Volume 44- Issue 12 April 2, 2015

BRAIN POWER The Academic Decathalon team takes home state title

DO YOU DOODLE? Psychological study of doodles: What do your doodles say about you?

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Senior Graysen Bright

SIP SIP HOORAY Students showcase live performances of their SIPs 10

LONG LIVE LAX Boys’ lacrosse finishes second game of season undefeated

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Thomas S. Wootton High School | 2100 Wootton Parkway | Rockville, MD woottonnews.com

@woottonnews

Volume 44, Issue 12 | April 2, 2015

“The atmosphere of Coffeehouse is different from that of other events; it’s a lot more relaxed,” Senior Anjali Ravi, editor-in-chief of Pulp

Photos by Konstantin Mekhontsev

Students shine at Coffeehouse

English teacher Zachary Lowe showcases his guitar skills.

“I love the surprise of what the students are able to do in the school,” Zachary Lowe, English Teacher Seniors James Levy and Susheel Krishnamurthy play along with the rest of their band Throwback Thursday (#TBT).

Seniors Tej Joshi and Wyatt Oring hosted the event.

Senior Adwait Shukla plays guitar while Senior Nicku Keshavarz rocks the mic.

see COFFEEHOUSE page 4

Departments face budget cuts

Nellie Allentuck editor-in-chief

As counselors and administrators finish the daunting tasks of creating the master schedule and Governor Larry Hogan gets settled in his new office, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are faced with crippling budget cuts that will affect every department and student.

Hogan, who became the surprise winner in the election last fall, is the first Republican to hold the position since 1969. In his first month in office, he has already made drastic measures to education budgets, cutting $10 million from MCPS’s budget alone.

Across the county, class size will increase from 27 to 28 for grades one, two and three and from 29 to 30 in grades four and five. In middle and high schools, class sizes will increase either half a student or one student depending on the percentage of free and reduced price meal students in attendance.

Central Office Support Although it may go almost unnoticed by most students, staff members receive a great deal of support from MCPS’s central offices. This includes staff development, lesson planning assistance, curriculum building and copy services, among others.

They run all aspects of the school system, besides the actual teaching of students.

“The central office really is an industry in itself,” Principal Dr. Michael Doran said. “When they cut back it really does affect the school.” The central office also coordinates the bus system, handles teachers payrolls, writes exams, takes surveys and manages schools.

Next year, 29 positions, including 17 building service workers, will be eliminated.

Declining Enrollment Coupled with budget cuts, the school is currently dealing with declining enrollment as the population shifts, causing the school to lose even more staff members. “We got hit a bit harder than other schools because not only did we get budget cuts but our enrollment is going down,” Doran said.

Next year, the school will be losing two-and-ahalf teaching positions, which can affect up to six or seven teachers. Full time teachers may need to be moved to part time or a teacher may have to teach part time here and part time at another school.

If the school loses two-and-a-half teachers and each full time teacher teaches five classes, that is 13 class periods the school will no longer be able to offer. see BUDGET CUTS page 2

Powder puff girls: Female students compete for cash in annual football game

Gwen Klein staff writer The football sails right to the end zone, as she stands there wide open, arms outstretched ready to catch it. No one stands even remotely near her while she reaches out and closes her eyes, ready to feel the ball in between her fingers but instead- WHAM! It smacks her square in the face and she opens her eyes to find the other team yelling with joy.

Maybe this is the reason that there is only a single day dedicated to girls’ football whereas boys have an entire season.

Powder puff is an event organized by the junior class officers, where each grade forms a team of exclusively female students. Each grade team competes against the other classes, and the winning class wins money, which go toward funding for prom and homecoming. On March 25, about 100 girls came out to play football on the turf in order to try to earn money for their class.

The idea of a girls’ football game was thought up in 1931,

and ever since then it has functioned not only to raise funds and encourage school spirit, but has also proved to serve as an advocate for women’s rights throughout the years. In the ‘30s and ‘40s, it was banned in some schools because people did not believe women had any place to be playing football, even if it was not a serious game.

With the advancement of women’s rights, Powderpuff has become accepted in almost all schools around the country, and has become a way for girls to show their school spirit and athletic skills while playing a laid-back game with their friends.

“Powder puff has been here for as long as I can remember, and I think it’s a really fun way for girls to get involved in the school,” English teacher Michael Dickel said. “Honestly though, I think it should be a bigger event that it is. Maybe moving it to the fall would encourage participation since everyone would already in be in the football mind set.”

The event doesn’t just raise money for the winning class, but for the junior class too, who in fact benefit the most. By

charging each player $20 for their pinnie when the cost is actually less, the junior class gains a large profit that ends up going to their class savings, which are put save up for prom and other events in the future.

With this profit also comes a lot of work that the junior officers put in to get this event up on its feet. “We actually had to book the field months in advance, and for months leading up to the actual game the other officers and I spent hours and hours figuring out all the details,” junior Secretary Ayushna Kavathekar said. “But in the end all the hard work paid off, and not only did our class earn a lot of money, but a ton of people came up to me and told me they had a lot of fun, and that was the main goal of the whole thing.”

This year, the seniors won Powder puff, and therefore they successfully earned $100 for their class.

“I had so much fun playing this year, and I’m so glad we won and could contribute money to our class. Go seniors,” senior Kaitlin Klausing said.

News 2 What’s new MCPS budget calls for drastic change @ the ‘W’ Common Sense | April 2, 2015

from Budget Cuts page 1

Theatre 2 Performance As per tradition, the Theatre 2 class performed a children’s play, Law & Order: Fairy Tale Unit, for several feeder schools on March 25. The play chronicles the stories of two detectives, Humpty Dumpty, played by senior Nicole Scheele and Cinderella, played

by Vanessa Yao. The detectives trying to discover who caused the destruction of the little pig’s homes. “Law and Order: Fairy Tale Unit has a fun twist on many of the most well-known fairy tales and mother goose rhymes in the format of an episode of Law of Order,” theatre teacher Jessica Speck said.

In addition to the aforementioned characters, the play includes character appearances from other classic fairy tales such as, Hansel & Gretel, Pinocchio and Rumpelstiltskin.

The schools the play was performed for are all feeder schools. All elementary level, these schools include Fallsmead, Travilah and Lakewood. Each student was assigned one or more roles in the play as well as assigned a tech committee. Each day students alternated between either rehearsing the play or working on the tech committee; working on publicity, sounds, costumes, makeup or sets etc. The hard work Theatre II has put into their work looks seemingly to result in success.

-Rachel Clare, staff writer

Limited Control Although Doran may be the top gun at this school, he has no control over the budget cuts and limited control over how to implement those budget cuts. The complex formula used for staffing has no room for negotiation and is mandatory across the county.

“So much of it is prescribed and I don’t have much say in it,” Doran said. “I just have to take it and make the best of what it can be now.”

What is most frustrating according to Doran is that the formula does not look at the involvement of teachers in the school. A teacher who teaches a full schedule, sponsors clubs and is always available before and after school can be let go while a teacher who comes to school five minutes before it starts and leaves five minutes after it ends remains.

“Any CEO of a company or anyone in a position of authority knows that when you have to downsize you decide which people are important to [the] organization but I just can’t do that,” Doran said.

Instead of being able to improve the school and select the best teachers, he is forced to stick with the formula and let go good teachers, something Doran wishes the county should change.

“I get there are loyalty issues but if I’m going to be the best possible team then I should be able to make that decision because otherwise I’m going to be at the same level forever. There's a frustration because you don’t have the decision making ability in it,” Doran said.

Oscar goes to... Class of 2016 for Junior Banquet Weinstein wins best proposal for Sadie Hawkins competition

Julia Gastwirth staff writer

movie posters to capture the essence of the real Oscars awards show.

Much like movie stars, a number of girls spent hours on hair and makeup. “It took me two and a half hours to get ready before the dance,” junior Grace Carroll said.

AP Photography students Sophia Mietus and Connor Perrett acted as paparazzi, capturing priceless moments and snapping photos for couples and friends.

After some dancing, dinner was served, and there were performances from Myles Frost, Tej Joshi and Krystian and Natalia Ochman.

“Natalia and I sang All the Stars by Ed Sheeran. Tej was funny as heck and Myles killed it once again,” sophomore Krystian Ochman said.

Going along with the theme, “Oscar winners” were announced and presented with engraved trophies. Awards were given for things like most likely to brighten your day, which Carly Haynes received.

Julia Fanzeres was chosen for most likely to win an Oscar and Rachel Maizel was voted most likely to be a professional athlete.

There was also an award for most creative junior banquet proposal, which Weinstein won.

It’s Thursday Night Live and junior Brooke Weinstein finishes her performance with a flourish and massive applause.

Little does the audience know, the act is not over yet.

Weinstein calls out her boyfriend in the audience, and he stands up into the beam of a spotlight, a beacon in the darkness of the auditorium.

Friends join her on stage with a hand-made sign and Weinstein bashfully admits, “I’m probably not supposed to be doing this.” She spontaneously “proposes” to him, Sadie Hawkins style, asking him to go to junior banquet with her.

Proposals like this were commonplace throughout February and early March. Junior banquet theme was a Night at the Oscars and took place March 13.

The junior class used money from fundraisers to pay for most of the event, which was held at the Hilton in Gaithersburg.

Tickets were $35 per person to pay for the remainder of the costs for the venue and dinner that consisted of salad, chicken and pasta.

“The food was much better than anticipated,” junior class secretary, Ayushna Kavethekar said.

The event room was decorated with velvet ropes, a red carpet and Junior Matt Silverman and fellow classmates help themselves to a variety of food served.

Following the awards, more dancing took place and the floor was packed as the room had reached its maximum capacity of 384 people.

“All the juniors were on the dance floor having a great time. It was like a large family gathering,” junior class President Langston Thomas said.

The night was deemed a success by class officers and their peers. “Planning, organizing and preparing was super stressful but really worth it,” Kavethekar said.

Junior class officers can now take a step back and breathe for a minute. That is, until planning for next year’s prom begins.

Photo by Connor Perrett and Sophia Mietus

Annual Spring Blood Drive The Organization of Humanitarian Aid Club and Inova Blood Donor Services coordinated a spring blood Drive On Wednesday April 1. Students were able to donate up to a pint of blood, which in turn would benefit those who need it in the community.

The Organization for Humanitarian Aid Club, sponsored by Jeffrey Benya has an affiliation with Inova that has lasted for eight years. Until recently, the school has been the largest provider of blood donations out of any other school in Montgomery County, but Paint Branch took that spot last year.

“It’s really important [to donate blood] because you have the chance to save up to three lives,” senior club member Courtney Peng said.

Students are asked to complete a medical history form and have their temperature, blood pressure and iron level measured.

The process of giving blood is short and comfortable, but afterward some students might feel a little dizzy and nauseated, which is why they are with provided refreshments at the end and there is time to rest before leaving.

Students had the option to choose between two types of blood donation. Whole blood donation involves giving blood that contains red blood cells, plasma and white blood cells.

These donations are taken to a laboratory where they are separated and the white cells are taken out.

The other option is Apheresis, where a donor’s whole blood is taken, but specific components are taken out and the rest of the blood given back to the donor in what Inova calls a “return cycle.”

The minimum age requirement for donating is 16 years with parental consent, so if a student is under that age they must wait until they are able to precipitate.

“Even though I wasn’t able to donate blood due to my age, hopefully next year I will be able to because I feel obligated to give back to my community,” sophomore Rosa Rao said.

-Chanta’l Nomen, staff writer

Those students will be moved to other classes, once again increasing class size.

“Bigger class size makes it harder to participate in class and build a relationship with teachers,” junior Athena Sardelis said.

“It’ll be harder to get help and I don’t think its going to be good for the school.”

A jigsaw puzzle Once the school is told how many teachers they will have next year, they have to decided where to make the cuts, resulting in weeks of hair-pulling stress for the administration as they try to come up with the best solution possible.

“What we try to do is spread the pain so every single department is affected,” Doran said. “That is one thing we wanted because its worse for a school if one department is decimated and one isn’t touched. There are issues with fairness and equity. That doesn’t mean everyone has the same hit but also no one area is so badly affected.”

The school staffs teachers based on what students sign up for; in every subject besides English and math, enrollment is constantly changing and can be unpredictable. All students have to take four years of English and most take four years of math so generally the numbers stay the same in those departments.

For these departments, the teacher let go is the last teacher who signed an MCPS contract. Even if a teacher has been working at this school for one year but worked at another MCPS school for five years, they have six years of MCPS teaching experience

and will be kept while a teacher who taught at this school only for three years and no where else will be let go.

“It can come down to sometimes teachers who signed contracts within days of each other, it can be that close,” Doran said.

This policy is a union rule and is laid out in the contracts teachers sign, so Doran and the administration have no control over it.

For other departments, it can come down to seniority and teaching certifications.

For example, world language teachers are often only certified in one or two languages.

If a teacher is certified in Spanish and another one is certified in French and no students sign up for French, there is no need to have a French teacher.

The administration decides where they need to put students based on what students sign up, and it is nearly impossible for students to change their schedules after they are finalized.

“We know kids will make a mistake individually but we can’t have a big group of students change their schedules mid year,” Doran said. “Thats why we try so hard to get it right the first time.”

In addition, the school is told how many ESOL and special education students they will have and that number is separate from the number of general student teachers the school will have.

“We didn’t want to make these cuts but given the reduction in state aid, we have to do it,” Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill said in a press release.

News

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SGA Spring Project elicits mixed reactions Shelby Ting staff writer

Amidst the snow days and PARCC testing, came the annual Student Government Association’s spring project. Each year the SGA picks an issue that they feel needs to be brought to attention. This year the focus was mental health and wellness.

When returning to school after the weekend of March 14-15, students walked into the Commons to find two desks in front of blacked out windows. One desk was piled high with thick books to represent the stress and anxiety students feel. The other desk was surrounded by 432 lights, with each light representing the 45,000 people living with depression. Teachers also stood in the halls with signs that had facts about depression and mental health. On Wednesday, the SGA

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

took all these signs and taped them to the Common’s walls.

On Tuesday, the SGA erected a maze full of dead ends in the Commons. At each dead end was a notice telling students that if they felt they were at a dead end they could always tell a trusted adult, counselor, etc. At the maze’s exit was a sign saying that there is always a way out.

Friday’s assembly featured guest speaker Jordan Burnham, who told his emotional story to the school. Burnham is a nationally recognized mental health advocate who survived jumping out of his nine-story bedroom window in an attempt to commit suicide as a high school senior.

Prior to Burnham’s miraculous survival of the 100 foot drop, he felt as though he could not reveal how dark his life had

become because as a popular student athlete, he had nothing to complain about. As a result, he turned to alcohol while struggling to get pass a series of bad situations.

Burnham’s past has given him a new sense of purpose and perspective on life.

He now makes it his mission to speak to middle and high school students. He tries to let them know that they are not the only ones who have these feelings and that getting help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. However, Burnham knows first-hand that depression is an ailment that few can fully recover from.

“It’s important to understand that I still have depression,” he said in his blog entitled Life After the Fall. “I live with it every day.

It’s not something you can just get over, like a cold; it’s a daily process.”

The SGA also had videos on the morning announcements throughout the week. The videos portrayed students writing in their journals about how they were struggling through their daily life. Each day the students felt more helpless until Friday when they were able to gather the courage to reach out and get the help they needed.

Students have mixed reactions to the week. Some believe that the SGA did a good job while others think that while it was a good idea the execution could have been better.

“I think [the spring project] was good because it educated people about mental health,” freshman Amanda Yolls said “but at the same time, reading all the [posters with the] different facts definitely didn’t put me in a good mood.”

New roadside marker honors school namesake A new historical roadside marker was unveiled across the street from the school honoring Thomas Sprigg Wootton.

Wootton, a prominent figure in the Revolutionary War, and one of the original founders of Montgomery County.

A member of the Maryland Constitutional Congress and its first Speaker of the House, Wootton introduced a bill in the Maryland General Assembly to divide what was then Frederick County into three separate counties. Wootton’s suggested names honored popular Americans instead, namely Richard Montgomery and George Washington.

Maryland’s historical roadside marker program dates back to the 1930s, when the Maryland General Assembly provided for a George Washington BiCentennial Commission to sponsor activities commemorating the bicentennial of Washington’s birth. One of the activities was the placement of roadside markers along roads Washington had travelled by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Today, the historical marker program commemorates those who contributed to Maryland history. In addition to people, some of the markers commemorate places and events whose influence was felt in the state. To be considered, a person or place must first be nominated. Nominations come from individuals, nonprofits organizations, businesses or government agencies. The nominator is responsible for

Photo by Connor Perrett

Max Jordan staff writer

The school mascot removes the cover from the new ceremonial roadside marker.

providing all documentation supporting the candidate. The evaluation process typically takes 12-18 months. The primary criterion is significance to the state, and the standards for evaluation are adapted from those standards used for listing places on the National Register of Historic Places. Each year, about six new markers are added. Wootton was nominated by the Social Studies Honor Society.

The original markers were made of cast iron and featured the Great Seal of Maryland on top. This same design is used today, but the markers are made of cast aluminum.

The roadside marker program today is administered by the Maryland Historical Trust, with assistance and funding by the Maryland State Highway Administration.

To date, approximately 800 markers have been erected throughout the state. The state of Maryland covers the costs for making and placing the marker, which is currently about $1,600. The state does not provide any sort of ceremony or dedication activity at the time of erection, but will participate if the nominating party arranges for one.

The Social Studies Honor Society sponsored the dedication ceremony. Descendents of Thomas Wootton came from Maine to attend the unveiling, and also toured the school named for their ancestor. “I think they really enjoyed the tour,” senior Graysen Bright said about helping lead the tour. “I think most importantly they enjoyed seeing the Wootton name being posted everywhere. They really appreciated how much Wootton students take pride in our name and in our school.”

Wootton, who once honored George Washington and Richard Montgomery by naming Maryland counties after them, now joins both in being honored with Maryland roadside markers. Washington has several throughout the state. Richard Montgomery’s marker, erected in 2011, is in the 100 block of East Jefferson Street in Rockville.

For anyone interested in a full listing of the markers in the state, see Roadside Markers in Maryland (June 2002), by Charles S. Adams.

AcDec team wins states APUSH curriculum debated in OK Smriti Gupta staff writer

The Academic Decathlon team placed first in the state competition held on Feb. 28 in Connecticut.

Each team competing is divided into three categories: Honors, the highest grouping, Scholastic and Varsity. Juniors Allen Zhao and Prahlad Sarma and sophomore Chaitali Chitnis were placed in the honors category, while sophomore Simran Baid, junior Keeran Navaratnam and senior Suveer Krishnamurthy were categorized in Scholastic. Seniors Aneesh Gurram and Danny Tang were grouped in Varsity and junior Catherine Yang served as an alternate decathlete for the team.

Teams must participate in five events: Super Quiz, speech, interview, essay and seven multiple choice tests. According to the USAD website, decathletes take one test in each of the Academic Decathlon subjects: Art, Music, Social Science, Science, Economics, Language and Literature and Mathematics.

“Although AcDec is one of the most challenging and nerve wracking things I’ve ever done, I’ve gained so much knowledge and experience that I know will help me in the future. The competitions are experiences that I’ll hold on to as I move forward with my life,” Baid said.

In the Super Quiz section, teammates take turns solving multiple choice questions in front of a live crowd.

“The super quiz was fairly easy

because we got the help of everyone in our respectively section, but sometimes it was tough because all of us disagreed on an answer to a question, and we did not know whose to put down for the final answer,” Krishnamurthy said.

The speech requires decathletes to speak on any previously selected topic for four minutes and address an impromptu topic for two minutes.

“The speech section was the most painful part of the entire examination, as everyone including myself was too anxious that they would mess up their lines and begin to speak too fast. I enjoyed the impromptu topic because I got to speak about my love for economics and finance,” Krishnamurthy said.

During the interview, team members are questioned about their goals and interests in front of a live audience. For the essay portion of the competition, decathletes are given 50 minutes to write a compelling essay that addresses six of the seven Academic Decathlon topics.

After dominating at states, the AcDec team will be competing at nationals on April 16 in California.

“This is the team’s third year at Wootton and we have really been trying to prepare as much as we can so we can give AcDec the full support of the county. About three times a week we will drive to USG after school, where either Suveer or I lecture on the material. We meet and work in the classrooms and use their projectors and screens to present,” Gurram said.

Maria Hafeez commons editor

A proposed bill in Oklahoma addressing the College Board’s newly revised AP U.S. History curriculum, commonly referred to as APUSH, is planning on cutting state funding for the course. APUSH is known for having one of the heaviest workloads in the school. With one pagers summarizing textbook chapters due every week and group chats dedicated to discussing how the Great Society relates to the New Deal, APUSH students work hard to prepare for the newly written exam, which is quickly approaching.

APUSH students will greatly be affected if the proposed bill in Oklahoma is passed and funding for the course is cut.

The newly rewritten course was released by the College Board in 2012 and in a survey conducted by the board, 85 percent of APUSH teachers nationwide supported the changes. “The big difference is that the old course gave us a list of terms that we had to cover and those terms could fit into any concepts. Now we are just given general concepts,” APUSH teacher Anne-Marie Steppling said.

The new course is under attack from conservative politicians who criticize it for depicting a negative image of America and placing too much emphasis on issues such as the mistreatment of Native Americans, the struggle to gain civil rights and the public opinion during Vietnam.

“I think it is how the teacher teaches the course that decides if America will be portrayed in a positive or negative light.

With any country there are complexities to its behavior,” Steppling said.

House bill 1380 was introduced by Republican Dan Fisher who aims to ban state funding for the course. Fisher’s main concern with the framework is that it downplays the positive aspects of American history and emphasizes the negative events.

The bill was passed by the House Education Committee with all the Republicans voting in favor for it and the Democrats opposing.

The bill also proposes a new AP course, which attempts to form a more patriotic image of American history. The bill explicitly reveals what type of documents are considered appropriate for the class such as the Ten Commandments and speeches from Republican presidents such as Ronal Reagan. Though the bill has garnered support from conservative politicians, students do not completely agree.

“We cannot just portray our country in a perfect manner when we have done certain things that were wrong. We have to learn about things whether or not they were America’s best moments because our wrongdoing cannot be ignored,” sophomore Chaitali Chitnis said.

This May, students will be taking the first version of the AP exam that goes along with the revised curriculum. The College Board argues that the new course aids in developing students’ historical thinking skills, which in turn helps in comprehending history.

“The country is reevaluating how they want public education to be taught,” Steppling said.

News 4 Lit Mag puts on Coffeehouse Second Williams 5K run held Common Sense | April 2, 2015

Sarah Fagan staff writer

The air was filled with gentle acoustics and rich voices as a cluster of students and parents gathered, sipping on coffee or tea and eating snacks in the Commons as they listen to students showcase their talents.

With its stress-free atmosphere and appreciation for music, Coffeehouse has served as a fundraiser for Pulp, the school’s literary and arts magazine as well as a chance for students to show off what they can do vocally or musically.

Coffeehouse took place on March 26, with the event put on by the Pulp staff and sponsor English teacher Zachary Lowe. “We planned a lot more the first time we did it, so this time was a lot easier,” editor-in-chief of Lit Mag senior Joanna Mak said on planning the biannual event.

The audience enjoyed the change in aura that Coffehouse provided. “The atmosphere of Coffeehouse is different from that of other events, it’s a lot more relaxed,” editorin-chief of Pulp Anjali Ravi said.

Seniors Tej Joshi and Wyatt Oring hosted and introduced each act with a joke.

The Acabellas and Supertonics displayed their musical capacity with performances of “Blank Space,” by Taylor Swift, and “The Lazy Song,” by Bruno Mars, respectively.

As part of a bet, senior Max Strasser performed “Vienna,” by Billy Joel on the keyboard.. Sophomore Miles Frost, junior Cole Abod and senior Susheel Krishnamurthy jammed out to “Crazy,” by Gnarls Barkley, with Frost exercising his vocal strength, Abod displaying his vast skill on the piano and Krishnamurthy showing off his dexterity on the drums. “I love the atmosphere here, it’s calm and receptive, and it’s great to have fun with a lot of other musicians,” Abod said about Coffeehouse.

Teachers Nicholas Hitchens and Zachary Lowe also performed during the night, giving fun and lively renditions of a few classics. “I love the surprise of what the students are able to do in the school. It’s seeing a person who you always knew and what they are able to do,” Lowe said.

Felipe Mejia staff writer

Students, family and friends gathered to run or walk the Sam William’s 5K race at the track last Saturday to raise funds to provide high school students with leadership training and to promote team building.

Sam Williams completed his sophomore year here and died in June 2013 in a car accident. He was an honor roll student, an Eagle Scout and a volunteer in his community.

In his honor, the Samuel Williams Leadership Foundation was established to highlight the character traits that Sam Williams possessed: Trustworthy, Responsible, Uplifting, and Enthusiastic.

These four traits inspired the creation of the “Be T.R.U.E.” program that hosted the 5K last year and hosted it again this year.

This was the second annual Sam Williams race and it was as successful this year as it was last year. Last year there were 447 race participants and 30 volunteers. “It was pretty fun, and it was cool seeing the community together to honor Sam,” senior Jon Glaser, who attended the 5K, said.

“We want to thank all our friends, family, and neighbors. It was a huge blessing to our family. The event was full of fun, smiles, and joy as families ran or walked the course,” family of Sam Williams posted on the “Sam Williams Leadership Foundation” blog.

At 10 a.m. the event opened to the public and the actual race began at 10:30 a.m. The course was designed to never cross public roads, so it was a family-friendly event.

Six cash prizes were awarded on the race day for the winners of the six different categories.

“The event was full of

fun, smiles and joy.”

-Family of Sam Williams

UVA junior Marquese Johnson abused, beaten by local ABC officers Allie Lowy arts editor

“I go to UVA! I go to UVA! I got to UVA! You f***ing racists! How did this happen?”

Those were the words of University of Virginia junior Martese Johnson as police brutalized him, with his head slammed face down into a grimy sidewalk, bloodying his face, bruising his body and ripping open his head, a mere few blocks away from where he is an honors student pursuing an undergraduate education.

At around 12:45 a.m. on March 18, Johnson became another victim of race-based police brutality after he made his way to the Trinity Irish Pub on University Avenue, near “the Corner,” an off-campus social hub frequented by UVA students seeking out vibrant nightlife. Just outside the doors of the pub, a throng of undergraduate students bore witness to the police officers’ treatment of Johnson.

According to the UVA student newspaper, the Cavalier Daily, the Charlottesville Police charged Johnson with two misdemeanors, obstruction of justice without force and profane swearing and intoxication in public. The charges were filed after a Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) officer and local police confronted Johnson and attempted to detain him.

Johnson was beaten repeatedly as flecks of his blood splattered on the pavement beneath him. In a video of the arrest, voices of bystanders disapproving of the brutality can clearly be heard, such as one student eyewitness to the event who continuously screamed “yo, his head is bleeding!”

After the incident, Johnson was left with a huge gash in his head that was treated the next morning at the University

hospital emergency room with 10 stitches.

Contrary to earlier police reports, Johnson was not accused of presenting false identification to purchase alcohol, nor was he intoxicated. Johnson was denied entrance to the bar because he presented the wrong zip code for the address on the Illinois license he presented, according to USA Today.

According to the bar co-owner Kevin Badke, all interactions between Johnson and bar employees were polite and cordial; Johnson was not intoxicated and he did not resist arrest.

Controversy surrounding the incident partially focuses on the fact that beating someone and arresting them for trying to get into a bar is a dramatic overreaction and abuse of power. The overreaction arguably intimates that the brutality was race-based because a Caucasian college student attempting to enter a bar would typically be subject to less of a punishment. Johnson is pleading not guilty for his charges of public intoxication and obstruction.

Johnson is a third-year honors student who serves as the only black student on the UVA Honors Committee, a member of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi and a leadership development chairman for the University’s Black Student Alliance.

Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe is now calling for investigation into accusations of police brutality. McAuliffe signed an executive order requiring that Virginia’s ABC law enforcement agents receive lessons on the use of force, diversity, interaction with youth and community policing, according to the Associated Press. Under McAuliffe’s order, all ABC agents must be retrained by Sept. 1.

The governor also ordered Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran to create a panel to review the agency’s mission,

structure and policies.

On March 23, members of the Virginia House of Representatives sent a letter to Moran with serious concerns about the way Johnson’s arrest was handled, asking him to examine “the appropriate role of ABC investigators and officers in our communities, and whether there may be less costly, less dangerous ways to address the issue of underage drinking on our college campuses... that don’t put officers and students at risk of violent physical confrontations.”

The letter referenced the previous case of Elizabeth Daly, a 20-year-old UVA student arrested by ABC agents in 2013, in which undercover officers thought she bought a carton of beer, but they found out later it was sparkling water.

Virginia ABC officers have now been placed on administrative duty with the pending state police investigation that is currently underway.

During this trying time, the UVA campus has banded together in the fight against racial discrimination and police brutality. In the first six days after the event, a fundraising page created by UVA students on the website Indiegogo raised over $14,350 in support of Johnson. Simultaneously, protests have erupted across the country with the rallying cry “Justice for Martese.” #JusticeforMartese was a trending topic on Twitter for up to a week after the event as pictures featuring Johnson’s bloodied face on the pavement of University Avenue juxtaposed with pictures of Johnson clad in formal attire bearing a side reading “I’m the only black student on the UVA honor committee. I’m not the only honorable black student at UVA” shocked millennials into a social media frenzy, inciting another wave of #Blacklivesmatter.

Lit Mag, Yearbook, Newspaper take NYC; students attend classes and explore city Luggage-ladened Lit Mag, yearbook and newspaper students gathered in front of a charter bus in chilly temperatures before departing for the Big Apple to take part in the 91st Annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association Spring Convention (CSPA) at Columbia University.

After the rowdy, four-hour bus ride, the students arrived at what would be their home for the next three days, the Row NYC Hotel. One city block from Times Square, this modern four-star hotel boasted both quality and accessibility.

On the first night, the students checked into their rooms and planned ahead for the hustle and bustle of the early morning New York traffic jam.

The three-day convention offered multiple 45-minute lectures on topics relating to journalism and media arts such as photography, copywriting and poetry.

One of these lectures was presented by, newspaper and yearbook teacher Evva Starr.

Her lecture titled, “More is More: Publish Every 10 Days,” focused on the mentality of

coming out with a new issue every 10 days to keep the newspaper relevant and readers engaged.

Another popular lecture was Donald P. Mazzella’s, “Using Editorial Experiences to Get into the College of Your Choice.”

Mazzella’s lecture emphasized the importance of exploiting one’s own unique talents to help one stand out from someone else during the college application process and establishing relationships with people who may open doors to colleges of one’s choice.

Not only did the school trip expose students to the many branches of the press but it also allowed them to explore the city with their friends and visit places such as the Museum of Modern Art, the One World Trade Center and Times Square.

Some students decided to plan out their trips with itineraries while others wandered aimlessly into lesser-known parts of the city.

Other non-academic events included the viewing of Kinky Boots, a Broadway play, and a trip to Dangerfield’s Comedy Club. Kinky Boots focused on the story of a son who does not want to inherit a failing business, but later is helped by an unexpected customer.

Photo courtesy Felipe Mejia

Felipe Mejia staff writer

Students socialize at Washington Square Park after attending a CSPA seminar.

Dangerfield’s consisted of five comedians performing their stand-up routines, which included lots of stereotypes and vulgar jokes.

“Dangerfield’s was an amazing culmination of savagery and political incorrectness, unlike anything I have ever witnessed,” said junior Allie Lowy.

On the last morning of the trip, the majority of the students decided to sleep

while a small group decided to walk to Central Park to watch the sun rise. At 11 a.m. the buses were loaded and the students headed back to Rockville.

The atmosphere of the bus was the polar opposite of what it had been three days prior. Eyes were closed and mouths were open. The students had gotten a taste of “the city that never sleeps.”

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

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Opinion

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Nellie Allentuck Abby Wei Tracy Yu Managing Editors Allie Greenspun Jared Beinart Arts Editor Alessandra Lowy Commons Editors Maria Hafeez Catherine Yang Features Editors Tiffany Yu Lily Zhang

Opinion Editors Liz Leung Myles Romm Editorial Cartoonist Lily Zhang Sports Editors Brian Gastwirth Sydney Heiberger Tej Joshi Photo Editor Justin Lee Online Editor Aparna Natarajan Business Manager Matt Silverman Adviser Evva Starr

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Thank you for your support Subscribers Warren Beinart Debbie Geline Sarah Hechler Denise Kahn Thomas Klausing McRae Family Perel Family Debbie Sokobin Sponsors Bruce Allentuck Nicole Allentuck Shari Friedman Dr. William Frohna Mrs. William Frohna Carol Greenspun Michael Greenspun Frances Nunziato Joseph Nunziato Tharini Ramakrishnan Wei Family Patrons Dana Silverman Noah Silverman Judy & Paul Silverman

Student government strives to raise awareness due to recent incidents of student suicide, depression

Yes,

Some people believe the Spring Project to be a joke, but it was truly effective as it touched the lives of many about a local hot topic.

The spring project is an annual event that is planned by the SGA. It recognizes current issues that are occurring throughout the community.

The different showcases the SGA revealed throughout the week highlighted the three main focuses of stress, anxiety and depression.

The representatives did a fantastic job showing staff and students the effects of these mental illnesses.

The efforts that the SGA made to raise awareness of local issue that is currently a problem in the community with the recent suicides that have shocked the school.

“Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about onethird of those suffering receive treatment,” according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Millions of people suffer through mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety every day but don’t seek help.

The project included a video with representatives of the SGA portraying characters sharing their thoughts in a journal and ultimately getting help from a trusted adult or friend. They let students know that there is always a way to get help with problems.

The videos showed three students who were living their everyday life hiding how they really felt inside. They were crushed, worn out and stressed about tons of different factors in their lives, yet when people were concerned about them, they didn’t attempt to reach out and share how they feel. By the end, each of the three actors revealed their thoughts to a friend, family member or trusted adult and they were able to seek help for their issues.

Some of the actions that took place included lights on the floor located in the Commons representing the number of people living with depression. Each light represented 45,000 people, and

there were a total of 432 lights. In addition, during the day, teachers held up signs in front of their doors designating certain facts about depression, anxiety or stress and there were also signs posted up all throughout the school.

The SGA welcomed professional public speaker, Jordan Burnham, to share his own experiences with depression. He attempted suicide and survived. He

No,

No matter the issue, critics will always be present to shove their opinions down the throats of others. One huge target that suffers from criticism is administration and more generally, anyone in a position of leadership. Recently, the Student Government Association (SGA) has gone under fire.

Every year, the SGA plans a spring project that brings attention to important issues Photo by Alex Klugerman

News Editors Sarayu Iyer Alex Klugerman Zach Lowy

Did Spring Project effectively address concerns?

Senior SGA Vice President Emily Zhang presented statistics about suicide, depression and anxiety disorders. Students had the opportunity to ask questions related to the issue.

touched the students and staff by not only showing the importance of revealing your thoughts but also through his relatable story.

Students said they were shocked by the astonishing facts that they didn’t know. The posters made people think that they are not alone in the tough situation of going through a mental illness and the importance of sharing thoughts. In additon, SGA officers visited English classes to further raise awareness for the issue.

The spring project was ultimately a success and reached out to the entire school and touched the lives of students going through these problems. The SGA handled the situation well and made people take mental health and mental awareness seriously, which is important to help save those struggling with depression on a regular basis.

—Nic Band, staff writer

that affect the community. This year, the SGA decided to cover the topic of mental illness, given recent unfortunate events.

Over the past two years, suicide and depression have been highlighted as severe issues within the community after three students attempted suicide. Ever since these events, students have come forth with diagnoses of depression and metal illnesses, hoping for support from friends and family.

Thus, the SGA decided to bring attention to the touchy topic in hopes of shining a light on the issue and encouraging others to come forth if they have problems.

While this topic is one that is relevant to the community, the efforts of the SGA have faced a lot of criticism. Some students thought that they did not do enough to cover the topic effectively. Many students used the social media

application Yik Yak, which allows users to anonymously upload statuses to be seen by everyone in the location, in order to bash the SGA. Some students seemed outraged, calling the SGA “lazy” and “unorganized.” Others students complained that the “SGA made the serious topic of depression and mental illnesses a joke” and did “an awful job.” Overall, the comments were unflattering to say the least.

SGA members retaliated back, making the point that it is hard to cover such a complicated issue as depression and that they will always face criticism no matter what they do. Other student leadership groups such as Senior Planning came to the SGA’s aid on Twitter, pointing out that it is often those students who are not involved in the school that complain about the school’s efforts.

“I think that as student leaders in the school, no matter what we do, we always face criticism. It is important to take the opinions of others into consideration and move forward,” said SGA member Saman Nasserghodsi.

Other students who are not involved within the school leadership organizations had mixed reactions.

“I think that the topic of depression and mental illnesses is a very serious and complicated issue that should not have been attempted to be covered by students. I think that adults and more specifically the school’s administration should be the ones to bring attention to such a severe issue,” senior Nabil Abdulkadir said.

Looking forward, depression and mental illnesses are two vast topics that are hard to cover.

Some students feel that SGA should have done a more realistic representation of these illnesses, such as the fact that students who suffer depression often wear a mask of happiness at school as opposed to be stereotypically sad and sporting a “frowny face.” Students cope in different ways, and it is important to realize everyone reacts to depression in a different way.

— DJ Sharma, staff writer

Attendance policy rarely enforced; requires stricter guidelines Alex Klugerman news editor Although school attendance seems like a simple concept, the intricacies of what is and what isn’t an excused absence takes up four pages in the administrative information section of the assignment book. But the policy that causes the most strife between students and staff is the unexcused tardiness section, which states that: “tardiness is defined as not being in the classroom at the beginning of the period. Three unexcused tardies equate to one unexcused absence.” These two sentences cause more trouble than they are worth and should be dropped from the MCPS attendance policy in favor of something more specific.

First of all, the definition of an unexcused tardy is ambiguous. For a school that doesn’t have bells, the “beginning of the period” is often not entirely clear. Furthering this confusion, staff members are given autonomy to define this statement how they choose. Some teachers

require students to be in their seats, pencils out ready to work when their clocks indicate the class is starting, while others allow students to slink in minutes past the bell on a daily basis with no consequences. The lack of standardization among teachers leads to confusion and unnecessary, petty arguments on whether the clock really said 12:34 or 12:35.

In addition to this murkiness, according to the assignment book teachers must assign detention and contact parents after three tardies. Most teachers do not follow this rather strict policy, as it is often easier to confer with students and get to the root of their tardiness rather than go to immediate punishment.

Why does the school insist on keeping such a policy if everyone knows it will rarely be enforced?

The current policy also requires teachers to convert every three tardies to one unexcused absence. This process is both time consuming for teachers and unfair to students. A teacher can choose to mark a student tardy for coming to class one minute late. Missing three minutes of

class is in no way equivalent to missing one entire class period.

Acquiring five unexcused absences in one class can also lead to the loss of credit in that class. Hypothetically, a student can arrive one minute late to class each day for two weeks and be at serious risk for not getting credit for the class.

The thought of a student being denied a grade for 15 minutes of lost class time, a third of one class period, is ludicrous and unfair.

Of course, school attendance is important and any student with chronic tardies or absences should be handed consequences, but instead of one overarching policy, teachers should meet with students to determine why they are constantly late or absent.

Does the teacher in the period before always hold them after the periods over or are they deliberately cutting class? These cases of two different students should be dealt with in different manners. The current system is not only confusing but also is not enforced properly by teachers.

Opinion

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

Cellphone addictions caused by adults Kyle Perel staff writer

Since the cell phone debuted in 1973, its use and popularity has increased exponentially, even more so with the introduction of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy.

While teenagers may use their cell phone too often, they have proper cause, but at the heart of the problem lie hypocritical parents who continue to buy their children phones yet criticize them for being on them.

According to the Pew Research Center (PRC), 78 percent of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half (47 percent) of those own smartphones. That translates into 37 percent of all teens who have smartphones, up from just 23 percent in 2011. Forty-two

7

years after the first cell-phone was created, just under eight in 10 teenagers has a cell phone, and the number is rising.

While the facts on the surface seem one-sided, there is an important question not being asked. Do these teenagers need cell phones? And if yes, why do they need them? From my personal experience, I can tell you that while I enjoy a game of Bloons Tower Defense and scrolling through Twitter, my cell phone is a necessity.

According to PRC, 81 percent of cell phone usage involves text messaging. I need to communicate with classmates and family members, do work, and check mail on a daily basis. “I find that I need my cell-phone on me at all times just in case, of emergency,” said sophomore Sarah Alkon.

Even so the lifestyle in today’s world requires cell phone use. Often times I need to call my parents for a ride, look up things, and more. I find myself saying that in today’s fast-paced lifestyle, to be without a cell-phone means to be at a severe disadvantage. While this can be the case, in Newswire’s study of teen cellphone use teenagers ranging from 13-17 double the usage from any other age range.

While cell-phone usage and the hectic lifestyle seem to parallel each other, there is another factor that is yet to be considered: the number of parents buying their kids cell phones. Parents from my experience are constantly telling their kids to “get off their phones,” or, “you’re on your phone too much.”

In my opinion if parents don’t want kids on their phones then they

shouldn’t buy them for them. The number of kids getting cell phones is directly correlated to the number of parents buying them. According to Statista, in 2014 over 163.9 million cell phones were purchased.

It’s actually hypocritical if you think about it, parents always telling their kids to get off their phones, but in theory the parents are the ones fueling this vicious cycle.

It is clear that today’s world demands not only a cell phone, but a cell-phone that is consistently used, and there is little that teenagers can do about that. In my opinion the parents are at fault here. If they want to put their kids a leg behind the rest, then so be it, but the parents who buy their kids phones need to understand their kids’ lives demand cell-phone use, and they need to work with that.

Is cell phone use detrimental?

“It might be a distraction; it might affect grades.”

Emanuel Clement, freshman

Courtyards should be accessible to all students

Joshua Friedman staff writer

One consistent question debated amongst students and faculty here is the inability to use the courtyards during lunch periods. The unfortunate rule should be abolished and the courtyards should be open to all students.

As the days get warmer and spring nears its long awaited return, students look to take advantage of the luxury of relaxing in one of the courtyards that are prohibited from use.

Our fellow classmates feel that if the school will not allow open lunch, it should at least grant the use of these locations during lunches.

Currently, the only designated location for outdoor use during lunch is the small and crowded patio adjacent to the lunchroom.

Confined to this location, students cannot

appreciate the quiet and therapeutic advantages of the three separate courtyards. Students here have not even set foot in any of these locations as the prohibition has existed for countless years.

According to Principal Michael Doran, the intended purpose of these courtyards is to allow natural light to enter the surrounding classrooms. The counter-effect of this design allows for a minimal amount of sound originating from a courtyard to distract the students in the nearby classrooms. So why are these courtyards accompanied by benches and tables?

The irony of the purpose of the courtyards matched with the side-effects lead me to believe that the incorporation of the courtyards was in fact, a design flaw. The beckoning of these student friendly locations continues to be

suppressed by the administration.

The reasoning is justified, but the question remains. Why does the school bother having the courtyards if students will never be allowed to access them during convenient times? There must be some course of action that the school can take to make the courtyards accessible. Such alterations would allow students to appreciate the fresh and inviting change of venue and make the consistently stressful school day easier and more enjoyable.

Each day that we remain confined to the enclosure of our school reminds us of the unfortunate inability to welcome this year’s spring weather. How are we to know if the advantages of student occupied courtyards outweigh the disadvantages? Let’s open up the doors and allow the students the chance at least.

Teenagers continue to be treated with lack of respect Students expected to act like adults when they are treated like kids

Common Sense Editorial Last week some of the brightest and most talented student journalists from Newspaper, Yearbook and Lit Mag attended the annual CSPA journalism conference at Columbia University in New York City. As our group of 30 or so students explored the city and enjoyed the pre-planned evening events, I noticed a trend: no matter where our school group went in the city aside from the journalism conference itself, we were the recipients of eye rolls, annoyed glares, rude comments and requests to “get all these kids out of here.”

At the Broadway show we attended, the ushers were downright rude upon seeing the large number of young people in our group and spoke to us as if we were raised by wolves with no sense of proper social conduct.

The next night when our group attended a hilarious comedy club performance, I objected to none of the lewd material, but found myself bothered by the repeated subjugation of the teen audience in the room. We were the brunt of jokes, talked down to, and made to feel like we know nothing about life; as if all of the experiences I’ve had in the past 18 years have been utterly meaningless and real life cannot possibly begin until high school ends.

My New York experience is not

a unique or isolated incident. Many a waitress, manager, teacher, parent and receptionist has treated me with outright disrespect here at home as well simply based upon the fact that I am a teenager. These observations lead me to a pressing question: why do so many adults treat adolescents with little to no respect?

In my experience thus far, I have noticed that adults who work and interact with children and teenagers on a frequent basis tend to treat us better. They understand us as people and see past the generalizations that cloud others’ judgments. Unfortunately, a majority of the adults who have little interaction with our age group tend to treat us with about as much respect as one would treat a prison inmate.

Stereotypes are a major contributing factor to the hostility our age group is faced with on a daily basis. The generalization is that teenaged kids are obnoxious, rebellious, disrespectful, disengaged or up to no good, and too often adults unfairly apply these labels to all teens. I don’t pretend that teenagers are perfect people incapable of displaying any number of these irksome characteristics.

Yes, occasionally the youthful spirit of rebellion gets the better of us and we make mistakes. And yes, there is a faction of teenagers who disregard respect for adults and even their own peers for that

matter, but this population of teens certainly does not represent all of us.

There are entire groups of fully-grown human beings who still behave in this same way, but you don’t see us teenagers categorizing adults based off of the actions of a sub-set of the population. Certainly then it isn’t fair for adults to do this to us.

There are plenty of teens who have done more good for this world in their relatively short number of years than some adults do in their entire lifetime. Malala Yousafzai became the youngest ever recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize at just 17 years old. Little League baseball player Mo’ne Davis made the cover of Sports Illustrated at the ripe age of 13. Recording artist Lorde nabbed two Grammys at 17 and Jazz Jennings has become a leading figure and source of strength for the trans gender community across the country, all before her 15th birthday.

Even us everyday normal people without titles or awards contribute a substantial amount of time and effort to improving our local communities through participation in clubs, teams and youth groups.

As teens, we are aware that we still have growing left to do.

We have years of life experiences and challenges ahead, no need to keep reminding us. Just because

we haven’t experienced all there is to experience yet does not mean we are not worthy of respect and encouragement. During this pivotal time in our development, we actually need respect and encouragement more than anything else.

Though it may be hard for adults to remember, the teenage years are filled with tests and trials that shape our entire lives. News flash adults: speaking down to us and devaluing our worth as people based on age does not make these difficult years any easier, nor does it make us grow up and mature any faster. Not only does this attitude convince us that we deserve to be treated with disrespect, but it implies that it is okay for us to treat others in this manner.

I address adults and teens alike when I say this: respect is not a hierarchical concept. To put it simply, anyone regardless of his or her race, background, religion, social status, gender, sexual orientation and especially age who genuinely earns respect should be treated with it. Adults if you treat teenagers with respect, we might surprise you and treat you with respect right back. And teenagers, if you go out of your way to treat adults with respect in the first place, you may be able to break down the barriers of stereotypes and negativity just enough to show the world how wonderful you are.

“They have a negative impact if people are on them too much.”

Elizabeth Christovitch, sophomore

“People depend on them too much. They shouldn’t be stuck on them all day.”

Andres Cisneros, junior

“I go out and people aren’t even conversing with each other, instead they’re just on their phones.”

Noah Braunstein, senior

“Seems like kids could be doing something better with their time.”

Carolyn Herman, music teacher

Th Y

Design b common

Catherine Yang commons editor It’s third period and you’re sitting in class wondering how it’s humanly possible for a lecture to be so mind-numbingly dull and doubting whether you’ll survive until 2:10 when your brain has already shut down for the day. Opting to give up on taking notes, you put your pencil to paper, and the doodles begin to flow.

By definition, doodling refers to unconscious or unfocused drawings made while otherwise preoccupied. Far from being a mindless ruse, recent psychological evidence suggests that doodling is a purposeful action that is both soothing and mentally beneficial. It can also be interpreted to provide unique insights to your personality and mood. Your pencil leaves not only marks strewn across the paper, but also traces of your innermost thoughts.

A 2010 experiment conducted by Psychology Today indicated that doodling plays a role in promoting memory retention. Participants listened to a mock phone message about an upcoming party and were asked to jot down names, dates and details. Half were instructed to fill in little squares and circles on paper while writing while the other half simply had to listen and write Afterwards participants were given a surprise memory test after being specifically told that they would not have to remember anything. The doodlers performed almost 30 percent better in memory retention than the non-doodlers. Speculation has surfaced as to why doodlers were more successful; psychologists believe that doodling helps people concentrate because it prevents their minds from wandering. Doodling keeps the doodler engaged in the moment, quite the opposite of the common conception that doodling leads to being spaced out.

Sunni Brown, with her book The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently, is accredited with revolutionizing the fields of art therapy, creativity and the psychology of art and visual language with her comprehensive studies and claim that doodling is a way to “think and feel differently.”

Emerging studies reveal that art expression may actually help individuals reconnect thinking and feeling, bridging the divide between narrative and sensory memory. Doodling engages the entire brain—it can be spontaneous, unconscious, soothing, exploratory, satisfying and mindful. In essence, doodling presents a self-enhancing experience as well as a visual roadmap of your thoughts, ideas and personality traits.

According to studies by experts, here is your guide to deciphering your doodles.

FA The expression on a doodled fa mood or character of the doodler. suggests you see the good in others you are probably mistrustful. Com the center of attention. Child-like d Profiles indicate you’re an introvert.

UNIFORM Chess boards, cross-hatching, patience and persistence. These typ people who have rational and logica things out. They signify an internal life.

FLO Soft, rounded petals aro an amiable, open person. If but your petals are pointy t heart behind a prickly defe perky-looking flowers you flower heads, on the other worry.

INTRIC Busy, highly-detailed doodles ar obsessive nature who have a hard ti ones. You pay impeccable attention drawings tend to be common amon

HE Obviously a romantic doodle, h a rare psychological disorder called means you’re in love, thinking about

AR If you’re determined with a spec subconsciously aiming at your targe your target probably is something needs to be confronted or a job that

he Key to Your Art

by Catherine Yang and Maria Hafeez ns editors Art by Catherine Yang commons editor

ACES ace is often a good indicator of the . A nicely drawn, good-looking face s. If you sketch weird or ugly faces, mic faces demonstrate a desire to be doodles of faces suggest neediness.

M PATTERNS and geometric shapes all suggest pes of doodles are characteristic of al ways of thinking and prefer to plan desire to advance in career or social

OWERS ound a circular flower center suggest f the center of your flower is a circle, then you are probably hiding a warm ensiveness. If you doodle a bunch of are likely to be sociable. Drooping r hand, indicate you’re burdened by

CATE PATTERNS re typically drawn by people with an ime letting go of ambitions or loved to detail and are very patient. These ng introverts.

EARTS hearts indicate that you suffer from boanthropy. Just kidding—it simply t love or desire a relationship.

RROWS cific goal in mind you’ll draw arrows, et. If the arrow is sharp and angular, g important, perhaps a person who t needs to be applied for. If it is more

fluid and decorated it’s likely to be the target of an affair of the heart or something you feel passionate about.

STARS Stars are often drawn by ambitious people. Lots of little stars indicate optimism. If you’ve drawn one big, bold, embellished star, you’ve got a definite goal in your sights. Neat, uniform stars suggest good mental focus, while freehand, asymmetric stars show an energetic personality.

Drawing the sun suggests a bright, childish, energetic personality.

LINES Light or faint lines could variously be interpreted as tentative or sensitive. Medium weight lines suggest a balanced, confident personality.

Heavy marks can indicate resolve, strength and energy. Wavy lines are symbols of femininity, dreamers, musicality and natural rhythm while jagged zigzags allude masculinity and harshness.

HOUSES If you doodle simple houses, you find comfort in familiarity and you need security. A neat drawing with embellishments like flowers in the yard or smoke in the chimney suggests a safe home life but a messier sketch, especially one missing windows, indicates unhappiness at home.

NAMES AND INITIALS Doodling your name or initials is common if you enjoy being the center of attention, indicating a desire to break away from the family and do your own thing. Doodling someone else’s name shows they are in your thoughts either romantically or because they are a presenting a problem you need to deal with.

CLOUDS Fluffy, white clouds indicate you are cheerful and apt to daydream with a strong sense of freedom. Stormy, rainy clouds can indicate depression, inner turmoil or difficulty in coping with a problem in your life.

CUBES If you draw squares and boxes, you want to be in control of any situation and you are likely a very efficient, straight-thinking, analytical person who can deal with problems easily. Cubes indicate a desire to be constructive as well as an ability to take all sides of an issue into account.

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MoCos co-exist Radley Ellenbogen staff writer Montgomery County not only exists in Maryland; 17 other Montgomery Counties are spread out over the United States.

South of Maryland, in Alabama, is another Montgomery County. It has been around since December 6, 1816, when the Act of the Legislature of the Mississippi territory was passed. It now has an approximate population of 226,000. It was given the name Montgomery County in memory of Major Lemuel P. Montgomery of Virginia, who died at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Montgomery County, Alabama, is known for the civil rights movement and producing activists such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.

Another Montgomery County is in Arkansas and is named in memory of General Richard Montgomery of the Revolutionary War. Formed in July of 1845, the population is approximately 9,000 people.

Montgomery County, Texas, is one of the bigger, if not the biggest Montgomery Counties in the world. Its population is approximately 500,000 people.

The county was created by an Act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837.

Between 2000 and 2010 the population increased by 55 percent, the 24th most in any US country.

Current and former professional athletes Bobby Gates, Cliff Young, Roy Harris and Buddy Dial were born in Moco, Texas.

Mississippi has another Montgomery County. It’s a smaller county that has around 11,000 people. It was established on May 13, 1871, from Carroll and Choctaw Counties. The county seat known as “Winona” comes from the Indian word Wenonah meaning first-born daughter, which goes back to the powerful Indian heritage the county had. Some famous people from this county are actor James Michael Tyler who was in the TV show Friends, E.W.

Features

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

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Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County, Alabama Montgomery County, Illinois Montgomery County, Mississippi Montgomery County, Arkansas Montgomery County, Texas

Hammons, woman’s rights activist Roxcy Bolton and “Little” Sammy Davis an American blues musician.

Montgomery County, Illinois, was founded on February 21, 1821, from Bond and Madison Counties. The population is approximately 30,000 people with the majority being white at around 95 percent. One famous person from this county was Otto Funk,

who is in the Guinness Book of Records for walking from New York to San Francisco, playing the fiddle the entire way. When he died in 1934, he had the biggest funeral recorded in the county.

Montgomery County, Maryland, has a population just slightly over one million people and is 62 percent white and 18 percent black. Montgomery County is the

second richest county in terms of per capita income in the state of Maryland.

Some famous people from the county include NFL player Darnell Dockett, sportscaster Scott Van Pelt, Former NBA player Steve Francis and rappers Wale who attended Quince Orchard and Logic who attended Gaithersburg.

World citizens celebrate Women’s Day MoCo produces Hanna Addis staff writer As worldwide pop star and well-known feminist Beyoncé Knowles says, “Who runs the world? Girls!”

On Mar. 8, International Women’s Day commenced to celebrate women’s achievements around the globe and to call for greater equality between the genders.

The intention of the international holiday, as stated by www.internationalwomensday.com, is the celebration of “economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.” This year, the International Women’s Day 2015 Theme is “Make it Happen,” which encourages effective action for advancing and recognizing women. Thousands of events commenced around the globe in order to promote gender equality and the celebration of females everywhere.

Events took place locally as well in order to celebrate female empowerment. On Saturday, Mar. 7, the Global Connections for Women Foundation, an organization that believes in all women and their right to create new opportunities for themselves and their communities, held their 2015 International Women’s Day Awards & Fundraising Gala in Washington D.C.. This gala celebrates the accomplishments of women for making a difference in their industry and fighting for gender rights. On the following day, The People’s Power Assembly and Fight Imperialism, Stand Together organized a march toward Baltimore City Detention Center in order to support gender equality.

Major organizations and celebrities have also taken International Women’s Day to heart. The hashtag #HappyInternationalWomensDay was used on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, which brought waves of awareness to the holiday. Millions of women and men, including celebrities such as Beyoncé and Ariana Grande, recognized the importance of this holiday for women worldwide.

YouTube Spotlight created a video titled “#DearMe – What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self ?”, which features YouTube celebrities such as Hannah Hart, Michelle Phan, Issa Rae and Grace Helbig inspiring women everywhere by talking about their past experiences and advice they would give their past selves to motivate a new generation of young women.

International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s, with the first empowerment of women rising in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay and voting rights. In 1909, the first National Women’s Day was observed throughout the United States on Feb. 28. In 1910, leader of the “Women’s Office” for the Social Democratic Party in Germany Clara Zetkin proposed the idea at the Second International Conference of Working Women that every year in every country there should be a celebration of women. The conference, consisting of over 100 women from 17 countries, unanimously approved of Zetkin’s idea and International Women’s Day began.

Students are aware of the impact of such a holiday, especially in a time period where gender equality is growing significantly. Senior Vaishnavi Murthy appreciates everything that the holiday stands for, but sees more potential for the holiday beyond just women empowerment.

“International Women’s Day is important to me because I think it’s great to celebrate women and all they’ve done for society,” Murthy said. “However, around the world feticide is still extremely common for girls, and I think this is also a day to bring awareness to those problems.”

Senior Lesley Calderón agrees that the holiday has significance, but sees room for more local recognition of the holiday.

“

Feticide is still extremely common for girls, and I think this is also a day to bring awareness to those problems.

- Vaishnavi Murthy, 12

“[International Women’s Day allows] people to celebrate the uniqueness and the accomplishments of all the strong ladies in the world,” Calderón said. “I think that the school could have an event or even just a small thing during the school day where we can acknowledge powerful and inspiring women in the world and even the community.

And it wouldn’t even have to be that, it could be something to bring light to women’s issues such as inequality and safety at parties.”

Nonetheless, International Women’s Day is a widely recognized holiday in over 25 countries and allows everyone to recognize the power and accomplishments each woman has achieved.

plethora of stars Zach Smith staff writer

Although it seems unlikely, Montgomery County has produced many stars in various fields over the years.

People who serve high ranking leadership roles or star in a popular TV show once walked through the same halls as the students.

Julia Louis-Dreyfous, who starred as Elaine on the show Seinfeld, graduated from the Holton Arms School in Bethesda. Darren Star, creator of the shows 90210 and Sex and the City, was born in Potomac and went to Churchill. Comedian Dave Chappelle, who is widely known for creating “The Chappelle Show,” grew up in Silver Spring. “When I learned that Dave Chappelle was from Montgomery County, it made me really excited. I really want to become like him when I finish school,” junior Steve Bray said.

Athletes from various professional sports teams who are also from Montgomery County. Darnell Dockett, who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers, went to Paint Branch. Dhani Jones, who played for the Giants, went to Cabin John and Churchill. Lacrosse player Paul Rabil was born in Gaithersburg and went on to star in Major League Lacrosse and is known for being its biggest promoter.

Some athletes also moved to Montgomery County in order to play sports. Soccer player Freddy Adu attended the Heights School in Potomac before becoming the youngest American to sign a major league contract with any team sport. Kevin Durant and Greivis Vasquez, who play in the NBA, both moved to Rockville in order to attend Montrose Christian High School.

A wide variety of musicians from various genres also call Montgomery County home. The band O.A.R. formed at this school and has attained mainstream success today.

They recently released an album titled “The Rockville LP” that was influenced by their experiences during their youth. Rapper Wale graduated from Quince Orchard and currently serves as the creative liaison for the Washington Wizards. Singer Tori Amos grew up in Rockville and graduated from Richard Montgomery before becoming widely popular in the 1990s.

Since Montgomery County is located close to Washington, D.C., many political figures were raised in the county. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan was raised in Bethesda. Wootton graduate Chris Lu currently serves as the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor for the Obama administration.

Although the chances seem slim, there are current students in Montgomery County who will become famous. Just make sure to keep in touch with them.

Features

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

11

Students, teachers react to PARCC

Emily Yu staff writer

Newspaper and yearbook adviser Evva Starr regularly uses her twitter to post funny comments and insights on her school and home life.

Teachers take to Twitter, social sites

Drew Lind staff writer

Right now there are 1.96 billion people in the world who have social media accounts.

Social media has grown to a proportion no one could have possibly imagined a decade ago as newer generations are introduced to its wonders earlier in their lives. These web sites are home to people of all ages and it is often easy to forget that even teachers are members of places like the “Twittersphere.”

While reasons and motives for joining

the movement may be different, teachers all over the school have started to make an effort to connect with students online.

Students are constantly checking social media throughout the day, so it seems logical that information from class could be deliverered and received this way as well.

AP US Government and Economics teacher Christopher McTamany encourages his students to “friend” his Facebook profile, one he created just for school.

Facebook is a friendly, easily accesible way for students to get clarification on material

learned in class. He checks the group chat every night before a big test and is able to correct mistakes, answer questions or post resources as part of a user-friendly, electronic review session that happens as fast as your fingers can press the buttons on your keyboard. This type of review is by no means a neccesity for teaching, but rather a convenient and educational add-on to class review.

“The number of questions I receive the night before the test has decreased over the years, but if I can help a few kids out every semester, I will continue doing it,” McTamany said.

Some students are hesitant to join these groups because they believe that it is not the business of the teachers to be involved in a student’s personal life and vice versa.

Teachers who do choose to make blogs or group chats are mindful of this and respect this reasonable concern. McTamany stresses the importance of his profile being used strictly for studying purposes and even went as far as turning off notifications on the account to protect the privacy of his students.

While McTamany uses his Facebook group as a form of review, some teachers like newspaper adviser Evva Starr, have different reasons for being involved. Social media is still relatively new to everyone using it and it is inevitable that some mistakes or lapses in judgement will be made when teenagers find themselves on these sites as much as they are. “I’m active on social media mainly because very few adults are.

Teenagers need to be reminded someone is out there,” Starr said.

If she sees an inappropriate tweet or post, one way that Starr chooses to adress it is by simply commenting “Hi” just to have them be aware of what they are wrting. She said she does not want to be the Twitter police, but does want students to be careful of what they are posting because with the way technology is nowadays, what people post can last as long as they do.

Other teachers are finding new ways to capitalize on social media every day.

English teacher Michael Dickel finds it more convenient for his students to view homework on Twitter and posts assignments there after he assigns them in class. Also, the whole psychology department uses Google chat to review test material and answer questions that students have.

Social media is evolving and so is the way that teachers are communicating information to students.

The first round of Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing officially concluded the week of March 23, resulting in a variety of reactions from students and their teachers.

One of the features that distinguishes PARCC tests from other standardized assessments is that testing is conducted on the computer, saving stacks upon stacks of paper. Students currently enrolled in Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and English 10 classes took their respective tests using Chromebooks. Students scrolled through passages, listened to audio clips and typed out essays using a computer program called TestNav 8.

Some students feel that while it was not necessarily difficult to navigate through the test, testing on computers is something that takes time to get used to. “I really don’t like the format of the test, it being on the computers.

I’m much more a fan of the traditional pen and paper method,” sophomore Robert San said.

As for the difficulty levels of the tests, opinions vary. Sophomore Ray Woerner perceived them as “hard and boring,” while sophomore Sophie Rabinowicz said it was “easier than I thought it’d be.” San has a belief similar to that of Rabinowicz’s, though he feels PARCC tests are not “a good way to judge how students are performing.”

Passing the Algebra and English 10 PARCC tests this year is not a graduation requirement.

“I know a lot of people who didn’t take the tests seriously this year because you aren’t required to pass. It definitely lowers your motivation levels,” sophomore Edwin Yu said.

In an article from The Washington Post, sophomore Marina Ford from Tuckerton, N.J. voiced her complaints about the content of the test. “I discovered that the questions were very vague and unclear. For example, it wanted me to click a sentence that best summarized Paragraph 14. I looked at the excerpt given to me and there were only 13 paragraphs,” Ford wrote.

PARCC testing had a school-wide impact on class schedules. Some classes would not meet one day, while other classes were extended to two-hour periods. “The administrators did an incredible job, considering the amount of kids they had to test and a program that’s not really popular. Having said that, my biggest concern was that school felt like a frenzied state. Sometimes we weren’t quite sure what was happening. Teachers felt that, and I know students felt that. Everything seemed really rushed. It had to affect so many things – instruction, student learning. Bottom line, I’m just opposed to standardized testing,” math teacher Christopher Tucker said.

Meanwhile, some students felt the modified schedules were more refreshing than inconvenient. “An otherwise insipid school day was replaced with a new and different schedule.

Variety was nice,” junior Mimi Li said.

The English 10 and Algebra 1 PARCC tests replace their High School Assessment (HSA) counterparts. However, testing has not wrapped up completely for sophomores. In addition to the PARCC tests that have just taken place, they will need to take the Government and Biology HSAs in May. “I’m going to have AP tests and semester exams. Then there are the HSAs, and now I have to take the PARCC tests too? They might want to get rid of one of the tests. It’s kind of annoying,” Rabinowicz said.

Thus, sophomores must grit their teeth, hold their heads high and make the best of their circumstances. At least PARCC testing has finally wrapped up…for now.

Arts 12 H&A seniors showcase artistry at SIP Performance Night Common Sense | April 2, 2015

Rachel Altman staff writer

“[Tattoos] have always been a major part of my life,” Timmons said. “My dad is 50 percent covered in tattoos. A majority of my male family members have them. I’ve always found the way they were viewed in society interesting and I wanted to find out why that was.”

In her project, Timmons admires the meaningful nature of tattoos while recognizing the fact that social norms and stereotypes create obstacles such as employment discrimination for those with visible tattoos. “I think tattoos can be significant because of the meaning to the wearer, whether it be for a family member, an artistic representation of happy memories or difficult experiences or simply something they are passionate about and find beautiful,” Timmons said. “To each their own, I suppose. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I believe that no matter what I say the stigma will still linger, though I would like to encourage people not to judge those with tattoos solely because they have them.”

Life of Markumentary: A Sitcom Though Americans tend to associate censorship with foreign nations that have more oppressive regimes with greater executive power, the existence of censorship in American literature, art and media is undeniable. Senior Ben Kerness explored this idea in his SIP through a sitcom that chronicled the writing process for a television show in a subtle piece of meta fiction.

The sitcom’s plot had the ability to convey the depth of a national issue while still reaching the happy ending typical to a comedy. “The writers’ room for the fictional TV show ‘Life of Mark’ is recorded for an entire day during the creative process,” junior Alina Gaynutdinova said. “It’s the last day before the network needs their final script and they keep having to resubmit it to the editor before she can pass it on to the network.

Tensions rise as she keeps rejecting their edits and constantly finding new things they need to take out. In the end it turns out that she was only trying to save the show she loves by preventing giving the network anything to complain about within the script to avoid threats of cancellation.”

Unlike the artistic process depicted in the pilot, Kerness’s process in creating his project was relatively easygoing and cheerful. “We rented out an entire empty office so it really felt like a professional set and a professional atmosphere, but at the same time it was all friends working together so we just had a blast making the whole thing,” Gaynutdinova said.

All’s Wells in Love and Noir Senior Sofia Ameti pursued a wildly creative project markedly different from others presented on SIP Night when she unveiled a modern remake of the 1946 film “The Stranger.”

Ameti’s take mixed elements of classic film noir devices and an original script that she wrote based on the 1942 book “The Stranger.”.

Film noir is a general term that encompasses the mood of crime dramas produced in Hollywood during the cinematic golden age of the 1940s and 1950s.

The phrase “film noir” was originally coined by French film critics, who drew the name from both the low-key black-and-white style and the jaded pessimism that the films expressed to counter the optimism of mainstream American comedy. Film noir pieces typically feature cynical characters with sexual motives.

The original “The Stranger” movie was directed by Orson Wells and was revolutionary in its inclusion of real documentary footage from the Holocaust.

The plot follows war crimes investigator Mr. Wilson in his hunt for Nazi fugitive Franz Kindler and his dramatic marriage with his wife, Mary. This year’s SIP performances were dynamic and inventive, and the participants hope that their efforts were well received by the judging panel. Both the seniors and the classmates that they cast in their projects were satisfied after SIP night came to a close. “It was so much fun,” sophomore Maria Samper said after singing in Umar’s piece.

“Having not been able to audition for Mary Poppins this year, getting to hang out and collaborate with people with whom I wasn’t able to do the show was very exciting. The songs we got to do were fun, and we were given the liberty to really make it our own. Saira was a great director, and I had a great time.”

photo courtesy Saira Umar

“Senior independent project” is a phrase that strikes terror in the minds of Humanities students, yet a number of ambitious students embark on the journey to complete this assignment every year.

The SIP is the culminating effort of the Humanities and Arts program, composed after hours in junior seminar, senior seminar and independent research and development time. Students with a humanities focus write an 18 to 22-page research paper, while those with an arts focus create an imaginative project supplemented by an eight to 10-page paper.

For those seniors who pursue a creative outlet, presenting their project at Humanities and Arts Senior Independent Project Night and crossing their fingers in hopes that their achievement will be labeled “meritorious” is one of the most intensely awaited moments of the year. This year’s SIP Night took place on March 11 and consisted of five pieces that covered diverse topics ranging from musical theater to the role of American tattoo art.

A Shtetl itz Amerike: An Examination of the American Dream in American Musical Theater Senior Saira Umar is passionate about musical theater as a veteran of nine high school productions, so she simply had to decide what aspect of theater she would highlight and research for her SIP. Her road to the eventual topic of the American Dream exemplifies the common trouble of finding material to investigate during SIP season. “I was originally doing a piece on casting race in theater but it ended up being difficult to find scholarly material on it and it was easily attributed to subjective ideals,” Umar said. “Being a first generation American performer I shifted over to focusing on that and its role in musical theater.”

Umar’s project incorporated vocal and dance numbers from the musicals “In the Heights,” “West Side Story,” “Miss Saigon” and “Rags.” Though the numbers varied in style and tone, they were thematically unified in their portrayals of the meaningful inconsistencies between the American Dream and the American reality.

Her favorite piece was an emotional song from “In the Heights.” “I loved ‘When You’re Home’ because it really represented the whole idea of my

project and of finding home and identity in America,” Umar said.

“Also the music itself is gorgeous and it was a really meaningful way to end the performance, especially with all the signs turning to reveal [American flags.]”

Beating the Drums to Change: An Analysis of How Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Style of Music Affected Nigerian Politics during the PostColonial Period Despite the diverse school atmosphere here, students often remain uninformed about the politics and culture of foreign countries. Senior Graysen Bright aspired to resolve this problem by presenting an SIP featuring performances from songs by Nigerian musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti and from his biographical musical, “Fela!” which chronicles Kuti’s struggle against 1,000 government soldiers for the freedom to perform at a famous nightclub.

Bright is driven in her desire to share Kuti’s artistry and political activism with the people around her. “I believe that music is considered a universal language, and because he was able to use music to express his views about politics, I think that’s very admirable. I also love that he inspired so many people by doing this,” Bright said. “I think many people are only interested in U.S politics, and I believe it’s important for people to understand foreign politics just to get an understanding of what is going on in the world and have more of an appreciation for it.”

“Fela!” is critically acclaimed for its vibrancy and exuberance.

“When I went to see ‘Fela!’ it was more of a concert feel,” Bright said. “They really made you feel like you were at one of his concerts in Lagos, Nigeria. In ‘Fela!’ they really tried to interact with the audience, having them chant things or dance along. While some musicals do that, some also just follow a storyline and don’t make the audience feel like they are part of the journey.”

Tattoo Taboo in America Senior Chelsea Timmons has always been passionate about tattooing, a form of artistry that has existed in the United States for hundreds of years.

Students might not know that the rich history of this artistic tradition; before they were used for self-expression in America, tattoos were popularized to identify sailors if they were kidnapped by the British naval forces.

Sophomore Roma Venkateswaran, junior Daniela Casas, senior Graysen Bright, sophomore Maria Samper, senior Max Fowler, sophomore William Memmot and senior Saira Umar perform in Umar’s SIP, an analysis of the American Dream in Musical Theater.

Lit Mag hosts Open Mic Night, highlights students’ poetic abilities Tiffany Yu features editor Surrounded by fairy lights and scattered electric tealights, a dozen students sat in the lecture hall, waiting for the night to begin. A table displayed a platter of chocolate chip cookies and a selection of poetry books, courtesy of Litmag sponsor Zachary Lowe.

This was the second open mic night, a free event hosted

by Pulp, the school literary magazine. Performances are open to anyone and may include poetry, slam poetry, hip-hop, dramatic monologues, ora music.

The evening of March 4 kicked off with a soft rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind,” by senior Sadhana Rao. Senior Ana María Nzang stepped up to the front and

sang “Do You,” by Megal. Though there was a sign-up sheet, the attendance was small enough that people opted to just go up to the front when there was a lapse in performances.

Junior Sam Lewis was a spunky emcee, filling the silences between acts with jokes, comedy routines, and spontaneous readings of French poems. Lewis’ jokes garnered laughs from the audience and even a whole-hearted chuckle from Lowe, who was sitting in the back (presumably grading papers). The night continued with Litmag president Anjali Ravi reading a poem by famed spoken word poet Sarah Key. The first original piece was by junior Claire Richters who removed her glasses and launched into a high-energy slam poem. “Pounding, beating pulsing, pounding, beating, pulsing,” she repeated.

Juniors Matt Silverman and Sophia Menconi also read original poems, packed full of metaphors. Richters took the stage again, reciting from memory the “Alexander Hamilton Rap.” Junior Cole Abod also recited an unusual spoken word song, “Taming the Dragon,” by Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana. Lewis again showed off his hosting abilities by announcing an Oprah-esque surprise: two quarters taped under the desks for two lucky winners. The quarters were found and the night continued with spontaneous poetry readings from the provided books by senior Paul Neves and Disha Shetty. Open mic night came to a close with Litmag co-president Joanna Mak performing the slam poem “Breakup” by Rudy Francisco. “I thought it went great. I thought it was a success. I think I definitely kept it afloat,” Lewis said.

Sports

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

BOYS’ TENNIS

Photo by Nellie Allentuck

Season starts undefeated

SOFTBALL

13

Boys’ win without key players in attendance

Joey Voyta staff writer

Boys’ tennis is off to a strong start, as they are dominating opponents even with some of their top players missing.

The team beat Severna Park in a scrimmage and defeated both Sherwood and Blair in matches.

In their first official match on March 24, the boys beat Sherwood six to one,

players, sophomore Kyrylo Tsygura and freshman Joseph Brailovsky, could not attend.

Even with everyone moving up, they were still able to put on a dominant performance over weaker competition in Sherwood.

Earlier in the week on March 23, the team beat Severna Park in a scrimmage.

Severna Park gave the boys a tough match, although the

on top of his game though as others stepped up as well.

Sophomore Ben Feldman and Fishman also crushed their opponents with 6-0, 6-0 wins in the three and four singles spots.

Senior Ishiun Kuo finished off the sweep in singles as he won respectably 6-2, 6-4 in the number two singles spot.

Singles weren’t the only ones winning, as all three double teams contributed by winning all of their matches.

A big time win from the team of seniors Alexei Ezcurra and Edward Cornish. They were accompanied with another dominant win from the team of Joseph Deng and Jake Gordon, who lead the way for the doubles teams as they also swept their competition.

Andy Xiao and Eric Feng were the doubles team that finished off the clean sweep winning their match in dominant fashion.

With the return of Tysugara, the team’s best player, the boys look to continue their dominance in upcoming matches.

great to have the opportunity “Ittowas play as number three, and I think

I made the most of it.”

-Jared Fishman, grade 10

with their top two players missing. Sophomore Jared Fishman, a usual alternate, stepped up and won an important match in the number three singles spot.

“It was great to have the opportunity to play as number three, and I think I made the most of it,” Fishman said.

Everyone had to step up in the win with each singles player needing to slide up two spots, as their top two

Patriots were able to prevail five to two. “I like to play them, because they are one of the better teams we will play all year,” coach Fevronia Cresham said.

The boys, again playing without Tysgura, defeated Blair on March 24 seven to zero. Brailovsky lead the way with a 6-0, 6-0 dominant performance in the number one singles spot.

He was not the only one

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Girls look to improve after disappointing 1-2 start Ethan Granetz staff writer The girls faced off against the Montgomery Blair Blazers on March 26, which ended in an 18-0 loss for the Patriots.

After a strong opening inning allowing no runs, the Patriots began to fall apart.

Although the team looked solid, they again couldn’t capitalize on any of their opportunities after the solid first inning and were unable to stop the Blazers.

It was another rough game for the Patriots who have now lost back-to-back games.

“Playing a team like Blair is a challenge.

Definitely a game worth playing,” senior Jackie Caputo said.

The Patriots took on the Sherwood Warriors on March 24. The Warriors, who are the three-time defending state champions, were expected to be a tough matchup.

Freshman Meredith White was the starting pitcher for the Patriots, pitching her first competitive game of her high school career.

The Patriots did a solid job of getting the ball into play, but they were not able convert on those chances, eventually falling to the Warriors 23-0.

“It was a tough game to play in, but I think we will bounce back,” senior Stephanie Whitridge said.

Softball started off their season triumphant as they beat the Einstein Titans 10-4 on March 23. Junior Shayna Golfer took the mound as the pitcher for the opening game.

After the Patriots scored one run to start the game, Einstein followed up with a three-run bottom of the inning. Soon after this, junior second basemen. Hannah Etman hit the only home run in the game and they went on to score nine unanswered

runs.

Einstein added a late run in the last inning of the game, but they proved to be no match for the Patriots, who hoped to build off of this promising start.

The team has begun the season with a 1-2 record. They played against Damascus on March 30 and Gaithersburg on April 1, which they hoped would allow them to turn their season around. “We will win these next two games,” coach Alton Lightsey said.

The following game will be against the Northwest Jaguars on April 13.

Photo by Nellie Allentuck

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Freshman starting pitcher Meredith White pitched in her first high school and varsity game against Sherwood but the ladies were defeated 23-0.

Junior Hannah Etman awaits the pitch from the Sherwood pitcher on March 24.

14

Sports

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

BASEBALL

Team dedicates season to Elliott with #playforMichael Photo by Nellie Allentuck Senior pitcher Kyle Saggar pitches aganist Blair on March 26. He gave up four earned runs in two innings.

Brent London staff writer After a tough exit in the playoffs the regional semifinals last year, the boys will look to bring home a state title this year.

The team is led by senior captains Sam Goldberg, Matt Ainsworth and Michael Elliott.

The team has decided to devote this season to one of their captains, Elliott, who is not playing currently due to a recent diagnosis of bone cancer in his leg. Elliott, the starting catcher and one of the team’s premier hitters, will be out for the season, but he is still in the minds, hearts and prayers of the team.

Elliott has been a four-year varsity starter and has worn the number four each year. As recognition the team has stitched Elliott’s number four on the side of each player’s hat. They have also started the hashtag “PlayForMichael” in an effort to support Elliott.

“Michael’s diagnosis has hit our team hard. He’s been our main guy since day one. This year, we will win for him; I guarantee it,” senior Sam Goldberg said.

The inspirational season has gotten underway with the Patriot’s record sitting at 1-2. They played Blair at home on March 26. The boys lost 11-6 off of only four earned runs.

Senior Kyle Saggar pitched two innings and gave up seven runs, only four earned, an unusual performance from the senior. The team beat itself by having a plethora of errors in the field, not helping Saggar.

Junior Will Jones had a big contribution to the team’s six runs with a three-run homerun, the first of his varsity career.

Sherwood came into town for the boys’ home opener on March 24.

Ainsworth pitched a solid five innings yet, the team found itself trailing 8-2. The boys were able to rally back to tie it at eight a piece thanks to clutch pitching by junior Max Shapiro and solid hitting from junior Will Jones.

The boys would have to rally again in the seventh inning but could not complete the comeback, losing, 11-10.

Although the team suffered a loss there was no doubt that Elliott was in the hearts of each player as they were able to fight back.

“Sherwood was a tough loss for us because we kept making errors and ended up beating ourselves. It’s still early in the season so we have plenty of time to gain experience and in the end be the best we can be,” Jones said.

Although the team has fallen to 1-2 the first game of the season displayed great promise. The boys cruised to an 18-2 mercy-rule victory over Einstein after just six innings.

Senior Kyle Saggar led the way in hitting as he went 3-3 with a runs batted in (RBI) as junior David Greenblott pitched the first five innings only giving up two runs.

The boys continued to play for Elliott in their next game, March 26 at home against Blair, which was too late for this issue.

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Sports

15

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

GIRLS’ LAX

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

Team expects to improve over time

Positive start bodes well for title hopes

In the world of high school public sports, it can be difficult to maintain a team’s success from year to year. Players come and go and stability is uncommon.

Every program has rebuilding years.

The girl’s lacrosse team lost seven seniors last year and is looking to rebuild a strong team. On top of this, the girls have one of the tougher schedules in the county this season.

The team opened up the season on March 24 against Damascus. The girls fought hard but could not keep up with Hornets and lost 13-4.

Senior attackman Ellie Kobylski tallied two goals as junior Lindsey Capitelli and senior Christina Shin each scored one in the loss.

“It was a tough first game,” Ellie Kobylski said. “We just have to keep our heads up and focus on the next game.”

Next the girls played Glenelg at home on March 27. Glenelg jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and extended that to a 9-1 lead by half. The team was unable to close the gap in any way and fell to Glenelg 141. The girls lone goal came from freshman Beth Cornelius.

“They were really good and were just too much for us,” sophomore Gwen Klein said.

Previously the girls played in multiple

The team kicked off its season last week with easy victories over Einstein and Quince Orchard. After last year’s magical undefeated season, they return as the reigning county champions, and have begun their quest for a repeat.

In the offseason, the team worked hard in the weight room and on the track in order to prepare for their championship defense.

“Volleyball requires a lot of legwork, so we do a lot of that during conditioning,” senior captain Ethan Frymark said.

Led by Frymark, this deep roster full of upperclassmen is looking to build on the success and championships of years past. Though they graduated last year’s superstar and captain Paul Malinauskas, they are still looking as dominant as ever.

Along with Frymark, fellow seniors Robbie Severynse, Adam Kaplan and Richard Hum highlight the team’s core of talent. In addition to the seasoned veterans, the squad also boasts a strong group of underclassmen who are prepared to learn from the older players.

In their first two games, the Patriots beat Einstein in straight games 3-0, and took down Quince Orchard 3-1.

When they faced their first challenge of the season against a more challenging Northwest side, Frymark again led the

Charlie Eichberg staff writer

pre-season scrimmages. The first scrimmage against Blake was a close game in which the girls squeezed by with a 7-5 win. For many of the girls this was their first varsity experience.

After that the girls went up against Walter Johnson in another close match.

This time, the girls could not pull out a win and fell 7-5.

The next two scrimmages were against Quince Orchard and then Urbana. Though the team did not record scores, they fought hard in both games.

“We weren’t sure what to expect going into the scrimmages,” junior Maddie Mays said. “But we tried our best and I think the team did really well especially since some of the girls hadn’t played varsity yet.”

The team only has four seniors, Cece and Ellie Kobylski, Christina Shin, and Katlyin Klausing, on the roster this year, but has lots of young talent in the six juniors and seven sophomores behind them. The girls do not lack athleticism, as they have many multi-sport athletes.

The team lacks stick skills and experience, two things that will come with time as the season progresses.

“There are a ton of games left so I’m not worried. We just need some more experience and everyone will get the hang of things,” sophomore Maddy Scholz said.

The girls’ next game is at Richard Montgomery on March 31.

Max Shapiro staff writer

way. In the first game, he strung together a few aces and excelled on the defensive side of the game. In the second and third games the Jaguars broke down defensively, allowing the Pats to cruise to another 3-0 win.

With the positive start, players are building their confidence for the remainder of the season.

“We are starting off as a pretty solid team with a deep roster. We’re getting ready for the heart of our schedule by training hard and getting better each day as a team,” Frymark said.

The team looked to a big matchup with archrival Churchill on Monday, and against Blair on Wednesday, both of which were too late for this issue to cover.

“Churchill is just another opponent.

We will go out there and play as if it were our last game,” senior Richard Hum said.

“We have a solid starting six with a deep bench, and we have all the confidence in each other to leave it all on the line.”

After Wednesday’s game, the team takes a 10-day hiatus during spring break.

The players will keep working on their own so they will not return to the court with too much rust. The team will look to come back fresh and ready for another run at the county championship on April 14 at home against Richard Montgomery.

Player Spotlights Position: 400m and 800m Dash Favorite Movie: Breakfast Club Favorite pre-game meal: Marinara pasta with meatballs Favorite pump-up song: All Day - Kanye West Biggest superstition: Make my bed right before I sleep Favorite vacation spot: Barcelona Favorite non-sport hobby: Taking walks on the beach

Position: Short stop Favorite Movie: The Incredibles Favorite pre-game meal: Cliff bar Favorite pump-up song: Eye of the Tiger - Survivor Biggest superstition: Putting on batting gloves in a certain way Favorite vacation spot: Beach Favorite non-sport hobby: Computers

Position: Outfield and Pitcher Favorite Movie: The Other Guys Favorite pre-game meal: Grilled cheese Favorite pump-up song: Love Sosa - Chief Keef Favorite vacation spot: South Africa Favorite non-sport hobby: Tech support

Position: Setter Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans Favorite pre-game meal: Chipotle Favorite pump-up song: Anything Trap Messiah Biggest superstition: I wear my uniform shorts to bed the night before each game Favorite vacation spot: Florida Favorite non-sport hobby: Hitting whips

Position: 3rd single Favorite Movie: Inception Favorite pre-game meal: Frosted flakes Favorite pump-up song: Stronger - Kanye West Biggest superstition: None Favorite vacation spot: Switzerland Favorite non-sport hobby: Watching movies

Isaac Lish, senior, boys’ lacrosse

Position: Midfield Favorite Movie: Anchorman Favorite pre-game meal: Spaghetti Favorite pump-up song: Our Song - Taylor Swift Biggest superstition: Left sock first Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii Favorite non-sport hobby: Watch-collecting

Christina Shin, senior, girls’ lacrosse

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Ethan Frymark, senior, boys’ volleyball

I-Shiun Kuo, senior, boys’ tennis

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Kyle Saggar, senior, baseball

Position: Middle Favorite Movie: Space Jam Favorite pre-game meal: two asiago cheese bagels from Panera Favorite pump-up song: Sugar - Maroon 5 Biggest superstition: Do my personal handshakes with everyone on the court Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere in India Favorite non-sport hobby: Singing in the shower

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Stephanie Whitridge, senior, softball

Adwait Shukla, senior, coed volleyball

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Photo by Sydney Heiberger

Johan Raphael, senior, track & field

Position: Attack Favorite Movie: The Interview Favorite pre-game meal: Bulldogs Favorite pump-up song: Firework - Katy Perry Biggest superstition: Making sure my hair is perfect before practice or games Favorite vacation spot: North Korea Favorite non-sport hobby: Hiking

16

Sports

Common Sense | April 2, 2015

Jordan Stern staff writer

On March 27, the team beat Glenelg 8-7. Senior Myles Romm scored four goals and junior Brett Rudden delivered the game winning goal.

“It was so exciting when Brett scored. It felt really good to beat Glenelg, especially since we worked so well together as a team,” senior Jack Wright said.

The boys’ lacrosse team kicked off their season with an enormous victory over Damascus on March 24 with a score of 14-3.

“They started the game great, scoring six goals in the first quarter. Together they were able to really move the ball around the field making it possible for goals to be scored constantly,” junior manager Sophia Teicher said.

Goals came from seniors Myles Romm, Sam Ellis and Robbie Weinstein, juniors Brett Rudden, Justin O’Daniel and Stephen Bray and freshman Mason Romm. O’Daniel led the team with a whopping seven goals.

This win follows a shaky preseason. The team lost two out of three of their preseason scrimmages to The Heights and Loudoun Valley High School.

The team hopes to return to the Regional Finals and defend last year’s title. “This season I am most looking forward to defending our region championship,” senior Jack Wright said.

Despite the loss of talented graduates, the players are confident in the abilities of this year’s roster. Seniors Patrick Cornelius, Romm and Cole Abid are all committed to play lacrosse next year at their respective universities. Cornelius will be joining his older brother at Lynchburg College next year as their goalie, Romm is headed to Brown University as a midfielder and Abid will be playing for Washington College

Photo by Rebecca Cornelius

Boys off to undefeated start BOYS’ LAX

Senior Cole Abid dives for the ball in the Patriots’ victorious lacrosse game against Glenelg high school. Abid has been a key player for the varsity team for four years and will carry his talents to Washington College next year.

as a defender.

Cornelius is recently returning to the game after having surgery on his knee in the fall. He fractured the bone and was unable to participate in off-season training.

“I’m really looking forward to my senior season. It’s finally my turn to be a leader and I think we have a lot of potential this season. Coming off of my surgery in the fall

I’m hoping to get back to my full potential as a player,” Cornelius said.

The boys played Whitman on Mar. 31 but the game was too late for this issue.

They will play Whitman at home today and they will also compete in a tournament over spring break.

COED VOLLEYBALL

Players start off on winning streak, get in season spirit Megan Byles staff writer After four days of conditioning and drills, tryouts came to an end and the coed volleyball roster was announced. Playing in three scrimmages against Clarksburg, Wheaton and Sherwood, the new team played together for the first time.

“The team is great this year. We got a sense of how to play with each other with the dynamic and I am looking forward to a fun season,” junior captain Catherine Liu said.

TRACK & FIELD

Liu and senior Dimitri Pappas were the two captains from last years’ coed team.

After making it to playoffs, the team lost in the first round against Northwest. Of the one freshman and 14 returning varsity players currently on the team, nine are returning coed players, two are from last years boys’ team, two from girls’ and one is a transfer student.

Juniors are usually made captain so they can experience being team leaders, and this year coach Mary Malinauskas made Liu and Jimmy Ho the two captains.

Practicing Monday through Friday with

optional Saturday practices, the team goes through warm-ups, conditioning and/or drills.

“I was on the boys team last year, but I feel like there is a lot more playing and productivity and less standing around [on coed,]” Ho said.

On home game days, the team usually dresses up for spirit day. Wearing their jerseys to school on March 25, they played against Northwest in the second home game of the season.

“With time, we all begin to get a better sense of how to play together as a team and

our team dynamic has definitely reflected that,” junior Elizabeth Hung said.

Winning 3-0 against Northwest, they also won 3-0 on March 23 against the Quince Orchard Cougars and the Einstein Titans on March 20.

Remaining undefeated so far this season, the team continues to work hard and build on the team dynamic. “This year we are looking capable to do much better than that [of last season,]” Malinauskas said.

The games were played on March 30 against Churchill and April 1 against Blair but were too late to be included in this issue.

Coach predicts successful season despite losses in recent meets Sarah Greenberg staff writer

23, one day before the rest of the meet’s events. The school’s athletes performed well in this part of the meet, giving the team an opportunity to start their first competition off on the right foot.

The team won multiple points in the 100-meter and 200-meter events, thanks to junior Jaron Woodyard, who

Photo courtesy Johan Raphael

of 5:30.7.

Of the total 18 events at the meet, the team’s athletes participated in almost all of them, the exception being the Track and field competed in the Cougar Relays, their 100-meter hurdles. first invitational meet of the season, on March 28 at Quince Although they did not perform as well as the other Orchard. Because this meet was an invitational it was schools that participated in the tri-meet, coach Kellie somewhat exclusive and only open to a select Redmond is confident that the team will few athletes. have a successful season. “We will make Because of the frigid weather the coaches huge improvements as we move through the chose to pull out of several events, including season,” Redmond said. “We focus on late in the girls 4x200-meter relay, the boys 4x400the season and not as much on these early meter relay and others. The featured event season dual/tri-meets.” at this invitational was the Devil’s Race, Track athletes were proud of their efforts where athletes will ran around the track until in their individual events and are looking eliminated by the “devil” and the last runner forward to competing throughout the season. remaining wins.

“I think the team was really strong in our Junior Jacob Rushkoff ’s performance in first meet and there’s room for improvement this race coupled with senior Patrick Munro’s across the board,” sophomore Valerie Hubert and Dellapa’s performance in the mile races said. contributed to the team’s final score. Out The team has multiple talented members of the total 33 teams that competed in the who will continue to help the school win invitational, the team placed 13th for the girls in future races. “We have some really good and 12th for the boys. distance guys that will do well,” Redmond The team also competed in their first meet Junior Kyle Su competes in the boys’ 300-meter hurdles. Su finished with a time of 54.8h in this race said. “I can see a lot of potential.” of the season on March 24 against Bethesda and placed 25th in the boys’ 400-meter dash.

The team also competed in a meet on Chevy Chase and Richard Montgomery at won both races. Junior Grace Dellapa also made a sizable March 31 against Whitman and Walter Johnson at Whitman’s BCC. In this tri-meet, the boys beat BCC’s team, but lost to contribution to the team’s overall score with her performance track, however it was too late to appear in this issue.

RM while the girls lost to both of their competitors. in the 800-meter and 1600-meter races. Dellapa won the The next meet will be the Friday Night Light Meet Because of BCC’s lack of throwing equipment, athletes 1600M race and scored a new personal record with a time against Churchill on April 17 at Churchill. competed here for the shot-put and discus events on March