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The student voice of West Potomac High School

The Wire

The student voice of West Potomac High School

The Wire

The student voice of West Potomac High School

The Wire

Claire Callahan, co-Editor-in-Chief

I joined journalism my junior year because I loved writing and wanted to learn its other forms. This year, I'm the co-Editor-in-Chief, and I'm excited to work more with all of our journalists to create some awesome content. I love writing features on specific people, because when you're one-on-one with someone, they open up to you and share their passion for things you never knew about. The coolest thing about journalism is how it pushes me to get to know people in West Potomac who I never would've talked to; everyone has an interesting story to share, and I have the opportunity to broadcast them to our school. When I'm not writing, I'm petting dogs, eating chocolate, or playing saxophone--but all of that pales in comparison to The Wire.

All content by Claire Callahan
Info Pocket: A Podcast for the People

Info Pocket: A Podcast for the People

Claire Callahan, Editor-in-Chief
May 6, 2018

https://soundcloud.com/infopocketpodcast/infopocket-episode-1 Juniors Austin Houck and Ian Allum have started their own podcast, Info Pocket, designed to be an unbiased news source that students can...

Mr. Rice directing musicians during a rehearsal.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Pit Orchestra Perspective

Claire Callahan, Editor-in-Chief
April 21, 2018

West Potomac’s theatre company Beyond the Page performed its first show of Jesus Christ Superstar last night. The musical is almost entirely sung, so the pit orchestra plays a major role. Seniors...

Photo of the crowd taken by H. Drembus

Gun Resolution Passed at FCPS School Board Meeting

Claire Callahan, Editor-in-Chief
February 25, 2018

In response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting on February 14, FCPS discussed gun violence at the school board meeting on February 22. The superintendent and school board members discussed the issue...

The mariachi band performing at Around the World in One Night.

Around the World in One Night: Behind the Scenes

Claire Callahan, Editor-in-Chief
January 26, 2018

Every year, Around the World in One Night is a multicultural, international event held in West Potomac’s cafeteria intended to celebrate the student body’s diversity and learn about other cultures....

From left to right: Kameron Clarke, Gavin Grimm, Oliver DiCaprio, Lauren Dessaure.

Gavin Grimm Visit: Student-Run Success

Claire Callahan, Editor-in-Chief
December 11, 2017

The previous Gavin Grimm story on The Wire: https://thewpwire.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=4742&action=edit 19-year-old civil rights leader Gavin Grimm came to West Potomac on Friday, December...

T-shirt designed by Combating Intolerance class

Will Civil Rights Leader Gavin Grimm Be Allowed to Speak to West Potomac?

Claire Callahan, co-Editor-in-Chief
November 7, 2017

 https://twitter.com/WestPoCI West Potomac has the rare opportunity to invite a civil rights leader to campus, but the visit of 19-year-old transgender activist Gavin Grimm is proving to be more complicated...

Sofia Campos, winner of the senatorial election

Student Senate: Showcasing Student Voice

Claire Callahan, Co-Editor-in-Chief
November 1, 2017

The new bell schedule may have ruffled some feathers, but the addition of homeroom has brought a new program into the mix: the student senate. Last week, students interested in representing their homerooms...

Bilici (sitting) surrounded by colleagues, some of whom are now in jail, two months before the government takeover.

Abdulhamit Bilici: How Turkey Lost its Largest Newspaper

Abdulhamit Bilici was the editor-in-chief of Zaman, the largest newspaper in Turkey, before it was taken over by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Fired and receiving threats of imprisonment,...

Andrzejuk (center right) and her friends.

First Football Friday for Freshmen

Claire Callahan, Claudia Berman, and Destiny Sarver
September 14, 2017

A first glance into the stands of a West Potomac football game shows excited high schoolers with big smiles on their faces--but how many of these students are freshmen, and are they smiling, too? Bell...

Planes, Trains, and Rockets: An Engineering Feature

Planes, Trains, and Rockets: An Engineering Feature

Claire Callahan
June 13, 2017

It’s hard to compare school with a superhero/science-fiction movie, but way back in the West Potomac Academy, the engineering room unites the two. Equipped with physics know-how and endless construction...

A Students View on Finals

A Student’s View on Finals

Claire Callahan
May 20, 2017

See a Teacher's View here   Summer is only a few weeks away, but rigorous classes are far from over. Final projects, papers and exams are piling up, and junior Emma Auld is feeling the pressure.   ...

A Teachers View on Finals

A Teacher’s View on Finals

Claire Callahan
May 20, 2017

See a Student's View here Spanish teacher Victoria O’Connor teaches only one subject, but the different levels, Spanish 2 and AP Spanish, require very different final assignments. “I give a final...

One students sim city project

Spanish Teacher Yamalie Colon Brings the Real World Into Her Classroom

Claire Callahan
May 1, 2017

With AP exams, finals, endless quizzes and general academic stress during fourth th quarter, school can feel stifling--but Spanish teacher Yamalie Colon manages to keep creativity alive in her classroom.   In...

AP Testing: One Teachers Opinion

AP Testing: One Teacher’s Opinion

Claire Callahan and Bella DeMaso
April 2, 2017

Stephen Rezendes, a long-time physics teacher at West Potomac, is retiring this year. He’s enjoyed his teaching career — largely due to his students. “I like 11th graders,” Rezendes said. “They’re...

Juniors Start Food Pantry Program to Help Students in Need

Juniors Start Food Pantry Program to Help Students in Need

Claire Callahan, Bella DeMaso, and
March 19, 2017

You might go home after school, fix yourself a big snack, and think nothing of it -- but a lot of West Potomac students don’t have this luxury. Nearly 40 percent  of West Potomac students qualify for...

Goalkeeper Lindsay Freewalt during a West Potomac 2016 soccer season game

Senior Season for Spring Sports

Claire Callahan and Bella DeMaso
March 5, 2017

The spring sports season always accompanies the end of the school year, but for this year’s graduating class, it marks the end of their high school career too. For some, participation in student athletics...

Jazz Band Performs at National Museum of African American History and Culture

Jazz Band Performs at National Museum of African American History and Culture

Claire Callahan and Bella DeMaso
February 13, 2017

Last weekend was a busy one for the West Potomac jazz band. In addition to their annual Valentine’s Dance, the band had the unique opportunity to perform for the National Education Association (NEA)...

Freshmen Gymnasts Reflect on First Competitions

Freshmen Gymnasts Reflect on First Competitions

Claire Callahan and Bella DeMaso
January 20, 2017

The West Potomac gymnastics team competed at Lake Braddock on Wednesday in front of dozens of fans — a relatively new experience for freshmen with the team for their first season. “Gymnastics has...

New Year, New Me

The start of 2017 was no small event. This New Year’s Eve, West Potomac students participate in the holiday’s classic traditions. “I got a kiss on New Year’s Eve—my girlfriend and I have...

A Musical Kick-Off to the Holiday Season

A Musical Kick-Off to the Holiday Season

On December 8, the West Potomac Band performed their annual winter concert. Many of the musical selections were holiday-themed, from classic pieces such as selections from the “Nutcracker” to modern...

Image courtesy The Washington Post

Surprisingly Successful Football Season Screeches to a Stop

  The 2016 football season came to an end this past Friday at James Madison High School in a 21-14 defeat. WPHS and Madison were neck and neck throughout the playoff game before Madison pulled...

Tweeting Teens: Election Edition

[View the story "Tweeting Teens: Election Edition" on Storify]

Growing Pains: New Mentorship Program at West Potomac

Growing Pains: New Mentorship Program at West Potomac

The 2016-2017 school year at West Potomac High School introduced a multitude of new initiatives, one of which is the Mentorship Program. This project is designed to provide a welcoming, safe high school...

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