Vol. 52 » Issue 3

volume 52, Issue 3 november 26, 2013

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

photos by Abby Cutler

Psychoactive drug “Molly” poses hazards to students

Erin Craig, Ryan Savage and Bryan Eng starred in the fall musical, Miss Saigon. The show tells the love story of an American marine and a Vietnamese woman, and takes place during the Vietnam war. Story on page 4.

by Caroline Schweitzer and matt yang It was midnight, Aug. 31, when 19-year-old Shelley Goldsmith collapsed in the middle of the Northeast D.C. electronic music club Echostage— she was pronounced dead just three hours later.

Goldsmith, an honors student at the University of Virginia, was one of three college students nationwide who passed away that weekend from reportedly using Molly, an illegal drug advertised as a safer version of Ecstasy.

Only, in this case, Goldsmith died from methylone, a synthetic drug that is often wrongly advertised as Molly. Marketed on the streets as pure Methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA), Molly is a psychoactive drug that possesses both stimulant and mild hallucinogenic properties, according to the DEA. Pure MDMA is sold in a powder form, but can also be distributed as tablets.

Users never know whether they are taking Molly in its “pure” form, and that represents the greatest risk, said Rusty Payne, a DEA spokesperson.

“There really isn’t one thing that’s Molly,” Payne said in a phone interview. “It could be a variety of things.”

As electronic dance music has grown more popular--the business is worth an estimated $4.5 billion, according to the New York Times-- so has Molly, a “social drug” used at dance clubs and raves.

The first reports of people having complications with Molly appeared to emerge from the rave and nightclub scene, emergency room physician Jonathan Davis said.

Continued on page 8

CryptoLocker virus infected 81 Common App glitches frustrate students, teachers computers in system last month

By Samantha Zambri Laden with a rigorous course load and a demanding tennis season, the last thing senior Nicole Welch needed was a Common App malfunction.

“It would shut down or say ‘Please be patient” over and over again,” she said.

“Then I would be patient, but it would just never load.”

Welch wasn’t the only one experiencing problems.

Seniors around the country have encountered glitches on the Common Application website, resulting in incomplete or late applications.

The newly released “fourth generation” interface was the first time in six years the Common Application was updated. New features include a shorter extracurricular activity question, different essay prompts and a redesigned interface.

Ever since the updated website’s launch in August, this“convenient” way to send in college applications has plagued students with frozen screens, inaccurate word counts, unformated essays and unsent submissions.

“Some schools’ applications were slower than others,” senior Amanda Gelfarb said, adding she could only get

one university’s application to work in the middle of the night.

Established in 1975 by a consortium of 15 colleges, the Common App organization offers a universal application form that is valid at any member university Today, over one million students use the application for more than 500 colleges. The organization is committed to providing reliable services that promote equality, access and integrity in the college application process, according to the Common App mission statement.

The glitches, a result of an increase in the number of applications submitted, arrived at the worst possible time, with the early decision and early action deadline looming Nov. 1. Many universities, including Columbia, Northwestern, Cornell and Brandeis, pushed back their deadlines to Nov. 8. However, most students had to work through the complications or hope for alternative ways to submit their applications to schools using the Common App.

Inside Look “Bring Your Own Device” May Soon Be a Reality Page 3

Continued on page 2

by ethan taswell There’s a new virus out there and just recently it struck Whitman, claiming two victims. No, it wasn’t some obscure strain of flu; it came through an email, and quietly infected a few of the school’s computers.

The virus was first detected on an MCPS computer Oct. 28. Since then, the malicious software, or “malware,” has spread to 81 computers in the county’s schools, including two at Whitman. The damage, however, was contained and all lost files were saved through backups, IT systems specialist Greg Thomas reported.

The malware, known as the CryptoLocker virus, essentially holds a computer’s files hostage and asks for ransom, Thomas said. An email appearing to be from UPS or FedEx appears on screen, and when a user downloads the PDF attachment, CryptoLocker is transferred onto the computer.

While viruses are often feared on home computers, MCPS’s more advanced network is typically impregnable.

“We’ve never had any virus in the last 15 years of any significance whatsoever,” Thomas said. “This is totally different.”

Once downloaded, the malware encrypts common data files, such as Word or PowerPoint documents, making them unusable. Then it demands $300 in return for the encryption key.

Unlike many other viruses, the creators of CryptoLocker will release the files if they are compensated, leading Thomas to believe that this is a carefully planned operation looking to make millions, he said.

Eliya Azoulay, a case manager at the Nevada-based security firm Expert Data Forensics, agrees that the virus poses a serious problem. Expert Data Forensics specializes in tracing and recovering electronic data, but so far they have been unsuccessful in stopping CryptoLocker, which has been most damaging to small businesses, Azoulay said.

“It’s not that the hackers are that advanced, it’s the technology and encryption they’re using,” Azoulay said.

“It’s a very sophisticated encryption code.”

Continued on page 6

Roar Video Unites School Despite Loss

Fall: Death in a Blaze of Glory

Photo Classes Lead Humans of DC Project

Page 5

Page 6

Page 11

Bullying in Football: How the Pros Do It Page 14

2

NOVEMBER 26, 2013

NEws

Bethesda Metro chosen as test case for renovations Bethesda Metro riders will no longer be subjected to low lighting and dirty floors, thanks to station upgrades that include bright overhead lights, a renovated stairway and a new information wall.

The improvements, which began last spring, are the first of many that Metro plans to implement across the county. The Bethesda station is one of the first to receive improvements and is being used as a prototype for future designs. The entire renovation was completed under budget at $700,000, according to a WMATA press release.

“I ride the Metro at least once a week,” junior Aina Krupinski-Puig said. “Before, the station was really dirty and smelled bad, so it’s great the county put aside money for improvements.”

After the final enhancements have been made, WMATA officials will review public approval ratings to decide whether or not the changes will be implemented in the 86 other stations in the system. The Bethesda station was chosen as a test case because it represents the hardest type of station to illuminate because it is underground, said WMATA spokesperson Philip Stewart.

College Board revises AP Spanish and AP Chem exams College Board has revised the AP Chemistry and AP Spanish Language exams, causing teachers to alter their curricula to accommodate the changes.

The updated AP Spanish exam includes new timing techniques. Audio sources will be played twice; students will be given time to preview questions; and sources on the exam will come with organizers for the test takers. The new exam will also have culture-based questions for the first time.

“We’ve been practicing with the new exam and the students seem to like it more,” AP Spanish teacher Carol Gough-Alonso said. “It’s difficult, but good that we have to address culture in class; the exam can cover anything now.”

College Board is changing two AP tests per year in order to regularly enhance the best practices for these college-based courses.

Changes in the AP chemistry exam this year include calculator use on the entire free-response section of the exam and a table of equations and constants on both sections of the exam, according to 2014 AP program guide.

“With the changes to this course, students are encouraged to ask questions,” AP Chemistry teacher Sean Reid said. “A greater focus has been shifted even more on understanding why something is happening.”

Designated wall areas for flyers will reduce clutter, paper waste The days of paper-plastered lockers and walls pockmarked with posters are numbered.

In attempt to eliminate clutter, reduce redundancy and limit waste, the SGA and Dr. Goodwin have proposed limiting where students can post flyers pertaining to extracurricular activities. Designated areas in hallways will be painted Columbia Blue.

“Our idea is to consolidate information into a central location, sort of like a community bulletin board,” SGA secretary Rachel Ordan said.

Many feel that having duplicates of the same poster throughout a hall is redundant and unnecessary.

“Frankly, once you’ve seen one poster on a locker, you don’t continually look for new information,” Dr. Goodwin said.

Another motive behind the proposal is reducing the use of paper.

“Environmentally, it would be more sound,” Goodwin said.

The move should be completed by the start of the second semester.

By Sarah Friedman The days of searching for a parking spot in downtown Bethesda to see a movie and trekking to White Flint for cheesecake will be over by the end of next year, when finished renovations at Montgomery Mall will provide more convenient options.

Westfield Montgomery Mall is undergoing a $95 million redevelopment that includes a new movie theater and dining terrace, as well as new seating, lighting and restrooms throughout the mall. The new and improved mall is scheduled to debut by next winter.

One of the highlights of the project is the addition of a 16-screen Arclight Cinema movie theater.

The renovated theater will be a “more upscale” theater, said Diego Gonzalez-Zuniga, marketing manager at the mall. The theater’s amenities will include reserved seating, commercial-free movies and gourmet food. Each theater will have an adjoining lounge for viewers 21 and older during select movies.

Ticket prices in the new theater will be higher than many conventional theaters due to the added features.

“What makes Arclight different is that they focus more on the experience than anything,” GonzalezZuniga said. “We’ve heard nothing but good things.

It’s something that’s really going to differentiate Montgomery from the other malls that have normal movie theaters.”

The Montgomery Mall Arclight Theater will be the first East Coast location for the West Coast-based chain. It will be located on top of the food court parking garage and be accessible directly from the food court.

The 16-screen cinema will be a step up from the current three-screen theater. In addition to Hollywood blockbusters, the theater will screen independent art and classic films. The wider selection of titles is expected to draw a larger audience, Gonzalez-Zuniga said.

“I hate how the theater was so small before,” sophomore Coreylyn DeBettencourt said. “If they had more movies, I’d go there more often.”

Construction of the new dining terrace will begin after this holiday season and it is expected to open as soon as summer 2014. The second floor added to the food court will include a mix of new sit-down and walk-up restaurants.

The $95 million redevelopment project includes an updated Arclight movie theater and new dining terrace. New restaurants include Kraze Burger and Wicked Waffle.

photo by ABBY CUTLER

Briefs

Improvements include new movie theater, dining terrace

photo by ABBY CUTLER

NEWS

Montgomery Mall undergoing $95 million redevelopment

Ongoing rennovations at Montgomery Mall are scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.

The addition of booths, free-standing tables and high-top bar seats will increase the total seating by 200 from the current food court.

Kraze Burger and Wicked Waffle, a D.C.-based chain that uses waffles as bread for sandwiches, will open in the next two months. The rest of the dining options, opening next year, have not yet been finalized, Gonzalez-Zuniga said.

New restaurants outside the dining terrace will include Bobby’s Burger Palace, which Bobby Flay opened himself Oct. 22, and the Cheesecake Factory, which will open before Christmas, Gonzalez-Zuniga said. The Cheesecake Factory will be run by the same staff from the chain’s recently-closed location in White Flint Mall.

“My friends and I have a tradition of going to the Cheesecake Factory once every few months,” senior Ariana Rothman said. “Now that it’s opening at Montgomery Mall, maybe we’ll be able to do it more often.”

New Common App interface slows application process for students Seniors struggle to submit apps amid technical difficulties.

Continued from Page 1 “Three of my schools had their own website where you would complete a similar process like the Common App, but without the glitches,” senior Ryan Hannegan said.

The regular application deadline, Jan. 1, is coming up yet the problems with the Common App persist. The Common App organization is sending daily maintenance updates to school counselors and providing a 24/7 online Help Center for applicants and recommenders, according to the organization’s “Statement of Commitment.”

“Usually, I have no role in the Common App, and it’s all up to the students,” CIC coordinator Janice Marmor said. “This year, there’ve been so many issues that I’ve become the troubleshooter by default.

However, I have no doubt that it will all be straightened out by the regular application deadline.”

Students bear the brunt of the technical difficulties, but teachers, too, have grown exasperated with the new site.

“The website wouldn’t submit my forms and I couldn’t access a lot of the tabs,” science teacher Daniel Chen said. “The website has improved since Nov. 1, but

it took a few email reminders from the Common App to let me know they had removed the bugs.”

The source of the problem is not the upgraded interface, but instead the increase of applications since last year, said Scott Anderson, the senior director of policy for Common App, in an interview with NPR. More than 350,000 applications have been processed, a 28 percent increase since last year, he said.

“We did test the system,” he said in the interview.

“But what we couldn’t test was tens of thousands of people hitting the system at the same time using multiple kinds of browsers.”

The system is new to seniors, who didn’t see what the interface was like last year. So far the Common App’s promise of a streamlined application process has yet to be fulfilled.

“The Common App is supposed to be more convenient and save time, attending to students as well as colleges so they don’t have to go through each individual website,” senior Salma Saade said. “Maybe the new improvements just aren’t worth the trouble.”

november 26, 2013

News

3

Bring Your Own Device policy will allow laptops, tablets in class

By Sarah Friedman

By next semester, pencils and paper will be old news in high schools across MCPS. Laptop computers and tablets will replace heavy stacks of notebooks and textbooks, and instant messaging will replace text messages sent in secret from under a desk. At least that’s the vision of Sherwin Collette, MCPS Chief Technology Officer.

Collette hopes to implement a countywide“bring your own device” policy by the end of this school year, he said in an interview with the Black & White Oct. 30. BYOD is the culmination of a multi-step process that began with an MCPS initiative to install wireless networks in all county schools over the summer.

School administrators will be able to create a BYOD policy that’s appropriate for their staff and student body, Collette said. But this may take some time—principal Alan Goodwin hasn’t received much information about BYOD and said he and his leadership staff hasn’t decided how to implement it.

“We haven’t even started brainstorming,” Goodwin said. “I would rely on staff and student input to decide.”

The success of the initiative will depend on teachers’ ability to use

laptops and tablets effectively, social studies teacher Kirk Shipley said.

“Teachers who already use technology in their classrooms are really going to run with it,” he said.

“Some teachers will drag their heels.”

Math teacher Susan Wildstrom envisions students using the devices to scavenge for helpful interactive materials and graphics and share them, she said.

“If we’re talking about some really sophisticated concept, every kid could be on a different website exploring the idea,” Wildstrom said.

“There aren’t enough hours in a day for a math teacher to create these interactives. But if other people who have all the time in the world make them, we can all share them and learn from them.”

While BYOD provides convenience—teachers and students can bypass the process of searching for a lab—it also presents new issues for schools to address, Goodwin said.

Teachers have expressed concern over having to closely monitor students while they’re using tablets and laptops, but Shipley said BYOD won’t introduce many new distractions that aren’t already present on smartphones.

Students disagree; they think that if laptops or tablets are allowed

in class, it will be easier to give into the temptation.

“People could just play games on them or do homework for other classes,” freshman Evan Cameron said.

Collette and central office staff are working on the next step in implementing BYOD -- what he calls the “management layer.” This layer will allow network administrators to view all devices connected to each wireless access point and deny future access to students and staff who abuse network privileges. It will also permit students and staff to sign in to the wireless network with their school ID and access their files and applications in an interface similar to that of school desktop computers, Collette said.

Key staff members, however, said they weren’t well informed on how BYOD will unfold.

IT Systems Specialist Greg Thomas hasn’t been provided with technical details about BYOD from the county, he said. Thomas is concerned that he won’t have enough time to prepare for its implementation.

“Normally we hear about something like this long before it’s implemented in schools,” he said, adding that MCPS will have to take

drastic efforts to prevent viruses and hackers.

Security is also a concern. School security has not been informed that the policy would be implemented, said security team leader Cherisse Milliner.

Goodwin fears economic disparities will create drama over who has the best device. His ideal vision of BYOD is all students using identical, county-provided devices that can hold all of their textbooks, which would save money in the long run, he said.

To help solve the equity issue, Collette plans to partner both with for-profit and nonprofit organizations to give tablets to students who can’t afford them. With more than 152,000 students in the county, it would be impossible for MCPS to purchase a laptop or tablet for every student, and Collette hopes that many students will bring one from home, he said.

Overall, Collette sees BYOD as a method of getting students more engaged in the classroom, he said.

“What we see this as is the sort of first step in transforming what we think about the classroom,” Collette said. “The classroom with this infrastructure isn’t going to be just these four walls.”

Southeast Asian eatery brings flavor to Bethesda great recommendations — the food was not a combination you would see every day.”

ShopHouse attempts to bring variety to the current eateries of Bethesda with this new genre of food, while using the same popular ambiance as local favorites.

“It was basically the same as Cava or Chipotle but with Asian food,” junior Mira Glasser said.

Sauces, meats, and vegetables vary from mild to spicy, while all dishes are rich in flavor.

“If you like spicy food there are a ton of options at ShopHouse,” senior Meg DiRuggiero said. “They have mild stuff too but the spicy dishes are the best.”

After 18 years with the successful Chipotle chain, founder Steve Ells planned to expand the idea to other cuisines and subsequently chose Southeast Asian cooking styles.

“The response we have seen to ShopHouse reminds me very much of what I saw when I opened the first Chipotle,” Ells said in a press release. “People love the food and the experience and appreciate that we are giving them something that is unique and flavorful, and doing it in a way that is accessible and affordable.”

ShopHouse is working to expand their business nationwide, and executives are planning new locations along Rockville Pike and Washington D.C. “This company has a lot of opportunities, and a lot of room for growth,” Hernandez said.

“It’s incomparable to others.” photo by RAQUEL WEINBERG

by casey noenickx

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, a new Chipotle-owned chain, joined many popular restaurants on the busy Bethesda Avenue Oct. 30, giving students yet another option for a fast and casual lunch. The restaurant is located next to Tara Thai, replacing City Lights of China, which closed in June.

The ShopHouse concept recently expanded from its original Dupont Circle location to Bethesda and three other locations. The Bethesda Ave. franchise is one of the first five locations nationwide, along with others in D.C. and Los Angeles.

The ShopHouse concept stems from many Southeast Asian countries that have unique buildings called shophouses that have a restaurant, shop, or kitchen on the ground floor and an apartment above.

“It’s kind of like a shop in their house all at once, and that’s why we call it ShopHouse,” said Mariah Williams, an employee at the Bethesda location.

The popular Southeast Asian cuisine combines traditional ingredients, flavors and cooking techniques with the distinct Chipotle serving style, manager Jhony Hernandez said. Food is prepared in an open kitchen and customers pick and choose exactly what goes into their order, including a protein, vegetables and a sauce.

Popular combinations include red curry chicken, green curry pork and chicken, meatballs and tofu tossed in a tamarind vinaigrette, topped with papaya, slaw or pickled vegetables.

Hernandez praised the efforts of the

restaurant’s staff in its opening weeks.

“Our Bethesda team is incredible,” Hernandez said. “We had a week long training: we took it station by station, a day at a time. We worked hands-on, shoulder to shoulder with each crew member to develop skills in the kitchen.”

Opening reviews of the restaurant by students and experts were mostly positive, citing intense flavors, interesting combinations and modern decor.

“It was very well run, and the service was great,” sophomore Ian Costello said. “They had

New virus strikes school computers, creates risk for widespread network infiltration Continued from Page 1 For special education teacher Amy Parrish, whose computer was infected by the virus, the damage was manageable, she said.

“It didn’t affect any Promethean flipcharts or anything new,” Parrish said. “It was just older documents that it seemed to affect. Mostly Word documents that I hadn’t accessed for a while.”

While MCPS has successfully updated their security to block the virus in the future, many files have already been lost. Luckily, the many gigabytes of data that appeared to be deleted at Whitman were rescued through backups, and the school was not forced to pay the ransom for the files, Thomas said.

Thomas stressed that a future infection could easily become more severe if a virus spreads through the computer’s network onto other drives. In MCPS, if a virus infects a single computer, it could pass through the network and encrypt the files of a whole department, he said.

“The implications are really scary,” Thomas said. “If it’s happening at Whitman, this could be happening at any government, no matter how sophisticated they are. It could be anywhere.”

Viruses are a problem that probably won’t be going away anytime soon, said Chester Wisniewski, Senior Securtiy Advisor at Sophos, an internet security software company.

“There is concern that other crooks will start copying this idea,” he said.

“The only way we’re going to beat them is if we stop paying them entirely.”

Wisniewski said that CrptoLocker should open up people’s eyes to the dangers of the internet.

“Hopefully, this is a wakeup call to both businesses and consumers,” he said.

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4

News

november 26, 2013

Review:

“Miss Saigon” receives well-deserved standing ovation

By Kelly Czajka “Miss Saigon” showed off the talent of the 146 students involved in the cast, crew, and pit.

The cast demonstrated impeccable endurance throughout the two-anda-half hour production. The show is almost completely sung; you could probably count the number of spoken lines on your hands. Leads Erin Craig, Ryan Savage and Lucas Weals gave passionate performances never faltered throughout the emotionally-demanding production.

A modern adaptation of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” “Miss Saigon” takes place during the Vietnam

War and the years following the fall of Saigon. The plot centers on the romance between Vietnamese orphan Kim (Craig) and U.S. Marine Chris (Savage).

Seventeen-year-old Kim is working at a nightclub called Dreamland in Saigon under the direction of The Engineer (Weals) when she meets Chris.

The two fall in love, and Chris promises to take her back to the U.S. with him, however they are separated by the chaos of the war. Chris returns to America and marries a woman named Ellen (Nicole Ramirez), putting yet another obstacle between the two.

Craig and Savage’s convincing romantic and musical chemistry

brought the love story to life and made their duets memorable.

From the beginning of Act I, the cast’s energy was high. Suggestive dancers in skimpy costumes created the seductive atmosphere of Dreamland without going over the top. Junior Catherine Trant, who played the star dancer Gigi, showed professional mettle when she remained in character and performed to the best of her ability even after injuring her knee in the first scene on opening night.

The tech crew contributed to the success of the production. Moving panels with projected images and videos were more effective than an

ordinary backdrop. In “Bui-Doi,” a song about the mixed-race American and Vietnamese children conceived during the war, powerful video images added to the power of the song.

The pit orchestra’s impressive stamina can’t be overlooked. Along with the singers, the pit played continuously throughout the entire production and maintained a high performance standard.

This demanding and dramatic production, a marked change from last year’s light-hearted and comedic “Anything Goes,” was remarkable for both its emotional impact and highquality execution.

MoCo creates task force to boost nightlife, local economy

by JAmes ireland When young adults go out, Montgomery County isn’t their first idea for a wild night out.

In order to make the county more attractive to young people and improve its economy, County Executive Isaiah Leggett appointed the Nighttime Economy Task Force to recommend a course of action.

Headed by chair Heather Dlhopolsky, the task force released their report to the county Oct. 21, which included some notable recommendations, including designated urban noise areas, relaxed alcohol restrictions and even a street-performer stipend program.

Neighboring jurisdictions are doing a better job than Montgomery County of attracting young professionals to both live there and go out there, Dlhopolsky said.

“Why can’t we take the people that are already here and make them want to go out here, as opposed to other places?” she said.

2012 census data showed low proportions of 20 to 34 year olds in Montgomery County compared to others in the region, and the task force hopes to change The task force hopes to change current policies that discourage young adults from going out in urban areas like Bethesda Row. this demographic.

Starting in May, the task force met twice each month “What we heard from some of the guests at our to discuss Silver Spring, Bethesda, Wheaton, Rockville meetings is that the county’s policies are numerous and Germantown, focusing on one region each month. and confusing,” Dlhopolsky said. “We wanted to have Its goal was to explore possible law changes and someone walk businesses through that so that they will generate ideas that could improve the economy. Details want to locate in the county.” were not their concern, as legislative groups will be Also in the interest of supporting businesses’ needs, tasked with putting the recommendations into action. the task force supports changing liquor laws that hurt One change the task force recommended was the the success of bars. The 50/50 required ratio of alcohol creation of a concierge service for businesses to use, both to food sales would be changed to 60/40 under the new to make it easier for businesses to locate in the county.

plan, and bars would be allowed to stay open until 2 am on weeknights and 3 am on weekends.

John McManus, owner of The Barking Dog, said that young adults go to D.C. instead of staying in Montgomery County because of current regulations that force bars to close at 2 am on weekends. In D.C., bars can stay open an hour later.

“Why go out when you only have two and a half hours, and last call starts at 1:30?’ he said.

A more controversial suggestion was to designate certain areas for live performances, and to raise the noise ordinance for that area. Dlhopolsky and the task force believe this would greatly benefit the nighttime economy by making live performances last longer.

“Already performances are not in compliance with noise ordinances, so this suggestion would bring it in line with what’s happening on the streets,” she said.

“A lot of performances also have to shut down fairly early, so this recommendation would allow them to stay going a little bit longer.”

The other notable recommendation was the implementation of a street performer program.

Performers would be regulated and put on the street in an organized environment, and would add to the nighttime atmosphere, Dlhopolsky said.

The task force made its recommendations in the interest of improving the county’s outdoor urban environment, which in the hopes of stimulating the commercial economy.

“It would attract people to create a vibrancy,” she said. “The more activity that’s happening with your busker, your retail, your outside café, it brings a synergy and excitement to an area.”

Opinion

OPINION Alum’s insensitive comments on wealth stir controversy

by Fionn Adamian Rachael Sacks wins this month’s award for most-ripped on Whitman Alum.

It started when Sacks was waiting in the grocery line and heard the cashier agree with another customer that it was the smart move to go to an in-state college to save her parents money. According to Sacks, they then glared at her for being “daddy’s little princess wasting money” because she was carrying an expensive bag (Sacks has also clearly mastered the skill of telepathy).

Sacks took to the Internet to proclaim that “I’m not going to pretend that I’m poor to be accepted by you,” explaining that people shouldn’t be judged based off the money they make. Bloggers and tabloids alike promptly began bashing her for being a “mean little rich girl” and a “brat” for her comments.

I personally disagree with most of the aspects of her article. But instead of resorting to a combination of bitter sarcasm (wow, what a struggle), poorly written, clearly Googled puns (I am sorry the cashier made no cents!) or just flat out name calling, I’m going to attempt to take the high road and take Sacks’ argument seriously.

At its core, Sacks’ article says that money shouldn’t “define who people are.”

Fair. Problematically, Sacks exhibits this same judgment when she claims that the cashier was miserable about her own life because she was a cashier. The message that Sacks actually sends is elitist at its core: that poverty is associated with sadness.

Ignoring that this is an incredibly offensive comment that questions how less wealthy people could possibly be happy, it’s totally counterproductive to Sacks’ message. She’s unapologetically judging people based on their wealth.

Worse still, Sacks generalizes people who are less wealthy than her as constantly angry at people who have more money than them. She refuses to “try to be poor to relate to people,” as if that’s a magical way to connect with people. Sacks is presuming some sort of omnipresent class-warfare.

Any one person’s bitterness is not caused by wealth itself, it’s the way people treat one another. In Sacks’ case, all she does is promote the invented bitterness by making generalizations about groups of people.

Most importantly, I think Sacks ignores just how lucky we are to grow up in a safe area and receive a great education. Her rhetoric epitomizes the Bethesda stereotype of pretentious, entitled snobbery, regardless if she intends it as such. Growing up in the “Bethesda Bubble,” it’s easy to take for granted all the advantages that we have. Sacks’ article should remind us to think about our lives in a larger context. Most people go through a lot worse than being glared at once in a supermarket.

5

S ta f f E d i t o r i a l Katy Perry contest loss shouldn’t stop Whitman’s roar

photo by ABBY CUTLER

november 26, 2013

Despite high hopes, unprecedented student involvement, incredible organization from Leadership and stellar editing, Whitman’s video wasn’t selected as a finalist in Katy Perry’s“Roar” video contest. Instead, Perry chose Lakewood High School, and performed at the Colorado school Oct. 25.

While many of us lamented the loss, the Whitman community should feel proud of such a fantastic display of spirit. It’s not a bad thing that Lakewood won the contest, even though the pains of defeat run deep. Their one-take video was undoubtedly impressive, and there’s no shame in losing to such a high-quality production.

In less than a week, the SGA managed to get hundreds of students decked out in Columbia blue, with painted chests and Viking hats galore. Participation in the video increased unity and school spirit, and kids got more excited to represent their school than ever before. The final product was highly popular, and racked up over 85,000 views on YouTube. Even students from other schools, including rivals such as B-CC and Churchill, gave praise to Whitman for its efforts.

Many pointed to the wealth in the Bethesda area as one possible explanation as to why Whitman didn’t make the top five. There are many differences between Whitman and the five finalist schools, specifically in affluence. According to a Washington Post graphic that ranks zip codes on median income and level of education, the average median income and education level of the five finalist schools is in the 34th percentile. Our zip code, 20817 by contrast, falls in the 99th percentile. The average median income in the five areas is around $40,000, while in Whitman’s zip code it’s almost four times that much. While it hurts to lose, most Whitman students could afford to go to a Perry concert if they wanted to.

Although losing hurts, Lakewood’s victory is something everyone can feel good about. In the end, we got a lot out of it: The student body came together and produced something pretty amazing, and the SGA accomplished a remarkable feat.

Although we can never be sure how things would have gone if we had won, we should embrace the perks of becoming a more spirited, sportsmanlike school. In the long run, we were winners too.

Volume 52, Issue 3 2013-2014 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 blackandwhitevol52@gmail.com.

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

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opinion

november 26, 2013

Fall: Nature’s blaze of glory shouldn’t go unnoticed

By Rebbecca Meron In Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan war hero Hector is one of many warriors who achieves immortality through a glorious death. The fall season is nature’s quest for a glorious death, and it is certainly splendid.

The deep green leaves of summer do not descend quietly from the trees to shrivel and die.

Rather, they fight for immortality with a technicolor pageant. Red, yellow, gold and orange dot the landscape like an unending impressionist mural. These warriors delight the eye with unequaled feats of brightness and beauty. Their vivid glow tricks us into believing that the sun is shining upon them, even when it is hiding behind the

clouds. When the leaves finally do fall, drained of beauty and life, they leave us with the lasting memory of their vivid glory.

The long-gone flowers of spring and summer do not merely dry up and leave a void, either. Rather, they make way for multi-colored, spiky plumes and bright orange pumpkins that enliven autumn landscapes with splashes of color.

Yellow, purple and golden mums so nicely complement the plump pumpkins lying on front doorsteps and in garden arrangements everywhere.

When the mums are gone and the pumpkins have been transformed into jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin pies, pumpkin soup or

even pumpkin ice cream, we are still left with monumental heaps of pumpkin seeds ready for salting and roasting.

So put aside the college essay, read your English book tomorrow, and take a walk or bicycle ride along the canal or one of your own favorite tree-lined routes. Bring some pumpkin seeds or a juicy apple from a local orchard to munch along the way.

Enjoy fall, nature’s glorious death, but enjoy it knowing that, unlike the Greek heroes of the past, nature will bring fall back to life next year to once again remind us of its glory.

Food trucks would provide convenient alternative to cafeteria

by Scott Singer The horde of seniors going out to lunch—and the illegal exodus of underclassmen—is a clear indication that students are going out of their way to find alternatives to cafeteria food.

It’s time that we introduce a more convenient alternative: food trucks. As it stands now, food trucks are not allowed on campus during schools hours.

But Maryland should give food trucks access to school markets to allow students access to food alternatives.

Code of Maryland regulations prevents food trucks from lining up within 500 feet of school zones in

part because they threaten healthy school cafeteria food initiatives, according to Maria Caplon, director of Division of Food and Nutrition Services at MCPS. The cafeteria tries to provide healthy food for a relatively low cost—their menu doesn’t have a single food item over 600 calories and plenty of whole wheat options available for $2.70 an entree. However, many students prefer to buy smaller dishes such as french fries, chips and cookies, making the healthy options almost obsolete.

The regulation also allays safety concerns, ensuring students’ food is fresh and safe to eat. However, food

trucks already have food safety guidelines in place. In addition, Caplon says that food truck dishes would have to comply with MCPS nutritional recommendations in terms of calories, fat, sodium and vitamins. There are plenty of restaurants and trucks that could potentially build menus to comply with these nutritional requirements, including Go Fish or Thatsalata, which are part of the MoCo Food Trucks Group.

Seniors seeking alternatives to cafeteria food already leave campus, and even juniors and underclassmen—prohibited from leaving campus until school ends at 2:10—sneak out to avoid the perils of cafeteria

Drawing Board

life. Food trucks on campus may not stop seniors from going out (well, to be honest, not even a free Katy Perry concert), but, juniors and underclassmen would be more tempted to say at school, keeping both students and the administration happy.

Opponents may also argue that food trucks would just sap the cafeteria’s profits. But given food trucks’ immense popularity, the school could charge a royalty for serving on school grounds. After Battle of the Classes, for example, popular Bethesda restaurant The Burger Joint sent a food truck to Whitman. The food truck commanded a line—a rare sight in the cafeteria. If

the school instituted such a policy, the profits would be unprecedented.

While it might seem that students would be hesitant to pay higher prices for better food, if the emptiness of the parking lot during lunch is any indication, food trucks would still be a huge success.

I’m not asking for Gordon Ramsey or Rachel Ray to come to Whitman and host “Extreme Makeover: Cafeteria Edition” for 2000 students. But letting the food drive to us rather than students driving to the food seems like the most logical remedy to gray chicken patties and stale sandwiches.

Business as usual at “Miss Saigon”

A & Ask A The Black & White feature editors are here to help!

by annie ludewig and alexa brodsky Dear A&A, I have a long distance relationship currently and it is getting very hard to maintain our romance.

Do you have any advice for me to keep the flame going?

Sincerely, Baffled in Bethesda Dear Baffled in Bethesda, Long distance relationships are pretty hard at this age. Even though you two might have different schedules, it’s important to find time to spend with him/her. Try scheduling Skype or FaceTime calls and maybe set a date once a month where you can visit each other in person.

Don’t be afraid to spend some quality time on the phone just talking. Celebrate small accomplishments with each other. Try sending your guy/girl a text every time they cross your mind. A simple “I miss you” or “I’m thinking about you” can make a huge difference.

Xoxo, A&A. Dear A&A, My boyfriend and I have been together for almost a year now and I am in love. However, he confessed to me two weeks ago that he cheated on me over the summer. He says it was a big mistake and that he will never do it again. I’m very upset and hurt but my feelings towards him have not changed. Should I break up with him? Should I give him a warning?

Sincerely, Conflicted.

Dear Conflicted, If he’s genuine and committed to you, it could be worth it to give him a second chance. However, if there’s any doubt in your mind do not be afraid to break up with him. It’s scary to break up with a long-term boyfriend, but if he hurt you and you don’t think he’s going to change, don’t hold back just because you’ve been dating for so long.

Xoxo, A&A.

feature

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Bethesda theater offers free tickets to high school students Roundhouse Theater’s Play It Forward program gives one free ticket per season to high school students

BY Annie Ludewig On the corner of Waverly St. and East-West Hwy., lies one of the largest and most distinguished professional theatre companies in the D.C. area—the Round House Theatre.

The 400-seat downtown Bethesda location produce dozens of award-winning performances each season, but now there’s an added incentive to visit: all Montgomery County high schoolers get in free.

Tickets are typically $30-$45, depending on seating, but this year, a new program called Play It Forward will allow high school students to get one free ticket per season. Additionally, anyone attending a show with a high school student can purchase a ticket for $5 less than the original price. The theatre offers afternoon and evening performances Tuesday through Sunday.

“The program sounds cool,” senior Kate Goldberg said.

“Sometimes the prices keep me away, so I definitely think this will encourage a younger audience.”

Most of the shows featured at the Round House have won prestigious

prizes or have previously been on Broadway. Starting Nov. 27 and lasting through Dec. 22, the theatre will be showing “The Lyons,” a comedic play about a quirky family.

After about a month-long break, the comedy “Seminar,” about a competitive writing class, will be showing February through March.

Mitchell Dupler, president of the Round House Theatre Board of Trustees, said the main reason the theatre offers the Play It Forward program is to make attending shows a part of a student’s education.

“The audience can learn in an intense way about how real people deal with other people,” Dupler said. “A whole lot of education, otherwise, can be very dry and distilled, so I think experiencing live theatre and its empathy is very valuable.”

Education is an integral part of the Round House Theatre’s mission.

Along with the Play It Forward program, the theatre provides classes for students K-12, workshops for adults, and internships.

“If someone is interested in theatre, I think it’s really important to go see shows and see how they

Viking Destinations: concert venues

by Sophia Glazer Most students have been to a show at the 9:30 Club, or have at least heard of the venue. But other lesser-known venues like the U Street Music Hall and Echostage are emerging in the D.C. area for avid concertgoers to expand their horizons and explore more of what the D.C. music scene has to offer.

U Street Music Hall The U Street Music Hall is a small, basement dance club that opened in 2010. The minuscule stage is jam-packed with equipment that bursts with sound on one of the best sound systems in the country, according to general manager Scott Herman.

“We are an intimately sized venue,” Herman said, “which gives customers the chance to see big-name acts up close.”

The venue has a capacity of only 500 people. It has recently hosted rising bands like The Fratellis and Grouplove.

The club is more popular among young adults, but the staff is welcoming and friendly to high school students too, junior Jessie DiRuggiero said.

“After the show was over there was half an hour before there was another show that was 21 and over,” DiRuggiero said. “They just played DJ music and they let us dance around in the middle of the floor while everyone else was clearing out.”

The venue sells reasonably priced tickets for as little as $10, which makes the destination easily accessible for students on a budget.

photo by SOPHIA GLAZER

Dear A&A, I’m a freshman and I’ve been having some trouble studying for tests—they’re much harder than Pyle tests! Please give me advice.

Sincerely, Seriously Struggling.

Dear Seriously Struggling, Meeting with your teacher is the best way to prepare for a test when you’re having trouble grasping new information. Ask your teacher at least three days before a test if you can meet during lunch or after school to chat. For history and science, start going over notes and rereading the textbook over the weekend prior to test week.

Cramming the evening before, although tempting, will just stress you out. For English, make sure you stay on top of your reading as the teacher assigns it—don’t let it build up. For math, always complete homework assignments on time and prior to the test, and make sure you have a full understanding of the questions on the review.

It’s also helpful to work with friends and talk through the problems. If it’s a language test, go over the textbook and speak the vocab out loud at home.

Also, go over conjugations—make flashcards and charts and have friends or family quiz you.

Xoxo, A&A.

work,” junior Hannah Chenok said.

“But even if a person’s not into theatre, plays have a lot of parallels to everyday life, so the audience can learn from events on stage.”

The theatre’s mission statement says that “there is sheer joy to be found in making and sharing theatre.” To bring this idea to life, Round House strives to include all members of the community in theatre performances and events.

“I think the theatre offers a bunch of opportunities that specifically teenagers can enjoy and appreciate,” Dupler said. “My son, who’s a senior at B-CC, has attended several plays at the Round House and enjoyed them.”

To reserve a ticket, students can either call the Bethesda location in advance (240-644-1100) or visit the theatre’s box office. All high school attendees must present a valid high school ID at the box office when the ticket is picked up.

“I went to a performance at the Round House a couple weeks ago,” senior Katherine Patterson said. “It was really well done, and I would definitely go again—and it’s even better if it’s free.”

The U Street Music Hall has a 500 person capacity to ensure an intimate concert experience.

Echostage While the 9:30 Club and the U Street Music Hall are designed for smaller scale shows, Echostage is D.C.’s largest concert and dance DJ venue. The club—which holds roughly 5,000 people—was opened in 2012 and is renowned for their sound system and LED visual light displays.

Most of Echostage’s events are electronic dance music shows known as EDM, but the venue also hosts live bands.

Upcoming performances include the electronic music

producer Zedd, on Dec. 26 and Ellie Goulding on Mar. 16.

Passion Pit played this past Halloween night.

“There were a lot of people wearing costumes,” junior Ben Schloss said. “But it’s a pretty underground place so there weren’t that many people there.”

Compared to U Street and the 9:30 Club, Echostage’s location in Northeast D.C. is easier for parents to drive kids and drop them off at the door, junior Zoe Humeau said.

“It’s a really in-style and up and coming place which I thought was cool,” Schloss said.

photo by CASEY NOENICKX

november 26, 2013

Echostage is the largest concert venue in DC. Upcoming performances include Zed and Ellie Goulding.

9:30 Club The distinctive blue doors of the 9:30 Club’s otherwise dingy facade have been welcoming fans and legendary bands for 33 years, making the venue a tried and true destination for music lovers. The club has proved itself over the years as a top notch music venue. It was named The Best Big Room in America by to Rolling Stone magazine.

The Club holds about 1,200 people and many shows are sold out. Twenty One Pilots and Lupe Fiasco are scheduled to perform this winter, and iconic names such as Bob Dylan, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana have graced their presence at the 9:30 Club in years past.

“Acts really want to play at the 9:30 club because it’s legendary to them,” said Audrey Fix Schaefer, a spokesperson for the 9:30 Club. “Whether acts are starting on their way up or they’ve been around for a while and want to do something more intimate, this is where they want to play and it’s just magical I think.”

The venue also encourages a younger audience, allowing all ages to enter a majority of the shows. The club has very strict rules about serving alcohol, which makes the club even more friendly to minors, Schaefer said.

“If you had gray hair and a walker and didn’t have your driver’s license, you’d be welcomed to come in but you would not be drinking alcohol,” Schaefer said.

Junior Mira Glasser has been to roughly 45 shows at the 9:30 Club.

“It is one of the best [venues] because the atmosphere is pretty chilled out,” Glasser said. “It’s small enough so you can get close enough to the stage wherever you are but also big enough so a lot of people can fit.”

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In-De

november 26, 2013

The Dangers of

M th ,4-me

3

Continued from page 1

Popularity of party drug parallels rise of Electronic Dance Music

“If you have turned on the radio, watched TV, or attended a music festival in the last several years you have likely noticed DJs and producers flooding the market,” an article in the Music Business Journal reported earlier this year. “Acts like Skrillex, Deadmau5 and David Guetta have emerged from the EDM movement and achieved international popularity on an unprecedented level.”

The Black & White spoke to seven students who said they’ve tried Molly. While Molly is not at all prominent among kids in the Whitman community, students can expect to encounter it much more frequently when they go to college.

The Huffington Post recently wrote an article entitled “Molly Overdoses Among College Students Prompt Warnings From Northeastern Schools.”

120 Percent increase in

emergency room visits nationwide for MDMA since 2004 Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Students describe the high as unique.

One junior said he first used Molly at a music festival.

“Everything gets shaky, side to side and up and down,” the junior boy said. “When the bass would play, I just saw the [music] waves.”

This phenomenon, known as synesthesia, is common among users.

“It felt like I could see people’s voices when they spoke, and sound had a different, multifaceted quality to it,” a senior girl said, describing the experience as “colorful.”

“Everything changing color said. “I also h According to m where I took it like multiple da

“It felt lik when differe

a single second

Electronic users because beat.

“There is a right now,” an are some who s was the drug a of Molly users popularity.”

Molly has la of choice at EDM about impuritie MDMA. Unlike mar more lively.

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g around me had vibrant and rs that weren’t usually there,” she had really weird ideas about time. my friends we were only at the party for a few hours but it honestly felt ays, almost like I could do more in

ke I could see people’s voices n they spoke, and sound had a ent, multifaceted quality to it.”

– a senior girl

d than a normal person could.”

c dance music attracts Molly e of its loud, fast and intense

a dual generation of Molly users EDM DJ told NPR News. “There started with Ecstasy back when that and now there is a new explosion s with the new electronic music

argely replaced Ecstasy as the drug M events because of user concerns es in Ecstasy, which also contains

rijuana, Molly is said to make users

ve me a lot more energy as opposed which makes me lazy and tired,” a uate said. “It’s more of a social drug due to everyone being friendly and

Whitman alum said Molly makes d. “It’s very hard to get depressed g on it,” he said. interview, the DJ said the euphoric n atmosphere where you feel good ng around you but you also are ing conversations with people.”

aution that the risks posed by ution are significant.

e weekend that Goldsmith passed

november 26, 2013

Why the Name Molly?

The nickname Molly comes from either the word “molecule” or from drug dealers hoping to sell more of the drug by marketing it with a harmless sounding name.

away, two other young music fans died after taking Molly at the Electric Zoo Festival, a threeday concert in New York City. After two deaths and numerous injuries attributed to Molly, the third day of the concert was canceled.

The deaths have prompted significant media coverage. The previous week, another 19-yearold girl died at a Zedd show at Boston’s House of Blues after ingesting what was presumed to be Molly, according to media reports.

Molly is often mislabeled as pure MDMA, when it is really another synthetic drug made in China, the DEA’s Payne said.

“People who are taking these drugs think that they’re taking MDMA and they think it’s safe, when in reality, most of the time they’re taking something completely different,” Payne said.

That’s what happened to Shelley Goldsmith.

Because MDMA has no medical or research function, it’s not regulated by the FDA, and the powder users purchase hasn’t been tested for human consumption. Some users turn to test kits, which can be purchased online, to check the purity of the drug.

“Two out of the three times I have tested Molly, it has turned out to be something other than I thought it was,” the NPR interviewee said.

One junior who uses the test kits said he believes these kits are reliable. The Wootton alum also said that he uses a test kit for Molly.

“Taking drugs from strangers is one of the dumbest things someone can do,” he said. “Molly is a drug that is a mix of things, hence I have it

$4.5 billion

The estimated cost of the electronic dance music business, according to the New York Times

tested. I don’t take anything that’s below 75 percent MDMA – it’s too risky.”

However, teengers may feel a false sense of security using these test kits.

Emergency room physician Davis isn’t familiar with a test kit for Molly, but called drug testing kits “absolutely unreliable.”

“There is no possible way to test for purity,” he said.

Because a single dose can have devastating consequences, – including death, Davis said – Molly can be extremely dangerous. Even the purest form of Molly can be fatal.

When he was on Molly, the Wootton alum reported feeling unusually hot and dehydrated.

“When MDMA is taken in a recreational setting, like at dance clubs for raves, there can be adverse effects,” explained Charles Grob, who researches MDMA at UCLA. “[Users’] temperatures can shoot up to 105 or 106 degrees.

That can cause a devastating physiological reaction called a “disseminated intravascular coagulation,” where the blood starts to clot, which can rapidly lead to liver failure, kidney failure, seizures, and death.”

After taking Molly, some users have died from water intoxication because MDMA hinders the body’s elimination of fluids, Grob said. When bodily fluids accumulate beyond a certain point, electrolyte imbalances can cause seizures and death.

Reducing the presence of Molly at music concerts is difficult.

The Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act, passed in 2003, has made it hard for music venues to address the problem because if the owners know that drugs are present at the venue, they can be fined up to $250,000, an article in Rolling Stone reported. That makes it harder for club owners and music promoters to ensure safety during the event.

At the Electric Zoo festival, promoters set up tents where medics were on site to handle medical emergencies, Rolling Stone reported. Still, the precaution proved inadequate.

After a negative experience with Molly, one Whitman senior said he regrets his decision to use it. When asked what he would say to other kids who are interested in trying Molly, he simply said, “Don’t.”

9

10

ads

november 26, 2013

“My name is Rocky and I’m 9 years old!”

Do you play the guitar like your Dad over there?

“NO! I play the tambourine and the drums!”

by Emma Anderson A picture’s worth a thousand words, but a couple more can’t hurt.

Inspired by Brandon Stanton and his blog, “Humans of New York,” advanced photography students took to the streets of D.C. and Bethesda to meet and photograph perfect strangers.

The photo class’s Humans of D.C. page has taken Facebook by storm, with over 630 likes and counting.

The page currently has 96 photos and accompanying stories that range from a trash man in an orange suit to a woman dressed in red, white and blue carrying her dog.

The assignment was simple—take photos of complete strangers and ask them about their lives—but photo teacher Mike Seymour had a lot more in mind when he sent his students out into the streets.

“I think that [teenagers] need to learn how to interact with people,” Seymour said. “We all text too much, Snapchat too much, email too much, Facebook post—no one can communicate. In the real world

If you could spend a day with anybody you wanted, who would it be?

“Snoop Dog because he is on a lot of medicine and we could eat and listen to music together.”

“Are you on the basketball team?”

the leaderSHIP never sinks

Jorge Richardson PRESIDENT

announcements:

We will be having a General Assembly meeting in December. 4th period delegates should listen to announcements for further information.

Happy Thanksgiving and have a great break!

“What made you decideto dye your hair pink?”

“Yee.”

people have confrontations. People are awkward and uncomfortable.”

Junior Alison Poffley went to Dupont Circle and approached two men playing chess. Poffley said it was hard to find a time to interrupt them without being rude. When they finished a round she asked to take their picture. One man just laughed at her, but the other man agreed.

“I kneeled down to take his picture but by the time I stood up to ask him a question, he was already playing chess again. So then I couldn’t talk to them,” Poffley said.

Junior Hannah Jacobs said she enjoyed discovering people’s unique and unpredictable stories and wants to continue street photography.

“I think I made their day, because they didn’t think anyone would want to listen to their stories, but they are all really interesting,” Jacobs said. “One lady went on and on about her dog and how she had rescued four dogs and all this stuff. It made them really happy to know that someone cared.”

SGA “

photo by ALI DANE

photo by ALIZA SITRIN

photo by NATHAN BENNETT

HUMANS OF DC photo by ALLISON POFFLEY

photo by JULIA JUNEMANN

Having recently moved here from France, what do you like most about DC? “The fashion...”

11

Feature

“

November 26, 2013

“I just wanted to be different and feel young again.”

Many people have come up with similar blogs and pages for their city, from Humans of Philadelphia to Humans of Singapore.

The first night the Facebook page went up, Seymour received two calls from old photo students wanting to know why they didn’t do the same project.

“I didn’t realize how viral it could get,” Seymour said. “It was neat to see the students get excited about getting recognition outside this little room. They were proud of that.”

Although the official assignment is over, students in the advanced photo classes have asked to continue shooting so they can keep the Facebook page alive.

Seymour’s primary goal seemed to be accomplished and exceeded as students braved new experiences and improved their people skills.

“This assignment helped me get over the fear of meeting new people because more likely than not they are really nice people,” Poffley said. “It gave me confidence that there really are nice people out in the world, even when you may not think there is.”

Marcela Falk-Bados VICE-PRESIDENT

Jenna Kantor SECRETARY

Kendall Eisenberg TREASURER

Rachel Ordan SECRETARY

Class Officers:

‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17

Elizabeth Meyer Jonny Rasch, Katie Sullivan, Mia Carmel

Jenna Hosker, Selvi Ulusan, Carolyn Hoover

Keara Sullivan, Kueho Michael Choi, Sophia Zambri

FEATURE

DUDE FOOD:

Phabulous, Phantastic Pho

By Nick Meyer Italy has pizza, Japan has sushi and America has the burger. But for the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam, there is one dish that for some foodies trumps them all: pho. And with ethnic cuisines becoming more and more mainstream, pho has the potential to conquer the food world.

But just what is pho?

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) originates from Northern Vietnamese villages outside of the nation’s ancient capital Hanoi. Although multiple theories exist, most culinary historians postulate pho developed after the introduction of beef into Vietnamese cooking during the French occupation of Indochina.

The French brought with them their rich culinary traditions, creating Franco-Asian fusion dishes such as the Banh Mi—a baguette sandwich full of traditional Vietnamese meats, pickles and pâté. It’s possible pho originates from the French beef stew Pot au Feu; pho most likely derives from the word Feu. Although a simple noodle soup dish, pho is renowned for its complex flavor profile. Most feature fresh rice noodles in an aromatic, light beef broth, combining cinnamon, star anise, roasted ginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed and clove. A popular take on the classic relies on chicken stock instead of the more intense beef based broth.

Most traditional restaurants offer a wide array of beefy toppings such as fatty brisket, rare eye-of-round steak, well done flank, tripe and meatballs, as well as chicken for the chicken pho. Though less traditional, some restaurants even have seafood or entirely vegetarian options.

The steaming bowls of noodle soup are served alongside a plate of complimentary herbs and sauces such as fresh chilies, bean sprouts, Thai basil, hoisin sauce and Sriracha. A squirt of lime is customary and enhances the dynamic taste.

The large number of Vietnamese immigrants in the Washington DC area makes finding high quality pho quite easy. Eden Center—a Vietnamese shopping and restaurant complex in Falls Church, VA—has 17 specialty bakeries and 30 restaurants serving up incredibly authentic dishes. Other pho hotspots apart from downtown DC include the suburbs of Germantown, Gaithersburg and Rockville, MD. Bethesda’s Rice Paddies Grill isn’t bad, but the bowls lack both intense flavor and a wide array of toppings. Instead, try Pho house in Germantown or Pho Hoa Binh in Rockville. Even if you aren’t a foodie, making the pilgrimage to these local restaurants is well worth the drive.

Most remain traditional spots where members of the local Vietnamese community flock to for a taste of home.

Junior achieves Internet fame, financial success with YouTube channel

by nicole fleck People go their whole lives searching for a job where they can earn a good salary while doing what they love.

But at just 17, junior Charlie Lobsenz has already found a hobby that allows him to do just that—earn thousands by playing video games.

Lobsenz created the YouTube channel Chazofftopic where he posts videos about the video game Minecraft.

Through interactive videos, he teaches people how to add virtual modifications or additions to the game.

With almost 100,000 subscribers on his channel, Lobsenz earns a six-figure salary through advertisements on his videos, a product-placement deal with GameStop and his own t-shirt line.

Minecraft is a video game in which players explore a virtual world freely with no specific levels or requirements. The game is based around collecting materials and then building items to help you survive.

The freedom of the game allows Lobsenz with a sense of inventiveness with his videos.

“The creativity I have is probably my favorite part,” Lobsenz said. “I can really do anything I want or whatever I want and my subscribers usually like it.

Playing video games and making money for it is fun as well.”

Lobsenz began his YouTube channel at the end of 2011 when Minecraft was rising in popularity.

“I thought to myself, this could have a really big audience, and it ended up probably having one of the biggest audiences in video game history,” Lobsenz said.

Lobsenz also creates music videos that parody popular songs with Minecraft visuals and different lyrics. These videos usually take one to two months to create.

Lobsenz is collaborating with popular DJ Krewella on a parody in the works. DJ Krewella is creating original lyrics for him for Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”.

Lobsenz tries to make his tutorial videos daily, with each taking one to two hours to create. For each video, he goes to websites that have modifications on them, picks out a helpful tip and elaborates on it in video form, making it visual and simplified for players to understand.

“I show the whole modification so they don’t have to read a huge tutorial of text,” Lobsenz said. “They can just watch the video or they can listen to the video—it makes it a lot easier for them.”

Although Chazofftopic has spawned a widespread YouTube fanbase, many of his fans are here in the school’s community of Minecraft players.

november 26, 2013

photo courtesy CHARLIE LOBSENZ

Feature

Junior Charlie Lobsenz ‘s YouTube channel Chazofftopic, which is focused on the popular internet game Minecraft, has close to 100,000 subscribers.

“His videos are helpful because they’re very detailed and elaborate,” sophomore Will Johnson said. “He connects to the viewers and give tips and explanations for how to do a lot of new things that people didn’t know how to do before.”

Lobsenz joined a video hosting network called Machinima after they reached out to him saying that they liked his videos. Machinima asked him to sign to them, offering to pay him for his videos by having advertisements placed on them and uploading his videos to Michinima’s main channel, which has 1.7 million subscribers.

Acting as the middleman between Lobsenz and the advertisers, the network works with the advertisers to find a price to pay him per thousand views so that Lobsenz doesn’t have to get too involved with the business side.

Lobsenz’s first video with Michinima gained about 50,000 views and he acquired a couple thousand subscribers. Since then, his subscriber numbers have been steadily increasing per day, he said.

Lobsenz is now signed to a different network called Collective. Collective also represents YouTube sensation Fred, who has made appearances on iCarly. Although Lobsenz is no longer signed to Machinima, he attributes his early success to them with all of the promotion they did for his videos.

Minecraft remains his focus, Lobsenz hopes to branch out to making videos for other games as well in the future.

“Obviously if Minecraft starts to die, my videos start to die,” Lobsenz said. “When I’ll [branch out] is the question—most likely when I have more subscribers than I do now.

Although Lobsenz has thoughts of expanding his video repertoire, his current Minecraft videos have had sufficient success. Lobsenz’s stable financial state has allowed him to buy himself a car with his earnings.

“For the majority of [the money], I invest it,” Lobsenz said. “I have already put a pretty large chunk of it into the market and with the rest of it, I just have some fun.”

Movie Review: “Dallas Buyers Club”

offers honest look at HIV/AIDS crisis

by Max Steinhorn

Diagnosed with HIV and given only 30 days to live, Ron Woodroof’s fight to survive paints a disturbing picture of the stark social divides in the Deep South during the height of the United States’ HIV/AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s – a dark period in American history that many in our generation don’t know much about.

Directed by Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee and inspired by true events, “Dallas Buyers Club” is a trenchant and eye-opening commentary centered on the protagonist Woodroof, a rodeo cowboy and oilfield electrician who struggles with, and later comes to terms with his HIV diagnosis.

He is a stereotypical Texas redneck in 1980s Dallas. He smokes, drinks, uses drugs, has lots of casual, unprotected sex and is overtly homophobic.

Matthew McConaughey, who lost 50 pounds to play the role of Woodroof, delivers an emotional and fearless performance in the film, which many have called a serious contender for Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

The movie intertwines multiple plot conflicts that depict the full crisis. Other than Woodroof’s internal conflict between his former self and his infected self, a battle between the government and AIDS community takes a prominent role in the movie. The movie portrays the FDA as bullies who refuse to legalize AIDS treatment that is proven to work – and it is the FDA who Woodroof crusades against.

Jared Leto plays a charismatic, transgender named Rayon and gives an impressive and touching performance. Rayon also has AIDS and helps Woodroof create a “club,” which helps provide treatment not available or legal in the United States to those infected with the virus.

Woodroof’s treatment of Rayon marks his transformation in the movie – from an insulting and

photo by ANNE MARIE FOX/AP PHOTO

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Matthew McConaughey underwent an impressive physical transformation, losing 50 pounds to play HIV patient Ron Woodruff in Jean-Marc Vallee’s new film.

intolerant homophobe to a compassionate and inclusive member of the HIV positive community. The line that stands outside his office, which grows longer and longer as the movie progresses, also symbolizes his increasing connection with the people whom he once despised.

He even gets into a fist fight with a former friend who refused to shake hands with Rayon.

Dallas Buyers Club is far from a feel good story, but it accurately depicts the multitude of obstacles that members of the HIV/AIDS had to overcome in the 1980s.

Some of the film’s plot points have been challenged as fiction or an embellishment of the truth, but the overall story and characters still correctly illustrate the conflicts of the era.

So while many high school students do not know the true gravity of the HIV/AIDS crisis and how it affected millions of people – the topic is many times overlooked in schools and textbooks. Dallas Buyers Club does it justice.

november 26, 2013

Feature

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

SPORTS

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Aliza Wolfe: Girls Soccer

By Sam Berson This past month during the girls soccer team’s electrifying playoff run, midfielder Aliza Wolfe was the engine of the state championship winning team.

Wolfe, a senior captain, led the team during the playoffs with four goals, scoring in three straight games leading up to the championship game. She also sent the crucial corner to Anna Gurney for the go-ahead score during the state title game.

Wolfe’s goals were some of the most important during the playoff run. In the state semifinal game against South River, she scored Whitman’s game winning goal, converting on a penalty with less than two minutes left in the game.

Two games before that, during the regional semifinal against Churchill, Wolfe scored the team’s only goal on a curving free

kick from outside the box.

But not all of Wolfe’s achievements show up in the box score. She’s a two-way player that’s relentless on defense as well as offense. Wolfe’s leadership on the team also played a huge role during the season.

“It’s not just her technical ability and speed, it’s her leadership that we are going to miss next year,” coach Greg Herbert said.

Wolfe has played for Herbert for the past six years; she started on varsity all four years while she was at Whitman.

Although her Whitman career may be over, her soccer career is not. Next fall, she will strap on her cleats for the Division I Rice Owls, playing in Conference USA.

TEAM PREVIEWS Ice Hockey

Swimming After a strong season last year, the Swim and Dive team looks to make a splash by going far in both states and metros.

“I think we have a pretty good team, we look to go far in Metros and States, and were going to have to swim fast,” junior Alex Roeder said.

With the addition of freshman Kevin Notley, Zach Paulos, Xavier Roberts-Gaal and Michael Barsky, hopes are high that the Vikes’ could make it farther than previous years in both states and metros.

“I’m very excited about the new season, we got a lot of new freshman. I think we’re going to do very well,” Coach Geoffrey Schaefer said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we make a huge impact in division two this year.”

The Vikes’ kick the season off Dec. 12, at Olney Swim Center, against the Clarksburg Coyotes.

Girls Basketball

With a promising start to their season, the ice hockey team is looking forward to a dominant regular season and a long run into the playoffs.

The Vikes won the Frederick Cup, a preseason tournament that has been a good indicator of playoff success in the past. The last time Whitman won the tournament in 2011, the team made it to the state finals.

After the tournament, the Vikes started off the regular season with two wins followed by a competitive game with the undefeated Wootton Patriots.

The team takes pride in their ability to keep their energy up during entire games.

“We’re a very deep team,” forward Will Moss said. “Whenever someone gets tired, we are always confident in the player that comes in for them.”

Ice hockey continues their season Friday December 13 as they take on rival B-CC.

Wrestling The wrestling team is looking stronger than ever this year with 11 returning starters and a large senior class.

The Vikes ended last season 7-7 with three consecutive losses to Paint Branch, WJ and B-CC. They will rely heavily on returning region champions 126-lbs sophomore Mitch Fenton and 152-lbs senior Jack Calder to lead the team to victory.

Head coach Derek Manon feels that his team has great potential.

“The team will have to work hard,” Manon said. “But, they have the ability to do big things this year.”

The team will face Wootton at home on Dec. 7 for their first dual meet.

Senior Jack Calder secures the fall against Damascus last season. Calder was last year’s 152 lb Region champion.

photo courtesy NICOLE FLECK

The boy’s basketball team is looking to grow on their success from last season when they doubled their win total from the previous season and beat crosstown rival WJ in the playoffs.

The team has 10 returning seniors, including Shannon Dawe who missed all of last year with concussion issues.

Point guard Max Steinhorn will be the offense’s primary facilitator and Haverford commit Josh Fried will look to replicate the success graduate Daniel Lowet experienced in the post.

Senior center Scott Atkins has also added much needed height to the team and will help Senior Adam Joel goes up for a bucket last year. He is a captain for Fried down low.

The boy’s have also this year’s team. added sophomore guard Kyle Depollar, a transfer from The Heights, who is making a big push to be part of the starting line-up.

“We brought in a lot of new talent,” senior captain Adam Lowet said. “We expect Kyle and Scott to be big contributors and a lot of guys were working hard in the offseason.”

Head coach Chris Lun agrees and likes how the team has played together so far.

“Our team this year is one of the deepest I’ve had in my ten seasons at Whitman,” Lun said. “We have a bunch of guys that can contribute and keep the intensity up. This group also has great team chemistry, and they enjoy playing with each other.”

photo courtesy ADAM JOEL

Boys Basketball

Senior Avery Witt launches a three-pointer last winter.

Witt, as well as seniors Rebecca Ford, Maddie Cannon, and Marissa Cannon, hope to lead the Vikes back to the State tournament.

The girls’ team had one of their most successful seasons in recent memory last year, advancing to the state semifinals before a heartbreaking one-point loss to Baltimore Polytechnic at UMBC. The Lady Vikes (21-5) lost six valuable seniors to graduation, but look to bounce back this year with strong leadership and a new crop of young talent.

The team’s tough, pressuring defense will anchor the Vikings again this season. Senior captains Avery Witt, Rebecca Ford and twins Maddie and Marissa Cannon will lead the charge for the Vikes.

“We’re a really versatile team,” Witt said. “A lot of players have multiple skills, so that’s a big advantage.”

The Vikes will also add freshman Abby Meyers as well as sophomores Betsy Knox and Hannah Niles, among other players, looking to fill some holes with young talent.

Head coach Peter Kenah said the team was looking strong this year and expressed his high hope for going to the state championship this year.

“The team chemistry this year is terrific,” he said. “We are going to give it our best and hopefully end up at states.”

The Vikings open the season Dec. 6 at home against the powerhouse Good Counsel Falcons.

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SPORTS

November 26, 2013

Alum takes on Appalachian Trail’s 100-Mile Wilderness trail

BY Tyler Jacobson As Will Seeber (’07) began his journey at the start of the iconic 100 Mile Wilderness, a sign cautioned: “Do not attempt this section unless you have a minimum of 10 days supplies and are fully equipped. This is the longest wilderness section of the entire Appalachian Trail, and its difficulty should not be underestimated.”

While the sign alone might scare off most, outdoorsman extraordinaire Will Seeber wasn’t daunted, and embarked alone on one of the most exciting and eventful trips of his life. Although he only made it 50 miles before injuring his ankles and stopping, he said it was a rewarding experience nonetheless.

“It was completely different from any type of forest or landscape that I had ever been in growing up here,” Seeber said.

The 100 Mile Wilderness is one of the last stretches of the over 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail is one of the most famous hikes in the U.S. and

Seeber’s experience kayaking helped him to develop a love for nature, which inspired him to undertake the journey.

traverses along the Appalachian mountain range all the way from Georgia to Maine. The 100 Mile Wilderness is the longest stretch of uninterrupted wilderness on the entire trail, according to the Sierra Club.

Seeber said he became interested in hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness after reading Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, a novel that depicted Bryson’s trials along the trail and was later adapted into a Robert Redford movie.

“It’s been on my bucket list,” Seeber said. “It’s the right mix of challenge and beauty.”

Seeber, who now works as an engineer, has always been interested in the outdoors. When he was eight, Seeber went to Valley Mill Camp, a local outdoors day camp, where he found a love for kayaking.

“I remember the first time I saw the kayaks at Valley Mill in the summer,” Seeber said. “I was really excited.”

Today, Seeber’s love for nature has expanded from just kayaking to a number of other outdoors activities.

“I’m either in the kayak or on the mountain bike every day,” Seeber said.

Seeber has done a number of hikes with friends, but this time he wanted a different experience and decided to do a solo hike in order to focus on nature and not be distracted by other people.

“There were a total of five different noises that I heard on the trail,” Seeber said. “There’s the wind blowing through the trees, the creaking from the wind blowing, the occasional chatter from squirrels, the rare spruce hen and then water noises.”

Seeber hired registered guide Phil Pepin to help him create a plan for the hike. Pepin said that Seeber had ‘the head’ for the hike and thought that he would have no problem completing the excursion.

Because of his thorough preparation, Seeber started the hike more optimistic about the path that lay ahead.

“After learning a little more about what I was doing, I got more confident and decided to ramp up the mileage to 15 per day,” Seeber said. “The plan became seven days.”

Seeber started the hike according to plan, but around 50 miles in, his ankles started bothering him “My 38 pound pack, the difficulty of the terrain and the shoes I had, just gave my ankles a tremendous beating,” Seeber said. “I got low-cut boots trying to save

Seeber attempted 15 miles a day to finish the 100 Mile Wilderness. After 50 miles, ankle injuries ended his trek early.

weight.”

In an effort to prevent worse ankle damage and potentially surgery, Seeber climbed a mountain—twice.

Although it may seem counterproductive, Seeber said the only way to shorten the hike was to contact someone who could pick him up, which meant reaching higher altitudes to find cellphone service. He first climbed to send the message out and then climbed up again to get the response.

Seeber managed to contact someone, but it took a full day for his savior—his guide Pepin—to arrive by a local tree-logging road and rescue him.

“Luckily it was a pretty beautiful place to spend a day,” Seeber said.

Pepin said that around 40 percent of the people he helps are unable to finish the trail like Seeber.

“The challenge becomes not how many miles you can make in a day or how steep the climbs are,” Pepin said. “But whether or not your body can withstand the constant pounding, twisting, tripping, slipping and falling the footpath lays before you with every step.”

In a year’s time, Seeber will again start the trek up near Monson, Maine and try to finish what he started.

Booster Club Bucks: An Infographic The Vikings play on the best kept field in the county and perfect their practice with leading edge equipment. Here’s how the Booster Club makes it happen.

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$90,000-$100,000

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for maintenance of gym floor

2

HURDLES Infographic by Maria Mu

Football team reacts to Dolphins hazing scandal, emphasizes on-field respect

BY Caleb Kushner It’s ironic that Miami Dolphins offensive lineman, Richie Incognito, is now one of the least incognito players in the NFL. Incognito has made headlines for the past few weeks after teammate Jonathan Martin walked out of the team training facility and checked himself into a hospital for “emotional issues,” prompted by Incognito’s hazing. He accused Incognito of using racial epithets and saying “I’ll kill you,” in a message left over the phone.

This leaves many asking the question: Was Incognito simply participating in a “hazing culture” of football, or were his actions unusual even for the locker room?

Whitman quarterback, Evan Smith, said he is aware that hazing can be a major part of football culture.

“There’s certain stuff that is just part of being on a team,” Smith said.

Smith, however, said he is shocked that this intense hazing has occurred at such a high level of play.

“I understand that the NFL isn’t a regular workplace and a lot of the stuff that goes on within a team would not fly in any corporate setting,” Smith said.

“But Incognito went way over board in his harassment.”

Whitman football creates a respectful environment, and no players would ever face the type of hazing Martin faced, tight end Anton Casey said.

“Whitman is not nearly as affected

by bullying as other football programs in the county,” Casey said. “There’s no bullying because everybody keeps to themselves and has the decency to treat each other with respect.”

Many have accused Incognito, who was on the Dolphin’s six man leadership council, of poor leadership.

“When I heard the story, the first thing I thought about was the lack of leadership in the Miami Dolphins locker room,” said former New England Patriots safety and NBC football analyst Rodney Harrison on the talk show “Football Night in America.”

Casey feels as though maturity and leadership on a team can have a large impact on locker room dynamics.

“Its immature that bullying and

hazing goes on at such a high level of football,” Casey said. “However, Whitman’s leadership makes everyone feel safe.”

Head coach Jim Kuhn said he has little patience in the locker room for this type of behavior.

“At our level there is no tolerance,” Kuhn said. “If someone steps over the line they are removed immediately.”

Kuhn credits respect for the football team’s success this season.

“Respect is part of the reason you go 7-3,” Kuhn said. “If kids don’t respect one another they won’t produce on the field.”

november 26, 2013

15

Sports

New athletic safety standards implemented

Atheltic trainer, limits on football practices, county-regulated concussion testing among changes

Concussion Safety For the first time this fall, all county athletes—ranging from tennis players to offensive linemen—will be required to complete a baseline concussion test.

Athletes take the imPACT test which measures memory, attention span and reaction time through a series of computer tasks before the season starts.

If an athlete has a possible concussion, he or she takes the test again and the new results are compared to the previous baseline score, enabling coaches to determine if an athlete has sustained a concussion.

Whitman has been ahead of the county in this area and has mandated baseline testing for all sports for several years.

Football players have taken the

test for about six years, football coach Jim Kuhn said.

The NFL has increased its safety policies in wake of new findings regarding the longterm health effects of severe concussions and this same test is mandatory at the NFL level. The league has instituted increasingly stringent penalties and fines for helmet-to-helmet hits.

In fact, Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather was fined $42,000 this season for a helmet-tohelmet hit against Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Whitman’s trainer Jessica Horn treats players hurt during games and assesses their injuries. 11 of the 25 schools in Montgomery County have Lacy. athletic trainers.

Whitman parent Tom Hearn has been a major advocate for in the right direction with While Horn treats the usual athlete safety in MCPS, meeting the concussion testing for all sprains, bruises and cuts, she with the county and state Board athletes, the county should fund largely focuses on players who of Education for several years. athletic trainers for all schools have sustained concussions.

Hearn, who focuses most and improve safety standards.

“I spend quite a bit of time of his advocacy on concussions For the first time this year, managing student athletes with in high school football and runs 11 of the 25 high schools in concussions and help them a blog and Twitter account to MCPS, including Churchill, complete their state mandated raise awareness on the dangers Walter Johnson, Richard return-to-play protocol,” she of hits to the head, said the Montgomery, and Whitman said. most effective way to limit have athletic trainers. These A physician can clear an high-school injuries is proper trainers are under contract for athlete who is ready to return coaching.

MedStar Health and work up to play if he or she is testing “Policy papers don’t to 25 hours a week. They’re on at normal baseline level again prevent concussions,” Hearn the field during as many games and reports no concussion said. “It’s the execution of and practices as possible to symptoms. them, day-in and day-out.”

Kuhn considers Horn’s help with injuries and decide Hearn cited Fairfax County whether a player is fit to play. ability to quickly diagnose as a model. There, mandatory Whitman’s trainer, and refer players to a doctor training for all high school Jessica Horn, has experience incredibly helpful.

Starting football coaches reinforces the treating athletes at all levels of wide receiver Nick Newsham importance of safe tackling, competition. She worked with credits his quick recovery from reducing the likelihood of James Andrews, an orthopedic a mild concussion to Horn. sustaining a concussion, he said. surgeon renowned for his “She is very helpful,” work with the Redskins and Newsham said. “She was the Athletic Trainers famous athletes such as Michael difference between me missing Jordan, Brett Favre and Adrian one game versus two.”

Athletic director Andy Peterson, and until this past Here too, Hearn noted Wetzel and Kuhn agree that, August as a physician extender Fairfax County is ahead of although MCPS is moving and athletic trainer.

MCPS. The county has had an

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photo courtesy JESSICA HORN

by Caleb Kushner In a sport where players and coaches glorify bone-jarring hits and collisions, it’s easy to forget that the crack you hear when a running back smashes into a 250-pound linebacker is often the sound of two helmets, encasing fragile skulls, colliding.

Football players at any level can experience these violent hits on a daily basis.

Increased awareness about the dangers athletes can face, in football and other sports, combined with a desire to improve player safety, has prompted MCPS to develop new policy standards and recommendations involving concussion safety, athletic trainers and heat stroke protection this year.

athletic trainer at every high school for about 30 years and in the past decade schools have even added a second trainer, he said.

Practices MCPS has also taken steps to improve player safety at sports practices.

For the first time this year, the county recommends that full contact football practices occur no more than twice a week.

However, teams are not obligated to follow the recommendation.

In comparison, the NFL limits teams to 11 full-contact practices throughout the 16-week season.

Kuhn feels that more fullcontact practices are needed at the high school level in order to teach players how to safely and effectively tackle.

“Blocking and tackling are part of the sport,” Kuhn said.

“If you don’t teach it, one can never do it safely in the game.”

This year, the county also recommended weather limits at which players should stop practicing.

But, the county focuses on air quality instead of the heat index, allowing teams to practice in temperatures up to 111 degrees.

Jeff Rosenberg, a starting defenseman for the soccer team has experienced practicing in the heat.

“Practices in the early fall can be dangerously hot,” Rosenberg said. “Even though MCPS has done some things to prevent heat exhaustion, it can still be an issue.”

JV Girls basketball coach leaves after 67-game win-streak

by Sam Berson Larry Jodrie led the JV girls basketball team to six winning seasons, four straight undefeated seasons, and has not lost a game since 2009. But now the Vikings will have to continue their 67-game win streak without him.

Jodrie, the Vikes coach for the past seven seasons, decided to leave the team this summer a take a JV girls coaching job at Oakdale High School in Frederick County, MD. Jodrie wanted to be able to watch his son, who is now a freshman at Oakdale, play during his basketball season. He was also motivated to leave because of the long distance he had to travel to Whitman and all he had to be away from his family.

“During basketball season I work until 3:30 and then go over to Whitman for practice and don’t get home until eight if I’m lucky,” Jodrie said. “I would get to see my family about an hour and a half a day, so that was the tipping point.”

The new coach, Michael Witt, is the father of Whitman senior Avery Witt and coached the JV fall team this year.

“I tip my hat to Mr. Jodrie; I think his biggest success was how highly his players thought of him and how much he enjoyed being their coach,” Witt said.

Jodrie started coaching basketball in 1976 and has worked at high schools and junior colleges in both Maryland and New Hampshire, where he’s originally from.

After taking over in 2006, one of Jodrie’s keys to success had been his style of coaching, which has not only been focused on building for the current season, but also planning ahead and

building a team for the seasons to come.

Sophomore Betsy Knox, who played for Jodrie as a freshman, said one of his greatest strengths was the way he was able to improve all of the players he coaches. Knox said that Jodrie was able to help each player grow individually while also coaching to help the team win.

Senior Rebecca Ford, who played basketball for the first time under Jodrie and is now committed to play at Amherst, understands Jodrie’s ability to teach new athletes more than most.

“He took his time teaching concepts, explaining the game and he gave me the chance to be a basketball player,” Ford said. “He took a chance on me when I had never played before, and without him I wouldn’t be a varsity player, let alone be committing to play in college.”

Jodrie was also able to prepare all his players for the varsity level, leaving few surprises when they moved up.

“They knew the game coming up,” varsity girls basketball coach Peter Kenah said. “The speed always takes time, but in terms of what to know and what to anticipate it was never like we had to go over concepts. They understood basketball.”

Jodrie acknowledged how lucky he was to coach at Whitman and have the players he did.

“The kids that come in are smart, they want to work hard, they want to get better, and are very self-motivated,” Jodrie said. “You don’t have to stand there and kick them in the rear end. I always joked that one of my jobs as a coach was to grab their foot once in a while to stop them for kicking themselves.”

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Q&A

November 26, 2013

Famed violinist Judy Kang discusses performing on tour with Lady Gaga, pursuing a career in music and more

By Kelley Czajka The Black & White interviewed violinist Judy Kang, one of seven band members who performed with Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour in 2010 and 2011. She grew up in Canada and began training at the Curtis Institute in Canada at age 11. She graduated at age 17 with a Bachelor’s degree in music, and then continued studying at Julliard, where she obtained her Master’s. Kang reflects on her experiences working with Lady Gaga and offers advice for anyone interested in pursuing music.

B&W: What other artists and ensembles have you worked with, aside from Lady Gaga?

JK: I’ve worked with many different artists—a lot of indie bands, I worked with Lenny Kravitz, and a lot of different distinguished classical artists as well as conductors. I’ve worked with a lot of singer-songwriters, a lot of producers, DJs, and I just continue to work with various artists.

B&W: What is it that you’re working on right now?

JK: At this moment, I’m recording my own music and I want to continue to create new projects within the classical world as well. I want to record more classical repertoire and traditional music and also present that music through innovative videos and visuals. I’m performing different shows in the city—club shows as well as ensembles and solo projects—and I’m planning on touring my own music as well.

The Black & White: Did you always see yourself as a professional violinist, and if not when was your interest first sparked?

Judy Kang: When I first started playing when I was four, I wasn’t thinking “okay I’m going to be doing this professionally,” but when I first started, I started competing in competitions and performing pretty much from the beginning. So, it kind of quickly developed and I started playing locally, as well as provincially and nationally in Canada.

It kind of -progressed and by the time I was about ten or eleven, I think I just kind of saw myself performing and it became a part of my life.

At that point, I realized this might be something I would be doing for a while. photo courtesy Judy Kang

B&W: What kinds of music have you performed, what is your favorite genre of music and why?

JK: I love all types of genres and all styles of music. I sort of began improvising when I was about seven or eight, just making up melodies and tunes. While I was studying at the Curtis Institute and other places, I just kind of did a lot of my own music as well on the side, just for fun.

By the time I was in New York, I was able to collaborate with different artists and bands, eventually I was recording and writing my own music as well. I record—I would say it’s like indie fusion. There’s a lot of classical influence as well, a lot of electronica because I love beats and I love a lot of different noise contrasted with beautiful, lyrical kinds of melodies and linear lines.

with just the band and herself was really a time where I could really be creative and respond to her.

B&W: How has working with her affected your sense of professionalism?

JK: I think that working with the band and her as well was a great experience in focus and in discipline. Performing in such a huge arena and in front of many people has kind of widened my performance experience. As far as professionalism goes, I think just having to stay focused all the time and just being on top of performances and shows at all times has really contributed to that.

B&W: What was the most fun or interesting part about working with Lady Gaga?

JK: There were many highlights and many fun moments. I think playing outdoor shows was really a highlight, and in the shows, playing live

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For answers to last cycle’s crossword, check theblackandwhite.net.

49

1. Couch-jumping celeb follows this religion 8. Subculture, loves the color black 10. Key and ___ started on YouTube, now on Comedy Central 12.YA author, Nothing but the Truth, City of Orphans 14. Kids’ sleepwear popular on pajama day 15. Web’s most visited film and TV info source 17. Male formalwear chain; first word 19. “The Little Mermaid” titular character 21. NJ university with bear mascot 23. Make-yourown Mediterranean restaurant 24. Rapper, feuded with Jay-Z from ‘01 to ‘05 25. Basic music term 26. Lizard who saves you 15% on car insurance 28. AP subject taught

by Mr. Koppel; for short 30. Small, squashedlooking dog breed 31. Meal course following appetizers 34. Missing without permission; abbrev.

35. Flies planes for the Navy, but don’t call him a pilot 38. Egyptian sun god 39. California

B&W: What prospects do you have for the future?

JK: For the future, I would definitely love to continue what I’m doing, which is performing and writing my own music and recording—just really constantly evolving as an artists and contributing to other artists. I want to continue teaching as well and just bringing music to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to music. I just don’t want to limit myself. I want to keep evolving as a person as well as an artist.

B&W: What advice do you have for people who wish to pursue a career in music?

JK: To just be open minded and engage yourself in many opportunities and experiences, even if it’s out of your comfort zone. Even if it’s something you’re not used to and you’re afraid to take that step, just encourage yourself and be bold.

I would just say to absorb as much as you can, whether it’s different kinds of music or just being around different kinds of people that are in other areas of music or arts and just be well-rounded as a person and an artist because there’s so many opportunities these days that are not just limited to one line of work. If you have a passion for something, even if it’s something that you feel is outside of what you know, I would encourage you to explore that.

winemaking region 40. Car company named after eccentric scientist 42. Fizzy drink left open for too long becomes this 44. Rapper with Twitter handle @ JODYHiROLLER 48. In medias ___ (Latin) 50. Italian greeting and farewell 53. Intl. organization created post-WWII; abbrev.

55. Computer term; abbrev.

DOWN 2. Alien race bent on activating Halo rings 3. More than a single, but not quite an album; abbrev.

4. Also known as Mr. Anderson in “The Matrix” 5. Scottish actor, played 10th doctor in “Doctor Who” 6. Soccer fan’s exclamation 7. Musical by “Miss Saigon” writers; for short 9. Origin of Alfred E. Neuman 11. Rapper, two-time jailbird, released album in prison 12. Morning; abbrev.

13. __ N’ Out: California burger joint 16. Italian plumber whose princess is in

another castle 18. The Leaning Tower of Pisa stands at a _____ 20. Belgium’s most popular variety of waffle 22. Information freedom project not on best terms with US government 26. Revolutionary t-shirt mascot; last name 27. 2001 NBA #1 draft pick, currently with 76ers; first name 28. Origin of “say hello to my little friend!”

29. Vincent Chase’s agent on “Entourage;” first name 30. In business, marketing, communication, etc.; abbrev.

31. 1982 Spielberg sci-fi film; for short 32. Persona ___ grata (Latin) 33. Commuter’s nightmare, also English rock band 36. Played Iceman in “Top Gun”; first name 37. Houston baseball team 41. The knighted assume this title 45. Radio frequency band 46. _____ Van Winkle 47. Indie band who spells name lowercase with period 49 Ambulance worker, often volunteer; abbrev.

51. Sobriety organization; abbrev.