Tensions escalated in D.C. restaurants between owners and employees this summer over Initiative 77, a proposal to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, after the initiative passed in D.C.’s primary election last June. This proposal raised contentious issues about wage fairness and the economics of the restaurant industry, but the initiative would likely do more harm than good—undermining the restaurant industry in the District and hurting employees over time. Initiative 77 would phase out the lower minimum wage for tipped professions, including bartenders, nail stylists, barbers, bellhops, delivery drivers and restaurant wait staff, currently paid $3.89 per hour. The
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At GDS, there is a long-standing tradition of having the girls of the school play each other in a game of flag football while the boys stand on the sidelines to coach or cheer. While this has been a GDS custom for a very long time, it isn’t unique to our school. All over the country, high schools have taken part in these games of girls’ flag football, often called “Powder Puff.” The tradition is often seen as a way to promote grade bonding and foster inter-grade competition and spirit in a fun and safe environment. While it may seem
The 2017-18 season was not one for the GDS men’s varsity basketball team to remember. With a 9-14 overall record, an early Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) playoff exit and two bruising losses to a Sidwell team led by now Villanova-wing Saddiq Bey, the team hopes to quickly shift its focus to the coming year. One upside of coming off of two seasons with no conference wins is that the team has gained new experience that they will try to transfer into their play on the court. Fall sports seasons are wrapping up and winter is coming. Ray Milburn and Jodi
With an unprecedented swarm of athletes entering the GDS men’s basketball program this year, a larger question about the future of the athletic program has been raised: will GDS begin recruiting athletes? GDS has struggled to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) recently due to an increase in recruited athletes and a more serious approach to athletics at other schools. While MAC schools have started recruiting athletes in order to stay competitive, GDS has stuck to the principle of building teams that consist of athletes already attending the school. This raises the question of what the best path is
Have you ever been new to something? For many freshmen, their first experience with the GDS high school is through pre-season sports. Through team events, icebreakers, and competitions, sports can help new high school students acclimate to the high school environment. During pre-season, freshmen have the opportunity to meet sophomores, upperclassmen, and faculty. These outlets can provide much-needed support for the first few hectic weeks of high school, while students get adjusted to the new academic space. By being a part of GDS sports teams, freshmen can be a part of various communities that value competition, respect, and collaboration. Freshman
In order to reserve a parking space at the GDS High School, a student must pay the school $500 per year. With GDS being only a few years away from unifying its two campuses, students are already buzzing with talk of free parking on the new grounds. While, in theory, free parking for students is ideal, students must continue to pay for their parking spaces due to a number of economic and environmental reasons. Currently, there are 74 parking spaces available for students. After construction, there will be a River Road entrance to the school and two spaces will be
Frustrated by today’s political climate but too young to vote? Art could be the answer to your problems. For decades, protest and advocacy art have been used as tools of dissent, inciting people to take action on issues that matter to them. Art is a powerful form of advocacy and a cornerstone of social justice movements. Today, street art is one of the most visible forms of everyday activism. The politically charged light installations on the streets of New York and DC are forms of street art. They are unavoidable. They begin conversations. They are interactive forms of art. The
Everybody knows the 2016 election was a tumultuous one. Families were split in heated debates, friendships were destroyed, and relationships were ended. Whether you sported your MAGA hat, your “I’m With Her” bumper sticker, your Jill Stein S’well bottle, or your Gary Johnson male fragrance, it’s clear that everyone was invested in this election. Now that we’ve experienced the first two years of the Trump presidency, many believe that the 2016 election is over, and its results are irreversible. Some wonder what a Clinton presidency would look like right now. Others wonder about their hero Bernie Sanders, and what America
Although the new National Hockey League campaign began over a month ago, the real 2018 hockey season took a few extra weeks for GDS students, as Montgomery Hockey Divisions I and II didn’t get underway until October 26th. For the D.C. Stars, a team composed of students whose schools do not have high school hockey teams, this season is going to mean more than ever before. Fresh off a disappointing end to last season, in which the team finished second in Montgomery Division II to Sherwood, the Stars believed that they had been given the opportunity to make amends. Under
GDS has never been known as a sports school. Just ask alumnus Jaren Zinn ’17, who never let the school’s supposed inadequacies stop him from dominating the local baseball circuit en route to being recruited by several Division One college programs. “Don’t sell yourself short,” said Zinn when asked what advice he would give to current GDS athletes with collegiate aspirations. “GDS might not be a traditional sports powerhouse, but as long as you put in the work, that doesn’t matter.” Zinn, along with Simone Ameer ‘17, comprised part of one of the most athletically gifted graduating classes in GDS’s
In our last edition of The Augur Bit, an article covered the construction of the pool for GDS’s production of Metamorphoses. In the article, we implied that chlorine treatments were used in order to prevent hypothermia, which is not the case. We also said that time ran short for the building of the pool, which was incorrect as well. Finally, we were wrong in saying that Director Laura Rosberg had to raise her initial budget for the show. According to Rosberg, the budget for the entire show was $15,450 and never changed throughout production. In fact, the performing arts department
Homecoming ended early for one GDS student. The student, granted anonymity by The Augur Bit, was caught holding a vaping device in the first floor men’s bathroom by Dean of School Life Quinn Killy. According to students familiar with the events, he was promptly escorted out of the dance. The incident highlights a vaping epidemic sweeping GDS and other high schools across the country. Over the past year, vaping has become a nationwide fad both on and off campuses. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, between one and two of every ten students over the age of 15