SHS_Warrior_May

48th year, issue no. 4 May 14, 2026

the

Warrior

Class of 2026 senior edition

2

The Warrior • News

May 14, 2026

Meta Held Liable for Harming Teen Mental Health

by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

MCPS Electric Bus Fiasco

by Leslie Majkrzak ‘27

MCPS attempted to implement

an energy-saving, environmentally

friendly mode of transportation

into the school system

by shifting towards using electric

buses instead of traditional diesel

school buses. However, after

signing a contract with Highland

Electric Fleets and beginning to

integrate their new electric buses

into their fleet in the 2021-2022

school year, issues began to arise.

Some of the main problems

with the new electric buses include

delivery delays, hundreds

of breakdowns, and limitations

due to charging. MCPS told

News4 that, “Current electric bus

technology is not fully capable

of meeting all of our transportation

requirements, particularly for

longer routes, special education

needs, field trips and mid-day

services that exceed charging capacities.”

In light of these complications,

MCPS requested the

purchase of 150 new diesel buses,

despite their previous commitment

that all new bus purchases

should be all-electric starting in

2025.

The current move by MCPS

to purchase more diesel buses,

along with the constant concerns

about the electric buses, has led

to further investigation into the

contract with Highland Electric

Fleets. Under deeper examination,

it was revealed that there

were questionable procurement

practices when creating the $168

Google Images

A problematic electric school bus driving through MCPS neighborhood.

million deal, and it resulted in

wasteful spending. One issue was

that MCPS failed to make provisions

for the contractor, which

would have allowed them to penalize

the company for noncompliance

with the contract, such

as late bus deliveries or constant

breakdowns.

“If MCPS had followed the

diesel bus agreement model, they

could have assessed fees of more

than $1.8 million to offset incurred

expenses related to late deliveries,”

stated the official Memorandum

of Investigation from

the Office of Inspector General

(OIG). The OIG concluded that

MPCS’s failure to include penalties

in or enforce the terms of the

contract resulted in millions of

dollars of unnecessary spending,

ultimately setting back its environmental

goals.

MCPS promised that it will

respond to the findings of the

OIG by installing data tracking

systems, strengthening management

practices, and upgrading

communications with vendors

and contract drafting. However,

none of these things can make

up for the millions of dollars of

wasted spending by MCPS. Not

to mention, its attempt to be more

sustainable and protect the environment

was unsuccessful. Instead,

the school district is forced

to shift back to using diesel buses

and emitting greenhouse gases,

as there is no current plan to look

into a different electric bus company

to stay sustainable.

Instagram and Youtube faced lawsuits for addicting platform designs.

Meta and YouTube were

found liable for the mental health

issues a young woman experienced

due to her usage of social

media. The jury awarded the

plaintiff $3 million in compensation

and an extra $3 million in

punitive damages. The conclusion

determined that social media

platforms should be considered

defective due to their addictive

nature which exploits the developing

brains of youth. Though

this sum of money will not heavily

impact these companies, this

outcome sets a precedent for potentially

thousands of other similar

lawsuits.

Kaley, the plaintiff of this trial,

is a 20 year old female known

in court filings as K.G.M. In 2023,

when K.G.M was 17, her parents

filed a suit on her behalf against

Meta and other social media companies

for deliberately designing

their platforms to be addictive for

children. She started using You-

Tube at 6 years old and Instagram

at 9 years old. Her legal claim is

that her various mental health issues,

including depression, anxiety,

body dysmorphia, and suicidal

ideation, were exacerbated

by her addiction to social media.

The platforms she sued included

Meta, YouTube, Snapchat, and

TikTok. The trial only involved

Meta and YouTube because Snapchat

and TikTok settled with the

plaintiff prior to the trial. The case

represents 2,000 other cases similar

to K.G.M. and is known as a

Bellwether trial, a test case that

will help decide how the thousands

of pending and future cases

will be resolved.

In a separate trial in New

Mexico, Meta has been fined with

$5,000 per violation, adding up

to $375 million. The company,

formerly known as Facebook,

was accused of misleading users

and enabling child exploitation

of their platforms. The lawsuit

alleges that conscious platform

design choices put children at

risk and introduce dangerous content

such as predators. A second

phase of the trial is scheduled for

this month and will be heard by a

bench trial rather than a jury.

California Attorney General

Rob Bonta co-led a bipartisan

coalition of 33 attorneys general

against Meta on October 24,

2023. This is another major lawsuit

against Meta, which claims

that they are violating state and

federal laws because of their addictive

features to keep minors

engaged with their platforms and

to maximize their usage. The

states also claim that Meta is collecting

data from users under 13

without parental consent. Meta

argued against these accusations,

claiming that it has provided

more than 30 tools to support the

wellbeing of teens online. This is

an active trial and currently does

not have a definitive outcome.

The K.G.M. v. Meta case is

significant because it does not

focus on the question of whether

Meta is protected by Section 230

of The Communication Decency

Act. This is a federal law that in

the past has protected platforms

like social media from being held

legally liable for content posted

by users. Since this case focuses

on the platform being defective, it

is bypassing the issue of Section

230. Although there is no formal

diagnosis for social media addiction,

the plaintiffs of the K.G.M.

case argue that the platforms’ intentional

engineering, design, and

features is the cause of the harm.

Filters that alter one’s appearance

and notifications such as likes

and follows are aimed to make

the app more alluring to young

users. K.G.M claims that beauty

filters contributed to her body

dysmorphia, and she did not feel

bad about her appearance before

her usage of social media. The

legal question is whether platform

designers had an obligation

to consider how their product

could affect developing minds,

especially if they were aware of

the risks regarding the health of

young people.

Social media is strongly correlated

with a plethora of mental

health issues such as depression,

anxiety, and low self esteem. Latenight

scrolling can lead to serious

sleep deprivation and depression.

On top of this, consistent usage of

social media platforms encourages

social comparison, which fuels

insecurity and results in lower

self worth. Young people, such

as adolescents, are susceptible to

this due to the desire for peer acceptance

and belonging as well as

neurological development.

Britton Says Farewell to Sherwood

by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

Approaching the end of his

33-year career as an educator and

administrator, Principal Tim Britton

announced his impending retirement

in March, saying goodbye

to the Sherwood community

and preparing for the transition to

retired life.

“We are deeply grateful for

Mr. Britton for his leadership,

passion, and commitment to the

students and families of Sherwood,”

wrote Eugenia Dawson

to the Sherwood community. As

chief of the Division of School

Leadership and Improvement,

Dawson is one of the facilitators

of the search for a new principal,

a process that began in March.

As a part of the holistic process,

staff, students, and community

members are chosen to

participate on the panel responsible

for the selection of the next

principal, interviewing the potential

candidates and getting a

comprehensive understanding of

their fit as a prospective leader

of the Sherwood community. The

chosen candidate likely won’t

be announced until June — with

Britton officially retiring June 30

— assuming their role over the

summer into the fall.

For the new principal, Britton

hopes they will continue to

lead with passion, advocating

for the community as it deserves.

“Build on the things we’ve done

well and work on the things we

still need to work on,” he advised.

“Continue to bring our community

together and demonstrate to the

county that we are a school that

works on our equity.”

Britton hopes to keep working

in education after he’s finished

traveling the world with his

family. Keeping the passion for

athletics and working with young

Google Images

After ending a 33-year career, Britton hopes to travel more in retirement.

people that drove him to work in

education in the first place, Britton

wants to continue serving his

community however he can. “One

of the things that you love in this

profession is the longer you’re in

it, you always get students that

come back at different ages,” said

Britton. ”They tell you how successful

they are … that’s worth a

million dollars.”

Sherwood has had its fair

share of challenges to tackle as

during his six-year term as principal

and throughout his nine years

as an administrator. From a building

struggling with an HVAC system

in disrepair, along with several

incidents that sent shockwaves

through the community, Britton’s

role as principal was vital in times

of crisis. The negatives, though,

aren’t what he likes to dwell on.

Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

“I’m getting sick and tired of people

putting things on the school

saying [incidents are] one way

when they’re not,” Britton said,

believing more in focusing on the

bright side of what Sherwood has

to offer rather than its setbacks.

While principal, Britton saw

Sherwood’s Maryland Report

Card increase from its previous

score, a reflection of the work

he feels staff and administrators

have made to see improvements

throughout the building.

In his February 25 letter announcing

his retirement, Britton

thanked Sherwood’s outstanding

staff and students for their support

and continued excellence over the

years. “I will miss it all; however,

I am comforted with the fact that

I will always be a Sherwood Warrior.

One Sherwood!”


May 14, 2026

Sherwood FBLA Heads to Nationals

by Yasmin Sheikh ‘27

Sherwood club Future Business

Leaders of America (FBLA)

attended the annual Maryland

FBLA Student Leadership Conference

in Ocean City this past

March and competed against

more than 60 other Maryland

high schools. Twenty-seven Sherwood

students competed at states

in 2026 compared to five students

at last year’s competition.

Now, for three Sherwood

competitors, Nationals are on the

horizon. Sophomore Rinaya Sivakumar

placed first in the Business

Plan event at states. Juniors Gabriella

Laing and Yasmin Sheikh

qualified for Nationals as a duo

by placing 3rd in Social Media

Strategies. This year, the National

Competition will take place in

San Antonio, Texas from June 29

to July 2.

“My biggest hope for our

three National qualifiers is not an

award …I want them to soak up

the atmosphere, meet people from

states they’ve never visited, and

come back to Sherwood with a

perspective that’s bigger than just

our hallways.” said club sponsor

Kimberly Coleman.

Sherwood FBLA has grown

exponentially through creative

fundraisers that continue to garner

attention for the club. FBLA

members bake and decorate cupcakes

to sell via preorder, and often

standard order. While delivering

the cupcake vouchers, which

students can trade in for the

physical cupcake during lunch,

FBLA members dress up as the

Grinch, leprechauns, dinosaurs,

and even easter eggs to bring

smiles to people’s faces.

At the state competition,

students competed in a plethora

of business topics including

Accounting, Business Plan,

Public Speaking, and Social

Media Strategies. For competition,

students chose from a

variety of competition types.

Some students chose a presentation,

where they had seven

minutes to present a response to

a prompt that students receive

months prior to the competition.

Other types of competition are

role play and objective tests.

Students who competed at states

aimed to place in the top four of

their category in order to qualify

for Nationals.

Proposition To Cut Librarians

by Nisha Khatri ‘26

The Maryland State Department

of Education recently proposed

an amendment that would

take away the requirement that

every school have a full-time

certified school librarian. Although

the department has since

backtracked on the proposal, the

move comes at a time of growing

apathy with reading and literature

and an already decreased number

of librarians in several schools

throughout Montgomery County.

Community members were

given the opportunity by the state

to speak up through email until

March 9. In a message to the

Sherwood community, Librarian

Stephanie Flaherty urged the

community to write in opposition

to the proposed amendment.

Sherwood, and the county at

large, has already seen a decrease

in librarian staffing over the past

decades. “MCPS prior to 2009

had much higher school library

staffing. There used to be two certified

librarians and as many as 4

media assistants in high schools.

After 2009, all MCPS schools

have one certified librarian and

staffing of media assistants are

determined by enrollment,” said

Flaherty.

This widespread shift is not

unique to MCPS; according to

a report by the School Librarian

Investigation, better known as

the SLIDE project, the number of

school librarians decreased drastically

following the covid pandemic.

At the same time, however,

many districts have gained

other employees. Of the districts

that reported losing school librarians,

two out of five reported

gaining administrators, and one

out of three gained instructional

coordinators.

Flaherty’s letter came at a

crucial time, with many community

members speaking out in regards

to various concerns, some

regarding the Maryland Freedom

to Read Act. The act, effective

starting in 2024, was designed

to ensure that students have access

to assorted collections. The

proposed amendment removes

services from professionals who

provide children with a variety

of skills related to reading, being

viewed as a divergence from the

act.

Certified school librarians

receive a greater degree of training

than public librarians. “As a

school librarian, I was required

to take 15 additional credit hours

for the certification. The courses

focus on situations and needs specific

to schools/academia, … and

technology specific to classroom

learning,” said Flaherty. This extra

training provides a foundation

for supporting students and could

be harmful if removed.

Although there have been no

funding allocation changes for

school librarians in MCPS, other

counties have implemented such

changes, and this trend, as well

as that of literacy awareness, may

continue if advocacy is scarce.

“Literacy rates have fallen in

almost all Maryland districts,

MCPS included. The answer is

not to cut the staff who support

literacy,” said Flaherty.

Jordana Smith

FBLA takes a group picture before departing for the state competition.

At states, students were also

able to attend workshops, opportunities

to sharpen personal business

and financial skills. Students

attended workshops on Public

Speaking, Financial Literacy,

College Prep, Resume Building,

Dressing for Success and many

more varying workshops.

FBLA isn’t just about competition.

“FBLA teaches you by

experience how to walk into a

room, greet strangers, and introduce

yourself with confidence,”

said Coleman. FBLA prepares

students for non-business careers

as well.

Sivakumar shared her desire

to go into the field of pediatric

oncology, a field focused on diagnosis

and treatment of cancer in

children. “Connection with people

and presenting information in

a way to appeal to them is something

FBLA has helped me with a

lot,” said Sivakumar.

3

Noticeable Extreme Weather

by Maddie Baron ‘27

In the past few months, communities

across the country have

seen cycles of strange and extreme

weather, leaving many confused

and distressed. From freezing

temperatures in the South to

intense heat in the West, weather

patterns have been unpredictable

and often dangerous. In Maryland,

for example, the weather

has changed drastically within

just a few days. One day it was 80

degrees, the next it was snowy, all

followed by a tornado warning.

Similar situations have been

happening across the country,

showing how unusual recent

weather has been. There are a

few possible explanations for

this. One is El Niño, a natural climate

pattern that occurs when sea

surface temperatures in the tropical

Pacific become warmer than

normal. El Niño affects weather

throughout the world, causing

drastic changes and disasters.

However, some scientists

speculate that El Niño doesn’t

fully explain recent weather patterns.

Many experts believe that

climate change is a major reason,

saying that Earth’s climate is now

“out of balance,” meaning rising

temperatures are leading to more

intense weather, breaking more

than 300 extreme weather records

in the past month alone.

The western United States

has been hit especially hard with

record-breaking heatwaves. Scientists

say that these heatwaves

would have been nearly impossible

without climate change.

Along with the environment and

human health, these changes are

also affecting people financially.

With more storms, hail, and

tornadoes, comes more property

damage. This could lead to higher

home insurance costs where severe

weather is more common.

This extreme weather is also

starting to affect people’s everyday

lives. Schools and businesses

may have to close due to unsafe

conditions, interrupting learning

and work. Farmers are also impacted

since sudden temperature

changes and storms ruin crops,

making food more expensive.

Emergency workers are dealing

with more calls and disasters, thus

putting extra stress on them, potentially

putting themselves and

the people they save in danger.

As a result, communities need to

invest more money into stronger

buildings, better drainage systems,

and improved emergency

plans to stay safe.

While scientists are still

studying how much El Niño and

climate change each play a role,

one thing is clear: extreme weather

is happening more often and

becoming more serious. Understanding

the reasoning behind

this will help increase future preparedeness.

4


May 14, 2026

Green Reflects on Teaching Career

by Ziv Golan ‘26

The nearing end of the

school year signifies not only a

time where students are moving

on, but also teachers entering retirement.

Beloved English teacher

Alexandra Green is one of the

teachers wrapping up her high

school teaching career at the close

of the 2025-2026 school year,

finishing an impressive 32-year

career in middle and secondary

education.

“The privilege of teaching

young people critical thinking

skills has been incredibly impactful,”

said Green. “I have had

wonderful experiences in middle

and high school level teaching.

There is a joy in middle school

with genuine curiosity and I’ve

found that in 9th grade too. There

is also the rigor of academics in

AP Lang, and I think that there

is a broad spectrum of skills that

I’ve been able to teach over the

last 32 years.”

MCPS has gone through its

fair share of curriculum changes

over the years. Teachers have in

some ways lost certain control

over what they are able to teach,

but in other ways have gained

new tools that help them find success

in the classroom. “When I

was first hired the teachers didn’t

have a prescriptive curriculum,”

recounted Green. “We were able

to pick what books we taught and

had more say over assignments.

Now we have less content, but

go more in depth. More time is

spent on reading texts that expose

students to more perspectives on

which to see the world. But the

downside is that there is more

rigidity to assignments; students

need more free ability to write

about who they are as people and

what they care about,” explained

Green.

Everchanging trends and innovations

in technology have certainly

impacted the way in which

students interact with the school

environment. Smartphones have

played a role in reducing student

contact with one another. However,

having easy access to a wealth

of information has also brought

positive changes. “In the last

10-15 years I have noticed more

advocacy and student involvement

in movements,” said Green.

“When young people exit high

school they may keep or adjust

views, but they have definitely

been more tuned in. Students are

more engaged with the news than

they were in earlier times. Now,

if you are subscribed to anything,

the news will be there.”

Green has dedicated a significant

amount of time throughout

her career to understanding new

technology and ensuring she is

caught up with the times. She

notes the time she spent during

COVID getting to know Canvas

as crucial to her ability to advance

her teaching methods. The popularization

of AI has again thrown

teaching into flux as teachers

decide how to adapt it into their

Lilah Boig ‘26

Mrs. Green sits at her desk while preparing her lesson plans for class.

classrooms. Teaching requires

significant flexibility, nothing is

set in stone; however, it is important

to not forget passion.

“The most important quality

is patience, [because] demands

are high in the profession. Teachers

undergo daily interaction with

students, colleagues, parents, and

leadership; you can’t allow a few

events or a bad day to negate the

good work that you’re doing,”

explained Green. “Pause and remind

yourself that you are doing

good, are transmitting important

info related to a content area that

you love. Exercise patience, stay

open to different ways into how

content is delivered as it changes

over time.”

As Green leaves Sherwood

behind she is focusing on how she

can stay active in the education

community. She has entertained

the possibility of mentoring new

teachers, teaching courses in a

college setting, or even teaching

Greek language classes. As she

mulls over her many options, it

is clear that she wants to remain

involved in a field she loves and

has dedicated decades of work to.

MCPS Pilots AI System

for Weapon Detection

by Nicholas Jones ‘28

In the past few years, MCPS

has not avoided the nationwide

scourge of guns and gun violence

in schools. MCPS has been

impacted by multiple incidents

over the past few years, including

non-fatal shootings at Magruder

and Wootton. Last fall, a student

at Sherwood brought a gun to

school, and administrators did not

discover this until another student

reported it at the end of the school

day. These incidents have raised

alarms over how school safety is

handled and addressed.

MCPS plans to address these

incidents with a 30-day pilot program

that uses AI to detect weapons.

Earlier this year, in February,

MCPS rolled out the program

to Magruder, Bethesda-Chevy

Chase, and Seneca Valley high

schools. However, the system has

raised concerns among parents

over privacy as well as the eventual

financial costs of the system.

The AI detection system

comes from VOLT (Violence Observation

and Lead Tracking) AI,

a local company that specializes

in using video intelligence to secure

buildings. The company’s

technology has been used by

other school systems across the

area, such as Loudoun County,

Virginia, which is now extending

the system to all its high schools.

This system and similar systems

are gaining popularity nationwide

because they are designed to help

staff quickly identify and respond

to safety issues.

The VOLT AI system works

by installing software into existing

security cameras, which

allows them to detect multiple

warning signs, such as fights,

weapons, large crowds, bullying,

and more. According to the company,

the AI has been trained with

large amounts of data consisting

of videos and images, which

help it detect weapons. Dmitry

Sokolowski, the CEO of VOLT

AI, notes that the system only detects

and responds to visibly seen

weapons. When triggered, the

system will notify trained staff via

mobile alerts, who must review

what happened and determine

whether action is needed. MCPS

officials have assured community

members that the system will

never make decisions on its own

to contact police. This is likely

due to recent false alarms, such as

an incident in Baltimore County

where a student was held at gunpoint

due to an AI detection system

mistaking an object for a gun.

The new system comes with

worries over student privacy.

Parents at a recent public hearing

noted that MCPS has yet to

make any documentation of the

agreements with the company

public. This has led the Parents’

Coalition of Montgomery County

to file a Maryland Public Information

Act that would make the

contract between VOLT AI and

MCPS public.

MCPS has responded by saying

that the pilot program is a free

program and that there are no

contracts or receipts to put out,

and the district stated that lawyers

from both sides thoroughly

reviewed the agreement before

it was approved. The technology

does not use facial recognition,

record audio, or operate in bathrooms

or classrooms, and the

system will not be fully integrated

without community input and

additional review.

The Warrior Thanks its

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May 14, 2026

Student Turns Passion to Profit

by Maya Dorsam ‘27

While many high schoolers

begin making money by picking

up typical jobs such as babysitting

or working at restaurants, a

few stand out from their peers by

starting their very own businesses.

Such students experience the

complexities of managing finances,

time, and school all at once on

a different level.

Junior Elly Ylaya runs a nail

art business out of her home and

faces the constant endeavor of

balancing her life. To her, though,

it’s worth it. “The reward is priceless,

and clients are constantly

leaving satisfied. I’ve been taking

clients for almost a year now, and

the growth and the support have

grown exponentially.”

Word of mouth and her Instagram

account “Nail Canvas

by Elly” gave her the attention

she needed to transform her passion

into a nice source of income.

Fortunately, she doesn’t have to

worry about the price of rent, but

she still invests in making her

bedroom space comfortable for

clients.

“On average, I spend about

$60 a month restocking supplies,”

explained Ylaya “I financed my

business using my own money,

and now I just reinvest what I

make back into supplies and improving

my setup.”

Ylaya typically has 3-4 clients

per week, charging between

35 and 45 dollars depending on

the amount of time sets take her

and their complexity level. Ultimately,

this totals out to about

6-8 hours a week, which she can

schedule to work with her athletic

and academic constraints.

Her main clients are students

at Sherwood and family members.

The money really starts

to flow once school events are

around the corner, like prom,

homecoming, and graduation.

The income is secondary, though.

“My main goal isn’t just money,”

she said. “I really want to keep

growing my skills and building

my client base while doing something

I enjoy.”

Ylaya’s biggest piece of advice

is to manage your time well,

establish your priorities, and use

Elly Ylaya

Finished product of junior Elly Ylaya’s nail design for one of her clients.

your passion to fuel you as a

small business owner. With that,

she says to leave time to care for

your well-being.

“It is okay to take a step

back,” said Ylaya. “Some days, I

catch myself getting lost in trying

to cram as many clients in one

day as possible, leaving no room

for me to eat in between or tend

to my social life. These instances

can accumulate and take a toll

on your life, but I am grateful to

have a good support system to

assist me and remind me that life

does not revolve around one priority.”

5

Student Publications Must Get

Prior Review, MCPS Memo Says

by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

In a memo sent to MCPS

principals on March 19, Chief of

Schools Peter Moran outlined new

guidelines for students, advisors,

and administrators on the subject

of student-run publications.

Released just days before spring

break, the memorandum demands

strict guidelines for what can and

can not be published or promoted.

Including yearbooks and spiritwear,

the policy requires that a

school administrator must review

any school-sponsored media prior

to publication or release, with

the implication that a school administration

will be able to make

suggestions or request changes.

This memorandum comes after

a tumultuous couple years at

Sherwood, with the most recent

senior shirt incident just a few

months ago circulating immense

debate about the county’s standards

for review of school-sponsored

products and publications.

In the last year Sherwood also

experienced controversy around

a senior quote published in the

yearbook, which was quickly redacted

with a white sticker.

Upon its release, newspaper

and yearbook advisors throughout

MCPS expressed deep concerns

about the new policy.

Administrative review is generally

against commonly expressed

journalistic principle, but currently

Maryland has no laws against

having an administrator simply

read a publication prior to print.

The New Voices Act — passed by

Governor Larry Hogan in 2016

in conjunction with the Student

Press Law Center (SPLC) and

other student advocate groups

— explicitly dictates protections

against censorship of student-produced

school sponsored media,

such as newspapers, magazines,

and broadcasts. Most concerns lie

within whether the policy abides

by the standards written in the

New Voices Act.

In a separate memo released

on the same day, Moran outlined

specific guidelines for the memorandum,

most of which contain

similar wording to the Student

Code of Conduct. Principals or

administrators must watch out

for derogatory/offensive language,

sexually explicit or suggestive

content, and content that

promotes drugs, among others. It

also advises to watch for anything

that could qualify as bullying or

“inside jokes” that could be teasing.

The guidelines contain no

specific distinctions among elementary,

middle, or high school

levels, and minimal guidance on

how administrators should coordinate

with their advisors.

According to the SPLC, a

school administration insisting

that a student publication make

changes is censoring students’

voices, which would be a clear

violation of The New Voices

Act. School officials can demand

changes to content only if it violates

MD law, such as material

that may be profane, vulgar, lewd,

or obscene, or with a clear intent

to harass, threaten, or intimidate.

6 The Warrior • Juniors and College

May 14, 2026

Early Decision: Good for Colleges, Bad for Students


As juniors get closer and

closer to college application season,

the Early Decision option

becomes a more familiar term

to students. Applying Early Decision

is a binding commitment,

that if admitted to the college, the

student must attend there. Students

can pick only one school

to be their Early Decision school,

so this choice should not be taken

lightly. Moreover, students

should be aware that the Early

Decision system advantages colleges

and affluent applicants and

disadvantages low and middle income

applicants.

Some well known private

schools that offer Early Decision

are Northeastern, Brown, University

of Pennsylvania, Duke,

and University of Chicago. Local

institutions that offer Early Decision

are American University,

George Washington University,

and Johns Hopkins University.

Early Decision is rarely offered

at public universities, but some

include University of Virginia

and University of Michigan. Yale

and Princeton offer a non-binding

early application called Single-Choice

Early Action in which

applicants are not allowed to apply

to any early admission program

at any other college in the

United States.

Admission statistics reveal

that at many Early Decision

schools, chances of admission are

heavily increased if a student applies

via an Early Decision application.

For example, chances of

admission at Northeastern were

11 times higher for Early Decision

applicants than Regular decision

for the Class of 2028; 43

percent of Early Decision applicants

were admitted, compared to

3.83 percent of Regular Decision.

Chances of acceptance at some

schools, like at Northeastern, increase

significantly when an applicant

applies Early Decision,

making this an extremely enticing

option for students applying

to competitive schools.

When a student applies Early

Decision, they have to make

a commitment before the college

has provided a financial aid

package. The rule is that if admitted,

the student must attend the

school, except when the cost is

too much for their family. However,

the college itself is the one

that decides whether their financial

aid package is sufficient. Both

factors strictly limit the application

pool for Early Decision to

families who can afford the cost

of attending the college without

financial assistance. At Northeastern

and George Washington

University, cost of attendance including

room and board is around

95 thousand dollars a year. When

colleges admit applicants through

Early Decision, they can ensure a

significant portion of students are

paying full tuition. While it may

boost revenue for the college,

low and middle income families

are severely disadvantaged by the

Early Decision system as a result.

Students applying Early Decision

are also forced to make a life altering

decision at the young ages

of 17 or 18. If students commit

themselves to one college, they

could potentially miss out on other

college opportunities—even

more prestigious options. Early

Decision makes it impossible for

students to weigh their options

between schools because students

must withdraw applications to all

other colleges if they are accepted

Early Decision. If a student receives

multiple Regular Decision

acceptances, they can use different

financial aid offers as leverage

to negotiate better financial aid

or merit based aid options. With

Early Decision, students have

limited opportunities to advocate

for better aid.

As application season approaches,

students should be cognizant

of this enticing but risky

option when applying to colleges.

Students should weigh the

pros and cons of Early Decision

and realize that it may not be as

beneficial as the numbers make it

seem.

‘Trauma Dumping’ Is Controversial among College Admissions

by Taylor Adams ‘27

Juniors are nearly rising seniors

and are increasingly considering

their topics for their college

essays, especially now that the

2026-2027 Common App essay

prompts have been released.

Confusion surrounds the supposedly

effective method of “trauma

dumping,” which involves

sharing in detail past difficult experiences

or hardships. Trauma

dumping is a common approach

to writing a college essay, but

there is much backlash surrounding

it, making students confused

on whether or not to avoid it or

utilize it.

Common App is a college

application platform that allows

students to submit applications

to several colleges while only

having to put in their information

once, and the platform releases

college essay prompts for

its applications every year. The

questions for the 2026-2027 applications

are the same as those

for 2025-2026, and one question

involves sharing challenges or

setbacks the student has faced

and how they overcame them.

This question has become a popular

choice for trauma dumping,

especially in the past few years as

many students share success stories

of writing about their family

problems, sports injuries, or minority

struggles, and they then

get acceptance letters or even full

rides to colleges.

However, there has been

pushback against the idea that

writing about hardships is a good

path for college essays, especially

among students who find the

topic is a shortcut. “I did not feel

the need to trauma dump because

I wanted to show my hard work

and motivation to make academic

accomplishments rather than

being admitted because of sympathy,”

said senior Tyler Payson,

who will be attending Salisbury

in the fall.

This graph represents Early Decision acceptance rates vs. Regular decision acceptance

rates for several private institutions. The Early Decision advantage is

clearly displayed as the Early Decision admission rates (in dark gray) are much

higher than the Regular decision bars (in light gray).

Popularity of College Essay Topics

Topic of your choice - 28%

Facing adversity- 23%

Personal growth- 20%

Background, identity, interest, or talent- 18%

Intellectual curiousity- 5%

Gratitude- 3%

Challenging an idea- 3%

This graph shows which ideas were more popular to write about on the

Common App during the 2025-2026 application year, with most students

choosing their own idea, a prompt about adversity, or personal growth.

The concept that one’s dedication

and diligence is more

important than hardship is also

a suggestion made by Jennifer

Schorr, one of Sherwood’s English

Composition Assistants who

helps students with their college

journey. Schorr says that “trauma

dumping doesn’t typically reassure

an admissions officer of your

ability to fit in and succeed,” but

instead showcasing resilience and

growth can be important. An essay

about a traumatic experience

can be well developed and success

can stem from this, according

to Schorr, but an important factor

of that success is its showing of

the student’s character.

The Common App also has

a 250-word essay supplementary

on “Challenges and Circumstances,”

which can be used to write

about trauma “It is absolutely not

important to convey hardships or

past trauma in your main common

app essay,” said Schorr.

Still, the perception that seniors

should write about traumas

on their common app persists.

This leaves students who haven’t

experienced any severe hardships

or simply don’t want to write

about them in the middle; unable

to write about trauma, but unsure

of what else to write about that

could still get them into college.

An anonymous senior mentioned

the common belief that “people

with tragic pasts usually win,”

and how this concept created a

pressure to trauma dump or write

about “crazy experiences,” even

though she “hasn’t really had

any.” The growing belief that

one needs to gain sympathy from

admissions officers is also likely

in direct correlation with the increase

in essays about sports injuries.

Not finding any other trauma

to write about, an injury is the

next best thing.

It is important to put serious

thought into a college essay, and

not stray down the same path others

do because there is a concept

of success. Schorr recommends

that students make an appointment

with her to brainstorm their

essay, to create a topic that will

showcase their value and personality

well. She suggests students

“think of your essay like a substitute

for an interview” and whatever

topic one picks, make sure it

conveys their personality and capability

to truly learn and flourish

in the college environment.

The Warrior • Juniors and College

May 14, 2026

7

Colleges See Influx of Students with 504 Plans

from their own doctor or from

the school psychologist. However,

the most important factor

is whether or not this diagnosis

impairs a student’s performance

in school, “A diagnosis of ADHD

alone does not give a student a

504 plan, but if we have the diagnoses

and then we see a student

not finishing assignments on time

or struggling in other ways here

at school, we look at all that information

in a meeting and then

determine if they qualify for a 504

plan,” explained Singleton.

Students who are on 504

plans at Sherwood are most commonly

given extra time to turn in

assignments and to take tests or

exams. Due to these benefits, according

to the articles, there are

students, as well as some educated

savvy parents, who are trying

to game the system in order to ensure

that they, or their child, get

more time on school work.

However, Singleton believes

that this is not the case. “I think

pretty much most of the students

who have a 504 plan and have exby

Gabriel Esteban ‘27

Lengthy articles from the

New York Times newspaper and

The Atlantic magazine in the

past few months each reported an

average of around a 25-percent

increase in university students receiving

504 accommodations for

reported disabilities. This trend

is seen at selective, prestigious

schools and also at schools that

accept a large percentage of applicants.

504 plans are educational accommodations

that aid students

with disabilities. These kinds of

accommodations may include extended

time on assessments and

assignments, the opportunity to

test in separate rooms, and easier

accessibility to parts of campus

for students with physical disabilities.

According to Kelly Singleton,

the head of the counseling

department at Sherwood, the

trend of more students having

504s starts in middle and high

school when students typically

are granted a plan with accommodations.

“We’ve seen a big

increase in 504 plans, probably in

the last 10 years or so … If [the

articles] are saying 25-percent

increase, I would say we’ve seen

something very similar here”.

The writers of the New York

Times article, Mark Arsenault

and Steven Rich, explain that

the reason for this increase is not

completely known, but a number

of experts believe that the rise of

ADHD, autism and severe anxiety

diagnoses since the covid

pandemic may be a factor.

Singleton echoes what the

New York Times reports. “I think

since the covid pandemic …

we’ve seen an increase in anxiety

across the board. I think that

diagnosis in general has gone up,

but I also think that there’s just

more awareness being brought

to diagnoses such as anxiety and

ADHD,” said Singleton. “Each

504 plan is individual to a student’s

needs, but the common

accommodations that we see are

extended time, preferential seating,

a flash pass or the ability to

take a break if they’re feeling

overwhelmed.”

Both articles reported that

getting 504 plans within the last

decade is simpler, only needing

a doctor’s note in contrast to the

much stricter medical and scientific

evaluation of a student in

previous years, “Previously, the

threshold for diagnoses had been

‘clear evidence of clinically significant

impairment’. After the release

of the DSM-5, (Diagnostic

and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders), the symptoms needed

only to ‘interfere with, or reduce

the quality’ of academic functioning,”

writes Rose Horowitch for

The Atlantic.

Singleton clarified that in

order to get a 504 plan, students

need to have a proper diagnosis

What is a 504 Plan?

A 504 plan refers to students receiving services under

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Said section mandates

that schools provide services to students including

but not limited to, adequate transportation, physical education,

and access to school facilites in accordance with

the student’s physical or mental disability.

An accommodation is officially defined as “any strategy,

service, or facility modification that allows the student

to access academic, nonacademic, and extracurricular

activities comparable to those available to his or her

peers.” In order to qualify for accommodations, a student

must have “a physical or mental impairment that

substantially limits one or more major life activities.”

To Submit or Not Submit:

Test Optional Explained

by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

The covid pandemic caused a

plethora of issues for students, especially

those in the midst of preparing

for college. Due to school

closures, the SAT or ACT could

not be administered safely. In order

to combat this issue, colleges

adopted the test-optional policy.

This grants students the option

to omit their SAT or ACT scores

from their application. Once the

covid pandemic was over, many

colleges continued with the

test-optional policy.

Although some schools are

beginning to reinstate the requirement

for testing, many schools

are remaining test optional for the

foreseeable future. Local schools

such as UMD, Towson, Goucher,

Loyola, Hood, and more continue

to be test optional.

Test scores, especially high

ones, provide numerous benefits

to an application. Each college

has a range of test scores that they

are looking for; if the score falls

within the middle or higher end of

the range, submitting it can serve

as a benefit. Being within or higher

than the given range would

highlight academic strength and

suggests academic potential. A

good test score paired with a high

GPA would be extremely appealing

to colleges, accentuating the

academic portion of an application

and providing incentive

on why this student would be a

good fit. Test scores also provide

a standardized evaluation over all

applicants. Since every student

gets the same test, the score can

effectively compare each applicant

academically despite the differences

in opportunities.

If the score does not fall within

the range colleges are looking

for, it may indicate poor academic

performance to college admissions.

A high GPA would not

counteract this; a low test score

could signal that a high GPA is

a result of grade inflation. If other

aspects of application are not

strong, excluding the score could

be harmful. Colleges want to see

rigor, involvement, and important

experiences in a prospective

student’s application. Test scores

accentuate academic potential

and rigor, which is an important

aspect of one’s application.

Sherwood’s College and Career

Navigator Jenny Davis advises

students to go beyond academic

rigor and get involved with

meaningful activities to showcase

their potential in a college setting.

“What you are doing outside of

school to better yourself as a human

shows how they can get to

know you and get an idea on what

you would be like on their campus,”

said Davis.

Academics and quantitative

data is not the sole focus of a

student’s application. Extracurriculars,

participation in class

and outside of school, and taking

advantage of meaningful opportunities

allows colleges to grasp

a greater understanding of applicants.

Colleges want to know

more about applicants beyond

academics, and a student’s aspirations

and involvement is critical

information to include in an application.

Every college is different;

more prestigious universities put

emphasis on the academic portion

of an application while others

may focus more on extracurriculars.

A well rounded application

is more important than individual

factors.

Acceptance Rates Deceive Students

by Elise Yang ‘27

Despite what highly selective

colleges and universities may

want students to believe, it’s actually

getting easier to get into

college overall, not harder. On

average, colleges and universities

are admitting a larger proportion

of students than 20 years ago.

However, those highly selective

institutions, which account for

approximately 50-60 colleges

out of all 4,000 colleges in the

U.S. (around 1.5 percent), have

been working harder than ever to

maintain or achieve their prestigious

status, specifically through

lowering acceptance rates.

These college ranking systems

and the perceived importance

of statistics like acceptance

rates feed into the incentive for

colleges and universities to widen

their applicant pool. Along

with the oversensationalization

of “prestigious” institutions,

schools are rushing to appear as

distinguished as possible. Some

colleges increase their number of

applicants through aggressive advertisements

that make students

feel as if they are likely to be accepted,

while in reality they are

not.

This practice, as opposed to

more targeted advertising that

aims to attract students with certain

grades and test scores, is

one gaining popularity. Known

for their quick rise in national

rankings and broad advertising,

Northeastern now has an acceptance

rate of roughly 5 percent,

close to that of Ivy League institutions.

However, this does not

mean Northeastern offers an Ivy

League-level education.

This trend is not limited

to private institutions; in fact,

Google Images

states’ flagship universities are

engaging in a race to secure the

designation of a “public ivy,” a

highly selective and prestigious

public institution. These schools,

although public state schools, are

becoming increasingly selective

for both in-state and out-of-state

applicants. UMD is one of them.

Maryland’s state university has

been climbing the ranks at an impressive

rate among public universities,

jumping 20 positions

since 2020, and now ranked 44th

among all national universities

(2 notches above Northeastern)

and 17th among public universities

according to the US News &

World report.

UMD is now commonly referred

to as a “public ivy” after

appearing on Forbes’ list of “New

Ivies” in 2024. This perceived

prestige is provoking anxiety

among students and families especially

within Maryland, who

are now fearful of being rejected

by their state university. While

highly selective institutions have

been cranking up the pressure, or

at least what it looks like, the value

of education you may receive

there isn’t necessarily improving.

On the other hand, the state’s flagship

universities are rising both in

status and selectivity. The college

admissions process is trickier

than it seems, and it’s important

to remember that acceptance rates

and rankings are not everything.

8

theWarrior

the

Priced Off the Pitch

by Emma Cosca ‘27

The World Cup is coming to

the United States, and matches at

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

and Lincoln Financial Field in

Philadelphia sit only a few hours

away from Maryland. That proximity

should feel like an opportunity.

Instead, it feels like a rip-off.

What the organizers promoted

as a “World Cup for all” is

looking more like a World Cup

for those who can outbid everyone

else. The promise of accessibility

has quietly morphed into an

unacceptable maze of price hikes,

resales, lotteries, and misleading

advertising that seems designed

to exhaust fans before they ever

reach the games.

Historically, World Cup tickets

were categorized into four

fixed-price tiers, with Category 4

seats reserved for residents of the

host nation at lower rates. However,

for the 2026 tournament,

which will be hosted across the

United States, Canada, and Mexico,

FIFA has overhauled this

system. Fans must now secure

the right to buy tickets through

lottery-style phases. Fans don’t

just buy tickets anymore; they

now have to gamble for the right

to buy tickets.

Once (or if) they win the

right to buy, there are four categories.

Most seats fall into Category

1 — the second-most-expensive

category. Stadium maps shown

to fans suggested equal odds

of seating across the stadium’s

large, desirable sections. Fans

later discovered that many of the

best seats had been withheld for

hospitality packages, sponsors,

national team allocations, and a

The Warrior • Opinions

May 14, 2026

Staff

Editors-in-Chief ......................................... Maya Dorsam ‘27

Andrew Fenner ‘27

Online Editor-in-Chief ...................................... Cara Farr ‘27

Online Page Editors ....................................... Kenzy Duda ‘28

Nicholas Jones ‘28

Print

News ................................................................... Cara Farr ‘27

Leslie Majkrzak ‘27

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

Owen Smith ‘27

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

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

Humor ............................................................ Kenzy Duda ‘28

Entertainment ............................................ Maddie Baron ‘27

Gabriel Esteban ‘27

Sports .............................................................. Reid Duvall ‘27

Charlie Weigand ‘27

Copy and Content

Director of Copy & Content ......................Yasmin Sheikh ‘27

Business

Director of Advertising ..................................... Elise Yang ‘27

Social Media

Director of Social Media ..........................Violet Fujimoto ‘27

Staff Writers

Taylor Adams ‘27, Madelyn Awwad ‘27, Makenna Babcock

‘28, Tyler Boone ‘27, Emma Cosca ‘27, Kenley Jacobs ‘27,

Roman Khrizman ‘27, Finian Kocsis ‘28, Ryan Lichter ‘27,

Kaitlyn Nardos ‘28

new “Front Category.” That category

pushes final match prices

to a staggering $10,990. Buyers

who expected a fair shot at better

seats were misled.

The prices have become the

most visible flashpoint. FIFA promoted

the idea of affordable tickets,

including talk of lower-cost

options, similar to past World

Cups. In practice, the introduction

of dynamic pricing, in which

ticket prices fluctuate in response

to real-time demand, has made

prices higher than ever. Ticket

“drops” create a sense of scarcity,

even though no one knows how

many tickets remain. The highly

anticipated $60 seats account for

less than one percent of seats in

most stadiums.

And just when it seemed the

system couldn’t be more stacked,

FIFA found a way to profit further.

Instead of limiting the resale market

that runs rampant in America,

FIFA joined in. FIFA made its

own official resale platform that

allows tickets to be resold without

price caps. Under this system,

buyers and sellers each pay a 15

percent fee, meaning FIFA can

collect up to 30 percent of every

resale transaction.

All of this raises a bigger

question: what exactly is FIFA’s

mission anymore? The organization

presents itself as a nonprofit

dedicated to growing soccer

internationally and ensuring its

accessibility. But accesibility

doesn’t mean much if the people

who live closest to stadiums can’t

afford to get in. When loyal fans

are priced out, the idea of expanding

the sport starts to sound less

like a mission and more like a

marketing slogan.

SAVE Act Would Hurt Elections

by Deepika Shrestha ‘27

In February, the House of

Representatives passed the Safeguard

American Voter Eligibility

Act. The SAVE Act’s goal

would ensure that only American

citizens are voting in federal

elections. President Trump has

been adamant about passing the

restrictive bill in the Senate. He

has threatened to not sign any

other bills until the SAVE Act is

passed. The act would make it

wildly harder for many Americans

to vote. Trump cares to control

who votes, because it keeps

the Republican party in power

indefinitely.

Trump has stated in previous

years that Democrat officials “rig

elections” because they allow

for noncitizens to vote. Trump

has made unsubstantiated claims

about large numbers of noncitizens

voting in federal elections.

Non-citizens are unable to vote in

federal elections, and it is exceedingly

rare that noncitizens vote.

The SAVE Act would require

voters to show documents proving

citizenship in order to register

to vote and provide photo ID at

time of voting. That would end

people being able to register with

their drivers license because it

does not prove citizenship. Other

provisions of the act would

include an end to mail-in ballots

unless for special circumstances,

criminalization of election workers

for registering a voter without

proof of citizenship, and the Department

of Homeland Security

(DHS) creating a database to find

noncitizens on state voter rolls.

Amendments on banning transgender

athletes from participating

in female sports and gender-affirming

care for minors were recently

included.

Around 21 million Americans

do not have any access to

proper documentation proving

citizenship. The most common

sources of citizenship would be

a passport or birth certificate.

Around half of American citizens

do not have a passport. Almost

four million citizens do not

have a birth certificate. Married

women that take their husband’s

last name would have a passport

or birth certificate that does not

match their married name. In

addition, many in rural states depend

upon mail-in ballots if they

do not have readily access to a

polling place. The DHS plans to

make a database with state voter

Google Images

The SAVE Act will make it harder to vote on election day for citizens.

rolls will potentially cause people

to be deported or detained.

Trump has called for Senate

Majority Leader John Thune to

eliminate the sixty vote filibuster

to allow Republicans to pass

the bill. Thune has rejected the

demand, stating there are not

enough votes for that to occur.

Trump has stated he would not

promote any lawmakers not voting

for the SAVE Act for midterm

elections. Trump shared on Truth

Social that “Democrats will not

win an election for fifty years and

maybe longer” if the SAVE Act

went into effect.

The SAVE Act should not

be passed because it discourages

citizens from collectively voting.

Trump does not truly believe voter

fraud is an immense issue that

needs to be solved. The act was

never about protecting the integrity

of federal elections but controlling

the outcomes of them.

by Andrew Fenner ‘27 and Ryan Green ‘26

Profiting Off of Insecurity

by Andrew Fenner ‘27

Social media has seen the

rise of a new genre of content creators

that use their platform to advocate

for a new, more analytical

way of looking at attractiveness.

This new online sub-culture,

known online as “looksmaxxing”

or “black-pill,” targets insecure

young men, encouraging them to

take advantage of new methods

to change their appearance. One

of the most commonly praised of

these new ‘bio-hacking’ tactics is

the use of experimental peptides.

Peptides are short chains

of amino acids that are meant to

mimic common proteins in the

body and perform certain functions.

Peptides can do a number

of things for the body, like regulating

collagen levels or repairing

damaged tissue. Some peptides

have been FDA-approved, like

GLP-1, more commonly known

as Ozempic. Having been studied

extensively and proven to work

as intended, these approved drugs

are safe for consumption and can

be bought from reputable, federally

regulated sources.

Though peptides like Ozempic

are safe for consumer use, the

peptides typically associated with

looksmaxxing culture are not.

Most peptides peddled by influencers

are experimental and completely

unregulated. These influencers

claim these peptides are

able to increase muscle growth,

stimulate hair growth, or improve

their skin.

Because these experimental

proteins are not federally approved,

they can only be acquired

through “grey-market” dealers

who sell peptides outside of the

The Warrior • Opinions

May 14, 2026

heavily-regulated pharmaceutical

channels. Due to their unregulated

status, it is illegal to sell peptides

for consumer use; dealers

circumvent these laws by stating

that their products are only to be

used for research purposes. These

drugs are also illegal to produce

in the United States, which means

that these dealers mainly have to

source their product from cheap

manufacturers overseas.

It might seem like these

drugs may only be available to

buyers willing to jump through

the hoops of finding a way onto

the dark web, but that’s not true.

One simple Google search is all it

takes to purchase these grey-market

peptides. It’s remarkably easy

for Americans to acquire these

drugs, more easily in fact than any

other illegal substance you could

think of. All these companies ask

is your name and address, and,

optionally, your company name

(because, remember, these products

are supposedly for research

purposes only).

The nature of the underground

and unregulated peptide

industry is incredibly predatory

and takes advantage of young

men by promising a “cure.” Influencers

on social media have made

a career out of putting other men

down and boiling down physical

attractiveness to a “science” in

which the only solution is through

dubious medications and dangerous

practices, both of which can

be damaging to the consumer’s

wallet and, more importantly,

their health. It’s deplorable what

these companies and these influencers

are doing, and there needs

to be more federal regulation on

the sale of peptides.

Resistance Builds against Detention Centers

by Lilah Boig ‘26

As President Trump’s Immigration

and Customs Enforcement

(ICE) continues to detain

immigrants in droves, there is an

increasing and absurd demand for

immigrant detention centers.

Following legal battles over

a proposed private detention center

in a neighboring Washington

County warehouse, Montgomery

County Councilmember Evan

Glass introduced the “ICE out”

bill, which would prevent privately

owned immigration detention

centers in the county. The

Montgomery County Council has

since taken serious steps against

increased ICE activity by first

passing the County Values Act,

which restricts ICE from working

on many government properties.

Regarding his proposal, Glass announced

through the Montgomery

County Council Website that

“neighboring jurisdictions have

been forced to react to ICE detention

centers quickly. Montgomery

County will not wait.”

Mirroring the ones in Washington

County, the development

of private ICE detention centers

has been on an extreme rise since

Trump’s usage of ICE to detain

migrants across the country. Over

90 percent of ICE detention centers

are private and for-profit, primarily

owned by the companies

CoreCivic and GEO Group. Following

Trump’s “One Big Beautiful

Bill” that granted unprecedented

funding, these companies

have amassed net worths of almost

a billion dollars each.

Across the nation, in states

red and blue, these for-profit ICE

incarceration centers have received

backlash. At one of Core-

Civic’s California City centers,

there have been repeated reports

of “decrepit” and “punishing”

conditions, resulting in more than

100 lawsuits. Resistance from the

mostly Republican community

also came in CoreCivic’s fight

to use previously closed-down

centers in Leavenworth, Kansas,

led by a former employee of the

building, who described how the

facilities were previously closed

due to inhumane conditions.

With Trump’s campaigning

focusing on the sole detention

of “dangerous criminals,” and

then the reality of ICE detaining

as many U.S. immigrants as they

can, the Department of Homeland

Security’s ability to properly handle

the number of detainees has

been overwhelmed. As prisons

are built quickly, they are built

profit-focused, leading to cuts in

creating a healthy space and sustaining

legal practices. Their lack

of real regard has clearly led to

utterly immoral practices within

their incarceration system, this

is alongside the immorality of

ICE implementation in general.

Human beings in these systems

Google Images

9

Washington County for-profit ICE detention center has received criticism.

are left without access to lawyers,

families are not given their

whereabouts, and tragically will

resort to suicide as their only way

out. As well, allowing these private

businesses to flourish off of

immigration detentions, it creates

an unfair space in which those in

power lobby and secure policies

that profit them. As they fight to

keep the laws that oppress and

attack immigrants, they line their

pockets and disregard the aftermath

of all of the detentions that

are done.

It seems like it should be

an easy moral point that nobody

should profit off of the incarceration

of other people but with

MAGA propaganda hiding this

behind the need to keep America

“safe,” immigrants whose

only crime is crossing a border

are placed in warehouses with

no beds to sleep in, and no chairs

to eat in. It is clear to so many

that this maximization of profit

for ICE centers has no place in

America. Rallying alongside representatives

such as Evan Glass

can prevent these companies

from further growth, before it’s

too late.

The Caffeine Trap


As many high school students encounter countless

school nights with less than 6 hours of sleep, energy drinks

become tempting. Whether someone needs to stay up late

to finish a project or get through a full day of school, an energy

drink can make it easier. So what’s the big deal? Alani

Energy drinks and Celcius Energy drinks have 200mg of

caffeine, which is double the recommended daily maximum

for teens. Daily consumption of energy drinks can

pose serious risks to teens including seizures, tremors,

heart rhythm issues, and many more health issues.

Other effects of daily consumption are irritability,

anxiety, and sleep disruption. Having an energy drink a

day can even hinder concentration and cognitive ability.

Similarly to any other drug, regular consumption can

cause tolerance and dependence. For individuals who constantly

consume energy drinks, they may need to drink

more than their normal intake to feel the same positive

effects of increased energy and alertness. Not only this, but

dependence on caffeine can lead to withdrawal symptoms

like headaches and fatigue. Although caffeinated drinks

like Celsius or Alani’s can boost energy temporarily, it is

important for teens to monitor their caffeine intake to limit

their risk of health problems.

Maintain Student Privacy

by Elise Yang ‘27

A complaint filed against MCPS by the conservative

legal group America First Legal argues that district

guidelines that preserve students’ rights to privacy about

their preferred gender violate the Constitution and student

privacy laws. America First Legal, co-founded by President

Trump’s political adviser Stephen Miller, argues that

MCPS violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy

Act and free speech by allowing students to withhold their

gender identity and gender transition from parents. MCPS

guidelines affirm that students’ right to privacy includes

their right to keep their gender identities private.

This complaint is not only contradictory, but potentially

harmful. America First Legal claims to be concerned

about students’ privacy, while protesting a system that

works to protect it. Students should maintain their right

to keep their gender identity private from their families if

they feel necessary. It is imperative that MCPS continues

to keep students safe and comfortable by allowing them to

make that decision. While it is understandable that parents

may be concerned about their children withholding information

from them, high school students are mature enough

to reach their own conclusion about who to tell about their

preferred gender identity.

Keep Coed Volleyball

by Makenna Babcock ‘28

MCPS is choosing to eliminate coed volleyball for the

2027 spring season and replace it with a JV boys volleyball.

In January, the athletic directors in the county voted

unanimously to remove the program for a variety of reasons,

modt of which don’t make much sense. One stated

reason is that there is currently an unfair advantage for

girls who play a “double season.” There is also a claim that

coed volleyball creates an imbalance of competitiveness

for the boys volleyball teams, which is an unconvincing

argument when you consider the competitive imbalances

across the board for all sports in MCPS. During the spring

season, coed volleyball at Sherwood shines, and MCPS

shouldn’t get rid of successful teams and a sport that has

built a good amount of traction.

Coed volleyball is very different from boys volleyball.

It involves different rotations, strategies, and different

skill sets for the girls on the team. As for the boys volleyball

teams, some schools are going to be more competitive

than others regardless of whether there is coed volleyball

or not. Instead of cutting the coed volleyball completely,

schools should work to balance out funding to make room

for more sports, especially ones that allow for greater participation

by female athletes.

Junior

ADVICE COLUMN & NEXT STEPS

Junior year has a scary reputation of being the most difficult one that sets students up for college. Many students, however, aren’t fully aware

of how to take on all of the responsibilities and manage their time well to decrease stress as much as possible. Here is a timeline with recommendations

for when juniors should be completing vital tasks to increase their chances of getting accepted into colleges and universities.

All Things College

EXTRACURRICULARS & FUN

College is a great time for self-growth through new experiences and people. For the first time, many young adults have the opportunity to

demonstrate independence and develop necesssary lifetime skills while being away from home. The thought might be daunting, but it’s also

an important time to let loose, have fun, and go along for the ride. Here are some ways you can make the most of your experience.

CLASS OF 2027

ALMOST GRADUATED

Find your local coffee shop

Local shops serve as a great place to study or grab a sweet treat with friends.

Join intramural sports

Intramural sports offer a chance to make new friends while participating in fun and

competitive gameplay at your school. The free shirt for winning doesn’t hurt either!

Take advantage of free events

Paying thousands of dollars to attend school comes with its perks! Through a quick search

you can discover concerts, seminars, fairs, and more locally at a free or discounted price.

Explore campus and the area

College campuses have lots to offer, but you’d be surpised just how much can be found

around them too. Try catching an uber or a friend with a car to take a day trip around!

Junior Year

This school year is the one that college admissions will review; therefore, students should take honors courses along

with two or more AP classes if they plan to apply to selective colleges. In addition to taking these classes that show off a

rigorous classload, students need to be signed up for and start studying for taking the SAT and possibly the ACT in the spring. It

is also a good idea to take a practice test for each exam. An advantage of doing this is that juniors may discover they are better

suited for the SAT or ACT, and it also will give them time to think about taking one of them multiple more times in the fall of

senior year. Taking one of the entrance exams more than once allows a student to “super-score” by combining together their

best sections from each sitting.

Spring break is a great time to tour colleges of interest. It lets students evaluate what they like and dislike in college.

Taking tours and gaining quality information about the school gives a good idea of where to apply and if a college is a good fit.

It is very important that students request two different teachers and another adult, like a coach or counselor, for college

recommendations. These are another way to show in an application that a student is a well-rounded individual who is more

than just the grades they earn. Before the year ends, students will be supported by counseling to form a schedule for their

senior year. It is recommended that students continue to take honors and AP courses as this schedule will be shown to colleges

when submitting applications.

Freshman Dorm

SHOPPING GUIDE

Summer Before Senior Year

As the year comes to an end, and summer is drawing near, students feel the relief of warm weather and summer vacations.

However, the work doesn’t end. Students should still focus on their senior year and college process. It is important to

check for summer homework that may be assigned for upcoming classes, especially ones that are AP. The end of summer is a

great time to begin filling out college applications. Students should also write their college essay that will be needed in some

applications, and reveal qualities about themselves as a person to share with the college. Starting applications this early, even

though most of them are due in November, will help manage time and stress.

Fall Senior Year

The most exciting school year finally approaches: senior year. Students open the year with a senior sunrise

and breakfast. Students should be completing multiple college applications, including colleges with a wide range of

acceptance rates. This way, students ensure they are getting into safe schools with high acceptance rates, while still

applying to more difficult schools of choice. Setting a deadline for when students want to get their applications completed

helps manage time. The usual deadline set by colleges to submit applications is November 1, given that

students are applying early action. The best way to make sure there is no last-minute cram is to set a self-deadline

about two weeks before the November first deadline. Getting the application done before the deadline not only reduces

stress by getting it done, but also helps you make edits and finalize your application for the best chances of

success. Last-minute details are finalized, and students, for one last time, maintain a high GPA as they await college

decisions. by Emma Link ‘27, Molly Schecter ‘27

WHERE?

- Amazon - eBay

- Target - DormCo.

- Dormify - HomeGoods

- Walmart - Yardsales

WHAT?

- Mattress topper

- Shower caddy

- Flip-flops

- First aid kit

- Clothing hangers

- Extension cords

- Storage bins

- Full-length mirror

- Command strips

- Silverware

- Laundry bag

- Disinfecting

wipes

- Bed risers

- Shower curtain

- Shoe rack

- Laptop

- Mini fridge

- Brita filter

- Small vacuum

- Lap desk

- Throw pillows

The Warrior • Senior Columns

May 14, 2026

Letter from the Editors

Senior year is the culmination of an

incredible journey through the ups-anddowns

of adolescence. The Warrior has

been an integral part of all of our careers

here at Sherwood; the skills we’ve

learned, the connections we’ve made

will last a lifetime. As we take our leave,

we hope to translate these skills into bettering

the world and curating a stronger

future for our communities, friends, and

family.

We couldn’t be more grateful for the

opportunity to run this trusted source of

local journalism. None of this would be

possible without the support of our readers

and our glorious Supreme Leader,

Mr. Huck. Thank you all.

All our best,

Ziv Golan & Evelyn San Miguel

Editors-in-Chief 2025-2026

12

Find Passion over Pressure

by Ziv Golan

Flashback to the year 1990.

My mom was applying to college

with only one school on her

list, Indiana University. She had

grown passionate about journalism

while on her high school

paper and after attending a journalism

conference at Indiana, she

had essentially already decided

she wanted to go there. The simplicity

of that time is now long

gone, and the situation nowadays

is much more hectic.

I entered high school a nervous

wreck, walking into my first

club fair desperate to join as many

activities as possible. I wrote my

name down for several clubs that

I clearly had no interest in other

than to pad my resume. I felt this

was what was necessary, I knew

even at 14 years old that college

was becoming more difficult to

get into. The University of Maryland

had been admitting less instate

students in recent years and

the popularization of the common

app caused colleges to receive a

significant bump in applications. I

was constantly comparing myself

to other students, thinking that

because a friend was participating

in a certain activity that I had to as

well.

As I dizzied myself with the

need to ‘get ahead’ I focused on

a few activities that I found genuine

enjoyment in. Starting with

Newspaper: I initially joined the

newspaper to walk in my mom’s

footsteps; however, I grew to

enjoy writing and felt that in

the newsroom I could be myself

while gaining new skills. It’s Academic

was another extracurricular

which I instantly fell in love

with. After-school trivia practices

and matches brought me closer

to so many incredible people and

introduced me to an atmosphere

in which I thrived. When participating

in these activities I did

not feel that I had to race against

others to attain certain titles or

leadership positions. I discovered

what it felt like to learn, but also

have fun rather than face constant

pressure.

College admissions has now

become a massive industry, and it

is very easy to become obsessive

over the process. Every time I log

onto social media I am flooded

with influencers granting advice

on essays, or highlighting what

classes and extracurriculars students

should be doing to get into

top schools. It is impossible to

escape the flood of information,

creating a stressful atmosphere.

When there are tier ranks of the

extracurriculars that are best versus

ones that are sub-par or not

beneficial at all, students can easily

feel insecure.

No one should be placed

into a box because they dedicated

their time in high school to

playing a sport they genuinely

love, or joined only a few clubs

they felt they could have an impact

rather than leading specific

student groups because an influencer

told them they should. I

was certainly swayed by the talk

online and constantly questioned

whether I was doing enough,

but I truly believe I did stick to

activities I found fulfillment in. I

am happy that I pushed myself in

high school to join activities that

I knew would challenge me, but

am equally as glad that I joined

such activities for the purpose of

enjoyment. High school is such

a unique time to explore interest

in a contained, safe environment,

so don’t waste it on stress but

instead take advantage of all the

amazing opportunities to discover

true passion.

Reject Limits, Seek Nuance

by Lilah Boig

The Power of Speaking Anyway

by Rachel Themistokleous

For four years at Sherwood, I

was told that my voice mattered.

We took surveys every year, in

which we answered questions

about our environment, our experiences,

and our learning. We had

representatives, assemblies, and

systems designed such as SGA

and SMOB to amplify student

voices. On paper, it sounded like

we were being heard. But somewhere

along the way, I stopped

believing it.

It wasn’t one specific moment

but rather a continuous

pattern and intensification of unheard

voices. You start to notice

when feedback disappears into

nothing, and the same problems

come up again and again. When

teachers who have been at the

school for decades say there’s always

been mold in our walls, and

just to brush it off. How the infrastructure

has been breaking down

for years, but how you’ll get used

to it. Over time, it starts to feel

less like you have a voice and

more like you’re being asked to

pretend that you do. At first, this

realization was quite frustrating

and started to become very discouraging.

Eventually, though, it

just felt normal. And this is what

stuck with me the most. Not that I

didn’t feel heard, but how easy it

was to stop expecting to be.

But if anything, feeling unheard

forced me to think about

what having a “voice” actually

means. I used to think it meant

being listened to, seeing change,

and making an impact. While

those things do matter, I’ve also

started to realize that having a

voice isn’t defined by how others

respond to it but by whether you

still choose to use it--even if you

feel ignored, even when nothing

changes right away, even when

the system isn’t built to listen.

The truth is, there will always

be spaces where your voice

feels small, and you feel discouraged

to speak up because you

think your opinion doesn’t matter.

High school just happened to

be the first place where I really

noticed it. My biggest takeaway

from these four years isn’t that

student voices weren’t heard but

that I learned how important it is

not to lose mine anyway.

The biggest fault I have with

the high school system is that the

easiest way to succeed is to fit into

the organizers provided. Often,

class assignments have a word

count, a time limit, or a 45-minute

class period. It’s a common story

amongst students that, regardless

of the topic in class, it feels like

there is no time or need to expand

on anything, as you succeed by

just “getting it done.” When I began

high school, I put myself into

those organizers, and I excelled in

classes. Yet internally, my mental

health deteriorated, and I felt my

life was going toward a future of

just going through the motions

forever. As I venture into adulthood,

it’s understandable that

life has expectations on when

stuff needs to get done and how.

Yet over the past four years, I’ve

increasingly seen a world filled

with injustice and tragedy, but the

reasons for it were far more complicated

than what we had time to

do in class, if it came up at all.

Staying up to date on events,

I became enamored by the advanced

editorials and found that

the deepest and most realistic

nuances of our world could be

explored through the journalistic

writing that I did for The Warrior

newspaper. I was inspired to have

an outlet through writing articles

about what was on my mind, and

also wanted to share with others.

It gave me the belief that I could

make a difference. That mix of

passion to speak out and desire to

write brought me into the world

of journalism, and by joining The

Warrior, I was able to learn about

and write about reality, painful

and disgusting and depressing reality,

but it was real.

The more involved I got, the

more I found my deep passions

in life, and here I realized that

I wanted to dedicate myself to

fighting for immigrant rights and

improving relations between the

Americas. Understanding the reasons

for immigration and stories

of deportees is nothing short of

heartbreaking for me and incredibly

complicated, but this is what

I realized I had needed in my life.

Something to ignite me to never

stop learning, to never stop trying

to understand deeper, and look

past what fits into the organizer.

The nuances of life are what really

matter and give life its beauty,

regardless of the subject. Pushing

oneself to fully embrace what life

has to offer, painful or not, is how

you can discover who you are and

what you truly stand for.

The Warrior • Senior Columns

May 14, 2026

13

Dear Central Office: Do Better

by Evelyn San Miguel

I’ve spent a lot of time investigating

the behind-the-scenes of

this county. Before I ever began

writing for The Warrior my sophomore

year, I’d already heard and

witnessed more than most of my

peers. From shoddy buildings to

nightmare administrators, I noticed

a disturbing trend within

MCPS that I owed my education

to. My first article was no walkin-the-park.

Covering Farquhar’s

sexual harassment scandal of

monumental proportions — one

that illuminated MCPS’ long history

of systematic failures that

protected its central office and let

students and teachers drown beneath

the weight — I would come

to realize that I could not trust

this school system to hold itself

accountable.

From then on, I dedicated

myself to investigating and reporting

on MCPS and Sherwood,

and the stories and human beings

that lay dormant beneath a stifling

system. I would cross paths

with incredible people, people

who’ve dedicated their lives to

the difficult task of being a public

school teacher. They will forever

Say Yes More

be some of the best people I’ve

ever met, and I owe everything

I’ve learned to each of them. I

heard the stories of unfairness,

injustice, incompetence that was

pervasive throughout the county,

and The Warrior finally gave me

something to do about it. I knew

as soon as I wrote my first piece,

that this is what I would be dedicating

my career to: exposing

our flaws, so that we may strive

toward progress.

Our teachers are bearing a

burden heavier than the world,

balancing a student body that

is increasingly encumbered by

sociopolitical pressures and the

learning loss of the pandemic

alongside a county that hardly

pretends to listen to them. Over

the years, support from the county

for educators has rotted beyond

recognition, and inconsistent policies

have brought this once dignified

county to disrepair.

Our leaders in the ivory tower

are scared. Too scared to make

policy where it matters, too scared

to have hard conversations about

what’s important — whether it’s a

solidified policy on AI or protecting

sexual abusers over their own

staff — leaving our teachers and

students flailing to define what

their classrooms should look like

in this modern age. I can’t count

the amount of times over my

twelve years here that I heard my

teachers discussing the lack of

support they felt from our county.

The success of our staff reflects

the success of our students, and

what the county fails to recognize

is their precious test scores

and statistics will never improve

if our teachers are suffocating in a

system that fails to stand by them.

Coming out of each tragedy,

each failure, each stumble, MCPS

must recognize that communication

is key. More often than

not, central office continuously

demonstrated inconsistency in

communication, offering placating

measures and gestures that

frequently ended up hurting or

burdening others in the process,

serving as a bandaid over a bullet

wound. While the sentiment

might have been correct in its intention,

the county chose instead

to move forward with policies

that prioritized censorship and

bulldozing staff instead of promoting

effective communication.

No matter the intent behind

it, the most recent demand by

central office that a school-level

administrator must review the

newspaper prior to print is egregious

and equates to censorship.

Enacted by our Chief of Schools,

this policy not only deliberately

stifles student voices but is a

poorly disguised strong-armed

attempt to bulldoze over staff

and student opinion. If the county

would like to claim they want

to support the community, make

amends for past mistakes and

failed apologies, they should be

making legitimate steps to do so

that go beyond shielding themselves

from parents and the press.

I would like to make it abundantly

clear that I am forever

grateful for the education I’ve

received here in MCPS. I appreciate

the efforts made in pursuit

of positive change, but as is often

the case, I’ve found myself

longing for much more. As a student,

I should have always been

the priority of this county, but I

consistently didn’t feel that way.

Above all, I deeply care for the

students and staff that have built a

legacy of excellence and passion

for education that I got to witness

every day here at Sherwood,

despite the obstacles they faced

along the way. I’ve interviewed

dozens of teachers and staff as a

writer at The Warrior, and I can’t

express enough gratitude for

the precious conversations that

shaped my worldview. I’ve not

only become a better writer, but

more importantly a better listener.

As I prepare to forge a path beyond

Sherwood, I hope MCPS

keeps progressing — and strives

for something better than this.

For What It’s Worth

by Nisha Khatri

So much of the past four

years of high school have felt like

a series of convoluted questions

being hurled at me. Which classes

will you take, how many APs?

Who will your friends be, how

will you spend your summers?

What do you want to do after high

school, where do you want to go

to college?

Freshman year came with

a quick sense of disorientation

and panic as the questions came

at me faster and faster. Opportunities

slipped by me as these

questions cluttered my head and

left no space for original, creative

thinking. Confused, I threw all

my energy into school. If anyone

wanted to hang out or invite me

to something, I turned it down,

instead opting to stay home and

focus.

I held onto the same friends,

joined a few clubs, and worked

hard to get through freshman

year but did not go much beyond

that. My motivation and excitement

for trying new things that

had been a constant presence my

whole life was buried underneath

the stress and anxiety of not having

it all figured out. For the first

time in my life, I had to force myself

to learn, and by the end of the

year, I knew I had to put an end to

the rut, get outside of my comfort

zone, and actually start saying yes

to new things.

Saying yes at the start of

sophomore year, even and especially

when it made me uncomfortable,

helped me grow immensely.

I started feeling more

interest and excitement as I spent

more time with people and went

out more. I attended dozens of

different club meetings with a

friend, from service clubs to honor

societies. And, the ones that

had the most profound impact on

me were ones that I didn’t think I

would love.

When I first joined newspaper

my junior year for one semester,

I didn’t imagine I would continue

it through to senior year, but

newspaper quickly became a constant

that I loved having; aside

from bringing back my passion

for writing, it truly allowed me

the creative freedom to learn and

delve into topics of interest to me,

from music to current events. Student

Ambassadors and Leo Club

additionally helped me give back

and find connections in places I

wouldn’t have expected them.

Even though committing

myself to a variety of activities

was time-consuming, they felt so

worth it in the end because there

was value to be gained from each

and every experience. If I could

give my freshmen-year-self advice,

I would say to constantly

challenge yourself out of your

comfort zone and say yes to everything

because you’re only in

high school once and you won’t

get another chance!

by Chase Sondike

Looking back at my time

here at Sherwood, it has been

characterized by some extremely

happy times as well as times

when I thought I couldn’t wait for

it all to be over. As I write this,

however, I look back on the past

four years with acceptance. Acknowledging

that it’s over, but

also looking forward to what is

next in college.

Although I will definitely

miss high school, I’ll still be able

to enjoy the best parts during

breaks in college. The thing

that made high school great was

the continuation of long-lasting

friendships, along with many

new relationships being built. As

someone who didn’t do a lot of

extracurriculars throughout high

school, I do certainly have some

regrets. But I can proudly say that

I’ve built strong companionship

Be in the Moment

by Ryan Green

with those that I have surrounded

myself with over the last four

years, and that is worth more than

anything to me.

Sometimes I do think back

and wish I continued playing

sports in high school, but my free

time allowed me to really focus

on school and ultimately get into

the college I have wanted to attend

ever since I can remember.

With extended free time also

I tend to think the year before

was the best. I missed the feeling

of freshman year--that feeling of

something new--during my sophomore

year. I missed the people I

met for the first time during my

sophomore year, who I would

barely see again. And so on and

so forth. Not until my final high

school hockey season ended did

I really understand that I should

cherish the moments as they are

happening rather than constantly

looking back on what was over.

All throughout my life, I

have always been overly nostalgic

about the past. Who doesn’t

miss childhood hangouts or

the funny moments with your

friends? My friends told me I had

to stop yearning for the past, and I

didn’t really realize this until this

year when my youth hockey career

came to an end.

I still love the past and its

memories but to create them,

I have to make the most of the

present. This lesson will continue

with me to college as it is a big

check point in my life. Life will

only get harder from now on,

and I need to take every experience--both

the good and bad--and

came more opportunities to build

relationships with my friends and

family. I also wanted to make

sure in my senior year to create

good memories to last for years

to come. People might look back

at high school for them and regret

something, but I don’t think that’s

fair to being you. I say you look

back at your time at high school

with no wishes for anything to be

different. If you did, the whole

chain might fall differently, in a

good way or a bad way. Better to

live with the decisions that you

made. Even things I wish I handled

better did something for me.

They taught me, changed me, or

led me to something I needed

more. The fact is, there are people

I wouldn’t know, memories

I wouldn’t have, and parts of

myself I wouldn’t understand.

I choose to live with that. High

school didn’t go perfectly, but it

went the way it needed.

learn from them but not dwell on

them. Take nothing for granted

and move onto what’s next.

theWarrior

14

the

Class of ‘26 Pulse

Students rate their experience at Sherwood:

40%

of 151

seniors

who reported a commitment are attending

an in-state college or university.

Of those students, 40%

are attending the University of

Maryland.

COLLEGE

We asked seniors some of their favorite memories

from their time at Sherwood:

Rock and Roll

band/

orchestra

Football Games

it’s academic

Theatre

Lunch

pep rallies

spending time w/ friends

Sports

teachers

dance

food trucks

15

Senior Pop Outs

Our Warriors are going far ... let’s hear about

some with unique adventures!

Maya Petrash

“I am going to be playing Division 1 soccer at Towson University. I think I’m most excited to be able to play

the sport I love with my new teammates. I went to a lot of schools and played in front of different coaches, but

every one I went to didn’t feel right. Towson was never on the top of my list only because it was so close to

home and I thought I wanted to be farther, but once I was on campus and met the team and coaches, I knew

that I could see myself there. But what most drew me to Towson was how everyone on the team truly cared

about one another and how the coaches cared about each player.”

Max Gross

“I will be attending the University of North Dakota and plan to major in Commercial Aviation. I chose

it because I believe it will provide me with the best future opportunities. I’m looking forward to continuing

flight training and the path to become a commercial airline pilot. I also chose UND because when I toured

the school, the facilities, resources, and community was the strongest out of the schools I toured. It has established

partnerships with the major airlines as well. I believe UND was the right choice for me because

I wanted to gain new experiences that I couldn’t get close to home.”

Stephanie Rinelli

“Starting this fall, I will attend Johnson & Wales University (JWU), one of the top culinary schools in the

country. I plan to major in Baking & Pastry Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management through

the 2+2 program, completing two years in each area and graduating with both an associate and bachelor’s

degree. Baking has always been my passion, and I’ve built my own business around it. While meeting

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, she told me about Johnson and Wales University and their culinary program

and I realized there was a way that I could turn my passion into a career while going to a 4 year college.

JWU’s 2+2 program will help me grow my skills and prepare to one day open my own bakery.”

Will Pugh

“I am attending St Mary’s College of Maryland as a monument scholar which means I made the top 10% of

applicants for the year. I am planning on a double major in mathematics and either marine biology or general

environmental science. Part of the marine biology and environmental science program is a trip to Australia

towards your senior year to study the Great Barrier Reef which I am very much looking forward to. What

drove me to my decision to attend St Mary’s was their amazing environmental science and marine biology

programs as they are right along the bay making it perfect for field research, another key factor in my decision

was the beautiful campus and the woods/nature surrounding it which is something I truly enjoy. I would not

be surprised if people could find me taking nature walks or laying down in the fields by the river when I

attend.”

16

The Warrior • Entertainment

May 14, 2026

Does He-Man Still Have The Power?

by Kenzy Duda ‘28

Masters of the Universe will

be released in theaters on June 5.

It’s based on the 1983 cartoon of

the same name. It follows Adam,

Prince of Eternia, who receives

the magical Sword of Power.

Fabulous secret powers were

revealed to him the day he held

aloft his magic sword and said

“By The Power Of Grayskull, I

Have The Power!” He keeps his

dual identity secret from most

others. Adam gains incredible

abilities as He-Man, including

levels of strength comparable to

Superman. His pet tiger is known

as Cringer and shares some of the

magic during Adam’s transformation

to become Battle Cat, whom

Adam rides. He-Man and Battle

Cat spend their days fighting

against the skull-faced Skeletor

and his army of villains.

The movie is the second live

action adaptation of He-Man and

the Masters of the Universe and

will star Nicholas Galitzine as

He-Man and Jared Leto as Skeletor.

The movie will follow Adam

as he tries to leave Earth and go

back to Eternia, in order to save

his home from Skeletor.

Other characters from the show

will also appear, like evil sorceress

Evil-Lyn and royal soldier

Teela.

Many reactions to the teaser

trailers have been positive. However,

some criticism was aimed

at the fact that the film focuses

largely on He-Man on Earth, as

well as trying to mesh too heavily

with the real world. The CGI

visuals were also a sore spot for

some. A new official trailer, released

on March 31, showed off

more of the action elements of the

movie, including several battle

scenes. The first live-action film

adaptation of He-Man (released

in 1987) did not perform well

critically, earning a 21 percent

score on Rotten Tomatoes. However,

early opinions suggest the

new movie will not have the same

fate.

Another 1980s cartoon that

may receive a movie is ThunderCats.

This show was about

a group of humanoid cat people

escaping their dying planet and

landing on the planet of Third

Earth where they battled against

Mumm-Ra, the Mutants, and various

other villains. Adam Wingard,

known for films like Godzilla

vs. Kong, is the director attached

to a possible film, but most of the

recent articles or updates on this

movie come from 2024, so it’s

unclear how much progress is

happening (if any) on that movie.

Among the limited remarks that

Wingard made about the possible

movie was the fact that he

wanted to blend live-action and

animation in a never before seen

way. The lack of clarity in the

statement gives the impression

that not much is concrete about

this film. If the He-Man movie is

successful, it may provide an incentive

to give a little boost to the

ThunderCats movie.

But what this really means

is that 1980s cartoons are making

a comeback in pop culture.

He-Man generally has name recognition

among younger audiences

these days, in part due to the

multiple cartoon spinoffs it has

received, like the Revelations and

Revolution spinoffs in 2021 and

2024 respectively, as well as the

2021 3D animated cartoon. This

makes it more likely that the film

will pull in young and old fans

Ticket Master Accused of Being a Monopoly

by Maya Dorsam ‘27

No one is more familiar with

sacrifice than a committed music

fan hoping to get tickets to see

their favorite artist live in concert.

Concert-goers quickly grow acquainted

with the harsh reality of

entering the “Ticketmaster war.”

Yes, war is an accurate word to

describe the process.

Securing tickets is not for the

weak, especially if you happen

to be a fan of a popular artist. It

entails creating a Ticketmaster

account, finding presale information,

rearranging your schedule

to be in line for the presale in

advance to the actual designated

time (often a weekday during

an inconvenient time), praying

you’re close to the front of the

randomly assigned line, being

disappointed once presale tickets

are sold out, joining the general

public sale at another time a few

days later, praying again, seeing

you’re 50,000th in line, waiting

as the tickets sell out in 5 minutes,

and wallowing in sadness after

failing to get the 400 dollar plus

tickets.

Artists often have very little

control over such factors that

prevent some of their biggest fans

from attending their concerts.

Ticketmaster amps up prices

based on demand as tickets go

live, something known as dynamic

pricing. It also controls primary

and secondary ticket sales,

oftentimes holding back tickets

for other markets such as resale,

creating even higher prices.

This all traces back to the

merger of Live Nation Entertainment,

Inc. and Ticketmaster in

2010. Through the partnership,

a dominant industry power was

born with vast control over concert

promotion, primary ticketing,

and venue management. Now, the

duo faces huge antitrust lawsuits.

Thirty-two states, along with the

D.C., are collaborating to carry

out legal punishment for the

monopoly, which they argue has

been created by crushing economic

competition in the business

and making it difficult for

fans to acquire access to events.

A recent settlement resolved

the Department of Justice’s’s case

at the federal level, which began

in May of 2024 under the Biden

Administration and keeps Live

Nation and Ticketmaster relatively

clear to continue their monopoly

under the Trump Administration.

It simply puts limitations on

its operation, such as opening the

platform for other rival ticketing

companies to sell directly through

Google Images

Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man in the new movie Masters of the Universe.

the site, limiting their ability to

lock down venues for events, and

divesting a group of amphitheaters.

A $280 million fund was

created to settle state funds and

damages as a part of the DOJ settlement,

but it remains dependent

on states’ willingness to accept

the settlement. A group of seven

agreed, composed of Arkansas,

Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska,

Oklahoma, South Carolina, and

South Dakota. The remaining

states refused the settlement,

arguing that it does not go far

enough to limit the powerful monopoly.

They continue to seek

a more extensive remedy to the

case, and event-goers hope they

come out successful.

A common demand among

states is the forced separation of

Ticketmaster and Live Nation,

along with compensation for consumers

who became victims of

“double-dipping” fees. Another

huge issue the states seek to abolish

is the alleged threat of venues

losing access to artists if they refuse

to use Ticketmaster for ticketing

services.The pursuit of justice

continues for states as they

demand greater accountability by

Live Nation and Ticketmaster in

a massive collaborative antitrust

lawsuit against the companies.

Acting Carries ‘The Drama’

by Kaitlyn Nardo ‘28

The Drama, written and directed

by Kristoffer Borgoli, is

both intriguing and surprising.

Despite trailers that suggest a

quirky romantic comedy, the

movie ends up being much darker

and messier. The Drama makes

you uncomfortable in a way you

can’t look away from while expressing

dark themes that induce

anxiety in viewers.

The story begins with a movie-perfect

meet-cute between

Charlie Thompson, played by

Robert Pattinson, and Emma

Harwood, played by Zendaya.

The story quickly moves to uncomfortable

questions of their

love and whether people can truly

move on from the worst parts of

someone’s past. The movie opens

as Charlie awkwardly approaches

Emma in a coffee shop, their relationship

quickly sparking with

chemistry. Their connection is

quickly established, making the

impending trouble even more jarring.

During a drunken pre-wedding

dinner game, the couple and

their friends, Mike (Mamoudou

Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim),

reveal the worst things they’ve

ever done. Emma’s confession

becomes the central narrative

of the movie, spiraling her relationship

with Charlie into chaos,

and also straining the relationships

she’s built with family and

friends because of her attempts to

cover up her past.

The Drama’s transformation

into a dark comedy questions the

limits of unconditional love. Borgli

uses discomfort as a narrative

device and paradoxically as also

a source of humor. The Drama

forces viewers to question whether

someone should be defined by

their past, as well as whether a

person should stay with someone

after learning something deeply

disturbing about them.

However, the movie’s ambition

often outpaces its execution.

In several instances, the characters

behave in unrealistic ways.

Especially with Emma even after

a big confession scene, her character

receives less focus than you

would expect. Instead, lots of

screen time goes into Charlie’s

unraveling, leaving the emotional

elements of Emma’s character out

of the movie.

From an acting standpoint,

Zendaya and Pattinson carry the

film with excellent performances

that inject emotion back into the

characters that the script left out.

Zendaya navigates her character

with an intensity that makes

the viewer feel her emotions

and reveal an authentic sense of

hypocrisy to her character. Zendaya

embodies an attractive yet

awkward young woman who is

unsure of herself, yet still has an

assertive trait. Pattinson plays a

charming British museum curator

who matches Zendaya’s intensity,

giving these characters a dynamic

believability.

The Drama lives up to its

name as a dramatic and emotional

rollercoaster. It truly is a movie

that makes you think. From insane

plot twists to dramatic confessions,

the movie is never boring,

even if it doesn’t totally hold

in its character development.

GRADE: B

Fidget Trend Contributes

to Wasteful Consumerism

by Matilda Hawkins ‘27

Fidget toys are not a new

idea nor trend but recently, due to

TikTok and other platforms, their

popularity has soared. The most

hyped one recently has been Nee-

Dohs, which is a brand of squishy

fidget toys. NeeDohs come in all

different shapes and sizes, some

appearing as simple cubes and

others shaped like a gumdrop.

Their trendy popularity signified

mass consumerism in which purchasing

these fidget toys is an end

in itself.

When trends like these occur,

they lead individuals to purchase

large amounts of the products.

People overconsume them, which

can be detrimental for several

factors. Specifically in this case,

influencers have started buying

the fidgets in bulk and selling

them out in major national retailers

in one trip. Seeing these people

buy the products in bulk, individuals

are starting to overspend

and overconsume these products

that don’t need to be purchased

frequently. It causes short-term

excitement from the purchases

that fades quickly into nothing.

The environment also suffers

from fidgets’ popularity. When

trends like this die down, many of

these products will just end up in

landfills or as litter. Furthermore,

overproduction of products can

lead to more pollution and carbon

emissions, and in a world where

that is already a severe issue,

these toys can have severe consequences

on the environment.

NeeDohs specifically are made of

synthetic materials that build up

and aren’t recyclable. They also

have a short lifespan, easily being

popped, torn, or drying out, leading

to people buying new ones,

which increases waste. The overconsumption

of these products is

a significant issue, and whether or

not the products themselves are

inherently useful is up for debate.

Due to their popularity, many

students have begun bringing

them to school purportedly to

help them focus. However, there

is a small number of individuals

for whom these toys truly benefit

and can properly serve their therapeutic

purpose. While intended

for individuals with ADHD or

intense anxiety, many who may

not need fidgets use them distractively

for themselves and for

those around them in classes.

Many people are just buying the

products for the “trend” and not

to actually use them for their legitimate

purpose.

The Warrior • Entertainment

May 14, 2026

Prada 2 Is the Perfect Sequel

by Finian Kocsis ‘28

In 2006, The Devil Wears

Prada became one of the biggest

movies of the decade. Starring

Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep,

Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt,

it is widely regarded as one of

the best movies of that year and

is listed in “The 100 Best Movies

of the 21st Century” by the New

York Times. So when, in 2024,

The Devil Wears Prada 2 was announced,

the film had big shoes to

fill.

The film takes place 20 years

after the events of the first one.

Andy (Hathaway), the protagonist

from the first film, is a recently

fired journalist who is rehired

by Runway, the magazine that

hired her 20 years ago. There,

she reunites with both Miranda

(Streep) and Nigel (Tucci) in the

same positions they were before

she quit. Throughout the film,

Andy must deal with both her

personal relationships and her

demanding office job at Runway.

And while this is also the premise

of the original, it still offers a

unique story that keeps the audience

hooked, even if they have

watched the original film.

Easily, the best part of this

movie is the cast. An easy standout

was Blunt, who plays Emily,

Miranda’s former assistant, now a

senior executive at Dior, who has

to deal with rising tensions between

her and Miranda while also

DMV Concerts Worth Seeing This Summer

by Madelyn Awwad ‘27

2026 is turning into one of

those summers where almost every

artist is on tour, especially in

the DMV, and it’s making it a lot

harder to decide which concerts

to attend. Every week another

artist announces dates at venues

which include Capital One Arena,

The Anthem, Merriweather, and

many more. The biggest problem

is that tickets are selling out almost

immediately, so you have to

be ready the second they drop.

Between stadium tours, arena

shows, and smaller venues, there’s

a wide range of options across

different genres. The biggest challenge

this year isn’t finding something

to go to, it’s deciding what’s

actually worth the time and money.

With ticket demand as high as

it is, most shows are selling quickly,

especially for well-known artists.

One of the biggest mustsee

concerts was Bruno Mars at

Northwest Stadium in Landover

during the first weekend in

May. His shows are known for

strong performances, live music,

and real crowd interaction. Even

though tickets were around $150–

$300+, most people would say it’s

worth it because you’re getting a

full show. Songs like “Talking to

the Moon” and “Uptown Funk”

from 24K Magic keep the concert

balanced.

Rating: 9.5/10 (worth the price)

Another must-see, but for a

different reason, is Daniel Caesar

wanting to do more in the fashion

industry. Her character provides a

comedic tone and makes the audience

sympathize with her, as she

feels stuck and unable to grow

because she blames Miranda for

pushing her down. Additionally,

Hathaway and Streep have some

fun character dynamics that are

built upon in the first film, which

allows their relationship to grow.

This development in their relationship

makes it feel unique

from the first film, ensuring that

there is always something to

watch when they’re on the screen.

The film also does a great

job in its production. The story is

riveting and keeps the audience

wanting more. The screenwriters

bring homage to the original

without overly dumping nostalgia,

making it enjoyable to watch

if you watched the first film while

at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena

on July 28. His concerts are more

lowkey, but that’s what makes

them stand out. Songs like “Always”

and “Best Part” from the album

Freudian feel more personal

live. A lot of people connect to his

music in a deeper way.

Rating: 9/10 (best for meaning/

vibe)

On the other hand, Morgan

Wallen at M&T Bank Stadium in

Baltimore on July 18 is a must-see

for the experience but also one

that can feel overpriced. Tickets

range from $200–$500+. Songs

like “Last Night” and “Wasted on

You” from One Thing at a Time

get fans excited, but part of what

you’re paying for is the hype!

Rating: 8/10 (fun, but expensive)

Megan Moroney at The Anthem

in Washington DC on June 5

is another must-see but expensive

show. Tickets can go up to $800.

Songs like “Tennessee Orange”

and “I’m Not Pretty” from Lucky

are why she’s getting so popular

so fast. It’s a good concert, but the

price is high for a smaller venue.

Google Images

not making it impossible to understand

if you next saw the original.

Additionally, the plot moves

at a smooth pace and doesn’t feel

stagnant, allowing many characters

to have a role without them

feeling like they don’t belong or

only exist to move the plot forward

or increase the runtime.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is

one of the perfect sequels and

should be the blueprint when other

movies make a sequel or prequel.

The film allows for natural

growth for the characters, pays

respect to the original, and keeps

the audience engaged. It should

be considered a must-watch and

may become one of the best movies

of the year.

Grade: A+

Google Images

Rating: 7.5/10 (good, but overpriced)

Pitbull is another big name

coming to the DMV this summer,

performing at Jiffy Lube Live on

July 10. Tickets are usually around

$90-$200+, which makes it one of

the more affordable bigger concerts.

His shows are all about energy

and the hype crowd. Songs

like “Fireball,” “Give Me Everything,”

and “Time of Our Lives”

are ones everyone knows, so the

whole crowd is usually singing

along. It’s not a super deep or

meaningful concert, but it’s fun

and easy to enjoy with friends.

Rating: 8/10 (fun and worth the

price)

Finally, J. Cole at CFG Bank

Arena on July 23 is one of the

best value concerts. Tickets start

around $120+. Songs like “No

Role Modelz” from 2014 Forest

Hills Drive and “Middle Child”

are big hits everyone would want

to hear live, especially for the

price.

Rating: 8.5/10 (best value)

17

More Artists Get In on

Concert Film Trend


In 2026, hugely popular artists

such as Harry Styles, BTS,

Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan, and

more are releasing film experiences

that depict their concerts.

In some cases, artists are releasing

deluxe films with behindthe-scenes

footage of concerts

as well. While concert films date

back to the late 1960s, the interest

and fanfare around new releases

are becoming bigger and bigger.

The concert-film genre was

revived in 2023 when Taylor

Swift released her movie on her

global The Eras Tour. The experience

began in movie theatres

where fans could buy tickets to

watch the concert without actually

going, but it soon expanded

to an at-home experience that

fans could view on Disney+ and

Amazon Prime. Other large pop

artists, such as Olivia Rodrigo,

made their film debuts soon after,

gaining traction on the internet.

More often than not, concert

tours are selling out either very

quickly or tickets are too expensive

for the majority of fans to

afford, so a lot of people are left

without the concert experience.

Artists making these films enable

more fans to be able to experience

the live music and the sensation

of a concert. These concerts are

not only about the fans, though.

The Eras Tour grossed about 260

million dollars worldwide. Rodrigo’s

film on The Guts Tour

made about 185 million dollars.

More often than not, there is debate

over behavior in the theatre

for these kinds of films. Passionate

fans may want something that

is like a real concert, being able

to sing and dance along with the

artist. However, there is also the

perception that it is a movie and

that one should be able to sit and

enjoy it without having to get up

and dance.

For the next few months,

music fans will get releases from

various charting artists. As this

trend is in full swing, people are

starting to expect these movies,

but are enjoying them nonetheless.

As fans are listening to the

music, they are enabled to get the

full experience of live music and

community at the theatres rather

than fighting for tickets to the

concert itself.

Kahan Delivers Emotional

Punch in The Great Divide


In 2022, the indie-folk artist

Noah Kahan released a groundbreaking

album, Stick Season,

which won him many awards

and gained him a large fanbase.

Throughout the past 4 years, he

released deluxe additions of the

album which include only a few

new tracks.

After almost 4 years, Kahan

announced in January that he

would be releasing a full new album

called The Great Divide on

April 24. Along with the album

announcement, Kahan revealed

that he would be on tour around

North America and that a concert

movie would debut on Netflix.

The tour sold out within a few

days of the tickets opening, even

though fans had not heard the album

yet.

The first singles that were

released were tracks 6 and 11 on

the album, “The Great Divide”

and “Porch Light.” These songs

were definitely picked for a reason.

They are both powerful and

impactful songs that tell stories

about loneliness, guilt, and emotional

strain. The verse of the

song “Porch Light” provides an

emotional insight into the ways

that fame can make a person lonely.

Parts of the song are specifically

in his mom’s point of view,

utilizing lyrics like, “I’ll leave the

porch light on, Heartbroken each

mornin’ when it’s me that turns it

off.”

Kahan utilizes instruments

such as the guitar, mandolin,

and drums to continue the flow

of the story in his own unique

way that makes the music even

more meaningful. His music

on the new album continues the

theme of folk-like instrumentals.

Though he has used these instruments

and this kind of feel on his

past album, this time creates a different

experience.

The Great Divide offers a

slower feeling that is more mellow.

While his music in the past

shows a theme of sadness, this album

takes it to the next level. His

narrative is continued in a way

that makes listeners think about

and understand the emotions that

are being projected. The album

uses meaningful metaphors and

instrumentals to express the feelings

that Kahan wants to share

with the world.

Overall, Kahan’s first album

in years shows growth and development,

as an artist and as a

person. His music continues to

create a story that is impactful to

listeners. It is bound to be a hit

for the artist, connecting to fans

across the world who may relate

to these songs or have emotional

connection to them. While the

music may be slower, it creates

just as much of an impact as the

Stick Season album.

GRADE: A

18

The Warrior • Sports

May 14, 2026

Boys Lacrosse Heats Up

by Chase Sondike ‘26

The boys lacrosse team has

begun what hopes to be yet another

impressive playoff run after an

extremely successful regular season.

They dominated inter-county

play with a perfect 13-0 record

in the regular season. After manhandling

Clarksburg in the county

championship 17-0, they took

care of business against Atholton

in the regional semi finals last friday,

14-2. They faced off against

Marriotts Ridge this past Monday

in a heated matchup. Marriotts

Ridge has ended the Warriors’

season the last two years, so there

is definitely some extra motivation

for the boys this time around.

The team has been led by junior

midfielder Chase Althouse

on the dot, senior defender Tommy

Hanrahan, and senior goalie

Stephen Northern. The three have

all been key pieces in years past

and have continued to shine in

their campaign thus far. Althouse

has been leading the way for the

Warriors, as he currently tops the

team in both goals and assists.

The sophomore class as a whole

has also continued its greatness

from last year, led by Cooper Serwer,

Vaughn Teeter, and Danny

Walsh. Serwer is the second leading

points scorer, while Teeter

and Walsh are split for third.

Two of the team’s toughest

victories came late in the season.

One was a 9-7 victory over

a very good Whitman team, and

the other was a 12-9 win against

a solid B-CC team in the regular

season finale. Although they lost

three of their leading point scorers

from last year, the boys have

looked extremely impressive and

are really looking forward to the

matchup with Marriotts Ridge. If

they beat Marriotts Ridge, they

will be crowned Regional Champions

and move forward into the

state tournament.

The Warriors have won their

region for the last couple years,

dominating the competition, but

this year, Marriotts Ridge was

moved into their region after

some changes were made within

the state. With Ridge now becoming

a battle even earlier for the

Warriors for years to come, the

future is uncertain, as they seem

to bring a very talented team to

the table year after year. The Warriors

also do, however, and they

have confidence in the game that

they have been playing all season.

For the last couple of years,

the Montgomery County competition

has proven to be lackluster,

and the Warriors have dominated

repeatedly in the regular season.

The real test doesn’t begin until

they start playing the good teams

from other countries, where the

skill gap drastically shrinks, and

they start to encounter teams that

are just as good as them, if not

better. Marriotts Ridge is the first

real test for the Warriors as they

look to keep their season alive,

and a possible state run is in the

cards with a very talented team.

Questions about Student-Athlete Transfers

by Owen Smith ‘27

MCPS unquestionably can

be described as an athletics powerhouse

in the state of Maryland.

Schools have showcased dominance

at the state level in sports

year round. It’s no question that

these teams, including Sherwood

baseball and softball, have dominant

student athletes who help

achieve high athletic prowess and

achievement for their respective

schools. But when incredible talent

enrolls in an established athletic

powerhouse, it’s bound to

raise sceptical eyebrows.

Just recently, Carter Dailey, a

quarterback at the well-renowned

St. Frances Academy in Baltimore,

announced his enrollment

at Quince Orchard. According to

Prep Redzone, Dailey already is

regarded as one of the best quarterbacks

in all of Maryland as a

junior. The acquisition is eerily

similar to the enrollment of last

season’s starting quarterback at

Quince Orchard, Will Drakeford,

who previously played in Charles

County. Drakeford will graduate

this year after leading Quince Orchard

to its second straight state

title and its fourth in five years.

Drakeford was featured on both

the All County and All state 1st

team, along with being featured

as an All-Met honorable mention

in the Washington Post.

A few student athletes that

play at MCPS schools are classified

as transfers from a previous

school within or outside the county.

In order for this to take effect

for students who do not live within

their new school’s boundaries,

that student would need an approved

Change of School Assignment.

According to criteria listed

on the MCPS website, students

are allowed to transfer if they face

hardship, a family move, or if a

sibling attends another school.

The only other way for a student

to transfer to another school to

play athletics is if they move to a

residence within the new school’s

boundaries.

Under normal circumstances

students have to wait a year after

transferring to a new school via

COSA to be deemed eligible for

athletic events; however, this rule

can be contested with an Athletic

Waiver. In order to receive

a waiver, a parent or guardian

must send a written appeal to the

MCPS Athletics Compliance Coordinator.

The Warrior reached out to

Jeffery Rabberman, Quince Orchard’s

Athletic Director, with

questions regarding the transfers

that brought in the top quarterback,

but received no response.

MCPS has a process in which

a school’s athletic director, for

example, could raise concerns

about an athletic transfer at their

own school or another school,

Gary Peters

Junior Chase Althouse cradles the ball in a win against Quince Orchard.

which normally would lead to

school staff such as the registrar

or Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW)

checking to confirm that the transfer

does in actuality reside in the

school boundaries.

In response to questions

from The Warrior, Anne Rossiter,

MCPS Athletics Compliance Coordinator,

emailed the following

statement: “MPCS [sic] Athletics

is committed to upholding our

RAISE Core Values including

integrity, character, and spirited

competition. Any allegations of

potential violations are conducted

diligently and in accordance with

MCPS and MPSSAA protocols.

Stakeholders within MCPS are

encouraged to report any suspected

violations or concerns related

to the program, including residency

matters.”

There appears to be no publicly

reported incident recently of

an MCPS team or staff member

being punished for transfer-related

offenses, while other counties

across the DMV and state

of Maryland have laid down the

hammer on rule breakers. In 2025

at C.H. Flowers High School, an

ineligible freshman was caught

playing on the varsity team, leading

to the head coach’s firing by

Prince George’s Public Schools.

The Northpoint football team also

dipped into turmoil and had their

first seven wins erased by Charles

County Public Schools officials.

Competitive Cheer To

Replace Gymnastics

by Cara Farr ‘27

As the end of spring sports

is approaching, so is the end of

gymnastics permanently in all of

MCPS. Despite protests by communities

involved with the last

seven schools, including Sherwood,

that have a gymnastics

program, MCPS will no longer be

the last county standing in Maryland

to offer gymnastics as an interscholastic

sport to its students.

Looking to bring in more female

athletes is a new sport called

STUNT.

Currently in its pilot season,

a STUNT program was offered to

the 18 high schools without gymnastics

programs, with the thirteen

accepting. “Our long-term

goal is to achieve full countywide

expansion following the review

of the pilot program,” said Anne

Rossiter, who is the head of the

program for MCPS. Assuming

the pilot season is successful,

the program will expand and become

available in all MCPS high

schools.

STUNT is a competitive

cheerleading event in which two

teams will go head to head and

compete in the same routine simultaneously.

Four different

Co-ed V-Ball Finishes

Out Last Ever Game

by Madelyn Awwad ‘27

Kenley Jacobs ‘27

Sherwood co-ed volleyball

advanced to the semifinals after

defeating Rockville 3–0 on May

7, extending the team’s winning

streak to 11 matches. The Warriors

are now 12–1 overall as they

continue their playoff run. Sherwood

faced Blake on May 12 for

a spot in the county championship.

The team closed out the regular

season with a 3–0 win over

Blair on April 30. Late in the

season, Sherwood improved in

several key areas, including communication,

consistency and limiting

mistakes. The Warriors have

also done a better job controlling

matches early and maintaining

that level of play throughout each

set.

In their final stretch of the

regular season, Sherwood picked

up wins against Paint Branch,

Magruder, B-CC, and Damascus,

with most of those matches ending

in straight sets. These results

show clear improvement from

earlier in the season, especially in

how the team stays focused and

closes out matches without letting

skills are showcased across the

four quarters. The team that executes

the routine better in both

technique and synchronization

wins the point for that quarter.

The first three quarters are worth

one point each, and the fourth

quarter is worth 3 points. In the

rare case that there is a tie, overtime

will occur, where each team

performs a section of their final

routine a second time. The first

quarter focuses on partner stunts,

the second on pyramids and tosses,

the third on jumps and tumbling,

and the fourth quarter is a

team routine.

At Sherwood’s final home

gymnastics match, Gary Peters

was honored for his 40 years of

dedication to the sport and the

school. As the gymnastics coach

for many years, he has made a

huge impact, not only on the athletes

he coaches but the Sherwood

athletics community as well.

Current junior Megan

McNichol mentioned the impact

Peters has had on her as a coach

for the past two years. “I am going

to miss the team as a whole, and

having Gary Peters as my coach,”

said McNichol. “He has taught

me so much and truly made me a

better gymnast.”

Gary Peters

Senior Captain Ben Kauffmann sets up for a spike against Blair’s team.

opponents back in. Instead of relying

on close finishes, Sherwood

has been able to play more complete

matches from start to finish,

which has helped them build confidence

going into playoffs.

One of the most important

wins during this run came against

B-CC on April 21. As one of the

stronger teams in the county and

a possible playoff opponent, that

3–0 win stands out as a key moment

for Sherwood. It not only

showed what the team is capable

of but also gave them confidence

against higher-level competition.

Sherwood’s progress this season

can be traced back to how

the team responded after its only

loss. Since then, practices have

focused more on communication,

consistency, and limiting

mistakes during important points,

which has made a noticeable difference.

“The loss to Churchill was a

wake-up call for us,” Strosnider

said. “It showed us areas where

we needed to improve, especially

in execution and consistency. After

that game, we really focused

on the basics in practice. I think

the biggest change was our mindset.”

Boys Tennis Bounces Back

After a rough start to the season,

losing three straight matches

as a team, the boys found their

groove, winning seven of the last

eight matches. Capturing wins

against Clarksburg and Richard

Montgomery were great for the

team’s confidence and what once

looked like a lost season. They

hoped to take that momentum

into the regional playoffs that

began on Monday, May 11. One

single, double, and mixed double

will compete for a regional win to

secure an appearance in the state

playoff.

Star sophomore Evan Pauldin

and senior Jonathan Schemidler

contributed heavily to the

team’s strong end-of-season run.

Schmeidler has plenty of experience

with the tennis program and

knew boys tennis had the capability

to turn the season around. He

never stopped competing and beby

Tyler Boone ‘27

Ryan Lichter ‘27

The Warrior • Sports 19

May 14, 2026

lieving in his team.

“Over the year we have all been

practicing together, and I think

overall the skill ceiling and floor

were raised over the off-season,”

said Schmeidler. His strong presence

on the court motivates his

teammates and strengthens the

team as a whole.

The regular season came

to an end on April 27 when the

boys took the win against Paint

Branch. Every player won their

match as the team went 7-0 on the

day. This was a terrific way for

the team to finish and capped up a

season in which the Warriors finished

atop the Division 3 standings.

Team chemistry has been a

huge step forward for the team

this year. As the season came to a

close, players were motivated as

ever to play their best and go out

with a bang. “Knowing I didn’t

have too many guaranteed games

left, I try my hardest in each

game,” said Schmeidler.

Male Athletes

Cam Calandro

Baseball Outfielder

2-year varsity, committed

to Hood College

Hockey Center

4-year varsity captain

Connor Flickinger

Baseball Outfielder

3-year varsity, committed

to Frederick CC

Wrestling

All-time wins leader

Tyler Gramling

Basketball Guard

3-year varsity, captain

Tommy Hanrahan

Lacrosse Defense


Football Linebacker

2-year varsity

Yearbook

Sophmore Evan Pauldin returns a strong serve in a key late season match.

Undefeated Softball Rolls into Playoffs

by Reid Duvall ‘27

The Warrior softball team

has run through Montgomery

County on its way to a 16-0 record

and a county championship

with key wins in the second half

of the season over respected programs

like Northwest, Damascus,

Clarksburg, and Quince Orchard.

This year’s team features a small

roster of just 14 players and has

battled through injuries all year.

With five underclassmen, expectations

were uncertain but as the

season progressed, the goal became

clear that the team had the

talent to compete for the state

championship.

The pitching staff has been

dominant, highlighted by five

straight no-hitters against Springbrook,

Gaithersburg, Blake, Paint

Branch, and Magruder. Senior

Reagan Corb and sophomore Kylie

Valois have led the Warrior

staff to an Earned Run Average of

around one and 127 strikeouts in

98 innings.

“This season, Reagan and

Kylie have become a team, and it

has been amazing to watch them

dominate on the mound when

they are out. “There,” said junior

outfielder Emerson Long.

The offense has also been

great, averaging more than 10

runs a game despite losing two

pieces of their lineup due to injury.

The unit is led by Corb and

Valois, who have the most and

second-most hits on the team,

respectively. Sherwood has also

All-Senior Team

Calum Jagannathan

Baseball Catcher


Swim

4-year varsity

Ben Kauffman

Volleyball

Boys 2-year varsity,

captain, Coed 2-year

varsity, captain

Jefferson Serkfem

Football DL

4-year varsity, captain,

committed to University of

Richmond

Carter Sweeney

Baseball Oufield


committed to Rutgers

University

Junior Callie Kent drives a pitch to left field in game against Richard Montgomery.

Female Athletes

Reagan Corb

Softball Pitcher


Faith Goolsby

Softball Catcher


Sydney Gould

Soccer Goalie


Softball Utility

Captain

Maya Petrash

Soccer Midfield


commited to Towson

featured key contributions from

numerous other players throughout

their lineup, with a team

batting average of .429 and an

on-base percentage of .510. The

Warriors are primed for a deep

playoff run.

Last season, the team also

ran through the regular season

with an undefeated record and

rolled through the first couple of

rounds of the playoffs before a

nail-biting loss to Chopticon in

the state final. This season, Sherwood

again earned the one seed

in the 3A South 1 division and

took on Guilford Park on May 11.

Sherwood is the only undefeated

team in 3A; among the other

top teams are Northeast, Arundel,

Chopticon, and Damascus. “We

saw Chopticon at States last year,

and we are prepared to see them

again,” said Long.

Sherwood’s depth and perseverance

have been tested all season

long. Their elite pitching and

defense, paired with their deep

offense, have the team looking

like one of the strongest groups

in the state. If the Warriors can

keep producing and continuing

their regular-season success, they

should be suited for a deep playoff

run and a possible state championship.

Cara Hairston

Soccer Center-back


Maddy Quirion

Cross Country,

Indoor Track,

Outdoor Track,


Annelyn Webb

Basketball Guard


Jill Williams

Swim


committed to

Rowan University

-Compiled by Chase Sondike

Gary Peters

20

The Warrior • Sports

May 14, 2026

Baseball Set To Defend

State Championship Title by Leslie Majkrzak ‘27

by Roman Khrizman ‘27

Charlie Weigand ‘27

Sherwood baseball has a

wealth of playoff experiences

after years of being the best program

in the state of Maryland.

However, that success still takes

preparation and that’s what the

Warriors have after wrapping up

their season with five consecutive

tough matchups that got them

ready for playoff-level competition.

So far it’s paying off with a

8-0 victory in round 1 of the playoffs

against Mount Hebron, followed

up by a second round game

against Reservoir on May 12.

Sherwood had to go through

Good Counsel, Blair, Walter

Johnson, Northwest, and Damascus.

These five teams will be a

preview to the tough competition

that will be ahead of them on their

journey to back-to-back state

championship titles.

In the first two games, pitching

was the key for the Warriors.

On April 24, the team went up

against Good Counsel, a highly

anticipated rivalry game at

OBGC, to kick off the Olney

Days weekend. Senior pitcher

Ryan Zanni went the distance in

a shutout 13-0 win. “I wanted to

have a big impact this year so I

worked hard in the off season to

get to where I am now,” said Zanni

on how his role has changed

from last season to this season.

A few days later on April 27

the team kept things rolling from

key pitching by junior Colton

McCarthy and senior Charlie

Crismond who allowed the team

to ease into the game and string

together a few big innings to get

the 7-0 win.

To kick off the start of May,

the Warriors were at home for senior

night against a competitive

Walter Johnson team. It was a

big senior night for Jake Berger

who was able to walk it off in the

late stages of the game to give the

team a 4-3 win.

“I’ve really focused on staying

disciplined at the plate …

trusting my approach, and staying

consistent,” said Berger. Sherwood

then played the next day,

making up their game against

Northwest, where senior Lee Gisriel

pitched a phenomenal complete

game shutting out Northwest

in a 7-0 victory. This marks

Sherwood’s third shutout of four.

“Our pitching staff has been

locked in the entire season. All

of the kids on our roster have arm

talent,” said head coach Sean Davis.

Sherwood ended their season

finishing with a record of 17-2 after

a huge win against Damascus

with senior Connor Flickinger

having two home runs propelling

Sherwood to a 17-7 victory.

Girls Lacrosse Soars into Playoffs

After a large turnout at tryouts

this year, the Warriors were

excited to build a competitive

team this season, led by the leadership

of five senior captains.

The team recently edged by one

their top opponents in the county,

Quince Orchard, with a final

score of 9-7 on April 22. They

also pulled out a close 13-12 win

against Wootton on Senior Night,

April 29. Remaining undefeated

in the regular season, the Warriors

are one of the top teams in

the county, further proving this

with their county championship

win against Walter Johnson.

The team took a hit after

losing star midfielder Avery Graham,

who is now playing DI at

the University of South Florida.

However, the Warriors intended

to be stronger than ever this year

with a skilled and experienced junior

class. Currently, five juniors

are committed to continuing to

play lacrosse at the Division I level

after high school. Not to mention,

eight juniors total have been

on the varsity squad since their

freshman year.

The team is hungry to accomplish

more in the playoffs after

finishing in the state semi-finals

last season, losing to Marriots

Ridge 16-6. They are on the right

track to do this after securing a

10-7 victory against WJ on May

Junior attack Emme Marsden takes the ball up against Guilford Park.

4, keeping their undefeated streak

in the county for a fourth consecutive

year. In the first round of the

playoffs, the Warriors demolished

Guilforf Park by a score of 16-0

to set up a second-round matchup

against Marriotts Ridge.

“We are working on our defense

a lot. We need to be able

to defend [Marriotts Ridge], the

reigning state champions. We

have plans to switch up defenses

throughout the games to stay alert

and exert pressure differently, but

that takes a lot of time to perfect,”

said Coach Kelly Hughes.

High-level players are ready

to show what they can do on the

field through their dedication and

strong skill sets. Twins Melanie

and Courtney Payne, along with

Division I level. In the 2025 season,

Courtney Payne broke the

single-season draw control record

at Sherwood with a total of 143

wins, and she demolished her

own record this year.

The girls have been bonding

this season through team dinners,

allowing them to get to know

each other better off the field and

become a stronger team. They

are also learning each other’s

strengths on the field, playing cohesively

as a single unit. The real

test will come in the postseason

when the Warriors face skilled

teams outside of Montgomery

County.

“We’re preparing for the

harder teams by working on all

our skills, conditioning, and stick

Ashlyn Hambrecht, Emerson work, so when we do play better

Philips, and Libby King, are all

phenomenal athletes who worked

hard to be able to compete at the

competition out of county, we can

keep up with them,” said junior

Melanie Payne.

Trump Takes Politicalization of Sports to Another Level

by Matilda Hawkins ‘27

After the U.S. men’s hockey

team won an Olympic gold

medal, President Donald Trump

celebrated with the players via

a phone call while FBI Director

Kash Patel was also with the

team in their locker room at that

moment. “Here with us tonight

is a group of winners who just

made the entire nation proud: the

men’s gold medal Olympic hockey

team,” Trump told the players.

After inviting the men’s team to

the White House, Trump continued,

“I must tell you, we’re going

to have to bring the women’s

team. You do know that,” because

he said he would “probably be

impeached” if he didn’t invite

the women. Not surprisingly, the

women’s team later announced

that they would not go to the

White House to celebrate their

own gold-medal victory.

As a well-known sports fan,

Trump in many instances has

immersed himself in the world

of sports. For example, Trump

lashed out at American Olympian

Hunter Hess regarding his views

that he had “mixed emotions”

about being a representative for

the US in the Olympics due to the

political climate. Trump referred

to the skier as a “real loser” and

continued to demean Hess.

Trump hasn’t stopped at

phone calls and tweets and has

gone further to influence sports

in policy. Recently, he signed an

Executive Order to “save college

sports” by limiting NCAA

athletes to a five-year playing

window. The bill limits athletes

to one unrestricted transfer and

seeks to prevent student-athletes

from being classified as employees

of their schools. Last year,

Trump threatened to block a stadium

deal for the Washington

Commanders unless they go back

to their former name, “Redskins,”

criticizing the name changes as

“politically correct.”

Politics and sports have

mixed for decades, and oftentimes,

sports figures have influenced

cultural and political

change. And while there have

been previous presidents who

were sports fans, Trump takes it

to an extent in which he directly

Google Images

Trump invited only the U.S. mens hockey team to the State of the Union.

immerses himself in the sports

world.

The intertwining of sports

and politics has consistently occurred

due to both spheres dealing

with identity, power, and public

influence. Sports can be used

to promote political messages,

protest injustice, represent national

identity, or influence public

opinion. With a massive audience

and influential athletes who transcend

their sports, these messages

spread quickly and rapidly. Trump

appears to see sports as another

megaphone through which he can

project his views, even if it is an

unwelcome distraction from the

actual athletic performances.

History of Sports Politics

Gary Peters

1967 Muhammad Ali:

A heavyweight boxing champion who became an influential

global figure for his activism, outspoken personality,

and impact on civil rights and anti-war movements. He was

banned from boxing after he refused induction into the US

Army because of his religious beliefs and opposition to the

Vietnam War.

1968 Mexico City Olympics Black Power Fist:

African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlo

raised a black-gloved fist on the medal podium during the

national anthem to protest racial injustice and inequality in

the United States.

1996 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf:

An NBA player who refused to stand for the U.S. national

anthem, citing his religious beliefs and views on oppression.

This led to suspension and controversy, causing debates

about free speech and politics in sports

2014 Sochi Olympics:

President Obama included openly gay athletes, like Billie

Jean King and Caitlin Cahow, in the U.S. Olympic delegation

to protest Russia’s anti-LGBTQ+ “propaganda” laws.

2016 Colin Kaepernick:

He took a knee during the national anthem to protest

racial injustice and police brutality in the United States.

2019 Trump and Megan Rapinoe:

The two were involved in a public political conflict after

Rapinoe said she would not visit the White House if her team

won.

2024 Harrison Buckner:

He gave a graduation speech in which he expressed traditional

views on gender roles, making comments suggesting

that some women may find fulfillment as homemakers rather

than pursuing careers.

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