By Stacey Wells ‘15 This past December, a teenage boy in Texas drove drunk and murdered four people. Instead of serving the recommended 20 years in prison, he got off easy with only 10 years of probation. The defense argued that the boy suffered from “affluenza,” which is a ‘psychological problem’ that can affect privileged children. In other words, this … Read More
By Leo Corman ’15 Just to be clear, I do not want to discourage or argue against students serving their communities. Volunteering to help others is a noble and admirable pursuit. However, the mandatory nature of the service that MCPS students must perform detracts from the value of the activity and all the benefits that come with it—responsibility, perspective, empathy … Read More
By Becky Ewing ’14 Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer recently struggled to make what should have been a very easy decision. She had to decide whether to sign or veto a bill which allows businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples on religious grounds. Supporters of the bill, like the Arizona Catholic Conference, were urging Brewer to sign the bill passed … Read More
By Betselot Wondimu ‘15 It is ridiculously early to be thinking about the 2016 Presidential Election, but Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has been making some bold moves since Barack Obama’s reelection. His rise to national recognition truly took off in 2013, when he led legislative reforms in legalizing same-sex marriage, implementing gun control measures and repealing capital punishment. He admitted … Read More
By Bridget Cook ‘14 This year, the cancellation of the biennial “Every 15 Minutes” program has disappointed many. But when considered, what is it that people wish they could experience? Viewing a horrific car accident outside of their school? Seeing the mangled, bloody faces of their peers who are “victims” in the accident? Watching someone in a Halloween costume proudly … Read More
Is it parents’ responsibility to pay for their child’s college tuition? Is there an extent to which parents can give too much financial support to a child? In the past 30 years, the average cost of college tuition at a four-year public school has increased 1,120 percent. Today, the average tuition per year (not including room and board) for an … Read More
Solution to the Time Crunch By Ankur Kayastha ’15 – Pro Block scheduling at Sherwood has the potential to be an advantageous change to the standard seven-period system due to its flexibility both in and outside of school. This change could benefit school staff, parents and especially students. Many schools have implemented block scheduling already, and the movement is increasing. … Read More
Schools Should be Allowed to Watch Students’ Twitters By Connor Loughran ’15 – Pro Today we live in the age of the internet, where social networking dominates many of our actual social lives. Social networks provide a barrier between people that makes us feel safer with the things we say. But what we think is private, actually isn’t. Ever since … Read More
By Marie Moeller ‘15 Even after 41 years, the decision made in the landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade, is still constantly argued over—between the national government and states as well as between individuals. This constant “tug-of-war” of differentiating views is a wasted argument. It is simply too complex of an issue to settle with a “black or white” law … Read More
By Mandy Stussman ‘14 What’s the purpose of incarceration? Prison should punish, agreed. It should prove to criminals that there are consequences for their actions, and make them pay for whatever they did. However, prison should do much more than punish. It should be a place for rehabilitation, labor and education. Prisoners need to relearn how to be law-abiding citizens … Read More