Up In Smoke

by Joseph Oscilowski ‘22 Over the past few months, an alarming number of illnesses and even deaths have been linked to vaping. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Association (FDA) currently believe the cause to this illness is synthetic THC, but continue to investigate why people are getting sick. The U.S. government has … Read More

MCPS May Add LGBTQ and Disability Civil Rights to Curriculum

by Vendela Krenkel ‘20 Maryland school officials are considering adding the fight for civil rights of LGBTQ and disabled people to the curriculum, and not just in social studies. First reported in the Washington Post, officials plan to focus on the histories of both of these groups, including events such as the 1969 Stonewall riots, the landmark 1990 Americans with … Read More

Allegations Against Brett Kavanaugh Revealed in NY Times Book

by Sudha Sudhaker ’21 In a forthcoming book, “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation,” by The New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly  investigate Brett Kavanaugh’s past to determine whether or not the accusations of sexual assault and harrasment against him are credible. Pogrebin and Kelly spend a significant time further investigating Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations, as … Read More

The Amazon Continues to Burn . . . Who Knew?

by Jonah Sachs ’20 The flames engulf hundreds of thousands of organisms every day, leaving three-toed sloths and armadillos to attempt their brave escapes. To no avail, though, as these animals don’t stand a chance against the unstoppable fire power of the Amazon’s newfound dry heat. Plant species continue to die out, faster than the media can say “SharpieGate,” yet … Read More

Study Finds That Teen Usage of Marijuana Drops in Legalized States

by Eve Schlegel ‘20  According to the 2018 Monitoring the Future survey, more than one in five high school seniors reported use of an illegal drug in the past month, with marijuana as the top choice. However, a new study conducted by Youth Risk Behavior Surveys found that marijuana use among teens has dropped in states where recreational use of … Read More

Video of Questionable Arrest Goes Viral

by Martholdy Pierre-Canel ’21 Fashion Businessman and Social Media Influencer Suliman “Facet” Hasan, who is African-American, posted a video of him being wrongly detained by police in Fulton County, Georgia on September 14. The video has received more than 84,000 views. In the incident, the police were called to The Georgian Terrace apartment complex in response to a complaint about … Read More

Students Strike for Change

by Zach Seymour ’20 This Friday, September 20, people around the world will come together to advocate for concrete climate initiatives and reform. The Global Climate Strike is based on the model of FridaysForFuture created by teen activist Greta Thunberg. The event on Friday is meant to send a message to the leaders of the international community that the people … Read More

‘Wear Orange’ Events Allow Communities to Combat Gun Violence

by Hena Hussain ‘20 With incidents of gun violence increasing, people have started to become more involved in activism to end such occurrences. One of these movements that many have participated in is Wear Orange for Gun Safety, which was started after the death of 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton in 2013 when she was fatally shot. Every year, Wear … Read More

Pro v Con: Electoral College

by Jonah Sachs ’20 The Electoral College has been a part of the nation’s history since its very foundation, creating a “checks-and-balances” system for elections. The idea behind the system is hardly complex, but in practice, the Electoral College presents various issues and resolutions for many problems the country faces. It has existed within the United States for almost 300 … Read More

Outbreak Threatens To Kill All Bananas

by Sarah Nove ’20 Bananas were the most popular fresh fruit in America in 2016, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The United States is one of the world’s top banana importers, but a “beautiful bunch ‘o ripe banana” is getting harder to find in many grocery stores. It’s not due to tariffs, seasons, or higher rates of … Read More