There is a distinct and almost borderline obnoxious pride that accompanies getting into an Ivy League school, and it is something that many students, especially at CHS, spend four years chasing. But why? Why do we, as students, try so desperately to get into these schools when it may not even be worth it?

 
Most people say that going to an Ivy increases chances of getting a stable job and earning decent money—and in this economy that is a comforting thought.

 
However, according to a March 3 CBS News Money Watch article, economists Alan Krueger and Stacy Dale conducted a new study that showed students who got into schools such as Columbia and Princeton, but chose to go to Penn State, would most likely earn just as much as Columbia graduates.

 
According to the study, high achieving students are likely to have high earnings regardless of the schools they attend.

 
Students should not rule out “lesser” schools that may not be ranked as highly or have as much prestige. These could offer the perfect environment for students to grow into their own and figure out what they want to do in their lives.

 
According to a Class of 2009 Observer Senior Section article, one senior was going to an extremely non-conventional school that was different in that the classes were held outside, and the relationships with teachers were much closer and meaningful.

 
That kind of school would not suit everybody—to be honest it probably would not suit me, but there is something appealing about the idea of a college that is small and relaxed. Some people can develop better in an environment with less pressure. That seems much better than stressing out during what are supposed to be the best years of one’s life just to go to college where one would have to stress out even more.

 
According to US News Education’s 2011 ranking, 11 out of the top 16 national universities ranked for best undergraduate teachers were not Ivy League schools.

 
In fact, originally the Ivy League was created as an athletic association. It was an athletic conference of the northeastern universities; there was no academic aspect to it. While the Ivy schools are no doubt highly ranked for a good reason, there are other places that provide the same, if not better, resources. Schools have more to offer than their ranking.

 
Students should be proud of getting into an Ivy League school because of the hard work it takes to be accepted, but colleges do not make all the difference in an education. Dedication, hard work and discipline make the difference. Many of the success stories didn’t have a big name diploma attached to them—they had their work ethic. That and inspiration are really all you ever need.

Davis’ family’s explorations and adventures in unlikely places are known as urban spelunking or “urbex” for short. Urban spelunking is the act of going into abandoned and normally unseen areas of urban structures. Although urban spelunking may seem like a foreign idea, some people in the CHS community are exploring the unknown and are proudly calling themselves “urban spelunkers.”

“I was really interested in the philosophy and adventure behind urban exploration” said junior Matt*, another urban spelunker at CHS. He got interested in urban spelunking after reading an article about catacombs in Paris which are underground cemeteries, riddled with treasures and dead bodies.

Students are not just limited to local storms drains for adventures; they are actually discovering other popular spelunking sites around the Potomac area which include abandoned and occupied buildings, bridges, dams and power plants.

Junior Jake*, another urban spelunker travels an hour away to Glenn Dale Hospital, which was decommissioned 27 years ago. Jake comes across peculiar things like uncountable number of rooms, tunnels filled with water and various artifacts.

Matt has also explored the same hospital.

“The weirdest thing I ever found was a sign in a hospital that said tap bells and mouth gags,” Matt said “It’s things like this that make you think about what was going on when the place [was] functional.”

In addition to industrial relics and forgotten artifacts, urban spelunkers sometimes stumble upon slightly scary things as well.

“We had friends who went [into] the basement of the children’s hospital [at Glenn Dale] and they found a morgue,” Matt said.

Another popular spelunking spot is the Chestnut Lodge in the historic district of Rockville. The lodge was built in 1886 as a hotel and later used as a psychiatric hospital.

According to Jake, Chestnut Lodge has “so many rooms to explore and seems like each has its own history.”

In addition to the health risks, spelunkers face treacherous terrain and the possibility of old infrastructure crumbling.

“Often times people manage [to get] hurt by sharp objects sticking out of the wall or the ceiling,” said Ryan*, who began spelunking over two years ago in his old neighborhood in Urbana, Md. before moving to Potomac.

“Other things you’ve got to watch out for are guard dogs and motion detectors,” Matt said
“Any ignorance can leave anyone in a fatal situation.”

Common fears associated with this activity are the repercussions that come with urban spelunking.

According to Montgomery County Police Department, trespassers can get up to 90 days in jail and fines [up to] $500, if caught by police in Montgomery County.

“I heard voices and saw the glow of flashlights coming around a corner,” Matt said “My trip was over before it had even started, but I was not about to risk jail when I could come back any other time.”

However urban spelunking is often misunderstood and is often associated with illegal activity.

“People often mistake us for vandals,” Ryan said. “We are not vandals; we go to these places simply for the excitement of it and to explore the beauty of the structures.”

Urban spelunkers go to a motley mix of abandoned or unexplored places to satisfy their intrigue and curiosity rather than ruin or destroy the parts of the structures that are integral facet of their adventures.

According to Matt, urban spelunkers live by one motto: “Take nothing but pictures [and] leave nothing but footprints.”