I’m really afraid to graduate high school. Everyone is so excited to leave this suburban bubble and move on with their lives, but I’m legitimately worried about relationships changing with my best friends, being on my own in college and just not seeing some of these people ever again. Do you have any last-minute advice before graduation? How do I maintain relationships with my best friends?

Sincerely,

Scared of Leaving

———-

Dear Scared of Leaving,

Even those of your friends who are “excited to leave this suburban bubble” are still feeling your same trepidations. I promise you, there is not one graduating senior (myself included) who assumes that all of their current comforts and relationships are going to stay the same. However, our generation has a huge advantage over that of our parents – we have the Internet. As corny as it seems, we are connected to people from literally all over the world through e-mail, video-chatting programs, and social networking sites.

My advice is to download Skype, if you haven’t already, and make a pseudo-schedule for when you plan on talking to your friends from home. You won’t be able to talk to them every day, but you can decide to have real conversations (not just a few text messages) with at least 2 friends-from-home per week. Remember, college is partly about making new friends, so you don’t want to trap yourself in the past, because it will just make you homesick. However, if you set aside two hours of your week to focus on catching up with friends from home, then you will not feel as though you are losing control of your old life.

Another positive thing about your friends from home is just that – they’re from home. As long as their parents don’t move away, they will be there at breaks, over the summer, and certainly after college graduation when everyone is broke and living back in this “suburban bubble” with their families. This is in contrast with your college friends, who will probably be a lot less convenient to visit when you’re not at school. So try not to neglect your new friends in favor of freaking out about missing your old ones.

In terms of “being on your own” in college, there is a big difference between being alone and being independent. Yes, you will be more independent; punishment-inducing authority figures will be few and far between. However, the entire culture of college is built to support people like you. All the other freshmen will be in the same situation, and there will always be an RA or a roommate to assist you when you are confused about how to operate the laundry machine or when you have no idea where the best/cheapest snack food is located.

Also, remember that your parents still exist — they don’t evaporate when you turn 18 or when you move into your college dorm (even if you want them to). While you don’t want to remain too dependent on them, your parents will still be there to help you if you really get yourself in a bind.

The moral of the story is that you have tons of people to help you, including me. Y’all know where to find me — if you continue to need advice in college, don’t hesitate to reach out (your letter just won’t be published on this website). You’re going to be just fine.

Sincerely,

Ali

 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004

Central is a pricey but classy D.C. restaurant that features gourmet hamburgers and a completely visible kitchen.  Some delicious eats can be had here, but if you want to get seated you’ll need a small party indeed. Reservations are hard to come by, which is partly a product of this hip restaurant’s great food and also due to its great location, the famous Pennsylvania Ave, a street that includes the White House among other great vistas for taking group pictures.

2) Maggiano’s Little Italy

5333 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington , DC 20015

 For larger groups, this Italian restaurant of questionable authenticity should be more than ample. The food is better described as “filling” than “delicious,” which is perhaps objectionable on a night when women want to feel beautiful in figure-hugging dresses and both sexes want to be light on their feet for a night of dancing.  That said, this restaurant is welcoming to groups and is just on the border of DC and Bethesda. If the group is traveling in a limousine, this will be a problem because getting back into traffic from the valet lane is dangerous in a normal car, and a limousine can barely fit into the parking garage. The group would most likely have to walk from Maggiano’s to a safe parking location.

3) Houston’s

7715 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda 20814

For a prom group with serious money, Houston’s is a good pick. But if the expense of renting a limo, buying prom tickets, and buying/renting tuxedos and dresses seems overwhelming, perhaps this high end steakhouse is a less viable option. Its location far from DC might be another strike against this fancy restaurant, but you definitely get what you pay for here. The food is delicious.

4) Mongolian Barbeque

7201 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda 20814

Don’t expect to impress Audrey Hepburn in this buffet. It isn’t what people dream of on their prom night, but it is cheap, has good food and is right on Wisconsin. It isn’t uncommon to come out of Mongolian Barbeque feeling full-to-bursting, though, so the group would need the find self control in a tough environment. This is a solid choice if nothing else, and by far the most economic choice without settling for McDonald’s.

@StephenColber: “Fell in the bathroom and hit my head today. Ambulance showed up before I could invent a flux capacitor. Will try again tomorrow.”

@WolfPackAlan: “I would die [on temple run] for you.”

@JohnCleese: “Happy Birthday, Thomas Hayward. Unfortunately he’s dead, he would have been 177 today. Only a year younger than me…”

@WolfPackAlan: “I think Lady Gaga just puts glue on herself and rolls around on random things.”

@kristenscaaled: “I’m launching a new fragrance at Duane Reade. It’s called AsparagusPee. It’s unforgettable!”

@ConanOBrien: “I went to see “The Avengers” today and it was sold out. I looked like an idiot dressed like the Hulk during a showing of Think Like a Man.”

@TheDailyShow: “#TDSBreakingNews Al Queda disguised terror plans as porn. Because…they thought we wouldn’t look there? #KnowYourEnemy”

2. In Greece Elections, No Clear Winner. Greece may be facing a hung parliament after elections on May 6, with no political party receiving a majority of votes. Greek voters slammed the two main political parties, which had implemented hard-hitting austerity programs. The left-center PASOK party went from holding 44 percent of parliament to only about 17 percent. The right-center New Democracy party also dropped, from 33.5 percent to 20 percent. Various third parties benefitted the most, with leftist, communist, and neo-Nazi parties either receiving additional seats or joining parliament for the first time in decades. (Source: Al Jazeera)

3. CIA Foils Bomb Plot against U.S. Airliner. The CIA disrupted a plot by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to smuggle a bomb onto a plane bound for the United States. Officials state that the bomb never posed a threat to Americans. The design of the bomb was entirely non-metallic, making it undetectable to traditional airport screeners. The bomb is an improvement on the 2009 Christmas Day bomb, sewn into the underwear of a suicide bomber, which failed to detonate properly. Forensic experts note that the new bomb had improvements on its reliability, making it more likely that it would have exploded as intended if an attack had been carried out. (Source: MSNBC)

4. Jet on Flight Demonstration Crashes in Indonesia; 45 Killed. A Sukhoi Superjet-100 on a flight demonstration crashed after striking the side of a mountain. It is believed that all of the passengers and crew on board were killed, as officials stated that there was “no chance of survival.” The jet disappeared from radar not long after requesting permission from air traffic control to descend. An investigation into the crash is underway, but weather conditions and pilot error have been cited as possible causes. (Source: AP via The Australian)

5. European Union Economy to Contract by 0.3 Percent. The European Commission forecasts that the European Union (EU) economy will contract by 0.3 percent. As of now, 17 countries using the euro (€) are in a recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction. The Commission is also forecasting a 4.7 percent economic contraction in Greece to follow 2011′s 6.9 percent. However, it said the Greek economy should stabilize in the coming years, but only if current policies remain unchanged. There are concerns that the country may not meet its commitments to pay down its debt, and that its bailout may be withdrawn as a result. (Source: Sky News)

In the Fantasy Sports club, club members can draft players onto their own team and trade them as well. The club was started three years ago by David Caplon, and his sister, junior Amy Caplon, took over after he graduated. Caplon is currently president with junior Claire Gambrill as vice president, junior Annie Scalet as secretary and junior Ian Morrison as treasurer. They each have varying responsibilities that contribute to the club.

“It’s fun [being the president]” said Caplon, “I am able to call meetings, set up the leagues and manage the players.”

“As [vice president], I pretty much just remind Amy when to have meetings, [to] make sure everyone is there, has their team set up and is actively participating,” Gambrill said.

There is actually a WJ fantasy sports league for the club so members can be part of that as well. This way, the whole club can be in one league or they can be in their own leagues. Students manage their own teams.

Caplon said she favors basketball because it’s easier to follow personally with certain players. Since there are only five players on a team, it’s easier to watch the player’s statistics, and the fantasy roster is much smaller and easier to keep up with. So far this year, the club has had leagues in football, basketball and baseball, and other sports are being suggested, so students can look out for a variety of sports in the future.

There is also competition among the people in the league to be able to get their top draft picks, as well as win the entire competition.

The winner of a fantasy league is determined either by whoever has the most points or whoever wins the most categories. During head-to-head matches, winners are based on categories; depending on the sport, the teams that wins the most categories, such as most home runs or most passing yards, wins overall. The other way to win a fantasy league is rotisserie. In rotisserie, teams are awarded points based on their rank in a category (first place earns a certain amount of points, etc.). Unlike head-to-head, winners are determined by amount of points rather than amount of categories won.

Caplon says that the competition is fun and the meetings are, too, because people talk about future sports leagues.

Besides being involved with fantasy sports, Caplon and Gambrill are also on the WJ varsity softball team.

“I play softball,” said Gambrill. “[So] I recently have taken an interest in sports.”

There are 16 members in the club.Gambrill believes it is a good-sized league. Caplon thinks it could use another element, though.

“It would be fun to get a more diverse group involved in the club,” said Caplon, “because as of now, it is mainly a group of my friends.”

Gambrill said she loves the club and that it’s nice to see everyone be friends.

“I think the most important aspect is to be with friends and systematically make decisions on players and teams,” she said.

Caplon said she thinks the most important thing about the club is to have fun.

“It’s a great way to not to just watch sports but to get involved in which players they believe will excel, while competing with friends,” she said.

I was recently falsely accused of a crime. I was hanging out in a park, innocently eating ice cream with my friends, when a cop came. He accused us of trespassing. Apparently, this open public area, where everyone can play and enjoy the nice weather, “closes” at sunset, though there was no sign to say so, and therefore I was issued a written warning. The general subtext was, “We, the National Capital Park Police, believe you were doing illicit drugs in this park, but we have no proof, so we will make up a fake offense.” The cop searched us and looked in our cars and it really freaked me (and my parents) out. One of my friends acted pretty sassy back to the cop, and we didn’t really know our rights; I was just wondering if you had any advice if this happens again.

Sincerely,

Legally misinformed

———-

Dear Legally misinformed,

You’ve come to the right place. I intern at the State’s Attorney’s Office, and I do Mock Trial (Team Schwartz!), so I have a bit of knowledge about students’ rights. The first thing you should know is that a lot of what the police do is based on consent. They will ask “Can I search you?” or “Can we come inside your house?” but you have to remember that you have the right to politely say no. It is never a good idea to be sassy; this is the policeman’s job, and s/he doesn’t know you, so you might as well make a good impression. You don’t want to appear condescending, but you are allowed to assert your rights. Also, while the police are allowed to look at anything in plain view, they are not allowed to search (i.e. enter) your car or your house without consent or probable cause. Just as a warning – the smell of marijuana is probable cause to search. The most important thing to remember is to remain coherent and considerate. You don’t want to be the kid who received a citation for being rude.

Sincerely,

Ali

@stephencolber: “This Starbucks line is HORRIBLE. Not because it’s long, but because no one has recognized me.”

@WolfpackAlan: “Raisin cookies that look like chocolate cookies, are the main reason I have trust issues.”

@rainnwilson: “Watching Hunger Games. There’s a LOT of nice forest land available in District 12!”

@StephenColber: “Newt Gringrich may have officially dropped out, but he will never be forgotten. Take care of yourself, newt…um I want to say, Gretzky?”

 @JudahWorldChamp: “The Death Star had the worst strip clubs. #HappyStarWarsDay #Maythefourthbewithyou”

@rainnwilson: “is changing his twitter name to @MrsKutcher”

@TheEllenShow: “I heard some people were trying to start  National Ellen Day. Clearly this is a brilliant idea. What do you think should happen on #EllenDay?”

2. Obama Visits Afghanistan on Anniversary of Bin Laden Raid. President Barack Obama made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on May 1, where he gave a televised address to the nation. In the speech, he thanked U.S. troops for their service and congratulated on the successful raid. He also added that after a decade in Afghanistan, there was “a light on the horizon,” and that the Taliban and al-Qaida were on a path to defeat. The speech came after Obama signed a strategic agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The agreement lays out the military and diplomatic relations between the United States and Afghanistan after U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014. (Source: BBC)

3. UK Lawmakers: Murdoch “Not Fit” to Run a Company. British lawmakers slammed Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corporation, saying in a report that he “is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company.” After a committee of ten members of parliament conducted interviews with employees of the now defunct News of the World newspaper, the committee voted 6-4 to release the report. The dissenting four Conservative Party members called the report “partisan.” News of the World closed after it was found to have hacked the voicemails of members of the British public. (Source: BBC)

4. Soldiers Attempt Counter-Coup in Mali. At least 14 have died after soldiers in Mali tried to stage a coup d’état against the current military government. The government had seized power earlier this year in a similar way, overthrowing the democratically elected president after brief but heavy fighting. The military claims that they staged the coup after failing to receive adequate support in fighting against separatists in the northern part of the country. Separatist fighters have taken advantage of the unrest to quickly advance and capture the three main towns in the north of Mali at the end of March. (Source: Al Jazeera)

5. Chinese Activist Leaves U.S. Embassy; Fears for Safety. Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng left the U.S. embassy in Beijing. He was admitted to a hospital under guard by the Chinese government. Guangcheng has expressed fear for his own safety and the safety of his family, and has asked the United States to provide him political asylum. Tentatively, the U.S. has reached an agreement with China regarding Guangcheng’s safe passage out of China, but this has not been finalized. Guangcheng escaped from house arrest last month after being detained for campaigning against forced abortions in China. (Source: BBC)