Issue 5

volume 48, issue 5 NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. Postage PAID Permit #6754 Bethesda, MD

December 16, 2009

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

Loss of credit policy proposal sparks much debate

Inside Look

2 NEWS UMD capping out-of-state students at

30 %

7 OPINION

by JESSICA GELFARB and JAMES DIONNE

Pro/Con Decriminalization of Marijuana

11 IN-DEPTH

Students stroll among the outdoor lights at the Mormon Temple on a recent winter evening.

Decade in review

Happy Holidays!

With holiday lights sparkling on trees and bushes across Bethesda, holiday cheer abounds. Students are partaking in all kinds of seasonal activities from performances to charitable events to family celebrations. Check out page 14 for a new take on a gift guide and then head over to page 15 for some holiday recipes that you probably haven’t tasted before.

20 FEATURE

“

A lot of time people don’t find their niche in what they want to do in life, and it’s great knowing that I can bring that out in them.

-Steve Sutherland LFI teacher

22 ARTS

theblackandwhite.net

”

Meet the Whitman Idols!

Administration cracks down on sharing accounts

By Jessica Gelfarb Using a friend’s computer account to type an e-mail or print a paper is no longer a negligible offense. Within the first three months of school, IT specialist Greg Thomas suspended approximately 65 student network accounts as punishment for sharing.

New software like SynchronEyes allows staff members in computer labs to see a small picture of a student’s computer screen and the account each computer is logged into. This feature makes it easy to identify whether two computers are logged onto the same account.

Thomas automatically suspends the accounts of any students he catches sharing accounts for a week and requires them to serve one detention.

While Thomas always used to send teachers e-mails with the names and ID numbers of students with suspended accounts, he now includes the students’ school picture.

“Because there were a large number of students sharing accounts, we realized it would be impossible for teachers to glance at a list of names and realize if any of them were their students,” he said.

Students say that the repercussions for account sharing are too severe. Some see

ACCOUNTS page 3

SGA to raise funds for leukemia and lymphoma by ryan hauck This February, when the school and SGA gear up for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “High School Challenge,” no one will be more enthusiastic than freshman Tim King.

King, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of eight, has been selected as the first ever “High School Hero” for the event.

“They’re using my story to give people a general idea of what leukemia is like and build up sympathy,” says King, who is also among many students nationwide whose stories are profiled on the society’s website.

Along with Pennies for Patients, Battle of the Beards, and the new addition of a guy auction, the High School Challenge will probably include King addressing the student body, SGA president Aaron Schifrin says.

“We’re just going to go all out this year,” Schifrin says. “We have several new fundraisers which I think are very unique.”

The High School Challenge consists of local schools competing to see who can raise the most awareness and money to combat leukemia. The winning school receives a party pack at the end of the year that includes pizza, a visit from HOT 99.5 DJ Sami and $200 worth of Best Buy gift cards.

“Past students have said that not only do they feel like they are doing something that makes a direct impact in their community, but they also are building a resume of tangible

Freshman Tim King is currently battling leukemia and was selected by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for the “High School Challenge.”

leadership skills,” says Erin Walker, the campaign manager for LLS’s School & Youth program.

Walker says that King was selected because of his

see

FUNDS page 17

Montgomery County union members, teachers and administrators continue to remain divided over proposed changes to the current loss of credit policy, said Doug Prouty, the president of the Montgomery County Education Association.

The current policy is up for debate, Prouty said, because it is implemented inconsistently and unfairly punishes minority students.

Creating a policy that will work throughout the county has been difficult, said building MCEA representative Jenny Higgins, a guidance counselor. Students have different issues with attendance.

At some schools, students fail to turn in notes excusing an absence, while at other schools, students skip to gain an academic advantage.

“The problems that face some students in our county regarding attendance may not be issues students at Whitman can relate to,” Higgins said. “We need an LC policy comprehensive enough for the entire county.”

Statistics show that a disproportionate number of Latino students, impoverished students and special ed students lose credit as a result of the current policy.

“They end up losing credit a lot more than other students and it’s not because they’re absent more often,” Prouty said.

“That’s a huge problem.”

Principal Alan Goodwin also noted that the current policy is flawed because it places the burden of monitoring attendance on teachers, who must generate warning letters for students with three unexcused absences and follow through with loss of credit after they have five. Most union members agree that if the burden of disciplinary action isn’t placed on the teacher, they would support changing the LC policy, Prouty said.

The Loss of Credit Project Team, an MCPS work group, is addressing these concerns. Their proposed policy revision includes consequences for skipping class, ranging from a teacher conference to a detention. Under the proposal, students can be denied the opportunity to make up missed work at the teacher’s discretion.

Teachers must base their decisions on a process approved by their individual principal. No student will ever lose credit only for missing classes.

Prouty thinks that such a policy change would discourage students from dropping courses that they are struggling with.

“I would think students would be more likely to continue working in a course which is troubling and in which they have a few absences’,” he said.

“They would know there is a possibility of getting credit for the course.”

Though the proposal addresses some concerns, it opens the door to new problems. Goodwin points out that if students are free to miss classes without losing credit, they will likely be more inclined to skip class, and adds that enforcement of the policy could become inconsistent among teachers.

“Some teachers may elect not to hurt a student,” Goodwin said. “Is that awful?

In some ways, yes, because some teachers may decide that they want to be lenient and some may not.”

The school’s other union representative, social studies teacher Courtney Osborne, is concerned that the new policy will be inconsistent because see

LC POLICY page 2

2

news

december 16, 2009

Crazy lines on Bradley cause confusion, concern among drivers

By Stephanie Haven People driving down a repaved Bradley Boulevard may be relieved by the absence of construction workers and traffic. But there’s still one remaining problem: squiggly traffic lines.

Something that vaguely resembles the classic double yellow lines twist and turn along Bradley Blvd right before Fernwood Road, confusing and amusing drivers.

But don’t worry; the twisting lines aren’t permanent.

Construction workers typically don’t apply temporary tape with as much care as when they apply permanent paint, said Kellie Boulware, State Highway Administration spokesperson. It’s possible that the lines either didn’t stick to the road properly or that a malfunction with the machine created air between the road and the tape which caused the lines to move from their original position.

“It can be tricky sometimes,” media spokesperson Kim Frum said. “[The tape] may have shifted.”

The lines have turned into more of a joke than a guide for where to drive on the road. Many travelers

said they find the skihawkedy lines humorous, while other residents protest that they could be hazardous.

“It looks like a small child squiggling in a coloring book, learning how to use crayons for the first time,” sophomore Naomi Stoll said. “Especially in an area with so many teenage drivers, the state has a responsibility to fix the lines before we have any deadly accidents.”

Some more experienced drivers said they felt the lines were more humorous than dangerous.

“We almost pay more attention to the lines now than we did before just to see where the lines will weave, but, it’s just a cosmetic thing,” parent Jeffery Trauberman said. “It didn’t look significant enough to affect safety.”

Construction workers will fix the caddywompus lines by the end of 2009 when they finish resurfacing Bradley Blvd.

“The lines you see now are only there as a marker so that people are more familiar with the paint,” she said. “It’s not something that will be there long term.”  photo by

JENNY BALDWIN

Neighbors campaign for stoplight at River and Braeburn intersection, cite accidents

By James Dionne Students have struggled to drive across River Road and turn into the back entrance of the school during rush hour for years. Residents of the Bannockburn neighborhood have campaigned to install a traffic light at the intersection of Braeburn Pkwy and River Rd. for 15 years.

The Maryland State Highway Administration has repeatedly denied requests for a light at the intersection.

After a petition and numerous complaints, the SHA conducted a traffic analysis in March, 2008 and found that the installation of a light isn’t warranted.

However, former Whitman parent Richard Boltuck said the study was faulty. In an e-mail to Whitnet Nov. 15, he claimed that several accidents that occurred at the intersection were left out of the final report.

A variety of factors—ranging from locations of nearby traffic signals to intersection design— affect the SHA’s decision to install a light , said Charlie Gischlar of the SHA Office of Communications.

Because of the SHA traffic analysis, the intersection will remain without a light. But proponents say they will continue to advocate for one.

“It has been a community consensus for over a decade that the safety of the intersection must be

improved,” Boltuck said.

Boltuck has been involved in attempts to install a traffic light for two years. One of his most pressing concerns is the high number of student drivers crossing the intersection on their way to school.

“There are numerous student drivers because it’s near Whitman’s back entrance,” he said. “It’s too much to expect perfect judgment from everyone.”

Junior Ned Daryoush fell victim to the dangers of the intersection earlier this year, totaling his car crossing the intersection.

“I would be so happy if they installed a light there,” he said. “It would make my—as well as many other kids’—commute to school a whole lot easier. Right now there’s a huge problem with that intersection because there’s so much chaos.”

Parent Debbie Flack thinks that the light could be a traffic hazard.

“I’m worried about it,” she said. “It would make River very stop and go, especially because it’s a main artery.”

But Educational Facilities Officer Arnold Aubrey thinks that a light would be beneficial, and wouldn’t cause traffic problems.

“A light could be timed so there wouldn’t be a large build-up,” he said. “I don’t think it would be that much of a problem.” 

UMD defying trend, capping out-of-state admits In-state students to continue to make up 70 percent of student body

By Nikhil Gupta University of Maryland Director of Undergraduate Admissions Shannon Gundy has vowed to keep out-ofstate student enrollment capped at 30 percent, against the growing trend of state schools increasing out-of-state enrollment in an effort to raise tuition revenue.

State colleges have always charged higher tuition for out-of-state students than in-state students, but the gap has recently grown larger. Penn State, for example, charges $13,604 for state residents but over $25,000 for students who live outside of Pennsylvania, according to the Princeton Review.

The percentage of out-of-state students on college campuses has increased steadily over the last two years. Since 2007, out-of-state student enrollment has increased three percent at the College of William and Mary, six percent at the University of Washington and University of Iowa and nine percent at Penn State, according to the Washington Post.

While this new admissions trend may be unfair to in-state students, senior Noah Gavil can sympathize with the colleges.

“They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do to uphold a certain level of education,” he said. “Sometimes that means bringing in the students that will provide the largest amount of revenue.”

While most state colleges have followed this general trend, the University of Maryland is one of the few that has vowed to maintain consistent in-state acceptance rates. Despite the recession, the University’s Board of Regents has upheld its mandate that at least 70 percent of the student body each year be Maryland residents.

Gundy explained that the school is making both staff and program cuts in light of declining funds, but that it won’t compromise in-state enrollment.

“I can understand where other universities are coming from,” she said. “It’s a quick source of revenue.

But as a state institution, you have to remember where your priorities lie. Our priority is not to generate the most revenue; our main responsibility is to serve the residents of the state of Maryland.” 

IT personnel suspend accounts after students share passwords

23 out of 25 principals support LC proposal continued from page

continued from page

1

it allows each school to decide how they want to deal with attendance and enforce the policy.

“The whole reason they want to revamp the program is because it’s inconsistent,” Osborne said. “Now you’re going to have every single school applying it differently? It’s a nightmare.”

Other counties have successfully employed other, more uniform LC policies. In Frederick, students

can miss 10 classes before losing credit. Whether or not the absence is excused or unexcused is irrelevant.

Prouty said a similar policy would be unfair to students who miss class for legitimate reasons.

“If you have the number 10 and someone is sick and has to miss three weeks of school, I don’t think it’s appropriate for someone to lose credit because of an illness,” Prouty said.

Despite some uncertainty, the new policy is gaining support, Goodwin said. At a recent MCPS principals conference 23 out of 25 principals supported most aspects of the proposed policy, he said.

Goodwin attributes this support to the fact that the evolving policy now allows for an academic penalty if a student skips class.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. 

1

pictures of students with suspended accounts, arguing that it’s extreme.

Goodwin said the issue is “worth talking about.”

Because individuals are responsible for all activities that occur on their accounts, students need to understand that sharing accounts can potentially have serious consequences, Thomas said. Administrators initially accused two students of participating in computer -related offenses that other people using their accounts actually committed. One student created a sub-folder with an offensive label.

“You can say you didn’t do it, but it’s just like anything else,” Thomas said. “The administration is going to go on the evidence.”

Sophomore Casey Paul recently served detention for account sharing. He said the consequences for the act are often too severe, particularly if the student’s intent is “academic and not malicious.”

Students are typically sharing accounts for academic purposes, Social Studies teacher Marisa Del Savio said.

“There are so many kids sharing accounts, and they’re nice kids,” Del Savio said. “The problem is that people aren’t able to access their accounts when they need to. That’s what should be fixed.”

Regardless of whether or not account sharing warrants serious consequences, Goodwin said that learning to keep personal accounts private is an important life skill. 

December 16, 2009

news

3

Ginolfi poses to benefit breast cancer research

By Ryan Hauck When the average student ogles an image of a scantily-clad model, he’s probably not too concerned about the model’s alma mater.

That may change for students now that Caroline Ginolfi (‘08) came in second in Campus Girl’s Hottest Campus Girl Contest.

Campus Girls USA, founded in 2006, publishes annual calendars featuring provocatively posed pictures of the most attractive girls in various collegiate conferences. Additional photos of the women appear on the organization’s website. The organization claims to give 100 percent of the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. However, this year the company announced that it would also award $1,000 to the model voted the “hottest” by the site’s visitors.

Ginolfi was selected to take part in the campaign last April after applying online the previous fall, but she said that they never informed her she that she would be entering a competition.

“It was involuntary; they didn’t tell us,” Ginolfi said. “I never signed up to be in a beauty contest.”

In response, Ginolfi created an event on Facebook denouncing the organizers of Campus Girls and encouraging people to vote for her, saying that should she win the $1,000 prize, she would donate all the prize money to cancer research.

“I want [the money] to go to breast cancer,” she said. “I don’t want it to just go to some girl who’s going to spend it on shoes.”

Eventually the group grew to have more than 3,000 members, including dozens of current Whitman students.

Junior Mikey Stevens admitted that the enticing

pictures originally spurred him to join the event, but said he was impressed when he learned about Ginolfi’s plan.

“It’s very noble of her and breaks the stereotype of what any other girl from any other state would do with the money,” he said.

Sophomore Xavier Zaim, however, says that while donating one’s winnings to charity is an honorable endeavor, participating in a program like Campus Girls objectifies women, whether or not there’s a competition.

“Regardless of whether or not she’s in it for money, doing something where you expose yourself like that is just wrong,” Zaim said.

Toward the end of Ginolfi’s campaign, another Campus Girls participant, Madison Hart from West Virginia University, announced that she too would donate the winnings to breast cancer research.

“The other girls said she would have West Virginia University match the donation,” Ginolfi said. “The only thing that matters is that if she wins or I win, the money goes to breast cancer.”

Campus Girls USA claims that the addition of a contest was necessary in order to cut down on costs.

“One facet of our business is finding models and to do so requires advertising which costs money – a lot of it,” a company spokesperson said.

“By integrating Facebook on our website and putting on the current competition, we are using it as a viral way to spread the word about Campus Girls USA and find new applicants. This in turn will save us far more than we would have spent if we solely relied on advertising and allow us in the end to donate more money to breast cancer research.”

Ginolfi rejects the company’s explanation, arguing that if their intention was truly to save money, they wouldn’t be handing out a $1,000 prize.

“I told them that I didn’t think it was right, and they told me it was because they were trying to save money for advertising,” she said. “I still don’t understand how

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that has anything to do with a giving a girl money for her looks.”

Despite her disagreements with Campus Girls USA, Ginolfi doesn’t regret her work with the group, especially after receiving positive feedback from breast cancer survivors.

“People keep coming up to me telling me stories of friends and family members and how they really appreciate what I’m doing,” she said. “It’s really rewarding to hear all their stories and that I really am making a difference in people’s lives.”

Ginolfi’s mother, Susan, said she was proud of her daughter for fighting for breast cancer, but agrees that monetary rewards for good looks is inappropriate.

“I was glad that she participated in it,” she says. “At this point I’m disappointed because of the $1,000 they’re giving out to someone to win the hottest college girl. I don’t think that’s right.”

Ginolfi’s brother, sophomore Dan, declared his support for his sister, despite the ridicule he sometimes has to put up with from other students.

“Some guys come up to me and joke around about how hot they think she is,” Dan said. “It gets kind of old after a while, but I can deal with it.”

Caroline said she hopes that her participation will change the way Whitman students look at swimsuit models.

“I know that there’s a stigma attached to girls who would pose in a bikini for a calendar,” she said.

“I know it sounds kind of silly, but if I can wear a bikini to help breast cancer and help these women who have been struggling and fighting this awful disease, I will absolutely do that.”  photos courtesy

CAMPUS GIRLS

4

news

december 16, 2009

T-Mobile lobbies to install cell tower on edge of baseball field, would pay $2000 a month to MCPS

By Alex Zimmermann Students with T-Mobile cell phones may soon receive a signal boost. The company is lobbying to install a new cellular antenna, which would sit atop a new light pole towering 120 feet over the school baseball field.

T-Mobile proposed plans for the new tower at a PTSA meeting Nov. 17, claiming that it would improve the inconsistent coverage in and around the school.

“This area has been a spotty wireless area since wireless was built out here in the mid-90s,” T-Mobile consultant Sean Hughes said. “It’s not reliable. As we use our phones more and more every day we have to be closer and closer to get service.

This could be a great option.”

T-Mobile would pay a $2,000 rental fee per month, which would be split evenly among Whitman, the elementary school cluster and MCPS. Similar financial arrangements exist with cell service companies at other area schools including Sherwood, Blake, Springbrook and Blair.

If the company builds the tower, they could offer other cell phone companies the opportunity to “co-locate” antennas inside the pole. Clients of other providers could also then receive a signal boost in the middle of a well-known service dead spot.

“Certainly there are dead spots in the area surrounding Wilson Lane, Whittier Boulevard and River Road,” principal Alan Goodwin said. “These are things that I’ve heard ever since I’ve been in this community.”

However, community members have expressed their concerns about the tower, arguing that radio frequency waves

could cause serious health effects, citing a variety of past studies and personal experiences. One parent described a friend who got a brain tumor, claiming it was due to radio frequency exposure.

Approximately 45 to 50 parents attended the meeting, PTSA co-president Vicky Strella said. One parent worried that students would climb up the tower.

Another stated that her children won’t attend Whitman if the tower is built, adding that they moved here because there weren’t cell towers at the time.

T-Mobile representatives dismissed most claims of the potential health risks.

The waves emitted by the radio tower would expose people on the ground to less radio frequency than baby monitors, wireless routers or cell phones themselves, said Matt Butcher of SiteSafe, a company specializing in radio frequency wave analysis. Current scientific estimates indicate the potential radio frequency exposure is less than one tenth of 1 percent of the maximum exposure allowed by the FDA, Butcher said.

Company representatives also stressed the difference between radio frequency emission from cell phones and that from cell antennas.

“I haven’t seen any [studies] that found any relationship between distance from antennas and increased risk of health effects,” Butcher said.

Faced with parents shouting references to a variety of studies that linked radio frequency waves to health consequences, T-Mobile representatives questioned the validity and relevance of the studies.

“I would caution that if there are going to be assertions that it’s unsafe, both sides provide reputable sources,” Hughes said.

Simulation of T-Mobile tower

graphic by

“The [radio frequency] powers are very low, so let’s look at all the resources.”

Although Goodwin publicly supported the tower proposal before the PTSA meeting, he says he will remain neutral on the matter.

“I am still confused by the situation,” Goodwin said. “I removed [the message of support for the tower on the school website] to make the discussion more of a public discussion than a school discussion.”

Goodwin allowed T-Mobile representatives to visit the property and hold a community forum at the PTSA meeting. The final decision will be subject to the approval of the Montgomery County Tower Review Committee and superintendent Jerry Weast.

The PTSA’s powers are restricted to drafting a resolution expressing the community’s general opinion, as the Pyle PTSA did when a similar proposal was debated in 2005. 

Howard County takes the lead banning tanning beds for minors

Bethesda ES students may have to transfer to Bradley Hills

by jamie norwood

New district divisions would redirect the few students who go to Pyle from Bethesda

By Sahil Ansari Some Bethesda Elementary students may have to transfer to Bradley Hills Elementary in the near future as a result of an upcoming examination of MCPS boundary lines. New district divisions may force some students who live in the Bethesda Elementary district to transfer to Bradley Hills Elementary as a result of overcrowding.

Currently, the majority of students who attend Bethesda Elementary go to Westland Middle School and then Bethesda ChevyChase High School. Only a small number of students who live in the westernmost segment of the district attend Pyle and then Whitman.

On Dec. 15, parent representatives from Bethesda Elementary and Bradley Hills Elementary will meet to discuss possible transfers, which will alleviate the problems posed by large class sizes. They will then send a report to Superintendent Jerry Weast in February and reconvene to further discuss new boundaries in March, according to Bruce Crispell, MCPS director of long-range planning.

“It’s a very long process with a lot of community involvement,” Crispell said.

If the parent representatives and Weast agree on a change, students affected would begin attending Bradley Hills Elementary in 2013.

JACOB RASCH

graphic by

SHIN DUK SEO

Some students may have to transfer from Bethesda Elementary to Bradley Hills, due to new district divisions. Shown above is the area subject to boundary review on Dec. 15 when parent representatives from the two schools will meet to discuss the matter.

One benefit of the proposed change is an easier transition to Pyle for some students. A few of the Bethesda Elementary graduates, who attended Pyle instead of Westland, about 20 out of 400, found that the transition was difficult when most of their peers went to a different middle school.

“It would have been nice to have known the Bradley Hills kids earlier because it was harder to break into groups of friends,” junior Leo Doran said. “This way you would be going in with a familiar group of people instead of going to a completely new school where you don’t know anybody.”

Bethesda Elementary PTA president Patricia Brown said that at this point there is no consensus

among the PTA. Some parents are concerned that the change may only affect students who have not yet begun elementary school, which could split families up among different schools, Brown said.

Chiyo Kobayashi, the mother of three children who attended Bethesda Elementary then Pyle, will have her son starting elementary school next year. She says she wouldn’t mind if he attended Bradley Hills instead of Bethesda Elementary, even though the latter is in walking distance from her house.

“I’ve heard Bradley Hills is excellent, and my three kids say BE is fantastic,” Kobayashi said. “Both are great schools.” 

As second semester approaches and the days get colder, students will do just about anything to hold onto a glimmer of summer.

But don’t rely on tanning salons to maintain that summer glow this holiday season; multiple Maryland counties have recently banned tanning beds for minors or are in the process of doing so.

Howard County’s Nov. 10 restriction on tanning beds is the first ban of its kind in the nation.

“Teenagers are much more likely to burn with indoor tanning,” Howard County board of Health officer Dr. Peter Bielenson said in a Baltimore TV interview. “And burns, particularly at a young age, are clearly correlated with developing melanoma and other skin cancers later in life.”

Because this type of ban has been relatively unheard of, pediatricians and other health officials are pleasantly surprised. “[Tanning beds] are dangerous,” says Hillary Deutsch, a pediatrician at Bethesda Pediatrics. “They perpetuate the idea that having darker skin is what’s cool, and a lot of teenagers don’t look down the road at the terrible effects tanning will have on their skin.”

Adrienne Mac, an employee at Hollywood Tans in Bethesda disagrees with Deutsch and is appalled by the ban.

“I t ’ s r e a l l y b l o w n o u t o f p r o p o r t i o n , ” h e says. “Tanning doesn’t do anything wrong for you. All that UV stuff really isn’t a big deal. I go tanning all the time and I don’t have cancer.”

In fact, tanning beds expose tanners to much stronger UV rays than the sun does. The American Cancer society says that no one under 18 should be exposed to those levels of UV rays.

Junior Catherine Block occasionally spray tans or goes to tanning beds for special events and thinks Howard County’s new ban is unnecessary.

“If minors’ parents let them tan they should be allowed to,” she says. “And I don’t think teenagers even need parental consent. You don’t ask your parents if you can go out in the sun, so why ask them if it’s okay to go tanning?”

Although Block disagrees with the ban, she still acknowledges how dangerous tanning can be.

“Just from my experience with tanning beds my skin is already slightly damaged,” she says. “My friends who go tanning have white spots all over their bodies.”

december 16, 2009

news

5

Fourteen area Catholic schools may close due to financial and organizational issues Tuition, demographic shift likely reasons for lower enrollment

By Nikhil Gupta Fourteen private Catholic schools in the area may have to close by the end of the year if they can’t come up with a solution to financial and organizational concerns.

All 14 schools are part of the Archdiocese of Washington, a chapter of the Roman Catholic Church that runs 96 Catholic schools in Washington and Maryland in addition to churches and social service programs.

Although the archdiocese schools boast 23 Blue Ribbon Awards and a 99 percent college acceptance rate, they have faced declining enrollment and other organizational issues over the past few years.

The chapter tried to combat the recession by renewing its large tuition assistance fund, which provided students with $4 million in financial aid this year.

However, while the recent economic recession has exacerbated the issue of enrollment, the problem existed long before then.

Kathy Dempsey, assistant director of communications for the archdiocese, attributes the growing enrollment problem to an increasing lack of interest in a traditional Catholic school education. Another large factor is a local demographic shift.

“A large part of new residents in the area are immigrants, and the new

Why the schools are closing: l loss of government vouchers l increasing cost of running

schools

l aging and expensive

school buildings

l high tuition rates

l fewer benefactors immigrant population doesn’t have the culture of Catholic s c h o o l s and Catholic education,” she said.

P r o b l e m s surfaced in October, 2007 when the Archbishop o f Washington organized a community meeting, recognizing the need for some sort of solution.

Participants concluded that the educational structure and policy of the archdiocese was inefficient and needed to be reexamined.

That same year, the archdiocese closed seven of their Catholic schools, converting them to DC public charter schools. The troubles continued last year when the archdiocese closed down two more schools in southern Maryland.

This year, officials from 14 of

these schools have agreed to hold meetings to review their assets and discuss their future plans. While the St. Hugh of Grenoble School in Greenbelt already decided Dec. 4 that it would close at the end of the year, most likely merging with St. Joseph’s School in Beltsville, Dempsey explained that most of the schools will not decide until later this year.

“It’s about examining finances and searching for solutions,” she said. “Not all of these schools are going to close. It’s to get ahead of the game.”

Dempsey said that she hopes all of the schools in the archdiocese will eventually hold annual meetings in order to assess funds and inform the school community. “[These meetings] will strengthen and enhance Catholic schools in the future,” she said. “Catholic schools may look very different later down the line, but they’re not going anywhere. I can tell you that.” 

photo by

SARAH KLOTZ

Algebra II class splits mid-semester

By Rachel Lerner To help alleviate classroom overcrowding, administrators split students in Bonnie Duvall’s sixth period Algebra II class into two separate sections Nov. 30.

Administrators implemented this rare midsemester split to balance classes after a number of students dropped down from honors Algebra II into regular Algebra II, assistant principal Jennifer Webster said.

“I had students who asked if they could switch down, and I would have to say no because I didn’t have enough room for them,” Webster said.

She said that administrators aim to keep on-level classes capped at 28 students, and the new class provides for a better teacher-to-student ratio.

Students with last names beginning with A through P stayed in Duvall’s sixth period class while students with last names beginning with Q through Z switched into math teacher Anne Chiasson’s newlycreated fifth period class.

“I liked the excitement of switching lunches and having a new teacher, although I’m going to miss Ms. Duvall,” junior Becky Schwartz said.

Duvall said that she is able to give more personal attention to each of her students in her new class.

“Before, in such a large class, I wasn’t able to really check everyone’s homework and make sure they were doing it right,” she said. “Now I can.”

Sophomore Charlie Hedges, who is still in Duvall’s sixth period said the split has helped him learn more effectively.

“I like having a smaller class,” he said. “It is easier to focus and ask questions.” 

YOU’LL GET KICKED OUT OF CLASS. GUARANTEED! Every student in every major will get kicked out of class at Longwood University … straight into one of Virginia’s best internship programs.

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6

opinion

december 16, 2009

Letter to the Editor

Gray Area: A, B, Zzzzzzzzz

by Rachel Nussbaum The other day, I spent a good five to 10 minutes giggling over a pun I put into an English presentation. In class, no one laughed.

Yes, times are tough in the life of this junior, and it turns out, eleventh grade isn’t conducive to sleep. I know, who would’ve guessed?

Well, it seems like a lot of people.

Last year I didn’t realize that the most sleep I would get in a night is six hours.

Despite this, I’m still expected to act like a fully functioning person, handling tests and quizzes and contact lenses with ease.

The entire situation is crazy, just like my eyes now make me look. I’m avoiding the child development classroom for the children’s sake.

The recommended number of hours of sleep per night is eight and a half, according to the Center for Disease Control’s website. Like I said before, I usually get five to six, depending on how spiteful my teachers are feeling that day. While researching, I learned that insufficient sleep could lead to obesity,

diabetes and depression.

To use some street slang, no duh.

From all the late nights I’ve pulled, which aren’t nearly as cool as they sound right there, I’ve learned a thing or two.

One, sugar is definitely useful.

Nothing gets that physics lab finished like Cookie Crisps cereal and Swiss Miss straight from the packet.

Sure, some may say that this will lead to obesity and a diabetes-caused untimely demise. But see, this brings me to my second piece of wisdom.

Here’s a hint. It’s a-parta-me (I know that’s pretty lame, but please, see the first paragraph. Puns are all that get me by.)

That’s right: aspartame! The little lifesaver that keeps my jean size from increasing with my hours spent awake.

Aspartame is basically a sugar substitute, the difference between the regular and Diet Coke that I chug before 9:00 AM. Without it, I’d probably turn to “5 Hour Energy” for my caffeine fix, a pepper-upper that carries an insanely low calorie count…and extreme jitters, followed by a crash that makes Evil Knievel’s Vegas stunt look like child’s

play.

But anyways, aspartame looked like a great solution to the sleep deficiency problem that seems to plague half the student body. Then, out of morbid curiosity, I Googled the side effects of the sugar-replacement. Hmm. As I was browsing the extensive list, a few like nausea, hives and personality changes popped out at me.

And then, irony of all ironies, trouble with contact lenses.

Now I see where the depression comes from. 

Allow students to use iPods in library

by Jessica Littman Students sit scattered around tables and in front of computers in the library, nodding their heads to music as they study silently.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Nothing. Students should be allowed to use their personal music players in the library, as long as they keep the volume low and don’t disturb others.

Students aren’t allowed to listen to personal music players in the library because the administration treats the library like a classroom, applying the same rules and restrictions, says media specialist Ginny Trulio. But the library isn’t like other classrooms; it’s a place for students to study independently. If they don’t have to listen to an instructor or collaborate with other students, then there’s nothing wrong with students silently listening to music while they study individually.

When classes are working in the library, it should be up to the teacher’s discretion whether students can use headphones or not. But when students are studying on their own, they should be able to use their own studying strategies, which often include listening to music.

The rule against music players in classrooms makes sense, because if students have their headphones

in, they can’t hear the teacher. Teachers might also argue that the music distracts them from their work even when the teacher isn’t talking to the class. But in the library it’s up to the students to determine how they want to study. Whether administrators think that students should listen to music while they study or not shouldn’t matter.

Walk into the library during lunch or after school, and you’ll see several students discreetly listening to their personal music players.

Students often break the restrictions on headphone use, and other students say that this doesn’t disrupt their studying.

No one plays music too loudly, says junior Ryan Slayen, who often studies in the library during lunch or after school.

Many students like to listen to music while they study because the ambient noise helps them to concentrate.

Sophomore Annie Russell says the ambient noise helps her to focus.

photo by

JESSICA LITTMAN

Listening to music can sharpen attention and retention skills, according to a study

by Stanford University researchers who concluded that listening to music helps development of reading skills.

Restricting students from listening to music in the library doesn’t help anyone, and it hurts the students who benefit from listening to music while they study. For those who feel that they need music to work, the library isn’t a place where they can study most effectively. 

I would like to clarify some of the statements made in Jessica Littman’s article in the B&W dated 11.17 regarding “Retake Policies.” I want to assure the Whitman community and our students that the Math Department here at Whitman is in full compliance with the county’s Grading and Reporting Policy (G&R)—our individual course teams determine what their grading systems will be, what their course expectations are, etc., as stipulated in the policy.

While it might be possible for some departments to develop a consistent department-wide set of policies regarding reassessments, I have never pushed my department in that direction because the G&R policy doesn’t mandate departmentwide reassessment policies, it allows individual course teams to make their own decisions.

We notify our students on day 1 of each semester what our grading systems and reassessment policies are, so there’s no truth in the statement that there’s confusion and unfairness with that notification process—students know the score from day 1, it’s in our written classroom guidelines.

The article also gives the mistaken impression that these policies can change within the school year depending on the course team’s whim, but that just isn’t true—course team decisions are in effect for the entire school year. It is true that decisions within a course team might change from one school year to another, but that’s because we math people don’t always teach the same courses from one year to the next, and to expect that new teachers on a course team should be bound by the previous course team’s policies isn’t fair to the new teachers on that team.

If we feel that our reassessment policies aren’t as effective as we would like them to be during one school year, we are not allowed to change/modify those reassessment policies for the current school year, but we can change them the following year to try a different reassessment model. We are given that latitude in the G&R policy, and we are constantly trying to come up with grading systems and reassessment policies that are fair to our students and are not a burden to us teachers, even those of us who have been teaching for 30+ years.

Different course teams can come up with different grading/reassessment systems, but that doesn’t make them wrong, confusing or unfair, just different.  Russ Rushton, Math RT Whitman HS

48, Issue 5 Volume 2009-2010 The Black & White is published 10 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Subscriptions for the 2009-2010 school year include the Black & White and The Spectator. Pick-up subscriptions cost $20 and mail subscriptions cost $25. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain. The editorial board establishes Black & White policy.

Unsigned editorials convey the opinion of the Black & White editorial board. Signed opinion pieces reflect the positions of the individual staff. Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Walt Whitman High School (WWHS) or Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

The Black & White encourages readers to submit opinions on relevant topics in the form of letters to the editor. Letters must be signed to be printed, though names will be withheld upon request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be placed in the Black & White mailbox in the main office or the editor’s mailbox in room B211, or may be emailed to 2010blackandwhiteprint@gmail.com.

All content in the paper is reviewed to ensure that it meets the highest levels of legal and ethical standards with respect to material that is libelous, obscene or invasive of privacy. Accuracy is of utmost importance to the Black & White staff. The address of the Black & White Online Edition is <www.theblackandwhite.net>. The online edition contact is 2010blackandwhiteonline@gmail.com.

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december 16, 2009

opinion

CON

PRO

7

by Kevin Hoogstraten

by jessica littman

Marijuana has been in the news a lot lately. America’s first marijuana The subject of decriminalizing café, where individuals with Oregon marijuana prompts people to roll their medical marijuana cards can smoke eyes and dismiss the idea as an unrealistic weed for $25 a month, recently opened pipe dream of potheads. But during a in Portland, and an October Gallup poll time when the government should be found that 44 percent of Americans jumping at the chance to save money favor legalization of marijuana for by reducing law enforcement costs, general use. A larger percentage of marijuana decriminalization is becoming Americans support decriminalizing a legitimate possibility. marijuana. Decriminalization would U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder make possession of up to one ounce of the recently announced that federal drug an offense equivalent to a parking prosecutors will back away from pursuing ticket but would keep distribution and cases against medical marijuana users production of marijuana as felonies. in states that have legalized medical Despite these recent developments, marijuana, and this is a step in the marijuana remains a dangerous right direction. States should take this gateway drug that simply shouldn’t be opportunity to pass more aggressive legislation decriminalizing non-medical decriminalized. marijuana.

A National Institute on Drug Abuse Decriminalization doesn’t mean study found that marijuana smoke had legalization; it just means reducing 50 percent more cancer-causing agents the penalties for using or possessing than tobacco smoke, and another study marijuana. Considering the amount of by the Medical Research Institute of money the government spends trying to enforce New Zealand found that smoking one joint was anti-marijuana laws, as well as evidence from the the equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes in terms National Institutes of Health and law enforcement of lung cancer risk. Marijuana can also affect officials showing that it can be less harmful intelligence. Frequent users experience a decrease to a person’s health than alcohol, the federal in IQ over time, according to the Canadian Medical government should decriminalize marijuana. This Association Journal. will reduce law enforcement costs because fewer Marijuana is also a gateway drug. One 1998 people will have to be prosecuted for marijuanaColumbia University study found that marijuana related crimes. users are 85 times more likely to try cocaine than In a report written by a Harvard economist and non-users. Decriminalizing marijuana sends young published in 2005, 500 economists from around adults the message that smoking is acceptable, and the country supported decriminalization on the decriminalization will likely lead to an increase in grounds that it would save law enforcement money. users. Many of these users will go on to experiment The report, signed by three Nobel Laureates, with harder drugs like cocaine and heroin whose including a former advisor to Ronald Reagan, harmful effects are beyond debate. maintains that decriminalization would save state Marijuana proponents argue that people should and federal governments $7.7 billion a year. be allowed to risk their own health by smoking Law enforcement officials have even formed a marijuana, but marijuana use affects society as a group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. whole. Marijuana affects a user’s ability to drive: While users of marijuana become more aware of States that have passed a decade-long Australian study found that 13.5 their condition and are likely to drive very slowly, medical marijuana laws percent of 3,400 drivers killed in car accidents had those under the influence of alcohol are more cannabis in their bloodstream. Driving while high since 1996 likely to deny their condition and drive quickly and not only endangers the driver’s life, it endangers recklessly, according to the organization. As with any other citizens’ lives. Considering the 12 percent drug, it’s crucial for authorities to be able to keep track of its distribution, something of U.S. high school seniors who admitted to driving high in the past two weeks on a that will only be possible with decriminalization. By decriminalizing marijuana, the nationwide 2008 survey, it would be irresponsible to make the drug more accessible government can gain a strong foothold in controlling its dissemination, a much and inevitably increase the number of dangerous drivers on the road. better option given the alternative: hundreds of street corner pot dealers clogging The U.S. government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, along with cocaine our prisons and wasting taxpayers’ money. and LSD for a reason. Proponents of marijuana decriminalization would do well to If scientists and policemen believe that marijuana is safer than alcohol, and think about why that is before lighting up their next joint or encouraging others to do economists believe it could help the faltering economy, then maybe it’s time for the same.  the issue of decriminalization to be seriously discussed.

Journalism isn’t dying, just changing —for the better by sarah houston In the midst of a new wave of journalism, the media has highlighted only the problems that newspapers are facing. We hear hundreds of stories about revenue cuts, shrinking readership numbers and bankrupt publications, but something is missing. Between the mess of editorials and features that leave readers worried, there is a silver lining. While publications are facing new struggles, the media has emphasized only the complications, while pushing aside the positives of the situation.

The bottom line is that a large group of readers still embrace newspapers. According to the Columbia Journalism Review, 48.6 million people in the U.S. bought newspapers every day last year. Although the number was higher three years ago, the losses aren’t as monumental as some might think. The peak population that reads newspapers every day was 62 million in 1990, but that was at a time when the Internet wasn’t an integral part of our daily life. It has been dropping since then, but the numbers are still large enough to keep many papers alive.

For some reason, whether it be the high quality of reporting found in newspapers or the nostalgic feeling of a paper in your hands, newspapers are not going away any time soon. Although ad revenues may be down, the Audit Bureau of Circulations found that the Wall Street Journal, one of the largest papers in the country, is gaining readers and has already increased circulation by 0.6 percent. The New York Times Co. also reported that in the third quarter, “circulation revenues rose 6.7 percent, mainly because of higher subscription and newsstand prices at The New York Times and The Boston Globe.”

In an editorial in the Nov. 1 issue of the Washington Post, columnist Kathleen Parker introduces Alex Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning media critic and author of “Losing the News.” Jones believes that although the journalism business is most certainly changing, the shift is bringing out the best in a considerable number

of people.

“The story isn’t that newspapers are dying,” he says. “The story is that, even though people can get the same content online for free, they’re ponying up to buy newspapers that are more expensive than ever.”

Jones attributes this to a type of “citizenship decision.” If newsrooms and reporters were cast aside, who would become the source for reliable and consistent

“

American society must take some collective responsibility for supporting independent news reporting in this new environment.

-Leonard Downie The Reconstruction of American Journalism

”

information? Most readers still think that we shouldn’t have to find that answer out on our own.

Large newspapers are vital to the preservation of accurate and truthful reporting because of their standards. You don’t see websites and bloggers held to a set of strict rules that dictate the way they go about their jobs; readers have no guarantee that the content they produce is accurate. In a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, 45 percent of respondents thought that the Internet was changing the fundamental values of journalism and loosening standards.

Leonard Downie, former executive editor of the Washington Post, and Michael Schedson, professor of communication at Columbia, wrote a study titled “The Reconstruction of American Journalism.” They write that the backbone of American journalism seems to be the local newspapers situated in smaller cities and towns.

These small publications don’t have to deal with much competition from local TV stations or other newspapers, and have suffered less in the economic downturn.

But for the larger papers like the Washington Post and USA Today, changes are necessary to keep the public inspired. Publications are joining together to create collaborative organizations that save money and produce more engaging stories Downie and Schedson report. For example, Ohio’s eight largest newspapers have come together to create the Ohio News Organization. They share most types of news but independently work on investigative and enterprise reporting.

By sharing the straightforward news stories, these newspapers have more staff to work on the in-depth pieces that distinguish each individual publication.

Investigative pieces are part of the reason people still buy papers when online offers so much info for free.

While newspapers try new tactics to maintain a high standard of reporting with less revenue and a smaller staff, Downie and Schedson suggest, “American society must take some collective responsibility for supporting independent news reporting in this new environment.”

Americans have already come together to save public programs such as health care, scientific research, and education, and newspapers should be given the same attention.

Instead of seeing the future of journalism as a dying business, see it as a challenge. Many publications are now stepping up to the plate, thinking of unique answers to these problems. And although 48.6 million Americans still actively read newspapers, there is still work to do. The real question is, are you willing to roll with the changes to preserve our publications? Students should keep subscribing not only to the B&W, but talk to their parents about keeping subscriptions to national newspapers at home. If anyone is going to help papers stay afloat, it is the younger readers.

Don’t look at the problems facing newspapers as a reason to complain, but a reason to come together and ensure the survival of one of the most important outlets of freedom of speech in our country. 

opinion

8

december 16, 2009

Read all over...

Letter from Israel

A Green Christmas Organic

photo courtesy

BEN WOLCOTT

Ben Wolcott (‘09), left, is spending a gap year in Israel with Workshop, the socialist and

progressive labor Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror runs.

Last year’s managing editor, Ben Wolcott (‘09), opted to do a gap year in Israel instead of going directly to Swarthmore College.

Instead of hobbling off to class every morning, the twenty people I live with gather around our kitchen table to eat breakfast. After we eat the scrambled eggs, cereal or French toast that one of us puts together, all 79 people on the program circle up in a field to sing, share world news and start the day together.

Some mornings, the twenty of us learn and talk about Jewish history for three hours while on other mornings, I work at the community’s museum with a friend of mine. And if that’s not on the schedule, we might travel around Israel to experience the country and its society in light of what we’ve learned.

At some point last year, I decided to take a break after high school, so I could live communally in Israel. I’m on a program called Workshop, which the socialist and progressive labor Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror has run for the past 59 years.

I’ve been a part of Habonim since I was nine, so I’m spending this year with some of my closest friends as well as people from all over the country. We live communally, sharing everything from household chores to our bank account.

The program intentionally builds a good amount of free time into the day, so the twenty of us can meet and have long discussions about our lifestyle and plan sweet activities for ourselves. To give a serious and rewarding example, we spent the last couple of nights in a room giving each other constructive criticism until we couldn’t sit up straight and had to go to sleep. On the lighter side, the 79

of us played in a Quidditch tournament a few weeks back. We basically just ran around and yelled at each other as a few people, the “bludgers,” tackled whoever had the ball.

The supportive and open environment that we’ve created helps us push our boundaries, so we can learn more about ourselves and how we want to live our lives. Personally, as I’ve shared more and more, I’ve gained a new appreciation of my own space. And on an ideological note, I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about the importance of caring for everyone, regardless of whether or not I naturally gravitate towards them.

Almost everything that we do allows us to share our thoughts and feelings so that we fully invest ourselves in forming strong and meaningful relationships.

And while I’m not learning as much factual information as I would if I were in college, I think that the relationships I’m developing and the discussions I’m having teach me more about myself than joining a cooperative or playing club Frisbee would.

Still, I’m surprised at how much I’ve missed spending my mornings, days and nights jammed with homework, debate practice and flat nights. I miss the sense of accomplishment I got when I handed in a project or when the Black & White came out. Yet I’ve begun to find a similar gratification in less quantifiable experiences, whether it’s learning about Israel’s diverse cultures or having insightful conversations with my four roommates.

Gap years aren’t for everyone, but I couldn’t be happier that I found the time to take stock of my life and to figure out where I’m going. 

-Ben Wolcott

Paper Free

Recycling

Carbon Free

Solar Powered

graphic by

Students should create own computer passwords Shutting down school accounts doesn’t address real problem

by Stewart Longsworth The school monitors now broadcast an ominous warning to students as they log in: “60 Whitman students had their account suspended in the last month for sharing accounts!”

The administration is clearly cracking down on account sharing this year. Computer administrators can easily detect students who are sharing accounts from their central monitoring system and slap them with a detention and a one-week account suspension.

While sharing accounts is unnecessary and dangerous, this campaign against account sharing doesn’t address the true root of the problem: random passwords that boggle the memory of most students.

If passwords were easier to memorize, then incidences of account sharing would be few and far between.

Administrators are right to point out the problems sharing accounts can cause. By sharing accounts, students are handing out their login information, exposing important files to possible tampering or destruction. Students who violate computer use guidelines or try to hack into the computer network can hide their identities by working from a shared account. And sharing accounts is unnecessary for group work; students can always save their work to the student shared network, allowing group members to access it from their own accounts.

Why would anybody share accounts?

Most students share their accounts

graphic by

because friends or classmates lost their passwords. These students could always go to IT Systems Technician Sharon Vaughn to retrieve a password, but it is easier to ask another student for their login and password. Students often have to wait several days to get their passwords back, and urgent schoolwork may force them to share an account in the meantime.

If passwords were more memorable variations on words or phrases, then they would be a lot easier to remember, alleviating the need to share accounts most of the time. Yet right now, MCPS generates the random passwords via the Microsoft operating system all school networks use.

For the relatively low security concerns of a school network, random, computer-generated passwords are overkill. Students are probably not going to try to guess another student’s password because the effort it would take to find the password would far

Carpooling

ELENA TOUMAYAN

exceed the reward of getting on another person’s account. Non-random passwords would do the trick just fine.

The Board of Education should change its password assignment policy so students can choose their own password at the beginning of high school. This was the system before the password policy was updated.

To keep passwords from being too simple, students would have to comply with certain standards; for example, a password would need at least one number or symbol and at least seven digits. Students would then keep this password for all four years of high school, making passwords even easier to remember.

Students share accounts when they lose passwords that are almost impossible to memorize. Allowing them to make their own passwords alleviates both sharing concerns and student frustration. 

ELENA TOUMAYAN

Happy Holidays from the Black & White staff!

december 16, 2009

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photo

December 16, 2009

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Graffiti and mural art tell the stories of students, a city

5.

by chelsea lo Whether it’s a crude drawing etched on a classroom desk or spray paint streaked across walls, graffiti has always been a problem in D.C. and area schools. But now, former vandals can call themselves artists thanks to the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Murals D.C., a project designed to revitalize areas with rampant vandalism, sticks aerosol cans in the hands of D.C. youth to paint murals reflecting the city’s history and culture. So next time you’re tempted to scrawl a not-so-delicate word in a bathroom stall or write a cute reminder for your peers to wipe their nether regions, take a cue from these street artists who have made the city their canvas—legally.

1. Canvas in art room 2. Canvas in art room 3. Bathroom stall mural 4.Canvas in art room 5. Canvas in art room

6.

6. 400 Florida Ave. NW 7. 1344 U Street NW 8. Shiloh Baptist Church 9. Howard University 10. 1344 U Street NW

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December 16, 2009

O

in-depth

11

A DECADE ON THE EDGE

nce upon a time, before “2000” was a trendy suffix for high-tech products, the year 2000 was only a distant reality filled, we thought, with flying cars, robot servants and video phones.

But as the 1990s came to an end and the new millennium approached, these Jetson-inspired fantasies were replaced by fears of the Y2K bug causing worldwide electronic malfunction. As New Year’s Day passed without catastrophe, most were able to toast to new beginnings. But relief wouldn’t last long.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks followed closely on Y2K’s heels, prompting Americans to reevaluate their most central values and beliefs. As fretful citizens hoarded jugs of water, batteries and duct tape to prepare for an anticipated terrorist takeover, it appeared that the world was headed towards a decade of fear instead of a decade of hope. The ominous note that Y2K sent at the start of the millennium set the tone for the coming decade; the 21st century citizen would be no stranger to anxiety and unease. Al-Qaeda, anthrax, sniper attacks, SARS, war, college campus shootings, staph infections, bird flu, swine flu (and for a few students, cicadas) kept kids indoors, washing their hands and lying awake at night.

Despite the perception of a “Bethesda bubble,” Whitman students were hardly insulated from these tumultuous events. Students’ parents were evacuated after a third plane hit the Pentagon, the sniper attacks came too close for comfort, and Hurricane Katrina brought a handful of refugees to the halls of Whitman and Pyle.

Some students enlisted to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan, a swine flu outbreak led to the quarantine of a dozen students in China and the

recent economic crisis has resulted in a spike in MCPS class sizes as private schools report lower student enrollment.

But aside from outside events, we have had a big decade. The 2000s forced us to take the good publicity with the bad, to celebrate Project Backpack and deal with the Smoothie King robberies all in less than a year. The school was visited by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court one year, and by religious extremists the next.

Student volunteers helped put the nation’s first African American president in office and attended the inauguration of a lifetime. In the athletic sphere, the decade opened and closed with boys soccer claiming states, and included championship victories for girls soccer in 2004 and boys basketball in 2006.

So what can we look forward to in the next decade? We can keep dreaming of a day when students will apply for permits to park their flying cars in the Whitman parking lot, and hoping that the technological renaissance begun in the 2000s will continue into the next decade. From bulky cell phones and the 2001 introduction of the iPod to colored flip phones with QWERTY keyboards and iPhones, we’ve come a long way since the start of the decade.

Though we haven’t made robot servants a household staple, reading blogs, surfing YouTube and checking Facebook have become second nature, and this past decade has been nothing short of technologically revolutionary. Our cars probably won’t fly, but future Driver’s Ed students will breathe a collective sigh of relief when the Mercedes CL’s ability to self-parallel park becomes a standard feature on all four-wheeled vehicles. And landline telephones might not come with standard video monitors, but between Skype and iChat, we likely aren’t missing much.

As with any decade, we will be confronted with hardship and heartbreak. But as the first babies of the 1990s enter their 20s, we can hope that the highs will be higher, the lows will be fewer, and we can pay tribute to another memorable decade ten years from now. 

photo illustration by

NEILL ROBERTSON

12

december 16, 2009

2000

Feb. 1, 2004: Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates upon reentry into the atmosphere, killing all seven crew members in the worst accident of its kind since the 1986 Challenger accident.

Oct. 7, 2001: U.S. goes to war in Afghanistan. The United States launches Operation Enduring Freedom in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and in an effort to find Al-Qaeda.

Jan. 8, 2002: The No Child Left Behind Act is signed into law by George W. Bush. The act requires states to develop standardized assessments evaluating basic skills in order to receive federal funding.

Nov. 2000: Boys Soccer wins State championships for the seventh time since 1979.

2004

2002

Jan. 1, 2000:

Start of the new millennium. People speculate that the new millennium will cause computers to malfunction, due to numbers rolling over from the two-digit symbol for 1999, “…99,” to “00,” for 2000, but no widespread errors seem to occur.

in-de

Aug. 2003: After a computer malfunction results in the “Northeast Blackout.”

The blackout affects 45 million people in cities from Baltimore to Ottawa.

Sept. 18, 2001:

June 2003:

Letters containing anthrax are mailed from Princeton, NJ to several senators, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, the New York Post, and the National Enquirer.

Martha Stewart is indicted for insider trading and lying to investigators. She serves five months in jail.

Oct. 2002: The sniper attacks kill 10 people and critically injure three over a three-week period.

Area schools go into code blue alert, keeping students inside at recess.

May 2004: The Lance Armstrong Foundation sells Livestrong bracelets to raise money for cancer research.

These bracelets become a huge trend among teenagers and adults.

May 2004: Cicada invasion begins and lasts the entire summer. Some students get their protein by daring each other to eat the insects. At the end of the summer, the cicadas depart for 17 years.

Nov. 2000: George W. Bush defeats Al Gore in the presidential election, the closest race in nation’s history. The decision comes down to the Supreme Court after ‘hanging chads’ skew election results in Florida.

Nov. 2002: First SARS case is reported. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infect 8,096 people causing 774 deaths between Nov. 2002 and July 2003. Within a matter of weeks in early 2003, SARS spread from Guangdong, China and rapidly infects individuals in 37 countries around the world. People wear surgical masks to protect themselves from the airborne illness.

Sept. 11, 2001: Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists fly hijacked planes into the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon. In a fourth hijacked plane, passengers overpower hijackers, steering planes into a Pennsylvania field.

Approximately 3,000 people died in the attacks, and schools in the area go into lockdown.

Nov. 2004: Girls Soccer wins states, their first state title since 1994.

April 2003: Apple creates iTunes.

Customers around the world download over 6 billion songs, and counting.

Oct. 2004: The Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years, giving all Red Sox fans hope for a bright future.

March 20, 2003:

Jan. 28, 2001: The Baltimore Ravens defeat the New York Giants 34–7 in Super Bowl XXXV to win their first ever championship title.

2001

War in Iraq begins after Bush administration suspects weapons of mass destruction.

2003

december 16, 2009

epth

2006

2008

13

Aug. 2005: Three Bethesda kids start Project Backpack. The organization collects over 50,000 backpacks filled with toys, books, and school supplies to send to kids in New Orleans.

March 30, 2006:

March 4, 2008:

Five Whitman students rob the Smoothie King in downtown Bethesda.

All but one of the students is criminally charged.

Aug. 2005:

Chief Court Justice John Roberts speaks to NSL students and fields questions from government teacher Robert Mathis.

June 26, 2008: Fall 2007:

Hurricane Katrina strikes Spring 2006: Hand sanitizer Louisiana, killing thousands and sales jump as displacing even more. The boy’s Basketball team, students try to led by Michael Gruner (’06) ward off the Staph and Alex Baron (’06), wins the infection, caused state championships. by a skin-to-skin bacteria that spread through several Montgomery County schools.

Stock market plummets to the lowest point since the Depression. Tumbling U.S. stocks and a slowing economy contribute to the lowest DOW industrial average since 1929.

Aug. 8, 2008: July 21, 2007: J.K Rowling releases the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter Series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Fans everywhere line up at bookstores for the midnight release.

Summer Olympics begin in Beijing. Michael Phelps becomes an American hero when he wins a total of eight gold medals, the most of any Olympian in history. His image as a role model is later tarnished after tabloids print photos of Phelps smoking marijuana.

Nov. 20, 2009: Nov. 4, 2008:

Aug. 8, 2006 Alexandra Robbins follows eight Whitman students and one former student to document their hectic lives.

With this material, she writes

her best-selling book, Spring 2005: “The Overachievers.”

Washington Nationals bring baseball back to D.C. Despite fans’ initial enthusiasm, the turnout at games has been weak for the past several years.

May 2007: Montgomery County bans trans-fats in restaurants, supermarket bakeries and delis in an effort to minimize health problems caused by clogged arteries and high cholesterol.

Oct. 8, 2009:

Dec. 23, 2008:

Sept. 5, 2006:

A massive water April 16, 2007: main bursts, flooding River The Virginia Tech Rd. Administrators shootings shock the send students home nation and cause schools early. and universities to rethink their security.

Steve Irwin, Australian wildlife specialist and television star known for his famous “crikey mate!” is fatally stung by a stingray while filming a segment for Animal Planet.

A shooting near Whitman prompts lockdown. Police investigate the shooting on the 6800 block of Millwood Road the evening of Oct. 8, the victim, a former Whitman parent, is taken to Suburban Hospital in critical condition but survives.

April 23, 2009:

Jan. 9, 2007: Apple releases the iPhone, changing the future of technology and communication.

2005

U.S. voters elect President Barack Obama. A record 1.8 million people travelled to D.C. for his inauguration Jan. 20.

Varsity boy’s soccer comes full circle by defeating the Urbana Eagles 1-0 in overtime of the Maryland 4A State championship game, earning the team its second state title since 2000.

2007

Westboro Baptist Church protests at Whitman . Seven congregants from the Topeka, Kansas-based group protest the school’s namesake because of his sexual orientation.

Nearly 500 students stage a peaceful counter protest.

2009

14

feature

december 16, 2009

By Julia Weingardt Holiday gift shopping can be tough. Whether it’s for the friend who has everything or for the parent who “wants nothing but your love,” there’s always someone for whom you just don’t know what to buy. There’s no reason to bring out the gift cards and baked goods—we’ve compiled the best gifts that are sure to be attention grabbers.

Flip-Flop Socks These piggie toasters are the practical gift for your friends who think wearing flip-flops in the snow is okay. Available with both blue cat and red bunny patterns, these crazy socks complete any outfit.

MoMa Mini Sky Umbrella

Pro Thumb Wrestling

Talking Japanese Watches

Bubble Calendar

All the rage in Japan (no seriously!), these watches will tell you the time in both Japanese and your native tongue. A thoughtful gift for the bilingual speaker!

What better way to check off each day than to pop a circle of bubble wrap? This poster-size calendar has a bubble to burst for every day of the year and is the perfect way to spice up a boring wall.

Price: $20 www.bubblecalendar.com

Enjoy some competitive family bonding with this miniature thumb war arena. It’s portable, so you can take it on the go for those ten hour family car rides!

Price: $7.00 www.perpetualkid.com

Brighten anyone’s rainy day with this sophisticated sky umbrella. The bright clouds create a picturesque cloud scene, no matter the weather. Just one upward glance, and you might just forget that it’s raining altogether!

Price: $28.79 www.amazon.com, www.target.com

Price: $13.00 www.uncommongoods.com

Beating Heart Pillow Originally created to calm and relax, this fuzzy pillow pulses out a realistic heartbeat. Every time you turn it on, an entirely new lub-dub rhythm forms.

Caution: do not use while operating heavy machinery, as this healing heart will likely drive you into the best sleep of your life!

Price: $14.99 www.fredflare.com

Price: $35-50 www.mybeatingheart.com

Happy/Sad Reversible Mix Stix Drumstick Kitchen Spoon Sweatshirt This gift is perfect for moms who would rather shake than bake! Let her express her musical talent while cooking with these wooden spoons shaped like drumsticks (Disclaimer: they do not actually play music.)

Price: 9.99 www.perpetualkid.com

“L

ast year I went to Hawaii over winter break. On Christmas I spent my time at the beach and going scuba diving.”

“O

Perfect for the budding student (or your psychology teacher), this plush doll is the classier version of the childhood favorite, “tickle me elmo.” It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Available at Target.

Price: $18.99 www.target.com

Wear your emotions on the outside with this mood matching sweatshirt! Chic and stylish, this sweatshirt will save you from answering the mundane “How are you today?”

Price: $44 www.fredflare.com

r, n, e i g k r l, e s n e i o P e r R ma K vi nior b a e l o h G o r Ju Jac Fres NicSenio

n Christmas Eve everybody gets rice pudding, and in one of the bowls of pudding there’ll be an almond. Whoever gets the almond gets a marzipan pig; it’s a Scandinavian thing.”

“M

y brothers and I built Lego creatures and hid them in the middle of the Christmas tree.”

Tickle Me Freud

Do you have any unusual holiday traditions?

t, o s as ore M an hom j u L Sop

“O

n, i r f hi an c S iel eshm n a D Fr

“M

n Christmas Eve we eat y family is Jewish, chocolate fondue with all my family so on Christmas day we go to and we open the presents at midnight. the movies and then we get We also eat vitelle tone, which is a Chinese food.” typical Argentina food. We all wear Santa Claus hats and play with sparkle firework sticks.”

December 16, 2009

Feature

Holiday Recipes

15

Baked apples with cranberry-pecan stuffing Ingredients: 7 large granny sm it 6 tablespoons unsa h apples lt ¼ cup packed bro ed butter, softened w 1/3 cup chopped n sugar dri 1/3 cup pecans, to ed cranberries a 3 tablespoons old sted and coarsely chopped -fa 1 teaspoon grated shioned rolled oats ora ½ teaspoon groun nge zest d cinnamon pinch of salt 1/3 good quality m 1/3 plus 2 tablespoo aple syrup n of applesauce and s apple cider (or combination orange juice)

. . . for even the Scrooge-iest baker by sarah craig and megan dwyer

Directions: Peel, core, and cut 1 apple into 1/4-inch dice.

Combine 5 tablespoons of butter, brown sugar, cranberries, pecans, oats, orange zest, cinnamon, diced apple, and salt in large bowl; set aside.

Vidalia onion and goat cheese tarts Ingredients: 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 tablespoon flour 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large purple Vidalia onions 1 red bell pepper 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 oz. chèvre (goat cheese) ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese salt to taste

Directions: Unfold sheet of puff pastry and roll out on floured surface into large rectangle, cut pastry with knife or pizza wheel into 16 smaller rectangles. Set aside.

Shave thin slice off bottom (blossom end) of remaining 6 apples to allow them to sit flat. Cut top 1/2 inch off stem end of apples and reserve. Peel apples and use melon baller or small measuring spoon to remove 1½-inch diameter core, being careful not to cut through bottom of apple.

Melt remaining tablespoon butter in 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once foaming subsides, add apples, stem-side down, and cook until cut surface is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Flip apples, reduce heat to low, and spoon filling inside, mounding excess filling over cavities; top with reserved apple caps. Add maple syrup and 1/3 cup cider to skillet.

Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until skewer inserted into apples meets little resistance, 35 to 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with maple syrup mixture in skillet.

Adapted from a recipe in “Cooks Illustrated”

Moravian sugar cake Topping: 1 tablespoon cream or whole milk 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

Heat olive in large frying pan over medium heat.

Dough: 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 cup warm water (105 to 110˚ F) 3 cups flour 2 tablespoons dry skim milk powder 3 tablespoons dehydrated potatoes 1/3 cup granulated sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1/2 cup butter, softened

Slice onions and peppers into thin strips and add to pan.

Directions:

Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, then continue to cook over medium low heat until onions are caramelized and peppers are soft, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar into water in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes until yeast begins to foam.

Add balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Remove from heat and cool until warm.

Add all other dough ingredients, but leave out 1 cup of flour.

While onion mixture is cooling, spread about 1 tablespoon of goat cheese on each piece of pastry dough, leaving a small edge of each rectangle exposed.

Beat on medium speed in a mixer for 5 minutes. Turn down to low and add remaining cup of flour. Continue mixing until soft dough forms.

Spoon generous heap of onion mixture on top of goat cheese. Sprinkle each with parmesan cheese.

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).

Bake at 375˚ F oven for about 30 minutes until pastry is puffed up and brown.

Punch dough down and let it rise again for 45 minutes.

Grease and line a 17x11x1 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, then grease parchment paper.

Spread dough out evenly in the pan using hands. If dough resists spreading, let it rest for a few minutes.

Cover and let rise again until puffy (about 1 hour).

photos by

MEGAN DWYER

Gently press tips of fingers into the dough all over to create depressions and wells. Brush the dough with the cream.

Adapted from a recipe in “North Carolina and Old Salem Cookery”

16

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December 16, 2009

Teacher Gift Guide

by Rachel Nussbaum Barnes and Noble’s decorations are up, and “Jingle Bells” is on the radio. It’s official: the holidays are just around the corner, along with loads of free time and an overall spirit of jolliness. But finding heaps of homework under the Christmas tree, Hanukkah bush or Kwanza cherry tree (who knew?) can be even worse than a lump of coal. So, it’s in everyone’s best interest to butter up teachers a little by giving them a gift so mind-blowing that they forget all about that video project due the day after break.

What to get your…

Science teacher: Eye protection requirements have a large presence on every precautionary safety assessment, but there’s no rule saying that they can’t be a pair of supersweet goggles. And without a doubt, a pair of moderately priced Smith Transit Graphic Ski Goggles would up a teacher’s cool factor more than any dorky plastic pair from the ’70s. Once your teacher stops thinking about water’s hydrologic cycle and starts boarding down its solid form, they’ll be able to see what an excellent student you really are.

English teacher: As much as students dread receiving papers covered in red ink, teachers probably hate relying on the one stereotypical color. Help your teacher channel his or her inner Picasso with a set of a dozen Staples® Gel Stick Pens, and you’ll be rolling as easy as their pen tips. If you’re feeling a bit more creative, go for the Metal Black Quill and Ink Italian Writing Set from Barnes and Noble.

There’s nothing like correcting misplaced modifiers in style.

History teacher: Though history is traditionally seen as one of the drier subjects, it doesn’t have to be. Take, for instance, “Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States.” APUSH teachers in particular will be sure to appreciate the, um, thoughtfulness of the piece. Or, “Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far),” a chronicle of the most important developments of the era, like Pokémon and the Big Mac. Perfect for modern world history teachers. Who knows, maybe it’ll even replace the much less imaginative textbooks currently used. We can only hope.

Foreign language teacher:

Whether you take Spanish, French, Italian or Japanese, conjugating verbs for the thousandth time gets a little boring. Imagine what it’s like for your teacher. But with MUZZY: Family Edition, the BBC language instruction course that includes story DVDs, interactive software and 11 “memorable” MUZZY songs, both you and your teacher will experience verb exercises and improbable grammar structures like never before. The captivating tales and bright colors will make it practically impossible to not bond with Señora or Madame! 

Math teacher: It’s hard for anyone not to be jealous of those math wiz kids who know how to create artistic masterpieces on their TI-83. If you really value your math teacher’s hard work/tendency to round up grades, track down one of those whizzes and pay them for their services. Once you know how to make the graphs yourself, offer your teacher a private tutoring session, free of charge, to show him just how much your grade really means to you. Then again, if that’s not up your alley, you can always just wrap up an empty box and fasten it with a Master Lock 1530DCM X-treme Combination Lock. Set the code as Fibonacci’s sequence, and they’ll have so much fun opening the present that they won’t even mind the lack of contents.

better scores. better choices.

PrepMatters.

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individual test preparation & educational counseling |

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ACT or SAT: Options are good, making a choice is better A front-page article by Daniel de Vise of The Washington Post recounted what many in schools and the tutoring world have been observing for a number of years now: the ACT is on the

by Ned Johnson, march. The number of Founder and President ACT test-takers in the DC of PrepMatters, Inc metro area has doubled in the last three years - a veritable sea change as many students find that the ACT is simply a better test for them.

Now that students and parents have embraced the ACT, they are delighted to have options; but, be warned: when it comes to choosing a test, “All of the above” is not the best approach.

Consider these two points: 1) The ACT and SAT are different tests in content, presentation and “flavor.” Shortstop and center fielder are both positions in baseball but the instincts and training required for each are meaningfully different.

It’s good to try out different positions; but by 4918 ST. ELMO AVE BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20814 301.951.0350

game-time, you’d better have practiced for a the content and rules (such as no penalty for specific role. So too with the ACT and SAT. The wrong answers which means you should instincts for one may actually work against leave nothing blank!), and take a practice test you in the other. Apart from under timed conditions. not making junior year about Use a score conversion For more tips on planning your a treadmill of ACT, SAT, and chart (an example can be testing calendar, visit the APs, there is a logic to found at specializing in the test that PrepMatters YouTube channel http://professionals. better suits you. (youtube.com/prepmatters) collegeboard.com/ profdownload/act-sat2) The belief that it's better to Recent and Upcomgin Webinars: concordance-tables.pdf ) keep one’s options open to compare your scores to indefinitely is actually your likely SAT results.

On YouTube: SAT vs ACT and erroneous. A curious study the Road Less Traveled

by Harvard psychologist Consider not only which Daniel Gilbert revealed that score is higher but also Dec 17: Understanding the PSAT keeping your options open which test seems better Score Report won't necessarily make you suited to you. Your teachhappier. If you obsess about ers, tutor, counselor or Registration is free. both the SAT and ACT, as you parents can help Visit prepmatters.com for are preparing for one, you'll you analyze the tests, registration information. constantly be questioning your performance, whether you would be better off taking the and your ability to improve one score more other. Pick one, prepare for it, and go for it! than the other.

My advice is this. Grab a practice ACT test booklet from your school counselor. Study info@prepmatters.com www.prepmatters.com

Then, make a choice. Embrace that choice and go for it!

6721 CURRAN ST. McLEAN, VIRGINIA 22101 703.356.6390

december 16, 2009

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17

King named ‘High School Hero’ for Leukemia Awareness month continued from page

1

“Tim is one of the most determined individuals I have ever met,” she says. “He just doesn’t know the meaning of giving up.”

King’s family first realized there was an issue the summer before he turned nine, when he started experiencing intense bouts of fatigue. King’s parents took him to a local clinic, where he tested positive for the disease.

“Looking back now, all I remember is waking up and having a Broviac catheter in my chest and knowing it’s been there a while,” King writes on the LLS website. “I’ve heard people’s memory can shut down to prevent additional trauma, and I suppose that’s what happened.”

After treatment, King found himself in and out of the hospital for complications from medication, including a blood clot and a temporary case of diabetes, but he was in remission.

When King turned 13, the bouts of fatigue came back, and testing revealed that the cancer came back. When chemotherapy failed, the Kings opted for a bone marrow transplant. Blood test showed that King’s older brother, junior J.T., was a perfect match. He would be the donor.

J.T. says it was worth it when he woke up in the hospital and heard that the surgery had been a success.

“I was relieved that it worked and very hopeful that my brother could lead a normal life, that he might finally be cancer-free after all he’s been through,” J.T. says.

Since then, Tim says his classmates have been supportive and compassionate about his condition.

“I’ve had a lot of people say ‘I’m sorry you’re feeling bad,’ or ‘Get well soon,’ and that’s always nice,” he says.

Tim has not always taken part in the fundraiser in the past.

“Last year I wasn’t very involved in Pennies for Patients,” he says, “but seeing a lot of people getting excited and donating money, not just to me but to leukemia patients in general – that gave me a good feeling.”

As he became more involved, Tim worked hard to raise awareness not only at Whitman but at other area schools.

“So far 15 [schools] have joined us to host the High School Challenge this February in Tim’s honor,” Walker says. “They are rallying around a teen just like them, but who has experienced more than most of them ever will.”

Walker commends the High School Challenge for the role it plays in raising awareness about the prevalence of blood cancers.

“The more students that know about Tim’s story and get involved in helping him and others like him, the better,” she says. 

Mathis to take students on trip to Uganda

By Emily Aronson Trekking through the desert, taking bucket showers and living without electricity in a Ugandan village for 20 days may not seem like the ideal way to spend summer break for most students. But from July 25 to Aug.12 this summer, a dozen students and history resource teacher Bob Mathis will volunteer in eastern Uganda through the Women’s Microfinance Initiative. Montana Stevenson (’06) and Laura Van Oudenaren (’06), seniors at UVA and Davidson respectively, will also accompany them.

WMI is a non-profit organization founded by Robyn Nietert and Betsy Gordon, both former Whitman mothers, that provides micro-loans to impoverished women in Uganda so they can start their own businesses. The student volunteers will set up an Internet café in the newly-constructed village meeting hall of Buyobo, a rural village 150 miles from Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Nietert and Gordon have traveled to Buyobo with WMI, but this is the first time that the Initiative will bring a group of high school students on the trip.

“It was amazing to me the way the children in the villages reacted to young adults being in the community,” Nietert says about taking her own daughters, one of them Stevenson, to the village in January of 2008.

Mathis says he looks forward to the unique experience and the chance to give back to the community.

“The main goal is to expose students to another way of life, another culture, and also to have a service exchange,” he says.

Because over 30 students have expressed interest in the trip, Mathis hasn’t yet determined who will go. Seniority will most likely be the determining factor, Mathis says, and though there aren’t specific prerequisites, he prefers students who have taken World History. To prepare for the trip, Mathis will most likely assign readings about Uganda’s history and government.

“I’ve never taken students to a third world village,” he says, though he notes that he has personally travelled in developing areas and has taken students to the former

Soviet Union and England.

In order to teach the adults and children in the village about technology, Whitman students will bring 15 laptops donated by Discovery Communications in Silver Spring to the village. The students will participate in workshops at the beginning of the trip to learn how to teach computer skills to the people in the village.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how our students relate and act while providing the service that they’re going to do,” Mathis says.

Nietert says that a special bond forms when teenagers, rather than adults, counsel their younger peers.

“The children just respond so positively to young adults,” she says. “I think that that teenage connection to teaching children how to use computers is going to be magnificent.”

Some of the other community service activities that Whitman students will participate in include volunteering at a local elementary school, planting fruit trees in Kabale and helping at a Kabale sports clinic.

Students will also get the chance to experience African culture through activities like bead-making, dancing and drumming.

The itinerary also includes visits to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of the few existing homes of endangered gorillas, the Chimpanzee photos courtesy WMI Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust on Ngamba Island and a rafting trip on the Nile. To experience the more modern part of the country, students will meet with a government official and visit a local NGO in Kampala.

Mathis expects that Stevenson and Van Oudenaren will take a leadership role on the trip. They both traveled with Mathis to the Three Affiliated Tribes Reservation in North Dakota while in high school, which they say first interested them in helping underprivileged areas.

Nietert hopes that students see how much of a difference a small amount of effort can make in peoples’ lives, and that the trip will spark students’ interests in global events and advocating change. She’s excited that the Whitman community has expressed so much interest in helping people all over the planet.

“Whitman’s just kicking butt in global engagement,” she says. 

Colonial Opticians sends packages, letters to troops overseas Company spreads holiday cheer, passes on community support to deployed soldiers

By Jessica Gelfarb Items like shampoo, hairspray and Chap Stick probably wouldn’t be on a typical Christmas list. But for the U.S troops fighting overseas, these seemingly simple supplies are scarce and desperately needed.

Ever since the U.S first sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, Bethesda resident Claudia Sullivan made it a priority to send them care packages. This year, Sullivan partnered with her workplace, Colonial Opticians, to expand her efforts.

Sullivan especially wanted to involve Colonial this year because co -worker Deborah Procopio has a daughter serving in a marine unit recently deployed oversees. Donors can drop items off at one of Colonial’s five Montgomery County stores. Sullivan then collects the items and creates care packages to send to Procopio’s daughter’s unit.

Former Whitman parent Ellen Kominers, whose sons graduated in ’08 and ’05, donated Chap Stick, hand warmers and snack packs.

“No matter what one’s politics might be, I think it is important to support our troops,” Kominers says.

Helene Weingarten, another former Whitman parent, wrote Sullivan a check to help cover the cost of

photo courtesy

CLAUDIA SULLIVAN

Claudia Sullivan, right, and Deborah Procopio, left, put together a package to send to troops overseas.

shipping the packages overseas.

Procopio noted that men and women in her daughter’s unit are in great need of certain basic items.

Women in the unit are required to wear their hair in buns but constantly run out of the hairspray needed to keep

their buns secure. She also said that there isn’t enough shampoo for everyone in the unit.

Sullivan urges people to donate basic items like toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo, but she also asks them to donate video games, snacks, and movies, adding that young people need time to unwind and have fun.

“These are young adults who are away from home and in a hard situation,” she says. “What we take for granted they might enjoy a lot.”

Procopio recently spoke to her daughter, who told her that the unit is already enjoying many of the items. They plan to send a card thanking everyone who donated.

“Everything is just so appreciated,” Procopio said.

“But more than anything, what they’re enjoying the most is all the support from everybody back home.

Sullivan also collects letters to send overseas. She says that communicating with people back home is especially important to soldiers who don’t receive mail or gifts from family or friends. In every package she has sent over the years, Sullivan has included a pad of paper and her home address.

“I will have men write to me and tell me that I am the only person who has ever sent them anything,” she says. “They love to get letters.” 

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december 16, 2009

Showtime showdown: local theater review Six music students

By Rachel Nussbaum Between ninjas, vampires, the end of the world and a maternal Sandra Bullock, it’s hard enough to decide on a night’s entertainment. Factor in the choice of theater, and having to deal with the overwhelming number of possible permutations can make you feel like a less brilliant version of Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind.”

While they may not be extensive, Bethesda’s theater choices span the spectrum of availability, convenience and coolness, both figuratively and literally. So before you click “buy” on Fandango, take these factors into consideration.

Bethesda Row. Yes, it’s awfully pretentious. The escalator set-up is odd. And yes, it has employees with generic emounderground haircuts. Yet it also has indie movies that aren’t available anywhere else, and an incredibly relaxed attitude towards cheeky IDs for R-rated movies. The European inspired concession stand is worth the trip by itself, boasting a plethora of hard to find and totally international snacks, from Toblerone’s to JuJubes. Just don’t head to Bethesda Row intending to watch “Ninja Assassin” with like-minded fans. With all the beret-adorned Ph.D. students mocking the cultural inaccuracies, it’ll be hard to even hear the dialogue. But, if you’ve just seen “New Moon” and want to bring your IQ back up a dozen or so points, head for Bethesda Row. Just be sure to get there on time. Those earlybird specials have the elderly trained.

AMC Mazza Gallerie.

At the heart of Friendship Heights, Mazza’s top floor offers visitors a luxurious setting and a wide variety of film selections.

Although the chairs are comfy and the stadium seating is a thickly cushioned piece of heaven, these offerings are clearly meant for a more mature audience than the average high school student.

The matinée bar, slightly higher ticket prices and attached restaurant are a bit much for those who really just want to see the latest installment of “Transformers” for the seventh time. On the other hand, the older audience doesn’t require strict security, which makes “wandering” into the wrong theater easy.

Regal Bethesda 10.

Such blatant disregard for policy would never occur at Regal Bethesda 10, where, thanks to swarms of teens, heightened security regularly scans theaters playing R-rated movies for moviegoers. Despite only borderline delicious popcorn and an unenthusiastic staff, the theater’s outside design is a major attraction to the middle school set. The stone rotunda is great for giggling cliques and catching up with anyone you haven’t seen since elementary school, but if you’re more interested in seeing a movie than making awkward chit-chat with your SAT tutor, this probably isn’t the theater for you.

Not to the almost horizontal slope of the theater’s seating system, which may pose difficulties to anyone who actually wants to see the screen. 

graphic by

NEILL ROBERTSON

make All-State Jazz Band this year

By Tim Freeman

Of the thousands of high school band students in Maryland, only a select few make the All-State Jazz band each year. Musicians who audition for this ensemble spend countless hours learning difficult music and perfecting solos before putting together demo tapes. Acceptance into this band is intense and highly competitive due to the fact that only 19 spots are available.

This year, an astonishingly high number of Whitman musicians will play in this prestigious ensemble. The six students —junior Siddhu Anandalingam on the baritone saxophone, senior bassist Dan Pappalardo, junior Emily Park on the vibraphone, senior trumpeter Kate Amrine, sophomore Gabe Slesinger on the trumpet and junior drummer Sahil Ansari— make up the largest contingent of musicians from a single high school.

Anandalingam is the only returning member from Whitman. His previous experience in the band was one of the main reasons he decided to reaudition this year.

The experience in Whitman’s excellent Jazz band program was a major factor that contributed to the high number of musicians chosen to play in the band, Anandalingam said.

“Ms. Alvey prepared us well,” he said. “We rehearsed the songs in class together and even performed them. That really helped a lot of the recordings we sent in.”

Ms. Alvey attributed the high number of participants to Whitman’s student body.

“We have a lot of talent here, and we always have a lot of kids,” she adds. “They are all great kids and great musicians.”

Instead of attending a formal audition, all prospective players must put together a tape that fulfills the specific requirements for each instrument. For the most part, students were required to play the songs “You Lika Da Juice?”

by Victor Lopez and “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise” by Dave Wolpe as well as solo, although requirements varied for different instruments.

The All-State Jazz band will rehearse intensely over a period of three days, from January 22 and 23 at Towson University Center for the Arts, and will perform on the final night. 

december 16, 2009

feature

19

Video chatting on the rise

Del Savio revives Mock Trial team

By Hailey Siller

Parents, students want to stay in touch, communicate more

By Jamie Norwood A college freshman waves hi to her family as her mother asks her about classes and campus life. They discuss everything from her mid-term exams to plans for winter break. When it’s time to say goodbye, the freshman shuts her laptop and heads back to class.

With over 500 million Skype downloads worldwide, video chatting is on the rise and has recently become a key way for students who go away to school to stay connected to friends and family from home.

“Camcorders used to be much more popular,” Ashley Johnson, a sales operator at Best Buy in Gaithersburg, says. “The video aspect to computers has been so popular recently that it’s rare someone will buy a laptop without a built in camera.”

A freshman at Boston College, Michal Malachowski (’09) uses video chat to stay in touch with his younger brother, junior KJ Malachowski.

“I had never spent more than a couple weeks away from Michal,” KJ says. “Video chatting makes me think of all the times we used to hang out and gossip.”

Video chatting also gives students going abroad the opportunity to feel closer to home.

Junior David Maman is spending two months abroad in Israel and plans on frequent Skype sessions to make up for being so far away from his friends and family.

“I’ll be video chatting at least three times a week,”

graphic by

ELENA TOUMAYAN

Maman says. “It’ll be nice to actually see my parents and friends when I’m away.”

Maman, already an avid video chatter, says video chat is a good way to get updates on life in Bethesda.

“I would normally just Facebook my friends,” he says, “but if I really want to talk about things, I’ll get on video chat.”

Video chat has become popular as a means of casual communication between students.

“Instead of calling my friends after school, I’ll video chat with them,” sophomore Erin Holden says. “It’s better than talking on the phone, and I don’t have to worry about wasting minutes or anything.”

Holden believes that the convenience of video chat has taken away from time friends and family members spend together.

“I’ve video chatted with my sister when she’s right across the hall from me,” she says. “I’m not sure why, especially because I could’ve easily just walked into her room. It’s convenient, that’s it.” 

Want to video chat?

Let’s look at a few of the different types:

iChat

Oovoo

iChat’s easy and fast, but users tend to get familiar with the “communication error” message that pops up and ends a conversation. It’s possible to have a fourway video chat, but this rarely works unless everyone involved has a Mac. But iChat does come automatically with any Mac and doesn’t require extra downloads.

Oovoo doesn’t require any downloads, but it isn’t too reliable.

While you can conduct six-person video chats, the website (oovoo. com) has poor picture quality. Still, you can leave video messages on other Oovoo accounts.

Just open up Internet Expl o rer, Sa fa ri or Firefox and turn on your webcam to use this program.

Skype Skype isn’t compatible with slow computers but works most of the time. Skype must be downloaded to your computer, but it’s free. Only two people can have a conversation at once.

Fifteen students are getting a head start on their preparation for the BAR exam, learning the same techniques employed by trial lawyers while still in high school.

Whitman’s new Mock Trial team provides students with the opportunity to practice courtroom strategies every Wednesday night, helping them to gain experience for a possible career in law.

“The goal of Mock Trial is to teach students about the law, courts and trial procedure, as well as to help students hone skills such as critical thinking, public speaking and team work,” says Shelly Brown Wojciechowski, Maryland high school Mock Trial coordinator.

The Mock Trial team was modeled after the team that existed two years ago, which stopped after the captains missed the deadline to enter the national competition. Earlier this year, Principal Alan Goodwin suggested creating a new team to history resource teacher Bob Mathis, who then asked Psychology teacher Marie Del Savio to sponsor the team.

“I agreed to sponsor it because it seemed like a lot of fun and it would give me a chance to work with parents in the community,” Del Savio says.

Co-captain junior Danny Parris says the team has exceeded his expectations.

“Students seem to be interested in the content and what we do for the team, all the legal stuff,” he says.

Del Savio recruited five lawyers, all Whitman parents, to coach the Mock Trial team. The coaches attend the weekly Wednesday meeting and teach students how to break down cases.

“Mock trial changed my life forever,” co-captain junior Nate Simon says. “Mock trial helps with public speaking which will benefit me forever.”

Many believe the team dynamic of Mock Trial differentiates it from other extracurricular activities.

“In debate a team is much smaller – or it is an individual pursuit,” national high school Mock Trial chairperson John Wheeler says. “In Mock Trial to really succeed, all members of a team must be committed to practice.”

Despite extra work, the national high school Mock Trial manager Emily Reilly say students will benefit in many ways from participating.

“It is a great place for students who are interested in the law to get hands-on exposure, but the advocacy, teamwork and critical thinking skills are really the focus of the program,” Reilly says.

Wojciechowski agrees with Reilly, citing many of her former students that are now successful attorneys and who attribute their success to the 27 year-old Maryland Mock Trial program.

“It always amazes me the things that students come up with, angles of the case that we never thought of or twists that were totally unintentional but that work in the court room,” Reilly says. 

Facebook users give back, donate with a click of a button

By Zach Schloss

In today’s increasingly technological world, one click can feed a starving child, raise money for cancer research or help bring your favorite Mexican restaurant chain to your hometown.

“I’m a Chipotle addict. I’m addicted to their burritos,” says Maryland delegate Alfred Carr, who started a Facebook group to bring a Chipotle to Kensington, MD. “The group started to grow and kind of snowballed from there. We quickly got a bunch of members talking about the whole idea.”

The group, now 276 strong, seems to have achieved its goal; Chipotle is now negotiating a lease to set up shop in a vacant space in Kensington, Carr says.

Even students have begun using Facebook to raise awareness about their cause. Whitman students have created groups advocating for a lower drinking age and urging people to vote for Caroline Ginolfi (’08), as part of a campaign to raise money for breast cancer awareness ending on Dec. 5. A Facebook group also appeared encouraging people to vote for defensive tackle Danny Lee to be Maryland’s Army Iron Man of the Year. The group helped Lee come in second place in the contest, which ended on Nov. 29.

In her senior year, Aidan Chambers (’09), created a Facebook group called “We Need YOUR Help to Save Whitman and Go Green,” which advocated for the elimination of Styrofoam cafeteria trays in Montgomery County. Although MCPS refused to make the change due to budgetary restraints, Chambers says that she thinks the group raised a significant amount of awareness.

“I wanted to get as many people as possible to go along with the cause,” Chambers says. “I figured the best way to do it would be to send it out on a Facebook group, because I knew that if I just had a written petition

I wouldn’t be able to reach out to as many people. It’s much easier for people to see when it’s on Facebook.”

As Facebook has expanded to over 300 million active users, it has become an increasingly effective means for people to promote causes of all kinds.

Carr started a group to achieve his goal, but there is now a “Causes” application available for download. A variety of non-profit organizations use the application to help raise money for causes ranging from combating cancer to ending genocide in Darfur.

Over 230,000 non-profit organizations use the application, according to the Washington Post. The top five organizations have raised over two million dollars and boast over 1.3 million members combined.

The application encourages users to donate money and recruit others to join a cause by ranking the top donors and holding competitions to see what organizations can raise the most money.

“Facebook is a phenomenal tool for any kind of cause: something that is more political or something more light-hearted like this one,” Carr says. “It’s such a quick way of spreading the idea around and getting other people to support it.”

On Sept. 29, the Montgomery County Council voted in favor of a proposal by County Executive Isiah Legget to provide the golf course with $150,000 to continue its operations for another nine months, making the groups’ efforts at least a temporary success.

Carr notes that that the primary advantage of creating Facebook groups is the ability to reach the diverse pool of users the site attracts.

“It’s great for bringing in young people who might not necessarily be voters but care about their issues and causes,” he says. “It’s a way for them to get involved and voice their opinions.” 

The top 5 causes by total dollars donated:

photo courtesy

FACEBOOK

20

feature

december 16, 2009

Best Buddies participants inspired to pursue careers in teaching

By Zach Schloss

As a junior, Tyler Wood (’09) was made a teacher’s aide in a special education class after he dropped his language class. Now a freshman at the University of Alabama, Wood is studying special education in grades six through 12 and hopes to become a special ed teacher.

Wood had no idea what to expect when he was enrolled in the Designated Hitter program, a student internship program lead by Steve Sutherland, a teacher in the Learning for Independence Program. Now, two years later,Wood plans to pursue a career like Sutherland’s, teaching students with autism.

Wood never expected to fall in love with the program.

“You get a pretty good connection with the kids from working with them,” he says. “Before, I didn’t really understand what the whole class was about, like who the kids were. Then I bonded with them from working with them every day.”

Wood’s story is hardly unique. Two or three former participants in Designated Hitters and Best Buddies are currently studying special education in college, and seven more seniors plan to pursue careers in special education as well, says Sutherland.

This influx of students interested in teaching special education comes at a good time. The U.S. Department of Education says that the number of special needs students is increasing at a faster rate than the general population. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also predicts that the need for special education teachers will increase more quickly than the need for students entering other professions over the next decade.

Sutherland is glad that he’s been able to inspire students to pursue special education professionally and says that many students would never have considered the special ed career option without the DH program.

“A lot of time people don’t find their niche in what they want to do in life, and it’s great knowing that I can bring that out in them,” he says. “Hopefully, when they go into a teaching career they can do the same thing for their class.”

Although student internships in the special ed classes were available prior to Sutherland’s arrival, he suggested using the name Designated Hitters, a reference to the baseball player who hits in place of the pitcher. The name originated at Walter Johnson high

school and was later adapted by Watkins Mill, where Sutherland attended high school.

Sutherland himself was a Designated Hitter and knew ever since that he wanted to be a special education teacher. He says his job allows him to build stronger bonds with his students in a way other teachers don’t have a chance to.

“Everyone in the classroom just has a different amazing personality,” he says. “I have David the cartoonist and Kathryn the dancer. You don’t typically see that in the general classes.”

Whitman’s special education program has evolved significantly since its inception. When Veronica Garner began teaching the School Community-Based program, another special education program, at Whitman in 1989, she says there were not nearly as many student photo by ZACH SCHLOSS aides as today.

Sutherland was hired to teach the LFI program when it was added three years ago. Garner says Designated Hitters sponsor Steve Sutherland encourages his the class is generally for slightly higher-functioning student aides to pursue careers in special education. students than those who are in enrolled in the SCB career in special education. program. Initially, the class only had two students.

Garner believes participation in the DH program Senior Alex Pellegrino, one of the first two students, increases the likelihood of a student choosing to pursue says he prefers the current class size, now at 21. special education as a career.

“Things now are better, because I like it when “I think they see a new side of teaching—some of other people go to my class,” he says. “I like to talk it’s academics; some of its functional academics,” she to them.” says. “When they see those functional things, it seems Since Sutherland began the DH program, it has more personal and they see a side of teaching they don’t successfully helped students in both the LFI and SCB normally see in their classrooms.” classes, Garner says.

Many of the students involved in Designated Hitters The DH program had a profound impact on Adele and Best Buddies attribute their success to Sutherland, Carnemark (‘09), who is now majoring in special who was named Middle & High School Advisor of education at James Madison University and plans to the Year in 2008, and to senior David Garrison, work with autistic elementary school students after she the Best Buddies chapter president, who has twice graduates. Carnemark discovered her love of special been nominated for Chapter President of the Year in education sophomore year, she says, even before she Maryland. joined Best Buddies or Designated Hitters.

“Sutherland doesn’t come across as teaching special “People that know me really well call me a special ed students,” says senior Mikayla Turkewitz, who has a ed geek,” she says. “I find it fascinating as much as I sibling in the special ed program. “His whole thing is want to help.” to not baby the students, which is what some people’s Passion seems to be a common trait among natural thought is.” participants in the various special ed programs. When Best Buddies, meanwhile, has won numerous senior Aaron Williams first joined Best Buddies as a awards, including the 2007 award for best chapter in freshman, he did so primarily as a way to get to know Maryland.

Sutherland, who coached him on the JV baseball “Since freshman year, I’ve seen and witnessed a team. change,” Carnemark says. “Seeing [Sutherland] work “Since then, it’s just evolved into me loving the and takes away all those negative stereotypes for a lot club,” he says, adding that he has been considering a of people, especially in this community.” 

Listservs: the new picket fence

By Rachel Nussbaum

“Definitely, people are using it.”

Likewise, the Mohican’s network The annoyingly cheerful neighbor gives neighbors an opportunity to sticking her head over the fence to compare experiences with service “chat” is an antiquated stereotype that’s providers, according to Kim Schifrin, usually found more on television than in a Whitman parent and moderator of backyards. But in some neighborhoods the site.

“I think that most residents use it the fence has been replaced by a list serv, to find recommendations for services,” as neighborhood news goes digital.

Bethesda neighborhoods like River Schifrin says. “Most people will want Falls, Fort Sumner and Mohican have people that they know their neighbors created networks to facilitate easy have had.”

The River Falls chat network allows communication between neighbors.

They serve as digital town halls, a residents the chance to talk about place for residents to air comments everything from the best exterminator and concerns without the podium and t o s u s p i c i o u s i n c i d e n t s i n t h e neighborhood. gavel.

“It’s a time-saver,” says Natalie “It brought us into the 21st century, finally,” Mary Sue Johnson, president of Mahdesian. “It’s like an instantaneous the Sumner Citizens Association, says. Y e l l o w P a g e s , b u t w i t h g o o d “And we have all kinds of neighborhood references.”

However, some students say that community news on it, as well as county news and state and local news. And the network has become just another information from the County Council, way for nosy parents to spy on their so we can let people know about those children.

“I think it’s a way for River Falls kinds of events coming up.”

Johnson says that in addition to moms to gossip about their kids,” senior news, residents post recommendations Jonathan Daniels says. “It’s pretty for certain service providers and much pointless.”

Parents have sent emails concerning requests for odd jobs.

“Literally, within about twelve hours teenagers’ activities and whereabouts, she had thirty different emails,” says something Daniels considers more Johnson, talking about the responses gossipy chat than significant.

“It’s good for some things,” Daniels to her daughter’s request after posting her job qualifications on the network. says. “But not the part that’s like a detective.”

Mahdesian says that although the network has been used for gossip occasionally, like one instance when neighborhood kids logged onto a family’s account and posted false rumors about people in the neighborhood, such posts are uncommon.

“Some people tend to use it in a way to embarrass somebody, but very rarely does that happen,” It’s like instantaneous Mahdesian says. “I don’t read those emails.” yellow pages.

Unlike those neighborhood gossips who cornered residents -Natalie Mahdesian in the past, list servs let residents decide if they want to be Whitman parent included.

“You have the option of just deleting them,” Mahdesian says. 

“

”

MCPS officials now twittin’ like birds

By Rachel Lerner

It’s midnight. You’re filled with exciting promise of snow the next day.

You continue to refresh and refresh the MCPS web page, hoping for the bold red letters to appear, declaring “SCHOOL CANCELLED.” But the webpage stays unchanged. You fall asleep with your hand still grasping the mouse. Click. Click. Click.

This winter, MCPS hopes to notify students and parents of snow days through a more immediate and convenient medium: Twitter. The district officers already “tweets” about early release days and changes to school schedules.

MCPS is just one school system across the country that has added Facebook and Twitter to their arsenal of communication tools.

“Students, parents, and staff are busy and mobile during the day,” said Dana Tofig, director of the MCPS Public Information Office. “They often rely on their mobile devices for information and updates, and we want to make MCPS information as accessible as possible to them on the devices they use most.”

MCPS set up a Twitter account this past June and currently boasts over 1,500 followers, many of whom are students.

MCPS officers “tweet” about everything from board meetings and county-wide events to specific information about individual schools.

One Nov. 18 “tweet” read, “Board of Education to decide on facilities, boundaries and capital improvements tomorrow night at 7 p.m.” The next day’s post read, “The thrill of the

orchestra! All 10,000 second graders visit Strathmore to hear the National Philharmonic.”

Sophomore Sarah Backenstoe, who follows the MCPS Twitter, thinks that even more students would follow the page if the updates were less formal.

“I think that if MCPS were to make their twitter more personable and less standardized, it would be more student friendly,” she said.

Tofig credits MCPS online expansion to the prior success of both the MCPS website, which gets more than half a million hits a week, and MCPS Quicknotes, an email newsletter with more than 40,000 subscribers.

MCPS will assemble a group in the next few weeks of staff to look at other social media sites such as Facebook, and show how they can be used most efficiently for the county, Tofig said. “[Online expansion] is not the future, it’s the present,” Tofig said.

“We are doing more and more online each year. It’s an exciting challenge to keep up with all the new technologies and tools that are available for communications.”

Since the beginning of the year, the media center has also had its own Twitter page. The media center has yet to post more than one tweet but specialist Ginny Trulio said that they hope to expand their page by next semester and attract new followers.

“I’m constantly checking my phone throughout the day for updates on celebrities and friends that I follow,” Backenstoe said. “It’s great that I can check for school news at the same time.” 

december 16, 2009

Arts

21

Meet the Whitman Idols!

The Whitman Idols sound-off before their Jan. 27 performance.

“I hope that it will be a lot of fun for those in it and those watching” - Senior Ellen Hoffman

“It’s a great way to get involved with music aside from the plays” - Freshman Emma Keltetas

“I mainly want to have a good time. I don’t expect to win or anything; I just want to see other people’s talents” - Sophomore Samantha Thurber

Keene plays drums for School of Rock All-Stars Band to embark on cross-country tour

by Sahil Ansari

photo courtesy

SARAH TYSON

Junior band performs at Verizon Center, records album

By Julia Dane and Parissa Jaseb Junior Sarah Tyson shifts her weight as she steps up to the microphone, her hair catching the light. As she and juniors Emily Park, Adam Horin and Brett Horin begin singing the opening stanzas of the national anthem, hundreds of spectators rise to attention and everyone is still, save for the chestnut mare whisking its tail at the side of the arena. It’s a late October evening at the Verizon Center, and Whitman band, Edge of the Border, is opening the 50th Annual Washington International Horse Show.

“We were doing a gig in Bethesda and a woman came up to us and asked if we wanted to sing the national anthem at the event,” Park says, “It was really cool.”

Park plays drums, Tyson sings, and the Horin brothers, Adam and Brett, play guitar and bass respectively. Band director Terry Alvey says each member in the band is very skilled at his or her instruments.

“They are extremely talented, classically trained musicians,” she says.

“They are always prepared, always making contributions to the group. They are leaders.”

While Adam writes the lyrics for most of the bands songs, all of the members contribute to the band’s overall sound.

“It’s a collaborative effort,” Adam says.

“We all add our ideas to the songs.”

Since their Verizon Center showopener in 2008, the band has released an EP on iTunes called “The Window.” The album has three original songs, recorded

and produced at Blue House Studios in Silver Spring. Park says that their music, which she describes as soft rock with a hint of jazz, is inspired by artists like KT Tunstall and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Currently, the band is in the process of putting together a full-length album of original songs. Adam says that the band is drifting toward a new sound by incorporating piano, saxophone and strings on their new album.

“We want to have edgier songs, so you get to see a darker side of our music,” he adds.

Edge of the Border says they’ve finished writing the album, but the recording process has stalled due to lack of funds. Money earned from gigs and the album on iTunes will go towards studio time, but due to the band members’ hectic schedules, gigs are few and far between.

“We want to play more shows, like in front of Haagen-Daz,” Park says. “But it’s hard right now because it’s junior year.”

The band’s name was inspired by an encounter with a confused onlooker during a gig, who thought they were playing in front of Borders instead of Barnes and Nobles. The band thought the implication that they were playing on “the edge” of Borders was funny enough to incorporate into their namesake.

She adds that high school graduation won’t stop the band from jamming together.

“Everyone in the band is really supportive of each other,” Park says.

“Even if we all go to different schools, we will still get together when we come back.” 

Over winter break, while some kids are visiting grandma’s or hitting the ski slopes, sophomore Hunter Keene will be in a slightly different locale – a tour bus.

As a drummer in the School of Rock All-Stars program, Keene will embark on a mini-tour at the end of December. The tour consists of six shows at venues all across the country, including ones in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Baltimore, though Keene says these locations are subject to change.

The band he will play in rotates members depending on the song, with each musician getting to play at least a couple of songs. Keene will play mostly classic rock like Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Pink Floyd.

Keene, who has been playing drums for five years, first joined Paul Green’s School of Rock three years ago when he wanted drum lessons. He currently goes to School of Rock’s Silver Spring location, one of 67 across the country. Every Thursday he spends half of a three hour session in a private lesson and the other half rehearsing with the band, an experience he says builds teamwork.

“It helps me learn how to work with other musicians and figure things out,” he says.

School of Rock, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1998, gives kids of all ages an opportunity to practice and play shows with a real rock and roll band. According to its website, School of Rock aims “to put them on stage in front of as many people as possible and to help foster a new generation of incredible musicians.” The students in the program play hundreds of concerts a year in venues across the country.

At the recommendation of the music director, Keene auditioned this summer for the prestigious School of Rock AllStars, an elite sect of the School of Rock program.

Though his involvement in the local School of Rock branch meant playing a

photo courtesy

HUNTER KEENE

show about every three months, Keene wanted to take his drumming to the next level. “[The All-Stars] aren’t just local,” he says. “You get to learn stuff about going on the road.”

Keene has been going to Philadelphia every single weekend since September to rehearse for the upcoming tour. Since several of the 20 All-Stars live in the DC area, Keene carpools every Saturday, making the commute slightly easier but still time-consuming.

At first, the trips to Philadelphia were also the biggest deterrent for his mother, Kathy Keene, who wasn’t looking forward to the long drives.

“Once he got in [to the All-Stars] I couldn’t say no,” she says. “I knew it would be an amazing experience to tour.”

Keene plans to continue with School of Rock throughout high school and as of now, his drumming aspirations extend far beyond graduation.

“I wanna be a professional musician,” he says instinctively. “For now that’s what I’m gonna try to do.” 

22

Students use energy drinks to replace sleep with sugar

By Sahil Ansari Everyone in your house is asleep, but you’re stuck on page two of your six-page research paper that’s due the next day. As your eyelids begin to droop, you consider calling it a night. But then you reach for salvation in a shiny green can – Monster energy drink.

Despite the harmful side effects associated with drinks like Red Bull, Rock Star and Doubleshot, they have become a sugary alternative to getting a good night’s sleep for high school students across the world.

Since energy drink production skyrocketed in 2006 with the launch of over 500 different brands, the industry has grown almost 75 percent per year. By 2010 the energy drink business is expected to top $10 billion, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

Junior Jiko Mendoza may be responsible for a solid percentage of those sales. Mendoza, who became a fan of energy drinks in sixth grade, drinks two Red Bulls a day – one “dose” in the morning for a pre-dawn kick and one in the evening to help him plow through homework and crash just in time for bed.

“It gives you a ton of energy,” he says. “It’s basically like you’re on drugs but not really.”

Mendoza says that he has yet to experience any side effects or health issues as a result of his twice-daily habit.

Nevertheless, potential effects, like an increase in heart rate, are creating substantial controversy in the medical community.

Roberta Anding, the dietician for the Houston Texans football team, has found that teens use energy drinks like Red Bull, Vault and Jolt to try and get by without the proper amount of sleep during the most stressful years of high schools.

“High school students today are trying to do everything and do it well to have a lovely resume,” Anding says. “Sleep is the only place where time can be cut.”

Although studies of the long-term effects of the drinks are inconclusive, Anding says that from her observations energy drink consumption can, in some cases, make it almost impossible for users to sleep or concentrate.

Chugging energy drinks is no substitute for a good night’s sleep and doesn’t do much to keep people alert in the long run. While it does provide a temporary alertness, drinkers continuously down cans throughout the day in an attempt to ward off fatigue and weariness, Anding says.

And unlike coffee and tea, which have natural antioxidants, energy drinks don’t come from a bean or a leaf. They are made from chemicals produced in a lab.

graphic by

NEILL ROBERTSON

arts

december 16, 2009

“Mother nature did a great job with food,” Anding says. “Energy drinks are a manufactured product geared towards business.”

One of the main ingredients in energy drinks, in addition to caffeine, is taurine. The Henry Ford Hospital study showed that taurine was largely responsible for the increased heart rate in consumers.

For sophomore David Newman, a daily can of Red Bull goes a long way in helping him finish his homework on a late night.

“I get so much more done, and I can really stay focused,” he says. “If I drink one at nine, I can’t fall asleep until one or two.”

He drinks Red Bull almost exclusively – not only because he likes the taste and claims other drinks don’t work as well, but because Red Bull’s extreme photo by SARAH KLOTZ sports endorsements make it more appealing.

“Red Bull is at all the action sports events,” Newman says. “They sponsor Motocross and all those crazy things.”

The companies target adolescent males almost exclusively and give the drinks names like Monster and Jolt to market the “tough guy mentality,” Anding says.

“You rarely see an energy drink in a pink can,” she says.

Drinks like Red Bull contain 120 grams of caffeine per 12-ounce can – nearly four times the amount than in Coca-Cola and two to three times as much as coffee.

While some teens like Mendoza and Newman are unfazed by the drinks, others have noticed some negative effects.

Sophomore Collier Camp, who used to drink Red Bull once a day “just for fun,” decided to stop when the drink began to make him feel lazy.

“I didn’t even get that much energy,” he says. “I’d just feel awful afterwards.”

And one mixture that supposedly makes teens feel even more awful is the potent combination of energy drinks and alcohol. In November, these drinks caught the attention of the FDA, who began an investigation into the safety of these drinks.

“It’s really dangerous because the energy drink makes you feel alert and makes you think you are less drunk than you actually are,” Anding says.

Miller Brewing makes Sparks, and Anheuser-Busch makes Tilt, both caffeinated drinks with higher amounts of alcohol than beer. An alternative party drink is a “heart-attack” – vodka mixed with Red Bull.

Anding’s advice for energy drink consumers is simple: “There’s no substitute for sleep. Do yourself a favor – stop studying and get some sleep.” 

‘Leggo my Eggo!’

By Hailey Siller Imagine a world without waffles. Many would say that that’s no world at all.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t understand the concept of “Leggo My Eggo.” Kellogg’s Eggo waffle bakery in Atlanta has flooded due to extreme weather conditions this past fall, in addition to existing equipment failures at their largest bakery in Tennessee.

Widespread response to this news has been nothing short of outrage.

“There’s an Eggo Waffle shortage?!” freshmen Moriah Heaney exclaims. “I might not be able to make it through this week!”

What many students rely on to start their day right has gone so, so wrong. But, rest assured, the product will be available sometime before we’re dead.

“The Eggo team is working around the clock to bring everyone’s favorite waffles back to store shelves as quickly as possible,” according to the Kellogg website.

The team better get on it or they may have more than a few upset teens on their hands.

“Every day when I get home I find myself craving some sort of delicious treat,” sophomore Ari Kapner says. “Usually what I’m searching for are frozen Eggo waffles!”

According to National Public Radio, waffles are still being produced at bakeries in San Jose, CA and Blue Anchor, NJ. Angry Eggo fans will not be alone during this holiday season. Due to heavy rains in the Morton, IL area, Nestle’s Libby’s pumpkins were not able to be harvested.

“This is the first time in decades that we have

graphic by

ELENA TOUMAYAN

experienced such very poor weather conditions affecting our harvest,” says Roz Ohearn, the Marketing and Communications Director of Nestle Prepared Foods Company.

He says tractors and other harvesting equipment were unable to move through the fields and prepare them for harvest, meaning that this year, some had to go without the sole reason for celebrating Thanksgiving– pumpkin pie.

As a result of the shortage, Libby’s managers have decided to not ship anymore pumpkin pie mix and canned pumpkin products until 2010, when hopefully Mother Nature will take pity on the pumpkin-lovers of the world.

“We hope she’s better to us next season, giving us a little less rain and a lot more sunshine, because we are already planning to plant even more acres of pumpkins,” Libby’s staff says in an apology posted on their website.

“This way everyone can enjoy as many delicious pumpkin dishes as they want!”

Without the trusty golden goodness of Kellogg’s Eggo waffles or Libby’s perfect pumpkin pies to snack on, some students are not sure how they will make do with significantly less delectable alternatives.

“I am absolutely heartbroken,” junior Hannah Nowack says. “I will not be able to function without my daily Eggo chocolate chip waffle before school!” 

Hip-hop scene develops in D.C. Wale, XO weigh in on hip-hop, D.C. culture

By Adam Glazer For D.C., a city that has never had a distinct hiphop sound or prominent emcee before, 2009 has been an exceptionally busy year.

“Attention Deficit,” released Nov. 3, is the debut album of D.C. - based emcee Wale, who performed at the 2009 BET Hip-Hop Awards and has a hit single, “D.C. Chillin,” number 32 on the Billboard charts. In October, D.C. lyrical powerhouses XO, yU and Oddisee, who go by the name Diamond District, released their debut album, “In the Ruff,” which held a top 10 spot for a week on iTunes. XO released his solo debut, “Monumental,” in June, which received over 40,000 downloads.

Hip-hop originated in the south Bronx during the late 70s, when break-dancing, graffiti, DJ’ing, emceeing and street knowledge all came together to form the first hip-hop culture. Back in the day, hiphop was an integral part of the culture of the innercity working class youth and took root in African and Latino American neighborhoods.

If you asked a hip-hop fan where to find a strong hip-hop scene, they’d probably direct you to New York, hip-hop’s birthplace; Atlanta, home of the Braves, Falcons and “dirty south hip-hop”; or Los Angeles, the city of g-funk and gangsta rap But until recently, D.C. wouldn’t have made the list.

D.C. is better known as the founder of go-go, a subgenre of funk that is often referred to as the “soul of the city.” Other notable musicians who have hailed from the capital include Chuck Brown, known as the “godfather of go-go,” Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, punk bands Bad Brains and Minor Threat and electrorockers Thievery Corporation.

Large record companies initially dismissed hiphop as a fad, but finally caught on after songs like “Rappers Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang, the first hiphop single to become a top 40 hit, started to sell.

Wale, a Quince Orchard (‘01) alum who recalls playing football against Whitman, remembers growing up with hip-hop.

“It’s everywhere you look,” Wale says. “I just remember it being all around me.”While at Quince Orchard, Wale says he developed a talent and passion for emceeing.

“It’s like public speaking,” he says. “I was always good at that – standing in front of a class, getting their attention.”

While “Attention Deficit” is Wale’s first studio album, he has garnered much attention through other songs and projects such as “The Mix-tape About Nothing” and collaborations with Kid Cudi, Gucci Mane and Lady Gaga.

His 2007 hit, “Nike Boots,” which includes a shout-out to Montgomery County, not only helped boost Wale’s fame, but made Nike boots, officially named Nike Air Max Goadomes, a trademark of D.C. hip-hop.

XO acknowledges Wale’s success, but takes note to differentiate himself, saying that he’s going to continue what he’s been doing.

“I hope his album does well, but I’m in my own lane,” he says.

XO started his rapping career in his teens by participating in open mics and earning respect in freestyle circles, known as ciphers, in the U-street area around 1997.

XO plans to release his sophomore LP, “1-110,” on the same date as the album title, which will be available for download on his label’s website, studio43.com.

Wale and XO have very different sounds, but both are reflective of D.C. and offer different styles to the same genre.

“My sound is all over the place-soul influences, go-go influences, as well as more organic hip-hop,” Wale says.

XO heavily emphasizes meaningful lyrics, something that is becoming more of an underground, art as opposed to rapping about clothes and going to clubs.

“Thought-provoking lyrics come with thoughtprovoking topics,” XO says. “So it’s the message the machine wants to push, not the music.”

When asked what comes to mind when they think about hip-hop, XO and Wale seem to agree on what hip-hop should be.

“I think about expression, the capabilities of a message through hip-hop,” XO says.

“I think of heads nodding to the beat and poetry – expressing yourself,” Wale says. 

december 16, 2009

arts

23

The Decade in Entertainment

Top 10 movies of the decade

by Parissa Jaseb

2000: Gladiator

When Roman general, Maximus Decimus Meridias (Russell Crowe) is chosen over the emperor’s son to assume power as leader, the prince betrays the general and murders his family.

The film incorporated great action scenes, with fighting, blood and conflict, this movie kept viewers hooked on the screen. It’s no wonder this film won five Oscars.

2001: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy tells the story of a hobbit named Frodo who must destroy a powerful but dangerous ring. Based off the popular book by J.R.R. Tolkien, this is one of the best film adaptations ever. The trilogy racked up 17 Oscars in total and made over $1 million worldwide.

2002: Chicago

Through show tunes, elaborate sets and revealing costumes, “Chicago,” tells the story of two showgirls, one already a star and the other who dreams of becoming one, who find themselves in jail for murder. Jazzy songs like “Cell Block Tango” create an edgy but upbeat tempo. “Chicago” won six Oscars including one for Catherine Zeta-Jones’s fiery performance as murderess Velma Kelly.

2003: Pirates of the Caribbean:The Curse of the Black Pearl

The film, about a young blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) who falls in love with the governor’s daughter (Keira Knightly), has become an instant classic, popular among kids and adults alike. When the governor’s daughter gets kidnapped by pirates, the blacksmith teams up with swashbuckling pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to save her. The film became a vast and popular franchise, churning out posters and Halloween costumes, and making over $655 million worldwide.

2004: Hotel Rwanda

Hotel Rwanda follows a Hutu hotel manager who rescues Tutsi natives during the time of bloody and brutal genocide in Rwanda.

This film is based on a true story, and the superb acting coupled with the powerful story reaches across time and age divisions.

Accordingly, “Hotel Rwanda” was nominated for three Oscars.

2005: Wedding Crashers

This lighthearted comedy tells the story of two friends (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn) who show up to weddings uninvited in order to score girls. Wilson and Vaughn make a great team; their charisma and chemistry are undeniable, and their comedic timing is impeccable. Though overlooked by the Academy, “Wedding Crashers” is a crowd-pleaser that helped cement Wilson and Vaughn as comedy heavyweights.

2006: Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine tells the story of a 10 year old girl who dreams of competing in a beauty pageant, and a not-so-average family, from a druggie grandfather to a suicidal uncle, who road trips to California for a beauty competition. This film is full of dry humor, and audiences are guaranteed plenty of laughs, but this family is more than just dysfunctional. In the end, they come together to show what it truly means to be related.

2007: No Country for Old Men

When a typical man named Llewelyn Moss finds $2 million left behind after a drug deal goes wrong, he decides to take the money and run. With a drug dealer/killer Anton Chigurh on his trail, he plays a game of cat and mouse while police sheriff Ed Tom Bell always stays just one step behind. This thriller won four Oscars, including one for best picture and does Cormac McCarthy’s critically acclaimed novel justice.

2008: Slumdog Millionaire

“Slumdog Millionaire,” a film that was shot in India and stars no big-name actors, tells the story of an Indian boy, Jamal, as he competes for a million dollars on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Filled with snap shots of Jamal’s life, the film depicts a harrowing and shockingly realistic account of life in impoverished India. The movie ultimately made $160 million worldwide and won eight Oscars, not bad for a film made for only $1 million.

2009: Where the Wild Things Are

The film, based on a children’s book by Maurice Sendak, tells the story of a young boy, Max, who feels misunderstood at home and transports himself to a world of monsters and imagination.

Director Spike Jonze (87’) turns this short story into a two hour long film, giving each character emotions and personality, allowing both adults and children to fall in love with the characters and the film in general.

Collectors’ items: albums of the year since 2000

by Julia Dane

2000: All That You Can’t Leave Behind by U2

It really was a beautiful day when U2 released All That You Can’t Leave Behind. After years of experimentation with different genres like electronic, U2 found its niche on the airwaves with pop. Led by strong singles “Beautiful Day” and “Elevation,” the album was able to accomplish one of the most difficult tasks in the music business: pleasing the critics, the old fans and the new fans simultaneously.

2001: Love and Theft by Bob Dylan

Never before had the music scene seen so many genres packed into one album than on Bob Dylan’s Love and Theft.

After a decade passed without him producing a new song, Dylan released Love and Theft as his comeback album. Not only did he exceed expectations, but he did it while using less popular styles like folk and blue-grass (impressive) and singing about Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (super impressive).

2002: Sea Change by Beck

Considering that Beck wrote Sea Change after breaking up with his longtime girlfriend, it could have easily turned into a mopey, self-absorbed mess. But though Beck crooned mostly in monotone, the acoustic guitar and soft vocals created a bleakly beautiful album.

2003: Elephant by White Stripes

White Stripes did everything right in Elephant. The rock duo, while staying true to its Led Zeppelin-inspired retro style, flawlessly fused different genres, from the smashing guitar riffs of rock to blues piano chords. The album didn’t have much competition in this reporter’s book, up only against Justin Timberlake’s Justified, a popular but unjustified debut into the world of solo artists.

2004: American Idiot by Green Day

On American Idiot, Green Day produced something that isn’t ordinarily seen on an album but nevertheless proved effective: a story line that smoothly connects all the songs.

Plus, the album covered the country’s political failures during the George W. Bush era, and who doesn’t like to bash (or listen to people bash) the president who brought us No Child Left Behind and the Iraq War.

2005: Late Registration by Kanye West

After a slew of unimaginative lyrics and dry albums, the rap scene seemed to be falling into a slump. But Kanye’s Late Registration redeemed rap with instant hits like “Gold Digger” and “Hey Mama.” The album was a triumph in versatility, showing off Kanye’s wit and political savvy while also revealing his sensitive side.

2006: Continuum by John Mayer

It’s no secret that John Mayer had (okay, still has) a bit of an ego problem, but with the release of Continuum, he at least had something to back it up. By intelligently fusing blues, R&B and pop, Mayer produced an album that validated his reputation for being a thoughtful, gifted musician, and proved him to be more than just a pretty face for girls to swoon over.

2007: Kala by M.I.A.

For M.I.A.’s Kala, the term “sophomore slump” didn’t apply. The Sri Lankan rapper brought back the infectious, chaotic beats from her successful debut album that have become her signature, and the results are surprisingly fresh, giving fans even more to satisfy their appetites for the neonwearing rapper’s electronic beats and cheeky lyrics.

2008: Viva la Vida by Coldplay

With Viva la Vida, Coldplay set themselves apart from the overflowing pool of rock bands by creating a completely unexpected album. Considered the band’s “experimental” album, Viva la Vida incorporated exotic instruments like the Persian santur, a trapezoid-shaped instrument with 96 strings.

The album was greeted with critical and commercial success, with hits like the title track and “Violet Hill” dominating the airwaves.

2009: Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective

This year, Animal Collective created an album some might interpret as weird and difficult to understand. But in contrast to the sea of pop and dance albums released this year, Merriweather Post Pavilion was innovative. By fusing psychedelic sounds, bursts of noise, whining vocals and a variety of instruments and textures, the band invented a distinctive style that couldn’t be placed in any specific genre.

24

Arts

december 16, 2009

The first flakes of this school year fell earlier in the week, an official indication that winter has arrived. As we move farther into the month of December and the winter solstice approaches, days become shorter and the darkness of night becomes nearly omnipresent. Many students arrive before the crack of dawn and leave after the sun has set. And while this might seem depressing to some, think of it as just another reminder that winter break is right around the corner and yet another year is coming to an end. Endings lead to new beginnings, and the end of 2009 means the beginning of a whole new decade. It also means the end of the era in which many of us grew up and the beginning of a whole new chapter of our lives.

photos by

KEEGAN BARBER

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