Overcrowded: 40 students classes just aren’t working
By Allison Jacobs, News Editor
October 21, 2019
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, students noticed that classes felt a little bigger than usual. In fact, classes are a lot bigger than usual. WCHS now suffers from an overcrowding problem in some classes, a huge issue that must be dealt with for the sake of the quality of education tha...
Concussion tests should be needed for all student athletes
By Ally Salzberg, Assistant Online Editor
October 21, 2019
Safety has always been a priority in athletics, especially for those who participate in high school sports. As a result, it is normal to ask, why is it that the WCHS faculty does not consider a yearly baseline concussion test as mandatory? Every year in high schools around the country, a “concussion t...
Pace change ahead for Netflix binge watchers
By Nur Yavuz, Assistant Observations Editor
October 21, 2019
Will Netflix be changing your binging habits for you? Netflix’s new pacing schedule is going to keep binging habits to a minimum. Binge watching devalues shows and gets rid of the concept of suspense, so not only will this be healthier for the younger audiences who have too much time on their hands, b...
Writing out cursive for the future
By Anna Kronthal, Opinions Editor
October 21, 2019
All of us remember the infamous kindergarten worksheets where students are asked to trace along a dotted line or continuously pencil out ten curly versions of the letter “Q” in a row to learn the cursive alphabet. What do not remember? Ever using it again. For many years, there have been ongoing deba...
Defending against attackers, should WCHS add self-defense?
By Jasper Bernstein, Assistant Observations Editor
October 21, 2019
September 16 was a normal day at Walt Whitman High School until a student unexpectedly physically attacked another student with a kitchen appliance: a frying pan. Although the incident was promptly taken care of by school security, many WCHS students were worried for their own safety after the fight. Thi...
JoJo Siwa dances over haters to build successful brand
By Trevor Gardemal, Staff Writer
April 4, 2019
Jojo Siwa doesn’t care what the haters say. “I'mma come back like a boomerang,” she says in her song, “Boomerang.” And she does. Jojo Siwa, born Joelle Joanie, made her television debut in 2013 on Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. In 2015, she joined Dance Moms for seasons 5 and 6. From ...
Celebrities should not publicly endorse political nominees
By Anna Kronthal, Assistant Opinions Editor
November 26, 2018
Pop singer Taylor Swift shared her views on political candidates in a lengthy caption that she posted to her instagram. Swift’s picture was liked by over 2 million people. Meanwhile, our president’s inauguration was attended by only 900,000. Recently, celebrities have been impacting politics by promoting ...
By Nora Holland, Opinions Editor
November 20, 2018
In America, a “rubber” is slang for a condom. In Australia, it serves as slang for an eraser. Either way, it seems as if MCPS is soon going to have both of these important tools roaming the hallways. Due to recent reports on the drastic increase of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the U....
Athletes must live up to role model standards
By Miranda Chung, Assistant Opinions Editor
November 20, 2018
The women’s finals match of the 2018 U.S. Open between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka has sparked controversy not only in the tennis community, but throughout the sports industry. In a major upset, legendary tennis champion Williams lost the U.S. Open to Japanese player, Osaka. It is not Williams’...
Makeup Brands “Oversexualize” Names of Products
By Jasmine Baten, Staff Writer
April 19, 2016
It’s getting a little too hot in here. It’s no secret—makeup brands have been giving their lipsticks and eyeshadows unnecessarily suggestive names like Urban Decay’s “Perversion” and NARS’ “Orgasm” for years. In March, leading drugstore cosmetic brand Rimmel London released ...
Stop the stigma surrounding mental health
By Eugenia Cardinale, Observations Editor
May 27, 2015
When I was in middle school, I used to cut myself. One day, one of my teachers made a joke about cutting. I sat there and watched my whole class laugh at an issue I was struggling with. It took me over two years to tell an adult about my cutting and depression because I felt ashamed, weird and afraid of...
Students, staff should have been consulted before schedule change
January 12, 2015
During first period on Wednesday morning, students, refreshed from a relaxing snow day and two-hour delay were jarred awake by a shocking announcement. Principal Joan Benz promised that the disruption would bring “good news;” however, the decision to push back the entire exam schedule one day was...