The Pitch: Jan. 29, 2010

The

Walter Johnson High School

Pitch

January 29, 2010

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Pennies for Patients

By Liz Wasden

On the first of February, the Leadership class will kick off the beginning of the Pennies for Patients program with Wizards tickets sales at school, the first of many fundraisers raising money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. The goal this year is to raise $16,372.33, bettering last year’s total which was $15,637. To meet this goal, the Leadership class has scheduled a few new events this year to make the extra thousand dollars.

“We are trying to get as many people involved by making all the events more fun,” said senior Allison Radack, a member of the Leadership class. “Everyone should get involved as much as possible. People are even signed up to count money after school all month.”

The calendar (see facing image) includes events from last year, like Stuck for a Buck, a Ping Pong tournament, Pong, a video game tournament, the Burrito Mile and restaurant fundraisers, as well as some new events like a Futsal tournament, a Quidditch Match, bracelet sales, a Wizards game in which some proceeds go towards Pennies for Patients and a winter dance. Also, all students will have the opportunity to contribute by adding whatever they can to the many money collection boxes in each classroom and those passed around in the halls.

The money that is donated to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society greatly impacts the afflicted patients and their families, providing not only money for research, but also financial support for the families.

“It’s a really good program in that we can come together as a school to raise money for a great cause,” said Radack. “The society helps fund research and it directly helps families, as well as works closely with kids.”

Leukemia, according to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society Web site, is a malignant disease (cancer) of the bone marrow and blood. It is characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of blood cells. Lymphoma is the name for a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. The lymphoma cells pile up and form masses that gather in the lymph nodes or other parts of the lymphatic system. An estimated 913,000 people in the U.S. are currently afflicted with Leukemia or a type of Lymphoma. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among people under the age of 20. Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with Leukemia/Lymphoma and every 10 minutes someone dies from these diseases. The increase in funding for research about these blood cancers has really turned around the statistics. The five year relative survival rate has nearly quadrupled in the past 48 years.

“If you take a look at the success rate of Leukemia Lymphoma Society for the past 20 years, you can see a dramatic decrease in lives lost because of the funding that has been contributed to research,” said Leadership class supervisor Nico Atencio.

This year,WJ may feel more pressure from the competition than ever before, as the poster child for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society fundraiser is Tim King, The Tiger Woods Scandal Pg. 6

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6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814

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$16,372.33 2/11 Pong Tournament

2/19 Wizards Game

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

2/23 Futsal Tournament a student at Walt Whitman High School. King serves as an incentive for students to raise money because he attends Whitman, encouraging students there to finally take the title from WJ. In the region of Maryland for Pennies for Patients to which the school belongs, WJ has held the record for most money raised for four years, and last year was ranked 14th in the nation on the list amount of money raised by schools.

“I just want to say thank you to the whole WJ community,” said Atencio. “It means a lot to me and to others to see how generous the WJ community has been and the effort they have put into raising money for this cause.”

A Story of Adoption Pg. 8-9

2/9 Ping Pong Tournament

2/18 Video Game Tournament

2/20 *

Burrito Mile* Graphic courtesy of Alex Willett

2/26

WJ Hallway Fashion Pg. 11

Winter Dance Photo courtesy of flickr.com All other photos by Celia Karp

All information is valid as of Jan. 27. * This is not a school-sponsored event Boys Basketball Pg. 15

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Modernization The Final Stages

By Jennifer Spencer

Minus a few minor things, WJ’s indoor construction was completed on Jan. 26, with the beginning of the second semester.

“For the most part it’s entirely complete,” said modernization coordinator Chris Merrill. “Contracting did an excellent job and building service has also been terrific making the new building look spotless.”

The famous clock near the old entrance had to be reconstructed on short notice as it was destroyed with the construction. Within days, Tech-Ed teachers Kevin Daney and Kelly Dunston were able to build a new one.

“They did a really great job with the new clock they designed,” said Merrill.

“It’s an important part of WJ.” The construction process has been made easier because of the timely work of the construction company. The connection with the construction company is one that was built a while back.

“We are lucky to have such good contractors that we have worked with for the past few years,” said Merrill. “Still, I’m very excited for it all to be complete.”

In comparison to construction at other schools, WJ has had a unique experience.

The construction company has had to accommodate having students in the building while they do their work. In other schools, such as nearby Richard Montgomery, this was not the case. The old school was kept as a whole new school was built.

“We have stayed in the building and added portables so we didn’t move locations,” said Merrill. “Many times students and staff are relocated.”

Included in the final phase of construction is a brand new guidance center, college and career center, Academic Support Center, health room, security room, staff and copier room, entrance, math and science hallways and several new classrooms.

“All of the new spaces that were supposed to be open have been and are being used by students and faculty,” said Merrill.

After a long period of construction, students were antsy for it to be done.

From closed off hallways to portables to other inconveniences, students were more than ready for modernization to be completed. Underclassmen will get to enjoy the fully completed school next August if everything goes on schedule and generally agree that the new building is impressive, but have mixed opinions to the extent of the modernization.

“The school looks awesome,” said sophomore Sadie Kanner. “I think the money could have been used in a better way though.”

While seniors won’t get to enjoy the fully redone school, many like what they see so far.

“It’s nicer because it doesn’t take me forever to get to the library any more,” said senior Corinne Foley.

Other seniors share the mixed opinions regarding the modernization.

“It’s going too slow,” said senior Martin Dally. “Nothing really changed; it’s just cleaner with a bunch of Prometheans.”

The outdoor modernization is expected to be finished by Aug. 15 for the start of fall sports teams. This will include all of the field space which they have already started working on and the installation of field turf.

Crossword 1.

4.

2.

7.

Graphic by Liz Wasden

5.

3.

6.

Down:

2. Which Wrigley’s brand gum was created during WWII, ditched in 1946 and then resurrected again in 1976?

3. In which state was it at one time illegal to serve ice cream on cherry pie?

1. The word for being fond of wood

4. Which artist who grew up in the Bronx is mentioned in the song “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha?

6. The inventor of Pop Rocks, William A. Mitchell also invented this orange juice drink.

5. The most popular text message phrase.

Fast Facts courtesy of Yahoo.com

Answers: 1. Xylophilous 2. Orbit 3. Kansas 4. P. Diddy 5. IDK 6. Tang 7. Jenga

7. The second best selling game of all time

Across:

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6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814

January 29, 2010

January 29, 2010

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Volume 54 | Issue 3

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6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814

RELIEF

& RECOVERY Lending a Hand in Haiti

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Two WJ Families Team Together to Send Donations to Haiti

By Ava Bleiberg Haiti, a coastal nation bordering the Dominican Republic, was struck by an earthquake on Tuesday, Jan. 12, registering a 7.0 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was centered approximately 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, and minutes after the impact was felt, the city was shrouded in a cloud of dust as buildings and structures collapsed.

The damage has been devastating to the Haitian and neighboring Dominican Republic peoples, killing, wounding and leaving homeless many people. It is estimated that about three million Haitians, approximately one third of the entire population, are in need of aid.

WJ has made an effort to lend a hand to those millions. The Leadership class has begun fundraising for Haitian relief amongst the student and staff body, traveling around the school with empty water jugs asking for donations from the WJ population.

(To read more about in-school efforts, visit WJPitch.com).

Outside of the school, the WJ community is assisting in individual relief projects to expedite recovery in Haiti.

One such project is being coordinated by WJ parents Winthrop Morgan and Florence Benjamin. Benjamin’s sister, Dominique Verella, lives in Haiti and is a prominent member of the community, running both an orphanage and a medical clinic. Her husband Frantz is a former Haitian Minister of Public Works and together they were able to use their connections to find reputable non-profit organizations which would help with the collection and distribution of donated items.

Benjamin moved to the United States from Haiti in 1994, where she started a day-care service at her home, located near WJ. Benjamin unfortunately has experienced the loss of a handful of close friends in the aftermath of the earthquake. However, of the family which resides in Haiti, all have survived. The drive began when Verella called her sister, astonished by the devastation, wondering how she could help.

“She feels that the country needs us so very much right now,” said Benjamin. “The rest of our family is in the Dominican Republic and getting ready to come here. So far I’ve been fortunate that everyone has been okay.”

To begin the fundraising, Morgan sent out an e-mail to the PTSA listserv imploring the surrounding community to donate medical supplies, blankets, clothing, shoes and any other supplies to Benjamin’s household to be sorted and packaged and sent to better the devastated nation. The packaged supplies will be sent to Jatukik Providence Foundation and the Hurt to Hope organization.

“We took some time and searched around for some non-profits that were connected with Florence’s sister, Dominique,” said Morgan. “They’re going to be taking donations to a clinic which

Boxes of shoes are stacked near the front door of Florence Benjamin’s home along with bags of clothing and cartons of bottled water ready to be loaded onto the U-Haul truck and driven to the foundations.

just collapsed down there. The other organization which is taking money is working directly with Florence right now. They have a truck outside the house where people from WJ can continue to donate.”

Originally, American Airlines was ready to offer to fly the supplies collected to Haiti without charge. However, after complications arose in the logistics of landing a plane safely in the rubble-riddled nation, the non-profit organization with which Dominique works with has a military aircraft that is going to be traveling up and down from Haiti once a week.

“I will be traveling to Haiti with our staff and a team of doctors and nurses,” said Reverend Jean-Claude Atusameso, the Executive Director of the Jatukik Providence Foundation. “We will establish a team of volunteers. Our goal

is to treat victims coming in from all the affected areas. We will be sending every week from the USA medicines and emergency medical supplies. Needless to say, anything you can do to help out will be put to good use.”

The project has been a success. Shortly after it began, Benjamin was flooded with donations, saying that she received so many that she was nearly unable to open her front door. Students and community members alike of all ages are involved, from the WJ football team to the children in Benjamin’s day-care spending afternoons sorting and packaging supplies.

“Before we knew it, Florence had so many donations stored in her house she couldn’t open her front door,” said Morgan. “It was wonderful.”

The recorded death toll in Haiti has exceeded 150,000 people.

A box, decorated by children in Florence Benjamin’s home daycare, is overflowing with donattions of men’s clothing to be sent to Haitians in need.

Pierre Richard Benjamin stands by a U-Haul truck is packed with boxes of donated clothing, food and medical supplies. The Benjamins began using a pickup truck, but had to switch to a larger method of transportation.

Photos by Ava Bleiberg

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What’s on Your Bucket List of Things to Do Before You’re 30?

Do or Die...Before 30

By Abby Singley

Photos by Celia Karp

“To make some friends.”

- Junior Cole Ahnell

“To be on RealWorld.”

- Sophomore Charlotte Epps

“To have a horse named Doritos.”

- Freshman Gina Fischetti

Should I go bungee jumping off a cliff or go ride in a barrel down Niagara Falls?

Maybe neither...but, there are plenty of things I’d like to do or experience during my youth. In deep thought, I created a bucket list of just a few of the things I want to do before I hit 30.

Have a “girls weekend” version of The Hangover: After watching that movie at least 10 times, I must say, in the wise words of Alan, “that was f***ing awesome!” Oh, for those few moments I wished I was a guy and could do things like that! So, rather than stealing Mike Tyson’s tiger, maybe we’ll take something else made out of fur. . .perhaps Carrot Top’s hair?

Put a bra on my head to ice my face while recovering from jaw surgery: I’ve had four jaw surgeries so far and more are in my future, and a friend gave me quite the recovery suggestion: “Wear a bra stuffed with ice on your face.” My surgeon’s residents, who are usually men (sorry ladies), frequently come into my hospital room and always do the same routine: remove any ice I have on, remove the bandage and then change the final layer of bandaging. So, in order to complete step one, remove the ice, they’d have to unhook the bra full of ice. Now that would be an awkward but hilarious situation. It’d be a good indicator of their sex lives, or lack there of. I wonder if any of them could do it onehanded!

Have a Pitch Online YouTube video go viral: Whether it’s a bird crapping on Jeremy Smith while he’s interviewing Mr. Merrill about construction or someFor

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thing obscene during a video “Up At Bat,” I can’t wait for the day that everyone in school is finally talking about “that video on The Pitch’s Web site.” Well, not just the entire school, I want the entire world to be checking out that video on The Pitch Online’s YouTube account.

Leave the country: It took 16 years for me just to get an hour out of Eastern Time when I looked at Missouri’s journalism school this summer. Yup, college trips, the single reason I’ve left the time zone. Pretty pathetic, right? It’s time for me to not just leave Eastern Time, it’s time for me to need a passport.

Write a Republican rant column: I don’t know if it would be possible to write a “Republican rant” in place of this “Up At Bat,” but perhaps I’ll sneak in a few right-wing comments. And then one day, I’m going to piss off every liberal in the entire greater-Washington, D.C. area.

Try on wedding dresses at Kleinfeld’s: Ever seen the dramatic bridal show “Say Yes to the Dress?” That’s my dream - have a consultant at my beck and call pulling wedding gowns for me to try on. I guess it would be nice to actually have a fiance and all, but that can be secondary if need be.

Of course, on my list somewhere are the typical things - graduate college, get a job, get married, have kids - the usual, but why not think a little outside of the box? When we asked you what was on your bucket list, you had some interesting things to say. So maybe I’m a little too afraid of heights to go skydiving, but that doesn’t mean you should erase it from you list!

r e s p o n s e s ,

v i s i t

“To beat my dad in musical chairs.”

- Junior Michael Scott

“To graduate from college.”

- Senior Marcus Wallace

“To go to Paris.”

- Freshman Dylan Ray

WJPitch.com

“To weigh 200 pounds or something like that. Gain some weight, I’m looking forward to that.”

- Freshman Leighton Dougherty (Left) “I would like to go all around the world, visit many places and experience new things.”

- Senior Mollie Rosen (Right)

“I’ve always wanted to drive a monster truck.”

- Senior Jacqui Joseph Editors-in-Chief Colin Buley Luke Wilson Abby Singley* News Editor Ava Bleiberg Ku Jung* Assistant News Editor Liz Wasden Editorial Editor Alexandra Sanfuentes Ian Green* Assistant Editorial Editor Devon Murtha Sports Editor Mateo Williamson Hannah Flesch* Jeremy Smith* Assistant Sports Editors Kathleen Seale Zach Gordon

Arts & Entertainment Editors Sasha Tycko Sophie Meade Rylee Genner* Feature Editor Camilla Yanushevsky Katie Levingston* Assistant Feature Editor Allison Gordon Layout Editor Parker Smith Copy Editors Abby Singley Devon Murtha Photo Editor Celia Karp Kathleen Seale*

* Online Staff

Staff

The Pitch is published nine 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 301-803-7302. 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 211 or e-mailed to thepitch@ walterjohnson.com. The Pitch is an award-winning paper that works towards providing the student body with accurate as well as credible information.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009

National Scholastic American Scholastic Press Association Press Association Pacemaker Award First Place Special Merit 2008 2008-2009

“To get my skydiving license.”

- Sophomore Spencer Razick

Print Staff Writers Jennifer Spencer Flor Martinez Jenny Deutsch Cami Keyani Abby Singley Alex Spinard PR Manager Alex Spinard

Online Staff Writers Ryan Lynch Miklos Szebeni Daniel Fanaroff Rosemary Hammack Roshel Mullokandov Online Reporter Peter Langer Stefany Carty

Photographers Kevin Nuñez Alex Curtis Advertising Manager Cami Keyani Hannah Flesch Kathleen Seale Andrea Linder Artist/Cartoonists Julia Haymore Krithi Ramaswamy Advisor Will McGowan Hilary Gates Samara Fantie Business Manager Flor Martinez

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Luke’s Life! ...On Love

By Luke Wilson Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and that plump, pernicious baby is at it again.

Just two weeks until that love-crazed tot grabs his bow and arrows and shoots a few of those lust-filled projectiles at students, and dare I say a few teachers.

(Whose idea was it to make a baby the god of erotic love anyways?)

Why do I hold such contemptuous views of the poster boy of love? Well the answer is simple: Valentine’s Day has continuously broken my heart. It has not only left me a cynical, maniacal man but has also made me cold and apprehensive to human contact. (I almost punched my Mom when she tried to hug me…)

Each year my Valentine’s Day has been unremarkable at its best and downright humiliating at its worst. Yes, as far as I am concerned Valentine’s Day should be eradicated from our calendars.

February 14, 1992 – My first and best Valentine’s Day by far. I was warm, cozy and content and I felt well-loved.

There is nothing like the womb.

February 14, 1996 – I still remember my first crush. We went to pre-K together. Her name was Clara. She liked to play with me in the sandbox and even had her own Batman action figure. In an act of pure love, I offered her some of my PB&J sandwich at lunchtime. With one bite, her face swelled up and she began wheezing uncontrollably. She was allergic to peanut butter. Almost killed my first love.

February 14, 1998 – First grade! The first Valentine’s Day in “big boy school.”

As all the students passed out their Valentine’s cards, I scurried about the room, giving out my own. I came back to my desk and found one card in my bag with a big lollipop attached to it. My heart jumped; this was it. I opened the card and read: “I love you deeply, I love you true, Thank you for helping me clean the hallways, and the cafeteria, too.” It was from the janitor. My parents wouldn’t let me go back to that school after that card.

February 14, 2004 – I was really getting along with my Valentine, Cynthia; I knew she was exactly what I was looking for from our first words. Regrettably, I made an untimely joke about a spoon, a plum and her body and I ended up being slapped. Damn. The one that got away.

February 14, 2007 – As I moved into high school, I thought I matured enough to be in a functional relationship. I was young, I was spry, I was ready for love. I had my friend Skye White set me up with a girl from his school, B-CC, and planned to meet her at McDonald’s. The girl was a blond-bombshell, more reminiscent of a Roman goddess than a human. Once we both arrived, I ordered every item on the dollar menu in an attempt to show my wealth. She got a big grin on her face. She ate the hamburger, french fries, chicken nuggets and was just about to move onto the apple pie before I couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you really going to eat that?!?!” I asked. “Your eating habits are disgusting.” Needless to say, she left me, but not before eating that apple pie.

This year will be different. I’ll just love myself. Ice cream, movie rentals and my security blanket are all I’ll need. Stay away, Cupid; I’ll take care of myself.

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January 29, 2010

Pitch Opinion: LC policy Changes Unnecessary for Schools In December 2009 a draft for a bill to change the current Loss of Credit (LC) policy was discussed at the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the MCPS teacher’s union.

The current LC policy states that five unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for a class, and three unexcused tardies are equal to one unexcused absence.

After a student has been LC’d, they can write a letter of appeal to the administration and his teacher, which either gets approved or denied depending on the circumstances.

The draft proposes that disciplinary methods like detention be used to penalize unexcused absences instead of failing a class, because MCEA is trying to separate behavioral issues and academic per-

formance.

This bill seems to be geared towards schools with very high occurrences of skipping class and tardiness. WJ, however, according to the MCPS web site, is a very strong school academically and it has a 94.7 percent graduation rate. Of the 200 schools in this county, WJ is not one to be triggering major changes in the LC policy.

If this bill passes, attendance to classes could drop and students would end up being late all the time, not caring about whether or not they make it to class by the bell. “Disciplinary action” sounds scary, but it doesn’t hold a candle to summer school.

Few students would oppose a bill that benefits them, but parents and teachers should be able to see what this kind of

change would do to our school.

The new policy would make the penalties for skipping and coming in late less harsh, not more efficient, and would, in a very ironic way, increase the occurrence of skipping as students would not care if they made it class by the sound of the second bell.

If MCEA passes this bill, the rate of graduation may go up with fewer students losing credit, but more people will skip class and the problem of skipping and tardiness will be exacerbated.

In order to alleviate the problem of students losing too much credit, Montgomery County should change the curriculum in a way that makes students not want to skip classes, rather than just letting them slide for being late to class everyday.

“Who Knows This Stuff?!” EXACTLY world? Isn’t it important that Americans aren’t seriously ignorant of a lot of what’s During the week of Jan. 11, the numoutside our little bubble? ber one news story from ABC’s World The extent of our knowledge as stuNews with Diane Sawyer was whether or dents seems to be of the foreign policy not primetime would be able to keep conflicts the United States is dealing with. all of its Late Night shows following the Yet again, 57 percent of WJ students cancelation of Jay Leno. Person of the don’t know that the president of Iran is week? Jean Biden, Mahmoud Ahmaof WJ students don’t know Vice President Joe dinejad so it may that Yemen is a Biden’s very own be a stretch to say %country the United mother. that young AmeriStates is bombing While what is cans know a lot of supposedly “world what’s going on news” is being reeven involving ported every night their own nation. at 6:30, bombs are Granted, it going off in Yemen, is essential that North Koreans are the nightly news starving due to a present important currency change of WJ stu- issues surround%dents don’t ing the United that is fueling inknow that in flation and causing States especially North Korea food shortages and a currency in an age when reform is the newspaper is escaped rebels from causing dying and all of Uganda are wreakinflation and ing havoc across contributing our major news Africa, killing milto large will come from food television and the lions of innocent shortages internet. civilians. Television Hownews programs on ever, if a news ABC, CBS and NBC show claims they Infographic by Krithi Ramaswamy and Alexandra Sanfuentes The Pitch surveyed 200 students from eight third period classes from Jan.. 11 to Jan. 14 are the bearers of are reporting what is sounding more like Access Hollywood cial lives to see what’s going on in the worldly knowledge, they can’t just presthan actual world news. world, why are these news shows tell- ent stories about golfer sex scandals and Many of these nightly news stories ing them about issues that don’t matter steroids because it will interest Amerireflect issues that solely influence the nearly as much as the millions of deaths cans and make them pay. These shows United States, and there is little to no in Uganda, the Central African Republic have a responsibility to forget about what reporting regarding issues that have a and Sudan? If so-called World News wants they think Americans want to hear on the serious effect on American lives. On the to inform Americans of the goings-on in news and actually report what’s going on evening of Jan. 10, one of World News’ top nations around us, why aren’t they re- in the world, because from the looks of headlines was an in-depth discussion of porting what is actually going on in the it, over half this school has no idea what how cold the weather was outside. World the heck is going on.

By Alexandra Sanfuentes

News was telling millions of Americans what they already knew just by stepping outside. Meanwhile, 35 percent of WJ students don’t even know that Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula.

When students do happen to take time out of their busy academic and so-

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Drawn and Arranged by Will McGowan; Idea Conceived by Jake McCormick

January 29, 2010

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Point-Counterpoint

Gap for Growth:

Educational Gap:

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Curveball Read This

Maturation Before College with The Dark Side of the Gap Year the Gap Year

By Devon Murtha

Let me ask you something. When was the last time you made a big decision by yourself? I mean really by yourself, free from the constraint of parents, authority figures or friends. You may have considered their input, but in the end, you worked it out for yourself and did what you felt and thought was right.

It’s rather shocking, isn’t it? How much of life and how we act isn’t in our control.

People, as thinkers, are programmed by parents, media and culture from the day they can talk. They are molded into acting certain ways and taught that they should lead a certain path in life, and if they don’t, they are often looked upon as strange or punished for acting outside of the norm. That, well, is just not right.

Take a look around and you’ll see unorthodox things everywhere. Green hair.

Unmatching colored clothes. Tongue rings. Ear gauges. Being gay. Heavy metal. Being “Emo” (!). Cursing. Not going to college right away. Not going to college at all.

What is wrong with any of these? They all make sense if you break them down enough and apply them to the right situation or individual.You don’t have to like or agree with them. All that people need to do is understand them and accept them for what they are. It would help if people pushed aside their insecurities and need to feel superior more often.

Now, you either agree with me up to this point or you don’t. If you do, great!

If you don’t, please ponder my secondfavorite question. Why? Why do you do what you do? Do you do things because you really want to and it makes sense to you? Or do you do things because you’ve always done them that way? Because everybody else is doing them? Because someone told you to do them? Dig deep enough and you can learn a lot about yourself. It’s important.

Remember when we were little kids?

We wore certain clothes because we liked them, not to make a fashion statement.

We asked questions because we wanted to know the answer, not to get good grades.

We didn’t care what people thought of us. And we were happier then.

From little kids, we can and should learn to appreciate my (first) favorite question. Why not? A child wants to wear two different kinds of shoes. Why the heck not? He wants to mix his peas with ice cream. Why the heck not? You want to stop reading this, put on a leotard, find the nearest stereo and dance.

You know what I’m going to ask. If your answer is A) that’s stupid, B) that’s crazy, or D) that’s freaking weird, congratulations, you have been brainwashed.

Motivation is a cognitive process. Its by-product is something that must be understood and believed in fully. The problem is that many people don’t think of it as such. Real motivation is absent in too many people’s lives, replaced by a sense of anxiety created by the troubles, expectations, and frivolous responsibilities in life. It is a vicious cycle of forced and miserable work broken by fleeting moments of joy. This is what our society is based on and it is the trap that so many individuals unwittingly fall into. It is so. messed. up.

But it can be fixed. It just takes a little reflection and empathy. And so, all I’m asking, no, challenging you to do, is to think for yourself. Are you doing it? Why? Why are you listening to me?

By Cami Keyani

Though going off to college right after high school is the norm As exams come and go and classes increase in difficulty, the for most high school graduates, the idea of taking a gap year, thought of an entire year free of worrying about homework, time between high school and college, has become increasingly tests and teachers might seem like a dream come true. popular. The break However, the gap year is a truly irresponsible thing that from institutionalseems to play on all of the weaknesses of an 18 to 24-year-old, ized learning offers yet negates all the great things they can accomplish in a group a unique experisetting. ence and has its After an entire semester of Senioritis and a summer to say merits for students goodbye to old friends, a graduate shouldn’t need more time who aren’t ready to before leaving for college. dive into the col That much free time will end up getting abused by most lege experience. people. Someone fresh from high school will likely not even Students get to remember a see a little more time in his life of the world and when they had develop their ma- WJ ‘09 alum Ethan Clark trekking across this kind of turity before going India during his gap year. freedom from to college; many decide to continue their education in responsibility. their gap year by traveling or participating in internships Those who and jobs. 2009 WJ graduate Ethan Clark decided to take partied hard a gap year, and spent his time participating in a program in high school called National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), will likely be where he traveled to India. partying even “I did not consider myself ready for harder, especollege in a lifestyle sense,” said Clark. cially now that Photos by Dylan Morris and Cody Newman “I did not consider myself ready bethere is no cause of my high school habits; there such thing as a weekday. was a severe lack of maturity. I was Worse yet are those still in high not prepared to make the most of the school who are planning to take gap money that my parents or I would be years. Some of the irresponsible spending on college.” among them put off taking the SATs Though he lacked the structured forand ACTs and don’t even apply to colmality of college learning, Clark was leges for when their gap year is over. still able to benefit from his travels.

Meanwhile, the learning experience He learned valuable survival skills, and self discovery of college, along and also was able to see a side of the with the meeting of new people, is world he was previously unfamiliar discarded in favor of, in some cases, with.

Are gap years beneficial for individual growth or harmful relative introversion and more of the “I’d never left the country before… to one’s future? You decide. same dependence on parents. it’s an entirely new waffle when you go to India, you see people In Denmark, where the gap year has become very prevalent, living below their means,” said Clark. “…If I had not gone to the government has started to give extra loans to students who India, I don’t know. I don’t know where I’d be. That’s one of the don’t take gap years. According to the Copenhagen Post, students most valuable experiences I’ve ever had.” taking gap years has slowed down the growth of the economy 2009 WJ graduate Charlie Hartley also participated in the and negatively affected the economy by 2.5 billion kroner, or NOLS program, but went to Utah instead. about 500 million American dollars.

“I wanted time to pursue different interests before going to Some students who take gap years do volunteer work for school and having to narrow my focus on my major,” said Hart- organizations like City Year or intern for groups like Dynamy. ley. “Plus college will always be there and I wanted to experi- They devote their time to trying to help the impoverished or ence something outside of the American education system.” trying to discover what their life goal is before entering col Learning something other than what’s offered in college can lege. be extremely rewarding for people. A gap year allows students But even these paragons are doing something irresponsible: to take time and explore their options and see what they really they are forgetting knowledge they gained in high school. want in the future.

A gap year is kind of like a large summer, and as many stu “If anything I am more excited about going to college because dents know, in just 10 weeks your mind can turn to mush. of my gap year,” said Hartley. “NOLS revealed the huge amount It takes time to remember old knowledge that used to come of things there are to learn about. In high school you are so fo- naturally, as demonstrated by first quarter curriculums being cused on classes and those specific subjects that you sometimes packed with review. forget how much cool stuff there is to do and learn about out Now, imagine a 15-month summer. That’s a gap alright. A there.” gap in your brain.

Dear Pitch, Dear Pitch,

Letter to the Editor

taken its place. Another example of a dis- While I realize that, as a newspaper, satisfaction would be in the best movies. you have to appeal to a wide variety of After reading Worst of of the Decade” issue, I was agreement with what seemed like a multitude After readingyour your“Best “Best& & Worst people, in my opinion, someofofWJ the opWhere’slast “Remember theinTitans” or “Dark the Decade” last issue, I wasofinthe agreetions a little Howexamples can you put Christian Bale students in objecting to some choicesKnight”? made. Many come to mind, but my firstwere thought wasunder one ofthought. the picksThis for ment with what seemed like a multitude is not meant as an offense to anyone, as one of the best actors and forget about best TVstudents show; “Mad Men.” Personally, even heard of this TV show, and I’m not saying that is the reason it shouldn’t of WJ in objecting to some I’ve of never his best movie and possibly Heath Led- though I, and several other students, behavechoices made the list,Many but after going over other studentsThe theymovie either was didn’t lieve knowthat whatthere it waswere eitherkey or commodities didn’t think the made. examples comeit with ger’sseveral best performance? it deserved make They allwas saidone something like “Entourage” or “Friends” should have taken its place.

Another example of a to mind, buttomy firstit.thought of extraordinary from this last decade that were definitely and should have taken a the picks for best TV show: “Mad Men.” overlooked.

In the end, I should add, spot, possibly over “Eternal Sunshine of dissatisfaction would be in the best movies. Where’s Remember the Titans or Dark Knight? How can you put Christian Bale I Personally, I’ve never even of this histhebest strongly concurred with most Spotless I also Heath had one more best as one of the andheard forget movie Mind.” and possibly Ledger’s performance?

The movie was of the TV show, andbest I’mactors not saying that isabout the problem with the Best Singles category. other categories, and The Pitch still is an extraordinary and should a spot,“Crazy” possibly by overGnarls EternalBarkley?

Sunshine“Crazy of reason it shouldn’t have have madetaken the list, in amazing newspaper, especially for a high but the after Spotless going Mind. overI italso with hadseveral one more otherproblem the Best Singles category.

Gnarls Barkley? Crazy in Love by staff.

Love”with

by Beyonce was a bigger hit Crazy than byschool students, theya bigger either hit didn’t what I’m that not (though saying should Beyonce was thanknow that (though sayingI’m thatnot should havethat made the list). “I Gotta Feeling” should’ve trumped itover was“Where either or didn’t thinkmy it deserved have made the list). “I’ve Got a Feeling” Sincerely, is the opinion, that’s just me. to make it. They allLove” said in something like butshould’ve trumped over “Where is the Tristan Plunkett While I realize that, as a newspaper, you have to a wide of people, mystudent opinion, some of the options were “Entourage” or “Friends” should have Love”toinappeal my opinion, butvariety that’s just me. inWJ

By Colin Buley

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[feature]

Pitch

The

January 29, 2010

January 29, 2010

Adoption In the world, every 2.2 SECONDS, another orphan child ages out

Pitch

The

In the world, every year 14,050,000 children age out of an orphanage

[feature]

9

Statistics courtesy of the Home For Good Foundation

In Ukraine and Russia 10% -15% of children who age out of an orphanage commit suicide before age 18.

from a variety of perspectives

Every 15 seconds another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa

In the world, every day 5760 children become orphans

Crossing Boundaries:

The Story of WJ Student Deepa Smith

By Camilla Yanushevsky

Q&A

Adoptive mother of WJ student Jackson Beach How old was Jackson when he was adopted?

Jackson was five months old when he arrived from Korea.

Do you feel that your relationship with him would be any different if you were his biological mother?

No. We’re Jackson’s parents – biological or adoptive, it’s the same thing when it comes to raising a kid.

Do you try to include Jackson’s native culture in his life? If so, how and why?

We have two kids adopted from Korea and we have tried to include their Korean heritage in our family life. I took Korean language classes for a while, but it was hard to keep up with without someone at home speaking Korean. We traveled to Korea two summers ago and saw his foster mother, went to the city where he was born and toured around the country. We also are lucky to be friends with a local Korean family who has been very interested in helping us learn about the country.

What was the adoption process like for you?

Once [we chose] an agency, the adoption process was mostly about paperwork. When you file paperwork with the local agency, they forward it to the Korean agency – Holt International for us – and then you wait to be assigned a child. When you get your assignment, you get photos and health information. Then it’s just finalizing the legal matters in Korea and waiting for the phone to ring telling you to pick up your baby at BWI. The whole process took about a year. The final step was legally adopting him in Maryland; at that point he became a U.S. citizen.

Do you feel that Jackson’s adoption or the fact that he was adopted affects his everyday life? If so, how?

Jackson says he doesn’t think being adopted affects his everyday life at all. I don’t think his friends think about his being adopted. Some of them are also adopted from outside the U.S.

What are people’s reactions when you identify yourself as Jackson’s mother?

In the D.C. Metro area, I really don’t notice a reaction when people find out I’m Jackson’s mom. We’re lucky to live in a diverse urban area where many families look so different from the traditional family I grew up in. I can only think of one time I thought people looked at our family in a strange way and I think they were just curious for a second before it dawned on them that we had adopted children from Korea.

Interview conducted by Jenny Deutsch

143,000,000 orphans in the world today spend an estimated average of 10 years in an orphanage or foster care

if the world was moving and she was stuck in place.

Smith saw children, teenagers and her friends leave -“I hate my parents: why can’t they buy me an iPhone!” the orphanage, never to be seen by her again. Her -“What are you wearing?Your Gucci dress is so last family seemed to slowly be disappearing. season!”

As Smith understands now, her chances of being -“Euh. I’m going to trash that. Who in the world would adopted were almost miniscule.Yet, at the age eat this?” of seven, which is considered to be ripe old in In Montgomery County we live life everyday orphanages, the unexpected happened. as if the world revolves around us, as if we are the One American couple and one French couple norm. In fact reading this article, you are probably wanted to adopt Smith. in a cozy room and wearing warm clothes. Although Giving Smith no say in the decision, the you had to get to up early for school, you woke up orphanage decided that the American couple would to people who loved you.You have a home, clothes adopt Smith. to wear and food in the refrigerator to eat.

“The French couple didn’t meet India’s strict But imagine waking up tomorrow morning to adoption criteria and also the orphanage thought something different. Instead of the usual morning that Americans usually have more money,” said routine, you have a bucket for a shower, your Smith. “The orphanage was really greedy.” fingers for a hairbrush, rags for clothes and the Smith was supposed to come to her new family at same food portion of milk, sugar, rice and fish day Christmas but she arrived in April of the following after day, month after month and year after year. year.

Although this sort of morning might be “ The orphanage wanted to get as much money as characterized by some as “implausible” or “kind of possible out of my parents,” said Smith. “The whole ridiculous,” for others like senior Deepa Smith, it process cost a lot.” was heaven.

Smith only found out that she would leave for Moving from Michigan to Montgomery County the United States a month before the departure in 2009, Smith was once quite familiar with those date. All she was told was that she would be leaving morning routines, with the grim reality that most the orphanage. All she was given was the wedding of us have never heard of. picture of the American couple and all she felt was Born in the New Delhi, India, Smith didn’t have the same feeling of agony, of hopeless and despair the typical home. Her father deserted her before when she was separated from her mother. she was even born; her mother was sick and struck “I started crying and freaking out,” she said. “The by poverty and thus, food for Smith included scraps bad memories of my mother being taken away from from a nearby restaurant and from begging. Smith’s me came back.” life was on the streets.

The morning of was one of the most difficult days As Smith grew older, her mother knew that for her. She was forced to pack the few belongings the days Smith went to school empty-handed, the she owned and say goodbye to the family and weeks when her classmates would provide her food, friends whom she would never see again. the months that she would wait hours in vain for But the papers were signed and she was forced her mother to pick her up after-school would one to leave. The managers of the orphanage brought day need to end. her to the airport and she flew solo to the United As Smith approached the end of toddlerhood, States. her mother knew that she was unable to provide for “When I arrived. . . it was strange to see people Smith and signed her up at an orphanage saving her with a different skin-color,” said Smith. “But my life. parents showered me with gifts. After seeing my It was at the age of five, Smith was placed in an picture they knew I was the one” orphanage, in a town where a different language Smith, looking back now, understands that her was spoken, a language which she did not know. birth mother and her adoptive parents saved her Upon arrival, she did not quite understand what life. was going on, as to why she was being separated It took time, though, for Smith to adapt not only from her only family, from her mother. Confusion to a new country, but to her new parents, such as only escalated when on arrival, she was shown her calling them ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy,’ understanding section, or living boundaries and the closet which why they chose to adopt her, why her mother gave everyone had to share. Her head was shaved to her away,etc. The first morning Smith woke up prevent lice and scaring her even more, she was told thinking: ‘Where am I?’ that if she was not adopted by the age of 16, she But all she needed was time, time to get would need to leave. accustomed; time to heal wounds. Today, she Within the first several days, conflicts arose. considers her adoptive parents as her parents. Even “One kid didn’t like me and told me that I didn’t nowadays, she feels lucky and blessed. need to wake up early,” said Smith. “I woke up to a “So many people complain about how their car beating. Once I used my school materials too fast is uncool or how they only have one iPod,” she since I liked to doodle and got beaten with a ruler.” said. “They don’t appreciate what they have. I have But Smith, who once arrived heart-broken to the learned to enjoy the little things in life. We should orphanage, eventually called the orphanage home. all do the same.”

“The orphanage became my family,” said Smith.

A Reminder: With the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that “It was really depressing, but a lot better than a lot hit Haiti, another tens of thousands of children have been of the orphanages around and my life before.” orphaned.

As the years passed, as Smith grew older, it felt as Donate at: healingthechildren.org Accompanying photos courtesy of Deepa Smith and Alison Smith

Firsthand from a sister:

By Alison Smith Special to the Pitch

Despite what it sounds like, life with an adopted sibling is no different than life with your average biological sibling. Even though she doesn’t look a thing like me, my sister is just what the word implies – my sister, no more, no less. When my family adopted Lily from Wuchuan in the South East region of China, she was only oneyear-old on Jan. 14, 2002. She just turned nine this past month.

Where my sister is from, families are discouraged from having multiple children in order to curb population increase. Those that decide to violate this guideline are subject to heavy fines and many children are given up. However, there is no formal adoption system and children cannot be brought directly to the orphanages. My sister was found abandoned under a telephone booth near a fish market and she was picked up by the orphanage, where she stayed for a year until we brought her home.

When Lily came into our family, I was only nine years old, so I don’t remember too much about the early years. When my parents told my other sister and me that there was “going to be a change in the family,” the first thing I thought of was divorce because I couldn’t think of any other changes a family would go through. The idea of adoption just seemed so unreal to me.

My parents left for China while my other sister and I stayed with our grandparents for about three weeks. When they came home, Lily was definitely scared of me and I didn’t really know how to treat her. However, a short time later, she was perfectly integrated into the family. We have videos of her eating messily with food all over her face and her first attempts walking, just as your parents probably have of you somewhere buried in your basement. Sometimes I read to her or just hang around watching movies with her. I never really thought about her as anything but my true sister- and the idea that she is not blood-related to me doesn’t change our relationship at all.

Sometime I think about what life would be like for her if she was still in Wuchuan without a family, and it makes me feel very fortunate to have her here with me. She’s my sister, whether she’s related to me or not.

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Pitch

[feature]

January 29, 2010

The

Who Actually Pays Attention in Class?

What happens when taking notes gets boring

By Allison Gordon

Everyone gets bored during some classes. That is a fact. And usually, we zone out the most in the classes that are hardest for us, which are actually the classes in which we should be paying attention. But that doesn’t stop us from daydreaming. It’s just too easy. However, not paying attention does not make time move any faster. In fact, we could even say that zoning out itself is boring. We at The Pitch did some research to find out what students do in class that isn’t boring. And some of the things we found out seem like they actually could make time move faster.

Jacob Schneider:

PUZZLE MAKER

what: making and doing puzzles why: it is entertaining and usually turns into a group activity what classes: whatever classes bore him that day how he came up with it: when class is really boring weird things just pop into his head “[I haven’t gotten caught] yet. It’s only a matter of time though, puzzle making can only be so discreet.” how to: -find a friend -draw a picture on a piece of blank paper -rip the paper into small pieces -give it to a friend and let them put it back together -have your friend make a puzzle for you to do

Senior Jacob Schneider puts together a puzzle of his own creation.

Sebastian Zovko:

what: doing sudoku why: because he gets bored in class, it is fun and he has never been caught what classes: English and math how he came up with it: his dad introduced it to him, he always does it on airplanes and is very good at it “It’s a really fun game, not to mention it’s just a piece of paper so it’s easy to get away with.” how to: -at home, go to websudoku.com for free sudoku -choose a level of difficulty and print out as many sudoku puzzles as you want -bring the sudoku to school and take out one sheet at a time whenever you get bored

NAIL PAINTER

Sophomore Rebeca Figueiredo files her bright green finger nails.

photos taken by Celia Karp

Rebeca Figueiredo:

SUDOKU PLAYER

Senior Sebastian Zovko with the sudoku puzzles he does during class.

what: painting her nails why: because she felt like it and she was not learning anything important in class that day what classes: Science how she came up with it: she asked to borrow nail polish from a friend, and her friend gave it to her in class; so, she decided to paint her nails right there and then “I really liked the color of the polish and I didn’t want to wait until I got home to paint [my nails].” how to: -bring a bottle of nail poli sh to school -take it out during a class in which you sit in the back -take out the nail polish and paint your nails, making sure you hide the bottle if your teacher walks by

How does WJ spend class-time?

35% 38%

of students pay the most attention in math classes

18%

23%

of students have been caught talking to friends during class

of students have been caught doing work for other classes during class

of students pay the least attention in English classes

25%

of students spend most of their time in class zoning out The Pitch surveyed 200 students from 10 third period classes from Jan. 11 to Jan. 14

January 29, 2010

Pitch

The

[arts&entertainment]

From the Runway to the Hallway:

11

The Fashion of WJ

Whether they’re dressing up or down, students at WJ are constantly expressing themselves through their own personal style choices while also reflecting major fashion trends. With a few hallway snapshots we documented some of these styles and noted their significance in both the high school bubble and the world of fashion.

As we develop our minds and personalities during high school, traveling in and out of phases, our tastes and choices in culture transform. Our transitional periods are reflected in aspects of our daily selves that we may not even recognize, such as personal style. Many may think of fashion as an adherence to cultural trends and in high school this concept prevails along with the general pressure to conform. Others, however, find relief in personal style as an opportunity to express themselves and hold onto a fleeting identity. Finally, there are those who claim no loyalty to or interest in the fashion world. Whether they don sweats each morning or make the effort towards jeans and T-shirt, the decisions of these “apathetics” reveal nearly as much about them as those of fashion followers.

How a student dresses on a day to day basis can tell us what personal style means to them, in turn revealing key elements of their personal expression. The girl who constantly wears flowery dresses and feminine silhouettes may interpret fashion as a window into how she feels about herself or how she wishes she felt about herself. In terms of personality, she could actually be a dainty girlie-girl or she could easily be quite the opposite, but her favorite flowy pink dress gives her the comfort of this persona either way. In another case, an outsider has no way of knowing whether the kid in sweats is an avid fashion blogger or whether fashion is as foreign to him/her as the other side of the globe. Even so, this student has still achieved a message, anywhere along the lines of “Comfort is the most important thing to me,” to “I wish I was invisible,” to “I don’t care about achieving a message.” These outward perceptions and inner identities are what make personal style so pertinent to the high school scene and the individual student. So whether you are a proclaimed fashionista or a one-outfit-wonder, each day you gain insight on the outward projections of others’ inner selves as they in turn generate a perception of your own persona, just from the clothes on each body.

1.

Clockwise from top right: Aquilah Headspeth, Adam Moskowitz, Lakeif Brown, Angenae Wilson, Eleanor Janhunen, Mansi Mehta, Michael Adler, Olivia Stearn

What WJ is Wearing...

Many trends seen in the WJ hallway reflect a high fashion concept with a youthful twist. The most common silhouette is the closely outlined leg (through skinny jeans, leggings, etc.) and a more structured or bulky torso and often a defined shoulder. This template reflects the return of the ‘80s shoulder as well as the menswear for women trend, also seen in the popularity of blazers on both girls and guys. But students are not all business executive, as many throw in utilitarian worker boots as an often ironic contrast, or let their black nylons run and rip for both a grungy and preppy look. Others match classic prep with boho through the combination of sweaters and “hippie headbands.” Overall, students seem to enjoy juggling the contradictory combination of both polished prep elements (blazers, tailored pants, high-waisted skirts cardigans, plaid) with grunge and bohemian elements (skinny jeans, flannel, sneakers, gauze scarves).

By Sophie Meade

2.

3.

Photos by Sasha Tycko and Sophie Meade

12

[arts&entertainment]

Out of Left Field Reality TV, We Have a “Situation”

By Sasha Tycko

January 29, 2010

Traveling the Red Line: Goodbye Bethesda

By Sophie Meade

Even while they complain about the lack of parking and how “lame” it is to loiter around Barnes & Noble, many students still return to downtown Bethesda each Friday night while others have abandoned the area, thinking that they have outgrown such ventures. Well it’s true, WJ has outgrown weekends in downtown Bethesda, but when did city trekking lose its appeal? Living in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., we are surrounded by endless opportunities for adventure that we often take for granted despite their high accessibility. A handful of metro stops off the popular Red Line are gateways to flourishing city areas perfect for both day-trips and evening excursions.

Takoma Park This highly hippie neighborhood is always true to its independent routes and is less than a mile walk away from the station.

Enjoy an organic and healthy meal from Mark’s Kitchen, known for being very vegetarian friendly. Next, you can dig through unique vintage finds at thrift stores ReRun and Moonshadow, right around the corner.

a

m Tako

Adams Morgan

The charm of this indie area is in the authenticity of each local business and simply the urban beauty of each street, almost reminiscent of San Francisco. A trip to the zoo is always the perfect dose of nostalgia, however, a short bus ride from the station brings you to an abundance of local shops from the earthy Capitol Hemp to the hole-in-the-wall yet surprisingly intriguing Tibet Shop.

For a delicious lunch visit Amsterdam Falafelshop, a local favorite.

Dupont Circle

Zoo/ n k r Pa ga dley ms Mor o o W Ada

Dupont Circle

Like Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle’s many shops carry the genuine passion akin to independent businesses. However, the area itself has a separate feel of historic significance, marked by gorgeous early 20th century architecture. We recommend visiting Beadazzled and crafting your own beaded jewlery, then stopping at Kramerbooks & Afterwords to grab a bite in the cafe and leaf through their locally acclaimed selection of titles. Finally a trip to the Textile Museum is eye-opening for anyone with even a slight interest in art and design.

Adventure Tips City adventures in the winter can be the best of all seasons if you’re prepared. Listen to mom and just bring that extra layer and an umbrella.

Getting lost on the metro is a headache, so unless you’re an expert, do a quick study of your metro map before you travel.

Unless you’re a wimp, city trips in the rain and snow are the best of adventures. Braving the cold with the cars rushing by brings a rush of satisfying adrenaline.

If you’re afraid of the temptation of overspending, then bring a fixed amount of cash that is no more than you want to spend.

Plry wn lle Ga inato Ch

While in our pre-recession days our reality TV fix was satisfied by watching Lauren and Heidi complain about each other, we’ve spent the past couple months captivated by the likes of Snooki, The Situation, and J-WOWW. With “Jersey Shore,” MTV has traded in the excessive bank accounts for the excessive hair gel, and the fashion for the fist pumps. The self-proclaimed guidos and guidettes have glamorized fake tans and superficiality, perpetuating ItalianAmerican stereotypes. And for whatever reason, we love them for it.

Hollywood has always presented us with unattainable glamour and romanticized stories that allow us to escape into a sort of fantasy world. Perhaps it is for this reason that we were so dazzled by shows like “Laguna Beach.” But this description just doesn’t seem to fit the cast of “Jersey Shore.” Which leads me to question: why are we so enthralled by the trashy shows that MTV and similar networks spit out at us?

The entertainment value is clearly a large factor in the appeal of these shows.

I’ll admit to the occasional chuckle at the girl fights seen on every VH1 reality show, and we all know the best part of American Idol is the audition round. (“Pants on the Ground,” anyone?) We love to watch people’s most idiotic or embarrassing moments, and these moments are inevitable on “Jersey Shore” given a cast low in intellect and high in hormones.

The men on the show have only one thing on their minds: sex. As Mike, a.k.a. “The Situation,” so eloquently described, “The only thing we care about is gettin’ girls.

Gettin’ girls and goin’ to the gym.”The men of the house are unabashed in their superficiality and relentlessly strive for a beefedup, fake-tanned, hair-gelled appearance to draw women back to their beds.

The women only encourage their behavior, and seem to have a deluded sense of what’s classy and what’s not. Snooki (Snickers?) took her clothes off in the hot tub on both the first and last nights in the house, and J-WOWW rarely covers up. By reacting to the men’s attempts at seduction, the women subject themselves to the rampant sexism of the show. As Sammi explained, “A guidette is somebody who knows how to club it up, takes really good care of themselves, has pretty hair, cakes on makeup, has tan skin, wears the highest heels, pretty much they know how to own it and rock it.” The women are primarily concerned with looking good for the men, with extensive makeup and tanning routines. “Jersey Shore” is essentially an elaborate mating ritual, one in which bright plumage and songs are traded in for bootie shorts and fist pumps.

Perhaps there’s a deeper reason for our desire to watch people make fools of themselves. Maybe we watch these shows to feel better about our own lives, as validation that people exist who are more idiotic, crude, or embarrassing than we. Because compared to great lines like Mike’s, “You can hate on me all you want to, but what can you possibly say to somebody that looks like Rambo, pretty much, with his shirt off,” anyone seems like a genius.

Or maybe this is the everyman’s revolt against the Lauren Conrads of the world.

TV networks constantly bombard their viewers with images of the impossibly rich; it’s time to see some real people on TV. Not that the “Jersey Shore” cast constitutes “real” people. It’s gotten to the point that regardless of talent or merit, anyone can be a celebrity, and in a strange way we actually idolize these reality stars.

Pitch

The

Photo courtesy of dbking

Chinatown

The Chinatown neighborhood is the least “indie” of our selection but has its own appeal in its flashy explosion of big business, almost a toned-down version of Times Square. The nearest Urban Outfitter’s aside from the Georgetown location is a skip away from the metro as well as a handful of other chain clothing stores. Plenty of quick places for a meal are scattered on every block such as Potbelly’s and nicer venues like Matchbox. Even if many of the shops are available in other locations, visiting them is worth the adventurous glam of Chinatown.

Spiro’s Barber & Hairstyling 10530 Connecticut Avenue Kensington, Maryland 20895 Tel: 301-933-3370 Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday: 9AM-7PM Saturday: 8AM-6PM Sunday: 9AM-3PM E-mail: Spiros1969@aol.com

January 29, 2010

Pitch

The

Athletes of the Month Volume 54 | Issue 3

Jenna Willett

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814

By Abby Singley and Jenny Deutsch

Senior Jenna Willett has long been a stalwart in WJ athletics, a star runner for various teams the past two years.

Since her sophomore year Willett has run on the WJ cross country team and both indoor and outdoor track teams.

Willett runs on nearly a daily basis but is still, impressively, a “superb student” according to coach Tom Martin, Willett’s mentor throughout her running career at WJ. “Jenna brings a level of dedication to the team,” said Martin. “She leads the way and sets the tone for other runners to follow.”

Willett’s running career blossomed this season when, as part of the girls cross country team, performed very well in the state championship meet by finishing fifth overall.

“She’s worked very hard starting sophomore year when she saw she could be good,” said Martin “She’s becoming one of the top runners in the state.”

In addition to excelling in cross country, Willett has made it clear that the upcoming Penn Relays are important and that the team has high expectations.

“We’re shooting for our [girls] 4x8 relay team to qualify for the upcoming U. Penn Relays and I’m looking to go below a 2:20 in the girls open 800,” she said.

Willett’s running career does not encompass only WJ sports teams. In addition to her WJ running career, Willett also consistently runs in the various local fundraising races such as The Burrito

“Great athlete, great kid.” – coach Jamie Grimes Whether he’s training in the warm July weather or in an indoor pool during a snowy winter, senior Andrew Tollefson has built his life around his passion, swimming. Being introduced to the sport at the age of eight by his older brothers, he swam competitively during the summer at Garrett Park Swim Club.

“My older brothers swam and I just started following after them,” said Tollefson.

Tollefson was swimming year-round at Curl-Burke Swim Club until the summer before his freshman year, when he began swimming with RockvilleMontgomery Swim Club (RMSC).

During his sophomore year, he placed second in the 100 meter breaststroke at the Metropolitan Swimming & Diving Championships. He continued to dominate the event his junior year, placing third.

Although August is usually Tollefson’s month off, he swam a 12-month season in 2009 to train for Nationals with RMSC this December. At the National meet, held in Columbus, Ohio, Tollefson heplaced 15th overall in both the 100 and 200 meter breast srtroke.

He still returned to WJ swim with full strength and ready to take on the leadership that accompanies being a senior on the team.

“He does what needs to be done dur-

Photo by Kathleen Seale

Mile and the Turkey Chase.

Willett plans to run in college. The schools she is looking at all have Division three running programs. Whatever the competition level, Willett recognizes college running will be tough.

“Wherever I go to school, it will require a lot more running and will entail much more competition,” said Willett.

13

Andrew Tollefson

By Alex Spinard

Mocorunning.com named Willett honorable mention for the Girls All-Decade Cross Country Team.

[sports]

Photo courtesy of Bryan Ray

Along with brothers Ross, Henry and Fletcher, Andrew and the rest of the Tollefson family have made their mark on WJ swimming.

ing the event; he makes sure everyone is cheering,” said Grimes. “If you ask him to, he will do anything for the team.”

Tollefson hopes to exceed second place at Metros this year. He has his eyes on first place in the 200 meter individual medley and 100 meter breast stroke.

Tollefson has received offers to swim at North Carolina State, Clemson and Towson. However, he has bigger goals come his freshman year of college: the Olympic trials.

“After that the possibilities are really open to him,” said Grimes. “He can do anything he sets his mind to.”

Pitch Wrestling Team, Teixeira, Exceed Expectations 14

[sports]

January 29, 2010

The

By Kathleen Seale and Alex Spinard

The team has been led by sophomore Elad Covaliu in the 152-pound class, and seniors Nick Taylor and Patrick Teixeira, in the 189 and 285pound weight classes, respectively.

As a sport, wrestling has often stirred controversy because of the concept of making weight. As insignificant as weight may sound, in wrestling, it can determine winning or losing. If wrestlers are too heavy, they go up a weight class, but when wrestlers lose weight, they go down a weight class and have an advantage over smaller opponents. “[Making weight] is really hard, harder than any other sport,” said Covaliu. “You have Photo by Nicole Nakagama Teixeira has gone 26-0 this season, making himself a dominant force to sweat five pounds in the county wrestling circuit. off during practice and then you can’t eat at all With a 14-9 record, the wrestling the next day.” team has exceeded its goals since the Wheeler explained that the rules about beginning of the season, according to making weight are much more rigid then coach Tom Wheeler, who praises the those in the past. team’s success in dual meets.

“Wrestlers must be certified before the

Volume 54 | Issue 3

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814

season as to the lowest [weight] a medical ganized, good students. Slow thinkers do staff will permit them to go,” said Wheel- not prosper in wrestling,” said Wheeler. er. “Then they have a 2.5 percent limit Teixeira, who is 26-0 this season, bein weight loss per week until they have lieves that in order to be successful in reached their bottom, if they ever do. wrestling, one must work throughout the This saves them from themselves, over- year to reach the ultimate goal. zealous parents “It takes a lot of heart to do it,” said or insistent Teixeira. “If you don’t You have to sweat five like wrestling and you do coaches.” pounds off during prac- it, you’ll never succeed Wheeler states that the hard tice and then you can’t in it.” work, dedicaHaving these goals in eat at all the next day. tion and persishis mind,Teixeira worked tence the athletes throughout the year preput forth each season mirrors the work paring for the ‘09-’10 wrestling season. they put forth towards school.

“Summer wrestlers make winter cham“Wrestlers tend to be very well or- pions,” said Teixeira.

“

”

January 10, 2010

Pitch

The

Focus is Key for Girls Basketball Volume 54 | Issue 3

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814

By Jennifer Spencer

Last year’s season was a tough season for the then winless girls basketball team, but this season has proven to be completely different. Not many people expected girls basketball, 6-8, to be as successful as they have been this season.

“The improvement from last year compared to this year is absolutely incredible,” said junior forward Sarah Howie.

“We have stepped up as a team and together we have accomplished more then I would have ever imagined.”

Success does not just occur and the girls know first hand about the work it takes to accomplish their goals. New head coach Tori Moten credits the team’s success to new players, determined upperclassmen and hard work at practice. The team has been working hard to improve on executing the offense, rebounding and court awareness. The captains have worked with Moten to lead the team.

“While we may be playing some tougher teams now, we are learning a lot about our strengths and weaknesses that we are working hard to improve on in practices,” said senior captain Kat Gratton.

Moten has guided the team in their progress and has been influential in help-

“The close games have ing change the basketball made them realize they can program around. Right win once they continue to from the start she desigunderstand the game better,” nated personal sacrifice said Moten. “They have had as the team motto for the to learn many fundamentals season. It is not the wins and basketball concepts in a that stand out to Moten, short period of time.” but instances where girls Players are hoping for a show they are taking this winning season and to demotto to heart that she is feat some of the teams they most proud of. lost to earlier in the season.

“The highlights thus The work ethic of the team far of the season was takhas put them on the right ing two charges at the path to accomplishing their Milford Mill tournament Photo by Kathleen Seale and the comeback against Senior captain Kat Gratton is goals. As the playoff season Wootton,” said Moten.an integral part of the team. approaches, Moten feels the team could continue to sur“Both of these moments prise people. give me hope that the play“They will want to get the respect they ers are buying into the motto of personal sacrifice in order for the team to be suc- deserve for turning the WJ program around and prove to themselves they can cessful.”

The girls have showed that they can play at a higher level,” said Moten. be competitive with any challenge that As for the conclusion of the season comes their way. Even in their losses this Moten has one main hope for the team.

“I want them to leave better people season, many of the games have been closely contested down to the final quar- and satisfied because they left their ter. Moten feels that the close games are sweat, tears and hardwork on the floor,” said Moten. a part of learning process for the team.

Indoor Track Prepares for Biggest Meets of the Season

By Mateo Williamson After winning the Cross Country State Championship in the fall, the indoor track team is approaching the end of its season and awaiting its biggest events (Virginia Tech Invitational and MCPS Championships). Runners, sprinters and coaches Tom Rogers and Tom Martin are focused on finishing with strong performances in both events, qualifying for Penn Relays and preparing athletes for the upcoming outdoor track season.

“Our 4 by 8 team is really good this year and we’re looking for them to qualify for the Penn Relays,” said senior distance runner Ishan Dey.

For the practices leading up to the county meet, the coaches have “hyped” the meet in order to prepare the team for competition in the spring season.

“Outdoor season is important Virginia Tech Invitational to many of our runners and the coaches have made it clear not to put the upcoming meets in the backs of our minds,” said Dey. “They’ve made a point of getting us to concentrate on these upcoming meets above all other things.

Infographic by Parker Smith For the girls, many goals have been set for upcoming meets including our girls, including going sub 2:20 in the lowering their already impressive times. open 800,” said senior distance runner “We are looking for quality runs from Jenna Willett.

January

29 & 30, 2010

Boys Basketball Remains Hopeful Despite Losing Record

By Parker Smith

downfall this season. The team graduated senior stars such as guard Nash Oh and WJ boys basketball expected to have forwards Carl Yaffe and Omar Zerbo. to rebuild this season after returning The team returns only senior forward only three varsity players.

Alec Stirling, sophomore forward Ha“I didn’t know what to expect,” said lid Hamadi and junior guard Bert Yaffe, coach Bill Morris. “I really had to learn Carl’s brother, leaving large amounts of most of the players on the team.” playing time in the hands of players with As of Jan. 27, the team has been hin- little or no experience playing at the vardered by this inexperience, and is yet to sity level. get its first win, going 0-14.

The team may miss these graduated Inexperience was expected to be WJ’s seniors most on the offensive side. Last

year, WJ scored at least 50 points in all but four games, which they lost. This season, the team has yet to put up 50 points in one game, reflected in their winless record.

“I feel like we’re getting good looks, good shots, we just need to execute,” said junior captain Bert Yaffe. “Our shots are starting to fall, but we’re still not at the point that we need to be.”

Despite the team’s failure to execute on offense, Morris believes that the defense is a team’s strength.

“Defensively, I think we’re playing better this year than last year,” said Morris.

Although the team has been able to overcome youth and inexperience in playing good team defense, the team’s offense and psyche have suffered.

On the court, the team’s inexperience has led to excessive turnovers and a lack of execution, but Morris believes that the team’s biggest problem is psychological.

“The most important ingredient right now,” says Morris, “is to be mentally tough.”

Whether they lose confidence or lose focus, the team has been unable to put two solid halves of basketball together; They have shown flashes of potential, but have been unable to keep up their performance for an entire game.

The team will have opportunities to get their first win in upcoming games at 5-6 Churchill on Feb. 2 and at 2-8 B-CC on Feb. 5.

15

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Slider

Puns ,Guns &

Smoothie King Runs

By Mateo Williamson Before the start of the NBA season, every Wizards fan was looking forward to the return of star player Gilbert Arenas, who before his injury, was lighting up the court as one of the league’s hottest shooters. But as of late, Arenas has been suspended for the season and faces federal charges for packing a different kind of heat.

Arenas’ recent punishments for an illegal gun possession charge reminded me of how many other countless news stories I’ve read over the past few years involving pro athletes and their “illegally concealed weapon” craze.

Just last year, the Buffalo Bills’ Marshawn Lynch was suspended by the NFL for an illegal gun possession, while exNew York Giant Plaxico Burress got two years in prison for shooting himself in the foot, but he just missed. Since then, he has become the butt of every gun joke in recent history. In an article by The Boston Globe, New England Patriots receiver Jabar Gaffney commented that as many as 90 percent of the players in the NFL own a firearm. With proper licensing, many of these incidents would have been avoided, but the numbers of careless athletes outweigh the responsible ones.

It is understandable that athletes can be targeted by others when they are out in public, but for athletes like Arenas who are taking risks by showing off their flashy “gat,” I offer this advice. Find new hobbies, boys.

To make an example out of Gilbert, here are just three activities of an endless list that he can one can take part in without being society’s dangerous idiot.

1: Start a book club. Book clubs can stimulate one’s knowledge to learn, but I’d suggest waiting a while before inviting Javaris Crittenton…

2: Spend time in jail. As long as you don’t look your cellmate in the eye and keep the soap on a rope, you should be fine.

3: Delete your Twitter account. Twitter is what escalated this whole mess. That is why I will never get a twitter account.

F*** YOU TWITTER! I could go on rambling about all the athletes that have ever been in the media spotlight for doing something idiotic, but that would take forever. And since my deadline is in…give or take two hours, that’s time I’d rather spend trying to relate this to the students of Walter Johnson.

Remember back in 2006 when college football prospect Pat Lazear from Walt Whitman High School was kicked out of school along with two of his buddies for an attempted robbery of a Smoothie King at gun point?

Of course you do, because it was hilarious. Turns out the gun was fake and they thought it would blow over as a big ‘ole joke. Haha, classic Whitman humor.

Now, to sum up what I’ve been rambling on about for the past 500 words in a brief sentence: Professional athletes with guns influence high school idiots to do the same. Especially those Whitman ones.

Sports W i l d c a t

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January 29, 2010

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Taking the Game to the Next Level: The Long Recruiting Road

By Zach Gordon Freshman/Sophomore DI&II: A coach can receive but not make phone calls and can send university information but not recruiting materials.

DIII: No limits on calls or recruiting materials.

Junior Year DI&II: Coaches may meet with an athlete after July 1 of junior year*. They may send recruiting materials beginning Sept. 1.

Senior Year DI&II: An athlete can make official, expense-paid visits starting first day of classes; a coach can make one to two calls per week depending on the sport.

DIII: No limits on calls, may

DIII: No limits on calls or visits.

meet after junior year. *varies depending on sport

Infographic by Zach Gordon

For most high school athletes, playing at the college level is an improbable reality. According to NCAA estimates, there are over a million high school athletes competing in football alone, over 500,000 playing basketball and 475,000 in baseball. For all three of those sports, there is a less than five percent chance an athlete will play in an NCAA-sponsored institution at any level. But for those select few athletes each year, the question turns from “Will I be able to play in college?” to “Where will I play?”

It starts with a letter, an e-mail or a phone call. Unlike Division III, where colleges can contact individuals freely, Division I prohibits coaches from contacting athletes until after sophomore year. But colleges don’t just make it happen on their own.

“My freshman year, I wrote letters to

By Kathleen Seale

60 different schools and told them I was interested,” said senior field hockey player Georgina Beven.

For the star athletes, who undeniably will be playing at the top tier, most of the process is easy. But for the vast majority, getting recruited requires effort from the athlete as well. Besides writing letters, athletes attend scouting sessions, visit team facilities and talk to coaches.

“I would pursue the colleges with good programs that were also good schools,” said senior baseball player Carson Kenney. “Then I would talk to the coach about his style of coaching, what the team was looking for, etc.”

Once junior and senior years come around, the process gets much more intense. Coaches are able to contact individuals by telephone, and along with more scouts appearing at games and even

Source: ncaa.com

the possibility of verbally committing to a school, athletes are always in constant contact with recruiters.

“Coaches would e-mail me or call me periodically, usually to just check up on me and see how things were doing,” said Kenney. “Sometimes they would ask me to come visit or meet with the team.”

The recruiting process is not just an individual effort by the athletes. High school and club coaches are also highly involved in the process. Swim and dive coach Jamie Grimes is not only involved with club coaches, he advises his athletes through the process as well.

“Since I went through it myself, I tell [the athletes], based on my past experience, how to go through things, how to contact coaches,” said Grimes.

After long deliberation, it boils down to the big decision. For most, it requires

careful deliberation. Like any other senior making a college choice, athletes need to focus on academics, location, size, money and countless other factors.

And once that decision has been made, the road does not stop there.

“Even once I figure out what I’m doing, I still have to work hard, if not harder because that is when I’m no longer trying to make a team, but trying to beat out someone for a chance to play,” said Kenney.

And for these athletes looking to take their game to the next level, Grimes has one piece of advice.

“Be proactive,” he said. “Talk to coaches, send an e-mail, send a resume, ask a lot of questions and visit the school. Make sure it’s the one you like, because you are going to be there for four years.”

Senior co-captain Kevin Spak’s commitment to the team has remained strong through past seasons and throughout this season so far.

“Staying committed isn’t all that hard to do when it’s something you love doing,” said Spak. “It’s fun working out and hanging out with my friends that do the same thing with me everyday.”

Every sports team has some kind of tradition or ritual performed before each competition. Instead of just one tradition, the swim team relies mostly on spirit and bonding experiences, like team dinners, paper plate awards, pasta parties and secret sisters for the girls team, and they always go to brunch or lunch after meets.

“We always wear our WJ gear, we stroll in together, do cheers and get fired up,” said senior Greg Karel. “But you know we’re WJ, we don’t need these little traditions to make us go fast because we’re natural and talented.”

During the season so far, the boys team is 2-1 and the girls are 1-2 in dual-meet competition. The combined swim team

placed fourth at the Relay Carnival at Martin Luther King Swim Center on Jan. 9.

Fan turnout for swim meets has been consistently low throughout the years.

Although it would excite the team more to have the Mad Cows or more fans come out to the meets, senior co-captain Jessica Yuan makes sure that the team’s spirit is top notch and that the team gets their swimmers psyched up.

“We make sure that if you’re not swimming, then you’re standing behind someone’s lane cheering them on,” said Yuan.

“It’s so much easier to go faster when someone’s screaming in your face.”

Although the Mad Cows are missed at the meets, the swim team has still been able to keep their stats up and motivate each other at every meet.

“I know [the meets are] early, but it’d be nice if they showed up,” said coach Jamie Grimes. “But honestly, our team has the most spirit in the school. We have our own cheering section: it’s called our team.”

Committing to Success

Who wants to wake up around 5 a.m. almost every morning, go to a one-hour swim practice and then go to a full day of school? Approximately 75 percent of the students on the swim team wake up that early up once a week to get to WJ’s swim practice on time. Even though WJ only practices in the morning on Tuesdays at Rockville’s Montgomery Aquatic Center, most of the swimmers also attend their club’s team practices between two to three times a week.

Senior co-captain Katie Jacobson takes advantage of the night before swim practice to maximize her sleep time, but she still wakes up around 5 a.m. in order to get to practice on time.

“I try to go to bed early and pack my bag at night,” said Jacobson. “Basically, I wake up and just roll out of bed, grab my bag and go. [After practice] I eat breakfast with the team at the pool and then try not to fall asleep in class.”

Similar to any other team at WJ, the commitment to being on the swim team is a big factor. But unlike other teams, swimmers have early morning practices.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Ray

The spirited team will try to improve on their season in their last two meets before the postseason, tomorrow versus rival Churchill and Feb. 6 versus Sherwood.

For all the latest WJ Sports News go to WJPITCH.com