The Pitch: Oct. 8, 2010

Pitch Walter Johnson High School

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Where Is Our Money Going?

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Photos by Sasha Tycko and Devon Murtha

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Gallivanting in the Galapagos Volume 55 Issue 1

Friday, October 8, 2010

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Fall TV Preview WJ Soccer 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20815

wjpitch.com

301 803 7302

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NEWS

Table Of Contents Pages

News Sophia Franklin On “The Biggest Loser” Fund Allocation (continued from front) Code Red/Blue Drills Increased Enrollment at WJ

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Editorial Up At Bat: Who Would You Take to Homecoming?

Pitch Opinion: LC Policy Ride On: Students No Longer Have a Free Ride Foul Ball: Dear Abby Point Counterpoint: Calorie Counts Curveball: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow Homecoming Video Tradition Lives On Quite the Convenient Quartermaine Coffee Slugger: Concert Conundrum

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Feature Feature Spread: WJ’s Environmental Impact Student Trip to the Galapagos New Teachers Q&A and Superintmenten Jerry Weast’s Retirement

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Arts and Entertainment Fall TV Preview Out of Left Field The Art of Imitation Twitter The Music Effect Out and About-- Event Guide

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Sports Athletes of the Month Girls Tennis: Sportmanship Cross Country Marathoners Boys Soccer Shoots for States

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

Letter from the Editors Dear Pitch Readers, This year The Pitch has undergone many significant changes in both our print and online editions. The print paper has been turned into a newsmagazine, allowing more freedom for layout to include larger photos and in-depth coverage. After a successful year of strong content, The Pitch Online launched a new web site that is easy to read and easy on the eyes.

Because the print Pitch is a monthly publication and not a breaking-news paper, we have decided to hold true to the nature of our paper with the same commitment to journalistic style. The changes are subtle; the pages are two inches shorter and the paper has increased from 16 to 20 pages. Despite the new layout, the content will remain the same. We will still cover news events, sports games, performances, etc.

The Pitch Online (www.wjpitch.com) has added all sorts of improvements with its new launching, such as a banner of top stories with rolling photographs, slideshows and photo galleries, a cleaner design, and the capability for podcasts and videos. We worked with School Newspapers Online, a Minnesota-based company that helps high school newspapers move forward online, which provided tremendous assistance to us and will continue to help us touch up the site as needed. We want to know what you, our readers, think.

Our site now allows for comments on our articles. Feel free to express yourself! Please let us know what you like and let us know where we can improve.

Thanks for reading!

---Editors-in-Chief Katie Levingston, Abby Singley, Sasha Tycko and Alexandra Sanfuentes

Photo by Stefany Carty

Online Editors-in-Chief Katie Levingston and Abby Singley

Photo by Devon Murtha

Print Editors-in-Chief Alexandra Sanfuentes and Sasha Tycko

What’s New Online

“Worlds Apart” – A feature on student summer trips overseas “Code Blue Lockdown” – Exclusive details of the Sept. 7 lockdown and an indepth explanation of the school Crisis Plan “MSP Sponsors Lamman Rucker as Guest Speaker” – Coverage of the actor/ businessman’s visit to the Minority Scholars Program “Former WJ Counselor Sophia Franklin on ‘Biggest Loser’” - Students’ and staff’s reaction to Franklin’s stint on the weight-loss show. Watch a clip!

“WJ Football Pulls Off 47-41 First-Game Victory in Fourth Quarter” Coverage of the team’s first victory “The American- George Clooney Can’t Save This One”- A review of the movie’s minimalist plot. Watch the trailer!

“A Unique Opportunity for Symphonic Orchestra”- News coverage of the orchestra’s invitation to play at the All-Eastern Conference “Student Get Involved in Primary Elections” – Read about student participation in local campaigns And... a photo gallery of our Fall Sports 2010 Pep Rally This page corrects a misspelling of Katie Levingston’s last name that appeared in the print version.

Editors-in-Chief Alexandra Sanfuentes Sasha Tycko Katie Levingston* Abby Singley* News Editors Devon Murtha Ali Jawetz* Assistant News Editor Julia Cinquegrani Sports Editors Parker Smith Daniel Fanaroff* Jeremy Smith* Assistant Sports Editors Hannah Flesch Phillip Resnick Daniel Gorelik*

Staff

Arts & Entertainment Editors Sophie Meade Ian Green* The Pitch is published eight times a year by the students of Walter Johnson High Assistant Arts & Ent. Editor Eleanor Janhunen Feature Editors Rosie Hammack Lily Sieradzki Sari Amiel* Taliah Dommerholt*

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.

Editorial Editors Liz Wasden Jessica Evans* Assistant Editorial Editor Ryan Lynch

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2009

*Online Editors

Maryland HS Journalism Award Best Newspaper Overall Third Place 2009-2010 American Scholastic Press Association First Place Special Merit 2008-2009

Staff Writers Brendan Benge Cameron Keyani Josh Benjamin Alex Spinard Jemile Sarafaliyeva Jenny Deutsch Danielle Markowitz Girard Bucello PR Manager Alex Spinard Photographers Alex Spinard Girard Bucello Ali Jawetz Taliah Dommerholt Andrea Linder

Copy Chief Abby Singley Copy Editors Sari Amiel Ali Jawetz Jemile Sarafaliyeva Business/ Ad Manager Phillip Resnick

Photo Editor Stefany Carty Advisor Hilary Gates

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

WJ Counselor on “The Biggest Loser”

Sophia Franklin joins the cast of popular weight-loss reality show

By Danielle Markowitz

Former guidance counselor and cheerleading coach Sophia Franklin appeared on the NBC’s popular reality weight-loss show, “The Biggest Loser,” which premiered on Sept. 21. Franklin, 28, temporarily left her job at WJ in order to pursue her goal of reaching a healthy weight. She officially announced her participation on the show to the WJ community on the day of the premiere.

“My life was literally overloaded, schedule-wise and weight wise,” said Franklin. “I was working as a high school counselor, coaching cheerleading, teaching spin classes and working on my Ph.D. In addition, my brother died in a car accident last year and I was still grieving from his loss.”

NEWS

With all of these components, Franklin decided it was time for a change and went to an open casting-call in D.C. for “The Biggest Loser.” Franklin was selected as one of three finalists from a pool of contestants in Detroit, Mich. to compete for a spot on the show’s tenth season.

She won by successfully completing a 500-step challenge with determination and by pacing herself. She was immediately taken to “The Biggest Loser” ranch, where she joined the other contestants from other cities. After the first week of gruesome work outs, Franklin lost 14 pounds, but she had to fight to stay on the show through another challenge.

“The Biggest Loser,” which began in 2004, is a competitive weight-loss show which features overweight participants with hopes of bettering their health and appearance while also competing to win $250,000. This weight loss is achieved with the assistance of trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, and through rigorous challenges that gauge contestants’ endurance, will-power and strength. The contestant who loses the least amount of body mass must leave the show after each weekly weigh-in.

Isolated from fast-food chains and other unhealthy influences, contestants learn how to properly work out and lose weight, and also how to become educated about nutrition and self-image.

“This experience has been...one that I

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will never get again,” said Franklin.

Throughout the years, “The Biggest Loser” has caught national attention in its fight against obesity, a rising problem in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2007 to 2008, an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents and 33 percent of adults suffered from obesity.

The various health hazards associated with obesity, like heart disease, respiratory problems and diabetes, are what make the struggle to lose weight so imperative.

“Obesity is an epidemic in our nation and childhood obesity is on the rise,” said Franklin, “I hope I am able to use my new-found voice to institute change in our nation and I plan to start by leading by example.”

Franklin’s Progress: Starting Weight: 272 lbs.

Week 2 Weight: 258 lbs.

Week 3: 252 lbs.

Weight Lost: 20 lbs.

Tune in Tuesday’s at 8 p.m. on NBC to see her progress

Photo courtesy of nbc.com

What the School’s Budget Means to WJ

By Jemile Safaraliyeva Imagine that the antique copy machine that has been situated in the College & Career Center for longer than any of us have been around suddenly breaks.

Not only do the students who depend on this copy machine have an additional stress, but the school must now find the resources to replace it.

Every school-year, the Board of Education releases an operating budget summary for a 12-month period, called the fiscal year. This document is nearly 400 pages long and contains financial tables, resource pages and organizational charts that reflect the funds and positions appropriated by the County Council in May. The budget for each school varies year-to-year due to economic status, savings and federal aid.

Towards the end of every school year, resource teachers, or department heads, at WJ create a budget which they deem suitable based on the instructional materials they need to operate the classes taught in their subject.These requests are taken into account by the administration and business manager Kathy Cosgrove, as she is a key figure in all school financial and budget decisions.

“In May, we have every department head in the school create a budget,” said Cosgrove. “They meet with their teachers [and] they decide what they need to make their classes run. They [decide] which textbooks they need to replace and update, and then they submit that budget to me.”

Normally, at the beginning of each school year, the county allocates $92.70 per student for instructional materials, and $35.03 per student for textbooks.

The amounts allocated per student are constant within the county, but the amount of money schools receive varies depending on the size of each school’s student body.

According to Cosgrove, due to the current economic status this year, not all of the amounts submitted by the department heads were approved. This was a result of budget cuts made by the county, and the general economic recession.

“If [budget requests] are under our allocated amount, we approve everyone for all the materials needed,” said Cosgrove. “This year because of the economy, we have less money than we had last year. We had to cut back on some of the textbook requests.”

While it may seem that some schools within the county receive more money than others, there are numerous factors that separate the distribution of funds between schools. Due to the lengthy construction, the county granted WJ a Furniture & Equipment account which is comprised of a $2 million budget and is used for materials, furniture, equipment and anything the administration deems a necessary without drawing from instructional funds.

“It comes from the county as a part of the capital budget made years ago when they first started working on the school,” said Cosgrove. “After construction ends we have a year-and-a-half to

spend it.”

Only schools undergoing large modernizations are granted this account.

WJ uses the money on anything from desks to pencil sharpeners, including the Promethean boards. While the county distributes a few boards per school, the F&E account has allowed WJ to buy enough Promethean boards for each classroom.

“We thought it would be better if

every teacher had one. Because teachers work as teams, teachers without boards wouldn’t be able to team plan,” said Cosgrove.

The F & E account is still in use and will be available until the funds run out, giving WJ the leisure of purchasing necessary equipment.

“We were fortunate that we could use our F & E money to give everybody a Promethean board,” said Cosgrove.

Instructional materials: $92.70 per student

Promethean board: $5,400

Textbooks: $35.03 per student

Graphic by Jemile Safaraliyeva

MCPS allocates each school’s budget based on student population.

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NEWS

OCTOBER 8, 2010

Students Are Put to the Test During Real Emergencies Photo Illustration by Devon Murtha

By Devon Murtha WJ students are accustomed to the familiar voice of Principal Dr. Garran over the PA system, announcing the start of a Code Blue or Code Red drill.

And recently, this familiar voice had to announce something a little more serious – a Code Blue/Shelter-in-Place – and it was not a drill. As early as the second week of school, WJ’s ability to respond to dangerous situations was tested; students were forced to translate what they had learned into practice when shots were fired at a nearby apartment complex.

This was not an anomaly; at the very end of the first semester last year, on Jan. 15, there was an incident involving an armed robbery suspect hiding on school grounds. At the time, the SGA

was hosting a dance contest in the auditorium, and a JV boys basketball game was about to start in the gym.

Students, and parents at the basketball game, were asked to remain calm and follow protocol until police found the suspect, who had been hiding under a portable.

WJ has yet to have a circumstance where students are put in harm’s way, and MCPS Director of Security Robert Hellmuth believes that the key to retaining this safety is practice.

“The reason for any drill is so that staff and students can practice what is expected of them and be prepared to act if an actual emergency occurs,” said Hellmuth.

While students run through drills to prepare them for emergencies

during class, emergencies can occur at any time. Administration stresses that students should be prepared for any situation, including ones that happens after school, during lunch, or at any other time.

According to Garran, the important thing is that students respond to every situation by following protocol as closely as possible, and by listening to the instructions administered.

“I’d like to stress the importance of student cooperation…we’ve never had an issue with students during fire drills or Code Red and Blue drills,” said Garran.

WJ’s policy of open lunch makes it especially hard to keep track of all students. If an event occurs when students are not in the building, it is

necessary to secure the building and work with the police department to ensure the safety of students not on the WJ premises.

“The main concern would be the students streaming in from [G-square] and into a location that isn’t secure,” said Garran.

Students in G-square should cooperate with the police department, and find a safe, indoor location. Students should not attempt to return to the school premises until the situation is fully secure.

A couple of years ago, WJ actually ran a drill during lunch. Students were ushered into classrooms and the building was closed off.

“We did better than I actually thought we would,” said Garran.

Increased Enrollment at WJ Results in New Teacher Hiring

By Julia Cinquegrani With its modernization finally complete, WJ now boasts new athletic areas, Promethean boards in most classrooms and the ability to accommodate a student body of 410 more students.

Before the school’s modernization, which began in 2006, WJ’s capacity for students was 1,990. After its modernization, WJ’s capacity is now 2,400 students.

With the school’s current enrollment

at 2,173 students, compared to last year’s enrollment total of 2,060, the increased capacity is already being tested.

According to Principal Christopher Garran, the surge in enrollment is partially the result of many private school students transferring to WJ because of the economic recession. He also said that more upperclassmen than average transferred to WJ from other states.

Garran, however, does not foresee any similar changes occurring in the

Photo courtesy of Devon Murtha

English teacher Rebecca Robertson was hired after the school year started.

near future.

“There is no reason to believe that what happened this summer, [the increase in student enrollment], will happen again next summer,” said Garran.

With its new enrollment total, WJ is now the third largest high school in the county, trailing Blair and Wootton.

The increase of approximately 110 students is well above WJ’s average yearly increase of 50 to 60 students.

“Can you imagine if we had the population bump before the modernization of the school was completed?” said Garran.

Garran also said that even with the added enrollment, “the flow of the building [after modernization] is better for more students, because of how the building is built with better connections.”

Because of this increased enrollment, there were no lay-offs of teachers due to the economic recession, unlike at some schools. In fact, MCPS gave WJ the funds to hire a new English teacher after the school-year started because of this year’s dramatic increase in enrollment.

New English teacher Rebecca Robertson joined the WJ faculty on Sept. 7 to teach three sophomore honors English classes. Before coming to WJ, Robertson taught seventh grade reading and eighth grade English classes at a middle school in Utah.

Robertson’s new position at WJ has helped to alleviate the class sizes of other

English teachers, which allowed for the combination and realignment of other classes. One class period of tenth grade honors English, one eleventh grade honors English class and one AP Literature class were also created.While these moves did cause some changes in students’ schedules, the overall outcome was positive, as the average size of English classes is now lower.

“To me, the switch wasn’t very disruptive at all, because I only switched [English] teachers,” said sophomore Jeffrey Clarke, a student who was transferred into one of Robertson’s classes during the second week of school.

“My English class is still during the same period, and none of my other classes were affected by the switch.”

While some students do not mind the changes occuring after the school year began, such a situation rarely happens.

“Never before for an enrollment reason has a teacher been hired after the school year started [during my time at WJ],” said Garran.

MCPS sets a limit of 28 students enrolled in one English class and 32 students enrolled in most other classes.

“When I was in Utah, there were up to 40 kids in one class, and 35 kids was about the average in each class,” said Robertson. “[The class sizes are] definitely better at WJ, where kids get more attention and it’s not such a struggle to keep track of them.”

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

NEWS

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Walter Johnson All School Booster Club We are here to support YOU! TEAMS AND CLUBS CAN EARN MONEY FROM BOOSTERS IN THESE WAYS: 1) Sign up to work the concession stand at any of the events posted. All groups who work will receive $100.

2) Sponsor, create and run a fundraising event that is co-sponsored with Booster. Take advantage of the events we already use to raise funds, or ask us to help you with your own fundraiser.

3) Direct request for assistance. Request assistance through our Funding Request Form. TO JOIN THE BOOSTER CLUB – Look for our flier ONLINE at www.wjboosterclub.com.

GOT BOOSTER?

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Up EDITORIAL

OCTOBER 8, 2010

At

BAT Who would you take to homecoming?

By LizWasden Print Editorial Editor

Photos by Stefany Carty

“Justin Bieber because he’s hot.”

-Sophomore Ivana Stojisavljevic

“I would take Mr. Finkbinder because he would open my mind with APEX-ness.”

-Senior Nick Regan

“Matt Damon because he’s really attractive. Have you seen the Bourne trilogy?”

-Junior Robyn Bernstein

In the struggle to choose just one person who would make the ideal homecoming date, I decided to review the criteria for the perfect person to bring to any occasion. I wanted to choose someone who could hold their own in any situation, without even the wiggle of a bow tie. I came up with the following requirements: 1. He must be a romantic. He should be sweet and charming like Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember when he suggests meeting his love at the top of the Empire State Building.

2. He must be an excellent dancer.

My date must at least have a good sense of his equilibrium, because I am hopelessly uncoordinated. I fell off a tractor this summer. That is how unbalanced I am. With two left feet, it is important that my date be talented in the dance department.

3. He must also be calm, cool and collected. Stress is something I cannot handle very well on an everyday basis, let alone on special events. He must be someone who does not let any miscalculation faze him, be it a misplacement of the homecoming tickets or student I.D. Thus, taking these things into consideration, I decided that I want to be

accompanied to homecoming by James Bond. He would be attentive and know what to do in the case of a broken heel or a persistent underclassman. I might run a high risk of being kidnapped as a trick for Bond himself, but being naïve as I am, I would feel safe knowing that while I was with him there was no chance of something similar to the plot of Prom Night occurring. I would also be guaranteed to arrive in style. Bond would undoubtedly be driving the next best thing to the Batmobile. Created by Ian Fleming in the 50’s, he is very classy and of course, very handsome. Out of the seven actors who portrayed Bond on film, I would choose the most recent, Daniel Craig, to represent the British spy.

As I thought more about this choice, however, I was struck with another idea.

I would love to go to homecoming with Anakin Skywalker! Forget James Bond’s Astin Martin, Anakin would take me in a spaceship or maybe some kind of hovercraft. His Jedi mind tricks would also come in very handy when trying to get my mother to extend my curfew. He would be an equally capable bodyguard as James Bond, armed with a light saber and his trusty sidekick R2-D2, and we could wear matching robes. He is the chosen one.

For Up At Bat video responses, visit WJPitch.com

“Jessica Biel because she’s extremely attractive.”

-Sophomore Zach Hopkins

“Kwesi Lee because he’s a true gentleman.”

- Senior Josh Crumbley

“Johnny Depp because he’s awesome.”

-Junior Dani Armstrong

“Derek Jeter because I like baseball and he’s very attractive.”

-Sophomore Pam Fucello

“Kevin Gill.”

-Sophomore Emma Lazarchik

“Emma Lazarchik.”

-Sophomore Kevin Gill

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

Pitch Opinion: LC Policy

Students were given reason to rejoice and celebrate on the very first day of school once they heard that the Loss of Credit (LC) policy of past years was no more. Immediately, conversations began about being able to skip any class any time and getting away with it. Students at WJ and throughout the county seemingly had their wish granted, and only at the expense of teachers’ patience and generosity.

While students can no longer lose credit in a class they are consistently tardy or absent for, teachers have already planned ways to combat the potential issue of arriving late and skipping class, like giving “warm-up quizzes” at the very beginning of class.

Although the students may have won the battle, the teachers and administration will win the war, and students will soon regret the day the LC policy was changed.

In past years, under the old LC policy, a student would lose credit after compiling a total of five unexcused

absences or 15 unexcused tardies, with three of these unexcused tardies equaling one unexcused absence.

“Fifteen tardies is very generous,” said Spanish teacher Mark Churchwell, commenting on the positive aspects of the former policy. Many teachers seem to agree with Churchwell or even believe it was too lenient.

Even when a student was on the verge of losing credit in a class, most teachers would still be willing to work with that student.

Despite the obvious flexibility that the old policy provided all students, they continued to complain.

“It wasn’t my fault; I promise I won’t be late again.” The excuses went on and on.

Some students argued that they didn’t need to come to class to do well, but rather they could teach themselves and do their homework from the comforts of their own home. Frustration from students, coupled with persistent parent complaints, forced the hand of

EDITORIAL

MCPS officials to change the policy.

Students often find themselves lost and behind when taking advanced classes, and missing teachers’ simplified, in-class summaries of last night’s dense reading doesn’t help. These class discussions are often the key to putting together everything discussed in the homework.

“You can’t be successful [when] not coming to class [for] a foreign language,” said Churchwell.

After missing school for an excused reason, such as a sickness or a college visit, a student is provided with three days, an ample amount of time, to turn in a parent note excusing their absence.

Although it is true that we are highschoolers, and teenagers on top of that, and that we have to get to school much too early, that’s life and we have to deal with it. Unfortunately, our daily class schedule is not going to change anytime soon. Besides, guess what would happen if an adult with a regular nine-to-five job consistently arrived late for work, say, maybe 14 or 15 times? Chances are they’d be jobless before they knew it.

Students No Longer Have a Free Ride On

By Girard Bucello

With the end to the popular Kids Ride Free Program came predictable outrage from the students, who were used to cost-free transportation. In fact, students are not entitled to free Ride On use, and the consequent debate over the end to Kids Ride Free can only be described as imprudent at best.

The Kids Ride Free Program came to an end at the beginning of July – and with it, the free transportation that many kids have come to take for granted. The program wasn’t much more than a perk for students, who mostly used it to take a free ride to the mall or perhaps to a friend’s house. For the county, it was a way to expose students to public transportation and make them more comfortable with Ride On as they grew older.

The program, though, was unsustainable, and there was no reason to bankrupt Ride On for the sake of a special interest program. Few other programs warrant being dropped in the same manner as Kids Ride Free. Can the county consider, instead, ending free rides for the disabled, or for seniors, who have no steady incomes? These are people who should have a priority for county services, rather than students, who usually have the means to pay their fares.

It is the county’s job to ensure that its services are being used in an effective way that doesn’t deplete the county budget. Some services are an absolute necessity – things that the county should never charge for – like the recent ambulance fees. Ride On, however, is not a necessity. Why are students like us entitled to free transportation?

Students should not have any reason to feel that they are warranted a no-cost bus ride. The county offers Ride On as a service to its residents, and has a right to require a fee from those who use it.

Before now, it was exceedingly generous in allowing students to ride without any cost.

PHOTO

Photo by Stefany Carty

As of July, students who use the Ride On bus have to pay for their fare, rather than simply using their student I.D. since the Kids Ride Free program was suspended.

It’s worth noting that students still pay less for Ride On than other users. An $11 monthly bus pass is available to students as an alternative to Kids Ride Free and can be used without other restrictions on its use. Students who claim that they shouldn’t have to pay to take the bus in order to get home from an afterschool activity should keep in mind that they attended the activity by choice. The fact that some students could use only Ride On to get to school is reflective of a flaw in the school bus routes, not in Ride On’s fares. It still holds true that Ride On, just like any other transporta-

tion provider, is justified in imposing a fee on those using their services.

If the program could have been maintained – that is, if it could have been paid for – Kids Ride Free would have been a wonderful commercial strategy for Ride On. The money, however, is clearly needed elsewhere. There is no reason for the county to be fixated on a program that caters to kids who only show their concern for the program when it is suspended. As tough as it may seem at first, it is time for students to start paying for public transportation like everyone else.

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Foul Ball Dear Abby

By Abby Singley Online Editor-in-Chief

Once my parents knew they were having a girl, they had narrowed their “A names” down to two choices: Arielle and Abigail. The tie-breaker was my sister, who, at the time, suffered from severe speech problems as a little twoyear-old. The story goes that when my sister Rachel said “Arielle,” it somehow sounded like “how are you?” My parents were kind enough to not name me “How-Are-You Singley,” so, they went for Abby. This name-choice has now allowed me to fulfill my life dream of writing an advice column. “Dear Arielle” wouldn’t have worked; we all know that only Abbys and Amys can give real advice in the D.C. area.; just “Ask Amy.” Therefore, I present you The Pitch’s “Dear Abby” . . .

Dear Abby, When I decided which teacher I wanted to write my college recommendations, I figured it would be a good idea to start sucking up to her a bit just to leave a good impression. She’s really into flowers, so I thought, what better than to get her a beautiful vase for her classroom, right? I’m pretty short on cash, so I went to my neighbor’s garage sale and found what seemed to be the coolest looking flower vase ever.

He gave me a really good deal on it, although he was acting a little weird when I bought it and told him about my teacher and her love of flowers and unique vases. I bought this beautiful bouquet of flowers to go with the vase and proudly walked into the teacher’s room with the gift. She freaked out and confiscated the vase before I could even give it to her as a gift. It turns out it was a bong. Security came and I got suspended for three days. Word has spread, and I can’t find a single teacher to right me a rec. They all think I’m a stupid pothead. Help!

Sincerely, Flower Bong Dear Flower Bong, Wow, that really sucks. I’ve heard of a similar story involving brownies...bad idea. So, first of all, definitely stay away from anymore gifts when it comes to popping the question for college recs.

If literally not a single teacher in the school will write you a recommendation, it might be time to make up a sob story: marijuana addiction. Rain that parade on this flower-loving teacher and who knows, maybe she’s experimented with some plants, other than flowers, and will understand. And if Ms. Flowers is out of the question, go tell a few other teachers your story of pot addiction, and give them a week or so of feeling sorry for you, and then you’re guaranteed that at least one of those teachers will feel sorry enough for you and write your rec. Good luck!

Love, Abby

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EDITORIAL

OCTOBER 8, 2010

Curveball POINT COUNTERPOINT Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

By Sasha Tycko Print Editor-in-Chief

My life changed that warm summer day when I marched into Salon Nader with an air of determination about me and firmly declared, “chop it off.” With a couple of snips and a lot of hair product, I transformed my entire look by means of a fresh pixie cut. I like to think this represented a better me – a confident and sophisticated senior. A new Sasha for a new school year.

Yet my metamorphosis didn’t start this summer. It started the day I entered WJ doors for the first time freshman year. Haircuts aside, the entrance to high school marks the beginning of our mental and emotional transformation into young adults.

From the first time we walk the halls of WJ, we are entrusted with more freedom than in middle school, open lunch being the most obvious example.

Though freshmen still have yet to learn not to throw food during lunch, we are expected to behave like mature teenagers. With this responsibility comes more decisions, be it buying food at G-Square, choosing classes or making friends. Through these decisions, we begin to shape our personalities and interests.

Identity is a common theme in books and movies about high school. Think Catcher in the Rye, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Who hasn’t revealed their secrets to a group of misfits that forms a bond against all odds?

There’s a reason this theme pops up everywhere; high school is a safe place to discover our identities. It allows us to act like adults in a contained environment. We have jobs, we drive cars and we spend our own money, but we live with our parents and, for the most part, abide by their rules. While this can be frustrating at times, it lets us experiment and grow in a safe setting.

What does this mean? For underclassmen, you are beginning to question your roles and figure out who you are and what that means. Middle school teaches us about the dynamics of social interaction and conformity, while high school encourages us to diverge from the pack. Leave your comfort zone and try out new experiences; I wish I had done that more.

For seniors on the brink of a new world of experiences, this is the year when we take who we are and what we like to do and think about applying it to the world outside of our high school lives. Before rushing into decisions about college, a career or whatever it is you want to do, take time to reflect on what the past three years have meant to you. What did you enjoy the most?

What were you best at? If you can confidently answer these questions, go ahead with your decisions. If not, you might need to spend some time reflecting.

Welcome the changes you experience in high school. In fact, seek them out.

Personally, I know I want to leave high school without any regrets.

For Health Awareness, Calorie Counts Inform and Counting on Wrong Methods Improve Eating Habits

By Jenny Deutsch

By Phillip Resnick

When I see people indulging themselves in food containing heaping doses of fat, calories and sugar, I think to myself, “Do these people know what they are eating?” Do they know that with every bite of that tasty treat they are one step closer to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other unsavory health problems? If they knew the extent of their gluttony, would they be making the same choices?

In order to make better choices, these people, and the public in general, desperately need to be better informed. Ignorance is a key cause of unhealthy eating in America.

School cafeterias in Montgomery County have recently posted nutritional information in order to adhere to a new law in Maryland.

This new law not only applies to school cafeterias, but also to various chain restaurants and fast food establishments, such as Starbucks, Chick-fil-a and Chipotle.

This legislation is definitely a step towards a healthier generation because it forces Maryland residents, especially students, to think about what they are putting into their bodies, to pay attention to how their bodies are reacting to such abuse and to make educated decisions about what they are consuming.

Two thirds of Americans are now either overweight or obese. The state of being overweight is defined by a bodymass index (BMI) of 25-30, and the state of obesity is defined by a BMI of 30 or higher.

What people eat can affect their moods, performances in school and athletic endeavors. If those who frequent the cafeteria are more aware of what they are eating, they can utilize lunch time as a productive part of the day.

The posting of calories in the cafeteria is a good way to keep the student population informed about what they are eating; however, the calorie information for the food is not the only information one needs to know in order to make a smart decision about what to eat. Other nutritional information about each item on the menu is necessary so one does not go on believing that eating 300 calories of fruit is at all similar to eating 300 calories of french fries. Other components, like fat, carbohydrates and sodium, must be taken into account in order for people to get the most beneficial meal possible.

Now that the calorie counts of cafeteria food are being displayed, students are able to make informed decisions on what they eat. Hopefully, the state of Maryland will continue to pass legislation that benefits this generation.

Each day at lunch, approximately half of WJ’s students go to Georgetown Square to buy food. Another majority brings their own bag lunches from home. Others go to the mall, to Starbucks or back to their own homes. The only MCPScertified food joint available saw, on a recent day, about 80 students who bought their lunch in the cafeteria.

On July 1, MCPS passed a law stating that eating and drinking establishments specified in the law are required to post certain nutrition facts on their menus and menu boards; MCPS cafeterias fall under this law. At the beginning of the school year signs were placed on the outside of all the doors leading into the cafeteria listing every item on the menu, its price, and the amount of calories the item contains.

But, despite the attempt to help jumpstart healthy eating habits, the law both fails to reach students and drives them toward unhealthier and sometimes even dangerous habits.

WJ has 2,173 students this year and is the third largest school in MCPS. If about 80 students eat in the cafeteria every day, only 3.6 percent of the student body is exposed to the calorie counts, Graphic by Danielle Markowitz and that is only if every student in the cafeteria reads the signs that are placed on the back side of the cafeteria doors, which is not the ideal viewing position for an informative poster. Also, there are no calorie counts on the vending machines around the school, and the nutrition facts on food wrappers are about as effective at reaching people as the warning signs on the back of cigarette cartons. Also, many students don’t know enough about their diets to care about the calorie counts. The law doesn’t effectively reach students and therefore is pointless.

For the students who care about their calorie counts a little too much, an even larger issue arises. Instead of being uninformed, these students are overzealous in their own personal calorie counting, sometimes to such an extreme that they are pushed to anorexia, bulimia or other eating disorders. Students should be able to look up calorie counts online or request the information from the cafeteria manager, but not have it jammed down their throats everyday before eating lunch.

“We are complying with the new Montgomery County law,” said MCPS Food Service Supervisor Mary Ann Gabriel.

MCPS should not be blamed in this situation, because they had no choice in implementing the law.The lawmakers are the ones to blame. If a law does not reach and may harm its target audience, then what is the reason for having it? In counting on calorie statistics to change students’ habits, the lawmakers have gotten the solution wrong.

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

EDITORIAL

Homecoming Video Tradition Lives On

By Cameron Keyani Another year, another WJ homecoming. As we return from our comfortable summer vacations to the harsh tedium of schoolwork and tests, we have to be welcomed back with gusto, and nothing says “welcome back” like sweaty, debauched dancing in an educational building.

But for the SGA, homecoming means something else. They have to plan and shoot a funny, spirited homecoming video, and fast.

The homecoming video has been a WJ tradition for 13 years, going back to the first video in 1997. As time has worn on, the administration has allowed more and more raunchy jokes and swear words to be included in the videos, but it is still a constant struggle by the SGA to make the video funny without pushing the envelope too far.

Recent homecoming videos include 2008’s The Darkest Night and last year’s

28 School Days Later. The Darkest Night was a spoof of The Dark Knight, the wildly successful 2008 Batman epic.

It, for the most part, faithfully stuck to The Dark Knight theme, using the film’s music and basic plot, including several key events, like the Joker’s meeting with the gang bosses, the press conference and a hilarious variant of the movie’s hostage experiment.

The Darkest Night was pretty funny, although when watching it, there would sometimes be long gaps of silence, due to jokes that missed the mark or that took too long to boil.

It is very difficult to make the homecoming video funny and paced correctly, a problem which is reflected in the often awkward “did they really just say that?” humor that prevailed throughout The Darkest Night.

In my opinion, 2009’s 28 School Days Later was far superior, yet it conversely did not follow the plot of its referential film, 28 Days Later. It had a great

soundtrack, and borrowed humor from several other movies, like Superbad and Anchorman:The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Making up for a lack of raunchy humor was its strange non sequitur humor and surprisingly coherent original plot.

But from my own expectations and what I have heard from my peers, both of these homecoming videos will pale in comparison with the upcoming Hangover spoof Paging Dr. Garran.

Everyone loved The Hangover. It was a huge box office hit and was received incredibly well by critics for a comedy, and was widely watched during the 2009 snowstorm. Already from the trailer I can see that this homecoming video will struggle under the weight of its forbearer, as it won’t be able to use swear words, drug references or even lewd double entendres.

That said, however, this year’s quirky SGA should be able to compensate with strange Woody Allen-esque humor and out-of-character teachers.

Quite the Convenient Quartermaine Coffee

By Alex Spinard Quartermaine, an awardwinning coffee shop, has been conveniently relocated to Georgetown Square, a good location for WJ students, being much closer than the Starbucks across Old Georgetown Road.

Quartermaine serves many WJ students, staff and families daily and is quickly becoming a favorite in the community.

With the Quartermaine Coffee Roasters chain having very few shops, it becomes a “treat” when customers can find a location to get a fresh coffee or tea.

WJ parent Marsha Tollefson, who used to work at Quartermaine in Bethesda, explains the “Quartermaine trick.”

“There are not enough Quartermaine[s] around, [so] if I need coffee quickly, I end up going to Starbucks, [and] I also end up asking them to add extra shots to my coffee, while Quartermaine has it right and with a more personal experience,” she said.

Quartermaine Coffee has an eclectic range of drinks for any coffee or tea connoisseur. From coffee and tea by the cup to wholesale, Quartermaine is the place to go.

Founded in 1991 in Rockville, Quartermaine was started by the original Starbucks founders as a regional alternative to the now globalized Starbucks franchise. For nearly two decades, Quartermaine has prided itself on its commitment to “providing its customers with fresh, flavorful locally roasted coffee.” As opposed to larger coffee shop chains, Quartermaine has the opportunity to closely monitor the

Photo by Stefany Carty

Sophomores Jane Tuszynski and Claire Bergey enjoying Quartermaine Coffee at its new location in Georgetown Square.

coffee they import locally through the Port of Baltimore. Frequently, Quartermaine sends coffee specialists on buying and tasting trips to select their signature Aromatica coffees.

It comes as no surprise to hear that Quartermaine was voted “Best of Bethesda” in Bethesda Magazine for its coffee in 2008. With hundreds of loyal customers, Quartermaine offers a sense of community in each of its stores, greeting frequent customers with a friendly “good morning,” something you may not experience in the Starbucks morning rush. Greg Lucsak, manager of the Quartermaine in G-Square, finds their coffee to be different than that of Starbucks.

“We roast locally in small batches with the beans being delivered to our two retail outlets within 24 hours of roasting,” he said. “A national roaster

like Starbucks produces coffee on a massive scale with beans sitting in warehouses potentially for months before sale.”

Store Locations & Hours

Quartermaine on Bethesda Avenue 4817 Bethesda Ave Bethesda, MD 20814 Store Hours: 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sun. thru Thurs.

6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat.

Quartermaine at Georgetown Square 10400 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 Store Hours: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sun. thru Thurs.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri. and Sat.

Slugger

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Concert Conundrum

By Alexandra Sanfuentes Print Editor-in-Chief

Sploosh. Ah, the sound of Heineken splashing on you. Although you are being pushed, shoved, bumped around and doused with beer (of which there is a 50 percent chance that it has been spit out of someone’s mouth), do you even care? Heck no. Because for months you have been anticipating this concert, ever since you waited for hours until ticket sales opened so you could get your hands on a coveted place in the pit. And now you are there, shoved up nice and close to 50 or so other sweaty, adrenalinerushed fans, standing for what could be up to five hours straight. You are totally unwilling to leave just to get a bottle of water to prevent yourself from keeling over with dehydration for fear of losing your spot near the stage.

Depending on which band you’re undergoing the pit experience for, you could end up with far worse than a grumbling stomach and sore feet.

Whereas buying tickets to go see an indie rock band like Vampire Weekend would only result in a few bumpingsaround, a pit ticket to see Rob Zombie could result in a broken limb and being carted off by EMTs to the sides of the stage.

Along with the potential dangers of being tossed around in the pit comes the immense satisfaction of being just a few feet away from the band you have been attached to for the last three years. So close, in fact, that you can see the perspiration flinging off the band members’ faces by the second hour of the concert.

Mesmerized by the performance and tossed in with the excitement of everyone around you, you close your eyes, expecting to hear the voice of the person who you’ve been listening to via iPod for the last few years. What you end up hearing is the yelling – not singing – of the song lyrics by the 13-yearold super-fan jumping around behind you.

The concert experience is exactly that: an experience. You cannot go to hear a band play and actually expect to hear them. There is so much shouting and squealing that the actual sound of the band is essentially drowned out.

Conversely, if you end up being in the back few rows on the lawn, you can barely see the tiny little stick figures with guitars, in addition to hardly being able to hear the music. Is it even really worth it to drive an hour or so away to go see a band that you won’t even see or, let alone, hear?

I say it is. Why not let the anticipation of simply going to a concert just build up and get you excited? Who cares if you won’t even see the band? Finally arriving and letting everyone’s contagious excitement get to you is half the fun. By the time you get home all you need is a serious shower and ample time for your ear hairs to grow back.

OCTOBER 8, 2010

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

FEATURE

3% not often

A Closer Look at Go Green or Go Home

Is WJ Living Up to Its School Colors?

5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Newer, Greener WJ

Photo courtesy of Lydia Richards

2 4

sometimes

1 3

Many building materials were manufactured locally.

5

More efficient boilers, water pumps, and fans were installed to reduce energy for future building heating and cooling.

90% of WJ students

Information from Samaha Associates P.C.

consistently

of WJ students say a clean environment is important to them 219 students were surveyed during their 3rd period classes from Sept.17 - Sept.30

A Global Perspective on

Pollution Least Polluted Cities

Most Polluted Cities

1. Sumgayit, Azerbaijan 2. Linfen, China 3. Tianying, China 4. Sukinda, India 5. Vapi, India

1. Calgary, Canada 2. Honolulu, USA 3. Helsinki, Finland 4. Ottawa, Canada 5. Minneapolis, USA

6. La Oroya, Peru 7. Dzerzhinsk, Russia 8. Norilsk, Russia 9. Chernobyl, Ukraine 10. Kabwe, Zambia

6 1 2

6. Oslo, Norway 7. Stockholm, Sweden 8. Zurich, Switzerland 9. Katsuyama, Japan 10.Boston, USA Information from www.forbes.com

www.blacksmithinstitute.org

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Instructional rooms were provided with at least one window to maximize natural lighting.

This page corrects a duplicate “the” in the headline as was printed in the original.

2% never

20%

84%

are willing to go out of their way to better the environment

have a recycling bin at home

Infographic by Rosie Hammack

73%

62% of WJ students

By Rosie Hammack and Lily Sieradzki

When possible, the existing structure was modernized instead of being totally demolished or reconstructed.

The wood for interior doors and other wood items was harvested from properly managed sustainable forests.

recycle at home?

THE ENVIRONMENT

A couple of years ago, if you were to walk up to one of WJ’s recycling bins, open it up and look inside, chances are you would find some questionable contents. Then again, chances are you probably would have some trouble finding a recycling bin to peek into in the first place.

It’s easy to look at the school’s large student base and lengthy modernization process and automatically assume the worst, but the fact is, over the years, WJ as a whole has been taking large strides to better its environmental footprint.

Over the course of the modernization process, much attention was given to being as “green” as possible. Although the lengthiness of the process did not allow for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification, a title given by the U.S. Green Building Council to buildings that meet certain high environmental standards, the construction was as environmentally friendly as possible. According to Principal Christopher Garran, some of the many “green” design features of the improved WJ include classroom markerboards consisting of renewable “wheat straw” cores, 40 percent recycled bathroom toilet partitions, ceramic floor tiles made of recycled post-industrial by-products and high efficiency lighting.

And, as far as recycling goes, business manager and building service supervisor Kathy Cosgrove has noticed a marked improvement since she first set foot in the school three years ago.

“When we first put the [recycling] centers out there, they would barely fill up,” said Cosgrove. “Now they’re overflowing, with the proper recycling in the proper place.”

Science teacher and environmental club sponsor Patricia Tierney has also noticed a recent improvement in WJ’s recycling.

“I think recycling is being done much more consistently now than it was done in the past,” she said.

Still, there is always room for improvement. Tierney attributes much of the country’s energy crisis to heating, cooling and transportation, three issues that are not faced with as much practicality as possible at WJ. Although the school utilizes centralized heating and cooling, WJ’s system is not foolproof and has experienced many technical difficulties in the past few years. According to Cosgrove, in addition to those issues, WJ’s grade for recycling may have gone from a “C” to an “A,” but that does not mean there is no room for improvement.

“I see so many teachers and students just walking along and mindlessly dropping their plastic soda bottle in the trash,” said Cosgrove.

And she is not the only one noticing it. Tierney and Garran both say that they have also caught many students in the act of putting the wrong waste into the wrong receptacle. “[With regards to recycling,] consequences, either positive or negative, really help,” said Tierney, who tries to focus on reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible. “The thing is to always think about the larger picture.”

Although senior Therese Camagnone admits to occasionally tossing recyclables into the trashcan for the sake of convenience, she tries to make a habit of recycling at school and at home.

“It’s not that hard,” she said. “Yeah, you have to carry your bottles to a recycling bin, but there’s enough around school that you can find a place to put your stuff away.”

According to Garran, he and the building services team attempted to avoid this problem by making the shapes of each receptacle correspond with its intended type of waste. Apparently, that has not stopped some students and teachers from stuffing, in Garran’s words, a bologna sandwich into the paper recycling.

What many students and teachers do not know is that when a recycling bin is contaminated with enough non-recyclable materials, the entire bin must be tossed in the garbage and ultimately must head to the landfill as opposed to the recycling plant.

Garran has a simple solution for this unnecessary problem.

“If you have trash, put it in the trash can,” said Garran. “If you have paper, put it in the paper recycling. If you have bottles, put it in the bottle recycling. And if you do that, we’ll be good to go.”

But, according to Garran, Tierney and Cosgrove, WJ’s future looks bright. They agree that WJ has been improving each year and that, as long as the environment remains a priority, more improvements are yet to come.

“I have high hopes for us,” said Cosgrove.

11 How often do you

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FEATURE

Photo by Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL, Infographic by Feature Staff

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FEATURE

OCTOBER 8, 2010

WJ Goes Gallivanting in the Galapagos

By Jenny Deutsch

Almost 200 years after the famous Charles Darwin explored, investigated and made unprecedented discoveries in the Galapagos Islands, 10 APEX students from WJ embarked on their own journey to the Galapagos with high hopes to discover and learn just like fellow biology enthusiast Darwin. Whether it was catologuing plants on a farm, snorkeling off the coast of Santa Cruz or exploring remote islands via cruise boat, the students who went on the trip were able to take their interest in biology to a whole new level.

From June 17 to June 28, the students visited the Galapagos, a collection of various small islands situated about 600 miles west of Ecuador. This trip was not sponsored by WJ, but rather was organized by science teachers and husband-and-wife pair Michael and Patricia Richards. The Richards put in the work related to this trip to promote the beneficial experience of hands-on science.

“The great thing was we all had Mrs. Richards [as a teacher], so we got to focus and experience the things we had previously learned in her class,” said junior Emily Fallick.

Over the course of the trip, the students applied knowledge that they had previously learned in the classroom with Richards, with an emphasis on biology. During the first leg of the expedition, the students resided on a farm of the Foundation for Responsible Alternative Development of Galapagos, which is located in Santa Cruz, Ecuador. There, the students participated in many team-building exercises.

“I became good friends with new faces and better friends with old ones,” said junior Rachel Simon.

On the farm, the students learned about various plants in the Galapagos and worked in an effort to improve their ecosystems. They achieved this by identifying the different species of plants that were present on the farmland.

“We specified if the plant was native, endemic, invasive or introduced,” said Simon.

“This test was conducted to help farmers choose the best crop that would allow endemic and native species of plants to thrive.”

The Galapagos Islands are often threatened by invasive species.While the students were there, they assisted in efforts in removing blackberry plants, called “mora” in Spanish, that were threatening the well-being of the ecosystem.

“I learned a lot about the Galapagos’ fragile environment,” said Fallick. “It showed me that blackberries, which have never been a problem here, have the potential to destroy and cause devastation among the wildlife in the Galapagos.”

According to Fallick, the second week of the trip was superior to the first. During the next leg of the trip, the students travelled to Tortuga Bay, located in Santa Cruz.

There, the students enjoyed the beauty of the coast, where they saw thousands of sea iguanas littering the shore.

“It was all phenomenal, just beautiful,” said Patricia Richards.

The students visited a high school and interacted with Ecuadorian kids their age. They also visited the Darwin Research Foundation, where they learned about many of the animals of the Galapagos, including the 14 different species of tortoises. At the Darwin Research Foundation, the students measured baby tortoises.

“They were so cute and small, they could fit on the palm of your hand,” said Fallick.

Over the last couple of days of the trip, the students lived on the Aida Maria, a cruise boat, sailing to many other islands, including Daphne Major.

“The whole time our guide had us hiking and snorkeling with the most amazing fish, sea lions, sea turtles, iguanas and birds of all kinds,” said Simon.

“None of the animals were shy of humans and at some points it was hard to not step on an animal because there were just so many.”

The students explored their passion in biology and learned things that they could not have learned inside a classroom.

“We actually got to experience what things are like,” said Fallick. “Reading from a textbook is theoretical learning.You have to imagine what the author is talking about and take their word that what they are saying is real. Going to the Galapagos, I can [see] what things are actually like.”

Photos courtesy of Lydia Richards

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OCTOBER 8, 2010

Meet WJ’s New Teachers Butler 1) Jeremy Social Studies

Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?

A: [A teacher ] really looked out for me and made such a tremendous difference in my life; that was what got me into education.

Q: What were you like as a student? Did you play any pranks?

A: There was one time when I was in high school where we put a whoopie cushion under our teacher’s seat, and as soon as he sat down it went off. That was a good day.

Q: If you were locked in WJ for the weekend, what would you do?

A: Paintball.

3) David AdamsMath

In 1999, Jerry Weast accepted the appointed position of MCPS superintendent, determined to make sweeping changes in the curriculum as well as the county’s expectations of students. 12years and many system-changing decisions later, he has officially decided to step down on June 30, 2011.

“It’s kind of a giant leap,” said Weast.

“It’s very much like graduating from high school. But I know if I fail at retirement, I can always go back to another superintendency somewhere.”

According to social studies teacher Steve Miller, this leap has come about 10 years after many had expected it to.

Miller blames this laughable prediction on Weast’s initial reputation as one who planned on making vast changes to the MCPS system.

These plans were not merely empty promises. Principal Christopher Garran has felt first hand the impacts of Weast’s 12-year leadership.

“I think that Dr. Weast has completely focused our system on the achievement gap and on making sure that we are honest about how our students are doing in school,” he said. “I would say that he has helped us to accelerate our focus on honors and AP work, making sure that students have opportunities to be challenged. Not just some kids; all students have that opportunity.”

According to an Ed Week study, MCPS now has the highest graduation rate in the country. Weast adds that the race, socioeconomic position and zip code of any given student are not as predictable as they were 12 years ago.

Foreign Language

Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?

A: That’s really interesting, because I didn’t know that I wanted to be a teacher. I’ve only been teaching for four years now.

Q: What were you like as a student? Did you play any pranks?

A: I was a total nerd. I was very bookish, and I loved to study and read. I was a reporter on the school newspaper.

Q: Is there anything you really want the student body to know about you?

A: I’ve had two children graduate from WJ. I feel like I know the school from many different perspectives, and I am thrilled to be here.

Weast’s Retirement: Looking Forward Miller, who was working at WJ for one year before Weast became superintendent, has found that over the course of those 12 years the curriculum has also become more standardized and controlled on the county level.

Weast’s leadership style has played a large part in his successful implementation of county-wide changes.

“He is a fairly plain talker,” said Miller. “I’ve been in some teacher’s union meetings where he’s been talking, and he doesn’t beat around the bush.”

Garran finds this tendency refreshing and important in a superintendent.

“He’s not going to come in and sugarcoat anything with you, and I appreciate that honesty,” he said.

Looking ahead, it seems Weast’s departure will not mean the reversal of many years of hard work. While Miller admits that he does not know who the next superintendent might be or what he or she might plan to do, he suspects that the Board of Education will not be interested in changing many aspects of MCPS. “On the one hand, I’m very appreciative of what Weast has done for the school system,” said Garran. “On the other hand, I’m excited about the next step that the system will take under the next superintendent.”

Weast does not leave MCPS in June without parting words.

“I think MCPS will go on and continue to climb to the stratosphere of education,” he said. “Success would be if we could get every child to envision a future that had them in it and that buillds upon their strengths and what they like to do. We’re on the pathway to success.”

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Interviews by Emil Hafeez

2) Lori Spak

Q: If I walked into your classroom on a typical afternoon, what would I see going on?

A: Me changing the world.

Q: What were you like as a student? Did you play any pranks?

A: Sometimes I got in trouble for being a little too sassy.

Q: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

A: Scrumptrulescent - look it up.

By Rosie Hammack

FEATURE

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3 Photos by Stefany Carty

I’m Sorry, “Friends”

By Sophie Meade Print Entertainment Editor

I admit I am guilty. I am guilty of abuse, guilty of poor grammar, guilty of satirical motives. And I’m sorry! Well actually…the sorry might be going a little far. But at least we have it out in the open.

I can’t bring myself to type another word, to ‘like’ another post or to update the world on my current activity until I make my complete declaration of all my Facebook crimes. Let them be a warning to all Facebookers of the universe (high school, I mean).

1) Status Bombs: They come out of nowhere, flinging the innocent from where they sit snugly in their computer chairs. I cite a recent status: “all you Facebook ppl...how silly you are. what is it that you want?? identity? inclusiveness?? to reign over a small social empire??!!/? all i want is an L-O-L. and i will take one from you and you and you and YOU, thnx you.”

It’s vicious isn’t it? You, little blonde kid, sitting and playing Farmville, you wouldn’t hurt a fly! And you, girl with the winged eyeliner- you were just telling your BFF how pretty she looks in her profile picture! And then BAM! Like a land mine, it hits as you return to your newsfeed. Forgive me for my blindness, blameless Facebookers across the grids!

2) Misspelling=Misdemeanor: Who knew letter substitutions could be so ruthless? Well, they are when flung at those who have a weak stomach for such atrocities. I hope these kewl’s, lyke’s and gurlz’s didn’t permanently tarnish your concept of spelling, or even worse, phonetics. I can’t take them back. In fact they may have already infiltrated your school papers and daily conversation.

But what I can do is let you know that thyme is a spice not a measurement of daily life and that in no twisted world could a ‘d’ replace ‘th’!

3) Deceitful Derision (Sarcasm): We all say things we don’t mean. But that hardly excuses my pointedly reverse statements. In the midst of my most sinful days, I once said, “just realised dat some ppl have CR@aziiee facebook skills/abilities...dey rlly noe how to ‘work it’ in dis cyberworld!!!11->&*>maybz dey cud teach me sumthyme??!1” My honest translation: “Just realized that some people totally eat up this Facebook bullsh**. They really have a pathetic idea of authentic communication. I am so glad I am not them.”

Despite the excessive apologies, I still wonder: am I really “not them?”

In reality, I am guilty of more than just these fickle items, but of double standards. By being indirectly sarcastic yet pointed in my criticisms, I have come full circle and met the people I scorn on the same end. As Facebook users, we are so often guilty of artificial interactions and our genuine social abilities are constantly at risk.You owe it to yourself to simply be aware of your intentions and implications in every Facebook move you make. So keep up your guard social networkers.

If you stay true, I will too.

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14 Out of Left Field:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 8, 2010

Fall TV Preview: Crime

By Josh Benjamin

&

Comedy

By Danielle Markowitz

>>Boardwalk Empire

>>Running Wilde

“Boardwalk Empire,” HBO’s new period drama based on the true story by Nelson Johnson, is set in late 1920s Atlantic City and tells the story of the prohibition era and the mob culture it created. Character actor Steve Buscemi plays central figure Nucky Thompson, a shady politician aiming to control the underground alcohol market. Drama arises as federal agents tail Nucky and fellow mobsters get jealous of his power. Buscemi’s performance is complimented

by Michael Pitt as Jimmy Darmody, an out-of-work war veteran who becomes Nucky’s protégé. Oscarwinner Martin Scorsese, director of the pilot, infuses his trademark style in “Empire” with the graphic nature of the dialogue and violence. “Empire” is a stylish production representing old time Atlantic City glamour, and, while certainly interesting, teenage viewers may find it difficult to pick up on some early 20th century cultural references.

(HBO Sundays at 9 p.m.)

“Running Wilde,” which premiered Sept. 21 on Fox from the creators of “Arrested Development,” was an undeniable flop. “Running Wilde” chronicles the life of filthy rich man-boy Steven Wilde (Will Arnett), as he attempts to win back his childhood sweetheart, Emmy (Keri Russell), a humanitarian who spent most of her adult life protesting while living in the jungle.

Opposites do attract, but these two characters are almost too polar to coexist. The plot is extremely predictable, and the attempts along the way at comic relief from interesting sidekicks with funny accents and mustaches come across as too stereotypical to enjoy.

In the end, this new comedy is a good idea poorly executed. For those who are fans of alternative comedies with awkward humor, you may want to check out “Running Wilde,” but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

(FOX Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m.)

Photo illustrations by Sophie Meade; Photos courtesy of hbo.com, nbc.com, dailyinvention/flickr, fox.com and nbc.com

>>Law & Order: Los Angeles

>>Community

Popular criminal drama “Law and Order” is moving to the West Coast with the newest edition in the series, “Law and Order: Los Angeles.” The first episode in this new location opens with the attempted murder of a famous actor’s girlfriend. Detectives Rex Winters (Skeet Ulrich) and Tomas “TJ” Jaruszalski (Corey Stoll) are assigned to the case, but they have less than stellar acting skills, weakening the tension of dramatic scenes. Winters and Jaruszalski get a lead in the unsolved case from socialite Chelsea Sennett (Danielle Panabaker) and the investigation moves along to a tidy ending. The show is most exciting when focusing on the fabulous lives and social circles of the celebrities populating the Hollywood Hills, a convenient backdrop for secretive crime happenings.

Although NBC canceled the original series in May to transition to a new series, it was brought back to its new California home to keep up the ratings among the crime show’s diehard viewers.

(NBC Wednesdays at 10 p.m.)

For those who know of the show “Community” as the program in the time slot before “30 Rock” and “The Office,” you are frightfully ignorant of one of the greatest new wonders of modern television. From the directors of “Arrested Development” comes NBC’s “Community,” a show following an eclectic group of misfits trying to survive the absurdities of community college.

Main characters include Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), an inspirational, rambling ex-lawyer, Britta (Gillian Jacobs), an activist, Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), a sassy mother of two, Pierce (Chevy Chase), an old man a little too set in his ways, Troy (Donald Glover), a high school football star who lost his scholarship money, Abed (Danny Pudi), a regular kid living in the world of pop culture and Annie (Alison Brie), an overachiever with obsessive tendencies. If “Scrubs” and “Friends” had a baby, it would be “Community.” So for those of you who miss these old programs, tune in because you never know what will happen at Greendale Community College.

(NBC Thursdays at 8 p.m.)

the

Pitch

OCTOBER 8, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

fall fashion review

15

The art of imitation

By Sophie Meade and Eleanor Janhunen Style is based in imitation. As unromantic as it sounds, this copycat tendency is within human nature. We hope to emulate the ideas and individuals we admire.

Fashion publication “how-to’s” provide us with the tools to create our imitation: “How to accessorize,” “How to dress for evening,” “How to wear leather...pastels...lace...” The list goes on.

Our study of imitation, whether through fashion magazines or our own observation, teaches us to recognize patterns: “Skinny pants with flowy tops,” “loose dresses with a belted waist,” etc. These patterns are the components of our mechanical style toolbox, and nothing more. They are merely the ability to know what-goes-with-what, what flatters and what doesn’t, etc.

Therefore, the toolbox is the basis of style, but nothing without its counterpart that makes style personal: your tastes and sensibilities, which, with care and use of the tools, can blossom into an aesthetic. But fashion magazines and/ or habitual observation of patterns can only provide you with one half of the equation, leaving many unaware of their mechanical approach to a potentially imaginative style.

We managed to inch closer to this uncharted territory by simply establishing a clear difference between the toolbox and the aesthetic. The looks we’ve created each incorporate the current trends seen in this season’s iconic runway looks, but differ in their approach. While one strictly captures the mechanics of the look, the other is loyal only to the aesthetic - leaving room for personal variation.

If style-conscious individuals are able to infuse each of these approaches into their own dress, mastering both the toolbox and the aesthetic, their personal expression through style will be limitless. Now that’s a “how-to.” (Cheaper alternatives to runway wear can be found at Urban Outfitters,Top Shop and South Moon Under!)

Look 1: Sheer Fabric

Nude Palette

Lace Detailing

Look 2: Leather Pants

Symmetrical Buttons

Metalware Embellishment

Symmetrical Buttons

Lace Detailing

Military Epaulets

Chain Embellishment Menswear Blazer

Nude Color Sheer Neckline Lace Detailing Nude Color Feminine Tiers Lady-like T-Straps

Leather Leggings

Symmetrical Buttons Photo courtesy of valentino.com Photos coutesy of southmoonunder.com, topshop.com, urbanoutfitters.com, jcrew.com, stevenmadden.com and americanapparel.net

Dainty Heels

Suede Ankle Boots

Photo courtesy of balmain.com

Platform Heels

the

16 And on the Seventh Day, He Tweeted

By Ian Green The other day I was in a meeting with a representative from Elon University, when he asked me and my fellow students there if we were on Twitter. I, along with one other unfortunate soul, raised my hand. We were outcasts in a cold, Twitter-less world.

The representative then queried as to why students aren’t on Twitter, and a few responded saying that there was Facebook instead. Well, I’m here today to write a thorough and dense manifesto as to why Twitter should be embraced by you, the WJ community.

A common misconception about Twitter is that it’s Facebook without the pictures, that stupid Farmville game and all your near and dear friends. All 657 of them.

I’ll admit that Twitter doesn’t have Farmville. (If that news bums you out, then either you’re a seventh grader masquerading as a ninth grader so you can use Facebook at an earlier age or…just leave.)

But what it does have is status updates. These aren’t just status updates from your dumbass friend Mike that he “loves this weather” or some obscure lyrics from that music-loving wallflower who is superior to you in every way.

Instead of your dumb buddy gabbing about meaningless drivel, you can read celebrities talking about meaningless drivel. A very key distinction.

You can follow the recently unemployed, (“Just spent all day at Legoland. It was so much fun, next time I think I’ll bring my children”) but still hilarious Conan O’Brien? Or get biblical advice, (“THERE IS A GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”) from the toast-giving scumbag Kanye West?

Twitter is not just a way to get a good laugh; it can also be a very good way to get information. You can follow websites you like, or get up-to-date sports news from ESPN. And if you get your friends involved, you can tweet with them too.

But therein lies the problem.Why should I join Twitter if none of my friends are on it? Well… …Maybe you need some new friends. Some that are more successful and attractive (Harsh, but true). You can follow Bill Gates or Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue’s cover model Brooklyn Decker to hear her ongoing opinions on world affairs.

A direct brush with a celebrity happened to me the other day on Twitter when I read some fuming tweets

AN

D

OUT ABOUT

By Cami Keyani and Sophie Meade ARTS & CRAFTS FESTS 10.16-17 Bethesda Row Arts Festival This annual festival is one of Bethesda’s best offerings of the entire year, featuring over 180 handpicked artists from across the nation. The streets are filled with photography, jewelry, ceramics, drawings, paintings, metalwork, sculpture, digital art and more.

All proceeds are directed toward NIH Children’s Charities.

10.9 Ballston Arts & Crafts Market This hip craft market in Arlington has handmade jewelry, purses, clothes and art for sale. The Ballston market also features local musicians and gourmet food. A lot of cool buys but relatively pricey. Accessible by Metro.

OCTOBER 8, 2010

The Music Effect

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Pitch

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Jemile Safaraliyeva

Follow me.

FOLLOW ME!!!!

Photos courtesy of david_shankbone and ryankolsen

Conan O’Brien and Kanye West are known on Twitter for having an abundance of followers.

from the head of an entertainment website I frequent.

After the recent Redskins loss to the Texans, he was irate at the Texans coach for calling a timeout before the Redskins’ Graham Gano lined up to attempt the game-winning field goal, “icing the kicker” in the process.

He went on to say Redskins coach Mike Shanahan wouldn’t do the same thing to the Texans’ kicker.

However, I knew that Shanahan actually invented this method back in 2007, and I tweeted an article to him from 2007 describing this. He was impressed with my knowledge and we talked Redskins.

A quasi-quasi-quasi internet celebrity head honcho of an Oscar prognosticator website was impressed with me? I could just die. And where else could this connection happen? Only on Twitter.

I realize that Twitter is pretty much a complete and total waste of your time. It shows how sickly obsessed our society is with celebrities. It gives normal folk the idea that people want to hear what they have to say.

You could be planting trees, hitting the books or writing a vampire novel. But I know that none of you will do that in your precious free time. So get off your Facebook, and waste your time with something that matters.

Since music is such a staple in youth culture today, it’s not surprising that different types of music aid in relaxing us or inspiring us. Music has a powerful effect on the individual, with the ability to shape how we feel. Studies have found that different genres of music have varying effects upon our emotions.

Classical music, while the least popular among high school students, is the most empowering. It has the ability to reduce tension, stimulate creativity and enhance spatial-temporal reasoning. “The Mozart Effect,” a 1993 study from University of California, has been proven to help with short-term memory improvement. Listening to Mozart for 10 minutes provides individuals with a boost in their cognitive reasoning, allowing them to score higher on spatial reasoning tasks such as matching quizzes. Rap and hip-hop music arefound to be invigorating, encouraging movement and energy.

Ultimately, the music we choose produces strong sensations that trigger memories and emotions and change the way we feel and learn. Music’s power lies in its ability to gratify or upset our moods, depending on our song selections. It also has the ability to aid learning and can be used as an effective study tool.

In fact, music can act like white noise in the background, blocking out distractions and allowing more focus on work. Music uses a different side of the brain than the side needed in normal working life, so it stimulates and restores balance.

Not only does music gives students something to sing and dance to, but it also has the power to make us happier individuals. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music helps ease the symptoms of depression and even helps to relieve pain.

Whether it is used for entertainment or mental work, music has the ability to make individuals feel calm, revitalized or energetic. Its inherently powerful nature has the ability to alter moods, making it a valuable tool both in the classroom and for the individual.

After all, music is a universal tool for altering moods.

Photo graphics by Sasha Tycko

Your monthly guide to area events

MOVIES 11.11 Never Let Me Go at AFI This British dystopian drama tells the tale of three childhood friends attending a seemingly blissful boarding school, only to later face their harsh fate when they leave the school’s shelter. Starring Oscar-nominees Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley, this independent film is sure to intrigue both genders alike.

Photo courtesy of foxsearchlight.com

Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, and Andrew Garfield star in the new British film at AFI.

10.14-30 Halloween on Screen at AFI AFI continues its annual tradition of Halloween-themed film showings with a new handful of both old and new movies. Check out the calendar at AFI.com for various screenings, which include “Nosferatu,” “Tucker & Dale vs Evil,” “Let the Right One In” and “Dawn of the Dead.”

MUSIC 10.26 k-os at Sonar The indie artist known primarily for “Born to Run,” k-os will be performing at the Baltimore club Sonar. Parking in the city is never easy, so taxi or walking is preferable. Tickets are $15. Photo courtesy of k-osmusic.com All ages should expect to be carded.

ART Through 10.16 “Abstraction: More than meets the eye” This art exhibition at Strathmore Hall includes several works of abstract art, ranging from surreal paintings to a seashell tea kettle. Located directly across from the Grosvenor Metro. Free entry.

Through 1.9 The Healing Power of Art:Works of Art by Haitian Children after the Earthquake This new exhibit in the Smithsonian African Art Museum features art collected from art centers organized by the First Lady of Haiti, Elizabeth Preval.The exhibit also features a film about the art centers, Plas Timoun, and how they were created using converted busses. Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of africa.si.edu

Art by a child victim of the Haiti earthquake

MISCELLANEOUS 10.15 Drumming Circle Longing to break the rhythmically redundant flow of student life? The Mindfulness Center, a Bethesda wellness center offering acupuncture, massage, aerobic classes and more hosts this free group event (optional donation) from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 4963 Elm St., Suite 100.

Pitch

the

OCTOBER 8, 2010

Athletes of the Month

SPORTS

Michael Tillman

By Ryan Lynch

Photo courtesy of Alec Marks

Dana Marks

By Brendan Benge

Last year’s field hockey team’s 10-2 season came to an end with a heartbreaking second round playoff loss at the hands of B-CC. Expectations for this year’s team are to go even further.

After first team All-Gazette player Georgina Beven graduated, senior captain Dana Marks has stepped up to lead the new team. “[Dana] shows leadership through her actions,” said coach Erika Murray. “She is always pumping the team up before the game and at halftime. She is very energetic.”

Marks has set the bar very high for field hockey this season.

“At the beginning of the season, we set a team goal to win states…and beat B-CC,” said Marks. Although WJ lost in

Photo by John Collins

a close game to B-CC earlier this season, the team is well on its way to winning states with a 6-2 record, putting them second place in the conference. WJ field hockey hopes to carry this success into the playoffs, where it has struggled to make it past the second round, reaching the third round only once in the past three years.

Marks leads a defense that has been the strength for the team this season, allowing only five goals in seven games, including three shutouts. The defensive unit around Marks is very experienced, with four returning seniors. They had a stand-out performance against Richard Montgomery, where they were able to hold RM scoreless, earning a 1-0 win.

After graduating, Marks hopes to continue playing field hockey at the collegiate level.

“I am applying to different division three schools where I hope I can continue to play,” said Marks.

“He’s very athletically inclined, strong, fast and a keen goal scorer.” – coach Mike Williams Senior Michael Tillman almost immediately identified soccer as his favorite sport after playing for the first time around age four. He has continued to pursue his passion through high school.

Since his sophomore year, Tillman has been a member of the boys varsity soccer team, progressing each year as a player with increasing game experience. All of his hard work and preparation has led to his being selected as one of three team captains at the beginning of the season as well as helping the team earn a number four ranking in TheWashington Post.

Tillman’s soccer career does not only include his participation in the WJ boys soccer team. He first played in the Maryland Region One Premier League as a member of the Bethesda Arsenal from 2002-2009, and then he joined the Potomac Cougars, winners of the 2010 Maryland State Cup Championship.

During the summer,Tillman quickly realized that he had only one more year left of high school, only one more year as a member of the WJ soccer team. While he continues to enjoy every minute of his high school soccer career, Tillman decided early on that he did not want the excitement of playing soccer to end with high school.

“I began to seriously look at col-

17

leges this summer,” said Tillman.

Being offered a scholarship to play soccer at Coastal Carolina University inspired Tillman to train harder than ever before in the offseason.

“I trained a lot this summer and attended a camp at Coastal Carolina University,” said Tillman. The knowledge and advice that those coaches shared with him helped him become a better, more complete player.

Williams believes that this year’s team is one of the strongest he has coached while at WJ. Due to the constant attention that Tillman receives from opposing teams, he continues to open up opportunities for teammates to flourish and significantly impact games.

Williams and Tillman agree that this year’s team is not only talented, but very deep, having multiple capable players at each position. Both admire the team’s craftiness and creativity when presented with offensive scoring opportunities.

While Tillman has verbally committed himself to Coastal Carolina, he is still very focused on the season at hand.

“My number one goal for this season is to bring back a state championship title to WJ,” said Tillman. “It’s been a dream of mine since coming here, [which was in] the year following the last time boys soccer won states in the 2006-2007 season.”

The team will look to secure the number one seed in the 4A West region before playoff brackets are announced on Oct. 25.

the

18

Pitch

SPORTS

OCTOBER 8, 2010

Serving an Ace of Sportsmanship

Girls tennis demonstrates the gift of high school sports at WJ

By Hannah Flesch

I

n their first match of the season against Watkins Mill, the girls tennis team reinforced one of the strongest characteristics of the WJ community: a willingness to give back, help and contribute to those who are in need.

The Wildcats (Division I) arrived at their match at Watkins Mill (Division III) prepared to play their season opener, only to find that many of the Watkins Mill players had never played tennis before and that the team did not have an official coach. According to WJ players, Watkins Mill’s courts were ill-prepared, lacking net straps to keep the nets steady and low, which made it difficult to play a consistent and competitive match.

Watkins Mill did not have second and third doubles teams, so an automatic forfeit victory went to WJ in those matches. Meanwhile, in the first doubles matchup, senior co-captains Maggie Speer and Ksenia Kirilyuk recognized the uneven level of skill and realized the opportunity to promote the game of tennis by teaching the Wolverine players the rules and fundamentals of tennis. The two instructed how to serve, where to stand on the court and when to rotate positions on the court.

“We could have been jerks and not helped them,” said Speer. “But we were classy women and taught girls who were str uggling what we know and helped them improve their tennis game.”

The opportunity to compete at a high level while being a studentathlete creates a unique opportunity for those of all skills to participate and learn the game. Speer and Kirilyuk together demonstrated why high school sports are not just about competition; it enables people to learn new skills, meet others and to simply have a good time.

“It was the ultimate act of sportsmanship,” said athletic director Sue Amos.

“It showed maturity beyond their years.”

Amos explained that with individualbased sports, mismatches in skill level occasionally happen, especially in golf,

Photo courtesy of

Nora Horvai

With an individual-based sport like tennis, players can get to know their opponent and help each other improve.

“

It was the ultimate act of sportsmanship, said athletic director Sue Amos. It showed maturity beyond their years. track and tennis.

“You just don’t want teams to be mean-spirited,” she said.

“It was fun helping out people who like the game [of tennis],” said Kirilyuk. “ I really enjoyed it.”

She said she felt great to be able to teach the game of tennis, enabling and promoting “the opportunity for people to become friends and family” with the Watkins Mill players.

Amos credited the team with representing the entireWJ community toward

y Carty Photo by Stefan

”

their high-school counterparts, illustrating why WJ continues to be known for their positive contributions to others and its dedication to giving back to other communities in other ways besides sports.

Last year WJ alone raised $29,000 for the annual Pennies for Patients drive and promoted numerous fundraisers to a long list of charity organizations including those who helped the Haiti and Chilean earthquake relief projects.

“I’m not surprised because the school has a history of actively helping out in the community, said junior Sarah Rich-

man. “We’re passionate about sports, so we’re passionate about helping out people in sports.”

Speer affirmed if a similar situation occurs during the situation, “we’ll just do the same thing. We’ll put smiles on our faces and help that team out who is struggling.”

The lack of proper net straps has raised some questions as to how county schools allocate their funds for each sport, even though there may be other reasons for the inadequate equipment.

(For more information about allocation of funds, see page 3.)

With the match at Wootton too late to cover, the 5-4 tennis team will look to play its next match today against Paint Branch 3:30 p.m.

This page adds photo credits missing in the original version.

For up-to-date sports scores and news, check out

Photo by Peter Dolan

WJPitch.com

Photo by Alec Marks

Photo by Ned Ahnell

the

Pitch

OCTOBER 8, 2010

SPORTS

WJ Seniors Ready to Run 26.2 for Charitable Cause

By Daniel Gorelik This Halloween marks the 35 annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Joining the registration list this year are senior cross country runners Seth Markowitz and Carl Adams. This will be their first marathon, although both have run a half marathon in the past. Their training process has been long.

“I started serious preparation around the end of school last year,” said Markowitz.

Both have been practicing by doing long runs over the weekends and going to cross country practices during the week. Some of their exercises include running 15 miles or more runs. The half marathons they ran gave them a feel of what to expect and helped them train.

Running is something Adams and Markowitz like to do. They especially love running with their friends.

“It takes a lot of effort and determination,” said Adams.

They are both running this marathon for charitable organizations. Adams will be running for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charity for wounded veterans and their families at Walter Reed Hospital. Markowitz will be running for the Washington Humane Society, which cares for about 30,000 animals each year. The better they run, the more money will Lynn University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability and/or age in administration of its educational and admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and /or other school-administered programs.

th

go to these charities.

The pair’s passion for running began with cross country.

“This marathon is...relat[ed] to all my years [of] running for WJ,” Markowitz said.

The two are focused solely on the Marine Corps Marathon at the moment but the idea of running other marathons has crossed their minds. The two have considered running the Boston Marathon, which is a much harder race, because qualification for this marathon requires the marathon to be run in under three hours and 10 minutes. But participating in this marathon isn’t something that they have ruled out.

“If we qualify for it, I’ll do it,” Adams said.

Becoming a good cross country runner may be a gradual process, but those who are looking into running cross country don’t need to feel worried about being really fast right away, according to Adams and Markowitz. They say that the best thing to do when starting to run is to “take it slow.” They say that, initially, you should do what you can. Gradually, both of these runners have worked their way up to running a marathon.

Adams and Markowitz are focused in their training for the event next month.

They are confident and all they can hope for is that all their hard work will pay off.

19

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Sports

For WJ tennis team, sportsmanship triumphs

20

pg.

18

For breaking scores stats and stories, visit The Pitch Online @ WJPitch.com

OCTOBER 8, 2010

Shooting for States

Boys soccer is worth getting excited about

By Parker Smith WJ soccer just keeps winning. After starting the season with a loss and a tie to out-of-county opponents Marriotts Ridge and Bowie in the Sherwood Invitational Tournament on Sept. 4, the team has rounded off seven straight county wins behind a potent offense and a talented defense.

“We are a very attack-minded, possession team,” said coach Mike Williams. “We want to have the ball as long as we can to create scoring chances and score goals.”

The team’s offense attacks from all angles and has been very effective thus far, scoring 18 goals in the team’s seven straight wins. The offense is led by senior striker Michael Tillman (see Athlete of the Month, page 17), who leads the team with seven goals, along with junior striker Noah Sheetz-Ziegel (five goals), and sophomore strikers Juan Ortiz (four goals, four assists) and Mateo Arenas-Rivero (three goals, three assists).

While the team has exhibited offensive prowess, it has been the team’s ever-improving defense that has allowed them to maintain success. The team has talent on defense, but Williams has focused on inspiring his players to be aggressive and relentless in their efforts to win the ball back.

“You should be kind of upset if you don’t have that ball and you really work hard to get it back,” said Williams, “and I think that we’re learning that, and we’ve made tremendous improvement in that regard.”

Aggression is a key component of a good team defense, but senior goalie

2 # 4 7

+

average WJ goal differential Washington Post ranking among all public and private schools in the Metro area

straight wins entering Wednesday’s game

Oct. 14 7pm

vs. Blair

Oct. 16 430pm

@ Magruder

Oct. 21 7pm

@ Damascus

Liam Collins notes that the team also needs to stay composed.

“If we keep our cool, we can stop any attack,” said Collins.

An increasingly aggressive defense and a relentless, attacking offense have combined to provide an excitingly successful team that is ranked No. 4 in the Metro area in the Washington Post.

Despite this success, the team needs to keep from becoming overconfident.

“Williams has done a good job o f keeping us humble,” said senior back Jonathan Fix. “He makes sure that we know that our record doesn’t affect how we play; it’s the hard work that we

Oct. 25

MD State Tournament brackets drawn Oct. 26 7pm

vs. Einstein

All stats and scores current as of Oct. 6

put in.”

Looking forward, members of the WJ community can’t help but think about a possible state championship. With upcoming games against Blair, Magruder and Damascus, the Wildcats stand a good chance of having a 12-0 county record when the brackets are drawn on Oct. 25, and henceforth receiving a high seed in the state tournament. Williams warns, however, that there are areas where the team will need to improve if the team wants a deep run into the playoffs.

“We need to be more consistent. We need to have more of a killer instinct,” said Williams. “And we still need to be

Photos by John Collins

more aggressive on defense.”

If the team can be as relentless without the ball as they are with it, and the team shows up to play hard every single game, this team has a good shot at a state championship.