Pro/Con: Should Schools Conduct Live Active Assailant Drills?

February 26, 2019

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

Students Should Think About Future Before Dropping Classes

Esther Frances, Copy Editor

February 26, 2019

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

It’s that time of the year: report card distribution. While dropping a class may seem like the only way to solve a failing grade, dropping a higher level class such as honors, Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) can have disastrous effects on a student’s transcript. High ...

College Board Continues to Overcharge for Services, Needs to Change Approach

Matthew Liu, Opinion Managing Editor

February 25, 2019

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

The financial burden of the College Board’s services has a profound impact on students, particularly those from low-income families, as the prices they charge students for their services are widely considered to be excessive. College Board should lower the cost of their educational services to allevia...

MCPS Needs to Address Grade Inflation Head On

Colleen Barrett, Print Copy Editor

February 15, 2019

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

Many publications including the Washington Post have been discussing MCPS, and while the school system is usually spoken of highly and commended for its work, this time, potential grade inflation is the primary topic, presenting MCPS and its new grading policy in an unflattering light.   The Washington Pos...

Importance of a Present School Resource Officer

Editorial Board

February 14, 2019

Filed under Editorials, Opinion, Opinion Showcase

The introduction of School Resource Officers (SRO) to MCPS high schools has improved safety and peace of mind by providing a feeling of security for students and staff. But beyond just being a safety measure, the officer should be a familiar face to students because beyond being the one person in the...

Politicks Me Off: Longest Government Shutdown Unnecessary, Spurred by Conservative Commentators

Esther Frances, Print Copy Editor

February 14, 2019

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase, Poli-Ticks Me Off

Over 800,000 federal employers spent 35 days either without work or working without pay as the longest government shutdown came to a temporary close Jan. 25. Even after agreeing to a short-term spending measure Dec. 18, President Trump decided to reverse this position and shut down the government Dec....

Forcing Students to Take Four Years of Math Doesn’t Add Up

Ben Kushner, Opinion Writer

February 13, 2019

Filed under Opinion

Slowly pushing through a packed hallway, a sophomore lethargically walks to math class. After working hard in middle school, he is now in pre-calculus. Whether he is interested in the subject or not doesn’t really matter; he is still legally required to make this walk for two and a half more years. ...

Pro/Con: Should Girls be Allowed in Boy Scouts?

January 16, 2019

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase, Pro/Con

MCPS Needs to Extend Recently Implemented Hazing Precautions

Editorial Board

December 21, 2018

Filed under Editorials, Opinion, Opinion Showcase

In light of an incident at Damascus High School (HS) where members of the JV football team were allegedly sodomized with a broomstick as part of a hazing ritual, MCPS has finally begun addressing hazing and its severity as there have been minimal efforts to combat hazing in the past. The recent pre...

Administration’s Unprecedented Turnover Rate Harms Policies, People

Matthew Liu, Opinion Managing Editor

December 21, 2018

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

The Trump administration’s turnover rate for top officials has shattered records. As of the most recent standings, it is up to nine times as high as previous administrations at similar points in their presidencies. To combat this, President Donald Trump should reduce the turnover rate in his admini...

MCPS: Prioritize Student Health with Cleaner Drinking Water

Erin Bode, News Managing Editor

December 20, 2018

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

Greater amounts of attention are being given to students’ health as high levels of lead continue to be discovered in the schools’ water systems, including in water fountains. This past summer, testing of water quality in several Montgomery County schools showed that certain schools have elevated le...

Counselors Present to Classes, Discuss Suicide Prevention in Step Toward Better Mental Health

Emily Nagy, Editor-in-Chief

December 19, 2018

Filed under Opinion, Opinion Showcase

Suicide and the tragedies that accompany poor mental health are inescapable in society. No community is immune to these adversities which have created an increased awareness and incentive to educate the public. MCPS and RHS counseling have taken a step in the right direction by promoting mental health with...