Liana Smolover-Bord '21 and Malvika Reddy '23 address the local vaping industry and the Student Action Committee's work to defeat it.
Alissa Simon '21 reports on the new curriculum and what moving away from APs will mean for GDS.
Following the National Walkout for Gun Violence on March 14 at the Capitol, students have raised the question: are walkouts worth the consequences of missing school? The main argument made by students who participated in the protest was the rare experience that the walkout offers students. Bella Young, a sophomore at GDS, said that “It gives an opportunity for students to feel like they are a part of something bigger…the walkout makes students do more for what they have. It’s really empowering seeing all the students around you; no teachers, no parents.” As many keynote speakers at the 2019 National
When someone walks into the GDS High School, the first location that catches the eye is the Forum. Placed directly adjacent to the front desk, the Forum is the main hub of activity at GDS, crucial for travelling around the school or even socializing with fellow students. However, every entry, or exit, to the center of the Forum is comprised of stairs. For an individual with a physical disability, navigating the forum or any other section of the school is not only difficult but almost downright impossible. GDS is known for its focus on social justice, but one identifier that
By now, we have all heard the term “the GDS way.” The saying is often used as an umbrella term for values such as kindness, compassion, and acceptance, but, as one gets older, the term tends to take a more political tone. On a political spectrum, Georgetown Day students tend to lean far left. This political leaning manifests itself in assemblies, curriculum, class discussions, and even in everyday conversations between students. More conservative students often feel isolated, and even attacked, in open dialogue discussions as well as social situations as they are often shamed for not being “politically correct.” When
In March, the news broke of a scandal involving 33 parents (including various celebrities), prestigious university coaches and millions of dollars, all with the goal of cheating the college admissions system in order to get the children of wealthy America into top schools. The public outrage and interest following the story was near instantaneous. Co-director of the college counseling office Jenni Ruiz said, “For some reason… when we start to talk about college admissions… people have this puritanical view of how it should be fair.” Co-director Emily Livelli added, “there’s a lot of mythology around college [admissions].” The methods of
As a girl who participates in math competitions and considers herself a “STEM kid,” I am used to seeing enormous gender disparities in my extracurriculars. At many of the math competitions I participate in, boys comprise over ninety percent of participants. In fact, since the U.S. started participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), 88 percent of its teams have been entirely male. The lack of female participation in STEM in high school and middle school translates to a gender achievement gap in STEM fields. Despite conscious efforts by universities and other organizations to increase the number of females they
As we near the end of this school year, students have gotten used to GDS’ current distance learning program. It is possible that a similar type of schedule will be used for some of the next school year. It would be a mistake for the school to favor a fast return to in-person education over another stint of distance learning. Many studies suggest that this fall will be accompanied by a resurgence of COVID-19. According to a Washington Post article citing the research of numerous epidemiologists, “A decline in transmission in summer would probably be followed by a seasonal increase
The annual Ben Cooper Lecture sparked controversy when the Student Staff Council (SSC) Minutes email on November 26 criticized GDS’s assembly etiquette. After the lecture, Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, answered a series of questions from four male students. That prompted Ambassador Power to ask, “Where are the ladies?” The event set off a broader debate at GDS about who feels privileged to speak in both classrooms and assemblies. However, the SSC email, which captured the discussion at its recent meeting, missed the most important point. Our goal should not be to single out a group
Almost every class at GDS incorporates some group work. From projects to discussions, teachers dedicate a significant amount of time to collaboration. However, does teamwork always function the way it’s supposed to? The benefits of group work vary between classes. In English, coming together for a group discussion is beneficial to all. Sophomore Caleigh Vergeer agrees. “In English group work is helpful because then you can go in a little more detail working together,” she said. Although helpful, some problems can arise. “It is incredibly rare when there is not a group project where I am the only one doing
Of the many remarkable facets of the recent 2018 midterm elections, the surge in voter turnout was one that garnered a lot of attention and speculation. The 2018 midterms displayed at least a 10 percent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2014 midterms as well as the highest turnout for a midterm election since 1966. Some districts had turnouts that matched or even exceeded turnout for the 2016 election. While the various reasonings and implications for the surge in voter turnout continue to cloud the minds of many political scientists and students here at GDS, the focus on voter
The week before GDS high school officially starts, all incoming freshmen are treated to a two-day orientation. Although this orientation is the first introduction for most freshmen to the building, it is none of their first introductions to GDS. For some, that first introduction came in the Lower Middle school, whether in kindergarten, eighth grade or any year in between. And for the students that are newly joining the GDS community for high school, their first introduction to GDS was the week-long bridge program, “Hop into GDS,” two weeks before freshman orientation. This program, often referred to as “bridge week,”