• 2022-2023 CSPA Crown Award Finalist
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

Common Sense

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief emeritus

Heerah Jayakumar is a 2025 graduate.

All content by Heerah Jayakumar
Seniors and Editors-in-chief Heerah Jayakumar (this writer), Maria Daraselia, Claire Lenkin and Alex Balian receive their cords at the Quill and Scroll induction ceremony on May 6.

Senior Reflection: moving on, moving out

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief
May 23, 2025
Senior Eli Kertesz and juniors Nasrin Sari and Sarah Magazine eat lunch together. “I think culturally, it's easier to make friends with people like yourself because you don't have to adapt or really learn about other people,” Kertesz said.

Racial divide at this school needs to be bridged

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief emeritus
May 12, 2025
On Mar. 26, parents and students gathered on Wootton Parkway to protest the involuntary transfer of arts teachers and to show support for the arts. "I think the protest was very powerful, and I like the performances that [the band] did. I feel like the arts should keep their funding," freshman Edwin Lopez said.

Arts protest gives students, parents chance to voice concerns

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor in chief
April 4, 2025
Liv Resnick began riding horses at age five (left). Today, Resnick plans on furthering her education in equine management (right). "I completely fell in love with the animal and the sport and the type of people who are in that environment and that field, and I knew that this is something that I wanted to keep doing," Resnick said.

Liv Resnick pursues equine management after life-long passion for horses

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor in chief
March 13, 2025
Seniors Abby Brodsky and Heerah Jayakumar enjoy bubble tea at the Rockville BobaPop location.

Best boba in Town: A Definitive Guide

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor in chief
February 21, 2025
BSU members held a walkout on Dec 6. to express their disapproval of the administration's reaction to anti-Black hate events.

What should have happened: Correct procedures for hate bias incident reporting; new policies aim to unite community

Heerah Jayakumar and Emory Scofield
January 23, 2025
Jeffrey Benya teaches his students all they need to know in preparation for the AP World History exam. "I worry about students taking too many AP classes because AP is supposed to be a college-level course. They're working extensively on vocabulary and in-depth information, on a great deal of topics. It's a lot for a high school student. I think our students rise to that occasion quite well," Benya said.

Evil APs: How AP classes gain a reputation for being easy when details aren’t divulged

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief
January 21, 2025
Junior Karina Stepanova creates promotional posters for the fall Coffeehouse event.

Coffeehouse uplifts student artists, provides community

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief
November 19, 2024
Junior Natalie Chen mixes paint for props backstage. "I'm the stage manager, so now I have to do stage managing and make lighting keys for two shows, and that's kind of crazy," Chen said.

Behind the scenes: Crew builds foundation for successful productions

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief
October 25, 2024
Senior Abby Brodsky logs into Naviance to check the status of her college applications. "It's sometimes hard to see all your documents and know their status," Brodsky said.

Inefficiency of Naviance impacts accessibility of higher education

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief
October 6, 2024
Senior Emma Yuan washes her hands after testing out the new bathrooms. "I don't really like the bathrooms because I like having a private space where I can wash my hands and freshen up in the mirror," Yuan said.

Building renovations fail to address underlying issues

Heerah Jayakumar, online editor-in-chief
September 15, 2024
Banana-apple bread is an easy loaf to prepare for busy mornings.

Culinary Quest: banana-apple bread

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
May 24, 2024
Croissants are a delectable treat for any season.

Culinary Quest: One-day croissants

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
May 2, 2024
Fried dumplings are a great snack for any gathering.

Culinary Quest: Fried chicken dumplings

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
April 16, 2024
Garlic bread grilled cheese and tomato soup are a great choice for lunch.

Culinary quest: Garlic bread grilled cheese and tomato soup

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
March 21, 2024
Stir fried noodles are a Southeast Asian favorite that are easy to prepare.

Stir-fried noodles: A family favorite

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
March 7, 2024
The carving of Thomas S. Wootton's name on this school is a constant reminder of the controversial history behind this property.

Implications of name change at this school

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
March 6, 2024
Freshly baked heart-shaped pizzas, topped with parmesan and basil are a fun and easy recipe to try.

Culinary Quest: Mini heart pizzas, surprisingly easy

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
February 15, 2024
Sophomore Sol Berrellez works on her latest painting project, focusing on the proportions of the human face.

AP painting class offers new opportunities to students

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
January 12, 2024
The movie "Christmas as Usual," streaming on Netflix is a great option to get in the holiday spirit.

New holiday movies to add to your rotation

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
December 18, 2023
The cross-country team and coaches celebrate after a clean sweep at regionals.

Cross country wins regionals, places fourth, eighth at states

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
November 20, 2023
Sophomore Sol Berrellez checks out some of the new builds in the props room.

Behind the scenes of theater: What goes into a production?

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
October 29, 2023
Sophomore Jenny Brailovsky and freshman Anjelly Bonilla Garcia discuss finding dates for homecoming in a post-pandemic world.

Has the pandemic changed the way students behave?

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
October 2, 2023
Malaria is a disease spread through mosquito bites and the intensity of the disease depends on the type of mosquito someone is bitten by.

What does the new case of Malaria in Maryland say about global warming?

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
September 16, 2023
Music teacher Carolyn Herman conducts the orchestra as they play during the spring concert.

The last music of the year: Orchestra’s Spring Concert

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
June 1, 2023
Sophomore Lindsey Zuniga reapplies the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer throughout the day, stretching her skin to avoid creasing. "This concealer is really good at avoiding creases, which can look like wrinkles and age my makeup," Zuniga said.

Why is aging seen as a bad thing?

Heerah Jayakumar, features editor, race & equity editor
May 4, 2023
"Anything Goes" with Emma Chamberlain is now a Spotify exclusive as of Feb. 23.

Anything Goes podcast with Emma Chamberlain: Huge hit with young adult audiences

Heerah Jayakumar, staff writer
April 1, 2023
Sophomores Maggie Hennessy, Maria Daraselia and Sana Majmudar celebrate Valentine's Day with friends at Rockville Town Center. Earlier they had matcha before Daraselia decided to propose to Hennessy in the middle of a street. "I was so surprised when Maria decided to propose to me in front of all our friends, but I knew the answer was yes," Hennessy said.

Is Valentine’s Day overrated?

Heerah Jayakumar, staff writer
February 22, 2023
Ballet dancers often struggle with eating disorders as they have to fit a "perfect body" and stare in the mirror all day.

Prevalent eating disorders in ballet dancers not a coincidence

Heerah Jayakumar, staff writer
January 10, 2023
Rory Gilmore is forced to decide between Jess Mariano and Dean Forester in the early seasons of "Gilmore Girls."

Dean vs. Jess: Who’s a better boyfriend?

Heerah Jayakumar, staff writer
December 5, 2022
The 1975 announced their lead single "Part of the band" via Instagram post on June 28.

British band The 1975 releases new album

Heerah Jayakumar, staff writer
November 10, 2022
Literary Magazine embodies culture of student life

Literary Magazine embodies culture of student life

Heerah Jayakumar, staff writer
October 19, 2022
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