The American identity crisis
November 18, 2019
I’ve never shopped at a Walmart. I’ve never been to an amusement park or ridden a roller coaster. I had my first milkshake and snow cone last summer. I’ve only watched one Super Bowl, and the first football game I went to was the homecoming game my freshman year. Instead, my family shops at H Mart and Rotmu...
Forget blockbusters, start watching independent movies
By Jesse Rider
November 15, 2019
According to author and journalist Alexandra Robbins, Whitman students really are overachievers; she even wrote a best-selling book about it. Whitman students tend to carry this reputation inside the classroom, but when it comes to the movie theater, the reality is the opposite. Whenever teenagers...
The uncertain fate of the National Philharmonic: why we should care
By Ellie Taylor
November 13, 2019
It was Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Drums boomed, violins raced and cannons exploded. It was electric; everything within the warm wooden walls of Strathmore's grand theater seemed to be vibrating with life. In that moment, I thought to myself, Wow. This is something I could really do. My f...
The Nats were “never supposed to be here,” but D.C. celebrated a championship Saturday
By Andrew Eagle
November 7, 2019
Since I was little, Nats Park has been a haven to me. I’d watch in awe as first-baseman Ryan Zimmerman made a diving play, and I’d cheer as pitcher Stephen Strasburg managed to strikeout player after player. But, in my 14-plus years of being a Nats fan, something was always missing: a World Series ...
I wasn’t a climate change activist. Then Greta Thunberg changed my mind.
By Ethan Wagner
November 7, 2019
Becoming a climate change activist had never really occurred to me. Yes, I’m surrounded by student activists every day in school, and living in D.C., many of my friends have attended protests and marches on the National Mall. Even so, I felt like climate action was futile; to me, given the current...
School spirit motivates athletes — we need more of it at girls games
November 7, 2019
On a Friday night in the Whitman gym, I raced across the court during my girls basketball game. The intense squeaking of basketball shoes against the wooden floor rang in my ears as our coach yelled for us to get back on defense. But among the sounds flooding my ears, something was missing — the chaos...
You’re not alone
By Anonymous
November 5, 2019
Content warning: This story contains language that pertains to rape. The questions are always how, why, when, what were you wearing and who. Most of the time, they’re for the benefit of the listener, trying to satiate their curiosity. The questions should be, Are you okay? What can I do to make things b...
Appreciate, don’t appropriate
November 4, 2019
Growing up, I loved Saturday mornings. I bounced with excitement every time I watched my mom swirl out the familiar dark brown paste of henna, and I’d stand on my tiptoes to watch her pick out a raw, unbroken piece of spaghetti to help her with the design. A few quick squiggles would turn into intri...
The other side of trick-or-treating
By Ethan Wagner
October 28, 2019
When high school rolled around and I was designated "too old" to trick-or-treat, I was heartbroken. Where would I get free candy? When would I be able to stroll through my neighborhood dressed like a ninja carrying a light-up shark sword with sound effects? But most importantly, what would I do on the night of...
Dropping a language class after two years? That’s overrated.
June 14, 2019
At this point in my high school tenure, there’s one mystery that continues to elude me: why people drop languages after they reach the measly two year requirement. As someone who has stuck out six—sometimes painful, but mostly rewarding—years in the county’s Chinese curriculum, it’s off-put...
FYI, I’m not a “screenager”
By Esme Padgett
June 13, 2019
There’s one paradox that confuses me and other so-called “screenagers” alike—one that’s only relevant in our age of Minority Report-level technology. From the moment my phone’s alarm goes off in the morning, I instantly feel the need to check in with friends, brief myself on the news and ensu...
Give us coffee or give us death
June 13, 2019
As I sit down in my AP World History class, I’m thrilled. I’m thrilled because on this beautiful Monday afternoon, I will have the exciting opportunity to demonstrate my extensive knowledge on topics ranging from the Bantu Migrations to the Sinification of Vietnam. Following some inspiring wo...
November 20, 2019
By Ella Adams
November 20, 2019
Alex Chappell (‘06) was the voice of the morning announcements Monday through Thursday...
By Matt Mande
November 20, 2019
During her senior season on the Walter Johnson Swim and Dive team, Mira Chung won the...
By Eva Levy
November 19, 2019
This year’s musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a drama that takes place in Paris...
November 18, 2019
November 18, 2019