The Black & White Vol 53 Issue 4

volume 53, Issue 4 February 11, 2015

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Superintendent Joshua Starr steps down

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

COO Larry Bowers to fill in, Board hopes to find replacement by June 30

Nearly 300 runners sprint off the starting line at the Red Rush 5k at Whitman Feb. 8. All proceeds from the event, which was put together by the leadership class as part of LLS month, will go to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Arcadia cast pushes acting abilities to convey complicated plot, subject matter by sophia higgins Quick! Explain everything you know about string theory.

Just kidding. Have no fear— you don’t have to be an expert in theoretical physics to enjoy Whitman Drama’s winter play, opening February 26.

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia is a complex and sophisticated piece, often called one of the most significant theater works of the 20th century. Whitman actors, however, are ready to face the challenge of making the show comprehensible and entertaining for the audience.

“The Whitman community has come to expect complex theater,” director Christopher Gerken said.

“And after the success of Lord of the Flies I wanted to continue with producing complex works, but this time really focusing on the text of a piece and the true strength of our acting talent.”

The plot of Arcadia flip flops

between two timelines—one in an 1809 house and another involving a present-day group of researchers in the same house. The 1809 storyline follows teenager Thomasina Coverly and her tutor Septimus Hodge, with whom she discusses advanced theories in mathematics and physics. The modern day story concerns researchers who aim to uncover what happened in that household during the 1800s.

“It’s a murder mystery, it’s about gardens, it’s about quantum physics, mathematics, literature, and there’s a romance part too,” said junior Kaycie Goral, who portrays Thomasina. “It has everything in it.

It’s just a piece of art.”

Arcadia’s dual timeline offers the audience a unique perspective, senior Erin Craig said. While the audience watches what occurs in the 1800s, they can also see the different and sometimes erroneous ways the present day researchers interpret it.

Many cast members had not heard of the play before it was announced at last year’s drama banquet. As part of the audition process, they were required to read the script and analyze a character from the show.

“It’s a story, at its surface level, about mathematics and chaos theory, but underneath it’s really about human interaction and the struggle between thinking and feeling,” Craig said.

While the cast was excited and prepared to go into rehearsals, the show’s plot and sophisticated writing require a different approach for the actors.

“It’s a very challenging piece because in other plays we have lots of lighting and a big set, a lot of intricate things that go into it,” junior Eli Wasserman said. “For this, it’s just dialogue.”

Continued on page 10

by julia gilman and margot dionne The Board of Education will begin a nationwide search for a new superintendent after Joshua Starr announced his resignation last week. Starr, who left under pressure, will step down Feb. 16.

“The message is not one of quitting,” Starr said.

“The message, I hope, will be don’t get into a fight you know you’re not going to win.”

Chief Operating Officer Larry Bowers has been approved by Maryland State Superintendent Lillian Lowery to serve as interim Superintendent through June 30.

“He knows the system inside and out and I can think of no one who is more suited to provide the stable, even-handed leadership we need in this time of transition,” said Patricia O’Neill, President of the Board of Education.

The Board began to deliberate Starr’s future recently after he interviewed for the position of Chancellor of New York City Public Schools in late 2013, causing Board members to doubt his commitment to MCPS, the Washington Post reported.

“After much discussion, the Board and Dr. Starr agreed it would be in the best interest of the district to appoint a new leader to carry forward the Board’s vision,” O’Neill said at a press conference. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

Starr will still be financially compensated as if he had served the remaining five months of his term. The county has set a tight deadline of July 1 to have a new superintendent in place.

Continued on page 3

Mild punishment for Breck trip sheds light on rule changes by adam simon On the night of Dec. 10, 2011, a party in Carderock Springs was busted by the police. While many kids fled and escaped without punishment, about 35 Whitman students were given citations.

Then, the school took action. Administrators questioned students who were involved and, through word-of-mouth and confessions, they identified the students who were cited.

Principal Alan Goodwin worked with coaches and club sponsors to penalize those who were cited—students on sports teams received two-game suspensions while others faced varying punishments in other extracurricular activities.

Back then, Goodwin took the matter of enforcing punishments into his own hands, but now, it’s not that simple.

This year, during the annual semester break ski trip to Breckenridge, Colorado, chaperones caught students in possession of marijuana and alcohol.

Two weeks after returning, the students met in the auditorium to learn their “punishment”—10 hours of recommended community service.

In addition to bringing alcohol in their luggage, students bought marijuana and more alcohol in Colorado. Most of the partying occurred on the Saturday and Sunday night of the trip. On Monday, the last night, the eight chaperones called a meeting of all juniors and seniors.

Inside Look

Crowdfunding inspires

donations for personal causes page

3

inconvenient ouster

Pro/Con: the Good Samaritan Law

Page 5

page

Staff Editorial: Starr’s

6

APES teacher Garton

rocks out with students

Page 11

Continued on page 2

Former student becomes ninth best Chinese racecar driver

Page 14

NEWS

2

Styrofoam banned from school cafeteria, county restaurants The County Council banned most polystyrene products in local restaurants and school cafeterias in a vote on Jan. 20.

Polystyrene, often known by the brand name Styrofoam, is a polymer that exists as expanded polystyrene foam in food packaging, packing peanuts, and other containers.

The ban requires county restaurants, agencies and contractors to use “compostable or recyclable disposable food service ware” whenever possible, with exceptions for irreplaceable polystyrene products, once the bill takes effect at the beginning of 2016.

MCPS school cafeterias currently serve food in cups and bowls made of polystyrene foam. The change will cost $60,000 more for county schools per year, according to the Council’s fiscal and economic impact statement.

“It’s a really good step in the right direction,” said Leo Blain, a member of the Young Activist Club, which campaigns against food service waste in MCPS. “[Polystyrene is] bad for your health and it’s bad for the environment.”

Flu mutation renders vaccine unsuccessful This year, the flu virus has swept across the country due to a mutation that wasn’t covered in the vaccine. In addition, the CDC’s surveillance systems show an increase in hospitalizations as a result of the flu.

Each year, the flu virus adapts due to small antigenic changes. With some changes, the body’s immune system can modify to protect itself, but in certain cases, the body has no way to fight against the virus.

Every February, scientists pick three strains to include in the next year’s vaccine, based on the number of people affected the year before, according to CNN. But sometimes, the chosen strain doesn’t match up with the majority of infections.

The flu is a contagious and dangerous disease. The CDC does not measure how many deaths the flu causes because many deaths associated with the flu are the results of other underlying medical problems. The CDC does consider this year’s virus to be “associated with more severe illness and mortality, especially in older people and young children.”

Slow login times impede instruction Slow computer log-in times have hindered some teachers’ abilities to efficiently lead lessons, and times are worsening as wireless network usage increases.

The problem arose when the county installed wireless internet schoolwide, I.T. Systems Specialist Greg Thomas said. Log-in times have been at their slowest this year.

The hardware behind Whitman’s wireless network was first installed about 10 years ago, and was meant to accommodate around 500 computers. However, the school now has around 800 computers, 400 chromebooks and 1200 handheld devices on the network— around four times as many users as the system was designed for.

New security cameras installed this year also occupy space within the bandwidth, further slowing internet connections.

A program was installed in all computers earlier this school year that monitors and records log-in times. It’s still too soon to have any substantial data, but Thomas hopes that the system’s findings will help pinpoint the most problematic parts in the wireless network.

“The load [on the network] has increased without increasing the capacity [or bandwidth],” Thomas said.

The decision to expand the network’s capacity would have to come from the MCPS central office.

Unclear drug, alcohol punishment policy complicates Breck trip Administration asks students to complete ten hours of community service after upperclassmen were found with illegal substances continued from page

1

“I knew our hands were tied when it came to punishment,” said art teacher Nancy Mornini, who has led the Breck trip for the last 15 years.

“If we had found what we found one day earlier, we would have sent those students home at their parents’ expense. But because we were leaving the day after our meeting, it just didn’t make sense to send anyone home.”

Once they returned, the punishment protocol became even more complicated. For starters, the Whitman Rec Club is not officially associated with Whitman. The club used to coordinate the trip in conjunction with the Montgomery County Recreation Department, but the county cut ties with the program for budget reasons more than five years ago.

“The trip is school-sponsored in the sense that it’s all school teachers who chaperone, but that’s the extent of it,” Mornini said. “Regardless, we considered it an extension of the classroom and representation of the school.”

Additionally, at the start of the school year, the state issued a new “Code of Conduct” for Maryland schools, changing the extent to which administrators can penalize students for violating a school’s drug and al-

cohol policy.

“Essentially, there has been a lot of teeth taken out of what we can do, both at school and outside of school,” Goodwin said. “For instance, if I caught you drinking on school grounds I can only suspend you for three days. Before, I used to be able to do 10-day suspensions and recommendation for expulsion.”

For incidents outside of the classroom and not connected to Whitman, the rules become even more murky.

“When it comes to “out of school,” I had always kind of gone out on a limb because I know students who have died from drinking and drugs, so it’s a personal thing for me,” Goodwin said. “We’ve been pulled back from what we can do off school grounds and, while I can still exercise oral authority and encourage community service and athletes can still get some degree of consequence, it’s just not the same.”

As a result the administration now has, overall, a weaker capacity for discipline. For example, the results of a party like the one in 2011 would have played out differently now.

“I don’t know if there is a distinction between what happened at Breckenridge and a party, but the

new Code of Conduct encourages us to deviate away from punishment,” assistant principal Jerome Easton said. “If, for example, there were to have been a party last weekend where 35 people got cited, our course of action would be the same as it was for Breck.”

Regardless of the rule changes, the punishment may be fitting for the circumstances at hand, Easton said.

“There comes a time when you have to think about whether or not they should be punished and a time where it’s more important that they just get the message,” he added.

It was definitely a learning experience for students, Mornini said.

In addition to a signed letter of apology, many students sincerely apologized to chaperones personally. Perhaps, the community service aspect gives students the opportunity to right their wrong and help make a positive impact.

“There are a lot of really smart and thoughtful kids who were on the trip,” Mornini said. “We are encouraging them to direct their service towards prevention of drinking, drunk driving and other causes like these.

If that can save just one life, it’ll be worth it.”

New lead teachers program provides benefits for accomplished teachers by gabe kahan We all have our favorite teacher who goes above and beyond to make sure our experience in class is first rate. Starting this school year, these stellar teachers can be rewarded for their top-grade instruction and student enrichment by becoming “lead teachers.”

The Career Lattice Program, launched in August by the Montgomery County Education Association, gives lead teachers the opportunity to bolster their salaries by $2000 and get funding for a project that benefits their school or community. So far, the program has only been implemented in the 34 elementary schools, 16 middle schools and nine high schools that are considered “high need” schools, but the county hopes to expand it over the next few years, said union president Doug Prouty in an interview with the Gazette.

Until now, teachers generally have had to leave the classroom if they wanted to pursue a leadership role in MCPS. The Career Lattice program aims to provide teachers with the opportunity to earn leadership positions while remaining in the classroom.

According to the MCEA website, MCPS plans to make lead teacher status a prerequisite for leadership positions within the school system, though this requirement

may take up to 10 years to implement. These positions would include resource teachers, team leaders and staff development teachers.

Applying for lead teacher status is similar to becoming National Board Certified. Teachers must submit a 10-minute video documenting classroom instruction, along with a written reflection and references from school administrators and colleagues.

So far, 33 lead teachers have been approved.

Several Whitman teachers have applied, but were ineligible because Whitman isn’t identified as a “high needs” school. Of those 33, three have had projects approved. When teachers earn lead teacher status, they get a budget of up to $3000 to spend on a project of their choice—anything from tutoring to community service—subject to approval by the Career Lattice Joint Panel.

One of the first teachers to earn leader teacher status was English teacher Darryl Alston of Northwood High School. Alston is the head of Northwood’s Humanities, Arts and Media Academy, a school-within-a-school for students who want to take enriched courses in communications or visual arts.

Alston is working on a lead teacher project to mentor seniors working on their capstone project, one

of the final requirements in the Academy. So far, six teachers serve as mentors in the program, and each receives a stipend for his work.

“I certainly appreciate the support of student efforts and the acknowledgement of good work going on within our school,” Alston said in an email interview. “Being recognized as a lead teacher within a county of so many exceptional educators is quite an honor.”

Northwood senior Jackie Camer has benefited from Alston’s guidance on her project—creating a literary magazine. Alston was able to secure her a computer with high quality software, as well as provide editing, proofreading and publishing help.

“I want to be an editor, a writer or someone who works for a magazine,” Camer said. “So not only has the Academy helped with shaping the project, but I get to work with Adobe InDesign, which real professionals get to use.”

The Academy’s mentoring has encouraged more students to tackle a capstone project, Camer said.

Once the high-need schools have an adequate number of lead teachers, the program will spread county-wide.

History teacher Courtney Osborne, who applied to the program, looks forward to its implementation at Whit-

man, she said.

“Educators are leaders in their classrooms, but teachers should be leaders among teachers,” she said.

“That’s the whole idea of professional development, teachers helping teachers.”

graphic by SONIA CHEN

Briefs

February 11, 2015

News

February 11, 2015

3

photo by MARGOT DIONNE

Joshua Starr resigns in response to pressure from Board of Education Superindendent Joshua Starr announced his resignation at a press conference Feb. 3. He will step down Feb. 16, when COO Larry Bowers will take over the position until June 30.

Starr served three-and-a-half years at MCPS, compared to former Superintendent Jerry Weast’s unusually long 12-year tenure. However, his 3.5 years aligns with the national average for large urban school districts, as calculated by the Council of Great City Schools.

During the press conference, Starr acknowledged his admiration for MCPS students.

“I say all the time, ‘Our kids are awesome’ and you will continue to be awesome regardless of whether or not I’m superintendent of schools,” Starr said in response to the Black & White’s question.

In his time at MCPS, Starr made progress on many of the issues he set out to address. A recent report showed the narrowing of the achievement gap and increasing graduation rates and SAT scores, two of his goals during his term.

“I think many of his instructional ideas will stay in place, such as having teachers work in collaborative fashion to refine lessons and to develop strategies to help students,” principal Alan Goodwin

said.

Although Starr was able to make progress, some of his incomplete initiatives have uncertain futures. He fought to push back start times for high schools and to fund school construction, but whether the new superintendent will place the same emphasis on these efforts is unknown.

“I say all the time, ‘Our kids are awesome’ and you will continue to be awesome regardless of whether or not I’m superintendent of schools.”

-Joshua Starr The Montgomery County Education Association had a positive relationship with Starr and supported many of his initiatives.

“He led the system through the worst

fiscal crisis since the Great Depression and worked with us to keep unfortunate but unavoidable budget cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,” union president Doug Prouty wrote in an email to county teachers.

Teachers applauded Starr’s efforts to minimize the influence of standardized test scores in teacher evaluations.

“I do like the way he stood up for the county’s teachers, in terms of the teacher evaluation system,” math resource Russell Rushton said. “To measure a teacher’s effectiveness on standardized test scores is only a one-dimensional snapshot, and from a math standpoint, it’s pathetic.”

Other teachers were skeptical about Starr’s hasty exit and apprehensive about the future. They are concerned about being in a period of transition under Governor Larry Hogan, who is considered to be “not necessarily education-friendly,” English teacher Danielle Fus said.

While Starr characterized his departure as avoiding unnecessary

Crowdfunding helps raise money for those in need by margot dionne Sareana Kimia felt like her life was falling apart. Her mother had just suffered a mental breakdown, she was living out of a car in Maryland and her father wasn’t giving her enough child support. It wasn’t until Kimia turned to crowdfunding that she started to regain hope.

Crowdfunding, the process of raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, is on the rise. GoFundMe, a leading site, has raised over $700 million for users.

Launched in 2010, GoFundMe raises about $2 million each day for causes ranging from education needs to birthday party funds, according to their website.

Kimia, a junior in high school, takes classes online and attends some classes at the University of Maryland. She’s an active Democrat, having campaigned for Anthony Brown and lobbied in Annapolis and on Capitol Hill.

She summed up her circumstances before GoFundMe: “We

had lost everything possible.”

Since joining the site, Kimia has raised over $29,000 from 403 donors. All the money she raises goes toward her education, she said. Her story has been featured by many news outlets, including the Washington Post.

Thousands of education campaigns exist on GoFundMe, and many are similar to Kimia’s story: a passion for learning, but not enough money to afford school. Such was the case of Whitman alum Ervin Cook (‘10), who turned to crowdfunding to stay in school.

“This is my last chance. Any penny helps,” Cook wrote on his GoFundMe page. Cook has raised $635 since September, thanks in part to donations from other Whitman alums.

Other websites like YouCaring and GiveForward were created for people with medical bills, illnesses, and other life changing circumstances.

“If you’re able to help just one person in the immediate time, then you can change their life,” GiveForward representa-

photo courtsey MCPS

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COO Larry Bowers has worked for MCPS for 37 years and will become interim superintendent Feb. 16.

conflict with the Board, his decision is controversial.

“I don’t love the signal it sends about leaving so soon,” English teacher Todd Michaels said. “It doesn’t set the right example.”

photo courtesy SAREANA KIMIA

continued from page

tive Ethan Austin said. Austin emphasized the need for both crowdfunding charities and larger charities like Save the Children.

However, with a rise in crowdfunding also comes a rise in skepticism. Many question the legitimacy of the fund- Sareana Kimia used GoFundMe, a crowdfunding site, to raise over $29,000 for ing campaigns. her education. She is also active in Democratic politics, having campaigned This past September, Go- and lobbied for the party.

FundMe deleted a woman’s generic email response saying spent, he explained. campaign page after it raised “I would be surprised if they were unable to answer $2,100 to end a “rough, unplanned and unexpected preg- they really take off,” Holzer questions.

Still, GoFundMe has helped nancy,” reported the Washing- said. Not all the money goes into the fundraisers’ pockets. a lot of people. With the help ton Post.

In addition to deleting the GoFundMe takes five percent from her GoFundMe campaign, account, the site managers ex- of all the money raised, and an Kimia can accomplish things panded their list of banned cam- additional 2.9 percent in Can- that she otherwise would have paign topics. The list includes ada and the United States for a hard time doing.

“I’m looking forward to gobans on abortion fundraisers, WePay, an online payment sering to college and then going to sexual material and “content vice provider.

So if someone needed to law school,” said Kimia, who associated with hate groups or raise $2,000, he or she would plans to continue her Demoterrorist organizations.”

Georgetown economics need to raise an additional $158 cratic political advocacy.

“No matter what happens,” professor Harry Holzer sus- to actually meet that goal. For pects crowdfunding is at its people like Kimia, who need ev- Kimia said, “it’s totally possible peak and will decline from here. ery dollar they raise, losing 7.9 to reach your dreams.”

The sites are not tax deductible, percent of funds adds up.

Numerous attempts to conand there is a huge uncertainty about how the money is really tact GoFundMe resulted in a

February 11, 2015

News

Pepco tree Flex Academies offer new cutting stirs options for extracurriculars controversy

by Trevor Lystad Many Bethesda residents have noticed the recent disappearance of trees along River Road near Kenwood Country Club.

Their removal is symptomatic of electric company Pepco’s ongoing “vegetation management plan” to “improve reliability” by removing anything that could potentially fall on a power line, Pepco spokesperson Sean Kelly said. State regulations introduced in 2011 require “utilities to be more comprehensive in their tree pruning around electrical facilities,” which includes telephone poles and lines, and Pepco is taking the mandate seriously. Pepco’s tree contractor Asplundh often cuts the trees, including the ones in front of Kenwood.

Some oppose Pepco’s work due to environmental consequences. Pepco is trying to remove years of growth around power lines, said Wood Acres resident Ann Gallagher, who is a certified arborist, or specialist in tree care. Gallagher has been discouraging homeowners from letting Pepco cut down healthy trees.

“I’m trying to persuade homeowners to have their trees checked for health,” she said.

“When I see the healthy trees being removed, I see the environmental damage of cutting down trees.”

The environmental impact of cutting down the trees could be quite severe. Gallagher notes that in many neighborhoods, the trees are crucial in stopping storm water runoff, which picks up pollutants and brings them to local bodies of water. Trees also help with a host of other issues, such as wind protecting houses from wind and preventing soil erosion, she added.

Despite her efforts, Pepco says they have cut down over 100 trees on River Road and many more in Bethesda neighborhoods. In some cases, such as on River Road, Pepco plans to replant shorter trees that are “compatible with power lines.”

“They’ve done a very good job in convincing the general public that trees coming down is good for everyone,” Gallagher said.

Tree removal is necessary to prevent power outages, Pepco says.

“Trees are the primary cause of preventable outages in Pepco’s service area,” Pepco media relations manager Bob Hainey said. “This work is critical to the delivery of safe and reliable electric service to our customers.”

A third-party report by the Maryland Public Service Commission had similar findings, saying that trees are the cause of “the most potentially preventable outages” in Pepco’s area.

However, a 2010 Washington Post analysis on the company found that while Pepco “has long blamed trees as a primary culprit” for outages, the most prevalent cause is actually equipment failure. Gallagher believes it’s easier for Pepco to solve the problem of falling trees than other causes of power outages, which is perhaps why they devote so much time to it.

While Pepco’s work is legal, some local residents have taken issue with some of their attempts to trim trees.

Wood Acres resident Ellen Berman came into conflict with Pepco over a county tree in her front yard that Pepco planned to trim since it was near a power line.

“I was unhappy because the tree itself is a healthy tree,” Berman said. “I was concerned [Pepco] was going to weaken the tree.”

Earlier, she had the tree checked by an arborist who told her the tree was perfectly healthy.

Berman was able to prevent the crew from cutting down the big branch they were targeting, but the tree still suffered some physical damage .

“We agreed to not trim this big branch,” she said, “but then they proceeded to trim other smaller, healthy branches.”

Berman added that Pepco offered to cut down the whole tree for her. Although she said no, other homeowners have accepted the offer.

“They’ve cut a tremendous number of trees down in the neighborhood,” she said.

The damage is unlikely to stop in Wood Acres, or even Bethesda.

“I think it’ll stop in Bethesda when they run out of trees to cut, but they’ll move to the next place on the schedule,” Gallagher said. “The environmental damage will already be done.”

By Julia Gilman In a school where kids have been playing soccer since they could walk and winning their first gymnastics medals before they could write their name, taking on new activities can be daunting. To make jumping into a new interest less intimidating, the PTA Stressbusters committee brought in Flex Academies to make engaging extracurriculars accessible to even the most reluctant of students.

Flex, a private organization, started offering eight-week sessions of Gourmet Cooking and Digital Photography in January. The programs, which require no prior experience, are designed to encourage students to experiment with new activities, make friends and relax in a low-pressure and lowcommitment setting.

Flex coordinates qualified vendors to teach their classes in schools. Although Flex works with many schools in the area, including Pyle, Bannockburn and Bradley Hills, Whitman is

the first high school to offer their courses.

“Because there are so many things students have to do these days, doing something they want to do can feel both relaxing and empowering,” said Stressbusters committee chair Robin Rosenblum, who worked with Flex.

The PTA and Flex gauged interest to determine which classes to offer.

Five classes were originally available to students, but three classes—Academic Support, Board Game Empire and Yoga—were canceled due to low enrollment.

“The program is new to Whitman, [so] it may take time for more students to give it a try, but we are confident it will be fun and worthwhile for them,” Rosenblum said.

The cooking class, which has five students enrolled, gives students the opportunity to learn essential cooking skills and techniques while making dishes like stuffed mushrooms with crab cake, raspberry cheesecake and potstickers.

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

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Three students examine a recently-taken photo during the Flex Acadamies Digital Photography class.

The class costs $200.

Smile Future Chefs, who runs the class, brings in their own cooking supplies and holds the class in the staff lounge.

The photography class, taught by the Washington School of Photography, focuses less on technical aspects of photography and more on creative vision and expression, teacher Adam Lowe said.

“Until you get out there and you practice and you try a lot of different things, you don’t know what you

enjoy doing,” Lowe said.

Freshman Aaron Witkin, one of about eight students enrolled, signed up because he enjoys photography and wants to improve his skills.

“This is more digital photography and easier, quicker and less formal than the class at Whitman,” he said.

The PTA hopes to work with Flex to offer another session of classes in the spring, Rosenblum said.

New MCPS database allows comparison of county schools, reveals disparities

By Julia Gilman Supporting more than 200 schools and covering nearly 500 square miles, MCPS is bound to have disparities— but they’ve never been this clear.

With OpenDataMCPS, MCPS’ new online data website launched Jan. 5, we can find out how attendance rates, budget, test scores and enrollment compare across all county schools.

“The OpenDataMCPS portal makes it easier for our community to access important information about

our school district and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,” Superintendent Joshua Starr said in a press release.

A closer look into the data reveals the challenges Whitman will face due to overcapacity, as well as surprising patterns of suspension rates across the county, and inequality in spending on personnel per student among schools.

The “student performance” section, which is currently empty,

Viewing Whitman’s projected enrollment reveals that the school is already over capacity and is still growing. The county is working on fixing this issue, and approved a feasibility study to study a possible addition, said Deborah Szyfer, a long-range planner for MCPS. The timing of the addition is still under deliberaton.

Comparing the total enrollment of each school to the total personnel costs, we calculated how much each school spends on personnel—including teachers,

will soon contain SAT and AP score data. MCPS plans to continue to update the site, especially the student performance section, the press release said.

“The response has been positive so far,” Chief Communications Officer Brian Edwards said in an email interview. “We expect to hear more positive feedback as more and more people spend time using the site.”

The website discloses suspension rates for all county schools.

Notably, county middle schools have the highest suspension rates—nearly twice those of high schools on average. This is because middle school students “make decisions ‘in the now’ and do not think about long-term consequences,” an MCPS middle school administrator explained.

administration and building services—per student. With a nearly $7,000 range, there is clearly no standard amount each school spends on staff per student. The average

per-pupil expenditure of these schools, around $10,000, is nearly a third of the cost of a private school tuition.

February 11, 2015

5

opinion

Staff Editorial Starr’s ouster a surprising, inconvenient choice for MCPS

I don’t have the best taste in music in food. He has a different one.

In no way is his rejection of the sweet summer fruit his own choice. It’s probably genetics or something. In the same manner—and I shudder to lay down this concession—his disposition towards dumbed-down, sappy, four-chord pop tunes is not an antithesis to his intelligence. If that’s what makes him happy, then honestly, so be it.

Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus bring him delight, as I’m sure they do for much of the world.

After all, it’s pop: popular music.

But it’s doesn’t end there.

We need to stop tearing apart music, crumpling up whole genres and throwing them out the window. I can barely stand country music, and I simply cannot tolerate heavy metal. But seeing the candid, giddy grins on the faces of some of my friends listening to those “genres”— sorry, sorry, I’ll take away the quotes. Anyway, to see the joy of some people listening to those genres instantly validates them.

And why would I have thought differently? Music is the spawn of culture and emo-

tion. Musical artists thoroughly enjoy their profession, and definitely have at least someone else to whom the songs mean something. But even if that’s not true, and it’s purely for selfenjoyment, that’s wonderful. So rock on…or country on, or even metal on.

I don’t have a good taste in music. Maybe among my peers, the songs I enjoy fall into largeish niches. As you can tell by my conspicuously bitter tone at times, I am still a tad reluctant to expand my horizon of acceptance. But I firmly believe that unlike politics and such, it’s really hard and unreasonable to argue about this.

So whether you’re into postmodern pan flute sonatas, psychedelic remixes of Chinese operas, or plain ol’ classic rock, just listen by yourself with some headphones on if you aren’t around other enthusiasts. Because I may have no right to call your taste in music worse than mine, but I definitely don’t have to listen to that crap.

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

by noah franklin Together, we’re going to break down an oft-uttered and seemingly innocent phrase: “You have a good taste in music.”

I’m not trying to brag at all— in fact, you’ll see how that would be destructively counterproductive in a second—but many people have said that to me during my handful of years on this earth, over which there has indeed been an eclectic soundtrack.

But don’t say that to me. I don’t really have a good taste in music. I probably like similar songs as you do. I’d just rather you don’t offend people over the beautiful realm of music—something that truly encapsulates, reverberates through, and defines so many lives. So now it’s time for an analogy.

My dad hates watermelon.

I might be inclined to call him wrong. I might be inclined to remind him that the luscious, bursting refreshment of the ruby-colored melon is undeniably first-rate, that he is a heathen, and HORRIBLY UNAMERICAN—no, that’s ridiculous.

He doesn’t have a bad taste

Superintendent Joshua Starr’s early departure from MCPS leaves more questions than answers. It came as a surprise to many, even after prior reports revealed the Board of Education wasn’t in favor of offering him a new contract.

Starr’s decision to abandon his post as school superintendent comes at an inconvenient time, five months before his contract is up. The peculiar timing of the resignation suggests that he was coerced into his decision, despite Starr’s statement in a message to MCPS employees that the decision was “a mutual agreement.”

Several members of the board may not have seen Starr as the best option for MCPS moving forward into the next term, but his early resignation might be more trouble than it’s worth. The Board will now have to shift its focus and resources to finding a new superintendent. This process will waste a lot of manpower and money (the remainder of Starr’s salary will still be paid out) and forces MCPS to answer to parents and employees as to why they lost faith in the man they hand-picked just four years ago.

According to the Washington Post, Starr’s opponents on the board cited his pitfalls as his dismissive personality and inability to create meaningful progress towards his main goal—closing the achievement gap. Not to mention his growing national profile, which could have distracted him from his job. In 2013 Starr pursued the top position for the New York City public school system, causing the Board to think his heart and mind weren’t in the county. He was then offered the deputy position, even though he turned the job offer down in favor of staying in Montgomery County Forcing Starr out seems premature. His lofty aspirations to reduce standardized testing and close the achievement gap-weren’t given sufficient time to pan out.

Starr also leaves with one of his main initiatives unfinished: pushing back school start times. Starr’s resignation will likely stall the progress made on the issue, however, it’s unclear whether the board will pursue the initiative further.

Only time will tell what Joshua Starr’s lasting legacy will be. What’s known now, however, is that Dr. Starr was a victim of his own lofty ambitions and the huge expectations of a highly critical community. This whole ordeal seems like an impatient step back to square one, when the game had barely even started.

Volume 53, Issue 4 2014-2015 The Black & White is published 9 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Students and staff can pick up the paper free of charge. Mail subscriptions cost $35. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain.

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6

opinion

february 11, 2015

Good Samaritan Law:

Is it enough?

On October 1, 2014, Maryland enacted a “911 Good Samaritan” law, granting immunity from criminal prosecution to 911 callers if they alert authorities of a medical emergency resulting from drug or alcohol overdose. The law states that if a 911 caller is engaging in illegal activity, they cannot be criminally charged if they were the ones who picked up the phone to get help for someone else at the scene.

Law will reduce deaths due to overdose, alcohol poisioning

I

by william arnesen

t’s far too easy to just turn a blind eye. Or to look the other way. Or to fervently hope that what you’re witnessing isn’t alcohol poisoning or a drug overdose and whatever is happening will just go away.

But what if it does? According to statistics released by the state of Maryland, 750 people die every year in our state from drug or alcohol overdoses.

Much of this, of course, could be prevented if bystanders, rather than staying silent, actually had the courage to get up, call 911 and get help.

That’s where the newly-passed Good Samaritan law comes in. The law lowers the costs of calling the police and could hopefully reduce the magnitude of this annual tragedy.

Of course, no proponent of this bill seeks to condone, let alone encourage, underage drug or alcohol use. But if saving a life requires forgoing arrest to someone who’s been caught drinking, then that’s a price worth paying.

Twenty-two states and D.C. have enacted similar Good Samaritan laws and the results have been encouraging.

According to a study by researchers at the University of Washington, 88 percent of those surveyed said they would be more likely to call 911 in case of an overdose if they were offered immunity from being charged with a crime themselves.

Other research bears this out.

While a majority of overdose or poisoning deaths occur within the presence of others, one study found that in over half of all cases, bystanders didn’t call the police out of fear of arrest or prosecution. Indeed, a survey of Cornell undergraduates found that only one-fifth of students who had considered calling 911 for alcohol overdoses ended up

making the call, in no small part due to a fear of arrest. One year after the Good Samaritan law was implemented at Cornell, the number of alcohol emergency calls spiked by over 20 percent.

Such evidence directly refutes those who claim that the law will be undermined by the fact that it doesn’t protect everyone at a party from prosecution. Despite this concern, calls to 911 are still rising, underscoring the point that a limited law is preferable to no law at all.

Nor is it true that those who call the police could still face penalties from the school.

With prosecutorial immunity, the police wouldn’t even refer the case to the school, thus shielding the student from punishment.

The fear that police could still prosecute people near the overdose in an “outside investigation” is likewise misplaced.

According to the University of Washington, most police, even without a Good Samaritan law, would not arrest someone at the scene of an overdose; their priority is saving the life—not filling out more paperwork. What the Good Samaritan law does is allay student fears about arrests, encouraging people to call.

Laws like Maryland’s can help save hundreds of young lives each year. It’s important to recognize that stopping alcohol poisoning and drug overdose isn’t a criminal justice issue as much as a health one. When people are dying because the law is too punitive, then it’s time to change the law.

I’m glad Maryland agrees.

Law not sufficient, needs revisions to be effective

I

by grace steinwurtzel

ntended to reduce the number of drug- and alcohol-related deaths, the Good Samaritan law is certainly good in theory. However, this legislation was poorly executed and bogged down with provisions that could lead to severe consequences for those involved.

In order for the law to serve its purpose—to protect citizens engaging in illegal drug- and alcohol-related activities—it needs to be revised.

The Good Samaritan Law only protects those who actually called for medical assistance, not others at the scene.

This distinction could deter one from calling 911 for fear of getting others in trouble.

Maryland police can still arrest and charge bystanders.

Also, those who call for medical assistance are not completely protected from criminal prosecution. While officials can’t arrest the caller for possession of drugs and alcohol found as a result of the 911 call, they can conduct their own investigation and convict the caller based on outside evidence.

The looming blemish on one’s criminal record and being “the kid who called the cops at a party” discourage many from taking advantage of the Good Samaritan Law in emergencies.

Several alums and seniors agreed, believing the law is ineffective because of the possible consequences of attracting attention to an illegal situation.

Before the law was in place, one senior girl said she brought an intoxi-

cated friend directly to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance. This girl “definitely still would not have called an ambulance,” if the law had been in place, knowing that she would jeopardize both herself and others by calling.

Moreover, this law misses the mark at preventing alcohol and drug-related deaths. If somebody calls an ambulance under the Good Samaritan Law, others might drive under the influence in an effort to flee the scene to avoid getting arrested. This raises an incredibly dangerous situation. If the law were amended to protect those at the scene, it would be more effective.

According to The Atlantic magazine, district attorneys, police organizations and tough-on-crime elected officials have opposed 911 Good Samaritan bills, concerned that the laws condone risky behavior.

With such little knowledge about the Good Samaritan Law and its provisions, it’s difficult for it to be effective.

For this legislation to actually prevent deaths, people need to be more aware about it and how it actually works. A pamphlet distributed to students in December described the law’s provisions along with the potential dangers of drinking and drug use, but many students are still unaware.

Responsible parties need to offer a forum for high school and college students to discuss the law and its provisions, possibly through a seminar or town-hall-like meeting.

This law is designed to protect “good Samaritans”—it’s in the name.

So, why are there still so many consequences for these good Samaritans?

Teachers need uniform system for bumping grades Teachers should examine grades at end of semester, consider averaging grades

by Peter Hoogstraten By the time they graduate, most students will have ended at least one quarter with that agonizing 89.4%. Perhaps their teacher took pity, and bumped them up to that A. Or maybe not, and they were left with that terrible feeling of being so close, yet so far.

Grade bumping is the subject of many a student’s vented frustration.

The difference between an 89.4 and 89.5 is so much less than the difference between an A and B makes it out to be, and teachers should take this into account as the semester ends.

There are many different ways to assure each student receives the grade they deserve, so it’s difficult to pinpoint one foolproof plan.

The traditional method of bumping grades at the end of every quarter is not the best plan. Instead, teachers should examine grades at the end of

the semester. This way, they can make sure “A” students get an A in the class and “B” students get a B. This technique allows teachers a more holistic evaluation of a student’s performance and eliminates at least one of those painful gradegrubbing conversations.

This change has to start at the county level. MCPS should change their policy to allow teachers to consider the average percentage of the quarter and exam grades when determining the final grade. Teachers, especially in AP classes, have high expectations and grade more rigorously. While pushing the students to achieve higher should be encouraged, this doesn’t have to come at the sacrifice of student grades.

It’s possible to get high Bs for both quarters and a high A on the exam and end up with an A for the average score. In most classes, such an improvement on the exam demonstrates that the

student has learned the material.

And isn’t that the fundamental goal of teaching: to make sure the students understand what’s being taught?

Too many times, students who get Bs both quarters feel like they have no reason to try on the exam. The lure of a graderaise can persuade students to give more effort on the exam and master the material they may have glossed over before.

In addition to a student’s academic work during the semester, MCPS should recognize that some teachers take into account intangibles like participation and attitude as well. The active student who consistently displays visible effort deserves the grade more than the one who chooses to slack off and skip a few homework assignments.

Regardless of the policy, students will always be students and try to complain for a better grade. But students who truly

deserve the raised grade— the ones who work hard all quarter

and engage in class— should earn the higher grade.

the leaderSHIP never sinks

“

SGA “

7

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8

IN-D

Hashtags of 2014

by Naba Khan

Where are they now?

To most of us, being an activist only requires WiFi connection and a Twitter account. When an issue trends, we post about it for a few days and then move on with our lives. Last year, we tweeted about social justice, but do we

know where those issues are today? When a problem stops trending, the problem doesn’t stop. This is what happened to the top trending social justice hashtags of 2014:

#BringBackOurGirls On April 5, 2014, fueled by extremist hostility towards education for girls, the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram captured more than 200 schoolgirls. In response, the international Bring Back Our Girls campaign was started in support of the girls; Michelle Obama and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai were among

the notable participants in this trend, and Whitman held a vigil in honor of the girls.

After it stopped trending: The global outrage on social media has died down, but 219 girls are still missing. Recently, Boko Haram has used children who are believed to be some of the kidnapped girls as suicide

bombers. The brief outcry from the international community did little to help locate the girls at the time, and progress hasn’t been made since. Terrorism in Africa has not been widely publicized despite Boko Haram having killed over 2,000 more people than ISIS. since January of 2014, according to the Washington Post.

Since the abduction, Boko Haram has killed 3,600 people

#ALSicebucketchallenge challenge included countless celebrities, casts of TV shows, prominent athletes and many Whitman students.

After it stopped trending: The ALS Association has announced detailed plans to distribute the $115 million raised to research projects combatting the lethal neurodegenerative disease. Project ALS, another charity, told the Washington Post that they received at least 50 times normal donations during the time of the challenge.

$115 million were raised for the ALS Association (According to the ALS Association)

photo by MAXIME ZAMBA

On July 15, a friend nominated Florida golfer Chris Kennedy to film himself pouring a bucket of bone-chilling water on his head for a cause he supported. He chose to support amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. When Kennedy nominated his friend, whose husband suffers from ALS, the ice bucket challenge was set in motion. Before long, the ALS hashtag had spread across the globe, with 2.4 million Facebook and 3.7 million Instagram videos tagged “#icebucketchallenge.” Participants in the

Community members gathered outside Whitman for a vigil demanding the return of the 276 Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. The vigil was organized by senior Talia Brenner.

#WhyIStayed Every minute, 20 people are victims of violence from partners (According to the CDC)

When TMZ unearthed a video of NFL star Ray Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée, Janay Palmer, out of an elevator, many Twitter users criticized her for staying in the relationship. In response, survivors of domestic violence began tweeting the various reasons people feel compelled to remain in unhealthy relationships, tagging them “WhyIStayed.”

Shortly after Rice was released from the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers player Ray McDonald, Panthers player Greg Hardy and Cardinals player Jonathan Dwyer were all arrested on counts of domestic violence.

After it stopped trending: After the NFL mishandled the situation, Ray Rice won the appeal of his suspension on November 28 and

is now eligible to be signed. McDonald faced no charges due to “insufficient evidence” and Hardy and Dwyer are both on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List while awaiting trial and were paid $13 million and $795,000 respectively in 2014.

The minimal punishment of players and the newly-wed Janay Rice’s public apology for her “role in the situation”

Why is a hashtag important?

“I think that a hashtag is something that allows people in today’s world to connect. A lot of people use technology and find [that] using a hashtag is an easy way to express their support for something.”

– Senior Alison Poffley

“A hashtag can make a simple statement go viral.

Something that no one would know can now be blown into epic proportions just by using a hashtag.”

– Junior Jared Shapiro

were chilling, and the controversy started a public conversation about abusive relationships. In recent months, the NFL took a crucial first step in ending violence by sponsoring the “No More” ad campaign—commercials featuring celebrities speaking out against domestic violence and sexual assault.

by Benjamin Katz “It raised awareness for all the wrong reasons.

Many people just used the hashtags to sounds cool.”

–Freshman Grace Brennan on #ALSIceBucketChallenge

9

february 11, 2015

DEPTH

#YesAllWomen Before 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people in May, he wrote a 137-page manifesto and posted a series of videos expressing his loathing for all women. This violent behavior was fueled by the romantic rejection he’d faced throughout his life. When the news of the deaths spread, some Twitter users, using the hashtag “#NotAllMen,” denied the misogynistic nature of this killing spree. This spurred 1.7 million outraged tweets hashtagged “#YesAllWomen”—personal anecdotes involving sexual assault and

harassment —making the point that while not all men are attackers, sexism is pervasive in day-to-day life. #YesAllWomen was just one of many examples of feminist activism seen in the past year.

The video of a woman walking through New York exposed the realities of everyday street harassment. The “Carry That Weight” movement at Columbia University and the misleading Rolling Stone article about assault at UVA brought to light the pressing problem of sexual violence on college campuses.

After it stopped trending: UVA has introduced new campus safety, assault and fraternity policies and is one of the 94 colleges in the United States with a pending sexual violence investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

A guest speaker addressed Whitman in December, focusing on the dangers of sexual assault in gender-divided assemblies.While the disrespectful conduct of some members of the boys’ audience was distasteful, the assemblies sparked meaningful discussion within the Whitman community.

1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college, and 57% of Americans have never discussed the issue with their friends (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)

#BlackLivesMatter photo by NICK ANDERSON

Chosen by the American Dialect Society as 2014’s word of the year, “#blacklivesmatter” was a key part of the wave of social media movements bringing attention to institutionalized racism’s intersection with law enforcement.

Outrage at the shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, escalated when the appointed grand jury ruled against indicting Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot Brown.

Not long after the jury’s decision, Students sit in the front hall during a die-in in memory of Michael Brown and a New York City police officer was Eric Garner. Senior Skylar Mitchell and junior Ali Pete organized the protest. also not indicted after choking 43-year-old Eric Garner to death, even though it was captured on vid- his 14-year-old sister ran to his aid, department and Darren Wilson for eo. Along with “#BlackLivesMat- she was immediately handcuffed wrongful death. The investigation ter” were “#HandsUpDontShoot” and put into a police car. Tamir died into Tamir Rice’s death is being handled specially by the Cleveland and “#ICantBreathe,” inspired by the next day.

Tweets and protests contin- County Sheriff ’s office to avoid Brown’s death in Ferguson and ued—including a die-in held at controversy. According to Twitter Garner’s last words. analytics site Topsy, the hashtag is T h e n , o n No ve m b e r 2 2 , Whitman.

After it stopped trending: still live and has been tweeted over 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot As of January 23, 2015, Mi- 300,000 times in the past week, by a police officer in a Cleveland park. Rice had a pellet gun, which chael Brown’s family is consider- and protests continue across the is legal in the state of Ohio. When ing suing the Ferguson police country.

Black male teens are 21 times more likely to be killed by police officers than white ones (According to a 2014 report by ProPublica)

What Now?

It’s critical that we keep these issues front and center and stay involved with the causes that resonate with us. We can’t afford to stop caring.

“The hashtag has made information more accessible and has allowed more people to advocate topics they believe in.”

– Sophomore Ari Gutman

“So many social justice movements have been able to spread to larger groups in a smaller amount of time due to the mass-mobilization abilities of technology. ” – Senior Skylar Mitchell headshots by NICK ANDERSON

Events you might have overlooked last year by benjamin katz

While many social justice hashtags were at the forefront of the media, here’s a recap of some undercovered moments in 2014:

Missing Canadian Women When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Sept. 5 that almost 1,200 Canadian women have gone missing for undisclosed reasons over the past 30 years, journalist Holly Jarrett wanted to know why the number continues to escalate. Most of these women have vanished and, according to the Royal Canadian Police, there are 225 unsolved cases of Aboriginal women’s deaths.

Jarrett, a Canadian of Inuit descent, proposed people demand a national inquiry about these cases by taking a photo of themselves with a sign reading “#AmINext.”

CBC News reported that the Canadian federal government has agreed to have a roundtable discussion about the issue. They also said they would set up a national DNA missing person’s index and launch 30 justice and safety acts to help protect Canadian women.

Rosetta Comet Landing On November 12, 2014, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta space mission landed a probe named Philae on a moving comet 6.4 billion miles away, according to CNN. After over a decade of chasing the always-roaming target Comet 67P, the successful probe landing will now enable us to better see how comets work.

The success of the Rosetta mission has allowed the probe to circulate and explore the comet, revealing dust and ice layers on the surface of the comet. According to Design & Trend, images taken have shown that there’s a large crack on Comet 67P that is 3.2 feet wide and somewhat filled with dust.

Although the crack may expand, the mission hopes to open up countless possibilities and reform the way we look at our solar system and different life forms in space.

“Comets are windows into the dawn of our solar system, telling us about the chemical ingredients that most likely formed the infant seas of our own Earth,” former astrophysicist Alastair Reynolds said to CNN. “Understand comets, and we have a shot at understanding the genesis of life itself.”

Bowe Bergdahl Faces Desertion Charges While deployed in Afghanistan in 2009, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl disappeared from his base and was captured by the Taliban. After being held captive for five years, on May 31, 2014 he was released in exchange for the “Taliban Five,” five Taliban detainees who were transferred from Guantanamo Bay, according to CBS News. The idea of trading five dangerous prisoners for one American soldier caused controversy throughout America.

But the story didn’t end there. On January 27, NBC News announced that Bergdahl now faces desertion charges for leaving his outpost in 2009, which was the same time of his abduction.

According to NBC News, the sergeant abandoned his position to avoid “hazardous duty or important service,” a reason for desertion chargers under the Uniform Military Code of Justice.

10

feature

FEBRUARy 11, 2015

Play’s complex storyline provokes thought, inspiration

photo credit CHRISTOPHER GERKEN

continued from page

This year’s winter play, Arcadia, opens Thurs., Feb. 26. and will play through Sat., Feb. 28.

1

The show’s unusual plotline and subtle British humor push the cast members’ acting abilities, Craig said.

“There isn’t one big, dramatic event,” she said. “It’s not like Miss Saigon where you’re in the Vietnam War. It’s just peoples lives. I think that was the big thing that we had to approach differently-how to make regular life interesting.”

Goral hopes the cast’s efforts will make the show’s complicated subject matter accessible and entertaining come showtime.

“We’re trying to make it so the audience doesn’t have to struggle through the piece, but they’re still cognizant of what’s going on and they’re thinking along with it,” Goral said. “It’s not just them sitting there like Catch Me if You Can, enjoying

the piece. It’s a back and forth between the audience and the actors.”

Gerken compares Arcadia to Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, which Whitman Drama performed in 2010, winning a Cappie award for best play. He expects the show will prove thought-provoking and hopes the audience will mentally invest in the performance.

“My hope for this piece is once again to inspire the audience to think, ponder and discuss,” Gerken said. “And hopefully to realize that life is made full if we constantly allow ourselves to make new discoveries and strive for perpetual enlightenment. Theater is successful if it can make you feel, but it can be transforming if it can also make you think.”

by roger champagne With over ten years of musical experience under his belt, several songs that have scored thousands of hits on Soundcloud and a genuine love for music, senior Jason Treacy is itching to get into the music industry.

A lifelong musician, Treacy first picked up a guitar at age seven and started playing piano at eleven. His musical development continued with an elementary and middle school band “Speed Limit,” for which he was the lead bassist. Being a member of the band helped Treacy realize his genuine love for music.

Treacy first attempted writing songs on his guitar in the sixth grade, but quickly discovered that he didn’t want to sing or write music that was so lyric-based. During fall of junior year, Treacy went to a Steve Aoki concert, where he discovered his love for electronic dance music. This musical genre, which emphasizes electronic pulsing beats, presented Treacy the opportunity to test his musical abilities because it

isn’t lyric-dependent.

“I had tried to write songs for guitar so many times and never succeeded,” Treacy said.

“But for EDM it just worked.

Pretty quickly, I just felt like I had a knack for it.”

It takes Treacy several weeks to write and produce a song. He first tests all his beats on the piano and guitar, then adds the lyrics.

“Before anything’s electrified, it all has to sound good on piano first, so I write the songs entirely on piano and a drum pad,” Treacy said. “Once I have the main melody and chord progression written out on the piano, I transfer that to the computer.”

Treacy’s songs are now coming out at a faster and faster rate; while the first took three months to complete, he has completed his most recent projects in just a few weeks.

“When I write a song, my two main goals are to finish it and to have it make me feel like dancing,” Treacy said.

Treacy is inspired by artists such as Green Day, Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy rather than other EDM artists, which con-

tributes to his unique style.

“I go through genre phases, but I feel like the one that had the biggest impact on my musicianship was pop/punk rock,” Treacy said, “I learned my first instrument playing punk rock guitar.”

Treacy has a total of eight songs on Soundcloud, and he wrote the lyrics to two of them himself. He collaborated with fellow senior and musician Alex Papados on their top hit “Anthem,” which has been played 6,500 times on Soundcloud. Friends since elementary school, Papados and Treacy worked well together. Treacy’s most recent project includes a Kanye remix that has nearly five thousand plays.

“Working with Jason is awesome,” Papados said. “We have been friends for a long time and we’ve always liked doing music together, so working with Jason on “Anthem” was a great experience.”

Many of Treacy’s peers support his musical endeavors and listen to his songs on Soundcloud when he uploads them.

“Jason’s really getting his own style and the longer he’s

PHOTO BY TYLER JACOBSON

From playing bass to dropping beats, senior pursues dream producing EDM

Senior Jason Treacy produces EDM , recieving thousands of hits on Soundcloud. Treacy has a total of eight songs on Soundcloud and wrote the lyrics to two of the songs himself.

been doing it the faster and better he’s become,” Senior Brendan Kelly said.

With only a semester left in senior year, Treacy plans on going to study music theory or production in college next year and is currently taking online courses to refine his music writing and producing skills. Treacy is unsure of what will happen in

the future, but knows he wants to be involved in the music industry.

“As long as I’m doing something in music professionally throughout my life, I’ll be happy,” Treacy said. “Whether its as an artist, a studio worker, an audio engineer or as a producer, really im just excited to see what the future holds.”

Former student publishes feminist poem, generates controversy

BY EMMA ANDERSON AND SYDNEY SCHNITZER On Superbowl Sunday, 120.8 million people watched as Always, a company that sells feminine products, ran its “like a girl” ad--a compelling commercial that discourages negative stereotypes of women. The Always campaign is just one of many companies that have recently decided to stand behind feminist ideals.

Former Whitman student Zoe Cicatelli, who is now a junior at Cypress High School in Texas, publicly joined these activists when she shared a link on Facebook to her controversial poem “Daphne” in early January.

The 106-line poem, which was published by the website Liberals United, tells the story of a fictional girl as she grows up and experiences the “evils” of the world, including racism, gender discrimination, homophobia and sexual assault.

“It’s rather intense but it gives us a peek inside the mind of a young person/ girl/feminist in today’s America,” said the site’s administrator Kimberly Johnson in her introduction to the poem.

The poem opens with the speaker imagining how having a daughter, named Daphne, would change her. She would stop wearing “makeup,” “dresses” and “high heels” to demonstrate to Daphne the insignificance of physical appearance and to shield her from society’s cruel expectations.

The poem is ultimately about the inevitability of losing innocence. Daphne first experiences shame when her second

grade teacher tells her that her shorts are too short. Her embarrassment continues when 12-year-old Daphne’s “silly little boyfriend” tries to kiss her before she’s ready. However, she ignores her hesitation and kisses him because “it’s COOL.” Finally, Cicatelli graphically describes a boy sexually assaulting Daphne at a party -- a dramatic ending that leaves the reader feeling depressed.

“She has wanted to express herself about these things but has never had the right channels and means to do so, [but] her move to Texas really gave her courage for a new start and to accomplish the things she has wanted to accomplish.”

-junior Cara Fried “She is my mother, my sister, my best friend, girls I see at school, celebrities--she is what every girl has gone through,” Cicatelli said.

Cicatelli chose to name her character Daphne after reading a book about a young girl of the same name who fights evil. English teacher Linda Leslie, the sponsor of the newly-started feminism club at Whitman, noted a Greek myth that entails the attempted assault of a

beautiful girl named Daphne, whose mother transforms her into a laurel tree in order to protect her.

Some readers interpreted the poem as stereotyping men and blaming them for hypothetical situations, echoing reactions to the sexual assault assembly held at Whitman in November.

“Your poem has nothing to do with equal representation in office, or equal pay in the workplace,” one male commented on the post. “It is an uneducated attack on men.”

While a vast majority of the 179 comments attacked the poem, many readers messaged Cicatelli privately to express their support and admiration for her courage, she said.

“I think she talked about some things that really had to be addressed,” said a junior boy. “She was talking about girls, she wasn’t talking about guys.”

Nonetheless, the reactions on Facebook quickly spiraled out of hand, said junior Ryan Paxson, who commented on the post. Senior Rachel Ordan said she believed that some reactions didn’t properly address the topic being discussed.

“I think the conversation on facebook became a gender war,” Ordan said.

“She doesn’t address guys as terrible people, she just addresses how they do rape women.”

Cicatelli’s poem surfaced at a crucial time--adding another layer to the recent discussion of sexual violence brought about by the false accusation of rape at the University of Virginia and the surfacing of Bill Cosby’s supposed victims.

Despite the controversy that erupted, Cicatelli remains strong in her feminist beliefs; she even created a feminism club at her new school to discuss current events, donate money to feminist organizations and volunteer around the Houston area.

“I started it because, unlike at Whitman, there is a very accepting atmosphere of feminism,” she said. “I met up with a couple people who were really into the idea too. The club has been very successful and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Cicatelli regularly discusses feminism with her parents and friends, so starting a club was the ideal way to promote her views, Cicatelli said.

“She has wanted to express herself about these things but has never had the right channels and means to do so, [but] her move to Texas really gave her courage for a new start and to accomplish the things she has wanted to accomplish,” junior Cara Fried said.

Despite the negativity, Cicatelli was happy that she could inspire people to recognize the importance of feminism and will continue to spread her ideals in the future.

“Feminism is realizing that women are more than society makes them out to be,” Cicatelli said. “Feminism is advocating for the beauty that women have inside and not pushing that aside as they make their way through life, so that they are not reduced to nothing more than an empty shell. It’s celebrating womanhood, something that had yet to be celebrated before feminism.”

February 11, 2015

Feature

11

Cupcakes: the In former ‘30s movie best of Bethesda theater, a jazz club thrives

By Roger Champagne As a tall, strapping young man, I naturally have a strong proclivity for cupcakes. Therefore it only seemed fit that I should be the one to find the best cupcake in Bethesda. Ten cupcakes and five bakeries later, I have found the answer. Without further ado, here are the top five cupcake shops in Bethesda.

#5 Sweet Teensy Located in Friendship Heights, Sweet Teensy offers a variety of baked delights but specializes in cupcakes. Formerly called Frosting Cupcakery, a recent renovation and new ownership led it to its current form.

Despite Frosting’s reputation for great cupcakes, Sweet Teensy’s cupcakes were pretty mediocre. While the treats had nice wrapping and shiny frosting, the taste fell short.

The cake was dry, the frosting was stiff and the cost was steep at three dollars per cupcake. Overall, I was disappointed in this establishment and won’t be returning again anytime soon.

#4 Tout De Sweet Pastry Shop Tout De Sweet Pastry Shop, located in the heart of Old Bethesda, offers three cupcake flavors per day. The interior of the shop has a counter lined with freshly-baked pastries, breads and macarons, plus a multitude of tables for customers in the back.

The cupcakes’ unique flavors and attractive appearance make their relatively average taste especially disappointing. I found that the strawberry cupcake lacked flavor, and while the frosting helped a little bit, it was much too light.

#3 Fancy Cakes by Leslie

by rose pagano While the retro neon sign may look out of place alongside the modern apartments of Wisconsin Ave., the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club has found its niche in Bethesda as an increasingly trendy venue after opening in 2013.

The club, which hosts a wide range of acts and music genres, is now trying to appeal to a younger demographic by hosting high school bands and expanding their repertoire while still preserving the jazz vibe “Even though the name says Bethesda Blues and Jazz, we have rock, we have blues, we have salsa, we have comedy shows, we have country, we have lots of different types of music genres,” owner and manager Rick Brown said. “We’ve had Dave Mason, we’ve had Judith Hill, we’ve had Wynonna Judd.”

Since Brown took over as manager in 2012, 400 artists have performed at the club, including Whitman’s own trumpeters and saxophonists.

Whitman’s Jazz Band showcased their catchy melodies at the venue last spring, an experience that members still reminisce about.

“The Blues and Jazz Club is a really cool place,” senior Olivia Weals said. “I didn’t really know what to expect when Ms. Alvey told us we were playing there, but it was surprisingly big once inside.”

There has been no definite decision concerning the band’s performance at the club this year, but the students hope to play an encore this spring.

“It’s really cool that there’s a place so near to us that can put on great performances by incredible and wellknown artists,” junior

Aya Gandolfo said.

“We have been really honored to be able to perform there last year, and hopefully we can do that again this year.”

The property was originally home to the first air-conditioned movie theater in Montgomery County, attracting many famous people of the 1930s to its silver screen. The theater remained in this condition until the 1980s and had other renovations as a cinema duplex until 2012.

When Brown took ownership of the building in 2012, he enhanced the interior by exchanging 500 theater seats for 300 table seats in order to make it friendlier to groups.

“It’s very open,” junior concert attendee Nikki Ladd said. “I like the front section of tables because it was intimate and close to the stage, but the audience seated behind would probably be too

far away to enjoy it as much.”

But the band didn’t seem to notice any issues.

“The acoustics were great,” senior Aina Puig said. “I think it’s really cool how they remodeled it from being a theater to a jazz club as we’re now able to have a great new jazz club in Bethesda.”

These high school jazz musicians were grateful to perform at the newly refurbished club.

“I thought it was totally awesome that the club agreed to let us perform,” Weals said.

“It was a cool experience. It felt like a professional show. We’re a very fortunate group of kids and musicians, because we have this great instrumental program and this great director who is always trying to get us into performances.”

Science teacher Kelly Garton enters Whitman music scene with a bang

Fancy Cakes by Leslie has the look of a classic cake shop, with a cluttered baking area in the back and a cramped sitting area in the front with few chairs.

If you’re heading into this place, don’t go for the standard chocolate or vanilla—try something new. Flavors such as Bourbon and Peanut Butter and Jelly Surprise trump standard chocolate and vanilla at this bakery. The Caramel Surprise was my personal favorite—the caramel was to.die.for.

Founded by a former White House executive chef, Praline Bakery and Bistro offers a wide variety of baked goods. Even though they offer only five cupcake flavors—vanilla, chocolate, lemon, raspberry and carrot cake—I was extremely impressed with the taste.

What really makes these cupcakes stand out is the full macaron on top of each one—Praline’s delicious specialty.

The cake was light and moist and the frosting was delicious with a great aftertaste. If you’re looking for a classic staple with a neat twist (or should I say crunch!), this is the place to go.

#1 Georgetown Cupcake Georgetown Cupcake offers daily staples such as vanilla, chocolate and red velvet, as well as a variety of specialty cupcakes that change each day. Founded in 2008, the familyrun cupcakery has seven locations, including the one in Bethesda. The cake is moist and tasty without being too heavy, and the frosting is delectable and not overly filling.

An added bonus is the flavor of the day—by searching on Google, downloading the Georgetown Cupcake app or checking their Facebook page you can get a free cupcake if you are one of the first 100 people to claim the flavor at each store. But be warned—weekends draw a spiraling line that can take over fifteen minutes to get through. Weekdays are better for visiting this D.C. classic, and come in the morning if you’re hoping to save a chunk of change by scoring a free cupcake.

photos by ROGER CHAMPAGNE

photo by JORDAN SCHNITZER

#2 Praline Bakery and Bistro

Science teacher Kelly Garton (on the drums) jams to Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” with juniors Rían Adamian, Grayson Jobst and Andrew Wright. Garton didn’t expected to perform at the event, but was approached by students while he was filling in as a staff sponsor.

By Spencer Adams When science-teacher-byday, drummer-by-night Kelly Garton took the stage at the Jan. 30 Coffeehouse, the crowds of screaming, swooning students didn’t phase him. His mind was focused on the task at hand– bringing down the house.

Garton put on a wild rendition of the jazz song “Red Clay”

by Freddie Hubbard with juniors Grayson Jobst, Rían Adamian and Andrew Wright. The surprise performance secured Garton a spot in the Coffeehouse Hall of Fame and showed another side of the popular teacher.

Garton has loved drums since he was young, but his journey may have been derailed in fifth grade when his band director encouraged him to try a wind instrument.

“I got into band and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re gonna play trumpet or something,’” Garton said. “And I said, ‘No, I’m not.

I’m gonna play drums.’ So the next morning I showed up with my own drums and stood in the back, and they said, ‘Okay I guess you’re gonna play drums.’”

Since then, Garton has never stopped. He played with various bands in high school and continued into adulthood. He currently plays with a jazz trio that occasionally performs at private parties and other events.

“We try to practice once a week,” Garton said. “We all have our jobs and we all have our families, so it’s not easy to play that much.”

But when he is able to jam out, Garton has a blast.

“Playing Coffeehouse the other night, that was awesome,” Garton said. “It really was spurof-the-moment.”

Garton was covering for band director Terry Alvey as teacher sponsor the evening of Coffeehouse when bassist Jobst approached him. They struck up a conversation and decided to

play before Jobst’s set.

His performance was spirited and energetic, generating chants of “Kelly G!” from the crowd.

“Garton’s one of the most solid drummers I’ve seen,” senior and fellow drummer Colin Mitchell said, who also saw Garton perform at the Bannockburn Music Festival last year. “Everything he does fits the music perfectly.”

Garton’s set shocked many of his students who were unaware of their teacher’s hidden talent.

“He seems so mild-mannered in class,” senior Johnny Rasch said. “I didn’t expect him to perform with that much emotion.”

Garton said he enjoyed unearthing this part of himself for his students.

“It is not a part of my personality that I bring out to my classes, so I think a lot of people were really surprised at Coffeehouse,” Garton said. “It was like, ‘Where did that come from?’ But that’s part of the fun.”

12

Upscale movie theater and food court open in Montgomery Mall

By Lindsay Wytkind If you haven’t seen Montgomery Mall lately, then you haven’t seen Montgomery Mall.

Gone is the puny movie theater with its three screens, petite snack stand, and old arcade.

Taking its place is the newlybuilt ArcLight theater that sits on a recently-built fourth floor above the remodeled dining terrace, and many other renovations.

ArcLight Theatres is famous for its main location on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, a hot spot for many celebrities. ArcLight Bethesda offers a wide variety of new accommodations with a contemporary theme straight out of the Hollywood location.

The ArcLight Bethesda theater has made an effort to appeal to an older and more sophisticated audience. It has a gourmet café menu that offers upscale treats such as lobster rolls and key lime cheesecake, and a full bar that serves a wide selection of alcoholic beverages including wine, bottled beers, cocktails, and ArcLight signature martinis.

The theater strives to promote a distraction-free environment, ArcLight manager Patrick Samayola said. They offer popcorn in tubs rather than bags to

avoid the crinkly noise when a movie-goer sticks their hand in the bag. Nachos were also omitted from the menu because of the crunch noise from the chips.

The modern style doesn’t just encompass food and spirits.

The theater implemented reserved seating, meaning movie goers purchase tickets online and choose their seats in advance to avoid the need to arrive early.

ArcLight also practices a policy that encourages customer punctuality. After 10 minutes into the movie, no additional people are allowed to enter the theater to avoid disrupting movie-watchers that are already settled into the film.

“We think about those little things that matter to the guests,” Samayola said.

In addition to the theater upgrade, Montgomery Mall has been busy with renovations throughout the building, including remodeling the entire food court.

The food court is newly transformed into a modern “dining terrace” with plenty of options for every food craving— ranging from Mediterranean food at the new Cava Mezze Grill to the classic cheeseburger and fries combo at the recentlybuilt Kraze Burgers.

Feature

february 11, 2015

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

The new, more upscale food court includes Bethesda mainstays like Chipotle and Cava Mezze Grill.

“The goal was to create an open and inviting space that could comfortably accommodate the significant increases in customer traffic while providing a gathering place for the community,” said Eric Howard, senior general manager of Westfield Montgomery Mall.

The entire project, including the dining terrace, theater and three new mall entrances, among other additions, cost $106 million. While costly, the additions have already brought large business benefits to the mall.

“We have already experienced significant increases in

customer traffic, sales, and overwhelming positive response from the community,” Howard said.

While there have been massive upgrades to the food court area, renovations continue to occur throughout the mall. Peet’s Coffee & Tea, the company that recently purchased Caribou Coffee, is in the process of constructing a kiosk in place of the Caribou Coffee kiosk, including a “living wall” with growing plants and a waterfall.

The central location in the mall is the perfect place for a coffee shop, said Silvia Reiss, senior construction project man-

ager for Peet’s Coffee & Tea. “Shoppers don’t necessarily have to be in the busy bustle of the dining terrace,” Reiss said.

“You can just relax and have your coffee or tea.”

After the Peet’s opens, renovations will continue to occur throughout the mall property, but the timeframe is unclear, according to Howard.

“Ultimately, we hope to make Westfield Montgomery the shopping destination of choice in the greater DC market,” Howard said.

sports

FEBRUARY 11, 2015

13

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: Wrestling: James Bamberger ment, Bamberger knew he would have to step up his game in order to lead the Vikes this season.

“I trained hard in the offseason,” he said. “I want to qualify for states, that’s my main goal.”

Bamberger wasn’t hot out of the gate this season, dropping his opening match to a beatable Paint Branch opponent. However, he quickly got himself back on track.

“I told myself I had to step it up in practice,” he said. He added that tough love from the coaching staff led him to a late season burst.

“I have to give credit to Coach Manon and Coach Sharbaugh,” he said. “They push me hard in the room

and it pays off.”

The pinnacle of Bamberger’s season was claiming his first tournament win at Patriot classic where he went untouched through the bracket, never losing a game.

“It felt amazing, there is something about the Patriot that makes it so much more special,” he said. “In the finals I was thinking ‘James, this could be your only chance to win a tournament.’”

Bamberger hopes to experience that feeling again as the regular season comes to a close and he enters county and regional championships.

Girls Basketball

Boys Basketball

Montgomery 4A South

Montgomery 4A South

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL 7-0

15-0

Churchill

5-2

13-4

Walter Johnson B-CC

4-3

13-4

4-3

8-8

Richard Montgomery Blair

1-6

7-9

0-7

7-10

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Whitman

photo by Michelle Jarcho

By Josh Feder Not only has junior James Bamberger made huge progress in his skills from last year, but he has also become one of Whitman’s most reliable Wrestlers, holding down the 132lb weight class.

In his second year starting Bamberger has posted a solid 17-6 record, one of the highest on the team, and has been a key player in clinching dual meets. On top of his success in team meets Bamberger proved his dominance claiming a championship in the Patriot Classic, the most prestigious tournament in the region.

Despite a good performance last year qualifying for the regional tourna-

Guard Nicole Fleck drives to the basket in their game against Poolesville. The girls beat Poolseville 59-28.

Richard Montgomery

7-0

16-1

Whitman

5-2

10-7

B-CC

5-2

12-5

Blair

3-4

7-9

Churchill

1-6

3-15

Walter Johnson

0-7

0-17

Wrestling

Ice Hockey

Montgomery 4A South TEAM

CONFERENCE

Churchill

11-0

Whitman

8-3

Wootton Walter Johnson B-CC Churchill II

7-3

Richard Montgomery Sherwood

2-9 1-10

Walter Johnson

5-0

14-0

Whitman

3-2

9-5

Churchill

3-2

9-5

Wootton

2-3

7-7

B-CC Richard Montgomery

2-3

10-4

0-5

7-7

Forward Riley Shaver jumps up to hit a three against Quince Orchard. The boys lost to Quince Orchard in a close game 62-69.

Swim and Dive photo courtsey GINNY MAYCOCK

Junior John Vipulis takes down his opponent in the match against the Digital Harbor Rams. Vipulis is currently not competing due to a knee injury.

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL

photo by JORDAN SCHNITZER

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

Montgomery 4A South

6-4 5-5 2-8 Vikes swarmed the pool deck to support the swim and dive team at Metros. The combined team placed sixth in Divisionals.

Montgomery Divison 1

Boys Swim & Dive: 0-5

Placed 5th out of 39 teams in Metros

Placed 6th out of 6 teams in Divisionals Girls Swim & Dive: 3-2

Placed 15th out of 31 teams in Metros

Placed 5th out of 6 teams in Divisionals *The combined team placed 6th in Divisionals

sports

FEBRUARY 11, 2015

By Sam Berson Last week’s Super Bowl may have been the most watched television program in U.S. history, but the fight at the end of the game may be a better indicator of the NFL’s turbulent and controversy-riddled season.

With less than 20 seconds left and the New England Patriots in victory formation, the Seattle Seahawks instigated an all out brawl with punches thrown left and right. It was an almost symbolic bookend to a failed season from the NFL’s front offices, headlined with domestic violence and league-led investigations.

The league’s problems started last February when Ray Rice was charged with domestic assault after an incident involving his then-fiancée (now wife) in an Atlantic City elevator. It wasn’t until a video of Rice actually knocking her out surfaced on Sept. 8, however, that the media’s backlash became so great that the league increased their original two-game suspension to an indefinite ban.

Along with drawing national attention for his mishandling of the Rice situation, commissioner Roger Goodell has had to deal with a litany of other problems surrounding painkillers, concussions and verbal attacks claiming he doesn’t care about the league’s players.

So as the NFL’s year comes to a close, Goodell is left to sort through what some consider to be one of the worst seasons in the league’s storied history.

Goodell’s shortcomings are perhaps most evident in his hypocrisy and tendency to only react to media backlash. Case in point, the commissioner’s main excuse for originally under-punishing Rice was that he didn’t know exactly what occurred in the elevator.

The irony in this, however, is that Goodell is infamous for suspending players and coaches who claim that any indiscretion is occurring, like in the case of Saints’ coach Sean Payton and Bountygate.

In the end, Goodell was left making up the rules as he went. Just as when concussions were the main focus, he has always been on the defensive and changing his policies to fit the media’s criticism.

Another story that was almost lost among the other league headlines was the DEA’s raid of locker rooms, looking into the alleged misuse of painkillers. The issue, which has plagued thousands of player’s lives with addiction and negative side effects like liver failure, is yet another problem the NFL chose to ignore before the media got hold of it.

As ESPN reported, the DEA was looking into prolonged use of drugs like Toradol, a short-term medication used to treat pain and inflammation. Reports indicated that teams are administering these drugs illegally and for much longer than they should be, endangering player’s lives long after their sports careers are over.

The problem with prescription drug abuse also is tied with many other player complaints like guaranteeing contracts to protect injured players and their salaries.

Football is a violent sport, but the added problems players face from the persistent use of heavy medication and concussions that the league has sidestepped for decades gives them the image that they have no regard for the individuals that make their sport what it is.

And these are just the major issues. The seemingly haphazard fines and suspensions Goodell hands out have just furthered the rift between players and leadership. The league has also led a number of questionablybiased “independent investigations,” specifically when they hired Robert Mueller, former FBI director and lawyer, to run the Rice investigation. Mueller, however, just happened to have worked at the same law firm as Ravens president Dick Cass for the past 31 years.

But with all the problems, the NFL is still the most successful professional league in the US. And short of Goodell directly killing someone, his dictatorship over the league and its players seems like it won’t be ending anytime soon.

By Arya Hodjat Jackie Ding has lived in China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Texas and Maryland. Yet it’s the racetrack that the former Whitman student calls home.

Although Ding, now a junior at Sandy Springs Friends School in Olney, only started racing three years ago, he has been exceptional so far in his short career. He is ranked ninth among Chinese-born racecar drivers worldwide according to Driver Database, a website that compiles worldwide racing statistics. His goal is to become the first Chinese-born driver to compete in the professional IndyCar racing league.

“He has so much natural talent,” his trainer, Jonathan Scarallo, said.

Ding competes in the Skip Barber Winter Series, a league for beginning racers. This is his second year in the league. He typically competes in two races a month, against 12-15 drivers.

This season, he is currently ranked sixth out of 29 competing drivers.

For Ding, racing was a childhood dream, but it was only after he moved to Bethesda that he was able to find a place to practice driving racecars.

“My first memory of it was watching an F1 race on TV back when I was four,” Ding said. “I didn’t exactly understand what it was right away, but it was captivating. After that, I knew I wanted to do it for a living.”

Ding started his racing career when he was 13, competing in a gokarting series in West Virginia. After a few months, he moved on to the Skip Barber racing school, a nationwide school for beginning and amateur drivers. With the blessing of his parents, Ding would sometimes skip a day of high school in order to com-

photos courtsey JACKIE DING

Former student pursues childhood Sports Opinion dream of professional racecar driving Goodell’s NFL leadership proves to be a failure

Former Whitman student Jackie Ding is ranked ninth among Chinese-born racecar drivers worldwide. He has been driving racecars since he was 13.

pete in races or take lessons.

“The grip, the power, the accelerators, were nothing like I’ve ever felt before,” Ding said.

Ding currently drives the Skip Barber Formula car, a relatively weak car. This year, he is expected to move up to a Formula Lite FL15. While the car hasn’t been built yet, it will be faster than a Formula 3 car, which has a top speed of 165 mph.

It was after his third race in the school’s program that he met Scarallo, a former professional driver, who agreed to start coaching him on his driving technique. Scarallo also helps Ding understand the business of the sport by getting sponsors. He is currently sponsored by Zone District Clothing, Sweet Gifts and Huawei Honor.

Ding competed in three races the first weekend he was partnered with Scarallo. In his first race, Ding finished dead last, but by his last race that weekend, he had improved to second place.

“It was terrifyingly quick,” Ding

Freshmen contribute to wrestling success

Boinis, Mackall, Shiman fill starting spots on varsity wrestling team

By Josh Feder Between intense weight management and daunting workouts, wrestling is considered one of the hardest sports at Whitman. It normally takes a few years on the team to be awarded one of the 14 varsity spots, and in the past two years only state placer Mitch Fenton managed to start in his first year on the team.

But this year, a trio of freshmen have earned themselves starting varsity spots.

Andrew Shiman, Clark Boinis and James Mackall have started for the team the entire season. Shiman, who competes in the 126-pound weight class, boasts an impressive record so far, dropping only three matches and winning several tournaments.

In December, he won the prestigious Keaser Classic tournament at North County High School.

Head coach Derek Manon is confident that the young team is fully capable of forming a solid program for Whitman’s future, though he says there is a lot of work to do.

“They’re a special group, and they could re-

said. “When I did everything he said, the car behaved in a way I’ve never had it before.”

While the two work together on the track only once a month, they remain in almost constant contact, planning for Ding’s upcoming races by running simulated races on the computer.

In March, Ding will test for the Formula Lites racing series, a series for entry-level professional drivers.

From there, his next planned step is to go to the Indy Lights series and from there, IndyCar. Despite the time commitment of racing, Ding says he still plans on going to college.

While his racing career has set Ding apart from your average teenager, he says that it helped him in something more familiar to most high schoolers—getting his license.

“Having learnt most of the basics of car control, adapting to the normal roads was much easier,” Ding said.

“But I do drive relatively responsibly. I promise.”

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

14

ally do well,” Manon said.

“They need to stay focused and continue to get better, and they need to wrestle in the offseason.”

Shiman has the most Clark Boinis (left) and James Mackall (right) are two of the three that start on the varsity team. Andrew Shiman is out experience among the freshmen due to illness, but won the Keaser Classic in December. young talent. He got his start nine years ago with In addition to posting weight class so I had to the Viking Mat Club, a a decent record, Boinis’ step up and start wresyouth wrestling team camain goal is to learn and tling.” tered toward future WhitLike Boinis, Mackall improve this season. man students.

“Gaining experience also has family ties on the As the regular season as a varsity wrestler fresh- team, with his cousin, jucomes to a close, Shiman man year is just not some- nior Zach Salem-Mackall, will qualify for the county thing that happens that also holding a varsity spot. tournament where he is much,” he said. “Even if I The younger Mackall says expected to be a force to don’t win, I’m gaining lots that Zach has definitely reckoned with. He also helped him grow as a of experience.” aims to place well in the Going into the sea- wrestler. regional and state tourna“If I go to his house son at 106-pounds, Boinis ments, he said. knew he would likely have outside of wrestling he’ll Like Shiman, Clark a starting position due to teach me a few moves,” he Boinis also wrestled for the a thin roster in the lower said. “It’s been a fun expeMat Club for several years rience.” weight classes. before joining a travel Mackall hopes to use This is the opposite of team in eighth grade. Boiwhat James Mackall expe- this year to improve his nis’ brother Chris, a senior, rienced at the start of this fundamentals and become began wrestling the same season. With no previous a threat in the county. time as Clark and hoped to Shiman, with some experience, Mackall, who compete on the team with wrestles at 120 pounds, help from his fellow freshhis brother this year. Howwas expecting to spend men and future varsity ever, Chris tore his ACL his first year or two on JV. players, is confident in the during the football season, However, a lack of other team’s future. ending his wrestling ca“I think we may be wrestlers in his weight reer. class meant that he was able to recruit a few more “We have been wreskids and create another thrown right into the fire. tling for a while together,” “It was a total sur- dynasty,” he said.

Clark said. “He has defiprise,” he said. “There nitely been a big influence wasn’t anybody in my [on me].”

february 11, 2015

15

Sports

by anna marcus This season, senior diver Michaela Johnson swapped her flips and bathing suits for a chair and dry clothes. Johnson, who has been a diver for Whitman since her freshman year, and is now a captain helping to coach the dive team.

“Michaela has been pivotal to the success of the dive team,” swim and dive coach Geoff Schaefer said.

Johnson has been diving since she was nine and is an experienced coach. Over the past year, however, she has dislocated her knee three times, keeping her from competing in many meets this year. She has been able to stay involved with the team by shifting her focus towards coaching.

“Last year, I helped people with their dives if they asked me to watch and give them critiques,” Johnson said. “This year, because I’m not in the pool diving alongside my teammates as much, I just kind of took on the role of coaching so that way everyone could really improve their diving skills.”

Johnson’s coaching experience extends beyond the Whitman team, as she has coached the Seven Locks dive team for the past two summers and currently coaches for the Montgomery Dive Club twice a week.

“I love coaching because while giving critiques, I learn things that help me improve my own diving skills,” Johnson said.

“I also love the feeling of teaching someone a new dive and seeing how proud they are.”

Whitman practices start with a group warm up, then each diver works individually on their dive list for upcoming meets.

Johnson advises each diver on aspects of their dives, such as form, control and height so they can improve for the meet.

“The key is to make the dive look easy and controlled,” she said.

If divers need help learning a new dive, Johnson teaches them lead-ups on land or on the side of the pool to help with basic com-

Since her knee injuries derailed her diving career, senior Michaela Johnson has turned mostly to helping other divers with their skills.

ponents before they attempt it on the board.

For example, if a diver wanted to learn a reverse dive, Johnson would have them practice “seat drops”—jumping off the side into the water and bringing their legs up into a V shape before they break the surface..

“Michaela is very knowledgeable about diving,” sophomore diver Michael Barsky said. “She teaches us numerous drills and techniques to prepare for certain dives and is always enthusiastic and friendly when instructing.”

“I also love the feeling of teaching someone a new dive and seeing how proud they are.”

-senior Michaela Johnson Outside of practice, Johnson fills out dive sheets and makes sure the divers competing in upcoming meets fulfill all qualifications.

Although she originally wanted to dive in college, her recent injuries have altered her path. While her competitive diving days are over, shes hopes to continue the sport in her free time.

“The sport has taught me a lot about myself,” Johnson said. “It has taught me to know when to take risks, to overcome fear and to try new things.”

Senior chess star competes in World and European championships

By Caleb Friedman Senior Henning Kjøita is a regular at chess club. He also happens to be one of the world’s best players.

Kjøita, who’s originally from Norway, has represented his home country in the 2014 World and 2013 European Championships in South Africa and Montenegro, placing 48th (out of 74) and 80th (out of 100) respectively in the 18 and under divisions. Kjoita is currently ranked second in Norway, he said.

“For me it has the same role as soccer and football have for other people,” Kjøita said. “I play it as a sport.”

Kjøita’s father taught him the game in first grade, and he was immediately hooked. He liked the game so much that he decided to enter his first competition in fourth grade, where he came in third, he said. As he entered more competitions, his rank in Norway eventually rose to its current place: second in Norway.

“He definitely knows his openings, theory and tactics, but he has an intangible [quality] that separates him from other players,” said Jonathan Chen, the head of the Whitman chess club.

Kjøita attends chess club once a week. He mentors the younger players, and tries to help others improve their games, club sponsor Daniel Chen, who is a said.

As a player and a person, Kjøita is quiet but calculated, he said.

“He’s very methodical, and he quietly analyzes the situation,” Chen said. “You can see him mapping everything out in his mind. He can think of solutions to certain scenarios that nobody else can think of.”

Jonathan Chen finds competing with him both challenging and exciting.

“Playing against him is thrilling because honestly, I don’t know what I’m getting into,” Jonathan Chen said. “If I see seven moves ahead, he

sees eight. I’m ranked in the top 5% in the U.S. for my age, but I win maybe once every four or five games.”

Kjøita has missed two weeks of school in each of the past two Septembers to compete in the World and European championships.

His travels have had a profound effect on him. When he went to Vietnam, he got a firsthand look at real poverty.

“The hotel and the playing area were nice, but everything in between was incredibly impoverished,” he said. “You can’t understand how bad it is before you actually see it.”

His trip to South Africa showed Kjøita an entirely different side of the world.

“South Africa taught me a lot about people in general,” he said.

“Many of the people didn’t speak English, but they were still so friendly even though they had no idea what I’m saying.”

Kjøita likes how chess can unite people who come from completely different backgrounds, he said.

“When you’re playing, you don’t have to say anything,” he said.

“You’re connecting with your opponent on a deeper level.” photo by NICK ANDERSON

After knee injuries, senior trades diving for coaching

brought back up,” Abby said. “I have played with her all my life, and know she has the talent to play on the intense physical level of varsity.”

While all three sisters have been on the court only four times since Olivia’s call-up, the sibling dynamic has affected them for the better. The chemistry on and off the court has been especially notable for Abby and Olivia.

“Against Poolesville, they had several awesome fast breaks,” Hatch said. “They just knew where the other one was going to be without looking.”

While they may have moved on to taking the sport more seriously, the three of them are still able to enjoy basketball as siblings.

“In the winter, [we] were playing knock-out, 21 and 2-on-2, and we literally stayed outside all day just laughing and enjoying the friendly com- Emily, Abby and Olivia Meyers are all on the varsity girls basketball team this season. Their petition,” Emily said. “We family chemistry adds to their success on the court, they say. didn’t want to stop.”

photo by Nick Anderson

playstyle.”

When Emily was in eighth grade, they began to train more seriously for basketball, entering the Rising Star basketball league.

“Our coach was the Bullis boys basketball coach, and he pushed us to work harder and start training,” Olivia said.

In high school, the sisters took different paths on their way to the team, as Abby was on varsity as a freshman, while Emily made the team her junior year. Olivia was also expected to begin this season on varsity, but according to coach Peter Kenah, she was cut in order to be given more playing time on JV. “Olivia’s our tallest player, and she played really well over the summer, so I was surprised,” teammate Marie Hatch said.

After a string of injuries to the varsity team midseason, Olivia was brought back up in order to help fill out the roster, Kenah said.

“I was not at all shocked when she was

photo by NICK ANDERSON

By Arya Hodjat Between the NFL’s Manning brothers, the NBA’s Gasol brothers and professional tennis’s Williams sisters, famous groups of siblings are nothing new to sports.

And now, Whitman basketball has its own flavor.

With sophomore Olivia Meyers’s call-up in January, the girls’ basketball team now features three sisters, including her twin Abby and junior Emily. While Olivia did play with her sisters and the varsity team over the summer as part of an AAU travel team, this marks the first time the three have all been on varsity.

The sisters have years of experience playing with one another. The three have practiced against each other since the beginning of elementary school, which is when they started the sport.

“Abby was always shorter, so it helped her in becoming more aggressive,” Emily said. “Olivia and I would then learn how to play against speed and shooting, like Abby’s

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Meyers sisters bring family chemistry to the basketball court

Senior Henning Kjøita, originally from Norway, is a top chess competitor in worldwide championships.

16

Q&A

february 11, 2015

Karl J. Martin (‘85) discusses his success as a Hollywood art designer with interested students

The Black & White: How did you get your first job in the business?

Karl J. Martin: I've enjoyed some pretty good luck. When I was in college, I was doing illustrations for gaming companies, and one of my clients sent me out to Los Angeles to an industry convention.

Before going out there I called everybody whose name I could find in various art departments and visual effects companies. Then when I was there, I took a day off and just drove all over the place meeting with people, and one of those meetings led to a job

offer, which I was able to come back a few months later and take, and things kinda just went from there.”

B&W: What was your favorite movie that you’ve worked on?

KJM: It’s kind of a split. ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ and ‘Avatar’ were both particularly fun experiences and were good shows to work on.

B&W: Which movie best brought your work to life?

KJM: Probably the J.J. Abrams Star Trek.

Once you get past the lens flares, there really were very nicely built, very nicely finished sets. I’d make a point at the end of every day of leaving my office, going on to the stage, getting up on the platform, walking through the Enterprise and down off the platform onto the stage. Because, you know it’s just fun walking through the Enterprise.

B&W: What was the most difficult movie you’ve ever worked on?

KJM: Actually it wasn't a movie, it was a TV show called ‘Lost,’

W C R O S R D

and it was a shrieking nightmare from start to finish. They went through at least five complete art departments on that show. They basically changed art departments every season because at the end of each season people just said “not coming back for more of this.” You’re working in paradise and yet you still don’t wanna come back anymore. They just made everything unnecessarily weird and difficult and dangerous for everybody.

B&W: How much creative license do you have?

KJM: It varies from show to show. It has to do with the personality of the director and the production designer who’s at the top of the department. There have been some shows where I've been told, ‘read the script and come up with something,’ and we just wound up building what I had in mind. I was on one feature, where literally the only design decision I made on the entire project was a faucet that could be mounted to the left or to the right of a sink in a lab.

The production designer

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B&W: Who are the most famous people you have met?

KJM: I met Liam Neeson, he was pretty cool. But it’s probably James Cameron. The guy radiates genius. We had this mockup for the dragon flight deck for ‘Avatar,’ and the mockup is just banged together out of plywood. It’s got random pieces of junkyard aerospace cork stuck to it to give it texture, and we spent a half day in there really getting his notes on it. He knew absolutely every little piece of junk in there. He knew what every bit of it was, where it came from, what its function was. Normally I'm the person on the crew who’s like that, so These design plans, from the movies G-Force (top) and Battleship (above) showcase Martin’s role in movie production. watching him do that, and doing it better than I can, was impressive.

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Random word generator

by William Arnesen ACROSS 1. Thick mist 4. Charged particle 7. To recede, like a tide 10. Suffix to denote multiple elements 13. Suffix to denote “pertaining to” 14. “The Way” 15. One who grasps 17. When nocturnal animals come out 18. Fishermen “catch and _____” 20. 1965 Julie Andrews movie 22. “Oh, where would I be if I lost my pal?

Fifteen miles on the ____ Canal” 23. Sometimes electric fish 24. Original NYC subway system 25. Moment of realization 26. Go crazy 28. Montana or Arkansas, e.g.

31. Idiot

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very generously looks at what I have on my desk and says, “Karl, why don't you decide where it goes, that can be your contribution,” and walks off. Well in that case, I’m saying it goes on the right, and the reviews were very positive.

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54 33. Premier League team 35. General and _____ relativity 37. Archrival 41. Two-wheeled transport 43. Wise 44. “Pay me” 47. To start to employ 49. It’s only a single helix, abb.

50. To the, in Grenoble 51. Drooping pants 52. Twice-spoken capital of American Samoa 54. Hits where it hurts 60. Lindbergh, e.g.

61. Deadly mosquitoes 62. Tooth doctor 63. Consume 64. Australian singer Furler 65. Economic Research Institute, abb.

66. Public Health Service, abb.

67. Legendary mononoke 68. When one doesn’t want to be quoted, for short

5

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DOWN 1. 500 car company 2. Go faster, to an outfielder 3. Overall, in Paris 4. “And so __ ____” 5. Hawaiian isle 6. Far from close 7. Ron’s owl in Harry Potter 8. Meat from cows 9. Ointment 10. DirecTV’s “Opulence _ ___ __” 11. Wish, yearn 12. Constructs 16. Continuing Education Unit, for short

18. Pakistan’s version of the CIA 21. Subdivisions of a company, abb.

25. Commercials, casually 27. Civil rights org.

28. Contemptuous smile 29. Brazilian airline 30. Not lagers 32. Frozen yogurt store 34. Expand one’s mind 36. International Islamic University, abb.

38. Sea north of the Caribbean 39. Good advice to someone being bothered by gnats

40. Smaller than an ocean 42. Talk up 44. Large procession 45. Twist or Cromwell 46. The penultimate horcrux 48. Athenian murder court member 51. Separates into categories 53. Major healthcare stock ticker 55. “The Cat in the ____” 56. Obama’s proposed European trade deal, abb.

57. Comedian.0 58. Son of Isaac 59. Nicholas I or Nicholas II, e.g

designs courtesy KARL MARTIN

by Ariel Plotnick Hollywood art designer Karl Martin (‘85) has worked on numerous major blockbusters, including ‘Avatar,’ ‘Transformers’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.’

After graduating from the film program at Syracuse University, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the motion picture production industry. As an art designer, he designs sets, digital animations, digital effects, graphics and illustrations for popular movies and TV shows.