SherwoodWarrior.proof

theWarrior

47th Year, Issue No. 2 December 19, 2024

Sherwood High School: 300 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

www.thewarrioronline.com

Mobilizing Masculinity: How Young Men Delivered Trump’s Victory

by Audrey Farris ‘25

In the 2024 presidential election,

young male voters emerged

as a pivotal group that helped

push former President Donald

Trump to victory. Economic

challenges, cultural divides, and

a growing sense of political disillusionment

defined the race, all

issues that greatly resonated with

the young male electorate, which

ultimately played a decisive role

in securing Trump a second term

in office.

Male voters in the United

States have historically leaned

more conservative than female

voters, but this trend was particularly

pronounced in 2024. Data

from exit polls revealed a significant

gender gap, with men across

all age groups and political affiliations

showing strong support for

Trump.

But what attracted specifically

Three Staff Members Say Goodbye to Sherwood

by Katie Ng ‘25

This December, Sherwood’s

school secretary Carolyn Holonich,

and Pamela Money and

Linda Berkheimer, both from the

school’s Business Office, will

retire. Holonich, Money, and

Berkheimer are all good friends

who have decided to retire together,

and they have made lasting

contributions to the school. They

have become an integral part of

the Sherwood community, and

they will be missed.

Holonich worked in MCPS

for 25 years and at Sherwood for

20 years. Her current position is

Administrative Secretary, and

she has held this position for 12

years. As the Administrative Secretary,

she handles the master calendar

and payroll, helps employees

with long term leave, enters

incidents and suspensions into

Synergy, prepares the weekly bulletin

and monthly calendars, and

supports Principal Tim Britton.

“Holonich is my right arm.

She truly knows how to support

me and my admin team,” said

Britton. “She knows MCPS procedures

and protocols and keeps

me in line with school and county

policy. She is always ahead of

the curve as it pertains to helping

staff and other employees with

personal issues that affect taking

leave. She is an encyclopedia of

MCPS.”

Before she became the Administrative

Secretary, Holonich

worked as a main office secretary

and as a paraeducator in the Special

Education Department. Additionally,

Holonich was a ticket

and game manager for Sherwood

football games. Although she was

eligible to retire this past summer,

she decided to retire mid-year to

make it easier for the next Administrative

Secretary who takes

her place. Holonich commented

that she will miss Berkheimer

and Money along with the other

Sherwood staff and students, but

that she looks forward to her retirement.

“I will be spending more time

with my 3-year-old grandson and

support Trump’s “America First”

agenda, which promised to restore

national pride and economic

sovereignty.

Economic issues played another

critical role in influencing

many male voters’ political preftion

and the rise of a more liberal

social agenda that leaned toward

issues concerning predominantly

women and minorities. The sense

of economic disenfranchisement

combined with concerns over cultural

changes drove many men to

Cliff Vacin ‘25

Left to right: Holonich, Berkheimer, and Money retired this December.

1-year-old granddaughter. I am

also looking forward to traveling

to Texas to see my son and daughter-in-law

and Florida to see my

daughter,” said Holonich.

Berkheimer, the School

Business Administrator, worked

at Sherwood for 24 years and

worked in MCPS for 28 years.

She has held the School Business

Administrator position for 10

years. Her responsibilities include

maintaining and approving supply

orders; getting teachers the

supplies they need; scheduling

building rentals; and supervising

the financial specialist, cafeteria,

building services, media, ITSS,

and MST. Berkheimer also works

with Britton and the Athletic Director.

She said that she will miss

Left to right: Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk.

the people/staff at Sherwood but

that she plans on keeping in touch

with Holonich and Money. She

also will spend more time with

her family. “I plan on helping two

of my self-employed daughters

and spending more time with my

grandchildren! My husband and

I plan on more time at the beach,”

said Berkheimer.

Britton noted that the work

of the school’s Business Office

might go unseen but it is critically

important to Sherwood’s operations.

“[The Business Administrator]

is [a] very important job

because at the high school level,

there is a lot of money flowing

in and out of the school. It is

the job of the business admin to

make sure money accounts are

not in the red and there is an accounting

for all money and purchases,”

said Britton. “Both the

School Business Administrator

and Financial Specialist positions

are tremendously invaluable to a

school function.”

Money worked in MCPS

for 25 years and at Sherwood

for five-and-a-half years. Money

manages school financial accounts,

organizes the financial

logistics for field trips and fundraisers,

enters student obligations,

orders supplies, and trains staff on

financial policies and procedures.

Money decided to retire mid-year

What’s Inside: News 1-4, Pulse 5, Opinions 6-7, Spotlight 8-9, Humor 10-11,

Entertainment 12-13, Sports 14-16

young men to Trump? In recent

elections, young men in America

have not been as politically

firm in their conservative beliefs

and often don’t vote the same

way between each election cycle.

They are a group that is largely

progressive across a range of

issues, with close to 70 percent

supporting abortion rights and

being one of the most pro-union

groups according to Aaron Smith,

the co-founder of the Young Men

Research Initiative. Still, their

top issues statistically were the

economy, inflation, and immigration,

and they were looking

for a change that they believed

the Trump administration would

bring.

This pro-Trump shift can be

attributed to several factors.

Trump’s messaging resonated

strongly with many male voters,

particularly working-class men

who felt alienated by globalizaerences.

According to Smith,

47 percent of young men said

the economy was a top issue for

them. Trump’s emphasis on reviving

American manufacturing,

renegotiating trade deals, and

bringing jobs back to the United

States found a receptive audience

among blue-collar men who had

seen their industries severely

damaged by outsourcing and automation.

Trump’s rhetoric also spoke to

broader cultural concerns, particularly

threats to masculinity and

identity that many men have felt

has been perpetuated by liberal

agendas. Trump’s unapologetic,

combative style appealed to men

who viewed his confidence and

aggression as a sign of strength

and authenticity, contrasting what

they saw as the “woke” approach

of the Democratic Party.

see ‘BRO’ CULTURE, pg 3

because she thinks it is the most

practical time. “It is very difficult

for a new person to start July 1 as

the end-of-year reports are due

mid-July and they would be completely

unfamiliar with anything

that transpired throughout the

year to complete these reports and

close out the year. Also, coming

in mid-year the new person has

everything set up for the year and

can see how it has been done and

simply keep it going,” said Money.

When Money retires, she plans

on spending time with her family

and traveling. She will miss the

Sherwood community and sharing

stories with colleagues.

Even though it is sad to see

Holonich, Berkheimer, and Money

go, Britton recognized the importance

of their jobs and finding

qualified people to fill the positions.

Frida Keres, from Gaithersburg

High School, will be the

new Administrative Secretary.

Rebecca Williams from MCPS

central office is arriving as the

new School Business Administrator.

Chris Homon, who has been

working in the private sector,

is joining Sherwood as the next

Financial Specialist. All three

will officially begin after winter

break, but they are first receiving

help and guidance from Holonich,

Berkheimer, and Money to

ease the transition.

Spotlight

Read about the state of the school

building.

Pages 8-9

Sports

Preview of boys and

girls basketball.

Pages 14-16

2

Australia Bans Social Media

for Adolescents

by Zach Geller ‘25

From Instagram to TikTok, social media is one of the most

important ways teens stay connected. However this new modern

necessity will soon be banned in Australia for all kids under

a certain age. In late November the Australian senate passed

“The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age)

Bill 2024,” a piece of legislation prohibiting those under the

age of 16 from using social media. This policy came as a result

of News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign, calling for social

media restrictions because of the advice of health, wellbeing,

tech and psychology experts. This piece of legislation passed

with almost a two thirds majority, 34 votes for and 19 votes

against. The bill doesn’t acknowledge how it will be enforced

other than fines towards social media sites, nor does it specify

which social media platforms it will apply to.

The ban is anticipated to go into effect sometime in 2025

and already has become controversial. In an article by news.

com.au, some interviewees cited that social media harms more

than helps while others disagreed: “Critics also argued the ban

would not effectively assist children and teenagers’ mental

health, instead isolating them.” Should this world’s-first policy

be enacted, it could radically change future policies adopted all

over the world concerning how governments can play roles in

controlling the internet.

Fed Workforce Facing Cuts

by Chase Sondike ‘26

President-elect Donald Trump has announced a bold plan

to restructure the federal government once he is sworn in on

January 25. His proposition involves significant cuts to federal

agencies and a shift in power away from what he describes as

“the deep state.” Trump has publically been critical of the size

and influence of the federal workforce, claiming it slows down

decision-making and is resistant to reform.

Trump looks to narrow federal staff by a large margin, as

well as decentralize agency operations. This would result in

many government employees losing their jobs or being moved

out of Washington, D.C., to other parts of the country. Trump

has appointed billionaire businessman and CEO Elon Musk,

along with entrepreneur and 2024 Republican Presidential candidate

Vivek Ramaswamy, to head what he calls the Department

of Government Efficiency. The commission is intended

to serve as an advisory body providing counsel on streamlining

the U.S. federal government and reducing inefficiency.

Trump’s supporters believe this could reduce waste and

make the government function more efficiently while skeptics

argue the idea could create chaos within essential departments

and that the plan is politically motivated. Many local elected

officials are concerned that a reduction to the federal workforce

could harm the economies and communities in the DMV.

TikTok Faces U.S. Ban

by Molly Schecter ‘27

For the past few years, the U.S. government in Congress

and through the courts has threatened to ban the app, TikTok. In

addition to concerns over its potentially harmful effect on teens,

the United States has raised national security alarms because

the parent company of Tik Tok is located in China. This month,

a U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that the platform will

face national ban unless the parent company sells the app to a

U.S. company.

Tiktok is owned by Bytedance, which is located in China.

According to DemandSage data company, in 2024 a Tiktok

user spends an average of 58 minutes and 24 seconds on Tiktok

a day, and the U.S. had 120.5 million users. TikTok, like many

other social media platforms, gathers information on users,

such as browsing history, location, and identity. With this many

American users, the U.S. government worries that the Chinese

government can possibly access the information gathered by

the app, and use it to blackmail users. Another worry is that the

Chinese government can use the TikTok algorithm to influence

users and spread false information.

Following the court ruling, TikTok has requested that the

federal court pauses its ruling, asking that the Supreme Court

review the case. The company also hopes that President-Elect

Donald Trump will intervene when he takes office, now suggesting

that he will “save” TikTok.

The Warrior • News

December 19, 2024

HS Rankings Raise Questions about Reliability

by Madelyn Awwad ‘27

and Nisha Khatri ‘26

Montgomery County Public

Schools (MCPS) performed well

in the Niche 2025 rankings. Three

schools in the district are ranked

#1 in Maryland for their grade

levels. Poolesville High School

is ranked in the top spot for high

schools, Cabin John Middle

School is #1 for middle schools,

and Westbrook Elementary is the

highest ranked for elementary

schools. These rankings indicate

that MCPS schools are strong in

academics, teacher quality, and

college prep, and MCPS dedicated

a page on their website to promote

these rankings.

According to Niche, Sherwood

is ranked highly in several

categories among Maryland

public high schools, including

academics, athletics, teachers,

programs, and diversity. It is 25

out of 217 for Best Public High

Schools in Maryland, 27 for Best

College Prep High Schools, and

34 for Best High Schools for Athletes.

Sherwood also ranks 39 for

Best Public High School Teachers

and 75 for Best High Schools

for STEM. The school is also 81

for Most Diverse Public High

Schools in Maryland.

Assistant Principal Tamara

Jennings notes reasons for MCPS

success in the rankings, including

data and feedback collection.

“School improvement is always

the topic of conversation,” said

Jennings. “Schools use a variety

of data points to set meaningful

and measurable goals for improvement.

In addition, at Sherwood,

we involve students and

parents in the school improvement

process by collecting voice

data and allowing these stakeholders

to provide input on our

School Improvement Plan.”

Although MCPS schools

perform well in the rankings,

some question whether the Niche

system is fair, equitable, or even

accurate. Schools that tend to perform

well are typically wealthier;

for instance, affluent schools located

in Bethesda and Potomac,

such as Whitman, Winston Churchill,

and Walter Johnson, consistently

have high ratings.

Private schools are also included

in rankings. Good Counsel,

for instance, received a grade

of A+ overall and grades of A+

on most of the individual sections

as well. Similar to how they formulate

grades for public schools,

Niche also utilizes analysis and

data to determine the grades for

private schools. Private schools

can additionally pay Niche to promote

them on the website.

Niche uses recent data from

the U.S. Department of Education.

When ranking schools and

compiling a value grade, Niche

considers factors such as test

scores, diversity, college preparation,

teacher quality, and information

from student and alumni

surveys. For example, Poolesville

got an A+ in academics, though

Niche does not appear to take

into account or acknowledge that

Poolesville has a highly selective

magnet program that students nationwide

can apply .

Some other MCPS schools

such as Walt Whitman and Poolesville,

however, dropped in

other rankings. The U.S. News

& World Report indicates that

Whitman is no longer in the top

100 internationally, and Poolsevile

likewise dropped slightly.

Still, the Niche rankings show

that MCPS schools are still topranked,

with Poolesville coming

in 32 nationally, Cabin John 465,

and Westbrook 908. Elite private

schools or public ones with magnet

programs usually dominate

the top spots.

Niche also contains a Reviews

section where users can

voluntarily provide a rating and

feedback. Sherwood currently has

380 reviews dating back 10 years.

Niche does not explain to users

how much these factor into a

school’s grade.While Niche leads

the market in linking schools and

colleges with students and families

and has millions of ratings,

biases persist nevertheless. By

utilizing information from current

student and alumni surveys,

information is likely biased due

to the vast difference in experiences

between individuals. Some

may favor their school strongly or

denounce it without regard for alternate

experiences of other individuals.

The data collected, moreover,

may be inaccurate if the root

source is faulty, and old rankings

become out of date and can rapidly

change. Spams and bot reviews

are prevalent as well.

It is impossible for users on

the Niche website to know where

information came from and attain

the full ratio of considered

factors. Niche is therefore a great

resource overall for students

and families at the surface level,

but people should remain wary

and look for other corroborating

sources such as US News and

Princeton Review before formulating

judgements about schools.

Language Deptartment Aims for Future Growth

by Ziv Golan ‘26

It is no secret that the World

Language Department at Sherwood

is limited in scope with the

school only offering Spanish and

French courses this year. Meanwhile,

MCPS claims to offer a

broad range of languages such as

American Sign Language (ASL),

Chinese, Russian, Italian, and

Japanese. Sherwood previously

offered ASL and Italian but abandoned

these classes due to a reported

lack of student interest.

“Enrollment dissipated to the

point that we could not keep the

programs,” said Principal Tim

Britton “For a course to survive,

a minimum of 20 students must

be enrolled unless the course is a

graduation requirement.”

It is also difficult to sustain a

large number of language courses

at a school due to staffing issues

and other problems. “First the

middle schools would also have

to offer it, and to offer a new language

we wouldn’t be able to start

with all the levels because there

probably wouldn’t be enough students

registered in all the levels in

that language,” said World Language

Department Head, Ariana

Peralta. “We would have to build

the program up from the beginning

and offer more levels as the

program grows. The other challenge

with that is that we would

only be able to hire a part-time

teacher and not full time if we do

not have the enrollment to offer

all the levels.”

Other MCPS high schools

offer a greater variety of languages;

however, those schools, such

as Blair, Walter Johnson, and

Whitman are on the larger side

in areas with a greater diversity

of spoken languages. “There are

schools in the county that offer

more languages but you have to

think about the school’s population,

and the diversity of other

communities and the languages

that are spoken in other communities

that make it so you have

more programs,” said Peralta.

With all these constraints

to take into consideration, the

World Languages Department

has moved towards trying to expand

the already existing Spanish

and French programs rather than

attempting to introduce new languages.

“My goal is to grow the

French and Spanish programs.

When I started here we had five

sections of Spanish 5 and two AP

sections and now we’re down to

one AP section and three sections

of Spanish 5,” said Peralta. “The

[student] population has also gone

down, and we don’t have enough

kids signing up for languages.”

However, the French program

at Sherwood has already

been struggling recently, especially

after long time French teacher

John Falls retired in December

2023. This school year, French

5 and AP French are no longer

being offered. There is only one

section of French 1-4.

“We’re always looking to

keep French, but it’s always dependent

on how many students

register, so if we have more students

registering for these courses

then we keep adding sections.

But if every year you have less

and less students, you can’t offer

a course,” explained Peralta.

Although it may look quite

bleak for the World Languages

Department as a whole, Peralta is

putting in extensive work to try to

build the program back to what it

once was. According to Peralta,

currently 27 students are taking

French 4, meaning that if twenty

of them register for AP next

school year then the course can

return. She has also designed an

entirely new Spanish 4 curriculum

this year to smooth the transition

to AP and possibly allow students

to jump straight to AP after

taking 4, therefore growing the

AP Spanish program. It is tough

to get students to take the higher

level courses but this change may

persuade students to take chances

and sign up beyond the two-year

high school requirement.

from MOBILIZING, pg. 1

Trump portrayed himself

as the defender of traditional

American values, a stance that

resonated with men who felt that

their own roles in society were

being undermined by progressive

social policies, specifically

those that had a focus on gender

identity, family structure, and

education.

Trump’s young male supporters

were not only driven by

policy and cultural factors but

were also strongly influenced by

conservative media. Outlets like

Fox News, Newsmax, and alternative

platforms such as Truth

Social and Rumble played a key

role in shaping the perceptions

of many young male voters.

These media sources consistently

portrayed Biden’s administration

and Harris’ administration

as weak, out of touch, and susceptible

to the influence of radical

left-wing groups, making

Trump appear as the only viable

alternative to what they saw as a

failing status quo.

Trump’s ability to energize

his base — particularly among

young men in rural and suburban

areas — was unmatched in

2024. His use of social media,

despite being once banned from

major platforms like X (formerly

Twitter), was supplanted by the

rise of alternative social media

outlets, where Trump’s messages

resonated strongly with his

base.

This created a feedback loop

of positive reinforcement where

male voters felt empowered to


December 19, 2024

One of the most renowned “bro”

culture figures is Joe Rogan, UFC

commentator, comedian and actor,

and possibly one of if not the biggest

embodiment of what “bro” culture is

about. Joe Rogan’s podcast, The Joe

Rogan Experience, which often hosted

controversial figures as guest

speakers and emphasized individualism,

skepticism of government, and

freedom of speech, remained a key

platform for shaping opinions among

young men who felt alienated by the

leftward shift of mainstream politics.

The Joe Rogan Experience averages

11 million listeners per episode, 80

percent of which are men. Fifty-one

percent of listeners fall between the

ages of 18-24 years of age, with the

average age of listeners being 24,

Break a Leg But Not the Budget

by Miriam Lev ‘27

Last month, Sherwood students,

staff, and parents were

given the opportunity to watch a

fabulous production of the musical

Mamma Mia. The four performances

in mid-November were

the culmination of nearly two

months of rehearsals with a crew

and cast of approximately 80 students.

Many challenges to staging

a school musical or play occur

during the rehearsal process, as

well as turning a profit or at least

breaking even.

When theater teacher and

director Elizabeth Kominski and

cast members consider which

musical to put on in the spring

and which musical for the fall,

they have to not only consider

what they want to perform, andhow

it will appeal to an audience,

but how much it will cost.

“Some of the major expenses

include the rights for the plays,

the set construction and materials,

costuming, and staff who work on

the show,” said Kominski. “For

each play we want to produce,

we have to apply for the rights,

and if they are granted, we then

see how much they would charge

us to produce it. I would say the

average musical costs us around

$3,500 for rights.” The more

known the original production is,

the costlier the rights are.

The Theatre department does

not receive funds from MCPS or

Joe Rogan’s Massive Influence

support the former President,

seeing his election as a necessary

countermeasure to what they perceived

as the erosion of traditional

American values.

“Bro” culture played a significant

role in mobilizing young

male voters as well. This culture,

rooted in the celebration of

hyper-masculinity, anti-establishment

attitudes, and backlash

against progressive movements,

spoke to many young men. Influential

figures like Joe Rogan, Andrew

Tate, and Ben Shapiro continued

to be dominant voices for

this demographic, perpetuating

deeply conservative, libertarian

ideals and rejection of what they

perceived as the growing influences

of “woke” culture. These

figures framed the election as not

just a political contest but a cultural

war, encouraging their audiences

to support Trump as the

the school. Ticket sales during

productions is the main source of

revenue which has kept the department

going. Only the Director,

Technical Director, Conductor,

and Vocal Director are paid a

stipend by the county. Since ticket

sales raise money, the cast, crew,

and directors advertise as much

as possible for the community to

come see productions. This includes

posting on social media,

banners throughout the community,

and sharing with friends and

family. For last month’s production

of Mamma Mia a fundraiser

was added, which included

specialty shirts and mugs to help

raise added revenue.

“Sherwood is very fortunate.

We have an incredibly supportive

community and because of

this, we have been able to turn a

profit on every show we have put

according to data pulled from multiple

streaming platforms. On October

24, just a few weeks before

the election, The Joe Rogan Experience

hosted then presidential candidate

Donald Trump as a guest for

a three-hour interview, which now

has 52.8 million views on YouTube

alone. Even for those that didn’t

listen, Trump speaking on Rogan’s

podcast affirmed to his supporters

that Trump was their candidate, because

unlike Trump, Harris refused

a similar offer from Rogan to be

interviewed on his show. Rogan’s influence,

along with “bro” culture figures

who promote a brand of traditional

masculinity, helped galvanize

young male voters who saw Trump

embody their ideals.

defender of traditional values and

individual freedoms against the

growing influences of progressive

ideologies.

In the 2024 election, the male

vote became the decisive factor

in Trump’s victory, tipping key

battleground states in his favor

allowing him to secure a second

term. Whether driven by economic

concerns, a desire for traditional

values, or dissatisfaction

with the current administration’s

policies, male voters, specifically

young male voters, were instrumental

in shaping the outcome of

the election. As American politics

continues to evolve, understanding

the motivations and priorities

of this demographic and understanding

how to connect with said

demographic in an effective way

will be crucial for any candidate

hoping to secure electoral success

in future elections.

Elijah Goodman ‘26

Senior Ellie Schwam (center) as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia.

together. It does take careful planning

on my part, but it is kind of

fun. I make it a game and set my

budget, and then try to surpass

my goals,” said Kominski.

Despite the challenge to

turn a profit, Sherwood’s theatre

is committed to putting on a fall

musical and spring play every

school year. “For me personally,

it has been the most rewarding

and meaningful part of my career.

Having my former students come

back and continue to see the productions

and even work on them

with me at times has made my life

so rich.”

The productions at Sherwood

would not be possible without

the help of other staff. “I am also

blessed to be able to work with

the best staff on the show--Silverbook,

Chu, Lynch, and D’Anna,”

said Kominski.

Q1 Data Shows Impact of

Grading Policy Change

by Cara Farr ‘27

With the new implementation

of teachers being permitted

to give zeroes in the gradebook,

data showed that there was an

increase in the number of E’s at

Sherwood from last year for first

quarter grades. The increase was

not unexpected, and the teachers

have plans in place to address students

struggling to pass. Post-interims,

teachers reported grades

to the resource teachers (RT) of

that department. Once the data is

assessed, teachers come up with a

plan to help their students with Ds

and Es to raise their grades.

When looking at the reasons

why a student’s grades are dropping,

attendance seems to be the

biggest factor as to why a student

will do very poorly in class. “Oftentimes

if a student isn’t in class,

they struggle,” said social studies

teacher Robert Hiller. In many

classes, students are given time in

class to start or complete assignments.

If they do not attend class,

they may fall behind. If they then

fail to submit this work on time, it

can lead to ten percent deductions

or a zero all together if the assignment

is never completed.

Additionally, there are some

students who are present at

school but are not completing All

Tasks assignments that are homework.

In previous years, students

3

received automatic 50-percent

grades even for assignments they

did not do. Now, students receive

zeroes. The missing work can

significantly impact a student’s

grade, especially at the beginning

of the marking period. When students

start the marking period off

with a low grade, it is very hard

for them to get their grade back

up and in a good position to finish

the quarter. This is because they

are essentially playing catch-up

for most of the marking period.

Grades are not dropping at

an alarming rate, however. Staff

knew that grades would drop with

the new grading policy so they

were prepared. With new plans

set in place, they expect that students’

grades will increase by the

end of each quarter. Data shared

by Staff Development Teacher

Sarah Pruchniewski showed that

one class had twenty-one E’s at

the interim mark, but finished

with half that number.

Though the data says more

students are failing, teachers say

otherwise. “To my surprise ... I

have fewer D’s and E’s than last

year,” said Hiller, and many other

teachers are encouraging students

to turn in their missing assignments

more than past years. This

is due to the fact that a zero in

the gradebook will drop student’s

grades more than an E.

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each issue of the 11x17 paper is printed on high-quality

ground wood white paper stock. Warrior issues are distributed

to 1,7000 students, 150 school staff members,

and 200 patrons who are members of the Olney/Shady

Grove/Ashton/Brookeville communities.

Reserve a spot in The Warrior’s

next issue!

Print Advertising Rates:

1/16th page ad...............................................................$20

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1/2 page ad.....................................................................$90

Full page ad..................................................................$150

If you are interested in advertising in The Warrior,

please contact us. Our next issues is coming in

February 2025.

Contact Information

Peter Huck (Newspaper Advisor)

peter_j_huck@mcpsmd.org

4


December 19, 2024

Second Trump Term Signals Change in Climate Policy

by Ziv Golan ‘26 and

Deepika Shrestha ‘27

With the reelection of Donald

Trump, there are questions

of whether his administration

will address or dismiss the issue

of climate change in his second

term. Trump expressed interest

in once again pulling the

United States out of the Paris

Climate Agreement, an international

agreement adopted by 196

countries with members aiming

to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

and adopt renewable energy

goals. Trump originally pulled

out of the agreement in 2016, and

the action was reversed as soon

as President Biden took office in

2021. But with many countries

already struggling to reach these

goals, a second U.S. exit from

the agreement could spell out

severe consequences for the rest

of the world. Biden recently has

urged other world leaders to continue

fighting for climate change,

showing his concern that the

United States under Trump will

no longer take action on the issue.

Trump also wants to repeal

almost all of Biden’s policies in

regards to addressing the climate

crisis. The Inflation Reduction

Act of 2022 in part deals with

conservation of land, endangered

wildlife, and adding additional

national park staff. Trump wants

to increase oil and gas production

and cut Biden’s restrictions on

virtually all regulations because

he argues that it will increase U.S.

wealth and prosperity. This rollback

includes a step away from

Biden’s goal of cutting greenhouse

gas emissions 50 percent

by 2030. Tax credits for electric

vehicles along with the clean

energy jobs introduced with the

Inflation Reduction Act are also

on the chopping block. Trump is

hoping to bring down energy and

gas prices in the country by doing

so. He also wants to get rid of offshore

wind power, and has shown

a strong dislike of renewable energy

windmills.

2024 is already on track

to be the hottest year on record

with world leaders highlighting

the need for comprehensive policy

to combat the climate crisis.

With Trump taking office many

of these leaders are worried that

the United States may no longer

be a dependent partner on the issue.

Climate scientists are warning

there are four more years

left until climate change is irreversible

and actions need to be

taken now to curb the threat. Recent

extreme weather events like

hurricanes Milton and Helene,

flooding in Valencia Spain, and

tornadoes across the U.S. South,

all are examples of the worsening

climate crisis in the United States

and around the world. Experts are

warning that these weather events

will only worsen in coming years

and with Trump at the helm many

world leaders feel that little will

be done with the leader of the free

world failing to acknowledge the

threat climate change poses.

Trump on Climate from 2016-2024:

“Climate change is very important to me. I’ve done many environmental

impact statements in my life, and I believe very strongly in very,

very crystal clear clean water and clean air.”

Trump Top Cabinet Picks on Climate Change

Elon Musk was frequently seen on the campaign trail alongside Trump and

has clearly become a top advisor to the president-elect. Following Trump’s victory

he tasked Musk with co-leading the White House “efficiency department” with a

goal of cutting the federal workforce. Musk is also a key player when it comes to

climate change due to his role as CEO and founder of the Electric Car company,

Tesla. Although Musk believes in climate change and may influence Trump to not

roll back tax credits for Electric Vehicles, he has also made many false statements

related to global warming. Musk has claimed that agriculture, forestry and land

development are not at all responsible for emissions and that climate change is

not an immediate threat.

Trump has tasked former GOP congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA (Environmental

Protection Agency). The role of the EPA is to protect people and the

environment from serious health risks along with enforcing environmental regulations.

Zeldin has not in the past been very interested in the environment but

from what little information there is, he seems to be largely in line with Trump’s

position on the issue. As a congressman from New York, Zeldin voted in favor of

withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement during Trump’s first administration

and appears to be in favor of exiting once again. He has also generated previous

criticism from climate action groups, specifically when he accepted a large sum

of money from the oil and gas industry.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been tapped by Trump to lead the

Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA (Federal Emergency

Management Agency), responsible for aiding communities affected by natural

disasters. Noem is a prominent climate change denier who has rejected the

claim that humans are the cause of rising temperatures. She has also publicly

denounced Biden administration climate regulatory policies and has been criticized

for mishandling natural disasters in her home state, such as a recent flooding

event where she failed to activate the national guard, ignoring the requests of

residents.

Oil Executive Chris Wright has been nominated for Secretary of Energy. Wright

aims to cut funding to the Biden administration’s renewable energy policies along

with revamping the issuance of natural gas export permits. Wright has consistently

denied the existence of climate change as a major threat saying, “The only thing

resembling a crisis with respect to climate change is the regressive, opportunity-squelching

policies justified in the name of climate change.” Under the Biden

administration the department put a focus on clean energy, distributing renewable

energy technologies across the country.

2016 2024

“I think there is some connectivity [between human activity and

climate change]. There is some, something. It depends on how much.

It also depends on how much it’s going to cost our companies.”

“Windmills are causing whales to die

in numbers never seen before. “The

windmills are driving them crazy.”

“I’m for electric cars. I have to be, because Elon endorsed

me very strongly. So I have no choice.”

by Ziv Golan ‘26

“To further defeat inflation, my plan will terminate

the Green New Deal, which I call the Green New

Scam. Greatest scam in history, probably.”

Other Schools Have a Creative Lit and Arts Magazine, Why Not Sherwood?

by Lilah Boig ‘26

Like all high schools in

MCPS, Sherwood offers art classes

such as Studio Art, Digital Art,

Photography, and Ceramics for

students to take as electives and

avenues to fulfill their Fine Arts

graduation requirements. Beyond

these courses, Sherwood has an

Art Honors Society which recognizes

exceptional art students,

and the school has for many years

held an annual ‘Art Show’ to display

student work.

But in addition to the basic

art programs, many other schools

across the county have literary

and art magazines that showcase a

broad representation of their creative

community. Sherwood has a

journalism elective that produces

a school newspaper and also a

yearbook elective, and it has offered

a creative writing class in

some years. However, there is

no literary art magazine like at

many other MCPS high schools.

Schools such as B-CC, Richard

Montgomery, Wootton, Einstein,

and Whitman all have their own

student-run art magazines, where

they post and produce magazines.

Students can submit works to the

magazines, such as short stories,

photos, poetry, classic art, and

much more.

“I think having a creative

literature ‘magazine’ could be

another venue for students to

showcase their amazing creative

skills,” said Media Specialist

Stephanie Flaherty, “We have

some tremendously talented students

here at Sherwood and while

we have outlets for their work

such as shows and showcases,

since these are in-person events,

not everyone gets to see the work.

With a magazine that contained

both artwork and writing, we

could make it available to the entire

Sherwood community.”

B-CC publishes a student-run

magazine called Chips,

which is done through its own

class at the school. “It creates

an atmosphere that encourages

creativity in the school community,”

the B-CC school homepage

explained while celebrating

how its magazine is extremely

honored across the country. Richard

Montgomery has a magazine

named Fine Lines, which is done

through a club year-round to produce

a magazine similar to the

one at B-CC.

“An arts magazine is an outlet

for art and communication,”

said English teacher Chris Goodrich,

who has taught the Creative

Writing elective. “It provides

a forum for students who

specialize in creative thinking

to express themselves. Can you

imagine a serious high school

without a theater program or a

newspaper? It’s one more outlet

for a thriving, thoughtful student

body.”

Goodrich and Flaherty agree

that there would be plenty of student

interest in a literary and arts

magazine. Although there would

be challenges, none of them are

insurmountable. “Currently we

Student-made magazines, “Twigs” (1981) and “Zine O Phelia” (1995).

don’t have a sponsor to run it, the

personnel to control production,

and the money to make it a reality.

I actually think these aren’t

difficult hurdles to overcome,”

said Goodrich. “This could be a

perfect project for a creative writing

class to tackle.”

Flaherty also notes that there

would be some work to create the

guidelines, the initial start-up, and

procedures for publication of a

magazine, but the payoff could be

profound for Sherwood “I think

in the end it would be something

that Sherwood students would

love to have as an opportunity to

showcase their talent and also be

able to add to their list of accomplishments

in high school.”

The Warrior • Pulse

December 19, 2024

5

The Pulse

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO START

LISTENING TO HOLIDAY MUSIC?

For this edition, we asked the student body to share

some of their opinions about winter and the holidays

and what makes this time of year special to them in a

survey of 215 students.

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR FAVORITE

WINTER ACTIVITIES

1. Drinking hot chocolate

2. Baking

3. Decorating for the holidays

4. Sledding

5. Building a snowman or having a

snowball fight

HOW LONG DO YOUR

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS LAST?

BEST GIFTS EVER RECEIVED

“My first lacrosse stick because it got me into the

sport.”

-Andrew Bergesen ‘25

“My very first stand mixer. It wasn’t a very good one

but it took my love of baking to a whole other level.”

-Stephanie Rinelli ‘26

“A phone because I use it every day.”

-Oliver LaRoche ‘27

“I got my first bike when I was in elementary school

and I finally fully learned how to ride a bike.”

-Shelby Doerrman ‘26

DO YOU ENJOY BAKING?

DO YOU LIKE THE COLD WEATHER?

FAVORITE HOLIDAY/WINTER

TRADITIONS AND MEMORIES

“Going to Lexington Market with my family every

year in Baltimore.”

-Morgan Smith ‘25

“My dad and I always go out and get a tree together.

We’ve done it since I was in 1st or 2nd grade.”

-Ace Haase ‘25

“Sitting down with my family and watching our favorite

holiday movies like Elf, Home Alone, Rudolph,

or any of the classics everyone loves.”

-Demetri Siarkas ‘26

“Ice skating every year with my friends.”

-Braelyn Wood ‘27

6

The Warrior • Opinions

December 19, 2024

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief ........................................... Audrey Farris ‘25

Managing Print Editor ....................... Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

Managing Online Editor .................................... Ziv Golan ‘26

Print

News ..................................................... Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

Opinions ............................... Seph Fischer ‘25, Cliff Vacin ‘25

Pulse ............................................................. Maya Dorsam ‘27

Spotlight ...................................................... Audrey Farris ‘25

Humor ........................................................ Declan Rooney ‘25

Entertainment ........ George Awkard ‘25, Jordan Costolo ‘25

Sports ................................Cara Farr ‘27, Andrew Fenner ‘27

Copy and Content

Director of Copy & Content ................................ Katie Ng ‘25

Copy and Content Editor ............................. Justin Lakso ‘25

Business and Social Media

Director of Social Media ............................ Declan Rooney ‘25

Director of Advertising ............................. Jordan Costolo ‘25

Photography

Photographers ..................... Cliff Vacin ‘25, Zach Geller ‘25

Matthew Leighton-Jones ‘25

Staff Writers

Taylor Adams ‘27, Madelyn Awwad ‘27, Lilah Boig ‘26,

Reid Duvall ‘27, Jack Engelhardt ‘25, Ryan Green ‘26, Nick

Hammond ‘25. Matilda Hawkins ‘27, Paloma Illanes ‘25, Nisha

Khatri ‘26, Isabella Landaverde ‘27, Miriam Lev ‘27,

Emma Link ‘27, Fiona Lipczenko ‘25, Aby Lo ‘26, Shannon

Naas ‘26, Laurika Pich ‘27, Josh Pulaski ‘25, Molly Schecter

‘27, Deepika Shrestha ‘26, Chase Sondike ‘26,

Rachel Themistokleous ‘26

The Warrior serves as Sherwood’s news source,

receiving numerous state and national honors

over the 46 years it has been in circulation.

With a staff of 37 students under the guidance

of Peter Huck, The Warrior keeps the Sherwood

community informed about local and

national events. All opinion articles represent

the viewpoint of the writer.

The Warrior staff invites feedback and corrections

to printed inaccuracies.

The Warrior reserves the right to refuse advertisements

and other promotionals.

No, Really, What Can We Do?

by Nick Hammond ‘25

Especially since the past

Presidential election, many students

have been feeling demotivated

to vote or participate in

the political process, or even pay

attention to the news, for a multitude

of reasons. While most high

school students are too young to

vote and for many the current

state of the world may seem rather

bleak, there are still a plethora

of ways to contribute and influence

your and others’ lives by focusing

on a smaller scale.

Obviously, most of us simply

don’t have enough time to fully

and consistently commit to all of

these things. However, the reality

and hope that there are actual

steps we can take to influence our

daily lives. The following strategies

are ordered based on level

of effort and the level of outreach

from smallest to greatest. Try to

find ones you may be interested

in, and apply them to your own

interests and situation.

Helping other peers or

friends on a personal level with

struggles: striving to be personally

vulnerable yourself and also

supportive to friends and family

is a great start and can help you

learn what you and others around

Mid-Atlantic Energy Company

Unveils Invasive New Power Line

by Fiona Lipczenko ‘25

Public Service Enterprise

Group (PSEG), a Mid-Atlantic

local energy company, has proposed

the Maryland Piedmont

Reliability Project (MPRP), consisting

of constructing a 70 mile

long power line throughout Western

Maryland. PSEG claims the

project is necessary for power

grid reliability and affordability,

though landowners, economists,

and environmentalists have

voiced concerns against MPRP.

Maryland must find more environmentally

sustainable solutions

to its energy needs.

Maryland’s power grid is the

most congested in the Mid-Atlantic,

due to limited transmission

infrastructure and recent power

plant closures. PSEG claims the

power line project is necessary

to meet Maryland’s growing

consumer demand. According

to MPRP Project Director Jason

Kalwa, “there will be rolling

brown-outs and blackouts if this

project is not placed in service by

June of 2027.” PJM and PSEG

are pushing for rapid progress in

the project’s development.

However, not everyone

shares such perspectives on the

power line. Local homeowners

and farmers have expressed

you care about most.

The next level is to reach out to

people and support those who are

not as close to you, such as peers

at school who seem to be struggling,

those on social media you

may not know as well, reaching

out and checking in on extended

family etc. Being open to others’

perspectives and feelings about

the current world will help you

to have more productive conversations.

Additionally, engaging and

learning about our local government;

taking time to learn about

perspectives by talking with

friends and family, and doing

things like reading this newspaper

to learn about student, teacher,

and administrator perspectives

and about well-researched topics

relevant to our student body all

are great choices. Furthermore,

researching local officials, offices,

and representatives can help you

learn who is responsible for what

in our area, and who to contact if

you have any concerns you’d like

addressed by the county or state.

While Olney and surrounding areas

do not have town councils or

a town government, we still have

a strong and active County Council

with elected representatives.

Taking the time to share your

unease about the possibility of

PSEG invoking eminent domain,

forcing them to abandon their

livelihoods. Frederick County

Council wrote to PJM and PSEG

to advocate for more transparency

and inclusion of residents

in the development process. According

to a letter from one such

exchange, “the new transmission

lines … will directly and negatively

impact current homes, businesses

and farms (many of which

are in agricultural preservation

programs utilizing state and/or

local funds), historical preservation

sites, and will diminish

the property values of thousands

of Frederick County residents.”

Numerous affected counties actively

oppose MPRP, though their

County Councils cannot prevent

the power line from being built.

It is up to residents impacted by

MPRP to speak out.

The proposal to build such

a power line also raises environmental

concerns. It is still unclear

what route the power line will

take, but it will most likely transmit

power from a nuclear or coal

plant. Coal power is notorious

for contributing to air pollution

and nuclear power furthers global

warming through thermal water

pollution. PSEG claims to be devoted

to clean energy; however,

opinions and ways to improve

your community can lead to direct

benefits for you and others

in your life. Though national politics

can feel difficult to influence,

you have much more weight over

your local government, and thus

will have more control over your

daily life.

Trying things such as creating

or signing petitions, joining

protests, volunteering for nonprofits

or community groups,

or even going door-to-door or

calling in support of a candidate

who may especially resonate with

your beliefs all could impact results

in the next election. By attending

or watching town halls

and council meetings online, you

can learn about what is currently

being acknowledged, worked

on, and recently achieved in your

community.

Look into even one of these

strategies and try your best to

get your voice heard. You never

know what can come from a single

conversation, call, email, or

even message! By gradually engaging

more and more over time

within our communities, we can

help to keep our futures from sifting

through our fingers before we

know it.

the energy they utilize may not be

so environmentally friendly as intended.

What Maryland needs is a

transition away from non-renewable

energy and pollutants, towards

green energy sources, such

as geothermal. If PSEG is truly

dedicated to alleviating unreliability

and high expenses, green

energy will serve them better in

the long run. Though more costly

upfront, renewable energy sources

save money over time. They

also protect the sustainability of

the world.

Due to the number of Maryland

power plants being retired, it

is still uncertain whether MPRP

will even fix the problem at hand.

According to Kalwa, “MPRP is

the first of several transmission

line projects across Maryland that

aim to bolster the reliability of

the state’s power grid.” Maryland

may be in for more future energy

projects than anticipated, which

could mean negative impacts for

residents of many other counties,

including Montgomery. Invasive

power lines and non-renewable

energy does not only affect Western

Maryland residents. Soon, it

will affect everyone. Maryland

residents must stand up for themselves

and for the greater good of

the planet.

The Warrior • Opinions

December 19, 2024

Presidential Election Results Are a

Slap in the Face to Young Women

by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

On the evening of November

5, millions remained glued

to their televisions, phones, and

computers, staying up far into

the night to await the outcome

of the race to the White House

as political pundits debated results

through the hours. By early

morning, news channels began

calling the election for former

President and President-elect

Donald Trump. For the second

time, more than half of the country

chose a convicted felon, civilly

liable sexual abuser, and womanizer

to hold the highest office in

the United States.

Young women watched the

results pour in, and woke up on

November 6 cautiously optimistic

that they might see a woman

ascend to the Presidency. Had she

won, Kamala Harris would have

been the first female president,

the first South-Asian president,

and the first African-American female

president to hold the office.

Despite her qualifications, with

over 21 years of experience in

all three branches of government

and a fiscal policy plan approved

by Nobel laureates in economics,

the country still chose instead to

send a message to Harris, and to

women everywhere. The majority

of voting Americans — over

77 million — would rather see

Trump back in office than a woman.

For the ill-informed, ignorant,

or those who want to forget,

here’s a review of just some

of Trump’s conduct pre-, and

post-presidency. Trump, in 2023,

was found liable of sexually abusing

journalist Elizabeth Jean Carroll

in a department store dressing

room in spring of 1996. In 2016,

Trump paid for the silence of pornographic

actress Stormy Daniels

to the sum of about $130,000,

with whom he had an alleged affair

in 2006. Throughout his career

as a Hollywood star for his

show, The Apprentice, Trump

made repeated comments about

the power his wealth and fame allowed

him, boasting that he could

“do anything” he wanted with

women. As President, Trump

nominated three Justices to the

Supreme Court, all of whom contributed

to the majority decision

in the overturn of Roe v. Wade in

2022. As a result, 41 states have

passed laws restricting abortion,

and 13 have banned abortion altogether.

This has led to the endangerment

of women as many

who need abortions are forced to

carry through with their pregnancies

or must travel long distances

to states that uphold the right to

abortion.

Following Trump’s 2024

election win, thousands of users

on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook,

and other social media sites rejoiced.

Attacks toward female

users poured in, with the phrase

“your body, my choice” littering

public forums and videos, even

ones unrelated to the election.

The phrase, stemming from the

rallying cry for abortion rights

used by activists — my body, my

choice — is a direct attack against

abortion rights and signals a

greater underlying theme which

threatens the future and safety of

American women everywhere.

Women, particularly young women,

face a dangerous new reality.

While the future of the women’s

rights movement appeared to be

hurtling in the direction of progress,

the election of men like

Donald Trump inherently inhibit

positive change.

Trump’s appointee for Secretary

of Defense, Pete Hegseth,

believes women should not serve

in combat. Elon Musk, who willhead

the Department of Government

Efficiency (DOGE) come

January, faces a sexual harassment

lawsuit against himself and

his company SpaceX by eight

former employees in which he

was accused of cultivating a “pervasively

sexist culture.” Trump’s

initial nominee for Attorney General,

Congressman Matt Gaetz

(R-FL), was under investigation

for sex-trafficking and sexual

assault allegations and only

withdrew after The New York

Times released Venmo payments

made to prostitutes while Congressman.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,

Trump’s appointee for head of the

Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS), was accused of

groping a former family babysitter.

Men with money and power

have made abundantly clear that

these are the spaces they deserve

to occupy. They expound upon

their superiority and marginalize

minorities and women in the process,

showing the world that no

matter how ridiculous they act,

their entitlement as men is more

than enough to displace all that

makes them so dishonorable. This

narrative being spun by the next

wave of male political figures

will inherently harm young women

and their futures, with their

place in society being deemed

as inferior by the grandiose men

who occupy the spaces women

deserve — and always have deserved

— to inhabit.

Sherwood’s Hallway Chaos

by Isabella Landaverde ‘27

7

Zach Geller ‘25

Everyday, students at Sherwood

face the daunting challenge

of navigating a specific hallway

on their way to class. This hallway,

located at the media center

hub of where four hallway paths

intersect, makes for the most

chaotic place in the building.

Instead of serving as a smooth

passageway to students’ classes,

this hallway becomes a congested,

mismanaged, unproductive

environment to myself and other

students.

As students continue to loiter

around instead of going to their

classes, other students struggle

to get around and make it to their

own classes on time. In my experience

with this ongoing struggle,

I have been late to most of my

classes in the morning and some

in the afternoon. As I walk to

my classes through that hallway,

I often have to push past groups

of students who are standing still

and chatting, completely ignoring

the need for others to get through,

which is not only inconvenient

but very frustrating. It gets the

most crowded before fifth period

and between third and fourth period.

With the delays of students

getting to their classes, teachers

are also losing valuable instructional

time waiting for students

to arrive, which hinders their students’

education. It is frustrating

that the administration does not

help to regulate the amount of

overcrowding in this hallway.

This school year, the consequences

for tardiness have been

more regularly enforced, but with

the thick traffic in hallways, it is

unfair to blame some students for

their tardiness. Security should

help direct the ongoing traffic and

tell the students who continue to

loiter around to go to their classes

before the warning bell. Additionally,

if students continue to

linger in that hallway, then it may

become necessary for administration

to create a “no-loitering”

zone outside the Media Center.

Overall, this overcrowded

hallway heightens the stress and

anxiety for students trying to navigate

through the packed spaces.

This hallway is just one of many

hallways that gets overcrowded

in the building, and there needs

to be some sort of traffic control

in the building. Without solving

this issue, students will continue

to face unnecessary stress and

delays. But by solving this problem,

it would benefit everyone by

creating a calmer, more organized

environment in the Sherwood

community.

Stop Game Microtransactions

by Andrew Fenner ‘27

It has become a trend for video game companies to

inundate their consumers with microtransactions on every

game they make. Microtransactions are small transactions

that involve buying in-game currency which the consumer

can then spend on cosmetics. The first game to fully

utilize this business model was Epic Games in 2016 with

the release of Fortnite. Fortnite’s main appeal was that the

base game was free. Epic Games was betting on players

liking the game so much that they would pay for in-game

cosmetics. After this was proven to be successful, many

gaming giants have taken this concept and never looked

back.

For a consumer, the constant badgering from the game

to encourage you to spend ridiculous amounts of money

on costumes and miscellaneous items is tiring and exploitative.

Though it’s nice to be able to play a game for

free, it’s almost not worth the game’s obtrusive strategies.

Many young players on games like Fortnite have wasted

tens or, in extreme cases, hundreds of dollars on in-game

items because they lacked financial awareness. No kid

would ever be knowledgeable on how money works. But

that’s the problem with this business model: it targets kids

who don’t know any better.

Texas Attacks Religious Freedom

by Matilda Hawkins ‘27

As of November 22, the Texas Board of Education

by a vote of 15-8 has given the green light to a new Bible-based

curriculum for elementary schools. As soon as

next school year, the program could be implemented in

reading and language arts classes for public elementary

schools. Although Texas school districts are allowed to

choose their syllabus, the state is offering an incentive of

$60 per student to districts that use the new teaching materials.

This decision doesn’t only go against the separation

of church and state, but also the constitutional right to freedom

of religion. Bible-infused curriculum generally aligns

with Christianity, and in a public school setting, not all

of the children and staff follow this religion. Children in

Texas will be forced to follow a religion they and their

family may not believe in, which interferes with their right

to freedom of religion. The 1971 case Lemon v. Kurzman

enforced that public schools must refrain from prohibiting

or promoting religion. These violations undermine the

Constitutional mandate of the separation of church and

school, and unfortunately there are others states that will

look at Texas as a model for implementing similar religious

curriculums for students in public schools.

NYC Verdict Unjust

by Maya Dorsam ‘27

A court was recently tasked with deciding the outcome

of a case surrounding the controversial death of a

homeless man by a former Marine on the New York City

subway in 2023. The jury sat deadlocked twice before

reaching a not-guilty verdict just over a week ago. While

many are celebrating the verdict, including a number of

Republican politicians, Daniel Penny should have been

convicted of second-degree manslaughter despite claims

that he killed Jordan Neely in defense of the threat Neely

may have posed to himself and others.

Penny placed Neely into a deadly six-minute chokehold

after witnesses testified that Neely yelled, “Someone’s

going to die today!” and that he was ready to go to jail

for life. While the threat posed reason for concern, Penny

never attempted to diffuse the situation before resorting to

violence. Video presented at trial shows a bystander offering

to hold Neely’s arms down, allowing Penny to release

his neck. Others pleaded with Penny to release Neely. Instead,

Penny continued his hold even after Neely stopped

moving. Neely, who was suffering from schizophrenia and

was high on a synthetic cannabinoid when he died, did not

have a weapon. Penny’s actions were disproportionate to

the threat, making his acquittal unjust.

SHAKY FOUNDATIONS

Locked bathrooms, dirty floors, broken sinks, and drab, outdated paintings

are all things seen by Sherwood students every single day. Over the past few

years, it has become increasingly clear that Sherwood is a building in need of a

makeover. Despite that, action to turn Sherwood into a school that its students

and staff can be proud to learn, teach, and socialize in every day hasn’t been

taken. This is why Sherwood should create a ‘planning and action committee’

consisting of the principal, business manager, building services supervisor,

SGA members, and other engaged students to develop specific plans for improving

and maintaining Sherwood’s physical appearance. As a start to this

initiative, here are a few ideas that could transform Sherwood into the ideal

learning environment.

Sherwood Excluded from

MCPS Maintenance Budget

by Jordan Costolo ‘25

Every six years, MCPS

sets a CIP (Capital Investment

Plan) for how money

will be spent to improve

school buildings and facilities

within the county. In

the latest one spanning from

2025-2030, Sherwood is nowhere

to be found. This, along

with the increased number of

maintenance problems the

school building is experiencing,

has raised concerns about

the quality of Sherwood’s infrastructure,

and if there will

continue to be problems with

the building as time goes on.

MCPS has two different

budgets: the capital budget

and the operating budget. The

operating budget is used to

pay teachers and staff, cover

programming costs, and for

everything else that keeps

the school running. The capital

budget is used to renovate

school buildings, along with

supporting infrastructure and

improvements a school’s faculty

wants to be done. The CIP

works as the county’s plan on

how they want to spend the

capital budget. This year’s requested

capital budget, along

with the requested CIP for

2026-2030, totals $1.999 billion

dollars, which is $93.6

million more than the previous

CIP. The new superintendent

Thomas Taylor has also

asked for an additional $4.5

million to look into a backlog

of problems schools have had

with their heating and air

conditioning.

This summer, one of three

Sherwood HVAC systems

were replaced, but the other

two still seem to be in disrepair,

with maintenance people

coming frequently to fix

broken heating and cooling.

Wootton has many of the same

problems that Sherwood’s

building has, such as broken

bathrooms and malfunctioning

HVAC systems. Eastern

Middle School, Cold Spring

Elementary, and Magruder

High School are also among

the schools that are due for

maintenance, but have also

not received much help. In

an interview with MoCo360,

MCPS Board Member Julie

Yang recommended the students

and staff of Magruder,

which has had frequent problems

with mold and plumbing,

go around the school and

see what they would be able

to fix themselves to improve

their environment.

“Sherwood is in need of

a complete renovation,” said

Principal Tim Britton. “We

have a serious need for piping

and ventilation in the school

to be looked at, but unfortunately

that is difficult to get

to without tearing down parts

of this building.” Britton

stated that while the maintenance

team is coming in frequently,

and doing as much as

they can, “They [MCPS] are

putting a Band-Aid on our

maintenance problems but

taking it off before they have

enough time to fully heal.”

Britton commented that

at a recent meeting with other

principals, many of them

shared concerns with the superintendent

similar to his

own about the state of their

buildings. “It’s important to

know that we are NOT the

only school with issues.”

1 2

UTILIZE COURTYARDS THE

Whether it’s on the dirty floor or on top of used lockers, students

need a safe and healthy place to eat lunch. Sherwood has seven courtyards,

located all around the building. However, out of the seven, only

one located at the front of the main entrance is currently open to students

at lunch time. These open spaces, with their lush green scenery

and ample seating, potentially provide a perfect place to enjoy a meal

and socialize.

The idea of transforming these unused courtyards into designated

eating areas would gain traction among the students and different

clubs. By organizing regular clean ups and installing trash bins, the

school could trust students to keep these outdoor areas clean. Not only

would this help students experience a pleasant lunch but it would also

improve the school’s overall climate, reflecting a commitment of the

students environmental responsibility. Students in the spring would feel

a nice cool breeze, which adds onto the positives of opening the courtyards.

Although it’s only December, the next two months are the critical

time when Sherwood should plan what to do to get the courtyards ready

in springtime for students to access and enjoy.

SHERWOOD’S

CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE

3 4

IMPLEMENT

REPLACE

CLEANING

INITIATIVES

At the beginning of each school year, Principal Tim Britton

makes an announcement asking students to do their part to keep the

school clean by discarding their trash in the garbage cans or recycling

bins. However, some students continue to not clean up after themselves.

It is not uncommon to see bits of food and wrappers on the hallway floors,

especially by the bays of lockers, after lunch. Some students also leave

food and wrappers on the bathroom sinks. Additionally, there is litter on

the grass in the student parking lot, and litter under the bleachers in the

stadium that is difficult to clean up.

Last school year, Leo Club and National Honor Society (NHS)

coordinated campus clean ups as credit opportunities. Campus clean

ups could make a return. Clubs and honor societies, like NHS, could take

turns picking up litter around the school during lunch, and offer SSL opportunities

or credit for participation. Alternatively, students could organize

a new club dedicated to cleaning up the school grounds. Instead of

clubs meeting in classrooms at lunch, some should make the rounds of

Sherwood and improve the school’s appearance.

BY RYAN GREEN ‘26

BY KATIE NG ‘25

OUTDATED

ARTWORK

When walking around Sherwood it’s difficult to miss the strange

and often bizarre artwork seen around the halls. In the upper A-hall a distinctive

mural can be found showcasing a guitar, music notes, and students

in a variety of settings–including playing basketball. Another odd

painting is located in the lower C-hall, revealing two women dancing in

ball gowns. A series of other strange paintings are scattered throughout

the school including a Black Student Union installation featuring a tree

growing into a hand with images of long-graduated BSU members in the

palm. There is also an outdated map located near the main office, and a

waterfall mural near the music room. A few more of these paintings can

be found in the Ertzman lobby, including one of a woman seemingly on a

boat wearing a long white dress and a three-frame painting representing

the arts with the first frame showing paint brushes and paint, the second

showing a woman singing, and the last one displaying theatre masks.

The artwork is shrouded in mystery with students and staff alike

often wondering why the school has yet to replace these old paintings

and murals with updated artwork reflecting the modern environment of

the school.

Perhaps the most common gripe that students have about

Sherwood’s building and facilities is the state of its bathrooms, which

frequently are unclean and smell bad. Students for years have complained

about there not being paper towels to dry their hands, and it is

not an uncommon sight to see a student shaking their hands as they exit

the bathroom to dry them. Students have also complained about items

in the bathrooms being broken, such as sinks and the Feminine Hygiene

Dispenser.

IMRPOVE THE

BATHROOMS

Having a regular cleaning schedule that includes mid-day

checkups by Building Services should be a main priority to quickly respond

to messes and to check toiletries. Along with the cleaning, a sign

for washing hands should be added to the bathrooms to promote best

practices and hygiene. In the best interest of the majority of students,

replacing the air dryers with paper towels can help reduce the spread of

germs and viruses. If we come together as a school, we can make changes

to our bathrooms to create cleaner bathrooms for students.

BY SHANNON NAAS ‘26

BY ZIV GOLAN ‘26

Short Staffed Service Workers

by Justin Lakso ‘25

Whether it be the classrooms,

the lockers, the bathrooms,

or the hallways, the

Building Services staff are

truly the unnoticed heroes

keeping the Sherwood building

habitable. They arrive

early and stay late just to make

sure every student and staff

member can come to a clean

and orderly school building.

Now the question arises, why

is the Sherwood building still

sometimes messy if they’re

working so hard?

Positions in the team

are hard to fill, occasionally

looking to the furthest reaches

of Montgomery County to

find a suitable hire. This can

lead to Building Services being

understaffed for a long

period. “The MCPS process

to be hired takes time, so the

position could be open for

a while,” explained School

Business Administrator Linda

Berkheimer.

Two staff members were

missing from an already

small roster last August,

which meant even more work

for the rest of the team (without

another person arriving

for another three months).

These staffing issues are becoming

a problem with how

large the school building is.

Sherwood is 342,000 square

feet with only three custodians

on shift during the school

day, and “that makes it impossible

for us to cover the entire

building during the day with

what we have,” said Building

Services Manager Pete Jones.

If Building Services were allowed

just two, maybe three

more people on shift during

the school day, the trash littering

the school could be

cleaned up a lot faster.

From the very start of this

school year, Sherwood has

faced issues with heating and

air conditioning not functioning

well. In certain wings and

rooms of the building, classes

are either too hot or too cold

and teachers have little to no

control over the temperature

in their rooms.

Having unpredictable

and abnormal temperatures

in a learning environment

can become uncomfortable

for students and teachers. It

can become irritating when

the temperature of any given

room cannot be predicted,

and they need to be prepared

for hot and cold temperatures.

It’s also distracting for students

that are trying to learn.

“When some students are very

hot or cold, they focus on that

discomfort and this makes

them less available for focusing

on learning,” said art

teacher Nakeya Cook. Cook

also noted that the extreme

temperatures have been prevalent

for most of the school

year and have interfered with

her ability to teach her best.

At the beginning of the

year, maintenance workers

from MCPS visited the

school to attempt to solve AC

issues when it was in the 90s

and rooms felt like they were

boiling. While these were resolved,

they were not given

permanent solutions, according

to Principal Tim Britton.

He explained that one section

of the building is older than

other areas and old pipes,

vents, and AC units do not

line up with the newer additions

of the building.

Additionally, some issues

with the boiler that have

been only temporarily solved

caused the school to be cold

for all of November. Maintenance

workers and technicians

are working hard to find

Even though it might not

seem like it, students are responsible

for the appearance

of the school as well. Some

inconsiderate kids think it’s

funny to tear soap dispensers

and sinks off the wall, smoke

in the bathrooms, or throw

their trash wherever they

please, but it’s more inconsiderate

than amusing. These

acts of vandalism create even

more work for an already understaffed

and overworked

team.

“On one hand, we’re responsible

for keeping the

building clean, but on the

other hand, show some respect

for the school,” said Jones.

Students should be working

with the Building Services

team to clean up the school,

not against them. Take pride

in the school and clean up

your own trash; it’s the least

you can do to help.

Temperamental HVAC Systems Leave

Students and Teachers Struggling

by Taylor Adams ‘27

CARTOON BY LAURIKA PICH ‘27

solutions to these problems

and are at the school almost

every day working on them.

“There was a pipe that needed

to be unblocked and replaced

and when that happens, one

of the boilers gets drained of

water,” said Britton.

As rated by the MCPS

Department of Facilities

Management, Sherwood is in

the lower half of schools for

HVAC system quality. It has

a system that can be modified,

but it’s older and its unit

ventilators and fan coils are

at least 10 years old or older.

“Based on the age of the

school externally and internally,

more needs to be done,”

said Britton.

10

The Warrior • Humor

December 19, 2024

HUMOR DISCLAIMER: This section is is intended as as satire and uses the tools of of exaggeration, irony, or or

ridicule in in the context of of politics, current trends, recent school events, and other topical issues.

VP Candidate Tim Walz Banished

to the Timeless Void After Election

by Seph Fischer ‘25

With the Democrats’ crushing

defeat on November 5, questions

of candidate fielding and

campaign strategy have been

raised among party insiders. Losing

the House, the Senate, and the

presidency via both electoral college

and popular vote has proven

to be a real moment of shock for

the Democratic establishment,

and many long-held assumptions

about the nature of American politics

are put into question in the

hope of ensuring a future for the

party. Among these reckonings

has come the general consensus

that the candidates fielded in the

2024 general election weren’t up

to snuff, and as a result, Democrat

leadership has decided that

Vice Presidential candidate and

Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz

will be ejected from the realm of

material Time and Space and into

the Timeless Void, where he is to

remain for all of eternity.

It’s not the first time that either

major party has considered

such a drastic change in strategy.

After presidential hopeful Mitt

Romney’s 2012 defeat, then-Senate

Majority Leader Mitch

McConnell confirmed that his

“capos” had “whacked that wiseguy”

in a bombastic speech at the

2016 RNC. Since then, Romney

hasn’t been mentioned once by

an elected Republican. After his

1984 landslide defeat, Democrat

presidential candidate and former

Vice President Walter Mondale

had “his atoms disassociated,”

according to party leadership at

the time. It’s unclear what this

necessarily meant, but Mondale

was only heard from in radio interviews

until his death in 2021.

Democrat leadership made similar

statements about presidential

nominee George McGovern after

Richard Nixon’s landslide victory

in 1972.

It’s likely that Democrats are

hopeful that Walz’s banishment to

by Seph Fischer ‘25

the Void, outside the realm of the

Imperishable Flame of Creation,

will signal to allies and voters

that the party refuses to stagnate.

Walz’s exile through the Door of

Night to the ancient Void, which

has existed before material Creation

and will exist eternally after

the end of Time, might show

loyal supporters and possible future

swing voters that the party

remains vigorous, and is not just

another torpid American institution.

Whether this strategy will

be appealing to prospective 2026

and 2028 voters, who decisively

rejected the Democrats in 2024

remains to be seen.

by Nick Hammond ‘25

Cheerio! Students Say

Hello to “Mr. Britain”

by Zach Geller ‘25

The foreign exchange student

program is a new plan by

Sherwood this school year, bringing

in kids from Europe to study

here in the States and experience

American life. The success of

this program has led MCPS to

announcing its new and exciting

Foreign Exchange STAFF Program.

This may be a bittersweet

moment for Sherwood students,

seeing their favorite staff like

social studies teacher Scott Allen

being replaced by a group of

three gnomes, English teacher

Patty Jasnow coming back as a

French mime, and social studies

teacher Dan Soso being replaced

by a Russian grizzly bear.

The most notable change is

with Principal Tim Britton, whose

position will be filled by one “Mr.

Britain.” There are mixed opinions

about this leadership change.

Some fear for how British “cuisine”

will somehow find a way to

make cafeteria food even worse.

Others are really excited about

this new change, thinking having

Britain in the building could

provide motivation for a Dentistry

elective. Here are some of the

highly anticipated changes Britain

has promised in his Declaration

of Cultural Assimilation:

1. Dress code will be updated

so that all jackets must be red

2. Ertzman Theater will be

renamed to Ertzman Theatre

3. School security may be

quartered in student houses

4. “One Sherwood” motto

will be replaced by “Tally Ho!”

5. Sherwood leaves MCPS

under a simulated “Brexit Initiative”

6. 3-cents-per-pound Tea Tax

to be implemented on vending

machine drink purchases

7. Advisory period will be replaced

with weekly Tea Time

8. School shootings are now

forbidden

9. AP Lang renamed to “The

Queen’s English”

10. And one last one just labeled

“REAL Football”

Principal Britain acknowledges

that some of these changes

are controversial. When asked

about how shutting off AC could

possibly help the school, Britain

retorted with, “Jolly good for the

environment innit.”

Although this new exchange

program is up for debate, there are

also benefits to this program in

the foreseeable future. Headmaster

Britain has announced that the

Class of 2025 Graduation Speaker

will be hit English actor, late

night host, and voice of High-5 in

the Emoji Movie: James Corden!

(Un) Helpful Advice

by Josh Pulaski ‘25 and Declan Rooney ‘25

Over the last nearly 25 years,

we on The Warrior staff have been

ascending to a plane of higher

consciousness and expanding our

knowledge across the cosmos,

but being funny time again comes

at a cost. We here at the Warrior

need inspiration and guidance.

Below are handpicked examples

of students’ attempts at humor to

inspire me and Declan to come up

with comedy gold.

Are you looking for any advice

at the moment?

Response: My significant

other keeps making up words like

“gaslighting” and “manipulation”

to automatically win arguments

against me! What do I do to

counter this?!

Answer: If you don’t want

your opponent to keep beating

you in arguments using gaslighting

then I suggest you start wearing

a hazmat suit 24/7 to give

yourself the upper hand in battle

Response: My mom is virtually

over my shoulder at school

24/7; texting me about missing

assignments, grades, and whatnot.

How do I stop this with minimal

effort?

Answer: Ideally, you should

apologize to your mom for your

behavior and start doing your

school work, but that’s the lame

option. Take zero accountability.

Change your phone number. After

that, book a flight to Columbia.

I heard there are some friendly

chaps down south willing to take

in a young, hardworking man

such as yourself to help transport

goods in the pharmaceutical

industry. Then sit back and relax

with your new life completely

devoid of your stupid mother and

stupid schoolwork.

Response: A girl in my friend

circle is really fake and toxic, I

believe she should be put in her

place. How should I go about that

without being too mean.

Answer: Obviously, the first

step is going on a long hike to

cool your nerves. Once you’ve

done this you either need to settle

things straightforwardly, by

caving her skull in in a jousting

competition, or the complex way

by talking to her and expressing

your feeling. All I’m saying is I

know which one I would do.

Is your favorite sports team

making you mad?

Response: Yes, the Ravens

are making me furious because

they keep playing down to competition.

We are one of the most

talented teams in the league, yet

we can only ever match the level

of the team we are playing!

Answer: Playing down to

teams, I suggest that if they want

to win they should start playing

on a mountainside that way they

are above the level of the other

team.

The Warrior • Humor

December 19, 2024

HUMOR DISCLAIMER: This section is is intended as as satire and uses the tools of of exaggeration, irony, or or

ridicule in in the context of of politics, current trends, recent school events, and other topical issues.

How We Can Save America

by Declan Rooney ‘25

As a red-blooded, glue-eating,

American Patriot, it is imperative

that I stay dangerously

uniformed and yet still vote for

the candidate I determine to be

more “chill” solely based on what

I see on TikTok and the fragments

of Fox News I catch when

my dad falls asleep on the couch.

This year I happened to help elect

Donald J. Trump, and I gotta tell

you I don’t know how to feel. On

the one hand, I really dislike this

whole “attempt-to-overthrow-democracy”

thing, but on the other

hand, gas prices went up that one

time, so it’s really a mixed bag. I

also heard the other guy running

was apparently a woman, which

really alienated me, and I’d like

to see the Democrats try harder

next time to earn the working

person’s vote.

Regardless of that, here is a

short compilation of things I’d

like to see done on day one of the

new administration. But before

you say, “Really, another list article?

Are ideas this hard to come

by?” I’d just like to say that I have

plenty of amazing ideas; lists just

happen to be the best way of formatting

them. Anyways, what

were we doing? Oh right, the fate

of the entire nation or something.

Triple the defense budget.

It’s time this country takes its

troops seriously. I mean c’mon

guys, we really lost two wars

since 1970 to a bunch of poorly

trained rebels armed with offbrand

AK-47s? This cannot suffice.

This nation needs to “get its

get back” by dumping gasoline on

the metaphorical fire. I’m talking

about throwing another couple

trillion dollars into the black hole

that is the military industrial complex.

Only then can we re-invade

both Afghanistan and Vietnam,

restoring the glory once held so

dearly by our military.

Something something

Women’s bodily autonomy.

From what I’ve heard there seems

to be some jibber-jabber going on

with women’s autonomy nowadays.

To fix this I think we need to

start sending women to summer

camps where they are taught how

to change oil, replace tires, and

take care of any other automotive

needs. That way we never have to

hear about “women’s auto this,

women’s auto that” ever again.

Create an offense budget.

Obviously, a defense budget is

not enough if we want to strike

fear into every woman, child, and

civilian living in a third world

country. In addition to beefing

up the defense of this country, an

offense is needed too. That way

we can finally start conquering

the globe, the obvious goal of any

good military.

Abolish the Department of

Education. There is too much

governmental bureaucratic nonsense

in our government’s bureaucracy

nowadays. Obviously,

our kids’ education should be left

up to whatever former Vine-star

can yell into an iphone the loudest,

which is actually the case

nowadays because of the internet,

so the Department of Education

really just doesn’t serve a purpose

anymore. However, I must mention

that this is one of the more

lofty goals I have for the administration.

I really don’t think anybody

would be bold enough to

really do this, let alone campaign

on it and still win. We can still

dare to dream, though!

Wipe Kiribati clean off the

map. There seem to be too many

places nowadays. I look at the

map and my head spins with all

of these whachmacallit nations.

In my opinion, there should only

be 2 countries, America and the

U S of freakin A. So I’d love to

see my tax dollars go to use in the

form of expending the whole of

our nuclear arsenal on Kiribati. I

don’t know where that is or anything

about it, but I heard of it in

a travel brochure and it just seems

unnecessary.

I really do hope and pray

that the very serious and well informed

quarrels of the everyday

working man are taken to heart

by the new administration. Only

then can this country begin to

heal. God Bless America.

11

by Lilah Boig ‘26

12

The Warrior • Entertainment

December 19, 2024

Gladiator II Defeats High Expectations

by Jack Engelhardt ‘25

The original Gladiator was

released in 2000 to overwhelming

praise, winning critical accolades,

bringing in huge audiences,

and accumulating five academy

awards, one of which being Best

Picture. Gladiator II was given

the impossible task of succeeding

a fantastic movie 24 years later

to audiences who were largely

uninterested to begin with. But

while it seemed that everything

was stacked against it, Gladiator

II turned out to be a great film

with an enriching story, intriguing

character relationships, and

pulsing action that will leave your

hunger for bloody gladiatorial

combat satiated.

This movie wastes no time

setting the stage for the viewer.

After a brief artistic recap of the

first movie, the viewer is flung

into a Roman siege on the main

character Lucius Verus Aurelius

(Paul Mescal) and his wife’s (Yuval

Gonen) home. This opening

ultimately feels rushed as Lucius’s

wife is killed almost immediately

with no background

given to make this death seem at

all impactful. After his loss at the

hand of Roman general Acacious

(Pedro Pascal), Lucius becomes

a slave of war, fighting in small

gladiatorial rings for local village

entertainment. After being taken

under the wing of Denzel Washington’s

character Macrinus, he

makes his way to Rome to fight in

the Colosseum where he leads his

fellow gladiators to freedom from

the tyrannical twin emperors (Joseph

Quinn and Fred Hechinger).

While Lucius’s trail of revenge

against the complex character

of Acacious is compelling,

it ultimately comes across as an

attempt to retell a shallower, more

rushed version of the first movie’s

story. The death of Lucius’s wife,

mentorship under the man who

bought him, leading gladiators in

Rome, and a dark political narrative

all mimic key plot points of

the first movie.

While on the surface it definitely

sticks close to the first

movie, towards the middle half

it takes a twist, almost acknowledging

its similarities to the first

movie and flipping them on its

head. This explains the rushed

feeling of the first half of the

movie as Gladiator II was essentially

attempting to fit Gladiator’s

entire story into half of Gladiator

II’s run time. After the twist, the

movie puts the political subplot at

the front and almost lets the gladiatorial

combat take a step back

to allow the rather interesting political

narrative room to breathe.

This emphasis on character relationships

and their dark, scheming

subplots highlight a different

aspect of this fictional world of

the crumbling Rome that we as

the viewer didn’t see as much of

with the first Gladiator. While

it may seem like a negative that

the overt fighting is less of a focus,

that isn’t to say there is no

more action. There are still plenty

of scenes, thoughtfully spread

throughout the film, displaying

masterful choreography and creative

bloody battles that, while

not being the most historically

accurate, will definitely quench

that thirst for blood.

While it definitely is not a

perfect movie with its almost carbon

copied first half and pacing

issues throughout, Gladiator II is

a bolder and bigger film than its

predecessor with many enriching

characters and a driving story

with scene after scene of pulse

pounding action that will keep

you hooked till the credits roll.

Grade: B+

Google Images

Down with Big Chains,

And Up with Big Flavor!

by Lilah Boig ‘26

Located within the Exxon

on Georgia Avenue lies the jewel

of Asian Burritos. Upon entry,

you instantly see a small kitchen

and bar counter in the back of the

store. Behind that counter is Peter

Chen, the owner, who works

by hand to prepare every dish

with only two to three other staff.

When I walked up, I was greeted

by Chen, who was happy to answer

some of my questions even

during their dinner rush. He explained

that this was his only location

and while he would love to

expand to a full-sized restaurant,

the spaces in the area are too expensive.

Takeout is the norm at Asian

Burritos and the menu is organized

between main dishes of

burritos, rice bowls, and Chinese

buns, as well as soups, sides, and

drinks. For students who aren’t

fans of other boba places in the

area, this is the place for you.

The green tea boba I had with my

meal was more flavorful and less

sugary than the other boba places

in town.

The main dishes each have

a standard vegetable base and

have eighteen different types of

meat, ranging from raw salmon

to breaded chicken, as well as

vegetarian options. Their most

popular choices are basil chicken,

raw salmon, and teriyaki chicken.

“Although my favorite is #12

[black pepper beef],” Chen told

me, which I was able to get a

taste of. It was unlike what I was

expecting from an Asian-style

restaurant and had a strong American

beef taste.

Asian Burrito itself is a

unique style of food nearly exclusive

to the restaurant. It is like a

sushi roll filled with vegetables

but in the size of a massive burrito,

allowing customers to eat

authentic Asian cuisine with their

hands. Unlike the high-class buttoned-up

feeling of going to other

sushi places, Asian Burritos’ food

creates a warm and relaxed feeling.

While some may be wary of

getting sushi from a gas station,

Asian Burrito is a separate restaurant

and promises all of its ingredients

are fresh.

On my visit, I tried a few of

the popular dishes out. The raw

salmon was wonderfully fresh

sashimi and spicy. I also tasted

the tuna which had a similar flavor

without the spice. Next, the

teriyaki chicken was not as sweet

as many Chinese places normally

are, and had a strong flavor of

cumin. They also offer Chinese

buns, unlike other establishments

within the area, and I tried one

with shrimp tempura. Even if I

hadn’t seen it get fried in-house,

you would be able to tell its authenticity

by how crispy the outside

is and how fresh the inside

shrimp is. The bun itself was

super fluffy and had more flavor

than I was expecting.

Located in a rented-out kitchen

in a gas station, Chen said they

make a decent profit for where

they are. This was apparent, as for

the half hour I was there, five people

came in to pick up their orders

and chatted with Chen, proving

that good hospitality and strong

flavors always bring in loyal customers.

He let me know that their

least busy time is from 3-4 pm, so

if you’re ever sick of the Olney’s

same old chains, make sure to

stop in after school, say hello, and

grab a bite of great Asian food.

What The Warrior Staff is Streaming...

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The Penguin, HBO’s latest entry in the

Batman series, is a dark and twisted look

into one of Batmans most iconic villains.

Taking place after the end of the 2022 movie,

The Penguin follows Oswald Cobblepot,

a hobbling gangster hellbent on ruling Gotham’s

underground through any means

necessary. While on the outside it is a dark

and mature crime story about two rivaling

families’ bloody battle to the top of Gotham’s

crime syndicate, it has a deep and

enveloping story underneath, focusing on

trauma, acceptance, and moral corruption,

while still finding a way to retain that same

grimy DC charm.

- Jack Engelhardt ‘25

Dexter was released in 2006 but has

had a massive resurgence in popularity recently.

Dexter Morgan witnessed his mother

get murdered which led to much of the

trauma he has. Harry took advantage of

this and taught Dexter to be a serial killer

who only killed heinous criminals. Dexter

gets employed as a forensic scientist who

specializes in blood spatter pattern analysis

and works for the Miami Metro Police

Department. The Dexter series is a thrilling

watch that keeps you addicted. Seeing

Dexter manage to be a serial killer but also

a crime scene investigator is an engrossing

experience.

- Matthew Leighton-Jones ‘25

Released in 2011 but still just as popular

13 years later, Shameless is a rollercoaster

from start to end. Shameless is

perfect for those who enjoy darker topics,

and morally grey characters. It’s 11 seasons

long. With solid, intricate characters and

complicated storylines that last several episodes

and seasons, Shameless has many ups

and downs. The story doesn’t dwell on happy

moments nor does it dwell on sad moments,

leading to a conflicting experience.

This show is still heavily popular now, and

for good reason. Despite it being somewhat

dated, it’s realistic as well as entertaining.

- Cliff Vacin ‘25

Comedy is hard to judge, as everyone

has a different sense of humor. Some people

might find Seinfeld unfunny and boring,

or think that I Think You Should Leave

is too random and wild, but I haven’t met

someone who hasn’t thought at least one

joke from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

was laugh-out-loud funny. It’s Always Sunny

has been going since 2005, totaling 16

seasons, with a 17th on the way. This has

made it one of the longest running sitcoms

ever. This show has had at least one quotable,

funny moment in every episode, staying

fresh, and in my opinion, getting better

and better as it runs.

- Jordan Costolo ‘25

The Warrior • Entertainment

December 19, 2024

Publicity and Relationships: How Fame Shapes and Shakes Celebrity Lives

by Matilda Hawkins ‘27

Ask any teenager in 2024

about a certain celebrity relationship

scandal, and most of the time

they will be able to give you indepth

details of the hot gossip.

Celebrities’ personal lives are

publicized constantly, and this

leads to having no privacy whatsoever.

The most recent exposure

of a celebrity’s relationship issues

is Zach Bryan, who is best known

as a famous country star.

Bryan recently went through

a public breakup with Brianna

“Chickenfry” LaPaglia. The

ex-couple first started officially

dating over a year ago, and in

late October the country star announced

their breakup on his Instagram

story. The story did not indicate

any hard feelings and that

it was a mutual decision, but Brianna

Chickenfry took it to another

level. She claimed on a BFFs

Podcast episode that the country

singer had emotionally abused

her throughout their relationship.

She also expressed that he had offered

her a 12 million dollar NDA

and a New York apartment to

not talk about their relationship,

which she did not take.

Although the public airing

of this situation may seem at first

Wicked Much More than a Musical

by Aby Lo ‘26

The 2024 movie adaptation

of Wicked brings the beloved

Broadway musical to life on the

big screen in a wonderful and

meaningful way. Starring Cynthia

Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and

Ariana Grande as Galinda (later

Glinda), the film focuses on the

two characters in their adolescence

and how they went from

hating each other to becoming

best friends. Everything changes

quickly when the two leave their

university together to go to the

city of Oz. Wicked touched upon

important topics like betrayal,

trust, and friendship. Songs, typified

best by “What Is This Feeling,”

are fun and catchy.

Wicked is largely set at Shiz

University, where Elphaba, a girl

with green skin who has extraordinary

powers, is an outcast who

struggles with her identity and

harsh judgment from the students.

Galinda is a popular and bubbly

student who goes out of her way

to try to impress the school’s

headmistress, Madame Morrible,

played by Michelle Yeoh. Galinda’s

obsession with wanting the

teacher’s approval creates tension

between her and Elphaba, who

Morrible can see is the one with

actual magical powers. However,

as the story progresses, they

glance to be bad publicity for

Bryan, it likely has benefited him.

It led to him having a larger social

media presence due to its trending,

and in modern times, this can

help grow a celebrity and their

brand, resulting in a financial

windfall. In a world where social

media and the internet are such

a big factor in social aspects and

many work environments, does it

matter whether relationship publicity

is bad or good if it results in

more attention for the person?

Take the Zach Bryan drama:

although the situation painted him

in a bad light and may have caused

harm to his image, it also gained

him more attraction through more

people hearing about the situation

leading to them knowing of him.

Publicity is one of the main ways

that celebrities can gain more

attention, which allows them to

gain more profit. So looking at it

from an economic view, whether

it’s bad or good media, the attention

given to the celebrity can

lead to more money.

The impact on a celebrity’s

image and reputation is a little

trickier. Suppose the celebrity can

be exposed for being a bad person

or just generally doing bad things,

like Zach Bryan. It is speculated

start to understand each other’s

struggles. One of the film’s best

strengths is how it highlights that

being unique isn’t something to

be ashamed of, but rather something

to be celebrated. What also

really stands out in Wicked is how

it teaches viewers that not everyone

in your life will always have

good intentions for you. People

will betray or try to take advantage

of you, and others may judge

you simply for being yourself.

One of Wicked’s central conflicts

revolves around the oppression

of animals in Oz. This

is caused by a system that was

created to oppress animals, making

them second-class citizens. In

Oz, animals are becoming forbidden

from speaking and stripped

of their rights. Dr. Dillamond,

voiced by Peter Dinklage, is a

goat who is Elphaba and Galinda’s

history teacher at Shiz University.

Dr. Dillamond warns Elphaba

of the danger to animals in

Oz, which propels the action in

the final third of the film.

The character of Fiyero,

played by Johnathan Bailey, is a

charming and rebellious prince

caught between Elphaba and

Galinda’s growing friendship

and the larger conflict with the

oppression of animals. His relationship

with Elphaba, especially

Google Images

as it evolves, creates an emotional

connection that deepens the

central conflict of the film without

overshadowing the themes

of friendship and standing up for

what’s right.

The performances in Wicked

are amazing. Songs in the movie

like “Defying Gravity” capture

Elphaba’s determination to fight

for what’s right, while “What Is

This Feeling?” is a catchy song

that perfectly captures Galinda

and Elphaba’s initial hatred

for each other. The music then

becomes more emotional, with

“For Good” serving as a beautiful

rhyme that sums up their journey

and the impact they’ve had on

each other’s lives. The soundtrack

complements the story well, with

songs that range from lighthearted

to emotional and powerful.

Wicked 2024 is a must-see

for anyone who likes a mix of excitement

and depth. It combines

awesome visuals, unforgettable

and rhythmic music, and inspiring

themes to create a story that is

both entertaining and meaningful.

Best of all, the film is only part 1

of the story, and its ending leaves

viewers anticipating part 2 that

comes out next year.

Grade: A

13

Moana 2 Sails Short of the First

by Paloma Illanes ‘25

Google Images

Zach Bryan and Brianna “Chickenfy” LaPaglia at the Grammys

that Zach Bryan canceled his tour

and got off Twitter and Instagram

because of the backlash he

received from the scandal. This

shows that through these scandals

celebrity’s reputation can be tarnished,

and this can lead to the celebrity

disappearing to attempt to

cover up the issue. This can then

lead to previous fans disengaging

from their content, and in some

cases lead to the celebrity getting

“canceled.” Cancel culture

is a significant issue that occurs

through social media, and often if

a celebrity is exposed for abusing

their spouse, or other relationship-related

scandals, this can

then lead to the celebrity being

canceled. This would mean that

fans stop supporting the celebrity

and their work, almost like an

online boycott. Zach Bryan is not

the only example of a celebrity

relationship scandal being aired

out to the public. All of these

incidents, whether they involved

cheating or full-on lawsuits, had

a significant outcome on not only

each celebrity’s public image, but

also the amount of attraction that

was dragged towards them and

their careers.

In 2016, the beloved Disney

original movie Moana was released,

and now the sequel is out

eight years later. The beloved first

movie was a unique film set on a

Polynesian island in danger and

Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) is the

only one who can save her people

with the help of demi-god Maui

(Dwane Johnson). This movie

attracted tons of popularity and

praise, with people raving over

the music, animation, and story-line.

While Moana 2 is still a

great watch and tries its best to

match the energy and quality of

its predecessor, it ultimately falls

short in comparison.

Disney has a track record

of making unsatisfying sequels

to classic movies that typically

end up diminishing the memories

from the first film. With all

the sequels, live action remakes,

and spin-off series from previous

franchises Disney has been producing

lately, one would think

the company is desperately trying

to make more money even while

running out of ideas.

One of the main reasons

Moana was such a huge success

was due to the several hit songs

it produced such as “You’re Welcome”

and “How Far I’ll Go,”

written by Lin Manuel Miranda.

The absence of Miranda’s lyricism

in the second film is greatly

noticeable as the songs are

not as catchy or clever. While

the new writers Abigail Barlow

and Emily Bear do a great job

matching the feeling of the new

movie, their songs are not nearly

as fun as Miranda’s. Throughout

the soundtrack it seems as if the

songs are trying to imitate the hits

from the first one, or be the next

best “You’re Welcome,” but to no

2022 - Shakira and Gerard

Piqué, who had been together for

eleven years and had two sons,

had separated leaving the pop

singer heartbroken. A year after

in 2023, Shakira revealed that

the soccer player had cheated on

her with his now girlfriend Clara

Chia Marti while she traveled to

see her father who was in the hospital.

2023 - Ariana Grande broke

it off with her now ex-husband,

Dalton Gomez, whom the singer

was only married to since 2021.

Not long after, it was exposed to

the public of her relations with the

Broadway star Ethan Slater, who

not until very recently was not single.

2024 - Popstar singer Sabrina

Carpenter has been found to

have broken up with actor Barry

Keoghan, and the actor has been

rumored of having an affair with

the influencer Breckie Hill. This led

to Keoghan deactivating his Instagram

account to avoid the hate,

and Breckie Hill bragging about

taking a guy from his ex, which

people are assuming is about

Carpenter and Keoghan.

avail. Maui’s solo song “Can I Get

A Chee Hoo?” has lots of energy

and enthusiasm, but leaves fans

wishing Miranda wrote it instead

as rhymes such as “Come on-a”

and “Moana” make their way into

the song.

The second film introduces

many new characters such

as Moana’s little sister Simea

(Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), a mini

version of Moana, and their sisterly

love adds new meanings and

themes to the story. As Moana

embarks on her next adventure to

save her people yet again, she recruits

a bigger team to help break

a curse and reunite Polynesian

villages across the ocean. Her new

crew consists of story-teller and

number one fan of Maui, Moni,

stubborn farmer Kele, and clever

engineer Loto. These new characters

along with lovable animal

sidekicks from the first film, Heihei

the indestructible chicken

and Pua the pig, help convey the

moral and show the importance

of collaboration and perseverance.

The lessons each character

learns on the treacherous journey

are impactful and make the movie

wholesome yet action-filled.

Regardless of the somewhat

disappointing soundtrack and

overly obvious hints to the first

movie, Disney captures the rich

Polynesian culture and gorgeous

scenery through incorporating

Maori language and traditions as

well as top tier animation quality

to encapsulate the vibrant colors

of the ocean and beaches.

As far as Disney sequels go,

Moana 2 is definitely worth the

watch, but the first film will remain

an unmatched classic.

Grade: B+

14

The Warrior • Sports

December 19, 2024

Months of Hard Work Goes into the Poms Routines

by Molly Schecter ‘27

The poms team is something

that the Sherwood community

rightfully has a lot of pride in.

They continuously amaze with

their seamless dances and organized

appearance. Last school

year, poms showcased their talent

by winning the title of MCPS

Division 1 County Champions.

The team also won first place in

several invitational competitions.

This is not unusual as the poms

team were also county champions

in 2020 and 2022. Behind

the scenes, each individual on

the team implements hard work

and dedication into not only

team practices, but at home, day

camps, conditioning, and outside

services.

According to coaches Dottie

Yhar and Jeanne Laeng, the

members of poms begin preparing

for the season in the summer

with prep clinics. These support

pom candidates who plan to audition

by giving them an idea

of the pom team’s style, while

providing them the opportunity

to adapt to their technique. The

team also holds conditioning before

auditions to increase endurance

and prepare. After auditions,

the finalized team has practices

Monday to Friday that are typically

two hours long. “At the top

of the season, we are working on

fundamentals and preparing for

football season,” stated Yhar.

At the same time that they supported

the varsity football team

Poms hard at work practing their new routine to prepare for their upcoming competitions.

through a deep playoff run, the

poms team shifted their focus

towards their routine for upcoming

competitions. “We are laser

focused on working on our competition

routine, which includes

drilling motions, turns, leaps,

jumps, kickline, and building endurance,”

said Yhar. The poms’

competition routine is about five

minutes long and every second

is vigorous. To maintain a high

stamina and support the endurance

of performing an all-out routine,

the team incorporates aerobic

and anaerobic exercises into

their practices. Leang said the

routine is, “akin to going on an

all-out sprint with hurdles for five

minutes, so we make sure to have

a balance of cardio and strength

training exercises.” Both coaches

emphasized the importance of the

team stretching before and after

practice to reduce the risk of injuries

and also increase flexibility

for better dance technique.

Something very noticeable

about the poms is their neat appearance

and clean organization,

and the team has a system which

helps maintain order. Tics and

demerits are given to individuals

to enforce rules and keep order.

On the other hand, merits are

given to recognize individuals

who exceed expectations. “Our

system has helped each member

hold themselves and each other

accountable throughout our long

season, and luckily, our poms

have always held themselves to

a high standard as student-athletes,”

said Yhar.

The poms work hard to be

one of the top teams in division

one of Montgomery County. The

divisions range from one to three,

with one being the highest, and

three being the lowest. “The divisions

are determined by scores

and skill level for each of the

teams in the county,” said senior

captain Amanda Kraft. Every other

year, the divisions will slightly

change, allowing some teams to

move up as others move down

in divisions. Poms attend three

invitational competitions a year

prior to the county championship.

These competitions are mostly

made up of teams in a school’s

Sophomores Lead Strong Boys Swim

by Cara Farr ‘27

The swim and dive team, with

more than 80 members on the

team, is the largest team that the

school has. In addition to being

a popular sport, Sherwood swim

has been one of the most successful

programs in Montgomery

County and in the state of Maryland

over the past two decades.

For many of those years, the girls

team stood out with a wealth of

outstanding swimmers. This season,

it is the boys team that is

primed to make a splash.

Leading the boys are sophomores

Nicholas Liberty and Tyler

Kominski, who have both recently

been selected to be on the

USA Swimming’s Academic All

American team. Other key contributors

are senior captains Justin

Lakso and David Mutter, the

Opima brothers, and freshman

star Mason Maready.

Last year, Liberty took home

the regional title in the 500 freestyle

event, and he also placed

fifth at the state championship for

the same event. He then competed

in the United States National

Open Water Championships, located

in Florida, in the spring. He

placed second in the race, clinching

a spot on the United States

National team and earning the opportunity

to compete in the World

Championships that took place in

Italy, in September.

Kominski was a part of the

record-setting 200 Freestyle relay

team with a time of 1:29.20 that

broke the school record that was

previously set in 2001. Outside of

school, Kominksi is also breaking

records in 400 freestyle for

the Nation’s Capital Swim Club

and Potomac Valley Swimming.

One of his biggest accomplishments

was, “being able to attend

the Olympic Training Center in

Colorado Springs.” Komisnski,

along with other top swimmers

on his team, got to experience

where olympians train for the

World Championships and the

Olympics.

Senior captains Justin Lakso

and David Mutter lead a solid

group of seniors and are going

to be significant contributors

to the team’s success this year.

According to Head Coach Ryan

Burnsky, Lakso has been an impressive

sprinter in his four years

at Sherwood. Mutter, on the other

hand, has the ability to compete

in many different events. “We can

use him in multiple events and he

will score points,” said Burnsky.

The junior class this year is

led by the Opima brothers Ayden

and Bryce. They are expected to

be significant contributors to the

team’s success this year in their

respectve events. Rounding out

the group of juniors are Calum

Jaganathan and Caleb Alie, who

are strong competitors for the

Warriors in both the fly and breast

events.

Leading the freshman group

of boys are Mason Maready and

diver Luke Landreth. Maready is

considered an elite backstroker

by Burnsky who expects him to

contribute significantly to the

team this year. Landreth is about

as good as they come. “He will

immediately be a top contender

in diving not only in our Division

but in the State,” said Burnsky.

Both of these freshmen are expected

to make huge impacts on

the team for the next four years.

The boy’s team lost lots of talent

last year after state champion

Brian Wilbur, who is now swimming

at the University of Delaware,

Mark Williams, Devin Kosirowski,

and David Kavtaradze

all graduated after setting multiple

records. This year, the team

will face tough division opponents

including Poolesville, with

eighteen state championships,

Quince Orchard, last year’s runner-up

for states, and rival Blair.

This means that there will be no

easy meets for the boys and every

race matters.

“The pressure is on every

meet, every race and every second,”

Burnsky said. Ultimately,

the boys team has their sights set

on winning the 4A North Region

and hopefully they can also pull

through with a huge division win.

With multiple big wins against

the Quince Orchard Cougars and

the Northwest Jaguars, winning

102-77 and 107-78 respectivley,

the Warriors are already on track

of achieving their goal of division

title.

own division; however, not all of

them will be. Kraft noted that the

invitational competitions are vital

in preparation for the county

championship, in that the team

receives valuable feedback from

the judges that allows them to

perfect their performance and appeal

to the judges.

When off of the field or the

dance floor, the poms kindly devote

their time to services. Laeng

noted that the poms have additional

responsibilities and serve

in school sponsored activities as

ambassadors of the Sherwood

community. Some of these services

include the team’s semi-annual

fundraiser, participating in

Construction Underway

For New Softball Field

by Laurika Pich ‘27

On November 20, Sherwood

students received a Remind notification

from Principal Tim Britton

regarding the construction of

the softball field that began the

next day. In the preliminary stage

of construction, trees will be cut

down in the upper field area beyond

the greenhouse and taped

off with hazard tape and signs

preventing students from loitering

around the area for safety.

Bleachers for fans, the scoreboard,

an irrigation system in the

outfield, a permanent fence in the

outfield, and dugouts, are a few

upgrades made in the renovation

of the new field. A closer field

for easier access to the school for

safety and security is one of its

main highlights, as well as that

there would be easier access to

indoor restrooms for spectators.

The current field of the softball

program has many issues. It

is not compliant with the Americans

with Disabilities Act (ADA)

because the field is not properly

accessible to those with disabilities,

as well as the elderly. The

plans for the new field aim to address

these issues.

The location of the field was

isolated behind the tennis courts.

“Some people did not even know

if we had a field and had trouble

finding it since it is currently

behind the practice fields,” said

Zach Geller ‘25

the 9/11 Remembrance event in

Olney, performing at fundraiser

events for Sherwood’s feeder

schools, and volunteering for

Toys for Tots.

In January, the team will attend

invitationals from Northwest,

Springbrook, and Seneca Valley.

These invitationals will also give

them a look at opposing teams as

they prepare to defend their Division

1 County Championship

title. Additionally, the poms will

be determined and maintain their

efforts to ensure a victory over

Damascus, their toughest competitor

last year, which scored

less than one point lower in the

county championship.

Coach Ashley Barber-Strunk.

“The old field had spectators

having to walk around lacrosse

practices, which they were unable

to cut through with the gully and

uneven grounding.”

Renovation of the facility had

been a goal of Athletic Director

Jason Woodward since April of

2019 when he requested relocating

the field but didn’t receive

approval from county officials.

“Funding was challenging,” stated

Woodward. “The majority of it

came from Senator [Craig] Zucker.

MCPS added additional funding

for things like the new bleachers

and scoreboard.” Sherwood is

contributing money as well for

construction, along with softball

and The Warrior Club.

The upgrades will make it easier

and more accessible for spectators,

which can in turn increase

the fan engagement at games.

Compared to other softball facilities

in MCPS, Sherwood’s,

“will be on par with other high

school softball facilities, like

Gaithersburg, Wheaton, and others.”

said Woodward. The date

for completion varies depending

on the weather and other external

circumstances. On top of that,

the extensive permitting process

slowed the scheduling down. The

softball facility should be ready

around March just in time for the

start of the softball season.


December 19, 2024

Hockey Builds Momentum Late

by Chase Sondike ‘26

As the season’s final third

begins, the Sherwood hockey

team looks promising and ready

for the playoffs with a steady 5-3

record. They look forward to the

latter part of the season with a

game set for this Friday against

RAM (Rockville and Magruder).

The team has started stacking

wins, building momentum, and is

looking to continue its competitive

drive in the back part of the

regular season. Last Friday, Sherwood

made a bold statement on

the ice with a commanding 8-2

victory over Richard Montgomery,

demonstrating their offensive

firepower and defensive strength.

It was a win that energized the

team and fans alike, as Sherwood

controlled the game from start

to finish, leaving no doubt about

their potential as a top contender.

Though the record may not

fully reflect the team’s potential,

the Warriors have demonstrated

impressive versatility in their

outings thus far. Junior assistant

captain and defenseman Tyler

Payson, reflecting on the team’s

progress, shared that aspects like

their determination and perseverance

have been key to their

success. “The team has strength

in its versatility and gritty play,”

Payson explained. “Players can

seamlessly switch roles when

needed.” Payson says that individually,

veteran players have

shown great leadership, “being an

example and setting the tone for

the new and younger members of

the team.”

Payson’s comments highlight

one of the team’s key strengths:


Sherwood players celebrating a goal in their game against Whitman.

their ability to transform on the Captain wears the C on his chest

fly and adapt to different situations,

whether it’s changing up portance of leading by example.

with pride, emphasizing the im-

lines due to injuries or making “I play the hardest I possibly can

on-ice adjustments.

at all times, even in practice, because

I understand that if I phone

Sherwood’s season so far has

been marked by moments of it in, why should the rest of them

brilliance and some tough losses,

many of which boiled down As Sherwood prepares for the

be expected not to follow suit?”

to late third-period blunders. puck drop against RAM on Friday,

the team is determined to

“We’ve had some really close

games this year that we lost in prove themselves. With strong

the third period, and they came leadership and large aspirations,

down to small mistakes,” said senior

captain Aidan Cook. “How their potential into a playoff run

the Warriors on ice aim to turn

we finish games needs to be the that makes a lasting impact on the

main focus going forward.” The program and the players.

15

Perspective

Commanders Bounce Back

by Maya Dorsam ‘27

By now, it’s no secret that this season has proven to be special for

the Washington Commanders and their fans. From last season’s overall

record of 4-13, the Commanders have already well-surpassed their

previous number of wins, sitting 9-5, with three games remaining in

the regular season. As someone with a love for the Philadelphia Eagles,

thanks to my parents growing up in the Philly area, I have to throw a

jab by admitting that the Commanders still have a ways to go before

entering the class of the 12-2 Eagles. Nonetheless, the playoffs near,

and the Washington area is buzzing with a newfound excitement that

has the rest of the league stunned.

What makes Washington a team to look out for this season and

so different from their previous losing record team? Easy, their rookie

quarterback, Jayden Daniels, the number two overall draft pick, is

fresh and hot out of LSU with an impressive QB rating, fourth overall.

New coach Daniel Quinn has also made an outstanding difference in

Wasington’s approach to the game. From last season to this season,

Washington’s stats under Quinn have skyrocketed. The team averages

over eight more points per game and allows about eight less, which

they previously led the league in worst at around 30.5 points per game.

Their turnover differential stats have also experienced a huge makeover

since under Ron Rivera’s problematic leadership. The team went

from worst in the league at -14 to +6, the best as of week 12.

After Washington’s loss to a division opponent, Philadelphia in

week 11, 26-18, they proved they could stop Philadelphia’s strong offense

led by Jalen Hurts and an exceptional run game by Saquon Barkley,

from reaching the end zone in the first half, but also that there

are lots of areas for improvement. In the second half, the defense went

quiet as Philadelphia pulled away, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter

after Jake Elliot, Philadelphia’s kicker, missed an embarrassing 2

field goals and an extra point left. Washington was unable to capitalize

on these mistakes and it became their demise. Although Philadelphia

dominated in the second half, Washington left the first half winning

10-3 and fought until the end, scoring a touchdown in the last minute

with a successful two-point conversion.

Although the loss makes them an unlikely pick for NFC East division

winner, Washington is predicted to make the playoffs as they are

looking far stronger than the typically competitive Dallas Cowboys

who have faced a tough season full of rocky losses.

Fans could look forward to a possible playoff run once Washington’s

O-line steps it up, giving Daniels more time to find receivers on

crucial downs, and special teams become more reliable, as it can be

noted that in all their losses and even some wins, the defense allows

more touchdowns in the second half than the offense can keep up with

comfortably. Washington can’t afford to miss extra points and field

goals when the difference between a game is often one possession.

Beginning to dominate on opponents’ errors is pivotal when looking

toward the postseason.

Although they seem to be on an overall season-high full of outstanding

wins, Washington faced adversity just a little over halfway

through the season after a three-game losing streak just before Thanksgiving,

first falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a one-point game, followed

by their loss to Philadelphia and sloppy defeat to Dallas after a

missed extra point that would take the game to OT. The team bounced

back big though in weeks 13 and 14 against The Tennessee Titans, 42-

19, in an outstanding performance by the offense in the first half and

20-19 against the New Orleans Saints.

With an upcoming redemption game against Philadelphia in just

a few days, Washington is looking to show improvement and possibly

outdo the division leaders who previously bested them and soon

start their anticipated playoff run as they come off a two-game winning

streak. While I’ll be rooting for my Eagles, I grudgingly give kudos to

the Commanders for making the game a must-see for both teams.

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16


December 19, 2024

New Faces Take to the Court

by Andrew Fenner ‘27

Cilento Coaches Football

Squad to State Semifinals

by Reid Duvall ‘27

The Warrior’s season ended

on November 29 when the team

traveled to Arundel High School

in the state semifinals. Arundel

later defeated Linganore in the

state championship on December

8. The Warriors were topped

24-8 in a tough game on the road.

Sherwood had been rolling in

the playoffs, winning their first

three playoff games and outscoring

those teams 116-14, beating

Manchester Valley 49-7, the

2023 state champs Oakdale 35-0,

and Franklin 32-7 in the 3A state

quarterfinals.

They faced their toughest game

yet vs 2nd-seeded 10-1 Arundel.

Sherwood’s offense couldn’t get

anything going throughout the

game, scoring their only touchdown

with under three minutes

left in the 4th quarter. “Hats off to

Arundel; they were a very good

team. They had some playmakers,

and their defensive line was probably

the best we saw all year,”

said Coach Pat Cilento. Despite

the loss, the Warriors’ season was

still hugely successful and set a

good foundation for the program

to build on.

Sherwood finished the year

10-3 with a 290-point differential

and made the state semifinals

for the first time since 2021 and

had their first ten-win season

since 2016. Next year the team


Coach Pat Cilento has come back to Sherwood where he played.

will look different, as the Class

of 2025 featured many difference-makers,

“The senior class

did a great job, and we have some

big shoes to fill. I am confident

that our younger guys will rise to

the occasion,” said Cilento.

Cilento is no stranger to Sherwood,

having previously been the

head coach from 2007 to 2009.

But his connection to Sherwood

go beyond coaching to his playing

days. He was the starting quarterback

for the Warriors under coach

Bob Milloy from 1994-1996, losing

in the state semifinals in ‘94

but winning the state championship

in ‘95. He went on to play

in college at Western Carolina

in Cullowhee, North Carolina,

where he played under Matt Ruhle,

the current coach at Nebraska,

and Brent Pry, the current coach

at Virginia Tech. Cilento credits

much of his coaching knowledge

to these legendary coaches he

played for.

Cilento also praises Sherwood

as a place where students can

build the skills and habits they

need to be successful in whatever

they choose to do. “I don’t

believe there is a better place to

accomplish your goals,” said Cilento.

“You have everything you

need here from Rock ‘N Roll Revival

to excellent teachers and

staff. If you apply yourself, you

can be great.”

Coming off of a successful

past season, the outlook for Sherwood

basketball this season is uncertain,

but it’s off to a promising

start. Last season, the Warriors

went 17-6, led by a starting lineup

consisting of all seniors, with a

few juniors being the first off the

bench. After losing those starters

to graduation, Sherwood is looking

to senior guard Alex Welch

and senior forward Justin Lawson

to lead the team, along with a few

new transfers and other players

from last year’s roster.

Welch put together an impressive

performance during the

summer, averaging 19.2 points,

5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks

per game in week three of the

DeMatha Summer League. Welch

will undoubtedly be a significant

offensive contributor to the Warriors,

with both his athleticism

and his range. “Alex [Welch] is a

leader,” Coach Thomas Sheahin

noted. “He’s dedicated.”

Lawson is also expected

to be a key part of the Warriors’

scheme. “Nobody’s going to be

able to cover [Lawson],” Sheahin

said. “He’s a strong offensive and

defensive threat.”

New talent has been added to

the team this year, both from new

transfers and from developing

Sherwood players. Sheahin pointed

out junior Tyler Gramling and

senior Khalil Wilson, both guards

having recently transferred to

Sherwood from Gaithersburg and

Richard Montgomery, as players

that will be significant contributors

on both ends of the floor.

“He’s a good athlete, he’s a smart

player,” Sheahin said about Wilson,

“He’s going to be a great defender

for our team.”

Sheahin says this year’s

squad will shine defensively.

New additions like sophomore

Jamar Nix and senior Jaden

Nix add even more depth to the

team’s lineup. Players from last

Sophomore Jamar Nix takes the ball in Sherwood’s win over Northwest

year’s team have also grown into

prominent roles. Sheahin named

AJ Williams and Carlton Hill as

key contributors coming off the

bench.

With the roster changes and

different lineup, it’s understandable

to be unsure about where

Sherwood stacks up against more

experienced teams in the county.

Welch is sure the team would

be able to compete against those

types of teams. “I believe our talent

and skill will outshine other

teams’ experience,” Welch said.

Sherwood shook off the doubts

and headed into their first game

of the season against defending

state semi-finalist Whitman. Nix

and Welch led the Warriors in a

76-69 overtime win. In just his

first varsity game, Nix led the

team in points with a staggering

20, followed by Welch’s 16. As

Matthew Leighton-Jones ‘25

Sheahin said, Williams was also

a noteworthy contributor off the

bench, scoring 12, nine of which

came from threes. Looking ahead

in the schedule, the team should

quickly build momentum with

some wins against weaker teams

in the county. After notable wins

against Churchill and Northwest

it’s clear to see this team can be

very dangerous.

The team has been putting

in the work during the offseason,

improving on every aspect

of their game. Sheahin is serious

about keeping his players at

the top of his game, encouraging

them all to work on conditioning

with him during the offseason.

Sheahin says the team can be

contenders in the playoffs, but it

all boils down to whether players

are willing to play their role in his

system.

Girls Basketball Bounces into Season

by Rachel Themistokleous ‘26

As the girls’ basketball team

returns to the court this season,

they are coming in with energy

and determination to show the

division and the county that the

program is one on the rise. The

team began their season with a

tough slate of games, but they are

set on working hard this season

and overcoming the challenges

thrown at them. At the same time,

the team also still feels the heartbreak

of the loss of player Sanaa

Vil in a tragic car accident.

Coach Tammara Ross and

the players plan to remember Sanaa

in a few ways. “We will be

honoring her in many ways this

year from placing #SV24 on all

of our team gear this year, placing

a patch on our uniforms with

her initials, placing her number

on the floor of the gym in front of

our bench, and honoring her and

her family during our first home

game,” said Ross. “We think

Senior guard Shannon Farr inbounding the ball in a close game against a strong Churchill girls team.

about her every day and her spirit

will be with us as we try to accomplish

this year what we could

not last year for her in beating

Damascus.”

In her second season as head

coach of the Warriors, Ross already

has helped raise the expectations

after the team won 19

games last year. “Our goal for this

season is to maintain our previous

level of success and show the

county that our success was not a

fluke and that we’re establishing

a culture of sustained success,”

explained Ross. “Among other

internal goals, we’d like to win

our division outright this year,

and at the very least make it back

to the Regional Championship

and win it this time.”

Last year the team experienced

the graduation of a few senior

players who were key to the

Cliff Vacin ‘25

team’s success, including Taylor

Corrothers, Savannah Weisman,

Alexa Lyons, and Bella West. The

effect of this will certainly be felt

on the scoring and rebounding

front of the game, but Ross knows

her team is capable of making up

for this.

“[The graduated seniors]

helped establish our culture and

bought into the things I was trying

to establish last year which

helped make our team extremely

special,” said Ross. “They did a

great job of helping instill those

values into the underclassmen

and so far this season we continue

to maintain that level of connectedness.”

Ross’s determination and

faith in her team inspires her players

to improve their game, and

her positivity keeps the players

feeling ready to go this season.

Senior Avery Anderson expressed

her confidence in the team.

The team is optimistic about

their performance this season. “I

definitely expect to have a good

season, and there is clearly an upward

trend within the Sherwood

Girls Basketball Program,” said

Anderson. “We had a successful

season last year, and the team this

year not only consists of returning

talent, but talented newcomers.

I think it is reasonable for us

to reach and win regionals this

year.”

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