The Catch
Walter Johnson Detention Facility
April 26, 2013
Volume ∏ Issue ∞
21 Jump Street, Area 51, North Korea 90210
WJ Wins Award for Most Attractive School in MoCo Earlier this month, the Montgomery County Board for Dangerously Attractive Youths presented WJ with the prestigious “Hotties of MoCo” Award for 2013.
Photos by Sarah Schecker
Read these, t or else: EExdcietollerinal, pg. 4
Awes ome Spectacular Arts & Ent., Sports, pgs. 7-8 pg. 6
Fab Feature, pg. 5
NEWS
the
Catch 2 Admin plans to erect treehouse to celebrate school landmark Infamous WJ tree to become new student hangout hotspot By Sari Amiel
For years, students and teachers alike have viewed the tree that marks the border between WJ and Georgetown Square as a celebrated piece of nature. WJ students can almost always be spotted standing in its shadow, before school, at lunch and, primarily, during class. To commemorate the influence this tree has had on WJ students, the administration deTreehouse masterpiece by Sarah Schecker, treehouse photo courtesy of Encyclopedia Brittanica cided to name it a school landmark, WJ is beginning construction yet again; students will benefit from a hip new place to munch on lunch. and placed a tree house in its branches as a monument. three people. “This tree is a major part of WJ’s identity, more so “This will make such a difference in my life,” said than open lunch,” said Principal Jennifer Baker. “Many senior Maria Furman. “Now I can eat lunch in the tree students have made new friends under its branches. house as opposed to the bathroom, since there is no Placing a tree house in it is the least the administration space left on the first floor to eat.” can do in appreciation.” Social studies teacher Mike Williams had a more The county has already approved the tree house’s skeptical opinion. construction, as a surprising number of years have “On the one hand, I would be concerned about stray gone by since WJ underwent construction or renova- cigarettes starting a fire near the tree,” said Williams, tion. The county also allowed for the tree to become “but given that the area has become school property, a part of WJ’s property, even though the area around no one will be able to smoke there anymore. I predict it still belongs to the county. Following this, a safety there will be a ring of students standing on the county committee inspected the blueprint of the structure, property around the tree.” limiting the maximum capacity of the tree house to
February 30, 1969
DAILY DIARY OF THE EDITORS
What really goes down in The Pitch? The editors tell all. Day 1 Ms. Ellen quits. We’re finally a studentrun newspaper. We’ve got this! Day 2 Watched cat videos and ordered Chipotle online. Day 3 Hid in Pitch office and ate leftover Easter candy. Day 4 Got locked in Pitch office. Was a long day. Day 5 Security heard Phillip laugh and let us out. Day 6 Phillip’s laugh still ringing in our ears. Day 7 Sporcle challenge with the Pitch class. Day 8 No drafts – they’re a week late. Oh well! Day 9 Wait, what are we even writing?! Day 10 Things getting out of control! Did the staff replace us? Paranoia begins. Day 11 Everyone quit Pitch except Izzy. Day 12 Returned to Pitch room after night of sobbing. It was empty. We left. Day 13 Sat in the Pitch office in the dark, in denial. Day 14 Locked in again! Fell asleep in rolly chair until building services came. (no reception this time either) Day 15 First paragraph of 1,000 word article done. Score! Day 16 Drafts arrived. Went to Quartermaine for entire class. Day 17 Edit! (my English homework) Day 18 Edit! (Izzy’s first 5 drafts) Day 19 Edit! (the first sentence of all other articles) Day 20 Had a Tetris battle with Nathaniel. Day 21 Press day! Consumed all red bulls in Giant and ran around G-square for an hour. Hugs and kisses, The Bosses Sari Amiel, Phillip Resnick and Megan Chun
North Korea strikes back: Cafeteria destroyed, nobody notices By Caroline Steel
The nation is in shock after a drone attack on Fri., April 12 left the WJ cafeteria in ruins. The attack, apparently sanctioned by North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, is the first materialization of a conflict which, until now, seemed fabricated by the country’s government in order to restore a sense of nationalism it currently lacks. “The target was chosen at random,” announced an unnamed North Korean spokesperson. “It was just a warning shot. We’re tired of being left out. No one puts North Korea in a corner.” U.S. analysts and military commanders are scrambling to determine what steps must be taken forthwith. Yet for some reason, WJ, a suburban complex filled with entitled Bethesdian teenagers, appeared wholly unaffected by the devastating strike. In fact, many students were completely unaware that an act of war had been committed upon the sacred grounds of their learning institution. “I needed a fork for my leftover pasta because I had forgotten mine at home,” recalled senior Yasmeen Byrnes. “I had heard rumors about a cafeteria at our school, but... you know... I was never sure,” she admitted. “So I asked someone for directions, and come
Photo courtesy of yousukezan, Flickr
to find... nothing! It was gone!” When asked how she felt, Byrnes answered, “It was a soulsearching moment for me.” Sophomore Eli Berger, on the other hand, was nonplussed. “I mean,” he said, “Was I surprised? Sure. Upset? Eh. When I found out yesterday on the morning announcements, I’ll admit I did feel a bit stupid for laughing at all those Kim Jong-un memes. But ultimately, be honest: we’ll be fine without the cafeteria. We’ve still got good ‘ol Chipopo.”
Explosion captured by Caroline Steel
WJ’s cafeteria was reduced to a smoking pile of rubble due to a drone strike by North Korea. Not even building services, nor most students, seemed to notice.
the
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For date, see page 2
NEWS
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Cyberstalking: Medical condition or just creepy? By Izzy Salant The cyber universe is a place full of vast knowledge, hateful Internet comments and cat videos. Aside from that, it is also home to many online profiles of people around the world and a few on other planets. While this may seem fine and dandy, there are people who spend their entire lives staring at certain profiles. These people are known as cyberstalkers. Recently, scientists at NIH have discovered that this obsessive behavior is a serious medical condition called non vitam habet, which is Latin for “has no life.” Sufferers of this condition spend hours trying to get the attention of boys or girls who are way out of their league by carefully studying Facebook profiles and pretending to be other people on the Internet. Symptoms can include reduced self-esteem, gamer’s eye and believing “Dancing with the Stars” has actual stars on it. The addiction is actually widespread and affects 5,000 out of six billion people globally, all of whom live in the midAtlantic region. Former WJ Principal Dr. Christopher Garran has a minor case of the condition. “I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘creep-
Creepy face found by Sarah Schecker
Severe cases of non vitam habet, such as the one shown above, often result in the afflicted individual locating your home, peeking through your window and staring deeply into your soul.
er’ but I will admit this addiction has got the better of me,” said Garran. “I look at Ms. [Jennifer] Baker’s Facebook profile a lot because I want to see whether she’s doing a good job or not and if I need to come out of hiding-- I mean retirement-- to fix things.”
Open lunch canceled, student riots erupt By Claudia Nguyen On Mon., April 8, WJ administration announced its decision to cancel open lunch and confine students to the senior hallway in an attempt to curb lunchtime littering. However, packing more students into the already crowded space has resulted in student protests disrupting classes for the past two weeks. Several teachers have reported sightings of students sprinting down the hall with torches and pitchforks. While many staff members view the students’ reaction as extreme, those who are rioting believe their behavior to be appropriate given the situation.
“Madness? This is Sparta!” yelled a group of furious seniors brandishing Nerf guns and foam swords. Many kids have been caught attempting to sneak out to Georgetown Square, resulting detention for over 98 percent of the student population. Although most students oppose the concept of limiting lunch to the senior hallway, others are cooperating in the hopes of appeasing the administration. “In order to reduce the amount of space I occupy, I have decided to remove all of my extraneous limbs,” said junior Fahed Cat. “Getting rid of my arms and legs is just a necessary sacrifice.”
Photographer almost mobbed while taking this photo: Claudia Nguyen
Don’t be fooled by their smiling faces. This mob of students is out for blood and will stop at nothing until open lunch is restored.
Besides Garran, one out of the 2,260 students at WJ knows a family member who is friends with the brother of a person who struggles with the addiction. La-el (La-DASH-ull) Broseph Deon Smith III* has one of the worst cases of non vitam habet psychiatrists have ever
seen. He currently resides in his parents’ basement with nothing but a MacBook Pro, a charger, snacks and a bunch of posters of Scarlett Johansson. After a few sessions of psychiatric help, Smith overcame his denial and admitted that the illness is controlling his life. “I’ve been down here for three months,” he said. “My girlfriend dumped me around that time and I keep checking her Facebook profile to see how she’s enjoying life with her new boyfriend. Look at this one! It’s her and her boyfriend sitting on a beach. We used to do that, but I’m not crazy.” So far, scientists and medical experts are working as hard as they can to find a cure. However, treatment is available** and NIH recently released a statement saying, “We will not rest until non vitam habet is completely eradicated.” * Name has been changed because it’s none of your business! ** Side effects include, nausea, sinus infection, ear infections, bladder infection, liver infection, eye infection, infection infections, knowing too much about ‘90s cartoons and most likely death. As it says on the box, “Your life wasn’t worth living anyway!”
That’s So Fetch! English teacher Joanne Reynolds founds teacher “Plastics,” totally makes “fetch” happen By Megan Chun After nine years of petitioning, English teacher Joanne Reynolds successfully added the word ‘fetch’ to the Merriam-Webster Other Unnecessary Phrase Dictionary. According to Reynolds, fetch is “British slang for something cool,” a phrase originated by fictional student Gretchen Wieners in the 2004 film “Mean Fetchness captured by Sarah Schecker Girls.” Reynolds was Teacher Joanne Reynolds, the genius behind the ‘fetch’ slang originally inspired by phenomenon, demonstrates what being the epitome of fetch truly looks like. a personality quiz she found online, titled Reynolds elaborated, “Last week Ms. “Which Mean Girl Are You?” Gold said that the shortened syntax in “Some random Internet person made this poem we read created an ‘exacerthe quiz and I thought it would be a nice bated’ tone. And I was like, ‘um, hello, break from reading ‘To Kill a Mocking- that is most definitely an acrimonibird,’” she said. ous tone, because the author is feeling After watching the film eight times, mean!’” once with her cat and seven times by ‘Fetch’ has also influenced Reynolds herself, Reynolds decided to try and in the classroom. make fetch happen, a task attempted “Every time I grade essays now, I ask by Wieners but undermined by Regina myself, ‘Is this fetch?’ and if so, ‘How George, the antagonist and “victimizer” fetch is it?’” said Reynolds. “Some of the movie. APEXers may complain, but they’re just “Regina was just a huge meanie head not fetch enough.” to Gretchen,” she said. “In my ‘Plastic’ Despite her new grading policy, Reyngroup, which includes me, Ms. Ellen olds insists that her moral character has and Ms. Gold, we only antagonize each remained fully intact. other about incorrect uses of rhetorical “I’m not a mean girl, as you know. I’m devices to convey purpose.” very, very nice.”
Catch
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4
Editorial
Up Bat
Belated April Fools
Q: What’s your favorite pickup line?
at
Mr. Finkbinder
Pickup King
Student Question: As journalists, we love stumbling upon new words, especially ones that sound funny. We asked students what they think of when they hear a certain word. Staff Question: We all know that our teachers live secret lives on the weekends. We asked them what their best pickup lines are when they hit the club scene. Q: What do you think of when you hear the following word?
“Do you have a library card? Because I’m checking you out.”
All photos by Wahid Ishrar
Mr. Safford
Spaceship Co-ordinator
Jeffrey Ramirez
Senior “Do you work for NASA? Because you’re out of this world.”
Word: Nincompoop Association: “[I think of] babies sitting inside a crib.” Definition: Simpleton, foolish.
Ms. MacFadden
Sidney Tan
Kindergarten teacher
Junior
Word: Whippet Association: “[I think of] Elmer Fudd from Looney Toons.”
“If you were a booger, I would pick you first.”
Definition: Small, slender dogs used for games and racing.
Shelsey Ramos-Kotun and Emily Ohanian
Ms. Reynolds
Senior Citizen
Juniors
Word: Flub Association: “[We think of] a big woman eating at McDonalds wearing a sundress.”
“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.”
Definition: To make a mess of.
Mr. Warthen
Married
Anhelina Bilokon
Senior
Word: Panjandram Association: “[I think of] MRI scans.”
“I’ve never had to use one.”
Definition: A powerful personage or pretentious officer.
THE
STAFF
The Catch, the most boring newspaper ever, is published whenever we feel like it by the students of Walter Johnson High school, 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Reykjavik, Iceland. Advertising and subscription rates are available by calling 000. Don’t expect anybody to pick up though. Editorial opinions express the views of everyone at the school, and the most controversial and politically incorrect editorials reflect the views of all of the WJ staff. The Pitch is a sorry excuse for a newspaper that attempts to print inane and wildly inappropriate articles, and works toward providing the student body with fake information that hopefully sparks mass pandemonium and chaos.
2012 American Scholastic Cookie- Cutter Layout Award First Place 2010-2011 Grace “In Your Face” Leslau Christine “Tetris Goddess” Bersabal Michael “Kidmike” Lumbuku JJ “Juicy J” Henn Selma “Sneak Attack” Stearns Melissa “Sasha Fierce” Wainaina Audrey “Who’s Annie?” Marek
Columbia Scholastic Press Association“Most likely to plagarize” Gold Medalist
Dashel “3 HUNNA” Lewis Emily “Energizer Bunny” Cosentino Ian “Flaming Ginger” Morison Phillip “My Laugh Makes Angels Die” Resnick Claudia “Izzy’s Worst Nightmare” Nguyen Onders “?” Norberg Sari “Over-abrasive” Amiel
Megan “Grammar Czar” Chun Ben “Dislecksick” Resnick “The Magical” Izzy Salant Hope “The Pope” Marshall Melissa “Mrs. WJ” Wainaina Ellie “Never Comes to Press” Jorling Sean “The Enforcer” Poosson
Maryland HS Journalism Award Horrible Journalism Ethic First Place 2004-Present Adriana “Italiana” Del Grosso Sarah “Shorter than the Tripod” Schecker Caroline “Woman of ” Steel Sabrina “Littleballofenergy” Clarke Wahid “Do you even go here?” Ishrar Sylvie “Hilary Jr.” Ellen
Catch
the
4
Editorial
Up Bat
Belated April Fools
Q: What’s your favorite pickup line?
at
Mr. Finkbinder
Pickup King
Student Question: As journalists, we love stumbling upon new words, especially ones that sound funny. We asked students what they think of when they hear a certain word. Staff Question: We all know that our teachers live secret lives on the weekends. We asked them what their best pickup lines are when they hit the club scene. Q: What do you think of when you hear the following word?
“Do you have a library card? Because I’m checking you out.”
All photos by Wahid Ishrar
Mr. Safford
Spaceship Co-ordinator
Jeffrey Ramirez
Senior “Do you work for NASA? Because you’re out of this world.”
Word: Nincompoop Association: “[I think of] babies sitting inside a crib.” Definition: Simpleton, foolish.
Ms. MacFadden
Sidney Tan
Kindergarten teacher
Junior
Word: Whippet Association: “[I think of] Elmer Fudd from Looney Toons.”
“If you were a booger, I would pick you first.”
Definition: Small, slender dogs used for games and racing.
Shelsey Ramos-Kotun and Emily Ohanian
Ms. Reynolds
Senior Citizen
Juniors
Word: Flub Association: “[We think of] a big woman eating at McDonalds wearing a sundress.”
“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.”
Definition: To make a mess of.
Mr. Warthen
Married
Anhelina Bilokon
Senior
Word: Panjandram Association: “[I think of] MRI scans.”
“I’ve never had to use one.”
Definition: A powerful personage or pretentious officer.
THE
STAFF
The Catch, the most boring newspaper ever, is published whenever we feel like it by the students of Walter Johnson High school, 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Reykjavik, Iceland. Advertising and subscription rates are available by calling 000. Don’t expect anybody to pick up though. Editorial opinions express the views of everyone at the school, and the most controversial and politically incorrect editorials reflect the views of all of the WJ staff. The Pitch is a sorry excuse for a newspaper that attempts to print inane and wildly inappropriate articles, and works toward providing the student body with fake information that hopefully sparks mass pandemonium and chaos.
2012 American Scholastic Cookie- Cutter Layout Award First Place 2010-2011 Grace “In Your Face” Leslau Christine “Tetris Goddess” Bersabal Michael “Kidmike” Lumbuku JJ “Juicy J” Henn Selma “Sneak Attack” Stearns Melissa “Sasha Fierce” Wainaina Audrey “Who’s Annie?” Marek
Columbia Scholastic Press Association“Most Likely to Plagarize” Gold Medalist
Dashel “3 HUNNA” Lewis Emily “Energizer Bunny” Cosentino Ian “Flaming Ginger” Morison Phillip “My Laugh Makes Angels Die” Resnick Claudia “Izzy’s Worst Nightmare” Nguyen Onders “?” Norberg Sari “Over-abrasive” Amiel
Megan “Grammar Czar” Chun Ben “Dislecksick” Resnick “The Magical” Izzy Salant Hope “The Pope” Marshall Nathaniel “Trojan Man” Rees Ellie “Never Comes to Press” Jorling Sean “The Enforcer” Poosson
Maryland HS Journalism Award Horrible Journalism Ethic First Place 2004-Present Adriana “Italiana” Del Grosso Sarah “Shorter than the Tripod” Schecker Caroline “Woman of ” Steel Sabrina “Littlerayofsunshine” Clarke Wahid “Do you even go here?” Ishrar Sylvie “Hilary Jr.” Ellen
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Catch
DATE GOES HERE, 2013
FEATURE
APRIL MAKE-UNDER MADNESS
5
By Ellie Jorling and Christine Bersabal
It’s time for senior “Best Dressed” winner Sam Brinker to be made under, because he dresses himself too well.
AFTER:
BEFORE: The sunglasses ($17.00) and hat ($11.99) evoke a “cool guy” vibe.
This shirt ($19.99) adds a pop of color among dreary April showers.
The color and wild design of the graphic tee ($8.99) goes well with the shirt.
The white belt ($30.00) paired with the green pants ($17.98) stands out and completes the outfit.
Sensible orthotic sandals ($39.99) are a must-have for all students. All photos by Ellie Jorling
Who puts this much effort into their clothes? This needs to change.
This look is much more acceptable!
“[The make-under] was a transformative experience -- I’ve never looked better!” Where we purchased these looks: Dumpster behind Georgetown Square 10400 Old Georgetown Rd. Bethesda, Md. 20814
Sears Westfield Montgomery Mall 7103 Democracy Blvd. Bethesda, Md. 20817
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Catch your crush and keep him
By Emily Cosentino
You’re sexy, you’re fun and you have a lot of friends, but are the guys you meet still avoiding you like the plague? Whether the guy of your dreams put you in the friend zone, or does not even know you exist, these steps will work all the same. Land the guy you want with this “MANual.” Step one: Get his attention, then keep it. Try to learn more about what he is interested in so you have more in common to talk about. Wear a little bit of makeup and try to play up your appearance. Once you have caught his eye, the most important part is to keep his attention. Guys pretend they don’t like constant attention, but that is all an act. He likes to know what you are doing at all times. When you wake up, call him. After breakfast, give him another ring. If he doesn’t answer,consider it a test to see if you care about him enough to keep calling or a trap for you to leave voicemails so he is always able to hear your voice at the push of a button. Throughout the day, send him texts that update him on everything you are doing, everything you are thinking and everything you are eating so it will be like he is there with you. Don’t be selfish; ask him what he is doing as well. Make sure you always pretend you are interested in what he is up to, and ask him who he is with, what he is doing and, of course, if he is thinking about you. Step two: Love yourself... a lot. In order for someone else to love you, you have to love yourself first. Try working out a little bit, making new friends and trying new hobbies and other confidence boosting activities. After you have boosted your own confidence, make sure you let your man know it. Ask him if you look pretty whenever you see him. Don’t go overboard, though; seven times an hour should be the maximum. Don’t give him the idea you’re fat by asking him if your butt looks big in your new jeans; instead, ask him if your clothes show off your banging body. If he does not compliment you on a consistent basis, call him out on it; guys love when you assume control. Another option is to ask him if he likes every outfit you wear around him. This will ensure he knows you are fit, slim and sexy but, most importantly, confident. Don’t be arrogant; instead, judge every other girl that you walk past. Accuse him of being attracted to them, so he will confirm and be reminded that you are the best catch out there. Telling others about how amazing you are is a great way to make conversation and doesn’t count as being arrogant, as long as you give the other person a compliment somewhere in the conversation. Even a backhanded compliment will do. Step three: Get REALLY close to his friends Guys want a girlfriend they can talk to and hang out with while still being themselves. One of the best ways to achieve that sort of relationship with your man is to hang out with his friends.When he is going to hang out with the guys, ask if you can tag along. In order to get in good with his friends, you should flirt with them. Constantly. Make sure you touch their arms when you are talking to them, make eye contact, flip your hair and laugh. Then, when you are with your guy, make sure you talk about just how nice his guy friends are. Be careful your guy knows he is still the one you are interested in and hang all over him when you are with your friends.Your girlfriends will love that. Sit on his lap, hold his hands and bury your face into his neck. Bring up all of your past relationships. Make sure he knows you have been in other relationships, and those guys are still interested in you. Tell him about all of the other guys who are interested in you as well, to ensure he knows you are desirable. Guys want what other guys want. If you make sure to follow these steps, your guy will end up following YOU around like a puppy. Just be original, be confident and remember, the most important thing is just to have fun!
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After a $1.1 billion in sales from Schwartz starts drop 2011 to 2012, deblazer line partment store J.C. for J.C. Penney Penney has decided By Ellie Jorling to bring in a clothing expert to design a new line in order to boost sales. The expert? Social studies teacher and APEX coordinator Nathan Schwartz. The line? Blazers. Schwartz was happy but not surprised by his appointment as chief blazer designer. “I own over 50 different blazers of all different brands, colors and styles,” said Schwartz. “It’s about time they realized my prowess regarding this piece of clothing.” The suffering department store released a statement saying that Schwartz “shows impeccable taste in the simple statement piece, and we need his expertise in this area to appeal to the expanding market of male history teachers nationwide.” “Blazers are great,” said Schwartz. “They’ve always been a part of my wardrobe-I even wore them as a kid. There are many expertly composed photo styles out there, and most sophisticated perfect selfie the of them is the selfie. By Selma Stearns These self-taken photographs, usually done with an iPhone or other mediocre-quality camera phone, take many different forms. For example, my personal favorite is one which is taken in a dirty bathroom mirror with toiletries littering the counter. Preferably the subject’s eyes should be looking down at the screen of the camera or phone. Another adorable selfie is pretending to be “candid” by looking in a different direction than the camera and pretending to laugh. As an avid selfie-taker, I know for a fact you are guaranteed at least three Instagram likes for this kind of photo. Instagram, and other photoediting apps, are invaluable tools for taking a selfie, allowing teens to make collages, add distracting vintage-style effects and edit away their acne and the bags under their eyes until they are unrecognizable.
Sometime in April- too lazy to check Sure, I was teased, but look at me now. I’m designing them for one of the largest department stores in the world.” Schwartz has already begun to design in the seclusion of his office while supposedly planning for his AP U.S. History classes. His designs include blazers for teaching, teacher’s union meetings and the occasional formal event. “The blazers in my line come in navy and black, but mostly beige, and are perfectly paired with a dress shirt and a pair of jeans. Dress pants are only appropriate for formal events,” Schwartz added. Schwartz’s blazer line will be available at J.C. Penney stores nationwide as soon as he decides to grade the DBQs from the last AP U.S. History unit tests. Photo courtesy of Britannica
Schwartz’s blazers are tailored to perfection for every customer.
How to take the
This is the newest style of perfume to mix The Scent of and match, designed to make you as attracDesperation tive as possible. These By Audrey Marek classic companies have each contributed a specialized scent to this line, exclusively for Overpriced Bandwagon Boutique. These are limited editions so hurry and buy them before they are gone!
Pizza Hut This new scent is proven to attract guys! What girl
doesn’t want the special smell of pizza to accompany her everywhere? It’s not limited to one topping either. Vegetarian? We’ve got broccoli pizza! Want to be on the exotic side? I hear Hawaiian pizza’s a real bargain. And of course there’s the popular pepperoni if you’re feeling spicy. (Side effects include unusually strong cravings.)
Jiffy Lube
Nothing can compare to the scent of gasoline permanently embedded in your clothes after a day at NASCAR or Formula 1. Now, you can carry that smell with you every day. This perfume smells like premium gasoline, because that is exactly what it is. However, it comes in a little spray bottle, so naturally it’s about $70 more expensive. Now, whenever a guy smells you, he’ll immediately think of engines! Guys like engines,
All Selfies by Selma Stearns
These two styles of gorgeous, perfect and photogenic selfies are modeled by Selma Stearns.
Another recommended favorite is the “look cutely up at the camera,” achieved by holding the camera far above your head and looking up at it with a cute and innocent look on your face. Earbuds, earbuds, earbuds. These are classy and fun accessories guaranteed to add originality to any selfie. Use the white Apple brand ones you received with your iPhone to show off the fact you own an iPhone, or shake things up with colored ones to be special. An added bonus is if the selfie is taken using a mirror so that it shows what the earbuds are plugged into. Depending on the style of the selfie, different facial expressions can be made. But for a truly perfect selfie, you should squint your heavily made-up eyes really small and push your lips together and out to create a classic: the duck-face. so they will like you. (Side effects include slight risk of catching fire. Not recommended for smokers.)
Dove I know what you’re thinking: “A clean, fresh-smell-
ing person? What guy is going to want that?” Don’t worry; we haven’t gone mainstream on you. The Dove company has created certain scents they use to test the effectiveness of their soap against strong odors. One of these is sweat, as would be found under the armpits of any athlete in any sport. Bandwagon Boutique has kindly diluted it for you, but not too much! Now, whenever you approach your person of desire, they will immediately be reminded of athleticism and enthusiasm! (Side effects include people moving away from you on the bus.) Overpriced Bandwagon Boutique will even sell you an exclusive deal, and give you all three of these original perfumes for the price of one! (That price is $300.)
Graphics by Emily Cosentino
It’s written on the bottles, guys. Come on.
7 WJ’s newest spring sport: the SGA Hunger Games the
Catch
Look at a calendar
SPORTS
To combat overcrowding, administration introduces competition between class officers to decide which grade will stay
2:1
$0
Preliminary odds favoring the senior class
Due to overpopulation at WJ, administration announced that, in addition to the current nine spring sports offered, Principal Jennifer Baker has authorized a school-wide Hunger Games competition to reduce the number of students. The game will feature four teams, one for each grade, and the grade that wins will be allowed to remain at WJ, while the rest will be sent to Churchill. Because of the uneven number of students in each grade, Baker said that only class officers will participate and represent their class. The announcement was posted on the school’s website, along with the following rules: All 16 players of the games are to report to the gym on Saturday. In the center of the gym shall
“
By Anders Norberg
7
$5
The amount of money expected to be generated, because in conjunction with MCPS policy, gambling on school events or activities is prohibited (MCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities)
Number of times Senior Class President Facundo Severi had to be reminded that this wasn’t a filmed scene for the homecoming movie
Cost of admission for spectators, unless they have a spring season pass
be a cornucopia of weaponry that the school board allows, including, but not limited to, rulers, sharp pencils, scissors and assorted sports equipment. On the count of 10, all students shall be set free, and from there on out there are no rules aside from “kill or be killed,” and
Teachers will be able to provide their favorite students with supplies. Preliminary odds favor the seniors winning at 2:1, followed by the juniors. All the experts have predicted the, freshmen to be early exits in this years tournament, citing their lack of knowl-
ety of game-changing options, such as using the Katniss/Peeta strategy or simply using senior class president Facundo’s inherent charm and good looks. At the same time, juniors are overlooked as true threats, which will allow them to strike when other classes aren’t prepared. Plus, the junior class has an unfair advantage in Bobby Ellett’s unbearable kindness. Sophomores don’t have any real strengths or weaknesses, so they’ll probably just linger around until the halfway point. Whatever the outcome, it is sure to be an exciting Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor.
All the experts have predicted the freshmen to be early exits, citing their lack of knowledge on the layout of the school and overall physical disadvantage. all doors to the outside will be locked. edge on the layout of the school and The entire event will be live-streamed their overall physical disadvantage. on the dailylineup.com and every time Seniors have the strategic advantage a student is slain the late bell will ring. of the senior hallway, as well as a vari-
”
Generic Promposal Advertisement Hey you! Need a prom date? Use this completely personalized ad to ask your last minute backup date to prom!
Dear _________, Roses are red, violets are blue, I don’t have a prom date and neither do you. So what do you say? Yes, of course! Eh... No chance With moderate affection, ______________
Deportes 8
What’s Inside?
TODAY
From state semifinals to scoliosis By Ben Resnick
As the field hockey team made their memorable run to the state semifinals, “fockey” fever was abundant throughout WJ. Although it was a fantastic run, there were some negatives that came out of the long season. Many of the star field hockey players, due to overtraining, became stuck in a hunch-like position. “I am very concerned for my players’ health,” said head coach Erika Murray. “Walking around all day in that position must be very painful for them.” With the departure of head athletic trainer Karina Bond before this season, the team had no one to give them their
daily massages to cope with their acutescoliosis, a common medical occurrence in high school field hockey players. Murray has talked to yoga teacher Janice Cornell to see if she can teach the team a few poses to help strengthen their cores and backs. “These girls really need to see someone to help restore their back strength,” said Murray. The upcoming season will feature tough games against rivals B-CC and Wootton, but coach Murray is more concerned with the health of her athletes’ backs.
Photo by Sarah Schecker
Publicity event for girls’ basketball is a slam dunk layup By Phillip Resnick Girls’ varsity basketball recently hosted a celebrity layup contest to raise awareness and interest about the sport of girls’ basketball. The team decided to host the event after their average attendance dipped to a record low. “I think people don’t appreciate how exciting our sport is and how captivating it is to watch,” said senior captain Megan Spurrell. Spurrell was arguably the team’s most exciting player last season, averaging almost three layups a game, helping the team earn the nickname “Layup City”. The event was judged by girls’ varsity basketball head coach Lindsay Zegowitz as well as a few girls’ basketball alumni. The scoring was based on form, height of the jump, execution of making the basket and overall excitement of the play. Participants spiced up the competition by attempting lefty-layups, onehanded layups, and even a few alley-oop layups. However, the event was marred by senior boys’ varsity basketball standout Michael Lumbuku, who on one of his layup attempts grabbed the rim, and was subsequently disqualified and booed out of the gym. “All in all, I think the event was very successful,” said Zegowitz, who believes people will start to respect girls’ bas-
Field hockey players Anna Rowthorn and Mackenzie Johnson struggle to make their way around the hallways at school. Their exprience in field hockey has left them with irreparable spine damage.
By Ian Morrison
Each year high school athletic teams must face saying goodbye to their star seniors and rebuild with young players from JV. Often times, high school coaches will scout out young athletes at the JV level and even sometimes at the middle school level in order to prepare for upcoming seasons. This season, coaches have dedicated much time to the scouting of young players, and as a result have found a lot of young talent at the pre-school and elementary level. The best of coaches are able to identify talent from a very young age, and our very own WJ coaches have been excellent at this as of late. Boys’ soccer coach Mike Williams, after a recent trip to Wyngate Elementary School, returned to WJ thrilled to report about Jake Seymore, a 3’11’’ second grader who has played soccer since Kindergarten. Seymore impressed after lunch when all the kids enjoyed their half hour of recess. Though his small stature makes kicking the soccer ball somewhat troublesome, coach Williams believes Seymore showed great potential. He was
ketball as a sport. Other sports at WJ, including but not limited to baseball, soccer and field hockey, are trying to organize similar events to foster more interest in their respective sports.
Photo by Sarah Schecker
Spurrell watches one of her layups enter the hoop during the competition. The event drew a few dozen spectators and taught a lot of students about how exciting girls’ basketball can be.
WJ’s athletes in waiting
Photos courtesy of Flickr.com
These are the faces of WJ athletics...in 10 years. Coaches have begun scouting athletes from WJ’s feeder elementary schools to ensure that their programs will continue their success into the future.
described to posess lightning speed, as well as a true eye for goal. Seymore currently plays for the MSI Mean Green Wizards, a prominent local rec soccer team, where last season he scored 11 goals and received the “Most Improved Player” award at the team’s end of the season barbecue. Switching to the other kind of football, head football coach Jon Kadi may have found the lineman he’s been searching for. Spencer Yost, a fourth grader at Luxmanor Elementary has been demolishing the RFL Peewee Football League over the past few years, dominating both the offensive and defensive lines. Yost already weighs in at an astounding 68 pounds and runs a blazing 6.82 40 yard-dash. His coaches describe him as “a workout warrior and a bull in the trenches.” They may be young, but these two athletes will be the ones carrying WJ’s athletic hopes a few years down the road.