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Being expressive and rebellious are parts of growing up.
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Volume LXI, Issue 4
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Check out books and movies to watch this holiday break.
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WJ runners transition from cross country to track.
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wjpitch.com
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
2015: Year in Review
By Andrew Resnick
From ISIS attacks to longawaited releases, 2015 saw major changes locally, statewide, nationally and internationally. With the new year barely a week old, terror struck the city of Paris when three gunmen affiliated with the terror group ISIS stormed Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine killing 12 people and injuring 10 others. Overseas events did not start out well in 2015, and that trend only continued in the US and in Maryland. On Apr. 19, Baltimore citizen Freddie Gray was killed just a week after Gray had allegedly been treated brutally by police while transporting him. Just over a week after Gray’s death on Apr. 28, the day of Gray’s funeral, riots erupted on the streets of Baltimore, highlighting the recent racial tension which had gripped the country during 2015. The riots resulted in many police officers injured, numerous homes and stores damaged and the call for the National Guard to help intervene in Baltimore, which forced Gov. Larry Hogan to call for a State of Emergency. Not everything started out poorly in the beginning of 2015 though. On May 2, Prince William and Princess Kate wel-
comed their second child into the royal family. The birth of Princess Charlotte made international headlines as she was the second royal baby born in less than two years. With the summertime came some new landmark national and local changes. Firstly, as the 2014-2015 school year wrapped up, it marked the end of the old school bell schedule. New school start times were pushed back 20 minutes. The new schedule was voted in favor by the board of education and was implemented at the beginning of the 2015 school year. Also in June, the Supreme Court, in what is considered one of the most monumental decisions in history voted in favor of a national mandate for states to allow same sex marriage with a five to four vote. This made the US the 20th country in the world to allow same sex marriage nationwide. In July, in perhaps one of the most progressive events nationally in 2015, South Carolina removed a Confederate Flag outside of its statehouse in Charleston after 54 years. The removal of the flag came less than a month after a shooting at a historically black church during a prayer session. The
shooter, who was white, killed nine victims, all of them black. The removal of the Confederate Flag was one of the progressives in the recent racial problems evident in the US. In the same month the US Women’s National Soccer Team won the Women’s World Cup in Canada, this marked the first time in 16 years that the Women’s team captured a World Cup. After scoring four goals in the first 16 minutes of the championship match, the Women’s team celebrated the victory in front over 20 million television viewers worldwide, surpassing both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals. With August ending, and the school year starting, more changes came to Montgomery County Public Schools. After a vote by the Board of Education, the Board decided that final exams will be removed, being replaced by “culminating activities”. In September, Pope Francis visited the United States. This was the first visit to the US for Pope Francis, and the first visit by a pope to the US in seven years.This was also the first visit by a Pope to Washington D.C. in 36 years, all the way back to continued on page 3
Graphic by Emma Zwick. Photos courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: Victoria Pickering, Anthony Heatley, JL M., Stephen Melkisethian, Luke Traynor, Krn Kmr, Adam Chitwood, Gage Skidmore, Mike O’Sullivan, Wilson Freeman.
Mother sues WJ crew, alleging negligence, sexual assault by Jeffery Cirillo Much of the Walter Johnson community received a major shock on a Tuesday morning earlier this month, when a local ABC news affiliate reported that the mother of a WJ student had filed a lawsuit against the Walter Johnson Crew Club and a former assistant coach. The mother is alleging that the former coach had sex with her underage daughter, and that the Crew organization did not do enough to protect her. The lawsuit, filed in the Montgomery County Circuit Court, names Walter Johnson Crew Club Inc, its Board of Directors and former coach
Justin Mack as defendants. The lawsuit accuses Mack of having sex with the student on a Rockville golf course on September 10. The mother is seeking at least $5 million in damages for emotional distress, medical costs and other expenses related to the incident. An archived version of the WJ Crew website from August 2014 listed Mack as a “Strength and Conditioning Coach.” The suit alleges that the encounter amounts to sexual assault due to Mack’s age and position of authority. It further accuses the WJ Crew organization of negligence in hiring Mack, who had a previous history of criminal activity. Mack
was convicted for embezzling $30,000 from a gym he worked at in 2007 and 2008. Eric Voit, the Chairman of the WJ Crew Club’s Board of Directors, declined to comment on the case at the advice of legal counsel. However, he added that “WJ student rowers are now impacted [by the case] through absolutely no fault of their own.” In an email to Crew parents, Voit said the board is “sickened by the allegations, and heartbroken for the girl and her family.” He also said that Mack is “not currently associated with the team, and has not been since last Spring.” If successful, the suit could
mean significant financial hardship for the WJ Crew organization. Furthermore, some have suggested that a ruling in favor of the mother could implicate more than just Mack and the Crew club. The club hovers in a fuzzy gray-area between affiliated and unaffiliated school groups: it is not an official school sport, but much of its funding comes from the WJ Booster Club, a WJ parent organization with extensive ties to the school. A former WJ Crew rower, who chose to remain anonymous, said that news of the lawsuit came as a shock to many Crew club members, and it impacted them very strongly
to hear the allegations about their former coach. “I couldn’t believe that this happened to the team,” the former rower said. “It’s awful what happened, and I feel really bad for the girl. I hope there’s some sort of conclusion to this.” The civil suit may be motivated in part by the fact that, due to Maryland’s consent laws which states 16 as the age of consent, Mack cannot be charged with a crime for the alleged incident. Local lawmakers have also said that as a part-time coach, Mack is not bound to the law that applies to full time staff members. This case has brought this loophole to public attention.
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
Sources of Strength makes an impact Students By Emma Zwick This year, Walter Johnson has kickstarted a new campaign that students are involved in nationwide called Sources of Strength. Created by students and run by adults, this organization is all about students helping other students by reaching out to them if they need emotional help just by talking or even events and activities that are planned. The main focus is mental health and suicide prevention, so the sources of strength that the name refers to is a reminder of everyone’s purpose for living. “I know it’s for a great cause. It’s not just me doing Sources of Strength, I know it’s a lot of kids around the country doing the same thing, and I know that together we can all make a difference and help find alternatives to suicide and self-harm,” Kevin Salvatore, a member of Sources of Strength, said. Many students selected as peer leaders, like Salvatore, were trained to be able to talk to other students in need and focus their thoughts on the positives in life. It was a long process, but these students are committed to providing the support for their peers. “[The training] was a six hour thing, where we sat in the library during school and received the standard training. They just talked to us about
how sensitive things are and they taught us the six sources of strength. We learned about how to go about talking to someone about their problems and it was really helpful,” Salvatore said. “I know a few people that are having trouble and one of them reached out to me after they learned I was doing this whole thing and I was able to talk to them in a more helpful way.” Not only does this program focus on one-on-one contact with students in need, the students involved in it are also planning events and activities for the school as a whole. “It’s going to be going on all year and a festival is coming up soon where we have a lot of events planned for a whole week and it’s going to be focusing educating everyone on their sources of strength,” peer leader Maddie Kemp said. Around Thanksgiving, WJ students were required to list three things they were thankful for in second period, just one of many smaller activities that the group has planned for the future.These activities will help all students and have a positive influence of the prominence of this topic in everyday life. “One thing we will be doing soon is an in-class meeting, and I think a double third seminar. There’s a lot of exciting things coming in the future,” Salvatore said.
Although the activities and events will be fun and informative, it is still a dark and heavy topic that so many students endure during their years of high school, and it is even hard for the peer leaders who have to hear emotional and devastating information, but still remain strong and helpful. “I think the hardest part has been realizing that people’s problems are real, like it’s not just something that they are going to talk about and not do, it’s real and there are people that are actually suicidal and it’s not okay, so just thinking about that and realizing what my job is and just to help them,” Salvatore said. Overall the program seems to have a promising future, seeing as they are already making progress throughout the school and are going to expand it even further. The peer leaders and teacher advisors know that their help will at least change a few people’s lives, if not more, and the large presence of involvement will create a more informed student body. “I think it will have a positive effect on the student body as a whole because there are so many kids in it and so many teacher advisors who are trying to help kids that there’s no way it couldn’t have a positive effect, since it’s such a large group to start with,” Kemp said.
Hispanic students celebrate heritage By Meg Tamara Muchos estudiantes celebraron su cultura en la asamblea de la Herencia Hispana en el ocho de Deciembre. Sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage club, Hispanic and Latino students diligently prepare for the assembly months in advance, perfecting their salsa, samba and classical Spanish guitar. With a variety of Latin countries represented and a multitude of students involved, the assembly previewed the beauty of traditional Latin culture unknown to many nonHispanic/Latino students with performances featuring an array of Latin music from Brazilian funk to Caporales. Mesmerized by the rhythmic dance and sway of colorful skirts, the Latin dance was one the most impressionable acts. The dancers spent months perfecting the samba, bachata and reggaeton dances. The Cumbia, a traditional Colombian dance popularized by the Latin world, made its first debut to the stage in WJ history. The dances were lead by seniors Vanessa Lesmes, Adriana Miralles and Lluvia Pinzon who alternated leadership on particular dances.
Photo by Sally Tuszynski
Hispanic heritage club participants take part in a traditional dance involving long flowing skirts to accentuate movement.
“There was a leader for every dance and the leader was the one in charge of figuring out the dance and the costumes and had to teach us the dance… The practice could be frustrating but at the same time it was very fun because we were all together we had a blast. We were just hanging out, dancing, and making jokes and what not” Pinzon, who led the reggaeton dance said. Pinzon was particularly fond of leading the Cumbia, enjoying the opportunity to show off
her Colombian heritage which received a favorable reaction from the crowd. “My favorite of the assembly was what people had to say about it… it was really nice that people liked it and I enjoyed giving something back to the community in terms of [hispanic/latino] education because people learn about our dances,” Pinzon said. “We haven’t done Cumbia before and I’m really proud of being Colombian and I get to show it off. It’s great.”
sign up for annual ski trip
By Ben Gold From Jan. 22-26, 2016 Walter Johnson and a private company called Snow Escape are partnering to offer students a special ski trip to Canada known by WJ students as the “Canada Trip.” The Canada trip offers students the unique opportunity to travel to Mont Tremblant in Quebec and enjoy the amazing mountain with their friends. Traveling on what is about a 10-11 hour bus ride may seem like a long time, but for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, students believe it is well worth it. The Snow Escape website states that their goal is to provide mountain beauty, winter adrenaline and relaxing fun. Mont Tremblant is home to 96 ski trails on four distinct slopes that allow for both skiers and snowboarders to enjoy a huge variety of paths down the mountain. The resort can also be enjoyed by less experienced skiers, for according to the mountain’s official website, a little over 20 percent of the trails are designed for beginners. Beginning right after the conclusion of final exam week, students can completely enjoy the trip without the burden of school and work on their minds. Additionally, since both Friday Jan. 22, and Monday the 25 are no-school days, the participating students can enjoy even more carefree days in the snowy Canadian mountains without missing a single day of school. Walter Johnson junior Andrew Hamill, is attending the trip for the first time this year, and believes it comes at the perfect time. “The time frame of the trip is great. It allows for the trip to be longer than just the average weekend, and for us to go without missing any school,” Hamill said. The trip allows students to enjoy the long weekend and includes a vast array of luxuries that make the trip extra special. “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to enjoy the long weekend snowboarding and hanging out with my friends in such a cool place,” Hamill said.
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
NEWS
Students take center stage 2015 with musical performances Year in Review By Ben Gold continued from page 1 By Andrew Resnick when Pope John Paul II visited Washington, D.C. to visit President Jimmy Carter. Pope Francis toured through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York in a trip that lasted over a week. Last month, Adele’s new album hit the stores along with her hit song “Hello.” The album shattered records worldwide, topping lists in 20 countries in the album’s first week. It also broke a U.S. record for selling 3.38 million albums only in the album’s first week of release. While so much happened worldwide, in the U.S., and locally,WJ had a very eventful 12 months. Firstly in February, the WJ boys swim team captured a state title, the team was led to states by senior captain Noah Burgett. In that same month the WJ debate team won the county title for the second time in as many years. This was the 19th county title won by WJ debate since to 1993. In November, Flo Groberg, a WJ alumn accepted the Medal of Honor, Groberg was only the 10th living Medal of Honor recipient from US forces in Afghanistan. Looking back at all of the highs and lows of 2015, it is clear that 2015 was quite an extraordinary year. Now it’s time to look forward to what 2016 has in store.
forming students had the opportunity to put on a show in front of a large The month of December has been crowd. WJ Music department Chair, filled with an array of performances Christopher Kosmaceski, was very from Walter Johnson instrumental proud of the group and what they had groups. With five events in a span of accomplished. seven days, many musically talented “They represented themselves with wildcats have put their talents on pride, class and excellence,” Kosmacshowcase. eski said. The full instrumental music conThe Jazz Ensemble also performed cert was held in the WJ auditorium on December 12, at the MCPS Big on December 11 and was considered Band Jazz Festival at Sherwood High a huge success. Social studies teacher School. The group earned four supeMitch Joy attended the concert and rior ratings and received very compliwas extremely impressed by what the mentary feedback from the judges. students put together. “The band understands section and “[The concert] was amazing. I was ensemble roles very nicely” and problown away. vides “great It was like to [The concert] was amazing. I balance being at the winds and Kennedy rhythm secwas blown away. It was like Center,” Joy tion espebeing at the Kennedy Center. said. cially on balWJ junior, lads,” said the Mari Suzuki, who plays the violin, judges in their analysis. was satisfied with her and the perforKosmaceski was very happy with the mance. results of the festival and hopes his stu“The concert went great. However, dents will receive the congratulations there were a couple of accidents here they deserve. and there that were cringeworthy,” Su“Please congratulate the students zuki said. for their efforts, hard work, and willWalter Johnson’s String Octet also ingness to prepare to perform. Bravi!” had the honor of performing for GovKomaceski said. ernor Larry Hogan and First Lady The Jazz Ensemble now looks forYumi Hogan on Dec.12, at the Goverward to their Competition at the Mid nor's Mansion in Annapolis. The Octet Atlantic Competition in February. was one of only three musical groups There will be many more concerts to be invited to provide entertainment and opportunities for instrumental for what is known as “the Maryland students to display their talent and Holiday Open House.” hard work throughout the year for the The event is a public celebration enjoyment of their friends and family. for the Holiday Month, and the per-
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High radon levels call for more testing
By Sally Tuszynski
On Dec. 1, a letter was sent to the WJ community regarding the recent elevated levels of radon in 28 schools in Montgomery County Public Schools such as Westland Middle School. Since the 1980s, MCPS schools have been regularly checked for radon. Prior to this, many schools were built without radon prevention measures encouraged by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) such as proper sealing and sub-slab vapor barriers but now all schools are equipped with multiple types of protection from natural gases like radon. Radon is a chemical element and is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas. The (US EPA) and the Surgeon General’s Office have estimated that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon making it the second leading cause of lung cancer. However, because of the early discovery of low-levels of radon, no students or staff of any of the MCPS schools with higher than appropriate levels are in danger. pCi/L is a measurement of picocuries per liter and according to the US EPA, “in the event that radon is detected above 4.0 pCi/L, longer-term (30 day-
period) testing is recommended to confirm levels.” This is the case for the MCPS schools in need for retesting. At these schools, the advised EPA procedures will take place, including the installation of venting systems that vent radon gas from the ground beneath the building to the outside area. No schools require total relocation because little exposure within a classroom poses no health threat to the students. A few classrooms within schools that have higher levels may have to be shifted around. According to the handout given by the county about the radon testing, students spend only about 12% of their year at school and more than 75% is spent in their home. This brings up the idea of getting homes tested, a previous problem in Montgomery County. In 2002 Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection reported that about 35% of tested homes having radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L. Principal Jennifer Baker learned this in the last week of November and has had the responsibility of relaying the information from the county to the WJ community. “I do not feel worried [about radon] at WJ because they performed the testing and our school was at normal levels.
Radon is just a normal gas that emits from the ground and luckily we have an appropriate amount. We are not in any danger,” Baker said. This will be an ongoing process to ensure total safety and the entire community is being informed about the progress of the testing and improvements. MCPS has an environmental office that is at the disposal of each school if there are concerns about problems such as mold or gases and they test for all possible problems to ensure there are no dangers in the learning environment. While many schools are not affected by the radon levels at other schools, all MCPS schools were notified with a letter from the principal that was accompanied by a fact sheet from the county about radon. “It was necessary to notify everyone because people will wonder which the 28 affected schools are,” Baker said. “The schools that are impacted have the right to know and understand the issue and the schools that are not impacted should be informed as well so no one worries unnecessarily.” With abundant resources for problems like radon levels and attention to solving the problems, MCPS is handling this problem with ease and it is sure to resolve it soon.
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WJ News By Emma Zwick
New YouTube policy to allow more access at schools Montgomery County’s policy for watching YouTube videos has been very restrictive until recently. The county decided to change the rules regarding its use. With the new policy, teachers can bring up any video educational purposes and there will be less restrictions for students as well. Teachers often use YouTube and other sources on the Internet to enhance their lesson plans, but there could be issues with students abusing the site, having more power at school.
Gingerbread house competition spread holiday cheer On Monday, December 21 the Leadership class put on a fundraiser for anyone in the school to participate in, students a certain amount of time to create a gingerbread house with their team. Since it was right before winter break, it got people excited for the upcoming seasonal festivities. The gingerbread house sets differed from Christmas themed to Hanukkah themed, allowing the participants to choose which one they wanted more.
Environmental Club marches for awareness and change On Nov. 29, students from WJ’s Environmental Club met at the White House at 2p.m. and marched with people from all over the world in the Global Climate Change March. This event helped to raise awareness about climate change on Earth and advocate for new legislation surrounding the issue. Last year, the students of the club took part in it as well. This year however had more relevance and is a bit different, as the day after the march, world leaders met in Paris to begin negotiating the next global climate deal. Obama and the other leaders of the world passed laws where each country determines their own restriction to greenhouse gas emissions and are required to explain how they are going to reach that goal.
End to semester exams de-emphasizes testing MCPS has decided to eliminate all semester exams and have all days leading up until the end of the year to be instructional class periods. Many jurisdictions across the country have taken many different approaches to the overload of the assessments at the end of the year. Most upperclassman are more focused on taking SATs and ACTs because they are linked to college and graduation. Students are also spending a lot of time preparing for AP exams the same time of year, so the county wants to decrease the amount of standardized testing.
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OPINION
DECEMBER 22, 2015
The new year is almost here!
What is your New Year’s resolution? Barbara Benowitz
Rivalries motivate students to succeed
Senior
By Charlie Kanter
It seems that rivalries are sometimes criticized for causing unnecessary hostility between schools. Despite evidence of this in the past, school rivalries are positive in many ways. Firstly, they promote school spirit among the students, which increases competition in sports and clubs. Personally, as a member of the basketball team, I am most excited to play our rival schools. When playing against a rival school like Whitman or Churchill, I feel like my teammates and I play slightly harder, with more drive to win. There’s more on the line than just winning and losing – it’s about defending our school pride and proving that WJ is the best. Students take pride in being fans, yelling cheers like “we’re the best fans in MoCo.” The rivalry increases our drive for success and excellence, both in and out of sports. Rivalries help with fundraising for our school as well. The rivalry sports games are the ones that the players look forward to and the ones that the fans look forward to. A bigger fan base means more money for the school and unity between students. It also helps with fundraising for charities. For example, Pennies for Patients (P4P) is a program the school participates in every year where we compete with other schools to raise the most money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The mission to beat Whitman in P4P is huge drive for students to donate money so WJ can win. Part of the reason we raise so much money every year is because of our competition with other schools. Though rivalries are helpful, it is important that we do not get carried away. We should only use them to motivate ourselves to do better in things like sports and fundraising, but not let it extend to hostility or hate.
The Pitch Opinion
Fourteen years ago, when the Bush administration pushed through the No Child Left Behind Act, testing was on an upward swing. Today, the trend has shifted against standardized testing. Just two weeks ago, President Obama signed the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act put in place by his predecessor. Earlier this school year, the Montgomery County Board
Ben Koenig Junior
“Stress out less.”
“To get into college.” Photo by Andrew Resnick
Photo by Bess Bloomer
CJ Maloney and Sadie Keller
Emilia Toloza
Sophomores
Freshman
“To go on a 365 day liquid diet.” Photo by Andrew Resnick
“To actually pass one of my classes.” Photo by Andrew Resnick
“Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” By NickWilliamson
Every morning at the beginning of second period, the Pledge of Allegiance comes on the morning announcements. Unfortunately, I am one of only two people in my class to routinely stand for the patriotic Pledge (shout out to Mr.Bos). I find it extremely disappointing that the only people who actually stand for the Pledge nowadays seem to be those caught in the midst of a conversation, with teachers and only a few students standing because they actually care. The most common argument I hear against standing for the Pledge is that “the U.S. and the soldiers that fight for it provide us with the freedom to choose whether or not to stand for the Pledge.” While that may be true, allow me to put it in perspective: that soldier goes to
work every day knowing it may be his or her last. While you have the freedom to stand or sit as you please, by standing you are acknowledging the sacrifice that they make for you and showing your appreciation for them and the freedom they provide. What really bothers me is that students choose to remain seated out of pure laziness. If anyone has ever had a political reason for not standing for the Pledge, they have never shared it with me. Even if they do, the Pledge is about showing respect for the country that feeds us, houses us and ironically provides the school we choose to ignore the Pledge in. I understand that people are usually tired in the morning, but would it really cause them any physical duress to stand for 30 seconds as the Pledge is said? They do not even need to recite
the Pledge, just place their hand over their heart and stand there. While I do not expect citizens of foreign nations to declare their allegiance to my country or place their hand over their heart, they should stand as well simply out of respect for the country they currently reside in. While you may think of it as an insignificant part of your day, standing for the Pledge is important. People are killed or injured daily so that we may live in comfort and standing for the Pledge shows respect for that sacrifice. We as citizens of the United States live in a country that is free, prosperous and democratic, privileges that many people across the globe lack. The least we can do is stand in respect and solidarity as the Pledge of Allegiance plays over the announcements.
of Education voted to remove the current final exam format. With immense student, parent and staff opposition to standardized testing, poor results from the PARCC examinations may make the statewide tests next in line to cut. The No Child Left Behind Act was enacted largely to combat the massive academic achievement gap in this country. The achievement gap is defined as the observed, persistent disparity of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and gender. Such a complex issue, made up of several hindering factors cannot be solved
with one act of Congress—whether it be Bush’s version or Obama’s. Simply put, increasing testing will not close the achievement gap. Many expected the increase in testing to allow struggling students to succeed. However, testing standards without means for struggling students to do well render such tests useless. More tests take away from already limited, valuable learning time. In recent decades, American education has shifted away from its roots in learning through curricula. In too many school districts, teachers are incentivized simply to prepare students for standardized tests. How can we expect struggling students to improve when
their educators are more focused on standardized test preparation than on teaching substantive content? Once we have lessened the burden of standardized test preparation in the classroom, teachers will be able to focus on essential curricula based on skills required in the real world. Congress and the Board of Education have realized that testing will not close the achievement gap. Getting rid of many national standards and final exams in their respective cases will allow more time for academic, classroom material. Students are not sent to school five days a week to take tests; they are sent to school to learn.
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
OPINION
It is time to say “thank you”
By Anja Shahu
Four thousand, eight hundred and fourty three miles.That’s how far my dad traveled on a plane when he first came to America from Albania. As he boarded coach, he held my well-behaved brother by the hand and carried me, a screaming two year-old devil-baby, in tow. My mom had already arrived in America three months before, when she enrolled in an American university to complete not her first, but second PhD. Her first PhD was from a university in Albania, but the American system didn’t recognize the school and so she had to do it all over again. Nevertheless, she soldiered on through the injustice because a PhD in America meant not only a visa but also a prestigious job and future here too. Most of all, it meant a better education for my brother and me. At 38 years old, she completed her
PhD in just four years. This is a fact that I have always known but never quite acknowledged. Flash-forward 15 years to the present, and we’re watching the Aziz Ansari show, “Master of None”, during dinner. The show follows a second generation immigrant named Dev. In the episode “Parents”, Dev refuses to help fix his father’s iPad because he doesn’t want to be late to the new X-Men movie. I am struck by the similarities throughout the episode: the risk his parents took to come to America for their children, the struggle they shouldered and the lack of gratitude they received. When a comment is made about how Dev could be working in a button factory, just as his father once did, if he stilled lived in India, I stop breathing for a second. It hits home. Where would I be if my parents hadn’t come to America? Probably not working at a button factory. Probably going to school in Albania. Would I have come to America myself and been able to uproot myself from the only life I’d known? Maybe, but I’m glad that I don’t have to test the answer myself. When we first came, my dad didn’t speak English. We lived in a one-bed-
room apartment for years and had no car for more than a year. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand the risk my parents took, but at times along the way, I’ve been selfish, ungrateful and condescending. Although all immigrant parents deserve to be thanked for their courage, it is no secret that first and second generation millennial children tend to forget to be open with their appreciation, and I am no exception. But I’m working on it. We shouldn’t take for granted what our parents have given us. We should be openly grateful for all of our opportunities and every struggle we didn’t have to undertake ourselves because at some point, our paths begin to diverge from our parents and the chances to say “thank you” begin to dwindle. When I think about my story now, I imagine my mom balancing school and taking care of my brother and me. I imagine my dad gritting his teeth to slowly climb the ranks at his work. I imagine all the days that they came home exhausted but still found the energy to take my brother and me on trips to the park that ended with so much laughter. And all I can say now is thank you.
America must accept refugees By Joshua Lang
“[America becomes] not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams,” former resident Jimmy Carter said. However, where did that beautiful mosaic go? More importantly, where did the supposedly highly valued melting pot go? In recent months, the Syrian refugee crisis has been a highly discussed topic. Neither side seems to be able to agree on how to deal with the issue. Instead, each side continues to bicker over a seemingly straightforward issue. Immigrants created the United States, and the consistent influx of immigrants has continued to facilitate the nation’s growth even to this day. During these times, terrorist attacks are a far greater threat than ever before, but it is not right to paint every single immigrant with the same brush. Many immigrants are people escaping violence and looking for a safe place to stay. America is the land of opportunity, freedom and above all, safety. Why should we promote this if we are denying people entry and sending them back to places where their families are not safe? Donald Trump recently said that there should be a total and complete ban on all Muslim immigrants and that immigrants should only be let in from the Middle East if they are Christian. His comments could not be more appalling, particularly due to the fact that Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1.3 billion people. He is tak-
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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nick Williamson, Print Co-Editor Gideon Epstein, Print Co-Editor Anja Shahu, Print Co-Editor Amanda Gross, Online Co-Editor Evan Candelmo, Online Co-Editor Marissa Nardella, Online Co-Editor ADVISER Wendy Borrelli, Print and Online NEWS Joshua Lang, Print Co-Editor Sally Tuszynski, Print Co-Editor Andrew Resnick, Print Asisstant Editor Sam Bernstein, Online Co-Editor Jeffrey Cirillo, Online Co-Editor OPINION Charlie Kanter, Print Editor Bess Bloomer, Print Assistant Editor Zoey Becker, Online Editor Brynn Blizzard, Online Assistant Editor FEATURE Kevin Lu, Print Editor Miriam Sieradzki, Print Assistant Editor Leila Siegel, Online Editor Izzy McMullen, Online Assistant Editor Lily Smith, Online Assistant Editor ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Annika La Vina, Print Editor Iris Vukmanovic, Print Asisstant Editor Zack Shapiro, Online Co-Editor Aly Orndorff, Online Assistant Editor SPORTS Patrick Jorling, Print Editor Kevin O’Leary, Print Co-Assistant Editor Owen Krucoff, Print Co-Assistant Editor Grant Weaver, Online Editor Alex LaFontaine, Online Assistant Editor Andrew Horick, Online Assistant Editor Noah Meyers, Online Assistant Editor COPY EDITORS Owen Krucoff Steven Judge LAYOUT EDITOR Emma Zwick ART Steven Judge Meg Tamara Danielle Sklarew PUBLIC RELATIONS Charles Bloomer, Social Media Consultant, Business Manager STAFF WRITERS Ben Gold Emma Zwick
Danielle Sklarew
The Pitch is published eight times a year by the students of Walter Johnson High School, population of 2,234 and located at 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814. Advertising and subscription rates are available by calling 301-8037184. Opinions represent those of The Pitch staff and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff, faculty or student body. We welcome letters, articles, photographs and artwork, to be submitted to room 193 or e-mailed to thepitch@walterjohnson.com. The Pitch is an award-winning paper that works towards providing the student body with accurate, as well as credible, information. Graphic by Steven Judge
In accordance to its “melting pot” identity, America needs to recieve and welcome refugees into the country.
ing the actions of less than one percent of the huge Muslim population to unjustly classify every single person as a terrorist. The last time people were classified by religion and persecuted because of their religion was when the Nazis sent Jews into the concentration camps and tattooed numbers onto their arms. We cannot pick and choose who can enter the United States based on their religion just because there are radicalized terrorists. If we did that, then no one would be allowed into the United States
because there are radicals in most religions. You cannot possibly blame the actions of the few on many. Where is the fairness in that? As the refugee crisis progresses, Americans and politicians need to look at their moral compasses and determine for themselves how logical their reasoning is for not allowing refugees to enter. If we truly believe that each human life is worth saving, then it is time to give these refugees a safe place to live. Now, more than ever, is the time we must stand up and offer a helping hand.
AWARDS
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Marylander Award Newspaper Division C 2011 American Scholastic Press Association First Place 2011 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009, 2013 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Medalist 2014, 2015 Columbia Scholastic Bronze Medalist 2011
OPINION
Think about religious beliefs during the holidays By Gideon Epstein
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
Photo by Charles Bloomer
Senior Ryan Cirillo eagerly awaits Christmas, excited to open presents and spend time with family. The best presents are the ones that come from the heart, no matter the monetary value.
Spread some real Christmas cheer this
As this holiday season swings around, By Charles Bloomer it is important for us not only to think It’s finally December, and you know about what material gifts we will re- what that means: Christmas! Christmas ceive, but also reflect upon what reli- music, Christmas movies, Christmas gion and spirituality means to us. I have spirit, Christmas trees and most imporgrown up in a moderately religious Jew- tantly, Christmas expenses. Shopping ish household. My father was a found- for presents can be a difficult and pening member of our synagogue, and my ny-pinching task for everyone involved. mother is a member of the clergy to- But it doesn’t have to be that way if you day. Like many children brought up in think creatively. There’s a reason for the a theological background, I was sent saying that “the best gifts come from the to religious school on weekends, and I heart.” even went to Jewish Day School for a Let’s think hypothetically: for Christtime. Judaism has played a huge role in mas, you get someone clothing as a my life. present, one of, if not the most comOur religion is something that is mon gifts you can give. If the recipient deeply embedded in who we are as is still growing, they are not going to people. That is why it is so vital that we be able to wear those clothes in a year. understand what religion really means Their taste in clothing may alter, and to us. Over time, I have come to real- they may decide they don’t like the said ize that for me, religion is not about a article of clothing anymore. The clothbelief in a supernatural God, a master ing may get damaged or ripped, and it’s of the universe who creates and does all ruined forever; the more expensive the things. I am a Jewish atheist. Judaism is clothing, the more money you waste. my culture, my tradition, my family, my past, and it has a huge role to play in my beliefs. But I do not think God is bringing harm or good to this world in any capacity. Rather, I think of godliness as aspiring to be the best version of myself: honest, compassionate, genuine, ambitious, respectful and so much more. Frankly, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, By Bess Bloomer Buddhism, Hinduism and many other Every day the sun is setting earlier and religions are not very far apart in terms earlier, and the sky at 5 p.m. is starting of the morals they teach. For exam- to look more like the sky at midnight. ple, Judaism and Islam both agree that To most students, this is just a bothercharity should be given ungrudgingly. some sacrifice of the approaching winChristianity and Buddhism agree that ter, when sports practices have to be humility, forgiveness and meekness are played in the dark and after school ackey. Religion was not meant to bring tivities become limited due to the lack conflict and harm to the world, but of daylight. For some, however, this rather to bring the best out of everyone. lack of daytime is more than just a caNo matter what major belief system sual worry--it causes a depression that one identifies with, strong character is can seriously hinder the quality of stutaught from day one. dents’ lives inside and outside of school. From Hanukkah to Christmas to The culprit? Seasonal affective disorder, Kwanzaa this year, make sure to find commonly abbreviated as SAD. a time to reflect on what your beliefs Though in many cases the disorder mean for you. We can choose to reject strikes adults over adolescents—Acthe tradition of those who came be- cording to Fox News, there are an estifore us in our lineage, or embrace our mated 10 million adults suffering from given belief system with or without SAD across the U.S.—it also affects God, making spirituality of some kind a approximately four to six percent of meaningful part of our lives. teenagers nationwide. SAD shares the
The $200 you spent on a fresh pair of sneakers can go down the drain faster than the speed of lightning. Even then, you don’t have to spend $200 on a pair of shoes or an article of clothing.You can get something cheaper that looks just as nice. Alternatively, you can make you own clothes, with your own personalized details. Make a T-shirt that will last longer and mean more. If you’re crafty enough, knit a sweater. Give someone a more heartfelt gift – a piece of clothing you helped make, not helped clear off the racks. Another very common Christmas gift is some sort of new technology. However, electronics are only fully enjoyed until the next big thing is released. If you get someone a movie, a CD, or a video game, they’re going to play it repetitively. Give it a month and they’re going to be extremely bored of it, and they will rarely use it again, if ever. If you get someone an iPhone, there’s go-
ing to be a new one coming out in a year or two, and then they’re going to press their parents for the newest version. It’s almost as if your gift didn’t matter once the opportunity to upgrade presents itself. Christmas gifts should contain more personalization than an iPad or a video game. Writing letters to the person you are giving gifts to is really important. By doing so, they know that you put the time, thought and effort into it. Create a T-shirt. Compose a photo album, make a gift bag! Show your personal element into the gift that they receive. Yes, Christmas is all about giving, but gifts shouldn’t be the freshest clothes or the flashiest, shiniest piece of technology. This holiday season, the gifts you give should matter something beyond materialism – the best gifts you can give truly come straight from the heart, because they create a lasting connection between you and the recipient.
Seasonal affective disorder is slipping under the radar in schools, may pose problems plethora of symptoms associated with clinical depression such as decreased energy, irritability and lack of motivation and concentration. Moreover, those afflicted with this form of depression experience abnormal and continuous unhappiness after the sun begins to set earlier. Unfortunately, SAD tends to get brushed to the side and clumped with more minor forms of depression, like dysthymia, because it is still a relatively uncommon diagnosis among doctors, and consequently there are not many screenings testing for SAD specifically. Child psychologist Dr. Adelle Cadieux at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital agrees with this prevalence of misdiagnosis. “We need to look if there’s a seasonal trigger as opposed to a change in the season that is the triggering [the disorder],” Cadieux said. In addition, SAD
often mimics other, more commonly diagnosed psychological disorders like ADHD and various anxiety disorders including Panic Disorder. Even though it is not a very common diagnosis, millions of adolescents are still battling SAD and the immediate impact is a rise of absences in school, which is already steadily increasing. If this problem continues to persist, the lack of recognition could be a catalyst in a myriad of related educational conflicts. One potential issue could be an eventual widening of the national academic achievement gap if the depression gets to the severe point where teens do not put their best effort in school and enough teens are affected without proper treatment. Though seasonal affective disorder may not be a huge problem right now, many do have SAD, and both students and teachers should learn and acknowledge its signs.
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
FEATURE
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Teenage rebellion or teenage expression?
By Miriam Sieradzki
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n today’s world, teenagers are known to be defiant, rebellious and often reckless. Adults and professionals are extremely concerned about teenager’s regular patterns and habits of drinking, smoking, having unsafe sex, cheating and lying. While these practices can be dangerous, they are also a normal and standard aspect of growing up for some. Senior Melissa Sanders* shares the different ways she is rebellious, including drinking, smoking weed, skipping, lying to her parents and cheating in school. Sanders is a motivated student who participates in extracurricular activities and a part time job, but teenage rebellion is a regular part of her life. “I am mostly rebellious in legal ways, like drinking and smoking marijuana even though I’m underage,” Sanders said. “I often lie to adults or to boys in weird situations which is rebellious but also necessary...With my mom, I’m not necessarily lying, but sometimes it’s more work to explain where I’m going or who I’m going with, so I just leave it out.” Sanders recognizes that peer pressure is connected to teenage rebellion, but she sees it as a wider part of peer culture rather than a series of pressuring or forced actions. “Usually when I drink it’s at a party or before an event like a concert... I do it because it’s fun,” Sanders said. “I never feel pressured into it or like I have to, and partying is definitely a part of our school’s culture.” While Sanders enjoys drinking, smoking and other rebellious actions, she also is aware of her choices and acts very intentionally. “Sometimes I’m driving and don’t want to drink and people accept that,” Sanders said. “I also try to pace myself and not drink on both nights of the weekend so I don’t over-do it.” Lora Griff, a local therapist and social worker explains that teenagers express their rebellion in many different ways. “There are many ways that teens ‘rebel’ and go against the norm. Some teens rebel by dressing in a unique way, some become political activists and some engage in risky behaviors like [drinking, drugs and sex],” Griff said. “I think that there is a prevalence of all of those rebellious behaviors in the Montgomery County area.” The Reasons Many teens enjoy being rebellious to defy their authority figures, shock their friends and peers and also to have fun together. Griff describes that as teenagers grow up, rebellion is a stage of life they go through as they find out who they are and what they want to do. “Teens are going through the stage in life of figuring out their identity,” Griff said. “They try out new ways of being to sort out who they are—and sometimes they test the waters in unsafe areas to see how it feels, have fun, defy authority and push back to better establish their own sense of self.” In addition, drugs, alcohol and other rebellious actions are often used as a way to de-stress and release built up tension. “Teens have a lot of pressures facing them each day, and they do need to destress. They feel stress around grades, college prospects and parental pressure and want to find ways to unload the strain of these demands,” Griff said. In some cases, teens use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate and make themselves feel better during a hard time in their lives. For some teens, drugs and alcohol are a way to escape hard situations with their families at home.
Graphic by Steven Judge
“This may help in the moment but generally makes you feel worse afterwards than you did before,” Griff said. “They may have more serious mental health problems that cause poor judgment, impulsivity and unsafe behaviors.” Aside from these social and psychological reasons for teenage rebellion, there are also medical explanations for rebellion. During the teenage years, the prefrontal cortex is developing, which is the center of thinking and judgment. As teens develop and grow older, they begin developing new ideas and having altered judgment as they go through this process. Many students, specifically seniors, express their rebellion by skipping school. Senior Julia Schneider explains that skipping school is seen as a rebellious act, but it doesn’t always have negative intentions. “I skip school occasionally...sometimes it’s for fun, and sometimes it’s because I need a mental health day,” Schneider said. “That still is skipping because I don’t have a medical reason why I can’t go to school, but sometimes school isn’t the right place to be depending on your mental or emotional state.” The Consequences Schneider recognizes that there are administrative and even legal consequences for skipping school, but she does not believe these rules are always fair. “I am conscientious of what I’m missing when I skip, and I definitely go to my most important classes and make sure I’m in school for tests and quizzes,” Schneider said. “It doesn’t bother me that skipping is against school rules... I understand why there are rules in place, but that rule isn’t always accommodating for the individual.” Although many of these rebellious actions have administrative legal consequences, many teens choose to do it anyways. “I know there are legal consequences, but I don’t think they’re realistic or make sense,” Sanders said. “It’s scary to think about the consequences, but I think I’m careful enough… It’s just one of those rules that’s meant to be broken.” Some actions come with consequences, but they also come with learning important lessons and growing up with experiences. “I used to smoke cigarettes, and people who didn’t used to get mad at me and warn me about it, which made me mad because it’s my body and my choice,” Sanders said. “At the time, I got really defensive and ignored the consequences, but then I realized that I didn’t like how it was making my body feel and
that consequences are not worth it.” Many rebellious actions also come with serious health consequences, but many teenagers choose to ignore this. “I think people are ignoring and not worrying about health consequences, because it’s not really realistic for us yet since it isn’t affecting us,” Sanders said. The Parents Many students participate in rebellious activities because they feel like they have to and everyone around them is doing it. “It is satisfying for people, and it’s also exciting for people to break rules and lie to their parents,” Sanders said. “For a lot of people, being rebellious is about seeing how far they can go without getting in trouble.” However, everyone’s parents have different rules and standards, so rebellion looks different for every teen. Schneider explains that people lie to their parents about different things, because they want to maneuver around their parents rules in order to push back and do more than they are allowed. “Everyone has different limits for what their parents allow them to do,” Schneider said. “Most of the people I’ve surrounded myself with in high school have parents that aren’t that strict and have open and honest relationships with their parents.” Schneider elaborates on the idea that rebellion is a scale of many actions and activities that mean different things for every person. Schneider has an open and honest relationship with her parents, so she feels comfortable being open with her parents about her actions or choices that can be considered “rebellious” in the eyes of society. “My sister and I both have piercings, tattoos, dyed hair and have done things that could be considered rebellious,” Schneider said. “By my parents’ standards these things aren’t really rebellious actions, so I’ve done these things more for myself rather than rebelling against my parents.” The Stigma In society, there is a large emphasis on peer pressure and the group effect of rebellious actions. “I think peer pressure affects people differently depending on their personality,” Sanders said. “I don’t think people actively pressure other people into things at our school, but if you’re insecure and looking for peer approval then peer pressure will influence you more.” Sanders also adds that there is a stigma attached to drinking or smoking alone, so teenagers like to do these activities in bigger groups.
However, it is important to remember that not all teens are rebellious, and that is okay too. “I think it’s important for everyone to think about what they want out of their rebellion...everyone should think about what they are comfortable with and should realize that it’s totally okay not to do rebellious things if that’s not what they want,” Sanders said, “We are all individuals with our own hobbies and habits, and rebellion isn’t for everyone.” While teenage rebellion is looked down upon by authority figures and society, it is a normal and real part of high school and teenage life that most people experience to some degree. “I don’t think that being rebellious is something that gives people a bad reputation in high school... people get bad reputations for lying and being mean,” Sanders said. “Teenage rebellion has become more normal as more people experience it and accept it.” The Limit Sanders explains that while some rebellious actions are normal and healthy, others have a limit. “Everything has limits… you can get drunk, but don’t drive home, don’t take advantage of others, and don’t leave your friends if they need help,” Sanders said. “I think drinking and most rebellious actions are okay in moderation, but drinking and driving is something that crosses the line and is not worth it.” Griff emphasizes that rebellion is a healthy part of the teenage years when people are developing strong senses of self and exploring new things. However, teenagers should keep in mind their goals and be aware of their actions to ensure that they are still able to achieve and succeed, even while they are experimenting and expressing themselves during the teenage years. “The dangerous rebellion includes any risky behaviors including drugs, alcohol, unsafe sex, cheating, cutting school etc.,” Griff said. “These behaviors have long term impact and could taint their future.” If teenagers are experiencing problems or feel like teenage rebellion is overwhelming their lives, they should think about seeing the school nurse, counselor or talking to a therapist. “If you have a friend who’s out of control and needs help, you should explain to them what is wrong, and why you’re worried about them,” Sanders said. “It can be uncomfortable but it’s really important to look out for each other, and people really appreciate that.” *This name has been changed because the student interviewed asked to remain anonymous.
DECEMBER 22, 2015
to light the menorah
Not in the mood for Christmas this year, or is it just not your holiday? These stores are open all day for anyone who wants to spend the 25th a different way.
1 2 3 4 5
Grab some breakfast grub at IHOP Get some pizza at Pizza Hut Catch a late night movie By Kristy Tsai
Sip the night away at Starbucks Dig in to some Chinese food
By Sheridan O’Kelly
As winter break approaches and the days until Christmas get smaller and smaller, the holiday excitement gets bigger and bigger. But we must stop and ask ourselves, what about people who aren’t Christian? Hanukkah is overshadowed by the excitement and overpowering Christmas spirit. “Decorations and spirit don’t annoy me unless they are before the start of December. Early decorating is annoying. Christmas songs really annoy me because they are constantly being played and generally have unpleasant tones,” sophomore Gabi Vogel said. Also, many movie theaters are open on Christmas Day, particularly in the afternoon. And finally, Christmas is a time when everybody is sure to have the day off. “This year, I am going to spend Christmas Day with my camp friends and go to my Bubbe’s for dinner,” junior Marnie Hackman said. Despite not celebrating Christmas, the Jews still have a holiday of their own. On Sunday December 6, the small Jewish population of the United States lit the menorah to celebrate the victory of Judah the Maccabee over the Syrian tyrant Antiochus over 2100 years ago. Hanukkah lasts eight days, stretching into the school week. “Hanukkah is not a religious holiday recognized by MCPS, so I will go to school and at night my family will say a prayer, light a candle, and get a present,” Seley said. Even though month of December is jam packed with Christmas decor and traditions, Jews have a few traditions of their own. There’s nothing low-fat about Hanukkah as the traditional foods of the holiday are deep-fried and caloric. Jews eat oily foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts). Also, it’s customary to play with dreidels during the holiday, even wage gambling games in which players guess which side of the top will fall face up. The Hebrew characters carved into the four sides of today’s dreidels are the first letters of “Ness Gadol Haya Po/Sham,” which roughly translates to “Great Miracle Happened Here/There”. Finally, the tradition of handing out gelt during Hanukkah probably dates back to 17th-century Poland. The coins distributed during Hanukkah, usually chocolatecovered coins, are a symbol of Jewish independence. They’re also just a way to spread good cheer since people can always use more cash and chocolate.
Help low-income women pick out interview clothes at Suited for Change! Join Hands On Greater DC in major service projects! Help Manna Food Center sort donated food and pack boxes to deliver to clients!
Frances McCollum 12th “We split the tree be-
cause my mom and sister like colored lights but I like white lights so half of the tree with be decorated with white lights while the other half of the tree is decorated with colored lights.”
By Kevin Lu and Annika LaVina All photos from Flickr
2005
2000
1) Xbox 360
1) Razor
2) Star Wars
Scooters
Merchandise
2) Amazing
3) Lego Sets
Babies
4) Hot Wheels
3) Barbie Dolls
Motorized Cars
4) Electronic Animals 5) Finger Bikes
5) Thomas the
B Y
Tank Engine Truck Toy
Most Popular Gifts
2010
1) Apple iPad 2) Retailer Gift Cards 3) Nintendo Wii
Y E A R
2015 1) Money
2)Camera Drones 3) BB-8 Star Wars Droid
4) Elmo Live
4) Dreamwalker
Toy Doll
Action Figure
5) Remote Con-
5) Air Hogs
trol Turbo
Star Wars Mil-
Twister
lennium Falcon
TO GIVE BACK
Sierra Zielske 11th
“We went to South Korea and watched the Nutcracker for the first time.”
9 TO STICK TO WISHLISTS FEATURE
By Elijah Bruce Christmas is a time for joy and giving, but sometimes those two things don’t go exactly together. Every year, many boys and girls rush down the stairs hoping that Santa has granted their deepest wishes. Unfortunately, a large amount of these children will come to the realization that Santa may have completely ignored their wish lists and slid a box of disappointment under the Christmas tree. During Christmas, parents and other relatives try their hardest to get a present that their young children will love, but every once in awhile, they strike out. Terribly. Junior Mark Casassa received a bright pair of Christmas themed socks for Christmas when he was seven years old. “I just kind of hid them somewhere. I haven’t found them since,” Casassa said. Socks seem to be a recurring item that kids are repeatedly getting disappointed about. These despicable items of clothing clearly cannot provide excitement or entertainment to a small child, so why have gift givers not caught on that their gifts will receive no attention from their small loved ones. Junior Sean Mahoney even threw his gifted socks in the trash once he got behind closed doors at the age of 12. While all reactions are not that severe, it goes to show that socks are the equivalent of trash to a young boy or girl. “I mean, it wasn’t that disappointing, I kind of needed socks,” sophomore Owen Hananel said. If someone is expecting one gift in particular, any other gift that they might receive will be a letdown for them. “My dad forgot to get me a Christmas gift. Like he remembered to fill the stocking and give my brother and I joint gifts, but he forgot to actually get me a gift. It was awkward,” sophomore Sophia Thompson said. Not only was there no gift under the tree for her, her dad threw in the dreaded joint gift that no child longs for. Christmas can bring troubles to parents and friends as to what to buy their loved ones, but it is probably best to just stick to their wish lists.
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Chocolate This tasty treat is always a good idea for a lastminute fall-back plan!
Stuck on what to get someone this holiday season? No worries, the Pitch has great suggestions for last minute, meaningful and easy to get gifts!
By Jake Brown and Steven Roth
36
before third grade
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9 3
seventh to ninth grade
urt h to Sixth G
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For centuries, Christmas has been a time for family to get together and celebrate memories of the year and giving gifts. This is true for every family that celebrates Christmas, but what about the families who can’t afford to have the big Christmas we all imagine. There is now a multitude of organizations that help others on Christmas. From toy giving to hosting a feast, the organizations have a variety of things they do to spread holiday cheer. Toys for Tots was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1947 by Diane Hendricks. The United States Marine Corps Reserve collects donated toys and distributes them to children whose parents couldn’t afford to buy presents. Their goal is to “deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.” The Make a Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 by Scott Stahl and Linda Bergendahl-Pauling. They fulfill the wishes of children ages three to 17 who have a life-threatening condition. In order for a child to be eligible to make a wish, their physician must agree that their condition is life-threatening. These organization are not the only ones out there. There are all kinds of programs for any cause.They all have one thing in common, all they want to do is spread the joy of Christmas.
Give back to the community this holiday season! Choose one of these volunteer options to make the Christmas spirit worthwhile.
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
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Pitch
FEATURE
After ninth grade
TO When did you find Believe out about Santa? Henry Hayden 10th
“I was so happy when I got a pogo stick for Christmas. I still have it, too!”
She was 11 years old that Christmas day in Phoenix, Arizona, when little Allison Druhan woke up in her grandparent’s house and found her stockings laying on the floor filled with presents. “MOM, DAD” she screamed excitedly, “SANTA BROUGHT OUR STOCKINGS!” Druhan’s parents were unable to bring their stockings from Bethesda to Phoenix that year but magically they appeared. “It made me believe in Santa even more,” now 15 year-old said Druhan. People, like Druhan, may have once believed that Santa Claus was real, a man that could fly around the world in a single night, sending gifts to all the nice, well-behaved children. But as time passes, children must grow into adults and accept reality, a reality where Santa does not exist. An AP poll from 2011 found that among adult respondents, 84 percent of people had ever believed in Santa, but the mean age at which they stopped thinking he was real was 8.8.” “When I was 12, reality just hit me. How could a fat man carry out presents to every child in the world in 24 hours with eight reindeer.” Druhan said. Even if Santa does not exist, it is still special that the young have something to believe in. Believing that someone is bringing them presents on Christmas day helps kids strive to be better. “When I was about six or seven years old, my older brother broke my heart by telling me that Santa wasn’t real, I rejected the slightest possibility that it was true until he showed me where my parents kept all the presents,” sophomore Mark Kimball said. Santa Claus may traditionally be for children to believe in, but that does not mean you have to stop believing once you grow up.
Bryan Suzuki 9th
“When I was 10 my dad told me Santa didn’t exist and it ruined my Christmas [that year].”
FEATURE
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
Around the world at wj: student immigrants share their stories By Kevin Lu
Photo by Anja Shahu
10th Hieu Nguyen Vietnam
Q: When did you first move to the U.S.? A: I moved to the U.S. [from Vietnam] in September of 2013. Q: What do you enjoy about living in the U.S.? A: The air here is better, and the school environment is good because people are friendly. Q: Why did you move to the U.S.? A: My mom had to transfer from her office in Vietnam to the head office [at the World Bank] here. Q: Did you come with your entire family? A: Most of my family…with my dad, my brother and my mom. Q: What do you miss the most about your home country? A: What I miss the most is the food because the taste here is a little bit different from what I usually experience. Q: What difficulties have your experienced by moving to the U.S.? A: Well, I need time to adapt to the environment because sometimes people speak English and speak too fast, so I can’t understand what they are saying. Q: What are the differences between Vietnamese school and school here? A: In Vietnamese schools, you don’t go out of the classroom to go to other classrooms.The teachers come to your classroom. Normally, you just sit there listening to the teacher teaching...You’re not actively participating in the activity. Q: Do you prefer Vietnamese education or American education methods? A: I prefer the American education method because it’s harder [to learn] in the Vietnamese system.
10th Vittoria Olivieri Italy Q: When did you first move here? A: I moved here from Italy almost four years ago in July. Q: What do you like the most about the U.S.? A: That’s really hard. I guess the school here is kind of better but also not. There are some things that are so much better in my country but there are other things that are worse than in my country. So I guess like 50% of the school and the [weather] is kind of cold here. Q: Why did you move to the U.S.? A: [My mom] used to work in Rome but now she works in the embassy of Italy in D.C. Photo by Anja Shahu Q: Is the stay temporary or permanent? A: It is temporary. I’m going back. I might be going back this year, but it is supposed to be next year. Q: Do you still have relatives in your home country? A:Yeah, [my sister] was here, but then she moved back. Q: Do you visit your home country? A: Yes, I visit Italy every single summer, and I have stayed in contact with my friends back home every day. Q: What do you miss the most about your home country? A: I guess I miss a lot… first of all the food and my friends and family of course. Q: What difficulties have you experienced by moving to the U.S.? A: The language [has been a difficulty] because I didn’t know English that well when I moved here. Q: Where did you learn English? A: Ok, that’s kind of funny. From Italy, I only knew just the basics like ‘hi, my name is Vittoria’ and that kind of stuff. When I came here, I started watching Disney movies and that actually helped me a lot in learning English.
Photo by Anja Shahu
11th Noor Ogaili Iraq
Q: When did you first move to the U.S. A: I came here last year on the 16th of March Q: What country did you move here from? A: I am from Iraq. Q: What do you enjoy about living in the U.S.? A: Having freedom. Q: Why did you move to the U.S.? A: It’s because my brother is getting treatment in an NIH hospital, and we came here to rescue his life and save him. Q:You came here to support him? A:Yeah all my family. My two brothers, my three sisters, my mother and my father all came here to donate blood to see if our blood matches [my brother’s blood], so in this way, we could save my brother’s life. Q: Did the blood match? A: No, it didn’t work. Q: So you came here with your entire family? A: Except for my sister. I have a sister in my home country. She’s married, and she has a baby, so she’s taken care of. Q: What do you miss the most about your home country? A: I miss my house. I miss the food and the people there. Everything. Q: What difficulties have you experienced by moving from Iraq to the U.S.. A: The school system is very different and learning a new language is very hard because when I came here, I didn’t know [any English].
10th Maya Levcovitz Brazil Q: When did you first move to the U.S.? A: In August…in the beginning of August. Q: What do you enjoy about living in the U.S.? A: I like the people. People here are nice. I really love this school. Q: Why did you move to the U.S.? A: My dad is doing research in an American university, so we are staying for one year so he can get his PhD and then we go back to Brazil. Q: Who did you come to the U.S. with? A: With my family, my mom my dad and my sister. My dog stayed in Brazil. Photo by Anja Shahu Q: What do you miss the most about your home country? A: My friends, the food, mainly my friends and my family and the weather... and having lots of free time going to parties a lot. Q: What difficulties have you experienced by moving to the U.S.? A: The language, the relationships are very different. I feel like the relationships I have with people there who are also international students are very different from [the relationships] I have with American people. American people aren’t so open…Yeah, like in Brazil everyone is touchable all the time. Sometimes I forget about it, and I hug someone and it’s weird. Oh and buying stuff. I get very nervous when I have to buy stuff here. I get so nervous when waiters ask me “what do you want to get”.... so stressful. Q: Did you learn English in Brazil? A: Yeah, in Brazil, it is mandatory. All of the schools have to teach English and Spanish. In the schools, the language classes like English and Spanish are not good at all, so normally, people who have money go to English courses after school like English school and learn English. My mom is an English teacher, so I know a little bit of English because of that. A lot of Brazilians know English.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
DECEMBER 22, 2015
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Books and movies for break Sponsor of Book Club, Naomi Gelfand, and Film Club sponsor Dan Kempner recommend books and movies that are worth checking out over winter break this year. By IrisVukmanovic
The Imposters is a light-hearted comedy made in homage to 1930’s screwball comedy. The film follows two out-of-work actors who somehow find themselves on an ocean liner as stowaways, and from there chaos ensues. Overall, it is a silly movie you can watch if you want to have a fun and easy-going time on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
The Shining
Dr. Strangelove
Blade Runner
is about a family that babysits an isolated hotel in Colorado for the winter. The hotel is revealed to have a long and violent past through visions that the son, Danny has during their stay. His father, Jack, slowly starts to go mad and threatens to hurt his wife and son. Danny attempts to use a special talent, the “Shining,” to inform people on the outside of what is going on inside the hotel. This movie is an excellent horror movie to watch if you like suspense movies and great cinematography.
is about a paranoid general Jack D. Ripper who deploys a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union without getting clearance from his superiors, among which include the President of the United States. General Ripper is the only one who knows the recall code and has shut down communications with the outside world. All the while at the Pentagon War Room, the president, a nuclear scientist and former Nazi Dr. Strangelove work to find a way to stop the nuclear attack.This is a great comedy to watch with your family a snowy Saturday night.
is set in the future, 2019 to be in exact, where the Earth is populated by humans and “replicants,” or androids that look like human beings. Rick Deckard is a “Blade Runner,” and ex-cop who is assigned to assassinate a group of replicants. As he tracks them down and meets a replicant named Rachel on the way, he begins to question what is really considered “human.” This 1980s thriller starring Harrison Ford is a great movie to watch for a blacked-out basement type of hang out.
Looking For Alaska by John Green
An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
All graphics by Iris Vukmanovic
Donnie Darko is about a boy in the late 1980s who receives troubling visions from a tall bunny rabbit after surviving an accident. The rabbit tells him that the world is going to end soon prompting Donnie to take action which causing an alarming series of events to unfold. Has Donnie gone insane or is saner than ever before? A drama-filled Sci-Fi thriller, Donnie Darko is a great movie to watch if you need something to mess with your mind. This would be great to watch with friends on movie-night while munching on some popcorn.
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is your typical young adult comingof-age novel with a twist. There is romance. There is mystery. And it is all topped off with some magic and paranormal activity. If you liked Harry Potter, and the occasional fan fiction, you will probably like this book. Read it next to your fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa to complete your winter break reading experience.
is an oldie but a goodie. Miles, a high school junior who loves to memorize famous people’s last words, decides to go to boarding school and there he meets Alaska Young, a beautiful but emotionally unstable girl. As the novel progresses, Miles falls in love with Alaska but will he find his happy ending with her or realize it was all an illusion? If you liked The Fault In Our Stars, you will definitely love Looking For Alaska. This book is a good one to read snuggled in your bed with a box of tissues and some pizza.
Holiday Playlist By IrisVukmanovic
It seems that every year the holiday season rolls around and we hear the same Christmas songs played over and over again. To add some spice to your holiday season here are some Christmas songs and covers by some artists you may not have expected.
is a great dystopian novel to add to the collection of young adult dystopian novels out right now. Laia is from an impoverished family and in an effort to save her brother, she risks her life to spy on the government in a military academy. There she meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier, and soon they realize they are destined to be together and can change the fate of the Empire forever. If you liked The Hunger Games trilogy, An Ember in the Ashes is the next best book for you. Read this book in the comfort of your home while drinking some tea.
What is your favorite Christmas movie?
= 10 people
Out of 100
Home Alone
35
Elf
36
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
13
Nightmare Before Christmas
16
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Pitch
DECEMBER 22, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Chaos Over Cups: Starbucks battles the war on Christmas By Sophie Thompson and Annika LaVina
Lately, the internet has been blowing up over the reveal of the Starbucks cup for the 2015 winter season. It is a plain red cup, but to some people, it is a symbol of Satanism and a slap in the face of religion. This Starbucks cup is just the start of the well-known coffee-shop’s alleged “war on Christmas”. In the past, Starbucks has included fun little designs on their cups including snowflakes and snowmen. However, this year there is no design. Now, it is just a darker shade of red that fades into a lighter shade towards the bottom. When this new cup was revealed, Starbucks encountered a huge influx of comments about the controversial cup. Most of the anger is centered around its lack of Christmas decor, and it has driven many people over the edge. Many people have said that the cup is bashing Christmas and have angrily stated their opinions online. Many outraged people have expressed that the designers, although purposefully making the cup only one color, are intentionally trying to brew controversy. To some, the cup signifies Starbucks’ hostility towards the holiday, and some have even gone so far as to boycott the cup altogether. For many, this is a matter of political correctness coupled with fragile beliefs in a somewhat agnostic society. Some students think that the contro-
Why do you think people are offended by the starbuck’s cup? People just want to start a scandal
55
It’s challenging many people’s beliefs
14
I don’t know
*Survey is out of 100 students
versy is pointless, and that people are taking it too far. The whole cup fiasco is simply blown way out of proportion. “I think it’s dumb because it only had decorations not religious symbols,” sophomore Emely Cardona said, speaking of past designs the cups have featured. To Cardona, the cup is simply there to provide a non-religious option to those who may not celebrate Christmas. The absent link between the cup and Christmas is not supposed to offend anyone, but it is instead supposed to make customers happy. “I think it’s just there to drive cheer and joy into the season,” Cardona said.
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The real question is, what should be put on the cup? If the simple red color is too offensive for some, what other options won’t cause so much controversy? So far, the suggestions have varied greatly. “I would decorate it with snowflakes or mistletoe. I would add a Christmas tree or bells,” Cardona said. Since the red cup ordeal, other troubles have surfaced. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup tree candies, which have been produced since 1993, are suddenly under tremendous backlash for their oval shape, which, to many, doesn’t even resemble a tree at all. Similarly, Starbucks is also under fire for yet another
one of their winter themed products. Their polar bear shaped cookie, which has been discontinued, boasts a red icing scarf on the bear. However, others seem to think otherwise, and are criticizing the popular coffee chain for making the red scarf look like the polar bear is getting his throat slit. Senior Zac Hicks brings another perspective to the controversy. For Hicks, the whole scandal is just part of social media hype. “I understand why people are overreacting. I think people just want a scandal. It’s kind of stupid, but like everything else, it’s going to blow over,” Hicks said.
Southern Style Black Eyed Peas
By Gideon Epstein
Ingredients: •1 pound of dried black eyed peas •1 medium red onion •1 poblano pepper •2 celery stalks •2 garlic cloves •2 bay leaves •½ teaspoon cayenne pepper •2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil •4 cups chicken stock •salt and pepper to taste
Directions: 1.Soak dried black eyed peas overnight (can be substituted with canned black eyed peas). 2.Slice bacon and chop red onion, poblano pepper, celery and garlic. 3.In a large pot, sauté onion, pepper, celery and garlic in oil until slightly browned. 4.Add well-strained black eyed peas to pot, followed by the chicken stock, cayenne, seasoning and bay leaves. 5.Simmer on low heat for just over an hour, or until black eyed peas have reached desired softness; add additional water if necessary.
Start the winter off right with these tasty recipes! Keep warm during the break with these traditional holiday foods. Sweet Potato Latkes
Ingredients: •2 pounds sweet potatoes •1 medium yellow onion •¾ cup flour •2 eggs •½ teaspoon nutmeg •salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste •¾ cup canola or vegetable oil All photos by Gideon Epstein Directions: 1.Grate sweet potatoes and onion by hand or with food processor on medium setting into a bowl. 2.Squeeze out and discard as much starchy liquid as possible from the mixture. 3.Add beaten eggs, flour, nutmeg and seasoning to batter. 4.In a large skillet with roughly half an inch of oil in it, fry latkes (roughly a quarter cup of batter) until golden brown. 5.When well browned, place latkes on a plate lined with paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Ingredients: •3 cups milk •1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract •1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips •½ cup cocoa powder •¾ cup sugar •candy canes (optional) •marshmallows (optional) Directions: 1. In a medium saucepan on low heat, bring milk up to nearly a simmer. 2. Add chocolate chips, cocoa, sugar and peppermint extract. 3. Cook until chocolate is melted and cocoa is dissolved. Make sure to mix well. 4. Pour into mugs and (optional) garnish with marshmallows and crushed candy canes.
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Pitch
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
DECEMBER 22, 2015
13
Spend New Year’s Eve your own way with fun, local events By Annika La Vina
Start 2016 with family and friends in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Baltimore New Year’s Eve Spectacular starts at 9:00 P.M. with live concerts from the Inner Harbor Amphitheatre, and offers numerous options for all kinds of party-goers. Aside from the local music performances, there is also food, ice skating and light shows. Stay until 12:00 A.M. to catch the fireworks erupt over the Harbor. The event is free and will be broadcasted live on TV and radio.
ma
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This New Year’s Eve, take advantage of some of the D.C. area’s most anticipated events. Whether you are spending your New Year’s with a big group of friends, your immediate family or a significant other, there is bound to be something to fit your kind of fun.
t Alexan h g i d For a more famisr t N ly- friendly New Year’s Eve, take a trip down to Alexandria
Fi
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Baltimore New Year’s Eve Spectacular presented by Ports America Chesapeake
For a more relaxed New Year’s Eve, visit Brookside Gardens’ “Garden of Lights Winter Walk Through” for a calm stroll through the display. The event starts at nightfall and continues on to 9:00 pm, perfect for students who have something else planned for the night. The yearly exhibition features hand-crafted flowers, animals and other natural elements. Tickets are $30 per car, so gather up your closest friends and head enjoy the lights before the new year starts.
ria
This New Year’s Eve, try taking a cruise along the Potomac River on one of D.C.’s luxury dining boats. Both the Odyssey and the Spirit of Washington offer fun evenings full of fine dining and dancing. These nights on the water provide dinners ranging from two and half to three hours, and the multi-course dinner menu offers endless food and fun. Although each night is a bit pricy, it is perfect for older students who are looking for something different this New Year’s Eve. The cruise line presents spectacular views of the D.C. skyline, and is sure to be a fun night with a significant other or a small group of friends.
for the annual First Night party. This event provides live entertainment and musical performances, and also features other interactive games and competitions inside many of old town Alexandria’s historic buildings. The event is also very kid-friendly, and offers sailboat building, carnival games, storytelling and face painting. Finish the night off in Alexandria by staying until 12:00 A.M. to see the fireworks over the Potomac River. Parking is easily accessible and admission badges are $30.
Brookside Gardens’ Light Display
D.I.Y. Holiday Gifts By IrisVukmanovic
Homemade Candle
The holiday season is quickly coming to an end and what better way to show someone you care than by giving them a gift you made yourself? Below are some fun and easy do-it-yourself gift ideas you can make if you have not been able to hit the mall, without breaking the bank!
Mason Jar Snow Globe Things you will need: A mason jar A plastic figurine(s) Glycerin (to make the glitter flow better) 1-2 teaspoons of glitter Water Hot glue gun How to: Photo from Flickr, Giulianna Gadelha 1. Glue the plastic figurine(s) on the inside of the jar lid. 2. Fill the jar with water and glycerin. 3. Add glitter. 4. Place the lid back on the jar and you are all done. If you are concerned about the lid unscrewing you have the option to glue the lid to the jar as well.
Sugar Scrub
Photo from Flickr, Debra
Things you will need: ½ cup coconut oil 1 ½ - 2 cups of sugar 1 tablespoon of peppermint, vanilla, or lavender extract 1 drop of food coloring of your choice How to: 1. Put the coconut oil in a bowl and microwave until softened (this should take about 20 seconds). 2. Pour sugar into the bowl first, closely followed by the extract and food coloring. 3. Mix until everything is combined, it is ok if it is a little clumpy. If the mixture is too wet add a ½ cup of sugar until you get your preferred texture. 4. Place the mix into a container like a mason jar and decorate it with some stickers or ribbon!
Things you will need: Vegetable shortening Essential oils Photo from Flickr, Annie Pilon Wicks Crayons (if you would like to add color) A Mason jar, candle holder or teacup Tacky glue How to: 1. Cut a wick so that it is the right length for your container. 2. Glue the wick to the bottom of the container. 3. If you are using crayons peel the paper off of them and cut them into little pieces, 1-2 crayons should be enough. 4. Melt the vegetable shortening using a medium-low setting. 5. Stir the shortening while melting until there are no clumps. 6. Take the shortening off the heat and add crayon pieces by stirring them in until they dissolve. 7. Add essential oils while still hot. 8. Keep stirring until it solidifies a little. 9. Pour the mixture into the container of your choice. 10. Even out the top so it is flat making sure the wick sticks out.
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
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DECEMBER 22, 2015
SPORTS
Wrestling looks to build off of last year’s success
By Bryce Auster
After finishing with an outstanding record of 29-2 last year, the wrestling team looks to improve even more and build on last season. The team lost many seniors, but they have plenty of new talent and are certainly aiming high this year. The team will miss the seniors’ experience but is confident its new wrestlers. Senior Dillon Jobes is very confident that the team will do well. “We have a lot of new guys who have potential and as a team we’re still strong,” Jobes said. Jobes thinks that the team will have a lot of strong individual performers, particularly because of their experience. “This year... we’re going to be extremely competitive individually with three returning state qualifiers and a lot of good upperclassmen,” Jobes said. Even though Jobes is confident that the team will do very well and be competitive, he still classifies this year as a rebuilding year. “This is going to be a development year with a lot of good young wrestlers,” Jobes said. Fellow senior wrestler Logan Wilson, whom Jobes calls an extremely skilled wrestler, explains what has motivated the team to do well. “We want to win, that drives us.” Wilson said. Co-coach Tom Wheeler points to the team’s experience, determination, brotherhood and conditioning. He, like Jobes and Wilson, believes the team
could improve and build off of last year’s success and possibly attract other athletes who want to get in better shape. “[We could] recruit more athletes from other sports who want to reach peak c o n d i t i o n i n g,” Wheeler said. The team’s tremendous success last season was not enough to satisfy Wilson. He thinks the team could definitely improve and look to continue their success. “We can build on last year’s success by continuing to push kids past their limits and improve every day to make something special,” Wilson said. Even though Wilson is focused on the team, he is also hoping to accomplish some individual goals that would ultimately help the team. “I expect to win counties and regionals and also to win states,” Wilson said. Wilson agrees with Jobes that this year will be a rebuilding year due to the lack of experience. “We have a lot of younger, first year wrestlers,” Wilson said, “But we are a work in progress with the experienced kids teaching the next generation.”
Led by coaches Tom Wheeler (top left) and Blake Herrin (bottom right), WJ Wrestling did well at the Mad Mats Competition on Dec. 12, finishing third out of 18 schools from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and D.C.
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Photo Story: Girls’ Basketball Meg Tamara, photographer for The Pitch, looks at a recent girls’ basketball game through the lens of her camera. The Wildcats lost the Dec. 14 contest against Blair High School by a score of 53-35.
Photo courtesy of Jodi Westrum
Wilson hopes the upperclassmen can mentor the younger players on the team. Wheeler knows that the upperclassmen already believe in themselves and are very confident that they will do well this year. “There is no doubt our experienced wrestlers believe in themselves. The new ones must feed off that confidence,” Wheeler said. The team’s success was evident last year, as they placed third in the county and second in regionals, as well as third and fourth place in regional duals. The team definitely wants to do better than that. And they are very hungry, hoping to go all the way to states and win. “Early season success will help,” Wheeler said.
Seniors Madison Moss and Cassie Hill participate in a drillduring warm-ups for the game.
The team lines up near center court for the national anthem during the pre-game activities.
Ice hockey rushes into new season
By Kevin O’Leary WJ’s ice hockey club, referred to by many students as the “WJ Icecats,” has opened up the 2015-16 season in impressive fashion, tying two games, winning two and only losing one against some prime competition, with big wins against Richard Montgomery and B-CC High Schools. Because hockey is not an official MCPS sport, the Icecats compete in the Maryland Student Hockey League (MSHL) in the “Montgomery Pure” division, along with Wootton, Whitman, Sherwood, B-CC, Richard Montgomery, and Churchill High Schools. The Icecats have been led by noticeably exceptional play from juniors Aaron Greene and Wally Cronin, who have combined for 23 total points, a sum of goals and assists. Senior Brando Kobernick is a four year member and captain of the team. Kobernick says that as a senior leader, his prime focus is guiding the team’s younger players. “As a four year member and one of the captains on the team I try to act as a role model for the younger and less experienced players,” Kobernick said. Kobernick also claims that this year, the team is far more developed and stronger than the team was during his freshman year, and he is hopeful that they can use this strength to eventually take down powerhouse Churchill. “Out of the four years playing, my freshman season was the only season I've made it to the championship. Unfortunately, we lost to our rivals, Churchill.
The Wildcats engage in a team huddle to get motivated right before tip off for the game.
The Wildcats run through their offense early in the first quarter in the Dec. 14 game.
Photo courtesy of Nick Liden
Senior Cashell Hurdle and two teammates attack the puck in their Nov. 20 game against Churchill High School.
I believe we have a stronger team this year than my freshman year and we hope to face off against Churchill in the finals again, but this time we will come out as champions,” Kobernick said. Greene, WJ’s leading points scorer with six goals and seven assists, attributes his success to his teammates’ continued trust in his ability to perform, but also thinks that a large portion of the team’s success should be credited to exceptional play from the team’s goaltenders. “Our success so far is almost all because of our goalies, they have played amazing even when everyone else was struggling,” Greene said.
With such an exceptional level of play, The Icecats have also noticed a great increase in attendance at the rink this year. Kobernick sees more and more new fans appear at every game. “People are starting to realize that hockey games are a lot of fun and they're free. The more people that come the crazier they get. It's like a snowball effect where more and more people come after each game,” he said. The Icecats will continue to compete in the regular season until February at various rinks across the D.C. metro area, with key matchups against Whitman and defending champions Churchill at the end of January.
Junior Jordan Zavareei dribbles around an opponent.
Junior Ellen Yaffe goes up for a layup as senior Ashleigh Wagar looks on.
Sports
What’s Inside 15
A look into how wrestling looks to build off of last years success this season
16
Taking a look at the season thus far for ice hockey DECEMBER 22, 2015
Transition to track requires mental and physical strength
By Owen Krucoff Following the conclusion of the cross country season, athletes and coaches alike have to adjust and transition from the endurance-based sport to the shorter distances and indoor environment of indoor track and field. That is not to mention the addition of field events to the competitions, such as shot put or high jump, which don’t exist at all in cross country. This new diversity in the types of competition leads to more divisions within the team, but also allows more of a specific focus on single events, as noted by senior Carter May, who captains both boys’ cross country and the long-distance runners on indoor track. “Myself and the other captains on the distance team have a much smaller but tighter knit group of kids to lead in training [than we do in cross country],” May said. “It’s a little more divided up, but in the same way, it gives us a lot of opportunity to specialize.” After 20 years of coaching high school cross country and track, Martin is used to making this transition every fall, but he says that the athletes need a strong mental standpoint in order to switch sports successfully. “[Athletes have] been really intensely focusing on their goals for the entire cross country season. They have a break, and then start a new season, and they have to get that mental energy back up again. It’s the idea of stopping and then restarting that process that’s the most difficult,” he said. Along with these mental adjustments, runners must make multiple alterations to their practice routines to accommodate for the different events and winter weather. Although all indoor track meets take place indoors, practices are still outdoors due to the lack of a nearby available indoor track. This means athletes must bundle up every day for practice in order to keep warm. The physical exercises of practice are also altered in order to prepare for the shorter running distances. “We do run shorter distances faster [in indoor track practice], which really helps our legs for the shorter distances on the track,” May said. “We also, typically two to three times a week, go into the weight room, where we work on… maintaining our strength and endurance.” Tom Martin, the head coach of both cross country and indoor track, stresses the physical challenges involved in switching between the two sports.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Milsted
Senior Carter May, a runner for both cross country and track, runs in the second MCPS indoor track meet of the season on Dec. 8th.
“Cross country is run over 5000 meters, so it’s a different kind of race [from indoor track],” Martin said. Track races are about enduring extreme pain over a short period of time. A [cross country race] is extreme discomfort over a longer period.” The change is even more dramatic for Liam Miller, a junior who runs cross country in the fall and then switches to sprints for indoor track. His situation is rare and he believes he is the only one on the WJ team who makes this transition. He attributes good mental focus to his ability to make the switch successfully. “It’s basically just a mindset thing,” he said. “You’ve got to just go from thinking ‘I’ve got to run three miles or four miles’ to ‘Hey, I’ve got to run 50 meters.’”
Miller enjoys short-distance sprinting more than cross country and views it as his main sport. The main reason he runs cross country is to stay in shape in advance of the track and field seasons. Another difficult adjustment for all competitors between the two sports is time commitments for meets. Indoor track meets, since they involve more participants in more events, take much longer to complete than cross country meets. In fact, the only indoor track in the county, at Georgetown Prep, is too small to host the large crowds associated with meets, so the most of the team’s meets, including the Montgomery County championships meet in January, actually take place in Prince George’s County. WJ is known for its prowess in long-distance running, but track and field results, both indoor and outdoor, have consistently lagged behind those of cross country. May believes this disparity is a result of the types of athletes found in the school. “We live in an area where we have kids that love distance running and they commit themselves to it year round, whereas in track you have kids that… also play [another sport], so… that sort of makes it difficult to maintain the speed and the fitness that you need all year round.” Overall, May and his fellow teammates love both sports and even perceive them as two parts of the same season. “For me and a lot of the other Graphic by Steven Judge guys on cross country, it’s almost like one continuous season for us,” he said. “Both are amazing athletic experiences.”
Problems with officiating in NFL requires action from both sides
By Patrick Jorling
For even the casual observer of an NFL game in the 2015 season thus far, the quality of officiating has been noticeably low. The increased number of penalties and reviews has taken away from the overall game action, as these constant breaks in the action have frustrated both fans and players due to longer game lengths and the elimination of exciting plays. While some of this
onus falls on the players for not following the rules consistently, the officials are seemingly looking to throw the flag on many plays. Holding and pass interference penalties, which many times are not clear cut, are frequently called. This takes away from the game's quality, as it seems that the referees have just as big of an impact on the result of the game as the players. Something needs to change, and both the league and the officials bare responsibility in trying to fix the issue. Some of the NFL’s rules can be very unclear. The pass interference and holding rules are very open to the official's interpretation, and the rule as to what is and what is not a catch when a receiver is going down to the ground seems just as confusing to the referees as it is to the fans.This offseason, the officials need to collaborate with the league to make sure these rules are clarified. They need to better define these rules so that they are more conducive to ensuring that fewer exciting plays are called back. So long as they do this with-
out compromising the integrity of the game, this would be a welcome change for all parties involved. The NFL can also help in improving the quality of officiating by making their referees full-time employees. As of now, officials are only part-time employees of the league that work one day of the week. If the NFL makes them full time employees, the referees can be more focused on perfecting their craft, and can spend their days during the week doing as all of their other employees do, preparing for their upcoming game. This will improve both motivations and skill levels of officials, which would result in a vast improvement in quality of officiating. Football is an exciting sport that people will always watch. But as the problem of a low quality of officiating continues to persist, the NFL has to take action that will benefit fans, players and referees. If the rules are clearer and officials are more prepared, the overall product on the field will improve, which is what all sides want to see in the end.