Falcon Flyer Volume IV, Edition V - February 2009
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BW Boys Take First Dulles District Win By Brandon Weight
As the ball left the hands of freshman point guard Miles Tate, a hush fell over the crowd. Hearts stopped, jaws dropped, and the Briar Woods student body prayed for the best. With only 25 seconds left on the clock, the shot had the potential to make or break the game. Tension had been mounting since the game started overtime after a
the DECA-sponsored “Beat Cancer Black and Blue” T-shirts and a spaghetti dinner in the cafeteria hosted by Michelangelo’s. Nearly all of the proceeds benefited the American Cancer Society, a nationwide, volunteer based organization that has raised billions of dollars to date. In total, close to 350 shirts were sold, and nearly $2000 was raised from both schools. The first game, a match up between the Women’s varsity teams of Briar Woods and Freedom, started at 6:30. Unfortunately, the school didn’t show their true colors, as they fought to a score of 36-19 at the end of the half. Later in the night, Free38-38 tie. Yet, when the 3 pointer dom took home an astounding 75was sunk, the crowd was alive yet 40 win against the home team. again. Briar Woods had sealed the All hope was not lost, though, deal, and took away a 49-47 win as the night progressed. The Briar over Freedom, adding to their al- Woods boys stormed the court, out ready impressive record. to turn the night around. Students The night of pre-game festivi- and teachers were impressed, as the ties turned out to be just as amazing boy’s varsity team kept the score as the final game itself. Numerous close, and occasionally taking the fundraisers were held, including lead. Even at halftime, Briar Woods
Holiday Shoppers: Ready to Spend, Hoping to Save the stress of weaving a path through By Amanda Fischer
was ahead by one point, 13-12. PG Tate dominated the floor with 21 points, and senior Curtis Calder posing 7 points during the night. The team’s impressive efforts led to a 38 - 38 tie by the end of the fourth quarter, forcing the game into overtime. It was only in the final moments did Miles Tate sink his infamous three-pointer, solidifying a 49-47 win. Briar Woods, now with a 6-7 record, is looking toward the future. With the regular season ending in just a few weeks, it’s crunch time for the Varsity boys. Key games will be this Friday’s home match against Broad Run, who Briar Woods suffered a close 70-75 loss against last month, and also a re-match against Freedom the following week. But with the domination the varsity team showed in this game, as well as a win against Dominon, Briar Woods will be the new team to face, ready for anything and everything.
Inside... The Woods
“Gia corem estrum asi nullani mperovid ma solor the masses. There were certainly seritasin posamet aut sales to be found, however, you had reperest, tore, quiscipsam With the impending recession Even a few days before the in- to spend a lot to save a lot. and undulating stock market, this famous Friday after Thanksgiving, And although the crowds were quo test, quo.” (Page #) holiday season is sure to be different for many consumers. Many nation-wide chain stores (Linens n’ Things, Disney Stores, Foot Locker, Hope Depot, Ann Taylor, Zales, Sharper Image, Sprint Nextel Corp.,) are having to close their doors. Other retailers are spending fortunes on advertising to draw in the holiday shoppers. Anyone notice the magnitude of JCPenny ads? Decreased sales were predicted all over the country, however early reports indicate that sales were up 3% from last year on Black Friday.
stores were offering huge markdowns and incentives. Locally, in the Dulles 28 Center, policemen were on hand to direct the myriad of traffic. Granted, we do live in Loudoun County, one of the most affluent in the country. Therefore, the hard falls of the nation will be less visible, at least for some time. On Friday, November 28, even at 6am, Dulles Town Center was packed. Parking spots were hard to come by, lines were long, employees were impatient. The shopping experience was certainly tainted by
Briar Woods’ Hardest Working Team By Abbe Ramanan is hardly what most teenagers dis“I thought it was going to be re- cuss in their spare time, (this year’s ally boring and tedious at first, but I topic is alternative fuels) the debatactually ended up liking the whole ers have kindled a unique passion atmosphere surrounding debate,” for it. said sophomore Donald Ta, a memA certain level of passion is reber of the Junior Varsity (JV) squad. quired for debate, both to learn the Though the subject matter itself process of debating itself, and, as
surprising, it makes perfect sense. People will do whatever it takes to save a little bit of money, especially in times of financial deficit. Those who previously weren’t willing to wake at the crack of dawn to trek through the malls were out there amongst them. The initial numbers appear hopeful, but the increase in sales on the Black Friday just represents the increase of people who are looking to save money this holiday season. As small as the increase may be, for retailers across the nation, a 3% increase is hope enough.
the season progresses, to prepare for tournaments. Participants are expected to prepare for tournaments largely on their own, practice serving as more of a time to reaffirm ideas than to form them. The novice debaters adapted quickly. “I take it seriously now. I put extra time into it,” said sophomore Aishwarya Pradhan. The burden is alleviated by the fact that debate is conducted in pairs, allowing (Continued on Page 2)
Sports
“Gia corem estrum asi nullani mperovid ma solor seritasin posamet aut reperest, tore, quiscipsam quo test, quo.” (Page #)
Culture “Gia corem estrum asi quo test, quo.” (Page #)
Voice
“Gia corem estrum asi nullani mperovid ma solor seritasin posamet aut reperest, tore, quiscipsam quo test, quo.” (Page #)
World
“Gia corem estrum asi quo test, quo.” (Page #)
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TheWoods
College Acceptance By Caitlin Ronan
The month of December is a stressful time for early decision applicants at Briar Woods. Seniors eagerly anticipate the arrival of their acceptance letters and every student has high hopes of being accepted into the college of their choice. Several students have already gotten their letters and are overjoyed to know that a college has accepted them. Being accepted to a college is a huge deal. All of the students’ hard work has finally paid off, and they can start focusing on the next chapter of their lives. As days pass, students start getting a little anxious. “I was really, really nervous about getting my letter, even if it’s a school you’re not that interested in, you’re still nervous about if you’ll be accepted or not. It’s a big deal” said senior Kelsey Young who was recently accepted to the University West Virginia. Once students find out if they got accepted, many of them feel that they should be able to take a break from school work. “I can’t help but think that I’m already in college and I really don’t need to try that hard, but I think I deserve a little
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relaxation,” said, senior Mary Kate Gough who was recently accepted to the University of Pittsburgh. However, colleges do have the right to take away your acceptance if they see that you have slacked off. Colleges have average GPA and SAT scores that they want candidates to meet or exceed. Getting those scores and GPA can be tough and a lot of hard work. “In hind sight, yeah I worked pretty hard. Last year was really tough and I hated the SAT all three times I took it. I’m so glad that’s all over, and, honestly, being accepted into college is so worth it,” said Gough. Many colleges say that junior year in high school is the most important year. It’s the year when students take the SAT and ACT’s, and the year many students start looking at colleges that they’re interested in. “I went to the WVU website and pretty much instantly decided I wasn’t going there, but at the beginning of this year I kept hearing more about it and decided to visit and I absolutely loved it. When you find your school, you know it,” said Kelsey Young. Applying for college can be stressful because of the application process and the anticipation for their plans for the future. However the rewarded outcome makes all the work worth it. Once students get word of acceptance, they are overcome with relief and satisfaction that all of that hard work paid off.
NHS Recognizes Tomorrow’s Leaders By Ryan Rather Between October 1 and 16, many juniors and seniors at Briar Woods High School began filling out their portfolios for the National Honor Society. The nationwide organization, known as NHS, promotes academic success, offers volunteer opportunities, and encourages the development of good character. Membership in this prestigious organization appeals to many Briar Woods students because of the various opportunities it offers. There are very few awards as coveted as admission into the NHS. Colleges and Universities around the country recognize acceptance into this exclusive club as an honor. On December 4, the NHS Induction Ceremony took place in the
Team...
Briar Woods Auditorium. Before the initiation, a few key faculty members gave speeches addressing the importance of the NHS. “Admission into the National Honor Society,” said Mr. Starzenski, “is the highest honor that the faculty can bestow upon the student body.” Mrs. Armani, sponsor for the Briar Woods NHS, added that the ceremony “is testament of [the inductees’] hard work and commitment.” While freshmen watched from their homerooms, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and proud parents cheered as 92 new members were inducted into the NHS. As part of club tradition, the excited inductees gathered together onstage, each holding their own candle. “I felt a real sense of accomplishment,” said junior Jasmine Virk about the induction. “It was an honor be-
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debaters to split the workload. It is this level of hard work that has helped the team become as successful as it has in only it’s second year. “I think the team has progressed really far this year. I was really worried about my skills as a captain at the beginning of the year, but I think everyone caught on really quickly. Everyone is getting more confident as time goes by,” said Erin Pelletier, captain of the debate team, as well as the only member remaining from last year. The team’s effort has certainly begun to pay off, as they have gone from apprehensive beginners to seasoned successes. During the first week of December, at the James Madison University tournament, Pelletier and her partner, junior Ezekiel Mihelcic, a rookie debater, as well as the novice team of freshmen Mouna Penmetsa and Nina Sun advanced to quarterfinals. The next week, Pelletier and Mihelcic advanced from JV to Varsity with great success, placing first in December’s Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensics League (WACFL) III tournament. The team now looks on to their next challenge- The George Mason University Tournament. Said Pelletier, “… I think everyone will do well. They have all been steadily improving as time has gone by, and I think GMU is going to be their chance to shine.”
Editor-In-Chief Trent Reed The Woods Editor Julianne Lewis Sports Editor Brandon Weight Arts & Culture Editor Shannon Wood Voice Editor John Klees World News Editor Clarke Williams Staff Writers First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last First Last Teacher Advisor Ms. Leigh
ing recognized,” said junior Katie Ward, “but it was also awkward having your friends and family staring at you.” Following the induction ceremony, a reception was held in the auxiliary gym for the new members and their parents. According to Mrs. Armani, the new members will have plenty of volunteering to do this year. Among other activities, the Briar Woods NHS plans on holding a warm coat drive, in which you can donate new or slightly used coats to under-privileged citizens around the country. Mrs. Gross and Mrs. Greely also sponsor the Briar
Woods NHS, which now has about 200 active members. The ceremony publicly recognized 92 students who consistently go all-out to achieve academic success and help the community. The members of the Briar Woods NHS are some of the best and brightest our school has to offer. The inductees truly demonstrate the four necessary qualities for admission: character, leadership, scholarship, and service. If they continue their hard work and dedication they will certainly make the NHS and Briar Woods proud.
Briar Woods HS 25225 Belmont Ridge Road Ashburn, VA 20148
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