A2 News silverchips December 19, 2017

silverchips
Montgomery Blair High School
MCPS Study Circles come to Blair
Students partidpate in dialogues on soda/ issues
51 University Boulevard East
Silver Spring, MD 20901
•
Phone: (301) 649-2864
Winner of the 2015 National
Scholastic Press
Association Pacemaker
By Miranda Rose Daly served as practice for newly trained
Winner of the 2015 Columbia student facilitators, and were de­
Scholastic PressAssociation
Gold Crown Almost 1,000 Blair students signed to get students used to the
participated in the MCPS Study idea of talking about their beliefs.
Circles program from Nov. 20-22. "It's first to get people to be okay
Editors-in-Chief: According to the Study Circles with being uncomfortable," Smith
AlexanderDacy and Program department, the study said.
Olivia Gonzalez circles are aimed at helping stu­ In the 'compass' activity, stu­
Managing News Editors: dents participate in discussions dents were shown images of cur­
Gilda Geist and rent controversial topics such as
about controversial topics, inform­
Leila Jackson
Managing Op/Ed Editors: ing them about important issues a Deferred Action for Childhood
Serena Debesai and such as race, gender and legal sta­ Arrivals (DACA) protest or a Black
Erin Namovicz tus. Lives Matter shirt.
Managing Features Editors: The program's goal is to help They were then asked whether
Cole Greenberg and the Blair community understand their reaction to these topics was
Isabella Tilley the perspectives of their classmates more social, emotional, moral, or
Managing Entertainment Editors: through respectful debate. intellectual, and why,
Emma Cross and
Hermela Mengesha In a school whose racial make­ Senior Leslie Morales, another
Managing Sports Editor: up is about 35 percent Latino, 24 student facilitator, said she has
Henry Wiebe percent black, 22 percent white, 15 AMARINS lAANSTRA-CORN
gained important social skills while
Ombudsman: percent Asian, and 4 percent oth­ STAYING WOKE Students sit down with sociology teacher being a facilitator,
LauraEspinoza er, the study circles aim to enrich Kenneth Smith to discuss contemporary racial and social issues. "One of the major things you
Newsbriefs Editors: Blair students' understanding of learn is how to stay back and listen
Gilda Geist and the backgrounds and experiences tional barriers for black and Latino of having a dialogue, and not a de­ to other people. Not fight back, but
LeilaJackson
of their fellow students, according students. bate in talking about important is­ have a conversation with some­
Page Editors:
Anson Berns to the department. The November program trained sues, one," she said.
Mindy Burton Senior Luis Zelaya, a student students to run the study circles. "You often hear people talk "Not everything has to be a yes
Elise Cauton facilitator for the program, said According to Zelaya, student about this idea that we have to or no, there's backgrounds and dif­
Noah Chopra-Khan that he appreciates the diversity in facilitators were trained at Johns have a conversation and we need ferent perspectives,"
Miranda Rose Daly opinions that Blair has. Hopkins University last spring to talk about these issues but no Future plans for the study circles
WilliamDonaldson "I personally love seeing dif­ where they participated in differ­ one really knows how to, or wants include trying to change the culture
Arshiya Dutta ferent perspectives of individuals ent study circles and were taught at Blair, Smith explained.
Adenike Falade
to, because they are painful," he
Lucy Gavin within Blair," he said, the significance of remaining neu­ said. "We take pride in being this di­
Hannah Lee According to the Study Circles tral while guiding the dialogue, "This is not about you trying to verse high school, we understand
Elias Monastersky Department website, the progr am Social studies teachers Kenneth win a point, to persuade someone that we are very much a liberal bub­
Camden Roberts was founded in 2003, and works Smith and Kevin Shindel are co­ to your position, it is to have a dia­ ble, but we still have a lot of issues
Marlena Tyldesley with students, teachers, and par­ running the progr am at Blair. logue." to discuss-and we are not discuss­
Telon Yan ents towards eliminating institu- Smith explained the importance The first round of dialogues ing them," he said.

Spring break shortened for 2018-2019

Ln Esquiria Latina Editors-in-Chief:
Michael Hernandez and
Sofia Munoz
La Esquina Latina Writers:
Amanda Hernandez

school year ...

Jasmine Mendez-Paredes
Laura Mendez-Pinto
Lourdes Reyes
Yesenia Sorto
Executive Business Directors:

The change is the latest to ensure compliance withgovernor's executive order

Karen Depenyou and
Ariel Zhang
Business Staff
Siena Butters
Julia Henderson By Arshiya Dutta
HonorKalata
SirnranKrishna-Rogers
Brenna Levitan-Garr On Nov. 14, the MCPS Board of '�
Matt Morris Education adopted a new calendar --1p
Olena Zelinsky for the 2018-2019 school year that 1,,
Managing Plzoto Editor:
Chaminda Hangilipola and
includes an abbreviated spring '9-,�
break to accommodate for Gover­
Sarni Mallon nor Larry Hogan's new calendar �
Photogra7?hers:
Avery Brooks requirements, .,.,0
.-":'

This calendar was proposed by

Jedediah Grady
Superintendent Jack Smith at the
-�
Elia Griffin
Amarins Laanstra-Corn Policy Management Committee ;!J
' 'O:·
Hannah Schwartz
Maggie Lin
(PMC), and was selected from four
other calendar options. Instead of 9.c.
Managing Media Coordinator: the usual ten-day break, students ..J�

1,,
Ben Miller
next year will have a six-day break
Managing Art Editors:
Carly Tagen-Dye and
Marissa He
from April 17-22,
The final calendar consists of
April 2()19 �

Artists: Good Friday, the weekend of April

Jenny Cueva-Diaz 20-21, Easter Monday, and two ad­
NiamhDucey ditional days off.
SeoyoungJoo The calendar still allows for two
AmyKrimm professional days during the school
Avery Liou
Tiffany Mao year, and closure for Rosh Hasha­
Aritra Roy nah, Yorn Kippur, and Eid, These
Sally Zhao changes are final and will likely
Managing Design Editors: continue every year in the future if
Hermela Mengesha and there are no issues or changes with
Isabella Tilley the executive order.
Puzzle Editors: Hogan's executive order, signed
Addie McDonough and
Lucy Solomon
in August 2016, required all public
Copy Editors: schools in Maryland to start their
BenAbramson school year after Labor Day and
BenAuslin end by June 15.
WillEderer This executive order, accord­
DivyaJohn ing to The Baltimore Sun, "give[s] ARSHIYA DUTTA
Brennan Winer families more time together, fell in the calendar we had six days during a traditional break will lead enough time to make a thorough
La Esquina Latina Advisor:
generate[s] more revenue for the to divvy up, and so we reduced to absences on those days. decision about where I want to at­
Dianette Coombs
Advisor: tourism industry, and help[s] keep Spring Break by two days," O'Neill "Most people are going to miss tend college," she said.
Jeremy Stelzner students in the Baltimore region said. Monday and Tuesday anyways According to O'Neill, MCPS
out of sweltering classrooms that The new calendar has faced because they are on vacation for board members are trying their
lack air conditioning," some backlash from students and spring break, so there's not really a best to justify their decision to con­
Silver Chips is a public forum for student
expression. Student editors make all The order, however, left MCPS others in the community, as many point," she said, cerned members to the communi­
content decisions. Unsi gned editorials board members scrambling to re­ want to keep break within the orig­ Some students, like junior Nora ty, as they had limited scheduling
represent the views of the editorial board
and are not necessarily those of the school
schedule the required 180 instruc­ inal time frame, Bay, are concerned about their col­ options,
Signed letters to the editor are encouraged. tional days for the school year, as "We have [reached out] to the lege visits next year. "We were put into a box, and I
Submit your letter to Jeremy Stelzner's the executive order takes a week of community and we have about "Last year in my brother's se­ think most people, when we've ex­
mailbox in the main office, to room 158 or
to silver.chips.print<!!)gmail.com. Concerns instruction away from the sched­ 2000 responses; about 50 percent nior year, we used spring break to plained the challenges that we only
about Silver Chips' content should be ule, of the respondents wanted a full go on a bunch of college tours so had six days of flexibility within
directed to the Ombudsman, the public's
representative to the paper, at ombudsman. "The Board had to decide with­ spring break," O'Neill said, he could decide where he want­ the calendar, were very under­
silverchips@gmail.com. Letters may be in the constraints of the executive Junior Virginia Henrici thinks ed to go, and I feel like with this standing that there were no good
edited for space and clarity.
order, and the way certain dates that MCPS adding school days new change I'm not going to have choices," O'Neill said.
 January 31, 2018 silverchips ---------NewsA5

Native American tribe recognized by Maryland

Accohannock Tribe of Eastern Shore gains state Indian Status
By Arshiya Dutta
The Accohannock Tribe on Maryland's
Eastern Shore has obtained official Indian
Status through an executive order by Gov.
Larry Hogan, which was presented to the
Statehouse and members of the Accohan­
nock Tribe on Dec. 19.
When a tribe is given Indian Status by the
state, both the tribe and the tribe's histori­
cal background are officially recognized as
legitimate. The status also offers support for
the tribe and the community events and ac­
tivities they partake in.
According to the Washington Post, along
with recognition, Maryland Indian Status
qualifies them for "federal, state and non­
profit as.sistance for its work."
State recognition can also create financial
opportunities for the tribe. Although it does
not financially sustain them, with state rec­
ognition, the Accohannock Tribe can apply
for grants.
These grants will provide funding for cul­
tural centers and hosting fees for free pub­
lic cultural awareness events. T he tribe will
use the money from their grants for public
causes.
In a Delmarva Now article by Jeremy Cox,
the Accohannock Tribal Chairman Mike
Hinman said, "We want it known the Native
Americans are doing this for you."
The Accohannock Tribe is one of Mary­
land's oldest Native American tribes and is a
subtribe of the Powhatan Nation. According
to the Office of Lt. Governor Boyd Ruther­
ford, the Accohannock tribe participates in
several community initiatives, including the
maintenance of the Bending Water Park in
Somerset County. The tribe also hosts an an-
NATIVE AMERICAN RITUALS The Piscataway Indian Nation was recognized by Maryland
legislators in 2012. Pictured is the tribal chief along with other members of the tribe.
nual pow-wow at the Bending Water Park,
the "Healing of All Nations," to display their
cultural practices and educate the public.
For the Accohannock, gaining Maryland
Indian Status was a multi-stage process. The
path to gaining Indian Status includes pass-
couRTEsY OF JANS! MED1NA-TAvAc
ing an executive order, complying with an
extensive list of requirements, and undergo­
ing a "rigorous petitioning process," accord­
ing to a statement by the Maryland Gov­
ernor's Press Office. T he recognition also
involves official documents and proof of the
tribe's legitimacy. Sophomore Jansi Medina­
Tayac, who is a member of the Piscataway
Indian Nation, said, "In Maryland, you need
a lot of documents and proof to gain recog­
nition."
Aside from the assistance and protection
on the state and federal levels, the Indian
Status is a step in the right direction con­
cerning Native American culture awareness.
The executive order gives the tribe assur­
ance that the government will address their
concerns.
In a Washington Post article, Hinman
said, "Today we can say with more meaning
than ever, we are still here, where we have
always been, and where we will go into the
future until the creator tells us we are no
more."
The Accohannock tribe is not the only
tribe that has been recognized by Maryland.
Both the Piscataway-Conoy tribe and the Pis­
cataway Indian Nation were recognized by
Gov. Martin O'Malley. Much like the Acco­
hannock tribe, the Piscataway Indian Nation
struggled to attain official status. "My tribe
fought to gain state recognition for about 18
years," Medina-Tayac said. Although state
recognition does not guarantee substantial
financial support or security, Medina-Tayac
said it shows slight progression towards al­
leviating the erasure of Native American
culture and their struggles.
"Compared to other problems that Native
Americans are facing, such as poverty and
racism, the state recognition of a tribe is a
very small step towards progress," Medina­
Tayac stated. "Of course, even very small
steps can still be important when solving a
bigger issue."

Up and Coming

February 5 February 9-10, 7:00 p.m.

Report Cards Distributed Sankofa

February 19 March 2
Presidents' Day, No School Early Dismissal

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 January 31, 2018
SERVING THE COMMUNITY Vernon Alexander, a building service worker,
works hard for eight hours a day to help keep Blair in the best shape possible.
Building services: Don't
sweep them under the rug
The workers who keep Blair running
By Miranda Rose Daly
The day is over for students and teachers.
They stream through the halls, filing down
the stairs and emerging into the daylight.
John Hughes, one of the newest additions
to Blair's building services staff, continues
working with unfazed vigor. Although the
majority of the building clears, Hughes still
has five more hours at Blair.
As he strolls down Maryland Avenue,
Hughes unhooks a large key chain from his
belt buckle and makes his way from room to
room, cleaning and mopping in order to pre­
pare the school for tomorrow's onslaught of
students and teachers. As Hughes makes his
way through the buildings 386,587 square
feet, he is alert and attentive to the few
staff and students still wandering the halls
around him.
He notices a woman lugging a cart of
Chromebooks down the hallway and asks if
he can be of assistance. She nods and thanks
him as he helps bring the computers to their
final destination.
Although Hughes only moved from D.C.
Public Schools and local hospitals to Blair
about three months ago, he has already
begun to settle into a routine. A routine he
loves doing, because tidying up the build­
ing brings him joy.
"Cleaning is my passion," he says. "I've
been doing it for 35 years."
His day starts at 1:00 p.m., when stu­
dents are finishing lunch, cleaning up the
aftermath of fifth and sixth period lunches.
He then patrols the second floor with metic­
ulous effort, making sure each crevice and
comer is tidy. "We have a section that we
come and do, like an L-shape of classrooms
and hallways, and stairways," Hughes says.
Like Hughes, colleague Vernon Alexander
logs multiple miles through Blair's hallways
and classrooms, cleaning up after busy stu­
dents when most of them have gone home.
The only sounds to be heard in the empty
hallways are the rolling wheels of his trash
can and the thump of the trash he dumps
into it.
Alexander has been working at Blair for
six years. Both Hughes and Alexander have
silverchips
second jobs before their shifts at Blair, and
on the weekends. Hughes owns his own
deaning and handyman company, John
Handyman Cleaning Service. He mainly
does the work himself, but depending on
the workload, he might hire additional help.
Alexander has his own remodeling business
where he works during the morning, before
his 3-11 p.m. shift at Blair.
Even after a long day of deaning Blair's
hallways, Alexander finds time to spruce
up his home in Prince George's County. "I
clean, I wash, I iron, I cook. I love to do it,"
he says.
Alexander also makes sure his midd.le­
school-aged son respects the deaning staff
at his school. "I always tell him at his school,
they have people like me, so do your best.
If you are chewing gum, throw it out," Al­
exander says. "If you walk in the hallways
[and] see something, pick it up." Alexander
asks his son to be considerate to the janitors
because he knows from his own experiences
that students can be disrespectful.
At Blair he has seen some crazy things.
"Sometimes a student walks by and kicks
the trash can in the hallway," Alexander
says. "Then I ask them, 'why did you do
that,' and they say they're bored."
Besides some insensitive students, other
elements like the winter season still present
an inherent challenge. Snow sticks to shoes
and tracks across the school's countless
floors. "When the floor is wet and it's humid
[from snow and rain] you have a hard time
of pushing the dust mop," Hughes says.
Despite challenges such as this, both
Hughes and Alexander maintain positive
attitudes.
"We know exactly what we signed up
for. Whatever comes our way, that's what
we do. Snow comes, we know we got to
remove [it]. Summertime, we know we got
to do summer cleaning. School starts? We
know we got to get the school ready for next
d ay, make sure we make you guys happy,
so you all can get a good education," Alex­
ander says.
"Without you, we don't have a job ... It's
tough on our part, but, hey, what [can we]
do?"
Mastering the
education system
How teachers navigate
graduate school and high school
By Arshiya Dutta
At 2:30 in the afternoon, the dismissal
bell rings. Students pack their bags and
leave their classrooms, many headed to
their after school commitments and many
headed home. For most students and teach­
ers, the educational day ends as soon as the
last bell rings. For intern Jordan Weissberg,
however, her day in school is only halfway
done.
Graduate school is a higher form of edu­
cation that follows undergraduate studies
through which students focus on a concen­
trated area of study in order to earn Spe­
cialist degrees, Master's degrees, or Doc­
toral degrees. Like any other profession,
teaching requires an extensive educational
background to master any given subject
and open the door to more job opportuni­
ties. While aspiring high school teachers in
Maryland must obtain a bachelor's degree
and pass a state-approved teacher prepara­
tion program, a Master's degree is not re­
quired to teach. Some, however, choose to
take the longer route.
In obtaining Master's degrees, many
aspiring high school teachers choose to
complete an undergraduate program for
the subject they intend to teach, and then
a Master's degree in secondary education.
In many Master's programs, like the one at
University of Maryland (UMD), students
are required to intern in classrooms to apply
the skills they learn in real-life situations.
Weissberg, who has obtained her under­
graduate degree in mathematics at UMD, is
currently in her second year of getting her
Master's degree in secondary education.
She teaches two math classes at Blair, a dou­
ble period Algebra 1 and Honors Algebra 2,
while taking bi-weekly night classes.
One of Weissberg's peers, Katelyn Nave,
is also working towards her Master's degree
in secondary education at UMD. She too has
bi-weekly night classes after her full days
at Blair, and does not get back to her apart­
ment until 9 p.m. on those days. "It's just a
lot of long days and not having much time
to do anything else," she says.
Between both her classes at UMD and
her job at Blair, Weissberg gets a fair amount
of work, which is hard to complete given
her busy schedule. Weissberg's main goal is
to teach her math classes well, and at times
it is stressful for her to deal with graduate
Features D4
school in addition to that. "I struggle in
finding time to go really in depth with my
students here without sacrificing my grades
in grad school classes," she says.
Instead of letting her workload of her
dual education discourage her, Weissberg
embraces her time at Blair and uses it as a
hand-on learning experience to improve as
an educator. "I have grown more this year
than in all four years of college because of
the hands-on experience," she says.
This hands-on experience allows Weiss­
berg to identify her weaknesses and work to
improve them. Weissberg is currently work­
ing to solve her difficulty in keeping control
of the class. Weissberg says her voice is not
the loudest, but instead of trying to yell over
students, she has found that the best way
to maintain control is by giving work to
the students as soon as they enter the class­
room. "By working on those techniques
without having to raise my voice, I'm not
changing who I am, but changing the way
the classroom works," she says.
Weissberg's internship allows her to
benefit from the relationships she builds
between both her fellow interns and her
students. To her, learning in a supportive
environment like Blair where everyone as­
sists each other makes her experience valu­
able and enjoyable. "Rather than striving to
be better than each other, we are striving to
make each other better teachers. We all are
sharing resources and help each other get
through stressful times," she says.
Grad school classes also work as observ­
ing opportunities for interns, as many use
their teachers as models. Nave critiques her
teachers, helping her build her own teach­
ing skills. "I would really analyze my pro­
fessors and say, 'That was a terrible method
he just used to explain that. This professor
needs to do a better job in communicating
with the students,"' she says.
This switch in perspective also allows
interns to empathize with their students.
Weissberg says she has become more under­
standing of when her students do not quite
meet her expectations because she is also a
student. "Being a student at UMD and also
being a teacher is good way to remind my­
self that these kids are [not] doing what they
are doing on purpose," she says. "Some­
times they are late to class, sometimes they
forget their homework. It's important to see
how hard the kids are working."
TIFFANY MAO