The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch
WJ Food4All serves community
WJ Food4All serves community
MCPS Board of Education members raise their hands in favor of delaying construction at Woodward and Crown High Schools. The plan specifically calls for delaying auditoriums at both schools until funds are appropriated for their construction.
A look at the winners of the Board of Education elections
NAHS brushes up creative murals
NAHS brushes up creative murals
Social studies teacher Mitchell Joy analyzes an AP World student's work using the timeline feature in the Brisk program. Brisk allows educators to see students type each word, making it much easier for teachers to ensure that students do not use AI or other students' work to cheat.
New academic integrity systems strengthen WJ grading system
With phase I of construction completed, Woodward High School now accommodates Northwood students. Phase II and III of the project have yet to be started, and will likely incorporate the construction of an athletics field and auditorium. (Courtesy MCPS)
MCPS miscalculation leads to $39 million construction deficit
(Courtesy Maryland GovPics - The Celebration of Maryland Black Excellence Reception via Wikimedia)
Alsobrooks wins major fight for Senate seat
A group of Israelis in the community rally together on Montrose Bridge. They decided to gather together around 6:30 a.m., marking the exact one-year anniversary of the war. (Courtesy Liann Keren)
Oct. 7: the impacts one year later
Two friends play video games together through their TVs. They met through social media, and have become best friends since thanks to the internet. Without it, their friendship wouldn't have been possible, as it is the case for many real life relationships.
How social media has changed relationships
AP Calculus teacher Rachel Zussman works on finishing up her grades prior to the end of the quarter. With many teachers wanting change in the MCPS pay system, a performance-based pay system is an intriguing idea.
Teachers reflect on performance-based pay system
Senior Mwape Sokoni (middle), junior Daniella Ngah (right) and senior Michelle Lett (left) practice a routine in the cafeteria. Step Team practices diligently, performing the routine until the entire group catches on.
A force for good: Mwape Sokoni’s social impact on WJ
Club president Sadie Morgenstern and treasurer Brady Chan embrace in a hug with his younger brother, Ryder, at the annual friendship walk last year. “The walk is a fun way to interact with people from other schools and everyone seems to really enjoy it,” Chan said.
Generational friendship: Best Buddies between siblings
A family happily enjoys a holiday meal together, with all the members seemingly enjoying themselves except for the only child in the image. We all know what she's going through and wish we had something-anything to talk to our extended family about.
No politics, just pie: seasonal dinner table topics
Ariana Grande as Ghilda whispering in Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba's ear. A fan edit of this poster caused controversy with Cynthia Erivo. (Courtesy Universal Pictures)
Wicked movie promotion causes mixed reactions
A group of kindergarteners sit on the carpet listening to their teacher tell them about the months of the year. Teenagers feel nostalgia when remembering how they used to sit on the carpet in elementary school. (Courtesy woodleywonderworks via Wikimedia Commons)
What nostalgia means to teenagers
Vijay Kannen (11), Bertie Bennett (11), Theo Hansen (11) and Idan Tzioni (12) pose for a photo at the Junior's Homecoming Hallway. Their performance caused a traffic jam as students stopped to listen to the music. (Courtesy Paul Gomes)
Jazz quartet reaches for the high notes
Pep Band plays a song at a home fall football game. "I think pep band is for people that want to go to football games a lot and maybe don't have people to go. It's a place to have fun with a lot of friends," pep band captain senior Theo Hansen said.
Putting the pep in WJ’s step: pep band rallies “juice,” builds community
Opening night's narrators, juniors Yuri Sternberg and Sasha Rotton, turn to watch as a wave of confetti is dropped onto the stage. The performance was unusually colorful, complementing its chaotic nature. "I’m really proud of the cast and the way we were able to come together and work towards putting on the show,” Rotton said.
STAGE salvages ‘Grimm’ choice of play
Backstage with WJ STAGE
Backstage with WJ STAGE
President-elect Donald Trump speaks to a crowd at a 2024 Arizona rally. Trump swept all seven swing states and won the popular vote en route to a victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. (Courtesy Gage Skidmore via Flickr)
Alienating Trump voters is counterproductive
The college application process is stressful for all seniors; many students work their way up the grades with stacked extracurriculars. However, student-athletes seem to be favored more than "regular" applicants. (Courtesy Empowerly)
Student-athlete or part-time worker; which weighs more?
Senior Ginger Fishberg defends the ball against an opposing player during a varsity girls' soccer game against Blair. Despite her obvious athleticism, as well as that of other varsity athletes, she is still required to take a full year of Physical Education to earn the credit. (Courtesy Lifetouch)
Varsity athletics should count as a gym credit
Almost every student takes the ACT or SAT and many take both. Preparation outside of school often correlates with high scores. (Courtesy Citrus County School District)
ACT/SAT prep should be accessible in class
The WJ Baby is held up for a photo by one of its fans during a football game in 2021. Unfortunately, the baby was only able to attend one football game this season before being incarcerated. (Courtesy WJ Baby)
Free the WJ Baby
Common slang ranked from best to worst
Common slang ranked from best to worst
Junior WR Corey Dooren checks with the referee that he is on the line of scrimmage. Dooren helped step up throughout the Wildcat's season and will continue to step up as he matures into a senior next year.
Panthers pounce Wildcats, ending football season
Day in the life of a student-athlete
Day in the life of a student-athlete
Senior Ginger Fishberg defends the ball against an opposing player during a varsity girls' soccer game against Blair. Despite her obvious athleticism, as well as that of other varsity athletes, she is still required to take a full year of Physical Education to earn the credit. (Courtesy Lifetouch)
Varsity athletics should count as a gym credit
Captain Patrick Murphy skates past a defender on a race to the puck. Murphy's defense was a huge contributor in the 1-9 win against Blair.
Icecats breakaway to 4-0 after win against Blair
The cheer squad struts to the floor to start their routine for regionals on Nov. 2 at Harford Community College. The team spent weeks working on their routine and were proud to get the chance to perform it at regionals. “Stepping on to the mat at regionals, I felt really nervous, but I was also very excited because I wanted to show the judges all the hard work we put into the routine,” junior Lyla Cho said. (Courtesy Candice Nsoga-Mahob)
Cheer closes season, scores 4th at regionals
Seniors Ellie Weinstein, Rhea Noumair, Naamiah Corke, and Natalie Annulis celebrate Weinstein's first touchdown of the game.
Girls’ flag football falls to Whitman in playoffs
Day in the life of a student-athlete
Day in the life of a student-athlete
ESOL hosts pumpkin carving event
ESOL hosts pumpkin carving event
Opening night's narrators, juniors Yuri Sternberg and Sasha Rotton, turn to watch as a wave of confetti is dropped onto the stage. The performance was unusually colorful, complementing its chaotic nature. "I’m really proud of the cast and the way we were able to come together and work towards putting on the show,” Rotton said.
STAGE salvages ‘Grimm’ choice of play
Support staff of WJ
Support staff of WJ
Backstage with WJ STAGE
Backstage with WJ STAGE
Homecoming hallways walkthrough
Homecoming hallways walkthrough
The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch
The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch
Mia Halper

Mia Halper, Print Editor-in-Chief

Senior Mia Halper is excited for her fourth year with The Pitch as a Print Editor-in-Chief. Outside of The Pitch, Mia is part of STAGE, plays soccer, and is an avid Washington Capitals fan.

All content by Mia Halper
Everybody celebrates Halloween differently, and WJ students are no exception. From movies to Markoff's, students make Halloween their own. (Courtesy AglampetGruodje via Wikimedia Commons)

Halloween traditions through the years

Mia Halper, Print Editor-in-Chief
October 31, 2024

The Change-Up: Capitals Edition

Seyun Park and Mia Halper
October 11, 2024
The newest "Despicable Me" movie, "Despicable Me 4," was released this July. This film is the sixth installment in the series, which is composed of the "Despicable Me" movies and the "Minions" prequels. (Courtesy Goodfon)

The “Despicable Me” franchise, ranked

Mia Halper, Print Editor-in-Chief
September 16, 2024
(Courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation)

Pickleball volleys into WJ this fall

Mia Halper, Print Editor-in-Chief
June 11, 2024
Olivia Rodrigo's deluxe album "GUTS (spilled)" was released this March, following the original acclaimed album "GUTS." The deluxe edition features five new tracks.

Olivia Rodrigo spills her “GUTS” again on deluxe edition of hit album

Mia Halper, Senior A&E Editor
April 26, 2024
On March 8, 2024, Ariana Grande made her comeback with her seventh studio album, “eternal sunshine.” The album earned Grande her sixth number one album on the Billboard 200 chart.

Ariana Grande stuns on “eternal sunshine”

Mia Halper, Senior A&E Editor
April 3, 2024
The Washington Capitals celebrate a decisive win against the Chicago Blackhawks, their first game following the trade deadline. The Capitals are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.

Future uncertain for Capitals following trade deadline

Seyun Park and Mia Halper
March 11, 2024
"Mean Girls" is a musical adaptation based on the 2004 movie of the same name. The songs are taken from the Broadway musical, with cast member Reneé Rapp reprising her role of Regina George.

Musical adaptation of “Mean Girls” divides audiences

Mia Halper and Josh Hananel
February 2, 2024
The Grammy Awards, hosted annually, are regarded as the most major American music awards. This year's nominees are full of beloved and commercially acclaimed songs, albums and artists.

2024 Grammy nominations: Pitch editors reveal their picks for the four major categories

Mackenzie Norris and Mia Halper
December 21, 2023
The Capitals take warmups ahead of their Nov. 4 game agains the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Capitals won the game 2-1, one of the five games they have won this season.

10 games in, Capitals experience mixed results

Seyun Park and Mia Halper
November 7, 2023
Boygenius prove their genius once again on "the rest" EP

Boygenius prove their genius once again on “the rest” EP

Mia Halper, Senior A&E editor
October 25, 2023
Olivia Rodrigo performs "vampire" off her new album "GUTS" at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. "GUTS" was released Sept. 8, following Rodrigo's 2021 breakout album "SOUR."

Olivia Rodrigo spills her “GUTS” on latest album

Mia Halper, Senior A&E Editor
September 21, 2023
Movies have returned in full swing, and this summer is jam-packed with highly anticipated films.

Summer movies bring anticipation

Mia Halper, Copy Editor
May 25, 2023
Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso has had an impressive run over two seasons, and returned with its third season on March 15. The show's first two seasons received 20 Emmy nominations each and won a total of 11.

Beloved “Ted Lasso” characters develop emerging into final season

Mia Halper, Copy Editor
March 28, 2023
From bizarre, pagan history, Valentine's Day has become one of the most popular American holidays. With the exchange of Valentine's Day gifts, many were polarized on the exclusive, commercial nature of the celebration.

Point/Counterpoint: Is valentine’s day overhyped?

Blake Bailey and Mia Halper
February 16, 2023
Last year had many fantastic releases. These eight albums stand out of the crowd.

2022’s top albums, ranked

Mia Halper, Copy Editor
January 17, 2023
Attendees at the All Things Go Festival wait for a performance at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The festival featured many popular artists, such as King Princess, Mitski and Lorde.

Where are the best local concert venues?

Mia Halper, Copy Editor
December 4, 2022
AP US History teacher Nathan Schwartz delivers a lecture to his class per the College Board curriculum. AP students learn the important skill of note-taking from these college-level lectures.

Point/Counterpoint: Are AP classes worth it?

Mia Halper and Nicole Weaver
October 25, 2022
From the R&B of Steve Lacy's "Gemini Rights" to the dancefloor-inspired sound of Beyoncé's "RENAISSANCE", these four albums create respective soundscapes worth listening to. Each of these albums garnered greatly deserved popularity this past summer.

This summer’s top albums: a review

Mia Halper, Copy Editor
September 22, 2022
Upon completion of the conference finals, the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet Wednesday in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals.

NHL Playoffs: Avalanche attempt to stop the Lightning’s three-peat

Mia Halper, Staff Writer
June 14, 2022
Capitals forwards T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson participate in a drill during practice. All three forwards are expected to play in the Capitals' first game of the playoffs.

Washington Capitals begin playoff run

Mia Halper, Staff Writer
May 3, 2022
Washington Capitals player Evgeny Kuznetsov stands by the net. Kuznetsov has been a centerpiece this year for the Capitals, and for a large time in his career played on a line with new acquisition Marcus Johasson.

Capitals make two acquisitions at trade deadline

Mia Halper, Staff Writer
March 30, 2022
Point/Counterpoint: Should high school start later?

Point/Counterpoint: Should high school start later?

Sydney Fraser and Mia Halper
March 25, 2022
Counselor Audrey Weissberg works at her desk. The beginning of the semester is especially busy for counselors due to the volume of student schedule change requests.

Students share the reality of switching teachers and classes

Mia Halper, Staff Writer
February 22, 2022
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