Feb. 15 Issue

The Pitch

Walter Johnson High School

February 15, 2013

Volume 58 Issue 5

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814

Work Hard, Play Hard

Pennies for Patients Carnival raises thousands for cancer research

“Carnival” found in News, page 3

By Sari Amiel

Cutting it Close: WJ students skip class

A

fter the late bell rings, some students can be seen jogging or racing to classes, while others walk in the other direction, pursuing activities on the opposite end of the spectrum.

“Sometimes I just felt like it wasn’t really necessary to go to class, because we would just be watching a movie or…not actually doing anything,” said senior Meghan Brennan.

Brennan began skipping classes in her sophomore year, before the current attendance policy was reinstated. Now, she skips on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. Brennan skips elective courses, like food trends and

yearbook, instead of academic courses, like English, math or social studies and avoids skipping on test days.

“I don’t really need [my elective courses] to graduate,” she said. “I don’t feel like I should really have to go to electives every day.”

On the other hand, senior Lucas Kane* skips classes when he feels he has an important reason to do so. “[I skip] the majority of times because there’s a test I haven’t studied for...and I’ll find a way to get it excused later,” he said. “Usually I’d do something like tell my mom I was sick at the time and she’d write me a note, or it’d go unexcused and the teacher wouldn’t [penalize] me.”

Just as her reasons for skipping class vary, Brennan does not always go to the

“I don’t feel like I should really have to go to electives every day.”

same place when she skips. She often meets up with her friends, who also skip, or if it is the end of the day she goes home. She also sometimes visits other classes or goes to see a teacher that does not have a class at that time.

Kane also often does the same and they both agree that skipping once made them each more inclined to skip in the future.

“It’s kind of like, once you do it once and nothing bad happens, you think you can do it again,” Brennan said.

She was only penalized for skipping once, last semester, after skipping multiple times in one week.

“I got called down to Mr. [Micah] Wiggins’ office and I got lunch detention for one day, but it was only once, so I still skipped and nothing else happened,” said Brennan.

According to Wiggins, the only reason a student would get detention once

Photo by Sarah Schecker

would be because the student is only caught once. Before Wiggins disciplines a student, either a staff member or attendance secretary Audrey Weissberg must notify him that the student has missed a class. Normally, students are given administrative detention during lunch.

When Brennan was caught for an unexcused absence, her mother received a phone call informing her of the absence.

“Sometimes [my parents] care, sometimes they don’t,” said Brennan.

“I’ve never been punished at home for skipping.”

Brennan’s mother, Liz, who gets calls from the attendance secretary whenever Meghan is absent, disagreed.

“Skip” continued in News, page 4

al, i r o t i Ed -8 pgs. 5

Inside, Check Out:

Feature, pgs. 13-16

Arts and Ent., pgs. 9-12

Sports, pgs. 17-20

the

Pitch 2 wjpitch.com M FRO Follow the WJ Pitch on Twitter! @TheWJPitch NEWS

NEW! Use the QR Code to access more articles on www.wjpitch.com!

Boys’ Swimming Takes Another Splash at States

Photo by Wahid Ishrar

Senior Kevin Mejia swims butterfly for the WJ boys’ swim team at Metros.

Ben Resnick, Online Sports Editor & Print Assistant Sports Editor The boys’ swim team has maintained a perfect 6-0 record so far this season, their closest meet being against Richard Montgomery where they won by six points. They are led by senior captain Barry Mangold who has played a huge role in keeping the boys undefeated. Mangold recorded the WJ record in the 100 meter freestyle event this year after swimming a blazing 45.87 seconds. The boys will face the best private school teams in the state, including Georgetown Prep

and Gonzaga, on Feb. 6-9 where they will face some very tough tests. The state meet is on Feb. 23 where the team will look to win their second straight state champions.

To read more articles, visit www.wjpitch.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Pitch Readers,

This issue of The Pitch covers many interesting and engaging topics, including an in-depth look at class absences, features on lesserknown classes, various nail polish designs and staff opinions on a variety of local and national events.

In addition, February is a monumental month for WJ due to the Pennies for Patients fundraiser, which is nearly halfway over. We cover the Pennies for Patients events both in this issue and on our website, wjpitch.com.

You may have noticed that the internet explorer homepage recently changed to The Pitch Online for all student logins. We hope you continue reading our print work in addition to exploring the website, which has a variety of articles, photos, videos and polls to enjoy.

We thank you for your continued readership and support. Please like “The WJ Pitch” on Facebook and follow @thewjpitch on Twitter.

Sincerely, Print Editors-in-Chief Sari Amiel & Phillip Resnick, and Online Editor-in-Chief Megan Chun

3 Carnival raises thousands for cancer research the

Pitch

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

“Carnival” continued from page 1

By Claudia Nguyen On Feb. 2, hundreds of children flocked to the first Pennies for Patients Winter Carnival held at WJ. The event was open to not only students from WJ, but also to all students from its feeder schools. Organized by the leadership class, the carnival aimed to raise money for the month-long fundraiser benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

SGA President Chris McCurry said many kids attended, including students from Tilden and North Bethesda middle schools, as well as Farmland, Luxmanor and Wyngate elementary schools. The leadership class took advantage of the diverse crowd, and created some friendly competition among the different feeder schools by holding a money donation competition. Students and their parents could drop money into their school’s corresponding money collection jug to see which school could raise the most for Pennies for Patients. Wyngate ultimately donated the highest amount, raising several hundred dollars.

Complete with music, food, raffles, moon bounces, video arcade games, prizes and a mechanical bull, the carnival required extensive planning and organization.

McCurry said that in the leadership class, the students were split into groups to brainstorm fundraising ideas for Pennies for Patients. McCurry and the other members of his group came up with the original idea for a carnival.

“We thought about how the event would run from start to finish and thought about everything that could possibly happen,” said McCurry. “We contacted all... the necessary volunteers to make sure we had people to fill in for the stations that we needed. Basically, we just thought about every single thing that, if we were at the carnival participating, we would want to see.”

Many volunteers worked at the carnival, including parents and students. As a member of the leadership class and one of the many students who volunteered, senior Cori Caggiano helped run the cakewalk, a game of musical chairs with the winner receiving a cake for a prize.

“We were totally taken by surprise with the large turnout rate,” said Caggiano. “At the cakewalk we really had to get creative because there were so many kids that wanted to play.”

Junior Bobby Ellett said both his younger brother and sister, who attend Tilden, went to the carnival and brought their friends from Tilden and Farmland. Ellett also volunteered at the carnival, helping to run several of the games, including Shockwave, Duck Hunt and the Plate Toss.

“The carnival was an amazing fundraiser and community-building event,” said Ellett.

“It was such an awesome experience, interacting with the kids attending the carnival.

It feels really good to be part of an event that raises money for such a great cause.”

The carnival was able to raise nearly $15,000 for Pennies for Patients, and most of the volunteers and organizers agreed that the event was a success. Although the winter carnival was implemented for the first time this year, the leadership class hopes that the event’s success could give it the potential to be repeated in future years and eventually become a WJ tradition.

“It was insane, and I’m so proud of our class for putting this huge event together,” said Caggiano. “We totally pulled it off and the carnival definitely was a success for the Pennies for Patients fundraising effort.”

While the carnival was able to raise a significant amount of money and was a good start to the fundraiser, McCurry emphasized that WJ still has a ways to go before it reaches its ultimate goal of $60,000.

“Pennies for Patients is a month-long event,” said McCurry, “so we need to keep pushing.”

NEWS

Seniors Tori Northup and Katie Edgar volunteer at the cup shot station.

WJ feeder schools compete in the jug competition to see which can collect the most donations.

All photos by Sarah Schecker

Sophomore Sam Jacobson rides the mechanical bull.

SGA President Chris McCurry acts as the carnival ringmaster.

Senior Daryl Vaca, who goes by stage name DJ D, provides musical entertainment for the carnival.

Seniors Randale Patterson and Facundo Severi assist kids at the bungee run.

Senior Cori Caggiano runs the cakewalk, a musical chairs game where kids compete to win a cake as their prize.

Pitch

the

4

NEWS

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

With great reception comes great responsibility

By Izzy Salant Every year, on average, 1.6 million car crashes will occur and over 330,000 people will be injured or killed as a result of texting and driving.

These statistics may seem a little farfetched, but automobile accidents involving cellular devices happen every day.

“It’s a big issue,” said Principal Jennifer Baker. “I’ve been behind people who were on their phone and swerving.

I’ve also seen kids going in and out of the [WJ] parking lot and going too fast because they were texting and driving.

I’m worried about [everyone’s] safety.”

Senior and licensed driver Valerie Campanella, who drives to school every day, agrees. “[Texting and driving] is dangerous,” she said. “People really should have a place to put their phones and keep them silent.”

Campanella said she only texts on rare occasions, such as at red lights, or will give her phone to another passenger if the text is important. However, she added that she is very concerned about safety.

Due to the number of people texting and driving, Baker said she’s going to launch a campaign to inform students about the potential dangers. The plan involves students creating and submitting 30-second videos related to the topic, that Baker would approve. The winning videos would then be shown on

the announcements. The videos would be broadcast once or twice a week and the other videos would be posted on The Pitch Online. Baker also clarified that the videos do not have to be about texting and driving, but can also be about pedestrian safety.

Many laws have been enacted to combat the issue of texting and driving, and in Maryland it is now a primary offense.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, a primary offense means an officer may cite a driver for using a handheld cellphone without another traffic offense taking place. Baker and Campanella also agree that there should be punishment for texting while driving.

“It should be a ticket, maybe a warning to add a scare factor, and then a fee, unless there is an accident, of course,” said Baker.

Even knowing the dangers of texting and driving, there are people who have tried to justify why the practice is not such a dangerous act. According to textinganddrivingsafety.com, the most common excuses are that reading a text is safer than sending one, holding the phone near the windshield gives the driver “better visibility,” drivers feel texting is okay if they increase their distance and texting only at a stop sign or red light is still safe. Nevertheless, Baker said that it is never okay to text and drive because it’s still a safety issue.

“I would pull over,” she said. “There is always a place to [do so]. Even at night,

Photo by Sarah Schecker

According to textinganddrivingsafety.com, texting while driving makes a crash up to 23 times more likely.

just choose a place that is well-lit.”

While many people have the same mindset as Baker, the most controversial excuse, even though there is a law in Maryland prohibiting doing so, is texting during a red light.While it seems to be less dangerous than texting while the car is in motion, Campanella recalled a story involving her only fearful encounter with texting and driving. She said that one time she was with her friend in a car and they stopped at a red light.

Her friend started to text but did not notice when the light turned green and did not look up. They were holding up traffic, and soon a car honk from behind scared them, causing them to quickly drive through the light.

That experience, as well as ones that have happened to others, is the reason Campanella says she doesn’t like the idea of texting and driving.

“It not only [en]dangers [drivers who are texting],” she said, “but others too.”

Cutting it Close: WJ students skip class

“Skip” continued from page 1

By Sari Amiel

“I do care [about Meghan’s attendance] 100 percent of the time,” she said. “Every single time the school calls me, I follow up with the attendance office and with the administration.”

Wiggins also disciplined Kane, for fabricating an absence note.

“I skipped the first three periods of the day and wrote a fake note this year and went out to breakfast,” said Kane. “[My parents] were kind of mad but this semester I’ve just been straight up with [them].”

Kane’s parents were also called due to his unexcused absence.

“I thought that the school did the right thing,” said Cheryl Kane*, Lucas’ mother.

She did not discipline Kane at home, but said she would ground him in the future if he got in trouble in a similar way. She added that her son sometimes asks her to write a note excusing him from his first period class, but she refuses.

Brennan has gotten notices warning her that she has missed three classes, but she has never lost credit in a course. She said the closest she got to losing credit was in her French class last year, but she was able to speak with the teacher and did not fail.

“I’ve always been able to make [assignments] up,” she said. “I feel like [teachers] don’t really care necessarily if you skip and they don’t really know.”

Kane also got close to losing credit in two of his classes. This semester, he had five absences in food trends and English.

“I went to my counselor to see if I was going to have a problem with those,” Kane said, “but neither of the teachers cared.”

Although Kane and Brennan have never lost credit, this is a problem that many other students face. Wiggins said that, last year, nearly 50 students lost credit due to attendance issues, and one student failed a class because he had over 15 tardies.

Although the LC policy has been reinstated this year, five unexcused absences, 15 unexcused tardies or a combination of absences and tardies no longer translate directly into failure of a class.

“Once a student has five or more unexcused absences, a teacher can develop an attendance intervention plan (AIP),” said Wiggins.

“It allows the student to state what they’re going to do in order to improve their attendance.”

Teachers decide whether a student has fulfilled the AIP requirements, but if that student has not, they can fail the class. Aside

from lunch detention, administration can also discipline students by putting them on a daily attendance contract that informs administration of when they are in class, assigning them a no-hall pass so they cannot leave the class, speaking to parents or giving them after school detention. Disciplining specific students, however, is up to individual teachers.

When students are absent from her class, health teacher Kathleen Carey checks whether the absences are excused or unexcused. In the past, students have lost credit in her class, but she has also made AIPs for other students. When students skip Carey’s class, they lose 10 percent on assignments and have two days to turn them in. However, Carey does not reteach material that was missed.

“I really have no sympathy for unexcused absences, because it’s the responsibility of the student to be here and, if they’re not here, to turn in a note,” she said.

Overall, Kane’s main concern is not losing credit, but failing assignments.

“For me it’s always been [about]…trying to avoid failing a test or getting a zero on something,” he said.

Wiggins acknowledges many factors are involved in a student’s decision to skip. He said it de-

pends on the student, their relationship with their teacher and whether or not they like the class.

Although fewer seniors than underclassmen are reported by staff members to Wiggins for skipping, Weissberg believes that the opposite is the case. She notices that seniors, especially those in their second semester, tend to skip more often.

Weissberg often sees students leave during lunch and skip their afternoon classes. She has also seen student-written notes, but does not excuse such absences unless she calls home and a parent verifies them.

“I have a lot of kids that are late because they can’t get out of bed,” said Weissberg. “I don’t know if the payoff is really worth it.”

Wiggins’ views on skipping are strongly defined, and are similar to Weissberg’s.

“As the school we are responsible for students once [they] leave [their] house for school and if [they’re] not here there’s no way that we can make sure that [they’re] safe so we strongly encourage students to attend school every period,” said Wiggins. “To me, skipping shows a lack of respect.” *Names have been changed.

Photo by Claudia Nguyen

Pitch

the

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

EDITORIAL

Hillary Clinton concludes term as Secretary of State

By Selma Stearns Hillary Clinton chose to step down on Feb. 1, 2013, and some have speculated that she did this in order to run for president in 2016. However, she would better serve her country if she stayed in the office of Secretary of State to President Barack Obama. If her choices are either to run for president or to stay at the State Department, America would have a better foreign policy situation if she stayed where she was. She has done a great deal for the country in that position, and Obama himself has repeatedly said he wants her to stay longer.

During her time as Secretary of State, her most successful achievements have been organizing international sanctions against Iran’s nuclear programs and improving U.S. relations with Burma.

However successful she has been, there is much unfinished business Clinton has not dealt with and leaves behind to the next Secretary of State. The rebellion in Syria is not yet over, there has been no progress in stopping North Korea’s nuclear program, the removal of troops in Afghanistan won’t be complete until 2014 and Egypt still hasn’t instituted its new democratic government. If Clinton is seriously considering

Photo Courtesy of Fema.gov

Hillary Clinton waves to the crowd when she served as Secretary of State. Clinton chose to step down from this position on Feb. 1, 2013, and there is speculation that she may run for president again in 2016.

running for president in four years, it would be to her advantage to have more programs and successes to take credit for in her campaign.

Additionally, if Clinton plans to run in 2016, it is not necessary for her to step down from the State Department now. Although running a presidential

campaign is strenuous and takes many years to prepare for, she is already wellknown. Therefore, it will be easier for her to use her name and position, as opposed to starting completely from scratch. 67 percent of all adults have a favorable impression of Clinton according to a Washington Post-ABC poll from

5

Jan. 23; America likes her where she is.

Clinton’s popularity is high right now, but a lot can change between now and the 2016 elections. Clinton lost the Democratic nomination to Obama in 2008, and since then has found her calling as Secretary of State. Clinton has been an irreplaceable Secretary, and staying in office at least a little longer would benefit our country greatly.

She has experience with foreign affairs from her time as first lady from 1993 to 2001, and she also served as a United States senator for New York from 2001 to 2009.

“Her discipline, her stamina, her thoughtfulness, her ability to project, I think, and make clear issues that are important to the American people, I thought, made her an extraordinary talent. She also was already a world figure,” said President Obama in an interview on the CBS News program 60 Minutes.

President Obama placed her in this position because he felt she was well suited to its requirements, and a majority of the American people are satisfied with what she has done in the post; her popularity has never been higher. America and Obama are happy with Clinton where she is, so she should stay Secretary of State.

Women fight for equality in the military women was lifted, but a new one was put in place in 1994 that limited women to only serve in combat support posiLast month, the United States Mili- tions.

Although women were technically tary reversed a ban on women serving banned from facing direct combat, in in combat roles, allowing women to be the last decade more and more women eligible for many frontline positions that they weren’t able to obtain be- have been put on the front lines due fore. This is a major step for the United to loopholes. Many of them have been States military, which ranks second in hired by the military as private contracthe world in size, behind only China, tors, which aren’t restricted by gender, and first in spending, in both a political and others have altered the traditional and practical sense. But, the govern- roles assigned to their jobs. The lift of ment must ensure that, by installing the 1994 ban now opens up a number women on the front lines, it doesn’t of combat roles that were previously compromise the military’s highest unavailable to women, though they are still unable to serve in certain select standards of success.

First, we need to be clear about what positions, such as SEALs, Explosive Orwomen are now eligible to do. Since dinance Detail (EOD) and the Green the founding of the U.S., women have Berets.

This is a great step forward by the participated in military activities. From United States military, and, as someone the Revolutionary War onward, women have been placed in combat support who is looking into the possibility of positions, including, but not limited serving in the military in the future, I to, the roles of nurses, administrative support the government’s decision. Traassistants and field messengers. After ditional roles are now so diluted that the the American Civil Liberties Union argument that women will be “distract(ACLU) filed a law suit due to a com- ing” to men is no longer valid, and complete ban on women serving in any bat has become so technological that as combat-related position, the previous long as a women is as capable of workCombat Exclusion Policy regarding ing her weapon the way male soldiers

By Phillip Resnick

are, she should be able to serve alongside males in combat.

However, the United States military should not have different physical standards for men and women when it comes to entering into combat positions. The entire reasoning behind lifting the combat ban for women was that men and women are equal and there should be no discrimination, so holding the two genders to different physical standards is a step backwards in the feminist movement in the military. If women are expected to fight alongside men, they should be held to the standards that their male counterparts are held to.

Women have traveled into space and held major political offices, so it’s about time that they began serving on the front lines of the military.

Important Dates in the Fight for Gender Equality in the Military Jan. 24th, 2013-U.S. military leaders on Thursday formally lifted the ban on women serving in combat positions, with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta saying women have become an "integral part" of the military.

2008- The first woman is promoted to four-star general.

1990-1991-During America's war in the Persian Gulf, women are allowed to fly in combat.

Nov. 8, 1967- The government lifts a variety of restrictions on military women. Now women can be promoted beyond lieutanant colonel, and women make up more than 2 percent of the military.

June 12, 1948- President Truman signs The Women's Armed Services Integration Act, granting women a permanent place in all branches of the military.

Graphic by Nathaniel Rees

the

6

Pitch

EDITORIAL

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Hypocrisy over the hijab

Muslim women accused of fostering terrorism under their head coverings ByWahid Ishrar

CHANGEUP

By Phillip Resnick

For my first three years in high school, all I ever wanted to be was a senior. The seniors got everything; they wore green at pep rallies, sat in the senior hallway, drove to the mall for lunch and didn’t have to care about school at all. Senior year was supposed to be the best thing ever, or at least that’s what I thought until it started.

The first semester of this year was the antithesis of the glamorous, carefree life that I had planned for. Instead of taking a “senior schedule” and floating by academically while doing the bare minimum, I was swamped with the workload of three AP classes, numerous sports and extracurriculars and almost a dozen college applications. However, second semester is finally here, and with its arrival comes (hopefully a little) more relaxation for the next few months. I’ve decided to use this column to make a personal second semester senior bucketlist so I can enjoy my last semester of high school.

Do the “Philly Cheesesteak Challenge”: Ever since I heard about the challenge, in which you drive to Philadelphia, take a picture of yourself eating a cheesesteak, and return to WJ before the school day ends, I’ve wanted to try it.With baseball coming up, I may not be able to do it on a school day, but I want to try it at some point this semester just to say that I did it.

Attend a WJ concert and/or S*T*A*G*E performance: Even though I am relatively involved with the WJ music community, due to my participation in Drumline, I have never attended a WJ show or concert. I have vowed to change that this year, as I have heard how great our music and theatre departments are. I want to experience my fellow students’ talents firsthand.

Convince someone to buy new mascot costumes: This is less for me and more for the psyche/general health of future seniors. The cow costume may be rich with history, but the inside of it is probably richer with lice. I vow to do everything in my being to convince someone to buy a new mascot costume for the safety of WJ. Make a memorable “promposal”: Every year, hundreds of couples go to prom together, but it seems that only a few guys cook up creative ways to ask their dates. I want to have one of the biggest promposals at school this year: one that everyone will talk about and remember. While most girls are wrapping up for dresses, I, like most other guys, haven’t even begun to think about who I am going to ask or how. However, I do have my heart set on making a bombshell of a promposal.

So far, now a month into second semester, I have still not made any progress on this list. However, as spring approaches, hopefully I can start to knock off these bucketlist items and make the most of my last days in high school.

On Feb. 20, a meeting of Republican Women of Clifton (RWC), who are described as a “fun and conservative women’s group” on their website, will meet in an elementary school in Fairfax Station, VA, to discuss an article of Islamic clothing that covers the head called a “hijab”. Stephanie Reis, a guest speaker, will discuss the treatment of women in Islamic society and how she believes the hijab is a catalyst for Islamic terrorism.

According to the article published in The Washington Post on Feb. 8, at an earlier meeting, RWC’s President Alice Butler-Short accused Islamic law as being one of, “. . . the forces working to ruin our liberty.”

I cannot even begin to fathom how any American citizen could have thoughts like these. This is a country built on the notion that all human beings have the right to exercise their freedom of religion without receiving any hate from others.

Yes, under the Constitution, every person has the right to free speech.

But under that same Constitution, hate speech is explicitly prohibited. And if calling a woman’s clothing a “catalyst for terrorism” is not hateful, than I don’t know what is.

The freedom to choose to not cover one’s body completely comes with the freedom to do the opposite. Clothing is one of the many forms people express themselves with. If an Islamic woman wants to wear a hijab and show that she is a believer in the Islamic faith, then nobody should have the right to interfere with her decision. And nobody should have the right to call her a supporter of terrorism for that decision.

Furthermore, Islamic women are not the only ones who choose to wear hijabs.

Most Christian nuns veiled themselves after the emergence of Christianity, and many still do in times of prayer or services. Under Jewish law “Halacha,” married women who are members of the orthodox Hasidic sect are required to cover their hair in public to show others

Women from multiple religions cover their head, so why are only Muslim women accused of passive terrorism, as stated on RWC’s website?

Top left: A Jewish woman wearing a scarf.

Bottom left: A Christian nun holding an orphan.

Top right: A muslim woman in a hijab.

All photos courtesy of © Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

chooses to cover her head of the same thing. Since the people making these statements are only addressing Islamic women, obviously race is a factor. It is unfair and bigoted to accuse a woman of being a catalyst for terrorism only because of her choice to express her religious beliefs.

According to the same Post interview, Susan Lider, RWC’s public relations chairperson, said, “I don’t know a lot about [hijabs] other than I wouldn’t ever want to wear one.”

It would seem that because she or the women of the group do not want to wear the article of clothing, they believe nobody should wear it. If a veiled woman said she would never want to wear

believe that theirs is the right way and there can be no other.

Calling a woman a “silent terrorist” and accusing her of ruining our liberty simply based on her clothing choice is offensive to me as a Muslim. But it is more offensive to me as a human being.

Until actions are taken to ensure that groups of people will not be discriminated against based on their race, gender or religion, this country cannot continue to be called the great land of equality it is today. Liberty is something our forefathers predicted and precipitated with their groundbreaking document, and we should not think we are so advanced in equality that we can render

a mini-skirt, I’m pretty sure the entire world would not stop wearing them.

Ignorant comments like Lider’s represent what is wrong with this country. Groups of people who adamantly

their warnings as old-styled thinking.

Racism and bigotry is still very much present, and little gatherings like the meeting about Hijabs prove that.

“The freedom to choose to not cover one’s body completely comes with the freedom to do the opposite” that the woman is the wife of another man. And this list goes on.

So if the group is accusing covered Islamic women of fostering terrorism, than they are accusing any woman that

Editors-in-Chief Sari Amiel Phillip Resnick Megan Chun* News Editors Claudia Nguyen Izzy Salant* Caroline Steel* Asst. News Editor Izzy Salant Editorial Editors Nathaniel Rees Dashel Lewis* Asst. Editorial Editor Wahid Ishrar Feature Editors Ellie Jorling

Asst. Feature Editors Christine Bersabal* Grace Leslau* Arts & Entertainment Editor Emily Cosentino Sabrina Clarke* Asst. Arts & Ent. Editor Audrey Marek Sports Editors Ian Morrison Ben Resnick* Asst. Sports Editor Ben Resnick

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 301-803-7184. 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 193 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.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009

Maryland HS Journalism Award Best Newspaper Overall Third Place 2009-2010

American Scholastic Press Association First Place 2010-2011

Photo Editors Wahid Ishrar Emily Cosentino

Business/PR Manager Claudia Nguyen

Photographers Sarah Schecker Hope Marshall

Head Staff Writer

Cartoonists Caroline Steel Sarah Chipman Advisor Sylvie Ellen Copy Editors Sari Amiel Megan Chun

Anders Norberg Staff Writers JJ Henn Michael Lumbuku Melissa Wainaina Hope Marshall Adriana Del Grosso Selma Stearns Sean Poosson Sarah Schecker *Online Editors

the

Pitch

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Q: What do you do on Valentine’s Day?

EDITORIAL

Up Bat

7

Q: What Pennies for Patients event are you most looking forward to and why?

at

As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is in the air.

Jennifer Baker The Pitch asked our principal, Principal as well as the assistant princi“My husband always gives me a silly pals, about their plans on this stuffed animal. For the romantic part, romantic day. we go to a hotel in Rehoboth as close to All Phots by Wahid Ishrar

Valentine’s Day as possible.”

Micah Wiggins

Senior Class Asst. Principal

“I’m working. That’s it.”

We are in the month of February, the time of year when the SGA and the leadership class hold events to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The Pitch asked the Presidents of each class which event they look forward to the most.

Chris McCurry

SGA President

“[I am most excited for] the Burrito Mile because I love Q’doba and I want to see kids throw up.”

Facundo Severi

Senior Class President

“[I’m looking forward to] Mr. and Ms. WJ ... because it represents the array of talents our students hold.”

Janan Slough

Kyle Lopez

Junior Class Asst. Principal

Junior Class President

“I send valentines to all my best friends and family members to remind them how special they are.”

Nicole Morgan

Sophomore Class Asst. Principal

“[I] typically [receive] flowers. My husband and I exchange them every year. It’s just our little thing.”

Regina Rodriguez

Freshmen Class Asst. Principal “We don’t really have one. I always secretly hope [my husband] will send me flowers without me telling him to or hinting at it.”

“[I’m looking forward to] Pong for Pennies for Patients (PPP) because it will make a lot of money. I was one of the only sophomores to make it to the finals last year, and it was very entertaining.”

Isa Herold

Sophomore Class President

“[I’m looking forward to] WJ Glow because the dance-a-thon is a cool twist and I like the rave part.”

Jackson Miller

Freshmen Class President

“[I’m looking forward to] Ninja Tag because it is interactive and it takes wit and intelligence to win. It’s a challenge.”

Pitch

the

8

EDITORIAL

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Point: Helping the community one hour at a time

By Adriana Del Grosso

Rees’s Pieces

By Nathaniel Rees

Washington, D.C. needs to take a stand. A stand on a topic that has plagued D.C. for years. A stand on the Redskins’ offensive, ill-considered and quite racist team name.

Fans of the Redskins, don’t laugh.

For many Native Americans, the slur “Redskins” is as offensive as the “nword.” Dictionaries have labeled the term as “offensive” since the 1970s, and in other parts of the country with higher percentages of Native Americans, Native American team names and mascots have been banned. According to a Washington Post article, of the 3,000 Indian team names and mascots once used in the past 100 years at the professional, collegiate and high school levels, more than two-thirds have been changed.

Still not convinced? Still think the Redskin’s tradition and Dan Snyder’s pocketbook are more important?

Many activist groups think otherwise.

The nation’s two leading Indian organizations, the National Congress of American Indians and the National Indian Education Association, have condemned it. The NCAA, the NAACP and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission have all also opposed the use of Native American names or imagery for sports teams.

Clearly, Native Americans feel that the name is derogatory. But it is not only the name that slurs Native American culture. The Redskins’ mascot also needs to be removed.

In Native American culture, war paint and headdresses have distinct meanings for each tribe, sometimes even spiritual, and can only be worn by individuals after they have completed certain tests or ceremonies. Using these important cultural traditions as a rallying cry for a sporting event subjugates the Native American traditions.

A parallel example is that of U.S military uniforms. It is against federal law for a civilian to wear an American soldier’s uniform for personal gain, and it is a crime for someone in the military to wear an insignia or medal they didn’t earn. This is because army uniforms and medals won in combat symbolize the proud and courageous tradition of the United States armed forces, just like war paint symbolizes long-standing Native American values.

It’s time we listened to the Native American outcry. The Redskins’ name and mascot need to be changed, regardless of whether white America thinks the name is racist. Because this is not about the rest of America. It is about the proud and honorable Native American traditions that the Redskins’ name and mascot slanders.

Most Native Americans view the Redskins’ name and mascot as offensive and inherently racist. It’s time we honor their values by listening.

Student Service-Learning(SSL) hours might be on your mind if you are quickly approaching graduation. The Montgomery County Public School website states that the program requires volunteer hours from students because they “provide the student with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and career exploration opportunities that lead to effective citizenship in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.” Students entering Montgomery County middle schools are sent home with letters to parents detailing the 75 hours they will be expected to complete before the end of their high school career. Even though a number of their hours can be completed just by attending school, many students find themselves volunteering last-minute to meet the requirement.

Still, a number of dedicated students add as many as 500 to 700 hours to their graduation resumes, and several have even reached numbers above 1,000 hours.

Through the SSL program, students are handed opportunities to add a little extra padding to their resumes while benefiting the community in which they live. Many students earn hours volunteering at nearby nursing homes, hospitals or libraries.

Gayle Evans, SSL coordinator, suggests students can earn hours and directly benefit the school by working in the office and helping teachers.

Evans, among other staff members behind WJ’s SSL program, believes it’s important that students give back to their community. She also thinks that students feel better about themselves when they give their time charitably. I personally feel like MCPS staff would enjoy seeing students spend their time outside the classroom being proCartoon by Caroline Steel ductive. Judging by SSL Hours can be beneficial because students can learn how to the reasonable num- give back to their community and participate in rewarding exber of seniors without periences. all of their SSL hours, the majority of I’ve known people who consistently students don’t find volunteering to be a come back to their jobs as camp counparticularly thrilling pastime. However, selors during the summer because they I’ve found that, compared to time spent find their roles to be rewarding. More in the classroom, generally the most specific field-based services like volunintellectually strenuous part of the pro- teering in a hospital or as an EMT are cess is filling out the verification forms. common choices among students lookOn a more personal level, SSL hours ing into the medical field for college and offer an opportunity to explore career careers.

SSL hours encourage students to give choices and gain experience before committing to a paying job. Time spent back to their community. By requiring volunteering for county organizations them, Montgomery County expects like Habitat for Humanity, Davis Li- students to obligate at least a minimal brary or Recreation camps creates an amount of their time outside of school environment with minimal stress, yet hours engaged in volunteer work. It can one that is similar to a working setting be argued that service isn’t voluntary if for high school students looking to ap- it’s required, but those that do volunply for a job. Salaries are generally not teer find benefits outside of their acaoffered for volunteer jobs. However, demic requirements.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT SSL HOURS Counterpoint: A required waste of hours

By JJ Henn

of their required hours just by finishing I'm all for improving the commueach grade level. The rest may be gained nity. In fact, I think everyone, not just In order to graduate from high by doing community service that may students, should try and help out their school, students need to accumulate a not actually help the community. WJ community as much as their total of 75 hours of community schedule allows. However, service. These hours are known by making these hours a reas “SSL hours,” or Student Serquirement for graduation, stuvice Learning hours. Now, dedents are not encouraged to do spite their moniker, these hours what actually helps their comare not always gained by serving munity and are more inclined the community. Many procrastito simply find the easiest way nating seniors wait until the last out. Some ways seniors have minute to fulfill their requiregotten hours include making ments. This leads to students them up, a lighter form of nepgetting hours from questionable otism, or even purchasing the sources and activities that may hours. Having these hours as a not actually better the commurequirement does not foster a nity. genuine spirit for bettering the While 75 SSL hours per stucommunity. dent sounds like grounds for maI apologize to all the students jor community improvements, who genuinely care about what

by Caroline Steel the average student does much SSL hours can be a nuisance, and can cause senior Cartoon stress and anxi- they have done and are inspired less than that. Many students do ety if they do not have all 75 hours. to do more for the community, reach the 260 SSL hour mark in but most students at WJ would order to obtain the Principal's senior Paul Marshall* said he got his not only fail to participate in their acCertificate, an award which looks at- hours by making up a random activity tivities without the SSL requirement, tractive to college admissions offices. and then getting a teacher to sign off for but many are turned off of helping the However, students gain almost half him. community because of it. *Name has been changed

the

Pitch

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Pro Apps allow everyone to express themselves through photography.

By MelissaWainaina & Hope Marshall Photography is an icon of the information age. It has the potential to enrich society, but now photography is doing this by redefining itself and what it stands for. With smart phones, people who have no experience with the logistics of photography are now more involved with it than ever. When photography was first introduced in the 1800s, only professionals had the ability to provide photos of an important event, which was distributed to several thousands of people in a newspaper. Today, everyone who has access to an iPhone can snap an image and upload it using the device in a matter of seconds for the world to see.

“It’s a good thing that anyone can now be a photographer,” said WJ photography teacher Daniel Kempner. “You can record any event that is in front of your face at any moment. It can benefit anything, from people just recording silly and happy moments to crimes… and having anyone as a witness to something only a professional could see.”

When photography captures images of life, it brings greater understanding to people around the world. Although a cliché, the line “a picture is worth a thousand words” is accurate. A photograph is an explanation; images of many events in history, from capturing genocides to works of nature, have evoked emotions and a better understanding of the situation. Photography has been an evolving element in the arts and has manifested into something greater.

From a mechanical film camera to a cell phone camera, the manifestation has not only influenced society, but has helped everyone get their own artistic niche.

To add to the innovation and spread of photography, sites like Tumblr, Insta-

gram and Pinterest have added to the popularity and growth of photography.

“I guess these sites are good for people who want to spread pictures, but it’s hard for real photographers to make a name for themselves as photographers in the art industry,” said senior photography student Keyka Sucahyo.

Day by day, applications like Instagram and Tumblr are bringing more art to more people. More specifically, the site Instagram has gained its popularity, with about 1 million registered users and about 100 million photos by September of last year. Tumblr has exceeded 500 million photos and 20 billion posts since its creation in 2008.

“It’s exciting that a lot of other people use it to share pictures,” said Kempner. “In the past, a picture would be publish[ed] and have to be distributed in a paper format, and people had to subscribe [to the source of the photo] just like [they would for] a newspaper, and now people can get a photo through these sites within seconds.”

These sites have not only spread awareness of significant events, but have spread unique images that have made art what it is, an expression of human skill and emotion.

“It’s really good for exploring the arts and it’s really giving the arts a good name, because it was going downhill, but now every girl with a camera thinks they’re a photographer, but it’s still reviving the art style of photography and paintings,” said senior Dylan Stieber, an active user of both Instagram and Tumblr.

It’s overwhelming to think that, with a click of a button on a phone, the world can be enriched with artistic elements as well as fascinating events, through sites like Tumblr and Instagram, which promote photography in a positive way.

From making a regular citizen into a photographer spreading news of war, crimes and inspiring moments, photography has truly changed, to the point where it can make society better within seconds.

Photo by Melissa Wainaina

An artisitc photo created with Instagram, complete with one of the filter options available with the program.

Photo by Melissa Wainaina

A large and cumbersome camera, in comparison to the compact and easy to use iPhone.

9

Photo by Sarah Schecker

This photo highlights the key photography technique of depth of field, a technique where the foreground is in focus and the background is intentionally blurry.

CON New technology is deleting the field of photography.

Photo by Sarah Schecker

In this Instagram version of a spider web, there is a lack in focus and amateur composition.

By Sarah Shecker

In this day and age, anyone can pick up a digital Canon Rebel T3i, or even their iPhone, and pretend they are a photographer. There is no doubting that this new technology, with its auto exposures, or panorama mode, has benefits to the average technology user. However, these benefits do not apply to professional photographers.

Photographers spend years training in the art form, but this dedication to the craft is easily forgotten with one click of a button on the newest iPhones. Shutter speeds, depth of field, flashing, processing and printing film are only some of the techniques that photographers have to learn in order to be successful in the art. With new technology, these techniques are not needed.

WJ Photography teacher Kim Venesky has concerns about the direction in which photography is headed.

“Film is exciting; it is a process,” she said. “You really need to think through what you are doing and to see the result as the pictures come to life.”

Venesky added that students tend to not think through the process of photography when it is done digitally. Students don’t feel a need to learn all of the techniques involved in film because it is done for them automatically.WJ offers four levels of photography classes, ranging from Photography 1 to AP 2D Photography, in which students learn the techniques that are not learned with new digital applications.

The popular application Instagram offers a major misconception to nonphotographers. Applying filters in Instagram serves to boost quality and appearance. In dark room photography, a filter is applied to enhance or reduce contrast in a photograph rather than to just make a picture look artsy. This is a technique that is learned at the beginning of one’s photography training and used for the rest of their career.

Sophomore Zach Cain also feels that these applications have a negative effect on photography.

“People who use Instagram get the same credit for their art as real photographers,” Cain said. “It is not an art form

because all you do is push buttons to make it.”

Many jobs of professional photographers are also being affected by today’s instant photo sharing culture. While applications make it almost effortless for anyone to upload a photograph of a breaking story or anything that looks “artsy,” the quality is significantly less than a photograph that would be taken by a professional. If people upload them instantly, it takes away the need for a photographer or photojournalist to take quality photographs of an event or real artistic photos. “[Photographers] are professionals for a reason,” Venesky said.

Even if photography continues to change, a good photographer always needs to know what to shoot, a skill that an iPhone could never have.

Photo by Sarah Schecker

A busy street in Chinatown New York is highlighted by effective composition and the principle of line and design.

Photo by Sarah Schecker

The Chicago skyline was quickly snapped in this photo, ignoring all principles of framing and design.

the

10

Pitch

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Hot places to h

By Audrey Marek and Emily Cosentino

ACTIV

Shopping

All Photos by Emily Cosentino

5650 Oakmont Ave Bethesda, MD 20817

Climbing Wall

Though this recreation center is slightly out of the way, the trip is worth it. Inside is a reasonably-sized rock wall opened the first three Fridays of every month. Climbing is free, and if you’re interested, it is easy to get certified and belay for Student Service Learning hours. It goes from 7-9 p.m., though you don’t have to stay the entire time.

REDDZ 7801 Woodmont Ave.

Dinn

Bethesda, MD 20814

KRAZE

Reddz is an expansive store that has something for everyone, from shoes to jewelry to jackets. It’s no ordinary clothing store, though. It buys and sells used clothes that are up to two years old. It remains trendy, taking only the items that the employees think they can sell. Clothing can be sold to the shop for money or a “trade card” (gift card) to be used at the store.

It is decorated in bright colors with a small lounge and plenty of light.

4733 Elm St. Bethesda, MD 20814

Kraze carries quality burgers, fries, milkshakes and other American classics for reasonable prices. It is decorated with softly lit greens and silvers, with natural wood and a feel of freshness. All ingredients are fresh, and they have a range of proteins, from tofu to turkey to regular ground beef. This fun little place has something for everyone.

vAPIANO

World Market 12266-P Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

World Market is a huge variety store on the upper floor of a building in Federal Plaza.

Though it’s floor space is enormous, it is still jam packed with all sorts of products.

The store contains many types of food and candy, furniture, and even kitchenware. It sometimes has exotic accessories like scarves and earrings, and can always be relied on for small gifts. It’s as close to the world in a store as it’s possible to get!

4900 Hampden Lane Bethesda, MD 20814

Vapiano mixes two atmospheres, combining a brightly lit sit-down restaurant with a dark and comfy lounge. Dining here is a unique experience; many of the tables have trees as centerpieces. It also does not use a traditional way of billing, instead of a check at the end of the meal, the customer carries a card with them throughout the dining experience. When they are ready to eat, they go up to an “L” shaped counter and order their meal. It is put up on the counter when it is ready, and the customer takes it to the table.

Pitch

the

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

hit in Bethesda

VITIES

11

dESSERT

dansez dansez

8020 Norfolk Av Bethesda, MD 20814

Dansez Dansez is a spacious studio in Bethesda, offering classes in everything from ballet to hip-hop. That’s not all it’s used for; it is also available for parties and even dance-offs. It has two separate studios, one on the upper floor and one in the basement, both complete with mirror and bar.

Twice a month, the space is available for rent for a party plan designed specifically for teens.

dolcezza

ner

Panas

4731-A ELM St Bethesda, MD 20814

Panas is a small and natural looking café that sells all varieties of empanadas. Flavors like chicken pesto, carne, and even a Cuban grace their menu.

With many different options for combos, you can mix and match all different flavors, along with four varieties of salsa. With every meal, baked and salted plantain chips are served, adding another unique flare.

7111 Bethesda Ln Bethesda, MD 20814

This relatively small coffee shop is easy to miss, even though it’s right down Bethesda Row. Behind the small white store front is a world of sweet treats.

This shop carries a variety of foods and drinks, like espresso, unusual pastries like churros and gelato. The decor is white and clean, with a nice airy feel and plenty of light. With friendly staff and coffee with pictures drawn in it, it would be a shame to pass it by.

CAKES

BY LESLIE 4939 Elm St. Bethesda, MD 20814

This small bakery in downtown Bethesda sells everything from wedding cakes to cupcakes, but for the student body, the focus is on the latter. The small front counter showcasing all the brightly colored options stands directly in front of an open kitchen.

The shop sells all flavors of cakes, including varieties like red velvet with cream cheese icing and chocolate. The bright and cheerful atmosphere complete with paintings of flowers on the walls makes eating a delicious cupcake that much more fun.

the

12

Pitch

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Pretty and polished:

The final touch to your favorite look

By Selma Stearns

Picture/Drawing Nails Ombre/ Gradient Nails There are two designs referred to as “ombré” and/or “gradient.” You can paint every nail a slow transition between two colors, or you can paint each nail a different shade of a color. For example, you could paint the thumb dark blue, the index finger lighter blue and so on. This design requires more than one color and a top coat. If you have each nail fade from color to color, some sort of makeup sponge or Q-tip should be used to apply and blend the colors.

Many people make up little characters or scenes to paint on their nails.

These designs can take a long time, especially if you do every nail.

More than one color is needed, and a toothpick or professional nail dotter tool can be used for fine lines and spots. If you don’t have a fancy dotter, a match or bobby pin can be substituted. Some ideas are cupcakes, Domo, Hello Kitty, watermelon slices, seasonal-themed images, animals, tie-dye, Mario mushrooms, Pac-Man, moustaches, pencils, apples, the New York City skyline, flowers, tuxedos, musical notes or other animal print... the possibilities are endless!

This design is pretty tricky, but if you do it correctly the results are unbelievable.

You’ll need a paper cup of warm water, clear tape to put around your nails, to protect your fingers from being painted, and a couple of different colors. It involves putting drops of nail polish into the water and quickly dipping your nail into the mixture. At the end, each nail will have a swirly and unique look.

Ethics of social media

By Megan Chun There’s no arguing that the rise in social media has dominated the 2000s.

From the ancient MySpace to the modern Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, technology has taken the spotlight in our society. Fueling the fire is the increase in the number of smartphones, for which most social networking sites have applications that can be accessed with ease.

According to procon.org, a non-profit charity website that presents the benefits and drawbacks of various controversial topics, while presenting facts that are unbiased, comprehensive and straightforward, Americans in July 2012 spent a total of approximately 121.1 billion minutes on social networking sites, via home computers, mobile devices and applications. It’s safe to say that the average student probably checks his or her respective social media accounts multiple times a day. With this amount of time spent online, the rise of negative material available on the web has

This is a favorite among do it yourself manicurists because it is unbelievably easy and looks really cute. Your nails will have a white background with typed words from a newspaper (maybe even The Pitch!) on them.This design requires white nail polish, a page from a newspaper to soak in alcohol and lay on top of the nails and top coat. *For an added twist, use the black and white comics*

Cracked Nails

“Water Marble” Nails

Third Base: Drawing a line:

Newspaper Nails

This one is so simple but it looks really edgy with minimal effort. OPI and other companies make a “cracked” polish that you paint on top of solid nails. When it dries, it makes a cool spider-web-like effect. It is most commonly found in black or silver, but it also comes in purple, red, blue and other colors.

Graphic by Emily Cosentino

also started to increase. Ranging from scandalous “subtweets” and flaming Facebook statuses to flat out cyberbullying, this abuse begs the questions: What information is too personal to be shared in cyberspace? Where does one draw the line between appropriate and inappropriate?

In seventh grade, Facebook was filled with innocent posts and pictures ranging from summer camp to family vacations, with the occasional experiment with curse words (often used incorrectly). Facebook, in particular, has now morphed into a drastically different thing. Beer. Hookah. Indecent photos.

Well, that escalated quickly.

It’s often hard not to judge others based on their lives which are so well documented on the World Wide Web. It’s quite paradoxical, really. They’re some of the nicest, most genuine people in real life, yet on the internet it becomes a show of who can be the most “badass.” Yes, I got totally wasted at a party last weekend and now the pictures are on Facebook.You know what? This one makes me look so awesome, I’m going to tweet it and Instagram it too, to see how many ‘likes’ I can get. Does this sound crazy? I respect my peers’ individuality, and I firmly believe in making choices despite the “judging” of others that goes on. If you want to drink, that is your decision to make, but

you’re not doing yourself any favors by spreading it around the Internet. I’m going to sound like your mom when I say this, but in 20 years, you’re really going to regret it.

The passive nature of social media has also led to the rise of writing about other people, often in a negative manner.

For example, teens often participate in “subtweeting,” where one teen may write a post directed at another person while not specifically naming them.

However, this activity is not limited to teens: adults, public figures and celebrities also engage in this destructive behavior. You can imagine how sticky the situation can get when the subject of an inflammatory post recognizes themselves as the content.

I somehow found myself involved in a bit of a situation earlier this year, where a classmate took a photo of me without my knowledge and posted it on Instagram. She didn’t even bother to use a nice filter. Oh, the horror. This student apparently decided I looked a little scandalous with my crop top and high-waisted shorts, and thus included the hashtags “#whatnottowear” and “#putonsomeclothes.” When a friend told me about this picture, I was upset.

I felt violated.

Unfortunately, said photo was never removed, though I expressed my ex-

treme discomfort with it being up. For me, this posed an infuriating ethical dilemma, which is defined by the National Crime Prevention Council as any form of harassment or intimidation of another person through both text messages or internet mediums, usually occurring among adolescents.

But regardless, I saw the picture and kindly asked her to remove it. This was not someone I knew. How would a stranger feel if I took a picture of her clothes and added the hashtags “#grandmaclothes” and “#iworethatinsecondgrade”? Probably not too great. But if she asked me to take it down, I would.

It’s the right thing to do. I stand by my view that it is simply rude to post a photo of that nature and not remove it when asked.

Sadly, things like this happen often.

There’s no set of strict guidelines for the use of social media. That is part of what makes it so much fun; the lack of boundaries. But be conscientious about the things you post. Negatively slanted material may be lighthearted fun to some, but to the people in the pictures and the posts, it’s far from that. Although, some content can be positive, when negative posts are brought into the picture, it can create a dilemma.

13 From music to space: Options for elective classes AP Comparative Govt.

AP Music Theory Pitch

the

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

FEATURE

By Ellie Jorling

By Ellie Jorling

When many people hear a song on the radio, they focus on the words or the melody, but AP Music Theory students are able to analyze the music’s notes and chords.

In order to prepare for the AP exam in May, students learn how to do ear training, do written analysis of meby Sarah Schecker lodic, harmonic and rhythmic AP Music Theory students review for thePhoto AP exam. music notation and be able to express musical ideas and thoughts on progress through the class at a similar paper. pace. “[Students] have to develop listening For those planning on majoring in skills to be able to identify intervals, music in college, or who want to earn rhythms, chords [and] chord progres- an elective credit, a passing score on sions and be able to sing and perform the AP exam could be beneficial. At the [selections],” AP Music Theory teacher University of Maryland, for example, a Christopher Kosmaceski said. score of four or five on the exam can be Although most students who take AP used for an elective credit, and at other Music Theory take other classes in the universities, these scores can be used to music department, there are some who test out of first-year music theory. don’t, and still do well in the class.

Regardless of the outcome, Kosmac“[I’ve] had students that have not taken eski enjoys watching students’ progress a music class, but that doesn’t mean that throughout the year. they won’t succeed,” said Kosmaceski. “[My favorite part of teaching this Many students in the class are also class is] seeing students be able to deinvolved in musical endeavors outside velop their strengths and challenge their of the class, including instrumental and weaknesses,” said Kosmaceski. choral music.

At the beginning of the year, Kosmaceski tries to get every student on the same page musically so that they can

Creative Writing

By Anders Norberg

Creative Writing is a class all about expressing one’s self through writing. The class is taught by Bill Griffiths and is usually composed of about 30 students in a mixed class with The Spectator, the school’s literary magazine. The class doesn’t have any units, but rather weekly topics such as “caught in the act,” “my biggest lie” and “hypocrisy,” in Photo by Sarah Schecker order for students to explore Students in Creative Writing work on their pieces. and develop through their such as junior Coty Novak, have felt writings.

“These topics act like keys to un- more enlightened from the experience. “[Creative Writing] is all about dislock the kid’s [deepest] feelings,” said covering yourself at a deeper level by Griffiths. expressing yourself,” said Novak.

This class is all about improving the Novak said that in terms of difficulty understanding of the self and learning and workload, this class is very easyto write well. Students first come into going. writing with clichés and very limited “If you put in the effort, you’ll get an works, but later begin writing tougher, deeper and clearer pieces. The writings A,” said Novak.

Most students gain a heightened unfrom the class are so good that Griffiths derstanding of themselves from the has even been invited several times to class as well as greater writing abilities. speak at Columbia University to talk to This class would be ideal for any aspirother teachers and students about how ing writers looking for a relaxed learnto achieve the quality of the writing in ing experience. his classes.

“Students are graded on how hard they work, not by the quality of the work,” said Griffiths.

Students who have taken the class,

“[‘Teaming’] tends to work really What do the United Kingdom, China, Russia, Mexico, Iran and Nigeria have in well,” Rodman said. “I’ve used it [for] years and found that it encourages stucommon?

Typically, these countries are studied dents to work together and to form a separately, and are not often compared team bond. I know students [that I’ve in terms of the study of their govern- had] that are in college say it’s really ments and histories. However, in AP helped them in forming study groups Comparative Government, students and being more successful in college belearn about the political, economic and cause they’ve ‘teamed’ in high school.”

Along with these activities, Rodman’s cultural development of these very difclasses have also begun going on field ferent countries.

Although social studies classes tend to trips, including one to the State Departhave lots of reading and lecturing, Tim ment.

“I try to do a couple of things every Rodman’s AP Comparative Government class is the complete opposite of year to get students out of the classroom and looking how [what we’re studying] these stereotypes.

“I’m not a big lecturer,” said Rodman. really does relate to the real world,” said “I find students respond to classroom Rodman. content more… in groups, so I do a lot of ‘teaming.’ All my students are a part of a team of four or five, depending on the class, and I have a team competition.”

The teams earn points from review games or by doing team challenges weekly, based on material that the class has recently gone over, and at the end of the markPhoto by Sarah Schecker ing period the team with the Students in AP Comparative Government work teams most points wins a gift card in a competition for points, which can be earnedinby doto Chipotle, Subway or a ing review games and team challenges. similar restaurant.

By Anders Norberg

Astronomy

Have you ever wanted to identify conEven though the class is an on-level stellations on any given day? Then As- science, both teachers go out of their tronomy is the class for you. way to make the class engaging and inAstronomy is the study of the solar teresting for students. system, and the class’s first semester in“While some concepts are difficult, volves the study of planets, moons and if students put the effort in then they asteroids. The second semester is about will understand all the information,” stars, galaxies, black holes and the theo- said McGaffin. “[Astronomy] is fascinatries about the beginning of the universe. ing. And it’s something you don’t learn Rebecca McGaffin and Nichole Kell- about unless you make an effort.” erman teach the class. A former WJ Many students that are interested in teacher, Mark Whipple, started Astron- the physical sciences may be interested omy for both the county and the school. in this course, as the curriculm touches Since his departure, both McGaffin and on topics covered in physics and chemKellerman have taken over the subject. istry courses also offered at WJ. Students, such as junior Andrew McMaFor students looking for a unique alnus, love the class. ternative to fulfill their science credit, “It’s very intriguing to think about the Astronomy is a stellar decision. vast immensity of space and to learn about how everything works and came to be,” said McManus.

The study of astronomy is constantly changing because new information is gained daily. Space exploration is a hot topic in the scientific world, and astronomy is still being heavily researched. Even McGaffin is still impressed Photo by Wahid Ishrar and interested by all the Astronomy students listen to teacher Nichole Kellerman lecture. new developments.

FEATURE

By Phillip Resnick

When exploring course options for next year, rising seniors at WJ can elect to enroll in one of the six University of Maryland Young Scholars Program courses.

The classes are taught by college professors and are structured like college classes, meeting for a little over an hour two to three times a week.

The University of Maryland offers six courses at WJ, three each semester, ranging from an introduction to engineering class to one that covers the United States’ involvement in world affairs.

“I signed up for the world affairs class because I thought the class sounded very interesting,” said se-

the

Pitch 14 UMD Young Scholars Program offers variety of class options for WJ seniors FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Photo courtesy of WJ website

nior Natalie Guion.

The Young Scholars program does not incorporate the same classroom atmosphere and grading scale that many students are accustomed to in high school. The classes are taken up mostly by lecturing and very little hands-on instruction, and most of the work is done independently at home. Also, the grade for the class is made up of only a few major exams and projects, so doing poorly or failing to complete even one assignment can be detrimental to a student’s grade.

As a member of the Young Scholars Program, students are technically enrolled at the University of

University of Maryland Young Scholars Classes by the Numbers:

143 students took a UMCP class at WJ during the 2012-2013 school year 6 Classes are offered (3 Fall semester, 3 Spring semester) for the 2013-2014 school year

3 College credits gained (per class)

Maryland. The students are issued University of Maryland Student IDs, and when looking at colleges, almost every school in the country accepts the Young Scholars courses as transfer credits.

Although many students are drawn to the class due to the sleep-friendly hours and lack of busy work associated with the class, there are some things that they need to consider before enrolling in the program. The total price tag of a one semester course is over $1,000 after paying for tuition, an off campus fee, an application fee and the books needed for the classes. Also, the courses are often more difficult than students anticipate.

“In the engineering course, we were expected to do some pretty advanced work even though none of us really had any extensive background when it comes to engineering,” said senior Corry Straathof, who took the introduction to engineering course during the first semester.

However, Straathof said that she would still advise students to take a Young Scholars class.

“I would recommend this class to other students, as I personally thought it was one of the best and most fun classes I have ever taken,” said Straathof.

However, Guion warns that students should do their research before entering the class.

“I would only recommend the class to other students if they are willing to work hard and put in a lot of effort because it is a hard and challenging class,” said Guion.

“If you are thinking about signing up for the class just so you can sleep in half the week, think again.”

Infographic by Ellie Jorling

Students audition for college music programs

By Selma Stearns

Any college that has an arts program requires students to audition, often by sending in a portfolio of artwork or going to the college to perform.

There are many degrees and programs that warrant an audition. According to instrumental music teacher Christopher Kosmaceski, instrument-focused degrees would include a Bachelor of Music or a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with areas of concentration that include performance in a specific instrument, music education, music composition, music theory, recording or technology and jazz studies.

According to the University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies website, a completed application is required to set up an audition date and time. Students are contacted once their finalized application is received.

Senior Maya Fuchs has auditioned for the vocal programs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of Maryland, and has set up auditions for Berklee College of Music, University of Hartford and Rider University.

The process of auditioning depends largely on the individual school and its rules. For example, the college decides whether students are required to prepare their own piece or whether they are given one to learn by the department.

Also, from college to college, there are different people on the panel that judges an audition. Usually, professors from the department, and sometimes, the

department head for an instrument or area of specialty, judge auditions. At VCU, three professors of vocal performance watched Fuchs audition. The whole audition process included warm-ups, music theory testing, sight singing, an interview and a test of keyboard skills, and took about four hours.

“There was a lot of waiting for my turn to warm up, or my turn to use the keyboard,” Fuchs said.

Certain colleges have policies about how students apply for musical programs. At the University of Maryland, a prospective music scholar must send in two applications, one to the university and one to the music department. In order to attend the music school, students must be accepted to both. However, in order to attend the school at all, one must be accepted to the academic part.

Fuchs said that the programs at Maryland and most schools not solely focused on the arts are mostly concerned with musical ability, but do have academic requirements and consider a student’s transcript.

Sometimes schools require students to send a video of their performance, and then, if they like an applicant, the panel will ask the student to come to the college for a live audition.

Senior Lital Firestone sent videos which were not required of herself performing songs and dances to Tulane University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, after she applied to the school itself, so that the admissions departments could see her talent in the performing arts.

“It’s good to send these things, because then the music or performing arts departments at the schools I applied to will fight for me to get into their schools and then recruit me into their program if they like me,” said Firestone.

Fuchs advised students auditioning for a singing program to always memorize the music.

“At VCU, they were okay with me using my [sheet] music, but the ones I’m going to audition for said that I have to have it memorized,” she said. “Some songs are in foreign languages, so it’s at least worth checking if a school requires memorization.”

Top Unviersity Performing Arts Programs* Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester

Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University The Julliard School, New York City The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia *According to the WJ Music Department, in no particular order Infographic by Ellie Jorling

Pitch

the

FEATURE

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

15

FEATURE

Pitch

the

16

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Behind-the-scenes at WJ: Staff make a difference in school community

Attendance Office

By Christine Bersabal

At 6:45 a.m., when some students are getting ready for school, Audrey Weissberg, attendance administrative assistant, is already at school answering phone calls and emails and preparing for her day. Weissberg used to be a middle school math teacher at Tilden. When her first child was born, she went on a maternity leave and, 15 years later, decided to slowly transition back into the Montgomery County school system.

Weissberg’s usual routine includes giving passes to students for being late to class or giving forms to students if they know they will be gone for a long time. She also enters all excused absences into the attendance system.

“I always feel bad when I can’t excuse all of [students’] excuses,” said Weissberg.

“I feel bad when they are telling the truth but, unfortunately, through Montgomery County [their absence] is unexcused.”

One challenge she frequently encounters occurs when students are marked absent and have a legitimate excuse, but they do not realize this until their parents receive an automated phone call or email regarding their absence. The students usually then get punished by either their parents or their teachers, who may even give them a zero for a missing assignment. Weissberg said it is quite difficult to keep track of almost 2,260 kids at all times. However, she has to draw the line somewhere. “[I have learned that] good kids do cut class sometimes,” said Weissberg.

At the end of Weissberg’s day, she has to go home and be a mom to her two girls aged 14 and 18.

“It’s always hard to be away from home, but, with my schedule, I leave at 1:30 [p.m.] and make it home in time for my children,” she said.

Business Manager

By Grace Leslau

Every day is a surprise and a challenge for WJ’s Business Manager Kathy Cosgrove. Throughout her day, she encounters unexpected dilemmas and incidents, and often changes her plan of what she set out to do that morning. Cosgrove loves dealing with these obstacles and adjusting her schedule as they arise.

“You have to be very flexible,” she said. “[The job is] very busy and it’s different every day.”

Cosgrove is responsible for allocating the budget the county gives WJ in a way that will most help students and staff. She works with Financial Specialist Ginger Howard, in order to ensure the money that comes in to WJ through donations, fundraisers and profits from the vending machines are used to benefit the school. She also works with building services to maintain the building itself and to schedule outside or after school events so that there are no conflicts.

Cosgrove manages the ordering of materials to WJ as well. Finally, she oversees fundraisers WJ students organize.

“I love interacting with students and staff,” she said. “It is always interesting and fun.”

Pennies for Patients is the biggest and most significant event in the school year for Cosgrove. February is always a busy month for her because she works with SGA Advisor Nico Atencio and administrator Janan Slough to approve and schedule fundraisers. She also works with Howard to deposit the donations in the correct accounts.

“The most fun time, [and] the busiest time is February, Pennies for Patients month,” she said. “I have a personal connection to leukemia, and it’s a time of year when you see staff and students involved.”

From left: Security guards Jimmy Etheridge and Ron Joyner, College and Career Information Coordinator Gayle Evans, attendance administrative assistant Audrey Weiss-All photos by Wahid Ishrar berg and Business Manager Kathy Cosgrove help to keep WJ as a whole working well.

Security

By Christine Bersabal

College and Career Center

As students dash to and from classes, security guards are vigilantly watching in the hallways. Though they may seem intimidating, security assistant Jimmy Etheridge wishes more people would know that his job is not to just get kids in trouble, but rather to help them.

“We’re not teachers, we’re not administration,” he said. “Kids can come and talk to us about anything that they can’t talk to other adults about.”

Etheridge has been at WJ for seven years. He started out by coaching little league football, and thought that being involved within the school system would help his coaching tactics.

“I’ve always been in security, so the transition into Montgomery County School’s security [system] was easy for me,” said Etheridge.

Security gaurd Ron Joyner has been working for the county for 35 years and at WJ for four years. Before coming to WJ, he worked at Northwood then went to Einstein and B-CC. “I don’t know if I decided to start or if I kind of fell into it and decided not to leave,” said Joyner. “I was going to [Montgomery College] (MC) and studying law enforcement. I was doing building services at night and MC during the day. Then the security job became open at Northwood…I just kind of fell into the job.”

Joyner gets to school at seven in the morning and keeps surveillance outside for 25 minutes while Etheridge arrives at eight. To prepare for their upcoming day, they check each of their emails to see if there is any new information to take care of or if they are needed for anything later in the day. When the first period bell rings, Etheridge makes sure all the entrances to the school are locked to prevent strangers from entering the building, and Joyner brings the signs in from the front drop off circle. Then, they both scan the halls to ensure that kids get to class.

“We get kids as [the staff] or the front office calls us,” said Joyner. “It’s a little bit of anything and everything that comes up.”

For the security assistants, this ranges from helping building services to meetings with counselors, parents and administration to taking theft reports. However, what Etheridge likes the least about his job is getting kids in trouble. He said that he frequently deals with kids smoking and that the small portion of kids who do not seem to understand school rules.

“Kids think…whenever they see a student with us, ‘oh [he’s] in trouble’ and that’s not always the case,” said Etheridge. “We have kids in here that just want to sit and talk to us.”

By Grace Leslau

Every junior and senior in the college application process gets support from Gayle Evans and the College and Career Center. Evans coordinates and sends the teacher recommendations, counselor recommendations, transcripts and applications to colleges. She also offers students assistance in preparing their applications and finding scholarships. Evans additionally schedules college visits, sends in proof of graduation to colleges that seniors will attend and compiles data on the college admissions of WJ seniors.

“We are the nuts and bolts of the application process,” said Evans.

In the College and Career Center, Evans and College Application Coordinator Mary Gahl work together as the underlying support behind the college application process. Gahl collects transcript requests from students and transfers them to counselors for recommendations. The College and Career Center also coordinates the Young Scholars program that allows students to take University of Maryland classes at WJ, collects and keeps track of SSL hours and even provides SAT and AP review books students can borrow.

Gahl and Evans enjoy interacting with students and helping them make choices about their future.

“I love helping the kids,” said Evans. “I have a very unique job.”

Evans watches the seniors move on to the next step in their lives and she gets to share in many of their successes.

“Once we had an admissions officer come to personally accept a student early decision for college,” she said.

Evans gets to meet and assist the entire senior class, as well as some juniors and sophomores. It is always hard for her when the seniors graduate, but she enjoys watching them proceed on their chosen paths. She also gets to see both the ups and downs of seniors receiving admission decisions.

“I love when students come and tell me they got in,” she said.

Pitch

the

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

SPORTS

17

Pitch

the

18

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

WJ Athletics: Postseason Previews

Girls’ basketball charges into playoffs

By JJ Henn

Sporting an outstanding record of 15-5, girls’ basketball enters the playoffs with high hopes. Senior captain Kristen Larrick, however, is sitting out the rest of the season with a dislocated kneecap. Larrick led the team with 12.7 points per game.

Last season, the girls won a division championship for the first time since 1999. This year’s team includes six seniors on a team of 14. The girls have dominated the competition this year with 7-3 division record, in a very competitive divison that includes rivals Churchill, Whitman, B-CC and Wootton.

“With Kristen out we have to work together as a team and we have all been stepping up to make sure we continue on with our great season,” said senior Marisa Gilman.

Gilman has scored over nine points in each of the Wildcats’ last four games, helping to fill in the large gap caused by Larrick’s injury. In addition, junior Melanie Ackerman has sunk 32 three-point field goals, 18 more than anyone else on the team. Senior Megan Spurrell’s free throw shooting has also played a role in the team’s success, as she is 53 for 77 from the line, a

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Senior captain Leemor Banai beats a Sherwood defender.

team best of 68.8 percent.

“We’ve been working hard for three months and now [is] the time to show that our hard work has paid off,” said Gilman.

Whitman has pulled out two close victories over the Wildcats, but aside from their games against Whitman, the Wildcats have been nearly flawless. The team registered a number of quality wins, incuding two wins against Churchill.

The Wildcats are 9-2 while playing at home and have outscored their opponents by a whopping 134 points while at WJ. The Wildcats have had success on the road as well. Despite losing twice to Northwest, the girls still sport a road record of 7-3. “[As seniors] it’s our last year and we want to leave a mark,” said Gilman. “We work really hard to make sure that we will get as far as possible and be as good as possible.”

The team’s last regular season game is on the road against Rockville on Feb. 19, a team which has struggled this season and sports a losing record of 5-12.

Boys’ basketball dribbles toward victory

By JJ Henn

The boys’ basketball team heads into the playoffs with a solid conference record of 11-4, following a promising season which unfortunately included two losses to Churchill, but featured quality wins over Whitman and Richard Montgomery. The Wildcats hope to surpass last year’s playoff result, which ended in the first round with a nail-biting loss to Wootton.

Senior captains Michael Lumbuku and Sean Poosson lead the team with an outstanding 12.9 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. Other impressive statistics include junior Alex Horrick’s nine for 24 three- point shooting, Lumbuku’s 34 for 48 free throw shooting and senior captain Justin Hom’s four assists per game.

“Our focus and hard work in practice allows us to perform well in games,” Lumbuku said.

The last time the boys’ basketball team became the region champions was in 1987, when the team was in the Maryland Class B division instead of its current Maryland Class 4A South division.

“We have to start strong in the playoffs by carrying our momentum from the regular season,” said Lumbuku.

WJ has lost eight games while leading at the start of the fourth quarter. Whether this is because of lack of

endurance, lack of a killer instinct or just lack of depth is up for debate, but the team has vowed it has learned from its early-season slipups and is ready for playoffs.

“As we have played multiple games throughout the season, we have experienced so many close games,” said senior forward Daniel Perim. “Since so many games were close, we have learned the importance of every play. Every rebound [and] every lay-up, no matter the quarter, can dictate the outcome of the game.”

Coach Mark Karver believes his team can win many more games by concentrating.

“Learning how to concentrate and withstand pressure in the fourth quarter [will allow the team to progress through the playoffs],” said Karver.

Karver credits his team’s success to the eight seniors. The playoffs not only mean the end of the seniors’ season, but the end of their high school careers.

“As the season is coming to an end, I feel like the seniors are experiencing a new motivation. For many of us, this is our last year of playing organized basketball and we want to finish strong,” said Perim.

The drawing for playoffs is on Sun. Feb. 17 and the boys play their first playoff game on Fri. Feb. 22.

Photo by Sarah Shecker

Senior guard Justin Hom dribbles down the court.

WJ’s boys swim for consecutive state titles

By Michael Lumbuku

Photo by Andrew Ship

Junior Jean-Marc Nugent swims butterfly at the recent Metros swim meet.

WJ Swim & Dive is one of the best teams at WJ and is composed of some of the best swimmers in Montgomery County. The Wildcats won their division meet by one and a half points, against swimmers from Wootton, Churchill, Blair, Richard Montgomery and Whitman. Now the boys’ swim team, led by coach Jamie Grimes and senior captains Barry Mangold and Chris Root, looks to continue its run of fine form and win the state title for the second straight year.

“We have to remain focused even though we are coming down from a great performance at metros,” said Root.

Some of the vital swimmers on their journey to states will be Mangold, Root and senior Michael Kirchner. Mangold, one of the top recruits in the nation, has won state titles in the 50m, 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle, and committed to the University of Virginia earlier this year.

Root, who is part of the relay team that holds the school record in the 200m relay freestyle, also hopes

to go far in his run for states, given that this is his last year as a member of WJ Swim & Dive.

Finally, Kirchner, who swam a 4:56:22 in the 500 yard freestyle in the Maryland 4A Championship, also hopes to add to the team’s success, given that he too is in his final year as a part the Swim & Dive team.

“If we continue with the overall classiness and excellence that we’ve had throughout the season, I think we are all going to be very happy with the outcome,” said Mangold.

WJ Swim and Dive has some of the most talented swimmers in the state, and so far the team has shown it has the talent to make another run at states. Their next meet will be in the 4A/3A West Regional Swimming Championship at the Martin Luther King Jr. Swim Center on Feb. 16.

All stats accurate as of Feb. 11

Pitch

the

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

SPORTS

19

Ray Lewis: A career to revere Charging

the mound

By Sean Poosson In an ever-changing league such as the NFL, few factors remain constant. However, one thing has remained true for 17 years: linebacker Ray Lewis is a Baltimore Raven. But, in a turn of events, on Jan. 2, Lewis announced he will be retiring from professional football following this season.

At age 37, Lewis is no longer the athlete he was when he entered the league. His accomplishments over his 17-year career, though, more than speak for themselves. Among his accolades are 12 Pro Bowl appearances, seven First-Team All-Pro selections, two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. Alongside his awards is an impressive stat line of 1,558 tackles, 492 assists, 41.5 sacks, 19 forced fumbles and 31 interceptions with returns totaling 503 yards and three touchdowns.

This season, Lewis ended his career on top, leading the Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII. Many argue, however, that he did not play a big part in his team’s victory. Throughout the playoffs, Lewis averaged over 10 tackles per game; that is, up until the Super Bowl, in which Lewis had fewer than five tackles. Among his critics is former teammate Trevor Pryce, who is currently an analyst for CBS Sports.

“I think [Lewis] played with a case of the nerves,” Pryce told USA Today in an interview on Feb. 4. “I think he had the yips. I really do.”

Despite the criticism, Lewis is ecstatic to have finished his final season with a win. He now plans to spend time with his children.

“God is calling,” Lewis said in an interview with

By Ian Morrison

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison, flickr.com

Ray Lewis established himself as one of the best linebackers to ever play in the NFL.

ESPN. “My children have made the ultimate sacrifice for their father for 17 years. I don’t want to see them do that no more. I’ve done what I wanted to do in this business, and now it’s my turn to give them something back.”

Before Super Bowl XLVII, teammate Terrell Suggs offered his opinion on Lewis’s planned retirement.

“It was sad,” Suggs told ESPN. “It affected me, because for the past 10 years of my career, I’ve been sitting right next to the man and going to war on Sundays. It’s going to be one hard last ride, and we need to make it one to remember.”

With a thrilling 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Ray Lewis and his team certainly made his final season one to remember.

Fielder’s Choice Why do sports matter?

By Phillip Resnick When I talk to people who are generally uninterested and apathetic towards sports and professional athletics, the biggest complaint I often hear from them is, “why?” Why do athletes get so much attention? Why do they get paid so much? And my least favorite question: Why do sports matter?

If anyone who has ever posed that last question watched this year’s Super Bowl, their mind should be forever changed. In the four-and-a-half hour soap opera of a game, every aspect of human emotion was explored. The game started off with an extremely patriotic and heartwarming pre-game ceremony, in which students from Sandy Hook Elementary School sang “God Bless America” alongside Jennifer Hudson. Once the game started, the Baltimore Ravens jumped out to an early lead, inspired by their fearless leader Ray Lewis, who was to retire after the game. Even during the breaks in the game, the television audience was kept entertained by some of the best commercials of the year, with companies paying over four million dollars for just 30 seconds of advertising time.

During the halftime show, Beyoncé wowed the crowd at the Superdome in New Orleans with a spectacular song and dance show, but her performance was an afterthought by the end of the night. To start the second half, Jacoby Jones ran a kickoff back 108 yards for a touchdown, the longest in Super Bowl history.

Then, a few minutes into the third quarter, the stadium lost power and the game was delayed for over half an hour. After the delay ended, the 49ers came storm-

ing back from a huge point deficit and nearly stole the game from the Ravens, and the game wasn’t decided until the last few seconds.

Over the course of the game, every emotion was felt, no matter which team you were rooting for: anger and elation, frustration and jubilation. But, the best part about it is that it was unscripted. After watching a movie for the third or fourth time, the plot gets old and it isn’t very entertaining anymore. However, you can watch sports for your entire life and experience something new every game. A new script is being written in real time every time an athlete takes the field.

People use sports as a medium for their own lives because sports reflect who we are or who we want to be. For a few hours, we can live in a fantasy land where anything and everything can happen. Politicians use sports as common ground in international issues: the U.S. victory over the Soviets’ hockey team at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics was one of the most important moments in American history during the 20th century, and Nelson Mandela used rugby to unite South Africa after apartheid.

I understand that people think that athletes are overpaid and sports gets too much attention, but when an event makes an entire city, an entire country or even the entire world stop and unite, even for just a few hours, it definitely matters.

As seniors wait restlessly to hear back from the schools they’ve applied to, many still have hopes of playing for college sports teams. Though many top athletes have already signed with Division I programs, many student athletes still have the opportunity to play for Division III teams, or even to walk onto Division I and II teams.

I’m one of the kids waiting to decide what to do with college athletics. I may still play DII or DIII soccer, but I honestly have no idea what I’ll end up doing.

For me, and for many people, athletics are secondary in college. Sure, I’ve played soccer all my life, but I won’t be making a career out of it. Though I’d love to continue to play competitively, the reality is that there are many activities I’d like to participate in in college aside from soccer.

But despite my indecisiveness, I find that regarding college, I am most commonly asked, “Where are you going to play soccer?” I understand people’s interest in college athletics, because yes, they are exciting, but at the same time we must not forget that athletics aren’t the only reason high school athletes pick their schools.

Tons of kids play for high school and club sports teams. Bethesda has an incredibly diverse range of sports. Kids can compete in football, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse and even sports like crew and archery, which are growing in popularity. But many adults, including my club soccer coaches, seem to believe that kids play sports only so that they can continue on to compete in college. This is a view that puts much added pressure on student athletes.

High school and club athletics are no longer simply about having a good time; they are about preparation for the next level of competition. For some, this pressure is great, but many kids have no desire to compete in college athletics, yet they find themselves constantly being told how to get recruited, how playing sports will help increase chances of being admitted into schools and how exciting it will be to be a member of a college sports team.

For kids who have grown up playing sports, people simply assume that competing in college athletics is a top priority. But for the kids who don’t want to continue playing their sport in college, the added pressure placed on them by parents and coaches has a way of making them feel inadequate. It feels as though if they tell people they’re done playing their sport, they’ll be thought less of. This is not healthy for athletes, and it’s not good for their performance.

Mentality is a huge aspect of any sport. Kids perform best when they are happy. So, I think it is best for the student athletes to not have to worry about what they’re going to do in college. Not everybody wants to play college sports, regardless of how competitive they were in high school. Pressure to compete in college can suck the fun out of any sport for someone that simply wants to play because they enjoy it. Kids already have plenty of pressure on them; they’re constantly worried about academics and extracurricular activities, so sports should be an outlet from all that pressure, and not a source of even more of it.

People must not forget that not everything has to be about college, and not everything has to amount to something greater. For many kids, athletics are simply fun, and I think they should be allowed to stay that way.

Sports

20

What’s Inside

18

Playoff Previews: Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball, Hockey and Swim & Dive

Ray Lewis, Ian Morrison’s Charging the Mound, Phillip Resnick’s Fielder’s Choice

19

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Photos by Billy Glover

Junior Jon Ohlrich (right) and his brother, senior Drew Ohlrich (left) anchor the Wildcats’ defense and are first and second on the team in goals and points.

Siblings add chemistry to WJ sports teams and lacrosse for the Wildcats. They did er at home, which they both claim has “When we play against each other, not play on the same teams together be- helped them when competing in games. we play physical and foul a lot so we can As the Harboughs took the field for fore high school, but they enjoy playing While the Ohlrichs work on plays to- help each other be prepared for physical Super Bowl XLVII, the two siblings with each other now. gether, the Howies are often playing games,” said Maggie. stood on opposite sidelines and compet“Having a sibling on the team af- each other. The sisters play one-on-one According to the Pro Football Hall ed against each other of Fame, there for one of the most have been 348 prestigious titles in documented sets of sports. They showed brothers who have the sports world played pro footwhat siblings are caball, most notably pable of, and how inthe Manning brothtense a sibling rivalry ers, Peyton and Eli. can be. At WJ, many Tiki Barber wrote siblings compete as the book “By My members of the same team and push fects our games, because we do things to improve on their individual skills. Brother's Side,” which told the story each other and their teams to be great. like protect each other on the ice,” said These games often get physical, and of how he and his twin brother Ronde Twin sophomores Kate and Maggie Drew. they get annoyed at each other, but in were able to make the NFL together by Howie have played sports with each Drew and Jon work on plays togeth- the end it helps them improve. pushing each other to perform better. other for as long as they can reThe book showed how, when two member. They both play varsity siblings work together, they can basketball and lacrosse for WJ, achieve greatness. and find that they make each The Ohlrichs lead the WJ hockother better. ey team in points. Jon has 16 and “I don’t think I would be the Drew is second with 12. Drew and player I am today without my Jon have great chemistry, scoring sister,” said Maggie. “She always many of WJ’s goals and stifling oppushes me to work harder and ponents on defense. Although he get better.” is surprised about this, Drew said Even though they’re teamthey do not fight on the ice. mates, they are not necessarily Siblings who play on WJ teams immune to the incessant fightinclude not only the Howies and ing that many siblings have, but Ohlrichs, but also the Boyds, who the siblings enjoy playing on the play girls’ basketball, and the Cagsame teams together. gianos, who play soccer and swim. “[Having Maggie on my team] Kate finds that she and Maggie improves my playing because I'm have a sixth sense when it comes always trying to beat her,” Kate to playing with each other. said.

“When you play with someone Maggie said she can always for so long, you learn what they’re trust Kate to have her back on going to do,” said Kate. defense.

As both the WJ hockey team and The Ohlrich brothers are anthe girls’ basketball team head other pair of siblings who are toward the playoffs, these sibling teammates on a WJ sports team.

Photos by Sarah Schecker pairs hope to use their chemistry Senior Drew and sophomore Left: The girls’ basketball team has two sets of siblings: sophomore twins Maggie and Kate Howie (numbers 15 to lead their teams to postseason Jon both play varsity ice hockey and 11) and junior Taylor and sophomore Erica Boyd (numbers 40 and 24). Right: Sophomore Maggie Howie success.

Stats accurate as of Feb.11

By Ben Resnick

“I don’t think I would be the player I am today without my sister. She always pushes me to work harder and get better.”

leads the team down the court.