“The Phenomenon of ‘6–7’ and What It Has Given to Our Society” By Dr. Jamila Walker, MCPS Principal
Tuesday, December 9th marks the 67th day of school for MCPS, a milestone that has taken on unexpected cultural significance thanks to a simple phrase, or rather, a simple pair of numbers, that has swept through classrooms, hallways, and social media with surprising force.
At the risk of aging myself here, I vividly remember a commercial in the mid-1990’s where someone would call someone on the phone and with all of their excitement would say, “what’ssss uppppp?” The person on the other end would respond similarly, “what’ssss uppppp?” This phrase came with a long tongue and facial expression, and was immediately replicated by spectators near and far. When you saw a friend, a loved one, a neighbor, a relative, you may greet each other with this proverbial “what’ssss uppppp.” Along with the facial expression (and quite frankly the cheer it gave you in your heart), it gave us a sense of cultural belonging and adoration. This indescribable phrase became one that lasted for a while, and even now I could speak with friends who would remember it fondly. I cannot tell you what exactly the commercial was for, but the phrase made it into our society; it was a part of our cultural existence that linked us together…