Common Sense Magazine April 2022

Common Sense THOMAS S. WOOTTON HIGH SCHOOL | 2100 WOOTTON PARKWAY | ROCKVILLE, MD 20850 VOLUME 51. ISSUE 5 | APRIL 2022

Momentum builds for field name change The James A. Coles field was named after the first principal, Dr. James A. Coles, to honor his 22 years as head of administration, though the title is rarely used in reference to the field. Now, with the emergence of catchier names such as “The Cougar Dome” at Quince Orchard and “The Dawg Pound” at Winston Churchill, students here are advocating for a name change or a nickname to be established for the field as a way to increase school spirit and sports pride. Read more on pages 12-13.

Photo courtesy Joshua M. Freedman

Cover by Anna Keneally

news

College acceptance rates 5 2022 graduation location 5 MCPS graduation rate 6 SAT at Wootton 6 Ukrainian student speaks 7

features Math is red 16 APs for freshmen 17 AP class rigor 17 Junior banquet 18 Prom outfits 18

opinions reviews sports commons Ukraine 8 - 9 Benefit of college visits 10 Teachers’ grading policies 11

New stadium name 12 - 13

20 news

opinion

Graduation back at DAR Constitution Hall with mask requirement

by Joaquin Moreno

Russian invasion of Ukraine reaches one month: What has happened and what could happen?

by Ethan Lenkin

Senioritis is spreading, the countdown to seniors’ last day of school is back in the parking lot window...

Nobody should have been surprised.

Vladimir Putin, Russian president and ex-KGB agent, has consistently made

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS April 2022

Varsity baseball 20 Varsity softball 20 Varsity girls’ lacrosse 21 Varsity tennis 21 Varsity boys’ lacrosse 22 Coed volleyball 22 Track 23 Boys’ volleyball 23

arts profiles back page “Little Mermaid” musical 14

Senior Rob Carpenter throws the ball in the outfield on Mar. 26 in the 24-0 win against Watkins Mill.

Photo by Tyler Buzy

Anna’s Book Nook 19 “The Batman” 19

Keith Burnham 15

clear his yearning for the era he came of age in, the era of Soviet power. The invasion of Georgia in 2008, and the Crimiean Peninsula in 2014 proved that Putin was not seeking diplomatic ways to claw ex-Soviet republics into his control.

New York Times puzzles ranked 24

Teachers’ variation in grading policies unfair to students

by Elizabeth Mehler Warnings spread quickly from student to student and grade to grade about which teachers are easier graders than others.

Spread by Nico DePalma

TABLE OF CONTENTS features

reviews

sports

AP classes for freshmen prove challenging

by Christina Martirosova

“The Batman” movie gives new take on beloved hero

by Mathis Chavez

Leaving middle school and entering high school can be a big transition. Aside from being in a bigger building...

The caped crusader, the dark knight…

Batman; whatever you call him, he’s back. “The Batman” isn’t a superhero movie...

Varsity boys’ lacrosse looks bright as they head into second half of season.

by James Walsh The team’s first game of the season was on Mar. 22 and was the team’s home opener, against Clarksburg.

Boys’ volleyball looking dangerous

by Peter StantonShepherd After starting off the season with a quality win in a scrimmage against Clarksburg and a dominant performance against Damascus...

April 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

Page by Joshua M. Freedman

common sense staff

Editors-in-Chief Rob Carpenter, Ellie Cowen, Nico DePalma, Joshua Freedman, Anna Keneally Managing Editors Jake Dolan, Carter Jones, Simon Kidane, Hannah Rah, Josie Rosenstein, Amanda Slud, James Walsh Editors P News Mace Berk, Elizabeth Mehler, Daniel Sofer R News Editor (long-form) I Ethan Lenkin Back Page Editor NDylan Cohen Editor T Arts Emma Song Race and Equity Editor Ellie Reiter Opinion Editors Julia Lvovsky, Rae Weinstein Profiles Editor Ryan McGraw

Letter from the Editors Since the March issue, Common Sense is proud to have selected the 2022-2023 leaders of our staff. Each of the positions held by student journalists is needed in order for our media outlet to continue to manage a team of over 70 students, assign and edit articles in a timely manner and produce the magazine you are holding in your hands right now.

This newsmagazine is the culmination of weeks of hard work researching, interviewing, writing, editing and designing, and we could not be more proud of our staff’s constant effort and dedication.

That being said, the senior members of the editorial board are both saddened and honored to announce that this will be the last issue of our magazine that we are in charge of. While our community can still expect a sixth issue of Common Sense, our role will primarily be to mentor next year’s editors and advise them as they transition to producing the magazine.

This issue features a range of articles, from the latest sports news, to information regarding the invasion of Ukraine, to beloved columns such as “Anna’s Book Nook.” As always, our reporters have strategically combined research with personal insight to connect global news events back to our community.

For example, Julia Lvovsky’s “Living in America while my country Ukraine in under attack,” not only focuses on how the

invasion in Ukraine has affected her family specifically, but also offers ways our community can contribute aid to the people of Ukraine.

By the time this magazine reaches you, our graduating editors will have committed to whatever endeavors they have set out for following their high school careers. Additionally, they will have begun their last AP exams, which is a surreal and pivotal moment that signifies just how much hard work and growth has occurred these past four years. For many of us, newspaper has been a constant in our lives throughout our time here, and as part of it we have formed close friendships and sharpened our writing, communication and leadership skills.

On behalf of our entire team, we sincerely thank you for your support and trust in us here at Common Sense. And to next year’s editors and staff, we wish you all the best and know that you will succeed in upholding our reputation of excellence and professionalism. And finally, to our adviser, Evva Starr: thank you for taking the time to guide each and every one of us so that we could exceed our own expectations for ourselves and develop skills that will help us throughout the entirety of our futures. It has truly been an honor serving as your editorial board for the 2021-2022 school year.

Editors-in-Chief Ellie Cowen, Luke Jordan, Rob Carpenter, Nico DePalma, Joshua Freedman, Anna Keneally

Reviews Editor Alec Fleischer Sports Editors Justin Linn (Sr.), AJ Grainger (Sr.), Ian Smith, Ethan Stoller Commons Editors Maya Seiler (Sr.), Kate Hawley Features Editors Jake Hoffman, Sarah Nanos, Olivia Smith Online Editor-in-Chief Luke Jordan Online News Editors Ethan Berman

O Podcast EditorN Mandy Schoen L Online Sports Editor I Justin Miller N Online People Editor Danielle Land E Adviser Evva Starr

4 STAFF PAGE April 2022

Benefactors: Mindy & Philip Freedman, Executive Transportation, Daniel Rosenstein, Audrey Thurm, Chris & Anixa Carmona, Sang Yoon, YiJoon Kang, Lynn & Charles Mehler, Leslie Cohen, Susie Jones, Julia Berik, Ed and Kathy Lomotan, Rob Shapiro, Lenkin Family.

Sponsors: Jordan Family, Caswsandra Stanton, Hawley Family, Peter Shepherd

Page by Elizabeth Mehler

Graduation back at DAR Constitution Hall

S

vaccination requirements by Mar. 1. DAR Constitution Hall subsequently lifted their vaccination requirements, although a vaccine requirement can be enforced by an event sponsor, neither MCPS nor the school currently has any vaccine requirement to attend graduation.

Constitution Hall also opted to keep their indoor mask requirements, according to an update provided from their website on Feb. 15. “I believe that the choice to mask should ultimately lie on the individual. I can understand why they are keeping the mask mandate, however, and I don’t see it as something that will ruin my farewell from high school,” Mitri said.

2021 graduate Jasmine Chee celebrates graduation.

Hall. “This was a policy that was decided by DC officials and DAR Constitution Hall. MCPS never ordered a vaccination mandate,” Assistant Principal and 12th grade administrator Joe Mamana said.

However, by mid-February, COVID cases were falling just as rapidly as they had risen from the Omicron wave.

This prompted DC officials to call off the indoor mask mandate a n d

hee ine C Jasm

for the option to hold graduation at Constitution Hall when he was given the opportunity to do so. “I had a conversation with my parents and my twin brother about it, and it was clear what choice we had to make.

Constitution Hall was clearly the better choice because of its history and environment. It was the more iconic choice,” Mitri said.

When graduation was scheduled by administrators in late 2021, Constitution Hall was following DC’s COVID guidelines. At the time in December 2021, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant prompted DC officials to not only require businesses to enforce mask wearing in indoor spaces but also enforce that individuals show proof of vaccination to enter certain indoor spaces, including DAR Constitution

rtesy o cou Phot

Joaquin Moreno staff writer enioritis is spreading, the countdown to seniors’ last day of school is back in the parking lot window, prom is coming up and graduation is sneaking up on us. After the pandemic prevented the previous two graduating seniors from a graduation ceremony at the DAR Constitution Hall, graduation will be back there on June 14, with COVID guidelines to follow.

The decision to hold this year’s graduation ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall as opposed to the school’s stadium, as it was last year, was determined by a survey sent out by administration at the beginning of the school year that gave parents and students the option to choose. Seniors like Samir Mitri exuberantly voted

Increase in college applicants leads to low acceptance rates Jake Dolan managing editor ach year it seems as if colleges are receiving a recordbreaking number of applications. According to the Common App’s newest estimates, this year the number of college applicants increased by 13% and the total number of applications increased by 22% from last year. So what is causing this large increase?

For starters, the Common App has made it easier than ever to apply to college. With almost every college on the Common App, college applicants are just clicks away from applying to any college they can dream of.

As well due to Covid-19, many colleges made their applications

E

test-optional, meaning students didn’t need to submit an ACT or SAT score. This meant students who were originally discouraged from applying due to low test scores, now applied.

Remote learning is another change adopted due to Covid-19 that has broken down barriers of the college application process. “With remote learning options, students can attend college from anywhere in the world provided they have a computer and internet service. They no longer must pay for room and board with this remote learning option making a college education more attainable than ever before,” college info coordinator Kathleen Carr said.

On top of all that,

many colleges have begun adopting a holistic admissions process.

“Holistic reviews focus on students’ involvement in extracurricular activities within their schools and throughout their communities,” Carr said. “The admission professional’s holistic approach to reviewing a candidate’s application has knocked down barriers such as test scores that have prevented students from applying to the school in past years.”

With this large increase in applicants, we are seeing colleges’ acceptance rates hitting all-time lows.

People are getting rejected from schools they expected to get into and are left wondering where they went wrong. Senior Geena Kumaran was one of the

many students who failed to get accepted into a few colleges that they originally expected to. “A lot of colleges with low yield rates

were definitely more picky this year,” Kumaran said.

“It’s obviously not optimal, but there are always other schools.”

April 2022 NEWS

5

Page by Mace Berk

New data about MCPS graduation rates released Elizabeth Mehler news editor

T

decades of structural neglect, it seems likely that a lasting commitment to neighborhood improvement and income desegregation would be necessary to resolve the problems identified in our study,” Harding said.

MCPS has recognized that the pandemic revealed the greater need for social-emotional supports, including mental health resources; however they are encouraged by the increased graduation rate.

“Our staff has been doing an extraordinary job under very difficult circumstances to help our students overcome significant disruptions and continue to make progress. While we celebrate these gains, we will not be satisfied until all of our students graduate college, career and community ready, and prepared to thrive in their futures,” Interim MCPS Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight said.

Junior Ethan Kuan said, “I think that the high graduation rates are very motivating and that it encourages students from across the school to stick with their education up until senior year.”

Photo by Miles Wiley

he four-year graduation rate for Montgomery County Public schools has been released by the Maryland State Department of Education. The MCPS overall graduation rate has risen to 91.4% with a 2.4 increase since the year prior.

All student groups had an increased graduation rate for the class of 2021 except Black or African American students who decreased by 0.3% with a graduation rate of 91 percent. Students with limited English proficiency had a substantial increase of 11.6% and Hispanic/ Latino students increased by 5.4%.

The school with the highest graduation rate is Poolesville with 99.7%, a slight increase of .4% from the year prior. Close behind is this school with a graduation rate of 97.9% and Churchill with 97%.

Although the MCPS graduation rate has increased overall, certain schools saw a decrease or no change in their graduation rate. Within MCPS, there are three schools whose graduation rates decreased from the year prior. Blake decreased by 2.8%

with a graduation rate of 89.3%.

Kennedy decreased by 3.6% with a graduation rate of 81.5% and Paint Branch decreased by 1.8% with a graduation rate of 91.4%.

The schools with lower graduation rates in MCPS are also the schools with a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Gaithersburg has the lowest graduation rate in MCPS at 80.1%. According to U.S. News, 53% of students in Gaithersburg are economically disadvantaged compared to Poolesvilles 8%.

A study by University of Michigan sociologists Geoffrey Wodtke, David Harding and University of Wisconsin-Madison sociologist Felix Elwert suggests that growing up in disadvantaged neighborhoods reduces the chances of high school graduation.

According to the study, growing up in neighborhoods with high levels of poverty and unemployment decreases the chances of high school graduation for Black students by 20%. “While our study does not speak to the efficacy of specific policy interventions needed to improve communities that have suffered

Senior Miles Wiley throws up graduation caps in celebration.

School-wide SAT gets huge turnout from students

Jake Konigsberg staff writer

T

he school hosted its annual Scholastic Aptitude Test, a standardized test that measures students’ reading, writing and math skills, on Mar. 23. Although the SAT generally costs money, every junior at the school was offered the opportunity to take the test for free.

One of the focal points of having the test at the school is for the students’ easy accessibility. The school should be the closest testing site for every student and students are familiar with the building and its location. “The best part about having the test at Wootton was its proximity to my house. The first time I took the SAT I had to wake up super early, but with Wootton’s location, I did not have to wake up extra early and I could get good sleep,” junior Alex Negussie said.

Students were separated into rooms by last name and by academic accommodations. Each student reported to their room at 7:45 a.m., and testing started within 20 minutes. Because this is when school starts every day, students did not have to change up their everyday schedules and routines. “I like that the test took place on a Wednesday at the same time that school starts every day because it just felt like going to another day of school to me,” junior

6 NEWS April 2022

Zoe Heller said.

The SAT has four sections with a maximum score of 1600.

The four sections are reading, writing and language, math without a calculator, and math with a calculator. The reading and writing sections get scored together with a max score of an 800, and it works the same way for both math sections. Students can superscore, meaning that depending on certain colleges, they may choose their best reading and writing score and their best math score from all of the SATs that they have taken, to combine to their best score all together. Some colleges allow superscore, while other colleges do not accept superscores.

The SAT has one other competitor, being the American College Test, or ACT. The ACT is similar but the questions are easier, and it has less time provided. In addition, the ACT has five sections.

When it comes to superscoring, there is a clear disadvantage with the SAT compared to the ACT. With the ACT, you can superscore your best score from all five sections, whereas with the SAT, you can only superscore your best score from your total reading and writing and your total math scores.

Junior Saurav Khetan said, “I think that is a huge advantage to superscore four different sections so I chose the ACT over the SAT.”

Page by Daniel Sofer

Julia Lvovsky opinions editor n 1979 my father, Slovick Lvovsky, emigrated from Donetsk, Ukraine, to Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter allowed Jews from the Soviet Union to immigrate to America if they had family members residing in the country. My father had an aunt in Silver Spring and decided to immigrate. During his immigration process, he was forced to live in Rome, Italy, for two months as he waited for his American Visa.

After arriving in America, he was granted full citizenship in 1981, where he enrolled as a student at Woodward High School in Montgomery County.

From the time he immigrated, until 2003, he did not visit Ukraine because the Soviet Union and the United States had immense conflict limiting all Americans from traveling across their border. This especially affected Ukrainian immigrants such as my father who sought to visit his home where most of his friends and family lived.

In 2014 he met his current wife, Eira in Kyiv, Ukraine, on a visit. For two Ukrainian immigrants living in America, it was important for them to embrace their heritage rather than completely assimilate into American culture. Each year we maintain our culture by going to a Ukrainian festival in Silver Spring. We also eat Ukrainian food from the store, European Delights, including borscht, cutlets, pelmeni (dumplings), and other foods from our culture.

Starting in 2004, my father traveled to Ukraine three times a year with his best friend, who had also immigrated. My father and I had planned a trip for my first visit to Ukraine in the summers of 2021 and 2022 where I could experience the beauty of a culture I had only heard about. However, due to COVID-19 the trip was canceled and I never had the opportunity. This was especially disheartening as I wanted to connect with my roots and immerse myself in the true Ukrainian culture.

Since Feb. 20, 2014, Russia and Ukraine have been in a cold war. They have been fighting over land including

Photo courtesy Julia Lvovsky

Living in America while my country Ukraine is under attack from Russia

I

Junior Julia Lvovsky, her father, Steven Lvovsky and his wife, Eira Lvovsky, are a Ukrainian American family. Despite living in America, they feel the impact of the war deeply.

Scan this QR code to donate to UNICEF and stand with Ukraine.

Scan this QR code to donate to Mightycause and stand with Ukraine.

Crimea and Donetsk. On Thursday, Feb. 24, the unthinkable happened: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine. Every day, Ukrainian immigrants and I are forced to watch our loved ones on television and social media fight for their survival, while we sit at home, feeling like we can make little to no impact.

Being a Ukrainian-American, my family and I are in disbelief over the fact that this is occurring in the 21st Century.

We are angry and helpless in America.

Eira’s family still resides in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. Every day we talk to Eiras’s family and we pray for their lives as they sleep in a bomb shelter, unbeknownst to us if it will be the last time we are able to speak to them. We feel useless but want to show our support, therefore we hung a Ukrainian flag on our door. We know that this virtually does nothing, but maybe it will light a spark for someone when walking past our house and they will remember to donate. Once the war is over my father and his wife will directly go to Ukraine and give support in whatever way possible.

This war has had an impact on many families across the world. Like others, we are trying to help Ukraine by sending money and prayers to friends, but it is very hard for our efforts to reach Ukraine.

Our hope is that the West will help out Ukraine against Russia. Although Ukraine is the underdog, they are putting up a good fight. “The Ukrainian president is a hero and a very brave, true leader. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is staying in Kyiv and not running away. I am very happy that Ukraine is putting up a fight and in good hands,” my father said.

It is imperative that people become educated and involved in our global political climate. Anyone can help by donating money to trusted organizations.

Ukraine is in critical need of food and weapons, so put pressure on your elected representatives to send supplies to Ukraine.

We must stop the cruel and unimaginable suffering of men, women and children who just want peace. We send our support to everyone fighting in Ukraine and encourage people to get educated on this war.

April 2022 NEWS

7

Spread by Ethan Lenkin

Russian invasion of Ukraine reaches two months:

What has happened, what will happen Ethan Lenkin longform editor

The Invasion

N

obody should have been surprised.

Vladimir Putin, Russian president and ex-KGB agent, has consistently made clear his yearning for the era he came of age in, the era of Soviet power. The invasion of Georgia in 2008, and the Crimiean Peninsula in 2014 proved that Putin was not seeking diplomatic ways to claw exSoviet republics into his control. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal according to The U.N Charter, which states “U.N. member states refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”

The exceptions of peacekeeping and a humanitarian mission have both been weaponized by Russian propaganda.

Perhaps the most untrue, provocative and hurtful faux-justification for the violent invasion of a sovereign nation is Putin’s claim that the Russian mission is “denazification” of Ukraine, a country led by a Jewish president. This proclaimed mission of denazification invokes World War II and the horror of the Nazi genocide that was the Holocaust. Over a million Jews killed by Nazis were from Ukraine.

Additionally, Russian forces excuted an attack near a memorial to Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, a place where during WWII, Nazis murdered nearly 34,000 Jews over a 36-hour period in September 1941. According to NPR, The center says Nazis shot between 70,000 and 100,000 people at Babyn Yar, including nearly all of Kyiv’s Jewish population, between 1941 and 1943.

Horrors of war

The typical image of war is of soldiers fighting, gunshots blaring and a battle of wills on the battlefield. It is thought of as

8 OPINION April 2022

a tactical struggle between militaries, and hopefully for a noble cause. A reason to fight may even be to protect those who cannot.

In a horrrific turn, Russia has attacked and bombed places in which wars should never be faught. 56 people died in a tank attack on a nursing home. Nursing homes are tasked with caring for the most vulnerable citizens, and the Russian military had no reservation with instantly ending their lives. In a sobering reminder of the danger of a war zone, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Ludmila Denisova said that “it is impossible to get to the site of the tragedy to bury the dead.”

Families will be denied any semblance of closure because of a callous and unnecessary act within a callous and unnecessary invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has recently accused Russia of war crimes, following the growing belief around the world. However, if the secretary of state is willing to say so, it should indicate unassailable evidence of the crimes against humanity committed during this illegal invasion.

reminded his audience of similar attacks on America: Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

As the Russian government would claim he had fled, he and his cabinet would release videos of themselves in the streets of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The nature of these videos should remind historians most of FDR’s fireside chats, which reassured a weary nation. His rhetoric has also echoed World War II British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during a similarly dark time for Ukraine. Zelensky has given his citizens a symbol of courage, helping the morale of a scarred country already mourning the loss of their neighbors.

The speed of the invasion, and the volume of forces used by the Russians, made it clear Putin expected a quick and decisive victory, on a timetable similar to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, in which their capital, Kabul, fell in days.

However, as the conflict reaches a month, it has become clear the quick victory Putin hoped for will not happen. The brave resistance of the Ukrainian people has led to the deaths of 7,000-15,000 Russian troops, according to NATO.

Ukrainian bravery

Russian crackdown

To the world, the most incredible surprise of this invasion has been the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people. Their president, Volodmyr Zelensky, has been a profile in courage and strength when his country needed it most.

Unverified as it may be, the story that when offered an escape to a safer country, Zelensky replied “I need ammo, not a ride,” is a microcosm of his attitude in the face of a threat to his country.

There are very few things Americans can agree on. Nearly all can recognize the bravery and leadership of the Ukrainian president. He has understood the value of communication incredibly well. He recently gave a speech to Congress, and, understanding his audience, evoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr., and

The vast majority of the world is well aware of the truth surrounding this conflict.

However, in Russia, their government has increasingly punished any narrative conflicting that of the governments.

In the early days of the invasion, they passed a law restricting the press, which among other tenets, forbade the phrase “war” and insisted on the term “special military operation.”

According to Politico, “The new laws, approved by lawmakers in the state Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, threaten those who ‘knowingly’ spread socalled false information about all Russian state bodies operating abroad with fines of 1.5 million rubles (around 14,000 USD) and prison sentences of up to 15 years.”

Photo courtesty Wiki Commons

Ukranian citizens protest the invasion of their country. The Ukrainian flag has become a symbol of democracy around the world.

Sanctions

In acting in such an aggressive way, Putin may have exceeded the line avoided with his invasions of Georgia and the Crimean Peninsula. However, the reaction to this illegal act has united NATO and the U.N in ways rarely seen before. Just five countries voted against a U.N resolution condemning the Russian invasion, and the only economically and politically significant ally of Russia that hasn’t blamed them is China, which vaguely has called for peace, without assigning blame.

The economic sanctions imposed on Russian oligarchs and the broader Russian economy have been perhaps the most significant in modern history. We often overuse superlatives, but the speed at which these sanctions were put into place was historic.

These sanctions have been so effective in crippling the Russian economy that the stock market did not reopen for the first month of the invsion. After weeks of suspended trading following the initial days of the war, the Russian ruble decreased in value.

The sanctions can be divided into two main categories. Economic sanctions have effects on a broader economy, and financial sanctions deal with banking systems and markets.

According to Vox , Putin and 11 other top Russian government officials have been hit personally with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Specifically, “Their names have been added to the Specially Designated Nationals list, a compendium of entities and individuals that includes terrorists, drug cartel leaders, and government officials from countries like North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. Being included on the list effectively means that any assets held in the global banking system are frozen and Americans are legally barred from doing business with those individuals.”

Implications

Without responsible leaders, and even with responsible leaders, a conflict such as this could be the first direct domino of World War III. It is incredibly important that as much support as possible is provided

to Ukrainians without entering a nuclear war with Russia, in which there would be no winners, only survivors.

There have been advocates of a NATOenforced no fly zone. They have argued it is a sure-fire way to protect Ukrainian citizens and discourage the Russian invasion. This policy has a significant chance of ending in catastrophic death and destruction.

A no-fly zone would require the countries enforcing it to shoot down Russian planes, potentially entering America in a war with a nuclear power. The 50-year saga of the Cold War never reached this stage, and with one command, America could reach it in a month. Fortunately, President Joe Biden has signaled this option is off the table, but political pressure is a powerful force in American society.

This invasion has demonstrated to other would-be invaders the consequences for unprovoked aggression. The indiscriminate targeting of civilians and broader illegal status of this invasion has led to unparalleled sanctions and condemnation. Hopefully this forceful response deters any similar action and dissuades Putin from continuing his violent campaign against democracy.

April 2022 OPINION

9

Page by Julia Lvovsky

Unspoken importance of college visits

Julia Lvovsky opinion editor

A

s springtime rolls around, talk of college amongst juniors begins to spark. The college process is emerging and stressed out juniors are everywhere you turn. It’s common for juniors to spend their spring break touring college campuses but, with virtual college tours, is this still necessary?

Yes, it is.

Visiting colleges is crucial when deciding where to apply and attend. The atmosphere at every campus differs from college to college. Being able to explore and tour any college will provide prospectives with a greater understanding of what student life will be like attending that university.

An important factor when determining colleges is location.

Visiting colleges in person provides information about the layout of the campus as well as the towns and cities that surround the campus. Colleges in a city, town, or suburb all seem similar on paper but after attending different campuses in person students can decipher one from the other. You can also discover an energetic vibe to the campus that cannot be appreciated on paper.

Additionally, in-person college visits help students understand the scope of the student body. It is impossible to get a feel for the size of the student body from a virtual tour. Junior Gillian Berman confirmed the value of seeing how a southern college operates differently than a college in the north. Berman said, “I noticed the difference in traditions, school attire and academic tendencies. These are all aspects of Auburn I didn’t realize from the website.”

The ambiance at each college campus is more important than one may realize and simply judging a college virtually doesn’t give full representation. Every campus has its own unique feel and provides different opportunities. Some campuses are small and cozy, providing more intimacy and the potential to meet more students in one’s classes. Alternatively, other campuses are huge, filled with students so you could

“I visited Stanford; my biggest take-away was the upbeat nature and active lifestyles of all the students.”

David Horcasitas junior 10 OPINION April 2022

meet someone new every time you attend class. I discovered that some colleges foster a competitive and challenging atmosphere, while others have a broader social aspect and communal feel. Junior Tyler Cosgrove said, “UC San Diego is very chill and does not have a whole lot of student involvement on campus. Before my visits I imagined those schools to be very similar but I realized how different they were.”

Finally, personalities of the student body seem to vary when one chooses schools on opposing coasts. Junior David Horcasitas said, “I visited Stanford and UCLA in California and witnessed a huge difference in the community and student culture compared to the University of Maryland. I attribute it mostly to the beautiful weather and students’ ability to spend a huge part of their life outside. There appeared to be an endless list of activities to explore in California. On the negative side, Horcasitas said, “The students appeared to have less welcoming personalities and seemed intolerant of other lifestyles compared to their own at SoCal.” After going on some of my own college visits this past spring break, I personally found all the above to be true, reinforcing the well-advised tip that visiting colleges of interest is a huge help.

“Visiting Auburn was an important experience because I got to see the difference in student-tocampus ratio compared to other colleges I had seen.”

Gillian Berman junior

“UCLA campus is smaller and compact so there is a lot more going on making the campus appear more lively and energetic.”

Tyler Cosgrove junior

Page by Rae Weinstein

W

completed the test and use online resources make different choices in their classrooms to research answers to the test questions for what they believe will best help their they have already seen. students learn. But when the differences High school transcripts include the are so substantial that a class taught by one name of the courses taken, the grades and teacher is an “easy A” and the same class the GPA but do not include the name taught by another is difficult it becomes of the teachers or their grading policies. incredibly unfair to the students.

With over 2,000 students in the school, nearly every course has multiple classes taught by different teachers.

When two students take the same course but one is taught by a teacher who gives minimal tests and easy assignments, while the other is taught by a teacher with frequent and difficult assessments, colleges have no way of knowing the different level of effort needed to be put into their grades and the students are judged on the same scale. Although the student may learn more in a rigorous class, it is frustrating and unfair for students to not have to put in equal amounts of effort for an A because of the discrepancy in teacher’s grading and classroom policies.

With a school system that tells students their grade point averages and standardized test scores determine their intelligence, should A’s not mean the same level of effort and workload for every student?

Teachers are bound to have different opinions on the A student fails a statistics quiz at the end of the third quarter. best methods of teaching and Photo by Rae Weinstein

Elizabeth Mehler news editor arnings spread quickly from student to student and grade to grade about which teachers are easier graders than others. Students gossip about which teachers are nice and which are strict because they know that a teacher’s policies in the classroom have a massive impact on their grade.

The unfortunate reality is that grades and GPAs are important for students striving to be accepted into elite colleges. A student’s grades are often considered one of the most influential factors in college admissions decisions. This is why the substantial variation in classroom and grading policies is unfair to students.

A prominent example of varying policies is when certain classes have the option to take tests assisted by open notes while others taking the same test with different teachers do not get that privilege. Another is when teachers provide extra time during lunch or advisory to finish tests for students without extended time.

Other students who took the same test in a class taught by a different teacher had to complete the test in one 42-minute period. Giving more time on tests allows for students to complete parts of the test they would have lost points had they left it blank in the allotted time. It also gives students the opportunity to take advantage of the time they have in between their class period and advisory to talk with students who

Graphic by Rae Weinstein

Teachers’ grading policy variations unfair to students

April 2022 OPINION

11

Page by Maya Seiler and Kate Hawley Photos by Tim Ho and Erik Kleinbussink

Turf wars: Students push to rename field Junior Antonio Lyons, track and field “It should be named after [former principal] Dr. [Michael] Doran.

I really miss him, he was there when my brother graduated but I didn’t have to chance to come here when he was still alive.”

Junior Jessica Winson, girls’ varsity lacrosse “I think the field should be renamed because it’s way easier for people to get excited and it creates a fun environment, spirit wise.”

F

or the past few years, students have engaged in discusions about renaming James A. Coles field, also referred colloquially as “the turf ” or “the stadium,” to boost school spirit. This year, a group of juniors, led by junior Maya Gottesman, have started the campaign for the renaming. The students want to continue to honor James A. Coles, the schools’ first principal, while also creating an official nickname, similar to QO’s “Cougar Dome.”

The SGA sponsers the team of students, who will present nickname ideas to the administration at the end of this school year. The group also looks to possibly rename some of the school’s other athletic complexes, but the stadium is their main goal. Popular names for the stadium include the Capitol, War Zone and Battlefield, but new ideas are always welcome.

After coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic, the SGA is trying to raise school spirit to an all-time high. They will continue to hold activities in the Commons durring lunch, run pep rallies, and plan spirit weeks. Renaming some of the school’s athletic complexes is just one more way to boost spirit.

Freshman Noah Friedman, boys’ JV soccer “[I] like the idea of the ‘War Zone’ or ‘Battlefield, beacuse we’re the Patriots.”

Senior Dason Miller, boys’ varsity baseball “I think it’s nice to name the field in honor of someone who made an impact in our community.

I believe the name should reflect the views and principles Wootton stands for.”

Page by Emma Song

“It was so much fun to be with the theatre family for one last show, and I couldn’t think of a better way to end my wootton expereince.” - senior Jayne Samborn

“My favorite part is diving into the nuances of my character and refining my performance.” - junior Ethan Bull

“My favorite part of the play was probably meeting new people. We became such a family in the end.” - senior Neha Dheen

‘The Little Mermaid’ performers love theater, performing, community Ethan Berman staff writer

T

he Wootton Players presented “The Little Mermaid” as their spring play.

People joined the play for different reasons. However, they all seem to love doing theater and want to share that with others. “I’ve always loved theater and singing so I was so excited to do this year’s musical. ‘The Little Mermaid’ is also such a classic and I knew that it would be so fun to do a Disney show,” Dheen said.

People were nervous before

“It was my first experience in theatre and I was so lucky to be able to have it with this group of people.” - senior Justin McGraw

14 ARTS April 2022

getting on the stage for the first show.

“I was very nervous. I actually had a cold the week of the show. My nose was so stuffy and I was coughing like crazy. But I think once I actually got on stage, the adrenaline kicked in and it turned out to be fine,” Dheen said.

Some people weren’t worried about the acting; they were worried about the singing, especially in front of a large audience. “I wasn’t nervous for the acting but it was the first time singing for an audience so I had nerves during rehearsal but worked them out by the performance,” junior Ethan Bull said.

Others love to do the play for the performances. “My favorite part of the performance was the quartet and of the rehearsal period; my favorite part is diving into the nuances of my character and refining my performance,” Bull said.

When performers enact the play, they are able to meet more people and develop relationships that could last for a while. Another reason to be a part of the play is because it brings the community together. “I did the play because I enjoy theater, performing and the community that theater brings together,” Bull said.

“I was truly impressed with the costume and set design; I could really tell it was a labor of love.”

- junior Esther Ou

Page by Ryan McGraw

Keith Burnham: A life of pi Photo by Naina Giare

Naina Giare staff writer

K

eith Burnham has 99 problems…but next year being a math teacher won’t be one of them. Burnham will be retiring at the end of this school year thanks to his sharp investing instincts. Burnham said he and his wife have contributed as much as they could to their retirement funds over the years but he gives full credit to his wife, who handles the majority of the finances. Not to mention the fact that Burnham and his wife together have a double pension fund thus allowing him to retire in his late 50’s. Burnham said his secret to retiring early and comfortably is “investing in yourself.”

Burnham’s unique teaching style has touched the lives of the staff and students alike. “He made me more comfortable doing math on my own but also getting help when I needed it. He provides resources and always reaches out to students especially if they are struggling with something,” freshman Jade Claude said.

Burnham said that leaving is bittersweet as he’s going to miss the family he has with his colleagues and the energy that the students give him on a daily basis. “As a department we laugh a lot and Mr. Burnham is no exception. He is always willing to listen and does a good job of

Keith Burnham teaches his fourth period Algebra 2 class after announcing his retirement. “I was kind of hoping that he would be here throughout high school because I feel like even if I didn’t have him as a teacher in future courses, I would still want to reach out to him if I needed help. I’m kind of upset about that,” freshman Jade Claude said.

getting both sides of the story before making a final decision,” math teacher Eva O’Keefe said.

At the moment, Burnham has no longterm retirement plans. In the short term, this summer he plans to visit his youngest son while he’s stationed in San Diego, CA, then continue on a cross-country roadtrip arriving at Fort Lewis to visit old Army friends. Burnhams enjoys biking, reading, cooking and walking his new puppy that he got last August. “My plan for the first time in my life is to let things come as they come and do things I enjoy,” Burnham said.

Burnham studied aerospace engineering at West Point and became an Air Defense Artillery Officer, then married his high school sweetheart right out of the academy.

He then served his five-year commitment before deciding to rethink his future.

Burnham’s wife had to adapt her lifestyle to accommodate her husband’s demanding career. “If I stayed in the Army it was all about my career and not hers, if we got out of the Army then we could both pursue a career,” Burnham said.

After deciding to leave the Army, Burnham and his wife began working at the Government Accountability Office. “There were often times that it wasn’t too exciting. I had to think about what it was about the Army that made it so exciting? When I thought about it, I enjoyed working with a lot of young recruits,” Burnham said.

Burnham came upon teaching when he learned that he could go back to teach at West Point after graduating. However collegiate level teaching would require a doctorate’s degree.

Finally realizing he would only need a master’s degree to teach high school, Burnham went back to college to earn his master’s degree in education with a specialty in math. “I thought teaching high school would be a great mix,” Burnham said.

April 2022 PROFILES

15

Page by Olivia Smith

Color theory suggests math is red Catie Russ staff writer

T

here is a theory that no two humans see color exactly the same.

Color, in all its glory, might be nothing more than a pigment of our imagination, but regardless of whether this theory is cyantifically proven, it remains a fact that color holds incredible meaning in life. Even in school color plays a subconscious role in students’ lives: we categorize classes by color sometimes without even realizing it.

Red is a color often associated with love and anger, due to hearts being red, people’s cheeks flushing red when angry and the common saying of ‘seeing red’ in a fit of madness. “I associate my math class with red because red is the color of angriness,” junior Allison Yu said, “And it makes me very angry when I have to do math.”

The color red has been scientifically proven to make people tense, upset, or mad, but aside from these emotional connections, students also rely on physical associations when linking classes with colors. “I think math is red because whenever I do poorly in math, it’s always red x, red x, red x, all over my paper,” junior Clarissa Miranda said.

Another color-to-class connection students agree on is that science is green because many types of science involve plants, and plants are green. Other students have deeper connections between the class and the color they associate it with. “Science has always been the only class which is actually engaging to me,” sophomore Margo Brown said, “Green means go, and science is the only thing I want to pursue. Science, green.”

However, when it comes to other core classes, opinions are divided. For history, students who enjoy the class will associate it

with their favorite color, because they experience the same serotonin rush in a class they enjoy as when they see their favorite color.

Conversely, brown is also a common color associated with history. “I think history is the color brown because old books, history books, are usually brown,” junior Selena He said.

Her logic is used to justify history being associated with other colors, too. “Old documents and parchment turn yellow with time, so I’ve always associated history with tan or yellow,” Brown said.

English, in particular, is a class that students hold vastly different opinions about. Those who find English calming and easy associate it with the color blue – a calm, cool color. Meanwhile, students who dislike English class also associate it with blue, but for different reasons. “English is blue because it’s very boring and sad,” Miranda said.

On the other hand, there are also students who disagree entirely about the color of English. “I associate English with white because it’s the color of paper, and we get a ton of papers in English class,” Yu said.

Other students feel that English is neither blue nor white. “In my freshman year I had my folders color coded. English was my third period at the time, and yellow is the third color in the rainbow, so English has been yellow for the past three years,” junior Nicole Yu said, “Also, my English teacher makes me annotate a lot, and I use yellow highlighter.”

Like Yu, students frequently assign colors to classes based on the subject folder they keep for assignments from that class. “English is blue because this is what I decided in elementary school and it hasn’t changed,” senior Leo Hertzler said, “Because English is blue and why would it be anything else?”

Photo used with permission from Google Commons

Basic color theory suggests that every color has a set of emotions or feelings that the human mind commonly associates with that color.

16 FEATURES April 2022

Page by Jake Hoffman

Christina Martirosova staff writer

L

eaving middle school and entering high school can be a big transition. Aside from being in a bigger building and needing to adjust to that, academic courses become more challenging, especially AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) and AP NSL. Since AP classes move at a faster pace than regular classes, students learn more. Taking an AP class in high school and passing the exam means that students can bypass that class in college.

AP CSP allows students to learn Java and practice it using a program called Repl. Students in this class have finished the first part of their exam, which is writing a program that has to meet certain requirements.

Freshman Derek Chang said, “It

isn’t that stressful, since we did a practice assignment for it, I knew how to do the real one.”

Students in AP CSP had one week in class to work on their code. Afterward, the students had to screen record how the program worked and upload it to the College Board. Freshman Victoria Alexander said, “There were some hidden bugs in the code that had me stuck since I was trying really hard to think of a solution that worked the way I wanted it to.”

AP NSL is a class where students learn about government. Compared to AP CSP, the workload in NSL is heavier. Freshman Anton Obolensky said, “There are a lot of somewhat large projects that are assigned for a couple of weeks and not worked on in class.”

Aside from taking interest in one of the AP classes, it is

important to know how much work is considered too much.

In AP CSP, students get projects that they work on in class instead of homework. Alexander said, “The workload is not very excessive because the majority of the assignments are projects that take up about one and a half weeks to two weeks and they consist of a lot of points.”

Skill sets such as study habits are developed naturally as the school year progresses.

Different classes can evoke different skill sets. Obolensky said that in AP NSL, “You learn to not only rely on the sources that are provided to you but sometimes you also need to infer from a text’s concept and use it to formulate an answer instead of paraphrasing the text itself.”

Freshmen could find the sudden change in workload in high school compared to middle school stressful enough on its

Photo by Christina Martirosova

AP classes challenging for freshmen

Freshman Neil Kotval works on their code for the AP exam.

own. It is important to get used to the new workload first before signing up for a college level course. Alexander said, “I wouldn’t recommend but encourage rising freshmen to take AP classes because it all depends on their ability. But at the same time, they should try challenging themselves, and hey, if you can’t handle it then just change it.”

AP exams becoming more difficult, stressful

M

ontgomery County is known for their rigorous AP courses and fast-paced curriculum.

Especially here, taking at least two AP courses is the norm. In 2017, Montgomery County saw 66% of high school students take at least one AP course and exam through all four years. Through that same year, Montgomery County records show 1,382 students had completed 2,742 AP exams.

According to US News, every year, roughly 86% of students at this school participate in taking one or more AP exams. 78% of students enrolled in AP courses pass the exam, earning a three or higher, reports WDVM news. These above average participation and passing rates among students can be attributed to the accelerated curriculum. With 10/10 college readiness ranking, and 95% graduation rate, the school excels in all categories.

More specifically, AP courses here are designed to be taught at a harder level

Percent of students enrolled in AP courses.

Graphic courtesy MCPS website

Sophia Fritsch staff writer

and quicker pace. This allows for a longer review period during spring before the AP exam. Most, if not all, AP courses here finish learning new content before spring break in the beginning of April, allowing for a month of review before students begin taking their tests in mid-May. Junior Michelle Hsiung recalls her experience with the AP Chinese exam as less stressful than expected. “The curriculum here was harder than the exam questions,” Hsiung said.

According to College Board, AP Physics l is the hardest AP course in the country, with only a 51% passing rate.

Junior Madelyn Lee noted that AP Physics was the hardest course she has taken. While

still able to pass the exam and scoring in the top 16th percentile, she credits her success to an accelerated learning plan.

“Some teachers I know run their classes differently, but Dr. Hirsch was a very strict and hard teacher, which I think prepared me well for the test questions,” Lee said.

Another strength here is the science department. This school offers 30 science courses with five of them offering advanced placement credit. Senior Neha Dheenadhayalan has taken six exams during the first three years of her high school career, one of those being AP Chemistry. “AP Chemistry was the hardest AP that I’ve taken,” Dheenadhayalan said.

Junior Jason Lee took AP Computer Science sophomore year. Lee scored in the top 27% of the nation. “I’m not really into tech in general, but I did well in the class and on the exam,” Lee said.

Despite the stress that accompanies this high intensity environment, this school repeatedly scores in the top percentiles of the nation and provides academically proficient students who are statistically more prepared for university course loads.

April 2022 FEATURES 17

Page by Sarah Nanos

J uni o r b a n quet c omp romised d ue t o C O VI D-19 re s tri c tions

F

Junior planners, upon hearing it was to be held in the lower parking lot, had mixed reactions to the change of traditional circumstance.

Many of the planners, including junior Kaitlin Mariani, were disappointed by the initial inconsistencies in directions and regulations so close to the event.

Luckily, just in time for the event, things turned out for the better. After a discussion with the junior class officers, Principal Kimberly Boldon allowed the banquet to be held inside the Commons and courtyard area.

“We voiced the concerns and feedback from our classmates and arranged a meeting with Ms. Boldon, and she was really understanding and made it an easy process to change the location from the parking lot to inside. We are very fortunate,” junior class vice president Hope Safai said.

Those who went had generally positive feedback on

the final event. Junior Talia Giro, winner of the Most Likely to Become an Influencer superlative, was amongst the crowd. “I would say the junior banquet went well. I had fun because I was with all my friends and I won an award. I don’t have high standards for these types of events as long as the music is good, but you could tell it was boring for other people,” Giro said.

Given the circumstances, the event turned out to be a success.

Class president Max Choi reflected on the turnout and general quality of the banquet. “Overall, given the constantly changing circumstances that we were in, the junior banquet turned out to be pretty successful in my opinion. We still had a phenomenal turnout, our ‘juice’ bar was a success, we had

amazing decorations, and it seemed like everyone had a good time. Especially considering the weather, I’m just glad that we didn’t have it in the parking lot,” Choi said.

Photo courtesy Talia Giro

Joyce Yang staff writer or students, the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to put the typical high school path of events on a series of unexpected sidetracks. Upon returning to in-person learning for the current school year, the administration has taken wary steps toward reintroducing beloved school events: football games, the homecoming dance, prom and pep rallies, just to name a few.

Amongst these events is the highlight of junior year: the junior banquet. Typically held at hotels like the Gaithersburg Hilton, the event is also known as a sort of “junior prom”; a formal dance held exclusively for the junior class, instead of the joint junior and senior prom schools like Poolesville High School hold.

Strict Wootton and MCPS guidelines for school events left the banquet on a rough start.

Juniors Maya Amanuel, Talia Giro and Gabby Becker celebrate at the Mar. 26 junior banquet.

Students search for perfect outfit for prom

A

prom is on May 21 and is hosted by Splanning.

Senior Nicole Jezek said she has mixed emotions going into the end of the school year. lmost every girl dreams of This being her last school dance with her having the perfect prom dress. friends, Jezek feels the night should be worth it With prom approaching, and wants her dress to be the best yet. “I have seniors are scrambling to been looking around for dresses for a while. I find a suitable outfit for found a few options but I am not completely the event. sure yet,” Jezek said.

Prom A lot of seniors have chosen online is one of the shopping for their dresses this year despite not f i n a l e v e n t s knowing if it will fit right. “I ordered a few for seniors b e s i d e s dresses from Nordstrom and David’s Bridal. I graduation. am going to try them on and see which one T h i s works the best,” senior Helena Hansen said. y e a r ’s The return policy for a lot of online places, senior however, prohibits customers from returning the dress or gives them less Senior Helena Hansen takes a break from homework to search money back than they had spent originally. for a prom dress online.

Photo by Elizabeth Misovec Some of the most

Elizabeth Misovec staff writer

18 FEATURES April 2022

popular dress stores are Lucy in The Sky and Lulu’s. They are both online stores but Lulu’s has some in-store options.

People often match with their dates in school dances. Senior Caitlyn Kwan is planning to match with her boyfriend, senior Jack Mehler, at this year’s prom. “I have not yet decided on my dress this year but I know Jack and I were planning on matching,” Kwan said.

Some common suit stores are Macy’s and Brooks Brothers. They are both in-person stores but shoppers can also order online.

Students have been communicating to make sure not to match with their classmates.

The instagram account @whspromfits22 was created for this reason. People send a picture of their dress to the account and the account posts it so other people know not to get it when ordering dresses.

Page by Alec Fleischer

‘The Batman’ revives franchise

Mathis Chavez staff writer

T

Anna Keneally editor-in-cheif

E

Image used with permission from Google Commons

velyn Skinner is a middle-aged art historian in the time of World War II, which was an interesting time in the world of art. Nazis were destroying art that was not fitting with their image, consistent with the rest of their evil endeavors. Evelyn is tasked with finding and rescuing these paintings, primarily in Italy. During this time she meets young Ulysses Temper, a British soldier who is a globe maker, with a wife who is not waiting for him at home.

Though their paths diverge, a friendship is built that lasts decades following their initial encounter. Ulysses goes home to London and picks back up with his life until an event from his past in Italy brings him back.

I am a huge fan of character-driven books and it is a nice break from the plot-driven books that I have read recently. It is extraordinary when you find friends within the pages of a book, and that is what I did with Winman’s novel. This book has a plot in the sense that there are events that occur, but it is a soft plot. There is no rush in daily life so there is no rush in this book and very little tension. It is fun to read without the sense of impending doom. If you are looking for a book that keeps you at the edge of your seat, this is not it. This is a book where you can sit back and be amongst fictional friends with an occasional surprise.

Still Life celebrates the unextraordinary, the kind and the human: things that I feel are not celebrated enough. The beautifully mundane things like the family that we come home to every day, which may not be related by blood, and the art that we think is pretty, are on full display. I read this story like I would look at art or listen to an interesting story from a friend, which I now realize are one and the same. Beautiful things change the way we see the world. We all are living a still life. Ripples flow through from time to time, but the impermanence is beautiful and the colors from the refracting light are truly vibrant.

Photo illustration by Anna Keneally

take on Batman and his more isolated, detached Bruce Wayne. As opposed to a suave heir to a fortune going about the he Batman isn’t a superhero night, kicking ass in a cool expensive movie, at least not how you’d suit, this Batman is a tortured mind think of one. The film has all in meticulous thought. He is detached the workings of a Batman superhero from our world, only seeing the sin and movie: sinister villains, fighting, action, corruption in Gotham as he seeks to the batmobile, and of course, Batman eradicate it. seeking justice for his city by his own Since the movie came out there rules. However this time around, the has been debate as to whether or not movie is darker, grittier and digs into The Batman has topped Christopher the psyche of Batman, his enemies and Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Some the forlorn city of Gotham. people, like senior James Lieske, Batman delves into Gotham’s believe that the movie was too long underbelly when a the Riddler whose and didn’t have enough action to hold derangement leaves you wanting to their attention.“What I believe sets the try to laugh in dark knight above hopes of making The Batman is the the discomfort dedication Heath he instills more Ledger had to the palatable – leaves role of the joker. He a trail of cryptic played the part as not clues addressed to a typical joker and the batman. As the that really stood out evidence begins to to me, which really lead closer home sets The Dark Knight and the gravity of movie apart from the killer’s plans The Batman,” Lieske become clearer, said.

Batman must forge Those in support new relationships, of the new batman unmask the killer argue that the point and bring justice to Robert Pattinson’s Batman character of this movie wasn’t to the abuse of power poster. have an action-packed and corruption that superhero, it was to dive has plagued Gotham for so long. deeper into Batman as a person, not Due to his most well-known role just a superhero. Senior class president in the melodramatic vampire saga, Dylan Safai said, “I thought (The Twilight, Pattinson has been seen as an Batman) was better since as a stand“angsty teen heartthrob.” When he was alone movie it was able to deliver the first announced to be playing Batman same breath as The Dark Knight Rises it led to backlash from viewers. Junior was able to, without needing two other David Simmons said, “When I heard movies to support it.” that Robert Pattinson would be playing If you keep anything from this Batman I thought it made no sense but article let it be that this isn’t a superhero after seeing the movie I definitely think action movie with some drama like they made the right choice.” previous batman movies. No, this is a Pattinson has spent years trying dark and gritty noir film accompanied to bury his teen vampire image by by engrossing action; it’s about a hero taking on more artistic roles in movies consumed by his contentious crusade like Good Time and The Lighthouse. for vengeance and the harrowing These complex roles seem to have complexities of him, his lawless city, and prepared Pattinson for Reeves’ abject the tortured people within it.

Anna’s Book Nook: Still Life

Paintings in the style of Anna Keneally were recently uncovered and are set to be displayed in the press room with paid entry.

April 2022 REVIEWS

19

Page by Justin Linn

Varsity baseball looks to finish season strong with Einstein, Poolesville, Gaithersburg ahead

V

arsity baseball currently sits at a record of 9-3 with wins against Paint Branch, Blair twice, Watkins Mill, Clarksburg, Seneca Valley, Whitman, Richard Montgomery and Quince Orchard.

They lost to Whitman, BCC and Churchill.

The team has five games remaining against Rockville, Einstein, Poolesville, Gaithersburg and Northwood, as they look to secure a high seed in the playoffs.

Senior AJ Grainger knows the season is winding down with just five games remaining in the regular season in his senior year before playoffs kick off. Grainger has been on the team for all four years so it is bittersweet that his career is coming to an end. “It is sad to see that the season is almost over because these are my brothers and I have created a special bond with this group of athletes, but although the season is almost

over, it is not over yet and we still have work to get done before playoffs,” Grainger said.

The team fell short to BCC 4-1 on Apr. 26. The team left their bats at home, only bringing in two hits, one from senior pitcher Rob Carpenter, and a home run from senior Jack Mehler. “Although we lost, it felt good to hit a home run for my first of the season and try to create some type of motivation for the rest of the hitters, but I know that wasn’t a fair representation of the team’s skill and I am sure in our games to come we will pick it back up and hit the ball better,” Mehler said Senior Liam Miller leads off the team batting and is one of the four players who will be continuing their baseball career in college. Senior catcher James Walsh is committed to play at the Coast Guard Academy, and both senior pitcher/outfielder Rob Carpenter and senior pitcher/third basemen Liam Miller are committed to play at Rochester. Institute of Technology (RIT).

Photo by Tyler Buzy

Justin Linn senior sports editor

Senior Jack Mehler attempts to put the tag on BCC, in the 4-1 loss on Apr. 26.

Varsity softball makes late push for playoff berth Photo by Bridget Goyne

Rob Carpenter editor-in-chief

T

he girls’ softball team has had their share of both wins and losses throughout the spring.

With such a long season, it is important to build off of wins and learn from losses to prepare for playoffs.

Along with her skills on the field, Karen Potts will also be starring on the American Ninja Warriors show. “On May 6, the American Ninja Warriors crew is coming out to watch our game to see Karen in action,” Nelson said.

The girls played a doubleheader at home against Watkins Mill and Blair on Mar. 26, looking to get their first win and bounce back from the recent loss to Paint Branch. The Watkins Mill game was high scoring with both teams hitting the ball well. The Patriots came out on top with the huge 21-11 victory. Immediately following

20 SPORTS April 2022

The team poses for a picture after a 12-2 win against Rockville on Apr. 27.

the game, the girls faced off against a tough Blair squad.

The powerful Blazer offense was too much for the Patriots as they finished with a 23-7 loss.

“It was great to get our first win. We played well as a team,” Nelson said.

Following the Seneca Valley

win, the girls lost five games in a row. Losses included Whitman, Richard Montgomery, Walter Johnson, Churchill and Quince Orchard.

The girls picked up a bounce back win at home against Rockville on Apr. 27.

Potts threw a no hitter and had

13 strikeouts.

With the season more than halfway through, the girls are looking towards playoffs. “My goal has been to win as many games as possible, and go as far in the playoffs as possible,” Potts said.

The girls are not only friends on the field, but also off the field. This chemistry has led to success in games and improvements in practices. On game days, the girls do themes and dress up to school to show their spirit. Additionally, they show up early to have team breakfasts and spend time together. “The team is gelling and it’s really cool to see,” senior captain Lizzie Nelson said.

Following the Seneca Valley win, the girls lost five games in a row. Losses included Whitman, Richard Montgomery, Walter Johnson, Churchill and Quince Orchard. The team looks to get out of their slump.

Page by Ian Smith

Tennis team takes commanding start to year, hopes to ride momentum into playoffs Photo courtesy Siddharth Kondam

Brett Halpern staff writer oth the boys’ and girls’ varsity tennis teams have been on a roll through the regular season as they now look forward to closing out the season and preparing for the county tournaments.

Injuries to the boys’ team have been a recurring problem as sophomore Ben Wang is currently sidelined with a groin injury and senior Jakob Esterowitz is playing through a broken wrist.

Despite this, the team has still been hot with everyone stepping up and coming through with big wins. “We wish we could have Ben and Jakob out there at full strength, but it has been great to see how the rest of the team has managed to stay solid and play well in the big moments,” junior Chris Huang said.

The girls’ team has also been successful, starting off the season 7-2 with a dominant sweep against Northwest. The team has been led by recent Elon University tennis commit Helen Sarikulaya, who has yet to lose a set. “The whole team is super close and we are having a great time at every match; we are getting ready for the post season to try and make another deep run in the county tournament,” sophomore Naomi Esterowitz said.

The boys are coming off a 7-0 sweep of Northwest thanks to a comeback win at singles three by Huang. The team atmosphere was electric as the players came together to cheer their teammates on.

“Once my match had finished I made sure to be really supportive of Chris as he fought back from down 5-2 in the first set,” junior Dhruv Das said.

On the girls’ side, freshman Claire Lenkin and freshman Lia Fairaji had their first match against Sherwood and came through with a big win 6-3, 6-4 at doubles 3. It’s always good for the team to see underclassmen stepping up and coming through to win tight matches. “Watching Claire and Lia was so exciting; winning

B

Senior Jason Wang celebrates his win against Northwest.

that match was not easy and they were able to stay calm in the big moments and play their best,” Sarikulaya said.

Apr. 28 both teams faced off against Watkins Mill on senior night coming through with big wins. Justin Wang stepped up at singles four with a strong performance, winning 6-0, 6-3 and Siddharth Kondam also came through winning in straight sets.

“It felt awesome to be out there playing in a starting spot, the support from my parents, teammates, and coaches helped me stay focused and come through with the win,” Wang said.

Varsity girls’ lax looks to turn season after tough stretch of losses

Lea Weinstein staff writer

B

oth the boys’ and girls’ varsity tennis teams have been on a roll through the regular season as they now look forward to closing out the season and preparing for the county tournaments.

With spring sports midway through their seasons, girls’ varsity lacrosse has seen the pouring rain, shining sun and everything in between.

The team is coached by Casey Fletcher and assisted by Raymond Krouse. Captains are junior Sofie Vinick, junior Jessica Winson, senior Anna Keneally and senior Jenna Seibert. “We definitely have faced a tough schedule this year but we are maintaining a positive attitude and playing as hard as we can,” Winson said.

The majority of lacrosses games this

season have taken place during the cold and rainy season. The team currently stands with one win against Paint Branch on Apr. 20 and six losses. “My favorite part of the season would probably be our Whitman game in the rain. Despite the score our team had a really great time playing together and morale was really high,” Winson said.

With the season less than five games away from playoffs, the scores have not represented what the players feel about their season and how they play. “I don’t think our record reflects our team; we work very hard and sometimes it just doesn’t transfer onto the field,” Seibert said.

Although the record has not been the best, the team continues to work hard and bond with the goal of winning more games. “My favorite part of the season

has been the team dinners and getting to become close to everyone on the team,” Vinick said.

The team practices every school day unless they have a game. Game days are usually two times a week at 7 p.m.. “We’re working on moving the ball around quick on attack and really shutting down cutters on defense,” Winson said.

Lacrosse relies heavily on running and being able to move away from defenders quickly. Another aspect of the game is ball and stick control. “We are improving by staying consistent with out-of-practice stick skills like wall ball,” Seibert said.

“I think the season was definitely hard at first because we were playing against very competitive teams, but the team’s dynamic has been amazing and we are all super close,” Vinick said.

April 2022 SPORTS

21

Page by Ethan Stoller

Varsity boys’ lacrosse future looks bright as they head into second half of season Photo by Tyler Barberis

James Walsh managing editor

T

he teams first game of the season was on Mar. 22 and was the team’s home opener, against Clarksburg.

The boys dominated as they secured a 17-3 win over the Coyotes.

Although early in the season, both sides of the field were firing on all cylinders for the team. The offense was doing a great job attacking and creating good scoring opportunities, while the defense was doing a great job limiting goals and putting pressure on the opponent’s offense.

Three days following, on Mar. 25, the team stayed at home to play the Whitman Vikings. The Vikings are an incredibly experienced and skilled team, and brought home a devastating 12-3 win over the Patriots. The team now started to get a taste of how the season was going to go, and the realism started to set in that there are teams in the county that are big threats.

Four days following, on Mar. 29, the team went on the road for their first away game against Walter Johnson. In an incredibly close battle all the way until the end, the boys could not pull through and

Junior Josh Mirsky, senior Nate Jacobs, junior Mason Berk and junior Devlin McCarthy line up for their first game against Clarksburg on Mar. 22.

just fell short to the Wildcats 9-8.

Starting the season with a 1-2 record, the boys were hungry for more. “The WJ game was a hard-fought battle, but the team learned a lot from that loss pertaining to our play style and how we approach each game. Our focus now is to start up a win streak and keep the ball rolling for as long as possible,” senior defenseman Reza Abediyeh said.

After two straight losses, the boys rallied and defeated Rochard Montgomery on the road 13-12 on Apr. 1. This was a huge win for the team, especially being that RM is a big rival. “Beating RM proves to us, and to other teams, that we have the potential to

do damage even against some of the best teams in the county,” sophomore Matthew Repie said.

On Apr. 5, the team came back home to play BCC – another extremely talented team. The Barons came in and stomped all over the boys as they left with a 9-2 win.

Against better and better teams, the boys know that on each side of the field they have to step up; better and more solid defense, along with a more pressurized and aggressive offense. After a long spring break, the boys were not rusty at all, and played Paint Branch at home on April 20. They dominated, and left with a 15-4 victory over the Panthers, making their record 3-3.

Finally and most recently, the team played Sherwood, arguably one of the best teams in the county, on Apr. 22. After a surprisingly hard fought battle, the team lost shy of only three goals, as the final score was 11-8. “Even though we lost we were all very shocked. We all played really good, and jumped on a team over who came into this game way too overconfident. Even though we lost, this game really showed the team a lot of good and bright things,” senior Captain Nate Jacobs said.

Coed volleyball carries momentum into playoffs

Ethan Stoller sports editor he coed volleyball team has had a successful start to the season, going 4-1. On Mar. 23, the team beat Damascus 3-1 on the road. After Damascus, the team played Sherwood at home, which ended in a 3-0 loss for the Patriots on Mar. 25. The Patriots followed that loss with a 3-0 victory at Watkins Mill.

After Watkins Mill, the Patriots had a highly anticipated matchup versus Whitman, and the Patriots were successful, winning with ease 3-0. As they are heating up, they followed the Whitman game with another 3-0 victory against Walter Johnson. The team was getting win after win until they faced Quince Orchard as they

T

22 SPORTS April 2022

lost 3-0, bringing down the momentum.

The negative momentum stayed as they had a close match against BCC, which resulted in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss for the Patriots. The Patriots continued their cold streak versus arch rival Churchill, as they played them away. They netted another loss to put on the record, as the final score was 3-1 Churchill.

The Patriots still have three games left to go in the regular season before playoffs arrive.

On Apr. 27, they had a match against Magruder, followed by Richard Montgomery on Apr. 29. Both matches were played too late to be included in this article.

Coach Mary Malinauskas haskept this team in line and in good shape to be

strong throughout the season. Although they are not performing to the same standards as the 2021 season, all they need to do is to heat up in the playoffs when it matters most. They have been on and off this year, as they have gone on a three-game winning streak and followed it by a three-game losing streak. The inconsistency has not stopped them from gaining momentum.

Senior Nadia Meyerovich is happy about the way this season has gone down so far.

“We are not in our best form at the moment, but we have been looking better at practice and I am optimistic about our chances in the playoffs considering how far we’ve come,” Meyerovich said.

This season they have had

plenty of fun and the players would not change anything about it. Junior captain Bella Bargman said she loves the coach and the culture that the team brings. “We have had equal amounts of fun and success this season and I could not ask for a better group of people to go through it with,” Bargman said.

Playoffs begin on May 3. If they make it to county finals then they will play for a championship on May 12. They will look to carry on the playoff success from last year into this year as they made the County semifinals. The team is in its top form at the moment and they plan to carry that energy in the playoffs. They are well coached and the players have plenty of experience playing in big games.

Page by AJ Grainger

Boys’ volleyball looking dangerous Photo courtesy Eli Umar

Peter Stanton-Shepherd staff writer fter starting off the season with a quality win in a scrimmage against Clarksburg and a dominant performance against Damascus, boys’ volleyball has kept up this momentum as playoffs approach.

The boys currently have a record of 7- 1, suffering their only loss to Walter Johnson by a score of 3 to 1 in sets. Other than the Walter Johnson game, the boys have been firing on all cylinders.

They have put together multiple impressive performances and are dominating their games.

Most of our wins are occurring with scores of 3-0 in sets, meaning the other team has not even been able to win one set.

“Outside of the Walter Johnson game, we haven’t had too many competitive games. The team is really kicking and everyone is doing their role,” junior Jared Su

A

Sophomore Eli Umar prepares to spike in the win against Churchill.

said.

In some ways, the loss against Walter Johnson could prove to help the team later in the season. Sometimes teams that go undefeated haven’t tasted that adversity needed to win close games in big moments. A loss like this gives the boys something that can fuel themselves, to make a run in the playoffs. “As disappointing as

the loss to Walter Johnson was, I think in some ways it taught us important lessons and I also told us to stay humble,” freshman Timmy Ouyang said.

Some of the most notable wins the boys have picked up recently came against Churchill, Whitman, and Quince Orchard.

Whitman and Quince Orchard were won in straight sets, while the Churchill game was won

3-1. “Even though we have had a bunch of quality wins against really good teams, the win against Churchill definitely means a little more. This year they beat us in almost every sport it feels like, so to get that win felt really good, sophomore Eli Umar said.

The boys took on Gaithersburg on Apr. 27 for senior night. There is only one senior on the team, Daniel Zhou, but the boys celebrated him with yet another win in straight sets.

This win pushes the boy’s record to 8-1 and puts them in prime seeding position for the playoffs.

After Gaithersburg, the boys only have one more game left in the regular season, away at Richard Montgomery. With a win on senior night, and a win against Richard Montgomery the boys would finish the season with a 10-1 record, with high expectations going into the playoffs.

Track and field makes splash at invitationals Photo by Mo Drammeh

Owen Lomotan staff writer ith spring break wrapped in between, it has been a busy couple of weeks for the track and field team. With three meets in the last two weeks and three more to come in the following two weeks, the season is in full swing.

On Mar. 26, the team participated in its first invitational of the season, the Urbana Invite at Urbana High School. The girls’ varsity team finished eighth overall (42 points) out of 20 teams and boys’ varsity finished 13th overall (27 points) out of 20 teams. “The Urbana meet was very difficult because of the extreme conditions that we all had to compete in, but despite that the team showed a great deal of effort and resilience,” sprinters coach Mo Drammeh said.

On Apr. 6, the team participated in its first tri-team meet of the season. It was held on the Walter Johnson track as the Wildcats hosted us and the BCC Barons. This meet contained good weather for once and the

W

Junior Rebecca Vasconez completes the water obstacle during the steeplechase at Urbana.

team was able to benefit from that. “Overall the team did well and continued to show improvement as we were led by another set of top 10 in Wootton history performances from senior Jake Drykerman (long jump), sophomore Victoria Ketzler (1600 m) and junior Maya Gottesman (3200 m),” Drammeh said.

On the first Saturday of spring break, the team participated in their second

invitational of the season, the Woodward Relays, located on the home track facility of Georgetown Prep. Attendance was light due to vacation plans, but those who participated showed up and showed out.

Girls’ varsity finished 10th overall (21 points) out of 18 teams and boys’ varsity finished ninth overall (27 points) out of 20 teams. “We are on the right track for great performances at counties and regionals. As a team, we are running well, especially in the worst conditions possible. It is difficult to run in freezing rain and with the wind, but it just shows the toughness we have on our team,” distance coach Jackson Nosbisch said.

Looking ahead, the team has three more meets in the next two weeks, which include one last tri-team meet and two invitationals leading up to counties, regionals and states in mid-May. Coming up on Apr. 30, the team has their fourth and final invitational of the season called the Gator Track and Field invite.

April 2022 SPORTS 23

Page by Dylan Cohen

Dylan’s Piece of the Puzzle: The New York Times puzzles, ranked 1. Wordle

When I learned about Wordle in early January, it became an instant favorite.

Everyday after I wake up, I look forward to the excitement that comes with guessing the mystery word. Wordle has become such a large part of my daily routine that it can be hard to move on with the day if I haven’t guessed the word yet.

W

2. Crossword

I enjoy the mini crosswords as well as the normal sized ones for different reasons, so for this purpose I had to combine them. While I typically do not work on the normal crossword puzzles past Monday or Tuesday if it is not a special occasion, I will always attempt the mini crossword puzzle, even if I do not succeed.

3. Spelling Bee

I started doing the daily spelling bee in August when I downloaded the NYT Games app. The Bee is arranged as a honeycomb, with one letter in each section.

While I do not always find the pangram, I always enjoy seeing how many words I can make with the seven letters given.

4. Sudoku

I have been doing Sudoku since I was around eight years old. Though not a NYT classic, Sudoku will always catch my attention in any newspaper I can find. While the ranking of fourth place may give the impression that it is, Sudoku is anything but mediocre.

5. Vertex

I discovered vertex in September. This game acts as a connect-the-dots puzzle that fills in unique shapes each time a specific number of dots are connected. While I did enjoy it for a little while, it simply never stuck.

6. Tiles

Tiles is another visual puzzle created by the New York Times. In Tiles, the objective is to clear a board by matching specific tiles with elements in common. I did Tiles off and on in fall 2021 but sadly, like with Vertex, it never stuck with me.

7. Letter boxed

As a lover of word puzzles, I expected to love Letter Boxed. In this puzzle, a square with three letters on each side is presented. The objective is to use all letters within the box by making a specific number of words. I did enjoy Letter Boxed for a while, but I often found myself getting frustrated and not enjoying it quite as much as expected.

Images from New York Times

24 BACK PAGE April 2022