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Warrior

Sherwood High School


300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

37th Year, Issue No.3

January 30, 2015

the

Inside: News: 1-3, Immigration: 4-5, Features: 6-8, Humor: 9, Spotlight: 10-11, Opinions: 12-14, Wondering Warrior: 15, Entertainment: 16-17, Sports: 18-20

A Look Inside the


Life of a Rising
Musician

The End of an Era?

Will Colbert Carry His


Comedic Persona to
Lettermans Slot?
pg. 6

pg. 17

Bitcoins Attracting Tech-Savvy Teenagers

Legal cryptocurrency has some concerned that teens across the country have access to the so-called Dark Web and its related illegal activities.
by Ankur Kayastha 15
Bitcoins are a relatively
new form of digital currency
that emerged on the market in
early 2009. The main attraction
of Bitcoin is its anonymity and
lack of government-tracking.
With the claim that there are no
middle-men or banks involved
in the regular currency transactions, Bitcoin is emerging as one
discreet way teenagers, including
at Sherwood, can gain access to
drugs, weapons and other dangerous items on what is commonly known as the Dark Web.
The Bitcoin exchange is similar to that of stocks, in which the
prices of each Bitcoin varies by
the economic status of the market. However, it fluctuates much
more often than the NASDAQ or
the New York Stock Exchange.
Not nearly on the same financial
scale as these institutions, Bitcoin
is still not as universal or utilized as other forms of payment.
Rather, Bitcoins are obtained by
mining. Since Bitcoins are a
form of cryptocurrency and have
no material value, blocks of sustained Bitcoins are decrypted by
special computer software. After

In News

Updating Course
Registration Methods
In an effort to remain technologically resourceful, Sherwood
is switching from a paper to
online registration system.
see pg. 2

Sharing Ideas Worth


Spreading to Students

blog.TED.com

TED Talks are beginning to be


used in schools as educational
tools by Sherwood teachers.
see pg. 3

mining, Bitcoins can be sold, exchanged and bought on the Bitcoin exchange. That being said,
Bitcoin is usually attributed to
tech-savvy computer users. One
Bitcoin is currently worth about
$305.42 according to Googles
currency exchange calculator.
The legality of Bitcoin has
already been tested and it was
deemed lawful. However, Bitcoin also encompasses a world
of black market items. A major
drug marketplace that exists on
the Dark Web is called The Silk
Road. This marketplace allows
for the facilitation and exchange
of illegal items, most notably marijuana and its various forms. The
Silk Road was shut down around
this time last year by the FBI,
but like all grand illegal schemes
and practices, the marketplace
has returned with a 2.0 version.
Some students here at Sherwood have gained access to the
Dark Web and have been involved in these illegal exchanges.
Once again, only the tech-savvy
are able to utilize the benefits of
Bitcoin, which means that perhaps only around 5-10 students

Jack Armstrong 15

A screenshot of the Bitcoin mobile app shows the users account information and current Bitcoin balance.

see BITCOINS, pg. 3

MCPS Initiates Plan To Increase Staff Diversity

by Ketki Chauhan 16

As a step to decrease the racial gap between students and


teachers, Superintendent Joshua
Starr released a four-point plan
outlining his approach towards
creating a more diverse workforce in the county. The Board of
Education accepted his plan and
believes that MCPS staff should
be reflective of the diverse students in the county.
Board of Education President Patricia ONeill believes
that with the right support and
the right attitude the county will
make progress. ONeill adds that
diversity of staff is important in
all schools because students will
be exposed to adults of all races, ethnicities and background in
roles of authority and mentoring.
We will be monitoring the
initiative closely to ensure we
are cultivating diverse applicant
pools for our school system. We
will be expanding our dragnet to
all colleges and universities and
of course targeting HBCUs [His-

torically Black Colleges and Universities]. We would not be doing


it in isolation of our traditional
outreach, so it would not be based
on race, ONeill explained.
Michael Durso, Vice President of the Board of Education,
agrees that the selection process
will not largely be based on race.
Instead, he thinks that is a false
concern because the county is not
just looking for teachers who are
of color.
I dont speak for the board,
but I think [targeting HBCUs]
is a reasonable way of attracting
black teachers, and if those teachers meet all the qualifications,
then I think we ought to go after
them. If the purpose is to increase
diversity, then I think it makes
sense to go where the diversity
is, Durso continued.
Both board members agree
that the process to increase diversity in the county will be gradual
and that the lack of diversity is a
problem nationwide. Durso adds
that the school system may not
always be seen as welcoming,

noting that some people either


felt that they couldnt get into the
county or that the county took too
long to respond back to applicants
on the status of their job.
Principal Bill Gregory believes that location is another
reason for the racial gap between
teachers and students and sees it
as a possible explanation for the
gap at Sherwood. He adds that for
many people, Sherwood may be
far from their home and people
try to go to school that is closest
to their home.
In the past two years, three
black teachers transferred from
Sherwood to schools with a larger percentage of black students.
Gregory explained that some of
those teachers wanted to be closer
to home. From what he was told
by those teachers, there were no
problems about feeling underrepresented.
A big reason why our teacher population doesnt mirror our
student population is because the
county doesnt have a similar
pool, Gregory said. We do look

www.thewarrioronline.com

to interview a diverse group of


candidates that apply for our jobs
and if possible, we recruit these
people to apply for a position at
Sherwood. We can only interview from those that apply to our
school.
Gregory serves on a committee that is addressing diversity
in the teaching force and in the
county. At Sherwood, 75 percent
of teachers are white whereas
only 54 percent of students are
white. Based on 2013 data, the
overall teaching staff for MCPS
is 75.7 percent white with only
33 percent of the countys student
population being white.
Other statistics regarding demographics in MCPS may be found
online at the MCPS website where
the link to Starrs memorandum
was also posted. The memo was
the basis of the boards discussion
at their December 9 meeting. A
news video regarding the initiative can also be found on the website with staff commenting about
it and their hopes to see a more
diverse county as a result of it.

The WarriorNews
2

January 30, 2015















From Papers and Pencils to

S
W
E
N
in brief

Monitors and Mice


by Samantha Schwartz 16

AP Environmental Science classes have made the switch


to computers as most of the class work is now done online. The
students, under the guidance of science teacher Laura Dinerman,
are using McGraw Hill Education Connect, which includes the
courses virtual textbook, practice, homework and assessments.

The online program strengthens students understanding and
retention of the courses fundamental concepts while providing the
teacher with key insight into students progress with real-time reporting on individual student and overall class performance.
Students are expected to complete their homework and assessments via the program at home to allow for more valuable use of
class time and to ensure a level of student preparation. Dinerman
is pleased with the effects in the classroom as it results in more
intrigued and stimulated students, as reflected by their quiz and test
scores. I am very excited that Ive found a tool that makes difficult
texts accessible to more students. Im thrilled to be teaching students skills that I know will help them significantly as they pursue
higher learning in college and in other AP classes, said Dinerman.

McDonalds Testing BuildYour-Own Burger Program


by Allie Pino 15

Responding to a 21-percent decline in global sales, falling


stock prices and a shrinking base of younger customers, McDonalds, the worlds largest fast-food chain, has announced
plans to vastly expand its Create Your Taste test platform.
Create Your Taste lets customers use an in-store tablet-like kiosk where they can customize everything about their
burger. However, the price isnt cheapa customized burger with a medium drink and fries would cost $8.29. Additionally, the customized burgers will take too long to be made at the
drive-thru, which is problematic because that is where many
McDonalds franchises do up to 70 percent of their business.
McDonalds hopes to regain customers from fast-casual chains
such as Five Guys and Chipotle, which offer perceived healthier
menu items. McDonalds plans to expand Create Your Taste to 30
locations in five more states, and 2,000 locations by the end of 2015.

MCPS Considers New Start


Time Options
by Catherine Jou 15
Last year, MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr proposed a 21
million dollar plan to change start times, but his proposal was rejected. On January 6, Starr presented the board with cost-free options to change bell times, shifting all start times to 20 or 35 minutes later, as well as offering other options costing less than 10
million dollars per year.
Other options include having elementary schools start before
high schools and middle schools or having middle schools start
first. More options the Board is considering are having a split high
school day starting and ending at two different times. However,
students would have to find their own transportation for the second wave. MCPS is also exploring the possibilities for high school
students to have shortened schedules and opportunities for online
courses in lieu of changing start times.
Starr recommended that there be the 20-minute shift in start
times, stating that the cost would be inconsequential. Though many
critics, particularly activist parent groups, still argue that this proposed change is insufficient, Starr believes it is a step in the right
direction.

Security Focuses on Nonviolent Methods

by Stacey Wells 15

In light of the continuous police brutality and the controversy


surrounding it, the issue of how
schools deal with restraint has
been brought front and center.
MCPS has an extensive policy on
how staff members should handle
potentially threatening students.

In the MCPS document Classroom Management and Student
Behavior Interventions, it is stated that security and a five-member crisis team can perform restraints on excessively violent
students, though only as a last
resort. The crisis team, composed
of a select few staff members, is
annually chosen by the principal
and receives professional training
on how to correctly handle and
restrain students. However, these
regulations only apply to MCPS
staff, meaning that police officer Mauricio Veiga, Sherwoods
School Resource Officer (SRO),
does not follow these rules; instead he abides by federal law.
Upon hearing the term restraint, one most likely thinks
of a staff member breaking up a
fight, but that is actually not the
case. According to MCPS guidelines, physical restraint does not
include stopping a fight, briefly
holding a student or moving a student from one area to another. A
staff member pulling one student
off another during a fight would
be classified as intervention
and would not have to follow the
rules under the restraint policy.
Restraints are only permitted
in extreme situations. We would

Classroom Management and Student Behavior Intervention

The use of physical restraint is prohibited in MCPS unless:


1.
There is an emergency situation and physical restraint
or seclusion is necessary to protect a student or other person
from imminent, serious, physical harm after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been deemed
inappropriate
2.
The students Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) describes the specific behaviors and circumstances under which
physical restraint or seclusion may be used, and the specific
methods of physical restraint or seclusion to be employed
3.
The parents of a non-disabled student have otherwise
provided written consent for the use of physical restraints or
seclusion while a BIP is being developed
-MCPS Classroom Management and Student Behavior Interventions
only restrain when a student is a
violent and physical threat to others or himself [or] school property, said MCPS Field Security
Coordinator Michael Jones. If
such a situation should occur then
security or the crisis team would
be called to the scene in order to
correctly handle the student. The
restraint of the student must be
done in a humane manner, must
have no intent to harm and can
last no longer than 30 minutes.
After the restraint is over, the
student is required to be examined
by health room staff in order to
document any injuries or distress.
We would only restrain students
if we just dont have any other
choice, said Sherwood Security Team Leader Patrick Rooney.
Staff members must take
multiple steps before moving on
to such drastic measures. During
a fight, staff members are re-

quired to take actionwhether it


is calling for security or intervening physically. But in the case of
restraining a student, security and
the crisis team are taught nonviolent intervention methods, such as
how to talk to a student who may
become a potential threat and
how to correctly lead a student
away from the situation. On January 19, Sherwoods security staff
attended a four-hour nonviolent
intervention workshop to refresh
their skills and strategies. The
last thing we want to do is put
hands on a student, said Rooney.
SRO Veiga acts as a support
role for security, and the law
grants him the right to automatically restrain students if he needs
to do so. Normally, Veiga lets
security handle any problems,
but he does have the discretion
to choose if he wants to get involved in the situation or not.

Class Registration Switches to Online System


by Connor Loughran 15

Beginning next week, students will register for classes using a new online system called
PowerSchool, which has replaced
the paper registration cards
that students filled out by hand.
An overview of the new system was presented to students
by counselors this week in the
Ertzman Theatre through English classes. Students are set to
register for courses February 2-6,
though the system will be accessible to students until February 11.
After that, any changes to course
schedules are to be made through
the
counseling
department.
Students were originally
supposed to start registration on
January 26. Assistant Principal
Karen Rose, who is the administrator running the new system,
said the reason for the delay was
to give the counselors the opportunity to meet with each grade
level to go over the requirements and to give [students] the
big picture of registering online.
According to Rose, the reasoning for replacing the old way
of registration is that the new
system is part of MCPSs recent
efforts to use technology more efficiently and effectively. I think
the program will be a major improvement for several reasons,
said Rose. The students will be
making their own decisions; they

Haley Whitt 15

English teacher Christiane Lock discusses her film course to a group of


underclassmen before they register for classes. She was one of many
teachers or students to advertise elective English courses in January.
will see what they have signed
up for immediately and [be
able to] take home a print-out.
Although the PowerSchool
system will not give students an
individualized list of earned and
required credits, Rose said that
graduation and other requirements will be explained in the
printed school course bulletin
that students received this week.
To help students with course
selection, more than 130 seniors

were selected to visit the Advisories in grades 9-11 on January 27 to share their personal
experiences and advice to help
lower grades with class selection. According to Rose, this
was done so that students would
have multiple sources of input
in order to make the best decisions. Rose tested the online
program with a few students, and
concluded that overall their responses were generally positive.

The WarriorNews

January 30, 2015

TED Talk Phenomenon Rapidly Spreads Across Classrooms Nationwide


by Ryan Deal 16

A phenomenon has quietly but surely been occurring at


Sherwood in the form of TED
Talks. TED Talks, a recorded
set of fast-paced conferences in
which an individual speaks upon
a given subject based upon experience and expertise, have caught
the interest of many teachers
here at Sherwood who find the
talks to be educative and informative as it pertains to lessons.
TED Talks are often grounded in the speakers own personal experiences, which many
teachers believe captivate students more than a regular lesson.
TED Talks offer a unique and
personal account that I cannot
offer my students, said social
studies teacher Karen Sinclair,
who shows around one Talk a
month. You dont have to be
a PHD or a professional any-

thing to be an expert in ones


own life experience, she added.
Sinclair, who saw her first
TED Talk six years ago at a class
to renew her teaching certification, was excited about the potential that the Talks had of helping
students grasp concepts. I am a
firm believer in the belief that we
can learn something from everyone that walks this planet. People
from all walks of life have something interesting to offer, and by
sharing these peoples experiences with my students, they receive a
unique perspective, said Sinclair.
The topics from which a TED
Talk can range are extremely expansive. When browsing potential videos the user can choose
from an array of topics including
how to save rainforests, how to
deal with depression, how to travel to the South Pole and even how
to turn a trash cart into a piece of
beautiful artwork. With such in-

teresting, vibrant and extensive


topics, it is not a surprise that
many teachers find the lessons to
be beneficial for their students.
Health teacher Matt Parsons
got hooked on the videos after a
friend recommended them. The
people that give the TED Talk
presentations are inspiring, interesting and very well prepared,
Parsons said. They are great
speakers, who give great presentations. You wont find these types
of presentations anywhere else.
The continued use of TED
Talks to inform and expose students to the vast events they are
learning about will only continue to expand. As TED Talks
becoming more and more popular, with many videos having
over 10 million views, it would
certainly not be a surprise if
this internet-based information
resource becomes much more
prominent in future lessons.

by Dalton Sanchez 15

ton Wizards organization, which


will be providing light shows,
a DJ, prizes and more for the
event. The Wizards organization
has sponsored dances at numerous high schools in the past, including Blake and Northwest.
The SGA formed the idea
to throw a Sadie Hawkins dance
from a request from an Advisory representative. After discussing the idea with SGA sponsors Christine McKeldin and
Catina Wist, the SGA met with
Principal Bill Gregory, who
agreed to let the dance happen.
Were all excited for the
dance and cant wait to see its
success, said SGA President
Katarina Stephanos. This dance
will be a great opportunity for
all the students to have one
last hoorah before finishing

Crash Course for Teaching Students


by Ryan Deal 16

If you have been in any history, biology or psychology


class, chances are you have stumbled upon Crash Course videos. The videos, which average out to about ten minutes long
each, attempt to summarize a large topic of discussion in a very
short period. The largely animated videos, made by brothers
Hank and John Green, have firmly entrenched themselves into
classrooms across America since their inception in 2011. John
Green also is the author of the bestselling novel, The Fault in
Our Stars.
Sherwood, along with thousands of other schools, embrace
the unique videos. Social studies teacher Beth Shevitz commonly shows Crash Course, citing their entertainment value as a
major positive. The videos entertain and educate at the same
time. The Green brothers deliver the material in a very unique
way. I think students respond to this sort of learning better, said
Shevitz.
The videos are not just limited to in-class viewing but are
posted to YouTube, making it accessible for students at home.
I promote it as a solid means of reinforcement. It can be very
effective for reviewing and even previewing material, Shevitz
added.

Dark Web Fuels Black Market Sadie Hawkins Dance Scheduled for February
further states that he has made
money through Bitcoin quite refrom Sherwood are avid users. cently as well. There have been
Bitcoin [can be] used to a few people this year that have
make a decent profit, said a se- paid me for my Bitcoin so that
nior who uses Bitcoin regularly. they could buy edibles off of the
He agreed to be interviewed only Dark Web and sell them here.
if he could remain anonymous Bitcoin is essentially being used
as a profit-maker
In
Sherwood
last year, a se- In Sherwood last year, a senior for students. Not
nior made a few made a few thousand dollars by only are illegal
thousand
dol- putting some money in while drugs exchanged
lars by putting the value was down, then sell- for one student,
some money in ing his Bitcoin when the market but money is
made in the
while the val- was up.
ue was down,
-Anonymous Senior process for the
other. Most nothen selling his
tably, Bitcoin is
Bitcoin
when
the market was up. In addition emerging as a way to get around
to the gain of profit for teens as the law, but it is mostly used by
Bitcoins primary users, it also the people with the capability to
allows for illegal bartering. access and manage wired money
This same anonymous source rather than the average teenager.

from BITCOINS, pg. 1

Traditionally,
Sherwood
annually has the homecoming
dance, which is held for all students, and prom, which is meant
for the Senior Class. In accordance with these dances comes
the stereotype that the boy is
expected to invite and pay for
the girl. This upcoming semester Sherwood will put a twist on
traditional high school dances
with its first ever Sadie Hawkins
dance, where girls will ask boys.
The dance will be held on
Friday, February 27, in the cafeteria, and tickets will be sold
in school starting Monday, February 9 as well as online on the
Sherwood website. Preparations
for the dance are largely being
taken care of by the Washing-

out another great school year.


The tradition of the girl-askboy dance originated from a comic strip that first was published in
1937. In the famous cartoon Lil
Abner, there was a designated
day in November when unmarried women could chase bachelors around the town in hopes of
catching them for marriage, a social commentary on the traditional ideas of marriage. As the comic
gained popularity, a holiday inspired by the perpetually single
character Sadie Hawkins was created. Schools across the country
drew inspiration from the quirky
new holiday and began throwing
dance events, named after Sadie
Hawkins herself, in which the
girl asks a boy of her choosing
instead of demurely waiting for a
boy to ask her out to the dance.

The Warrior thanks its many wonderful patrons:


Allen Family, Armstrong Family, Bardach Family, Brady Family, Bray Family, Brigham Family, Bush Family,
Matthew & Louise Cahill, Calles Family, Chauhan Family, Copeland Family, Corman Family, Cosca Family,
Cosgrove/Romeo Family, Cudd Family, Deal Family, Dowrick Family, Dymond Family, Feinroth Family,
Rosanne Ferris, Lynn Fields & Steve White, Ganey Family, Glaudemans Family, Glickman Family, Gormley
Family, Gun Family, Robert & Lynette Hall, Stacey & Taylor Harris, Hierholzer Family, Hoyt & Karen Hughes,
Joe & Kathy Hughes, Jou Family, Steve Kanstoroom & Susan Mize, Kayastha Family, Keilsohn Family,
Kendall Family, Kress Family, Kyber/Loughran Family, Lampshire Family, Betsy & Mark Levy, Little Family,
Macrae Family, Mezebish Family, Moeller Family, Murphy Family, Nemes Family, Nnabue Family, Paholski
Family, Paidas Family, Patanwala Family, Pohk Family, Roberts Family, Laura & Craig Sanchez,
Santini Family, Robyn & Joel Schwartz, Siberry-Reody Family, Josey & Chris Simpson, Singer Family,
Sousane Family, Spillman Family, Sundell Family, Sussol Family, Sutherland Family, Loana Thorndahl,
Tom Family, Townsend Family, Van Gelder Family, Cindy & Mike Weitzner, Wells Family, Whitt Family,
Wilpon Family, Cal Wilson, Todd & Renate Wilson, Witkin Family, Wondimu Family, Yates Family
If you are interested in becoming a patron, contact Peter Huck at Peter_J_Huck@mcpsmd.org
or go to the Warrior Online at www.thewarrioronline.com

The WarriorImmigration
4

January 30, 2015

White House Launches Immigration Reform


by Betselot Wondimu 15

Who is Protected Under the Law?


Total: 11.2 million people

60
Percent of Undocumented Immigrants

In late 2014, President


Barack Obama announced that he
would begin implementing executive actions to help combat the
United States broken immigration system. During a November
20 televised speech, Obama explained that his actions will entail
providing border patrol personnel
with additional resources, facilitating economic contributions
from highly-skilled immigrants
and dealing responsibly with the
current 11 million unauthorized
immigrants in the country.
Obama has been clear that
the scope of his executive actions
do not constitute total amnesty, as
they apply to only about five million undocumented immigrants.
The largest group that will have
a chance of avoiding deportation
are the undocumented parents of
current American citizens who
previously reaped the benefits of
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The White House released
a fact sheet further detailing the
presidents executive actions,
which highlighted the centralization of border security, deportation of dangerous illegal
immigrants rather than peaceful
individuals, and accountability of
illegal immigrants who have been
in the country since 2010 with
background checks and income
taxes. Obamas executive actions
come after a highly unproductive Congress failed to pass any
meaningful legislation dealing

Our goal here is to fund the


Department of Homeland Security. And our second goal is to
stop the presidents executive
overreach.
~ Rep. John Boehner [R-OH]

45

30

I will fight to ensure American


taxpayers arent forced to pay
for the addition of millions
illegal immigrants to the rolls
of our assistance programs.
~ Rep. Martha Roby [R-AL]

15

Its possible well come up with


more narrowly crafted bill language that would restrict the
presidents ability to enforce his
executive order.
~ Senator Susan Collins [R-ME]

Parents of
Parents of
Already
Citizens over Citizens under Protected by
18
18
DACA

Source: Pew Research Center


with immigration reform.
Shortly
after
Obamas
speech, congressmen reacted
differently to the declaration of
executive actions. One representative, Republican Ted Yoho of
Florida, introduced a bill called
the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act in order to combat Obamas efforts.
The bill hopes to set a rule of
construction clarifying the limita-

Ineligible for
Executive
Actions

Undocumented Status
tions on executive authority. The
bill passed a vote in the House of
Representatives but failed to pass
in the Senate before the previous
session of Congress ended on December 4. It was promptly reintroduced on January 6.
Republicans in the new session of Congress, who won the
majority of seats in the past midterm elections, have begun to
take measures against Obamas

Tearing families apart does


nothing to secure our borders,
fix our broken immigration
system or strengthen our economy
~ Senator Harry Reid [D-NV]

executive actions as well, stating


that they overstretch his power as president and do very little
to strengthen the relationship
between the president and Congress. Republican representative
and Chairman of the House Rules
Committee Pete Sessions of Texas has stated that a bill to block
Obamas efforts could possibly
emerge for a vote by the end of
January. However, it is known

that the White House will likely


veto such bill, and Republicans
will probably not garner enough
support to override it. Furthermore, Republican congressmen
may use funding for the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), which must be decided by
the end of February, to gain leverage over Obamas decisions and
the extent to which he pursues his
initial goals.

Cardin Calls for Immigration Bill


by Annie Feinroth 15

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin has


served Maryland for eight years
as a member of the Senate Committee on Finance. The Warrior
interviewed Cardin about President Obamas executive order for
immigration and how it will impact Maryland.
What actions do you favor taking
to modify the Presidents order?
My strong preference is that
Congress sends the President a
comprehensive immigration reform bill that he can sign into law.
This would provide a more thorough and more permanent solution. I voted for, and the Senate
passed, such a bill in June 2013
by a bipartisan vote of 68 to 32.
More than 18 months later, the
House of Representatives has refused to vote or even consider this
legislation.
What are the impacts for Maryland?
In Maryland today, about
one of every seven Marylanders is foreign born. According to
the Urban Institute, immigrant
households pay nearly one-fifth
or $4 billion of all taxes collected in Maryland, including federal income taxes; Social Security;
Medicare taxes; state income,
sales, and auto taxes; and local
property taxes, income, sales,

uneditedpolitics.com

Maryland Senator Ben Cardin addresses Congress on May 22, 2014.


auto, and utility taxes.
is fair.
Immigration is very import- Border protection alone
ant for our state, our country and will not fix all the challenges
our economy. We need highly facing our immigration system.
skilled workers who innovate, Immigrants should come legally
create, and help move our coun- through a door, not over or untry forward. All of our workers der a fence. Visa holders should
should be protected under our leave when their visas expire. But
laws and not just some. At the balance also must cut off the desame time, we also need strong mand for undocumented workers
border security. We need to know by strengthening E-Verify for emwhos coming into this country ployers, to make sure employers
and we must make sure that we only hire those who are in this
have a legal system that protects country legally. Balance must
the homeland. We need a bal- provide a tough but fair way forance.
ward that allows some 11 million
individuals and their families to
What are your current views on come out of the shadows, get leimmigration? Do you believe it is gal status, and earn a pathway to
a broken system?
citizenship. Balance must reduce
Comprehensive immigra- the legal immigration backlog
tion reform is long overdue. No and promote family reunification.
matter what side of this debate And balance must continue to
you are on, most of us agree that welcome refugees and asylees to
Americas immigration system is our shores who are fleeing natural
badly broken. What we need is a disasters and persecution in their
balanced immigration system that home countries.

The WarriorImmigration
January 30, 2015

Journeys from Distant Shores


Students from around the world contribute to Sherwoods diverse student community.

Gi Kim

Senior Gi Kim came to this


country from South Korea in
fourth grade because his dad got
a new job and his parents wanted
to get him a better education. His
first impression of America was
that everything was bigger. He
did not just mean buildings and
roads. He also thought the people
were very large too.
One of the first things that
shocked him about Montgomery
County schools was how diverse
they were. Kim thought there was

just going to be an abundance


of white people, but he was surprised when he saw a plethora of
different nationalities at school.
The other big culture shock was
that fighting was not widely accepted by other students. In
South Korea fighting was the
main way problems were solved
between boys, he explained. He
was surprised how that was not
the go-to problem solving method
in America, but he agrees that it is
probably for the better.

Amina Yahaya
Senior Amina Yahaya came
to the United States in April of
2011 from Ghana. At first, she
was very shy because she was
cautious that people would taunt
her due to her accent. Unfortunately, many students that come
to America fight self-consciousness due to their lack of fluency in
English. To continue embedding
her culture with new influences,
Yahaya still cooks Ghanaian food
and enjoys the company of her

Xiaojun Wang
Senior Xiaojun Wang, originally from China, moved to
America at 14 years old because
of her parents eagerness to expand the probability of [her] success. Before coming here, she
believed that America was the
most cosmopolitan country with
significant advancements. Wang
moved to America without speaking any English, which made it
difficult for her to find friends that
would not belittle her due to her
lack of fluency. To acclimate to

Senior Derrick Aggrey was


born in America, but moved to
Ghana at eight years old. He recently came back to the United
States two years ago, but it was
not difficult for him to assimilate
to the culture or weather.
Since the values he attained
back home are very important
to him, Aggrey does not believe
that American culture would have
a heavy impact on him. He continues to express his manners appropriately. He thought that the

~Ashley Nnabue 16

~Ashley Nnabue 16
Freshman Jose Dymond was
adopted from Colombia when
he was nine years old. Before he
got here he thought of the United States as a large, intimidating
place. While the United States
was as big as he imagined it, he
was glad it was not as intimidating as he thought it would be. For
the most part, the people were
very welcoming. He was also
pleasantly surprised that the food
was so good here.

Dymond had trouble adapting

Derick Aggrey

other Ghanaian friends.


In her case, she did not have
a choice to move. Her father,
a diplomat, was transferred to
America by the government. She
had to leave her friends behind
and could not enjoy the boarding
school experience for junior high
as most of her peers did. It has
been a few years since and Yahaya has assimilated more with the
American culture she has been
exposed to.

her new world, she explains that


she didnt do anything special.
Its like a newborn baby just came
to a new world. Just make [yourself] get into it, accept it. Four
years later, at 18 years old, Wang
thinks that the United States generally reflects her preconceived
notions, but there are more challenging courses provided for
students that she had originally
thought. Wang works hard to take
advantage of this opportunity by
being successful in her classes.

Jose Dymond

Ethnic Names Can Prove


Challenging For Teachers
by Ankur Kayastha 15

~Zach Stubblefield 15

to Montgomery County schools


when he first came here because
he did not know English well,
so many things were confusing.
Once he started to get a grasp on
the language, he realized the kids
here were just as nice, if not nicer,
than the kids in Colombia, which
was a relief for him.
He stays in touch with his
Colombian roots through playing
soccer and listening to Latin music. These things help remind him
that home is never too far away.

~Zach Stubblefield 15

American lifestyle would be simple with various opportunities and


easy ways to get money. However, he soon realized that to acquire
sufficient wealth, hard work, persistence and determination are
the key to success. He keeps in
mind that it is important to stay
focused and avoid what he calls
fast money. Aggrey has joined
the track team for Sherwood. He
balances school and track along
with working laborious hours on
his spare time.

~Ashley Nnabue 16
~Photos by Jack Armstrong 15

Ethnic names are seen all


over classrooms in the United
States, so it may not come to be a
surprise that there may be inherent
bias when teachers tend to call on
easier-sounding names like David than, for example, my name,
Ankur (un-koor). Originating
from western India, my name has
proved difficult to pronounce for
nearly all of my teachers I have
had to date. Ranging from anchor to uncle, the struggle of
others trying to pronounce a students name commonly happens
to those with an ethnic name.
Of course, this is not something to get angry at it is a name
that is from elsewhere in the
world and it is completely understandable to mispronounce, but
the issue emerges when teachers
avoid saying my name to deter
embarrassment.
Teachers undoubtedly have
one of the most difficult professions in the work force. They deal
with kids each and every day and
have to follow a strict curriculum in order to stay on schedule
with students learning in class.
Unfortunately, in the classrooms
of some teachers, some students
may be at a disadvantage in class
not due to their effort in school or
background knowledge, but rather their name.
I am not alone in this observation. Senior Dotun (doetoon) Adegbite also shares his

insight on the issue and his experience of mispronunciations.


In all seriousness, I have been
called Daquan. My name has
been butchered so many times, I
gave up trying to correct it, said
Adegbite.
There are teachers that attempt to learn ones name and
its pronunciation so that they can
treat you as a part of the class
and perhaps make you feel more
comfortable in the classroom,
and then there are teachers that
are simply unable to pronounce
names and therefore resort to not
making eye contact in class so
that mutual embarrassment does
not ensue.
Junior Ashmiu (ash-mew)
Koroma has had his fair share
of nicknames created for him
throughout his school career. His
name has been known to being
shortened to Ash by teachers
and substitutes (a whole other
phenomenon), which is fine if
preferred, but not being able to
pronounce a name is not an excuse to assign a nickname to an
unwilling person. Teachers have
resorted to calling me Ash because apparently my name is too
complicated, said Koroma.
Students with ethnic names
are proud of their names for the
most part, and their names offer a
new cultural aspect to classrooms.
Most teachers are intrigued by the
uniqueness of some names, but a
few struggle with what to call a
student.

The WarriorFeatures
6

January 30, 2015

Being Liked in the Virtual World


by Sara Casareto 16

www.extremetech.com

The Lexus RX450h car has software that guides the vehicle without any
human intervention. The range finder mounted on the top is a Velodyne
64-beam laser, generating a detailed 3D map of its environment.

Self-Driving Cars
Closer to Reality
by Jack Armstrong 15

A few years ago no one could


have imagined the possibility of a
self-driving car. A real functioning car that uses sensors and computers to drive to its destination
without the assistance of a human
driver. The Google Self-Driving
Car Project has been underway
since 2010, when Google first
announced it was developing
self-driving car technology. As of
mid-2014 these cars have driven
more than 700,000 miles mostly
on open roads in California and
Nevada. Even though the car is
still in testing stages, it has shown
its tremendous potential for the
future of cars.
However, there are many
obstacles and questions that still
arise, as one would expect from
anything revolutionary, including who would be held liable in
an accident, the retail cost of the
cars, and most importantly, will
people feel safe?
Teenage drivers are the
most easily distracted behind
the wheel. A text, a call, a late
night or driving with a group of
friendsteens are the most likely
to make bad decisions impacting
others on the road. In general,
people arent good drivers. They
get road rage, violate traffic laws,
are easily distracted and become
tired while driving long distances.
In the United States, drivers kill
more than 30,000 people every
year, with 90 percent of the deaths
attributable to human error. Simply, self-driving cars are safer.
They may even be able to communicate with other self-driving
cars on the road.
The first big leap towards the
availability of self-driving cars is
due in 2017, when Google aims to
have its integrated system ready
to market. Major automotive
manufacturers are likely to follow
by the early 2020s and start offering autonomous vehicles. It is
unlikely Google will manufacture
cars, but rather license the technology. Mercedes-Benz has also
been developing driver-less technology called intelligent drive,
which is a driving assist with
manual override already available

What It Can And


Cant Do
Googles self-driving prototype vehicles logged 700,000
autonomous miles by April of
2014 without one incident
On a full charge, the car will
have a range of 100 miles
The self-driving cars are limited to a max speed of 25 mph
The cars have yet to drive in
snowy conditions and its not
yet safe to drive in heavy rain
either
The vehicle has to be insured
for $5 million to safeguard
against personal injury, death
or property damage
in 2015 model cars.
The possibilities of self-driving cars extend further than just
safer roads. It also could mean
better gas mileage by having
systems that are able to monitor
and control usage to be most effective depending on the conditions. Travis Kalanick, CEO of
San Francisco-based taxi service
Uber, expressed early interest in
Googles technology, saying he
sees practical use in Ubers business. The use of driver-less vehicles could also be of use to UPS,
FedEx and other delivery services
in assisting deliveries during peak
delivery times, and help with
same-day deliveries.
Insurance costs for self-driving vehicles are unclear. No one
knows how insurance companies
will respond to self-driving cars,
but in the long-term, insurance is
likely to go down due to increased
safety. It is also unknown how
much self-driving cars will retail
for, but it is likely that as the demand for safer vehicles begins to
grow, the costs of manufacturing
will decrease.
The bottom line is self-driving cars are now a reality that
could be only five years away if
testing goes well. It is clear that
the progress Google has made
within the past few years has
pushed the limits of what was
thought possible; hopefully five
more years will be worth the wait.

The icons of this generation


have become the like, retweet,
reblog, and share buttons. Over
90 percent of those on Instagram
are under 35. This is 90 percent
of 150 million people worldwide.
Seventy-one percent of all internet users have a Facebook and of
those, 84 percent are 18-29 years
old.
For many, social media is an
integral part of the everyday life.
Nine out of ten American teenagers have created an online profile
for at least one social site, the
most popular being Instagram and
Facebook. However, for those not
born in the like generation, social media is a new development
that brings worries regarding an
obsession with conformity and
peer approval.

I have social media accounts
probably to connect with old
friends from my childhood, but
also because of the conformity,
said junior Eric Fryer. If social
media wasnt the thing to have
I probably wouldnt use or have it
at all.
Fitting in, especially in the

teenage years, exists in every


generation. Social media is the
Me Generations way of conforming to others expectations.
People have become vocal on
social media by posting pictures
of friends, posting pictures of
vacations or using it as a method
of expression. Social media has
become its own world that this
generation merges with the real
one. One key interaction on social
media sites is the granting and receiving of approval, all through
getting followers and of course,
the ever famous like button.
I think in todays society it
is very important to be liked because a lot of people want to be
accepted, said junior Andrea
Fox. Kids are very judgmental
and want the approval of others.
People will do anything to be
liked by others; social media is
just an extension of getting that
approval.
The word like connotes
the very need to be liked. And
numbers are everything. Likes are
given and received by everyone
on social media, and the numbers
are all there to be scrutinized.
Seeing how many likes or follow-

ers one has allows others to employ the like to follower ratio
and compare results.
PBS
Frontlines
recent
broadcast special on Generation
Like investigates the way social
media has allowed teenagers to
put themselves out there making
it easier for marketing machines
to use them. It also addresses how
likes are instant gratification
and have become the social currency of this generation ... the
more likes you have, the better
you feel.
Having a lot of followers is
kind of important to me. Id say
it feels nice knowing you have a
lot of followers, said sophomore
Wilson Danny Vo.
The like culture does aid
ones self to be propelled through
the World Wide Web. It allows
people, even Sherwood students
to stand out. Junior Doron Tadmor has 17,717 followers including a few famous names.
Lindsey Lohan has commented
me before and liked some of my
pictures. Drew Phillips, a wellknown Viner, and his sister follow me on Instagram and Twitter, said Tadmor.

Jack Armstrong15

FOR AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, DOWNLOAD AURASMA

IN THE APP STORE. THEN, FOLLOW THEWARRIORONLINE AND SCAN THIS PHOTO

Sophomore Caitlin Deerin strokes her guitar to the tune of her new original song Puzzles. With many positives reviews on the song, Deerin continues to write more in hopes of making it big one day on the stage.

Young Star Rises with Hit Single on iTunes


by Kaleigh Homer 15
Sophomore Caitlin Deerin
has had a passion for music ever
since she was little. She has been
playing the guitar and piano
since she was seven years old. At
the age of nine, she started singing professionally with the help
of a voice coach.
Her music career really set
off when she started getting involved with musical theatre. At
first, Deerin started out in the
musical theatre in Rockville. She
moved on to other places like the
Olney Theatre and Fords. Deerin found this very helpful for her
musical career because it introduced her to many new people
and gave her lots of experience.
I was surrounded by a lot of
musicians, which started my

love for music, said Deerin.


As of now, Deerin has written five original songs, but only
one of them has been produced.
This song is called Puzzles,
which was released on iTunes
on August 27, 2014. The song is
also on Spotify, Amazon, Google
Play, Rhaspody, iHeart Radio
and Shazam. Deerin has made it
this far by having a positive outlook and having fun.
Ive definitely tried to emphasize the fun in the whole experience and Ive really tried to
focus on just doing what I love
rather than stressing about anything, said Deerin.
As a young artist, Deerin has many musicians that she
looks up to. Colbie Caillat, John
Mayer and Sara Bareilles are
her three favorite artists. Their

different styles of music have inspired me and helped me create


my own style, said Deerin. She
also likes to look at what type
of instruments they use in their
songs to inspire her.
Deerin is currently starting the production of her music
video for her song Puzzles,
she plans on posting her video
on to YouTube. Her next step in
this process is to find a male to
star in her music video with her,
and to find professionals to help
her produce it. She has written
multiple songs, but if she is to
release anymore, she wants it to
be on an album.
Deerin loves singing but is
not sure if she wants to do it for
a living. She is more of an actor,
but she wants to see where her
music career takes her.

The WarriorFeatures
January 30, 2015

Students and Teachers Find Fun in Trivia Is Junior Year That Difficult?
said its about trying to be smarter than your friends.
QuizUp, which boasts over
20 million users from 197 countries since its release in 2013,
has 673 distinct topics to choose
from, ranging from Indian Mythology to The Sopranos. TriviaCrack has a less specialized format structured almost identically
to Trivial Pursuit. There are the
same six broad categories and
colors as Trivial Pursuit. Players
must answer the crown question correctly in each category
to win. While QuizUp attracts

and reject most of them. Because


the majority of questions are sub The rise of smartphones and
mitted by users, incorrect and irsocial media has created and
relevant questions are sometimes
forgotten countless fads. Social
approved by mistake.
competition and ease of access
Trivia apps are not only fun
combined has paved the way for
competitive games, they are mengames like Flappy Bird, Words
tal and scholastic exercises, and
with Friends and Clash of Clans.
teachers have picked up on this.
It may sound surprising, but anSeveral teachers play trivia, espeother type of smartphone game
cially TriviaCrack, and even get
has become immensely popular
competitive with their students.
among both teens and adults
History teacher Scott Allen nottrivia.
ed how playing trivia helps with
Trivia, popularized in the
test-taking. It requires critical
1980s by Jeopardy and the Trivthinking. Many times you may
ial Pursuit board
get a question and
game,
literally Its a fun way to apply the con- have to use a strategy
means worthless cepts you learn in the classroom. to answer them, said
or
unimportant
Allen. If I could get
~ Senior Chris Takiar my students to carry
details. The trivia
game market, once
these strategies over
confined to long-lasting board trivia players who specialize in to their unit exams and quizzes
and computer games, has boomed a specific topic, TriviaCrack has they would do much better on
recently on smartphones, giv- drawn in the masses with its col- multiple choice questions.
ing students and teachers alike orful app and its easier questions Senior Chris Takiar, state
an outlet for all of their useless based on common knowledge. champion in QuizUps Name the
knowledge. The two largest triv- While it launched in Argentina Element category, said the benefit
ia apps are QuizUp and Trivia- this summer, where it has its own of trivia is that its a fun way to
Crack. What is distinctive about television show and board game, apply the concepts you learn in
these games is their connection to its American launch in November the classroom. Other teachers
social networks. Both games con- pulled in over 65 million users af- who play trivia apps against their
nect through Facebook, email and ter only a month.
students include math teacher
others so users can play against
To keep players from getting Tim Altaner, social studies teachtheir friends in real time.
too many repeat questions, these er Beth Shevitz and foreign lan QuizUp and TriviaCrack games must have thousands of guage teacher Maria Peterson.
have become enormously popular accurate questions. Since both
Portable and social trivdue to their short game lengths, games are run by relatively small ia games have a lot of potencompetitiveness and fun topic app developersQuizUp in Ice- tial. They entertain and teach at
categories. This allows for quick land and TriviaCrack in Argenti- the same time, make fact-based
between-class gaming. Junior Ty- nait would be impossible for school topics more enjoyable, and
ler Golsen, who is currently sixth them hire the necessary ques- could possibly replace the current
in the state for QuizUps The tion-makers. Instead, both games Jeopardy format for in-class reBeatles category, as well as an use a Wikipedia-like method of view. Only time will tell whether
avid TriviaCrack player, says the using questions submitted by social trivia will recede into obappeal is in the competition. Ex- players. TriviaCrack claims to scurity or continue to challenge
plaining why he plays, Golsen receive 200,000 questions a day players for years to come.

by Steven Witkin 16

by Kira Yates 16

Generally, junior year is portrayed as the most stressful year


of ones high school career, especially for students who are taking
at least two AP classeswhich is
nearly half of Sherwoods Junior
Class. To uncover the validity of
this generalization, 65 juniors in
AP Language and Composition
classes were surveyed on how
they felt about the workload in
eleventh grade.
Two-thirds of those surveyed
feel overwhelmed, although the
level of stress varied. Many students mentioned that participating in school activities, including
sports, holding jobs, maintaining
a social life, studying for the SAT
and ACT and worrying about
college contribute to their stress.
I feel overwhelmed because I
am never able to go to sleep at a
reasonable time because Im balancing activities and homework,
explained junior Tony Niverth.
A few students, however,
find a way to do it all and without
stress. Im not overwhelmed because I study, do my homework
on time, and never procrastinate.
So Im never stressed, said junior Doron Tadmor.
78 percent of students feel
that junior year is more stressful than past years pointing to
factors like an increased amount
of AP classes and the upcoming
SATs and ACTs. When asked if
this year was more stressful and
why, one junior responded on the
survey, Yes, I am taking three
APs. Need I say more? Other
responses included As the clock
runs out, Im attempting to raise

my GPA, and There is way too


much information and way too
little time.
Because the majority of juniors are feeling overwhelmed,
its no surprise that 62 percent
of the students surveyed feel
that their large homework load
is affecting the amount of sleep
theyre getting.
While one hour of homework
for an AP class sounds fairly reasonable, multiply that by three,
four, even five AP classes, and
the students whole night is spent
doing homework. On average,
students in two or more APs have
three to four hours of homework
each night and the overwhelming
majority feel that it is way too
much, especially after spending
seven hours in school.
Interestingly, 63 percent of
the juniors surveyed feel that the
quality of their work suffers because of the large amount of work
they are assigned.
One suggestion that students had for reducing the stress
of AP classes was teachers from
different subjects coordinating
different tests days. I think we
dont coordinate with each other
because we dont even associate
with each other. It is easy for me
to walk over to Ms. Games room
and ask what shes doing but the
other teachers are farther away,
and I dont even know who some
of them are, explained AP World
teacher Beth Shevitz.
Some more practical ideas
for making students feel better
about AP classes included doing
less busy work, taking more concise notes, and teachers checking
for understanding.

Understanding the
Science of Love
by Haley Whitt 15

Though we tend to believe


that we choose our partners for
ourselves, it is quite possible that
we are pawns of natures exquisite plan. With an enticing blend
of chemicals released in our
brains during a total of three different phases, we fall in love.
The three phases of love are
lust, attraction and attachment.
Lust, the least emotional of the
three, is a phase driven by sex
hormones. Testosterone, in men,
and estrogen, in women, are the
sex hormones that fuel our desires during this phase. Attraction,
known as the cupcake phase, is
the phase when we are considered love-struck and cannot
think about much else. This is
where many of the chemicals,
such as adrenaline, dopamine and
serotonin, become very involved.
These feelings fade, however, as
we enter the attachment phase;
our bodies actually develop a tolerance to these pleasurable chemicals. Researchers from Loyola
University Health System suggest
that all of these chemicals flow
through the body at this point,
resulting in an overall sense of

well-being and security that is


conducive to a lasting relationship.
When we begin to experience feelings of love, our stress
response is activated, increasing
adrenaline levels in our blood.
This is commonly symbolized by
sweaty hands, flushed cheeks, a
racing heart and butterflies in the
stomach, especially when we see
and spend time with our partners.
The brains of love-struck
couples also contain high levels
of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Dopamine stimulates desire and
reward by initiating an intense
blast of pleasure. Remarkably, it
has the same effect on the brain
as taking cocaine. As Helen Fisher of Rutgers University explains,
couples often show the signs of
surging dopamine: increased energy, less need for sleep or food,
focused attention and exquisite
delight in smallest details of this
novel relationship.
One of the other major chemicals in our brains is serotonin.
This chemical is the reason why
our partners continue to pop into
our thoughts. As an effect, we
find it difficult to concentrate on
anything other than our partner

Hormones decide who we fall in love with?


early on in a relationship.
So, what does this mean for
high school relationships? Unfortunately, according to author and
podcaster Dr. Nerd Love, relationships that form quicklythe
love at first sight kindburn

out quickly as well. He suggests


that this is why high school is
so often a rolling morass of relationships, with couples getting together and breaking up seemingly
within weeks, if not days Teenage relationships rarely make it

to the attachment phase, and are


based off of falling in love with
the surface of the person, not the
core, so the appeal is bound to disappear quickly. This is something
to consider before you spend too
much for Valentines Day.

The WarriorFeatures
8

January 29, 2015

The WarriorHumor
January 30, 2015

Man Takes No Issue with Government New Classes To Teach


by Leo Corman 15

Robert Jones, a 43-year-old


Rockville native, is an ordinary
American man by all appearances. He works in finance, has two
kids and loves to watch football.
Inside, however, Jones harbors
a stunning secret: he is extremely satisfied with the current state
of American politics. He counts
himself among the only 15 percent of Americans who approved
of Congress in 2014.
According to Jones, what
many Americans view as gridlock and inefficiency, he sees as
patience. Im a man who prefers
quality over quantity, said Jones.
I appreciate that Congress is
willing to take the time to really
make sure they do things right.
Its fine if this is one of the least
productive Congresses in our nations history because I at least
know that every law they do pass
will be well thought-out and effective.
Jones identifies as an Independent because he admires both
parties so much that he often cant
decide between the two. He is impressed by the Republican partys
consistent and single-minded devotion to one purpose (hindering
President Obama at every turn),
but he respects Democrats flexibility as well, as demonstrated by
their willingness to abandon their
former stances and their President
in the name of political self-interest.
In addition, Jones finds an interesting positive amid concerns
about politicians prioritization of
their own reelection over improving the country. The fact that
they pour so much time and mon-

Real-World Concepts

by Brian Hughes 15

www.alwaysaboutsmiles.com

Robert Jones flashess two thumbs-up to express his persistent and profound pleasure with the job Congress has been doing.
ey into keeping their seats in Congress shows that they really love
their jobs, observed Jones. Im
glad the people at the top truly
enjoy what they doI know Id
never make that much of an effort
to cling to a job that Im clearly
not qualified to carry out. Jones
also agrees with the Supreme
Courts equation of money in politics with free speech, considering
outrageous campaign spending a
fundamental American right, arguing, Some people just talk a
lot louder than others.
Furthermore, Jones takes no
issue with the growing predominance of style over substance in
the political sphere, even as it allows politicians to hide their astonishing ignorance behind a thin
veil of vague rhetoric and buzz
words. Im a firm believer that
what you dont know cant hurt
you, so I think its a good thing

that politicians dont want to hurt


me, said Jones. They say ignorance is bliss, and bliss sounds
pretty darn nice to me, he added.
Jones countered assertions that a
group of mostly privileged, older white males might not be best
suited to represent the voice of a
diverse nation by saying, thats
how the Constitution was made,
and its not like weve had to
change it since then.
When explaining why members of Congress receive exorbitant compensation for accomplishing next to nothing while
millions of unemployed Americans suffer, Jones responded,
I think that shows why these
are the men and women that are
leading our country. These people
have managed to find a job that
pays them not to do anything,
while some cant even get a job.
Thats the American dream.

We have all been there before. You sit in class while the
teacher drones on, until suddenly
the loudmouthed girl sitting at the
back of the room shouts, When
are we ever gonna have to use
this?! It seems to be a growing
argument among the group of
students who scoff at the idea
of paying attention and learning
something in the classroom.
Recently, I have begun to
understand this argument, one
brought up by those who fight the
system in the form of pulling out
their cell phones or abruptly leaving the room instead of sitting
through a social studies class, because its not as if history teaches
us about mistakes we shouldnt
repeat or why international relations are the way they currently
are. That being said, I have taken it upon myself to recommend
new courses to Sherwoods administration that would supplement real-world skills students
can actually use to enrich and expand their minds in order to navigate through the dark world they
know nothing about.
Students will always complain about school not teaching
them enough about how to manage their finances. A great way
for todays kids to get ahead of
the game would be to learn how
to launder money. The economics
classes, for example, could be redesigned to teach students the ins
and outs of Bitcoin and Dark Wallet to keep their money safe from
taxes, or maybe to hide from the

law their money trail pointing to


illicit actions they had to commit
because they arent capable of
holding on to a real, steady-paying job.
Here at Sherwood we should
also reinvent the communications
class, in which students would
learn to network with corporation
heads and build up a contact base.
Seniors, for instance, could pick
up ways to schmooze admissions
officers at the colleges they applied to into accepting them over
a golf outing, mainly because
their grades are subpar as a result
of not paying attention in the other needless classes that have no
application to the outside world.
Again, it is a skill more applicable to real life than any grade that
gauges your intellectual ability.
Now lets say there are some
kids who actually got to the level
where they can afford to run their
own business. Too bad they never
learned how in high school. Im
all for schools training students to
take advantage of resources and
maximize profits. Take the entrepreneurship class, for instance. It
could be molded to fit in time for
students to venture out and hire
young children overseas for a few
cents an hour to build a product or
deliver a service that the students
developed in class. You know,
real world stuff.
But above all else, its English classes that really hurt students. Putting more emphasis on
the ability to recognize and understand satirical writing is what
will benefit students at the moment.

Beach Volleyball Course Offered for 2015-16 School Year


by Chase Wilson 16
There is to be a one-semester beach volleyball elective available for eleventh and
twelfth graders beginning in the
fall of next year. Sherwood has
decided to extend its physical
education program to now involve more realistic and useful
activities for the student body.
Volleyball nets will be set
up in the upstairs auxiliary
gym, and it will be sealed and
filled with sand to create a sand
court. Students are not only instructed in techniques of beach
volleyball but also taught life
strategies, such as proper sunscreen application, tanning positions and jelly fish treatments.
I wanted to teach the kids
something that they could take
home and use every day, said
future beach volleyball instructor
Pete Siarkas. I offered the idea
and administration jumped right
on it. I think beach volleyball will
be the new sport of Sherwood.
The past successes of Sherwoods girls and co-ed volleyball teams and the popularity
of current volleyball courses
are expected to have an effect

in the popularity of the class.


This semester, a trial class
was offered to those who did
exceptionally well in volleyball
courses. The single-period trial
class was such a success that administration fast-tracked the program and planned on offering up
to three periods of beach volleyball.
Junior Chad Riggs was one
of the few students selected to enroll in the experimental new class
this year. I liked being able to
perfect my volleyball skills on a
sand court. This is really going to
help out with my spring break trip
this year, said Riggs.
I enjoyed dressing up in my
bikini every day for the class and
all the practice I got sun bathing.
Those indoor lights have given
me the best tan Ive ever had,
said sophomore Lauren Hope.
Hope has competed in multiple
beach volleyball tournaments all
over the east coast from Florida to
New Jersey, so Siarkas picked her
to provide feedback to help with
how the new class is run.
I think every student will
find something to enjoy from this
class, not just the beach volleyball, said Hope.

www.dreamstime.com

These happy go-lucky teens participate in a high school beach volleyball course at James Earl Jones High
School in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school is one of the first to offer the course, and it created an educational trend that is beginning to pop up throughout the country. Although Sherwood does not have access
to a nearby beach like these Florida shredders, it will attempt to create an environment that resembles an
actual beach as closely as possible but without a real ocean.

s
f
e
i
l
e
B
s

d
o
o
w
r
She

1-

Do you think religion as a whole is


increasing or losing its influence
on American life?

3-

Why is your faith important


to you?
Faith is so unique to the human experience. Humans have
always had faith in something
and its eye opening to each
individual. Its what makes you,
you.
~ Willam McDonald 17

Religion is dying out. As science increases, theres more


explanation for earths effects.
Social media and technology
has also distracted us from our
care for religion.
~ Sammi Agranov 17

On a scale from one to ten,


how important is religion in
your life?

5-

7-

10%

7% - 2

7%
20%
9%

9-

6% - 4
7% - 6
16% - 8

5%

13% - 10

Do you believe in a higher


power?
15

85 %

Do you plan to raise your


own children in accordance
with your religious beliefs?
yes

no

70 %

30 %

*100 students surveyed

Atheists Still Believe in Kindness, Just not God


by Meagan Barrett 15
Think about it: if someone told you he didnt believe
a god existed, how would you react? Think hes stupid?
Agree with him? Question his morals? According to statistics, religion has become so integrated into American
society that people who regularly practice a religion are
assumed to be better people.
In fact, the University of Oregon did a study that
asked its subjects a hypothetical question: If a teacher hit a
parked car and failed to leave his insurance information, is
he most likely to be a Muslim teacher, a Catholic teacher,
an atheist teacher or a rapist teacher? Almost no one suggested it was a Muslim or Catholic teacher. So what does
that mean for the atheists, or those who dont believe in a
god? Unfortunately, they were guessed just as frequently
as the rapists to have committed the unethical act. Statistics taken from across the United States reflect the same
information. In the eye of society, atheists are seen to have
less morality.
The logic behind this is that people glean morals
the ability to determine right from wrongand values
things which are important to an individual, such as family, freedom, education, etc.largely from the religions
they are raised in. The assumption is, if you have never
had a religion or reject the religion your parents taught
you, you lack all of the morals and values that come with
it, as if it is a package deal. However, Christian novelist

Billy Sunday popularized the notion that going to church


and claiming to follow a religion do not automatically
make you a good person. Its your actions which dictate
that. In the same way, being an atheist doesnt automatically make you a bad oneits your choices towards
others that decide that. The average atheist will still be
respectful, responsible and morally upright as long as he
or she is raised that way.
People almost universally agree that seriously harming or killing another person is morally wrong. Surprisingly enough, many European countries, which have
much higher rates of atheism than the United States, also
have much lower rates of homicide. Obviously, many
factors influence a countrys crime rate, but the number
of religious or non-religious citizens does not appear to
be one of them.

Whats important to consider is that perhaps morality varies by the individual based on his or her own
personal fibers and what theyve been taught and experienced. And what many people overlook is that learned
experiences dont necessarily need to have been colored
by religion. While a religious person may watch a kind
act and tell their child it was inspired by the love of God,
an atheist would say that it was simply a kind act, and
that in itself can be inspiration enough to do good things.
While different, the effect is the same, and produces the
same moral action in each individual.

Spirituality Linked to Increase in Wellness


by Marie Moeller 15
As learned in health class, spiritual health is
one of the five factors that significantly impact your
well-being. It is often overlooked as a critical factor
to the health of high school students due to the connotation of the word spirituality, which is generally thought to be synonymous with religion. While
partaking in a set religion is one way to actively
engage in a spiritual journey, one does not need to
believe in a supreme force or god to be spiritual. Put
simply, spirituality is a discovery process in which
you gain a sense of self through introspective thinking, allowing you to understand your own thoughts
and your relation to the world which includes your
family, your friends and the environment. Spirituality is proven to be an important aspect of peoples
health. For high school students especially, spirituality should be emphasized as much as the mental,
physical and social aspects of their health.
Since spirituality deals mainly with developing
self-identity, ones self-esteem, which is linked to
how one perceives oneself, is greatly influenced by
spirituality. A low self-esteem plays a contributing
factor in many psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Without a strong sense of self,
one becomes more susceptible to the influence of
others, which may lead to unhealthy relationships.
Spirituality helps people to deal with everyday
stress and maintain good habits that promote their
self-esteem and, accordingly, their mental health.
On an even larger scale, spirituality is important to
those dealing with death. Many go through spiritual

distress when they are, for example, diagnosed with


cancer or experienced the death of a loved one. They
may be angry at a higher power or question their
own self-worth and meaning of their life. However,
strengthening their spiritual health can give them
the support they need to cope with such events. The
belief in an afterlife, such as a heaven, can reassure
those that are dying and their loved ones that once
deceased they will go to a better place. Also, taking
the time to grieve and perform personal rituals, such
as memorials or spreading ashes, is very valuable in
coming to terms with a death.
In addition, a growth in spirituality can strongly influence a desire to become physically healthy.
Many established religions have certain traditions
that advise members to avoid unhealthy behaviors
and treat the body with respect. In addition, since
ones spiritual well-being reduces stress and helps
to combat depression, the physical effects of such
can improve. For instance, one may get more sleep,
eat a more balanced diet, become less susceptible
to colds due to a strengthened immune system and
have less aches and pains.
A spiritual community can also be extremely
beneficial. The sense of belonging and security that
spiritual fellowships, such as church attendees and
mediation groups, often strengthens ones social
health by forging strong relationships with people that can provide support, comfort and advice.
Consequently, one study has proven that increased
church attendance correlates with an improved
mood and health.

The Appeal of Youth Groups:


United Synagouge of Youth
by Emily Gilburt 16
United Synagogue of Youth
(USY), an organization for Jewish middle and high schoolers,
proves the importance of forming lasting friendships created
through the eyes of religion and
similar beliefs and ideals. USY,
despite educating its members
on Judaism, primarily focuses on
building friendships and finding
a safe place to be yourself. Due
to the open and welcoming environment and with the help of
friends and countless deep discussions pertaining to important
and controversial topics, it is
easy to discover oneself and develop qualities of a leader.
In USY, each member tries
to be warm and inviting. The
staff and preexisting members
make an effort to ensure new
members and shy peers feel more
at home and accepted. USY has
taught me that not only do we
like to be included, but everyone
else wants to be included as well.
With that knowledge, I have
come from being shy and timid
to being overly joyed and loud,
explained junior Elon Kline.
USY shares the importance
of friendship and acceptance

throughout each event. I just


think its a good environment
to be in, added junior Molly
Bayewitz. Everyone is so understanding of each other and everything is so relaxed. Ive been
in USY since 6th grade and its
always played a huge role in my
life.
There is something about being a part of a youth group- that
special X-factor that makes the
entire program so special. We
kinda develop a family, I guess
you could say, noted junior Jacob Ginsburg. Although throughout the year there are only a number of events, Bayewitz said that
members continue to return in
order to revisit the relationship
they make.
Friendship is the greatest
aspect of USY. The experiences
of weekends away at the beach,
rock climbing, color war, countless dances or going to Hershey
Park and Kings Dominion with
other USYers is priceless. My
friends got me into it [USY] and
I made new friends. Im still in
USY because that first time I attended an event, I made friends
for life. And, I go back whenever
I can to make new ones and see
the old ones, said Kline.

Techniques To Improve Spiritual Health


There are many ways to exercise your spirituality with meditation and
prayer being the most common. Another form of spirituality is yoga,
which can help strengthen the body and relieve stress. Journaling is a
more plausible method for high school students because it can be done at
any time of the day, and it takes very little time to jot down and reflect on
your inner thoughts. Several studies show that writing during strenuous
periods helps you to qualify and overcome the challenges you face in
life. Even little things, such as going outdoors, grounding yourself and
eating healthy can improve your perspective on life and yourself, allowing you to strengthen your spiritual well-being.

www.algemeiner.com

The WarriorOpinions
12

January 30, 2015

Staff Editorial:

In Our Opinion

College Rankings Shouldnt Be Only Factor


How influential should college rankings be?
Should the governm
ent create
their own ranking
system?
ation
rm
fo
in
e
us
ts
en
ud
st
How should
websites?
from college ranking
In December of 2014, President Obama released information about the Department of Educations plans to publish a new college ratings system by the fall of 2015 to help students compare
the quality of different colleges. The plan includes
policies concerning monetary aspects of college,
such as tying federal financial aid to schools rankings, and its conception has spurred debate about
the value of college rating systems in the context
of the college application process.
Despite criticisms, an overwhelming majority of students clearly find existing college ranking websites such as U.S. News and the Princeton
Review helpful, and rightfully so. They provide
vital information about universities across the
country that is greatly beneficial to students, such
as schools academic opportunities, student activities, financial aid policies and campus environments.
Nonetheless, when these rankings become the
main source of judgment of institutions of higher
learning, misguided choices by high school seniors
tend to proceed. There are some students who
solely use online ratings as their frame of comparison for different universities instead of taking part
in important activities to find the best educational
facility for themsuch as visiting campuses or
researching programs on schools websites. And
even for students who do participate in these activities, ranks still lurk in the back of their minds,
constantly making them second-guess themselves
because of the prestige attributed to a particular
university or lack thereof to another.

Considering these existing sentiments toward


college rankings, the White Houses system will
probably be redundant and unnecessary. Current
online rankings already provide a huge amount of
information to students, and a government-sponsored scale will bring no new factsrather, it will
probably recycle existing information. Furthermore, Obamas plan will allow Congress to link
federal financial aid to school performance, which
will likely only allow highly ranked schools to improve their performance and schools ranked lower on the scale to remain stagnant. Due to general
mistrust in government by the larger American
society, it is also difficult to encourage the government to take on the non-urgent issue of rating
colleges and universities when even the most basic
of taskslike passing a budget without the risk of
shutting down the governmentcannot be completed.
There are thousands of colleges across the
country, encompassing an almost limitless varietyfrom big to small, liberal to conservative,
party hard to study hardmeaning that any given
student will likely be able to find several schools
at which he or she could be happy. The idea of the
perfect college arises partially from the overemphasis on the effect any particular school has on
an individual. If youre a motivated, high-achieving student, youll be successful no matter where
you go to school. College doesnt change who you
areit merely provides opportunities to learn and
grow. Whether you take advantage of those opportunities is up to you.

Warrior
P

the


ublished seven times a year, The Warrior
serves as Sherwood High Schools premier news
source. Over the years, it has received numerous
state and national honors. With a staff of 35
students and one advisor, The Warrior keeps
the Sherwood community
apprised of local and national events.

All opinion articles represent the


viewpoint of the writer. The unsigned staff
editorials solely represent the opinions of the
newspaper staff. These articles do not necessarily
represent the views of
Sherwood High School.
The Warrior welcomes Letters to the
Editor of 250 words or less. They may be
submitted to room C268 or emailed to
thewarrioronline.shs@gmail.com. Letters must be
signed, and all content received by the newspaper
is subject to editing.
The Warrior staff invites feedback and
corrections to printed inaccuracies.
The Warrior reserves the right to
refuse advertisements.

Staff
Print

Layout and Production Directors ................. Marie Moeller 15


Betselot
Wondimu 15


News Editors .............................................. Connor Loughran 15
Samantha Schwartz 16

Specials Editor ................................................ Steven Witkin 16


Features Editors ............................................
Annie Feinroth 15
Allie Pino 15

Humor Editor ................................................. Hunter Moore 15


Spotlight Editor ......................................... Emma Hierholzer 15
Opinions Editors ................................ Julia Gajewski-Nemes 15
Will Van Gelder 16

Wondering Warrior Editor............................. Lauren Cosca 15
Entertainment Editors ................................. Ketki

Chauhan 16
Ryan Deal 16

Sports Editors ............................................... Jack Armstrong 15
Sammie Spillman 16

Online
Online Managing Editor ................................ Brian Hughes 15
Online Page Editors......................................... Catherine Jou 15
Ashley Nnabue 16
Stacey Wells 15

Content and Copy


Managing Content and Copy Director ....... Meagan Barrett 15
Content and Copy Editors ............................... Leo Corman 15
Madison Dymond 16
Ankur Kayastha 15
Kira Yates 16

Managing Photo Editor ................................... Haley Whitt 15


Photographers .............................................. Jack Armstrong 15
Chase Wilson 17

Cartoonist ....................................................... Helen Schmitt 15


Pollster .......................................................... Kaleigh Homer 15
Morning Announcements Script Editor............. Allie Pino 15
Staff Reporters ............................................ Gianna Bartolini 15
Emily Gilburt 16
Emma Izzo 15
Stephen Luckey 15

Business and Publicity Directors................. Dalton Sanchez 15

cartoon by Emma Hierholzer 15

Zach Stubblefield 15

Advisor.......................................................................... Peter Huck

The WarriorOpinions
January 30, 2015

13

Being First Isnt Always Best


by Julia Gajewski-Nemes 15 the older child to accept a sibling

Procrastination

Recent studies have found that procrastination is on the rise due to the accessibility of more
distractors. Many students complain about their problems with procrastination while some
even brag of their expertise in the subject which raises the question: how prevalent is it in
our school? The Warrior conducted a survey to find students opinions on the topic.

In which subject do you procrastinate the most?

% ive
10 lect

16%

Social Studies

% ence
1
1 i
Sc

20%
Math

43%

English

*153 students surveyed

Underclassmen:

8% of freshmen generally

Upperclassmen:

26% of seniors generally

begin working on
summative presentation
projects the night before they
are due

begin working on
summative presentation
projects the night before they
are due

51% of underclassmen

30% of upperclassmen

generally begin working on


summative essays within the
first 3 days of receiving the
assignment

generally begin working on


summative essays within the
first 3 days of receiving the
assignment

12% of underclassmen

17% of upperclassmen

generally begin working on


completion homework
during school the day it is
assigned

generally begin working on


completion homework
during school the day it is
assigned

How has the worth ethic of juniors and seniors changed


since the beginning of high school?

39%

Improved

40%

Worsened

21%

Stayed the Same

What serves as your biggest distractor when trying to get


schoolwork done at home?

My cell phone Television

Video
games

The internet

Food Sleep

Hanging out with friends

The opportunity to have fun Netflix Family duties


instead of doing schoolwork Lack of motivation

Sports

When most parents have


their first child, they feel the need
to prove that they can be good at
parenting and want to raise the
perfect child in order to reflect
those parenting abilities. They
have the time to read up on the
best parenting methods, research
which stroller is the safest and
buy the best mobile on the market. For years, they have been
dreaming of this moment and
have thought of everything they
want their child to be. The second
that the child is born, he or she already has dozens of expectations
riding on his or her back. He is
going to be daddys football star;
she is going to be valedictorian
of her class; their child is going
to change the world and they will
provide all the tools necessary to
ensure his or her success in life.
Though the first-born child,
who is generally structured, reliable and an achiever with involved parents, seemingly has
the ideal life, he or she faces difficulties that remain unnoticed.
As a first-born child with three
younger siblings, I have experienced, and still struggle with, the
burdens of being the family guinea pig.
Dont get me wrong, having
high aspirations for oneself and
his or her children is important.
However, children can easily perceive these expectations as too
much pressure, stressing them out
in a way that does more harm than
good. This stress becomes especially evident when a younger
sibling is thrown into the picture.
At a young age, it is difficult for

because up until that point, he or


she had been the center of their
parents lives. In an attempt to
gain full attention back from their
parents, they often work extra
hard to meet the expectations of
their parents. This then becomes
aggravating to the child because
the second child is often raised
with less strict expectations and is
praised for being happy-go-lucky.
However, high expectations
and strict enforcement of rules are
not the only things that are tested
on the eldest child. The first-born
also gets to explore uncomfortable situations such as how parents react to dating, friends, puberty, breaking curfews, drug and
alcohol use, lying and moving
out. No matter how a parent may
approach it, conversations on any
of these topics are guaranteed to
be awkwardyounger siblings do
not understand how lucky they are
to be learning from the sidelines.
Alongside this, the eldest child is
expected to figure out which high
school courses he or she should
take, how to do the math homework for a course that his or her
parents took thirty years ago, how
to prioritize and how to apply to
college on his or her own. Not to
mention the fact that it is then his
or her responsibility to teach the
younger sibling(s) how everything works after finally figuring
it out for him or herself.
With all of this being said,
being the eldest has its perks.
There is nothing I find more rewarding than waking up in the
morning and knowing that I have
three young admirers that hope to
one day be like their older sister.

Technology Credit Is A Burden


by Morgan Hill 16

The Maryland State Department of Education requires all


students who attend a public high
school to earn a technology credit
in order to graduate. MCPS offers
four classes that satisfy the technology credit requirement: Introduction to Engineering Design,
Designing Technology Solutions,
Foundations of Technology and
Principles of Engineering.
Due to the limited number
of classes that offer credit for the
technology requirement; many
students find themselves stuck
in a full year class that they are
apathetic about. This prevents
students that are not interested in
technology from taking another
class that may interest or benefit
them. With busy schedules filled
with important academic classes,
students find it difficult to fit in a
required technology credit.
MCPS also requires students
to earn one fine arts credit and one
physical education credit. However, the same problems with the
technology credit are not an issue
with these required credits. There
are 65 classes offered by Montgomery County that a student can
earn a fine arts credit in, ranging
from dance to photography classes. There are 22 classes where a

student can earn physical education credit, giving students a


much broader spectrum of choice.
Although not all of these classes
are available at every school, a
school that offers even a fraction
of them provides a larger margin
of choice in how students spend
part of their school day.
Montgomery County offers
numerous other technology classes, such as Digital Electronics and
Civil Engineering. These classes
are more specific and target students who are especially interested in technology. Although
these classes offer half a credit,
they are supplemental and do
not satisfy the technology credit
requirement. Students that are interested in one of the supplemental classes are likely to opt out
of them and instead take one of
the other classes that offer credit.
With the busy schedule many students have, there is no room for
students to earn the required technology credit. This causes many
students to be trapped in a class
that has little value to them.
While it is important to offer
classes covering a wide variety of
subjects, students should be able
to choose whether or not they
want to take a technology class,
and should have a variety of technology classes to choose from.

The WarriorOpinions
14

January 30, 2015

Being Financially Knowledgeable


Now Is Better in the Long Run
by Jack Armstrong 15
Investing is now fun. Thats
because it now requires little effort and doesnt look anything
like traditional investing. And
its all thanks to a new app called
Acorns that automatically monitors linked accounts, rounding
up purchases, and investing the
change into securely managed
Exchange-Traded Funds. In addition to apps like Acorns, once
you turn 18 you can start a retirement (IRA) account as well as apply for a credit card; the first steps
to becoming financially independent.
There are many reasons to
start investing early. First, let
your money make money. The
earlier you start saving, the more
compound earnings and dividends can be reinvested, growing
exponentially in the years ahead.
Second, the ability to set up automatic monthly, weekly or daily
transfers with Acorns makes setting aside money effortless. You
can also link a debit or credit card
to the account and it can monitor
purchases and round up each purchase to the dollar, automatically
investing it into your account.
Acorns accounts are no longer invite only; users sign up
within the app. Portfolios are
managed by a team of experienced economists. Fees are low,
only $1 a month, and accounts
are securely encrypted. The process to create an Acorns account
is incredibly easy. After entering
your name, address, social security number, a bank account and
some personal financial information, your investment account is
opened and a portfolio is recom-

mended to best suit your needs.


While Acorns is no get-rich-quick
solution, it offers a solid starting
point by making the process of
investing quick and simple by replacing the per-trade commission
on traditional brokerage accounts.
There are many other ways
to become financially independent when you turn 18, including
opening a personal brokerage
account, an IRA or applying for
your first credit card. Learning
how to wisely manage, spend and
invest your money really isnt as
hard as it seems, but make sure
to make smart decisions because
they will impact your financial
history for years to come.
Credit cards can be valuable
tools to demonstrate responsible
spending, but they can also be
especially risky for young adults.
Depending on your spending
habits, debt and interest can accumulate rapidly. However, there
are many benefits to having your
own credit card, assuming you
consistently pay your bill in full
and on time. With a high credit
score you may qualify for low-interest rates on loans and big-ticket
items down the road, which can
save you a lot of money.
It is recommended to seek
advice from a parent or experienced adult when dealing with
opening financial accounts under
your name. Investment accounts,
with the exception of IRAs, are
subject to taxes at the end of the
year.
Acorns, IRAs and credit
cards aside, the significance of investing and wisely spending early
can have a profound impact in the
future. Finding easy ways to start
small can make all the difference.

Marijuana Legalization Poses New Danger

inevitable that some individuals


would re-sell their marijuana to
The 50 United States are ofunderage users. According to a
ten times called the laboratories
report by the Rocky Mountain
of democracy. Although this
High-Intensity Drug Trafficking
expression was meant to highArea, Colorado teens, by 2012,
light the innovative structure of
were 50-percent more likely to
American government, it also
abuse marijuana than their peers
points out an important fact that
in the rest of the country.
not all political experiments work
Despite the inherent risk
and that many fail quite
and mounting possibility
destructively. In the case A second opinion:
of teen drug abuse, many
of failure, it is often times
people will still argue the
Tom Tancredo is a former libertarian logic of: Im
hoped that any such danRepublican congressman a consenting adult, why
gerous experiment can be
from Colorado, one of
stopped at the state level
cant I do what I want?
four states that has
of government before it
And yet the best customers
legalized the recreational for marijuana are not even
can affect the entire nation.
Today, state-by-state mariadults. In fact, the majority
use of marijuana.
juana legalization is failing
of adults who try marijuaOur nation is spending tens of
before our eyesfailing,
na quit by age 30. Adults in
particularly in states where
billions of dollars annually in an at- their twenties are less likelegalization has been imtempt to prohibit adults from using ly to smoke marijuana than
plemented most boldly.
high school students.
a substance objectively less harmful In addition, proponents
Despite this failure, marthan alcohol. Yet marijuana is still
ijuana legalization over
of marijuana legalization
the course of the past three
widely available in our society. We often question why the
years has been rapidly exlaw bans marijuana but not
are not preventing its use; we are
panding, easily winning
drugs such as alcohol or tomerely ensuring that all the profits bacco. The important difstate referendums in what
has become a dangerous
from the sale of marijuana (outside ference is that alcohol and
trend.
use is declining.
the medical marijuana system) flow tobacco
In November 2012,
Since 1980, consumption
to the criminal underground.
Colorado and Washingof alcohol has dropped alton were the first states to
most 20 percent. One-third
legalize the sale of recreational abuse. In 2000, Colorado voters of Americans smoked tobacco in
marijuana to any adult consum- had approved a short term exper- 1980; less than one-fifth smoke
er. Proponents of legalization, iment with medical marijuana. A today.
backed by a couple million dol- complex series of government de- As for the people, the real
lars and a brilliant campaign slo- cisions that followed in the mid- question should be focused not
gan, Drug dealers dont ask for 2000s overthrew most restrictions so much on the short-term effects
ID, carried the day with an im- on the dispensing of marijuana. of state-by-state marijuana legalplied promise: legalization would As a result, between 2009 and ization, but rather on the realistic
help keep marijuana away from 2012, the number of licensed long-term consequences. With
minors. After all, in a recent study dispensaries sky-rocketed past potentially dangerous and serious
by researchers at Duke Universi- 500 and the number of medical risks to the future of our children,
ty, persistent use of marijuana cardholders jumped from roughly Americans should ask themselves
among adolescents was found to 1,000 to 108,000.
whether or not marijuana legalreduce IQ scores by up to eight With so many medical card- izations supposed benefits outpoints. In one study by the Jour- holders walking around, it was weigh the substantial risks.

by Christopher Sung 17

nal of the American Academy of


Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
researchers found that between
two identical twins, the twin who
started using marijuana before
age 17 was over three times more
likely to commit suicide as an
adult.
People in Colorado had good
reason to worry about teen drug

To The Point
Unhealthy
Romanticization

The World Will


Not End

Need To Appreciate
Foreign Languages

by Julia Gajewski-Nemes 15

by Stacey Wells 15

by Madison Dymond 16

Over the past couple of years, anxiety disorders and


depression have presumably impacted more teenagers
nationwide than ever before. While these mental illnesses need to be taken seriously and awareness of them has
spread rapidly, social media websites such as Twitter,
with pages such as @cuttingquotes and @depressingthoughts, and Tumblr, with blogs such as depressingquotesforyou, have undermined their importance
through the romanticization of these illnesses.
Depression and anxiety were once treated as stigmas
and now, in their own strange way, have become popularized and cool. When they were treated as stigmas, nobody
wanted to come clean about their illnesses because they
feared being shunned; now that they have become normalized, those who suffer from anxiety and depression still are
not seeking the help that they need because the very real
problems that they are facing are being treated so casually.
Society has swung back and forth between two unhealthy
extremes and needs to find a middle that will allow for
those that need help to be helped and those that do not to
step back and support those who need it.

Americans often strongly voice their opinions about


controversial issues, but it would be more beneficial if
they would stop overreacting to every little thing. During
the NFL Playoffs, McDonalds aired a commercial that depicted different towns and their local McDonalds signs.
The signs contained messages, such as We Remember
9-11, Boston Strong and even personal messages like
Happy 95 Birthday Woody We Love You. Most of the
messages referenced tragedies to advertise McDonalds as
a restaurant that promotes patriotism and strong communities. While many saw this commercial, smiled and moved
on, others vocalized their opinion that the restaurant inappropriately utilized American tragedies. While these
people are understandably looking out for Americas best
interests, the commercial was meant to support communities and remember catastrophesnot devalue them. It was
never meant to offend anyone. Besides, it is completely
acceptable for fellow Americans to reference these events;
ignoring them will not make them disappear. Sometimes
criticism is better left unsaid, and in this case, some people
need to relax and go eat a burger.

When it comes to foreign language classes, most students are lazy. They have no real desire or motivation to
speak anything other than English, and these classes are
treated merely as obligations.
Many students study a language for six years and are
unable to hold a conversation in that language. They rarely
take these classes seriously, and often walk away having
nothing to show for their time spent in them.
The most widely spoken non-English language in the
United States is Spanish. When walking through the halls
of Sherwood, one will almost always here it being spoken
by native speakers. French is also very often heard. One
will also hear the occasional mocking of non-English languages and ethnicities due to ignorance. The diversity in
our school and country will only increase with time, and
todays adolescents need to be able to communicate with
people around them.
There are so many other languages and cultures in
the world. Learning at least one other language may seem
boring, but it will help get rid of the ignorance and prejudice that some have toward the rest of the world.

The WarriorWondering Warrior

15

January 30, 2015

m
o
v
i
e
s

Who is your favorite


actor/actress and why?
Jennifer Lawrence
because she is entertaining on screen
and overall a great
and down-to-earth
person.
-Greta Leissa 17
Emma Watson because she is an activist for important
issues like feminism
and animal rights.
-Tal Adashek 18

What do you think is the


most important aspect of
what makes a good move?
Other
Theme

9%

45%

Plot
26%

Casting

7%

Music

9%

3% said Never
32% said 1-3 Times
35% said 4-6 Times
30% said 7 or More
Times

18%
42%
of students watch
The Golden Globes

4%

Acting

How often do
students go to the
movies a year?

of students watch
The Academy Awards

What is your favorite


genre of movie?
42% said Comedy
24% said Action

14% said Romance


8% said Other

12% said Horror

What is the best


movie you have seen
this year and why?

53%
47%

of students
prefer movies

of students
prefer TV

*100 students surveyed


compiled by Lauren Cosca and Kaleigh Homer

Interstellar, it
has a very complex plot.
-Clinton Bissell 17
Fury, because
the whole movie really put me
into WWII.
-Madison Lilly 16

The WarriorEntertainment
16

January 30, 2015

Shows n Shindigs
Concerts
KONGOS (9:30 Club) - Feb.10
Chris Brown w/ Trey Songz ft. Tyga (Verizon Center) - Feb. 22
Echosmith (9:30 Club) - Feb. 26

Kingsman:
The Secret Service
Feb. 13

Jupiter
Ascending
Feb. 6

Kevin Hart Rings Your Bell as the Best


Man for the Job in The Wedding Ringer
by Allie Pino 15
Weddings can be terrific, fun
and slightly dysfunctional events
that people feel they have to put
all their time and energy into.
In the bromantic comedy The
Wedding Ringer, Kevin Hart
and Josh Gad team up to portray
a forged friendship that turns real
as the player discovers his own
life may be as pitiable as that of
the losers he services.
Doug Harris (Gad) is the
likable but awkward groom-tobe, whos about to marry his
dream girl, Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting). Trouble is, Doug
has no actual male friends, and
has been lying about it. On the
verge of being exposed, he is directed to the slick Jimmy Callahan (Hart), natural hustler and CEO
of Best Man Inc., a company that
provides wedding day wingman
services for the friendless. Doug
hires Jimmy to fill out his side of
the wedding party and play Bic
Mitchum, his imaginary best
friend from college, who is a hipster clergyman in camo pants and

claims to have done everything


from Vatican sightseeing to sky
diving with his pal Doug.
Jimmys skills at public people polishing are put to the test
when Doug not only approaches
him with the task of being his
best man, but helping him find
seven additional groomsman and
fabricating an extensive friendship with all of them, a service
Jimmy refers to as the Golden
Tux. Considering that Jimmy is
choosing his actors from among
the ranks of fellow con artists and
convicted criminals, its clear the
elaborate ruse is shaky at best.
Written by Jeremy Garelick
and Jay Lavender, the film gets
some fairly funny moments out
of Doug and Jimmys interaction with Gretchens family and
the Goonie looking groomsmen-gang. But a couple of extended sequences show the serious moments that emerge as
Doug and Jimmy begin to bond
and go beyond the levels of a
business relationship.
The rest of the comedy rises
and falls on Hart and Gads co-

medic and dramatic connection,


and I dont want to oversell it,
but they make a very good double
act. Theres a great deal of chemistry between the two leads. Hart
and Gad really hold together The
Wedding Ringer. They create
an enjoyable comedyone that
includes a number of laugh-outloud scenes couched in an often
clumsy story.
Fans of Hart will be happy
to know the comedian brings his
trademark energy and gives The
Wedding Ringer a much-needed
shot of humor. Gad is also funny
in his role as the socially awkward Doug. The actors musical
theater background is also put to
good use in the movie, especially
during a dance number. Together,
Hart and Gad make a great pair
on-screen.
Theres an entertaining movie in here, one with a smart idea
and a lot of twisted characters
with even a couple of catch-yourbreath surprises. Granted, the plot
is a bit hard to follow, but in terms
of lowbrow comedy, the film is
actually pretty funny.

Performers Face Challenges


in Balancing their Passions
by Gianna Bartolini 15
The performing arts are sectors of entertainment that involve
intensive training from a young
age with the goal of perfection.
Many students in our school,
those striving to become professional entertainers or who simply
have a passion for performing,
face the challenge of balancing
their schoolwork between their
training, rehearsing and performing schedules.
Many times when we think
of students who carry a heavy
load, the first thought that comes
to mind may be an athlete, a
high-achieving AP student, or
someone with a demanding after-school job. Student performers, however, do not always have
as much to show superficially for
all their efforts, and most people
dont know, or dont care, about
the secret lives of these performers.
Sophomore Julia Lo has been
dancing for the past eight years,
averaging three to five hours per
day and up to 30 hours per week.
She is part of a pre-professional
program for classical ballet at
Berrend Dance Centre in Olney
and a long-time member of Olney
Ballet Theatre and performing in
The Nutcracker, Petrushka
and other productions.
I have been dancing since a
young age and its become a part
of my life, said Lo. It allows me
to express myself in ways that arent possible in daily life.
Although she has decided to
pursue a more traditional career,
Lo intends to continue dancing
throughout high school because
of the amazing opportunities it
has offered her throughout the
years.
Every performance Ive
ever done is pretty cool to me. I
think its amazing that I have an
opportunity to show my abilities.
My dancing has allowed me to
travel to other states such as Flor-

ida to attend summer intensives


[concentrated dance training over
the summer] it has also allowed me to meet my best friends
and share many fond memories,
said Lo
Junior Paul Lee has loved
music for as long as he can remember. He plays the drums and
guitar, practicing up to 10 hours a
week and performing at Oakdale
Emory Methodist Churchs 707
Sunday night youth service.
Music is something that I
find freedom in, said Lee. The
restrictions of everything else
dont apply. He certainly finds
plenty of opportunities to play,
whether it is in a band, at church
or in Rock n Roll.
Even though music is his passion, Lee will not pursue it as a
career option due to the instability the job would offer, as well as
the music industrys tendency to
support pop music groups over
alternative styles of music.
Junior Danny Santiago sees it
in a different way. Not only does
he love performing, both as a musician and an actor, but wishes to
study musical theatre in college
and continue with it as a possible
career.
He rehearses 18-20 hours per
week, dividing his time between
theatrical productions and different bands he is a part of. He recently completed My Fair Lady
at the Olney Theatre Historic
Stage in November, where he
played as one of the leading male
characters.
Although he already has a lot
on his plate, Santiago is going to
be performing in Rock n Roll in
March and recently auditioned for
the Rockville Musical Theatres
production of Next to Normal.
Although being a part of all
these extracurricular activities
can be draining, so many students
dedicate themselves to the cause
because, as Lee said, you love
the art and what it does for you,
not any other reason.

The WarriorEntertainment
January 30, 2015

17

Final Episode Signals End of an Era


by Leo Corman 15

December 18 marked a bittersweet moment for myself and


almost 2.5 million other viewers:
Stephen Colberts final performance on The Colbert Report.
Colbert will take over the Late
Show for David Letterman on
September 8, but he will leave his
hilarious alter ego behind.
For those not familiar with it,
The Colbert Report was a fake
news program hosted by Colbert,
who masqueraded as an aggressively ignorant right-wing pundit
meant to resemble Fox News anchors like Bill OReilly and Sean
Hannity. According to Colbert,
the character was a well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot.
Part of what made The Colbert Report so appealing was
Colberts ability to fully immerse
himself in his satirical character. It was one thing for Colbert
to assert ridiculous, exaggerated
conservative views on subjects
like gay rights and immigration
in scripted segments, but it was
an entirely different and more

remarkable matter for Colbert to


carry that persona into live interviews and off-air appearances,
turning the Colbert character into
a larger-than-life figure truly unlike anything else in the world of
comedy. Colbert wrote two books
(using the same self-important
tone he employed in every show),
the most recent being America
Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Werent. He also
spoke at the 2006 White House
Correspondents Dinner, testified
before Congress in 2010 and routinely interviewed members of
the House of Representatives in
his Better Know a District segment, all firmly in character. He
(sort of) ran for president and created his own real Political Action
Committee (Super PAC), Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.
In short, the Colbert caricature evolved beyond anything he
could have imagined when the
show first aired in 2005, and he
fearlessly brought that character with him into normally serious and professional situations.
Colbert even developed his own

pseudo-language, which includes


the shows fundamental concept
of truthiness (a truth conceived
from ones gut, requiring no logic
to support it), as well as gems like
freem (freedom without the
do), mantasy (male fantasy)
and engayify (probably self-explanatory). In fact, Colbert has an
entire Wikipedia page devoted
solely to his cultural impact. In
addition, Colbert often utilized
the power and influence he gained
from the show for altruistic purposes. In his final week, Colbert
raised over $300,000 for charity
by raffling off his C-shaped
desk and iconic self-portrait.
Of course, Colberts bread
and butter was wonderful sarcastic satire, at which he was
incredibly adept. Not only were
his scripted segments extremely
clever and funny, but his interviews were also demonstrative of
his quick wit and intellect. Colbert was brilliant enough to make
his character seem so inane. Like
all good satire, Colberts work
additionally served the important
role of uncovering and ridiculing
ignorance. His truthiness was

Colberts Nuggets of
Wisdom

n the
gree with me o
a
is
d
ho
w
le
p
peo
the
I cannot stand
I believe is about
ch
hi
w
...
e
d
a
W
issue of Roe v.
cross a lake.
proper way to
Theres

Twenty-two astronauts were born in Ohio. What is it about


your state that makes people want to flee Earth? (to Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones)
not a far stretch from the actual
tactics used by TV personalities
and politicians, and Colbert exposed the illogic and hypocrisy
of figures across the political and
news-media spectrum.
However, my favorite moments on The Colbert Report
occurred when Colbert broke
character, when he found his

material so ridiculous that he


couldnt maintain his usual deadpan. I enjoyed those brief insights
into the person Stephen Colbert,
separate from the character he
created. While it pains me to have
to write this article in the past
tense, I look forward to getting to
know the real Colbert in the next
chapter of his legacy.

Monochrome

Proportions
Get The Look:
Oversized
Layering

Cropped Sweaters
Big Scarves

About The Look:


Staying warm in the winter involves layering, but theres no reason to make it boring!
This seasons trend of mixing and matching
short and long pieces gives depth to any outfit. Combining cropped sweaters with oversized jackets, short skirts and woolly tights,
and matching delicate earrings with an edgy
haircut really brings an interesting twist to
average winter wear.

Model: Samantha Berger


Photographer: Gianna Bartolini

90s Throwback

Model: Emma Izzo


Photographer: Gianna Bartolini

Get The Look:

Get The Look:

About The Look:

About The Look:

Common knowledge and oldwives tales suggest that black is


the most flattering color on any
woman. When worn right, black
can be so classy, and for that reason, black and white monochrome
makes the cut for the seasons
top trends. A great ways to wear
this look is by mixing different
textures and fabrics. Leather jackets, flowing blouses, sneakers and
boots, and those blogger famous
wide-brimmed hats are timeless
pieces to take you through the
winter and possibly into spring as
well.

Its been coming for a while, but a full-on 90s throwback is


finally happening. A signature staple? Plaid, especially in skirts
and oversized flannels. Not feeling the whole schoolgirl vibe?
You can wear it in a pencil skirt. Adding an alt-type crop top and
choker can tie a look together. Boyfriend jeans, ugly sweaters
and scrunchies are really popular pieces as well. Guys, dont
worry, there are options for you too. Big, bold, colorful sweatshirts and windbreakers are a nod to the nineties as well.

Black Leather
Wide-Brimmed Hats
Black Hi-Tops
Boots

an old
saying abo
ut
those who
forget
history. I d
ont
remember
it, but
its good.

You
sa
at th id in your
e end
b
of the ook that
politi
c
d
about ian is huma ay, every
n
durin
g the . What
day?

Plaid
Overalls
Chokers
Boyfriend Jeans

Its cold out there, and for some


people that means sticking out the
next three months of cold. Luckily,
there are options to keep yourself
warm and still look classy.

Model: Emma Hierholzer


Photographer: Gianna Bartolini

Winter Fashion 2015


by Gianna Bartolini 15

The WarriorSports
18

January 30, 2015

Girls Basketball Prepares for Division Rival


by Hunter Moore 15
The girls varsity basketball
team is off to an inconsistent
start under first-year coach Tim
Hobbs, with an overall 8-4 record. The girls division record is
2-2, which puts them in a tie for
second in the division with Blake.
(The Warriors finish a three-game
stretch tonight at Blake, following games the previous two
nights against division-leading
Paint Branch and Kennedy. The
Warrior was unable to cover these
games before this issue went to
print.)
Not being able to practice
before all of these games because
of snow will definitely hurt us a
little, but we know what we are
going up against and are prepared
mentally, said senior captain
Stacey ONeale. I definitely
believe that we are an improved
team since our first round of divisional match-ups.
Of the girls four losses, three
of them were against teams with
dominant records: Gwynedd
Mercy Academy, a private school
in Pennsylvania (13-2), Paint
Branch (12-1) and Walter Johnson (12-1). The girls, however,
did lose to Springbrook (3-9) on
January 15 after the Warriors lost
their starting point guard, sophomore Amanda Allen, to illness for
the second half.
Senior captain Nicole Stockinger remained optimistic about
the Springbrook loss and felt that
it was a wake-up call for the girls.
We went into Springbrook with

no energy, and with everyone


trying to do their own thing rather than working together, said
Stockinger. We took this game
for granted expecting a win to be
given to us; we now know that is
never the case, which should help
us in the future.
The girls did successfully
bounce back from the loss and
beat Richard Montgomery by 18
points in their very next game.
The Warriors then beat Northwest by 40 points on January 23.
Against the Jaguars, junior Delaney McMenamin led the way for
the Warriors with 12 points, along
with sophomore Sammy Sundell
who contributed 11 points.
Hard work pays off; we
are going to keep our heads on
straight and continue to work
hard and focus on practice. We
are going to work as a team in order to bounce back for the rest of
the season. One loss to a bad team
isnt going to get to us, said Allen, who transferred from Good
Counsel.
Allen has been a great addition to the Warriors this season.
She is second on the team in
scoring and first in assists, helping to take some of the load off
of Stockinger. ONeale, who has
committed to play basketball for
Wesley College, also has been a
major factor of the Warriors this
season, providing much needed
minutes and scoring.
The next major test for the
Warriors will be at home on February 20 against Magruder who
are second in their division.

Jack Armstrong 15

Senior Christine Black scrambles for a loose ball against the Northwest Jaguars on January 23.

The WarriorSports
January 30, 2015

19

MONTGOMERY COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Athletes Deserve a Voice


by Will Van Gelder 16

Jack Armstrong 15

55M HURDLES Junior Paul Lee rushes to cross the finish line during the
Montgomery County Indoor Track Championships on January 20.

Jack Armstrong 15

Jack Armstrong 15

PASS THE BATON Junior Amanda


Hayes-Puttfarcken readies to pass
the baton in the girls 4x800 relay.

PHOTO FINISH Junior Alyssa Moran


leaps in the long jump, taking 9th for
Sherwood with a jump of 15-07.

Boys Basketball Shows Potential


by Leo Corman 15
The boys basketball team
fell to Northwest, 73-60, last Friday night, bringing their record
to 6-6 for the season. (The team
played two nights ago against a
tough Kennedy squadwhom
they beat by two points earlier in
the seasonand last night against
Paint Branch, who beat the Warriors on a bank-shot buzzer-beater in December. Both games happened too late for The Warrior to
cover in this issue).
Against Northwest, the Warriors led after the first quarter
but were subsequently outscored
18-4 during the second quarter.
After mounting a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, which
included scoring 27 points in the
final period, the Warriors ultimately were unable to overcome
their early deficit.
The loss to the 7-7 Jaguars
came on the heels of three consecutive strong performances
by the Warriorsvictories over

Blake and Springbrook and a


three-point loss to undefeated
Richard Montgomery.
In general, the Warriors have
had mixed results this season,
producing a number of impressive games (winning at Magruder to begin the season) but some
disappointing ones as well (losing to sub-.500 Einstein and Paint
Branch). Part of this inconsistency can be attributed to a relatively difficult schedule, with half of
the Warriors games so far against
teams with records of 8-4 or better.
The Warriors are led in scoring by senior guard Xavier McCants at 15.5 points per game,
followed by senior center Hunter
Moore and junior guard Tyrese
Williams, who both average double figures. As the teams primary
ball-handler, McCants balances
scoring with making plays for his
teammates, but his most effective
weapon is his ability to attack
opposing defenses and get to the
rim. Moore gives the Warriors

an important inside threat with


his rebounding and touch around
the basket. Williams, who has
made the most free throws on the
team this season, earns many of
his points through his aggressive
driving on offense.
Junior guard Shawn Bliss
has also brought a substantial
offensive boost, hitting the second-most three-pointers on the
team behind McCants. Despite
the inconsistent season thus far,
Bliss feels confident in the Warriors potential moving forward.
We have a lot of chemistry, and
we know that if one person messes up, we have four other people
on the court that have our back,
said Bliss. I believe we can
make a big run the rest of the season into the playoffs and up to the
state championship game.
At the end of a stretch of
three games in three consecutive
nights, the team plays tonight at
Blake (6-7), whom the Warriors
beat earlier this month by a score
of 73-57.

On numerous occasions
throughout the last few years
professional athletes have voiced
their opinions on issues facing the
nation. Most recently in December during a Cleveland Cavaliers
and Brooklyn Nets game, the
players on the Cavaliers removed
their normal warm-up shirts prior
to the game and played the entire
pre-game shootaround in shirts
that read I cant breathe, which
has come to symbolize the protest movement surrounding the
deaths of black men Eric Garner
and Michael Brown at the hands
of police officers. Numerous other NBA players followed suit and
wore the shirts during warm-ups.
This (unsurprisingly) has been
causing controversy, as some
were in favor of the NBA players
wearing these poignant and timely shirts, while others were angry
that professional athletes would
presume to share their thoughts
on actual issues.
Famous professional athletes
are seemingly involved in everything; they are constantly on
television and are the subject of
various news stories that many
people see almost daily, and thousands of people follow them on
social media sites. Because many
athletes are often in the public
eye, they are in a perfect position
to state their beliefs on issues that
grip our nation.
Derrick Rose of the Chicago
Bulls elaborated his reasons for
taking a stand on the issues revolving around the deaths of Garner and Brown. Usually athletes
tend to stay away from this but
I just felt as if I had to do some-

thing about it. Rose epitomizes


exactly what I believe most professional athletes were feeling at
this time.
The players had every right
to wear these shirts and state their
viewpoints on this controversial
and divisive issue. People tend to
treat major league sports players
as talented people who serve solely for their entertainment. This
thought process places athletes
in the unusual situation of being
looked on as famous athletes who
people enjoy watching but at the
same time being regulated as simply entertainers.
While this may be true in
literal terms, sports players are
people just as we are, and they
have every right to free speech
that is afforded to all citizens of
the United States. Their very public position on the national stage
also gives them a prime position
to take a stand on many issues.
Players on sports teams generally have hundreds of thousands of
followers on various social media
sites, which allows them to express their opinions with one simple click of a button. Many people do not want to read or see the
opinions of others, particularly if
the opinions are ones they do not
agree with, but athletes are people
who deserve to share what they
want to share and to say what
they want to say.

The WarriorSports
20

January 30, 2015

Swim and Dive Team Prepare for Metros


by Steven Witkin 16

Although being in the second


division of four in the county,
the swim and dive team has been
known to outperform higher division teams in the championship
season. With the regular season
over, the Warriors are looking to
do even better in Metro Champs
and the state championships with a
roster bolstered by new freshmen
and improving upperclassmen.
The swim and dive team
had one of its better seasons
in the last few years, with the
girls team finishing 4-1 and the
boys team 2-3. After the regular-season meets, the best of the
swimmers and divers go on to
compete in Division II, regional and state championships, and
most competitive of all, Metros.
The Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships is the only
meet each year where both public and private schools compete
against each other. Swimmers
and divers must make a cut to
be in the meet. This means that
the top competition in swimming and diving from all high
schools in the Greater Washington area are at one meet, usually attended by a packed crowd.
At last years Metros, the
boys team finished twenty-ninth
overall, and the girls came in seventh. However, several additions
and improvements to the teams
might be able to push the boys
team into a higher standing and
bring the girls closer to the third

FOR AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, DOWNLOAD AURASMA

IN THE APP STORE. THEN, FOLLOW THEWARRIORONLINE AND SCAN THIS PHOTO

Jack Armstrong 15

ON THE FLY Junior Margarita Ryan swims the 100 fly in the Sherwood vs. Northwest meet on January 10 at the Olney Swim Center. The Warriors
swept the event, Ryan taking first with a time of 59.65. Both the boys and the girls teams dominated the Jaguars (Boys 94-77, Girls 105-66).
place they achieved two years ago.
Those who placed high last year
as underclassmen have improved.
Junior Margarita Ryan, who
finished sixth in 100 yard backstroke last year, ahead of many
then-seniors, can come back and
score big for the Warriors this
year. After winning the 50 yard
freestyle and breaking both the
Metros and MCPS records in a
speedy 22.97 seconds at Metros last year, junior Morgan Hill

Who will win?


Seahawks

In 1967,
a 3
cost ab 0-second comm
ou
er
first Sup t $40,000 durin cial
g the
er Bowl.
In 2015,
$4.5 milli
it costs
on
compiled by Sammie Spillman 16

the 200 and 500 yard freestyles.


Along with strong swimmers
and divers on both teams, this
year has seen a substantial and
talented freshman class. Although
freshmen and even sophomores
rarely make the meet, a total of
two male and five female freshmen swimmers made Metros.
Kennedy Nolan, who made the
cut in five events, has been practicing six days a week with her
club team to prepare for the meet.

Next years Super


Bowl will be held in San
Francisco and the NFL
wont be using roman
numerals.

Im extremely excited for Metros, she said. I hope to make finals in the 100 fly and 100 back.
Sherwoods swim and dive
team, with its capable core athletes and fast freshmen, is in
a prime position to match or
exceed previous performances at Metro Champs on February 7 and at the state championships February 21 to finish
strong what Nolan describes as
an incredible season so far.

Mo
Mo st W
in
st
los s: P
se itts
s: D bu
en rgh
ve
r B Stee
ron le
co rs, 6
s, 5

Patriots

Heading into their sixth Super Bowl game


together, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have seen it all and
will be well prepared for whatever the
Seattle Seahawks defense throws at the
Patriots. Seahawks quarterback Russell
Wilson threw twice as many interceptions in NFC Championship Game as
Brady has thrown in five Super Bowl
games. If Sundays game is decided
by turnovers, the Patriots likely will
come out on top.

For the third season in a row,
the Seahawks allowed the fewest
points in the NFL and only allowed 17
touchdowns during the regular season.
However, the Patriots were the fourth
highest scoring team in the NFL, putting
up 29.2 points per game. The biggest challenge for the Patriots in this Super Bowl
will be to stop Seahawks running back
Marshawn Lynch. If the Patriots can stop
Seattles run game and prevent Lynch from
making big plays, Wilson and his receivers are
prone to mistakes.
~Noah Rosendorf 17

The 2014 Super Bowl was the most watched


U.S. telecast of all time with
over 115 million viewers.

The saying goes, defense wins championships. The Seahawks


passing defense could well lead to consecutive Super Bowl titles. Cornerback Richard Sherman has indisputable lock-down skills to go with
the confidence that he is the best in the NFL at his position. Despite
a sprained left elbow, Sherman is expected to play in the
Super Bowl and will be determined to maintain a No
Fly Zone.
Running back Marshawn Lynch is literally All bout that action, as he once
put it, when Seattle most needs his
hard-hitting running game. Lynch ran
for more than 1,300 yards during the
season, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He has proven ability to break
off for a big run at critical moments
in big games. If the Seahawks
running game eats up time on the
clock, Patriots quarterback Tom
Brady could have limited opportunities to try to win his fourth Super Bowl. The Patriots almost solely
depend on the passing game, and if
Sherman and the rest of the Legion
of Boom shuts that down, New England is doomed.
~Stephen Luckey 15

is looking to defend her title, as


well as score in her other events.
Combined, the girls can put together an excellent 200 yard
medley relay, as last years thirdplace team had only one graduating senior.
On the boys side, sophomore
diver Cody Carlson is preparing
to match his success last year,
when he achieved sixth overall in
the one meter diving. Senior Jake
Ryan also has potential to score in

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