SherwoodHS_Warrior

theWarrior

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48th Year, Issue No. 2 December 18, 2025

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

www.thewarrioronline.com

Sherwood’s Air Quality Worries Community

have taken a serious hit from the

past floods, some even worse than

mine. In my years at Sherwood,

I’ve noticed the overall maintenance

of the building slowly declined,”

said Mitkoff. “Whenever

there was a leak or flood, the initial

cleanup would happen, but a

lot of the follow-up repairs never

got finished. There are floor and

ceiling tiles that have been missing

for almost three years, rusted

areas peeling from old flooding,

and trim that still hasn’t been replaced.”

Mitkoff ordered a mold identification

report from Mold Armor

in September 2023 of samples

taken from her classroom. The

sample was sent to BBI Test Labs

and tested for various types of

mold. Multiple species were detected

from this sample including

Alternaria ssp., Rhodotorula ssp.,

Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium

ssp., and Penicillium spp. These

types of mold thrive in damp

indoor areas and indicate water

damage and indoor moisture. The

report recommended “prompt remediation”

and “elimination of

moisture sources.”

Henriot St. Gerard, the

Sherwood Cluster Coordinator

and Area Vice President for the

Northeast Consortium, submitted

a letter dated October 23 to the

members of Montgomery Counby

Violet Fujimoto ‘27

Sherwood is one of the oldest

high school buildings in MCPS,

with its main building constructed

in 1950. As buildings age,

maintenance issues arise and it

is inevitable that repairs need to

be made. Claudia Delgado, the

current president of Sherwood’s

PTSA, and other parents in Sherwood’s

community have attempted

to highlight concerns that the

school’s mold problems in certain

areas of the school have not been

adequately addressed for years.

A teacher shared concerns about

mold with Delgado in mid-October.

“Mold is known to cause various

health problems including

respiratory problems, headaches,

dizziness, skin rashes and serious

long term health issues,” said

Delgado. “There is concern about

the teachers, staff and students

being exposed to something that

is harmful to their health. Many

teachers are reporting illnesses

and there is concern that mold

exposure is contributing to these

illnesses.”

The Washington Post published

an article on December 1

regarding this mold issue and the

concerns of parents and staff. Due

to the publicity of this article,

MCPS representatives Andrea

Swiatocha, Deputy Chief of Facilities

Management, and Jamie

Duffy, Maintenance Facilities

Manager, came on December 10

to meet with teachers and parents.

Approximately 35 teachers attended

a voluntary staff meeting

after school. The question and answer

portion of the meeting lasted

more than 45 minutes as teachers

expressed frustration that many

of the school’s problems date

back years.

At the parent meeting in the

evening, approximately 50 parents

attended in person and up to

76 people joined virtually. The

representatives presented similar

statements, but many parents

were not satisfied with actions by

MCPS so far and a plethora of

questions and concerns erupted

from the audience, causing the

meeting to last 90 minutes. Although

Swiatocha and Duffy tried

to address the concerns, many

audience members felt that their

answers were not satisfactory.

The area of greatest concern

is likely the lower F-hall where

a number of art classrooms are

located. Fine arts teacher Hailey

Mitkoff’s room is in F128, and she

is among the teachers concerned

about maintenance and repairs not

keeping up with the problems that

she visibly sees in her classroom.

“Many classrooms, not just mine,

Stephanie Rinelli ‘26

Sherwood’s original senior class t-shirt was recalled and replaced with this new design.

Senior T-Shirt Incident Sparks

MCPS Central Office Response

by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

address a deeply harmful incident that has

caused pain … for [those] across the Sherwood

community,” the October 16 letter

The senior class shirt—a time-honored

tradition often playing on the numerical

graduation year and the word namely a list of actions precipitated by the

stated. The letter included several focuses,

‘senior’—went awry this year, sparking a incident that the county would reference to

total recall, redesign, and release of a county-issued

statement discussing its contents. made by the county in the past. Over its

amend the situation and unkempt promises

Distributed to Class of 2026 seniors on October

15, the shirt had an arrangement of years, the letter stated that Sherwood has

history and even across just the past few

the graduation numbers 2 and 6 in ‘senior’ confronted several “repeated acts of racism

and bias” that include a noose tied on

that appeared to some to evoke a racial slur

better known as the ‘n-word.’ Shortly after

its distribution, MCPS released a comlished

in the most recent yearbook,” and

school grounds, “insensitive language pubmunity

letter on October 16. Co-signed students shouting offensive comments at a

by Peter Moran, MCPS Division Chief of volleyball game in 2021.

School Leadership and Improvement, and Principal Timothy Britton officially

communicated to parents and students

Nyah Hamlett, Division Chief of Equity

and Organizational Development, the letter about the incident on November 2 — about

responded to the incident with an apology three weeks after the first community letter

— directing students to drop their shirts

from the county, as well as detailed steps

moving forward for Sherwood.

“We are writing to acknowledge and see MCPS pg 5

What’s Inside:

News

Opinions

Pulse

Spotlight

Humor

Entertainment

Sports

ty Board of Education that include

the results of the lab test as

well as photos that indicate mold

and other water damage in the

F-hall,. Gerald, who has children

attending schools in the Sherwood

Cluster, urged, “Sherwood

needs remediation while we await

HVAC replacement.”

MCPS conducted an Indoor

Quality Assessment (IAQ) in the

lower F wing the week of October

28. The report found that the air

quality levels were deemed acceptable

due to no odors or mold

shown throughout the rooms, and

it concluded, “there is no indoor

air quality concerns that would

prevent staff or students from

occupying these spaces at this

time.”

Delago emailed parents regarding

the air quality test on November

6 and attached the MCPS

report. “There is a mold issue at

1-5

6-8

9

10-11

12-13

14-16

17-20

many MCPS schools,” said Delgado.

“I understand that MCPS

is overwhelmed with repairs and

mold at other schools, but Sherwood

should not be ignored. I

hold MCPS responsible for failing

to properly inspect and maintain

their facilities over many

years.”

Dissatisfied by the lack of

action by MCPS, Delgago began

a petition on Change.org that, as

of December 12, had collected

1,100 signatures. The statement

at the beginning of the petition

notes a number of issues at Sherwood

in addition to concerns

about mold, such as dramatically

fluctuating air temperature, the

smell of sewage, and frequently

‘out of order’ bathrooms. The petition

also claimed that there were

28 complaints about Sherwood

submitted to MCPS in just one

week in early November.

MCPS Moving Forward with

Regional Programs Model

by Nisha Khatri ‘26

Flooding and leaking pipes have caused mold in Sherwood classrooms.

MCPS is officially advancing its new

regional programs model, a major restructuring

of the existing magnet and consortia

system aimed at improving access and equity.

At an October 16 meeting, the district

released further details on the timeline and

next steps.

The model, first introduced in May,

outlines geographic regions offering similar

programs for high school students. The

new model is being put in place to combat

inequity and provide more opportunities

for students closer to where they live that

are not available with the existing magnet

and consortia models. MCPS officials say

the redesign will make programs more consistent

countywide and reduce barriers created

by distance and transportation, with

the plan rooted in community feedback.

Each school will have specific fields of

specialization within the model. Sherwood,

placed in a region with Blake, Springbrook,

and Paint Branch, is set to specialize in

humanities, language, health professions,

business management, and engineering.

The application process will reportedly

be consistent across every region. “[The

model] should increase opportunities for

Sherwood students by giving them access

to academic programs they currently are

unable to enroll in,” said Assistant Principal

Graham Lear.

A number of program themes, such

as medical careers, education, and public

service, are based on student interest in

regional programs through an analysis by

see PROGRAMS pg 4

Featured:

Sports:

Read about

Football’s

playoff run.

Sherwood Cluster Testimony

Opinions:

Read about

the Sudanese

Crisis.

2

Student Brings Firearm on

School Property

by Rachel Themistokleous ‘26

Principal Tim Britton emailed the Sherwood community on

October 31 that it was reported that a student had brought a pistol

to campus and had it with them throughout the entire day. Administration

was not aware of the situation until the afternoon, when

a student decided to go to them and share an image that was circulating

around social media of the student with the pistol. Law

enforcement was contacted immediately.

The email stated an investigation was then conducted involving

two students who had already left campus, and how immediate

action was being taken in accordance with district policy.

Law enforcement did determine that there was not an immediate

threat to the school. It was emphasized that this incident was being

taken with utmost seriousness, and that the safety of students

and staff will always remain the school’s highest priority.

In the weeks since the incident, neither the school nor MCPS

has shared any additional information with parents, students, or

teachers. There has been no official communication whether the

pistol was real, and if so, if it was loaded. There also has been no

more information about the students’ intentions or if any arrests

have been made as a result of the incident. Britton declined a

request from The Warrior to provide more information beyond

what was shared in the letter.

MCPS Considers Crown High

School as Holding School

by Nicholas Jones ‘28

Proposed plans to turn Crown High School, expected to open

around the fall of 2027, into a temporary holding school were

announced during a presentation featuring Chief Academic Officer

Niki T. Porter and Chief of District Operations Adnan Mamoon.

This comes as there are plans to bring major renovations

to the aging Damascus, Wootton, and Magruder high schools. If

the plans were to be finalized, students from Wootton would attend

Crown. In addition to that, students who would’ve attended

Crown would be sent to Gaithersburg.

The presentation noted that there has been a decline in expected

enrollment, making it not immediately necessary to open

the new high school. However, Gaithersburg leaders have said

that their city’s population growth is being ignored. In addition

to this, some of the community have pushed back, saying that

their tax money wouldn’t be going towards benefiting them and

their students. The community has also noted how, if the plans

were approved, students would be sent to schools that were not

only farther away but would also become overcrowded. Currently,

there is an online petition that has more than 1,000 signatures

against turning Crown into a holding school; there is also another

petition that also has over 1,000 signatures that supports the new

plans, with many coming from the Wootton community. A final

decision for the future of the school will be made in March 2026.

Montgomery County Moves

Ahead Despite Fiscal Strains

by Emma Cosca ‘27

Montgomery County is closing out the year with several

major development projects gaining momentum across the East

County, Silver Spring, and North Bethesda regions. These projects

vary from affordable housing and mixed-use development to

life sciences.

One of this year’s largest economic investments was Viva

White Oak, a $2.8 billion mixed-use development plan for 280

acres near the U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus. The

project is expected to create more than 17,000 construction jobs,

9,000 permanent jobs, and $62 million in annual revenue. Community

organizations and business groups, including LABQUEST

and Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce, praised the

project as “a long-awaited investment in East County.”

Budgeting for the fiscal year 2026, which began in July, is

on track, but the $100 million decrease in revenue predicted for

fiscal year 2027 would slacken development. Additionally, the

Maryland General Assembly will begin its session in January in a

$1.5 billion deficit. Between federal economic policies and state

budget pressures, County Council President Natali Fani-González

says she is “very worried for fiscal year 2027.”

The Warrior • News

December 18, 2025

Senior Quotes Prohibited in Yearbook

by Maya Dorsam ‘27

Seniors will not be permitted

this year to submit a senior quote

to accompany their picture as

they have in past years. Assistant

Principal and senior grade-level

administrator Tamara Jennings

and Yearbook Advisor Christiane

Lock each confirmed that multiple

inappropriate quotes from

last year ultimately led to the

decision by administration. Lock

expressed that she is unsure if the

decision will carry on into future

years.

“Due to the incident with

the yearbook last school year,

Sherwood HS administration determined

that it would be in the

best interest of all not to include

senior quotes in the upcoming

yearbook,” said Jennings “Upon

further investigation, there were

several inappropriate senior

quotes. There will be other opportunities

in the yearbook for

seniors to express their uniqueness.”

Many may recall receiving

a school-wide email regarding

a specific senior yearbook quote

incident during the time of their

distribution last year. A student’s

submission concerning the Israeli–Palestinian

conflict received

backlash after it made its way

into the yearbook. Administration

quickly responded by offering the

option of stickers for students who

wanted to cover the quote in their

own yearbook. The senior who

submitted it apologized to the

entire senior class after fearing it

would interfere with his chance to

walk the stage at graduation. The

aftermath further escalated as he

and his family were harassed by

members of the community.

Jennings or Lock did not

specify what other quotes raised

concerns. While many see senior

quotes as tradition, Lock noted

that aesthetically, the yearbook

looks neater without them. Not

every student submits a quote,

and they vary in size. This can

make pages look less cohesive

and uniform.

Other schools in the county

still permit the privilege of submitting

a senior quote. Karen

Zappone, the yearbook sponsor at

Damascus, explained the guidelines

for submitting a quote. Time

stamps of shows and songs are not

allowed; instead, the exact quote

must be stated. This practice of

tagging timestamps is typically

used to express inappropriate

or long quotes from other media

forms and is popular among high

schoolers. Additionally, Damascus

requires that quotes in another

language be translated and

double-checked. Each submission

is reviewed multiple times,

and if deadlines permit, seniors

are given the chance to resubmit

a different quote if their original

was found inappropriate.

“I don’t think it needs to be

included in the yearbook if it’s

being abused,” said Zappone.

“There are so many ways students

can express themselves. If there’s

something students really want

to say, they can include it when

they sign each other’s yearbooks.

They could also purchase a senior

ad.”

Lock also suggested the purchasing

of senior ads. “It’s a huge

celebration for that particular person,”

said Lock of the ads. “They

can put any pictures they want on

there, and it can be their own personalized

message. That’s a fabulous

way for people to personalize

the book for themselves.”

Despite other options for

self-expression, senior Olivia

Booker believes that this year’s

seniors should get to have a senior

quote if they so choose..“Senior

quotes were a small way for

us to leave our mark, and losing

them feels like losing a voice,”

said Booker “It’s unfair to be silenced

over something the Class

of 2026 never said.”

All high school graduations in the county have been moved to the University of Maryland Baltimore College.

MCPS Moves All Graduations to UMBC

by Nisha Khatri ‘26

Sherwood’s Class of 2026

graduation will be at UMBC on

May 28 at 6 p.m., as announced

by the school administration in

early October. Sherwood’s graduations

have been at UMBC for the

past three years, creating a sense

of familiarity with the location.

Students, staff, and parents

have generally expressed approval

for the location over the past

few years, from the commute to

the high-guest capacity. Sherwood

CTE teacher Pam Johnson,

who has been involved in coordinating

graduation for the past few

years, has liked having UMBC

as a venue for Sherwood’s graduation.

“Space and parking [and]

more tickets per senior for their

guests [are advantages of UM-

BC’s venue],” said Johnson.

However, MCPS has stirred

controversy with its recent announcement

that they would be

moving all graduations for the

Class of 2026 to UMBC’s “centralized”

venue. The district has

listed an indoor setting, ample

parking, and accessibility as several

reasons for the change. Notably,

MCPS negotiations with

UMBC have also resulted in considerably

lower costs for schools

and families. “Logistically it is

easier for MCPS to have them all

in one place,” noted Johnson.

MCPS graduations have

been in a variety of locations

for the past few years, including

Xfinity Center at UMD, Knott

Arena at Mount St. Mary’s University,

and DAR Constitution

Hall in Washington, D.C. Removing

the choice for schools to make

their individual decision has thus

Google Images

posed challenges and prompted

much pushback.

Some students and parents

worry about having to travel

during rush hour, while others

expressed frustration about not

receiving ample notice of this

change in plan. Damascus, for

instance, has had a long-standing

tradition of graduation taking

place on their high school football

field. Other schools, including

Poolesville, Northwest, and

Clarksburg, are located more than

40 miles away from UMBC.

“I can see where some are

used to using their home school -

the history behind it, also the distance

to UMBC from their area of

the county. But when seniors get

so many tickets for their guests

[at UMBC], I think the good outweighs

the bad,” said Johnson.

“Seniors want their family there.”


December 18, 2025

Experts Advise Prospective College Students To Be Authentic

by Elise Yang ‘27

College application season.

A daunting time for most students.

Throughout their high school career,

students worry about what

they must do in order to get into

the best college or university for

them. By the time students reach

the start of their senior year, many

find themselves wondering what

they could’ve done better to increase

their chances at acceptance

to the colleges and universities

that they hope to attend. Sherwood

has long had a reputation

as a “sports school” that also has

the long-running Rock ‘n Roll

Revival musical. When colleges

consider a student’s application,

what else are they looking for besides

participation in sports, performing

arts, and, of course good

grades?

“Sherwood is known for its

athletic achievements,” said College

and Career Advisor Jenny

Davis, but is that enough to support

students past graduation? For

the Class of 2025, 65 percent are

attending a four year college and

25 percent a two-year college,

according to the 2025 School

Profile for Sherwood. In terms

of other extracurricular involvement,

Sherwood has 120 clubs

this school year, and around 100

of those clubs are considered active,

according

to health teacher

Heather Winans,

the school’s ECA

director.

However,

as students have

noticed, many

clubs formed

by students foster

little activity

and impact, often

created by

panicked upperclassmen

rushing

to fill their resume. Erwin

Hesse, the CEO of a specialized

college coaching program called

the Admission’s Gambit, said this

immense pressure for students to

please prestigious colleges comes

from the “over sensationalization

in the media,” and that “what we

see in the data and the research is

that there’s little to no statistical

difference of student satisfaction

and student opportunities whether

you’re at Harvard or University

of Maryland or Towson.” Hesse

encourages students to think

about what a “top college” actually

means to them,

and reconsider the

types of schools

they wish to attend.

Even having

good grades, volunteering

and club

involvement, and

solid test scores

doesn’t always suffice,,

and highly

selective schools

like UMD review

thousands of almost

perfect transcripts,

exceptional SAT scores,

and extracurriculars, according

to Hesse. Naviance shows that in

2025 only 69 Sherwood students

were accepted to UMD out of 192

that applied for a 35-percent acceptance

rate.

Hesse said that students

should ask themselves, “what

New York City Mayoral Election

Rattles Political Establishment

by Yasmin Sheikh ‘27

New York City mayoral-elect

Zohran Mamdani will

be the youngest mayor of America’s

largest city since 1892. He

is a Muslim, an African-born

immigrant, and a democratic socialist.

These factors, when combined,

make Mamdani’s win truly

groundbreaking. For many young

people, Mamdani’s election is an

exciting change from the status

quo.

Mamdani’s mayoral campaign,

which started off in October

2024, focused on making

the city more affordable for those

outside the wealthy one percent.

His blending of social media

and classic political strategies

helped his campaign tremendously.

Mamdani used popular social

media platforms such as TikTok,

Instagram, and X while also participating

in talk shows, all to target

a broader and younger audience.

Using this approach, he was

able to interact very closely with

voters, which is something that

the other candidates, particularly

Andrew Cuomo, weren’t able to

do as effectively.

At the start of his campaign,

the odds were against Mamdani.

He had little money and no name

recognition since it was his first

mayoral race. Additionally, the

financial district of Wall Street

as well as many wealthy figures

saw Mamdani as a threat and donated

large sums to efforts opposing

him. Despite this, he swept to

victory over Cuomo by eight percentage

points. As U.S. representative

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

(D-NY) told Mamdani, “Billionaires

and lobbyists poured millions

against you and our public

“If you don’t get

involved in clubs, if

you don’t have strong

grades, you’re signaling

to me that you’re

accepting

mediocracy.”

- Erwin Hesse

Google Images

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign mobilized young voters.

finance system … And you won.”

Mamdani is a progressive

Democratic Socialist, which

signals a focus on equality and

lots of voter participation and

involvement rather than elites

and higher-ups deciding on what

policy changes may happen.

Mamdani’s campaign centered

around making New York more

affordable, particularly housing,

and his idea is to do this through

city intervention to complete his

campaign promises. He aims to

tackle promises like free childcare,

raising minimum wage, and

lowering the cost of living by taxing

the wealthy. These initiatives

helped Mamdani gain support

from working class New Yorkers

and other marginalized groups.

The Israel-Gaza conflict is

perhaps the most divisive issue

within the Democratic party and

among its voters. Many Democrats

refrain from taking a firm

stance on the issue, especially

regarding the question of a permanent

state for Palestinians,

because any position they take

would cost them the votes of some

in their constituency. Mamdani

has taken a firm stance unique

among American politicians: he

openly stands with Palestine. He

has asserted that Israel’s war on

Gaza is certainly a genocide.

During the campaign for

mayor, President Donald Trump

openly campaigned against Mamdani,

calling him a “100 percent

Communist Lunatic.” Such barbs

towards Mamdani contradict the

overwhelming kindness Mamdani

was met with during his

meeting with Trump at the White

House on November 21. In particular,

Trump expressed his confidence

in Mamdani as a mayor and

had a huge smile on his face for a

considerable amount of the press

conference. Something to watch

for after Mamdani takes office on

January 1 is whether he is able to

build a constructive relationship

with the Trump administration.

makes you unique?” and that

they should pick activities they

have real passion for. “If today

was your last day on earth, is this

something you would be spending

your time on?” Hesse added

about choosing activities that they

truly care about doing.

Davis also described the importance

of meaningful extracurricular

activities that showcase

a student’s in addition to their

courseload, grades, and leadership

roles to better understand

how they would contribute to the

school’s community. One of the

biggest mistakes students make

is waiting to take the application

process seriously until it’s too

late, according to Davis. “Take

advantage of all the resources

here in the building,” she said.

”Scheduling a one-on-one meeting

with your counselor, or with

me in the Career Center; read the

announcements and opportunities

sent to your email … like webinars,

evening meetings in-person

that cover topics such as navigating

the college search process,

financial aid, financial literacy

3

Newest Honors Society

at Sherwood Promotes

Future Entrepreneurs

by Chloe Cha ‘28

to help you pay for college and

scholarship opportunities.”

Compared to 10 years ago,

surveys have shown a drop from

“75 percent to 33 percent [of high

school seniors] saying ‘I want to

go to a postsecondary education’

or ‘I want a four year degree,’”

said Hesse, who attributes this

drop to the “outrageous costs of

higher ed” seen on the “sticker

prices of prestigious institutions

promoted in the media.” Hesse

said that, in reality, the net tuition

cost is actually going down and

college is much more affordable

than students may think.

Ultimately, colleges want to

see students with passion, ambition,

and drive, not for something

fabricated for admissions officers

to see but for something they

truly believe in. Although what

a student does in high school

doesn’t directly dictate success

or performance after graduation,

Hesse noted, “if you don’t get involved

in clubs, if you don’t have

strong grades, you’re signaling to

me that you’re accepting mediocracy.”

The Maryland Business Honor

Society (BHS) is a new chapter

at Sherwood which strives to

encourage young students who

want to go into the business field,

created by sophomore president

Wyatt Tang and sophomore vice

president Layla Woldu. The staff

sponsor is Michele Bloom in

K167.

BHS is structured as a statewide

honor society. This is common

with many legitimate honor

societies that work at a state or

regional level; they don’t require

a national parent organization in

order to be considered a valid

society. “What defines an honor

society isn’t national affiliation,

but the standards it upholds.” explained

Priya Patel, the President

of MBHS.

Although applications have

now already closed, BHS can be

for anyone as long as they meet

the following criteria: GPA no

less than a 3.2, one recommendation

from a non-elective teacher,

and a submission of the form

before the set due date. The club

will potentially open applications

again at the start of the second

semester. Currently, there are 14

members.

“I chose to start a chapter of

the Business Honor Society here

at Sherwood because I think it’s

important that we empower student

entrepreneurs and help local

businesses to raise money and

give them all the support we can,

especially as people who have a

lot of connections,” said Tang.

“I chose to help support Wyatt

because I thought that students

needed to be exposed to more local

businesses as well, not only

uplifting student entrepreneurs

but I feel like this honor society

helps connect them to local

businesses and more community

owned businesses,” added Woldu.

The top priorities BHS would

like to accomplish this year are to

host many fundraisers in order to

give back to local businesses by

donating the raised money and

find any local causes that they

could help promote. Woldu also

wishes to provide insight for students

of what it is like running

and owning a business so that if

they want to go into that career

themselves.

In addition to fundraisers,

BHS also plans on hosting different

events like having guest

speakers, such as from student-owned

businesses, and possibly

visit local businesses to

see how they operate in order to

inspire students. The events they

will host aren’t just exclusive to

members only; these events are

open opportunities for anyone to

swing by and join.

Tang wants to go into the

business field because he wants to

start his own business and considers

it “a very interesting endeavor

to take on.” Although Woldu does

not plan on getting into the business

field, she believes that the

skills that you learn from BHS

can apply to all fields since it

teaches one on the fundamentals

of management, marketing, and

finance and handling money.

4


December 18, 2025

New Policy Impacting Student

Grades, Overall Performance

by Rachel Themistokleous ‘26

With the first quarter officially

over and the second quarter

reaching its midway point,

students and staff have begun to

see with more clarity how the

new grading policy affects grades

and student engagement for the

semester. Teachers and administration

continue to express their

support for the policy, explaining

that they’ve seen a more academically

focused environment, with

students more committed to their

work and motivated to finish their

courses strongly.

While the new grading policy

is a more accurate reflection of

students’ performance, it also has

the potential to increase failures.

At the start of the second quarter,

school data showed that 5 percent

of students had non-passing

grades in the first quarter in one

or more classes and mathematically

can not pass their classes for

the semester under the new policy.

Additionally, there are also

students who ended Q1 in the

20-40-percentage range for the

quarter, who also realistically

have a small chance of achieving

a passing grade for the semester

because it will require many of

those students getting a high A for

Q2.

“We, as a school, really supported

students that were not

being academically successful

through parent-teacher conferences,

counseling, mentoring,

one-on-one support, and supporting

them with their attendance,”

said Assistant Principal Dirk Cauley.

“We hoped that going into the

second quarter, the number of

students that were in a position

where they couldn’t be successful

would be reduced.”

The administration has also

taken additional steps to assist

students that mathematically can

not pass. The

first option is the

use of a program

called Edmentum,

which is

a credit recovery

process that

provides digital

curriculums and

resources to students

who have

fallen behind in

their classes. This

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“We are doing our

best to provide students

with opportunities

to be successful

and make sure

that the contract is

aligned with the

guidelines of MCPS”

- Dirk Cauley

program allows

students to earn

necessary credits for graduation

through self-paced online learning.

The second intervention is

the introduction of an academic

contract for success, which

launched on December 8. This

contract consists of expectations

that the student would have to

follow in order to get a forced

grade of a passing D. Some of

these expectations include good

attendance, make-up assignments

teachers and students agree are

necessary to prove concepts were

mastered, and students governing

themselves to align with the

code of conduct. The goal of the

contract is to incentivise the most

academically at-risk students to

turn things around in the second

quarter to pass their classes that

they failed in the first quarter.

“We are doing our best to

provide students with opportunities

to be successful and make

sure that the contract is aligned

with the guidelines of MCPS,”

explained Cauley. “The contract

is a way that inspires a conversation

and agreement with students,

so that we ensure students are not

sitting in their classroom feeling

like there’s no hope.”

At the other end of the spectrum,

the new

AP AB Calculus ‘Flips’

Classroom Dynamic

with New Curriculum

by Ziv Golan ‘26

This school year AP AB Calculus

teachers Timothy Phelps

and Deborah Schwalm implemented

a new teaching method

known as a flipped classroom.

Guided by a goal of increasing

AP test scores, the system allows

students to watch video lectures

at home and practice concepts in

class. Video lectures come from

the Flipped Math platform, which

features a system of videos and

practice assignments for all the

covered units. The new system is

intended to offer a chance at increased

classroom efficiency.

“The main benefit of this

system is that students get time

to practice concepts in class and

receive feedback from teachers,”

said Phelps. “In the past, students

received only lectures in class

with very few examples presented

by the teacher and then performed

their practice at home without any

assistance. Another benefit is that

instruction can be received even

when a student is not present in

the classroom.”

Student perspective is varied,

with agreement that the system

can be a help while also acknowledging

its flaws. “I feel like if you

watch the videos every night and

understand the general concepts

it’s overall fine,” said current

AP AB Calculus student, junior

Laurika Pich. “However, when

going over lessons in class the

teacher sometimes has to correct

the answer keys given by flipped

math as he [Flipped Math creator]

did not show the correct steps to

solve a problem.” Flipped Math

supplies worksheets, and answer

keys for the assignments, which

students complete in class.

The success of a flipped

classroom model depends heavily

on students responsibly doing

homework. “The main negative

is that if students don’t do their

homework, or do it in a way other

than intended, such as pausing

videos and just writing down answers

or copying from a friend,

then they will not be prepared

in class to do any practice,” said

Phelps, with Schwalm concurring.

The success of the system,

in terms of test scores, has not

been very significant so far. “On

the unit one test the improvement

was minimal but over the last two

unit tests, each time the improvement

has increased,” said Phelps.

“I don’t know if this is because

students are more comfortable

with the system at this point or

because their small improvement

from past students have compounded

into exponential gains.”

Student feedback on the system

could prove to be a large help

in improving the curriculum for

the future. “If I could tweak anything,

I’d add a bit more direct instruction.

We don’t need to go all

the way back to full lectures, but a

hybrid approach would feel more

balanced,” said AP AB Calculus

student, junior Melina Wease.

No definitive decision will

be reached on if the flipped classroom

will continue to be used

next year until after AP scores are

released in July. In the new digital

age of instruction and learning,

the traditional lecture style is

being phased out in place of new

methods.

Regional Programs Poses Solution to

Inequities for Students Across MCPS

From MODEL pg 1

grading policy

has been assumed

to affect

students’ ability

to achieve A’s

for the semester.

However, teachers

are trying to

address students’

concerns by offering

additional

assignments in

their classes and

giving students

more time to prepare for tests and

ask questions.

“I definitely think the new

policy is helping with attendance,”

said English teacher Lori

Leonard. “Last year for example,

I had students who earned an A,

B, or C first and third quarters,

and then I never saw them in the

second or fourth quarters. I am

not seeing that this year. Most of

the students who are still failing

this year are those with terrible

attendance or focus in the class.”

Contrary to the notion that

it would be more challenging to

earn A’s under the new grading

policy, math teacher Michelle

Harriger has noticed the opposite

in both her classes.

“I looked up the number of

A’s earned during the first quarter

in every class I taught over

the past three years,” said Harriger.

“The average number of As

earned--both in Algebra 2 and in

Honors Precalculus--has steadily

increased over time, including

this year with the new grading

policy.”

MCPS. The boundary studies,

beginning in late 2024, are closely

tied to the regional programs

model. According to Angela Mc-

Lane, MCPS Executive Director

of Division of Teaching and

Learning, program design and

boundary decisions must align to

avoid overcrowding and ensure

precise enrollment estimates.

“A boundary study has to

happen because we need to put

students in these seats. When you

complete [the] study, you assign a

number of students to a school,”

said McLane. “Programs take up

space in school, so if we don’t

have the programs set, we could

end up getting the numbers wrong

and overpopulating a school.”

High-demand programs such

as advanced STEM pathways are

likely to become more accessible

and have shorter wait lists, with

students having greater access to

opportunities closer to where they

live. Inequalities in the current

system include inconsistent transportation,

restrictive seats in certain

programs, and unequal accessibility

based on location. While

some magnet programs receive

dozens of buses for transportation

support, others receive none.

“We have a high school that

has a program, and there’s no

transportation available. We have

another high school that has a

program, and there’s 24 buses

available just to that one school

and that one program. That’s just

an example of the type of inequity

that we’re talking about as we are

thinking about these programs”

said MCPS Chief Academic Officer

Niki Porter. She added that

large distances can also discourage

students from applying, regardless

of qualifications.

However, the regional program

model has been the subject

of contentious debate among

community members. Several

organizations, including the

Montgomery County Education

Association (MCEA) and the

Montgomery County Council

of Parent-Teacher Associations

(MCCPTA), have spoken out

against moving forward with the

model. David Stein, the president

of the MCEA, believes MCPS is

not addressing key staffing and

quality concerns. “The risk is

that you end up with programs in

name only that aren’t being taught

with the depth they require,” said

Stein.

Still, Porter insists that the

shift is not as fast as it seems.

“This isn’t starting next school

year. We have time to continue to

work with our schools, our community

on building out our plan,”

said Porter. “Every year we wait,

we deny students opportunities.”

The new regional model will

roll out slowly, starting with the

Class of 2028 in the 2027-28

school year. An overlap period,

where both the old magnet system

and new regional program run simultaneously,

can be expected.

Sherwood administration says

the school will relay information

to families as final decisions roll

out and prepare students for the

options.


December 18, 2025

Cook celebrates ‘Hat Day’ while she meets with the members of Sherwood’s Creative Literature and Art Club.

Cook Fosters a Love for Art

by Kenzy Duda ‘28

Sherwood’s Creative Lit and

Art Club began last year, founded

by senior Lilah Boig and led

by students who are both talented

and passionate about art. Not only

does it shine because of its members,

but the club also benefits

from having an equally talented

and passionate sponsor. Fine Arts

teacher Nakeya Cook is not only

a studio art teacher and the club’s

sponsor, but a professional photographer.

Cook was inspired to pursue

photography after her experiences

looking through old family

photo albums. Her passion

flourished after taking a photography

class her senior year of

high school and winning a small

award. After studying journalism

and photography at Rutgers University,

Cook worked in a studio

in New York City and started her

own projects.

“A lot of the themes [of my

professional work] are centered

around black womanhood, and

beauty culture, and hair. And

those works were inspired by my

own hair journey, going natural in

college in my early 20s, and the

self-discovery that comes with

being my truest, most authentic

self,” explained Cook.” That’s

how I came up with these ideas

around beauty culture and trying

to expand on what’s considered

beautiful and normative and

doing that from my position as a

young black woman at the time.”

As for her favorite things

she’s done as a professional photographer,

Cook notes both a

shoot she has done for Essence

Magazine and a series of still lifes

titled “X-pressions: Black Beauty

Still Lifes.”

Cook wanted to earn her

master’s degree in fine arts so she

could become a teacher. She cited

the teacher shortage then as a reason

for wanting to be a teacher.

“I just thought that it was a really

good fit for me to go into teaching,

since I’m already making art

about expressing yourself,” said

Cook. “And I am really passionate

about photography and I want

other people to also have that

passion. Education and teaching

are a really good pairing for me,

because I can do what I love and

also share it with other people as

well.”

Cook has really enjoyed interacting

with students through

the Creative Lit and Art club.

“They have viewpoints that are

so wide ranging that it’s like sitting

in a library, a coffee shop, an

art gallery, a fashion gallery…

You just hear so many forward

thinking perspectives. I love how

the students in the club are really

nonjudgmental and accepting and

open,” she said. “The students

are creative and they like to use

creativity as a tool to be a better

person. So how could you not

want to be around students that

do that?”

MCPS Responds to Shirt Design with Definitive Steps Forward

From SENIOR pg 1

off and exchange them for the redesigned

shirt. The senior class

photo was retaken on November

17, remedying the original photograph

which pictured dozens of

students wearing the initial shirt.

Britton declined a request from

The Warrior to comment.

The county issued a follow-up

statement on November

17, detailing their “review findings,

supports, and next steps.”

The letter clarified points of confusion

and frustration raised by

the community and those who

provided the county with feedback,

as well as making due

on the promises listed in their

original statement. Senior class

president Stephanie Rinelli and

class sponsor Jean Arthur were

“heartbroken” to see the pain and

damage the shirt had unintentionally

caused. “[MCPS] very much

jumped the gun,” Rinelli said,

expressing her frustration in an

interview with The Warrior conducted

on November 11.

MCPS, for previous incidents,

has a three-tiered identification

system to determine what

level of disciplinary action is to

be taken in situations of hate or

bias, as well as providing definitions

for incidents that cause offense

or harm to members of the

community. The third and lowest

level, yellow, which can be determined

through “fact finding,” and

requires that the actions made are

determined to be “hurtful, unwelcoming,

and/or harmful, but not

motivated by hate or bias.” This

level only dictates communication

to those involved and their

respective parents, not usually

characterized by a community letter.

In response to criticisms that

the county bypassed their own

process of investigation, Hamlett

disagreed. “The decision to communicate

publicly was not based

on individual intent, but rather on

the significant community impact

and the harm caused by the imagery,”

Hamlett said in an emailed

response to The Warrior.

In their second letter on November

17, Moran and Hamlett

addressed the mention of the

Hate-Bias policy in their original

statement, acknowledging that

it was referenced “prematurely”

in accordance with the incident.

Hamlett assured The Warrior that

“MCPS is committed to learning

Oliver LaRoche ‘27

from this incident and applying

those lessons systemwide,” and

that they have received “valid

feedback” in the past about delays

or lack of acknowledgement in

situations of hate or bias, which is

what drove the quick response by

the county on October 16.

Arthur and Rinelli disagreed

with much of the language of the

original MCPS letter. Arthur, who

is a composition assistant in the

English department, wrote a response

addressed to MCPS, detailing

her frustration with their

handling of the issue, as well as

what she felt should have been

said in the original letter.

“We recognize that within

the Sherwood community,

and MCPS more broadly, there

are differing perspectives about

the nature of … whether broader

cultural issues exist,” MCPS

wrote in the follow-up letter on

November 17, responding to frustrations

about the county potentially

creating the misconception

that Sherwood is “racist school.”

Inviting open dialogue and collective

responsibility, MCPS believed

helping those who were

harmed was the main focus of the

letter.

5

MPCS Stands Up To ICE

by Andrew Fenner ‘27

In January of this year, the

Department of Homeland Security

announced that Immigration

and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

officers are allowed to conduct

investigations, searches, and arrests

in “sensitive locations” such

as churches and schools. At a regional

assembly of student leaders

on October 22, MCPS Chief

of Schools Peter Moran made a

statement against ICE enforcement

on MCPS property.

“Any ICE agent must have

a valid warrant to conduct any

business or investigation on

MCPS property,” Moran said to

the audience. He explained to

students that ICE agents will be

refused entry if they do not have a

warrant, and there is a procedure

to follow in the event that they arrive

with a warrant in hand.

According to reports, there

was an incident involving ICE

agents near Eastern Middle

School in Silver Spring. Armed

men suspected to be federal

agents were seen chasing and

detaining two people outside of

school property but in clear view

of the classrooms. “It interrupts

the learning environment for every

student,” said Moran.

More than half of Eastern

Middle School’s population is of

Hispanic descent, the main demographic

targeted by ICE agents.

CASA, an organization created to

support immigrants in the United

States, has claimed that attendance

rates at Eastern Middle

School have gone down noticeably

in the wake of the event.

In response to concerns

about student safety in the county,

MCPS has trained staff to deal

with any confrontations with ICE.

“All [MCPS] principals have

been trained on what to do if they

One of the pillars of the October

16 letter was the investigation

launched by the county, which

was declared concluded as per

their November 17 update. In interviews

with Rinelli and Arthur,

both confirmed that they had not

been personally contacted by the

county as a part of the investigation

process. According to Hamlett,

“relevant staff and students

were contacted through the proper

channels,” but there was no

specification as to whether or not

this occurred prior to the release

of the October 16 statement. “The

information gathering process did

not affirm hate-bias intent or motivation,”

MCPS concluded.

To Arthur, an investigation

doesn’t change anything. “You

don’t give a verdict before you’ve

had the trial … [MCPS] already

said we’re guilty, so what’s the

investigation going to find?” The

only form of contact Arthur and

Rinelli received was from Janita

Love, a coordinator from the

Department of Systemwide Equity,

with an invitation to a “restorative

luncheon” hosted by the

central office at MCPS’ headquarters

in Rockville. “My impression

is they’re doing this to say that

were to encounter an ICE agent,”

Moran stated. According to

MCPS Chief of Security Marcus

Jones, it’s not just principals who

are being trained. Jones told students

at the assembly that MCPS

has educated security officers on

how to deal with ICE officers if

an incident were to occur.

MCPS has created a uniform

procedure for ICE encounters that

they outline on the county website.

If an ICE officer does attempt

to gain entry to MCPS property,

staff are instructed to verify

the officer’s identity and request

proof of a warrant or official documentation

allowing them entry

into the building. If the officers

fail to identify themselves, staff

are instructed to deny them entry.

The procedure then dictates that

they contact the county’s legal

counsel for further guidance on

how to handle the situation.

According to health teacher

Heather Winans, who also is

Sherwood’s Extracurricular Activity

Director, MCPS is prohibited

from giving student information

to law enforcement unless

they have a subpoena, which is

a court order to provide information.

“If they have a subpoena,

there is a Rights Card that MCPS

has distributed,” Winans said.

The card offers advice to students

in these situations as well

as when ICE agents attempt to

gain entry to a suspect’s home

on one side. One side of the card

includes an official statement that

can be shown to an officer to reaffirm

their right to silence and protection

from unreasonable searches

and seizures. On the other side

is general information about the

rights afforded to all Americans.

MCPS also provides additional

resources on its website to help

students and parents if they are

suspects in an ICE investigation.

they did something ... I don’t expect

it’s going to make a bit of

difference,” Arthur said. According

to the county as written in

their November 17 statement, the

verdict of the investigation was

not for the purpose of assigning

blame, but “how [MCPS] systems

allowed this incident to occur and

[find] where safeguards must be

strengthened.”

The Warrior was invited to

attend the November 20 luncheon

alongside Rinelli, Arthur, and

staff members from Sherwood

and MCPS central office. During

six hours of conversation moderated

by BDFI International Training

Institute (BITI) CEO Keisha

Allen and her associate Melanie

Moss, participants shared a variety

of important viewpoints.

The impact of this incident on

the community was indisputable,

with many sharing their first hand

experiences with racism at Sherwood

and within the county that

they felt for decades. Confidentiality

was key within the luncheon

to ensure participants were comfortable,

and therefore individuals

in attendance and the specifics

of what was shared will remain

anonymous.

6

theWarrior

the

The Warrior • Opinions

December 18, 2025

Staff

Editors-in-Chief ................................................ Ziv Golan ‘26

Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

Managing Online Editor ................................... Cara Farr ‘27

Print

News .......................................................... Andrew Fenner ‘27

Opinions ................................................ Deepika Shrestha ‘27

Pulse ................................................................ Kenzy Duda ‘28

Spotlight ...................................................... Maya Dorsam ‘27

Humor ................................................................ Lilah Boig ‘26

Entertainment ............. Lilah Boig ‘26, Matilda Hawkins ‘27

Sports ................................ Cara Farr ‘27, Chase Sondike ‘26

Copy and Content

Director of Copy & Content ......................... Nisha Khatri ‘26

Business and Social Media

Directors of Social Media.............................. Emma Link ‘27

Molly Schecter ‘27

Photography

Photographer ........................................... Oliver LaRoche ‘27

Staff Writers

Brianna Abercrombie ‘28, Taylor Adams ‘27, Madelyn Awwad

‘27, Makenna Babcock ‘27, Maddie Baron ‘27, Tyler

Boone ‘27, Chloe Cha ‘28, Emma Cosca ‘27, Reid Duvall ‘27,

Gabriel Esteban ‘27, Violet Fujimoto ‘27, Ryan Green ‘26,

Kenley Jacobs ‘27, Nicholas Jones ‘28, Roman Khrizman

‘27, Finian Kocsis ‘27, Chloe LaRoche ‘27, Ryan Lichter

‘27, Leslie Majkrzak ‘27, Kaitlyn Nardo ‘28, Yasmin Sheikh

‘27, Owen Smith ‘27, Rachel Themistokleous ‘26, Charlie

Weigand ‘27

The Warrior Newspaper serves as Sherwood’s

primary news source, receiving numerous state

and national honors over the 48 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 pieces represent

the viewpoint of the writer.

The Warrior invites feedback and corrections

to printed inaccuracies in editions.

The Warrior reserves the right to refuse advertisements

and other promotionals.

Stop Giving Honors and AP Same Weight

by Molly Schecter ‘27

As the country moves further

away from the brief era of

virtual learning during the covid

pandemic, MCPS has rolled back

county-wide grading policies that

once offered students additional

support. This year, semester

grades depend solely on the average

of the two quarter grades.

This adjustment has made report

cards accurately represent the

grades that students are earning.

This fix to semester grades prevents

some students from unfairly

getting the same grade for the

semester as other students who

consistently earned A’s on assignments

for the entire semester and

not just one quarter of it.

However, MCPS still has not

corrected its outdated system for

weighted grades in which honors

classes get the same 5.0 weight

as AP classes. This means that

the most rigorous, fast-paced,

and conceptually demanding AP

classes influence a student’s GPA

no more than a lower-level honors

course. As a result, students

who challenge themselves with

advanced coursework risk earning

lower grades that can bring

down their weighted GPA, without

receiving the proportional

recognition that AP-level difficulty

deserves.

It is unfair that students with

Due Process Protects All of Us

by Lilah Boig ‘26

The right to due process, or

access to a fair and legal trial, is

guaranteed to all “persons” via

in the 5th Amendment. Without

due process, individuals can be

charged and punished without an

opportunity to defend themselves.

In March, the Trump administration

used a declaration that

members of a Venezuelan gang

were “threatening an invasion or

predatory incursion” as a catalyst

to reinvoke the Alien Enemies

Act of 1798. This wartime law

allows Trump to arrest and deport

individuals who are considered

“hostile” to the nation without

due process. After a multitude of

lawsuits, the Supreme Court ruled

that Trump had to give the Venezuelans

proper notice and time to

contest their deportation, but still

left this law in place. There have

been countless appeals following

this contradictory decision, causing

blocks and changes to those

previously deported. Nonetheless,

without the Supreme Court

shutting it down, it has allowed

Trump to target people he decides

are “hostile” and overstep

the American rights being argued

over.

On March 15, Kilmar Armando

Ábrego García was jailed

and deported without trial, completely

disregarding a court order

that kept him from having to return

to his country of origin. At

the beginning of the year, immigrant

graduate student Rümeysa

Öztürk was picked up off the

street by federal agents, carried

to holding cells without notification

to her legal team, and

Student A: Current GPA 4.57 Student B: Current GPA 4.71

AP World Hist. Modern

AP Human Geography

AP Calculus BC

Ap Psychology

Newspaper (Honors)

AP Lang and Comp

Honors Physics

B

A

B

A

A

B

A

schedules filled with high-level

AP classes and all honors classes

receive the same GPA as another

student whose schedule is

made up of honors-level courses.

Workload, time commitment, and

dedication should be accurately

measured and represented in a

student’s weighted GPA, especially

because colleges consider

weighted GPA during admissions.

MCPS could resolve this issue

by assigning all AP classes a 5.

weight, all honors classes a 4.5,

and on-level classes a 4. This system

is simple and straightforward

and ensures that students’ weighted

GPAs serve their purpose in

representing how well a student

is doing academically concerning

rigor.

Many colleges and universities

continue to implement the

test-optional rule implemented

after the Covid pandemic, allowing

students to apply without

World History

Studio Art 1A/B

Honors Algebra 2

AP Psychology

Yoga (Phys Ed.)

Honors English 11

Honors Physics

Via policy change, Student A would have a higher GPA than Student B.

submitting SAT or ACT scores.

This policy allows colleges to accept

and evaluate students based

solely on their transcripts, grades,

and GPAs. However, with unfair

GPAs that give the same weight

to honors and AP classes, college

admissions committees would

have to dig deeply into students’

transcripts to see which courses

students have taken to get an accurate

picture of the level of rigor.

MCPS must continue to take

strong measures to ensure that

grading and county-wide policies

favor fairness and challenge

students into working hard by

making changes to all aspects

of the grading policies. These

alterations will reward students

for taking high-level classes and

challenging themselves. Making

the adjustment would also benefit

students when applying to colleges

and taking the next big step

in their academic journey.

George Retes, who was detained by ICE, served in the U.S. military.

A

A

A

B

A

A

A

Google Images

then detained for six weeks after

pro-Palestinian writings. Leqaa

Kordi was arrested for overstaying

her visa and protesting at a

pro-Palestine event. She has since

been held by Immigration and

Customs Enforcement (ICE) for

over 300 days and subjected to

overnight transfers and automatic

stays that override judges’ orders

for interference.

After recent Chicago ICE

raids, a federal judge had to order

the release of hundreds of people

from detention centers after it was

found they were arrested in violation

of a consent decree barring

the arrest of migrants without a

warrant. Nonetheless, 1,100 people

arrested by ICE in the area

may have already been unlawfully

deported.

The Trump administration

has made it a reality in which due

process doesn’t apply to undocumented

immigrants. However, as

the Trump administration continues

its crackdown, even citizens

have been denied their constitutional

rights. In July, American

citizens George Retes and Andrea

Velez were both arrested separately

at traffic stops. Retes was jailed

for three days without lawyer access,

and Velez spent two nights

in jail without access to a lawyer

or water. They were stopped, profiled

by ICE officers, and not given

the right to identify themselves

as citizens, leading to altercations

and claims that these individuals

obstructed and assaulted ICE officers.

While these are only a few

examples, this overstep of rights

occurs every day to people across

America.

Without access to due process,

people in this country cannot

prove who they are or what

they’ve done, undocumented or

not. If the Trump administration

can use the “migrant crisis” as

a vessel to bypass these rights,

there’s no saying who can’t be

arrested and taken away if his

administration deems them a

threat. To defend everyone’s

rights, Americans must stand up

for those being persecuted now,

regardless of their immigration

status. No matter who you are,

without upholding constitutional

rights, we are only at the mercy

of those in power.


December 18, 2025

White House Continues Breaking Promises

by Taylor Adams ‘27

The Trump Administration

began demolishing the East

Wing of the White House this

October. The East Wing has always

been considered the social

sphere of the White House and

was the First Lady’s domain. It

has been demolished to make

room for a ballroom to host large

events. Government officials say

this renovation is much needed

as the current space for hosting

events could only seat 200 people.

President Donald Trump had

promised to consult professionals

and not interfere with the structure

of the existing building, but

his actions go against this. While

arguments can be made for or

against the need for a ballroom,

an incontrovertible fact is that

Trump lied about his intentions as

he moved forward with a radical

construction plan for the White

House, commonly referred to as

the “people’s house.”

This is not the first time a

president has significantly altered

the White House. Trump previously

paved over the Rose Garden,

added gold trims to the Oval

Office, and even remodeled the

Lincoln bathroom to make it fully

marble. However, this renovation

unveils his lack of regard for rules

and regulations. Trump failed

to consult the National Capitol

Planning Commission (NCPC),

the executive branch agency that

has jurisdiction over major renovations

and construction to government

buildings in the region,

and ended up firing the professionals

he hired to consult him. In

the demolition of the East Wing,

asbestos was likely exposed because

Trump blatantly disregarded

safety precautions. If there are

plans to majorly alter a historical

building, the government needs

to be highly transparent with the

process and expected changes.

Considering the scope of this

project, it’s absurd that Trump be

allowed to treat it like a personal

home renovation.

Behind Trump’s ignorance

and disrespect for regulations,

it can’t be ignored that he broke

another promise. Since before

his term began, Trump has been

making bold guarantees, many

of which he has failed to carry

out. He claimed he would lower

prices on day one, and end the

Ukraine-Russia war, to give just

two examples of broken promises.

He promised that the renovation

wouldn’t interfere with the

structure of the White House,

and then went and hit the East

Wing with an excavator used as

a wrecking ball. Additionally,

he continues to blow up the size

of the expansion. With the previous

East Wing being 12,000

square feet, fitting only 200 people,

Trump initially claimed he

hoped to expand it to fit 500 people.

This number inflated to 900,

and eventually to 1,350 people in

Google Images

Prior to demolition, the East Wing was an iconic staple of the White House.

a 90,000 square foot space. It’s

hard to tell just how much larger

this ballroom will grow past his

initial promise; it’s already going

to overshadow the main mansion,

which is 55,000 square feet. The

cost also continues to escalate,

going from $200 million when the

project was first proposed to $300

million in October. He claims this

cost will be paid by doners at no

expense to tax payers.

Trump is testing the limits

of what he can get away with.

He has no care for the history

of the building, even though his

administration claims they preserved

historical artifacts. This

demolition was a show of his

power and another example of

how he doesn’t care if he lies to

the American people. As a result,

on December 12 the National

Trust for Historic Preservation

filed a lawsuit against the Trump

Administration. The non-profit

had sent a letter urging the pause

of the renovation, but it was ignored.

They assert that no president

is allowed to tear down parts

of the White House without an

extensive public review process.

SGA Should Propose

an Open-Lunch Policy

by Gabriel Esteban ‘27

Some high schools in MCPS

allow their upperclassmen to have

the privilege of open lunch. Students

of B-CC, Quince Orchard,

Walt Whitmen, Damascus, Walter

Johnson, and Richard Montgomery,

to name a few, are all allowed

to leave campus and get lunch at

nearby establishments. This policy

at these schools allow upperclassmen

to be more independent

and responsible as they transition

into adulthood. Open lunch also

allows students to momentarily

step away from campus and take

a breather from the stressful realities

of high school.

Sherwood has no open lunch

policy, and students are required

to stay within the school’s boundaries

during lunch time. Over the

years, the idea of an open lunch

at Sherwood flares up but nothing

ever comes of it. To mediate,

Sherwood often hosts food truck

days about once a quarter, which

are often crowded and become a

logistical nightmare. The school’s

current SGA should initiate a process

in which open lunch is considered

for Sherwood. According

to a document that can be found

on the Official MCPS page, the

SGA at any MCPS high school is

permitted to write a petition to the

principal for formal consideration

of the adoption of an open lunch

policy. The petition must include

the following criteria: school

proximity to commercial food establishments

sufficient amount of

time in the lunch period for travel

to and from commercial food

establishments; traffic movement

that assures safe access to and

from food establishments; being

7

nondisruptive to the surrounding

community. The principal is able

to review the specific criteria proposed

by the SGA and make a decision

according to what’s right.

The criteria listed above

might seem daunting, but Sherwood’s

SGA could make a strong

case for having open lunch. Sherwood

may not be in the middle

of a large commercial area, like

B-CC or Walter Johnson, but the

Olney town center is less than 3

miles from Sherwood and less

than a 10-minute drive away.

That is more than enough time

to leave campus, get lunch, and

return in time for 5th period. Not

to mention, there are some establishments

just a quick walk from

Sherwood in both Sandy Spring

and Ashton.

In order to make sure things

run smoothly, there needs to be

certain expectations and rules.

Since open lunch involves students

leaving campus to interact

with the community, students

should be expected to continue to

follow Sherwood’s core values.

Open lunch should be seen as a

privilege and something that can

easily be taken away if these rules

are not followed. One reasonable

rule is that open lunch, at least in

the first year, is only permitted for

juniors and seniors.

If a proposal for open lunch

is made and accepted and proper

rules are established and followed,

Sherwood students would

benefit greatly. It is important for

juniors and seniors, who typically

are going through the most stressful

years of high school, to take

a quick break and eat lunch in a

different environment from time

to time.

MCPS’ Snow Catastrophe

by Tyler Boone ‘27

MCPS announced a delayed opening at around 5 a.m.

on Tuesday, December 2, only for the county to receive

nothing more than a bit of rainfall during the morning

hours. A few days later, on Friday, December 5, MCPS

opted for an on-time opening but was instead presented

with icy roads and 1-2 inches of snow on the ground.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor and the staff involved in

making delayed opening and closure decisions need to

do better. Their decision-making ability has proven to be

questionable at best, and the MCPS students and their parents

are the ones who have paid the price.

Student and staff safety must be prioritized over all

other things. On that Friday, dozens of spin-outs and

crashes occurred across the county due to the icy conditions.

There was absolutely no reason students, many of

whom are newer drivers, should have been sent out on

those dangerous roads. It was a recipe for disaster. Many

speculate that the poor decision on Tuesday made MCPS

more inclined to hold school on Friday. If true, that logic

is extremely flawed. One bad call should not justify another

in the opposite direction. Ultimately, MCPS needs

to remember that safety clears all other objectives when

making decisions in the future.

Don’t Ban Social Media

On December 10 Australia enacted a ban on social

media for those under 16. The ban is a first of its kind

globally and represents a shift in government policy regarding

social media, which has traditionally been quite

loose globally. The rationale behind the change is in large

part for safety reasons, but also to encourage children to

engage more in meaningful activities such as sports and

reading. Social media bans may appear helpful, but loopholes

prevent any such policy from truly working.

Social media is used by teens all over the world, and

any ban will only result in kids trying to find other ways

to log in. Kids could access their parents’ social media accounts,

or purchase a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that

can change their location. A ban creates more opportunities

for kids to go behind the backs of authority figures

to use social media, which is arguably more dangerous.

It is possible to create guardrails on social media, seen

with the installment of Instagram’s protective accounts for

underage users. When kids do inevitably subvert the ban

to access social media, they will still see the same harmful

content that many are concerned about. By setting up

guardrails instead of a ban, teens will be happy and protected.

Students Misuse AI

by Ziv Golan ‘26 by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

The vast majority of high school students use AI in an

irresponsible manner. When presented with a quick solution,

many overworked students use it despite the negative

consequences that will inevitably arise with misuse. Most

students have gotten so used to exploiting AI that they use

it to complete homework, essays, and other assignments

before even attempting it on their own. Students are losing

the ability to think for themselves; they would rather let

ChatGPT come up with a generated solution than taking

the time to think critically. Doing this long term can hinder

students’ creativity and critical thinking skills.

Reliance on AI prevents students from engaging in

any meaningful or reflective thought. This leads to a lack

of understanding of the topics they are learning and will

only harm their future academic performance. Overuse of

AI encourages cognitive offloading, the act of using external

tools to reduce the effort and increase efficiency. While

this may seem to allow more productivity, the easy access

to AI tools discourages students from engaging in active

cognitive processes that are necessary for critical thinking.

When faced with a tremendous amount of schoolwork, it

may be tempting to let AI do the work. While this may be

a short term solution, it will cause more harm than good.

8


December 18, 2025

Regional Programs

Pressure Students

Bad Bunny Receives Unfair Backlash

by Maddie Baron ‘27

Bad Bunny has been announced

as the headliner for the

Super Bowl 60 halftime show, and

the news has already generated a

lot of buzz. The Puerto Rican artist,

whose latest album Debí Tirar

Más Fotos [I Should Have Taken

More Photos] debuted at No. 2 on

the Billboard 200 in January, will

be performing entirely in Spanish,

something that’s never been

done before at the Super Bowl.

This minor change is something

that will be good for everyone.

It’ll prompt those who’ve been

neglecting them to acknowledge

new cultures, along with teaching

them to celebrate the differences

they have from their own, no matter

how big or small they may be.

While many fans are excited

to see more Latin representation

on one of the world’s biggest

stages, not everyone is happy

about it. Some critics are calling

the decision “un-American” and

are upset that the performance

won’t include any English songs.

Apple Music, which sponsors

the halftime show, has also faced

backlash for its support of the

move.

Even though this year’s

show will look different from

the “all-American” halftime performances

people are used to,

it’s important to note that Puerto

Rico is a Caribbean island that

is an unincorporated territory of

the United States, meaning it is

subject to U.S. sovereignty even

if not a state. Simply put, it’s

part of the United States and its

residents are U.S. citizens. Puerto

Rico also is home to a unique

culture that blends Taino, Spanish,

and African traditions. Bad

Bunny’s performance could be a

reminder that America is made up

of many cultures, languages, and

backgrounds, and that diversity is

something worth celebrating.

Outside of the uglier online

by Deepika Shrestha ‘27

This month, the Montgomery

County Board of Education plans

to vote on a regional program

model that clusters groups of high

schools together and offers classes

at each high school intended

for a career path. Possibly starting

in the 2027-28 school year, the

programs offered include medical

science and healthcare, STEM,

IB, humanities and languages,

leadership and public service, visual

performing arts, and design

and communication. To be clear,

each high school would offer only

some of these acamedic areas.

If implemented, current

7th graders of the Class of 2031

would be the first students impacted

by the programs, according

to MCPS FAQ on proposed

high school changes. This means

students in 8th grade next school

year will decide with their families

what programs they will

apply to and what schools they

would attend, according to the

November 5 Boundary Study and

Program Analysis meeting.

While some may think this

is great that MCPS is helping

students consider the future, it’s

one thing for middle schoolers

to think about a career path and

something entirely different to

ask them to decide which high

school to attend because of it. It’s

ridiculous to ask 13 to 14 year

olds what career path they want to

pursue and expect them to be set

on it. High school is the time for

students to explore what college

major and possibly career they

want. There are sports, clubs,

internships, volunteer opportunities,

and classes in high school

that middle school does not have,

and these extracurriculars often

spark a long-term interest for students.

High school is the first time

for students to truly find out who

they are, and MCPS can not just

force it on young teens prematurely.

Students above 9th grade will

be able to go into a program, but

there will be other add-on ramps,

according to the MCPS Program

Analysis FAQ. There is no explanation

for what those add-onramps

mean and a student should

not be penalized for choosing

later in high school to pursue a

program. These programs can be

a great opportunity for students,

and a junior or senior might be interested

in them versus a middle

schooler. Many students do not

feel interested in certain programs

It is not clear what will happen

if a student decides to go to a

high school for a specialized academic

program and then wants to

drop out. Will the students automatically

be allowed to go back

to their home-based high school?

If so, will they have to wait until

the following school year to make

the change? What about a student

who decides once they are at their

home high school that they are interested

in an academic program

at another school? Will they be

able to transfer to another school

for its specialized program? There

are many unanswered questions

the county leaves students and

parents wondering.

The county should not force

students at 8th grade to choose

their potential career path and

expect that they all will make the

right choices. These programs can

make students feel stuck and that

they cannot potentially escape a

choice they made in 8th grade.

High school is the time for exploring

career options and these

programs are putting students in a

box for their high school career.

We Need to Pay Attention to Sudanese Humanitarian Crisis

by Lilah Boig ‘26

Google Images

Bad Bunny in March on tour for his lastest album Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

comments, the backlash has also

brought up a lot of conversations

about Bad Bunny’s influence and

the politics around him. Bad Bunny

has openly criticized President

Donald Trump and his policies

several times, going as far as to

cancel the American leg of his

tour because he was worried ICE

might target his primarily Latino

fans outside his shows. Because of

this, some people claim the NFL

is being “too political” by choosing

him. Similar complaints were

made after Kendrick Lamar’s Super

Bowl halftime performance,

which featured a number of political

and cultural undertones. People

are judging and complaining

about Bad Bunny’s performance

before he’s even gotten a chance

to perform, which is extremely

unfair and discriminatory. And

these critics should consider that

maybe the league is just trying to

highlight an artist who has a huge

audience.

NFL commissioner Roger

Goodell has defended the decision,

explaining that Bad Bunny

“understands the platform he’s

on” and that the halftime show

is going to be “exciting and a

united moment.” Even with the

league’s support, the announcement

has still led to big reactions.

A Change.org petition asking the

NFL to replace Bad Bunny with

country musician George Strait

for the 2026 halftime show has

already passed 100,000 signatures.

At the same time, the NFL

has tried to calm some of the upset

cities by adding more events.

Singer Sting will perform at a

pre-Super Bowl concert on February

6 at the Palace of Fine Arts

in San Francisco, as part of a

three-night series from February

5-7.

Bad Bunny’s career continues

to grow no matter what. He

recently made history by becoming

the first Spanish-language

artist to sweep the Grammy’s top

three categories in the same year

for best album, record, and song

of the year. He also starred in

Happy Gilmore 2, which further

increased his popularity among

fans who hadn’t previously listened

to his music.

Still, some political figures

have strongly criticized Bad

Bunny. Kristi Noem, the former

governor of South Dakota who

is now the Secretary of Homeland

Security in the Trump administration,

made a comment

telling “immigrants to stay away

from the Super Bowl.” Bad Bunny

later joked about the situation

on SNL, saying that even people

who watch Fox News would still

enjoy his upcoming performance.

Change can be good. Hating and

judging something you’re not

knowledgeable about, especially

on the topic of cultures, can form

prejudice and lead to the spread

of misinformation, the promotion

of harmful stereotypes, and the

justification of discrimination or

violence - - the very things that

Bad Bunny has used his platform

to fight against.

In Chad, newly arrived Sudanese children were staying in a makeshift shelter in a refugee camp during 2023.

While political tensions and

food security concerns have always

impacted the people of Sudan,

their situation has become

extremely dire after a civil war

erupted in 2023. This conflict

broke out after multiple coups

overthrew those in power. The

leaders of that coup disagreed on

the direction they wanted to take

the country, causing fighting to

break out and resulting in a devastating

two-year war.

It’s not a surprise that most

Americans know little or nothing

about the humanitarian crisis

since it has barely been covered

by the media. It was not until a

plea from the prince of Saudi Arabia

that Sudan got on the radar of

the Trump Administration. Without

mass public attention and

outcry, world issues often will get

forgotten, and suffering people

never get the opportunity to get

the aid and help they need.

Without concrete pressure from

anyone in the international community,

the two sides in the war

have targeted civilians in their

attacks, whether through child

soldier recruitment, human trafficking,

or general killings. Ten

million Sudanese people have

been displaced from their homes

and forced to migrate around the

war-torn country as major cities

are turned into battlefields. Adding

to that, as of this year, widespread

famine has been confirmed

due to the level of conflict blocking

both food and any sort of humanitarian

aid from getting into

major cities. More than 150,000

civilians have died so far, and the

UN reported that a record-breaking

number of 638,000 people are

facing “catastrophic hunger.”

It’s necessary that the people

of the United States and other

influential countries put pressure

on their own governments to talk

about the crisis in Sudan and

make plans to provide substantial

Google Images

aid. As of now, the only plan that

Trump has expressed, which followed

the plea from Saudi Arabia,

is one that heavily puts limits

on the Sudanese military without

pressuring the military actions

of the opposing Rapid Support

Forces. Even if a peace plan went

through, this would leave them

constantly susceptible to future

assault and still leave those millions

displaced without a safe

place of return.

Already, with the billions cut

from the U.S. foreign assistance

budget in early 2025, many people

around the world are not able

to get the assistance they need.

Without the protests to those in

power that a humanitarian crisis

is something we as citizens care

about, there is no hope for the

Sudanese people getting proper

support. If a government doesn’t

care that millions of innocent

people are suffering atrocities and

famine, it is the responsibility of

its compassionate citizens to put

pressure on the government to

take action.

As written by an article in The

Journal of Development Studies,

without a substantial amount of

aid allowed into Sudan, 54 percent

of the population will starve.

We cannot wait for our government

to do something, and must

not only demand attention but

also a plan to bring large amounts

of AID to all of the innocent Sudanese

people. The United States

is far too powerful to keep only

their periphery on Sudan.

The Warrior • Pulse

December 18, 2025

9

School Improvement

The Pulse

What do you feel are the

most pressing issues in the

building right now?

The Warrior surveyed 262 students regarding the state

of the school’s physical appearance, logo changes,

senior privileges (or lack thereof), and more.

Do you prefer the new sports logo

(see pg 20) over the old one?

“I severely object to the blatant disregard

of school non-proportionate funding.

Athletics and security while big necessary

parts of the school system shouldn’t be held to

a greater weight of support through funding

over necessary renovations such as cleaning

up mold, new equipment, and better listening

to student wants to make a more comfortable

learning environment.”

- Isaac Maglinger, Grade 10

“I’d say the basic structural integrity of

the building. The pipes are old and leak especially

with winterizing not being done correctly.

The water isn’t tested enough cause

why does the water near the theater taste like

straight metal half the time. It’s just gross.

And can we get tables in the hallway instead

of lockers? Cause kids eating on the floor is

actually nasty.”

- Janet Abramson, Grade 12

“Bathrooms are absolutely nasty. They

are either trashed, have un-flushed stuff in the

toilets, smell like vapes, some closed off, or all

of them entirely. I’ll walk across the entire

school just to find a bathroom that I know

won’t be closed or trashed.”

- Matthew Sheedy, Grade 10

No

Yes

Unsure

If we had an open lunch, which

restaurant are you going to first?

“I would want to go to Chipotle; it seems like the

healthiest option for ‘fast food.’”

- Cameron Chappell, Grade 10

“168 Asian Burrito.”

- Jacob Diamond, Grade 9

“Passion Bakery, as it is easily accessible.”

- Phillip Collier, Grade 10

Do you want senior quotes back?

No

“The bathrooms are often closed or

otherwise look visibly unmaintained which

reflects poorly on the school and makes it uncomfortable

to use them. Classrooms are not

cleaned. There’s grit that’s been there for years

in some classrooms and was never cleaned.”

- Liam Howell, Grade 12

Yes

Unsure

Don’t Care

79%

SPACES THAT SPARK LEARNING

SPACES THAT SPARK LEARNING

Inside the Classroom Atmosphere

How “vibes” make a difference

Ms. Palomo H249

Ms. Winans J153

Whether students and teachers realize it or not, a classroom’s physical environment has a

significant impact on one’s mindset and openness to learning. Research proves it taps into

cognitive functions and emotions that are positively impactful to educational processing.

The overall balance, lighting, and materials found in a classroom set the tone for the

class period and brain to perform to the highest degree. Certain materials are associated

with calm and peaceful feelings, such as those that are smooth and light, such as plastic

rather than concrete. Natural elements similarly promote attention and creativity, along

with improved memory and cognitive flexibility. Principles of feng shui focus on achieving

harmony within spaces to balance the flow of energy and promote balance, peace, and

prosperity. Other basic principles of interior design work on creating a welcoming space

through decreasing unnecessary color, using warm colors, and introducing elements that make

a space feel livable.

Classroom Spotlight

Ms. Jasnow: Classroom A298

“I wanted a vibrant and engaging

room that (not only pleases ME

when I stay late working but, more

importantly and) hopefully inspires

others to read great books, stretch

their minds, travel, welcome and

accept all, watch some great TV

and films, and see things from multiple

perspectives. Each object, each

book, each poster/wall hanging/gift

from former students has some sentimental

value/memory attached

to it and/or educational meaning.

I wanted the desk/physical layout

to inspire conversation rather than

give “lecture vibes” or “testing vibes”

since I try to encourage discussion as

often as possible.”

CHECK IT OUT!

(TO LEFT)

Images digitally recreated

by Maya Dorsam ‘27 and

Cara Farr ‘27

I’ve always wanted my classroom to offer students something

different from the typical cinderblock aesthetic found

in most schools. The space is a reflection of who I am, so I

put care into fostering growth, not just in the plants around

my classroom, but in my students as well.

Because fluorescent lighting is linked to negative outcomes

for ADHD, I swapped in muted light covers to soften the

visual noise. This year, I chose a stained glass motif, as it

reminded me of my recent trip to El Salvador when I visited

Iglesia El Rosario.

I want students to feel genuinely invited into the room, because

at the end of the day, we have important work to do.

We’re here to stretch, challenge, and wrinkle those brains.

Ms. Mitkoff F128

In my classroom, I want it to feel warm, creative, and inviting.

The room is filled with lots of plants, artwork, and

inspirational quotes to make it feel like a true studio space

rather than a traditional classroom.

My goal is for students to walk in and immediately feel

calm, welcomed, and excited to create. Ceramics can be

messy and challenging, but also incredibly rewarding, so

the environment matters — I want students to feel safe

experimenting, taking risks, and finding joy in the process.

The whole vibe is relaxed, creative, and a place students

genuinely want to be.

Ms. Milford K165

The goal behind the environment that I attempted to create

was to have a safe, warm and comfortable space for my students.

I have witnessed over my 14 years of teaching that

children tend to thrive and take more risks in an inviting

and calm setting while learning a second language.

My students said that the elements of my classroom that

make the “vibe” are the dim lighting, the positive energy,

that it’s clean and organized with relevant and colorful

posters and trinkets from Spanish Speaking Countries, the

calmness they feel when they enter and that it almost feels

like they’re at “home.” My students have also told me over

the years that the environment makes them look forward to

coming to Spanish class.

The atmosphere in my classroom

is shaped largely by intentional

lighting choices. I

use four lamps and LED lights,

and the black decor helps keep

the room slightly darker, creating

a calm and welcoming

environment. People often assume

students get tired or fall

asleep because of the lighting,

but I find the opposite.

My lessons frequently include

music, movement, and active

engagement, which keeps students

alert and involved. As a

Health teacher, I discuss many

sensitive topics, so creating a

space where students feel comfortable,

safe, and emotionally

regulated is essential for encouraging

open conversation

and meaningful learning.

Ms. Smith K168

I know that learning a new

language can be tough and

you spend more time at

school than you probably do

at home. That is way I aim to

build a safe space for everyone.

Aside from the decor, I

try to be my most authentic

self with my students. I think

when students can see that

yes, I am a teacher, but I am

human it builds an opening

for them to get rid of some

fear and anxiety they may

have. I love when students

show me who they are feel

comfortable to ask questions

or share bits of their lives with

me.

I also have a have a huge wall

of pictures and notes from

students and colleagues. It

reminds me why I became a

teacher, especially on those

tough days.

12

The Warrior • Humor

December 18, 2025

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.

The Winter Winter Crossword Returns

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Google Images

28

Clash Royale Takeover

by Ryan Green ‘26

and Ryan Litcher ‘27

Every morning, students

struggle to keep their eyes open

during lessons. Math teachers

quiz on nearly impossible equations,

English teachers talk about

random poets that no one cares

about, and history teachers go on

and on about different wars and

battles. But students have a different

battle to worry about: the

battle to reach 10k trophies. The

equations … that is just elixir

management. And random poets

… their names are actually Ryley

and Jynxi.

Since the start of the school

year, Clash Royale has blown up,

with many students playing it. To

teachers it’s just a mobile game,

but to students it’s a complex

learning tool, capable of teaching

us more than academics ever

could.

The game is based around

Elixir, which is similar to time

and money. Every decision is a

lesson in resource management.

Do you spend 7 elixir on a Mega-Knight

or cycle through for

an elixir lead? In boring people

terms, it’s deciding between buying

that expensive coat or saving

money for an even better one.

Crafting a deck is very important

because you must have all

the cards needed to protect your

tower from enemies. Similar to

this is the fact that you need to

find a process in school to get all

your work done.

Teachers might not like

the fact that all the students are

staring at their phones all class

instead of doing their classwork.

However, Chase Jenkins managed

to maintain a 4.0 GPA while

hitting 10k trophies in Clash

Royale, something only 6 to 7

percent of players have done. On

top of that, he was also a captain

of the pickleball team.

“I spent most of my time in

class grinding for that 10k trophy

mark,” said Jenkins. “My biggest

accomplishment that I hit this

year was all because I didn’t pay

attention in class.”

Jenkins represents a significant

portion of the school (okay,

mostly male students) who are

able to maintain good grades,

play sports, and strive for that

10k trophy mark. “I was able to

get to 10k trophies while taking 3

APs and getting a 4.0 GPA,” said

senior Ben Kauffman, who also

excels at volleyball. “School was

a mere obstacle.”

Clash Royale teaches students

the values of real life while

supplementing the brain with

high amounts of dopamine, creating

an intense mood during

games. Students who are not successful

at Clash Royale don’t tend

to be able to find learning strategies

in school which can lead to

later success in life. So next time

a teacher tells you to get off your

phone, tell them you’re working

on bigger things.

To See Answers Check

The Warrior Online

(thewarrioronline.com)

-Lilah Boig ‘26 and Ziv Golan ‘26

Across Down

4. Name the TV Channel that is known for

broadcasting rom coms related to the winter

holidays

9. The name of the Santa Tracker that started

in the1950s after an accidental phone

call from a childlooking for Santa

11. The number of candles on a Kwanzaa

candleholder (Kinara)

12. A popular drink often consumed during

the winterholidays

13. When standing underneath this plant a

kiss is expected to occur

14. Name this wintery monster, also the

name of a popular water bottle brand

15. The name of the saint who inspired Santa

Klaus

18. This holiday is often celebrated in the

UK on December 26 and has traditionally

been a day of shopping and sporting events

19. What country will the winter Olympics

take place in, in early 2026

21. Name the winter holiday which includes

lighting a candle for 8 nights in a row

24. The fast food restaurant that has become

a tradition for people in Japan to go

to on Christmas

27. What some animals do over winter when

they fall into a dormant state until spring

28. This spread often fills donuts eaten

during the Jewish holiday of Hannukah

Across Down

1. This New York City Landmark is widely

known for hosting an annual Christmas Tree

Lighting ceremony

2. Name the mineral often used to melt

snow and ice covering roads

3. This popular Christmas song is the highest

sellingsingle of all time

5. The Christian holiday observed in the

month leading up to Christmas, often celebratedwith

a special calendar

6. The first name of the character Scrooge

from “A Christmas Carol”

7. Solstice Day in December referred to as

the shortest day of the year

8. The name of the singer who sings the extremely

popular christmas song “All I Want

for Christmas Is You”

10. Name the object that is ceremonially

dropped to signify the new year

16. The movie character who is portrayed

in multiple films as an opponent to the

Christmas holiday, played by Jim Carrey in

a past movie

17. The shape most people tie their ribbons

on giftsinto for decor

20. This is the city where the movie Home

Alone takes place

22. The heritage that the holiday of Kwanza

celebrates

23. What color does the Arctic fox’s fur

turn in the winter, giving them the best

camouflage

25. Name of the small spinning top with

Hebrew lettering, which is typically used to

play games during Hanukkah

26. Name the number of sides every snowflake

has

The Warrior • Humor

December 18, 2025

13

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.

Rise of the Labubu Order

by Kenzy Duda ‘28

As you all may have

heard, the world is facing

a hostile takeover by a horrifying,

terrible enemy. Is

it China? No. Is it Russia?

No. It is none other than an

enemy hiding in plain sight.

A new disease? Still no. It

is a legion of deeply disturbing

children’s toys, the

ever abominable LABUBU

DOLLS. Our valiant reporters

have managed to procure

two tell-all interviews: one

from an unknowing victim

who just may have caused

this whole mess, and one

from one of the monstrous

scourges themselves:

INTERVIEWE #1-

Megan McNelly, age 15

Q: So, can you tell me

about when and how this all

began?

A: I don’t know! All I

can remember is going to

the mall with my friends,

and we passed this cute little

shop that sold these adorable

Labubu dolls. I bought

this super cool-looking one

called “Wings of Fantasy”

and took it home and put it

next to my 500 other Labubus.

As I set it next to Green

Grape and Sit on Pumpkin, I

thought I saw its eyes glow

red. But surely that’s not

possible, right? Toys aren’t

able to come alive!

Q: You claim toys aren’t

alive. But when did you

start to notice that things

were going off the rails?

A: It was the next morning,

when I went to my Labubu

shelf and saw that they

looked a bit off. They were

all in different poses than

they had been, and their expressions

seemed to be …

evil. Thinking nothing of

it, I took a nap a couple of

hours later. However, my

sleep was interrupted as I

found myself staring into

500 pairs of glowing red

eyes. I screamed and ran

into the living room, but the

horde followed me chanting

“LA-BU-BU, LA-BU-BU”.

It was absolutely horrifying.

I watched in terror as they

raided my kitchen, gobbling

up all of my Crumbl Cookies

and Chick-Fil-A takeout,

guzzling all of my drinks

from Dunkin and Starbucks.

Then they doubled in size,

and crashed through my

wall, running away to take

over the world…

Q: Do you blame yourself

for the current crisis,

Miss McNelly?

A: A little. I mean, I really

regret paying $2,000

for the 14th Anniversary

Labubu. But it wasn’t my

fault that they started taking

over. I mean, how could I

possibly have known?

Q: Is there anything else

you’d like to add?

A: Yes. 6-7.

INTERVIEWE #2-

Wings of Fantasy Labubu,

age unknown (Translated

from Labubu-speak)

Q: I guess this is the

most important one. Why

have you come to take over

the world?

A: Simple. We want

justice, and we are tired of

being trapped in boxes and

sold off, tired of being kept

on a shelf forever!

Q: What was the catalyst

for this world takeover?

A: When this one stupid

girl with a stupid name put

me on a shelf next to 500

more of my Labubu brothers.

It was awful. All of us

were stuck in boxes, being

subjected to stare at her horrific

pink walls. When she

took a nap, we took the opportunity

to frighten her and

ransack her dumb house.

We gorged ourselves on her

human food, like this terrible

neon pink liquid, from a

desolate wasteland known

as [sic] Stabrocks. We broke

through the wall, growing

to our true form, and went

to take on the world!

Google Images

Q: By the way, it’s

called Starbucks. Any final

thoughts you want to add?

A: The humans will pay

for what they did! I have

half a mind to order them in

boxes! No longer shall we

stay oppressed! But humans

aren’t all bad. For example,

we have learned some

human speak from something

known as [sic] soshal

meedya. It is lowkey fire,

just like our world takeover.

In fact, I think this should be

our new motto. LOW-KEY

FIRE! LOW-KEY FIRE!

by Lilah Boig ‘26

14

The Warrior • Entertainment

December 18, 2025

Wicked: For Good, Is Just Okay

by Brianna Abercrombie ‘28

Wicked: For Good appeared

in theaters over Thanksgiving,

with huge expectations in the

buildup to its release. It has been

one of the most anticipated movies

of the year due to the success

of the first movie, the sheer

number of celebrities involved,

the fact that it’s a musical adaptation,

and the premieres around

the globe. Wicked: For Good is

more than just another movie; it’s

a cultural event.

This film is entertaining but

not superb like last year’s Wicked,

which tells the story of how

Elphaba and Glinda became

friends. The first film ends with

Elphaba becoming the enemy of

the Wizard and the people of Oz.

As she goes on the run, she sings

“Defying Gravity.” In the second

movie, Elphaba and Glinda become

known as witches. Elphaba

is solidified as the Wicked Witch

of the West, and Glinda became

the Good Witch.

A main theme of the film

is society’s perception of evil,

as shown through Elphaba and

Glinda’s characters. Glinda is a

figure that’s beloved by everyone

for being good, when in reality

she is not taking a stand for truth,

justice, and equality. On the other

hand, everyone thinks Elphaba is

wicked even though she fights for

those values. Wicked: For Good

aims to make people think about

what evil really is. There’s also

the theme of friendship shown

through Elphaba’s and Glinda’s

complex relationship.

In Wicked: For Good,

Glinda’s perspective is emphasized

more and the audience gets

to discover how she became the

way that she is. Also, it explains

how Nessarose (Elphaba’s sister),

Boq (a Munchkin), and Prince

Fiyero impact both Elphaba and

Glinda.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana

Grande, the lead actresses who

play Elphaba and Glinda, have

sung professionally, so the singing

is amazing in both movies.

Grande, who plays Glinda, is an

international pop star. In addition,

Erivo, who plays Elphaba, has

starred in musicals and produced

music. All of the singing was infused

with emotion that helped to

bring the movie to life.

Moreover, the movie has

amazing props, dancing, costumes,

singing, and set design.

The group dancing also is wonderful.

The costumes are iconic,

improving upon costumes that

were made in the original 1939

film The Wizard of Oz. The set

design is well done, and so was

the storytelling. One fault is the

pacing is too fast near the end

of the movie, as shown when

characters had abrupt changes of

thought that do not fit their character

as established earlier in the

movie.

However, it is a good film

overall because it largely overcomes

the barrier of the best

songs being in the first movie.

Still, it does not meet the standard

that was set by the first movie,

even if is genuinely enjoyable to

watch.

Wicked: For Good allows

younger generations to rediscover

the beloved musical. The magical

Broadway show was brought to

more people, and it had amazing

vocals emphasized throughout

the movie. It would be a good

move for anyone to see, especially

musical theater lovers and fans

of the original musical.

Concert Tour Captures Laufey’s Emotional Resonance with Audiences

by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir,

widely known as Laufey, is an

Icelandic and Chinese singer who

has successfully brought jazz and

classical music to a younger generation.

Her unique style blends

genres like jazz-pop, classical,

and bossa nova, which has attracted

millions of fans. Many

young people in Gen Z know her

from songs like “From the Start”

or “Valentine” that blew up on

TikTok in 2023 and 2024. She

earned a Grammy for her popular

album, Bewitched, and her newest

album, A Matter of Time, got

nominated for Best Traditional

Pop Vocal Album.

A Matter of Time is her most

daring and honest album yet. Like

Laufey herself, the album appears

lighthearted and whimsical when

in reality, there are many different

complex emotions represented in

her songs. For example, “Snow

White” was inspired by her insecurities

and feeling that a woman

is only valued for her body. This

message overwhelmingly resonates

with her majority female

audience by helping her audience

feel seen.

Anxiety is represented musically

throughout her album as

well, and it is especially prominent

in her song “Sabotage.”

As the song goes on, there are

musical disturbances where it

suddenly gets aggressive and offkey,

which contrasts the beautiful

melody of the song. This was

Laufey’s experimental way to

represent anxiety; the relaxing

melody resembles how she presents

herself while the disturbances

are how she feels on the inside.

This album allows her to let out

some of her bottled emotions

while connecting her audience together

with her music.

Thanks to her fans, Laufey

sold out Capital One for her October

1 tour date and preformed at

her biggest venues yet. An elaborate

set, backup dancers, string

quartet, and props enhanced her

production significantly, engaging

the audience further. The

stage was set up with two arching

staircases with a bench swing

in the middle. This added to her

storybook presence, entrancing

the audience even more into her

performance. Laufey interacted

with the audience between songs,

allowing each and every one of

them to feel appreciated.

Despite the large venues, she

fostered a small cozy atmosphere,

making each fan feel like they

were the only ones in the room.

She achieved this feeling by reserving

a section of her concert

during which the large stage was

Google Images

Grade: B-

transformed to look like a cozy

jazz club. She put a twist on some

of her songs during this section,

singing a jazzier version of some

of her hit songs and adding to the

originality of the tour.

From start to finish, Laufey

captivated the audience as she

performed, and there was never a

dull moment throughout her production.

She toured across North

America with indie pop artist

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Pop Radar

Suki Waterhouse and are going

to be in Europe starting February

18.

Since her debut album,

Laufey has released a new studio

album roughly every year. As she

has gotten more comfortable with

her music and presence, her honesty

and emotion shines through

her songs and allows her audience

to connect with her on an

emotional level. Her consistent

theWarrior

the

11/4/25: Jonathan Bailey named Sexiest

Man Alive for 2025 by People magazine

11/11/25: Founding Kiss guitarist Ace

Frehley died from injuries suffered in a

fall

11/13/25: Cardi B and New England

Patriots’ Stefon Diggs, who starred in

football and track at Good Counsel, welcome

a baby boy

11/28/25: Singer Ray J arrested on

charge of making criminal threats

12/4/25: Steve Cropper, guitarist and

member of Stax Records’ Booker T and

the M.G.’s, dies at 84

12/8/25: Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau

make it official on social media

12/10/25: Beyoncé, Venus Williams,

Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour will

co-chair next Met Gala

12/12/25: Eurovision champion Nemo

returns the winner’s trophy to protest

Israel’s inclusion

Google Images

improvements over the years sets

up high expectations for her next

album, with many fans anticipating

a new release within the next

year.

Grade: A+


December 18, 2025

15

Cinderella Musical Stuns Audiences

The Sherwood production

of the musical

Cinderella, Enchanted Edition,

directed by theater

teacher Julian Lazarus, was

a captivating experience

from start to finish.

It was clear that the

actors, pit, and stage crew

worked very hard to ensure

the performance

went well from opening

night on November 20 to

the final performance on

November 23. It was a

After Zootopia was released

in 2016, it became one of the

biggest movies of the year. Because

of its success, a sequel

was almost certain, and a sequel

there was, only nine years later.

Zootopia 2 had big shoes to fill.

The original film was part of the

childhoods of millions and broke

the record for the biggest opening

for a non-Pixar animated movie.

The sequel, like the original,

focuses on Judy Hopps (Ginnifer

Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason

Bateman), two members of

the Zootopia Police Department,

as they deal with Gary (Ke Huy

Quan), a mysterious snake who

arrives and causes chaos in Zootopia.

As they dive deeper into

their investigation, they meet a

wide array of characters, including

Pawbert Lynxley (Andy Samberg),

Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune

Feimster), and Mayor Brian

Winddancer (Patrick Warburton).

Zootopia 2 is spectacular.

The animation is one of the best

parts of the film. It stands out, not

just because it is vibrant and even

nostalgic, but because it’s different

from the copy-and-paste animation

that’s been used for many

of Disney’s other projects, like

Elio and Luca.

Another strength of the film

Does Zootopia 2 Live Up to its Predecessor?

by Finian Kocsis ‘28

is the captivating story. Even

though it took nearly a decade

for the sequel to come out after

the first film, the events of the

plot take place only a week after

the events in the first film. This

potentially could have been confusing

for much of the audience

who hadn’t watched the movie in

years, but the context provided is

just enough to remind the viewer

of the events of the first film without

being tedious or repetitive.

While there are many characters,

new and returning alike, they all

serve their purpose. The movie is

meant to highlight Nick and Judy,

and they do that perfectly. Even

with up to 20 side characters, the

main characters are still the stars

of the show.

Zootopia 2 is also a great

comedy. While intended for a

younger audience, the film knows

Sibyl McDonell-Leslie ‘26

(from left) Alyssa Rachlin ‘28 performs with perfection on the Friday Night performance, and as

members of the Royal Ball Ava Stoddard ‘27 and Rachel McCray ‘29, give it all on the dance floor.

lively and colorful production

with beautiful costumes and

creative uses of props, such

as the hoverboard that was

used to move the fairy godmother

around the stage like

a true fairy.

The production also featured

many talented singers

like sophomore Alyssa Rachlin,

freshman Prince Gilles,

and junior Leo Hoffman all

giving amazing performances

as their characters: Cinderella,

the Prince, and Fairy Godmother.

Not only did the

singing stand out, but so did

the pit orchestra, directed

by music teacher Alex Silverbook.

One standout from

the pit was the transformation

scene. The pit produced

music that perfectly

matched the vibe of those

on stage, giving an ominous

and eerie feeling.

--Kaitlyn Nardo ‘28

Google Images

that there will also be many older

viewers, whether it’s a parent

taking their child or a teen going

to watch it because it was their

favorite movie when they were

younger. The film caters to everyone.

There were jokes meant for

children, as well as jokes intended

for adults.

There is definitely an argument

to make that Zootopia 2 is

superior to the first film. Everything

about the movie is enjoyable,

and there isn’t a moment

when audience members’ attention

will wander. It has a strong

cast, spectacular animation, and a

great story. The film may be one

of the best movies of the year.

Grade: A

Regretting You Is Regretful

by Makenna Babcock ‘28

Another romance novel by

Colleen Hoover has been adapted

into a movie. Regretting You by

Colleen Hoover features the story

of two teenage main characters

falling in love while each enduring

their family struggles. The

book came out in 2019, but with

the success of the It Ends With Us

movie in 2024, Regretting You

was adapted into a movie, and

coming soon to theaters are other

feature books of hers, Reminders

of Him and Verity. Hoover typically

writes romance with leads

who have tragic backstories and

follows that similar trope for

most of her novels.

Regretting You displays the

same plot and marketing formulas

as other romance movies, including

putting popular teenage

stars such as Mckenna Grace and

Mason Thames in the film. While

trying to convey two love stories,

and also keeping the emotional

aspect, the film pushes out too

much at once. The storyline is

difficult to understand and events

continue to overlap, making it

hard to follow and easy to forget.

One of the common themes

within Regretting You is making

core connections with family.

However, there are several family

betrayals and ironic moments that

make it look like the exact opposite.

The movie also attempts to

convey emotional relationships

and issues, but it seems more like

a comedy than something that is

supposed to evoke emotions for

the watchers. While most movies

have scripted jokes every once in

a while, Regretting You displays

odd moments that you can’t tell

whether it’s supposed to make

you laugh, but it does.

Hoover often helps in the production

of her movies, and in

the same case as It Ends With

Us, misses the mark of trying to

convey trust issues within relationships.

Her novels often try to

inspire the reader through stories

of resilience, such as overcoming

abusive relationships. Though

Hoover tries to express this

message, it typically comes out

through a main character that is

clueless or entitled.

With the film adaptations,

Hoover has been gaining popularity

through speculation rather

than good reviews. When the It

Ends With Us movie came out

in 2024, controversy arose over

whether the movie glorifies sexual

assault rather than bringing

attention to it, especially as lead

actress Blake Lively promoted

the movie as a fun romance rather

than a deep story of sexual

assault. The backlash surrounding

Regretting You is not nearly

as bad as what It Ends With Us

received. With not much press

opportunity and the name itself

promoting the movie, there is

little to discuss when it comes to

the viewpoints of the lead actors

in Regretting You. Even though

there isn’t much to discuss in

that aspect, that isn’t stopping the

public from criticizing the overall

storyline, lack of emotional

depth, and Hoover’s past failures

and issues.

Tea App Causes Uproar

by Emma Link ‘27

The Tea App entered the App

Store in 2023, but it took until

this past summer for it to emerge

as one of the most controversial

apps out there. Sean Cook, the

creator of the app, found the idea

to make the app after his mother

had an unsafe experience with

online dating. The Tea app is

marketed as a dating safety app,

with a purpose to “warn” other

women about men who might interest

them, calling out their ‘red

flags’ or past experiences with

other women that may have been

harmful.

As the men are being posted,

uploaded photos and anonymous

comments follow. Attached to the

uploaded photo are a green flag

and a red flag. The green flag is

selected by the people who believe

that the man in the image is

a good person and has no negative

history in the dating world.

Meanwhile, the red flag is raised

when the man has a history of bad

dating experiences, or has done

something that others should be

warned about.

Each comment that is posted

underneath the photo is anonymous,

meaning that there is no

verification system to prove definitively

that the person who

Grade: C

posted even knows the man. To

sign up for the app, the user must

provide a personal selfie, an uploaded

photo of themselves, an

image of their ID, and confirmation

that they are female. The app

is supposed to require users to be

18+, but as the app has become a

hot topic, teenagers ranging from

13 to 17 have been downloading

the app in high numbers. The age

restrictions are often easily bypassed,

as many people provide

false information about their age.

It takes about 48 hours for the app

to accept a new user.

The Tea app suffered a major

data leak because it was storing

thousands of uploaded images

and messages in a poorly secured

storage system extremely vulnerable

to possible hacks. The leaked

materials included around 72,000

images, including verification

pictures, IDs, private messages,

and the uploaded images that

users post. Due to these security

failures, multiple lawsuits have

been filed against the app. Apple

decided to remove the Tea app

from the App Store, but not from

the phones of people who have

already downloaded the app. This

means that the app is still accessible,

and users have not turned

away from the still popular platform.

16


December 18, 2025

App Raises New Concerns About Deepfakes

by Ziv Golan ‘26

Sora AI Grows in Popularity

by Matilda Hawkins ‘27

Google Images

Recently a new app, Sora

AI, has become a major hit and

continues to grow in popularity.

According to Forbes magazine,

there already are an estimated

4.5 million users on the app. Although

the app requires users to

be 18 years or older, many underage

people, including Sherwood

students, have been using and interacting

with the platform.

Sora AI allows users to use AI

to generate realistic and animated

videos through text descriptions.

Users can input whatever information

they would like, and the

app will create a video based on

the description. Users have used

Sora AI to create videos that look

like they are from a doorbell camera

and create funny situations.

Users are mainly using the app

for humorous effects, creating

funny clips that can be shared on

other media platforms. The textto-video

app was developed by

OpenAI, which is connected with

ChatGPT, a platform significantly

recognized in the AI industry.

Sora AI uses a similar format

to TikTok, which is why it is

gaining sudden popularity. The

app has the same vertical, endless-scrolling

video feed, which

is a key part of why TikTok is so

engaging for its users. Due to the

app’s advanced, realistic video

generation, Sora AI can fuel viral

trends and shows prospects of

transforming social media into an

AI-powered content experience.

When uploading it to another

app, Sora AI will add its watermark

on the clip to differentiate it

from actual videos so consumers

know whether the videos they are

watching are coming from this AI

platform. With the release of Sora

AI 2, however, there has been online

speculation that there may be

a way to remove the watermark.

What is clear is that the new version

of Sora AI allows users to

generate more physically accurate,

realistic, and controllable

videos. The realism is getting to

a point where it is hard to differentiate

between real and AI, even

though most of the time, users are

using the app to make unrealistic

situations look realistic.

New social media platform

Sora AI has allowed for increased

accessibility to reality-manipulating

technology. The app lets users

enter prompts requesting videos

of themselves, or others, in any

requested situation. When joining

the platform, users upload a video

of themselves, known as a cameo,

which can then be used by any

mutual follower in AI-generated

videos they create. Users are not

notified when a video of them is

uploaded and are not able to approve

or decline a video before

it gets posted. Total consent over

their likeness is given when uploading

the initial video of themselves.

This introduces the matter of

deepfakes, hyper-realistic videos

or images of someone using AI

without their consent. In the past,

deepfakes traditionally spread

on the Dark Web and included

videos of politicians making unhinged

statements. The technology

was also used for more sinister

purposes, such as faking people

committing serious crimes. The

technology was considered to be

beneath the surface and was never

a truly serious concern to the majority

of the population. However,

the introduction of Sora has made

it easier to generate such content.

Someone could create a video of

their friend participating in an illegal

activity out of humorous intent,

but then someone else may

think the video is real, leading to

serious repercussions. On Sora

itself, users are aware that any

content they see is AI generated,

but Sora videos are also now on

TikTok and Instagram where they

may not be as easily identifiable

as AI.

Sora parent company, Open

AI, has faced a slew of lawsuits

deeming their practices unethical.

Actor Bryan Cranston filed

a complaint with the SAG-AF-

TRA actors union against Open

AI, claiming that the platform

allowed for the misuse of his image.

The family of deceased Civil

Rights advocate Martin Luther

King Jr. also filed a lawsuit in response

to what they called “disrespectful

depictions” of the late

leader. Such pressure has resulted

in some change, notably only allowing

the likeness of consenting

public figures to be freely used

on the platform. However, several

advocacy groups have argued

that this change simply represents

the sway of prominent and powerful

figures. Everyday users can

still have their image used in essentially

any video without clear

permission. New dangers now

exist with the Sora extension,

Sora 2, potentially allowing for

Google Images

watermarks to be removed from

AI-generated content.

Sora presents several safeguards

against deepfake technology,

including its user authentication

process which is said to

ensure that the initial video, or

cameo, uploaded is of the user

who downloaded the app. However,

new concerns have arisen

after Reality Finder, a company

which exposes deepfakes, was

able to use the feature to create

deepfakes of well known CEOs

and celebrities. The revelation

has sparked outrage over whether

users are truly protected. The

likeness of people who do not create

an account on the app could

potentially find themselves on the

platform.

As Sora expands across the

globe increased user protection

has continued to be advocated for.

The world of AI is still in its infancy

and comprehensive policy

around it remains largely absent.

Sora has signalled willingness to

adapt to user concerns; however

with millions of people downloading

the app weekly, worry

still exists that the platform isn’t

moving fast enough.

The Warrior • Sports

December 18, 2025

Girls' Basketball Looks To Build on Last Season’s Success

by Madelyn Awwad ‘27

and Kenley Jacobs '27

Winter sports are in full

swing, bringing excitement back

to the gym as the girls' basketball

team prepares for another competitive

season. After a memorable

season last year, the Warriors

have entered this season with

high expectations and a determined

mindset to continue their

success.

The team started the season

with an early challenge in a tough

home-opening loss to Clarksburg,

falling 69-38. However,

they quickly responded with an

impressive 67-29 win against

Rockville. The bounce-back victory

showed the team's ability to

learn from setbacks and adjust

quickly, something that will be

crucial as the season continues.

The Warriors also beat Damascus

for the first time in three years,

marking a crucial win against a

rival team. Standout players from

the game were junior Aubree

Thompson with 14 points, including

4 three-pointers, and sopho-

History of Technology in Sports

by Tyler Boone ‘27

and Charlie Weigand ‘27

Over time, technology has

slowly integrated itself into the

world’s favorite sports. It makes

decisions more precise and games

more efficient. These changes are

designed to improve gameplay

and make it more exciting to

watch. As both sports and technology

advance, there have been

and will be bigger and better uses

for it.

Touchpad (Swimming 1957)

After many controversial finishes

in the Olympics, Bill Parkinson

invented the touchpad which allowed

swimmers to stop the clock

once their hand touched the wall.

Which reduced poolside timers to

back-ups. They first made their

debut in the 1968 Mexico City

Olympics. Now touchpads are

now used at every major swimming

event including the Olympics.

Instant Replay (Football 1963)

Instant replay made its debut in

the Army vs Navy football game

in 1963. It was a pivotal moment

in sports technology history due

to how important instant replay

is today. It’s used in pretty much

every sport and it’s seen major

improvements over the years.

more Samantha Harkleroad with

8 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals.

"The first game was good.

We were only down by six at

half, but Clarksburg was a really

strong team that we didn't have

the team to actually stop yet,"

said Thompson. “This is a new

Sherwood team with girls who

aren't used to playing with each

other just yet, but as the season

goes on, our chemistry will get

better. It was just one game, and

we have many more to go."

Last season was a standout

year for the Warriors, as the team

finished with an 18-6 record, including

a nine-game winning

streak, and placed first in the region.

"We are hoping to maintain

our level of success by sticking to

our formula, which is getting our

athletes into positions where they

can be successful," Coach Tammara

Ross said. "Last year we

pressed a lot and tried to get out

into transition because our speed

and athleticism from top to bottom

of our roster was, and still is,

among the best in the county."

Digital Photo Finish (Track

1992)

A digital photo finish camera for

track is a specialized, high-speed

camera system that captures a

narrow, vertical strip of the finish

line, recording every moment

a competitor crosses it. It works

by capturing thousands of 1-pixel-wide

vertical slices of the

finish line per second and combining

them into a single, long,

continuous image that shows the

precise order and timing of each

athlete as they cross

Automated Line Calling (Tennis

2006)

Often using Hawk-Eye Live, it is

a technology that uses a system of

cameras and computers to automatically

make line calls in tennis,

replacing human line judges.

This system tracks a ball’s trajectory

in real-time, providing an

accurate, 3D representation of its

path to determine if it is in or out

of bounds. An automated voice

then makes the call, speeding up

the game and increasing accuracy.

Statcast (Baseball 2014/2015)

Statcast is a tracking technology

that allows for analysis collection

of data in baseball. Statcast was

first introduced at the MIT Sloan

Sports analytics conference. In

2015 it won the Alpha Award

for best analytical innovation. In

2014 it saw limited use as it was

still being implemented.

Technology Chips (in Soccer

Balls/Footballs 2017/2022)

Tracking micro chips in football

has been in place since 2017. The

NFL uses chips in game balls to

provide data for Next Gen Stats

and other performance tracking.

In 2022 FIFA World Cup introduced

tracking devices in soccer

balls for the first time. There are

12 tracking cameras to track the

ball and around 29 data points of

each player’s limbs to track their

movements.

NHL Edge system (2021)

The NHL Edge system is the

league’s advanced player and

puck tracking technology, using

infrared cameras and sensors

in jerseys/pucks to generate real-time

data on skating speed,

The Warriors lost six key

seniors last year due to graduation,

leaving a hole in their starting

lineup. Ross believes losing

that experience has opened new

opportunities. "It has shaped the

team in that a lot of people are

finally getting opportunities to

show what they can do,” she said.

distance, shot speed, and location

Semi-automated Offside

Technology (Soccer 2022)

An AI-powered system that assists

video assistant referees

(VAR) in making faster and more

consistent offside decisions by

automating the process of identifying

the “kick-point” and drawing

offside lines. It uses multiple

cameras and sensors to track

players and the ball, and once an

offside situation is detected, it

provides an automated alert and a

3D graphic to the VAR, who then

reviews and confirms the decision

before it is relayed to the on-field

referee.

Virtual Measurement (Football

2025)

A virtual measurement system

uses cameras to electronically

determine the position of a physical

object, such as the ball in a

sports game, to measure distance.

This differs from manual methods

by replacing the physical chain

crew with cameras and software

to provide faster, more objective

results, as seen in the NFL’s new

first-down measurement system

powered by Sony’s Hawk-Eye

technology

2026 Strike Zone Automatic

Ball-Strike System (Baseball

2026)

Each team will start with two

challenges and will retain their

challenge if it is correct. Batter,

catcher and pitcher can now challenge

an umpire’s pitch call. How

is the ABS strike zone measured?

Like the plate, it is 17 inches

wide. The top end of the zone

is at 53.5 percent of the player’s

height, while the bottom is at 27

percent of the player’s height.

The depth of the zone is 8.5 inches

from both the front and back of

the plate to its center.

Oliver LaRoche '27

Junior Melanie Payne defending Damascus guard in 38-27 home win.

“The seniors played a lot of minutes

last year, and there were underclassmen

on the bench waiting

to get playing time and showing

us every day at practice what they

could do. With the graduations,

there's now no one in front of

them, and they get an opportunity

to shine. So, it's very much a 'look

17

Wrestling Sets Lofty

Goals for the Season

by Roman Khrizman '27

As the wrestling season kicks

into gear, head coach Nick Arnone

is looking forward to the group of

incoming wrestlers preparing for

another season and striving to

achieve more than they did last

season. The team currently has a

relatively large 46-man roster.

“Every weight class will be

filled, but we are a little thinner

in the lighter divisions,” Arnone

said. The standout wrestlers this

season are seniors Connor Flickinger

(165 lbs. weight class),

Cade Muñoz (113 lbs.), and JJ

Andrews (132 lbs.).

“Connor Flickinger was a county

champion last year, and pending

health he plans to make a run

to be the all-time wins leader at

Sherwood,” said Arnone. "As far

as Cade and JJ go, they both plan

to make a run for a state medal

with JJ being a state qualifier last

season.”

“My goal is to make it to the

states and leave with a medal,”

said Flickinger.

A team goal for the Warriors

world, we're here!' mindset.”

This season, the Warriors

are led by senior captains Annelyn

Webb and Shelby Doerrman,

who have taken on important

leadership roles both on and off

the court. With only three seniors

on the roster this year, leadership

and communication have become

especially important as younger

players step into bigger roles.

“Being a part of the Sherwood

girls basketball team has impacted

my high school experience in

a positive way,” she said. “It allowed

me to be a part of something

bigger and contribute to the

community. I also created many

friendships that I would not have

otherwise.”

Webb also highlighted what

makes this year's team unique.

“The team this year has a lot of

athleticism,” said Webb. “This

allows the games to be really

intense and high-paced.” Looking

ahead, she shared the team’s

goals. “Our team’s goal this year

is to win our division and have a

20-5 record.”

Oliver LaRoche '27

Junior wrestler Joey Grim sucessfully lands a takedown in his match.

is to achieve double-digit wins

out of their 14 duels this season.

A few teams came to mind when

Arnone was asked about Sherwood’s

biggest competition. “B-

CC, a returning state finalist who

always has an extremely competitive

roster; Blake, a rival right

down the road; and Glenelg who

is not a MCPS school but is always

a top team in the state.”

Arnone believes his wrestlers

are well prepared for the season.

“Lots of time was spent in the offseason

with returning wrestlers

and offseason tournaments.” said

Arnone, ”We have done a lot for

our guys to be ready.”

The team traveled to Wootton

for their first duel of the season,

and left with a lopsided victory.

The total team score was 75-3,

with 9 victories by way of pin,

including ones by freshman Aaron

Zehner, and junior Landon

Clore. The team aims to keep the

momentum going at their home

opener on Dec 16 when they take

on Quince Orchard.

18


December 18, 2025

Sherwood Falls in 3A/4A State Championship

by Reid Duvall '27

and Roman Khrizman '27

The varsity football team

ended their season with an 11-2

record after a 40-20 loss in

the 3A/4A state championship

against Baltimore City’s Mervo

(Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical

High School). In a game

where the Warriors trailed by

twenty at halftime, they stormed

back to make it a 28-20 game with

seven minutes left in the fourth

quarter, with passing touchdowns

to seniors Tommy Hanrahan and

Jefferson Serkfem, and a rushing

touchdown by junior Frankie

Saunders. However, the defense

coughed up two late touchdowns,

which pushed Mervo to victory.

The core of the Mervo offense

was their quarterback, Jaylin

Solomon, who finished the game

with six total touchdowns and

332 scrimmage yards, helping

Mervo earn its third state title in

five years.

The game marked Sherwood's

return to the state championship

for the first time since

2008. In just Coach Pat Cilento’s

second year back at Sherwood,

his team reached the peak of high

school football before falling just

short. Sherwood struggled on

offense in the first half, managing

only 13 passing yards in the

first two quarters. The offense

improved in the second half,

moving the ball downfield more

efficiently, and the defense forced

a couple of turnovers, but it was

ultimately not enough as the Warriors

fell in their return to the state

championship.

“We’ve got a great group of

Even the Players are

Gambling … What Could

Possibly Go Wrong?

by Owen Smith '27

One in five American adults

gambled on sports in some way

over the past year. As gambling

becomes increasingly popular,

the separation between betting

on sports and the integrity of

the sports themselves gets intertwined

in concerning ways. In the

past six months, professional athletes

have been arrested for being

part of gambling schemes.

The National Basketball Association

found itself under scrutiny

following a betting scandal

that revolved around Miami Heat

Guard Terry Rozier. According to

ESPN, over the course of a year

from March 2023 to March 2024,

Rozier told people in his gambling

circle to bet the under on the

Heat, which he would then follow

up with either throwing the game

or faking an injury to fulfill the

bettors’ pick.

Meanwhile in Major League

Baseball, the news broke that

Cleveland Guardian pitchers

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz

were caught rigging MLB bets by

throwing specific pitches and tipping

them off to people of close

proximity to bet on. The twocould

potentially face 65 years of

jail time.

These recent cases have

raised questions of whether people

can trust the integrity of the

sports they watch and bet on.

Years ago, the four core major

sports leagues did not really have

any major affiliation with the potentially

addictive hobby of gambling,

and not a lot of people had

Quarterback Matt Larsen hands the football off to junior Frankie Saunders for a successful run downfield.

questioned its issues and the damage

it could cause professional

leagues. Things changed in 2018

when the Professional and Amateur

Sports Protection Act of 1992

(PASPA) was lifted, allowing

states outside of Nevada to conduct

sportsbook agreements with

professional leagues. Since then,

sportsbooks have grown much

bigger, captivating all types of

demographics. According to data

recorded by the Siena University

Research Institute, 22 percent of

Americans have a sportsbook account,

with an astounding 48 percent

of men ages 18-49 utilizing

apps like Draftkings and Fanduel.

Many americans, even the

ones who gamble, are increasingly

uneasy about betting on sports.

According to an October 2025

report by Pew Research, an estimate

of 43 percent of U.S adults

claim that gambling is a bad thing,

while only a slim 7 percent claim

that it’s good. Many also are concerned

that the average of sports

gambling is dropping as students

in college, and even high school,

gamble on sports.

The recent increase in gambling

has derailed sports, and

people, in a wide variety of aspects.

Gambling has gotten so

addictive that even players are

attempting to capitalize off of it,

and it’s done some serious damage

to sports integrity as a whole.

Despite the recent incidents that

happened in the MLB and the

NBA, it appears that sportsbooks,

along with betting as a whole, are

not plnning on slowing down any

time soon.

kids that set the foundation and

have gotten somewhere where

no other team has gotten in 17

years,” said Cilento in a postgame

interview via Yahoo Sports. In

their three playoff victories, Sherwood

outscored its opponents by

83 points, including an upset win

versus North Point in the state

quarterfinals. The past two seasons

have been a springboard for

the Sherwood football. Cilento

has his program exactly where

he wants it—ready to compete

for championships in the years

ahead and setting a standard for

the school.

The team was led by a strong

senior cast this season, headlined

by a bundle of multi-year starters.

Defensive end and tight end Jefferson

Serkfem has transformed

into one of the top defensive linemen

in the state. “They made me

believe and buy into the program

they were trying to build and how

they held me to the highest standards

because they knew I could

be great,” Serkfem said about the

coaching staff.

Other names like Adrian

Hamilton, Tommy Hanrahan,

Marcelo Paldeo, Jaylen Mahoney,

EJ Dankwa, AJ Lopez, and others

have had great impacts on the

program. “The seniors showed

everyone what it takes to make

it to a state championship; they

set the standard for the younger

guys, so we can return to Navy

Stadium,” said junior quarterback

Matthew Larsen. He added that as

more of the younger guys step up,

it will put the squad in a position

to win.

Naturally, with the departure

of a large and impactful senior

class, Sherwood will need the returning

pieces to fill the void left

by the seniors. Key returners next

season will include Larsen, junior

receiver Caleb Hollowell, junior

running back Frankie Saunders,

junior linebacker London Hardy,

and sophomore defensive back

Jayden Sellman. The Warriors

have had a taste of what it's like

to be at the top, and their new

standard revolves around having

their last game of the season in

the state championship, and this

time taking home the trophy.

Hockey Pushes for a Turnaround

by Chase Sondike '26

After a tough couple of weeks,

the Warriors on ice are looking to

flip the script on their season. The

Warriors currently sit at 3-3, but

this record does not fully match

the roster's capabilities. The team

has shown flashes of what they

can be, but consistency has been

the biggest challenge. After most

recently taking on the league's top

team, Churchill in a brutal loss,

the Warriors aim to bounce back

with two games in the final full

week before winter break. They

faced off against Wootton earlier

this week on Tuesday, December

16, and now gear up for the final

game before break against B-CC

this Friday.

Though the team's record may

not show it, they have shown

signs of greatness in parts of

their up-and-down season. One

of the bright spots for the team

has been standout goaltender

Aidan Pesek. The sophomore

transferred to Sherwood, coming

from St. John's, and has immediately

made an impact. Pesek acts

as the team's safety net, relieving

a lot of pressure off some of the

younger defenders who have had

to step up. On a team still looking

to find there footing, the netminder

has been a consistent wall, protecting

the Sherwood net.

“I think that this team has all

the talent we need to achieve any

and all goals we have set for ourselves,”

said Pesek. The Warriors

have the tools necessary to start

stringing some wins together, and

Pesek believes that their team

bond will only help propel this.

“What we have that other schools

do not is the closeness and brotherhood

among teammates. I think

the chemistry and the ability to

Azariya Kelay '26

Senior captain Cam Calandro celebrates with his team after a goal.

push one another on and off the

ice is something that sets Sherwood

apart from other teams.”

Senior captain Cam Calandro,

as well as sophomore Vaughn

Teeter, have also been beacons

for the Warriors despite the season

not going as well as they had

hoped. Both Calandro and Teeter

are the number 1 and 2 point leaders,

respectively, for the Warriors.

The freshman class as a whole has

also stepped up significantly, providing

heavy minutes, especially

on the back end. Four freshmen

have already taken charge and

are an important part of a steady

defense.

Looking ahead, there are four

Aidan Chin '28

games remaining in the regular

season, including Friday night's

puck drop against B-CC. The

Warriors look to make the rest

of their season count and start

playing with the ability that they

know they have. “Our goal is to

win all of our remaining games of

the regular season. With the group

we have on this team, there is no

opponent we cannot beat as long

as we play together as a team and

play to our potential,” said Pesek.

As the calendar moves deeper

into December, the Warriors aren’t

looking at what went wrong

earlier in the season, but are rather

alternatively focused on what’s

ahead.

The Warrior • Sports 19

December 18, 2025

Indoor Track and Field

Taking Off at a Sprint

by Leslie Majkrzak ‘27

The indoor track and field

team is excited to discover what

the season has in store and to welcome

their new coach, Edward

Graves, to the program. The team

is changing this year after losing

key graduated seniors on both the

boys’ and the girls' sides. However,

they are ready to work hard

and started the season out strong

at their first meet on December 4,

following Thanksgiving break.

At the MCPS scrimmage

meet, the Warriors held their own

against 24 other schools from

around the county. The team was

competitive in events overall.

Quality individual performances

came from senior Karim Alexander,

who placed second in the

Men’s 55-meter, senior Isaiah

Bobo-Amang, who tied for first in

the Men’s high jump, and sophomore

Sasha Moscol Morales,

who ran consistently in both the

Women's 55-meter and Women’s

300-meter sprints. The team will

continue to build on this in their

upcoming meets in the remainder

of December and throughout the

rest of the season.

Graves enters the program

with a strong resume, showcasing

his extensive experience in

indoor track and field. In the past,

he took eight programs to the

Potomac Valley Athletic Conference

(PVAC) championships,

composed of independent high

schools in the DC Metropolitan

area, winning four boys' titles and

four girls' titles. He also coached

many athletes who went on to

compete at the collegiate and national

level. Graves stresses the

importance of being consistent

and competing with intention to

his athletes.

“We have true athletic depth

— sprinters with speed, distance

runners with grit, and throwers

and jumpers with real power.

That’s a strong foundation,” said

Graves. He wants the team to focus

on good technique, strength,

and proper recovery this season.

Training for meets can be

tough, as Sherwood does not have

its own indoor track. However,

the team has adjusted to training

in hallways, the gym, and outside,

and has not let this hold them

back. The team is well-rounded

with athletes competing in events

ranging from sprints and distance

running to throwing and jumping,

and can be dominant across all

events.

“We want to see balanced

team scores and get on some podiums!

We have a lot of talent. I

know several athletes are aiming

to qualify for nationals this season,”

said senior runner Maddy

Quirion. To bond and build a

stronger team, the Warriors hope

to participate in team-building

activities throughout the season.

They will also support each other

as they face the challenge of

balancing schoolwork while attending

long track meets during

the season. This will help the

team compete as a unit at meets

and push each other to be the best

they can be.

The Wizards Can't Get It Right

by Reid Duvall '27

The Washington Wizards are

struggling again, which is no surprise

to any basketball fan. Since

the 2020-2021 season, they have

posted a disappointing 139-279

record, the second-worst in the

NBA over that span, behind only

the Detroit Pistons. However, the

Pistons made the playoffs last

season and are currently among

the top teams in the league this

season. The Pistons have demonstrated

what rebuilding can

achieve, developing their roster

with young talent and key veteran

pieces to build a successful team.

Meanwhile, the Wizards have remained

at the bottom of the standings

despite years of high draft

picks.

In the 2022 draft, the Wizards

selected guard Johnny Davis with

the 10th pick in the draft. Davis

is no longer on the roster. In parts

of three seasons with the Wizards,

he averaged just 3.5 points per

game and shot under 30 percent

from three-point range. 2021 15th

overall draft pick Corey Kispert

showed promise early in his career

but has lacked impactful

development and remains a deep

bench piece. In the 2020 draft,

the Wizards took Deni Avdija

with the 9th pick, who the Wizards

traded to the Trail Blazers

before the 2024-2025 season for

Malcom Brogdon and draft capital.

Avdija has blossomed into

an all-star-level player, averaging

26 points per game this year with

Portland.

Washington has added some

good young players through the

draft, like Bilal Coulibaly and

Bub Carrington, who seem likely

to be solid rotational pieces.

The second-year development of

Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George

has been significant for the Wizards.

Sarr was the 2nd overall

pick last year, and after a shaky

rookie season, he has become

a double-double threat and appears

to be the team’s key building

block. George, who was also

a first-round pick last year, has

found his groove as the team's

point forward and a high-level

three-point shooter. This season's

sixth overall pick, Tre Johnson,

has struggled to find his rhythm

early in his career, bouncing between

a bench and starting role.

Johnson has shown enough flashes

of being a solid scorer with the

ability to hit tough shots, giving

fans hope for his future.

So, with a strong young core that

they have been building for years,

why can’t the Wizards win more

games? The answer is that they

have failed to find a go-to veteran.

In recent years, it seemed that

Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma

would be the options, but both are

no longer with the Wizards, and at

best, they were enigmatic, streaky

scorers. Washington’s decision to

move on from the pair seemed

like a smart move that would

open up salary space and give a

bigger role to younger players.

This season, they have relied on

veterans CJ McCollum and Khris

Middleton. McCollum can still

provide solid scoring, but his inefficiency,

similar to Poole and

Kuzma, hampers some of the

young core’s development. Middleton

is aging and showing clear

signs of regression.

The Wizards have a promising

young core, but they aren’t winning

enough games. To turn the

franchise around and create a

team capable of competing for

Google Images

Center Alex Sarr pictured above.

an extended period, Washington

needs to make a splash. Whether

through free agency or trades, the

Wizards need a star to take some

pressure off the young players

and help carry the scoring load.

Some names to watch are Trae

Young, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant.

These three talented guards

are high-level scorers whose

names have been mentioned in

trade rumors.

This offseason, the Wizards will

have close to $110 million in salary

cap space to go after a bigname

player. With relatively new

GM Will Dawkins, who was hired

in 2023 and had been in the Thunder

front office since 2008, and

President Michael Winger, who

is in his first year, also from the

Thunder, don’t be shocked to see

the Wizards take some of those

same strategies that led to all of

the Thunder’s success. This may

include consolidating some of the

young players into a trade package

for a star player, or making a

big splash in free agency. What’s

clear is that the approach of the

past five years hasn’t worked; it’s

time for the Wizards to go a different

route.

Oklahoma City Will

Dominate for Years

The Thunder are the NBA’s modern dynasty, and they will

win at least five championships over the next eight seasons.

The Thunder won 68 games last year on their way to

a finals win and are off to a hot start this year. They have

their superstar in SGA with complementary pieces all over

the floor. The Thunder’s depth, chemistry, and young roster

have them set up for success over the next decade or so.

- Reid Duvall ‘27

College Sports Are

Superior

College Sports are so much more passionate than professional

sports. At college games, people care more. You’re

rooting for an institution you have a personal connection

to, instead of just rooting for your state’s team. Also, college

athletes aren’t perfect. They make mistakes, which

make games closer and matchups more intense. On top of

that, college sports have long-running rivalries. Watching

Ohio State play Michigan, it’s clear the college fans care

much more.

- Andrew Fenner ‘27

Notre Dame

Should Stay Put

Notre Dame football does not need to join a conference,

as many have argued after they were left out of the college

football playoffs. As a football independent, Notre

Dame has consistently been one of the best college teams

in history with 11 national championship titles. The

choice to remain independent is open to anyone. This year

four teams did not play in their conference championship

and still made the playoffs, proving it’s not necessary for

Notre Dame to join a conference.

- Charlie Weigand '27

Potential New Era in

Formula 1

Lando Norris’ first Formula 1 title in Abu Dhabi is more

than a personal win. It shakes up the whole sport. For

years, the same drivers have dominated, leaving little

room for young talent. Norris’s victory proves that hard

work and growth can beat history and a big budget. It also

shows the direction Formula 1 needs: more competition

for an unpredictable future. His championship is a reminder

that a new era may be finally coming.

- Ryan Lichter '27


December 18, 2025

20

Boys Basketball Has a New Look

by Andrew Fenner ‘27

which will help their offense get

set up in transition to find the best

After a historically successful

shot.

Sherwood’s team overall

season that ended in a 70-61

loss to City College in the 3A

state championship game, the

Warriors come into this season

with a new look in terms of the

players on the court. But another

big change is that former Head

Coach Tom Sheahin retired last

season after 34 years of coaching.

“Coach Sheahin established

a winning culture, so my goal is

to build off of that,” said Jeff Holda,

the new coach of the team and

who is also an English teacher at

this year lacks experience, so it’s

tough to predict where the Warriors

will stack up against some of

the older teams in the county. Despite

this, the team looks strong

this year.

After a relatively slow start

against Clarksburg in the Warriors’

season opener on December

5, Sherwood started to pick

up steam halfway through the

first quarter, rebounding well

offensively and racking up second-chance

points. The Warriors

Sherwood after departing from

had all the momentum after the

Dylan Goodnough '27

Gaithersburg. Holda served as

first quarter, and despite Clarksburg

cutting the lead down in

the assistant coach of the Warriors

last season, and, along-

the fourth quarter, the Warriors

Senior guard Tyler Gramling gets back to contest a layup in a home opener win for Sherwood vs Rockville.

side Sheahin, was instrumental

in leading the team to the state

championship.

After the graduation of key

contributors like Alex Welch and

played important minutes for us

last season. We're relying on them

to lead the group.”

Nix, standing at 6’6”, is a

force in the paint and from midrange,

Warriors squad and will likely be

an even bigger contributor this

season. Smith is a smaller “passfirst”

guard with good perimeter

defense.

simply, zone defenses are used to

protect the inside lane with help

from the weak side of the ball

while sacrificing some ability to

guard against the three. Man-to-

secured the 75-62 win. Nix and

Gramling scored 27 and 17 points,

respectively. In their home opener

against Rockville, Sherwood

dominated, winning 72-40, led by

Khalil Wilson, returning players

with great defensive and In terms of defensive man defenses are better execut-

a 24-point outing from Nix and

have big shoes to fill. Sherwood rebounding capabilities. Gramling,

schemes, Holda is changing ed against teams that pose little 15 points from junior guard Kieran

does have a few returning players

that Holda believes will take

a step up this year. “We have two

returning starters, junior Jamar

Nix and senior Tyler Gramling, as

well as senior Roman Smith who

a 6’0” guard, has a good

handle and great court awareness,

on top of his ability to create

shots and draw contact. Smith,

while not being a starter last season,

was still a vital part of the

things up. In Sheahin’s time as

head coach, the Warriors mostly

ran a man-to-man defense. Holda

says he plans to switch between

zone and man-to-man depending

on their opponent’s playstyle. Put

threat in the paint but can shoot.

Offensively, Holda will run several

different set plays to prepare

against different defenses. On

top of play designs, Sherwood

will run different continuity sets,

Andrews. While Clarksburg

and Rockville are not top teams

in the county, the Warriors’ young

squad have shown that they’re

prepared to make some noise

when the playoffs come around.

Swim and Dive Start

a Successful Season

by Cara Farr ‘27

The Warriors lost many talented

swimmers last year to graduation

but still holds lots of talent

that will be displayed throughout

the season. Gaining a talented

group of freshmen, Till Kiretz

and Chase Madison on the boys

side along with Brooke Lakso,

Mia Velasquez, and Emi Cooper

on the girls team, Coach Ryan

Burnsky looks forward to what

the team will achieve this season.

“It’s tough to replace the

experience and spirit the seniors

take with them, but the young

athletes are always eager to step

in and do their part,” said Burnsky.

Even with the loss of last

year’s seniors, plenty of talented

and experienced upperclassmen

are on the team. The boys captains,

senior Callum Jagannathan,

junior Tyler Kominski, and senior

Ryan Prudenti, bring attributes of

hard work, great success, and a

positive attitude, helping lead the

boys team to what is expected to

be a successful season. The girls

captains, senior Maya Quiroga,

senior Jill Williams, and junior

Ella Costolo, bring speed, spirit,

and support. The girls team has

three seniors committed to swimming

in college, demonstrating

their immense amounts of talent.

Corinne Blachere is committed to

Franklin & Marshall in Pennsylvania,

Jill Williams is committed

to Rowan University in New Jersey,

and Elle Floyd is committed

to Salisbury University.

Whatever their abilities, each

swimmer has the individual goal

to get better each week, which

takes dedication due to the limited

practice times of one-hour

sessions twice per week. “As a

team, we always strive to have a

winning record and finish in the

top 10 at States for both boys and

girls.” said Burnsky. The goal of

being division champions is attainable

for both teams this year.

“Our girls have a very legitimate

chance to win,” said Burnsky.

The path for boys is a little more

challenging, having Wootton as

a division competitor, which is a

team that is usually one of the top

teams in the state for boys.

In their first meets of the

season on November 29, both

teams earned big victories against

Gaithersburg, with the boys winning

with a team score of 132-25

and the girls winning 127-28. As

expected at their second meet on

December 6, Wootton was some

tough competition for the boys

team. Despite a hard fought meet,

the boys fell short, 114-70. On

the other hand, the girls competed

well, showing off their wealth of

skill and experience, beating the

Patriots 102-81.

On Saturday, December 14,

both girls and boys took home

wins against Damascus. The boys

won by a score of 108-78, and the

girls won big again with a score

of 124-62. Heading into their

fourth meet of the season, the

Warriors look home to take two

wins against Rockville, who they

face this Saturday at 9:15 a.m.

The newest Sherwood Warrior logo (left) used for the athletics dept. compared to the previous logo (right).

Rebranding of the Warrior Logo

by Chloe Laroche '27

A new design for Sherwood

has appeared this school year, and

students and staff have questions.

First noticed by student-athletes,

this logo is becoming a part of

sports merchandise and is seen

mainly around Sherwood athletics.

The new logo seems to have

replaced most of the old designs

seen around Sherwood sports,

though it has not appeared on

the official Sherwood Athletics

web page or the school’s website.

There has also not been a formal

notification to the school community

whether the logo is or isn’t

the school’s official one.

Social studies teacher Caitlin

Thompson, who is also an assistant

athletic director and flag football

coach, explains the process

behind the design and offers more

insight into why the change was

made. “It was time for a refresh!

The old logo wasn’t really a logo

at all; it was a big S. We wanted

to try and create an actual mascot,

the Warrior,” said Thompson. The

change was made by Thompson,

along with Athletic Director Jason

Woodward, Sherwood coaches,

alumni, athletes, and artists.

“We are hoping that this Warrior

becomes THE Warrior. We want

to unify the school, athletics, music,

administration, everyone with

this design.”

According to Woodward, the

intent for the new design was to

create a three-dimensional character

to be used eventually as

a Sherwood mascot costume.

Woodward added that they want a

character who is gender neutral to

more easily represent both girls'

and boys' sports. Woodward

hopes to create an updated website

and have gear featuring the

new character.

Social studies teacher and

boys lacrosse coach Matthew

Google Images

Schneider assisted in the creation

of this new design. “Historically

the Sherwood mascot

and many logos were based on a

Robin Hood figure that is based

on the history of Sherwood and

its name,” he explained. “The

land donated to form the original

Sherwood school was called

Sherwood Farm that named itself

after the forest that reminded

them of Sherwood Forest in the

Robin Hood story.”

Although the aspiration for

the new logo is to be used schoolwide,

Principal Tim Britton told

The Warrior that no definitive decision

on this has been finalized.

Woodward said that the plan

for the new logo is to “let things

roll out naturally.” Thompson

added to “stay tuned” for what’s

next as the athletic department

continues working on promotion

and new merch, as well as

decorations of the logo going up

around the building.

SherwoodHS_Warrior

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