Multiple events happened during the 2024-2025 school year at Damascus High School (DHS). Throughout the year, the DHS newspaper, The Buzz, covered multiple events in and outside the school. There were categories in the newspaper, just like any other type of newspaper, such as Sports, Entertainment, and News. In the News category, topics ranged from DHS events to politics and more.
As the school year began, Damascus High School welcomed its new principal, Bradley Rohner, after the retirement of former DHS principal Kevin Yates. Rodner chose to become a principal at Damascus, originally, due to his friendship with Yates. However, Rodner shared that the Damascus school spirit reminded him of the high school he attended. One of his first acts was implementing the ID policy, requiring students to keep their IDs visible at all times. Most students did not like this new policy because checking IDs takes a lot of time, making people late for the first period, but students hope that with this new policy, the school will be safer.
As homecoming neared, class presidents and sponsors led their classes in decorating their hallways and celebrating school spirit. In the end, seniors won with their amazing hallway decorations, as seniors usually do. The football team hoped to continue its streak of never losing a homecoming game. They were victorious and won against Clarcksburg.
Also at the start of the year, freshmen class officers were elected, many of whom had middle school SGA experience. The experience and knowledge of their roles gave them an advantage in being elected and helped them carry out their responsibilities once in office.
The Netflix series “This is the Zodiac Speaking” was released on Oct. 23, 2024. It was based on real events and a killer who was never caught. The show talked about the story of the main suspect of the killings, Arthur Leigh Allen, and his relationship with the family of two of his students (siblings). The Seawater trio of siblings, now older, tell the story of questioning their father figure, though not being the kids’ stepfather, he and their mother did have some kind of relationship throughout their lifetime.
To kickstart November, DHS and its club, Adelante, had its Hispanic Heritage Assembly on Nov. 1. Hispanic students were happy and proud to share their culture with the school. The assembly showcased music, dance, fashion, and more. However, the assembly may not have met expectations.
Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, elected on Nov. 6, alongside his vice president James David Vance. After the election, it is recorded that people are more divided than ever, most being worried about Trump’s character.
The holiday season and the countdown for Christmas began with the arrival of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City on Nov. 18. The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center and the countdown for Christmas are a tradition that began in 1931. The first lighting ceremony took place in 1933.
In December, the expiration of the federal budget was near. Making a decision would not be easy, considering the 118th Congress, today’s congress, is one of the most divided in history.
The DHS music department showcased the students’ music throughout the Winter Concerts, from Dec. 1 to Dec. 13. Students were glad to show off their hard work, and teachers were equally glad to show off their students.
In January, there were multiple rumors that TikTok would be banned after multiple allegations of communism. TikTok’s CEO argued before Congress on the app’s behalf, but was unsuccessful. The rumors were true and the TikTok ban did happen (even with no proof of any involvement of communism), the app went offline on Jan. 18th, but came back online the next day, Jan. 19. Originally, no one believed the ban would happen because it wasn’t the first time the app was threatened. Many TikTok users even joked about the situation, but they were wrong.
The Trump administration added more books to Trump’s government-banned book list. Many of those books were wrongfully placed for unserious reasons, which made many people mad. Multiple schools questioned this attitude, and some did not take the books off their shelves for quite some time before doing so.
On Jan. 3, April McClain-Delaney was sworn into the House of Representatives as Maryland’s 6th district representative. On Jan. 21, 2025, Trump signed an executive order against DEI. Trump and his supporters believe DEI programs discriminate against white people. This conflict only divided Americans even more.
On Feb. 9, the DHS Science Olympiad team competed in the state tournament at Montgomery College. The team proudly left with two medals.
Pope Francis unfortunately died of a stroke on April 21, 2025 (Easter Monday) at 88 years old after being in his position for 12 years. Soon, the Vatican began its process of electing a new pope. Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8.
In May, AP exams, which were finally free this year, were administered from May 5 to May 16. However, the AP psychology exam was moved to the following Friday, for many students, due to problems with the check-in process. Juniors and seniors enjoyed their prom on May 16. Seniors enjoyed their final days at DHS the following week. Seniors graduated Friday, May 30, on DHS’s football field.
Also in May, “The World Health Organization estimates that 17.9 million people die each year, accounting for 32 percent of deaths globally.” As a result, scientists are trying to create stronger hearts to prevent heart attacks, which would make them less common in the U.S.
On Mar. 15, 2025, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported to El Salvador’s prison (CECOT) without due process. Garcia’s deportation, only being one of the many wrongful deportations, has stirred Americans to further division. Many are unhappy with Trump’s decisions and are challenging the constitutionality of his actions.
Maryland is experiencing a Housing shortage and an affordable housing crisis. The Baltimore Sun says the state is 96,000 units short, causing a rise in prices and difficulty for many in finding affordable homes.
Also in May, Trump shared a plan to discover if humanity could move to another planet. Elon and Trump even announced plans to send a mission to Mars in the next three years. However, due to their recent public breakup, these plans likely won’t be followed through.
Overall, The Buzz News had a great and informative year. The Buzz’s news articles were covered by Josh Farber, Andrew Klein, Gabriel Isla, Lilly Tran, Mara Kuroda, Anny Fajardo, Kasey Yu, Sophia Simoni, Ally Ossipo, Jason Pier, and Theo Ellestad. Each article was inspired by its writer’s interests and curiosities, keeping students’ interest in mind.
