Vol. 52 » Issue 2

volume 52, Issue 2 October 23, 2013

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Superintendent supports later high school start times Health, safety, mental well-being cited as reasons

by Rebecca Meron

photo by ABBY CUTLER

The possibility of high school students sleeping an extra 50 minutes each morning is one step closer to reality, as superintendent Joshua Starr endorsed later start times for MCPS high schools in an announcement Oct 1. The reform would move high schools’ start times from 7:25 to 8:15 a.m., pushing the end of the day 50 minutes later to 3:00 p.m.

Last December, Starr created a Bell Times Work Group to study the consequences of shifting the high school start times. The group examined research on teen sleep and the effect of sleep deprivation on adolescents. The group’s report convinced Starr to endorse the change.

In their review of research and scientific studies the Work Group did not find any conclusive evidence that later start times impact academic achievement.

However, multiple non-academic benefits influenced Starr’s recommendation, according to the Group’s leader, John Matthews, a former MCPS director of transportation. These benefits include fewer car accidents, less teenage depression and better eating habits.

Senior Cole Hinga rock climbs at Earth Treks climbing gym in Rockville. He along with several students develop their ability and confidence here and at other climbing sites at events organized by the rock-climbing club.

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Freshman golfer shows talent at state level

Pedestrian collisions raise safety concern

by Roger Champagne

INSIDE

LOOK

The End of the Cappie Awards (At Whitman) Page 3

By Samantha zambri

photo courtesy GRAHAM HUTCHINSON

Freshman Graham Hutchinson has swung, chipped and putted his way to the top of Whitman’s golf team and the MCPS golf leaderboards.

The freshman phenom is currently the top high school golfer in Montgomery County, with a shot average of 35.50 strokes in the first six matches of the season. In the 14-year-old age group, he is the highest ranked golfer in Maryland, and 50th in the United States. Hutchinson has played a major role in the Vikings’ success this year, helping propel the team to an 11-5 record.

Captain Andrew Barth said Graham possesses a level of talent rare for a golfer his age.

“Graham has been an essential addition to the team,” Barth said. “He is by far the most talented golfer I have seen at his age.”

Hutchinson’s shot average is top in the country, despite his having to adjust to playing nine holes rather than 18.

“Since matches are nine holes, I have had to stay in the mindset of trying to get off to a good start because there aren’t many more holes to recover from a few bad ones,” Hutchinson said.

With Barth graduates this year, Hutchinson stands to be a key team member for the next three years. Whitman Coach Karl O’Donoghue said he appreciates the attitude and leadership Hutchinson brings to the team.

Freshman Grahm Hutchinson tees up his shot on the practice course. Hutchinson has helped propel the golf squad to an 11-5 record

“Graham is also a pleasure to be around because he is so willing to help others on the team with their game,” O’Donoghue said.

Hutchinson has been heavily involved in golf for most of his life. His father, David Hutchinson, has tended the golf courses at Congressional Country Club since 1999 as the superintendent, providing Hutchinson with access to high quality courses and instruction.

The torturous bumper-to-bumper traffic stretching down Whittier Blvd., along with the chaos of random drop-offs and parents wild with road rage, is enough to drive any student crazy.

Parents and students are becoming increasingly concerned by the risk of accidents in school areas.

Two accidents have already occurred this year at Whitman; one involving a student and the other a school bus. Parents at Bethesda Elementary School started an online petition requesting greater safety improvements in the wake of a collision between a motorist and a mother with her 3-month old child.

“The pedestrians are more the problem than the drivers,” security team leader Cherise Milliner said.

“Students are on their phones or listening to their iPods, but they’re not paying attention to the cars or using the crosswalks.”

An accident occurred in early September, when a parent driver hit a student on his bike in the crosswalk. The student had no lasting injuries, and he went to class immediately after. The driver’s consequence: a ticket and fine issued by resource officer Steve Pascali.

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Service in Carderock with New Cell Tower

Do we Need the Pledge of Allegiance?

Fall Running Events For Everyone

Soccer Players Commit to Colleges

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THE BLACK & WHITE

2

October 23, 2013

combats high failure NEWS MCPS rates on math exams Towing enforcement leads to greater parking demand For students who didn’t purchase a parking permit, parking options are even scarcer than they were last year.

An influx of parking applications this year led the spaces facing Whittier Blvd., unassigned last year, to be numbered and assigned to students.

These spaces were formerly intended for visitors, although students often parked in them.

“Before, we had never really had enough students apply to fill up the number of spaces that we had,” business manager Eddy Campbell said. “So there was no reason ever to issue those spaces.”

There are usually a higher number of permit applications for the second semester, because more students receive their licenses, but last year’s crackdown on students parked in other students’ spaces led to a higher number of applications right away, he said.

“Right now, with enforcement of last year of towing, students realized, ‘I need to get my space,’” he said.

Handheld cell phone violations now primary offense Talking on a handheld cell phone while driving became a primary offense Oct. 1 to make existing communication device laws easier for officials to enforce.

Previously a secondary offense in Maryland, a police officer can now pull a driver over for talking on a handheld phone, even if not committing another primary offense, such as speeding or reckless driving. Maryland’s texting and driving laws are already a primary offense.

“We hope that this law will make people more aware of the dangers of distracted driving, especially with only one hand on the wheel,” said a representative from the Department of Maryland State Police.

Drivers will be fined $75 for their first offense, a $35 increase from before. The penalty will increase with each citation.

County to consider changing transfer policy In an effort to deal with record enrollment, the MCPS Board of Education is considering revamping the current transfer policy.

“Some of our schools have too many students who have been granted transfers,” BOE member Patricia O’Neill said. “Overcrowding is an issue.

So we’ve decided to revisit the issue and change the policy.”

Changes would include requiring middle school students who attend a school outside their neighborhood zone to re-apply to attend high school in the same cluster and requiring that student athletes attend their new school for one year before they can participate in athletics, O’Neill said.

The board does not yet know when the changes will be implemented if they are approved by the county.

Under the current policy, in order for a transfer request to be granted by the county, students have to demonstrate a “unique hardship,” O’Neill said. This policy would stay the same after the changes are made.

by matt yang

In response to high failure rates on math exams, high schools across Montgomery County are implementing intervention programs targeted towards struggling math students.

At Whitman, roughly one in five students—out of 98—failed their Algebra 1A exam last year. In addition, 37 percent of students failed their Algebra 2A semester exam.

students who need help. The math department gets reports on students’ grades twice a week, Rushton said, and students earning a D or an E show up on the report.

“At the end of the semester, we see that a certain percent of students passed their Algebra I exam and a certain percent didn’t,” assistant principal Brandi Heckert said. “Instead of just looking at the percentages, we will now look at who the students who failed are, and what will work for them.”

After the administration and Rushton settle on a plan, it will be sent to the county upon final approval, Rushton said.

The major changes in the action plan include requiring struggling students to attend peer tutoring during lunch and mandating teachers to spend three days for exam review instead of the previously required one day.

Six out of 10 students countywide failed either their Algebra I or Geometry exam last year, according to data released by MCPS. Almost half of on-level precalculus students failed their exam, as well.

The work group is studying a variety of factors that may have affected the final exam scores including the similarity between the exam and the curriculum, the difficulty of the test items and the weight of the semester exam, said Erick Lang, head of curriculum for the county.

The county hopes these intervention programs will improve math exam scores in the long run.

“I do not anticipate a significant change in the Semester 1 exam results in the short term,” Lang said.

“Through the findings and recommendation of the work group, and more personalized interventions for students, I anticipate we will see long-term improvements in semester exam results.” graphic by MARIA MU

Briefs

Teachers, administrators collaborate on intervention plan

At the end of last school year, the county formed a work group comprised of parents, teachers and administrators to investigate the causes of the low— often failing—scores on math exams. After studying the root of the problem, MCPS is implementing specific programs that cater to the needs of the students.

Whitman’s intervention plan emphasizes more peer tutoring and increasing time for exam review.

Each school’s math resource teacher and administrators are preparing the intervention plan for their respective school, associate superintedant Christopher Garran said.

Math resource teacher Russ Rushton has submitted a multi-faceted plan to the administration. The first step in Whitman’s intervention plan is targeting

Later start times now distinct possibility CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “The primary beneficiaries of the change will be students,” Matthews said. “Society is beginning to realize that sleep is akin to exercise and diet.”

More than two-thirds of high school students and over half of high school parents would prefer later start times, according to a 2013 survey reported by the OSA. A majority of both parents and students also believe that current start times are “too early,” the survey found.

The proposal would cost up to $12 million, according to the report. Much of the increase in cost stems from the additional transportation routes that would be needed to accommodate the altered bell schedule.

“The transportation element of this is the single largest cost,” Matthews said. “It’s a necessary evil.”

Starr also recommends that middle-schoolers start school at 7:45 a.m., 10 minutes earlier than the present start time, and end at 2:30 p.m., five minutes earlier than current dismissal time. His plan would change elementary school dismissal times, adding 30 minutes to the school day.

Principal Alan Goodwin, a member of the Work Group, understands the importance of sleep for adolescents but cited difficulties of a later start time.

Students will run into more traffic in the morning, and the later dismissal time would adversely affect after-school activities and internships, he said.

While many students welcome the idea of a later start time, others echoed Goodwin’s concerns about its impact on sports and other activities.

“We’ll still have the same amount of schoolwork,” senior Cheyenne Bartolomei said.

“We’ll stay up later and get the same amount of sleep regardless.”

Other schools that adopted this change didn’t encounter this problem, Matthews said.

“The science shows almost consistently that that is not the case” he said, adding his belief that students are better able to manage their time with later start times.

Other students would welcome a later start time for safety reasons. Freshman Nina Roche, who crosses River Road in the dark to get to her morning bus stop, has trouble seeing the bus even when standing near a streetlight, she said.

Mandi Mader, an adolescent psychotherapist and parent of two students in the Walter Johnson cluster, urged the county to consider school start times. She started a petition last year to move high school start times. The petition got over 10,000 signatures.

“I applaud Dr. Starr for his bold stance, and I urge the board to support him,” Mader—who is also in the Work Group—said in a statement.

“The sooner these changes are made, the sooner everyone will benefit.”

Final decisions will not be made before completion of cost and feasibility studies. The earliest any changes would occur is the 2015-2016 school year, according to the Oct. 1 announcement.

Community members will have a chance to voice opinions on Starr’s suggested changes at four upcoming public outreach meetings. The Work Group will also examine the effects of the possible shift in start times on traffic patterns, local businesses and other county-wide impacts, Matthews said.

“We’ll be going out to every corner of the county to find out how it impacts everyone,” Matthews said.

October 23, 2013

News

3

Drama steps out of Cappies award program Student critic team will remain after Gerken withdraws due to logistical concerns

By Rebecca Katz

After ten years participating in the Cappies, an international student theater and critics program, Whitman Drama will no longer invite student critics to judge its productions. Drama director Christopher Gerken announced the decision to withdraw Whitman Drama’s participation in August, citing logistical and financial challenges, among others.

The school will still sponsor a student critics team.

The Critics and Awards Program for High School Students—or “Cappies”— offers high school students an opportunity to review other schools’ productions and be reviewed as well. Whitman Drama has hosted as many as 60 critics from other schools to review either the fall musical or spring play. The drama club was a member of the National Capital Area region, which includes over 50 Maryland and Virginia high schools competing for awards including Best Play, Best Musical and Best Special Effects.

Judy Bowns, co-founder and Program Director of the Cappies program said she was disappointed

by Whitman’s departure, calling the school an “integral part” of the program and noting that they are frequently nominated and often perform at the end-of-year gala at the Kennedy Center.

“This has allowed the entire audience comprised of Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. families to enjoy the excellence of their performance at the gala,” Bowns said.

Whitman is the only Maryland School ever to have won the award for both Best Play and Best Musical. In May, Junior Erin Craig took home the award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance as Reno Sweeney in “Anything Goes.”

Steph Haven (’11), a former lead critic for the program, appreciated the critic team’s relationship with Whitman Drama.

“Having members of the Whitman theatre community in the Cappies team helped me understand the shows we saw from a perspective I

wouldn’t otherwise understand as a member of the audience,” Haven said.

Though Cappies membership may have provided advantages, Gerken said there were plenty of challenges as well.

“From the performance side, there’s a litany of reasons as to why we’re not participating this year, most of which came from parents and students and my own personal history and thoughts on the matter,” Gerken said.

Gerken said the Cappies are “very heavily based as a Virginia group.” Out of 51 participating schools, only four are in Maryland, and three in the District of Columbia, according to the Cappies website.

“For years I’ve been trying to get the Cappies organization to be more inclusive of Maryland schools, but that hasn’t happened,” Gerken said, adding that meetings and rehearsals are at least 45 minutes away.

Bowns said she invited Gerken to join the National Capital Area Steering Committee. She said that Gerken was honored but declined, citing that adding someone on the Whitman faculty might be more helpful. The committee continues to look for another Maryland representative.

Gerken also noted that although membership fees are inexpensive, there were significant costs from lost ticket revenue and the hosting of Cappies critics.

The end of the year gala at the Kennedy Center was also expensive, at $35 a ticket. Some years more than 150 Whitman students and their parents paid to attend the over three-hour production, which included performances from schools nominated for Best Musical, Best Play and Best Song.

Gerken doesn’t expect any major differences in the productions or the quality of the acting, he said.

“The focus of Whitman Drama isn’t ever to win awards,” Gerken said. “I never direct my shows with the Cappies in mind.”

Craig expressed an objective view of the decision.

“Cappies gave people a goal to work toward, which is really great because it gave special significance to the show,” Craig said. “At the same time, the Cappies can sometimes make theater more about winning than about doing theater for theater.”

Gerken originally announced that Whitman Drama would withdraw from both the theater and the critics program, but junior Talia Brenner—this year’s lead critic—fought to keep the critics team alive.

“When [Gerken] told me that Cappies was being cut, I contacted the Cappies administration and corresponded with them for months about forming a Whitman critics-only program,” Brenner said.

This means that the nine student critics—who competed for a spot on the team by writing sample reviews—will continue to attend other schools’ productions, taking notes, discussing observations with other metro area students and writing reviews.

The critics program not only gives students a real-world application for their writing, as some reviews are published in local newspapers, but also teaches them valuable writing skills to use at school.

“It’s going to be a tremendous benefit to have concise and engaging writing,” said English teacher Matt Bruneel. “They’re trying to get published.”

Bruneel is the new teacher sponsor for the Cappies critics team.

In January, Whitman Drama students will have a new opportunity to get feedback on their production as they participate in the Maryland Montgomery County Theater Festival. The festival includes a number of workshops and seminars and allows students to get constructive criticism from actual theater professionals, adding an educational component to the program.

“I’m not saying we’ll never go back to Cappies,” Gerken said. “For this year, we’ve decided to step out.”

Mindfulness pilot program brought to classrooms with hopes of reducing stress, increasing focus for students teachings.

“I like mindfulness because I see it as a lifelong ability to make my life go a little more slowly,” Buckingham said. “I feel like it would do the same for everybody.”

Matt Bruneel, another English teacher who volunteered his classes for the program, has practiced mindfulness techniques to relieve stress in the past, but wasn’t very serious about his practices. He views the pilot program as an opportunity for both his students and himself to get more involved.

“Everyone in this time period is struggling with

“The goal is to teach students practical, simple and daily skills to ground them in what’s important” -Jesse Torrence constant distractions,” Bruneel said. “Mindfulness can make students feel comfortable enough to handle these distractions.”

Brach, who spoke at the event on at Oct. 7 and is a former Whitman parent herself, is a local leader in the meditation and mindfulness community. She began practicing meditation after going on a retreat about 40 years ago, she said.

Since then, Brach has had over 30 years of experience teaching meditation and mindfulness in the D.C. area. Brach teaches a weekly meditation class at the River Road Unitarian Church and has taught mindfulness practices to the World Bank, Superior U.S. court justices and Capitol Hill.

“Meditation gave me a chance to come back to what matters; being good, loving people loving nature,” Brach said. “And my life gets better and better because of it.”

photo by ADAM SIMON

By adam simon

Students meander into Prudence Crewdson’s AP Literature classroom at the start of the period and the room soon crowds with the voices of hypedup teenagers talking about their math test or how much homework they have. The bell rings, students close their eyes and the only sound in the room is Crewdson’s ring of a chime.

Crewdson introduced meditation into her classroom last June when the Stressbusters, a branch of the Whitman PTA dedicated to fighting student stress, began training teachers in ways to exercise mindfulness, a practice that helps focus the mind.

Meditation expert Tara Brach and Congressman Tim Ryan spoke to a crowd of over 900 people, including students, parents and other members of the Whitman community, at an event hosted at Whitman Oct. 7. The speakers discussed the benefits of mindfulness and reduced stress.

Stressbusters will launch a new pilot program by employing MINDS Incorporated, a company that teaches mindfulness and meditative practices in schools, to send trainers into classes to teach students and teachers stress reduction techniques.

Whitman will serve as a “guinea pig” for the county, said Jesse Torrence, the Executive Director of MINDS. For eight weeks, roughly 300 students work with trainers who will come into selected English classes once a week. Topics will include the science, techniques and applications of mindfulness.

“The goal is to teach students practical, simple and daily skills to ground them in what’s important,” Torrence said.

English teacher Susan Buckingham, who has long been an advocate for mindfulness in classrooms, applied for a “.b” curriculum teaching program. The curriculum is run by The Mindfulness in Schools Project and certifies educators to teach mindfulness in classrooms. Buckingham is the lead teacher of the pilot and is volunteering multiple classes for

Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan discovered the benefits of meditation and mindfulness as an adult. He spoke at an event to kick off the new mindfulness program.

Congressman Tim Ryan, who also spoke at the event, embraced mindfulness to reduce the constant stress of the political lifestyle, he said.

“In the summer of 2008, I was 35 and realized I was going to be burnt out by the time I am 40 years old,” Ryan said.

After a five-day mindfulness retreat opened his eyes to the world of meditation, Ryan wrote the book “A Mindful Nation,” in which he elaborated some of the benefits of mindfulness and its effectiveness in school.

“Mindfulness can teach kids to slow down, focus—and I say this as boldly as I can—care about each other,” Ryan said to the Whitman audience, “After my retreat, I thought to myself ‘Why aren’t we teaching this to every school in the country?’”

4

News

October 23, 2013

Computer, printer issues slowly being resolved

By Sarah Friedman

School and county IT staff are gradually correcting problems that arose following Tech Mod ‘13, the hardware and software updates that took place over the summer.

Seven members of the MCPS IT staff worked for two days earlier this month to connect a few printers and computers and add software that was missing from the network, said Greg Thomas, the school’s IT systems specialist.

Principal Alan Goodwin sent an email to staff Oct. 2, asking them to report any technology complications. Staff members reported missing or non-functioning computers, missing printers, an inability to connect to printers, missing software and Promethean board malfunctions. The IT team worked to prioritize and solve each individual

problem, assistant principal Brandi Heckert said.

“It has been successful because they don’t move on until they fix [each issue],” assistant principal Brandi Heckert said.

The technology situation was at a standstill until the team arrived, Thomas said, because the issues were too widespread for him to handle by himself.

Two thirds of the school’s 81 printers are now connected to the network, compared to less than half in mid-September. The server proved to be the source of many printer connection issues, but only central office IT staff can access some server settings to correct problems, making it difficult for Thomas to address the errors.

After working with an MCPS IT specialist,

Thomas fixed a minor coding error and immediately connected 20 printers. The number of functioning network printers now stands at 53, he said.

“When challenges arise, we work together to find solutions and mitigate these same challenges in other locations,” Collette said in an email interview. “We share information, add additional people to help get work completed, consult with outside vendors to support products and provide professional development to key staff involved in aspects of this program.”

Thomas said the situation is finally beginning to improve.

“We’re over halfway there, but we still have a lot to go,” he said.

Capital Bikeshare expands into Montgomery County Communal bike sharing program offers convenient transport around Bethesda area By ben titlebaum

Capital Bikeshare’s signature red bikes will now be a common sight around town, as the company opened 51 new stations in MoCo, including four in Downtown Bethesda Sept. 27.

The three-year-old operation is one of the largest bike sharing systems in the country, and the expansion is on track to continue beyond Montgomery County, with new locations set to open in College Park by Feb. 7.

Until recently, Capital Bikeshare was confined to D.C. and Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia. The program expanded into Maryland to foster regional connections, develop the economy and encourage cheap and environmentally friendly transportation in the region, Bikeshare County Manager Anne Root said.

Each station consists of a row of Capital

Bikeshare’s three-speed bikes, locked into individual docks. Members pay for a key that gives them access to a single bike, and visitors can use a credit card to get day passes.

There are several different types of membership, varying from a day up to a full year. The first half hour is free, but the rate increases at half-hour intervals after that. The total cost for a one-day membership and a two-hour ride, for example, adds up to $21. Riders can return the bike to any Capital Bikeshare station across the D.C. area, including those in downtown D.C., Georgetown, and Virginia locations.

Capital Bikeshare encourages biking as a healthier transportation option that improves quality of life and gets people out of their cars, Root said. The bikes are available for everyone in Bethesda to use.

“It can be used for exercise or getting around

quickly, especially if you don’t like the Metro,” B-CC student Jason Kohn said.

Junior Hannah Walter said that she supported Bikeshare as a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional modes of transportation.

But despite the best efforts of Bikeshare, some students feel that most Bethesda residents probably won’t use the bikes.

“I’ve never seen anybody actually use one,” sophomore Ben Malmgren said, adding that he probably would never use Bikeshare himself.

And although many still have doubts about the actual usefulness of the bikesharing program, at least a few say they’re willing to give it a try.

“I’ll probably use it at some point to try it out and then make a decision,” Kohn said.

Morning rush creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians, drivers coming from all different directions and students crossing is much more complicated than Pyle’s drop-off The traffic and pedestrian issues system.” that take place in the neighborhood, Seneca Valley and Blair High even those involved immediately School recently held assemblies to off school property, are beyond the discuss safety improvements, and school’s regulation and breadth of these assemblies will soon be at other responsibility. The security staff only schools in the county, spokesperson directs the flow of cars inside of the Esther Bowring said.

The week parking lot, and issues tickets to those following the presentations, a who violate pedestrian safety rules. team of pedestrian “When crossing safety volunteers through the parking “Pedestrian safety is one of comprised of parents lot, students like to our top priorities... Getting and members of the take the path of least went out resistance, even if it hit is something that could community on the streets around means completely change your life in a minute” the schools to raise ignoring the awareness and to crosswalks,” Pascali - Resource Officer hand out reflective said. “I don’t know Steve Pascali material that attaches the percentage, to bikes and clothing. but it’s too many. I Until this understand people program reaches Whitman, Pascali want to get where they want to go, plans on sending out a monthly but I also don’t want anyone to get newsletter detailing important safety hit.” information for students which will Some schools in the county, like focus predominantly on promoting Pyle, have a crossing guard to help cautiousness when walking or driving direct traffic. Funding for a crossing to school. guard goes through the county, and “Pedestrian safety is one of our personnel distribution is determined top priorities,” Pascali said. “Young based on need, location and student drivers do impulsive things, that’s the age. way it is.

Getting hit is something that “Whitman should definitely could change your life in a minute, so qualify for a crossing guard,” Pyle it’s important to be careful.” crossing guard Lisa Anderson said.

“The congestion out front with cars

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October 23, 2013

Black & White

OPINION

5

Gray Area: Confusing room numbers need a reset

Minimum wage increase would stimulate economy, help lower-class workers

by Ethan Taswell

A Maryland worker putting in an eight-hour day at minimum wage walks away with about $50, about a quarter of the average weekly grocery bill. This year’s bill to raise Maryland’s minimum wage may have fallen through, but politicians, lobbyists and citizens should redouble their efforts to get the law enacted in 2014. Increasing the minimum wage as suggested would not only help those living in or near poverty, but would also stimulate the economy.

Maryland’s minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum, a mere $7.25 an hour. This provides a salary of $15,000 a year for a full time worker. And the minimum wage for a tipped worker, such as a waiter, is only $3.63 per hour. Nineteen other states and the District have raised their minimum wages, the highest being Washington’s rate of $9.19 per hour. These adjustments supplement the insufficient increases in the federal minimum wage over the past few decades, which have not been able to keep up with inflation.

Despite the high cost of living—Maryland is ranked as the 5th most expensive state to live in—our state hasn’t changed our wage to keep up with the times.

Had the minimum wage kept up with inflation, it would be slightly over $10 today, according to the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group for low wage workers.

A bill to raise the minimum wage to $10.00 was voted down last March in the State Senate, but is being proposed again for the upcoming legislative session starting in January, and has seen strong support from Democrats.

The minimum wage doesn’t provide nearly enough to live with, says Matt

Hanson, of the Raise Maryland Campaign, a nonprofit dedicated to raising the wage. A study published just last week by the UC Berkeley Labor Center notes that even when fast food workers, who predominantly work at or just above the minimum wage, work 40 hours a week or more, over half the time their families depend on public assistance programs such as food stamps or Medicaid.

While several delegates argue that this plan might hurt the post-recession recovery, a spokesperson for Delegate Braveboy said in a phone interview that the pay increase would actually bolster the economy. Providing workers with more spending money allows them to buy more goods such as clothes and groceries.

An increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 would raise consumer spending nationally by a whopping $48 billion, according to a report by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.

The same principle applies on the state level; businesses would benefit from a higher wage because of greater spending and therefore greater profits. In fact, Hanson said in a phone interview, that a predicted 4,000 new Maryland jobs will be created over the next two years if Braveboy’s bill is passed. Yes, increasing the minimum wage might cause financial difficulties for small businesses, but the vast majority of those affected will be major corporations who can easily afford to pay their employees slightly more.

Each day, thousands of people across Maryland head off to work to support their families. They should be able to make more than a high-school lifeguard or American Plant food employee does.

It’s time to stop living in the past; $7.25 doesn’t mean what it once did.

by Scott Singer

It’s the first day of junior year and my schedule points me to room B-212. I enter a pitch black room and hear ominous rumblings from the air conditioner unit behind me. No, I’m not in the familiar Black & White classroom. I’m in a mechanical closet around the corner that coincidentally has the exact same room number.

No matter how they came to be, our school’s room numbers remain a challenge to freshmen and seniors alike. It’s time that our school’s room numbering system match the intellectual prowess of its students.

After three years at Whitman, I still can’t find the computer lab in room 315. Although I may just be directionally-challenged, in reality it’s probably because the lab has a doppelganger across the school.

So, I say it’s time that we institute a revolutionary scheme where each room is followed by the next number in the sequence.

The current room number set-up has a few elements that should remain after the room number revamp. The designation of room numbers by floor level should stay, since unlike the numbers themselves, they’re helpful to determine a room’s floor level.

I propose a numbering system based on the teachings of Michael Stiple, the man famous for inventing the addition sign. All of the courtyard-facing rooms will have odd numbers ranging from 201-257.

On the other side of the hall, the rooms will have numbers from 200256. We’re in high school now. Addition shouldn’t be too hard.

Opponents of the room number remodeling argue that MCPS security, the fire department and the police would need new maps of the school. However, the changes would ultimately facilitate formalities in an emergency—including the kind of emergency where you’re late to an in-class essay and can’t find the designated computer lab for the life of you.

The budget may be slim right now, but I can’t imagine putting up new plaques can be any more expensive than polishing the linoleum floors. True, there are more pressing issues at hand—school start times, cafeteria food and broken printers, just to name a few. But the benefits of a room number revamp that helps students find their room for their in-class essays, hastens emergency procedures and most importantly, applies the fundamentals of first grade addition to the plaques plastered to the wall, far outweigh the potential costs.

Volume 52, Issue 2 2013-2014 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.

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6

opinion

October 23, 2013

Math curricula should cover real-life applicability S ta f f E d i t o r i a l

by Ethan Taswell A few weeks ago, I saw a Wall Street Journal article talking about a movie with a tattoo snaking around a woman’s body, and if that didn’t catch my eye, it was produced by, of all people, a mathematician. I read further on about this interesting production choice, discovering that the tattoo was really a formula. This isn’t math, I thought.

Where is the confusion, the tediousness, the boredom? The top of the article had a photo of a guy who I was pretty sure was a rock star, but turned out to be UC Berkeley professor Edward Frenkel, one of the top mathematicians in his field and a man on a mission to inspire students to love math just as much as he does.

Spend just a day walking around a high school and you can see that many students have a problem with math. One gets the sense that few truly adore the subject while most students range from confused to resentful. Math does have an appeal, but frequently it’s hidden from us. Classes need to reveal the concrete benefits math can achieve for students, especially in our technologically dominated world.

In the classroom, this would mean more emphasis on modern uses of math and its worth rather than the perfunctory problems that are done today. As Frenkel proposes, the role of math in our society should simply be talked about more. If math were to be discussed in school and outside, it is likely that we would not have such an aversion to it.

I bought Frenkel’s new book, Love and Math, and decided to contact him and ask a few questions. In our email interview, Frenkel suggested courses should focus on the practical application of math; noting that math has a critical place in our daily lives, with algorithms for everything from online purchases to GPS devices. Ironically, he says, those kids who sit in the back of the classroom and mutter, “When am I ever going to use this in real life?” end up pulling out their cell phones to send a text and therefore use the exact formulas they scorn.

Pledge of Allegiance should not be recited in school

UC Berkley Professor Edward Frenkel addresses the more abstract side of mathematics in his book “Love and Math.”

Frenkel doesn’t blame this misdirected focus on teachers, but on a number of factors including poor curricula, sub-par textbooks and even his and other mathematicians’ failures in reaching out to the public. To counter this, mathematicians should promote math’s inspiring power and practicality, Frenkel says. Demonstrating the practicality of math gives students a real reason to want to learn about it.

As Frenkel says, mathematics is a field where students need to be motivated by a teacher’s enthusiasm and love for a subject. Too many times students are left disinterested by what may seem like pointless numbers on a blackboard.

Frenkel demonstrates that math is more than the useless and hopelessly unclear subject that students and adults around the nation often think it is. This country needs to start a realistic conversation about math’s fascinating applications to inspire the next generation.

Oh, and what does that tattooed formula in the movie really mean, you might be wondering? Frenkel doesn’t come right out and tell his viewers, but what he really wants is to make them curious. Curious about love and math, that is.

Freshman Caitlyn Neymour: “I hate math, I think it’s confusing, not boring.”

Sophomore Sam Arnesen: “I like math, because there is a right answer and a wrong answer, with little middle ground.”

Senior Joey Williams: “I like [math], because it’s intuitive and things just make sense, and I don’t have to memorize things.”

Junior Shoshi Levenson: “I like how once you figure [math] out, you can’t get it wrong.”

X

Y

It’s the preamble to the morning announcements, a 121-yearold tradition and a declaration of nationalism. It’s our Pledge of Allegiance—our daily vow to stand by the American Flag.

But the traditionally formal recitation of the Pledge has been replaced with a largely ignored daily announcement. Students are often too lazy to recite the Pledge, and teachers are frequently reduced to forcing their students to stand up. Because students no longer show respect for the Pledge, Maryland should repeal its law requiring schools to recite the Pledge daily.

The Pledge dates back to 1892, when Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy wrote the iconic words to celebrate the 400 th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World. The Pledge then spread across American schools as a way to support national unity after the Civil War. Later, the Pledge was modified to include the words “Under God” in 1954, a decision influenced by American involvement in the Cold War and wishes to distance the U.S. ideologically from the nonreligious communist states, according to Jeffrey Owen Jones of Smithsonian Magazine.

Maryland is one of only seven states to require students to recite the Pledge, along with Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas, according to the Education Commision of the States. The MCPS Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities affirms students’ right to opt out of the activity, stating specifically that they cannot be forced to participate in patriotic exercises. This rule was tested this past April when a teacher forced Enidris Siurano-Rodriguez, a Damascus High School student from Puerto Rico, to stand for the Pledge.

Siurano-Rodriguez’s case, which was publicized by NBC and The Washington Post, is only one example of this phenomenon.

Teachers frequently require their students to stand and/or recite the Pledge—an informal survey of 60 Whitman students found that over 50 percent of students at some point noticed a teacher forcing a student to stand for the Pledge or were involved in an incident themselves. Such a high frequency demonstrates that the once well-respected Pledge has since devolved to a mindless chore.

Some students refuse to say the Pledge on religious grounds, arguing that the words “Under God” break the division between church and state. Others object to the Pledge for political reasons, saying that Pledge is too propagandistic or is a violation of political freedom. There are also a significant number of international students, who would rather pledge allegiance to their own country’s flag.

And of course, there’s an ever-growing population of students who are too lazy to stand or simply don’t have enough time to put their bag down before the announcements, as the Black & White noticed after conducting a hallway walkthrough during the Pledge recitation.

It’s true that the Pledge is an easy, well-known patriotic display. But teaching students from a young age to mindlessly recite slogans goes against the independent, critical thinking we teach in schools. If the Pledge no longer carries its traditional meaning—and students suggest it doesn’t—then it’s time that we come up with a new way to begin the school day.

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October 23, 2013

7

Jorge Richardson PRESIDENT

announcements:

Marcela Falk-Bados VICE-PRESIDENT

Kendall Eisenberg TREASURER

Homecoming theme days Thursday: Patriotic Attire Friday: Blackout Jenna Kantor SECRETARY

Don’t miss out on the Homecoming Football Game Friday at 6:30!

Rachel Ordan SECRETARY

Class Officers:

‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17

Elizabeth Meyer, Mark Norris, Abraar Ahmad

The Homecoming dance is Saturday from 8:30-11:30.

Tickets can be bought at the door. (Couples discount does not apply)

Jonny Rasch, Katie Sullivan, Mia Carmel

Jenna Hosker, Selvi Ulusan, Carolyn Hoover

Keara Sullivan, Kueho Michael Choi, Sophia Zambri

Best of Bethesda:

By Nick Meyer, S

The Black & W Bethesda eateries i sandwiches, chicken, went on the scene to g price, and of co

Potbelly Sandwich Shop may be a chain, but the filling sandwiches and creamy milkshakes never disappoint. Faux-vintage posters and wooden booths give off a homey vibe and local musicians even use the restaurant as a small scale venue. Warm, tasty subs such as meatball grinders, turkey BLTs and chicken cheddar melts can be customized with a plethora of condiments.

If you’re in the mood for a lighter meal, you can opt for one of the Skinnys, with less toppings and calories. For all of those big eaters out there, customers can go for a Bigs with extra meat. A combo with a sandwich, chips and a drink is under $10. It’s cheap consistent and probably the best sandwich shop around.

4731 Elm Street Bethesda, MD 20814

With its causal outdoor patio and cozy, New England themed interior, Jetties is a great spot to grab a variety of sandwiches, salads and sweet treats. The Nantucket-based eatery, conveniently located at Woodmont Triangle, names their food items after beaches on Nantucket Island. A favorite is the Nobadeer sandwich, named D.C.’s most iconic sandwich by the D.C. Eater, that combines quality hand-carved roasted turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, on sourdough bread. Jetties is on the expensive side with each sandwich or salad costing about $10. But the sizable portions and fresh ingredients make Jetties a go-to destination for a quality lunch or dinner.

Jetties’ line is out the door during the lunchtime rush each day, so expect a wait. However, the ordering process is streamlined with order forms that you fill out while waiting in line.

4829 Fairmont Ave Bethesda MD 20814

D o n Pollo takes pride in its tender, Outside flavorful Peruvian Nando’s rotisserie chicken.

The Peri Peri, Afrorestaurant’s bright orange awning beat music blasts from makes it stand out on Wisconsin speakers along the sidewalk.

Avenue, and the cheery yellow walls Inside, satisfied customers fill the and enticing aromas pull customers comfortable red booths. This South in. The straightforward menu offers African Rotisserie serves up Portugese a variety of roasted chicken cuts style chicken in a casual atmosphere, great for a and sides. The Fiesta for 4 option relaxing dinner or a quick bite. The chicken ranges in provides a whole chicken and heat from mild lemon and herb seasoning to extra hot four sides for under $24, and sauce. One of the most popular combos on the menu is perfect for a family dinner. includes a 1/4 chicken breast and one wing spiced to Popular sides include the fried your preference, with two sides such as grilled corn or yuca, corn pico and sweet plantains. mac and cheese. Diners can also have the fiery Chickens are roasting all day, so the chicken served as a sandwich, a wrap or stuffed food is always hot and fresh. Quality

in a pita, accompanied by a custom beverage Peruvian chicken is hard to find in this made at the touch-screen Coke Freestyle area, but Don Pollo’s two locations machine. If you’re tired of the same in Bethesda and Rockville make it old meal, spice up your dining an ideal spot to sample some choice with a trip to Nando’s. of South America’s best dishes.

4839 Bethesda Ave Bethesda, MD 20814 7007 Wisconsin Ave Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Mia’s Piz that is easy to mi overlooked. Althou in old Bethesda, the crust pizza and cheerful regulars back. The first thin walk in is the glowing brick o busy with chefs flipping dou pizzas are the house specialty and piz to $16. They are just the right size for t A house favorite is the self-named Mi tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and orega mood for something else, Mia’s also offer seafood and dinner entrees for under $20. place for a date, family dinner, or a nice ev Plus a pleasant outdoor patio in front, seats weather. For the freshest pizza in town s atmo 4926 Cordell Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814

Taste of the Best: Quarter Chicken Platter at Don Pollo

Chicken Pita at Nandos

A S t ude nt Guid e

Sophia Glazer, Nicole Fleck

White set out to find the best of in four basic categories: Pizza, , and classic diner fare. Reporters get the scoop on the atmosphere, ourse, taste of the top picks.

Osman and Joe’s Steak ‘n’ Egg, nicknamed “Stegg” by patrons, is a timeless greasy spoon diner located in Tenley Town. The shack on Wisconsin Ave.—open 24-hours a day since 1965—boasts intimate counter seating inside and a sizable outdoor seating area enclosed by a white picket fence. Just the renowned country fried steak and egg dish for $13.99 alone makes the 11-minute drive from school worth it. The southern staple combines a whopping beef patty, topped with hot country gravy, which can come with a side of jam-packed omelets, burgers and unbelievably dense and fluffy blueberry waffles. The side dishes such Smack in the as fresh hash browns, union rings and center of the pizzeria sits a two thousand delectably thick milkshakes are the pound red brick oven. It burns on coal in perfect addition to your meal excess of 900 degrees Fahrenheit producing a here. deep, smoky crust with a near perfect crunch.

4700 Wisconsin Ave NW This is the oven at Haven Pizzeria Napoletana Washington, DC 20016 and crazily enough, the 144 square foot behemoth has an identical twin one room over to churn out z.

The local pizza joint, open since 2012, serves some of the DC area’s best New Haven style pizza. The menus features small (10 inch) and large (18 inch) pizzas perfect for individual servings or groups of four respectively. A basic small mozzarella pie is nine dollars with gourmet toppings for an additional one to two bucks each. Most popular is the white clam pie, which combines pecorino-romano cheese, chopped garlic and fresh clams. Large, family style tables and long wooden booths plus a stylish bar area make this restaurant ideal for families and larger groups.

zzas is a hidden gem iss, but shouldn’t be ugh it’s tucked away e perfectly crisp, thin l staff keep bringing ng you notice as you oven in back always ugh. The wood-fired zzas range from $12 two people to share. ia’s pie topped with ano. For those in the rs pasta dishes with . Mia’s is the perfect vening with friends. s customers in warm served in an inviting osphere, visit Mia’s. 7137 Wisconsion Ave Bethesda MD 20814

Pepperoni Pizza at Haven

Nobadeer Sandwich at Jetties

The Tastee Diner has remained the same since 1935 despite the ever-changing Bethesda scene around it, making it a haven for diner aficionados and hungry high-schoolers alike.

After moving in 1958 from Wisconsin Ave. to its current location on Woodmont Ave., the diner has become a key part of the cultural fabric of the area. A 24-hour diner, Tastees serves quintessential staples from breakfast to dinner. Breakfast is served all day, so patrons can munch on their classic Reuben sandwich for $6.95, alongside pancakes, hash browns and a milkshake, regardless of the hour. Free WiFi, booth seating and jukeboxes make Tastees perfect for a post-football game hang out or even just a casual late night bite with friends. It’s a Bethesda institution that can’t be missed.

7731 Woodmont Ave Bethesda MD 20814

Meatball Sandwich at Potbelly

10

Feature

October 23, 2013

Senior opens online origami ‘shop,’ FEATURE donates proceeds to NIH charity

By Emma Anderson

In between taking detailed notes and preparing for labs in first period AP Biology, senior Lisa Deng, one of the Black & White’s two webmasters, keeps her hands full folding origami. The delicate paper that folds easily in her hands might end up in a bride’s bouquet tomorrow or in the mail to Australia the next day.

In the summer of 2010 Deng opened an origami shop called “Everything Origami” on Etsy.com, an online site where people all around the world can buy and sell unique products. She sells everything from flower bouquets to koi fish made of dollar bills.

But the intricate hand-crafted creations are not the only thing that makes her shop unique.

“Everything Origami” is special because of where the proceeds go; Deng donates all of the money she makes to the Children’s Inn at NIH.

Opened in 1990, the Inn creates temporary homes for children and their families who have traveled from all over the country, and sometimes the world, to seek the best treatment possible.

New and returning clubs provide outlet for student interests

By Alexa brOdsky

After clubs night, students get swamped with countless emails from the twenty or so clubs they signed up for. Now is the time to find out which will make the cut.

photo courtesy WILLOW NEWMAN

Best Buddies A returning favorite is Best Buddies, a club that pairs students in regular classes with students in the LFI program who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The club is a staple of the Whitman community, and each year its involvement and impact grows.

“This year, we have decided to expand our program and include more students with disabilities than ever before,” club president Joey Williams said. “We have outreached to a special needs school called Stephen Knolls and we are including their students in our program this year.”

The Best Buddies leadership has been hard at work since the middle of the summer to bring back traditions that the club members love, includes a Nationals game and a trip to the pumpkin patch.

The club is also carrying over two new events that were started last year: Best Buddies Talent Show and a Christmas party.

Seniors Joey Williams (3rd from left) and Ameen Khalil (4th from left) attended a Best Buddies Leadership Conference this summer.

“When I was in 7th grade I did an SSL project by donating origami to the Inn, but I thought if I gave them money it would be way more useful,” Deng said.

Deng started making profits early. As a child, she loved to sell origami and buy ice cream with the money she made. When she grew older and gave up the ice cream for more philanthropic efforts, she turned her hobby into a business that supports the children at the Inn. “The money we donate goes toward creating a good environment and helping the families stay together,” Deng said. “It’s a great place to come to after being in a freezing cold white hospital.”

As Deng’s business grew, she recruited friends to help her fold. “[Folding] is good for long car trips. I went up to lake Michigan, and I folded eight hours each way with my friends,” senior and volunteer Gabby Tender said. “It’s good during class because it is something your hands can do if you are just watching math lectures and not taking notes.”

When she first opened her shop, Deng only sold origami cranes, which didn’t bring in much business. After a couple of requests for origami flowers, Deng figured out what her customers wanted.

“Best Buddies is the only club at Whitman that I know which is solely dedicated to giving all of its members the gift of friendship and happiness,” club secretary Ameen Khalil said. “What could possibly be better than that?”

Sandwich Club A brand new club on the rise is the West Side Earl of Sandwich club, started this year by sophomore Stefan Greenberg.

The club goes to a different sandwich shop every week to discuss and enjoy a variety of flavors and styles different places offer. There are about 15 kids who come to every meeting, Greenberg said.

“It’s a social way to enjoy sandwiches,” Greenberg said. “We eat the sandwich and discuss the quality, but really we are all just there to eat sandwiches” So far, the sandwich club has hit Subway, Potbelly’s, Jetties and Five Guys – which was deemed the favorite.

Despite the quirky premise, the club also plans on using their sandwich powers for good.

Greenberg is planning a sandwich-making contest, where students participate in a series of sandwich building competitions. The winners of each round will receive a prize, and at the end of the day every sandwich created will be donated to Martha’s Table, and organization that helps feed homeless families in the D.C. area.

Neuro Nerds New club Neuro Nerds was started by junior Hannah Jacobs and her brother Harrison, who is a freshman. The club allows students to explore psychology and neuroscience outside of the classroom in a casual environment with peers.

Hannah studied psychology at a research lab at Georgetown University and started the club to bring her experience to as many students as possible, she said. She started taking AP Psychology this year and has noticed that her classmates really enjoy the material.

“People get really into it,” she said. “So, I want to help people learn even more and get research like I did.”

Jacobs has been contacting speakers from her summer lab program and aims to get some of them in to talk to club members.

“I know a lot of research labs like to reach out to high school students because they’re so eager to learn.”

Her origami flowers are now her biggest seller.

The flowers are cheaper than real flowers, more durable, and never wilt, Deng said. Origami flowers are perfect for weddings and anniversaries because they can be kept long after real flowers die, she said.

“Her donations really do make a big impact over here,” said Lucy Seagraves, spokesperson at the Inn. “They are so meaningful to our families because they are coming from a teenager. We know how hard she works on her shop to give us her proceeds.”

Deng alone spends five hours a week folding, gluing, managing her site, advertising, and looking for marketing opportunities. On big holidays like Valentines Day, Deng spends at least an hour a day on just folding.

Deng and her friends also set aside time to visit the Inn. On one occasion, they went and taught teenagers origami.

“Lisa was able to really connect with some of the teens who attended, and I think it was a lot more fun being taught by another teenager,” Seagraves said.

While Deng’s youth makes her a unique donor at the Inn, it has no impact on her business. Many of Deng’s customers have no idea that they are buying from a group of high school students.

“People leave feedback saying ‘Lisa is such a great woman, her flowers are so beautiful’,” Deng said. “I am glad they don’t know our age. I am proud that they think high schoolers like us can fold for professional weddings and anniversaries.”

Sign Language class continues to grow in size and impact

by CARoline Schweitzer

The signs speak for themselves in Kristi McAleese’s American Sign Language classes.

The ASL students continue to expand and challenge themselves. In the coming year, they’ll be performing the National Anthem alongside men’s chorus at the homecoming game, preparing to join the National ASL Honors Society and organizing the upcoming “Deaf for a Day” experience, where ASL students will use ear plugs to become virtually deaf for an entire school day.

Teachers in the county have also collaborated to create a more advanced ASL level 3 curriculum.

“I thought performing the National Anthem would allow the ASL 2 students to get involved in the community and showcase their skills to the school,” McAleese said.

The number of students enrolled in ASL has more than doubled since the class was added last year, going from 35 to 87 students.

The expansion brings new opportunities for the class.

The ASL class is close to becoming an official member of the National ASL Honors Society, where students will be eligible for scholarship opportunities and awards at graduation.

In order to join the National ASL honors society, a charter must be established in the school and approved by the society, and students are then required to apply for individual membership.

With support and enthusiasm from her students, McAleese plans to incorporate the “Deaf for a Day”event into the curriculum to recognize the struggles of the deaf community.

“The deaf culture is so unique, and it’s unlike any other culture because you’ve essentially lost a sense,” McAleese said.

For a full day after homecoming, students will wear earplugs and will have to communicate through Sign Language. Afterwards, the students will be required to write a summary about their experiences.

The county’s teachers are trying to keep up with the class’s growing popularity by creating an ASL level 3 curriculum. McAleese said that the curriculum is in the blue print stages, but will include more material on deaf history and a new level of immersion into deaf culture.

Junior McKenna Murray was surprised by how much she has gotten involved with Sign Language.

“It just completely developed into this new thing that I love,” Murray said. “I’m signing all the time and when I see someone who is deaf I feel automatically connected to them.”

October 23, 2013

11

Feature

BY sophia glazer

Homecoming can be a stressful time for everyone, but some students have more on their plates than others.

While the majority of the student body only has to worry about dinner reservations and picking out the right outfit, the 25 students in leadership class are responsible for planning the entire week’s worth of events.

Leadership teacher Sheryl Freedman has been in charge of the class for the last seven years.

“I help direct the vision and help with large group conversation and brainstorming,” she said. “The students really work on the implementation and the details.”

This year Freedman chose seniors Kate Goldberg, Maisy Deans and Anjana Setlur as the homecoming chairs, who are responsible for keeping the class focused on the task at hand.

The homecoming chairs then divide the rest of the class into the six subcommittees that take charge of specific areas, like Battle of the Classes, decorations, PR, parent chaperones, homecoming court and pep rally.

“For the decorations committee we try to pick the more artsy and creative people,” Goldberg said, “and for BOTC the fun, athletic people.

Junior Mia Carmel, a member of the BOTC committee, was responsible for putting together teams for the annual event that pits grades against each other. Carmel recorded times as

students ran through an obstacle course for the tryout in the small gym during lunch, trying to earn one of the coveted spots.

“The team is based on the top five fastest times for girls and for boys,” Carmel said, “and then there’s an alternate in case someone gets hurt.”

Classic events like the obstacle course, tug-of-war, dodgeball and basketball shootoff will return. A new dizzy bat competition will be added, where two people will spin around on a mat in the middle of the gym and then shoot a basket.

When the quintessential homecoming week event arrives, seniors will get their long-awaited chance to chant, “1-2-3 more years” and have the glory of winning BOTC, even if the points don’t always add up.

“That’s part of the fun of Battle of the Classes; everyone gets to bag on seniors and seniors get to bag on everyone else,” Carmel said.

The overarching homecoming theme this year is fantasy lands.

Seniors will be falling down the rabbit hole to Wonderland while juniors will skip down the yellow brick road in Oz. The sophomores will boat down the chocolate river in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and freshman will fly off to Neverland where they never have to grow up.

“We were thinking, ‘oh fairy tales would be such a great one,’ but we needed to make it appealing to both

photo by ABBY CUTLER

Leadership class works behind the scenes to plan Homecoming

Sophomore class officer Selvi Ulusan passes out BOTC shirts to freshman in the cafeteria. The freshman theme is “Neverland.” BOTC is on the Wednesday of Homecoming Week.

genders, so we thought of wonderlands, fairylands and then fantasy lands,” Deans said.

The theme this year provides each grade an unlimited amount of creativity for hallway decorating, senior Jenna Kantor said.

“Usually people say freshman have a bad theme, but I think every theme is good so everyone has so much to do with their hallways,” Kantor, a member of the decorations committee said.

All the events during homecoming week build up to the main attraction: the homecoming dance. Hours of preparation go into the big dance on Saturday night.

“We’ll work all morning and all afternoon that Friday and then all morning that Saturday to set up the gym,” Goldberg said.

DJ Company Electric Entertainment has worked at the dance for the past

three years. This year the dance will feature searchlights and a red carpet, Jeff Socal, owner of Electric Entertainment, said.

Electric Entertainment specializes in high school homecomings so they have experience in catering to teenagers’ music taste. Prior to the dance, students can request music to be added to the playlist through the company’s website as well as recommend songs at the dance.

“Our goal is to make it another awesome homecoming,” Socal said.

The class debriefs at the end of every event, discussing what went well and what can be improved for next year.

“There’s definitely feedback and growth at the end of every process,” Freedman said. “There’s some things that remain the same for better or for worse.”

Students reach new heights with local rock climbing excursions By nicole fleck

Whether it’s summiting a peak in the Himalayas or conquering the rock wall at the YMCA, rock climbing has become increasingly popular for members of the community looking to get exercise and push themselves physically and mentally.

Senior Cole Hinga began climbing almost two years ago. The sport came easily to him due to his background as a gymnast, he said. He bought a membership at Earth Treks, an indoor climbing facility in Rockville, and started climbing on his own.

“I really like the environment of Earth Treks,” Hinga said. “Everyone is really open to helping each other and no one looks down on you for being bad because everyone has been there at one point.”

Juniors Nikki Mills and Michelle Cibel began rock climbing this past summer.

After climbing Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire, Mills said she fell in love with the sport and began visiting Earth Treks once she returned home.

Mills introduced Cibel to climbing, and both attended Earth Treks five times a week throughout the summer.

“I love how mentally strong in addition to physically strong you have to be,” Mills said. “When you climb you can’t focus too much on what’s ahead of you or what happened earlier in the climb. You have to focus on what’s right in front of you, literally.”

Hoping to share their newfound passions, Cibel and Mills have created a rock climbing club at Whitman this year.

“Our goal is to get people interested in a sport that they wouldn’t have typically tried,” Mills said.

The two hope to get a group of

people going to Earth Treks every week and build up to an outdoor climbing and camping trip in Carderock at the end of the year.

“We just want some laid back people who love to climb as much as we do,” Cibel said.

Junior Louie Gold began indoor belaying — controlling the ropes for a climber — at the YMCA in seventh grade to gain SSL hours. He now belays the first three Fridays of every month. “[Becoming a belayer] takes a while because people want to make sure you’re absolutely safe. Once the person is tied into you, you’re the one controlling whether or not they potentially live,” Gold said.

More experienced climbers don’t need an inside climbing wall — or a belayer. Senior Natalie Andrasko’s father, Ken Andrasko, has climbed thousand-foot boulders and ice from Yosemite National Park to the Nepalese Himalayas. He has accomplished several first ascents, meaning he was the first documented person to complete a particular climbing route.

“For me climbing is all about exploring,” Andrasko said. “Exploring the world out there, exploring yourself, your ability to solve problems.”

For beginners, Andrasko suggests taking training courses, reading books and finding more experienced climbers to learn from in order to build skills.

In his opinion, starting in a local club and climbing indoors is a great place to begin.

“It’s totally safe and really social.”

Andrasko said. “It’s easy to go rain or shine, and you learn a lot of the skills you need to see if climbing something you want to get into.”

Feature

Local races offer unique running experiences

Run for Your Lives

by Emma Anderson

People exercise in many different ways, whether it be lifting weights, going for a bike ride or sprinting from zombies.

In recent months, many companies have hosted themed races in the D.C. area, and people have flocked from all over to participate. Each run gives its participants a unique experience to reach the company’s goal, whether it’s facing a zombie apocalypse in the Run for Your Lives race or creating a fun community event for all ages in the annual Turkey Chase. Most of the races give some portion of their proceeds to charity, giving runners the chance to do some good in the community while getting a fun and easy workout.

The Color Run, coined “the happiest 5k on the planet,” is a casual and family friendly event.

All participants start off wearing white and finish splattered by colored powder thrown by volunteers throughout the the run. It came to D.C. Sept. 4.

“It’s a celebration more than an actual run,” senior Kendall Wiss said. “Everyone was in such a good mood. They were playing music really loudly and giving out lots of free stuff. Everyone was dancing and really friendly.”

While the Color Run encourages people to finish the race however they choose—running, walking or cartwheeling across the finish line—the Tough Mudder challenges runner’s mental and physical grit through insane obstacles and serious competition.

The race includes 10-12 miles of running along

october 23, 2013

Color Run Tough Mudder

with multiple obstacles like the “electroshock therapy,” where participants run through a field of live wires, and the “arctic enema,” where runners must swim under a wooden plank and endure a pit of freezing cold water to get to the other side.

Last spring, history teacher Gregory Herbert ran Tough Mudder with his brother.

“The hardest part of the whole thing was the running,” Herbert said. “The only obstacle I didn’t complete was the monkey bars. They went down and spun, but I didn’t know that so as soon as I grabbed the second bar my hand spun out.”

Tough Mudder has donated more than 6 million to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity which works with injured veterans. Tough Mudder’s donations go to helping provide combat stress recovery programs, sports programs and counseling and employment services.

The Tough Mudder may be intense, but it doesn’t leave participants running from the undead.

Run for Your Lives was started by two childhood friends from Bel Air, Maryland, who wanted to promote a line of clothing.

The first official race was Oct. 22, 2011 in Darlington, Maryland. Over 12,000 people showed up to run for their lives, and the race is now featured all over the country. Participants can register to be either a human or a zombie.

The rules are simple. Each runner is given several flags which they attach to a belt on their waist. Zombies attempt to steal the flags. If runners makes it across the finish line with at least one flag

Graphic by Maria Mu

12

Turkey Chase

remaining, they have “survived.”

“We’re not just an average road race,” said Lauren Gambler, customer service manager at Run for Your Lives. “We usually have [a] blood pit and smokehouse along with eight other obstacles.

Portions of each event’s proceeds are donated to the Krieger Institute, where children and young adults get help with disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal regions.

“The Krieger Institute specialize in helping children battling brain injuries and disorders,” Gambler said. “And with our zombie theme, we felt that focusing on awareness for these types of injuries was important.”

But if being chased by zombies, surviving death-defying obstacles or becoming a human rainbow isn’t your thing, there’s always the classic Turkey Chase.

Held by the YMCA, the Turkey Chase has a 10k, 2 mile and 50 meter tot trot. Gearing up for its 31st year, the event has become a family affair that brings in people from all over Montgomery County.

“The Turkey Chase is just so fun because everyone is excited about Thanksgiving,” senior Josie Schwartz said. “It is hard to wake up that early in the morning, but I was really motivated to run it because I knew I was going to eat a ton of food later.”

The Turkey Chase is Nov. 28, and the Tough Mudder will return June 2014.

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October 23, 2013

SPORTS

SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

13

Evan Woods: Cross Country

By Sam Berson

Junior cross-country star Evan Woods is running away from the competition, leading the Vikes to a stellar season and a triple crown win in early Oct. Woods runs a 10-minute 2-second two-mile, which is best on the team by 14 seconds and a 15-minute 32-second 5,000 meter, also best on the team by 24 seconds.

With such a young team, Woods has taken over as the leader on the track and has helped carry the team to victory in many of their meets.

During the final win in their Triple Crown victory Oct. 5, Woods finished as the top runner for the Vikes and the seventh overall runner in the entire event.

Throughout his three years on the team, Woods has greatly improved his times yearly. Over the three years, he has shaved over one minute and thirty seconds off of his two mile time, a huge improvement that has helped escalate Woods to the top of Whitmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speedy cross-country team.

STANDINGS Varsity Girls Volleyball Montgomery Gold Division TEAM Churchill B-CC

CONFERENCE

OVERALL

10-1

14-1

6-5

6-9

Whitman

4-0

Quince Orchard

1-0

PERCENTAGE

.909 .545

8-4

1.000

8-7

1.000 0.000

Walter Johnson

0-6

4-7

Wheaton

0-0

3-11

---

Upcoming Games:

Varsity Girls Soccer

Montgomery 4A South Division CONFERENCE TEAM OVERALL B-CC

4-0

10-1-1

1.000

Whitman

3-1

8-1-1

.750

Walter Johnson

2-1

7-4

.667

Kennedy

1-1

1-2

.500

0-1 0-1

5-2-1

.000

5-5

.000

Churchill Richard Montgomery

Upcoming Games:

Varsity Golf TEAM

Walter Johnson

.722

Wootton

11

.647

Churchill

11

6 7

Quince Orchard

10

7 13

.588

TEAM

CONFERENCE

Clarksburg

8-4

10-4

.667

Wootton

7-0

12-0

1.000

6-1

11-1

.857

Churchill

5-3

9-3

.625

Whitman

4-3

5-5

.571

B-CC

4-3

5-8

.571

Quince Orchard

4-3

9-6

.571

Northwest

3-2

4-5

.600

Richard Montgomery

3-5

4-5

.375

Blair Magruder

2-7 1-2

4-8

.222

2-8-1

.333

Gaithersburg

0-4

1-8

.000

0-6

2-6

.000

OVERALL

PERCENTAGE

Upcoming Games: 10/24: @ Walter Johnson (Regional Quarterfinals)

Northwest

4 0

Kennedy

3-0

6-3

1.000

Churchill

2-1

7-3-1

.667

Walter Johnson

2-2

7-4-1

1-2

5-6-1

1-2

2-6 5-6-1

Richard Montgomery

B-CC Whitman

1-3

.500 .333 .333 .250

.944

5

5

PERCENTAGE

PERCENTAGE

13

B-CC Montgomery 4A West Division

LOSSES 1

CONFERENCE OVERALL

10/25: @ Kennedy (1st round of playoffs)

Sherwood

Varsity Girls Field Hockey

WINS 17

Montgomery 4A South Division TEAM

Upcoming Games:

Whitman

Kennedy

PERCENTAGE

10/25: vs. RM (1st round of Playoffs)

10/24: Paint Branch - 6:00

Walter Johnson

Varsity Boys Soccer

.611

14 18

.277 .222 .000

Upcoming Games:

10/28: State Tournament

Girls Tennis Division I

Varsity Football

Montgomery 4A South Division TEAM

DIVISION

OVERALL PERCENTAGE

TEAM Wootton Churchill Whitman

3-1

3-4

.750

Whitman

2-1

4-3

.667

Richard Montgomery

1-1

1-5

.500

1-2

2-4

.333

Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson

1-2

1-4

.333

Poolesville

Churchill

1-2

1-5

.333

Wootton

B-CC

Upcoming Games:

10/25: vs. Walter Johnson (Homecoming Game) - 6:30 11/1: vs. Churchill - 6:30 11/8: @ Blair - 6:30

Richard Montgomery

Sherwood B-CC

WINS 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Season Complete

LOSSES 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

PERCENTAGE

1.000 .857 .714 .571 .428 .286 .143 .000

14

Sports

October 23, 2013

College app process simplified for commited atheletes

By Sam Berson

Mention the college application process to most seniors, and they’ll start panicking about the essays they still have to write; mention applications to the few athletes who have been recruited, and they’ll smile about the process they’ve already completed.

The start of fall marks the end of the recruiting process for many Whitman athletes, who are finally deciding where they’ll be taking their talents next school year. Committing to college ends the long recruiting process, which usually takes over a year to complete.

Most recruiting happens separately from Whitman; during the summer athletes attend showcase events and tournaments that host a variety of college coaches to scout high school prospects. Varsity baseball coach Joe Cassidy, who also works as a showcase coach, said one of the biggest keys in the recruiting process is getting college coaches to personally know a player.

“Twenty years ago [high school] coaches would sell players and it was more coach to coach and now it seems to be more coach to kid,” Cassidy said. “They want to see what you are like and how you present yourself as a 17 or 18 year old.

To set herself apart, senior volleyball player Eliana Schaefer went a step further. Her showcase coach

advised her to send videos to schools so they would know what type of player she was even before seeing her on the court.

While some recruiting can start sooner, most athletes start their recruiting process the summer before their junior year. The summer prior to senior year, however, is the most important, as college coaches are looking to finalize their recruiting process.

“I mainly started the summer going into my junior year,” Senior Macalester verbal commit Ben Castagnetti said. “It was helpful to get my name out there, but the biggest summer was this past one,” Some athletes, however, are recruited earlier, like junior Clare Severe, who committed this fall to Lehigh to play soccer. College coaches started asking varsity girls soccer coach Greg Herbert about Severe as early as her sophomore year.

“It was definitely stressful at times because college felt so far away and I really had no idea what type of school I wanted,” Severe said. “But it was also fun to see the different schools and their soccer programs.”

Castagnetti said he enjoyed being recruited and took advantage of the different things he was able to do. He liked being able to meet different players and coaches and spend his summers playing baseball.

Schaefer agreed that while recruiting can be stressful, it was enjoyable overall.

“It can be a lot to keep up talking to all the coaches and once you are down to a couple schools, it’s a difficult choice to make,” Schaefer said. “But, it’s also nice to be able to visit the schools you are interested in by staying with a team member and getting the feel for what it’s like to really be part of that school.”

Even though the strength of a college team factors into the decisions of most athletes, it isn’t the first thing they looked at when deciding which school to attend.

“In the beginning of this whole process, many people told me to chose the school, not the baseball team,” Castagnetti said. “I took this advice to heart.”

Severe also said that schools’ academics were more important than its athletics.

“I loved the school for the school, and it’s always best to make that decision first,” Severe said.

For many athletes, the recruiting process may have been difficult, but the real work is just beginning.

“It’s been extremely rewarding,” Castagnetti said.

“This is definite proof that working hard will pay off in the end, but it does not mean that I will stop working, because now I start my fight for playing time in college.”

School Hall of Fame adds members

photo courtest NATALIE CIBEL

by Tyler Jacobson

The Whitman Athletics Hall of Fame added four new members to its ranks this year. The inductees were honored in a ceremony at half time of the Oct. 4 football game against Richard Montgomery.

The hall welcomed David Magathan, a teacher, coach and athletic director; Tim Agee (’80), star quarterback and three sport athlete; Tony Korson (‘01), a three year starter on varsity baseball; and Ben Quinn, a three-sport athlete who tragically lost his life during his senior year.

The Hall of Fame selection committee, consisting of principal Alan Goodwin, athletic director Andrew Wetzel and other members of the Whitman athletic community, mulled over nominations this past summer before deciding on the four inductees.

Magathan, who still subs at Whitman occasionally, started teaching in MCPS in 1969. Magathan was an assistant football coach from 1979 to 1995 and the varsity softball coach from 1982 to 2002 before he became the athletic director.

“I felt very honored,” Magathan said. “Being at Whitman was a huge part of my career.”

Football coach Jim Kuhn spent a number of years working with Mr. Magathan and developed a close relationship with him, he said.

“He was incredibly organized,” Kuhn said. “He always had everything you needed right there for you.”

Tony Korson, the youngest inductee, graduated in 2001 after pitching for three years on the baseball team. Korson was named first team all-met by the Washington Post his senior year.

Korson founded and currently runs KOA Sports League, an organization that many Whitman athletes have participated in.

“Knowing I was the first Whitman baseball guy to make it with so many good players in the program was like being eighteen again,” Korson said. “It was total elation.”

Tim Agee dominated on the football team, earning all-met honors as a quarterback. Agee then went on to star as a defensive back for West Virginia University. Agee played through college and in the NFL. “[Receiving the award] was definitely an honor,” Agee said. “The best part was getting to see my peers at the induction ceremony.”

One of Agee’s peers was Ben Quinn, the final hall of fame inductee. Quinn played football, rugby and wrestled for Whitman from 1977 to 1979, earning individual accolades in all three. Quinn earned a full scholarship to play football for Virginia Tech before he passed away in a car accident. Quinn was known by the football team for his hard work, and they honored his memory by handing out the Ben Quinn Award to players.

Agee played with Quinn for a number of years, and was the first recipient of the Ben Quinn award.

“He was a happy-go-lucky guy off the field and an absolute monster on the field,” Agee said.

The Whitmaniacs were a vital part of the “Roar” video planning. The club, started in 2007 by art teacher Nancy Mornini, is led this year by seniors Libby Collett and Natalie Cibel.

Whitmaniacs boost school spirit, game attendance

By Shannon Dawe

In the wake of the “Roar” video entry into Katy Perry’s nationwide contest, school spirit seems to be reaching an all-time high; increased game attendance and winning records indicate that everyone is buying into the Viking pride.

Behind this spike in spirit is the Whitmaniacs club, which promotes sporting events with banners and events like tailgates and spirit buses to increase overall enjoyment for Whitman fans.

The club was created in 2007 by art teacher Nancy Mornini, who worked with students to create a club promoting positive sportsmanship.

“The last two years we’ve had kids who are very involved and brought it to new levels,” Mornini said. “This year, it’s getting even stronger.”

The club’s leaders, seniors Libby Collett and Natalie Cibel, have also seen a positive trend during their time at Whitman. With the recent production of the “Roar” video, they feel that the school has come together more than ever before.

“Each year I feel like the spirit increases,” Collett said. “And this year was our big step, especially because of the ‘Roar’ video.”

The club is mostly student-run, driven by ideas from members with some added input from Mornini. There are officers with specific roles, but as Collett said, everyone is welcome because “everyone at Whitman is a Whitmaniac.”

The club meets every Wednesday during both lunches to discuss the games for that week and the themes for those games. They also cover any news such as orders to be placed for shirts and other Whitmaniac apparel.

The biggest goal for this year is getting everyone involved, particularly underclassmen, Collett said. Social media is the preferred medium of the club, with almost 1,000 members in its Facebook group and an increasing number of twitter followers. The club also posts banners throughout the school with information for upcoming games.

The success of these methods is evident in the recent outpouring of support for sports like volleyball, which previously had only parents and maybe a couple fans, senior captain Julie King said.

“Even ten people makes a difference because you can hear everyone in the gym,” she said. “Compared to other years, it makes me feel like I’m actually representing Whitman.”

For Collett and Cibel, that feeling of inclusion is the exact purpose of Whitmaniacs.

“Getting everyone involved is so exciting,” Cibel said. “Just seeing the improvement over the years is unreal.”

After a strong start to the year, the Whitmaniacs are confident that spirit can only increase.

“The efforts of leadership and Whitmaniacs combined this year has already been amazing,” Cibel said. “And it’s only the beginning of the year, so there’s so much more to go.”

October 23, 2013

SPorts

15

Opinion: County takes step in the right direction with medical trainers

by Fionn Adamian

Freshman golf phenom takes county by storm continued from page

2

At age five, Hutchinson began to take golf seriously and started taking lessons with Danny Shanz, Congressional’s director of golf instruction. Hutchinson won his first tournament at age eight. Throughout middle school, he devoted at least four days each week to playing golf.

“Every year it seems to me that as a golfer I improve,” Hutchinson said. “Last year my handicap has dropped from five to a scratch.”

In 2012, Hutchinson came in second at the U.S. Kids World Championships in Pinehurst NC, beating out over 100 of the top golfers in his age group while shooting three under par. Hutchinson also came in tenth place at an AJGA Junior All-Star Tournament this past summer.

At the District Tournament Oct. 14, Hutchinson was key in helping the Vikings take fourth place and qualify for the State Tournament. With Hutchinson, Barth and other talented players rounding out the golf squad, hopes are high that after a second and third place finish in 2011 and 2012, respectively, the team could be in position for a run at the state championship.

the way high schools deal with concussions. Having a doctor who understands the severity, symptoms and treatment of concussions mitigates the risk that students get back in the game with a concussion or deal with the problem incorrectly. The general consensus among doctors is that an athlete should not return to sports while symptoms of a concussion are still present and a doctor evaluates the athlete, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Without this treatment, concussions can have devastating affects on brain function. Repeated concussions can lead to learning and memory problems, and in severe cases, can take more than a year to recover, according a report by William Meehan, director of brain injury research at the Boston Children’s Hospital. MCPS’s measures protect high-school students from these threats.

Some may argue that many sports, like football, will always be physical and risky to players. Fair enough. But that doesn’t mean that schools shouldn’t take all necessary precautions to minimize that threat. And if players do get concussions, medical trainers prevent the problem from getting worse.

Athletes have had to deal with concussions alone all too often; MCPS has done well to respond.

Student views: Should Redskins change their name?

by Sebastian Van bastelaer and scott Singer

The Black & White asked 94 students their views on whether the Redskins should change their name.

graphic by MARIA MU

Hutchinson putts at the Junior PGA National tournament in Florida.

The freshman is leading the county with a 35.5 stroke average.

Affecting 300,000 athletes in the U.S. each year, and causing head injuries with links to brain damage and depression, sports-related concussions are an epidemic. The issue even inspired several Whitman students to start a Concussion Awareness Club last year.

Thankfully, MCPS has finally sat up and taken notice. This year, MCPS will partner with MedStar Health to provide 11 county high schools with athletic trainer services to curb sports related injuries.

Every school involved will receive an athletic trainer, medical director and concussion specialist.

MedStar will also facilitate baseline concussion testing countywide. Jessica Horn, the trainer at Whitman, will assist with immediate care and rehabilitating injured athletes.

If students need further treatment, the medical director, Dr. Wiemi Douoguih, will evaluate their injuries and ensure that they receive care from an appropriate specialist. The concussion specialist, Elizabeth Delasobera, focuses on solving athlete’s head injuries.

Horn has already helped treat several student athletes for injuries, especially football players.

These changes are a much-needed improvement to

Five girls soccer players commit to playing in college

BY Emilia Malachowski

For the varsity girls’ soccer team, the field is their home, the team is their family and soccer is more than just a sport.

The Vikes, who have had an outstanding season at 10-1-1 and a record of 12-3 last year, have a tradition of winning and strong team commitment which has led many Vikes to play in college. This year, seniors Aliza Wolfe, Emily Martin, Anna Gurney, Bahar Ulusan and junior Clare Severe have all committed to play soccer in college.

This year is unique given that only one player, Andrea McDonald, went on to play in college (NYU) last year, varsity girls’ soccer coach Greg Herbert said. The years previous have had nowhere near the amount of commits that this year has.

Defender Emily Martin, who committed to Colby, said she had high standards for her college team because of her experience with the Vikes.

“The work rate on the team and the will to win are unbelievable, and half the reason I love playing with everyone,” Martin said. “The other half is the bonds we have with each other. We’re all best friends.”

The unity of the team had an effect on midfielder Anna Gurney who chose Emory University for its blend of competitive soccer and a close-knit team.

“Coming from my club team and the Whitman team, I’ve always been a part of a close-knit family,”

to Lehigh, where she looks forward to playing Gurney said. “So I was also looking for a team competitively and joining a new soccer family. She where the girls really cared about each other.” said the dynamic of the team has paid off when To Herbert, chemistry is the one of the most important qualities for the team. All the athletes and college recruits come looking for new atheletes.

“I think the team has so many recruits this year parents are a family and need to support each other because the group of girls in the team are extremely all the time, he said. hardworking and passionate about the sport, so Talent and desire are also two important factors they want to continue playing,” Severe said. in a team’s success, Herbert said. Lots of team have talent but end up not using it to its full potential.

Several of the commits agreed that they were looking for a competitive, tough soccer team in college that wouldn’t guarantee easy training. The high I have a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from standards of the Whitman the University of Chicago. team are reflected in their performance; the team has won its division for the past I am bilingual and can also tutor in Spanish. two years.

Midfielder Aliza Wolfe For more info visit: https://www.unc.edu/~mancilla/ committed to Rice her sophomore year. She made sure the team had the Contact info: dynamic bonds and support that was expected after Dr. Jaime Mancilla coming from the Vikes, she (919)358-0427 or said.

Forward Clare Severe mancillajg@gmail.com also committed this fall

Biology Tutoring Available

16

Q&A

October 23, 2013

Overstock.com founder and alum Patrick Byrne (‘81) returns to Whitman to discuss his success, motivations and role models weavers and silver smiths. I started wondering, why don’t we see these products in the American retail system? I consider it the biggest lightbulb moment of my life, sitting there in Cambodia and realizing: wait a second, the supply chain we just built for Overstock in two years would work perfectly dealing with artisans.

We opened a department where we work people all over the world and we work with about 10,000 artisans who make stuff for us and we sell it for no profit. About 60 to 70 percent of what you’re buying in Worldstock is actually going back to the producers. We’ve sent back about 99 million dollars, and in another month or so we will cross the 100 million dollar mark. I think we might be the largest fair trade organization in the world.

by Sophia Glazer

Patrick Byrne is the founder and CEO of Overstock. com and a Whitman alum (‘81). His company specializes in online closeout sales and fair-trade items made in developing countries. Byrne studied Chinese philosophy and economics at Dartmouth college and has advanced degrees from Cambridge University and Stanford University.

Black & White: Can you tell us a little bit about your high school experience?

Patrick Byrne: I had some fantastic teachers but there was a standout: Principal Jerome Marco. He was infinitely patient and tolerant, especially with me and my foibles. Sometimes I strayed from the straight and narrow, and he would always remind me what my real path was.

B&W: Do you keep in touch with anyone you went to school with?

PB: John Petway was a fellow student. He became my business partner and we’ve been partners for 25 years now. Also, my economics teacher, Lynn Henry, she has left a very deep impression on me. I started writing her in college and we kept up a correspondence for years until she passed away.

B&W: Do you have any advice for young people going off into the word?

PB: There was a French philosopher, Blaise Pascal, who said, “the chains of habit are too late to be felt until they’re too heavy to be broken.” What that means is the habits you’re developing now are the habits that will stick with you through life. By the time you get around to change them, you can’t break them.

It’s really about having the right habits when you’re this age, and the right role models. Whitman provided me a plethora of fantastic role models.

photo by SOPHIA GLAZER

B&W: Is it strange coming back to high school?

PB: The school was physically out where the parking lot is now, it’s a little disorienting. Imagine coming back 32 years from now and the school is gone and there’s a different building over there.

B&W: Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up?

PB: Actually, I still don’t know what I want to do. I just occasionally turn over rocks, ideas and experiments.

Building Overstock has been quite a challenge.

It’s just gotten to the place where it’s very profitable and it’s doing well. It’s wonderful because it gives me a platform in which I can try a lot of experiments.

I get to take all these things I’ve learned, going back to Whitman economics classes and put them into practice and see what’s true and what isn’t.

B&W: Can you talk about your involvement in Worldstock?

PB: Two years into Overstock I was motorcycling around Cambodia, where there are all these people who have lost their arms and legs to land mines and who get re-trained as potters and

W

CROSS R

1

ACROSS

D

1. Item shown to security guards in movies, gives you access to everything 2. Soviet boxer in “Rocky IV,” last name 5. Girl whose mom has it goin’ on 6. Catchphrase of annoying duck in advertisement 7. Child soldier in popular sci-fi novel and movie adaptation 10. German composer censored in Israel, wrote “Ride of the Valkyries” 13. Animal rights group, abbrev.

14. Spaceship from “Alien” 15. Pixar cartoon with environmentalist message and “2001” reference 16. Contraction we are taught to never, ever use 18. Phoebe’s sister on “Friends” 20. Title for gov’t officials and judges, abbrev.

21. Symbol for alkaline earth metal that burns bright white 22. African-American Disney princess 26. Majority party in House of Representatives 27. Agent 007’s preferred outfit and mascot for 8 down 28. Reporter’s assigned area of expertise 29. Musical TV show marked by death of lead actor 30. Allen Ginsberg poem 32. Rapper who Twitter-fought Jimmy Kimmel, first name 33. First carrier to offer iPhone in US 34. Measure of income distribution, first word 37. Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie with Scarlett Johansson, either word 39. No one is sure which one came first, pick one 42. Similar to fault line, either in terrain or in space and time 44. Plant with both practical and recreational uses 46. Giant tree-like creature from “Lord of the Rings” 47. Dr. Suess’ “Hop __ Pop” 48. Knights’ catchphrase in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”

4

25

11

17

35

10

47

46

2

15

23 45

7

12

28 44

5

9

14

24

21

47

6

34

13

19

33

20

37 18

30

27

43

38

31

22

41

36

29

39 32

42

32

48

DOWN 1. World’s most populous Muslim country 3. Anti-art movement born in 1920s Europe 4. Blue diamond displayed at Smithsonian Natural History Museum 8. Open-source operating system 9. Organization founded in 1844, now subject of classic song 10. Director of “The Avengers” and “Firefly,” last name 11. Paul McCartney’s “newest” Album 12. Country other than America which banned slavery in 1860s 16. History term associated with ice, iron, and information 17. “Blue Train,” as spelled by John Coltrane 19. Italian-style font found in Microsoft Word 23. Artistic print, usually done with oil paint 24. America’s finest news source 25. __line, __sight, __bred 27. Jungle animal whose fur inspired camouflage pattern 28. Medieval heredity title 31. One of the twins from Youtube channel “jacksgap”

B&W: What’s your favorite part of running Overstock?

PB: I view myself as a teacher or maybe a principal now. We have a classroom in our company and I get to go in and teach. I teach not just at the highest levels but at the beginning level too, and I create lesson plans. When I look back at my life, the thing that I was best at was being a teacher, it’s probably the thing I’m most proud of.

16 3

by Chris Hodgman and Haley Maness

B&W: What do you do on a daily basis?

PB: I get to do what economists call institutional design. There’s wisdom and knowledge scattered throughout the organization, and you need to design the institutions so that you liberate that knowledge and different voices can be heard and can be aggregated correctly.

If you know the Dilbert comic strip, it portrays the way a lot of corporations are. There’s a pointy haired manager sitting at the corner office who’s barking orders at everybody but he doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Well, that’s the thing you have to avoid like the plague, especially in an internet company. The internet by its nature is hyper competitive, and if you’re making mistakes, they get found out very quickly.

We’re basically organized internally around small teams of 6 to 8 people; it’s got to be a team that a large pizza can feed. The skill is being able to lead a small team.

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32. Synonym for “wisdom,” for short, also computer manufacturer 35. “Now you __ me, now you don’t” 36. City referenced in Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown,” first word 38 Military aircraft formation 39 Edible snakelike fish 40 Indian resort city 41 Musical set in NYC’s Lower East Side 43. Pivotal treaty signed in eastern European capital, second word 45. Company behind “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” special effects, abbrev.

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