The Warrior March 2016

Sherwood High School
300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
www.thewarrioronline.com

Warrior
38th Year, Issue No.4

March 17, 2016

the

Inside: News: 1-5, Fears and Phobias: 6-7, Features: 8-11, Humor: 12-13, Spotlight: 14-15, Opinions: 16-19,Wondering Warrior: 20, Entertainment: 21-23, Sports: 24-28

Questions Remain about the
Effects of the 50-Percent Rule

After the Accident:
Overcoming the
effects of a tragedy
pg. 5

by Naomi Lawrence ‘17

Fears and Phobias:

Common phobias
and new treatments
explored

pg. 6-7

Senioritis:

Negative effects of
the disease and the
latest research
pg. 12

Horoscopes:

Find out how the
zodiac originated
and what it means

pg. 14-15

What’s Next?:

Seniors share their
perspectives on the
purpose of college



pg. 17

Traveling:

Favorite vacation
spots, Spring Break
plans and more
pg. 20

Renwick Gallery:
A review of the
widely celebrated
art exhibit



pg. 21

March Madness:

Predictions about
the tournament
pg . 28

Outside the Carver Educational Services Center (CESC) in Rockville,
protesters demand recognition of Muslim holidays in MCPS calendar.

School Calendar Continues To
Raise Tensions about Religion
by Lexi Matthews ‘18
Decorating the classroom
with shamrocks and wearing
green are activities most American students have grown up expecting to participate in each St.
Patrick’s Day. For students of
Bruce Vento Elementary in Minnesota, however, March 17 will
simply pass as another school
day. February saw the banning of
‘dominant’ holidays in the school,
including Thanksgiving, Halloween,Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.
Pupils of Bruce Vento are no
longer permitted to participate in
any school activities considered
non-inclusive to all religions, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Principal Scott Masini has received
some communal praise for his
work of “eliminating a dominant
view suppressing all others,”

and encouraging a wider acceptance of diversity in school. On
a larger scale, the national press
has slammed Masini for depriving children of harmless fun with
overbearing political correctness.
The school’s decision and the
reactions that have followed stand
as proof of a tricky controversy
for public school systems nationwide. Holidays have long been of
large value to the country, with
some traditions dating back over
two hundred years. Yet, as people
of countless different races and
beliefs have made America their
home, it has become increasingly
difficult to pinpoint which holidays can be considered ones that
all can call their own.
Many believe the acknowledgment of holidays in school is
impossible without unfairness or

see CALENDAR, pg. 4

The 50-percent rule may
have raised students’ grades, but
does it prepare them for real life
or just get them through their
high school career? Ten years
after the implementation of the
rule, the question remains hotly
debated across MCPS, particularly among teachers.
Established in 2006, the
50-percent rule was created as
a response to former President
George W. Bush’s No Child Left
Behind Act, a federal attempt to
help every child graduate high
school. The policy, according to
MCPS grading procedures, requires that “a teacher assigns a
grade no lower than 50 percent
to the task/assessment. If a student does no work on the task/assessment, the teacher will assign
a zero. If a teacher determines
that the student did not attempt
to meet the basic requirements of
the task/assessment, the teacher
may assign a zero.”
Social studies teacher Katie
Jaffe was a relatively new teacher
in MCPS at the time. Although
she did not find it difficult to
transition to the new policy, she
was concerned that teachers were
lessening standards for students
and sending them a message that
the first time completing a task
may not matter.
“I allow for one retake per
marking period,” said Jaffe. “I
also create a minimum standard
for receiving the 50 percent. Students need to make an honest
attempt at the assignment and

demonstrate [that] effort went
into it.”
Although teachers follow the
basic guidelines of the 50-percent
rule, many teachers feel that the
rule ultimately hinders students’
overall performance. Jaffe believes that the implementation of
the rule has “weakened students’
initial effort on tasks.”
Social studies teacher Scott
Allen agrees. Lack of effort can
cause a “ripple effect,” he explained. “If they do not put actual effort into their class work or
homework then they will not do
well on formative and summative
assessments. A 50 percent on everything is not passing.”
Allen does understand the
positive aspect of the rule, as it
can help students from hitting
rock-bottom. He feels that the
rule helps students as long as they
make an honest attempt at learning. “It keeps a student from completely ‘shutting down,’” he said.
English teacher Brianna Russell said that in her interactions
with parents and other teachers,
they often are skeptical if the
50-percent rule prepares students
for the real world. Although she
doesn’t necessarily agree with
the rule, she understands why
some struggling students like it.
“I know that the sentiment surrounding it from a lot of people
from the older generation is you
don’t get half your pay when
you come to work,” Russell explained. So, parents and teachers
are wondering, “why [is MCPS]
setting up an expectation like this
in an academic setting?”

School Community Mourns Student’s Tragic Death
by Ketki Chauhan ‘16

Charles Federline, or CJ as
he was called by his peers, was
only a junior when he passed
away on Friday, February 19.
Federline had been battling depression for many years before
ultimately taking his own life.
A memorial service was held
by the family to commemorate
Federline’s life and was open
to the community. Held February 23 at the Oak Room at the
Sandy Spring Fire House, the
service included an opening
prayer and blessing by Pastor
Clark Baisden and remarks by
Principal Bill Gregory.
Federline was known for
enjoying fishing, which was
noted in many of the memories
written in the program for the
service. Other reminiscences of
Federline included summer visits to the creek in Chincoteague,
Virginia, and his love for video
games, swimming and playing

around.
“I think his favorite part
[about visiting his aunt] was going to the creek to fish. It was
hard to get him to come home for
meals. He was always very independent. I will miss those visits,”
one memory from his aunt said.
His tragic passing was
mourned by the school community in many ways. A letter was
written to the parents informing
them of the death and included
separate documentation with suggestions on discussing death. On
the first day back from the weekend, grief counselors and psychologists were available to help
students through their grieving. A
banner was also set up across the
health room for students wishing
to write their heartfelt farewells
to Federline.
Federline’s parents have been
open about the cause of his passing as a way to raise awareness
about the dangers of depression,
and encourage those in similar

Kayla Cohen ‘17

A display case near the main office was set up for CJ Federline. The
tributes included pictures and other remembrances of the junior.
situations to seek out help. Rates
for both depression and suicide
have increased among teens,
making it important to pay attention to warning signs and to consult a trusted adult. The National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a

24-7 crisis hotline for those in
need of help. The lifeline can
be accessed online at www.
suicidepreventionlifeline.org or
at 1-800-273-8255 to speak to
a trained counselor at a crisis
center.

The Warrior•News
2

March 17, 2016

Hogan Passes Executive Order
To Help Students Afford College

Students ‘Feel the Bern’ Towards Election

Larry Hogan, the current governor of Maryland, signed an
executive order on January 27 that creates the Maryland Early
Graduation Scholarship Program. This program aims to make
college more affordable for students who complete high school
in three years or less.
Under the program, students who have confirmed their acceptance to “any approved postsecondary educational institution
in Maryland,” within six months of graduating early, as the state
government’s website explained, will benefit from a scholarship
of up to $6,000 for tuition and other expenses.
The scholarship program will also save the state a tidy sum
of money. Officials estimate that about 1,000 students would be
eligible to receive the scholarship per year. Maryland spends
about $7.4 million dollars putting 1,000 students through one
year of public school. With this program, the state would be
spending $6 million on giving scholarships instead, therefore
saving about $1.4 million dollars each year.
Although there are benefits to the new program, some
are concerned that the incentive will pressure students to rush
through school, causing them not to be prepared for college.
As found in the comments of a recent Washington Post article,
many have expressed dismay at Hogan’s decision. Among the
comments are concerns for students’ wellbeing as they are already under pressure from rigorous coursework, and questions
of Hogan’s real motive for the order—whether it was driven by
helping students or helping the state’s budget.

Seen on T-shirts, sweatshirts,
even phone cases, the phrase
“Feel the Bern” highlights the
enthusiasm that young people, including some Sherwood students,
feel about democratic presidential
candidate Bernie Sanders. These
young people’s engagement in
the political process is made all
the more surprising by the fact
their excitement centers on a
rumpled 74-year-old who is a
two-term senator from Vermont.
So what is it that makes Sanders
so appealing?
Senior Danielle Levy, a
Sanders supporter, thinks the
answer is the Vermont senator’s
authentic zeal for his ideas. “The
fact that he’s so passionate about
his views and beliefs,” said Levy.
“A lot of times when we think of
old white men, we think of crabby Republican men who want to
suppress our rights, and Sanders
is very liberal and the opposite of
this.” Levy describes him as her
“grandpa,” which reflects that
some young voters view his old
age positively.
However, it is his call for a
“revolution” that most explains
his appeal. Sanders has campaigned on a promise to close the
massive income gap between the
super-wealthy and other Americans. “He is one of the candidates
that is truly for the people,” remarked sophomore Morgan Rowland.
He also has made particular
pitches that appeal specifically
to young people, such as a call
for free college tuition. “As a
senior, I’m going to college, and
he’s trying to make public college
free, which, why wouldn’t it be?”
observed Levy. “A lot of other
countries have free education so
why wouldn’t America want their
education to be free?”
Sanders has garnered a sub-

by Mallory Carlson ‘19

MD Stiffens Penalties for Parties
by Morgan Hill ‘16

Spurred by the parents of two Wootton students killed in a
drunk driving crash last summer, a Maryland Senate committee
has voted to move forward with “Alex and Calvin’s Bill,” a measure that will impose jail time on adults who provide alcohol to
minors or knowingly host parties where underage drinking takes
place.
The current penalty for adults who host underage drinking
parties is solely a fine, $500 for each citation issued to a minor
under that adult’s watch. The bill, if enacted, will not only impose jail time, but will also increase the fine to $5,000 for the
first offense. Under this bill, adults who host these parties will, in
addition to the fine, serve one year of jail time for the first offense
and pay a fine of $7,500 with two years of jail time for each subsequent offense.
Wootton 2015 graduates Alex Murk and Calvin Li, the
bill’s namesake, were killed last June after their friend Samuel
Ellis drove drunk with a blood alcohol content of .08 and tested positive for drugs. Kenneth Saltzman, the party’s host, did
not provide the party-goers with alcohol, but acknowledged that
underage drinking was happening at the party. “We’re not seeing change in the community … as we try to make sense of his
death,” Li’s father said.

Students Earn Big for College
by Shawn Yaftali ‘17
A majority of graduating seniors are faced with the dilemma of having to pay for costly college tuition. Several graduates
have found a solution to this issue through Raise.me, a startup
website aimed at making college more accessible for students.
The site provides a maximum of $80,000 to pay for college.
Founded by three friends, Preston Silverman, George Kirkland and Dave Schuman in 2012, Raise.me wanted to solve a
problem: The United States offers billions of dollars for scholarships and grants each year, but only offer them during the end
of high school. In most cases, this is too late to impact where
students choose to apply or whether they apply at all. In order to
solve this problem, the website works with colleges from across
the country to provide “micro-scholarships,” or small payments
for high school achievements, to students.
The micro-scholarships are guaranteed if the student enrolls
in the university that grants the scholarship. The aid is then given to the student across their college career. “That’s important
because we don’t want students in a situation where they receive
a lot of aid for their first year and in subsequent years aren’t receiving as much aid,” explained Silverman.
Raise.me has the backing of some big names, including the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Facebook. Recently, several well-known colleges such as Notre Dame, Penn State, and
Carnegie Mellon have joined their ever-growing list of over 130
partnerships.

by Lydia Velazquez and
Naomi Lawrence ‘17

Sanders: the Democratic Socialist
by Kira Yates ‘16
When presidential hopeful
Bernie Sanders calls himself a
democratic socialist, he is not
talking about the government
owning and controlling major
industries or the Marxist theory
that socialism is the transitional
stage between capitalism and
communism.
Instead, Sanders argues
that American workers deserve
a lot more benefits, like what
many workers around the world
already receive. “Let me define
for you, simply and straightforwardly, what democratic socialism means to me ... It builds on
the success of many other countries around the world that have
done a far better job than we
have in protecting the needs of
their working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and
the poor,” Sanders explained.
He likens this system to the
types of government in many
stantial amount of support across
the board, including from celebrities such as actor Josh Hutcherson, who stars in the “Hunger
Games” franchise. Other wellknown supporters of Sanders
who have made appearances and
played at his rallies include indie
bands Vampire Weekend, Young
the Giant, and Foster the People.
“[The goal is] to get younger voters, like millennials, because the
millennial voter rate is very low
but the support for Bernie among
millennials is very high. So I
think he’s trying to encourage
the voters to get out and actually
vote,” explained senior Shoshana
Rybeck.
Although his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, continues
to be the front-runner to win the
nomination, Sanders looks posi-

Scandinavian countries of Europe. “I talked to a guy from
Denmark, and he said, ‘In Denmark, it is very hard to become
very, very rich, but it’s pretty
hard to be very, very poor.’ And
that makes a lot of sense to me,”
Sanders said. He added that in
Denmark, health care is a right
for all, and college education is
free.
Sanders is running to “fight
for a progressive economic
agenda that creates jobs, raises
wages, protects the environment and provides health care
for all,” while taking “on the
enormous economic and political power of the billionaire
class,” according to his website. Sanders believes in closing
the gap between the billionaire
class and the rest of the country. In order to do this, Sanders plans to raise the minimum
wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour
and to impose tax hikes and fees
on the wealthiest Americans.
tioned to stay in the contest for
the long run. His upset win in the
Michigan primary on March 8
bolstered his claim that his messages are resonating with voters
in a variety of states.
Now that Sanders has established himself as a legitimate
candidate, some wonder if he has
moved past the “Feel the Bern”
slogan that began as a simple
hashtag. “I liked it at first, but
when he accepted it as his own
slogan I didn’t like it,” said senior
Blake Munshell, who supports
Sanders. “I thought it was better
as a joke that his voters came up
with.”
Levy thinks the slogan continues to work well for Sanders.
“It’s really empowering, plays
well with his name, and it’s easy
to remember.”

Science Continues To Scorch Tanning
by Samantha Schwartz ‘16
Indoor tanning has been
linked to skin cancer and the
Journal of American Medicine
Association (JAMA) Dermatology recently published a new study
examining associations between
indoor tanning and melanoma
among men and women younger
than 50 years old.
In the United States, melanoma cases are rising more steadily
among women than men younger
than 50 years old. The lead author
of the study, DeAnn Lazovich of
the University of Minnesota, set
out to examine age-and sex-specific associations between indoor
tanning and melanoma to determine if these trends could be
due to greater indoor tanning use
among younger women. This is
the first study of its kind to tackle
the gender correlations.
The study was a population-based case-control study
conducted in Minnesota of 681

patients (465 women) ages 25
to 49 years diagnosed as having
melanoma between 2004 and
2007. The results suggested that
as men and women start indoor
tanning earlier, their risk of melanoma increases. In fact, only two
of the 63 women study participants with melanoma did not tan
indoors. For all the participants in
the study, as the number of past
tanning sessions increased, so did
their risk of a melanoma diagnosis.
Young women especially are
drawn to an easy tan because they
perceive tanned skin to be more
appealing and socially acceptable
than pale skin. This ideology is
screwed into the heads of impressionable young adults through
media platforms as they watch
tanned and beautiful celebrities
walk red carpets, strut runways
and plaster advertisements. Tan
skin has become a symbol for
beauty, confidence, wealth and
power. ABC News conducted a

study in which people determined
whether an original photo or the
doctored version of the photo
where the participant appeared
tanner was more attractive. The
original photos and the tan versions were posted to the ABC
News site at different times. The
survey found that the darker version was twice as likely to be
rated as more attractive. Society
continually tells young people
that tanned skin is better, but the
dangers outweigh the aesthetics.
There is no doubt that indoor
tanning is dangerous. Forty-two
states regulate the use of tanning
facilities by minors by requiring
a guardian’s permission, but only
11 states completely ban the use
of indoor tanning for all minors.
In Maryland, a parent or guardian’s permission or accompaniment is required.
Alternatives for faux-tans
may not be as effective and flawless, but studies show they are
much safer than indoor tanning.

The Warrior•News

3

March 17, 2016

Spread of the Zika Virus Stricter Drunk Driving Law Introduced
Causes Global Concerns in Maryland After Death of Local Officer
by Meghan Proctor ‘16
The Zika virus became a
global problem last month, and it
continues to become a major issue around the world. The virus
was first discovered in 1947, but
was not a fear until May of last
year, when the first case in Brazil was reported. The virus spread
has to more than 23 countries
across the Americas since then.
The World Health Organization
declared Zika a global health crisis on February 1.
This virus is most commonly
transmitted through a bite of an
infected mosquito, but it is also
likely that it can be transmitted
through sexual contact. Common
symptoms of Zika include fever,
rash, pain in joints and muscles
and eye redness. These symptoms generally last a few days
and are not usually fatal. There
is no vaccine to prevent the virus,
nor is there a cure. The virus typically leaves the infected person’s
bloodstream about a week after
infection, and symptoms can be
treated by getting plenty of rest
and staying hydrated. However,
the main concerns about the virus
are for pregnant women who, if
infected, can pass the virus to the
fetus. Scientists have found evidence linking this virus to major
birth defects, particularly microcephaly, which decreases the size
of the infant’s head and brain.
There is also a possibility that on
rare occasions, the virus can lead
to Guillain-Barré in adults, causing temporary paralysis.
The rapid spread of the Zika
virus has raised concerns regarding international travel, especial-

ly with the risk of pregnant women catching the virus resulting in
birth defects. These concerns are
especially prevalent regarding the
2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, where the virus is spreading
particularly rapidly. While the
International Olympic Committee has no plans on canceling the
summer games or moving them
to a new location, they are taking
measures to ensure that as few
people get infected as possible.
Rio 2016 spokesperson Phil
Wilkinson stated that one measure
includes inspecting the stadium
and surrounding area “on a daily
basis during the Rio 2016 Games
to ensure that there are no puddles of stagnant water and therefore minimize the risk of coming
into contact with mosquitoes.”
The main obstacle to monitoring
the virus is the fact that only 20
percent of people with Zika show
any symptoms, but those infected can still spread the virus. The
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has also released a
statement on its website advising
pregnant women to “consider not
going to the Olympics.”
As of early March, over 150
cases of the Zika virus have been
reported in the United States. In
all of these cases, the patient contracted the virus while traveling
overseas. The National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is currently developing a vaccine for the virus to
prevent more people from getting
infected, but it may take several
years before it is available to the
public. The NIAID predicts that
trials for the vaccine can begin
later this year.

by Tyler Ruth ‘16

In December of 2015, Montgomery County Police Officer
Noah Leotta, a Class of 2009
Sherwood graduate, was participating in the annual Holiday Alcohol Task Force. He pulled over
a car and mere moments later, a
drunk driver in a Honda CRV
crashed into him and his cruiser.
He died seven days later. The
driver, Luis Reluzco, was indicted on multiple charges including
manslaughter and failure to yield
to an emergency vehicle.
Leotta’s story is sadly not a
unique one, as last year in Montgomery County alone, 16 police
cruisers were struck by drunk
drivers. As a result, the Maryland
legislature is introducing a new
bill, named Noah’s Law, which
aims to tighten up the relatively
lax drunk driving laws of Maryland.
The driver that killed Leotta had been convicted of drunk
driving twice before in 1988 and
1990. Noah’s Law aims to not let
drunk drivers get back on the road
and commit the same crime again.
The law would require ignition
interlocks in car breathalyzers to
be installed for all drunk drivers,
even if the driver in question is a
first-time offender. The breathalyzer would remain attached to
the car for at least six months and
possibly more depending on the
severity of the case. If an offender blows more than a .08 blood alcohol concentration, the car will
not start.
With the Maryland Drunk
Driving Reduction Act of 2011,
current law requires interlocks for
those convicted of driving drunk

courtesy to Sherwood Yearbook

with a blood alcohol concentration of more than a .15, almost
twice the legal limit. Of all drunk
driving convictions in Maryland,
70 percent have blood alcohol
concentrations of .15 or higher.
In all other convictions where the
driver has a blood alcohol less
than a .15, drivers are free to return to the road with little more
than a fine and possible jail time
unless, upon review of the case,
the judge orders the driver to have
an interlock.
If Maryland passes Noah’s
Law, it would be the 26th state
to establish legislation that requires interlocks for all drivers
convicted of drunk driving above
the .08 blood alcohol concentration threshold. For the past eight
years, similar legislation has been
considered by the Maryland legislature, but each time the law
had failed. There was still much

doubt this law would pass this
time around as Maryland House
Judiciary Chair Joseph Vallario
has blocked bills to harden drunk
driving laws for the past six years,
but in a surprise action, Vallario,
along with the rest of the House
Judiciary Committee, voted for
the bill to move to the House
floor. Vallario is a defense attorney who has represented drunk
drivers.
The statistics supporting ignition interlocks are undeniable.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control, interlocks have
reduced drunk driving by 67 percent in the states where interlocks
are required for all drunk-driving
convictions. Mothers Against
Drunk Driving reports that they
have prevented 1.7 million drivers from driving drunk since
1999, and there have been 39-percent less repeat offenders.

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The Warrior•News
4

March 17, 2016

Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival: The End of the Evans Era
by Sara Casareto ‘16
After the success of the 45th
Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival show, music teacher Bill Evans can relax
more as he nears his retirement at
the end of the school year. Evans
has worked at the school for 37
years as a teacher of choral music
and music technology, as the past
official department chair and current unofficial one for the music
department, and as a director for
Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival. The Warrior interviewed Evans on February 25, just eight days before
opening night. Even at lunch,
when there was no scheduled rehearsal there was a lot going on
with volunteers painting the set
and figuring out the lighting and
effects needed for the stage, and
students on stage practicing a
Beatles’ medley.
It’s amazing that a music
production has become such a
big tradition at our school; what
kept you so driven and passionate about the show? Thirty-seven
years is a long time.
Yes, it is. You just have to
continually try and grow yourself
and bring it to the show. But what
has kept me passionate is the
increased involvement by more
people; by more alumni, more
parents, and more directors. We
started out with just two people
pretty much running the show,
and now we are up to dozens of
adults that make it happen.

Sara Casareto ‘16

Evans works the soundboard during a practice for Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival.
How do you and all the other
directors come up with these incredible and diverse themes year
after year?
It’s a joint effort sometimes,
like last year it was student Rachyl
Hackett that came up with the
theme “Dancing in the Streets.”
This year “Turn, Turn, Turn” was
my idea. When [former teacher]
Mr. Orndorf was directing year
after year, we would work together throwing ideas around. He
would sometimes base it off the
set. It’s changed over the years
but the planning has usually been
a collaborative effort of several
people.
Throughout all of that time
and work you must have created
a lot of memories. This might be
a tough one, but what’s one of the
most memorable memories you
have of Rock ‘n’ Roll?

I don’t know about a favorite
moment but one of my most memorable Rock ‘n’ Roll moments
was in the mid-80s, I showed up
to the Sherwood Rock ‘n’ Roll
matinée and there was the entire
Montgomery County SWAT team
parked right in the back parking lot. They were here to do a
big drug bust in the area. I went
back there, being in my 20s or so,
and went right up to them saying,
“You guys can’t be here we have
thousands of people coming,”
and they said, “Oh yes we can,
we’re the Montgomery County
SWAT team.” They then asked,
“Well what time’s your show”
and I said, “It’s at two o’clock.”
“Oh well we’ll be gone by then.”
They went around to the upper
Montgomery County area and
arrested about 20 or 30 people.
That was the weirdest story for
sure.”

A lot of the kids in Rock ‘n’
Roll are also your students in
school, either in a choir or in your
electronic music class. What’s it
like working with them outside of
the classroom?
It is quite different, especially when you travel with students
or take students on field trips
or have them for Rock ‘n’ Roll.
You get a chance to know more
about their personal habits. They
have to show up for rehearsals,
they have to be responsible in
a different way than they do in
school.
After this year, do you plan
on helping out with the choirs or
with Rock ‘n’ Roll?
No, I’ll really only come to
see the shows.
What has it been like working with Alex Silverbook and
Mike Maddox?
Fantastic. It’s great to see
them take over. Mr. Silverbook is
now in his sixteenth year. He’s
built the program up so much and
done a great job. Mr. Maddox is
learning the ropes and running
the rehearsals down here on stage
and doing a fabulous job.
Do you feel that these two are
ready to take the helm on Rock
‘n’ Roll and the music department
next year?
Most definitely, I’m not doing
that much at all this year. I’m just
sitting back and smiling.

Turn, Turn, Turn to
the Future of R’n’R
by Alleigh Keyes ‘16
Assistant director Mike
Maddox will be taking over the
show next year. Already, he has
taken advantage of technology
by uploading music and files to
a Dropbox account, implementing a text message alert system,
and running a Facebook group.
Maddox has also helped
to greatly improve the quality
of background vocals since he
arrived three years ago because
he holds background vocals to
high standards.
Most songs featured in the
show are rock n’ roll classics;
however, Maddox has contributed to some of the ‘80s and
‘90s songs in the show. He
plans on upholding the show’s
legacy. “Rock ‘n’ Roll is an
amazing tradition that is older
than I am. All I can hope to do
is continue that tradition, and
do everything I can to help the
students perform in a way that
is entertaining and authentic,”
Maddox said.
Additionally, he cites Rock
‘n’ Roll as one of the best parts
of his job. “Throughout the entire process of the show, from
auditions, to song selection,
long rehearsals, and two packed
weekends of performances, I
always feel lucky that this is
what I get to do for a living,”
Maddox said.

MCPS Makes the Change Evolution of the Well-Known Barbie
from CALENDAR, pg. 1
even offense towards non-celebrators. Others argue kids drawing leprechauns in class hardly
qualifies as offensive.
It also raises the difficult
question of how far systems
must reach to include everyone;
by celebrating days sacred to
large groups, smaller groups will
likely take offense and demand
they too have their special days
commemorated. As more groups
are allowed inclusion, it proves
harder to draw a line for niche
groups of few celebrators and
risk an uproar, as having implied
some groups are superior to others. Schools must then choose to
be extremely selective, denounce
holidays altogether, or acknowledge dozens more holidays.
MCPS has not been immune
to this controversy either. After a seven-to-one vote from the
Board of Education, the 2015-16
calendar features a new official
calendar that, like DC and Fairfax’s calendars, never explicitly
mentions any holidays. While
the same days will be given off
for “high absenteeism,” their
religious references have been
erased. The decision comes after backlash from the Muslim
community last April, following
MCPS’s refusal to acknowledge
the holiday Eid al-Adha, and the

claims of discrimination that followed.
The move came as a great
relief for the Board, who avoided
a major confrontation with Muslims without having to add more
off-days to the school year—but
the problem didn’t end there.
Local parents were quick
to chime in that the move was a
‘clumsy’ quick-fix that evades
the larger issue of lack of diverse
religious representation in the
county. “We really just alienated
everybody,” said Michael Durso,
the sole board member who voted
against the act.
While the seven who voted
in favor responded to cries of anti-Muslim intolerance that there
was ‘no other clear-cut solution,’
Howard County Public Schools
has proven quite the opposite;
as of this January, Chinese New
Year, Eid al-Adha, and the Hindu holiday Diwali will officially
be added to Christian and Jewish holidays as off-days for the
school system.
It is unlikely MCPS will
take an approach as polarizing as
Bruce Vento’s anytime soon, but
also equally unlikely that they
will follow in Howard County’s
open-armed footsteps. Still, the
county certainly isn’t catching a
break in their ‘neutrality,’ so time
will tell how MCPS can solve this
complex problem.

by Elizabeth Thach ‘18
White, skinny, and youthful
has been the iconic look for Barbie dolls since they were released
in 1959. However, this will no
longer be the case, as Mattel, a
U.S. multinational toy manufacturer, has released a new line of
Barbie dolls that aims to break
these narrow beauty standards.
“Girls everywhere now have
infinitely more ways to play out
their stories and spark their imaginations through Barbie. Along
with more overall diversity, we
proudly add three new body types
to our line,” the company stated
on its website.
Barbie dolls will now be
sold in seven skin tones, 22 eye
colors, 24 hairstyles, and three
new body sizes: petite, tall, and
curvy. The new versions will be
sold alongside the original Barbie
doll, making this one of the most
drastic changes in Barbie history.
Mattel’s action also represents
a cultural shift in the American
society as citizens have become
more tolerant of body diversity
and sexuality. The U.S. toymaker recently created an Abigail
(Abby) Wambach doll, based off
the retired U.S. soccer player who
is a lesbian. The doll is part of
Barbie’s “Shero” collection, dolls
that honor real-life women and
“like Barbie, have broken bound-

usatoday.com

The Barbie dolls above are models of the franchise’s latest release.
aries, challenged gender norms
and proven girls can be anything
they want to be” according to
Time magazine.
“This is radical because
we’re saying there isn’t this narrow standard of what a beautiful
body looks like,” said Robert
Best, the senior director of Barbie
product design.
In the past, Mattel has received negative criticism due to
their dolls having exaggerated
body proportions. Barbie sales
fell by four percent in 2015,
and the company’s stock price
plummeted by nearly 43 percent
in 2013. According to a British
study conducted by the University of Sussex, Barbie dolls have
contributed to the development
of low-self esteem and poor body
image because they are not an

accurate representation of the female body. Children are strongly
affected by their surroundings,
especially when children see
dolls as role models which in this
case is a beautiful, fresh-faced
American woman.
Mattel has received many
comments on Twitter and Facebook. There were even a few
comments that mentioned a possible change to Ken, the male
counterpart of Barbie. Changes to
the Ken doll could also be a positive decision, because the dolls
can create a broad perspective of
male body standards and demonstrate that dolls are not exclusive
to girls. Not only does the company hope the new dolls will influence children to grow and accept
diversity, but also to bolster Mattel’s financial bottom line.

The Warrior•News
March 17, 2016

5

Dechter Gains New Perspective on Life Following Accident
by Maddie Peloff ‘16
Last year, the Olney community faced a tragic accident
involving three of Sherwood’s
students. On Aug. 30, 2015, Labor Day weekend, Austin Hall,
Max Dechter, and Shawn Gangloff left a party where they had
been drinking. Hall lost control
of his vehicle on Hines Road and
crashed into a massive oak tree
just yards from a townhouse complex. All three were taken to area
hospitals and Gangloff, a popular
junior, died the next day.
While Hall was released from
the hospital within a few days,
Dechter faced more traumatic
injuries. He shattered his right
elbow, had three fractures in his
neck, and experienced swelling
in his brain. After spending five
weeks in shock trauma, Dechter
moved to a rehab facility where,
for six months, he slowly regained his health.
Those months Dechter spent
in the hospital were some of the
hardest of his life, as well as his
parents’ lives. “We went from one
minute thinking he wasn’t going
to make it to then having him in
the hospital for so long,” said his
mother, Jackie Dechter. “He had
to relearn how to do everything.
He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t eat,
he couldn’t breathe on his own.”
While the months of rehab
were incredibly difficult, Dechter
and his family were overwhelmed
with the community’s incredible
outreach. All of Olney rallied
around supporting the Dechter
family. Overall, “the community
was unbelievably supportive and

wonderful,” said Jackie Dechter.
“We didn’t appreciate that until his accident. We didn’t realize how many good friends we
had and not just that, people we
didn’t even know reached out
and helped us in a lot of different
ways.”
Not only was the community
incredible, but Dechter’s friends
were a constant support in his recovery process. While most of his
friends were extremely supportive, helping him through the process at every step, he also realized
that some of his friends weren’t
his true friends. “I learned who
to stay away from,” Dechter said.
“My friends who were just into
drugs and stuff were not my real
friends.”
Before the accident, Dechter was an active kid. He played
on the school’s lacrosse team.
He had many friends and a busy
social life. Today, he cannot maneuver a lacrosse stick in his right
hand and the way he spends his
free time has changed dramatically.
If not for the accident, Dechter would have graduated last
year. Now, he is in an entirely
new grade, without his core group
of friends that graduated, but he is
enjoying every minute of it. “I’m
doing great in my classes and it’s
just awesome to finally be able to
get out of the house and do something,” said Dechter.
Dechter currently attends
school on a half-day schedule and
has so far been extremely grateful
to his teachers and administration.
Both he and his mother emphasized that the staff was incredible

Kayla Cohen ‘17

After spending six months in rehab, Max Dechter has restarted his senior year and uses his experience to
advise students to make better decisions. Dechter has kept an optimistic attitude and a positive perspective.
when Dechter returned to school,
particularly his teachers. Dechter
explained that teachers, like science teacher Britani Greco and
English teacher Melissa Flowers,
really helped him catch back up
after missing a full year of school.
As a whole, the accident
completely changed Dechter’s
outlook on life. Before, he got
into a lot of trouble, even calling
himself “a really bad kid.” Now,
however, he’s changed his life
around. “I’m not into the same
stuff I was,” said Dechter. “I’m
going to college next year. I have
a lot of goals.” In fact, Dech-

ter has already received his first
college acceptance letter from a
school in Fort Lewis, Colorado.
Because of the accident, Dechter gained a new perspective on
life as well as a new appreciation for his parents. After his
mom came to visit him every day
in Baltimore during his rehab,
Dechter explained that he grew
a new respect for her. His mother
also explained that she and Dechter’s father gained a new appreciation for him. “He had a really
long struggle and he’s still in it.
He’s a good kid. I’ve got a new
friendship, for sure,” she said.

While Dechter’s accident caused
him so much pain and trouble, his
bright spirit and positive attitude
help keep him looking forward.
He’s grown closer with his family and friends, gained goals and
plans for the future, and seen a
truly incredible community response. However, if he could
warn students of anything, it
would be to never get in the car
with a drunk driver. It’s something students should already
know, but Dechter stressed that
if someone has been drinking or
smoking, keep out of their car to
remain safe.

MCPS Chooses New Superintendent Weighing the Positives
by Alex Nnabue ‘18
and Negatives of Fitbits

After a year-long search, the
MCPS Board of Education voted unanimously on February 4
to conditionally name Dr. Jack
Smith as the next superintendent.
Last year, former Superintendent Joshua Starr resigned five
months prior to his term ending,
after it became apparent that the
board would not renew his contract. The board then nominated
a new superintendent from Texas
who later withdrew for a job offer
in Ohio. Afterwards, Larry Bowers, who is expected to retire in
July, was named interim superintendent of MCPS in order to fill
the position while the search continued.
Smith is the current interim
state superintendent of Maryland
schools. He has also served as the
superintendent of Calvert County
Public Schools and was named
the Maryland Superintendent of
the Year in 2013. Smith says he is
ready to tackle the numerous issues that MCPS faces. “I certainly am excited, nervous, humble,
and very much looking forward
to this opportunity and this effort
to work on behalf of all children,”
said Smith who narrowed in on a
specific issue that concerns him

by Megan Werden ‘17

courtesy of MCPS

as he spoke to Fox 5 News following his appointment, “...the
significant range of graduation
rates across 25 schools...something that we should talk about
right away.” Graduation rates
among county high schools range
from 78 percent to 98 percent.
Smith said MCPS’s diversity is “a gift” and that he plans
to address the different obstacles
that exist for the various student
populations. Other major issues
include racial and socioeconomic
achievement gaps, budget costs,
technology, and the overgrowing
enrollment.
MCPS held numerous public

meetings and forums to lay out
expectations and desired qualities
that students and parents expected to see in the next superintendent. Having reviewed more than
70 impressive applications and
conducting 11 interviews with
candidates across the nation, the
MCPS Board of Education and
their search consultants concluded that Smith was the best fit for
the county. He is expected to begin his four-year term as superintendent on July 1. In the meantime, numerous public meetings
will be held so that the MCPS
community can meet its new superintendent.

Fitbits are devices that contain a 3D motion sensor that track
calories burned according to how
many steps one has taken, distance traveled and sleep quality. It
is recommended that people take
10,000 steps a day.
While Fitbits and other fitness trackers are beneficial to help
people track their activity, psychologists are starting to question
how beneficial these health devices are for one’s mental health.
Some psychologists think
that people begin to obsess about
improving themselves and then
begin to feel like failures when
they do not reach a certain goal
while using fitness trackers like
the Fitbit. Psychologists are beginning to worry that Fitbits and
other fitness trackers will lead
to people becoming obsessive
over exercise, resulting in an unhealthy fixation on losing weight.
“I think Fitbits can easily become an obsession with calculating calories, but can also be very
beneficial for those who have always been unaware of their physical activity. I think a person has

to be conscious about whether it
would actually help them or not,”
said physical education teacher
Ashley Barber-Strunk.
Teens utilize fitness trackers,
which cost about $150, to monitor
their activity and sleep. “I think it
keeps people motivated, but not
to a point of obsession,” said junior Stella Lappas, an avid Fitbit
user. Lappas checks it every hour
or two. Her goal is set at 10,000
steps per day, but she usually logs
about 12,000 to 15,000.
Calorie counters, like My
Fitness Pal and Lose It, also help
users learn about another component of health: food intake. One
enters personal information manually, and the calorie counter decides how many calories should
be consumed a day depending
on the person’s weight, height,
age, gender, general activity and
health goals. Like devices that
track exercise, those that measure
food intake also come with unintended consequences.
Calorie counters and fitness
trackers can lead people’s health
in the right direction, but with incorrect usage, they can have detrimental impacts too.

The Warrior•Fears and Phobias
6

March 17, 2016

Interesting Phobias
Ablutophobia - fear of bathing
Stasibasiphobia - fear of standing

Dendrophobia fear of trees

cartoon by Sidney Brown ‘17

Psychology Explains Fears Versus Phobias
by Madison Dymond ‘16

Everyone has fears. Most of
us shudder at the thought of bugs
crawling up our arms or feel our
hearts racing before a big presentation, and we all have a survival instinct that makes us fear
anything that may lead us to harm
or even death. Few, however, are
so afraid of something that it prevents them from living their lives.

The textbook, “Abnormal
Psychology in a Changing
World,” defines a phobia as “a
fear of an object or situation that
is disproportionate to the threat it
poses.” Fear is merely “anxiety
experienced in response to a particular threat.” A fear becomes a
phobia when the response to the
threat is not appropriate or what
is deemed as rational.
Many people fail to acknowledge a difference between phobias and fears or downplay the
magnitude of distress that phobias
can cause. Specific phobias affect

about nine percent of the general
population; however, if asked, the
majority of people would likely
claim to have a phobia. Phobias
are part of the anxiety disorders
family, which includes disorders
such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive
disorder (OCD), panic disorder,
and post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). They are actual diagnoses and can make life extremely
difficult for individuals who have
these phobias.
Phobias usually develop
during childhood and are often
caused by a traumatic experience
or a mixture of social and biological factors. The causes of phobias
may often be repressed memories, which makes it hard for people to pinpoint when their phobia
started. This makes it harder to fix
the problem, since it is extremely
difficult to find a solution without
knowing the cause.
Despite this obstacle, there
is still plenty of help for those

with phobias. Phobic disorders
are most commonly treated with
exposure therapy. This involves
slowly exposing the patient to the
threat until he/she is either desensitized from the threat or feels
that he/she is able to properly defend him/herself against it.

Social anxiety (also called social phobia) is probably the most
common phobic disorder among
high school students. Many students decline invitations to social
gatherings or avoid dating due to
their unrelenting fear that they
will say or do the wrong thing.
In the mildest cases, a phobia can make one feel anxious
to enter a situation. In the most
extreme cases, it can keep someone for leaving their house for
decades. The use of the word
“phobia” may be tossed around,
and for the most part, this actually
leads people to be more accepting
of people with phobias, but the
lack of knowledge about phobic
disorders leads to assumptions.

Psellismophobia - fear of stuttering

Logizomechanophobia fear of computers

Omphalophobia - fear of belly buttons

Papaphobia fear of the pope

Xenoglossophobia fear of foreign languages
~Brian Hayre ‘16

The Warrior•Fears and Phobias
March 17, 2016

Say Farewell to Bozo
by Milan Polk ‘16
Clowns are supposed to be a great form of entertainment

for kids and adults alike, yet something about an unknown adult
adorned with make-up causes fear and discomfort in many. The
fear has garnered so much attention it has become a legitimate
phobia called coulrophobia.
Possible reasoning as to why there is a common fear of
clowns is that they were always scary, but people have only
just now begun to acknowledge it. In present times, distrust in
strangers is more common than it was in the past. Clowns are
not only physically masked, but their actual lives are completely
hidden from their audience, which can be unsettling.
The separation of life and character may be for the best,
considering the first widely famous clown, Joseph Grimaldi,
an English 19th century clown, was a drunk with a lonely life
which contrasted with his upbeat performance. His cheery nature in light of his misfortune made audiences adore him, although some did find the contrast strange. Besides Grimaldi,
other famous clowns have been known for their sinister sides,
like a 19th century Parisian clown who bludgeoned a child to
death for insulting him.
Over time, popular culture has replaced the happy and innocent nature of clowns usually seen in the past with an new
image of a dangerous and deranged clown, with books such as
Stephen King’s “It,” in which a demon is set loose to wreak
havoc posing as a killer clown, and the “Saw” movie franchise
featuring a creepy clown puppet. Not to mention the real-life
terror of 1970s serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who dressed up
as a clown to lure his young victims.
The exact future of the clumsy clown caricature is unclear,
but it seems that clowns’ days as widely welcomed comedians
may be long gone as people have developed phobias of them.

7

Barophobia Leads to Gravitational Fear
by Connor Brady ‘17

Barophobia is defined as the fear of gravity. Not to be confused with the fear of heights,
people who suffer from barophobia live in
constant fear of two possible scenarios. One is
when gravity will simply disappear and they
will float away. The second scenario is they fear
that gravity will become too strong and crush
them.
Just like any other phobia, one can get it
by simply having an experience in these conditions. A person could have fallen from a great
height and gotten hurt, or just watched TV and
saw a situation where there is no gravity. No
matter what the experience is, this phobia causes irrational reactions and anxiety attacks just at
the thought of gravity.

Some symptoms of this phobia can be minute or life changing. Some victims could just
be uncomfortable with the thought of gravity
while others are scared to leave their homes
and live out their daily lives. Those who have
severe barophobia suffer from breathlessness,
muscle tension, tremors, and the feeling of being trapped or out of control.
Most people seek help once they realize
they have an irrational fear of gravity. Although most who suffer from barophobia are
often able to diagnose and cope with the phobia
themselves, there are some cases where people
can’t cope with it on their own.
Just like any other phobia, those who need
treatment go to therapy to learn how to cope
with their phobia so they no longer have to live
in fear.

Agoraphobia Causes Panic about Panic
by Will Van Gelder ‘16
The fear of panicking in public, or agoraphobia, can cause some people afflicted by this
panic disorder to stay in their homes for years
on end due to fear of panicking in a public
place. Agoraphobics were once viewed with
much disdain, but in recent years these “shutins” have become more widely accepted as
their phobia has become better understood.
Celebrities such as Woody Allen, Barbra
Streisand and “Home Alone” star Macaulay
Culkin have suffered from this debilitating

phobia. The phobia has been widely depicted
in TV shows such as “Better Call Saul” and
movies such as “Hairspray.”
Naturally, the symptoms of agoraphobia
not only affect the patient, but often place an
undue burden on family and friends, as they
often have to deliver food and other supplies to
the sufferer.
Agoraphobia can now be successfully treated through a psychotherapy process
known as exposure, which subjects sufferers
to the things that make them panic in order to
desensitize them of their fear.

Human Evolution Shows
How To Face Your Fears and Move On
Reason Behind Some Fears by Meghan Kimberling ‘17
by Bryse Thornwell ‘16

Why do most humans jump
at the sight of 50 spiders but not
at 50 cars on a highway? Why
do most humans scream in terror
at the sight of a snake, but shrug
at, or even welcome, a fast-food
restaurant? In America, 38,300
people died in motor vehicle accidents last year alone, but only
an average of six people die from
spider bites each year. Likewise,
over half of America’s adult population is at risk for high cholesterol or high blood pressure related death, while an average of five
people die each year from snake
bites.
We jump in response to fear
through our “fight or flight” system, which is our mechanism
that allows us to escape danger.
One of the responsibilities of the
amygdala, a structure located in
the limbic system in our brains, is
to associate fear to different situations. While everyone has their
own list of fears, evidence proves
that certain fears are more widespread than others because they
are rooted in our biology.
The evolutionary perspective in psychology is an approach
that explains psychological traits
such as memory, perception, and
language as adaptations. Natural
selection, the process where organisms who adapt better to their
environment usually survive and
reproduce, can explain why certain fears are more widespread
throughout humanity than others
with the same or even a greater
potential to cause harm.
Our ancestors learned to assess what was dangerous and

threatening, and to respond with
a reaction of fear. Those who successfully avoided dangerous and
threatening stimuli were then able
to pass their genes and behavior
down to future generations.
Since natural selection and
evolution take thousands of
years, this could easily explain
why fears that proved threatening
to the survival of our ancestors,
such as potentially dangerous
predators, heights, and wide open
spaces remain prominent while
fears of recent inventions like
motorcycles or new findings in
climate change are not as common.
One way to assess the effects
of evolution on widespread fears
is to compare humans to lesser
evolved animals. A study involving newborn rhesus monkeys
proved that they were afraid of
toy snakes and toy crocodiles, but
not of a toy rabbit. The monkey
most likely feared the snake and
crocodile because it perceived
them as predators, but the monkey was still able to assume the
rabbit would not cause it harm.
Now, if you expose the monkey
to a gun, it would be expected to
display the same reaction as to
the rabbit because its ancestors
have not had enough experience
to allow the monkey to perceive a
firearm as a threat.
Thus, the evolutionary theory in psychology can help explain
why humans are more likely to
fear snakes, spiders, and heights
than threats from our modern environment. Electricity, motorized
vehicles, and global warming are
all too new for our biology to
adapt to in the near future.

Are there any fears that
you wish you could overcome?
Fear of public speaking? Fear of
heights? Roller coasters? Circus
clowns? Good news: there is a
way “out.”
Just like in other aspects of
life, admitting you have a problem is the first step to overcoming your fear and enjoying a
fuller life. If you aren’t ready to
face your fears, odds are that you
won’t. At the same time, clinging to a fear, instead of trying to
conquer it, makes the fear define
who you are, sidelining you from
living your life to the fullest.
“If you change your behavior, your thoughts and feelings
will change. You can’t wait for
your thoughts and feeling to
change, you need to change your
behavior first,” counsels Alice
Boyes, Ph.D. and psychology
author. Avoidance does not make
the change for you.
Psychologists and doctors
around the world have taken
overcoming fears one step further: exposure therapy. The therapy is not a new concept but overcoming fears allows one to live
their life to the fullest, making it a
very popular treatment. The idea
is that the patient is exposed to
their fear without any real danger
in order to “train” their minds to
ignore the fear stimuli messages.
“Overcoming fear is about
learning to predict and, when possible, control the feared object or
situation. During exposure therapy one learns how to approach the
feared object or situation, so that
it is no longer unpredictable and
uncontrollable which makes it far

Methods of Exposure Therapy

Flooding: immersing yourself in
your fear until the fear reflex fades
away
Counter-conditioning: substitution of a relaxation response for
the fear reflex when exposed to
the fear trigger
Modeling: watching another go
through the phobic stimuli, responding with relaxation rather
than fear
less threatening,” stated Katherina K. Hauner, a post-doctoral fellow in neurology at Northwestern
University Feinberg School of
Medicine, in the Huffington Post.
Exposure therapy originated
in the 1900s, rooting from Ivan
Pavlov’s classical conditioning.
Over the past 30 years, exposure
therapy has exponentially grown
in popularity. In fact prolonged
exposure therapy has shown
greater success than supportive
counseling in adolescent teens
with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to Penn

Medicine.
Of course, it helps to have
coping mechanisms along the
way as you incrementally expose
yourself to more fearful situations. For instance, being mindful of your fear and recognizing
when it starts (i.e. sweaty palms,
tightening muscles) is a starting point to developing a coping
mechanism. Once you are more
aware of your fears and its symptoms, you start to let them come
and go without being too judgmental of yourself or your symptoms.

The Warrior•Features
8

March 17, 2016

Local Man Completes ‘American Ninja Warrior’
by Natalie Murray ‘18
Geoff Britten seems like a
fairly typical Olney resident—
he’s a husband, a father, and a
professional cameraman. But
Britten is not an ordinary soccer
dad, he’s a man who recently
made history.
Last summer, Britten became
the first person ever to complete the final stage of Mount
Midoriyama—the last in a set
of obstacle courses in the NBC
show “American Ninja Warrior.”
The show features people from
around the country who attempt
to complete challenging obstacle
courses. The top 30 in each of the
city finals courses go to Las Vegas to attempt Mount Midoriyama, a four-part course that, for the
first six years of the show, seemed
impossible to master.
This past season, however, two athletes completed stage
three—Britten and Isaac Caldiero. Both moved on to Stage Four,
where they had to climb a 75-foot
rope in under 30 seconds. Although both completed the climb,

www.nbc.com

Geoff Britten, a local resident, is shown completing a rigorous obstacle.
Caldiero’s time was 3.6 seconds
faster than Britten’s, so he took
home the million-dollar prize.
Despite being seconds from becoming a millionaire, Britten is
happy with his accomplishments.
“The fact that I beat stage
four was just incredible,” said
Britten. “I’ve never been sad
about not having a faster time or
not winning a million dollars, be-

cause my goal was always to beat
it, and I did.”
Not only was Britten the first
ever to complete stage four, he is
also the only person in American
Ninja Warrior history to have a
perfect season. Unlike Caldiero,
who fell in the second to last obstacle in the Kansas City finals,
Britten completed every single
course he went up against.

His accomplishments earn
him almost daily recognition
around town, as well as at work.
“I’m a professional cameraman,
and people used to ask me, every
day, ‘Hey, could you put me on
the big screen?’ Now people tap
me on the shoulder and ask, ‘Hey,
weren’t you on American Ninja
Warrior?’” said Britten.
In order to balance his roles
as a father, husband, and cameraman with his Ninja Warrior training, Britten trains at nearby gyms
like Earth Treks in Rockville, Alternate Routes in White Marsh,
and also has a small training area
in his own house. “What helps the
most in my training is having my
family come with me,” said Britten. “We’ve made it into something fun where we can all go and
do it.”
His wife, Jessica, who also
competed in on the show, and
his six-year-old daughter, Allison, are not only his family, his
training partners, and part of his
cheering section, but also a major
source of motivation.
“Watching my wife, my

daughter, my mom, and my dad
there cheering for me, that to me
is so much more special than getting to compete at all,” said Britten.
With everything Britten has
achieved, it would seem that there
isn’t much that can keep him
down. However, a 103-degree fever left him unable to compete on
the American Ninja Warrior spinoff show, “USA vs. The World,”
in which teams of American, European, and Japanese Ninja Warriors compete against each other.
Britten has been aching for a second chance ever since.
“I felt awful, I felt like a quitter, it just felt brutal. I’ll always
regret that I wasn’t able to push
on further,” said Britten. “Going
into next season, that’s really my
only goal, to get a chance to redeem myself.”
As Britten achieved his first
goal, beating stage four, it will be
interesting to see if he can accomplish his next one when Season
Eight premieres next summer.
Make sure to tune in to watch the
local ninja warrior.

Maya Koeppen ‘17

Junior Renaldo Smith laughs with a fellow runner and friend at track practice after school.

Track Star’s Humble Beginnings
by Isabella Pilot ‘18
We’ve all heard it a million times before; the story of the American Dream.
Someone leaves their home country to
come to the land of opportunity, and is
greeted by Lady Liberty upon arrival. At
this point it all seems a little cliché. But
walking beside us in the halls, using the
same desks we do is proof that the American Dream is still very much alive. This
proof is junior Renaldo Smith.
Smith moved from Kingston, Jamaica
to Maryland in 2014, and has been attending school here ever since. “My life was
pretty hard in Jamaica. The reason why is
because my mom died and I started doing
a lot of bad things,” said Smith, but you
would never know about his rough past
from his persona. Anyone who has met
Smith can agree that he is one of the most
charismatic, cheerful members of the student body. This optimism comes from his
drive to succeed, particularly in track and
field.
“I started running when I was four
years old. When I was six, I started running track for my preschool, then through
middle school. No other sports, just track
all my life.” Smith has used track as his
biggest tool in adjusting to the new environment. “The transition was so easy because my mind was so focused on track.
Back home in Jamaica, track is the main
sport. Everybody wants to be fast. The
fastest man, Usain Bolt, lives there, so everybody wants to be like him,” said Smith.

“ I can only be myself. I set my own standards. Hopefully I can go far in this thing.”
But in order to remain eligible for
track, Smith must keep his grades up. He
has studied hard and is now expected to
graduate in 2017, a year earlier than originally planned. School in the United States
is very different from his school in Jamaica. “Here I get more help. Back there, the
teachers just expected you to figure things
out yourself, but here I get help from teachers and honor society members.”
Smith plans on attending a culinary
arts school to study his other major passion, cooking. “My love for cooking is out
of this world. I enjoy it because it is an art,
and when I cook I love to see people happy,” said Smith. He takes cooking classes
at Sherwood, and hopes to one day become
a head chef at a restaurant.
Rather than covering up his mistakes,
Smith is growing and becoming the best
version of himself. He has opened up to his
teammates and his friends, informing them
of his life in Jamaica and trusting them to
help him get through high school so he
can move on to bigger and better things.
“Watching him grow is remarkable. I’m
so proud of him and all the progress he’s
made here. He’s the most amazing guy I
know,” said sophomore Amy Guenterburg,
one of Smith’s closest friends on track.
So whenever you start to believe that
the American Dream is dead, keep Renaldo
Smith in mind. This is only the beginning
of a successful journey for him in the United States.

The Warrior•Features
March 17, 2016

9

Granny is Not the Only One
Rocking the Gray Hair Style

by Katherine Sperduto ‘19

that coloring is

at-home therapy?
by Maya Koeppen ‘17
What used to be a favorite
childhood pastime is quickly
emerging again as a new trend in
the form of adult coloring books.
Holding five of the top 10 bestselling spots on Amazon, these
books have been quickly surging
in popularity as a unique alternative to meditation. Books feature intricate designs of anything
from nature to mandalas (diagram, chart, or geometric pattern
of Indian origin) and are intended to de-stress the user through
coloring. Despite their widespread popularity, few know of
the actual science behind the
books.
Although it is not considered a form of art therapy, coloring still has many healing qualities. Among coloring’s benefits
is its ability to induce a state of
focus and mindfulness in the
individual that is similar to that
of meditation. Dr. Stan Rodski, a
neuropsychologist and author of
his own line of coloring books,
notes that this response stems
from the details and repetition
of patterns associated with coloring. Even so much as choosing
whether or not to color the sun
yellow or orange, gets the mind
working. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, responsible for
many of the decisions in one’s
daily life, is served well by this
series of insignificant choices;
further allowing the “colorist”
to enjoy an immense amount of
self-control in the midst of their
otherwise hectic and previously
mapped-out schedules.
For individuals suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and more, coloring

could be just the prescription for
these and a slew of other mental
and emotional health issues as
well. Focusing the mind on the
carefree nature of coloring can
help these individuals by diminishing their natural state of worry in a way that is both calming
and productive. Probably one of
the best example of this process
in action is the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung’s prescription
of coloring mandalas to his patients over a hundred years ago.
Through further diagnoses, Jung
became aware of the calming
properties that are now attributed to coloring and he expressed a
belief that mandalas, being more
than just shapes, symbolize a
deeper expression of oneself.
Aside from its therapeutic
benefits, coloring is also found
to have intellectual and physical benefits for the individual as
well. Intellectually, the physical
act of coloring can help with organizational and problem-solving skills. Coloring activates the
frontal lobes in the brain, and
the execution of complex color
schemes to create aesthetically
pleasing results trains the brain
to think in a new and colorful
way. Physically, coloring can
suppress feelings of pain from a
variety of diseases and enhance
motor skills.
Coloring is a great way to
take a break from the world
and lose oneslf in the world of
swirls, shapes, and colors. Such
coloring books can be bought at
many bookstores. So whether
one has a big test coming up or
one just needs some “me” time
at the end of a long day, the best
way to treat your brain and your
body is to break out those pencils and get coloring.

Many middle-aged women, and even men, hyperfocus
on covering up their gray roots,
but one of the hottest trends today among young people is the
“Granny Hair” trend. Don’t be
fooled by the name “Granny
Hair,” dyed locks of silver, gray,
lavender, soft blue, or even white,
the dyed hair looks anything but
old.
Having seen this hot trend
on Instagram and other forms of
social media, senior Liana Azcuy
took on this look involuntarily.
Her brown hair was dyed purple
with a light blonde underneath,
and this combination eventually changed into a silverish color.
She became accustomed to her
new look. She loved it so much
that she took on the “Granny
Hair” trend purposefully months
later.
“On Instagram you see those
girls with gray hair and you think
that it is cool,” said Azcuy. “ I am
definitely noticing more people
with it now.”
Azcuy loved this gray hair
look more than the other hair-dyeing trends that she has tried over
the years. She got many different
reactions. Her parents weren’t really on board with the new hair,
but her friends loved the new
look.
Azcuy is not the only trendsetter that has pursued the “Granny Hair” look; sophomore Audrey
Schwenke was inspired by Tumblr. Her love for pursuing trends
and fearlessness of changing
looks has made her a big trendsetter at Sherwood. Schwenke
took on the silver a few months
into the school year. Although
Schwenke lets all of the comments roll off her shoulders, she

Courtesy of Liana Azcuy

Senior Liana Azcuy sporting the popular gray hairstyle back in 2015.
does have one concern: scaring
possible employers from hiring
her.
“One big thing for me was
applying for jobs. Personally, I
worry that an employer will not
find a kid who dyes their hair
whacky things a responsible employee,” admitted Schwenke.
Although Schwenke loved
her gray locks, she recently went
back to being a brunette. On the
other hand, Azcuy kept her hair
died gray for longer.
Both in Hollywood and here
in Montgomery County, the trend
is hitting the streets. Kelly Osbourne, Rihanna and Kylie Jenner are among the celebrities who
have experimented with the style

“Granny Hair.”
Sara Mossavari, local hair
stylist for Salon Central, thinks
silver/gray hair is a beautiful
look. But, she warns that it does
come with some catches. Mossavari recommends coming in once
a week to get your hair retoned
after you get your hair dyed. If
you don’t get it toned, the hair
will turn a yellow color. If you
choose to not tone your hair every
week at the salon, at least buy a
violet toner before you leave the
salon.
Like it or not, the “Granny Hair” trend that is hitting the
streets of Hollywood and Olney
today, will be hitting the pages of
a fashion history book tomorrow.

Sophomore Serves as SMOB Chief of Staff
by Leah Peloff ‘18
Many high school students
would describe their lives as relatively busy. Between school,
homework, sports, socializing
and more, most spend whatever excess time they have sleeping. Sophomore Matthew Post,
however, fills his already busy
schedule with responsibilities
that come with his role as chief
of staff to Student Member of the
Board (SMOB), Eric Guerci.
Post has always been interested in student advocacy. He started off with inner-school SGA,
becoming his class president in
fifth grade, then got back into it
in eighth grade when he applied
to be on the Montgomery County Regional Student Government
Association.
This county student government was where Post really got his
start. He worked tirelessly to rebrand the association and give it a
newly polished look that could be
taken more seriously. Due to his

hard work, Post was approached
by Guerci who asked if he would
be part of his 2015 SMOB campaign. “Eric and I realized that we
collaborated really well together
and he appointed me as his chief
of staff, ” explained Post.
With a one-year term, SMOB
is a constant cycle, filtering new
members in and out come election time in April. Because Guerci will seek reelection this year,
“[He and Post] have worked together a lot over the summer and
past months just getting his message out; constituent contact. But
now that the election is ramping
up, that requires a lot more media,
a lot more content, and a lot more
strategy” said Post
Whether he is working aside
Guerci or testifying to the Montgomery County Council as a
concerned individual, Post is extremely passionate about acting
on behalf of the students. “Representing others is one of the most
rewarding jobs you can have,”
said Post. “When I am testifying

to the board or state delegation, it
feels great to know I am echoing
the sentiments of those students
whose voices would otherwise
not have been heard.”
According to Post, the hard
work does pay off in ways besides just the satisfaction of being
the voice of those who otherwise
go unheard. He has met many of
the government officials from
both state and local levels whom
he would have never encountered
otherwise. In addition to the extremely smart, inspiring people he has met, Post has learned
priceless lessons about collaborating with others and working on
a team.
When asked if he would ever
consider running for SMOB himself, the answer was a definitive
yes. “[Working as chief of staff]
has really prepared me and gotten
me in the know about the process,
about the job, about the people
you need to know and skills you
need to have to do an effective
job,” explained Post.

The Warrior•Features
10

March 17, 2016

Sherwood’s Early School Years
Sherwood students now take pride in our Warrior athletic teams and our school’s great academics. However, many students are not aware of the long
and interesting history of our school. We will go on a journey to explore the events of the past that have taken place on the grounds you learn on.

THE FOUNDING OF SHERWOOD:

We begin our journey in a small, wooded area in the predominantly Quaker
community of Sandy Spring. Tucked within these trees was a large farm owned by
Miss Mary Roberts. The Roberts’ called this the “Sherwood Farm” due to the resemblance to the Sherwood Forest in the tale of Robin Hood. The community, looking to
support the welfare and education of the children, decided to start a school for the
children of Sandy Spring. Roberts, owning plenty of land, sold a large portion of her
farm to start the school. As part of her death wish, she asked the school be named
after her beloved farm. The original school building, costing $2,300, opened as the
Sherwood Academy (also known as the Sherwood Friends School) in 1883, enrolling a
total of 50 students taught by two teachers. After a nationwide search, J. Llewellyn
Massey, who happened to be a local teacher, was hired as the first principal of the
new, private, and Quaker Sherwood Academy.

compiled by Jacob Golomb ‘16

1883

SHERWOOD AS A PRIVATE SCHOOL:

18831905

SHERWOOD BECOMES PUBLIC:

By the early 20th century, the Quaker school’s financial troubles made supporting the Sherwood Academy unrealistic. The Sandy Spring community, still traditionally Quaker, opposed the idea of making Sherwood public, but in 1905 it became
apparent there was no other choice. The next year, the school was loaned to the
county for a year to test the feasibility of a public school in its place. It has been
public ever since.
The first year of the public Sherwood High School we know today consisted of
around four staff and 100 students. Since there was only one high school in Howard
County, some students from places such as Highland and the Patuxent River area
attended Sherwood. A student from Highland ran to Sherwood every morning, which
led to his successful running career at College Park. A child who was the only Sherwood student in his or her household came to school on horseback. Once at school,
students could park their horse in the sheds in the back of the school (where they
were fed corn at lunch) for an annual parking permit fee of $1. Students with siblings would typically ride to school by horse and buggy or carriage, taking up to an
hour to arrive at Sherwood from Brookeville.

1905

SHERWOOD BETWEEN WARS:

The 1920s saw various modern updates and expansions to the school. A major addition was built in 1923, adding both more classrooms and a large assembly room
with lights. Also introduced in 1923 was Sherwood’s first school bus. In the previous
years, the county paid seniors $2.50 per student they picked up in their cars. Due
to large enrollment increases, four new grammar school rooms were added in 1929,
leaving the old building for the high school.
A completely new building for the elementary school was built on campus in
1935. The elementary school began the day with their own set of morning exercises,
where students would sing “Among the Leafy Branches,” recite the Lord’s Prayer,
and read Bible verses.
Once students reached 7th grade, they advanced to high school. Sherwood had
two tracks the new high school students could choose from: commercial or academic. The commercial route was intended for students wishing to go into vocational or
secretarial work, offering courses such as typing, shorthand, and home economics.
The academic route, on the other hand, included courses such as English, Latin,
French, Spanish, history, and sciences. Students also participated in various extracurricular activities, the biggest ones being Future Farmers of America, debate,
newspaper and yearbook, glee club, and band.
As the 1930s came to an end and war clouds loomed above, many recent Sherwood graduates found themselves putting on army uniforms and, for many of these
boys, meeting their deaths. During the war, current Sherwood students participated
in various war-effort projects, collecting scrap metal and newspaper to support
their brothers at war.

SHERWOOD HIGH SCHOOL EARLY YEARS:

19051915

Sherwood High School circa 1925, courtesy of Sandy Spring Museum.

19151940

If you have $100 to spare, you can pay Sherwood
Academy’s tuition and continue into the school. The
original school satisfied the community’s needs to educate the local children. Students began at the Academy in 7th grade and continued at the school through
their senior year, which at the time was 11th grade.
Though the school had an obviously rural location, students did have opportunities to see nearby attractions.
On one such occasion in May 1994, Mr. Harry Spofford
took 33 Sherwood students on a field trip to Washington DC, where he presented them to President Grover
Cleveland. The next year, enrollment at the Sherwood
Academy dropped to 36, followed by an all-time low of
14 in 1896 due to so many students choosing to go to the
nearby George School instead. Though small and beginning to fail, Sherwood Academy still remained a central
part of the Sandy Spring community, hosting the community’s first May Day celebration on May 20, 1899 as
well as Farmer’s Conventions for the community. It was
also during this time that teacher Elizabeth Thom wrote
Sherwood’s alma mater, “Among the Leafy Branches.”

After arriving to school on horseback or carriage,
students went to morning exercises—a daily assembly
consisting of musical performances, debates, and a roll
call to which each student responded with a quote (a
practice carried over from the private school). Students
then would go to their individual classrooms; 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd grade in a small building in the back was taught
by Mrs. Brooke, 4th and 5th grade in the gymnasium
taught by Ms. Isobel Stabler, 9th and 10th grades in a
room leftover from the Friends’ School taught by a the
young, new teacher Mr. Whiteford. These teachers were
paid an annual salary of only $300.
In 1909, they noticed another need for more space
for the students. The construction of a larger schoolhouse began and they stored a large pile of lumber on
the playground on which children would play and eat
lunch. Later that year, this pile of lumber was made into
a new two-story school building. When school reopened
in 1910, the building was not yet ready to open, so for
the first few months classes were scattered in the older schoolhouses on campus and even nearby homes in
Sandy Spring. Even though the new school was built by
the county, there was no road from the Turnpike (108)
to the front of the school. Principal Charles G. Myers put
the high school boys to work, having them construct the
path from the Turnpike to the front.

Sherwood High School circa 1909, courtesy of Sandy Spring Museum.

Sherwood has gone through many changes and renovations in the last 70 years. The school’s population has risen by thousands, due to development
of the surrounding areas. The building itself has also undergone numerous renovations, including a completely new building in 1950 and major renovations and modernizations in the early 1990s. The elementary school has since moved off the grounds and is now located down 108 (Sherwood Elementary). Although the original building, teachers, and students are long gone, our connection with these historical grounds remains. The very same
ground on which we have our classes, play our sports, and arrive at school has been used by students for over 130 years now. If you look across Route
108, you can see the Sherwood farm, now known as Cloverly, that Miss Mary Roberts gave to the Sandy Spring community. It’s interesting to wonder
what students 100 years from now will discover about Sherwood High School in the early 22nd century.

The Warrior•Features
March 17, 2016

11

What’s in a Name? Hunting for a Meaning
by Alleigh Keyes ‘16
Although they share the same
name, sophomore and senior Joseph Hunt excel in different areas
of interest. Hunt ‘18 plays varsity football, JV basketball and
JV baseball, while Hunt ‘16 stars
in school productions including
Rock ‘n’ Roll and CAST shows.
At the tender age of 6, Hunt
‘18 started to play football for
OBGC. His passion for football
has only grown over the years as
he has his older brother, Danny,
for inspiration.
“All my life I’ve looked up
to my brother. So seeing him play
sports his whole life definitely
motivated me to succeed in sports
as well,” said Hunt ‘18.
His success on the field is evident; he was a starting wide receiver as a sophomore until week
6 of the season when he broke his
collarbone. However, this injury
was merely a setback since Hunt
‘18 plans to return better than
ever as a starting wide receiver next season. “I feel at home
when I’m on that field on a Friday
night. I feel so comfortable playing football,” said Hunt ‘18.
With the future in mind, Hunt
‘18 makes his goal clear: “I’ve always dreamed of playing college
football after high school,” he
said.
Aside from the traditional
sports that he is known to play, he
also enjoys snowboarding in the

Sophomore Joey Hunt on the left and senior Joe Hunt on the right. While one conquers the field, the other one rocks the stage here at Sherwood.
winter and wake boarding in the
summer.
Hunt ‘16 lives and breathes
music. Throughout the years, his
diverse resume contains notable
roles such as Gaston in “Beauty
in the Beast,” Lionel in “Cinderella,” Pippin in “Pippin,” and a
soloist in Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Quite the musical theater fanatic, Hunt ‘16 draws inspiration
from Lin-Manuel Miranda. “He
wrote my favorite musical, ‘Hamilton,’ and starred as the lead role.
He has risen so quickly and written such fantastic music. I want

Art Department Goes to
Europe for Spring Break
by Danielle Katz ‘18
The art department will take
its annual spring break trip in
Paris and London this year. From
March 24 to April 2, participants
have the opportunity to tour these
cities focusing on the unique art
and artistic landmarks these locations have to offer.
This year, art teacher Angela
Praisner organized the trip. The
ten days will be spent in Paris for
five nights and London for three
with two spent traveling to and
from Europe.
“The last time [Sherwood]
went to Paris was in 2009,” noted
Praisner, so the choice to travel
to London and Paris came easily.
“Paris is a huge epicenter for art
and I’ve never been to London
with the school. Both places hold
a lot of unique architecture.”
The first day will be spent
traveling to France. Once there,
they will take a walking tour of
Paris around the Opera District,
and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. The next few days will
include more walking tours including the famous Louvre Museum and Eiffel Tower. Students
may take optional excursions to
Chartres and the Loire Valley as
well as have free time in Paris,
and an optional visit to the Van
Gogh House. To get to London,
they will travel via the Eurostar, a

Kayla Cohen ‘17

Kayla Cohen ‘17

high-speed train that runs through
the tunnel connecting continental
Europe with Britain.
Students will sightsee upon
arriving in London along with the
day after, they will visit Stonehenge and the Roman Baths before their last day taking a walking tour of London.
“I want to travel the world,”
said senior Amy McMurtray.
This will be many students’ first
time out of the country, including
McMurtray. “I am most excited
to see Stonehenge and the Eiffel
Tower, and of course, eat some
crepes in France.” She plans
to use all of her experiences to
spark the creativity for all of the
upcoming projects.
To see students travel inspires all of the teachers. Praisner
loves to travel, and fueling her
students’ drive to appreciate art
inspires her.
“For me, it’s really special to
see travel through my students’
eyes and to see their eyes light
up when they see a monumental
structure and something come to
life outside the textbook is just
really profound,” said Praisner.
“It’s important to escape the walls
of school and really go into the
community.”
If anyone is interested in
traveling to the Greek Islands
over Spring Break next year, contact Mrs. Spangle.

to emulate his talents,” Hunt ‘16
said.
In addition to his musical theater experience, Hunt plays guitar
and ocarina, a type of flute. He is
currently enrolled in four music
classes: AP music theory, chamber choir, jazz choir and guitar.
As a gifted performer, he
plans to major in music and minor
in theater. Ultimately, his dream is
to perform on Broadway. “Singing and acting on a stage fills me
with something I can’t get anywhere else. I want to be able to
stand in the home of theater and

give a show my all every night,”
Hunt ‘16 said.
When this bass-baritone
is not on stage, he can likely
be found playing video games.
“When friends move away, I can
stay connected to them through
video games no matter where
they go. I believe it creates a great
community that brings people together,” Hunt ‘16 said.
While Hunt ‘16 goes by Joseph or Joe and Hunt ‘18 goes by
Joey, mishaps and confusion still
exist. “My freshman year when
we took the PSAT, I accidentally

received the other Joseph Hunt’s
PSAT and I wasn’t even signed
up for it,” Hunt ‘18 said. “In
class last year it seemed like once
a month my 8th period teacher
would say ‘Joseph? You’re here?
It says you’re supposed to be on a
field trip today,’” Hunt ‘16 said.
Even though both Hunts are
known for having the same name,
they have also attracted attention from peers because of their
distinct talents. “They’re both so
passionate about what they do,”
sophomore Kathleen Rosendall
said.

12

The Warrior•Humor
March 17, 2016

You Can’t Spell Satan without SAT Puppies Take a Bite
by Natalie Murray ‘18
How far would you go to
pass the SAT, a major source of
stress and anxiety for students
everywhere? In order to do well,
some students get a tutor, some
take an SAT prep class, and others, like junior Lilith LaVey, sell
their soul.
“I was watching Supernatural, like, a week before the SAT,
and I was super stressed because
I thought I’d fail,” said LaVey.
“But the episode I was watching
was about selling your soul, so I
was like ‘I’m desperate, so why
not try that?’”
The episode LaVey was
watching was season 2, episode
8, “Crossroad Blues.” In the episode, people summon a crossroads demon to sell their soul
in exchange for money, wealth,
power, or health. In order to summon the crossroads demon, who
serves as a “middle man” between
Satan and the soon-to-be-soulless
person, they bury a box containing graveyard dirt, a black cat
bone, and a picture of themselves
in the center of a crossroad.
“The hardest thing was definitely finding the materials that
the show mentioned, because you
have to go to the black market
to get those. It’s not like Amazon sells cat bones,” said LaVey.
After spending a copious eleven
minutes and six seconds doing
research, LaVey managed to find
a “Satanic Rituals For Dummies”
kit (only $6.66 on Etsy!), which
included materials for dozens
of rituals, including the one for
summoning a crossroads demon.
She borrowed her mom’s minivan
and drove to a gravel crossroads,
where she successfully summoned the demon.
“I found it a bit odd that
she wanted to sell her soul for
a perfect SAT score, which is
something you can attain if you
just work hard,” said the demon.

Out of Teen Anxiety
by Chase Wilson ‘17

Natalie Murray ‘18

The College and Career Center investigators found this picture of a
“soul contract,” which a junior tweeted after she sold her soul to Satan.
“Back when I was a human, we
actually studied for our tests.
Youth these days are willing to
turn to Lucifer for anything.”
Although the demon was irritated at LaVey’s studying habits,
he agreed to get her a 1600 on
the SAT in return for her soul.
LaVey claimed that initially, she
had planned on getting a “good”
score, but the demon told her that
she had to “go big or go home.”
According to College and
Career Advisor Joe Hock, this
was her mistake. “The College
and Career Center received word
from the College Board that Ms.
LaVey got a perfect SAT score, so
we immediately began to stalk--I
mean, monitor--her social media
activity until we discovered that,
at 1:58 A.M. on February 26, Ms.
LaVey tweeted ‘just sold my soul
to get a perfect SAT score, lol.

#SatanRocks,’” said Mr. Hock, as
he clutched a cross to his chest.
“We even saw that Lucifer replied
to her tweet with ‘thx 4 ur soul,
c u l8er!!! (in hell) :D #IShouldBeGREATanNotSatan #hahaha’”
LaVey claims that she isn’t
upset or worried that she was
caught cheating, and thinks that if
she was forced to retake it, she’d
just get a perfect score again.
However, she said she’d try to get
in touch with the Devil to clarify
the exact terms of her deal.
Satan himself was unavailable for comment, as he and his
pet hell hound Snickerdoodle are
on a vacation in Death Valley,
where, according to Satan’s new
Tumblr, @actuallysatan-666, he
has a small cottage for him and
Snickerdoodle to bake, sunbathe,
and swim in the blood of their enemies.

cartoon by Emily Gilburt ‘16

Due to a sharp increase in
students visiting their counselors with stress-related issues, the
Counseling Department has initiated a groundbreaking program to
help these students alleviate their
anxiety. Beginning fourth quarter, Puppies for Loving (PL) will
make a litter of 10 golden retriever dogs available at Sherwood.
The puppies, born on March
1, will be looked after by volunteer students until they begin their
duty. “The puppies we are raising
are perfect,” said sophomore Judy
Carlton, “I can’t wait to be able to
share them with the rest of Sherwood.”
The program will make the
puppies available to anxious students during lunch. Some are
skeptical of the benefits of petting
and playing with puppies, but the
act has been proven to be therapeutic and may lower blood pressure and heart rate. Canines have
been used for years to help soldiers with post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD).
Counselors hope that PL will
help kids struggling with stress
which, in turn, would decrease
counselors’ workload. Not all are

in favor welcoming the dogs to
the school. “Everyone will come
to pet the dogs, but once they
leave who will clean up after the
puppies?” wondered an anonymous building service worker.
“We don’t have the time to constantly be replacing water bowls,
cleaning up messes, and feeding
these pups because we’ll want to
play with them, too.”
In a poll taken after first semester to measure student interest in the program, 75 percent
of surveyed students said that
they would benefit from at least
15 minutes of puppy loving a
day, while 55 percent said they
would like more than 45 minutes.
This overwhelming majority of
students in the survey think the
program will be beneficial, and
some indicated that they believe
students grades will improve.
Plans are currently in effect
to establish a play area in one of
the courtyards during lunch periods for interested students. Also,
the Counseling Department and
administration reportedly are discussing possible “pull out” sessions during the school day for
especially stressed-out students
to receive one-on-one attention
with the puppies.

Seniors for a Cure
by Steven Witkin ‘16

Some might say the most
urgent issue facing our school
system is a lack of funds or overcrowded classrooms, but the true
crisis is much less apparent. Senioritis afflicts a large portion of
the Sherwood community, resulting in major drops in productivity, student interest, and first-period attendance.
This incurable condition was
thought to be a hopeless circumstance of the senior year, until
senior Jacob Cromwell spoke up.
“I was shocked by the lack of official research into this epidemic,
and thought, as seniors, we need
to actually do something.” Cromwell has since formed an action
group, Seniors for a Cure, to raise
awareness and money for Senioritis research, in the hope that one
day there will be a cure.
The group, which is made
up of about 300 concerned students, many suffering from Senioritis, has done its research. To
figure out what exactly needs to
be cured, they contacted Dr. Seymour Dunn, head psychologist at
the Johns Hopkins Hospital, who
released a statement concluding
that “populations with Senioritis outbreaks have been found to
highly correlate with classes that
assign nightly homework or takehome essays. It’s no cure, but the
crucial step in Senioritis prevention is to reduce these superfluous
tasks that manipulate students’
feeble senses of motivation and
reward.”

With this knowledge, the
group urges students who think
they are developing symptoms
to not panic and instead ask their
teachers to excuse them from all
homework, and perhaps watch
just one more episode on Netflix. “Since it’s such a mysterious illness, this is our best hope,”
Cromwell stated. “But anything is
better than the disastrous effects
of Senioritis on a beneficial senior year.”
Shannon Holmes, a longtime
tutor of Sherwood students, has
seen Senioritis’ effect firsthand.
Although she has lost some business since the creation of Seniors
for a Cure, she reported that,
“cutting repetitive assignments
out of my students’ education
has increased their confidence in
school. Knowing that they won’t
actually have to apply what they
learn in school gives them motivation.”
Alarmed by the condition
spreading beyond seniors to juniors, and in rare cases, sophomores, the community has rallied
support behind the group, and a
bake sale is planned to raise funds
for further research.
Cromwell’s parents are proud
of the noble initiative he has taken. “Before he started Seniors for
a Cure, Jacob was lethargic, and
spent his evenings procrastinating, but now he’s active and constantly organizing,” said mother
Linda Cromwell. “Doing schoolwork never worked for him, but
now he’s found something he actually cares about.”

The Warrior•Humor
March 17, 2016

13

Looming American Exodus Unnerves Canadians

Following Republican candidate Donald Trump’s stunning string of primary victories, millions of fearful Americans prepare to flee to Canada.
by Christopher Sung ‘17
Panic has gripped Canada as
thousands of young Americans
prepare to begin a mass exodus to
illegally enter the northern country. The looming immigration of
millions of Americans follows
the recent primary victories of
Donald Trump, a stunning result
that many Canadian pundits have
blamed for the impending migratory crisis.
“They’re going to come in
mass droves and steal our jobs,”
stated former Toronto Mayor Rob
Ford, pointing out a recent surge
in “how do I move to Canada”
searches on Google. “Listen carefully folks, I’ve dealt with a lot
of these millennial Americans,
and they are going to destroy our
nation’s Conservative foundation. It’s all because of Donald J.
Trump who is giving us America’s
liberals! Those lazy, pot-smoking
liberals! We already have enough
of them here!” Despite a 2014
drug scandal in which the former
mayor confessed to using crack
cocaine while in public office,
Ford’s comments have gained
him a large following among disgruntled Canadians.
In Canada, a country that
has generally been stereotyped
as a nation superior to the United
States for its liberal values, many
Canadians have already voiced

Nationalpost.com

Interim Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Rona Ambrose and Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau furiously debate what to do with the millions of Americans that plan to flock to their country.
anger and discontent with the imminent flood of Americans.
“These Americans are going
to impose their repulsive English language on Quebec,” said
a French-speaking business owner and member of Canada’s Parti
Quebecois. “Their inferior language and culture have no place
here; we will need to control our

borders and deport every last one
of these illegals. Vive le Quebec!”
The same angry sentiment
shared by a growing number of
panicked Canadians has also been
reflected in Canada’s recent parliamentary debates. For example,
last Wednesday, while debating
in a contentious session of Parliament, Prime Minister Justin

Trudeau was inappropriately
named a “basket case” by interim
opposition leader Rona Ambrose.
After further exchanges between
Conservative and Liberal MPs,
Ambrose was then subsequently
labeled the “Sarah Palin of Canadian politics” for her “weak”
insult. The debate closed with a
vote that passed Prime Minister

Trudeau’s plan of giving American immigrants refugee status
in the case of a migration crisis;
however, Conservative and Parti
Quebecois MPs walked out of the
Parliament in protest and made
pledges to repeal the “new amnesty program.”
With increasing anger and
partisanship in government, Canadian politics has also been
rocked by a surge in the number
of right-wing political pundits
whose policy proposals include
radical plans to build a “huge
wall” between Canada and the
United States.
When questioned about the
originality of these new proposals, many of these extreme
pundits stated candidly, “Yeah,
we got some of these ideas from
Trump. So what? We’ll take
whatever ideas we want.”
Although Trump has made
no comments regarding the adoption of his campaign rhetoric by
right-wing Canadians, the likely
Republican nominee suggested
that, as president, he would subject any American migrant caught
attempting to flee to Canada to
forced labor.
“We need more people to
build our wall along Mexico, and
I’m going to do what the Chinese did with the Great Wall—
only much, much better,” stated
Trump.

Twitter Fights Are War
by Bryce Thornwell ‘16



What was once known as
the wonderful world of Twitter,
complete with harmless tweets,
hashtags, and animals doing tricks
has quickly gone sour. Before the
bloodshed began, occasionally
we would scroll through our feed
and find something that made us
giggle in our heads, but not quite
enough to “laugh out loud.” Other times we pretended that we did
not enjoy our friends’ corny jokes
or three-second updates about
their evening at home. But recent
savagery between Twitter users
has sparked full-on wars between
users.
Like many feuds, Twitter
feuds usually start out small with
a miscommunication. Theoretically, a big-name celebrity could
tweet, “I hate sequins.” Suddenly, every sparkly sequin-wearing
pop-star will assume the tweet
was about them, and will take
to Twitter to defend themselves
and their fashion choices. People,
both average and celebrity, will
create and follow hashtags depicting their support for or against
sequins as they watch in anticipation and constantly refresh their
newsfeed.
Now, let us say two hours later when our “I hate sequins” celebrity checks back into Twitter.
The first thing she would see are
#IHateSequins and #SaveTheSequins as the most trending
hashtags on Twitter, even if her

anger at sequins was not directed at anyone and only originated
from the fact she could not get
them all out of her laundry machine.
However, sometimes in more
real cases, we see feuds start from
deliberate assaults. To recount
history, we have seen Kanye
West attack Wiz Khalifa when he
assumed a tweet was about his
beloved wife, Kim Kardashian.
We watched in suspense as rapper
Meek Mill took on Drake when
he attacked his career by claiming Drake “doesn’t write his own
raps.” We have even witnessed a
full downfall of the famous boy
band One Direction leading to the
rise of Zayn’s solo empire. These
celebrities, and many others, have
exploited their technologies as
they hide behind a screen shield
and dish out insults as weapons
they that would never use face to
face.
Therefore, perhaps what is
most amazing about Twitter feuds
is the amount of damage that can
be done from a single 140 or less
character tweet by one person.
Twitter has officially become an
“every man for themselves” battlefield in which no one is safe
from harm. The casualties add up
every day and if we are not careful, our actions can have dire consequences.
So stop the bloodshed and be
careful what you post online. You
wouldn’t want to end the world
and shut down the Internet.

Overwhelmed by the sight of bare shoulders, Billy is incapacitated.
cartoon by Sidney Brown ‘17

s
e
p
o
c
s
ro o

H

Origins of the Zodiac

by Meghan Proctor ‘16

Many cultures around the world use different zodiac signs and studies
of astrology. However, the one most recognized by Americans today, with
various constellations representing when in the year a person was born,
originated over 3,000 years ago. The Babylonians, who created this system, chose these signs to correspond with the constellations that the Sun
appears to pass through as the Earth revolves around the Sun throughout
the year. The zodiac was originally used as a way of dividing the sky into
equal sections to better understand the Earth’s revolution around the
Sun. These signs also have astrological purposes, connecting each sign
with different planets and other celestial bodies to determine horoscopes.
Although the zodiac signs are not entirely accurate with their respective
constellations. The Sun does not pass through each constellation for equal
lengths of time, despite the Babylonians assigning each sign the same
amount of time, leaving many people with a sign that may not match the
constellation that the Sun was in front of when they were born. In addition, the Sun also aligns with an additional constellation, Ophiuchus,
which is not included with the zodiac signs.
Despite their inaccuracies, the zodiac managed to stand the test of
time, as they are widely recognized today, comparing personality traits to
the people born under those specific time frames.

Horoscopes: Scientific Basis or Nonsense?
by Danielle Tobb ‘17
A horoscope is a general forecast of a person’s future, typically including information on that person’s
character, mannerisms, and love life. Virtually every
newspaper and magazine includes a section on horoscopes. The horoscopes found in magazines are based
off of a concept called sun sign astrology. This is a
much simpler version of astrology that only considers
the position of the sun at birth. However, many are
skeptical of the validity of these short blurbs of information that are supposedly “scientific.” And so one
question remains: how accurate are these predictions?
According to astrology, the position of the stars
and planets at the time of one’s birth shapes a person’s
personality, romantic relationships, and even their fortune. Each individual falls under a certain zodiac sign
that is based on which constellation the sun passed
through when he or she was born. These 12 constellations are known as the zodiac. Each of these groups is
associated with a different personality type.
In 1949, an American psychologist named Bertram Forer described the tendency of individuals to
interpret general statements as being accurate for
them personally, even when they are not. Forer administered a personality test to a group of students;
giving every student the same personality results in

the end. The description of their personalities was basically snippets from horoscope readings. More than
80 percent of the students deemed the results very
accurate, thus showing how easily people can be led
into believing the accuracy of such horoscopes. This
experiment was the basis of what soon became known
as the Forer, or Barnum Effect.
Similarly, an American psychologist named Ross
Stagner tested the validity of horoscopes in the late
1950s. He gave 68 HR Managers a detailed questionnaire that would help with creating a psychological
description of each person. He then made one fake description using 13 phrases from different horoscopes.
After reading their descriptions, the participants
were tasked with deeming the horoscopes amazingly
true, very true, somewhere in the middle, mostly erroneous, or completely wrong. More than a third of the
individuals felt that their psychological portraits were
very true, 40 percent deemed them quite accurate, and
almost nobody saw them as completely erroneous.
Overall, the validity of horoscopes is in the eye of
the beholder. As shown by Forer, individuals have the
tendency to agree with the general descriptions found
in horoscopes. The human mind is easily manipulated, so it is very difficult to discern the true legitimacy
of horoscopes as a whole when people often believe
what they want to believe about themselves.

Meme Satirizes Traditional Horoscopes
by Steven Witkin ‘16
It may seem normal, even relatable, when the Internet states that your zodiac sign means that you are hardworking, or stubborn, or emotionally prepared, but what
about when it says that your zodiac sign indicates that
you are, in fact, Steve Harvey, Kylo Ren, or F. Scott Fitzgerald’s egg yolks? The latter are all actual examples from
zodiac posts on Tumblr meant to parody more serious
astronomy posts. Scattered among more reasonable zodiac lists and horoscopes, these posts’ obvious absurdity makes readers question the validity of attaching their
sign to specific characteristics.
This style of assigning random characteristics, pictures, or items to the 12 Zodiac signs, known as “The
Signs As…” meme, has become popular recently. Drawing its name from the common style shared by posts
such as “The Signs as Puns,” “The Signs as My Professor’s
Quotes,” “The Signs as Pastel John Cena Photos,” and
many others, the inane practice caught on throughout the
first half of 2015 and continues to this day, according to
knowyourmeme.com.
What makes this meme unique is that it actively
mocks the practice of astrology. It shows that the characteristics are attributed to the signs without any clear explanation, sometimes by deliberately assigning the same

attribute to all signs. While it does not make sense that
a person’s birth month determines defining characteristics about them, it certainly is ludicrous that their birth
month determines the type of breakfast pastry they represent. It is satire through imitation, and although the posts
seem serious, they ridicule people’s belief in astrology by
manipulating people’s tendency to accept vague yet personalized information as true.
This tendency, known as the Barnum Effect, has its
basis in people’s search for personal validation. Because
people are looking for characteristics to identify with,
they will accept unfounded generalizations, such as those
found in both serious and parodied zodiac posts, as true
and relatable. The Barnum Effect operates on positive
attributes that are highly applicable to everybody. “The
Signs As…” meme uses this ironically by instead only listing attributes that are applicable to nobody, yet presenting them in a way that is still acceptable.
Some might see this meme as insincere and annoying.
Some might seriously try to find their personal connection with the irrational comparison. Some might enjoy
the humor in reading that in the zodiac family, Libras are
the gay cousin. However these popular strains of Tumblr
posts are intended, in effect they make a caricature that
reveals the deception of splitting the entire population
into 12 signs.

Written In the Stars: Two Different Zodiacs
by Jonathan Cudd ‘16
Many know of the zodiac signs based on the
Babylonians, but few have heard of the Chinese and
Native American zodiacs. Zodiacs are based on star
constellations that was in one’s birth month or year.
For those tired of the normal zodiacs, try your zodiac in a different culture.
There are 12 animals in the Chinese and Native
American zodiacs. The Chinese includes the rat, ox,
tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey,
rooster, dog, and pig. Native Americans also use
animals since there has been a strong connection
between nature and Native American culture. However, they differ from Chinese zodiacs since animals
differ from lands. The 12 Native American animals
are: the otter, wolf, falcon, beaver, deer, woodpecker,
salmon, bear, raven, snake, owl, and goose.
The two differ on characteristics. The Chinese zodiac cycle of animals is based annually, not monthly.
The current year is the monkey, last year’s was the
goat and so on, through a twelve year cycle. Each
year begins on the Chinese New Year during the lu-

nar cycle. The Native American zodiac cycle is closely related to the solar system, and is based monthly
on the moon phases.
The two have considerable differences in traditions and attributes. In Chinese tradition, it’s considered bad luck if it is one’s animal’s year because it is
believed one is angering the god of age. In order to
stop this, a child must wear something red passed
down from the older generations. Certain attributes
show what a person’s personality is like. However,
with every attribute, there is also a contradicting saying that goes with it. For example, the rat is wisdom,
but, “wisdom without industriousness leads to triviality.” With these attributes, people can determine if
relationships will continue.
Native American signs are from one’s animal
totem, the animal spirit one was born under. They
differ from a spirit totem since the spirit is not one’s
guide. Each sign includes an animal, element, stone,
clan, and color. However, all of these vary as there
were many tribes in the Americas. Like the other
zodiac cultures, one’s animal describes personality
traits and how a person interact with others.

The Warrior•Opinions
16

March 17, 2016

Warrior
P

the
Moving Past the Rhetoric on Immigration
Should the children of illegal immigrants
receive a public education?

ple to come
What draws peo
tes?
to the United Sta
With the 2016 presidential election quickly
approaching, Republican candidates are pushing
for stricter laws on immigration, including a repeal
of President Obama’s executive order that granted amnesty to five million existing illegal immigrants. Donald Trump has gone the furthest with
his promise to deport all illegal immigrants and
require Mexico to build a wall. In stark contrast,
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton vowed last
week that she would not deport any illegal immigrants except violent criminals and terrorists.
There unfortunately appears to be no middle
ground on the complex issue of immigration. Politicians and their constituents alike are pigeonholed
into taking a position as either “pro” or “anti-”
immigration, as if it is not possible, for example,
to sympathize with illegal immigrants while also
advocating for rigorous background checks and
other requirements for citizenship. The debate over
immigration needs be addressed by its different
aspects if there will ever be actual solutions. One
such area is the availability of public education for
children of illegal immigrants.
Some might argue that if their children cannot be educated, it is less likely that parents or
prospective parents will immigrate to the United
States. Because thousands of illegal immigrants
come to the U.S. annually, seeking a better life for
their families, the number of illegal immigrants
could be reduced if their children were no longer
given the opportunity of an American education.

Is there a middle gr
ound on the
issue of immigration
?
However, some people come to the United States
to escape persecution or to find work for themselves, and these people will continue to immigrate
regardless of whether their children can register in
public schools or not.
The fundamental question, though, is whether the United States really would go so far as to
deny an education to children in an attempt to keep
out illegal immigrants. The answer should be a resounding no. These children can’t be deprived of
an education, the primary vehicle that adjusts them
into American society and provides them with the
opportunities they need to make a better future for
themselves and their families. Instead, new legislation should be created to give existing illegal immigrants and their children a path to citizenship.
Is it fair and just that the children of illegal immigrants are given a public education when their
parents are not paying their equal share of taxes?
Probably not. That is why the country must create
citizenship paths for existing illegal immigrants.
Yes, they broke the law to come to this country,
but only because they wanted to fulfill the dream
of a better life that they know United States has
the capability to provide for people. Regardless
of how they got here, illegal immigrants are still
here today, and it would be unrealistic and frankly
heartless to “kick them out.” Therefore, the United
States must do its best to help them succeed, which
by extension, creates a better functioning society
for the benefit of everyone living in this country.


ublished six times a year, The Warrior serves
as Sherwood High School’s premier news source.
With a staff of 55 students, The Warrior keeps
the Sherwood community apprised
of local and national events.
All opinion articles represent the
viewpoint of the writer. These articles do not
necessarily represent the views of
Sherwood High School.

Staff
Print

Layout and Production Directors ..................Steven Witkin ‘16
Kira Yates ‘16



News Editors .................................................. Ketki Chauhan ‘16

Samantha Schwartz ‘16

Specials Editors ............................................Meghan Proctor ‘16
Megan Werden ‘17

Features Editors ..............................................
Sara Casareto ‘16

Lauren MacFadden ‘17

Humor Editors .............................................Noah Rosendorf ‘17

John Sutherland ‘16

Spotlight Editor ..............................................Amanda Allen ‘17
Opinions Editors ................................................Ben Cooper ‘16
Chris Sung ‘17

Wondering Warrior Editor.................................Lexi Paidas ‘17
Deal ‘16
Entertainment Editors .........................................Ryan

Tate Harrop ‘17



Sports Editors ................................................Natalie Murray ‘18

Online

Nicole Reich ‘17

Online Managing Editors .............................Ashley Nnabue ‘16

Milan Polk ‘16

Online Copy and Content Editors ......................Tyler Ruth ‘16
Bryse Thornwell ‘16

Content And Copy
Content and Copy Editors ....................... Madison Dymond ‘16

Morgan Hill ‘16
Maddie Peloff ‘16
Managing Photo Editor ................................ Maya Koeppen ‘17

Photographers .................................................. Kayla Cohen ‘17
Chase Wilson ‘17

Cartoonist.........................................................Sidney Brown ‘17
Pollster ............................................................. Emily Gilburt ‘16
Staff Reporters ............................................... Josh Averbach ‘18

Connor Brady ‘17
Mallory Carlson ‘19
Jonathan Cudd ‘16
Jacob Golomb ‘16
Brian Hayre ‘16
Danielle Katz ‘18
Alleigh Keyes ‘16
Megan Kimberling ‘17
Elizabeth Kronlage ‘18
Lucy Kuchma ‘18
Naomi Lawrence ‘17
Lexi Matthews ‘18
Natalie Murray ‘18
Alex Nnabue ‘18
Priyanka Paudel ‘19
Leah Peloff ‘18
Isabella Pilot ‘18
Katherine Sperduto ‘19
Lizi Thach ‘18
Lydia Velazquez ‘17
Shawn Yaftali ‘17
Colleen Yates ‘18

Business and Publicity Directors....................Danielle Tobb ‘17

Will Van Gelder ‘16

cartoon by Colleen Yates ‘18

Advisor...........................................................................Peter Huck
Composition Assistant................................................ Janet Mednik

The Warrior•Opinions
March 17, 2016

17

senior viewpoints.
Three students from Mr. Huck’s AP Literature class respond to an assignment about the purpose of college.

The Case of Missing Curiosity My Honest Confession
by Shannon Armstrong ‘16
When a teacher poses a question to a classroom full of kindergarteners, the children are often
bursting out of their seats, delighted with the opportunity to display
their knowledge. Yet if a teacher
were to ask this same group of
children a question twelve years
later, in their senior year of high
school, the teacher would likely
be forced to resign themselves
to randomly calling upon one of
their half asleep students.
This is deeply troubling because this implies that while
school’s primary goal is to educate its students, schools have
instead effectively killed curiosity and enthusiasm, which are
the greatest catalysts for learning. The desire to learn is hardwired into each person’s brain
as learning leads to knowledge
and knowledge leads to a better
chance of survival. Yet it appears
that the modern American education system has managed to
accomplish an impressive feat:
rewiring the human brain to turn
the powerfully strong instinct of
curiosity dormant.
Throughout 13 years in the
institution of public school, each
and every student comes to learn
one extremely important fact: intelligence and success are measured by letters. Students that
earn an extraordinary number of
A’s are celebrated as gifted and
exceptionally intelligent. Similarly, a student’s GPA is deemed
as the primary marker of their
intelligence. While it is true that
receiving high grades often corresponds to strong mastery of the
course material, placing so much
emphasis upon the end score often detracts attention from learning and redirects it towards simply “making the A.” This system
discourages taking academic risks
and instead favors playing it safe

and sticking to methods that are
known to work. This is not helpful or effective because it hinders
learning and deters students from
developing their personal critical
thinking skills.
The grade-centric nature of
the current system is reflected in
the behavior and priorities of today’s students. While nearly any
student can reiterate what combinations of first quarter, second
quarter and exam grades result
in which final semester grade, it
is much less likely that student
could name five specific facts
from a class that they took last
year. By removing focus from absorbing new material and placing
that extra focus upon grades, students are programmed to devote
less time to things that might interest them.
This theme of stifling curiosity and enthusiasm is continued
when examining what classes
the school system most pressures
students to take. Intensive math,
science and engineering courses
are strongly emphasized as these
disciplines are somehow deemed
more academic, useful, and practical than other courses. While
there is absolutely nothing wrong
with these courses, students are
often discouraged from taking
other courses which they may
find more fascinating because
these other courses somehow
matter less or are “easier.”
Schools continue to perpetuate the idea that some classes
are better than others and this
is a ridiculous notion. Learning
is learning no matter what the
topic and discouraging students
from taking classes that interest
them only helps to stifle curiosity and the desire for knowledge.
Schools should instead encourage
students to pursue subjects that
interest them, as passion and interest are often better predictors
of future success than the content

of the classes themselves.
In today’s schools, students
are confined by regulations, requirements and recommendations. Grades carry more weight
than critical thinking skills and
students are pressured into STEM
classes because there is an existing belief that these classes lead
to the most successful and lucrative careers. Students are taught
to stick to the rules and memorize set structures for completing
problems. This means that students do not develop the ability to
think and reason for themselves.
By the time a student has
completed 13 years of institutionalized schooling, they are almost
certain to have been turned into a
drone, adept at taking notes but
not equipped with a solid world
view or critical thinking skills. In
a world where college prices are
growing at unprecedented rates
and the middle class of America is rapidly disappearing, it is
understandable why there is so
much pressure set on students to
make good grades and choose a
successful career path.
However, it is very important
to remember that while teachers
want to ensure that their students
have the best chance of succeeding in college, education is education no matter the class, and most
college students change their
major numerous times throughout their time in college. Most
college-aged students don’t know
what they want to do for the rest
of their lives, so the best we can
do is encourage them to study the
subjects that interest them, as passion, curiosity, and drive are the
biggest indicators of one’s future
success. Until public schools in
the United States change their focus from operating a college-creating machine, to focusing on educating their students for the sole
purpose of learning, we will not
see any improvement.

I am not excited for college.
I am really only going for the purpose of getting a job. To top that
off, I am not even pursuing my
passion as my major. All my life
I have loved history but there are
really no jobs that come with that
major, so as it stands right now, I
am pursuing a computer science
degree. I am entering the void
that is college and I have no idea
what to expect except that it will
be hard and I am unprepared.
These past four years I have
gotten nothing but good grades.
I participated in extra-curricular activities, did some volunteer
work, and scored decently on
the SAT. I am the cookie cutter
goody-two-shoes successful student. But I do not feel like that
success will transfer over in college. I only ever studied for tests
so that I would not have to try on
the exam at the end of the semester, my hours of student service
learning were just so I could graduate, and the extracurriculars that
I joined were just so I could “set
myself apart” from my peers.
College requires a lot of work
and I am not sure I can commit
myself to another four years, on
top of the last 13 years, of putrid school. But alas, I now find
myself staring at the gate of college with the words “Abandon
all hope, ye who enter here,”
inscribed on it. To make things
worse, I am already committed
to this college whose gates I am
staring at, unsure if I really want
to go there, questioning my major, and wondering if I’ll even be
able to get a job.
If I take away getting a job as
the pure reason of going to college, I would sure as hell be getting a history degree. I love history. The Romans, the Neolithic
era, the Crusades, World War II,
that all excites me and I want to

learn it all. So surely I would get
a history degree if I really loved it
that much, right? No. I’ll end up
as a barista at Starbucks if I pursued history. So I am going into
America’s lovechild field: STEM.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
I am not paying for my college education. My parents are.
They have openly said that if I
do not follow a major that guarantees a job (i.e. STEM, business,
accounting, etc.) they will not pay
for my education. So my options
are to get a degree that lands me
a job, or go to college for something I love but end up with a half
a lifetime worth of debt. For the
romantics it seems like an easy
choice, to “follow your heart”
and “pursue your dreams,” but for
the realists, like me, the decision
is a little more difficult than that.
Right now my brain is telling me
to take the free education and
land a job, no matter how much
unhappiness it takes. At least in
the end maybe I’ll have money
and a well-paying job.
I do not want to be defined by
my major. I do not want to lock
myself into a profession for the
rest of my life, especially one like
computer science where the field
evolves so quickly the engineers
and programmers have to keep up
or be replaced by a new class of
college graduates. I just want to
be happy. History would give me
happiness for the four years I educate myself, but then what? No
job and no money and no happiness. Hopefully, things work out
in the end, maybe I change my
mind and become a history major,
maybe I am making mountains
out of molehills, maybe a recent
editorial in the Washington Post
is right and “critical thinking is ...
the only way to protect American
jobs” and I can prove to employers that a history major is worth
hiring.

you’ll be able to branch out and
try new things later. Students are
afraid to explore ... to fail in high
school because they’re afraid one
unchecked box—or the substitution of one box for another—on
their checklist will keep them
from getting into the college of
their dreams.” This mindset urges students to obtain the highest
GPA, pushing them to take difficult courses they cannot handle,
or lower-level classes where they
know they will succeed.
Students aiming for top universities mistake prestige for
what these kids are really looking for: validation. To them, an
acceptance at their top choice
means all the work of the past

eighteen years was worth it, that
they are successful and will continue to be throughout their life;
a rejection indicates they wasted
their time and will not achieve
anything of value. These false
messages result from students
equating GPAs, SAT scores and
acceptance letters to their worth
as a person, reinforced by falling
admission rates and the assumption students must rely on the
name of their college for a job,
rather than skills and knowledge
cultivated there. Universities aren’t the ones answering questions
at job interviews. It is not where
you go after high school, but what
you do with your education that
matters in the end.

by Tyler Ruth ‘16

Education Should Be What You Want to Make of It
by Amy Hesselroth ‘16

As a high school senior neckdeep in the college application
process, I have found myself answering the same question for the
last six months. Whenever adults
or peers find out I am in my last
year of high school, inevitably
they ask “Where are you applying?” after which they expect a
list of every school where I have
submitted an application, along
with explanations of why I chose
each school, and which one I
would like to attend most and
least. Others want to know my
GPA, a breakdown of my SAT
score, and the topics of my essays.
It seems everyone has something

to say when students start to make
plans for after graduation.
We have turned high school
into a competition for who has
the most polished resume and
most challenging course schedule. Students are under immense
pressure to get into the best
school, pick the best major, get
the best internships, and enter the
best job—which too often means
the highest-paying job. Parents
and students overlook the fact
that what’s best is not always to
be the best. High school is no longer about learning, but how many
awards students can accumulate
in four years. Emily Hoeven, director of the University of Pennsylvania Student Life Committee,

notes that “high school is viewed
less as an experience to be valued
in itself and more as a mere stepping stone to college ... nothing
but a series of boxes that you need
to check off in order to arrive at
the desired endpoint.” My classmates constantly make statements
like “I’m just joining this club because it looks good on apps,” or
“I need another AP or I’ll never
get into college.” Students register for classes and clubs they
have no interest in, hoping to impress admissions officers. Whoever attributes this behavior to
the fact “college is sold to high
school students as the light at the
end of the tunnel: If you follow
the basic pattern of success now,

The Warrior•Opinions
18

March 17, 2016

Netflix Show Exposes Faults in Justice System Swift Gets Too Much Criticism
by Lauren MacFadden ‘17

by Natalie Murray ‘18

Many people turn to Netflix to binge watch their favorite shows like “Gossip Girl” or
“Grey’s Anatomy.” However,
when Netflix released the documentary, “Making a Murderer,”
on Dec. 18, 2015, people could
not turn away from the suspense.
In this ten-part series, viewers dive into the case of Steven
Avery. In 1985, Avery was falsely
convicted of rape in Manitowoc,
Wisconsin. After spending 18
long years in prison, DNA finally proved Avery’s innocence and
he was released in 2003. However, Avery’s freedom did not last.
On October 31, 2005, Avery was
accused of the murder of Teresa
Halbach, a photographer for an
automobile magazine who earlier that day took pictures of cars
from Avery’s salvage yard. The
police arrested Avery after Halbach’s car was found in the salvage yard. The police began an
eight-day search on his property
where they found Avery’s blood
in Halbach’s car as well as her car
keys with traces of Avery’s sweat
in his trailer.
As if things could not get
worse for Avery, his nephew
Brendan Dassey confessed that
he and Avery raped and brutally murdered Halbach in Avery’s
trailer. Dassey later recanted his
testimony; however, Dassey was
still arrested. Despite substantial
evidence, issues surfaced that
suggest the investigation may
have led to an unfair trial for Avery.
The police’s vendetta against
Avery began when he was convicted of rape in 1985. After Av-

It would seem that, for every one of the millions of Taylor
Swift fans in the world, there are
three Taylor Swift haters. Although Swift is a genuine, kind,
hardworking singer-songwriter,
she always seems to be under
fire for something ridiculous—
like that she “sues her fans” or is
“money-hungry.”
The claim that Swift sues
everyone began when she applied to trademark several lyrics
and phrases associated with her
hit album “1989.” Around that
time, some fan-made products involving those phrases/lyrics were
removed from Etsy. No fan was
ever sued—they were sent cease
and desist letters, which simply
inform an Etsy user that they are
violating Etsy’s terms of use and
have to remove their product.
Some people, however, choose
to exaggerate the story and make
it seem like Swift herself hunted
down and sued her fans.
The rumor that Swift is
greedy stemmed from her decision to pull her music from Spotify, a decision that she clearly
explained was to make a point
about how artists—particularly
lesser-known ones—don’t make
as much as they deserve from
music-streaming apps. This, in
some people’s minds, translated
to her complaining about how she
wasn’t paid enough. However,
Spotify pays per stream, making
it very beneficial to popular artists
such as Swift (“Shake it Off” was
making $84,000 per week before
it was removed), so she could’ve
made millions by leaving her music on Spotify. But her issue with

www.nytimes.com

Steven Avery is one of the subjects of the series “Making a Murderer.”
ery had served 10 years in prison,
tests proved that the DNA from
the rape did not match Avery’s.
However, instead of releasing Avery, the police set the DNA results
aside until his lawyers pressed
them for the information. After
Avery was released in 2003, he
sued Manitowoc County for false
imprisonment, which reflected
poorly on the department.
After Halbach went missing,
the police did not question any of
her family, roommates, friends, or
co-workers, which demonstrates
the police department’s bias in the
investigation. After Halbach’s car
was found in the Avery salvage
yard, the police held an eight-day
search. It took the police over a
week to discover Halbach’s keys
even though they were next to his
dresser in plain sight. This sudden
find of evidence in such a simple
place is questionable. When the
DNA from the key went to the
lab, the lead researcher admitted
that she had not been attentive to

the key and there was a possibility that tampering of the evidence
had occurred. Despite this admission, the judge allowed the evidence to remain in the trial. Later,
the police found bullet holes in
the garage which matched one of
the guns kept in the house. Despite the bullet holes, no blood
or DNA of Halbach was found
in the trailer or the garage. It was
ruled out that Avery bleached either place because his DNA was
found in both places.
The documentary sheds light
on the various issues within the
justice system, particularly that of
law enforcement and raises questions surrounding Avery’s guilt.
This surprising and unexpected
documentary has opened the eyes
of various viewers to the negative actions the justice system is
capable of. Many viewers have
formed different and wide-ranging theories surrounding the case;
however Avery’s fight has not
ended yet.

Spotify wasn’t her own royalties,
it was the minuscule profit made
by smaller artists. If she had protested that Spotify was problematic and then left her music available to be streamed on the app,
she would’ve been called a hypocrite. She chose to call attention
to the needs of struggling artists
rather than make a huge profit,
something that a money-hungry
person clearly wouldn’t do.
She’s also been DoSomething.org’s “Most Charitable Celebrity” for four years in a row
due to her donations to dozens
of charities, including UNICEF,
Habitat for Humanity, Save the
Music Foundation, and Stand Up
to Cancer. Other donations she’s
made include ones to young fans
battling cancer, New York City
public schools, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and a fan struggling to pay off student loans.
People also create impossible standards for Swift and criticize her when she doesn’t meet
them. She wins an award and acts
surprised? So fake! She wins an
award and doesn’t act surprised?
How ungrateful! She doesn’t
tweet #FreeKesha? Fake feminist!
She privately donates $250,000 to
Kesha to help her with legal fees?
Stop throwing money around; it
doesn’t solve anything!
It’s completely unfair that a
hardworking, down-to-earth celebrity such as Swift is called a
slut, accused of being ungenuine
or uncaring, or bashed for completely made-up or exaggerated
reasons. It’s time that Swift be
recognized for her generosity,
her positive messages to her fans
and her dedication to her music.

To The Point
Apple is in the Right

Black Lives Matter

Permission to Censor

by Tyler Ruth ‘16

by Natalie Murray ‘18

by Meghan Proctor ‘16

If Apple were to incorporate a backdoor into the
iPhone’s software it would be like creating a master key
that opens all doors. No one believes anyone should
have that power in the physical world, so why should it
be given to someone in the digital world? The FBI has
recently demanded that Apple Inc. build a backdoor into
the iPhone so that, according to the bureau, it can get all
the necessary data off one of the San Bernardino perpetrator’s devices to see who the terrorists were communicating with and any sites they visited prior to the attack
in December. Apple has thankfully denied the request to
circumvent their security measures stating that encryption
is “the only way to keep their [customers’] information
safe.”
A backdoor seems like a simple solution, but it is sacrificing freedom for security. Once that backdoor is there,
what is stopping cyber-criminals from finding it as well?
In addition, the only people that would be hurt if a backdoor is implemented would be the consumer, as a criminal
would use the tools to threaten law-abiding citizens. The
American people should not have to depend on corporations to defend their privacy. That is the government’s job
to protect privacy, not to threaten it.

Say you’re traveling through the desert when your water runs out and you become severely dehydrated. Another
traveler has much more water than they need, so you tell
them, “I need water.” They reply, “everyone needs water,” and give some to a healthy, perfectly hydrated traveler. This is, essentially, “Black Lives Matter” versus “All
Lives Matter.”
People who oppose All Lives Matter aren’t denying that everyone’s life has value. They dislike All Lives
Matter because that particular movement wasn’t created
by white people who want to help all minorities who face
discrimination. All Lives Matter was created by childish
individuals who wrongly assumed that Black Lives Matter
meant Only Black Lives Matter, and proceeded to throw a
tantrum disguised as a social movement.
All Lives Matter may seem like it’s better for “focusing on everyone,” but by grouping all people together, it
implies that all races face the same level of discrimination
and injustice, and that’s just not true. White people aren’t
shot for carrying a toy gun or playing loud music. White
people don’t face the same dangers that black people do,
and stating the obvious that all people’s lives matter isn’t
going to solve problems faced by any race.

A bill recently approved by Virginia’s Senate would
require schools to send notifications to parents when the
class will read a book that contains sexually explicit content. Parents would then have the opportunity to opt their
children out of reading that book. While this bill is not as
bad as outright banning books for all students, there are
too many problems with this bill to work properly. One
important concern is that “sexually explicit content” is a
broad and subjective term, making it unclear to schools
when to notify parents. Some schools may even actively
avoid teaching controversial books, including those commonly taught at Sherwood, such as “Catcher in the Rye”
and “Invisible Man” to avoid the notification process.

Another problem is that this bill undermines the books’
educational value to their inappropriate content. Some parents may choose to ignore the benefits to reading a certain
book simply because of one or two inappropriate scenes.
Books are meant to make people think about controversial
topics, not turn away when discussions get awkward. It’s
understandable that parents may want a say in what their
children read, but forcing schools to ask for permission encourages censorship and prevents students from broadening their minds when controversial topics arise.

The Warrior•Opinions

19

March 17, 2016

HOMEWORK
One of the most prevalent complaints among students is the amount of
homework they receive on a daily basis. Knowing this, the Warrior wanted
to find out exactly how the student body feels about homework and what
could be done to improve current policies regarding these assignments.
The following survey was gathered from a total of 142 responses, representing an even mix of on-level, honors, and Advanced Placement classes.

“When given a reading assignment in English
class, how much of it do you actually read?

Results collected by Ben Cooper ‘16 and Christopher Sung ‘17

“After being given five days to study for a
major summative test, when do you usually
start studying for it?”
“As soon as possible.”
(8%)
“Two or three days before the test.”
(48%)
“The night before the test.”
(44%)

“How would you describe the average amount of
homework you receive?”
“Too much”

60%

“The right
amount”

“Not
enough”

5%

(17%)
(33%)
(36%)
(6%)
(8%)

“What could be done to help students
complete their homework?”

“Overall, would you say that homework reinforces
what is taught in the classroom?”
“Yes”

“Unsure”

(20%)
(27%)
(20%)
(24%)
(9%)

“At around what time do you usually start
your homework?”
“3 P.M. - 4 P.M.”
“4 P.M. - 7 P.M.”
“7 P.M. - 10 P.M.”
“After 10 P.M.”
“Never”

35%

“No”

“100% of the assignment.”
“75% of the assignment.”
“50% of the assignment.”
“25% of the assignment.”
“0% of the assignment.”

52%

“Give less ... teachers give quantity over quality when it
should be quality over quantity.” -Jenna Deutch ‘19
“Don’t make big homework assignments due on
Mondays.” -Ade Adeola ‘16
“Don’t give filler/busy homework for the sake of having
grades in Edline.” -Josh Schmid ‘16
“[Give us] more concentrated information to
reinforce [information].” -Jessica Cromwell ‘17

25%

“Maybe if teachers could try and coordinate with assignments. Sometimes I have almost no homework, and other times I have a lot. ” -Stephanie Levin ‘18

23%

Affirmative Action Requires Rapid and Fundamental Improvements
by Josh Averbach ‘18

Since the end of the civil
rights movement, colleges and
universities have given preferential treatment to Black and
Hispanic applicants in a practice
known as affirmative action. Later this year, the Supreme Court
will rule on Fisher v. University
of Texas at Austin, a case that
may, if the court gets it right, end
racial preferences in college admissions.
Affirmative action in college
applications is a flawed policy for
two main reasons. First, it actually hurts some of the minorities
that it intends to help. Second,
poverty, not race, is the primary reason why many minorities

struggle to succeed. Therefore,
schools should give a slight edge
to the poorest applicants, irrespective of race, since such a policy would address the true barriers to academic success.
As counterintuitive as it may
sound, affirmative action sometimes hurts the minorities it intends to help. This occurs when
certain blacks and Hispanics are
admitted into schools that they
lack the academic credentials
to attend, and struggle at these
schools as a result. This is evidenced by data from the Department of Education, which states
that at public colleges and universities, in 2006, black students
were over 20 percent less likely

than white students to graduate
within six years without transferring. While this gap is too large to
be attributable only to affirmative
action, it is likely that affirmative
action exacerbates the problem of
struggling minority students.
Proponents of affirmative
action argue that because there
is a discrepancy in academic
performance between white and
minority students, minorities are
inherently disadvantaged in education, thus, making affirmative
action necessary. While this discrepancy is a troubling piece of
data, a deeper look reveals a different picture. According to the
New York Times, studies show
that the racial achievement gap

is shrinking, and is significantly
smaller than the academic gulf
between poor, middle-class, and
wealthy students. From this information, it can be inferred that the
racial discrepancy is not the result
of minorities being inherently
disadvantaged in academia, but
a symptom of the fact that poor
people, who are disproportionately likely to be minorities, are
disadvantaged.
Common sense corroborates
the idea that poverty is a larger
barrier to academic success than
race. There are many factors that
can serve as obstacles for poor
people in education. Among them
are bad schools in poor areas, inability to afford tutors or supplies,

and family breakdown. These are
all class-based obstacles that transcend race to affect poor minorities and whites alike.
For those three reasons, it
is clear that schools should transition from the current system
to one that is essentially merit-based, but gives very limited
help to poor applicants, regardless of their race. Quotas should
not be used, and no otherwise
completely under-qualified applicant should be accepted because
of class. Both of those would create the problem of under-qualified
students at too-difficult schools.
Class should only be a factor for
students on the border between
acceptance and rejection.

20

The Warrior Wonders...
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
“I would travel to
Australia and go cage
diving with the great
white sharks”
~Karyn Delauder ‘17

“I would want to go to
Chicago so I can see the
Bulls play live at their
home court”
~Dan Davis ‘17

“I would go to
Antarctica because
the temperature
matches my heart”
~Martha Bojang ‘17

What is your most visited vacation spot?
OTHER
NATIONAL PARK
6%
9%
16%
AMUSEMENT PARK
SKI RESORT
CITY

BEACH
60%

3%

6%

What activities do you typically
do while on vacation?

If you could bring one person on vacation
with you, who would it be?

“My family and I typically have family
game night when we’re on vacation”
~Greta Leissa ‘17

“Stephen Hawking because he knows how to
figure out the universe and get the ladies”
~Brian Welsh ‘17

“I typically visit with friends and family
at the beach and sight-see”
~Meredith Kahan ‘16
“I read, lay on the beach, kayak and
fish”
~Olivia DeGonia ‘17

Have you ever
traveled out of
the country?

Yes No

80% 20%

“It would be my best friend Lucy because we
have fun wherever we go”
~Lily Rathbun ‘18
“I would bring my mom because she’s
the best person ever”
~Brianna Huertas ‘17

What are you doing this spring break?
am
I
k
a
e
ng Br Utah”
i
r
p
S
“This skiing in
‘17
n
a
going
m
r Her
a
l
y
k
~S
going
m
a
ak I ts”
e
r
b
g
“Durin college visi
on
s ‘17
n
o
y
L
~Lucy

“I am going to Florida with Carly
and Tate for Spring Break”
~Nadia Sabry ‘17

“Durin
gS
chillin pring Brea
k I en
g with
m
~Kevin
y frien joy
Lamb
ds”
erson
‘16
“This
S
be goi pring Break
ng on
the Be I will
~Cade
lize tr
n O’C
ip”
onnell
‘17

*105 students surveyed
compiled by Lexi Paidas ‘17

The Warrior•Entertainment
March 17, 2016

21

A Walk through the Renwick Gallery

by Mallory Carlson ‘19

From the line starting to form
outside at least 30 minutes before opening to the people laying
on the floor to look at one of the
works of art, WONDER, the new
exhibition at the Renwick Gallery, earns its name and the buzz
it has been receiving as of late.
After undergoing a two-year
renovation, the Renwick Gallery,
which holds the Smithsonian
Museum of Art’s collection of
contemporary art, reopened with
a bang this past November, becoming Instagram-famous shortly after Jan. 8. It’s no surprise, as
when you walk around the gallery, you see words on the wall,
boasting the phrase “Photography
encouraged,” and the ever popular #RenwickGallery.
Even the rainy morning
couldn’t dampen my anticipation of seeing the art in the Renwick. Phone camera at the ready,
I walked through the hall to one
of my favorite pieces, Patrick
Dougherty’s structures created
from weaved branches. They
stretched all over the space, huge
formations that you could stand in
or look through the circular gaps
that reminded me of portholes on
a ship.
The next exhibit I visited is
one that is, in my opinion, most
seen on Instagram, a huge weaving of colorful thread that stretches from floor to ceiling by artist

Mallory Carlson ‘19

This art piece, which is an assemblance of sculptures made from household materials by Tara Donovan,
is just one of the many unique and captivating works that exist within the walls of the Renwick Gallery.
Gabriel Dawe. The art is hard to
capture in one photo, as I learned
as I moved from side to side of
the room, trying to get the best
shot possible that captures the
beauty of the way the artwork
caught the light but also show
the extensive length it possessed.
After deciding that I had done the
best I could on the photo front,
I moved on to the second of my
three favorite exhibits.

The third exhibit was not as
breathtaking at first glance, but
once I got closer, I could see why
it was just as deserving of attention as the other exhibits. Tara
Donovan created multiple towers
made of ordinary materials, the
prominent one being index cards.
These stacks are very intricately
glued together so that none of
them are like any other, varying
in shape and size. The detail of

Oscars Controversy Gives Rock Ample Material
by Milan Polk ‘16

The Academy Awards had
many highlights, including the
much-loved Leonardo Dicaprio
winning his first ever Oscar after
over 20 years in numerous popular films, and “Mad Max: Fury
Road” winning six Oscars for
members involved its special
effects. Of course, what viewers
really wanted to see was how host
Chris Rock took on the lack of diversity at the awards.
Rock delivered and served
up a hefty amount of jokes surrounding the controversial #OscarsSoWhite and the lack of
minorities in the nominations.
His 10-minute monologue was
focused around diversity and answering the question of whether
or not Hollywood is racist. Rock
acknowledged Hollywood’s wellknown flaw, although described
it as not “that racist that you’ve
grown accustomed to.”
Rock’s best jokes of the night
made the audience roar with
laughter, like when he mentioned
he saw “at least 15 black people”
in the opening montage of films.
Strangely enough, the worst jokes
also made celebrities laugh, possibly at the uncomfortable situation, like when Rock brought
out Asian children and suggested
they would grow up to become
accountants, even giving one a
Jewish name, and suggesting that
if someone disapproved of the
joke they could, “just tweet about

it on your phone, which was also
made by these kids”. Celebrities
including Constance Wu, lead
actress in the popular television
comedy “Fresh Off the Boat,”
did, in fact, expressed her disgust
over social media.
Most critics have praised
Rock for his performance, saying it was much needed. Others,
however, focused more on the
flaws of Rock’s spiel, calling him
out on celebrity undercuts such as
when he noticeably insulted couple Jada Pinkett and Will Smith,
both of whom called for minorities to boycott the awards. He
pointed out one of Smith’s acting
flops, saying the actor should not
“have been paid $20 million” for
the 1999 film “Wild Wild West.”
Audiences and critics felt
many movies were snubbed in
certain categories, and if included, there could have been more
diversity. There was some vexation when “Creed’s” Michael B.
Jordan was not nominated for

the “Best Actor” category. There
also was the irony of the “Straight
Outta Compton” nomination,
since the plot surrounded the rise
of a famous black rap group, but
only the film’s white screenwriters recorded a nomination.
The night did still have some
diversity and representation,
however. Memorable moments of
the event included Lady Gaga’s
haunting and brilliant tribute to
sexual abuse survivors, and Sam
Smith’s winning speech, where
he incorrectly claimed he was the
first openly gay Oscar winner,
much to the chagrin of the screenwriter of the 2009 film “Milk.”
Overall, the show was
groundbreaking in content, but
not in ratings. Ratings were at a
near record low, and this being
the second year of a mostly white
list of nominees could have been
a factor. Of course, social media
saw more popularity, with over
48 million posts and tweets involving the Academy Awards.

these thousands of cards is fascinating.
The fourth exhibit was definitely the one I found most interesting. After walking upstairs,
you enter a room that is illuminated only by the huge artwork
on the ceiling. The material is
what appeared to be some sort
of netting that changed colors as
the spotlights on it did. The line
to get to the next exhibit stretched

around the room, and people were
staring up at the work from the
line and from the middle of the
room, as they reclined on chairs
or on the floor. I even spotted
some people on pillows, dreamily
staring up at the changing colors
of Janet Echelman’s work.
The next three exhibits, at
least to me, were not as captivating. The fifth work was a model
of a tree hanging sideways in the
middle of the room, created by
John Grade. Interesting, but not
enticing. The sixth entranced me
more. It was art by Maya Lin,
who used glass marbles to make
a design that stretched across
the floor and up the walls. The
seventh was a bending, intricate
structure put together with rubber
tire pieces by Chakaia Booker.
The last exhibit was a brightly painted room, decorated by
Jennifer Angus. The designs on
the wall were definitely something different — the patterns
were created by bugs. I was asked
if I thought they were real, and
I said no without thinking about
it too much. Those hundreds of
bugs on the wall? They were real.
That’s when I decided that room
would not be one of my favorites,
but art is art.
WONDER offers an enchanting experience that will captivate
people of all ages and interests,
but time is limited because it
will only be on view for six more
months.

The Warrior•Entertainment
22

March 17, 2016

Movies
Batman v. Superman - March 25

Collide - April 1
Hardcore Henry - April 8

Concerts - Fillmore

The Boss - April 8

Concerts - 9:30
Club

Hoodie Allen
March 18

Pusha T - March 23
Vance Joy - March 25

Frankie Ballard
April 13

Savages - March 27

graphic by Ryan Deal ‘16 and Tate Harrop ‘17

ABC Family Becomes Freeform
by Nicole Reich ‘17

For more than 15 years, the
Disney-ABC television group
has owned ABC Family and
made it the iconic go-to channel
for its biggest fans. The treasured “Countdown to 25 Days
of Christmas” and “13 Nights of
Halloween” are TV events that
viewers tuned in to watch. With
its original shows and featured
specials, the channel seemed to
have it all. So it came as a surprise
that the channel is re-branding its
identity by changing the name to
Freeform.

The channel plans to target
a certain audience of “Becomers” who are in the “formation”
of their lives, which presumably
means viewers in the age 15-21
demographic. “Freeform evokes
the spirit and adventure of our
audience,” said President Tom
Ascheim of ABC Family. Popular
original shows that will still play
on Freeform include “Pretty Little
Liars,” “The Fosters,” “Switched
at Birth,” “Baby Daddy,” and
“Young and Hungry.” All of these
have been incredibly successful
after multiple seasons and with
more scheduled to come. New
shows that premiered throughout
the transition of the new name are

What Not to Wear
Chuck the Chucks
by Morgan Hill ‘16 and
Samantha Schwartz ‘16

twitter
deadline.com

6abc.com

Launched in January, Freeform is designed to target the demographic that
ABC Family refers to as the “Becomers,” the wave of millennials in their 20s.
“Shadowhunters” and “Recovery
Road,” which have already become fan favorites.

However, there are viewers
who are conflicted about name
change to Freeform, worried that
the channel won’t be as reliable
for quality TV or movies around
the clock. For viewers who don’t
like change, they must deal with a
network that is devoted to changing. Other fans are happy because
the network already had altered
away from its first purpose. Fans
of the original shows are ecstatic for the promising future of
more seasons and new shows
alike. With the new name comes
a brand new priority to serve the

fans captivating and relatable material on the journey towards becoming an adult.
Although there is the new
name and some different shows,
the network has vehemently
promised to continue their beloved traditions with their two
countdowns, original shows,
movies and marathons.

Yes, the iconic ABC Family is changing its name and aspects of the channel, but some
things will stay exactly the same.
“Freeform will deliver new, exciting original content as well as
all the favorite shows our viewers already love on ABC Family,”
Ascheim added.


After 17 years of never
matching navy blue with black
or polka dots and plaid, senior
fashion lovers Morgan Hill and
Samantha Schwartz are here to
share fashion opinions with the
students of Sherwood. In each
issue of The Warrior, we will
choose a different fashion faux
pas to critique. This time we address the Converse epidemic.

Converse come in all shapes
and sizes. They are not comfortable but easy to throw on which
leads to people wearing them for
every occasion. Similar to leggings, which we tackled in our
previous issue, Converse have a
time and a place that many of our
peers seem to be forgetting.

Converse can be the perfect
addition to a casual outfit, with
jeans and a T-shirt or for the hipsters channeling their inner 90’s
grunge. This is the appropriate
application for Converse. When
paired with dresses and nicer
outfits, Converse appear out of
place. Converse are sneakers, and
sneakers are worn with casual,
athletic outfits. We’re all for universal pieces, but Converse just
aren’t one of them.


The latest fad that has overtaken Sherwood is high top Converse paired with white mid-calf
Nike socks. We truly question
whether or not the people wearing
this combination look at themselves in the mirror and see a cute
or stylish outfit. Are the shoes that
uncomfortable that they need the
extra layer of comfort found in
the socks? This is not our attempt
at insulting those who wear this
combination. We sincerely do not
understand the trend.

The Converse epidemic is a
small piece to a large puzzle of a
problem. Trends spread like the
flu throughout Sherwood. Whether these “trends” are actually
fashionable is disregarded by the
people who follow them. You see
large groups of people wearing
something “trendy” and immediately think that this trend is something you should be wearing too.
It’s a way of rationalizing your
wearing of a look that you know
isn’t cute or fashionable.

We are not Converse haters,
but there are limitations to when
and where they should be worn. If
you try to pair your nicest clothes,
whether it be a dress or a sweater with Converse, it will never
work. Quit while you are ahead.

The Warrior•Entertainment
March 17, 2016

23

Kanye Talks Big But Still Delivers The 1975 Creates Impact
by Alex Nnabue ‘18

by Lydia Valazquez ‘17


Even after the hype and then
controversy surrounding the February release of Kanye West’s
seventh studio album, “The Life
Of Pablo” (TLOP) stands up to
the high expectations. Departing
from the experimental electronic
tones of his last album, “Yeezus.”
“TLOP” is a versatile record that
noticeably reflects elements from
his fifth studio album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” such
as soul, symphonic tones, and
strong electronic beats. “TLOP”
is highly unpredictable and is
able to shift into unique movements throughout each song.
Also similar to “My Beautiful
Dark Twisted Fantasy,” West relies heavily on an array of guests
including Rihanna, The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Frank Ocean,
and Kendrick Lamar. “Ultralight Beam,” featuring Chance
the Rapper, opens “TLOP” with
memorable gospels and R&B
tones while delivering a Christian
message. This is a change from
“Yeezus” because his last album
is often referred to as anti-Christian since he constantly referred
to himself as a god. The next two
songs, “Father Stretch My Hands
Pt. 1” and “Pt .2,” feature Metro
Boomin and boast a strong bass
and uplifting lyrics. “Famous,”

When asked about Manchester-based alternative rock band
The 1975, most are probably only
able to identify their song “Chocolate” from their debut, self-titled
album back in 2013. It was only
this past February that the band
finally released new music, their
sophomore album, “I Like When
You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.”
When they emerged onto the
scene, The 1975 had a similar
sound to that of any other poprock band, with a hint of grunge
balanced with pop guitar riffs,
yet their new album reaches more
broadly across the music spectrum. “I Like When You Sleep”
reflects heavy influence from ‘80s
bands, such as INXS, with incorporations of synth and gospel-esque background vocals.
The variation in sound is intentional. Lead vocalist Matty
Healy has mentioned in interviews since the album’s release
that he believes genres are a restriction and this album’s versatility is a challenge to the structure
of musical categories.
The ideas discussed in the
album vary just as much as the
music, yet umbrella under a major theme of combating identity
and acceptance. Particular songs

mirror.co.uk

Kanye West, shown here at the Yeezy Season 3 premeire, considered
three previous album titles before settling on “The Life Of Pablo.”
which features Rihanna, adds heavily on guests and revive the
to the blend of styles, with West classic Kanye sound. Although
opening up with a controversial “TLOP” has received positive
diss to Taylor Swift, claiming reviews from critics and fans,
that he made her famous after the some find it hard to praise due to
2009 Grammy’s. The slow and the arrogance that West displays.
downbeat “FML” featuring The Fans also have been peeved at
Weeknd incorporates a dark and the delayed release, numerous tislow melody that differs from tle changes and its absence from
the rest of the record. “Waves,” streaming services. Although
featuring Chris Brown, is a per- West’s pronouncements about
sonal favorite and is a key song his greatness are tiresome, fans
on “TLOP” because of its memo- should not lose sight of the fact
rable lyrics such as “Waves don’t that “TLOP” already sets itself
die” along with mellow beats. apart from other hip-hop albums
West also admitted the album was released this year.
delayed a few days in order for
the song to be included.
The lengthy “30 Hours” and
the other tracks placed at the ending of the album do not rely too

Grade:

B+

that express issues more directly
are “If I Believe You,” a pop-rock
sounding, gospel-esque ballad
about struggling with spirituality
and “The Ballad of Me and My
Brain,” a crooning, short song
similar to the band’s earlier sound
about dealing with mental illness.
One of the standout songs on the
record is “The Sound,” which
embodies a playful tone and
dance party groove that will get
listeners on their feet.
Nonetheless, there are aspects of the album that are rather
disappointing. One of the major
ones being the inclusion of sound
effects, in almost all the songs,
that give off the vibe of a bedroom lo-fi project. There is even
an entire song on the album that
is entirely “instrumental” or rather, roughly five minutes of electro-pop sounds with few instruments actually playing.
Regardless, the album is one
with variety that holds its own in
an industry with lots of similar
artists. The stark contrast of the
upbeat instrumental to the brooding lyrics creates an artistically
beautiful and individualistic album overall.

Grade:
B

Simpson Saga Revisited
on FX ‘Fuller House’ Provides Nostalgia, Little Else
ing in the courtroom. Lawyers on
by Tate Harrop ‘17

The trial of O.J. Simpson
for the gruesome murder of his
ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson
and her friend Ronald Goldman
gripped the American public for
16 months. Now a 10-episode series, “The People v O.J. Simpson:
American Crime Story” is airing
on FX network on Tuesday nights
and is recounting the events to an
audience who may not have even
been alive in the ‘90s.
The series began on February 2 and will run until March 29.
Screenwriters Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander recreate
the legal process of the trial and
dramatize the events around it. A
wealth of actors, including longtime film stars, play the real-life
people who were involved in every aspect of the case, including
the prosecution team, O.J. Simpson’s defense team, and even Nicole Simpson’s friends.
The first episode of “The People v O.J. Simpson” opens with
the 1991 police beating of Rodney King, an event that caused
days of rioting in downtown Los
Angeles. The scene provides the
context for the simmering racial
conflicts in Los Angeles at the
time of the 1994 murders. The
episode then jumps to the hours
and days after the murder as suspicion settles around O.J. Simpson, played by Cuba Gooding
Jr. The actor deeply explores the
emotions that Simpson felt as he
was being accused of killing exwife Simpson and Goldman.
So far, the directors make it
clear how the case led to a media
frenzy that impacted the proceed-

both sides felt the intense pressure
not only to win the case but also
to win in the public eye. Sarah
Pulson plays the role of top prosecutor Marcia Clark and does a
wonderful job in representing the
raw emotion that the real Clark
felt towards the case. Simpson’s
lead defense attorney, Johnnie
Cochran, is played by Courtney
B. Vance. The actor brilliantly
portrays Cochran’s smooth talk
as he persuades the media that
Simpson is discriminated against
in the courtroom.

Although the true story is
portrayed in a realistic way, some
of the choices seem designed to
appeal to today’s audience more
than reflecting what actually happened. Simpson’s friend, Robert
Kardashian--who is also a part
of his legal team--is well-played
by David Schwimmer; however,
in certain episodes Kardashian’s
children are shown watching the
case and making comments about
seeing their father on TV. This
seems to be a ploy to get people
to watch the show because of the
name “Kardashian.”

Nevertheless, “The People v O.J. Simpson” succeeds in
making the audience want more
from the show each week. The
expressed emotions and the little
details in each episode make for
exciting viewing. Newcomers to
the show can watch it through
streaming services or online.

GRADE:
A-

by Amanda Allen ‘17


Who would have thought
the beloved Tanner family would
make a reappearance in family
rooms years later? Netflix made
this possible, introducing the
original series “Fuller House” on
February 26 with 13 episodes.
The series is a resurrection of the
ABC sitcom “Full House” and
stars many of the original actors.

The Tanner family is brought
together when Danny Tanner
(Bob Saget) and Becky Katsopolis (Lori Loughlin) prepare to
move to Los Angeles to co-host
their morning show. Danny’s
friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) returns to the house to gather
his things before moving to Las
Vegas for his comedy shows.

After the first episode, which
mainly centers around the reunion
of the cast, the show focuses on
the eldest, now grown-up daughter D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure), who struggles to raise
her three boys after the death
of her husband. Middle sister
Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin)
moves in to help D.J., giving up
her music career. D.J.’s irritating
childhood best friend Kimmy
Gibler (Andrea Barber) also joins
them, along with her daughter, after a recent divorce.
The show entails the daily
lives of the next generation of
the Tanner family, with no new
surprises. Giving D.J.’s youngest
son Max the catchphrase, “Holy
Chalupas!” evokes nostalgia in
viewers that enjoyed the original show, which reminds them
of the characters’ old popular
catchphrases. Many of the pop-

people.com

All members from the original show agreed to return for “Fuller House” except the Olsen twins, who refused in order to control their fashion empire.
ular catchphrases were revived
within the first episode. Stephanie’s “How Rude!”, Uncle Joey’s
“Cut it out!” and Uncle Jesse’s
“Have Mercy!” jokingly worked
their way into the show. The only
phrase missing is “You got it
dude!” from youngest daughter,
Michelle Tanner. Mary Kate and
Ashley Olsen are sole members
of the original cast who did not
join in on the reunion. Within the
first episode, the cast addressed
why Michelle was not present:
she was too busy running her
fashion empire. “Fuller House”
threw some shade by including a
long pause at the camera after this
explanation, which was a perfect
passive-aggressive approach to
address the absence.

Besides the nostalgia, the
show is nothing special compared
to today’s exciting television
shows. The lack of plot makes it
difficult for viewers to stay tuned.
If they want this show to last,
the writers need to come up with
more original ideas. The show
tries to include D.J.’s high school
sweetheart, Steve, as a possible

love interest. This highlights the
shows inability to move forward
from the past. The episodes are
similar to the original series, with
each conflict resolved with a happy ending. Although the series
is a bit outdated in humor, the
show maintains its cute and family-friendly theme, resembling
a Disney show. “Fuller House”
purposely scratches the surface
on the topic of D.J.’s husband, as
if even death is too controversial
to address.
Despite the inability to move
on from the past, this series is
an entertaining family show that
keeps things fun for viewers.
Even though the show has received mostly negative reviews
from critics, it has been renewed
for a second season. Something
about the Tanner family proves to
be irresistible even a second time
around.


GRADE:
C+

The Warrior•Sports
24

March 17, 2016

The Warrior•Sports
March 17, 2016

Hard Work Pays Off with
Trifecta for Girls’ Swim

Talent Shouldn’t Be Postponed

by Ben Cooper ‘16

by Bryan Hayre ‘16

After high expectations coming into the season, the girls’
swim and dive team lived up to
the hype and more. They completed their own version of a “triple crown” by winning not only
the Division 2 title, but also The
Washington Metropolitan Swim
and Dive Championship (known
as “Metros”), the Regional 3A/4A
Championship, and the State title.
Previously, the girls’ team had
never won a Metros Championship or a State Championship.
At Metros, it was expected
that the Warriors would perform
well; however, considering that
many private schools take part in
the championship, it was unclear
just how far up the standings they
would be. Senior Morgan Hill
put on a show as she broke her
own county and school records
with times of 22.95 seconds and
49.07 seconds in the 50-yard
freestyle and 100-yard freestyle,
respectively. The girls also won
the 400-yard Freestyle Relay, in
which freshman Sophia Ryan, senior Margarita Ryan, junior Jaimy
Wenhold, and Hill collectively
achieved a time of 3:20.64.
Coach Brendan Lees credited
the win to the team’s effort during
practices. “They have worked extremely hard to have the success
that they’ve had. They’ve put a
lot of hours in the pool and it’s
fun for them to see the benefits of
it,” said Lees.
At the State Championship,
Hill led the way with a new state
record in the 50-yard Freestyle
and the 100-yard Freestyle. She
also participated in a 400-yard

As March Madness begins,
so does the opportunity for the
best players to show that they can
take their game to the next level.
NBA prospects look to lead their
team to a national title while performing on the grandest stage of
them all; the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
The NBA draft will yield a
variety of different players; the
one-and-dones, the sophomores
and juniors, and even the rare
seniors. Some players have the
size, athleticism, and strength after one year of college hoops to
jump straight to the pros, while
others need time to develop their
all-around game.
Fans, analysts, and writers
often come out against standout
freshman coming and going so
quickly from the college game.
However, each player must do
what is best for him rather than
what is best for his program. If
players have the talent to make
it to the NBA after one year of
college basketball and make millions, they should go to the draft.
LSU freshman Ben Simmons
and Oklahoma senior Buddy
Hield are two of the most talked
about players in college basketball today, and the two clearly
show how it’s a mistake to make
a blanket statement about when a
player is ready for the NBA. Simmons has dominated the competition in a single season while
Hield has developed into a college phenom. Both players, despite their class, are atop the best
in the nation and are both projected to be picked high in the draft.

courtesy of Gary Peters

Girls’ swim celebrates their state championship on February 20 at UMD.
Freestyle Relay victory with the
members previously listed and a
200-yard Medley Relay victory
along with freshman Erica Hjelle,
freshman Emma Eustace, and
Margarita Ryan. Lees thought
that Churchill would be a tough
competitor; however, the Warriors won in dominating fashion,
scoring 310.5 points compared
to 237 points from second place
Walter Johnson and 225.5 points
scored by third place Churchill.
Hill has participated on the
swim team for all four years of
high school and will continue to
swim at the University of Virginia. Her leadership and ability
has been an extremely valuable
asset, yet without everyone being
fully invested into the work necessary for success, the Warriors
wouldn’t have been able to claim
victories to the many championships won throughout the year.
“Team cohesion was a huge

deal for us. At all of our meets,
everyone genuinely wanted to
be there which made the season
so much more enjoyable and we
swam better because of it,” said
Hill.
The success shown throughout the season is a result of
high team synergy, dedication,
and overall talent amongst each
swimmer. Waking up at early
times and attending numerous
practices a week is a common for
the swimmers. Their hard work
provided the team with extremely
successful results this year.
“It’s exhilarating to be on a
team that won both Metros and
States,” said senior captain Colleen Kaufman. “The hand in hand
victory jump into the pool as we
were announced winners of Metros has become one of my favorite memories. I will remember
these moments with such a special group of girls forever.”

25

Simmons was a top recruit
out of high school and entered the
collegiate scene as the No. 1 player in the nation. Standing at 6’10”
with a 7’0.25” wingspan, he tallied 19.5 point per game (ppg)
11.9 rebounds per game (rpg),
and 5 assists per game (apg). He
is the projected No. 1 overall pick
in the NBA draft and has been
compared to superstars Lebron
James and Kevin Durant.
Hield has competed game in
and game out, contributing 25.1
ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.1 apg. The
6’4” shooting guard has consistently improved throughout his
college career; dropping 7.8 ppg
his freshman year, 16.5 ppg his
sophomore year, and 17.4 ppg
his junior year. He is one of the
deadliest shooters in college basketball and is projected as the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Since 2006, the practice of
drafting high school players has
been prohibited by the new collective bargaining agreement,
which requires that players who
enter the draft be 19 years of age
and at least one year removed
from high school. Recently, there
has been talk about creating a
two-year requirement, similar to
that of college football and the
NFL. There is absolutely no reason why a college athlete’s talent
should be delayed. If a basketball
player is good enough to play in
the NBA after a one-year pitstop
in college, then so be it.
Talent should never be put on
hold. College athletes are quicker,
faster, and stronger nowadays, so
let them shine and display their
talent at the professional level, regardless of time spent in college.

Coach Finds Success with Fun and Discipline
by Kira Yates ‘16
Cross country and track and
field Coach Dan Reeks began his
long, successful coaching career
in 1970, when he was a student
teacher at Banning High School
in Wilmington, California. There,
he helped out head coach Pete
Zamperini, the brother of Louis
Zamperini whose story was told
in the book and movie “Unbroken.”
In late 1970, Reeks taught and
volunteered as the cross country
and track and field coach at Paint
Branch. He then moved to Eastern Middle School where he started girls’ track and cross country
for middle schools and later increased their racing distances.
Reeks also taught and coached at
Northwood and Wheaton before
coming to Sherwood in the fall of
2002. He taught social studies for
39 years and briefly taught physical education. Reeks has always
viewed coaching second to teaching.
Although he prefers coaching cross country because there

is a huge team connectedness and
many different ability levels that
lead to growth and teamwork, he
also enjoys coaching track and
field because of the various disciplines it encompasses.
“As a coach the biggest payoff is watching the development
of these athletes,” said Reeks.
“Every year when new freshmen
come in, I decide to work with
them through their senior year,”
said Reeks, emphasizing how
much he loves coaching.
So far, Reeks has helped
athletes for over 41 years and
doesn’t know when he is going to
stop. “He’s a really good coach
because he cares so much about it
and puts in a lot of work to help
us improve,” said senior Jackie Noland, who has trained with
Reeks for all four years of her
high school career.
While wanting the kids to
have fun, Reeks also stresses the
importance of discipline. “Talent only goes so far if you don’t
train,” he said. Reeks also emphasizes the use of the Puritan
work ethic.

Chase Wilson ‘17

Dan Reeks has coached cross country and track and field for 41 years.
Reeks coaches for many reasons, including his love for the
sport. “It’s fun to be around kids
who are smarter than me. This
program brings smart, motivated
kids, and it makes my day even if
I do get pissed off,” said Reeks.
“He’s a really nice guy, and
makes really bad dad jokes, but

we all laugh anyways,” said Noland, affirming his fun attitude.
One of Reeks’ most memorable moments as a coach was winning the state championship with
the girls’ cross country team in
1975 at Northwood. He also was
especially proud when the boys’
cross country team won in 2003

because the year before, the team
had really struggled but worked
extremely hard and managed to
win states.
Over his career, Reeks has
won many awards including
the “Metropolitan XC Coach of
the Year 2003,” after his team
improved
significantly,
and
the “Brooks Coach of the Year
Award” in 2014.
He most recently won “The
National Federation of High
Schools Coach of the Year 2015”
award after being nominated for
his dedication to the school’s
athletic community by Athletic
Director Kathy Green. “Coach
Reeks was nominated because he
is often a fixture at SHS athletic
events such as basketball games
and regional/state championships.
He wants all student-athletes to
excel and is supportive of all student-athletes, not just his teams,”
said Green.
“I always cheer for the other
runners, as long as my kids are
beating them. It’s really important to develop and grow the sport
as a whole,” said Reeks.

The Warrior•Sports
26

S
P
R
I
N
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O
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T
L
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O
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March 17, 2016

Softball
by Natalie Murray ‘18

Last spring, the softball team
ended their undefeated season
with a 4-0 win over Northwest in
the state championships for their
fourth consecutive 4A state title
and 83rd straight victory.
Coach Ashley Barber-Strunk
credits the team’s success over
the past four years to the hard
work and determination of the
players. Although the team lost
two starters, Julie Swarr (second
baseman) and Nicole Stockinger
(shortstop), when they graduated
last year, current seniors such as
Marisa Mancini (outfielder), Kelly
Bouma (first baseman), and McKenzie Bina (third baseman), who
have all been on varsity for the
past four years, will likely be very
valuable to the team. In addition,
the team returns senior pitcher
Jaime Schmier, who will play a
large factor in the team’s success
in the upcoming season.
Although
Coach
Barber-Strunk is confident in her

2015 Record:
21-0
Playoff Results:
Beat Northwest 4-0 in
State Championship
First Game:
March 21
@ Quince Orchard
team’s abilities--the team is not
ranked first in their class (4A)
for nothing--she does expect
tough competition from Blair,
Northwest, and Howard County’s
Leonardtown. Also, with strong
freshmen coming in all over the
county, she doesn’t count any
team out and says that anything
can happen.
Although the players want to
continue the victory streak started by the team four years ago,
they don’t intend to win games
strictly for the purpose of building
onto their state record. ”Our goal
is to do our best and always get
better, both individually and as a
team,” said Barber-Strunk. “I want
to instill great values both in softball and in life.”

Baseball
by Nick Comeau ‘17

Last spring, the baseball
team season came up short in a
loss in the regional semi-final to
divisional rival Paint Branch. The
team returns with a younger but
experienced group of players,
who are expected to continue the
success of a team that consistently has been one of the strongest in
Montgomery County.

“We do have a lot of returning players with game experience.
The guys have put in a lot of time
and hard work in the off-season.
The expectations are very high
this year. This is a very deep and
talented group,” said Coach Sean
Davis.
Davis said it is too early to
tell who will be the team’s impact
players but candidates include senior outfielder Matt Ervin and senior third baseman and York University commit Bailey Doan, who
have both been on varsity since
their sophomore years. Junior
pitcher Brendan Collins has been

2015 Record:
13-7
Playoffs:
Lost 6-4 to Paint Branch
in Regional Semi-finals
First Game:
March 22
@ Quince Orchard
on varsity since his freshman year
and is expected to be the team’s
ace this season. These players are
the only remaining members of
the state runner up team two seasons ago.
This team will have it tough
right off the bat when they play
Quince Orchard, a team Davis
expects to be one of the stronger
opponents this season. Another challenging opponent for the
squad on the schedule is defending 4A state champion Gaithersburg. However, Davis is confident
that he has the players who can
compete against the best teams
in the state. “This is a very well
rounded team. We do everything
well. If we play our game, we will
be tough to beat.”

Girls’ Lacrosse & Boys’ Lacrosse

by Lizi Thach ‘18

Expectations are soaring for
the girls’ lacrosse team, returning with the starting lineup from
last season still intact. The team
reached the regional finals last
season, losing to Howard 16-14.
Senior Team Captain Kristin
Russell has seen improvements
in the team led by herself and
seniors Taylor Andrews, Connor
Ganey, Delaney McMenamin, and
Danielle Rohrman. “I believe that
our team has gotten stronger so
I expect for us to go further than
last year,” said Russell. “We have
a [high] chance of winning the regionals and making it to the state
tournament.”
Coach Kelly Hughes said the
girls’ experience allows the team
to run quick offenses while knowing when to change the pace of
the game. “Our style tends to be
a mix of speed and patience,” said
Hughes. “We like to play a smart
game and match our opponents
strategically. We will slow the

2015 Record:
11-1
Playoff Results:
Lost to Howard 16-14 in
Regional Finals
First Game:
March 21
vs Southern

game down against some teams
and run the ball against others.”
Hughes believes the team
should hone their defensive skills,
requiring lots of team effort and
strong fitness. Russell also stated
that Rohrman will become a midfielder who will benefit the team’s
transitions to re-defending.
The team’s ambition is evident as their first game of the
season will be home on March 21
against Southern High School,
one of the state semifinalists from
last year. Russell explained that
maintaining possession and having early leads against other top
teams will be a key factor for this
season.

by Elizabeth Kronlage ‘18
and John Sutherland ‘16

When boys’ lacrosse marches onto the field this spring, they
are going to look a whole lot different than last year. The team
lost a number of seniors from last
year, including All-American Chris
Chiogioji. All-County defender
Leo Hanrahan has transferred to
Bullis.
With so much change in the
roster, the team will need to rely
on senior Justin Rose to anchor
the defense. Rose brings much
needed experience, and Coach
Chip Steel even believes he may
have played in more games than
any other player in Sherwood history by the time he graduates.
There is plenty of talent left
on this roster despite all of the
changes. Senior Nick Dunwoody
will provide plenty of scoring in
the attack. Seniors Tommy Cuviello, Kennen Harman, Matt Leifer, and Alex Everett will lead the
midfield. All-County junior Matt

2015 Record:
11-5
Playoff Results:
Lost to Howard 21-5 in
Regional Finals
First Game:
March 21
@ Southern

Popeck, who committed to play
Division I lacrosse at St. Joesph’s
University, will bring versatility
through his ability to play both
offense and defense. Juniors Clinton Bissell and Dimitri Guynn will
have to compete for the starting
goalie position before the season.
The team hopes to build on
last year’s success of going 11-5
and reaching the regional final
before losing to Howard. Coach
Steel expects to have a good season this year as well. “We expect
to be very competitive as always.
Although we are relatively young,
with only a few experienced players returning, we should have a
very successful season.”

Co-ed Volleyball & Boys’ Volleyball
by Katherine Sperduto ‘19

Bump! Set! Spike! Co-ed volleyball is getting ready for another successful season as one of the
consistently top teams in Montgomery County.
“We have an extremely experienced and talented group of
girls this year. The guys don’t have
quite as much experience but
have the athleticism. We look at
that as a plus; the girls can teach
them how to use their talents on
the court,” said Timothy Gilchrist,
the new co-ed volleyball coach
starting this season.
The top projected girls for
this year’s team consist of seniors
Ariella Rodriguez, Kendall Kahn,
Alex Greenbaum and Hannah
Brown. Varsity basketball players, senior Tyrese Williams and

2015 Record:
11-1
Playoff Results:
Lost to Clarksburg in
County Semi-finals
First Game:
March 21
vs Blair
sophomore Kamari Williams will
provide the team with height and
athleticism. Gilchrist also coaches
varsity basketball.

“From all players we are looking for good work ethic, grit and
the will to win. Those qualities are
not teachable,”said Gilchrist. “Ball
handling and court play are what
we coach and teach, but the will
to win and learn is the real key to
any successful team.”

by John Sutherland ‘16

Last year, boys’ volleyball’s
season could not have been more
perfect. They were 12-0 in the
regular season and beat BCC three
sets to one in the county championship. Last year’s team may have
cruised to the top, but this year’s
team has no interest in resting on
past glory. The team will not be
satisfied with anything short of a
second consecutive county championship.
With six seniors gone from
last year’s team, new players, such
as senior Jack Ratino, are going to
have to step up. “There [are] definitely high expectations coming
into the year. Each day we have to
focus on getting better individually and as a team,” said Ratino.
“But there’s no forgetting about

2015 Record:
12-0
Playoff Results:
Beat BCC to win County
Championship
First Game:
March 21
vs Blair
the success the team had last year.
We want to make sure we continue that success.”
Another big change is star
senior James Moyer switching
from libero to outside hitter. After being an all-county honorable
mention last year as a libero, he
will hope to have the same kind of
success at his new position. Much
of the team’s dream of repeating
will rest on Moyer’s shoulders.

The Warrior•Sports
March 17, 2016
Track & Field
by Lexi Matthews ‘18
Running shoes were laced,
layers thrown on and stretches
performed as the outdoor track
and field season began March 1.
Despite the graduation of several top-performing competitors,
senior jumper Alyssa Moran, senior long-distance runner Amanda Hayes-Puttfarcken and senior
thrower Rachel Goldberg return
as key leaders for the girls as well
as junior jumper Renaldo Smith,
senior hurdler Paul Lee, senior
thrower Osa Ikheloa, and senior
sprinter DeVonte Doward return
for the boys.
Despite some disappointment in the number of qualifiers
for States last season, the team is
encouraging each other to grow
from within and across event lines
to yield more consistently high
results this year. Competitors are
working hard to improve as individuals and as a whole in preparation for their first meet against
Paint Branch on March 22.
“Paint Branch is in a rebuild-

Boys’ Tennis

by Lucy Kuchma ‘18 and
Mallory Carlson ‘19

As the spring season approaches, boys’ varsity tennis
looks forward to another successful season. With close to 20
boys on the team, the upcoming
season looks as though it will be
an exciting one as the group of
strong players eagerly compete
to show off their talents.

Last season the boys won nine
of 12 total matches, earning a promotion to Division 2 from Division
3. The team will have to overcome
the loss of last season’s No. 1 singles player, senior Ryan Gilroy,
who left the team last spring and
has not returned to play this year.
Senior Chris Nguyen and junior
Matt Bent are expecting to compete as Sherwood’s top players.
“The team is stronger this year
because many of our returning
players have improved, and there
are plenty of new players,” said
Nguyen.
The team will need that level
of improvement as the stakes are

Gymnastics
by Isabella Pilot ‘18

After finishing last season 7-0
and winning the county title, the
gymnastics team is looking forward to another successful season. Some very talented gymnasts,
including All-Met Cassidy Deerin,
graduated last year, but with lots
of hard work and conditioning,
along with the skills new members
are bringing to the table, Coach
Gary Peters knows they will go far.

The leadership of juniors Ania
Pasternak and Toni Williams, National HS Gymnastics Association
gymnasts and Washington Post
honorable mention All Mets, will
be instrumental in the team’s success. Both girls performed incredibly well at the county meet last
season; Pasternak placing in several events, including second in
Floor Exercise, and Williams plac-

County Results:
Boys 9th, Girls 6th
State Results:
Boys 22nd, Girls 15th
First meet:
March 22
@ Paint Branch
ing year. That said, both their girls
and boys teams are strong. The
meet should be interesting, and
could come down to how well we
do in field events, where we may
have some surprises, and the 4x1
and 4x4 relays,” said Coach Dan
Reeks.
And bring a fierce competition they will, as the Warriors
have many underclassmen runners able to hold their own too,
especially on the girls’ side. The
team also welcomes several topflight football players this spring,
including Travis Levy and Everett
Stubblefield, training as hopeful
competitors in various events.

Reeks encourages students to
come out and support the Warriors at Paint Branch and at the
first home meet against Springbrook and Blake on April 19.

2015 Record:
9-3
First Match:
March 21
vs Churchill
higher for each match, because
there is the added pressure to
achieve results to stay in Division 2 rather than Division 3 for
next year. The Warriors will play
matches against county competition at all three levels, including
matches against such traditional
powerhouses as Churchill, Walter
Johnson, and B-CC.
The tennis team will be coached
by Tom Maley, who is eager to
lead the boys to victory. Maley has
been using various techniques to
get a feel for the new and returning talent his team possesses and
prepare them for the quickly approaching opening match against
Churchill on March 21. He utilizes
fitness in his practices to ensure
that his players are at the top of
their game, and keeps the boys in
line with witty barbs that highlight
the sense of comradery between
coach and players.

2015 Record:
7-0
Playoff Results:
Won MCPS Championship
First Meet:
April 7
vs Blake and Blair
ing first in uneven bars and floor
exercise, and second in all around
and balance beam. Both girls are
team captains this season along
with senior Brooke Butterfield.
“We must bring out the intensity we showed at the MCPS
Championship right away. I believe we will have a strong team
and all of the others teams will be
trying to knock us off,” said Peters. The teams’ strength will be
tested on April 7, when they compete against Blake and Blair in
their first tri-meet of the season.

27

Boys’ Basketball Can’t
Get Past Springbrook
by Amanda Allen ‘17

The boys’ varsity basketball
team ended their season early
with a loss against Springbrook,
64-55. The Warriors earned a
first-round bye after going 14-8
in the regular season and winning
the 4A North Regional division.
The Warriors also lost 69-58 in
the regular season game against
Springbrook on February 8.
In the rematch, the Warriors
claimed a 28-25 lead at halftime,
but Springbrook scored 39 points
in the second half to pull away.
Senior captain Tyrese Williams
scored 13 points for the Warriors
and senior captain Chris West
added 12 points.
“We played and fought hard.
Of course there were ups and
downs throughout the game, but I
feel like we played our strengths,”
said West. “Springbrook is always
a tough competitor. I’m proud of
the effort we gave, the successes
we have achieved, and I will always be pleased to have been part
of the Sherwood basketball family.”
Throughout the season, West,
Williams and senior Shawn Bliss
have been the team’s most consistent players. “Their senior
leadership really drives the bus
and the rest of the team is comfortable since they have been in
big games and pressure situations
in the past,” said Coach Timothy
Gilchrist.
The Warriors entered the
playoffs with confidence after finishing the season 3-1, including
win at Magruder on February 17.
In that game, West’s aggressive
mentality led the team to a 58-49
victory, often taking the ball coast
to coast and attacking the basket.

Chase Wilson ‘17

Senior captain Tyrese Williams attempts to score at a home game
against Springbrook during the first round of playoffs on February 29.
He finished with 12 points, and
Williams led the way with 17
points. The Warriors swept their
rivals this season, also beating
Magruder at home on January 22
by a score of 68-37.
Looking towards next sea-

son, the Warriors are expected to
be strong, with only two starters
graduating. Sophomores Davis
Long and Kamari Williams are
expected to be key players leading the team into a successful next
season.

Girls Overwhelmed in the
Second Round of Playoffs
by Nicole Reich ‘17
The girls’ varsity basketball
team had their ups and downs
during the regular season en route
to an overall record of 10-12,
earning the fifth seed in Section
2 of the Maryland 4A North Region.
The Warriors played Baltimore City’s Mergenthaler High
School on February 27, in the
first round of the playoffs, winning with a final score of 61-46.
In the beginning of the game, the
team started with strong intensity,
making sure to share the ball and
continue to defend. With seniors
Bryse Thornwell and Allie Thron,
and sophomore Madison Bliss
absent from the game, the rest of
the team had to step up and fill
their positions. Senior Molly Halprin and junior Sammy Sundell

contributed with their exceptional
rebounding, Halprin with 13 and
Sundell with 16.
“It was nice winning a playoff game, especially because we
were the ‘underdogs.’ We won
because we didn’t play to our
competition, which hurts us in
games like these,” said Sundell.
“We just stayed focused on playing as best we could and treated it
like any other game even though
we didn’t have three of our starters.” The victory marked the second year in a row where the girls’
team won a road playoff game.
Junior Amanda Allen continued her run of dominating
performances, with a career high
of 34 points in the Mergenthaler
game. Allen entered the playoffs
after scoring 27 and 29 points in
the final two games of the regular
season. “This year I tried to step

up and be more of a leader to help
the team,” said Allen, who was
recently featured in The Washington Post. “From the beginning,
our goal was to be the best as a
team by the end of the season and
I think that [showed].”
After winning the first round
of playoffs the team achieved
their goal to “survive and advance,” said Coach Tim Hobbs.
The team faced a more challenging opponent on March 1 at
Baltimore City’s Western High
School, and the Warriors were
outmatched in the 57-29 loss. Allen finished with 8 and Sundell
with 7 points. “Western was one
of the best teams we played this
year. [I’m] proud of the girls for
how hard they competed throughout the game,” said Hobbs. “Unfortunately, Western was the better team and deserved to win.”

The Warrior•Sports

28

March 17, 2016

POWER RANKINGS
2.

1.

Michigan State – Tom Izzo may
be the best tournament coach in
college basketball. While he often
must trek to the tournament with
a second-tier roster, that will certainly not be the case this season
with triple-double threat Denzel
Valentine leading the way.

Kansas – Bill Self’s squad is
beginning to truly catch its stride.
With a deep roster that includes
senior Perry Ellis (who has seemingly been on the team forever) and
junior guard Frank Mason, who is
having his best season to date,
the Jayhawks look as dangerous as any team.

4.

Xavier – Yes, they’ve lost to
suspect teams (Georgetown,
Creighton), but they also have
some of the most impressive
wins around (Villanova, Providence, Butler). A true team, the
Musketeers can beat anyone.

3.

Miami (FL) – A great backcourt combo can go a long way.
Miami knows about this, for seniors Sheldon McLellan and Angel Rodriguez have carried the
‘Canes. If they can keep it up,
Miami might be enjoying their
first ever championship.

6.

by Nick Comeau ‘17
and Ryan Deal ‘16

Oklahoma – Player of the Year
frontrunner Buddy Hield is a
star. When properly complemented by the rest of the starting
lineup, which includes senior
big man Ryan Spangler and
sharpshooter Isaiah Cousins, the Sooners boast
a lethal unit.

5.

Virginia – After some early
season struggles, the Cavaliers
look like they are back to being
one of the most dangerous teams in
the nation. When senior Malcolm
Brogdon plays like he has in February, there are few teams who
can keep up with this defensive juggernaut.

7.

Oregon - The PAC-12 Champions, to the surprise of many,
received a number-one seed in the
West region. With sophomore superstar Dillon Brooks leading the
way, the Ducks have a serious
shot to bring home their first
tournament title since 1939.

March Madness Brings Hope and
Worry for Maryland Terps Fans
by Ryan Deal ‘16


There is arguably no more
exciting time for sports fans than
March Madness. The stunning
upsets. The Cinderella teams. The
buzzer-beaters. All of these make
the NCAA Men’s Basketball
Tournament thrilling for fans of
all teams. However, such excitement is boosted when you have a
horse in the race.

That is the reality for fans
of the Maryland Terrapins this
year, who have witnessed a roller-coaster season that began with
the best start in school history at
15-1, which provided ample optimism for Terps fans who entered
the season with sky-high expectations. However, that early-season

momentum has all but vanished,
for they finished the season in
a slump that included losing to
arguably the worst major conference team in college basketball,
the Minnesota Golden Gophers
(who had entered the game with
an 0-13 conference record).

In the Big 10 tournament, the
Terps played decently, easily disposing of Nebraska before losing
a heartbreaker to a great Michigan
State team. However, in March,
the Terps have their work cut out
for them, for they are a five-seed
in a bracket that holds Kansas
and Villanova. Their first game
is against South Dakota State on
Friday.

Despite the negativity surrounding the team as of late, that

has not dampened the flames of
excitement for local Terps fans.
“It’s been awesome to watch.
Considering they just recently
got competitive over the past two
years, it really makes things a lot
more fun to keep up with,” said
senior Patrick Britt, who has been
a devoted fan for nearly his entire
life.

Junior Matt Popeck loves the
atmosphere at games, “It’s been
exhilarating to see the team grow,
at the home games, the energy is
at its peak.” The energy has certainly been high at the Xfinity
Center this season, as the student
section has often been dubbed by
visiting announcers as one of the
best.
On the court, the Terps have

been fueled by a lineup which includes local product sophomore
Melo Trimble, Duke transfer senior Rasheed Sulaimon, senior
Jake Layman, junior Robert Carter and freshman phenom Diamond Stone. While each player
brings something important, certain players, come tournament
time will need to perform at their
peak. “The most important player
has got to be Trimble. When he
plays well, everyone else feeds
off of it and the team plays with
all kinds of energy,” said Britt.
While Trimble is regarded as a
top point guard, he has struggled
recently, shooting around 30-percent in the team’s last ten games.

For Sherwood seniors who
have followed the Terps, this sea-

son is especially emotional. With
so many students enrolling into
a different college next year, this
season of Terps basketball may be
their last as a fan. “If Maryland
could win a championship this
year, that would be incredible,”
said Britt, who plans to attend an
out-of-state school. “That would
be an awesome way for them to
cap off my years of being only a
fan of them.”

While some look for a sweet
farewell to their team, for future
Terrapins, the excitement is just
beginning. “It will be fun cheering for a team I have liked since I
was a kid,” said senior Dan Chen.
“This time, it will be even more
special because I can cheer not
just as a fan, but as a student.”