The Black & White Vol. 53 Issue 6

volume 53, Issue 6 april 1, 2015

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

theblackandwhite.net

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

bRAVE, parties highlight issues with underage drinking

Senior Ben Scheer plays the piano during the performance of “Benny and the Jets” in Talent Show 2k15: The Revolution. Talent Show included about 175 students as actors, musicians, tech and dancers.

Talent Show 2k15: a revolution to remember

BY NABA KHAN Featuring a stunning variety of musical acts, spotlight dance solos and on-and-off-stage acting skits, Talent Show 2k15 truly revolutionized the highly-anticipated annual production.

The show included 22 acts and a heartfelt, all-senior finale, with skits and videos adding comedy after every few performances.

This year’s theme, “Revolution,” was inspired by director Lucas Weals’s desire to build off of previous talent shows while also breaking free from some of the more negative aspects of past years, he said. Attitudes about the exclusion of certain grades or groups of friends were something Weals said he actively worked to change this year.

“What I wanted to do this year

“Pitch Please” and “Solid and Sound.” Drumline’s act culminated with the entire cast running onstage, decked out in Whitman gear and chanting “1-2-3-4, Let’s get busy!”

“I loved all of it, it was just all so amazing,” eighth-grade Pyle student Izzy Mate said.

One unique aspect of this year’s Talent Show was the introduction of intricate dance acts. Junior Adin Kramer played “Arebesque” on the piano as senior Natalie Pagenstecher danced a contemporary solo, and senior Rebecca Rahman and junior Sophie Bevirt sang lead vocals of “Glory and Gore” to accompany five dancers downstage who added a captivating visual component to the act.

was to once and for all clear away those tensions, which I feel to be distractions from the true magic of performance,” he said.

The performance opened with a dramatic countdown to the beginning of the “Revolution,” displayed on screens hanging on either side of the stage. The curtains opened, revealing seniors Jivko Andonov and Jason Dunn poised to rap UGK ft. Outkast’s “International Players Anthem.”

Music styles were strikingly different in each act, ranging from senior Guilan Massoud rapping Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” to junior Kaycie Goral’s belting out Florence and the Machine’s chilling “Girl With One Eye.” Among the usual slew of student bands were Drumline, Poms, Jazz Band and a capella groups

continued on page

by Trevor Lystad As dance music blared through a dark gym full of more than 1,000 students the night of March 8, most were enjoying bRAVE, a fundraising dance for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. But for seven students, the eagerly anticipated event ended too soon, after they were found under the influence of alcohol.

Two of the students were taken by ambulance to the hospital, while parents picked up the other five.

Underage drinking is an increasing concern at Whitman, as 19 total students have been caught drinking in the last six weeks, including the seven at bRAVE and an additional 12 who were cited at two separate parties.

These students face lighter punishments than they would have in years past. The Black & White reported Feb. 21 on how the relative lack of punishment for underage drinking on the Breckenridge ski trip shed light on changes in school discipline policy. Principal Alan Goodwin said he is now inclined to avoid punishment for out-of-school transgressions; punishment for students found under the influence in school have been reduced as well.

The bRAVE incidents mark the first time the new policies have been applied for an in-school transgression.

Seven students caught at bRAVE, given modified zero tolerance punishment

The night began smoothly, but ninety minutes into the dance, administrators and security guards began finding intoxicated students.

“There were a few students who had way too much to drink and couldn’t handle it and kept throwing up,” a sophomore girl said. “Obviously the administration and security noticed.”

The seven students faced a reduced zero tolerance punishment: 20 hours of community service, a two-day in-school suspension and a 10-day suspension from extracurriculars. Additionally, they were banned from participating in or attending the next major school event: Talent Show. At least one student had planned to perform.

Since it was all seven students’ first offense, Goodwin said, he decided on the lighter punishment.

Although the full zero tolerance punishment is still an option, Goodwin said he plans to save it for more serious or repeat offenders.

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Continued on page 8 and 9

Freshmen tennis powerhouses look to lead team to success

B

by anna marcus oys tennis is coming off their best season in years, going undefeated and winning the county championship. And though the team lost over half of the starting lineup, including state champion and first singles player Aries Wong, there will be no shortage of talent on the team this year as two star underclassmen look to take the courts by storm.

This season, freshmen Andrew Leung and Liam Rotzoll will play two and three singles respectively for the team. Leung and Rotzoll, who are both ranked in the top 20 of the Mid-Atlantic for boys 14 and under by the United States Tennis Association, will look to lead the team in what will likely be an-

other stellar season.

“I’m excited because I always have enjoyed playing singles more than doubles,” Leung said. “I like being the one out there fighting by myself and having the team cheer me on.”

Though the freshmen may be small in stature, as Rotzoll weighs only 100 pounds and Leung weighs 118, they pack a big game that can handle players of any size. In the team’s scrimmage against Georgetown prep, Rotzoll faced an opponent who was over a foot taller than himself, but was able to handily defeat him 6-1, 7-5.

“Whenever I play bigger opponents I try to hit the ball out of their comfort zone and make them move around the court,” Rotzoll said.

Currently, Leung trains on average

Inside Look

three times a week at Four Star Tennis at Bullis. Rotzoll plays at the Junior Tennis Championship Center in College Park, typically five times per week.

Their intense practice schedules have also helped develop their extremely consistent strokes. In addition to that consistency, the boys each have unique areas of their game where they’re especially strong. For Leung, his powerful forehand makes him hard to beat. For Rotzoll, it’s his speed.

Despite the loss of many starters, coach Jasen Gohn believes that the team will be able to step it up and have another spotless season. The playing field should be leveled with the other competitive schools in the county who also graduated similarly strong senior classes, Gohn said.

Seniors bring umttr charity to Whitman

Perspectives on Greek Life from alums

Alums run Panama

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Page 6

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hostel

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“My expectations are the same as every season,” he said. “To be undefeated, and win the Division I Title.”

The boys will face their first tough match of the season Wednesday, when they take on the Wootton Patriots away.

Both freshmen are looking forward to the season and are ready and excited to face the pressure that goes with holding such important slots on the team.

“I love the intensity and the feeling of winning a match,” Rotzoll said.

Gohn is excited to have the boys be a part of the team not only for their tennis talent, but also for their likeable personalities. “[Andrew and Liam] are both super nice,” Gohn said. “It’s always nice to get good players, but it’s really great to get friendly, nice kids.”

Athletes to watch this spring

Alums balance sports and service at Naval Academy

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NEWS

Briefs Avoiding peanuts causes allergies, doctors say

Children’s peanut allergies have nearly doubled since 1997, according to NIH. Due to this dramatic rise, doctors are informing parents and schools that the best way to avoid these allergies is not to segregate the lunch tables or steer clear of PB and Js, but to expose children to peanuts at an early age.

“People thought that if you avoided something, you wouldn’t be allergic, but doctors are saying the opposite,” pediatrician Promise Ahlstrom said.

Parents are worried their children will become allergic to peanuts, so they minimize any exposure.

However, withholding peanuts from children could be a major reason for the rise in peanut allergies, Dr. Gideon Lack told the New York Times.

Two sections of the MCPS code of regulations are dedicated to peanut allergies. The regulations require that certain school employees be trained to look for signs of life-threatening peanut related reactions and know how to administer the proper medication.

Doctors are saying that the solution to this problem, however, is not to be prepared for what happens if allergies develop, but to prevent the allergies from the start.

“I have handouts that I give people and I have to update it,” Ahlstrom said. “And it’s gonna say, ‘please give peanuts.’”

DC legalizes use, growth of marijuana; sale still illegal

On Feb. 26, the nation’s capital joined twentythree other states in legalizing marijuana in some form. D.C. now considers marijuana a legal intoxicant for citizens age 21 and over, meaning adults can use marijuana in private.

D.C. citizens may grow, possess and use up to two ounces of marijuana in their private residences without penalty.

A vast majority of D.C. residents supported the law, formerly known as Initiative 71. In November, 70 percent of D.C. voters approved Initiative 71, which proposed the legalization of marijuana.

Seemingly, marijuana may well be on its way to becoming a prevalent component of capital culture.

However, the law wasn’t passed without controversy. D.C. Council members and Republicans in Congress disagree as to whether the city is even allowed to legalize marijuana, according to The Washington Post.

In December, Congress passed a federal spending bill that aimed to halt the legalization of marijuana. D.C. leaders argued that Initiative 71 was already enacted before this federal spending bill passed, according to NBC. Congress members even threatened jail time for D.C. Council members, but never followed through.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council members said that they wouldn’t back down from implementing the will of the D.C. voters, according to The Washington Post.

County buses begin servicing private schools

Morning traffic might not be so bad anymore: private school students have started borrowing MCPS buses to school in a pilot program to eliminate traffic problems.

On March 3, the County Council unanimously voted to approve $240,560 to fund the pilot program, which began at the start of this school year.

County buses now serve six private schools: Silver Spring’s Torah School of Greater Washington, Yeshiva of Greater Washington and St. Francis International School; the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy and St. Jude Regional Catholic School in Rockville; and Bethesda’s own Norwood School.

The pilot program, which uses Ride On and MCPS buses, is intended to reduce traffic by relieving parents from driving their children to school during rush hour. Instead of paying for new buses and drivers, the county redirects current buses to nearby schools between the drivers’ normal routes.

Despite widespread support for the pilot, limited resources make expansion unlikely in the near future, according to county Chief of Division Services Carolyn Biggins. For many schools, joining the pilot can’t come soon enough. “[We had] car overflow at all three of Norwood’s entrances on major roads,” said Whitman junior Carolyn Hoover, who used to attend Norwood. “The transition to buses was a necessary step to increase the safety of the students.”

April 1, 2015

End of the LLS month journey

Thousands of dollars go to single research project

raised has helped the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families,” Shannon said.

Last year, LLS spent money on everything from research grants, co-pay assistance and programs such as LLS Acceleration Therapy Program, on which they spent $16 million last year. LLS also directly assists patients in Whitman raised almost $70,000 during this year’s LLS month. The money will go towards fundthe D.C. metro area. ing a specific research project, something new this year.

“Locally, 119 patients

BY JULIA GILMAN the program emphasizes precision medicine, which received $11,900 in finanFrom the Red Rush 5k teamwork and leader- the National Cancer Insti- cial aid to help offset the to bRAVE to 5 Dolla Hol- ship, showing kids that tute explains “uses infor- cost of miscellaneous and la, the whole school com- they can make a differ- mation about a person’s unexpected expenses regenes, proteins, and envi- lated to cancer treatment,” munity devotes attention ence,” Shannon said.

Around 75 percent of ronment to prevent, diag- said LLS campaign manand money towards fundraising for the Leukemia the nonprofit organiza- nose, and treat disease.” ager Stacy Matsuko.

Among everything and Lymphoma Society. tion’s funds go towards This year, Whitman For all the effort we put in program services, which LLS researches, funds our raised $67,523.51, but each February, it’s worth include patient and com- school raises in the future other schools’ fundraising knowing what LLS is munity service, research will go towards a specific totals and rankings have achieving with the dollars and education, accord- purpose. not yet been released.

“We will connect Last year, Whitman and we’ve poured our hearts ing to the organization’s 2014 annual report. The WWHS with a project rival WJ were the top funinto raising.

Although blood can- remaining 25.5 percent of within one of our 13 blood draising schools, raising cer awareness month is funds are spent on func- cancer research portfoli- $68,518.54 and $52,486.24 in September, LLS’s Pen- tional services like man- os,” Shannon said. “These respectively. Both Whitnies for Patients Program, agement and fundraising. portfolios include a vari- man and WJ are part of Since its founding in ety of projects that focus LLS’s National Capital which we call LLS month, takes place in February. 1949, LLS has invested $1 on leukemia, lymphoma, Area Chapter.

The program has raised billion in research. This myeloma and pediatrics, Previous fundraising over $230 million in the past year, almost $40 mil- so we can link your fun- success has not disincenpast 20 years and current- lion was devoted to leu- draising with a project tivized leadership from ly involves over 27,000 kemia research and over that is meaningful to your coordinating LLS month. schools, said Ellen Shan- $26 million to lymphoma. school.”

“The cause is univerWhitman has not yet sal because everyone has non, campaign manager The remaining $16 milfor local School & Youth lion went to other blood been paired with a proj- been affected by cancer ect, but Shannon will soon in one way or another,” programs.

Pennies for cancers.

LLS’ current research work with leadership ad- junior class president Patients is a true national effort; the top fundrais- goals include developing viser Sheryl Freedman to Carolyn Hoover said. ers come from all over the adoptive immunothera- select one. Previous funds “Whitman stays involved pies, which fight cancer raised during LLS month because we still haven’t country.

“School administra- cells by controlling a have been spent more accomplished our goal of tors, teachers, parents and patient’s own immune generally. finding the cure for can“The more than cer.” students alike enjoy the system, as well as rePennies program because searching and advancing $300,000 [Whitman] has photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

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Introduction of new PARCC tests compromised by student indifference by julia gilman “Smoothly” is how assistant principal Kathy McHale described this month’s PARCC tests going, which nearly a third of students took. However, some students refused to take the tests seriously, which may alter test results.

Sophomore English students, as well as all Algebra I and II students, took the PARCC Performance-Based Assessments during the weeks of March 9 and March 16.

PARCC exams are expected to replace the English and Algebra High School Assessments as a graduation requirement during the 201617 school year. This year’s tests will be used only for data analysis and have no direct implications for the students taking them.

The data, which schools will receive in November, could be skewed by some students who failed to respect the test and bubbled in random answer choices.

“Teachers and school systems will review results, along with other factors, to determine if students require additional assistance or advancement,” MCPS communications specialist Gboyinde Onijala said.

Maryland doesn’t allow students to opt out of testing, as some other states do. But students refusing to take tests, while rare, have in-

creased from previous years, MCPS spokesman Dana Tofig told the Washington Post.

Students spent the full day testing in the auditorium. Most English 10 students showed up for the tests, but many of them had trouble taking them seriously.

“Everyone in my section—there were like 30 of us—just wrote five words for all the essays and put random answers for the multiple choice,” sophomore Ari Gutman said.

Some students at the algebra PARCC did the same.

“People were really upset because it doesn’t count for anything and it’s never going to affect us,” sophomore Emily Zitner said. “People just raced through it in five minutes and just sat there for the rest of the day.”

Administrators acknowledged that the allotted time was more than most students needed.

“You might have a 75-minute test and a majority of kids are done in 20 or 30 minutes,” McHale said.

“They try to build in extra time for each session, but it makes it difficult when you test in a big [group] like this.”

However, the main issue for the algebra PARCCs stemmed from content. The PARCCs are aligned to the Common Core curriculum,

which has not yet been implemented in Algebra II classes. “[The questions] just felt unnecessarily long and not really very related to any of the tests we’ve taken,” junior Zachary Salem-Mackall said.

Students at other county schools were also unenthusiastic.

“Everyone still showed up on their testing days to do it, [but] many kids bubbled in answers to get back to class and learn,” said Claire Cherrick, a sophomore at B-CC. Students at Blair didn’t seem to be taking them seriously either, junior Diana Leung said.

Some view this student resistance as a regular part of standardized testing.

“There are always going to be kids who don’t like to take tests seriously,” Cherrick said. “That issue is going to be prevalent across any school.”

Overall, however, McHale said she sees the practice tests at Whitman as a success. Students completed the exam’s multiple choice and essay questions on Chromebook computers, and issues with the Chromebooks and WiFi access were minimal, she said.

“They showed up and the majority of them took it relatively seriously,” she said. “It went much better than I expected.”

News

aPRIL 1, 2015

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Lower Q3 GPAs worry administrators, teachers dynamic of some classes. Social studies resource teacher Bob Mathis said he has become more mindful of his approach to classroom discussion.

“I personally believe that kids learn more from each other, and the more that kids actually do, the more they learn,” Mathis said.

Still, the data indicates that there’s not enough being done. In fact, while the athletic eligibility rate is a 2.0 GPA, the leadership team has set Whitman’s target at 2.5, hoping to reach even more struggling students.

“We cannot ignore the fact that the strategy is not reaching at-risk kids,” principal Alan Goodwin said in an interview.

Recently MCPS released “Early Warning Indicator,” a database that includes information like attendance, behavior and coursework. The database will help administrators and leadership team members identify students

students.

While no one knows the exact cause for the GPA drop after the first quarter, some teachers suggested harder curriculum material like essays and research papers may be challenging to students who faced easier classwork in the first quarter.

Another factor skewing the GPA data is the incoming freshman class. There may be fewer ineligible students during the first quarter because grades from middle school aren’t included in a student’s GPA, and therefore don’t factor into eligibility. Freshmen may have a difficult time adjusting to harder coursework, which may contribute to the increase in ineligibility once their data is included, staff development teacher Suzanne Johnson said. Administrators, teachers and counselors are concerned that freshmen may need more help adjusting to high school .

The emphasis on class discussions has changed the

photo courtesy JUSTIN KAY

by Leor Rosen When you first hear your English teacher tell the class you’ll be focusing on HOLC for the day (pronounced like Marvel’s Hulk), you might think you’ll be learning about a big, green superhero with an anger problem. Actually, you’ll be participating in a “Higher Order Learning Conversation.”

HOLC, a new and fancy name for student-led discussions--both large and small group--is just one strategy all teachers, from English to math, are using to engage students more effectively.

Teachers and administrators hope that increasing student engagement might provide a remedy to the increase in the athletic ineligibility rate, which has spiked during third quarter for the past two years. This trend puzzles many staff members, and suggests that administrators and teachers must develop a better way to help struggling

Umttr members Andrew Cashmere and Justin Kay hold up five fingers to represent the five signs of emotional distress. They are supporting the Campaign to Change Direction’s #changemetalhealth.

by jacob blitz Sixteen percent of U.S. high schoolers have seriously considered suicide, according to the CDC. It’s a startling statistic, but local organization umttr is working to reduce it.

Churchill students worked with the family of Evan Rosenstock to found umttr (pronounced “you matter”) after Rosenstock took his own life in 2013. He would have been a se-

nior at Churchill this year.

Whitman senior Justin Kay, a lifelong friend of Rosenstock, was one of the first members of the group, and classmate Andrew Cashmere joined soon after.

Soon after its inception, the group became a founding member of nationwide mental health advocacy organization, Campaign to Change Direction. Following the 2013 school shooting

potentially at risk for not graduating.

Teachers and administrators are searching for ways to help these students this third quarter. Last week in a leadership meeting, Goodwin proposed a plan to increase parent communication with teachers, encourage teachers to keep track of one-on-one conversations with students and monitor failing grades on Edline. The staff will discuss the plan at their monthly staff meeting this week.

Several staff members suggested that the most effective way to foster academic improvement is to have a specific coordinator who can gather information about and plan support for these students.

“It would be nice if we had a quarterback for these kids,” Mathis said. “We’ve got parents, we’ve got teachers, we’ve got guidance counselors. But who is the quarterback for that individual kid?”

2015

Senior umttr members raise awareness for suicide prevention in Newtown, Connecticut, the Campaign brought charity and business leaders together to “create a new story in America about mental health,” according to its website’s mission statement.

Every founding member was required to make a pledge, but instead of donating money like other groups, umttr promised to educate 70,000 MCPS students about mental health in the next five years.

To fulfill its promise—and its own message that every life counts—umttr began hosting dine-outs and other fundraisers for research and advocacy groups. To commemorate Rosenstock’s passion for basketball, umttr’s signature event became an annual 3-on-3 tournament, during which participants learn about suicide prevention. Last school year’s tournament at Bullis raised $60,000 for groups including the Positive Coaching Alliance to build character in youth sports.

Starting last year, the organization also began working with national suicide prevention group Sources of Strength to implement a peer-resource program in county schools.

Students are elected by their friends to attend a training program where they learn how to support fellow students struggling with issues like suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and violence.

Umttr members attended a kickoff event March 4 at the Newseum for the Campaign to Change Direction’s new national initiative. At the event, first lady Michelle Obama and Bruce Cohen, director of the Oscar-winning film “Silver Linings Playbook,” spoke about the importance of mental health awareness.

The five fingers stand for the five signs of emotional distress: withdrawal, agitation, hopelessness, poor selfcare and personality change “It was surreal listening to the First Lady speak about an issue that’s so important in our nation that no one recognizes,” said Cashmere, who attended the kickoff along with Kay and

other umttr representatives.

As umttr continues to expand its efforts, Cashmere and Kay are bringing two of the organization’s activities to Whitman. This year’s 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be here on June 14, and the Sources of Strength peer training program will take place next school year.

“The more people there are vigilant in any kind of serious situation is helpful,” principal Alan Goodwin said.

Kay and Cashmere’s latest project is promoting the Campaign to Change Direction’s “#changementalhealth” social media movement. People are encouraged to post selfies holding up five fingers, which stand for the five signs of emotional distress: withdrawal, agitation, hopelessness, poor self-care and personality change.

Whatever the event, Cashmere explained that the ultimate goal is right in the name— to make people feel that they matter.

“Don’t be afraid to speak up,” he said to those worried about mental wellness. “There’s always people that care about you.”

Turf fields potentially hazardous to student health, research shows

by Margot Dionne Imagine you’re a high school sports star and you’ve just finished practice on a new turf field. You take off your shoes, and out pour dozens of tiny black rubber particles. You collect them in your hands, throw them in the trash and think nothing of them again.

Those tiny rubber particles, however, may be more dangerous than you think. Reports from multiple state health departments cited trace levels of carcinogens like lead and carbon black in the rubber that fills the fields. Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed turf fields safe in 2008, they are now examining the new threat rubber particles pose to children and athletes.

A handful of MCPS schools use turf fields, including nearby high schools

Montgomery Blair, Walter Johnson, Wootton and Richard Montgomery.

Whitman does not plan to install turf in the near future.

Parents and coaches worry that soccer goalies, who spend each game diving into the turf, are at an increased risk of developing certain cancers as a result of the rubber’s chemical properties, NBC News reported.

Amy Griffin, associate head soccer coach at the University of Washington, talked to NBC about her concerns. Griffin made a list of the 38 American soccer players that have cancer. Of these, 34 are goalies.

“It’s an unsettling idea that a play surface could be harmful, but plastics have certainly been implicated with certain types of cancers,” pediatrician

Promise Ahlstrom said.

The CPSC only checked a few fields for lead, and worry that the health threats are more serious than they first concluded, CPSC communications director Scott Wolfson said. The agency may not have tested a representative sample of fields across the country, and only tested for lead, Wolfson said.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has listed artificial turf as one of the seven main causes of lead poisoning, USA Today reported. When ingested, lead can cause comas, death and serious developmental problems, according to the CDC website.

The small rubber pellets inside turf fields are made from old scrap tires.

Commonly known as “crumb rubber,” the tire pieces are intended to prevent

injuries. There are about two to three pounds of crumb rubber per square foot of field, according to the New York Department of Health. That totals to about 170,000 pounds of rubber per football field, enough to make about 8,000 car tires.

In addition to lead poisoning and cancer, the rubber can cause skin abrasions and heat exhaustion.

Despite the negative attention and speculation, the CPSC website still maintains that turf fields are, for the most part, safe. But the agency admits they need to do more research.

“We do not have a position that they are okay,” Wolfson said. “And we do not have a science that they are harmful.”

To read more on the turf field debate, visit www.theblackandwhite.net .

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April 1, 2015

News

Goodwin celebrates 15th year at Whitman by sarina hanfling Forty years ago, shoulder pads were all the rage, people teased their hair high off their heads, and principal Alan Goodwin was just beginning his career in education. This year, Goodwin celebrates his 15th year in the Whitman community. He has had quite a ride.

He began teaching in 1975 as an English teacher at Rockville High School. He worked there for 24 years before coming to Whitman as an assistant principal. After four years, Goodwin became principal at Pyle. The next year, Goodwin returned to Whitman to replace principal Jerome Marco, who retired because of poor health.

“It’s the individual oneon-one moments with students and teachers that he feels so much satisfaction with” Eleanor Goodwin Looking over the past 15 years, Goodwin is incredibly proud and considers himself fortunate to work with such gifted and hardworking students, he said.

One of his proudest memories of his students is from 2009, when the Westboro Baptist Church protested the name of the school because Walt Whitman was supposedly gay.

Around 800 students posed a counter-protest, chanting messages of love, not hate, Goodwin said.

“We made a teaching experience of it,” he said. “Our kids were great. Overall it was a very fine, proud moment.”

Parents, teachers and students praise Goodwin for his ability to make anyone feel welcome at school. Spanish teacher Madeline Rudman is new to Whitman, but she knows how special Goodwin is. He always goes out of his way to check up on her, Rudman said.

“He makes teachers want to stay here,” she added.

Goodwin’s focuses include adapting students’ ideas to work in the school. For example, if the sophomore class wanted to have a movie night to raise money, Goodwin would have to figure out a way to make it successful, he explained.

“I really like helping students think through projects and come up with new activities,” Goodwin said.

In his first year as principal, Goodwin began the Whitman Education Foundation.

The foundation has initiated programs such as Stressbusters, and has extended media center hours so that students can work later into the afternoon.

In 2010 and in 2014, Bethesda Magazine voted Goodwin “Best Public School Principal.”

While he was honored by the

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

Dr. Goodwin marks 40 years in MCPS; from Rockville HS English teacher to principal

Principal Alan Goodwin often uploads pictures of student activities to Twitter. Pictured, Goodwin takes a snapshot of student a capella group NOTA at the Whitman Education Fund gala.

title, he believes he still has a lot to do to solve eminent problems at the school, he said.

“It’s always a frustration that not everybody at Whitman is happy every day,” he said. “We also still have room for growth in the area of the achievement gap.”

For the future, Goodwin hopes to improve technology in the school. He is currently working to develop a Whitman app for smartphones that will inform students about upcoming events.

“I want it to be a form of communication that students

will actually read,” he said.

Despite Goodwin’s illustrious reputation, he always gives credit to his wife, Eleanor, a teacher at Churchill, for his leadership skills.

“Because she’s a teacher, she has stopped me a few times, saying, ‘Teachers won’t like that,’” he said. “If you’re happy with my leadership, then you can thank my wife.”

Every night, Goodwin and Eleanor talk about their days at school. They share their successes, problems and new ideas. Goodwin has been so successful as principal, but his

proudest moments are the quietest ones, Eleanor said.

“I think, looking back, it’s the individual one-on-one moments with students and teachers that he feels so much satisfaction with,” she said.

The Whitman Education Foundation sponsored a fundraising event on March 20 to celebrate Goodwin’s 15 years in the community.

“It’s an honor to be recognized like this, but it’s a special honor to be principal of Walt Whitman High School,” he said.

photo courtesy MATT JORGENSON

Maryland senator Barbara Mikulski to retire in 2016 after 28 years of service to the country

by naba kahn When Barbara Mikulski first started her political career, she was told that she wasn’t fit for government office. 28 years later, it’s clear that she was.

After serving on the Senate longer than any other woman, Mikulski announced March 2 that she will not be running for a sixth term as Maryland’s senator come 2016. She has been a trailblazer in Congress, always pushing for improving the quality of life of her constituents and paving the way for women in politics.

“I would like to be remembered for listening to the people, knowing what their needs are, responding to that need, and trying to turn that into national policy,” Mikulski said in an email interview with the Black & White.

Mikulski’s greatest accomplishments include being the first female Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and being the Chief Sponsor of the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. The 2009 bill was

aimed at combatting pay discrimination and was the first bill signed into law by President Obama.

The push for women’s rights has been a key component of Mikulski’s time in office. She amended the Affordable Care Act introduced by President Obama to require insurance companies to provide mammograms and other preventive care products, such as birth control, to women.

Mikulski has also played a pivotal role in supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act, which adds procedural protection and transparency to payment and makes it easier for women to ensure equal pay in the future.

As a female candidate, Mikulski faced scrutiny when she decided to run for office. Many told the aspiring senator that she would not win the election because she was “short,” “mouthy,” and didn’t dress, fit or act “the part.”

“They said I couldn’t win. They said no woman could win statewide, and they said it just wasn’t done,” Mikulski said.

She overcame additional obstacles once elected to the Senate. Mikulski pushed for access to the formerly allmale gym and was the first woman to ever wear pants on the Senate floor, terminating the dress requirement for women.

“She proved that it is possible to come from small, inner-city Baltimore and raise yourself up to become a prominent figure in the United States,” junior Gideon Crawford said.

Mikulski had no natural mentor to show her the ropes in Congress. When more women were elected to office, she proudly took on the role of an advisor.

She organized a workshop for women in the Senate where she explained “the inner workings of the Senate, how to organize offices, and how to get on the best committees.”

Mikulski attended the University of Maryland School of Social Work and had been interested in public service since she was young. She realized that she wanted to run for public office when neighborhoods in her home city of Baltimore were threatened by a proposed 16-lane highway in their location.

She was a social worker at the time, and organized community members to protest in defense of the vital residential areas. The event is what Mikulski said prompted her to run for City Council, and eventually for the United States Senate.

“I knew I would rather be opening doors for others on the inside than knocking on doors from the outside,” Mikulski said.

The senator has always prioritized improving the lives of her constituents, she said. After speaking with volunteer firefighters, she initiated a program to provide firefighters with the supplies they need. In August, Mikulski and senator Bob Cardin announced $832,390 in federal grants to volunteer fire departments in Dorchester County.

“They said I couldn’t win.

They said no woman could win statewide, and they said it just wasn’t done.”

-Senator Barbara Mikulski Rosa’s Law, signed by the President in 2010, removes instances of the word “retarded” in United States law. The bill was inspired by a conversation Mikulski had with a mother at a roundtable discussion about children with special needs in Anne Arundel County.

In a recent press release, Mikulski announced that she plans to spend her remaining years on the Senate pushing for change and fighting for laws with-

out concentrating on reelection.

“Do I spend my time raising money, or do I spend my time raising hell? Do I focus on my election, or do I focus on the next generation?” said Mikulski.

Employment, fair pay, education opportunities and veteran support are pillars of her platform for the next two years. Her stand-out career and resolute personality have made Mikulski a fixture in Maryland’s representation.

“I think she served Maryland really well and worked really hard for Maryland. I think her views matched up really well with Maryland’s interests,” Government teacher Colin O’Brien said.

Mikulski encourages students interested in following in her footsteps to spread information about the movements they are passionate about. She started her career as a social worker, and said that fighting for a cause through social work is a good way to get involved.

“My advice is that knowledge is power, and it can be as simple as picking up a newspaper, turning on the news, or identifying issues that are important to you and discussing them with others,” she said.

The senator’s career has had a lasting impact in Maryland as well as nationwide.

“Barbara Mikulski’s voice has boomed through the halls of the Congress and has helped guide our nation through some of our country’s most trying times,” Minority Leader Harry Reed said in a recent statement.

2016 will mark the end of Senator Mikulski’s time in office—the end of a career that made waves for women and focused on bettering the lives of Maryland citizens.

“It’s always been about you, never about me,” Mikulski said, “that’s what it takes to be a good Senator by my expectations and by my standards.”

april 1, 2015

5

opinion

Quit complaining: English teachers got your essay grade right

by noah franklin After the Friday night performance of any Whitman Drama production— this past weekend’s Talent Show included—bunches of petered-out teens surviving on adrenaline alone pile into cars and participate in the school’s famed pilgrimage to the greasy, cramped Mecca that is Tastee Diner.

Why? Tradition—nothing more. Literally, nothing more. For one, the food is subpar at best. I’m struggling to find an apt analogy here; you would refer to the one good thing for miles around as an oasis in a desert. But Tastee Diner would be the opposite: a fairly foul anomaly in a sea of very good Bethesda restaurants.

On top of all that, they have a wildly counterproductive business model of hating all of their customers. But if I want to address this issue, I can’t keep tearing apart—as their website eloquently puts it—“one of the last original and authentic American Diners.” I have to fight this at the source.

Just because something is always done, it isn’t necessarily the right thing to do. If you skimmed my anecdotal intro looking for my thesis, that was it. I’ll use it as a sort of chorus or refrain to this song.

Everywhere I want to repeat that sentiment, I’ll type [CHORUS]. Far too often in, well…life, people stand by the petty fallback of “that’s how it’s always been done.”

Now, I will admit that there is an innate satisfaction in tradition. And many people are gleeful slaves to it. It’s fun to be part of something bigger—something that existed before you and some-

thing that will live on after you.

But the traditions that should persist are the ones that remain enjoyable in and of themselves. A St. Patrick’s Day shepherd’s pie baking contest and Mario Kart tournament would be a wee-bit weird in terms of an annual family tradition, but that honestly sounds like a quirky blast. Verdict: good tradition.

If every Tastee Diner outing consists of world-weary grumbling and inquiring as to why anybody even partakes in this unbelievably mediocre ritual, then why, oh why, do we do it? [CHORUS].

This extends to smaller customs which might more properly be labeled as habits. For example, I recently found out that a route which I take home constantly is actually considerably slower than a different one. My world was rocked, but it just goes to show that [CHORUS].

So basically, boo, you can do better.

Change! Evolve! Think! Use traditions as an excuse for silly things. Use traditions as a meaningful tie to your family or the world. But if you take a step back and realize that neither of those things apply, there’s nothing binding you to tradition.

To seal my point, I’m now going to end by starting a new tradition and following a pretty effective one. First, I suggest that after the Friday night of a Whitman Drama performance, the kids should all go play laser tag at Shadowland. And now, in accordance with the traditional verse-chorus structure of songs, I’ll end with a [CHORUS].

teacher appreciate the unique thinking and another dislike it? Possibly, but that wouldn’t result in a dramatically different grade. If one teacher thinks an essay is written excellently or poorly, another teacher will most likely concur. Sound logic and decent writing skills will be recognized by any teacher, despite any “out-of-thebox thinking” that’s also happening.

If an essay is incompetently written, a teacher will not grade it substantially better than another teacher. That’s just common sense.

There was a .5 point difference between the scores for the same essay.

How do you explain that? You’re really splitting hairs right now, but it’s justified. A multiple choice test graded by different teachers would have the exact same scores, so shouldn’t an essay?

Ideally, yes. But a .5 difference is the smallest disparity possible; it’s a 2 percent difference. Furthermore, the College Board allows for a 1.5 point difference in scores from teacher to teacher. The fact that our English teachers can come so close to each other should be applauded, not criticized.

So students, next time you’re convinced that you’ve been bamboozled out of a better grade because of your teacher, I politely ask you to shut up.

The English teachers put in much more work to keep grades consistent than you might think, and there’s no chance that one teacher has a radically different view on what makes an exemplary paper. Understand that, and hopefully you’ll spend less time cursing out teachers, and more time improving your writing.

Issue 5 Corrections

Page 4: Unattributed quote is by Dahlia Huh Page 12: ‘Extraordinary Teen’ correct URL: www.photobilitiesphotography.com Page 18: The Syracuse University newspaper’s name is The Daily Orange Page 20: Thailand’s kings do not live in the Grand Palace

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

Failing the test of time

by spencer adams Students: stop whining, moaning and complaining; the grade you got on your essay would have been the same no matter which English teacher you had.

Enter any English classroom on the day that students get back an essay, and you’re bound to hear this at least once: “I totally would have gotten a better grade if I had *insert teacher name*! This is so unfair! It’s not my fault, it’s the teacher’s!”

But that’s just not the case. What’s the evidence? The three AP Language teachers compare the number of students with As, Bs and Cs in their classes toward the end of each quarter, says teacher Susan Buckingham, and they have practically the same numbers each time.

That should be reason enough to stop complaining about English grading, but for the sake of this article, lets delve into the issue a bit further.

English grading is inherently unfair because writing is subjective; it’s not an exact science. Fair point, but that doesn’t mean essay grading is totally arbitrary. English grading, like any other subject, has guidelines and procedures, resulting in a fairly consistent distribution of grades. The Black & White gave each of the three AP Language teachers the exact same in-class essay written by a student last year. Each teacher graded the essay individually, with no discussion among themselves before revealing the scores.

The results? 8.5, 8.5 and 8, which translates to 96, 96 and 94 percent.

But what if a student writes something outside of the box? Couldn’t one

Volume 53, Issue 6 2014-2015 The Black & White is published 9 times a year by the students of Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White is an open forum for student views. Students and staff can pick up the paper free of charge. Mail subscriptions cost $35. The newspaper aims to both inform and entertain.

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6

opinion

april 1, 2015

Should ISIS be censored on social media?

A

s backward and medieval as ISIS seems, they have mastered one element of the modern world: social media. It seems like every day they are posting new videos to their Facebook accounts, making a new app on Google Play, or trying to start a new hashtag on Twitter.

Indeed, it is indisputable that social media forms part of the backbone of their foreign recruiting strategy. Large Internet platforms like Facebook or Twitter provide a megaphone for the terrorist organization, allowing them to highlight their brutality and attract new followers with promises of an “Islamist Utopia.”

And that’s why Twitter and Facebook are completely justified in taking down accounts associated with these murderers.

For one, these platforms enable the Islamic State to threaten the world and warmonger. While the execution of journalist James Foley last fall might have introduced most of the West to the brutality of the group, in truth their social media presence go beyond that by providing ISIS a unique opportunity to encourage and facilitate violence.

In fact, social media is one of the largest reasons for ISIS’s dizzying rise to power. In a region rife with various militant groups, ISIS’s savvy marketing allowed them to differentiate themselves from other roving bands of killers and attract new followers. Take away social media, and their star dims.

Reports have recently come out detailing how ISIS has used social media in order to target potential

by William recruits and lure them into membership. They mesArnesen sage potential recruits and give them ways to slip into Iraq and Syria. Taking away their social media presence could go a long way toward limiting their power.

ISIS’s social media savvy is just the next stage in the long evolution of terror organizations: terror for the 21st century.

Al-Qaeda had their grainy videos of Osama bin Laden but never did they have the depth and sophistication of the digital world that al-Baghdadi’s men have.

As for the free speech concerns over censorship, even that of terrorists, recognize that Twitter and Facebook are private companies and can do with the content on their site as they please. Insofar as advocating violence constitutes a violation of both of the companies’ terms and conditions, removal of ISIS’s content is completely justified.

Moreover, the notion that this censorship is inconsistently applied is likewise suspect. Just because not every violent video is taken down doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take any down. ISIS’s posts are a unique brand of violence advocacy, much farther over the line of acceptability than almost any other post.

And the claim that this would hamstring intelligence agencies and that people need to be able to see these videos and posts to understand ISIS’s horror? Likewise false. Intelligence agencies still can access the videos that are removed and news agencies can still report on many of them. YouTube and Twitter censor videos now and that hasn’t stopped the media from sharing ISIS’s brutality. One can still watch videos of the Jordanian pilot burning on Fox and NBC today.

Overall, limiting terrorists’ access to social media is a low-risk, high-reward approach to saving American lives and it’s an approach America should embrace.

Y E S

Y

our virtual war on the Internet will cause a real war on you,” the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria warned Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey after Twitter shut down ISIS social media accounts, according to USA Today.

Twitter is among several social media sites that have been censoring ISIS propaganda, and now, it is the new target of ISIS’s war on the West. This is a prime example of a backfired attempt to silence ISIS. It demonstrates why other media outlets, specifically YouTube, shouldn’t join Twitter in limiting ISIS videos or propaganda on their site.

By removing ISIS’s videos, YouTube’s founders are endangering themselves. While the legitimacy of ISIS’s threats is unclear, ISIS members have shown atrocities they can inflict on American journalists with the beheadings of Steven Sotloff and James Foley.

To remove videos or even YouTube channels, the content has to be reviewed by a YouTube employee. One hundred hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute, and with violent content allowed for educational/documentary purposes, the line is unclear about what to filter.

When U.S. photojournalist James Foley’s beheading was documented and posted to YouTube, officials immediately removed the video because it was too graphic. Twitter also responded by disabling the accounts of users who shared the video.

Yet, there are videos on YouTube of people being

by Grace killed by the police (New York’s Eric Garner) and Steinwurtzel footage of marines urinating on deceased Taliban soldiers. This material isn’t removed, yet ISIS videos are.

Clearly, removing such content isn’t evenly applied; all graphic videos should be removed, or none at all.

In addition, intelligence agencies don’t always support the removal or blocking of such material. In many cases, government intelligence wants the content to stay up for tracking purposes. The removal of ISIS propaganda or videos will create further challenges for officials monitoring the group’s activity, according to the National Homeland Security Association.

As a private entity, YouTube isn’t required to uphold the First Amendment. Nonetheless, freedom of speech is a principle worth upholding. All forms of media should be responsible for disclosing the truth.

As citizens, we deserve to know the full extent of the behaviors of groups like ISIS, especially when our country is applying significant military resources to combat them. We cannot fulfill this duty, however, if ISIS material is censored.

While supporters of ISIS censorship on YouTube fear that the material serves as a large recruiting platform, it does the opposite. The videos reveal the brutal nature of the group, and they can intensify negative feelings toward ISIS. British journalist Piers Morgan agreed in a post on the Daily Mail, a British newspaper. Morgan forced himself to watch the video of ISIS setting a Jordanian pilot on fire, saying that he felt it was a necessity to fully appreciate the ruthless nature of ISIS. Morgan pointed out that this is not something that would be accomplished by simply reading a description of the incident.

“I’m glad about all this, because it allows me to feel such uncontrollable rage that no amount of reasonable argument will ever temper it,” Morgan said.

N O

Alumni perspectives on controversies, merits of Greek life by sarina hanfling Recently, the news has been flooding with reports of sexual assault, racism, and hazing at sororities and fraternities across the country. While these are valid concerns, the actions of a few don’t reflect the actions of all people involved in Greek life. The Black & White talked to Whitman graduates about their experiences with Greek life at their respective universities.

“My favorite part of being a Tri Delt at LSU is being involved in fundraising efforts for our philanthropy, St. Jude. We’ve raised around $130,000 this year and we have an opportunity to go to Memphis to St. Jude’s headquarters over winter break to see these dollars being invested at Tri Delta Place at St. Jude which is really, really rewarding.”

-LSU Tri Delta Annabelle Scully (‘14)

photo courtesy ANNABELLE SCULLY

-Wesleyan independent Caroline Elmendorf (‘13) Note: Due to recent reports of sexual assault occurring in fraternities, Wesleyan University has ordered all fraternities on campus to either become co-ed, or shut down. Because Wesleyan is a small liberal arts university, there is only one sorority on campus, and only two all-male fraternities. Greek life at Wesleyan is obviously very different from at big universities, but the school still contributes to a nationwide debate on student’s involved in Greek life.

“My fraternity has a national database called DeltsConnect that serves as a massive networking site exclusively for brothers of Delta Tau Delta, and even outside of the database we constantly have alumni reaching out to us about internships and things like that. Greek life also provides a lot of opportunities to hone leadership skills. If I can control a room of 60 or more riled up fraternity brothers and get positive results then I’m pretty confident in my abilities in future conflicts.”

“A lot of frats and sororities nationally have racial divisions, so we do a lot of talk to make sure we’re a really diverse chapter. I’m actually the only white girl in my lineage. I’ve also found that in terms of sexual assault, sororities are a really helpful group to [provide support] and fix that issue.”

-Duke University Alpha Phi Nicole Payne (‘13) photo courtesy ANDREW FEDER photo courtesy BEN ZIMMERMANN

“Two of my closest friends have been sexually assaulted by men at fraternities, and when they tried to ask for help from other brothers they were ignored and now have been emotionally and sometimes physically damaged by this. Getting rid of fraternities would not eliminate sexual assault, but I think that particularly the loss of the houses and the fraternity atmosphere would certainly decrease sexual assaults.”

“Most frats at Northwestern have risk managers. Every party and social event from prom-type events to camping trips, they are monitoring people for risk. Fraternities are so much more than [partying and drinking].”

-Beta Beta Tau Northwestern Ben Zimmermann (‘14)

-Syracuse University Delta Tau Delta Andrew Feder (‘11)

“When a person in a fraternity does something wrong, it’s more likely to show up in the papers as, ‘member of *insert greek organization here* accused of drugging girl.’ When a non-greek does something like that, it’s not going to say something like, ‘member of sailing club drugs girl.’”

-Clemson Alpha Sigma Phi Robby Lund (‘13)

April 1, 2015

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7

april 1, 2015

8

IN-D

Underage Drinking: The facts

by Gabe Kahan

You’re standing in the corner at a party with your best friend. You’re grasping a red Solo cup of Natty Light in your hand. You hear the doorknob turn and two brawny figures enter the house. Beams of light blind you and your friends; panic spreads through the room. You drop the evidence and turn toward the back door as the swarm of underage drinkers flees. But you feel fingers tighten around your wrist—it’s too late. Busted.

So why read this article? You got cited. Or a friend of yours did. Or maybe you’re just a bright kid looking to avoid trouble. After consulting with MoCo Police spokesperson Rebecca Innocenti and defense attorney Jennifer Page, the Black & White answered the questions you may be afraid to ask about the aftermath of a busted party.

What happens if I get a citation?

When you’re cited, you’re automatically given a court date at which you can either accept and pay a fine —the fine increases if you’ve been cited before—or challenge the citation. As an American citizen, you have the right to have a lawyer present in court. If you prove at your court date that you have probable cause to challenge the citation, the case is moved to a larger, more well-equipped judicial system.

For juvenile offenses, there will be an intake meeting before the court date at which the judge will typically give the minor 90 days to attend an alcohol class or complete community service instead of having to appear in court. In this situation, the citation would be “sealed” on the juvenile’s record, meaning it will be erased from public record and only the police can access them.

If I’m at a party where others minors are drinking but I’m not, can I still be cited?

Yes, minors can be issued “constructive” civil citations, a term that stems from the legal term constructive possession. Constructive citations are issued when an officer can’t prove that you were drinking but has reasonable suspicion to believe that you were. So yes,

you can still be cited, even if you’re not drinking, as long as you’re in an area where you have access to alcohol.

The only valid argument you can make to not be cited is if you can prove that you were removed enough from the party that you didn’t know what was going on, Innocenti said.

How long do citations stay on my record?

Citations can be sealed upon request if you’re a minor. In addition, many judges provide first-time minor offenders the opportunity to get the charge sealed by taking an alcohol class or completing community service. If the charge transfers over to your record as an adult, you can get it expunged, meaning that while your record still shows the arrest and tried charge, the case is dismissed and you’re seen as “not guilty.”

“The courts are trying to keep first offenses off of permanent records,” Page said.

A tarnished record can be a major obstacle for future

as reasonable articulate suspicion (RAS) that illegal activity is taking place. Officers always have the right to look in windows or into yards, and if they see or smell alcohol, they have the right to enter without a warrant.

If an officer knocks on the door and has RAS that underage drinking is taking place, they may enter without a warrant. If a parent answers the door and the situation is evidently under control, the officer (in most cases) would need a warrant to enter.

In short, what an officer sees at a party determines their rights and yours in each particular situation. Judges can later rule on whether their judgment was reasonable, but the law leaves it up to the officer’s judgment.

“It’s ultimately the judge’s decision,” Page said.

“If you have another problem later, these things always come up, even if they’ve been cleared... It’s not accurate to say that they are harmless charges.” Can - Jennifer Page ent

endeavors in the workforce and a student’s college education. Colleges, employers and many law enforcement agencies will flat out ask if you have ever committed a criminal or civil offense, even if the offense is no longer on your record. You may not receive security clearance for a job if the organization finds out you’ve been cited in the past, even if the charge is as small as underage drinking.

Getting a citation, even if it is sealed and no one but the courts can see it, can still affect you if you commit other crimes later.

“If you have another problem later, these things always come up, even if they’ve been cleared,” Page said. “It’s not accurate to say that they are harmless charges.”

How can citations affect my college application process?

Unless a citation has been expunged or dismissed, you must report it on any college application that asks if you have committed a crime or misdemeanor. The Common Application, as well as most school-specific applications, ask students to report criminal activity and explain the charges, said Coleen Yazurlo, associate director of admissions at Hood College.

However, in practice, most first offenses for minors are sealed and never have to be reported.

What is a student allowed to do when the police are at the door? Can they say no if an officer asks to come in?

a parbe prosecuted for being present at a party in which minors are participating in illegal activity? If so, what charges do they face?

Any adult who is present at an underage party in their home can be charged with furnishing alcohol or hosting an underage party through Maryland’s Social Host Law, which holds party hosts liable for any alcohol-related injuries that occur as a result of providing alcohol to minors. All of these charges are criminal in nature and would go on the adult’s criminal record. There are also civil repercussions, such as fines, that the parent may face and those civil responsibilities could be in excess of thousands of dollars.

What rights do students have before being given a breathalyzer test? Can they ask for their parent to be present before the test is administered?

Students who are present at a party with alcohol, intoxicated or not, can be cited for possession of alcohol whether breath tests are given or not. A portable breath test can be refused, but it is generally used to “clear” someone who has not been drinking. If you refuse the portable breath test, whose results can’t be used in court, you will probably be issued a citation.

Officers have complete discretion as to what serves

cartoons by SEBI SOLA-SOLE

DEPTH

9

april 1, 2015

Students face school, police punishments for underage drinking .

Continued from page 1

“I’m so glad Dr. Goodwin decided to give us a second chance,” a second sophomore girl said.

In fact, the state education department has restricted administrators’ ability to discipline students for underage drinking both on and off school grounds.

This is evidenced by the Breck trip, when none of the students found with alcohol or marijuana faced punishment beyond a recommendation of 10 hours of community service. Thanks to the state education department, future punishments for in-school issues like bRAVE are expected to be similarly light, especially in regard to suspension.

“There’s a huge emphasis now in the state to try to keep kids in school and engaged in learning,” Goodwin said, “and Whitman has the toughest policy for exclusion. We’re not allowed to suspend [out of school] anymore.”

In general, the legal consequences for underage drinking are more severe than the school ones, but this wasn’t the case at bRAVE. As many as eight police officers and a trove of school security guards roamed the gym and surrounding hallways during bRAVE to keep order and check for students under the influence. Security guards even used the DJ’s microphone to call the names of students they suspected to be drunk. Despite the police presence, the seven students weren’t cited.

Goodwin speculated that having both school officers as well as the alcohol unit handling the incident might have caused confusion.

“Maybe once the alcohol team showed up, our officers assumed they were going to do it; I just don’t know,” Goodwin said. “Ordinarily, there would’ve been

citations. I’m disappointed there weren’t, but it’s not our call.”

Based on similar situations, it’s surprising the students weren’t cited. At Walter Johnson’s LLS rave event, “Glow,” the police weren’t so lenient. There, students who were discovered to be under the influence were issued citations in addition to school punishments.

The situation at Glow seems to follow the law more closely than the one at bRAVE. “If you are in possession of alcohol under the age of 21, then you can be issued a civil citation,” MoCo police spokesperson Rebecca Innocenti said.

“There are no ‘event’ or ‘number of people in possession of alcohol’ requirements to be issued a citation.”

Innocenti said she wasn’t at bRAVE so she doesn’t know the specifics, but she knows that “the person’s cooperation, honesty, and the particular circumstances of the incident” can sometimes lead an officer to let a minor off clean from a citation.

“They got lucky,” security team leader Cherisse Milliner said. “It was pure luck.”

Two recent parties result in 12 student citations

While the students at bRAVE got off totally free in terms of legal consequences, those at the recent parties weren’t so fortunate.

Two years ago, 35 students cited at a single party were also given some form of punishment from the school—many were suspended from athletics or blocked from other school activities. Now, things are different.

While a recent party of around 100 people resulted in seven citations be-

Original Zero Tolerance Policy - 10- day out-of school suspension and recommendation for expulsion

.

- 6-month ban from extracurriculars OR 3-month ban from extracurriculars and 150 service hours

Current Zero Tolerance Policy (changed at the start of this year)

- Up to 5-day in-school suspension

.

- 6-month ban from extracurriculars OR 3-month ban from extracurriculars and 150 service hours

Zero Tolerance Used for bRAVE Punishment - 2-day in-school suspension - 10-day ban from extracurriculars - 20 hours community service

tween juniors and seniors, five out of about 50 students were cited at another party that was primarily freshmen and sophomores. Unlike the party two years ago, there were no school consequences.

“We didn’t get in any trouble with the school,” said one junior boy who was cited. “I don’t even know if they know.”

While Goodwin did find out where both recent parties took place, he doesn’t know most of the names of the students cited.

“Principals are rarely given the names that are on the citations, but a lot of times I get that secondhand,” Good-

win said.

Had he known the students, he said he likely wouldn’t have punished them, but coaches and extracurricular leaders could have made their own judgments.

Students who were caught drinking recently may now be deterred from doing it again, but some think that the prospect of alcohol-free parties or school events, especially bRAVE, is unrealistic.

“I definitely will not be drinking at school events ever or drinking at all for a very long time,” the second sophomore girl said, “but I’m sure others will continue. It’s inevitable.”

feature

Whitman mother balances family and professional folk and jazz music career

by Sophia Higgins Hannah Montana isn’t the only musician leading a double life. Between CD release concerts, parent-teacher conferences and award ceremonies, Whitman parent Laura Baron just might give Miley a run for her money.

Baron, mother of junior Gabe Kahan, supplements her parental role with a professional folk and jazz music career.

Her work earned her five nominations and three Washington Area Music Association awards for 2014.

Baron won “Wammies” for best contemporary folk album and best contemporary folk vocalist, and tied with another musician for song of the year. Her winning track “A Little Note” is now one of her most popular songs.

“I like writing songs about second chances, people being inspired to take on new challenges, and breaking free,” Baron said. “This song was about a woman who broke free from an abusive relationship and took her life back. There’s something about that I found very powerful.”

Another recent achievement for Baron was her selection as one of six adult finalists in the 2015 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards. While she didn’t win the $10,000 prize, the acknowledgment gave her publicity that has helped expand her local fanbase, she said.

Baron’s creative lyrics combined with her folksy jazz sound help her stand out among other contemporary musi-

it’s a little harder for the audience. What makes me unique as a performer, I think, is that I always try to mix it up.”

Baron also teaches private and group songwriting lessons and is a member of the Songwriting Association of Washington (SAW), which supports songwriters of all ages and hosts open mics and workshops.

SAW sponsored Baron’s CD release concert, where she raised money for a charity called KidSave. The organization helps place older orphans into homes, beginning with a summer stay and then offering the choice of adoption.

For Baron, this charity’s work strikes close to home—rather, at home. In fact, the title track of her latest album, “Heart of the Great Unknown,” is about her daughter Ruchi, whom her family adopted from India three and a half years ago.

“I wrote it right when I was finding out who she really was,” Baron said.

“The song just really flowed through me.

Then of the rest of the record, it all came from there.”

While being a wife and mother is full-time job in itself, Baron never intends to stop writing and performing music.

“I’m always trying to work on my craft,” Baron said. “You can’t just sit back; you want to grow. I’m juggling having two kids and having a really active professional life as a musician. And I’m keeping both dreams alive.”

cians, junior Grace Myers said.

“She has a really fresh perspective because she’s not just another 20-yearold talking about love,” Myers said.

“She’s talking about things that are real to her.”

Baron got her first guitar in her early teens and began writing folk songs, finding influence in artists like Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. By her 20s, she began a career writing and performing children’s music, as well as teaching at a preschool in D.C. “I think one of the reasons I was successful as a teacher was because I had a background as a performer, so I really knew how to work the crowd of the kids,” she said.

After releasing five albums for children, Baron began to focus on recording new music in 2004, leading up to the release of her album “Stay With Me” in 2006.

Initially, Baron’s music was heavily folk-influenced, reflecting the work of the musicians she idolized as a teenager.

As her career progressed, she began to incorporate more jazz into her sound.

Her experience performing with various swing and jazz ensembles helped her develop as a jazz artist, she said.

During shows, Baron said she likes to play a variety of soulful, heartfelt songs and upbeat, sassy jazz numbers.

“It’s like a flow,” she said. “If I’m just singing these introspective songs,

Laura Baron’s original music has earned her five nominations and three Washington Music Association awards for 2014.

Alum’s passion for computers brings him to Uganda, LinkedIn

photo courtsey NATALIE WELBER

Irish dancers participate in competitions worldwide by arya hodjat Junior Matthew Larson may not necessarily have the luck of the Irish, but he certainly has their moves.

Larson, along with freshman Elly Baker, sophomores Camryn Dahl and Natalie Welber and senior Sophie Welber, competes in the art of Irish dancing. They practice at the Culkin School of Dance in Silver Spring, where senior and former competitor Alex Papados is an instructor.

In Irish dance, the movements themselves are more similar to tap dancing than styles like ballroom, modern, or hip-hop.

Competitors are typically graded on their footwork as well as the preciseness of their timing.

Larson competes primarily in the singles event. He has traveled from New Orleans to London to participate in international tournaments, placing as high as 29th in one international competition last year.

“It’s a great opportunity to get connections,” Larson said. “It’s unique. Not a lot of people do it.”

One of the few male dancers Larson works with is Papados, who retired from competing earlier this year. During his career, Papados placed as high as 8th in a national competition and 24th internationally.

“I haven’t quit Irish dancing altogether, I just quit competing,” Papados said. “I have done everything a competitive Irish dancer aims to do in their career.”

Unlike most other Irish dancers, whose inspiration stems from their family, Papados’s passion began as a result of watching the movie “The Luck of the Irish” on Disney Channel when he was four.

“I wanted to learn how to dance immediately after I saw the movie, but my mom had no idea that Irish Dancing classes existed,” Papados said.

Papados started at the Culkin School at age 10 after seeing a flier, and rose quickly through the ranks. In his time dancing, he perfomed at venues as large as Strathmore

April 1, 2015

photo courtsey LAURA BARON

10

Sophomore Natalie Welber poses with a trophy won at the Regional Set Irish dance competition this past December.

and with notable artists such as Grammy winners The Chieftans and Carlos Nunez.

“If I could go back and do it all over again, I most definitely would,” Papados said. “Irish Dancing has matured me as a person and shaped who I am today.”

The Welber sisters began the sport at the same time during elementary schools.

They’ve never competed with or against each other, as competitions are separated by age levels.

“My mom suggested my sister to pick a type of dance, and we had family friends who did Irish dance, so she picked that,” Natalie said. “Since I was in 3rd grade, I wanted to do whatever my sister did, so I started Irish dancing too.”

One perk of dancing at the Culkin School is the opportunity to perform in the D.C. St. Patrick’s Day parade every year.

But for dancers like Larson and Welber, their love of dance is enough to keep them jigging.

“I like how it’s challenging both physically and mentally,” Natalie said. “I love the feeling of when you finally get it right.”

by lindsay wytkind Alum Teddy Knox (‘11) has always been a fan of taking gadgets apart. The next logical step was learning to put them back together—and that’s exactly what he did.

Knox, now a senior computer science major at Middlebury College, has had a passion for technology and engineering since he was young. So far, Knox has pursued his interest in technology with gusto—designing advanced websites, building chat programs and recently landing a job as a software engineer for LinkedIn. “I’ve always been a geek,” Knox said. “My dad likes to say he was a geek before it was cool, and so he had plenty of computers lying around the house for me to mess around with.”

Knox became hooked on computer programming when he took his first programming classes at Whitman with Mrs. Song and Mrs. Wang.

“These classes were pretty handsoff and light, and for me, became a break from the monotony of my core schedule,” Knox said. “I think my interest in computer science flourished because of the space they gave us to explore computers in the way we wanted.”

After that, Knox delved further into the world of technology. One of his early projects was building a chat program with a friend just for fun.

Knox’s sister Betsy has always been aware of her brother’s love for technology.

“From the beginning, Teddy has always pursued what he is interested in,” Betsy said. “He learned that he was good at programming and he used that to do everything from designing the school newspaper website to getting a job right out of high school.”

Knox furthered his exposure to engineering during a service trip to Uganda in the summer after his sophomore year at Whitman. In Uganda, Knox spent three weeks teaching classes, conducting surveys and setting up a town internet computer lab.

He worked in an IT department the previous summer, so he was able to lead the effort to successfully network the computers for the remote Internet café.

“By the end of the trip, we had set up 10 laptops and a Mifi card in a small concrete building with a tin roof and solar panel,” Knox said. “I felt proud to have personally empowered these villagers with Internet.”

Beyond volunteer work, Knox has also used his skills for tech entrepreneurship, through which he can market his websites and other creations to the public.

“Once word gets out that you can make apps or websites, a lot of cool opportunities come your way,” Knox said. “Last year my friend and I built a website that lets Middlebury students write and share course reviews, and now the whole school uses our website.”

One such opportunity is his new position at LinkedIn that will begin after graduation. He will be programming software to help businesses manage their advertising campaigns to help them connect to other businesses through LinkedIn. “Along the way, you encounter a lot of optimization problems for how to spend each customer’s money so they can get the most bang for their buck,” Knox said.

Knox’s dream has always been to be part of an engineering team that makes people stop and realize that they are living in “the future,” and his job at LinkedIn is a big step in the right direction, he said.

While he doesn’t know what his exact plans are, Knox knows that he wants to continue down the engineering path.

“The field of computer science is moving so fast that anyone with time and a strong undergraduate background in computer science can make advances,” he said. “ It’s hard to say where I’ll be 5 years from now, but wherever I am I plan to keep learning.”

April 1, 2015

Feature

photos courtesy AARON JACOBSON

Alums flee Bethesda Bubble, run hostel in Panama

Jacobson and Torres (08’) manage the Palmar Tent Lodge by adam simon In summer 2013, alum Aaron Jacobson (’08) was walking home from his job at Lululemon Athletica in downtown Bethesda. He had just given them his two-week notice. In two and a half weeks he would be going to graduate school at the University of Miami to get his masters degree in aquaculture studies.

On his walk home, he passed the familiar house of his long-time friend, Sebastian Torres (’08). He decided to stop by.

“We started talking about the paths each of us were on, and he was telling me about his uncle who had quit his job to buy a farm,” Jacobson said.

They started questioning why they were jumping into their chosen paths so quickly—for Torres it was realty, and for Jacobson it was grad school.

“I was stressing out about my job, Aaron was worried about school and what he’d study,” Torres said. “We just decided to do a 180 into a completely different world and a completely different adventure.”

They decided they wanted to take a couple years to just take on a project, something like what Torres’ uncle did.

That day, Jacobson stayed at Torres’s house talking, researching and brainstorming what their project would be.

In their Internet searches, they kept finding hostels.

Six hours later, Jacobson stood up to leave.

“I told him ‘if you shake my hand, we’re doing this,” Jacobson said.

They shook hands. Two years later, Jacobson and Torres are running their

One of the tents on site, equipped with floors, mattresses and fans. Alums Sebastian Torres, Aaron Jacobson, Ellie Anderson Doug Acker.

own beachside tent lodge in Panama.

In the next months, the two kept researching, and eventually found a hostel-type lodge called the Palmar Tent Lodge for sale. By a stroke of luck, the owners happened to be in Arlington, VA. They met up with the owners for breakfast in DC and got a better understanding of the place. Two weeks later, in the beginning of November of 2013, they went down to Central America to backpack to several hostel locations, starting with the Palmar Tent Lodge on the islands of Bocas del Toro on the Atlantic coast of Panama.

“It was better than the pictures,” Jacobson said. “Our thing was to kind of find a rundown place and build it up, but it was nice to find a place that was already pretty well-established. It was a much better fit for us.”

They spent two weeks at the hostel, watching how the business functioned and getting a feel for what it was like to be a guest there. The hostel is located right on the beach of the island. It has its own restaurant and bar and nine “tents” on site, all of which have hardwood floors, mattresses and fans.

“We decided to continue on with our backpacking trip from there, but we loved the place,” Jacobson said.

“We knew that if we couldn’t get this place, that would be it, because nothing would be as nice.”

Over the course of the two months, the two backpacked, scuba dived and traveled through Panama, Nicaragua,

Honduras and Costa Rica. At the end of the trip, as they expected, Palmar was clearly at the top of their list.

After months of tedious paperwork and financing, in February 2014, the two moved down to Panama to train and learn how to run the tent lodge, and by March, they were running it.

“We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into when it came to living off the grid,” Jacobson said.

Even getting to their tiny spot in the islands of Bocas del Toro is a trek. Following a 10-hour bus ride from Panama City to the closest town, you have to take a water taxi to the main island, a 15-minute boat ride to their island, then a small hike to the hostel. On top of that, there was some work to be done.

Torres and Jacobson had to completely overhaul the existing solar energy system, while also upgrading their water system. Because they use a system of collecting rainwater, the staff and guests need to be mindful of their water usage. Currently, the hostel has somewhere around 8600 gallons.

“At any time, we could have 30 guests, eight volunteers and plenty of beach traffic,” Jacobson said. “With showers and with one toilet flush taking about one gallon of water, we go through about 500 gallons a day.”

The hostel hires a mixture of Panamian locals and volunteers. The volunteers come through a website called “Work Away,” where an employer can post about what spots they need filled

and users can search for opportunities.

“Over the course of the time that the volunteers are there, we all become family,” Jacobson said.

As for Torres and Jacobson, this adventure has only brought them closer together.

“They always say that it’s crazy to start a business with your best friend because you’ll end up resenting each other,” Torres said. “After a year, I can say that Aaron was probably the best possible person to get into a business with.”

This sense of camaraderie extends to the guests as well. At most hotels and hostels, guests have access to Wifi and spend a lot of time looking at their phones and computers. However, the scene at the Palmar Tent Lodge, which has no Wifi, is much different. On an average night, people are playing Apples to Apples, new acquaintances are bonding and no one is talking about Facebook, Jacobson said. Everyone is just there.

“My favorite scene would have to be when I’m on the beach, looking at the lodge and almost night and getting kind of dark,” Torres said. “I’m looking at the full restaurant, people buying drinks and talking and there are people on the slack line. I get this overwhelming feeling of magic. I realize that we created this, it’s ours, and that this is something we’re putting out in the world.”

Bethesda’s increasing urbanization Perspectives poses harm to small businesses

by jesse cao I’m standing on the corner of Old Georgetown and Edgemoor around noon on a Wednesday. The Chipotle to my left has a line that would reach out the door if it weren’t so cold out. It’s different next door though. Inside Gesté Wine & Food, a row of refrigerators hums, and that’s about it. The store is empty.

A man comes in and heads to the counter with a winning lottery ticket. He redeems $40 of his $50 prize, buys another ticket with the difference, and leaves. The man behind the counter is Ajay Aggarwal. He tells me that he’s incredibly concerned about how Bethesda is changing, and that he knows exactly what’s happening.

Bethesda’s population grew 5.7 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to the Census Bureau, and is still on the rise. As more than three thousand new people (and counting) move into the area, more businesses, especially large chains, are opening downtown, and many apartment construction sites are springing up. The competition and the construction are

making it harder and harder for small businesses to stay open.

Several reasons account for the increasing population.

Downtown Bethesda’s Metro station offers easy commuter access to DC, and MCPS schools are among the best in the nation.

But when developers replace older residential properties with high-rise apartment and condo buildings, issues arise. These projects take years to complete, they’re loud and dusty, and they often block roads and sidewalks.

Today, downtown Bethesda features 11 live construction sites, according to the Bethesda Urban Partnership’s website. All but two will become either condominium or apartment buildings, some with integrated retail space.

“Construction has killed our lunch business, because people have stopped walking on our street,” Tyber Bierhaus’s Ken Pan said.

Less than forty feet from Tyber Bierhaus is a major construction site— a massive, square pit with fences that

protrude onto the sidewalk, blocking potential foot-traffic.

While talking to a string of store owners downtown, I was referred by Justin McInerny, owner of Capital Beer & Wine, to a friend and fellow business owner who turned out to be the perfect example of these effects.

“You should go talk to Alonso across the street,” he told me. Alonso had been hit hard by the construction.

So I went to Alonso, who opened Bold Bite Dogs & Fries in 2010, and now runs two locations, the second in Union Station. This one is right on the corner of Norfolk and Fairmont, less than three hundred feet from Starbucks.

McInerny was right— talking to Alonso Roche, it seemed like of all the small business owners in Bethesda, he had somehow, and for some reason, been dealt the worst possible hand.

Construction of a large apartment building started next door six months after Bold Bite Bethesda opened, and construction has been almost constant on Alonso’s corner since then. Another site, this time across the

street, followed that first one.

A large part of the sidewalk leading to the store is still shut down because of it. The street-cross and walk over to Bold Bite was quite an obstacle course for me.

Bold Bite now closes at 3:30 every day because the dinner crowd is just too small, Alonso said.

Construction hasn’t been all bad for Bold Bite, though.

Many of the workers have lunch there, and the construction company orders catering every once in a while, Alonso said. As these new apartment buildings open and people start to move in, Alonso hopes that these residents will make Bold Bite a neighborhood shop.

The urbanization of Bethesda, whether it’s hurting small business owners or not, is only picking up momentum. And the county has very little reason to try to stop it.

“The county government is very aware of this situation,” Long & Foster assistant manager Tom Nalls said. “But they also need money, and the developers have money.”

“The traffic [as Bethesda changes] has become unbearable, and it seems to be all because of the construction.”

- Jill Godfrey (Manager, The Blue House) “We haven’t had a break. We’ve had four straight years of construction. It’s been crazy.”

- Alonso Roche (Owner, Bold Bite Dogs & Fries)

“Those businesses [that fail out of Bethesda] are largely the victims of poor planning and poor execution. I would like to see a better business climate in Maryland in general.”

- Justin McInerny (Owner, Capital Beer & Wine)

Feature

photo courtsey SETH GOLDMAN

Q&A

ent to drink, whether it’s for their diet or because it’s organic. Another thing is the impact we have on the communities that we source from; we are helping to support healthier ecosystems there and then we are able to reinvest in these communities with our fair trade programs.

Seth Goldman is the Tea-EO and cofounder of Honest Tea. Honest Tea works with an eyecare nonprofit to bring eye exams to rural India.

by julia gilman and anna marcus Since its founding in Bethesda in 1998, Honest Tea has become a household name and a go-to drink. Co-founder and Tea-EO Seth Goldman founded Honest Tea with Barry Nalebuff, who had been Goldman’s professor at the Yale School of Management. They discovered a shared passion for sustainable, healthy teas and juices which inspired them to create their company. Coca-Cola, looking to expand into non-carbonated beverages, bought Honest Tea in 2011, but the company is still independently run. Black & White reporters Julia Gilman and Anna Marcus sat down with Goldman to discuss the inspirations and practices behind Honest Tea. B&W: What inspired you to start Honest Tea? Seth Goldman: One of the things that inspires me is our consumers: how much they appreciate having something differ-

B&W: How do you incorporate your personal creative vision into Honest Tea products?

SG: In every aspect. It’s trying to take the things we really believe in and care about and putting them out there. We call [the quotes on the inside of the wrapper] cap quotes because they started inside the bottle cap. The cap quotes are nice insights into life and we’ve heard from people that have read them at really poignant moments.

We also have a tea that we sell called Tulsi, a basil leaf herbal tea. The relationship we have with the community that grows the Tulsi is really helping them diversify their economic base.

B&W: What was the biggest challenge Honest Tea faced to get where it is today?

SG: The biggest one for the first ten years was getting distribution. We had a product that we believed in, and we were doing well in natural food stores, but we had struggles getting into non-natural food stores.

We would go to beverage distributors, attempting to get them to carry our product, and they just said “your product isn’t sweet enough” or “it’s too expensive” or “it tastes too different.”

Eventually, we managed to win them

april 1, 2015

Seth Goldman, Tea-EO, gets Honest with the Black & White over. Now that we’re with Coca-Cola, our challenge is how to make people aware of our product. People in Bethesda know it because we’re local, but if you go to Ohio, do they know about Honest Tea? B&W: How did the partnership with the Coke come to be?

SG: In 2007 we were growing quickly, and gaining interest from national retailers, such as Safeway and CVS, that wanted to carry our drinks nationwide. But we didn’t have the distribution to cover all their stores.

So we were at a crossroads–do we either grow and become a national brand, or do we stay in our regional, natural food niche? At the same time, I was contacted by someone I knew who had recently joined Coca-Cola’s newlyformed Venturing & Emerging Brands unit. They were interested in exploring an investment in Honest Tea, so they came up to Bethesda for a meeting.

B&W: Why did you choose to locate in Bethesda? How has Bethesda helped your business?

SG: I was living here and when I decided I wanted to launch Honest Tea, I launched it out of my house. Bethesda has been very supportive and welcoming; not surprisingly, our best sales per store are in this area just because people know us.

B&W: Why is having sustainable practices important to Honest Tea? SG: We have a product that seeks to help consumers in their effort to become healthier, so we need to have a healthy relationship with the Earth and the communities we source from. The products we grow do not have chemicals connected to them, and in turn people picking

the tea leaves aren’t exposed to any of those chemicals and neither is their ecosystem. We never make any claims that we can’t back up without a third party, so you know the USDA organic seal is a federal seal; its not something we pretend.

B&W: Is there one specific initiative that Honest Tea has done to connect to communities that you are most proud of?

SG: Assam is a region in northern India, and they have some access to medical care in the tea growing community, but very little access to eye care. It’s not just the tea growers, their families and children too. You have people who have never been diagnosed for eyeglasses and children who may be illiterate, but just because they don’t have the vision.

We worked with a non-profit called Vision Spring and we brought in eye care professionals into the community-not just to the people who pick the tea leaves--their families and children too. There were 6400 people who were received eye exams and then 5127 people were exposed to either diagnosis or a prescription. That’s a real impact.

B&W: What advice would you give to high schoolers interested in entrepreneurship?

SG: If you’re successful as an entrepreneur, you get a financial return, but that can’t be the only thing that drives you because the work is too hard and the chances of financial success are so slim.

When this came around and I started talking to Barry and we had the idea for a less sweet drink, I knew I could be excited about it. I think its really important to make sure you do something you can believe in entirely, not just a little bit.

SGA “

the leaderSHIP never sinks

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12

announcements:

Executive Board Elections coming up soon Mr. Whitman is Friday, April 17 in the Auditorium

sports

photo courtesy ETHAN PUTMAN

Spring Sport Players to Watch Girls Track: Clare Severe

Boys Track: Amir Khaghani

Baseball: Sean Cook

Too many cooks will spoil the soup, but one Cook is good enough for the baseball team.

Pitcher Sean Cook is expected to contribute strongly as one of the team’s top starters this year. He has proven that he can be versatile; in ten appearances last season, he had two starts, three wins and two saves and a 2.82 ERA last season.

Cook has been on varsity for the last two seasons. Although he is primarily a starting pitcher, he starts at second base and bats cleanup when he’s not pitching. He has proven to be capable as a batter, posting a .707 OPS last year.

“He’s an all around player,” teammate Jack Prill said. “He sets an example for the rest of the younger players.”

At the offensive end, midfielder Alex Hilsenrath will be a catalyst for the Viking attack, pairing with Dickinson recruit Alex Hosker.

Hilsenrath was the team’s second leading scorer last season, totaling 28 goals and 15 assists.

Hilsenrath also keyed the Vikings’ biggest wins last season, scoring a combined 5 goals against Sherwood and WJ. He also had eight points in a single game twice last season in blowout wins against Paint Branch and Blake.

If the Vikings are to make noise in the playoffs this season, Hilsenrath will need to be a big contributor.

Boys Lacrosse: Colin Hains

Coed Volleyball: Hannah Jacobs

A veteran of both girls and coed volleyball, Hannah Jacobs brings a wealth of experience to a team that is filled with many first year players.

Although she is an outside hitter, she also brings a wealth of defensive knowledge from playing libero on the girls team in the fall.

Besides her ability to overpower her opponents with her hits and make immaculate saves, she is also important for the team’s chemistry.

“She brings a lot of experience and talent to the team,” libero Maddie London said. “She is the biggest leader and most energetic person we have.”

photo by NICK ANDERSON

photo by NICK ANDERSON

This year’s gymnastics team is led by sophomore Alex Kim, who placed third on vault, first on her floor routine, and fifth all-around at the county meet as a freshman.

Kim hopes to propel the team to county champions, after finishing second to Walter Johnson last year, losing by only .1 points. She says she’s ready to put in all the effort necessary to win it all.

“I’m planning to put in 110 percent at every practice, so I can improve and upgrade my routines for counties and hopefully win floor again,” Kim said. “As a team, I hope we’ll be able to bond well, learn to encourage each other and work as a team to win meets and eventually dominate at counties.”

Boys Lacrosse: Alex Hilsenrath

Boys Volleyball: Stepan Casey

While his older brother Anton has committed to catch touchdowns and lay down blocks next year at Brown, Stepan Casey is starting for the revamped Boys volleyball team, setting and spiking his way to fame.

With his monstrous 6’5” frame, quick feet, and high jumping, Casey is a front line specialist that makes Whitman a serious threat. Although it’s his first year playing the sport for an organized team, he is already making waves, getting many quick points off of blocks.

Daniel Rosenberg, another front line specialist for the team, has high hopes for Casey this season.

“His height is amazing and he is a great leader,” Rosenberg said. “He makes great decisions on the court and really helps our team get better.”

Girls Softball: Elena Kozak

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

Gymnastics: Alex Kim

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

Coming off a strong 13-3 season last spring, the girls lacrosse team looks to have another stellar season and hopes to make it back to state semis.

Leading this effort will be powerhouse defensive midfielder Caroline Schweitzer, who will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

A member of the varsity team since sophomore year, Schweitzer has been key to the team’s success with her speed, incredible ground ball skills and thorough defense.

“Caroline is a great leader and teammate on and off the field,” midfielder Jenna Hosker said. “She sets a good example for the underclassmen on the team and is always making people laugh.”

photo courtesy ADAM PRIILL

photo courtesy CAROLINE SCHWEITZER

Girls Lacrosse: Caroline Schweitzer

photo by NICK ANDERSON

photo courtesy ETHAN PUTMAN

After county and regional championships in the 3200 meter in indoor track, senior Amir Khaghani looks to continue his running success this outdoor season.

Khaghani also placed third in the 3200 meter at the indoor states meet and Mar. 25. He started the outdoor season on the right foot, placing first, third and second in the 3200 meter, 1600 meter, and 300 meter hurdles respectively in a race against Churchill.

With Khaghani’s already impressive race results this season, he’s on his way to end his Whitman career on a high note, teammate Ben Gersch said.

“Amir was the indoor county champ and he will definitely be a threat at the outdoor county region and state championships,” he said.

For most athletes, just a chance to play for a state championship is a moment they will never forget. Soccer and track star Clare Severe has won ten state titles and hopes to add to that number this outdoor track season.

Severe, a two-time soccer and eight-time track state champ, ended an impressive indoor track season with an indoor personal best of 2:15.29 in the 800 meter and a Whitman win for 4x800 meter relay in 9:40.67, to pick up her sixth individual state title and second in team relays.

Even with all of the expectations for Severe, soccer and track teammate Lela Walter believes she can put aside the hype and run her way to victory.

“Clare is coming into this outdoor track season with a lot of goals but she has all the work ethic, determination and talent needed to accomplish them,” she said. “Clare is really motivating to the team because her drive to improve and race well sets the tone for the rest of the team.”

With the boys lacrosse team looking to knock off perennial contenders Churchill and Wootton, goalie Colin Hains is going to have to be huge.

Hains, who was an All-Gazette Honorable mention last season, is a team captain, and has played varsity since his freshman year.

“We’re looking to build off of last season, where we beat Sherwood and WJ for the first time in three years,” he said. “This year we’re hoping to beat the county’s top teams, and win a regional championship.”

Individually, Hains wants to be the best that the county has to offer, he said.

“I’m hoping to get 150 or more saves this season and get first-team all county,” he said.

photo by RACHEL HAZAN

april 1, 2015

The girls softball team hopes to rebound after a 4-13 season last year, the girls softball team hopes to rebound, and third-baseman Elena Kozak is up for the challenge.

Kozak, a four-year varsity player, is a defensive force and has great bat strength, already hitting a home-run against Quince Orchard this season.

Kozak’s seniority and leadership on the team helps her teammates improve their game on and off the field, outfielder Lauren Evoy said.

“Everyone looks up to [Kozak] as a leader,” she said. “She knows a great deal about softball and when she sees anyone of us doing something wrong she will point it out and give us some tips to fix it.”

sports

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April 1, 2015

Alumni balance naval service with athletics and then lights out. This fosters a college environment vastly different from a traditional college experience, Wong said.

“There is no partying on campus, rooms have to be kept neat and we are overall held to a higher standard than you might see at normal colleges,” he said.

Any deviation from these standards is considered misconduct and is highly frowned upon, Wong said.

Even some of the most quintessential parts of the college experience differ at Navy. While rivalries are commonplace between many universities, Meyers said that the rivalry between Navy and Army is a totally unique experience.

“It’s bigger than any other rivalry and it gets really intense,” she said. “[However], at the end of every meet or game we are still brothers in arms.”

With the many additional commitments and challenges, deciding to enter the academy is not an easy decision.

Wong said he chose the Naval Academy because of what it offered outside of sports.

“The opportunity to develop myself

as a person and play tennis for a place that represents so much more were all deciding factors,” he said.

The free tuition was also a nice bonus, he said.

Similarly, service, not swimming, was the primary factor in Meyer’s decision.

“I wanted to give my life to my country,” she said. Her swimming background helped her physically and mentally prepare her for the challenges of the academy, she added.

The Academy is the starting point for all naval officers. There is a 30 minute company training period each day, and freshmen are required to take a military knowledge test once a week their freshmen year.

Wong advises current students who look to follow in his footsteps to make sure they know what they are getting into.

“You’ll soon realize once you start that you’re a midshipman first and an athlete second,” he said. “You need to have the mindset that you are not just training to be an athlete, but also training

photo courtesy ARIES WONG

by josh feder Don’t be fooled by TV shows like “Blue Mountain State;” being an athlete in college is far more work than fun−the balancing act between classwork and practices is no easy feat. Now imagine throwing military service into the mix.

Charlotte Meyer (’13) and Aries Wong (’14) are both varsity athletes and midshipmen, students at the Naval Academy, as they take their sports aspirations to the next level in a way much different from most college athletes.

Wong, three time tennis state champion at Whitman, says that his first year in the Academy has been the most challenging of his life.

“Balancing sports and the academy is pretty stressful, mainly because of time issues,” he said. “I really don’t have any free time during the week.”

Meyer, who swims for Navy, agrees.

The extremely structured schedules at Navy leave little time for recreation.

Their days begin at 7 a.m. with formation, a count-off held before every meal.

Formations are followed by classes, sports practice, studying, more classes

Aries Wong (‘14) elected to take his tennis skills to the Naval Academy while training to serve his country.

to be a future officer in the Navy.”

Meyers concurs.

“It’s a great opportunity,” she said.

“But you have to really want it.”

Meet Whitman’s newest faces on the field and in the gym

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Boys Lacrosse: Tommy Rothert by caleb friedman For the boys lacrosse team, a coaching change has brought a culture change, replacing former head coach Mike Ricucci, who left to pursue coaching and teaching in North Carolina.

Tommy Rothert, an assistant for the team last season, is trying to bring a loose, energetic style to the team this season.

“I’m trying to make them enjoy the game more,” Rothert said. “I don’t want the players to think of this as a task that they have to show up for. I

want it to be something that they want to be here for.”

Rothert has taken steps to improve the team dynamic off the field, which will likely translate to on-field success, captain Alex Hosker said.

“Coach Tommy has done a great job helping us bond through his leadership and knowledge of the game,” Hosker said. “Stronger bonding leads to stronger chemistry, and stronger chemistry leads to wins.”

The team, who returns its standout goalie Colin Hains and its top two

scorers in Hosker and Alex Hilsenrath, is looking to take steps toward beating perennial county powerhouses Churchill and Wootton, Rothert said.

“I’m hoping to build on our success from last year where we went 10-6, and I hope to knock off the other top teams,” he said. “We’re going to have to play a solid 48 minutes of lacrosse to beat those guys, and get out there and pick up ground balls.”

New coach Tommy Rothert will bring an energetic vibe to the boys lacrosse team this season.

Gymnastics: Andrew Mlynarski The hire came at a time of need for the team, as athletic director Andy Wetzel had to extend the deadline for hiring a coach.

“We knew there was a chance that we wouldn’t be able to have a season this year,” sophomore Annie Burton said.

Mlynarski had previously worked with some of the girls on the team as part of an after-school program in elementary school. He was also a competitive diver in high school and college.

“He’ll be able to keep us focused

on really improving, rather than only perfecting what we can actually do,” senior Anna Deziel said.

Mlynarski will look to build further on the team’s excellent season last year, as they finished 4-1 and placed second in counties, though he expects some difficulties.

“This season is going to be a learning experience,” Mlynarski said. “I have the opportunity to learn from the girls themselves.”

photo by NICK ANDERSON

by arya hodjat For the gymnastics team, finding a new coach was no walk in the park; or, in their case, no walk on the balance beam.

After months of emailing potential coaches and receiving a number of rejections, the team hired Andrew Mlynarski, PE teacher at Bradley Hills, two weeks before the season opener.

Mlynarski replaces former coaches Paul Belliveau and Sarah Jimenez, who stepped down after last season due to other commitments.

Gymnastics coach Andrew Mlynarski, a last-minute hire, will focus on improving both the team and his own coaching skills.

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

Coed Volleyball: Elizabeth Keating

English teacher Elizabeth Keating took over coed volleyball this year from fellow English teacher Geoff Schaeffer.

by Caleb friedman After head coach and English teacher Geoff Schaeffer stepped down, the coed volleyball team went back to the English department to find his successor.

English and yearbook teacher Elizabeth Keating, who played and coached volleyball in high school and college, is returning to the courts to coach the coed team. Keating is still getting used to the daily grind of coaching again, but she embraces the challenges of her new job, she said.

“It’s a lot more time than I remember,” she said. “It’s been a struggle to get the team off of the ground because of the snow days and limited gym time, but I’m really excited to be back on the court to coach students who I haven’t seen since their freshmen year or I haven’t met before.”

Coming off of a successful 10-3 season, Keating is looking to build off the success that Schaeffer had, captain Lily Carlson said.

“She’s very organized, but relaxed too,” Carlson said. “She balances the

two really well so that the unique atmosphere of coed volleyball hasn’t changed.”

Thus far, Keating is glad she is back on the Whitman courts.

“I missed it, and I got the coaching bug again,” she said. “More importantly, since my friend Coach-of-the-Year Schaefer couldn’t coach coed this year, I wanted to take it on to honor him, his girls, and his wife Denise, who was also my friend.”

aPRIL 1, 2015

by Elsa Bjornlund “I can’t breathe.”

These were the last words of black New York resident Eric Garner before he was killed after a police officer put him in a chokehold.

These were also the words emblazoned on the shirts of the Blake boys basketball team as they warmed up for a game against Paint Branch. The team decided amongst themselves to wear the shirts to take a stand against police brutality and racial profiling, and gained approval from their coach and principal.

But instead of praising the team for taking a stand, MCPS viewed complaints about the shirts as another reason to formulate new uniform guidelines, which will go into effect for the fall 2015 season.

There have been similar incidents in the past, where sports apparel has incited negative reactions and MCPS believed there was a need to create a consistent policy, MCPS interscholastic athletics direction William Beattie said.

The restrictions mean that students won’t be allowed to wear clothes with anything other than their school name,

Students won’t be allowed to wear clothes with anything other than their school name, mascot, number or player name for the duration of any sports competition. mascot, number or player name for the duration of any sports competition.

That means the football team can’t wear their “Carpe Diem” shirts, the track team has to abandon their “all-in” shirts and we may have to say goodbye to the beloved “War Team.” Even more ridiculously, teams can’t even use their warmups to raise cancer awareness.

These new policies are unfair and overly restrict students’ free speech and ability to advocate for social change.

If the Blake team chooses to use their warm-up shirts as a social platform, they should be allowed to do so. What’s on the back of their shirts doesn’t reflect anyone’s opinion but their own, and that’s why it should be up to the players, their coach, and their principal, not any MCPS authority.

In addition to squashing free speech, the guidelines are also superfluous. Students are not allowed to wear anything that could be construed as advertising, which can lead to very narrow options for what they can wear. For example, a student would not be allowed to wear a Disneyworld sweatshirt during their track meet, Beattie said.

This policing of student’s clothing is excessive because it solves a very minor problem by completely restricting students from wearing even innocuous apparel.

Beattie said that the policies are intended to eliminate conflict about uniforms, and are in line with “what everybody’s been doing for 25 years.”

But, in actuality, these guidelines—if they’re actually enforced—will be a big change because of how specific and confining they are. In an attempt to clearly define what is appropriate for a uniform, MCPS has overstepped their bounds and made a widespread ban on anything that doesn’t fit into one narrow mold.

by JOSH FEDER If you are going to challenge anyone to a swordfight, make sure you stay away from senior Alistair Faghani.

After 13 years of training in kendo, a form of Japanese sword fighting, he has risen to a San Dan, the highest level of mastery possible for his age, and is the youngest person to achieve this in his dojo, or school.

On Mar. 8, Faghani put his skills to the test at the Shidogakuin Youth and Collegiate Kendo Tournament at Rutgers University. The event draws competitors from various high schools and college teams from the east coast.

Not only did he manage to defend his team’s first place title, but he also claimed the individual title in the 16 to 18 age group for the second year in a row.

“Defending the title from last year added a new type of pressure that I had never felt before,” he said. “It was a more relief than I had felt from any other tournament, but it was the same amount of excitement.”

Faghani comes from a family with deep roots in martial arts. His father, Rod, practiced karate for 30 years and then switched to kendo as an adult, eventually making the Iranian national team. He made sure that Alistair would follow in his footsteps.

“I was born into it,” Alistair said.

“I started practicing as soon as I could pick up a sword.”

Alistair’s father said that his son’s passion for kendo is led to his eventual success in the sport.

Eventually, he developed the love for kendo, which lead to more individual determination,” he said. “Alistair

has gotten a lot better, but this is just the beginning for him, it is an ongoing process.”

Similar to fencing, kendo is played between two competitors, who try to earn points by landing strikes on their opponent. Kendo is played in a full suit of specialized armor, with the competitors using specialized bamboo swords. The first opponent to connect on two strikes wins.

Faghani’s father says his martial arts background has helped him teach his children important life lessons.

“My children, including Alistair, all grew up in an atmosphere of martial arts,” Rod said. “There is a discipline you learn not to give up, to push yourself, and to just go forward.”

Alistair says his lifelong training and mentors have been key to his martial arts success. His sensei, or teachers, have helped foster his talents from when he was five years old until now.

Through his many years of practices, Faghani has had to balance the rigorous training schedule with other commitments like drama.

“I have been practicing two hours, two to three times a week at our dojo in Virginia,” he said. “It was hard especially during Arcadia, where I would have to go straight from rehearsals to the kendo practices, but it was completely worth it.”

Despite his recent victory and the rest of his success, Faghani says the most important part of kendo is the relationships he has made over his years of training.

“I have been practicing with the same group of teachers and friends for almost 13 years,” he said. “I made some of my closest friends through

photo courtsey ALISTAR FAGHANI

Limiting speech on sports jerseys illogical, unfair

Senior Alistair Faghani finds success in Japanese martial art

Senior Alistair Faghani has been practicing Kendo, a Japanese form of fencing, for 13 years. He recently achieved the highest level of mastery, San Dan.

kendo, friends that I will have for the rest of my life because we share this incredible passion.”

Sophomore Zeeshan Khan a topranked international squash player by anna marcus Peshawar, a city in northwest Pakistan, has produced seven world champions in squash. One of Whitman’s newest students aims to be the eighth world champion from this city. The crazy thing is, he actually has a shot.

Sophomore Zeeshan Khan, who moved to Maryland in January, was ranked eighth in the world for squash in the 17 and under age group last year. Khan now coaches and plays the first spot for the Whitman squash team, while taking strides toward playing professional squash in the near future.

Before moving to Bethesda, Khan won numerous major tournaments, including the Swedish Junior Open, the Polish Junior Open, the Finnish Junior Open and the Milo All Star International Junior Squash Championship in Malaysia twice.

“Zee does difficult things very easily,” current coach Jim Masland said.

“He also reads the game very well, and this helps him transform defensive situations into attacking ones.”

Khan started playing squash when he was eight years old after his father’s friend encouraged him to play in a tournament while on vacation in Malaysia.

Khan trained for two weeks

and made it all the way to the finals.

“That was the first taste of winning I got,” Khan said. “I planned to beat [the other finalist] the next time we came face to face.”

After this tournament, Khan decided to start running every day in addition to playing squash three to four times per week. Khan could not travel to play tournaments during the school year due to school work, so he instead worked to improve his world ranking each summer when he had more time to compete in tournaments.

“To become a really good squash player you need a big heart to suffice the pain of the training,” he said. “It was very hard but I did it, and am still doing it.”

Now in Maryland, Khan is able to pursue his love for squash every day. He currently has weekly lessons with coach Jim Masland, a former professional squash player. In addition, Khan plays with and coaches the Whitman squash team three to four times a week.

“He wants to improve as a player—a key attribute—and so he listens well to new suggestions,” Masland said. “He also learns new things very quickly, and puts them into practice with ease.”

For the next few years, Khan plans on playing in U.S. tournaments as well

photo courtsey ZEESHAN KHAN

Sports opinion:

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Sports

Sophomore Zeeshan Khan has played squash since he was eight. Khan instantly took the first spot on Whitman’s team, and hopes to one day become world champion

as at the college level. Next year, he will apply for a Professional Squash Association membership, which will allow him to play professionally.. Khan’s first U.S. tournament is in April.

“I am hoping to continue squash competitively, but with school also being an important part of my life for now,” he said.

After college, Khan will shift his focus from school to professional squash and work to improve his world ranking. At this point, he will be prepared to commit

full-time to squash and the traveling it entails.

Khan understands that playing professional squash is going to be difficult, but looks forward to the challenge and his continued pursuit of the sport he loves.

“I think he has a very bright future,” Masland said. “ He is already a very strong player for his age group and will only get better and better. He has the potential to make his future in squash what he wants.”

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tALENT SHOW 2015

April 1, 2015 Continued from page 1 “The diversity of songs as well as the mediums of dancing, singing and instrumental combined to create a well-rounded product with huge audience appeal and individuality,” assistant director Nikki Ladd said.

“We’ve really stepped up to the plate—I’m really happy with how this has gone” -technical director Harry Cash This years’ acting combined onstage with on-screen performances, occasionally showcasing both simultaneously. Skits cleverly played off of the show’s theme to depict a “revolution” at school, fueled by the acting students’ frustration with “unnecessary rules at Whitman.” This gave them ample op-

portunities to cleverly mock everyday annoyances such as hall pass requirements and fire drill testing.

“The acting was funny and it was all really well done,” sophomore Jeff Su said.

“We’ve had more student responsibility in this production than almost any other before and we’ve really stepped up to the plate—I’m really happy with how this has gone,” student technical director Harry Cash said.

After months of dedicated work, student musicians, creative directors, actors and technicians put together a successful “Revolution.”

“The final product has far exceeded my wildest expectations,” Lucas Weals said. “This year had an incredible variety of acts and performers, a huge composition of underclassmen, and an emphasis on artistry as a uniting force, not a force of ego or exclusion. To me, that was the true revolution.”

The Revolution

photos by MICHELLE JARCHO