volume 50, Issue 9 MAY 23, 2012
Walt whitman High school
7100 whittier boulevard
Bethesda, maryland 20817
theblackandwhite.net
Revered former principal Jerome Marco passes away Marco led Whitman for 29 years, remembered for open-door policy and commitment to community by Marit Björnlund Former principal Jerome M. Marco passed away May 9. During Marco’s 29 years leading Whitman, the school community knew him as a levelheaded administrator who always put students first, supported staff and made an effort to show appreciation for others’ work, former colleagues said. Marco, born in 1936 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, attended Saint Vincent College in his hometown and earned his doctorate in administration and supervision from George Washington University. He worked in MCPS as a math teacher, counselor and assistant principal before becoming the county’s youngest principal at B-CC when he was 34 years old. Marco started as Whitman’s second principal in 1975, leading the school until health problems caused him to retire suddenly in 2004. Marco implemented several groundbreaking policies during his time at Whitman, most notably the Zero Tolerance policy. Marco created the policy in 1994 after multiple alcohol-related episodes, including the deaths of two Whitman students in a drunk-driving accident on River Road that same year. “After the incident on River Road, I had had enough,” he told the Black & White in May of 2000. “There had been 19 deaths at Whitman during my tenure due to drunk driving, and I was sick and tired of going to funerals.” The Zero Tolerance policy punishes students caught with drugs, weapons or alcohol on campus by banning them from
school-sponsored activities for one year. Administrators shortened the penalty to six months and made other changes in August 2011. Though Zero Tolerance remains controversial, there have been no alcohol or drug-related student deaths since it was enacted. “There were always people who thought the policy was just too black and white,” said former Whitman parent Bekki Sims, who has been involved in the school community since the late ’90s. “But Marco stood firm. It wasn’t even a conversation. He just said it had really helped.” Assistant principal Kathy McHale attended B-CC when Marco was principal there and worked with him when she began teaching at Whitman in 1981. Marco was kind and accessible to everyone at school, attending many events and spending time with staff and students, McHale said. “He was like a second father to me because I’d known him for such a long time,” she said. “He was always available to talk to anybody about anything at almost any time. I know he sacrificed a lot of family time to be here at school, more than most people know.” Marco’s success as a principal came from his love for his job, current principal Alan Goodwin said. Goodwin, who was an assistant principal under Marco, said he admired the atmosphere Marco created at the school and used it as a model after succeeding Marco in 2004. “He came up with the motto of pride, determination and success,” Goodwin said. “His legacy, which I try to continue,
is to foster a school that has rigorous course offerings but also a wide variety of courses, a supportive environment and a whole bunch of extracurricular activities for students to get involved in.” Administrators also try to continue Marco’s “open-door” policy. “He taught me how to listen,” McHale said. “The reason my door is open 99 percent of the time is that as an administrator, he wanted an open-door policy. No matter what we’re doing, no matter how busy we are, if somebody
comes to you, you drop what you do and talk to them, even if you have to stay until seven or eight at night. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” Marco emphasized the importance of music, arts and extracurriculars. He pioneered Festival of the Arts and encouraged the creation of many other activities that are now part of the school’s culture, McHale said. Twenty-four years ago, Marco brought a program to Whitman that helps students with emotional, behavioral and social see
MARCO, page 2
Administration cracks down on parking violations
photo by ZACH FUCHS
by Daniel Lowet cars with a warning sticker and later a $20 fee that would go Several times in the past five directly to the school, but MCPS weeks, frantic students have left ruled a few years ago that schools classes and rushed outside to the could not directly fine students. parking lot as word spread of The change in policy was put United Towing’s arrival. Eight of into place to protect students them have been too late. from inappropriate financial For the past few years, the punishments or excessive administration has been lenient fines, business manager Eddy about enforcing parking rules, Campbell said. but this year has brought an S t u d e nt s w i t h p e rmi t s outbreak of parking violations: don’t usually get towed unless fewer students are driving, they consistently park in other leading to more empty parking students’ spaces, Goodwin said. spaces. Because the lot is Parking in the wrong spot leads emptier, some students are to a chain reaction, with other taking spots without purchasing students parking illegally, which a permit. leads students to complain “Usually it hasn’t been a to security. Security team problem because we rent all our members check the parking spaces,” Goodwin said. “But lot for permits after receiving this past year students have a complaint, security assistant said, ‘Hey, why do I have to A student’s car gets towed by United Towing Company. Each student whose car was towed had to travel to Silver Cherisse Milliner said. pay $37.50?’ So eventually we Whitman charges students had to actually tow. We’ve been Spring to pick it up for a $150 fee, which angered many drivers. The administration began towing cars 5 weeks ago. for a parking spot in accordance threatening to do so all along and parking lot rules,” senior Matthew Bruns said. “I just with county rules, despite the availability of spaces for we finally followed through on it.” think the towing policy is a little ridiculous. With two Before towing student cars, security warns potential weeks left of school, why are they trying to teach us a all students this year. Although Goodwin said the ticket policy was a more offenders over the public announcement system. Still, lesson now?” effective method of disciplining students than towing, he many students are upset with the crackdown on illegal Students whose cars have been towed may retrieve proposed a third option. parking, which they see as overly harsh. them from a Silver Spring impound lot after paying “I should probably buy a tow truck,” Goodwin joked. “I understand that I deserved to be towed, but I feel United Towing $150 for their service. “It’d be a pretty good profit.” like there are better methods than towing to enforce the The administration used to slap offending students
Inside Look
3
NEWS
6 OPINION
“Getting one’s car towed constitutes an excessive punishment and a chaotic distraction, but there is a sensible solution.”
9
DESTINATIONS
10 IN-DEPTH
14 FEATURE Teachers share their prom experiences
17
SPEC Baseball ends historic season