The Pitch Online

Written by Rosie Hammack · February 21, 2012  

This column has been a long time coming, but after two and a half years as a staff member of The Pitch, I finally find it relevant to make the following confession: I am neurotic. I am a bundle of irrational fears and phobias. From my reasonable fears of the dark and of heights, to my slightly... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · December 2, 2011  

We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced that moment of unadulterated dread as the menacingly thick packets of paper are passed back, one unwilling student at a time. We’ve all felt that pang of horror as we leaf through it, the overwhelming mass of text predicting a long and grueling... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · September 21, 2011  

A man shouts into the crowd, “Let’s see our proud rebel-rousers! Show us your badges of honor!” and up they stand, a sea of clenched fists. An image of strong, defiant solidarity. And amidst this mass of strong young activists, to where do my eyes naturally gravitate? The outlier: a tiny... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · June 1, 2011  

Somewhere in between separated and integrated lies WJ’s original high-achieving program, APEX. In this rigorous program, small classes, high stress levels and academic pressures have manifested themselves in perceptions and preconceptions between those who are involved in APEX and those who... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · March 8, 2011  

Compromise sought in Bahrain. A key government opposition leader in Bahrain suggested a compromise on March 5, namely, that peace would be made only if the royal family made serious concessions toward democracy. If and when this compromise is made and enforced, the royal family will be allowed... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · January 31, 2011  

Protesters revolt against government officials in Tunisia.Last Wednesday, protesters swarmed the streets of Tunisia’s capitol, Tunis, demanding that Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannoushi and certain cabinet members resign alongside Tunisia’s ex-president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who reportedly... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · January 18, 2011  

U.S. consulting firm drops Tunisian government as a client. Listing Tunisia’s troubling “approach to important civil rights and civil liberties issues,” among its reasons, Washington Media Group dropped the country as a client this week. Amid the environment of increasing violence and... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · January 10, 2011  

Boehner elected House Speaker of 112th Congress. As Democrat Nancy Pelosi stepped down, Republican John A. Boehner stepped up and the United States House of Representatives welcomed its new speaker on  Jan. 5. Promising to remain “open” to the Democratic minority, Boehner expects to... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · November 22, 2010  

As we begin to think about college applications and our lives beyond high school, our minds tend to drift slightly from what kind of environmental impact we’re making on the world. But with deadlines for application creeping up on us, there’s no need to leave our environmental consciousness... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · October 25, 2010  

At first glance, WJ’s Child Development classroom is a blast from our childhood past – the tiny red chairs lined up against the strangely shaped tables, the neat rows of cubbies holding little multicolored Barbie- and Transformers-decorated backpacks, the art table with its buckets of crayons... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · October 11, 2010  

In 1999, Jerry Weast accepted the appointed position of MCPS superintendent, determined to make sweeping changes in the curriculum as well as the county’s expectations of students. 12- years and many system-changing decisions later, he has officially decided to step down on June 30, 2011. “It’s... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · May 24, 2010  

Due to construction-related budget cuts, beginning June 1, WJ will return to having an administrative team with three 12-month assistant principals and one 11-month assistant principal. With the current administrative team being composed of four 12-month administrators, assistant principal... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · May 20, 2010  

Having trouble reaching 75 hours in time? Have no fear! We’ve narrowed your list down to 10 great volunteer opportunities. 1. Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County. Not only is building houses for homeless people praiseworthy, but it’s a great way to wrack up the hours over the... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · April 29, 2010  

Auditions. Callbacks. Crew meetings. Director meetings. Rehearsals. Choreographing. Sitzprobes. Tech Weekend. The infamous “Hell Week.” On the opening night of WJ S*T*A*G*E’s The Wiz, these albeit vital aspects of the preparation process for the spring musical were far from... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · April 13, 2010  

“Everything in our country literally revolves around the existence of automobiles,” said sophomore Leo Mahony. “From childhood, we’re raised with the idea that one day, we’ll have a car and a house. That is the most important thing to people.” Looking... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · March 31, 2010  

You may have noticed a life-sized cow model decorating WJ’s art gallery. Yet, this cow is no decoration; it is sophomore Jaynie Chartrand’s shot at winning a grand-total of $30,000 for herself and the school. After art resource teacher Stephanie Ellis enrolled all of her students... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · March 10, 2010  

It’s that time of year again. The snow is melting, the birds are chirping, the trees are budding. But there is one tell-tale sign of the approaching springtime that Walter Johnson students would be blissfully clueless without. What is that sign? The passing of SGA and Leadership’s annual... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · March 5, 2010  

The annual cupcake event took a new turn, as WJ and the Stone and Holt Weeks Foundation teamed up with Community Cupcakes to host the first-ever Cupcake Idol, raising approximately $4000 and attracting more than 250 people. Students, alumni, family and parents from various schools in the... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · March 3, 2010  

If you’ve ever stopped by the College and Career Center for a last minute chat as the deadlines loomed for college applications, or if you’ve ever flipped through the job opportunities binder for a source of cash or if you’ve ever needed help with deciding which college would... (more...)

Written by Rosie Hammack · February 22, 2010  

Once upon a time, in a mystical land far, far away, there was this magical box called a “Recycling Bin.” It’s a little hard to imagine, so bear with me here: it’s a bright blue box, with a little triangular symbol on it. The point of this box is shrouded in mystery,... (more...)