Two white cords hang down from a person’s ears and connect at a pocket, backpack, computer, or undisclosed hiding place that one can only wonder about. It can only be an iPod. Two years ago the iPod was “oooed” and “aaahhed” over, but since the passing of two holiday seasons and many birthdays, it has sprung up everywhere. With an iPod at your side, you can take your pirated music wherever you please and have access to any one of 5000 downloaded songs at the touch of a circular scroll.

The iPod costs a hefty $300 dollars, which may leave you wondering why you shelled out so much money for 5000 songs, only 5 of which will probably get played on a regular basis. It is not necessary to have the rap, reggae, and go-go remixes of every song. There is always the 4 GB (that’s gigabyte for the technologically impaired) iPod mini for the less fortunate, which only costs $250 but, alas, holds a meager 1,000 songs. According to bestbuy.com, “it comes in 5 metallic colors to suit any personality.” ` The question is, are you gold, silver, purple, pink, green, or blue? What about orange people? Is there no Ipod for them?

There are those at Walter Johnson who do not discriminate in their music tastes. Lil’ Jon, Norah Jones, the Beatles, and Metallica can coexist peacefully on the same iPod. Then there are people who refuse to listen to anything besides the troubling genres of “classic rock” or “European trance.” There are even people who only listen to the song “Dragostea Din Tei” otherwise known as “that mya-hee song.”(and what one iPod owner called their “rowdy drunken song”)

A popular answer to “What’s in your iPod?” was “I don’t have one,” so the question was broadened to include “listening device.” History teacher Nathan Schwartz says his iPod contains “a lot of jazz.” Those who know Schwartz’s wild side have heard his Bob Marley collection. Gonzalo the security guard doesn’t have an iPod, but he says he listens to 94.7 and 99.1. Unfortunately for Gonzalo and other fans of HFS, 99.1 has been conquered by the Latinos. Freshmen Pam Fiver, Paige Rickman, and Jamie Genderson all claim to be Dispatch fans. Sophomore Leo Ramos listens to “wet back music” which is a type of Mexican music. Everything on junior Steven Braun’s iPod was erased, so he lost all his songs.

Whether you own an iPod, CD player, tape player, or provide your own music(singing, playing guitar in the halls) you have a place in the mosh pit of music that is WJ.