her any differently and were always eager to play, as most six year olds are. Most of the school staff were also accepting of her, as they were mostly nuns and priests whose religious beliefs did not accept segregation.

The next year, Ms. Jones was able to ride the bus again, but her encounters with segregation continued.

In 1957, when Ms. Jones was in third grade, her class went on a field trip to a local park in

Baltimore. However, since it was a segregated park, she was unable to attend the field trip.

At the time, she did not understand why her teacher had told her to stay home instead, but once she grew older, she recognized that it was because of her skin color.

Ms. Jones wasn’t alone in her experiences, as over 7000 African American children were enrolled in Howard County schools. Howard County schools were not desegregated until after 1965, with that year marking the closing of Harriet Tubman high school.

Of her experiences, Ms. Jones says she was never embittered by what she went through and believes that integration has worked in some aspects.

“I am happy that today’s generation takes people for who they are and looks past race. I am glad to live in a county that has evolved,” said Ms. Jones.

The Year in Features

Being Pretty: Women Feel Boxed Into Stereotypes

By Hope Kahn Writer Published: January 5, 2017 We’ve all done it: based our worth on what other people think of us. Both guys and girls have standards, but for girls, those standards are projected heavily and are particularly harsh and unrealistic. Girls feel pressured to look the part of society’s ideal image, which can lead to feeling negative about one’s self.

Abiola Morakinyo, sophomore, sometimes has to separate herself from society’s judgements. “I remind myself that just because someone doesn’t think I’m pretty, doesn’t mean that I’m not actually pretty,” said Morakinyo.

THE PERFECT WOMAN The way society expects girls to be comes from society’s definition of a ‘perfect image,’ says sophomore Autumn Weinig.

“The image definitely comes from the media,” said Weinig. “Our society has created the image that the perfect woman is tall, thin, [with] perfect skin, etc and it prevails in clothing companies making clothes for only one body type, in magazines, television and more.”

Standards and ideal images aren’t always physical, but are also found in the way girls act, said Weining. “It’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts.” “Do not be loud, but do not be too quiet. Do not be too smart but do not be unintelligent. Do not be too feminine, but don’t act masculine,” said Weinig. “Especially toward teenage girls, it doesn’t feel acceptable to be yourself.”

Many girls agree these standards are unrealistic and Morakinyo admits that she doesn’t fit the expectations.

“Physically, I’m a little less than average height, I’m kind of chubby, I have very short hair, but I like to think that I have nice eyes and a nice smile.”

FACING OTHERS OPINIONS Morakinyo doesn’t let the views of others get to her, but that is not always possible. “I usually am pretty positive about the way I look, but sometimes it’s hard because there is so much negativity,” she said. “Like I’m chubby, and I’m okay with that, but it often feels like the rest of the world isn’t okay with that. And that goes for the rest of my appearance too, for the most part.”

For Morakinyo, she sees that when girls are younger, they are more sensitive and not as capable of coping with the negativity from society’s expectations.

“The views of society do affect the way I feel about myself, but not nearly as much as when I was younger,”

said Morakinyo. “I think it just causes an overall self-doubt, especially in young girls who probably don’t even realize how much it wears on them, and if they do realize, likely they don’t have any way to really deal with it.”

Morakinyo sees how the views of society impacts her peers as well.

“I have so many friends that will not believe people when they tell them that they are pretty,” said Morakinyo. “They have become so convinced they aren’t attractive, desirable, [or] valuable because they are told that a certain thing is attractive, and they can clearly see that they aren’t that thing. They have been told [this] so much, whether directly or not, that they start to believe it, and don’t trust people when they are told otherwise.”

Guidance counselor Ms. Pruett sees how girls deal with self image directly. “The biggest struggle for teen girls is fitting in, whether it’s because of body image or personality wise,” said Ms. Pruett.

Junior Nicki Blair sees how fitting in in high school can be difficult. “Girls are really hard on girls. I have to watch myself sometimes with how I talk and how I act because people are very judgemental,” she said.

Freshman Zoe Davidson also sees how harsh girls are on each other. “Girls can be the hardest on other girls, especially if they lack confidence themselves. “Over the summer I had a camp counselor [who] made a rude comment about me and the little girls near us started repeating it. It got fixed because we talked to the person in charge of camp,” said Davidson. “But the main thing you have to realize is that most people will say those negative things because they aren’t confident about themselves.”

According to Weinig, women’s value is often based only on the unwritten standards and views in society. “We focus on female celebrities appearances instead of their accomplishments, on diets that harm you instead of help you, and on bodies that are not real,” she said.

Famous people are a major impact on how girls feel about themselves because they set false representations of how women look and act. This is because the normal woman doesn’t look like that. Davidson “would change who’s famous and why they’re famous.”

“You start correlating being famous with this idea of perfection. If you look like this then you’ll have money, be liked, and be famous,” she said.

Weinig has personally felt “nervous or scared of what people will think of [her] or what [she] does, and whether or not it’s okay solely based upon how they think [she] should act,” she said.

According to Weinig, when women and men get compared in roles of society, oftentimes men prevail.

Woman feel casted to the side and girls start to feel pressures from society and worry about the future

“I am inspired whenever I see women who are thriving despite adversity, who love themselves openly, and who exceed the expectations that society has set for them.”

-Sophomore Abiola Morakinyo (Photograph by Hope Kahn)

As a woman, Morakinyo believes she will “have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition, I’m going to have to alter the way I speak or interact in order to not put people off, and I’m probably going to be held to different standards than my male peers and probably won’t get as much respect,” she said.

SOCIETY IS CHANGING However, Morakinyo also believes that society is starting to adjust the way it views women. “The change is coming from people not restricting themselves or others to those standards in a personal level, and also demanding that the media also break the standards. From people first choosing on a personal level to not perpetuate those standards, and also starting to demand that the media do so at the same time,” said Morakinyo.

Society is visibly beginning to change the mold what we see as the “beautiful girl” because the future is happening now. Models are beginning to go unretouched in photoshoots and plus-sized models are becoming more frequently used. Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ Campaign uses girls of all shapes, sizes, and races in order to have people embrace who they are. Also, Aerie by American Eagle started #AerieReal which is their campaign to “love the real you.”

These factors allow girls to see that not everyone is perfect and people understand that, allowing them to be who they are without worrying. Society is changing, making people see that they should be okay with who they are.

BEING POSITIVE Freshman Seetal Ahluwalia describes a positive self image as accepting who you are. “A positive self image is being okay with your flaws; knowing that you have imperfections but you don’t take it to the extreme, where the only thing you can focus on is the negative,” she said.

Focusing on the negative, according to Davidson, causes many girls to suffer. “Nobody’s perfect and everyone knows they aren’t perfect. But if you focus on the negatives you aren’t going to be happy,” said Davidson. “If you embrace what makes you different and your flaws then you’ll be happier.”

Freshman Sally Kulesza tells girls to “Feel good about yourself, dress how you want to dress and not how other people want you to, and don’t let anyone tell you what’s right and wrong. You do you,” she said.

Morakinyo sees that “People are accepting that beauty isn’t just one thing, and that beauty doesn’t determine a person’s value.”

“The standards for women are a list of do’s and don’ts. Do not be too smart but do not be unintelligent. Do not be too feminine, but don’t act masculine.”

-Sophomore Autumn Weinig (Photograph by Hope Kahn)

The Year in Arts

An Inside Look at Seussical the Musical

Senior Michael Boyer (pictured above, left) performs as Horton during Wilde Lake’s production of Seussical the Musical. Junior Efe Unuigbe and Junior Romeil Johnson (pictured above right) played Jojo and The Cat, respectively (Photographs by Rachel Eisenhauer).

By Anjali DasSarma, Misbah Farooqi and Rachel Eisenhauer Editor-in-Chiefs and Arts and Sports Editor Seussical, this year’s spring musical, showcased Wilde Lake’s many theatrical talents, from makeup to stage design to performance.

The challenge presented, especially to the makeup department, was that nearly every person needed prosthetics to create the whimsical world of Seuss.

Head of makeup, junior Kate Loughlin was in charge of transitioning the actors from human to jungle creature by painting and patting prosthetics to the actors’ faces.

“Makeup for Seussical was unlike any makeup I have ever done in my life. Ms. Adler really pushed me to my limit but also pushed me to believe in myself and my skills more,” said Loughlin. “Everyone except two people had prosthetics and the makeup room was a colorful mayhem every show.”

Junior Efe Unuigbe, who played Jojo, felt that Seussical was unique in comparison to the five other shows at Wilde Lake she has performed in.

“Seussical was a lot different. My character was in a bunch of ensemble pieces, so I basically spent everyday at school. The makeup for this show was also a lot more than any of us were used to because we had to use prosthetics to make it look realistic,” said Unuigbe.

Senior Lindsay Murray saw the show as a success. “It is always nice to see all of our hard work and talent to create the magical performances we gave,” said Murray, who portrayed one of the bird girls.

For junior Hayley Adler, who played The Cat in the Hat, bringing to life her classic character was one of her favorite parts.

“My role in Seussical was one of the best experiences I had playing a character yet!

I loved interacting with the audience and feeding off of their energy,” said Adler.

Adler played The Cat with junior Romeil Johnson, and, she says, working together made the show better.

“Seussical was crazy and stressful, yet I don’t know what else I would have done in the spring!” said Adler. “It was especially fun with co-creating the cat in the hat with a great friend.”

Senior Maddy Ho (pictured above) played the flamboyant Mayzie LaBird, dressed in feathers and a crimson dress and tail (Photograph by Rachel Eisenhauer).

(Pictured left and right) Many of the cast members of Seussical utilized complicated prosthetics to accurately portray the whimsical characters known as Whos. Wilde Lake’s makeup department faced the prosthetics challenge head on this year. In addition to the Whos, the ensemble played Jungle Creatures, Hunches, Hunch Pupppeteers and Who Cadets (Photographs by Rachel Eisenhauer).

The Year in Arts Wilde Lake Performs Band Conductor Mr. Fall Musical, You’re Dutrow Wins Outstanding a Good Man Charlie Music Educator Award

Brown

By Luka Trikha Writer Coming back from Myrtle Beach, holding multiple awards from the Legends In Concert Championship, the student on the buses erupted into cheers when they pulled up to see a sign stating Mr. Dutrow had been awarded the Outstanding Music Educator Award by the Maryland Music Educators Association.

Mr. Dutrow has been conducting for Wilde Lake’s band for 37 years, and students have had very memorable moments with him, from winning the Grand Championship with only four performers in Myrtle Beach to playing along with the one of the biggest Latin American clarinetist, Paquito D’Rivera.

For Isabela Rey, a junior, her best moments span on a bigger timeline. “From 8th grade when he was persuading kids to join the band to now when he was awarded with the Outstanding Music Educator Award, he has always enforced the concept of the band being a family.”

Mr. Dutrow’s teachings have influenced many students to become better musicians and to pursue music, like Alex Wilson and Isabela Rey who wish to become music conductors and teachers.

Alex Wilson, a senior, will be majoring

Senior James Lefkowitz played Charlie Brown in this year’s fall musical. This was his seventh show (Photograph by Rachel Eisenhauer).

By Anjali DasSarma and Rachel Eisenhauer Editor-in-Chief and Arts and Sports Editor This year, Wilde Lake’s drama department made the decision to perform two musicals instead of the previous fall and spring musical.

The show, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, featured a small cast, with outstanding talent.

The lead role of Charlie Brown went to senior James Lefkowitz, who has been performing in Wilde Lake productions since he was a freshman.

“Getting to be the character and reenacting him, that’s exciting,” he said.

This was senior Alex Tumming’s last fall show, and he put work into researching his character, Snoopy the beagle.

“I really like Charlie Brown and I looked forward to feeling gratified by all the hard work we put in,” Tummings said.

Senior Taylor Thomas, who played “the little sister,” Sally, channeled her younger brother for the role.

“I looked forward to the challenge

of playing a role much younger than my age and making it seem like real life,” said Thomas. “I am 17 and Sally is five. Sally is a little sister and I have a little brother, so I emulated my brother when playing Sally.”

In addition to the seniors in the cast, underclassmen, like freshman Sydney Lowry (Marcie), also looked forward to contributing their talents to the show.

“I looked forward to working with the cast and learning a lot from them,” said Lowry. “Since there were less people, you get to work closer with everyone and do more.”

Freshman Sam Russell, who played Roy, shared his excitement of doing something brand new.

“I [couldn’t wait until] opening night because it was a new experience to perform on a stage that I hadn’t been on before,” said Russell. “I’ve never done a show that required me to be younger before.”

“I think Charlie Brown went exceptionally well and was one of the best Wilde Lake musicals,” said Thomas.

This show was followed by Seussical the Musical.

Romeil Johnson and Hayley Adler (pictured above), portrayed Schroeder and Lucy, respectively. Lucy is known as being the bossiest character, and Adler knew she had big shoes to fill. About how she related to this character, she said “[Lucy] is kind of crabby and bossy so I’m going to look into how she interacts with other people. I relate to her and see my sense of humor in her.”

To the right, part of the cast performs in colorful costumes with elation.

(Photographs by Rachel Eisenhauer)

in Music Education and Jazz performance at Towson next year. “He has inspired me to become a teacher myself,” Wilson said. “He understands students, and that’s how he makes great relationships with students.”

Allen Severson, a senior, talks about the way he teaches. “After all he has been through, he has always made learning music fun. The way he appreciates music also makes some of the students appreciate music more.”

Avery Trinh, a junior, talks about the way he teaches. “He always gives his best, even on his worst days, and he always makes people more interested in band.”

Ian Eylanbekov, a senior in jazz band, remarks on some of his qualities. “He [Mr. Dutrow] is well suited for a high school band,” Eylanbekov said. “He epitomizes a great high school conductor.”

Noah Sutker, junior, admires his abounding energy. “His great energy make you want to play more and to play better,” Sutker said.

Mr. Dutrow’s students are proud to have a conductor who has been awarded the Outstanding Music Educator award.

“His passion, dedication for music, and knowledge of the music we play is the reason why he and the band is the best,” Wilson said.

The Year in Sports

Wilde Lake Athletes Rake In Medals On the National Stage

By Ricky Ho Writer Wilde Lake smoked the competition at the AAU Indoor Track and Field National Championship Meet at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in March.

The Wilde Lake team was made up of four athletes -- Christian Saulsbury, TJ Lyles, Jason Macmillan, and Deanna Yancey -- who competed in high jump, long jump, triple jump, 60 meter dash, 60 meter hurdles, 200 meter dash, 4x2, and 4x4, 4x8.

Deanna Yancey represented girls track for Wilde Lake at the competition. Yancey competed in high jump, long jump, triple jump, the 4x2, the 4x8, and the 4x4.

Deanna won gold in high jump, the 4x2 and the 4x8. She also placed silver in the 4x4 and received seventh place in long jump and fifth place in triple jump.

Jason Macmillan competed in the 4x4, Track athlete Deanna Yancey represents the Wilde Lake Girls at Nationals and medals in four 4x2, 60 meter, and the 200 meter dash. events (Photograph courtesy of Deanna Yancey). Macmillan won gold in the 4x4 and 4x2 while also placing fourth in 200, and sixth in the 60 meter dash.

“I was excited to compete with runners It should come as no surprise that from other schools on the relay teams,” said someone as fast as Christian was calm Macmillan. before his races. “I felt relaxed and leading TJ Lyles competed in the high jump, the up to my events I focused and had fun with 60 meter hurdles, the 60 meter dash, and it at the same time. I just went out to do the 4x2. Lyles received first in the 60 meter what I know I do best,” said Saulsbury. hurdles and first in the “After my events I felt 4x2. excited, humbled and “I felt great,” said just grateful to make it as Lyles, “I don’t get “I just went on to do far as I did in the season nervous. I love a on a national level,” said crowd.” Even though what I know I do best.” Saulsbury.

Lyles won the 60 meter Christian is very Christian Saulsbury hurdles he was a little optimistic about being disappointed “After the able to repeat their 60 meter hurdles I was success in the 2017 happy, but I felt I could have ran faster.” outdoor season. “I think we can all go to Christian Saulsbury who already holds nationals for outdoor if we all work hard the school record for the 55 meter dash and go to practice like we did indoor and finished Nationals with a time of 6.40 all take our roles serious we can make great seconds. Saulsbury competed in the 60 things happen just like [during] indoor meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and the season,” said Saulsbury.

4x2 relay team.

The Wilde Lake track team has high Christian claimed the indoor national hopes for outdoor season after a dominant title for the 60 meter dash while also performance during the indoor season. placing third in the 200 meter dash and first in the 4x2.

Trea Keys Shoots to Top Ranked Scorer

Trea Keys leads the Wildecats as the top scorer in a basketball game against Long Reach (Photograph by Hope Kahn).

By Hope Kahn Writer Published: February 13, 2017 “He’s-A-Soph-More!” the crowd chants as Trea Keys, a 5’7” point guard, scores from the 3-point line again and again. Keys, the leading scorer in Howard County basketball,

is an essential part of the varsity basketball team.

Keys was pulled up to varsity as a freshman during the 20152016 season.

“I’ve been playing basketball for 10 years now,” said Keys.

“I’ve been playing at a pretty high level.”

Coach Wingfield, the varsity

coach, recognizes Keys as an intelligent, valuable player.

“Trea is a very exceptional player. He’s a hard worker, he’s very smart, and right now he’s our leading scorer on our team,” said Coach Wingfield.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Keys is averaging 18.3 points a game which puts him as the leading scorer in Howard County. During the Wilde Lake game against Oakland Mills, Keys had a career-high 34 point game which is the most points scored by any Howard County player this winter season.

Keys’ commitment and leadership skills have helped guide the team so far this season, and he hopes he will continue to help.

“This year there’s a different level of competition. The teams [in the county] are a lot better,” said Keys. “It was a little rocky in the beginning, but we’ve gotten a lot better.”

“I want to win the counties, but it’s a hard road to get there.

I will keep leading the team and getting everyone else better,” said Keys.

Keys has been working hard to improve as a player. “This year I’ve been playing smarter and with more discipline and picking and choosing where I shoot,” said Keys.

Coach Wingfield sees the hard work Keys puts in. “He’s been working extremely hard on his shooting. For someone his size, he has to shoot the ball very well, and he’s been putting in a lot of time and practice outside of practice to work on his shooting,” he said.

Keys has two more seasons left with the Wilde Lake basketball program. “Over the next two years I want to improve all around in my game and just become a better player overall,” said Keys.

“One of my hopes is that he can grow a little bit, but I don’t think I have any control over that,” Coach Wingfield said, with a smile and laugh. “I would definitely like to see his continued development.”

In order to improve Keys as a player, Coach Wingfield will continue to support and help Keys on and off the court. “As

his coach, I’ll continue to give him drills and things for him to improve on his game,” he said.

“I’ll continue to communicate with him to let him know the things that he needs to do to be successful,” said Coach Wingfield.

“I’ll just continue to keep him focused, he’s a very good kid and sometimes when people have success early they sort of lose focus, so one of my jobs is to keep him on that right path to be successful for the next two years he has here,” said Coach Wingfield.

Keys has demonstrated his strengths, skill, and support and he has proven himself to be an essential part of the basketball team.

“I think if he continues on the pace that he’s on right now that he can be the best player that has ever played here at Wilde Lake High School,” said Coach Wingfield. “He’s a very dedicated and hard-working young man.”

The Year in Sports

Faith Leslie Makes Home Run History

Varsity Softball player Faith Leslie shows off her four consecutive homeruns she scored after a game against Hammond (Photograph courtesy of Coach Tee).

By Gabby Christopher Opinions and Sports Editor Senior Faith Leslie walked up to the plate on March 27 focused on playing hard against Hammond for the last time. She looked at the ground, looked up and took

a strong, level practice swing. The wind whooshed as she securely swung her bat. Faith’s eyes focused in on the ball through her helmet as the Hammond pitcher threw the ball in her direction. Faith’s bat made a perfect connection with the ball, and the ball sailed over the fence, as dust from the field trailed Faith’s path to the around the bases. Then she hit the ball again and again and again, resulting in four home runs.

What varsity softball captain Faith did during her game was something that has never been seen even during a MLB game.

She made history when she hit a “home run cycle,” which consists of hitting a solo home run, tworun shot, three-run shot and a grand slam in one game.

This is Faith’s fourth and final year on the Wilde Lake softball team, and she’s bringing everything she’s got up to the plate.

She is currently batting a .667 with 15 RBI’s and five home runs.

Faith has been playing softball

for 13 years, and has become a leading player on the varsity team for four years. She has been awarded the Wildecat award once, Most Valuable Player three times, and she’s been nominated for 1st Team All-County. Outside of Wilde Lake softball, Faith plays travel softball for Western Howard County Fever.

“I always say that Faith is a great softball player, but an even greater person. She is an absolute joy to coach and to know,” said Coach Kristina Dronenburg.

“It was really exciting to be able to hit a home run cycle,” said Faith.

“I’m really proud of myself, and it’s really amazing to get recognition from journalists all across the country,” she said.

“Faith is an absolute star!” said Coach Dronenburg, “Faith will go down as one of the top Wildecats in the history of the softball program. She has permanently etched herself into the record books.”

Pole Vaulter Kareem Press Reaches New Heights

Wingfield Wins Coach of the Year

By Takyla Brown Writer

Deonne Wingfield was selected by The Howard County Times to receive the honor of “Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.” In addition to coaching, Wingfield is also a physical education teacher here at Wilde Lake.

Now back to normal at Wilde Lake, Wingfield still recalls the feeling of stardom. “It was a great honor to be recognized for the season we had this year,” said Wingfield.

But Wingfield admits, he couldn’t have won the award alone. ‘’That award doesn’t come without the degree of the coaching staff that I have, and the players I have playing for me this year; for those that brought that into the system and helped me win this award,” he said.

Coach Wingfield played basketball when he was in high school and college, and played professional basketball in Europe for several years. “[Basketball] has always been a passion of mine,” said Wingfield.

As for coaching, Wingfield says it feels right for him. “It’s just something I enjoy doing,” he said. “It’s really comfortable for me.”

According to sophomore Trea Keys, who plays for Wilde Lake, Wingfield taught him much about the game. “He told us not to worry about trying to score and [During the game] when to get my teammates involved,” said Keys. “He really takes his time to teach you about the game and he never gives up on you.

He believes in all his players.”

“Pole vaulting is just you, the pole, the runway and the air,” said Press who has been pole vaulting since his sophomore year of high school.

Press started because of the influence of his senior friends. “I heard bad things about it like you could break your neck, but I still wanted to try.”

When Press decided to attempt pole vaulting, the takeoff was very natural to him, he said.

Learning how to pole vault includes self teaching, lessons, and practices. “I had a coach who was the track coach at Reservoir, who was also the coach of Howard County pole vaulters, and she did teach me things, but most of the time I went online and watched videos,” he said.

“Pole vault practices are twice a week and consist of us jumping, doing some drills, short approaches of the pole, and all that kind of stuff with knowing the pole,” said Press. “[For me] pole vaulting isn’t easy or hard, it’s in between,” said Press.

Pole vault all depends on how one is able to adapt, he says. “Nobody’s really good at pole vault yet nobody’s really bad. it depends on how you work with it. There are so many factors and so many ways you can adjust to it,” he said.

Press wasn’t expecting to win Counties, and at a typical Howard County meet Press often places 3rd or 4th, he said. “Coming into the meet I was scared because I no heighted [didn’t clear the bar] for the few past meets before, and so just winning that

meet brought up my confidence.”

Pole vault is extremely dangerous and even Press gets intimidated by the risks of the sport. “Most times, when I jump I always go off to the side of the mats, which is really dangerous and it hurts a lot,” he said.

But, Press has been working on improving and getting the pole under more control. “This year I’ve been working with bigger poles and I’ve been able to get higher,” he said. “Unfortunately, I haven’t had as much control with the pole, so I just have to work on controlling better, but I’ve been getting higher this season.”

Before jumping, Press clears his mind and tells himself “just don’t die, ” he said. “It kind of helps me focus, having everything organized. I’m like ‘Kareem you got this; press that arm, look up, just shoot up to the stars, don’t think about anything else,’” he said.

Press loves the feeling of the flight while pole vaulting. “It’s the fact I can fly. It’s the only sport where you can actually fly,” Press said. “I really like bending the pole and getting upside down it just reminds me of flying and taking flight.”

Kareem’s goal is to improve over the next three track and field seasons he has at Wilde Lake in order to try to “break the record at this school of 12 feet and to place 5th or up to states,” said Press. In order to do this Press will, “keep going to practice, looking at others, and try his best to improve as much as he can with consistency.”

“Pole vaulting is just you, the pole, the runway and the air.”

Track and Field Star Kareem Press practices his pole vaulting He placed first in Howard County’s regional competition (Photograph courtesy of Kareem Press).

By Hope Kahn Writer Published: March 31, 2017 Sprinting down the runway with speed, determination and focus, junior Kareem Press plants the pole firmly onto the ground, takes flight, and soars through the

air clearing the bar at 10 feet. This was the moment Press won pole vault at Howard County regionals.

Press’ clearance of 10 feet at regionals was the top height, and he emerged as the winner. Winning regionals qualified him for states where he cleared a personal record of 11 feet and claimed 8th place.

The Year in Opinions Yes You Can! Do Something About Climate Change

Why Everyone Should Be a Feminist

By Anjali DasSarma Editor-in-Chief Published: June 13, 2016

Time Magazine has been publishing an issue at the end of the year with someone they name the Person of the Year.

Since 1927, the beginning of this tradition, there’s only been four women in that coveted spot. Angela Merkel (2015), is the first woman since 1986 to receive this title.

In the world, we have always had an issue with gender equality.

According U.S. Department of Labor, 57 percent of women in America participate in the workforce while 69.7 percent of men in America are working. Though this seems like a low percentage, women working has increased by 46.1 percent since 101 years ago in 1915. This major increase is admirable, but women are still projected to represent less than half of the labor force at 46.8 percent in 2022.

The reason for less women participating in the labor force is that there are still jobs that have been discouraging the inclusion of women, especially in higher positions.

According to CNN, women make up only 14 percent of CEO’s in businesses or enterprises in America.

Women are also affected economically by this patriarchy.

In 2015, The U.S. Department of Labor says, women in America were paid 79 percent of what men were paid.

The average American male will make $50,383 while the average American female will make $39,621. These statistics are staggering considering that the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which declares equal pay between sexes was signed decades ago. There really should not be a difference in pay between men and women in the same position considering that they typically have the same capabilities.

This inequality is also shown in our U.S. House of Representatives as well. It seems ironic that the House of Representatives has women misrepresentated. Out of the 435 representatives, only 84 or 19.3 percent of them are

The future of our planet is dim and clouded with smog. By the end of this century, many areas of Africa, South America and Asia will have a maximum of around 113 degrees Fahrenheit daily. 94 percent of Miami Beach and 88 percent of New Orleans will be flooded.

With the increase in temperature comes the surge of extreme weather. Hurricanes like Katrina will become more and more common, according to Climate Central.

“Fixing” climate change is not an easy task. To reverse the imminent damage that we as humans have inflicted on this planet will take decades, even centuries.

I go to a high school where I view students not understanding the impending disaster that very well may destroy the life-sustaining capabilities of the planet in our own lifetimes.

Right now, it may not seem to be a problem, and it may not devastate your community in the next year, but climate change is very real. According to the New York City Panel on Climate Change, within ten years, the sea levels around New York City will increase 4-8 inches, which increases the likelihood of floods and creates the perfect conditions for more damaging storms like hurricane Sandy.

When the world’s temperature rises two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) the ecosystems and coast lines of our world will collapse into disrepair.

It’s time to show the everyone that we care, not only about ourselves, but about our posterity. It’s time to start deliberately taking action against climate change.

From trying to keep our carbon footprint down, to even just buying less packaged foods, we need to take action.

We’ve been taught these same ideas since we were children, reading The Lorax, and I believe that as a community, if we start caring, we can make a difference in the world, one at a time.

So What Can I Do? Educate yourself about the issues. Make sure you’re well informed before consulting a congressman or woman. We do not want to be deemed as “complaining teenagers” before we even have the chance to speak up and share our ideas.

Talk about climate change with your family and friends. The more we remind people that it’s happening, the more we can make a difference.

Start thinking about buying an electric vehicle. The main cost may seem a bit scary for one of the shiny new electric vehicles, but you can get federal tax credit of up to $7,500, and Maryland sales tax credit up to $3,000, and it’s worth it to keep the fossil fuels out of our atmosphere.

Talk to your parents about switching your home to renewable energy through your local power company.

From wind to solar, there are plenty of affordable ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint. Wind energy does not require the installation of solar panels, so may be a better option for some homes.

Reuse, reduce and recycle. The same mantra we’ve been taught for all of our lives could help save the planet.

Ask your parents to buy fresh, local foods instead of unnecessarily packaged products. Manufacturing produces an average of 4-8 pounds of CO2 for every pound of the manufactured product (according to CarbonFund). By buying fresh, you’re indirectly preventing CO2 from entering our atmosphere and adding to climate change.

By Gabby Christopher Opinions and Sports Editor Published: June 1, 2016

women. It feels wrong that people who get to make decisions for American women aren’t mostly women or advocates for women. Since 50.8 percent of America’s population is women, about half of the HOR should be women.

In high school, women already feel gender inequality with the dress code and stigmas against girls taking certain classes. When young women leave high school, they experience serious things like making significantly less than men or not being represented equally as men.

To get rid of this stigma that women are less deserving and valuable than men and that women can’t be as successful as men, we need to discard these views at a very young age.

Adults in a child’s life need to show that both men and women are equals and should be allowed the same things in all aspects. Young girls need to have powerful female role models to show them that despite their demographics, they can still do great things in life.

According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, “Feminism is advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” Meaning, a feminist is a person who supports gender equality, which is why everyone should be one.

Some people, even women, often make the argument that they’re not a feminist because they are afraid of being misjudged.

There’s always been this common misconception that feminism is exclusive to women, but the only way we can truly change and succeed in this movement for gender equality is if men speak out on supporting feminism as well and get help to dismantle the patriarchy in our society.

Everybody should be a feminist. Support and awareness of both men and women is crucial for this movement to grow and eventually lead to the end of gender inequality and a truly equal society where women don’t grow up believing that they’re less valuable than men.

Homework: How Much Is Too Much?

By Julia Bohse Writer Published: November 16, 2016 As students, it often feels as if we are bombarded with homework. When one factors in extracurricular activities, jobs, a social life, family time, and sleep, it begins to seem as if there are not nearly enough hours in the day to accommodate our busy schedules.

The current HCPSS homework policy recommends seven to fifteen hours of homework per week for high school students. Additionally, students may not receive mandatory homework over the summer or electronic assignments when school is not in session. This homework policy, as is, is not enough to ensure that students have enough time to pursue other interests outside of school, get adequate sleep, or spend time with friends and family.

At the national level, the National PTA and the National Education Association recommend ten minutes of homework per night multiplied by the grade level of the student. This means that a ninth grade student would receive 90 minutes of homework per night and a twelfth grade student would receive 120 minutes of homework per night.

According to the US News & World Report, the average high school teacher assigns 3.5 hours of homework per week, which can add up to 17.5

hours of homework a week. This total is 2.5 hours over the maximum fifteen hours of homework per week recommended by HCPSS and exceeds the requirements set by the ten minute homework rule.

In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education, excess homework is linked with worsened psychological and physical well-being.

Due to the pressures to complete homework, students who receive too much homework do not get adequate sleep and are more likely to experience anxiety and depressive symptoms.

With nine out of ten students reporting that they have experienced homework stress, these health concerns should not be dismissed.

In school districts that have already implemented reduced homework policies, parents, students, and teachers have offered positive feedback on the new regulations. Parents in these districts are able to spend more time with their children, teachers like the idea of allowing students a mental break from homework and studying, and students are finding themselves with more time to pursue activities they are passionate about.

Riverdale, a school in New York, recently created a policy if students found themselves spending more than 45 minutes on homework per subject per night, they were to stop whether

or not the homework was completed.

Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles recently adopted a policy where students will not have more than three hours of homework weekly for each subject. In addition to this limit, the school is also surveying students each semester to get an idea of how much time is being spent on homework.

While homework is a way to promote additional enrichment, too much homework leaves students with no time for anything else. The job of the school is to cultivate the entire student, not just academic skills.

Unfortunately, in our system, competition and rigor are often placed over other interests, including student well-being. If students are assigned less homework, they will have more time to become well-rounded individuals and develop other passions and skills.

In order to allow students more time to develop other interests, I propose a new homework policy in which students will not receive homework on the weekends and will be limited to three hours of homework per week for each subject. This policy would help to ensure that the homework assigned is purposeful and relevant and does not cut too much into the time we need to spend on other meaningful activities.

The Year in Opinions

Why I Don’t Stand for the Pledge of Allegience

By Rachel Henry Writer It’s 7:25am and all the students in my first period are getting settled into their seats. The various conversations in the classroom are interrupted with the loud sound of the bell. A handful of students in the class stand facing the red, white and blue flag, place their right hands over their chests and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, a routine that has been drilled into the minds of American students since at least the 1950s.

“I Pledge of Allegiance...,” says the static voice over the intercom as some recite along in monotone voices. Their voices stick out in the class, contrasting the dead silence of the students who respectfully stand, facing

the flag, but do not repeat the pledge. “To the flag,” the voice continues as I look around and notice that most students aren’t standing. “Of the United States of America,” and now, the teacher is getting irritated at all the students who are sitting and ignoring the pledge.

“Phones should be out of sight, and everyone should be standing for the pledge,” says my first period teacher. She taps several students on the shoulder, signaling them to rise and recite the pledge.

The same handful are standing, and the rest of the kids in the room continue to disregard the teacher’s request to stand.

As the pledge wraps up, the few students who stood sit down, while the ones who idly sat

through the pledge, are scolded, by both the teacher and other students.

“If you don’t stand for the pledge, you aren’t supporting our troops,” says an agitated student.

For many people, the pledge is a time to pay respect to the soldiers who served for our country, or as an honorific to give support to people who fought for American rights.

But for others, like myself, not standing for the pledge is actually standing for something more significant. While some may be sitting apathetically, for me, it’s a form of protest.

Students are opposed to standing and reciting the pledge for several different reasons. Some students dislike current events occurring in the United States

Gwen Ifill Leaves Behind Legacy for Next Generation

By Anjali DasSarma Editor-in-Chief Published: November 22, 2016

Gwen Ifill, pictured above, passed away in November (Photograph courtesy of Biography.com).

Gwen Ifill, an inspiring journalist filled with passion and spirit, made it her life’s work to share the truth with the world through journalism, even in a time filled with racially charged hatred. Her life was cut short at the pinnacle of her career, on Monday, November 14, 2016, after

a battle with cancer.

Her legacy, however, continues, which is especially important during times like these, when racial tensions are running high and people are attacking others because they do not understand others beliefs.

Growing up, I remember watching Ms. Ifill on the PBS News Hour, admiring her poise and elegance, and how determined she was to get to the heart of the story, all while breaking the glass ceiling.

Watching the tributes and outpour of emotional memories and condolences from people of all walks of life, I got teary eyed, seeing the impact that Ms. Ifill had on me and had on the rest of the world.

As both a person of color and a woman, Ms. Ifill broke barriers in everything she did. She began her journalism career during college, when she was targeted by a coworker who wrote “n—–, go home,” on a note for her. She persevered, and went on to become one part of the first “female anchor team,” according The New York Times, with News Hour coanchor Judy Woodruff by her side.

From desegregation to the political climate, Ms. Ifill was there to report on all the events of our time.

She moderated presidential and vice-presidential debates and reported on so many events on the world stage. She was also influential in education, serving on the board for University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

Ms. Ifill mentioned in an interview in January of 2015 that as a child, she used to watch television, and saw a kind of woman she’d never seen before in black women like Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and

news reporter Melba Tolliver. Little did she know as a little girl watching the conventions at the edge of her seat, that she would grow up to inspire a whole new generation of young women who looked up to her and saw the kind of person we all want to be: strong, passionate, and most of all, determined.

In every article, in every op ed, every writer describes her absolutely radiant smile, and her presence that simply lit up the room she walked into.

She was both poised and down to earth, but she was anything but a pushover. She spoke her mind, and the world listened.

In a school that is majority minority, we live in a diverse community, and we appreciate how racial prejudices affect our world. Ms. Ifill understood those differences deeply, and chose to look fairly at the important issues that affect our lives now and beyond, far into the future, covering them with utmost objectivity.

We see a difficult world to grow up in. We are just beginning to wake up in a world where people are filled with hatred and anger. But there is hope, and Ms. Ifill embodied this hope throughout her lifetime of outstanding work in journalism. She pushed the limits, and achieved greatness even when there was doubt.

Although her untimely death fills the world with great sadness, her life was filled with accomplishment and successes, not just for herself, but for an entire group of young women and people of color.

President Barack Obama, in his tribute to Ms. Ifill said “she not only informed today’s citizens but she also inspired tomorrow’s journalists. She was an especially powerful role model for young women and girls who admired her integrity, tenacity and intellect and for whom she blazed a trail as one-half of the first all-female anchor team on network news.

Gwen did her country a great service.”

She was a pioneer, and though she was taken from us far too soon, she left the path of inspiration for our generation.

Every word she said was quotable, but I choose to leave you with this one, inspiring us, even after recent political events: “Hope springs eternal, even in politics.”

such as racism, homophobia, and sexism, and not standing for the pledge is a way to silently protest. As students, acceptable forms of protest are limited. But, being silent is both an acceptable and a powerful form of protest.

It’s an effective way to make the statement that I don’t believe the words of the pledge are being held up by the actions of the country.

To me, the pledge lies when it says things such as “With Liberty and Justice for all,” because I don’t feel as if America is abiding by this phrase that is forced into our minds every morning.

I am one of these students.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, liberty is defined as “the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority

on one’s way of life.”

I feel as if millions of people in America are oppressed in their own ways. There are instances where some people can’t express their gender without being criticized. There are people who practice a certain religion and are criticized for that as well.

Students should be allowed to boycott the pledge if the values they believe in aren’t represented by the pledge. If certain students feel like standing for the pledge is important to them, and it makes them feel connected to their country in some way, I support that fully. But, if a student doesn’t feel the same way, it is their American right to respectfully sit through the Pledge of Allegiance.

DC and Marvel Work to Represent Diversity, Slowly but Surely

By Christian Richardson Writer Published: March 17, 2017 Ever since I started reading comics as a kid, I’ve always been amazed by characters like Batman and Spider-Man along with their incredible adventures. But as the years went by I began to notice the lack of diversity between superheroes.

In general, heroes in DC comics are white with little to no diversity. However, some characters, like Martian Manhunter, break this stereotype. He’s a green martian who, in order to blend in among humans, disguises himself as an AfricanAmerican male. While the amount of diversity has seen a significant increase in previous years, it is still not common, a perfect example being John Stewart, one of only two AfricanAmerican Green Lanterns among millions of others.

The Marvel Universe sadly suffers on the diversity front as well. Most of the characters, just like in the DC Universe, are white. Even though they might be different religions, few to no characters state it, and this can lead to a lot of stereotypical and racist assumptions since most of the characters look the same. Some, of course, break this mold. Miles Morales, the first ever African American Spider-Man was introduced the same year Obama was elected president. This change was the latest in the reboot to the Marvel Universe “All-New AllDifferent Marvel,” when Sam Wilson, originally known as Falcon, took the mantle as first African-American Captain America.

African-Americans aren’t the only ones lacking representation in comics. Even though characters like Nova (Sam Alexander), who is Latino, have finally received their own solo comics, it’s worth noting just how long it has taken for them to finally get some recognition since they’re always pushed to the sidelines. More recently, The Fantastic Four, starred Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch, so it is safe to say that more diversity in comics may very well be in the works.

Seniors

Are The

Best

Yeah

Seniors Are

The

From Friday night football games to yearly Homecoming weeks, Wilde Lake has given us all a high school experience that we will never forget. Our school is known for its diversity, inclusive environment, and commitment to student success, but I would like to remember it as a place where students were taught that they were never too young to make a positive impact.

The students I’ve met at Wilde Lake are all motivated, excited to talk about the world around them, and eager to make an impact on their community.

I’ve seen students who spend their weekends volunteering to build homes for families in need, who tutor others after school in hopes of helping their classmates, and ones who seek to advance innovation through research in high school.

With its amazing and supportive staff and administration, Wilde Lake has

By Anjali DasSarma Editor-in-Chief Every one of us has had a different experience here at Wilde Lake. Some of us have blossomed in the arts programs. Others have found themselves in the ARL programs, training to become the next generation of nurses, engineers and generally talented young people.

Some have grown into extremely accomplished athletes on the field, and well-rounded people off the field. And all of us are excited to see what lies beyond high school.

As Editor-in-Chief of this publication, I have spent these past four years behind a keyboard, typing away, chronicling our four years of history. All of our accomplishments are there, for the rest of Wilde Lake and every class to come, to read.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane. “Culture Awareness Week Extends the Celebration,” “Intern Mentor Students Create New Technology,” “Girls Soccer Takes County Championship,” “Wilde Lake Jazz Band Takes the Title of National Grand Champions.” These are a few headlines from the many memorable moments that we as a class shared.

All of the parents and guardians and mentors in the crowd have coached us through these strenuous years, from tryouts, to finals, through the college application process or job hunt, and we can only hope that you will be here for us as we move forward, wherever we go, once we step off the stage and into the “real world.”

The future is uncertain for all of us. Whether we have decided to join the armed forces, or are headed off to college or going to work, there is a big world waiting with open arms to see what we will contribute.

Each one of us has learned something in between these big walls, and I don’t mean just in the classroom. We’ve learned about compassion and friendship, and we’ve learned about who we admire and what we love. This learning is something we each will harbor for the rest of our lives.

I recently was able to hear executive editor of The New York Times, Dean Baquet speak. After I posed the classic question: “What is your advice for students right now?” he paused, and then responded that the best thing we could do, during these uncertain times would be to read, and above all else, be curious. Curiosity and passion to do better are two things Wilde Lake knows about, above all else.

We are proud to share with the rest of the county and state that Wilde Lake has one of the most diverse populations in the state, and although many of us take it for granted, it is a wonderful thing. We are diverse, not only in race, but in gender and in religion and in our stories. Many of us won’t find this kind of diversity again. But, these individualized experiences are what we choose to take with us as we move on. We will use what we learned here, in this wonderfully varied community to understand the diversity of people we will surely meet beyond Wilde Lake.

As the great poet Maya Angelou said, “nothing will work unless you do.” I can’t wait to see all of the successes that lie ahead for each of us while we work hard, and more importantly, together, to make the world a better place.

I’ll miss being here in the journalism classroom, learning and reporting, but I’m looking forward to seeing The Paw Print grow and doing something really great.

No matter what path you choose, we all began here. Congratulations Class of 2017. We did it!

Best!

Beyond Wilde Lake, We Can Make All an Impact

By Misbah Farooqi Editor-in-Chief

Moving On and Looking Back: The Past Four Years in Journalism

given us all the opportunity and resources to go out and make a difference in the world after high school.

This school has the power to bring the best out in people.

Coming into ninth grade, I would have never anticipated taking on the leadership roles that I have or planning to pursue a career in politics.

Based on my own experiences as Editor-in-Chief of The Paw Print and Student Government President, I have been able to make direct impacts on the community and have always been supported by those at Wilde Lake.

Whether it be spending three years of interviewing and writing news stories about the issues in the community or having the freedom to organize and host Wilde Lake’s first ever Spring Fair, I’ve been able to accomplish whatever I put my mind to at Wilde Lake and will forever be grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. I am not the only one with this

experience, as I have witnessed many of my classmates also succeed at Wilde Lake through organizations such as National Honor Society, Greene and Gold, Alpha Achievers, and much more.

To the class of 2017, I hope you all continue to make positive impacts in your communities as I have seen all of you do at Wilde Lake. Whatever you did in high school, whether it be leading the girls soccer team to states or voicing your ideas to better the school at a Student Voices discussion, know that you made a difference and have the potential to continue to do so.

We need changemakers more than ever now, and it is up to us to continue to keep moving the world in the right direction.To those of you graduating this year, remember to be honest with yourself, always have the right intentions, and keep striving to make an impact.

Congratulations and best of luck!

THE PAW PRINT STAFF 2016-2017 The views expressed in this issue are not necessarily those of the staff, the students, the administration or the school board. Letters to the editors are encouraged. The Paw Print reserves the right to edit any submissions.

Editor-in-Chiefs........................ Anjali DasSarma and Misbah Farooqi Adviser............................................................ Ben Townsend News Editor..................................................... Misbah Farooqi Features Editor.................................................Anjali DasSarma Sports Editors.................... Gabby Christopher and Rachel Eisenhauer Arts Editor.................................................... Rachel Eisenhauer Opinions Editor.............................................. Gabby Christopher Photography Editor.............................................. Natalie Varela Writers..................................... Julia Bohse, Bryan Castillo, Ihsaan Fanusie, Rachel Henry, Ricky Ho, Savannah Jackson, Faith Joseph, Hope Kahn, Christian Richardson, Luka Trikha