The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch
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The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch
The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch
A large lit up case sits in the front next to the check-out counter displaying all of the desserts.
Tatte: Bakery and cafe opens on Rockville Pike
Elizabeth Finn and Abby Kee • May 20, 2025
Girls' tennis finishes regular season with best record in county
Girls’ tennis finishes regular season with best record in county
Emily Proger, Print Sports Editor • May 6, 2025
Boys' tennis celebrates senior night
Boys’ tennis celebrates senior night
William Murphy, Print Sports Editor • May 5, 2025
Senior Nolan Ross loads up to hit a pitch in an exhibition game against Leonardtown. The Wildcats have been dominant all season with their only two losses coming against B-CC and Whitman.
Baseball improves to 10-2
Jeremy Silberglied, Print Sports Editor • Apr 30, 2025
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case Mahmoud v. Taylor on Tuesday. Parents sued the Montgomery County Public Schools district over the inability to opt-out of LGBTQ+ books in the K-5 curriculum.
Supreme Court justices appear to favor parent opt-out in LGBTQ+ books case
Likely reversal of the local school district’s diversity and inclusion policy would impact schools across the nation
Seyun Park, Editor-in-Chief • Apr 24, 2025
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Meet the Staff
Madeleine Simmons
Madeleine Simmons
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Editor

Senior Madeleine Simmons is excited to participate in her first year with The Pitch as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion editor. Outside of writing for the Pitch, she enjoys swimming and running.

Latest in Print
News
Brandy Melville: Doors open close to home
Brandy Melville: Doors open close to home
Maayan Keren, Print Feature Editor
A demonstrator holds placards as students from Washington, DC universities protest U.S. President Donald Trump's dismantling of and funding cuts to the Department of Education, in Washington, U.S. April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Allison Bailey
Department of Education cuts prompt concern
Kareena Panicker and Mia Halper
The Ukrainian Club and several members of the social studies department pose for a photo in front of the slideshow. “The presentation was fantastic, great, amazing, accurate and historically relevant,” social studies teacher Beth Muehl said.
Ukrainian Club hosts meeting with social studies department
Hugo Conquet, Film Editor
Editor-in-chief Seyun Park delivers a speech at the J-Day conference at the University of Maryland. Park also served on a panel of student leaders during one of the conference's breakout sessions.
Pitch editor-in-chief named Maryland Journalist of the Year
Maya Panicker, Print Editor-in-Chief
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WJ Sports
Varsity boys tennis and staff line up by the main office for a photo with their tennis balls. Each athlete wrote a note and gifted a tennis ball to their chosen staff to show appreciation.
Senior captain Mallory Booth hugs coach Lauren Zucconi, thanking her for the season. "Lauren really listens to our input as seniors which is good to have in a coach," Booth said. "She wants us to have the best season for our senior year and really made senior night special."
Sara Mansouri competes in Florida at the Youth National Championships. Now a captain in her junior year, she serves as a leader on the crew team as they begin their spring season. (Courtesy Sara Mansouri)

Karen Cedillo Gutierrez, Special to The Pitch

Senior team captain Noah Rosner serves the ball during the team's game against Quince Orchard High School. (Courtesy Aidark Gabdrakhmanov via Lifetouch)
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Photos
Many dishes from Southeastern Asia were on offer. Once the event began, long lines of students came to try the food. "It's a celebration, including a lot of fun activities, and it resembles a lot of factors to both Hinduism and a lot of other cultures that are present in India." freshman Arpita Vijay said.
Junior Danilo Paulo smiles after practicing his swing. Throughout the whole practice, the players had smiles on their faces and laughed along with their teammates. "I want to see my players improve throughout the season, learn to play as a team and have fun," Bruneel said.
Videos
BSU hosts annual block party
Meher Parsinni, Josh Hananel and Xavier Alexander-Pounds
Behind the scenes of male poms
Joshua Singer and Mateus Bouquet
Protestors rally at NIH against DOGE cuts
Josh Hananel and Jay Resnik
Spring Sports Preview: Boys’ Lacrosse
Feature
While there are students who, as soon as they turn the required age, begin the process of getting a credit card, other students don't feel the need to. Getting their license is not every student's priority. (Designed with Canva)
No rush to drive: Students pump the brakes on getting their licenses
Jonathan Bahat, Print Opinion Editor
EF Educational Tours is an organization that manages school trips. They will be providing the resources to make WJ's Rwandan excursion possible (Courtesy Neil Palmer.)
Students to expand their cultural knowledge with a trip to Rwanda in 2026
Madeleine Simmons, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Editor
Students gather around the flagpoles in prayer for National Prayer Day. The event was organised by WJ’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, one of many religion based clubs at WJ. Junior Tasnim Hussien, the secretary of Muslim Student Association, is hoping to build community amongst people in her religion. “I wanted to bring us together, to create friendships and meet people who understand your thinking and struggles,” Hussien said.
Livin’ on a prayer: Students tie faith to academics
Marie-Isabelle Nachega, Print Opinion Editor
Dr. Richa Agarwala answers a question from senior religion student Elnatan Demelash.
Religion and spirituality of the world through class interaction
Josh Hananel, Online Editor-in-Chief
Arts & Entertainment
Junior Cyrus Froozan practices guitar with his local church band. Froozan plays in his free time and during church gatherings. Oftentimes, the church sees audiences of up to 200 people.
Music and medals: Cyrus Froozan shoots for the stars
Ben Goodstein, Business Manager
Senior Valeria Lopes Lamia completes one of her projects to submit to the AP College Board. She worked hard on the little details to make the craftsmanship worthy of being submitted for the exam.
Students sculpt their way to completed portfolios
Olivia Stokes, Print A&E Editor
Junior Benjamin Kish (Sweeney Todd) stands motionless and glares as members of the ensemble exit stage left. "[My favorite part was] using the barber tools to kill the people and to send them down the chutes and stuff," Kish said. "Working with the technology crew was really fun."
Sweeney Todd: The worst pies in London, the best performance of the year
Rhea Noumair and Liam Barrett
Senior Bolu Afolayan poses for the camera, flaunting his unique style. Afolayan likes to thrift for new finds and sometimes wears a piece that stands out.
Bolu Afolayan gives life to garments
Baron Thompson, Staff Writer
Opinion
A students notes, written in messy cursive. Peers and teachers alike can agree messy handwriting impacts comprehension of assignments and notes.
The ‘write’ way: Why eligible handwriting needs a rewrite
Michal Shmaya, Print A&E Editor
Approaching the SGA elections, advertisements are made for specific candidates running for a particular office position. On this poster, Paul Do SGA secretary candidate Paul Do offers a trade agreement of receiving votes in exchange for a charismatic candidate.
SGA has a big overcrowding problem
Ivan Duchkov, Staff Writer
How MCPS is dismissing the 'student' in 'student-athlete'
How MCPS is dismissing the ‘student’ in ‘student-athlete’
Shae McCloskey, Print Feature Editor
Every year when "fall back" and "spring forward" come around, it sparks argument on the topic of daylight savings. People seem to be fairly split on the issue, with some believing the system should be abolished, and others arguing to keep it. (Courtesy Marco Verch)
Is daylight savings time a net positive?
Finn McArdle, Staff Writer
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