Print Edition: May 20, 2014

Walter Johnson High School

May 20, 2014

180 days

Volume 59, Issue 8

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814

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2013-2014 School Year in Review S*T*A*G*E

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Senior Picnic

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WJ Glow

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Pitch 2 Students display original pieces at annual Fine Arts Festival NEWS

By Ryann Sallah Each year, the WJ Fine Arts Festival provides students with a place to showcase and celebrate their unique art.

The Fine Arts Festival was held April 28 through May 1 in the small gym on the ground floor. Teachers were encouraged to bring their classes to the show to observe the work of their peers.

The projects were admired by visitors of the show and displayed a wide variety of mediums and techniques, such as ceramics, charcoal, photography, paintings and digital art. According to art resource teacher Stephanie Ellis, the Fine Arts Festival has been going on at WJ for at least 12 years.

“Every student taking an art class must include at least one piece of artwork in the show [and] students taking advanced classes must submit five or more projects,” said Ellis. “It was a great example of the students’ talent.”

The festival was seen as a great success this school year, as it has been every year in the past for WJ art students.

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Top: The number of art pieces students were able to contribute depended on the level of their art classes. Some decided to showcase sculptures, such as those above.

Left: Photography and paintings were among the many types of art at the festival, and were displayed on boards set up around the small gymnasium for spectators to view.

MAY 20, 2014

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Pitch Readers,

The 2013-2014 school year has come to an end! As we close out our final issue, we would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued readership and support. The Pitch staff has spent countless hours working hard to create eight issues this year. Although we have accomplished many great things, we know that next year’s staff will continue to strive for journalistic excellence.

In this issue, we cover a variety of topics and events. News highlights the risks of beach week in addition to the March to Close the Gap event, sponsored by the Minority Scholars Program.

Arts & Entertainment writes about the Seize Life Charity Fashion Show and Prom Breakfast. The Sports section includes the Spring All Pitch team, as well as columns from section editor Ben Resnick and next year’s section editor Jake Weinischke. The remaining two sections are heavily concentrated with senior send-offs. In Editorial, our senior editors sign out with their final columns, and our Feature section includes both the senior scatter and standouts.

While we are quite sad to be leaving The Pitch after three years, we know we will be leaving both the print and online publications in great hands, with print editors-in-chief Ben Resnick, Selma Stearns and Audrey Marek, and online editors-in-chief Amanda Gross and Marissa Nardella.

Lastly, on a nostalgic note, the three of us met at freshman orientation and have been friends ever since. From being students in Journalism 1 to editors-in-chief, we have learned to appreciate the value of teamwork and friendship. It is with this friendship that we close this letter. It’s been a great four years, WJ. Sincerely, Print Editors-in-Chief Emily Cosentino, Claudia Nguyen, and Online Editor-in Chief Megan Chun

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Students march to close the achievement gap

By Anna Hovey On Sun., March 27, hundreds of students, teachers and advocates of the cause came together to march in support of closing the educational achievement gap between minority and majority races. The march was organized to raise awareness and visibility of the drastic educational division while acquiring more support for the purpose. The Walter Johnson Minority Scholars Program (MSP) was in attendance, and brought enthusiasm and support to both the school community and the march itself.

In such affluent areas as Montgomery County, Hispanic and African American students are generally falling behind their Asian and Caucasian peers academically. According to junior and MSP member Daniela Pardo, the organization reaches out to young adults that are considered minorities in order to support them, encourage them to succeed and ensure they do not fall behind and into these minority stereotypes.

Stretching up to a mile long, the march took place on Rockville Pike, starting at the Carver Educational Services Center and ending at the District Courthouse.

Those in attendance met at 12:30 p.m, and began to move a little after 1 p.m. While walking, participants chanted “Hey hey, hey hey, close the achievement gap today.” When they reached their courthouse destination, they were greeted with music and devoted staff.

Various speeches on the topic were made by students,

teachers and supporters alike. Social Studies teacher Mike Williams was one of these speakers, along with MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr and WJ’s former principal Dr. Christopher Garran.

MSP member and junior Daniella Otarola was one of many in attendance at the march, and has put in effort to raise awareness in the education system both in and out of school. A Latina herself, Otarola is very interested in seeing the gap closed.

“Knowing that there is a gap makes me strive to work hard and challenge myself in school even more,” she said.

Pardo views the achievement gap as an unfortunate reality that results from minority students challenging themselves less academics-wise than their peers.

“As a community, everyone should help their friends, family or students to challenge themselves and show everyone that they are better,” Pardo stated.

Otarola is a part of the feeder outreach committee, which makes visits to North Bethesda and Tilden Middle Schools to work with members of the MSP programs there. By visiting these schools, the outreach committee hopes to create a relationship between these schools’ programs and the rest of the student body while working on projects that encourage students to embrace, express and be proud of their unique cultural backgrounds.

Otarola said that she was very pleased with the results of the march. “[It was] a bold statement to raise awareness [of, and]

close, the achievement gap.”

She added that she felt the march successfully achieved its purposes. Otarola and her friends in attendance had a blast while marching to help the greater good.

“We were able to raise awareness in and even outside the area,” said Otarola. “Some people from outside the county have even contacted Mr. WIlliams to start an MSP program in their own school. The march has inspired many to give their academic best, and in particular, for minority students to challenge themselves in school.”

Photo courtesy of Ericka Boone

Students from multiple schools around the county took part in the march, either by encouraging the people in it or actually participating in the action.

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MAY 20, 2014

NEWS

Abusing Beach Week Seniors break the law near ocean and sand

By Gideon Epstein

Beach week is supposed to be a time to celebrate graduation and the end of high school. Instead, for many, it has turned into a week full of drinking, drugs and arrests.

Though there may not necessarily be more drug or alcohol-related arrests near the beach this time of year, police at the Rehoboth Police Department have to take proper precautions to make sure that things do not get too out of hand. Operations Lieutenant William Sullivan, a policeman working with the Rehoboth Police Department, said their department only has one square mile under their own jurisdiction. Nevertheless, they see numerous drug and alcohol arrests during beach week.

“I’ve seen as many as 30 beach week related arrests per year,” said Sullivan.

“After the arrest, the person is processed and then given a date to reappear in the Delaware Court. The [court] date, depending on the severity of the crime, could be within a week or several weeks to a month.”

Even though the arrest process can be long and grueling, Sullivan said that there is no benevolence for underage drinking and drugs for people under the Rehoboth Police Department’s jurisdiction.

“All narcotic arrests, regardless of time of year, are taken seriously with a zero tolerance approach,” said Sullivan.

Senior Margot Smith, who plans on attending beach week, said she is definitely concerned with possible consequences, such as being arrested or cited.

“I’m sure that the police are already on the lookout for drugs and alcohol,” said Smith. “They will be extra strict; especially this time of year.”

Smith said she thinks all seniors should still go to beach week, despite the fact that “illegal substances will be a major concern on everyone’s mind.”

Although many seniors will have to focus on keeping themselves out of trouble, Smith was already thinking about keeping her friends in check. She said she will make sure that none of her friends get in trouble.

“That’s what good friends do,” she said.

After beach week, Smith plans on spending the rest of her summer relaxing before heading to college at the University of Pittsburg at the start of the next school year.

Another senior, Chase Keller, is attending East Carolina University next fall. Even though he will be relatively close to the Outer Banks and the beach soon, he will be off to the Delaware

3

Illustration by Adriana Del Grosso

There are many safety concerns at beach week including underage consumption of alcohol.

Officers, such as Lieutenant William Sullivan, are cracking down on underage drinking and are trying to ensure everyone’s safety.

beach just a few weeks from now.

Keller. “I won’t do anything too imma“It has always sounded like so much ture- I’m just [going to] beach week to fun to me,” said Keller. “I never really enjoy graduating from WJ.” thought of not going.”

Keller said he was not too concerned with possible drug and alcohol arrests.

“I’m a pretty responsible guy,” said

Teens gain early access to drinks and drugs

By Zack Shapiro

When it comes to alcohol (and substance) abuse, some students are no strangers to the clink of the bottle. Underage drinking and illegal drug usage pose problems, especially at clubs. Two of the most popular clubs in the DC metropolitan area, the 9:30 Club and the Fillmore, are not immune to the issue. With several bars inside each of the venues, it becomes difficult to prevent underage teens from taking a drink.

The problems for the clubs don’t stop there, however, as people have been known to sneak drugs and alcohol inside. The clubs state on their websites that they are very strict on underage alcohol consumption. According to the 9:30 Club’s website, “Anyone without proper ID, regardless of age, will be treated as under 21 and not allowed to buy, hold or drink alcohol. This policy is strictly enforced and any violation will result in immediate ejection from the venue.”

Sophomore Anthony Turner* had an experience where drugs and alcohol lead to trouble. Turner and a friend planned to go to a concert at the 9:30 Club, packing water bottles and flasks filled with vodka in a backpack. They got to the front door and had their bag searched; the water bottles were slightly hidden under jackets but, according to Turner, security seemed to see them and didn’t care. Turner said his hands were stamped so that he could not buy

alcohol inside the club, but no pat down occurred at the front door. The pair got their alcohol inside without any problems at all.

Other students admitted to sneaking in alcohol by tucking flasks into the waistbands of their Spandex or hiding drugs in their pockets or bras until inside. While certain clubs and concert venues have security measures in place to prevent this, such as bag checks and pat downs, teens often seem to find ways to get alcohol inside. Sophomore Sasha Campbell was at Sweet Life music festival, a festival with a very thorough bag check, when she witnessed people slipping alcohol through a fence to friends already inside the concert.

After sneaking in their alcohol, teens often find themselves under the influence in a very dangerous environment.

When Turner and his friend reunited at the end of the night, after splitting up to enjoy the concert, it was clear that his friend had accidentally consumed ecstasy while under the influence. Turner said his friend claimed to have taken a drink from an older girl at the club not knowing it was laced with the drug.

They exited the club, his friend visibly intoxicated, but received little more than a funny look from security.

Once outside, Turner said his friend was talking strangely and tried to have conversations with homeless men sitting outside the club.

“It was a scary situation,” said Turner.

“I wasn’t sure what to do.”

Sophomore Alice Sanderson* found herself in a similarly dangerous situation after she snuck alcohol into the Fillmore Silver Spring and drank so much that she blacked out. Sanderson was fortunate enough to have a friend to take care

of her at the concert and make sure she was okay.

“I was lucky I had a friend with me,” said Sanderson. “It could have been so much worse.” *Name has been changed

Underage Substance Abuse Stats

21.6% 18.5% 25.6% 30.4% of students in the nation admitted to binge drinking.

of students in Maryland admitted to binge drinking.

of highschoolers in the U.S. received or sold drugs on school property.

of Maryland highschoolers received or sold drugs on school property.

Graphic by Claudia Nguyen Information from 2011 poll conducted by cdc.gov, partnered with the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey

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NEWS

MAY 20, 2014

Faculty members bid the Wildcats farewell

CHARLIE GRAHAM

MICHAEL EGAN

By Chizobaum Nwagwu

By NickWilliamson

Michael Egan has been teaching for 10 years, nine of which have been at WJ. Throughout his career, he has taught almost every course in math offered at WJ, although he currently teaches only Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus AB. He said that ever since high school, he knew he wanted to be a teacher.

“I like the interaction with kids and the fact that there is something new every day,” said Egan. “It keeps me on my toes.”

He said he enjoys teaching math because it is something he has always been good at. He added that he likes solving problems every day and being able to work on new material with his students. He tries to vary his teaching style to keep students engaged in class.

“I like a lot of self-exploration. Letting the students learn on their own, develop a concept and build up to the final result instead of ‘copy these notes and go’,” said Egan.

In addition to teaching, he has been a baseball coach for nine years; seven as the assistant varsity coach and two as the head JV coach. He said that he will remember the great personalities and students from over the years, as well as coaching with coaches Kim Ahern and Christopher Murray.

“I enjoyed seeing the kids outside of the classroom and getting to see them in a different light,” said Egan.

Photo by Izzy Salant

Math teacher Michael Egan departs WJ at the conclusion of this academic year, and will be moving to Austria.

Egan will be leaving WJ for Vienna, Austria. While he will not be working in education there, he is currently looking for jobs through the embassy as well as political jobs. He would like to do something that will keep him intrigued, and hopefully teach him something that he can use in the classroom when he returns in three years.

From leaky faucets to creaky doors, building services works as the backbone of the WJ community. After four decades of service, head of building services Charlie Graham will retire.

Graham’s career in facility management began in 1971 at North Bethesda Junior High. Shortly after, it closed down and reopened as North Bethesda Middle School, where he continued working for seven years.

Since he began working at WJ, Graham has cherished the camaraderie he shares with his co-workers and the administrative faculty.

“I [will] miss everyone on the building support staff [because] we have so much fun,” said Graham. “We work as a team and that’s a wonderful thing. At WJ, we are all like brothers and sisters. This is the best school that I have ever worked at in Montgomery County.”

Although some tasks may be difficult, Graham takes pride in his work. Mowing the grass is one of his favorite duties because he enjoys working outdoors.

Graham’s decision to retire was not easy. After working for so many years, Graham believes his retirement will provide him with more time to spend with his wife.

“I figured after 42 years it was time for me to get out and enjoy life while I still have my strength,” he said. “My wife and I used to travel [all the time].We used to

Photo by Izzy Salant

Building services head Charlie Graham is retiring after 42 years in facility management.

go on cruises every year but we have not [traveled] for about three or four years.

I will retire and stay around in Maryland until the first of the year and then I will move to South Carolina.”

Throughout his decades of service, Graham has learned several important lessons when it comes to maintaining a pleasant working atmosphere.

“Sometimes people can push your buttons and you need to maintain a positive attitude to be able to help someone, work with others, and keep everything [in order],” he said.

Religious jokes resemble past Jewish oppression

By Joshua Lang Anti-Semitism has impacted the lives of Jews from the dry sands of Egypt to the glass doors of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.

The harmful effects of anti-Semitism and religion-based hate have been felt for thousands of years in many different ways. For some, seemingly harmless jokes and stereotypes about Jews can actually have a harmful impact.

“Bullying and anti-Semitic comments definitely have similar effects on people,” said counselor Erika Murray. “It breaks people down, makes them feel badly about themselves, as though something is ‘wrong’ with them, which is not the case. A person can’t take back what they say, how they hurt someone.”

On April 13, Frazier Glenn Cross, formerly known as Frazier Glenn Miller, opened fire at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Kansas City, killing two people, a grandfather and his grandson. Then, he proceeded to kill another civilian at a Jewish assisted living center that was not far from the JCC. By the end of the day, Cross had killed three innocent people and was charged with many crimes, including a capital hate crime.

Despite the events that unfolded in

Kansas, local teens took it upon themselves to make the best out of the situation. Jacklin Shapiro is a senior from Overland Parks, Kansas and is a one of the presidents of the Jewish teen-led organization, BBYO, for that region.

Along with her fellow teens, she helped to organize a candle light memorial walk and vigil.

“The goal of the candle light memorial walk was to remember the people that we lost, but to also show how strong our community is,” said Shapiro. “Since a week had passed, we wanted to make it an opportunity to not dwell on what happened but focus on what we can do

bind us to the satanic, Jewish-controlled and ruled federal government.”

“People make jokes because they are uneducated. I honestly believe that most of the people that make jokes don’t feel strongly against the Jewish people, they are just ignorant,” said Shapiro. “They don’t understand what happened to our ancestors and everything we have been through to get to where we are today.”

Around the same time of the shootings, pamphlets were passed out in Eastern Ukraine telling Jews they had to register with the Russian Separatists.

The pamphlets ordered Jews to pay a fee and declare all property holdings.

to come together to make sure this never happens again.”

According to CNN, “The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, described Cross as a longtime, ‘raging anti-Semite’ who has posted extensively in an online forum that advocates exterminating Jews.”

Before this killing, Cross was a leader of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and was the target of a national manhunt back in the late 80s after he “declared war on blacks and Jews”, according to ABC News.

ABC also found a statement Cross had written at the time, directing the people to“rise up and throw off the chains which

According to Fox News, the leaflets were handed out to people walking out of synagogue at the beginning of Passover. In a statement to Fox News, Sergey Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador to the US, said “I have no information on who has [handed out the fliers], but it is certainly an outrageous provocation.”

No matter who did it, the pamphlets were still handed out in mass numbers during one of the holiest Jewish holidays. According to Fox News, Jewish leaders in the region have said that this act “has a chilling effect on Jewish communities worldwide.”

“In Eastern Europe, anti-Semitism is

still very much prevalent even though the Jewish numbers have dwindled, partly due to the Holocaust. You still have huge anti-Semitic ideas that are festering in that part of the world,” said social studies teacher Christopher Murray. “It probably comes from lack of education and when you think of Eastern Europe; it’s pretty economically tough.”

Anti-Semitism and religion-based hate take many different forms which in many cases, makes it very hard to pinpoint who is doing it. In schools, students who feel they are witnessing or being victimized by religion-based hate need to report any incidents to get the help they need. “[Students] need to speak out; they need to let teachers, counselors, parents, peers, administrators, security, or anybody know that it is happening. If no one knows it is happening, then no one can do anything about it,” said counselor Erika Murray. “[The jokes and stereotypes] go a long way. The human mind and our conception of people is built up over a lifetime,” said Murray. “Ethnic jokes, religious jokes, and any type of jokes that make us seem that we are more different than we are similar, do have long lasting impacts.”

“ This act ‘has a chilling effect on Jewish communities worldwide.’”

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MAY 20, 2014

Say “not now” to GMO

Photo by Wahid Ishrar Graphic by Adriana Del Grosso

Summer Steering

By NickWilliamson

Summer is the perfect time for students to work on their driving skills. I definitely look forward to all the extra time I’ll have this summer to spend behind the wheel and hopefully obtain my license. While I’m excited about driving, I also realize that it can be somewhat of a mixed bag for people. Driving, while providing freedom and a first step into the adult world, also comes with a lot of responsibility.

Behind the wheel, I could think of anywhere I want to go in the U.S., and I would have the ability to get there. It gives me and my fellow classmates a method of freedom and empowerment that many have not experienced before.

Driving is going to be particularly important this summer, since we may get opportunities to practice when we go on trips, visit friends or go to summer jobs. I’m hoping I’ll get to use the summer as a way of getting experience if my family goes on vacation (although my mom and sister will probably choose to drive separately). All the experience is also a great way to learn the importance of responsibility. Also, I enjoy feeling more grown up, as I take on a responsibility that I’ve watched my parents and people older than me maintain since I was born.

While driving is great, I also recognize that driving can be dangerous. My dad is constantly complaining that I “seem too comfortable behind the wheel.” While I sometimes wonder why he would rather have a nerve-wracked kid driving him around, I also understand his thinking. As we drive more during the summer, we might fall into a lull of security and cause an accident, killing ourselves or others in the process. My dad just wants me to recognize what can happen while driving and be aware of my surroundings, so I can prevent accidents from happening.

I don’t blame him for worrying.

According to Rocky Mountain Insurance Information of Colorado (rmiia. org), teen drivers had crash rates three times those of drivers age 20 and over in 2011. Focusing on the road is also a very important topic for my mother, who doesn’t appreciate my knack for cracking Duck Dynasty jokes during car rides. If we keep focus on the road this summer, everyone will be a lot better off.

Learning to drive is an amazing opportunity and experience that every teen should have. At the same time, as we learn this new skill, we need to remember to be safe and think ahead; if we don’t we may not get another chance.

Photo courtesy of Britannica ImageQuest

A farmer in Italy destroys his corn crop following contamination by GMO seeds.

By Adriana Del Grosso

Jellyfish genes in corn may have societal impact outside of your household kitchen. Reliance on genetically modified crops has increased substantially in recent years to meet the demands of the modern market. As a result, many necessary elements of research and study have been neglected in favor of exploring this new science.

The United States Census Bureau estimates the world population to be over 7 billion and increasing rapidly. Because of this growing market, genetically modified organisms can be praised for their ability to provide for the production of more crops to sustain the world’s population. They do this through modification to increase resistance to disease and pesticides, increase production of fruit and shorten growing times, all of which can be accomplished through the addition of certain genes. In addition, certain genes from other sources can be inserted in varieties of produce to allow for nutrients to be produced where they would normally not be found.

However, the reliance on GMOs overlooks important concerns. This science has only been available in supermarkets since the mid-1990s when tomatoes with a longer shelf life were introduced.

Now, only 20 years later, 60 or 70 percent of processed food in America contains at least one genetically engineered ingredient, as estimated by Colorado State University.

The sudden

Graphic by Adriana Del Grosso Photo by Sarah Schecker

Dear Anders, I am concerned about my boyfriend’s eating habits. For the past year or so, he has only been eating unhealthy foods that are high in carbs. He is gaining weight rapidly. How do I approach this issue without it affecting our relationship?

Sincerely, Stuck in a Weighty Relationship Dear Stuck in a Weighty Relationship, Your boyfriend is a growing boy, and he needs to eat large amounts of food to satisfy his body. Just because something has a few dozen servings doesn’t mean it can’t be eaten all at once. And just be-

reliance on such new technology spurs debate on the risks associated with quick advancements and the possible risks to human health and the environment that are likely to be overlooked as a result.

Opposition to GMOs has prompted movements such as voting for California’s Proposition 37, which would require food containing genetically engineered ingredients to be marked as such. Generally, consumers are unable to differentiate between traditional and genetically engineered products.

The production of genetically engineered crops injures the areas and communities directly affected by the agriculture industry. The few major companies that monopolize the GMO industry have massive influence on agriculture communities because their products are now a near necessity for large-scale farming.

When genetic engineering companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta began testing organisms in Hawaii, their use of toxic chemicals caused the population living nearby concern. Complaints were voiced that the widespread spraying of pesticides by the companies was causing pollution and respiratory problems in residential areas near testing sites.

At a glance, the use of genetic engineering to better agriculture production may appear to be an easy solution.

However, production of such a fastgrowing industry should be monitored closer than it currently is. cause something is considered a condiment doesn’t mean it can’t be devoured like a regular food. Sometimes these food choices are parts of a person’s lifestyle that should be accepted.

However, if you think your boyfriend is eating too much, don’t let him eat anything. Lock him up in a cage, or follow him around and spray water on him whenever he tries to eat. Use negative reinforcement. Eventually he will lose weight or he will break up with you.

Another solution is talking about this issue, offering alternatives like more veggies or smaller serving sizes. Prepare food for him with healthier ingredients, or help him monitor his eating habits and keep track of his choices. Just know it’s ultimately his choice if he wants abs or flab, so just be happy with your squishy man.

Or don’t. But if you decide to dump this guy because he’s eating, then you’re the person with the problem, I guess.

Love, Anders

EDITORIAL

THE STAFF

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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Emily Cosentino, Print Co-Editor Claudia Nguyen, Print Co-Editor Megan Chun, Online Editor ADVISOR Sylvie Ellen, Print and Online NEWS Izzy Salant, Print Editor Anna Hovey, Assistant Editor Tenni Idler, Online Co-Editor Elizabeth Winter, Online Co-Editor EDITORIAL Wahid Ishrar, Print Editor Adriana Del Grosso, Assistant Editor Anders Norberg, Online Editor FEATURE Selma Stearns, Print Editor Michael Godfrey, Assistant Editor Marissa Nardella, Online Co-Editor Amanda Gross, Online Co-Editor ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Audrey Marek, Print Editor Annika La Vina, Assistant Editor Nico Bonetta-Misteli, Online Editor SPORTS Ben Resnick, Print Editor Jake Weinischke, Assistant Editor Zeke Green, Online Co-Editor Josh Greenberg, Online Co-Editor Sabrina Greene, Online Co-Editor COPY EDITORS Anna Hovey, Print and Online Marissa Nardella, Print and Online ART Adriana Del Grosso, Co-Editor Alex Alavi, Co-Editor PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Schecker, Print and Online Editor PUBLIC RELATIONS Sabrina Greene, Social Media Consultant Claudia Nguyen, Business Manager CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS

Nick Williamson Charlotte Garvanne Aram Dommerholt Patrick Jorling Zack Shapiro Steven Judge Joshua Lang Charlie Kanter Chizobam Nwagwu Cole Kinsella Kassidi Baldwin Laena Lee Zoey Becker Daniel Leonard Robert Berry Kevin Lu Kelly Chartrand Hitomi Mochizuki Gideon Epstein Shashank Narayan Izza Garcia Anja Shahu Lia Sorgen Leila Siegel Crystal Taylor Grant Weaver Ryann Sallah Kevin O’Leary 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.

AWARDS

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009, 2013 American Scholastic Press Association First Place 2010-2011 Columbia Scholastic Bronze Medalist 2010-2011 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Marylander Award Newspaper Division C 2011

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EDITORIAL

MAY 20, 2014

Sports

News

What was your What do you think is the largest safety concern of favorite sports season this school year?

Beach Week?

Graphic by Adriana Del Grosso

On May 9, The Pitch went to classes and asked questions about topics covered in this issue. Here are the results.

* Polls conducted by The Pitch on 70 students.

40.0% 40.0% 10.0% 10.0%

Alcohol Drugs Unsafe Sex Indifferent

To learn about the health hazards associated with beach week, read “Abusing beach week” by Gideon Epstein on page 3.

Fall Spring Winter None

31.4% 24.3% 14.3% 30.0%

To read more about WJ’s different sports teams throughout the year, turn to pages 18 to 20.

NBA calls technical foul on racism

Donald Sterling’s racist and bigoted remarks are criticized by the public and punished by NBA officials

By Charlie Kanter

Though Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been considered publicly to be a “racist slumlord,” Sterling’s off-putting and offensive disposition is not apparent to many people.

His comment that “black tenants smell and attract vermin” was not addressed by the NBA, though it offended the 19 tenants who heard it.

Sterling, who made his money selling real estate, has been sued for employment discrimination and housing discrimination, yet the NBA has done nothing. Now he has been caught on tape living up to his reputation as a gross, racist man. He talks in great length to his now ex-girlfriend about her choice of company at the Clippers games.

“Your whole life, every day, you could do whatever you want,” said Sterling in an audio recording. “You can sleep with [black people], you can bring them in, and you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it...and not to bring them to my games.”

Needless to say, there was outrage.

Immediately, NBA commissioner Adam Silver started an investigation, and soon fined Sterling the maximum fine of 2.5 million dollars, banned him from the NBA for life, and ordered him to sell his team because of his racist comments.

Why has the NBA only acted now?

Sterling has always had a reputation as a racist, has made many racist comments and has been in a number of court cases involving discrimination. He paid fines for his discriminatory comments show-

ing dislike in selling real estate to minorities, but the NBA has never been involved. Silver called these past actions “well-documented rumors,” not fully addressing their significance.

It is possible Silver felt he needed to act because Sterling’s comment directly involved the NBA. Sterling did not want African Americans coming to his NBA basketball games, which breaks the laws on prejudice in the NBA constitution. Perhaps the NBA has hidden behind the false belief that Sterling’s past actions and lawsuits weren’t related to the league itself.

Silver knew the recent comments would cause outrage from NBA players and fans. Following the incident, the Clippers team wore their warm-up tshirts inside out in protest. Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Jarrett Jack proposed a boycott, a proposal that was withheld at Sterling’s resignation.

If Sterling was not punished, the NBA as a whole could be stamped as racist.

Therefore, Silver needed to make it clear that discrimination was not accepted in the NBA. Everything in business comes down to money, and ultimately the NBA would lose money from consumers and investors if this issue was not publicly addressed.

Silver’s punishment for Sterling’s racist comments is reasonable. Harsh, discriminatory views cannot be held by a team owner, and Sterling got what he deserved. But with a history and a reputation of racism, punishment from the NBA should have come much sooner.

“ Harsh, discriminatory

views cannot be held by a team owner, and Sterling got what he deserved. ”

Illustration by Adriana Del Grosso

Finally, Donald Sterling’s blatant racism has been acknowledged and punished by the NBA officials.

The punishment should have come much sooner.

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MAY 20, 2014

Senior Signout

EDITORIAL

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My favorite memory is...

“...putting my art to good use.”- Adriana Del Grosso “...converting the Pitch Office into a second home so we don’t have to interact with other humans.”- Claudia Nguyen “...all the laughs during press and the occasional times when Ms. Ellen wasn’t pissed at me.” -Alex Alavi

The thing I’m going to miss the most is...

“...the people, the conversations, and the relationships; they are my family away from my real family.” -Emily Cosentino “...writing deep, insightful columns that only my mom reads.” -Megan Chun “...everybody hugging each other as they walk into class, even though we meet every day.”- Wahid Ishrar “...having a free period every day.”- Anders Norberg

Chizo

Alex

Aram

Tenni

Elizabeth

Josh

Zeke

Sabrina

Anders

Adriana

Wahid

Megan

Claudia Emily

EDITORIAL

Pitch

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8

MAY 20, 2014

How did I get here?

Photo by Sarah Schecker Graphic by Adriana Del Grosso

By Emily Cosentino

As I sit down to write my last column, memories of the last four years flood my mind. The nostalgia is bittersweet.

The person I was when I entered high school and the person I am now are only faint resemblances of each other. I have grown both physically and mentally in the course of my high school career in ways that even I do not appreciate. As I am preparing to go off to university, one question keeps coming to my mind, how did I get here?

When entering high school, a person has many paths that they can fol-

low; many clubs that they can pursue, many electives that they can take, and many friends that they can meet. We are met with small, barely recognizable decisions every day. We find a niche and stick with it; family away from family for all intensive purpose.

As a freshman, my dad pushed me to enroll in journalism, as he thought I would both enjoy and excel in it despite my pleas as a nervous freshman to take the typical first year classes. Through journalism, I befriended the people that I spend most of my time at school with.

We are completely different people, with different interests with a common ground of Pitch. I have become very close with so many people, and those people have helped me become the person I am today.

Most friend groups could probably agree that they have some factor that brought them together, but they are still very different people.

It is inevitable that a person’s friends influence them. Every decision, their input and opinions are there. Memories,

gatherings, information, etc., people’s friends have a huge part in their life.

If I did not join journalism, and I never met my current friends, who would I be friends with? What different experiences would I have had? How would I be different?

A small decision to enroll in a class that my father wanted me to take lead me on this path for the last four years that has impacted decisions that I will never know.

High school is a unique place where a person is surrounded by large masses of students throughout the day; the people that they connect with really start to shape who they are.

When I look back at my time here at WJ, it will be with a fond smile of the crazy times I had with my friends that I plan on keeping for as long as I can.

We are who we are because of where we went to school and the people that we have met. The good and the bad events and memories really have made us the people that we are and the path that we are now beginning to follow.

What’s so good about goodbye?

Graphic by Adriana Del Grosso Photo by Sarah Schecker

By Claudia Nguyen I was a time traveler once. Rolling into ninth grade, I felt like I had fastforwarded half a decade. I left my local elementary school back in third grade, and I hadn’t seen most of these kids since. People were all grown up. Friend groups had shifted and personalities, in many cases, had drastically altered.

Even though I recognized some faces, I

felt like I didn’t actually know anyone. It was a totally different world.

Let me just start off by saying that I’m terrible at keeping in touch with old friends. It hasn’t always been intentional, but I can’t say that I regret it. When I came to WJ, I was glad I hadn’t grown up in Bethesda because it allowed me to come in with a fresh perspective. By letting go of the past and moving on, I was able to create new memories.

Coming out of middle school, I knew I had a great group of friends. We had a beach trip at the end of the year to say goodbye, and that was that. I don’t speak much to them anymore. Some might view this as sad, insensitive or even a bit heartless. Is it really that easy to let go of the people you had grown up with?

The answer is no, it’s not easy. But, it’s for the best. I’ve never been the type of person to cling to the past. We

are meant to learn from it, not use it as a safety blanket. It’s not that I’ll forget friends and role models from younger years, but rather, I accept their influences and prepare to embrace the new and unknown.

Upon entering my freshman year, I knew I was going to meet new people and make new friends. I can say with great confidence that the people I befriended were nothing like those I hung out with in middle school. Every single one of them has a unique point of view, and each taught me more about myself.

As I prepare to graduate and embark for college, I face the challenge of bidding farewell to many of these friends.

Oftentimes, this transition is described as bittersweet. But it’s important to remember that letting go isn’t about giving up; it’s about growing up.

What will the future hold?

By Megan Chun I have to admit something. I’m writing this column about two months early. It’s 13 minutes past midnight on March 23.

I can’t sleep. All I can think about are the coming months, and more so, the rest of my life. By the time this is printed, I will know where I am going to college.

So will all other 539 seniors in the class of 2014. But for now, I have no idea. In

the fall, I could be anywhere from California to New York. Or, who knows, I may still be living in my parents’ basement. The uncertainty is scary, but right now, as I look up into the illuminated screen of my iMac, it is simply inspiring.

At this point in the year, most seniors are beginning to annoy one another. We have been together for four long years and are anxious to explore life beyond 7:25 a.m. start times. But, cliché as it may sound, we must not forget the experiences we’ve had and the lessons we’ve learned in high school. From chemistry to calculus, dealing with friend drama to planning prom, we take away valuable life lessons.

As we near the end of our high school journey, it is important to remember one thing: we need not fear the future.

Think about the last day of eighth grade.

Were you afraid of growing up? No,

probably not. You just wanted to get your braces off and grow a few inches taller. Sure, graduating from high school and entering college is somewhat of a larger step, but the premise remains the same. You can be anything you want to be, anyone you want to be. Your future is undefined.

In all honestly, I wrote this for myself as much as I did for our graduating class.

I know that one day, perhaps on May 30, I will feel more afraid than I have ever felt. However, I am constantly reminded of the underlying optimism that is high school: it is simply a stepping-stone to wherever you are headed next.

See you all in 2034, at our 20-year high school reunion. Also, please don’t bring up this column then. I’ll probably be embarrassed about my deep, dramatic and intoxicatingly nostalgic teenage thoughts.

Photo courtesy of Wahid Ishrar

Know Thyself

ByWahid Ishrar

This is my last column for The Pitch.

Even as I write these words, I can’t fully comprehend what that means. What will it be like to not constantly stall until the day before press to get my column typed up? Or not to see the other members of the staff on an everyday basis?

I started on this paper in the Feature section by writing a review on the song of the summer, “Pumped up Kicks” by Foster the People. After the editing process, my article was put on the website (read www.wjpitch.com, by the way).

There it was, for anyone and everyone in the world to behold. It was nothingjust a 250 word article describing the lyrics of a song soon to be forgotten by most. It was everything.

As a journalist, the single greatest achievement is being able to have people read what you write. To the people who liked or commented on my Facebook link to the article, they were showing love and support for a friend or relative. To me, it felt like they were complimenting my very being.

It wasn’t until the Editorial Editor of The Pitch Online approached me about writing something I felt passionately about that I knew I wanted to write for this section indefinitely. Ever since, that is the only thing I’ve strived to do.

As is my fashion, I always try to cover controversial issues, and hopefully provide a novel argument in a coherent manner. In trying to do so, I’ve written about: what we need to do to successfully combat sexism, how allies deserve to be treated with respect and not ridicule, and the double standards that exist in the minds of Americans when judging other countries about mistakes they themselves make. In many instances, I’ve been unsure of my own stance regarding these issues. But by conducting the research needed, I’ve managed to gain clarity and learn more and more about issues I otherwise wouldn’t have been passionate about.

Many of my stances have been met with criticism (give me a moment while I remember that one time someone claimed I was a fascist when I wrote about American double standards); but that’s okay. Because like I said, my goal in writing is not to get people to agree with me, but to bring certain issues to the forefront and stimulate debate.

In high school, it is easy to get dragged down by things such as homework, social pressures, work, etc. An activity that the individual is passionate about allows them to combat these pressures.

For me, it was this column. For others, it may be a sport, a form of art or an academic competition. Whatever the activity is, it is imperative for everyone to find an outlet that allows them to find themselves.

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MAY 20, 2014

FEATURE

SENIOR SPECIAL 2014

9

(Pages 9-12)

Image courtesy of Walter Johnson High School Graphic by Selma Stearns

Daniel Kapit wins Charles H. Rideout Award Q&A with recognized senior

By Selma Stearns What are you doing after high school?

DK: “College...Probably the University of Maryland, College Park, but I’m on some waitlists, so we’ll see how that pans out.”

What do you want to study?

DK: “I want to study engineering.”

What was the hardest class you took in high school?

How did you maintain the motivation necessary to achieve such high academic success?

What is your advice for people hoping to win the Charles H. Rideout Award in the future?

Did you have any idea you would be

What is your advice for people struggling with the pressure of high school?

DK: “That’s a really good question. I didn’t really think about it, I just kind of did the homework for classes, studied...

It wasn’t really easy. I guess I had some sort of drive that came out of nowhere, I’m not entirely sure.”

DK: “BC Calculus, without a doubt... given this award?

DK: “I knew it was a possibility, but I [I’m taking it] this year.” wasn’t expecting it...[I learned that I What was the most challenging obstacle had won on] the eighth of April.”

you had to learn how to balance or overcome?

DK: “Managing academics and social life was really tough.”

What extracurricular activities did you do in high school?

Photo courtesy of Daniel Kapit

In addition to his acedemic acheivements, Kapit plays piano in the WJ Jazz Combo.

DK: “Pit Orchestra, National Honor Society, the Jazz Combo...[I play] piano.”

Have you written your speech for graduation?What is it like?

DK: “I’m working on it...I’m trying to not be too specific, I’m trying to be kind of profound, but I don’t want to be too heavy so I’m trying to make it funny.”

DK: “Do your homework. That’s really the biggest thing. If you get the homework done...It’s pretty objective, this award, so if you do your homework you’ll do well in the classes, so it’s not really anything too difficult.”

DK: “Stay motivated. The school has all sorts of honor societies that offer tutoring...[you can] go to teachers for help, and counselors are not just there to tell you if you’re doing badly, [they will help you].

What is one word you would use to describe your high school experience?

DK: “[I can not think of one word] poignant enough to truly describe my high school experience.”

NIH Director to speak at commencement

By Michael Godfrey

he had not yet figured out what field study to pursue. He was first planThe commencement speaker for the of ning to be an aeronautical engineer, but 2014 graduating class is the director of switched his major to chemistry during The National Institute of Health (NIH) college. Then he went on to graduate in Bethesda, Francis S. Collins, M.D., school in physical chemistry.

Ph.D. He has led a renowned career and “Along the way I discovered that rehe wishes to pass on his success to the ally exciting things were happening WJ graduating class of 2014. with DNA and RNA, and there was “I want to see [the 2014 WJ graduates] some chance that these advances pursue their dreams and do so with lots revolutionize medicine in the nextmight few of passion and flexibility,” said Collins.

“Life is unpredictable, and most of these students will be amazed where they are in a few decades.”

Before heading NIH, Collins was the director of the National Human decades,” said Collins. “I wanted to be Genome Research Institute. There he part of that.” worked on many genetics-related reSo, already married with a child, he search projects, the most well-known switched and took on eight years being leading the Human Genome Proj- of medicalfields school residency) ect, an effort to map and sequence all of and three years of(including research training in the genes of the human body. In his ca- medical genetics. reer he has received the National Medal “It put me in the position to be inof Science and the Presidential Medal of volved in some of the most exciting sciFreedom. ence of the present era,” said Collins.

Collins’ future success may have “And none years of education been predicted when he graduated high were wastedof--these I still use what I learned school as valedictorian at age 16, but in chemistry every day.”

While Collins’ career was not decided until much later, he still emphasizes the need for a good childhood education.

“I was fortunate to have a terrific chemistry teacher who inspired me to pursue a career in science,” said Collins. “I will always be grateful to that teacher for opening my eyes to how exciting it is to use the tools of science to learn new things about the universe.”

Collins recommends that the 2014 graduates keep their options open and work hard.

“Seek out the things that appeal to you, explore them, try to discover what your passion is, but don’t be surprised if that changes over time,” said Collins. “Some Photo Courtesy of National Institutes of Health doors will close, others will NIH Director Francis Collins graduated high school at 16 as open. Enjoy the ride.” valedictorian.

Try to discover what your “passion is, but don’t be surprised if that changes over time... ”

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FEATURE

MAY 20, 2014

SENIOR SCATTER BY STATE 3

3

1 3

11

21

3

1 3

3

24 4

2 1

2 14

6

5

2 12

4

10

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

Maryland

UMD College Park:46 Montgomery College: 17 St. Mary’s College: 17 Towson University: 14 UMBC: 6 Stevenson University: 4 Salisbury University: 2 Mount St. Mary’s University: 2 McDaniel College: 2 Johns Hopkins University: 2 College of Notre Dame of MD: 1 Hood College: 1 Frostburg State University: 1

2

297 seniors responded to the Senior Scatter.

International

HEC Montréal (Canada) Chile Univerisity of Pretoria (South Africa) Israeli Defense Force (Israel) Bournemouth Univeristy (UK) Padua University (Italy) Sophia University (Japan) Florida State University (Spain) McGill University (Canada) University of British Columbia (Canada) Durham University (UK) Universidad del Valle (Colombia)

Roxanne Leal: Gap year

By Lia Sorgen

Lila Klaus: Four-year college

By Bobby Berry

Senior Lila Ruth Klaus will be attending Bard College for a Bachelor of Arts in dance. She is excited for graduation and cannot wait to begin the next chapter of her life. “[After receiving my degree, I plan on] moving to NewYork and becoming a dancer in some companies, maybe even starting my own, and working with nonprofit arts organizations,” said Klaus.

What most excites her about college is getting the chance to meet new people and have novel and diverse experiences.

No other student from the class of 2014 will be joining her at Bard in the class of 2018, but she knows some WJ alumni who are currently enrolled there.

She is following in the career footsteps of her mother, who was one of the first dance majors at Wesleyan University, and now teaches dance and has her own company.

Klaus plans to attend graduate school, however she will probably not begin immediately after her undergraduate program.

In terms of tips to underclassmen, she wants to remind them to be thankful for what they have now. “[D]ocument and cherish your high school years, [because] everything goes by so quickly and before you know it you’ll be a graduating senior,” said Klaus.

All photos by Sarah Schecker

A number of students are taking a decidedly different path after graduation with what is commonly known as a gap year.

Senior Roxanne Leal is one student who has committed to a gap year. For some students, taking a gap year is a beneficial experience.

“I just didn’t want to go into college right away. I mean, I’ve been in school for about 13 years now; I need a break,” said Leal.

Leal also mentioned that a gap year is a good opportunity to earn money to help fund college. Although Leal has not made definite plans for her gap year, she knows that she wants to get involved in the work force.

Leal will attend Denison University after her gap year.

Leal doesn’t need to apply to colleges again next year and will be able enjoy her time off. She chose Denison University over other candidates because she thought it offered a good education for an excellent price, and is located in historic Granville, Ohio.

Leal is excited about taking an unconventional route after high school, and is thrilled that Denison University will accommodate her gap year.

Some students worry about the impacts of beginning college a year after the rest of their peers. Students want to be able to fit in, especially during their first year and taking a gap year sets a person apart from the general student population. However, Leal is not concerned about being a year older than her peers impacting her college experience negatively.

“I have friends here that technically should be a year ahead and I don’t really notice the difference so I don’t think it will transfer over to college,” said Leal.

Leal plans to get a job and gain maturity, life experience and friends from her gap year experience. Leal is also fortunate that her parents are supportive of her post-high school choice, whereas some other parents may be less enthusiastic.

“I recommend taking a gap year ideally to everyone… Some need to keep that momentum of school up or they’ll stop flat; others really need time to stop and recharge before going back,” said Leal.

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MAY 20, 2014

FEATURE

Senior Standouts

Rachel Abessira: International

By Selma Stearns

Rachel Abessira will be attending the École des Hautes Études commerciales de Montréal (HEC Montréal) in the fall of 2014. HEC Montréal is the oldest management school in Canada, and is the business school of the Université de Montréal.

Abessira will be majoring in International Business.

She didn’t apply anywhere inside of the United States, only three colleges in Canada.

“I chose Canada because it’s [almost] free,” said Abessira. “I’m a French citizen, and Quebec and France have an agreement, so I [don’t pay much] for college.”

Abessira’s parents are French, so they were very supportive of her decision to move to Canada because of the low cost. Abessira considered applying to colleges in France, but the language program at HEC Montréal is more ideal for her needs.

“My first year at HEC Montréal is going to be a ‘preparatory’ year in English.

So even though it’s a French school [the first year is in English]... and the last three years are bilingual. They have a bilingual and trilingual program.”

Abessira said that many students don’t choose to leave the country because college is a big enough transition without changing cultures. She said Canada will not be that large of a change, but typically other countries’ university systems are very different.

For example, HEC Montréal does not have student dorms, so Abessira will be living in her own apartment, possibly with a roommate.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” she said.

By Charlotte Garvanne

Bryce Gudelsky: Two-year conservatory

Although choosing a college can be a difficult decision for many seniors, this was not the case for senior Bryce Gudelsky. This summer, Gudelsky plans on starting a two-year conservatory program at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City. She will major in musical theatre through an integrated program which includes singing, acting and dancing. According to the school’s website, the program trains students in acting both in and out of the classroom by teaching them techniques that focus on “foundational and advanced concepts in acting, musical theatre and dance” on the stage.

Gudelsky first became interested in acting at the age of four, after watching her older sister play a male character in an all-girls production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Inspired by her sister’s acting, Gudelsky knew she had a calling in theatre and since then has gained a lot of experience on the stage throughout her life. In WJ’s spring musical, “Aida,” she played Amneris, the princess of Egypt.

Gudelsky does not plan to attend a four year college after finishing her program at AMDA, but instead to put her learned skills to work in New York City.

“After college I will audition for anything I can get, I will play a tree [if necessary] to be on Broadway,” said Gudelsky.

She hopes that she is on her way to achieving her goals of performing on Broadway.

Brian Lee: Four-year university

By Bobby Berry

According to graduating senior class officer Brian Lee, the most exciting part of attending a four year university is the freedom and diversity that it offers. He will have many new opportunities, such as enrolling in new classes, participating in new activities and meeting new people.

Lee, who will attend Johns Hopkins University this coming fall, plans on first getting an undergraduate degree in pre-med and chemistry before going to medical school, hopefully at the same university.

Fellow senior class officer Alex Klyuev will also be attending Johns Hopkins. Although they plan on keeping up their friendship, Lee says they will not be rooming together.

Lee views his upcoming graduation from WJ with a forward-thinking viewpoint. “[Graduation is] just the beginning… It isn’t about celebrating the end of high school,” he said.

After medical school Lee plans on participating in medical research that involves nanotechnology.

When deciding on a future profession Lee is somewhat following in his father’s footsteps, although his father is a nephrologist, a doctor who specializes in the study of the kidneys its diseases, and Lee is more interested in cardiology.

Lee advises rising seniors to take advantage of their summer off.

“Go volunteer, get an internship, or get involved in activities that interest you the most,” said Lee. “In my opinion, this is the best way to create a personal network with others and will significantly impact your decision later.”

11

Robert Karlen: D1 sports

By NickWilliamson

After four years of rowing for WJ, senior Robert Karlen will be moving on to the rowing team at University of Washington, where he will attend next fall.

Crew was a crucial factor in Karlen’s decision process because he wanted a school with a great rowing program. The University of Washington is the best school in the country for rowing, and Karlen is excited for the opportunity to row there.

“Rowing at University of Washington is like going to Juilliard for music, or Harvard or Yale for law,” said Karlen.

He said rowing in college will require more intensity, time and effort, in general, than rowing at the high school level.

“We got a new coach [at WJ] two years ago and he really changed the program; he made us one of the better teams in the region, but Washington is going to be a whole different ballgame,” said Karlen.

Karlen started visiting college rowing events and talking to coaches before he made his decision, and the fact he liked the crew coaches at Washington influenced his decision. According to Karlen, they seemed like they genuinely want to push athletes, making them suffer, but really want their teams to win.

Karlen became involved with crew when he was encouraged by his family and friends, and enjoys the camaraderie of the sport, as well as the great people and friends he has met.

“Everyone needs to be on top of their game all the time; everyone works together, suffers together and wins together,” said Karlen.

So far, Karlen has won 11 medals with his boat members for crew as well as many first, second and third place finishes. He has also performed well in many important competitions such as the SRAA National Championships and the Stotesbury Cup Regatta.

Elinor Cohen: Military service

By Leila Siegal

After graduation, seniors typically move on to attend college or join the workforce. However, some opt to fight for their country.

Elinor Cohen is one of those seniors. Cohen plans to join the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) after she graduates.

“Because I’ve been living [in America for] so long, I’ve felt like I’ve wanted to go back and help my country,” said Cohen, who used to live in Israel.

The IDF requires all native-born Israelis to join the army when they turn 18. The IDF has fought in at least five wars since Israel’s founding in 1948.

Cohen has wanted to be a part of the IDF since she was in middle school. She initially had some worries about her future in the IDF because she does not have much family living in Israel.

“After I realized that I’m going through a program with many other kids… it showed me that [the distance] doesn’t really matter,” said Cohen.

Though she will be far from her family, Cohen is looking forward to going back to Israel and enjoying the country’s environment and culture.

According to Israel National News, women constitute 57 percent of the IDF’s regular soldiers. However, women comprise only 15 percent of high-ranking positions. Cohen said she hopes to be in a top position.

“It’s harder in Israel to get a high ranking [position] for women, it’s mostly men, but I’m going to try to get as high as I can,” said Cohen.

She advises teenagers wanting to join any defense force to do as they wish.

“If you have a reason for it, do it, and just follow whatever your heart tells you,” said Cohen.

Rachel Melanie Stephany Alexander Ulane Leah Victoria Claire Sarah Erjon Ido Nina Leon Ivanna Leslie Sameen Tyler Joseph Noah Bobby Sumon Elise Erik Adam Courtney Lihy Irina Chelsey Ryan Micah Erika Marie Brendan Anne Marby Carly Suma Hye Soo Ji Proma Jennifer Megan Elinor Margot Kevin Sophie Sydney Anna Jordan Liz Emily Darien Bela Alex Yonathon Camille Nimesh Jordan Adriana Jacob Aram Meghan Sarah Jeremy Michael Robert Lily Julianne Alexander Keenan Madeline Ronit Eliza Benjamin Megan Hope Franklin Gabriel Lucio Nathan Carl Leanna James Charlotte Aristeidis Rebecca Michael Alessandro Henry Danny Madeleine Matt Benjamin Emily Rachel Joshua Sabrina Nate Bryce Janie

Abessira Ackerman Aguilar Gaitan Alavi Albrecht Altekruse Ansarah Atkinson Austin Brantly Baballari Balely Banerji Barham Barrientos Barton Belal Belt Benson Berman Berry Bhattacharyya Black Blad Brami Bruch Buchbinder Bukharin Campillo Cangarlu Castelo Catriz Cawley Chambers Chang Chase Cheru Choi Choi Chowdhury Christakos Chun Cohen Cohen Coleman Collé Collins Collishaw Cooper Corbett Cosentino Crawford Cunha-Benjamin Dangay Daniel David De Silva Deeter Del Grosso Ditchek Dommerholt Donaldson Duncan Ebobisse Ebolo Elkan Ellett Emdadi England Epstein Eure Feierstein Feifer Fetter Fischman Flaherty Flieger Floresca Foreman Franco Fredman Friedland Gant Garrett Garvanne Gavriilidis Gillman Gilman Giordano Godfrey Goldberg Goldberg Goldman Goldweber Gonzalez Gramlich Green Greene Gruber Gudelsky Hammaker

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FEATURE

SENIOR SCATTER 2014

HEC Montréal Swarthmore Coll.

MC School of Visual Arts U. of Pretoria Marymount U. BYU - Hawaii Davidson Coll.

St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) GWU Israeli Defense Force Wellesley Coll.

Dickinson Coll.

Indiana U. Bloomington U. of Alabama NYU Northeastern U. MC Southern Illinois U. Cornell U. UMCP Coll. of Wooster U. of Wisc. Madison Salisbury U. U. of Pittsburgh Military Swarthmore Coll.

UC Berkeley St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Notre Dame of MD U. Mt. Saint Mary’s U. MC MC Indiana U. St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Wellesley Coll.

Northeastern U. UMBC UMCP U. of Rochester U. Southern Calif Military U. of Pittsburgh Mitchell Coll.

Virginia Tech Dickinson Coll.

Gap Year Union Coll.

Pace U. North Carolina State U. Ursinus Coll.

St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Hofstra U. UMCP Wake Forest U. UMBC San Jose U. Ithaca Coll.

Wisconsin U. U. Southern Calif High Point U. UMCP Duke U. Saint Mary’s Coll.

UMCP MC Mt. Saint Mary’s U. St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) UMCP McDaniel Coll.

Binghamton U. Duquesne U. MC U. of Conn GWU U. of San Diego Indiana U. U. of Denver UMCP Towson U. American U. St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Coll. of Wooster Bournemouth U. U. South Carolina Towson U. Padua U. Berklee Coll. of Music UMCP Cornell U. Emory U. College of Atlantic Towson U. Hamilton Coll.

UMCP Kenyon Coll.

Towson U. AMDA U. of Virginia

Peter Jenna Cassie Jasmine John Margaret Anne Donté Rebecca Sammy Alexander Natsumi Tenni Lindsey Kohei Wahid Zalika Mia Mark Hyung Christopher Kevin Dmitri Sunny Esther Gabbi Daniel Alan Joseph Robert Jonathan Benjamin Lina Sydney Grace Taj Min Jee Elena Lila Lauren Alexander Matthew Matthew Ariel Daniel Sarah Michael Amanda Liya Benjamin Karlo Joseph Roxanne Samantha Brian Alisa Rebecca Noah Kathryn Benjamin Gilliam Luisa Jacquelin Nicholas Kyle Ana Juliet Matt Nevo Giorgi Melody Nickolaus Nicole Fahed Teddy Eitan Shannon Brianna Andrew Mary Rose Stella Ben Elizabeth Andrea James Dany Isabel KC Brigid Matthew Ayla Robert Rachel Sahpir Andrew Rachel Luna Noah Claudia Linhchi Anders

Hansen UMCP Harrision-Peters Clark U. Hart UMCP Hawley Old Dominion U. Hayden MC Hayes UCSB Heffernan Penn State U. Henderson Temple U. Hobson Delaware Coll. of Arts Holden Dickinson Coll.

Horick UMBC Horikawa Brown U. Idler UMCP Imirie St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Ishida Sophia U. Ishrar UCLA Issiakou MC Jabara U. Southern Calif Jacobson UMCP Jin Cho UMCP Johnson Gettysburg Coll.

Johnson Virginia Tech Joutz Drexel U. Jung Gap year Kamellah Catholic U. Kandero Towson U. Kapit UMCP Kaplan UMCP Kappeler Indiana U. Karlen U. of Washington Karpatkin Oberlin Coll.

Kass St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Kastanos George Mason U. Kates Northeastern U. Kelly Stevenson University Keshav UMCP Kim St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Kindy U. Southern Calif Klaus Bard Coll.

Klein RISD Klyuev Johns Hopkins U. Koenig UMCP Konapelsky Gettysburg Coll.

Kopelove UNC, Greensboro Kosogof La Salle U. Kosterlitz UMCP Kramer Wash. U. in St. Louis Kuan American U. Lachovizer Ithaca Coll.

Laurenson UMCP Lazaro Stevenson U. Leal Gap year Lee Princeton U. Lee Johns Hopkins U. Leonard Towson U. Lerner U. of Michigan Leshan Towson U. Levernz Penn State U. Levingston Boston U. Levy Shepherd U. Ligorria Marymount U. Lockhart-Andretta Sweet Briar Coll.

Lokker Duke U. Lopez UMCP Lorenzo Botello MC Mackie Florida St. U. - Valencia Magnezi UMCP Managadze UMCP Mansourkia American U. Marek UMCP Marquez Tulane U. Masood UMCP Maydan MC Mazia U. of Michigan McDonough U. Southern Calif McKinney UMCP McManus U. of Miami Melnicki Stevenson U. Mendelson U. of Vermont Meyers St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Miller Howard U. Miralles UMCP Mitchel U. of Michigan Molayem UMCP Moreno McGill U. Moreno UMCP Morris St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Morris Bates Coll.

Moskowitz Florida Inst. of Tech.

Mozayeni UMBC Mullin Holy Cross Coll.

Mushkat UMBC Naimon Penn. State U. Neave Towson U. Negassi Gettysburg Coll.

Nelson Georgetown U. Nguyen Haverford Coll.

Nguyen Princeton U. Norberg UMCP

Nicholas “Coty” Jean Marc Haley Emily Jazmin Alexandra Ben Ana Kim Daniella Diego Mickey Sarah Rachael Case Samuel Anna Sahana Raquel Alejandra Eugenia Mishal Taylor Ofir Malivai Paul Kendall Kaysandra Alexander Christopher Rachel Richard Nate Bianca Anna Catherine Charles Kevin Samantha Sri Meg Misha Hind Emma Endrias Jorge Michael Jesse Kristen Rodrigo Monica Rahul Jacob Jasmine Jonathan Joshua Brain Alyse Graham Flory Sahib Emily Margot Taylor Mikhail Michael Thomas Caroline Elizabeth Matthew Sunny Laura Matt Jason Logan Crystal Leanna Richard Peter Sidhanth Mayra Tony Eric Aren Sixian Kelly Andrew Emilee Claire Katherine Elizabeth Ella Nadya Kasey Martin Katherine Kevin Ronald David

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Novak Nugent Nugent Ohanian Peets Perona Perone Petricel Pham Popovici Portugal Powell Pratt Pribut Price Pruitt Raffeld Ramaswamy Ramirez Ramos Rangel Rao Ratcliffe Ravin Razafimandimby Relph Repetti Rodriguez-Espada Romero Rose Rosenberg Ross Rothenberg Rouco Rowthorn-Apel Royston Rubinovitz Ryba Sadugor Saikrishna Saint-Maxens Salas-Winer Saleh Sampson Samson Sanchez Sanchez Schneider Scott Sepulveda Serafini Shah Sheppard-Saidel Shirazi Shirazi Shirazi Shtika Shulimson Silva Silverman Singh Smith Smith Smith Sorokin Spak Stauffer Steel Straathof Straathof Sun Sutherland Swann Tang Tarwater Taylor Taylor Tran Truitt Tuli Velasco Velazquez Vistnes Vogel Wang Waychoff Weissman Weiss-Rice Weitzner Williams Winter Wu Yaksich Yamashita Yepes Young Yuan Zaslavsky Zwick

NYU Stanford U. Denison U. MC MC Catholic U. Gap year UMBC UMCP Penn State U. Military Norwich U. U. of British Columbia Towson U. Towson U. U of Colorado, Boulder Brown U. McDaniel Coll.

UMBC Stevenson U. MC UMCP University of Vermont Military UMCP UMCP Indiana U. Virginia State U. MC West Virginia U. St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) MC U. of Colorado, Boulder Towson U. Dartmouth Coll.

UNC, Chapel Hill NYU U. Southern Calif Penn. State U. UMCP U. of Mississippi UCSB MIT UMBC UMCP Salisbury U. UMCP Hamilton Coll.

Hood Coll.

Chile Lycoming Coll.

U. of Wisconsin Gap Year Towson U. Towson U. Towson U. Catholic U. U. of Rochester Boston U. Penn. State U. MC Brandeis U. U. of Pittsburgh U. of Mary Washington UMCP U. of Michigan Trinity Coll.

Durham U. Saint Mary’s Coll.

UMCP UMCP Wake Forest U. Ohio U. UMCP Saint Mary’s Coll.

Marymount U. Loyola U. Chicago MC East Carolina U. UMCP Dickinson Coll.

Marines Wash. U. in St. Louis U. of Michigan Cornell U. Haverford Coll.

U. of Colorado, Boulder St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) GWU St. Mary’s Coll. (MD) Vanderbilt U. U. of Minnesota Frostburg State U. UCLA Universidad del Valle UMBC UMCP UMBC Hampden-Sydney Coll.

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Prom Breakfast offers postdance fun, food and prizes

By Kassidi Baldwin and Laena Lee There are many events that seniors look forward to as the end of the year approaches. One landmark occasion is prom. Students are finding dates, shopping for dresses and renting limos.

The school is also preparing by selling tickets and getting ready for the after-prom. Also called Prom Breakfast, this event will be hosted in the cafPhoto from Flickr, LGEPR Photo from Flickr, Randy Heinitz eteria from midnight to 4:30 a.m. It is planned by the After Prom Committee, which is a group of volunteer parents, sponsored by the PTSA. Committees include Entertainment, Food, Security and Hospitality, Fundraising and a committee Chairperson. Each year, WJ hosts this event and seniors, even those who are not attending prom, come and enjoy the party.

The After Prom Committee spends a lot of time and money to plan the event.

Photo from Flickr, Plutor Photo from Flickr, p-a-h “The funds are raised by direct apRaffles and poker are two activities featured at this year’s Prom Breakfast, along with prizes peal to WJ families as well as business such as televisions and computers. sponsors,” said After Prom Volunteer Committee Member Adrienne Davis or entry is paid by the students.” locale in DC back to WJ for the breakLeal. “It takes an incredible amount of The After Prom Committee will also fast. One hundred and twenty-eight fund raising and public contact. No fee be offering bus rides from the prom parents and students will be volun-

Sudoku

For the answers, go to wjpitch.com!

teering for the various activities at the breakfast.

A former senior at WJ, Harper Hurwitz, attended the event for both her junior and senior year.

“Senior year they had poker tables set up and gave us a certain amount of fake money, “ said Hurwitz.“Then later in the night and early morning they had a hypnotist my junior year and then a game show...my senior year, then close to the end, they give out prizes to the seniors through a raffle... And if you are still there at the very end you have chances of winning things like a TV or a mini microwave or a MacBook.”

In the After Prom Committee meetings, there has been an increase of student input, and each year the After Prom Committee strives to improve the event to increase student participation.

“I think improvement [of the event] would be to get people to stay longer and participate rather than leaving so early and going to get drunk or make unsafe choices,” said Hurwitz.

Alex’s Corner

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All photos by Audrey Marek

The club laid out merchandise and food from their sponsors for attendees of the show (top left and center) while student models got ready back stage (bottom left and center).

Noonday jewelry set up a table (upper right), and the clothing was auctioned off in the commons after the show (bottom right).

Seize Life Charity Fashion Show provides fun for a good cause

By Annika LaVina and Audrey Marek Who says fashion can’t be used for good? On April 29, WJ hosted the eighth annual Seize Life Charity Fashion Show, which showcased trendy outfits, delicious food and lots of fun. Twentysix girls and eight boys volunteered to model donated fashion, which was auctioned off to support the Stone and Holt Weeks Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

The Habitat for Humanity club had been organizing the show since the beginning of the school year.

“We contacted previous donors and other designers, mostly via email, to ask for donations,” said senior Victoria Ansarah, secretary of the club. “We first invite people that have modeled for the

fashion show in previous years, and then ask more people based on sizing of the clothes.”

With generous donations from students, companies and stores, such as the Rosebud Perfume Company and Fraiche Cupcakery, the event showcased many stylish outfits modeled by both guys and girls for a cost of about $200.

By the end of the night, over $2,300 was raised.

Jewelry store Noonday set up a stand in the commons overlooking the show. “[Senior Julia Rock, treasurer of the club] found me to contribute something to the fashion show; we’re trying to get people to recognize us,” said a representative of the company.

A portion of the proceeds from the jewelry goes to help African orphans

find families, and the jewelry is designed and created by women in developing countries with their own resources, even turning Indian recycled artillery into necklaces and bracelets.

Down in the commons themselves, 2013 graduate Daryl Vaca, who is now in charge of Vaca Entertainment, provided the soundtrack for the show. A temporary runway was assembled in the lowest part of the commons with chairs surrounding it. Students and family members filled the seats as the show began with a speech from the organizers, then from the parents of Stone and Holt Weeks. The Weeks brothers, both graduates of WJ, were very active in charity organizations including Habitat for Humanity. Both were killed in a 2009 car accident, leading their parents to start

a charity organization in their memory.

The proceeds of the show were given to this organization, which then gave them to Habitat for Humanity.

The show itself featured 34 student models and 39 brands of clothing, accessories and merchandise. The models’ makeup and hair was done by the Paul Mitchell Team.

“My favorite piece was a beautiful black Oscar de la Renta jacket,” said Ansarah.

The show changes club sponsorship from year to year, so anyone interested in hosting is encouraged to contact ceramics teacher Stephanie Ellis. Ansarah hopes that in future years even more people will attend the event.

Audience members filled the seats around the runway while student models displayed fashions from a range of designers, including XL, Oscar De La Renta and a variety of others, all of whom donated the clothing and accessories.

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“The Fault in Our Stars”

By Annika LaVina “The Fault in Our Stars,” the best-selling novel by John Green, premieres just in Photo from Flickr,Vernon Barford School time for sum- “The Fault in Our Stars” John Green has bemer on June 6. by come wildely popular The film fea- and is about to hit the tures breakout big screen. star Shailene Woodley, who starred in the hit movies “The Descendants” and “Divergent,” as Hazel Grace Lancaster, the protagonist of the story. Ansel Elgort, who also acted in “Divergent” and “Carrie,” is playing Augustus Waters, another main character. The beloved novel lends itself to a well-paced movie trailer, and the chemistry between Elgort and Woodley seems comparable to the actual book.

Even though the trailer reveals very little about the story line, the plot revolves around Hazel and how her terminal cancer impacts her relationship with Augustus. Although the trailer is a little cliché and predictable, the movie seems to be well- directed and scripted to perfection. For a romantic, thoughtprovoking picture to watch this summer, “The Fault in Our Stars” is sure to please.

Alex A n by lav

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“X-Men Days of Future Past”

By Nico Bonetta

The X-Men series has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but is premiering with the next chapter of the story, “X-Men Days of Future Past” The story centers around Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, or Magneto, who have differing views on mutants, the next step in human evolution. Xavier wants peaceful coexistence with “normal” humans, while Magneto wants to enslave them. Both face challenges, as Xavier has to deal with the hatred of mutants expressed by humans, while Magneto’s biggest obstacle is Xavier’s mutants, the X-Men. Humans have started hunting mutants in groups, building machines and putting mutants in concentration camps. As a last resort, Xavier and Magneto go back in time and attempt to change the future. The cast features Patrick Stuart as Xavier, Jenniffer Lawrence as Mystique, and Ian McKellen as Magneto.

The potential in this plot is huge, including inner batPhoto from Flickr, Ma_Co2013 tles threatenJennifer Lawrence plays ing to tear Mystique in the upcoming apart this X-Men movie. new alliance, as well as the fact that everything could be destroyed by humans. The stage is set for an epic adventure where mutants have to work together in the past to save the present.

Photo from Flickr, A Newtonian

Mr. Walters, played by Rob Riggles, meets with Morton Schmidt, played by Jonah Hill in “22 Jump Street.”

“22 Jump Street”

By Alex Alavi

Once again, Greg Jenko played by Channing Tatum, and Morton Schmidt, played by Jonah Hill, are stationed on Jump Street in the movie “22 Jump Street” while going undercover to take out a drug ring. While the first movie was set in a high school, the second film will take place on a college campus. Will this make the movie and the characters more mature? In the film, Jenko and Scmidt find themselves being pulled apart by diverse interests as Jenko is pulled toward the football team while Schmidt becomes interested in art.There are still some of the same main characters, including reappearances from Rob Riggles as Mr. Walters and Dave Franco as Eric Molsen, characters who are in jail after the conclusion of the last film. The story was written by Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall, with a screenplay by Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman.

It will probably be funny, but the quality of the storyline is not guaranteed. The film will premiere on June 13.

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Summer Movie Previews

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“The Giver”

By Audrey Marek

Lois Lowry’s novel “The Giver” is filled with beautiful imagery and subtextual themes.

To create a film that successfully incorporates these elements is no easy task, and the trailer is not promising. Firstly, the film is being shot in color, a blatant deviation from the book. A key element of the story is the society’s inability to see color, and to negate this is an unusual decision. Secondly, the trailer emphasizes the post-apocalyptic element of the book, something that is in fact fairly minor. The focus is on the society and its Photo from Flickr, Schellyge flaws, not how “The Giver” by Lois it came to be. Lowry is another major The film, com- book slated to hit the ing out August screen this summer.

15, includes some famous actors, some of whom are undoubtedly talented, but others, like Taylor Swift, are obviously just there to draw people to the theater. Finally, the trailer features a scene in which Noah, the protagonist, is drawn up into a hovercraft. Nothing even close to this happens. The producers of “The Giver” are trying to make it into a young adult franchise packed with action. While it may be a fine movie, the trailer has very little in common with the book.

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Central and South American music spice up Latin tunes

Bachata (Dominican Republic)

By Izza Garcia Bachata is a very popular dance that developed in the Dominican Republic around the early part of the 20th century. As recently as the 1980s, bachata was considered too vulgar and crude to enter the mainstream music. In the 1990s, bachata’s instrumentation changed, making the dance an international phenomenon. Today bachata is as popular as other Latino music and dances like salsa and merengue in many Latin American dance halls. Recently bachata has made a great impact on the

Latino community. Bachata is played at almost every, if not all, Hispanic parties. It has become very popular and it is a dance people feel they must be familiar with due to its significance in the community. “[Bachata is a] rich and unique dance to Latinos,” said sophomore Vannesa Lesmes. “Every Latino must know how to dance bachata. [It is] fun, exciting and has really developed ever since it reached America.”

The most recent and popular bachata out includes artists such as Prince Royce and Romeo Santos.

Salsa (Puerto Rico)

By Izza Garcia

Salsa is a popular form of social dance that has its roots in New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico. There are all different types of salsa, or different ways people dance it. In the original Latin American form, the forward/backward motion of salsa is done in diagonal or sideways with the 3-step weight change intact.

“At first, it was difficult moving your hips, knowing the beat, and knowing at what speed to dance”, explained sophomore Rebecca Murillo, who took salsa classes for two years.

Salsa can be danced quickly or slowly, depending on the song. Once familiar with the steps, the speed should not be a problem. Many Latin American countries have their own ways of dancing salsa.

“I myself am Puerto Rican and I never learned how to dance salsa unfortunately, but I would always watch my family at parties. It seems fun, and requires a lot of foot and hip work, it’s a beautiful dance,” said senior Jacklyn Lockhart explains.

Salsa has been around for almost 100 years. It’s a sacred and traditional dance. Dancing salsa creates tight knit communities and connects dancers from all cultures and demographics.

Pop music in Latin and South America

By Daniel Leonard

Music can be anything from a beat to a symphony, but it has the power to connect people. “[Latin pop music is] similar to American pop, but it has a faster beat, sung at a faster speed and is sung in Spanish,” said Toño Alfonso, a former Walter Johnson student now living in Chile.

In Chile some of the hottest songs are sung by Latin singers from America. Alfonso said that some of the hottest songs are also American pop songs, such as “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and “Timber” by Pitbull.

“Latin speaks to the soul more than any other [type of music] and I think the feeling you get is amazing when you lose control to the music,” said Alfonso.

“Latin music is an important part of my daily life. It helps me escape to a different place, a place of freedom.”

Other than pop, different types of music such as hip-hop, rock and metal are important to the Latin culture. In rock and metal, some of the most recognized bands in the Spanish speaking world are Los Jaivas, Los Prisioneros, Los Tres, and La Ley. Since the mid to late 1980s hip-hop music has been a considerable influence on the music and culture of

Chile, but it wasn’t till the mid-1990’s that Latin hip-hop started to maintain a mainstream popularity with successful bands such as Tiro de Gracia, Los Tetas, Makiza and La Pozze Latina.

“The most popular type of music in Chile is pop and if you listen to a song or two you will understand why,” said Alfonso.

Rebecca Murillo, a sophomore at WJ, shares a love of Latin music with Alfonso.

“My favorite artists are Romeo Santos and Carlos y Alejandra because even though their music is slower, it speaks to a more gentle part of your soul,” said

Murillo.

Romeo Santos sings songs such as Propuesta Indecente and Necio, with a soft slow beat building up to a little faster tempo. It makes us dig deep and bring out our inner child.

“The child who wants to get up and dance, not caring if you make a fool of yourself, it makes you feel free and alive even if your trapped and dying,” said Murillo.

Latin music may not be popular in the USA right now, but it is going make its mark.

“People are going to love it as much as we do” said Alfonso and Murillo.

Asian music presents unique styles of pop K-Pop (Korea)

By Anja Shahu Korean pop, usually referred to as K-pop, varies in sound, incorporating pop, dance, electronic, hip-hop and R&B music. The formula for success in the K-pop industry lies in good choreography and a unique sound as a group or solo artist.

“K-pop started off drawing from American hip-hop. The [artists and groups] have always put a lot of emotion into their music,” said junior Baovy Ngo. “And the dance is not just hip hop – they’ve created unique choreography to go along.”

The Korean entertainment industry

Chinese Pop

By Anja Shahu Since China and Korea are so close in proximity, they will sometimes create one super group and then split that big group into two subgroups – one subgroup promotes and performs in China and the other in Korea.

“For example, Exo-M is Korean and Exo-K is Chinese, and sometimes, they will perform the same song together as just EXO,” said Ngo.

trains performers and then molds them into the image they want in groups.

Much of the time, being in a group is just a starting point for K-pop artists who aim to create a solo career.

“After they debut as a group, the company allows the one that is the most popular to go solo first and slowly, each member will get a turn to go solo,” said Ngo. Artists in K-pop tend to create Japanese and Chinese versions of their songs to extend their music into Japan and China. The groups and solo artists boast huge and influential fan bases, and are so popular that they are often played in the streets of Korea.

Chinese pop places a significant importance on the lyrics and beat, which are meant to create emotion in the songs. Some companies and artists try to replicate K-pop while others are attempting to blend Chinese pop lyrics and with high-energy beats. “[Performers will] be wearing modern dresses but also be dancing with traditional moves, while adding high beat choreography,” said Ngo.

J-Pop (Japan)

By Anja Shahu

J-pop is a very general term for most popular music in Japan, excluding Enka, also known as traditional ballads, and more extreme music genres, like heavy metal and punk rock. J-pop’s catchy and easy to sing songs became popular with the sudden interest in karaoke three decades ago.

“J-pop is very high energy. J-pop dance is kind of like childish dancing – they have very good energy and fast beats and choreography,” said Ngo. Groups like, AKB48 whose original line-up included 48 members, also started popping up at the beginning of the 2000’s and continue to be extremely popular to this day.

Bollywood (India)

By Anja Shahu In India, Bollywood music helps strengthen the meaning of Bollywood films and varies depending on the theme of the film. Usually including elaborate and careful costuming and choreography, the music is most commonly sung in Hindi, but it can also include traces of English. The music can range from Urdu love songs to songs with Arabic inspired melodies.

“Modern Bollywood music is cheerful and upbeat most of the time, coming close to American pop since a

majority of it is designed to match choreography,” said sophomore Saumya Dobriyal.

Although international music widely influences Bollywood music, classical and traditional Indian music also strongly influences the sound of modern Bollywood songs.

“These classical Indian influenced songs end up being more complex and sophisticated ballads. They use traditional Indian instruments like the dhol, tabla and sitar that occasionally will be mixed with drums or an electric guitar,” said Dobriyal.

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Caught in a Pickle

Prominent pro sports figures in social media trouble

By Ben Resnick

Less than a month ago no one knew the name Donald Sterling. This name had no value. But this is no longer the case. In the course of a few hours, Sterling went from a relatively unknown billionaire to one of the most hated people in the country after his racist remarks to his girlfriend went viral.

Sterling’s outrageously racist comments are obviously saddening, but another concerning factor is how fast the entire situation blew up due to social media.

Sterling’s remarks sparked such a large outcry, President Obama had to comment on it within a matter of days.

It was covered by all the major news

outlets and it was everywhere on TV and the internet.

It’s scary to think about how now a person’s comments are not just heard by the people around them, but by anyone on the internet.

Some athletes think social media is a safe place to speak their minds no matter what they say. This is untrue as many pros have been fined and even suspend due to slurs and hate talk that they have put on social media. These tweets and statuses have caused athletes much trouble and they usually get little benefit from it.

Stefon Diggs, a former Good Counsel Falcon and a standout wide receiver

at the University of Maryland, received a lot of heat before committing to play football at Maryland due to a racist tweet he sent out. Although it was good that he received backlash for his comments, should a high school kid be receiving national media attention when all he was trying to do was tell a joke, albeit a racist one?

Many other athletes have encountered similar backlash for jokes they posted on their Twitter accounts. In the last month most noticeably Ole Miss basketball player Marshall Henderson tweeted a slur against Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player drafted.

These athletes need to realize it is not

alright to use slurs and curse via social media, or ever, because it always seems to turn into an ugly situation. It is not acceptable to speak the way many players do on their accounts and they need to learn to stop.

Nothing is private anymore; everything is being said in 140 characters for the entire world to see. Athletes and people need to take a step back before they speak or tweet in this day in age because before they realize it, their messages can be seen by anyone.

Kiernan Keller: Athlete of the Season

Keller won the outdoor county championship in the 1600m and finished second in the 3200m.

However, Keller’s innate ability was initially recognized in the waning weeks of summer prior to her eighth grade year at Holy Cross, while playing in the MSI soccer league.

It was there that Keller began to raise eyebrows, as her remarkable swiftPhoto courtesy of Mocorunning ness and speed became Junior Kiernan Keller anchors the winning 4x800m relay at the more and more apparent.

Coyote Invitational.

“I began running two weeks before cross counBy JakeWeinischke try started my freshmen year. Once I In her first year at WJ, Kiernan started running, I loved it,” said Keller.

Keller has taken cross-country, indoor After she began to make significant track, and outdoor track by storm. strides in her performance, Keller knew The junior first established herself as a change of scenery was necessary if she a force on the cross-country team this was to pursue even higher goals. The fall, leading the girls to both a regional only question was where that next step and a state championship title before would take place? Where would she be mirroring her success in both the in- in the best position to succeed? door season and the spring season.

“I felt that I had the best chance to

reach my potential in running with the coaches at WJ,” said Keller.

Following the cross-country season, Keller continued her rigorous training and yearning for success with the indoor track team, in which she captured the state championship for the 1600m.

Still, Keller merely considered her formidable season to be preparatory for the outdoor season; a way to instill confidence in oneself.

“I’ve been told that the indoor season is mainly a preparation for the outdoor season,” said Keller.

Towards the latter end of the outdoor season, that appeared to be true.

Keller’s success during the indoor season has transpired to even further advancements this outdoor season. She recently broke the five-minute mark in the 1600 meter and is one of the only female competitors in the state of Maryland to do so this year.

With an entire year of high school left, Keller has a lot of time to continue improving on her upward trajectory and it goes without question to say that her future in the sport is promising.

Photo courtesy of Mocorunning

Junior Kiernan Keller competes at the Woodward Relays. Keller ran on the 4x800m relay and the distance medley relay which finished third and first respectively.

Checked Swing

Coaches must utilize the strengths of their team in order to succeed

By JakeWeinischke An eerie silence filled the Verizon Center this spring, following an early exit for the hometown Washington Capitals, as their perplexing, woeful season came to an end following a 1-0 shootout loss to former southeast division rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Unsurprisingly, head coach Adam Oates and the third longest tenured GM in the NHL, George McPhee were dismissed a few weeks later.

Firing front office executives is commonplace in the world of sports. According to USA Today, the average reign

of an NHL coach is a brief three years.

Likewise, coaches in the NFL share an identical three year average. Thus, coaches and GMs are constantly being recycled. The coach is the easiest culprit to identify but are we actually just in holding them responsible for a team’s failure? In many cases, the answer is yes.

When athletes are in their teen years and younger, a major component of coaching is developing the fundamental skills of individual players; working on skating for hockey, hitting for baseball or whatever skill may be necessary for their respective sport. However, upon making their professional debut, most

players have almost fully developed the fundamentals of their respective game and therefore coaching at this level takes a turn towards team cohesion and synchronicity. At this point, the coach’s job is to develop a style of play that parallels the strengths of their team, so that their players can thrive in the most natural way. If a coach is able to adequately implement a system that achieves this, the team will presumably succeed or at least be in the best position to do so. If not however, you can pretty much wave goodbye to the team’s chances.

The 2013-14 Caps are a great example of this. It was no secret that Oates

was tinkering with his players’ skill sets, equipment and style of play. These are the assets that allowed them to forge professional careers and play at such an elite level. Take them away and the player isn’t really much of a factor anymore.

A coach is a vital component of a team only if they work alongside their players. How is a team, or anyone for that matter, expected to succeed if they don’t maximize on their strengths?

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The Pitch assembled an individual from each team who performed exceptionally well in their respective sport to be recognized in this issue’s All-Pitch Team.

Girls Lacrosse Lucy Andrews, Senior

Photo courtesy of Ben Meyers

By Bobby Berry Lucy Andrews, a senior midfielder on girls lacrosse, is most proud of the heart her team has shown throughout the year. No stranger to the goalie’s net, Andrews has scored 18 goals this season. Andrews credits her success to a lot of support from her teammates and the coaching staff.

Boys Lacrosse Emerson Smith, Senior

Track and Field Daniel Kosogof, Senior

Photo by Steven Judge

By Steven Judge

Kosogof has season bests of 4:26.8 in the 1600 meter and 10:04 in the 3200 meter, and has set several personal records this year. He plans on continuing his athletic career at La Salle University next year.

Coed Volleyball Brigid Morris, Senior

Boys Volleyball Adam Brami, Senior

By Steven Judge

The lacrosse team’s goalie has been of great help this season, using his knowledge of the game to gain an advantage. Smith made saves at crucial moments, helping the team win close games. Although he has proved to be a valuable addition, Smith has decided not to pursue his lacrosse career through college.

Softball Kristen Scott, Senior

Photo courtesy of Janice Hazlehurst

By Kevin Lu

Photo by Kevin Lu

Senior Brigid Morris led coed volleyball to a 6-5 record this season. She has been on the second team AllGazette for girls volleyball the past two years. Morris plans to continue playing next season at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

By Patrick Jorling

Senior captain Adam Brami’s stellar play led boys’ volleyball to a successful season. He helped lead the team to a 6-5 regular season record, including wins over division rivals Churchill and Whitman. His motivation to win was key to his leading the team to a winning record.

Photo courtesy of Andy Ship

By Kevin Lu Senior captain Kristen Scott was All-Gazette honorable mention both her sophomore and junior years.

Not much changed this year, the star shortstop this year has dominated opponents. Scott plans on continuing her career next year at Hood College.

Gymnastics Monique Mendez, Junior

Tennis Justin New, Junior

Photo by Kevin Lu Photo byWahid Ishrar

By Kevin Lu

By Steven Judge

Junior Justin New finished the season with a record of 5-5. New was pivotal in the match against Blair helping the Boys Tennis Team to an important 4-3 win. His contributions helped the team to a fifth place finish in Division I.

In her third year on the team, Mendez competed in four out of the season’s five meets, placing either first or second in three of them. Despite her success at the high school level and county championships, Mendez expressed that she will not continue to play at the collegiate level.

Photo courtesy of Dan Raddock

Baseball Ryan Manning, Junior

By GrantWeaver

Photo courtesy of Emily Horick

Junior Ryan Manning helped carry varsity baseball this season with several notable performances on the mound. He finished the season having struck out 31 batters over the course of 19.2 innings. In addition, Manning’s ERA was a mind-boggling 1.64, lower than any other pitcher’s on the team.

SWJ ports sports year in review What’s Inside

Athlete of the edition, Kiernan Keller

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the All Pitch Team recognizes spring sports standouts.

MAY 20 , 2014

The Pitch staff highlighted a few of the most notable accomplishments that occurred this year

September

By Zoey Becker

On Sept. 24, the boys soccer team pulled out a crucial win against reigning state champion, Wootton.

The team played a hard-fought game and was able to emerge with a close 1-0 win.

“This game was pivotal because the boys could see what they were able to do when they defended well, worked hard, and relied on each other to get the result,” said coach Hector Morales. “It was the first time we played as one team rather than talented, individual players.”

December

By Patrick Jorling

Boys basketball picked up a huge victory late in the month of December, beating a strong Poolesville team 69-65 on Dec. 27 at the Clarksburg Holiday Tournament.

Senior Gabe Forman led the Wildcats with 18 points and junior Paul Green followed closely with 16 of his own. Senior Alex Horick credited taking away the Falcons’ three-point shots and low post game as a key to their success.

March

By Kelly Chartrand

Varsity boys tennis started their season out well, winning their first three matches all by the score of 7-0.

“The players at WJ are fully committed to improving and competing at the highest level they can possibly achieve and are willing to put in the time it takes to do so,” said coach Mitchell Duque.

The team hopes to have a player from either their mixed doubles or boys doubles qualify for the state tournament at the end of May.

October

By Cole Kinsella

November By Hitomi Mochizuki

The girls soccer team beat a tough squad from Blair en route to a successful 7-6 season. The team featured both young talent and veteran experience. Freshman Cammie Murtha and senior Alejandra Ramos lead the team in scoring as the team used its youth and its experience to its advantage.

Girls cross country won the state championship this year in a tight race against B-CC in which four WJ runners finished in the top 11.

The team finished second at the county race but a win at the regional championship helped give the team momentum to win the state meet.

January

February

By Shashank Narayan

Wrestling excelled at the “Best of the Nest” tournament at Perry Hall High School, finishing second place overall. Despite being the underdogs at this meet, the team was determined to leave with the respect.

“We really wanted to show people that such a young team with only one senior could come out on top,” said Junior Lucas Absolon.

April

By Kevin O’Leary

Track and Field traveled to historic Franklin Field to compete in the famed Penn Relays against hundreds of other high schools from around the world. The team performed well at the event, with the Girls 4x800 m relay placing 10th overall, and the Boys 4x400 m relay placing third in their heat with a new best time of 3:30. As the team looks toward the championship section of the season, they hope their time in Penn will lead to stellar performance moving forward.

Photo courtesy of Andy Ship

Junior Noah Burgett dives into the pool while competing at the regional championship this past February.

By Gideon Epstein

Girls swimming came in third place at the Metropolitan Swimming Championships, thanks in large part to great improvement from the talented group of freshmen and strong senior leadership. The girls team set three team records at the meet in the 100 back by senior Natsumi Horikawa, the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay. The girls team used the momentum from this great outing to finish third at the regional championship.

May

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Junior guard Paul Green maintains possession of the ball during a game this past season

By GrantWeaver

The Gymnastics team won the Montgomery County Gymnastics Championship with strong performances from juniors Monique Mendez and Ella Leslau aswell as freshman Sophia Tilkin.

The team’s best event at the championship was the beam with a 9.25 firstplace score from Mendez. Leslau also finished in sixth place with an 8.5.

The score was very close between WJ and Whitman, but WJ’s exceptional performance on the beam sealed the victory.

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Sophomore Delano Whatts avoids several oncoming Fort Hill players in WJ’s tough loss this past October.

Photo by Sarah Schecker

Junior Erica Boyd looks for a teamate so she can pass the ball up the court.

Photo courtesy of Dan Raddock

Senior midfielder Max Vanegas assesses the situation in a playoff game against BCC.