This newspaper will cover everything that a DCI student should know about what is currently happening in the school. We hope to inform the DC about current events in the world of sports, stem, space, theater, and art. We also interview DCI teachers about popular clubs and why students enjoy these clubs.

To conclude, the purpose of this newspaper is to notify DCI students of  events occurring within and outside of the  school.

- Sedona Powell [10th Grade]

- Ana Inskeep [9th Grade]

- Sonia Erikson [9th Grade]

- Rokheya Doucoure [9th Grade]

- Abe Rodberg [8th Grade]

- Anya Lilly [8th Grade]

- Adrienne Underwood [Staff]

The opening show will be on November 16th, they will be performing the show until November 18th. Keep your eyes peeled for further updates in future editions of The Dragon Post! 

Cast List:

• Jemilla - Bridget Eastman (11)

• Zazzalil - Caroline Hutchins (10)

• Molag - Keith Hipp (12)

• SB - Adonis Ozuna-Nunez (10)

• Chorn - Abby Smith (9)

• Emberly - Charlotte Williams (9)

• Ducker - Edlyn Becton (9)

• Tiblyn - Raven Smith (9)

• Shwoopsie - Poppy Oberson (9)

• Keeri - Gabby Embden (9)

• Grunt - Ajani Obaseki (12)

• Clark/Neanderthal & Tribe Ensemble - Kris Smith (10)

• Claire/Neanderthal & Tribe Ensemble - Haya Boucoum (9)

• Nicolai/Neanderthal & Tribe 

• Ensemble - Dandelion Voltaire (10)

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 1 - November Edition

Austen realized the severity of the situation and pulled Piquette out of the water. He ran to the driveway to yell for help, before returning to Piquette. He then performed CPR, he had never done it before but he imitated what he saw on Stranger Things. By the time Austen’s father came home, Piquette was breathing, Austen’s father called 911. Thanks to Austen, Piquette survived the traumatic ordeal. The MacMillians are proud of their son’s accomplishment and encourage others to take CPR classes. 

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 1 - November Edition

Sincerely,  

FRIENDLESS GIRL

DEAR FRIENDLESS GIRL: This may be something you can talk about with a trusted teacher or your School Counselor.  Because the cliques at your school are difficult to break into, ask what kind of special interest clubs exist on your campus.  Is drama offered?  Is there a sport you might be interested in that would allow you to mix with others your age?

You don’t have to be a star athlete or a great actress in order to enjoy activities such as these.  The goal is to expose yourself to others who have a similar interest ...AND remember, high school may seem like it lasts forever, BUT IT DOESN’T.  Once you have graduated, you will have the chance to make many more acquaintances, friends and social contacts on a more even playing field.

By Ms. Coleman - Volume 1 - November Edition

Market Hours

Tuesdays- 3:30-5:00

Fridays- 1:30-3:00

All items  provided by the Capital Area Food Bank.

By Ms. Coleman - Volume 1 - November Edition

By Theo - Volume 1 - November Edition

Currently the season has kicked off for the first Tech challenge, typically for middle schoolers. Each year there is a new challenge for students to go head to head against other schools. They design, build and test their robots before bringing them to competitions. This year, the challenge is called Center Stage, where robots must pick up small hexagonal objects and place them within certain areas.

Mr. Donovan states that Robotics is a great way to “build really really fundamental life skills in teamwork, collaboration, project management, business…” He remarks on its appeal to people who enjoy mechanical engineering and writing computer code.

10th grader Meren Hoffpauir, DCI’s Robotics Business Team Captain, adds that, “To students who might be interested in [the] Robotics Team, it’s actually quite chill. We have a lot of different projects that we are working on, so there is always something for everyone…” 

Though the middle school competitive team is filled, interested high schoolers may stop by room GD03 on Thursdays after school. 

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

The planet Mars is one of the most habitable planets near the Earth. 

Musk has made various predictions involving when the rocketship will land, ranging from 2025 to 2029. 

He says that the first people to arrive on Mars will be a crew of 12 astronauts, they will make sure that the planet can support life before anyone else lands on Mars.  He aims to send a million people to Mars, who will eventually form a self-sufficient colony that no longer relies on Earth’s resources.

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 1 - November Edition

Coach Chapman has been coaching DCI Varsity Tennis for two years, last year a co-ed team, and this year the first Varsity Girls Tennis Team. He states in an interview that the matches were tough as a new team with many players inexperienced in playing matches. The schools they were up against were private, around for a long time, and often had personal courts on campus. Though they're up against a lot, Coach Chapman believes the goal is to gain experience and learn from these losses. 

He hopes to see a more competitive team in the future with 9th and 10th graders returning, and to train more players to develop a larger team.

By Ana Inskeep & Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

In a Wendy’s on Richmond Road in Lexington, Kentucky, Cowherd was working at the cash register when a colleague told her of the situation unfolding in the parking lot. 

A man had fallen unconscious in the parking lot, and his heart had stopped. Without intervention, he would have died within a few minutes. Fortunately Cowherd was nearby, and she rushed over when she was informed of the situation. 

She called 911 and approached the man’s body. The color of the man’s face alerted her to the severity of the predicament. 

Cowherd described how at first she froze, uncertain as to how to handle the situation. She recalled, “I kind of short-circuited a little bit before I was like, ‘Girl, you know how to do CPR.’”

After 15 minutes, the man finally gasped for air, showing some signs of recovery. The ambulance arrived soon after. Thanks to Cowherd’s efforts, the customer is expected to survive. 

Cowherd is currently working towards becoming a certified nurse, she is attending an eight week program at BCTC. She learned how to do CPR when she was a senior in high school.

Once the ordeal was over, Cowherd even returned to finish her shift. She said when interviewed, “I helped a man, and I am proud of myself for that.”

Information from: USA Today

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

10th grade CJ Dunlop remarks in an interview, “We could've run faster, but the competition wasn’t great.” 

Cross Country Coach Gilliam says, “We don’t have enough girls for a whole girls team. We need more girls to come join the team and very soon [as] the season ends in the middle of November”

By Ana Inskeep & Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

LeBrun has sold his company Radian6 and is using 4 million dollars of the profit for his latest project. He is currently creating homes for the homeless. His goal is to build a gated community called 12 neighbours made up of 99 houses. 

He plans to provide people experiencing homelessness with jobs on site to re-introduce them into the workforce. 

Some critics argue that it will be more difficult for people experiencing homelessness to return to society if they are all segregated together. These critics believe that LeBrun’s plan will ultimately cause more harm than help to those experiencing homelessness. 

Nonetheless, LeBrun is continuing with his work. He explains how there will be security around the clock to prevent people with bad intentions from entering the community. Thus, the security of those living in the community will be guaranteed. 

To conclude, he anticipates helping people out of homelessness by constructing a gated community for them. The community will offer them jobs and will teach them new trades that they wish to pursue.

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

In previous quarters, students have remixed various stories; such as, Rumpelstiltskin, Rapunzel and Edgar Allen Poe. 

On the topic of why students join this club, Mr. Wilkinson said, “I would say it’s great to play with your imagination and to take up space. Also, I think in terms of learning how to be imaginative and creative with others, it’s really fun.”

By Anya Lilly - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

This 2-1 defeat was punctuated by Messi’s absence that night. The Argentine international and FIFA World Cup winner reports that he was absent that night because of a hamstring injury.

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 1 - November Edition

With casting finished, actors have begun memorizing lines, learning songs, practicing choreography, and rehearsing scenes. 

Cast List For The Two Performances:

• Charlie -  Cormac Whittington(29’) & Elise Stratton Treadway(28’)

• Wonka/Candyman - Adi Brock(28’)  & Sofia Warfield(28’)

• Grandpa Joe -  Camille Van Nixon( 30’) & Addie Worsley(29’)

• Veruca - Lucie Swift-Morgan(29’) & Astrid Lundry(30’)

• Mr. Salt -  Zoe Dear(30’)

• Violet -  Delina Hadish(30’) & Meredith Vucci(29’)

• Mrs. Beauregarde - Karin Doyle(28’)

• Mike - Eleanor Hulbert(28’) & Lillian Davis(30’)

• Mrs. TeeVee - Naia Mendenhall-Miller(30’)

• Augustus - Charlotte Godfrey(30’) & Mandolyn Larsen Brown(29’)

• Mrs.Gloop - Luana Thibault Carreras(30’)

• Mrs. Bucket - Imani Turner(30’)& Javi Toha(30’)

• Mr. Bucket - Jaylen Warfield(29’)& Gabe Holm(30’)

• Grandma Josephine + Act 2 Ensemble - Addie Butler(30’)

• Grandpa George + Act 2 Ensemble - Violet Davis(30’)

• Grandma Georgina + Act 2 Ensemble - Penelope Ritter(30’)

• James + Act 2 Ensemble - Aris Ware(30’)

• Matilda + Act 2 Ensemble - Mailys Rengifo Chaverra(29’)

Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming play!

By Rokheya Doucoure - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

Number Nine, Junior Egypt McDaniel said, “For as many championships as we’ve won, as hard as we worked, I feel like we do deserve more recognition than we get.”

Number Thirteen, Sophomore Winnie Centofanti said, “All I gotta say is we’ve been here, we are here, and we’re gonna be here.”

By Ana Inskeep - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

Varsity Boys Tennis will start up in the spring, and James Chapman, the coach for all Varsity Tennis Teams, expresses his welcome to students of any skill level. “So even if you're not really sure if you like tennis—if you're good at it—I’d say just come and try out…”

Coach Chapman, head coach of the team, hopes that anyone who's interested will consider trying out whether for the spring season, or the following year. 

“We’ve made a lot of progress this year and a lot of the players improved greatly.”

By Ana Inskeep - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

The exhibition was called,  “Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat” and opened in 2022 but was soon closed in June because of an FBI raid. 

During August of 2022, the museum filed a breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and conspiracy lawsuit against De Groft and the owners of the fake paintings who claimed them to be Basquiats. 

De Groft maintains that the previous board chairwoman, Cynthia Brumback, and the museum’s legal team had approved of the exhibition prior to its showing. 

He believes that he was fired to draw negative publicity away from the museum. Thus, the former executive director is seeking re-compensation. He wants $50,000 for wrongful termination, defamation and breach of contract. 

In November of 2023, it was revealed that the defendants and the museum were arranging a settlement that would prevent the case from escalating to a jury trial. Hopefully putting an end to the stressful situation. 

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

This was the first World Series they won in their 63 season history. They also had an 11 game winning streak away from home this postseason, which is the longest road winning streak in postseason history.

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

This 8th Ballon D’Or secures his position as the player with the most Ballon D’Or trophies, with the other closest player being Cristiano Ronaldo.

He beat out Erling Haaland, who had an incredible season with Manchester City in the English Premier League, breaking several goalscoring records and winning three trophies (The Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League). 

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

Carlos Pineda explains how he feels students join to find a community that enjoys playing the same games they do at home. 

The club uses a Nintendo Switch console supplied by Ms. J and are usually found playing Super Smash Bros, and occasionally enjoy some Mario Kart as well. 

By Ana Inskeep - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups (187 grams) all-purpose flour
  

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  

• ¼ cup (29.5 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  

• 1 cup (237 grams) water

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup (237 grams) water

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  
  

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup (125 grams) confectioners’ sugar

  
  

• 3 tablespoons whole milk, or heavy cream

Recipe adapted from I Am Baker

By Sedona Powell - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

Many DCI students and parents helped on Friday, some of them staying until 11:00 to help set up. Many also volunteered to fill several roles on Saturday and Sunday. 

49 teams across DC, Maryland and Virginia competed over the weekend. DCI has FTC teams, but they did not compete.

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

These safeguards would allow companies and the world to “To realize the promise of AI,” Biden said in a statement. In the past, many AI companies disliked the idea. But now it is gaining traction as companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft, have shown support for these safeguards.

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 2 - Winter 2023 Edition

“You know Girls Soccer, we’ve spent a lot of time building the program,” said Jose Reyes, head coach of the Varsity Girls Soccer team.“If they want to play in  college level, we are setting the resources available so that they can start that journey.”

By Ana Inskeep & Abe Rodberg - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter Edition

Rodolfo Castropoland expresses great thanks to Ms. Arlisa, Dan Herring, Yusuf, Mr. Camacho, Mr. Paul Monoquin, Mr. Binsner, and Mr. Jorge  for their contribution to the team. “I think winning is always beautiful and I feel supported,” he 

said.

Number four, Senior Hoyt King said, “Thank you for all the support and the work behind the scenes to make this season happen."

By Ana Inskeep & Abe Rodberg - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

“...the team is a very strong community that is friendly and open…” said number forty, Junior Mateo Post-Chiquillo. 

“Come to our games, come show support. It’s not always about Varsity you know,” expressed Brian Garcia, head coach of the JV Soccer team.  “It would be great to have you all come watch us play. Coach Brian said that watching the growth on the team and winning the PCSAA Conference Championships were the main highlights of the season.

By Ana Inskeep & Abe Rodberg - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Step 2: Place pasta and 3 cups of water in a large pot. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until water is absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes. Add evaporated milk, bring to a boil.

Step 3: Add cheese and reduce temperature to low. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add peas and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Recipe adapted from Country Living

By Sedona Powell - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

In 1989, Tetris was released by Alexey Pajitnov and has quickly amassed many fans. However, since its creation, no one has been able to beat the game until Gibson.  

A new top score of 999999 accomplished by Gibson, also known as ‘Blue Scuti’, can be seen in a video uploaded on his channel. Once he beat the game, he said, “I can’t feel my fingers.”

Though Tetris technically is an unbeatable game, the programmers never believed that someone would be able to surpass Level 157. Thus the game crashes when this occurs. Tetris players consider being able to exceed this level to be beating the game.

On January 5th, 2024, Gibson met creator Alexey Pajitnov and the company’s founder Henk Rogers through a Zoom meeting with NBC News. The gamer was surprised and overjoyed to meet them, he said, “This is so cool, I never thought I would be able to talk to you guys.”

Gibson also competed in the 2023 Classic Tetris World Championship in October, he came in third amongst all of the contestants. 

Before Gibson, gamers have hacked into Tetris and ‘beat’ the video game. However, Gibson is the first person to  beat the game without using any illegal software to increase his score. An impressive feat for anyone, let alone a 13-year-old.

Information from: The New York Times

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Since then, the painting has gone missing for three years, with the two perpetrators in jail, its recovery was unlikely at best. Peter Roy K and a man nicknamed “Nils M” are believed to have conspired to steal the painting. 

Arthur Brand is an art detective who aided in the recovery of the long lost painting, he has a history of success when locating missing artworks. 

In Amsterdam during 2023, the painting was finally returned. The police, Brand, and the current ‘owner’ of the painting arranged a meeting. 

Brand describes how he heard a knock on his apartment door in the evening. An anonymous carrier dropped off the painting hidden in a discarded IKEA bag and ran away before his identity could be revealed. 

Brand claims that the painting was only circulated throughout the criminal underground. It is estimated to be worth $3.5 million to $6.5 million. However, it was common knowledge that the Van Gogh was stolen, which made criminals reluctant to purchase or fence the artwork, due to the risk involved. 

Though the painting is damaged, it will soon be on display for the public in the Netherlands at the Groninger Museum.

Information from: ARTnews

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Read more from NYT, NYT, CNN, and CNN.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 1 - November Edition

Read more from CNBC.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 1 - November Edition

Read more from CBS.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 1 - November Edition

Read more from CNN.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 1 - November Edition

Read more at Al-Jazeera and The Guardian.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Read more from WOODTV.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Many fans are very excited, since Jonatan Giraldez was previously the manager of Spanish women's team Barcelona Feminin, who won the UEFA Women's Champions League the previous year as well as the Copa Catalunya Femenina.

“We conducted an extensive global, data-driven search and found that Jona is the best choice to lead our players. His commitment to excellence and high-performance is second to none and the results speak for themselves including consecutive La Liga and Supercopa titles and multiple top coach honors,” said Owner Michele Kang. “We are grateful for his decision to join us. He will help take the Spirit to the next level for both players and fans.”

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Oat based foods like oatmeal, as well as adding cinnamon to foods, can help warm you up!

Information from: Radcliffe labs 

By Sedona Powell - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

This Super Bowl garnered approximately 123.7 million viewers across the country, making it the most popular Super Bowl to date.

Many celebrities attended this game, such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Kim Kardashian. These celebrities as well as Taylor Swift’s relationship to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce likely contributed to the large quantity of viewers.  

Usher performed at the halftime show, along with Alicia Keys, H.E.R.,  Ludacris, will.i.am, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil Jon. Usher and Alicia Keys performed her hit song “If I Ain’t Got You” and followed with their song “My Boo”. 

The Super Bowl took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Allegiant Stadium. Fans from both sides poured in to support their preferred team. However, there were more 49ers’ fans present; as a result of the proximity of Las Vegas to San Francisco. 

It was an evenly matched game, with the 49ers primarily leading the Chiefs by a few points. 28-year-old Patrick Mahomes was the MVP of this Super Bowl, he has won this impressive award three times so far. 

With 13 seconds left, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw the football to wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., scoring a touchdown that won the Kansas City Chiefs the Super Bowl. 

Information from: AP News

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

The concept of a computer being able to think has been around for centuries, but the foundations of its real life application have a more recent history.  And all of this led up to the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. 

ChatGPT is considered the main platform for much of AI use. Regardless of the short period of time it’s been around, it has already gained an infamous reputation. It frequently plagiarizes and can be used as a method of cheating. Students having the ability to cheat with AI is the issue many educators have been worried about and trying to solve. Some recommend blocking websites, others recommend assigning only work on paper, and a large group believe that there is no solution. 

Ms. Thomas, the school librarian, prefers to look at the positive side of AI use. When asked whether or not AI is a threat to the academic program, Ms. Thomas responded, “No. I think it can only be seen as something that adds value. I'm not threatened by it. I don't think that anything truly will ever replace human interaction, face to face conversations and things like that.” 

But, of course, this is not always the case. An anonymous student revealed in an interview that they, including many students, use AI for homework answers for Math, English, and Science class. ChatGPT isn’t the only culprit. Now, there’s Snapchat AI and many other platforms. The anonymous student stated, “They can block the websites and tools, but we can still get it on our phones or computers at home. They can’t really stop us.”

Despite mentioning misuse of AI, Ms. Thomas remained equally optimistic, stating, “I kind of have the philosophy that students usually cheat because they are out of time or because they don't actually have the skills and knowledge to do the task… Cheating didn't get invented with AI. And, I also think that it's our responsibility as teachers to design tasks and lessons for students that are appropriate requests of their time. And, to also make sure that we teach students to have the skills to do things.”

Our school’s community can utilize AI in a way that is beneficial. As Ms. Thomas stated above, teachers have a huge role in this. We, as students, should use AI tools with integrity and responsibility. But, there is always the possibility of these tools being misused. To solve this issue, a New York Times article on this subject stated that AI tools should be treated like calculators. Allowed for some assignments, but not all, and it is to be assumed that students are using them if they have no supervision. There is no way to completely prevent use of AI, so we must learn to work with it in an informed way, not against it.  It is with this same optimistic approach that we will make peace with AI.

By Anya Lilly - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

This was the first time a DCI Middle School robotics team has been at a regional tournament since the 2017-18 season, when DCI first offered Middle school robotics.

The team luminUs earned 10th place, team nexUs earned 4th, and team mobiUs earned 1st place. MobiUs and nexUs were also finalists in the  playoffs. In addition team mobiUs also won the Design award and went 5-0 in their regular matches. 

Originally, these accolades did not guarantee either team a place in regionals, but that changed when a team dropped out. They would be able to compete in regionals the following Saturday due to being the highest ranked team that didn’t make it into regionals. 

“It was very overwhelming,” said Frederick Tan, the lead coach of mobiUs. “We’re just expecting to have fun, then suddenly we're in first place.”

“I felt really accomplished knowing that this is the first time in eight years,” Said Alexander Bilodeau, one of the lead drivers of mobiUs.

At regionals on February 3rd, mobiUs went 1-4, and placed 22nd. This was a disappointing result for the team, but as Alexander Bilodeau put it, “we still got to go to regionals, and I love that experience.”

“I would say it’s an opportunity you wouldn’t want to miss out on,” said Frederick Tan after being asked about robotics as a whole. “It’ll open more opportunities and doors as you get older, as well as job opportunities.”

Just try and learn everything you can, how to build, how to code,” said Bilodeau. If you are interested in joining robotics, talk to Mr. Donovan in GD04 or sign up for ACE.

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Attendees described the dance as “lively”, and “fun”.  Others mentioned the music being too loud, and poor song taste when selecting music.

At the dance, a 12th grade King and Queen, an 11th grade Prince and Princess, and a 10th or 9th grade Duke and Duchess were voted on and crowned.

Dwight Hayman and Vanae Biddix were crowned King and Queen. Bradshaw Cuff and Lana Washington won the crown for Prince and Princess. Collin Jackson and Siena Corbitt were appointed 10th grade Duke and 9th grade Duchess.

Vanae Biddix and Lana Washington are both student athletes who are on the Principal’s List and list both accomplishments as reasons why people voted for them.

When asked who he would like to thank for his role of Homecoming King, Dwight Hayman said, “I’d like to thank my friends for helping me campaign and run and my mom for helping me get my outfit together.”

By Anya Lilly - Volume 3 - Mid-Winter 2024 Edition

Attendance is free, but if you wish to eat food and participate in the silent auction, you have to pay 10 dollars for a ticket. You have to RSVP your ticket, the link is provided below.

https://dcinternationalschool.networkforgood.com/events/65474-dci-model-united-nations-fundraiser-2024

By Sonia Erikson

Roger could not become a drug-sniffing dog due to his affectionate demeanor. Nevertheless, he helped the police find people trapped under the rubble after the earthquake struck Taipei. The Taiwanese public adore Roger and similar rescue dogs since their assistance saved lives. 

Roger was originally supposed to be a drug-sniffing dog but his friendliness often distracted him—impairing his ability to identify drugs. 

During an interview with his handler for the media, you can see Roger in the background wagging his tail. He even darted towards the microphone, showing his exuberance. 

When he was one, Roger’s career path changed. He began rescue training school. The captain of the rescue dog unit of the Kaohsiung Fire Department, Chen Chih-san, said that Roger was restless and independent, and these were exactly the traits rescue dogs need. 

Roger is currently 8-years-old and has aided in the recovery of many individuals after earthquakes. He has partaken in several operations to locate people. In fact, back in 2018 for his first mission, he rescued people from the aftermath of a 6.4 earthquake in Taipei. 

On social media, people loved Roger and the other rescue dogs for their efforts to save people. One person said, “Keep it up, heroes and little heroes”. 

Roger is a very impressive rescue dog, in 2022 he was the first Taiwanese dog to be certified by the International Rescue Dog Organization since 2019.

Soon Roger will be able to enjoy a well-deserved retirement since all dogs working with the Kaohsiung Fire Department go to a home once they turn 9-years-old. 

Information from:  KOAT Action News

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 4 - End of Year Edition

But seriously. This blog wasn’t just made to share my success. It was made to share new fun recipes I learn and create as I continue through my cooking journey. Hope you enjoy it! 

By Sedona Powell - Volume 4 - End of Year Edition

Recipe: pretzel pie! Ever went down to the cafeteria to get an afterschool snack, and ended up getting pretzels you didn’t want? Well, here's a secret- if you gather enough pretzels, you’ll be able to make a pie crust! And not just any crust- a CRUMBLE crust. Crumble crusts go great with things like key lime pie, cheesecake, and as a substitute for regular pie crust. 

FIRST you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

SECOND you'll need pretzels, and you’ll need 1 and ¼ cups of them ground up into tiny little crumbs. You’ll also need 8 tablespoons of melted butter (unsalted is best), and ¼ cups of sugar. Brown sugar, sugar in the raw, and regular white sugar all work fine. 

THIRD, get a bowl and mix all the ingredients together. next, press the mixture into the sides and bottom of your pie tin until it looks kind of like the image above. but don't worry about it if it isn't perfect. if you're having trouble, try doing the bottom first, and then building up the sides.

fourth, pop it in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. this is the best way to ensure you have a nice crunch to your crust. finally, let it cool down once it's out of the oven.

viola! your crust is complete! you can fill it with whatever, or store it in the fridge for a later baking day! I hope you enjoyed this recipe!

Quick tips: if your food is ever way too spicy, try rinsing off the spices and starting over. It dulls down the spices and gives you a chance to try again. But personally, my favorite thing to do when food is too spicy, is adding honey! It really helps keep the flavor.

Sources Used: https://katherinesasser.com/a-guide-to-press-in-crusts/#recipe

By Sedona Powell - Volume 4 - End of Year Edition

Swift began garnering attention in 2005. When she was 15, she signed a record deal with Big Machine Records and one of the many songs she produced with that label was  “Tim McGraw”, which was her first song to break the Top 40 hits. 

The Eras Tour started on March 17th, 2023 and is set to end on December 8th, 2024. During this tour, Swift is performing songs across all of her musical eras and albums. 

 The Eras Tour is international—there will be 152 shows spanning across the United States, Argentina, Australia, Singapore, France, Sweden, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands,  Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Japan, Poland, Austria, Canada, and more. 

So far Swift has earned $1.04 billion from the Eras Tour alone, making it the highest grossing tour ever. Furthermore, the movie version of the tour titled “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is the most lucrative film adaptation of a concert ever and has brought in $250 million in sales. In fact, experts believe that Swift will make at least $2 billion by the end of the tour. 

Swift’s tour is the first in history to have made over a billion dollars in revenue, a previously unprecedented number. After only a day, tickets to see the movie adaptation of the tour in theaters had sold out. Swift’s devoted fans who are lucky enough to have tickets to a concert are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the singer.

Information from: APNews

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 4 - End of Year Edition

PhD professor in molecular microbiology and immunology Andy Pekosz explains that the variants that are a part of FLiRT include KP.2, JN.1.7, and other variants that begin with KP and JN. All of the variants of FLiRT originate from the JN.1 variant that has been the most prevalent variant in the United States for the last couple of months. 

From the end of April to the beginning of May, a variant called KP.2, which is a part of FLiRT, has been responsible  for 28% of COVID cases in the United States, beating JN.1. Currently the JN.1 variant has caused 16% of COVID cases in the same span of weeks. 

Unfortunately, only 22.6% of adults are up-to-date on their COVID vaccination. Adults that are 75 years old and above are the most likely to have an updated COVID vaccination, due to them being the most susceptible group to COVID. Adults should receive all of the necessary vaccinations  to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from this newest strain of COVID.

Information from: USAToday

By Sonia Erikson - Volume 4 - End of Year Edition

They then moved on to their next tournament, where they placed 21st out of 34, which was just out of the range for playoffs, and then were not picked for an alliance. “It was rather disappointing because we were just one match away from going to regionals”, says Meren.

 “It [the robot] was more robust and had less design problems,” said Julian Hurst, 11th grade. “but we still had a lot of malfunctions during the tournament.” 

This second tournament was mainly highlighted by DCI beating 1731, indisputably the best team in the whole tournament, if not the whole region. They even had a winning streak of the entire tournament, until in the last match when DCI beat them after coming back from just fixing their robot. As Meren put it, “We were super proud to know that the only time they lost this season was to us.”

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 4 - End of Year Edition

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 4 - End of Year 2024 Edition

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 4 - End of Year 2024 Edition

They then moved on to their next tournament, where they placed 21st out of 34, which was just out of the range for playoffs, and then were not picked for an alliance. “It was rather disappointing because we were just one match away from going to regionals”, says Meren.

 “It [the robot] was more robust and had less design problems,” said Julian Hurst, 11th grade. “but we still had a lot of malfunctions during the tournament.” 

This second tournament was mainly highlighted by DCI beating 1731, indisputably the best team in the whole tournament, if not the whole region. They even had a winning streak of the entire tournament, until in the last match when DCI beat them after coming back from just fixing their robot. As Meren put it, “We were super proud to know that the only time they lost this season was to us.”

By Abe Rodberg - Volume 4 - End of Year 2024 Edition

This was made possible from the efforts of Caden Coleman, a DCI junior and the team captain of the Varsity Boys Rowing team. Realizing most Unity Boat Club members from the high school teams were DCI students, Coleman expressed interest in forming a scholastic team to row under DCI. UBC currently sponsors both the VS Girls and Boys Rowing teams, providing the equipment, travel costs, and gear, while they row under DC International.

Junior Maria Hernandez Najera is a coxswain on the Varsity Girls Rowing team. “And now it’s actually a certified thing, we row for DCI,” she said.

They are competing and thriving in competitive regattas like the Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association (WMIRA), where multiple schools in the DC and Maryland area attend. The team qualified for finals, and placed 5th in the DMV area. 

They soon moved onto Stotesbury, the largest high school regatta in the world, with teams from all over the nation, and all over the globe competing. The team placed top 20 in their time trials.

Both Coach Lexi and Junior Hernandez Najera discuss heavily their hopes of expanding interest and growing their roster.

“I think long term goals definitely tie into our current goals and what's important is definitely creating a larger roster and being able to be a larger presence, both in the DCI community and in the general DMV area,” said Coach Lexi.

By Ana Inskeep - Volume 4 - End of Year 2024 Edition

Read more from Al Jazeera (1, 2).

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 4 - End of Year 2024 Edition

Read more from The Guardian.

By Theo Fetter-Degges - Volume 4 - End of Year 2024 Edition