Warrior

the
36th Year, Issue No.6
300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
Inside: News: 1-3, Issues of Race: 4-5, Features: 6-8, Humor: 9, Spotlight: 10-11, Opinions: 12-14, Wondering Warrior: 15, Entertainment: 16-17, Sports: 18-20
June 5, 2014
Sherwood High School
www.thewarrioronline.com
Gallup Survey Reveals Need for Recognition
by Ketki Chauhan 16
Students Watch Fights
for Entertainment
The results of the fall 2013
Gallup student and staff surveys
were recently posted on the MCPS
web page. Sherwood ranked
highly among the student surveys
for high schools, but dropped
down the list on staff surveys.
The Gallup survey measures the
hope, engagement and well-be-
ing of students based on a set
of questions in which students
select a rating from one to fve
depending on how they agree
with the statement. The same
procedure is done for the staff
engagement survey.
Principal Bill Gregory noted
that he is less interested in where
Sherwood ranks among other
county high schools, than wheth-
er or not Sherwood has improved
from the previous year. The fo-
cus is on Sherwood to Sherwood
from year to year versus Sherwood
to other schools, said Gregory.
Gregory believes that, for
the most part, students feel proud
of being at Sherwood, although
more needs to be done in recog-
nition and celebration for both
students and staff. One way to
combat a lack of recognition,
which Gregory feels is the root
of some scores that Sherwood
received, is through the imple-
mentation of an advisory period.
If you know your homeroom
teacher and you work with that
homeroom teacher for four years,
you develop a relationship, said
Gregory, who believes those types
of connections are important for a
school. That connection draws us
into our life, which is Sherwood.
For most questions on the
student survey, Sherwood ranked
in the top ten among the 25 high
schools in MCPS. However, when
asked whether teachers made stu-
dents feel like their schoolwork
was important, Sherwoods rank-
ing dropped out of the top ten.
To explore this matter, Greg-
ory suggested that the new student
government or organizations like
Newspaper and National Honor
Society should conduct a survey
or create a focus group in order to
get students to talk about the is-
sue. Id like to hear from students
about why they feel that way,
and what is it that isnt happen-
ing but should happen, he said.
The results of the survey also
see GALLUP, pg. 3
by Brian Hughes 15
The recent spate of fghts
among Sherwood students has
brought attention to the behav-
iors of the students who stand
by to watch. Often times, ac-
tion taken against the students
who actually fought one another
reaches detention or suspension,
but there are no consequences
for spectators unless someone
is caught recording or posting a
video. Even then, the repercus-
sions for those students only go
as far as removal of the videos.
Students recording fghts
with their phones and showing
them to their friends, mainly
through social media, is not a
new phenomenon, but is defnite-
ly growing. Staff members try
their best to limit the circulation
of videos, but they know that only
so much can be done to stop it.
We usually try to make
sure that phones that do record
a fght are erased so that the vid-
eos dont make social media. We
dont usually punish in the sense
of suspending for that kind of
thing, said Assistant Principal
Erin Mazer. Well meet with
students and encourage them
to take [any videos] down. Ive
never had a student in my expe-
rience who has refused. Mazer
thinks that rather than punishing
students, educating them bet-
ter on the seriousness of post-
ing fght videos on the Internet
is a more effective path to take.
Students who crowd around
a fght also pose as major ob-
stacles for staff trying to stop a
brawl. Mazer explained that stu-
dents moving away from a fght
is for their own safety and for
the safety of everyone else who
is involved, adding that when
see FIGHTING, pg. 2
New Security Control System
Being Installed at Sherwood
by Sammie Spillman 16
Sherwood is installing an
access control system for the
2014-2015 school year. The se-
curity system is to be installed in
the front lobby, the lower H-hall
doors, and the upper B-hall doors.
The new control system is re-
quired by MCPS for all schools,
and is a computerized system
that will secure the building from
the outside during the school
day and will better monitor who
comes in and out of the school.
Rather than visitors freely
entering the main lobby doors
and going to the main offce to
sign in, they will buzz an inter-
com and secretaries in the main
offce will be able to see the vis-
itors from a video feed on their
computers and determine wheth-
er or not to buzz the visitors in.
Once the visitor enters the build-
ing, a newly designed lobby area
will direct them immediately into
the Main Offce. The visitors
will swipe their drivers license
in a machine that will log the
Seniors scored a victory
in the annual Powder-
puff game on May 28,
winning 14-0 against
the juniors. One touch-
down was scored by Kel-
ly Flamand, who dom-
inated the game with
Seniors Win Powderpuff, Score 14-0
Student Survey RankingS
I know I will graduate from high school - #6
I energetically pursue my goals - #10
I can think of many ways to get good grades - #7
I feel safe at school - #8
My teachers make me feel like my schoolwork is important - #13
StAff Survey RankingS
How satisfied are you with your school? - #14
I know what is expected of me at work - #17
I receive recognition or praise for doing good work - #15
My supervisor seems to care about me as a person - #15
Theres someone at work who encourages my development - #16
Sherwoods Ranking Among 25 MCPS High Schools
several catches and inter-
ceptions. The juniors still
held their own, with great
plays made by Allison Sarv-
er (pictured), Tiffany and
Lauren Woods, and Tatum
Haberman. Lots of physi-
cal play, such as tackling,
was performed by both
teams, resulting in an
injury to junior Alex
Kozlowski. The juniors
hope to win Powder-
puff next year as seniors.
MCPS workers install a new security system near the front entrance
of Sherwood. Over the course of summer vacation, there will be more
work done to the school in preparation for the 2014-15 school year.
see SECURITY, pg. 2
Jack Armstrong 15
Chase Wilson 17
by Marie Moeller 15
World Cup Predictions
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pgs. 10 & 11
New Class and a
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Psychology
pg. 6















N
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in brief
MCPS offcials are planning to change the current sexual ori-
entation curriculum taught in health classes. The topic of sexual
orientation is normally taught in eighth grade, but there have been
proposals to introduce the subject a year earlier. The county also
wants to end scripted lessons, which became part of the curriculum
in 2005 after a court ruling that cited religious views on homosex-
uality.
The issue arose again in 2008 when a judge ignored the chal-
lenges of religious conservatives who said that elected offcials
violated state law by teaching that sexual orientation is innate. The
judge upheld Montgomery Countys sex education lessons.
As societal views on homosexuality have changed in the past
few years, more people are now accepting and tolerant on issues
of sexual orientation. Last year, same-sex marriage was legalized
in Maryland. Still, MCPS offcials note that education is needed,
especially on homosexuality to stem bullying. The Board of Edu-
cation will vote on curriculum changes June 17.
Changing Sex-Ed Courses
for Montgomery County
by Madison Dymond 16
Maryland Universities To Require
Four Years of High School Math
by Stephen Luckey 15
Recently, the State of Maryland has implemented a new poli-
cy that requires high school students to take four years of math to
be admitted into state universities. This rule will be initially effec-
tive for the Class of 2015. Additionally, starting with the Class of
2018, all Maryland high school students must complete four years
of math to graduate high school, no matter what college theyd like
to go to.
The policy was developed in order to increase rigor for students
and help them adapt academically to college after high school.
Across the nation, there have been complaints that incoming fresh-
man frequently need remedial math before enrolling. Universities
worry that preparation has dropped and will be inadequate to suc-
ceed at the college level. Theres not the opt-out option anymore
for anyone in Maryland, said Jack R. Smith, chief academic off-
cer for the Maryland State Department of Education, in an article
in the Washington Post.
Minimum Wage Set To
Increase in Maryland
by Dalton Sanchez 15
An increase in Marylands minimum wage was voted on and
approved in November of 2013. The changes will come into effect
by 2018. The minimum wage would increase by $2.85, going from
$7.25 to $10.10. This drastic increase has its advantages but could
actually hurt teens looking for a job.
High minimum wage prices teens out of jobs. Nearly half of all
minimum wage earners are teenagers or young people. However,
when the minimum wage is boosted, it is likely that employers will
cut down on hiring teens, who typically fll lower priority jobs.
Employers do not want to spend the time and effort training
young high school employees who will end up quitting after they
graduate. Employers are going to be set on hiring middle aged
workers because of the lesser chance of them quitting within fve
years.
Some jobs for low-wage workers would probably be eliminat-
ed if minimum wage were raised. Teen unemployment is predicted
to increase as the minimum wage hike is passed.
2
The WarriorNews
June 5, 2014
Starr Makes Recommendation on Start Times
by Connor Loughran 15
MCPS is continuing to re-
ceive feedback from the pub-
lic in regard to the decision to
change the school start times
for the 2015-2016 school year.
The proposed start times would
push back high school start times
by 50 minutes (from 7:25am to
Students Crowding Around Fights Becomes a Problem
from FIGHTING, pg. 1
[staff] are trying to push through
kids, fghting could last lon-
ger because we cant get there.
There are issues beyond safe-
ty as well ones of ethical con-
cerns. As Security Team Leader
Patrick Rooney put it, Every time
[students] put one of these vid-
eos up for everyone in the world
to see, [theyre] slamming this
schools name. Its a slap in your
face and its a slap in my face.
He also understands why
some students feel tempted to
pull out their phones when a fght
arises. Its like when youre
driving and on the side of the road
theres a bad accident so every-
body slows down, said Rooney.
Its a human-being mentality,
just like it is to record [fghts]
with your phone out so you can
say hey, look at this fght.
That is exactly what some
students are doing: standing by a
fght with their phones ready to go.
Spectators see it as entertainment,
ignoring any problems they might
be causing. The use of social me-
dia, specifcally Twitter and You-
Tube, yields many opportunities
for students to exploit the fghts.
I record the videos because
its not only really entertaining
to watch and talk about after the
fght happens, but the amount of
MCPS has conducted an extensive
outreach campaign to collect stake-
holder input on Superintendent Starrs
recommendation through a variety of
methods since October.
~Executive Director Debra Berner
8:15am). Additionally,
middle schools would
start 10 minutes earlier
(from 7:55 a.m. to 7:45
a.m.), and elementa-
ry schools start times
would stay the same
(8:50 a.m. and 9:15
a.m.), with the day ex-
tended by 30 minutes.
MCPS has conducted an
extensive outreach campaign
to collect stakeholder input on
Superintendent Starrs recom-
mendation through a variety of
methods since October, said
Debra Berner, an Executive Di-
rector with MCPS. All of the
inputfrom all perspectives
are being synthesized and ana-
lyzed to inform Dr. Starrs fnal
recommendation, she added.
According to Berner, the re-
sults should be ready sometime
in June, at which point Starr will
release his fnal recommendation
based on the input. Additionally,
she said that MCPS had collected
data via four community public
forums, where around 700 peo-
ple showed up. MCPS has also
held meetings with school staff
and parents. MCPSs online dis-
cussion forum, called Neighbor
to Neighbor, also was used as a
platform for discussion. Lastly,
some students were given the
opportunity to fll out surveys.
The county website stated that
Starrs recommendation was
based on the fndings of the
2013 Bell Times Work Group,
which studied school start times
and the impact they have on
student well-being, especial-
ly in high school. This study
came after many other studies,
most of which point to teenagers
needing more sleep than adults.
One such study, by the Uni-
versity of Minnesota, published
February 26, conclusively stated
positive benefts of later school
start times. Later morning
school starts [link] to
higher test scores, better
grades and fewer teen car
crashes, said the report.
If the proposed
changes are implement-
ed, the total cost would
be estimated to be rough-
ly 1.2 million dollars, ac-
cording to a PowerPoint
available on the MCPS website.
Most of the estimated cost comes
from the changes that would need
to be made to transportation, the
cost of carrying out studies and
discussions, and the fact that
the school day for elementary
schools would be extended by 30
minutes, which may lead to high-
er electric, plumbing and heating
expenses, as well as a need to
pay teachers for the extra time.
memes and jokes that rise after-
wards are the most entertaining
thing ever, said a junior male
who wished to remain anony-
mous. If anything has a possi-
bility to go viral nowadays, it
is beat-downs and fght videos.
Twitter is clear evidence of that.
The student also noted that he
uses videos for purposes other than
just a laugh or two, sending stu-
dents videos or letting them watch
videos on his phone for money.
In general, he is not wor-
ried about recording a fght or
the consequences for posting
videos. When I put up videos
I dont feel like Im doing any-
thing wrong. Theres no real
penalty or consequence so its
hardly something youd ever
think about, said the student.
With the occurrences of
fghts and their consequential
punishments, some have begun
to wonder about their rights
and safety at school. If some-
one hits them, would they get
punished for fghting back?
According to the student
agenda book, the minimum
punishment for fghting and
physical abuse is an automatic
suspension and maximum pun-
ishments include recommended
expulsion and/or a police refer-
ral. The severity of the punish-
ment depends on the number of
previous incidents and how vio-
lent the attack was. Even though
the handbook describes various
punishments, it does not differ-
entiate between someone who
initiates a fght and someone
who is acting in self-defense.
According to Assistant
Principal Erin Mazer, the major-
ity of the time both students are
at fault - if one didnt throw the
frst punch, then he or she was
verbally attacking or insulting
another student. Most of the
time both students arent com-
pletely innocent and both re-
ceive punishment, said Mazer,
However, [the punishment]
may depend on the number of
times the student has been pre-
viously suspended. If the rare
scenario in which a student
acted purely in self-defense did
occur, then administration may
be able to limit the punishment,
or possibly eliminate punish-
ment altogether. There is not a
clear-cut answer, said Mazer.
Does Self Defense Count as fighting?
by Stacey Wells 15
date and time. Reportedly, they
will be able to check if visitors
have been fagged as pedophiles.
A door in the front lobby, in
addition to ones in lower H-hall
and upper B-hall, will have a sys-
tem that will allow Sherwood em-
ployees to swipe a card that will
unlock the door. This will allow
teachers and other staff to enter
the building when all the doors
are locked. There will be an over-
ride system so that the doors will
be unlocked at the beginning and
end of the school day to allow stu-
dents to enter and depart school.
Security Team Leader Patrick
Rooney said that the system is
only fully effective in increasing
students safety and the security
of the building if students do not
let people inside. Students should
direct those visitors to the front
of the building to properly use
the intercom and buzz-in system.
from SECURITY, pg. 1
New Security System Installed as Part of Improvements
Armstrong Family, Bernstein Family, Bina Family, Brady Family, Carol McCarty, Carr Family, Carrera Family, Gary & Nora
Carswell, Cecil Family, Cudd Family, Deal Family, Delauders Family, Deppe Family, Dowrick Family, Dymond Family, Ferris
Family, Fields & White Family, Regis & Renate Finn Family, Florian Family, Fricke Family, Gallagher Family, Ganey Fam-
ily, Giorgio Family, Giron Family, Hall Family, Dick & Vivian Harris Family, Hierholzer Family, Joe & Kathy Hughes Family,
Hughes Family, Hurlbut-Blum Family, Jou Family, Justus Family, Kayastha Family, Keilsohn Family, Kendall Family, Kenel
Family, Kibler/Mahoney Family, Koehler Family, Kress Family, John & Laura Lee, Betsy & Mark Levy Family, Linkletter Fam-
ily, Jim & Diane Macrae, Macrae Family, Mangus Family, Masters Family, McCarty Family, Melnick Family, Mezebish Family,
Militano Family, Moeller Family, Patrick & Anita Moore, Murphy Family, Michael & Jessica Natelli, Newmark Family, Colleen
ODonnell, Paholski Family, Pletcher/Stinehelfer Family, Plummer Family, Mike & Lynn Ronan Family, Ryezek Family, Saviola
Family, Schipper Family, Schwartz Family, Siberry-Reddy Family, Josey & Chris Simpson Family, Sousane Family, Spillman
Family, Stussman Family, Sutherland Family, Tom Family, Townsend Family, Van Gelder Family, Wasik Family, Cindy & Mike
Weitzner Family, Susan & Tom Wells Family, Whitt Family, Todd & Renate Wilson Family, Winters Family, Witkin Family,
Yates Family, John & Christine Young Family, Zhang Family
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The WarriorNews
June 5, 2014
3
AP Tests Not Held in Ertzman Despite Preparations
Desks, which were supposed to be used for AP Testing in the Ertzman, are seen stacked beneath the stage.
Testing that was to be held in the Ertzman was unexpectedly canceled last month without explanation.
by Lauren Cosca 15
To the disappointment of
some and to the relief of others,
the plan to have AP testing in the
Ertzman Theatre for almost ev-
ery class was canceled days be-
fore the May 5-16 testing began.
One purpose of testing in the
Ertzman was to prepare students
for college testing and exams;
accordingly, the school ordered
150 large desk tops for this rea-
son. Counselor Jamii Avery, the
schools AP testing coordinator,
said that a number of obstacles
arose with using the Ertzman
for testing. According to Avery,
problems that emerged includ-
ed a scheduling confict with the
schools spring play, a middle
schools use of the Ertzman after
school during a scheduled test
and two student music concerts.
The biggest hurdle was the
fact that the school planned to
use spotlights for extra lighting
during the test, and Principal Bill
Gregory became concerned that
the lighting would not meet fre
code regulations because of the
extension cords. It was tough
to make the decision this late,
but we did it to err on the side of
the student who would have been
uncomfortable I didnt want
that to be a bad experience for
any one student, said Gregory.
These diffculties came af-
ter some teachers and students
already had expressed concern
about the testing conditions of
the Ertzman. The lighting in
the theatre is not at all condu-
cive to reading for any length
of time. The chairs provide lit-
tle back support. The portable
desks would not provide the
most comfortable position for
writing, said AP Lit. teacher
Debbie Reier, who formally re-
quested earlier in the year that AP
Lit exams be held in classrooms.
A number of students in AP
classes had the opportunity to
have a test-run with the ordered
desks. After spending a whole
period in there and doing what
they were actually going to be do-
ing [taking an AP test], they were
saying I kind of like it, said
Avery. A few students told Avery
that they were upset that testing
was canceled in the Ertzman.
Staff who worked hard to get
the testing arranged also were
disappointed that testing would
remain in classrooms as it has in
past years. Im extremely disap-
pointed and upset, said Avery.
Taking college level tests and
knowing what a college level
situation would be like would
be very benefcial and having
the test in the Ertzman would be
able to provide that for students.
Sherwood has created a
committee to fnd ways to use
the desks, as well as make sure
they are used next year to further
students college readiness and
preparation for testing in new en-
vironments. The tentative plan for
next year is to allow AP teachers
to sign up all year to take small-
er tests in the Ertzman with the
desks to let teachers and students
decide if they like the environ-
ment or not. Next year I would
like to use the Ertzman for AP
testing, if the conditions are fa-
vorable for testing, said Gregory.
Students and Staff Feel
a Lack of Recognition
from GALLUP, pg. 1
showed that Sherwood ranked
considerably lower on the staff
surveys compared to the student
surveys. Social studies teacher
Katie Jaffe, one of the two staff
representatives on Sherwoods In-
structional Leadership Team, be-
lieves that Sherwood needs to frst
look at the staff engagement data.
One thing that is great about
the positives is the individual
teachers when they deal one-
on-one with their work in the
classroom, their data was quite
high, said Jaffe. The big neg-
ative is the lack of recognition.
To Jaffe, the Gallup sur-
vey illustrates the strengths and
weaknesses of Sherwood and
is something to focus on. For
example, she pointed to Sher-
woods need for recognition. I
think we need to realize we need
to do better with that next year
and put something into place
that would allow that to happen.
Gregory and other principals
across the county are not evalu-
ated based on surveys; instead,
they are evaluated on the results
of a plan put into place to solve
whatever shortcomings about a
school that may have been re-
vealed by the survey. The Gallup
survey is conducted at the begin-
ning of each school year, and is
used to collect data on students
opinions about school, with the
purpose of being able to im-
prove the learning environment.
Advisory Period To Build Character for Success
by Marie Moeller 15
As of next school year, ad-
visory periods for all students
will be implemented specif-
cally within Sherwood. These
advisory periods will be every
Tuesday in between second
and third period for 27 minutes,
shortening lunch and other class
periods. In each period, students
will watch the announcements
and participate in discussions on
thematic content, including
topics such as goal setting, bal-
ancing academic and social life
and learning to handle failure.
The advisory periods will fo-
cus on creating a setting in which
students can have face-to-face
contact with teachers, in which
students can address any academ-
ic or social issue. Students should
beneft from stopping to think
about what they are doing and be
given an opportunity to discuss it
with a caring adult and with peers
who are faced with the same is-
sues, said social studies teacher
Aileen Woolley, who is coordinat-
ing and overseeing the program.
These themes are not set in
stone. The advisory periods inte-
grate each topic, which generally
consist of key characteristics of
successful individuals, with cur-
rent events, such as gratitude be-
ing refected upon during Thanks-
giving. These conversations
among the class will educate stu-
dents on specifc traits while al-
lowing them to connect personal-
ly to the subject at the same time.
Researchers have identi-
fed non-cognitive skills or traits
that can beneft students It is
our plan to bring these traits to
the attention of students, share
what we have learned about
their importance in achieving
success and work with students
on ways to develop these traits
more fully, said special edu-
cation teacher Linda Glixon.
The idea was brought to the
administration by several teach-
ers, including Woolley and Glix-
on, who formed the Character
Committee. Committee members
held book clubs for the staff on
How Children Succeed by Paul
Tough, which sheds light on the
importance of concepts such as
grit, curiosity and self-control
in the development and success
of students. After group dis-
cussions that spanned several
months, the Character Commit-
tee formed the idea for advisory
periods, building off the thesis
presented in the book. The re-
search is strong on their effec-
tiveness, so the end goal is to de-
velop the best format and content
for Sherwood, said Woolley.
Jack Armstrong 15
4
The WarriorIssues of Race
June 5, 2014
Widening Academic Achievement
Gap Generates Public Response
by Kira Yates 16
A report from Montgomery
Countys Offce of Legislative
Oversight (OLO) released on
April 8 highlights MCPSs wid-
ening achievement gap, prompt-
ing Superintendent Joshua Starr
to address the report after the
issue received a lot of media at-
tention, including coverage in the
Washington Post.
On April 27, the Minority
Scholars Program, currently im-
plemented in 10 high schools,
marched into downtown Rock-
ville to protest the MCPS widen-
ing achievement gap.
The OLO report broke down
MCPS high schools into two
categories. The frst is consor-
tia and consortia-like schools,
which are high-poverty schools.
The Northeast Consortium con-
sists of Blake, Paint Branch and
Springbrook, while the Down-
county Consortium includes
Blair, Northwood, Kennedy, Ein-
stein and Wheaton. The consor-
tia-like schools are Gaithersburg,
Watkins Mill and Seneca Valley.
The other category, including
non-consortia schools such as
Damascus and Wootton, is con-
sidered low-poverty.
The report highlighted two
main issues the county should
focus on the most. The frst is-
sue was integrating Montgomery
Countys high schools. One ta-
ble provided in the report shows
the distribution of high school
students by race. White enroll-
ment in 2013 in consortia and
consortia like schools was only
19.7 percent, but was 80.3 per-
cent in non-consortia schools. In
the same year, Black enrollment
in consortia and consortia-like
high schools was 64.3 percent
and only 37.5 percent in non-con-
sortia schools. The report con-
cluded, These fnding suggest
that MCPS high-poverty and
low-poverty high schools are in-
creasingly becoming segregated
by race and ethnicity.
The second main issue ad-
dressed in the report is the need
to narrow the achievement gap
between low and high poverty
schools. According to the re-
ports Trends in the MCPS High
School Achievement Gap, only
34.7 percent of students who take
an AP exam in a consortia or con-
sortia-like school receive a grade
of three or higher. In non-consor-
tia schools, however, 62.6 percent
of students who take an AP exam
score a three or higher. This 27.9
percent difference led to the con-
clusion that these stark differ-
ences in performance by school
type suggest stark differences in
the high school experiences of
students by school type.
In a letter responding to
the OLO report, Starr defend-
ed MCPS stating, We do not
take any issue with the facts as
presented in the report, but we
have strong reservations that the
overall fndings and outcomes
presented in the follow-up re-
port lack proper context. Starr
then offered some context that he
felt would have more fairly por-
trayed the information such as
the uneven distribution of wealth
throughout Montgomery County
and the limited geographic area
of consortia high schools.
Perspectives
It is nearly impossible to ignore the fact that when it comes to col-
lecting data on education, our federal, state and county governments
have an infatuation with looking at the differences in achievement
amongst races. Our government has seemingly come to the conclu-
sion that reporting data on the achievement gap will allow us to
mend the statistical differences between students of different eth-
nicities, but the reports are seemingly doing more harm than good.
In the American culture, speed and productivity is highly val-
ued, creating an extensive desire for fast and easy fxes to prob-
lems. In the world of data collection, the nation needed a way to
fnd which type of student struggles the most in school, so we began
categorizing students by race a factor that is fairly easy to deter-
mine from person to person.
In Maryland, state regulation calls for a school assessment ev-
ery fve years that includes fndings based on an analysis of de-
segregated data related to student achievement. As a result, every
school in Montgomery County posts public reports that document
the performance status of their students divided up into the cate-
gories Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino,
White, and Two or More Races.
Although these divisions provide an easier way for schools to
break down their student population, they fail to provide substantial
information to the school regarding where the gap in achievement
truly lies.
The difference in academic achievement amongst students is
not a matter of skin color saying that the color of ones skin affects
his or her ability to do well in school is just as logical as saying that
the color of ones shirt affects his or her ability to jump high but it
is a matter of opportunity and family background. Those who have
access to more resources (including food, transportation, internet
access, time, access to good schools, etc.) are more likely to pass
with honors, and those who have more family stressors (including
unemployment, low income, interpersonal violence in the home and
lack of a support system) tend to have a more diffcult time perform-
ing well in school.
It is counterproductive to focus on race as the primary discrim-
inator when looking at academic achievement. With research em-
phasizing that Black or African American students and Hispanic/
Latino students are generally not as successful in school, they are
creating a negative stereotype of the two groups and likely feelings
of inferiority within the groups. These feelings of inadequacy often
lead to self-fulflling prophecy, ideas that become reality simply be-
cause someone believes them, and perpetuate the existence of the
achievement gap.
To collect more substantial data that will give us a look at who
needs the most support in MCPS, it is pertinent that we look past
differences in skin color. There is no doubt that fnding a way to
collect more valuable data, such as that based off of socio-economic
indicators, in a respectful way is going to be diffcult, but it is time
that MCPS accepts the challenge and faces it head-on. Not only will
it help close the overemphasized achievement gap, but more impor-
tantly, improve the quality of education that each student receives.
Data Concerning Race
Renders Itself Useless
by Julia Gajewski-Nemes 15
The WarriorIssues of Race
June 5, 2014
5
Minority Scholars Program Seeks Change
by Ashley Nnabue 16
The Minority Scholars Pro-
gram (MSP) coordinated a march
to the Montgomery County court-
house in Rockville on April 27
in order to raise further aware-
ness about the disparities among
white, Asian, black and Hispanic
students. The student-led event
was intended to push MCPS
offcials to visibly address the
achievement gap, especially
since the data seems to be a di-
rect result of de facto racial and
socioeconomic segregation in
MCPS, according to a recent
report by One Montgomery.
Michael Williams, a social
studies teacher at Walter Johnson,
frst initiated MSP eight years
ago to encourage young minority
students to enroll in Honors and
AP classes. Over time, the pro-
gram has shifted at Walter John-
son from MSP to the Minority
Scholars Leadership Program
(MSLP). When we started this
thing, the students took it and ran
with it because they believed in
the mission. They wanted to see
change, explained Williams.
The program recruits stu-
dents who are interested in mak-
ing a difference within their ac-
ademic atmosphere, according
to Williams. Those students fnd
friends and individuals who also
may be eager in achieving the
same goal. By doing this, they
can create a support group for
each other during this process and
hopefully receive further encour-
agement from teachers. Not only
do the students have support from
individuals within their respec-
tive schools, but they also have
a network at other schools that
participate in MSLP. The vari-
ous branches of support provide
more ideas for the program to be
successful and increase the tac-
tics for effcient implementation.
So far, MSP has spread to
ten high schools in Montgomery
County. Sherwood has yet to par-
ticipate in the program, though
Williams has reached out to the
school regarding this program.
I would love if the Minority
Scholars Program were here. I
am willing to work with students
interested; [however,] it works
best when motivated by students
wanting to make it happen, said
Assistant Principal James Allrich.
Allrich is aware of the
achievement gap at Sherwood,
noting that PSAT scores and
GPAs are used to determine
whether or not a student will
be successful in an AP course.
Teachers also are notifed that
they need to be conscious of
identifying a diversity of stu-
dents when making recommenda-
tions for Honors and AP courses.
Williams is hoping that there
will be a total of 15-18 schools
that have adopted the MSP/MSLP
program by next year. According
to both Williams and Allrich, it is
important to realize that students
should have a voice in the con-
tinued growth and success of the
program. Adults should do a lot,
but they need to support the stu-
dents in taking leadership roles.
Ripped from the Headlines
-Ryan Deal 16
Ole Miss Frat Closes in Wake of Mere-
dith Statue Vandalism (April 17): Ole
Miss University students recently caught signif-
icant backlash after a statue of James Meredith,
the frst black student admitted in the university,
was vandalized with a noose around its neck.
Sigma Phi Epsilon, the nationally recognized
fraternity responsible for the vandalism, closed
on the campus after protests expressed mass
outrage. Ole Miss apologized for the incident.
Clippers Owner Banned for Life (April 25): In
April, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was
recorded making racist comments regarding blacks to his
girlfriend V. Stiviano. Sterling was caught saying, among
other things, that he does not want blacks coming to Clip-
pers games. After massive outrage from both players and
fans, Commissioner Adam Silver punished Sterling by
banning him from the NBA for life and fning him $2.5
million.
Affrmative Action Dealt Big Blow by Su-
preme Court (April 22): The United States
Supreme Court recently made a ruling in the
case Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affrma-
tive Action, stating that the ability of college
universities to use the race of the applicants as
a consideration for admission is prohibited. In a
6-2 ruling, the court approved this Michigan law,
which may lead to more states ending affrma-
tive action policies for college education.
Subbans Goal Sparks Racist Response (May
1): PK Subban, a black defense man for the Montreal
Canadiens, scored a goal in double overtime to give the
team a 4-3 win in their playoff game against the Boston
Bruins. Shortly after the goal, racist tweets fooded social
networks from angry Bruins fans. This response was so
large to the point that one of the offensive terms trended
on Twitter in the Boston area. The Bruins organization
quickly apologized for the response.
New Hampshire Police Chief Battles Resignation
Cries (May 15): Robert Copeland, an 82-year old Po-
lice Chief for the town of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire,
resigned after he was overheard calling President Obama
the N-word at a restaurant. In an email to fellow po-
licemen, Copeland backed his stance, stating that Obama
meets and exceeds my criteria for [calling someone the
N-word]. The town, which includes former Presidential
Candidate Mitt Romney, as a frequent vacationer, has
loudly voiced their disapproval of Copeland.
Bundys Blunder (April 23): Cliven Bundy,
a 67-year old cattle rancher from Nevada, went
from being a Republican Party hero to a pariah
in a span of a month due to his racist comments.
Bundy, who stated in a recent interview that
he felt that blacks might just be better off as
slaves, picking cotton, has watched his popu-
larity in conservative circles decline rapidly.
Race in the United States has been a pressing issue in the past
few decades. Some minority-only scholarships in American high
schools and colleges have faced a huge storm of controversy for
excluding white students from fnancial aid opportunities, but the
criticism fung at these scholarships is misguided and undue.
Those who oppose race-based scholarships argue that any
preference on the basis of ethnicity is unfair, as it gives people ad-
vantages over other students based on something completely out
of their control. A white high school student may be denied cer-
tain opportunities of fnancial and social gain simply because he is
not black, latino or another minority. But opponents of race-based
scholarships fail to consider that being a minority in the United
States comes with many disadvantages of its own that have not
been thoroughly addressed.
We cannot suddenly live in a colorblind society when real rac-
ism was being incorporated into the law less than 50 years ago, and
when remnants of those laws still impact minorities today. Recent
data released by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that while
13 percent of whites live in poverty in the United States, about 35
and 33 percent of blacks and latinos, respectively, live in poverty.
Areas with major concentrations of poverty lack essential means for
healthy life and tend to lack adequate educational resources as well,
such as rigorous courses and skilled teachers. When fnancial stand-
ings and therefore quality of life differ by such a huge amount,
scholastic scholarships that support underprivileged groups on the
basis of race are justifed.
In addition to hardships in the economic sphere, young minori-
ties in America tend to face social modes of hardship, as discrim-
ination in Americas disciplinary systems is very prevalent. Even
overlooking the strong sentiment of police and judicial discrimi-
nation against minorities, recent NBC News data collected from
over 72,000 schools in the U.S. indicates that African-American
students are [three to three-and-a-half] times more likely to be sus-
pended or expelled than their white peers [for similar actions, and]
70 percent of students arrested or referred to law enforcement for
disciplinary infractions are black or Latino. With unfair proceed-
ings taking place even within schools, race-restricted scholarships
are one way to motivate minorities who tend to lack interest or
comfort in their academics and educational environments.
With so many more obstacles for minority youth to face, mi-
nority-only scholarships are appropriate and fair. They limit the
number of contenders on the basis of race in order to reveal po-
tential in minority students and to encourage deprived groups to
reach for higher goals with what little they have, so they can one
day compete with students who have more comfortable lives. As a
young black male in America, I feel that there would be less confict
and disagreement over this issue and racial issues in general if
more people had the ability to empathize with those less well-off.
Instead of angrily thinking, Why should scholarship money be
specifcally allocated to minority students? one should think, and
try to answer the question, Why are there giant discrepancies be-
tween minorities and white Americans in education, incarceration,
employment and everyday life?
Disparities Justify Race
Restricted Scholarships
by Betselot Wondimu 15
Perspectives
All Races
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
Mixed
Race
Percent of 2013
Graduates who
Took an AP Exam
2013 Graduates who
scored 3 or higher
on an AP Exam
MCPS Sherwood MCPS Sherwood
67.3%
85.6%
39.6%
51.6%
80.5%
76.9%
70.1%
90.7%
38.6%
62.1%
74.7%
73.9%
51.4%
70.0%
22.1%
35.8%
68.8%
62.5%
55.6%
66.7%
31.4%
46.6%
60.0%
60.9%
The WarriorFeatures
6 June 5, 2014
by Leo Corman 15
Matthew Parsons is a health
teacher and track coach at Sher-
wood. Parsons attended college
in Frostburg, Maryland. After
teaching one semester at a middle
school last year, Parsons entered
the big leagues at the beginning
of this school year. The Warrior
sat down with Parsons and asked
him how his frst full year of
teaching went.
Why did you decide to become a
teacher?
I really like helping others, and
I think that teachers can be role
models and infuence kids to be
better people. I want my students
to ultimately make better deci-
sions. Kids want to make stupid
decisions, thats part of being
young. My main goal is to limit
how many stupid decisions kids
make.
What has been the greatest chal-
lenge for you so far this year?
I think that the greatest chal-
lenge, since its health class, is to
fnd the balance where everyone
gets involved and we have good
discussions in class about seri-
ous issues, but without the kids
feeling too comfortable to where
they can just talk and not listen. I
have to hold the kids to high ex-
pectations, or theyll try to take
advantage of me because Im
a young teacher. In track there
are kids who like to see how far
they can push me. Teaching is
the same way as coaching in that
kids will test me to see what they
can get away with.
In what ways is being relatively
close in age to your students a
positive and/or a negative?
I feel that the kids are close
enough in age that I can semi-re-
late to them, and in class theyre
pretty open and that leads to good
discussions. Since were talking
about health and issues in their
lives, Ive been there before, Ive
seen kids get in a lot of trouble.
I tell them about my friends and
the things they did wrong, things
to try to avoid. I went through all
the same things that theyre going
through now. But theres also a
point where I think Im so close
to the kids age that theyre a little
too comfortable in the things they
say.
What have you learned so far
about yourself and about teach-
ing?
Im preaching to kids about not
doing drugs, not drinking, ab-
staining from sexual activities or
at least being responsible, and it
would be nave to think that ev-
ery kid is going to listen to those
things. For the most part, though,
I think they do understand the
big picture and why they need
to make responsible decisions.
Maybe I am being nave, but I
dont really want to change. Im
very optimistic, and I want to be-
lieve that kids will listen to a few
of the things I say and become
better people.
What is one piece of advice that
you have for students?
Think about the consequences
before you do something. Dont
make rash decisions without
thinking about the consequences
of your actions. You might make
a decision now that may not be
the most fun decision in the short
term, but it could have big con-
sequences if you make the wrong
decision.
Abnormal Psych Class Offered
Parsons Continues to Learn
From First Year Teaching
by Meagan Barrett 15
As summer slowly ap-
proaches, the teenage stupidity
hormones are practically palpa-
ble in the air. Everyones pre-
paring for the big party theyre
going to have while their par-
ents are away or skateboarding
off the roof or doing parkour
off the neighbors fence, basi-
cally, anything that will likely
end in negative consequences
that were clearly evident be-
forehand.
Unfortunately, it is a com-
mon occurrence for teenagers
to do something incredibly
stupid, even though they can
list out the reasons why they
shouldnt. While society likes
to blame it on teenagers simply
being irresponsible and imma-
ture, recent research shows that
teenagers, more than any other
demographic, may have a le-
gitimate, biological excuse to
commit acts which they clear-
ly shouldnt have in the frst
place.
Molly Edmonds of How-
StuffWorks.com compares the
teenage brain to an entertain-
ment center that hasnt been
fully hooked up. There are
loose wires, so that the speak-
er system isnt working with
the DVD player, which in turn
hasnt been formatted to work
with the television yet. Yes,
thats your teenage brain shes
talking about.
In most mature adult brains,
the prefrontal cortex, a region of
the frontal cortex of the brain,
does all of the decision making
it weighs outcomes, considers
options and controls impuls-
es and emotions. It also helps
people understand one another.
The prefrontal cortex communi-
cates with the rest of the brain
through synapses, or the wires.
These account for the transfer
of any information throughout
the brain, such as when you feel
hungry, see images on the tele-
vision or touch a fuzzy pillow.
During adolescence, the
brain undergoes a process
called pruning, which basical-
ly consists of getting rid of the
synapses that are no longer use-
ful. Contrary to what one would
think, this process begins in the
back of the brain and works
forward. As a result, the frontal
cortex of the brain is left with
a surplus of synapses for the
longest period of time say, up
into your early twenties.
In opposition to the under-
developed prefrontal cortex,
a different part of the brain
does develop early on in ado-
lescence, known as the nucleus
accumbens. When tested, this
section of the brain in teenag-
ers was found to be very reac-
tive towards large and medium
rewards, and barely react when
presented with a small reward.
As one can imagine, hav-
ing a strong desire for reward
with little ability to analyze
risk and judge consequence of-
ten goes awry, and chances are,
it isnt entirely your fault
it just mostly is. So next time
your mother demands to know
why you let a friend come over
while she wasnt home, which
resulted in a broken TV, just
tell her your prefrontal cortex
told you to do it. Its not an ex-
cuse, its just science.
Abnormal Psychology is not
the frst class that has been of-
fered to students to take through
Montgomery College, but it is
one of the most interesting. For
the frst time, Abnormal Psychol-
ogy will now be offered to Sher-
wood students.
Although even the name of
the course is intriguing, there are
requirements students must meet
in order to enroll. The pre-req-
uisite [to taking Abnormal Psy-
chology] is passing the AP Psy-
chology exam with a score of 4
or better, explained counselor
Lesia Perkins. In addition, stu-
dents must also have a GPA of
2.75, and have SAT scores of 550
for reading and 550 for writing.
Meeting these basic require-
ments will be worth the hard
work if one is interested in mi-
noring or majoring in psychology
for a career. Im super excited
for the class, said junior Jacky
Mueck. I cant wait to learn
about anything and everything
because it is so fascinating. From
mental disorders to serial killers,
Im game. [Psychology] is one of
the majors Im considering, and I
plan on minoring in it if I decide
to become a teacher.
A bonus to this specialized
class is that approximately 15 stu-
dents have signed up for it. There-
fore, the students will be able to
acquire individual help with the
professor that Montgomery Col-
lege selects to teach the course.
AP Psychology teacher
Christine McKeldin says that
while psychology focuses on top-
ics such as the biological basis of
behavior, human development,
perception, learning, mental dis-
orders and social behavior, Ab-
normal Psychology offers more
of an understanding of behavior
disorders and insight into the per-
sonality of a disturbed person.
Symptoms, contributing factors,
treatment, diagnosis and classif-
cation of the mentally ill and the
mentally defective, as well as the
maladjusted person, will be stud-
ied, said McKeldin.
The class will discuss roles
of members of the mental health
team in the prevention, analysis
and rehabilitation of disturbed in-
dividuals. I think the class will
be extremely engaging and will
give those who really enjoyed the
AP course a chance to dive deep-
er into the material. It will also
be benefcial for those who plan
on majoring in a psych-related
feld, said McKeldin.
by Haley Whitt 15
The Psychology of the Teenage Brain
Haley Whitt 15
Matthew Parsons explains material in health class during a lecture.
illustration by Helen Schmitt 15
The WarriorFeatures
June 5, 2014
7
Shining a Light on the Risks of a Summer Tan
by Kaleigh Homer 15
On an average day in the
United States, more than one mil-
lion people tan in tanning salons.
35 percent of American adults, 59
percent of college students and
seventeen percent of teens have
reported using a tanning bed in
their lifetime. Tanning indoors
and outdoors are both dangerous.
About 76,100 new cases of mela-
nomas will be diagnosed per year
(about 43,890 in men and 32,210
in women). About 9,710 people
are expected to die of melanoma
every year (about 6,470 men and
3,240 women).
I like to tan outside because
it is more effective than indoor
tanning in my opinion. I know
that it is bad for me but tanning
makes me look prettier; I dont
want to look like a ghost. Id
rather be tan now and then have
problems later, said freshman
Rachel Calderon.
This large number of people,
many of them teen and young
adults, are tanning despite the
well-known risks. When tanning
outdoors one can get the same
sunrays as from tanning indoors,
which are UVA and UVB rays.
The signifcant differences be-
tween the two types of rays are
related to their wavelengths, but
both cause damage to the skin.
While the longer UVA rays pen-
etrate the skin deeper, they also
break down collagen and elastic
tissue and generate free radicals
and oxidative damage. The short-
er UVB rays cannot reach this
deep, but they cause mutations in
the DNA of skin cells in the high-
er layers of skin and cause sun-
burns.
The difference between tan-
ning indoor and outdoor is that
tanning beds emit UVA rays. The
high-pressure bulbs used in tan-
ning salons emit doses of UVA as
much as 12 times that of the sun.
Not surprisingly, people who use
tanning salons are 2.5 times more
likely to develop squamous cell
carcinoma, and 1.5 times more
likely to develop basal cell car-
cinoma. According to recent re-
search, frst exposure to tanning
beds in youth increases melano-
ma risk by 75 percent.
Sunlamps and tanning beds
promise consumers a bronzed
body year-round, but the ultra-
violet (UV) radiation from these
devices poses serious health risks.
Exposure to UV radiation
whether from the sun or from ar-
tifcial sources such as sunlamps
used in tanning bedsincreases
the risk of developing skin can-
cer, according to the National
Cancer Institute (NCI). Melano-
ma is linked to getting severe sun-
burns, especially at a young age.
Even though I know tanning
is dangerous it relaxes me and I
like the way it feels. It also releas-
es a lot of tension and anger. The
tanning bed can be addicting [but]
it is so relaxing, said junior Ni-
cole Dando.
Those in the indoor tanning
business believe that tanning can
be benefcial in small increments
and more sporadically rather than
very often. If people who tan are
smart with their tanning, they will
have a healthy glow. It is well
known that indoor tanning can
cause cancer so if a person choos-
es to expose their skin to the sun,
I recommend seeing a dermatol-
ogist to make sure there are not
any premature cancerous spots
forming on your skin, said Alex
Fennington, a manager at Solar
Planet in Olney.
Cyber Security Attacks Highlight
Need To Protect Personal Data
by Ankur Kayastha 15
The University of Maryland
at College Park became a tar-
get of a cyber-security threat on
February 19 and nearly 300,000
personal student and faculty re-
cords were compromised. The
records that had been breached
by a sophisticated computer virus
contained names, social security
numbers, dates of birth and uni-
versity identifcation numbers. To
compensate for the data breach,
the University of Maryland of-
fered free credit and identity theft
protection for one year to all af-
fected persons. The IT Division
at the university became strength-
ened with even more protocols
and security procedures than be-
fore, but it only takes one breach
to reveal crucial, sensitive infor-
mation.
Aside from large institutions
like these, teenagers are also at
risk from online threats. Rather
than relying on cash and coinage,
many teens have transitioned to
the easy and effcient credit/deb-
it card system. Since many teens
are driving, they have to have a
suitable way to pay for gas rath-
er than paying cash at the pump
each time. Obviously, it seems
to hold true that it is more desir-
able to carry a plastic card than a
wad of cash. With credit and deb-
it cards, it is more convenient to
shop online and buy items with a
simple click of a button. But with
this switch to online bill paying,
some negative consequences may
result.
Whenever someone creates
a new account, be it social media
or any other kind, he/she may not
consider the possibility of having
information intercepted and sto-
len. Many teenagers may not see
the danger in not double-check-
ing the information they place
into accounts, especially fnancial
and identifcation information.
This is a problem as cyber secu-
rity breaches are a plausible out-
come. In fact, one particular virus
known as the Heartbleed Virus
recently has weaved its way
through multiple cyber security
defenses to expose the informa-
tion of many people.
The recent cyber securi-
ty breaches at the University of
Maryland, similar to the high-
ly publicized attack on Target
stores, were caused by various
cyber security attacks, including
worms and bugs. The Heartbleed
Virus wormed its way through
multiple defenses to affect many
social media sites as well, includ-
ing Facebook, Twitter and Insta-
gram. Cyber security has become
an important subject for many
accredited institutions, mainly
due to more sophisticated attacks
that have been occurring recently.
cartoon by Helen Schmitt 15
However, it is also up to internet
users to take responsibility for
the information they dish out. It
is better to be skeptical about the
information you provide rather
than to have this sensitive infor-
mation stolen from you. Accord-
ing to the National Childrens
Advocacy Center, it is imperative
to remain protected online, es-
pecially for children. Around 93
percent of teenagers in the United
States have some sort of access
to the internet. This percentage
are certainly at risk of becoming
a victim of a sophisticated cy-
ber-attack. Many cyber-attacks
are pinpointed toward the youth
in society due to their vulnerabil-
ity, innocence and lack of knowl-
edge of internet safety. The or-
ganization provides ways to stay
safe when surfng online, perhaps
by not sharing online passwords,
using privacy settings of social
networks, researching institutions
before placing any vital informa-
tion and more.
Identity theft has become
prevalent as many hackers at-
tempt to steal identity rather than
any fnancial asset. Internet safe-
ty has become an important issue
in todays society. In the case of
teenagers, their logged informa-
tion may be hijacked or intercept-
ed at any point, so it is crucial for
them to know how to remain safe
online.
The WarriorFeatures
8 June 5, 2014
Some Still Texting While Driving Despite the Dangers
by Samantha Schwartz 16
Five seconds is the mini-
mum amount of time a drivers
attention is taken away from the
road when sending a text mes-
sage while driving. When driving
55 mph, those fve seconds are
equivalent to driving the length
of a football feld without looking
at the road.
Distracted driving is an in-
credibly dangerous activity. Ac-
cording to the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention website
states that each day in the Unit-
ed States, more than 9 people are
killed and more than 1,060 peo-
ple are injured in crashes that are
reported to involve a distracted
driver.
Maryland has two primary
laws prohibiting handheld devic-
es and texting usage while driv-
ing. One bans the usage of hand-
held devices and cell phones for
all drivers and the other bans tex-
ting for all drivers. New teen driv-
ers are required to take drivers
education so they become well
aware of these laws. However, in
a survey by The Warrior, many
students admitted to breaking
these laws as they use their phone
in some way while driving. One
Sherwood student, wanting to re-
main anonymous, stated that its
safe to talk on the phone as long
as you have a Bluetooth and can
truly multitask.
Though some students ex-
press confdence in using tech-
nology while driving, a signif-
cant portion of students reported
on the survey that they do not
think it safe to use their phones
while driving. When texting you
are distracted and you could get
into a crash and potentially hurt
yourself or someone else, said
junior Morgan Henry on the sur-
vey.
Junior Sophie Mezebish
believes that a driver can still
be safe as long as he or she still
concentrates on driving. You
still can pay full attention to the
Do you talk
on the phone
while
driving?
43% YES
57% NO
Do you feel
safe to talk on
the phone while
driving?
33% YES
67% NO
Do you ever
glance at
your phone
while
driving?
55% YES
45% NO
How often do you
text and drive?
3% OftEN
12% OccaSiONallY
39% ONlY whEN thE
vEhiclE iS StOppEd
44% NEvEr
2% OthEr
35% NExt tO YOu
2% iN a cOmpartmENt
42% iN YOur lap
21% OthEr
Where do you
keep your phone
while youre
drving?
road as long as the conversation
is short, said Mezebish.
While many students take the
risk, a large number of Sherwood
students obey the rules of the
road by not texting or talking on
the phone while driving. Using
your phone leads to distractions
which unfortunately leads to ac-
cidents, noted junior Caitlin Ro-
meo on her survey.
The number of people killed
in distraction-affected crashes
was 3,328 in 2012. An estimat-
ed 421,000 people were injured
in motor vehicle crashes involv-
ing a distracted driver. This was
a nine-percent increase from the
estimated 387,000 people injured
in 2011.
The results of the student
survey and the published data
seem to indicate a disconnect be-
tween the law and some student
beliefs regarding the risks relat-
ed to cell phone use while driv-
ing. Many organizations want to
spread awareness of the dangers
of distracted driving, including
National Organizations for Youth
Safety (NOYS). The Federal
Communication Commissions
website stated [NOYS is] a co-
alition of national organizations,
business and industry leaders,
and federal partners that focus on
youth health and safety and fur-
ther elaborated on their mission
against distracted driving.
96 students surveyed
The WarriorHumor
June 5, 2014
9
Summertime Adventures
Failing To Make the
Most Out of Summer
by Stacey Wells 15
Throughout history, summer
has marked a period of growth,
adventure and excitement for
teens. Young adults have the
power to choose their own daily
schedules and do all those things
they never had time for during the
school year. Teenagers are ecstat-
ic when they hear the bell ring for
summer; they are ready to have
adventures and create memories.
One student intent on creat-
ing memories is sophomore An-
gela Rose.
I cant wait
for summer!
I have so
many awe-
some things
p l a n n e d ,
like spend-
ing a day
outside hiking with friends
and lifeguarding at the com-
munity pool, said Rose.
Other students also have
exciting adventures planned
for the summer. I plan to
volunteer overseas and real-
ly make a difference in the
world, said junior Sophia Kay.
Students leave school with
the best summer plans ever. Yet
for some mysterious reason, the
majority of plans dont work out.
I meant to hang out-
side with my friends and get
that job, said Rose, I just
never really got around to it.
I was busy on my phone.
Kay seemed to have faced a
similar issue. I needed to play
Call of Duty, she declared. It
was more important than mak-
ing a real difference in the world.
My call of duty is the TV.
This so-called lackadaisical
attitude in teenagers has been
sweeping across the nation. Ad-
o l e s c e n t s
leave school
flled to the
brim with
e n t i c i n g
endeavors,
yet sum-
mer never
seems to
live up to their expectations.
Experts are perplexed as to
what might be causing this phe-
nomenon. Multiple studies have
ensued and some think that the
unfulflled plans are the result of
extreme teenage apathy. Others
suspect that the mass number of
cell phones and other electron-
ics might be behind this large
number of teens who fail to go
through with their summer plans.
A Crazy Approach to
School-Free Activities
by Emma Izzo 15
Sophomore Dave Turner is
always up for thrills, living life on
the edge. He regularly stays up af-
ter 10 p.m., even sneaking out of
his house on occasion. One never
can tell what Turner will risk next.
The other day I did some-
thing so bad, like really bad.
While my parents were out of
the house I watched an R-rated
movie, and they never even had
an inkling of what I did, Turner
recounted. I even did it right un-
der their noses. I snuck it out of
the movie rack in the den while
my mom was doing the dish-
es, then waited for them to go
to bed. They could have caught
me. Im only 16, you know.
Another sneaky think he does
is drink milk right out of the plas-
tic gallon in the fridge. Luckily
he has not been caught yet, and
his sister is the only other person
who drinks milk in the family.
But sometimes I wait till I hear
her just around the corner coming
into the kitchen, before I ease the
jug back on the fridge shelf all
calm and cool-like, said Turner.
When hes not sneaking be-
hind his parents back, Turner
is seeking other types of thrills.
The other day he got on the back
of a motorcycle and lived to tell
the tale. Whoah, that was cool!
What a rush! I held on for dear life
and leaned into the curves. One
day Im going to ride one on my
own! Bet you dont know anyone
at Sherwood whos done that!
Turner loves to brags how he
is so bad and does numerous thrill-
ing and risky activities. The other
day he held the steering wheel
while his dad was driving in their
neighborhood. Turner does not
have a drivers license. He never
does his homework. Instead he
stays for hours on his tablet and
watches Netfix and plays violent
games. He eats only junk food
when he gets home from school.
When most students are
watching their sugar intake,
avoiding McDonalds and eat-
ing healthy locally grown organ-
ic produce, Turner is a real food
rebel. Hey, my breakfast is a
Twinkies and a Diet Coke. Its all
about the chemicals, man. Take
a look at the long list of ingredi-
ents with names no one can pro-
nounce. Im taking my life in my
hands. Turner said in between
bites of Sour Patch Kids. Hey, if
youre up for a thrill, I am your
dude.
I meant to hang outside with
my friends and get that job. I
just never really got around to
it. I was busy on my phone.
~Sophomore Angela Rose
Navigating the
Crowded Halls
of Sherwood
by Leo Corman 15
cartoon by Helen Schmitt 15
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
USE CAUTION
OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT
WALK DEFENSIVELY
PROPERLY SECURE CARGO
USE DISCRETION
TRAVEL SOBER
Maneuvering through Sher-
woods hallways is diffcult for
even the most experienced of
students. Walking between class-
es can feel like fghting through
a dense maze of backpacks and
fesh. Fortunately, after studying
the issue for the past year, I have
some tips to help you get around
Sherwood safely.
Talking on the phone or texting
while walking might not seem
like a big deal, but it can really
impair your focus and coordina-
tion. If you truly cant wait, pull
over to the side in a way that does
not obstruct traffc and proceed to
talk or type away.
When changing lanes or turning,
make frequent head checks be-
fore merging and wait for a safe
opening before turning across
traffc. Make sure no one is com-
ing in the other lane before pass-
ing someone. Be especially care-
ful at busy intersections.
Speeding endangers not only
your own safety but that of every-
one around you. There is no need
to rush youre better off safe
than sorry.
You have to always be ready for
the crazy things that other people
will do in the hallway, so main-
tain a safe following distance
and keep your eyes up. You need
to be aware of everything going
on around you, including teach-
ers with carts, abnormally large
backpacks and bathroom get-to-
gethers.
Your backpack should be zipped
tightly and your textbooks and
binders tucked frmly under your
arm. The last thing you want is for
your papers to end up scattered all
over the foor.
When attempting to dap another
student up if they are traveling in
the opposite direction, you must
factor in your speed and his or
her speed, and watch out for other
students walking in between. Do
NOT attempt the dap if it is too
dangerous.
Last but certainly not least, nev-
er travel under the infuence of
drugs or alcohol. Staying safe in
the halls depends on split-second
decisions that require your full
physical, mental and emotional
attention. Remember, youre no
punk, so dont walk drunk (cour-
tesy of National Hallway Traffc
Safety Administration).
F
a
n
s

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x
c
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t
e
d

t
o

c
h
eer
o
n

t
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t
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s
W
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D
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C
Te World Cup, much like the
Olympics, is one of the few events in the world
that can successfully bring so many countries together. Te
event evokes a feeling of national pride and brings out many peoples
patriotism. Tis is one of the few chances for ESOL students, a minority at
Sherwood, to display their national pride and show support for their country. It is
the most watched sporting event in the world, and naturally some Sherwood students
follow it closely.
For students like junior Obed Matute, the World Cup has been an event they have watched
all their life. He says ever since he can remember, he has watched the World Cup every four years.
He says that he supports his country, Honduras, but the main reason he watches is that he and his family
just love soccer.
For junior Naod Abrha, the World Cup is about seeing which of the best teams will win. He says he watch-
es and cheers for Spain, England, Ivory Coast and Cameroon even though he is a Haitian native. Since his coun-
try did not make it into the World Cup, he cheers for other squads and naturally chooses ones that have a realistic
shot at winning.
If my country does not make it into the World Cup, why would I cheer for a bad team in it? My country
already was not good enough at soccer to win it, so I decided Im going to cheer for teams that have a real chance to
win it, said Abrha.
Senior David Zavala believes that if a students native country did not make it then they should try to cheer
for a country from the same region. He says that he would cheer for South American teams if his native country of El
Salvador did not make it. Afer El Salvador, he is a fan of teams like Chile and Argentina since they are representing
South America in the tournament.
Believe it or not, the World Cup is pretty popular in the United States, too. While it is no secret that the soc-
cer leagues in America do not draw in the same number of viewers as the NFL or the NBA, the World Cup still
brings out a lot of Americans inner soccer fan.
Te World Cup is my favorite sporting event since I love Soccer. I love it more than the Super Bowl and
all the other American sporting events. I even love it more than the Olympics. I hope Ill see Team USA
hoist up a trophy in my lifetime, said junior Ethan Carrey.
Te World Cup brings a lot of people together from diferent backgrounds to watch their coun-
tries win. Te Sherwood community experiences this as students from all around the world
display their pride for their native countries. Te sheer number of countries involved
helps unite the world for a month every four years so people can watch countries
strive for the one and only cup.
Rio Cleans Up Slums
In preparation for the 2014 World Cup games, the Brazilian govern-
ment has stepped up to clean up the notorious favelas of Rio de Janerio
and other Brazilian cities. Favelas slum neighborhoods that provide
homes for millions of Brazilian residents have long been a source of
controversy among governmental offcials who have pushed for their re-
moval. However, these favelas have become strong knit communities
and are often the only source of shelter for those in poverty. This tension
between the needing of a cleanup in cities and keeping the needs of those
living in these areas intact is only further highlighted as Brazil organizes
the upcoming World Cup.
With more than 13 billion (in dollars) for World Cup construction
and revitalization of city substructure, the governments in Brazil have
begun major renovations. With such world attention focused on Rio and
its surrounding areas, Brazil feels there is a drive to cleanup in order
to make room for not only athletic spaces, but for the infux of tourists
coming to watch the games.
1.5 million Brazilians have already been evicted from favelas across
the country and over 260,000 households have been demolished in the
push for increased urbanization and infrastructure in Brazils most pop-
ulated cities. Although many offcials believe that these efforts will help
poor communities gain a better standard of living, many favela residents
disagree.
Among evicted favela residents its not uncommon to fnd those who
have resorted to residing on the streets after the government has failed to effciently
organize new living spaces for them. Many argue that by breaking up these commu-
nities, crime rates and homelessness will soar and will continue to do so until the
government can suffciently provide housing for its poorest citizens.
Another complaint is that these evictions have come during a period when peo-
ple have had little to no time to prepare for these evacuations. Both residents and
activists of favela communities say that this huge push has proved far too opaque.
Lack of communication, consultation, and dialogue between the government and the
affected communities have increased pressures on both sides, only making the tran-
sition to a more modern Brazil challenging. Although both
sides of this issue have
their own agendas and
challenges to work out,
everyone can agree that
the World Cup is fast
approaching; and de-
spite the challenges the
country now faces, one
can hope Brazil will
fnd unity on the soccer
feld as the host nation
cheers as one.
ARGENTINA
GERMANY
SPAIN
BRAZIL
BELGIUM
A Patriots View
Even the most fervent supporters of the U.S. national
team are wondering how they can advance out of the so-
called group of death that includes Germany, Portugal
and Ghana. Germany is widely considered one the very
best teams in the world and is one of the clear favorites to
win the World Cup. Portugal has possibly the best play-
er in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ghana is well
known to U.S. fans as the team that knocked the United
States out of the 2010 World Cup in the second round.
Further creating doubts is U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmanns
decision to not include Landon Donavon on the roster go-
ing to Brazil. Commentators have wondered if Klinsmann
is basically looking at the 2014 World Cup as a chance to
groom younger players for 2018.
I am taking the optimistic viewpoint that there some-
how are 23 Americans better than Donavon. If this turns
out accurate, I dont see how the U.S. team couldnt come
out of the group and advance to the next round.
Group b
Spain
Netherlands
Australia
Chile
G
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p
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B
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zil
C
roatia
C
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on
M
exico
G
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C
olom
bia
G
reece
Jap
an
Ivory C
oa
st
Group d
England
Italy
Coasta Rica
Uruguay
G
r
o
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e
F
ran
ce
Sw
itzerlan
d
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on
du
ras
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cu
ad
or
Group f
Argentina
Nigeria
Iran
Bosnia - Herzegovina
G
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erm
an
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SA
G
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an
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P
ortu
gal
Group H
Beligum
South Korea
Algeria
Russia
Te new face of American soccer is attacking midfelder
Clint Dempsey who has built a successful career in the
Barclays Premier League (BPL). Jozy Altidore, who is
also in the BPL gaining experience as a reserve, is viewed
as a bust at the club level. Tis should give Altidore the
extra boost he needs to prove the haters wrong and play
extra well in the World Cup. Ten the U.S. squad also
has a great and experienced goalkeeper in Tim Howard
who has been Evertons starting goalkeeper for years and
who was named the best goalkeeper in the 2009 Confed-
eration Cup. Te way I see things, Team USA only needs
two wins to advance from the group stage. Te must-win
match is against Ghana in the frst game. If the United
States can beat the loser of the game between Portugal
and Germany, the team will be on its way to the second
round of the World Cup. Even a tie might be enough for
the United States to be one of the top two teams to ad-
vance out of the group.
Each highlighted
team is predicted
to advance to the
second round of
the World Cup.
by Emma Hierholzer 15
by Hunter Moore 15
b
y

Z
a
c
h

S
t
u
b
b
le
f e
ld
1
5
Possibly the best ofense in the whole tournament. Leo Messi looks to lead his teamalongside
players like Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero to break down any defense and return glory to
a soccer-crazed country that last won a World Cup with Diego Maradona in 1986.
Te German side is wonderfully balanced with a great defense, a dynamic midfeld and po-
tent ofense. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marco Rues, Phillip Lahmand Mesut Ozil are amongst
the stars of a teamthat has been together for a while.
Te team is the reigning World Cup winner and has most of the same players, 18 to be
exact, including star players Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and many
others. Te 2010 squad is regarded as one of the best teams ever. With the addition of great
players like Diego Costa, Spain has a good chance to win the World Cup again.
Not only does Brazil have some of the best players in the world, like Neymar and Oscar, but they also have
home feld advantage. If Brazil can handle the pressure of performing in front of massive crowds, they could
win their sixth World Cup and frst since 2002.
Te dark horse that everyone is hearing more about as the competition nears. With a so-called golden genera-
tion of young players such as Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, the Belgians look to be the upstarts that take
down the traditional world powers in soccer.
F
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The WarriorOpinions
12 June 5, 2014
Warrior
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 36
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
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is subject to editing.
The Warrior staff invites feedback and
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The Warrior reserves the right to
refuse advertisements.
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Marie Moeller 15
Betselot Wondimu 15
Connor Loughran 15
Samantha Schwartz 16
Steven Witkin 16
Annie Feinroth 15
Allie Pino 15
Hunter Moore 15
Emma Hierholzer 15
Julia Gajewski-Nemes15
Will Van Gelder 16
Lauren Cosca 15
Ketki Chauhan 16
Ryan Deal 16
Jack Armstrong 15
Sammie Spillman 16
Brian Hughes 15
Catherine Jou 15
Ashley Nnabue 16
Stacy Wells 15
Meagan Barrett 15
Leo Corman 15
Ankur Kayastha 15
Kira Yates 16
Haley Whitt 15
Helen Schmitt 15
Kaleigh Homer 15
Dalton Sanchez 15
Zach Stubblefeld 15
Stacey Wells 15
Jack Armstrong 15
Chase Wilson 17


In Our Opinion
Staff Editorial:
Prepare Students for the
Realities of College
By the time students graduate from an MCPS
high school, they will have sat through at least
fve separate health courses, all of which teach
them the dangers of drinking and emphasize the
importance of staying sober throughout their
high school and college lives. Although these
health classes are put in place to keep students
from drinking irresponsibly, they ultimately fail
to accept the reality of underage drinking in high
school and fail to prepare students for the realities
of college.
In recent studies it was found that one in ev-
ery four women will be the victim of a sexual as-
sault during college and 80 percent of those cases
are associated with alcohol use. The correlation
between the consumption of alcohol and sexual
assault has been proven time after time, and with
the White House taking action to protect young
women from sexual assault, the issue is more
prevalent than ever before.
It is understood that MCPS does not want to
encourage illegal behavior; however, with the rise
in sexual assaults on college campuses, it is im-
portant that MCPS reevaluates high school health
class curriculum and makes a more receptive
program that recognizes the fact that nearly three
quarters of students will have consumed alcohol
by the time they are out of high school.
Instead of putting all of the focus on absti-
nence from alcohol, health classes should have a
unit in which they teach safe drinking practices.
During this time, not only would students learn
the effects of mixing different alcohols and drugs
and recieve tips on how to stay safe at parties,
but also include a day in which the body mass
index (BMI) of each student is taken and each in-
dividual is given a rough estimate as to how many
drinks he or she can consume before putting him
or herself at a serious risk. Much of the problem
lies in young people not knowing their limits and
a new curriculum would allow them to discover
that limit before it is too late.
In a new curriculum, however, it is also in-
credibly important that the students see the con-
nection between alcohol and rape on college cam-
puses. More often than not, when students think
of drinking, they do not suspect something as hor-
rifying as rape to happen to them. Seeing that 25
percent of the females in the graduating Class of
2014 will most likely be sexually assaulted within
the next four years, MCPS needs to do all that
it can to demonstrate the very real link between
heavy drinking and sexual assault. It is not going
to be easy to reduce the number of sexual assaults
on college campuses, as alcohol is only one of
the many factors involved; however, it is critical
that MCPS takes the frst step of accepting and
addressing the prevalence of underage drinking
among students before any signifcant changes
can be made.
Madison Dymond 16
Emma Izzo 15
Emily Gilburt 16
Stephen Luckey 15
Peter Huck
Content and Copy
cartoon by Emma Hierholzer 15
How can school curriculums change
to better educate students?
Is there a relationship between sexual
assaults and alcohol consumption?
The WarriorOpinions
June 5, 2014
13
Should MCPS Implement a Balanced Calendar?
From Washoe County in Nevada to the Seaford School District in Delaware, many schools are switching from a traditional calander over
to a new balanced school calender. The switch would shorten summer break and move those days into other periodic breaks during the
school year. Should Montgomery County consider making the change as well? The Warrior debates what the next move should be.
Before you get the wrong idea, adopt-
ing a balanced calendar does not mean
more days of school. Rather, a balanced
calendar focuses on evenly distributing
breaks during the school year, while the
number of school days remains the same.
A balanced calendar would help im-
prove student learning and classroom
achievement and address issues such as
summer learning loss, burnout and
stress. MCPS should look into adopting
a balanced calendar as a solution for all
schools to boost academic achievement.
The balanced calendar shortens sum-
mer break and redistributes those days
throughout the year during fall, winter and
spring breaks, each typically being 3 weeks
long. Summer break is still the longest, but
is shortened to around 4-5 weeks.
The beneft of a balanced calendar is
that it minimizes burnout because breaks
are longer and more frequent throughout
the year. The balanced calendar is also de-
signed to reduce learning loss over summer
break, so less time is spent reteaching and
more is spent on new learning. In fact, un-
der the balanced calendar, the fall semester
ends before winter break, rather than hav-
ing two more weeks of school and exams
remaining after break, such as under the
current calendar.
Washoe County Schools in Nevada
voted to implement the balanced calendar
in for the 2013-2014 school year. In a re-
port provided by Washoe County Schools,
parent and student attitudes toward the bal-
anced calendar after one year were posi-
tive, with 73.3 percent of students and 77.6
percent of parents and staff favoring the
new calendar. The school system reports
the main reason they made the jump was
to maximize student learning and achieve-
ment by shortening summer break to re-
duce learning loss and balance break time.
Feedback gathered prior to the implemen-
tation showed an interest to change the
calendar mainly because the community
requested a later start date, leading to an
investigation into the benefts of adopting
a balanced calendar.
A balanced calendar makes sense not
only because it focuses on improving stu-
dents education, but because it helps to
improve underperforming schools by re-
thinking how a school calendar is related
to achievement. It provides new winter
intercession programs for students during
winter break, replacing summer school
programs in the traditional system. Though
some remain skeptical of how such a
change would disrupt the community,
many educators argue there is a solid link
between student achievement and more
frequent breaks included in a balanced
calendar. Proof of the balanced calendars
success can be seen in numerous counties
across the nation today.
Pro Con
Profanity is Part of Life Girlfriend Slut-Shames Blame Who Deserves It
by Betselot Wondimu 15 by Marie Moeller 15 by Haley Whitt 15
Sometimes, moral sentiments get taken too far. Short-
ly before Memorial Day weekend, Ocean City Council-
woman Mary Knight organized the posting of signs read-
ing No Profanity Please along the beachs boardwalk.
Although she may feel righteous, Knights decision was
misguided, as many individuals disobeyed the message.
Knight did not consider that swearing has been embedded
within American culture to a greater extent than it had be-
fore. Its diffcult, for example, to fnd one contemporary
musician, comedian or even teenager who doesnt curse
extensively. With this being said, Ocean City is a popular
vacation spot for a variety of people and trying to limit all
of their unique lexicons wasnt rational. It probably pro-
voked some rebels to curse for the hell of it.
Naivety or a desire for popularity is probably to blame
for Knights decision. If its the former, Knight needs to
better understand modern culture. If its the latter, she
needs to fnd ways to win votes besides appealing to the
outdated sensitivities of a small audience. Either way,
posting signs that ban profanity in public space is silly.
After witnessing a confrontation between two girls,
I started thinking about crazy, psycho girlfriends who are
overly possessive of their boyfriends. Like many others,
I thought such events were only plausible in a movie or
book setting; I was rather unpleasantly proven wrong. Just
like the movies, the girlfriend was verbally attacking an-
other girl, targeting her rather than the boyfriend. It is this
other girl that people are mad at, calling her a slut. Rumors
foat around presuming that this girl was supposedly with
the boyfriend, but it does not matter if she was or was
not. It should not matter because in the end the boyfriend
should equally share the blame.
Why do we, as teenage girls or even just as females,
automatically cast the other girl as the one at fault while
the boy gets off the hook? Why do we call her names
as a result of mere speculation? When we have all gone
through the woes of relationships, one would think we can
fnd more civil ways to resolve such conficts without de-
grading other girls, especially in a society that degrades us
so much already.
I recently saw the new comedy Neighbors that is
based around the shenanigans and tensions that occur
when a rambunctious frat house becomes the new neigh-
bor of a married couple. Lets just say that the movie was
rated R for a reason. It includes scenes with violence,
excessive drug and alcohol usage and vulgar language.
In a Washington Post article, flm critic Ann Hornaday
suggested that Neighbors was partially a cause of the
shooting rampage in Santa Barbara, California. Hornaday
asserted that the flmand others like it makes young
men feel unjustly shut out of college life that should be
full of sex and fun and pleasure. Seth Rogen, a star of
the flm, was rightly upset about Hornadays article and
tweeted, I fnd your article horribly insulting and misin-
formed. It is a silly claim that a flm would cause a lunatic
to go on a killing rampage because flms dont force peo-
ple to commit acts of violence. The person has to have an
underlying mental disorder to follow through with vicious
acts. Its time to stop blaming popular culture and enter-
tainment for mass shootings and other incidents of actual
While longer breaks during the school
year might seem nice for students and
learning, the balanced school calendar
would ultimately do more harm than good.
Arguments for this growing trend focus on
reducing the amount of material students
forget over a long summer break while also
limiting the amount of stress students ex-
perience with long streaks of consecutive
weeks of school. These are valid to a cer-
tain degree, but the downsides to the new
calendar largely outweigh any perceived
benefts.
Longer breaks realistically will count-
er the intentions of the balanced calendar:
which is to be less disruptive to students
by reducing the lengthy break from June
to September. However, longer breaks
throughout the school year would not re-
sult in minimizing that disruption. If any-
thing, extending Spring Break and Winter
Break would be more disruptive, removing
students from the classroom during the
school year for multiple, longer periods of
time rather than just having one large break
in the summer. That learning loss is just put
into the time in which the other breaks that
take place rather than in the summer.
There are also students parents to
think about, especially the parents of
younger students. When their kids are off
for an extra week or two during the win-
by Jack Armstrong 15
ter and spring, parents likely will not get to
take off for those extra days as well they
need to go back to work. Also, elementary
schools provide sources of transportation
to aftercare centers for students who have
working parents and are not available; that
transportation will be lost when students
are not at school. Also, a new balanced
calendar is not going to coincide with tra-
ditional holidays. Where is the balance
here? The calendar is more disruptive both
in and out of school.
Another less-considered but still im-
portant factor is the cost of having to keep
schools in motion year round since there is
not a period of time long enough to fully
reduce energy use when schools are emp-
ty. A school is going to increase its energy
use (and cost) as a result. Heat, air condi-
tioning, lights and computers all contribute
to that cost, and we all know that money
comes from taxes.
Bottom line, a balanced school calen-
dar is not really balanced at all. There is
a reason there are movies, books and even
songs based on summer vacation. It has
just become a societal norm that we seem
to function around just fne, with short, pe-
riodic breaks in between so that we may
enjoy the holidays. The world beyond
schools, specifcally the lives of parents,
does not need to be put out of sync so stu-
dents can forget what they learn during
weeks off in the winter and spring rather
than just in the summer.
by Brian Hughes 15
To The Point
New Calendar Would Minimize Burnout Year-Long School Would Cause Disruption
The WarriorOpinions
14 June 5, 2014
Money Shouldnt Speak
The growing involvement of
money in the American political
system is indisputable and star-
tling. In the last fve years alone,
the Supreme Court has ruled in
two landmark casesCitizens
United v. Federal Election Com-
mission (FEC) and McCutcheon
v. FECto dramatically loosen
restrictions in campaign fnance
policies in a myriad of ways.
While the authorization of unlim-
ited super political action com-
mittee (super PAC) spending and
the barring of total federal cam-
paign contribution limits do little
to strengthen the voice of the ma-
jority of the country, the opinions
of the wealthiest Americans grow
more amplifed and unrivaled.
Limiting the amount of mon-
ey a person may give to a candi-
date does impose a direct restraint
on his political communication,
stated Justice Clarence Thomas in
an attempt to justify the relaxation
of campaign fnance laws by the
Supreme Court. This news uplifts
moneyed individuals nationwide,
who realize that theyll have more
opportunities to communicate
their political views than the bulk
of the country.
Businessman David Koch,
who has donated over $400 mil-
lion to conservative politicians
directly through campaign con-
tributions and indirectly through
several conservative coalitions
in 2012, and other fat-cats are
probably still celebrating. Kochs
generous donations to congress-
men undoubtedly coerced them
into supporting irrational policies
that support his manufacturing
and agricultural corporations
economic successsuch as bills
that deny irrefutable evidence of
climate change.
Since elections are large-
ly determined by the amount of
money candidates have to spend
on advertisements, mail and poll-
ing, politicians will unfortunate-
ly accept these huge donations
quickly at the expense of the con-
stituents that actually voted them
into offce. Even with this evident
cycle of corruption (money for
favorable policy), freedom of
speech in the form of unlimited
campaign contributions is still
permitted as the law of the land.
With the logic that is in use
today, its depressingly easy and
believable to imagine wealthy
individuals such as Koch saying
Of course money embodies the
right to free speech. I was simply
born with more rights than the av-
erage person.
The Supreme Court has
maintained its recent decisions as
defending the freedom of speech
of American citizens. But is the
court really acting in good faith
when only the wealthiest indi-
viduals in a country, who already
have overwhelming advantages
over average citizens, are able to
enjoy that freedom? Corruption
in politics is in no way a new con-
cept in history, but it has reached
an unprecedented level.
by Betselot Wondimu 15
The Glance That Judges
by Catherine Jou 15
Every day students are hit
with a reminder of how they
should act and/or look in order
to maintain the balance of high
school life. They are labeled by
other students and teachers before
they even get a chance to know
one another. And Im not talking
about your clich stereotypes that
seem to make a cameo in every
high school movie or show.
This judgment is some-
thing we all do consciously or
not. We all are guilty of labeling
what someone is going to be like
just by his or her appearance.
Just look around and youll see
someone who draws your atten-
tion, good or bad. Now lets just
say you see a girl with beautiful
straight hair and a stylish outft,
and treading a few feet behind
her is girl who you assume gets
good grades. You probably just
then labeled the frst girl and de-
spite not being given any concrete
qualities about the other girl, you
probably imagined her qualities
as well. Hence, you can see why
this may be a problem.
The fact that we determine
what someone is like with just a
glance confused me for a while,
but it all makes sense if you
think about it. We live in a world
where our appearance defnes us
so much so that we can no lon-
ger have a sense of self without
our possessions and looks. Peo-
ple allow others to judge and la-
bel them because they want to be
accepted in society.
But as appalling as this may
seem, it simply is a part of life.
Teachers are judged on how
well they teach and students are
judged on how well they do in
school. Conversely, people who
say, I dont care about my ap-
pearance or say I dont give a
(insert desired curse word here)
actually do; in fact, we all do.
Ever heard anyone say, Im feel-
ing like a hobo today when they
are wearing sweatpants? Yes,
well that is because they are mak-
ing a justifcation for dressing
that way even though they claim
to not care about how they look.
But the thing is, we ultimately
cannot control how we are judged
and what we are judged of.
Take, for example, the inter-
views you will have in the future.
Dont you expect the interviewers
to judge you? I mean after all, you
are giving them a two-page port-
folio to judge you off of. Its an
inevitable part of life. Once you
realize that your life will always
revolve around judgment (no,
not the type where you prove
youre this or that but rather the
way you take judgment from oth-
ers), you might have more of a
chance to not be engulfed by it.
Judgment enables us and disables
us with labels in life.
Have you ever received a teacher-evaluation survey from a
high school teacher regarding how he or she taught the class?
Teachers receive evaluations from administrators 2-4 times a year,
while veteran teachers receive them only once every 3-5 years. Do
you think this system of teacher observations is an effective way to
evaluate teachers?
How much do teachers take into consideration student
evaluations when planning for the next school year?
I take student evaluations very seriously. My students see me
every day and know what is happening in the classroom. They
know whether I am knowledgable, engaging, approachable,
prepared, supportive, etc. My students know if they have
learned a lot or a little in class. I believe my students are
my best source of information about my teaching and their
learning.
~ Social Studies Teacher Rebecca Taylor
I definitely take these evaluations seriously and I try to in-
corporate the suggestions that are given. For example, when
the students say they like working in groups or with partners
in Spanish, I will use more partner and group work the next
semester. On the other hand, when the students told me they
didnt like the Oral points that were given, I changed the way
I graded them for speaking.
~Foreign Language Teacher Michele Bloom
Formal evaluations are usually looking for specific things on
a checklist, for example, student learning objectives posted
on the board. Its nice to get feedback from other adults on
student engagement or classroom management, but its usu-
ally not a musician observing my class, so theyre not going to
necessarily have the expertise to assess the musical content
of the lesson.
~Music Teacher Michael Maddox
Ideally, teacher observations would happen much more
frequently, but the school system lacks the manpower for
administrators to handle this more often than they currently
do. I think the solution is for teachers to engage in peer ob-
servations that are constructive - not evaluative - in nature.
When teachers observe each other, we learn a lot from one
another. And when we listen to our peers critique our work,
we can really grow and improve the way we teach.
~Math Teacher James Key
With the school year coming to a close, students are not the only ones being eval-
uated for their performances. It is a time for teachers to evaluate (with the help of
students and other staff) how they have performed throughout the school year and
decide what changes may need to be made for the 2014-2015 school year.
*117 students surveyed
Teacher Evaluations
How many nights a
week on average do
you go out to eat
over the summer?
The WarriorWondering Warrior
June 5, 2014
15
Summer 2014
The Warrior asked students about.....
Do you go on vacation
over the summer?
6 % no
94 % yes
How many hours of TV do you
watch on an average summer day?
On average, how late do you
sleep in over the summer?
What is your opinion of summer fling relationships?
Tey are a terrible idea.
-Spencer Matthews 16
Tey most likely wont last.
-Bernice Bethke 16
Tey are pointless.
-Malkaiah Mehlek 15
Whats the most daredevil thing you have ever done over the summer?
I parasailed at 800 feet
when Im afraid of heights.
-Jacob Shaia 17
Of-road biking and survival
trips.
-Gabriel Coxson 17
I climbed on the top of Cafe
Rio.
-Bryan Hayre 16
Whats your favorite thing to do at the beach and why?
Listen to music because its
calming.
-Laudan Kalantary 16
Jet skiing.
-Connor Nicholson 17
Beach volleyball, boogey-
boarding, and swimming.
-Alexi Tzamaras 17
*84 sudents surveyed
compiled by Kaleigh Homer 15
13% said 8 or earlier
21% said 8-9 am
34% said 10-11 am 14% said 12-1 pm
18% said past 1 pm
The WarriorEntertainment
16 June 5, 2014
June 13
22 Jump Street
June 27
Transformers
4: Age of
Extinction
July 18
Te Purge:
Anarchy
July 25
Hercules
August 1
Guardians of
the Galaxy
Shows N Shindigs
June 12
Brad Paisley
Merriweather
Post Pavllion
June 14
tUnE-yArDs & Sylvan
Esso
9:30 Club
July 7
Beyonce & Jay Z
M&T Bank
Stadium
July 18
Fall Out Boy,
Paramore
Merriweather Post
July 19
OAR & Phillip Phillips
Merriweather Post
July 22
Vans Warped Tour
Merriweather Post
MOVIES
Disney World in Orlando,
Florida, is an amazingly adven-
turous and fun-flled park, full
of brand new rides for people of
all ages. Disney completely mod-
ernized and updated its techno-
logical systems and introduced
new features to the parks. Most
people visit Disney World only a
few times in their lives, but mil-
lions of people visit the parks
every year. Even teenagers, who
are diffcult to please, would fnd
new adventures that will engage
their interest.
Upon checking into a Disney
World hotel, visitors are given
a personalized wrist band with
their name scripted on the back.
At the touch of the wristband,
the world of endless opportuni-
ties is available at their leisure.
Disneys app, MyMagic, for a
smartphone is a necessity. Using
a cell phone to set up dinner res-
ervations, check park hours, and
even book fast passes to be as-
signed a specifc time to ride (and
not have to wait in line), is some-
thing every teenager knows how
to do. Everything done on the app
automatically gets inputted on the
personalized wrist band. When
attending a planned arrangement,
wristbands are scanned against a
Mickey Mouse shaped circular
pole. Credit cards are connect-
ed to the wristbands and make it
simple and quick to purchase sou-
venirs or dining. The wristbands
are also room keys.
This whole modern, new Dis-
ney World arrangement has cost
of the Little Mermaid in Fanta-
syland which is a double seated
sea-shell that brings passengers
through the musical story of Ariel
and her battle for true love. The
ride is surrounded by waterfalls
and is next to Ariels Prince Erics
brand new castle.
A new roller coaster in Dis-
ney World is called the Seven
Dwarves Mine Train. Its not the
average roller coaster, but it is
spiced up with a bit of Disney
magic, as it tells the entire Snow
White story from the perspective
of the seven dwarves. After being
launched in a log, the ride takes
its passengers through a glittering
scene of darkness and bright gems
being mined by the dwarves as
they sing. The ride continues with
the story of Snow White arriving
at their cottage, doing chores and
being tricked by the evil queen.
All in all, Disney has made the
necessary improvements to keep
up with the times. The new attrac-
tions will make any visitor happy.
by Emily Gilburt 16
the Disney Corporation between
$800 million to $1 billion.
Of course, there are the
smaller changes like the rapid-
ly rising prices of tickets, which
have nearly doubled in the last 10
years. And, to appease the mil-
lions of die-hard Frozen fans,
Elsa and Anna have been cus-
tomized and ready for pictures
in Fairytale Hall, which now in-
cludes a Tangled Square.
Disney demolished Mickeys
Toontown Fair in 2011. Mickeys
Toontown Fair was the largest
area in Fantasyland; it includ-
ed Mickey, Minnie, Donald and
Goofys houses, along with a roll-
er coaster called The Barnstormer
and Pixie Hollow. Toontown was
completely removed, in order to
make room for the Enchanted
Forest and Storybook Circus
project. It now features a giant
Dumbos circus tent and two
Dumbo Carousels.
Disney World also added a
new ride, Under the Sea: Journey
The Happiest Place on Earth Lives Up
to Name with Amazing New Attractions
graphic by Ryan Deal 16 and Ketki Chauhan 16
Prince Erics Castle, a new Disney World attraction, is just one of the
several new additions that excites visitors in the improved park.
CONCERTS
The WarriorEntertainment
June 5, 2014
17
Top 5 Summer Movies
by Marie Moeller 15
1. Boyhood: July 11
Ellar Coltrane was cast to play 5 year old Mason in 2002; 12
years later, Boyhood is fnally complete. The plot revolves around
Mason from frst to twelfth grade, examining how he grows and
changes throughout the years, especially the changes in his rela-
tionship with his divorced parents. The movie is so authentic and
different that it is a breath of fresh air. The concept is simply like
no other. While there is no clear or defned plot, the themes that are
developed and built upon in each stage of the story share a message
about family and growing up that could not quite be attained in any
flm prior. Going the extra mile for this flm will certainly make it all
the more personal and relatable for any audience member.
2. The Fault in Our
Stars: June 6
Adapted from the acclaimed young adult novel by John Green,
The Fault in Our Stars is an endearing and heartbreaking love
story of two teenagers with cancer. Anyone who has read the book
knows that this movie is sure to cause a lot of tears for current fans
and new audiences alike. The trailer alone has received loads of at-
tention with more likes on YouTube than any other trailer in history.
The movie stars Shailene Woodley (Hazel) and Ansel Elgort (Au-
gustus), who will hopefully have great chemistry on screen as well
as execute the witty dialogue of the book to absolute perfection.
Green has been very involved in the entire production of the movie.
With any luck, the movie will stay true to the book while putting
the audience through an emotional rollercoaster only to be associate
with the best of movies.
3. Lucy: August 8
Starring the lovely and talented Scarlett Johansson and featur-
ing Morgan Freeman, Lucy explores the timeless question: what
would happen if humans utilized more than a tenth of our brain ca-
pacity? In previous movies dealing with this topic, the answer has
always been vapid and uninteresting. However, with creative inge-
nuity and authenticity, Lucy takes this concept to the next level.
As Johanssons character is able to use more and more of her brain
capacity, she gains superhuman strength, unparalleled intelligence
and unexplainable abilities as a result of an implanted drug seeping
into her system. The action sci-f is anticipated to be an entertaining
and original movie with a captivating plot and great cast to top it off.
4. The Purge:
Anarchy: July 18

The Purge always had the potential to be a great science fc-
tion/horror flm. Unfortunately, the frst movie was a major let down
due to its mundane plotline that unsuccessfully attempts to encom-
pass such a great concept. The Purge: Anarchy, however, gives
director James DeMonaco a second chance to do it right. By follow-
ing fve characters that are actually participating in the annual purge,
the audience will get a full dose of suspense and action. While ex-
ploring the underlying theme of humanity, the audience will be on
the balls of their feet, anticipating just how far the characters will go
to seek revenge or simply to survive the night.
5. How to Train
Your Dragon 2: June 13

The original DreamWorks flm flled audiences with a touching
story about family, friendship and loyalty. Now, the sequel expands
these themes for another lovable and funny story set fve years into
the future where dragons and humans live in harmony. With the dis-
covery of the mysterious Dragon Rider, Hiccup and Toothless must
prepare to enter a battle to protect the peace. Although this will not
be the next Frozen, this movie will defnitely reconnect you to the
glory days of your childhood.
by Meagan Barrett 15
When I frst googled Union
Jacks in Rio, I was momentarily
concerned that maybe it wouldnt
be such a great thing to put in a
high school newspaper. It is, af-
ter all, a pub. But then I walked
through the front doors and was
immediately greeted with the
Platform 9 and sign, and I
was no longer worried.
As an Anglophile (or a per-
son who likes English stuff), I
thoroughly appreciated this Brit-
ish Pub. The architecture is wide
and breathable, with a comfort-
able atmosphere. The theme is
yellow-gold, burgundy and black.
And even the font on the menus
is reminiscent of chivalrous, me-
dieval times. From where I sat,
a great big window panel on the
wall across the room had been
opened to allow the fresh air to
get in. And lets not forget the
enormous TV monitors mounted
on the walls, to be seen from just
about any angle.
The menu at Union Jacks
ranges from salads (or Greens
on the menu) to hamburgers (or
between the bun on the menu)
to pizzas. The pizza was excel-
lent, cheesy and crunchy at the
same time just like its supposed
to be, and plenty to share between
two people. The small taste of
burger I had was equally awe-
some. It was like someone had
taken a burger from McDonalds,
put real cow meat in it, and tak-
en out 98 percent of the grease. It
tasted like quality food. The only
questionable selection would
have to have been the chicken.
The bit that I sampled from some-
one elses plate tasted a little off.
It was a bizarre mix of a wasnt
cooked correctly and a Im
back in feudal Europe kind of
taste. But maybe that just makes
it more authentic.
While the waitress was not
required to speak in a British ac-
cent (which could add some seri-
ous positive benefts), the service
was polite and helpful. The atmo-
sphere strikes a healthy balance
between a full-fedged sports bar,
and a mature, culturally stimulat-
ing restaurant. Its true that it isnt
exactly the kind of place youd go
and eat at with seven of your clos-
est teenage friends. But as a frst
date venue, or any kind of eve-
ning for a classy feel and casual
appreciation for British things,
Union Jacks fts the bill.
Film Provides Villains Point of View
by Allie Pino 15
Forget Sleeping Beauty.
Though the 1959 Disney animat-
ed flm introduced the character
thats now featured in her own
live-action movie, Malefcent
does not perfectly retell the exact
same tale. Instead, the new flm
starring Angelina Jolie in its title
role sets its own path, closely and
consistently walking alongside
the classic Disney storyline but
managing to stray at every avail-
able opportunity to create its own
narrative.
The flm starts off rather
weak, a cutesy introduction thats
tough to get through for those
seeking the darker side of the
menacing villain. Soon thereafter,
there is war and a power struggle
that fnally explains just why Ma-
lefcent is so famously offended
by not receiving an invitation to
Auroras christening.
From there, audiences are
meant to grow fond of Malef-
icent, feeling bad when she is
wronged and laughing along as
she frequently uses her mystical
powers in surprisingly comedic
ways. But as the evil inside her
grows, the more conficted the
audience becomes, not sure who
exactly to root for in the end.
Jolies mesmerizing stillness
makes us pay closer attention to
Malefcents every word and ges-
ture more than the flms screen-
play deserves. We feel close to
Malefcent even when shes do-
ing the ice-mask-of-death expres-
sion showcased in trailers. We
feel her conficted feelings as she
pretends to be the young Auro-
ras godmother. Malefcent plays
a role and then slowly becomes
that role. Her desire to make the
human kingdom pay for what was
Ghost Stories Finds a Rhythm in Grief
by Madison Dymond 16
My very frst thought after
listening to Coldplays new al-
bum Ghost Stories was that
someone must have really broken
lead singer Chris Martins heart.
This fantastic album still has
Coldplays original sound but pri-
marily it is a breakup album.
Martin was recently divorced
from his wife of 10 years, actress
Gwyneth Paltrow. Martin blames
himself for this divorce and is
still in love with Paltrow. Like
any good artist, he expressed his
heartbreak through his music.
Ghost Stories is Coldplays
twelfth album. Through nine
songs, the band tells the story,
inspired by Martins relationship
problems. The album opens with
Always in My Head. The song
begins with opera-esque vocals
and little instrumental which cre-
ates a magical sound and feeling.
The music then transitions into
Coldplays familiar tempo. The
lyrics are about a person who this
man always thinks about and who
he wishes knew how special she
was. The next song, Magic, is a
bit techno and pop for Coldplay.
The lyrics depict how he loves
someone who hurt him and can-
not get over her. Ink is also a
bit heavier on the drums and has
more of a dance beat than most of
Coldplays songs. The lyrics say
that he is hurt but still loves her.
As the album continues with
songs like True Love, Mid-
night, and Anothers Arms,
the focus shifts more towards the
pain and anger that comes from
a breakup. The last three songs
on the album, Oceans, A Sky
Full of Stars, and O, speak of
moving on and getting over the
breakup. The title song, Ghost
Stories, shows that these songs
of love and heartbreak are all
things of the past. Relationships
slip away and haunt you, like
ghosts.
Songs about love and break-
ups are not as deep and meaning-
ful as some of Coldplays past
songs. The songs on this album
do not make a listener sit and
think about their own life. Any-
one can write some songs about
love and loss even if they dont
have experience because there are
so many songs about the topics.
Love songs are unoriginal. They
are, however, a way to release
pain, and knowing the inspiration
for this album makes it easier to
appreciate.
One great thing about Cold-
play is that they have never lost
their original sound. The band has
managed to stay popular since the
90s, and they are still the same
alternative rock band that made
them world-famous. Martins
vocals are so unique and he con-
tinues to have a strong, beautiful
voice. The bands instrumental is
always flled with emotion and
makes listeners feel as if they are
fying and can see everything.
This is true for Ghost Stories.

God Save the Queen ... and Union Jacks
done to her defnes her motives in
the flm.
The flm overall is visually
stunning, with many shots de-
serving of a freeze frame to ful-
ly appreciate their beauty. The
whole of Malefcent is better
than its parts. There are defnitely
dark moments where Malefcent
comes across as truly evil. The
action is big and exciting.
The WarriorSports
18 June 5, 2014
Baseball Comes Oh So Close to State Title
The Warriors baseball team started
their season shaky found their way and
made it all the way to the state champion-
ship game. The Warriors lost a heartbreak-
er to Chesapeake by a score of 2-0 on May
23 at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen.
I knew that we had the pitching to go
deep into the playoffs so the run that we
made was not a surprise to me, said Coach
Sean Davis.
Sherwood failed to capitalize on sev-
eral scoring chances against the Cougars.
The Warriors managed only two hits and
left seven runners on base, fve of them in
scoring position. Through the frst two in-
nings, graduating senior Brady Adam was
able to avoid trouble. But in the third, the
Cougars fnally broke through. The Ches-
apeake pitcher, Andrew Spinneweber,
stroked a lead-off double into the left feld
corner. Adam then hit the next batter be-
fore both runners completed a successful
double steal. A single scored both runners
to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. It was the
last hit that Adam would allow.
To get to the championship, the War-
riors triumphed over Eleanor Roosevelt by
a margin of 10-0 May 20 at the University
of Maryland. Graduating senior Matt Ch-
anin threw a no-hitter, striking out 16 bat-
ters with a commanding fastball and slider.
On May 17 at Perry Hall, a late inning ral-
ly gave Sherwood a 6-3 victory. Graduat-
ing senior Brian Reich pitched fve tough
innings, leaving Adam to fnish off the
last two. Key situational hitting provided
enough offense to capture a regional title.
With the new pitching coach our
pitching has gotten better and left us with
the best earned run average in the state,
said Reich.
In the frst two games of the playoff
run, the Warriors won by a score of 6-1 on
May 14 against Paint Branch. Adams shut
down the Panthers, allowing no runs, three
hits and striking out 11 batters in six in-
nings. Chanin drove in three runs, reaching
base three times including a solo home run
in the fourth inning and a two-run single
in the ffth. He also scored two runs. Reich
closed the game, only allowing one run.
On May 12 at Sherwood, the team defeat-
ed Howard 4-2. Chanin pitched six strong
innings, allowing no earned runs, three
hits and striking out six batters. Sherwood
scored on RBIs by Adam, junior Jake Pa-
holski and graduating senior Patrick Dunn.
I knew at the beginning of the season that
we had the pitching and defense to go far in
the playoffs; it was just a matter of whether
or not we would get the bats going, said
Chanin. We really picked it up offensively
once playoffs came around which helped
us get to Ripken.
With many graduating seniors on the
team, including Reich, Chanin and Adam,
the team is going to have to learn to per-
form without these key players. The rising
juniors and seniors will have to work to-
gether and practice hard to continue to play
like they did this year. We are graduating
our three major pitchers. We are going to
have to see which younger guys are going
to step up. We have a lot of young talent;
its just a question of who will step up,
said Davis.
Senior Brady Adam winds up for a pitch at Ripken Stadium during the State fnals against Chesapeake High School on May 23.
by Allie Pino 15
Boys Lacrosse
Falls to Howard
Boys lacrosse lost 20-5 in the North
Region Finals against Howard, after beat-
ing Blake 13-5 and Blair 20-7 in the frst
two rounds of the playoffs. The team con-
cluded their season with an overall record
of 6-8.
We started the game [against How-
ard] pretty well, but after the frst quarter
it all started to fall apart, said junior Jake
Guiffre. Junior Max Dechter agreed, and
said the team came out sluggish, rather
than as fred up as they could have been,
and they let Howard get a quick lead on
them.
In the fnal playoff game, Howard built
a 4-2 lead by the end of the frst quarter and
8-3 lead by half. Despite the lead, Sher-
wood was still within striking distance.
However, the Warriors couldnt seem to
make up any ground. Once the second
half started, Howard made the right adjust-
ments at halftime and was able to expose
our weaknesses. Once they found a formu-
la that worked, they went back to it again
and again. Same goes for their defense,
said Assistant Coach Ryan Burnsky. They
gave it their best shot and unfortunately we
came up short. Our seniors closed out their
careers with a memorable run.
In the end, we just ran into a very
good team with an exceptional faceoff
specialist, and we had to play a little too
much defense to be competitive, added
Coach Chip Steel. Though the team was
disappointed by the loss, it still marked
an achievement to make it to the region
fnals. With a couple players missing due
to injuries and a lack of practice time due
to rain, snow and other harsh conditions,
the season was grinding and the boys were
forced to make the best of what they had.
Coach Steel is pleased with the ef-
forts of his team and believes they will do
well next spring. This is a great bunch of
young men and I have been lucky to share
the season with them. We are looking for-
ward to next year, said Steel.
Next year the coach expects the cur-
rent junior boys to step up and to push fur-
ther into the playoffs to have an even more
successful season.
by Lauren Cosca 15
Girls Lacrosse Battles to the End in State Semifnal
An impressive season for the girls
lacrosse team came to an end on May 17
with an 11-8 loss to Catonsville in the state
semifnal. The Warriors fnished the season
with a record of 13-2, going undefeated
against county opponents.
The Warriors fought hard against a
tough Catonsville team that eventually lost
to Severna Park in the state fnal. Catons-
villes defense kept the Warriors scoreless
for 22 minutes in the middle of the game,
giving them a 10-5 lead in the second
half. The Warriors made a late comeback
to close the gap, scoring three quick goals
in the fnal fve minutes, but in the end the
defcit was too much to overcome.
While the Warriors were disappointed
that they could not reach the state cham-
pionship as they did last season, the team
nonetheless was content with what they
accomplished during the season. I think
the season was defnitely successful not
just because we won most of our games
but because we worked really well togeth-
er said sophomore Ella Booz, who scored
the winning goal against Howard to send
the Warriors to the state semifnal game.
Despite the loss of key graduating
seniors like Emily Kenul, one of the best
lacrosse players to ever come out of Mont-
gomery County, the team has high hopes
for next season. Its going to be very dif-
fcult to replace our seniors, but our team
has depth. Every single person who didnt
start has so much skill and potential, said
sophomore Karleigh Gibbons. As long as
we have perseverance and energy through-
out the game we can win anything.
Coach Kelly Hughes echoed that same
sentiment. People like Emily Kenul can
never be replaced but we can create depth
to our team and stay a huge threat, said
Hughes. The other seniors like Natalie
Sebeck and Kristen Lauda offered great
leadership, and some of the younger girls
will need to step up and take on that role.
Besides a core group of seniors, the
Warriors had a very young team this past
season, and the experience that the soph-
omores and juniors gained this season will
likely beneft them next year. The team
will continue to set the bar high next sea-
son. We wont keep getting better if we
expect anything less, said Hughes.
by Leo Corman 15
Sophomore Kristen Russell runs down the feld attempting to score in State semifnals.
Jack Armstrong 15
Jack Armstrong 15
The WarriorSports
June 5, 2014
19
The NFL draft is always a
hyped event, and the 2014 edition
held May 8-10 was no exception.
Panel discussions and player
rankings about the draft seemed
to start the day after the Super
Bowl in early February.
With some time remaining
before players are required to re-
port to mandatory training camp,
there is a brief pause in the seem-
ingly endless NFL season to con-
sider why college prospects are
treated like animals in the months
prior to the draft. First they must
report to Indianapolis at the end
of every February in order to
compete in the NFL combine.
This event is almost like a dog
showthe players are forced to
run around, throw and catch the
ball, run a 40-yard dash and do
seemingly endless long jumps, all
the while they are being closely
observed by NFL coaches, own-
ers and managers who then de-
cide not only if they need this or
that player to improve their team,
but also whether they believe that
the player will ft in with the other
players on the team or not.
All of this build- up eventual-
ly leads to the draft, which takes
place at Radio City music hall in
New York City, either at the end
of April or the beginning of May.
The players are picked and further
analyzed and dissected by com-
mentators and sports columnists
all over the country. The players
who are selected in the frst round
of the draft are generally expect-
ed to be impact NFL players
and if they are not immediately
so, they are derided as total draft
busts. The players themselves are
usually blamed for their lacklus-
ter performances, while nobody
ever seems to put responsibility
on the owners or managers or
coaches who had been watching
the players for months before and
still failed to see that these play-
ers were not quite good enough to
succeed in the NFL.
The NFL draft is over-hyped,
over-analyzed and over-dis-
cussed, and almost always leads
to players drafted in the early
rounds being criticized and rid-
iculed as busts, when in fact the
player often is the last person to
blame. The NFL draft is obsessed
over for months, bud sadly it is a
very fawed system, which is in
desperate need of improvement.
NFL Draft Itself Is the Bust
by Will Van Gelder 16
Baseline Concussion Tests a Success
This school year, Maryland
public schools implemented a
new mandatory concussion pro-
cedure for every athlete who is
trying out for a school sports
team. All athletes had to take an
online baseline concussion test to
assess functioning so that there is
point of comparison in case a sus-
pected concussion occurs.
The test consists of several
sections for short term and long
term memory, speed of refexes
and cognitive ability. Athletes
press one key if they see one
color and another key if they see
some other color to see how fast
they process the stimuli and for-
mulate the correct response. The
test uses shapes, lines and pic-
tures to test the athletes photo-
graphic and short term memory.
The online test has been used for
a whole school year by all teams.
The intention [of the baseline
test] is good and is a great step in
the right direction and will serve
to keep our athletes more safe in
all athletics, said Chris Grier, the
coach of the varsity football team.
The test puts a spotlight on
concussions in high school. A
recent study by the Research In-
stitute of Ohio (RIO) found that
the sports with the highest rate
for concussions are: football with
26.97 concussions out of 10,000
competition exposures; ice hock-
ey with 16.22, girls soccer with
13.41; and boys lacrosse with
11.59. The test will not affect
these rates of injury; rather it is a
diagnostic tool to make it easier
to recognize when a player has
suffered a concussion. The ath-
lete must take the test before the
season and if that athlete receives
an injury to the head during their
season or their tryout, the phy-
sician can have the athlete com-
plete it again.
Concussions frequently can
cause long lingering effects. Ju-
nior Luke Logan suffered from
aching pain in the head, diff-
culty concentrating and remem-
bering stuff in school after his
concussion during his sophomore
year playing JV football. My
parents said I was a completely
different kid. Because of the risk
of concussions, Logan no longer
plays football.
Graduated senior Ty Reeves
also struggled to recover from a
concussion he suffered during the
pre-season of varsity basketball
during his junior year. He missed
fve games of the regular season.
It was absolutely terrible seeing
my team struggle and not being
able to help, Reeves said.
Concussion and other brain
injuries have become possibly the
most pressing issue in American
sports. For example, the NFL last
year announced that it would pay
$765 million to settle claims from
thousands of former NFL players
for the physical and emotional
toll due to long-term brain inju-
ries. Youth sports organizations
and middle and high schools
around the country are trying to
come up with ways to protect new
generations of athletes from con-
cussions and other brain injuries.
by Annie Feinroth 15 and
Hunter Moore 15
Summer Doesnt Mean Time Off for Sports Teams
The girls varsity lacrosse
team does several different
activities over the summer
to stay prepared. Some girls
attend week-long camps at
colleges to be trained by
the coaches at big name
schools. Others play in
summer leagues where
they can play against some
former college players and
some current collegiate
players home for the sum-
mer. The most important
activity that a good portion
of the girls are involved in
is club lacrosse. It makes the
biggest difference in their
game. If you play club, you
train three times a week and
attend tournaments every
weekend all summer. If you
want to be recruited, this is
where its done.
Our players will participate in summer work-
outs Monday through Thursday throughout
the summer. Each workout session includes
resistance training in the weight room and
then some variation of field work focusing on
speed, agility, power and conditioning. At the
end of each week players compete in an ob-
stacle course called the Ironman which is a
timed competition that includes pulling sleds,
plate carries, rock throwing, tire flipping, hill
running, and sled pushing. Our workouts are
open to all Sherwood athletes and we believe
we have one of the best conditioning programs
in the state.
Kelly Hughes, Girls Lacrosse
Chris Grier, Football
Boys soccer has a number of things going on
this summer. We will be participating in sum-
mer league on Monday and Wednesday nights in
Burtonsville from Mid-June to early August. We
will be holding regular conditioning sessions with
coach Matt Parsons. Coach Parsons will also be
doing some individual training with players. We
have a team camp taking place in Pennsylvania
in mid July. Most of the boys will be attending
other soccer or sports camps. All of these activities
are voluntary but well attended as the boys are
committed to their sport and have high character.
Michael Kogok, Boys Soccer
Almost every girl in the Sherwood softball pro-
gram plays softball year-round. Once high school
ball is finished, they go on to play in their summer
leagues which consists of weekly practices and
tournaments every weekend. This runs late into
fall (end of October-early November). They con-
tinue to practice with their select teams through
the winter, and winter workouts for [Sherwood]
begin in January.
Ashley Barber-Strunk, Softball
Our volleyball players are
usually in some type of train-
ing year-round; however their
main training season (outside
of school) is not in the sum-
mer, but the winter. Our sum-
mer league team plays once a
week over the summer against
teams from other schools. It
gives our players a chance to
keep their skills sharp over the
summer as well as build team
chemistry for the next season.
A core group of returning
players also sign up to go to
a team camp together. This
group of players trains togeth-
er on a college campus for a
full week, and has the chance
to compete against teams
from other schools. Other
players attend summer camps
and clinics that they sign up
for over the summer.
Brian McCarty, Volleyball
courtesy of Chris Grier
compiled by Jack Armstrong 15
The lacrosse program will continue to have the MPSSAA allowed 2-player sessions once school
starts. In addition, we have offseason conditioning sessions that start in the fall and are available
to any Sherwood student-athlete. Many of our players participate on offseason club lacrosse teams
which play in tournaments or offseason leagues which are available in the summer, fall and winter.
Any players that do not play sports at Sherwood during the fall and winter seasons are typically par-
ticipating in some form of preparation for spring lacrosse.
We always have at least one Sherwood team in the MCBA.
Last year we were able to field two teams. One team comprised
of freshman and sophomores and the other team was made
up of upperclassman. They typically play an 18-game schedule
with a County Championship at the end. Most [MCPS] high
schools have a summer team in the MCBA.
Chip Steel, Boys Lacrosse Sean Davis, Baseball
Maryland State Department of Education
Recommendations for Concussion Safety
In football, no live hitting is allowed until the sixth day of practice. During
the season, teams should limit live hitting drills and live game simulations
to two practices per week. In boys lacrosse, after the frst play date,
schools should be limited to a maximum of one full-contact practice per
day. In addition, there would be no live checking the day before a game.
A concussion is a brain injury that:
Is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body.
Can change the way your brain normally works.
Can occur during practices or games in any sport or recreational
activity.
Can be serious even if youve just been dinged or had your bell
rung.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The WarriorSports
20 June 5, 2014
Softball Doesnt Disappoint: Wins Third Title
by Kaleigh Homer 15
The Warriors softball mas-
terfully handled the pressure of
expectations and are 4A state
champions, going undefeated for
three consecutive seasons. The
team beat Anne Arundels Ches-
apeake 12-1 on May 24 at the
University of Maryland, College
Park. Chesapeake scored their
only run off a walk and an error.
It felt amazing winning
states; we had a good strategy go-
ing into the game and the season
which was to fght the entire time
and never let up, said senior Ad-
die Armbruster.
Being the seniors this year
we wanted to go out with a bang
and take home states but also an
undefeated record added Catch-
er Rachel Harrison. We left it all
on the feld and came out swing-
ing our bats. With the victory
over Chesapeake, the Warriors
have won 62 straight games.
The Warriors beat Bowie in
state semis by a score of 10-0.
During their 19-0 season, the only
teams that really tested the War-
riors were Howard in the regional
championship and against state
semifnalist Blair in the regular
season when the game remained
tied 0-0 until junior Julie Swarr
On Saturday, May 24, the Warriors cheer together as they celebrate their win after the last inning in
the State fnals game at the University of Maryland Stadium. This is their third consecutive state title.
Haley Whitt 15
As the game ended, the Lady Warriors rush on the feld. Senior Marybeth Bidwick prepares to hit an incoming pitch. The Lady Warriors observe the feld from the dugout.
Hitting .712
8 home runs
48 RBIs
39 hits
hit a triple to left feld to score
two runs.
In the championship game
against Chesapeake, the Warriors
hitters saw the ball very well in
the batters box. Four players
junior Nicole Stockinger (.712
batting average), Swarr (.492),
graduating senior Marybeth Bid-
wick (.500) and sophomore Kelly
Bouma (.490)entered the state
tournament batting .490 or bet-
ter. Bouma hit an over-the-fence
home run, Swarr hit a double, and
Bidwick and Stockinger added
solid hits to help secure the win.
A sign of the young talent on the
team, freshman Amanda Berkley
hit a triple.
Players on the team said that
Howard was the hardest game of
the season because they under-
estimated them a little bit, and it
took the Warriors awhile for them
to wake up and focus during the
game. It was the only game of the
season when they fell behind, at
one point trailing Howard by a
score of 2-0 before going on to
win 7-3.
The team is losing some key
players to graduation. Harrison
will be playing at Frostburg Uni-
versity, pitcher Meggie Dejter will
pitch at Towson University and
1st basemen Bidwick will play
for Salisbury University. Still,
Coach Ashley Barber-Strunk will
demand that the underclassmen
continue the programs indisput-
able reputation as the strongest
team in the state of Maryland.
I am so proud of the girls;
winning states is such a reward-
ing feeling. As long as we do
what we do, we can do anything,
said Barber-Strunk. We only can
take it one day at a time.
Samantha Schwartz 16
1.12 with 144 strike
outs, only 16 earned
runs and 13 walks,
hitting .527
Meggie Dejter 14
Nicole Stockinger 15
Julie Swarr 30 hits, 3 home runs
Addie Armbruster 26 hits
Marybeth Bidwick 26 runs scored
Kelly Bouma 27 hits
McKenzie Bina 27 hits
Rae Harrison 17 hits, perfect felding %
Amanda Berkley BA .479
Hanna Nalls 24 runs scored
Kara Carney BA .600
Abbey Kitchelt BA .500
Jaime Schmier 70% strike percentage
Randi Rubinstein BA .400
Marisa Mancini BA .600
Brittany Mathis has 20 POs and perfect felding %
Softball Record and Individual Stats
The Warriors out-scored their opponents 241-16, out hit their opponents 263-57
and only had 6 errors all season compared to their opponents having 34.
Haley Whitt 15 Haley Whitt 15
*Through the state semi-fnals, provided
by Ashley Barber-Strunk