The Pitch Issue 2 19-20

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The Pitch

Walter Johnson’s Student Newspaper

Walter Johnson High School

November 1, 2019

Volume 65, Issue 2

6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814

Storming into the history books By Gabe Riveiro Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡”

By Emma Saltzman and Emily Speranza થ †‹–‘”• Vaping A new law bars teenagers from purchasing tobacco and vaping products by raising the age to be able to purchase the products from 18 to 21. Š‹• Žƒ™ ÂƒĆĄÂ‡Â…Â–Â• ƒŽŽ ”‡•‹†‡Â?–• except for active duty military Â?‡Â?„‡”• ƒÂ?† ™‡Â?– ‹Â?–‘ ‡ƥ‡…– on Oct. 1. Vaping has been a major topic in the news lately, as new diseases relating to vap‹Â?‰ Šƒ˜‡ ‡Â?‡”‰‡†ǥ ÂƒĆĄÂ‡Â…Â–Â‹Â?‰ many minors. The new law is ƒÂ? ‡ƥ‘”– –‘ Â?‡‡’ ˜ƒ’‹Â?‰ ’”‘†ucts out of the hands of young people. Photo by Lucas Gillespie

Varsity football coach Larry Hurd Jr. talks to his team at the WJ Homecoming football game. The Wildcats boasted a record season, starting the year at 4-0.

guess you could say it’s nice to prove the doubters wrong, but it feels even nicer proving something to ourselves,â€? senior quarterback Josh Forburger said. With the 2019 season already in the latter half of its nineweek lifespan, these dark days appear to be well in the Wildcats’ rearview mirror. Through eight games, the Wildcats have allowed more than two endœ‘Â?‡ –”‹’• –‘ ‘’’‘•‹Â?‰ ‘ƥ‡Â?•‡• in only 37.5% of their contests thus far as opposed to the 72% of contests in which this defensive lapse occurred between 2010-2018. In part, a desire to not only

compete, but to win as well has been credited to head coach Larry Hurd Jr.. “Coming into the program we wanted to emphasize that we could be successful if we did things the right way and we’re continuing to learn that. We wanted to create a culture that valued competing, and not just competing but winning,� Hurd Jr. said. Winning records for the football team was a foreign concept to every student in the school leading up to this year. A 2016 season highlighted by turmoil at the quarterback position followed by an injury plagued 2017 performance earned the Wild-

cats a 6-14 record for this group of seniors in their underclassmen years. The 2018 season brought a new era toWJ with the implementation of a new …‘ƒ…Š‹Â?‰ Â•Â–ÂƒĆĄ ƒÂ?† ƒ ‰”‘—’ ‘ˆ players who bought into what their coaches preached and at ÂŽÂƒÂ•Â–ÇĄ ‹Â? ͜͞Í?ÍĽÇĄ ƒŽŽ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ’‹‡…‡• Ƥnally fell into place. “Family. For us that’s a motto and it means Forget About Me, I Love You. We wanted the kids to feel proud of themselves. We wanted to establish something that our entire community could be proud of when they come to games on Friday night,â€? Hurd Jr. said. Continued on page 4

County considers PE credit for athletes

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Feature Aid for the aimless: advice for students about what comes after high school.

10-11 Pitch WJPitch.com the

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Illustrtion by Nora Talbott

Photo courtsey of Air Force

Opinion Why WJ should do more than just wear pink on Wednesdays.

not sponsored by the school would not be included in this bill. Junior Kaitlyn Brady is an acrobat outside of school and practices over 24 hours per week. She believes that it’s unfair to students like her who are not involved in sports at school, but still dedicate a lot of their time to athletics. “If people are putting in a lot of hours outside of school, they should be getting credit, too,� Brady said. Others believe that PE is a good way for students to take a break from their long day of academics and unwind and some research even suggests

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that exercise may help students in their classes. “Taking PE class will ben‡Ƥ– ƒ •–—†‡Â?– ‹Â? –Š‡‹” ƒ…ƒ†‡Â?‹… pursuits,â€? PE teacher Lorraine Goldstein said. “There is research showing the brain’s learning centers get turned on by exercise.â€? The new bill will give students half of a PE credit for participating in school-sponsored athletics. This bill was a campaign promise made by Tinbite last year when he was running. MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith will review the proposal in hopes of implementation by February 2020. Photo by Benicio Balignot

a PE class can be very redundant if they are already spending multiple hours after school practicing. Student Member of the Board “Student athletes should be of Education (SMOB) Nate Tin- able to earn a PE credit for their bite proposed a bill that would hard work during the season,â€? give students physical educa- Tinbite said via Instagram. tion credit for participating in a Freshman girls’ varsity socschool-sponsored sports team. cer player Brooke Onder thinks This bill has received lots of that giving student athletes PE positive feedback from student …”‡†‹– ™‹ŽŽ „‡ „‡Â?‡Ƥ…‹ƒŽ –‘ –Š‡‹” athletes, but there is concern performance. that not everyone will be in“We would be spending less cluded. time on physical education –—†‡Â?– ƒ–ŠŽ‡–‡• ‘ˆ–‡Â? ƤÂ?† and conserving more energy themselves exhausted after a ƒÂ?† ‡ƥ‘”– ˆ‘” ‘—” ’”ƒ…–‹…‡• ƒÂ?† long day of school and practice. games,â€? Onder said. Additionally, having to take Athletes who are in activities › ƒ–› ”Â?†‘”ƥ ƒÂ?† Emma Saltzman Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡” ƒÂ?† થ †‹–‘”

A&E See The Pitch’s take on Kanye’s newest album.

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Gender “Xâ€? The Maryland State Board of Elections and the Motor Vehicle Administration now allow people to choose “Xâ€? or Dz—Â?•’‡…‹Ƥ‡†dz ĥ –Š‡‹” ‰‡Â?†‡” instead of male or female on their voter registrations and driver’s licenses. This is in response to the new bill that was enacted on Oct. 1. Maryland lawmakers meant for the bill to be inclusive to members of the LGBTQ community who are transgender or non-binary, meaning they may not refer to themselves as male or female. This, in particular, is very important for non-binary individuals who use license as a form of iden–‹Ƥ…ƒ–‹‘Â?Ǥ Cyberbullying Maryland passed Grace’s Law 2.0 on Oct. 1, toughening penalties for electronic harassment. If a person is caught persuading a minor to commit suicide due to electronic harrasment, they may be imprisoned for up to 10 years and/or receive a $10,000 ƤÂ?‡Ǥ In 2013, Maryland enacted the original Grace’s law, which prohibits misusive behavior over the internet against minors. ÂŽÂŽ …›„‡”„—ŽŽ›‹Â?‰ ‘ƥ‡Â?•‡• in school are taken very seriously and reported to the •…Š‘‘Ž ”‡•‘—”…‡ ‘Ƽ…‡”Ǥ Grace’s Law 2.0 has recieved lots of support from students, parents and teachers.

Photo by Lucas Gillespie

In September of 1995, the Ƥ”•– ‘› –‘”› Â?‘˜‹‡ ™ƒ• •–‹ŽŽ two months away from being released, the Carolina Panthers ’Žƒ›‡† –Š‡‹” Ƥ”•– ‰ƒÂ?‡ ĥ ƒÂ? NFL team and the Walter Johnson varsity football team was Í&#x;ÇŚÍœǤ Š‹• Â?ƒ”Â?‡† –Š‡ ƤÂ?ƒŽ –‹Â?‡ the Wildcats would open a season undefeated through three weeks of play. However, this year, a rejuvenated squad with ƒ ˆ”‡•Š …‘ƒ…Š‹Â?‰ Â•Â–ÂƒĆĄ Šƒ• „‡‡Â? able to reach that same feat for –Š‡ Ƥ”•– –‹Â?‡ •‹Â?…‡Ǣ ‘’‡Â?‹Â?‰ –Š‡ year at 4-0 the Wildcats stayed undefeated for over a third of –Š‡ •‡ƒ•‘Â? ˆ‘” –Š‡ Ƥ”•– –‹Â?‡ ‹Â? –Š‡ ƒ”›ŽƒÂ?† Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄ ‡”ƒǤ At the turn of the decade, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope surrounding the football team as they closed out the 2010 season with a winning record of 6-4. However, this would be the last time the Wildcats would end their season with a winÂ?‹Â?‰ ”‡…‘”†Ǥ ‹•‹„Ž‡ ‘ƥ‡Â?•‹˜‡ schemes such as in 2013 led to a total of 52 points on the year (5.2 points per game) and defensive blunders such as in 2015 led to 376 points from opposing teams (37.6 points allowed per game). All this made for WJ earning the reputation of laughing stock of Montgomery County football. The Wildcats have posted a composite record of 25-65 (.277) over the past nine years allowing 28.2 PPG and scoring just 16.7 PPG over that time. “People weren’t expecting much from us this year so I

New laws in Maryland

Sports Interview with WJ football player Aaron Jones

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@HumansOfWJ

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Dangerous Giant parking lot causes safety concerns

ơ As lunch lets out, hundreds ƪ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ơ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ Dz Ǧ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǡdz Ǥ ͠͞ ͜͝

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Students walk through the Giant parking lot during lunch time. Teachers warned students to be cautious when crossing.

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MCPS releases 2020-2021 school calendar proposals and seeks feedback News Editor

During football games, the seniors and juniors all cram together in the senior section. Seniors have repeatedly told juniors to wait their turn.

Senior section sparks disputes with juniors Social Media Coordinator ǡ Ǥ ǡ ͜͞͞͝Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ ƪ Ǥ Ǥ Dz ǯ ǡ ǡdz Ǥ ǡ ǯ ǡ

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Differences between proposed calendars Proposal 1 First Day: September 8 Last Day: June 24 Proposal 2 First Day: September 1 Last Day: June 18 Proposal 3 First Day: August 31 Last Day: June 16 Ǥ Dz ǤǤǤ Ǥ ͝ ͤ͝ǡdz Ǥ ǯ Ǥ Ǥ ǣ ǣȀȀ Ǥ Ǥ Ȁ Ȁ Ǧ Ǧ͜͜͞͞Ǧ͞͝Ǥ

3 MOCO board denies excused absences for climate strike By Lily Salvatore Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡” • Š—Â?†”‡†• ‘ˆ •–—†‡Â?–• ƤŽ‡† ‹Â?–‘ –Š‡ streets across the world for the Youth Climate Strike, many WJ students sat in class wishing to join in on the protest. Despite directions from county executive Marc Elrich to allow students to participate in the climate strike, Montgomery County Public Schools refused to excuse students’ absences from school to engage in the demonstration against climate change. Elrich proposed the addition of a new absence rule in response to the overwhelming student pressure to allow them to participate in social advocacy. The prospective rule allowed students to excuse up to three absences per semes–‡” •’‡…‹Ƥ…ƒŽŽ› ˆ‘” ’”‘–‡•–•Ǥ If this proposed ruling was set into place, Montgomery County would be one of the few counties to allow their students to skip school to participate in social advocacy events. The Montgomery County School Board denied this proposed rule stating, “we believe that students who wish to engage in the civic process during school hours should do so while at school, in a supportive and safe learning environment. Leaving school property not only disrupts instruction for other students, ‹– ’‘•‡• ƒ •‹‰Â?‹Ƥ…ƒÂ?– •ƒˆ‡–› ”‹•Â?Ǥdz Another main concern from the county was that students would abuse the new precedent if the rule were passed by skipping school for reasons other than social advocacy while still being able to make up any school work for full credit. “If I was able to get my absence excused, I would most probably just go home rather than participate in the Â?ÂƒÂ”Â…ÂŠÇĄÇł ƒÂ? ƒÂ?‘Â?›Â?‘—• •–—†‡Â?– •ƒ‹†Ǥ

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However, there is a large portion of the student body that is itching to exercise their freedom of speech and feels the school board is taking this ability away from them. There is a whole community of social advocates at Walter Johnson but many could not join the protest because they knew they would not be able to make up ™‘”Â? –Šƒ– ™ƒ• †‘Â?‡ †—”‹Â?‰ –Š‡ –”‹Â?‡ǥdz senior Yerim Kone, a self claimed Social Justice Advocate, said. In contrast to the Montgomery County School Board’s decision, New York City’s public school system announced they would excuse the absence of anyone who wanted to participate in the climate strike. This decision freed up around 1.1 million students to participate in the protest from all over the state which upset some Montgomery County students who didn’t feel like they could get the same voice. An estimated 4 million students skipped school according to environmental advocacy group 350.org, but Kone states that he and his fellow advocates are hungry for more. “I think there is power in numbers, the more the merrier, especially when it …‘Â?‡• –‘ …‹˜‹Ž ƒ…–‹‘Â?ÇĄÇł ‘Â?‡ •ƒ‹†Ǥ If Montgomery County had allowed their students to freely participate in the protest, an estimated 160 thousand more kids could have the potential to be present at the protest and expresss their beliefs about climate change. “Not being able to excuse my absence †‡ƤÂ?‹–‡Ž› ’Žƒ›‡† ƒ ’ƒ”– ‘ˆ Â?‘– „‡‹Â?‰ ƒ„Ž‡ –‘ ‰‘ –Š‡ …Ž‹Â?ƒ–‡ •–”‹Â?‡ǥdz •‡Â?‹‘” ‹Žƒ ›‡” said. “Hopefully in the future the school „‘ƒ”† …ƒÂ? Ƥ‰—”‡ ‘—– ƒ ™ƒ› –‘ ƒŽŽ‘™ students to participate in these events ™‹–Š‘—– •ƒ…”‹Ƥ…‹Â?‰ –Š‡‹” ‡†—…ƒ–‹‘Â?Ǥdz

NEWS

Photo Courtesy of Erin Clark

Senior Yerim Kone holds up a sign expressing his frustration with the government and how they are handling climate change during the massive protest.

Taking the government out of the student government By Sammy Peterson Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡” The Walter Johnson Student Government Association (SGA) has been operating under a constitution that describes a structure not adhered to since at least 2011. The current SGA is now working to resolve the issue they inherited. SGA lacks a valid constitution The SGA has not revised its constitution, which lays out their duties and responsibilities, in years, even though county guidelines mandate that “students have a responsibility to prepare a written constitution or amendments to the existing constitution for the student ‰‘˜‡”Â?Â?‡Â?–Ǥdz The Pitch obtained a 2011 copy of the SGA constitution which requires monthly general assemblies to give students a greater voice in governance. It also mandates that one representative from every English/ESOL class and every sports team and club must attend all General Assembly meetings. Many students at WJ have no idea –Šƒ– –Š‡ •›•–‡Â? —•‡† –‘ „‡ †‹ƥ‡”ent from what we have today. One thing appears clear: In recent years, while student activism has grown throughout the U.S. and in Montgomery County, WJ’s student government, which on paper once gave students a way to have their voice heard through ‰‡Â?‡”ƒŽ ƒ••‡Â?„Ž‹‡•ǥ Â?‘™ †‡ƤÂ?‡• ‹–•‡Žˆ ĥ Â?‡”‡Ž› Dz’—––‹Â?‰ ‘Â? •…Š‘‘Ž ‡˜‡Â?–•ǥdz according to the school website. No general assembly meetings have occurred at the school in at least seven years, according to interviews with teachers. Principal Jennifer Baker says it’s possible that the 2011 version of the SGA constitution may be the latest document governing the SGA.

Photo by Austin Mucchetti

The Walter Johnson SGA is working to update its now outdated constitution for future SGA classes.

How student input has disappeared Principal Baker was the SGA sponsor from 1998-2000. During her tenure, the SGA usually held general assemblies. She did not know for certain when they started, but she said they had been at the school since at least 1995. After Baker, social studies teacher Steve Miller, now retired, took over as sponsor until 2003. During that time he made sure that –Š‡ …‘Â?•–‹–—–‹‘Â? ™ƒ• Â?‘†‹Ƥ‡† –‘ •’‡…‹Ƥ…ƒŽŽ› ‹Â?…Ž—†‡ –Š‡ ‰‡Â?‡”ƒŽ ƒ••‡Â?„Ž‹‡• throughout the school year. He said students contended with serious issues at the general assemblies, such as mounting a protest to a plan for a cell phone tower on the corner of the Ƥ‡Ž†•Ǥ ‡…ƒ—•‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡‹” ‹Â?˜‘Ž˜‡Â?‡Â?–ǥ the tower was not built. Removing general assemblies “took the government out of student governÂ?‡Â?–ǥdz ‹ŽŽ‡” •ƒ‹†Ǥ “There’s an all too pervasive attitude at WJ that student government is a joke, but it mostly is because students treat ‹– ĥ ƒ Œ‘Â?‡ǥdz ‹ŽŽ‡” •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz ˆ –Š‹Â?‰• ™‡”‡

more formalized and people took it a little more seriously, it wouldn’t be such ƒ Œ‘Â?‡Ǥdz Social studies teacher Nicolas Atencio, who ran the SGA from 2009 until 2014, said that the general assemblies were removed under his watch. “They ™‡”‡ Žƒ”‰‡Ž› Â?‡ƒÂ?‹Â?‰Ž‡••ǥdz –‡Â?…‹‘ •ƒ‹†Ǥ “Sometimes there were resolutions...but –Š‹• ™ƒ• –Š‡ ‡š…‡’–‹‘Â? Â?‘– –Š‡ Â?‘”Â?Ǥdz Not one person The Pitch interviewed could recall what happened to the constitution once the administration decided to eliminate the general assemblies. Some student leaders also said they never even saw a constitution. “I never once saw an SGA constitution, I remember one time it was mentioned –‘ Â?‡ǥ „—– Â?‡˜‡” •ƒ™ ‘Â?‡ǥdz Žƒ•– Â›Â‡ÂƒÂ”ÇŻÂ• SGA President Corey Criss said. What is happening now? Š‡ …—””‡Â?– ‹• Â?‘™ ™‘”Â?‹Â?‰ –‘ Ƥš the problem. “Our goal is to have a new constitution done by the end of the calendar ›‡ƒ”Ǥ ‡ ™‹ŽŽ †‡ƤÂ?‹–‡Ž› Šƒ˜‡ ‹– †‘Â?‡ „› –Š‡ ‡Â?† ‘ˆ –Š‡ •…Š‘‘Ž Â›Â‡ÂƒÂ”ÇĄÇł …—””‡Â?–

sponsor Melanie Schwed said. The plan is to update their constitution for the upcoming 2021 school year that the next SGA class will inherit. “We have a set of bylaws, but we are ™‘”Â?‹Â?‰ ‘Â? —’†ƒ–‹Â?‰ –Š‡Â? Â?‘™ǥdz …—”rent SGA President Jacqui Moss said. ”‡ƒ•—”‡” ™‡Â? ‘†”‹‰—‡œ ‘ƥ‡”‡† more detail on the reasons behind the updating of the constitution. “We went to the MCR-SGA (Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association) meeting on Wednesday (October 23) and they informed us that if we didn’t have a constitution then we needed to create one, if we did, then ™‡ Â?‡‡†‡† –‘ —’†ƒ–‡ ‹–ǥdz ‘†”‹‰—‡œ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Other schools in MCPS are in a similar situation The situation at Walter Johnson is not unique throughout the county. The Pitch reached out to SGA advisors of the other high schools in MCPS to see Š‘™ –Š‡‹” …‘Â?•–‹–—–‹‘Â?• Ƥ– ‹Â? ™‹–Š –Š‡ county guidelines. The Pitch received 14 responses: Seven teachers said their schools had current constitutions, three said their constitutions were under revision and four said they did not have a current constitution. What does the future hold? Baker said she would not object to reinstating general assemblies at WJ. She said it could be possible to include it without losing instructional time, which some teachers did not like in the past. “It would be kind of interesting if we did have a general assembly and we broadcast it into the homeroom classes and kids could even see the discussion that was going on - like how you can turn on C-Span and watch our government in action. With the technology we Â?‘™ ÂŠÂƒÂ˜Â‡ÇĄ ‹– …‘—Ž† „‡ ’”‡––› …‘‘Žǥdz ƒÂ?‡” said.

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Concerns raised over Woodward’s 2025 reopening Ǧ Special to The Pitch Questions are often raised about why Walter Johnson ƥ ƥ ǡ Wildcat and the Madcow. The ǯ Ǥ ͥͤͣ͝ǡ Woodward High School and Walter Johnson High School Ǥ ǡ ǡ ery County Public Schools faces Ǧ ǡ re-opening of Woodward has Ǥ would be at the current site of Tilden Middle School and is expected to open by 2025. Ǥ ǡ gested that the school would cilities and would instead use the facilities of nearby schools and local parks. This frustrated ing the full athletic facilities would threaten the school’s success. “The absence of adequate ǡ ǡ short of the expectations set

Football Continued from page 1 Senior linebacker Enrique Garcia has taken note of this Ǥ Spending nearly four hours after school whether it be ǡ Ƥ brotherhood for these young ǡ ǯ role in their success. “If one of us doesn’t do our ǯ up for the guy next to us so we ǡdz Ǥ ǡ the coaches spend countless hours dissecting their Ǥ ǡ ǯ ite plays to run before ulti integral role in their defen Ǥ “We’re a defense that ad ơ Ǥ Ƥ ǯ ơ ǡdz Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ Ƥ ơ school history under their ǡ ǡ Ǥ

Photo courtesy of MCPS

Proposed Phase 2 design of the reopening of Woodward High School. The plan requires a reconstruc ƥ ͜͞͞͡Ǥ

ȑ Ȓǡdz ǡ Ǥ The plans for the school Ǥ Ǥ -

Ǥ Ǥ This proposal has drawn ire ǡ ǡ original purpose of reopening Woodward High School. Tensions about Woodward’s reopening run high in the

whether their students would be redistricted for Woodward Ǥ Dz annoyed [if I was sent to Woodward instead] and I think that ƥ ǡdz Petrole said. ǯ

ơ concerned. The intended purpose of the reopening is to al ȋ ǡ Ǧ Ȍ schools in the down-county ȋ ǡ ǡ ǡ ȌǤ decrease with changing school High School. Dz pay based on that school. They ǯ ǡdz ǡ Ǥ dress these concerns. The build Middle School and will soon host Northwood High School during their construction. A new Tilden Middle School is being constructed currently. Since the school will not open ͜͞͞͡ǡ changes associated with Wood ǯ ơ school students.

Students worried by lack of vaccination requirements News Editor All Maryland students are Ƥ ȋ Ȍ ͠ ȋ Ȍǡ to attend any school in the state. At the start of the school ͠ǡ͜​͜​͜ ǡ ͞​͞ dents who are currently pro Ǥ

“It’s really concerning that without getting the proper ǡ bunch of students sick and it’s really not fair for those who did Ǥ reason but there are resourc ǡdz said. MCPS has been trying to Ǧ ƪ Ǥ reside within MCPS schools

within their won schools. Julius West Middle School has been a big location. Dz ǯ Ǥ actually used on of these sta ǯ ǡdz Manning said. The reasons for the lack of ͞​͞ ǡ Ǧ cines or religious exceptions

Ǥ Dz ǯ ǯ ǯ Ǥ ǡ ǡdz said. that their health should be pri Ǥ MCPS will continue to pro for students until further notice.

Newseum set to close after 2019 due to financial trouble Opinion Editor Ǥ Ǥ Ƥ the end of the year. The New ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ͝​͝ Ƥ ǡ be sold to Johns Hopkins Uni ͊ͣ͟͞Ǥ͡ Ǥ Dz Ǥ Ǥǡ ǡdz ton said. “I did think it was in ǡ and I thought it was really focusing on how these histori ǯ Ǥ ǯ -

ing and nuanced way to look at Ǥdz ǡ Ƥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ing taking the students to the ǡ ǯ Ƥ location. Dz ǡ ǡ and it will happen this year too ǡ ǡ do a second instructional pro ǡdz Ǥ Dz ǡ ǡ students are looking at court ǡ

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Ǥdz ǡ 9/11 gallery with artifacts and display. It also recently added Dz ǡdz Ǥ Dz ǯ ness of our surroundings and ǡdz Ǥ Dz ǯ Ǥdz

View of the Newseum from its iconic location on Pennsylvania Ave.

ǯ Dz ǯ dz ǯ ǡ ͝͡τ ơ Ǥ

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OPINION

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The Zero Tolerance policy is an abject failure A&E Editor ǣ Ǥ Ƥ ơ spiraled out of control, result Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ I was punished; why was I rep ơ Ǧ ǫ ǡ ǯ

own hands and that adminis ǡ ǣ ǯ ơ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ the oppressed are afraid to Ǥ Ƥ a punishment equal to that of ǡ Ǥ ǯ

a complete failure of a policy is ơ Ǥ In many schools, educa ơ ǣ Ǥ help in some situations, more often than not, the harassment Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǯ ơ ǡ Dz Ǥdz With this in mind, students are left with few options and often end up in a lose-lose situa Ǥ continue, report it and worsen Ǣ Ƥ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ While confrontations and Ƥ ǯ and safe option, some people Ƥ Ǥ ǡ ǯ

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Ǥ ǡ ơ ǡ or instead solely discipline the Ǥ

Forget the

nonsense

Can racism be excused by immaturity?

Opinion Editor ǯ ǣ ǯ a math test (a fate that I, as an Indian, Ȍǡ ǯ chipotle southwest in a sandwich, and ǡ ǡ Ǥ twisted soul to the world and post a rac Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ ǫ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ I must admit, that was a rather tepid Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ Dz ǯ dz Ǥ ǡ mature to fathom the consequences Ǧ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ Dz dz Ǥ

ǫ ǯ ǯ ǫ ǡ cinations, death from measles declined ͤ͜τ ͜͞​͜​͜ ͣ͜͞͝Ǥ ͞͝Ǥ͝ Ǥ ̽ ǡ ǯ ͢͝ ǡ ± Ǥ ǡ Dz dzǤ ǯ ǫ ǡ ǯ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ

ǯ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ± ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ǡ ơ Ǣ Ǧ

Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ deadly diseases, so should our education Ǥ ǯ ǯ Ǥ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ƥ ǡ Ǧ ǡ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ơǡ Ƥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ǯ ơ Ǥ ơ Ǥ

Editor-in-Chief Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ͜͞͡ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ Ƥ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ƥ ǡ ơ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ Ƥ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ments and the prep scholar statistics, Ǥ Ǥ ǣ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ process seem almost random, so I set

Ǥ ǡ as the topics were unique to me and my ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǯ Ǥ

OPINION

By Nyomi Fox Opinion Editor ƪ way each Wednesday of October, which was deemed Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1985 by a handful of health Ǥ ǡ ơ or survived this horrid disease, implemented the “on Wednesdays we wear pink” spirit day, clearly a benevolent Ǥ day is respected -- but is it enough? ǡ Ƥ the act of acknowledging breast cancer by wearing the universal ribbon or the ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǯ of students who cheerfully dress in pink ǡ ǡ ǯ come to my attention that no one is re Ǥ proposed by the school, the student body is left simply acknowledging that Ǥ ǡ does this bare minimum of recognizing the existence accomplish? At most, ǡ ǯ Ǥ simple fact that breast cancer exists is Ǥ tion of students wear pink in support of the day, in contrast to the small fraction ơ Ǥ cannot expect each student to begin their own initiative for fundraising, but what if the school did? There are an abundance of sports teams that incorporate breast cancer awareness into their events to direct proceeds towards related foundations, ǯ ǯ Dz Ǥdz action like this should be admired and Ǥ body is invited to wear pink on Wednes ǡ ǯ or raise funds? Given that spirit days are

the

Pitch 6 On Wednesdays we should do more

Photo courtesy of Dohyun Kim

Each Wednesday in October, the SGA promotes pink fashion in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, the days lack any correlating fundraising or further action.

designed to celebrate an event and unite the student body, it seems somewhat wrong to unite students in acknowledgment of this serious illness without do ơ Ǥ The lack of action taken leaves the spirit Ǥ to make use of this day, there should be a school wide proposal for action: incorporating donation bins, fundraising activities, meetings with survivors; any-

thing that will go one step further from Ǥ My intent in bringing attention to this issue is not to shame all those who Ǥ Ƥ Ǥ ǡ ǯ to wear pink on all of the designated days Ǥ should not be abolished — but rather Ǥ

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Pitch Opinion

Keep Wellness consistent The Pitch would like to address the ǯ Wildcat Wellness these last two weeks Ǥ istration for making the decision to ơ this year, after its original experimen Ǥ Wellness greatly helps students relieve stress by allowing them to get ahead or catch up on work, or see teachers for Ƥ Ǥ ǯ Ƥ ǯ great mistake to do away with it in the Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ The last two weeks of a quarter are arguably when students need a Wellness period the most because of all the tests and end-of-quarter projects teachers Ǥ ǡ thought that having Wellness during these weeks would be detrimental, due Ǥ mindset is understandable, it is a bit Ǥ ule, classes are 42 minutes instead of ͢͠ Ǥ ǡ time is lost, But often times teachers are doing more broad review of the ǡ ǯ Ǥ And besides, four minutes of lost instructional time pales in comparison to losing a whole 41 minute period of Ǥ The Pitch hopes administration reconsiders its decision for future academic quarters and begins to understand what a stressful time this can be Ǥ can help alleviate some of this stress as Ǥ

The

Pitch

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Student athletes deserve a P.E. credit By Nyomi Fox Opinion Editor The state of Maryland requires that all high school students complete onehalf of a P.E. credit prior to graduation. Montgomery County, in an attempt to be health-forward, requires an additional half credit, making the cumulative requirement one full credit. Nate Tinbite, SMOB of the current school year, recently proposed a bill to allow student-athletes to earn half of a P.E. credit for participating in a season of an after-school sport. While proposals by former SMOBs are often dismissed before implementation, this one deserves support. The intent in requiring one P.E. credit is respectable: MCPS simply wants to encourage the student body to incorporate a form of exercise into their daily lives. But for a student-athlete who endures hours of school sponsored exercise each day, the additional 45 minute class period is excessive. Not only does this requirement add an unnecessary element to the student’s schedule, but it also replaces a potential academic course. So, the school chooses to deprive athletes of an academic class simply to have them sit through another “exercise� during the 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. time frame. According to Fox5 News, concerned

Photo by Nyomi Fox

Š‡ ‘ƒ”† ‘ˆ †—…ƒ–‹‘Â? ‹• …—””‡Â?–Ž› …‘Â?•‹†‡”‹Â?‰ ‹Â?’Ž‡Â?‡Â?–‹Â?‰ ƒ „‹ŽŽ –‘ ‘ƥ‡” ƒ–Šletes a half credit for completing a season of a school sport. Doing so would allow athletes to be exempt from at least one semester of a P.E. class.

parents argue that P.E. is a foundational aspect of a school’s curriculum and making that optional would deprive students of being taught healthy lifestyle choices and discipline. The healthy choices claim can be quickly rejected, as Â?› ’‡‡”• ƒÂ?† Šƒ˜‡ ”‡…‡‹˜‡† ƒÂ? ‹Â?ƤÂ?‹tesimal amount of education on the topic throughout an entire year of P.E. class. In regards to discipline — does being required to attend two hours of intensive exercise six days a week not count? The rigor of participating in a school sport is arguably more intense than that of a 45 minute class period, 10 minutes of which are spent in a locker room.

Furthermore, Tinbite stresses that earning a P.E. credit through an afterschool sport would be optional. If a student-athlete was eager to take a P.E. class in school and earn his or her credit through the designated class, that would still be a viable option. The proposal appears to pander toward the group of athletes who believe enduring a redundant exercise class deprives them of the opportunity to learn and grow in an academic course. I hope the Board of Education will see the logical reasoning behind the proposed bill and allow student-athletes to avoid redundancy.

Limit the inclusion of profanity in music A column by Thomas Wolfson Editor-in-Chief Look around the halls of WJ and you’ll see the majority of students with AirPods or earbuds. Music is a big part of high schoolers’ lives. It helps students have fun, relieve stress and study for big tests. But the content of the music itself can sometimes be questionable. Today’s popular music seems to have more profanity than previous generations. Just a quick glance at the Hot 100 ‹ŽŽ„‘ƒ”† …Šƒ”– …‘Â?Ƥ”Â?• –Š‹•Ǥ ƒÂ?› ‘ˆ the songs on the chart are laced with profanity, including the number one overall song “Truth Hurtsâ€? by Lizzo. Of course, artists cursing in music is not a new thing. But the regularity with which they do so is. For a long time, pop music was supposed to be clean music, suitable for everyone. These days, it’s rare that any artist comes out with a radio-friendly song. So why has music become like this?

Perhaps some of it coincides with rap music developing into the dominant genre. Today, pop music encompasses a lot of rap music. Rap has always lent itself to a little more cursing -- only in the past, rappers cursed in a more skillful and artful manner. Too often rappers today seem to curse just for the sake of doing so. It’s not just rappers who are following this trend. Take singer Ariana Grande, for example. Last year, it seemed impossible to get away from her hit single “thank u, next.� It reached the number one spot on the Hot 100 Billboard chart, despite Grande dropping the f-bomb in the chorus. In total, she says the word six times. In the context of the song, it’s really not necessary at all. She easily could’ve done without it and listeners still would have understood she’s “grateful for [her] ex.� So why add it? It seems to be an attempt to sound more edgy and mature, but it really has quite the

COMIC BY BRADLEY WOODSIDE

7 THE STAFF OPINION

‘’’‘•‹–‡ ‡ƥ‡…–Ǥ ƤÂ?† ‡˜‡Â? Â?‘”‡ Š‹‰Šnj‡Â?† ƒ”–‹•–• such as Tyler the Creator or Anderson Paak often just curse for the sake of doing so as well. They are still great artists. They’ve each released critically acclaimed albums while also appealing to mainstream audiences; I’m fans of both. But like many of the artists of our time, they don’t leave anything to the imagination in their lyrics. I suppose they do it because that’s what audiences want. But it comes across as lazy and shows a lack of creativity. ‘ˆ–‡Â? ƤÂ?† Â?›•‡Žˆ ‡Â?Œ‘›‹Â?‰ –Š‡ Â?—•‹… to certain songs, only for some of that enjoyment to be slightly taken away by over the top profanity. There’s just no need for it. I’m not saying that artists should never curse in their lyrics. It will always be a part of music in some form. I just hope that clean, popular music hasn’t completely gone out of style.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ONLINE PRINT Will Cohen Cara Demitz Julia Hananel Kiley Ring Daria London Thomas Wolfson MANAGING EDITORS Molly Benson Zach Meyers Matt Shea ADVISER Wendy Borrelli NEWS EDITORS Judith Altneu Emma Saltzman Emily Speranza Arturo Alipio (online) Aya Hesham (assistant) OPINION EDITORS Nyomi Fox Siddharth Srinivasan Hannah Markov (online) FEATURE EDITORS Caeden Babcock Stella Hadamer Kayla Kahrl (online) Sadie McMullen (assistant) ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Beni Balignot DeVoncye Freelon Cyiza Andermambia (online) SPORTS EDITORS Ben Files Elijah Kasten Elana Renbaum CARTOONISTS Nora Talbott Bradley Woodside Izzy Zavareei COPY EDITOR Isaac Snow (print) Austin Mucchetti (online) LAYOUT/DESIGN EDITOR Rafael Friedlander Marie-Elise Latorre BUSINESS MANAGERS Caeden Babcock Allie Rothman SOCIAL MEDIA/MARKETING Callie Metzman Izzy Zavareei MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Charley Becker Jack Linde (sports) PHOTO EDITORS Lucas Gillespie Rafael Friedlander FILM EDITOR ƒ–› ”Â?†‘”ƥ WEBMASTER Ryan Leal STAFF WRITERS Danis Cammett Jackie Maloney Rebecca Davids Sloane Morra Maram Faragallah Ethan Oyeniyi A.J. Frattarelli Sammy Peterson Alan Gahart Gabe Riveiro Brigitte Kaba Matt Roman Chelsea Laurik Lily Salvatore The Pitch is published eight times a year by the students of Walter Johnson High School, population of 2,517 and located at 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, Md. 20814. Advertising and subscription rates are available by calling 301-8037184. Opinions represent those of The ‹–…Š Â•Â–ÂƒĆĄ ƒÂ?† †‘ Â?‘– Â?‡…‡••ƒ”‹Ž› ”‡ƪ‡…– –Š‡ ‘’‹Â?‹‘Â?• ‘ˆ –Š‡ Â•Â–ÂƒĆĄÇĄ ˆƒ…—Ž–› ‘” •–—dent body. We welcome letters, articles, photographs and artwork, to be submitted to room 193 or e-mailed to wjpitch@gmail.com. The Pitch is an award-winning paper that works towards providing the student body with accurate, as well as credible, information.

AWARDS

CSPA Silver Crown 2016 CSPA Gold Medalist 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019 CSPA Silver Medalist 2014, 2015, 2018

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8 The best 10 days of my life

Pitch

OPINION

By Malhaar Nair Special to The Pitch As a current junior, I feel that this past summer, I was able to embark upon an experience that I would consider to be life changing for me. I participated in a program called HSD, which stands for High School Diplomats. HSD U.S. is a free program in which 40 students from all over the U.S. go to Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. These 40 students participate in a program with 40 Japanese students from all over the Island Nation in a 10 day exchange program, known by participants as the “best 10 days of my life.” In HSD, each American student is assigned a Japanese student as their respective roommate. Ǥ Ǥ area, HSD U.S. provides a three day homestay program (two weeks before the program in Princeton starts) in which two or three Japanese students stay in the host family’s house to get a grasp of daily American life. During my homestay, I took my Japanese students to Costco, the Billy Goat Trail and G Square. HSD is also about developing a special bond with someone from across an ocean. Each HSD student has their own unique moments of discovery and revelations to make it the best 10 days of their lives. But I think that what makes this program so unique is the fact that language is not a barrier to forming bonds; it’s the actions that count. My roommate was Takao, or as he would prefer in American style, Michael. On the last day of this 10 day honeymoon of sorts, we stayed up till 3 a.m. even though the students had to leave at 5:30. When we all realized that it was time to go, we could not stop crying. I could not believe how fast time went by. In those 10 days, Michael and I learned so much about each other. Even though he didn’t speak the best English and I didn’t know much Japanese, we still Ƥ a friendship! That is the biggest thing I took away from the program: how deep and meaningful a true friendship is. I knew about this program Ƥ years ago. The way that this program survives is through word of mouth based on the experiences of past HSD par Ǥ Ƥ that there are many capable students in Walter Johnson that should apply. I strongly recommend you to apply for this life changing program. Make next summer the summer when something magical happened!

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Weekly homeroom is pointless By Emma Saltzman News Editor Recently, Principal Jennifer Baker decided to remove the weekly homeroom policy that was initially implemented for the 2019-2020 school year. The purpose of a weekly homeroom was to make time for surveys, drills and presentations that would normally take away from class time. The words I hear the most every Tuesday are, “is there homeroom today?” We struggle to keep up with the constantly changing schedule, especially because WJ does not do a good job of announcing it, leaving students confused. Almost immediately, home ơ Ǥ Ƥ ǡ room consisted of endless handouts and a message from Baker. In the second week, we were given a presentation on the dangers of vaping and the third week consisted of a video Ƥ Ǥ Ƥ bias presentation, we realized that homeroom had become

more of an errand than anything else. ule, classes are shortened by Ƥ Ǥ Ƥ utes can be really valuable, especially during tests and long lessons. On homeroom days, almost all my teachers were interrupted by the bell midway through their instruction. One homeroom day, I went home and did not know how to do my Spanish homework because the ǯ Ƥ ish explaining. Homeroom drew time away from our regular classes, but for what? These lessons aren’t that important, and we have been taught these lessons before. Ƥ bias in middle school and we were taught about the dangers of vaping in health class. Are these things really worth taking away time that would be used for learning other valuable lessons in our classes? Now, the new homeroom situation is almost more confusing than the old. Homeroom is not weekly; it is only held oc-

Photo by Danis Cammet

about schedules. Despite this, utter bewilderment continues to

casionally for surveys, important videos and handouts, and ǯ Ƥ the day of because of the lack of communication. I’m starting to lose my paitence. It is too confusing for us to have a constantly changing schedule. There needs to be

announcements about homeroom the day before so we can know the schedule. Weekly homeroom was unnecessary. It needed to be eliminated. But now that it is has been, WJ needs to improve its communication with students to reduce the confusion.

In response to an increase of violent outbursts, politicians returned to scapegoating video games and entertainment. Extensive research ƪ Ǥ

The crusade against our entertainment By Benicio Balignot A&E Editor

In response to the 334 mass shootings in the U.S this year—18 of which occurred at schools--news outlets and politicians have returned to scapegoating the media. Stemming all the way back to the 1976 release of the then-popular game “Death Race,” moral defenders ranging from PTA members to politicians have blamed video games and mature media content for outbursts of violence in the younger population. This trend has continued for ǡ Ƥ search from institutions like the American Psychological Association showing a tenuous relationship at best between destructive behaviour in teens and the entertainment they consume. This stance against the youth culture of video games, mature movies and

music is simply preposterous. The paranoia and virulent fear of mature media was birthed from religious belief and plain ignorance from older generations, much like how rock music was condemned by parents. However, this renewed attack on our entertainment stems from a far darker motive. Gun control has been a greatly debated topic within the nation, with many right-leaning groups blaming everything but the guns, while liberal activists and legislators are pushing Ƥ Ǥ should seem obvious, to all but the most ignorant and stubborn people, that this attack on our hobbies is an attempt by the morally corrupt to divert our attention from their inaction, greed and cowardice. Granted, my stance on this is heavily swayed by the fact that I’ve been an avid gamer

for as long as I’ve been able to press buttons on a controller. Despite this, as far as I can tell, I’ve developed a total of zero violent tendencies after a decade of playing video games and watching violent shows and movies. In fact, I’m sure that nearly everybody can name at least one person who plays video games and doesn’t exhibit destructive behaviour. It is infuriating to see the ƥ blatant deceit, such as when President Trump, in a national address, blamed the “gruesome and grisly” video games following criticism regarding his inaction and poor response to recent mass shootings. It ƫ readily people will gobble down these lies and regurgitate them to others, propagating fake news and misinformation. There aren’t enough

words to express my frustration that something as positive as video games, which can help people destress, rehabilitate from injuries and form long lasting bonds and connections, Ƥ generations did rock and rap. The biggest forms of entertainment, movies and TV shows, are being blamed by entities like the NRA for causing mass ǡ ƪ so staunchly protect with such rectitude weren’t used to massacre innocent people. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Just like how the sentiment against rock music dwindled out of existence after a time, so too will this mindset. These are the dying gasps of an archaic movement, one which has no place in our society. Mark my words, it will eventually die; it is just a matter of time.

The

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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FEATURE

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Aid for the Aimless

Would you take a gap year?

FEATURE

11

Advice throughout the years

When should you start thinking about after high school plans?

Preparing for college

44.6% 45.5% 35.6%

By Kiley Ring Editor-in-Chief

29.7%

The letter comes in the mail. You’ve been waiting for months, putting the work in for years, all for this one afternoon. As soon as you get home, you throw your bag down and tear the envelope open, hands shaking. You nervously open the letter and •…ƒÂ? –Š‡ Ƥ”•– ˆ‡™ Ž‹Â?‡•ǥ looking for that “Congratulationsâ€? that lets you know that all of that hard ™‘”Â? ’ƒ‹† ‘ƥǤ For freshmen, there’s still quite a lot of time, which is why it’s important to start high school ‘ƥ ‘Â? –Š‡ ”‹‰Š– ˆ‘‘–Ǥ ‡– some of the graduation requirements like the Fine Arts credit out of the way, so there’s no stress about taking all the required classes senior year. Senior Starr Ruben chose

24.8% 17.8% 2% Yes

No

Maybe

9th

10th

11th

12th

100 students polled

Gap years: Yay or nay? By Stella Hadamer Feature Editor

In the past, gap years have often been viewed as negative. Some thought they were excuses for slackers who couldn’t get into college or for clueless students who didn’t Â?Â?‘™ –Š‡ Ƥ”•– –Š‹Â?‰ ƒ„‘—– the world. Many students believe that after high school, the only option to moving forward is to go to college. However, in the past few years gap years have become more and more popular. Now they are seen as a way for students to gain job experience or become cultured as they travel the world. While gap years are becoming ever more glamorous, there is still some controversy surrounding the intent of those who do take gap years. “Why would you go on a gap year? To travel? Why travel if you don’t have money? You should gain knowledge, money and experience before considering traveling the world,â€? WJ parent Catherine Olaez said. While debates continue on whether taking a gap year is a good idea or not, some students also believe that taking a gap year isn’t even a valid option for many people. “There are a lot of people ™Š‘ …ƒÂ?ǯ– ÂƒĆĄÂ‘Â”Â† ƒ ‰ƒ’ year. I don’t think they’re as helpful as people say they are. They seem like a waste of time to me,â€? freshman Nour Faragallah said. While this may be true

to take yoga her freshman year so she wouldn’t have to worry about it later on. “Taking yoga was really fun because all my friends were doing it and I had more time in junior and senior year to take art and theater classes,â€? Ruben said. Sophomore year is when things begin to pick up. Oftentimes, sophomore year is when people either –ƒÂ?‡ –Š‡‹” Ƥ”•– ‘” ˆƒ…‡ multiple APs in one year, so it’s important to keep those grades high while still taking challenging classes! Junior year is the stage of the college process in which the most important events take place, such as when most students begin thinking about the SAT and the ACT. Get started early, so you have time to retake the test if neces-

sary. Many juniors also use the year to get a job in order to gain some experience to put on both college applications and resumes. Senior Andrea Umana got Š‡” Ƥ”•– Œ‘„ ™‘”Â?‹Â?‰ ƒ– Adidas, and she feels as –Š‘—‰Š ‹– ™ƒ• ƒ „‡Â?‡Ƥ…‹ƒŽ experience. “Having a job during the school year helped me learn how to manage my –‹Â?‡ ‡Ƽ…‹‡Â?–Ž›Ǥ Šƒ˜‡ –‘ stay on top of my school work while going to work and it has made me a more responsible person,â€? Umana said. By senior year, it’s application season. Getting as much done as possible during the summer can lead to less stress later on, with the added work of school and sports. Staying on top of everything is the key to success.

WJ teacher’s top tips Photo by Charley Becker

Illustration by Nora Talbott

for those students who have already decided on a major and have a whole life plan written out step by step, taking some time ‘ƥ Â?ƒ› „‡ ƒ ‰‘‘† ™ƒ› ˆ‘” the students who aren’t sure, to take the time to explore the world and themselves. “There’s nothing wrong with not being sure about your major. [Gap years] Š‡Ž’ ›‘— ƤÂ?† ‘—– ™Šƒ– ›‘— want to do with your life.

ǯ† ”ƒ–Š‡” –ƒÂ?‡ ƒ ›‡ƒ” ‘ƥ than go to college to earn a degree that I’m not even interested in,â€? sophomore Ella Nilsen said. Â?‘–Š‡” „‡Â?‡Ƥ– –Šƒ– comes with taking a year ‘ƥ ‹• ƒ Â?‡™ˆ‘—Â?† ˆ”‡‡†‘Â? that students will certainly enjoy. They will have the ability to choose from dozens of things to do during those 12 months. Anything from volunteering, to teaching English in Sri Lanka, to backpacking Europe for six months is

fair game. “I believe that gap years are underrated. Some ’‡‘’Ž‡ „‡Â?‡Ƥ– ˆ”‘Â? ‰‘‹Â?‰ to college, while others are not ready, academically or emotionally,â€? health teacher Lorraine Goldstein said. Taking a gap year comes with many advantages; Ƥ”•– ƒÂ?† ˆ‘”‡Â?‘•– ‹–ǯ• ƒ break from the 12 long years of nonstop school‹Â?‰ •–—†‡Â?–• Œ—•– ƤÂ?‹•Š‡† and it allows students to gain experiences that other college kids rarely get to have. These things allow students to gain job ex’‡”‹‡Â?…‡ ƒÂ?† ‘ƥ‡” ƒ ˆ”‡•Š perspective on the world. “Gap years can be an excellent use of time for students in college. It gives them a chance to explore possible career options and gain valuable experience of what it’s like to have real-world responsibilities,â€? junior Evan Maynard said.

“I’ve been through medical experiences myself, and I have a lot of interest in working with medicine and working with other people to help them.â€? ƒÂ? Â’ÂƒÂ•Â‘ĆĄÇĄ Í?Í?

Photo by Lucas Gillespie

“I want to be an artist because when I’m creating I feel happy. I’m not worried or stressed about anything other than the project I’m working on.� Laura Cardoso, 10

Art courtesy of Ella Nilsen

Dz ™ƒÂ?– –‘ „‡ ƒ ƤÂŽÂ? †‹”‡…–‘”Ǥ have a real passion for movies and photography and things like that.â€? Tom Kesey, 12

The inside scoop on the College and Career Center Photo by Maram Faragallah

By Kayla Kahrl Feature Editor

At this time of year there’s an endŽ‡•• ƪ‘™ ‘ˆ •‡Â?‹‘”• ‰‘‹Â?‰ ‹Â? ƒÂ?† ‘—– ‘ˆ the College and Career Center as they attempt to meet all of their impending college deadlines. While the name of the center is pretty self explanatory, many students don’t know who it’s for and how to use it. One common misconception about the center is that it’s only for the older students. The name of the center leads many students to believe that the center is only for seniors .This is because seniors are often the main students turning in college applications and getting jobs. “I’ve never gone to the college and career center but I’m pretty sure it’s where ƒ „—Â?…Š …‘—Â?•‡Ž‘”• Š‡Ž’ •‡Â?‹‘”• ƤÂ?† colleges and careers. It’s mostly just for seniors and maybe some juniors who

are trying to get ahead,â€? sophomore Mila Pekar said. This is actually not true and students from all grade levels can use the center for a wide range of subjects. The center is run by Mrs. Evans who has stocked it full of resources for every student to use. Many of the resources available could be used to pass an upcoming AP ‡šƒÂ? ‘” ƤÂ?† ‘’’‘”–—Â?‹–‹‡• ƒ”‘—Â?† the WJ community. Students can also begin applying for scholarships as early as freshman year, so even those daunt‹Â?‰ …‘ŽŽ‡‰‡ „‘‘Â?• ƒ”‡Â?ǯ– ‘ƥ Ž‹Â?‹–• –‘ underclassmen. Evans is committed to making sure that every student is prepared for their next stage of life. “Any student can come for college visits, check out AP books, research Œ‘„ ‘’’‘”–—Â?‹–‹‡•ǥ ƒÂ?† ƤÂ?† ‘—– ƒ„‘—– SSL opportunities. We have all kinds of books on how to write college apps, information about scholarships around

the country and guides on how to study for the SAT, ACT and AP exams,â€? Evans said. Senior Holly Darby was a frequent visitor in the center during her junior year and as a result was prepared to face the college application process her senior year. Dz ÇŻÂ˜Â‡ ‰‘Â?‡ –‘ ‰‡– Â?› –”ƒÂ?•…”‹’– Ƥš‡†ǥ ask questions about my college applica–‹‘Â?•ǥ ƤÂ?† ‹Â?–‡”Â?•Š‹’•ǥ ƒÂ?† ‰‘ –‘ …‘ŽŽ‡‰‡ visits. I go all the time because it’s so fun and Ms. Evans is super friendly,â€? Darby said. The center is located near the clock, right across from the counseling ofƤ…‡Ǥ –ǯ• …‘˜‡”‡† ‹Â? ƪ‹‡”• ˆ”‘Â? …‘ŽŽ‡‰‡• around the country and schedules for all –Š‡ †‹ƥ‡”‡Â?– ĠÂ?‹••‹‘Â?• …‘—Â?•‡Ž‘”• ™Š‘ are planning to visit WJ so it’s very hard to miss. Stop by and see what you can do to start preparing for your future or just to say hi to Ms. Evans!

“Go to class.� Paul Engelhardt, Digital Art

Photo by Caeden Babcock

“The most important piece of advice I can give is going in to talk to your teachers to get help and develop relationships.� Joe Thompson, Counselor

Photo by Stella Hadamer

“Become independent and take ownership of those things that are important to you.� Regina Rodriguez, Assistant Principal

Photo by Maram Faragallah

“Work as hard as you can and do not be afraid of failure. Also try to take risks.� Daniel Kempner, Photography

Photo by Caeden Babcock

Photo by Maram Faragallah

“Look for colleges that are the most appropriate for your interests, not for it’s reputation or ranking.� James Lipton, College Advisor

“Take advantage of all of the GLŕľľHUHQW FOXEV DQG DIWHU VFKRRO activities.â€? Katherine Simmons, Social Studies

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FEATURE

WJ’s new but experienced security guard

Volume II:

A dive into Mock Trial By Danis Cammett Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡”

The Walter Johnson Mock Trial team is a club of intense academic culture and public speaking. Mock Trial describes itself as an “academic sports team,â€? a team that values competition but not physical competition. Mock Trial grounds itself in the art of debate, students craft and execute arguments with formulated discipline. Similar to a sport, Mock Trial feeds on competition which is evident in their weeks and weeks of preparation for a single trial. At the beginning of the trial season, students receive a case book which in…Ž—†‡• ƒ Ƥ…–‹‘Â?ƒŽ …‘—”– Â…ÂƒÂ•Â‡ÇĄ ™‹–Â?॥ ƒ…counts and evidence. The target of the mock trial team is to coordinate a prosperous defense or an unforgiving pros‡…—–‹‘Â?Ǥ ‘ ƒ…Š‹‡˜‡ –Š‡‹” ƤÂ?ƒŽ Â‰Â‘ÂƒÂŽÇĄ –Š‡ Mock Trial team spends weeks preparing their lawyers, witnesses, evidence and more. Months of enduring work ƤÂ?ƒŽ‹œ‡• ‹Â? ƒÂ? ‡’‹… •–ƒÂ?†‘ƥ ƒ‰ƒ‹Â?•– ƒÂ? opposing school. The trials are usually held in a real courtroom with a current or forming serving judge/lawyer, judging the case and deciding which team triumphs. The Mock Trial team also presents a unique form of rivalry, Walter Johnson actually has two Mock Trial teams: Na–ŠƒÂ? Â…ÂŠÂ™ÂƒÂ”Â–ÂœÇŻÂ• –‡ƒÂ? ƒÂ?† ƒ–Š› ‹Â?Â?‘Â?•ǯ –‡ƒÂ?Ǥ During the entire Mock Trial season members on both sides are prohibited from speaking to one another about cases. At the end of the Mock Trial sea•‘Â?ÇĄ –Š‡ ”‹˜ƒŽ”› ’Žƒ›• ‘—– ‹Â? Ƥ‡”…‡ –”‹ƒŽ ĥ –‡ƒÂ? ‹Â?Â?‘Â?• ƒÂ?† –‡ƒÂ? …Š™ƒ”–œ …Žƒ•Š until a victor emerges from the dust. ‘…Â? ”‹ƒŽ ‹• ƒ –‡ƒÂ? –Šƒ– ƤÂ?†• ‹–•‡Žˆ as a sanctuary for intellectual sparring ƒÂ?† •…Š‘Žƒ”Ž› ‹Â?ƒ‰‹Â?ƒ–‹‘Â?Ǥ Â…ÂŠÂ™ÂƒÂ”Â–ÂœÇĄ one of the sponsors for the Mock Trial team described the qualities of a person suitable for Mock Trial. “One who likes to argue and enjoys ‹Â?–‡ŽŽ‡…–—ƒŽ Â†Â‡Â„ÂƒÂ–Â‡ÇĄÇł …Š™ƒ”–œ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Simmons, the sponsor of the second Walter Johnson team, reinforces this statement. “Anyone who wants to challenge themselves to learn how to publicly speak in a competitive setting,â€? Simmons said. Students describe team culture as a “communityâ€? and a family because the team actively spends time together preparing cases. Junior Annabelle South described said culture. “[Mock trial] draws people together, and then we become a little family,â€? South said. To conclude, Mock Trial is a team at WJ that proclaims itself as an academic •’‘”–• –‡ƒÂ?ÇĄ ‘Â?‡ –Šƒ– †‘‡•Â?ǯ– …ŠƒŽŽ‡Â?‰‡ the physical might of an individual but –Š‡ ˜ƒŽ‘” ‘ˆ ƒÂ? ‹Â?Â†Â‹Â˜Â‹Â†Â—ÂƒÂŽÇŻÂ• ‹Â?–‡ŽŽ‡…–Ǥ

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Photo by Caeden Babcock

WJ’s new security guard Kelly McDonnell enforces the G-wing doors as students are dismissing. McDonnell has an interesting background in the line of security.

By Jackie Maloney Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡” After earning a degree at Marshall University in criminal justice with a focus on law enforcement and psychol‘‰›ǥ ƒ– –Š‡ ƒ‰‡ ‘ˆ ͞͞ǥ ‡ŽŽ› Â… ‘Â?Â?‡ŽŽ began rigorous training at the Federal Law Enforcement Academy. She was ƤÂ?ƒŽŽ› ƒ……‡’–‡† ‹Â?–‘ –Š‡ ‡…”‡– ‡”˜‹…‡ under President Reagan in 1988. Four years later, McDonnell left the government agency and began her career as a security guard. But why would someone give up a life of such excitement and adventure to go back to high school? Being a woman in the 1980s, McDonnell was one of very few who were accepted to the Secret Service. It was 19 ›‡ƒ”• ƒˆ–‡” –Š‡› •–ƒ”–‡† –‘ Ƥ”•– ƒ……‡’– women, but still women only made up 14% of all sworn federal enforcement ‘Ƽ…‡”•Ǥ ‡…ƒ—•‡ ‘ˆ –Š‹•ǥ –Š‡”‡ ™ƒ•Â?ǯ– any child care or other programs to help families. Dz –ǯ• Ž‹Â?‡ „‡‹Â?‰ Â?ƒ””‹‡† –‘ ›‘—” ÂŒÂ‘Â„ÇĄÇł McDonnell said. Š‡ ”‡ƒŽ‹œ‡† ‹– ™‘—Ž† „‡ –‘‘ Šƒ”† –‘ have a family due to traveling all the time, and being home for the holidays was really important to her. It was a stressful position that, although re-

warding, forced her to spend tons of time at work. Dz ˆ ›‘—ǯ”‡ Â?› Â?‡‹‰Š„‘”ǥ ›‘— Â?‹‰Š– never see me because I would be gone for months at a time... I was always traveling,â€? McDonnell said. The job was exhilarating for a while; she would see the faces of the people she knew and would get starstruck, but she was almost never home. It strained her relationships and ended up making her life more private. Dz ‘— Â?‡˜‡” ‰‡– –‘ •‡‡ ›‘—” ˆƒÂ?‹Ž›ǥ ‘” Â”ÂƒÂ”Â‡ÂŽÂ›ÇĄ ›‘— …ƒÂ?ǯ– –ƒŽÂ? ƒ„‘—– ƒÂ?›–Š‹Â?‰ –Šƒ– ›‘— †‘ ƒ– ÂƒÂŽÂŽÇĄÇł Â… ‘Â?Â?‡ŽŽ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz –ǯ• also very hard on relationships. It has a high rate of divorce and sure, it was fun ˆ‘” ƒ ™Š‹Ž‡Ǥ Œ—•– †‹†Â?ǯ– –Š‹Â?Â? ƒŽŽ –Š‘•‡ things through.â€? ˆ–‡” –ƒÂ?‹Â?‰ ƒ ›‡ƒ” ‘ƥ ˆ”‘Â? –Š‡ ‡cret Service, McDonnell decided to continue her career as a security guard at Paint Branch High School, where she worked for 25 years. She worked at Rockville High School for a little while, and now she is here at WJ. “If you could learn something from [my story], learn that you might think you have your life planned, like I thought I did, but then things change,â€? McDonnell said.

iOS 13 brings shocking new features By Lucas Gillespie Photography Editor Every year, Apple sets their sights on improving their technology through over-the-air updates. With the release of the new iPhone 11 in September also …ƒÂ?‡ ‹ Í?Í&#x;ÇĄ ’’Ž‡ǯ• Â?‡™‡•– ‘’‡”ƒ–‹Â?‰ system. This new operating system focuses on two key points: Better performance and a refresh of appearance for apps. A new operating system always means new and interesting features and iOS 13 is no exception. The most notable new feature is the system wide “Dark Mode,â€? which transforms all apps to have a dark background. This can be toggled on and ‘ƥ ‹Â? –Š‡ •‡––‹Â?‰• ƒ’’Ǥ Instagram also just got updated to turn black if “Dark Modeâ€? is enabled. iOS 13 also brings much more detail to certain apps, such as a 3D viewing mode in Maps and a new portrait lighting effect in the camera. ’’• ƒ”‡Â?ǯ– –Š‡ ‘Â?Ž› –Š‹Â?‰ –Šƒ– ‰‘– ƒ makeover. Basic things, such as the new QuickPath swipeable keyboard, as well as a new icon bar for volume adjustments, also got a refresh. “I really like the 3D feature over text,â€? •‡Â?‹‘” ƒ–ƒÂ? Žƒœ‡” •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz ‘— …ƒÂ? Š‘Ž† down on a text and read it without going into the actual messageâ€?. So far, people have been praising the update for its improvements. However, •‘Â?‡ •–—†‡Â?–• ƒ”‡Â?ǯ– Šƒ’’› ™‹–Š ‹–Ǥ Dz Šƒ–‡ –Š‡ —’†ƒ–‡ •‘ Â?—…ŠǤ …‘—Ž†Â?ǯ– talk on the phone with my friends until they had updated their phones,â€? sophomore Ellen Osterman said. There have been other complaints about the update, including emails not being able to send and phone calls not going through. These glitches have Â?ƒ†‡ ‹– †‹Ƽ…—Ž– ˆ‘” —•‡”• –‘ ‘’‡”ƒ–‡ their phones as they normally do. However, knowing Apple, there is sure to be another smaller update coming soon to Ƥš –Š‡ „—‰•Ǥ So, should you update your phone to this new operating system? The majority of feedback on iOS 13 has been relatively positive. Dz ‘ ÂˆÂƒÂ”ÇĄ †‘Â?ǯ– Šƒ˜‡ ƒÂ?› …‘Â?’Žƒ‹Â?–• ƒ„‘—– ‹–ǥdz •‡Â?‹‘” ™‡Â? ‘†”‹‰—‡œ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Plus, there are some hidden perks for buyers of the iPhone 11. “I just got the new phone and the up†ƒ–‡ …ƒÂ?‡ ‹Â?•–ƒŽŽ‡† ™‹–Š ‹–ǥdz ‘†”‹‰—‡œ

Photo By Lucas Gillespie

Seniors Jake Goldberg and Jack Gillespie check out IOS 13’s new features and settings. The new update has a variety of reactions with students.

said. For those who are still questioning ƒ„‘—– †‘™Â?Ž‘ƒ†‹Â?‰ –Š‡ Â—Â’Â†ÂƒÂ–Â‡ÇĄ †‘Â?ǯ– ™‘””›Ǥ Š‡ Â?‡™ •‘ˆ–™ƒ”‡ ‹•Â?ǯ– –Šƒ– †‹ˆferent from iOS 12 aside from some cosmetic changes, so you can still use the

‘Ž† •›•–‡Â? Œ—•– ƤÂ?‡Ǥ Apple has taken a lot of time in perfecting many of their past problems and bugs with this new software, so try it out!

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Spotlight artist of the month: Semira Hill By Aya Hesham

Walk into a music classroom ǯ Ƥ dents with amazing voices. Students at WJ come with all ơ ǡ there is one particular student who plays over 10 instruments and can sing from a soprano to baritone range. That student is junior Semira Hill. Hill has been playing instruments since the third grade starting with the violin. Her interest in music was sparked at a young age by encouragement from her mom. “I got interested in music because I remembered my mom used to sing when she was younger and I wanted to try it out,” Hill said. The more Hill learned to play an instrument, the more she wanted to learn to play. After she learned one instrument, she’d grab a new instrument and learn to play it. She plays the piano, cello, bass, drums, tuba and more. “Learning to play one instrument and then learning to play another is like the same ơ ǡdz WJ music teacher Kelly Butler said. As Hill has continued to learn and play instruments, her love for singing has also grown. Hill sees herself continuing on this

Photo by Aya Hesham

Semira Hill playing a bass outside the band practice room. Hill can play over half a dozen instruments ranging from the drums to the ǡ ǡ ơ Ǥ

path in the future and into her adult life. “I’m looking at places like Berklee [College of Music], Shenandoah [University] and even UMBC for college,” Hill said. Hill has had several opportunities to sing in professional venues, such as singing with her choir at Strathmore for the play Children of Eden with Stephen Schwartz and much

more. “I sang with my a capella group at a meeting for immigrants who are in the process of becoming citizens,” Hill said. “We also perform around the community in restaurants and ơ Ǥdz Hill’s mom used to sing and wanted her to try, so she did. After that, her mom encouraged her to join the choir. Hill is always open to trying

new instruments and is unfazed by any potential challenges. “Semira is always willing to go for it and she’s not scared to try anything. She’ll just pick up a new instrument and learn how to play it,” Butler said. WJ has helped polish Hill’s skills. Before she entered high school, she didn’t have much of an idea of what she wanted to do and wasn’t really invested

in music. “I wasn’t super serious about music but all the teachers in the music department have helped me improve in some way, whether it was sightreading, vibrato, or technique,” Hill said. “Music at WJ has been good for me and has acted as an escape from the bad. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am today,” Hill said.

WJ S*T*A*G*E presents “The Diary of Anne Frank”

By Sloane Morra ơ The actors wait nervously backstage for their cues. The crew perfects the lighting and gets the music ready in preparation for showtime. As the lights go down in the auditorium, the audience is ready to watch the show. Walter Johnson S*T*A*G*E is putting on the production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” a touching story of a young, Jewish girl and her family who are forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust. With such a serious topic at hand and with it being a true story, the cast has been challenged to accurately portray each character correctly and respectfully. “The actors are having to create real characters on stage, which I think is one of the ƥ Ǥ to be research, they have to really give respect to the actual people, but at the same time they are playing a character in a play,” director of the production Colleen McAdory said. Senior Angelina Ciccarello, who is playing Anne Frank, has ƥ getting into character. “It has been a challenge for me to portray someone who is so hopeful and joyous knowing the severity of the situation she was in,” Ciccarello said. The challenge of putting on this heartbreaking story has only made the cast stronger. “The greatest strength of this production is the bond

Photo by Sloane Morra

Cast members passionately rehearsing their scenes. WJ S*T*A*G*E has been constantly researching more about the story to ensure that they portray it accurately.

our cast has created. We are all very close, and I believe that will translate into our performance,” Ciccarello said. In order to accurately depict the story of Anne Frank, the cast has been working tirelessly to inform themselves of the Jewish culture and the history of the Holocaust. Two members of the cast have become dramaturges, people who research and then teach the cast about the topic at hand. “Two members of our cast have become our dramaturges.

They have already given two lectures to the cast. They do lots of research, and they answer any questions the cast has about the history of the play,” McAdory said. The cast also attended Shabbat dinner at one of WJ S*T*A*G*E’s members homes and they had a Holocaust survivor come as a guest speaker to talk with the cast. Marsha Tichler, a Holocaust survivor, spoke with students to share her story with S*T*A*G*E. Tichler applauded the cast for

bringing Anne Frank to life, and sharing her unrealized potential with the world. Students were emotional as Tichler read out the names of the 33 members of her family who were murdered in the Holocaust, and discussed her childhood as a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust. As a child, Tichler was separated from her parents during World War II, and was taken in by a Ukranian family who raised her. After the war ended, Tichler was reunited with

her parents, eventually receiving a visa to immigrate to the U.S. Tichler spoke of how important it is to condemn hate, and to never forget the lives lost because of it. She said that through sharing her family’s story, her listeners are helping her light a candle of remembrance Since the Holocaust ended 75 years ago, the number of survivors who are still living is getting smaller and smaller. Senior cast member Julia Hughes, who is playing Margo Frank, believes it is very important that the world not forget what happened and that people need to continue to learn the story. “If we don’t learn about history, we are doomed to repeat it. I think we see a lot of similarities in world leaders today that can be related back to this time period, with the way we are treating immigrants and ơ Ǥ ǯ necessary to remind ourselves of what it could all lead to,” Hughes said. All involved are hopeful that their preparations will build Ƥ the audience can learn from and connect with. “People should come see this show because it tells an important story and everyone involved has put their heart and soul into it,” Ciccarello said. The show will be performed on Nov. 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7:00 p.m.

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

A&E

15

TikTok infiltrates WJ, brings students fame

By Chelsea Laurik ơ

thousand,” South said. Within the next few weeks, Hailed by many as “the new she hit 250 thousand followers, Vine” and downloaded 800 mil- and now she’s reached nearly lion times worldwide, TikTok 270 thousand. “My initial reaction was that has taken the world by storm. The short-form video app, I did not deserve that much atcreated by Chinese company tention,” South said. This exposure came as a total ByteDance, has been all over the internet recently due to a surprise, as the TikTok algocombination of aggressive mar- rithm for videos ending up on keting campaigns and genuine the “For You” page (the main feed that people see when they buzz. “It was actually just a joke open the app), is notoriously when it started,” junior Anna- ƥ predict. belle South said. “There are videos that I South downloaded the app back in the spring of 2019. It ơ used to be a hub for cosplayers would’ve liked people to see, and lip syncers, and she and but of course they had to see her friends would make fun the one that was the most emof it, sending silly videos back barrassing,” South said. Since the video, South has and forth privately. It wasn’t until last May that things be- been recognized a number of gan to change. South posted a times at school. Some younger video publicly of herself jok- kids came up to her while she ing around and dancing in her was working at concessions, room, to a clip of the song “Fake and students at a Whitman Happy” by Paramore that had football game even asked her recently gained traction on the for pictures. “As she started to get more platform. The video reached 126 thou- noticed, people have been comsand views and South ended up ing up to me and my friends, and they’re shy, and they want with four thousand followers. However, this was nothing me to introduce her to them,” compared to what was to come. junior (and close friend of In August, South made a video South) Jordan Kelberg said. making fun of another user Dz ǯ Ƥ who claimed to have curly hair, feeling,” South said. It’s a well known fact that in which she attempted (unsuccessfully) to run a brush ơ through her own corkscrew of an audience, and South does locks, while looking generally feel some pressure to put on a annoyed with the world. It blew front for her (mostly younger) following. up, quite literally, overnight. “I want it to be a balance be Dz Ƥ sand followers, and the next tween being a role model and morning I woke up with 35 just being myself and having

Photo by Chelsea Laurik

South doesn’t let her TikTok fame go to her head. She participates in Mock Trial, Best Buddies and Dive Team.

ƪ ǡdz Ǥ With online fame comes online trolls, and South is not immune to hate, despite her seemingly innocent and inoffensive content. Dz ǯ Ƥ make fun of me. It’s not all positive,” South said. A few days after South’s video went viral, an Instagram account known for bullying TikTok users reposted the video and the entire comment section was full of hate about her looks. “That was hard, seeing so many people tell me that I’m not [good] enough, or that I’m ugly and that I don’t deserve love,” South said. However, South doesn’t let hate discourage her, especially because the feedback in

response to her online presence has been overwhelmingly positive. She’s even been approached by a few brands to sponsor their products, and she’s received $80 worth of free contact lenses. South isn’t the only one at WJ with a TikTok following. Senior Melody Zheng started making TikToks after seeing the app advertised on Instagram at the end of her junior year. She’s amassed a respectable following of 16 thousand people through her comedy and dance videos. “I really should be focusing on college applications,” Zheng admits. TikTok is a lethal drug for those with pre-onset senioritis, and Zheng is no exception. “At night I have my phone on

me, so I’d be watching TikToks until whenever I get bored, or tired,” Zheng said. Zheng only makes her own content when she’s bored, but she’s always excited to get on the “For You” page. But when people at school tell her they’ve seen her on their “For You” pages, she feels exposed. “I didn’t want my school to know,” Zheng said. The general attitude towards TikTok is steadily changing, but people still seem to be embarrassed by their presence on the platform. Of those polled, only 36.4% of WJ students admitted to having a TikTok account. It’s a unique kind of notoriety, one that discourages arrogance, because as South said:

Social media craze: What do students watch on YouTube? By DeVoncye Freelon and Aya Hesman Ƭ

On average, there are 30 million people using YouTube every day across the globe. Some of those visitors may be students from our very own school. Around the school, many students have been seen spending their free time browsing social media, texting and watching popular videos on the entertaining global app, YouTube. There are many things you Ƥ Tube. Some of the top trending YouTube watches in 2019 have been ASMR, music videos (Despacito, See You Again, Shape of you, etc.) and a few select channels to which people subscribe. The top channels and subscriptions go to popular YouTubers such as Markiplier, Jake Paul, Pewdiepie, Logan Paul, etc. Many WJ students are subscribed to trendy makeup ơ ǡ James Charles, and Laura Le. Other students subscribe to and watch Shane Dawson, who has turned his YouTube channel into a documentary channel about the lives of many controversial YouTubers such as Jake Paul, Tana Mongeau and Trisha Paytas! Select students are subscribed to family vlogging channels, some including mainstream

Photo by Aya Hesman

Senior Sarah Kuziora and sophomore Adiar Bell watch old vines during Art and Culture. They were amused by the iconic “Ms. Keisha” and “Oovoo Javer” vines.

family vlogging channels, like the ACE Family, Cole & Sav and Sam and Nia. On the other hand, some students prefer not to watch YouTube because they see it as “fake” or unreliable. “I personally don’t like watching YouTube because it’s all fake. Did you hear what happened with the ACE family? Austin seems like such a good guy but he allegedly raped someone,” sophomore Reagan Tyler said. ƪ they’ve endured, they have

stayed on top with over a million subscribers and millions of views. There is an abundance of family vlogging; from blended families, to interracial couples, to couples who live on opposite sides of the world, many with interesting lives documented for the enjoyment of others. “The main thing that I watch on YouTube is mostly like a lot of BuzzFeed videos and a lot of blogs, family blog videos and like makeup videos,” senior Kasylvi Acuna said. Some WJ students are sub-

scribed to funny YouTube personalities such as Tana Paul and David Dobrik who do daily vlogs that entertain the YouTube world. “I love watching Tana Paul, I think she’s hilarious and entertaining, whenever I see she uploads I always click so fast. I also watch a lot of David Dobrik, he’s hilarious and always makes me laugh,” sophomore Tomi Ogunnusi said. Fellow students also tend to watch video game videos such as people playing Fortnite, Call of Duty and Apex Legends.

There is a massive amount of gamers on the YouTube platform, from small YouTubers who have less than 10k streams, to large YouTubers who have over millions of streams and subscribers. The gaming community is Ƥ ǡ tears and all out gamer rage, especially with the opportunity to live stream with viewers who are able to comment and spectate in real time. “I like watching video game videos and Based Zeus because Ƥ people,” junior Win Tran said. Last but certainly not least, music has been one of the most watched and listened to things that most YouTubers are subscribed, searching, and listening to. Many music videos such as Roar (Katy Perry), Baby Shark Dance (Pinkfong), Sugar (Maroon 5) and Sorry (Justin Bieber) have remained popular on Youtube for years. The one thing they all have in common is the fact that they have reached over one billion streams on YouTube alone. “I really like watching Brazillian music videos and just listening to music in general on YouTube” senior Anna Giullya said. YouTube is a great mainstream app that connects many people, religions, cultures and ethnicities in the form of entertainment.

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Pitch

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Kanye West reborn, embraces God in album “Jesus is Kingâ€? By Benicio Balignot and Ben Files A&E Editor and Sports Editor The road to “Jesus Is King,â€? ™Š‹Ž‡ ”‘…Â?› ƒÂ?† ƤŽŽ‡† ™‹–Š Â†Â‡ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â•ÇĄ Šƒ• ƤÂ?ƒŽŽ› ”‡ƒ…Š‡† ‹–• ‡Â?†Ǥ ‹–Š ‹– …‘Â?‡• ƒ Â…ÂŽÂ‡ÂƒÂ”ÇĄ …‘Â?Ƥ†‡Â?– ƒÂ?† †‡ƤÂ?‡† •‘—Â?† „‹”–Š‡† from the mind of the newly reborn Kanye West. In contrast to last year’s “Ye,â€? which came ‘ƥ ĥ ƒÂ? ‹Â?…‘Â?’Ž‡–‡ ”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡ littered with half-realized concepts and ideas, “Jesus Is Kingâ€? ’”‘—†Ž› •Š‘™• ‘ƥ ‹–• Š”‹•tian roots, with West referring to it as an “expression of the Gospel.â€? The album is packed with grandiose gospel choirs, boastful organ chords, soulful undulating vocals and warped synths, all compacted into one passionately religious album. West wasn’t lying when he said Š‡ǯ† •Š‡† ‘ƥ Š‹• •‹Â?ˆ—Ž Â?ƒ–—”‡ ƒÂ?† –Š‡ •‘Â?‰• ”‡ƪ‡…– –Šƒ–Ǥ Š‡ Ƥ”•– ‘ˆ –Š‡ Â?‘•– Â?‘–ƒ„Ž‡ tracks, “Selah,â€? is the perfect •‘Â?‰ –‘ Â?‹…Â? ‘ƥ –Š‡ ƒŽ„—Â? ˆ‘Žlowing “Every Hour,â€? a zesty recital that carries more vitality than all of “Ye.â€? Stemming from the word’s usage in the Hebrew Bible, “Selahâ€? demands your attention and commands you to listen. Fueled by underlying organ chords, powerful percus-

sion, gospel chants and religious lyrics, the song is a constant buildup of sound and fury - a train continuously chugging along the track of West’s mind. Following “Selahâ€? comes one of the more upbeat and wholesome songs of the album, “Everything We Need.â€? Featuring Ant Clemons and Ty Dolla $ign Č‹ ›”‘Â?‡ ‹ŽŽ‹ƒÂ? ”‹ƼÂ? ”ǤČŒÇĄ –Š‡ –”ƒ…Â? Â?‹…Â?• ‘ƥ ™‹–Š ƒ—–‘–—Â?‡† ›‡– •‘—Žˆ—Ž ˜‘…ƒŽ• ˆ”‘Â? ”‹ƼÂ? Jr. before leading into West’s —•—ƒŽ ”ƒ’ ƪ‘™ǥ ƒ……‘Â?’ƒÂ?‹‡† „› Clemons’ ad libs reminiscent of Childish Gambino. The lyrics, Photo by Benicio Balignot while not as creative and insightful as his previous works, Senior Damir Pimenov listening to “Jesus Is Kingâ€?. The album has heavily allude to the book of divided West’s fanbase due to its purely gospel nature. Genesis and speak about con- ing song in the whole album, tain the holy message present ducting oneself in a graceful “Use This Gospelâ€? is a symbolic throughout the album whilst and sinless manner. retelling of West’s struggles in •–‹ŽŽ †‡Ž‹˜‡”‹Â?‰ ‹Â? –‡”Â?• ‘ˆ ƪ‘™ The most soulful track of the public eye and his path to and lyricism. Last but certainly “Jesus Is King,â€? “God Isâ€? show- redemption under the message not least comes a classy trumcases bodacious vocals from of God and peace. The track pet solo delivered by Grammy both a sample of Rev. James also sees the reunion of broth- award-winning musician KenCleveland’s 1979 song of the ers Pusha T and No Malice un- ny G, who provides an excelsame name and West himself. der the name of Clipse. The last lent bridge into the outro of ƒ””›‹Â?‰ –Š‡ ˜‹„‡ ƒÂ?† ƪ‘™ ‘ˆ song the two collaborated on the song. a love ballad, “God Isâ€? brings was in August of 2013, and their West concludes this religious forth feelings of gratitude return leaves little else to be journey with “Jesus Is Lord,â€? and humbleness, with West’s desired. With West leaving the a spiritual anthem that comwholesome lyrics perpetuating rapping to them, stating that pletes the mosaic that is “Jesus the spiritual themes present Š‡ Šƒ† –”‘—„Ž‡ ƤÂ?†‹Â?‰ ƒ ˜‘‹…‡ Is King.â€? While beautifully arthroughout the entire album. to “rap for Godâ€? with; Pusha T ranged with an assortment of Arguably the most eye-catch- and No Malice manage to re- exuberant brass, its extremely

Mario Kart Tour: nostalgic or sketchy?

By Marie-Elise Latorre Layout Editor Nostalgia came to many mobile device users with the release of the mobile game Mario Kart Tour. Mario Kart Tour was announced to release a month prior on Twitter. Gamers were ecstatic, yet also worried about how the mobile version would compare to the older versions. Mario Kart is not a new concept. It has been released on every single Nintendo console since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was released in the early ‘90s. “Super ƒ”‹‘ ƒ”–dzǥ –Š‡ Ƥ”•– ‰ƒÂ?‡ ˆ”‘Â? the Mario Kart franchise, was released in 1992 and sold over 8.7 million copies worldwide. “I think a lot of people like Mario Kart just because it unites people and it also destroys friendships,â€? senior Chris Escobedo remarked. Â? ‹–• Ƥ”•– ™‡‡Â?ÇĄ ƒ”‹‘ ƒ”– Photo by Marie-Elise Latorre Tour raked in 90 million down- Junior Amanda Prince enjoys playing Mario Kart Tour during lunch. loads, making it by far Ninten- She is looking forward to the release of the multiplayer option. do’s biggest mobile launch. The amount of downloads for Mario more interesting and more en- ferent if it doesn’t give you what Kart Tour was six times greater tertaining to play than the Wii, it’s advertising, because that’s than Nintendo’s second-best the Switch and the DS version,â€? false advertisement,â€? Escobedo launch, which is Animal Cross- junior Maggie Welsh said. said. ing: Pocket Camp with 14.3 milMario Kart tour uses a payHowever, the Gold Pass is not lion downloads. wall system, where users have the only thing you can buy with In terms of spending, Mario to pay a certain amount of real money. You can buy Rubies Kart Tour is third in the race. money in order to access ad- ƒÂ?† ’‡…‹ƒŽ ƥ‡”•ǥ ™Š‹…Š ƒŽThe game earned $12.7 million ditional content or services. low you to unlock more drivers, †—”‹Â?‰ ‹–• Ƥ”•– ™‡‡Â?ÇĄ ™Š‹…Š ‹• In this case, the game has the karts and gliders. two times less than the lead, Gold Pass, where users pay Rubies can range from $1.99 Fire Emblem Heroes, with $4.99 month for special perks. (3 rubies) to $69.99 (135 rubies) $28.2 million. However, what confused many ƒÂ?† ’‡…‹ƒŽ ƥ‡”• …ƒÂ? ”—Â? —’ “People were really competi- people was the fact that when to $39.99. tive, which made them want ”ƒ…‹Â?‰ ‹Â? –Š‡ †‹ƥ‡”‡Â?– …—’•ǥ “It makes sense why some to spend actual money in the computers are the opponents. items are so expensive in orgame,â€? senior Daniella Mil ex- Yet, these opponents always der to make people spend plained. have these “specialâ€? perks from more money, but it’s unfair Ultimately, many people pre- the Gold Pass. for many people to spend that fer the mobile version over the “It’s reasonable, because much money on a game,â€? junior other consoles version. you’re getting like a pass that Amanda Prince said. “I think other than the steer- ƒŽŽ‘™• ›‘— –‘ ‰‡– ƒŽŽ –Š‹• •–—ƥ Despite the cost, the game ‹Â?‰ǥ ƒ”‹‘ ƒ”– ‹• †‡ƤÂ?‹–‡Ž› that you want. It would be dif- remains popular among fans.

short run time of 49 seconds leaves much to be desired for a track that should triumphantly celebrate West’s transition to gospel music. For longtime fans of West, particularly those who were around for the likes of “The College Dropoutâ€? and “Graduation,â€? West’s whole-hearted embrace of the gospel genre has been a resounding disappointment, especially considering the continuous delays of the album. Many have critiqued him for lacking the musicality and experimental genuis that he’s been known for. For a man that declared less than a decade ago that he was God, this approach to a more humble and soul-intuitive sound and way of life is suspect. However, in the spirit of goodwill and generosity, I feel that it’s wrong to doubt a man’s transformation in both his sound and soul. West forgoes a polished veneer on his vocals in this release, particularly in “God Is,â€? and such a decision evokes this feeling that maybe, just maybe, West has abandoned his infamous pride ƒÂ?† Â‘Â˜Â‡Â”ÇŚÂ‹Â?ĆŞÂƒÂ–Â‡Â† ‡‰‘ ƒÂ?† ‡Â?braced something larger than him.

Pitch picks Movie of the Issue: The Lighthouse

Â? ‘”‹‰‹Â?ƒŽ Š‘””‘” ƤÂŽÂ? „› Robert and Max Eggers starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, the movie shocked audiences and wowed critics worldwide for its vision and gripping performances by the two lead roles.

Song of the Issue: “Jopping� by Super M

‡„—–‹Â?‰ ĥ –Š‡ Ƥ”•– ÇŚ Pop group directed towards a western audience, Super M, a super group composed of some of the most popular male idols released Jopping. Opening their self-titled album, Jopping is a heart-racing anthem that weaves together English and Korean lyrics.

TV show of the Issue: South Park

Even 23 seasons in, “South Park� still retains its iconic comedy and social ballast. This year, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have decided to tackle issues regarding climate change denial, Chinese censorship, Amazon working conditions and more.

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Pitch

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

SPORTS

Students recount best professional sport events end of the pitch, Harper sent a blast into the back of the second deck, sending the 40,000 The thrill, the rage and the fans at Nationals Park and in tears. The journey of a spectaD.C. into a frenzy. tor at a live sports game can be “The second he made contact, one of the most draining tasks I knew that ball had a chance. It to accomplish. The endless ended up in the second deck, screams, chants and sighs of reand the fans were so loud that lief make up for an experience the whole sequence gave me that could break hearts or boost goose bumps. It was a special egos. Let’s take a look at some moment,â€? Schofer said. of the most intriguing games A couple batters later, with WJ students have seen over the –™‘ ”—Â?Â?‡”• ‘Â?ÇĄ Ƥ”•– „ƒ•‡Â?ƒÂ? years. Ryan Zimmerman hit a towerPenn State vs. ‹Â?‰ ƪ› „ƒŽŽ –Šƒ– „ƒ”‡Ž› ˆ‘—Â?† ‹–• Ohio State whiteout: way out of the ballpark, landWhen junior Zach Miller ‹Â?‰ ‹Â? –Š‡ ƪ‘™‡” „‡† ‘Â? –Š‡ Ž‡ˆ– walked into Beaver Stadium 2017 NLDS Game 2: Ƥ‡Ž† Â™ÂƒÂŽÂŽÇĄ ”‹‰Š– ƒ„‘˜‡ —„• Ž‡ˆ– on Sept. 29, 2018, there was Nationals vs. Cubs: The Ƥ‡Ž†‡” ‡Â? ‘„”‹•–ǯ• ‰Ž‘˜‡Ǥ not a doubt in his mind that he Washington Nationals had The score was now 6-3 in favor ™‘—Ž† ™ƒŽÂ? ‘—– ƒ †‹ƥ‡”‡Â?– ’‡”- dropped game one of the Na- of the Nationals. A game that son. Attending four Penn State tional League Division Series meant so much for the players football games prior to the to the Chicago Cubs the night and for the fans, the Nationals whiteout game, nothing would before sophomore Jory Schofer ˆ‘—Â?† ƒ ™ƒ› –‘ ’—ŽŽ ‘ƥ ƒ ™‹Â?ÇĄ compare to what he was about walked into Nationals Park. It and send the fans home happy. to participate in. The once in a was a must-win game for the “Every pitch during the game lifetime experience didn’t start home team and the Nationals was something to look forward ƒ– Â?‹…Â?‘ƥǥ „—– ‹Â? –Š‡ •–”‡‡–• ‘—–- treated it like that from the get- to. At times I lost hope, but at side of the stadium, with food, go. the end, the team I’ve believed games and a sense of unity. Š‡ ‰ƒÂ?‡ •–ƒ”–‡† ‘ƥ ™‹–Š in for my whole life managed to “The smell of grilled burg- something for Nationals fans to secure a win for D.C.,â€? Schofer ers and dogs, smoked ribs and cheer for, as star third baseman said. sweaty, anxious college stu- Anthony Rendon hit a home Ravens vs dents took over the atmosphere ”—Â? ™‹–Š –™‘ ‘—–• ‹Â? –Š‡ Ƥ”•– Browns 2014: Junior Ryan during the tailgate,â€? Miller said. inning. Hickey knew the Baltimore As the start of the game “Right away the ballpark was Ravens had a great chance of neared, people made their roaring when Rendon hit the …Ž‹Â?…Š‹Â?‰ ƒ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄ „‡”–Š ‘Â? way into the stadium. Waves home run. It was a great way to the brisk Sunday in December. of white dominated the sparse •–ƒ”– ‘ƥ ƒÂ? ‹Â?’‘”–ƒÂ?– Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄ It was the last game of the seared, as Ohio State fans found game,â€? Schofer said. son and the Ravens needed a themselves in a Nittany Lion Fast forward to the eighth win along with some help from habitat. inning. The Cubs lead the Na- other teams. Coming into the game, the tionals 3-1, two outs away from “Walking into M&T Bank StaBuckeyes were ranked third in a potential 2-0 series strangle- dium, I was excited for a fun day the country. Although Penn hold. Now-former National of football, but was also nervous State was the underdog, Miller ‘—–Ƥ‡Ž†‡” ”›…‡ ƒ”’‡” ™ƒŽÂ?• because it could have been the felt that the whiteout assisted up to the plate with a runner last day of Ravens football for in motivating and hyping up ‘Â? Ƥ”•– ƒÂ?† ƒ …ŠƒÂ?…‡ –‘ –‹‡ –Š‡ that 2014 season,â€? Hickey said. the team. game. The Ravens were sitting at “The team looked like they Cubs reliever Carl Edwards a 9-6 record before their last ™‡”‡ ˆ‡‡†‹Â?‰ ‘ƥ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡Â?‡”‰› Jr. tosses up a hanging breaking game, needing a win against from the crowd. Both the play- ball, a pitch that he would wish the Cleveland Browns and a San he had back. On the receiving Diego Chargers loss against the By Elijah Kasten Sports Editor

ers and fans treated every play like it was the last play of the game,� Miller said. As the game was coming to an end, Penn State had a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. Star quarterback Dwayne Haskins led his Buckeyes to a comeback that left Nittany Lion fans in shock and dismay. A 27-26 loss was the result, but the experience for Miller was worthwhile. “Although we blew the lead, tailgating and seeing all of the fans come together wearing white was one of the greatest experiences I’ve been apart of,� Miller added.

Kansas City Chiefs to make the Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ•Ǥ For the most part, the game was sloppy, as Ravens’ fans conveyed their disappointment with boos and vulgarity. The home crowd found quarterback Joe Flacco’s play unacceptable for the last game for the season. Three quarters passed, and the Ravens found themselves in a deep hole. They were down 10-3 and on the brink of elimination. “At this part of the game, I started to doubt our chances at coming back. Fans were giving up, and the way we were play‹Â?‰ ˆ‘” –Š‡ Ƥ”•– –Š”‡‡ “—ƒ”–‡”• was not our best football. I still had some hope that we could string together a comeback and keep our season alive, but it was minimal,â€? Hickey said. The Ravens turned the game and their season around when the fourth quarter arrived. Flacco threw two touchdowns in less than a four minute span, rallying the Ravens for their biggest win of the season. The ƤÂ?ƒŽ •…‘”‡ǥ ÍžÍœÇŚÍ?ÍœǤ Š‡”‡ •–‹ŽŽ ™ƒ• —Â?ƤÂ?‹•Š‡† business in the hands of the Chiefs. As soon as the Ravens ‰ƒÂ?‡ ƤÂ?‹•Š‡†ǥ –Š‡ Œ—Â?„‘–”‘Â? showed the ending to the Chargers-Chiefs game, and fans transitioned into watching. Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers threw an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal a Chiefs win and a Ravens trip to the Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. “The crowd erupted when Rivers threw the late interception. We came together when watching the Chiefs pull out the victory. It was a great way to end a hard-fought season, and an even better way to celebrate with other Ravens fans,â€? Hickey said.

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Pitch

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Football’s dominance, perseverance secures playoff spot Gabe Riveiro ơ “Touchdown Wildcats! ”is a phrase that has become all too common, ringing in the ears of the Walter Johnson community well after the lights have gone out at the WJ stadium. Sitting at 7-1 through seven weeks of play, WJ varsity football has shown no signs of slowing down as they continue to post impressive numbers, averaging 39.6 points per game. With 1,796 passing yards, senior quarterback Josh Forburger continues to lead the county and his success goes hand in hand with that of his receivers. Senior wide receiver Kai Holloway and junior wide receiver Jose Cabrera have racked up 606 and 548 receiving yards respectively, earning them second and fourth place in the county. Holloway and Cabrera have com-

bined for 13 of Forburger’s 17 touchdowns through the air as Holloway has reeled in four endzone grabs while Cabrera has nine scores on the year. The run game has also been dominating opposing defenses as junior running back Aaron Jones’ 891 rushing yards place him at third in the county for yards on the ground. Of his 102 carries, 11 have successfully ended in the endzone, adding six to the scoreboard. Junior ƥ been nursing an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for two of eight contests thus far, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up outstanding numbers. In six games, he has 11 total touchdowns and 613 yards from scrimmage. Defensively, the Wildcats have continued to make their

presence felt. They rank seventh in the county in points allowed per game to opposing ơ ǡ of only 17.4 points on a weekly basis. Led by veterans such as seniors Hunter Belisle (defensive tackle), Enrique Garcia (linebacker) and Holloway (safety), the defense has kept the opposition on their toes every week. Team chemistry has been accredited for the group’s success. “We’ve got a pretty big class graduating this year and we’ve all playing with each other for the past three or four years. We’ve got really strong senior chemistry and playing for our brothers motivates us to do our best,” Garcia said. The bond between these young men has been emphasized by their coaches from day

one. “The kids have bought into [this family] and when you’re playing for your family that gives you a little extra motivation. We break down every day and we say family which means Forget About Me, I Love You,” head coach Larry Hurd Jr. said. In addition to both sides of the ball doing a stellar job of putting the Wildcats in position to win games, the special teams unit has been a force. Jones has a blocked punt return for a touchdown and Holloway has returned a punt for a touchdown as well. “If I truly had to say what our strength was, I’d probably say that we’ve done an outstanding job in the special teams because oftentimes special teams turns football games,” Hurd Jr. said.

In a season where they were counted out from the start, the Wildcats never lost faith. They stayed the course and have not only been competing, but also blowing teams out of the water. This has been a valiant group ơ ơ Ƥ time in school history. Walter Johnson is in third place behind Northwest (7-1) and undefeated Quince Orchard in the Montgomery County 4A West division. They look to take on the Quince Orchard Cougars on Senior Recognition Night in Ƥ regular season before entering ơ Ǥ ceremony is set to begin tonight (November 1) at 6:30 p.m. with ơ 7:00 p.m.

Cross country bonds, thrives in New York Matt Roman ơ

Photo by Holly Darby

Ƥ Ǥ Ǥ

Cheer hopeful for first states run Rebecca Davids ơ Cheer is in the midst of competition season. In October, the team placed third in the Century High School Invitational and the Glenelg Invitational. Counties took place on October 26 and will be followed by Ƥ on November 2. Counties and Homecoming were on the same day so the team had to compete in the Division II time slot. WJ is a Division I team and even though the cheer team did not directly compete with the Division I schools, their points were compared with those schools. The team scored 119.35, placing them ninth in the region. The day of competition is extremely long and involves many steps. “A typical cheer competition day starts with our team going over to a captain’s house, in the

morning, eating brunch, and doing our makeup and hair together. Then we drive to the competition together and get ourselves pumped up with music. When we get there we warm up and go straight on the mat to compete and wait for awards. In all, our competition days usually go from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” sophomore Isabel Schmidt said. This year, all the freshmen on the varsity cheer team also do All Star Cheer. “All Star is more nerve racking since the level I’m currently on requires more skills than the high school team. High school can still mess with your nerves but there is more support from the crowd when they cheer you on stage. But in All Star we get a spring ƪ on then the deadmat in high school,” freshman Gigi Relacion said. Each year competition sea ơ -

niors graduate and new freshmen join the team. “This competition season ơ years because we have so much talent and we can really do well at our competitions,” senior Gina Walter said. During competitions there are 11 teams in Division I. WJ Ƥ Ƥ ǡ meaning they will compete against other counties in the west section of Maryland. If the team places high enough Ƥ ǡ all the top teams in the entire state of Maryland. States is a possibility for the Ƥ Ǥ “The team would be so excited if we got the opportunity to go to states. We have put in so much work this season, and Ƥ year. Since we’ve never been to states before, that would be so huge for the team. You’ve got to want it to win it and we want it bad,” junior Jane Joncas said.

Every year towards the end of the season, the Walter Johnson cross country team heads up to Manhattan, New York for one of America’s elite races, the Manhattan College Cross Country Invitational. This year, the girls’ team lead by senior and Wake Forest commit Jenna Goldberg, had a great Ǥ Ƥ Ƥ ǯ ͞Ǥ͡ mile race, followed by junior Ella Gaul in third and sophomore Ellie Rodgers in 11th. As a whole, the girls’ team came in second in their race. “It warmed up to the perfect temperature by our race and the course was in great shape,” Goldberg said. “The hills were challenging but fun! Our team did really well, placing second, and I’m really proud of our hard work.” Goldberg took advantage of these course conditions with Ƥ Ƥ Ǥ ǡ she is clearly more proud of the team’s overall performance, a great characteristic for a leader. For the boys’ team, every Ƥ ishing in the top 75. Senior Jake Marks lead the team, coming in 14th in his race, followed closely by sophom o r e Andrew Schell and senior Seth B a n g s e r, Ƥ ished 18th and 19th, respectively. The boys are already looking forward to the next meet and not worried about the past. “It was a great race to help prepare us for the county championship as well as regionals and then states,” senior Nathaniel Gray said. Ƥ meet in 64th overall and 6th on the team. The team overall

Photo courtesy of Joseph Hale/DyeStat

Ǥ ͥ͜͞͝ Ǥ

Ƥ ǡ ǯ ͜͝ Ƥ Ǥ Not all of the trip was solely about running, though. While they were not racing, everyone enjoyed themselves in Manhattan and everything it has ơ ǡ m a k i n g some friends along the way. “It was fun to bond with the team in a new envir o n m e n t ,” junior Emelia Isola said. Many runners went shopping or explored the sights of the city while waiting for the race. Some visited historic Times Square, where there are great shopping places at very high end stores. For some, the extracurriculars in the runners’ downtime was just as important as the race, making the trip a success all around.

“It was fun to bond with the team in a new environment”

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

SPORTS

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Girls’ varsity soccer ends dominant season with playoff loss By Ben Files ’‘”–• †‹–‘” After a tough loss to Montgomery County rival Churchill ‹Â? –Š‡ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ• Žƒ•– Â›Â‡ÂƒÂ”ÇĄ –Š‡ ‰‹”Ž• varsity soccer team was looking for redemption in 2019. The team achieved that and more. They defeated Churchill ÍžÇŚÍœ ƒ– Š‘Â?‡Ǥ Â?†ǥ ™‹–Š •–‘—– †‡ˆ‡Â?•‡ ƒÂ?† ’‘™‡”ˆ—Ž ‘ƥ‡Â?•‡ǥ they assembled another double-digit win campaign. On a near freezing Thursday night that would mark the ‡Â?† ‘ˆ –Š‡ ”‡‰—Žƒ” •‡ƒ•‘Â?ÇĄ –Š‡ team’s experienced seniors and promising underclassmen closed with a bang. The girls †‘Â?‹Â?ƒ–‡† ŽƒÂ?‡ǥ ™‹–Š ƒ …”—•Šing 5-0 victory. Â? Â?ƒÂ?› Â™ÂƒÂ›Â•ÇĄ –Š‹• ™‹Â? ™ƒ• ƒ ’‡”ˆ‡…– ”‡ƪ‡…–‹‘Â? ‘ˆ –Š‡‹” †‡–‡”mined performances throughout season. ‹–Š Í?Íœ •‡Â?‹‘”•ǥ –Š‡ –‡ƒÂ? ™ƒ• built for resilience. Though the team started a little shaky with ƒ ÍžÇŚÍœ Ž‘•• –‘ ‘‘† ‘—Â?•‡Žǥ they recovered quickly. They proceeded to go on a four-game ™‹Â? •–”‡ƒÂ?ÇĄ ’”‘˜‹Â?‰ –Šƒ– –Š‡› could earn they way to the top of the leaderboards. “Team chemistry for sure! Everyone has gotten along so well ƒÂ?† ™‡ Šƒ˜‡ „‘Â?†‡† ‘Â? ƒÂ?† ‘ƥ

Photo courtesy of Lifetouch

The team warms up before a game from the succesful regular season. Their season came to a close after a second round loss to Whitman ‹Â? –Š‡ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ•Ǥ

–Š‡ Ƥ‡Ž† ™Š‹…Š Šƒ• ƒŽŽ‘™‡† —• to play to our highest potentialâ€? said senior captain Jacqui Moss when asked about what she thought was the secret to the team’s success this regular season. After a couple of other bumps in the road -- losses to BCC and

Whitman -- the team got back ‘Â? –”ƒ…Â? ƒÂ?† ƤÂ?‹•Š‡† ‘—– –Š‡ •‡ƒ•‘Â? ™‹–Š‘—– Ž‘•‹Â?‰ ƒ ‰ƒÂ?‡ǥ amassing 15 goals along the way. Â?–‡”‹Â?‰ –Š‡ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ•ÇĄ –Š‡ team is riding momentum and excited for upcoming challenges. “Expectations are that we’ll

give our 100% in everything and beat them [Whitman] to continue our path to winning statesâ€? said junior Nicole Caceres. ‘ Â?ƒ––‡” Š‘™ –Š‡ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ• —Â?ÂˆÂ‘ÂŽÂ†ÇĄ –Š‡ –‡ƒÂ? Šƒ• Šƒ† ƒÂ?other great season. They were able to beat the team that end-

‡† –Š‡‹” ”—Â? Žƒ•– Â›Â‡ÂƒÂ”ÇĄ ƒÂ?† Šƒ† more shutouts than you can count on one hand. Not only did the seniors get to round ‘—– –Š‡‹” Žƒ•– ƤÂ?ƒŽ •‡ƒ•‘Â? ™‹–Š ƒ •–”‘Â?‰ ”‡…‘”†ǥ „—– –Š‡› ƒŽ•‘ paved the way for the underclassmen to carry on their legacy.

Poms scrambles to find new coach

Photo by Ethan Oyeniyi

Senior girls come out on top against Kennedy High School on senior night. The girls won the match 3-0.

Girls’ volleyball head to playoffs By Ethan Oyeniyi Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡” ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ• ƒ”‡ ƒ’’”‘ƒ…Š‹Â?‰ ƒÂ?† the WJ girls’ volleyball team is determined to go all the way. Thirteen regular season games have passed and now they are on the road to states. Having not won a state championship ‹Â? Â†Â‡Â…ÂƒÂ†Â‡Â•ÇĄ –Š‡ –‡ƒÂ? ‹• Ƥ‰Š–‹Â?‰ to make that change. Š‡ ‰‹”Ž• ƒ”‡ ‡Â?–‡”‹Â?‰ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ•ÇĄ ready to rematch the schools they’ve previously played during the regular season. With ƒ ”‡…‘”† ‘ˆ ÍĽÇŚÍĄÇĄ ƒÂ?† Ž‘••‡• –‘ rivals Wootton and Churchill since the beginning of the sea•‘Â?ÇĄ –Š‡ –‡ƒÂ? ‹• Š‘’‡ˆ—Ž –Š‡› …ƒÂ? Â?ƒÂ?‡ ‹– –Š”‘—‰Š Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ•Ǥ “We’ve beat Wootton once this year but then we had [senior] Malina [Grande] as our setter. Now that we don’t have her it shows how much we re-

ally need her for the rest of the •‡ƒ•‘Â?ÇĄÇł •‡Â?‹‘” ŽŽƒ ƒ”–– •ƒ‹†Ǥ With the soon return of their •–ƒ”–‹Â?‰ •‡––‡” ”ƒÂ?†‡ǥ –Š‡ team will be back to playing at –Š‡‹” ˆ—ŽŽ ’‘–‡Â?Â–Â‹ÂƒÂŽÇĄ „—– ™‹–Š Š‡” …—””‡Â?–Ž› ‰‘Â?‡ǥ –Š‡ –‡ƒÂ? Šƒ• Â?‘ choice but to continue the season without her.. They have come up against Š‹–Â?ƒÂ?ÇĄ ‹…Šƒ”† ‘Â?–‰‘Â?‡”›ǥ Š‡ƒ–‘Â?ÇĄ ‡Â?Â?‡†› ƒÂ?† Montgomery Blair during their Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄ ’—•ŠǤ Š‡ ‡Â?† ‘ˆ –Š‡ •‡ƒ•‘Â? ‹• ƒ’’”‘ƒ…Š‹Â?‰ǥ ƒÂ?† †‡pending on how the girls perˆ‘”Â?ÇĄ –Š‡› …‘—Ž† ‡š–‡Â?† –Š‡ season. “Every year we haven’t gotten –Šƒ– ÂˆÂƒÂ”ÇĄ ƒÂ?† „‡‹Â?‰ ƒ •‡Â?‹‘” –Š‹• year means it is our last year to Â?ƒÂ?‡ ‹–ǥdz •‡Â?‹‘” ƒ–‡ —”Â? •ƒ‹†Ǥ Â? –Š‡ ͜͞Í?ͤnj͜͞Í?ÍĽ •‡ƒ•‘Â?ÇĄ ˜ƒ”sity boys’ volleyball was able to Ƥ‰Š– ƒÂ?† ™‹Â? –Šƒ– …ŠƒÂ?’‹‘Â?•Š‹’ –‹–Ž‡ǥ ƒÂ?† –Š‡ ‰‹”Ž• ™‘—Ž†

like to follow in their footsteps. The seniors especially are com‹Â?‰ –‘ ’Žƒ› ™‹–Š ‹Â?–‡Â?•‹–› –‘ Ƥnally bring the win home. Many ‘ˆ –Š‡Â? ™‹ŽŽ Â?‘– ’Žƒ› ‹Â? …‘ŽŽ‡‰‡ǥ so it’s now or never. “It’s very sad knowing that any one of our games coming up could potentially be our last ‰ƒÂ?‡ ’Žƒ›‹Â?‰ ™‹–Š –Š‡ •‡Â?‹‘”•ǥ ƒÂ?† ™‹–Š –Šƒ– ‹Â? Â?‹Â?†ǥ ™‡ ƒŽŽ need to work our hardest to make sure we don’t end sooner ”ƒ–Š‡” –ŠƒÂ? ÂŽÂƒÂ–Â‡Â”ÇĄÇł ˆ”‡•ŠÂ?ƒÂ? Wendy Liu said. ‹–Š –Š‡‹” ƤÂ?ƒŽ ‰ƒÂ?‡• ‘ˆ –Š‡ ›‡ƒ” ‹Â? Â?‹Â?†ǥ –Š‡ ‰‹”Ž• ƒ”‡ ‡ƒ‰‡” –‘ ‰‡– ĥ ˆƒ” ‹Â?–‘ –Š‡ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ• ĥ possible and are determined to give the seniors a great conclusion to their high school careers. ˆ–‡” ƒ „›‡ ™‡‡Â?ÇĄ –Š‡› ™‹ŽŽ face Whitman at home on Nov. Íž ˆ‘” –Š‡‹” Ƥ”•– ‰ƒÂ?‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ Â’ÂŽÂƒÂ›Â‘ĆĄÂ•Ǥ

By Lily Salvatore Â–ÂƒĆĄ ”‹–‡” Â? –Š‡ •Â?ƒŽŽ ‰›Â?ÇĄ –Š‡ ’‘Â?• team practices their routine continuously until they perfect it for the football game on Friday nights. Senior captain Ali Becker stands at the front of the group making sure the routine looks good from the perspective of the audience. The entire team groans when she makes them perform the routine for what feels like the millionth time. ˜‡”› Â›Â‡ÂƒÂ”ÇĄ –Š‡ ’‘Â?• team is one of the most anticipated parts of the pep rallies and football games. Their signature snake made of pompoms brings all the students to their feet during every halftime show. But under the sparkles and pompoms lays an intense work ethic and hours of hard work leading up to their competition season. The team is not only having to muscle through the hours of Â’Â”ÂƒÂ…Â–Â‹Â…Â‡ÇĄ „—– Â?‘™ –Š‡› ƒ”‡ ƒŽ•‘ having to face their competition season without a coach. „”—’–Ž›ǥ Ž‹œƒ„‡–Š ƒ”–‡” decided to resign from the po•‹–‹‘Â? ‘ˆ Š‡ƒ† …‘ƒ…ŠǤ —”’”‹•‡†ǥ many of the team members are unsure of where the season is heading from here. “I feel very left in the dark and I’m confused what comes after –Š‹•Ǥ Â‘Â™Â‡Â˜Â‡Â”ÇĄ ™‡ ƒ”‡ –”›‹Â?‰ –‘ Â?‘˜‡ ‘Â? ƒÂ?† •–ƒ› Â’Â‘Â•Â‹Â–Â‹Â˜Â‡ÇĄÇł •‡Â?‹‘” …ƒ’–ƒ‹Â? ‹‘Â? ƒ–‘ •ƒ‹†Ǥ ‡•’‹–‡ –Š‡ •‡–„ƒ…Â?ÇĄ –Š‡ –‡ƒÂ? is planning on competing and continuing to perform for the •…Š‘‘ŽǤ ƒ…Â?‹Â?‰ ƒ Â…Â‘ÂƒÂ…ÂŠÇĄ ’‘Â?• reached out to previous coach ƒŽ‡‹‰Š ›–‘Â? –‘ ƤÂ?‹•Š ‘—– –Š‡ season with them.

Š‘–‘ …‘—”–‡•› ‘ˆ ‹”‘ ƒ–‘

Poms perform their iconic snake while the crowd goes wild. The “snake� is a staple of WJ halftime shows.

The team is excited to start this new chapter with a new positive person in the leadership role. After a stressful …‘—’Ž‡ ‘ˆ Â†ÂƒÂ›Â•ÇĄ ’‘Â?• ƒ”‡ ƤÂ?ƒŽŽ› feeling comfortable heading into competition season. “I’m really excited to have ƒŽ‡‹‰Š ĥ ‘—” Â?‡™ Â…Â‘ÂƒÂ…ÂŠÇĄ •Š‡ coached me my freshman year ƒÂ?† •Š‡ǯ• ƒÂ? ƒÂ?ƒœ‹Â?‰ Â…Â‘ÂƒÂ…ÂŠÇĄÇł junior co-captain Lilly Belt said. After scoring a half point lower than Quince Orchard in the countywide competition Žƒ•– Â›Â‡ÂƒÂ”ÇĄ ’‘Â?• ™‹ŽŽ „‡ …‘Â?’‡–ing in Division II rather than Division I. Poms is still looking forward to this season and feels they have a good chance of winning their division since they are now ranked at the top. “I think the team is going in ƒ ‰‘‘† †‹”‡…–‹‘Â?ÇĄÇł ‡…Â?‡” •ƒ‹†Ǥ “Facing this crisis has brought us closer together as a team.â€? ‡•’‹–‡ ƒ „—Â?Â’ ‹Â? –Š‡ Â”Â‘ÂƒÂ†ÇĄ Poms have become closer as a team and have high hopes for –Š‡ —’…‘Â?‹Â?‰ •‡ƒ•‘Â?ÇĄ •–”‹˜‹Â?‰ for a spot back in Division I.

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What’s Inside Volleyball 18+19 starts playoff run

Cross Country vists New York

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Meet football beast Aaron Jones

#7

who is deaf or severely hard of hearing. But Jones has never let this get in the way of his athletic caBy Julia Hananel reer. Editor-in-Chief “It only impacts what people He’s brand new to WJ this around me think, and most of year, but has turned out to be the time it’s negative thoughts,” one of football’s most valuable Jones said. “But I’m here to assets. Meet Aaron Jones: the prove everybody wrong!” junior running back who’s carWhen he was two years old, ǯ ơ ǡ Jones’ parents decided he need13 touchdowns to the score- ed a cochlear implant to imboard over the course of this prove his hearing, allowing him season. to better communicate with Jones has been a key ingredi- others and learn in school. ent in an outstanding year for “It sends sounds to my brain, WJ football. His natural athlet- allowing me to hear better,” icism brings aggression to the Jones said. “It hasn’t impacted ǯ ơ ǡ - me much besides the fact that I cal presence is key on defense. don’t hear exactly like someone How is Jones feeling about who has 100% hearing.” football’s season so far? Pretty Jones’ combination of speed good, he says. and power has brought WJ’s “But we’re not done yet!” ơ ǡ Photo by Lucas Gillespie Jones said. As for the rest of the menting other running back Ƥ season, he’s optimistic. “This ƥ Ǥ year we are older, we work as a “Since Ian is also such a down against Clarksburg. Jones led the team to a 41-28 victory with team, and we have a goal.” skilled athlete, we’ve been able multiple rushing touchdowns to his name. What makes Jones an even to use him at receiver and runIn the locker room, Jones who gives a big speech before more unique player is that he ning back, giving us the ability may not be the most vocal games or anything like that,” has a cochlear implant: a small, to spread our playmakers all player, but he leads by example Stablow said, but “At any given electronic device that provides Ƥ ǡdz Ƥ Ǥ moment he’s ready to give his a sense of sound to a person Stablow said. “He’s not the type of leader all for the team.”

BY THE NUMBERS

By Elana Renbaum Sports Editor Coming into the third month of school, several WJ athletes have already committed to colleges to continue their sports careers. Whether they are committing to four years of school Ƥ ǡ our students are spreading all across the country for their superb sports skills. When students commit to colleges, it is typically towards the end of senior year. However, this year there has been a group of students who have ơ Ƥ months of their senior year, or Ƥ junior year. Senior coxswain for the WJ crew team Sophie DiFrank committed to the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. She has been a coxswain for all four years of her high school career and calls it one of the few things that she has truly been passionate about in her Ǥ Ƥ skills set her apart from other coxswains and propelled her to be on the top of college coach’s radars. Something that stood out to her was the amount of resources University of Louisville provides for its students such as a counseling center and REACH, a program to help students academically and student advocates to help students through a tough time. All of their programs are open to not only

reaching out, just in case they can catch their eyes. While most coaches of schools that the student turned down are respectful of the student’s choices, there are some who can’t seem to handle not convincing the athlete to join their program. Richardell had her fair share of rude coaches who couldn’t accept her rejection of their program. “I said I wasn’t going there ǡ ȑ Ȓ called me immature twice and hung up on me,” Richardell said. There are many positives for students who decide to commit early to college, like the fact that you only have to apply to one can reduce stress during your senior year of high school and give you a sense of security and familiarity when entering college. ǡ WJ athlete announces commitment to a college which is a testament to the sports programs that WJ has. “Our programs are getting better and every year they are improving,” senior varsity football player Frinz Calusa said. Students from sports programs such as boys’ lacrosse, swimming, cross country and soccer have committed to continue their sports careers at the collegiate level. Even as seasons end and begin, the commitment process never stops and many WJ athletes will be continuing their sports careers in colleges across the country.

102 Carries

891 Rushing yards

8.7 Yards per carry

13 Touchdowns

WJ student athletes take next step for their collegiate careers athletes, but all been limited students who to allow the attend the unistudents to versity. make well“They have a informed lot of resources choices available to about where athletes, just they would to help them like to conthrough their tinue their academics and sports and whatever they education may need help careers. with, so that re“You want ally stood out to to commit me. Also, their early so you concern for can go to a mental health good school and how much because if it they care about takes you a the athletes while, then themselves rePhoto courtesy of Emma Richardell Photo courtesy of Sophie DiFrank maybe you ally stood out to Celebrating her commitment to Junior Emma Richardell par- won’t get me, versus oth- the Univeristy of Louisville in ticipates in a photoshoot at the the school er programs,” Kentucky, senior Sophie DiFrank Naval Academy in Annapolis you want. poses for her announcment pho- prior to her commitment to the The coaches DiFrank said. Junior Emma to. After coxing for four years at school. After completing her are really Richardell has WJ, she plans to contimue her college education, she will serve a g g r e s s i v e committed to sports career through college. about it,” Ƥ Ǥ play lacrosse at Richardell - Ǥ Ǥ Ƥ Ǥ said. emy in Annapolis. DiFrank’s advice to student There are many ways to catch When Richardell toured athletes who are looking to be the attention of a school, such ǡ recruited by colleges is to begin as attending a program there, coaches and participated in the process early and to make Ƥ a photoshoot, decked out in yourself as available as possible. ment website or reaching out to Ǥ coaches. the lacrosse practices, to see ǡ Dz what it is like and met many ȋ - coaches sending my highlight of the players who left a posi- sociation) sports coaches can ȑ Ȓ ǡdz tive imprint in her mind about begin to reach out to student Richardell said. the team. It is these kinds of recruits starting on June 15 of DiFrank used the website small things that lead a player their sophomore year of high berecruited.com to catch the to be more inclined to commit school, or september 1 of their attention of schools and coachto a college. Additionally, after junior year. The rules that the es nationwide. completing her college educa- Even after a student comtion, she becomes employed by coach to athlete contact has mits, there may still be coaches

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