The B&W - Issue 1 December 2014

THE

B&W

December 2014

The real deal about

Fake IDs Bethesda’s best burger The Gyau family: soccer superstars Bruneel touches base from Cambodia

THE

B&W LETTER from the editors

MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2014

PRINT EDITION Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Editor-at-Large Copy Editors News Editors Feature & Arts Editors Opinion Editors Sports Editors Head of Production Production Manager Production Assistants Graphic Artists Business/Circulation Manager

Business Assistants

Photo Director

Sarah Friedman Tyler Jacobson Kelley Czajka Caroline Schweitzer Ben Titlebaum Casey Noenickx Samantha Zambri Emma Anderson Adam Simon Sebastian van Bastelaer Matt Yang Sam Berson Nicole Fleck Joanne Choi Ireland Lesley Mikaela Fishman Sonia Chen Olivia Sun Olivia Reyna Sima Farzanegan Margo Sweat Aaron Dalal Nick Anderson

Photo Assistant Michelle Jarcho

News Writers Elsa Bjornlund Jacob Blitz Margot Dionne Julia Gilman Sarina Hanfling Trevor Lystad Leor Rosen Feature & Arts Writers Jesse Cao Sophia Higgins Gabe Kahan Rose Pagano Ariel Plotnick Opinion Writers Lindsay Wytkind Spencer Adams William Arnesen Peter Hoogstraten Grace Steinwurtzel Sports Writers Josh Feder Caleb Friedman Arya Hodjat Benjamin Katz Anna Marcus

Last March, a few Black & White staff members traveled to New York City to attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s annual Spring Scholastic Convention. Although we were not yet editors, we decided to drop in on the editors workshop. Imagine a room full of some of the most ambitious and opinionated students in the country, all ready to complain about the strains of being an editor.

Think extended family dinners on steroids.

The workshop leaders opened the discussion by askTyler Jacobson, Sarah Friedman and Kelley Czajka ing the editors to use one word to describe their staff members. We were shocked at their responses: unmotivated, disrespectful, lazy and untalented.

The Black & White staff is motivated, kind, ambitious and thoughtful. We realized how lucky we are to be working with a group of people who are not just our staff members, but are our best friends. As a result, when we became editors, and after much debate and consideration, we decided to take on the publication’s riskiest move yet: a full-color news magazine.

Well, here we are. After months of scheming, planning, writing, budgeting, designing and late nights filled with laughing, crying and stress, we present to you the B&W, Whitman’s first news magazine.

A magazine is more reader-friendly than a newspaper, with more white space and feature text. It has more room for the long-form journalism our writers love to write and artsy layouts our production staff excels at. If anyone was going to make this leap, it was going to be us. Although the switch is currently only temporary—the Black & White newspaper will return in February for the rest of the year—we hope that future staffs will choose to produce magazines as well, whether it be a full-on switch or one mid-year issue like this one.

We would like to thank our talented staff for putting up with our constant nagging, our advisor Ms. Reynolds for constantly supporting us through this journey, and all of our readers for motivating us to produce the highest quality product we possibly can.

So here it is, our baby, our pride and joy: the B&W.

photo by NICK ANDERSON

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

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

The Black & White encourages readers to submit opinions on relevant topics in the form of letters to the editor. Letters must be signed to be printed, though names will be withheld upon request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be placed in the Black & White mailbox in the main office or the editor’s mailbox in room B211, or may be emailed to blackandwhitevol53@gmail.com.

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

ONLINE EDITION

Editor -In-Chief Managing Editor Social Media Director Feature & Arts Editors Sports Editor Multimedia Editor Multimedia Writers Blogs Editor Feature & Arts Writers

Film Critic Webmaster Assistant Webmaster Adviser Assistant Adviser

Julia Pearl-Schwartz Scott Singer Sophia Glazer Rebecca Katz Emilia Malachowski Caleb Kushner Caitlin Sullivan Naba Khan Taameen Mohammad Julian Robinson Noah Franklin Naomi Ravick Sydney Schnitzer Hayley Segall Jay Silver Bryna Steele Roger Champagne Tobin Bell Kevin Huberty Joseph Kaperst Louise Reynolds Nicholas Confino

Sarah Friedman Editor-In-Chief

Tyler Jacobson Managing Editor

Kelley Czajka Editor-at-Large cover photo by Tyler Jacobson

Contents 04

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

07

Kenah shadows student

06

07

08 10 11

08 25

17 27

14

17

20 22 24

25

26

The secret lives of substitute teachers The Burger Bracket

MoCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wunderkind: Tim Hwang Q&A with Matt Bruneel The truth about fake IDs Our Environmental Footprint Voices Ebola: Up Close The search for your place in life An inside look at study drugs

28

Sleepidemic Winter Sports Traditions Shaq to start for Whitman The Gyau familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer success

31

Meet the man behind the golf cart: Wetzel

27

27

30

JOY cheer squad to the Special Olympics

It’s that time of year again—time for old childhood movies, Starbucks’ festive red cups and, of course, holiday food. The Black & White took a school-wide poll of students’ favorite seasonal foods and activities. From baked goods to New Year’s Eve excursions, here are a few of Whitman’s holiday favorites.

Your favorite...

Christmas Foods

Hanukkah Foods

1. Hot Chocolate

2. Jelly Doughnut

1. Latkes 3. Rugelach

2. Cookies and Milk

4. Chocolate Gelt 5. Applesauce

3. Gingerbread 4. Eggnog Blueberry (6%)

5. Chinese Food

Things to Do on New Year’s Eve

Pecan (19%)

Holiday Pie

1. Hang out with friends 2. Watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 3. Watch fireworks 4. Go to Times Square to see the ball drop 5. Watch movies

4

DECEMBER 2014

Chocolate (3%)

Apple (31%)

Pumpkin (41%)

by Syndey Schnitzer and Sophia Higgins

Some of Whitman’s most talented bakers share delectable desserts to please your palate this holiday season:

Jonah Eisenberg, sophomore: “I love peppermint bark. To make it you just melt chocolate and spread it around, and you crush mints and candy canes and sprinkle that around Then you freeze it and break it up.”

Medha Swaminathan, senior: “At Christmas I always make peanut butter fudge, peppermint chocolate bark and sugar cookies.”

Harrison Guh, senior: “Chocolate sponge cake with chocolate ganache. It’s so good. Ganache sounds so sophisticated, but it’s not that hard to make. It’s like chocolate goop. I also like making chocolate and raspberry mousse.”

Elena Petillo, junior: “Last year I made peppermint patties for the first time.

They were so fun to make around Christmas and they are one of those treats that people don’t think you can make yourself and they turn out awesome every time because they are pretty simple.”

THE B&W

5

Subbing in: Meet the substitutes photo by NICK ANDERSON

Mr. Day

by Elsa Bjornlund

While Day frequently substitutes for math teachers, he hasn’t always been confident in the subject.

“He taught us a lesson in math, and actually taught to us, instead of just sitting there like some subs do.”

- senior Sophia Brown

W

hitman is familiar territory for substitute Roger Day, who graduated from Whitman in 1964 as part of the first freshman class.

“I thought I wasn’t very good in math,” he said. “It was like me trying to reinvent the wheel every day.”

J

ames McDowell’s initial career path was not pointed towards substitute teaching. He joined the army at a young age and served as an infantry company commander for three years.

He said that his experience being responsible for people in the army taught him how to discipline and manage his students.

“I think I still learned more in the military than I did anywhere else,” McDowell said.

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Mr. Butler

B 6

efore he became a substitute, Robert Butler taught

DECEMBER 2014

McDowell has a passion for traveling. He has visited destinations all over the world and all but two U.S. states. He tries to take at least three big trips per year, and is planning to travel with his wife to Aruba, China and Hawaii in the upcoming year.

“I like to talk to the people and learn about them,” he said. “I guess it’s the learning aspect of visiting all these people and their cultures, their foods, their different ways of life that fascinates me most.”

McDowell’s experience and diverse background provides a good foundation for subbing.

“I’ll tell you what I tell my grandson: ‘You might be smarter than me, but I know more than you,” he said.

at Whitman for 16 years, working as head of the social studies department and teaching AP NSL and AP U.S. History.

In 2000, Butler retired and worked in the hospitality and real estate industries.

“The hospitality industry offers many opportunities to meet new people, have different experiences and meet new challenges,” he said.

But he couldn’t stay away from teaching for

long, and returned to Whitman as a sub.

“Being a full time teacher was really fun. I really enjoyed it,” he said. “Subbing is different in the sense that you get to see a wider perspective of what’s going on in the school.”

Though he has a passion for subbing, Butler also enjoys reading, shopping for classic cars and playing golf in his free time. He started playing golf during his freshman year of college and he furthered his love of the game when he spent time working at a golf course after he retired.

Butler says he most enjoys playing golf because of the soli-

Day is a self-proclaimed “political junkie” and clearly remembers Kennedy’ assassination in 1964, which occurred while Day was a student at Whitman.

Ironically, on the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination, Day found himself back at Whitman, subbing in a math class.

While Day’s career didn’t play out according to his original plan, he couldn’t be happier.

“I look at my background as an English major, and if somebody told me I’d be teaching math, I’d say they’re absolutely crazy,” Day said.

Mr. McDowell

photo by Elsa Bjornlund

“He is always really upbeat and he is pleasant to be around.”

- sophomore Daniel Parker

Placement tests forced Day to skip Algebra 1 in high school, and without this foundation, he often felt confused and overwhelmed in higher level math courses.

Though he was an English major, Day became an A student in math and took courses up through calculus. Now, his struggle without a mathematical foundation helps him empathize with struggling students, he said. Day’s background in English also helps him effectively explain math to his students.

“Being a verbal communicator really helps me teach math,” he said.

tude and time away from technology it offers, as well as the competition with himself and others.

“And the satisfaction when everything clicks,” he said.

“Every time he’s subbing a class he makes a point of standing outside the door and welcoming everyone as soon as they walk in. It creates a very warm environment.”

- junior Jared Shapiro

Kenah’s Day

Seventeen Again Social studies teacher Pete Kenah followed junior Jacob Blitz around for an entire school day and experienced the daily stresses of going to Whitman.

photo by NICK ANDERSON

Pd. 1: AP Comparative Politics I started off my day having a quiz, 10 questions right off the bat, and boom, now let’s go right off to physics.

by Jacob Blitz

a trip back in time, it was tiring, it was impressive. I think my biggest takeaway just is how impressive Whitman students are. I already knew Whitman students were awesome, but this just really furthered that, going through this today.

It just reinforced how smart you guys are but how much work you have to do. As a teacher, we just keep talking and talking and talking, and I got a sense from students around me in different classes, like, “What do I need to know? Just give me the proof, just give me this, and let’s just get to it.” That was a really good reminder as a teacher.

I had [many of the students I saw today] in class last year. That was a big takeaway for me, seeing I had a lot of the students last year who are now juniors, and how just they’ve grown, and how mature they are, and what a huge jump it is from your sophomore to your junior year. I saw that just totally throughout the day.

B&W: Did you notice anything that you don’t think you normally would from the front of the classroom?

PK: So many fewer people were on their phones than I thought I was gonna see. I just thought—and maybe it’s just because of my kids or how I’m lax as a teacher—it was gonna be phone central. And I was looking around, I didn’t see many, so that one surprised me.

I just thought it was great how well you guys stayed on topic. I [taught] a senior elective for a

Pd. 3: AP English Lan- guage and Composition Period three I started to get tired—I went to Starbucks [afterwards].

Pd. 4: Black & White,

Pd. 5: Lunch (both used for break) Fourth period, I tried to get some energy back in, I tried to fuel up.

“My teacher acts as if I only have one class.” It’s a common sentiment among Whitman students. And although teachers have plenty of work of their own, they only see one side of the story. How does school life compare to teachers’ preconceptions? The Black & White recruited social studies teacher Pete Kenah to follow a student from class to class for a full school day. Here’s what he learned:

Black & White: How was it?

Pete Kenah: It was lots of things. It was

Pd. 2: Honors Physics “Graphically determine the amount of energy stored while stretching the spring described from x=0 to x=10. cm.” It was just like, “What is going on, what are they talking about?”

couple of years, and I was always having to get those kids on topic. Maybe it’s different, AP vs. elective and junior vs. senior.

B&W: Are there any times when you saw a teacher doing something and thought, “Uh-oh, do I do that sometimes?”

PK: One or two times, a teacher was a little impatient with a student, like “Come on! Get on the train, we’re leaving right now!” Sometimes you just have to be that way, but it was a good reminder about patience.

But I saw a lot of respect. I didn’t see any belittling, which made me really proud of my profession and colleagues.

Pd. 6: AP Calculus BC I was blown away by math class. Just how fast [Mrs. Holloway] can go through it. Now maybe she does that proof every period, I don’t know, but that was really really impressive, to see what everyone was doing then.

Wow! How far Whittier Woods is. I barely got there at the bell when I left, trying to break through all those students.

B&W: Is there any message you would want to send to the students or teachers?

PK: [The message for] the students would be, “This is the highest-level education possible, this is just so amazing, what you guys are able to do.” For the teachers, just try to respect the students’ time as best you can. It is incredible how much they pack into one day. I wish all teachers could do this just once so they could just get how hard you guys have to work.

Pd. 7: AP European History Seventh period was the one I saw the most relaxed atmosphere in, and I know that Mr. Shipley’s personality sort of brings that out. That was another small class there, relative to the 34 we have in AP Government.

B&W: At the end of the day, how do you view the school day, and how do you think kids view it?

PK: It was really exciting. That’s my huge takeaway: how much Whitman kids want to learn. It definitely was not boring, but it definitely wasn’t like, “Yes! I’m coming back tomorrow, this is great.” I’m glad I’m done with high school.

Pd. 8: Chinese 5 And in eighth period, I liked the interactions. I got to see students do different work, and that to me was a neat class because it’s how much you wanted to put in.

B&W

THE B&W

7

Burger Bracket American Tap Room

Gabe’s Region “When it comes to burnt cow, chopped up plants and melted dairy squeezed between two slabs of wheat, I’m your guy.”

Bobby’s Burger Palace

Bobby’s Burger Palace •Diverse burger types •Heavy on the meat and less on other ingredients •Served with great dfries

Bold Bite

Bold Bite Bold Bite Z Burger

•Speedy service •Convenient lo- cation in uptown Bethesda •Delivers

Burger Joint

Steak and Egg

Trevor’s Region As the great Socrates once said, “a good burger is like the Trojan Horse—beautiful on the outside, but the true treasure lies within.”

Wild Tomato Wild Tomato

Burger Joint

Burger Joint Tastee Diner

8

DECEMBER 2014

•Tender, perfectly cooked beef with a delicious, buttery bun.

•Tasty fries that complemented the burger well.

•A little too heavy on the lettuce and tomato.

•A thick, juicy patty that was cooked to perfection.

•Delicious cheese and perfect amounts of toppings.

•The only downside was the fries: they were a tad soggy, and they just weren’t anything special.

Burger Joint

Winner:

G

A burger is more than just a piece of meat between two buns. It’s a symphony of different flavors, textures and ingredients. Each component masterfully contributes a verse in this microcosm of the human experience. Liv-

ing in a town like Bethesda, you’re constantly surrounded by great burger joints, each with it’s own song to sing.

But one question remains— which burger reigns supreme?

I, Adam Simon, along burger connoisseurs Sam Berson,

Gabe Kahan and Trevor Lystad, decided to give the Whitman community the greatest holiday gift of all—the definitively best burger in the area.

I present to you: the Burger Bracket.

The four men were each as-

signed four of the most popular burger places within reasonable distance of Bethesda. Once each person picked a winner from his quadrant, each one sampled the final four and picked the final winner in collaboration.

Smash Burger Shake Shack Good Stuff Eatery

•Burger is cooked well and the special sauce is great.

•Toppings can be a little overpowering.

•Bun is soft and toasted well.

Shake Shack

Sam’s Region

Good Stuff Eatery

“I like ‘em hot and juicy”

Good Stuff Eatery •Burger is almost melt in your mouth and goes well with everything on it.

•Good size and patty isn’t too big.

•Location is hard and inconvenient to get to in Georgetown.

Good Stuff Eatery

Kraze Burger

Booeymonger City Burger

Five Guys

Good Stuff Eatery Good Stuff Eatery puts together the perfect burger. It combines a juicy patty with a balanced assortment of toppings and sauce, none of which overpower the other. The restaurant itself is a friendly and welcome place, but is found in the heart of Georgetown, making it hard to get to and park at most of the time.

•New to Bethesda, great location.

•Awesome specialty burger varieties.

•Patty was average and the fries were nothing to write home about.

City Burger

Five Guys

Adam’s Region “I once cried while eating a burger”

Five Guys •Bethesda staple, heart of town.

•Amazing patties, great fries.

•Well-priced.

Cafe Deluxe

THE B&W

9

After graduating from Princeton in three years, Tim Hwang, the ‘09-‘10 SMOB, founded FiscalNote, a company that predicts the passage of laws

M

aryland might soon have its own Zuckerberg. But instead of Harvard, he went to Princeton; and instead of dropping out of college, he graduated a year early and headed to Silicon Valley.

Tim Hwang, former MCPS Student Member of the Board, is the CEO of his own startup company, FiscalNote, which heads its offices in three major cities and has been featured in the Washington Post several times, as well as other publications.

“We were featured in Techcrunch after our first round of investments,” Hwang said.

“We’ve also been featured in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.”

FiscalNote is a website that allows users to search for a legislative bill by keywords, gives updates on its status in the legislative process, and predicts whether or not it will be passed.

FiscalNote’s algorithm currently boasts a success rate upwards of 90 percent.

Hwang served as SMOB from 2009-2010 while attending Wootton High School and graduated from Princeton just three years later. Hwang created FiscalNote while still in college with high school friends Jonathan Chen and Gerald Yao, who still lead the company with him.

Bethesda Magazine recently published an article, written by Louis Peck, which likened Hwang to Bill Gates, and noted that “at age 22, Hwang has a résumé that would be the envy of people decades older,” Peck said.

Hwang dismissed the comparison.

“I’m probably not the next Bill Gates, but

10 DECEMBER 2014

I’m happy that the company continues to get great press,” Hwang said.

Instead, he aspires to be like Elon Musk (founder of Paypal and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX), because of his determination.

FiscalNote, like many startups, began in Silicon Valley. Hwang, Chen and Yao spent the summer of 2013 in a Motel 6 creating the algorithm.

“What you come to realize is there’s hundreds of thousands of companies that are starting up, and probably only a handful, less than 20 or 30 of them, ever make it to be fairly successful,” Hwang said. “You have a better chance of buying a winning lottery ticket than doing well on a startup.”

It took Hwang just three months to get FiscalNote on the map, with the help of an initial investment of $1.2 million from several investors including Yahoo cofounder and highprofile corporate investor Jerry Yang.

Hwang moved FiscalNote’s main office to Bethesda for a brief time in 2013, but as the company gained more clients, they moved their headquarters to a larger office in D.C. They also have an office in New York City, and, according to Hwang, hope to open a London office soon.

Expanding to London will open FiscalNote’s market to companies based outside the United States, according to Hwang. Their current software, called Prophecy, only analyzes American legislation. Their “coming soon” update, Sonar, will analyze European legislation, as well as laws and regulations to be passed by agencies like the FDA or the EPA.

photo courtesy TIM HWANG

MoCo’s own wunderkind

by Ariel Plotnick FiscalNote has received media attention since its birth in 2013, largely because of the company’s comparatively small size proportionate to its large success.

“This morning we were chosen by CNN as one of the top startups of 2014 with only 30 employees,” Hwang said in an interview Oct. 2. “We hope to double those numbers in the next six months.”

The Washington Post reported in September of 2013 that FiscalNote aims to sell their services to private firms and lobbying organizations—specifically consumers on sectors like public finance, energy, and pharmaceuticals--as well as to government agencies.

One of FiscalNote’s clients, Tate Inc., has been involved with the company since its beta testing and noted the young staff’s potential.

“The whole team is proactive, enthusiastic and very sharp,” said Susan Young, a spokesperson for Tate inc. “They are consummate professionals and have really impressed us with their determination and drive to make this a stellar product.”

Other clients of FiscalNote range from Planned Parenthood to the University of Virginia Law School.

Hwang said that in the early stages of Fiscalnote it would be him, Chen, and Yao gathered around their whiteboard, unsure if their algorithm was going to work. He said that you just have the guts to try and eventually get it right. And get it right he did.

He said he would describe his experiences at FiscalNote as, “chaotic, relentless, meaningful, educational and hopeful.” B&W

From

Bethesda to Cambodia

by Casey Noenickx

photos courtesy MATT BRUNEEL

by Casey Noenickx

A Skype Q&A with former English teacher Matt Bruneel

H

earts were broken last year when students learned English teacher Matt Bruneel was leaving to serve in the Peace Corps with wife, Leshia Hansen, for two years in Cambodia. The couple left this past summer and will return in 2016, hopefully to the D.C. area for students’ sake.

The two are staying with a host family in the northern tip of the country while Bruneel teach-

es English at a high school and Hansen works in a health center.

Experienced travelers, both were excited for more of an opportunity to volunteer together through this particular program, Bruneel said.

For the first two months the pair trained in the Khmer (kuhmair) language six hours a day, six days a week, studying the interactions and culture of what was to become their new home. For the last two months they’ve been working in Banteay Meanchey as

the only westerners around, Bruneel said.

Bruneel and Hansen engage in community activities with their host family in their spare time.

They’ve been fortunate enough to meet friends of the family’s and introduce friends of their own, Bruneel said.

Alum Wes Kendrick (‘14) made the journey to Cambodia with his gap year group, traveling from China and Laos. Kendrick contacted Bruneel in an effort to meet up and was able to bring his

peers; Kendrick sat in on classes with Bruneel and the community got the chance to meet someone Bruneel identified with, he said.

So far, Bruneel and Hansen have faced challenges and made memories in this unique experience—the immersion into the Khmer language was particularly unforgettable, Bruneel said. Still, the two have a long journey ahead of them and an expanding experience to come.

THE B&W

11

Former Whitman English teacher Matt Bruneel teaches beginning English to a class of young Cambodians. In the classroom, he uses about 80 percent Khmer, Cambodia’s national language, and 20 percent English.

Take me through the process of joining the Peace Corps: What is a typical day for you?

I mostly teach in the morning, an overview, what it is you do then one day of the week I teach there?

My wife and I decided on the Peace Corps organization because we both wanted to do volunteer service but we’re in different fields. There’s not very many organizations that have both health and education volunteers, but Peace Corps would be one. Any organization that would take both would not guarantee that you both get sent to the same place, but Peace Corps recognizes us as married, so they know we’d need to be together.

Last March we found out that we were going to go to Cambodia, and in July we left after telling everybody at school, saying sad goodbyes. We came here in the middle of July, and we went through a really intense twomonth training period, where we were with what they call training village, which just means all the volunteers are together.

12 DECEMBER 2014

morning and afternoon. Our high school has about 700 students spread out over six grades and there are two English teachers for all those kids; what that means is there are class sizes of like 50 kids.

In the afternoons we return home and eat lunch with our host mother—every single meal has white rice; that’s a constant in Cambodia, and then it varies.

In the morning there’s no sweet stuff; it’s like fried pork every morning. For lunch it will be like pork and vegetables or fish and vegetables; it’s all pretty simple fare day to day.

How is teaching in Cambodia different?

In America I took for granted how easy it was to get my students to listen to me and to move into an activity easily and to move out and through, just because they

spoke my language and I spoke theirs. It is a very different culture and very different language.

I sort of had to feel like a beginner teacher again which was weird. It was especially weird because there were about 35 new English volunteers along with me, and I had the most teaching experience out of any of them.

Everybody looked to me as the person who knew the most about teaching and then to actually go into the class and feel really sort of useless sometimes was unexpected.

In Cambodian classes there is no homework, no papers to write, one test a month, and at the end of high school there’s a major exam. But I haven’t seen that one yet.

In Cambodia I don’t spend any time on grading; it’s just making lesson plans and being with the kids. It’s less work but I also know less about how they’re doing. As a result there is such a range of abilities in the class:

some kids can actually keep up with the lesson, and other kids can barely sound out letters. It’s crazy—there’s such a gap.

How has your experience defied your expectations?

I didn’t think it would be as hard as it was and there’s so many reasons why it’s hard--it’s the little things like the bugs, I see bugs all the time.

I have to shower out of a large water basin and I use a bucket.

There’s no hot water and it’s just like you don’t ever want to shower, but you have to. There’s no running water—all these very basic life services are very limited.

But then it goes all the way up to the social interaction--my wife and I talk about this so often.

Every day we know that anything we try to do we’re gonna sound like kindergartners because that’s where our language is. We know we have these ideas and we know we’ve done things like this before it’s just so hard to communicate,

especially without a translator. I was the most advanced student of the Khmer language training but still, when I got up to speak, I felt so helpless at times.

How is learning this new language?

We knew that when we came back to America we would have gone through so many crazy experiences in Cambodia together that we would be untouchable, you know? Like we would be so connected to each other. And those experiences have, in fact, been happening.

We feel like we’ve had so many existential crises since we’ve been here. Every day you have to question, why are we here? What are we really doing in our lives? What do we want right now? Do we want to be here? Do we want to start a family? All these crazy questions and it’s just because there’s so few distractions from your reality.

In America, whenever you’re down you can just go watch a movie or go over to a friend’s house or just go hang out somewhere neutral. Here there’s really like three places you can go.

What is your host family like?

Every Cambodian Peace Corps volunteer has to live with a host family. It’s not like we chose it, but we probably would still choose it if we had the choice.

Without them it would take so much longer to break into our

community’s interactions.

We live with a host mother and a host father, they’re both 10 years older than us, and they have two daughters: one who is 16 and I teach her in 9th grade and one who is 12 and Leshia teaches a health hygiene class at her elementary school.

It’s funny because for the first couple of months the mom and dad were very kind to us and very generous about sharing their time and their friends while their daughters were a little more stand-offish. Now it feels like two months is sort of the necessary time to spend with the family before they trust you--now both the daughters trust us a lot.

Our host father, who is a motorcycle repairman, took on an apprentice at that time he just also started living with us so like the whole idea of who is living in this house is such a more fluid idea in Cambodia.

Every single volunteer is supposed to get their own room and because we’re two people we ended up getting like two bedrooms.

The whole space that we get is actually bigger than our old apartment in DC .

Some of these houses are just shacks. Like sheet metal, just 5 sides of sheet metal with a roof

photos courtesy MATT BRUNEEL

I love learning new languages; I’ve taken to it very quickly. In our training, for the two months, they don’t put an emphasis on learning to read or write the language because it’s a completely different alphabet than English. It’s all about conversation—speaking and listening. That was fun, but I made it my goal to learn how to read and write and I’ve already accomplished that goal—there’s a lifetime to learn but I can read and write anything.

In the classroom I’d say I probably use 80 percent Khmer and 20 percent English. From the start I know that my goal has been to lead class completely in English, just ‘cause to immerse a learner in the language is the best way. But the fact that I just went through the language training and saw that as soon as my teacher started speaking all in Khmer I got lost immediately was a reminder that you’ve got to meet the students halfway.

How has this experience affected your relationship so far?

Left, a traditional Bon Katen procession, including Buddhist monks, at a Cambodian wedding; right, Bruneel and wife Leshia Hansen pose before attending the wedding.

and nothing else. Ours is like wood wood walls and ceramic roof.

Do you think you would do something similar in the future?

I think it would probably be our turn to host people who want to come travel. Just because before this, Leshia worked in Mexico for two months and I lived in Israel with host families. We met in Spain and in Spain we lived with host families.

Now, I’m going to be turning 30 next year, and it feels like it’s time after this for us to sort of be the ones who support the volunteers and the travellers. We’re never going to stop traveling, that’s a constant, but I don’t think it would be quite as enmeshed in a society different from our own.

What will you take away from the Peace Corps and living in Cambodia?

I think in America we filled our days up so much with just so many tasks, so many things to do.

What’s great about being here is we’ve got great Internet connection so we have not necessarily been cutting all the lines and living in an electricity-free environment.

But I think coming back you still can’t help but slow down some from living here. It’s so painful to have to go through the experience of feeling like I’m bored and there aren’t as many things to do or think about. It’s interesting to feel myself changing and knowing that it’s ok not being fully entertained all the time.

We kind of signed up to just really know what it is that we’re about and after this experience I know that I am a teacher. Even with all the different language barriers and the cultural expectations that come with my classroom it’s still so fun to teach and it’s still something that comes to me. And it’s something that—I don’t know—it’s worthwhile. B&W

Be sure to follow “Matt and Leshia’s Dispatches from Peace Corps Cambodia” at dropbydropcambodia.wordpress.com for the rest of their adventures.

THE B&W

13

The truth about

A

by Trevor Lystad

fake IDs

senior boy gets in line at a local liquor store; he’s trembling.

“I was super nervous; my hands were shaking as I gave the employee my ID,” he said.

It was the 18-year-old’s first time using a fake ID, and he didn’t know what to expect.

This student isn’t alone. Fake IDs are readily available to high school students, giving them easy access to alcohol. Despite the risks, their popularity remains high as increasingly sophisticated IDs are manufactured, making it much harder for stores to catch minors buying alcohol.

“At Whitman, they’re pretty common with upperclassmen, especially seniors,” a senior girl said.

Overseas Ordering

The path to the student’s purchase began months before, with a wire transfer of a few hundred dollars to China.

Most fake IDs are ordered from China, and it is shockingly easy to get one. A search for “Maryland fake IDs”

14 DECEMBER 2014

yields over 600,000 Google results, and the websites are not blocked by MCPS or censored in any way.

Students often order their IDs in bulk to reduce the price. Maryland Fakes, the top hit on Google, advertises $150 IDs, but one junior boy said he paid only $50 when he ordered with a group.

After gathering money from this group, a senior girl sent $700 to China via Western Union wire service, which the students “were all nervous about,” she said. Since she paid in cash, there was no credit card record of the transaction, and the payment could not be traced back to her.

The girl said the IDs came in three weeks and, overall, called the transac-

“At Whitman, they’re pretty common with upperclassmen, especially seniors,” -senior girl tion “easy.”

Not every group has the success that this group did. The websites selling these fake IDs are often unreliable.

There’s always a chance that the companies won’t send the IDs, so it’s hard for buyers to know which websites and organizations to trust.

Last year, a group of students paid for fakes and never received them.

“I was surprised we didn’t get them because it was a well-known source for getting fake IDs,” said a senior boy, who paid $80.

The War on Fakes

Once the fake ID arrives, the risks grow. Instead of worrying about getting their money to China, the recent buyers have other concerns: the police, liquor store clerks, app developers, and even Congress.

In August of 2012, a bipartisan group of senators pressured China to shut down a popular fake ID website, ID Chief. The site was taken down, and while the effort worked at first, the site is back up and running today. A 2012 Senate press release said that the government hopes to eliminate such sites in the future, but the effort seems impossible, considering their availability to minors. No apparent progress has been made since then.

While Congress attacks the problem holistically, individual liquor stores also try to catch fake IDs using technology, notably a machine that scans IDs for authenticity by using a black light.

But companies have fought back.

They’ve made their fake IDs seemingly immune to the technology, increasing confidence in users, as one senior girl

noted.

“My ID scans and passes black light tests,” she said, “so I shouldn’t ever really be caught.”

Peter Frank, manager of Talbert’s Ice on River Road, and the rest of the Talbert’s staff don’t have detection technology, but they’ve had some success using just their eyes. Behind the counter, a case full of well over 100 confiscated IDs hangs from the ceiling to intimidate potential buyers.

Frank believes that some IDs are too sophisticated to even be detected by black light and other similar tests, he said.

“They’re getting very good.

With your naked eye, you aren’t able to tell” -Bill White, CFO of Intellicheck Mobilisa “Some of them are manufactured so well,” he said, “machinery won’t discern them.”

But determining the authenticity of an ID by its appearance is getting

harder as well. Some of the IDs in Talbert’s case barely looked like a real driver’s license, and many weren’t even made out of plastic.

“It looks really legit compared to the laminated pieces of paper they used to use,” one alum (‘14) said of her new ID. Detection technology companies aren’t backing down. New technology to check authenticity of IDs is currently being developed. Intellicheck Mobilisa, a security technology company, has developed an iPhone app called BarZapp that verifies the legitimacy of an ID. The app scans the IDs barcode to ensure it matches the standard barcode for whatever state the ID is from.

Bill White, Chief Financial Officer of Intellicheck Mobilisa, said that the app is necessary to combat the improved technology of fake IDs. “They’re getting very good. With your naked eye, you aren’t able to tell,” White said.

The Legal Price

Even though purchasing alcohol can sometimes be easy, the students aren’t always safe. They still have to keep an eye out for law enforcement or they’ll face heavier penalties than they might expect.

Getting caught with a fake in Maryland could result in a year-long driver’s license suspension, a $500 fine and up

to 60 days in jail. But some students aren’t concerned with the legal penalties.

“The chances I will be caught are very slim because of the quality of my ID,” the senior girl said, adding that some nearby liquor stores have been known to just confiscate fake IDs or kick minors out of the store if they’re caught, rather than get the police involved.

“The chances I will be caught are very slim because of the quality of my ID” -senior girl Talbert’s Frank said that they mostly confiscate the fake IDs, but it isn’t always the case.

“When there’s a dispute, and they stand there and argue with us, we pick up the phone and call the police,” Frank said, “and the police make the determination.”

The student makes it out of the store safely, alcohol in hand, and breathes a sigh of relief. He’s just made his first purchase with a fake ID.

Fake IDs aren’t just for alcohol The use of fake IDs isn’t just limited to alcohol purchases. Some students have started using them for adultonly music festivals and concerts. Oftentimes, these IDs say the owner is 18 years old rather than 21; this can get students into concerts without drawing too much attention.

“I’m not too worried about being caught since most bouncers checking identification are looking for kids with 21-year-old fakes,” a senior boy said.

Despite his confidence, the student had his fake ID confiscated at a show at U Street Music Hall when a bouncer caught him.

The police didn’t get involved.

Sometimes, however, having your own fake ID isn’t necessary.

The same student once used an older student’s ID to get into a concert that was restricted to 18 and older.

“He looks nothing like me,” he said, “and I thought it was funny that the bouncer thought I looked close enough.”

B&W

THE B&W

15

Whitman’s Environmental Footprint

A

s I stood among hundreds of thousands of people in New York City that September morning, I felt small.

Something so much greater than me was happening before my eyes.

It’s a feeling not unlike the awe that flows through me as I stare at nature’s beauty while hiking, admiring just how incredible the world can be.

Trading trees for skyscrapers and hiking boots for sneakers, I walked as part of the People’s Climate March, the largest environmental

call to action in history.

A unique message accompanied the march’s massive size: those first to suffer the perils of climate change are the same people who’ve already been marginalized by society.

While Bethesda remains largely sheltered, people living in vulnerable environments are already at risk.

Climate change isn’t a hypothetical issue anymore; it’s damaging lives every day.

It’s for this reason that there’s a remarkable urgency to act and there have been impor-

tant strides taken. The U.S. and Chinese governments struck a landmark agreement to reduce future greenhouse gas emission and just days later, the Senate blocked plans for building the Keystone XL Pipeline.

It’s time for us to do our part, and the first step is to improve our understanding of our environmental footprint. Only then can we take the responsible steps necessary to really make a difference.

-Tyler Jacobson, Managing Editor

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17

In 2013, MCPS generated as many greenhouse emissions as 1,800 trips to the moon or 4.6 trips to the sun according to SERT (Student Energy and Recycling Team).

If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is.

But while the county-wide numbers may sound astronomical, the situation at Whitman isn’t so dire.

The Black & White surveyed 218 students in science classes to see how their day-to-day activities might impact the environment.

Students surveyed showed a general concern for environmental issues, even if their actions don’t always back that up.

Nevertheless, there’s always room for improvement, so here are some key issues issues from the poll that should be clarified.

Drinking dirty water Fifty-five percent of Whitman students don’t make the conscious decision to drink from a reusable bottle–and that’s a problem.

Plastic? Or resuable bottles?

Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil–the plastic has to come from somewhere. It takes 17 million barrels of crude oil each year to produce 29 billion bottles, according to National Geographic’s website.

Americans consume fifty billion water bottles a year–more than any other nation–even

18 DECEMBER 2014

photo by TYLER JACOBSON

Making the Grade

by Grace Steinwurtzel

though tap water is cheaper than bottled water, and in most cases, just as safe.

Think of all the bottles that end up in landfills, and consequently, in the waterways. In fact, only one out of six water bottles makes it to the recycling bin, according to nationalgeographic.com. However, Whitman actually has a pretty good recycling record. In 2013, we ranked eighth out of the twenty-six MCPS high schools and the School Energy and Recycling Team gave us an A for our recycling rates.

Bay watershed, treating 370 million gallons of water per day, DC Water says.

Cleaning up misconceptions Students seemed to be unsure whether or not conditions in our waterways have been improving. So, here’s the reality: the overall water quality of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers has improved significantly in the last two decades. But that doesn’t mean that the rivers have rebounded from previous poor conditions, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments reports.

How often do you purchase locally grown produce?

Straight from your backyard...or is it: Organic and locally-grown food.

Chances are that if you’ve shopped at Whole Foods, you have bought an organic or locally grown food. Fifty-three percent of students surveyed frequently purchase organic foods, while only 34 percent frequently purchase locally grown foods.

I think the pollution in rivers and streams in my area is:

Several factors come into play when scientists determine the quality of a body of water.

The most important issue is eutrophication, which happens when too many nutrients run off into waterways, leading to harmful algae blooms and dead zones.

Wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff are major sources of nutrient pollution. The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in DC is the largest pointsource of nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake

The survey results follow a national trend: organic food sales rose 11 percent from 2011 to 2012 and locally-grown foods sales have tripled since 1992, according to the USDA Though often associated as ways to eat greener, organic and locally-grown foods aren’t the same thing. Organic foods are generally considered to be natural with fewer pesticides and synthetic additives, while locally grown just means the food came from a nearby farm (less than 400 miles, according to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act).

Organic food does tend to have a number of advantages, like better nutrition, but there are doubts about being able to grow enough organic food to feed everyone. Organic’s a small part of US agriculture, because it’s significantly less productive on a per area basis than conventional farming.

Consuming locally grown foods has become a desired way to improve nutrition,

support the local economy and reduce the world’s carbon emissions by decreasing shipping distances–but eating locally isn’t always cheap or convenient.

Power to the people?

Seventy-eight percent of Whitman students don’t know where Pepco gets its energy, which isn’t all that surprising–but is something that should still be remedied.

Right now, Pepco’s main energy sources are coal–39.6 percent–and nuclear–35.7 percent– followed by various renewable energy sources and oil, according to website Energy Smart.

mittent source. Access to sunlight can be limited at certain times, and predicting overcast days can be difficult. Yet, it’s still more reliable than wind energy.

Unfortunately, renewables accounted for just over ten percent of US electric power in 2010, most of it from existing hydropower, which can disrupt water-based ecosystems.

Renewables have the potential to make up a large percentage of our energy production. In Germany, renewable energy soared to seventyfive percent of the country’s overall electricity demand, earlier this year, according to Think Progress. B&W

photo courtsey JOHN FRANCIS

Do you know where Pepco gets its electricity?

In 2014, Pepco met the minimum standards for solar energy, but not for total renewable sources. Pepco stated on their website that they “recognize the need to to increase the amount of power that comes from renewable sources” to preserve and protect the environment for years to come.

By 2020, Pepco plans quadruple their use of renewable energy from just over 5 percent to twenty percent, meeting the projected standards for DC and Maryland.

What is the best source of electricity?

Ask thirty-four percent of Whitman students and they’ll say solar power is the best, but there are many different factors that come into play when determining the right source of energy for your area.

What would students choose?

A common misconception about solar energy is that it’s expensive, but costs are decreasing rapidly nowadays, and solar panels are often cheaper than buying electricity from the utility.

On the other hand, solar energy is an inter-

Do you try to stay informed on climate change?

Q&A: Nat’l Geographic V.P. John Francis

John Francis serves as Vice President for Research, Conservation, and Exploration at the National Geographic Society and is a board member at the National Park System, UNESCO, and the IUCN. Francis received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz. From there, his love of filmmaking led him to pursue a career as an associate producer of wildlife films at National Geographic. Eventually, he moved into management and now strives to enhance connections between the scientific/conservation community and the public.

fossil fuels that might diminish the greenhouse effects. We’re in a tight bind because of our ignorance before. The human being is extremely consumptive, and there aren’t many people who realize that their choice when they go shopping at the mall or they choose a particular food or they decide to drive versus walk is affecting the entire planet.

We can’t imagine that we are just in our little village and that’s all we affect. In fact, every part of the planet is affected by us all.

People need to be ever mindful about how much they consume and what they do with those products they take from the Earth and make sure that they leave it effectively better than they found it.

The Black & White: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

John Francis: I’d say it’s empowering people to follow their dreams. Folks who come to National Geographic are looking for support for their new projects. We take risks. We give small amounts of money so people can test their ideas and take them to larger funding organizations. Some people have built their profession from grants that we’ve given—early risks. Jared Diamond got one grant from us to study birds of paradise.

He’s now a leading Pulitzer Prize-winning author and geographer.

B&W: On a local or global scale, what are the biggest environmental issues today? What can we do to help?

JF: I think that climate is it. I have a ‘67 Volvo. There’s about 330,000 miles on it. I also will proudly note that my bicycle is forty years old now. It’s still incredibly strong, and it has some new parts on it, but it has been over 30,000 miles.

There’s no reason why you can’t hold on to things. If you hold onto them long enough, they become full of memories. This idea of holding onto things rather than throwing things away has a lot to do with how we engage on the planet. We don’t want to throw our planet away.

At National Geographic, our vision is to inspire people to care about the planet, and we’ve been doing that more and more, and I’ve been happy to be a part of that acceleration. It really takes folks like you and the classes at Whitman to make it real. It’s already in your hands. You and everyone else are creating your footprints, and you’d better be thinking about what it’s going to look like in the future.

B&W: How has conservation changed over time?

JF: I think climate change is a great example of how conservation has changed over time. I think thirty years ago people were beginning to see that the planet was warming and to recognize that it was related to our greenhouse gases, and as science progressed, more and more people became convinced— unfortunately, too slowly.

Now, we’re facing very hard decisions about what we want to do in our creation of

THE B&W

19

Voices

The language of writing

I L headshots by NICK ANDERSON

Go read a book

by Roger Champagne

Last week I had a conversation with a guy who told me, with a sense of weird pride, that he had never read a book of his own volition. Ever.

Oddly enough, I’ve heard this a surprising number of times. There seems to be a weird phenomenon with kids our age in which it’s considered socially acceptable to brag about not reading. The thing is, it shouldn’t be socially acceptable.

Not reading isn’t something you should brag about; it’s something you should be embarrassed about. It’s really just shocking that people would get behind such an embarrassing fact and then parade around as though their ignorance is just as valuable as someone else’s educated opinion. You wouldn’t see me go into a gym, head right over to the front desk and start bragging about how I’ve never worked out.

It got me thinking, because these people aren’t saying it with a sense of remorse, as in, “I wish I liked to read,” or “I wish I could enjoy books more than what’s on television.”

But no, they earnestly believe that the added stimulation in movies makes them better than their written counterparts.

That just makes me angry,—you’re criticizing books, but you’ve just admitted that you’ve never read a book of your own free will. Not one. Ever.

Never once do these people look at a book and say, “That looks like it might have a valuable piece of information,” or, “That story looks pretty fascinating; maybe I’ll discover that in the form it’s intended to be in, not on a screen.”

And you know the kids that say this are the same kids that Sparknotes freaking everything.

Many people also need to get it through their thick skulls that it’s not uncool to enjoy reading. Just because you’re required to read books in school doesn’t make all reading nerdy. Also, the reason that some people always say that the book is better than the movie is because— newsflash—the books are better than the movies. They’re better because they’re more detailed. People who only watch the movies can’t even fathom the depth of the storyline or the character development that happens in a book, as opposed to the 2D depiction on the silver screen.

So sit down, pick up a book and shut up.

20 DECEMBER 2014

by Noah Franklin I know three languages. I’m fluent in English—that’s my best one. I’m fairly functional in Spanish. Oh, and I can write. That’s my third language.

Now, you might be thinking, “Writing isn’t a language! You can write in a language, but it’s not a language in and of itself.”

Well get that ignorant thought out of your noggin. I’ll prove it.

For starters, there’s actually a pretty significant language barrier that we deal with on a day-to-day basis. We need to translate any piece of writing (be it a celebrated work of literature or a snappy little text message) into our own language—in this case, spoken English.

This translation occurs through a form in which you should be pretty well versed. That would be reading. I’ll show you.

Read this in your head. If you’re one of those ridiculous speed-readers, cease your silly antics for now and slow down a bit—just really read this aloud in your head. Allow that strange yet helpful disembodied voice to run free. That right there is your translation of my writing into conversational English. You’re a translator! Go you!

Is it exactly how I intended it to sound? Probably not. But if you’re a skilled reader, or at least a veteran of verbal interaction, it probably shouldn’t be too hard to take a chunk of text and churn out some equivalent speech.

We run into roadblocks though. Sarcasm, for example, is rampant and unstoppable, and that’s OK. But when it leaks into written interaction, it can be a mess. So I can give you some clues to help you out.

Because of long-standing conventions, italics probably cause you to read this in certain way. See? Right there! You emphasized probably; I know you did. I’m helping to bridge the language barrier a bit, one stylized word at a time.

Or I can seem…hesitant, OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD, or even very unsure of myself? That’s pretty cool.

So that brings me to my two cents: we need to understand that we’re dealing with a whole separate language. Know that from Hemingway or Twain’s mind to yours, the masterpiece has been translated into text and then back again.

A lot can be lost in that jumble of transformation—words percolating through an author’s synapses or a texter’s thumbs and then back in through the novice brain of a casual reader.

Tone can be lost completely. But we can fight that.

Use style and punctuation. You know what? Use emojis.

There are so many strategies in place to make writing accessible and more like real human interface—because that’s something we’re all wired to understand.

But it’s always going to be tough. The language barrier will always be there. I could tell you to go back and read this whole column with a Scottish accent and a lisp. Who are you to tell me that’s not what I intended?

Orange, green and (not) read all over

Feminism: what it really means

S I

by Sebastian van Bastelaer

If an important message meanders across a screen, and nobody cares to read it, does it even matter? Simply put, no.

Whitman’s floating electronic sign, suspended above the stairs by the main entrance, spewing out motivational sayings, defining simple words (in case you needed “diligence” defined for you) and giving life advice, measures at about three feet by three inches.

However, it’s outlived its usefulness. Quick! Who knows the “Six P’s to Excellence”? Anybody? Nobody? That’s funny, cause they’ve been flashing in front of your faces for months.

For one, it looks like the kind of outdated sign that would be mocked by Judd Nelson’s character in “The Breakfast Club”.

It flashes words in three colors: red, orange, and green, hardly the most aesthetically pleasing of color palettes.

Second, its vague messages don’t accomplish anything.

It runs on a cycle, first declaring Whitman a great place to “learn and grow.” Then it defines the word “diligence” for the whole population, just so you can surreptitiously drop it into conversation and wow your friends. Finally, it reminds you to never forget that sextet of P’s (Prompt, Prepared, Productive, Persistent, Polite and Proud, for those of you keeping score).

But even those messages are self-defeating: they take way too long to transition from word to word. If you really wanted some motivation to add some extra pizazz to your day, you’d have to stand there and watch words flash by for 30 seconds and read as the messages transition painfully slowly, making yourself an obstacle and a nuisance to other people.

Finally, do people even see that thing up there? What if it was saying “Want a million dollars? Call this number right now.”? Would anybody even notice? Students would maybe glance up, see the words “Want a” and stroll right on by, missing their opportunity for potential fortune. That cool clump of cash would languish there until a custodian stumbled upon it months later.

Occasionally the messages will change, meaning business manager Eddy Campbell is taking the time to update it, but hardly anybody notices anyway. It’s usually covered up by a Whitmaniacs or SGA announcement carefully painted onto a large banner, toting news and upcoming events surely more worthy of people’s time than being told that our wonderful school is a veritable utopia in which we can mature and enrich our knowledge. While that’s certainly nice to know, maybe our levitating beacon of information is past its prime. Maybe replace it with a TV, like the one in the gym. Or how about an old-fashioned town crier, yelling news from a stool in a ragged suit? Or a brigade of cavalry men riding horses down the halls, screaming “Remember to cover that cough!” Now that would get the message across.

by Julia Gilman

Social, political and economic equality of the sexes.

Sounds reasonable, but if you call it by the word that it defines—feminism—it can often provoke unwarranted outrage. Despite some common misconceptions, feminism isn’t the radical man-hating or bra-burning people criticize.

In light of our recent sexual assault assembly, we’ve seen the divide and general discomfort students at our school experience when discussing gender issues. The simple mention of the word “feminism” is enough to spark debate. People’s misinformed characterizations create a semantics argument that frustrates feminists and steals focus from their real objective: equality.

A lack of understanding of the term has created a stigma. When Whitman feminists openly talk or post about their beliefs, they are often met with sarcastic comments, disrespect, or calls for a “men’s rights” movement.

Female superiority is not feminism’s goal. The movement is called feminism because women, disadvantaged by our historically patriarchal society, advocated for their rights so that the genders could be equal.

Not even 100 years ago, the women’s rights movement achieved its first major milestone: the right to vote. In the 1950s, Betty Friedan and other activists challenged the restriction of women to the role of homemaker as they fought to enter the workforce.

The 1970s and 80s brought a push for advances such as free expression of sexuality and a closing of the pay gap. In 1985, Director John Hughes addressed girls’ fear of being judged for sexual activity in the ultimate high school movie, “The Breakfast Club”: “If you say you haven’t, you’re a prude.

If you say you have, you’re a slut. It’s a trap.”

Hughes’s statement still holds true as slut-shaming and cat-calling are unacceptable and prevalent in the lives of women today. The pay gap persists—women make only 78 cents to every dollar a man makes for the same job, according to a 2013 Census Report.

Feminism’s goal to eliminate gender stereotypes and reduce sexism also benefits men. The concepts of traditional “masculinity” and “femininity” force people to conform to stereotypes that we would all be better off without. Empowering women can actually relieve pressure on boys and girls to comply with preconceived notions about what it means to be male or female.

Clearly, feminism is not solely a women’s movement, but there are still guys who complain about “raging feminists” or mockingly declare themselves “meninists.” Some students use “feminist” as an insult. We need to create an environment that prides itself on fostering equality if we hope to enact real change. It’s vital that we stop treating feminism like an ideological joke and agree that it promotes equality that we can all benefit from. It’s time to stop arguing about labels and realize that, when united, we have the potential to make a difference.

THE B&W

21

Ebola: Up Close

by SARINA HANFLING When Ebola first ravaged West Africa, panic and fear of the deadly virus rose worldwide. The virus, spread through the contact of bodily fluids, completely dehydrates the body and weakens all major organs, leading to death in up to 90 percent of cases, according to the World Health Organization. Because the virus spreads through animals like fruit bats and chimpanzees, it may never be truly eradicated. As understanding of the disease improves, scientists are developing and testing new drugs to prevent an outbreak like this from happening again in the future.

We’ve all read the frightening stories, seen the statistics on the mortality rate. But how much factual information do we actually have? The information that follows has been taken from a series of interviews with doctors and scientists working with this deadly virus.

outbreak alone has infected more than 17,000 people in West African countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 6,331 people have died as of Dec. 3.

Josh Michaud (Whitman ‘89), an epidemiologist and global health professor at Johns Hopkins University, cites the highly congested urban areas and poor West African infrastructure as causes for the virus’ rapid spread, noting its prevalence in highly congested urban areas in capital cities like Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monrovia, Liberia.

Why has this outbreak of Ebola been so large?

The Ebola virus was first identified in 1979; since then there have been only 20 small outbreaks, mostly in rural African areas. At the most, a few hundred people died from the disease, and for the most part, cases remained contained.

In contrast, since March, this

“[Cases] appear in countries which have never had Ebola in the past and therefore weren’t prepared to deal with it,” he said.

“They didn’t have the plans in place, and didn’t have the knowledge in place.”

Compounding the problem, the weak healthcare systems of these countries deny clinic access to many sick patients, who in

22 DECEMBER 2014

“They didn’t have the plans in place, and didn’t have the knowledge in place” -Epidemiologist Josh Michaud (‘89)

graphic courtesy PBS

turn infect others. The virus often goes undetected and people unknowingly try to treat Ebola in their homes, Michaud said.

“There aren’t enough doctors and nurses to treat in just normal health conditions, let alone for something like Ebola when it exploded like this,” he said.

What are researchers doing to respond?

Around the world, scientists are creating experimental treatments for Ebola patients and possible vaccines for the future.

This September, scientists tested a vaccine that causes the immune system to create antiEbola antibodies in the blood.

Scientists inserted genetic material from the Ebola virus into adenovirus, a chimpanzee virus. This altered gene doesn’t cause any illness in humans and only serves as the “delivery mechanism” for the vaccine, Michaud said.

A group of 20 volunteers were tested with this vaccine, which proved to be “well-tolerated,” according to the NIH. New treatments for those infected with Ebola are under study as well.

Transferring blood from survivors to infected patients has been an effective experimental treatment in Ebola patients. The survivors’ blood has antibodies that help fight infection, said Jane Pollner, an infectious disease doctor at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Also, ZMapp, a new drug made with antibodies from tobacco plants, has been used for infected healthcare workers who have come to the U.S. for treatment.

Both of these treatments appear to be successful, but there haven’t been any controlled trials to measure for their effectiveness, Pollner said.

How has Ebola influenced politics in the United States?

There have been four laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in the U.S. since late September and many Ebola ‘scares.’ Three out of the four patients have survived.

The Centers for Disease Control first faced Ebola in the U.S. after a Liberian man in Dallas was diagnosed with the disease.

The man, who initially was not suspected of having Ebola, exposed many people to the virus, said Karen Drenkard, former chief nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Though none of the Liberian man’s Dallas acquaintances became ill, two nurses who had cared for him contracted the virus.

The CDC’s “uncoordinated response” received criticism, and Congress initiated an investigation of the cause of the blunders, Drenkard said.

The CDC now has the power to quarantine any returning travellers from West African countries if they exhibit Ebola symptoms. Each state has the power to create protocols if

they would like all travellers to be quarantined.

In late October, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a law that forces all people coming from West Africa to immediately be quarantined for 21 days. One nurse returning from duty in Si-

erra Leone bashed the law, claiming she shouldn’t be quarantined because she wasn’t sick.

“You don’t need to be quarantined unless you have symptoms,” Drenkard said. “The politicians basically didn’t pay attention to the science.”

The CDC has been assisting West African health ministries to perform airport screening on all outgoing passengers. CDC workers also screen passengers return-

ing from high-risk countries at major international airports in the U.S., including at Dulles.

Are we at risk for contracting Ebola?

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Michaud said. “I know it’s not easy because it’s such a mysterious and dangerous disease.

The average high school student at Walt Whitman High School is not at risk.” B&W

On the front line Doctor Daniel Lucey returned from Monrovia, Liberia Dec. 1 after treating Ebola patients in a large outdoor hospital run by Doctors Without Borders. Lucey also spent three weeks in Freetown, Sierra Leone, last August with an NGO called the International Medical Corps. Lucey, an infectious disease

Suiting Up

Before treating patients, Lucey and his team had to dress in extremely heavy and hot Personal Protective Equipment.

Volunteers had to be dressed in the PPE in an entirely different tent, where full-time employees helped the volunteers gear up safely.

Since the PPE is so hot and wearing it resulted in high-volume loss of fluid and salt in sweat, workers were advised to stay in the PPE for a maximum of only 45 minutes.

HOOD GOGGLES RESPIRATOR MASK

Dr. Daniel Lucey cured dozens of patients of the Ebola virus in Liberia. As the survivors left the hospital, they had their opportunity to put their handprint on “The Ebola Survivors Wall.”

GLOVES After each step of the removal of the PPE, Lucey had to wash his gloved hands in 0.5% chlorine.

BODY SUIT

Lucey’s “gum boots” would fill up with sweat so it felt like he was walking in the shallow end of a pond, he said.

and public health physician and professor at Georgetown University, has travelled around the world working in various outbreak sites, including in China, Egypt, Qatar and Thailand to treat viruses like H5N1 bird flu virus, SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and the pandemic H1N1 flu.

BOOTS

Dr. Lucey in Personal Protective Equipment

THE B&W

23

The search for your place in life

T

radition within Whitman Drama dictates that, two hours before theatre doors open for each closing night show, the full company gathers in the green room. The room normally serves as a holding bay for off-stage actors. But three times a year, its doors close for a strange, introspective and often tear-jerking ceremony.

Inside, we gather in a crowd, held safe by light green walls and closed doors. One by one, seniors ascend the staircase beneath the side door, and are each given a few minutes to give their “senior speeches.”

The nature of these speeches parallels that of theatre itself: it’s a fleeting opportunity to release the truest, most vulnerable parts of yourself to a crowd with no notion of judgment. Sentiments are let like love notes in tiny envelopes into the ether.

It was during one of these sessions— specifically, before closing night of Lord of the Flies—that I began to wonder what I’d say when my turn, not due for another two years, arrived.

“I’ve got it!” I told myself a few minutes later. I thought I had it. And until recently, I was sure I had it.

Having participated in two previous sessions, I had noticed that the seniors tended to talk about how they had “found themselves” or “felt at home and with their true families” here.

But I began to think— what about those who don’t feel “at home” or “with their families” while here? There have to be some.

I had it all planned out by the time the last senior finished that day. I’d reference a line from the song “Be Calm” by fun.: “if only I could find my people or my place in life.” Then, I’d talk about how maybe some hadn’t found their people or their places in life, about how it was alright for us to not feel completely “at home” or “with our

24 DECEMBER 2014

by Jesse Cao families” here, or anywhere at this point in our lives. This is only a springboard, I would say. For some, this experience is only a bumper in their bowling lane, helping them along to their actual people or place in life.

That was my plan. I’d get up there and shock everyone with my iconoclastic rejection of the idea that this theater company represented a final landing of purpose.

“

Is there some set of characteristics, some archetype, some mold that we’re destined by a greater power to fit into, or to become? kkkkkkkk

”

I’d make a speech for the huddled masses within this literal huddled mass. The idea was planted within a back corner of my mind, and over the last year, I’ve frequently mused about it. But I started questioning myself—was I right to be thinking these things?

The idea that a person who has only experienced 16 years of life could fully understand what their “home” is seemed absurd at first. Surely, these high school seniors haven’t found themselves this quickly, I thought—they’re either lying to us or to themselves.

The decision of which area to enter into or which people to associate with generally comes either after high school or during college. But what leads us to this decision?

I began to think about the intrinsic malleability of young people. I decided that what we do with our years of youth doesn’t help us discover who we are, but rather creates who we are. I got involved with the drama department early, towards

the middle of my freshman year. But I began to think—what if I had joined the debate team freshman year, and kept at it?

Some factors of natural talent may come into play, but it’s likely that through practice and time commitment, I could be a decent debater by now.

But I chose theater. And that’s where I’ve placed my time and thought. I find that amazing in a terrifying way. How do we know we’ve made the right choice, at either the high school or lifelong level?

We end up with the idea of identity.

Is there some set of characteristics, some archetype, some mold that we’re destined by a greater power to fit into, or to become? Does the same greater power nudge us into these roles? If not, that means it’s possible to make the wrong choices, to get it all wrong.

I eventually resolved to tell myself that there is no way to get it wrong. That there isn’t a master plan to potentially fall out of, that even our “wrong” choices are just choices, leading us through the dark towards an ultimate, non-predestined, self.

Whether this resolution is but thoughtful honey to soothe an anxious spirit or a truthful tenet, I’m not sure.

But then what becomes of my huddled masses? I’m not sure about that either. Perhaps it doesn’t matter whether the people and places you find are the last lighthouse on your way, just one along the route to your ultimate “home,” or if you haven’t found anything at all. Maybe it’s all equally meaningful in that there are no predetermined tracks for us to progress on, and thus no unit of measure for comparison between people. So being at different points along our self-forged trail is alright.

Turns out, last spring, I hadn’t had it. And so at this point, I don’t know what I’ll say next year when my time comes to ascend that nostalgic pedestal, just that I won’t only be addressing who I had previously thought were lost, huddled masses.

Turns out, they’re not really all that lost. B&W

Artificial Intelligence Students abuse prescription ADHD drugs to do more in less time

by William Arnesen and Trevor Lystad

W

hitman students, forged in the crucible of a competitive academic culture, are pressured to always try harder, stay up later, work faster, achieve more. In the futile attempt to juggle extracurricular activities, some turn to an illegal and harmful source of support to get them through the day: study drugs.

With the end of the semester just around the corner, the added pressure of exams, final essays and culminating projects can be the last straw—enough to make overwhelmed students crack.

“Study drugs,” the colloquial name for ADHD medications like Adderall or Ritalin that are abused in order to boost academic performance. The intended effect is rapid concentration; using study drugs can provide a quick boost in attention span, enabling users to pull all-nighters or cruise through a test with record speed.

“I felt as though I was answering the questions a lot faster,” said one junior girl, who said she first took Adderall in order to pass an AP exam. “Instead of having to read a question a few times, I only read most of them once.”

Other students corroborate her claim.

“They help me concentrate on whatever activity I’m doing,” said one junior boy. “When I’m on the meds I feel like I’m able to push all irrelevant information out of my head.”

In the past, Whitman has had problems with illicit use of such “smart pills.” In 2011, the police arrested two seniors for buying and selling ADHD prescription medicines. Principal Alan Goodwin said he’s “never been witness” to a student using study drugs, but he is well-aware that it happens.

“Students will use it to stay

up later when they’re behind in their work, and they’ll take it in order to focus,” Goodwin said, “but there are just better and healthier practices they can use to achieve those ends rather than taking prescription drugs.”

Nationwide, polls disagree about the prevalence of these “study drugs,” mostly finding that anywhere from five to 13 percent of students have used them. But rates vary wildly based on the school, with higher rates in competitive schools. For example, a junior from a highachieving school in North Carolina who has experience with study drugs hypothesized that in his school, “probably 25-30 percent of students have used them at some point, but that might be a bit conservative.”

Part of the reason so many kids use them is the popular belief that study drugs aren’t particularly detrimental to their health. A University of Kentucky survey in 2008 found that 81 percent of students polled thought study drug use was either “not dangerous at all” or only “slightly dangerous.”

But study drugs aren’t just a harmless tool to boost test scores, said Joseph Moses, the special agent of public affairs at the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Their abuse is an “extreme concern” for the DEA. The New York Times called for increased scrutiny in the use of study drugs, saying that they can lead to addiction, and in rare cases, more extreme side effects such as psychosis, suicidal thoughts and hallucinations.

“They can be really harmful to people who are vulnerable to addiction,” said the student from North Carolina. “For the people who do become dependent, it can be pretty devastating.”

One junior boy who has a

prescription agrees that study drugs are ultimately harmful. “I think it’s a risky and irresponsible misuse of medication,” he said. “As someone who has ADHD, I can testify that Ritalin does not make you smarter.”

Sometimes, students basically self-diagnose themselves with attention problems, and study drugs become their solution.

“I’ve always felt like I had attention problems but I was never tested,” one junior boy said. He took a pill on an exam day, hoping to power through longer tests.

“They worked really well on my concentration,” he said. “I felt like my reading and thought processes were a lot faster.”

Apparently, the drug worked, and the boy got an A on an exam he said he didn’t expect to do well on.

Even if the drugs are helpful for focusing, students have noticed other side effects— but they can’t be

sure they were directly caused by the drugs. One boy said he experienced nausea and wasn’t hungry for an unusually long time after taking the drug, while one girlsaid she “couldn’t stop smiling” after taking a large dosage of Adderall.

One of the biggest risks of prescription medication abuse is the possibility of legal repercussions. In the eyes of the law, giving a pill to one’s friends isn’t helping them out, it’s fullfledged drug dealing. Some of the most common “study drugs,” like Adderall and Vyvanse, are amphetamines, which means they’re registered by the federal government as Schedule II controlled substances, the same category as cocaine or Oxycontin.

“That’s why we have whole divisions where all they work on is that,” the DEA’s Moses said.

School repercussions would depend on the case, Goodwin said, but they would result in a suspension of at least three days.

“It’s a dangerous practice; it’s a regrettable practice,” Goodwin said. “It’s dismaying that it’s come down to the high school level.” B&W

THE B&W

25

Sleepidemic

by Spencer Adams

The Black & White conducted a scientific survey of 305 Whitman students to determine the factors that impact the average student’s sleep schedule. The survey showed that students consistently get less than 7 hours of sleep a night, a far cry from the 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep recommended for teenagers by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some of the results are shown below, as well as interviews with students, teachers, and doctors.

The consquences of not getting enough sleep, according to Dr. Judith Owens Dr. Owens is the Director of Sleep Medicine at Children’s National Health System and chairs the pediatic section of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Students who use their phones in bed get

16 fewer minutes of sleep on average

The average student gets

6 hours and

41 minutes of sleep per night.

How does your lack of sleep affect you?

26 DECEMBER 2014

1. Mood changes, including symptoms of depression and increased suicidal thoughts.

2. Cognitive problems including poor memory, reduced concentration, organizational problems, slowed reaction

time, decreased efficiency in completing work (like homework).

3. Lower academic achievement.

4. Safety concerns, including increased risk of drowsy driving crashes.

5. Increased risk of later developing high blood pressure and heart problems.

6. Increased risk of obesity and diabetes.

The average student wants to get to bed

“I lash out a people a lot more and I’m in a bad mood a lot.”

-Junior Angie Ames

an hour earlier.

“It forces me to drink coffee in the morning, which causes me to feel jittery during the day. ” -Senior Aaron Dane

“By the end of the week I usually feel pretty darn tired. And I think my eye twitch has been from [my lack of sleep] too.”

-English teacher Susan Buckingham

Winter Sports Traditions

by Lindsay Wytkind and Anna Marcus Wrestling

The team operates on a no-dairy policy before matches.

“The effects during the match may be brutal,” senior Matthew McClanahan said.

Indoor Track

The team brings baguettes to every meet to munch on between events.

Girls Basketball

The girls chant their slogan “together” before practices and games. They also do a 48-day countdown to the first game against Good Counsel that hangs outside of Mr. Kenah’s room.

Shaq will be starting for the varsity basketball team this season. No, not that Shaq.

Junior Shaquyl Diboti, a 6’2 transfer from Churchill, will start at small forward for the Vikes this season, and will also play minutes at shooting guard.

Diboti brings a new offensive weapon to a Vikings team that lost the majority of its leading scorers from last season: guard Kyle DePollar transferred to Montrose Christian and guard Jake Kuhn tore his ACL, while guard Max Steinhorn and center Josh Fried graduated.

Diboti aims to use his athleticism and ability to score on the perimeter to supplement the lost

Post-game muffins are a staple for the boys after each game throughout the season.

On game days they slick their hair back and strut through the halls.

Cheer

Before routines, the squad has a prayer circle, says good luck and discusses how far they have come. Junior Nicky Lindenberg’s stunt group has their own good luck charm which they got from the movie Frozen—they clap twice, say “yoohoo” and give spirit fingers to the girl next to them.

Swim and Dive

Mr. Schaefer rolls out caution tape in front of the team as they sit on the edge of the pool and watch the divers compete. He then walks down the line at the pool’s edge and drops a bitesized piece of candy on each team member.

Shaq to start for Whitman

by Arya Hodjat

Ice Hockey

Boys Basketball

Many of the guys have kept the same free throw routine since middle school. Senior captain Riley Shaver has had the same routine since his 7th grade days.

photo by NICK ANDERSON Junior Shaquyl Diboti steps up to the free throw line to take a shot for the Vikes. The 6’2 transfer from Churchill will be an asset to the team, which made it to state finals last year.

production.

“A player like Shaq certainly does soften the blow of losing Jake and Kyle,” coach Christopher Lun said. “He will be one of our primary scorers. Once he learns and buys into our system, he will be one of the top players in the county.”

While Diboti’s addition to the Vikes came with hype, his road to Whitman came with adversity. During his freshman year at Churchill, Diboti was cut from the JV team, despite being the leading scorer on a club team made up of his potential JV teammates.

Diboti said his rejection from the JV team pushed him to work harder. While he hoped to bounce

back and contribute to the team his sophomore year, he was ruled academically ineligible to play basketball before the start of the season.

“It was very frustrating watching the team play and knowing that I could’ve had a good role,” Diboti said. “I had to focus on my grades and just work harder on both basketball and school.”

Diboti transferred to Whitman this year after moving into the district, not because of his grades or his basketball career, he said. According to Lun, the change in teams has benefited Diboti, and his grades have improved since coming to Whitman.

While it has been challenging

for Diboti to adapt to the more team-based style of Whitman’s offense, his teammates know that he can play at a high level once he adjusts.

“Shaq has improved miles since coming to Whitman, including his basketball IQ,” forward Riley Shaver said. “He just needs to learn how to play Whitman basketball.”

Diboti said that Whitman will help him further his main goal— to play basketball for a D1 college program.

“Whitman gives me a better opportunity because we compete at the highest level,” Diboti said.

“It’s definitely a more disciplined team.” B&W

THE B&W

27

by Caleb Friedman When Joe Gyau was in sixth grade his teacher asked him, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Without hesitating Joe replied, “A professional soccer player.” The teacher chuckled a bit and said, “Come on, that’s not a real job.”

What that teacher didn’t know was that Joe was serious.

Now making a splash in European soccer at age 22, the Silver Spring native and former Bethesda Soccer Club player is one of the United States’ most promising young players.

For the Gyau family, this is the norm.

From an early age, Joe’s mom Amina, a health teacher at Pyle, and his dad Philip, the soccer coach at Howard University, encouraged Joe and their daughter Mia to participate in sports; Joe

28 DECEMBER 2014

photo courtesy GYAU FAMILY

Inside the Gyau family’s soccer success

Joe Gyau (7) dribbles forward for the United States in a friendly competition against the Czech Republic Sept. 3 2014. Joe, in his first appearance for the U.S., played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 U.S. win.

and Mia—a 16-year-old Duke University commit—quickly found that soccer was the one for them.

Joe Gyau: From the fields of Bethesda to the U.S. National Team Joe’s father Philip first realized how far Joe’s soccer career could eventually go at an Olympic Development Program (ODP) camp in Delaware.

Joe was 12 and vying for a spot on the regional ODP team, having already been on the Maryland state team. On the first day of the camp, he caught the eye of a Manchester United scout.

“The guy called me that same night and said he wanted to meet with me,” Philip said. “So I drove up to Delaware just to see him.

He told me that Joseph was just as good, if not better, than a lot

of [Manchester United academy] kids his age.”

“Joseph was just as good, if not better, than a lot of [Manchester United Academy] kids his age.”

-Philip Gyau Having attracted attention so early, Joe didn’t have a typical

American childhood. After being called to U.S. youth national team camps at ages 13 and 14, he moved to Florida by himself to train with the national team at the IMG academy, a well-known athletic training facility and school.

“Playing with the national team every day was great for my development,” Joe said. “Those guys became my brothers.”

Letting Joe go to IMG was difficult for his parents, especially for his mother, his parents decided they couldn’t let him pass up that kind of opportunity.

“His dream had always been to play professional soccer, and in order for him to progress to that level, we thought IMG was necessary,” Philip said.

Then, during his junior year (2009), Gyau left IMG to go to Canada, where he played for the

Vancouver Whitecaps Academy team while finishing high school.

The Whitecaps experience led to Joe’s big break.

Hoffenheim, a team in Germany’s top division, called Joe and signed him to a professional contract.

“It was an amazing feeling because that was the first step in my career,” Joe said. “It was a big deal at that time.”

After signing the contract, Joe started using Rosetta Stone to learn German. His host-mom and the Hoffenheim manager spoke only German, so he had to pick up the language quickly.

“I want to become a regular on the national team.

And obviously, I want to go to the next World Cup.” -Joe Gyau “Within three months, my boy was speaking German,” Amina said. “The manager was shocked, because he was speaking fluently, with perfect dialect.”

In addition to the language barrier, Joe often didn’t get consistent playing time at Hoffenheim. which made him mentally tougher.

“I’ve learned that not all times are good times as an athlete,” he said.

Gyau left Hoffenheim this summer, signing with another German team, the European power Borussia Dortmund (his current team). The transfer came as a surprise to many, as Gyau hadn’t gotten regular playing time at Hoffenheim, a much smaller club.

Gyau was originally signed to Dortmund’s U23 team but earned a spot on the first team this fall, much quicker than expected.

The high talent level at Dortmund forced Joe to focus more on his game, and the strong competi-

tion has helped him improve.

“There are so many good players here at Dortmund. You always have to bring your A-game, you have to concentrate, and you have to be trying to do more than the other person,” he said. “There are great players in every position down the books.”

Once he signed with Dortmund, Gyau started getting the attention of United States coach Jurgen Klinsman, who called Gyau up to several U.S. National Team camps. After playing at a camp in August 2014, Gyau finally got his first appearance and start for the U.S. in a friendly against the Czech Republic Sept. 3.

“We were training, and I had been playing well, and coach Klinsman told me before the game that he was aware of my progress at Dortmund and that he believed in me,” Gyau said. “He said that that night I was going to get my chance to show everybody who I was and what I was made of.”

Joe is part of a youth movement for U.S. National Team, as it will have to replace players like Landon Donovan and Tim Howard in the years to come.

Joe played the full ninety minutes in a gritty 1-0 win, playing well enough to earn another start Oct. 10 against Ecuador. His second start was cut short after 15 minutes due to a knee injury, which was originally expected to keep him sidelined until January.

Joe has healed ahead of schedule, and is now training with Dortmund again.

Looking forward, Joe has his sights set on Qatar, the site of the 2018 World Cup. “I want to become a regular on the national team,” he said.

“And obviously, I want to go to the next World Cup.” Joe has had to deal with difficult managers, injuries, and a language barrier so far in his career.

Now, he can focus on taking on the world’s best defenders.

Mia Gyau: Taking after her brother Before she was five years old, Mia Gyau grew up watching her brother Joe play. She knew immediately that she wanted to do the same.

“I was really excited to play soccer because I wanted to be just like my brother when I got older,”

Mia said. “I looked at him as my inspiration.”

When Mia first started playing, her father had her playing with boys, just as Mia Hamm and other women’s national team players did.

“I was really excited to play soccer because I wanted to be just like my brother when I got older. I looked at him as my inspiration.”

-Mia Gyau “I knew that for a young lady, it’s always good to play with the boys as long as you can, and then transition over to the girls game,” Philip said. “It gives you an edge.”

Mia played for the Bethesda Lions, who came in third at the Club National Championships in

2012. Playing with the boys made the switch to playing with the girls much easier because she was used to a quicker, more physical style of play.

“Over the years, playing with the boys made me play a lot faster, and it made me more accustomed to a rougher game,” she said. “That really helped me, because playing with 15-year-old boys was like playing with 20-year-old women.”

Mia has played for the U.S. national teams in her age group, notching nearly 20 international appearances. She’s a regular at the national team camps, much like the ones that Joe attended in his teen years.

“My brother went through the same national team process as me, so I can always talk to him. He really helps me with the selection process,” she said.

Now committed to play at Duke, Mia hopes to eventually play on the senior national team.

“I just need to keep working hard, and I need to listen to my dad, my brother, and my mom,” she said. “If you have a lot of fight in you, you can be on the first team.”

No matter what the future holds for the Gyau family, Joe will at least be able to tell his sixth grade teacher, “I told you so.” B&W

Mia and Joe in 2013, when Joe was back in the U.S. for a visit. Mia often looks to Joe for advice about the National Team selection process.

THE B&W

29

DERMAN Photo courtesy MARCI RU

W

hether they’re cheering on fellow Maryland Special Olympians or winning local competitions, the girls on Montgomery County’s JOY cheerleading squad always perform with high energy and big smiles, and junior Susannah Lovegrove has been there since the squad’s start four years ago.

Lovegrove and the rest of JOY, a group of middle and high school girls with special needs, will have the chance to travel to Los Angeles this summer to participate in the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, the world’s largest humanitarian sporting event next year.

For the first time, cheerleaders are invited to cheer during various events throughout the nine-day competition, which will showcase 7,000 athletes from 177 countries.

Lovegrove, who has also participated in Whitman’s inclusive cheerleading squad, Junior Vikes, said she finds JOY a great opportunity to spend time with friends outside of school and to compete on a team.

“It gives me a chance to be me, a cheerleader,” she said.

“It’s fun to cheer with friends and have team spirit.”

Lovegrove said a big part of the team’s success comes

30 DECEMBER 2014

s summer.

mpic World Games thi

the 2015 Special Oly

from JOY head coach Meaghan Smith, who Lovegrove enjoys hanging out with. Smith, a former member of the Baltimore Ravens cheerleading squad, will also be head coach of all North American cheerleaders at the Games. Pyle parent Marci Ruderman, whose 13-yearold daughter Carly has been cheerleading for JOY for four years, said she believes Smith will bring both spirit and expertise to Los Angeles.

“Coach Meaghan is full of strength and enthusiasm and she is one of our girls’ biggest advocates,” Ruderman said, adding that Smith has helped the team to quadruple in size over the last four years.

The team’s “JOY to the World Games” effort will raise money to support their travel to the Games through individual and group fundraising. Manager Darian Packard hopes online donations from the community and the use of social media will prompt greater awareness of JOY and the Special Olympics.

“Having cheerleaders at the World Games will bring spirit and enthusiasm to athletes and fans, and will add another element to events,” she said.

In addition, Montgomery County television is producing a documentary about JOY,

by Ben Katz which may evolve into a TV series after the World Games. “[This documentary] will show that our girls are talented, are wonderful, and will show their spirit, their enthusiasm, and the joy that they bring to all the events they go to,” Packard said.

“Having cheerleaders at the World Games will bring spirit and enthusiasm to athletes and fans, and will add another element to events,” -Darian Packard, manager of JOY As the squad prepares for the World Games and the TV series release, they will contin-

ue to cheer at sporting events and will participate in the State Games in June.

Not only do the winning teams benefit, but the cheerleaders do as well. “[JOY] isn’t just for special needs girls who don’t do sports—we know what we’re doing,” Lovegrove said. “It makes a big difference to some of the girls because they don’t cheer anywhere else except JOY.” What’s their favorite part of going to Los Angeles?

“I’ve never been to Los Angeles before—it’s exciting,” Carly Ruderman said. “I get to be in the World Games. They never had cheerleading there before. I’m excited to walk in the Parade of Nations in the opening ceremonies.” B&W

photo courtesy MARCI RUDERMAN

The JOY

will participate in cheerleading squad

JOY cheer squad to the Special Olympics

Left to right: Susannah Lovegrove, Delaney Dunigan, Theresa Brogan, Gina Baldini, Carly Ruderman, Joelle Packard, and Ayaan Ayorinde (front)

Meet the man behind the golf cart:

about the talents he brings to the table.

“It’s a service. Is it any more of a service than a building service worker or a teacher?

I don’t know,” Wetzel said. “There are a lot of good people that I work with that make my job enjoyable and successful. I have good coaches, good community support, great parents, and great support from the administration−it’s a team effort.

Wetzel played and coached from a young age, wrestling throughout his whole life and at Millersville College in Pennsylvania, his home state.

His wrestling performance his freshman year was expected to earn him a scholarship offer the following year, but a nagging neck injury that had also plagued him in high school ended his career early.

“The doctor said keep walking or keep wrestling. That was a pretty easy choice,” he said.

Wetzel came to Whitman in 1995 to coach JV wrestling and be an assistant football coach. A year later he rose to the varsity wrestling coach position, where he reoriented the culture of the program to value hard work and success.

“

Wetzel is a god.

He makes sure the coaches do their job, but he lets me do my job. dd -Geoff Schaeffer

“

This season marks the tenth anniversary of the wrestling team’s first and only state championship. The 2004-2005 team was packed end-to-end with talent, including four eventual Division I athletes. However, few know that the man orchestrating the dominant squad was athletic director Andy Wetzel, whose influence on Whitman sports has only grown since the victory.

Wetzel’s communication with the student body is largely limited to his Twitter updates on scores and standings, but he has a major hand in the life of every student athlete and parent. He organizes transportation, forms, equipment, and anything else a team needs to run smoothly.

Although his work is largely under the radar and behind the scenes, it doesn’t go unnoticed by the coaching staff.

“Wetzel is a god,” said volleyball and swim & dive coach Geoff Schaeffer. “He makes sure the coaches do their jobs, but he lets me do my job. He doesn’t micromanage.”

Wetzel’s job is no easy feat having to oversee nearly every aspect of games, practices, and facilities a lot is on his plate. He makes it look easy, coaches say.

“Wetzel is an excellent athletic director,” girls soccer coach Greg Herbert said. “He is someone who I admire and respect. There is literally a million things that he does. He is someone who, as a coach you need the support of, and Mr. Wetzel is always there.”

Wetzel’s multifaceted job can be challenging, considering he has to objectively consider the needs and requests of every Whitman sport. After nine years at the helm he’s become a master of the balancing act.

“I think that he does a great job he balances everything [for every sport],” head football coach Jim Kuhn said. “Sometimes there is not a right answer, and it will be an unpopular for somebody, but he does his best to balance it all the best he can.”

Despite having one of the most challenging jobs in the school, Wetzel is very humble

by Josh Feder

The team, which had previously considered three or four wins per season a success, quickly reversed course under Wetzel’s direction. Since then, losing seasons have been few and far between.

photo by Nick Anderson

Andy Wetzel

The team has produced over 20 regional champions since Wetzel’s arrival and has been one of the premier teams in its division.

Ten years after his start at Whitman, Wetzel coached the wrestling team to a state championship in 2005. He retired from the coaching position two years later to become athletic director.

In recent years the team has been coached

by Derek Manon, a teacher at North Bethesda Middle School, who joined the program shortly after the state title. Manon also coaches JV football at Whitman. Wetzel took him under his wing, Manon said, allowing him to assume a majority of the responsibilities as head coach while Wetzel prepared for his transition to athletic director.

“Very early on he turned the reins over to me,” Manon said. “It was intense coming in here because he had won a state title just two years before. I was a little nervous.”

Manon says the team still feels Wetzel’s influence.

“I think Mr. Wetzel has a lot to do with the tradition and excellence Whitman [wrestling] has,” Manon said. “He built that attitude, tradition, and work ethic and he certainly has to be thanked for a lot of that.”

Wetzel does miss his direct interaction with students from when he was a coach; however he still thinks he is in a position to be a mentor.

“I’m coaching coaches now instead of kids,” he said. B&W

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Save the Date for LLS Month 2015: -Battle of the Bands: Wed. February 4 Nick Anderson Katie Meyer -Red Rush/Red Rush Jr.: Sun. February 8 SECRETARY SECRETARY -Guy Auction: Wed. February 11 Class Officers: -bRAVE: Sat. February 21 ‘15 Jonny Rasch, Rachel Ordan, Katie Sullivan -Singing Grams: sales start Mon. February 9 and are delievered on Fri. February 13 ‘16 Carolyn Hoover, Trevor Lystad, Selvi Ulsan -Battle of the Beards: From Mon. February 23 Jaiwen Hsu, Michael Choi, Keara Sullivan ‘17 to Fri. February 27

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