Vol. 53 » Issue 3

volume 53, Issue 3 november 12, 2014

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

photo courtesy CLIVE HARRIS

Maryland labeled human trafficking ‘hot spot’ by margot dionne Every year, over 1.6 million kids run away or are kicked out of their homes in the U.S. Of those 1.6 million, about 100,000 will be sold for sex each year.

These figures, from Courtney’s House, a D.C. based organization that helps sex trafficking victims, have prompted action on several fronts.

These crimes occur surprisingly close to home.

This January, Rodney Hubert, 38, and Charles Hufton, 25, were arrested on charges of sex trafficking. The Maryland men offered young girls money and a place to live if the girls agreed to take provocative photos, make pornographic films and engage in prostitution. The two men were later indicted for sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to traffic minors for sexual activity. This was not an isolated incident.

Although most Bethesda residents might consider human trafficking fairly uncommon or distant, Maryland prosecutes dozens of cases each year.

School systems, nonprofit organizations and government agencies have responded by educating communities on prevention and victim assistance.

Continued on page 3

photo courtesy ADAM PRILL

Senior plays for Thailand national baseball team

Above: the boys soccer team celebrates their 4-0 thrashing of Bladensburg in the state semifinals. Below: midfielder Maddie Parker struts down the field during the girls 3-1 win over Eleanor Roosevelt. The boys and girls compete for state titles at Loyola University Maryland Friday and Saturday nights.

Boys and girls soccer advance to state finals

By Josh Feder and Anna Marcus This weekend at Loyola University. the girls and boys soccer teams have a chance to make history and become the first teams from one school to win both Maryland 4A state titles in the same year.

Both teams decimated their opponents in the state semifinals Friday Nov. 7. The boys struck first, beating Bladensburg 4-0, and the girls followed with a 3-1 thrashing of Eleanor Roosevelt.

The boys play Friday night at 7:30 against the Chesapeake Cougars while the girls play saturday at the same time against the Howard Lions.

Boys Soccer

Spearheaded by a powerhouse offense, the boys soccer team looks to take home their first state title

since 2009.

In their state semifinal matchup against Bladensburg the squad looked unbeatable. The Vikes kept the offensive pressure on for a majority of the game and played lockdown defense, even forcing an own-goal early in the first half.

The team has marched through the playoffs with relative ease, falling behind for less than 20 minutes of play, and running through tough opponents like B-CC and WJ. The offense has been led by forwards Davey Mason and Aaron Tanenbaum, who have combined for 10 of the Vikes’ 16 goals this postseason, along with 5 of the team’s 13 postseason assists.

The team’s offensive game plan has been built around giving their best offensive threats a chance to score by having constant ball

movement.

“Moving the ball quickly and finding our dangerous players have proved to be effective thus far and we’ll keep going with what’s working,” captain Jeff Rosenberg said.

Defensively the boys are anchored by goalie Ian Atkinson, who has racked up 20 saves this postseason despite missing the team’s second round game due to suspension. Defender Ryan Rush has anchored the Viking’s back four, always remaining calm in the face of danger.

Playing in front of the defense, Rosenberg has been successful at controlling the midfield and keeping pressure off of the defense with key steals and smart passing.

While defending, the Vikes try to play smart, minimizing needless fouls, midfielder David Voigt said.

by Arya Hodjat For most high school baseball players, having two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon in your team’s dugout and Texas Rangers star Shin-Soo Choo in the opposing outfield is something that can only be achieved in video games. For senior Alex Clark, it was a reality.

This past summer, Clark, who started at third base for the Vikings last season, played for the Thailand national baseball team at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. In his team’s three games, Clark got the opportunity to play in front of crowds of up to 40,000 people. The games are similar to the Olympics, but only Asian countries send athletes to compete. While Clark was born in the USA, he was eligible to play in the Games as his mother is from Thailand.

“I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to play baseball against elite competition, and to have the opportunity to represent my mother’s home country,” Clark said.

While Thailand finished 1-2 on their way to a first-round exit, Clark played well against the tough competition, picking up 2 hits and a RBI in the team’s lone win against Hong Kong.

Clark’s first taste of the national team came in the summer of 2012, when he played for Thailand’s 16-and-under team while visiting family. After a few months of competition that summer, his coach recommended him to play for the adult team.

Clark received his invitation to join the team in January of this year. Because of the time it took to process his addition to the team, his first practice with the team came in August, two months after the team started practicing. Clark practiced from five to nine daily for the four weeks leading up to the competition, often in harsh tropical climate.

Continued on page 16

Inside Look

Continued on page 14

Good Samaritan law protects 911 callers

Homework should be collected at unit’s end

Whitman’s first graduating class

Junior Mac Durston tours in band

Graham Hutchinson wins golf state championship

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Page 6

Page 8

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NEWS

Briefs SAT scores stagnate as students shift to ACT

2014 standardized test results released Oct. 7 reveal slower growth in scores and an increase in ACT-takers.

In a memorandum to the Board of Education, superintendent Joshua Starr noted the county’s score of 153 points above the national average.

Whitman remained the highest-scoring school in the county with an average SAT score of 1900. The school’s mean score, however, was a point lower than last year’s, ending a pattern of significant improvement over the past few years.

A full 37.3 percent of Whitman’s class of 2014 took the ACT, up from 32.5 percent last year. 31.4 percent of ACT-takers only took the ACT. “The shift has to do with how the test is given: the ACT is more learning-based,” said CIC coordinator Anne Hutchens. “As more schools adopt the ACT scores, it’s become a bigger option.”

Whitman named thirteenth ‘hardest’ high school in region Students are familiar with the high-pressure, competitive and rigorous academic environment at Whitman. A recent report

by Washington Post reporter Jay Matthews corroborated students’ opinion by ranking Whitman as the thirteenth hardest high school in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland.

To compile the rankings, Matthews took the total number of AP, IB and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at each school and divided it by the number of seniors who graduated. This number was labeled the Challenge Index, and Whitman’s was a 4.742, down .074 points from last year. Nationally, Whitman ranks one hundred fifty-sixth.

The ranking list also notes the percentage of students who qualify for lunch subsidies and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career. Two percent of Whitman students qualify for school subsidy lunches and 89 percent of graduates have passed at least one college-level test.

Both private and public schools were included in the rankings, but schools were only eligible for the list if they had as many tests in 2013 as they had graduates. B-CC ranked two spots higher than Whitman, and Poolesville was the ranked the hardest high school in Montgomery County at number four.

School flu shot clinics open all month This Halloween, MCPS students had the chance to get their annual flu vaccine at John F. Kennedy, Richard Montgomery and Seneca Valley High Schools free of charge between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

The nasal spray flu vaccine was administered at the temporary clinics through a partnership between Montgomery County Health and Human Services and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The first round of flu season hit Whitman hard, with 63 students absent Sept.

15 after acquiring a virus that caused coldlike symptoms. Nationally, 973 people have fallen ill as of Oct. 23 with the enterovirus, a deadly flu virus that can cause paralysis, and has doctors recommending kids get vaccinated, according to the CDC website.

Additional flu shot clinics will be available for $20 at local health centers throughout November. Appointments must be made in advance.

Students must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or adult with a signed consent form.

November 12, 2014

Good Samaritan law protects underage 911 callers under the influence by julia gilman Save another person’s life or save your permanent record? Thanks to Maryland’s new Good Samaritan Law, you’ll no longer have to choose between the two.

The Good Samaritan law protects people from criminal prosecution when they call for medical attention on behalf of a friend who is illegally under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The law, which took effect in Maryland Oct. 1, is now in place in 20 states and D.C., and is growing in popularity, thanks to its life-saving reputation.

“If you are a Maryland teenager drinking alcohol with your friend and your friend becomes sick, neither of you will get in trouble if you call for help, even though you are underage,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens explains on their website.

Teenagers, especially when intoxicated, are not always equipped to assess whether it’s necessary to call the police, the Keeping it SAFE Coalition reported. Warning signs of alcohol poisoning include uncontrollable vomiting, confusion, slow and irregular breathing, hypothermia, pale or bluish skin, seizures, and unconsciousness.

“A teen, or adult for that matter, who is under the influence, may be

at risk for harming themselves or others, even if inadvertently,” said Dan Hanfling, a clinical professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University. “A responsible person is one who recognizes such risk, and takes the necessary steps to intervene.”

Before the law was in place, many teenagers may have been hesitant to seek medical attention for fear of legal trouble. Supporters of the law argue that some people are afraid to seek medical assistance for a friend who has overdosed because they too have used an illegal substance.

“It’s a great thing because no one else would call for a friend without this law,” a junior boy said.

However, the new law isn’t intended to protect others present who did not “seek, provide, or assist” in obtaining needed medical care.

“The bill protects the person making the call, not people who play no role in summoning help,” Maryland Senator Brian Frosh said in an email interview.

Before the law was in place, a senior girl said she brought an intoxicated friend directly to the hospital instead of calling for an ambulance because she feared legal consequences. With the new law, she would still feel uncomfortable calling 911 in the same situation, she said.

“I know technically I should be covered but I’d still be worried,” she said. “If someone could drive a person [to the hospital] I’d just rather have that happen.”

The implications of the law extend far beyond underage drinking.

In June, the Washington Post reported that heroin-related deaths in Maryland had doubled from 2010 to 2013. Many of these lives could have been saved by immediate medical attention, but in many cases bystanders neglected to reach out to authorities.

The law also has the potential to prevent the rising issue of Mollyrelated deaths. Molly, a psychoactive drug that has recently skyrocketed in popularity, has caused fatal overdoses among users, mostly at music festivals.

A major supporter of the law was Maryland mother Ginger Rosela, whose son died of a heroin overdose, NBC Washington reported. She believes her son’s life could have been saved if a Good Samaritan law had been in place.

“Don’t hesitate to call for medical help if you think a friend might be in trouble or overdosing,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens wrote. “If you don’t know if they’re overdosing or not, call 911—better to be safe than be really sorry later.”

MCPS develops Ebola plan in response to community concern Students in the nurse’s office who have symptoms and possible exposure will be placed in isolation by sarina hanfling MCPS released guidelines Oct. 27 to be used in the event that a student comes to the nurse’s office showing symptoms of Ebola.

The guidelines came in response to the panic caused by the deadly illness, which spread through West African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea this summer. Although there has been only one death in the United States, compared to nearly 5,000 in West Africa, fear of the disease escalated after it was brought to the United States this September.

Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of another person infected with the disease.

Under the guidance of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, MCPS created the guidelines which will be carried out by school nurses.

The nurse will ask students with a fever and at least one other symptom of Ebola if they have travelled to West Africa in the past 21 days or been exposed to anyone who has. If so, they will be placed in isolation, said Julie Olson, who oversees the school’s health room. The nurse will then have to immediately call the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services for further

protocol. So far, Olson has not had to call any parents regarding travel history and no students have come to her with the combination of a fever and Ebola-like symptoms, she said.

MCPS students took home a letter in early October regarding respiratory illnesses, such as whooping cough and the flu. The letters also mentioned Ebola and cited the CDC website for more information on the disease.

Although Ebola is widely discussed in the news, the flu, meningitis and other communicable diseases should cause more concern among MCPS students, Olson said.

“There are a lot of scary things out there that we’re more likely to get than Ebola,” Olson said.

Although she printed informative fliers about the disease, she didn’t hang them up.

“I don’t want to scare people,” she said. “But at the same time I want people informed.”

While MCPS has created guidelines for only currently enrolled students, schools across the nation are altering their enrollment process to prevent infected people from entering schools. For example, in the Greenville County School district in South Carolina, the district’s website informs readers that new en-

graphic by MIKAELA FISHMAN

2

rollees and their families will be asked questions regarding travel history. If the student is discovered to be sick, then they will have to be cleared medically before being allowed to enroll.

“While no active cases of the Ebola virus have been reported in our state or across our region, it is wise to be proactive in this important matter,” the Greenville County School district said in a released statement.

Despite widespread caution across the coun-

try, Superintendent Joshua Starr believes that there is little cause for concern in the county.

“There’s this 24-hour news cycle, and there’s all this hysteria, and people don’t even know the facts,” Starr said in a student press conference Oct. 29 . “We’re obviously taking it seriously. We know everything to do, but we’re also not going to get sucked up into the cable news drama around some of these things.”

News

november 12, 2014

3

Human trafficking prompts federal law, local concern continued from page

1

This September, President Obama signed the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, aimed to combat sex trafficking among at-risk youth, particularly kids in foster care programs.

At the Maryland State Education Association convention last month, teachers and administrators discussed human trafficking and how to identify vulnerable children, MSEA president Betty Weller said. Signs of an at-risk child include fighting with family members and expressing a desire to run away from home.

Most girls who fall victim to trafficking are “homegrown American girls from troubled households,” New York Times columnist Nick Kristof said.

It’s hard to prevent child exploitation because the minors who fall victim most often come from schools with a lack of resources, Kristof said. Kristof frequently reports on social justice issues across the world. He also writes about human trafficking in the United States.

One of the speakers at the MSEA convention was Holly Austin Smith, the author of “The Walking Prey,” a book about her experience with prostitution and child exploitation.

“I had heard about assaults and kidnappings on television, but at ages thirteen and fourteen, I didn’t think anything like that could actually happen to me,” Smith wrote.

Like many victims, Smith was approached and then recruited at a New Jersey mall. She was 14 years old. Similar scenarios are common in Maryland.

Interstate-95 and other highways run through the state and connect victims to major East Coast cities, contributing to the state’s position as a “hot spot” for human trafficking, according to the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force website.

Classified ad websites facilitate prostitution by including “escorts” among their service offerings. Two groups of young women are suing Backpage, a website similar to Craigslist, for allegedly enabling the prostitution of minors.

The website allows users to buy time with girls who live in places ranging from Frederick, MD to Sydney, Australia.

Although the site lists the girls as older than 18, many of them are actu-

“I had heard about assaults and kidnappings on television, but at ages thirteen and fourteen, I didn’t think anything like that could actually happen to me” Holly Austin Smith in “The Walking Prey” ally minors. Two of the women who are suing were sold on Backpage at age 15, and were then raped hundreds of times, Kristof said.

The average age for minors who engage in prostitution for the first time ranges from 11-13 for boys and 12-14 for girls, according to a report from the Center for the Study of Youth Policy.

There are several organizations that

nothing wrong with cool sunglasses & looking back at the competition!

help combat trafficking. The MHTTF works to protect victims and prevent future incidents in Maryland, helping 217 trafficking victims in 2013 alone, according to their website.

Courtney’s House also helps young sex trafficking victims recover from their abuse and educates communities on prevention strategies. It was started in 2008

by Tina Frundt, who was once a victim of sex trafficking herself.

However, selling sex is not the only motive for trafficking. More than onethird of trafficking profits come from labor, according to a recent report from the U.S. State Department. Labor trafficking victims work grueling hours with little to no pay.

Woman and children are most commonly exploited for labor because of a general lack of power and lesser status compared to men, according to the Maryland Coalition, a member of the MHTTF. Kristof explained that trafficking victims are commonly mistaken for criminals because they voluntarily get involved.

Smith often describes herself as a “willing victim,” a label given to minors who run away from home and are forced to fall back on prostitution and other forms of work to survive. But, a “willing victim” is still a victim, not a criminal, Smith explained. She added that going back home felt like it “wasn’t even an option.”

“Running away isn’t the answer,” Smith said. “It’s the hardest thing to do.”

Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline 24 hours a day at 888-373-7888 if you or someone you know is at risk of human trafficking.

Added routers improve Chromebook connectivity for social studies classes in response to complaints

1,187

Number of devices connected to the network Nov. 10

For more information, contact Coach Kirk Shipley at Whitman or via email: kirkshipley@gmail.com

s

New routers added to improve WiFi connection

BY SPENCER ADAMS A dozen students stood in the second floor hallway, frantically waving Chromebooks above their heads to get a faint Wi-Fi signal and complete their class work. Once obtaining the coveted bars, the students suffer through a 46 minute period of achingly slow internet.

In response to complaints about difficulty connecting the new Chromebooks to the Wi-Fi network, the county bolstered the school’s internet connection during the week of Oct. 21 by adding extra routers and improving existing ones. The signal has improved significantly since, with an all-time high of 1187 devices connected Nov. 11.

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HMAN SE A FIS EY’S HOU L E A MIK OURTN ic by C graph courtesy s ic t is t ta

Students using Chromebooks in certain rooms, including those of social studies teachers Andrew Sonnabend and Sheryl Freedman, had difficulty accessing the Wi-Fi network before the update. A new router was installed in each of those rooms, and routers in other classes were upgraded as well.

“The strength of the signal was improved and each access point can now handle larger numbers of devices connecting to them without slowing down the network,” Montgomery County instructional specialist Michael Tinney said.

Prior to the installation, Sonnabend said the biggest problem was “intermittent” connectivity, adding that he omitted one assignment students completed because a majority of the class’ work didn’t save on Google Drive.

Freedman had a similar story.

“Documents were very slow to load before the update and many students couldn’t complete assignments during class,” Freedman said.

Teachers have said the Chromebooks run better since the installation, although some problems still persist.

“The improvement seems to have helped a bit, but I still have had some trouble in my eighth period,” Freedman said. “This may be due to an excess of students in other classrooms using it simultaneously.”

It’s important for the school to have a reliable network in time for the PARCC tests, which will replace the HSAs this spring. The county plans to administer them on the Chromebooks and hopes to test the equipment in advance to ensure that the network can handle every Chromebook being online at once, principal Alan Goodwin said.

MCPS bought a set of 32 Chromebooks for each social studies classroom at the beginning of the school year, and plans to purchase 30,000 Chromebooks and 10,000 tablets by the end of the year for the whole county.

“Given the size of Whitman, it is usual for there to be a few bumps early on in the launch,” Tinney said. “Our team works very quickly to solve any problems that arise once the Chromebooks are rolled out to students.”

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NOVEMBER 12, 2014

News

Cafeteria snack rack decimated Doritos, fruit snacks, Cheez-Its and Cheetos to be phased out of school cafeteria

by ariel plotnick School cafeterias are about to get a serious makeover. No, the lunch ladies aren’t getting new uniforms, nor are the walls being painted a fun color. Instead, they’re getting rid of foods with unhealthy additives.

The MCPS Division of Food and Nutrition Services recently decided to phase out a number of cafeteria options that contain food dyes and chemical additives. Students can say goodbye to lunchtime staples like Cool Ranch Doritos and Baked Cheetos, which contain MSG, and Welch’s Fruit Snacks and Cheez-its, which contain artificial dyes.

“I don’t really buy a lot from the cafeteria unless it’s the unhealthy chips,” sophomore Natachi Onwuamaegbu said. “So I personally won’t be buying anything from there anymore.”

Real Food for Kids Montgomery, an organization that advocates for more nutritious cafeteria foods in MCPS, played a major role in instigating the changes.

Co-directors Karen Devitt and Lindsey Parsons presented the Board of Education with a petition that had 2,150 signatures June 3. The petition spelled out the problems in MCPS cafeterias and the changes that need to be made, including the removal of foods containing harmful

additives.

“Most of the foods served in MCPS meals are processed and contain additives, some of which have been shown to cause cancer, hyperactivity and other behavioral impairments in children,” RFKM stated in their petition.

Earlier this year, the organization succeeded in removing strawberry milk from school cafeterias.

The DFNS also plans to replace the removed foods with snacks that students approve after a taste-test, director Marla Caplon said.

“When we first tried a whole grain pizza, we didn’t get a whole lot of happy

students,” she said in a phone interview.

“So we continued to try and work with companies to reformulate their recipes, so that we could find a product acceptable to students.”

While some might be annoyed that they won’t be able to get their daily fix, students appreciate the reasoning behind the changes.

“Although Doritos are delicious, I do support the ideas,” senior Lex Payne said. “Obesity, heart disease and diabetes are huge problems in this country and I think kids in school should be offered healthier options.”

Goodwin to spend 6 weeks as Bradley Hills asst. principal

By Elsa Bjornlund He’s everywhere: football games, musicals, leadership events and, of course, on Twitter. But come January, principal Alan Goodwin will disappear for six weeks to serve as assistant principal of Bradley Hills Elementary School, while principal intern Karen Bryant takes his place at Whitman.

Meanwhile, Bradley Hills principal intern Erica Williams will become principal at the elementary school and current principal Sandra Reece will assume the position of assistant principal at Whitman. The exchange is part of an MCPS program to train new administrators and offer seasoned administrators a chance to gain new experiences at different schools.

“Overall I’m looking forward to the experience, to find out more about an elementary school and how it works, and to get to know a different part of our community,” Goodwin said.

Goodwin will have to adjust to the younger age group.

He said interacting and carrying out meaningful conversation with younger students may be a challenge.

To prepare for his new position, Goodwin plans to study the elementary school curriculum, because he doesn’t have any experience with younger grades.

“Because I haven’t been an administrator in an elementary school, it’ll be easier for me to defer to the principal,” he said.

“But at the same time, I’m used to making lots of decisions, so

it’ll be an adjustment.”

Though she is enthusiastic for the learning opportunity, Reece said she will miss her job at Bradley Hills.

“I’m comfortable leaving Bradley Hills because I’m confident in Ms. Williams’ ability, but I will miss everyone,” she said. “I’ve been there for nine years and I’ve never been away longer than a week.”

In preparation for her transition, Reece plans to visit Whitman in December and collect advice from parents. She is prepared to support the Whitman community in any way she can, she said.

During the six week period, Goodwin is supposed to remain separate from affairs at Whitman, though he can be called during an emergency.

“I’m not supposed to come

to school, and I’m not supposed to come to night events, which will be a challenge because I like our sports program,” he said.

“At the same time, I will have more evenings free.”

In the quarter that Bryant has been at Whitman, she has slowly taken over more duties from Goodwin. She was surprised to see how closely principals work with each other and with the school district as a whole.

“Not only does a principal have to run his or her school building in an effective way, but the principal also becomes part of a larger community within MCPS,” Bryant said.

As one of five high school principal interns in MCPS, Bryant is also taking part in a structured preparation program, she said.

The preparation includes assignments, monthly seminars and professional training, leading up to the practicum, when the intern acts as principal for six weeks.

Bryant is excited for the opportunity and wants to have a strong presence at sports games like Goodwin is does.

“I hope to attend all the events that he would attend, and I really look forward to that,” she said.

Though Goodwin won’t be a fixture at this winter’s basketball games, he trusts that the swap will go smoothly, he said.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Goodwin said. “Of course I’m nervous about missing here, but I know it’s going to be in good hands.”

November 12, 2014

5

opinion

Letter to the Editor successful college admission essays. We have known you and worked with you on your English papers since ninth grade. We are parents, but we are not your parents. We are your friends but we are not your peers. We are highly experienced, caring and yet objective. We take the time to listen, clarify, prompt, and encourage you to write an essay that gives admissions officers a vivid sense of who you are and who you can and will be in the best college for you. Plus, we don’t charge you thousands of dollars. All we ask you to do in return is what so many of our students have done

Last week, the Black & White received the following letter from composition assisstant Orion Hyson: The recent Black and White article “Who Should Read Your College Essays” by seniors Caroline Schweitzer, Ben Titlebaum and Matt Yang, was both thoughtful and amusing, but had one glaring omission. English Composition Assistants Cathy Neff, Leslie Atkin and I, along with a select group of skilled Writing Center parent volunteers, have helped literally hundreds of Whitman students to write outstanding, authentic and

Issue 2 Corrections Page 1: Val Katsman is a sophomore, not a junior.

Page 4: The Fourth Circuit Court is not split up into districts by state, and Pamela Harris doesn’t preside specifically over the “Maryland district.”

Page 11: The Judge was not David Dobkin’s second major movie, as stated in the caption. He has produced several major movies.

before, and that is to come and tell us when you have gotten into college so that we can all do the happy dance together!

The Writing Center is a valuable resource, and was unintentionally omitted from the feature in Issue 2. We would like to thank the composition assisstants for reaching out to us and to the Whitman community and for providing their help on all types of writing—from research papers to college essays.

-Sarah Friedman, Tyler Jacobson and Kelley Czajka

Staff Editorial County’s Ebola plan takes appropriate action

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photo courtesy ABBY CUTLER

The Black & White regrets these errors.

There have been nine Ebola patients in the United States, seven of whom have recovered. Yet fear of Ebola has gripped America, even weaving itself into Montgomery County school nurses’ offices.

Although it’s unlikely that MCPS will have to handle an Ebola patient, the county’s new Ebola plan is a responsible step to ensure peace of mind and safety if the need arises.

The plan states that if a student goes to the nurse’s office with a 100.4 degree fever and displays at least one symptom of Ebola such as a headache, diarrhea, vomiting, unexplained bleeding or bruising, stomach pain or muscle pain, the nurse must contact the student’s parents or legal guardians and ask if the student, his or her family or any other close friends have recently traveled to West Africa.

If the answer is “yes,” the student will be isolated and the Department of Health and Human Services will be contacted immediately.

The likelihood of a student contracting Ebola is slim. Ebola is only spread through direct contact of infected bodily fluids and there has been no spreading of the virus within the United States outside the medical community. All Ebola patients in the U.S. either treated Ebola patients or spent time in West Africa.

With that said, Montgomery County is at a slightly higher risk for Ebola than other places in the country.

Around 15,000 West Africans lived in Montgomery County in 2010 according to the Office of Community Partnerships, so a relative flying to and from West Africa while infected with Ebola is not unimaginable.

Additionally, NIH, one of few hospitals in the country authorized to treat Ebola patients, treated one nurse who contracted Ebola. Many Whitman Students and parents work there, and although NIH has strict procedures to protect its staff from Ebola, having extra precautions is the right thing to do.

Even if some people have ridiculed the Ebola plan as buying into irrational hysteria, a plan that requires six seconds to ask a question that could potentially save someone’s life should be applauded.

Volume 53, Issue 3 2014-2015 The Black & White is published 9 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Students and staff can pick up the paper free of charge. Mail subscriptions cost $35. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain.

Signed opinion pieces reflect the positions of the individual staff. Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Walt Whitman High School or Montgomery County Public Schools.

The Black & White encourages readers to submit opinions on relevant topics in the form of letters to the editor. Letters must be signed to be printed, though names will be withheld upon

request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be placed in the Black & White mailbox in the main office or the editor’s mailbox in room B211, or may be emailed to blackandwhitevol53@gmail.com.

All content in the paper is reviewed to ensure that it meets the highest levels of legal and ethical standards with respect to material that is libelous, obscene, or invasive of privacy. Accuracy is of utmost importance to the Black & White staff. The address of the Black & White Online Edition is <www.theblackandwhite. net>. The online edition contact is theblackandwhiteonline@ gmail.com.

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6

opinion

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Teachers should collect math, science homework at unit’s end

I don’t believe in awkward by noah franklin It’s the nemesis of fluidity and order. It’s an invisible, nebulous neurotoxin that creeps under doors and slips between lips, filling silent voids and seeping into anything it can find. So run.

Run and don’t look back.

Or, if you’re brave enough, fight back. It should be about as simple as engaging in fisticuffs with that spooky denizen from under your bed, the boogeyman. By that I mean that this is a battle against the dark corners of your own imagination. *Ring announcer voice* In this corner, weighing numerous pounds, towering over the competition at a staggering several feet tall (Sorry reader, I don’t know your build) we have a hardened veteran of social interaction. They’ve seen it all, folks.

And in this corner, we have the ruthless challenger, the champion, the famed subject of this column: awkwardness. That’s right folks, this just got…awkwaaaard! *The crowd goes wild* Compose yourself. Take a deep breath. Remember that something is only awkward if you let it be. Don’t. Look under your bed and I guarantee there will be no mythical dancing monst— I’ve just been informed that he’s not called the Boogeyman because he boogies. No matter. He’s a figment of imagination. That’s my point.

I see awkwardness as a lack of confidence.

I don’t mean to say that if you find yourself in an awkward situation, it means you are weak and unconfident. But, if you find yourself in an awkward situation, you’re probably weak and unconfident.

That was rough, but it needed to be said.

These scenarios can be tactfully dealt with. If you don’t lose your composure, a normal human interface won’t devolve into a sticky mess.

It’s almost a defense mechanism. We justify poor social prowess with a made-up mood, or feeling, or whatever it is.

You’ll notice I used “we.” And maybe that will excuse my rude accusation two paragraphs ago. Because I haven’t fully cleansed myself yet.

Awkwardness is unfortunately ingrained in our culture, and is probably here for the long haul.

If it helps, come up with an arsenal of tactics to weasel your way out of what might somehow become awkward. A skillfully delivered knockknock joke can turn sweaty, uncomfortable blubbering into emphatic laughter in an instant.

At least don’t blurt out, “this is awkward.”

In a twisted sort of circular way, the biggest culprit of awkward situations is labeling them as such.

That’s the thing: you don’t need to knee-jerk do anything. For example, if you get a ride home from a not-so-close friend and they drop you off last, there’s no binding universal law compelling you to hold nonstop conversation.

Model scenario #2: If you have to introduce someone, and spontaneously forget their name, ‘fess up. Everything will be worlds less uncomfortable if you politely admit your absentmindedness and ask their name again.

But the best weapon is really going to be awareness. Once you convinced yourself that nothing lived under your bed except dust bunnies, the fabled beast melted away.

Learn to dance around the ring, throwing a few right hooks here and there (those would be the strategies I mentioned)—but mostly you should be grinning, realizing that your opponent is about as real as the fighting arena I’ve created for you.

by William Arnesen Doing homework is like jumping into an ice-cold lake. You can either inch your way in, miserable until you finally get your head under, or you can cannonball in and get it over with in one excruciating swoop.

Teachers seem to disagree over which is the better approach. Some check work everyday, requiring students to practice what they’ve learned constantly, and others just let you turn it all in at the end of the unit.

In classes like math and science with clearly delineated units, the latter is the better of the two options: it allows students the flexibility to get work done on their own time and to fully comprehend the subject at hand. This is not to say that everyday reinforcement is without merit. Doing work every day ensures that no one falls too far behind on the material.

However, the pitfalls of everyday checks are greater. Too many times, students are swamped with work while at other times we have none. For me, at least, doing my daily burden often results in sac-

rificing my long-term projects for daily worksheets and doing a shoddy job on both. The beauty of unitwide work is that it provides just the flexibility one needs to distribute their workload equitably and to avoid being forced to rush through.

One personal example is the difference between my math work, checked once every two weeks or so, and science, which is checked every day. While I try to do math every day, some days don’t always work out. But in the end, I can schedule a lot of my work on days that I have nothing, giving me ample time to complete and comprehend all my work thoughtfully and thoroughly.

In contrast, in science, I am often pushed to do my work hastily either on the bus or in the twentyminute period before school starts to finish it in time for the check. As a result, my work is of poor quality and I fall farther behind.

A second benefit of unit-wide homework comes when the task is more difficult. Sometimes, one simply doesn’t have sufficient understanding of the material to complete the homework. More flexible

deadlines allow one to complete the homework when one has the knowledge base to do so, rather than rush it and fake some of the answers.

And then there’s college. Once you graduate from high school, you won’t have the day-by-day teacher monitoring of studying and worksheets. Starting early on such a system allows students to learn better time management skills and be better prepared for college.

The biggest downside of unit homework is that students frequently put off their work until the day before it’s due. I admit that I’ve fallen victim to that trap of procrastination on more than one occasion in the past. But getting the opportunity to do homework on a more flexible timetable shouldn’t be viewed as an opportunity to slack off but rather to manage time wisely. Students should still try to do work every day; it just won’t be the end of the world if they don’t.

It’s about time that teachers cease being helicopter teachers, take a step back, and give us the flexibility to get our work done on our time.

Standardized tests don’t predict college success

by Grace Steinwurtzel Students react to standardized tests in a variety of ways: some shake nervously while others twirl their pencils in sheer ease.

But all test-takers share one understanding–the vast majority of colleges will see their scores and make a judgement.

Now, take a step back and imagine a world where one number doesn’t play a role in determining your future.

Well, this exists.

FairTest, the advocacy group for equal opportunity in standardized testing, reports that more than 800 colleges have deemphasized or made the SAT and ACT optional in the admissions process, creating more opportunities for students who perform poorly on these tests.

In the last six years, many top-tier schools–in-

cluding Wake Forest University in North Carolina, Smith College in Massachusetts and Wesleyan University in Connecticut–have joined the trend and made the switch to become test-optional.

Colleges who haven’t adopted this policy yet should follow suit. Testoptional admissions alleviates unnecessary pressure on students and evens the playing field for students with complex financial situations.

In contrast to a testfocused environment, plentiful extracurriculars, impressive grades and rigorous class schedules are all better indicators of how well a student will fare in college.

Research has shown that a student’s achievement in high school is the single greatest predictor of success in college, Wesleyan’s Associate Dean of Admissions Tonya Strong

said.

The problem with standardized test scores is that they’re linked with family income.

Data from the College Board shows that on average, test-takers with annual family incomes of less than $20,000 consistently score lower than those test-takers with family incomes of over $200,000.

This is because, students who can afford expensive test prep and can take the test multiple times will nearly always score better than those who can’t.

With this in mind, Wake Forest made the decision to become testoptional in an effort to increase socioeconomic, racial and ethnic diversity in the student body, according to CNN. However, the rise of test-optional schools doesn’t necessarily mean

a decline in the number of applicants who submit SAT or ACTs–or at least not yet. In fact, at Bowdoin College, which hasn’t required the SAT since 1969, more than 80 percent of applicants submit their scores, according to Bowdoin’s Dean of Admissions William Shain.

Test-optional schools simply give students a choice; applicants can decide whether or not to submit their test scores based on how accurately they reflect their abilities and potential.

Standardized test performance isn’t a concrete predictor of success in college, nor is it always an accurate reflection of a student. Test-optional schools give students the flexibility to decide what represents them–not what colleges think represents them.

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7

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8

november 12, 2014

Class of 1964: An inside look at Whitman’s first seniors

IN-D

BY ROSE PAGANO

Hey mama, welcome to the Whitman was opened as a public sixties—a time known for the high school in 1962, when the hallways Beatles, cat frame glasses and of were crammed full of students with course, Walt Whitman High School. big hair and poindexter glasses.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in this alternate realm? Well, here’s a look at the first graduating class—the class of ‘64.

Duncan Albright (‘64): The Prankster Although Albright doesn’t think he applied himself academically, he was definitely committed to getting out of class.

“In my senior year I worked hard to figure

out ways to skip school,” Albright said. “One ploy was to create a fictitious student named Virgil Fleming, complete with official enrollment records in the office. I

don’t remember how it worked, but it enabled me cut classes with Virgil taking the blame. I think Virgil even ran for a minor SGA office.”

Bruce Fay (‘64): The Jack-of-All-Trades From meeting the Shah of Iran to kicking around on the soccer field, Bruce Fay did it all One of Fay’s passions in high school was

keeping the beat as a drummer for marching band.

“As a drummer, the thing I most enjoyed was alternating improvised

16-bar solos with another drummer as we marched on and off the field to play for half time at football games,” Fay said.

Jim Jamieson (‘64) and Diana Jamieson (‘65): The High School Sweethearts In the movies, a high school sweetheart is someone you date for four blissful years, and then sever ties with after graduation.

But for Jim Jamieson and Diana Holtz, those years of young love managed to transcend over the

next 50 some years.

The senior class president and cheerleader began dating while at Whitman, and tied the knot years later. The Jamiesons still live in D.C. area to this day.

Duncan Merritt (‘64): The Jock Being on the first ever track and cross country team at Whitman, Merritt and his teammates laid the foundation for future Whitman athletics. But Merritt seems unsure of their success.

“​ I don’t remember that we were an athletic powerhouse,” said Merritt. “I think we were known as being academically focused, and probably ‘rich kids.’”

Gail Ward(‘64): The Starlet

“‘F-I-G-H-T, Fight, team, Fight!’

Vikings burn Barons at the October pep rally” from SAGA 1964

Big tissue paper pom-poms. That’s what Gail (Allis) Ward (‘64) remembers about high school.

Ward was on the Pom-Pon team, now known as Poms, and was also involved in various drama produc-

tions. Although the activities that Whitman offers haven’t changed much, the campus certainly has.

“I haven’t seen Whitman in recent years, but I hear I wouldn’t recognize it,” said Ward. “I’m

sure smoking is no longer permitted on school property, but we had a designated area for smoking.”

9

november 12, 2014

DEPTH

Times they are a changin’, but Whitman still stands ​ “I was kind of excited to be in the first graduating class from a new high school​ , but I missed being able to walk to all the greasy spoons ‘round B-CC for lunch,” Merritt said.

Not only did the new students have to adjust to the change in scenery, they had to meet new teachers and establish strong academics. The Whitman tradition of academic excellence began with the first graduating class, Merritt said.

“High SAT scores were the norm; a vast majority went on to college—and lots of them to the best universities,” Merritt said. “It was quite a struggle for those of us with mediocre brains and ambition to keep up. But we all benefited from this rigorous atmosphere when we arrived at college.”

Now

the physical structure of the school changed drastically with a major renovation in 1992. The construction ultimately resulted in the demolition of the Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome, a landmark in the community.

Although students don’t frolic through the same hallowed hallways, the ideals Whitman has been able to instill in its students are the same now as they were in the past.

“We left Whitman feeling well prepared for the future and grateful for the fun times,” said Diana Jamieson (‘65). “But also with a dawning realization that the sixties were to be a time of momentous change.”

The Dome

photo by IRELAND LESLEY

photo courtsey MARY SLABY

Then

Not only has Whitman maintained its status as academic overachievers, but many of the activities and clubs that began in the sixties have managed to beat on, like marching band performances at football games.

“We would march out onto the field at halftime and play a few tunes while marching in different patterns,” drummer Bruce Fay (‘64) said. “I recall struggling at times to keep in step.”

Another popular activity that has managed to stay alive since the sixties is the service club, Key Club.

Originally there were two gendersegregated clubs: the Key Club and the Keyettes. The male club even visited the Shah of Iran at the Iranian Embassy.

Since its opening 52 years ago,

The famous Buckminister Fuller geodesic dome was part of the original campus, but was later demolished in the 1992 renovation.

“Architecturally the school was widely known for the geodesic dome which housed the gym... Many of our classmates attended ‘The Last Dance in the Dome’ before it was torn down to create the new Whitman.” - Diana Jamieson

The Marching Band

photo courtsey KATE CURRIE

It’s been 52 years since listening to Doo Wop music and sporting a snazzy turtleneck was considered hip. Although times are a changin’, one thing seems to have remained the same: Whitman.

Whitman first opened in 1962 to decrease crowding in B-CC and WJ. The first year, there was a total of only 1,418 students in grades 9 through 11.

The school district didn’t force seniors to start over at a new school for their last year of high school, so the class of 1964 was Whitman’s first graduating class.

Despite the fact that many students were forced to ditch their previous schools for Whitman, there weren’t overwhelming feelings of resentment towards this change, Duncan Merritt (‘64) said.

Although the marching band has traded in neck ties for beanies, their half time performances are similar.

“I didn’t start playing drums until I was in high school, but most people in the band had been in it since elementary school... We performed at most of the home games, is what I recall. We would march out onto the field at halftime and play a halftime a few tunes while marching in different patterns.”

- Bruce Fay

pictures taken from SAGA 1964

10

feature

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Junior travels up East Coast playing in brother’s band

by Gabe Kahan Most of us know him as the new host for Whitman Shorts’ Briefs segment, but when he’s not making witty comments or eating yams, junior Mac Durston is slappin’ the bass in his brother’s band, The Raised

By Wolves.

Durston took ten days off of school to tour with the band as they played venues up and down the East Coast to promote their first album, “Sadie Hawkins”—self-recorded and self-produced with original songs.

When his brother, Dusty Durston (‘08), and fellow Whitman alumni Ben Eskin (‘08) formed The Raised By Wolves in 2013, they needed a drummer, second guitarist and bass player before they could begin performing live. They asked Durston if he would join, and after some hesitation he agreed.

The band began performing at local venues, even selling out the 9:30 Club.

“I said ‘No’ at first because I was nervous,” Durston said.

“I had never really played in a band since my elementary school band played at Wood Acres. But I thought, ‘I guess I kind of have to do it.’ And when I did it, it was definitely worth it.”

Durston has been playing the electric bass for four years, adapting his guitar playing skills to the new instrument.

Before joining the band for their fall tour, he alerted his teach-

ers about taking time off from school—no ordinary excuse.

Many of his teachers did a double take when he told them, but they were all understanding, he said.

Borrowing a friend’s SUV, the band made it as far north as Boston and as upscale as Manhattan, all the while sleeping and eating wherever they could.

“We borrowed a friend’s Toyota Sequoia and for four hours a day just drove from place to place,” Durston said.

“We’re buds, and you have to be if you’re spending that much time together.”

Although a bass player doesn’t typically take the forefront on stage, Durston still had a great time jamming in the bars, clubs and house concerts they played in. The dynamic between the performers and audience is crucial to the shows, he said “My favorite part of performing is connecting with the audience,” Durston said.

“When the audience is having a good time it makes it so much more fun for us in the band.”

Durston’s brother and Eskin have been writing songs since high school, but only began to make a name for themselves after releasing “Sadie Hawkins” in July 2013.

Before hitting the road, the band gained recognition in the D.C. rock scene through previous gigs, Durston said. They had been playing bigger concerts and even signed a deal

photo courtsey NICHOLAS KARLIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Mac Durston takes time off school to play bass in his brother’s indie band, The Raised by Wolves

Junior Mac Durston jamming on the electric bass at the 9:30 Club, which The Raised By Wolves sold out. The band has been promoting its first self-recorded album “Sadie Hawkins.”

with Shorebird Records, an independent record label that’s planning on internationally rereleasing their album in vinyl.

Still, every show is an experiment, and every new song they play is a way to test the waters.

“There are some shows where people are really into it, and other shows where people cross their arms the whole time, but it totally varies on the crowd,” Durston said.

In April of this year the band released a professionally

produced music video for their song “Freddy Freaker,” featured on their album. Within two days the video was praised by the New York-based magazine The Village Voice and promotion site PureVolume for its unique and captivating qualities.

“Dropped earlier this week, the song once again worked its way pretty impressively into our skulls,” Village Voice music critic Brian McManus said in a review of the video. “In it we hear bits of Elliott Smith, and

the Flaming Lips, but also—curiously—The Police.”

There’s talk of touring in the spring to test out new material and expand their fanbase, Durston said. But for now, the band plans on taking a break for the holidays to focus on songwriting and possibly release some new music.

Check out The Raised By Wolves on iTunes and Spotify, or download their album off Bandcamp for free.

photo by JORDAN SCHNITZER

Walk Away Cancer GSA gets new name Alliance’ expresses more raises $23,756 ‘Pride welcoming attitude, members say for Children’s Hospital

Student band Soul Brothers performed at Walk Away Cancer Saturday. The event, organized by cancer survivor Jaiwen Hsu and other members of the leadership class, gathered over 240 members of the local community to raise money for Children’s Hospital.

by sophia higgins Seven years ago, a group of forward-minded Whitman students formed a club to foster LGBT activism, inclusivity and equal rights.

This year, members of the same club decided to take those efforts one step further.

Members of Whitman’s Pride Alliance, formerly known as the Gay-Straight Alliance, decided to change the club’s name last month to express its welcoming attitude toward all Whitman students.

“Hopefully for years to come, people won’t be like, ‘Oh, it’s just gay people and straight people,’” president Amanda Schweizer said. “It’s also bisexual people and transgender people, so everyone’s welcome.”

Club members voted in a poll on their Facebook group to pick a new name, and Pride Alliance won by a landslide. Other ideas included Project Rainbow, Spectrum and Common Ground.

“Originally the name wasn’t supposed to be GSA,” Schweizer said.

“Instead it was supposed to to be ‘Queer Alliance,’ but that didn't pass over well with administration, because ‘queer’ is still considered a slur to

many people. So we tried to be more inclusive, and Pride Alliance seemed to be the best choice.”

The club members display their welcoming attitude through in-school events. Whitman’s celebration of Coming Out Day on October 13 inspired enthusiasm and support for the LGBT community among students and faculty.

“I think it went well just in the fact that there was a lot of support shown for it,” junior Selvi Ulusan said. “This year we tried to make sure people had the right wristbands, so you could really tell who was coming out and who was supporting them.”

Inspired by the success of Coming Out Day, the club is planning more events that involve a greater portion of the student body.

“I want to have at least two or three more school-wide events,” Schweizer said. “But it’s kind of difficult because you need to think, ‘How much can we do while still being respectful to people? Will it just be the LGBT student body, or is it going to be open to everyone? And if it’s open to everyone how do you balance it? Will people

take it seriously?’”

Trans Remembrance Day, a new event, is scheduled for later this month. Schweizer said if the event is approved, the club will hold a vigil after school for transgender individuals who have lost their lives to suicide, as well as a whiteout dress-up theme to show support for the event.

This event will hit close to home for many students after sophomore Yousef Awadh committed suicide in May 2013, a loss felt by the entire Whitman community. This event, like the club’s name change, will hopefully show all transgender students that they have a supportive community at school, senior Chris Aragon said.

“With student-run groups like the Pride Alliance, it can be difficult to support students outside the school environment,” Aragon said.

“We’re still struggling to accomplish that balance in the community, but we remain confident that our efforts are working well, especially since we live in such a progressive area, with people of all sexual orientations. So it’s something good to work toward.”

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Feature

11

by Gabe Kahan In 2002, West Virginia resident Jack Whittaker won $315 million off a Powerball lottery ticket. In the next four years, his house and car were burglarized and bartenders attempted to rob him, and by 2007 he had spent most of his winnings.

Clearly, money doesn’t always equal happiness. But Takoma Park Middle School teacher Sarah Manchester is doing her best to avoid this trend of misfortune.

On Sept. 17, Manchester, 42, became the third person ever to win $1 million on Wheel of Fortune since the show introduced the grand prize in 2008. Instead of cashing the lump sum, she opted to be sent $50,000 annually before taxes for the next 20 years.

The National Endowment for Financial Education estimates that 70 percent of people who inherit large sums of money lose it all within a few years. Big winners have historically had troubles, ranging from reckless behavior to divorce and death. But no dysfunction has befallen Manchester—in the last couple months she has resumed her normal routines and responsibilities from the hectic game show.

Manchester found her way onto the show after discovering a “Wheelmobile” in Virginia, an event that allows contestants to audition for the live show. Over a million people applied to be on the show last year, but only 600 got past the first round of auditions.

Manchester had no intentions of seriously competing and hadn’t practiced much beforehand, but luck was on her side the day she entered the Wheelmobile.

“I’m a math teacher, so I think about probabilities a lot,” she said. “I would have never expected or even hoped for this outcome, but really unlikely things happen sometimes so it doesn’t hurt to take a chance.”

Wheel of Fortune has themes each week, like “Halloween” or “Cruise Week,” to coincide with its hangmanlike puzzles. Manchester played during

photo courtesy ABC NEWS GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Takoma Park math teacher wins $1 million on Wheel of Fortune

Takoma Park math teacher Sarah Manchester will take her $1 million in winnings in installments of $50,000 per year rather than the lump sum, augmenting her teacher’s salary. Manchester won Wheel of Fortune Sept. 17.

“Teachers Week,” solving puzzles relevant to schooling and academia.

The bonus puzzle and Manchester’s final problem on the show, “Loud Laughter,” seemed to have little to do with teaching. But within seconds she had guessed the remaining four out of seven letters and knew the solution immediately. The moment of suspense came as host Pat Sajak opened the letter picked from the Wheel. Before the confetti and streamers fell Sajak posed one last question, “Can you use a million dollars?”

Walking away with $1,017,490 before taxes, it took about five days for Manchester to return home from the show’s filming location in California and resume her position teaching eighth grade. She doesn’t plan to change her

life significantly; instead, the new financial flexibility will allow her daughter to fall deeply in love with a pricey private college, take an extensive visit to Europe, or even change careers if Manchester so desires, she said.

The weeks that followed were busy with interviews and television appearances, but her regular duties as a mother of two were never neglected. One of her most fun experiences was talking to her son’s third grade class about her time on the show, Manchester said, but all in all not a lot had changed.

“People would say ‘Oh, you’re going to retire,’ but when you think about, it doesn’t replace an MCPS teaching salary,” she said. “It’s not like I could retire and live high on the hog with that. My time has pretty much been the way it’s

always been—my family, my teaching.”

Manchester’s dedication to teaching allowed her to easily fall back into the groove of her normal life.

“She’s one of those people who just really gracefully does things behind the scenes,” Takoma Park MS principal Alicia Deeny said in an interview with Washington Post.

Her million dollar win has brightened her family’s future prospects, but the extra annual check will simply support her with some financial padding.

“My life was good before the show, I have family, I have a job that I enjoy,” Manchester said. “I still have all those good things plus a lot more financial resources. With or without Wheel of Fortune I feel like I’m a really blessed person.”

by jesse cao It’s the first week of senior year and Aaron is scared to go home. His parents are still fighting, with no end in sight.

“Aaron…” his music teacher, Mr. Anderson, says one day, “Have you considered applying to Juilliard?”

Aaron pauses, staring at Mr. Anderson. No, he hadn’t considered it.

Aaron is the protagonist in “Last Year,” a novel published by former Whitman student Grace Thompson Sept.14.

The novel follows high school senior Aaron, a saxophonist who aspires to attend the prestigious New York City performing arts college, as he deals with friendship troubles and conflict between his parents. Thompson is a saxophonist herself, and chose the topic of music because she wanted the book to highlight something she cares about, she said.

“Last Year” is the first book in a series called “Fragments.”

The sequel, titled Spinning Fig-

ure 8’s, is in the works.

Thompson and her family moved to Romania this past summer. Her father works for the foreign service, so her family has lived in countries all around the world, including Paraguay, Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia.

“I find that moving around the world helps me incorporate different perspectives into my writing,” she said in an email interview. “And I hope it helps me make my characters more real and relatable.”

Throughout her travels, Thompson has appreciated writing as an important source of consistency.

“With my family moving so much and me attending so many schools and really not knowing much about my future, my writing provides some sense of relief and stability because my characters have a tendency to have stable or consistent settings and backgrounds,” she said. “I’m working on changing this, but it’s hard to create something unstable for a character when all I

want is stability for myself.”

Thompson, now in tenth grade, began writing the book in eighth grade. She started the novel during “National Novel Writing Month,” an annual online movement that challenges people around the world to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

After the 30 days passed, Thompson left the draft alone until February of this year. She spent the rest of her freshman year and the following summer editing it.

Thompson received editing assistance from her aunt, uncle and various classmates.

“Usually Grace would give me a chapter at school and I would read it during the day and give her feedback when I got home,” said sophomore Bri Howell, who helped Thompson edit the novel. “I didn’t point out issues with grammar or anything, just things that I liked, things I thought she should keep and general things that I noticed that were problematic.”

The book had changed

photo courtesy GRACE THOMPSON

Former Whitman student publishes ebook ‘Last Year’ on Amazon

Grace Thompson attended Whitman as a freshman and now lives in Bucharest, Romania for her sophomore year. She was born in Paraguay, and has lived in Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia.

quite a bit by the end of the editing process.

“It’s really fun for me to think about how different the book is now from where it was last year,” Thompson said.

“Some entire chapters were cut from or added to the story.”

In order to make the story realistic, Thompson drew knowledge from her high school experiences and did extensive research into the college application process.

Rather than using expensive editors and big publishing companies, Thompson published the book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct publishing

program, which offers free independent publishing.

Thompson provided the format, title and cover for the book, and Amazon published and now sells it. Thompson hopes to continue selling online and also expand to sell the book in print.

Thompson hopes her writing is meaningful and moving to young adults.

“If I could leave one thing with readers, she said, “it’s that they matter, that everything that happens to them is real, and that they are strong enough to deal with anything.”

Feature

12

nOVEMBER 12, 2014

What if the whole school saw every Snapchat you ever sent?

BY SOPHIA HIGGINS Dun dun DUN. The Snappening is upon us.

On October 13, hackers leaked over 90,000 photos belonging to users of a third-party Snapchat app called SnapSaved.

The photos spread quickly through popular internet forums 4chan and Reddit, encouraging users to dubb this leak “The Snappening.”

This privacy breach echoes the celebrity nudes that were leaked and spread through the same websites in late August.

Concerns about user privacy have spiked, especially considering Snapchat’s user demographics— about 50 percent are teenagers, suggesting these leaked images contain child pornography.

“I don’t send nudes, so I feel pretty secure,” sophomore Helena Weisskopf said. “But I use Snapchat a lot to take unflattering pictures of myself, like ugly pictures for friends, and if that ended up on the internet I’d be pretty pissed

about it.”

Snapchat representatives have blamed users, claiming that the app’s Terms of Use prohibit the use of third-party apps as they are hazardous to users’ security. They say they are attempting to remove third-party Snapchat apps from the app store.

“Snapchat isn’t everyone’s mom,” junior Margaret Nicholson said.

“They just make the product, and the most they can do is give good advice to people on how to use it.

If people choose to ignore that advice, I don’t think Snapchat should have to deal with their messes.”

The creators of SnapSaved publicly apologized in an interview that disguised their identities, stating they made no profits from the leaked photos.

They have since disabled their app.

It’s still unknown who hacked the app’s online server. Because of the pornographic content of the pictures, these hackers may face serious conse-

quences.

“While people shouldn’t be sending underage nudes, they do, and the people who release them are at fault for releasing child pornography,” senior Louie Gold said.

There are numerous US laws that prohibit posting private photos on message boards, but these laws are not strictly or consistently enforced.

In response to this leak, the United Kingdom has outlawed posting private photos online as revenge, according to the UK’s justice secretary.

This crime, called “revenge porn,” is defined by posting explicit photos of a former lover online to humiliate them.

“There’s a reason why Snapchat only sends for a certain number of seconds,” Weisskopf said.

“Whether you’re sending nudes or ugly pictures of yourself—either way it’s not supposed to be shown again. I think thats how it should stay.”

Senior Sam Dodd: “I’d go to prison. That’s just it.”

Junior Laura Heller “I would probably crawl into a little corner by myself and just sit there for a while. Try to forget.”

Sophomore Maya Chen “Oh my god. There would be a lot of really bad selfies on there. I’d probably cry a lot, not come to school the next day.”

Freshman Victor Myers “We’d all have a lot of inside jokes. It’d be pretty awful—actually, it’d be okay.” photos by SOPHIA HIGGINS

Walk to end Alzheimer’s raises money to help find a cure

Participants in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s gathered around the Washington Monument before the walk.

The walk began with everyone raising multi-colored pinwheel flowers in unison.

Each person held up a colorcoded flower that represented why he or she was walking.

I held up a yellow flower that stands for caring and supporting for a loved one with the disease. Other colors were orange for general advocacy, purple for honoring a deceased loved one and blue for living with Alzheimer’s.

Walk volunteer Jihan also carried around a yellow flower.

Jihan’s mother is the caregiver for her grandmother who is living with Alzheimer’s, and volunteering is Jihan’s way to demonstrate her support. This is her fifth year volunteering in the walk and she enjoys educating people about the effects and stereotypes of Alzheimer’s.

“My favorite part of

volunteering is the education,” Jihan said. “So many people are clueless about the disease and I get to say ‘No, no. This is how it really is.’”

Whitman alumni Emily Guskin (‘02) was also a volunteer at the walk. She became involved in the walk through her work at a global communications firm, APCO Worldwide.

While Guskin does not have a personal connection to Alzheimer’s, she knows many people who have connections to the disease.

“This is a cause that everyone should get behind,” Guskin said. “It’s a really important and terrible disease that needs more advocates.”

In addition to volunteers and walkers, there were many organizations that are closely connected to Alzheimer’s and

other forms of dementia that set up information tables at the walk.

Carriage Hill Bethesda, a nursing and rehabilitation center, set up an information stand at the walk to support the cause. The center provides care to people with all types of dementia and offers long-term and inpatient rehab, respite care and hospice care.

“We are sponsoring and giving towards the Alzheimer’s Foundation to try and put an end to Alzheimer’s once and for all,” Community Liaison Kerri Donnelly said.

Every person at the walk was united by this same goal.

As one of the emcees of the event said, “Alzheimer’s is not going to back down and neither are we.”

photo by LINDSAY WYTKIND

grandmother and my great uncle who are both living with forms of dementia. Thousands of people gathered as advocates to spread awareness about the disease or to remember a loved one who is living with or who has passed away from Alzheimer’s.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is organized and carried out by the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 committed to raising funds to enhance programs focusing on education and support, advance research studies and advocate for the rights of those living with Alzheimer’s.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, over 5 million Americans are currently living with the disease. It is also the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

photo by LINDSAY WYTKIND

BY LINDSAY WYTKIND Tourists usually crowd the lawn of the Washington Monument, soaking in the history and sheer enormity of the building. However, on the morning of Saturday Oct. 25 thousands of people clad in purple gathered on the lawn of the monument. Their goal was to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.

The lawn of the Washington Monument was abuzz of activity with people registering and preparing for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I was bombarded by a sea of purple—purple T-shirts, leggings, glasses, wigs, tutus and face paint, not to mention the purple posters, tents and banners surrounding the area.

This year marked the 25th annual D.C. area Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This was my third year walking for my

Advocates congregated before the walk, which benefitted the Alzheimer’s Association. Proceeds will go towards programs focusing on education and support for the 5 million people living with the disease.

sports

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

13

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH:

By Caleb Friedman Sophomore Graham Hutchinson began hitting golf balls with plastic clubs when he was just 18 months old. Then he got his first real clubs for his second birthday, and now, 13 years later, he’s a state champion.

Hutchinson won the Maryland State Golf Championship Oct. 29, and was the only player to shoot under par. He finished with a two-round score of 141 (one under par), and won the title by four strokes.

Hutchinson shot a first round 69, leaving him with a one shot lead at twounder par going into the final round.

“The first day was definitely a good way to start off. That took a little bit of the pressure off of

me on the second day,” Hutchinson said.

Playing with the lead, Hutchinson felt good about his chances and embraced his position. As other players pressed to try and catch him, he concentrated on just playing consistently, he said.

Although he didn’t match his first-round 69, Hutchinson was able to hold off the field, shooting a final-round 72 to win the championship.

“Coming down the last few holes, I was just playing steady golf,” he said. “I didn’t really foresee myself hitting any loose shot and letting someone else back into the tournament.”

Hutchinson’s father David, the superintendent of courses and grounds at Congressional, credits Graham’s maturity as the

driving force to his success.

“He’s very mature for his age,” he said.

“He understands that you are going to make bogeys and double-bogeys sometimes.”

This mentality was evident after last year’s postseason, as Hutchinson didn’t play up to his expectations at states, but remained optimistic and used his experience to motivate himself.

“Every good golfer goes through slumps,” Hutchinson said. “You have to keep working on the fundamentals and the basics and keep an open mindset.”

Hutchinson practices for two hours each day at Congressional Golf Course where he lives. He hits at the driving range for about 30 minutes and

then spends the rest of his practice time working on short game, he said.

Hutchinson’s work ethic was evident from the beginning of his freshmen year, golf coach Carl O’ Donahue said.

“Coaching him is simple,” he said. “All I have to tell him is to play his game.”

Looking forward, Hutchinson expects to play golf at a division I school, and hopefully make the PGA tour a few years after that. Whether or not he makes it to the tour, golf will always be part of his identity, he said.

“Golf’s a stressreliever for me,” he said.

“You get out there and it’s pretty quiet, it’s just you and the golf course.”

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Golf: Graham Hutchinson

Fall Season Recaps Football

Girls Volleyball by arya hodjat Hurt by several injuries to key players such as libero Hannah Jacobs, setter Lily Carlson and outside hitter Claire Nagelhout, the girls volleyball team finished their regular season with a record of 7-10 after falling to the 12-1 Churchill Bulldogs in the second round of the playoffs.

While the team failed to improve on its record from last season, they still managed to pick up a first-round playoff win against WJ. “I think that we could’ve had a much stronger season,” outside hitter Jessica McManus said. “We did the best that we could with so many injuries.”

The team will be losing leadership next season, as they will be losing five starters, but are confident that they can replace the lost production.

“I know that the underclassmen will step up next season,” McManus said. “They all have a lot of potential.

photo by JONAH ROSEN

by Caleb Friedman The football team was constantly filling holes in their lineup this season, as injuries derailed was thought to be a promising season.

“This was the most difficult season I’ve had coaching because of the injuries,” head coach Jim Kuhn said. “We didn’t fulfill our expectations, not because of a lack of effort though, we were just put in an unfortunate situation.

Although the Washington Post dubbed the Vikes preseason division favorites, the team finished their injuryriddled season 4-6.

Despite the injuries, the team enjoyed two big wins in the division, as they crushed cross-town rival BCC and blew out WJ. The season took a turn when the Vikings lost by one point to Wootton, leading to a three-game losing streak.

Running back Jacob Pitsenberger only played in six games, but still managed to have an excellent season, as he led the team with 629 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.

Before his season ending concussion Quarterback Evan Smith had 1181 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions on 160 passing attempts this season.

Despite several injuries, football enjoyed two wins in the division, beating rivals BCC and WJ. The boys finished the season 4-6.

Girls Tennis

By Arya Hodjat This year, the field hockey team had its most successful season in five years, finishing with a record of 9-5.

While the team started off its playoffs encouragingly with a thrilling 1-0 win over WJ, they were eliminated in the next round by current state finalists B-CC. Players such as midfielder Cassidy Lynch, forward Amal Haque and goalie Cami Stenger, who had five shutouts, especially stood out for the team this season. New head coach Allie Skiest and assistant coach Maya Herm also helped lead the team to its impressive record.

“They installed a mentality in our team that anything could be accomplished,” defender Chelsea Markus said.

“They were very yin and yang. Their personalities are opposite, but they work really well together.”

The team’s season was highlighted by a three game winning streak to start the season, and then a four game win streak that was snapped by a heartbreaking overtime loss to B-CC towards the end of the regular season.

“We surpassed my expectations,” Haque said. “We really became a family this season.”

photo by JORDAN SCHNITZER

Field Hockey

Defender Chelsea Markus dodges past the opponent and moves the ball up the field. Field hockey finished its season 9-5.

By Benjamin Katz The girls tennis team finished fourth in Montgomery County with a 9-3 record. Led by new coach Tricia Wayerski and senior captains Ali Dane and Emilia Malachowski, the underclassmen-dominated Vikings thrashed opponents in both singles and doubles competition, with an exceptional performance at counties. “[The 9-3 record] is absolutely outstanding, considering the starting lineup consisted of two freshmen and three sophomores,” Wayerski said. “We will get even stronger in the upcoming season, so that is exciting.”

Third singles player Lauren Evoy had a successful season, making it to semifinals in counties and representing the Vikings in regionals. The cohesive third doubles team of Anna Marcus and Olivia Matthews won all but two of their matches this season and made it to quarterfinals in counties.

“I think [Marcus] and I really grew as a doubles team and learned to play well off of each other over the season,” Matthews said. “The team as a whole definitely grew closer as friends and became stronger as a team.”

sports

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

photos courtsey ALEX CLARK

14

Clark playsed baseball on the Thailand National team, starting Sept. 19. He was the youngest player on the team, playing with collegiate and professional players.

Senior travels to South Korea to compete in Asian Games

continued from page

1

“He definitely built his endurance,” his mother Jullaphan Clark said His selection was not a shock to his Whitman teammates. Clark was an offensive threat for the Vikings during last year’s deep playoff run, batting .338 and collecting 22 hits over 20 games last season.

“It didn’t surprise me at all that Clark was recommended for the national team,” teammate Jack Prill said. “He is the type of player that will let his performance do the talking.”

Since the Asian Games started on Sept. 19, Clark also missed the majority of the first two months of school.

“We debated about letting him do it, but after waiting and seeing how much passion he had for the sport, we decided to let him,” his mother said, The competition was primarily composed of collegiate and professional players from their respective countries.

While Clark was the youngest player on his team, he was not the only Americanbased one, as Damon as well as a few col-

lege students were also born in the USA. Clark said that the high level of competition helped him improve as a player.

“It was interesting to see how players like Choo and Damon applied all their acquired knowledge in the majors,” Clark said. “They did all the little things correctly.”

Despite the obvious differences between the two countries, Clark says that there was no culture shock for him.

“It wasn’t hard adjusting, as I’ve been to Thailand multiple times before

and I speak the language,” Clark said.

“The team also became very close of the course of our time there.”

While his team failed to bring home the gold, Clark himself feels that playing for Thailand was an invaluable experience.

“I’ve definitely gained a lot of knowledge about the sport,” Clark said. “It was good to contribute to the team, even if it was a tough loss.”

ful time together every game and practice, and loved being around each other,” goalie Will Fried said. “Every game we worked the hardest we could to our ability.”

“Our team had a really joyful time together every game and practice, and loved being around each other” -Goalie WIll Fried MCPS became the first school district in Maryland to offer handball in spring, 2012.

Handball was established in the county to replace unified track and field, which did not attract much student interest.

The handball program has now grown to include 12 high school teams.

Each handball game lasts an hour, with two thirty-minute halves. Each team has six players and one goalie on the court at a time.

“I love what it feels like to score goals,” forward Katherine Fudge said.

During the season, the team has two practices a week, Mondays and Thursdays, in which they perform drills and play scrimmages.

Parrish has been coaching the team for all three years, and describes the coaching process as a learning experience.

“The first season of handball, I was learning how to coach the sport,” Parrish said. “By this season I knew what to expect from the players.”

This year forward Brian Fisher led the team with the most goals scored, but many players scored throughout the season.

“It’s always a team effort,” Parrish said.

While the team has been competitive in games during the season, the main focus is always to have good sportsmanship, have fun, and perform to the best of the team’s ability, she said. This is seen in the team’s motto: “Work hard, play together and never give up.”

photo courtesy AMY PARRISH

by Anna Marcus Decked out in new uniforms and black war paint, students come together to participate in one of Whitman’s newest sports: co-ed allied handball.

Coached by LFI teacher Amy Parrish, the handball team ended their season with a record of 2-4, defeating WJ and Northwood in its last two games of the season. Handball is one of three corollary sports designed for students with and without disabilities.

LFI—Learning for Independence- is an MCPS program designed for students with developmental disabilities.

“I truly enjoy this team and the spirit of the people who play,” Parrish said. “They are really a joy to coach.”

This year’s team of 17 players was tightly knit, and each player was given playing time in every game. On the way home from the last game of the season, the team gleefully sang songs from “The Sound of Music” in celebration of their victory, forward Grace Goldman said.

“Our team had a really joy-

The allied handball team finished the season with a record of 2-4, winning their last two games. After winning, the team celebrated with a “Sound of Music” sing-along. LFI teacher Amy Parrish coached the team this year.

photo courtsey DAISY TODD

Handball team offers integrated athletic experience

Junior takes a flip, a tuck and a leap into level 10 gymnastics Junior Daisy Todd recently became a level 10 gymnast, the highest level, after ten years of training. She won gold at level nine nationals in 2012.

by Anna Marcus Most students strive to juggle schoolwork and extracurriculars, but junior gymnast Daisy Todd’s extracurricular is one big balancing act.

Todd practices gymnastics five hours a day and participates in all events at competitions: bars, vault, beam and floor. She has won six state competitions, and took home the gold at level nine nationals in 2012.

“Winning nationals was one of the best days of my life,” Todd said. “It made me feel like all my years of training were worth it.”

Todd is now a level 10 gymnast, the sport’s highest level, and competes in an average of eight competitions around the country each year.

Currently, Todd trains with ten girls and several coaches at Hill’s Gymnastics in Gaithersburg. Despite her busy training schedule, Todd also hopes to participate in the Whitman gymnastics team for the first time this spring.

Ascending to level ten was a treacherous process. Todd has been working towards the goal since her parents enrolled her in tumbling classes when she was two years old and was always bouncing off the walls. By the time she was five, she was already competing in level one competitions.

“Daisy has trained twelve months a year for the past ten years,” father Robert Todd said.

“It’s mind-boggling.”

During her freshman year she had both morning and evening practices, and came to school late most days. When the dual practices began to cause her injuries, she dropped the morning practices, but her time is still limited as she balances junior year coursework with long practices.

“I go straight to the gym after school and don’t get home until about 8:30 and still have to eat and shower,” Todd said.

“I have very limited time for schoolwork; keeping my grades up and fulfilling my commitment at the gym can definitely be a challenge.”

Over the past two seasons, Todd has had multiple stress fractures, but this season, she’s healthy and working towards a Division I college scholarship.

She has been in contact with many colleges and sent in videos of herself competing. The schools will watch her compete in person this season.

“Gymnastics has taught me the value of commitment, determination, perseverance, time-management, respect, discipline, and above all, hard work,” she said. “It will help me for the rest of my life.”

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Sports

Former Whitman athletes share thoughts on college sports

I’m learning a lot about myself and have been able to continue playing a sport I’ve spent most of my life playing. Overall it’s been a great experience and look forward to three more years of competing athletically at NYU and excelling academically.

photo courtesy ZAC MORTON

Zac Morton stands on the Maryland sideline with star receiver Stefon Diggs.

Zac Morton, last year’s starting running back at Whitman, chose to stay close to home and play for the Maryland Terrapins. Morton hasn’t competed in an official game yet, but will decide whether or not to redshirt after the season ends.

Morton: Training camp was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I was up at 6 a.m. and in bed by 10 p.m. for three weeks straight. The season doesn’t get much easier. I have to be up by 5:30 a.m. and finish study hall by 9:30 p.m. But that’s all part of the grind.

It is by far the coolest experience I’ve had. I have met and worked with Bill Belichick among others. The competition level is the highest I have ever seen. At every position there are unbelievable athletes. Practicing against that kind of competition makes you that much better.

Defender Emily Martin captained last year’s state champion girls soccer team, and is now starting for the Mules at Colby College. She shared her thoughts on her experience so far with the Black and White.

Emily Martin: The NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) itself is known for its balance of rigorous academics and talented athletics, and the intensity in both of those aspects was made Emily Martin dribbles forward very clear the day during a Colby home game I stepped on camearlier this year. pus. We train hard every single day and have had to learn about balancing our time in the classroom, training room, weight room, as well as our travels to away games.

It’s honestly been tough balancing classes and sports since about five hours a day are dedicated to your sport but since I grew up balancing academics and athletics, this is just another step up.

The sports teams here are families, and are very committed to each other as well as our sport. We spend every single minute of the day together and are always in each others dorms or apartments either hanging out or helping each other with homework.

You also get to meet and mix with other sports teams on the weekends and meet other students who are juggling similar schedules as you. Playing for Colby has been the best decision of my life and I’ve been loving every minute of it.

photo courtesy EMILY MARTIN

BY CALEB FRIEDMAN With the fall sports season coming to an end, the Black and White talked to alumni Emily Martin, Zac Morton and Vegas Kastberg about their experiences playing collegiate athletics as freshmen.

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

Vegas Kastberg, a captain of last year’s boys soccer team, plays and studies business at NYU, where he studies business.

Kastberg starts for the Violets, who are 11-4 this season.

Kastberg: My experience playing collegiate sports has been extremely challenging and rewarding at the same. Balancing school and soccer is definitely a difVegas Kastberg capficult task that Midfielder tained the Whitman’s boys soccer takes a lot of team last year. He now plays for the planning, time NYU Violets. management and commitment. On the other hand playing the sport I love makes it all worthwhile.

I’ve been able to make great friends and meet awesome people through my athletic endeavors while getting a great degree. Having something to look forward to everyday after classes is an awesome feeling and getting to compete on the weekends is something I wouldn’t change for anything.

15

Mandatory P.E. P.E. should be taken all four years

BY BEN KATZ Running from class to class is different from running the mile. Yes, lugging a 30-pound backpack can be a workout, but it doesn’t help you lose weight. Trekking up and down the stairs and navigating through crowds of students is physically demanding, but it certainly doesn’t make up for missing gym class.

Mandatory physical education for all four years of high school would get MCPS kids sweating during a basketball game instead of sweating over a looming math test. Daily physical activity would also combat the recent near-epidemic spike in obesity.

In 2014, 12.7 million American children were recorded to be obese, meaning they have a BMI at or above the ninety-fifth percentile for a person of the same age and sex, with that number currently on the rise, according to the CDC. Being active during the day also reduces stress by relieving tension and anxiety, which P.E. resource teacher Nancy Kull

says helps keep students’ minds more engaged and alert.

While this all sounds good, the high cost would make it difficult for the policy to ever go into effect, Kull said. With about 460 students currently taking gym, it would be tough to accommodate the approximately 1,900 students daily. But there are ways around this quandary. Just like there’s a lab fee for art class, students could be required to pay a fee for specialty P.E., which could go towards hiring a professional yoga teacher, putting up more basketball hoops or purchasing more footballs.

Mandatory physical education would get kids sweating during a basketball game instead of sweating over a looming math test.

Also, exempting the estimated 600 student athletes from gym class would free up more space.

MCPS could adopt a system like the Bronx High

School of Science in New York where student athletes have a study hall instead of gym while they’re in season to prevent injuries. To make gym courses more appealing, MCPS should broaden the spectrum of offerings. More sport-specific electives like flag football and Zumba would give students more choices, possibly leading them to discover a lifelong hobby.

If colleges know MCPS students are required to take gym all four years of high school, it’s a good excuse not to take another rigorous course just to pad a college application. A new P.E. standard would apply to all, creating a fair playing field where no one student would have the advantage of taking an extra AP or elective course.

Sweating in a classroom without air conditioning doesn’t help burn off last night’s Chipotle burrito. Eating only kale for lunch will not make the perfect prom dress fit. Wearing dull, grey gym clothes might not be a fashion statement, but at least you get to play outside.

Four years of P.E. isn’t worth the hassle

BY JOSH FEDER Gym class is great.

It’s a period to relax, it’s an easy A, and it could even be good exercise if you put in the effort.

However, none of this justifies making P.E. mandatory for all four years in high school; there are just too many problems.

First, there’s the cost.

The additional facilities and staff necessary to accommodate the higher gym enrollment would be very costly. The four P.E. teachers on staff at Whitman, teach about 460 students. If more than 1,900 Whitman students took gym, there would be either a huge increase in teachers or in class sizes.

Beyond costs for new staff members, MCPS schools would likely be forced to expand their facilities. During the winter, when gym classes are restricted to indoor activities, only four areas can be used for P.E: the gym, the small gym, the wrestling room, and the weight room. These four spaces would not be able

to house the additional 200 students per period forced to take gym under the mandatory requirement. It would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to create facilities needed to support the additional enrollment.

Also, College admission is already competitive enough, and being forced to take gym shrinks the academic credits you can get by one per year.

Four-year gym doesn’t make sense as a time investment for students.

Most colleges ignore gym on a transcript so, requiring four years of gym would only weaken students’ academic records.

Currently 600 Whitman students are on athletic teams. Student athletes are not only getting exercise elsewhere, but are risking injury by participating in P.E. In 2012

then-freshmen Anton Casey suffered a compound ankle fracture in gym class and missed a majority of the basketball team’s playoff games.

Some argue that mandatory P.E. would be useful to combat the obesity crisis; however there is evidence to suggest that the requirement is not an effective solution. Illinois, one of two states to mandate gym class for every year of high school, actually has seen an increase in childhood obesity rate consistent with the rest of the country according to USA Today. The failures go back to the insufficient facilities and funding needed to provide useful activities.

Although it’s undeniable that the obesity crisis needs to be addressed, only instituting the 4-year requirement would be futile at best.

Instead, extracurricular sports teams should be made more accessible and creating intramural sports teams could give everyone an enjoyable and active option.

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back page

photo courtsey ADAM PRILL

photo courtsey CLIVE HARRIS

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Midfielder Jeff Rosenberg dances around a Bladensburg defender during their semifnal win. Rosen- Midfielder Michelle Innerarity makes her opponents look silly during girls soccer’s 3-1 win over Eleanor Roosevelt. The girls play for the state title Saturday Nov. 14. berg has been huge for the Vikings during the playoffs, creating a number of scoring chances.

Boys and girls soccer teams poised to make history Continued from page 1

“We are trying to play the same way we have been the whole season,” he said.

“Moving the ball around and staying disciplined and not fouling on defense. For the state final game we don’t want to give away fouls.” Despite the momentum the Vikings have after their 4-0 rout of Bladensburg in the state semi-finals, the team does not assume anything for the final.

“We can’t think that our result from last game is going to dictate what happens this weekend,” Rosenberg said.

“Chesapeake is a tough opponent and we have to prepare for them accordingly.”

Girls Soccer

The 16-0 girls soccer team will face off against the Howard Lions in a battle to defend their state championship title.

Due to their balanced offense and stifling defense, the girls finished the season with a perfect record for the first

time in school history. During playoffs, the Vikes glided through the tough 4A west region, reaching the state title game on a roll.

To get ready for Saturday, the Vikings are working to dial down and get focused.

“We are looking to use this week to really get into a competitive mindset for our game with the right levels of intensity, defender Lela Walter said. “We are also always looking to continue increasing our speed of play and finishing.”

Despite the loss of four of last year’s starters, including gazette player of the year Aliza Wolfe, coach Gregory Herbert emphasized early in the season that it was not going to be a rebuilding year for the team.

“The team in the beginning of the year was constantly being told by people ‘how are you going to do it without the starting seniors from last year,’” forward Abby Meyers said. “But we did not let

that get to our heads, and we played with intensity and worked really hard in every practice and game.”

The underclassmen presence on the team was huge this year, with midfielders Alyssa Prill, Chelsea Cahill and Meyers all having opportunities to start.

“The new players and underclassmen definitely stepped it up and I’m very proud of them for that,” defender Kate Morrison said.

Meyers has been the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals, while Cahill and Prill filled in well while Maddie Parker, Nicole Fleck and Morrison were out due to injuries.

Wing Clare Severe also proved to be a huge asset to the team this season, as her speed, quick moves, and nine goals have helped anchor the Vikes’ attack.

Goalie Erin McClanahan also gained confidence over the past year, allowing only seven goals while recording 10 shutouts this season.

The team made big changes to their formation, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 formation, which allowed them to focus more on their attack by having an extra player in the midfield for quick transitions.

The girls’ playoff run hasn’t been all easy. They squeezed by both B-CC and Northwest 1-0, in the regional semifinals and regional finals respectively.

In the state semifinal game against Eleanor Roosevelt, the Vikes proved to be the stronger team, maintaining ball control throughout most of the game, and firing shot after shot at the Raider goalie. Although the first half ended 0-0, the girls persevered and managed to score three goals in the second half. By the end of the game, the score was 3-1.

“From the beginning of the season we set a goal to win states,” Parker said.

“We are making it happen one game at a time.”

W O C R O S S D

Canadian Bacon

by Will Arneson

ACROSS 1. Roadrunner pursuer Coyote 5. Augustus or Julius 11. Males 14. Eager 15. Form of a gene 16. Age or epoch 17. No more fuel in the tank 19. Eliminate, with “get” 20. News glossy, for short 21. Franklin and Affleck and Stiller 22. Cardinal Yadier 24. One, prefix 25. CIA precursor 26. Famed economist Robert or a surprisingly small amount 27. Italian staple 29. Quaker’s cereal, sing.

31. Put up 34. Tardy 36. V stands for this 38. Moby Dick Captain 40. Remember it, with 9 Down 42. Used to compare two things 43. Louvre attraction 45. May 7, for example 47. 2014 Michael Douglas movie, “______ It goes” 48. Hank Pym can be the size

of one 50. Diamond coverings 53. Certificate of money 55. Green prefix 57. It, in Lyons 58. Johnstown and Yellow River disasters 60. Ruler of Sandwich 61. White-tailed eagle 62. Baseball player Gehrig 63. 30 Rock boss actor 66. Possess 67. Freedom fighter Hale 68. Eat 69. Marry 70. Periodic table’s Mendeleev 71. Nicholas I or Nicholas II DOWN 1. Just get started 2. Latin American lizard 3. Water bordering East Egg and West Egg 4. With id 5. Blanchett and Edwards 6. Footballer Xabi 7. Folklore fairies 8. Transition, abb.

9. Remember it, with 40 Across 10. To fix the bottom of a shoe again 11. William Clark’s partner

12. Andrews or Brockovich 13. Nothing, casually 18. German submarine 23. Country star Lynn 26. WWII gun 28. Hot sauce 30. Like the birds 32. Windy City train system 33. Bronze

35. Big 4 record co.

37. House of Stark head 38. Reddit question sesh 39. Sweet moniker, for short 41. As quick as you can, abb.

44. Clothing store ___ Taylor 46. Nuked Bikini 49. Pub that serves chai 51. Pet food company

52. Hellbound person 54. Religion with a billion followers 56. Head prefix 58. Bieber’s old ‘do 59. Hardware owner 60. Authentic 64. And one, to Nero 65. Subst. assailed by Carson