The Black & White Vol. 52 Issue 9

volume 52, Issue 9 mAY 22, 2014

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Budgeting for security guards proves challenging for student clubs

photo by MAXIME ZAMBA

Delayed charges, hourly rate differences make security costs unpredictable

Students and community members gathered outside the auditorium May 14 for a vigil raising awareness for the 300 Nigerian girls kidnapped from a school. Junior Talia Brenner organized the event, which was attended by principal Alan Goodwin, school board officials and Maryland delegate Susan Lee. For more information, see theblackandwhite.net.

E-cigs rise in popularity, prompting regulation

By Trevor Lystad If you were hoping to smoke something with a fruity flavor using a Hello Kitty pen, you may be out of luck. This strange proposition was actually possible until the FDA decided to crack down on the sale of electronic cigarettes.

In response to the rapid increase in popularity of e-cigs in recent years, the FDA announced April 24 that it will start to regulate them.

An e-cig is a battery powered device that looks like a cigarette that produces vapor when smoked.

E-cigs are intended to help smoking addicts ease off real cigarettes, but the development of nicotinefree e-cigs has boosted recreational use. The FDA will prohibit sales to minors, eliminate free samples and restrict vending machine availability of e-cigs.

“I think sales will spike as consumer confidence rises...

Regulations will work to improve consistency in product quality and effectiveness.”

-Nick Molina, CEO of the International Vapor Group Reactions have been mixed, and it’s unclear how the new rules will affect sales.

“I think sales will spike as consumer confidence rises,” said Nick Molina, CEO of the International Vapor Group, a major e-cig manufacturing and distributing

Inside Look

company. “Regulations will work to improve consistency in product quality and effectiveness.”

Boston University professor Michael Siegel, who studies the uses and effects of tobacco, predicts that in the long run, the regulations will turn people back to cigarettes and hurt overall health.

“The regulations will greatly impede innovation in the e-cigarette market,” he said in an e-mail interview.

There is no conclusive research on the various ingredients used in e-cigs, or what their potential risks are. Consumers don’t seem to mind.

“I have no idea what’s in it,” one sophomore user said.

No one does. The FDA hasn’t announced when the regulations

By Tyler Jacobson One evening last October, the Spread the Song club hosted an open mic night in the WAUD to allow any interested student musician to perform.

But when business manager Eddy Campbell told club members they needed security at the event and would have to pay for it, things changed. In an attempt to raise the $200 Campbell said security would cost, they scrambled. After buying and selling pizza at the event, they only managed to bring in a grand total of $70, far below what they thought they needed, Confino said.

But no security guard showed up that evening, and the club ended up with a surplus of $70 amidst the confusion.

Whether or not to require security at an event is a decision MCPS leaves up to the administration at each school, said Robert Hellmuth, who is in charge of school safety and security for MCPS. Principal Alan Goodwin and the other administrators require security guards at most events with students involved, even if other adults will be present.

“You have to have security around for emergency reasons,” Goodwin said. “Fortunately we haven’t had emergencies, but if we do, they’re the ones who know how to react.”

Before security can work at an event, club sponsors go through an informal process to inform administrators of the event’s logistics. Then it’s Goodwin’s responsibility to decide how many guards are needed. He bases his decision on the size and timing of the event, he said.

“For example, if it’s a small event, like a Shakespeare play in the WAUD, we have one, and if it’s Talent Show in the auditorium with 800 people, we have two,” Goodwin said.

Open mic night is one of many extracurricular events that make up the estimated total of 60 extra hours that security guards work during an average month, security team leader Cherisse Milliner said.

Budgeting for security costs has been a challenge for club officers and sponsors, especially new ones, Goodwin said. Many lack a complete understanding of how the process works and don’t know the general per hour rate for security—which can be quite a significant cost.

Arranging and budgeting for security is similar to the way teachers budget for a substitute when they travel for a field trip. However, teachers know in advance that a sub’s rate is $140 a day and that they should divide that among students before the trip. But for security, sponsors often don’t see charges until months after an event.

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 3

Wayne Chadwick retires after 30 years teaching music

Pro/Con: Affirmative Action

Senior Destinations

Senior Cheesesteak Challenge

How to high jump like a county champion

Page 4

Page 6

Page 9

Page 12

Page 14

May 22, 2014

2

Briefs myMCPS to replace Edline next year

Starting next year, myMCPS will expand, replacing Edline as the system for grade reports and student-teacher communication.

Teachers began using myMCPS in 2009 to track grades, attendance, and other information about students. The county will add all of Edline’s functions to the system, making myMCPS available to parents and students next year with a variety of new programs.

“The myMCPS portal expands far beyond the Edline system,” MCPS spokesperson Gboyinde Onijala said.

Principal Alan Goodwin doesn’t know exactly how myMCPS will work when Edline’s functions are added, he said, but he hopes information will be posted faster.

“If information is more readily accessed then the change is good for everybody,” he said.

Right now, some teachers prefer to use other programs.

“Until you’re forced to use it, it’s not going to be useful,” English teacher Danielle Fus said.

“People use what they’re comfortable with.”

Maryland decriminalizes marijuana, raises minimum wage Maryland became the 17th state to decriminalize marijuana April 14 and joined a number of states in raising minimum wage April 17.

Governor Martin O’Malley signed a bill replacing jail time with a fine after the first two offenses of possessing small amounts of marijuana, effective Oct 1.

While marijuana possession is no longer a criminal offense, there is a civil penalty. After a third offense, users 21 and older will appear in court and may be ordered to participate in ordered drug treatment. Underage users will automatically appear in court after a first offense.

Although the bill does not legalize marijuana, the decriminalization appears to be a step in the right direction among supporters.

“We’re taking an important step towards making our justice system more fair and ensuring all of our young people have the same opportunity for a brighter future,” supporter Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said in a press release.

The Maryland House of Delegates also passed a bill to gradually raise minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, which O’Malley will sign into law.

The $10.10 minimum wage has been a goal for President Obama and congressional Democrats.

Maryland will have to continue to legislate new raises every few years to account for inflation.

Common App to use same essay prompts this fall The Common Application, an organization that provides students with a universal college application, announced that they will be using this past year’s essay prompts for 2014-2015 applicants.

Students applying to college using the Common App choose one of five essay options about various topics. 2013-2014 applicants could write about a safe place, their identity, failure, accomplishments, or life challenges they faced.

The Common App made the decision to keep the essays the same after a survey showed the prompts received 90 percent approval from school counselors and 70 percent approval from colleges, according to news and education website Inside Higher Ed. Senior Whitney Cinkala said she had a smooth experience with the Common App essays, and that she liked picking from the five prompt choices.

Cinkala chose to write about a place that made her feel perfectly content.

“The prompts were so broad that you can really write about anything,” Cinkala said.

Project-based class for students with less interest in math

by Julia Gilman Students will soon have a new course option to earn their tech credit, forcing teachers to rearrange the tech department to accommodate the changes.

Starting next fall, Foundations of Technology, a project-based course that steers away from math and computers, will be added to the tech department’s catalogue of classes that fill the requirement. Two classes, mostly composed of freshmen, will start in the fall.

Math teacher Steve Koppel will teach FOT, while engineering teacher Khanh Pham will move to Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School, where he taught three years ago.

In the past, students have had two options to fill the mandatory tech credit: POE, a math and project-based course, and IED, a drawing and com-

puter-based course. The two classes are the product of Project Lead the Way, a national non-profit organization that provides engineering curricula to over 5,000 schools nationwide. Next year’s third option, FOT, is unique to Montgomery County and unaffiliated with Project Lead the Way. FOT is designed to serve students with different interests while still fulfilling their tech requirement.

“You might have some students who have little interest in math or science and they may not enjoy using computers,” technology education resource teacher Rachel Stender said. “So FOT might be a better fit for those students.”

FOT’s unique structure allows students to study topics more in depth than in IED or POE. Each quarter, students do a project focused on a

different facet of technology. Possible topics of study include biological technology or mechanics and fluids, each with corresponding projects and technological principles, Stender said. First quarter students design and build a Rube Goldberg machine and second quarter they create a NASA exploration vehicle.

“FOT has small tangible projects that give students a taste of what’s involved in engineering.”

-Steve Koppel

“FOT has small tangible projects that give students a taste of what’s involved in engineering,” Koppel said.

Koppel was a Micro-

soft-certified trainer and taught engineering courses in community colleges before becoming a math teacher.

MCPS currently offers FOT as a condensed sixweek online course over the summer.

“Mostly I had to do activities online, and about once a week I had to actually build something with household materials,” said senior Carson Lystad.

Despite Pham’s short time at the school, his students are upset to see him go.

“He’s been a really good teacher and he’s always been really friendly,” freshman Caroline Rhodes said.

Pham will miss teaching at Whitman.

“Who wants to leave Whitman?” Pham asked.

“I was really bummed out. I was discombobulated for a week.”

E-Cigs gain popularity among teens E-Cigarette Sales By Year: 2008- $20 million --> 2013- $1.7 billion

stats from statisticbrain.com

photo by TREVOR LYSTAD

NEWS

Foundations of Technology class will offer new option for tech credit

Continued from page 1 will go in place, but once they do, they will require companies to give the FDA and the public full transparency on ingredients in e-cigs, and any new or changed products will have to be approved by the FDA before being sold.

To safeguard against unknown chemicals, some students have started to buy from local dealers, who are more straightforward about what’s in their products. One junior has opened up a full-fledged e-cig business, using a Facebook page and a website. He gives customers exact information about the chemicals and ingredients in the e-cigs— details that many larger companies decline to share. The junior said he’s gained around 70 customers since opening the business in mid-April.

Although the ingredients in ecigs are generally unknown, mar-

keting displays them as a harmless alternative to cigarettes or other drugs, further increasing popularity.

“It’s all the fun of smoking without the effects or smell,” one senior boy said.

A junior boy suggested that some students are using them to replace other drugs.

“Kids are turning to e-cigs because of their ability to produce flavorful clouds of vapor without having to deal with the negative effects of smoking cigarettes,” he said.

E-cigs also cost less than cigarettes. The manufacturer of popular brand PrimeVapor estimated that a two-pack-a-day smoker spends $10 a day on cigarettes—twice as much as they would on e-cigs.

With the new regulations, the FDA is trying to curb use among

high schoolers, but some users said they feel as though the regulations won’t have much of an effect.

Kids will start to use e-cigs to rebel while still doing something they think is harmless, the junior predicted.

Some e-cig critics argue that while the regulations are a good start, they don’t do enough to curtail use by minors. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids suggested in a press release that the FDA should restrict marketing that appeals to minors and prohibit flavors that are attractive to kids.

Not everyone is listening, especially kids.

“I know it’s not going to kill me,” the sophomore said, “but I know it’s not particularly good for me.”

mAY 22, 2014

News

3

SGA, Shakespeare Club struggle with security costs Continued from page 1 The SGA’s experience with an outdoor movie night last October provides a good example.

Two security guards and one policeman worked for about three hours during the event, said junior Mia Carmel, one of the organizers.

The SGA made about $2,000 from ticket sales, but they spent about $500 on security. This accounted for nearly half of the expenses, said junior Jonny Rasch, who helped Carmel.

“We expected security to cost way less than it did,” Carmel said.

None of the event planners asked for or received an estimate prior to the event.

Security costs can be unpredictable because they vary, depending on whether the event occurs during the week or on the weekend.

One weekend last October, the Speech and Debate team hosted a national tournament for more than 300

students. According to sponsor Colin O’Brien, the team paid more than $800 over two days for two security guards, who worked 13 hours each. Campbell told him before the tournament to estimate $32.50 an hour, so the team ended up paying what they expected to pay, O’Brien said.

If an event takes place during the week, security guards earn an overtime rate that equates to 1.5 times their usual hourly rate, Campbell said.

A security guard’s hourly rate depends on the number of years he or she has worked for MCPS, so a weeknight event can cost more or less than a weekend event, depending on which guards are working.

“Fifty dollars an hour gives a good ballpark estimate,” Campbell said. “But it could be a little higher.”

Following this logic, the cost for security at an event that occurs over multiple days could be dramatically different

each day if different guards work each day. This fluctuation poses a budgeting challenge.

“You have to have security around for emergency reasons... Fortunately we haven’t had emergencies, but if we do, they’re the ones who know how to react.”

-Principal Alan Goodwin In 2011, the Shakespeare Club put on three nights of “All’s Well that Ends Well.” The club was charged $146.16 for security one night, $100.35 on another and $81.60 on a third, for a total of $328.11, former sponsor Orion Hyson said.

The club brought in around $900 in revenue from ticket sales and conces-

by MIKAELA FISHMAN

sions for a similar three-night production this year, so security should consume a large portion of the club’s budget, senior Emily Harburg said. However, the club has not been billed yet.

Even though the Shakespeare Club earned a profit from the performances, understanding when and why security is required and how much it will cost can be a major concern.

“It’s a question of fairness and responsibility,” Hyson said.

About a month in advance of an event, Milliner puts together a schedule for which guard works when, based on their availability, she said.

For a club sponsor, it’s a decision with big financial implications—and one they play no part in.

“I don’t know how they determine it and maybe it’s completely justified,” said ESOL resource teacher Sonja Maroni, who sponsors International Night.

The event, usually held on a weeknight in the spring, has two guards.

Sponsors eventually see the security charge on their account statements. It includes only the total charge without the number of security guards there or the hours worked.

Maroni was surprised this winter when she reviewed her international club account and discovered that $900 had been taken out to pay for security.

SGA sponsor Sheryl Freedman had a similar experience.

“It’s difficult at times because sometimes things come out of our account over the summer so we won’t know what we are starting with in terms of a budget until the beginning of a school year,” Freedman said.

Understanding security costs is especially important for planning a series of events, as with a cause like LLS month.

“It’s cliché but every dollar really does count when you’re donating to a charity,” Carmel said.

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4

News

mAY 22, 2014

Wayne Chadwick to retire after 30 years of teaching music

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Chadwick praises friendly atmosphere, emphasizes music education for all

Music teacher Wayne Chadwick helps a student master the fine art of guitar. Chadwick also teaches music theory, piano and electronic music at Whitman, and will retire this year.

by Leor Rosen Music teacher Wayne Chadwick will conduct his swan song as he exits the Whitman community at the end of this year.

Chadwick has worked in the county for 30 years. Before he came to Whitman he taught at various elementary schools and then at Sherwood and Quince Orchard high schools.

Chadwick began teaching at Whitman in 1994 as a substitute teacher, and became a full-time teacher a year later.

He has taught piano, guitar, music theory, electronic music, freshman orchestra and one year of a computer class.

Chadwick said his teaching philosophy is based on his belief that everyone should have an opportunity to study music. He praises students, applies lessons to real world situations and gives as much feedback as possible.

“The band and orchestra kids are very advanced, but most of the time I have been working with kids who are just starting,” Chadwick said. “Giving them a chance to learn music in high school is very important.”

Chadwick has a passion for music that translates into his teaching, junior Aaron Dane said.

“What makes Mr. Chadwick special as a teacher is that he has high expectations for his students,” Dane said. “He challenges them to stretch their knowledge.”

After his retirement from Whitman, Chadwick plans to continue to direct musical theater at Glen Echo’s Adventure Theater and to play jazz piano professionally.

Chadwick praised the kind atmo-

sphere and the genuine interactions he has experienced over the past 20 years.

“It’s not student versus teacher here,” Chadwick said. “It’s a very friendly environment. I really enjoy being part of such a wonderful music department with such wonderful singers and players, and being part of that success that they have.”

“I really enjoy being part of such a wonderful music department with such wonderful singers and players, and being part of that success that they have.”

-music teacher Wayne Chadwick Chadwick’s position will be filled

by Heather Borsum, a teacher at Garrett Park Elementary school. Borsum worked as a student teacher at Whitman in 1996, music teacher Terry Alvey said. Since then she has taught at Hoover Middle school and at various elementary schools.

Throughout his teaching career, Chadwick has struck a chord with his students, and hopes that his legacy will last at Whitman.

Senior Roxana Taginya said that Chadwick had given her more reasons to love music. “He has opened my eyes to music in ways I could never see before,” she said.

Special thanks to the following businesses and organizations for their sponsorship of Post Prom 2014! This important event would not have been possible without their generous support!

Legend Level Donor ($500+) - Suburban Hospital - First Focus - American Airlines - Chipotle Mexican Grill - The Jane Fairweather Real Estate Team - Lifeway Food, Inc. - Amethyst Jewelry - Comcast NBC Universal - Willis Stein & Partner - Limousine, Inc. - Bethesda Sport & Health - Federal Express - Container Store - Mamma Lucia Restaurant - Pyle Middle School PTSA

- Kindle and Boom Salon - Ledo Pizza, River Road - Paabo Salon - Falls Road Gold Course - Progressions Salon - Quicken Loans National - Sandy Nails - Simon Says Yoga - Sweetbay Yoga - All Fired Up - Angelico Pizzeria - Aroma - Bella Bethesda Salon - Bobby’s Burger Palace - Bowlmor Lanes - Buffalo Wild Wings - California Pizza Kitchen - California Tortilla - Candy World - Capitol Steps - Cava Mezze Grill

- Armand’s Pizza - Bethesda Bagels - BGR The Burger Joint - Bradley Food & Beverage - Edible Arrangements

Producer Level Donor ($250- $499) - Regan Zambri Long - Suburban Florist, Inc. - Wood Acres Elementary School PTA Star Level Donor ($100- $249) - Acqua Nails - Bethesda Big Train Baseball - Down Dog Yoga - Earth Treks - Edmonds Optical - Fairweather Insurance Agency - Founding Farmers - Jerry’s Subs and Pizza - Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center Actor Level Donor (up to $99 donation) - Mon Ami Gabi - Crime Museum - Nando’s - David’s Beautiful People - Newseum - Dairy Queen - Noodles and Company - Drybar - P.J.’s Sport!

- DX Organic Nails & Spa - P.F. Chang’s - Five Guys - Panera Bread - Fraiche Cupcakery - Pizzeria Da Marco - Go Ape! - Potbelly Sandwhich Shop - Hard Times Cafe - Potomac Nationals - Lebanese Taverna - River Riders - Ledo Pizza, Westlake - Salon Jean & Dry Spa Refreshments Generously Provided By: - Jetties Bethesda - Fresh Baguette - Krispy Kreme - Georgerown Cupcake - Passion Fin - Giant Food Arlington Rd - Potomac Pizza - Giant Food Westbard Ave. - Rita’s - Honest Tea

- Bannockburn Elementary School PTA - Bradley Hills Elementary School PTA - Brinker International, Inc. - Burning Tree Elementary School PTA - Carderock Springs Elementary School PTA - Clean & Polish - Tulacro Development - Valley Mill Kayak School - Vamoose Bus

- Shadowland - Silver Diner - Sports Extra - Susan Koehn Designs Jewelry - Tastee Diner - The Schuck Group - Tripper Bus - Washington Capitals - Washington Nationals - Washington Redskins - Washington Wizards

- Quartermaine Coffee Roasters - Surfside - Sushi Kanpai - The Barking Dog - Trader Joe’s - Yirasai Sushi

5

may 22, 2014

Staff Editorial

OPINION

Parking system in need of reform

By Spencer Adams Josh Kaufman parked in his assigned spot a month ago, just like he does every day. His permit didn’t fit on his rear-view mirror, so he placed it on his dashboard, as clear as day. But Kaufman was in for a surprise when the school day ended: his car had been towed to Rockville. An hour-anda-half trip and $169 later, an annoyed Kaufman got his car back.

Kaufman’s avoidable hassle is the result of a flawed parking policy, which the administration should fix by getting rid of assigned parking spots and issuing small fines as punishment —not by towing cars.

The Black & White suggested a similar solution a year ago, yet no change has been made. Students continue to spend time and money retrieving their cars, with 14 cars towed this year, according to security team leader Cherisse Milliner.

In the current system, a student pays $37.50 each semester for a permit and is assigned one of 280 spots to park in every day.

But people rarely follow the rules, causing problems.

When someone parks in the wrong spot, the student who paid for the spot has no option but to park in someone else’s spot, creating a domino effect. The student is technically supposed to report the infraction to security and move to one of the 16 visitor spots, but after the first week permits were assigned, few reports come in, principal Alan Goodwin said. The reporting system obviously isn’t working, since Milliner said she finds students in the wrong spot every day.

If the chain reaction affects a student, it can have serious consequences on Tow Day, when a student might have to travel to the Montrose Towing lot in Rockville and pay up to $169 for his car.

Montrose Towing, used countywide to manage school parking lots, pockets the money without directing any revenue to MCPS. A more reasonable plan would be to impose a small $10 fine on wrongly parked cars. Such a plan would also create revenue for the school.

Unfortunately, MCPS doesn’t allow fines as disciplinary action, claiming the practice is an inappropriate form of punishment, business manager Eddy Campbell said. But $169 and a 13-mile drive is more “inappropiate” than a $10 fee. Also, fining people for disobeying parking rules is already a universal punishment, so an MCPS policy allowing this wouldn’t be out of line.

Some students say an open lot would create chaos and add to stress. However, it would result in a more organized and calm parking lot.

Without assigned spots, students would show up earlier to secure a prime spot, spreading out arrivals and reducing traffic.

The school wouldn’t lose any revenue, either. The $37.50 students pay for a spot supports interscholastic athletics, so students would still pay that amount for access to the open lot.

Whitman should allow an open lot and protest the irrational MCPS fine policy. It would be in everyone’s best interest.

More transparency needed with security for after-school events

Security at after-school events is pretty much a given. However, more transparency in who will be working and how much it will cost is desperately needed.

While nobody is suggesting that our dedicated security guards should be paid less money for the work they do, continuing to surprise activity organizers (like those in charge of October’s movie night) with unforeseen, unpredictable fees is an unfair practice.

A system that only requires one security guard in the building covering several (relatively low-attended) events would be far more effective.

Having events without hiring security would be plain stupid; the potential risk of an emergency is more than enough to convince people of that. Instead, the business office, in conjunction with security, should do a better job of informing club organizers of which officers will work their events and what their fees are so that organizers can allocate the correct amount of money before the event takes place.

There’s no need to assign guards only to one event, especially if it isn’t particularly well-attended.

On any given night, chances are there will be multiple events going on at a time. One or two guards should be assigned to the entire school and they should keep track of where events are happening in order to more efficiently respond to any emerging issues. Club organizers could be informed about who the guard at that given time is, and the clubs can all split the bill for that guard’s fee, alleviating much of the financial burden.

Events that are expected to draw a lot of people (over 50, for instance), will need to have their own guard, and although these clubs would have to pay the full fee, the larger attendance will make them more capable of doing so.

Even if this system is not adopted, more transparency is imperative. In the end, it’s Dr. Goodwin who decides how much security is needed.

Security guards don’t just show up; they have a predetermined schedule several days in advance. To their credit, Dr. Goodwin covers charges that clubs can’t. Nevertheless, clubs shouldn’t have their account balances depleted long after an event takes place by a substantial and sometimes unforeseen charge for security.

We’ve always been taught safety first. Nothing about that has changed, but there has to be a limit to what we’re willing to do in order to successfully organize and carry out activities. In order to help out the security team, as well as all clubs struggling to make ends meet financially, it’s time to make a change.

Volume 52, Issue 9 2013-2014 The Black & White is published 9 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Students and staff can pick up the paper free of charge. Mail subscriptions cost $35. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain.

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

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

request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be placed in the Black & White mailbox in the main office or the editor’s mailbox in room B211, or may be emailed to blackandwhitevol52@gmail.com.

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

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6

opinion

may 22, 2014

Student Perspectives: Affirmative Action

Con

o r P

Affirmative action needed to prevent discrimination

F

by William Arnesen

or a rising junior beginning the college process, affirmative action is possibly the most divisive ‘college talk’ you can have.

Yet for all the hullabaloo, or perhaps because of it, the debate over affirmative action in college admissions has been characterized more by irrational fears than actual facts. It’s time to correct the record.

Critics mainly charge that giving preferential status to minorities constitutes ‘reverse discrimination’—that helping the historically disadvantaged is just old racism wrapped in new clothes. But admissions officers don’t just admit any student based on his or her race. Rather, they use it along with dozens of other factors—and mostly as a “tiebreaker.” As Princeton sociologist Douglas Massey points out in a 2013 Michigan State article, affirmative action has but an “insignificant” impact on a white students’ chance of admission.

Opponents also claim affirmative action unintentionally harms the very people it purports to benefit. The core of this argument is that of a “mismatch”: that the minorities who get into college through affirmative action are unprepared for the coursework and would flourish better at a less demanding institution. Opponents, like Justice Clarence Thomas, also like to claim that people often equate minority success with affirmative action instead of merit, diminishing their odds of promotion.

But these theories on affirmative action’s side effects have been tested and found wanting. According to a

book by former presidents of Princeton and Harvard, William Bowen and Derek Bok, African Americans at elite colleges were not only more likely to graduate from more demanding institutions, but because of the rigorous academic environment, they were more likely to succeed later in life. So much for a “mismatch.”

The unfortunate reality is that racism is still real in America and that affirmative action is a necessary but insufficient remedy for some of its effects. Poverty, resegregation, discrimination and inequality deny minorities the success they deserve through merit. As a result, a Stanford study found that even after accounting for income differences, minorities were five times less likely to attend a selective college than their white peers. We need affirmative action to make sure that the effects of racism and discrimination don’t deny yet another generation their constitutionally right to equal opportunity.

Affirmative action also brings the benefits of diversity to our nation’s colleges. As Bowen points out, without large numbers of minorities in schools, white students spread stereotypes about minority communities without an ample response. One of the best ways to combat racism is to expand the perspectives students are exposed to.

Affirmative action is not a panacea for racial injustice in America by any means. But at the very least, it should be a tool in a toolbox for colleges to confront one of America’s most intractable problems.

Affirmative action harmful to minorities

I

by Grace Steinwurtzel

n theory, the idea of affirmative action increasing opportunities for minorities is great.

But in reality, it’s merely positive discrimination used in an attempt to indemnify this country’s callous history of racial discrimination by giving minority applicants a leg up.

Crafted to promote equality, race-conscious affirmative action has done exactly the opposite. Instead, it puts emphasis on the achievement gap and fosters the belief that minority students need help in the admissions process based on their color or race.

Affirmative action is demeaning to minority students, whose success is consequently labeled as a result of it rather than their hard work and ability. Affirmative action perpetuates the idea that minorities are essentially handicapped.

African American Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas experienced this discrimination, writing in his memoir that the stigmatizing effects of affirmative action put him at a huge disadvantage. When searching for work as a lawyer, Thomas said he wasn’t taken seriously in numerous interviews, as employers thought he received special treatment because of his skin color.

Indeed, Princeton professor Thomas Espenshade concluded in his 2009 book, “No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal,” that African American applicants received the equivalent of a 310-point boost on their SAT in the admissions process, and

Hispanic applicants were given a 130-point boost.

Artificially raising these students’ test scores won’t equalize their performance in college. As a result, students admitted through affirmative action are often ill-equipped to handle the schools to which they’ve been admitted, resulting in a mismatch.

University of Virginia psychologists Frederick Smyth and John McArdle found that among a sample of minority students who intended to major in science, mathematics, or engineering at 23 universities, 45 percent more women and 35 percent more men would have succeeded in earning their degrees if they had attended schools where their entering credentials had been about average.

Affirmative action undoubtedly sets kids up for failure.

Admissions should be based on merit and eligibility, not race, and America is in agreement. According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, two-thirds of Americans believe college applicants should be admitted solely based on merit.

If students admitted on the basis of race are perfectly able to handle the rigors of a tougher school, as supporters argue, they sure shouldn’t need affirmative action to get there.

Simply put, affirmative action isn’t a makeup for past discrimination.

Race-conscious affirmative action has proved to impair both the minorities and the majority, which should lead people to wonder—who is affirmative action even helping?

Viking mascot in need of reality check

By Sebastian van Bastelaer Wootton was a patriot. Magruder was a colonel. Churchill was referred to as “The British Bulldog”. Whitman? He never even wrote about Vikings, let alone met them.

When it comes to selecting a mascot for a school or professional sports team, most opt for flashy alliteration or name it after something historically or geographically relevant. Almost every MCPS school follows this model: WJ Wildcats, Blair Blazers, B-CC Barons, Magruder Colonels and Wootton Patriots. Why doesn’t Whitman?

To be fair, the Vikings make for a pretty cool mascot; after all, they were a group of Nordic warriors bearing axes and knives. Plus, they would be pretty intimidating to on the football field. But historically, the Vikings were known more for their good hygiene than their ferocity, and they never actually wore horned helmets (you can thank 19th century composer Richard Wagner for that error).

Nevertheless, the mascot is one wide-

ly used throughout collegiate and professional sports. The NFL’s Minnesota Vikings are named after them because of the heavy Scandinavian settlement there, but neither Vikings (nor their latter-day descendants) ever quite made their way down to Maryland. The name is therefore pretty ill-suited to grace the front of our teams’ jerseys.

There is an abundance of names that Whitman’s administration could have gone with back in the 1960s. If we had gone the alliteration route, we could have been the Whitman Wizards, the Whitman Wolverines, the Whitman Whales, or the Whitman Warriors, all better alternatives to the Vikings.

Even better, the administration could have gone with something relevant to Whitman himself. The Whitman Leaves of Grass would be a force to be reckoned with. Or, how about the Whitman Fighting Poets? Now that’s a name that would be sure to strike fear into the hearts of its rivals.

by JOANNE CHOI

SGA “ the leaderSHIP never sinks

7

Ads

“

May 22, 2014

announcements:

Matt Banda PRESIDENT

Alex Hosker VICE-PRESIDENT

Maxime Zamba TREASURER

May 22nd: Graduation rehearsal June 10th: Senior Picnic June 11th: Graduation (at DAR Hall, 2:30 p.m.)

Have a great summer!

Nick Anderson SECRETARY

Katie Meyer SECRETARY

Class Officers:

‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17

Elizabeth Meyer Jonny Rasch, Katie Sullivan, Mia Carmel Jenna Hosker, Selvi Ulusan, Carolyn Hoover Keara Sullivan, Kueho Michael Choi, Sophia Zambri

8

May 22, 2014

Senior Stats

As is now an annual staple of the final paper, the Black&White reached out to every member of the 485-student senior class in compiling a list of senior destinations. Seniors will go on next year to a range of four-year and two-year colleges, or to the military, workforce or gap year destinations. Each student on the list has accomplishments to be celebrated, as the selected number below indicate. The breadth of the accomplishments, ranging from overwhelming participation

The top 5 most popular colleges: 1. University of Maryland 2. Montgomery College 3. University of Michigan 4. Cornell University 5. Northwestern University

Class o

in athletics and drama to national merit awards and region and state championships, all add merit to Whitmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent number one ranking in Maryland according to US News and World Report. We hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll join us in honoring all of these seniors as they round out their high school careers.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a pleasure writing for the newspaper, and from the senior staff of Volume 52: thanks for reading!

There was an average of 8 college applications per senior The farthest college destination is University of Sydney Sydney, Australia

Greatest changes in attendance Indiana University 2013: 2 2014: 6 Cornell University 2013: 8 2014: 15

3,905 Transcript requests were made this year amounting to $17,175

5 seniors are joining the military

579 Prom tickets sold 274 seniors

played sports this year: 97 in Fall Sports 88 in Winter Sports 89 in Spring Sports

70 seniors are in Whitman Drama

National Merit Scholars and Semifinalists: 5 Scholarships given 21 Semifinalists 59 Commended 3 state tournament appearances (girls lacrosse, girls soccer, boys basketball) 1 state championship (girls soccer)

may 22, 2014

of 2014

NAME

COLLEGE

NAME

Leonardo Acedo

Maryland

Andrew Dexter

Fionn Adamian

UPenn

Michael Adelson

Arizona

Drew Aherne Abraar Ahmad

Sylvia Deyo Matthew Digan

Tufts

Sophie Djurhuus

American University

Karla Alvarado

Maryland

Henry Doran

Matthew Anderson

Frostburg State Virginia UC Santa Barbara

Jeremy Drysdale

Tufts

Kevin Baker

Virginia Tech

Will Baker

American University

Amye Elfin Dani Erasmus Crystal Escolero Andrea Espada Christina Esposito Nathalie Evers Marcela Falck-Bados Vanessa Farias

Drexel

Leora Fausnaugh

Penn State

Robert Feldstein

Ryan Barretta

Maryland

Andrew Barth

Washington & Lee

Cheyenne Bartolomei Brian Bayer Kamila Beisenova Frank Beiser Ali Bell Nathan Bennet

Javier Fernandez Artime

Sara Fiscella Charlotte Fitterman

Maryland

Jacob Ford

American

Rebecca Ford

Gap Year

Ronica Ford

Miami U of Rochester Boston University U of Pretoria (S. Africa) Stanford St. Edwards (Texas) Northwestern

Jenna Kantor Vegas Kastberg Meera Kattapuram Josh Kaufman Matthew Kellman Bridey Kelly

Jared Frank Jason Frankel Josh Fried

Unable to contact

Sarah Kohn

Cornell Northwestern Haverford

Marisa Fried

Tufts

Tessa Berry

Ringling College

Sara Fritsch

Edinburgh

Rachel Bird

Colby

USC

Isaac Gamoran Gabe Garcia Rebecca Garnett

Lily Blum

Miami

Jack Garraty

Samantha Blumberg

WashU

Zoe Gavil

Tulane Undecided Montgomery College Fashion Inst. of Design (FIDM)

Maryland Tulane

MOST work program

Julia Bromberg

Tulane

Ryan Gilchrist

Julia Brougher

Syracuse

Hannah Giuffre

Kelsey Brown

Alabama

Peyton Glagola

Virginia Tech

Maddy Bucher

American

Kate Goldberg

Conneticut College

Undecided

Daniela Gomes

Maryland

Azul Buljevich Amadeo Zach Butler

SUNY Oswego

Isabel Gomez

Abby Cahn-Gambino

Wesleyan

Anya Goodman

Jack Calder

UChicago

Matthew Goodman

Kyle Campbell

Maryland

William Gordon

Maddie Cannon

Lehigh

Joe Granger

Marissa Cannon

Lehigh

Russell Grant

Yael Caplan Simon Carne

UChicago Drexel

Angelica Greco

Amanda Le Trang Le Matthew Lee

Michael Greenwood

Alex Cebula

Montgomery College

Rachel Oh

UCLA

Nao Takeuchi

Maryland

Maddy Orr

UMBC

J Heaton Talcott

Montgomery College

Oregon Skidmore Gap Year, U. Missouri Ohio State Alderleaf Wilderness College

Tulane Colgate

St. Lawrence

Bucknell Carleton College Temple College of Charleston Abroad to Europe Guilford College

Maryland Ohio Wesleyan McGill Maryland Georgia Tech

Toti Lee-Shapiro

Cornell

Noah Lee-Shapiro

Emory

Elisa Lepler Austin Lesch Alex Lesley

Jessica Li Dong Eun Lim Jessica Lindenberg Nathan Liu

Undecided Michigan Boston College Harvard Maryland Northwestern Maryland Inst. College of Art

Franklin & Marshall NYU

Shiran Liu

Ohio State

Zixuan Liu

Unable to contact

Miller Locke Nicole Lococo Michael Lombardo Krissy London Ines Lopes Monteiro Alex Lopez Adam Lowet Annie Ludewig Zeya Luo Carson Lystad

Macalester

Carnegie Mellon

Samantha Malushte

Montgomery College Michigan Montgomery College St. Thomas (MN) Imperial College London

Stanford Yale Boston College Georgia Tech Vanderbilt Clark University Maryland

Bridgette Gross

Unable to contact

Julia Maman

Concordia (Canada)

Ruoyang Gu

Allegheny College

Haley Maness

Ohio State

College of Charleston

Jessica Mann

Tulane

Emily Cevallos Janssen

Maryland

Michael Gude

Edwin Chang

Maryland

Will Guerry

Tufts

Bethany Mansfield

Taimur Chaudhry

Maryland

Julien Guiot

Tufts

Laney Maraviglia

Georgia Tech

Hunter Marder

Union College

Shucheng Chi Jessie Chin

Vermont Undecided

Jin Hwan Choi

Montgomery College

Katie Choppin

Michigan

Robert Christian Phoebe Christofides

Montgomery College Edinburgh

Joey Gumataotao Qining Guo Rachael Gurland Anna Gurney Maya Guthman Marisa Guzman-Vogele

USC Purdue Montgomery College Emory Indiana

USC

Daniel Hamilton

Gap Year

Miami

Hideaki Hanai

Abroad in Japan

McDaniel College

Alexis Hanford

Miami (Ohio)

Joao Coelho

Maryland

Emily Harburg

Katiana Cokinos

Alabama

Jacob Harburg

James Madison

Jamey Harman

Caroline Cole Libby Collett

College of Charleston

John Connelly

Salisbury

Charlotte Costello

Maryland

India Harrison

Michigan Yale Cornell Dickinson College South Carolina

Sam Hartz

Maryland

Ali Hashim

U of Rochester

Jack Crowley

Boston University

Charlie Hatcher

Maryland

Abigail Cutler

Cornell

Moses Hetfield

Stanford

Jacob Cutler Abigail da Silva Andrea Dai Taylor Daly Sarah Dar Luke Davis Max Davis Stephen Davis Shannon Dawe Natalia de Gravelles Emma de Ravin Maisy Deans

Dartmouth Rochester Insitute of Tech.

Maryland Dartmouth UNC Chapel Hill Tulane Oregon USC McGill Maryland

Cole Hinga Chris Hodgman

Emily Martin Conrad Mascarehnas

Evan Mata Josh Mattsson Laura Mazziotta TJ McPhaul Cera McAndrew Kate McKee Robert Meadows Elisabeth Medeiros Julia Medine

Arif Misirci

Maelle Perez Kit Philleo Glen Phillips

St. Coletta’s Duke

Marissa Posner Deborah Poznansky Jack Puglisi Nicole Ramirez Jorge Richardson Nicole Riemer Natalie Riordan Phillip Riz Ryan Robison Anais Roche Gracie Romberg

Ohio State University of Pittsburgh Purdue

Marilyn Toledo Olivia Tompkins

St. Andrew’s (Scotland) Hamilton College Montgomery College

Gap year, Clark University

Abroad to Paris

Della Turque

University of Denver

Georgia Tech

Bahar Ulusan

Emory

Montgomery College

Carmela Valenzuela

NYU McGill Indiana NYU Maryland Ohio State Montgomery College Unable to contact College of the Atlantic Maryland UNC Wilmington

Boston College

Jorge von Horoch Talavera

Madison Walser

UC Berkeley University of Baltimore UC Santa Barbara St. Francis University Bowdoin College Maryland Elon

Dwight Wang

McDaniel College

Rolanda Wang

Miami University

Ashton WebberDeonauth David Weber

Howard University Stanford Maryland

Ethan Weintraub

Colgate University

Emily Rosenthal

Cornell

Rebecca Weiss

Gavin Ross Sam Ross Ariana Rothman Peter Rowan Nick Ruhlmann Salma Saade

Gap Year, Comm. College in GA

Washington & Lee

Lafayette College Clemson USMC Edinburgh

Sarina Weiss

Brandeis University University of Florida

Tyler Weiss

Maryland

Nicole Welch

Maryland

Daniel Whittle

Franklin & Marshall

Jon Wiedemann

Skidmore College

Luke Wijnen

Abroad in France Montgomery College

Caroline Sacks

Indiana

Megan Wilfred

Sam Sadeghi

Temple

Joey Williams

Maryland Maryland

Isabella Salmon

Elon

Nathan Winch

Michele Sandler

NYU

Luke Winer

Elisabeth Sartain

Rice

Kendall Wiss

Michigan

Northwestern

Avery Witt

UT Austin

Eliana Schaefer

Middlebury

Aliza Wolfe

Rice University

Calvin Schalch

Maryland

Ryan Savage

Joseph Schenker Catherine Schneider

UC Berkeley State College of Florida

Jordan Wolff Sydney Wolstein Aries Wong

Lucas Schoch

Vanderbilt

Allison Wyner

Caitlin Schoen

St. Mary’s

Chen Xu

Gabe Schwartz

Edinburgh

Maurine Yap

Josie Schwartz

Michigan

Kohki Yazawa

Aras Scimemi

Virginia

Nicole Zamba Campero

McGill University

Tulane Gap year, Maryland Naval academy Wake Forest Northwestern MOST work program Abroad to Japan Montgomery College

Anabelle Scully

Louisiana State

Benjamin Zavaleta

Ithaca College

Tori Seidenstein

Cornell

Elizabeth Zeichner

UChicago

Max Sessions

Allegheny

Anna Zeisel

Anjana Setlur

Penn State

Jake Zeisel

Cornell

Sam Shapiro

Harvard

Alex Zhang

Maryland

Stephen Sharbaugh

Stetson

Nan Zhang

Ohio State

David Shaya Nathaniel Sherman

Maryland Pomona College

Tong Zhang William Zhang

Becca Sherman

St. Mary’s

Jiateng Zhao

Rohan Sivam

Maryland

Aaron Zimmerberg

Wes Slaughter Ed Smith

UC Berkeley Michigan

Benjamin Smolen

George Washington

Angelica Smoot

Montgomery College

Anthony Solloso Ellie Solloway Sarah Song Leah Sorcher Ari Sorenson Tanenbaum

Julia Squeri Anton Stalchenko

Wesleyan

Margaret Stanger

Cornell

Icade (Spain)

Max Vogel

Maryland University College Utrecht (Netherlands)

Parsons

TJ Stallone

Sonia Muriel

Michael Voehl

Cypress College

Bailey Rosenblatt

Maryland

U Pontificia Comillas (Spain)

Sofia Vitiello

Elon

Raquel Weinberg

Zac Morton

Jose Muriel

Manas Verma Cristian Villalobos

Maryland

Johns Hopkins

Isabelle Spies

Arizona State/USMC

Sophia Valianatos

Undecided

Meredith Spencer

John Mooers

Georgia

Julian Tosini

Marc Rosen

South Carolina

Will Montgomery

Maryland

Mario Ronci

James Madison

College of Charleston

Michigan

Chia-Hua Peng

Emily Montague

Maria Mu

James Ireland

Allie Peck

Samantha Moffatt

Maryland

MIT

Montgomery College

Grant Payette

Maryland

West Virginia Vermont

Kyle Tolbert

Nick Sobel

Nabil Ibrahim Stephen Indrisano

Maryland

Michigan

Wyatt Hughes

Lisa Deng

James Madison

Liberty University

Champlain College

Montgomery College

Gamachichi Pathirana

Tamar Meron

Maryland Temple

Indiana

Richmond

Montgomery College

Jazmyne Thomas

Maryland

Will Moss

Eric Deng

Syracuse

Elisabeth Meyer

South Carolina

Wesleyan

Zachary Snyder

Alex Miltenberg

Noah Hughes

St. Mary’s College

Gwyneth Meyer

Vermont

beauty school

Katherine Paterson

Madeleine Smurzynski

Pratt Institute

Mya Htet

Boston College

US Army/U of Rochester

Indiana

Cal Tech

Desirae Thomas

Michigan

Sarah Hoffman

Kit Horton

Undecided

WashU

UPenn

Maryland

Nick Meyer

Matt Howell

UChicago

Maryland

Gabrielle Tender

Nate Meier

Montgomery

Harrison Holt

UPenn

Penn State

South Carolina

Gregory Papaioannou

Ben Talisman

Abroad to Japan

Yale

Rebecca Meron

Lily Hoffman Jackson Holaday

Colby College

Gap year, Yale

Alex Cladouhos

Ryan Hannegan

Colgate

Daisy Massey

Whitney Cinkala

Gettysburg College

Indiana

Jeff Marr

UNC Chapel Hill

Unable to contact

Daniel Clayton

Ally Markel

Isabel Mason

Michael Haddad

Nick Clarke

US Army

William & Mary

UNC Wilmington

Natalie Cibel

Zach Page

Undecided

Niels Verhoeven

Saroya Madlala

Ben Castagnetti

Gap Year

Maryland

Cornell

Penn State

Thomas O’Grady

Andrew Pommershiem

Cornell

Ceci Carter

Johnson & Wales

Michigan

Michigan

Hamilton College

Sara Veppumthara

Jamey Greenbaum Julia Greenberg

Anthony Cauterucci

Michigan

Penn State

Roxana Taginya

Paul Smith’s College

Syracuse

Clara Li

Charlie Gibson

Montgomery College

Olivia Taginya

Stephen Nowack

Nathalie Pollack

Wesleyan

Emory

Arian Taginya

Cornell

Tess Ostoyich

Marymount University

Gap Year, Lawrence University

Montgomery College

Nicole Gershberg Julien Ghanadan

Shaffi Noss

Cassandra Kuehneman

UNC Chapel Hill Gap Year, St. Andrews

NYU

Hanh Ta

Simrun Veen

Hailey LaRoe

Dartmouth Colorado

Maryland

Byron Kunst

RISD

Mandela Suruma

Ana Paula Pineda

Aryana Bolourian Mady Brach

Alderson-Broaddus University

David Sullivan Luqman Sumartono

Montgomery College

Jessica Levy

Alexa Brodsky

Boston University

Maria Krouskas

Michigan Brigham Young

University of Sydney

UC Berkeley

Amanda Gelfarb Gabriel Ghanadan

Johnson & Wales University

Sydney Pimentel

Moving to Israel Georgetown

Daniel Suh

Daytona State University

Nikita Blumental Allie Boyan

Montgomery College

Maryland

Kentucky

Georgia Tech

Lucas Knight

Pengya Su

Edinburgh

Jae Hoon Kim

Leah Knappertz

Maryland

CCC work program

Mark Norris

Macalester

Amherst

Northwestern

UCLA

Maryland

UNC Greensboro

Nick Newsham

John Stricklett

Maryland

Ameen Khalil

Janie Klein

Rachel Neider Derek Newberry

Occidental College

Elon

Alec Szparaga

Americorps (N. California)

Vermont

Luke Navratil

Heather Strauss

Maryland

Undecided

Adam Klein

Jackson Nail

Carnegie Mellon

Elise Nichols

St. Mary’s

Nader Khalaf

Gap Year, U. Rochester

Kerensa Nagle

Jack Storey

Harriet Symington

CCC work program

Juliet King

Amolak Nagi

Smith College

Salisbury

Gap Year, Dartmouth

Maryland

Alexandra Myseros

Vanderbilt

College

Sean Ngo

Cornell

Wes Kendrick

Virginia

Allie Fues

Maryland

Texas A&M

Maryland

Delaware

Maryland

Towson

Sing Hoi Forrest

Unable to contact

Northwestern

Ryan Kemper

Montgomery College William & Mary

South Carolina

Gap Year, High Point University

Steven Kovats-Nikzad

Ithaca College

David Bloch

Emmanuel Kanneh

Maryland

Dawn Benton

Arielle Bleecker

Kai Johnston

Atessa Foroutan

Columbia Chicago

Victoria Bizot

Adam Joel

Rhodes College

Ryan Bennett Jordan Bernstein

Nora Jodrey

California Lutheran

Sarah Kannan

Dani Banner

Cornell

Malcolm Jeng

Vermont

Maryland

University of the Arts

Sarah Barr Engel

Louisiana State

Ben Jarvis

Alex Kang

Yale Baldacci Camille Barnes

Margaret Stone

Maryland

Matthew Eisenstein

Emily Baker

Max Myers

William Dyer

Maryland

Maryland

Maryland

Unable to contact

Kourosh Ashtary-Yazdi

Amanda Azmi

Babson College

Danyaal Jafrani

Occidental College

Kendall Eisenberg

George Washington

Malachi Stoll

Nanami Kamiishi

Maryland

Aisha Azimi

Towson

Julia Juenemann

Cesar Arevalo

Cal Tech

Name

Daniel Mwangi

College

Maryland

Nkunim Edusei

Bea Atsavapranee

Columbia

College

Maryland

Name

Abroad in Turkey

Michigan

Drexel

West Point

Name

Matthew Jacobson

Caroline Duffy

Natalie Andrasko

Jake Askarinam

UNC Chapel Hill Bates College

James Dobson

Simon Amat

Macalester College

Meg DiRuggerio

Maryland

Destinations

Calvin College

Lafayette

Mateus Albarnaz Gusthignna Amarasiri

COLLEGE

9

Ainsley Stein Max Steinhorn Daniel Stern

NYU

Montgomery College McGill University Cornell UPenn University of St. Thomas (MN)

Tulane University of San Francisco

Colorado Montgomery College South Carolina Allegheny USC Amherst Cornell

Ben Zimmerman Rafael Zuleta

Macalester College

School of Visual Arts Maryland Carnegie Mellon Gap year, Northwestern Northwestern Maryland

A note on “Destinations”

The Black & White would like to thank the seniors for providing the information necessary to compile this list. We apologize for the incomplete status of the list; our staff was unable to contact some students. We regret any inaccuracies that may be present in “Destinations.” If you would like to make a correction, please email blackandwhitevol52@gmail.com and we will update your changes on our website. Please check out our interactive online map on www.theblackandwhite.net.

MAY 22, 2014

10

FEATURE

One man. Seven days. Fourteen tacos.

Black & White editor Adam Simon embarked on the impossible: review all Bethesda area taco joints in just seven days. He called in some back up, hiring junior Costis Waltz as his partner-ingluttony.

photos by ADAM SIMON

*Ratings are out of five

graphics by JOANNE CHOI

Monday — Chipotle: 4471 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, MD; 7624 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD Order: One barbacoa taco, one with steak (both with corn, medium salsa, pico de gallo and cheese) Reaction: With our stomachs fresh, Waltz and I opted to add burritos to our orders (because, I mean, Chipotle burritos).We started with the tacos, and found that they’re essentially just little burritos. The one thing that distanced the tacos from the burritos was the barbacoa.

Tuesday — Fish Taco: 7945 MacArthur Blvd, Cabin John, MD Order: One Signature Fish Taco (topped with cabbage and signature sauce), one brisket barbacoa (topped with homemade pico de gallo), and an order of chips and guacamole Reaction: The first thing you notice when you walk into Fish Taco is the price. For an order of two tacos with rice and beans, the prices are upwards of $10. Add $7 for chips and guac, and that can break almost any high schooler’s bank.

Scores Bang-for-your-buck:

Many Chipotle regulars haven’t ventured past chicken and steak, as barbacoa doesn’t go too well in burritos.

But it was the perfect taco meat, with the perfect consistency and the right amount of spice.

The taco will never outshine the splendor that is the Chipotle burrito. After eating our bonus burritos, Waltz summarized it pretty well when he said, “That burrito was so good I almost forgot about the taco part.”

$$$$$

Taco:

In terms of taste, the tacos fell flat. The fish taco’s fishy taste could make a sailor turn landlubber and the brisket taco lacked the essential kick. The service was impersonal, with a cashier at the front and a number system for tables. If you want a better fish taco for a better price, head next door to Wild Tomato (see Saturday).

Scores -

Bang-for-your-buck:

$$

Taco:

Chipotle

Wednesday — Gringos & Mariachis:

4471 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, MD Order: “Pescado” (Fish taco with special sauce, cabbage and cilantro), “Carne Asada” (Grilled skirt steak with avocado salsa, onions and cilantro) and “Barbacoa” (Slow cooked lamb, salsa verde, onion, cilantro) Reaction: It’s pretty simple: this place rocks. With a lively bar, reasonable prices and freaking delicious tacos, Gringos & Mariachis takes the cake for best taco in Bethesda.

Having only opened in February, the restaurant is by no means the most popular restaurant in Bethesda (yet).

But when you walk inside it could definitely feel like

Thursday — Delicias Carryout:

Gringos & Mariachis

Friday — Taco Bar: 10003 Fields Rd, Gaithersburg, MD Order: One steak taco, one chicken taco (with hot sauce, onions, tomatoes and cilantro) Reaction: Finding this place is tough. After the 20 minute drive that brought us to a gas station, we parked and looked around. Through a small glass door, a neon “OPEN” sign was illuminated, yet the only thing

Saturday — Wild Tomato:

7945 MacArthur Blvd, Cabin John, MD Order: Fish taco (topped with special sauce, cabbage and guacamole) Reaction: Although Wild Tomato is by no means a tacojoint or even a Mexican restaurant, their fish taco has been the talk o’ the town. Although the tortilla isn’t the most authentic, the fish is fried to perfection. The sauces combine to create the exact citrus-y flavor and acidity you’d want to complement your fish. The order comes with three tacos and chips and salsa on the side, making it a relatively good deal for only $13. It may not

Sunday — California Tortilla: 4871 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, MD Order: Beef taco, Chicken taco (topped with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa) Reaction: If you’re looking for gourmet tacos, not your place. If you’re looking for the best taco in town, not your place. If you’re looking for a good meal that won’t leave your wallet lookin’ like an unstuffed taco shell, then this fits your bill.

4708 Highland Ave, Bethesda, MD Order: One chicken taco, one steak taco (both topped with lettuce, tomato and special hot sauce) Reaction: In a part of Bethesda a shockingly large number of Bethesdans don’t know exists, there’s a hidden gem in the world of tacos. Delicias Carryout is a humble, shacklike structure. With a standing area that’s about two feet wide, you’d better plan to eat on the porch.

But once you sit down and dig in, the search and the location become distant memories. The flavors behind the door was a blank white wall.

Once you walk in, it opens up to a full kitchen, a sitting room and a Mexican market. The tacos are simplistic, served only with massive amounts of perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned meat. The toppings are your responsibility; they provide a line of vegetables, salsas, and different herbs. If you’re willing to make the drive, you’ll be rewarded with the opportunity to design your dream taco.

you’re at the heart of town. With a ten minute wait on a Wednesday night, a packed bar and young, attractive patrons, it’s clear this restaurant is here to stay.

The tacos were small, delicate and full of unique flavors. Other items on the menu include 10 unique salsas, 14 taco varieties and other authentic Mexican dishes like ceviche and mole.

Scores Bang-for-your-buck: Taco:

of the meats are explosive and authentic, and they’re definitely generous with portions. If you’re looking for a quick, down-to-earth home of the classic Mexican taco, this is your place.

Scores -

Bang-for-your-buck:

Bang-for-your-buck:

Scores -

Bang-for-your-buck: Taco:

$$$

Taco:

Scores -

Bang-for-your-buck:

$$$$

Taco:

be the most authentic taco, but if you’re a taco fan, it works well for family and dates alike.

Scores -

$$$

$$$$$

Taco:

Taco Bar

$$$$$

may 22, 2014

Feature

11

Smithsonian dinosaur exhibit closes for renovation

main attraction of the revitalized hall.

Renovations will be done in a threepart plan. The removal of fossils, which began in April, is the first step and will last 18 months. After that, redesigning the area will last two years. It will then take another 18 months to bring the fossils back before visitors can see the highly anticipated remains.

Smithsonian officials stress that the closing of the exhibition is essential for construction.

“It’s such a big project in terms of modernizing the infrastructure and in terms of conserving the fossils, that there’s really no way to do that without closing the whole thing,” Bolton said.

“Some of the specimens are really, really big, like the Diplodocus. You’d have to close the entire space just to get that dinosaur out.”

Despite the necessity for remodeling, some have expressed concern that the absence of this wing could prevent young dinosaur lovers from viewing these extraordinary millions-of-yearsold fossils.

“The dinosaur exhibit has always been a really big part of my childhood, and my family always went down there National Museum of Natural History’s Rex Room, along with a temporary exhibit depicting whenever we weren’t doing anything,” The the dinosaur world immediately before extinction, are still open through the renovation of the sophomore Gennie Anderson said. main Fossil Hall.

However, dinosaur enthusiasts “People should be ready to get will still have opportunities to see their Lost World,’ the Smithsonian’s interim fossil exhibit, will open in November involved with other things the museum fossilized friends during the next five years. The ‘Rex Room,’ which opened 2014. According to the Smithsonian’s is doing around fossils,” Bolton said.

April 15, allows visitors to watch news website, this exhibit will display “There’s no need to wait until then. scientists catalogue a 66 million-year- a Triceratops, as well as a number of We’re going to have a lot of great ways to old Tyrannosaurus rex. In addition, ‘The other fossils, and will focus on depicting participate and to have fun with fossils.”

Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a the days immediately before dinosaurs became extinct.

photo by ROSE PAGANO

By Rose Pagano When you visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, you might think to yourself “Did a meteor strike? Because all the dinosaurs are gone again.”

The museum closed their Fossil Hall on April 28. Employees will spend the next five years modernizing the exhibits to reflect discoveries made over the last 30 years. According to the museum’s website, the revamped wing will replace their Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton replica with a nearly complete fossil.

“Our goal is to bring a really great, really cool fossil hall out to the public,” Smithsonian employee Amy Bolton said. “The second part of it is that we are conserving the fossils that are on display.”

Smithsonian has not altered this part of the museum since the neon and cabbage patch doll days of the 80’s, but the world of paleontology has changed drastically since then. According to the Smithsonian News Desk, the aim of the renovation is to portray what scientists have recently discovered.

“The renovation will pick up on the new information that’s been coming in on scientific research,” Pyle science teacher Margy Hall said, who has been taking her sixth graders to the museum for years. “I wish we knew it all, but we don’t and we are continuing to learn, so the exhibit will be better.”

The new complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil is on loan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 50 years, and the museum’s website says it will be the

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Student designers exhibit original outfits in Fashion Show May 2

Junior Sara Schlesinger struts across the stage in the Aurora Borealisthemed fashion show May 2. The show was a full winter wonderland with pine trees and music from the Disney movie Frozen playing in the background.

The show included a variety of

looks from 16 different sophomore, junior, and senior designers. The 14 lines included a tie-dye theme by junior Chelsea Marcus, a Disney theme by junior Lex Payne, and a denim-inspired collection by senior Zoe Gavil.

For more, see theblackandwhite.net.

Mohican pool closed all summer for construction

by Ariel Plotnick This summer, Mohican Swimming Pool will trade swimmers for construction workers, ice cream trucks for cement trucks, diving boards for two-by-fours.

Mohican won’t be opening this summer—what should be a pool is currently a shallow hole in the ground.

Pool memberships will be transferred to East Gate Club in Potomac. The Mohican swim and dive team will hold their afternoon practices at East Gate and their morning practices at Avenel Swim and Dive Club in Potomac.

Mohican Swimming Pool, built in 1958, is undergoing an extensive renovation, upgrading to a new eightlane pool, bathhouse and an elevator.

The pool was expected to re-open in time for this summer, but a harsh winter caused serious setbacks for the contractor. Construction isn’t expected to be completed until October, so members can’t return to Mohican until next summer.

Alum Halie Kellett (‘13) planned to be a swim coach at Mohican this summer, but now she’ll have to trek to two different pools.

Kellett is disappointed to miss out on her eleventh and final summer as a Mohican swimmer, usually accompanied by a ceremony at the last home meet and celebratory jump into the deep end.

The swim and dive team will have

no home meets this year; instead, their meets will be at other pools in their division.

“As anyone who has been on a summer swim team can attest, the team is a huge part of your life for years,” she said, calling the situation “heartbreaking.”

At East Gate, Mohican coaches won’t be able to give private lessons, for which they earn over $20 an hour.

Junior Nick Panlibuton, who planned on working as a second-year lifeguard, was dismayed to hear that he wouldn’t be able to work at Mohican or East Gate.

“I lost a job, so that’s one less source of cash flow, which doesn’t feel too good,” he said.

The move to East Gate comes as an inconvenience to many members who are used to walking or biking to the neighborhood pool.

“For me the pool is a three-minute walk from my house, so it’s annoying that I don’t have a pool as nearby this summer,” said sophomore Julia Sienkiewicz, who worked at the snack bar last summer.

Board vice president Rick Hall recognizes members’ frustration.

“People are unhappy to lose the summer,” Hall said, though he noted the pool hadn’t been renovated since it was opened 50 years ago.

“Most members take the long view,” he said.

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Feature

12

may 22, 2014

The Cheesesteak Challenge

Upholding tradition, seniors drive to Philly for cheesesteak during school day by jesse cao The steak comes off the grill.

The student gets in his car. The cook piles thin slices of rib eye steak onto a crispy roll. The student speeds down the highway.

The cook tops off the sandwich with melted cheese. The student turns into downtown Philadelphia and screeches to a halt.

On April 21, seniors piled into cars and took part in an informal local tradition: the Philly Cheesesteak Challenge.

To complete the challenge, students must leave when the first bell rings, drive to Philadelphia, buy a cheesesteak and get back

to school by the final bell.

The history of the challenge is fairly unknown, since students tend to keep this unexcused excursion a secret from their parents and faculty. Six out of six counselors asked had never heard of it.

Principal Alan Goodwin has concerns about the safety of the challenge. “I’d prefer if students went up on a weekend so they didn’t miss school and so that they don’t speed,” he said.

The two main cheesesteak hubs are Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. Both claim to have invented the chees-

esteak and both boast that theirs is the best in Philly.

“The most memorable part was when we were on the road, music was playing, and we were all cracking jokes and having a good time.”

-Senior Abraar Ahmad Among the successful participants this year were seniors

Abraar Ahmad and Jelly Smoot, who were willing to share the play-by-play of their journey to and from the City of Brotherly Love.

Ahmad left school at 7:25 AM with seniors Matthew Eisenstein, Peter Rowan and Ryan Hannegan. After a break at a rest stop, the group arrived in Philly at about 10 AM, ate at Geno’s and bought a few cheesesteaks to bring home.

“The most memorable part was when we were on the road, music was playing, and we were all cracking jokes and having a good time,” Ahmad

by KELLEY CZAJKA

by MIKAELA FISHMAN

Adam Joel crowned Mr. Whitman

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

After two hours of jokes, music and cheesy pick-up lines, senior Adam Joel was crowned victorious at the annual Mr. Whitman pageant Friday May 16. Senior Max Vogel won Mr. Congeniality.

The annual pageant featured 10 senior boys who competed for the crown through an introductory dance, formal wear segment, talent portions, interviews and two elimination rounds.

To read more, visit theblackandwhite.net.

said. “We were looking at the clock and seeing what period we would be in.”

Smoot and seniors Hannah Giuffre, Karla Alvarado, Daniela Gomes, Arian Taginya, Olivia Taginya and Roxana Taginya completed the challenge with just five minutes to spare.

While tradition dictates that students leave from school, Smoot’s group left from Starbucks.

“It would’ve been a mess to get [to school] and then try to leave when everyone was coming in,” Smoot said.

Gomes said zooming down the highway instead of sitting in first period felt strange at first, but after a while, the feeling went away and it just began to feel like it was the weekend.

Smoot’s group ate at both Pat’s and Geno’s. After trying both cheesesteaks, Gomes concluded that she preferred Geno’s.

“Everyone [else] liked Pat’s more because they put a ton of cheese on it,” she said. “But the steak itself wasn’t that good.”

Overall, Gomes is glad she took on the challenge.

“You have to have the experience at least once in your senior career,” she said.

“I definitely recommend it, especially with a large group of friends because it’s so much fun,” Smoot said. “Definitely get a lot of music, just blast it, and have fun. Try to make the memories happen.”

may 22, 2014

13

Basketball coaches lead high SPORTS school all-star team in showcase Chris Lun and James Debuchananne coach DC-area athletes in Capital Classic showcase While it is Lun’s first time coaching the Capital Classic, it’s not his first experience with the game.

“I used to go to the games at Cole Field House when I was a kid,” said Lun. “The 1992 game was the first one I saw live, where Jason Kidd was the feature guard on the national team.”

In addition to Kidd, more than 30 would-be NBA All-Stars and nine future first overall draft picks have played in the game. This year presented an equal amount of talent; eight members of Lun’s all-star team have committed to Division I schools like Louisville, Miami and Maryland.

The game’s coaches have just as much to brag about. Lun himself was chosen for his outstanding accomplishments in Montgomery County.

“He definitely deserves it. He took a team that everyone overlooked coming in, and led it to a state championship,” said senior Ryan Hannegan. “We were Varsity boys basketball coach Chris Lun prepares his Capital Classic team for the showcase. Lun not the most talented team, but he made and JV coach James Debuchananne led the DC players in a strong fight against the U.S. All-Stars. us believe in ourselves and made us play and former New York Knicks star Ste- like guiding. We just wanted these guys as a team.” to have a fun time.” phon Marbury.

On the opposing sideline, U.S. AllDespite the loss, Lun is grateful for Although both coaches are highly Star coach Dwayne Morton is from Lin- qualified, neither had to work too hard the opportunity to coach the game. coln High School in New York City and during the game.

“Coaching the game was a humbling has coached the likes of current Indiana “There really isn’t much coaching in experience,” Lun said. “It is something Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson an all-star game,” Lun said. “It’s more that I’ll always remember.”

World Cup preview: favorites and sleepers

by Caleb Friedman This summer, Brazil will host its second World Cup. Brazilians live and breathe soccer, and their excitement will run throughout the country. Familiar contenders and hopeful newcomers make up a field of 32 teams that promises to dazzle.

First, let’s preview the favorites.

1.Brazil Being the host country means the pressure’s on. Brazil’s fans expect no less than a first-place finish, and “A Seleção” should have a chance to do it. Under the leadership of captain Thiago Silva, the 2013 Confederations Cup Champions will bring a team of tested veterans and talented youth.

All eyes will be on superstar winger Neymar, who impresses fans with creative footwork. Neymar is comparable to Seleção legend Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.

2.Spain Having won the last two European cups and the 2010 World Cup, Spain comes to Brazil on one of the most prolific runs in international soccer history.

Many think Spain’s dynasty is over after suffering a crushing defeat to Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. However, they carry one of the most experienced sides into Brazil, led by midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

3.Germany Germany has a chance to advance deep into the tournament.

They will bring impressive talent, led by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and right back Philip Lahm.

Although they have a hole to fill since striker Mario Gomez will not be playing due to injuries, gifted young attackers Mario Gotze and Marco Reus, as well as experienced center midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger should fill the gap.

Next, the sleepers--teams that

might not have big names, but have outside shots to make a run.

1.Bosnia-Herzegovina Having never played in a World Cup, this team could surprise viewers this June.

Attackers Manchester City striker Eden Dzeko and Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic will be vital to Bosnia’s chances to advance.

2.Belgium Despite losing striker Christian Benteke to injury, Belgium will still present an incredibly talented team.

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard and Everton phenom Romelu Lukaku will lead Belgium’s potent offense. The team will also rely on 22-year-old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who’s on a hot streak after helping lead Atletico Madrid to the Champions League Final and top two finish in La Liga.

3. The United States: When the World Cup draw was released, things didn’t look good for the red, white and blue.

They will compete with Germany, Portugal and Ghana in the “group of death.”

However, the U.S. has a solid chance of advancing. If they can somehow find a way to contain Cristiano Ronaldo, the Americans have a good shot to beat Portugal.

Plus, they’ve come up just short against Ghana in the past.

Forward Clint Dempsey and goalkeeper Tim Howard bring valuable experience to a team that has been able to grind out tough games in the past, and will look to do the same in Brazil.

Their defense, however, is the weakest part of the team and must improve for the Americans to succeed. The U.S. also could get a lift from recently declared U.S. citizen Aron Johannsson, who could replace Jozy Altidore as the lead striker in Brazil after scoring 20 goals in the Dutch League Eredivisie.

photo courtsey of CHRIS LUN

ARYA HODJAT Before LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan made it big, they all passed through the Capital Classic, a showcase of the best high school basketball stars from the DC area and the nation. This year’s game, played on April 26, featured another familiar face: varsity boys’ basketball coach Christopher Lun. Created in 1973, the Capital Classic is the longest-running high school basketball all-star game in the U.S. Lun, who led Whitman in its unexpected run to the state finals, was this year’s head coach of the Capital All-Stars team. He chose junior varsity coach James Debuchananne as his assistant.

Lun and his team made up of DC-area players competed against the favored U.S. All-Stars. Despite holding the lead for the majority of the game, Lun’s team lost, 139-134. Riverdale Baptist’s Chinanu Onukanu led Lun’s team in scoring with 21 points, while Springbrook’s Andrew Robinson added five three-pointers.

“When you put a collection of the best talent out there, you are going to see scoring go through the roof,” Debuchananne said. “Guys are out there to put on a show, and the score reflected that.”

may 22, 2014

Sports

14

Jumping events provide unique opportunities on track and field team

by anna marcus When most people think of track and field, the first thing that comes to mind is running. While sprints, relays and hurdles are the commonly-known track events, there is a lesser known component of the sport: field events. This year, there has been more interest than ever in jumping and throwing events at Whitman. According to track and field coach Stephen Hays, the number of jumpers this year on the team surpassed previous years, reaching 10-12 boys and 15-20 girls.

The three jumping events available at Whitman are the high jump, long jump and the triple jump.

Jumpers have to get more creative

with training as there is no explicit plan or coach for them at practice.

“I’ve worked with a trainer outside of school for high and triple jump since sophomore year,” senior Julia Squeri said. Squeri saw her trainer twice a week during the season and worked on technique with him.

Senior Rachel Oh, who has been participating in both long and triple jump since her sophomore year, said some jumpers join sprinters in their running and weight room workouts and add technical days to specifically refine jumping technique.

Jumpers see positive aspects to their smaller presence in the track world.

“Field events are definitely the less

popular part of track, so it’s naturally easier to stand out,” Squeri said. “Jumps, especially the triple, are really unique and fun-there’s no other athletic event quite like them.”

This year, freshman Sarah Bruegmann has been a key competitor in high jump for the track and field team.

In the high jump, athletes are given three opportunities per round to clear a horizontal metal bar. Participants who do not knock the bar off the frame move on to the next round, when the bar is raised.

Bruegmann has been participating in high jump since sixth grade.

“In my P.E. class in 6th grade, I won the class competition by jumping over a

bar at four feet, and after that the track coach at my school recruited me for the team,” Bruegmann said.

Bruegmann currently does not have a jumping coach, and prefers not to prepare for high jump during practice to avoid leg injuries that commonly arise from jumping off the same leg repeatedly, Bruegmann said.

Currently, Bruegmann’s record for the high jump is five feet. She showcased her skill for the event at the county championship meet, where she placed third.

Bruegmann’s talent for high jump piqued her interest in sprinting, and she now runs the 100 and 200 meter sprints, placing seventeenth in the 100 at the 4A West Regional Championship.

Sarah Bruegmann gives step-by-step instructions on how to complete a 4-’10” high jump Step 2

Step 3

Starting from the center of the bar, Bruegmann takes ten bounding steps to reach her starting mark.

From the mark, Bruegmann runs back towards the bar and mat in a J-form.

When she nears the bar, she plants her left foot and throws her arms up in the air. She propels herself using her arms and lets the momentum carry her. With her back facing the bar, she falls over it onto the mat.

photos by NABA KHAN

Step 1

by Caleb Friedman Matt Arrington (‘06) is right back where he started, on the soccer fields of Bethesda.

While he may not be winning all-state awards playing with the Vikes anymore, he’s trying to develop players who can.

Arrington, a former Whitman and Bethesda Soccer Club standout, has returned to Bethesda after a few short stints playing professionally in Italy. In 2012, he started a soccer academy, called Arrington Training & Development, and it already consists of over 150 players. He knew he wouldn’t be able to start his brand alone, so he called his former high school teammate Dennis Schardt to help him run ATD. They both joined the high school coaching ranks for the first time this year, taking over the boys JV team.

Arrington’s academy is divided into age groups with specific goals. The focus for players ages 12 and younger is on individual skills and introductory passing methods.

For ages 13 and older, players focus more on intricate passing methods and teamwork, with a final goal of maximizing individual talent and team success, according to Arrington’s website.

“We’re looking to instill a different philosophy of soccer in our area,” Arrington said.

“We want to develop players at

a young age even if they aren’t the best athletes.”

Arrington said he is currently coaching 10 MSI Classic teams from ages 10 to 16, in order to accumulate money to prepare for the next step— starting a European-style academy where players would train everyday.

“Eventually we want to make a deal with a private school,” he said. “Somewhere where we could use classrooms for a few hours after school to tutor the kids and keep their grades up, and hit the training ground after.”

Arrington said his gradual method of skill improvement is different from many of the area’s clubs, which focus on winning games from an early age, instead of player development.

“I started because I didn’t want to work at any of the clubs in the area,” Arrington said. “I wanted to do something unique, different.”

Arrington’s academy also differs from local clubs because it costs less than Bethesda or Potomac’s teams, he said. Arrington and Schardt plan to make scholarships available to any player who cannot afford to play on their team, Schardt said.

In addition to including more players, Arrington and Schardt’s primary focus is giving their players the necessary tools to succeed, JV soccer play-

photo courtsey MATT ARRINGTON

Alum starts developmental soccer academy

Matt Arrington (‘06) works with a group of soccer players enrolled in Arrington Training & Development, a training academy he started with former teammate Dennis Schardt. Arrington also coaches the JV boys soccer team along with Schardt.

er Evan Goldsholle said.

“They care about all the players, no matter what ability,” Goldsholle said. “He understands what it takes to improve on the technical aspects of the game.”

Arrington recently travelled to Italy and England, visiting clubs Fiorentina and

Manchester City to try to market his brand. Arrington has also built a strong friendship with the director of Ghana’s Right to Dream Academy, one of the best youth soccer academies in the world, he said.

Arrington said he wants to eventually form strong enough partnerships with foreign clubs

so that they come to run clinics and camps for his players in the U.S. Ultimately, developing players on and off the field is the main goal for ATD according to Schardt.

“We want to use soccer to build better people,” he said.

may 22, 2014

TEAM UPDATES Co-ed Volleyball

The coed volleyball team enjoyed their most successful season in nearly a decade, finishing with a record of 10-3 overall, before their season came to an end with a heartbreaking 3-1 loss in the second round of the regional playoffs to Damascus “We exceeded our expectations in the regular season, but we didn’t play as well as we could’ve in the playoffs,” said senior Jake Zeisel.

The team was undermanned at the start of the season; it was not until right before the season started until key players such as seniors Nabil Ibrahim and Riley Shaver joined the team. Along with Ibrahim and Shaver, senior Adam Joel led the team with his outstanding performance.

The team now looks to enter a rebuilding year, as the majority of the team’s roster is composed of seniors. Under the guidance of Coach Geoff Schaefer, however, the team is bound to serve up another great season next spring.

Boys Tennis

The boys tennis team had its strongest season in six years, with an undefeated record of 10-0.

The Vikes were regular season and tournament county champions.

Third singles player Jack Welch, fourth singles player Lucas Schoch, and first doubles team Tyler Jacobson and David Bloch won all of their individual matches during the regular season.

The Vikes squeezed by the four-year defending county champions, the Wootton Patriots, 4-3, defeating them for the first time in five years.

The Vikes continued their domination with their unexpected 7-0 win over theChurchill Bulldogs.

Looking ahead to next year, the boys expect to keep up their stellar performance.

“A lot of seniors are leaving, but I think the underclassmen will step it up next year,” first doubles player David Bloch said.

15

sports

21 students recruited for college athletics

By Josh Feder College sports are the definition of commitment. Collegiate athletes train hard year round to improve their skills as much as possible, while simultaneously juggling school work. It’s not a task for the faint of heart. But this didn’t stop 22 Whitman athletes from pursuing their athletic aspirations at a higher level.

Girls soccer and baseball topped the list of most recruits for a sport, with four and five players respectively.

Football coach Jim Kuhn said that the recruiting process starts for most Whitman students when an athlete expresses a desire to play in college. They assemble highlight tapes to send to college coaches and, if coaches express interest, they come to meet the player.

Ideally, coaches will watch the athlete in person, looking for talented players who will fill their team’s needs, Kuhn said.

The recruiting process differs depending on the sport. Some sports recruiting process, like basketball, focus on college showcase tournaments or camps, while others look more closely at performance in private club teams or tournaments among private teams.

Tennis scouts focus on results from individual performances at

outside tournaments instead of play with high school teams.

“Your high school results don’t really matter,” tennis Coach Jasen Gohn said.

Senior Rebecca Ford is playing basketball at Amherst College next year and said that showcase tournaments were key to getting her recruited.

“I was able to play pretty well under pressure and it worked out with Amherst,” Ford said. Two other Whitman athletes, swimmer John Janezich and baseball player Max Steinhorn, will be playing at Amherst next year.

Senior Anna Gurney attributes some of her success to the experience she gained playing at Whitman. Gurney is playing soccer at Emory next year.

“The Whitman team always challenged and pushed me to become a better player,” Gurney said.

Her club experience on the prestigious Bethesda Freedom team also attracted the attendance of college scouts, she said.

Similarly to tennis, in soccer, recruits are judged more for their performance on club teams than on high school play.

“Getting recruited for soccer is a lot more club based than it is high school based,” sophomore Kate Morrison said. “The current se-

niors were on very competitive club teams where almost every person wanted to play in college.”

Morrison also plays varsity soccer and is considering playing soccer at the collegiate level after she graduates, she said.

Getting recruited to play one sport in college is difficult, but trying to do two is even harder. Senior Max Sessions who was on the football, wrestling, and baseball teams at Whitman is up for the challenge.

He will play football and baseball at Allegheny College next year, he said.

“Being a three sport athlete in high school, I chose to play as many sports as I could in college,” Sessions said. “After playing all three sports for 15 years, I couldn’t imagine playing just one sport.”

Playing two sports means that Sessions will have a lot on his hands.

“It’s a full time job,” Kuhn said.

Sessions recognizes the challenge, but says his coaches are understanding.

“I tried to make sure both coaches were supportive of me being a two sport athlete so there wouldn’t be any conflicts,” he said. “It helps that my head football coach at Allegheny was a two sport athlete there when he was a student too.”

Girls Softball

The softball team had a rebuilding season, with three sophomores and four freshman joining.

They finished 4-13, with wins against Gaithersburg, Northwood, B-CC, and Watkins Mill. The Vikings lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Churchill Bulldogs, 9-2.

Stellar defense from shortstop Jenny Williams, catcher Olivia Weals and centerfielder Leah Gordon and a number of highlight plays carried the team game in and game out.

“We didn’t win as many games as we would have liked to, and I think I’m not alone in saying our record doesn’t accurately reflect our talent, but we did see some great, promising things this season,” catcher Olivia Weals said. “I am very optimistic about next year, and look forward to seeing how the team has improved through the summer.”

Track and Field

This spring, the track and field team finished their year with an impressive outdoor season.

Stalwarts, like juniors Clare Severe and Evan Woods, continued to dominate their events. At the county championships, Severe won the 800 meters, while Woods finished fourth in the 800 and second in the 1600.

Overall, the boys finished ninth at counties while the girls finished eleventh.

“From the beginning, I expected the team to do really well,” captain Malachi Stoll said. “There were some individuals on a team that did better than I expected.”

The team put in a lot of effort this year that paid off this spring, Stoll said.

“Whenever you have teammates that work as hard as some of the people on the Whitman track team it’s not a surprise,” he said.

Gymnastics

Led by freshman Alex Kim and junior Lila Hobby, the gymnastics team had its best season in years, finishing second at the county championships.

“We won four meets out of five and got second by two tenths of a point at the County A meet, which is a big improvement from last year,” Hobby said.

During the county meet, Kim finished first on the floor routine, third on vault and fifth in the all around competition. Hobby and freshman Annie Burton also had impressive performances.

Hobby attributes the team’s success to adjustments made this season.

“I think that Alex made a lot of improvements on floor and Michelle Sandler made a lot of improvements on bars compared to last year.”

by MIKAELA FISHMAN

Big Train: fixture of the local baseball scene

by Benjamin Katz The crack of the bat sounds through the stadium, as the crowd cheers for a home run. It’s not Nationals Park in D.C. or Camden Yards in Baltimore, but Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, the home field of Bethesda Big Train.

Big Train is a local collegiate summer baseball team, consisting of Division 1 college players from around the country. It’s part of a larger charitable organization that raises money to fix local baseball and softball fields. The team’s regular season starts June 6, and this season will mark the sixteenth anniversary of Shirley Povich Field, named after the legendary Washington Post sportswriter.

“Big Train Baseball is an organization I will always support,” sophomore Jonathan Abramson

said, who volunteered at Big Train games for ten years. “It gets baseball to kids in areas that need it. Throughout my time there, all of the people were great, and it’s always a fun time when going to baseball games.”

“BCC Baseball is a great organization that allows kids to come together and have a good time.”

-sophomore Jared Shapiro In 2012, the Bethesda Community Baseball Club, owner of Bethesda Big Train, merged with longtime partner and local youth organization, BCC Baseball, to become one non-profit union called Big Train Baseball.

“BCC has [been] a

big help with solving the cash flow problems of a two-month operation,” said Denise Gorham, executive director of BCC Baseball. “Our administrative help has freed up Big Train’s GM’s to focus on sponsorships and promotions, and together we have made many positive improvements in the operation and management of the team.”

Gorham said Big Train was facing a decrease in fans and financial security, so BCC Baseball helped by adding 3,000 families to the Big Train family. BCC is a popular league throughout Montgomery County that offers baseball for kindergarteners through college.

“BCC Baseball is a great organization that allows kids to come together and have a good time,” said sophomore Jared Shapiro, who played in

the league for eight years.

“It is a great organization for the community because of all the opportunities it offers to children in the area, which would not be accessible anywhere else.”

Big Train joined the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in 2005, and has won three championships since then. This season, manager Sal Colangelo hopes the team will make a strong push in the playoffs, predicting a top six place in the division.

“We’re going to go out and try to get the best players, the best coaches, and we’re going to have the best organization to put a product out there for the community,” Colangelo said. “We want to win, but at the same time, we want it to be a good time for the fans at [Shirley Povich Field].”

16

SPORTS

may 22, 2014

Playoff runs cap off stellar spring for baseball, girls lacrosse Baseball propelled in playoffs by late season hitting, reaches regional finals

Attacker Josie Schwartz cradles the ball against Severna Park in the state semi-finals.

Photo by SHELLEY DANE

photo courtsey ANTHONY GRAY

photos courtesy ADAM PRILL

By Caleb Kushner After a tough start to the season, with losses to both Sherwood and B-CC, the baseball team had to regroup and improve if they wanted to accomplish their preseason goals. For the rest of the season, they decided that they would rally, put away games, and beat the teams that they should be beating.

As a result, they finished the regular season on a 9-1 run and reached the regional finals during the playoffs.

Despite falling to the Gaithersburg Trojans in a hard fought 5-4 regional final game, the Vikes had a successful season to be proud of.

According to coach Joe Cassidy, it was the team’s hitting that really turned the season around.

“Early in the year we were scoring Ben Castagnetti catches a ball at regional finals against Gaithersburg. about three or four runs a game,” Cassi- First baseman Max Sessions hits against Blair in sectional finals. The Vikes won the sectional finals games 6-5 , propelling them forward.

The boys went on to lose 5-4, ending their playoff run. dy said. “But in our three playoff games runs or fewer. Leftfielder Andrew Cashwe’ve now scored 28 runs and that’s just hamstring, the offense had a spark for timing for the playoffs. mere attributes these wins to making the playoffs.

“Our lineup terrifies opposing pitcha great improvement.”

Early in the season, when the hit- ers from top to bottom,” Vogel said. plays and hitting when it matters.

It’s clear that the Vikes’ bats have “We’ve come up big at the most imgotten hot at the right time. They scored ting was sub-par, the Vikes had to rely “Our six pitchers have all had impressive 11 runs in their first two playoff games on consistent pitching to carry the team. years—working together to keep other portant points of the season,” Cashmere said. against the WJ Wildcats and the B-CC Then, when the hitting picked up, the teams guessing.”

As the Vikes’ season came to a close, Cassidy credits a lot of the team’s Barons and then six against the top seed- pitching didn’t drop the ball.

Starter Sam Berson, who boasts an success this year to senior leadership on Vogel thinks that it was be the team’s ed Blair Blazers. mentality that got them as far as they did.

With a .491 average and a team high impressive 1.39 ERA in 35.2 innings and off the field.

“Whitman baseball is the definition pitched, led the pitching staff.

The team “Each senior has done a great job of 28 hits, catcher Max Vogel has been the Vikes’ best hitter. Close behind him also has several promising young arms welcoming younger guys and being of a team—we’ll give it our all to make is leadoff man Ben Castagnetti, who has in relievers Max Palermo, Sean Cook and unselfish, they’ve all done a wonderful big plays for the group,” he said. “We have more fun than anything, and that’s a solid .450 average and a team high of Dylan Hurd who have been eating up in- job,” he said. nings to secure wins.

The Vikes have been clutch in close what keeps us mentally prepared.”

21 RBIs. According to Vogel, the team looked games, a crucial trait for a deep playoff With the return of starting centerfielder Drew Aherne from a nagging as strong as it ever has, and with perfect run, and have won seven games by two

The girls lacrosse team celebrates after a 16-7 win in the regional finals game against Wootton.

Girls lacrosse team capitalizes on senior leadership, makes state semi-final run

By Sam Berson Just one year removed from their first winning season in three years, the 13-2 girls lacrosse team found themselves in the state semifinals after running through the 4A tournament as the region’s top seed.

The girls have relied on their speed and stick skills to control the pace of the game to wear down opponents. A strong group of seniors has also allowed the Vikes to command the defensive side and create opportunities for the offense.

“Our defense has been re-

ally strong this year because we are anchored by five seniors and we are really loud and communicative and our goalies have also been doing a great job directing the defense,” defender Annabelle Scully said.

Second year coaches Katie and Lindsay Bitonti have also helped turn the team around but give a lot of credit to the seniors for the team’s success as well.

“The older players are really helping the younger ones develop and build their confidence both on and off the field

and it shows in tough games that everyone trusts each other and is working towards the same goal,” Katie said.

One of the toughest games of the season came against powerhouse Churchill Apr. 28 when the Vikes pull out a close 15-11 win.

“We played really well as a team that game and came out with a lot of intensity and heart,” attacker Josie Schwartz said. “After that game I realized we could go the distance this season and we definitely have.”

The scoring was led by

midfielder Maddie Parker who leads the team with 48 and has helped hold down the offensive side of the ball.

Attackers Ali Dane and Josie Schwartz has also been key on offense, with Dane scoring 30 goals and leading the team with 17 assists, while Schwartz has 22 goals and 13 assists.

Since entering the playoffs as a one seed, the Vikings have stepped up their game, coming from two goals down with less than four minutes left to win 1211 over RM in the first round, and shutting down WJ and

Wootton to take the regional title.

“I think its been an allaround team effort and when it came to the postseason the team really knew how to dig deep and push each other to do the best that they could,” Lindsay said.

The Vikes unfortunately fell 17-2 to Severna Park in the state semifinals, ending their season 13-3.