December 10 Issue

The Pitch

Walter Johnson High School

December 10, 2012

Volume 58 Issue 3

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814

Questions, Comments and Contentious Issues

By Claudia Nguyen

On Oct. 15 and Nov. 14, MCPS Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr addressed various issues at the student town hall meetings hosted by Northwest and Einstein High Schools, respectively. Starr answered questions asked by students who attended the meeting and students from other schools who posted questions on Twitter.

“Town Hall” continued on page 3

Photo by Phillip Resnick

Is it still hipster to be hipster?

By Sabrina Clarke

If someone is on Instagram, Tumblr or most social networking sites, then that person will most likely encounter a group of WJ students commonly labeled as hipsters. The hipster movement is a pop culture trend that has risen in popularity over the past year.

A hipster is generally defined as one who defies societal expectations with regard to fashion, music and elements of popular culture However the specifics of what the label “hipster” encompasses varies from person to person. “[A hipster is] someone who thinks they found something first,” said sophomore Bradley Adam-Stein. He believes that hipsters often are under the impression they have started trends, rather than following existing ones.

“Hipster” continued on page 13

Inside, Check Out:

Cracking open the ADI’s Nutcracker Students in WJ cluster to participate in December production of winter classic

By Caroline Steel The American Dance Institute (ADI) will be putting on a production of The Nutcracker on Dec. 7, 8, 9, 15 and 16.

This yearly production, staged at the ADI’s dance studio in Rockville, will include several WJ students, as well as the PTSA president’s daughter, in what promises to be a memorable experience for all.

Sophia Megann, daughter of PTSA President Renee Howell and student at Luxmanor Elementary, will be participating for her second time in ADI’s rendition of The Nutcracker.

“While it’s stressful, the kids are very dutiful and want to [put on] a good performance,” said Howell. “They also really... have a lot of fun.”

Megann, who will be turning nine next month, has been practicing ballet since the age of three.

WJ student freshman Linda Hu and sophomores Grace Tietz and Julia Cope will also be participating in the annual production.

“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s paying off,” said ADI school director Erin Du. “I always love to see what the individual dancers bring to the roles.”

“Nutcracker” continued on page 4

nt., E d n a Arts -16 pgs. 13

l, Editoria pgs. 5-8

Feature, pgs. 9-12

Photo courtesy of Brianne Bland for the American Dance Institute

American Dance Institute ballerinas perform in last year’s rendition of The Nutcracker.

Sports, p gs.

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NEWS

DECEMBER 10, 2012

wjpitch.com

M O R F Follow the WJ Pitch on Twitter! @TheWJPitch

Martin named Gazette coach of the year

By Phillip Resnick & Ben Resnick Vince Lombardi, Mike Krzyzewski, Phil Jackson, Tony La Russa: each of these individuals are legendary coaches in their respective sports. Head cross country coach Tom Martin is trying to throw his name into the same category as these famed coaches.

This fall Martin was named The Gazette’s cross country coach of the year, the second time he’s earned the award in the last four years. Since taking over the cross country program five years ago from Greg Dunston, Martin has headed four state championship teams and coached numerous All-Gazette and All-Met runners. Martin was named All-Met coach of the year in 2009 and 2011...

Photo courtesy of Mocorunning.com

Martin, left, talks to his cross country team before a practice.

Just ‘Wildcats’ This is an editorial submitted by junior Sabrina Greene on the term “Lady Wildcats” used particularly in sports journalism and its effect on gender equality. If you would like to submit your own editorial for consideration, you can email The Pitch at thepitch@WalterJohnson.com.

By Sabrina Greene, GuestWriter I’ve heard it too many times: announcements, tweets and cheers from the stands all talking about the ‘Lady Wildcats.’ Every time, it hits a nerve. Not only does the term simply sound bad, it is also derogatory and needs to be removed from our community’s vocabulary. Have we not been progressing in the field of women’s sports for the past four decades? With the U.S. women’s soccer team winning gold this past summer in London at the same time as the 40th an-

niversary of Title IX, much attention was drawn to the accomplishments of female athletes here in America.

This year in London, the American Olympic team, for the first time ever, had more women than men.

Why, then, would we turn back time by calling women athletes here at WJ anything other than what they are: wildcats. We bleed the same green blood that the boys’ teams do, and while overall girls’ teams are respected in this progressive area, calling our female athletes ‘Lady Wildcats’ sets them apart...

To see full articles and much more, visit www.wjpitch.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Pitch Readers, Happy December! We are excited to bring you yet another installment of The Pitch. This issue features exciting articles as we recount the best of 2012 and move into the new year.

This month, our paper tackles many tough subjects from marijuana legalization to cyberbullying to WJ’s repeal of the no-homework policy. Arts and Entertainment kicks off the holidays with a seasonal guide to drinks, while Sports flips roles, following girls’ basketball coach Lindsey Zegowitz as she ran her tryout to start the season. After much discussion, our sports editors decided to cover ice hockey even though it is a club sport, citing the number of fans that attend most of the team’s games and the large interest the WJ community has in the team. The feature editors compiled a list of the biggest news events and surveyed WJ students to see which were most important to the them. The results of the survey appear on the spread.

As always, we encourage you to keep up to date on all WJ news by reading The Pitch Online at www.wjpitch.com, following @thewjpitch on Twitter and liking “The WJ Pitch” on Facebook. Happy holidays from all of the staff!

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

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DECEMBER 10, 2012

NEWS

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Contentious issues addressed at Student Town Hall “Town Hall” continued from page 1

infringements outside of school when

By Claudia Nguyen they relate to in-school isPunishments for Out of School sues.

Infringements “We’re responsible for One of the controversial issues Starr addressed at school safety,” the town hall meeting dealt with current MCPS poliStarr. cies determining punishments for student infringe- said “We’re responments that occur off of school grounds. The current policy states that if students commit crimes or infrac- sible for maktions outside the school day that may have an impact ing sure [stuon the school, then the administration has the right to dents] are on punish them for their actions. Starr said the current the right track, policy is not specific because individual student infrac- and if there’s an appropriate tions need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Photo by Phillip Resnick Starr added that this is not only a problem in Mont- consequence Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr addresses high school students at the Student Town Hall in early November gomery County, but is an emerging issue for schools within school at Northwest High School. across the country. With the continued popularity of that helps you [and students] have an incredibly jam-packed schedsocial networking sites and other forms of social me- understand the consequences of the choices you’ve ule,” said Starr. “There’s so much you’re trying to do. made, then I think we should [implement] it.” dia, there has also been a rise Additionally, Starr ad- We shadowed a student for a day a couple weeks ago, in student use of these sites dressed the controver- and one of the things it reminded me of is how busy for cyberbullying. Because you guys are and how much you’re trying to jam into of students believe school sial MCPS zero-tolerance one day.” cyberbullying occurs on the policy towards violence, Internet, but directly affects Some districts throughout the country have already which prohibits any inadministration should have the right to the students in school, there taken this step, and allow students to receive credit for fractions, regardless of the has been debate over whethparticipating in a variety of competitive sports. Starr circumstances.

One of the er or not the issue is within punish for cyberbullying. believes this policy would help many students, and is main reasons this policy the scope of the administrainterested in seeing how this policy would be implehas been controversial is tion. mented in MCPS. of students think they because it defines self-de“[Cyberbullying is] a mafense as a form of violence jor new area that we’re try- should be able to receive P.E. credits School Start Times punishable by the adminising to grapple with,” said Starr. “We do believe that for competing in a competitive sport at tration.

Arguably, one of the most controversial issues high Starr disagreed with our school principals are school students have been advocating for is a change in the methods the policy responsible for, and do a re- school. uses because he said it was school start times. ally good job of, knowing Many proponents of this issue argue pushing high too absolute. He said it the school community and school start times to a later hour would allow students was important to underof students are against knowing what’s right.” to sleep longer in the morning and thus perform betstand the context of the Starr emphasized that stuter in school. situation, but above all, the dents are representatives of changing high school start times to a Although many students are in support of pushing school system must take their schools and should keep back school start times, many are also against it, due to a hard line on violent bein mind that their actions off later hour. potential complications involved with its implementahavior, drugs and all other Information collected from a random sample survey of 300 WJ students of schools grounds are a reissues that compromise the tion. Starr also takes issue with this proposed change flection of their school’s reputation. He believes some because he believes it to be a very complex problem. of the barriers separating school and the outside com- safety of the school.

“There are a couple different aspects of this issue,” “The most important thing to me is that the adults munity should be broken down. said Starr. “One is that there is a cost associated with it “We have to start thinking of schools as an exten- know you, and have a relationship with you and can because of the number of buses we have and the numsion of community and an extension of family,” said interpret your behavior in the context of what might ber of runs they make. And there isn’t additional monStarr. “We’re all part of the same system that is trying be going on in your life,” said Starr. “Zero-tolerance ey, unless you want to take it from something else.” to help and encourage [students’] positive growth and sometimes doesn’t allow for the relationship-building Starr estimated that it would require tens of milthat has to happen, the need for us to get to know you development.” lions of dollars in order to fund the additional buses However, he also said the school community, in- as people and help you develop into the people that required to make this change. He also believes cutting cluding parents, teachers and administrators, needs to you want to be, not the people that we want you to be. this money from other projects in MCPS would probwork out a more solid policy to determine the appro- We have to be thinking of ourselves as developing and ably not be encouraged by most community members. priate level of punishment students should receive for helping, not just punishing.”

Another proposal suggests MCPS switch starting times for high school and elementary school in order P.E. Credits for to avoid the cost of hiring extra buses. However, Starr Competitive Sports also found fault with this proposal for several reasons.

“We run an incredibly efficient and tight bus opMore and more, students in MCPS eration anyway, and I don’t know that simply switchare packing their schedules with dozing starting times for elementary school kids and high ens of activities, from advanced classes school kids would be something acceptable to folks, to extracurricular sports. While this because then you’re talking about elementary kids at does provide variance in students’ daily the bus stop at 6:30 in the morning,” said Starr. “Then schedules, it leaves little time for some there’s also an issue with staff, there’s an issue with of the courses required for graduation.

Some students argue that in order to sports [and] there’s an issue with working.”

Starr also raised the point that there are many other reduce schedule-cramming, students factors causing students to be more stressed and to should be able to receive physical edulose vital sleep time, and simply changing the start cation credits if they participate in a time may not necessarily resolve this issue. For excompetitive sport at school. ample, he said homework may also be another major Starr said that, while there are no factor he would have to consider. plans to implement such a policy at “It’s not so simple as just simply switching start this time, it has always been something he has considered because he realizes times or adding money to the budget unless people how much students are trying to fit want us to wipe out 15 [to] 20 million dollars’ worth of stuff in order to make it happen by adding more Photo by Phillip Resnick into a time-limited school day.

Superintendent Joshua Starr and Student Member of the Board John Mannes “We have six and a half hours a day buses,” he said. listen attentively as a student poses a question.

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Falling off the fiscal cliff

By Izzy Salant On Nov. 6, Americans had at least one note written on their calendars: “Election Day.” By 11 p.m., the citizens of the United States knew their next president would be Barack Obama. For next year, Americans already have a new date marked on their calendars, one that could change the direction of our country. That date is Jan. 2, and the event is the fiscal cliff.

According to the Counsel of Foreign Relations, the fiscal cliff is “a bundle of momentous U.S. federal tax increases and spending cuts that are due to take effect at the end of 2012 and early 2013.”

In total, the amount of money lost in automatic spending cuts will be about 1.2 trillion dollars, about 7.5 percent of the U.S. national debt. Neither political party supports the idea of the fiscal cliff, but both are proposing different bills and strategies to get around it. If none are effectively implemented, government spending will be cut drastically.

So far, each party has an outline for proposed bills that will combat the fiscal cliff, but none are set in stone. AP Government teacher Nico Atencio said that he expects there to be negotiations to fight the fiscal cliff.

“There will be a lot of changes in the different proposals between now and when we reach that final stage,” he said. “Anything reported now will resemble part of the outcome. It’s all like pieces of a puzzle.”

Aside from the lack of a concrete plan to prevent going over the fiscal cliff, there is another problem.

One of the funds cut will be student aid, which means students who want to receive tuition or are counting on student loans to put them through college might not be able to have access to these funds. This can affect current WJ seniors if they plan to use any of these programs in the future. Atencio, though concerned about this, said seniors face a greater issue than just the problem of affording to go to college.

“The economy [is the greater issue],” said Atencio.

“There are so many outstanding problems... like jobs and healthcare.”

Besides automatic spending cuts, Atencio said if Congress is unable to prevent the fiscal cliff, the country will lose something other than government programs. “[There] will be a loss of faith in our economy and [in] the way our government is able to handle a crisis,” he said.

Taxes Cut in the Fiscal Cliff

On Jan. 2, if the Democratic and Republican parties have not found a way to prevent the fiscal cliff, these billions of dollars in taxes will be cut from the federal budget.

Alternative Minimum Tax $40 billion (7.5%)

Payroll Taxes $115 billion (21.5%) Income Tax Increase (Low & Mid Income) $171 billion (32%)

Estate Taxes $31 billion (5.8%)

Short Term Breaks $75 Billion (14%)

Obama Care Taxes $24 billion (4.5%) Capital Gains/ Dividends $8 billion (1.5%) Income Tax Increase (High Income) $44 billion (8.2%) Stimulus Tax Breaks $27 billion (5%) Information from SeekingAlpha.com

Democratic Plan

Republican Plan

The Democratic plan was proposed by President Barack Obama and backed by the Democratic party.

It calls for 1.6 trillion dollars in tax increases over the next decade. As well as the tax increases, the Democratic plan calls for 350 million dollars in spending cuts for healthcare programs. To help battle the fiscal cliff, Obama is also taking into account the money America will save as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq come to a close, which adds up to 800 billion dollars in savings.

The Republican plan is a proposed 2.2 trillion dollar bill that calls for 1.4 trillion dollars in spending cuts and 800 billion dollars in new revenue by limiting tax breaks and capping deductions for high-earning citizens, people who make over 250,000 dollars a year, which account for America’s top few percent. This plan was proposed in a letter to Obama, with plans to cut 900 billion dollars for programs like Medicare and Medicaid and 300 billion in discretionary spending.

American Dance Institute cracks open The Nutcracker “Nutcracker” continued from page 1

By Caroline Steel Du will perform in the role of Clara’s mother, and her husband will also be involved, as he is the artistic director for ADI. “I cast the roles, organize the schedule, conduct the rehearsals and oversee putting the production together,” Du said.

Du added that there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that goes unnoticed by what she called “behind the scene heroes.”

ADI, praised by such news sources as The Washington Post and The Gazette, has performed full-length renditions of The Nutcracker since 2009 in their state-of-the art theater. Ballerinas this year, ranging from age five to 18, mix in a parade of rats, Christmas trees, flowers and Nutcrackers for the performance.

The institute plans to continue the Christmas spirit by donating two performances Photo courtesy of Brianne Bland for the American Dance Institute that will be free to the residents of the char- Ballerinas from the American Dance Institute dance in their performance of The Nutcracker. ity, Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of In addition, they performed at Walter Reed Military To learn more and to purchase tickets for their upHealth. One will be held at the ADI studios, while the other will be held in the Inn itself. Both performances Medical Center on Dec. 7 in the Winter Fest for the coming performances, please visit their website at Wounded Warriors and their families.

Americandance.org. are being funded by donations.

EDITORIAL Pitch Legging Swag: An appropriate replacement for pants the

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Rees’s Pieces

By Nathaniel Rees

Picture this. A few friends and I, dressed in athletic clothes and running sneakers, are at G-Square, eating an entire tub of cake batter ice cream. It’s incredibly humid outside, but the ice cream cools us off. After our spoons hit the bottom of the giant tub, we tramp back to WJ, bloated and content.

Yup, just another day at cross country practice.

When I decided to do cross country (XC) freshman year, I had no idea what I was getting into. For one, I didn’t consider running to be a sport, so I thought practice would consist of Capture the Flag and a few jumping jacks. I only did XC because I was either just an Average Joe or, to put it mildly, I stunk, in every other sport I had tried (the highlight of my other sporting careers included trying to score on my own hoop in my third grade basketball game).

I was in for a rude awakening. My first workout, mile repeats, for lack of a better word, sucked, and it seemed that a lot of people were actually taking the sport seriously. So halfway through the workout, my friends and I ditched and hit up Giant for some Fantas.

Thus began my freshman cross country season. Every day was a new adventure, none of which included running, except an escapade where my friends and I ran shirtless through DSW. This hedonistic approach to running carried all the way into my sophomore year, even after I was caught walking back to WJ holding a McDouble from McDonalds.

Come junior year, though, everything changed. I began to work hard at practice and in races, a novel experience for me. So, after I finished my first invitational race, even though I was exhausted and in pain, I felt a new sensation spread over my body. I was proud. My coach and teammates, who had somehow kept faith in me, were proud. I had helped the junior varsity team win a second place medal.

To make a long story short, in my final two XC seasons I went from being an uncaring and immature freshman to a varsity runner who passionately cared about WJ’s running program and my teammates. I was transformed from someone who laughed at runners who tried hard to a kid who sobbed after losing the state meet.

Because I realized that, though walking to the mall provided immediate pleasure, I was not really happy. Cross country and my coaches have taught me that true happiness comes from determination and dedication, from running for your team and not just for yourself, from fighting through the pain and giving every ounce of energy in a race.

So next time you encounter an obstacle when participating in a club, sport or play, or when fighting for a cause, don’t take the easy road out like I did.

It may be tempting, but remember that true happiness sometimes stems from blood, sweat and tears.

By Megan Chun Leggings. The new-age tights made of stretch and spandex, a favorite of many teens who roll out of bed but seek to add a new twist to the classic, laid-back sweatpants-and-shirt look. Laid-back yet stylish, leggings provide the necessary comfort to sit through eight hours of class.

But recently, they have caught flack with parents and administrators across the nation, who worry that these body-hugging garments serve as a distraction to boys and are not meant to be worn as a substitution for pants.

This has even happened locally; according to their website, Rockville High School has banned “leggings or stockings worn as pants.” In summary, adults argue that leggings are not school appropriate, and, for lack of better terms, show too much butt.

Give me a break. I think the teenage boys of the universe can handle it. Film, television and magazines expose much more explicit content to today’s youth.

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Now, there are some truly disturbing photos on the Internet that depict people wearing leggings that are clearly too transparent and too tight. But the majority of females who engage in the leggings trend tend not to wear them in this manner. No, not everyone wears bright pink thong underwear with their white leggings. No, not everyone exposes their entire backside when bending over. And no, girls should not be disciplined by the administration based on their choice to wear leggings.

For me, wearing leggings as pants is a given. Being on the petite side, most pants seem to swallow me up. I end up looking like a senior citizen with the waistband up to my naval, or a small child with pants that are much too

Leggings are the epitome of the combination of comfort and style, and though they can push the edge of school appropriate clothing, they should still be respected as what they are and appear to be: a clothing garment with two leg holes, otherwise known as pants.

I feel that girls often over-think their wardrobe choices because of how they believe their peers will perceive them.

It’s understandable. No one wants to land on the extreme ends of the modesty spectrum, which appears to range from prude to slut. These judgments are not necessarily shared out loud. But it’s the simple fear of the stares and eyerolls that often drive girls to play it safe.

This whole process of thought is ridiculous. The way one dresses, whether revealing or conservative, does not necessarily dictate or influence the way one acts, or vice versa. It is human nature to judge and make false assumptions based on appearances, but it can be done in a non-malicious manner.

Yes, I care about what bright and colorful for my grand old people think of me. Who doesn’t? But age of 16 years. When I do find pants I don’t care enough to suppress or rethat fit in the waist, they tend to have evaluate my clothing choices based on excess material in the leg area, leaving how others may view me. If I feel like me looking much shorter than my 5’2 wearing leggings in place of my jeans, frame. Skinny jeans are fine, but they or an oversized sweater instead of a crop feel exactly how they sound: skinny and top, like hell I’m going to do so. tight.

[about what “ ButothersI don’tthinkcareof enough me] to suppress or re-evaluate my clothing choices based on how others may view me.

”

“No homework” nights no more

Policy changes to accomodate teacher requests ByWahid Ishrar

Changes to policy are the new norm at WJ. From changes in lunch to the combination of cultural assemblies into ‘International Night,’ students have had a lot to cope with. Now, adding on is the cancellation of the “no-homework” policy.

Previously, the nights of the Fall Sports Awards Ceremony and the Spring Choral Concert allowed students to focus on their talents by giving them a break from the tedious cycle of homework. Others who were not involved in these festivals were awarded time to do as they pleased. This was one of the many things that differentiated WJ from other schools in the country, since we were the only school that had a no-homework policy. This has ended, due to complaints from teachers that they were not able to cover the material that they needed to get through.

Give me a break. So what if you can’t assign 30 more pages of mindless reading that most students will probably pay no attention to? Students involved in these events will probably not do the work anyway, which will bring down their grades. That should not be a goal of teachers.

Due to the few students that attend these events, another issue that arose was that the majority of the students not involved get a free no-homework pass. Yes, we do. But just because we do not participate in a sport or a music

event does not mean that we are not as equally over-burdened. I have multiple commitments, like photography assignments and projects, all on top of a job, that require me to put in a lot more than

Cartoon by Sarah Chipman

A student who returned from the Awards Ceremony stays up late to finish up the homework assigned.

can be accomplished in the classroom.

These nights, I come home feeling satisfied that, for once, I will not have to stare at a piece of paper trying to decipher its Egyptian hieroglyphics, but instead will have some time to accomplish something that I want to accomplish. Surprising, right?

More accurately, this cancellation of no-homework nights can be attributed to the fact that teachers found ways

around the policy. For example, in previous years, they would assign two nights’ worth of homework, and make the due date two days later. Technically they were not breaking the rules; however, they were still assigning the same amount of work in the same time frame.

I do not intend to make teachers sound like villains. Most teachers actually understand that students are plagued with multiple duties. However, some teachers forget that, and even believe that theirs is the only class we are taking, and find it offensive that there are more important things to most of us than their busy-work. My question is, if administration will not satisfy a minority of students in a way that affects the majority, why are they listening to the minority of teachers that are culprits of overworking their students?

I understand that the original goal was not being reached. However, it was symbolic of the fact that WJ allowed passions to be explored and glorified because we did not tie our students down with brick-like stacks of paper.

Now, we don’t even have that.

One solution could be to better monitor the no-homework rule. Administration should introduce a way for students to report teachers’ misuse of their power. Even though I do not have a solution to this problem, this is not it. Administration should be able to find a way that balances homework with other obligations that students have.

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EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Up Bat at

With a wonderful Thanksgiving behind us, and the anticipation of Christmas and New Year’s Eve ahead, the holiday season is in full swing. As students, parents and teachers get time off from the hectic routine of high school, The Pitch asked teachers what they like to do most during the holiday season.

Robert Warthen Math teacher

“This New Year’s Eve, it will be my 35th anniversary with my wife.”

Q: What is your favorite annual holiday tradition and why?

Songtao Shu

“[On] Thanksgiving, everyone cooks together and I get to see all my family [members], some of whom I haven’t seen in years.”

Spanish teacher

“[On] Thanksgiving I see friends I only see twice a year. We exchange things about our lives and make a big turkey.”

“Every Christmas, I give my daughter a Christmas ornament marked with the year and her name.”

Nurcin Bardakci

Ryan Martinez

French teacher

Science teacher

“This year was the first time [My family and I] went shopping on Black Friday and my niece suggested we make it a new tradition.”

“Every Thanksgiving, my friends and I gather together at Takoma Park Middle School, and we have this football match called the ‘Turkey Bowl’ that happens between Takoma Park and Silver Spring kids.”

Mike Williams

Joanne Reynolds English teacher

Social Studies teacher “I love Thanksgiving because when I was little we had extended family reunions and every Thanksgiving [we go to] a farm in Aberdeen where we’ve always had [the reunion].”

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

Science teacher

Dr. Lucia Liang

Chinese teacher

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

Nichole Kellerman

THE

“Every New Year’s, I eat a bag of Cheetos leading up to midnight, but only the normal ones, not puffed.”

STAFF

All photos by Wahid Ishrar

The Pitch is published eight times a year by the students of Walter Johnson High School, 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814. Advertising and subscription rates are available by calling 301-803-7184. Editorial opinions represent those of The Pitch staff and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff, faculty or student body. We welcome letters, articles, photographs and artwork, to be submitted to room 193 or e-mailed to thepitch@walterjohnson.com. The Pitch is an award-winning paper that works towards providing the student body with accurate, as well as credible, information.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009

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

American Scholastic Press Association First Place 2010-2011

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

Business/PR Manager Claudia Nguyen Head Staff Writer

Anders Norber

Staff Writers JJ Henn Michael Lumbuku Melissa Wainaina Hope Marshall *Online Editors

7 Point: High hopes stem from marijuana measure the

Pitch

DECEMBER 10, 2012

By Dashel Lewis On the same night that Barack Obama was elected for a second term as President of the United States, Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana.

The monumental measure allows 21year-olds to legally be in possession of a controlled amount of marijuana. The measure could not have come soon enough. For decades now, innocent American citizens have been charged with crimes relating to smoking marijuana.

I fail to see how people are legally allowed to drink alcohol to the point of passing out, but are not allowed to smoke cannabis in controlled amounts.

Someone that is drunk is much more dangerous to society than someone

who is high on marijuana. In addition to alcohol, cigarettes are also significantly more dangerous to health than marijuana, yet are legal in the United States.

Legalizing marijuana also helps the general safety of the public. Having this substance safely distributed out of monitored dispensaries decreases the risk that is present with buying it on the streets. Currently, most of the marijuana is not monitored and could easily be tampered with before it reaches the user.

Furthermore, legalizing marijuana could also help the violent drug situations in Central and Latin American countries. Along with traditional hard narcotics like cocaine, marijuana represents a large portion of the illicit drug

EDITORIAL

market in those countries. Currently, the United States is very dependent on these countries for marijuana. If legalized, it will starve the drug economy and reduce drug-related violence.

Arguments that claim that marijuana is a gateway drug are also wide off the mark. While it’s true that people that are addicted to cocaine often start with marijuana, it’s not a correlation that makes sense. For instance, people that are a part of motorcycle gangs probably started by buying a motorcycle; does that mean that everyone that buys a motorcycle will inevitably join a biker gang? Certainly not, but that is the logic being applied to marijuana.

In addition, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences

has scientifically dismissed the idea of marijuana as a gateway drug. A 2010 national survey also showed that 17 million Americans have tried or currently use marijuana, compared to the 5 million that use all other types of drugs.

This tells us that many Americans use marijuana and never move on to harder drugs, which debunks that long standing myth.

Obviously, smoking marijuana has side effects that are detrimental to users’ health, but so do alcohol and cigarettes, which are both legal in the United States. Taking that into account, along with potential safety and economic positives, it paints a clear picture: marijuana should be legalized in the United States.

Legalization of Marijuana In 1969, only 16 percent of voters in the U.S. supported legalization, according to a Gallup poll. According to the same source, that number had risen to 36 percent by 2005. Polling now indicates that the number has risen even further: in 2009, between 46 percent and 56 percent of U.S. voters would support legalization.

On Nov. 26, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the recreataional use of marijuana.

Many advocate legalization of marijuana, believing that it will eliminate the illegal trade and associated crime, be a valuable tax source and reduce policing costs. Cannabis is now available as a pain alleviator in Canada, with a medical prescription.

According to an article in The Guardian, in contrast to the U.S., hemp seed has always been a legal product in the U.K. However, the U.K. has not legalized the use of recreational marijuana.

Photo Courtesy of user marijuana1 on flickr.com

All facts from The Guardian, TheWashington Post and FDA

In 1937, the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration created the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, the first U.S. law making cannabis possession illegal via an unpayable tax on the drug.

Counterpoint: One “toke over the line”

By Izzy Salant “Sweet Jesus, one toke over the line, sittin’ downtown in a railway station, one toke over the line.” That is the first line of a song called “One Toke over the Line,” written by Brewer and Shipley.

The song was written about overdosing, and described how taking too many drugs can kill someone. Even though marijuana use comes with the threat of overdosing, the states of Colorado and Washington recently legalized recreational marijuana. While many support the unprecedented legalization of marijuana, I believe that recreational marijuana use should be banned in all states.

Regardless of legislation, many Ameri-

cans will probably try marijuana in their lives. So, I am not here to write about how no one should ever smoke marijuana. Rather, I’m here to say we are not ready to legalize recreational marijuana use yet, because we do not have enough information about new and more potent types of weed that have hit the streets.

Though it is basically known what the drug can do to the user, different types of cheaper weed have been created recently. Weed has mutated and has become more dangerous than it was in recent years. At one point, it was believed that pot does less damage than alcohol, according to an FDA study. But really cheap versions of the cannabis plant that can, over time, do much more damage

than drinking alcohol. Remember, everything is okay in moderation, but out of all of the high school marijuana-related arrests, most were not because the cops arrested a first timer. People keep smoking it every day, and many people become “potheads.”

Also, think about what the Tobacco Industry does for our economy. I’m no fan of tobacco, but the tobacco industry has millions of workers, from CEOs of the companies to 7-Eleven workers selling cigarettes over the counter. That industry would go bankrupt because, once pot goes on the market as a legal drug, the few companies that have already made plans to make marijuana cigarettes will have complete control until

either their patent wears off or other companies figure out their own design.

One more point. If marijuana becomes legal, there would be more drugrelated arrests, but there would still be an age limit and kids would still be doing something illegal if they smoke.

Also, weed is a gateway drug. If weed becomes legal, then a lot of the population will start using it, and then more of the population would use and ingest more lethal drugs because they could handle one hit of pot. Maybe, in the future, marijuana should be legalized, but as of now, that would not be such a good idea.

EDITORIAL

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DECEMBER 10, 2012

Slider: Food destroying us from the inside Photo by Emily Cosentino

By Sari Amiel Recently, I’ve noticed that new reports come out every day about how the food we eat can destroy us. It’s surprising that companies in the U.S., which is so technologically advanced and has such a large economy, produce some of the unhealthiest and most contaminated food in the world. Despite all the influence consumers have, critical health information is difficult to obtain. It’s natural to associate unhealthy food with a high content of fat or sugar, but, these days, there are even hidden health hazards in canned vegetables and water bottles.

High fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and other hard-to-remember 10-word substances that sound like they should be in a lab actually make up the contents of much of our food. When I’ve looked at the ingredients of simple products, like bread, crackers or even frozen vegetables, I’ve found myself skimming lines and lines of mystifying words that look like they are written in Latin.

Every so often, reports come out

saying that a food that was considered dustry. After enough consumers finally substance “corn sugar,” but the FDA did healthy actually has toxic ingredients; spoke out against the widespread use not approve. for example, tuna has high quantities of of it in our food, the Corn Refiners AsThere are many other pollutants and mercury and should only be consumed sociation recently tried to re-name the additives we can’t help but consume. in limited amounts, and there Bisphenol-A (BPA), for example, was a massive recall of peanut is found in most cans and plastic butter in recent weeks because bottles. According to the National it was exposed to salmonella.

Institutes of Health (NIH) and the It makes me uncomfortable to Mayo Clinic, this substance enters know that the food I am eating our bodies and could affect develmight have traces of poison or opment in babies and children. bacteria in it, but there’s nothJust knowing I am exposed to a ing I can do, even if I do find toxin whenever I eat canned corn out about it. I was once eating does not do any good; something dinner when the nightly news needs to be done to stop this. reported that rice contains arGenetically modified foods, senic. I looked down at the rice another uninvited addition to on my plate with my fork in our diet, are not even labeled in mid-air, wondering whether it the U.S. As consumers, there is was better to know about such no way for us to know whether an issue or to just pretend it we are eating them, even though didn’t exist. many people have protested beSadly, there are many specause they think genetic modificial interests that intentioncation is unethical, could encourally keep our food unhealthy. age pesticide use and is dangerous Even though Americans have for people with allergies, among the freedom and the initiaother reasons. tive to discuss the Presidential We need to buy food to survive, election for months and storm since most of us have no way to shops the night of Thanksgivproduce it ourselves. Because we ing, they rarely protest against are dependent on the companies Photo by Wahid Ishrar the deception many companies that produce our food and the practice to conceal the contents Many foods and containers in the U.S. are contaminated lawmakers who regulate it, they with diseases or pollutants. Water bottles, used on a daily need to be more accountable for of their food. by many students at WJ, actually have BisphenolHigh fructose corn syrup, basis what they put in their products.

A, a contaminant found in other cans and other plastic thought to cause obesity, is prof- containers. itable for the powerful corn in-

Facing a fiscal cliff, politicians procrastinate like high schoolers to kindergarteners, where each side wants to control tax policy. No one The fiscal cliff. A supposedly once-in- wants to share anything else with anya-lifetime event which happens, with- one else—Democrats and Republicans out fail, every single year. working together? Not a chance. Each That’s right—you heard it here. Each side wants the glory for themselves. and every year, tax rates expire and Honestly, sometimes all this bickering Congress has to either extend them or gets to be a bit too much. create new laws. Somehow, every year Can’t we all just get along? Can’t the now-dubbed “fiscal cliff ” is somehow narrowly diverted, and Congress steers clear of what definitely could have been the direst situation this great nation has ever faced. Every.

Single.Year.

Is the hype all for nothing?

Is this so-called “p cliff ” just a rouse to get partisans to get along for once?

The simple answer is yes. In reality, it’s a bit more complicated.

Law-makers—like high school students—are really bad with procrastination. Unlike high schoolers, they aren’t merely checking their Facebook statuses to see how many likes they get before finishing up a paper—they’re benching major eco- we have no more last-minute coalition nomic decisions until the last hour and, deals or publicity stunts, no more bickultimately, risking international disaster ering and whining and no more childish just to see who will cry “uncle” first. procrastination?

So maybe, in that light, it would be Government 101: A compromise is a more accurate to compare law-makers

By Caroline Steel

deal in which both sides give some and both sides take some.

If everyone got their way, the world would be in a state of total anarchy. In order for there to be rule of law, there must also, by definition, be compromise.

Even though a deal is already under way, there’s always the uncertainty that lingers in investors’— and in everyone’s— minds: can Congress go over the cliff if by some unheard-of disagreement lawmakers suddenly denounce what has so far been a smooth road?

To be honest, there’s probably almost no way that would ever happen.

The more likely situation would be another bout of procrastination. This past year, of course, the debt ceiling was raised mere hours from the deadline, and had to be hurried to the President’s office for a signature, according to Cartoon by Caroline Steel The Huffington Post.

Crisis averted. But aren’t we just inviting our own failure by holding this absurd musical chairs game time and time again? What happens when the music stops? Stuck without a chair, the

U.S. could become an economic “loser.”

Or, perhaps not. The Los Angeles Times’ online newspaper cited the misconception that putting off the decision for another year wouldn’t hurt us as one of the five myths they came up with about the fiscal cliff. We need to reduce our debt and cut our spending, or else the economy will be in as much danger as it ever was. The effects may not be as immediate as the term “cliff ” suggests, but there will be long-term consequences, especially if the people don’t have faith that their government will be able to make decisions and protect the country from potential disaster.

So no more Democrat-Republican nonsense the politicians are always feeding us, blocking legislation in the hopes that maybe they’ll look good in front of voters. You want to know what looks good? Not permanently damaging the world economy. And not procrastinating.

The lawmakers are no longer in high school, let alone kindergarten. They are graduated, certified and elected professionals meant to emulate the will of the people and work towards the common good.

And it’s pretty clear: if the deal that’s starting to form doesn’t go through, then what, in reality, is the purpose of our government?

9 WJ clubs make a difference in the community and around the world the

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FEATURE

Feed Hope Club: Battling hunger at the community level wiches for the hungry. The club teams up with numerous organizations that share its battle to end hunger. They often go to the Manna Food Bank on the weekends to pass out food to the underprivileged and have held a food collection drive at Giant. In the past year, they have also done special projects for the holidays, such as creating festive foodfilled baskets.

“Raising over $500 for the United Nations World Food Program was a memorable experience,” said Klassen.

“Getting the whole school involved in our project really made a difference, and hopefully helped some students to understand the importance of the issue Photo courtesy of Andriana Miljanic of hunger.”

Feed Hope Club members from left to right: social studies teacher Christopher Murray, senior The United Nations World Food ProMisha Klassen, senior Andriana Miljanic, sophomore Allie Miljanic and senior Jessica Leung. gram is the world’s largest humanitarian

By Christine Bersabal organization that contributes to solving While most WJ students have a hard opportunities for students to partici- global hunger. Every dollar donated to time deciding where to go for lunch, pate in charity work that benefits the the agency feeds four children. many other children in the county worry community.

Feed Hope not only donates food to if they will actually receive one. Almost “These children [on free and re- the hungry, but also helps the families 30 percent of children in Montgomery duced meal plans are] hungry during have a positive outlook on their situaCounty rely on free and reduced meals the weekends,” said Miljanic. “I felt that tions. Last Valentine’s Day, the club orat school and one in four ganized a card making I always thought that Montgomery County was project and delivered residents are at risk of going hungry. These unfortunate a very affluent area and I did not realize that so them to needy famistatistics led seniors Andriana lies.

Miljanic and Misha Klassen to many people struggle to put food on their tables.

However, the club create Feed Hope, a club that has encountered some difficulties in assists local food banks in their fight to something must be done.” pursuing all of its endeavors. Obtaining eliminate hunger and to bring the hope Feed Hope originated last year and authorization from the school and cerof regular meals and nutritional suffi- already has 25 active members. Every tain community organizations is often a ciency to the less fortunate families of other Thursday at lunch, the club meets complex and tedious process. our county. to discuss upcoming events, to brainAccording to Miljanic, anyone can Klassen also wanted to create more storm ideas and even to make sand- join the effort to help reduce hunger

“

locally, but not many are aware of how widespread of an issue hunger is in our own community.

“I always thought that Montgomery County was a very affluent area, and I did not realize that so many people struggle to put food on their tables,” said Miljanic.

This year, Feed Hope plans to have a hunger day to draw attention to its cause and to raise awareness about the lack of food that individuals in the local community face. The club also wants to organize more sandwich and canned food drives and visits to Manna. The club encourages students to help volunteer to earn SSL hours while feeding the hungry by joining the Facebook group “Feed Hope at WJ.”

”

Photo courtesy of Andriana Miljanic

The Feed Hope club prepared Thanksgiving baskets for the needy.

Amnesty International: Reaching out to those in need across the globe

By Grace Leslau Amnesty International is a charity club at WJ, linked to a cohesive international effort that promotes human rights. Amnesty International raises money and spreads awareness of global human rights issues. Recently, members of the club attended the Mid-Atlantic Amnesty International Conference, where issues pertaining to human rights in this area were discussed. Among the most prevalent issues discussed at the conference were the death penalty in Maryland and women’s rights in the Middle East.

One of the club’s ultimate goals is to inform WJ students about the lack of fundamental human rights in other nations around the world. “[Living in] Bethesda is like [being in] a bubble,” said senior president Sophie Spencer-Zavos. “[It’s important] to remember that there are people that don’t have basic human rights.”

Currently, Amnesty International is raising money for Heifer International, an organization that sends livestock to developing countries and teaches impoverished individuals to farm and

Photo courtesy of cascade_of_rant on flickr.com.

Amnesty International is a humanitarian organization that promotes human rights globally.

make a profit. They plan to be involved in “Write for Rights,” a program that would include the entire WJ community in an effort to promote human rights through writing letters to members of Congress. The club will also continue the H20 for Life program that raises funds to provide clean drinking water in developing countries. In the past they have participated in human rights rallies

in D.C. as well.

The club found existing limits on educational opportunities, particularly those for women, to be shocking.

“I wake up and force myself to go to school, and the idea that you couldn’t be able to go to school [in other places] is incomprehensible,” said Spencer-Zavos.

The WJ sector of Amnesty International links to the international organi-

zation through a listserv that informs members of prevalent issues pertaining to human rights abuses, in addition to attending annual conferences. At their biweekly meetings the club members then decide which of the many issues in the scope of Amnesty International to focus on and which initiatives to undertake.

Unfortunately, the club has been challenged by a decline in membership and a decreased activism among members. However, club officers feel that every contribution is significant, and the club is a learning experience for all members.

“Everything we do comes with so much privilege and there are people that don’t have the same privilege,” said Spencer-Zavos.

Amnesty International is unique because it reaches out to others and helps those in need.

“I love that Amnesty has a real impact on other people,” said junior treasurer Sydney Kates. “Some clubs never do much, but Amnesty aims to help out all around the world.”

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DECEMBER 10, 2012

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Local 1. Derecho storm in June leaves nearly one million out of power in D.C. area 2. WJ raised over $58,000 for Pennies for Patients, the most money of any school in the U.S. 3. DREAM Act and Question six passed in November election 4. Bethesda native Katie Ledecky won gold medal in London Olympics for 800m swim 5. Washington Nationals went to the playoffs for first time since 1933 6. Mid-Pike Plaza and White Flint renovations began 7. WJ Symphonic Orchestra competed at Julliard in March 8. Boys’ swim captured first state title in WJ history 9. WJ started the LEAD! Scholars Program 10. Field hockey won first regional title since 2001

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FEATURE

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Saving energy to brighten the future

By Sari Amiel

Last year, biology teacher Khanh Chau had 33 solar panels installed on the roof of her home. Since then, she has only had to pay seven dollars each month to Pepco, and she earned a profit last summer when her panels generated excess energy.

“For three months, I got a $30 check from Pepco,” said Chau.

She paid $7,000 to lease these panels for 15 years, but received $2,000 in rebates. She also got an iPad from Sungevity, the company she leased the panels from. “[Sungevity] did the permitting, took care of the government rebate forms [and] took care of the installation and mounting,” said Chau. “They keep me updated on what new technologies are coming out.”

She chose Sungevity after EcoBeco, an energy audit company, compared multiple companies in the area that install solar panels.

In contrast, in 2008, when senior Georgie Carter and her family had 10 solar panels installed on their roof, their choice was limited.

“At the time, [Standard Solar] was the only company in Montgomery

Khanh Chau’s electricity is generated by the 33 solar panels on her roof.

County that provided solar panels,” said Carter.

Many view solar panels as beneficial, because they reduce the use of fossil fuels. However, critics point to their installation costs. The payback period for solar panels is 10 to 15 years.

“If [a family is] on a tight budget, another way to [save money on energy consumption] is to insulate your home,” said Carter.

The state of Maryland’s goal is to have 20 percent of its power supplied by renewable energy by 2022, according to Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), a bill that Gov. Martin O’Malley signed last year. Solar energy, according to the standard, must power two percent of Maryland’s power by that time.

Homeowners in Maryland can get rebates and tax deductions for installing solar panels, just as Chau did, and can often sell excess energy they generate back to power companies, a process known as two-way metering.

If Carter’s solar panels produce excess energy, the power company does not send them a check, but re-routes the surplus power into their neighbors’ houses. When the rest of their neighborhood loses power, the Carters also have no electricity. On the other hand, when their solar panels do not generate enough energy, the Carters’ house uses electricity from the grid instead.

“Since we have so few panels [we] basically have to use some every single day,” she said.

Carter’s family owns a Prius, uses energy efficient light bulbs, has insulated

Photos courtesy of Khanh Chau

Khanh Chau is able to monitor how much energy her solar panels generate on a website run

by Sungevity, a local company that installed the panels. Chau sees much higher energy production from her solar panels in the summer months.

the hot water pipes in her house’s interior and has filled in cracks in its exterior. She advises someone considering the purchase of solar panels to first make sure their electricity meter is upgraded.

Carter’s family had an old meter, which caused their initial measurements to be incorrect.

In addition to using solar panels, the Carters have geothermal heating.

In the summer, heat in their house is channeled into the ground, and heat from underground warms their house in the winter. Other environmentally friendly amenities Chau has include a tankless water heater, toilets that save water, glare windows, which cool off her house by reflects the sun’s heat and three composters.

“I’m a gardener, and compost is the best thing you can use for farming,” said Chau. “In the summertime, I don’t go to the grocery store for produce. I grow

everything.”

Along with these measures, she is still exploring ways to further reduce her carbon footprint.

“I’m looking into buying a [Nissan] Leaf right now, because there’s a government subsidy until December for the Leaf,” said Chau. “I’m looking at how many electric charging stations there are in my neighborhood and how much of my own electricity I would need to buy that Leaf.”

A few charging stations are springing up in the area. Across Old Georgetown Rd., there is an electric charging depot at the gas station, and there is one at MOM’s Organic Market in Rockville.

Given national and state initiatives to reduce dependency on nonrenewable energy sources, and the development of new technologies, many expect to see the number of electric cars and solar panels increase in number.

Johnson Thomas, pictured above in a 1999 newspaper article at the house, has many great memories of her childhood home.

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Is it still hipster to be hipster?

“Hipster” continued from page 1

By Sabrina Clarke

The hipster movement largely emphasizes clothing choices. Often, hipsters choose off-beat garments, such as oversized sweatshirts in eccentric colors, tight pants, skirts with a hi-low hemline and so-called “hipster glasses.” Materials such as denim and wool are also popular. Some stores likely to sell these types of clothing are Urban Outfitters, PacSun, South Moon Under and various thrift shops.

“Hipsters wear something everyone else doesn’t wear,” said junior Tenni Idler. She added that the uniqueness comes mostly from the method of combining the clothing into an outfit.

A hipster can be viewed as someone who dresses nicely and wears clothing items such as boots, sweaters, skirts and

Photo courtesy of Natalia Barros

Senior Natalia Barros added an effect to a picture of herself. The addition of an effect to a picture is a common hipster practice.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Duggan

Sophomore Rachel Duggan poses in an artsy avant-garde shot in front of a concrete wall.

The unique pose and setting show individuality, a characteristic of hipsters.

jean jackets. A mustache icon is also popular among hipsters.

Phrases like “Yolo” and “but actually though” are commonly associated with this group. The popular catch phrase, “Yolo,” meaning, “you only live once,” originates from the chorus of the popular Drake song, “The Motto.” Even though this song is about a year old, people still continue to refer to this phrase.

It’s easy to get sucked into this sort of hipster culture, or at least to be drawn in by its “anti-pop” beats and melodic tunes. Hipster music isn’t as wellknown as pop music, but that’s part of its appeal. It’s great to feel as though you’ve discovered something new and take the credit for introducing it to all your friends. People then begin to adopt similar tastes, therefore spreading these trends.

Even though the point of being a hipster is to refuse the norms set by society, the fact that this idea has become mainstream defeats the purpose of being hip-

ster. Followers of the hipster trend are no longer people who are themselves, but rather people who mimic the culture.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m a hipster, but I do like to be different,” said sophmore Danya Firestone.

Even though she does not want to be labeled as being in this subgroup, she does consider herself a unique individual who does not completely agree with the current trends.

Being a hipster initiates from one’s desire to be unique. Senior Will Delay describes a hipster as someone who doesn’t like to follow the norms of society. A hipster is someone who has unique interests that are different from the mainstream trends and happenings.

The person is interested in their personal, unique activities and passions, and wants to do their own thing. “[Hipsters] don’t do [anything] for a personal gain, but because they genuinely don’t like what everyone else

Photo courtesy of Janey Tietz

Sophomore Janey Tietz is in a carefully stylized photo. This style of photography is popular among hipsters.

Photo courtesy of Monica Shomali

Sophomore Monica Shomali showcases her well-done makeup. Makeup is a fashion statement among people who identify as hipsters.

does,” said Delay.

The constant growth of the hipster movement, in some ways, contradicts the basic purpose of the movement itself. More and more people are becoming hipster, which could possibly be detracting from its originality. The movement is surfacing in the mainstream world, making the idea of being a hipster not very hipster anymore.

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DECEMBER 10, 2012

Third Base Winter Entertainment 2012 The Humor Column

The winter gift crisis of 2012

By Philip Resnick A few summers ago, I left the country to go on a three-week community service trip to South America.

Over the course of my trip I only called home once so I could ask my parents how to use my ATM card.

It wasn’t until I got home and we had a new piece of furniture that I realized I had completely forgotten the fact that my mom’s birthday occurred during the weeks I was gone.

Obviously I am not very good at planning gift giving in advance. With Christmas being in 15 days away and Hanukkah already in full swing, I have decided to use this column to remind myself I need to get gifts for about a dozen people. It is also intended to help others who struggle around the holiday season with some simple, easy and cheap gift ideas.

The quickest and cheapest gift you can give is a handwritten, homemade card. This last-minute gift has been my bread and butter for years, but over time it has become less and less cute. I have tried to maintain the sentimentality by writing it in the handwriting of a five-year-old, which makes the card harder to read and hides the fact that it was probably an old grocery shopping list. Combining this gift with a hug is usually enough to appease those who actually thought about getting you a gift in advance.

Another solution is one my uncle has perfected; if you are broke and out of time, simply stop by the nearest Starbucks and pick up one of the gift cards displayed on the counter…without paying for it. When the gift-receiver finally tries to use the gift card and finds it is empty, you can simply say that you gave them the wrong card and get them a new one. Although this plan will cost you money in the long run, it gives you a short term solution and will give you enough time to scrape up $15 for a belated gift.

If you have even a little technological skill and are desperately in need of making a last minute gift for your significant other, you can easily make a YouTube video with romantic quotes popping up on the screen while Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” plays in the background. If making the video is too much work, simply search the Internet, and in fewer than five minutes you’ll be able to find some other bozo’s romantic holiday video, which you can then use to woo your own loved one.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some of these quick fixes go terribly: I have been insulted, berated and physically attacked over some of my last-ditch efforts to come up with acceptable gifts. The most traumatic experience was when I gave a friend of mine expired milk. Apparently this unnamed friend forgot to check the expiration date and chugged the whole thing, which was hilarious for me until he got sick. Unfortunately, I haven’t been invited back to his holiday party since. I still have some great half-full Subway gift cards to give him.

These solutions don’t work in every situation, but be creative! If your gift-receiving subject likes music, get them a rubber band guitar. If they are really into sports, give them a piece of crumpled paper so they can play recycle-bin basketball. If you stick by these simple holiday gift-giving rules you will always be prepared to give a gift no matter how long you put it off!

By MelissaWainaina

Music

“The Hotel Cafe Presents...Winter Songs” This compilation by various artists features popular pop musicians, such as Katy Perry, Sara Bareilles and Colbie Calliat, as they put their own unique style on original songs and classic holiday melodies like “Frosty the Snowman.”

If you like alternative/indie and pop music check out this album.

“Merry Christmas II You” This Christmas record by R&B diva Mariah Carey features classic Christmas and winter cover songs. She puts soul into popular Christmas hits such as “Charlie Brown Christmas,” “All I Want For Christmas is You” and other popular holiday tunes. For an R&B soulful twist on these tracks, check out “Merry Christmas II You” on iTunes or Amazon.com. “... And A Happy New Year” This holiday album is by The Maine, an alternative band that puts a melodic but comedic twist on Christmas songs like their original “Santa Stole My Girl Friend.” This funny tune is not the only holiday song that is on the CD. The Maine also covers British duo Wham’s “Last Christmas.” Check out this unique album for a warm but funny vibe.

Movies Photo Courtesy of offical website

By Audrey Marek

“Playing for Keeps” Looking for a chick flick? This one may do the trick. Seriously, it’s about as sappy as they come. Coming out Dec. 7, the story revolves around an ex-soccer star who must now adjust to small town American life. In an attempt to reconnect with his son, he becomes the coach of his son’s soccer team. From there, a veritable mess of soccer moms and their kids develops, including the main kid’s mother, who is planning to marry another man. The premise may be a little stretched, but it should fill the rom-com requirements.

“Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away 3D” This 3D movie, directed by Andrew Adamson, opens on Dec. 21.

With thrilling images and acrobatics by the Cirque du Soleil crew, and the inspired ideas of James Cameron, it would be a shame to miss this one. It’s a splash of color to brighten up the cold winter, accompanied by a sizeable measure of awe. Plot may not be a priority, as it is vaguely described as being a love story, but the superhuman feats should make up for that.

Photo Courtesy of offical website

By Audrey Marek

Books

“Son” Remember that book you probably read in fifth or sixth grade, “The Giver”? Well, you can finally find out what happened to Jonah. The fourth and final book in Lois Lowry’s “Giver” series brings closure to all the open questions left in the other books, including “Gathering Blue” and “Messenger.”

Though the font may be a little big for high school, the themes are ageless and the imagery is just as exquisite as it has always been. This piece of young adult fiction is a worthwhile read for over the winter break.

“Let it Snow” This book has not one, not two, but three authors; John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. All write young adult fiction, and have come together to create this winter tale revolving around a huge snowstorm. Following three different love stories, the book brings people together through the snow, and is a good option to curl up with when there’s snow outside.

Photo Courtesy of offical website

“Holidays on Ice” Oh, AP Lang students! He’s back! In this book by David Sedaris, which came out around a year ago, humor practically drips off of every page. However, so does cynicism. This book is a read for those with a very dry sense of humor and a pessimistic view of the world. However, if you can put a big fat check mark in each of those boxes, it is a hilarious and original look at the holidays and at how they were experienced from the viewpoint of this unique man.

15 How about a holiday horoscope? the

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 10, 2012

ByWahid Ishrar

Gemini (May 21- June 20): Take advantage of your inner positivity. Help someone in need; it will bring up your spirits. If you plan on spending the holidays outdoors, consider helping at a homeless shelter and lightening up others’ Christmas.

Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18): This year it’s time to mesh your creativity with your party planning skills. The family get-together could be an opportunity to mend broken bonds while strengthening healthy ones.

Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22): Be sure to take some time for yourself in addition to staying active. Don’t tire yourself out by taking on too many tasks at once.

All Cartoons by Caroline Steel

Pisces (Feb 19- March 20): A holiday miracle is on the way for someone very close to you. It will bring great responsibility and a chance for you to show your reliability. Make the most of it!

Aries (March 21- April 19): Tired of watching the clock count down? Try looking at the dawn of 2013 in a new light. Make the most of the time you spend with people close to you by doing something out of the ordinary. Who knows?

You may start a tradition.

Taurus (April 20- May 20): The holiday season can be a hassle, so push through all the stress and find the cheer! Look past all the chaos and just enjoy the winter wonder!

Scorpio (Oct 23- Nov 21): Your days will only get better.

Anything you set your mind to, no matter what the activity is, will be accomplished, with work and dedication. But don’t get drowned in your new endeavors; take time off to open the presents.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): Go all out this holiday; contribute all you can to the celebration! Welcome anyone you know. Use your adaptability to your advantage as you take a break from the stress of a routine life.

Leo (July 23- Aug 22): Your leadership abilities will reach new levels as your party plans will be a big triumph. People will be talking about this great success for months to come.

Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22): Your story is still unfolding; get creative with it. Don’t be afraid to take a few turns toward something new.

Maybe go on a ski trip with friends and family, or if you’re always busy, take a break and read a book.

Winter Season Search

WORDS: COATS, COOKIES, DECORATIONS, FAMILY, FIREPLACE, FRIENDS, GINGER BREAD HOUSE, GLOVES, HATS, HOT COCOA, LIGHTS, MISTLETOE, PRESENTS, REINDEER, SANTA, SCARVES, SNOW, SNOW GLOBES, STOCKINGS

Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21): Take a piece of paper and identify your priorities. Be sure to focus on yourself, in addition to whatever is at the top of that list.

Capricorn (Dec 22- Jan 19): This holiday season, it’s all about uplifting yourself. As people stop by your house during the break, make the most of your time together.

SUDOKU

See answers at wjpitch.com!

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Beating the cold with hot seasonal drinks The Pitch went to three local coffee shops to compare how well they try to include the essence of the holiday season in a drink. The drinks below are from Panera, Starbucks and Quartermaine, and are all medium sized. Here are some drinks that will help you stay toasty in the bitter cold weather, and, to top it off, we listed some complementary snacks to give your taste buds the entire experience of the winter holiday.

By Emily Cosentino and Megan Chun

HotApple Cider

Hot Chocolate

Quartermaine Cost= $2.85

Quatermaine Cost= $3.15 One of the most delicious, warming and comforting drinks to have in the middle of winter is a rich cup of hot chocolate, whether it be in-between classes, when studying after school or just when hanging out with friends. This hot chocolate has simple ingredients -- milk (the type varies with personal preference), sugar, cocoa, dark chocolate and vanilla powder. For a complementary snack, something with a peppermint flavor, such as a peppermint bark, could go well with the hot chocolate and create a unique and flavorful combination.

Peppermint bark, from Giant Cost=$2.49

Cream cheese pumpkin roll, from Panera Cost=$1.79

This drink will certainly keep you warm in the cold and leave you satisfied. The seasonal favorite is made with apple juice, cinnamon and caramel syrup, to sweeten up the delicious spice blends, and topped with whipped cream. Try pairing this drink with All photos by Emily Cosentino a cream cheese pumpkin roll for a powerful mix of seasonal flavors that will keep your taste buds happy. For something more original, try some graham crackers, the simple snack will keep you focused on the flavor of the drink.

Gingerbread Latte

Caramel Latte Panera Cost= $3.69

Starbucks Cost= $4.65

Though this drink may sound as sugary as the rest of the bunch, in reality it has a bitter kick with only a hint of sweetness. With its strong coffee taste, the caramel latte is perfect for the Gingersnaps, from Giant student needing Cost=$3.05 a morning pick-meup. For people wanting only a slight twist to their everyday coffee, the caramel latte is an ideal option. This drink is made with espresso, steamed milk and flavored with caramel sauce, syrups and spices.

This drink should be paired with something sweet, to highlight the caramel sweetness and not the kick of the spices. Adding a holiday gingerbread cookie could complement such a strong drink.

For a more unique wintery flavor, try a seasonal gingerbread latte.

This seasonal drink adds the classic flavor of gingerbread cookies to a latte and is available for a limited time. This drink is more of Shortbread cookie, from Panera an acquired taste Cost=$1.05 compared to some of the other drinks because of its strong flavor of spices. This drink is first made with the staple of steamed milk and espresso, then gingerbread flavored syrup and sugar are added, and the drink is then topped with whipped cream and nutmeg for a burst of intensity. Since this drink is packed with flavor, something simple like a shortbread cookie would go well with this latte.

Peppermint Mocha

Chai Latte Panera Cost= $3.69

Starbucks Cost= $4.65

If you’re looking for tea with a sweet twist, the chai latte is your best bet.

The initial sip leaves your mouth in a heaven of cinnamon, though not in an overwhelming way. The chai latte isn’t specific to the winter season, but is a popular choice year-round due to its complex flavor and subtle sweetness. It consists of simple ingredients, a spiced black tea, steamed milk and sugar. Just be sure to let the drink sit for a moment or two before consuming, as a burnt tongue can really put a damper on your winter day. Try pairing this drink with a tasty orange scone.

The peppermint mocha is a twist on the age-old coffee shop classic.

With just a hint of mint in every sip, this warm beverage will liven up your day and provide you with an interesting alternative to plain coffee.

This drink is great alone or it can be paired with something with a slight sweetness, such as a sugar cookie to have a delicious essence of winter in an on-the-go snack.

Orange scone from Panera Cost=$1.49

Sugar cookie, from Panera Cost=$1.79

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SPORTS

Indoor track looks to field victories

By Hope Marshall

the Maryland 4A division championAfter a strong cross country season, ships last February while the girls finhead track and field coach Tom Rogers ished 20th state-wide. However, the is excited about the prospects for the team graduated many key seniors, including Laura Dally, who finished third indoor track and field team.

“This season, our goal is to build in the 55m hurdles, and Scott Sheehan, upon the pride and tradition that is WJ who finished fifth in the 3200m.

The team still returns track and field,” said Rogmany strong runners, iners. cluding senior Ben Crites.

Rogers’ optimism for Crites was a member of the coming season is fuWJ’s 4 x 800 meter relay eled by his belief that sevteam that finished fourth eral new runners joining in the State 4A Division this season’s indoor track Championship meet and team have the potential to placed ninth in the indibe very competitive. He vidual 800 meter race at believes that competition the Maryland West Rewithin the team will push gional 4A meet. This year, runners to improve their he is looking forward to personal performances. racing.

“It always takes more “My goal is to help the than one good athlete to Photo by Wahid Ishrar 4x800 meter relay win the make great athletes,” said Juniors Mary-Rose Melnicki [County] Championship,” Rogers. and Courtney Bruch warm said Crites.

Rogers will work with up before practice.

Although Rogers says he co-coach Tom Martin and Martin are focused on preparing to prepare the team for the season. their athletes to run as well as possible, Martin, already recognized as one of he stressed that this is not the only goal. the best cross country coaches in the “[Martin and I] want our kids to have county, was named the All-Gazette fun,” said Rogers.

“We want to share cross country coach of the year. Martin’s outstanding work with the cross our passion with them and turn them country team has led to the track team’s into track fans.”

As he looks forward to the season, dominance in distance events. This year, Rogers believes that his team will be Rogers expressed his confidence that both enthusiastic and ready to put in the the team would also be competitive in hard work needed to ensure great persprint events and field events. formances.

As a team, WJ boys finished 21st at

Swim and dive heat up the pool

By Izzy Salant

that it is beginning again, the team must After months of practice, meets and prepare for it. Grimes said that winwaking up at four in the morning, the ning another state title may be challengWJ swim and dive team became the ing this year because a lot of last year’s boys’ swimming Maryland state cham- swimmers graduated.

“We had a lot of talent graduate on pions in 2012. The girls’ team placed sixth. This year, the team hopes to de- the guys’ [team], but I think the freshfend the boys’ title, and win the girls’ men will do well,” said Grimes. “We also have a new Florida transfer student state championship, too.

“Being state champions is always [on the girls’ team].”

To win the state championships again, the goal,” said swim and dive sponsor the team will have and coach, Jamie to practice and put Grimes. forth a great efGrimes is an acfort, like it did last complished swimyear. Besides effort, mer who was a Grimes said he three-time All hopes the team just American at the has fun.

University of VirGrimes said the ginia and a twoleague is so comtime U.S. Olympic that the Trials qualifier in Photo by Wahid Ishrar petitive the 1500M free- Junior Haley Nugent prepares to dive into team knows what to expect in terms of style event. He the pool before a race. finished fifth in the 2000 race and also performance from the other teams. He competed in 2004. He began swimming added that, though they know what to when he was six years old and has never expect, some meets will be closer than others. stopped.

All in all, the team is excited for the “I’ve always enjoyed swimming and I loved the sense of community,” he season and looks forward to it. They are said. “I worked hard and I found I could ready to compete and retain their title achieve something. That’s where my as state champions. Grimes, as well as being excited for the season, is happy love of swimming comes from.”

Grimes said he is ready to get back for another reason.

“I’m glad I get to coach again,” he said. into the swim and dive season, and now

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Wrestling works to floor the competition

By Anders Norberg

to gain experience.

“We have talent, but with a different Last year’s wrestling season was arpersonality and a different team,” said guably one of the best in recent years, consisting of a division win, the best Yi. record in WJ history and many individ- The major strength of this year’s team ual successes. However, following the is that they excel in both technique and strength.

Several graduation of many wrestlers have also key seniors, the team dealt with very critinow has big spaces to cal situations in years fill. Coach Robert Yi past and now they thinks the team will are better prepared continue its winning to handle the situarecord this year with a tions they will face double-digit win seathis year. The toughson, placing at every est meets this season double-meet tournawill be a tri-match ment and every indiwith Churchill and vidual tournament.

Richard MontgomWhile many seniors ery on Jan. 12, as from last year, like well as the Battle of state champion Elad Bethesda between Covaliu, have graduWJ, B-CC and ated, there are still Whitman on Feb. 2. many wrestlers with Photo by Sarah Schecker “We’re coming off years of experience. Senior Tommy Branthover (top) and juone of the best seanior Chris Crawford (bottom) wrestle at These include seniors practice after school. sons we’ve ever had Innocent Okocha and in the school’s histoColin McCoy, who are ranked second and fifth in the state, ry,” said Yi. “We’re trying to have [high] respectively, as well as seniors Jamie expectations and goals.”

Yi says these high expectations will Fitzpatrick, Tommy Branthover and Connor Jobes. A majority of the wres- be crucial if the team wants to achieve tlers this year have as much as three the same level of success that last year’s years of experience on the team, and team achieved. the newcomers are very skilled; their impact on the team will most likely be apparent late in the season as they begin

Girls’ basketball hopes to steal the spotlight

By Michael Lumbuku

lenges they will face this year. At six feet The girls’ varsity basketball team has and one inch tall, Larrick has become proven to be one of the best teams in one of the biggest names in MontgomMontgomery County and has the poten- ery County basketball for her presence tial to be one of the major contenders in the post, while Banai has become in the competition for states. With re- one of the county’s most lethal point turning seniors Leemor Banai, Kristen guards. Sophomores Maggie and Kate Larrick, Megan Spurrell, Maddie Chili Howie will also be major factors in the team’s success with their and Valerie Campenella, high court awareness and the girls not only have the strong perimeter defense. depth to go far into the “Although we have a playoffs, but the experilot of new players, we ence to make it happen. have managed to come Last year the team went together and learn how to 17-3 in the regular season play as a team,” said Banai. and went on to win the “The new and upcoming division title. It’s season JV players have really perended in a close overtime formed beyond expectaloss to Northwest in the tion.” third round of the playThe girls hope to go furoffs. ther than they did last year “I think that our loss and to win states. Their against Northwest was experience in the playoffs actually a good thing,” said last year will carry them coach Lindsey Zegowitz.

Photo by Sarah Schecker “It helped increase our Sophomore Maggie Howie through the later parts of confidence and showed us drives for a layup during their season, and with the right mindset and motivathat we can beat anyone practice. we play. Now, we will have to use that tion, having another outstanding season is looking like a very realistic possibility. confidence in the season.”

“We really want to win regionals, but This year’s key players will be center Larrick and point guard Banai. Both are a state title is our goal and it wouldn’t two-year starters and therefore have the hurt to have another banner on the experience and leadership qualities that wall,” Banai said. will guide the team through the chal-

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Hockey skates smoothly towards Charging the redemption mound In 2013 the team will have to rely on its experience to help it through the season. Since most of last year’s team consisted of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, these returning players have become familiar with different game situations and now have a much better understanding of how to handle these situations. Despite this, the team lost many of last year’s key players. Simon Timmerman, Tony Verlich, Max Ivers, and Adam Rothstein all graduated, but the team plans to adjust to the change by having new and upcoming players step up to the plate. Adjusting to this loss will not be easy, but through their intense training and long hours on the ice the players hope to improve on last year’s Photo courtesy of Billy Glover results.

Freshman Sam Desrocher moves in on the B-CC goal.

“I think we can definitely make the playoffs and give

By Michael Lumbuku Whitman and Churchill a run for states,” said Perone.

Hockey may not be a county sponsored sport, but Due to behind the the hockey team is undoubtedly one of the most phys- scenes altercations ical teams at WJ. Led by senior captain Ty Glover, between many WJ with major contributions from senior and sophomore and Churchill fans at brothers Drew and John Ohlrich and junior goalie Ben past hockey games, Perone, the team looks to beat some major rivals this the WJ team may no year, including Churchill, Sherwood and Wootton, all longer play at Cabin of whom provide WJ with its toughest competition.

John Ice Rink. Con“To deal with Churchill, Sherwood and Wootton sequently, the team we’re going to have to try hard in practice and push will play all of their ourselves as a team,” said Perone. games this season In 2012 the team finished 2-8, but ended the season at the Rockville Ice on a high note as it beat Sherwood 6-3 to keep Sher- Arena. Though this wood out of the playoffs. This year, the team hopes to may be a slight inuse last year’s season as a stepping stone and to have a convenience, it does record above .500. not distract the playPhoto courtesy of Billy Glover “Last year, we didn’t play as well as we should have, ers from their goal Sophomore Toby Wu handles the but this year we have the potential to go far,” said se- to make the playoffs. puck. nior Jesse Gendleman.

Boys’ basketball looks for a slam dunk season

By JJ Henn

WJ boys’ basketball looks to improve on last year’s solid 11-9 regular season performance before they lost to Wootton by a mere four points, ending their playoff hopes. Since last season was their first season above .500 in over two years, the team has high expectations.

“I have high expectations for the Photo by Wahid Ishrar season [because] Senior Gian Flores takes a shot during we have a lot of warm ups. returning players a lot of fresh talent, too,” said senior center Sean Poosson Despite the loss of last year’s seniors, including captains Harrison Gibert and Halid Hamadi, the boys hope to rally back to be even better than before. Returning seniors Michael Lumbuku, Sean Poosson, Daniel Perim, Kevin Cotter, Justin Hom, Gian Flores, Everett Wells and Christian Sanders will play key roles in determining how successful the team will be this season. Starting center Sean Poosson will be a major force in the low post, while guards Michael Lumbuku and Everett Wells will be major threats on the perimeter.

Coach Mark Karver uses his experience from play-

ing college basketball at the University of Maryland and George Washington University, in addition to his professional basketball career in Europe, to lead the Wildcat team. Karver has been coaching the Wildcats for only one year now, but the players are starting to create chemistry with their coach.

“Our coach gives us all the tools we need to succeed during practice, and we use what he teaches us during the games,” said Poosson.

Basketball’s biggest rivals include Wootton, Richard Montgomery and Churchill. Last year, the team went 2-4 against these teams in the regular season, winning against Wootton and Richard M o n t g o m e r y.

The Wootton Patriots knocked the Wildcats out in the first round of the playoffs in a nail-biting 4844 finish, but the boys plan to use this frustrating loss as fuel to go even further this season.

“Our biggest rival this year is probably Richard Montgomery, they have a lot of Photo by Wahid Ishrar talent,” said Poos- Senior Everett Wells works on his shot during practice. son.

Speculations on the origins of high school sports dynasties

By Ian Morrison

High schools seem to always dominate certain sports. Teams at schools like WJ, B-CC, Sherwood, Quince Orchard and Damascus always seem to win titles, but these aren’t random teams at all; at each of these schools there seems so be some weird magic that makes them consistently great at one or two sports.

Take WJ; we always have an incredible cross country team. In the last five years it has won four state titles and its only blemish is a second place finish at this year’s state meet. If you ask me, that’s hardly a blemish, they are the best team in the state. Not to mention boys’ soccer, who despite not winning a state title since 2006 has amassed an outstanding record of 44-6-2 in the past three years, winning the division title each year.

Similar to WJ cross country, the B-CC girls’ soccer team has won the state title in four of the past five years and finished second in the state this year following a devastating loss in penalty kicks in the state final.

The list goes on. Sherwood girls’ volleyball recently won their third straight state title following a dominant season in which they only lost three sets (two to WJ). QO and Damascus have similar consistency with their football teams. Both are always competitive, and QO finished second in the state this year.

These schools that are such powerhouses in some sports also tend to have one or two sports with which they always struggle. For WJ it’s football. Sure we’ve improved since the infamous streak of four straight winless seasons, but we still have achieved only one winning season the last eight years. The Sherwood boys’ soccer team has never been anything to write home about, and the Damascus boys’ soccer has been pitiful for many years running.

All over the county and the state, certain consistencies like these can be found. Either teams are always good, or always bad, but why do these trends exist?

There may not be any concrete answers, but allow me to speculate. WJ and B-CC are soccer powerhouses, and I attribute this success to their urbanity. More specifically, both schools are in Bethesda, home to Bethesda Soccer Club. Many players that grow up in this highly competitive club attend these schools and bolster their programs. Programs such as Damascus and Sherwood, on the other hand, are in much more rural areas that are not home to any large clubs. This means that kids at these schools will have much less exposure to competitive soccer.

I also attribute the football success at QO and Damascus, as well as the lack of football prowess at WJ, to geography. Both QO and Damascus are in rural areas that do not have as much exposure to large sports clubs for many lesser-known sports than football.

Since they do not get exposure through local teams, and sports such as soccer, field hockey, volleyball and lacrosse are rarely broadcasted, thus football remains king. Football, unlike these other sports, is on TV every Saturday, Sunday, and even during the week, not to mention there is a constant feed of football news provided by ESPN’s Sports Center. In an area like Bethesda, roles are reversed. Local football leagues don’t have much of a presence, but there are massive sports organizations for practically every other high school sport.

Sherwood volleyball has a relatively simple answer: Alex Holsten. The University of Florida commit has undoubtedly transformed the school’s volleyball program. But there are very few programs that are lifted so much by just one player; this cannot be used to explain the success of many teams over long periods of a time.

There may be easy answers regarding soccer and football skill and popularity, and even Sherwood’s volleyball success, but I find WJ’s cross country dominance much harder to explain. Yes, we have great coaches, but where do all these great runners keep coming from? A stroke of luck? Maybe, because I certainly have no explanation. There must be something in the water.

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What’s Inside Previews of every winter sports team Sports editor Ian Morrison’s column, Charging The Mound Photo by Wahid Ishrar

Photo courtesy of Billy Glover

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Varsity coach Lindsey Zegowitz (right) and JV coach Erin Brown (left) discuss their plans for this year’s girls’ basketball team.

Photos by Wahid Ishrar

Coaches Brown (left), Zegowitz (center) and Jason Campbell (right) assess and discuss each of the girls’ skills at the tryout.

Delving into the depths of a coach’s mind

Each season, hundreds of students try out for sports teams.They feel pressure and stress as they hope to make the team, but few consider the challenges that the coaches face while making cuts. Girls’ Basketball coach Lindsey Zegowitz allowed The Pitch to shadow her as she ran her tryout.

By Ben Resnick

she has someone to fill all five positions on the court. “You don’t want a team of all guards or a team of all post players; you need to have a combination of the two,” she said.

Throughout the tryout, Zegowitz did everything in a confident and methodical fashion. It was obvious that she is comfortable in a tryout environment.

After the warm-ups, the girls did some running and simple drills so Zegowitz could assess their fitness and overall skill. She said that she prefers to have players of all grades try out together to give everyone a chance to make varsity.

Zegowitz finds this tactic useful because it lets the girls meet each other and forms a bond between the varsity and JV teams.

However, skill and athleticism aren’t the only things that Zegowitz and her assistant coaches, Jason Campbell and Erin Brown, look at over the course of the two-day tryout.

“We look to see if they try, if they follow directions [and] if they are cheering on other people,” said Zegowitz.

Positive attitude played a big part in the team’s success last year and looks to be another major bonus this season for a team that graduated only two seniors last year. The tryout concluded with a full scrimmage amongst all players allowing Zegowitz to evaluate players in a number of areas: skill, fitness, game sense and attitude. The team finished the first day of tryouts with a resound-

ing “1…2…3…CATS!” cheer before heading home.

Zegowitz and the assistant coaches had two days to watch, analyze and finally chose the best team. She says she finds this more than enough time to make the choices for who make it onto her squad.

While players are solely focused on their personal performance during the tryout, coaches are busy observing and filling out a form on each player. The coaches grade every single girl on certain skills and assets of their game that will contribute to the success of the team during the season.

After the first day, Zegowitz sits down with Campbell and Brown to make sure they are on the same page for who they want on their teams, and they meet again after the second tryout concludes to see if any of the three coaches on the staff changed their mind about a certain player.

Although it is thought that the returning players have a guaranteed spot, Zegowitz said firmly that they do not.

Zegowitz said every girl needs to earn her spot on the team.

“It is a privilege playing basketball, not a right,” she said.

The team’s season tipped off on Dec. 6 at Clarksburg where the 14 girls selected for varsity will try to defend their division title.

The girls’ basketball team’s road to defend its division title began on Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m. in WJ’s main gym. Coach Lindsey Zegowitz started the tryout by having all the girls warm up and stretch before giving them a brief pre-tryout speech about her expectations.

Last year, Zegowitz, also a WJ security guard, took over a notoriously bad WJ girls’ basketball program. The team hadn’t posted a winning season in recent history, and the bad luck was highlighted by a win-less season in 2008. In Zegowitz’s first season, she led the girls to a 17-3 record and a division co-title, the school’s first since 1999.

When she took over as coach, Zegowitz felt the team was very talented and dedicated, and her players played as a team. This mindset was the building block that Zegowitz and her team used as a foundation to find success last season.

Zegowitz is familiar with what it takes to be a successful basketball player on a good team: she played four years of college basketball at Monmouth University in New Jersey.

When building her team, Zegowitz uses her personal knowledge of the players to craft her roster and make coaching decisions. Zegowitz finds it important to assess her needs before making cuts.

Zegowitz and Brown create a comfortable environment for the girls who tryout. Here, at the end of the tryout, the Zegowitz makes sure Coaches girls are happy to have made it through a tough workout, but Zegowitz works to ensure all the girls remain focused.