The Pitch May 29 Issue

The Pitch

Walter Johnson High School

Fall Sports

BSU Assembly

May 29, 2013

Volume 58 Issue 8

Senior Picnic

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814

Homecoming

BD2BP

P4P Carnival Asian Assembly Winter Sports

Male Poms

Spring Sports

One Acts

Art Festival

Editorial

Feature

A&E

Sports

Pitch

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NEWS

MAY 29, 2013

Fine Minds, Fancy Art: Festival displays student artwork

By Sarah Schecker 2

WJ hosted its 11th annual Fine Arts Festival from May 21 to 23. The art show displayed a large variety of mediums, ranging from film photography to sculpture to digital animation.

Art department head Stephanie Ellis was very excited for this year’s show.

She said it is an opportunity for students to share their abilities with the community.

“You walk in and it’s overwhelming,” said Ellis. “You see how much talent is in this school.”

Junior Ronit Feifer, an AP 2D Digital Art student, agreed. Feifer participated in her third art show at WJ with two full boards that displayed her work. “[The art show] enable[d] me to showcase my art and show my fellow students what I have been working on [this year],” said Feifer. “[It allowed me to] get their opinion [on my art].”

To some students, the art show serves the same purpose as a final production of a play or a musical. It is what all of their hard work all year builds up to.

“It teaches the importance of displaying artwork,” said Ellis. “Artwork isn’t supposed to be something you make and put in a closet.”

Photography teacher Daniel Kempner said the show is great practice for students who want to be professional artists. “[The show] teaches the professionalism in being an artist,” said Kempner.

Students that participated in the show had strict deadlines they needed to follow in order to have their work displayed.

Once each student met the criteria, he or she was rewarded with the satisfaction of having his or her work displayed for all to see.

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5 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Pitch Readers, Well that’s all, folks! After seven (and a half) issues of The Pitch, we bring you the final installment of our 2012-2013 volume. We have made a great effort to continue our publication’s proud tradition of producing high quality news, and hope that The Pitch will continue this high level of journalism well into the future.

As for this issue, we are doing our best to wrap up what has been an incredibly busy year at WJ. Our News section covers both local and national news in addition to bidding adieu to staff members leaving our school at the end of the year.

In both Feature and Arts & Entertainment, we profile senior standouts and cover what they will be doing next year,

while in Editorial the graduating members of our staff recount their favorite memories as writers for The Pitch.

We would like to congratulate both Claudia Nguyen and Emily Cosentino, two of our current section editors, as they will be taking over as print editors-in-chief for the 2013-2014 school year. We would also like to welcome back Megan Chun for another year as our online editor-in-chief. We hope you will all continue your readership of both our monthly print publications as well as our website at wjpitch.com.

As always, remember to follow us on Twitter @thewjpitch and “like” us on Facebook. Have a great summer and see you in the fall!

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

1. Junior Kyle Lopez hangs his artwork.

2. Senior Silas Cheo observes his classmates’ artwork.

3. Sophomore Katie Spak’s fish mobile hangs in the gym.

Photos by Sarah Schecker

4. Junior Ariel Kopelove hangs her painting.

5. A variety of dresses made by advanced studio students are displayed.

6. Karlo Lazaro tacks up one of his photos.

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May 29, 2013

NEWS

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Brave in Boston: Marathon bombings affect community in MoCo

By Izzy Salant April 15 was supposed to be a day full of fans, runners and victors. Instead, it turned into a day of terror.

At around 2:50 p.m., several bombs went off at the Boston Marathon, resulting in three dead and more than 100 injured. The culprits were identified as brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. While WJ is much further down on the Eastern Seaboard, many students were still affected by the events and some of them have family in Massachusetts.

News of the bombings quickly spread throughout the country and within minutes people were aware of the events. Sophomore Jacob Mullin recalled how he felt when he was informed of the bombings.

“At first I was shocked,” he said. “I thought it was an accident. I hoped it was an accident.Then I thought, ‘Is this a terrorist attack?’”

Mullin is from Massachusetts and still has family living there. Luckily, no one was hurt because his family doesn’t live in Boston. However, cousin of a WJ student, David Rappaport, was in the city when the bomb went off, and he recalled how he felt.

“I was a little perplexed,” said Rappaport. “I wanted to hear more about what was going on and piece together the situation. I was shocked.”

After the bomb went off, police scrambled to find the suspects. Sean Collier, a police officer at MIT, found them while going from door to door searching the houses. The brothers shot him and then led police on a high-speed chase, ending in Tamerlan’s death and Dzhokhar’s escape. The chase took place near Cambridge, where Rappaport was attending a concert.

“I was driving back from the concert... at one in the morning,” said Rappaport. “While I was driving I saw tons... of cops driving [in] the other direction, near MIT. I had never seen that many cops in my life.”

Police then authorized a massive manhunt to find the remaining culprit and put Boston on lockdown, ordering citizens to stay in their homes. Later that day, a man just outside the search area went out to his backyard, and noticed bleeding from under the tarp on his boat. He lifted the tarp and found the remain-

Students and staff share their stories

Kevin Coleman (Junior)

My father, Mark Yost, wrote this on his experience during the marathon: “‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.’ This quote from Charles Dickens best describes the 2013 Boston Marathon for me. Since at least 2008, I’ve been trying to break three hours at Boston. This year, I finally did it with a solid race, finishing in 2:59:48. Less than two hours later, two bombs exploded at the finish line killing three people and injuring many more. My finishing time no longer seemed important. Death has a way of putting life in perspective... Someone said: ‘There have been explosions at the finish line.’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We spent a few minutes trying to get information, I shot off a text to my wife that I was OK, and the next several hours were spent attempting to locate people that we knew who were racing, watching or supporting… I wasn’t sure if I would write this race report for Photo courtesy of Kevin Coleman the 2013 Boston Marathon. But I think terrorists want us to live in fear and change what we do. I’m not going to do that. I’ll return to Boston in 2014. But for the first time in many years at Boston my purpose won’t be to run under 3 hours. I’m going just to be there. To show the bastards they can’t stop us.”

Susan Fazio (Science teacher) Rachel Matheson (Sophomore)

This was my second Boston Marathon and fifteenth marathon overall. I crossed the finish line about eight minutes before the first bombing, around 100 yards from the first explosion. It was a chaotic scene.

The first responders did everything they could at the time. I remember my cell phone wasn’t working Photo courtesy of walterjohnson.com so I couldn’t call my family for 40 minutes to say I was okay. After this experience, I’m going to stop running to take time to re-engage but I do still enjoy running. This won’t be my last marathon. I want to end on a positive note!

My cousin was watching the race while standing right near the finish line.

All of a sudden someone shouted that he had “free t-Shirts” and my cousin went over so he could get one. That made it so he wasn’t near the bomb when it went off, but otherwise he would have been right in its path.

ing bomber. Police responded immediately, exchanged gunfire and, subsequently, surrounded the boat with a SWAT team which arrested him.

“I was watching the whole thing live and just kept

my TV turned to channel four,” said Mullin. “I saw that [the suspect] was caught and I let out a sigh of relief.

It’s over.”

cheating completely. Often, students who have already completed the test will discuss it with their peers who have yet to take it.

In contrast, AP Language and Composition teacher Rachel Gold said that plagiarism on essays is the most prevalent problem that the English department faces in relation to cheating. This year, Gold said she has encountered a few cases of plagiarism, but added it is impossible to catch every incident.

“Unless Ms. Ellen, Mr. Fullenkamp and I sat down and read every single paper aloud to each other, we wouldn’t really be able to find [all cases of cheating],” she said. “I think it’s important that [students] learn this lesson now, because… when they get to college they’ll be kicked out and that’s 40 to 50 thousand dollars of their parents’ money that’s thrown out the window.”

In an attempt to mitigate instances of cheating, the English department has discussed the use of TurnItIn. com, a site that scans students’ papers and compares them to their peers’ essays from current and past years as well as a variety of online sources on the TurnItIn database. Gold said the site would allow members of the English department to see how much a paper is plagiarized and determine whether or not a student is cheating. However, she also said that not all administration members were in favor of the idea.

“I’ve heard that [some school leaders] weren’t really thrilled about the idea because they thought it [implied] that we expected students to cheat,” said Gold.

“That’s not how I see it. I see it as this is a method that colleges will use, so they might as well get used to the idea that they need to turn in [their] own work.

It gives them the agency and control over their own initiative. I don’t think it’s sending the wrong message; it’s sending the right message.”

There is no doubt teachers highly discourage and abhor cheating. However, many students feel the pressure to excel in school pushes them to sacrifice their academic integrity to be successful. Gold said she recognizes the pressure to go to a highly competitive college, as well as the standards to get in, has gradually risen over the years. Although there may be increased pressure on students, both Gold and Richards emphasized cheating should never be the answer.

“I don’t envy the situation that [students] are in now,” said Gold. “It’s a really stressful environment, especially if you’re taking multiple AP classes… But I’m hoping that the student would know that there are outlets they can explore other than cheating.”

Gold said teachers are often available to talk to and tend to be understanding if a student has a legitimate reason why they would require an extension. Richards agreed there is no excuse for cheating and added students are hurting themselves by doing so.

“Let’s say the work is too hard,” he said. “You’re covering up that problem by cheating. It seems like everyone is handling the load… so you don’t know there’s a problem.”

Richards has had to deal with multiple incidences of cheating this past year, and said it has caused him to lose faith in his students. He caught a student who he thought very highly of allowing others to copy homework. As a result, around the middle of the year, he decided to be more restrictive about the students for whom he writes letters of recommendation.

“People think I get angry when they cheat,” said Richards. “I get far more depressed than angry. If all my students are a bunch of cheaters, what’s the point in doing this? That one student... seemed to show no remorse for what [he or she] had done. I’m tired of doing things for students and having them fall flat.”

Photo courtesy of Rachel Matheson

Teachers take steps to improve academic integrity

By Claudia Nguyen From the very first day students walk into school after summer break, the words ‘academic integrity’ are drilled into their heads as teachers discuss their syllabi and classroom policies. From ‘wandering eyes’ on tests to plagiarism in papers, cheating remains a common practice among students across the country. In 2010, the Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics surveyed 43,000 high school students in both public and private schools and found that nearly 60 percent of students admitted to cheating on a test and one in three students said they had used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment. However, students’ insistence upon cheating remains a mystery for many teachers who believe that this behavior could be easily avoided.

Physics teacher Michael Richards has a strict academic integrity policy in his classroom, and employs various methods to prevent cheating. The most common types of cheating he’s detected include copying homework and test answers.

“The standard response is [I] give [the student] a zero for the assignment,” said Richards. “Depending on [how] flagrant [the cheating] is, I may or may not call home. But there are always the unofficial consequences of [cheating].”

Richards added that there’s only a certain extent to which teachers can punish a student for specific cheating incidents. However, the indirect repercussions can also include the removal of additional support and respect from that teacher.

Earlier this year, he also built ‘cheat shields,’ boards mounted on wooden bases, to be placed between students during quizzes and tests to ensure they cannot look at each other’s answers. Although Richards’ cheat shields prevent students from looking at their peers’ answers during assessments, it does not prevent

Photo by Sarah Schecker

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NEWS

MAY 29, 2013

Farewell Faculty: Teachers leave WJ

Tim Rodman

Sarah Leng

Social Studies

English/ Special Education

By Zack Shapiro

After one year at WJ, social studies teacher Tim Rodman is leaving WJ to work at Clarksburg High School. The move will allow him to be closer to home so he can take care of his newborn son and work on his farm.

“I’m not happy about leaving WJ after only one year,” said Rodman, “but family comes first and this is what’s right for my family.”

Before becoming a teacher, Rodman was a financial consultant and later taught economics to middle and elementary school children in his spare time.

“I met a lot of very interesting people [as a financial consultant] and it was a great experience,” said Rodman. “But, at the end of the day, I was always kind of deflated. At the end of the day, what was it really worth? Did we really make a difference in someone’s life?”

After much consideration, Rodman decided to quit his job as a financial consultant and become a teacher. He hired a career coach and ended up earning his master’s degree at the University of Maryland.

Rodman originally taught at Kennedy High School, but moved here when a teaching slot opened at WJ. He has

By Nick Williamson

Photo by Zack Shapiro

Social studies teacher Tim Rodman will begin working at Clarksburg High School after spending the past year teaching AP Comparative Government at WJ.

enjoyed teaching at WJ, but no matter where he goes, it’s always the students who make or break the experience.

“When I get a comment card from a student saying, ‘I’ve really enjoyed your class’ or a postcard from a former student thanking me, that’s my paycheck,” said Rodman. “I’ve really enjoyed teaching here. I think I have helped a lot of students and the experience has helped me.”

After six years of teaching at WJ, Sarah Leng, a twelfth grade English teacher, will be leaving WJ. Leng is looking forward to new experiences, as she will be traveling throughout the state of California begining in June before heading to North Carolina at the end of the summer. After that, she plans to explore new career opportunities.

Although she is leaving WJ behind, Leng will always have fond memories of the school and her students.

“I love when kids figure out that they really enjoy what they’re learning, and start to think of ways that they can use what they learn [to move] forward in life,” said Leng.

Leng’s philosophy about teaching is to always have fun, and to keep students engaged in class with jokes, regardless of whether not the jokes are any good.

She also believes that it is important to hold seniors to high expectations at all times, even during the “senior slide” fourth quarter.

While she has been teaching for seven and a half years, six of which were at WJ, she will always remember the first class of seniors she taught at WJ.

Mary Anna Donohoe

Mei Wang

By JakeWeinischke

By Annie Heffernan

WJ’s long history has witnessed the arrival and departure of many students and teachers. Although lengthy tenures in the profession of teaching are commonplace, few can say that they have dedicated 26 years to a single school.

However, social studies teacher Mary Donohoe is an exception.

Donohoe moved to the D.C. area in 1983 to attend Georgetown Law School and came to WJ in September of 1987 when Charles E. Woodward High School, now Tilden Middle School, merged with WJ. Prior to her affiliation with Woodward, Donohoe taught in eastern Pennsylvania at West Scranton High School. Aside from teaching, Donohoe has also worked part time in a law practice.

Donohoe has greatly enjoyed her tenure at WJ. Compared with her experience at West Scranton High School, she said that she likes the fact that WJ has a much more diverse student body, which she feels enhances the classroom experience. Over the last two and a half decades, Donohoe has seen thousands of students come and go, but she has had a consistent teaching style that has persevered.

Leaving WJ will without a doubt be difficult for Donohoe, who has developed significant bonds with staff members during her tenure.

“Getting to know the members of my department and working with these

After 19 years of teaching at WJ, science teacher Mei Wang is leaving WJ to teach at Wootton High School next fall.

Although she will not be here next year,Wang would still like to be remembered by the WJ community and wants her students to have learned something from her. “[I would like] to be remembered as a unique teacher and a sponsor for WJ,” said Wang.

Throughout her time at WJ, Wang has always been a part of the science department and has taught many different science courses, including matter and energy and chemistry at the regular, honors and AP level. She has also worked with students completing science internships and sponsored many different clubs.

“There is a big spectrum of my involvement at WJ,” said Wang.

She is moving to Wootton because she feels that she has been at WJ long enough and needs a change. She also added that Wootton is located closer to her home, making for a short commute, but she hopes to visit WJ after she has left.

Wang does not know how many years she will spend at Wootton and said she has no future plans after the move aside from continuing to teach AP Chemistry at the school.

“Just like I did not know how long I would be here at WJ, I do not know how

Photo by Claudia Nguyen

English and special education teacher Sarah Leng is departing WJ after six years, leaving students with fond memories of her time teaching here.

“[The seniors] also taught me a lot,” said Leng. “[They] definitely [taught me] patience, but also that every class is different.”

Leng doesn’t know if she’ll ever go back to teaching, but she will always have the support of the WJ community, and will retain friends among students and teachers here.

Chemistry

Social Studies

Photo by Claudia Nguyen

After 26 years of teaching, Mary Anna Donohoe will be leaving WJ, but hopes to return on occasion as a substitute teacher.

people for an extensive period of time was a truly enriching experience,” said Donohoe.

She also added that her students, both past and present, have contributed to her great experience at WJ. “They’re wonderful and they should know it,” she said.

While she may be closing one chapter of her career, Donohoe is not yet ready to completely deactivate her “working side.” In the near future, she plans to assume more legal duty for the Whitman Walker Clinic and the Homeless Persons Representation Project, while also serving as an occasional substitute teacher, hopefully at WJ.

Photo by Claudia Nguyen

Mei Wang, who has been teaching for nearly two decades at WJ, will be leaving after this school year to teach chemistry at Wootton High School.

long I will be at Wootton,” said Wang.

Although she will miss all her coworkers, Wang said she will miss the students most after she is gone.

“Working with the students has been the best part,” said Wang. “They are my favorite.”

Additional teachers who are leaving include: Marty Walker, Gretchen Balfour, Linda Nunn and Tim Lowe.

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MAY 29, 2013

EDITORIAL

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CURVEBALL Time flies by as the classroom clock slowly ticks rising senior, it’s difficult to go more than a day without thinking about college.

As a freshman, the graduating seniors had little to no impact on me. I just thought they clogged up the halls. Now, they are a symbol of the future. They represent the things to come, the things

By Megan Chun

While we’re sitting in the classroom, it appears as if time stands still. Thirty pairs of eyes watch the generic school clocks as the poor and doting teacher stands at the front of the room, Promethean pen in hand, in an attempt to instruct a class of mentally-exhausted teenagers. But the weeks, months and years seem to fly by.

It seems like the first day of freshman year was just last week. School was so exciting then, with every day bringing a new adventure, experience or life lesson. Now, it all feels routine. Classes, teachers, that one girl you pass in the hall every day, the faulty button on your graphing calculator and even your midclass Snapchats all seem boring.

However, with just a few weeks of school left in this academic year, it’s surreal to think about the future. As a

and gossip. But what would high school be without these things? It would be a glorified 7:25 a.m. daycare for teens.

We need to acknowledge high school for what it truly is; a microcosm in the smallest sense. We are a community within Bethesda, Montgomery County, the state of Maryland, the United States

which can be detrimental, but can we just sit down and relish that for a moment? How many times in your life will you be able to say you were a part of such a tight-knit community?

As the year draws to a close and summer picks up, I urge you to consider this before breaking out your bikini, Raybans and SPF 30. The time we have in high school is limited, and if we don’t appreciate the experiences we have left and the sense of community in this contained environment, the real world will seem bigger than it should. In reality, it is only a building block, the next step up from your journey at WJ. Maybe in 20 years the only trace of your Bethesda upbringing will be the small white box under your Facebook profile picture, which, by the way, states where you’re from, in case you didn’t memorize Facebook’s 24958th layout change in the past year. . Or maybe, you’ll still be in the area, purposely avoiding G-Square between 10:52 and 11:34 a.m.

Whichever way your future goes, here’s a quote for thought, usually reserved for cliché Instagram birthday to look forward to and the memories of America, North America and Planet posts and eighth grade photo Picnik edto cherish when they leave. Sure, there Earth. Jennifer Baker is our president, its: today is the oldest you’ve ever been, are plenty of negative aspects of high teachers make up our Congress and and the youngest you’ll ever be again. school: the academic pressure, immense our student leaders are the pacemakers Congratulations seniors, and to everystress, immature peers, social dilemmas for change. Everyone knows everyone, one else, here’s to the future.

“Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again.

Congratulations seniors, and to everyone else, here’s to the future.”

Ignorant America: Third world disasters slip our minds ByWahid Ishrar During the past three months, there have been ongoing riots in my home country of Bangladesh. While some groups are asking for war criminals from the war with Pakistan in 1971 to be given the death penalty, other groups are demanding that the country’s laws that contradict Islamic Shariah law be abolished. And to top it all off, with elections approaching, both major political parties are campaigning heavily against each other.

So understandably, when my friend asked me at lunch how I was feeling, I said I was pretty upset. But I was especially upset over the casualties of the infamous crash on April 24 of Rana Plaza, a garments factory in Savar, Bangladesh.

A crack was visible on a pillar on the third floor, and the Industrial Police told the owner to shut down production immediately and make repairs before returning to work. Blatantly ignoring this, the owner, Sohel Rana, forced his employees to work the next day.

Then the building collapsed. I expected my American friend to immediately understand which incident I was referring to, but she did not.

I decided to do some research. In a poll conducted by The Huffington Post, more than a third of the 1000 people polled said they had heard nothing

about the accident, with about half who said they heard a little. This is alarming.

With over 1100 innocent bodies already found and the search still going on in the rubble, this event is the worst building collapse due to structural issues in terms of casualties in the history of mankind. The last record was a supermarket in Korea that collapsed and left about 500 lifeless. And still, such a high percentage of Americans do not know what happened.

So, why is there this lack of knowledge? The media is almost always to blame; we know only what they tell us. Mostly, that information consists of political scandals or celebrity “news.”

However, in this case, the media is definitely not at fault. Directly after the collapse and continuing until a week after, CNN had around the clock coverage of the development of the crisis; The New York Times had five front page articles following the week of the tragedy; and The Washington Post published multiple articles both in their print and online mediums. Evidently, the media is doing whatever it can to bring attention to this crisis that also affects us in the U.S. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, U.S. goods imported from Bangladesh totaled $4.9 billion in 2011, with $4.4 billion coming from woven and knit apparel. In light of the current crisis, many of the

major producers are being closed down on account of unsafe working conditions. If these factories are closed, our imports decrease, since Bangladesh’s capability to export will decrease. This means that prices for clothing will increase due to the lack of supply.

One justification provided by the owners for the unsafe conditions in their factories is that there is a continuing demand from first world countries for quality goods with cheap prices, and that they have to cut prices somewhere.

Think about it. We want high quality clothes and we want them cheap. To satisfy our needs, owners of garments factories abroad overwork their employees and ignore their health and safety. The workers are often unhappy, and sometimes, as in the case in Bangladesh, even lose their lives. We are the cause. That’s a chilling thought.

And yet many Americans are uninformed. Even when an issue relates so directly to us, we refuse to acknowledge it. Does this mean we only listen to or see what we want, even when the media exposes the information to us? Why? Maybe it is because news of death scares or upsets us. Maybe it is because we have too many problems of our own and cannot keep up with other countries and their crises.

I don’t expect people to donate money to disaster relief or petition for safer

Omnibus Poll How much have you heard about a recent deadly collapse of a factory building in Bangladesh?

Heard a lot…………….....17% Heard a little.....................48% Heard nothing at all..........35% Sample 1000 Adult Interviews Conducted May 02 -03, 2013 Margin of Error: 3.6% Poll courtesy of The Huffington Post

Graphic by Nathaniel Rees

working conditions for garment workers in third world countries. All I ask is for first world citizens to be informed about what goes on in the world around us.

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Pitch

EDITORIAL

MAY 29, 2013

Pitch Seniors Sign Off

The seniors share their favorite memories from working on The Pitch

CHANGEUP

By Phillip Resnick How do you say goodbye to the only place you have ever known? That is the question that has been bothering me over the past several weeks.

I was born Sept. 15, 1995, at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, and, from Sept. 16, 1995 until today, I have lived in the same house. I’ve gone to school with the same people since first grade, had the same teachers greet me at the start of every year, and had all of my grandparents and cousins live nearby for my entire life. However, in just over a month, all of that will end.

Throughout my career as a student of MCPS, I have gone from learning how to read to writing my own analysis of classic literature, from learning basic math to taking AP Statistics and from barely being able to speak English to being able to speak Spanish at a proficient level. I have also been taught things that aren’t necessarily quantifiable, like how to be a good person and a leader and accept people who are different from me. I can’t tell you how many MSAs and HSAs and MAP-Rs I have taken over the course of my tenure as a student, but what MCPS has really taught me, and what makes it the best school system in the country, is how to be a good person in life.

Although I may never need to find another derivative or read another poem ever again, I have learned important life lessons about how to be successful, how to work with others and, above all, how to do the right thing. I feel as though I am one of the few students that actually follows the student code of conduct and academic integrity form that we all blindly sign at the beginning of each year, a byproduct of my parents and my teachers pushing the value of honor and probably the reason I want to go to the Air Force Academy.

Since I became an MCPS student 12 years ago, I have met countless people who have had some impact on my life.

Although the odds are I will never see 95 percent of them again after May 31, these people have molded me into who I am today, and I hope I have left positive impressions on most of them. It will be difficult to say goodbye to them, but I know I will always have people to turn to if I ever need help.

On June 27, I will arrive at Air Force with nothing but a backpack full of underwear and a toothbrush. I will be greeted by a drill sergeant whose sole purpose will be to beat me into oblivion, both physically and mentally. Juxtapose that with my first day of elementary school 12 years ago, when I was greeted with milk and cookies and escorted to my class by a teacher, and I wonder how I ever made it this far.

What I signed up for is scary and intimidating, but what I have learned over the past 12 years has prepared me for my future, and that is something I am very thankful for.

Back row (left to right): Phillip Resnick, Sean Poosson, Ian Morrison Nathaniel Rees, JJ Henn, Michael Lumbuku.

Front row (left to right): Hope Marshall, Melissa Wainaina, Sari Amiel, Grace Leslau, Ellie Jorling, Christine Bersabal.

Christine-“Kicking Nathaniel and his goons’ butts in Tetris.”

Sari- “Between press, parachuting from the roof of WJ and interviewing President Obama... I’d say press.”

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Grace- “Leaving the Pitch in the middle of class to go to Megan’s house.”

Ellie-“Helping Nathaniel with all his Sporcle games.”

Ian-“Tetris.”

JJ-“Doing Haiku battles with Kidmike.”

Nathaniel-“My best memory was tricking Ms. Ellen every issue about how I ‘lost’ my column.

My worst memory was Ms. Ellen killing me after reading this.”

Michael-“Giving out way too many newspapers during distribution.”

Phillip-“Thuggin’ on the reg with the Fab 5.”

Hope-“Roaming the hallways with Melissa and Sabrina during distribution day.”

Melissa-“Having a blast passing out papers and writing stories with Hope and Sabrina.”

Sean-“Watching YouTube with Mike and JJ.”

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Pitch

MAY 29, 2013

EDITORIAL

Up Bat

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at

All Photos by Wahid Ishrar

Every year, we bid adieu to the seniors during the month of May. It is a bittersweet moment, as they look forward to the future and say “goodbye” to their teachers and friends.

Sarah Hamel “I’m going to miss WJ S*T*A*G*E because they are like my family, and I’m going to miss my family.”

Andrew Matus “I am definitely going to miss interesting SGA activities such as the things we do for P4P.”

Q: What will you miss most about WJ?

Nina Whiting

Malek Ameli-Grillon “[I will miss] my friends, soccer, my teachers, my girlfriend and greedy people like Ben Crites.”

“What I will miss most about WJ is wandering off without teachers noticing.”

Nicole Pineda and Brandi Peters

Justin Chavez

“We’re going to miss our friends, but we’ll miss each other the most.”

“[I am going to miss the] free printing.”

Alison Staffin

Danny Charlip

“[I will] miss having weekly meetings with Mr. Wiggins about my attendance and crappy grades.”

Editors-in-Chief Asst. Feature Editors Sari Amiel Christine Bersabal* Phillip Resnick Grace Leslau* Megan Chun* News Editors Arts & Entertainment Claudia Nguyen Editor Izzy Salant* Emily Cosentino Caroline Steel* Sabrina Clarke* Asst. News Editor Asst. Arts & Ent. Izzy Salant Editor Editorial Editors Audrey Marek Nathaniel Rees Sports Editors Dashel Lewis* Ian Morrison Asst. Editorial Editor Ben Resnick* Wahid Ishrar Asst. Sports Editor Feature Editors Ben Resnick Ellie Jorling

THE

Photo Editors Wahid Ishrar Emily Cosentino Photographers Sarah Schecker Hope Marshall Cartoonists Caroline Steel Sarah Chipman Advisor Sylvie Ellen Copy Editors Sari Amiel Megan Chun

“[I’m going to miss] freshmen who stop walking in the middle of the hallway or do the chain ‘red rover’ thing.”

STAFF

Business/PR Manager Claudia Nguyen

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

Head Staff Writer

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

Journalism 1 Alex Alavi Brianna Austin Nico Bonetta Amalya Cohavi Michael Godfrey Zeke Green Josh Greenberg Annie Heffernan Alex Horick Ariel Horn Anna Hovey Annika La Vina Matt Mackie Marissa Nardella Grace Ray Zack Shapiro Jake Weinischke Nick Williamson

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EDITORIAL

MAY 29, 2013

The world of WJ Twitter: Cyberbullying at its finest

By Caroline Steel

Rees’s Pieces

By Nathaniel Rees Picture this. I am sitting in my AP Environmental science class, about to present a group project, a video presentation describing the pH of water in a nearby stream. I’m slightly nervous, because the end of the video features me, a kid who severely lacks in the “swag” department, rapping about pollution and environmental disasters.

Long story short, the reception to the rap did not go as planned. The class laughed, but more at my random injection of the words “swag” or “swerve.”

And although my teacher professed that she liked my performance, her eyes narrowed into devil-like slits when a 10-second segment was bleeped out, implying I was verbosely cursing out the acidity of water.

Even though the rap was embarrassing, I do not regret it. Sometimes life is about making a fool out of yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone. And I can say unequivocally, that of all my boring and entirely forgettable projects in high school, I never had as much fun as I did when writing that rap.

Now, four years after stepping into the halls of WJ, graduation is just around the corner. It’s bittersweet and nostalgic, with countless memories swirling around the hallways that have been my home since freshman year. Quite clearly, I have matured from a naïve and unassuming freshman to an adult, about to tackle the real world.

But I feel that my maturity has stemmed from experiences like that of my failed rap, experiences where I utterly humiliated myself, where I cut loose from the binds of my comfort zone. I will always remember the time I dressed up in a girls’ one-piece pajamas, and went to buy ice cream in front of dozens of people I did not know. I will always remember belting out “Call Your Girlfriend” and doing interpretive dancing at a supermarket as a dare, wearing ridiculous outfits for spirit week and pulling a muscle playing Wii tennis and having to explain the injury to my coach.

All of these memories were embarrassing and foolish, yet oddly gratifying.

I was myself, not a portrayal of myself trying to fit in to a particular group or clique; I didn’t focus on self-image or on other people’s perceptions.

I hope that I will continue to embarrass myself my whole life. I hope that I will continue to utterly humiliate myself until my face turns a deep shade of red. Because those are the memories that matter, memories you can laugh about for years to come, memories that teach you something about yourself.

Many years from now, I hope I’ll be telling my grandkids of the day granddaddy spit some incredibly corny lyrics about saving the environment. And if they ask for a performance, if they give me a chance to laugh and make a fool of myself, you can be sure that those rap lyrics will ring loud and clear.

Fifteen percent of teens using social media admit to having been bullied online. Eighty-eight percent have witnessed bullying on social media sites.

More than half see people who ignore the harassment.* Such numbers may seem unusually high—but upon closer inspection, such statistics cease to be so far-fetched.

Over the course of this school year, a number of Twitter accounts were created by WJ students that ridicule or poke fun at others. “WJ Secrets,” “WJ Problems,” “Dub Jay Burn Book,” “WJ’s Finest” and “WJ Lookalikes” are just some of the portals students have used to laugh at their peers. By no means are all the accounts alike, and some are more controversial than others, but all of them use dark humor to humiliate WJ students.

Of course, the boundaries are always a bit blurry. Are the accounts’ creators laughing at people, or are they laughing with them? Are they poking fun or having fun? Where should the line be drawn?

It’s difficult to condemn harmful tweets when they can hardly even be identified. Some are even funny--and not in a destructive way, either. WJ Problems, for instance, posted a tweet back in November complaining, “Half day tomorrow and teachers are gonna make us work” – a light-hearted, relatable concern. However, other posts make fun of teachers, students and school teams—the list is long. This wide array makes attacking the perpetrators a slippery business.

But the creators of these accounts aren’t the only issue. The student body itself fuels much of what is said. WJ Secrets uses an off-site account (among other methods) where students are encouraged to post any gossip and complaints.

Their comments are, in turn, usually

posted on the account @WJTruth (the Twitter handle for WJ Secrets). From this point, many students re-tweet the posts, thereby circulating potentially libelous information to a much larger audience.

Anyone, including teachers, parents, colleges and employers, can see these posts. As with all online social media, the repercussions for posting what may be intended as a joke can be more farreaching and damaging than it first appears.

No one can

Cartoon by C a ro l i n e Steel

The anonymity of Twitter facilitates cyberbullying.

fully discern what is true and what is false, but the seed of doubt is planted in viewers’ minds and can lead them to alter their perceptions about the mentioned students.

Nevertheless, WJ’s online culture isn’t all doom and gloom. WJ Compliments and WJ Hotties are two accounts that provide hope for humanity (and WJ). Created in response to more malicious pages, both accounts attempt to promote a positive and accepting community. While WJ Secrets has 161 followers, WJ Compliments has garnered 392.

Jamie Fitzpatrick, a senior, recently revealed himself as the creator of WJ Compliments.

“I thought that there were a lot of

negative things happening on Twitter, and I just wanted to help people out,” said Fitzpatrick.

With the help of his friend, senior Kevin Sodee, the account was, to Fitzpatrick’s mild surprise, a success. Next year, two underclassmen have been selected to continue the positive work.

But stories such as this don’t entirely cancel out the other more negative Twitter accounts. In real life there are always people who put others down and make jokes at others’ expense. The online macrocosm is no different (although it’s much easier to blemish a reputation from the safeguarded confines of a glaring computer screen). Nevertheless, messages posted on the net are forever embedded in cyberspace for all to see.

And while that means everyone with a Twitter account has access to them, it also means there is concrete evidence of what is going on.

The WJ populace has been given the chance to denounce the cyberbullying happening on Twitter. But still the harmful tweets continue. When should administration become involved?

Is privacy more important than mental well-being?

While interference from staff members is unlikely, students have a responsibility both to themselves and to their peers. When the WJ student body finally becomes aware of the threat malevolent tweets pose and withdraw their encouragement, that is when this whole epidemic will end. Pulling the velvetgreen curtain down to reveal the wizards behind these accounts will not only expose them, but will also erode the illusion that what they are doing is in any way amusing.

When WJ wants cyber bullying to end, it will end. Until then, we can only rely on WJ Compliments to, in some small way, mitigate the destructive forces of *Statistics taken from Covenanteyes.com, who compiled them from various studies on Pewinternet.org.

Boston bombing brings to light American apathy

By Selma Stearns

April 15, 2013 will be remembered in American history as the date when two bombs detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Runners from all over the world came to run these 26.2 miles through the wellknown American city, but their happy day was ruined. Three people were killed and at least 100 others were injured by the blasts.

Many people were indignant because a section of the race was dedicated to victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December, another example of innocent American citizens who were killed for no good reason.

There is no dispute that Americans across the country have the right to be angry, especially if this was a terrorist attack. Schools, charities and whole communities have hosted fundraisers and benefits for the victims.

Actor Bradley Cooper and New England Patriot wide receiver Julian Edelman even visited victim Jeff Bauman Jr., who lost his legs in the explosion.

But something else that happened on April 15, 11 years ago, was a marriage ceremony in a village in the central province of Uruzgan, Afghanistan.

A U.S. plane bombed this village

because the wedding party was shooting someone had the idea to bomb people fireworks into the air and U.S. troops who have just finished an impressive and interpreted it as an attack. Thirty civil- tolling marathon, amoment that should ians were killed, 10 times as many as be a happy one. were killed in Boston.

But we need to keep in mind that The United Nations Assistance Mission in countries all over the world, such as in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented Syria and Israel, bombings and civilian a total of 11,864 civilian deaths claimed deaths are commonplace, and those vicby the conflict with Aftims need to be honored. ghanistan between 2007 and 2012. In comparison, about 3,000 people were killed by the terrorist attacks in both the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon.

Children are killed and wounded all over the world in various conflicts, by terrorists, child soldiers, the U.S. army or people from their own countries in a civil war. This doesn’t make the Boston deaths any less tragic, but we need to honor and remember these victims too. After all, they do not get the attention of Bradley Cooper and the Photo courtesy of The Bay Area’s News Station, from Flickr.com entire world.

It is terrible that The Boston Marathon bombings caused widespread pain, but other disasters around the world go unnoticed.

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FEATURE

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CLASS OF

Q&A with Graduation Speaker Eun Yang

By Ellie Jorling and Sari Amiel Eun Yang, a graduate of Paint Branch High School, has been a reporter at NBC 4 since 2002, and currently anchors the morning show, NBC4 Today.

She will be speaking at WJ’s graduation ceremony on May 31 at DAR Constitution Hall.

1. How did you get into journalism?

When I was a little girl, I said I wanted to be a news anchor when I grew up. I didn’t know it was a profession I could actually pursue. I figured it out soon enough. I studied broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland, interviewed for internships, took entry level jobs, worked my tail off and eventually worked my way up to my current position as morning anchor for NBC4.

2.What does your job entail? What is your favorite thing about it?

My job requires three alarms. That’s because I have to get up at 2:20 a.m. during the week. I have a recurring nightmare that I oversleep and miss the beginning of the newscast. It hasn’t happened yet (knock on wood). I anchor News4 Today from 4:26 a.m. until seven a.m. and anchor the news breaks for the Today Show. I host Foodies DC, a show on our digital channel, which requires on-location shoots throughout the area.

I also try to stay connected to the community and emcee and/or speak at a number of events throughout the year.

I grew up in the Washington area, so I have a direct connection to the commu-

nity I serve. I love that I have the opportunity to hear people’s stories and tell them in a way that could impact lives and potentially improve them as well.

It’s a huge compliment when people approach me and say they feel like I’m their friend.

3. What is your connection to WJ and MCPS? My friend and colleague Catherine Snyder and I worked together many years ago and reunited when Catherine joined NBC4 in 2008. Her son, Danny Charlip, is in the graduating class. I actually babysat Danny when he was a toddler. She told me about WJ—what a great school it is and what a great group of students is in the senior class.

So Danny and the senior class advisor, Fred Delello, asked me to speak at WJ’s graduation and I accepted.

4. Do you remember your own graduation? Where did you graduate?

Of course. I was excited more than anything. But I think it’s hard to process how significant your high school graduation is when you’re in the moment. So remember that, and take in the whole day and enjoy it. I graduated from Paint Branch High School. My graduation was especially memorable because Bruce Johnson, who is also a working journalist in Washington, was my commencement speaker. I had the chance to work with him early on in my career and he had [a] positive influence on my career.

5. What was your reaction on being contacted to give the speech?

I was honored to be considered. I

know it’s an important role and I’m happy to give the speech this year.

6. Are you excited to give the speech? Are you nervous?

I’m excited. I’m not nervous, but I do understand the big responsibility of giving a speech to students who are about to start the next chapter of their lives.

I hope I can deliver some wisdom and sound advice.

7. Have you started your speech yet? Have you finished?

I’m still working on it. I will probably tweak it until the very end.

8. Will you have your colleagues or other people you know edit the speech?

I’ve asked people for their thoughts on graduating from high school. But I’ll edit the speech myself.

Photo courtesy of Eun Yang

Eun Yang anchors NBC4 Today and will be speaking at WJ’s graduation ceremony on May 31.

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FEATURE

MAY 29, 2013

Senior S Noam Lautman

By Annika LaVina

Seniors applied to an average of universities each.

They were accepted to an average of of the schools they applied to. were accepted into their top choice while were not.

6

75%

69%

31%

Results based on a survey of all senior English classes.

Noam Lautman, the current stage manager for WJ S*T*A*G*E, doesn’t want to give up his love of theater in high school – he’s taking it to the real stage by studying stage management at the University of North Carolina School for the Arts (UNCSA).

“Words cannot describe [how excited I was to be accepted],” said Lautman. “My heart jumped a little, [my] eyes widened [and my] palms became sweaty.”

Located in Winston-Salem, N.C., UNCSA is one of the top schools for performing arts in the country. Although relatively small, with an average of 10 students a class and around 800 undergraduate students, the college is an arts conservatory, where the performing arts is the basis for all majors.

The school is divided into five smaller arts schools, the School of Dance, School of Design & Production, School of Drama, School of Filmmaking and School of Music, where students are admitted by interview or audition. With its solid reputation in the theater community, the university is a gold mine for theater and arts lovers.

“From the moment I stepped on the campus, I fell in love,” said Lautman. “I also really like the attitudes and personalities of those who go to that school.”

Lautman, who plans on pursuing theater in the future, said he will miss WJ but is excited to move on to UNCSA, which is considered to be one of the world’s most elite art conservatories.

“I look forward to learning with people who want to do theater for a living – people who love the same things I do,” said Lautman. “UNCSA has a fantastic reputation in the theater community. With the skills and knowledge learned there, I have a good shot at getting a job in the field.”

Senior Scatt Rachael Stryer

By Anna Hovey

The 2012-2013 school year is coming to an end, and seniors are saying goodbye to WJ. They’re packing their bags to go to college, travel, join the military or join the work force, among many other options. However, not many seniors are attending top-notch universities. Senior and WJ crew coxswain Rachael Stryer is attending Stanford University in northern California next fall.

Stryer said that applying to Stanford was a last-minute decision.

She had plenty of background knowledge on the school, and knew it was well-located and had great academics and stellar extracurriculars, which made it a good fit for her. Because of her interest in social studies, Stryer plans to study international relations.

“I’ve really liked all my classes here; I’m taking a lot of social studies classes this year because that’s what I’m really interested in,” Stryer said.

Stryer has committed to Stanford’s crew team, which will also be a big time commitment and will be more intense than WJ crew.

Stryer has been a member of the crew team since her freshman year. She finds it to be a great extracurricular activity and an equally rewarding experience, but also a big time commitment. This activity whips Stryer into shape during the school year, because she has to be more organized and focused so she can complete all of her work once she gets home at 7:30 p.m.

In her freshman year, the crew team was very small, but it has expanded and become more successful. The team won their state championships and went to semi-finals and nationals last year.

“I’m really excited to try [Stanford crew] out and see how it goes,” Stryer said. “I stayed overnight with [the team] in February, and the girls there were really, really nice.”

During her time at WJ, Stryer was very involved. Aside from being on crew, she did lots of community service, and had an internship at a civil rights organization last summer in D.C. She took an assortment of unique classes at WJ that opened her eyes to new topics, and she recommends that other students do the same, because you never know what might interest you.

Stryer will miss WJ’s tight-knit community when she leaves for college.

“I’ll definitely miss the supportive WJ community a lot,” she said.

All photos by Sarah Schecker

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3 2 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS • • • • • • • • • • • •

University of British Columbia (Canada) University of Edinburgh (U.K.) Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) IDC Herzliya (Israel) Tel Aviv University (Israel) InterCultural Institute of Japan University of Valencia (Spain) University of St. Andrews (U.K.) University of Manchester (U.K.) Bocconi University (Italy) Centro Escolar University (Philippines) Kazan State University (Russia)

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FEATURE

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Standouts Georgie Carter

By Ariel Horn

While most seniors are buying college gear and packing their bags to go away to college, some have different plans. This fall, Georgie Carter will be taking a gap year. She will travel to Argentina first, come home to work for a couple of months and then visit Australia.

“I think taking a gap year will help me because I’ll have more worldly experiences, and… a better sense of living independently,” said Carter.

While in Argentina, Carter will attend a program called Projects Abroad. She will intern at a hospital there for the duration of her stay. After she comes back home for a few months, she will travel to Australia to work on organic farms, in a program called Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

After completing her gap year, Carter will attend the University of Manchester in England in the fall of 2014.

Carter looks forward to these new experiences, and hopes to accomplish a few goals on her trip, such as becoming fluent in Spanish while in Argentina. She thinks the hardest part of the trip will be learning to be more independent and living on her own.

“I’m going to miss living with my parents, and having a home-cooked meal all the time, money to spend and my fun social life back with my friends,” Carter said.

Carter said that she’s lucky that her parents encouraged her to take a gap year, especially because it’s not as common for seniors to take gap years in the U.S., in comparison to Europe.

“Both my parents and I figured out it would be better to explore the world before going into college,” Carter said.

ter by State

The top reasons seniors chose their schools, from most to least important: academics, location, money, size and athletics. received financial aid.

Of those: 43% received more than expected 25% received less than expected 32% received the same as was expected

61%

Results based on a survey of all senior English classes.

James Duncan

By Michael Godfrey and Grace Ray

2

5

1

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6

9 4

27 4

5

3 168 4

9 5

1

10

Washington, D.C.

11

10 6 3

5

6- 21-310 15 20 30 100 100+

This fall, senior James Duncan will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. The admissions process was difficult and took a long period of time, but he’s excited for a new and different experience.

Duncan aspired to go to West Point because he wished to be unique in comparison to his peers and to attend a school with a high level of discipline. He actually had planned to attend the University of Maryland up until last August, when he found out that West Point may be a good fit for him and decided to apply.

“I didn’t want to go to a party school,” said Duncan.

To be admitted into West Point, Duncan had to compose and submit three essays to Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, State Senator Barbara Mikulski and Vice President Joe Biden, as well as three more essays to the university itself. Duncan needed one of the three politicians to nominate him to attend West Point, and he got the nomination from Van Hollen.

“I met with Van Hollen’s admissions board for an interview and received the nomination from them,” said Duncan.

Duncan will attend a dinner with Congressman Van Hollen and all the other applicants who Van Hollen nominated on June 10.

Duncan believes that WJ has provided him with a strong academic background that will prepare him for West Point.

Duncan also runs on WJ’s cross country team, which put his body in good physical condition for the academy, and he will be running on the West Point division one cross country team, which competes nationwide.

“The practices will be more rigorous,” said Duncan. “It will be fun to go to the next level.”

He recommends that any students considering West Point be up for the challenge, and be ready for a change of pace from a regular university.

Gelila Lishani Carina Aunner Aldair William Defne Victoria Kyle Noah Leighton Ollen James Mackenzie Nico Katie Jenna Maria

Brooke Amelia Jordan

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U of Michigan MC MC U of Maine Gap year

Hobart & William Smith

Rosenzweig UMCP Manuel Cindy Rowlett U South Carolina Sophie Roytblat NYU Alex Rubin UMCP Oscar Salazar Day program Diego Salinas Towson Christian Sanders NC State Alexander Sarfarazi MC Annie Scalet Richmond Robby Schattner UMBC Jake Scherer Santa Barbara City Jamie Schmidt UMBC Angela Sese Arizona State Facundo Severi UC Berkeley Mirsab Shams Purdue Evan Shapiro Gettysburg Jeannie Shen UMBC Susann Shin UMCP Yaara Shriki IDF Hanna Silnicky Indiana U Mallika Singh Duquesne Matthew Skay UMCP Kima Sluchansky U Hawaii Ian Smith MC Peter Smithers Marines Kevin Sodee Towson Mary Sorenson Gap Year Sophie Spencer-Zavos Gap Year Megan Spurrell U Florida Jennifer St. Clair Chatham U Alison Staffin U of Vermont Alec Stablow U Penn Nicki Stamler Towson Dylan Stieber Undecided Justin Stine Howard CC Ivana Stojisavljevic Penn State Corry Straathof RIT Sarah Strochak UC Berkeley Rachael Stryer Stanford Keyka Sucahyo MC Jeff Sukkasem Irvine Valley Coll Sarah Sull Hamilton Coll Satoko Tanabe UMCP Grahme Taylor UNC Chapel Hill Karen Tchuindjo UMCP Nabayee Tesfu Frostburg State Romeo Traettino GW Brian Tran UMCP Daniel Tsai Undecided Taner Tuncer UMBC Jane Tuszynski U Chicago Yahel Tzuriel UMCP Axel Umana MC Daniel Uribe Towson Angelica Vaccarezza U of Tampa Andres Valencia MC Yuneidi Velez Rosario Undecided Yakov Velikson MC Laura Ventura Pace U Erica Vinson RPI Nicholle Vo UMCP Bobby Voit Lehigh Gabe Vostal UMCP Melissa Wainaina Salisbury Rachel Wang UMCP Kalanika Weerasinghe Gap Year Betsy Weich UNC School of

the Arts Haley Weinischke IDC Herzliya Rachel Wilcove SUNY Geneseo Aliyah Williams LIM College Matthew Woldegiorgis UMCP Hala Wyne MC Dimitri Xeron Salisbury U Micaela Yabar MC Frank Yang UMBC Angel Yee UMCP Jihye Yoon MC Amin Youssefi UMCP Shiran Zecharya UMCP Adam Zeitlin UMCP Charles Zhang UMBC Amy Zhou UMCP Daniel Zlotnitsky U of Michigan Evan Zuckerman Goucher Coll Kerry Zwack Del. Valley Coll

2013 Senior Scatter

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SENIOR STANDOUTS Continuing an education in the arts

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Hanna Cha: Rhode Island School of Design

By MelissaWainaina

Senior Hanna Cha has potential, talent, impeccable passion and motivation to continue in her study of the arts. Cha discovered her love for the arts when she was a little kid but did not begin to seriously practice art until she was in eighth grade. “[Art] is the only thing [I did where] I couldn’t sense time passing by,” said Cha. “It also boosted my self-confidence.”

Cha is involved in various art programs at WJ that have further crafted her interest and skill. She is the vice president of the Art Club, a member of the Art Honor Society and a part of the WJ S*T*A*G*E makeup crew. Outside of WJ, Cha goes to Shanee Art Studios, where she continues Photo by Audrey Marek Cha’s sketch that was painting, sculpting and drawing. displayed at the Fine“During my summers I’ve been coming [there] and they even gave me an opportunity to get a scholarship,” said Cha. Arts Festival.

Cha uses her talent not only to create and entertain but also to send powerful messages to others. Her most prized and significant piece is about the birthmark on her arm, which she drew in order to show the beauty behind it.

“I always wanted to do an art piece on it because I have always gotten negative comments [about it], but my mom told me it was a gift from God and I’ve always wanted to show the beauty of it,” said Cha. Cha gets her inspiration and motivation from symbolist painter Gustov Klimt.

“He makes these erotic pieces and he is really getting me into geometric paintings,” said Cha. Art is Cha’s passion and way of life, and she can’t see herself doing anything other than her crafts.

“If I’m bored I do art,” said Cha. “I can’t see myPhoto by Audrey Marek self without it; [it has] made me who I am today.” Cha stands next to her mural.

As she is getting ready to graduate and head off to the prestigious RISD, she can’t help but get excited for learning more about art and how it impacts society

Silas Cheo:

Aidan Millikin:

Rhode Island School of Design

By Hope Marshall

Parsons the New School for Design

By Marissa Nardella

Photo by Emily Cosentino

Senior Silas Cheo has an artistic fu-Cheo’s display at the Fine Arts Festival. ture on his hands, along with paint and charcoal from his WJ art career. With his acceptance into one of America’s top art schools, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), his future has been expanded and his love of drawing and painting has the potential to thrive.

According to the College Board, RISD is a school with a total of 1,971 undergraduates and has a “very selective” acceptance rate of 25 percent. Located in Providence, RI, RISD is ranked as the nation’s second best fine arts school.

Cheo began drawing at a very early age. His love for art began with the help of his mother when he was in elementary school.

“I drew a lot when I was in elementary school and my mom put me in art classes at a place called The Yellow Barn with Walt Bartman,” said Cheo.

There, under the instruction of painting teacher Bartman, Cheo has had the opportunity to take classes such as Learning to Draw and Paint and Basic Principles of Drawing.

Previously, Cheo held an art show with his friend and classmate, senior Nathaniel Rees. Cheo is currently planning another art show with WJ seniors Alex Fiszbein and Vivian Horvath, as well as other students. Cheo’s accomplishments at WJ will help him continue to explore his creative niche for illustration at this competitive university.

“At RISD you have to take foundations your first year,” said Cheo. “I’ve been thinking about majoring in illustration after that.”

Cheo enjoys drawing and painting and through which his imagination comes to life on canvas. He finds it fun to be able to put his views onto canvas.

As he finishes his last year of high school at WJ, Cheo is looking forward to the experiences and opportunities to come in his next few years at RISD.

Photo by Audrey Marek

Cheo will be attending RISD in the upcoming fall to continue his art career.

When WJ senior Aidan Millikin first signed up for Ceramics One in his sophomore year, he didn’t realize the long-term effect that decision would have on him.

That choice would lead him down a path to being accepted into Parsons, the New School for Design in New York.

“I’m excited about having the majority of my time to commit to my artwork,” he said. “Even with academic classes, I’ll still have at least three times the time to invest into my ideas. I’m also really looking forward to having my work critiqued by everyone.”

Millikin did not attempt to pursue a career in the arts until high school. However, he has been actively practicing artistic skills, such as drawing and doodling cartoons, since elementary school.

When he found that he was passionate about ceramics, Millikin quickly progressed through the levels of the class and was recommended to skip to Ceramics Two during second semester. As he became more invested in art, he began contemplating the possibilities it offered much more seriously.

“Since I was just getting into drawing, Hajao Miyazaki, maker of movies like ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘Howl’s Moving Castle,”’was an illustrator whose ideas I was hugely inspired by, and [I] even envied [the ideas] for their uniqueness,” he said.

Though he has settled on illustration as his career, he is also interested in product design.

“I don’t see myself leaving the field of art…[though] my experiences in the first and second years of art school [are what] will pretty much determine what I end up doing,” said Millikin.

According to the Huffington Post and Annex magazine, Parsons has the top-ranking fashion program in the United States. Parsons is also one of the most competitive art schools in the country, according to WJ art teacher Candice Grow.

Next fall, Millikin will attend Parson’s School of Art, Media and Technology.

“My main goal at Parsons is to bring to life all the ideas that I’ve had too little time and, honestly, skill, to get onto paper so far.,” said Millikin. “My ideas are miles ahead of my drawing or digital art abilities, and I’m hoping to finally see them the way I’ve been imagining [them] for Photo by Audrey Marek so long.”

Millikin will be atPhoto by Emily Cosentino Millikin’s sculpture “Back Drop.”

tending Parson’s this coming fall.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MAY 29, 2013

Fulfill your expectations of summer to the maximum

By Emily Cosentino

As summer rapidly approaches, jeans should start finding their way into the back of the closet, and bathing suits, shorts, flip-flops and tank tops should start surfacing. Whether you’re a senior soaking up your last break before college, or if you’re simply trying to maximize summer, there are ways to make this the most enjoyable and productive summer of your high school career.

First off, do not underestimate the number of friends you have. Keep in contact with your friends, and try to get groups together to hang out as much as you can, even if the plan is just to lounge around, get pizza or watch movies. It is summer; it’s ok to be lazy, as long as you’re not being lazy when it comes to maintaining friendships.

Get creative when it comes to hanging out. Invite some friends to have a bonfire , but make sure you check out government regulations first. Nothing screams summer more than sitting around a fire pit while roasting marshmallows and having a good time.

However, while getting bigger groups together is a great way to have fun, making room for some oneon-one catching up with your closest friends is also a must.

In addition, summer is a way to reinvent yourself, physically or mentally. If you want to lose weight, try to set up a new diet plan or try the Insanity workout videos. If you want to try a new style, dye your hair, get a new haircut or try a new wardrobe for summer; if something goes awry, the whole school won’t be watching. If you want to learn something new, learn to play guitar. There are places like Guitar Center that give lessons at their studio and there are places that have private instructors, like 29th Century Guitar. If you want to expand your linguistic knowledge or start preparing for a trip to another country, buy a Rosetta Stone and teach yourself new languages.

Photos courtesy of Britannica

Spending the evening at a carnival, hanging out with friends at a park, having a bonfire on the beach, getting a tan, getting fit, or taking a vactation are all great ways to spend a fantastic summer.

Summer is a time where there is no homework and no deadlines, and adolescents have time to do whatever they want.

What is a summer without a vacation? Take a trip to spend some quality time with your family, or get a group of friends together for a road trip down to the beach for a weekend. Ocean City is a fun place to go, and it’s only a three-hour drive. If that is too far, try Sandy Point beach, which is only an hour away. Relax and get a tan, get sandy and play some volleyball or get wet and go for a swim. The beach is a place for grow-

ing closer to friends you already have, as well as meeting some new friends. Go to the boardwalk for some games, rides, funnel cake and other delicious foods.

There are many places to go and many ways to expand your summer.Get creative, get productive, and step out of your comfort zone to have an amazing, memorable summer.

Summer snacks: Excite your taste buds with these creative treats

By Amalya Cohavi & Brianna Austin

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips (10 servings)

Ingredients: • 8 ounces raspberries • 1 pound strawberries • 2 tablespoons white sugar •1 tablespoon brown sugar • 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor • Any assortment of fruits (at least two different fruits)- peeled and diced • 10 (10-inch) flour tortillas • Butter-flavored cooking spray •2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar Directions: 1. In a large bowl, mix the fruits, white and brown sugars and fruit preserves. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. Cut into wedges and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the wedges, using as much as you want. Spray again with cooking spray.

4. Bake wedges in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. After baking, let the wedges cool for 15 minutes. Serve with the chilled fruit mixture.

(Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com)

Photos by Amalya Cohavi and Brianna Austin

These simple chips are a fresh way to brighten up your day.

More on wjpitch.com online!

Blueberries and Cream Pops Ingredients: • 1.5 cup blueberries • 1/8 cup sugar • 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt • Ice pop molds or cups with Popsicle sticks Directions: 1. In a blender, puree the blueberries with ¼ cup sugar and ½ cup vanilla yogurt until they are smooth.

2. Spoon half of the mixture into the molds or cups.

3. Spoon the remaining vanilla yogurt into the half-full molds or cups.

4. Spoon in the remaining blueberry mixture.

5. Seal the pops with sticks. (If using cups, freeze until they are slushy and then insert sticks).

6. Freeze until firm. (about six hours).

(Recipe courtesy of oprah.com)

Popsicles are a great way to cut the summer heat, and these homemade ones are fresh and fun.

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MAY 29, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Recap of the 2012-13 school year

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From the Pope to Honey Boo Boo, a year’s worth of pop culture

By Selma Stearns

Celebrities

•Kate and Will: When Britain’s Prince William married Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, on April 29, 2011, America was watching. For some reason, we became obsessed with the royal family, and Kate became a familiar face in gossip magazines. So it came as no surprise that America was ecstatic when the couple announced that there would be another British royal for us to stalk.

•Frank Ocean: In 2010, Christopher Francis Ocean (born Christopher Breaux) became a member of popular hip hop group OFWGKTA. Ocean released his stuAll photos courtesy of Britannica dio album Channel Orange in July 2012, and he has Kate Middleton and Prince retained popularity. Ocean is also known for his homoWilliam announce that they will be having a baby. sexuality, after he made a tumblr post declaring his love for another man.

•Honey Boo Boo: “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” is a reality show on TLC that has earned Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and her family thousands of dollars.

The family first appeared on TLC’s “Toddlers and Tiaras.” The Thompsons live in McIntyre, Ga., but people all across the country love to watch Honey Boo Boo, her mother “Mama,” her father “Sugar Bear,” her sisters “Pumpkin,” “Chickadee” and “Chubbs,” her pig Glitzy, and Kaitlyn, Chubbs’ baby.

•Lance Armstrong: Lance Armstrong was an American hero, having won the Tour de France seven consecutive times and having battled cancer. His Livestrong bracelet campaign raised millions of dollars for cancer support. However, in June 2012, the USADA accused Armstrong of doping and trafficking of performanceenhancing drugs, and he admitted to the doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013.

•Kim Kardashian: On Dec.30, 2012, rapper Kanye West told the crowd at his concert to “make some noise” for his “baby mama,” reality TV goddess Kim Kardashian. Kardashian has never been out of the spotlight, from her leaked sex tape with singer Ray J in 2007 to her 72-day marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries, Lance Armstrong appears in front of his fans. and now there will be another Kardashian in the limelight.

Movies& TV shows

•“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”: Jimmy Fallon will replace Jay Leno as the host of “The Tonight Show,” as “Saturday Night Live” head writer Seth Meyers takes over Fallon’s late night spot.

•“Skyfall”: The twenty-third James Bond installment was met with positive reviews; RottenTomatos.com gave the movie a 92 percent fresh rating.

• “Les Misérables”: “Les Mis” was arguably the movie of the school year. Many WJ students watched and loved the two hour, 38 minute star-studded musical.

The movie was especially powerful to some students who participated in WJ S*T*A*G*E’s production of “Les Mis” last spring.

•“Breaking Dawn, Part 2:” The final installment of Jimmy Fallon will soon take the Twilight saga was released on Nov. 16, 2012,over “The Tonight Show.”

“Skyfall,” the new James Bond and earned a 48 percent Rotton Tomatoes rating. The movie, was a box office saga boosted young actors Kristen Stewart, Robert Patsuccess. tinson and Taylor Lautner into the spotlight, and sparked a Hollywood revival of young-adult vampire dramas.

•“The Hobbit:” The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy has millions of fans all over the world who were ecstatic at the release of the first installment of the series’ prequel, “The Hobbit.”

In the News

•Obama elected President: After a tense campaign against Republican Mitt Romney, Barack Hussein Obama II won reelection as the 44th President of the United States of America. The most retweeted picture of the year was a photo of Obama hugging his wife Michelle with the caption “four more years.”

•Felix Baumgartner’s Live Space Jump: Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner broke the world record for skydiving an estimated 39 km, around 24 miles, in addition to breaking the sound barrier. His jump was exceptional because a camera accompanying him on the descent streamed the fall live on the internet.

•“YOLO”: After the 2011 release of Drake’s “The Motto,” people across the world started using the abbreviation for “you only live once” as a phrase.The use of “YOLO” would apply to a situation where the user would not care about potential outcomes or consequences. At this point, it is frequently used ironically, as demonstrated by an Adam Levine-Lonely Island song mocking the phrase’s true meaning.

•Superbowl: The Superbowl is an event that happens every year, but there were some standouts at the game between the Giants and the Patriots in New Orleans. Beyoncé performed at the halftime show, accompanied at some points by former Destiny’s Obama was relected for his Child band mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Wilsecond term as the 44th President. liams. Then, about 30 seconds into the second half, the power went out in the Superdome. Fans and players were outraged, and it took 35 minutes to restore power and continue gameplay.

•The end of the world: The Mayan calendar was supposedly set to run out on Dec. 21, 2012, but we’re all still here.

•Benedict XVI resigns as Pope.

Francis becomes first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere.

Pope Benedict became the first pope to resign his position.

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Legacies for Lease:

Iconic figures hit the screen in summer 2013

Iron Man 1959 –Tony Stark and his Iron Man persona first appeared in the Marvel comic “Tales of Suspense, #39.”

1968 - The character finally got his own series with the first ever issue of “Iron Man.”

2010 -The second “Iron Man” movie was released, along with the Disney XD cartoon “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”

2008 - A Nickelodeon television cartoon for 2012 – “The Avengyoung kids centered around the character ers” film premiered. began, as well as the first of the movies starring Robert Downey Jr. All photos courtesy of Britannica Tony Stark and how amazing his suit(s) with the aftermath.

A poster for 2008’s “Iron Man” look,” said sophomore Michelle Sparks.

However, this movie steers someHowever, more of the movie is spent She began reading the comic books what away from the suit and more to with Stark outside of the suit. The charafter seeing the first Iron Man movie on the heart, or, more accurately, the arc acter is also given a more complex television and enjoying it. She still holds reactor. The film, of course, includes background to work with, as he not the first movie in high esteem, but also jaw-dropping action sequences packed only searches for a kidnapped Pepper enjoys the older Invincible Iron Man with steel, fire and flight.

Potts, but also unravels an international comics. “[The special effects] make the suit conspiracy in the process. Overall, this The third movie picks up shortly af- look really amazing when it’s in action movie continues the legacy of Iron Man, ter where “The Avengers” left off, with and it’s never distracting from the mov- but at the same time brings Tony Stark genius billionaire Tony Stark still dealing ie,” said Sparks. into a new and flattering light.

1963 - Iron Man helped found the Avengers in the first ever issue of “The Avengers.”

By Audrey Marek

“Iron Man 3” came to U.S. theaters on May 3 and has been going strong ever since. The character stays true to his roots, both from the comic and the first movie of the trilogy. The man himself, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., maintains his effervescent charm and continues to grow as a character.

“My favorite aspect of the movies is how close Robert Downey Jr. is to

Left: The cover of “Star Trek: Insurrection,” which starred the Next Generation Cast. Right: 2009’s “Star Trek,” movie poster.

Star Trek

1966 – The first episode of classic 1979 – “Star Trek the Motion 1993 – “Star Trek : Deep 2001 – “Star Trek Enterprise” “Star Trek” premiered, featuring Picture” came out, followed by Space Nine” premiered, a premiered, which is the most the characters who were reincar- five more movies that featured spinoff television series. recent television voyage into the nated in the new movies.

Trek universe. the original cast.

1973 – “Star Trek,” the 1987 – TV show “Star Trek The Next Gen- 1995 – “Star Trek : Voyager” 2009 – “Star Trek,” the movie animated series voiced eration” premiered 21 years after the orig- came on the air and was the which restarted the franchise by much of the original inal, featuring a new cast. Four more mov- only star trek series to ever with the creation of a parallel ies were released with this cast. cast, premiered. have a female captain. universe, was released.

By Audrey Marek

“Star Trek: Into Darkness” continues the epic series, bringing more space exploration and alien encounters, but also takes the franchise in a new direction.

In 2009, the entire Star Trek universe was restarted as the past was altered in

the first revival movie directed by J.J. Abrams, simply entitled “Star Trek.” It was a vast detour from the established path of the Star Trek universe, but was met with acceptance both from the general public and “Trekkies” alike.

“When I was like, seven, I would come home with my dad, go to the basement

and watch Star Trek: Enterprise,” said sophomore Mary Kate Greening, a long -time fan who is excited for the new installments.

The plots of “Enterprise” and other previous installments have been completely rewritten in the new movies, a development Greening is pleased about.

Superman

“It’s great to get a new generation involved,” said Greening.

The plots, the crew, the ships and the effects have all evolved over the course of the long-running series, and Greening hopes they will continue to, based on the new movie, which premiered on May 15.

1938 - Superman’s first debut in 1978 - The first Superman movie, 2006: “Superman Returns” was released to critical acclaim, reaching almost $400 milDC comic’s “Action Comics #1,” “Superman,” incorporated nearwhich explained the origins of the invisible wires to make it look like lion in box office sales.

Man of Steel.

Superman was flying.

2012: The first teasers for a new 1987: “Superman: Quest for 1952-The first Superman TV sePeace” was released to negative removie, simply known as “Man of Steel” ries, The Adventures of Superman, views due to heavy special effects were released, setting the stage for the was released. work and lots of sloppy editing. next chapter in an incredible saga.

By Nico Bonnetta

With the summer movie season kicking off with the release of “Iron Man 3,” the new Superman movie “Man of Steel” coming out June 14, has to really deliver to be considered competitive in the

Jackman as the Wolverine in “X-Men Origins.”

By Alex Alavi

flurry of A-list flicks this summer movie season. Superman has gone through many incarnations over the years, but still remains arguably the most iconic superhero ever. That being said, “Man of Steel” could find its kryptonite in the

summer movie season. Senior Steven Gondre-Lewis, who says that now superman movies are more than just a guy in a cape upper-cutting evildoers into the stratosphere, doesn’t think so.

“There’s more of a story,” said Lewis.

Left: The cover of an installment of the Superman trilogy. Right: The cover of a Superman comic.

However, Lewis doesn’t connect with Superman, despite the added attention to the story. He just likes to watch the Man of Steel be a hero.

Wolverine

1974 - “The Incredible 1982 - “Wolverine” Comic Book 2000 - “X-Men”: First feature 2005 - “The New Avengers Vol. 1”: WolverHulk Issue #180”: First ap- Miniseries: Wolverine got his own film starring the X-Men and ine, the Thing, Spider Man, Captain America pearance of Wolverine as comic series, which served as the Wolverine. and many others teamed up in a The Aveng“Weapon X”. basis for plot of the 2013 movie. ers spinoff series set to continue this year.

1975 - “The Giant-Size X- 1992 - “X-Men: The 2001 - “Origin: The True Story 2009 - “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”: Men #1”: The beginning of Animated Series”: of Wolverine”: A six-part comic Wolverine got his very own film explorWolverine as a part of the X- Wolverine on TV series about the true origins of ing his past and how he came to be part of the X-Men. Men. Wolverine.

The latest installment of the X-Men series, coming out July 26, contains Wolverine in his first solo movie, entitled “The Wolverine.” In this movie, Wolverine, or Logan when he’s in his street clothes, travels to Japan where he gets into a life-or-death struggle with a character from his past called the Silver Samurai. Forever changed, he now struggles with his new immortality.

The movie, set in Japan, has a very different feel from the previous movies.

In an Entertainment Weekly Online interview, Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine, confirms that basically all the previous X-men are back, along with an exciting array of new characters.

This movie is much more introspective than previous Wolverine endeavors and focuses more on the consequences of immortality. Fans of the action will be appeased, there are still plenty of extreme action sequences. The viewer is given a new perspective on Wolverine in a situation where he is faced with the endless loss of his loved ones.

Sophomore Ben Cummins, a fan of the series, has been interested in comic books and the Marvel franchise for a very long time, and is looking forward to the new installment.

“Ever since I was very little, superheroes in general seemed really cool,” said Cummins. “As I approached middle school I centered around the Marvel universe.”

Wolverine’s scientific and intricate storyline were what drew Cummins to the character. He also believes that special effects have allowed superpowers to

be more realistic and the action more entertaining.

Cummins is unsure as to how this new movie will live up to previous X-Men standards of originality, but is still interested in what it will hold.

“It has a similar rebellious Asian group tie that many superhero comics and movies have included,” he said, “but I am still curious as to how they feel the story of Logan needed to continue for the average U.S. audience.”

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SPORTS

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WJ soccer alumna goes pro in D.C. As a Wildcat, Miller set the school reOne of the most renowned ath- cord for career goals scored at 91, and letes to ever graduate from WJ, Caro- the single season scoring record, netting line Miller (‘08) has been drafted by 29 goals her senior year. She was selectthe Washington Spirit of the National ed for the first All-County team all four years of her Women’s Soccer high school League. After a pheplaying career nomenal career playand made the ing for the University first All-State of Virginia, Miller team in her was picked second by sophomore, the Spirit during the junior and seJanuary draft. nior seasons.

It was not always The girls’ soccertain that Miller cer team won would attend WJ. three division Word of her skills championtraveled quickly. She ships with played for club and Miller. travel teams in the “She was well-known Bethesda one of four Soccer League, and, or five really at one point, scored well-known the winning goal durpeople in the ing a national chamstate,” said pionship game on then-coach one of her top-tier

by Sarah Schecker Tom Wheelclub teams. A recruit- Caroline Miller’s jersey and stats arePhoto on display in er. “She was ing war broke out the hallway by WJ’s main gym. heavily rebetween the area’s schools, including St. John’s and WJ. In cruited by more than 20 of the big-time the end, Miller decided to attend WJ colleges: Virginia, Maryland, Duke and North Carolina.” and stay with her friends.

By Matt Mackie

“[Virginia] was kind of the perfect competes at the professional level.

“The age difference between the distance from home for me, because it’s not too close, but not too far away younger players and the older players that my parents couldn’t come to my is so much bigger than in college,” said Miller. “Some of my really good friends games,” said Miller.

At Virginia, Miller broke collegiate on the team are 30… and I’m only 21.”

The National Women’s Soccer records as well. Her seven career goals and 16 career points in NCAA Tourna- League, which the Spirit competes in, was formed ment games in 1995, and are both school features eight records. Her teams, all from 45 career goals the U.S. The rank second in Spirit plays school history, home games at and her 109 cathe Maryland reer points are SoccerPlex, in tied for second Boyds, Md., in school hiswhich has a tory. She was stadium that the first player holds 3,200 from UVA to fans. become a finalIn the five ist for the HerPhoto by Phillip Resnick years since mann Trophy, the NCAA’s Caroline Miller was awarded All-American honors Miller was a student, she award to the while playing for WJ. has established best collegiate women’s soccer player in the country. herself as one of the most gifted athShe finished second, behind Crystal letes to ever graduate from WJ and still Dunn of the University of North Caro- carries pride in her high school as she continues to ascend to even greater lina.

Miller was drafted by the Spirit in heights in her soccer career. the Women’s Collegiate Draft, and now

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Charging the mound

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Athlete makes progress in the fight for equality for homosexuals

By Ian Morrison

A few weeks ago, little-known NBA player Jason Collins revealed to the world that he is gay. Overnight, he went from being an unknown player on the Washington Wizards to being the most discussed athlete in the nation. Collins was the first athlete in any major American sports league to reveal his homosexuality on a national level.

Many people hope that Jason Collins will inspire homosexual athletes to have the confidence to come out and be open about their sexual orientation, but despite increasing acceptance of gays and lesbians across the nation, homosexuals still face much adversity when coming out of the closet. Amidst a changing

national culture, which has progressed to allow same-sex marriage in some states, the sports world has remained almost unchanged.

For whatever reason, as gays have become more accepted in workplaces, schools and communities, the sporting community has lagged behind. Collins was the first openly gay male athlete on the national stage, and historically the sporting community has been far removed from the fight for equality for homosexuals.

Collins’ courageous action has opened up new opportunities for homosexuals living in the U.S. and even around the world. In many liberal areas, such as Bethesda, homosexuals have begun

to be more widely accepted, but this is far from true in most areas of the U.S. Though much progress has been made in the fight for equality, most states still do not allow gay marriage, and many individuals are still unaccepting of gays and lesbians.

This widespread “homophobia” that our nation faces is the root of inequality for gays, and, in order to change it, the public must be exposed to examples of equality for heterosexuals and homosexuals alike from a young age. What better way to do this than by using the national media.

National sports leagues have teams in all regions of the country, and are covered in local and national news on a

daily basis. As a result, if other gay athletes follow Collins’ lead and have the courage to publicly come out before the end of their careers, more of America’s youth will become accustomed to seeing gay and straight people working together harmoniously in the media. In conclusion, each generation of Americans will become more comfortable with homosexuals, eventually eliminating prejudice from the nation.

Jason Collins’ courageous action has received very mixed opinions around the country, but as the fight for inequality rages on, Collins’ courage will help pave the way to equality around the world.

The year in sports at WJ

Tom Stavrou

Jean-Marc Nugent

Boys’ soccer is Boys’ cross country 4A West Regional wins county and Finalist regionals

FALL

Girls’ volleyball is 4A State Semifinalist

Field hockey is 4A West Regional Champion

Patrick Cowan

Photo courtesy of Andrew Ship

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Meyers

Wrestling sends seven wrestlers to states

Swimming wins Co-ed volleyball second straight earns playoff state championship berth

WINTER

Girls’ basketball is Co-Division Champion

Photo courtesy of Dan Radack

Bocce ball finishes third in the county

Boys’ lacrosse finishes with a 12-3 record

SPRING

Gymnastics finishes second in the county

Girls’ lacrosse takes down B-CC in the playoffs

Sports teams require strong leadership to compete for championships

By Ben Resnick

Great sports dynasties are characterized by great leaders. From Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers teams of the 1970s to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ‘90s, successful teams are usually built around a dominant player who, when the game is on the line, can’t be beat.

The same can be said for high school sports. Teams that are good year in and year out have consistent leadership, both from coaches and captains, who lead them to success.

Senior leadership is one of the most important aspects of high school teams

and such guidance is needed in order to compete at a high level. Seniors mentor younger players and are oftentimes the messengers between coaches and teams.

I have witnessed this firsthand as a member of WJ cross country: each year the seniors rise to the occasion and lead the team, willing our program to four consecutive state championships and a second place finish this past year.

The importance of good guidance is seen at all levels of sports. Professional teams seek out seasoned veterans before playoff runs as they play a key role in the team’s success, a concept evident at the high school level, too. Almost ev-

ery successful high school, collegiate or professional team has a core group of seniors who can handle high pressure situations and lead their teams in clutch moments. Hall-of-Famer and one of basketball’s greats Larry Bird once said, “Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It’s being able to take it as well as dish it out. That’s the only way you’re going to get respect from the players.”

This drive to win, while leading a team, is what is needed from WJ seniors for their teams to win at the divisional, regional and state levels.

This year’s senior class has done a terrific job leading WJ sports and the teams’ records show it; the majority of WJ teams have had winning records, as well as some great individual and team efforts as a result of strong leadership.

The rising seniors have big shoes to fill, with the class of 2013 graduating, and WJ sports hope to continue a tradition of success. It will be up to next year’s senior class to lead WJ’s sports program to the Promised Land.

Sports

20

What’s Inside Caroline Miller’s soccer career after WJ

18 19

Ian Morrison’s column Charging the Mound, WJ sports timeline

MAY 29, 2013

The 2013 Spring All-Pitch Team Cori Caggiano

Compiled by Ian Morrison, Ben Resnick, Phillip Resnick and Zeke Green Anna Rowthorn-Apel

Girls’ Lacrosse, Sr.

Girls’ Lacrosse, Jr.

Caggiano netted 24 goals with 10 assists to lead the team to a 6-4 record. The captain scored her 50th goal of her varsity career this year as well. She will attend the United States Naval Academy next year.

The junior standout led the team with 28 goals and won well over 50 percent of her draws and ground balls. Her tenacity and nose for the goal were crucial to her team’s success.

Gus Gill

Grace Leslau

Gymnastics, Sr.

Senior captain Grace Leslau finished second all-around at the county championships.

Leslau led the talented gymnastics team to second place in both the county and division.

Jordan Cooper

Boys’ Lacrosse, Jr.

Cooper was second in the D.C. Metro area in assists and helped carry the team to a bye in the 4A West playoffs. He hopes to continue the team’s dominant traditions next season.

Kristen Scott

Softball, Jr.

Junior captain Scott batted just under .450.

Coach Jamie Ahearn said, “She is hands down our best defensive player and she has held the number four batting position in the lineup all season.”

Baseball, Sr.

Gill shattered the school’s single season strikeout record, led the team in batting average and pitched two no-hitters this season.

He will play baseball at Montgomery College next year.

Baran Baris

Boys’ Tennis, Jr.

WJ’s top singles player went 10-2 in his first year as a Wildcat after transferring to the school this year. Baris qualified for the state playoffs and looks to continue his success next year.

Gerritt Molloy

Boys’ Lacrosse, Sr.

Molloy only allowed seven or more goals to be scored three occasions, and made 123 saves during the season. His presence in the net has been a key to the program’s success over the past few seasons.

Gina Fischetti

Ian Morrison

Co-ed Volleyball, Sr.

Volleyball, Sr.

Senior Gina Fischetti led the team to a 7-4 record and playoff berth. She led the co-ed team to five consecutive wins to start the year and will be playing volleyball next year at Salisbury University.

Ana Gomerez

Girls’ Track and Field, Sr.

The senior all-county runner recorded a 12.18 time in the 100-meter dash and 17.275 in the long jump, both personal bests. She finished second in the county championships in the long jump.

Morrison was selected by his coaches as the team’s most outstanding player this season.

The captain lead the team in kills and was one of the team’s most consistent passers.

Matt Morris

Boys’ Track and Field, Jr.

Morris was as consistent as it gets, Morris was the anchor of the 4x800m relay and, despite a late-season injury, was reliable in a number of different events.

Photos by Sarah Schecker