The Black & White Vol. 53 Issue 5

volume 53, Issue 5 march 4, 2015

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Start times pushed back School day to start at 7:45 next year, students divided

by Trevor Lystad Thanks to a landmark decision by the Board of Education, MCPS high school students can set their alarms 20 minutes later next year.

On Feb. 10, the Board voted to make high school and middle schools start times 20 minutes later, while elementary schools were pushed back by 10 minutes. The decision came after months of deliberation and surprised many, since many expected the times to either stay the same or be pushed back by nearly an hour.

“This was the option that could give students more sleep while facing the fiscal realities of the county,” MCPS spokesperson Gboyinde Onijala said.

Switching the start time from 7:25 to 7:45 will not cost the county any additional money, while pushing start times back by 50 minutes would have cost $21 million yearly in increased transportation costs.

Predictably, the decision was met with some backlash by teachers and students alike.

An MCPS survey found that a majority of teachers oppose making start times 20 minutes later, and almost two-thirds of teachers wanted to keep the bell times unchanged. Moreover, close to half of teachers think a later start time won’t improve academic achievement, compared to only about a third who think it will. The remaining teachers said they were unsure.

Many students think that since it is only a 20-minute shift, the change won’t really make a difference.

“I don’t think it will make a difference with kids actually getting more sleep,” sophomore Keara Sullivan said. “I think they just did it to make parents happy.”

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Continued on page 2, Editorial on page 5

Guard Hannah Niles beats the Northwood defender up the court Feb. 23. The girls’ basketball team had an undefeated season 20-0 earning a buy in the first round of playoffs. Check the Black & White Online for the results of yesterday’s game against B-CC and see page 17 for a playoff preview.

Joseph Sommer (‘07) overcomes academic challenges, establishes successful business by benjamin katz Joseph Sommer (‘07) had a hard time watching his peers succeed in the classroom while he struggled during his four years at Whitman. As a student with learning disabilities, Sommer didn’t find the classroom setting conducive to learning, and studying wasn’t always easy. But one thing always interested him in school – business.

Eight years later, Sommer is at the helm of a successful start-up business that hopes to net $20 million a year in the next ten years.

In January of 2013, two years after graduating from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, Sommer started his business, Whitestone Works, an online company that sells private label merchandise, promotional

products and corporate gifts. The corporation has worked with high-profile organizations such as Harvard University, the NBA, the Washington Nationals and the Clinton Foundation.

Whitestone Works is named after White Stone, Virginia, where his parents retired. The Manhattan-based company is the ultimate reward for Sommer, who as a high schooler knew that he wanted to be an entrepreneur and harnessed an unwavering passion for business in college.

“I went to college with the mentality that if I wanted something, I was going to go get it,” he said. “I believe that in life, you write your own destiny and I think Whitman, just given the freedom that it gave me, allowed me to create that mindset for myself.”

Inside Look What do we need in a superintendent?

Whitman’s opinions on

PAGE 4

PAGE 10

scientific issues

Sommer now has a business where he has creative freedom and can work businesses from mom-and-pop stores to Fortune 500 companies.

“Every company needs promotional items or products to promote their identity,” he said.

“Every company, large or small, sets a small budget for branded pens, tote bags, and umbrellas. I thought, ‘Why couldn’t I be the guy to create the brand or identity for these businesses […] to get that small piece of the budget?’”

As a student, Sommer was always interested in the “why” behind what he was taught. Unfortunately, his curious nature led to educational problems and his lack of classroom concentration, Sommer said.

Continued on page 15

Wrapping their way to fame: students working at Chipotle PAGE 12

Show me the money!

A look into where school funds go

BY TREVOR LYSTAD AND WILLIAM ARNESEN We go to public school. It’s supposed to be free. But with lab fees, class dues, a bRAVE ticket, a parking spot and a Homecoming ticket, the price for attending school can rise into the hundreds. For seniors, six transcript requests will cost you $30, and many students buy more than that. The expenses grow even higher for students who buy lunch from the cafeteria every day or regularly deck themselves out in Whitman garb.

But what happens after you pay? Where does all of that money go?

Transcripts

Every year, the CIC has to send seniors’ transcripts to all of the colleges they’re applying to. Each transcript request costs $5, which may seem minimal, but the costs add up. Whitman students have applied to as many as 23 schools this year, meaning one could pay up to $115 for their transcripts to be sent to colleges around the country. Last year, the CIC received nearly 4,000 transcript requests from seniors, bringing in close to $20,000.

Transcript money never strays far from the guidance office. The money is stored in a bank account and the guidance department uses it for envelopes and stamps to send the transcripts and for office supplies that the school’s budget doesn’t cover.

“We have to pay for our own toner, copy machines and paper,” transcript secretary Brenda Athanas said.

The $5 per transcript fee seems to be a fair amount— Athanas said that they usually have enough money to cover the department’s expenses--but they don’t have much money left over.

Any leftover money can be used elsewhere around the school, business manager Eddie Campbell said.

For example, if a different department needs a printer, the school can delve into excess transcript revenue.

Continued on page 3

Crossword

Athlete of the month: Michael Sullivan

PAGE 14

PAGE 16

2

NEWS

MARCH 4, 2015

Construction New PARCC exams: Updates what you need to know

Summer roof replacement creates scheduling headaches Whitman will close its doors this summer to repaint and replace a large section of the roof. Previously scheduled drivers-ed classes have been moved to Pyle, while coaches of sports camps will have to find new locations on their own.

“When they’re doing roof work they don’t want to allow student activities here,” principal Alan Goodwin said.

Coach Lun’s Fast Break basketball camp, typically in the Whitman gym, is searching for court space at several elementary schools. Lun hopes to split the camp by age group, holding two camps.

“It’s a big headache right now,” said Lun, who also coaches Whitman varsity boys basketball. The process for finding gym space in the county is usually a long one because of the number of applicants and summer activities, he said.

Fall sports preseason starts Aug. 11; coaches and players will need gym space to hold practices and workouts.

Varsity football coach Jim Kuhn is worried about how the construction will impact preseason training.

“It causes a bigger problem for the football season workouts because we lose the weight room and we have nowhere to work out in the summer,” Kuhn said. “If it’s not done, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

Woodmont development to open this summer

In the budding metropolis of downtown Bethesda, mustard yellow bulldozers and neon outfitted construction workers are nothing new. Lately these helmeted professionals have been concentrated on Bethesda and Woodmont Ave., but their presence will gradually decrease in the upcoming months.

Construction began in 2012 on Lot 31 on Bethesda and Woodmont Ave., and all the cement trucks and skyscraper cranes are expected to leave early this summer. The new lot is divided in two residential projects above the public parking garage, The Darcy and The Flats. The new public parking opened in January. Retail tenants in the buildings will include Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Silver, Passion Fish, Chop’t and Paul Bakery.

Project manager Jane Mahaffie acknowledges that work on Bethesda Ave. and Woodmont Ave. might have caused trouble for some, but the big picture is crucial to think about.

“Change and construction are difficult in an urban setting,” Mahaffie said. “In the end, the Lot 31 development team strived to bring a very aesthetically appealing and quality mixed use development to Bethesda.”

Not only will these additions help the Bethesda community purchase more delectable cuisine, but it will also support the county financially.

“From a revenue perspective,” Mahaffie said.

“The entire County benefits from increased tax revenue that the new developments provide.”

Overcrowding forces room adjustments for next year

To accommodate Whitman’s increasing student body, MCPS is considering two options for a renovation to add more classrooms.

The first option is to add portable classrooms outside the school, most likely on the outdoor basketball courts. Although portables were part of the original county plan for an expansion, they still pose some problems.

Principal Alan Goodwin noted that installing each portable costs $60,000 and the tight county budget makes that an especially heavy price. Also, students will have to leave the school building to enter the portables, and the structures will render the basketball courts unusable.

The other option is to convert current computer labs into classrooms and purchase more Chromebook carts as a substitute. This plan would make computers more easily accessible and could integrate more Internet use into regular instruction.

However, Chromebooks lack hard drives and have limited software applications, so some labs will likely need to stay.

“A Chromebook can’t replace a computer,” network administrator Greg Thomas said. “It’s more like a phone than a computer.”

Although neither option is perfect, MCPS will choose to follow through with one or the other by May, and the new classrooms will be in place in time for next school year.

by Julia Gilman This spring, instead of stacks of scantrons and rows of multiple choice bubbles, students can expect Chromebook screens and clacking keyboards during the new PARCC tests. The PARCC tests—standardized tests that are taken online--assess students’ progress with respect to the national Common Core standards.

What is the PARCC?

PARCC, or Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, will evaluate students in English 10, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. A passing score will eventually be required for graduation.

The tests have two parts. First, students will take the PerformanceBased Assessment, which challenges them to provide evidence for their selected responses by writing essays and drawing graphs. Second, the End of Year tests consist mainly of short answer and selected response questions that assess comprehension of key course concepts.

When will students take the PARCC tests?

Throughout the whole month of March, students will take the PBAs. The EOYs take place in April for the same classes.

Only seven to eight classes can be tested at once. Administering the multi-hour test to every student will take around a week for each subject, coordinator Kathy McHale said. The English PBA’s three sessions take a total of three hours and forty-five minutes. The math PBAs are two sessions and a total of two hours and forty-five minutes.

All students not taking the tests will attend their regular classes.

What will PARCC results be used for?

This year’s tests are only a pilot.

The scores, which will be released in December, will have no implications for students, but will allow math and English departments to make curriculum adjustments to help prepare students for when the tests do matter, English resource teacher Beth Rockwell said.

Maryland plans to implement PARCC scores as a graduation requirement in the 2016-2017 school year to replace the English and Al-

gebra HSAs. Students will still take the government and biology HSAs because the PARCC tests don’t cover those subjects.

How are PARCC exams different from previously administered HSA and MSA tests?

PARCC tests are taken on computers—a big adjustment for both test administrators and students.

Students will take the tests on Chromebooks in the auditorium, McHale said.

Teachers, students and administrators widely consider these tests to be more difficult than their predecessors. The increased rigor of the Common Core curriculum and the essay and graphing requirements raise the difficulty level of the tests.

“I had trouble when I was doing it, and I've been teaching geometry for 31 years,” math resource teacher Russell Rushton said.

English 10 teachers introduced sophomores to the tests and had them answer practice questions in classes Feb. 20.

“It wasn't that hard,” sophomore Sophie Lieber said. “I think that unlike the HSA there weren’t any extremely easy questions.”

What are the concerns?

The rigor, not the technology, seems to be the main concern.

Because PARCC tests are the first assessments to be administered online, specialists evaluated Whitman's Wi-Fi to ensure that

test-taking will run smoothly on the Chromebooks. When students experimented with the tests, there were only minor issues.

“I wouldn’t expect any problems,” IT systems specialist Greg Thomas said. “A test like that is not demanding on the network.”

Some administrators and parents are also concerned that the added difficulty will drastically lower student performance levels. The first students taking the PARCCs are being tested on standards that they have barely had experience with.

When New York and Kentucky first offered Common Core-based tests, proficiency levels fell dramatically from the previous year, reported the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. The center explains that “poor results hammer students’ self-confidence and disengage them from learning.”

Additionally, states have been rapidly losing faith in the value of these tests, citing increased administrative costs and complications accompanying the increase in difficulty level. In 2010, twentysix states had signed up to offer PARCC tests, the Washington Post reported. Maryland is now just one of 12 states, along with D.C., that still plans to implement them as a graduation requirement.

Some believe it would be best to wait to implement the tests until there is a group of students that have participated in the Common Core from the start of their education.

Key terms: Common Core

A set educational standards that measure students’ college and career readiness. Forty-three states have adopted the federally supported standards, initiated and developed by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

PARCC

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers-a consortium of states collaborating to write and implement English and math tests that assess the Common Core standards.

HSA/MSA

The High School and Middle School Assessments were the previous required standardized tests, administered solely to Maryland students. There were four subjects: English 10, algebra 1, biology and government.

PBA

Performance-based assessment, taken three-quarters of the way through the school year. The English PBA has three parts and both algebra PBA has two.

EOY

End of year assessments, The End of Year tests are taken 90 percent of the way through the school year. All English and algebra EOYs have two parts.

Bell times shift fails to satisfy many Continued from page 2

Research is largely positive when it comes to school starting an hour later. A 2010 study from the University of Illinois found that starting school an hour later pushed math standardized test scores up by almost two percentage points, and reading scores up by about one. However, little research has been done comparing two start times just twenty minutes apart, so it is unclear whether MCPS’ change will reap the same benefits. Many are concerned that 20 minutes isn’t enough.

“The decision was really disappointing,” said Michael Rubinstein, publicity coordinator of the MoCo branch of Start School Later, a group that lobbies for later start times nationwide. Rubinstein

pointed out that the American Academy of Pediatrics says no high school should start before 8:30, 45 minutes after the next year’s start time.

“The Board failed to meet any of the basic criteria needed to overcome the lackof-sleep epidemic,” Rubinstein said. “They didn’t solve the problem.”

Some are worried that the change will have other implications.

“The potential disruption to families is a pretty high cost to pay,” said English teacher Linda Leslie, who is concerned about families having to adjust schedules for drop-off times, pick-up times and potential traffic problems.

Others worry that traffic will be heavier 20

minutes later, especially for teachers coming from other towns, meaning they’ll have to leave just as early to avoid being late.

Despite these misgivings, some students happily accept the change, even if it adds just 20 minutes -- more sleep is more sleep, they argue.

“Obviously with the shift being only 20 minutes, it won’t mean that much more sleep, but anything helps,” junior Samuel Arnesen said.

Arnesen also noted that many people will say that they’ll just go to bed 20 minutes later, but he disagrees with this notion.

“I think the idea that later bedtimes will offset later start times is

predicated on a patently false assumption that the amount of time people need to spend at home doing homework or relaxing is inflexible,” he said.

In an MCPS press release, Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill concedes that 20 minutes is not a full solution, but it is a “move in the right direction” for getting students more sleep.

However, some doubt that MCPS will ever go further in this “right direction.”

“I think MCPS changed something just to change something,” junior Zach SalemMackall said.

News

MARCH 4, 2015

3

Navigators club to help acquaint new students

by Elsa Bjornlund Getting lost during the long trek to the WAUD, getting trampled in the crowded hallways and trying to figure out the absurd room numbering system are just a few of the problems that haunt new students. Luckily, a new club, the Viking Navigators, is coming to the rescue of Whitman’s newest students, helping them survive their first days at school.

Navigators was born when principal intern Karen Bryant and social studies teacher Courtney Osborne noticed there was no program in place to assist new students, especially those who came in the middle of the year. There are around 100 students who move into the area or come from private schools over the course of each year, Osborne said.

“They’re really just kind of let go,” she said. “There’s no buddy system.

Unless their teacher says, ‘this is a new student’ and introduces them, it’s really almost on a student to try and reach out and find someone and learn about any of the opportunities here.”

Osborne and Bryant wanted to provide those students with a full orientation to Whitman, beyond simply handing them their schedule and hoping they will be able to get by on their own.

Navigators will be paired up with new students who will help them with everything from finding their classrooms to setting up Edline accounts, Osborne said.

So far, Osborne and Bryant, along with three other teacher leaders, have selected six students to serve as “core captains” and lay the foundation of the program. The students—four juniors and two seniors—were picked based on recommendations from their teachers.

Teachers were asked to pick students who were consistently friendly and would be eager to talk to new students.

“We took those who were most con-

“I hope that this program becomes so well organized that anytime a new student comes, they don’t need to feel worried about getting lost or not having anyone to talk to” - senior Meera Ammu sistently showing up, as well as a diverse group,” Osborne said. “We were looking at students from not only a diverse ethnic background, but also a diverse background when it came to what they were

actually involved in.”

The six captains—juniors Maria Akinyoyenu, Caroline Davenport, Eli Wasserman and Bram Wilson and seniors Meera Ammu and Louie Gold— have met several times and are currently studying all they need to know about the school, so that they will be able to test run the program and suggest changes, Osborne said.

“Our main job right now is developing the structure for the club and how we want to run things,” Davenport said.

The club plans to begin accepting applications soon and hopes to have interviewed and chosen 16 more students for training as Navigators by the end of March. The teacher leaders will choose students from all grade levels to ensure the program’s strong foundation for the future, Osborne said.

“Our ultimate goal is to have this be almost a completely student-run organization,” she said. “Once this is up and running and functioning to its highest level, the only real role of the teacher leaders will be to help with the interview process and answer any questions that the Navigators have.”

Though they may encounter challenges implementing a brand new program, the Navigators are optimistic that

Following the money: Where do our fees go?

it will be an effective addition to the school.

“I hope that this program becomes so well organized that anytime a new student comes, they don’t need to feel worried about getting lost or not having anyone to talk to,” Ammu said. “We will have a Navigator available for new students to provide as much support as is needed.”

Ammu said she can relate to the experience of trying to fit into an entirely new school system because she she studied abroad over the summer in Moldova and had to adapt to a different teaching style.

Navigators can relate to the anxiety that comes with starting at Whitman, even if they didn’t arrive at an unconventional time, Davenport said.

“I came here at the most conventional time,” she said. “I came at the beginning of freshman year, I went to Pyle. And I was still nervous about high school.”

The Navigators hope their program will fill an important need in the school.

“The program is new this year so there will still be some parts that we’ll need to tweak,” Gold said. “But otherwise I’m optimistic that this will run smoothly.”

Whitmaniacs

Continued from page 1

$37.50 seems like a steep rate for a plastic parking tag and an 8-by-17 foot rectangle of asphalt. However, the county-set $37.50 you pay for a parking spot per semester really has nothing to do with parking.

After all the assigned spots have been paid for, business manager Eddie Campbell deposits the money in the school athletics bank account, financial assistant Joy Garnett said. This semester, 256 parking spots were assigned, meaning the athletic department gained close to $10,000 from parking this semester alone. But most of the athletic department’s budget doesn’t even come from parking; the booster club and ticket sales bring in the most revenue, Athletic director Andy Wetzel said. “[Parking] is just a small portion of our budget,” Wetzel said.

Once parking money gets into the athletic department’s pockets, it pays for a variety of things. According to an MCPS report on parking regulations, money will be used to “support interscholastic athletics, or as determined by the Board [of Education].” At Whitman, Wetzel said the money is used for anything from financing buses to paying for officials and uniforms.

“It’s not earmarked for a certain thing,” Wetzel said. “It just goes into our general fund.”

It turns out, however, that profiting from parking doesn’t even really give the athletics department more money to spend. This is because parking money and county athletic funding have an inverse relationship: the more money a school makes on parking, the less they receive from the county, Campbell said.

PTSA

According to Olivia Lai, the treasurer of the PTSA, the PTSA raises an average of $40,000 to $45,000 annually, primarily through dues paid by members and donations. The PTSA then cycles this money back into the school ecosystem by sponsoring dozens of programs, including mindfulness, Stressbusters, Counseling Advisory Committee and the Principal’s Fund (see below).

The PTSA also helps buy books for the Media Center and gives grants for

technology, staff development and student support. Their money supports clubs and Whitman Cares, “a fund used to offer congratulations or provide comfort to members of the Whitman community for occasions such as retirement, death in the family, etc.,” Lai said.

Principal’s Fund

Perhaps the most overlooked part of Whitman’s money supply is the Principal’s Fund. The principal’s fund is a line-item of the budget, paid for by the PTSA and the Whitman Foundation, that the principal has at his discretion to spend when an emergency or something unexpected arises.

Business manager Eddie Campbell says it normally totals around $1,000.

The money is used for anything Goodwin wants—as long as it’s for the school. For example, he’s said it’s largely used to pay for security costs at school and to buy technology like an extra Chromebook or two.

SGA

The SGA handles tens of thousands of Whitman dollars a year, cutting huge checks for LLS month, Children’s National Hospital, student clubs and events.

Most of the money flowing through the SGA goes to charity. According to SGA President Mathewe Banda, the big fundraisers--RedRush, bRave, and the rest of LLS month--can raise between $60,000 to $100,000 a year, all going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In November, they raised over $23,000 for the Children’s Hospital from Walk Away Cancer.

To finance regular SGA functions like club spending, however, the SGA relies primarily on Homecoming and related activities like Battle of the Classes, which in sum can net up to $15,000, Banda said. Junior class president Carolyn Hoover said much of this money goes to clubs, with the Robotics Club and the International Club being the biggest recipients.

“We use excess money to buy things that we need for events: food, lighting, DJs, etc.,” Hoover said.

Whitmaniacs

The Whitmaniacs may have a lot of spirit, but spirit alone won’t pay the

bills. So what does? (thoughts?)

Most Whitmaniacs revenue comes from their main gear, which includes oft-sold shirts like the “1,2,3,4 Let’s Get Busy” and the light blue Whitmaniacs shirts, Whitmaniacs president Mia Carmel said. Most gear costs $15.

“Any profits go into the Whitmaniacs fund, which we use for start-up cash to order more apparel and things like signs, banners and the spirit buses,” Carmel said.

The money from this gear can be important for unforeseen costs during the year. This year, profits were crucial for funding the spirit buses to the soccer state championship games.

Thanks to profits from shirts, prices were lower for the buses to Loyola.

“The soccer final spirit buses were much more expensive than what the students actually payed,” Carmel said, but leftover money helped finance the trip.

Overall, Carmel said that gear doesn’t generate too much leftover money, but it is usually enough to cover the other costs.

Transcripts

The County

Nothing done by the school is really only done by the school. In some way, shape or form, MCPS is nearly always involved. A majority of the money Whitman gets each year comes from the county. Campbell estimated that in total, the school receives a total of $160,000 from MCPS annually.

“That number is established by the county,” Campbell said. “It’s all based on the number of students.”

Most of the $160,000 is for textbooks and classroom materials, but they donate small amounts for specific school needs, such as instrument repair. The county deposits money directly into specific accounts at schools (ie: athletics), and everything the county sends must have a clear purpose—schools can’t reapportion funds on their own.

If the school doesn’t use any of the MCPS money, it is sent back to the county when the year ends. Although the money is not squandered, Campbell said, much of it is spent.

“What you don’t use, you lose,” he said.

Parking

graphics by JACOB DEMARCHI

Parking

4

MARCH 4, 2015

News

“This is a big county with a lot of needs, a lot of different kinds of students, and because it has been such an excellent place to get an education, there will be pressure on the superintendent to keep up the high level of achievement, I think, in a certain way, it is more challenging than it was in the past because of the change in demographics. And then there's the ongoing challenge of pleasing all the different constituencies: the parents, the teachers, the union and the students.”

-Jill Chenok, cluster coordinator for Whitman schools

Jill Chenok is one of three cluster coordinators for Whitman schools, which means she represents the parents in the community. She, along with many other parents, will be attending the school board’s public forums on the search for a new superintendent.

photo by NICK ANDERSON

“A superintendent helps to establish a vision for a school system and ensures that our work is aligned strategically to that vision. We should look at all of our work through an equity lens and ask ourselves, will this effort help to reduce the gaps that we see in performance?”

-Chris Garran, Associate Superintendent for all MCPS high schools

photo by NICK ANDERSON

photo courtsey JILL CHENOK

photo courtsey CHRIS GARRAN

by Sarina Hanfling As the search for a new superintendent begins, county officials are doing all they can to ensure that they find someone with the right qualifications and who can bring MCPS to new heights.

The Black & White talked to a number of important community members to gain insight into what challenges the new superintendent will face, what his or her qualifications should be, and how he or she can fix problems in the county.

photo courtsey DAHLIA HUH

What do we need in a superintendent?

“I think for any superintendent, just getting used to a new environment, getting used to the way the system is organized and familiarizing themselves with their new home is going to be a challenge. Normally it takes about a year or two before a superintendent can really feel comfortable in the school system so I think that’s going to be one challenge regardless of who the next superintendent is.”

“When the new [superintendent] comes in, I definitely think that through things like SMOB and MCR [SGA event for all MCPS], we’ll be able to talk to [him or her] and express our needs and what we feel is important. Definitely the achievement gap is something that would need to be addressed.”

-SGA President Matt Banda

“The new superintendent ideally has experience as a teacher and a school and central office administrator, and has the ability to communicate well, loves children and respects all employees.

Hopefully the superintendent will support the best practices that are working in these areas and bring new ideas that have worked elsewhere.”

-Principal Alan Goodwin

There will be an open public forum at 7 p.m. tonight at Walter Johnson as part of the superintendent search process.

March 4, 2015

opinion

5

Staff Editorial Changes in start times will be beneficial

Driving you is driving me crazy much money!

If that sarcastic mathematical proof didn’t convince you to cease your parasitic habits, perhaps the other side of the coin will: I love driving. Honestly, it’s an enjoyable activity for me. The shell of privacy, the rush of freedom, the complete control of whatever music I desire—you could have that luxury too.

Don’t ruin a nice thing for me by having the constant assumption that I’m your personal chauffeur. I’ve found a real taxi meter on Amazon for about 250 bucks, and I’m thinking it would easily pay off in less than a month. I’m sure trips into the boonies of River Falls or Mohican Hills would get pretty pricey.

But let’s not get to that point. Because here’s the thing: there’s nothing more than utter laziness preventing you from getting a license.

And I’m ready and willing to bet that despite your bonehead move to opt for zero responsibility in this realm up until now, and despite your abrasive stubbornness and ambivalence towards the kindhearted, self-destructive

free taxi service that people like me offer, you are probably still smart enough to pass the permit test.

But if you’re going to pout, cross your arms and claim that you just don’t have enough time to go through the process, then I’ll reluctantly—very reluctantly—say “so be it.” But know this: I’m standing up now, and I hope my fellow abused, ill-treated, underappreciated motorists will follow suit. If you can’t drive yourself, here are my demands.

You will know how to direct me to your house from anywhere we might be. Start memorizing Google Maps now, because that might take a while. You will also give me full control of the aux cord—I am the perpetual DJ. And finally, you will operate under the knowledge that if I get frustrated at any point during the ride, I can let you off on the side of the road wherever I choose.

If you can’t agree to those simple requests, then get a driver’s license. Now.

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

by noah franklin In case you didn’t know, the term snark is a lovely concoction of the words “snide” and “remark.” Snide remark—I think that’s pretty neat. Now, in the past, I haven’t had much real reason to be snarky, other than for sheer comedic value and mild annoyance over some pretty mundane issues. But now, I’ve found a real stinger.

Once it becomes clear who the target audience for this piece is, I’d like each of you who fall into that category to take this as a personal—more than mildly malicious—attack.

Get a driver’s license.

Now. I’ll start with the age old assertion that time is money.

I waste gas driving you home.

That’s money—I don’t need our time equals money equation for that one. But, I also waste some time going out of my way to your house.

Now, if I plug in “time” into that equation, I’m left with “money.” That leads me to the strange verdict that you’re wasting my money, and more of my money. That’s twice as

Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, bleary-eyed, yawning, caffeine-pumped high school students will no longer arrive to school in the dark.

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted Feb. 10 to change school start and end times in MCPS. Middle and high schools will start 20 minutes later, while elementary schools will start 10 minutes later, some at 9:00 and others at 9:25.

This adjustment, which was cost-neutral for MCPS, is a step in the right direction. While the change is only 10 to 20 minutes, it’s enough to benefit students academically, psychologically and physically. MCPS is finally addressing the issue of sleep deprivation.

Later start times mean more sleep, which is vital to children and teenagers. Teenagers need between eight and 10 hours of sleep a night to function properly, yet only 15 percent of teenagers reported sleeping at least eight and a half hours on school nights, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Teen car crash rates have been found to greatly decrease when schools start later. Research shows that the car crash rate among teens was significantly lower in the cities with a later high school start time.

Opponents of later start times argue that students won’t actually get more sleep, since they will simply go to bed later, knowing that they will be able to sleep a little later. But this is not the case.

A 2002 study conducted by Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom of the University of Minnesota revealed that both middle and high school students slept more when their school start times were later, according to a report published by Hanover Research. Students went to sleep at the same time they did before the change in start time, the study reported.

Additionally, some claim that delaying start times is a lot of money for only a 10 to 20 minute change. But this again is not the case.

In fact, the change in bell times won’t impact the district’s operating budget, according to MCPS. Adjusting the start of the elementary school by 10 minutes shortens the transportation window, the time it takes for all county students to get to school.

Costs of the 10-minute delay is cancelled out by the shortening of this window.

Patricia O’Neill, president of the Board of Education, supported the delayed start times. “It is a move in the right direction,” she said in a press release.

O’Neill noted that this change was the least disruptive option during a time where the school system faces a tighter budget and increased enrollment, since the change comes at no additional cost.

Ultimately, it boils down to the importance of students’ mental and physical health, and if delaying bell times can improve their well-being at no monetary cost, then why not?

Volume 53, Issue 5 2014-2015 The Black & White is published 9 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Students and staff can pick up the paper free of charge. Mail subscriptions cost $35. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain.

Signed opinion pieces reflect the positions of the individual staff. Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Walt Whitman High School or Montgomery County Public Schools.

The Black & White encourages readers to submit opinions on relevant topics in the form of letters to the editor. Letters must

be signed to be printed, though names will be withheld upon request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be placed in the Black & White mailbox in the main office or the editor’s mailbox in room B211, or may be emailed to blackandwhitevol53@gmail.com.

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

PRINT EDITION Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Editor-at-Large Copy Editors News Editors Feature & Arts Editors Opinion Editors Sports Editors Production Head Production Manager Production Assistants

Business/Circulation Managers Business Assistants

Sarah Friedman Tyler Jacobson Kelley Czajka Caroline Schweitzer Ben Titlebaum Casey Noenickx Samantha Zambri Emma Anderson Adam Simon Sebastian van Bastelaer Matt Yang Sam Berson Nicole Fleck Joanne Choi Ireland Lesley Mikaela Fishman Sonia Chen Abby Singer Sebastian Sola Sole Jacob DeMarchi Sima Farzanegan Margo Sweat Aaron Dalal

net>. The online edition contact is theblackandwhiteonline@ gmail.com.

Recent awards include the 2012 Online Pacemaker, 2010 CSPA Silver Crown, 2010 Marylander Award, 2008, 2005, 2004 NSPA Pacemaker Online Award Finalist; 2002 NSPA Pacemaker Award; CSPA 2008 Silver Crown; CSPA 2005, 2008 Gold Medalist Award; Quill & Scroll George H. Gallup Award 2000-2008; 2005, 2004 NSPA All-American Award, 2004 MSPA/Washington Post Advisor of the Year Award.

ONLINE EDITION Photo Director Nick Anderson Photo Assistant Michelle Jarcho News Writers Elsa Bjornlund Jacob Blitz Margot Dionne Julia Gilman Sarina Hanfling Trevor Lystad Leor Rosen Feature & Arts Writers Jesse Cao Sophia Higgins Gabe Kahan Rose Pagano Ariel Plotnick Lindsay Wytkind Opinion Writers Spencer Adams William Arnesen Peter Hoogstraten Grace Steinwurtzel Sports Writers Josh Feder Caleb Friedman Arya Hodjat Benjamin Katz Anna Marcus

Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor Social Media Director Feature & Arts Editors Sports Editor Multimedia Editor Multimedia Writers Blogs Editor Feature & Arts Writers

Film Critic Webmaster Assistant Webmaster Adviser Assistant Adviser

Julia Pearl-Schwartz Scott Singer Sophia Glazer Rebecca Katz Emilia Malachowski Caleb Kushner Caitlin Sullivan Naba Khan Taameen Mohammad Julian Robinson Noah Franklin Naomi Ravick Sydney Schnitzer Hayley Segall Jay Silver Bryna Steele Roger Champagne Tobin Bell Kevin Huberty Joseph Kaperst Louise Reynolds Nicholas Confino

6

opinion

Turf fields worth cost by trevor lystad During the fall and spring sports seasons, athletes and fans alike enjoy the huge green field at the center of Jerome Marco Stadium. Between November and March, however, the grass field is nowhere to be seen. Instead, a nearly 58 thousand square foot white tarp sits on top of it.

It’s time for Whitman to shed the tarp and purchase a turf field. Wootton, Richard Montgomery, Blair and Walter Johnson all already have turf fields and Churchill plans to install one soon. Although the $1 million price tag might be expensive, a turf field brings a host of benefits that a typical grass field just can’t provide.

First and perhaps most important, turf fields stand up to inclement weather far better than grass ones, helping both teams and gym classes. Turf fields tend to drain much faster and can’t be torn up by a storm.

Many football players recall practices being cancelled this fall because of poor field conditions, even days after the rain had stopped. A turf field with the commonly used Sand Grid Sports Drainage System can drain half an inch of rain in just 22 minutes following a storm.

Since WJ added a turf field five years

ago, athletic director Susan Amos said she’s rarely had to cancel games since the field handles storms so well.

Plenty of youth and adult teams rent Whitman’s field for practices, and a turf field would also benefit them since they could now use it during the winter and following rain.

The biggest drawback to a turf field is undoubtedly the cost. At around a million dollars, the costs are steep enough to make anyone think twice about the investment.

However, that big number doesn’t tell the whole story. A Michigan State study found that a synthetic turf field had maintenance and equipment costs up to 40 percent lower than a traditional grass field since there is no need to use fertilizer or to replant seeds.

Additionally, schools like Richard Montgomery and WJ were able to make deals with local soccer organizations to pay for a portion of the field. At WJ, the Bethesda Soccer Club payed $300,000 to have priority in renting the field. Amos noted that while the initial cost was high, the benefits make the turf worthwhile in the long term.

When Blair added a turf field in 2009, they also secured the right to rent out the field for their own profit—another way to offset the $1 million initial cost.

march 4, 2015

Fast Facts • It costs $1 million to create a turf field • Wootton, Richard Montgomery, Blair and Walter Johnson all have turf fields • Since Walter Johnson added a turf field, they have rarely canceled games • A Michigan State study found that synthetic turf lowered maintenance and equipment costs by 40 percent • The Journal of Sports Medicine found that there was no evidence linking synthetic turf to increased injuries Detractors say that synthetic turf increases injury risk since the fields are generally harder and hotter, which can lead to turf burns. However, since turf can’t be torn up and is harder to slip on, turf fields prevent enough injuries to offset any new ones. In fact, in a comparison of natural grass and synthetic turf, researchers at the Journal of Sports Medicine found “no evidence” that playing on a turf field increases injury risk, and if

anything, it slightly lowers the risk.

Ultimately, a switch to turf will count on the sports Booster Club and the athletic department to raise funds, contact companies and make the change.

It might not happen anytime soon, but it’s time for Whitman to wake up, pull off that huge tarp, and upgrade to a turf field. The fake grass is certainly greener on the other side.

Students should have to pass a civics exam to graduate by grace steinwurtzel On Jan. 15, Arizona became the first state to require high school students to pass a citizenship test to graduate. Maryland should follow Arizona’s lead in making civics exams mandatory for graduation.

Beginning with the class of 2017, Arizona students will have to answer 60 out of 100 multiple choice questions correctly on a civics exam to receive their diplomas. The questions cover topics that range from geography to history to the U.S. Constitution.

The Arizona-based Joe Foss Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching civics to students, is pushing the test nationally, setting a goal of having all 50 states adopt it by 2017, the 230th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. According to the Joe Foss Institute, fifteen other states are already considering their own versions of required civics exams, meaning Maryland might soon be requiring a civics exam of their own.

For people living in the nation’s capital, it seems absurd that someone might not know where the Statue

of Liberty is or what ocean is east of the United States (both questions from the current naturalization civics test), but it’s a harsh reality.

An inherent need for mandatory civics exams is demonstrated by the following statistics.

In 2011, the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 15 percent of Americans could identify the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (John Roberts), yet 27 percent knew Randy Jackson was a judge on American Idol.

“We all sort of laugh at that, but it’s tragically sad at the same time that we all don’t know these very, very basic things,”said Sam Stone, political director of the Civics Education Initiative in an interview with U.S. News.

Knowing basic facts about the nation’s history and government should be a minimum requirement for graduating students, who are just beginning to vote and amp up their political participation. A mandatory civics exam would provide a measurement of whether

students have learned the necessary information to become not only effective but well-informed citizens.

One in three Americans fails the Naturalization Civics test, compared to the 97 percent of immigrants applying for citizenship who pass, the Washington Post reported in January. There’s no reason why American students shouldn’t be held to the same standards as those who are applying for citizenship Opponents of mandatory civics exams say the exams put underprivileged students at a disadvantage, because they may have less of an education. However, income disparity shouldn’t be a problem, as Maryland already requires that all students take a U.S. government class to graduate.

With the increased emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math—the STEM subjects--American history and civics have fallen by the wayside. It’s time to change this—and a mandatory civics exam is just the way to do it.

Discussing current issues should be encouraged in classroom

by Peter Hoogstraten Earlier this year, twin sexual assault assemblies sparked major controversy among students. Passionate conversations about power between males and females ensued throughout the hallways.

They also took place in the classrooms, one of the few times controversial issues have entered class discussion so prominently. Curiously, these types of discussions are largely absent from the school day.

Take the ongoing saga of Ferguson.

Since this story first broke on August 9, 2014, I have heard about it everywhere— news, my parents, social networks. Yet I’ve never discussed it in the classroom.

You would think that a national issue, especially one with potentially massive racial and societal implications, would be on at least some teachers’ lesson plans.

Studying and analyzing prominent issues should play an important role in high school education. The Common Core promotes this type of higher order thinking, with students examining multiple perspectives on a topic. Common Core standards says that students are required to be able to “compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary sources.” For a topic like civil rights, students could examine writings from Martin Luther King Jr. and apply them to current events like Ferguson.

The Common Core has already set everything up, now we just need to apply it to current events.

Society seems to have a vision of school as a pure establishment, free from any bias and prejudice. Teachers often shy away from the most relevant issues,

deeming them inappropriate for schools.

But discussion and debate is not poison. There’s nothing wrong with holding class discussions about contentious topics as long as teachers keep discussions respectful and don’t impose their beliefs on their students.

At the start of this semester, MCPS mandated that English teachers allow students to choose texts representing diverse perspectives. Whitman seniors were assigned to read a selection of articles on controversial issues, including feminism, minimum wage and racial disputes involving law enforcement, and examine them from the victims’ viewpoints. Other teachers should emulate this assignment and challenge their stu-

dents with controversial issues.

In any frank and open discussion, an overall tone of respect and tolerance is key. But even in the most civil debates, people are bound to get offended.

To quote author Kingsley Amis, “If you can’t annoy somebody, there is little point in writing.” The same applies to a verbal debate. Students currently aren’t given many opportunities to express their feelings to their peers in a genuine and formal manner. Debates let students hear multiple perspectives on a topic, and perhaps change their own views in the process.

Schools have one fundamental job: to educate their students. If education won’t approach these types of issues,

then what is education for? Teachers should take the view that their job is to open up students’ minds and expose them to new viewpoints. A good way to debunk a stereotype is to air it out and let it breathe. If we never address sensitive issues, how can we hope to fix them?

There are some events so influential that they simply cannot be ignored. Such spontaneous “teaching moments,” as English teacher Linda Leslie calls them, provide opportunities for students and teachers to educate themselves on current issues. Teachers shouldn’t hesitate to capitalize on these opportunities, and use the topic to transcend the classroom and talk about subjects that affect society as a whole.

Three year college expands access to higher education

by Caleb Friedman What should a student get out of his college experience?

It’s a question that educators, analysts and columnists toss around. On one hand, college students need to learn how to think critically and immerse themselves in a variety of subjects to develop a strong foundation for any field. On the flip side, some think that college must only provide a student with the skill set to succeed in a specific profession.

Both of the two views are valid, and it’s possible that they could coexist. But on a large scale, the U.S. should adopt the latter, and in doing so, embrace a three-year college system that focuses on preparing students to enter the workforce.

The new system could help mitigate two of the biggest issues surrounding colleges today. The number of applicants is rising

7

OPINION

march 4, 2015

and college are becoming more and more selective, according to a 2013 New York Times Colleges Report. Additionally, students loans are rapidly increasing, including a 58 percent increase from 2005 to 2012, as software company Fair Isaacs Corporation reported to forbes.com With a three-year system, more students could go to college each year. In the status quo, if a university has 10,000 undergraduate students, each class would have roughly 2,500 students. But if that university moved to a three-year system, each class could be expanded to roughly 3,333 students, meaning more students could be admitted each year.

With the cost of colleges steadily rising, many students would also benefit from paying tuition for only three years, said Michelle Egan, a history

College in the U.S. vs college in England

and economics professor at American University. In other countries like England, threeyear degrees are commonplace; they just require specialization earlier in high school, she said.

There’s also another economic benefit here: a student would be able to enter the workforce a year earlier and earn money sooner.

Opponents of a shorter college experience will say that college is the time where

students should find themselves and explore diverse interests.

Frank Bruni, a columnist for the New York Times, feels that college should actually be longer, because it’s the time where students develop “a nimble, adaptable intellect,” as he says in a February 2015 OpEd article.

But this liberal arts education disproportionately favors the wealthy, as it usually precedes some kind of graduate program

that many students can’t afford.

A more specialized college degree would likely mean that students wouldn’t have to go to graduate school, which would make this specialized degree more accessible.

At the end of the day, getting a well-rounded education is still important. But, to make this kind of education available to as many students as possible, colleges must embrace the three-year degree.

Fourth period delegates should play a greater role Under the current structure, the delegates aren’t up to the task of assuming an organizational role. However, a few changes to the system would allow delegates to represent the student body in making decisions rather than restricting them to a select group people working behind closed doors.

Delegates need some basic expansion of their roles. Currently, the most important responsibility of the delegates is to attend fourth period meetings and report back to their classes. This assignment could easily be replaced with a newsletter via Whitnet, PA announcement or a Facebook page, all of which would be much more efficient and would not waste the delegates’ time.

Drawing Board

To involve delegates more substantially in actual school governance, the general assembly meetings −held roughly once a month− should consist of open-ended discussion and debate on school decisions rather than simply communicating decisions that have already been made. This way, SGA decisions will more accurately reflect the student body’s ideas.

To accomplish such a shift, the selection process for delegates needs to be upgraded. The “elections” that take place in each fourth period class to appoint delegates are disorganized, rushed and highly unofficial. Few delegates end up being the students who care most about school issues.

Instead, elections should be held in homeroom classes where time can be solely devoted to the process, and the election wouldn’t compete with regular course material.

Giving delegates a role in the SGA’s decision-making process will improve events by deriving inspiration from a larger, more diverse group of students.

The power to change the system lies in the SGA’s hands; they must write a constitutional amendment expanding the delegates’ power. It’s time for the SGA to take a serious look at what the delegates are capable of and put the changes up for a vote.

A mess about the dress

cartoon by Sebi Sola-Sole

by Josh Feder As LLS Month comes to a close, we all marvel at the fun, well-organized and creative events that bring in money for an excellent cause. The fundraising can be credited to the leadership class members, who do a superb job planning the school’s happenings.

Although they’ve done an excellent job making everything run smoothly, the unelected group of students aren’t the ones who should be calling the shots. Instead, the fourth period delegates need to take on some responsibilities of leadership in a democratic way. This change would facilitate increased variety and creativity in school events, drawing on the student body’s ideas as a whole.

8

march 4, 2015

feature

Junior Jonny Schneider breaks into biz with “FunPop” app

by Gabe Kahan Whether it be Candy Crush, Trivia Crack or 2048, we’ve all dealt with a smartphone app addiction. There may now be a new game to join your collection, except this time, the creator is a little closer to home.

Junior Jonny Schneider has spent the last nine months designing and overseeing the creation of “FunPop,” a fast-paced game in which the user pops virtual bubbles. The process began in January of last year after Scheider founded his company, ImagineX, as an output for his many product ideas.

The app is still in the beta stages and won’t be released on Android or iOS for at least three months, but Schneider hopes that it will be done before the end of the school year.

From a young age, Schneider was interested in business and investing, so when his uncle suggested he look into starting his own company, he ran with the idea. The idea of turning a concept into something concrete fascinated him and he soon began to brainstorm possible products.

Schneider came up with the concept for the app after noticing people’s tendencies to get addicted to oddly simple games with easily achievable goals, he said. From there, the idea sprouted and began to take on life.

After months of patience and conceptualization, Schneider found a way to outsource the production of the app because he didn’t have any experience coding. His uncle connected him with a group of Israeli

coders specializing in Android app programming.

From there, Schneider and the team began to work on the basic layout and graphics for the Android version of the game. However, when they first began, it was clear they weren’t on the same page.

“I laughed pretty hard,” Schneider said. “There were a lot of elements that were not done properly and a lot that wasn’t communicated properly.

It was just so far off from what I was expecting that I was in disbelief.”

Through many Skype sessions and email exchanges, all working around the seven-hour time difference and language barrier, the app’s development slowly progressed. Eventually, the game began to resemble what Schneider had imagined.

Now Schneider’s main focus is on the production of an iOS version of the app with a new group of programmers.

Once the app is completed on both operating systems, he plans to release it, market it, and possibly sell it. Funding the project out of his own pocket has been difficult, but Schneider is determined to succeed.

“I’m not going to go spend thousands and thousands of dollars on ads,” Schneider said.

“I have to be going to students and newspapers and getting a network of contacts together.”

Reflecting on the work he has put into the app, Schneider realized how important it is to work towards things you love and find inspiring, he said. Managing the project is a massive obligation and can be overwhelming on top of his in-

volvement in sports, school and extracurriculars. But his ambition hasn’t faltered.

“It’s not a joke, it’s a serious commitment,” Schneider said.

“It’s a full time job and more.

I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love doing it.”

Schneider isn’t sure what the future brings, but expanding his company to take on more rigorous projects seems like a possibility, he said. The world is his oyster, he says, and no idea is a bad one.

“I love the phrase ‘turning an idea into a reality,’” he said.

“Best case scenario, my company would just have a lot of creative people who constantly are working on all these new, brilliant ideas that intrigue them.”

by Lindsay Wytkind The question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” has stressed out high schoolers since the dawn of time.

But alum Daniel Getz (‘06) has known the answer since he was 13 years old.

Getz began chasing a career as a professional musician in middle school, and in the fall of 2013, he finally achieved his dream. At age 27, violist Getz is currently the youngest member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and is in the middle of his second season playing with the group.

“It’s incredible to be surrounded by so many wonderful musicians,” Getz said. “There’s a certain level of comfort and satisfaction that comes from going to work every day to hear so many of my colleagues play beautifully.”

Music has always been a large part of Getz’s life. He grew up listening to classical music and took his first piano lessons at age seven. Just a year later, Getz picked up the violin. His passion for music grew further when he started attending a music camp at Indiana University at the age of 13.

“There was something about being around other aspiring young musicians—each working for hours every day, prodding themselves to be the best musicians they could be—that made me

want to be a part of that world,” Getz said.

During his third summer at the camp, Getz picked up the viola for the first time and was immediately captivated by the sound. After that summer, he convinced his parents to let him switch his primary focus from violin to viola.

In his junior year at Whitman, Getz was accepted into a fellowship program run by the National Symphony Orchestra in which he took free private lessons and was mentored by a member of the orchestra. Through this experience, Getz narrowed his goal from just being involved in the music industry to becoming a member of a great orchestra.

Throughout high school, Getz’s participation in the Whitman Symphonic Orchestra helped him understand the importance of camaraderie when playing in an ensemble, he said.

“I remember the Whitman orchestra being full of some brilliant and compassionate people,” Getz said.

Getz continued to pursue his passion for music in college by earning his Bachelor’s at the New England Conservatory.

He worked with renowned violist Kim Kashkashian, who recently won a Grammy for her recording of solo works by Kurtag and Ligeti.

“Spending one-on-one time with her was nothing short of spectacular,” Getz

said. “She is one of the smartest, most creative artists that I know of, and every moment with her led to a discovery.”

Through the NEC, Getz also cultivated relationships with a few Boston Symphony Orchestra members. After earning his Masters at Juilliard in 2013, Getz returned to Boston to prepare for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s competitive and rigorous audition process.

Getz nailed his audition and gained the title of a professional violist. He was elated, but also terrified about the high standard he would he held to, Getz said.

“We play three to four performances of one program every week, and then start a new program the following week,” he said. “Each program lasts about two hours, so it is a lot of music to learn when you are just starting out in the business.”

However, Getz has boasted much success so far in the orchestra, including playing on tour in Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo last year. They will perform at Carnegie Hall in April and travel to London, Paris, Berlin and other European cities this August.

In the future, Getz wants to delve into the world of teaching. He is currently part of the viola and chamber music faculty at the NEC Preparatory school and teaches two string quartets. Getz also enjoys teaching private viola lessons

photo courtsey DAVID GETZ

Daniel Getz (‘06) pursues dream of becoming professional violist

Alum Daniel Getz plays for Boston Symphony Orchestra, achieving his lifelong dream of playing viola professionally.

and helping students prepare for professional auditions.

Junior Brian Slawta had a lesson with Getz recently, where they worked on the concerto that Slawta plans on using for college auditions in the fall.

“I would love to work with Mr. Getz again,” Slawta said. “It was very eyeopening to have a world-class musician critique me.”

Seth and Aaron Gordon (‘09, ‘13) use engineering for good Brothers use passion for engineering to work in naval technology and on project in Haiti submarine and missile designs, Aaron works on bringing functioning water systems to rural Haiti.

Seth

Seth has had a passion for engineering ever since he received his first set of Legos at age six.

“We call him Sheldon like from the Big Bang Theory,” said

photo courtesy AARON GORDON

by William Arnesen When students graduate from Whitman, it’s impossible to tell where they’ll focus their talents. Some stay local, while others move a bit farther, yet most alums stay in the United States. But brothers Seth (‘09) and Aaron Gordon (‘13) have managed to make a difference far beyond the Bethesda Bubble. While Seth creates satellite,

Aaron Gordon (‘13), left, works on a water system in Haiti. Aaron first traveled to Haiti with Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries.

his sister Leah, now a junior at Whitman.

Ten years later, as a sophomore, Seth turned in his Legos for an internship at the Naval Surface Warfare Center on Macarthur Blvd., where he studied water flow around submarines.

“Working for the Navy as a high schooler was very exciting, especially because it showed me, in a very hands-on manner, the engineering I can do over my life,” he said.

He continued to pursue his passions at Princeton, where he majored in mechanical and aerospace engineering with minors in robotics and intelligent systems. In 2012, he started spending his summers working for SpaceX, the outer space company at the forefront of private spaceflight.

“I can say that it was a fantastic experience working on the technological cutting edge with access to incredible resources,” Seth said. “There were reams of exciting plans, proposals, and presentations that showed all the exciting ideas SpaceX was bouncing around three years ago.”

Now that he’s graduated, Seth is earning a Ph.D. at Geor-

gia Tech and is working with a team on missile designs, seabased missile interceptors and naval lasers for all major military branches and contractors.

“If you name a defense contractor in NATO,” he said, “we do work with them.”

Aaron

In high school, Aaron was a standout student, captain of the Quiz Bowl team, head of the Ultimate Frisbee club and an Eagle Scout to boot. When he attended Clemson in the fall of 2013, he immediately joined the Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC) to make an impact in the real world.

“I am really interested in international development and public health projects, namely water, sanitation and hygiene,” Aaron said.

In his first semester, he took his first of three trips to Haiti with the CEDC. Last November, he designed and built a water system for an orphanage north of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Four months later, people there were still getting clean water.

“After his first trip to Haiti freshman year, Aaron was

hooked,” Leah said. “He realized that he could use civil engineering to help people down there and to make a direct impact on their lives. So he fell in love with Haiti and he became a civil engineer—happily ever after.”

Aaron is now in charge of upgrading a nearly 20-year-old water system at risk of contamination. In the future, he hopes to build a fish hatchery for local fisherman and water systems for two remote villages where people still suffer from cholera.

Daily life in Haiti can be quite strenuous, he said. Most days, Aaron must get up between five and seven a.m. to spend much of the day working and managing other workers.

He is limited to just two meals a day of beans, rice and meat.

Despite spotty electricity and WiFi, Aaron records his daily activities in Haiti on a blog. One day he wrote that he had to excavate 14 feet of earth without machinery in the blazing sun to prepare to pipe water to a fish hatchery.

Though they are two worlds apart, the brothers remain close.

In fact, Aaron will be Seth’s best man at his wedding in June.

MARCH 4, 2015

the leaderSHIP never sinks

“

SGA “

ADS

announcements: bRAVE will be Mar. 7 in the Whitman Gym from 6 pm- 1 am

LLS Month has been extended to Mar. 9!

Donate online to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at tinyurl.com/vikesvscancer

9

Matt Banda PRESIDENT

Alex Hosker VICE-PRESIDENT

Nick Anderson SECRETARY

Maxime Zamba TREASURER

Katie Meyer SECRETARY

Class Officers:

‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18

Jonny Rasch, Rachel Ordan, Katie Sullivan Carolyn Hoover, Trevor Lystad, Selvi Ulusan Jaiwen Hsu, Michael Choi, Keara Sullivan

Pablo Rothschild, Arianne Banda, Clara Ryan

march 4, 2015

10

IN-D

Scientists vs. America

In freshman biology, students are taught and tested on Darwin’s theory of evolution.

MCPS requires students to be vaccinated and recycling bins line our halls. In Bethesda, a closer look reveals that overall, Whitman students accept and are knowledgeable about modern scientific findings. The rest of the nation doesn’t always support scientists’ conclusions to the same degree.

Many factors, from religious beliefs to farreaching misinformation, have fueled what National Geographic has dubbed in its March

cover story “the War on Science.” Opponents of GMOs, vaccines, pesticides and animal testing still persist today, along with climate change and evolution deniers.

How can this be? Communicating complex scientific findings can be difficult, contributing to misconceptions about modern research.

“Many scientific findings are complicated and need to be simplified before they are presented to the public, but sometimes important details are lost in this process,” said Karen Knee, who teaches environmental science at

American University.

A survey released in January 2015 by Pew compared average Americans’ opinions on current scientific issues to those of scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They surveyed 2,002 Americans by phone and 3,748 scientists online.

The results revealed dramatic divides between what scientists hold to be true and what the public believes. The Black & White posed the same survey questions to 168 Whitman students last week to see where they fall on

some of the most controversial topics.

On every topic, the students opinions were more scientifically accurate than the American public.

“I think they are maybe more informed than most high school students, but there is a general lack of being informed in the United States,” AP Environmental Science teacher Kelly Garton said. “Our goal in the science department here is to try to get people to understand how science is done and not just listen to what the news reports.”

GMOs Rising fears that GM foods are unnatural or even dangerous have led half of respondents to always or sometimes check for that “No GMOs” label on which some producers pride themselves.

But while the public may be panicked, eighty-eight percent of scientists say GM foods are safe, and scientific research has overwhelmingly concluded that GM foods pose no health threats.

Seventy to eighty percent percent of foods we eat today in the U.S. contain GM ingredients, reported the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Globally, GM technology has the potential to increase crop yields and make food more nutritious.

Students seems to understand the scientific conclusions—nearly 80 percent of students think GMOs are generally safe.

Vaccines After the recent nationwide measles outbreak that originated in Disneyland, the debate over mandatory vaccinations has been thrown into the spotlight. A majority of scientists, Americans and Whitman students all believe that vaccines should be required, based on scientific studies that prove their safety and effectiveness.

On the other hand, a 30 percent of the respondents believe that parents should be able to decide not to vaccinate their children. They cite religious objections, as well as a study by British doctor Andrew Wakefield--now retracted and his license revoked--linking vaccines to autism, or personal views of vaccines as “toxins.”

While 86 percent of scientists support

Should children be required to be vaccinated?

mandatory vaccines, only 68 percent of the public agrees—an 18-point gap.

Anti-vaccine activists are disproportionately liberal and well-educated, two traits commonly used to characterized Bethesda. But the Whitman results show that nearly 80 percent of students support required vaccinations. The Maryland State Department of Education requires common immunizations, including the measles vaccine, but parents can get an exemption on the basis of personal beliefs.

“Every reliable scientific publication has again and again reported the safety of vaccines,” said DeCicco-Skinner. “People that choose not to vaccinate their children not only potentially harm their children but can harm others as well.”

Climate Change Politicians who refuse to concede that climate change is a result of human activity have a favorite excuse: “I’m not a scientist.” They claim they’re not qualified to take a stance. But 87 percent of those who are qualified--scientists--believe human activity is the cause of climate change.

These politicians may be afraid of upsetting their constituencies: only half of the public in Pew’s survey believes humans have caused climate change, with a quarter denying the Earth is warming at all. This massive lack of understanding could have dangerous implications.

“Recognizing how human activity is causing climate change is the first necessary step to addressing the problem,” Knee said, “If serious action is not taken soon, we are going to face more and more severe climate change-related problems.”

Seventy-five percent of Whitman students acknowledge human activity as the cause of climate change. Another 16 percent think the earth is warming due to natural environmental patterns, whereas the last 8 percent believe there is no evidence the earth is warming.

11

march 4, 2015

DEPTH

vs. Whitman

by Julia Gilman

A look into how student views on scientific questions line up with the pros

Animals in Scientific Research Unethical or unavoidable? Ninety percent of scientists agree: using animals in scientific research is necessary for scientific progress.

“For certain areas of research, such as cancer research, at this point we don’t have any other mechanism that is as reliable or will advance us as quickly as working with animals,” said Katie DeCicco-Skinner, biology professor at American University. “That being said, we take every precaution to limit the number of animals we use in research.”

But respondents were split nearly in half over this issue, while two-thirds of students support the test-

ing. Opponents, commonly animal rights advocates, argue that using animals is inhumane and immoral.

However, using animals helps scientists understand medical issues and develop treatments for diseases, eliminating the need to test on humans when unsafe while maintaining ethical treatment for animals.

“In my 40 years as a biologist I have never seen animals kept in poor conditions or subjected to what I would consider to be a painful experiment without any analgesic treatment,” said Randall Packer, a biology professor at George Washington University.

Do you favor or oppose the use of animals in scientific research?

Evolution In Louisiana and Tennessee, public schools are allowed to challenge evolution and teach creationism, along with many private schools in other states that receive tax-funded vouchers, Slate reported online.

In the state of Maryland, we are taught evolution, and not surprisingly, 90 percent of Whitman students accept Darwin’s theory.

Ninety-eight percent of scientists support evolutionary theory, the clearest consensus on the survey.

The man whose science videos have been built into our science curriculums since elementary school, Bill Nye “the Science Guy,” puts it best: “Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science,” he told Big Think, an online knowledge forum. He explains “if we raise a generation of science students who don’t understand the main idea in biology they’re going to be incompletely educated students and this is going to be trouble for the United States.”

Do you believe in evolution?

Pesticides Do you think it’s safe to eat foods grown with pesticides?

As they shop for fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery store, more and more Americans are concerned about whether what they place into their cart was grown using pesticides.

Pesticides are regularly associated with “poison” or “toxins”: almost 70 percent of America thinks they are unsafe.

While drinking pesticides straight out of the bottle is undoubtedly unhealthy, 68 percent of scientists say that food grown using pesticides is generally safe to eat.

“There may not be any evidence that the low doses present on washed fruit, for example, would cause any harm,” Knee

said. “At the same time, some scientists may be opposed to eating food grown with pesticides because of the damage [pesticides] can do to the environment, not because they think their own health is directly at risk.”

Unsurprisingly, the public is divided on this issue while the scientific community lacks scientific consensus. Just over 30 percent of scientists still believe pesticides are unsafe, making pesticide safety one of the largest gaps among scientists’ conclusions. As a result, over 50 percent of Whitman students’ believe that pesticides are generally unsafe. *Percentages on most graphs don’t add up to 100% because of rounding

Feature

12

MARCH 4, 2015 photos by MICHELLE JARCHO

Wrapping their way to fame, burrito style Whitman students balance schoolwork with demanding Chipotle jobs

by lindsay wytkind In 45 minutes, you could fail a physics test, watch an episode or two on Netflix or save 15 percent or more on car insurance three times. Or, you could watch Whitman junior Scotty Lesmes transform himself into an eagle on stage.

Lesmes is a member of The Pegasus Ensemble, a group of 12 teenage actors with developmental and/or cognitive disabilities who performed The Light from Inside at Imagination Stage Friday, Feb. 27- March 1. The play is an adaptation of a Native American legend about how light first came to the world.

The ensemble began in 1988 as a oneyear conservatory to create opportunities for young people of all abilities to realize their potential in performing arts. Beginning in 2011, it was reconstructed to a two-year conservatory where students spend the first year exploring acting techniques and in the second year, rehearse for their full stage performance at the end of the last semester. The participants are selected for the ensemble through an audition and interview process.

Lesmes performed in the play as his final acting experience with the tight-knit group to close out the two year conservatory. He joined the ensemble in 2010 and The Light from Inside was his fourth play with the group. Along with acting, Lesmes values the friendships he formed during his time with the ensemble, he says.

John F. Kennedy High School student Helen O’Brien is also a member of the ensemble. Like Lesmes, she enjoys the relationships with friends in addition to the challenge of performing.

“It’s been kind of hard, but I have made some great friends,” O’Brien said.

The group is led by Diane Nutting, Director of Access and Inclusion at Imagination Stage. Nutting works closely with the students and helps to tailor both their roles and lines in the productions so, working with their strengths, every student can succeed.

“We’re identifying the needs of each student and we’re putting structures in place that will support them,” Nutting said.

Seniors Joe Szczesny (left) and Costis Waltz (right) and junior Selvi Ulusan work at the Friendship Heights Chipotle. Chipotle’s working culture involves dedication to the values of perseverance, integrity, and empowerment.

he has to wake up at 6:30 a.m. Nevertheless, Szczesny said he enjoys the job and intends to keep working in coming years.

“My plan is to work there when I come home from college, and eventually become the CEO of Chipotle,” he said with a chuckle.

Chipotle’s heavy customer traffic—which includes countless Whitman students—pushes the employees’ work ethic and encourages them to bond.

“There’s a lot you have to know, a lot you have to do, and you’re never just sit-

Students perform “The Fable of Four” at a Pegasus Ensemble performance two years ago.

The ensemble allows students with intellectual and physical disabilities to participate in drama.

“If I have someone who’s a stronger physical communicator as opposed to a verbal communicator, I might create a role where they’re telling the story through movement rather than having to rely on their voice.”

This flexibility allows actors to perform in a way that suits them best. Some actors use scripts, while others have their lines memorized. In the play’s beginning stages, the instructors ensure that each actor understands their characters and the plot of the play through a number of different techniques, such as using images to supplement the script.

In this comfortable setting, the actors learn that they have the ability to creatively express themselves, Nutting said.

“To watch them become really confident, engaged members of the community—not just here at Imagination Stage, but beyond— that’s really exciting to see,” she said.

Melissa Lesmes, Scotty’s mother, has observed her son’s transformation.

“It’s in this environment that students can truly shine,” she said. “He’s able to enjoy his love of theater firsthand, and he has gained confidence and has made wonderful friends in the process.”

As Nutting encourages students in the ensemble to embrace their differences, she hopes that all people can adopt this open mindset.

“Inclusion is really important and I think it’s something that needs to go beyond just schools and programs— it’s about inclusion in society,” Nutting said. “It’s about people taking the time to recognize that a disability is not necessarily a deficiency, it’s a difference.”

After all, the performers in the Pegasus Ensemble have the same ultimate goal as actors worldwide—to be in the spotlight.

“I just like being in center stage,” Lesmes said.

ting there,” Ulusan said. “You’ve always got to be doing something or else you’re doing something wrong.”

Szczesny’s love for Chipotle cuisine has not dwindled since he was hired a year ago. In fact, he eats free burritos every day he works, though he says it isn’t for the faint of heart—er, stomach.

“I would advise people not to eat a burrito a day, because it definitely doesn’t keep the doctor away,” he said.

Senior wins Bethesda Magazine ‘Extraordinary Teen’ award

by Ariel Plotnick Everybody hates picture day, but with senior Ben Scheer behind the camera, it’s painless.

Scheer was honored with the “Extraordinary Teen Award” in the March/April issue of Bethesda Magazine for his photography of students with mental and physical disabilities.

Members of families he has photographed nominated him for the award.

Scheer’s brother, Cade, has autism, and his mother’s disappointment with Cade’s school portraits each year inspired Scheer to create “Photobilities,”─a photography service that captures school photos of students with special needs.

“When the companies that arrive to big schools take school portraits, there are a lot of kids and very limited time for each individual,” Scheer said.

“There may be a lack of experience when taking photos of children with special needs.”

When Scheer wanted to reach out to the special needs community, he just needed to email a few friends. The response was overwhelming.

He credits his passion for photography to Michael Seymour, who has taught him photography for four years.

“I'm really proud of Ben because I think it's a business born from the compassion he has for kids with special needs,” Seymour said.

“He's doing it from a place of genuine com-

passion. It's incredibly rewarding for him to put smiles on the faces of the families he works with.”

Through his firsthand experience with his brother, Scheer knows the ins and outs of getting a smile from the subjects of his photos.

“Every child is different and has different behaviors, so I need to be spontaneous with how I interact and take their photos,” Scheer said.

He does photo shoots of single children, sets of siblings and entire families. Photobilites has become so popular in the special needs community that Scheer created a website to promote the business in the community.

“Nothing phases him, he has uber pa-

tience,” said Fabiana Zelaya, a client of Scheer’s. “There’s a certain lightheartedness in the way he works. He doesn’t charge any of us, he does it for love.”

Next year Scheer will attend Vanderbilt, where he is considering majoring in business, but is still undecided. He hopes to continue Photobilities during school breaks.

Bethesda Magazine, which has a readership of thousands, will provide great exposure for Photobilities.

“While the article is about me, hopefully it will bring about awareness for people who need more time and attention,” Scheer said.

Visit Scheer’s website at www.photobilities.com.

photo courtesy BEN SCHEER

Pegasus Ensemble provides dramatic opportunities for students with disabilities

it’s typical for managers to approach employees and ask them philosophical questions about empowerment, performance and more, Szczesny said.

“You have to know a lot of definitions,” he said. “We have to know that stuff because we can’t move forward as a restaurant unless everyone is knowledgeable.”

The restaurant hires people who possess 13 specific characteristics, said junior Selvi Ulusan, who has worked at the Friendship Heights Chipotle since November. They select employees who are hospitable, smart and enthusiastic, to name a few traits.

“They can’t teach you how to be those things; you have to already be those things when you’re hired,” she said.

The interview process can take at least an hour, as each staff member interviews the prospective employee, Ulusan said.

“The team hires you, not just the manager,” she said. “Even in the interview you’re learning about Chipotle— being a top performer, empowerment, high standards and elevating people.”

Szczesny’s job is often hectic during his nine-hour weekend shifts, for which

photo courtsey MELISSA C. LESMES

by Sophia Higgins Walt Whitman High School, 11:37 a.m. The bell signals the end of fifth period—but for senior Joe Szczesny it’s the end of the school day. He bounces out the door, hops in his car and skidaddles down the road. Szczesny is on a mission: to craft the perfect Chipotle burrito.

Chipotle, for better or worse (for better in my opinion), is practically its own food group for many Whitman students. Employment at this restaurant chain seems utopic for any lover of Mexican food—imagine the privilege of free burritos at work! But according to Szczesny, junior Selvi Ulusan and senior Costis Waltz, who work at the Friendship Heights Chipotle, the job requires more than just culinary skill.

“It’s not all about learning how to cook the food,” said Szczesny, who works as a kitchen manager-in-training five days a week. “They try to make what we call a ‘restaurateur environment,’ which means we have a really specialized team and everyone that works there really wants to be there.”

Founded in 1993, Chipotle seeks to instill values of perseverance, integrity and empowerment in its employees, according to its website. While on the job,

Ben Scheer created Photobilities, a photography service for kids with special needs.

march 4, 2015

Feature

A look through the history of a local landmark:

13

Glen Echo Park

Women on bumper cars enjoy a day at the Glen Echo park while it was an active amusement park. Glen Echo was opened as an amusement park in 1907.

July 1888 After inventor Edwin Baltzey successfully patented an egg beater, he and his brother Edward joined together and spent Edwin’s profit on 516 acres of land by the Potomac River.

They named this land Glen-Echo-onthe-Potomac: The Washington Rhine.

1892 Things took a turn for the worse when word spread that a patron had contracted malaria while at the park. According to the National Park Service, one of the professors at Glen Echo died of pneumonia in August 1892, but rumors spread that his death was actually the result of malaria he had contracted at the park.

1891 The Baltzey brothers joined forces with the National Chautauqua Movement, a program established to educate middle-class adults through a summer school and community college. The program was so successful that the Baltzey brothers expanded their franchise and built an 8,000-seat amphitheater on the land.

With business booming, the brothers initiated the construction of a railway that connected Glen Echo to Washington D.C.

April 1903 Fearing contagion, people stopped coming to the park.

After several years of inactivity, Glen Echo park and the Chautauqua Assembly were officially closed and sold.

Summer 1907 Under the management of William Shaw, the park’s new owner, Glen Echo reopened as a small amusement park. Shaw opened just a few rides and restored the crumbling facade.

1911 The Washington Railway and Electric Company, which was operating the trolley that ran from D.C to Glen Echo, bought the land to create the iconic, extensive Glen Echo Amusement Park.

by Sarina Hanfling A cheerful song rings out from the carousel. Children fill the park. Smooth melodies swell from the Spanish Ballroom.

These are the sights and sounds of the iconic Glen Echo Park located alongside the Potomac River. The park is rich in history and home to many art, music and theater programs.

The park was founded in 1888, and has experienced the ups and downs of any historic corporation-- scandal, desegregation, economic depression.

Larry Riibner (‘75), a Whitman parent, was at the park constantly as a child.

1911-1950 Through the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and World War II, the amusement park welcomed hoards of visitors.

The park provided a cheap way for people to escape the negative war environment.

1961 As a result of this civil disobedience, U.S Attorney Robert F. Kennedy threatened to stop running the trolley into the park. On March 14, 1961, an announcement read that the park would be open to any visitor, regardless of his or her skin color.

1960 In the summer of 1960, a group of students from Howard University, both African American and white, picketed the segregated park that denied entrance to African Americans.

Members of the American Nazi Party posed counter protests and threatened violence.

“My fondest memory of the park was, of course, the roller coaster,” Riibner said. “It was huge, and went so fast. Also, I remember the noise, so much action going on all around us, and the smell was luscious.”

While Riibner cherishes his childhood at the park, there was plenty of history before and since then that has made Glen Echo the park it is today. *Information and picture from the National Parks Service. To learn more about the history of Glen Echo Park, visit http://www.nps.gov/.

1976-1990s The National Park Service officially gained ownership of the park. By the 90s, Glen Echo had become an arts and culture center, and many of the original buildings began to be stabilized or rehabilitated.

1968 As more and more families bought cars, the need for trolleys dissolved.

Thus, most “trolley parks” were no longer popular, and many had already closed their doors.

Additionally, after the park was desegregated, resulting racial tension discouraged people from attending.

Subsequently, profits dropped and the owners decided to permanently close the park.

When the park was desegregated in the early 60s, Riibner’s parents restricted him and his friends from going to the park because of the potential violence. As a result, Riibner began to go to sleepaway camp during the summer and amusement parks in Ocean City.

Current Glen Echo Park is now a flourishing center for arts and culture. Children and adults alike enjoy riding the carousel, watching lively shows

by Puppet Co. and Adventure Theater, and dancing in the Spanish Ballroom.

These moms will kick your booty three times a week at 5:45 a.m.

We start by running a few laps around the gym, followed by high knees and sprints across the floor. Then Marchegiani sets up 10 stations for different exercises along one side of the gym, each marked by an index card. We circulate around the stations, spending one straight minute at each.

At 5:55, we’re on our first station.

Marchegiani notices that I’m struggling Neighborhood women move through various stations in Marchegiani’s triweekly exercise class. to finish my minute of dumbbell jump- said. starts.” ing jacks. I’m out of breath and starting In addition to adults and senior citiIn 2012, the group started renting to feel sick. out the Whitman small gym during the zens in the area, Marchegiani also works “Did you have breakfast before winter so they wouldn’t have to stop with many high school athletes. He’s coming?” he asked. sessions because of the cold. When it’s currently offering a free “Bootie Boot “Yeah, about fifteen minutes ago,” I warmer, the group still works out at Camp” two-week trial for all Whitman said.

Merrimack park, as well as on the Whit- students, teachers and parents, as well “That may be coming up soon,” he man tennis and basketball courts, Butler as a discount for those who sign up after said. the trial. said.

It came up. I lasted a total of 10 minIn an effort to motivate clients to lose Marchegiani’s workouts focus on utes, and spent the rest of the hour in wellness and goal-setting. weight and get in shape, Marchegiani is recovery.

“What I enjoy most about being a undergoing an experimental personal Marchegiani, who has been a per- trainer is teaching people how to achieve project: his own body makeover. sonal trainer for over 20 years, started their fitness goals while teaching them Marchegiani purposely gained 35 the “Bootie Boot Camp” in the spring of about training and nutrition,” he said, pounds of fat in a recent three month 2007, then held at Merrimack Park, with “as well as teaching people about their period by eating without restraint and just one member attending his first ses- body and what it’s capable of.” abstaining from all exercise. He is now sion.

The program appeals to working in his weight loss phase, striving for a The workout group’s popular- adults who want to get their exercise in total loss of 50 pounds by the end of the ity spread quickly, primarily through before their work day starts. project. word-of-mouth.

“One of the main objectives of my “I wanted an early morning class to “The first member told a few friends accommodate my work schedule, four- mad experiment is to show it's never too and they told their friends and soon I year participant Kris Besch said. “I love late to get into the best shape of your had 15 people in my class,” Marchegiani having worked out before my day really life,” he said. photo by JESSE CAO photo by JESSE CAO

by Jesse Cao It’s 5:45 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, still a bit dark outside, and I’m very cold. I mosey— because with a substantial layer of ice on the ground, the best I can do is mosey— my way across the Whitman parking lot and into the building.

I walk into the small gym and meet six women of varying ages and one man. The man is personal trainer Tony Marchegiani. The women greet me with a motherly air. They are, in fact, all mothers, and I go to school with some of their children.

A group of local women have been participating in Marchegiani’s “Bootie Boot Camp” at Whitman for two years.

The group meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:45a.m. to 6:45a.m. to exercise. The fee for the class is $135 per month. Seven women who live in the neighborhood currently make up the group, but anyone, regardless of age or gender, is welcome to join, participant Kris Butler said.

The group works out in Merrimack Park during the warmer months and rents out the Whitman small gym during the winter.

Sophomore Joelle Besch, whose mother is part of the group, suggested that I join in the workout for a “full experience.” So I do.

Crossword

14

MARCH 4, 2015

W C R O S S R D

Teapot Dome

by William Arnesen

Across

1. Taxi 4. A beefcake has a hot one 7. None 10. Paris, ___ de France 13. Sheeran’s “_’_ _” mess 14. Where Nemo can’t pronounce 16. Nickname for Dominic 17. USA’s method to communicate to the deaf 18. On the loose 19. Friend, in Marseilles 20. Iron Chancellor von Bismarck 22. Aeroplane officer 24. Large duck 26. Sam _ __ 27. Wolf or Ranger 28. One people of the Caucasus 30. Flightless bird 32. Now Tokyo 33. Similar to literary mood 34. Big Bird’s street 38. More scarce 40. Father 42. Pulse in pain 43. Dish of beaten eggs 45. Messini and Frienship’s agency,

abb.

47. Caribbean Development Bank 48. Arthur Brooks’s org.

49. Quarantines 51. Protest gone wild 54. Photo or vid. Device 56. Got bought out by American Airlines 57. Teapot dome “Fall guy” 60. Teenage facial blemishes 62. As Caesar crossed the Rubicon, “alea iacta est,” (the ___ is cast) 63. “____ ___ your goons” 65. Iron prefix 66. Einstein’s Princeton home, abb.

67. Argonaut 68. Open Source Initiative 69. Beethoven’s “___ to Joy” 70. When the Malay peninsula isn’t on daylights’ savings time 71. “___ mo” 72. Party drug street name

Down

1. Goodbye, in Genoa 2. Pot capital of Europe

3. Poe’s home 4. What does the sheep say 5. Toronto’s province 6. Salami dealer 7. Metalcore band ___ Jean 8. Hidden app purchases 9. Look weirdly at 10. American potato heaven 11. Miller’s Willy ______ 12. Zola of J’accuse 15. Like a porpoise or a seahorse 21. What a bard sings 23. Watery snow 25. After the hors d’oevre 28. Air prefix 29. Conjunction Junction 31. They can be alkali or transition

35. Wild polar dogs 36. Most contemporary 37. In contrast to flows 39. Make happy 41. Ma-mas and da-___ 44. Little mints 46. Full of heart and meaning 50. Batteries or car help 51. Marconi’s invention 52. Homer’s Trojan War epic 53. More than fat 55. G sharp 58. Radio Corporation of Americas, abb.

59. Plenty 61. Rocker Clapton 64. FreeSpace Open, abb.

MARCH 4, 2015

Feature

15

Former student succeeds in business after struggling in school 1

“Once math got to letters instead of numbers, I completely tuned out,” he said. “I tied myself to only categories that I thought would benefit me in the future. It was hard for me to really care about learning if I didn’t think anything I learned would help me in the long run.”

Sommer’s fun and confident personality helped him make it as an entrepreneur, said English teacher Stephanie Chaplin, who worked extensively with Sommer during his years at Whitman.

“Joseph was always confident approaching people and was upfront and out there,” she said. “He always worked hard and wasn’t afraid of doing what he needed to do.”

After Whitestone Works’ first successful year of business in 2013, Sommer travelled to Haiti to make what he called a “corporate social responsibility” donation. He gave $5,000 to the YMCA D’Haiti, a non-profit he volunteered for in 2011 after college. His experiences helping send Haitian students to school and rebuilding the post-earthquake, devastated capital city of Port-au-Prince pushed Sommer to donate again this year, this time to Team Rubicon, another Haitian disaster relief organization.

“I knew that when I started the company, I wanted to give back,” he said. “Any company that’s based in customers, that’s profitable, I think should be giving back someway, somehow.”

The best part of Whitestone Works has been being able to work with some of the world’s largest and most famous companies, Sommer said.

“Being a 25-year-old and working with Goldman Sachs; working with Bloomberg and Time Warner and Discovery–that’s the most rewarding thing to me,” he said. “I’m able to work with companies that I love and look up to.”

The company’s quick rise has helped Sommer realize that success in school isn’t necessary to succeed in the workforce.

“There’s so much more to life than what is inside the classroom,” he said.

“I would tell students to take advantage of every opportunity that they can, meet and talk to as many people as they can, always network, and be a student advocate for what you believe in.”

Joseph Sommer poses with members of the YMCA D'Haiti after donating $5,000 to the photo courtesy JOSEPH SOMMER

continued from page

organization in what he calls a "corporate social responsibility" donation.

Rock Terrace school educates and provides community work opportunities to students with intellectual disabilities The MCPS school in Rockville educates students aged 12 to 21, providing a transition to independent life

by Margot Dionne

When I pulled up to Rock Terrace, it seemed like any other school in the county: cars packed the parking lot, a flag waved in the wind outside the front door and a sign greeted me at the entrance.

What I didn’t know was that on the inside, it was so much more than a school.

Upon walking through the doors, I saw two men escorting a boy down a well-lit hallway. The boy had dark hair, large glasses and a hearing aid in each ear. However, what struck me about the boy wasn’t his glasses or his hearing aids. It was his shirt. Over his clothes he wore a neon yellow T-shirt that read, “I have autism. If I am alone call 9-11.”

Kathy Lertora, the boy’s principal, explained that this student has a problem with running away. He escapes from school or runs away from home when he’s not being watched, so he has to wear the neon shirt every day as a precaution.

“He’s made it pretty far,” she said, thinking back to past incidents.

Rock Terrace, an MCPS

school in Rockville, educates students ages 12 to 21 who have intellectual disabilities— like the boy with the yellow shirt. With a student-to-staff ratio of 8 to 5, Rock Terrace is one of five public schools in the county designed specifically for special education.

“These are students whose level of need exceeds what can happen in a comprehensive school,” Lertora said.

“We walk into this building every day because of the difference that we are making in the children.”

-Assistant principal Faustina Quist Historically, Rock Terrace has specialized in unique education. The school was originally built in 1951 as a school exclusively for African American students. In 1961, when schools became integrated, it was transformed into a school for students with special needs.

During the winter, students tend to a greenhouse at the school. The kids grow lettuce, tomatoes and herbs.

Although 75 percent of the 85 students at Rock Terrace fall on the autism spectrum, there is nothing preventing students with other disabilities from being recommended for the school.

“There’s not a disability category that makes the student appropriate for Rock Terrace,” Lertora said.

Rock Terrace houses three sections: one for grades six through eight, another for grades nine through twelve, and an upper school for older students ages 18 to 21. All students are working to achieve a certificate of completion rather than a high school diploma.

The middle school offers basic classes like math, English and P.E., while the The middle school offers high school allows students to choose elective classes in addition to core basic classes such as math- classes. ematics, English and physi- business capacity,” Lertora While some students were cal education, while the high explained. “They make food outside caring for the greenschool students can choose for catering jobs, bake sales, house plants, others were infrom elective classes in addi- things like that.” side learning “Home Survival tion to their core classes.

The kitchen is located Skills.” The name of the class Students in the upper next to the main office. Posted comes from the idea that stuschool, age 18 to 21, spend outside the kitchen is a menu dents will leave with a batime preparing for life outside from which teachers can order sic understanding of how to the classroom. These students student-prepared meals for do independent handiwork spend two-thirds of their day lunch. Monday’s special was around a house. In this class, a at a community work site to lasagna; Wednesday’s, egg boy showed me his skill, hamintegrate into the workforce. salad. In late February, stu- mering nails into wood.

“We have a big culinary dents will cook a large EthioMany of the skills learned arts program where our stu- pian meal in honor of Black in this class will help the students work in a kitchen in a History Month. dents who plan to live in a During lunch, kids sit at group home or assisted living tables of four. This setup en- program, assistant principal courages conversation, but Faustina Quist said.

Each year, a handful of doesn’t overwhelm them with 21-year-old upper school stutoo much chatter.

Students also tend to an dents graduate from Rock Tereight-bed garden in the spring race. This year, six students and fall and a greenhouse in will graduate. Four of the six the winter months. Kids were graduates will require assiswatering lettuce, tomatoes and tance in the workforce after herbs in the greenhouse when graduation, but two have inI greeted them. Some students dependent jobs secured.

“When the right structures were extremely enthusiastic to see a new face, while oth- are in place, a student, even ers didn’t seem to notice I was with special needs, can make it, ” Quist said. “We walk into there.

Some of this produce goes this building every day beto the Rock Terrace kitchen, cause of the difference that we while Dawson’s Market, a are making in the children.” community grocery store, purphotos by Margot Dionne chases much of the rest.

Students in the upper school, aged 18 to 21, have opportunities to prepare for life outside of the classroom.

Sports

16

MARCH 4, 2015

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: photo courtesy MICHAEL SULLIVAN

Swimmer Michael Sullivan

Senior Michael Sullivan, who is committed to the University of Wisconsin, is one of the fastest swimmers in the state.

by anna marcus It’s four o’clock in the morning and senior Michael Sullivan drags himself out of bed to get to the KennedyShriver Aquatic Center for a 4:45 swim practice. For Sullivan, this is a typical start to a long day.

Sullivan, a University of Wisconsin commit, is the

strongest freestyle swimmer on the swim team, as well as one of the fastest swimmers in the state. He has placed consistently in the top of all his freestyle races this season.

“The thing about [Sullivan] and his swimming is that he always makes it look easy,” teammate Ethan Taswell said.

“When you watch his stroke, he goes insanely fast without

ever looking like he’s sprinting, and that effortlessness translates over into his attitude.”

Sullivan started swimming after his sisters introduced him to the sport. He joined his neighborhood swim team, the Bethesda Barracudas, at five years old and has been swimming for them every summer since.

Currently, Sullivan swims for the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club in addition to the Whitman and Bethesda teams.

He has trained with coach Scott Vekeman since eighth grade.

On average, Sullivan spends an intense 21 hours per week in the pool, spread out over nine practices.

“I think I have the right attitude for swimming,” he said.

“I am willing to put in the hard work, and am really detailoriented about the process.

I also really enjoy the sport and always have, and that really makes the hard work a lot more bearable.”

Sullivan’s strongest stroke

is freestyle, which has been his main focus during high school.

Freshman through junior year, Sullivan swam the 200-and 500-yard freestyle, then decided this year that he wanted to swim the 100 and 200-yard freestyle in addition to the 200yard medley and the 400-freestyle relay, which he had been swimming all along.

“It’s an honor swimming with him in the relay,” teammate Jeff Su said. “Mike always compliments many of us on our swimming whether good or bad, and gives us tips on how to improve our technique.”

Sullivan’s favorite event to swim is the 200-yard freestyle because it’s a challenging mix between the speed of sprinting and the endurance of distance.

This season, Sullivan broke his personal record for the 200 yard freestyle at Metros, a meet that includes all public and private schools in the Metro area, with a time of 1:39.80.

“I really like how time-

driven the sport is,” he said.

“You can really see your improvement and easily see how you’ve done.”

While the boys had an 0-5 record during the regular season, Sullivan could always be relied on to bring in points for the team. In the two of the most crucial meets of the season, Metros and Regionals, Sullivan dominated the competition.

At Metros, Sullivan came in third place in the 100-yard freestyle, and sixth in the 200 -yard freestyle, in addition to coming in fifth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with teammates Alex Vissering, Kevin Johnson and Jeff Su. Sullivan took first place in both the 100 and 200 -yard freestyle at the regional meet.

As for next year, Sullivan looks forward to continuing his success at the collegiate level.

“Wisconsin just stood out to me as the best academic and athletic combination, as well as a super close team and amazing city,” he said.

photo by NICK ANDERSON

#RoadtoStates

Foward Alison Poffley drives to the basket in the Vikes’ game against Northwood.

The girls finished their season undefeated with a 77-21 victory.

Girls Basketball Boys Basketball 4A West 4A West

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery Bye Blair Kennedy Kennedy

Whitman Whitman

Whitman

Bye

Churchill

B-CC

B-CC

B-CC

B-CC

Blair

Walter Johnson

Churchill

Walter Johnson Richard Montgomery

Whitman

4A West Regional Champion

Walter Johnson

Magruder Magruder Bye

Churchill Clarksburg Clarksburg

Kennedy

Northwest

4A West Regional Champion

Wootton

Quince Orchard

Wootton Bye

Wootton

Quince Gaithersberg Orchard Quince Orchard

Gaithersberg Gaithersberg Bye photo by JONAH ROSEN

Magruder

Magruder Northwest

Check out the Black & White online for the results of Tuesday’s game.

Clarksburg

Clarksburg Bye

Quince Orchard

Shaq Diboti-Lobe against Churchill in the first playoff game (57-39)

MARCH 4, 2015

17

Sports

BY BENJAMIN KATZ Last year, the girls basketball team was on a 20game winning streak when their playoff run ended surprisingly early after being upset in the sectional finals by the Kennedy Cavaliers Mar 5, 2014. Two days later, the team was asking coach Peter Kenah to open up the weight room to start getting ready for next season.

“They’ve been on a mission literally 365 days to get this going,” Kenah said. “And they’ve carried through.”

Now for the first time in school history, the team, led by captains Nicole Fleck, Annabelle Leahy and Alison Poffley, went a perfect 20-0 in the regular season and is on a fast break into the playoffs.

They hope to bounce back from last year’s postseason disappointment and close in on the ultimate goal: winning the team’s second ever state championship.

“We have dedicated so many hours of training and working towards this goal and we are going to continue pushing ourselves in practices and especially in games to get there,” guard Hannah Niles said. “Our hopes for playoffs is to enjoy every second of it because we all understand that this is a very special team with the potential to do amazing things.”

Guard Abby Meyers has been at the helm of the team all season, averaging a teamhigh 17.5 points per game.

She is also tied with guard Fleck for the team lead in three-pointers with 24.

Meyers became even

more of a force to be reckoned with this year after working on her conditioning and shot in the offseason, Kenah said.

Her strength was in full display during the Vikings’ 61-51 win over the tough Paint Branch Panthers Jan. 20. With both teams at an undefeated 11-0, the sophomore put up 28 points, including a crucial 11 in the fourth quarter to put away the game. Meyers made spectacular plays throughout the contest, from trick shots to behind-the-back passes.

“The sky’s the limit with these guys because they play great defense and that’s so important in the playoffs–I wouldn’t put anything past this team,” -Coach Kenah With this win, the Vikings separated themselves from the rest of the pack, showing their total domination over even their toughest opponents. They are entering playoffs as the number one seed and only undefeated team in the county.

With key contributions from guards Fleck, Niles and Marie Hatch and forwards Betsy Knox and Poffley, the Vikings depth in their rotation puts them at a big advantage as they travel the road to states.

“What’s really special about this team is the amount

of individual talent we have and our ability to highlight those when we play together,” Poffley said. “Everybody brings something to the court, so when we are playing, it’s just about tying them together to play as best as possible.”

Another factor to the Vikings’ regular season success has been their hawk-like defense. Hatch is especially known for her defensive prowess. She sealed a number of games for the Lady Vikes with her steals, blocks and tenacious attitude on the court. Continuing their defensive success into the playoffs will be vital for the team’s championship aspirations, Kenah said.

“The sky’s the limit with these guys because they play great defense and that’s so important in the playoffs–I wouldn’t put anything past this team,” he said. “I think [defense] is our calling card.

This team does have the ability to score, but at the end of the day, history has shown that the better defensive teams are the ones that win.”

Throughout their journey to win a state championship, the team will continue to focus on the fundamentals of basketball and take one game at a time, Knox said.

“Last year, we got out earlier than we expected, but this year we are planning to bring our best play and intensity to every game, and value each one,” she said.

“Any team would love to win a state championship, but I Foward Samantha Magliato takes a jump shot in the Northwest game, where the think it would be especially Lady Vikes dominated with an easy win 60-8. The girls are undefeated going into special to us because it would postseason. prove that our hard work has paid off.”

Basketball, crew and lacrosse use yoga to boost mental and physical abilities

BY ARYA HODJAT The downward facing-dog, the sun salutation and the forward fold are just a few things the girls basketball team practiced during this season.

No, they’re not plays— they’re yoga poses.

Professional sports teams and athletes have begun to incorporate yoga into their practices because of its usefulness in rehabbing and preventing injuries. That trend has now spread to Whitman with girls basketball, crew and lacrosse incorporating yoga into their practice routine.

Both girls basketball and crew have weekly yoga sessions led by professional instructor Kate Kuhn, wife of football

coach Jim Kuhn. Kuhn deals with both the physical and mental aspects of the sport in her training.

“What I try to teach is that yoga can make you feel more comfortable with the uncomfortable,” Kate Kuhn said. “To stay in a painful pose and know it’s not permanent, that can translate to your life off of the yoga mat.”

The girls basketball team started yoga at the beginning of this season to help prevent injuries on an already small-staffed team. While the team has suffered various minor injuries over the course of the season, they haven’t suffered any major ones, especially compared to previous seasons, coach Peter Kenah said.

photo courtesy NICOLE FLECK

Sports teams use yoga to reduce injuries, improve game

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Girls basketball goes 20-0, ready to make playoff push

The girls’ basketball team attends weekly yoga sessions led by professional instructor Kate Kuhn. The team attends the class every Saturday morning in the Kuhn’s basement yoga studio. The players feel that the yoga not only helps them physically, but mentally as well.

The team travels to the Kuhn household every Saturday morning, where they practice for an hour in the basement yoga studio. The response from the players has been overwhelmingly positive, to both the yoga itself and their instructor.

“The girls absolutely love it,” Kenah said. “I’m starting to hear things like ‘namaste’ and ‘let the energy flow through you’ in practice now.”

Some players of the team feels that it helps mentally as much as it does physically.

“It’s very unique in that it takes a lot of concentration and mental toughness,” forward Samantha Magliato said.

“We’ve all worked in the

gym, but it’s so different than just working your muscles, because it also relaxes you.”

“We’ve all worked in the gym, but it’s so different than just working your muscles, because it also relaxes you.”

- forward Samantha Magliato The girls crew team has been practicing yoga for once a week three seasons, though this is their first year with Kuhn leading the routine, and now work with her every Tuesday. Rower Maria Tritsis

said that yoga primarily helps them with timing their breathing while rowing.

Though girls lacrosse does not practice yoga with Kuhn, they still work individually. They began last season, with their first session over spring break last year, and according to head coach Kate Bitoni, they plan on continuing this upcoming season.

“It’s a great way for the athletes to get extra stretching in,” Bitoni said.

“It gives their bodies a break from the hard running they usually incur daily at regular practices and games.”

While the varsity football team has no teamwide yoga practices, coach Jim Kuhn said he

would incorporate them if not for logistical issues.

“You have to move all of those guys there and the equipment,” Kuhn said. “You can’t exactly just roll down a mat and do it.”

However, even with the lack of a team-wide plan, Kuhn said that some members of the team still practice yoga in their free time. Lineman Jake Schwartz, who started yoga last spring to rehab from a back injury, is among the players who practice individually.

“It’s very peaceful,” Schwartz said. “It helps escape the stress that occurs during the day.”

MARCH 4, 2015

sports

18

by spencer adAMS After the girls basketball team walloped the Richard Montgomery Rockets Feb. 13, I stayed to watch the boys game, hoping for an equally crushing victory (which unfortunately didn’t happen).

As soon as the boys game started, however, I tapped my friend next to me and pointed out that the shot clock seemed broken; it wasn’t counting down from 30 as it had in the girls’ game. But technical difficulties weren’t the problem. Rather, it was a surprising, and in my opinion, stupid rule: there’s no shot clock in Maryland boys basketball.

Maryland adopted a 30-second shot clock for girls basketball in the 1970s to speed up the game, and the decision has proven to be successful. Yet the boys still operate without a shot clock, often leading to plodding and uncompetitive games.

Of the eight states that currently use a shot clock for high school basketball, Maryland is the only one to have it for girls but not boys games.

A shot clock prevents stalling, a widelyused yet generally frowned-upon strategy in high school basketball. Stalling sparked controversy during the Maryland 2A state semifinal in 2012, when the EdmondsonWestside team passed the ball amongst themselves for three minutes, running down the clock at the end of the game and ultimately beating Oakdale.

A shot clock guarantees action every 30 seconds, engaging the crowd and allowing the game to be more representative of the teams’ relative skills.

While often useful for a team, this tactic compromises the integrity of the game.

Basketball is about being aggressive and competitive from the tip-off to the final buzzer. It’s not about holding the ball for minutes on end, during which no playing happens and the other team has no chance to respond.

Instead, a shot clock guarantees action every 30 seconds, engaging the crowd and allowing the game to be more representative of the teams’ relative skills. Without a shot clock, a weaker team could briefly get the upperhand and then stall for the rest of the game. But if the shot clock goes off every 30 seconds, then each team will have an equal chance to gain possession and score points, allowing the more talented team to win more frequently, according to girls basketball coach Peter Kenah.

These practical reasons are why college, professional and international leagues have all implemented a shot clock, and why both basketball coaches, Kenah and Chris Lun, support it.

One of the several purposes of high school leagues is to prepare kids to potentially play at higher levels, and student athletes need the practice of playing with a shot clock to be ready for college ball.

Many states don’t have shot clocks because of the cost of installation, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Yet this isn’t the case in Maryland as most gyms have a shot clock for girls games. Also, time keepers and referees will already know how to use the clocks, so it will be a minimal adjustment logistically.

If the goal of high school athletics is to promote fairness and sportsmanlike competition, then implementing a shot clock will be a slam dunk.

David Elfin brings thirty years of D.C. sportswriting skills to his own blog by benjamin katz and Josh Feder Former Whitman parent David Elfin hopes to continue a proud D.C. tradition of quality sports writing, and all for the low price of a dime a day.

After writing seven sports books on different teams and 30 years of covering D.C. sports for the Washington Times, Elfin has become his own boss, starting his own website, David Elfin on Sports, where he shares his extensive knowledge of the local sports scene.

Even with his extensive experience, the decline of the traditional newspaper forced Elfin to find work in new avenues. He attempted to sustain himself by freelancing for several years before deciding to make the leap into a fulltime online career. “[Freelancing] was a struggle for me,” Elfin said.

“As I was getting older and more frustrated with the job market, I said ‘you know what, let me just do this myself.’ ” On his website, he gives an in-depth look on all major professional sports in D.C., while also touching on local college athletics like the high-profile University of Maryland or the

less reported on Catholic University.

“I am the only person in town that covers everything,” he said. “And I have been here so long that I know everybody and know everything.”

Elfin posts daily entries that range from coaching changes to tackling difficult issues like the Redskins name controversy, and plans to write an article a day for 360 days out of the year.

The site also links to Elfin’s appearances on various radio and television broadcasts in which he spreads the inside information gained from years in his field.

The website has a premium subscription fee of 10 cents a day, called the Daily Dose, which gives readers immediate access to full posts. Without a subscription, readers are only able to view the first few paragraphs of a story until a few days after the story is published, and then can read it in its entirety.

“It’s the price of a week’s worth of lattes for a year’s worth of columns,” Elfin said. “It’s very small and hopefully people will pay that little for a perspective that has years of thoughts behind it.”

photo courtesy DAVID ELFIN

Sports opinion: Introduce shot clocks in boys basketball

David Elfin started his own blog, David Elfin on Sports, after covering D.C. sports for 30 years for the Washington Times.

However, the sixmonth-old website has had a hard time gaining readership due to the culture of the nation’s capital less so compared to other sports hubs where professional and college fandom dominates everyday life, Elfin said.

“There aren’t that many people who go back two or three generations in Washington,” he said. “It makes it a lot harder from a sports perspective, politics is always going to be the number one thing in this town.”

Although sports writing has been a struggle for Elfin at times, he still hopes to instill the importance of honesty and integrity in the industry in aspiring journalists.

Elfin recently came to Whitman for his annual visit to the journalism classes, where he spoke

about his many industry adventures, ranging all the way back to his days on BCC’s student newspaper, The Tattler, and Syracuse University’s periodical, The Post-Standard.

“Elfin emphasized that there are certain old school journalism skills that don’t go away: curiosity and the desire to be a storyteller,” journalism teacher Nicholas Confino said. “You can write print or online, but the skills don’t change.”

Despite the challenges in finding a suitable niche in online journalism, Confino believes that Elfin’s strong background will lead to the website’s success.

“There are enough people who still want objective, strong, honest reporting,” he said. “Moving quality writing online doesn’t change that desire.”

Sophomore feints and parries into the Fencing Junior Olympics

by Arya Hodjat In a world where Game of Thrones dominates TV sets, it’s easy to think of swordfighting as exclusive to the world of fiction. But for sophomore Jacob Asher, it’s a real sport— and he’s quite good at it.

Asher competed in the Fencing Junior Olympics last month, where he finished 38th of 245 competitors, the second-highest among fencers from the DC area.

While the Fencing Junior Olympics may not be officially affiliated with the International Olympic Committee, it’s still the leading competition for young fencers in the USA,

and the most prestigious event Asher has competed in, he said.

Inspired by his aunt, a former competitive fencer, Asher started fencing in the épée event at age seven and began competing by age nine.

The épée event, which is named after the stiff and heavy sword used, differs from other fencing events in that the whole body is an acceptable target, as opposed to the sabre or foil where the arms and legs are off limits.

“It’s very empowering, being able to remove someone’s weapon and just go at their chest,” Asher said.

“It’s like a pin in wrestling.”

Asher qualified for the Junior

photo courtesy JACOB ASHER

Sophomore Jacob Asher, left, lunges against a competitor in this year’s Junior Olympics. Asher finished 38th out of 245 competitors in the épée event.

Olympics after doing well at the North American Cup earlier this year.

He finished 16 out of 200, his best result in a tournament throughout his entire fencing career. He said he was surprised to have done so well.

“The JOs was easily the hardest tournament to qualify for,” Asher said. “The NAC was a week before final exams, and those were all that was on my mind.”

Asher trained extensively in the months leading up to the Junior Olympics. He ran a mile every day, practiced fencing against others for two hours, three days a week, and focused on the mental aspect of the sport.

“It’s mostly about staying calm and drowning out distractions,” Asher said. “I fence people leagues better than me, so I try to stay calm and focused, while having my [butt] handed to me.”

As his results show however, Asher dishes out enough punishment of his own; he won seven out of the nine matches he competed in at the Junior Olympics. His strength as a fencer lies in his technical ability.

“He is not the most speedy or agile fencer, but he is still great with his épée [sword],” said sophomore Tobias Matus-Band, a fellow fencer.

Asher said that while he plans on taking a break from extensive fencing next year to focus on school, he hopes to make the Junior Olympics again his senior year.

“I felt incredibly vindicated when I qualified for the first time,” Asher said. “It felt like all of my hard work had actually done something.”

MARCH 4, 2015

19

Sports

by sam berson A year ago Adam Silver took over as commissioner of the NBA and his impact on the game was felt immediately. By banning former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, he gained the trust of players and fans alike.

Now, new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred looks to have the same instant influence that Silver had. This January, Manfred took over for Bud Selig, a somewhat legendary figure who controlled the game for the past 17 years. Manfred is looking to make quick changes and is proving that Selig’s reign is a tough act to follow.

Two of the biggest issues facing the game today are a droning pace of play and a lack of offense.

While the average MLB game has increased almost 20 minutes in just the past 10 years, it’s still 13 minutes shorter than NFL games.

However, the arbitrary nature of the sport has led for calls for games to be shortened, with the same critics wanting more action during those nine innings.

Manfred has already made some small, yet beneficial changes. A clock has been added to cut down on time between innings, batters are now required to keep one foot in the box after every pitch to reduce the time between pitches and the league has begun experimenting with a pitch clock in the minors.

Creating more offense, on the other hand, is a little trickier. The issue arose after the MLB took a harder stance on steroids, and as a result run production fell and pitchers became a more dominant force.

Manfred is left with a decision on which is more important. While higher run totals may make a longer game more bearable for the casual fan, Manfred’s potential rule changes take away from much of the game’s strategy and directly contradict his attempts to shorten games.

One of Manfred’s proposals is to officially shrink the strike zone that has been growing in recent years. While shrinking the zone would cut down on strikeouts, it would lead to more walks and longer at-bats—in turn slowing down the game.

Another controversial idea is to eliminate defensive shifts. The rule wouldn’t allow defensive players to move as freely around the field and prevent them from positioning themselves towards where a certain batter hits the ball.

Managers seemingly move players every at-bat to counter the strengths of a hitter or cater to a certain situation that depends on who’s on base or what inning it is, which saved almost 400 hits last season, according to the Wall Street Journal. Removing shifts, however, takes away almost all of the defensive strategy with which a team has to play.

And while it may not sound that important, eliminating shifts would be like the NFL banning different defensive formations to create more touchdowns, an idea that removes one important aspect of the game just to help another.

Manfred trying to generate more interest for the casual fan is commendable. However, baseball is played over nine innings, and unlike the other four major sports, time isn’t a factor. So, while implementing small changes to make inning changes and at-bats less tedious, changing fundamental rules isn’t smart or realistic.

Backlash from players has also already began. Manfred was ripped into when he first suggested removing shifts and other players started attacking him for rashly changing minute elements of the game that players rely on.

If the MLB is serious about both issues, a balanced, but logical solution will need to be reached. But Manfred needs to be careful not to lose the players of the league that he just inherited.

by anna marcus Making the transition from teaching blocks and tackles to spikes and serves, coach John Floyd will be the new boys volleyball coach this spring.

He replaces Hao-lan Chai, who stepped down to spend more time with his son.

Floyd, who played volleyball throughout high school and college, hopes to bring the team’s competitiveness up to a new level.

“My goal for the team this year is to compete,” Floyd said. “At the high school level of any sport there is so much more than just winning and losing.”

Although the boys haven’t won a game in the past two seasons, half of last year’s team has graduated, leaving room for a rebuilding season.

“We lacked discipline and therefore consistency,” setter Stefan Greenberg said. “We would joke around during practices and games too much. Even if we could win individual points against other teams, it was almost impossible for us to keep a competitive level of play up for an entire game.”

Floyd wants to improve the team this sea-

son by increasing interest enough to have cuts during tryouts for the first time in years. He has reached out to many of his football players as potential new team members.

“Volleyball seems fun and there is the added plus of having a lot of my football friends joining and a football coach being the new coach,” said junior Jake Schwartz, a prospective player.

Returning players are also open to adding football players to the team.

The football players are sufficiently athletic and coordinated, which are two important elements in volleyball that last year’s team was lacking, Greenberg said.

In addition to carrying over players from football to volleyball, Floyd will also bring his intense coaching style with him.

Floyd has spent the past nine football seasons as the offensive and defensive lineman coach for Whitman.

“I want to bring a mentality of toughness and fierce competition,” he said. “Nothing brings out the best in people like a little push.”

The boys’ season kicks

New boys volleyball coach John Floyd hopes to instill discipline and lead the team to a successful season in his first year.

off March 23 with a match against the Poolesville Falcons at home. While wins are certainly an important part of building a competitive team, they’re not Floyd’s main focus for his first season as coach.

“Sure, I would love to win some matches along the way,” Floyd said. “But what I really hope for is to see the students drive to compete, to never settle, and to never be compla-

cent.”

For football players, a season of volleyball with Floyd means another season of excitement and hard work.

“As a football coach, he is always a character,” Schwartz said. “He always has fun while also making it serious. He is kind of like an orange—once you break through the bitter skin he is really sweet on the inside.”

DC Edge skating team finds national success

photo courtsey HALEY MCGLOON

New MLB commissioner faces diverse obstacles

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

Pro sports insight Football coach John Floyd attempts to turn boys volleyball’s fortunes around

The DC Edge synchronized skating team celebrates together after learning that they won last week’s U.S. Synchronized Skating Championship in Providence, Rhode Island.

by sydney schnitzer Figure skaters are gliding down the ice when all of a sudden a car appears. No, not a real car or a zamboni—a human car. Skaters link arms in a car-like formation while a “driver” slides in the middle. The car, made up of members of the DC Edge synchronized skating team, includes two of Whitman’s own students, junior Haley McGloon and sophomore Lauren Somerville.

The team finished first in the intermediate division at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championship in Providence, Rhode Island last week.

“Competing at Nationals was completely surreal,” McGloon said.

“When they announced our scores we all freaked out.”

The team was formed last spring after an earlier DC Edge team merged with a separate DC team called Capitol Steps. It has made its way to the top of their division, placing in the top two in all four of their competitions so far.

“As a new team to the intermediate division, we weren’t sure how competitive the skaters would be,” coach Jenny DeSimone said. “We realized early on they were incredibly motivated and dedicated and that has certainly paid off.”

The team’s success hasn’t come without hard work. They practice two to three times a week, and skaters are often on the ice four days on their own, McGloon said.

The team works on their program off the ice as well, using intense conditioning and drills as well as exercises to perfect their head and arm positions to prepare for competitions, Somerville said.

While they have only been competing together for a year, the team has already made a name for themselves in the synchronized skating world with their innovative and dominating performances.

Each team chooses a theme for their performance. After months of training that began in August, the

team finalized their Cops and Robbers performance. The dance starts with a heist to the tune of the Pink Panther theme song and then moves on to portray a police chase with a human car before ending with them finally capturing the criminals.

The routine also has to include certain components including a four line intersection, a pivot block in which lines of skaters move down the ice together, a wheel composed of lines of skaters rotating around a common center and a creative element.

Although difficult and frightening at times, Somerville said the car and the pivot block are her favorite elements. “[The pivot block] looks really cool on the ice, it makes us look really fast,” she said.

There are also requirements for the team’s costumes. While most synchronized skating teams wear matching outfits, DC Edge decided to be different. The team is split, with half of the team dressed as police and the the other half dressed as robbers, McGloon said.

Similar to a theatre performance, the DC Edge skaters have to act as well as skate. The team has worked tirelessly on perfecting body movement, marching on ice, facial expressions and extensions.

“It’s hard to think of everything at once,” Somerville said. “You have to make sure you are doing the right things with your feet as well as your head and your arms. It’s definitely a challenge but being able to drill the steps all the time and all the off-ice [training] is really helpful.”

With all the work and time on and off the ice, the team was happy with their performance at Nationals and hopes to make an appearance again next year.

“I’m hoping for a strong team and fun program so we can make another run for the national championship all over again,” McGloon said.

20

Backpage

MARCH 4, 2015

What the monk knew in the monastery.

Under a shaded umbrella protecting us from the blazing Thai sun, the young student smiled warmly in his must-orange robe designated for forest monks and listened carefully as my father told him of life in the United States.

My father carried on about how we were from Washington, D.C., searching for some spark of recognition. There was none.

“You know, the White House?” he said.

No reaction.

After a few minutes of unsuccessful communication, the monk made it clear he had no knowledge of this foreign land we spoke of. Impossible, right?

“Do you have any questions for us?” we asked.

The monk asked us if we were Christian or Buddhist, but we replied that we were Jewish.

The monk stared blankly and spent the next 30 seconds

or so trying to pronounce this faith which he said he had never heard of before.

I always knew that Jews only made up a sliver of the world’s population, but in that moment I felt a strange sense of smallness.

This man knew nothing of my identity, my homeland, my faith or my government. And, even more stunning to me, he didn’t really take much interest.

He quickly moved on to education, a subject that made his eyes glow with curiosity.

“How much?” he asked.

“Free,” my father replied.

The monk’s eyes dilated in disbelief as he sat up straight in his chair.

We spent the next 20 minutes discussing the idea that in our country, education can be free: no money, no price.

In very broken English, he explained that in Laos—a nation of mostly farmers—educa-

photo by Hayley Segall

by hayley segall Washington, D.C. Renowned globally as the pinnacle of justice and democracy and the city that leads this great nation.

At least that’s what we natives are raised to believe.

For us, it’s easy to believe that the world is watching our every move. After all, we have the Capitol, where politics affecting the entire world are debated and decided; we have the President, an international figure; and we have plenty of TV shows, newspapers, and magazines talking about us 24/7.

Now imagine how humbling it is to meet a man who has never heard of any of this.

While visiting Buddhist University in Chiang Mai, Thailand this past winter break, my family and I sat down with an 18-year-old student from Laos to take part in a “cultural fusion” and practice English with-

Monks in a Chiang Mai temple perform daily chants while grasping string, allowing visitors to touch the sacred figures indirectly by holding the other end. Buddhist monks, who can’t be paid, live off donations from well-wishers.

photo by Hayley Segall

One writer’s trip to a Buddhist monastery and the discussion that changed her view of the world

Buddhist monks visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok, where Thailand’s kings have lived for centuries.

tion was a privilege. Any type of education was one that you paid for. He had never been outside of Laos until he moved to Chiang Mai to study.

We asked, “What do you think the biggest difference is for you here?”

He replied, “In Laos, school is money.”

The student monk couldn’t fathom that our education is free. I had never seen one person so emotional about education—especially not around here.

This monk, an 18-year-old student from Laos, grew up in a poor farming family. He didn’t even want to pursue a life in the monastery, but this was the cheapest education he could find.

He told us how in the mon-

astery he learns English, politics and philosophy along with Buddhist teachings and lifestyle.

We asked question after question, fascinated about the distinction between monks of the forest and city. Every day, they wake up at four in the morning, go into town at sunrise to collect offerings of food and never eat after their lunch meal.

We were intrigued by him, but he was more intrigued by our free education system.

He always reverted back to the concept of free.

And at that moment, I felt small, but I felt humbled.

I thought about the endless nights of my adolescence where I wanted to quit school; it was “too hard”, “too annoying” and “not fun”.

DeMaurice Smith talks about his time as head of the NFL Players Association

Black & White: What experiences helped prepare you the most to be the director of the NFLPA? DeMaurice Smith: I’ve been lucky enough where all of the jobs that I’ve had before have prepared me for this. I was a criminal prosecutor in D.C. for 10 years, which certainly helps you think critically and quickly and engage in analysis under crisis circumstances.

I was in private practice for another 15 years, and that teaches you how to play and raise the level of your game to the highest level. Your clients expect you

to be the best lawyer in the room at all times.

Even before that when I was in high school working at a fastfood restaurant, which teaches you customer service. You learn that when you are a service provider, even if it isn’t your best day, everyone that you come into contact with, in a service aspect, is expecting you to deliver their service.

B&W: What specific individuals have impacted your life the most?

DS: My parents were the people that I looked up to the most. I’m one generation removed from a dad who grew up in the rural South; there was no indoor plumbing, 14 kids, and sharecropping. It was the Jim Crow South. My mother lost her parents when she was 13 years old, and raised herself and her twin brother before going to nursing school. When you’re lucky enough to have parents who have overcome a lot, and at the same time, don’t put a lot of pressure on you, you’re always aware of their quiet strength. They taught me to not allow the crisis to get the better of you, and deliver your best at all times.

B&W: What was it like negotiating during the lockout in 2011, considering that all sides were under significant pressure?

DS: It’s high pressure, but the only way to handle those situations effectively is to deconstruct where the pressure is coming from, and separate real pressure from fake pressure. I know that everybody wanted to play football and nobody wanted to miss games, but that’s pressure from fans, and you have to just put that on the shelf.

I represent the players, not the fans.

The pressure that you feel there is from the players, but I don’t feel that the pressure that I felt was intense. You prepare for it, you plan for it, you have multiple contingencies, and you

work your way through it.

B&W: What was your role in the domestic violence incidents and what are your goals for the future?

DS: I think that the most important thing with regards to violence is that you don’t want it to happen. If they happen to anybody in your family, you would be extremely concerned.

The goal there is to focus on preventing these things from happening. Unfortunately these things happen in football; they happen in basketball; they happen in baseball; they happen at your school; they happen at my school; they happen down the street; they happen in college; they’re going to happen.

They key is figuring out what you’re going to do when these things occur, and how you’re going to handle them in the best possible way. I firmly believe that a lot of the problems the NFL had in dealing with the domestic violence issues weren’t so much the incidents that occurred, but it was how they reacted to them. They, in many respects, acted poorly.

B&W: With regard to concussions and player safety, what would you like to see done?

photo courtsey DEMAURICE SMITH

by Caleb Friedman Black & White reporter Caleb Friedman interviewed NFL Players Association director DeMaurice Smith over the phone to ask Smith about his career and past experiences. Smith, who was elected as director by the players in 2009, oversees day-to-day affairs of the NFLPA, which ensures adequate compensation for current and active players.

Smith was the chief negotiator during the 2011 NFL lockout, and has spearheaded a movement for player safety, including medical care for retired players. Smith’s responses have been edited for conciseness and clarity.

B&W: What is your favorite part of your job at the NFLPA? DS: My favorite part is when I’m on the road meeting with our players. You get to watch them on Sunday, but you realize when you meet with them that they’re all incredibly young; they’re fathers; they’re sons; they’re husbands; they’re people in their communities; they’re normal people. They just happen to be some of the best athletes in the world.

Elected as director in 2009, DeMaurice Smith oversees the day-to-day affairs of the NFLPA.

DS: You can’t, in this job, focus on just simply one aspect.

Obviously, our players love to play a great game, but that’s just one aspect. The game is played by human players, so you can’t forget: it’s not robots running around out there. It’s people.

You have to realize that these players are not going to play forever, and you need to make sure that they leave football in as safe a circumstance as possible. So, the job is really avoiding being trapped in just one aspect of the game and life.

For the full Q&A, look online at www.theblackandwhite.net