From my reasonable fears of the dark and of heights, to my slightly less reasonable fears of crowded buses (what could stop someone from injecting me with a syringe of infected AIDs-blood?) and of wild parties (what could stop someone from injecting me with a syringe of infected AIDs-blood?), I have an almost constant stream of reservations dictating my actions.

My hesitance in writing this column lies in the fact that this neurosis is not well hidden. Its prevalence in my demeanor alone forces this negative trait out in the open for everyone to see, and its conspicuousness, I thought, made any dramatic confession silly and superfluous.

That is, until I had to test some of those fears out in the real world.

Two weeks ago, I had a revelation. After much anxious planning and preparation, I was standing alone in the middle of the largest airport in the United States, my clueless expression and eye-catching, bright turquoise backpack no doubt screaming, “Steal all my money!” and my gate lost somewhere in the great expanse of rolling suitcases and fast food joints. I was alone, unattended, braving the elements, surrounded by unfamiliar people, in an unfamiliar setting, grappling with unfamiliar activities and customs, every aspect of which had consumed me with anxiety the night before – and, bizarrely, I felt nothing. Calm and collected, I addressed the situation as any sane person would: I asked someone for directions, was pointed the right way and eventually found my gate. I did not die. There was no room for fear and no time for stupid phobias.

It’s regrettable that it has taken 17 years for me to come to the profoundly simple conclusion that irrational fears are not only silly, trivial quirks, but they are also severely limiting. Had I followed my gut instinct and canceled my flight, I would never have experienced that (albeit banal) thrill of adulthood that is traversing an airplane terminal. And this reality does not limit itself to unfamiliar experiences; it finds its most prevalent roots in everyday life. Listening to a fear of rejection, for example, might save a person from opening that dreaded college letter, or from suffering through an awkward encounter with a disinterested crush or from acting like a fool at an audition — but it also makes acceptance impossible.

My fears have held me back on numerous occasions from experiencing new and exciting life experiences, each of which could easily have turned out just as well as my solo trip to Wisconsin. Not only that, but they have placed a barrier between me and adulthood; a barrier which I plan to tear down, following the timeless words of FDR: “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

Chromeo has enjoyed modest success in America, but the most exposure it has gotten was when keyboardist Patrick Gemayel was featured in the video for Duck Sauce’s 2010 internet hit “Barbara Streisand.” But with a repertoire of music like this, this gem from Canada can’t go untapped for much longer.

The video is a bit replete with the band’s oddball humor, but if the viewer can get past the images of the ridiculous pregnancies and just listen to the song, they will be pleasantly surprised upon hearing a song that is catchy and soulful.

An appreciation of what Chromeo is is likely needed before this song can be enjoyed in full. In their 2007 album, Fancy Footwork, they cultivated a motif of smooth guitar solos, cheesy lyrics and hard hitting choruses. The wacky retro sound this band is an acquired taste, and without an appreciation for the genre they are emulating so accurately.

The synthesizer and female vocals perfectly comment the smooth male vocals, ironing out a song that, coupled with the video, is a story of wild romance cloaked neatly into a song.  The keyboard, guitar and vocals ring out in near-perfect harmony, crafting a song that just sounds good without having too much perifery.

After seeing the The Vow  this weekend, serenade your significant other with this well deserving Song of the Week

What is troublesome is that under title X, subtitle D, sub-sections 1021 and 1022, Congress affirms the President’s power to detain any individual suspected of terrorist acts, enacted in response to 9/11 by President Bush as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Congress might as well just cancel the fifth and sixth Amendments, which state that a citizen cannot be held unless properly notified and has a speedy trial with an impartial jury where the accused must be allowed a lawyer.

The passing of this law ensures the government’s right to hold American citizens indefinitely without proper cause for imprisonment, a lawyer or a fair trial with due process of law in front of a jury.

Yes, this power of the government came into existence immediately after the passing of the USA Patriot Act, but the Patriot Act was passed as an executive order by the President alone (rather than the entire Congress), and it only applied for his term.

What is even more troublesome is that this law does not have any geographic or temporal limitations, thus allowing any President to capture not only citizens of the U.S., but from any battlefield.

Yes, we are in a war, but it is the war against terrorism. It is a war with no defined enemy, a seemingly never-ending war, because  – how can you win a war against an indeterminate entity?

 This type of infriction of rights is exactly what our founding fathers fought against. The Bill of Rights was passed for a reason. Since our fathers were afraid of an authoritarian form of government, they gave citizens basic rights that prevented the government from taking away citizens’ privacy and individuality.

Thomas Jefferson, one of the country’s fouding father’s, said, “I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.”

By enacting this law, the Obama administration is breaking one of the most important pillars on which the American people stand: citizens’ rights. It is absurd to think the American people will consciously approve of such a blatant disregard of their rights. 

If Obama is thinking about his constituents, this is not the proper path considering it will probably hurt his re-election campaign. This was a move in the wrong direction from the beginning of the enactment of the Patriot Act by the Bush administration, and the fact that a majority of the members of Congress actually approve of this does not make it any more right or justifiable.

“This is the first time that WJ has been invited to the competition,” said Christopher Kosmaceski, who leads the WJ Symphonic Orchestra. “We’re working really hard, and we’ll represent the school well. We intend to play with pride, class and sophistication.”

Upon hearing that WJ was one of a handful of schools selected to perform in the National Orchestra Cup, the BSO’s Community Outreach Director Richard Spero contacted Kosmaceski to offer the BSO’s support as the Symphonic Orchestra rehearsed for the competition.

“We want to establish ourselves in Montgomery County, not just by playing music, but by getting involved in the community,” said Spero. “I asked [Kosmaceski] what we could do to help.”

“I told them that we needed someone to instruct the violins and cellos,” Kosmaceski said. “I’m not a string player myself, and I thought that if we had the help of the BSO, this was the best way that they could help.”

For WJ students performing in the National Orchestra Cup, the opportunity to work with a professional before a nationally renowned competition was an incredible experience.

“A professional can teach a lot that you can’t really learn on your own,” said senior Azita Halary, who is a violinist in the WJ Symphonic Orchestra. “Mr. K [Kosmaceski] plays clarinet, so it was nice to have someone who knew a lot about violin.”

Spero, impressed by the performance of WJ students, hopes to expand the BSO’s partnership with the school’s music department.

“This is a win-win for everyone,” said Spero. “The BSO wants to be seen helping in the community, and WJ wants a better opportunity to expand its music program. We hope to expand our partnership. It would be neat if we could find a way for one of our musicians to play with your orchestra in the future.”

Both BSO musicians will be returning to WJ to instruct the violins and cellos before the March 10 competition, which will be held at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The Pitch will have full coverage of the preparation for the National Orchestra Cup in the Feb. 24 print issue.

I recently moved on from a job where, let’s face it, I was worshipped as a god. I was replaced by a “worthy” and “experienced” individual, let’s call her Bliss Maker. Now, Bliss is a lovely woman, but I’m pretty sure that the community does not accept her as they accepted me. It’s not her fault that she is not as ruggedly handsome or perfectly poised as I was. I mean, there’s a reason they promoted me. How can I help her obtain the same level of respect and adoration as I was given? Heroes are remembered, but legends never die.

Sincerely,

Dr. Grits Carren*

——

Dear Dr. Grits Carren,

That’s very kind of you to be so worried about helping your old community. I’m sure you were fantastic at your old job. However, it’s very possible that this Bliss Maker is actually very competent at her new job, and you are just coping with some separation anxiety. If you were worshipped in your old environment, your new environment is probably  just a tough transition, because you don’t have the same people supporting you without reservation.

I would make sure to check in on your new counterpart and give her advice, but I would not worry too much about her worth in the position. If you had anything to do with the choosing of your replacement, then I’m sure she is doing just fine.

Good luck with your new job and make sure to come back to visit soon.

Ali

*Any similarities to actual persons or places, alive or dead, is merely coincidental

More and more, schools make learning tools available online. A recent trend is the creation of online universities. According to the Government Accountability Office’s Education Department assistant director, Kris Nguyen, online universities cater largely toward working adults or those in the military, who do not have time to physically attend classes. However, that does not mean high school and college bound students do not have a need for, or access to, online resources.

Nguyen said although it is less common, younger students will enroll in online classes if they have to work either full or part time .

“Students that have to work, or have busy schedules will sometimes take online classes to obtain the necessary credits to graduate,” said Nguyen. “Oftentimes, younger students will want to take those classes online because they wouldn’t have time for them otherwise.”

Aside from online universities, high school students also have access to online textbooks, catalogues, teaching tutorials and even classes. Senior Maria Perica, who has recently been applying for colleges, finds online tools to be beneficial.

“I think that [classes] should be based more on online lectures,” said Perica. “The [online teaching tutorials] are helpful because you can just watch the video until you get it [and] they show you examples.”

MCPS also offers eLearning, a program in which students are eligible to register and take online classes outside of the school day or during the summer. Many of these classes offered are required by the county in order to graduate, including Foundations of Technology and Health. Each class requires two to three face-to-face meetings and a tuition fee that varies depending on the course. Additionally, select AP courses are also available through the Maryland Virtual School (MVS) program.

Sophomore Suma Cheru took the MCPS online health class this past summer, and had a positive experience.

“Overall, the class was pretty great,” said Cheru. “The class was different from normal classes during the school year because we only met a total of two times face to face, and all of our projects were turned in via email.”

Both Perica and sophomore Jonathan Karpatkin also agreed that taking certain classes online has its advantages. Perica took health over the summer, and Karpatkin added that he has been thinking of doing so as well.

“I [would] probably take [an online class] if I needed the credit,” said Karpatkin. “[Taking health during the school year] isn’t worth one semester of [another class]. I only need a half credit to graduate. For something like that, I think taking it online is a perfectly fine option.”

WJ counselor Joe Thompson said having online classes available can make school life and schedule management more convenient for students.

“It really helps a lot of students be able to open up their schedule during the school year so they can take better academic classes or other electives that they couldn’t take otherwise,” said Thompson. “I think for that, it serves a really good purpose.”

Thompson also added that a MCPS online learning program has been made available catering specifically to seniors who are seeking to fulfill any remaining course requirements they need to graduate.

“[MCPS] created a new online program for seniors called Online Pathway to Graduation,” said Thompson. “It sort of came out of how night school and Saturday school used to be offered, but they were dropped by the county due to budget cuts.”

Thompson said this program has been effective in aiding students who were short a few credits, such as those for English or math. However, he finds these classes more credible largely because they are created and regulated by the county. Additionally, he advised a student should only take online classes when it is necessary.

Cheru mentioned some of the disadvantages of taking an online class.

“I didn’t really get to form a relationship with my teacher and fellow students during the course as I normally would have during the school year,” she said.

And while there are many credible online classes and universities available, Thompson added the credibility of some companies can be questionable. He advised for students looking to take online classes to research and be aware of what company is offering the course.

“I have a bit of skepticism about online classes [outside of MCPS] because I’m not sure how well they can be regulated,” said Thompson. “I  think there are a lot of companies out there . . . that are very much for profit.”

Perica added another reason she is hesitant about online schools is because she feels ”a lot of online schools are lower caliber schools.”

On the other hand, although Cheru believes she is unprepared for taking rigorous academic courses online right now, she is open to online classes for her college years.

“By the time of college, I feel like I would be prepared in learning to approach most things on my own without the help of a teacher guiding me through every step, which I need now in high school,” she said.

Hannah (Print Co-Editor-in-Chief) – “Justin Beiber. I watched his movie Never Say Never and besides his adorable looks, Justin is as talented as anyone. He came out of nothing and through the use of the Internet, his abilities were recognized.”

Ali (Online Editor-in-Chief) – “Ryan Gosling. He’s not only attractive, but he’s funny and classy and clearly has respect for everyone he meets. He also has a perfect smile.”

Taliah (Print Arts & Entertainment Editor) – “Gaspard Ulliel. He’s rugged and foreign and I like his dimples.”

Cameron (Online Arts & Entertainment Editor) – “Maiara Walsh. She may have gotten her start with Disney, but, uh… my crush on her extends long beyond my preteen years.”

Julia (Print News Editor) – “Johnny Depp. Who wouldn’t want to be rescued by a pirate? Getting a chance to look deeply into his eyes is even more special than with most men because of his tendency to wear dark sunglasses. He’s pretty.”

Girard (Online News Editor) – “If I had to pick? Probably Anne Hathaway. She’s extremely talented and can really just capture the attention of anyone watching her in a movie.”

Nathaniel (Print Editorial Editor) – “Kim Kardashian. I really like her personality and her commitment to her reality show.”

Danielle (Online Editorial Editor) – “Zac Efron. From a young and cheesy tween sensation, Zac has evolved into a serious actor using his incredibly good looks for good. Those eyes! My goodness.”

Jenny (Print Feature Co-Editor) – “Zac Efron. He’s the most beautiful man to ever walk the planet.”

Megan (Online Feature Editor) – “Ed Westwick. Love the accent, love the hair, love the boy. He’s nice to look at.”

Phillip (Print Sports Editor) – “Kina Grannis hands down. If you say that a musician who has had her own Superbowl commercial, a YouTube video with over 5 million hits and 97,000 Twitter followers isn’t famous because people don’t know who she is, than Victoria Justice would be my second choice. I’ve had a crush on her since I was 11.”

Daniel (Online Sports Editor) – “Jenny McCarthy. It looks like the key to her heart is the lead role on ‘Two and a Half Men.’ If anyone knows of any good acting classes, let me know.”

According to the History Channel’s website, the day’s official name is actually St. Valentine’s Day, named after Saint Valentine of the Catholic Church. There are many myths surrounding the Saint, and no one is exactly sure of the story behind the holiday. However, Saint Valentine is nearly always portrayed as a romantic figure, which likely influenced the nature of the holiday.

The original purpose of the day, which falls in the middle of February, is also a mystery. The website states that some believers of the Saint think that the holiday is a day to remember him, while others think that Valentine’s Day took a cue from the Ancient Roman culture. Lupercalia, an annual fertility festival celebrating Roman gods and the founders of Rome, fell around Feb. 15. There is a theory that the Christians placed Valentine’s Day during the festival in order to “‘Christianize’ the pagan celebration of Lupercalia.”

Though Feb. 14 was officially declared Valentine’s Day in the fifth century, it is unknown when the theme of love came into the picture. Today, Valentine’s Day is a popular time to exchange cards, notes, candy, gifts or poems depicting love or friendship.

While couples often appreciate this holiday more than their single counterparts, it’s important to remember that Valentine’s Day is just one of the 365 days in a year. Being single doesn’t equate being alone, and many people take this day to celebrate with friends and family.