Zoom meetings connect Principal Heckert and students
By Jeremy Fredricks, Copy Editor
May 29, 2020
Three months ago, Zoom was a virtually unknown app. Now, it is being used to host events and meetings throughout the world. It has become so popular that Principal Brandice Heckert is using it to reconnect with WCHS students and staff in grade-level meetings. These half-hour sessions include Principal H...
Top 5 Books to Read During Coronavirus
By Jeremy Fredricks, Copy Editor
May 29, 2020
For those lucky enough to not have to fight the coronavirus on the front lines, there seems to be a lot more free time than usual. Watching TV, Facetiming, doing puzzles, and going on walks are starting to get old. Now is the perfect time to pick up a good book and pass the hours. While these rec...
States shouldn’t reopen until they have a plan
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
May 11, 2020
As the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths per day starts to plateau and shrink across the country, there comes the question, “What’s next?” For millions of unemployed Americans, they hope to return to work; just like students and teachers returning to the classroom environment. Governors now...
Politics have no place in popular sporting events
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
March 1, 2020
More than 102 million Americans watched Super Bowl LIV according to Adweek. This means nearly a third of the nation was watching the same channel. The game was filled with suspenseful moments, as the Kansas City Chiefs came back to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to the game, millions of Americ...
Early voter registration allows students to prepare for the future
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
February 26, 2020
For three days at lunch, the Montgomery County Board of Education had a table at WCHS to allow students over the age of 16 the opportunity to register to vote. While you have to be 18 to vote, Maryland citizens can register when they turn 16. Maryland joined 11 other states, including Californ...
Ben Phillipe’s new book guides students through high school
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
February 25, 2020
If only there was a guide to high school. What to do. How to do it. What to say. Dating, crushes, jobs, friendships, schoolwork and fitting in would be among the topics covered. While there is no such thing as a “guide to high school,” there is a book that could serve a similar purpose. New...
“How to Be Safe” explores gun violence in America
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
February 23, 2020
The world is not always a safe place. There are robberies, drugs, alcohol and shootings. It is hard to be safe all the time, and Tom McAllister’s “How to Be Safe” certainly shows what it is like in 2020. The book starts off with a school shooting, a horrible and senseless act devastates the sm...
Collecting phones during assessments will stop cheating
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
January 19, 2020
For high school students, nothing is more annoying than when other students get the answers for a test that you spent the whole night studying for. Cheating is clearly unfair but with modern technology, it is only becoming easier to get away with it and harder for school administrators to prevent. ...
Wellness Fair encourages mental health awareness
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
January 3, 2020
On Thurs., Nov. 21, the Thrive Club hosted the Wellness Fair. The fair provided students with the opportunity to meet mental health professionals and vendors. Many vendors that attended the event, including One Aum Yoga, Stone Branch School of Art and Every Mind. Thrive Club’s officers, including so...
Phones should be used for helping, not filming
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
December 8, 2019
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, a WCHS student whose name has not been revealed by Principal Heckert suffered a “medical emergency.” Much remains unknown about what happened, but in her email to parents, Heckert said that an ambulance had come to treat the student. This email was sent out on Tuesday night. ...
Why people love Karen McManus’s mystery books is no mystery
By Jeremy Fredricks, Assistant Opinions Editor
November 25, 2019
Looking for a great read? With murder? Detention? A twist ending? Karen McManus’ One of Us is Lying, and Two Can Keep a Secret are great books. The 2018-2019 Black Eyed Susan award-winning novel One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus displays the impact of deep friendships while in an ominous setti...
Students, teachers take side on later school start time debate
By Jeremy Fredricks and Ari Dimitoglou
November 15, 2019
For students in California public high schools, start time will be later beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. After Governor Gavin Newson signed a law for later start times, California will become the first state to legislative start times for public schools with high schools starting at 8:30 AM. ...