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Long before the Obama administration started talking about turning around failing schools, Annapolis High School in Maryland embarked on a radical transformation. It went to a 12-month school year. Teachers and administrators had to re-apply for their jobs, and those who were rehired vowed to never again let a single student fall through the cracks.

Cub Scout Pack 340, based out of Linthicum Elementary School has recently made the arts an important part of their experiences. The troop came to Chesapeake Arts Center (CAC) in March to see Alash, masters of Tuvan throat singing in May came to see the United States Navy Band.

May was music month for the Cub Scouts. Cub Scout Pack leader and parent, Robin Newcomb, wanted to introduce the students to something new that they wouldn’t normally see. “What I like most is that the Arts Center is right here in the community,” said Newcomb. “I like the variety of programs and offerings the center provides. For some of these kids, this is their only opportunity for exposure to the arts.”
 
Making professional shows and artists accessible to the community is part of Chesapeake Arts Center’s core mission. “It’s not just about opening the doors, but also about talking to the community and getting them active in what we are doing,” said Davina Grace Hill, CAC Executive Director.

Both events that the Cub Scouts attended were free and represent CAC’s ongoing collaboration with other community organizations. Alash was co-presented with World Artists Experiences and the United States Navy Band was co-presented with the Performing Arts Association of Linthicum. “This is the arts center at our best,” said Sidney Pink, CAC Marketing Coordinator. “To be able to serve our community and bring the arts to a whole new generation is such a rewarding experience.”

One of the students, Sean Newcomb, speaking about the throat singers said, “they sounded like angels. I can kind of do it.” He then stood up, held his head high, and starting demonstrated what he saw. Another student, Gregory Boettcher, said, “I like the sounds they make. It was really cool.”

“If we can encourage students to see and talk about art at a young age that’s something they will take with them into adulthood,” said Pink. “Chesapeake Arts Center is for everyone in this community and we want to get that message out there.”
 
More About the Cub Scouts:
Since its beginning, the Cub Scout program has been a fun and educational experience concerned with values. Besides providing a positive place where boys can enjoy safe, wholesome activities, Cub Scouting focuses on building character, improving physical fitness, teaching practical skills, and developing a spirit of community service.
 
About the Chesapeake Arts Center:
The Chesapeake Arts Center (CAC) is a 58,000 square foot, multi-discipline arts facility located in Northern Anne Arundel County, just south of Baltimore, Maryland. The modern facility houses the 904-seat Hammonds Lane Theatre, the 120-seat Studio 194 Theatre, gallery space, ceramics lab, dance studios, music rooms, scene-shop and classrooms. CAC is funded by grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, Anne Arundel County, Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, M&T Bank, local businesses and members who want to see the arts thrive in northern Anne Arundel County.

Did you take prom pictures this year? We’d like to see them. We are gathering information and stories for an article on getting ready for prom. Please email your high-resolution photos to editor@whatsupmag.com. We’ll be sharing some online and publishing some in the Spring. Make certain to write a caption to go with your photo that includes the students’ names along with their high school. Check this page often for more local prom photos.

Glamorous girls pose for a photo before attending the Annapolis High School Senior Prom.

Do you have some amazing photos of the Blue Angels? Send them to us and we'll feature them on our website.

Please send all photos with information to aweincek@whatsupmag.com.

» Photo Submissions «

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1. Photos Submitted by Sue Steinbrook

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2. Photos Submitted by Frances Ayres

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3. Photos Submitted by Pat Paul

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4. Photos Submitted by Kevin Kohler

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5. Photos Submitted by Tom Smail

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The only thing worse than being overweight is feeling like you’re too busy to change it. Worse yet, experts tell you it’s just an excuse, that you do have time if you’d just make it happen.

Guess what? They’re right, and for a while I hated them for it. Between freelance jobs, graduate courses, and raising my increasingly busy toddler, I was having enough trouble managing my time without having to cook time consuming dinners and fit workouts in.

Then I saw family pictures from Christmas. They were bad. I looked unhealthy, and I was mortified. I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer. I looked over my days and saw places where I could carve out time.

Finding time…

I could start getting up with my husband in the mornings instead of sleeping an extra hour. After all, I wasn’t sleeping once he was up anyway. That hour before my daughter woke up meant time to finish homework, answer emails, and write articles. That freed up time during the day for me to set goals.

Baby steps…

All I wanted in the first week was to track my food. I didn’t count calories. I just wrote it down to keep a record of what I was eating. Since I’d done Weight Watchers before, it was easy to track food in terms of points. As it turns out, old habits die hard. That first week was easy, so I set the next goal.

For week two, I wanted to exercise one day for five minutes. It’s so little that I wasn’t sure it counted, but it was better than the nothing I was doing. So I did it, and before I knew it, one day became three. I was working out for fifteen minutes, three days a week, and I felt better.

Because it feels good…

After a few weeks of workouts, I started to miss it on rest days. I stuck my daughter in her highchair with snacks and got a good sweat going. Sometimes I used the Xbox, sometimes I did workouts from cable programs. Eventually, I worked up to half hour workouts, planned for times when my daughter would be content to hang out and snack.

Two months in, I was up to five days per week. I couldn’t believe it. I was thrilled with the extra energy and I was so proud of myself. I wanted to step it up even more, so I started Couch to 5K. Every other day, with my husband pushing our daughter in the stroller, I get out there and half kill myself learning to run.

Run for it.

It’s hard. It hurts. Sometimes I want to quit. It’s also amazing, kind of fun, and finishing a day or a week of training is a serious high. It’s worth every minute. I’ve lost twenty one pounds, but I try not to focus on the scale. I feel strong. I can’t wait to run my first 5K…. hopefully in the fall.

- Heather Hurd

My feet are killing me, I wore shoes today that were good for three hours at best....certainly didn't expect to spend the entire day with the highest ranking Polish Nationals in America. Surely My Mom and Step-dad and Busha and Dziadzi (My Grandparents) are smiling in Heaven right now....

This was just supposed to be a fun-weekend...Saturday Night, The International Ball at USNA and Sunday, Roedown. We were having a fabulous tailgate for clients at Roedown, and I had my dress, shoes and hat all set by Friday night.

My Sponsor daughter Dagmara, is an International Midshipman. She attended the Polish Naval Academy before coming to USNA from Poland in June. She took dance lessons with the Latin American Studies Club at school and was going to be part of the show. They were performing a very spicy dance to a style of Dominican music called Bachata...my favorite! I invited my friend Mayra to join me. She is from Santo Domingo and her son, Elvin, is a recent grad.

Typical Saturday, went to the gym, donated blood at the AAMC bloodmobile. Came home to do laundry and relax before dressing for the I-Ball.

Then I heard the news: No survivors. President of Poland dead. 6 Generals killed in plane crash in Russia, etc....Almost 100 in total. Wow, the day began to spin off in a whole other direction. I'll leave all my conspiracy theories out of this for now.

Quick rewind back to 2008, about the same time my mother died, My Sponsor Daughter, Sarah, came home from work and said, "Guess what, there's a Midshipman coming from Poland!" My mother would have rolled over in her grave and smacked me in the head if I didn't open my home to the first Pole at the Academy in close to 20 years. I called the Sponsor Office and the rest is history...

I was concerned about Dagmara. As is typical in the military, she often hides her emotions. But these are the people that helped get her here. They're dead. She was notified at 5am by the Attache, by noon she had already spoken with the Embassy several times, as well as her family in Poland. She's a very independent young woman, but she is half way around the world from her family and friends. She couldn't feel further from home than she did yesterday. Shock, sadness, anxiety, and a million questions.

She was told to be ready at 10am, a car would drive her to DC. She was to attend a special mass with the Polish Ambassador to the US & the Defense Attache today. She needed a black armband. They just switched uniforms this week, so we got her Dress Whites together to make sure she was ready for today. The highest ranking Polish Nationals in the US are here in DC at the Embassy and The Consulate/Economic Affairs Ministry and she has to shine today.

She decided to go ahead with the performance at the Ball last night but wanted to come home right after the dance. That's what we did. She yapped on the phone for quite some time in Polish. If only I could remember what I learned on my Saturdays at the Henryk Sienkiewicz School. I can sing more than a dozen Christmas Carols and another dozen Polish folk songs but I've only got about a handful of phrases in my head. 'Jak sie masz?' doesn't get you very far...

Probably better that I didn't know. She requested permission for me to attend the mass with her. She explained my family was from Poland and I am her sponsor...the Polish Assistant Attache she was speaking with was an alum of the US Air Force Academy. He cross commissioned into the Polish Army. A Polish Sponsor Mom? He fully understood who/what I was to her.

Um, yeah...except he thinks I'm Polish...like, from Poland.

I have to let the folks at work know I can't be at Roedown . The last thing I want to do is insult a foreign ally in the midst of a horrific national tragedy.

What to wear? Something that shows my Polish pride. A Krakowianka folk costume? Nah! My Mom’s gold eagle WITH crown. Simple, powerful, and screams, 'yeah I know my heritage.' Excellent! Too bad "Dzien Dobry Pan" is as far as I can get in conversation.

At 10am the car picked us up at the Academy....just about the time we're passing the beltway, I realize our 'driver' is actually our escort, Lt. Commander Szymanski, of the Polish Navy, an Assistant Naval Attache. Alrighty then....did I really just tell this man I can still sing all Polish Christmas Carols? Wow.

Shut up Jude, really, just shut up. OK, Hush up, as my Mother would say.

A special visit to the Polish Embassy was arranged for me. Approval was given to bring an American civilian in through the driveway entrance. Dagmara and I were ushered upstairs to the private offices and invited to sign the Book of Condolences. Oh great, think quick. This is it forever, your words etched in Polish history?!!

I wrote "With our deepest sympathies to the People of Poland on this great tragedy, Judith Buddensick and the Buddensick, Walenczyk and Dziengaleska families."

Is that a sentence? Does it mean anything? Who knows? It's better than "I can sing Kolendy!"

Whisked away to "Matki Boskiej Krolowejpolski i Sw. Maksymiliana Kolbe" Parish. It was a magnificent stone church tucked away in the trees on a side street in Silver Spring.

We parked and two other cars pulled up next to us. General Soczewica, Defense Military, Naval and Air Attaché and his wife were in the first car. The Generals that were killed were this man's dearest friends. He was just in Poland with them all week. When he boarded his plane to return to the US, he learned the other plane had gone down. He wanted to stay in Poland, he was told to return to his post in the states. The other man in the car was the 'zoomie', Lt. Colonel Nowak, Assistant Defense, Military, Naval and Air Attaché. He served under four of the Generals. This was business and it was most definately personal.

As each was introduced, I shook their hands and politely said "Dzien Dobry"....I thought it was respectful to say Good Morning in Polish. Until the rapid fire conversation and questions started. All I can say at this point is "Nie rozumiem po Polski" (“I don't understand Polish”) Way to go Jude!!

No worries....Eventually, I do redeem myself.

As the receiving line to greet the General grew to 40 or 50 people I thought it best to head inside the church to prevent any other words of wisdom from coming out of my mouth.

I was seated in the 6th row, the first row behind the reserved seating for dignitaries. First 2 rows are for The Ambassador, The General, the 8-10 Officers that work for him and Dagmara. The only female. The only 1 in attendance, of the four Polish Nationals currently attending US Service Academies.

All the TV stations had cameras set up at the back of the church. There were news cameras on the alter and in the choir loft. Reporters and photographers were interviewing mourners. Make no eye contact Jude!!

There is an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, a statue of Mary and a banner of the late, great JP2 surrounded by colorful hydrangeas on the alter....made me think about Easter Sundays with my Mother.

I followed along pretty well. It's not like the language changes the order of the mass. I was teary eyed when i received Communion and realized how many people were outside listening....there was several hundred people outside that could not get into the church it was so packed. Afterwards, the Ambassador gave a eulogy, no clue what he said. I'm sure it was lovely, not a dry eye in the house. I was so honored and so humbled. We san Boze Ces Polski (God Bless Poland) as the recessional hymn.

I stayed a few minutes longer and took some beautiful photos of the church. Dagmara said we were invited to lunch, and asked if that was okay....hey, I'm just a passenger along for the ride. I thought it was a big luncheon and I could just blend in with the crowd. Wrong!

Our Naval Attache driver left with his wife and kids, now the Lt. Colonel took over....he wears his USAFA ring with great pride. I did point out that Navy beat Air Force again this season. LOL. He's an awesome guy. He's giving us the tour of Embassy Row and any place of note we pass. We head to his home in Bethesda so he can change clothes and we can pick up his wife and kids. He told his 3 year old son to call me 'Ciocia', yeah, I know the Polish word for Aunt...I'm digging it. The General and his wife are simply in love with the Lt. Colonel’s two sons, Mateuz and Rafal. I surely didn't expect that I would later see the surly General playing on the ground with little Rafi.

We head to the Consulate to meet up with everyone. They ask if I eat Mexican food because the General loves it. Uh, sure dude, whatever The General likes is fine with me. Here comes the General and and his wife, in civvies, comfy shoes too. My three hours are officially over and my feet are killing me. Where is everyone else?

Yikes, this is it....The General and his wife, The Lt. Colonel, his wife and two boys. Ciocia Dagmara and Ciocia Judy too. Whoaaaaaa.

I did my best not to speak unless spoken to. The Mexican restaurant served my favorite Dominican dessert, Dulce de Tres Leches. I encourage everyone to share one or two pieces. They love it. Rafi loves it. He blows me kisses across the table. Mateuz giggles when I tickle him.

Am I really here?

We walked back to the Consulate. The General walked away as Dagmara and I got into the car with the Lt. Colonel. I asked where he was going...

Ohhhh, back to work. The General and the Ambassador must go to the Embassy to greet Secretary Clinton? She's coming to pay her respects and sign the book of condolences? Excuse me, would you repeat that? Been there, done that.

Lt. Colonel Nowak took us to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Gave us quite the tour....naturally we ended our tour at Our Lady of Czestochowa....he is from Czestochowa. Oh, sweet, dude, I was there when I was in Poland!

Surreal moment number 15 of the day....a Polish Army Officer is giving me a guided tour of MY country's national basilica....How did I get here?

He drove us back to Annapolis...what an experience, what an honor, what have I done???? I invited them to Annapolis to visit...I gave him copies of What's Up? Annapolis and Eastern Shore and told him to let me know when they want to come this way....we can go out on the boat...sure hope he has better docking skills than I do!

We dropped Dagmara off first. I said, "She's a good girl." He fired back at me..."You make sure she gets good grades!"

WHAT????????? You can't put that on me, dude! Quick Jude, change the subject.

I told him that I would be honored to Sponsor any future Polish Midshipman if they wanted me to. We exchanged phone numbers and email addresses, my new BFF. We hugged goodbye.

Wow. Today was for Mom, Pete, Busha and Dziadzi.

Dobranoc Kochanie.