Vol. 51 » Issue 8 by The Black & White

volume 51, Issue 8 may 22, 2013

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Four language teachers leaving, Leef to be new department head

photos by PAULA OSPINA

by Casey Noenickx

Senior Johnny Poffley, below, celebrates his new title as Mr. Whitman May 17. The evening included a talent competition, a formal wear pageant and a group dance number. Poffley’s talent was speed-painting a self portrait.

Spring Fair returns this week by popular demand by Samantha Zambri

The Spring Fair is returning May 23 with an exciting afternoon featuring student bands, games, rides, food trucks and more. “We’re really excited for the spring fair this year because we have more rides and all new games that suit everyone, from elementary school kids to parents,” said junior Kate Goldberg, chair of spring fair. “It’s the last day for seniors, with a pep rally to celebrate our success with LLS month, Powderpuff football and the spring fair, so we expect our students to be pretty excited.” Last year, the SGA decided not to run the fair because of finanical issues, sponsor Sheryl Freedman said. Most of the money the organization raised was given to clubs, and not enough was left over to front fair costs, she said. This year, an amendment was added to the school constitution mandating that a budget for fund requests be set at the beginning of the school year. Planning ahead this way ensures that the SGA has enough money to host the fair, Freedman said. Because the spring fair usually doesn’t yield a profit, the SGA had to save almost $10,000 to host it, Goldberg said. “Even though over a thousand people come to the fair, the event costs so much to put on that we don’t usually make it up,” she said. “We’re hoping to actually make a profit this year because we have many more rides and games and there was much demand for the return of the fair from Whitman students.” Fair fare will be available with food trucks,

including sweet treats like Ben & Jerry’s and Crepe Amor. The food trucks are one of the most highly anticipated features, but also presented challenges in the planning process, Goldberg said. “The hardest part was getting the food trucks to work together because they’re all pretty competitive. Other than that, planning the fair was pretty easy,” she said. Nine student bands have signed up to play so far, including Alligator Haters and Magnetic Symphony. There are still spots open for people to perform, said senior Nick Bode, who is in charge of public relations. The SGA is emphasizing publicity this year, just in case the public doesn’t remember the fair because of its cancellation, secretary Andrea McDonald said. “We’re creating list-serves for elementary schools, fliers and emails,” she said. “We rely mostly on word of mouth, so we’re hoping people will spread the word on their own.” While the fair is mostly an SGA responsibility, community businesses also play a big part, Bode said. “We personally run all of the carnival games, but we use mostly local restaurants and companies for the bigger things, like the inflatable games and rides,” he said. The fair starts at 4:30 and admission is $5. “It’s one of our biggest events and everybody loves it,” Bode said. “The weather will be nice, there will be good food, there will be a lot of games, and it’s a fun spring event.”

This June, students will have to say “au revoir” to French teachers Genevieve Maloney, Nancy Barmak and French and Spanish teacher Pam Garcia, as well as “adios” to Spanish teacher Derrick Ryan, as the four foreign language teachers embark on different journeys. Spanish teacher Rebecca Leef will be replacing Garcia as the resource teacher. The French teachers plan to retire this year and take time off for themselves, hoping to relax and travel in their spare time, Barmak said. Having already traveled much of the world, Maloney wants to travel around the U.S. in her retirement. Barmak, also ready for a change, hopes to spend more time between here and Florida, where her fiancé is living. Ryan is moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts to be with his fiancé. He hopes to find a leadership position for next year and is interviewing for a position as an academic advisor at Tufts graduate school, as well as coordinator or director in study abroad programs at three different colleges, including Northeastern and Suffolk, Ryan said. “It’s bittersweet,” Ryan said. “I’m ready for something a bit more challenging in my life, but I’m going to miss the people here more than anything.” continued on page

Parent follows rise of Nats star in ESPN documentary Jess Atkinson filmed 20-year old phenom Bryce Harper for over a year by Parisa Davoodi

When teenage phenom Bryce Harper was called up from the minor leagues to make his major league debut with the Washington Nationals last year, filmmaker Jess Atkinson rallied his crew, flew to Los Angeles and touched down by noon April 27 to shoot Harper playing in his first game at 3:30 p.m. Atkinson, the father of senior Jessica Atkinson, directed “Bryce Begins,” a documentary about Harper’s life and his journey to play Major League Baseball. He followed Harper with his production company, 3 Penny Films, for 18 months before and after his debut with the Nationals and travelled to 12 different cities to film key moments and interview Harper and other players. The documentary premiered April 30 on ESPN. When he began filming Harper in 2011 for background material, Atkinson noticed a composure that baseball fans seemed to miss. At the time, Harper was surrounded by social media hype after he was ejected from a minor league game and blew a kiss to a pitcher after a home run, all caught on video. Atkinson, a former professional football player, created the documentary to clear up misconceptions about Harper’s character. “I thought there might be a disconnect between the perceptions of him that I knew were out there, versus the reality of him,” he said. “We kept shooting and kept delving and kept following, and it turned out to be a pretty great story.” continued on page

2 NEWS County struggles with math exams

4 OPINION Ser vice trips neglect local needs

10 FEATURE 13 Sports

16 Q&A

Beach Week

Alternatives

Alum hopes to start for Terps

with screenwriter and former FBI agent Tim Clemente

NEws

News Briefs

Teachers approve of new WhittierWoods copier Whittier Woods got a new photocopier – the Xerox WorkCentre 5855 – this past week, replacing an older, obsolete version that had been broken for five years. “It’s very exciting,” history teacher Michael Curran said. “It’s like having a real copier. Previously, we had some schwag joint.” The new copier is a big upgrade over its predecessor, as it’s able to copy and scan more pages than the old model. It’s also superior at copying pages doublesided, stapling pages and networking with the school’s computers, history teacher Courtney Osborne said. Already, teachers are thrilled with the big difference that the luxurious machine is making. “It’s like driving a Cadillac after having driven a Civic,” English teacher Eric Ertman said.

Free music festival returning for fourth year It’s official: Virgin FreeFest will return to Merriweather Post Pavilion this fall, a spokesperson for the festival confirmed to the Black & White. The music festival will be at Merriweather for the fourth straight year, but the performance line-up and date are still to be announced, Audrey Fix Schaefer said. Since 2009, tickets have been available for free online, “to lighten things up in the face of a rough economy while drawing more attention to youth homelessness,” reads the the Festival’s website. Jack White, Skrillex and ZZ Top headlined last year’s FreeFest, which drew the festival’s largest crowd ever – 50,000 people. Previous headliners have included The Black Keys, Deadmau5, Pavement, and Weezer.

Alum wins $25K fashion design award Last month alum Madeline Gruen (‘09) participated in Pratt Institute’s 114th annual fashion show—one of the industry’s most prestigious shows for up-and-coming designers. She was one of 17 students who displayed their designs in front of some of fashion’s most famous names, including Glamour Magazine’s Anne Christensen, Vogue’s editor-at-large Hamish Bowles, and menswear designer Thom Browne. Pratt Institute presented Gruen with the “Liz Claiborne Award- Concept to Product,” a $25,000 award that will support her entrepreneurial activities and cover the costs of developing designs. Before the show, Browne observed Gruen’s line and made suggestions Shortly afterwards, he invited Gruen to intern for him after her graduation from Pratt this spring. “The actual fashion show itself was awesome,” Gruen said. “There’s a lot of work that goes into getting a successful collection off the ground.”

Silver Spring elementary school to honor former Whitman teacher Flora M. Singer Elementary School in Silver Spring will hold a dedication ceremony June 10 for the former Whitman teacher for whom the school is named. Singer taught French for 14 years, but is known for sharing her experience as a Holocaust survivor. She developed Whitman’s first curriculum for instruction about the Holocaust and helped students and staff speak more openly about it, faculty members said. “She loved teaching at Whitman, and enjoyed the students immensely,” said Sandra Singer Landsman, Singer’s daughter. Singer went into hiding to escape concentration camps during World War II and immigrated to New York in 1946. After teaching herself English and getting a graduate degree at the University of Maryland, she began teaching French at Whitman. Singer, which opened August, 2012, is the first public school in the United States to be named after a Holocaust survivor.

May 22, 2013

High failure rates on MCPS math semester exams raise concerns over curriculum, grading by Matt Yang

MCPS high school students failed their first semester math final exams at a surprisingly high rate, county officials recently acknowledged. A study group comprised of staff and administrators is being formed to explore the possible causes of the problem and suggest remedies. Six out of 10 students countywide failed either their Algebra I exam or Geometry exam, according to recently released data. These high failure rates have plagued the county for “a number of years,” according to statement by superintendent Joshua Starr released May 17. The Washington Post reported that MCPS has had similar failing rates

1 in 5

Whitman students failed the Algebra I semester exam for at least 10 years. Principal Alan Goodwin suggested the reason for such a high failure rate is that many students believe that if they do well enough during each quarter, they don’t have to study as hard for the exam. “It’s always been frustrating for me to see a student work hard for 18 weeks and have a B average, then do lousy on the final exam for whatever reason and end up with a C for the semester,” Goodwin said, calling the exams “problematical.” The failing rate for students enrolled in honors math courses was significantly lower, but still notably high, according to the data that was first obtained by Rockville

High School PTSA president Dylan Presman and later confirmed by MCPS spokesman Dana Tofig. Roughly one third of students taking either Honors Geometry or Honors Algebra II didn’t pass their exams. At Whitman, the failure rate isn’t quite as high as it is in the rest of county, but is still far from satisfactory, Goodwin said. Nearly 1 in 5 of the 98 Whitman students enrolled in Algebra I failed their exam, compared to over 75 percent at Einstein, Magruder and Wheaton, according to data released by MCPS. Whitman’s highest exam failure rate is 37 percent for the Algebra 2A exam. But that rate is still lower than the rates at other schools and countywide averages. Notably, 88 percent of Gaithersburg students and 97 percent of Wheaton students failed the Algebra 2A exam. County-wide, students struggle most with lower-level math courses, according to the data. As students expand their understanding of math, they seem to do better on the exams. The failure rate for Algebra I and II students was roughly 60 percent, but the failure rate for on-level precalculus students was 48 percent. Math resource teacher Russ Rushton believes the data is skewed and doesn’t present any concerns, he said. The data that MCPS distributes accounts for every student in the county who took each test. For students who earn the same grade in both marking periods, the exam has little to no effect on the final grade. Because students are aware of this system, they tend to not study very much for the exam, resulting in misleading data, Rushton said. “Students allocate their time on areas that will make a difference in their grade,” he said. “I would do the same thing.” Math teacher Jim Kuhn, however, believes that this issue should present a countywide concern. “Until the county changes students’ motivation,” he said, “their

grades aren’t going to change.” With the new Common Core curriculum, the county is optimistic that test scores will improve in the future, MCPS’ Tofig said. “We believe that too many students are coming to high school with gaps in their understanding of math,” he said. “In mathematics, the Common Core requires students to gain a deeper understanding and be able to apply that knowledge in a variety of ways. If

97%

of Wheaton students failed the Algebra II semester exam students go deeper and master math concepts in earlier grades, it should lead to greater success in higher-level math.” Math teacher David Rosen, who has taught a variety of algebra courses in several different states, also pointed out the “insufficient depth” of math curricula. “By the time that next year rolls around and the teacher says ‘Do you remember this from last year,’ kids will say, ‘Gee did we cover that?’” he said. In his statement, Starr also highlighted other metrics, such as improved SAT scores and overall semester grades, which paint a positive picture of the county math curriculum. However, he also said that he will work to fix the issue of exam failures. “This is something that must be addressed and, I promise, will be addressed,” he said.

Graduation and commencement speakers chosen Students selected to speak alongside Penn State football coach Bill O’Brien BY Matt Yang

Seniors Pablo Ramirez, Marit Bjornlund, and Ali Foreman will address their peers alongside the commencement speaker at Constitutional Hall this June. At the auditions on April 30, 17 prospective gradution speakers delivered a speech they had written to a panel of judges made up of English teachers, administrators,and the senior class officers. Although only three seniors were selected, many of the seniors were qualified to speak at graduation, Ramirez said. “I was honestly very scared when I saw the pool of candidates because every single name on that list was more than capable of not only writing a fantastic speech but delivering one as well,” he said. The three seniors will be sharing the stage with Bill O’Brien, who is the head football coach at Penn State and the uncle of senior Kate O’Brien. Bill O’Brien took over for Joe Paterno after last year’s scandal at Penn State, carrying on Paterno’s legacy with an 8-4 record and winning the National Coach of the Year award. Before coaching at Penn State, he was the head football coach at Brown and later joined the coaching staff of the New England Patriots, working as the quarterback coach and eventually the offensive coordinator. O’Brien was chosen because he can connect with and inspire students, Goodwin said. “When O’Brien went to Penn State, one of the pieces that he really focused on was letting the young men know that they have to be responsible citizens,” assistant principal Jerome Easton said. “He wanted the players to not only be respectful to each other, but also to the community at large.” Senior speeches, like commencement addresses, embody the transition of graduation – looking back on past experiences while preparing for the future. Foreman will speak about the

From left to right: student graduation speakers Ali Foreman, Pablo Ramirez, Marit Bjorlund unlucky year – 2013 – that the senior class is graduating “Luck has nothing to do with the outcomes of life,” she said. Ramirez wants to convey in his speech that no matter what happens after high school, nothing is permanent and mistakes can always be fixed, he said. “Through what we’ve learned in our lives, through our friends and through our past experiences, we can kick butt in the future,” Ramirez explained, adding that he wanted

to speak at graduation because he wanted to address his fellow classmates one last time. “The idea of being able to address the people you’ve been in high school with for four years and who you’ve shared so much with means a lot,” Ramirez said. “The fact that you can have a final message for all of them as a goodbye and as a good luck is nice because it makes you feel like you leave a positive impact.”

May 22, 2013

News

Resource teacher Pam Garcia retires after 24 years at Whitman

Photo by TYLER JACOBSON

by Casey Noenickx

Foreign language resource teacher Pam Garcia has been a part of the Whitman community since 1989, teaching Spanish and French, and after 24 years at the school, Garcia plans to retire. As the resource teacher, Garcia oversees the seven languages taught at Whitman, as well as the language department staff. Garcia said designing individual curriculua for each language level is frustrating, but it’s a pleasure to hear students’ success stories. It’s the element of fulfillment that makes it all worthwhile, she said. “I have never woken up in the morning and said, ‘Oh my God. I have to go to work.’ I come to Whitman every day with a smile on my face,” Garcia said. “I’m happy because I know that the students at this school really want to learn. They’re just the most wonderful people in the whole wide world.” Garcia damaged her leg in 2003 after suffering from a stroke, and the leg has been aching due to stress. Despite her heavy workload, Garcia had been advised by her neurologist to relax, so she decided to retire. Between 2000 and 2003 Garcia worked at MCPS headquarters as the foreign language supervisor for the county. Her time in the central office made Garcia appreciate the learning environment at Whitman. “I found the atmosphere up there to be very negative, condescending and unhelpful,” Garcia said. “I decided that I preferred to be with students and adults who really cared about what we were doing.” Returning to Whitman, Garcia focused her teaching on preparing students for using languages in real life. Her goal is to prepare kids for college semesters abroad or for a major or minor in foreign language, she said. “Garcia says it’s ‘the Whitman way,’” Spanish teacher Derrick Ryan said. “We don’t use books, we make everything from scratch. We don’t sit there and say ‘Open your book, to page 75.’ Without the books it’s more communication-based and the students actually start to use the language like their supposed to.” Garcia said she has formed close bonds with her students, and it will be hard to leave them behind. “The thought of leaving the school makes me cry,” Garcia said. “It’s been my life for the last 24 years and I cherish every moment that I have spent in this school. It will always be a part of my heart, and I know that this department will stay as wonderful, open, flexible and helpful as it has been while I’ve been here.”

Language teachers Derrick Ryan, Nancy Barmak, Pam Garcia and Genevieve Maloney say farewell to Whitman. Rebecca Leef will take over as the language resource teacher.

Departing French and Spanish teachers leave gap in language department continued from page

The loss of so many language teachers leaves two-and-a-half French positions and one-anda-half Spanish positions open, principal Alan Goodwin said. “This is a challenge, because we have very fine teachers with lots of experience and that is virtually irreplaceable,” Goodwin said. “We are interviewing and hiring new teachers from other schools.” The department will have replaced the teachers by August, according to Garcia. The positions have been advertised online through an MCPS website. Part of the challenge is finding teachers with enough

Speech and Debate Team looking for new head coach by Sarah Friedman

For the fourth time in five years, Speech and Debate is searching for a new head coach after former coach Iaan Reynolds resigned to take time to plan his graduate school path. Reynolds, who graduated from George Washington University earlier this month, served two years as the assistant coach for two-ontwo Public Forum debate before becoming the head coach after Ari Parker resigned last year. The Speech and Debate Booster Club is also seeking a replacement for assistant head coach Ben Berkman, who will be leaving for law school next year. The team’s large size and need for an experienced coach make the search a challenging one. Although the club has a long way to go, they hope to find new coaches by June, said co-president Kelly Levy. The head coach position demands a large time commitment: the coach attends practices two days a week and travels to tournaments about every other weekend, often having to travel on Mondays or Fridays. The head coach also has administrative responsibilities, inclduing registering the debaters for tournaments, running events and helping to organize the Beltway Invitational, a national tournament hosted annually at Whitman. “It’s a lot to ask for,” said Colin O’Brien, the team’s faculty advisor. The coach’s salary is largely or entirely funded by the Booster Club. It varies depending on the coach’s experience and expertise, Levy said.

Along with many successes under Reynolds’ coaching, public forum debaters won “The Glenbrooks” in Illinois, one of the most prestigious national tournaments, two years in a row. Reynolds, proud of the team’s progress, called his coaching stint “the best job I possibly could have had in college,” and cited the administrative aspect of coaching as helpful for future work opportunities. Students inspired him to pursue a career as a professor of philosophy or law, he said. Reynolds was popular among the debaters, bringing a wealth of experience from his high school years debating, said team vice president Rachel Baron, a senior. He introduced new arguments and mindsets that helped team members in more than just debate matches. “He influenced the way we thought about the world,” she said. Sophomore Bob George also appreciated the individual support Reynolds offered to the team. “You always need someone to [help you] improve yourself and Iaan was there as a fresh opinion,” he said. Although adapting to a new coach can be a challenge, Baron believes the team is set up for success. “I think the team will continue to be successful despite any coaching changes,” she said. “We’ve gone through three coaches in the past four years and the team continues to do better every year.”

experience and background to teach French One through AP French. Likewise, looking for a full time Spanish position requires a fluent speaker for upper level instruction, said Goodwin. After four years at Whitman, Leef is ready to take on the position of resource teacher, although she recognizes she will “have big shoes to fill.” She came to the school as a new teacher, and she is excited to take on a leadership role, she said. “It’s a great opportunity for me,” Leef said. Garcia, who Leef calls her “mentor,” taught her to teach without the use of

textbooks and show students how to use language in real-life situations—values which Leef plans to incorporate into her new role as resource teacher. According to Garcia, Leef is very innovative and will be a good addition as resource teacher. “It’s time for someone else to bring in new creative energy,” said Garcia. “Ms. Leef is so great with technology—it’s one of my weaknesses. That’s what she’s going to bring to the department: another level of creativity that I honestly just don’t have. I think that it’s going to be great for the school.”

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may 22, 2013

Service trips abroad leave local community needs unanswered by Scott Singer

Thousands of miles away, students are teaching classes in Tanzania, refurbishing schools in Costa Rica and inspiring kids in Uganda. While these overseas trips provide students with a unique opportunity to see the world, the focus on volunteer opportunities abroad often overshadows local needs. Almost one in five D.C. residents lives below the poverty line, the highest rate of any state according to the 2010 Census. With such a high poverty level just 15 minutes away, it’s time for students to focus on local problems. Student clubs and teacher-sponsored trips often send students across the globe on foreign service trips that cost up to $4,000. While service anywhere is beneficial, those high travel costs could be used to improve the local community. Donating these funds to regional non-profits would be a much more cost-effective way to combat poverty at home. All these service trips abroad mean less volunteering at home. A month spent in an exotic country could be used to work at a soup kitchen or volunteer at a camp. While some students choose to travel for the adventure, volunteering locally offers just as many character-building opportunities as service trips. Put simply, students don’t have to travel thousands of miles to help people in a meaningful way. One attraction of foreign service trips is the huge amount of community service hours. While participants do

volunteer for extended amounts of time, fulfilling their SSL requirements on a trip overseas often dissuades people from performing service back at home. Students can gain between 25 and 40 hours on a typical trip, according to Keri Singer (no relation), president of Manos Unidas. This means that students can gain a significant amount of their graduation requirement on one trip and won’t have nearly as much motivation to help at home. This is certainly not always the case—some people have the service bug and accumulate far beyond the graduation requirement. In fact, 94 seniors are scheduled to graduate with purple tassels, meaning that they have accumulated 260 hours of community service, according to transcript secretary Brenda Athanas. But “community” service in the truest sense is meant to be performed in the local community, where the effects are most directly seen. T h e r e a r e s e v e ra l local problems that need to be addressed. One of the largest problems in D.C. is education and literacy, with only about three in five kids graduating in four years, according to Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Students could help alleviate this problem by tutoring inner-city kids or donating books to D.C. public schools. Many D.C. residents lack access to quality food, and nearly one and four people are reliant on food stamps as their only source of nutrition, according to the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.

opinion

Standardized tests should gauge proficiency but should not be required to graduate by ben titleBAUM

For the culinarilyinclined, helping out at soup kitchens such as Manna’s Food Center is a rewarding experience, and can help provide another source of food for low-income families. Regardless of talent and interests, there is always a meaningful and interesting way to improve the local

community. Community service anywhere is great. But it’s time that we place more local emphasis in our service endeavors. See page 10 for one example of beneficial and local community service.

Starting in 2014, Maryland will replace the English and Algebra HSAs with the new PARCC test, which will be based on Common Core standards. But the continued focus on standardized testing comes at the expense of quality education. Maryland should rely on testing in English and math for measuring proficiency—not as a graduation requirement— and eliminate the unnecessary biology and government HSAs. Twenty-three states require students to pass exams to graduate from high school. The Maryland State Department of Education first brought in the tests as “another step to strengthen preparation for college and career,” said Mary Gable, who has a policy oversight role for the MSDE. But students don’t need this extra step. In reality, “there is very little evidence that these tests improve student achievement,” said Edward Haertel, an education professor at Stanford and an expert on testing. These tests turn schools into “drill and kill” test preparation centers, changing the emphasis from learning to passing, according to Bob Schaeffer of Fairtest, an organization opposed to standardized testing. A focus on s t a n da rdi z e d t e s t s takes away valuable class time that could be used for writing and discussion.

English teacher Danielle Fus gives her class an HSA question each day, taking between five and ten minutes per class to prepare students for the test. Fus teaches students to answer specific types of questions for the HSA, which gives students test-taking skills but takes time away from teaching the critical thinking skills that schools should try to foster. One might think that some law mandates this kind of high-stakes testing. But there is no federal requirement that students have to pass an exit test to graduate. It would be easy to eliminate these tests—the majority of states don’t have them, and other states including Minnesota are considering dropping their exit exams. While taking standardized tests is a staple of education from elementary school through college, students should be able to earn a high school diploma if they pass their required classes without having to pass state exams. None of these highstakes tests improves student achievement, and they just create more stress for teachers and students while drawing attention away from more meaningful learning endeavors. In order to actually improve education, school systems should be emphasizing learning instead of just passing tests.

Volume 51, Issue 8 2012-2013 The Black & White is published 8 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Students and staff can pick up the paper free of charge. Mail subscriptions cost $35. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain. Signed opinion pieces reflect the positions of the individual staff. Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Walt Whitman High School or Montgomery County Public Schools. The Black & White encourages readers to submit opinions on relevant topics in the form of letters to the editor. Letters must be signed to be printed, though names will be withheld upon request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be placed in the Black & White mailbox in the main office or the editor’s mailbox in room B211, or may be emailed to blackandwhitevol52@gmail.com. All content in the paper is reviewed to ensure that it meets the highest levels of legal and ethical standards with respect to material that is libelous, obscene, or invasive of privacy. Accuracy is of utmost importance to the Black & White staff. The address of the Black & White Online Edition is <www.theblackandwhite.net>. The online edition contact is theblackandwhiteonline@gmail.com. Recent awards include the 2012 Online Pacemaker, 2010 CSPA Silver Crown, 2010 Marylander Award, 2008, 2005, 2004 NSPA Pacemaker Online Award Finalist; 2002 NSPA Pacemaker Award; CSPA 2008 Silver Crown; CSPA 2005, 2008 Gold Medalist Award; Quill & Scroll George H. Gallup Award 2000-2008; 2005, 2004 NSPA All-American Award, 2004MSPA/Washington Post Advisor of the Year Award.

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MAy 22, 2013

opinion

Four-year colleges remain a safer bet for students by Rebecca Meron

New context-based curriculum will bring needed change in class focus

Lessons will incorporate more reading, outside information by Ethan Taswell

No longer will students have to suffer through a curriculum that still places an emphasis on rote memorization for standardized tests, educators say, as next year’s Common Core State Standards will bring needed reform to the classroom. The standards apply to the core subjects: English, math, history, science and technology.The main difference that the syllabus brings to these subjects is a push for a more practical focus and on problem solving. The nonfiction reading will make up 70 percent of reading for students’ classes overall. Because this percentage includes nonfiction texts in multiple subjects, the typical reading list for English classes will remain largely unchanged. In other classes like Science and math, teachers could assign a variety of readings, from an essay by Einstein to a paper written by Newton. Forty-five states and D.C.

have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Changes have already come to 9th grade English classes, the biggest being a shift in focus to writing skills first semester and literature second semester, English teacher Elon Walter said. Students will benefit from the contextual readings because they will be exposed to areas of the subject that otherwise might have gone uncovered. Reading background texts in math, history and science classes will help kids understand more context for the practical subjects they are learning. Rather than sitting through a lecture; memorizing cold, hard facts only to forget them after taking a test, reading and discussing text l i ke a rel a t ed newspaper article will cause students to become more aware of current events and give them a deeper understanding of the general subject. Yes, reading framework

text does take up time that could be spent learning formulas or solving problems, and these skills will inevitably be tested at some point. But these readings are important because they will help students not only learn the subject, but also the culture and history behind it. The readings will prompt more critical thinking because students will not only be asked to read more historical texts, but to analyze them as well, said social studies resource teacher Robert Mathis. Instead of being taught a superficial overview, students should be able to conceptualize the broader impact of a topic. By familiarizing students with supplementary texts, the Common Core State Standards encourage students to learn about a subject’s role in their daily lives rather than its importance on the final exam.

The majority of this year’s senior class will enroll in four-year bachelor degree programs at colleges and universities around the country this fall. While conventional wisdom sees these degrees as the ticket to successful careers and high earnings, today’s economic environment is leading some to question the degree’s value. A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that unless they come from the most selective colleges, four-year degrees no longer automatically translate into higher earnings, and students should think twice about pursuing them. Students, however, should not be so quick to abandon bachelor degrees. Despite high unemployment among college graduates, a fouryear college degree is still worth the time and money. The Wall Street Journal article questions whether the majority of students going for bachelor degrees would be better off with twoyear technical degrees from community colleges. Not only are these degrees less costly, but they may also assure graduates higher earnings, the article states. In Virginia, graduates with technical degrees from community colleges make $20,000 more in the first year after college than graduates with bachelor degrees in several fields, according to the Wall Street Journal. Yes, graduating two years early with less debt and a good salary is incredibly attractive. But for those who can afford it, a bachelor’s degree is still worth it in the long run. Graduates with bachelor degrees will earn on average 33 percent more over their lifetimes than those with two-year degrees, according to 2010 census data. And while bachelordegree holders incur on average $10,000 more debt than do two-year degree holders, according to U.S. Department of Education statistics, higher lifetime earnings will outweigh the increased cost of a bachelor

degree. A University of Indiana 2009 study based on pre-recession data estimated that bachelor-degree holders earn 65 percent more over their lifetimes than do twoyear degree holders. In addition, the fouryear degree opens up more options for future career advancement. Those with only two-year degrees often have difficulty climbing the corporate ladder compared to their colleagues with four-year degrees, a highranking executive of an international beverage company confirmed. Four-year degrees prepare graduates for a wider range of jobs and make them more knowledgeable about the world, said Sergio Castro, who works in the Communications Department at Montgomery College. Also, bachelor degrees are a requirement for advanced professional degrees. While a student may not be interested in obtaining a J.D. or an M.B.A. today, the bachelor degree gives them flexibility to pursue advanced degrees in the future. Holders of advanced degrees generally earn about double the amount twoyear degree holders earn, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. College is also about finding and following a passion, and narrowlyfocused technical schools, by definition, cannot offer the same amount of exposure. Core curricula can interest students in areas they never before thought about before, and the social life, arts and other extracurricular activities that come with any four-year college can develop into life-long passions. While selecting a twoyear degree program for its immediate higher earning potential may seem prudent in a rough economy, it understates the value of four-year programs. The long-term economic benefits, flexibility for future study, and potential to alter a student’s world view make the bachelor degree worth the academic grind and the cost.

Viewers should be wary of media inaccuracies by Sebastian van Bastelaer

In the aftermath of any major tragedy, we look to the media to help shed light on the situation. We scour the tweets, blogs, sites and channels to learn the details of the disaster. Only one problem: what we’re reading may not even be right. Our society needs to be more cautious when reading the news to avoid spreading false rumors. Within hours of the recent Boston bombing, the Associated Press and CNN both reported than an arrest had been made in the attacks, only to rescind the statements immediately after the Boston Police Twitter account refuted their claims. Following the Newtown shootings, the suspect was identified as Ryan Lanza, when the shooter was actually his brother, Adam. Some of these errors are just plain funny. During the manhunt for the Boston bomber, KDFW, a FOX affiliate in Dallas, aired erroneous closed captioning that identified the suspect as “19-year-old Zooey Deschanel.” They misidentified the suspect as the 33-year-old star of FOX’s “New Girl,” instead of the actual suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. These errors highlight a disturbing trend in the news industry: speed at the price of accuracy. The outlet that breaks stories first gets more viewers

and thus more money, said Douglas Gomery, professor of journalism at the University of Maryland. But rushing stories detracts from accuracy by encouraging sloppy reporting. Since the media is motivated to prioritize speed over accuracy, it’s up to us to be news-literate consumers. Because we know that there’s no way outlets are going to delay breaking news in the interest of accuracy, it’s our job to read these breaking reports with a grain of salt. In today’s increasingly confusing world, we need to be more cautious with what we believe and redistribute. With so many social networks out there, it’s easier than ever to share news that has been directed to us. Whenever there’s a misprint, there can be thousands of links sent, shared or retweeted around the internet before they can even take it down. Every year, students in NSL have to sit through seemingly mundane lectures about news literacy. But the recent events in Boston and Newtown indicate that being an educated consumer is more important than ever. If we can’t trust the news media to prioritize facts in their rush to break the news, then it’s on us to be wary of what we’re reading.

Media reports from the recent Boston bombings were full of inacuracies, including misidentifying one of the bombers, Dzhokar Tzarnaev, as FOX network star Zooey Deschanel.

FEATURE

may 22, 2013

Students support breast cancer research in Avon walk “I walk as a symbol of hope to those recently diagnosed so that they know a long time survival is very real,” she said. Each year Miller raises about $100,000 for the event. She founded a website and newsletter called AllEars which is an online guide to Disney world. Although the networks aren’t about the Avon Walk, subscribers donate to the cause because they know Miller supports it. Facing the physical challenge of walking almost 40 miles, Miller found support through the Seneca sisters “Training with a group provides great incentive to get out and walk, when you really don’t want to,” Miller said. Glasser walked with the Seneca sisters on both days of the event. “Everybody was really motivated and really excited,” Glasser said. “There would be cheering stations every few miles and people would be playing music. All the crossing guards were playing music and singing and dancing.” T h e w a l k h o s t e d a Sophomore Mira Glasser, right, walked to raise money for breast cancer research with survivors, including wide variety of ages, from Deb Miller, left. Miller has been cancer-free for 27 years and has participated in 14 Avon walks nationwide. students like Glasser to the oldest participant — a like a challenge,” Hinga said. next year. woman in her 80’s. Hinga and Esposito were both new For Miller, the impact of the race “There was one man who was participants. In between the two days, hasn’t diminished, despite the many walking with a cane who walked the walkers camped outside in what was years she has participated. entire 39 miles and he was going fast,” called the Wellness village. “The Avon Walk continues to be Glasser said. “You get a two-person tent and you awesome, powerful, emotional, sad, Hinga joined the fight against sleep outside,” Hinga said. “They were happy, difficult, challenging and breast cancer, training for the walk and bright pink. It was really cute.” rewarding,” Miller said. raising over $1,800 for the cause. The walk occurs in D.C every “I heard about the Avon Walk from spring and Glasser, Miller, Hinga and one of my friends and it just seemed Esposito have already registered for

photo courtesy MIRA GLASSER

by Sophia Glazer

Over 2,000 people in bright purple t-shirts walked 39.3 miles through the streets of D.C. May 4 and 5, in the 11th annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in D.C. This year, the event raised $4.5 million for breast cancer research. Sophomore Mira Glasser and juniors Mica Hinga and Christina Esposito participated in the event to show their support for the fight against breast cancer. Glasser had trained for months prior to the event and diligently worked to raise money for breast cancer research, a cause close to her heart. “I was doing the walk in honor of my mother, who passed away from breast cancer in November 2011,” Glasser said. Glasser began training in February, walking every Sunday to prepare. “I was training with my dad’s girlfriend Leslie and we found a team called the Seneca sisters,” she said. “They were doing training walks in Bethesda so we decided to start training with them.” The Seneca sisters are a group of 25 people who participate in the walk together and combine their donations to submit the money as a team, Glasser said. By e-mailing friends and family and walking door to door, Glasser raised a total of $3,100 in the months leading up to the race. “Some lady gave us a $500 check because she had been affected by breast cancer,” Glasser said. The walk welcomed new participants like Glasser and also many returning participants including Deb Miller. Miller, who has been cancer-free for 27 years, is a member of the Seneca sisters team and has participated in 14 Avon Walks. In 1986, at the age of 32, she was diagnosed with Stage II cancer. After a successful surgery the same year, Miller became devoted to contributing to the fight against breast cancer.

class of 2013

may 22, 2013

Madison Abbot Juniata Abdurrahman Abdu Undecided Valerie Acker Wisconsin

Destinations Andrew Cullinane

Southern Miss

Marissa Hosker

Bucknell

Matthew Cullinane

Southern Miss

Alexandra Hou

Unable to contact

Vermont

Molly Houston

Warren Wilson College

Jacob Dahreddine

James McMorran Celesty Mecherkany Sarah Mevlin

Madeline Adler Kentucky Faizan Ali Maryland

Anant Dalela

Maryland

Aliza Daniels

Temple

Kaiwei Hsu

Riasat Ali George Mason Alexander Allen Indiana

James Davis

Georgia

Arthur Huang

Unable to contact

Charlotte Meyer

Rebecca Davis

Unable to contact

Michelle Huey

Columbia College

Grant Miller

Mark Davis, Jr.

Loyola

Nikolas Allen Maryland Olivier Allongue-Petermann Salisbury Alysha Alloway Macalester Dawood Amiri Montgomery College Michael Amrine Drexel John Anagnostopoulos Georgia Tech

Parisa Davoodi Stuart Dean Kelsey DePorter Grace DeWitt

Maryland Southampton (UK) South Carolina

Bladon Howland

Bailey Hults Mark Hunley Michelle Isaacs Krishna Jaitly

Unable to contact Maryland

James Madison Middlebury UPenn MIT

Maryland

Benjamin James

Michigan

Alexander Deziel

Penn State

David Jannotta

Goucher

Victoria Anapolle Undecided Rachel Arnesen Yale

Joseph DiSandro

Boston University

Caroline Jarcho

Michigan

Sheri Arnold Wisconsin Jessica Atkinson Wisconsin

Maya Djordjevich

Charles Augustine Berklee College of Music Ashley Azmoodeh Maryland Benjamin Baker Undecided Joseph Baker Maryland Manas Balasubramanian India Kelly Ballock Georgia Luke Barber Miami (FL) Lydia Barber Miami (FL) John Barnes Pratt Rachel Baron Bowdoin Gabriel Barrett Macalester Maheyaar Barron Middlebury Caroline Battaile Wellesley Emilie Bell Allegheny Catherine Benz Stanford Julia Berard Wesleyan Jared Berul Penn State Connor Bevirt Indiana Andrew Bick Elon Tara Biglari Edinburgh (Scotland) William Bird Hobart and William Smith Marit Bjornlund Gap Year, Williams Charles Black Auburn Claire Block Rollins Adam Bloom Michigan Nicholas Bode Cornell Jake Bogart Montgomery College Christopher Bonilla Penn State

Julia Dionne Erin Doran

Quinn Jarrell

Illinois

Agnes Scott College

Joseph Jarvis

Montgomery College

Jens Jessen

George Washington

Lauren Jin

Unable to contact

Daniel Duffy

Wisconsin

Jack Jobst

Denver

Mia Duncan

Oregon

Monique Kamargo

Kimberly Durante

Clemson

Seongheon Kang

Katherine Durman

Syracuse

Christopher Kao

Max Dubrovsky

Elle Dwyer Catherine Dye Cecilia Dye Joseph Dyer Michael Eccker Garrett Eichhorn Thalia Eigen Andrew Elman Caroline Elmendorf Laura Elmendorf Matthew Engelhardt Matilda Epstein Jae Ermer Lily Esfandiary Antonio Espinosa

Towson St. Mary’s (MD) Montgomery College Maryland Penn State

Melanie Kaplan-Cohen

Alison Foreman

Williams St. Josephs (Philadelphia)

Laura Kaufman Samir Kaveeshwar Aaron Kebler Aidan Keesing

Denver

Anna Kelly

Colorado (Boulder) George Mason

Emma Keteltas Jun Kim

Justin Knighton Chase Knoll

Justin Cable Gap Year, Culinary School Andre Calade

St. Coletta

Allegra Caldera Harvard Mark Cameron Conneticut College Christopher Campbell WashU Joshua Cantwell Appalachian State Raelyn Carr LSU Maddie Carrington Duke Renee Carrizo Montgomery College Tate Carter-Graham Maryland Andrew Castagnetti Denison Eduardo Cavalcanti Becker Evan Cernea UPenn Sara Chadwick Johns Hopkins Aurin Chakravarty Johns Hopkins Pauline Chan Maryland Eileen Chang Maryland Xian Chang Carnegie Mellon Abhishek Chaturvedi Northwestern Wisconsin An-Qu Chen Montgomery College Mario Chicas Virginia Tech Ryan Chitwood Montgomery Scholars Emily Christian Emory Nicole Ciesinski Christopher Newport Cara Coffin Alexander Cohen-Leddy Salisbury Maya Cohn Skidmore Tufts Richard Cohn Gap Year Elaina Cokinos Juniata Nora Connors Goucher Gillian Cooper UCLA Madison Craig College of Charleston Nicholas Crane Cornell Caroline Crawford Oregon Sean Crean Cincinnati Claire Crissey Colgate Ameera Crossman

Paola Ortega

Towson

Unable to contact

Paula Ospina

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT

Elena Palermo

Gap year, Vermont

Naval Academy

Joshua Palmer

Towson

Howard Colorado State

Michael Gonzalez

Rhodes College

Billy Lenkin

Cornell

Larry Lenkin

Cornell

Daniel Levine

Emory

Rena Levine Matthew Lewis

Neha Gupta

Maryland

Nicholas Lilja

Sophie Haber -Sage

Maryland St. Mary’s (MD)

Harvard Hood College Penn State Maryland

Shuo Li

Evan Haas

VCU

Clemson

Maryland Georgetown

Maryland

Ty Lewis

Jenna Guo Farah Gustafson

Claremont McKenna

Tulane

Virginia

Britanny Guh

Wisconsin

Billy Lee

Audrey Gould

Brendan LoBuglio James London Kayla Loberbaum

Penn State USC Ohio State Elon

Berkeley

Caroline Torrey

Stoneybrook

Amelia Turkewitz Jamie Tucker Berndan Unroe Irene Uribe Esteban Uribe

Itumeleng Phori Abigail Pine

Moving to Africa WashU

Alexander Pomerenk

Cornell

Tina Vaziri Maria Villarino

Kayla Prandoni

Clemson

Rachel Price

Salisbury

Andrew Wagman

Cassie Rabner Nathan Rackstraw

Claire Ramirez Alejandro Ramirez Polania Pablo Ramirez Uribe

Macalester

Colby

Cindy Wang

Duke

Palchen Wangchuk Eric Warchawsky

Vermont

UMBC

Zachary Watson

Michigan

George Mason

Madison Wayne

Lynn University

Colin Rankin

Michigan

Brian Wegman

Jessica Rebarber

Skidmore

Raphael Weissman

Alabama

Nicholas West

Gap Year

Jeremy White

Wisconsin

Myles Williams

Maryland

Katelyn Rehmann Maria Reis Paulina Reyes Lauren Rhea Annie Rice Emily Rogers Thomas Rogers Derek Rosenberg Jessica Rosenberg

St. Andrew’s (Scotland) Manilla York College Maryland

John Paul Wilson Catherine Wolf-Rodda

Richard Helmer

Denver

Nathaniel Henning

Middlebury

Lindsay Herschfeld

Maryland

Ian Himmelfarb

Ithaca College

Bonnie Margolis Sydney Markus Noah Martin Marina Martinez-Bueno Rebecca Mashek

Patrick Hisle

Maryland

Alexandra Mason

Amelia Hoge

Vermont

Catherine Matenje

Nicholas Holden

Virginia Tech

Delaney Holland

Towson

Christopher Hoogstraten

Joshua Hoppel

Haverford Montgomery College

Abhijai Mathur Daniel McClanahan Haley McClelland

Ithaca College Michigan Georgetown Universidad de Malaga (Spain)

Towson Virginia Tech U Tampa Franklin and Marshall Vanderbilt South Carolina

Andrea McDonald

NYU

Kevin McGowan

UNC

Kyra McKinna

Radford

Hayley McLenagan

Towson

Isaac Rubin Thomas Ryba

Northeastern

Maryland

Justine Wood

Gap Year Colby

Lindsay Worthington Elisabeth Wright

Unable to contact Moving to Japan

East Carolina U Duke UMBC

Unable to contact Montgomery College Salisbury

William Sartain

CSS (Rockville)

Daniel Schifrin

Gap Year, Syracuse

Reid Schlesinger

Tulane

Phoebe Schmidt

Boston University

Leslie Schwed Patrick Scordato Isaac Segal

Michigan Middlebury

Pontificia Universidad Catolica (Peru)

Alexandra Schoen

Kalamazoo College

Michael Yang

Pontificia Universidad Catolica (Peru)

Kayvon Sari

Wisconsin

Northwestern

Laura Saavedra

Carlina Filipa de Jesus Santos

Hobart and William Smith

Maryland

Marisa Saavedra Marta Salas Sanchez

Towson Montgomery College

Kevin You

Penny Routoulas

Curry College

Bethany Wong

Tulane

Helen Rosenthal

Penn State

Samuel Wolins

Dartmouth

Laura Rostad

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

St. Lawrence University

Louisiana State

Gap year

Maryland

American University Fordham

Charlotte Lydon

Unable to contact

Queen’s University (Canada)

Eric Walton

Rino Yoshida

Jeremy Mamlet

U of Raeat (Morocco)

Kyle Walter

Emory

UC San Francisco

Johns Hopkins

Temple

MIT

Dylan Hayes

Florida

Maryland

Helena Wade

Andrew Ross

Kenyon

Purdue

Maryland

Clemson

Emma Mairston

Pratt

Jaosn Vonortas

Robert Lund

UC San Francisco

Vassar College

Rhodes College

UChicago

Asia Hayes

University of British Columbia

Luis von Horoch

Eyal Hanfling

Illinois

Montgomery College

Guilford College

Tzu Chun Yen

Maryland

St. Mary’s (MD)

Anna Volkov

Evan Lund

Liam Hatch

Unable to contact

Nellie Vinograd

Maryland

Occidental

Berklee College of Music

Samantha Tong

Angie Han

South Carolina

UMBC

Temple

Jacob Rosenblum

John Michael Hellman

Maryland

Edinburgh (Scotland)

Stanford

Anders Maraviglia

USC

Andrew Phelan

Daniel Lowet

Carnegie Melon

Penn State

Gustavo Pessoa

Clemson

William Hedberg

Michigan

Syracuse

Lawson Hamilton

Ari Mandler

Wisconsin

Emily Vasiliou

Nicholas Rosenberg

Montgomery College

Edinburgh (Scotland)

Edward Pelham

Gap Year

Lucia Head

Lehigh

St. Mary’s (MD)

Maximo Losada-Radley

Yunhan Ma

Clemson

Alyssa Vasiliou

Salisbury

U of British Columbia (Vancouver)

Earlham College

Lan Vande Hei

Eleni Hallas

William Harris

Towson

Ori Pejo

MuscatineCommunityCollege

Talia Levinas

USC

Brandeis

Sofia Todd

Nari Maan Valian

Syracuse

Towson

Kevin Tang

Tufts

Zachary Raeburn

Ariel Gordon

Si On Sung

Duke

Biranna Racoosin

Ilana Leonard

John Sullivan

Nicole Payne

MIT

Clemson

Maggie Sullivan

Samuel Pearl-Schwartz

Cornell

Hanna Lee

Benjamin Sternfeld

Kai Valencia

Abby Lederman

Aaron Gordon

Katherine Guarino

Rose Hullman Institute ofTechnology

Virginia

Montgomery College

Avon Old Farms boarding school

Maryland

Samuel Pastoriza

Montgomery Junior College

Olivia Lebeau

Piolo Gonzolez

Dustin Gray

USC

Shin Jeong Park

Montgomery College

Rachel Lang

Jana Butman Brown/RISD

Cornell

Dor Lachovizer

Gap Year, West Virginia

Maryland

Los Andes University (Chile)

Bath (England)

Milan Givens Nardone

Samantha Gonzales

Francisca Onetto

George Washington

Coast of Carolina U

Julia Brown Michigan

Brandon Bussard Montgomery College

Colorado (Boulder)

Marco Olimpio

Jonathan Poffley

Justin Lancellotta

Daniel Stern

Vermont

Spellman College

Michigan

Danielle Plotnick

Rohan Lal

Gabe Steinberg

Occidental

Pepperdine

Carnegie Mellon

St. Andrews (Scotland)

UPenn

Carleton

Amanda Kuhn

Robert Gill

David Goldman

Undecided

Georgia

Jordan Brossi Dickinson

Maryland

Azumo Nishimura

Elon

Kellan Steele

Maryland

Sade Thomas

Northwestern

Daniel Goldin

Gisele Nighswander

Wake Forest

Jillian Stebbins

Hamilton College

Maryland

Duke

Johns Hopkins

Grace Nicoll

Cal Poly

Emma Squier

HongKongUofScienceandTechnology

Kristine Olaya

Justin Koritzinsky

Rebecca Glowinski

Sarah Newsom

George Mason

Leila Spira

Swarthmore

Unable to contact

Dickinson

Villanova

Adrienne Neher

Virginia Tech

Irene Solaiman

Wellesley

Emma Tatem

Edinburgh (Scotland)

Margaret Gill

Nicholas Sobczyk

Charleston

NYU

Michael Kopecky

Montgomery College

Rhiannon Smith

Boston University

Danielle Okon

The Art Institute

Ashraf Ghorbal

Leslie Smith

Gap Year

Lottie Nalls

Ohio State

Montgomery College

Julia Frank

Jenna Kress

Gabriella Sitrin

Handal Munoz

Skidmore

Gap Year

Vermont

Keri Singer

Raphaella So

Yuta Nakagawa

William and Mary

Cornell

Gap Year St. Andrews (Scotland)

Maryland

Madeline Simon

Zoe Mungai -Barris Zoe Myers

Georgia

Christopher Silva

College in Japan

South Carolina

Alexandra Kramer

Gigi Silver

Hiroki Ogata

Greg Kolakowski

Natalie Kra

Rachel Sieradzki

WashU

UPenn

Nathaniel Korn

Jacob Shiman

Maria Szczesny

Pia Kochar

Lafayette College

Trinity

Veronica Sherrard

Montgomery College

Georgia Tech

Sydney Gertzog

Moving to California

Gap Year

Ryan Sherman

Bela Oehser

Middlebury

Georgetown

Colorodo (Boulder)

Bucknell

Hannah Sherman

Unable to contact

Maryland

Isabella Gatti

Maryland

Brandeis

Taylor Sheldon

Zoe Sunshine

Liam Knox

Duke

Penn State

Maryland

Montgomery College

Iain Forrest

Zachary Fuchs

Molly Moriarity

West Nottingham Academy

Stephanie Shao Brandon Shapiro

Sochi Obioha

Ohio State

Boston College

Nicholas Morelli

Montgomery College

Boston College

Halie Kellett

Lawrence

Cole Moore

Haverford

Kate O’Brien

Amherst Miami (FL)

Colin Mooney

Virginia Tech

Wor-Wic Community College

Boston College

Wesleyan

James Montfort

U.S. Naval Academy

Veron Nutter

Lucas Karron

Illinois (Urbana Champaign)

Thomas Mitchell

Undecided

Michigan

Maryland

Matthew Breves Clemson

Stephanie Buria-Hellbeck Gap Year

Brandeis

Montgomery College

McGill

Linn Bumpers UC Santa Barbara

RISD

Kevin Karran

Gabriel Gerecht

Phoebe Bui George Washington

Stony Brook

Macalester College

Ryan Brand UCLA

Jordan Brundige Montgomery College

Penn State (University Park)

Albert Misul

Allegheny

Daniel Karr

Nicholas King

Britanny Fleck

SUNYBuffalo

Benjamin Miltenberg

Moving

Joseph Norris

Undecided

Mia Finelli

Fashion Institute of Technology

Abby Meyer

Montgomery College

Maryland

Ryan Filler Julianna Finelli

UChicago

Spencer Meschter

Rochester Institute of Technology

Scott Kaplowitz

John King

Carolyn Freeman

Lauren Brooks Gap Year, Salisbury

Sharlene Kao

Penn State

George Boss Clemson

Moiwo Brewah Bowie State

Joseph Kao

Alexander Farzanegan

Adriana Frayne-Reixa

Ben Bouvier Brown

UPenn Champlain College

Zachariah Borkowski Vermont Hanna Bouten Elon

St. Mary’s (MD) Tulane Boston College Maryland

Deanna Segall

Williams

Caroline Seibel

Tulane

Naomi Senehi

Florida

Jakub Zeleznik

UPenn Towson

A note on “Destinations” The Black & White would like to thank the seniors for providing the information necessary to compile this list. We apologize for the incomplete status of the list; our staff was unable to contact some students. We regret any inaccuracies that may be present in “Destinations.” If you would like to make a correction, please email blackandwhitevol52@ gmail.com and we will update your changes on our website. Please check out our interactive online map on www. theblackandwhite.net.

Senior In-De su

december May 22, 19, 2013 2012

For the past four years you’ve seen these 11 seniors in the halls. We only hope you’ve seen them like this: Grace DeWitt, artistic genius Favorite thing about Whitman: The neon sign above the staircase - I have never once forgotten to cover my cough!

Caroline Crawford, superstar rower Favorite thing at Whitman: The longer I’m here, the weirder everyone becomes. Least favorite thing: We all stress out too much! Where you’ll most often find her: My schedule goes like this: school, crew, eat, sleep, repeat. So besides a few (okay, a lot) more “eats” in there, I’m probably at practice on the Potomac. What she’ll miss most next year: I’m going to really miss Ms. Mo, who is probably one of the best adults I know. But Mr. Pham’s 8th period tech class will be hard to replace. The Phamily keeps it real. Underclassman crush: Abraar Ahmad. I’ve got to say, Abraar, you’ve won me over. Where you’ll find her in 10 years: I like to think I’ll have been gainfully employed for a few years (knocking on wood here,) and will be about to quit my job to hike for a year before I decide to do the whole adult thing for real.

Least favorite thing: The tendency to get sucked into a Type A personality. Where you’ll most often find her: In Diamond’s room, trapped in the maze of paintings and decaiptated mannequins in her back room. What she’ll miss most next year: Ms. Diamond’s and Ms. Eagan’s rooms; both have their own kind of inspiration. Underclassman crush: Mady Brach. Remember, everything the light touches will soon be yours. Where you’ll find her in 10 years: South Africa, India, Mississippi, West Virginia...who knows? Matt Lewis, tech wiz Favorite thing about Whitman: Drama Department. Least favorite thing about hypercompetitve atmosphere.

Whitman:

The

Where you’ll most often find him: Engineering Wing. Who he’ll miss most next year: Too many people to count. Underclassmen crush: Brandon Brabbit’s hair. Where you’ll find him in 10 years: Working for Cirque Du Soleil. Nick West, golf pro Favorite thing about Whitman: The students. Least favorite thing: The students. Where you’ll most often find him: On the golf course. Who he’ll miss most next year: Mr. Gohn’s class. Underclassman crush: No one. Where you’ll find him in 10 years: Playing golf professionally.

december May 22, 19, 2013 2012

upplement epth

Jeremiah Nicholson, cameraman to the stars Favorite thing about Whitman: Mr. Ertman’s puns. Least favorite Ertman’s puns.

thing:

Mr.

Where you’ll most often find him: In my classes, or at the salon working on my sick tan.

Charlotte Meyer, half-senior, half-mermaid Favorite thing about Whitman: The people. Least favorite thing: School lunches.

Who he’ll miss most next year: Mr. Easton and his soulsoothing P.A. announcements. Underclassman crush: Hermione Granger. Where you’ll find him in 10 years: Living it up on humanity’s new Mars colony.

Where you’ll most often find her: In Mr. Schaefer’s room. Who she’ll miss most next year: Madame Maloney. Underclassman crush: Aaron Dane. Where you’ll find her in 10 years: In the Navy.

Hanna Bouten, Shakespearean expert Favorite thing about Whitman: Cassie Rabner Least favorite thing: The food... Where you’ll most often find her: The WAUD. Who she’ll miss most next year: Shipley! Underclassman crush: Jeff Marr. Where you’ll find her in 10 years: Casually stalking Cassie Rabner.

Nora Connors, high-flying superstar Favorite thing about Whitman: Pep rally.

Favorite thing about Whitman: It’s a circle and impossible to get lost in. Least favorite thing: It’s so competitive and cutthroat. Where you’ll most often find her: Running on the track. What she’ll miss most next year: The math department. Underclassman crush: Evan Woods. Where you’ll find her in 10 years: Travelling the world.

Least favorite thing: The bathrooms. Where you’ll most often find her: In Mr. Chen’s room. Who she’ll miss most next year: Mr. Chen! Underclassman crush: Alex Hosker. Where you’ll find her in 10 years: I have no idea! Lawson Hamilton, hockey god Favorite thing about Whitman: The hockey team. Least favorite thing: The parking system. Where you’ll most often find him: Mackin’ on the ladies

Where you’ll most often find her: Outside by the benches.

Who he’ll miss most next year: Ms. Holloway

Underclassman crush: It’s a secret. runner

Favorite thing about Whitman: The wigalow.

Least favorite thing: AP exam week, ewwww.

Who she’ll miss most next year: Ms. Franklin’s and Sra. Kyser’s classes.

Adriana Frayne, extraordinnaire

Matilda Epstein, stellar leader of cheers

Where you’ll find her in 10 years: As a really good surgeon.

Underclassman crush: Matthew LeBeau Where you’ll find him in 10 years: With my slam piece on a beach in the Bahamas

FEAture

May 22, 2013

Going Out Guide : Summer Edition By NICOLE Fleck

As the school year comes to a close, students begin to have a thirst for summer fun. From outdoor movies to the Montgomery County Fair, there’s plenty to do in the D.C. metro area this summer.

Drive-in Movies Making a Comeback

What’s old is new—drive into your parents’ era. Starting at sundown, outdoor movies are a great way to spend a cool summer night. Get a bunch of friends, pile in, and travel back in time. At the drive-in’s peak in 1958, there were 42 drive-in theatres in MD. Now, 95 percent of those have gone dark and only two remain in operation according to Drive In Movie. Bengies Drivein Theater in Baltimore, the closest to our area, is the largest outdoor movie screen in the U.S. It measures 120 feet wide and 52 feet high and can hold up to 750 cars. If you can’t get to Bengies, Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle will host outdoor movies from July 23-27. There is also the Screen on the Green, which is a summer outdoor movie tradition held on the National Mall from July-August (exact dates TBD). If that isn’t enough, other local outdoor movie options can make you feel good about giving back to the community. The NIH Charities are holding the NIH Film Festival and hosting gourmet food vendors as well as live music before the movie. Although the film festival

has free admission, the NIH encourages donations to help raise funds for NIH Charities such as Friends of the Clinical Center, The Children’s Inn, and Camp Fantastic/Special Love. Benefiting a cause even closer to home is the sophomore class fundraiser: an outdoor movie. In addition to seeing “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” students will receive a Chipotle burrito with a $15 admission fee. “It’s a fun, relaxing way to close out the school year,” said sophomore class officer Rachel Ordan. “It’s after AP’s and before exams so it appeals to everyone.” More details will be announced soon.

Truckeroo Food Truck Festival

Featuring over 20 of D.C.’s best food trucks along with live music and cornhole games, Truckeroo is the perfect way to spend your baseball-free days. The monthly festival is planned around the Nationals’ schedule, so Truckeroo will never interfere with a game even though it’s next to Nats Park. The festival, located on the corner of Half St. and M St. SE, offers a wide array of food selections. From Red Hook Lobster’s seafood to Surfside’s tacos, Truckeroo is a food-lover’s paradise. Admission is free and the event occurs once a month until October so there will be plenty of opportunities for you to grab a bite.

Bands in the Sand

With toes-in-the-sand dancing and food and drinks provided by Boatyard Bar & Grill, Bands in the Sand is the way to party with a purpose. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will hold its eighth annual Bands in the Sand event at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis. Over the past seven years, the event has raised more than $775,000 to support the foundation’s efforts to defend and protect the Bay. Live performances include music from various reggae bands along with what is known to be “MD’s top party rock band”: Misspent Youth.

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

Do you miss childhood days full of eating funnel cakes, candy apples, and cotton candy? The Montgomery County Fair, an old summer favorite, is returning for its 65th anniversary. From Aug. 9-17 at the Montgomery County Fair Grounds, the annual county fair is the perfect place to create special memories. With events like the vintage tractor pull, pig and duck race and Christmas tree judging, the county fair will not disappoint. The fair will feature fun activities such as the zero gravity ride, bumper cars, and the haunted house. The annual fair brings summer to a close with a nostaligic touch.

Seniors celebrate graduation with alternatives to traditional Beach Week

Aldo Grifo-Hahn leads the Johnson Middle School drumline during practice Grio-Hahn re-started the drumline while volunteering at the school.

photo courtesy ALDO GRIFO-HAHN

by Caroline Schweitzer

Alum mentors middle school students during gap year by Emma Anderson

While most students take a gap year after graduation to get a break from school, alum Aldo Grifo-Hahn (‘12) chose to spend his back in the classroom. Grifo-Hahn spent a year working with the D.C branch of City Year, an organization that places volunteers at schools in cities with the highest student dropout rates. The volunteers work with third to ninth graders to ensure that students get the support and guidance they need to succeed in school. He works with City Year through Americorps, a federal volunteer agency. After deferring his admission to Bard College, Grifo-Hahn found an array in gap year programs. He knew he wanted to make a difference locally so he made proximity a priority in his decision, he said. “It gave me this unique opportunity to serve in my country, in my community,” he said. “I fell in love with the program.” For the 2012-2013 school year, Grifo-Hahn worked at Dr. John Hayden Johnson Middle School. His job entailed promoting kids’ “ABC’s” - Attendance, Behavior and Course performance. “There are several kids who I have been working with since the beginning of the year,” Grifo-Hahn said. “Watching them reach their potential is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced,” His decision to take a gap year stemmed from a desire to mature. After 12 years of his parents urging him to attend school, Grifo-Hahn said he decided he was not ready to make the jump to complete independence in college. “I wasn’t the most senior senior,” Grifo-Hahn said. “I was 16 in the beginning of my senior year, which isn’t terribly uncommon, but I felt it a lot more than some people did.”

While at Whitman, Grifo-Hahn played trombone in the band. He developed a connection with the band teacher, Terry Alvey. “I had very high expectations for him,” Alvey said. “He’s a great trombone player and a good kid. I’m really happy for him.” Living in the Bethesda area gave Grifo-Hahn an appreciation for life, and he wanted to do something to help others before college, he said. “I felt like I had been going to school these 12 years for me, and I was going to spend another expensive four years, for me. I just wanted to do something to give back,” he said. In addition to mentoring at Johnson, Grifo-Hahn has become involved in afterschool activities including coaching the football team and sponsoring the school drumline,which had been dormant since 2007 until he revived it. “I found the drums one day and I was like ‘wait, we have all these things and we have no drumline?’” Grifo-Hahn said. “These kids are banging on their desks like crazy during class, why is there not an outlet for this?” The drumline wasn’t active because of lack of funds, but after Grifo-Hahn found the forgotten drums in the school, it became possible. The fun outlet gives students an incentive to attend school, he said. Although it was hard to watch his high school friends go to college before him, Grifo-Hahn said he has no regrets. “It has been an amazing, lifechanging experience,” he said. “I went into my senior year thinking that I wanted to be a lawyer or a historian but now I’ve discovered I don’t want to do that. I want to teach.”

Some seniors are following Robert Frost’s advice by taking the road less traveled and heading away from the traditional Delaware beaches during beach week. Many students have planned alternative vacations to senior Beach Week because of parent restrictions or simply because they’re interested in trying something new. Senior Bethany Wong and seven other friends found a way to escape the beach trend. They’re heading to a more urban scene with plans to visit Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza and other New York City landmarks. “Traveling north was mainly because of our parents and the restrictions they had on us,” Wong said. “But we also thought that New York City would be a lot more fun than just going to the beach every day.” For their alternative Beach Week experience, seniors Nick Sobczyk, Nick King, Jacob Shiman, Derek Rosenberg and Ty Lewis are planning on visiting Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware for a camping trip. “It’ll be an interesting bonding experience,” Sobczyk said. Their camp site, a cheaper alternative to renting a beach house, is located 20 minutes from Dewey and 10 minutes from Rehoboth, so Sobczyk and his friends plan to visit friends at the neighboring beaches, he said. Over the four days the group will spend at the state park, the friends will primarily be at the beach, but the trip will include camping activities as well, Sobczyk said. “We’ll definitely have some camp fires,” he said. Prior to this year, students had the option of passing up the usual Beach Week

trip for a school sponsored trip led by Biology tezcher Melanie Hudock. Since 2005, Hudock has offered student alternative trips to the beach. The number of students has grown over the years, reaching an average of 20 students per year, Hudock said. Hudock has led trips to the Galapagos, Greece and since 2007, Disney World—until this year. MCPS informed Hudock earlier this year that she couldn’t take students on the trip before school ends. “They said I could take the students on the trip after June 18 but that defeats the purpose,” Hudock said. Without the trip as an option, seniors are left looking for a way to celebrate their graduation without necessarily going to the beach, she said. Seniors Cara Coffin and Baily Hults plan to head south to Naples, Florida. They hope to take advantage of the Florida Everglades by finding new, exciting activities to try. “I really hope we can either go kayaking or zip lining,” Coffin said. “I really want to swim with the dolphins, but that’s kind of a stretch.” Coffin said that while most of her friends are going to Dewey, she won’t be joining them because her mother, who has worked in the school system for many years, worries about what really goes on at the beach. Concerns about inappropriate behavior like underage drinking led Coffin’s mother to disapprove of the traditional Beach Week experience. “She isn’t really comfortable with the trip even though all of my friends are going,” Coffin said. “Ultimately, she trusts me, but this alternative option is cheaper and it’ll still be fun.”

may 22, 2013

feature

BY NICK MEYER

It’s a well-known fact: teenage dudes like to eat. But sometimes, the average box of Domino’s pizza just doesn’t cut it. So here are some of the best bargain places for hungry gents to chow down around town.

Bold Bite Dogs and Fries

Head over to Bold Bite Dogs and Fries for some top notch hotdogs. Try the classic Chicago Dog—a Vienna beef frank in a steamed poppy seed bun, topped with sliced tomato, neon relish, mustard, spicy “sport” peppers and a pickle spear and finished off with a sprinkle of celery salt; or go with the DC, a chili topped half smoke that pays homage to DC’s signature dish. As for slightly more expensive options, they have “show” dogs—specialty sausages topped with such things as truffle cream, Spanish ham or fried eggs. They even have burgers, and their twice cooked Belgian style fries are the best in town. Go for their combos, which range from nine to ten bucks and come with a sausage of your choice, fries and a drink. 4901-B Fairmont Av 301-951-2653

Yamas

Good gyros are extremely hard to come by. That’s why Yamas takes pride in serving up the real deal. Freshly seasoned lamb and beef is sliced up every day and roasted on a spit, where it’s then stuffed into warm pita bread and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and house-made tzatziki.

Students spend summer in eclectic, interesting jobs by Annie Ludewig

photo by NICK MEYER

A gourmet guide to cheap eats

Freshly seasoned lamp is roasted on a spit and then served in a delicous gyro at Yamas. Tucked away on Rugby Avenue, this quaint Greek eatery cooks traditional specialties as well as more modern takes on Mediterranean classics. Try their Pork Souvlaki— marinated overnight in oregano, garlic, lemon and olive oil—or go for the juicy roast chicken. The vegetarian options (if you’re into that sort of thing), such as the delicious falafel and the dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), are pretty irresistible too. At lunch, Yamas does take out service and will even deliver. A lunch platter with one side will set you back only $10. 4806 Rugby Avenue 301-312-8384

Matuba

Even the cheapest guys need to treat themselves to a nice meal sometimes and what better way to do so than sushi with the bros? Matuba’s rotary sushi is the perfect place to satisfy your craving for raw fish without breaking the bank. While $20 seems expensive, it’s all you can eat, meaning that you’re getting an excellent deal. Plates of freshly made sushi constantly travel around the rotary belt, so you’re free to grab what you want, when you want it. There are even other dishes such as grilled teriyaki chicken, fried dumplings and pretty tasty miso-dressed salads. Looking for a particular type of sushi? Just talk to the chefs behind the counter and you’re all set. 4918 Cordell Ave 301-652-7449

As summer approaches, day jobs aren’t just for your parents. Jobs and internships offer students an opportunity to make money or gain professional experience during their time off from school. While some students focus on making money with the usual jobs like lifeguarding or cashiering, others plan to take a bit more creative approach. Pizza-making When junior Julien Guiot isn’t in class, he’s making dough… literally. This summer, he’ll have a job at D.C. pizza shop, Menomale, where he makes, flips and bakes pizzas. “I’m excited to work because I’ll be in a fun environment while getting paid,” Guiot said. “Also, my parents pressured me into it.” Although he’s only trained for two days, Guiot plans to jump right into making pizzas when school ends. When break starts, Guiot will begin working the night shift. He plans to work weekends from about three in the afternoon until 11 at night. “It’s going to be pretty rough spending my weekends at work but I love my co-workers so despite the annoying hours it will be enjoyable,” Guiot said. Children’s Hospital Sophomore Jordan Martin will begin working before break starts. She will be paid to work as a receptionist and an assistant at Children’s National Hospital. “I’ve always been really interested in medicine and I love working with kids,” Martin said. “This job opportunity fit my interests perfectly.” Martin will spend her afternoons at the hospital. Although she hasn’t met her co-workers yet, Martin is excited to try something new, she said. “I don’t think summer jobs are for everyone,” Martin said. “But I want to add a new element to my school vacation.”

Biology Internship Junior Sydney Pimentel will also have a job in science. Throughout July, Pimentel will intern at the NIH working in a biologist’s lab where she will be examining cell’s reproductive behavior. “I think it’s cool how research regarding things as teeny as cells can ultimately change people’s lives,” Pimentel said. “This internship opportunity makes the science that we learn about in class seem so much more real.” One benefit of her unpaid internship is that Pimentel will be allowed to choose her own hours. “It’s an awesome opportunity that offers a lot of flexibility which is something I need because of a pretty busy schedule during the summer,” Pimentel said. NASA Junior Aras Scimemi will be pursuing his passion for engineering at his job at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. After interning at NASA’s headquarters in D.C. last summer, this year Scimemi will be paid to work as a Project Support Specialist. For eight hours a day, five days a week for two months, Scimemi will work in the robotics lab and assist in the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope. Ultimately, Scimemi considers the job as a way to have fun—getting paid is a bonus. “Working gives me a good structure and something to do during time that I would otherwise be bored,” he said. “All in all, I think having a job is very rewarding.” Despite students’ variety of job decisions, they all have one thing in common: they’re fun and useful ways to spend summer vacation. “Some people think working in the summer sucks,” Guiot said. “But ultimately, I think it will be a fun experience that will help me grow as a student and a person.”

may 3, 2013

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may 22, 2013

sports

BY Sam Berson

It’s rare for a freshman to make the varsity team of any sport. But this season, freshman Alex Hilsenrath not only made the varsity lacrosse team; he earned the starting job, led the team in points and has never looked back. Hilsenrath, who began this season at midfield, transitioned to starting at attack after sophomore Alex Hosker separated his shoulder midway through the season. “It is not often that a freshman plays on varsity let alone plays multiple positions and starts at them,” head coach Mike Ricucci said. Hilsenrath had never played attack before, but said that his coach trusted him with the ball. He had played with the Vikes during workouts before the season and was able to meet the coaches, but never expected to make the varsity squad. “I played with them a little bit before the season so I knew the coaches,” Hilsenrath said. “I wasn’t expecting [to play varsity] but I knew I had a shot.” In a win against Blair on Apr. 27, Hilsenrath scored six goals and recorded three assists. He followed up his impressive performance Apr. 30, scoring another two goals and an assist in a win against Quince Orchard. He ended the seson leading the Vikes with 35 points, including 18 goals and 17 assists. “I’ve probably had my two best games of the season at attack,” Hilsenrath said.

When tryouts came around in the spring, Hilsenrath made the most of the opportunity and earned a starting spot at midfield. “I was nervous but also really excited,” Hilsenrath said. “Middie was the position I had always played and I was playing pretty well.” Hilsenrath’s knowledge of the game, however, was what separated him from the rest. “His lacrosse IQ was what stood out to me,” Ricucci said. “He understood the game and what we were asking of him.” Then Apr. 17, Hilsenrath was moved from midfield and thrown in at attack following Hosker’s injury. “Losing Hosker was a huge blow for us,” said Ricucci. “But Hilsenrath has done a good job filling in.” Hilsenrath’s speed coupled with an ability to pass and catch with both hands made him the best choice to fill in for the injured Hosker. “He’s one of our best players,” senior midfielder Grant Miller said. “It makes sense for him to play attack so he can be in the whole game” Hilsenrath, being one of the youngest players on the team, still enjoys playing and being around his teammates. “It’s fun getting to be around all the upper classman,” Hilsenrath said. “Being able to play is just an awesome experience.” Freshman Alex Hilsenrath runs on the attack for the Vikes. He led the team in points, with 35, on the season.

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

Freshman lacrosse player excels as varsity starter

Kanneh and Kastberg return to Whitman soccer after yearlong stint with D.C. United Academy team by roger champagne

The boys soccer team is due for a boost next season, as juniors Vegas Kastberg and Emmanuel Kanneh will return after a yearlong stint at a D.C. United Academy team. The players left the Whitman team last year because of an academy rule that doesn’t permit players to play on both an Academy and high school team. Kastberg and Kanneh both joined the club team in hopes that it would be the best path for them to play college soccer. But the change wasn’t easy for either player, as both struggled with the competitiveness of the team, limited playing time and the absence

of their Whitman teammates. “It was pretty tough because we couldn’t really play with our friends,” Kastberg said. “It was definitely hard to sit on the sidelines.” The D.C. United Academy team went 18-9-7, finishing second in the Mid-Atlantic division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, a top tier youth soccer league featuring many college-bound players. Kanneh did enjoy his time at the Academy, in part because of the experiences he gained and the bonds he made with teammates. “It was a fun experience meeting these new people and being close to

them as both teammates and friends,” Kanneh said. Despite the players’ absence, Whitman had a successful season, finishing the year 9-5, although they lost in second round of the playoffs to Wootton. “We did miss them, yes. But, we still had a great season without them,” varsity coach Dave Green said. While the lack of playing time was a major issue for both Kastberg and Kanneh, their teammates also weighed heavily in their decision making. “It’s very competitive, but the reason why I quit, was so I could play for Whitman senior year.” Kastberg

said. Their teammates are eager to see how Kanneh and Kastber have improved in their year at the Academy. “It’s really going to benefit the team,” junior Kourosh Ashtary-Yazdi said. “They’ve played at a much higher level and will bring experience to the team.” Green is hopeful that their presence will take the team deep into the playoffs. The Vikings last won the Maryland state championship in 2010. “Hopefully their return will enhance our efforts to win another state championship,” Green said.

Whitman parent’s documentary follows Harper’s journey to MLB continued from page

photo courtesy JESS ATKINSON

The film follows first featured on the cover Harper both on and of Sports Illustrated four off the field, and years ago, said the film includes his time on the reinforced his respect for Nationals’ farm teams, the young star. private moments with “I thought it had his family and interviews the perfect balance of with major league stars, focusing on his career and in addition to game his personal life,” Williams footage from multiple said. “The documentary big-league ballparks. is awesome because Harper’s teammate anyone who watches it Ryan Zimmerman and immediately sees how Los Angeles Angels good of a guy Harper outfielder Mike Trout, is and that he’s not the another young star, are jerk people make him also featured throughout out to be.” the film. To produce the film, Atkinson’s wife, 3 Penny Films partnered Natalie, said that her with MLB Productions husband’s experience for licensing purposes was both rewarding and and to help pitch the stressful. Atkinson and idea to ESPN, Atkinson his production crew Atkinson followed Harper on and off the field over the past two years to collect footage for his documentary on the athlete. said. would travel with Harper His documentary on Harper’s rise, “Bryce Begins,” aired on ESPN Apr. 30. Daughter Jessica for long periods of time, Atkinson said “Bryce leaving Natalie and Jessica Begins” offers an allHarper excelled in his first season, being named at home. encompassing mix of “Whenever Bryce was ready to talk,” Natalie a National League All-Star and winning the NL Rookie Harper’s family and upbringing, showing how he said, “Jess would get up and go. He was at his beck of the Year award. He also helped guide the Nationals became who he is today. “It was cool as Bryce to the best regular season record in baseball and got bigger, knowing that my dad was there following and call.” The ease of telling stories through digital their first NL East title. So far this season, he is one him,” she said. technology and multimedia drew Atkinson to of the league leaders in homeruns, with 10, and is Throughout the production process, Jess came to directing films after previous stints as a kicker for batting over .300. realize how mature Harper is for a 20-year-old. Atkinson highlights Harper’s close relationship the Washington Redskins and as a local sportscaster “He would come in contact with either big for WUSA. He also created the TV series “Terrapins with his father, who serves as inspiration for Harper league baseball players or people he thought he had Rising,” which follows Maryland football and to work harder and constantly improve. In a scene something to learn from and was always respectful, where he talks about his inextinguishable desire to engaged, and asked good questions,” Atkinson said. basketball teams, and airs on Comcast SportsNet. In “Bryce Begins”, former Baltimore Oriole Cal play in the major leagues, Harper begins to cry on “He’s a smart kid that just happens to play baseball Ripken Jr. describes the social media hype that’s screen. so unbelievably well that it’s almost odd.” “He was really calm in the center of all the surrounded Harper throughout his career. “The scrutiny he’s under has been really helpful craziness,” Atkinson said. The documentary can be seen online at watchespn. Junior Joey Williams, who has been following com, and will air on MLB Network and MASN this for his maturation process,” Ripken says in the Harper’s career since the 20-year-old phenom was summer. film.

sports

Baseball The baseball team ended its season May 13 falling to Churchill 10-8 in the second round of the playoffs after blowing a 8-0 second inning lead. The boys finished their season 14-3, with their only losses coming to Poolesville, B-CC and Clarksburg. Senior captain and starting shortstop Patrick Hisle will continue his career and play baseball for the University of Maryland next season. See story for more details.

Boys Lacrosse The boys lacrosse team completed their season and ended their playoff run with a second round loss to the Wootton Patriots 16-3. The Vikes won their first playoff game, beating Paint Branch 20-6 in a lopsided contest. They ended their season 9-7, but finished strong, winning five of their last seven games. The team will miss senior defenseman Ben Miltenberg, who will play for Haverford College next year. The Vikes will look to underclassmen, including freshman attack man Alex Hilsenrath and sophomore goalie Colin Hains, to lead the team next spring. Hilsenrath led the Vikes offensively this year, with 35 points and 18 goals.

Girls Lacrosse The girls lacrosse team ended its season in the second round of playoffs last Saturday with a loss against Sherwood, 21-10. Going into the playoffs with the record of 8-6, the team attempted to carry its momentum from an 11-10 OT victory over Quince Orchard in the regular season and a solid victory over Einstein, 19-9 in the first round. The girls ended their season 9-7.

Softball The softball team ended their season this past Monday, losing 10-0 in a playoff loss to Clarksburg. The Vikes defeated Kennedy 15-1 in the first round. The girls were leaning on captain Helen Rosenthal’s strong pitching to take them on a deeper run, but couldn’t pull off the win. The team was 8-9 on the season.

Boys Tennis The tennis team finished the regular season 8-4 going into counties, regionals and states. The team placed third in counties moving ahead of Walter Johnson in the rankings. The doubles teams of Lucas Schoch and Joe Davis and Joey Gumataotao and Nathaniel Sherman both were eliminated in the second round of regionals.

Track and Field The Track and Field team had a strong spring season, with numerous athletes setting personal records. Sophomore Clare Severe won the 1600 meter race with a personal best time at the Montgomery County Championships, breaking five minutes for the first time. Severe was losing for most of the race, but a strong second 800 meter split helped her take the lead for good. Sophomore Lela Walter also did well, placing third in the 800 meter race, helping the girls finish in twelfth out of 22 teams. For the boys’ team, junior Ed Smith placed fourth in the 800 and sophomore Evan Woods placed fourth in the 1600. Severe and Woods also qualified for states in the mile during the 4A West regional championship May 16.

Co-ed Volleyball The Co-ed volleyball team ended their season with a strong two game run in playoffs. With leadership from senior captains Catherine Benz and Madison Craig, the Vikes beat the higher seeded Northwood Gladiators in the first round. They then suffered a tough, hard fought loss to second seeded Northwest. The Vikes won the first two sets but could not close out Northwest, losing in five sets. The team finished with a winning record at 7-6. Craig will play at UCLA next year. Junior Adam Joel will take on a leadership role next year to replace her.

Siblings share love of gymnastics by Emilia Malachowski

From monkey bars to uneven bars, the three Hinga siblings have been united by a shared passion for gymnastics since their childhood. Juniors Cole and Mica and their older sister, Teal (‘09), took on gymnastics at an early age and each developed a love for the sport. Now, Teal coaches the three-year-old Whitman gymnastics team, while Cole is the manager and assistant coach. Teal first fell in love with the sport in an after-school program at the age of six. When she was eight, Teal began helping her coaches out during practice. She found it more rewarding to coach than to actually compete on the team, she said. “I love the sport,” Teal said. “But I was meant to be a coach.” When Teal began to take gymnastics more seriously, twins Mica and Cole were just starting, motivated by Teal’s enthusiastic descriptions of her after-school gymnastics program. The twins started gymnastics around the age of four, training in different classes. As the family entered the world of competitive gymnastics, a healthy dose of sibling rivalry helped push them to do their best. “When we were younger, competition definitely motivated us,” Mica said. When coach Paul Belliveau left the gymnastics team last year, parents immediately recommended Teal, who was teaching dance at the time,

since most of them already knew her. She was eager to take the coaching job because she had never had the opportunity to participate in Whitman gymnastics as a student, she said. The team was formed a year after she graduated. After Teal got the position, Cole decided to join his sister on the coaching staff and is currently the manager and assistant coach. This year, the gymnastics team placed third in the state championship out of eight teams, after placing fifth for the past two years Teal’s coaching helped get Cole more involved with the gymnastics program, sophomore Mira Glasser said. Cole can’t compete on the allgirls team, so he coaches to remain involved on the team and help his sisters. Mica joined the Whitman team as a freshman. She was forced to quit the team last year when she injured her back and knee. Mica said she plans to rejoin the team next year, once her injuries have healed. Teal brings energy and fresh ideas to the team, Glasser said. “We can relate better to her,” sophomore teammate Emma Robinson said. “I see her not only as a coach, but as a friend.” Teal joined the gymnastics club at the University of Maryland in 2010. She plans to study law there next year, leaving the coaching position empty once again.

photo by MAYA WEISS

TEAM UPDATES

may 22, 2013

Coach Teal Hinga, left, led the gymnastics team to third place in the county in her first season as coach.

Baseball wraps up record-setting season Team set regular season records for batting average, runs by Jack Storey

Despite a disappointing second round playoff loss to the Churchill Bulldogs and a midseason coaching change, the baseball team had a successful season, putting up record numbers both individually and as a team. After getting off to a slow start with a loss to Poolesville in their season opener, the Vikings won seven straight, eventually losing to B-CC to end the streak. They then rebounded and went on another streak, winning six in a row and improving their record to 13-2. Head coach Joe Cassidy surprised the team and resigned from his position April 12, citing “personal reasons.” Assistant coach Pat Skellchock took over the helm, but Cassidy rejoined the team May 5 after resolving his issues with the team and principal Alan Goodwin. His return gave the team a needed morale boost and helped them enter the playoffs on a high note with a 14-3 record. “We had four guys just finish their third varsity year, and most of the rest of the team was in their second varsity season,” Cassidy said. “It all just clicked.” The Vikes received a bye in the first round, setting up a second round matchup against Churchill. The team took a commanding 8-0 lead early, but lost in a heartbreaking 10-8 comeback win by the Bulldogs. As a team, they beat numerous records set by previous teams. This year, the team batted .399, replacing the previous record of .372, set by the 2009 team. They also set a new record for runs in a single season, surpassing the 173 scored by the 2008 team

photo by STEPHANIE BODE

Captain Patrick Hisle slides into second base in the Vikes second round playoff loss to Churchill. He batted .386 this year. with 208 scored this season. Nearly a quarter of those 208 runs came in one game, in which the Vikings out-scored the Wheaton Knights 49-0. “The combination of great individual seasons and team experience lead to the offensive explosion this year,”

Cassidy said. Individual players also set numerous offensive school records. Junior center fielder Drew Aherne broke the singleseason record for runs batted in with 26, one more than Matt Kabler’s 2008 record. Aherne was also four hits away

from tying the single season record for hits. Junior Max Steinhorn tied James Dionne for the single-season runs record, with 30. “We had a great season, but unfortunately it ended the way it did,” said senior shortstop Patrick Hisle, who will be playing for the University of Maryland next year. “It was a team and season I’ll never forget,” Hisle said. The team will lose Hisle, along with pitcher Gabe Steinberg and infielder Andrew Castagnetti to graduation, among other seniors. But the Vikes will also return several key players from this season, including Aherne, Steinhorn and infielder Ben Castagnetti. “There will be a strong team coming back,” Hisle said. Additional reporting by Ben Zimmermann

may 22, 2013

sports

by Tyler Jacobson

Michael Dunn was always big—but now he’s becoming a big deal. After a successful year on the practice field, 2012 alum Michael Dunn is competing for a starting spot on the Maryland Terrapins’ offensive line as a redshirt freshman. Dunn was a starter during Maryland’s spring game—a scrimmage on April 12 between Maryland’s prospective offense and defense for next season. While Dunn is still competing for a starting spot, his role in the spring game suggests that he’ll be on the field a lot next year for the Terps. “I played great spring ball and seemed to really impress my coaches” Dunn said. “They tell me that I will be getting a lot of playing time this year.” “Once the door of opportunity was open to him, he really seized it,” Whitman football coach Jim Kuhn said. Dunn’s redshirt status last year meant he didn’t get to play in any games, which led him to work harder each day in practice to get better, he said. “During the season I was on the scout team playing against the starting defense,” Dunn said. That meant Dunn had to block NFL caliber pass rushers AJ Francis and Joe Vellano every day. College defensive linemen like Francis and Vellano often weigh over 300 pounds, which Dunn said was the biggest difference coming from Whitman. “At Whitman I was able to do well simply because I was usually bigger than the other guy, but at Maryland that’s impossible” Dunn said. Dunn, who weighs in at 290 pounds, had to focus on skills and footwork to be able to block larger players. “It took a while to get the technique down,”

Dunn said. “But I have gotten much better with it over time.” According to Kuhn, Dunn’s size was what made him special. “Between sophomore and junior year, he just kept on growing,” Kuhn said. Because he was redshirted as a freshman, Dunn still has four years of college eligibility. And because Dunn is currently competing with seniors, he is likely to start for at least three years even if he loses out on a starting spot this year. UMD student Andrew Balland who was in Dunn’s class at Whitman is excited to see him on the field. “It definitely gives the football games next season more meaning,” Balland said. “I’ll have someone I know personally on the field and can root for just like at Whitman.” Since Maryland moves to the Big Ten conference after next season, Dunn will likely start Maryland’s first game in the conference. “I never thought in my life that I would be playing teams like Michigan and Penn State in stadiums with over 100,000 people there” Dunn said. “It really is like a dream come true.”

photo courtesy Michael Dunn

Michael Dunn (‘12) starts in spring game, looks for big role next season

Michael Dunn (White) lines up at offensive guard for the Maryland Terrapins. After playing on the practice squad last year, he hopes to get a chance to start next season.

MLB’s National League should stick with tradition, not add DH by Nathaniel Sherman

This year, following the Houston Astros’ move to the American League, the MLB finds itself with 15 teams in both the AL and NL for the first time. At all times this season, there will be at least one interleague series being played. This shift could lead to a change to the structure of the MLB: the NL’s adoption of the designated hitter. In the past, interleague play occurred within two narrow time frames, one spanning from the end of May to June and the other from late June to mid-July. For the first time ever, the clash of NL and AL-style baseball will on constant display. Brewers manager Doug Melvin and many baseball analysts have forecasted the NL’s adoption of the DH to equalize league play. But, doing so would rob the two leagues of their distinct flavors. The AL is often thought of as a hitter’s league— games are higher scoring and home runs are more common. In the AL, fantastic hitters with weak fielding skills can thrive in the DH position. However, in the NL, their lack of defensive skills would be a liability to the team. In some ways, the

DH is already a cheat, as players do not have to be well-rounded or play both sides of the ball. Additionally, incorporating the DH into the NL would remove an element of creativity from the league. Currently, the final result of a game often hinges on how well a manager defends the pitcher’s spot in the line-up and balances a pitcher’s prowess on the mound with his abilities as a batter. It brings bunting, pinch-hitting, and the hit-and-run into the equation. In the AL, games unfold in a more straightforward manner, as bunting and pinchhitting are far less prevalent. Furthermore, teams in the NL must have deeper line-ups than Al teams because pinch-hitting demands that more position players play every day. Proponents of the expansion of the DH argue that NL teams are adversely affected by the business side of the designated hitter position. They claim that playing in the AL is more appealing to players who specialize at the plate because their career durability is less of a concern if they do not play in the field. However, the effects of the trend are primarily localized in the AL. The hitters that NL teams lose

to the AL can only do damage to NL pitchers during interleague play. Although interleague play happens continually this year, it does not consume a larger part of an individual team’s schedule than in years past. Finally, despite the pattern of big hitters heading to the American league, the last two World Series have been won by NL teams. Last year, the Giants’ pitching proved too much for the Tigers’ offense, spearheaded by American League converts Miguel Cabrera, the AL MVP and triple-crown winner, and Prince Fielder, to handle. The Giants held the Tigers to a .159 team batting average. In the 2011 World Series, the Cardinals averaged just fewer than 5.5 runs a game, matching the raw power of the Texas Rangers’ offense and eventually winning the series in seven games. While it may seem appealing to expand the DH to the NL, doing so would jeopardize the unique character of each league. We should let the new interleague schedule highlight the compelling dynamic that currently exists in the MLB, rather than motivate us to standardize the position of DH.

Junior Harriet Symington wins National Women’s Wrestling Tournament, qualifies for World Championships

photo courtesy BONNIE SHARBAUGH

By Michael Greenwood

Symington controls her opponent during a match this past season against Damascus. Symington will be wrestling at the world championships in Serbia this summer with the U.S.

Junior Harriet Symington won the 46 kg weight class at the Body Bar Women’s National Championships May 11 in Lakeland, Florida. Her performance, which included a come-from-behind win in the finals, qualified her for the woman’s freestyle world wrestling championships in Serbia this August. Symington won her first four matches to make the final, where she had to win two out of three matches. She had already beaten her opponent, Minnesota native Devyn Johnson in a tournament over spring break, but was surprised at Johnson’s new intensity. “I was caught off guard because I got into the mindset that I had it easy,” Symington said. “But she came out really tough [in the first match]. So I came back and made sure I was always in a good position. I knew she wasn’t going to give an inch.” Although she lost the first match in the finals, Symington rallied to win the next two for the championship. Symington had placed in the top ten of national tournaments in the past, including 3rd in the country at the Fargo Women’s Junior Nationals last year , but this was her first gold medal performance. The Body Bar championships is a freestyle wrestling competition. Freestyle differs from folkstyle, the style used in high schools, in

that it focuses on quick moves and scrambles for points rather than securing the pin. Harriet’s prior training with the Maryland national team has helped her a lot, but her tough mindset is what gives her an edge, Whitman wrestling head coach Derek Manon said. “More than anything I think it’s her mental attitude and aggressiveness that wins her matches,” Manon said. “She’s mean out there too, and that’s what you need to have in wrestling. She’s got an attitude to her and that’s what makes her great.” Symington will now have the opportunity to work with national coaches and train at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, where she will prepare for the world championships. “I’m just going to really take advantage of all these training opportunities that I have with all these amazing coaches,” she said. “Regardless of how I do at worlds, I know my wrestling is going to improve a lot.” Before the world tournament, Symington will wrestle for the Maryland National team at the Fargo Women’s Junior Nationals tournament in July, where she plans to wrestle the way she always has. “If someone comes out kind of weak I’m going to come really aggressive and basically just kill them,” Symington said.

may 22, 2013

Q&A

Former FBI agent Tim Clemente discusses writing crime dramas

By Jacob Cutler

B&W: On shows like Criminal Minds, how similar is that crime to the real stuff you’ve encountered? TC: Well, my brother works on Criminal Minds and most of the episode ideas that they do on that show are based on actual cases he’s worked. So a lot of that is based on the real world, real heinous bad guys that are out there. So the genesis for a lot of those episodes is real, and then a lot of it is fictionalized for TV. I work on the show NCIS: Los Angeles, and I give them a lot of story ideas and help them figure out different plot points. It’s a very fictionalized account of what happens. On a lot of these shows there’s a shootout over the week—every episode there’s a different shootout. It’s very rare that law enforcement gets into shootouts like that, so what’s done is to make it more exciting for the viewer.

Tim Clemente is a consultant and technical advisor for TV dramas, helping to craft and write storylines on shows including “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Lie to Me” and “The Unit,” as well as some major motion pictures. Clemente worked in Iraq as an FBI agent, specializing on counter-terrorism operations. After he returned to the US, he met with Hollywood producers and began to write and consult for crime series. He’s used his expertise in the field to create storylines for these series and also works as a counter-terror expert for CNN and NBC. The Black and White spoke to Clemente about his experiences in the field and how he’s used them to consult for TV series and films. Black & White: What led you into the movie business? Tim Clemente: I was an FBI agent and a police officer. I later went to Iraq twice as an FBI agent for a couple months, and then went back as a military advisor. So a lot of the stories that have spilled up from my work in law enforcement and overseas that actually led me into Hollywood. B&W: When you left Iraq, how did you get into the show writing business? TC: My brother, who’s also a retired FBI agent, was former profiler in the serial killer unit at Quantico, and he had been consulting while he was still in the FBI with the show Criminal Minds. So when I came back from Iraq, I was getting ready to go to Afghanistan for about a year and a half, and my brother said why don’t we try and come up with an idea and sell a show in Hollywood. So we went out there for a couple days and we talked to some agents and producers and then teamed up with a producer and an agent and we pitched the show idea to CBS. They bought the idea, wrote the script and shot the pilot—spending about six million dollars. It didn’t get on the air because NCIS: Los Angeles got picked up instead. But after that I’ve written for a few other hit TV shows and consulted for several, and I’ve written a couple of film scripts that have been in different stages of development. And I’ve been working as a consultant also on several major motion pictures.

photo courtesy TIM CLEMENTE

B&W: How do your experiences in the FBI and Iraq influence your brainstorming and writing process? TC: It’s real life experiences that allow me to be worthwhile as a consultant and as a writer. The hardest thing for most writers when they’re trying to come up with a script is thinking of a great story and then thinking of great characters to be in that story. But since most of what I’m writing and most of what I’m consulting about is based on my life experience, it’s very easy for me to be able to come up with great characters because I know so many different characters around the world. And also to come up with stories that are unique and interesting because I’ve experienced them, so I have kind of a leg up on most other writers.

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B&W: When you’re writing, does it bother you to have to think of such morbid storylines? My brother more so, because the show Criminal Minds is a very, very dark show; it’s based solely on serial killers almost entirely. So that’s a really dark show, I don’t even like to watch it. But the other shows that I work on are much lighter. NCIS: Los Angeles is much more of a family, buddy cop show, whereas Criminal Minds is a very dark, doom and gloom, knee jerk terrible, most heinous people out there that we have to stop now. So those kinds of things, it does wear on you I think. B&W: What’s been your favorite show to work on and what about that show stood out for you? TC: I really loved working on The Unit. It was an action oriented show and it was based on Delta Force. I was really good friends with all the cast, there were great writers, and it was just kind of a unique show. It was about Delta Force and their exploits around the world and it was a lot of fun to work on. That said, I’ve worked on NCIS: Los Angeles for four seasons – we start the fifth season this summer – and that’s a fantastic show. It’s a family atmosphere, everyone from the top actors all the way down to every member of the crew all get along really well, and it’s a really fun group to work with. Being on set or being with the actors or the writers, it’s really fun every day.

SPEAKS

” announcements: the leaderSHIP never sinks

Jorge Richardson PRESIDENT

Marcela Falk-Bados VICE-PRESIDENT

Emily Harburg TREASURER

Spring Fair is Thursday, May 28 4:30-6:30 May 23 is also the LLS month pep rally and the PowderPuff football game Class officer speeches are May 28, and elections are May 29 Have a great summer! LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR SGA NEWS: facebook.com/whitmansga

Jenna Kantor SECRETARY

Rachel Ordan SECRETARY

Class Officers:

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Marissa Hosker, Leslie Schwed, Valerie Acker Jorge Richardson, Marcela Falck-Bados, Mark Norris Rachel Ordan, Mia Carmel, Jonny Rasch Jacob Blitz, Selvi Ulusan, Carolyn Hoover