The Black & White Vol. 54 Issue 4

volume 54, Issue 4 march 16, 2016

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Girls basketball wins state title, boys claim regional championship

Left: The girls baskerball team celebrate after winning their second ever 4A Maryland state championship with a 71-55 victory over the Western Doves Saturday. This was their first state title since 1995. Right: Forwards George Wilson and Abe Kuhn console each other after their 61-35 loss against the Meade Mustangs in the state semifinals, their last game in their high school career. To learn more about both team’s seasons, see special edition insert. Photos by Michelle Jarcho and Tomas Castro.

School hosts first robotics tournament, over 1,000 attend

By Tessa Klein

Dozens of robots completed an elaborate obstacle course in the gym in front of hundreds of cheering spectators last weekend during the first robotics tournament Whitman has ever held. The event marked a milestone for the robotics team, which also pulled out its highest ever in-season finish, placing fourth out of the 40 teams competing.

The tournament drew teams from all over the DMV, with around 1,200 people in attendance, including an impressive showing of Montgomery County Councilmembers, Maryland delegates and even Congressman Chris Van Hollen. The event was arranged by For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology (FIRST), a nonprofit that puts together robotics competitions across the nation.

“Walt Whitman has been amazing,” said Jenny Beatty, volunteer director for STEMaction, an organization that supports FIRST programs. “It’s a lot of work putting on these events, but I want to emphasize just how supportive the school has been, and the robotics team here has been just terrific.”

In the matches, two three-robot alliances try to score the most points by crossing medieval-themed defenses—a fake moat, drawbridge and portcullis— and by getting balls into the opposing team’s “castle” through small openings. The energy level in the gym was high, and students packed the stands.

“It’s a game of robots, and you want to cheer for them,” junior Eliana Weiss said. “You can’t help getting into the spirit.”

Kate Cameron, a competitor from Linganore H.S. in Frederick, also enjoyed the enthusiastic mood.

“Everyone is really excited and happy to be here and they’re all proud of the work they put out,” Cameron said. “It’s a really fun atmosphere, and I never feel like it’s too serious.”

Volunteers and the robotics team spent over nine hours setting up all the equipment and technology on the Friday before the matches. As part of a push to increase recognition for Whitman robotics, the team submitted an application to FIRST to host a tournament here and completed extensive paperwork and measurements to ensure there would be enough space for both the matches and the pits--the spaces designated for each team to fix up its robot.

“Our team put together a pitch and they bought it, and it looks like we’re locked in for 2017 as well,” robotics mentor J.J. Biel-Goebel said.

“Our goal is a) it’s just cool to host our own event, and b) we really want more kids from Whitman involved in the robotics program, and we’re hoping that the attendance brings more students to robotics,” Biel-Goebel said. “This competition’s a first big step for us.”

Junior Annie Waye, a member of the robotics team, agreed with that sentiment.

“Qualifying for quarterfinals at a district event that we hosted was incredible,” Waye said. “I was so happy for everyone on the team.”

Inside Look

Whitman fondly remembers Tommy Buarque de Macedo Page 2

Should we have bRAVE next year? A Pro/Con Page 6

How students $pend their money Page 8 and 9

Sophomore Theodore Akpinar prepares Whitman’s robot for last weekend’s competition in the gym. The Vikings placed fourth out of the 40 teams. Photo by Tomas Castro

Junior Wesley Combs auditions for “The Voice” Page 10

Crossword Puzzle Page 12

2 news

march 16, 2016

Community comes together in wake of River Road crash

Students, teachers fondly remember Tommy Buarque de Macedo, offer support for sister Helena

By Tessa Klein

The Whitman community suffered a great loss Feb. 27 when senior Tommy Buarque de Macedo passed away after a car accident that also killed both of his parents and left his sister, sophomore Helena Buarque de Macedo, photo courtesy SAGA in critical condition.

Fortunately, Helena is now in stable condition and recovering faster than expected, principal Alan Goodwin said.

In the wake of the tragedy, students and teachers who knew Tommy have shared their memories of him to honor and celebrate his life.

“He was a really amazing person in that he was very different from everyone else and he knew it, but he embraced it,” senior David Whyman said.

“He wasn’t afraid of what other people would think.”

From his crazy socks to his Disney T-shirts, Tommy was always his own person and didn’t conform to others’ views and behaviors.

“Tommy was really successful at being true to himself and having that perspective to not take life too seriously,” English teacher Danielle Fus said.

“He knew what he loved and those were the things that he wanted to spend his time doing.”

At a vigil held to honor the family the day following the tragedy, several of Tommy’s friends spoke to a crowd of hundreds about Tommy’s enthusiasm.

“He would just strike up a conversation,” junior Michael Azimi said. “He didn’t care if you knew him well or not. He would just talk to you about his passions and then that would get you passionate about the things he cared about,” He shared his opinions on everything, and even once went on a 10-minute rant about Canadian bacon just to start a conversation, Azimi said.

He loved to argue, math teacher Michelle Holloway said, and participated in the Congress event for the debate team. Others who knew Tommy also emphasized how genuinely brilliant he was.

“Tommy was rough on the outside and soft on the inside and to get to the softness, you just had to

understand that he was really, really bright,” Holloway said. “He was creative, impulsive, super intelligent, always had a plan, loved to solve problems.

If there wasn’t a problem, he would make one so he could solve it. He loved when his method didn’t work and he had to try again and he really, truly never gave up.”

He was accepted to Georgia Tech and very excited about the school, although he was waiting to hear back from other colleges before committing to attend, junior Natalie Cohn said.

In addition to Tommy’s intellect, Holloway described his persistence, kindness and loyalty, as well as his unfailing willingness to help with everything from fixing a broken shelf to setting something up on the computer.

The energy and personality he brought wherever he went are among the qualities that Tommy will be most remembered for by the Whitman community.

“He always had a smile,” Fus said. “He always had a story, he always had some kind of plan for what was going to happen and he was always optimistic about it.”

Funeral services for Tommy and his parents were held March 3 at Catholic University and about 80 students attended, Goodwin said.

“It was very quiet and intimate,” Fus said. “It was as much closure as you can expect to have less than a week after you’ve lost so many people. They shared really lovely sentiments and it was very moving.”

“Obviously it was very sad, but I was pleased that a lot of Whitman students went to support the family,” Goodwin said. “Our students that spoke did an excellent job on a very sad topic, so I was proud of the way students handled the whole thing.”

The community has also responded by speaking out against the dangerous intersection on River Road where Tommy and his parents died, with over 4,000 people signing a petition to add a traffic light at the spot. Congressman Chris Van Hollen also voiced support for this movement after the accident.

The outpouring of support from the community reflects the enormous impact Tommy left on those who knew him.

“He was going to change the world, I’m sure. He was going to do something great,” Holloway said.

“But, I think he already did.”

The Whitman community came together after the Buarque de Macedo family’s tragic accident on River Road. The Feb. 28 candlelight vigil in particular somberly recognized Tommy as well as his family’s lives.

Students sign Helena’s get well card. Dr. Goodwin announced that Helena is recovering quicker from her injuries than the doctors expected. A similar banner was made in honor of Tommy. Photos by Michelle Jarcho

Students offer fashion advice to

by Naomi Meron

Thanks to ten fashion-savvy sophomores, Macy’s department store may soon be the number one shopping destination for teens.

Macy’s sales manager at Montgomery Mall Taiya Tribit-Hackey emailed principal Alan Goodwin in January asking to meet with students to discuss marketing ideas. While Macy’s has always tried to attract teens, its current consumer base is older, TribitHackey said. The store hopes to grow its business by bringing in fashion-forward brands that appeal to younger consumers.

Goodwin asked one of his student assistants, sophomore Emma Forde, if she would be in-

terested in assembling a group.

“When Dr. Goodwin approached me about it, it sounded like a great idea, and I was all for doing it,” Forde said. “It’s a cool thing to do, to give your input.”

Macy’s is currently redesigning the store and revamping its merchandise to look more modern and more appealing. As part of that effort, store manager Thomas Wallace put this “Teen Fashion Board” into action. Starting in February, the Board began holding monthly meetings. They will meet four times, and the Board members will receive SSL hours.

“We hope to learn how Macy’s Montgomery can be the place for millennials to shop, and what

products and events would bring them into our store,” TribitHackey said.

The team includes sophomore Isabella Cruz-Hill, who used to maintain a fashion blog with videos and fashion tips.

“I’ve always loved fashion and dressing up,” Cruz-Hill said. “I give props to the company for thinking of getting direct ideas from teens, since that’s the most effective way to get more customers in that age range.”

Sophomore Lauren Meyer, another Fashion Board member, is thinking about a career in marketing. The experience allows her to get a behind-the-scenes look at the retail operation, she said.

During the first meeting, stu-

dents received a tour of the store, gave comments about what they would change and filled out a questionnaire describing what improvements they would make.

“Most of their departments are great,” Forde said. “But their teenage girl department was lacking in that it was a little outdated with what it was selling. I think they could really go a lot more simple than they have been.”

Cruz-Hill recommended toning down the glitter and losing words such as “swag” on teen clothes, she said.

One part of the questionnaire sought advice about technology.

“It would be really beneficial for them if they used social media

to relate more to their audience, who they’re trying to sell to,” Forde said.

Tribit-Hackey is impressed with the students’ ideas and their knowledge of fashion trends, she said. The Board’s idea to have a My Stylist Junior, a personal shopper for teens, is being pitched to the district vice president and will possibly be put into the store, she said.

Goodwin welcomes the Whitman-Macy’s collaboration.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for students to see how the business world works, give them an out of school experience and a chance to help a community business,” Goodwin said. “It’s a winwin-win situation.”

Mock trial team argues their way to regional semifinals

by Julia Gilman

The mock trial team’s successful season concluded last week after losing to Richard Montgomery in the regional semi­ finals. It’s the furthest they’ve advanced through playoffs since the team formed five years ago.

The team, which is split into two groups for the plaintiff and defense, finished the regular season with a 2-­2 record and seeded eleventh out of twelve going into playoffs. For the entire season, every team in the league argues one case. This year’s case regarded a teenage girl suing her lacrosse league and coach for negligence after a second head injury led to a permanent disability.

In the regional semi­final trial, Richard

Montgomery—state champions two years ago—defeated Whitman by a close margin of 47­-45. Whitman, representing the defense, won the verdict of the trial, but the score comes from a judge awarding performance points to individual lawyers and witnesses.

“We played Richard Montgomery who, over the years, has become an arch­rival of sorts for us, and everyone performed incredibly well,” captain Jadie Stillwell said.

“It was a really close trial, with us losing by two points, but the judge awarding us the tie point for best overall performance.”

Richard Montgomery also beat Whitman by two points in the regular season.

Stillwell and fellow captains Emily Bernhard and Ireland Lesley led the team

through the season after their coach left at the beginning of the year.

“I also think the team’s chemistry has always and continued to be really great.”

- captain Jadie Stillwell “We had some bumps with our coach leaving us, but [overall] it was a great experience for our [senior] year,” witness Ivori Liu said.

This team’s experience boosted their success, Stilwell said.

“Almost everyone on our team has been in trials before and knows the ropes, and even those who didn’t caught on really quickly,” she said. “I also think the team’s chemistry has always and continued to be really great.”

While scheduling issues and the defense team being called to argue instead of the plaintiff five trials in a row created extra pressure, the team persisted.

“We managed to get past that stress and anxiety and really, really improve every time we did a trial” Stillwell said. “I could not be prouder of everyone.”

Ireland Lesley is the Production Head for the Black & White.

news 3

march 16, 2016

Students, teacher witness arrest at Westwood Shopping Center by jennah haque

Three Whitman students were sitting in a Starbucks Feb. 23, sipping vanilla lattes and passion tea lemonades. But as they watched 20 armed police officers handcuff and remove Bethesda businessman Dat. T. Ngo from the premises, their seemingly average Starbucks run got a little more interesting.

Ngo owns Relaxed Nails and Spa in Westwood Shopping Center, off River Road, and is a part owner of Acqua Nails in Sangamore Shopping Center.

Ngo faces criminal charges for his involvement in an interstate marijuana trafficking chain. The Arlington County police made the arrest after an extensive investigation; Ngo is in custody without bail, Arlington County Police Information Officer Ashley Savage told the Black & White in an e-mail interview.

According to Savage, Acqua Nails is a potential shipping location for Ngo’s marijuana trade. The salon is the go-to place for

many Whitman students and parents, and members of the community were shocked to learn of Ngo’s double life.

“I was really surprised because he was really nice and friendly and would always say hi to me and my mom when we went there,” junior Livy Mackey said.

The students were standing inside the Starbucks at Westwood during sixth lunch as they watched 18 undercover officers and two officers in uniform point guns at Ngo outside as he walked out of Relaxed, senior Cami Stenger said.

“It was such a surreal experience,” Stenger said. “It was like something from the movies.”

One policeman even reprimanded senior Hannah Ginsky, who witnessed the event, for putting herself in the presence of guns, she said.

Tech teacher Kevin Pope, who was leaving the nearby China Café Restaurant at the time, told the students to leave the scene, he said.

Students have positive reactions to new SAT by rachel friedman

After taking the redesigned SAT for the first time March 5, students reported mostly smooth and straightforward test-taking experiences. Major changes included reducing the grading scale from 2400 to 1600, making the essay optional but longer and removing vocabulary. The new test has four sections: reading, writing and language, calculator math and no-calculator math. The Black & White spoke to a few juniors who took the test to hear their reactions to the changes.

AT...

The S Before

Police are speculating that Los Angeles resident Kien V. Luong, who allegedly shipped packages from the west coast to businesses in the D.C area, was an accomplice to Ngo. The two used the U.S. Postal Service to ship the drugs instead of smuggler in hopes of keeping a low profile, WTOP reported. Graphic by Ann Morgan Jacobi

“There was much commotion,” Pope said. “I assessed the situation and made a quick judgement; I told the students to quickly get to their vehicles and get back to school.”

While the future may not look bright for Ngo, both Acqua Nails and Relaxed Nails and Spa are still currently open for

business. And the few Whitman eyewitnesses have a great story to tell.

“It really did feel like we were on NCIS,” said a junior who witnessed the event. “You don’t expect that kind of stuff to happen in Bethesda.”

after

2400 point grading scale

1600 point grading scale

Required essay, 25 minutes

Optional essay, 50 minutes

MATH: all calculator math

MATH: calculator and non-calculator math

WRITING: writing multiple choice and essay compiled

WRITING: writing conventions and idea expression

READING: sentence completions, vocabulary, passage based questions

evidence-based questions

READING: no vocabulary,

graphic by Emma Davis

“The math on the new SAT was at a much higher level, including a lot more of pre-calculus, while the old one had more ‘figure out what they’re really asking’ word problems.”

- junior Sophia Zambri

“It’s more suited for most students who take higher level English courses because in order to answer the questions, you would need to know more than just vocab and simple “I thought the math section was grammar rules. It evaluates a student’s overall concise and reasonably understanding of the English taught in “I actually felt really prepared for [the applicable to work that I’ve done in school better than someone’s ability to essay] because it was similar to the school.” rhetoric analysis that we did in Lang.” memorize vocabulary.”

-junior Elliot Snow -junior Kimiko Varner -junior Hannah Aalemansour

photos by Michelle Jarcho

Student petition for drama class gains steam online

by Carolyn Price and Natalie Welber

A drama class might premiere at Whitman in 2017 thanks to a push from a student’s petition.

Sophomore Saul Singleton created a petition on change.org in late February proposing that the class be offered starting in the 2017-2018 school year. It now has over 200 signatures from a combination of Whitman students and people across the country.

Singleton started the petition when he was choosing courses for next year and realized there was no drama option.

“I was in the drama class for Pyle all three years, and I created so many friends that way,” Singleton said. “When I heard there wasn’t a program for Whitman, I was really disappointed because it was so much fun in Pyle.”

Whitman used to offer the class—English teacher Ashley Houghton taught it

most recently. However, 10 years ago, lack of enrollment forced the school to discontinue the program.

A drama class would fulfill MCPS’ fine arts requirement; 24 out of 26 high schools in the county offer a first year drama class, including B-CC, WJ and Churchill. The class appeals to students in part because it serves as an alternative to taking music or hands-on arts classes.

“I think drama would be a great class for kids at Whitman since we seem to be a very artistic and expressive school and a lot of people, not only myself, would really enjoy it,” said sophomore Zoe Tompkins, who signed the petition.

Drama club co-president Becky Keteltas supports the idea. Currently, students’ only option to participate in drama is through the after-school program, and Keteltas believes that if the class was offered in school, it could encourage more

students to join.

“I think doing this would help students to find something they really enjoy being a part of,” Keteltas said. “This could mean more students pursuing acting or greater technical skill and understanding for Whitman Drama productions.”

After meeting with Singleton and discussing the possibilities, principal Alan Goodwin expressed interest in re-establishing the class. While open to the idea, Goodwin noted that staff limitations are usually what prevents the addition of a new class—an English teacher would most likely be needed to teach drama.

“The first thing I’m obligated to do is make sure that our core English classes run,” Goodwin said, noting that if English classes were filled over capacity, drama would have to be cut in order to add English classes.

However, Goodwin remains optimistic

about offering a drama class in the future.

“Generally speaking, the county kind of helps with staffing if you get 20 or more students to sign up,” Goodwin said. “Not having had it for a while, I think we would be able to do that.”

Choral director Jeffrey Davidson said that if a drama class was offered, he is worried enrollment in chorus would go down.

“There’s already many classes, and we only have so many kids,” he said. “For those of us who do electives, we’re pretty protective of our programs.”

There is also a push for a creative writing class to be offered next year, contingent on enrollment. Even if creative writing and drama can’t be offered in the future, the interest in specialized classes reflects a creative student body, Goodwin said.

“It’s kind of a good problem to have,” he said, “Whitman students are interested in so many different things.”

march 16, 2016

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OPINION 5

march 16, 2016

Dear Ms. Reynolds

Staff Editorial

For those of you who don’t know, the Black & White’s teacher advisor, Louise Reynolds, is stepping down from the post after this issue. She will return to teaching Journalism 1 next year, in addition to her English classes. The current journalism teacher, Nick Confino, will become the new teacher advisor of the paper.

Dear Ms. Reynolds, We want to say, in the best way that we can, thank you.

Thank you for the knowledge, skill and leadership you brought to the Black & White every single day.

Thank you for pouring your blood, sweat and purple ink into the paper since 2007. Above all, thank you for being a fantastic and dedicated teacher. The lessons you’ve taught us are invaluable, and we’ll take them with us through college and beyond.

You’ve stayed late through flat nights, invested yourself in stories and worked ridiculously hard to make the paper the product it is today. You’re always there to provide us with guidance, whether it’s about a major story or a minor grammar question. You’ve taken countless hall walks and replied to endless panicked texts. You’ve photo courtesy SAGA spearheaded our online presence and the first ever B&W magazine. It’s because of you that the Black & White develops every year.

We could go on with lists of the steps you’ve helped us take, but more than anything else, we want to thank you for caring about us and the paper the way you have over the years.

Ms. Reynolds, this is probably the first article that’s ever gone in the opinion section that you haven’t read, and that’s a testament to the dedication you have for this paper. Volume 54 considers itself beyond lucky to have had you as an advisor—you’ve given us the tools to succeed and the freedom to grow.

Thank you for having the Wall this year. photo by Ireland Lesley

Love, Volume 54

MoCo police: Enforce River Road speed limit Tommy Buarque de Macedo and his parents died in a tragic car accident Feb. 27 on River Road; his sister was left critically injured. The community was overcome with grief and profound sadness—and determined that this should never happen again.

In the wake of the devastation, both residents and students mobilized in a new push for safety measures, hoping to make the intersection at River and Braeburn Parkway safer. Over 4,000 people signed a petition asking Congressmen and county officials to look into installing a stop light.

Less than three days later, another accident occurred a mile farther south, at the intersection of River and Ogden Road.

Installing a stop light is only one of the measures that must be taken to make the road safer for both drivers and pedestrians. Adding speed cameras on River would help resolve the larger issue of speeding.

The speed limit on River Road is 45 miles per hour, only 10 miles per hour slower than major highways in the area. This limit doesn’t accurately reflect the speeds of drivers, who often barrel down the road at up to 63 miles per hour, as recorded by the WUSA9 team that checked speeds with a radar gun at the River and Braeburn intersection after the accident.

If drivers strictly followed the speed limit, we might not have this problem. But even the State Highway Administration’s website says the “posted speed limit has little effect on the speeds at which most motorists drive.”

At the site of the accident, there’s a new speed limit sign that displays the speed of passing cars. While the sign might make drivers more aware of their speed, it acts more as a reminder than an enforcement tool.

On a road that is an integral part of many morning commutes, following the speed limit can’t be optional; the failure to do so needs to result in an instant consequence.

Maryland law states that speed cameras must be in work and school zones, and it sets specific hours of operation for the cameras; they can only take pictures between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m in school zones—a halfmile radius around the school. As far as River Road is concerned, that radius is between the intersections of Goldsboro and Wilson.

The speed camera program is self-funding. The revenue from speeding tickets quickly pays for the cost of the cameras, making it a costeffective option that has also been proven to reduce speeding and the number of crashes on a road.

The recent accidents must be a wake-up call. It’s time to curb speeding and make our roads and community safer; a tragedy like this should never happen again.

photo by Ireland Lesley

photo by Spencer Adams

Volume 54, Issue 4 2015-2016

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6 opinion

march 16, 2016

Should we have bRAVE next year?

After 14 students were cited for being under the influence of alcohol this year, the event’s future is in question

YES

NO

by anna mcguire

by Margot Dionne

Students dressed in neon clothing, stereos blasting music in a humid gym and a school banding together to find a cure for cancer—this may not seem like your average high school dance, but for students at bRAVE, this scene is the norm. But the annual fundraiser is now in danger after 14 students were cited for drinking at the event this year.

Despite this year’s events, the Leadership class should continue to host bRAVE, with some modifications.

Since its inception in 2012, bRAVE has been the largest fundraiser for LLS month thanks to its massive popularity among students. This year, the event raised around $27,000. In order to make up for the financial loss that would result from cutting bRAVE, the already busy Leadership class would need to organize and add more events to the packed LLS month. Even then, it’s unlikely a few new events would be able to even come close to meeting the money raised by bRAVE. Obviously, fundraising isn’t the only priority: The safety of students needs to be protected. But with modifications to the event—specifically reevaluating the punishments for getting cited—students who may otherwise drink could be discouraged.

This year, some students were completely removed from extracurriculars like Talent Show, while some student athletes missed only a few practices or games. Next year, the school should enforce harsher punishments for those who drink to discourage students. Administrators also need to ensure that all students are punished equally by suspending students from all extracurriculars for a month or barring them from major events like Prom or future bRAVEs. Part of this solution is also publicizing punishment in advance and guaranteeing that students know the full ramifications of drinking before bRAVE. Students drinking at bRAVE is a consequence of the larger problem of teen drinking. Just removing bRAVE won’t solve teen drinking, but it would certainly mean sacrificing the biggest source of donations for LLS. bRAVE doesn’t need to be removed from the school calendar in order to keep students safe. Modifications can be made to the event while still preserving the fun and intention of the original fundraiser. The mistakes of a couple students shouldn’t risk the future of a community event.

On March 7, 2015, two students went to the hospital after drinking alcohol before bRAVE, a school dance that raises money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Four others were determined to be under the influence that night. This year, police issued 14 alcohol citations during bRAVE. These numbers are far too high. For the safety of students, principal Alan Goodwin shouldn’t allow this event to take place in the future. Drinking at school events endangers students and puts unnecessary pressure on the administration to keep so many students safe at once.

The drinking wasn’t limited to the people who were caught. In an informal survey, one senior girl estimated that about 80 percent of students she encountered at the dance were under the influence this year. A junior girl guessed the number to be about 70 percent, while others said it was about 50 percent.

In an interview, Goodwin estimated that 90 percent of students were following the rules. Even his estimate suggests 10 percent of students were misbehaving.

These numbers cannot be taken too seriously, but students and administrators clearly agree there were more than just 14 students drinking at bRAVE. Although administrators are actively against underage drinking at the event, hosting bRAVE in the future sends a message to students that the misbehavior wasn’t a truly significant problem.

While Goodwin is considering cancelling bRAVE altogether next year, he’s also considering just changing the name of the event to place less of an emphasis on the electronic dance and rave culture—one that promotes drug and alcohol use. This is a good start, but simply changing the name isn’t enough to deter students from drinking.

Supporters of bRAVE claim that it’s not worth cancelling because it raises so much money for LLS. This year, the event raised over $27,000, but students can raise this money in a better way. There’s no point in raising so much money to help save others’ lives if students are risking their own in the process.

Next year, instead of going to bRAVE, students should return to the true intention of LLS month and donate their $25 bRAVE ticket straight to the charity. It’s the safe and right thing to do.

Photos by Tomas Castro

Quantitative Literacy curriculum in need of revamp Course should focus on more real-life skills

BY NATACHI ONWUAMAEGBU

Imagine you’re going to buy a car. You’ve selected the model and now you’re researching the details, but you run into a road block: You have no idea what “MSRP” means, and you can’t tell the difference between any of the prefinancing options.

The Quantitative Literacy course can help you with this. The class teaches you skills that can help you buy a car, along with other necessary financial skills. The Quantitative Literacy curriculum should be revamped and promoted by counselors so students can get more out of the little-known class.

Few students have even heard of the Quantitative Literacy course at Whitman. Taught by math resource teacher Russ Rushton, the class reinforces finicial skills and basic mathematical concepts required for problem-solving, decision-making and economic productivity. The MCPS curriculum covers buying a car, balancing a checkbook, managing a mortgage and understanding stock reports.

While the money skills taught are important, the class should also cover more everyday concepts such as down payments for apartments, budgeting, college loans and health and nutrition rather than spending class time on subjects less relevant to teens such as mortgages and stocks. While the Personal Finance course covers consumerism, personal finance, credit and investment planning, an updated Quantitative Literacy course would focus on other concepts, steering away from the investment side of Personal Finance.

Wheaton juniors Fatima Talib and Omari

Joyner designed an alternative class at their high school after asking graduates what skills they wish they had acquired in high school.

With help from a teacher, the students developed the curriculum for “Life 101.” In December, they pitched their idea to the MCPS Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs, which approved the class.

The Life 101 course will be offered in the 2016-2017 school year at Wheaton, and students are already expressing interest, Joyner said.

This year only 20-24 students signed up for the Quantitative Literacy class. If Quantitative Literacy was revamped to be more like Wheaton’s Life 101 course, it could attract more people.

The topics covered in the Life 101 course— which include renting an apartment, budgeting and health and nutrition—are pertinent, especially with the lack of money-based knowledge high school graduates have today: 65 percent of students gave themselves a C, D or F when grading themselves on successfully managing their finances, according to U.S. Bancorp’s official Student and Personal Finance study last November.

While taking the current Quantitative Literacy class might teach students to understand the power of compound interest and the cost of APR, a change to the curriculum will help them to make informed economic decisions— especially when they buy their first car. MCPS should promote a class like Life 101 in more schools.

So we beat on: Why art matters

by sophia higgins

Here’s the truth: Life isn’t fair. Or perfect, or quantifiable by any metric. There are people who live under bridges and in war zones and with heroin addicts for parents. People are unequal and things often don’t go as planned. That’s just the way things are.

“Man hands on misery to man,” as the verse goes. So we keep reaching, hoping or praying for a way out. The salvationists suffer in silence. The nihilists thumb their noses and self destruct. The hedonists have their fun and then burn out.

And here’s what these people don’t realize: We can make a change. It’s our job to make the world better in any way possible.

Of course, we aren’t all Mother Theresa, but there are almost infinite ways to find meaning and purpose in this life. Whether you’re at LLS or Teach for America or if you’re just a regular kid, acts of generosity and kindness can help improve the state of the world.

We exist to alleviate suffering. Doctors treat disease, environmentalists keep the planet habitable and the Mother Theresas of the world distribute missing necessities. These people keep us living.

But there’s still a group of people whose purpose is not so clear.

Of what use is the poet, the musician, the painter? Poetry doesn’t keep you alive. A song can’t cure disease. And a painting definitely doesn’t save the polar bears.

Art is what we survive for, the reason to keep living. It finds meaning beyond the suffering. It can make the world better—inspiring change, providing entertainment and connecting people in the most basic expressive way.

When a picture catches your eye, when a song perfectly describes how you feel—those are the moments when you’re most alive. Something created by another person, maybe thousands of miles away, maybe years deceased, has touched you despite a gap of space and time.

That’s why we survive, and that’s where we find meaning. Look inside yourself. There’s something there. Something rooted within us, pushing its way through the mud of the mundane.

With enough care, with open eyes and minds and hearts, we can save it. And on one fine morning, just as the sunlight peeks in and the sky glows rosy-gold—rest assured—it’ll bloom.

march 16, 2016

opinion 7

Your vote, your voice

How to prepare language students for the real world cartoon by Spencer Adams

by norell sherman

As I sat in my host family’s house in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, children ran barefoot outside while my host mother cooked gallo pinto in the kitchen and my host sister and brother shredded coconut on the porch. I was in a completely new world. I heard only Spanish—and I loved it.

But holding a coherent conversation with my host family was nothing that my five years of Spanish had prepared me for.

In a foreign language class, instruction focuses on memorization of grammar and vocabulary. While grammar and vocab are the foundations of language, true proficiency in a language doesn’t exist without conversational fluency—a skill that pretty much can’t be achieved in a classroom with the current curriculum.

To address this discussion deficit, the foreign language department should offer more conversation-based foreign language programs to prepare students for real-life situations like mine in Puerto Viejo.

To ensure that students have adequate practice for these real-life encounters, the foreign language department should promote “Language Lunches”: weekly events where specific tables in the cafeteria would be assigned a language to speak. Language Lunches are common at many colleges as an opporunity for authentic rehearsal of language.

Ideally, the cafeteria would become an auditory melting pot of Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, Italian, Japanese and Arabic. Students would simply show up at the table of their choice to eat cultural foods and engage in natural conversation.

Oftentimes in language classes, conversation is shaped around pre-molded

vocabulary lists about topics in which students have little interest.

Language Lunches, conversely would encourage relevant and spontaneous discussion. Students wouldn’t be able to rely on vocab sheets, just like people can’t carry around a list of words for conversation in the real world. But this also means students wouldn’t be constrained by any vocab or grammar requirements; instead, conversations can progress naturally without being bound by a rubric.

In my AP Spanish class, we had an entire class period to talk to native Spanishspeaking students. This should be something that every class does once a week.

We talked about various topics—daily life, culture and food, among other things.

Within the discussion, the native students corrected us and taught us more colloquial phrases, while at the same time asking for our help in English. It was a completely collaborative atmosphere, like a cultural exchange.

Sometimes, students don’t want to speak because it can be uncomfortable to talk in an unfamiliar language. It’s time to shed the embarrassment. The best way to improve in a language is to throw yourself into an environment where your second language is the norm, foreign language resource teacher Rebecca Leef said.

When I was speaking to my host family in Costa Rica, I had to step out of a classroom and into the real world. I couldn’t recite conjugations and vocabulary lists from the countless “unidades” about environmental issues, teenage problems and jobs. In order to truly immerse myself in the culture, I had to do something that we students need to do a whole lot more of— speak.

BY tANusha mishra for Justice at NYU. 2014 saw the worst voter turnout in 72 But to solve the problem, universal years—just 36 percent of citizens went to registration isn’t enough: Let’s vote onthe polls. We have a democracy in which line. power is supposed to belong to the peoE-voting will only ease the process for ple, but just a minority of those eligible to voters, who won’t even have to leave their vote exercised that power in 2014. homes to vote. It would also help voters Voter turnout in the U.S. is lower than who live far from polling stations. in other developed countries, sitting beFourteen countries offer online voting. tween 50 and 55 percent for presidential In March 2000, the Arizona Democratic elections. Among the 34 member coun- Party ran its presidential primary over tries of the Organisation for Economic the Internet, and the results were signifiCooperation and Development, the U.S. cant. ranks 31st in voter turnout. Not coinci“Turnout was spectacular: After the dentally, we’re the only major industrial first of four days of online balloting, the democracy that requires citizens to regis- party had already topped its 1996 turnter to vote on their own initiative. out,” current NY Times reporter Jodi Today, over 50 million eligible Ameri- Kantor wrote for Slate a week after the cans aren’t registered to vote, according primary. “This turnout was twice as large to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. as in any other Arizona Democratic priFor the 2008 election, four to five million mary since 1984 (before that, Arizonans people reported had held nominatad mi n i s t rat i v e ing conventions).” procedures as The voting prothe reason for cess itself was simnot registering to ple. The party sent vote, a Caltech/ out a voter certifiMIT study found. cate and a PIN to The current each registered system isn’t Democrat prior to working.

We the election. Once need an entirely voting opened, citdifferent process, izens logged onto and automatic the website usvoter registration ing their PIN and is part of the ansome other perswer. sonal identificaUniversal regtion. The informaistration increases cartoon by Sebi Sola-Sole tion was checked voter turnout and against the regisboosts political participation, according tration records, and if it matched, votto the Stanford Social Innovation Review. ers were able to click on their preferred It has worked in many other countries, candidates. Each PIN could only be used including Sweden, Germany, the U.K., once.

Australia, Argentina, Peru and Indonesia.

Some argue that security can’t be asSome states are already experiment- sured online, compromising the integrity ing with automatically registering voters, of the election. However, 80 Canadian former CNN senior political analyst Bill cities and towns have successfully tried Schneider said. New legislation in Or- Internet voting with few negative conseegon and California ensures eligible citi- quences. zens are automatically registered to vote A study of a Canadian city by Delvinia, unless they specifically choose to opt out. a digital-strategy firm, concluded that Maryland, along with 34 other states and Internet voting provides new and disenthe District of Columbia, has introduced franchised voters with the opportunity automatic registration legislation. The to vote and that voter authenticity and problem? Republican resistance. security aren’t significant concerns.

New Jersey’s Republican governor, A government that truly reflects the Chris Christie, vetoed universal regis- views of all its citizens requires better tration legislation last year. Maryland turnout. Maryland legislators should Republicans cite voter fraud and imple- approve the bill for automatic voter regmentation costs as major concerns. And istration, as should legislators in the 24 yet, neither all the countries with auto- states and D.C., which have similar legmatic registration—including most of islation pending. Every state should also Europe—nor Oregon and California have enact online voting policies. struggled with voter fraud. Moreover, We need to change the way Ameriuniversal registration actually lowers cans vote and how they register to do so. costs, according to the Brennan Center Only then will we have a true democracy.

Bigger classes, smaller success: Let’s change that

By Jason Grill

Rushing into third period, you scramble to grab the last desk in the room. You know that if you don’t get to class quickly you’ll end up sitting in the back of the room, on a stool—or even on the floor.

Rapidly expanding class sizes have left students struggling just to find a place to sit in some classes, and it’s only getting worse.

Class sizes have been growing for over a decade. Some teachers remember a time when 30-student classes were considered huge; now many teachers are pleasantly surprised to have a class with only 30 kids. Courtney Osborne’s second period AP Human Geography class has 40 students. Don DeMember recently taught an ESOL science class with 44 students. Art classes routinely have more than 40 students in them.

Overcrowded classes are a serious problem for students and teachers. To enable learning and more effective instruction, class sizes should be reduced.

Teachers say they give fewer written response assignments because of big classes since they simply

photo by TOMAS CASTRO

can’t grade 150 or more essays in a reasonable amount of time. In turn, this harms students who need to learn how to communicate their knowledge through articulate and structured writing. In larger classes, it’s harder for students to be active participants and get personalized help.

In stark contrast, smaller classes benefit students immensely. Lowering class size increases high school graduation rates and future earnings, according to a report published by the National Education Association.

Reducing class sizes is one of four evidence-based reforms proven to increase student achievement, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The National Science Teachers Association and The National Council of Teachers of English give recommendations for how many students should be in a class: no more than 24 in a science class and no more than 100 students for an English teacher in one day. Science classes are consistently well over 24 students and English teachers teach five sections of about 30 students—50 percent more than is recommended in a day.

MCPS estimated in 2015 that just $1 million would be enough to hire an additional 15 high school teachers, who could help decrease class sizes at the lowest-performing schools. This year, MCPS is asking the state for an additional $2.5 million to reduce the average high school class size by half a student.

The Maryland Department of Education should meet MCPS’ budget requests for decreasing class sizes and work with the county to find other areas of the budget where money can be reallocated to help further reduce the number of students per class. Recently, MCPS spent $15 million to initiate the first phase of a Chromebook rollout.

Rather than spending tens of millions to purchase new Chromebooks that “enhance” student learning, the county should invest in more teachers, who would actually help students learn in the first place.

Students in MCPS shouldn’t have to sit on the floor or on a stool because there are too many students and not enough desks in a room. It’s time to fix this issue and better facilitate student learning by spending the money to reduce class sizes.

8 march 16, 2016

in-de

How students $p

BY Rachel Friedman

From going out to lunch to going to basketball games, many activities and events revolve around money. The Black & White conducted a poll of 120 students from all grade

levels last month to find out how students make and spend money. From their sources of spending cash to their most expensive habits, students reported the various ways they’ve learned to earn, save and spend their money.

Students join the workforce Between calculus homework and band practice, some students find time to make money wrapping burritos, boxing cupcakes or selling bagels.

About 13 percent of Whitman students have jobs according to the Black & White’s poll. Beyond the typical high school jobs like babysitting or tutoring, students work at local restaurants like Georgetown Cupcakes and Bethesda Bagels. Jobs provide students with opportunities to make some extra cash, gain new skills in a real-world setting and learn to handle money.

Among the students in the workforce is junior David Rekhtman, who began working at Georgetown Cupcakes in downtown Bethesda during his sophomore year.

Applying for the job was fairly simple with the help of a Google program that puts personal information into an organized resume, Rekhtman said. While he worked more hours last year and over the summer, he continues to work 12 hours a week at the bakery.

Balancing the job, volunteering at NIH and taking four AP classes can be tricky.

“With a job comes the responsibility of showing up for your shifts,” he said. “Sleep definitely gets the short stick.”

Even with the challenge of balancing time, students still find their jobs both satisfying and educational.

Senior Joe Wiedemann said he has gained leadership experience at his job at Bethesda Bagels, where he has worked since the summer of 2012. He’s a manager now, which means he organizes employees of varying ages.

“The most difficult part is balancing the dynamic of being a friend, student and manager,” Wiedemann said. “The difficulty comes in when I have to help employees stay focused. It’s an interesting dynamic and experience when I’ll be talking with coworkers about what we’re doing at school and then assigning them tasks to do, especially if I’m younger than them.”

Jobs can also be incredibly social. Junior Devin Pierce enjoys opportunities to meet new people at her job at Chipotle.

“My job seems more special to me because I have made great friendships with the people that work there and they all come from completely different backgrounds that I have never been exposed to,” she said.

Lessons from real job experience are why jobs are so important for students, business teacher Demitra Marafatsos said.

“The reality of working with adults and managing your time is a good way to start off college if you have that underneath your belt,” Marafatsos said. “And then later on you get better prospects and better opportuni-

Where do you of your m

Other 19% Clothes 13% Junior David Rekhtman says balancing his job with schoolwork and volunteer work can be tricky. Photo courtesy David Rekhtman

ties if you’ve had some kind of foundation.”

In addition to teaching students workplace lessons early, having a job in high school allows kids to learn to handle their money at a younger age.

“In the last couple years, I find I purchase fewer expensive items because I’ve learned to appreciate the value of a dollar and weighing the effort of wages versus the price of a simple object,” Wiedemann said.

Working students also benefit from a steady income and freedom in their spending habits.

“On a day to day basis, I am definitely financially stable and independent,” Rekhtman said. “I don’t really ask my parents for money, so paying for gas, paying for food like Cava and Yirasai, is all up to me. At the same time, I’m not going to be paying to go to college with this money.”

With the financial, social and educational experiences under his belt, Rekhtman has found his job to be a great launching point for his future.

“It’s a great starting job,” Rekhtman said. “It pays well for a high schooler, and it’s just a lot of fun.”

week? a in d n e p s ney do you

o How much m

Do you ever feel like you can’t go out with your friends because you don’t have enough money?

More than $30 6%

Yes 15%

No 85%

Gas 4%

$20-$30 22%

$10-$20 33%

Less than $10 40%

epth

pend their money

march 16, 2016 9

How much money do you make in a week?

More than $50

spend most money?

11%

Less than $20

$20 - $50

72%

17%

Man created by Matt Duzek from Noun Project

What is your source of spending money?

Food 64%

Students had the option to choose multiple answers

38% of Whitman students save for college

cap created by Alex Auda Samora from Noun Project

60% From parents 42% From odd jobs 13% From a job 5% Nowhere wallet by Dylan Wolfe from Noun Project

Senior Jonny Schneider develops iPhone app

by Gabe Kahan

During his sophomore year, senior Jonny Schneider started his own business, ImagineX, after developing an interest in finance and business. Two years later, Schneider is ready to release an iPhone app under his company’s name. The game, which is scheduled to launch in the next couple weeks, is called FunPop and features bubbles rising up from the bottom of the screen that the user must pop before they leave the screen. There are multiple powerups and modes of difficulty, as well as a store to purchase enhancements to the game.

Schneider started ImagineX in February of 2014 and began outsourcing the construction of an Android version of FunPop to a group of Israeli programmers five months later. But after disagreements over the app’s pricing, Schneider chose to start designing an Apple iOS version with Moldovan programmers in March of 2015.

“I’m very thankful that we developed it on Android first because that allowed for our company’s methods to become more efficient,” Schneider said. “It definitely allowed my understanding and my skillset as a manager and a founder of my company to get to a point where we could develop incredible products.”

In addition to his new team of programmers, Schneider has also worked with a graphic designer, music producer, sound producer and multiple peers with experience in graphic design and marketing.

Over the last few months, he’s focused on eliminating bugs, tweaking the interface and testing internally by reaching out to friends and family for feedback.

“He’s an incredible guy to work with,” said junior Alec Goldstein, who produced the music for FunPop.

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

“He’s so determined, charismatic and really knows his stuff when it comes down to business and just getting things done.”

Constantly Skyping, calling, sharing documents online and even stepping out of class to take conference calls, Schneider has worked himself and his team to the bone to make his vision a reality. As a result, the iOS version of FunPop is much better than its earlier Android counterpart, Schneider said.

“The product is exponentially better,” Schneider said. “We have an incredible game and an incredible concept, and we’ve managed to capture the essence of popping bubbles. We not only have created an addicting game, but we were able to capture the beauty of this universally loved concept of bubbles.”

FunPop is Schneider’s first major entrepreneurial project, but he plans to tackle more projects soon.

“In the near future, I want to be solving something major,” he said. “And of course FunPop does solve

something—every good product solves something.

But I want to be moving on to something that can save lives, that can disrupt entire industries, that can solve things that I’m really passionate about.”

Schneider’s entrepreneurial aspirations didn’t materialize overnight. His uncle introduced him to stock market investing when he was 11, and later served as a mentor when Schneider began toying with the idea of starting his own business.

A supportive home life has also helped Schneider chase his dreams. Although he’s sacrificed time and energy in the name of FunPop, the project has given him an experience no college can provide, his mother, Soody Schneider, said.

“I went from having a 15-year-old to a 20-year-old really quickly because he was so focused on his work that he worked like a professional does,” she said. “He did the research, he had the networking, he talked to adults. It’s been amazing.”

As the countdown to launching the app finally rolls around, Schneider plans to reach out to his community and peers to generate excitement and expand his user base. Although he’s keeping certain conventional marketing ideas in mind, he’s also started experimenting with nontraditional techniques like updating his Snapchat story with news about the release.

Launching the app is as much a victory as it is the beginning of a longer journey, he said.

“Putting all of these elements together—with the bubbles, with the pleasure, with the enjoyment, with the arcade game, with the thrill of it—that’s what we’re really going to be delivering to people,” he said.

“I want as many people as possible, whether I know them or not, to get joy out of FunPop.”

10 Feature

march 16, 2016

9:30 Club creates T.V. show to air next month

By Camryn Dahl

This April, one of D.C.’s most popular music clubs will host an unpredictable modern-day music variety show.

The 9:30 Club in D.C. will air its new series, “Live at 9:30,” nationwide on PBS stations. Producers of the show hope to make viewers feel like they’re at a concert, so people who don’t have the time or money to actually go to the 9:30 Club can still experience it. Sponsored by Squarespace, every pre-recorded episode will feature a variety of acts from different genres as well as comedy, interviews and short films within a single hour.

“We’ve been approached countless times to do a TV show here, and we’ve always passed,” said Seth Hurwitz, co-owner of the 9:30 club and chairman of I.M.P., the company that owns club. “But ‘Live At 9:30’ is a great opportunity to work with people we trust to bring music variety to life in a way no one has even attempted.

They have come up with a truly entertaining bunch of new ideas on how to change the way people watch live concert shows.”

Students are excited for the show.

“It’s so hard to get out there with parking and traffic,” junior Sophie Lieber said. “It’ll be so much easier if I can see my favorite comedians and acts without having to leave my house, especially on a school night.”

“Live At 9:30’ is a great opportunity to work with people we trust to bring music variety to life in a way no one has even attempted.”

-9:30 Club co-owner Seth Hurwitz The first three episodes will include performances by Tove Lo, MisterWives and Cold War Kids. The episodes

Ceramics students create sculptures for Strathmore

by Emily Schweitzer

As you walk by Strathmore in Rockville in early May, you’ll see some familiar names: Students from Whitman ceramics classes collaborated on three sculptures that will soon line the street between Strathmore and the Metro.

Strathmore recently asked high school ceramics classes across Montgomery County to submit totem pole-like sculpture designs for the chance to be displayed between the Strathmore Center and the Metro in Rockville. Only students in level two ceramics or above were allowed to participate in the competition. A total of 90 sculptures were submitted from various high schools, but only 50 were chosen. Nine Whitman students worked together to submit three sketches, and Strathmore selected all three submissions.

“We had to present a maquette, which is a small version of the sculpture,” ceramics teacher Wendy Kleiner said. “That was

how they got chosen, by the photo and the drawing.”

The students have been collaborating on the three sculptures since January, and they plan to finish the models in early May. One of the sculptures features nine mini organic shapes stacked on top of each other, held together by a steel pole. The second design resembles a winding staircase, and the final design looks as if several plates are stacked on top of one another.

Students generally had freedom with the design outline, senior Anna Verhoeven said.

There were a couple minor constraints: no face outlines, no writing and the sculpture had to be six feet tall.

The most difficult part of the process was figuring out the right dimensions, Kleiner said.

“The margin of error is pretty small,” Kleiner said. “There is not a lot of room to mess up.”

The students must construct each piece

will feature a mix of hosts—Henry Rollins, NPR Music’s Bob Boilen, Hannibal Buress, Jill Kargman and Ralphie May, among others.

Audrey Fix Schaefer, communications director for I.M.P. Productions, wants the show to make viewers feel like they’re actually there.

“It’s a live concert experience that’s taped,” she said.

“We’re using 12 cameras, including a cable cam that soars above the crowd and GoPros on instruments, in addition to traditional hand-held cameras. Together, the footage is cinematic-like and makes you feel like you’re actually in the club.”

Producers hope to reflect the atmosphere that the 9:30 Club is famous for.

“I’ve been going to the 9:30 Club for 20 years, and my favorite concert memories are from here,” executive producer Michael Holstein said. “This club is pure magic.

For the 9:30 Club to trust us to make a TV show about this amazing institution is an awesome opportunity and responsibility.”

of the sculpture, cut it in half, remove the clay inside and reassemble the sculpture so it can dry before applying paint. The project is like no other they’ve done before, junior Grace Montagnino said.

“It’s definitely a learning experience,” Montagnino said. “This is more clay than I’ve ever used at once, and they’re kind of big. Normally, our pieces are smaller and don’t need to be hollowed.”

The process is not simple, and it takes months to complete. The students have been working tirelessly, coming in during lunch and after school to see their sketches come to life.

“This is the first project of this scale that I’ve worked on,” senior Yashodhar Govil said. “It’s going to be about five feet tall and like two feet wide, so it’s pretty huge. The biggest piece I’ve made before that is maybe a foot tall, so it’s definitely a step up.”

The final product should be worth it.

The pieces will be on display forever with their names stamped into the concrete.

“They’re gonna be there a very long time,” Kleiner said. “Assuming that the sculptures hold up to the weather and no one vandalizes them, the students are going to be able to bring their kids back to see them.”

Students made a a maquette (a small version of the sculture) to submit. Photo courtesy Wendy Kleiner

Senior Jordan Schnitzer and sophomore Sophie Isbell work on a ceramic scupture in class. Photo by Michelle Jarcho

From Talent Show to T.V.: Junior auditions for “The Voice” by norell sherman

Four red chairs, four celebrity judges and over 2,000 contestants. The minute junior Wesley Combs stepped on to the Navy Pier in Chicago, he was in a position to change the direction of his music career forever.

In February, Combs traveled to Chicago to audition for NBC’s reality singing show “The Voice.”

Combs made it through three rounds of the preliminary auditions, but he was waitlisted after the third.

Trying out for “The Voice” might seem like something that you would dream of doing for years, but Combs’ decision to try out was completely spontaneous—he began practicing only two weeks before the audition.

“One day, I was sitting at home on the couch and I thought, ‘Hey, this would be kind of cool,’” he said. “I decided to audition out of curiosity, excitement and the desire to make something out of myself.”

Even though he’s traveled nearly 700 miles to audition, Combs is a relative newcomer to singing.

In tenth grade, Combs took Men’s Chorus to fulfill his art credit, but he came out of the class with way more than a fulfilled graduation requirement— he had his first real singing experience.

“As I stumbled through the scores we were given, I suppose I stumbled with confidence be-

cause during the first solo auditions of the year, the director, Mr. D, stopped me three words into my audition and told me I had the solo,” Combs said.

Combs’ success in chorus encouraged him to pursue more music. He started a band with his friends, The Monopoly, joined Whitman acapella groups Solid & Sound and NOTA and sang “Uptown Funk” in Talent Show last year.

“We always invariably have one, two, three, maybe even a few more kids who just have some really natural singing ability,” choral director Jeff Davidson said.

“Wesley is one of those kids.”

With the support of many friends and family back home, Combs began his journey to Chicago to start “The Voice” audition process in January.

“I was so excited for him, but I was afraid he was going to get so famous that he couldn’t play with us any more,” Combs’ band member Ferzam Mohammad said.

When Combs arrived at Navy Pier, he was overwhelmed by the large crowd and unbelievably long line that stretched across four floors.

After finally reaching the front of the line and entering the expo center’s warehouse, thousands of people filled the rows of seats that were lined across the floor.

Expecting to enter a room full of voices in harmony, Combs was shocked that the room was completely silent—but it wasn’t like

that for long.

“One person in the back row burst out into operatic melody, and the whole room was immediately filled with the sounds of 3,000 voices—mine included— finally free to do what they came to do,” Combs said.

After going through his songs, “Writing’s on the Wall”

by Sam Smith, “Isn’t She Lovely”

by Stevie Wonder and “All of Me” by John Legend, Combs finally entered the audition room with nine other contestants who were older than him. The group sat in a semi-circle facing a judge and one by one, the contestants stood up to sing.

“When I got called up, I could literally feel my whole body shaking like a leaf, and I was sure everyone else could too,” Combs said. “They were all so talented, and I was freaking out.”

When the last contestant finished his song, Combs’ adrenaline rushed. The nervous energy Junior Wesley Combs traveled to Chicago to audition for the popular TV became pure elation once he show “The Voice”. Combs successfully progressed to the fourth round beheard the judge call his name to fore getting wait-listed. Photo courtesy Wesley Combs advance to the next round.

“My heart actually skipped a ‘wait-listed,’ which is a fancy most exciting part of the process beat with excitement,” he said. term for ‘you tried your best,’ but for him.

“I was mostly excited about “I got up and stood by the judg- it honestly felt pretty good to meeting people who really sing es table, and once everyone had have made it so far.”

While being wait-listed at the highest level,”Combs said. filed out, he turned to me, gave me another number, and asked doesn’t technically mean he is out “It was super cool to get to meet me to wait outside after explain- of the audition process, Combs people like that and to see that said his chances are slim for being level is within my grasp. But I toing to me more of the process.” tally would’ve picked Pharrell.”

He continued on for two more called back for another audition.

Despite not getting as far as rounds singing.

“By the fourth round, I was he’d hoped, Combs said that the out,” Combs said. “I had been potential to be on TV wasn’t the

feature 11

march 16, 2016

Senior Abe Kuhn combines fresh haircuts and fighting Celiac Disease in school fundraiser

By Emily Schweitzer

Imagine having constant stomach pains pierce through your side after eating a single slice of pizza, enduring horrible headaches after snacking on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or suffering from blurry vision throughout the day after enjoying a bowl of Wheaties for breakfast.

These are all symptoms of an autoimmune disorder called Celiac Disease, which I was diagnosed with in 2012. People with Celiac can’t properly digest foods containing gluten. After my diagnosis, I found it hard to adjust to my newly-limited diet options. I also found that few people around me knew about the disease—which is why it’s so important to raise awareness and draw attention to this increasingly visible illness that affects about three million people worldwide.

For this very reason, senior Abe Kuhn decided to coordinate an event called “Basketballin’ for Celiac Disease” to raise awareness for the disease and give back to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

At the age of only three, Kuhn was diagnosed with Celiac and has been involved in the Celiac community ever since.

“When I was diagnosed, I kind of got thrown into the Celiac community in Washington D.C.,” Kuhn said. “At Chil-

dren’s Hospital they do really great research and outreach. I just wanted to give back to the community.”

“When I was diagnosed, I kind of got thrown into the Celiac community in Washington D.C. At Children’s Hospital they do really great research and outreach. I just wanted to give back to the community.”

-senior Abe Kuhn The event took place at Whitman on Feb. 29 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in room C-124.

Landell’s Barber Shop worked with Kuhn to deliver fresh haircuts to anyone who was interested. While kids waited for haircuts, they could dribble basketballs and play with toys. The attendees could also donate to the Celiac Foundation of Children’s Hospital on Kuhn’s website.

Upon entering the room, people were greeted with a lovely array of gluten-free goodies and a poster displaying the differ-

ent styled haircut options.

“I think what really stood out was how happy everyone at the event was,” junior Sam Kapner said. “Occasionally you have kids getting dragged along to stuff like this or just helping out for SSL hours, but I thought everyone was having a great time. I know I did.”

The event raised a total of $2,148, exceeding expectations by more than a hundred dollars.

“I think it’s very important because it flies under the radar,” Kapner said. “Most people hear about Celiacs or people being gluten-free and think, ‘Oh, this person is on a diet,’ or something like that, but for Abe it’s a disease that affects his life.

I think his event— just giving awareness to people about the disease—is a great thing.”

Over the past few years, however, the community has adjusted to the widespread disease as grocery stores have added gluten-free aisles and restaurants have adopted gluten-free menus. Even though society has began to recognize Celiac, events like Kuhn’s will continue to raise awareness and increase people’s knowledge about living a gluten-free life.

Abe Kuhn partnered with Landell’s Barber Shop in his fundraiser for Celiac Disease, raising a total of $2,148. Kuhn was diagnosed with Celiac at age 3 and has lived with it since. Photo courtesy Abe Kuhn

Best Buddies mural fills hallway with color for a cause by grace o’leary

Earlier this month, the Best Buddies club transformed the everyday walk down to the cafeteria into a colorful reminder to “spread the word to end the word.”

The club painted a wall on the second floor by the entrance to the WAUD with a mural of their logo and the slogan “Spread the Word to End the Word” surrounded by black and blue handprints. The mural supports the campaign to end the negative use of the word “retarded.”

Spread the Word to End the Word is a national campaign that promotes acceptance of people with disabilities and advocates for ending the derogatory use of the R-word. March is the Spread the Word to End the Word month, and March 2 is the National Spread the Word to End the Word Day. The mural, which took a week to paint, was finished on March 2 so the club’s fundraising would coincide with the nationally recognized day.

Senior Natasha Brennan created the design for the mural using the Keith Haring logo for Best Buddies. The club raised a bit more than $400, which it will split with the campaign. Photo by Tomas Castro

To raise money, club officers charged passersby $2 to leave a painted handprint on the wall next to the mural. In three days, they raised over $400. Half of the money will go to the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, and the other half will go to Whitman Best Buddies.

Everyone from preschoolers in child development classes to students to staff left their mark on the wall. When paying for a handprint, each participant was asked to sign a paper and recite aloud, “I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the R-word from every-

day speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.”

“We’re hoping people want to do it—that it’s something they’re interested in,” said junior Grace Goldman, a Best Buddies officer.

“We actually don’t care about the money as much as getting people to take [the pledge] and really follow through with it.”

Goldman learned about the idea for the mural last year at a leadership conference for all the Maryland Best Buddies chapters, but the club waited until this year to start because the school was painted over the summer.

“They’re not going to repaint it again, so we’re hoping it will stay for a really long time,” Goldman said.

After principal Alan Goodwin approved the project this year, the club approached senior Natasha Brennan to paint it. The AP Studio Art student, who will be attending Rhode Island School of Design next fall, also painted a safari mural for biology teacher

Melanie Toth on the third floor outside Toth’s classroom last spring.

Although she was in charge of the mural, Best Buddies like Ramsey Aly gave their opinions on how they thought the mural should look.

“The handprints were too black and blue,” Aly said. “But I like it because they are making a mural for Best Buddies—they should’ve done it a while ago though.”

The club hopes the mural will serve as a constant reminder of their message of acceptance.

“Most people have a class in Whittier Woods or use that stairwell, but most importantly, that stairwell and doors are where the special needs teens come in,” club officer Caity Howell said. “This is for them. I want them to be able to see it and hope for a day where they live as a general education student and aren’t looked upon or spoken about as a bad, rude or insensitive item.”

Bethesda rooftop gardens grow quickly in popularity

by Josh Millin

Most foods you eat travel over 1,000 miles before they reach your plate. But at some Bethesda restaurants, that distance has been cut to the length of a crosswalk.

Up Top Acres, a local business that specializes in creating and managing commercial rooftop farms, opened several locations last May to provide fresh produce to the area’s eateries, such as Jaleo.

“We seek to establish agriculture as a fixture of urban life by farming on underutilized rooftops, distributing food locally, and providing an educational venue for kids and adults alike,” says the Up Top Acres’ mission statement on their website.

The company currently operates three farms in the area: “The Farm at Elm and Woodmont” in Bethesda, “The Farm at Oyamel” in Penn Quarter and “The Garden at Green Place,” which is on top of a house in Palisades.

Up Top Acres COO Jeffrey Prost-Green said that there are plans for more partnerships in the future.

Bethesda Green, a non-profit that promotes environmentally-friendly businesses and innovation, has helped Up Top Acres grow with its business incubator, which helps companies develop business models and make connections in the green industry.

“They were very much in their infancy when they came, so they were able to benefit from a few things,” Bethesda Green executive director Veronique Marier said. “There’s

some ongoing training that we have with these companies, and they also benefit from other incubator companies.”

Rooftop farms cut the distance food has to travel to a matter of footsteps, and the company likes to measure the distance its food travels in flights of stairs rather than in miles transported.

But producing fresh food isn’t Up Top Acres’ only contribution to the community—the farms bring several environmental benefits, including reducing soil contamination in the area by decreasing runoff. They also help buildings to meet environmental requirements and increase sustainability.

“Rooftop farms have the ability to capture rainfall to irrigate our produce while helping buildings to comply with regulations,” Prost-Greene said.

The timing and locations of Up Top Acres’ upcoming projects will depend on the needs of local tenants, restaurant-owners and businesses.

“The idea is that we tailor our distribution channels to the buildings which we’re operating our farms on,” ProstGreene said.

Up Top Acres’ local roots run deep—the company’s three founders all went to D.C.’s Woodrow Wilson High School. They combined their different skillsets, including farming, communication and marketing, to form a cohesive business.

Up Top Acres is a D.C.-based business that manages commericial rooftop farms to provide fresh produce to local restaurants. Photo courtesy Up Top Acres

“They had a dream, and they actually looked at what they knew, and went out to work and learn for things they didn’t know,” Marier said.

Prost-Greene said he hopes that Up Top Acres’ farms, as well as other rooftop farms, can eventually expand and cover much of the D.C. metropolitan area. The industry is already expanding in cities like New York and Chicago.

“We filed for-profit to prove the urban agriculture industry can be run on a financially sustained model,” ProstGreene said. “D.C. should be a leader.”

Marier believes that Up Top Acres has the potential to grow based on its and poised leaders.

“They are very bright,” she said. “Every time I see them present in meetings, there’s always improvement from the time before. They are true entrepreneurs: They learn, they adjust and they move forward.”

12 feature

march 16, 2016

Q&A with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly

by justin baker NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly is second only to commissioner Gary Bettman in the NHL’s administration. Daly has a background as an attorney, and is at the helm of the NHL’s executive decision making.

The Black & White interviewed Daly to discuss the ins and outs of running a professional sports league, managing NHL decisions and deciding the league’s future.

The Black & White: What’s it like being Deputy Commissioner of the NHL? How is the job on a day-to-day basis?

Daly: My job is really unique in how much it changes from day to day. There’s always new issues, new challenges and new opportunities every single day.

When I initially left the field of law for the league, I was concerned it would get monotonous in terms of what I would have to do on a day-to-day basis and the type of things I would have to handle.

But I couldn’t have been more wrong because the number and scope of issues that get addressed in the league and by my position are really limitless.

B&W: What are some examples of typical problems you address?

Daly: My primary responsibility is managing our collective bargaining relationship with the players. Our officials and players have collective bargaining agreements and relationships, and I work on these types of things and meet with the Players’ Association pretty regularly.

B&W: The NHL has made a lot of changes this year, with the introduction of a three-on-three overtime and coaches’ challenges. What was your role in these changes, and how have they turned out?

Daly: For the decision making aspect, I was involved in the process that the

league undertakes whenever it reviews or modifies rules. We have a competition committee which I participated in, which looks at the changes. Then there’s the GM committee, which I work with, and, finally, any change has to be approved

by Board of Governors, the Owners of the League. I’m involved in all three steps in that process.

In terms of the changes themselves, the League and the clubs are very pleased with how the new overtime format has played out. I don’t think it could have gone much better, and people have really enjoyed the new format. With respect to the coach’s challenge, there’s been some growing pains, but the vast majority of people throughout the NHL I’ve talked to think it’s been a positive development for progressing the game of hockey.

B&W: Has the challenge on the whole been effective in improving calls and overturning mistakes?

Daly: It’s not perfect, but if the purpose is to eliminate blatant errors, it’s done that. I looked at stats recently, and about one-third of the challenges made result in overturning the call, so for the most part, we’re getting better results in terms of not missing blatantly wrong calls and overturning clear mistakes.

B&W: What were some difficulties you encountered with implementing the coach’s challenge ability for coaches to challenge calls?

Daly: We want review and challenges of goalie interference. It’s a judgement call and it’s hard to get a black and white answer on video. We’re trying to get the best call there since you can’t always get the absolutely right call. One issue with the coach’s challenge though is that in reviewing offsides plays, the delay is definitely longer than it is for goalie interfer-

ence. The rationale for giving the power of review to the officials on offsides is not the same as goalie interference, with the judgement aspect, so we definitely have to consider in the future delegating review of offsides to the video room in Toronto.

B&W: What was your perception of the new All-Star format, where players from each division played in threeon-three games? How did the All-Star weekend turn out for fans and players?

Daly: This year’s All-Star Game was probably the best All-Star event we’ve had in years. The fans really enjoyed it, and the people of Nashville and the local community embraced it. Logistically, transport and convenience worked out very well. It was almost ideal in terms of the choice of city and the convenience for the fans and players who attended to get around and enjoy the area. On the whole, everybody was very pleased with the event, including the new tournament format. All-Star events in any sport are a challenge, but I think we really made the most out of that challenge this year.

B&W: What future changes can we expect for the NHL? Daly: Future growth opportunities for the league in the short to medium term are really focused on the enhancement of our digital resources and our ability to distribute content. We recently reached an agreement with MLB Advanced Media, the company that runs a lot of baseball’s digital content, and that has really helped us with how we program our digital platforms and distribute content.

Another big goal for us for more of the medium to long term is the growth of international business. We really want to keep expanding and branching out from just North America, and capitalize on

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has helped introduce a three-on-three overtime and coaches’ challenges this season. Photo courtesy Bill Daly

connecting with the growing fanbase in Europe.

B&W: What plans are in motion to connect with this European base?

The biggest thing is our World Cup of Hockey tournament we have planned for September. It’s our international tournament with games in Toronto. It’s almost an Olympics-style tournament on steroids, showcasing players who are clearly the best in the world, and since a large percent of them are NHL players, it’s an opportunity to connect with fans of the different national teams.

We really want to continue in the future to market and put games in Europe, and we want to build events around those games. There’s been some discussion too on some really unique concepts for other tournaments. For example, we’ve considered an event with a best of three or best of five series of the top North American players versus the top European players. We have to bring not just news about the NHL, but events and experiences to European fans if we want to expand, and we have those plans on the drawing board.

Pork Manteau

21.

by William Arnesen

The theme for this puzzle is portmanteaus. So for all the starred clues, you will write the shared name fully within one square.

Example: if the related clues were Packers receiver and South African president, you would write J O R D Y across, M A N D E L A going down, and the word NELSON in the shared square.

ACROSS 1. Royals and Raiders star*, with 3 down 4. Bengals receiver*, with 6 down 7. Chiefs rusher, with 13 down 14. Program 15. Like the mafia 16. Out on the ocean 17. Portugese carrier 18. Honest ___ 19. Microphone and earbuds 20. Guthrie et al.

22. Computer security co.

24. Edge of a window 25. Quarterback Manning and inventor Whitney 26. Major Colombian rebel grp.

27. Mediterranean ___ 28. Plane w/ short runway 29. Rock 31. Are, second person plural, in France 32. And more, abb.

33. Wrapped up again 35. Kobe’s team 37. Targets 41. Carriers for Earl Gray 45. ___-Magnon 46. Actor Baldwin 49. Scientist Curie 50. UMD mascot 51. Primary color 52. SMOB Guerci 53. In the right mind 54. Land snails 55. Carly ___ Jepsen

56. Remove 58. Heartless 62. Cool 64. Raytheon inits.

65. World’s largest telescope 66. Consumed 67. Intro tech class 68. A meeting to do business 69. Dark liquid 70. Too much of something, for short DOWN 1. Crimson Tide college, for short 2. Short dramatic work 3. Jack the Dripper, with 1 across 4. Accumulate 5. Career 6. Army special forces, with 4 across 7. Hunger Games’ Mason 8. Imitate 9. ___ culpa 10. “No ifs, ____, or buts” 11. Help 12. Joan of Arc star Sobieski 13. Famous bodybuilder, with 13 down

Chief Saudi export 23. Red liquer or blackthorn plant 28. Salt, in Mali 29. “Open ______” 30. Make happy 31. Disco music 33. ___ Ventures 34. Req. to build to prove it won’t hurt nature 36. And more 38. Situation 39. Stopped 40. Above 42. Continue 43. Long solo song 44. Rodent in the patties 46. Stadiums 47. Poe poem 48. 60s pop star of “Who Will Answer” 50. Dark liquid 53. Passover dinner 57. Finishes 59. Tech provider ___ Federal 60. Research Innovations 61. Org. that provides info to the USFG 63. __ _ glance

march 16, 2016

Ads 13

14 sports

March 16, 2016

Rundown track on shortlist Sports Opinion for county repair this summer Too many sports pundits strive for attention, not journalism by michael gorman

Whitman has been put on the shortlist of about a half dozen schools to get a new track this summer. The current track, built in 1998, is in poor condition, especially on the inner lane.

The track isn just a bit worn down—it’s been deemed dangerous by other teams to the point where opposing coaches and runners are even reluctant to come to Whitman for meets.

“For competitions, the track currently gives our team a bit of an advantage as teams hate coming to Whitman because of the track,” track and field captain William Ryba said. “Every year, Whitman hosts the Viking Invitational which can attract over 50 teams every year, but the upcoming Viking Invitational will be held at Walter Johnson High School because our track did not pass the safety test.”

Many spots have worn down to bare stone, creating a high risk of injury for runners.

The process of deciding which school gets the upgrade can be lengthy, according to athletic director Andy Wetzel. First, representatives from the county must inspect the running surfaces of each school’s track. Next, the schools are ranked, by quality of track and cost of upgrade. If the

school with the top priority needs a whole new track, other schools may have repairs delayed until the following year.

Churchill also recently made the shortlist, but their track wasn’t deemed ready for resurfacing.

Whitman may find itself in a similar situation; despite the conditions, the track is not guaranteed to be repaired.

“We were told we were not eligible for a new track because ours did not have cracks,” Churchill track and field coach Scott Silverstein said. “It was bubbling in multiple places and bare in others, but that was not enough.”

Track renovations wouldn’t disrupt any team activities, because construction would take place over the summer. However, the summer renovation would limit community access to the track.

The decision is out of his hands, Wetzel said, and the county doesn’t release most of the information they use to determine which schools receive renovations.

“The new track would make training and racing easier and more comfortable,” Ryba said. “The track is in horrible condition right now. I have run on all the tracks in the county, and Whitman’s is the worst by far.”

The track, built in 1998, is worn down to the point where other teams don’t want to race on it. The school was recently put on a shortlist to get a new track this summer. Photos by Michelle Jarcho

Freshman wins silver at international ice dance competition in Germany by carolyn price

In addition to taking warm coats and gloves as he headed to Germany this February, freshman Ian Somerville packed his bags with ice skates and a costume.

Somerville competed in the Bavarian Open, an international skating competition held in Oberstdorf, Germany Feb. 20 and 21. Somerville and his partner Eliana Gropman, a freshman at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, placed second out of 20 teams from across the world competing in the junior level ice dance.

“It was a really great experience to be able to do so well representing the U.S. in our first real international competition,” Gropman said. “We were at an international competition in September, but it was held in the U.S.” The Open also included freestyle skating and pairs, though Somerville and Gropman only compete in ice dance. Unlike freestyle skaters, ice dancers perform lifts—where one skater lifts up the other—but not jumps. The pair has been training together since 2008 at the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy.

The junior ice dance competition consists of a short dance and a free

dance program, with the final score taking both dances into consideration. The short dance, a three minute program, has required elements that every group must perform. The free dance, which is three minutes and forty seconds, gives the skaters much more freedom.

“It was a really great experience to be able to do so well representing the U.S. in our first real international competition.”

-freshman ice dancer Ian Sommerville To qualify for the Open, the duo got third place at Sectionals in Ohio in November, and then moved on to Nationals in Minnesota in January.

Since they were in the top seven at Nationals, they made the Open and competed as the only junior team representing Team U.S.A. Starting in the beginning of summer, Somerville and Gropman practiced for at least two hours every day, even on the weekends.

by ezra pine

In the 21st century, the consumption of sports journalism has skyrocketed. Sports media outlets discuss their thoughts and hot takes, and millions of Americans immediately hear their “expert opinions.”

As a result, sports media often heavily scrutinizes professional athletes for suspected involvement in any sort of scandal ranging from domestic violence to illicit drug use—all very serious issues.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen athletes such as Johnny Manziel, Yasiel Puig and Peyton Manning be accused of performing illegal actions. These claims, whether true or not, always affect the way fans view these players and their reputation.

Sports media has the power to sway the opinions of all sports fans, but that power is often used negatively, singling out athletes and causing sports fans to believe theories that are simply untrue.

When the NFL revealed that the Patriots’ footballs during the 2015 AFC championship were under inflated, football fans immediately branded Tom Brady as a cheater and went after his integrity in an outrage. The NFL assumed that Brady had deflated the footballs so he could gain an advantage in the Patriots 45–7 shellacking of the Colts. ESPN analyst Mark Brunell nearly started crying out of sadness in reaction to Brady’s supposed dishonesty.

Fans were led to believe that Brady and the Patriots had definitely cheated.

Yet after months of nonstop media coverage and scrutiny of Brady, there’s still no sufficient evidence proving that he deflated the footballs has surfaced. Not to say that the coverage is unjust, but the sports media outlets should not have the power to sway the opinions of fans in such a case where Brady was not proven guilty.

Two years ago, ESPN sports analyst Skip Bayless tweeted about NBA superstar Kevin Durant, alleging Durant is letting his rival Lebron James “own him” by allowing Lebron to control Durant’s basketball career. But Durant fired right back, saying how because Bayless is on ESPN, people think he knows what he’s talking about. Durant noted that “nobody owns him”.

Durant needed to refute Bayless’ claim to prevent Bayless from swaying the opinions of all sports fans without any facts or sources. It is clear that so called “expert sources” like Bayless often aren’t credible and shouldn’t be allowed to have too much influence on people’s opinions. Their viewpoints aren’t valid and shouldn’t have any place on a sports media outlet such as ESPN. Sports media shows, such as Bayless’ ESPN show First Take, thrive off of any type of publicity. But it’s disrespectful to sports journalism. Analysts can say obscure things about athletes and not get punished, as long as they get attention.

True sports journalism is about interacting with athletes and coaches in order to analyze information that is relevant to performance. The difference with this type of media is that it bases its information off of false information or minor details that have nothing related to any issue whatsoever.

The issue with many sports media outlets today is that they go for attention—not quality journalism. So think twice before you listen to these publicity obsessed sports networks.

“We only found out that we were going to Germany about three weeks before the event took place, so our training was basically the same as it would be for any other competition,” Gropman said.

The duo said that they didn’t know what to expect going into the competition, so they were pleasantly surprised to place second. Considering the pair was among the youngest in their division—which can include skaters up to twenty years-old—the win was a huge achievement, they said.

“Our coaches told us that it was supposed to be a fun competition and that we weren’t looking at medaling,” Somerville said. “I guess that was just to try to make us less nervous, because it does get really nerve-racking for me a lot of times.”

Because of all the time he has invested in ice dance, Somerville said his dream would be to make it to the Olympics.

“To spend so much time and devote so much time to skating and having to miss school and all this stuff,” he said. “It would be pretty lame to only just do that for fun.”

Freshman Ian Somerville skates with his partner, Jewish Day School freshman Eliana Gropman, at the Bavarian Open Feb. 20. The duo went on to win second place. Photo courtesy Catherine Somerville

march 16, 2016

Sports 15

Squash players ‘putaway’ perfect season

BY CAROLYN PRICE

Since its inception in 2006, the Whitman Squash Club has been dominating on the court.

Directed by local club Aussie Nick Squash, the squash team trains year-round and competes from November to February against other local teams. This year, the team went undefeated, beating Wilson, Landon, B-CC and Wakefield before defeating Wakefield again in the finals.

In squash, two opponents play in a four-sided court and use racquets to hit a ball against the front wall before it touches the ground. There are certain lines on the front wall and on the floor that the players must be aware of when serving and aiming the ball.

Each round goes to 11 points but requires a player to win by two, and every set of competitors plays for up to five rounds. The team with four players to win their individual games wins the match.

“It’s pretty much like tennis against the wall,” junior Josh Strauss said. “There’s singles with two people, and they alternate shots.”

The Whitman club consists of around 25 players, a majority of whom are underclassman. Like most teams, the club is split into varsity and JV. Connie Barnes, former Whitman parent and COO of Aussie Nick Squash coaches the Vikes. Barnes originally created a squash program at Pyle in 2006 for her daughter and her friends. When they moved on to Whitman, the squash team followed. Since then, the team has been

highly successful and hasn’t been defeated in at least four years, Barnes said.

The team practices on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Chevy Chase Athletic Club (CCAC), though most team members attend one or two practices per week.

The hour-long practices begin with a warm up, which includes stretching and running, followed by group drills in which players practice returning the ball against the wall.

“We do different combinations of shots and then after, in the last fifteen minutes of practice, we’ll move into playing games with each other,” junior Harry Dodwell said. “Then at the very end we’ll do a little speed and agility.”

During the winter, the club competes in matches at the CCAC as part of the Chase Interclub Varsity League. To determine the matchups of the players, each team’s varsity and JV rosters include only seven players, ranked from best to worst. Players are then paired with the player of the corresponding number from the opponent’s team.

Despite squash being an individual sport, players say they must rely on their teammates because a team can only succeed if every athlete does their best.

“There’s definitely a team aspect as far as winning matches go,” captain Graham Clifford said. “In between games, your teammates can give you advice or things like that.”

1-2-3-4... ‘Superfans’ get busy

By Josh Millin

Many students attend football games on Friday nights and cheer for the Vikes to show their school pride. There

are some fans, however, who take their dedication to Vikings athletics to the next level—Whitman “superfans.”

Nancy Mornini Sport: All

photo by Annabelle Gordon

Hannah Ginsky Sport: All

Senior Hannah Ginsky has taken on the role of Whitmaniacs president this year after getting involved with the club as a junior. Ginsky advertises upcoming games for all teams and tries to attend as many as possible, she said.

As a lacrosse player, Ginsky understands the need for fan support at sporting events.

“Student support is really important because the athletes work re-

Art teacher Nancy Mornini has been the sponsor of the Whitmaniacs club since it started in 2007.

She got involved after she and a few of her students, including the Vikings’ starting quarterback, wanted to find a way to increase spirit and attendance at games.

Since then, Mornini has regularly worked with students to promote support for all athletic teams by helping the Whitmaniacs make t-shirts, create cheers and spread awareness about upcoming games

and competitions.

“We started meeting on Wednesdays during lunch to plan themes and ideas and it was just easy to have it as a weekly thing,” she said.

Athletics are an essential part of a student’s high school experience because they can provide the most memorable moments, she said.

“I think the memories you take away from high school have a lot to do with extracurricular,” she said.

“Participating in Roar, attending a state championship soccer game— that’s the stuff you remember.”

ally hard and they deserve to have fans supporting them,” she said. “It’s important for me as a student-athlete to give other athletes support.”

With student attendance spiking at recent games due to the success of boys and girls basketball, Ginsky is optimistic about support carrying over into the spring season.

“I hope the support will continue, and as Whitmaniacs we will definitely encourage it,” she said. photo by Tomas Castro

Gideon Crawford Sport: Hockey

photo by Tomas Castro

Graham Hutchinson Sport: Boys Basketball

Although junior Graham Hutchinson is occupied with golf for much of the year, he has attended almost every one of the Vikes’ home games and plenty of away games this season.

Hutchinson’s support for the team originally stemmed from his close friendship with guard Jack McClelland, but he now goes to cheer on the entire squad.

“I’ve been friends with him since kindergarten, so I originally went to a few of the JV games to watch him play, and then I became friends with a lot more

You may not have seen senior Gideon Crawford’s face at any hockey games this season, but he was certainly one of the team’s biggest supporters. After attending a few games, Crawford volunteered to be the Viking mascot.

“One of my friends is on the hockey team so I met a lot of the team through him, and I enjoy watching hockey” he said. “So I offered to be the mascot.”

He enjoyed his role throughout the season, but appreciated it the most when there were more fans at the games, Crawford said.

“It was fun when there were a lot of people who were excited, but awkward to be dressed as a Viking when there aren’t any fans,” he said.

Barring scheduling conflicts, Crawford attended as many games as possible.

“It gives our teams a psychological advantage to have people excited,” he said.

kids on the team,” Hutchinson said.

His love of the sport has turned him into one of the team’s biggest fans.

“It’s fun to watch them play,” he said.

“Personally, I like basketball, and I play on a rec team with a few of the guys.”

Showing up to games is important because it represents Whitman’s commitment to its athletic programs, Hutchinson said.

“A lot of the other teams bring their crowds,” he said, “so it’s important to let these guys know that we’re behind them and support them.” photo by Tomas Castro

The players said that one of their favorite things about squash is how it gives them a chance to connect with other athletes with similar interests.

“It’s the only sport that I’ve experienced where everyone is very nice,” Dodwell said. “Usually a lot of people are arrogant or have big egos, but everyone that I’ve met has been very friendly.”

Freshman Azraf Khan prepares to return the ball in the club’s final match against Wakefield. The club won the match 6–1.

Photo by Carolyn Price

Ever wondered...

about Whitman’s Sports Hall of Fame?

by Natachi Onwuamaegbu

At the Whitman Hall of Fame induction last September, Leslie Morrison (‘08) beamed under the glare of stadium lights. As she accepted her award, she thanked her coach, family and teammates for supporting her along the way.

The Walt Whitman High School Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 2009 to recognize people like Morrison: student-athletes, coaches, administrators and athletic supporters who have demonstrated excellence on the playing field, in the classroom and in the community.

“I like the community that Whitman athletics creates, and that community doesn’t disappear once you graduate,” said Morrison, who was a four-year starter on the girls varsity soccer team and a star on the track team, winning 15 County championships.

So far the Hall has inducted over 30 athletes, many of whom have come from track and field and cross country. Eleven track and field athletes have been celebrated for their achievements in and out of high school.

According to athletic director Andrew Wetzel, five nominees are inducted into the hall every two years.

“There is a nomination form,” Wetzel said.

“Candidates are voted in by a panel that I choose.”

The nomination panel includes the principal, athletic director, an All-Sport Booster Club Board member, past and current coaches and an athlete’s parent.

In order to for an athlete to be eligible for a nomination, he or she must have graduated a minimum of five years prior to the nomination and achieved accomplishments as a Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSA) varsity athlete, which includes winning a state or regional award. The nominee also needs to be considered an exemplary member of the community, most importantly by demonstrating sportsmanship skills.

Past nominees include Tim Agee (‘79), who was quarterback of the football team that went to the state championship and Gary Browne (‘66), who’s considered the greatest basketball player in the history of Whitman to many of those who watched him play.

“I was blown away when I heard about the nomination,” former cross country runner Jason Belinkie (‘00) said. “I felt—and feel—humbled to be selected for such an honor. It brought back a lot of memories and experiences, particularly as a member of the Whitman cross country and track teams, that largely helped shape who I am today.”

16

March 16, 2016

LLS MONTH

Above: Over the course of LLS Month this February, Whitman students and fami-

$51,500

lies raised about for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Events like bRAVE, Battle of the Beards, Battle of the Bands, Whitman Idol and Guy Auction (all pictured above) raised a large portion of the total this year.

Below: International Night was a success, with groups from places ranging from Turkey to Columbia. After the event on Wednesday night, students attended an assembly in the auditorium where they saw some of the groups perform during the school day. International Night raises money for Save the Children. Photos by Tomas Castro and Michelle Jarcho

International Night

Scan with a QR code app for a video and article of International Night on www.theblackandwhite.net

VOLUME 54, ISSUE 4.5 MARCH 16, 2016

WALT WHITMAN HIGH SCHOOL

7100 WHITTIER BOULEVARD

BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20817

THEBLACKANDWHITE.NET

Girls basketball: State champions

The girls basketball team is overcome with emotion after trounced the Western Doves 71-55 last Saturday. They claimed their second state title in the history of the program and first championship since 1995. Led by guards Abby Meyers, Marie Hatch and Hannah Niles and forward Betsy Knox, the Vikings had a historic 24-3 season under coach Peter Kenah. Photos by Michlelle Jarcho

BY BEN KATZ

Before his team’s state championship matchup against the Western Doves at Towson last Saturday, girls basketball coach Peter Kenah showed his team a photo compilation of sports teams celebrating title wins. He told his players that the photos represent feelings of what it’s like to win it all, and he wanted them to experience a moment like that.

And they did.

For the first time since 1995 and the second time in school history, the Vikings captured the Maryland 4A state championship with a commanding 71–55 victory over the Doves last Saturday. This capped off a historic season and postseason for the 24–3 squad.

Guard Abby Meyers, a Division I recruit, continued her dominant play in the finals with 21 points, including 14 in the first quarter, and three assists. Guard Hannah Niles contributed 18 points and three assists, and forward Livy Meyers added 11 points. Forward Betsy Knox rounded out the onslaught with eight points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Entering the game, the team knew Western’s tough zone defense would force the Vikings to respond with quick ball and player movement, and to sink outside shots, Kenah said. The plan worked: The Vikes hit eight three-pointers, including four from Abby Meyers, compared to Western’s three. This lopsided statistic proved to be one of the deciding factors in the game.

With six seniors and five juniors on the team—and five players who already had experience in late playoff games—familiarity with each other and calmness in high-pressure situations were keys to the team’s success.

“We were experienced, talented and had great chemistry,” guard Marie Hatch said. “Some of us had been playing together for more than seven years. We know each other so well, and it definitely showed on the court. We know what everyone else is going to do and where everyone is going to be on the court without even looking.”

A Rocky Start

Despite playoff success, the season wasn’t quite so smooth at first. The girls lost three of their first eight games; all these losses came against private school basketball powerhouses. This was unusual for a team that hadn’t lost a county game the past two years and was undefeated through 23 games until their heartbreaking loss in state semifinals against eventual champion Eleanor Roosevelt last season.

But losing these games helped the Vikes learn how the team held up against elite competition and what it was like to taste defeat, Kenah said.

“To me, last year we cruised and other years we would cruise,” he said. “But this year it was like, in the good games, we need to share the ball if we’re going to beat the elite level teams.”

After losing their third game of the season, this time against St. John’s, the Vikings realized they needed to switch to a zone defense instead of their usual halfcourt man-to-man setup to beat the best teams.

The new approach forced other higherlevel teams to tweak their offensive game plans, and the zone didn’t demand as much energy as man-to-man requires, Knox said.

This adjustment, combined with a potent offense headlined by Meyers, helped the team recover from the rough start.

A Full Team Effort

Critical to this year’s playoff push was the veteran presence of Hatch, who was sidelined with a broken ankle for 2015’s state semifinals loss. Known for her defensive prowess and composure, she was a difference-maker, Kenah said.

“I don’t know if we beat B-CC without Marie in the [regional] semifinals,” he said.

“She had 10 big points that really helped us, no doubt about it.”

For Hatch, who had not played in the state semifinals since her freshman year, this season was her chance to make up for last year’s disappointing ending.

“I am beyond excited to be playing this year,” Hatch said before the state semifinals contest against North Point. “It’s my last chance, and I have all the motivation

necessary after sitting on the sidelines and watching the team give all their effort but still falling short.”

Hatch, who will play for Cornell University next year, is one of three senior captains; the other two are Knox and Niles, who will continue their basketball careers in the fall at Middlebury College and Loyola University, respectively.

While the team was led by Meyers and the senior captains, role players like forwards Emily and Olivia Meyers—Abby’s sisters—and guard Jenna Hosker were essential to round out the dominant team, Kenah said.

Every player put in extra time on their own, which was evident in their teamwork and success on and off the court, Knox said.

“We all worked hard in and out of season, so that we could be successful this season and achieve the state championship we dreamed of,” she said. “We also were lucky to have the talent we did this year; it was a combination of all those things, plus our genuine love for each other, that made this team special.”

The Road to States Begins

After rebounding from the early losses, the Vikings showed their true dominance when it counted on the court.

The Vikes went on a 19-game win streak, stifling every offense they faced, and won every playoff game by nine points or more. Abby Meyers led the barrage, averaging 21 points per game in the regular season and 26 in the playoffs.

The playoffs started with a 71–27 thrashing of the Blair Blazers to win the sectional championship, with Meyers scoring 23 points.

Two nights later, the Vikings fought tooth and nail and came out on top against rival B-CC, 58–49. Meyers exploded for 34 points, including 15 in the third quarter, and the team moved on to the regional finals against the Clarksburg Coyotes. After a sloppy start, the Vikings pulled it together, with seven players scoring in the game, and punched their ticket to their third state semifinals in the past four years.

Going into the state semifinals against the North Point Eagles, the Vikings yearned to avenge their 48–30 loss to Roosevelt in the same round a year earlier.

“I knew all too well the devastation of being on the losing end, so I’m grateful and proud that we finally did it this year,” Hatch said.

Following a back-and-forth first half, the Vikings stormed out of the locker room with a newfound energy and outscored the Eagles 18–5 in the third quarter, extending their massive lead to 21 going into the fourth quarter. Meyers scored 26 points and Niles added 16 in the 64–37 rout.

After overcoming the state semifinals hump for the first time in three attempts during Kenah’s coaching tenure, the team was even more determined to win it all this year, Niles said in the state finals’ post-game press conference.

“We had so much confidence going into the game,” she said. “We came into it knowing that we could beat Western.

Yes, they’re a great team, so much respect to them, but we knew it right when we stepped on the court for the tip.”

Although excited to advance to the championship game, continuing to push hard and stay focused until the title game was a must, Kenah said.

“We had to find the balance between enjoyment and realizing the goal wasn’t to just make the state finals,” he said.

Taking Home the State Title

After a shaky beginning of the season, the Vikings returned to their forceful form they’ve been known for over the past few seasons, and took home the championship in typical Vikings fashion. This wrapped up their road to states—a memorable one for the whole team.

“Winning states as a senior is amazing,” Knox said. “The whole team, and our grade especially, has been dreaming about winning since we were freshmen, and to finally win after all the hard work and dedication we put into this program has really made the experience all the more special.”

2 SPECIAL EDITION

MARCH 16, 2016

March 5:

Abby Meyers’ 28 points helps girls basketball beat Clarksburg in regional final

BY CAROLYN PRICE

The girls basketball team took home the 4A West regional title Saturday afternoon after a 63–39 victory over the Clarksburg Coyotes, allowing the Vikes to advance to the state semifinals.

Guard Abby Meyers led the team with 28 points, and seven different players added points.

“It was a great team win,” guard Hannah Niles said.

“We really bought in as a team and focused on all the things that we talked about in terms of stopping Clarksburg.”

At the start of the game, the Coyotes were the first to get on the board, with four points from two sets of free throws. The Vikes got their first two points two and a half minutes in from forward Betsy Knox, who later hit a three-pointer as well.

The Vikes finished the first quarter leading 16–10, with the help of a three-pointer from Meyers at the buzzer, but the team said the beginning of the game didn’t reflect their usual playing.

“We were starting a bit slow, and we were missing

some free throws and shots that we normally make,” Niles said.

The second quarter played out similar to the first: The Vikings scored 14 points, 10 by Meyers, and the Coyotes scored 11. The quarter also ended with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, this time for Clarksburg.

Starting the second half up 30–21, the team regained their usual control on offense during the third quarter with 18 points, including 10 from Knox.

“I thought we were tight [during the first half] for the second game in a row, and then things just really opened up,”coach Peter Kenah said.

As well as being the highest scoring quarter for the Vikings, the third quarter showed a huge improvement on defense, as the team held the Coyotes to just six points.

“We stopped them from getting offensive rebounds— it was our number one goal,” Kenah said. “And we were the first team to hold them under 40 the whole season—25 games—so that’s something we can really be proud of.”

Going into the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead, the

Guard Abby Meyers drives by Clarksburg defender in the Vikings’ 63-39 win. Meyers led the team with 28 points. Photo

by Michelle Jarcho

Vikings were able to rotate in more bench players as they cruised to victory. The Coyotes had their highest scoring quarter with 12 points, but they were unable to overcome the Vikes’ huge lead.

The team moves on to the state semifinals against the North Point Eagles Thursday night at Towson University.

March 10:

Girls basketball beats North Point 64–37, advances to state finals

BY CAROLYN PRICE

After a 19–3 regular season, the girls basketball team made history Thursday night with a dominant 64–37 victory over the North Point Eagles, allowing the Vikings to move on to the state finals for the first time since 1995.

The game marked the Vikes’ third semifinal appearance in four years. Team members said that after last year’s loss to Eleanor Roosevelt, they were determined to get back to Towson this year.

“This year we were more prepared and composed—most likely from good senior leadership—so overall it feels great to win and redeem ourselves,” forward Livy Meyers said.

Guard Abby Meyers and forward Hannah Niles paced the team with 26 and 14 points, respectively.

The teams traded baskets early on, and both teams struggled to limit turnovers.

The Vikes led 12-9 after the first quarter.

As the second quarter unfolded, the Vikes’ defense began to take over the game, and they extended their lead to 2820 at halftime, heading into the locker room with momentum.

Crisp passing and aggressive drives to the rim helped the Vikings continue to in-

game, Livy Meyers noted.

With their season slipping away in the final minutes of the game, the Eagles’ frustration boiled over. Eagles forward Ciara Bryson slammed the ball on the court after drawing a foul, earning a technical foul.

“This year we were more prepared and composed—most likely from good senior leadership—so overall it feels great to win and redeem ourselves” - forward Livy Meyers The girls basketball team celebrates after their 64-37 rout over the North Point Eagles. This win advanced the Vikings to their first state championship game since 1995. Photo by Tomas Castro

crease their lead. A 14-2 run gave them a comfortable lead, and they outscored the Eagles 18-5 in the third quarter to give them a 46-25 advantage going into the the fourth.

“When we get into the really middle or heart of the game, that is when we lock down as a team,” forward Emily Meyers

said. “Our goals were to stop their transition offense and rebound on both ends because we have size, and we accomplished both of them.”

The girls scored 18 points again in the fourth quarter, while staying aggressive on defense. The team held Eagles’ star Necole Hope to only four points for the entire

Once the Vikes secured a 60-33 lead with around three minutes left, head coach Peter Kenah finished off the game by pulling his starters.

In the end, the Vikes cruised to a 64-37 win, giving them an opportunity to play for a state title Saturday against the Western Doves.

March 12:

Girls basketball captures state title with 71-55 victory over Western

BY CAROLYN PRICE

The girls basketball team ended their historic season with a 24–3 record and a state title Saturday at Towson University, beating the Western Doves 71–55.

The game was Whitman’s first girls basketball state title since 1995 and the second in school history, as well as the first state finals appearance and win for coach Peter Kenah.

“Your dream as a coach is you get to hug your best players and win the state title,” Kenah said in the press conference following the game, “so it really was a dream come true and a special moment I’m always going to remember.”

The Vikes were led by guard Abby Meyers with 21 points and forward Hannah Niles with 18 points. Seven players scored, and forward Betsy Knox said the win was made part by players both on and off the court.

“To win the state championship, it’s going to take every single member of the squad, whether they’re on the bench for most of the game or they’re playing most of the game,” Knox said.

The Vikings got off to a hot start and used quick passes and a tight defense to limit the Doves’ chances on offense.

With the help of Meyers’ three three-pointers in the first quarter, including a buzzer-beater, the team finished the quarter up 23–9.

The second quarter was less successful for the Vikes: The Doves’ offense picked up steam to outscore Whitman 11–6. After a three-pointer from the Doves with less than a minute left in the half, the Vikes’ lead was cut to nine at halftime.

Although the Doves were the first to get on the board in the second half, as the third quarter progressed, the Vikings regained their usual confidence to take the strong lead that would last them the rest of the game.

“The guards were fearless, and they made so many

plays and were just a little more aggressive in the second half,” Kenah said.

The Vikes added 18 points in the third quarter, including shooting a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line, bringing the score to 47–33.

“This is how I really think public school basketball should be... They’re just kids, and they love each other. I think it embodies so much of what our community does, from our athletic director to our principal on down—we made history, and I just couldn’t be prouder of them.”

- coach Peter Kenah The game’s final quarter featured the highest scores from both teams, with the Vikings and the Doves scoring in a back-and-forth manner, 24 and 22 points, respectively. However, Whitman ran into foul trouble with both Meyers and guard Marie Hatch picking up their fourth fouls.

When it became clear that the lead wasn’t going away, Kenah took his starters out one-by-one, and they were greeted at the bench with hugs from teammates and roars of the crowd.

Kenah said the win was not only a reflection of the team but also the community as a whole.

“This is how I really think public school basketball

Guard Hannah Niles rises up over a Western defender to score two of her 18 points. Her explosiveness on offense, combined with 21 points from guard Abby Meyers, resulted in the Vikings winning their first title in over 20 years. Photo by Michelle Jarcho

should be,” Kenah said. “They’re just kids, and they love each other. I think it embodies so much of what our community does, from our athletic director to our principal on down—we made history, and I just couldn’t be prouder

MARCH 16, 2016

SPECIAL EDITION 3

Senior forwards Abe Kuhn and George Wilson share thanks, memories

From top left, counterclockwise: Forward Leah Gordon, guard Jenna Hosker, guard and captain Marie Hatch, forward Emily Meyers, guard and captain Hannah Niles, and forward and captain Betsy Knox. Photo courtesy Ted Knox

Letter from the senior captains

Dear Whitman: You probably picture the girls basketball team as the loud group of tall girls that gathers in the hallways and outside of the gym, never seeming to seperate. But for us, this group of girls and the community behind us has been our family for the last four years. We’d like to thank to everyone in the community for everything you‘ve done to make our Walt Whitman girls basketball family special and successful. Like all of you, we’re lucky to be a part of Whitman’s hardworking, focused, and supportive community. The culture at this school, in and out of the classroom, has taught us to fiercely pursue our passion for basketball and dedicate the time and energy necessary to be successful.

This amazing community is made up of people who have supported our team every step of the way. We‘ve enjoyed and appreciated countless acts of encouragement all season long and throughout our four years at Whitman.

Thank you to: Dr. Goodwin, who proudly tweeted about us all year and greeted us after every game with a smile and a high five; Mr. Easton, who attended the majority of our games and tirelessly danced and fist pumped each time we scored; Mr. Rushton, who worked the scores table for every home game and hasn’t missed a game in our entire career at Whitman; Chris Worrell, Whitman’s trainer, who toler-

ated all of our complaints about aches and pains and diligently treated them; The many teachers who congratulated us on our wins the next day in class and genuinely cared about our success; And our devoted group of Whitmaniacs, whose signs and cheers all season pushed us play hard even when the games weren’t close.

The list of people who’ve guided us to reach our goals simply can’t fit in this letter, but we’ve appreciated each gesture of support.

This year we were especially lucky share our success with the boys basketball team. Although their season did not have the fairytale ending they had dreamed of, their perseverance and will to win was always fun to watch and inspired our team.

We also want to give a huge shout out to our always-committed practice squad, whose competitiveness and eagerness was a big part of our success all season.

We would especially like to thank our coaches, whose love for the game, dedication to our team and willingness to go the extra mile have made all the difference. They have harnessed the energy and developed the skill of each of our players and made us a team, or more accurately, a family.

Finally, we would like to thank our incredible teammates who have made this journey unforgettable.

- Marie Hatch, Betsy Knox and Hannah Niles

Forward Abe Kuhn, guard Shaq Diboti-Lobe and forward George Wilson pose for a photo on their senior night. Photo courtesy Scott Deutchman

To me, the sport of basketball has always been a very important part of my life. I have been playing basketball for over 13 years of my life, but I would never have thought I would end my basketball career playing at Xfinity Center. This year, I got the opportunity to play with some of the best basketball players I have ever played with before.

Our team this year revolved around a great team chemistry and a team wide commitment to the sport. Each and every player on the team bought into their role, whether it was to score 20 points or to cheer the team on from the bench. With only three seniors on the team, the juniors had to step up their commitment and love of the sport, and in doing so, they were able to give us seniors an incredible ride. I myself will never forget this season not only because it was my last season of highschool basketball but also for the brothers who made it so special for me.

- George Wilson Whitman Basketball has been a pillar for me ever since I was a young kid. I remember going to Coach Lun’s basketball camp and feeling amazed at the sense of family that the Whitman basketball program creates. I feel fortunate and grateful that I was able to be a part of the program for the past 4 years. To have the opportunity to represent Whitman has been a dream come true, and I can’t thank my family, teammates and coaches enough. My time in the Whitman program has prepared me for the next level and whatever life holds. I hope the success and sense of community continues for the Whitman community for years to come.

- Abe Kuhn

Boys playoff run ends after 61-35 loss to Meade

BY JOSH MILLIN

After a thrilling playoff run, the boys basketball team’s season came to an end last Thursday when they lost 61-35 to the Meade Mustangs in the state semi-finals. During the postseason, the team won two games by just one point each, mounted several improbable comebacks and toppled cross-town rival B-CC. “While the season didn’t end as we’d hoped, the season overall was a great success,” forward Max Oppenheim said. “Pre-season, our goal was to win our region and make it back to UMD, and even though there were some doubts along the way, we did just that.”

After an 18-point victory over WJ in the first round of the playoffs, the Vikes traveled across Bethesda to play B-CC , a team which the Vikes went 1-1 against in the regular season. Late in the game, it seemed like the Vikes’ season was over—they trailed by four with under 30 seconds left. But after the Barons missed two free throws and guard Shaq Diboti-Lobe hit a key threepointer, Oppenheim made a last-second tip-in that gave the Vikings a 48-47 victory at the buzzer.

In addition to hitting the game-winner, taking down a rival in the playoffs made the moment even more surreal, Oppenheim said.

“Growing up playing basketball in the Whitman area, one of the things you learn quickly is that we don’t lose to B-CC,” he said. “And while I have nothing but respect for B-CC, being able to make that shot is a dream come true.”

Trumping the Barons not only crowned the Vikings as champions of Bethesda, but it also gave the team a boost of confidence.

“Beating B-CC was probably our proudest moment of the season, along with winning regionals,” forward Jack Berson said. “It definitely gave us momentum but was just an incredible feeling all in all.”

The Vikings´ next match-up proved to be less eventful, as the team led throughout the contest against the Blair Blazers. With Diboti-Lobe scoring 28 points and Oppenheim adding 17, the boys cruised to a 66–51 triumph.

In the regional championship, however, securing a victory proved to be more of a challenge. Facing the Clarksburg Coyotes, the Vikings were down by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter with both Diboti-Lobe and Oppenheim in foul trouble. While Diboti-Lobe sunk two key shots to bring the team back into the game, it was his three-pointer with seconds left in overtime that lifted the Vikes to their 62–61 win.

The high stakes and passionate crowd kept the Vikings motivated to pull off the victory, Oppenheim said.

“The environment versus Clarksburg was great,” he said. “Down the stretch, both our coach and our senior captains did a great job keeping us mentally focused and keeping our heads in the game.”

Unfortunately, the team couldn’t carry its momentum into the Xfinity Center for the state semi-finals. Meade led by as much as 17 points in the first half, and the Vikings weren’t able to catch up.

The team’s frustration mounted throughout the half, culminating with Diboti-Lobe getting ejected in the second quarter after an altercation with a Meade forward.

“What the referees told me was it was an extended leg, a kick motion,” head coach Christopher Lun said at the post-game press conference. “It’s unfortunate. Shaq is a great kid. It’s not who he is. He’s as remorseful as you can be.”

Simply reaching the playoffs was never a given for the Vikings. The team´s impressive play during the back end of their 17-10 season propelled them to a postseason run, Lun said.

Guard Jack McClelland looks for a rebound in the boys basketball team’s 61-35 loss to Meade. Photo by Tomas Castro

¨We have been playing some pretty good team basketball lately. We’ve won 12 of our last 14, and the guys are really buying into what we are doing,¨ he said before the semi-finals.

The team also steadily improved throughout the season by strengthening their cohesiveness, Berson said.

“We started playing as a team, and our match-up zone helped us gain momentum on defense which led to offensive possessions,” he said.

Despite a heartbreaking ending, Lun is proud of the way the Vikings carried themselves over the course of the season.

“Coming into this season, we knew we had the pieces to be a good team,” he said. “ I’m very happy with how hard our guys worked to get in this position.”

Caleb Friedman contributed to this report.

4 SPECIAL EDITION

MARCH 16, 2016

Photos by Michelle Jarcho and Tomas Castro