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
Zoe Ottenritter

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor

Senior Zoe Ottenritter is thrilled to be apart of the Pitch as an Online Feature Editor. This is her first year on the Pitch but also enjoys hanging with friends and watching reality TV!

All content by Zoe Ottenritter
Courtesy Lifetouch

Zoe Ottenritter’s Senior Reflection

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
May 21, 2024
"I visited Quintana Roo, Cancun with my family and friend Nick Zayas. We hung by the pool a lot and made sure to try a lot of local food. It was so beautiful and the water was super clear." -Wills Baker, 12

Photo gallery: Spring break trips

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
April 16, 2024
Teams line up and prepare for their turn to speak in front of the school and present their team. Each spring team gets to talk about their seniors and share information of their upcoming game schedule. (Seyun Park)

Students prepare for spring pep rally

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
March 15, 2024
Math teacher Laura Brager and PE teacher Lauren Fakler pose together on the sidelines of a field hockey game in the fall. The two have formed a close bond over the past three years both in the school and out on the turf.

Teachers unite both in and out of the building

Keira Poersch and Zoe Ottenritter
March 8, 2024
The Icecats start the game in an intense face off against the Howard County Wolves. The Icecats lost 3-2 bringing their title defense to a premature end.

Icecats fall to Wolves in first round of states

Seyun Park and Zoe Ottenritter
March 1, 2024
Foundations of Technology work on building bridges and testing them to see if they can endure a certain amount of weight. Kids work with popsicle sticks and glue to try and build a sturdy foundation.

Photos of the week: 2/26-3/1

March 1, 2024
"I want neither teams to win, I hate both of them. I dislike the 49ers because I grew up hating them and was rooting for the Lions. I hate the Chiefs because I don't like Taylor Swift and was also rooting for the Ravens to win." -Reagan McGuire, 12.

Up at bat: Super Bowl predictions

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
February 6, 2024
WJ hockey seniors line up on the ice in the pre-game ceremony. The team's eight seniors all played during the game, although they combined for only two points.

Icecats finish regular season on five-game win streak

Zoe Ottenritter and Seyun Park
February 2, 2024
Editorial Board members lead a storyboard meeting where all members of the Pitch share an idea for an article. "I like storyboard meetings because it's so awesome to see so many different ideas that all connect to the WJ community," Senior Feature Editor Lily Fisher said.

An inside look at the Pitch

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
January 25, 2024
The Act was a reenactment of Blanchard's life and the treatment she endured rom her mother. Blanchard post release refuses to watch it because she believes it will bring up past trauma. She also has said other reenactments/documentaries have been inaccurate and it's time to set her story straight.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard: From jail time to internet fame

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
January 24, 2024
The Icecats and Barons prepare to faceoff midway through the first period. The Icecats routed the Barons 6-2 on Friday night.

Icecats bash Barons in battle

Zoe Ottenritter and Seyun Park
December 19, 2023
Icecats recover 3-game winless streak with win against DC Stars

Icecats recover 3-game winless streak with win against DC Stars

Zoe Ottenritter and Seyun Park
December 15, 2023
Icecats' alternate captain senior Jon Corwin moves with the puck as Churchill senior forward Dalton Esko-Himmelfarb skates in pursuit. Corwin scored a crucial goal with less than two minutes left to bring the Icecats within one goal of the Bulldogs.

Late comeback levels Icecats with Bulldogs

Zoe Ottenritter and Seyun Park
November 16, 2023
Senior Jon Corwin passes the puck up the ice to teammates hoping to keep the lead. In the second period, the Icecats scored one goal leaving them up against the Barons 4-3.

Icecats dominate Barons in high-scoring matchup

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
November 2, 2023
Seniors show their winter wonderland fairytale in the Student Commons.

WJ seasons up Homecoming hallways

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
October 24, 2023
Allison Ewing, new AP Psych teacher, lectures her seventh period class. Ewing has taught for 17 years and came to WJ to make her commute easier.

New WJ faculty adds to community

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
September 19, 2023
Alexis Phares goes home to Chicago every summer to visit friends and family. "This is my family in my hometown, Naperville, just outside of Chicago," Phares said.

Teachers dive into summer

Zoe Ottenritter, Online Feature Editor
June 12, 2023
Christina Fitzpatrick is the new 2023 girls' varsity lacrosse head coach. With some years of coaching experience under her belt she hopes for a successful and enjoyable season. It is her first year at WJ and she cannot wait to make it a memorable one with the girls.

First-year head coach Christina Fitzpatrick opens the door for success

Zoe Ottenritter, Special to The Pitch
March 1, 2023
Junior Anna Zucconi and sophomore Zoe Kleinbord watch "Keeping up with the Kardashians" in shock over a fight between Kendall and Kylie Jenner. The show has been streaming since 2007. “I feel like the sister arguments are so relatable and make me laugh when I watch because I compare them to how me and my sister fight sometimes,” Kleinbord said.

What is so appealing about reality TV?

Zoe Ottenritter, Special To The Pitch
December 6, 2022
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