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The Student News Site of Thomas S. Wootton High School

Common Sense
The Student News Site of Thomas S. Wootton High School

Common Sense
The Student News Site of Thomas S. Wootton High School

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What's the best winter activity?

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  • Thomas S. Wootton
    0
    North Hagerstown
    3
    Nov 16 / Girls Volleyball
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    20
    Magruder
    7
    Nov 14 / Football
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    3
    Howard
    0
    Nov 12 / Girls Volleyball
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    35
    Thomas Johnson
    21
    Nov 8 / Football
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    3
    Dulaney
    0
    Nov 8 / Girls Volleyball
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    3
    Magruder
    0
    Nov 6 / Girls Volleyball
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    13
    Damascus
    53
    Nov 1 / Football
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    3
    Watkins Mill
    0
    Nov 1 / Girls Volleyball
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    15
    Magruder
    20
    Oct 24 / Football
  • Thomas S. Wootton
    14
    Churchill
    0
    Oct 23 / Varsity Girls Flag Football
News
As the presidency transfers from Joe Biden to Donald Trump, America's education system may experience major changes.
How will Trump’s education plan affect America?
Claire Lenkin, editor-in-chief • November 19, 2024
Students enter through the lower gym doorways while showing their IDs to security as they make their way inside.
IDs for All policy raises questions
Inayat Thukral, managing editor • November 19, 2024
Spikeball Club President Brandon Luxenberg sets up a booth for the Club Expo in the back field on Sept. 20.
Spikeball club looks to gain members through activity, involvement
Evan Halpern, staff writer • November 7, 2024
At Fall Festival, Pet Connect promoted its organization by letting students interact with dogs available for adoption. Juniors Mia Stubbins and Isy Caban represented the club at the festival.
PetConnect helps animals find forever homes
Avni Koenig, staff writer • November 6, 2024
Profiles
Health teacher and Splanning sponsor Victoria McCarthy helps senior Kyle Fuster on an assignment during fourth period on Nov. 21.
Senior class sponsor Victoria McCarthy connects with students
Catherine Busca, staff writer • November 23, 2024
Main office secretary Markaela Talley takes a phone call during fourth period. Around lunchtime, the main office gets busier and phone calls become more frequent.
Main office secretaries hold school up
Sophia Shapiro, staff writer • November 17, 2024
Former competitive gymnast, gymnastics coach and poms dancer Anna Illarionov flies through the air during a routine. Illarionov earned a medal at each of the Junior Olympics and nationals competitions she competed in during her career.
Accomplished gymnast Anna Illarionov looks to guide next generation
Noah Friedman, features editor • November 17, 2024
Counselor Daniella Bienstock works on her computer during lunch on Nov. 13. Bienstock has been a counselor here for four years and values making connections with her students. "Seeing students on a daily basis acting with integrity and wanting to make the world a better place gives me a lot of hope and makes me want to act the same in my life,” Bienstock said.
Counselor Daniella Bienstock strives to advocate for all students
Pragna Pothakamuri, features editor, race and equity editor • November 16, 2024
Opinion
President-elect Donald Trump won both the popular vote and the Electoral College in the Nov. 5 election..
Donald Trump wins: Americans should be worried
Emma Karcz, managing editor • November 20, 2024
After the end of marking period 1, the Wellness Wednesday slides showed what grades students need to earn in the second marking period to maintain or improve their semester grade. This “teaches them some of the wrong lessons that they shouldn’t be learning. What it does is it gives a lot more kids A’s, which means that we look like we’re doing a great job, but that doesn’t always pan out when kids go to college and have to do things on their own,” AP Seminar and Research teacher Michelle Hanson said.
Grade inflation: Is a 4.0 GPA still impressive?
November 16, 2024
The new bathrooms have the sinks positioned in the hallway and two larger handicapped stalls on the sides. This design has proved to be an incovenience as students get used to the new facilities.
New bathrooms disappoint, prove to be inconvenient
October 8, 2024
Top: Then freshman Helen Manolis (this writer) attends a football game with her friends. Bottom: Rather than going to a football game, now in her junior year, Manolis stays home and does homework on a Friday night.
Do football games lose excitement throughout high school?
October 8, 2024
Reviews
Fan of Halloween movies have an array to choose from during scary season.
Students choose favorite Halloween movies
Jack Weinstein, staff writer • November 19, 2024
Sophomores Lale Olguin (left) and Edlawit Abebe (right) work on Honors Chemistry homework while waiting for drinks at Starbucks.
Best local cafes for studying
November 17, 2024
The "Transformers One" poster is displayed at AMC Theatres in Rio, Gaithersburg. The film follows Optimus Prime's resistance to Megatron's rise to villainy. "I never go into a role thinking I’m the bad guy. I wanted people to leave the movie feeling conflicted about Megatron, maybe even understanding him," Megatron voice actor Brian Tyree Henry said in an interview with Essence.
Transformers One is more than meets the eye
November 14, 2024
The Rockville Chick-Fil-A at 2:30 p.m.: In about 20 minutes there will be a flood of students looking to grab a chicken sandwich or some nuggets and relax.
Tasting the chicken sandwich
October 31, 2024
Features
AP Psychology teacher Jennifer Bauer's pen collection sits atop her desk on Tuesday, Nov. 19. She has three flower pens, one R2-D2 pen and several others. Bauer said, "My aunt thinks it's fun to buy me fun pens."
Teacher pen preferences persist in silent controvesy
Jake Sklias, profiles editor • November 23, 2024
Junior Mia Coven finishes her coffee before she goes to the library to study. “I am hoping this will give me a boost to study,” Coven said.
Caffeine craze: Students’ intake rises
November 23, 2024
Students gather in the stadium for the first pep rally of the year on Oct. 17. Captains for fall sports introduced themselves and announced upcoming games and events.
Sports games, teams, pep rallies, all said to bring school together with sense of community as students fight for common goal
November 23, 2024
Senior Elizabeth Griffin (left) went to school for part of senior skip day before leaving for the girls' soccer game against Towson. She then went out to dinner with sophomore Claire Weed (middle) and junior Jordyn Childs (right).
Seniors participate in annual skip day
November 23, 2024
Columns
Junior Grace Song rewatches the trailer for Anora. Promoted as "A Love Story from Sean Baker," it is the eighth feature film under Baker's belt starring Mikey Madison in the titular role. "[Anora] accurately represents women overseen and easily taken advantage of. It emotionally enticed me. The ending is so good," Song said.
Why ‘Anora’ matters
Ahmed Ibrahim, opinion editor • November 21, 2024
This school's library has a table set up for Halloween, promoting scary books for the month of October. They also had a challenge for students: if they read and reviewed two books, they were entered to win a prize.
What’s the world reading: Are you thrilled yet?
Emma Karcz, managing editor • October 30, 2024
Senior Josie Spicer reads "The Scarlet Letter," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, on Friday, Oct. 5, during advisory. Having not read a book in a while, she said she is struggling to find the motivation.
What the world is reading: Slumps
Emma Karcz, managing editor • October 4, 2024
Senior Brandon Bartee stands in front of the poster for Francis Ford Coppola's 23rd film, "Megalopolis" outside of AMC theaters on Sept 28. "Any attempt to portray a message or make a grand critique of the world fell very far short, a waste of two hours," Bartee said.
‘Megalopolis:’ mega flop
Ahmed Ibrahim, opinion editor • October 4, 2024
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