Vol. 51 » Issue 7

volume 51, Issue 7 may 3, 2013

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

Whitman, MCPS dominate national rankings by anya goodman

that are going on here that aren’t reflected in those kinds of data.”

MCPS spokesperson Dana Tofig said that the county is pleased with the ratings.

“We always appreciate the recognition, because it speaks to the outstanding work our staff and students do every day,” he said.

Whitman didn’t earn flying colors in the annual Washington Post rankings last month, with a ranking of 136.

Like Goodwin, Tofig agreed rankings don’t say everything about a school’s effectiveness.

“Rankings are limited by the data they use,” Tofig said. “Test scores and formulas do not give a complete picture of what a school is doing to serve and support students and prepare them for the future.”

Despite the score-based statistics, Goodwin is pleased with the outcome of this year’s list.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized for being a good school,” he said.

Whitman ranked 59th in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best High School List of 2013, placing 2nd in both Maryland and MCPS. Seven of the best ranked high schools in the nation are from MCPS: Churchill (52), Whitman (59), Poolesville (99), Wootton (105), Richard Montgomery (106), BCC (128) and Blair (247) all won gold medals. Wheaton ranked 1,032, earning a silver medal.

The rankings are determined using data from standardized test scores and opportunities for AP courses. At Whitman, 89 percent of Whitman students take AP exams, 97 percent are proficient in Algebra and 96 percent are proficient in English. But there’s much more to Whitman than standardized scores, principal Alan Goodwin said.

“A school is so much more than a test and so much more than just academics,” he said. “There are so many intrinsically rewarding things

Low enrollment leads to class cancellations photo by ABIGAIL CUTLER

S Freshman Preston Scherr admires artwork by Studio Art students at the 50th Festival of the Arts. The two-day showcase featured work from 700 students in ceramics, studio art, photography, and commercial art as well as musical performances and a fashion show.

Alum recounts adventures during gap year abroad

by Nathaniel Sherman

The ten-year-old Muay Thai fighters circled each other. One grabbed his opponent by the neck and pulled his competitor’s face straight down into his knee. As Whitman alum Zac Kramer (‘12’) watched from afar, the young fighter raised his head, revealing a bloody mouth missing several teeth. Despite the strikingly brutal nature of this Southeast Asian form of kickboxing, Kramer stepped into the Muay Thai ring days later, for the sake of cultural immersion. He survived unscathed.

Kramer was one of 11 recent Whitman graduates to take a gap year, according to the Black & White’s 2011-2012 College Destinations page. Kramer left his home in Bethesda to begin his gap year Aug. 28. Although his parents purchased him a plane ticket to Australia as a graduation present, Kramer was

financially independent during his year abroad, using money from his summer job bussing tables to cover his expenses.

“Budgeting money is really easy if you’re cool with staying in big dorm rooms at hostels and eating a lot of tuna fish,” Kramer said.

Kramer started his year abroad backpacking and diving in Australia and New Zealand. Before he landed in Australia, Kramer had already organized to stay in a hostel. From that point on, he made his plans on the run.

“Hostels are really easy to find,” Kramer said. “And of course, there’s couchsurfing.”

After a couple weeks in Australia, Kramer reconnected with a few former camp counselors of his. When he was younger, he’d joke with his counselors that he’d come visit them in Australia.

After approaching them about the idea continued on page

3 NEWS

New bill to limit turf fields

6 OPINION

by Annie Ludewig

senior Catherine Dye said. “Even though it’s mostly about art it includes some aspects of science, math and world history.”

The course includes museum trips and uses an uncommon teaching structure. Instead of a typical lecture format, students teach each other and discuss topics through various visual presentations and interactive activities.

“Ultimately, the class is about all of humanity,” Diamond said. “It covers art from prehistoric times of cave paintings to twenty-first century commercial art.”

Not desiring to take AP level Spanish, many students have elected to drop the language rather than taking Spanish 6. As a result, the class will not be offered for a third consecutive year.

“I wish that students would take Spanish 6 rather than dropping the language altogether,” Spanish teacher Pamela Garcia said. “It would be an informal, conversational class that would let students be exposed to Spanish for another year without taking an AP class.”

Courses offered depend on popularity. Some of the little-known classes may be at risk because of future enrollment results.

“It would be a bummer if kids don’t get the opportunity to take cool classes like art history because they don’t know about them,” senior Catherine Dye said. “I hope that students sign up for the interesting classes… especially art history!”

everal courses won’t be offered to Whitman students next year due to low enrollment numbers from students’ spring registrations.

AP art history, creative writing, Chinese 1, and French 7 will all be cancelled.

MCPS mandates that classes be cancelled if less than 20 students sign up, assistant principal Brandi Heckert said. In many cases, news of the class cancellations came as a surprise to teachers.

Next year, cancelled classes will be available on spring registration and may return depending on whether more students sign up.

However, if the classes show little popularity for multiple consecutive years, they may not be available for sign-up in the future, Heckert said.

No staff will be lost as a result of the terminated classes.

Cancelling a class is a tough and complicated decision, Heckert said.

However, as a result of the limited availability of staff, materials and space, they are sometimes unavoidable. Sometimes, course continuation comes down to the single digits—AP art history’s enrollment was just five students short of the requirement.

Whitman is one of only four other high schools in the county that provides Advanced Placement Art History. Since it provides historical context for other art classes, art history is a valuable and widely applicable course, teacher Jean Diamond said.

“The class is really relevant,”

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May 3, 2013

NEws

News Briefs

Mornini retiring after 24 years at Whitman

When Bethesda Row Cinema reopens May 3, it will have undergone a significant upgrade.

Landmark Cinemas decided to close and renovate the theater Mar. 29 in an attempt to attract a bigger audience, said spokeswoman Stephanie Kagan.

The redesign includes amenities such as an additional bar, reserved seating, new seats and a 3D screen.

The theater is currently on track to reopen as new films are released, but Kagan acknowledged that it’s not a guarantee. Ticket and concession prices will remain the same, despite the cost of the renovations.

“Bethesda Row Cinema first opened in 2002, so it was time to freshen it up and jump on the opportunity to exceed the high standards of filmgoers,” she said. “It’s designed to be more luxurious and more enjoyable.”

State approves marijuana research

Research institutions may soon be able to recruit patients to study the effects of medical marijuana and treat diseases due to a bill recently passed by the House of Delegates and the State Senate.

The bill, which passed in the House of Delegates 108 to 28 Mar. 25 and the Senate 42-4 April 8, is stricter than other medical marijuana programs.

Dispensaries are still illegal and universities will only distribute the drugs to a select few test subjects, depending on the researchers’ plans.

People involved in the research, they are protected from arrest if using marijuana. O’Malley said will likely sign the bill, although it is unclear when.

The policy will safeguard the rights of self-medicating marijuana users, said Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Morgan Fox. “We are talking about very vulnerable members of society and none of them deserve to be treated like criminals,” he said. “If we can protect even a few of them it’s a step in the right direction.”

Universities will now be able to conduct more research on marijuana, Fox added. New findings should help lawmakers and physicians better understand the health benefits of medical marijuana and inform future policy decisions, he said.

State Senator E.J. Pipkin didn’t support the bill.

“Every year, we seem to nibble away at the state’s marijuana laws,” Pipkin said. “If the citizens of Maryland want decriminalization, let’s put together a comprehensive reform bill and have the voters decide on it.”

by Daniel Lowet

He’ll miss working in the same building as his wife, Nancy, and working with his staff and students, he said.

In his time at Whitman, Mornini has touched the lives of many students.

Perhaps one of the students who Mornini has impacted most is 2005 graduate Robert Roman. To Roman, Mornini is a trusted confidante.

“I believe he saved my life,” Roman said. “I came here and it was a culture shock to me. I was lost as a kid and I didn’t want to be here, and he just stuck by my side throughout my mistakes. I look at him as a father figure and a mentor.”

Principal Alan Goodwin said that one of Mornini’s strengths is “getting down on a personal level with kids and finding out what makes them tick.”

Goodwin has found someone to fill Mornini’s job next year, but said that somebody with Mornini’s experience is nearly impossible to replace immediately.

“We will miss Mr. Mornini, but our country needs a lot of help with our returning wounded veterans,” Goodwin said. “We look forward to hearing the news of what he accomplishes in that area.”

Long-time special education resource teacher Joseph Mornini will be retiring at the end of the school year after 40 years of working in schools, 24 of which he has spent at Whitman.

Mornini has been working two full-time jobs since summer 2004 when he founded Team River Runner, a national organization that offers kayaking and paddle sports for wounded warriors and their families.

“As it’s gotten bigger, it’s become very important that I spend time doing one job correctly rather than two jobs poorly,” Mornini said.

“It comes down to that—I have two full time jobs so I’m really just down-sizing.”

Mornini will now be able to devote more time during the work day for Team River Runner, allowing him to spend more time traveling to its 50 chapters around the country and do more networking with other large organizations that work with wounded veterans.

While retiring from teaching does provide Mornini with the chance to expand his role with Team River Runner, he isn’t excited about retiring.

photo by ABIGAIL CUTLER

Bethesda Row Cinema Will focus on his non-profit kayaking program for wounded veterans opens with redesign

After 24 years at Whitman, Mornini will be stepping down to devote more time to Team River Runner. The organization, which he started in 2004, has 50 chapters around the country

State legislature considering later school start times

by Rebecca Meron

State lawmakers may become the latest participants in Montgomery County’s contentious debate over later school start times. The Maryland House of Delegates is considering a bill that would establish a statewide task force to study a later start time for Maryland public schools. The bill has 20 sponsors from across the state.

The bill would establish a committee consisting of state education officials, health professionals, a doctor specializing in sleep disorders, a parent and a student.

The group would review the science of adolescent sleep needs, study other school systems’ decisions to begin school later and make recommendations by the end of the year.

Mandi Mader, an MCPS parent who leads the Montgomery County branch of the national coalition Start School Later, testified in support of the bill Mar. 15. Representatives from Poolseville, Anne Arudel County and Howard County also testified.

“We’re just asking for a task force to study the problem on a larger scale than just county by county,” Mader said.

“It’s very hard for superintendents and school districts to do this one by one. We thought that taking this to a statewide discussion was a good next step. We know that if creative, smart people put their heads together and think outside the box, they can come up with a solution.”

While the present bill does not include statewide action other than the creation of a task force, the task force could recommend that the state prohibit schools from starting before a specific time, Mader said.

Principal Alan Goodwin does not favor statewide action on the issue. Counties should be free to make their own decisions about school start times, he said.

“Every county has its own unique situations,” he said.

“For instance, some places are rural and others are more crowded, like ours. If the state came out with a mandate, that would be counter-productive.”

A statewide task force would have to consider the pros and cons of earlier start times. Early school start times impact health and safety because many students drive to school drowsy, Mader said. On the other hand, changing starting times would require changes in bussing logistics and may create inconveniences for parents who would have to rearrange schedules, she said.

Starting school later has other disadvantages as well. Ending later takes time away from sports, jobs and internships, assistant principal Kathy McHale said. Also, opening later doesn’t completely translate into extra sleep time because later start times coincide with peak rushhour traffic times, forcing kids to leave more time to get to school, she said.

Superintendent Joshua Starr has already directed an MCPS work group to study the issue and make a recommendation by the end of the school year. Goodwin and Mader are members of the group.

“We’re studying the research and getting input,” Mader said. “We want to hear from all the stakeholders. We’re making progress and working well together.”

Student troupe to perform musical at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

By Emily Harburg

Whitman students aren’t just crossing boundaries in their upcoming drama production — they’re crossing an ocean.

A group of students, called Opiuchus Rising, will perform the musical “Spring Awakening” at the August Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Over 30 students and three adult chaperones will participate in the festival. The group will perform stateside before they leave, with local performances July 26 and 27.

Opiuchus Rising, named for a constellation, is participating in the Fringe Festival as an independent preprofessional company not affiliated with Whitman. This means that critics and audiences will treat them as the real deal, stage manager Daniel Levine said.

“Spring Awakening,” a Tony Awardwinning musical adapted from German playwright Frank Wedekind’s 1981 play of the same name, is a raw and controversial tale following teens’ tumultuous journey through adolescence. It follows the lives of Wendla Bergmann, played by junior Julia Medine, and Melchior Gabor, played by junior Ryan Savage, as they and their peers stumble through their youth.

Gerken says that although any show he produces with Whitman students reflects on the school, he hasn’t received any serious backlash to his choice despite some of the more risqué subject matter.

“After eight years at Whitman, I think Dr. Goodwin and the parents trust that I know where the line of appropriateness is, and that I would never do anything to embarrass or shame this community regardless of what production I’m doing anywhere,” he said.

The story explores mature themes of sexuality, self-discovery and depression. Because most of the characters are in their teens, the show presents a rare opportunity for high school actors to play roles their own age and address contemporary teenage issues, said cast member Katherine Paterson. Paterson plays Marta, a character sexually abused by her father.

Gerken said that the show is usually cast with college aged or older performers, which detracts from the honesty of the production.

“It takes away the vulnerability and the innocence of the time period, so the fact that we’re doing it with the right age group is pretty powerful,” he said.

The Fringe Festival — a three-weeklong showcase of artistic innovation that features over 18,000 performances — has hosted shows from Whitman twice before: “Songs For a New World” in 2008 and “The Laramie Project” in 2011. Paterson, who has never attended before, said she is eagerly anticipating the trip.

“It’s kind of nerve-wracking to know that you’ll be performing surrounded by professionals and adults who do

this for a living,” Paterson said. “But at the same time it’s really exciting and exhilarating because it’s such a great opportunity.”

The Fringe Festival accepts as many performances as can find a venue in Edinburgh. To rent a time slot, directors must apply to the venue with an extensive personal resume and a creative vision for the production, Gerken said. “Spring Awakening” will be peforming at The Sanctuary at Paradise Green, the same theater that held “The Laramie Project.”

“The artistic success of Laramie Project, my resume and the show choice got us accepted immediately,” Gerken said. “On top of that, we moved from the 10 p.m. time slot that we used to have to the 8 p.m. prime time slot.”

The cast is comprised of 14 students, mostly from Whitman, and two adults, including Gerken who will both direct and play all of the adult male roles, while producer Sara Wright takes on the adult female roles. The cast is joined by a tech crew and pit orchestra. This is the first time Gerken will be appearing onstage along with his students.

“I have to be able to practice what I preach. Everything that I say you have to do in order to be a good performer; I have to show that I can do it. Basically I have to bring it,” he said.

The rehearsal process is limited throughout the spring, but will pick up in June. The cast will take two weeks off in the beginning of July

before digging in to prepare for their two local performances. The group departs for Scotland’s capital city on Aug. 1. The troupe will spend their first week performing at the festival, before spending a week touring the rest of Scotland.

The trip and show will cost about $130,000 (including plane tickets and accommodation costs). While students pay for their own personal travel expenses, which account for a significant portion of the total cost, an online donations page allows those in the Whitman community and beyond to help offset production costs including the venue, productions rights, costumes, and set. Donors can contribute to the company’s fundraising goal of $10,000 through Indiegogo, a website for personal fundraising campaigns. The company plans to donate ticket sales to a teenage crisis organization.

Gerken said that the show presents universal themes that deserve recognition.

“The piece makes you think about things that are still relevant. It’s all about actions and consequences, and realizing what can happen due to stress, or experimentation, and the conflict between adults and society versus teenage hormonal changes, and that’s going to be around forever,” he said. “Bringing it to the forefront starts a discussion.”

May 3, 2013

News

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Bill raises concerns over turf fields

by Rebecca Meron

Artificial turf fields have come to the attention of state lawmakers amid rising concerns over their health effects and environmental consequences.

The Maryland General Assembly is considering a bill that would disallow the use of certain types of public funds to finance the construction of such fields.

Four of the bill’s eight sponsors are from Montgomery County.

Delegate Aruna Miller, a Montgomery County cosponsor, believes it’s important to slow down the pace at which artificial fields replace natural grass fields in Maryland because artificial turf fields are not subject to health or safety standards.

“The science is far from settled,” she said. “There is enough information to demonstrate that artificial turf may pose a threat to our health and safety, but there are no federal regulations on plastic turf.”

The Environmental Matters Committee has

What the County says:

not yet voted on whether to advance the bill for consideration by the full House of Delegates. With this year’s legislative session now over, Delegate Jeffrey Waldstreicher of Montgomery County plans to refile the bill when the legislature reconvenes in January 2014.

Additionally, some legislators want to pass a law that would require warning signs at turf fields. Miller introduced a separate bill in February that would have required signs urging athletes to wash hands after playing on the field, turn clothes inside out to avoid tracking dust, keep beverages closed and beware of heat-related illnesses because of the fields’ exceptionally high temperatures on warm, sunny days.

However, the bill failed to advance in the House, she said.

Artificial turf vendors such as FieldTurf opposed the proposed signage legislation. The legislation would unfairly label its product as dangerous, said Darren Gill, FieldTurf global marketing vice president.

“To fully understand the specific risks with materials installed in Montgomery County, objective testing of the materials used to compile the surfaces being proposed would be required. DHHS is not equipped with the necessary specialized expertise to conduct an environmental and safety assessment.”

--Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services

What the industry says: “Synthetic turf is safe and the science is there to prove it. There is no legitimate scientific or medical evidence that synthetic turf poses a human health or environmental risk.”

--FieldTurf website

What the athletes say:

“Without a doubt, the field turf is much better than grass. It drains well, so after a big rainstorm all you need is about a half hour and the field is playable. You don’t have to worry about mud or divets that could turn into potential injury risks for kids.”

What parents say:

“Parents of athletes are getting swept up in this mindset that in order for your athlete child to succeed, you have to have artificial turf.”

--Richard Montgomery athletic director Anthony Pykosh “You definitely feel the heat. Your feet end up getting blisters. It’s a painful process.”

--junior Jorge Richardson “Whitman’s field is well-maintained and does not have the uneven surfaces that lead to injury on grass. I would rather players experience the feel of natural grass, complete with grass and dirt stains.”

--assistant varsity football coach John Floyd

--Carol Van Dam Falk, West Montgomery County Citizens Association

risks of artificial turf

information courtesy MONTGOMERY COUNTY STUDY

- Surface can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit on hot days and is more likely to cause injuries and skin abrasions.

- Blood and other bodily fluids are not absorbed and can remain to cause infections to open wounds.

- Turf repels water and sends polluted runoff into waterways.

- Materials used to make turf contain carcinogens. information courtesy MARYLAND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

by Raquel Weinberg Behind every flag in social studies teacher Michael Curran’s classroom, is a story. An avid traveler, Curran is looking to add to his collection after taking a leave of absence to travel around the world for ten months with his wife, Sarah.

The Currans plan to start their travels in Oceania, visiting Australia and New Zealand, then journey to Nepal, India and Turkey. From there, they will decide whether or not to spend time in Europe, and if not, fly straight to Africa. Then they’ll explore South America and end in Brazil for the World Cup, he said.

“The nice thing about a trip like this is that you have a bit of flexibility depending on how times goes and where we’re at,” Curran said.

In 2008, the couple spent five weeks in Southeast Asia visiting Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. This coming trip, they’re skipping that region and traveling to Nepal, the country Curran is most excited to visit.

“I think half the trip is going to be volunteering and researching opportunities, and then the other half will be a lot of hiking and outdoor activities,” he said. “I’ve done some mountaineering myself and the Himalayas and Everest are in Nepal, so just to go trekking through that mountain range will be pretty cool.”

Curran “caught the travel bug” in his freshman year of college, when he went on his first service trip, he said.

Curran has since organized multiple trips to orphanages in Tanzania with Whitman students, where he taught

English, grammar and simple math at two orphanages. He is planning an additional trip this coming summer, before he and his wife leave in September.

The new experiences junior Josie Schwartz had in Tanzania with Curran helped build her as a person, she said.

“We’d go along and he’d be like ‘well I don’t know what’s going to happen, let’s just go with it,’” she said. “We got lost a couple of times in the middle of nowhere and it was getting dark. Having all those experiences and memories is awesome.”

Curran is more concerned about his safety than exposure to illnesses like malaria, he said.

“I’ve got a lot of third world experience,” he said. “I’ve been on all the malaria drugs. I have all of my shots. The big thing is limiting your exposure to risk. As a traveler, particularly in a lot of places, you can obviously stick out as not from here.”

There is no need for a long-term substitute for Curran’s position due to staffing reductions. His leave of absence is saving another teacher from an involuntary transfer, principal Alan Goodwin said.

Curran is blessed with a once-in-alifetime chance, Goodwin said.

“The world has become more global in business relationships and political relationships and so the more we have an understanding and appreciation of other cultures and countries, the better for everybody,” he said.

Before they were married, social studies teacher Mike Curran and his wife Sarah traveled to Southeast Asia in 2008, and rode on the backs of Elephants in Thailand. During his ten-month sabbatical, the couple will tour the world.

photo courtesy MICHAEL CURRAN

Curran to take leave of absence to travel world with wife

may 3, 2013

opinion

Goodwin speaks with students on stress, solutions

Letter to the editor photos by ABIGAIL CUTLER

Two Black & White writers emailed with principal Alan Goodwin to discuss Whitman’s sometimes overwhleming academically intense environment and brainstorm possible ways to ease the pressure on students.

Sarah Barr Engel: To what extent do you see stress and pressure in Whitman students?

Goodwin: I always tell parents of incoming students that there are two problems that concern me at Whitman...stress and underage drinking...stress is often caused because there are many multi-talented students at Whitman who commit themselves to too many activities and rigorous courses... some students can handle a lot... others struggle...there is also a lot of peer pressure to take courses that may be too hard for a student but he/she takes it to be with friends or to compete with friends......and of course some courses require a lot of work and that adds to a students’ stress...this is an important topic with many aspects.

Sarah: I agree that stress is a big issue at Whitman. Many students (both in the school and outside the school) characterize Whitman students as overachievers, really smart, multitalented etc... A lot of the pressure put on students is because they feel they need to fit the “standard”.

A big issue that stems from that is that when students do take hard classes, study a lot to get good grades in them, and get involved in extracurriculars so that they fit this stereotype of whitman students, they are simply lumping themselves in with everybody else, so that their accomplishments still don’t stand out. It seems like it would be better for students to focus on what makes them different, instead of trying to focus on aspects where they are all the same.

Goodwin: Indeed as much as possible they should pursue what they have a passion for…to help students, I always tell parents that it is a lot harder to get into colleges now than

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when the parents were accepted so parents should not have unrealistic expectations for their children….I also encourage students to start a club or get involved in something they like outside the classroom here at school or elsewhere…

Nick Meyer: As a Whitman student I definitely feel as though there are plenty of clubs students can join. Whitman’s allure cannot be attributed solely to academics. For example, we have nationally ranked clubs such as Debate and Model UN as well as excellent sport teams. But I can’t help but notice that sometimes classes can seem rigid and curriculum-based.

What are some ways that Whitman teachers can tweak their course plans to provide a more hands on educational experience?

Goodwin: We are struggling with that issue.

How do we get kids to learn and have fun more often? Some subjects lend themselves to variety more easily,

such as English. Unfortunately there is a prescribed curriculum to get through, but next year I want to emphasize more creativity. We could use ideas from students!

Sarah: I definitely agree that thinking outside of strict guidelines would alleviate stress. Projects are usually less stressful than tests, because there is no pressure to have the exact same project. In math, after AP tests, we do a creative project incorporating math concepts we learned throughout the year. Earlier we also created our own cans after calculating the proportions that would minimize the can’s surface area. There are probably many ways, in all subjects, to be graded on content without tests and still get through curriculum.

Goodwin: This year we had teachers observe each other to glean more teaching ideas and will do the same next year.

Yes, tests , at least the usual tests, are not the only way to assess learning!

To the editor: “Spread the word to end the word”—the campaign to end use of the “r” word. Why? Because the word is offensive, hurtful and rude. Using other words like the “n” word are prohibited for the same reason. Now tell me, why should another word that is hurtful, offensive and rude be acceptable to say to one another?

I am a victim of being called a terrorist, and I’m not the only one. Society has shaped the word “terrorist” like a ball of clay, and it has given it a race, a religion, a color and even a language. The word terrorist has become a part of our daily vocabulary. You hear it everywhere: the news, the radio, and even at school. The word has become a derogatory term.

A large population of our school is from the Middle East, and yet, we try to hide that because we know once the secret is out, you’ll be seen differently. We see people changing their names on Facebook, going by nicknames at school, putting on mountains of make-up in the hopes of hiding who they are. People don’t realize that this word has made students feel embarrassed and ashamed.

I don’t blame students for such language. I blame the news, the media, but mostly, I blame society.

Society has manipulated us to believe that if you’re Muslim, or Middle Eastern, it means you are a terrorist and the religion of Islam is a religion of hate. So many people hide their religion, but I’m part of the few who embrace it. I am a Muslim, and I’m not ashamed because I know my religion is unaffected by misguided judgments.

You might be asking yourself what the real definition of a terrorist is:

noun 1.a person who terrorizes or frightens others.

So I leave you with my favorite quote from Martin Luther King Jr.; “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

-Raana Norooz

class of 2016

Volume 51, Issue 7 2012-2013 The Black & White is published10 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 wwhsblackandwhite2012@gmail.com.

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MAy 3, 2013

opinion

Common sense solutions: Drama classes, teacher evaluations and ending the cheating epidemic

College Board monopoly harms lower-income students for sake of profit margins

by Allegra Caldera

by Jacob Cutler

For anyone writing hundred dollar checks to the College Board for two, three or more AP exams, annual dollar price hikes just add insult to injury.

Every year it seems the list of random fees gets longer and the price of AP exams creeps up, from $84 to $87 to $89 over the last five years. At a time when collegebound students are already forced to pay for SATs, ACTs, subject tests and college applications, the College Board needs to make the tests more accessible to all, or justify the high price of their AP exams.

The non-profit College Board, which has a monopoly on the AP program and SAT tests, administered over 3.5 million AP exams last year at a price of $87 per test, according to the College Board. This year the price rose to $89, $81 of which goes to the College Board and $8 goes to the school administering the test.

Since the College Board is nonprofit, it’s natural to think that they aren’t making a profit on AP tests. But this isn’t necessarily true. A non-profit can still make profit—and the College Board does—as long as the money is reinvested back into the company or used for expenses. The College Board has come under fire recently from Americans for Educational Testing Reform, an advocacy group that gave the organization a D for not conforming to nonprofit standards, excessively compensating high-level executives (the CEO makes over $800,000 a year), and pulling in larger profits (8.6 percent) than even for-profit companies, according to AETR. The price of an AP exam comes from the costs of developing, scoring, shipping, proctoring and auditing tests, said College Board

media representative Deborah Davis. But given the College Board’s profit margins, it seems unlikely that those costs add up to $89 per exam.

In reality, there wouldn’t be a major issue if not for the sequester, which ended Federal subsidies for AP tests that, when coupled with fee waivers, made the cost of a test for low-income students virtually nothing, counselor Fran Landau said. Now, low-income students who need a fee waiver can’t just take the test for free; they’re still on the hook for $53 dollars per exam in many states, according to the College Board website. Three or four exams at a reduced price still adds up to hundreds of dollars, cash that’s hard to come by in an economy in which median household income fell 1.5 percent in the past year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Admittedly, college credits can cost hundreds of dollars more than an AP test, so earning AP credit often can save money.

But that assumes that the college

accepts AP credits for credit and not just for placing out of classes, which isn’t always the case.

This year, for example, Dartmouth College made headlines when it became one of the first in the nation to not accept AP credits. The decision came after a test of incoming Dartmouth psychology students revealed that 90 percent of those who had received a 5 on their AP exam could not pass the Psychology 1 final exam, the New York Times reported. When students can’t credit, they can’t graduate early and earn a financial benefit from their AP exams.

Perhaps it truly does cost the College Board $304.5 million (3.5 million tests multiplied by $87) to develop, proctor, and score tests.

But the organization should be completely transparent and show that they aren’t just padding their profit margin at the expense of high-achieving students. If not, the College Board will lose its credibility with the students and parents funding its ever-growing monopoly.

It’s time to reconsider the daily schedule

by Max Steinhorn

For many Whitman students, having the same eight periods every day came as a welcome variation after three years of block scheduling at Pyle. But the 45-minute class schedule that over 20 MCPS high schools follow may not be serving high school students well.

Whitman’s current schedule is built on an outdated “factory model” of education that was created to ready young people for a life in the industrial economy, Joel Rose, co-founder of New Classrooms Innovation Partners, wrote in an article for the Atlantic Monthly. This schedule stresses repetition and class-long lectures, not the creativity necessary in a high school classroom.

It’s time to modernize and make the switch to a block schedule, which would allow high school students to engage in more in-depth instruction and teachers to have more flexibility with their lesson plans. A block schedule would also better prepare high school students for the lesson styles in college.

A typical block schedule has four 90-minute classes and a 45-minute lunch, alternating every day between even and odd periods. Math, English, science and art teachers at Whitman say that this schedule would allow them far more creativity in the

5

classroom. A 90-minute period will allow teachers to create their own, personalized lesson plan and focus on analysis rather than busy work, English teacher Mathew Bruneel said.

In English classes, the block schedule would allow for teachers to “blend multiple areas of English,” such as grammar and reading comprehension, into one period, Bruneel said. In the sciences, a block schedule would allow for more inquiry-based labs and discussions, physics teacher Daniel Chen said.

In Whitman’s eight-period schedule, students see the same teacher in the same 45-minute period every day. But this does not adequately prepare students for college, where classes are spaced out, students see teachers at different times of the week, and classes are longer, allowing for more creativity and interaction.

Since college classes usually meet only onceor twice a week, students learn how to space out their time and plan their coursework. Scott Talan, a Public Communication professor at American University, has noticed that many college freshmen don’t know how to structure their studying in classes that meet far less frequently than those they encountered in high school.

High school block schedules would help students with the

organization skills necessary in college, Talan said.

While it may offer teachers more flexibility, changing the schedule this dramatically might be hard for some teachers, especially those who are set in their ways, said social studies teacher Andrew Sonnabend.

An alternative might be Kennedy High School’s hybrid system, with a regular school week of three days of 45-minute classes, one day of odd period block classes and one day of even period block classes.

For teachers accustomed to the current schedule, this hybrid schedule wouldn’t be a stressor— after all, most days are like what Whitman has now, but once or twice a week teachers can create their own, more creative lesson plan.

Such a schedule would introduce them to the type of learning and schedule they will face at college, and the longer classes will give them an opportunity at least once a week to explore their subjects more in depth.

Block schedules don’t just help ready students for college.

They allow students to become engaged in more extensive and active learning in the classes they enjoy in high school—which, after all, is exactly what education should do.

I’ve spent almost four years at Whitman, and value the community as well as the education I’ve received here. No school is perfect, and Whitman has its share of formidable problems. But there are a few issues I think we might actually be able to solve. So, before I leave, here are some constructive suggestions from a departing senior.

Isn’t it a little crazy that Whitman won Bethesda Magazine’s award for best public school drama program when – oh wait – we don’t have a drama class? As an actor and director who’s mostly worked in an outside of school setting, I’d have appreciated the option to take a drama class, something available in almost all other area high schools. Especially for a school this big, to neglect a basic area of arts education is pretty shocking.

Whitman Drama’s impressive productions only have roles for a few students – for example, the recent Brighton Beach Memoirs cast was composed of __ students (and MoCo is blocking the Whitman Drama website, so I can’t get the exact number – speaking of, those restrictions are absurd). Anyways, it was under 10. That’s a great opportunity for those few students.

Students should be asked to evaluate their teachers with carefully designed surveys. No one knows the strength of a classroom and its teacher like students, right?

In 2010, a Gates Foundation study revealed that class answers to survey questions like “students in this class treat the teacher with respect” and “our class stays busy and doesn’t waste time” have a strong correlation with student learning. They’re also a much more consistent measurement of teacher performance than standardized tests.

Specific questions on a Whitman teacher survey could illuminate to teachers what is valued or could be improved in the classroom – is effective Promethean board usage a concern, for example? Right now, students – the people with the most information about teacher performance – aren’t well used as a resource in understanding and improving it.

Current end-of-year surveys are short and the questions vague. Instead, these surveys should pose pointed statements about everyday classroom experiences that students are well equipped to answer.

Take a few minutes to listen to what students have to say, and it’ll make us feel we have a voice in school as well as provide valuable feedback.

If we’re actually serious about addressing cheating at Whitman (and I’m not talking about homework “collaboration,” but serious infractions, on essays and tests), there needs to be a cultural shift. Instead of addressing cheating as an established fact and constantly increasing test security, teachers and administrators should take steps to establish the kind of academic atmosphere where honor is important – something that’s been successful in many colleges.

To start, we could do something as simple as create an honor code outlining student responsibility and expectations of personal integrity. Obviously, part of the problem at Whitman is an obsessive focus on grades.

But in addition to that, no one speaks out against cheating because there’s no reason for them to – no expectation that speaking out is their duty. And if teachers continue to treat cheating as a war – students versus the system – the battles will continue.

The other option is to create rules that punish those who are silent bystanders to cheating. As awful as the idea sounds (and Dr. Goodwin agrees with you – when I interviewed him on the subject a few months ago, he said he doesn’t like “narcs”) – hear me out. I used to attend a school with a particularly strict honor code: it said the person whose test had been cheated off of was liable as much as the person who cheated.

As students, we despised the policy and thought it was unfair – which it was – but the secret of it was that it never had to be enforced. No one wanted to be “that guy” who got a totally innocent classmate in trouble.

The forces of peer pressure that currently push students to accept and witness cheating in silence – no one wants to be “that guy” who turns in a peer – were harnessed to do the opposite: no one wants to be “that guy” who gets his classmates zeros.

Make stricter test rules, and someone will build a longer ladder. Unless their implementation is extreme, more barriers to cheating won’t change that much. But changing the culture, with a tool like an honor code, might actually make a difference.

opinion

6

may 3, 2013

AP PHOTO/MICHAEL DWIRE

AP PHOTO/CHARLES KRUPA

Alums in Mass. universities reflect on Boston bombings

Medical workers aid injured runners and spectators at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion on April 15. The Boston bombings drew the immediate community closer together as police searched for suspects.

by Ben Zimmermann

Last week’s bombings at the Boston Marathon and subsequent manhunt for the suspects shocked the country and renewed America’s post-9/11 fear of terrorism. But the tragedy also highlighted the city’s perseverance and strong sense of community. Boston Police and the FBI locked down the city Friday during the search for the perpetrators, uniting citizens with a common cause to find the attackers. Adidas sold out “Boston Strong” t-shirts in just one day, and the Boston Red Sox won Saturday in a riveting comeback win, breathing life back into Beantown. Black & White alums Stephanie Franklin, a freshman at Harvard, and Stephanie Haven, a sophomore at Tufts, wrote reflections on last week’s attack and the pain it brought to Boston.

Fear can’t paralyze Boston. That’s why a bloodstained driveway drew David Henneberry to his backyard, not away. It’s why first responders ran towards the blasts, and runners towards the hospitals to donate blood. And it’s why I sped from my library cubicle towards the T, heading downtown to report once I received the news alert Monday afternoon.

Echoes of hand grenades in Watertown, Mass., were scary from my Somerville, Mass., house Thursday night. Siren shrills were heartbreaking all week. And Friday night’s citywide celebrations once the manhunt was over were encouraging.

But nothing about this week was okay. More than 200 people, as well as their family and friends, have been forever affected by the malicious hatred of two people. Sure, I had to stay in my house for almost 24 hours. That’s nothing by contrast to the slain MIT officer who had so much more to give the community. Nothing compared to the victims who must learn how to walk with prosthetic legs.

It’s something we shouldn’t forget — I won’t.

So proud to be a Boston-area college student, I appreciate the resilience and strength of this city.

I’m not waiting for the news alert next year. I’ll be at the finish line from the start of the Marathon, celebrating the Boston tradition that conquers all terror.

-Stephanie Haven (’11) A little before 1 a.m. on Thursday night, I sat with five friends crammed against the window of a fourth floor room, watching down on the street as dozens of police cars raced by at top speed with sirens blaring.

For the next three hours, we listened anxiously to the Cambridge police scanner, repeatedly checked Facebook and every news outlet we could think of and tried to figure out what was going on or if it was safe to go outside.

This past week was equal parts scary, sad, and bizarre.

When news broke on Monday of the bombing, most people knew someone who had been at the marathon that day.

Several people at Harvard also knew Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the suspect who sent the entire city into lockdown, as he had gone to high school two blocks from Harvard’s campus (my friend’s coworker worked as a lifeguard with him this past summer, and said he had seemed like a great guy).

It was scary that we got a lot of our information via word of mouth, and on Thursday night we heard reports of gunfire right outside Harvard dorms. We know we were at least very close to the fighting that night, as Harvard’s campus is located in between MIT, where the initial gunfire occurred,

County bill won’t go far enough to protect tree canopy from developers

by Sarah Barr Engel

The County Council’s environment committee is close to finalizing a bill that would force developers and homeowners to pay fines based on the area of tree canopy they destroy during development. Revenue from these fees would go to the Tree Canopy Conservation Fund to plant new trees in public spaces.

Though the current bill wouldn’t restore much of Montgomery County’s dwindling tree canopy, it’s a critical step towards more environmentally conscious urban development.

Eleven of Montgomery County’s 17 urban areas don’t meet the minimum 25 percent tree canopy to be considered healthy, said Katherine Nelson, the planning coordinator of the county’s Parks and Planning Commission. A healthy tree canopy improves water and wildlife habitat quality, raises property values and lowers energy use, city temperatures and air pollution.

Although the regulations are needed, the Tree Canopy Conservation Bill would only

apply in instances in which the land disturbance requires a sediment control permit—if over 5,000 square feet are disturbed, a new building is built or over 100 square yards of soil are moved.

The fees will range from $0.25 to $1.35 per square foot of canopy lost, with a maximum fine of $1000, according to the bill.

The bill would target construction projects and teardowns, but not additions or landscaping work, says Todd Bolton, the Takoma Park Arborist, who manages tree regulations.

Many homeowners and developers are likely to go ahead and cut down trees for development and regard the fees as another cost of doing business, he says. The fine is relatively small compared to the total development cost – around 5% at most, according to Washington Post real estate estimates.

The bill is intended to increase awareness of how the tree canopy benefits the community, said Laura Miller, the forest conservation coordinator of the Montgomery County Department

of Environmental Protection.

However, the current legislation will not affect enough people to achieve this goal. The County Council should expand the bill to affect projects under 5,000 square acres and the fine itself should be increased to make people and businesses think more seriously about cutting down trees. Unless the fees are raised, they won’t do enough to discourage cutting down trees.

Takoma Park has strict tree canopy regulations – when people cut down any tree larger than 7.5 inches in diameter, they must pay a fine or plant a new tree – and they have been successful in protecting the tree canopy, Bolton said. The county’s policies should more closely resemble Takoma Park’s to impact the tree canopy.

The county is taking a responsible step in using legislation to help maintain the environment, but it needs more stringent, environmentally conscious standards to create an impact on the tree canopy and reinforce the importance of the environment over development.

A fan holds a “Boston Strong” sign after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 in a baseball game in Boston, April 20. Playing at home for the first time since two explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line killed three people and wounded more than 180 others, the Red Sox honored the victims and the survivors with a pre-game ceremony and an emotional video of scenes from Monday’s race. and Watertown, where police eventually caught both suspects. It was also surreal being on lockdown the next day and looking outside to see an abnormally deserted Harvard Square.

But this week also made me realize the strength and importance of the communities I have both from home and from school.

So many friends and family called or texted to make sure I was okay.

Student organizations sent out emails making sure all their members were safe.

Students living in three dorms far from the main campus created a Google Doc where people could list couches and futons that were available for students stranded near those dorms for the night. The next morning, a friend brought back breakfast for any of us who didn’t want to walk to the dining hall during the lockdown.

The willingness of everyone in our community to look out for one another mirrors the amazing dedication of the first responders and police officers this week. Although I hope they don’t need to again, it’s nice to know what people will do to keep us safe.

-Stephanie Franklin (’12)

Feature

may 3, 2013

Give me your tired, your poor, your stray cats yearning for new homes, says junior Peter Rowan F

7

As a volunteer for the Montgomery County Humane Society’s animal foster program, junior Peter Rowan takes in homeless cats and cares for them before they can be adopted. Rowan cares for multiple cats at a time and supplies them with toys, paid for out of his own pocket. they get startled and they will cut me,” he said. “If you look at my arm, nine times out of ten I’ve got two or three scratches.”

Rowan also cites excessive meowing as another annoyance, but is quick to

emphasize that his love for animals and the foster kittens trumps these minor frustrations.

“We have two cats, two dogs, lizards, fish,” Rowan said. “I just love to have animals.”

photos courtesy PETER ROWAN

by Jacob Cutler

or junior Peter Rowan, living in an animal-packed house is the cat’s meow. With as many as five kittens, two dogs, a lizard, and a goldfish or two in his house at a time, Rowan takes petloving to a new level.

Rowan participates in the Montgomery County Humane Society’s animal foster program, which gives homeless animals to families to care for for a few months until they can be adopted. He typically hosts one to five kittens in his home at a time, and has earned over 1,100 SSL hours from the humane society for caring for the cats.

“We’re delighted that Peter has been able to help out at adoption events,” B. J. Altschul of the Humane Society said.

A self-described animal lover, Rowan turned to fostering kittens for adoption after the death of his own cat. He’s since turned a love for pets into a major hobby.

“I suggested to my mom, ‘instead of getting another kitten why don’t we just foster, get them out of the shelters,’” Rowan said. “I like it because they get the kittens out of these little boxes and into a home, and probably into a forever home.”

In the meantime, the kittens certainly live the good life in the Rowan household.

Rowan regularly pays out of his own pocket to buy toys for his foster kittens, including a 6-foot “cat mansion.”

“Meow,” one of Rowan’s foster kittens said of his spacious home.

Rowan spends, on average, an hour a day playing with the cats. The kittens also have Rowan’s permanent pets as animal playmates, including a threeyear old puppy. Eventually, the kittens are adopted at cat adoption shows that Rowan travels to from time to time.

But even Rowan concedes that some things about the foster kittens can get on his nerves.

“They have sharp claws. Sometimes

FEAture

8

May 3, 2013

photo courtesy SARAH FRIEDMAN

Real Mans Guide: Senioritis

by Billy Lee Sorry guys... I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get around to writing my article.

From left, Simone Augustine (9), Caitlin Sullivan (10), Saveena Suri (10), Sarah Friedman (10), Eliza Clifford (10), Meredith Barber (10), Emery Dahl (10), Christian Vaughan (10), and Leah Greenstein (10) perform with the musical volunteer group Spread the Song.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spread the Songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: students perform at soup kitchens, hospitals, nursing homes

photo by ABIGAIL CUTLER

by Rebecca Meron

The senior citizen at Victory Housing in Rockville ignored the constraints of his aging frame. He leaped from his seat to bob to the infectiously rousing beat of junior Rebecca Weissâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s violin mix of bluegrass, country and Irish folk music.

He was one of the many seniors who enjoyed the music of Spread the Song, a club that brings music to community groups. The club consists of about 25 musicians who perform at nursing homes, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitals and soup kitchens.

The group puts together multi-act shows featuring small group performances and soloists.

Sophomore Sarah Friedman, who plays guitar and sings, started the club.

Flying home from Phoenix last summer break, she realized how easily a little country-pop music could snap her out of a bad mood. She began thinking about the power of music and what it could do for others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was like, wow, if music can change my mood that quickly, I wonder what it could do for people whose lives are much harder than mine,â&#x20AC;? she said.

As soon as Friedman returned to school, she started turning her idea for the club into a reality. She recruited her English teacher, Nick Confino, who once worked as an assistant road manager, booking agent and consultant in the music industry, to sponsor the club. After the two held a brainstorming meeting on the third day of school, Spread the Song started adding members. Confino emcees some performances, introducing club members and acts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a unique club because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaching out to people who you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t normally think of bringing music to,â&#x20AC;? Confino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With a nursing home, our natural inclination is to go and spend some time or have a conversation. If weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to a homeless shelter, you usually bring food. We thought of bringing the medium

of music, because music usually lifts everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirits.â&#x20AC;?

Spread the Song, has performed about 10 times since December and tailors shows to its different audiences so that no two performances are the same. For example, the group will play patriotic songs for veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; groups, kid-friendly songs for childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitals and hits from the 30s and 40s for nursing homes.

Sophomore Christian Vaughanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite experience with the club occurred at a homeless shelter where he played rock songs like Oasisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wonderwallâ&#x20AC;? while people at the shelter ate lunch.

When Vaughan finished, one man came up to him and asked if Vaughan could learn â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stairway to Heavenâ&#x20AC;? and play it when the group was scheduled to return two weeks later. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His face was lit up when he came to me,â&#x20AC;? Vaughan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It made me feel good because I felt like they were really enjoying it.â&#x20AC;?

Club members appreciate the opportunity Spread the Song provides to develop their musical and performing skills. Getting out and performing, rather than just practicing, has helped group members gain confidence, Vaughan said.

The club is already planning improvements for next year, hoping to build on its successful first year, Confino said.

It has proven its ability to change peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; moods. After a performance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somewhere Over the Rainbowâ&#x20AC;? at Spring House, a nursing home in Bethesda, one woman told Friedman how the song brought back happy memories of her departed husband. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just stood there and cried like a baby,â&#x20AC;? Friedman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought it was really special. That was the kind of reaction I was hoping for when I started the club.â&#x20AC;?

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may 3, 2013

feature

Students confront predatory towing in downtown Bethesda

Popular app exposes the dangers of “catfishing”

by Annie Ludewig

BY Della Turque

Junior Camille Barnes’ heart was beating fast as she surveyed the nearly empty Smoothie King parking lot on Wisconsin Ave. for her car.

Was it stolen? After a panicked five minutes, Barnes learned from a Smoothie King employee that her car had been towed.

This isn’t an uncommon experience for people who park in the Connor Building parking lot, better known as the Smoothie King lot. The towing is due to a practice called spotting, which is when tow trucks stake out a parking lot and wait for people to park their cars and leave the Smoothie King area, which is illegal.

According to Smoothie King manager Ofer Dagan, G&G Rockville Towing Company has spotters across the street at Woodmont Corner Garage who watch for unsuspecting people who park their car there and leave the lot. The parking lot is a hub for spotting, with five-to-ten people get towed on a busy day, Dagan said.

This year, the Maryland General Assembly expanded towing regulations to include legislation limiting towing fees to between $150$440 and requiring that owners be informed of towing with flyers. The new regulations also banned spotters and predatory towing.

Predatory towing is similar to spotting in that it involves towing trucks out to get people leaving

9

parking lots. However, with predatory towing, the business that owns the lot is complicit.

The new law against predatory towers and spotters is almost impossible to enforce, said Eric Friedman, head of consumer protection in Montgomery County.

“Towing trucks will lurk around the block and watch the parking lot from their car and wait for unsuspecting people to leave the lot,” said Friedman. “They can’t get in trouble for being a spotter because they can just say they happened to be around.”

Friedman argues towing companies shouldn’t be judged so harshly for towing the cars of those who have parked carelessly. Many businesses in Bethesda are required to have signs that warn drivers of the risks of leaving your car unattended in a lot. Bethesda Smoothie King has the largest warning sign in the county at an impressive eight-feet wide.

“We just want to let everyone know we don’t support towing—we’re completely against it,” Dagan said as he pointed to a hand-written sign taped to the side of the building. “We don’t control the policy on towing here. It’s the developers who control that—I’ve even been towed! I had to pay $170 dollars to get my car back, and I own this Smoothie King.”

G&G Rockville Towing Company

is the company assigned by the developers of the Connor Building to tow parking offenders in the Smoothie King parking lot. Dagan described the reputation G&G Rockville Towing Company has in the area as being ruthless.

“They are mean, mean people,” Dagan said. “They have no mercy.”

Many view the practices of spotting and predatory towing as especially unfair because it’s difficult to distinguish drivers who park illegally from those who patronize businesses on the lot. Barnes had actually purchased a smoothie before heading across the street to buy a Starbucks drink for a friend, returning to have her car gone.

Like Barnes, seniors Adriana Frayne and Maggie Sullivan have both had experiences in which they returned from activities elsewhere in Bethesda to find their cars towed.

One issue is that drivers are often unaware of parking regulations. That, Friedman said, doesn’t matter-anyone can be towed. Strip malls are private property and so they have the right to tow cars if their owners leave the property for more than sixty seconds.

“At one time, I would call Smoothie King the towing capital of Bethesda,” Friedman said. “Things have died down there, but I would still exercise caution.”

In the cafeteria and in the gym, in classrooms and in the parking lot, phones are buzzing with the hot, new iPhone app. It appears that Tinder is catching fire.

Tinder is a dating app originally designed for collegeage students and older, but it has become the latest buzz with local high school students. It has a basic “hot or not” premise, in which users like or dislike the profile photo of another user. If two users like each other’s photo, they can communicate further. Since its creation in October 2012, the app has made over 20 million matches and is downloaded over 20,000 times a day.

“It’s fun seeing what kind of matches I’ll get, even if I’m not serious about the turnout,” junior Edward Smith said.

What might seem like a harmless way to chat with local singles can be the perfect opportunity for “catfish” scams.

The term catfish, which refers to when people create false identities to pursue online romance, drew national attention after the 2010 documentary “Catfish” captured the story of a young man looking for love through Facebook.

Last November, Nev Schulman, one of the “Catfish” stars, teamed up with MTV to produce a reality TV show with the same name that investigates the truths and lies of online dating. Schulman hosts the show with professional filmmaker Max Joseph. Although Joseph was familiar with catfishing before getting involved with the show, he has learned a lot from the show’s real-life scenarios.

“Meeting people through Facebook or Tinder is very dicey and can be dangerous,” Joseph said. “There are proper dating websites on the Internet that are much safer to use, where it’s harder to lie about your identity and who you are.”

Joseph has also discovered some positive aspects of online dating. For example, meeting online allows people to anonymously confess details that they might not have the courage to share in person.

“People can bare more of their souls because the person they’re talking to is far away from their social circle,” Joseph said. “It’s easier to be yourself in some ways without being self-conscious about how you come across physically.”

There are certain precautions people should take if they’re looking for real romance through technology. Joseph suggests that people Google online matches or videochat them before meeting them in person. Catfish victims are usually people who don’t take these precautions.

Although some people use applications like Tinder to meet other people, most high school users use Tinder for entertainment. Almost all Tinder-ers have a handful of funny stories to share.

“Tinder is crazy,” junior Aliza Wolfe said. “I’ve gotten some really creepy chats from people that are way older than me.”

10

may 3, 2013

In-De

DOWNLOAD 90% COMPLETE

Illega

by Sarah Barr Engel and Raquel Wei ber

“I’ve got 1000-2000 songs total on my comput If it’s a major artist, I generally don’t pay for assuming that I can download it illegally,” o student explains. “Some files you can’t, but if i a minor artist I always pay for it.”

However, most students don’t take the sam ethical considerations.

Over 60 percent of Whitman students say th download content from the internet without payi for it, according to a recent Black & White stude survey of 180 students grades 9-12. Of tho students, 79 percent download music, 40 perce download movies and 15 percent download T shows.

“I literally never watch shows on TV anymore one student said. “All I do is watch them on m computer on illegal sites with no commercials.”

Downloading media online without paying legally considered stealing, but most studen find the intellectual property and copyright la that govern such piracy easy to ignore. Wh many students feel entitled to the copies, mark researchers found less than 37 percent of mus acquired in the U.S. was paid for, and in the pa decade, music sales in the U.S. have dropped percent, according to the Recording Indust Association of America.

Illegal downloading is a common crim committed by Whitman students. Unfortunate it’s also one that few adequately understand. A there consequences for pirating? And if illeg downloading is a crime, how are TV shows, movi and music so readily available online?

11

may 3, 2013

epth

Should there be consequences for illegal downloading?

What do people download illegally?

How many people at Whitman download content from the internet illegally?

information by SARAH BAR ENGEL AND RAQUEL WIENBERG

How often do people download content illegally?

al downloading’s prevalence poses problems

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Enforcement Penalties for pirating are inconsistent. While downloading is against the law, it’s much easier for the government or copyright owners to target the host site itself rather than track down individual downloaders, said Ken Doroshow, a D.C. lawyer who formerly represented the RIAA. Streaming, a favorite of students that allows viewers to watch or listen to media straight from websites such as Sidereel or Projectfreetv, is increasingly popular because internet connections have become so much faster.

While many students don’t think streaming is illegal, it just violates a different part of copyright law, argues Marc Zwillinger, founder of ZwillGen, a firm specializing in internet privacy and security law.

“The copyright holder has rights: the right to distribute, the right to copy, and the right to publicly perform. So, streaming may not be a copy, it may not be a distribution, but it may be a public performance,” Zwillinger said.

Enforcement is also difficult, because many websites are not hosted in the U.S. “It gets very complicated because you have a patchwork of domestic laws, and you are trying to apply that patchwork to a global network of computers,” Doroshow said. “Piracy is without borders, whereas the law is still bordered.”

Copyright infringement is typically enforced through U.S. federal courts when the government or a copyright owner brings action against an individual user, host website or program.

Consequences include being forced to stop the illegal downloading or paying a settlement to the copyright owner. Criminal liability is reserved for more serious violations, and is punishable by jail time or a fine.

Possible solutions While legal enforcement is not consistent, neither are students. Over half the students surveyed thought that there should be consequences for illegally downloading media. Recently implemented policies and new proposals to stop pirating go beyond the law itself to be more effective.

Internet service providers such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T collaborated with the recording and film industries to form the Center for Copyright Information, to educate internet users about copyright infringement and direct users to legal ways to enjoy the arts without hurting artists’ revenue. To achieve this, they have recently launched the Copyright Alert System.

If people are repeatedly using their ISP service to purchase stolen material, they will receive a warning letter from their ISP, according to the CCI website. For repeat offenders, the ISP will slow down a user’s connection or require them to take an online course on respecting copyrighted material.

The CAS is not a method of bringing legal action against internet pirates, but should deter pirates from repeated thefts.

Why Pirate?

Some students believe that downloading music is merely “part of the internet today.”

“I will use the tools I have at my disposal to enjoy different art forms,” one student wrote on the survey. “If music is made available for free on YouTube, I should be able to access the same content for free on my iPod.” “In the age of instant gratification, I enjoy being able to download TV shows without commercials and music without paying for it,” another student said.

Unlike stealing a CD from a store, people who pirate media online are distant from the crime.

“On the internet, nobody is watching, nobody is going to be yelling at you, you are not going to get caught instantly,” Zwillinger said. “It’s like speeding, if you see a cop, you won’t go by him 90 miles per hour, but if you don’t know there is a speed camera there, you’ll drive down the road thinking nobody is watching, even if the camera catches you.”

Regardless of the unlikelihood of a court summons or a fine, students who pirate are violating the law and depriving the artists and copyright owners of compensation for their work.

“If you have an illegally downloaded movie, it interferes with theater ticket sales, the DVD sales, the video on-demand sales. It definitely directly reduces the revenue of the authorized channels,” Zwillinger said.

Internet piracy can also affect the production of new works.

“If nobody is going to pay for that stuff, nobody is going to make it. If you look at the trend lines and the data, it shows how much money has been lost as a result of this stuff,” Doroshow said.

A recent New York Times article titled “Internet Pirates Will Always Win,” compared stopping online piracy to an intense game of Whac-A-Mole. Illegal downloading sites and servers pop up faster than they can be shut down.

“The truth of the matter is that theft is not going to be solved,” the consultant said. “We’re always going to have car theft, we’re always going to have people breaking into homes and we’re never going to be able to stop it. The best you can do is make it illegal, and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after bad guys, so it happens less than it otherwise would.”

feature

may 3, 2013

Alum spends gap year on adventure around the world

photo courtesy ZAC KRAMER

12

Zac Kramer (‘12), pictured at the Israel-Lebanon border, spent a gap year abroad, visiting countries including Israel, Cambodia and Thailand. Kramer will be attending Wesleyan University next school year. continued from page

1

seriously, he was surprised to find that their offers still stood.

“From an American perspective, we have no idea how hospitable Australians are,” Kramer said. “You call these people up about five to seven years after the fact, and they’re like my house is your house, stay here for two months if you need to.”

The most memorable moment of his trip came during a fifty-mile trek through the mountains of New Zealand, Kramer said.

“It was hot jungle at the bottom of the mountain, and when I got to the top it was snowing,” Kramer said. “I looked down this mountain and I saw red bushes, orange trees, yellow grass, the green of the valley, the blue of the water and the sky was purple. I don’t believe in God, but if I did, I would say that was him.”

Later, Kramer went scuba diving for the first time in Canton, Australia and was struck by the vivid colors of the fish and how unnatural it felt to1breathe SU_HS_10_5_x_8_Ad2012_Layout 10/4/12 underwater.

8:34 AM Page 1 “It looked like bRAVE underwater,” Kramer said. “It was neon, green, yellow and blue and I couldn’t believe real animals were this color.”

After his time in Oceania, Kramer ventured to Cambodia and Thailand. In Cambodia, Kramer spent half of his time volunteering, constructing community centers and other communal buildings.

In Thailand, Kramer did similar volunteer work. He packed apples, worked in orchards, did rice farming and ran a dishwashing machine in a diner. He also explored the city of Bangkok, and even dabbled in Muay Thai.

The contrast between Bangkok and other cities he previously explored was stark, Kramer said.

“Bangkok is an absolutely crazy city,” Kramer said.

“There are three legged cats everywhere. You’re not allowed to put trash cans on the street because people will put bombs in them, so there are mountains of trash everywhere. It’s filthy. Ridiculous, but very cool.”

After his stay in Southeast Asia, Kramer traveled to Israel, where he stayed in a Kibbutz, a type of small, collectivist community common throughout Israel. The Kibbutz was situated about 300 meters from the Lebanese border. Kramer organized his stay through an organization that administers volunteer visas and places clients in a Kibbutz.

Although inhabitants have some degree of control over their social lives, those living in the Kibbutz don’t enjoy the same amount of freedom that people do in America, Kramer said.

“It was almost robotic,” he said. “Everything is so predetermined, it’s not natural.”

After spending time in a Kibbutz, Kramer said he appreciated Israel’s unique energy.

“There’s so little land but there’s so much going on there,” he said. “Everyone has their own opinions about Israelis, but you can’t say they’re not interesting.”

Now that he is back in Bethesda, Kramer says he is eagerly anticipating his first year at Wesleyan University and is happy with his decision to defer enrollment.

“I recommend the gap year to any smart and motivated kids,” Kramer said. “It takes a little bit of courage to go be independent and take responsibility for where you’re sleeping and what you’re eating. The first couple of days it’s like ‘@#$%!,’ but for anyone who’s capable of rising to the challenge, it’s absolutely the best.”

SALISBURY UNIVERSITY Quality. Excellence. Success.

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PROFILE: ASHLEY

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offers 57 distinct academic programs – at a great value. Students come to SU from across the U.S. and around the world. � Outstanding faculty are mentors for undergraduate research. Students gain real-world knowledge through internships and global experiences, including Salisbury Abroad programs in Ecuador, Estonia and China. � A growing collection of state-of-the-art facilities includes SU’s new business school building and residence-retail complex.

This “green” campus is located on Maryland’s beautiful Eastern Shore.

PROFILE: ANTOINE

I found a great value I picked SU because it’s a great value. When I first visited SU I noticed the smiles on everybody’s faces. Seeing those smiles made me think what a wonderful place to go. Even beyond my Sea Gull football family, making friends was not a problem at SU. Everybody wants to get to know each other. Coming to Salisbury University was a great next step.

Action: December 1

� Regular

Decision: January 15

I applied to SU for two main reasons: its size and the professors. The class sizes are ideal for me because they’re similar to the sizes of my classes in high school. The campus is perfect for seeing a familiar face and meeting new people every day.

NATIONAL RANKINGS

Newark

� U.S.

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To find out about campus visits, SU’s test-optional policy and the application process, visit:

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Apply online at: www.salisbury.edu/apply

A Maryland University of National Distinction

may 3, 2013

feature

13

Opinion: Should students have to resort to extreme measures just to hear “yes?”

I

by Nick Meyer

t’s 7:15 a.m. and 500 high school students are standing in the courtyard. Suddenly, a shameless chap sporting gold booty shorts struts up to a girl and proceeds to shake his rump. Stitched to his buttocks is a simple four letter proposal: “prom?”

Although this scene was a recent viral video, it’s not too hard to imagine it happening at our school.

Whitman students are no strangers to these kinds of outrageous promposals. Given the pressure to find the cutest or most memorable way to woo a girl, it’s amazing how far people go these days to ask a girl to prom.

F r o m popping out of enormous boxes to hijacking the p.a. system, we’ve seen it all.

But is all of the razzle-dazzle really necessary? Is it even possible to get a date these days without an ask that’s mupload worthy?

Prom has always been one of the most memorable events during high school; in terms of glam and glitz, it blows homecoming away. Girls spend entire days online frantically finding the perfect dress while they debate with friends over how to style their hair the big night. At the most, all guys have to do is spend an hour at Men’s Wearhouse to find a decent rental.

This imbalance leaves many girls wishing that guys put as much time into the process as they do, a contributing reason why we have insanely over the top proposals.

The social media age has undeniably fueled this trend. In a time when likes on a mupload are a coveted commodity, many girls want to see their proposal publicized. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing for guys either; there’s no better medium to use than Facebook to assure your friends that you won’t have to take a blowup doll to prom.

But there are those out there who’d prefer their promposal to be quietly sentimental rather than a conversation piece. And for these more modest folks, there’s absolutely no reason why a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates won’t do. If it works and she says yes, then hey, who cares if doesn’t end up in cyberspace for all to see?

As a junior, I didn’t have to worry about finding the best way to ask a girl. However, I enjoyed the comedic way my date asked me using boxes Maple Brown Sugar Mini Wheats—my favorite cereal.

Extravagant promposals may be here to stay, but it’d be nice to see more that are a bit less flashy.

Prom has always been one of the most memorable events during high school; in terms of glam and glitz, it blows Homecoming away.

SGA “ SPEAKS

” announcements: the leaderSHIP never sinks

Jacob Rosenblum PRESIDENT

Pablo Ramirez VICE-PRESIDENT

Emily Harburg TREASURER

SPRING FAIR IS BACK! The Whitman Spring Fair will be held from 4:30-8:30 PM on Thursday, May 23 in the parking lot.

The Powderpuff Football game will take place on the football field at 3 PM on May 23, right before Spring Fair.

Congratulations to our newly elected 2013-2014 school year executive board!

President: Jorge Richardson Vice President: Marcela Falck-Bados Treasurer: Kendall Eisenberg Secretaries: Rachel Ordan and Jenna Kantor LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR SGA NEWS: facebook.com/whitmansga

Ali Foreman SECRETARY

Andrea McDonald SECRETARY

Class Officers:

‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16

Valerie Acker, Leslie Schwed, Marissa Hosker Jorge Richardson, Marcela Falck-Bados, Mark Norris Rachel Ordan, Mia Carmel, Jonny Rasch

Jacob Blitz, Selvi Ulusan, Carolyn Hoover

14

Feature

may 2, 2013

By Emily Baker and Amanda Le 1

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Across 1. A ___ always pays his debts 4.1960’s-style TV show starring Jon Hamm 6.Lana Del ___ 7.“Or” 10.join when you become a sexageneranian 11.Person who spoke at Seneca Falls Convention 13.Beatles exclamation 16.Indo-European language spoken by Marx and Heidi Klum 17.Reel Big ____ 18. The Magic ___ in Spongebob 19.Doesn’t cut corners 20.Cosine reciprocal (abbrv.)

22.Title after completing med school (abbrv.)

23. Christmas movie 24.First United States Secretary of the Treasury 27.Villainess from Disney’s The Little Mermaid 28.Current Russian president 30.Composed Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66 31.Sound when scared 33.Heard a Who 35.Lao Tzu is a proponent 36.Fishy bagel buddy 38.Born with the name of 39.Least common blood type 41.Imagine Dragons hit “____active” 43.Chinese Twitter Down 2.Small child or fried potato 3.Before the common 4.Chinese Communist leader who planned The Great Leap Forward 5.Greek goddess of the hunt 8. ____ on the side of caution.

9.Germnan philosopher who wrote Apollonianism and Dionysianism 10.Site of the 2004 Olympics 11.Trigonometry or something frowned upon 12.Davies brothers's band 14.Schindler’s ____ 15.a measure of the concentration of hydroxide ions 16.First name of current Nigerian president 17.Then everything changed when the ____ attacked 21.The ____ justifies the means 25.Captain of the Millenium Falcon 26.Played by Eddie Murphy in Mulan 28.Supercontinent 29.Serbian-American inventor developed alternating current 32.Spanish word for “year” 34.One fish, two fish, ___ fish, blue fish 37.New wave “Dear God” band 40.The Black & White (abbrev.)

42.The opposite of “out”

may 2, 2013

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16

may 3, 2013

sports

TEAM UPDATES Baseball The baseball team was 12-2 going into its Senior Night game against Northwest Apr. 30. The team has continued winning despite captain Patrick Hisle being sidelined with an ankle injury. Before the injury, Hisle hit .381 and led the team with a .72 ERA. The team is led by senior Gabe Steinberg and junior Alex Cladohous on the mound and juniors Drew Aherne, Max Steinhorn and senior Andrew Castagnetti at the plate.

Girls Lacrosse The girls lacrosse team is going strong this season with a 5-3 record. The Vikes beat out key rivals such as B-CC, with a score of 9-8 and Walter Johnson, 14-8.

The defensive back have provided a force to be reckoned with, with goalie Lily Blum snatching save after save. Some more notable wins were the Vikes’ 20-4 defeat of Magruder and their 17-8 win over Clarksburg. Come out and support girls lacrosse in their next match up against QO at home, Apr. 30.

Softball The softball team has had a great season so far, with an even 6-6 record. The Vikes have dominated rivals B-CC, with a score of 12-2, Walter Johnson, 11-3, and Churchill 14-4. Pitcher Helen Rosenthal has carried the Vikes through their games with stellar performances on the mound, and at bat. Catcher Sydney Gertzog is communicative to her teammates, helping guide the defense with her vision of the whole field. Come out and support the Vikes as they take on the 10-2 Northwest Jaguars Apr. 30.

Boys Tennis The boys tennis team was 8-3 going into the last match of the season, which was postponed from Apr. 29 due to rain.

Standouts throughout the season included singles player Nathaniel Sherman and the doubles duo of Jonathan Chen and Oscar Levine. The team will look for strong play from them and others as they move into counties and states during May.

Track and Field The track team has had a great season so far. The team travelled to the Cassel’s XBC meet, where both the boys and girls squads had great successes. The girls team is led by 1600 runner Claire Severe and 3200 runner Lela Walter. The boys team, led distance runners Evan Woods and Ed Smith has been successful at meets against Wooton and Walter Johnson. The team hopes for success at the County Championships May 11.

Coed Volleyball The 5-3 co-ed volleyball team is working very well together this year and looks to go far in the playoffs this postseason. With seniors Catherine Benz and Madison Craig, the team has spiked its way to victory on multiple occasions against tough opponents like Clarksburg and Blake. The team has been on the road a lot this season but that has not stopped them from victory. The team finishes off their season against Sherwood on the road and hopes to continue its success from there.

Two veterans exercise on adaptive rowing machines with Capital Adaptive, a program started in 2009 to rehabilitate injured soldiers.

Varsity girl’s crew coach Bridgid Myers is involved with the organization as one of its coaches and leads its three weekly practices.

Capital Adaptive rehabs injured vets

by Jacob Cutler

Rowing demands endurance, physical strength and mental fortitude. For people missing limbs or without eyesight, that challenge may seem impossible.

But rowers with Capital Adaptive, an organization that aims to rehabilitate injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and disabled civilians, tackle that challenge every practice through adaptive rowing.

“The mission is to provide rehabilitation, reintegration into the community, and just a fun activity for folks coming out of military service with injuries,” Capital Adaptive director Meredith Miller said.

Miller started the program in 2009 to achieve that goal. Capital Adaptive receives funding from veterans groups and the military because it’s an effective rehabilitative activity, Miller said. Miller aims to keep an even split between civilian members and military veterans in the program.

“Rowing is a sport that pretty much anybody who’s got function in one arm can do,” Miller said. “Getting the boat through the water, as long as you’re not going too fast, involves very little impact. As long as somebody can use at least one arm, there’s a category in which they can row.”

Adaptive rowing has three catagories: Legs, Trunk, and Arms (LTA); for those with control of all but one leg or those with mental or vision disabilities; Trunk and Arms (TA), for paraplegic rowers, and Arms Only (A);

for those with limited control of their torso, according to Capital Adaptive’s website. There are variations in the mechanics of each type of adaptive rowing to cater to rowers with different levels of mobility and dexterity.

The team is coached by Bridgid Myers, who also coaches girl’s varsity crew at Whitman. The team practices three times a week, and there are anywhere from seven to ten adaptive rowers at an average practice, according to Myers. The rowers use wideadapted boats, often with pontoons and non-disabled rowers, to ensure stability and safety in the water.

“The work that they do to adapt the boats for us gives us the freedom and the mobility [to row],” said Margaret Rajnic, a 52-year-old amputee and the reigning world silver medalist in women’s LTA. The club recently competed in Boston at the Crash-B erg sprints, often called the world championships of adaptive rowing. Its members returned with an impressive set of medals including a gold, two silvers and a bronze medal.

Although for the moment the program is nearing capacity, Miller hopes to expand it in the future. For now, the group still has a few openings for additional veterans, and plans to continue working with and rehabilitating the disabled.

“It’s a very humbling experience working with these guys,” Myers said. “They’re stronger than you or I could imagine.”

Jeff Schaefer (‘12) to play football at Elon

by John Sullivan

While many people remember graduate Jeff Schaefer for his four-year varsity football career, Schaefer, who was recruited to play football at Division II Charleston this fall and transferred to Division I Elon University Feb. 3, wasn’t satisfied with the progress he’d made in high school and at Charleston.

It wasn’t just Schaefer who realized he wasn’t meeting his potential.

“I saw a lot of potential early on in his career,” said Whitman line coach John Floyd. “Slowly that potential wasn’t met. It was still there, just not being met.”

Schaefer improved his work ethic and worked diligently to be able to play at Elon University, a Division I school, and reunite with Whitman teammate Kyle Einwaechter.

Schaefer said he wasn’t enthusiastic to play at Charleston because it was too small and isolated for his taste. On top of that, Schaefer redshirted, so his motivation was lacking since he practiced but couldn’t play in games, he said.

“I had to practice and I knew I wasn’t playing so that made me less motivated and I hated school,” he said.

In September, Schaefer decided to transfer from Charleston to a Division I school. By November, Schaefer was in good shape: he had lost 55 lbs — from 315 to 260 — and attained a 4.0 GPA. Einwaechter, who was already playing at Elon University, was a large reason for Schaefer’s move.

“Kyle would always tell me how

photo courtesy JEFF SCHAEFER

The 4-5 boys lacrosse team hopes to win its final games of the season in order to attain a spot in the playoffs and push toward a state championship. With seniors Dustin Gray and Grant Miller, the team has been strong offensively. The team has had a rough schedule including games against powerhouse Churchill on the road and Wootton at home. The team snagged a win against rivals B-CC in overtime on Apr. 11 and look to win their final two games of the season against Seneca Valley and Damascus.

photo by ABIGAIL CUTLER

Boys Lacrosse

Jeff Schaefer (‘12), a left tackle, practices his blocking. Schaefer recently transferred from D-III College of Charleston to D-I Elon, where he will reunite with former Viking teammate Kyle Einwachter. The two may play next to each other on the offensive line. well the [Elon] football team was doing and how he loved it there,” Schaefer said. “He spoke really highly of the program so it made me really interested.”

After his hard work, Schaefer gained admission into Elon University and immediately realized the intensity and huge commitment of a Division I football program.

His offseason schedule consists of alternating team breakfasts and conditioning drills at seven a.m., classes from 8-12, working with a trainer to tape his weak ankle at 2:30, and workouts at 4.

Schaefer said that there are many more leaders and mentors among the players and that a Division I program is much stricter.

“We have to go on six a.m. runs whenever someone makes a mistake like not going to class,” he said.

Einwaechter, who recently moved from defensive tackle to left guard, is excited to play with Schaefer again in the future, he said.

“He plays left tackle and I play left guard, so we will potentially be playing on the left side of the line together in the future,” he said.

Floyd is proud of Schaefer for working to play Division I football and realizing his potential.

“He has refocused himself academically and athletically,” he said. “He is doing very well for himself and I could not be prouder.”

may 3, 2013

sports

photo couresy CHARLES HEMSLEY

A select few students enjoy participating in competitive sports in high school, and even fewer decide to make the jump to divisional athletics in college. Ex-Whitman athletes Charles Hemsley and Anna Ryba provide some insight into what it means to be a college athlete.

17

Greetings. For those of you who don’t know me or forgot my existence as soon as I left you I’m Anna Ryba, Williams College freshman, sometimes runner, and apparent college athlete. I was always uneasy around that last term. It has power. It can conjure such admiration and such disparagement. I was vaguely terrified that Williams chose me because I can run. But then I got here. I ran cross country, I got swamped in work, I realized my love for cottage cheese and kale (I’m sure all dining halls have their own invariant delicacies). Life took over, and the idea of the college athlete faded into the background. Apart from trading suburban pavement for dirt roads with a constant view of the mountains, running remained what it has always been for me. Then I got injured, and I stopped running. All winter. The distinction of college athlete seems even more ridiculous now, as I’m just getting back to moderate running. But I think I may have found the difference between college and high school. Apart from a special hatred for the smell of our stationary bike gym I’m none the worse for wear. In high school, injuries basically destroyed my life because running was, well, my life. It doesn’t seem to be that way anymore.

I guess that’s what being a college athlete has meant so far, and it’s much different from the idea that scared me for so long.

Anna Ryba Runner for Williams College

I know that it is all too easy to get swept away by dramatic coaches demanding a decision, or baiting you with the specter of a full recruiting roster – never forget that they’re salesmen whose job is, first and foremost, to build a team. Playing a D1 sport is a job. For up to 40 hours a week – we routinely hit a little over 30 – your time will be governed by your coach, as will your daily schedule. I can only speak for Brown, but I would be lying if I said that this does not limit their choice of majors and hurt their GPAs. You do, however, have a ready-made group of friends with whom you will become ever closer, and until you experience it, it’s hard to imagine. For many athletes, their teammates become by far the most defining feature of Brown, and without them Brown would become unimaginably dimmer. I cannot urge you enough to stop for a moment before you commit anywhere and to imagine yourself at each school and being part of each team before you commit yourself to any one school. In your final decision, when deciding between the last few schools, go to the one that wants you more – they’ll appreciate you more than the others.

Charles Hemsley Rower for Brown University

photo couresy ANNA RYBA

Hemsley, far left, enjoys a moment of downtime with his teamates on the Brown University crew team. His decision to play a D1 sport has governed his time in college.

Anna Ryba, far right, celebrates an award with college teammates. Since becoming a college athlete, she has new perspective on running’s place in her life.

Patrick Hisle signs on with the Terps to play D-I

photo courtesy PATRICK HISLE

by Michael Greenwood

Senior Patrick Hisle makes a play in the field. Hisle has led the baseball team to a 12-2 record going into Tuesday’s senior night game against Northwest.

Whitman shortstop Patrick Hisle has loved playing baseball since he was two years old, and this fall he’ll take a swing at playing Division I college ball for the University of Maryland.

Hisle committed to play for the University of Maryland baseball team Feb. 24, putting an end to a year and a half long search for a Division I team.

Hisle’s recruitment was about being recognized by coaches. Hisle said the collegiate baseball recruitment process is extremely competitive, and the field is so large that his communication with coaches was almost as important as his skill.

Hisle said he worked hard to be able to play at a high level, but was still surprised at the competitiveness of the selection process. “[My expectations] shifted a lot,” Hisle said. “It was about June when I knew I really wanted to go D-1, and I really started dedicating myself. I flipped the switch and everything started to click for me.”

When he saw the competition he was up against, Hisle made the decision to work harder than all the other recruits. His jump in play since his sophomore and junior year has been remarkable, Hisle said.

“As soon as he got to varsity as a junior you could see he was working to get to college,” former head coach Joe Cassidy said. “He’s earned everything he’s gotten. He’s one of those kids who won’t let someone dismiss him just because he’s 5’8”.

Hisle said he committed himself to a weight routine, spent as much time as he could at the gym

and started a speed training routine. Since making these changes, Hisle hits with more power, throws faster, runs faster and can hit farther.

The amount of time Hisle committed to baseball increased to a point where baseball was the total focus of his life outside of school and he played 1825 hours a week.

“Most of it was self-motivated,” Hisle said. “It all came from within because I really wanted to get there.”

Hisle got into the process somewhat late, so coaches didn’t get into contact with him until later, which added even more stress.

“There’s a lot of waiting,” Hisle said. “I didn’t get my first recruiting calls until October. A lot of my friends I played with in the showcase events were already committing or were committed already and I knew I was as good or better than most of them. And it was just frustrating because I was doing everything I could, but I still wasn’t getting phone calls.”

Hisle said that he thinks he has a lot of potential for his baseball future, but that he’s focused on the present and improving his game.

“I’m just going to keep working on it every day because I want to play baseball for as long as possible at the highest level that I can,” Hisle said. “This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was two years old. Right now I’m just going to take it one day at a time and do something each day to get better than I was the last day.”

sports

18

may 2, 2013

Three juniors to represent U.S. in Maccabiah Games

by Ben Zimmermann

Sandy Koufax. Mark Spitz. Jordan Farmar. The list of Jewish athletes is long and full of glory. This summer, three Whitman athletes will look to join that exclusive list.

Juniors Josh Fried, Maddie Cannon and Marissa Cannon will play for the United States men’s and women’s basketball teams in the youth division of the 2013 World Maccabiah Games.

The “Jewish Olympics” is one of the five largest sports gatherings in the world and takes place every four years in Israel. Fried, Maddie and Marissa will each be one of just twelve players on their respective teams and will compete against teams from about 70 other countries.

After a tryout in Philadelphia, Fried learned late last year that he had made the team. He will join players from New York, New Jersey, California and Texas, on the squad.

“I was stunned,” he said. “I’ve never been to Israel so for me to go there is a dream come true.”

For Fried, however, it’s not the first time he’s represented his country on the basketball court. He played on the U.S. youth national team in the 2011 European Maccabiah Games in Austria, where his team won the gold medal. This should give him a leg up in this summer’s competition, as he knows some of the players he’ll face, he said.

Twins Marissa and Maddie Cannon found out they had made the women’s team after trying out with over 40 other players in New York and California. Marissa was “ecstatic and

thrilled” when she found out she made the team. The Cannons’ strong effort and ball handling skills will make them a valuable part of the U.S. youth national team, girls basketball coach Peter Kenah said.

“Their biggest contribution is going to be defensive intensity and lots of energy,” he said. “They’re both playmakers.”

The chance of playing with and competing against high-level players will be a great experience for them, Kenah added. The girls U.S. national team includes multiple athletes committed to playing college basketball.

Boys basketball coach Chris Lun said Fried will strongly contribute to the national team and will gain much from the experience.

“It will be good for him to play against some tough big men,” he said.

“Playing against stiff international competition will really help him get ready for his senior year.”

The experience of playing on a national team should also showcase his skills to college coaches and help with recruiting. His size and soft touch make him a scoring threat and will make him attractive to coaches, Lun said.

The Cannon sisters and Fried, however, cited different aspects of their trip for which they’re most excited. For Marissa, it’s all about the basketball, but for Fried it’s beyond just playing the game.

“I’m looking forward to rediscovering my identity and meeting Jewish teens from all over the world,” he said.

Gohn takes the reins, becomes new girls tennis coach

by Michael Greenwood

Ex-girls tennis coach Julie Frank is now Gohn, and a familiar face has stepped in to take over.

Boys tennis coach Jasen Gohn will start coaching the girls team late this summer in time for try-outs. Stepping into the new role was fairly simple, he said.

“One morning I just popped into Mr. Wetzel’s office and just said if he needed a girls’ tennis coach, I’d be happy to do it,” Gohn said. “Two hours later, he got back to me and was like, ‘the positions yours.’”

Frank said that she has full confidence in Gohn’s ability to adjust and thrive as the girls coach.

“Many of the other girls already know him, so the transition will be

easy,” Frank said. “He’s passionate, extremely knowledgeable about tennis and the girls will benefit a lot from that.”

Athletic director Andy Wetzel said Gohn was an easy choice because of the convenience of having a Whitman teacher in the position and his tennis experience.

“Based on his record with the boys team, it was a no-brainer,” Wetzel said.

“He has a good rapport with the kids and he gets the most out of them.”

Before Frank left, Gohn spoke to her about the approach she took to coaching the girls squad. Frank had a different approach to tryouts and deciding positions than Gohn’s system with the boys’ team, but he said the differences between coaching girls and

boys tennis aren’t very significant, so he’s confident he’ll be able to get into a rhythm quickly.

“I did walk him through the girls tennis traditions, tryouts standards, practice plans and pre-match rituals,” Frank said. “He’ll have to adjust to communicating with girls. And secret lobsters.”

Secret lobsters, a girls team tradition where the players gift each other their favorite snacks, is one of several traditions that Gohn said he wanted to carry over to his tenure as coach. Gohn said that he would continue using his own coaching system, but that he would be sure to keep some of Frank’s ideas.

A few other coaches work with both the girls and boys side of the sport,

and Wetzel said they all find it easy.

“Most of them seem to think the one works well with the other,” Wetzel said. “The two teams complement each other for the most part.”

Gohn said that he thinks the girls can improve on last year’s season to bring the team back to consistently beating top teams like Wootton and Churchill and is excited for the opportunity to be the new coach.

Gohn’s decision to take on the task of coaching two teams derives from his passion for tennis.

“I like being on a team, whether I’m playing or coaching,” Gohn said. “When a group of people come together and say ‘hey, let’s get better at tennis and win some matches,’ there’s a really great energy.”

may 2, 2013

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q&a

20

may 2, 2013

Novelist and screenwriter talks about writing process and rewards of his recent film, “Emperor”

with screenwriter

David Klass

B & W: You spent some time in Japan, how did that influence your writing process?

DK: I lived there for two years. Only in the sense that I knew the country, I knew the language and the people, I had a deep sense of what WW2 had done to Japan and the complicated feelings that the people there had, and also in the way that Japanese people have a sense of deep devotion and duty to their country. Also I think I’ve really been fascinated by Japanese and Japanese American history for a good 25 or 30 years so even though I wasn’t an expert on the history of the occupation and what happened after WW2, I had something to build on.

photo courtesy DAVID KLASS

B & W: What is it like to see one of your movies premiere on the big screen?

by Emily Harburg

David Klass is a screenwriter and novelist living in New York City. He’s written screenplays for movies starring Morgan Freeman and Dwayne Johnson, and was a writer for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” His novels, mostly aimed at a young adult audience, include “You Don’t Know Me,” named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.

He currently teaches screenwriting at Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence College. Klass’s new movie “Emperor,” which premiered in theaters in March, stars Matthew Fox and Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones. The film takes place in Japan post-World War II.

B & W: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

DK: Well, I grew up in a family of writers. My mom has now published about 20 novels, and my father was an editor of a sci-fi pulp magazine before becoming an anthropologist, and they both have a real love of writing.

My older sister is a doctor and writer, and my youngest sister lives in Nashville and is a playwright and writes country songs. And I’m here in New York as a screenwriter and novelist, so all three of us caught the bug from my parents.

B & W: At what age did you develop your interest in writing?

DK: Seventeen magazine used to run a fiction writing contest that was open to all teenagers across the county, and my sister Perry won third prize when she was about 12 and second prize when she was 14. I’m intensely competitive, so out of sibling rivalry I decided I had to win.

I wrote a story about a girl who was working at a ring toss booth down by the Jersey Shore, and the older guy who runs the booth has a crush on her.

It was a story called Ring Toss, and it was my first published piece of writing.

B & W: You’ve worked in many different mediums. Among print, film, and television, which is your favorite?

DK: The novels give me a great deal of pleasure.

When you work in Hollywood, the stakes are larger; you don’t control it. If they buy your screenplay, they own your screenplay. But when you write a novel, you absolutely own it and control it. If the publisher wants to change as much as a single word, they have to call you up and get permission. So as an artist I find the novel form really lovely.

Also most of the books I’ve written have been young adult novels for teenagers, where you get literally hundreds of letters from teenagers all over the country saying “I love this book,” or, once in a while, “your book really changed my life.”

B & W: How does the process differ between writing for print versus for screen?

DK: When I write a novel, I almost never write it from an outline. I sort of know where the novel is going to start and I try to get the voice of the character, and then I let the character lead me through the story, and frequently I don’t know where the character is going to take me, and there’s a wonderful sense of freedom in not knowing where the story is going.

But when you write something in Hollywood, you’re pretty much always writing from a very detailed outline. Before you start actually writing the screenplay you have to write down scene by scene what’s going to happen for the producers who are putting up the money. Once you do that you’re committed to your outline, so that sense of freedom and ability to follow an idea or an impulse and see where it leads is not there when you write a screenplay.

B& W: How did you break into the screenwriting business?

DK: The one that launched my career was a script called “Dog Star.” I had moved out to Los Angeles and had spent seven years trying to break in, really struggling and starving and taking menial jobs and hoping that it would happen. Finally I decided to give up and go to medical school –which would have been a disaster; there are people alive in the world today who wouldn’t be alive if I had gotten to medical school. So, I decided to write one last screenplay.

I was maybe 30-something years old, and broke and desperate, and I remember sitting there and thinking about going to Dartmouth medical school, and the snow falling over Hanover, New Hampshire. And I started writing this script about a chase across the Artic, and it launched my whole career. If you asked me where that script came from, I couldn’t really answer you, it was just this daydream about the snow falling in New Hampshire, but it kind of changed my life.

DK: Well, a lot of things happen in a movie that the writer can’t control. I’ve been lucky enough to have six or seven movies made, and I’ve never had one made exactly the way I wanted; they’ve always been changed. So when you actually see it, your feelings are kind of complicated.

Of course there’s a lot of pride and even amazement that it actually got made. And there’s a little bit of anger about the parts that you wrote that have been changed, and mostly I’ve tried to train myself over the years to just enjoy it and take pride in what does work.

I saw “Emperor” for the first time at the Toronto film festival, and the audience gave us about a fiveminute standing ovation. There were about two or three thousand people in this giant theater, and it felt good.

B & W: From a teaching standpoint, what would your advice to young writers be?

DK: I think it’s good to get a really good liberal arts education; study history and study Shakespeare, study science and biology, and then if you want to do this the right time is after college. To focus too early or too exclusively on screenwriting actually does you a disservice.

And usually, people’s first novel or screenplay is something about themselves. They say write what you know, and that was certainly true for me.

So I think that if somebody, for example a high school student, has had an experience or has done something — it doesn’t have to be climbing Mount Everest; it can be something much smaller and more personal — but that’s a good place to look for the first time. And once you’ve done it, once you’ve written that first novel or screenplay, and you really have a sense of it, you can branch out into things that didn’t happen to you.

B & W: How did you combine history with fiction to create an original piece when writing “Emperor”?

DK: The movie’s based on the life of a man named Bonner Fellers, a military man and a Japanese expert who accompanied General MacArthur to Japan after the war and who played a part in the pardon of Emperor Hirohito. I read a great deal about Fellers. His letters are archived at Stanford and a friend of mine who’s a Japanese producer called Yoko Narahashi brought me this idea and asked me to write it, and she arranged for his letters to be sent to me. It took me about 3 years to read through them all. You really got the sense for Fellers.

And then I had to try to create movie.

I had to wrestle with the question of how much could I change it without completely changing history and what was the core of truth that I wanted to hang on to as I changed some elements of the story.

That core of truth that I decided to hold onto is that MacArthur, when he landed in Japan, famously said “I don’t want to be remembered as a conqueror, I want to be remembered as the man who rebuilt Japan.”

I think he made a decision that the guilt or innocence of the emperor was unknowable, and frankly I don’t think he cared about it.

That was the kernel of truth that I tried to hang on to as I wrote this movie.

Klass’s new movie “Emperor,” which premiered in theaters in March, stars Matthew Fox and Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones. The film takes place in Japan post-World War II.