Pitch Walter Johnson High School
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2011
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IE W V E R N I R A E Y
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3 17 Volume 55 Issue 4
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814
thepitch@walterjohnson.com
301 803 7302
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NEWS
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
CONTENTS
News
LETTER FROM THE
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3 2010 in Review 4 Police Officers in Schools 4 Leadership Class
EDITORS
Editorial
6 Up at Bat: What Nickname do you go by? 7 Loopholes in the Grading System 7 Foul Ball: Just Dancin’ 8 Curveball: Admitting Yourself 8 Too Many Dancing and Singing Shows 8 SGA Interviews 9 Pitch Opinion 9 Watching YouTube Videos in Class 9 Slugger: The War on Laziness
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We’ve made it to 2011! To ring in the NewYear, The Pitch staff took it upon themselves to bring our readers a review of 2010 and preview what is to come in the upcoming year. From the Silly Bandz fad to our heavy reliance on Facebook, the Tiger Woods scandal to the FIFA World Cup, last year was riddled with shockers and stretchy bracelets. On the horizon is the approaching Super Bowl XLV face-off between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburg Steelers. The children in us are anticipating the final installment of the Harry Potter series that will sadly be coming to an end. Looking back at 2010 more closely, we took great strides toward a more advanced, more technologically savvy world. However, as we improved, did we also fall back? With all this new techology, like the iPad and the Kindle, did our reliance on the new and the now begin a cycle of hinderance on our ability to live without gadgets? This became painfully clear during the recent power outages when we found ourselves going to bed early because we couldn’t find anything to do without internet or television. Whatever happened to being holed up with a book for hours on end? Or playing board games with the family? So, will we all be driving tiny electric cars wearing our PajamaJeans? For now we’ll just have to wait and see what 2011 will bring.
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Feature
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10-11 Year in Review/Preview 12 Principal . . . Revealed 13 From WJ to MTV: McKenzie Brodnick
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Arts and Entertainment
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14 Out of Left Field: Review and Preview of 2010 and 2011 14 Out and About: Winter Edition 15 Required Reading Review 16 Movies from the Vault
Sports 17 17 19 19 20
Feature on Karina Bond, WJ coach Roundtable Stat Sheet Underclassmen Athletes Referee Feature
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- Alexandra Sanfuentes and Sasha Tycko Print Editors-in-Chief
www.wjpitch.com
PITCH ONLINE Top Five world news stories
A Speech Worth Listening To: Review of The King’s Speech
It’s Time For Tea: Tea Club Profile Editors-in-Chief Alexandra Sanfuentes Sasha Tycko Katie Levingston* Abby Singley*
Arts & Entertainment Editors Sophie Meade Ian Green*
News Editors Devon Murtha Ali Jawetz*
Assistant Arts & Ent. Editor Eleanor Janhunen
Assistant News Editor Julia Cinquegrani Sports Editors Parker Smith Daniel Fanaroff*
Feature Editors Rosie Hammack Lily Sieradzki Sari Amiel* Taliah Dommerholt*
Careers of the Week: Genetic Counselor
THE
STAFF
The Pitch is published eight times a year by the students of Walter Johnson High School, 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814. Advertising and subscription rates are available by calling 301-803-7302. Editorial opinions represent those of The Pitch staff and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff, faculty, or student body. We welcome letters, articles, photographs and artwork, to be submitted to room 211 or e-mailed to thepitch@walterjohnson. com. The Pitch is an award-winning paper that works towards providing the student body with accurate, as well as credible, information.
Editorial Editors Assistant Sports Editors Liz Wasden Jessica Evans* Hannah Flesch Phillip Resnick Assistant Editorial Editor Daniel Gorelik* Ryan Lynch
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009
*Online Editors
Maryland HS Journalism Award Best Newspaper Overall Third Place 2009-2010 American Scholastic Press Association First Place Special Merit 2008-2009
A College Football Playoff: Not As Easy As It Seems
Staff Writers Brendan Benge Cameron Keyani Josh Benjamin Alex Spinard Jemile Safaraliyeva Jenny Deutsch Danielle Markowitz Girard Bucello Copy Chief Photo Editor Abby Singley Stefany Carty Copy Editors Videographer Sari Amiel Emil Hafeez Ali Jawetz Jemile Safaraliyeva Photographers Alex Spinard Danielle Markowitz PR Manager Alex Spinard Sasha Tycko Business/ Advisor Ad Manager Hilary Gates Phillip Resnick
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FEBRUARY 2, 2011
2010 review preview 2011
NEWS
L
A Year In Review
O
C A L
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W S N E
Top News Stories of 2010
By Devon Murtha
nnel
2010 was a year to be remembered. Natural disasters shook the world, millions tuned in for some of the most competitive sporting events ever and new policies and laws shaped lives around the world. American politics dealt with gay rights, health care reform and the economy, and other parts of the world struggled with violent conflicts and made substantial changes to their governments. 2010 was packed with news-making events. Here’s a look at some of the most memorable.
ha C y r e v o Disc an Gunm
tal ironmen tered the v n e , 1 . n t On Sep James Jay Lee eeadquar ters fanatic ry Channel H red several Discover Spring. He fi s for four in Silve d held hostage ot and killed shots an efore being sh hours, b e officers. by polic
Snowma
geddon
On Feb. hit the E 5, a large snow from Ne ast Coast, stretc storm accumulaw York to the D hing snow. D ting up to 30 in.C. area, followedays later, anothe ches of alike we . Schools and in r blizzard re closed terstates .
Photo courtesy of Fritz Leiss Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Photo courtesy of fema.gov
January
February
Earthquake in Haiti
The Olympics were held in neighboring Canada, and from Feb. 12 to Feb. 28, the U.S. won 37 medals, more than any other country in 2010.
On Jan. 12, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, leaving several hundred thousands dead and over a million homeless.
Toyota Recall On Jan. 28, over four million Toyota vehicles were recalled after problems with brakes caused drivers to accelerate without the ability to stop.
Tiger Woods Apology
Attempted Time Square Bombing On May 1, the police spotted a man walking away from a smoking SUV, which was revealed to have explosive materials. Times Square was shut down, and the man was arrested while trying to board a plane to Pakistan.
On March 15, Chicago Airport became the first to use full-body scanners. The scanners have the ability to see through clothing, and travelers also have the option of a pat-down instead.
August
World Cup The 2010 World Cup started on June 11, and was hosted, for the first time ever, in Africa.
Russian Spies Deported On June 27, nine Russian spies were deported from the U.S. More attention to them ensued as suggestive photos of one of the spies, Anna Chapman, were released.
Photo courtesy of Eustaquio Santimano
Financial Reform Bill
Prop 8 Struck Down On Aug. 4, a U.S. District Judge ruled that Prop 8, which previously banned gay marriage, was unconstitutional. However, later the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily counteracted the ruling.
WikiLeaks War Documents Rob Blagojevich On July 25, thousands of confidential military documents were released on the Web site WikiLeaks.
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Toxic Flood
Royal Engagement
On Oct. 4 in Hungary, the reservoir at an alumina plant broke, causing toxic waste to flood into nearby towns. Nine people were killed and over a hundred were injured.
Chilean Miners rescued
On Oct. 13, 33 Chilean miners were rescued, having spent almost 70 days trapped underground.
Photo courtesy of fridgeirsson
On July 21, Obama signed the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which attempts to protect citizens from having to pay for Wall Street’s mistakes.
November
Rutgers Suicide
On April 20, an offshore oil rig exploded, causing 11 workers to die, and oil to pollute the gulf.
July
June
October
On Sept. 22, Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student, jumped off the George Washington Bridge after two students posted on the internet a video of Clementi and another man having sexual relations.
BP Oil Spill
Health Care Law
September On Sept. 21, the Senate dismissed a bill to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which would have allowed gays to serve openly in the military.
ur tesy of
On April 14, the Icelandic volcano erupted, spurting out smoke and forcing flights to be cancelled all over Europe. The eruption was almost as problematic as trying to pronounce the name of the volcano.
Amidst accusations of extramarital affairs, On March 23, Obama signed the health Tiger Woods officially admitted to his in- care bill, which ensured medical coverfidelity, and publicly apologized in a press age to more Americans. conference on Feb. 19.
New Prime Minister Elected David Cameron was elected to be the new prime minister of England on May 11.
Photo co
Celia Kar
p
2010 Vancouver Olympics TSA Institutes New Security Eyjafjallajökull Erupts
Photo courtesy of PR News wire/Newscom
May
April
March
After eight years of dating and much public anticipation, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced plans to be married on Nov. 16.
North Korea vs. South Korea
On Aug. 17, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was only charged with one of the 24 counts of corruption he was accused of.
December Tax Deal
On Dec. 6, Republican leaders and President Barack Obama came to a compromise: unemployment benefits were extended, and Obama agreed to continue the tax cuts created by former President George W. Bush for two more years.
storing e R r o f Rally r ow Hono e talk sh
n the nser vativ . 28, co k held a rally o “honor g u A n O nn Bec ting for host Glel Mall, advoca g proceeds a Nation rica,” and raisin ions Warrior in Ame Special Operat est speakers for the tion. Other gu nd Mar tin Founda d Sarah Palin a lveda King. include King’s niece, A ed as “nonLuther y was adver tis The ralll.” politica
ity Rally to Restore San andOct./o30r, coFmeedarians Jon Stewart
On sted a rally on the and Steven Colbert ho before midterm tly ec National Mall dir imed it was not a elections. Stewart cla ck’s rally as the media Be n response to Glen had insinuated.
On Nov. 23, two South Korean soldiers were killed during a military drill, as North Koreans fired at a South Korean island,Yeonpyeong. photo courtesy of fema.gov
MediaNews
Photo courtesy of Talk
NEWS
Funding For Student Resource Officers Budget Cuts Determine Future of SROs By Julia Cinquegrani
A recent proposal to cut the School Resource Officers (SRO) program, prompted by budget deficits, caused the Montgomery County Council to consider the necessity of having Montgomery County police officers working at middle and high schools. The County Council voted on Dec. 14 to continue funding the SROs until the end of the school year. Currently nine police officers are distributed among
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the county’s 25 high schools, 19 officers fewer than last year. The elimination of the SRO program would save the county government $518,650, according to The Gazette. For the next fiscal year, County Executive Isiah Leggett has suggested that MCPS start paying some of the costs of the SROs. Presently, all the costs of the program are paid for by the county government. This year, Officer Arnold Aubrey,WJ’s assigned police officer, splits his time among WJ, Walt Whitman and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High Schools. In previous years, WJ had its own dedicated officer. According to Robert Hellmuth, the director of the Department of School Safety and Security for MCPS, one main purpose of the SRO program is to give police officers the opportunity to “build relationships with students.” Security team leader Howard Beaubien echoed that idea. “If police officers are assigned to schools and become a part of the community, and they’re not just here to arrest people, then on some level their presence is a helpful deterrent [to crime],” he said. However, Hellmuth questioned the effectiveness of the SRO program. “Many kids didn’t even know there was a police officer assigned to their school,” he said. Because of the reduction in SROs across the county, the school’s security
guards will now have to wait for a police officer to show up in the event of an emergency. “It’s frustrating,” said Beaubien. “[WJ’s a safe school, but] not every school is as lucky as WJ is.” Some question the overall effectiveness of the SRO program and wonder about the impacts of having fewer SROs assigned to schools. Aubrey said that it does not make his job harder to be assigned to more than one high school; if he is busy at one school when an incident occurs at another school that he is assigned to, another police officer will be called in to deal with the problem. Additionally, Beaubien said that his job’s duties “haven’t changed at all” since WJ’s SRO is now assigned to more than one school. If a security problem occurs at WJ, MCPS security guards first will call the police’s non-emergency number. The police dispatcher who receives the call decides whether to dispatch the call to Aubrey or another police officer stationed near WJ. During the 2009-2010 school year, police were called to WJ 10 times, including three times for drug possession and twice each for theft and weapons possession. This year, three WJ students have been arrested for drug possession and one has been arrested for having a weapon. Not everyone is convinced that the amount of police officers assigned to
FEBRUARY 2, 2011 a school affects the number of crimes among students at the school. “In 90 percent of school shootings there was an SRO assigned to or at the school and it didn’t prevent the crime from happening.” said Hellmuth. “According to year-to-date comparison of serious incidents in all secondary schools in the county, there is no statistical difference [in crime numbers] from the years that an officer was assigned to a specific school and this year.”
89.7%
of WJ students feel safe at school
57.8%
of WJ students say their belongings are safe at school
96.4%
of staff said WJ is a safe place to work
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WJ students received Out-ofSchool suspensions last year Data taken from results of surveys conducted by MCPS during the 2009-2010 school year.
Insider Jemile Safaraliyeva Takes Us Into Leadership Class
By Jemile Safaraliyeva All the hands in the room shot up when the question was asked. Lunging forward, chairs squealed out from under half of the class and the individuals rushed forward, their bodies meeting the desks in front of them. It is as if The Matrix was about to open and everyone fell into slow motion. I could see the expression on social studies teacher Nico Atencio’s face, ready to tell us to quiet down. He would tell us what we already knew, yet the matter was pressing, too important to be settled with smooth, civilized conversation. People were waving, swinging their arms to get the attention of the scribe in front of the green-screened Promethean board, titled “Spirit Week Ideas.” Welcome to Room 147, fourth period. Leadership class: the place where we voice our opinions, struggle to make decisions, argue, yell at times, vote and settle problems. It is kind of like the House of Lords except Atencio keeps us in check. Leadership consists of about 30 students and is based on students’ devotion to creating a school year packed with excitement for all 2,168 students to enjoy. While Leadership is altered from year to year, sponsors change, new students shuffle in through the door, but the mission remains the same. The focus of each year’s leadership class is to decide what our students do, how much money we raise towards funds and how much spirit we have. Every day goes according to a plan:
we enter, we sit and we listen to an agenda. Depending on the gravity of it, Atencio speaks and we discuss. It does not always go as smoothly as raising your hand and being called on. Face it, you are in a room with 30 students, all of whom possess leadership qualities. Mix that with everyone’s personalities and, at times, the class becomes a booming heap of passionate squabbles. But there is nothing like sitting in on this class when we draft an idea, get it approved and add everybody’s input to make a successful fundraiser or event. The moods are lifted, everyone is fired up and one person’s idea trumps the other’s as the input becomes more sophisticated and focused. Soon madness will ensue, but instead of March Madness, WJ will undergo February Madness. Surely this is familiar to all except this year’s freshmen. February means Pennies for Patients. And Pennies for Patients, a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, means one thing for leadership. It means pulling our hair out for the next month to cultivate enough income from the numerous school-sponsored events to beat the enormous amount of nearly $30,000 raised by last year’s class.The Class of 2010 snickered at our confidence of beating their total, and even our teachers have their doubts. But after coming in first place for the past five years, it’s hard to imagine the disappointment of second place. While it may look like fun and games, and it will be fun and games, the planning process involved in creating successful events is harder than it appears.
Photo by Stefany Carty
Senior Lindsey Jamieson spends Leadership creating a sign to promote Pennies for Patients.
Responsibilities are divided in class to allow groups of four to five people to draft a project and write the steps involved in making the project a success. While the initial planning is done by a few students, if the project gets approved, the whole class will aid the students who created the project. Following the basic step-by-step instruction, the project proposals are viewed by Atencio and, if approved, they make their way to assistant principal Chris Merrill, this year’s senior class administrator. The students who drafted the plan meet with Merrill to discuss all dates, steps and needs for the project and if they receive consent, the students follow up after their thorough planning. This month will be jam packed with
all sorts of activities, enough to make the tamest and tiniest take part and the most audacious and bold participate. Some of this month’s festivities will include: the ever famous Pong for Patients tournament on Feb. 9, the new Family Feud tournament Feb. 23, Stuck for a Buck, the Burrito Mile on Feb. 25, and the MasqueRage dance also on Feb. 25, plus a lot more. Stay tuned. No matter the chaos Pennies for Patients brings, it will confirm that leadership is more than a 45-minute period; it is a bonding experience. With each day, students in the leadership class become somewhat of a family and each day makes us realize that only through cooperation is any success achieved.
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FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 2, 2, 2011 2010
NEWS NEWS
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NOW OPEN!!!
Grand Opening of My Shoe Cafe A new concept in designer women’s shoes was launched last month by Bethesda native Nina Kimmel, making it the first of its kind on the Eastern Seaboard. My Shoe Cafe, a unique build-it-yourself custom design shoe store is located in Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bethesda, Maryland. Sporting the slogan, “Where sole mates are made…”, My Shoe Cafe provides a new and creative experience for woman looking for the ultimate in personalized shoes. My Shoe Cafe is a combination of Kimmel’s love of designer shoes and a passion she developed for cafes while traveling in Europe. “For me and so other women, shoes are not just something you wear on your feet, they are a statement and reflect one’s personality,” said Kimmel. “In My Shoe Cafe you become your own personal shoe designer!” Born and raised in Bethesda, 26-year-old Kimmel’s s love affair with shoes and fashion started with her strutting around in her mother’s shoes and clothes as a youngster but developed quickly when as early as 8 years old she had the opportunity to accompany her parents to the fashion centers of Milan, Paris, Madrid and London. Nina’s favorite activity when in these cities was to look at, try on and buy shoes. At 16 Nina’s personal shoe collection had grown to 200 pairs. While on a summer vacation in Paris with her family that same year, Nina purchased clothes and a fun pair of heels on des Champs-Elysees and then decided to show them off as she hung out at a local café. She concluded at this point that fashion and cafés made a perfect fit! My Shoe Cafe offers a broad array of colors, fabrics and shoe accessories for customers to select from when “building” their own customerized shoe. One of the unique elements of the store is a full time cobbler, with 20 years experience in the shoe-making and repair business. While customers relax and sip complimentary coffee, their personalized shoes—custom made to fit each foot—are created while they wait. An additional service allows customers to bring in their existing shoes and select and add My Shoe Cafe accessories to give their shoes a new and refreshing lift. My Shoe Cafe’s spacious premises are ideal for a “girls night out” or for birthday parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties and similar fun shoe events.
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FEBRUARY 2, 2011
Up EDITORIAL
At
BAT
Alex Ting junior
“I don’t know... Ting-a-ling.”
What nickname do you go by? For Up At Bat video responses, visit WJPitch.com By Ryan Lynch
Claudia Nguyen freshman
Photos by Stefany Carty
“My friends call me Clauday-day.”
William Alberto senior “Guillermo. It’s ‘William’ in Spanish, you know, with my hairy mustache.”
Every one of us has a legal name, given at birth by our parents. My name is Ryan Lynch. Middle name: Kevin. Whether or not we are willing to admit it, we all have nicknames, too. Friends give friends nicknames all the time. Even parents are notorious for this when talking about their children. “Ah, my little Johnny-poo,” even though the kid’s real name is Johnny, “did such a good job in his soccer game last night,” says the proud parent, bragging about their child. When it comes to nicknames, I’m an expert. Besides having plenty myself, I sure can give them out. I’m here to tell you it’s okay to have a nickname for yourself that no one else knows about. My most infamous nickname, the one that most of my friends are familiar with, is “Lightsout.” It all began back in the day at the tender age of nine. After leading my Rec League basketball team to a win, our parent statistician happened to mention that I led the team in scoring. He also noted that I only missed about two shots the entire game. “Man, Ryan really shot the lights out today,” he said. The rest is history. When all of my friends had nicknames in middle school, I decided to pull this one out of the closet. It has a really nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Say it with me now: “Ryan ‘Lightsout’ Lynch.” Being a member of WJ’s varsity basketball team, we all like to go by our nicknames on the court. Senior guard,
“Battlin’” Bert Yaffe, junior Halid “The Hammer” Hamadi, senior Macklin “MackDaddy” Ollayos... the list goes on. Regulars at our home games may know me as Ryan “Silk” Lynch, courtesy of our parent announcer, Mark Goldstone. Besides the obvious ones above, I have a variety of other nicknames that many people don’t know about. Surprisingly, I have a couple of parent-given nicknames that I’m not embarrassed about. To this day, my mom and dad occasionally call me “Rydawg” and “Rydusty.” I’m not exactly sure where the nickname “Rydawg” came from, but this was probably my dad trying to turn a cute nickname into something cool. As for “Rydusty,” my mom likes to call me this in the summer. Warm weather and fun in the sun turns my hair color to a dusty brown, thus coining the nickname. My mom says I look extra cute when my hair is like this, no student approval needed. I even have a few self-ordained nicknames. Just a few weeks ago when I was sporting some new Christmas gifts my first day back at school, my buddy Russell said that I looked very “GQ.” Ryan “GQ” Lynch, that’s a keeper. I also like to call myself “The Chameleon” because of my ability to adapt to basically any situation I’m in. Now my friends, this is Ryan Lynch, the guy with a ton of nicknames and thus the new self-proclaimed “Most Interesting Man in the World,” asking YOU what your favorite nickname is.
Amy Zhou sophomore “Zhou-cow. It’s not my favorite, but it’s all I got.”
Daniel Book junior
“Big D. It really describes me. My love for Duke and my body physique.”
“Antonio. It has a lot of sexual connotations. If I was a stripper, I’d go by that name.”
John Lillibridge senior
Rahul Shah freshman
“Fingers.”
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FEBRUARY 2, 2011
Loopholes in the Grading and Reporting System
Kids Taking Advantage of What They See on the Screen By Danielle Markowitz We have all been plagued by it. That dreaded 89.3 percent on your Edline account. It seems like your Edline is actively mocking you. It is cynically pointing out your failure of not turning in three homework assignments or getting that single “B” in the formative category. By the end of the quarter, teachers are flooded with emails and drop-in ap-
We must now examine how effective the system has been since its introduction. Has the abolishment of extra credit really proven to be fair? Have discrepancies among departments diminished? And overall, has this new grading system proven to be effective indicators of a student’s capabilities? For all of the above questions, the
10 percent of a grade but the level of difficulty of these completion assignments creates a giant gap between subjects. Some classes require students to have simply circled answers or fill out a worksheet, no accuracy necessary. This promotes one of the most unethical behaviors in academia: cheating. Intrinsic
1.
pointments from students who are willing to cry to get that final boost in their grade. Why is it that students must work this system of weighting and busy work instead of being rewarded for their creativity in projects, diligence in class and passion for learning? The county used to allow the flexibility of doing a total point grading system; students could use extra credit and could receive grades lower than 50 percent. This system was abolished and a new grading policy was introduced to Montgomery County in 2006 for the three reasons mentioned above.
3.
2.
To provide consistency and standardization within and among schools
To offer regular and frequent information to all students and parents about the student’s progress
answer is no. Our grading policy is a broken system filled with loopholes and unfair aspects that in the end proves detrimental to a student’s learning. Why is it that one student’s formative grade in AP Psychology can be weighted at 25 percent of his/her grade while that student’s formative category in AP World History is at 55 percent? These categories of formative, summative and completion, can alter in weight depending on the department. In addition to the discrepancies among departments, consider the effect the weighted grading system has on students’ work ethics. The comple-
learning slowly disintegrates from that day you fell asleep too early to finish your Spanish homework or when you never got question number five on the math homework, or questions seven, eight, nine, ten or 21 for that matter. We become less interested in learning the homework for its intellectual worth but rather complete it for those measly two points. As a system of accurately portraying how students perform in their classes, the grading policy fails in fairly recording grades, and ought to be readjusted or abolished with more utilitarian goals.
Cartoon by Claire Popovich, photo illustration by Alexandra Sanfuentes
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Foul Ball Just Dancin’
By Katie Levingston tion category at maximum is worth Online Editor-in-Chief
Why was the new grading system introduced? To create fair representation of a student’s performance on a variety of measures over time
EDITORIAL
I have a confession to make. I think I always knew I had it in me… I am a dance fanatic. I’m all about bustin’ a move. I realized this when I got a Nintendo Wii game called Just Dance 2 for the holidays. I am perhaps ashamed (and at the same time proud) to say that I might be The Just Dance 2 Master. Just Dance 2 (as opposed to the older, stuffier 2009 version Just Dance) is just that, a dance game, where a player must mimic the movements of an on screen dancer. The better you do the dance moves, the more points you get. Even though dancing on cue might look ridiculous, it’s insanely addictive. The game bridges genders as both men and women will shamelessly engage in the fun. My 14-year-old brother, who believes that he is the coolest cat around, will willingly accept my challenge to rock out to The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men.” Nobody looks terribly cool doing some of the moves. But, just because you’re having such a great time, you are cool. The game also bridges generations. My mother has often challenged The Master and has won (cheating by only moving her right hand to get maximum points). It’s fun to have something that parents and children can do together, when other advances in technology— texting, Facebook, etc.—have the potential to make us all so disconnected. Part of the fun is trying to understand some of the moves on the semi-obscure songs, such as “Idealistic” by Digitalism, during which a Tron-like figure appears on the screen, or “Iko Iko” by Mardi Gras where an African tribal dancer gallops around in full costume. There’s also the Harry Belafonte calypso favorite “Jump in the Line” and Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” to tickle your dancing feet. From OutKast’s “HeyYa!” to Blondie’s “Call Me,” this game is the one-stop shop for all your booty shakin’, arm swingin’, out-of-breath needs. If you want to feel and certainly look a little awkward, you should run out and get it. The Master says so. The beauty is that you don’t care how embarrassed you are. It’s the kind of thing that’s just so silly (or stupid) that it’s a trip to play along. The fact that I am The Master isn’t the point (although it is my only true claim to fame). It’s the experience that makes the game. It’s the bonding with your fellow players that will keep us away from homework or personal problems for at least 15 minutes. Oh, the modern marvels of technology. Maybe it’s a craze, a fad or my own far-fetched obsession, but Just Dance 2 is so satisfying because it’s so uniting. It brings people together—families, friends, neighbors—you name it. You’ll all laugh at the crazy holograms on screen and at the humans trying to impersonate them. And it’s a great workout. What could be better?
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EDITORIAL
Curveball Admitting Yourself:
What Colleges Really Want By Sasha Tycko Print Editor-in-Chief
“This will look good to colleges.” How many times this short, ambitious phrase has been articulated I don’t know. It pops up in classrooms, in counselor meetings, and in casual conversation. But at the tail-end of the college application process, I find myself questioning its veracity. When filling out applications, I saw the various activities I had involved myself in become reduced to a mere list of extracurriculars. Many activities that I was told would “look good to colleges” didn’t even make the list. These activities weren’t fruitless – I am partial to the idea that extracurricular interests are vital to a healthy high school experience – but I found that the activities I chose to share with colleges were the ones in which I had a real intrinsic interest. On one side of the student spectrum lie those whose sole motivation is to be admitted into their dream school. Maybe such an extreme doesn’t exist, but we all know people with these tendencies. They are the presidents of every possible honors society, they take a full schedule of AP classes and they make a habit of accumulating a number of arbitrary awards and honors. While they may do this partially for pure academic pleasure, the students in this category are mostly motivated by the benefit of their high school transcript. This pedantic attitude is not the best way to experience high school. In fact, it might be one of the worst. It increases extrinsic motivation and stifles the ability to explore one’s personal goals and interests outside of pure academics. There is not much to be gained from this kind of work ethic other than the possible admittance letter. It is my impression that colleges, in fact, do not want students who focus solely on achieving high grades and bulking up their transcripts. In the middle of the spectrum are students who dabble in both, who try to excel in school but are not consumed by it. I found myself somewhere in this category. While the activities I chose to devote my time to were largely selfmotivated, at the back of my mind was a nagging sense of their transcript worthiness. What will “look good” to colleges is not your ability to sign up for clubs, get straight A’s and win awards. Those aren’t bad, but a student involved in ten extracurricular activities without a deeper intrinsic interest in something is not an attractive candidate for colleges. What will be attractive are the students who are involved in the activities that sparked their personal interest. I realize we are all often preoccupied by the future value of our current pastimes. Which by nature is not a bad thing at all. But the future should not be the main focus of high school. Let your personal interests build your resume and not the other way around.
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
Too Many Dancing and Singing Shows By LizWasden You flip on the television to watch the same show you always watch on Wednesday night. The screen comes on to show a panel of three judges, one female, two male, saying things like, “I just love your style” or “You get so into character” or “It felt like I was at a karaoke bar.” Can you guess which show this is? This scene is pretty much the same for the majority of the singing and dancing competition shows that are on TV nowadays. There’s American Idol, Dancing with the Stars,The Sing Off, SoYou Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, and Jan. 19 was the premiere of a new show, Live to Dance. Although each has their own spin, these shows feature a panel of three judges, always two male and one female, giving critique that could be applicable to any contestant. There is a reason why in the grocery store today we can buy seven different brands of mustard, and we have progressed from Henry Ford’s all black, assembly-line produced Model T’s. We have unlimited choices today, from everything to the coffee we drink in the morning to the shoes we put on our feet.With so many options to satisfy our different preferences, why are we limited when it comes to sing and dance television shows? I’m not criticizing the genre or subject matter of these particular shows, simply the way they are executed which is exactly the same. There’s always the host of the show, whether it’s Ryan
Seacrest, Nick Lachey, Nick Cannon or Tom Bergeron. Always the panel of three judges, from Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson to Sharon Osborne, David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan-the same panel layout in all of the show all remarking pretty much the
TV photo courtesy of phrenzee
tive criticism, I would have more respect for the shows. If the producers could maybe shake things up a bit, have five judges instead of three, (gasp!) or perhaps the contests could try to sing while being tickled, or even sing and dance at the same time,
Photos courtesy of nbc.com and fox.com
same thing. If they are going to give any critique to the contestants, shouldn’t it have something to do with music or dance? To David Archuleta, runner up for American Idol, judge Paula Abdul once remarked, “I want to squish you! Squish your head off and dangle you from my rearview mirror.” If judges could just give some kind of construc-
Photo graphic by Liz Wasden
then the number of viewers might increase. American Idol, one the first shows of this kind has now been on for nine seasons, and has been struggling with the increasing number of sing/dance shows like itself for high ratings. It’s time to eliminate some of these shows or just turn off the TV.
The Pitch sat down with SGA officers, President Michael New, Vice President Michael Li, Secretary Nick Regan and Treasurer Cole Ahnell to get a rundown about what the four guys think of their performance thus far. What have you achieved so far this year? MN- We made a homecoming movie that got really good reviews. We have stayed involved in the school through fundraisers and new ideas. We have accomplished everything we have set out and more. What was your best moment in the SGA? MN- After we showed the homecoming movie everyone stood up and started clapping. What grade would you give yourself so far? MN- A+ Why did you decide to run for SGA? NR- Peer pressure from Mr. Atencio was a big factor. I wanted to do something different and the SGA offered new opportunities with friends, female classmates and teachers. What was your most embarrassing moment of the SGA? NR- When I was shaving my beard in Dr. Garran’s bathroom, one hair got stuck in his toothbrush and I was thinking about taking it out, but then I just left it there. So there was one of my beard hairs in the principal’s toothbrush. What grade would you give yourself so far? NR- B-
Interview conducted by Brendan Benge and Daniel Gorelick What is your
SGA
UPDATE
relationship with Dr. Garran? ML- A very close relationship. We consult him on everything. Why did you decide to run for SGA? ML- I wanted to see if I could do it and prove to everyone that I was more than just an Asian. I wanted to have fun. What grade would you give yourself so far? ML- B+
What is your relationship with Dr. Garran? CA- We are the base of the administration in the hallways. We go to every boring PTSA and Booster club meeting and speak for a little bit and then listen the rest of the time. How do you feel about the students? CA- It’s awesome; they have a lot of spirit at pep rallies and especially at football games. The best part is that nobody really cares who we are. One kid came up and asked me if I was the president. What grade would you give yourself so far? CA- APhotos courtesy of Stefany Carty
the
Pitch
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
EDITORIAL
Slugger
9
The War on Laziness By Alexandra Sanfuentes Print Editor-in-Chief
Television Shows in the Classroom
Photo courtesy of fox.com/house
Not Such a Bad Thing By Emil Hafeez Most of us know the feeling. Far too early in the morning, we stumble into first period just as the bell rings and prepare for one last day of school before break starts. Maybe you give yourself a miniature pep talk to psyche yourself up, or maybe you decide to nap until the teacher starts lecturing. Regardless, seven classes and about 15 mundane worksheets separate you from your glorious freedom. When we near a long break from school, teachers often look for “filler.” There isn’t the time to start a new unit, nor the motivation to. Instead, they choose one of several alternatives, depending on the teacher. Teachers, take note: a video related to the subject at hand is always welcome
over a worksheet or graded assignment. Few students want to do anything when an extended break is approaching. Why not watch a video? Some subjects relate themselves to a TV show: Forensics has shows like CSI or Bones,Anatomy watches House and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is shown in some junior English classes. Watching these shows, while more enjoyable than doing another 46 minutes of miscellaneous junk, is undeniably unproductive. Some of these shows try to work in a little bit of fact amidst the fiction, but in all honesty they fall short. CSI and Bones tend toward melodramatic subplots rather than anything educational, as does House sometimes. At least House throws in several complicated words and a medical chart before and after the drug use, though.
Stewart, host of The Daily Show, undoubtedly brings real news to the table; he generally delivers it with a liberal bias and a hilarious graphic, but it’s at least educational in a current-events-areimportant sense. These shows are better than nothing, and if you pass out a worksheet the day before a break that’s exactly what you’ll see written on it: nothing. It’s true that practicing (roostering, anyone?) is important, and it’s true that the school days in a semester are valuable to getting through all the material in the curriculum. It’s also true, however, that students aren’t going to be very motivated the few days before break. So, if you can spare a day or two, turn on the Promethean board, find a show vaguely related to the subject at hand, and kick back.
Lights Off, But Everyone is Home
Photo courtesy of thomasbrightbill
By Girard Bucello People are right to expect that their lights will turn on when they flip a switch. It’s as essential as having water come out of the faucet when someone turns the tap or having the garbage removed every week. If you’re serviced by Pepco, however – and everyone in Montgomery County is – then your utilities are in the hands of one of the most unreliable companies servicing a major city. Residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, as well as in the District, have been deprived of a reliable service that most others receive dependably. Last week’s storm knocked out power to nearly 200,000 Pepco customers. Some have been left without power for over five days. On Dec. 5, 2010, the Washington Post reported that Pepco ranked last in a survey of electricity providers nationwide in 2008. Pepco chose to stop participating in the survey after the results were announced. As of last
year, Pepco customers averaged about 2.1 outages per customer. This is more than double the number of outages in other major cities. While major power outage events get the most press, it’s the smaller outages that take away from Pepco’s reliability. Pepco claims that dense tree coverage is responsible for many of the power outages. The Washington Post found, however, that equipment failures are mainly the result of Pepco equipment failures. Either Pepco is unaware of the problems with its equipment, or it attempts to hide facts from its customers. Neither explanation supports any claims of effective business practices that Pepco should be working to carry out. Perhaps the most shocking revelation from the Washington Post article, however, is that Pepco was aware of equipment problems in 2005, and only now has begun a “five-year program to improve reliability.” The article also mentions that, “a decade ago, Pepco identified its worst 13 feeder lines (power lines
handling large amounts of electricity) in the state. Ten of those still need to be improved.” Had they taken steps sooner, their five-year plan might be finished today, and there would be no discussion about Pepco’s failing business plan. Pepco’s five-year plan may fix the problem. They plan to spend a total of $257 million to improve their service by repairing and updating power lines, moving facilities underground and updating computer systems. Nevertheless, Pepco has already allowed the problem to simmer for five years, and area residents are the ones living with the consequences of Pepco’s incompetence. Pepco isn’t going to change unless they think that they have to. It’s our job to make them think that they have to. We may not have asked for it, but it is necessary if we are to receive reliable resources. If not, Montgomery County will have to get used to spending a lot of time in the dark.
Human #1 approaches the door and goes for the automatic opener. When the door doesn’t swing wide, the human tries again to no avail. Upon the third failed attempt, the human reluctantly opens the door himself and continues on. Human #2 approaches the door. Unfortunately, the aforesaid scenario repeats itself. After some observation sitting in the entrance of Montgomery Mall, rather than just open the door, I found that many Homo sapiens will rely on technology to do the strenuous labor for them. The first door that people gravitate towards in the row of doors at the entrance of the mall is the automatic door. Technology simply fuels our tendency to be lazy on a regular basis. Take another example. Those moving walkways at the airport? They’re supposed to be used to propel travelers faster throughout the airport if they’re about to miss their flight. For some, the walkways serve an actual purpose. More often than not, you see people hanging out on them, moving at an even slower pace than those who opted to walk. This laziness simply amplifies when the human finds him or herself at the Metro. Upon sighting the escalators that are on the fritz, the human grumbles.When the escalators are actually functioning properly, the ratio of people to escalator greatly exceeds that of the people to cement stairs. So to even out this ratio, shouldn’t we suck it up and just take the old-fashioned route? People tend to just get lazy and stand on the escalators as they rise from the dark depths of the Metro toward the blinding light of the outside world. You might ask, but if these sacred stairwells and hallowed walkways are in existence, why would we NOT take advantage of their holiness? They’re just begging us to move at a snail’s pace, run backwards and even just sit down and enjoy the ride. Why does life have to be so rushed anyway? The United States has become so fastpaced that people never really stop and smell the roses. Like in the Washington Post article “Pearls Before Breakfast,” staff writer Gene Weingarten observed how even placing widely acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell in a Metro entrance was not enough to make people stop and listen. Despite playing classical masterpieces perfectly with a violin case at his feet, Bell could barely get a few people to take notice and slow down their busy lives. If a classical musician cannot even get people at the Metro zipping past him to appreciate good music, then there is definitely a problem with our fast-paced lifestyle. But ultimately the choice to change is up to you. Either continue your ways or make the switch. It all depends on how you look at it.
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
Pitch
the
the
10
Pitch
FEATURE
FEATURE
...and in with the new!
out with the old... a comprehensive guide to the year’s highlights
a look at what’s ahead
Arts and
Entertainment Gadgets App-heavy smart phones proliferated and Apple’s iPad created the tablet genre. Social networking compressed into 140-character tweets on Twitter, and personalized into video chatting through sites such as Skype and iChat. Books became more easily accessible through the success of the
Kindle.
Movies Last year featured many impressive new movies. Inception and True Grit were this year’s standout action films, while Toy Story 3 delighted and Black Swan disturbed and thrilled audiences. The Social Network is considered a frontrunner for Best Picture this Oscar season.
Trends
Silly Bandz proved the new tween craze of 2010, and jeggings defied categories and filled closets. In the fashion world, menswear for women dominated, riding boots rode to popularity and
“Mad Men” inspired looks
from the early sixties had a strong influence.
2010 For More w revvie pre iew see page 14 2011
By Lily Sieradzki and Rosie Hammack
News Local Last year began with the colossal Snowpocalypse, destroying countless power lines and decorating street corners with 12 foot piles of dirty snow. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert convened in Washington, D.C. with around 200,000 delirious, causeless fans for The Rally to
Restore Sanity. Martin O’Malley was elected as governor of Maryland.
National
It was a year marked by scandal and controversy, with the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico causing massive destruction, a mass Toyota recall filed for faulty brakes, and debate gushing over plans for a mosque at Ground Zero. Also shrouded with controversy was the repealing of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military policy.
Global Last year, the world suffered from a global economic crisis, tensions between North and South Korea mounted, and humanitarianistic efforts skyrocketed when a devastating earthquake in Haiti killed 300,000 and left millions homeless and helpless.
For see More page
2010 3 review preview 2011
Sports Players Tiger Woods’ marriage im-
ploded when multiple mistresses came out of the woodwork to claim affairs. The NBA suspended Gilbert Arenas for bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room. In one of the biggest decisions in basketball this year, LeBron James opted out of the Cleveland Cavaliers and into Miami Heat. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, widely recognized for his 2007 dog fighting fiasco, made a revival with a breakout season after sitting in jail for 23 months.
Events The Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver took a brutal turn as the intense luge course led to the death of one of Georgia’s eight competitors, Nodar Kumaritashvili. South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Spain defeated the Netherlands, giving them their first world title. In the New Orleans Super Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts in a showdown that brought hope back to the people of New Orleans.
For More
see page 17
2010 review pre view 2011
Photos from amazon.com, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Warner Brothers, and cdsessums, timtak, SD Dirk via flickr.com
11
Arts and
Entertainment
News
Gadgets
Local
We may not have quite reached the age of Jetsons’-styled hovercars, but the new year looks promising with greener electric cars like the Nissan Leaf, upgraded iPhone 5 and the iPad 2, and 3D TVs and the 3D Consumer Cameras. Video games will also reach a whole new level with the Play-
station Phone.
Movies Highly anticipated for next year are two continuations: Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, to be released in July, and The Hangover Part 2, to be released in
May. Team Edward and Team Jacob will be at it again with the Twilight Saga’s Breaking Dawn Part I. Also look out for thriller Cowboys vs. Aliens, featuring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.
Music
Older artists will be bouncing back with new sounds and new albums; Paul Simon is releasing So Beautiful or So What and The Beastie Boys will release Hot Sauce Committee, Volume 2. Kanye West and Jay-Z will collaborate on the highly acclaimed Watch the Throne. Lady Gaga’s new album, Born this Way, will come out in May.
2011 will bring a renewed discussion about resuming the use of the death penalty in Montgomery County, as well as a reduced budget that will likely include tax hikes and education cuts. Montgomery County Public Schools plan to end the acceleration of students into higher math classes.
National Hopes are high for the future of our country’s health, with new federal dietary guidelines updated by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services. As global food and oil prices increase and the value of the American dollar plummets, our economic future looks shaky.
Global Unrest in Egypt and throughout
the Arab world signal a demand for freedom from oppressive dictatorships. Speculations surround the North Korea power shift from Kim Jong Il to his son and supposed successor, Kim Jong Eun. Climate change is projected to continue to affect crops, animal life cycles, and more in the coming year.
Sports Players John Wall has been drafted number one overall by the Wizards, bringing excitement, energy, and promise to a previously thrown together team. After this season, collective bargaining agreements will expire for the NFL and NBA. To
avoid a lockout, the players associations must to come to agreements with team owners.The Redskins are projected to snag Cam Newton for the upcoming season.
Events In this year’s Super Bowl XLV, the Packers will play the Steelers for the title, posing a unique match up as the Steelers strive to win their third Super Bowl in six years. For the first time ever, college basketball’s March Madness tournament will be expanded to 68 teams. Big names in golf will come to Bethesda this year, when the U.S. Open takes place at Bethesda’s own Congressional Country Club.
the
12
Pitch
FEATURE
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
The Principal...Revealed 12 Things You Never Knew About Dr. Garran Are there things you’ve always wanted to know about Dr. Garran but never had the courage to ask? The Pitch delved into the secret life of WJ’s master in command to find out who our principal really is.
Interview conducted by Jenny Deutsch
1What is your pet
12
If you were a fruit in the fruit bowl of life, what would you be?
peeve? Excuses.
A banana.
If you had to have a song 2 stuck in your head for the rest of
11
What is the best department at WJ?
your life, what song would it be? “Beautiful Day” by U2.
Are you trying to start a war? I can’t answer that question...
3 What activities did you participate in during college?
I was a tour guide. I walked backwards around the American University campus trying to get people to go there.
10 What’s your most
embarrassing moment? When I was teaching at WJ, I lost a bet with the field hockey team and had to teach all day in a field hockey kilt. It was bad. Even more embarrassing? I bet them again – and lost again – and had to teach all day in a cow costume. It had udders! Horrible.
What’s your 4 favorite animal? Clearly the cow and wildcat. Photos by Sasha Tycko
9
would play you 5in Who a movie about your life?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Harrison Ford. Come on – he played Han Solo and Jack Ryan… Why wouldn’t I want him to play me? Plus, can’t you see the physical resemblance?
6
What’s your favorite food?
I love just about anything Italian. Something a little weird: I love ostrich.
What is one of your 8greatest fears?
South Africa. That’s probably one of the most beautiful countries that also has such an incredible recent history of struggle.
That the students at WJ will realize that they outnumber the faculty ten to one and at any point they could take the ship.
7 Is there anything that the student body
doesn’t know about you?
I went to American University and majored in International Relations and Economics, which had nothing to do with education. I had no idea I was going to go into education until my senior year of college.
For more photos of Dr. Garran visit The Pitch Online at:
WJPitch.com
Photo from 1998 WJ Yearbook
the
Pitch
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
From WJ
to the
World
FEATURE
13
of Images courtesy of McKenzie Brodnick
W
By Taliah Dommerholt e all hope that upon graduation from WJ, we will go on to greatness, fulfilling our dreams and leading successful lives in college and in our future careers. For WJ alum McKenzie Brodnick, this dream is becoming a reality. After graduating from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies, Brodnick moved to New York City where she recently finished a project as production assistant to the MTV show, “Made.” Brodnick graduated from WJ in 2005 after three consecutive years as an active member on The Pitch staff, working her way up to the position of News Editor. She left WJ with full intentions of continuing her studies of journalism. Working in the field of media can be very exciting, but it can often be very stop-andgo. “You can get on a project—a movie or on a television show—but it’s usually for an allotted amount of time,” said Brodnick. While she finds the career itself incredibly enjoyable, it can also be unpredictable. It took about a year and a half for Brodnick to find stable work. Media and communications are extremely competitive fields, and getting a job at MTV in particular is very difficult. During college and after graduation, Brodnick networked and made connections wherever she could and was able to get her
first job interning for the show, “Total Request education begins in high school. The Live” (TRL). Since then, it has been all about learning students accumulate builds upon persistence, hard work, and connections. their experience and knowledge for the “It is a very slow process but if you can future, and classes of interest construct who enjoy every step, it’s worth it,” she said. they are as people and propel them forward Ideally Brodnick would like to stay with on the track to success. MTV, but she has also worked on independent “After working on The Pitch, I learned films including When Harry Tries to Marry, a how to be held accountable every month private film directed by Nayan Padrai, that to produce something of quality, and I also will come out this year. learned more advanced communication “That is the thing about working in skills,” said Brodnick. “I think that is communications,” said Brodnick. “It doesn’t something that is invaluable to learn in high have to be this fairy tale kind of thing.You put school and is essentially what having a job is in your work and time, and eventually you get all about.” recognized.” To aspiring journalists, Brodnick To become successful, most people have encourages them to follow their passions and to start at the bottom and work their way up pursue their interests, because everything through diligence and hard they do now work. only help It doesn’t have to be this fairy will Brodnick loves her career them for the and is incredibly thankful tale kind of thing. You put in future. that she has a job in the “Every idea your work and time, and current economy. Writing that you have for The Pitch gave her a head eventually you get recognized. or article that start and an insight into the you write is world of journalism. not going to be “You learn how to write, essentially, and amazing, but the ideas from those articles what is appropriate versus what is not, as well build into something later, because you are as time management,” said Brodnick. Writing honing your craft,” said Brodnick. for The Pitch helped Brodnick discover and And of this, Brodnick is living proof. She develop her capabilities. She learned to work remains true to her interests and is on the in a professional manner that helped her track to success. during college and continues to help her in her current position. For most careers or aspirations, the
“
Images cour
ck
enzie Brodni tesy of McK
”
Out of Left Field:
Student Meets Artist
quickview:
2010
By Sophie Meade Print Entertainment Editor
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
A snapshot of the year that was and the year to come By Sophie Meade and Eleanor Janhunen
THE ALBUM
Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
The controversial artist managed to capture both mainstream and indie audiences this year with his career’s masterpiece. The album’s lofty instrumentation and his more mature flow have put West at the top of his industry.
2011
Photos courtesy of islanddefjam.com, stevendepolo, amc.com, tintin.com, SOCIAlisBETTER, nissanusa.com, truegrit.movie.com, apple.com, disney.go.com, Andy_ Sheppard, hangovermovie.warnerbros.com
Radiohead Album (Title TBA) Although the Thom Yorke-fronted band has had loyal fans since the’90s, their free online distribution method for In Rainbows stunted their popularity, leaving listeners eager for more. Free or not, their upcoming album will have high standards to meet.
THE FILM Toy Story 3
As the final installment of a widely cherished trilogy, Toy Story 3 had the potential to either be a major letdown or an explosion of wonderful nostalgia. ’90s children everywhere were thrilled to see the film meet the standards of the latter, with new characters and a suprisingly original plot.
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
With all the recent remakes, sequels and book-to-movie adaptations, it’s hard to believe that this beloved boy explorer has yet to leave the comic book pages. Even those who never read the adventure saga are sure to find another animated hero in Tintin.
THE FAD Silly Bandz
These colorful, shape-shifting bracelets were the hot commodity, as giraffes, wands, stars, camels, trees and more were endlessly traded. Toddlers, teens and twenty-some things all rocked this look, proving the ageless power of rubber accessories.
Jean Pajamas
For those fans of jeggings, JeanPajamas are the sleepwear for you. Hailed as the next Snuggie, these PJs are the best of both worlds, with their fashionable jean style mixed with comfortable cotton material. Be prepared for the best sleep of your life.
THE GADGET
iPad
After Apple released the iPad in April 2010, tablet fever hit. Similarly formatted to the iPod and iPhone, it can be simplistically described as a computer minus the keyboard. At just over one pound, the iPad can fit in its user’s hands for easy portability, making the web more accessible than ever.
D
OUT ABOUT
AN
We’re all used to hearing the spiel from parents, teachers, and counselors on how certain hobbies can affect school work. Take my brother, for example, who spends all of his time playing instruments and messing around with recording software instead of doing his homework each night. For each person like him, there’s another who does the same with drawing, writing, dancing, you name it. But when do you hear about the way school work might affect these artistic pursuits? Probably never, because we wouldn’t want to encourage something that might distract from our own futures. We’re convinced that unless we get perfect grades and overload our schedules with impressive extracurriculars, we will shrivel up and die. What we don’t take into account is how much these “hobbies” can really mean to a student’s well-being and sense of self. For many, these pursuits are the one thing that really define them beyond the identity of “student” and toward musician, painter, poet. As I write this now, I am chuckling at how ironic my opinion now is in the context of my last three years in high school. Despite my satisfaction with my transcript, test scores, blah blah blah; I wish I could whisper to my tenth grade self: “Stop doing that homework in front of you and go write music, play the piano, sing.” From where I stand now in my senior year, I realize how much more valuable it would have been for me to spend time creating the music I truly crave, rather than breaking my back to get an ‘A’ on every test. Of course, music was still a huge part of high school for me, but when I look at certain people who might otherwise be called “slackers,” I feel a pang of jealousy. I have always lacked the gall to cast aside school responsibilities in favor of the urge to play music-- a quality many “slackers” have, with respect to their art form. Now I probably sound strangely in favor of failing classes, but quite the contrary, I still stand by doing what you need to succeed. Which is why the ideal high schooler-artist would be a hybrid of a student like me and a student like my brother. You do what you need, taking responsibility for the things you love at the same time. No matter the balance of work and creation, each person with a passion should know that they are master of their own minds and actions. No one should buy the school-work-drone approach that many teachers and parents try to shove in students’ faces because it takes away any sense of individualism already present. The motivation for work can be derived from the motivation for artistic creation: one makes art because they love it, it makes them happy, and in turn one should do the work necessary to secure a happy future.
Pitch
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14
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 2010 review preview 2011
By Eleanor Janhunen
Nissan LEAF
As an acronym for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car, the LEAF is one of the first mass-produced completely electric cars. Although relatively pricey, the LEAF is sure to be a mainstay on roads with its 99 MPG fuel economy and zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Your monthly guide to area events
FEBRUARY/MARCH
2.24- Lady Gaga The Monster Ball Tour is finally hitting D.C.’s Verizon Center – Little Monsters beware. Whether sporting a meat suit, bubbles, spikes, or going pants-less, Lady Gaga is a certified superstar. She is set to perform tracks from both The Fame and The Fame Monster, along with soon-to-be Photo courtesy of ladygaga.com released singles from Born thisWay, Gaga’s third studio album in as many years.Tickets went on sale May 2010 and only the quickest will be able to snatch up the remaining seats so start finding tickets ASAP.
Photo courtesy of nga.gov
Through 3.20- Smithsonian Ice Rink Sure, skating at the Cabin John Ice Rink is fun and convenient, but if you really want ice ambiance, the Sculpture Garden is the way to go. Metroing downtown, you can get off at either the Archives or Smithsonian stop. After paying the $9.00 fee (with student ID), two hours of skating fun are yours. Bundle up and take in the artistic sights while practicing your pirouettes – just make sure to arrive early before the crowds set in.
Anytime- Sledding at Strathmore Ah, winter time. Snow is falling, school is closed and you are stuck inside. What better way is there to waste the day away than by grabbing your friends and going sledding? The Strathmore mansion and Performing Arts Center is built on tall, steep hills that are perfect for a fast and furious ride. It may be longer going up than down, but the adrenaline rush is worth it. Through 4.6- Washington Capitals Cheer on Ovechkin and crew at the Capitals’ home games this season as they fight it out for the Southeast Division title. For the easiest commute, take the Red Line to the Gallery Place metro stop, just steps from the Verizon Center. And don’t forget to “Rock the Red.”
Photo courtesy of capitals.nhl.com
the
Pitch
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Required* Reading REVIEWED By Jemile Safaraliyeva and Cameron Keyani
9
th To Kill a Mockingbird
11th
D
Harper Lee
espite winning the 1961 Pulitzer Prize, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is no stranger to the backlash of society. Following its release, the novel’s honesty about race issues branded it as controversial. Mockingbird, told through the eyes of six-year-old Scout Finch, is set in the Deep South, which Scout depicts as the most “boring” place in America. The novel illuminates how the negativity of the outside world often triumphs over innocence and purity. Mockingbird serves as a strong introduction to freshmen of this common high school literary theme. The majority of the plot follows the trial of an African American man falsely accused of rape as he fights to break society’s assumption of his guilt based on race. The society’s behavior will leave you conflicted and angered at human injustice. Mockingbird shines due to Lee’s ability to form the story around the innocence of a child and the metaphor of a hopeful mockingbird. -JS
The Scarlet Letter
N
Nathaniel Hawthorne
athaniel Hawthorne was an author who was very much behind his times. The proof of this is seen in The Scarlet Letter, which requires more footnotes and lexicological aid to read than Othello. The plot itself isn’t particularly weak, but Hawthorne’s strange, convoluted sentence structure cripples the novel. Hawthorne’s own voice is injected into the story, which is an awkward and unwelcome presence. Unlike The Crucible, which uses the Puritans allegorically to analyze the 1950s, The Scarlet Letter fails to send a message that transcends time period. This brings up the question, why did Hawthorne even write this book? Ironically, he answers this question in a prelude to the book, but it is 40 pages of boring garbage such that our teacher instructed us to skip it. For a man so long-winded and expressive, it’s a shame Hawthorne doesn’t have anything interesting to say. -CK
10th The Odyssey T
15
*Not all of the following
novels are mandated by county curriculum
Homer
he Odyssey was a freshly exciting read after considerably softer novels like The Joy Luck Club. Despite being thousands of years old, this book has more in common with Raiders of the Lost Ark than it does most of the other writings unearthed from ancient Greece. The themes and structure of The Odyssey set the standard for almost all subsequent adventure stories, and it continues to be an enchanting tale. It features a flawed protagonist, a colorful cast of characters and nonstop obstacles for the intrepid hero, Odysseus, to overcome. The flashback style of storytelling, of stories within stories, is an interesting interlude to the adventurous accounts. The work has been translated into English as an epic poem, but the book is relatively easy to read even for someone inexperienced with this genre. -CK
12th Tess of the d’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy T
Photos by Eleanor Janhunen
homas Hardy is known for his long and controversial literary masterpieces, yet Tess of the D’Urbervilles goes beyond such works. For the first time in a while I read a novel in which I had no idea what to expect. A coming-of-age tale revolving around the title character’s loss of innocence, Tess gives high school students an adult perspective of the world and explores how individuals arrive at different conclusions. Hardy gives the novel a common back story: a poverty-stricken family with many children. The novel begins with major foreshadowing as a chance meeting between two strangers yields tumultuous results. Tess artfully displays how every choice alters one’s life. As Tess ventures out of her familial surroundings in order to save them from destitution, the world turns out to be more unforgiving than she ever expected when she experiences rape and heartbreak. Hardy’s infatuation with Tess’s character adds complexity to the plot as he attempts to preserve her from corruption while she is further exposed to life’s cruelties. -JS
Walter Johnson All School Booster Club We are here to support YOU! TEAMS AND CLUBS CAN EARN MONEY FROM BOOSTERS IN THESE WAYS: 1) Sign up to work the concession stand at any of the events posted. All groups who work will receive $100. 2) Sponsor, create and run a fundraising event that is cosponsored with Booster. Take advantage of the events we already use to raise funds, or ask us to help you with your own fundraiser. 3) Direct request for assistance. Request assistance through our Funding Request Form. TO JOIN THE BOOSTER CLUB – Look for our flier ONLINE at www.wjboosterclub. com.
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Pitch
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
movies from the vault By Ian Green, Sophie Meade and Sasha Tycko
1990s 1980s 1970s
1960s
1950s
Comedy Mon Oncle (1958) The socially awkward Monsieur Hulot struggles to fit into post-war France’s world of technology and consumerism. Some Like It Hot (1959) Two musicians flee for their lives after witnessing a crime, disguising themselves as women in a female band. Singing in the Rain (1959) While making the transition to sound, the cast of a silent film company finds themselves part of a romantic musical- both on and off screen. (upper right) The Apartment (1960) A clerk at an insurance office lends his apartment to his bosses for their various affairs, leading to his own romantic problems. Dr. Strangelove (1964) Satirizing the nuclear scare of the 60s, this bizarrely hilarious comedy follows the disastrous events after a crazed general orders a nuclear attack on the U.S.S.R. (right) Take the Money and Run (1969) One of Woody Allen’s many great comedies, this is the story of a bank robber who is bad at his job.
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
1950 - 2000
Action/Thriller Rear Window (1954) While recovering from a broken leg, a photographer spies on his neighbors, and ends up watching a murder unfold in this brilliant film from Alfred Hitchcock. Seven Samurai (1954) Seven masterless samurai are hired to defend a poor village under attack by bandits. A Man Escaped (1956) A French resistance activist imprisoned by the Nazis plots his elaborate escape. Psycho (1960) You will never want to take a shower again in this Hitchcock thriller with a twist ending. Night of the Living Dead (1968) This film set the precedent for an entire genre of zombie movies. It is a creepy black-and-white movie in which normal people must defend themselves against the “Living Dead”. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) This influential sci-fi film from Stanley Kubrick that examines the complexity of mankind and its relationship with technology.
Drama Sunset Boulevard (1950) The relationship between a writer and a reclusive former movie star turns from a budding romance into a blood bath. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) The film that solidified James Dean as the badass heartthrob of the ‘50s explores teenage angst and the shifting morals of a new generation. (left) 12 Angry Men (1957) Every juror except one believes a man is guilty of murder, in a film set almost entirely in a court room. Breathless (1960) This subtitled film from Jean-Luc Godard that helped usher in the French New Wave movement is a visual masterpiece, for its raw editing and glamorous actors. (right) Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) A bitter, depressing family drama based on a Pulitzer-prize winning play filled with alcohol and bad feelings. The Graduate (1967) A coming-of-age tale about a young man who falls into an affair with an older lady. “Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson...”
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) A society of pod people start taking over the bodies of a small California town. Considered one of the best of its genre, what once frightened audiences is now a laughable and bizarre sci-fi thriller.
Suspiria (1977) A laughable yet horrific story of a ballerina who joins a new ballet academy that is not what it seems. Think Black Swan before Black Swan.
Harold and Maude (1971) The strange story of a disturbed, neurotic young man who falls in love with an elderly woman who has some secrets of her own. (lower right) Young Frankenstein (1974) In a parody of classic horror films, a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein attempts to reanimate a dead body and creates a monster. Annie Hall (1977) Woody Allen’s film that beat Star Wars for the Best Picture Oscar explores the relationship of a comedian and his girlfriend.
The Exorcist (1977) This horrific film tells the story of a young girl who is possessed by an evil spirit and must go through an exorcism to remove it. Visit the famous “Exorcist steps” in Georgetown. Jaws (1975) Responsible for introducing perhaps the most suspenseful two notes on the musical scale, the special effects in “Jaws” were at one time horrifying and it still is, nonetheless, a must-see classic. Halloween (1978) A babysitter and her friends get stalked by the masked murderer Michael Myers.
Chinatown (1974) A film noir set in 1930s Los Angeles involves marital infidelity, water management, the government and real estate.
Airplane! (1980) An ex-pilot boards a flight to overcome his fear of flying and win back his stewardess girlfriend in this oft-referenced comedy. (lower left) Fast Times as Ridgemont High (1982) A precursor to the John Hughes era of high school comedies, this classic comedy follows angsty teens dealing with sex, drugs and overbearing teachers. A Fish CalledWanda (1988) A hilarious farce involves a loot of diamonds, doublecrossing, and a nude John Cleese.
The Shining (1980) The terrifying story of a man who grows increasingly deranged while staying in an isolated hotel in the mountains. Redrum. Evil Dead (1981) A group of friends travel to a cabin in the woods and accidently unleash evil spirits that nearly kills them all. Top Gun (1986) The unintentionally, completely cheesy ‘80s action/ romance/bromance stars Tom Cruise as a young pilot. “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin and sweaty beach volleyball ensues. (right)
Full Metal Jacket (1987) An examination of the basic training of war and the dehumanization that comes with it.
Groundhog Day (1993) Bill Murray is at his best when he is forced to relive the same day, Groundhog’s Day, over and over again. Clueless (1995) With a plot loosely taken from Jane Austen’s Emma, this film epitomizes the 90s and the teenage experience. Toy Story (1995) This delightful animated film about friendship and acceptance launched the animation superpower Pixar and asked the question – what do our toys do when we’re not around? (right)
The Professional (1994) A heart-stopping action thriller that doubles as the sweet story of a relationship between a young girl and a professional hit man. The Usual Suspects (1995) In a given police line-up, five criminals are randomly lined up. This is the story of how a seemingly random group of criminals unravels into a tale where four are dead and one lives to tell his story. Seven (1995) A detective story where two detectives hunt down a killer who uses his murders as messages for each of the seven deadly sins.
Just For Fun
All the President’s Men (1976) Guaranteed to make you want to be a journalist, this film chronicles two reporters’ investigation into the Watergate scandal. (left) Apocalypse Now (1979) “This film isn’t about Vietnam, it is Vietnam,” so says the director of the film, and he just might be right.
E.T. (1982) The heartbreaking tale of a young boy and his friendship with a creature from outer space.
The Beach Girls and The Monster (1965) A camp classic that involves the murder on a beach. Is it a sea monster or something else?
This is Spinal Tap (1984) The hilarious mockumentary follows a fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap. (below)
Stand By Me (1986) In this coming-of-age story, four young boys embark on a search for a missing body. Edward Scissorhands (1990) A gentle man cursed with scissors as hands is introduced to a small suburb in this heartbreaking and surreal film at the start of Tim Burton’s career. Pulp Fiction (1994) Three separate crime stories culminate into one final film featuring great tunes, classic lines, and strange scenes of violence. Boogie Nights (1997) The classic tale of the rise and fall of a tragic hero is told through the eyes of Dirk Diggler, an upand-coming adult film star who mirrors the development of the adult film industry in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) In this claymation classic, the king of Halloween Town grows bored and discovers the wonders of Christmas through his discovery of Christmas town.
Photos courtesy of producer/distributor websites and by Sasha Tycko
Pitch
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FEBRUARY 2, 2011
SPORTS
Q&A with staff member By Hannah Flesch
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The sports 2010 review preview staff reflects 2011 and looks ahead
Karina Bond
By Sports Editors Phillip Resnick (PR), Parker Smith (PS) and Hannah Flesch (HF)
Review HF: What do you enjoy most about working at WJ? KB: “In terms of working, staff and faculty are very supportive with me being a part-time teacher. My department is just awesome. Also, to be able to work with the special ed department has been fantastic because I teach the adapted P.E. class, so [I have] that experience working closely with [Christine] McArdle, [Domenick] Fabii, and [Emilia] O’Connor and seeing what their jobs are.” HF: As the younger teacher, how do you feel you can relate to students? KB: “I notice sometimes students try to do certain things and if I catch them they’re like, ‘What? How did you know I was doing that?’ And I say, ‘Well, I was your age once.’ Also, being able to relate in terms of music, I know some of what they listen to is what I listen to as well. I catch myself sometimes jamming out to it, nodding my head or doing something.” HF: Did you just play basketball in high school? KB: “I played soccer, basketball and ence, I’ve taken that into coaching. softball in high school and then played I blew out my knee basically dur[both of those] at my first college.” ing my freshman year of basketball and that was a hard time. I didn’t have the HF: What are the advantages of being a support of a coach and I told myself I PE teacher? Is it a different kind of set- was never going to be like that and make ting than normal teachers? sure I listen to my athletes. You look at them and figure out, ‘All right, how KB: “I have a shirt that says ‘Top Ten can I help this student-athlete?’ Is there Reasons to be a P.E. teacher,’ one of something I can do? Can I contact their them is you get to show up in shorts parents? Can I contact their counselors and a T-shirt and be active all day and or do they just need someone to talk to? that’s one thing we’re trying to stress as There are times when you need to be physical educators: lifelong fitness. And serious but there are times when you it doesn’t matter if you’re great at the just need to relax and play the game.” sport or not, but you just want to have fun and be physically active and so be- HF: Many people know you as the athing able to participate with the students letic trainer. How did it come about? benefits me.” KB: “Technically I’m the First-Aid ReHF: Are you a P.E. teacher at another sponder. After my freshman year, I deschool? cided that I wasn’t enjoying basketball as much as I thought and that year I was KB: “I decided not to do a dual job and taking courses in athletic training and work at another high school. I became prevention of injuries. So I became a a paraeducator so here, I teach three student-athletic trainer for my school. classes: dance, adapted P.E. and gener- It’s just something I love to do on the al P.E. Come spring semester, I’ll also side and I’ll probably go back to school teach health.” to get my athletic training certification. There’s already been students here that HF: How does playing sports and that are interested [in that as well]. It’s nice experience in high school and college to see that students are actually interestbring a unique teaching attitude? ed and that there’s someone here who can help them with that experience.” KB: “I guess in terms of coaching, I can look back to the coaches I had and take HF: What accomplishments or things the positives as well as the negatives and are you looking forward to as your fulearn from what they did with me and ture plans in addition to going back to see. Definitely from my college experi- school?
Photo by Stefany Carty
KB: “Looking forward, I know this is the first time in six or seven years they’ve brought the dance program back and I’m going to try and build that up. I’m also continuing to build the girls basketball program here and go back to school for my athletic training certification.” HF: I know that one reason why I love sports is because it’s such an outlet and you don’t have to worry about anything while you play. Is that the same for you? KB: “With P.E. you can just walk in and say, ‘All right it doesn’t matter about anything else. I’m going to push myself to get this workout in and a lot of students [to] walk out feeling refreshed.’ Having that opportunity to not think about anything else and then relax.” HF: What is your most memorable moment so far at WJ? KB: “There’s a lot. This year we had less cramps in football than we did last yearmaybe like four. Or having to take Ryan Davis to the doctor because he dislocated his pinkie one day and then dislocated his other pinkie the next. Basketballit has just been great this year, the teams are doing really well.We went to Ledo’s pizza as a group after practice and there were 14 girls and one coach who were able to finish 10 pizzas- about 150 slices. So that was definitely a memorable moment right there. It’s just everything at WJ has been a memorable moment.”
The Decision: Lebron James decided to take his talents to South Beach. PR: I can’t believe LeBron left a team stacked with players like Alonzo Gee and the Congo’s own Christian Eyenga. PS: Three King Circus, The Heatles, Miami Thrice, the Three Rise Men. Gotta love the nicknames. HF: He could’ve told you his decision in 15 seconds, but he wasted an hour of your time instead. World Cup: For one month last summer, we watched more soccer and went to more sports bars at 10 a.m. than we ever had before. PR: Robert Green is to America as Bill Buckner is to the Yankees. PS: So, we beat Algeria. Is that an accomplishment? HF: Soccer’s popularity in the U.S.: Up to five percent. Winter Olympics: The Winter Olympics seem so long ago, yet they were less than a year ago. Sidney Crosby led Canada to hockey gold while Shaun White Double McTwist 1260’d his way to victory. PR: I haven’t seen a redhead get that much attention since that “gingers have souls” kid on YouTube. PS: Crosby would go five-hole. HF: The four-year wait for the return of curling is on.
Preview March Madness (with 68 teams!): Will it be the year of the upset? Will Duke repeat as champions? Will John Calipari go to a Final Four WITHOUT having it voided? So many questions… PR: There are 147.57 quintillion possibilities for a bracket and I cant get one game right?! PS: I’ll be picking teams with the best mascots. My Final Four: Youngstown State Penguins, Western Illinois Leathernecks, Southern Illinois Salukis, and my Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns. HF: When will college football learn? U.S. Open at Congressional: The Open comes to newly renovated Congressional Country Club golf course in Bethesda from June 16-19. PR: Watching golf in person is almost as exciting as watching golf on TV. PS: Tiger Woods golfing in Bethesda? Hide ya kids, hide ya wife. HF: Get ready for an influx of old people! NFL/NBA holdouts: The collective bargaining agreements for the two leagues will expire after this season, and the players and owners must come to terms to prevent a lockout. PR: First rule in the new CBA: in-game tweets allowed. PS: Hockey! I hope everyone remembers what channel Versus is on. HF:Millionares not being able to share their money. What else is new?
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SPORTS
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
the
Pitch
1:53.44
time for the 200-yard medley relay team of freshman Natsumi Horikawa, sophomore Chrissy Cernoch and seniors Elizabeth Pepper and Sidney Drill, a WJ school record
11:33.59
time run by senior Anna Bosse to win first place in the girls 3200m at the Montgomery Invitational on Jan. 8.
Sean Poosson
-team leadersGoals
Drew Ohlrich 9 Vinnie Peratrovich 8 Jessy Gendelman 8
Assists
8 9 4
Points
17 17 12
Boys Basketball PPG
13.0 Ryan Lynch Harrison Gibert 10.4 Macklin Ollayos 4.0
FT%
65.9 52.3 45.5
Girls Basketball PPG
16.0 Sarah Howie Sam Stadnik 9.5 Melanie Ackerman 6.8 *all stats as of Jan. 31
FT%
53.7 58.3 57.1
Ice Hockey
WJ (6-9) vs. B-CC (2-9)
3ptFG
12 10 12
3ptFG
15 14 20
First-year coach Bryan Abraham gets his first taste of the WJ-Churchill rivalry in a game with playoff implications.
Girls Basketball
seconds it took for junior wrestler Elad Covaliu to pin Quince Orchard wrestler Steven Roomberg
Ice Hockey
19
When: TODAY FEB. 2 @ 440 Where: LAUREL ICE GARDENS
WJ (6-9) vs. B-CC (6-8)
Wrestling
:45
-the times-
WJ (4-1-2) vs. Churchill (5-2)
Boys Basketball
the
STAT SHEET
SPORTS -the week ahead-
Swim & Dive
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
When: FRIDAY FEB. 4 @ 515 Where: WJ Head coach Tori Moten and senior Sarah Howie will try to rebound from a 20-point loss on Jan. 12.
When: FRIDAY FEB. 4 @ 7 Where: WJ Senior BertYaffe and leading scorer junior Ryan Lynch will look to continue their success against the Barons at home.
WJ vs. B-CC and Whitman When: SATURDAY FEB. 5 @ 1 Where: WHITMAN Senior JonathanWolman, junior Elad Covaliu and the rest of the wrestling team will take on opponents fromWhitman and B-CC in this tri-meet.
WJ vs. Poolesville When: SATURDAY FEB. 5 Where: MLK SWIM CENTER The boys, led by senior Jordan Ray and junior Fletcher Toleffson, and the girls, led by seniors Sydney Drill and Elizabeth Pepper will look to rebound from losses toWootton last weekend.
*all records as of Feb. 1
In the Bullpen
Basketball Underclassmen athletes ready to shine at the varsity level At 6’3”, you would figure that sophomore Sean Poosson has been playing By Phillip Resnick basketball his entire life; however, this isn’t the case. Poosson started playing basketball in seventh grade and has been controlling the court ever since. After being called up to varsity at the end of last season, Poosson began the 2010-2011 campaign on the varsity squad. Coach Bill Morris compared Poosson to some of his upperclassmen stars. “Sean certainly is on par with some of our current upperclassman and those who have come before,” he said. But Poosson’s athletic talent doesn’t stop on the hardwood; Poosson, the only underclassman to start on the varsity football team this year, averaged 11.7 yards per catch and caught two TD passes. Poosson, though, isn’t worried about what’s happened in the past; he’s foFrom left to right: Poosson, Spak, Horikawa and Lee are all Photo by Stefany Carty cused on the future. promising underclassmen athletes. “For now, I plan to improve as much Natsumi Horikawa many of his successful varsity runners. as I can,” said Poosson. Swimming “Mike is a lot like a lot of our successSwimmers have common saying that ful athletes in that he has the ability to their lives are “Eat,asleep, Michael Spak and swim with commit to the work and do whatever it school in between.” Freshman Track Natsumi Freshman Michael Spak hit the ground takes to get faster,” said Martin. Horikawa lives to this motto verbatim; Spak started running in middle she got into the pool at seven years old running with WJ track and hasn’t looked school, and after realizing that he had and hasn’t gotten out since. back. Last season Spak was named to talent, committed himself to running. Mocorunning.com’s all-freshman team joined RMSC when I was eight His goal for the future is to continue the years“I old,” despite missing the last few weeks of the said Horikawa. “I had always historic success of WJ running. season due to injury. loved the water and going to the pool “I want to lead our teams and con- during the summer Spak won the freshman race at his first was my favorite. I ever cross country meet, defeating the tinue our tradition of excellence in the took some lessons when I was seven and entire field by a remarkable one minute future,” said Spak. out I was pretty good, so they sent Spak has run in a few varsity races turns and twenty four seconds. me up to the team.” Coach Tom Martin said that Spak during the indoor season, but looks to Horikawa attributes her success to shows similar qualities that he sees in be a factor for the team all three sea- her commitment, a trait that hasn’t sons.
gone unnoticed by WJ swim coach Jamie Grimes. “She is very dedicated and hardworking,” said Grimes. “When you have both of these they are a great basis for athletics and will allow her to reach her full potential.” In her first ever high school meet, Horikawa helped set a school record in the 200-yard medley relay, showing a glimpse of the potential she has and what her future may hold.
Samantha Lee
Basketball All great athletes are great because they do the little things well. They hustle on defense, try hard on every play, and put the team’s needs over their own. This is the description that girls basketball coach Tori Moten gives of freshman Sam Lee. “The three things that make her stand out are that she is a team player, she has positive energy and is a hard worker,” said Moten. “She is willing to do the little things which will make her an asset for the future.” Lee has been playing basketball for seven years and has never forgotten that it is a team sport. “I feel like I understand what a ‘team’ really is and how we all have to support each other, no matter what,” said Lee. On a very young girls team with just one senior this year, Lee hopes that she will be able to contribute the team in the near future. “I hope to become more offensive minded, and to put more points on the board,” said Lee. “This way I will be more versatile and a greater asset to the team each year.”
Sports
WJ hockey takes on Churchill When: TODAY @ 440 Where: LAUREL ICE GARDENS
20
FEBRUARY 2, 2011
By Parker Smith At nearly all levels of sport, referees, officials, line judges, linesmen and umpires assume a thankless role. They are only noticed in a negative light, and they may be taunted for doing their job right. Those black and white striped men and women get all of the blame without any of the credit. So what kinds of people fill such thankless, yet necessary roles? Didier Devynck resides in Silver Spring. He is a freelance French translator and a professional singer. He is also an ice hockey referee. Devynck has been officiating hockey games for nine years. It all started with a simple suggestion. “Someone said to me, ‘If you like hockey, why not ref?’” said Devynck. Just like many other prospective referees, Devynck wanted to get involved in the sport he loves. “Most people played when they were young,” said Devynck of beginning referees. “They still want to be involved in the game, even if they can’t play.” Devynck wasn’t confident that he could play in an adult hockey league, so to him, officiating was just the kind of involvement he was looking for. And so Devynck was introduced to the world of officiating. Before putting on the stripes, referees usually have to go through some kind of training. Whether it be a certification seminar or the gifting of a rulebook, officials in nearly all sports must first take a class and pass a test. Prospects are taught positioning and signaling, and receive tips from officiating veterans. Once this stage is passed, most referees proceed to officiate low-level games. Whether it be refereeing 8-yearold MSI recreational soccer teams or umpiring 11-year-old B-CC recreational baseball games, new referees are often given assignments deemed to be less intense than most. For Devynck, this meant reffing recreational games featuring seven to 10-year-olds. After acquiring experience officiating lower-level games, referees are usually presented with assignments featuring marginally older and more skilled players. Experience is key if you want to move up the officiating ladder in your sport. In order to progress, Devynck said, “You have to do it… You have to challenge yourself with higher level games.” Just as athletes practice and train in order to acquire the skills necessary to master their craft, referees must also focus on improving many skills. For officials and referees, just as athletes, experience is the most sure-fire way to improve, but there are other things that may be done to become a better referee. The first of these things may be the
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Q&A with Ms. Bond
STAT SHEET
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Life in Stripes
Photo by Stefany Carty
most obvious: to know the rulebook. The USA Hockey official rulebook, for example, has 269 pages, and Devynck states that rare situations occur in games when a deep knowledge of the lesserknown rules can really come in handy. With all the memorization that needs to be done, the physical aspect of a referee’s job often gets overlooked. “Referees have to have a conditioning level too because they have to get up and down the floor,” said Karina Bond, the JV girls basketball coach. “And that can also sometimes be a problem if they
added that he must communicate calls with confidence. In a position under so much scrutiny, a ref must stand by the calls he or she makes, good or bad, to maintain control of the game. “I’ve made calls that I’ve regretted the moment I blew the whistle,” Devynck said. “But you have to give the explanation, and give the call with confidence.” Along with confidence, a good referee must have good judgment, not just in making the accurate call, but knowing when to make a call and when not to. Devynck says penalty calls are sub-
time, receive little credit for what they do and are put in harm’s way to make the calls, what makes a referee continue to fill such an abused role? While fans may not recognize the good calls that referees make, those closer to the game, such as players and coaches, are able to respect referees and at least some of their calls. Devynck says it feels good to get compliments from coaches and players after a well-officiated game, and that well-officiated games earn him the respect of his fellow referees. For those playing the game it might be a great goal or a big hit, but referees have great moments within a game too. “There’s a great satisfaction when you get the close calls,” said Devynck. “When there’s a close offsides, and you call it just right, you can look at the players and their faces seem to say, ‘I can’t believe he saw that!’” And just as any athlete, referees like Devynck have goals that motivate them to keep reffing. For Devynck, that goal is to become a better ref, and achieve level four USA Hockey certification, which would allow him to officiate Adult Open, Adult U.S., Junior A and Junior B games. They are the disrespected and misunderstood necessities of sport. They are referees, and they are people, too.
”
You don’t get into reffing to be liked can’t get up there to see the call.” Competitors in a sporting contest must be proactive.They create opportunities and take chances. For referees and officials, the goal is very different: to get a good view. Officials and referees must put themselves in good position to see and make the call, without obstructing the movements of the game. For some officials this can be particularly difficult, given the unpredictability of many sports. Probably the most unique and distinctive quality of good officials is that they must have a controlling personality. Devynck says he has to be assertive and stand behind each call he makes. He
jective and that calls are made according to the physical tone of the game. He also said that late in games, a penalty must be blatantly obvious in order to be called, holding true to the saying that refs “put their whistles away” in the final minutes of games. But maybe the most important characteristic of a referee is thick skin. “You have to accept the fact that you’re going to get yelled at,” said Devynk. “You don’t get in to reffing to be liked.” Whether upset by a referee’s action or inaction, officials endure relentless taunting and ridicule from fans, players, and coaches. But if referees get yelled at all the