Volume 42, Issue 8

05. 11. 15.

The Bear Facts

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

Contents / 05.11.15.

6

BEHIND THE COVER

21

32 “I tried to combine both pictures into one face to show the “difference” that wearing a hijab makes.

But it didn’t line up.”

Volume 42, Issue 8 5 Gov. School

10 Ben Tobin

21 Clinton

Student wins prestigious scholarship to attend the University of Virginia.

Is Hillary really the best democratic candidate, even with her experience?

13 Nick Martin

25 Backpacks

This junior was awarded the county Peace Award this year.

Students have many different styles for their backpacks.

7 Yearbook

14 Rumors Review

31 Crew

The yearbook is finished.

Find out about all the work that went into it.

Read about the final LBT production of the 20142015 season.

Despite bad weather, the crew team is having a strong season so far.

8 Moonlighting

19 ‘Feminazi’

32 AOTI

Learn about the jobs teachers do outside of school.

How does this term impact the way feminists are seen?

Learn about Chris Gilmore and Tyler Stewart’s lacrosse careers.

A dozen students will be spending their summer learning instead of relaxing.

6 Speech/Debate The speech and debate season is coming to a close.

“I then took inspiriation from the movie poster of Silver Linings Playbook and I tried to eumlate it.”

“We tried to come up with a simplistic design for the heading and subheading so that they wouldn’t distract from the message of the pictures.”

Illustrations and quotations by Jesse Sands

Managing Editors Volume 42, Issue 8

The Bear Facts Staff Web Editors Ryan Mullins and Katie Vinson Photo Editor Amanda Hendrix Assistant Photo Editor Andrew Clinton Art Director Jesse Sands Graphic Assistant Maddie Sievers Business Managers Jake Hruska and Hao Nguyen

Editors-in-Chief Ben Tobin and Josh Wartel Managing Sara Kim and Emily Migdal Copy Chief Thomas Kendziora Adviser Kathryn Helmke

1st Period Editors News Marcell Subert News In-Depth Megan Cantwell Arts Vickie Park Comment Paul Barnhill and Ben Concepcion Style Hannah Lim and Michael Murphy Sports Jordan Small

Staff Writers Tom Anderson, Marianne Beveridge, Ian Bivona, Gerardo Cerna, Ayman Farid, Kinaya Hassane, Claire Hollinger, Kevin Hua, Michael Galligan, Jake Gold, Daniel Jarris, Spencer Jolley, Katie Karlinchak, Demetris Karounos, Aya Khaznadar, Lucia Kim, Maggie Komoniewski, Devon Lee, Anne Merrill, Alex Nesterovich, Connor O’Neill, Zelgai Saleh, Bunyamin Sevim, Nikki Sheppard, Elena Simon, Nathan Zelalem

Corrections

On page 4 of Issue 7, The Bear Facts incorrectly identified the score exempting AP World History students from the World History II SOL as a score of a 3.

This year, AP World students who pass the AP exam with a 2 will be exempt from the World History II SOL. On page 7 of Issue 7 of The Bear Facts, the caption for the first photo incorrectly identified the location as Costa Rica instead of Budapest, Hungary.

2nd Period Editors News Marleen Tipu News In-Depth Dinali Dassanayaka Profile Steve Hong and Yaitza Lopez Arts Patrick Kearney Sports Tu Lam Photo Amanda Hendrix

Staffer of the Issue

Senior Alex Nesterovich, a staff writer, joined journalism last year. He joined the class with the encouragement from a friend.

“I was skeptical at first,” Nesterovich said, “but I am so glad I joined because I was able to make so many friends that I wouldn’t have otherwise met, and Helmke has also become one of my best friends.”

The atmosphere of L202 has provided him with a place to share his ideas and opinions.

“It gives me a medium to formulate and articulate my opinions and gives me a place to hangout whenever I want,” Nesterovich said.

Briefs / Page 4

What Teachers Make The District $77,512

Montgomery $74,855

Arlington $72,997

Alexandria $72,734

Falls Church $66,252

Fairfax $64,813

Prince George’s $63,566

Loudoun $60,875

Manassas $60,850

Prince William $58,893

Manassas Park $58,893

U.S. Average $56,383

info courtesy of Washington Area Boards of Education Guide, National Education Association, DCPS

FCPS stalls teacher salaries in 2016

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nitially, with the proposed budget plan for the 2015-2016 school year, teachers were looking at a $59 million salary increase from the plan.

However, at the Board of Supervisors public meeting on April 8, the county failed to fully fund FCPS’ budget. The $14 million shortfall in funding leaves no extra leeway to raise teacher’s salaries.

“In some years when economic times are tough throughout the country, I truly understand when teachers have to accept the difficult decision to not receive raises,” personal finance teacher Linda Alvarez said.

“However, there have been years when we’ve been told we would receive our salary increases in the future that we have not.”

In last year’s study, Arlington County was at the top of the list for per-pupil spending at $18,675 as compared to Fairfax County’s

$13,564. In terms of how many students there are per classroom, Arlington County has around 21 students per classroom as compared to Fairfax County which has a little over 22 students per classroom. With the lower per student spending in Fairfax County due to its higher student population, most would think that the teacher salaries for the two counties would be relatively close. However, looking at recent survey results, Fairfax County teachers on average are paid $2,000 less than Arlington County teachers. In fiscal year 2015, the Washington Area Boards of Education reported that FCPS teachers with a masters degree with 10 years on the job rank eight out of 10 other school systems in the DMV area. Teachers with bachelors degree in Fairfax rank fifth under Falls Church, Arlington, Loudoun and Alexandria.

“Fairfax County is known for its amazing schools and the parents expect a lot from the teachers – our time, expertise, knowledge, etc.” Alvarez said. “We should be compensated at high rate that is commensurate with the high standards set for us.”

Instead of giving the teachers raises, the County Supervisors decided to give themselves a 32 percent raise instead.

“Teachers were notified that basically we were in debt and that there was no possible way we could get a raise for the 2016-2017 year,” English teacher Ann Partlow said.

“It has been said that we are projected to be about $100 million in debt for the 1617 school year, and that FCPS intends on cutting certain classes that will result in limiting elective classes and increasing class sizes.”

Page 5 / Briefs

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photo courtesy of education.wm.edu

Gov School warms to LB hopefuls

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hile most students either work or go on vacation during their months off of school, every summer at various Virginia universities, students spend several weeks taking classes and interacting with students who share similar interests. This residential program, Governor’s School, was created in 1973 for gifted students around the state. There are 17 different types of Governor’s Schools students can apply to, including programs in medicine, engineering, agriculture and humanities.

The application process is competitive and begins in the fall. Students usually must get past a first round at the school level before continuing on to the regional and state levels.

“Selection [at the school level] is based on students’ test scores, teacher recommendations and the quality of their essay, which is reviewed by a multidisciplinary group of teachers,” guidance counselor Dylan Hackbarth said.

Some programs are especially competitive with the largest ones accepting only 200 students from the entire state.

“As a school, we are only allowed to forward 11 names to the county level,” Hackbarth said. “[Of those 11], the number of students accepted from Lake Braddock almost doubled from last year.”

ummer: a time of year associated with relaxing on the beach with no school and no responsibilities. From the end of June to the beginning o f September, students won’t have to worry about the day-to-day struggle of balancing academics, sports and social activities.

However, as much as most students enjoy this relaxing break, some students are also looking to keep themselves busy over the break by finding summer jobs.

“I want a job so that I can have some cash, so that I can hang out with my friends,” junior Isiah Castro said. “Also, my parents said I had to, and the experience definitely wouldn’t hurt.”

Given the relative affluence and size of Fairfax County, students have a variety of places to look when it comes to summer jobs. Whether it’s online, through school advisers such as Judith Edwards or simply seeing a “now hiring” sign in a store window, there certainly isn’t a shortage of available opportunities. For example, junior David Meskill still isn’t 100 percent sure about where his summer job will be, but he does have a general idea.

[I’m] probably working at the air museum, because I love learning about aeronautics,” Meskill said.

Unlike Meskill, however, some students already have their jobs lined up. Senior Jonathan Wood, for example, has a job locked up at a pharmacy.

“I work at a pharmacy as a cashier,” Wood said. “I’m planning to work there this summer I’ve already got it lined up.”

While money is certainly a popular explanation as to why students are looking for summer jobs, it is not not the only reason. Many students—such as Wood, for example—have jobs based on the field that they enjoy. “[I want this summer job] because it’s a field that I’m interested in,” Wood said. “This summer, I’m able to get my technician’s license, which would allow me to work in different pharmacies around the country.”

Photo of Matt Otto working at Target by Chloe Otto

Students search for summer jobs

Pre-SOL cramming blitz aims to prepare students

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n this upcoming SOL season, Lake Braddock has implemented a new schedule in an attempt to raise SOL scores.

“SOL Blitz is a period of intervention for those students who are taking a test later in the day,” assessment coach Amy Soos said. “It is held every morning right before the SOL that is going to be given.”

Students have the option of flexing into the review session instead of going to class so that they can review materials that may or may not be on the test. Or, they will be pulled out of class because their teacher feels that the review will be beneficial to them.

“Other FCPS schools that have implemented the SOL Blitz system have shown an increase in SOL scores,” Soos said. “It is mainly being utilized by the math and science department of our school.”

Teaching students a year’s worth of curriculum in one hour is nearly impossible. Geometry and calculus teacher Sharon Smothers will devote her blitz time to reviewing major concepts and

giving the students test-taking tips.

“This SOL Blitz time is a reassurance of confidence and comfort for the students,” Smothers said. “It is up to some of the students to flex in, but we’ll be pulling students that we think will need that extra reassurance for the SOL.” In different areas of studies, there will be teams of teachers that will lay out how the SOL Blitz time will be used.

“It is a team effort,” Smothers said.

“We can’t get this done if we don’t work together.”

Teachers are also hoping that the students will meet them halfway and utilize this time if they see it as helpful and effective in preparation for their tests.

Some students believe that this study session right before the test will prove to be effective, others not so much.

“SOLs are supposed to be a test of your knowledge and what you’ve learned throughout the entire year,” junior Nathan Cho said. “The blitz session seems to be emphasizing memorization over actual learning, so as a result we may get higher scores, but we haven’t learned anything.”

Sample “Blitz” Day Friday, May 22 1st Blitz

7:25-8:20 7th Geometry

8:30-10:30 3rd

10:45-11:55 HS Lunch: C 10:30-11:00 D 11:00-11:30 E 11:30-12:00

5th

10:45-11:55 MS Lunch: B 12:00-12:30 A 12:30-1:00

Geosystems Students will have a change to cram in extra material before SOL testing this year. Graphib by Jesse Sands.

News

Page 6

UVA speaks out against scandals

Secretory of State John Kerry visits the University of Virginia campus. This area has been a hotbed of conflict after scandals have hurt the community and the school’s reputation. Photo courtesy of state.gov

by Jesse Sands - Art Director

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n November 2014, Rolling Stone published a 9,000-word article that sparked outrage and fear throughout the nation.

The message? That sexual assault on college campuses goes unpunished. However, but the same story has been found journalistically flawed and was retracted, the fear and mistrust has not left Charlottesville. The story created wounds that will linger on as the university attempts to heal.

“This situation has created a negative image for [Phi Kappa Psi], as well as UVA as a whole,” LB alumna and first-year student Jasmine Edmond said. “These reputations are slowly coming back with the frat’s lawsuit and Columbia Review of the story.”

The reporter, contributing editor Sabrina Rubin Erdely, decided to write a piece about the University of Virginia’s ineffective handling of sexual assault and rape cases on campus. Throughout her incredibly detailed account of the experiences of a woman named Jackie, Erdely never once interviewed any of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity members about the alleged rapists’ identities or on any of the events that supposedly took place.

Soon enough, reports and statements from Jackie’s friends and the fraternity began to surface concerning the possible fabrication of locations, dates and people, as well as inconsistent information shared by Erdely’s sole source.

“Regardless of the story’s fabrication flaws and false information,” senior and future UVA student Amanda Patton said, “the fact remains that UVA needs to place more effort in providing a safe environment for its students. After this incident I hope to see

UVA place a larger emphasis on ways to prevent and safely report sexual assault.”

The reaction to the situation from the university’s administration, as well other campuses and the general population across the country, has put UVA’s student body under scrutiny that may not be warranted. The university has increased tension between its admin and its fraternity chapters by putting severe restrictions on Phi Kappa Psi, amongst other fraternities. “[Erdely], who consciously chose not to pursue simple leads that would have cleared the fraternity of all wrongdoing, caused the Phi Psi brothers serious harm,” LB alumnus and first-year student Nick Porter said.

Students live in doubt, confused whether to feel safe or to worry that some parts of the story were true. This story has also added to the unease amongst the students of Charlottesville in the wake of second year Hannah Graham’s disappearance and death in early fall of 2014.

“Whatever the outcome of the situation may be, I am kind of concerned that the actions of my peers won’t be reprimanded and those who invade students’ privacy and disrupt the safety on campus won’t be held accountable,” Patton said.

The fraternity chapter in question has made plans to sue Rolling Stone for defamation and libel.

“In terms of the student community as a whole, we were shamed as a ‘rape school’ and as perpetrators of ‘rape culture,’ ” Porter said.

“These accusations were reckless, and it is clear now that they are untrue.”

Speech and debate heads to nationals

by Ian Bivona - Staff Writer

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s the 2014-2015 school year to comes to a close, so does the speech and debate season. This year has brought many achievements to team members, with many attending state and national competition.

“It comes down to the dedication of our teammates and coach,” senior Bunyamin Sevim said. “Our coach comes from his office every day to help kids, and varsity contribution to younger and newer students helps as well.”

Varsity and senior influence has led individuals on the team to perform and speak at a higher quality and has improved the vocal skills of team members as well. Seniors Josh Wartel and Ben Tobin are both nationally ranked in extemporaneous speaking, according to debaterankings.com. Wartel is ranked third and Tobin is ranked 29th in the nation. Extemporaneous speaking is an event where a speaker receives a question and is given 30 minutes to prepare a response in the form of a seven-minute speech.

“Josh Wartel has been outstanding,” Tobin said. “He has been in the activity for six years, and nobody in this country works harder than he does.”

Wartel recently placed first in the Tournament of Champions held at Northwestern University during the first weekend in May. In the National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL) competition, later this month, two sophomores, Emily Warwick and Jamelah Jacob, will participate in the declamation event. Declamation is an event open to freshmen and sophomores, where students pick a 10-minute speech and memorize it on their own. The speech chosen is written by a famous speaker.

“I feel excited [for nationals],” Jacob said. “I went last year to Chicago, which was such an amazing and fun experience.”

Along with Warwick and Jacob, junior Miriam Samake is attending the NCFL competition for dramatic competition, and senior Ben Tobin is attending for extemporaneous speaking. The NCFL competition will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Along with the NCFL competition, senior Josh Wartel and freshman Jake Wartel will be attending the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) competition in Dallas, Texas for extemporaneous speaking. “[Our success] comes down to the hard work of our team,” Wartel said. “Over the past few years we have developed a passion for the communication behind forensics.”

Overall, Lake Braddock Speech and Debate has had an impressive season, sending six of their students to national competition, and having two of their speakers ranked in the top 30 in the nation.

Yearbook staffers prepare for the distribution of the new book, which comes out in June. Photo by Jake Gold.

Chronological yearbook debuts in June

by Spencer Jolley - Staff Writer

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n Monday June 8, the physical representation of the year, the yearbook, will be distributed to students.

However, this is often the only stage of the production process that the student body is aware of. Many hours of work go into producing the final copy that teachers continually tell their class to put away during the last week of school.

“A ton of work is put into the final product,” sophomore Anna-Marie Thibodeaux said. “Groups sometimes have to stay super late on deadline nights, and the managing staff puts a ton of effort into editing and checking all of the pages.”

As students open up their yearbooks, they might notice a stark difference between the book this year and that of last year. Instead of the familiar grouping by section, the book will be arranged in a way that has only recently become popular among photojournalism staffs.

“This year, the upper management decided on a chronological book,” junior Christopher Margraf said. “After many years of seeing it done in other books and at yearbook camp, we decided to try it ourselves.”

Last year, many of the typical parts of a student’s life were represented as sections in the yearbook, such as academics, sports and other interests of the student body. This year, the book will go week-by-week highlighting things that happened over that week. Each month will have a different theme color, which will then tie into the overarching theme for the yearbook.

“Our theme, Live Your Moment, corresponds to the time-oriented style of the book with a slice of life from each week of the school year,” Margraf said.

As the last pages are finalized for this year’s book, next year’s is already undergoing the early planning stages.

While the 2016 edition will be similar to that of 2015’s, it will of course have some changes, as every book is different from those that come before it.

“We do know that it will be chronological, like this year’s book,” Margraf said. “The editors want to add another level of design and captivation.

Next year’s book will be a step up from this year’s book, for sure.”

The new change in the yearbook brought about some resistance from returning staffers at the beginning of the year, but yearbook staff has learned to apply themselves in an efficient way.

In-Depth / Page 8

Moonlight Feels Right Many teachers hold jobs outside of the school. This is an In-Depth look at some of the teachers who moonlight at other professions.

Chrissy Fulfaro

Spanish Teacher -

Wolf Trap

Math teacher Tristan Kissell leads a lecture during a math class. He also works as a tutor for students from all over the county.

Tristan Kissell Math Teacher -

tutor

Q: Why did you pick tutoring as another job?

A: I picked tutoring because it fits in perfectly with teaching and lets me help students in a different way. It also fits perfectly with my hours here at Lake Braddock as I can tutor students after I have left school.

Q: Have the two affected each other?

A: Tutoring has helped me immensely as an educator. Since I tutor students all over the county, I have gotten to see the types of materials other schools and teachers are using, which often gives me ideas in my own classroom.

Q: What do you do at your job?

A: I sell the touring artist’s merchandise during the summer season at the Filene Center and at The Barns during the fall-spring. I’ve sold everything from legend’s Crosby, Stills & Nash’s limited edition autographed lithographs to Clay Aiken thongs.

Q: Why did you decide to take that job?

A: Before I began teaching, I worked in the program and production department helping to book different acts and produce the shows. When I “retired” from Wolf Trap, I wanted to continue working there in some capacity, so I began working at the merch booth. I began my career at Wolf Trap, and before leaving I had worked there for nearly 10 years. I wanted to stay connected to such an important part of the performing arts community.

Q: Did anything prompt you to take another job?

A: I decided to become a tutor during my first year of teaching. Other teachers told me how great of a job it was, so I picked up a few hours a week to earn a little extra money apart from teaching.

Q: What do you enjoy most about tutoring?

A: I enjoy working with students one on one and seeing the reward of each student truly understanding the material we go over.

Spanish teacher Chrissy Fulfaro also works at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts selling artist merchandise.

Page 9 / In-Depth

Jennifer Roberts

English Teacher -

Softball Coach

Math teacher Mark Purdy is a middle school math teacher who also works at Hunt, a SAT tutoring company

Mark Purdy Math Teacher -

SAT Tutor

Q: What other job do you hold?

A: I teach an SAT prep course part time through Hunt. We teach at various locations throughout Virginia. I teach the math part and have taught there since 2001.

Q: Why did you pick that job?

A: My boss at the time was friends with the owner, who used to teach here, and he needed someone to work.

She recommended me, and I interviewed. And it just stuck.

I enjoy the change of working with high school students.

Q: What prompted you to take another job?

A: I like helping people. It wasn’t so much for the money, but to work with different people.

Q: Why did you decide to start coaching?

A: Softball has always been a big part of my life. I was a varsity head coach when I first started teaching and gave it up while I was in grad school. Once I finished my masters degree and had time again, I wanted to get back into coaching.

Marketing teacher Ericka Symonette began her own online boutique called “Pulchritude” where she sells women’s clothing.

Ericka Symonette

Q: Have the two affected each other at all?

A: Coaching at Fairfax High School has challenges. Our practices are typically right after school, so if students want to stay after, they have to plan ahead in the spring to make Q: What is your website? sure I’m available.

A: It’s an online women’s boutique called Pulchritude. I picked the name pulchritude because it means “extraordinary physical beauty,” so the premise behind it is like providing merchandise for women and my target market is probably around 25 and up but providing merchandise that will make women feel good on the outside because I feel like when you look good you feel good.

Marketing Teacher

online boutique

English teacher Jen Roberts works with a student on an assignment. She also coaches softball in her free time at Fairfax High School.

Q: What are your plans for it?

A: This is my second and a half year being open. My goal is to have a full line store, like a physical store at some point because I don’t want to keep it online forever.

Profile

Page 10

photo by Jake Gold

Hell-UVA Job

Senior Ben Tobin makes LB history as he is awarded the prestigious Jefferson Scholarship from UVA

by Gerardo Cerna - Staff Writer

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enior Ben Tobin is the first student at LB to win a full ride to UVA with the Jefferson Scholarship.

Every year the UVA Jefferson Scholarship awards between 30 and 35 students with the prestigious award.

Career Center specialist Judith Edwards recommended he fill out an application for the scholarship, since his older brother did two years ago.

After he submitted his application, Tobin was interviewed by high school guidance counselors and Principal Dave Thomas and was then selected as the representative from Lake Braddock

sub-committees of former Jefferson scholars to interview all of the school representatives in the Northern Virginia area. From there, they narrowed down the field for a second round of interviews with a super-committee, and they selected three of us to participate in the finalist weekend.”

After going to the last round of the competition, which was filled with assessments, seminars, math tests, dinners and judges, Tobin was awarded with the Jefferson Scholarship.

Although he wasn’t entirely set on UVA when he started, he instantly fell in love with it during the competition.

“While the scholarship made my decision easy, I fell in love with UVA during the finalist competition,” Tobin said. “I loved so many of the people I met, and I could envision myself walking around grounds for years to come after walking on the lawn at night. Also, my brother will be in his third year next year, and I was so excited by the opportunity to be united with him.”

While Tobin was competing for the scholarship, he was introduced to the major Political Philosophy, Policy and Law. Tobin wants to be a lawyer when he graduates, and he feels like this is something he would like to major in to prepare for law school.

“I feel like it will really help me prepare for law school,” Tobin said, “something I want to do after I complete my under-graduate studies.

Tobin’s career here at Lake Braddock has been anything but boring.

Tobin has been a member of the Bear Facts since he was in the ninth grade, and has been the editor-in-chief for the past two years.

He is also a captain of the speech and debate team and competed at national competitions around the country.

“I have been editor-in-chief of the Bear Facts for two years, and I have loved every second of it,” Tobin said. “The community has been inspirational and supportive. I have also been heavily involved with speech and debate. It has helped boost my confidence, and being captain this year has allowed me to prepare others for their very bright futures.”

to compete for the scholarship.

“I went on to regional interviews at a law firm near Tyson’s Corner.”

Tobin said. “There, they had several

“I could envision myself walking around grounds for years to come after walking on the lawn at night.”

Senior Ben Tobin and his brother, Sam, pose for a photo in front of the under-construction Rotunda

Tune It Up

Profile / Page 11

Junior Ilenna Kim dreams of taking her violin all the way to the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University

by Marianne Beveridge - Staff Writer

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unior Ilenna Kim has been playing the violin for as long as she can remember. She’s gone from lessons as a little kid, to elementary orchestra as an elementary school student, and now to LB orchestra as well as local orchestras. After she walks across the stage in her purple cap and gown in 2016, Kim hopes to further expand her violin expertise at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

“When I was about 3, I told my mom that I really wanted to play violin, and I begged her for lessons,” Kim said.

Kim’s motivation to continue playing violin came when she saw a famous violinist perform.

“The person that most influenced me would be Sarah Chang,” Kim said. “I saw her performances when I was younger, and I was just amazed at how well a young child could play so professionally.”

Chang was deemed a child prodigy when she first began playing the violin at age 4, and to this day she continues to plays professionally. Much like Chang, Kim’s early love for violin has never worn off, and, as a result of vigorous practice over the years, she became a member of multiple orchestra groups inside and outside of LB. “I’m in the LB Symphony Orchestra, which is the highestlevel orchestra,” Kim said. “Outside of school, I participate in church orchestra and the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. I also audition yearly for Senior Regional and AllState orchestra.”

Kim was forced to drop pit orchestra, which she participated in both her freshman and sophomore years, due to her workload.

Despite this, Kim still makes time to practice violin daily and has a specific routine to help develop her skills. “[I practice] at least an hour a day, but it really depends on how much time I have because I have a heavy academic load,” Kim said. “When I practice, I divide it into scales, etudes, which is working on technicality, and then solo pieces.”

Kim hopes to combine her academic and musical excellence in her future, and she sees the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University as the perfect place to do so.

“What made me want to go to Peabody specifically was the fact that I want to attend John Hopkins as well for pharmaceuticals because it’s a great school for that,” Kim said. “Peabody is a top music school along with Juilliard, Northwestern, New England Conservatory, etc. so I’ve heard about it every now and then during my 11 years of playing violin. Attending both John Hopkins and Peabody through the dual program would be a dream come true.”

As college looms closer, Kim has learned more about the admissions process and begun to close in on practicing specific techniques in order to ensure her acceptance into the program.

“I have to audition and send in an application and teacher recommendations similar to the Common Application for college, but related to music,” Kim said. “I am currently studying with Dr. Laura Kobayashi, and we are working on cleaning up my technique and getting started on the music that I’ll play for my college auditions.”

Kim plans to pursue music education or minor in violin in college, depending on the outcome of her pharmacy studies.

Although her skill level continues to rise, she still enjoys the simple things about orchestra, like the friendships she’s forged,

which she’s enjoyed since the beginning, and is continually motivated by those around her.

“Although I don’t like sometimes being forced to play music that I don’t like, I’m influenced by my competitors and auditions,” Kim said. “I’m really competitive, so people who play well motivate me to practice. But in the end, I’ve met most of my friends through orchestra, so my favorite part of orchestra will definitely always be the people.”

Profile / Page 12

traveling to the center of nova How LB teachers left their hometowns to begin teaching in Northern Virginia Patrick Ward Government teacher

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overnment teacher Patrick Ward grew up in Southern Arizona. He liked the beautiful scenery, sunshine and open space, however he did not enjoy the hot summers, which could be as warm as 123 degrees Fahrenheit. After high school, Ward went on to the University of Arizona in Tucson. It was a beautiful place to go to school, he said.

While living in Arizona, Ward was very involved in politics, and when he got an opportunity to come to Washington D.C., he took it.

“I like the diversity and how there is always stuff to do, but I hate the traffic here,” Ward said.

David Brothers - Social Sciences

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ociology and History teacher David Brothers grew up in Florida. After high school, he attended Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. He loved that it was a small beach town and its histroy, but when Fairfax County offered his wife a job, he followed her and applied for a job as well.

“I like the diversity, how there is always stuff to do

and the neighborhoods are clean and safe,” Brothers said, “but I don’t like the traffic.”

Danyele Magretta - ESOL

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SOL teacher Danyele Magretta grew up in Fresno, California, a small agricultural town between San Francisco and Los Angeles. After college, she took a job teaching English in Tokyo. She then took a job teaching English in South Korea for five years, where she met her first husband. From South Korea, she moved to Northern Virginia because her husband got a job in Vienna. She taught at NOVA for a few years before she decided she wanted to teach high school and has been at Lake Braddock ever since.

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Ericka Symonette - Fashion Marketing

ashion Marketing teacher Erika Symonette was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and loved everything about the city.

When she got married, she decided to move outside the city because she thought it would be a better area to raise kids and was not a fan of D.C. public schools.

Emily Owens - Chemistry hemistry teacher Emily Owens was born in Canada, but moved around a lot as a kid. She lived in Texas, North Carolina and New Jersey before settling in Kansas for middle and high school. Owens then attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2011. She then taught in Durham for a year, but after getting married, moved to Northern Virginia with her husband.

Anne Wardinski - Sports Marketing ports marketing teacher Anne Wardinski grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, near Mount Vernon.

She loved living so close to Old Town, especially with the bike trails, but got bored of living in the same place for such a long time. Wardinski attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. After graduating, she moved back to Northern Virginia.

C

Interviewed by Maggie Komoniewski Photo by Elena Simons, Gerardo Cerna and Bunyamin Sevim

S

Profile / Page 13

Helping the Earth, One Club at a Time Junior Nick Martin was awarded the Student Peace Award for his inspiration to educate others about our environment through the Eco-Movement Club.

by Gerardo Cerna - Staff Writer

E

very year, schools around Fairfax County recognize a junior or senior, and award them with the Student Peace Award for their work in making the school environment more positive.

Junior Nick Martin recently received the Student Peace Award from Fairfax County for his hard work with Compassion in Action and the Eco-Movement Club. Martin is the founder of both clubs.

“It was an honor to receive the Student Peace Award,” Martin said. “I feel humble, and it encourages me to continue to strive and make things better.”

Martin was motivated to start the Compassion in Action club, also known as the CIA, as a result of being a victim of bullying himself. “I saw that there was no student-led initiative to fight and stop bullying, or make the school atmosphere more positive,” Martin said.

“I feel humble, and it encourages me to continue to strive and make things better.”

With that in mind Martin went to counselor Cathy Trenary and came up with the idea to create a student-led club to fight bullying.

CIA has been successful this year in creating lesson plans to bring attention to bullying, coming together to find a solution to eradicate bullying altogether and bringing peace to the halls of Lake Braddock.

When Trenary heard about the award, she thought of all the positive impact CIA had on LB and decided to nominate Martin

Photos courtesy of Nicolas Martin

for his hard work.

“When I heard about the award, I thought of someone who would be a good example to create peace,” Trenary said. “I chose someone who has inspired others to do positive things in order to stop bullying.”

Apart from being leader of the CIA, Martin is also the leader of the Eco-Movement Club.

Martin created the Eco-Movement Club because he has a passion for nature and wants to do anything in his power to help the environment.

“Like the CIA, I also noticed that Lake Braddock didn’t have a club that addressed environmental concerns, and I wanted to change that,” Martin said. “My goal was and still is to bring students together and make a change.”

The Eco-Movement Club is currently planning on constructing an outdoor learning lab so students can get more in touch with nature.

In the learning lab, any teacher would be able to teach their class outside instead of staying in the building.

When Martin read that schools with an eco-friendly campus tend to have students who report fewer mental health issues, Martin brought up the idea at the following meeting.

Although this still hasn’t been approved by FCPS, the EcoMovement Club is pushing towards getting it approved and built before the 2015-2016 year starts.

“I want more of the students at LB to get in touch with nature,” Martin said. “I believe the outdoor learning lab will provide students with a hands-on experience with nature and improve mental health.”

Arts

Page 14

Senior class takes one final curtain call

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by Jake Gold - Staff Writer xplaining the plot of Lake Braddock Theatre’s (LBT) spring show, Rumors, would be somewhat pointless.

Rumors, a production written by Neil Simon, is a “farce,” meaning that it uses nonsensical events to create an indecipherable story; this incomprehensible style of production is, nonetheless, a comedy.

Essentially, though, Rumors is the story of an aristocratic party in New York.

When the evening gets wonky, the partygoers try to hide the evening’s events from the police and the media. Shenanigans ensue.

“I’ve seen it a lot, and I still laugh at it,” stage manager senior Michelle Ross said.

The main cast (excluding understudies) consisted solely of seniors. These seniors have all held roles in previous LBT productions, so this show was a “last hurrah” of sorts for them. The seniors involved in Rumors were Nick Edwards (Ken Gorman), Marissa Chaffee (Chris Gorman), Will Miller (Lenny Ganz), Liana Quiñones (Claire Ganz), Kaitlyn Lunardi (Cookie Cusack), Alex Laney (Ernie Cusack), Madeline Long (Cassie Cooper), Liam Finn (Glenn Cooper), Levi Meerovich (Officer Welch), Arianna Coghill (Officer Pudney,

properties manager), Antonia Tempesta (set designer), Asta Bjartmarz (makeup designer) and Michelle Ross (stage manager).

“It’s very bittersweet,” Laney said.

“They’re sort of a second family to me.”

The seniors went out of their way to make this show special. This was evident in Tempesta’s set design. The two story set was “bigger than anything we’ve done since I’ve been here,” Ross said.

“This set took the whole department,” Tempesta said.

“Everyone was either painting, building or taping.

It’s 16 feet and two stories with seven functional doors.

I wasn’t sure if I could do this design, but this group really supported everything I asked to do. I couldn’t be happier with it.”

After Rumors had its last “curtain call”—the final bows at the end of the show—the cast celebrated with a “strike” and miniature awards ceremony.

“We give out awards to the underclassmen for best newcomer guy and girl,” Long said. “The seniors sit around and cry while the set gets taken down. I was heartbroken, but a part of me knew it was time. I was happy to end my LBT experience with such an incredible show with an equally incredible cast. I really couldn’t have asked for a better way to say goodbye.”

Senior Liam Finn, who played Glenn Cooper, delivers his lines on stage (left). The senior-filled cast poses at the end of the show (top right). Seniors Liam Finn, Liana Quiñones, Will Miller and Nick Edwards laugh together during a scene (bottom right).

Page 15 / ARTS

A Summer Movie Preview • compiled by Daniel Jarris and Nathan Zelalem

In Theaters Nationwide: 5 May/June Movies to Watch For

1. Mad Max: Fury Road May 15 After a 30-year hiatus, director George Miller returns with the latest addition to his Mad Max series. This film will be the first of the series where Max Rockatansky, the protagonist, is not played by Harrison Ford. Instead, he is replaced by Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises and Inception). This post-apocalyptic film follows Max and Furiosa on their journey across the desert to escape from their bloodthirsty enemies.

2. Pitch Perfect 2 3. Tomorrowland 4. Jurassic World 5. Inside Out May 15 May 22 June 12 June 19 The Barden Bellas return in the sequel to the sleeper hit Pitch Perfect. The first Pitch came out of nowhere but became the second highest-grossing music comedy film of all time and managed to generate a large and dedicated fan base. The same characters will be singing a capella once again as they enter a competition that no American team has ever won.

Mostly known for his animated films, such as Ratatouille and The Incredibles, director Brad Bird takes on this family-friendly live-action film. In this Walt Disney film, a teenager with a thirst for knowledge, played

by Britt Robertson, is introduced to a washedup inventor, played

by George Clooney (Gravity and Ocean’s 11) and discover that their fates are connected.

Together, they discover a special place in space time that is unique to their memory.

A new Jurassic Park movie has been in development limbo for what has seemed like forever, but it’s finally coming to theaters this summer in the form of Jurassic World. In the new installment, a new dinosaur has been created by scientists, and of course, chaos ensues. Starring Chris Pratt, who is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, Jurassic World looks to keep the wonder of the original film but bring it to a new generation.

Pixar took a year off from their annual animated picture in 2014, but they are bringing their A-game once again this summer.

Following a couple of movies that revisited previous films, such as Cars 2 and Monsters University and the announcement of Finding Dory and Toy Story 4, Pixar is tackling a new idea: Five characters come in the form of the five emotions inside a girl’s head, and they must regain control after a life-changing event in her life.

photos courtesy of Mad Maxs, Pitch Perfect 2s, Jurassic Worlds and Inside Outs official Twitters and Tomorrowland’s official website

Arts / Page 16

LakeBraddock’s Creative Commons

I

I

n my mind this picture shows the simplicity of life and how fragile things can survive in the harsh world we live in, senior Colleen Murphy said about her photography.

have a macro lens, and i took it with that. it’s a picture of my mailbox and I like the cracks in the wood, junior Kelly Clayton said about her photography.

I

t was supposed to be a surrealism voyage between childhood and now, senior Hannah Moon said about her digital art.

Page 17 / Arts

I

took it out the car window while we were leaving the city. I think it really emphasizes the city’s pollution contribution, senior Carly Shapiro said about her photography.

W

ater is really easy to take photos of, and everyone can look at it and can feel something, sophomore Haley Patterson said about her photography.

I

used models and face paints to express emotion and how important it is to have someone who is a good model because of the need to be able to depict an emotion, junior Leah Choe said about her photography.

The

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Comment

Page 19

Feminists not ‘feminazis’ The Staff Editorial

The use of the offensive term “feminazi” must come to an end in America

T

he extent of similarities between feminism and Nazism ends with the suffix –ism.

Feminism, which attempts to spread equal rights for women and men by valuing female qualities equal to men, is starkly different from Nazism, whose nationalistic ideology is responsible for persecution of Jewish, disabled and queer people. Despite the differences, people insist on using the

graphic by Ben Concepcion

term “feminazi”, a combination of the two to describe feminists. Not only does this phrase damage an important human rights movement, but it trivializes the horrors of Nazi Germany.

“Feminazi,” a word popularized by conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh, has become a battle cry for anti-feminists.

Whenever a woman has stood in support for change and called for reforms to male-dominated institutes, anti-feminists,

usually men, lie in waiting. They hope to diminish feminism by proclaiming that “feminazis” want to subjugate all men.

This is not only dreadfully wrong, but it is also one of the most offensive phrases to feminism.

Anita Sarkeesian, the creator of the YouTube channel “feministfrequency” and victim of the abusive movement dubbed “GamerGate,” notes that the phrase feminazi falls under the common media trope of “straw feminist.” The straw feminist trope is primarily used in television shows to portray feminists as villains. This trope portrays a feminist character as annoying or extreme and reinforces the stereotype that feminism is man-hating. For example, in the Sandlot 2, one of the player’s moms puts down her husband for simply calling their daughter sweetheart. This makes the feminist in the film seem annoying and a nuisance rather than passionate about equality. The phrase “feminazi” does this to a greater extent by linking feminism with Nazism, therefore painting feminists as evil. This presents an entirely new problem.

As regularly taught in history classes, Nazis killed millions of people in an attempt to exert their cultural dominance.

By using the phrase “feminazi”, the user subsequently trivializes the terrible things that the Nazis did. The use of the word “feminazi” says that feminists’ attempt for equality is equivalent to committing genocide. This is usually done in a comical way and amplifies the negative effects by saying that Nazism is funny.

At a time when anti-semitic acts are increasing in Europe, it seems that now more than ever it’s important to remember the Holocaust. The word “feminazi” makes using Nazism in humor casual, and other memes like “Hitler Cat” only add to the apparent joke that is now the Holocaust. Our first thought when we hear about the Holocaust shouldn’t be of a woman shouting. Instead, we need to dispell of Holocaust jokes if we hope to take anti-semitic acts around Europe seriously. The word feminazi is harmful, not just to a serious and important movement but also because it prevents us from honoring the victims of past atrocities and perpetrated predjudices.

Comment / Page 20

Suicide in FCPS

The Bruin Connection

We need to stop stigmatizing depression

L

ife is a phenomenal thing.

There’s an opportunity available for everyone to find themselves and set out to accomplish their aspirations.

It’s an incredible marvel that many people seek out and deserve to experience.

Unfortunately, many people never live long enough to find inner peace. People die everyday, and some of the saddest deaths are suicides. It’s horrifying when somebody takes their own life, and it permanently alters those close to the deceased.

According to the most recent FCPS Youth Survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders, 30 percent of students reported having depressive symptoms including irritability, withdrawal, fatigue and feelings of worthlessness. Of students, 17 percent reported having considered suicide, and 4 percent reported having attempted suicide. The mental health of students in Fairfax County isn’t stellar, to say the least.

The Lake Braddock administration responded to the problem with “Bruins Against Bullying,” a campaign within the student body. The campaign did an excellent job of pointing out why bullying is wrong, what it can do to victims and potential outcomes of bullying. The curse of students being dumped in trash cans has finally been lifted, although that could have also been due to the lids that were installed a couple years ago.

Bullying is a serious problem, but many students at LB don’t think it’s a problem at our school specifically. Whether this is because of the administration’s campaign

Minimum Wage: Insufficient pay

W

hen seeking entry-level employment in high school, many students enter the labor force making the standard Virginia minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. While this figure is sufficient for the average LB student simply hoping to make car payments or acquire some spending money, 75 percent of those earning the minimum wage in Virginia are over the age of 20, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This minimum wage adds up to an annual salary of just $15,000 per year, which is hardly sufficient for an independent adult. Opposition to this raise emphasizes a “trickle down” economy

or an overall cultural shift, it’s hard to say.

There’s a different threat to the mental health of our student body, however, that wasn’t touched on by the campaign: Being successful in Fairfax County comes with a lot of pressure that can build up into a crushing weight of stress if not properly handled.

We live in an incredibly competitive school system that leads students to do so much to succeed. Students take AP classes and pile on extracurriculars to get into a good college so they can have a good future. If I had a dollar for every time we’ve been told that “you have Bullying advocate Greg Congdon tried twice to kill himself when to go college,” we might he was 17. Photo by Tribune News Service. actually be able to fund society, the system and ourselves. When our news publication. On the flip side, it’s some people reach the limit, they decide rarely ever said that it’s okay to not go to that they can’t take it and end it for good. college, that perhaps trade school would Nobody should ever have to feel this be a better option. Many of us have let way. We’re not perfect; we need to stop our health take a back seat to the massive being told that we have to be. We need to workloads we have to deal with. Poorly stop stigmatizing depression and let planned schedules of deadlines can people feel it’s okay to find help. lead to successive nights of little It’s about time we care more sleep that harm us in several whether somebody is happy ways. It’s an unhealthy way to than whether they have an A live; regrettable, permanent on their report card. mistakes are sometimes made under exhaustion with longby Paul Barnhill lasting effects. We’re frequently Comment Editor pushed to our limit by our parents, where the wealth eventually flows down the social ladder to the bottom earners in society. This concept is not suitable for Virginia and does not promote vigorous economic growth. A disadvantage to businesses can be avoided by a gradual increase of the Virginia minimum wage over a period of several years. A sudden jump above $10 might kill business, but a gradual increase from $7.25 to $8 and so forth would give small businesses time to adjust to the small changes. The possibility that minimum wage earners may be placed into a higher tax bracket due to their increase in wages still does not undo the advantages of more expendable income.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 123,000 Virginians live off of the minimum wage.

These 123,000 citizens earning $3,500

more a year would pump $400 million annually into Virginia’s economy.

Virginia currently meets the mandated federal minimum wage of $7.25, but does not exceed it in the way that 27 other states in our nation do. With Maryland, West Virginia and the District all exceeding the federal minimum, it is imperative that Virginia follows suit. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a typical family of four needs three fulltime minimum wage jobs in order to earn a wage that one can live off of.

While $7.25 an hour may seem nice to a student hoping to go on a shopping spree, many people have to work multiple jobs to be able to survive on that very same amount.

by Marcell Subert- News Editor

Page 21 / Comment

Battleground USA

Hillary Clinton:

Not the supreme Democrat

O

n April 12, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton launched her 2016 presidential campaign. Her candidacy had been long anticipated since she ended her tenure as Secretary of State in 2013.

Although she is the de facto Democratic nominee based on public opinion polls that put her ahead of every possible challenger, there exist more ideal candidates whose interests match those of the American people.

There is no doubt that Clinton, if elected president, would be a capable and effective leader. She has a great deal of leadership experience, which is unmatched by any possible primary and general- election opponents.

Clinton, however, for all her merits, is also a cunning and strategic politician who doesn’t appear to have many firm or convincing beliefs. Just like any person, she has evolved her views on issues over time, but all of these changes have occurred at times that are convenient for her public image.

For instance, in 2014 when asked about NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who released thousands of top secret documents, Clinton condemned his actions fervently and said that his “outrageous” actions helped terrorists. Then, this year,

just before announcing her candidacy, she gave an interview during which she very clearly changed her tone with regards to the leak and said that the American people felt “betrayed” by the fact that the NSA was carrying out such an extensive amount of surveillance. This change in tone is a clear appeal to younger people, for whom privacy is an issue of great concern.

Furthermore, Clinton’s recent email scandal has posed major questions about her trustworthiness. In March, The New York Times revealed that she’d been using her personal email account during her time as Secretary of State. Her integrity had already been in question after her scandalfilled years as the First Lady of Arkansas and then of the United States. Although those of us who will be voting in our first presidential election next year are too young to remember Travelgate or Whitewater, it’s important to keep in mind Clinton’s reputation for being unusually secretive and shady.

Politicians who could better represent the people’s interests include Elizabeth Warren, a senator from Massachusetts whose populist rhetoric strongly condemns Washington’s prioritizing of corporate

photo courtesy of defense.gov

interests over those of the general public.

She also has strong views on the growing economic inequality in this country and student debt. While Clinton mentioned how she wants to be a “champion” for regular people in her campaign announcement video, the language was clearly borrowed from Warren and felt insincere given the fact that she has been making about $200,000 for almost every speech she has given in the past few years.

Unfortunately, Warren has vehemently denied that she will be running for president. Other candidates, however, such as former Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley and Senator Bernie Sanders have announced that they will be challenging Clinton. Although it’s improbable that either of them will win the nomination, by running they will be putting progressive issues such as income inequality in the spotlight, thus forcing Clinton to at least acknowledge them. Seeing that we live in a democracy and not an aristocracy, it is important that powerhouses like Clinton are challenged and picked apart rather than given a clear road to victory as if the presidency is a God-given right.

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

Comment / Page 22 The Uncommon App

Failures forge our futures

by Benjamin Levenson - Guest Writer

F

photo by Amanda Hendrix

ailure is an unavoidable part of life.

It is going to happen at some point, but it is the way you deal with failure that truly matters. You can let it eat at you and destroy your confidence, ignore it and move on, or learn from it to improve yourself.

I have experienced failure many times in my life, but one situation sticks out as one that I will take with me the rest of life. Up until my junior year, my grades in school had been consistently strong, mostly A s with a B or two sprinkled in here and there. That was until I took AP Language and Composition and got my first C. It was excruciatingly painful to get a C in that class because I was doing all the work but still getting a low grade.

My grade was mediocre due to Socratic seminars, class discussions where everyone must speak a certain amount of times in order to get a good grade. We had these seminars during every class. These discussions were about a book the class had to read in sections. We then talked about the assigned section for almost the entire period. I am a somewhat reserved person who generally doesn’t speak much in class. I didn’t speak in class because I was always afraid I would say something wrong or that I would have a voice crack or something else embarrassing would happen. So every time I was about to speak, something inside me would hold me back from saying anything. This went on pretty much the entire first semester until I finally was just tired of receiving so-so grade reports. I just needed to make one positive contribution to regain my confidence so I

decided that during the last class before the end of the semester I was going to do just that.

That class came and went without me saying anything, ravaging any confidence I still had.

I decided enough was enough. I was getting frustrated with my poor grades and with my lack of self-confidence, so I decided that I needed to talk to the teacher. On the outside she gave off a hard and mean impression, but I didn’t care anymore. I spoke to her, and she was very understanding of my situation and gave me a few ideas. She said that I should start off the discussion with a question and see how casually I could enter the discussion. She counseled that once I did that, it would become much easier for me to become involved in the conversation. I did that to start off the second semester, and my grade only improved from there. Unfortunately, that was not enough to fully resuscitate my grade from what it was, but it was enough for me to get a 4 on the AP exam.

I believe this experience truly helped shape me into who I am today, and that without it, I may have never improved my self-confidence.

I took a few things away from the entire experience, but I think the most important thing I learned from the situation was that I shouldn’t overthink a situation and that other people’s opinions or judgment shouldn’t hinder me from expressing myself. In the end, I am glad that I went through this experience. I am a better person and student for it.

Senior Benjamin Levenson submitted this essay as part of his successful application to Seton Hall University.

Letters to the Editor Wealth Gap Dear editor, I thought you wrote a really good article about the gap between the rich and the poor. You explained it with good detail, and you gave out some good information. What I think you should’ve focused more on was explaining how we can fix this. I mean that you should think about how we can create fairness for everybody in this country. I think it’s more important to figure out how to solve this issue instead of just letting it continue.

Rene Barrera Senior

Hypnotist Dear editor, Personally I don’t believe in the hypnotist’s “tricks”. I don’t understamd how you can hypnotize people to lose weight or quit smoking. For that to work you would need to put someone in long term hypnosis. I find it to be nearly impossible to hypnotize someone for a long period of time. I believe the hypnosis that people think they have is just them doing or not doing a task, and they just think that they are hypnotized.

For example, if you are hypnotized into quitting smoking you may stop, thinking that you are hypnotized, but in reality it is just you stopping on your own.

Mohammad Amini Senior

Depression Dear editor, Thank you for putting the depression screening article into The Bear Facts.

It is important that Virginia is starting to realize how the stress of school is affecting students. Depression is a serious medical issue and pretending it isn’t happening can lead to student dying by their own hands. It is so important that depression is starting to be taken seriously.

Moriah Kitaeff Senior

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Style

Page 25

LB Fashion Pass

* W

ith simple elegance, senior Rachel Phandinh walks through the halls of LB sporting her favorite orange Patagonia jacket.

Describing her style, Phandinh said “partially simple… but I also try to pay attention to the trends.” While Phandinh does pay attention to trends, she also likes to put her own spin on her outfit.

“The most individual thing about my style is just that—it is mine,” Phandinh said. “My style constantly expresses what mood I’m in and how I feel.”

After falling into the routine of dressing like everyone else in high school, she came into her own and started to buy clothing that showcased her style.

“Now, I feel as though I’ve made a conscious decision to buy clothing that fits me and looks good,” Phandinh said.

Her go-to piece in her closet is the T-shirt dress for its simplicity yet versatility. When it comes to shopping for her new favorite piece, Phandinh gravitates towards Madewell, Zara and Forever 21.

“They all provide the basics like jeans and T-shirts,” Phandinh said, “but also sell trendy pieces, which fit my style.”

***

Story by Maddie Sievers. Photo by Amanda Hendrix.

Rachel Phandinh

Style / Page 26

Autobiographies Students share their life stories

The face behind the hijab For Muslims , wearing a hijab is a difficult decision

Jessica Novis, 11 In eighth grade there was a girl who made my life miserable. She told me things like “You should just drop out of school now and save everyone the trouble” and “Why did you even bother coming to class?” My parents notified the school about this. The principal then told the girl what was said. Of course this only made things worse. She berated me saying, “It’s pathetic that you still have your parents fighting your battles for you.” This lasted the entire school year.

But what I haven’t said is this “girl” wasn’t a student. She was my teacher.

Stephanie Campbell, 11 Memories are supposed to last a lifetime. Yet, my grandma’s memories seemed to be fading away. Because of my grandma’s Alzheimer’s she remembered no one. Not her friends, not her grandkids, not even her own children. She lay in the hospital bed dazed and confused. Her health seemed to be going downhill, it was almost the end. That meant I had to say goodbye. Slowly. I walked into her room. Sitting on her bedside, I asked, “Do you remember me?” She replied in a whisper, “I could never forget you, Stephanie Ryan.”

Junior Sara Iskandar and Senior Lama Krabaini pose for a photo. By Elena Simon.

by Katie Vinson - Web Editor

H

ijabs, the headdresses worn as a symbol of Islamic values, have always served as a way to identify Muslim women. Recently though, the actions of extreme Islamic groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda have created an atmosphere where being identified as Muslim isn’t always favorable.

Many students, who wear the traditional Islamic clothing, have felt the backlash of others’ views on Islam. This is amplified when people see the hijab only as a symbol of Islam and not for its broader meaning. “[Hijabs are] for protection,” freshman Lama Krabaini said, “and also when you meet people they don’t see you for just your looks.”

High profile violence in the Middle East and acts of terrorism in the West have helped fuel some xenophobia in America. Prominent television personalities such as Bill Maher have added to the xenophobia by saying that the Islamic world has too much in common with ISIS. The connection between Islamic extremists and Islam has lead many Americans to associate the Islamic culture, hijabs included, with terrorism.

Kraibaini said that progress in how people view Muslim women when they wear hijabs is mixed.

“Because of the media and how

it gives a bad image to the religion,” Kraibani said, “[prejudice] becomes worse. But at the same time people are more understanding of it because everyone has the right to believe in what they want to.”

For others, however, the pressures to stop wearing hijabs was too much.

Senior Farah Iskandar, stopped wearing a hijab because of others’ comments, she said. “[I decided to stop wearing a hijab] because of bullying, especially after 9/11,” Iskandar said.

After wearing it in middle school and a little while in high school, Iskander decided to stop. Because she wore the hijab, she experienced bullying from other students, she said.

“There was an incident here where a kid came up to me,” Iskandar said, “and was like I know you have a bomb in your backpack.”

Afterwards, an administrator who happened to see the incident pulled Iskandar aside, and her parents were called. Iskandar insisted that the kid was just messing around, and no formal report was filed. The act of prejudice prompted the administrator, Iskandar’s parents and herself to have a discussion on how best to present the Islamic faith to those who might have false concerns.

“All I want to say is that Muslim people are just Muslim people,” Iskandar said. “ISIS. Al-Qaeda, we have nothing to do with them.”

compiled by Elena Simon

Answers found online at lbssnews.com.

The Game Page

Page 27 / Style

Across 2. The last day of school is on June ______ 3. What types of animals came to the school as part of the animal zoo 5. Who won the Mayweather vs. Pacquio fight 6. What that is the term used for asking others to prim 7. What nearby city has been riddled with riots this month 8. Name of this years spring dance 9. Who was the last issues ‘Athlete of the Issue’

Down 1. The LB Bike squad rides for what organization 4. Both of LB’s novice boats on crew won what place at states 7. Which teacher interviewed Miss America in 1976

Lake Braddock Word Search T M M R A R M Z P M E Q X N S

B O Z E I I K K L Q W U O Q B

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y E

BEAR BRUINS COMMUNITY COMPASSION

L V O K S B X H U X S B E A R

Y F P D R K E J T S G T V U B

R T L U V P D K A Y Y Y G T T

K O I H C R D P D T U X E E R

G N Q N G M M H I I J L V W F

GOLD INTEGRITY PURPLE RESPECT

S T P E U O V S B R H T R A H

I C H O Y N U L C R M A E M I G N E G E S K K K A G N T Z M

Sudoku O M M K V P T O K T B I R U O

K A C H C U L S C N S F F T I

P S F P R W J E M I D Y N E V

RESPONSIBILITY THOMAS

Y U Y T C E P S E R B K J R H

6 8

9 7

3

3

7

6

2

5

9 4 9 1

5

9

8

8

4

4

8 1

2

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5 6 8

7 9

6

4

Hey Juniors—it’s a New Year!

Time to Get Serious about SAT and ACT! Top Six Questions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

How do I know which test is best for me?

Compare your percentile score from each. (In other words, you have to take BOTH to know.)

Do all colleges accept the ACT? BREAKING NEWS! More colleges now accept the ACT than the SAT. Should I take the ACT? YES! About 33% of students score BETTER on the ACT! Does this mean I DON’T have to take the SAT? NO! About 33% of students DON’T score better on the ACT. (The other third score about the same.)

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Sports

Page 29

Junior Hamza Monawer hits the ball during a goal kick against Woodson on April 14 (left). Senior Daniel Burnside hits the ball on a corner kick against Woodson, where LB lost 2-0 (right). The team stands for the playing of the National Anthem before the game against Woodson (bottom). Photos courtesy of Gregg Zelkin.

Soccer gets a shot to take one more step

by Tom Anderson - Staff Writer

L

ush grass, birds chirping and budding leaves on trees all signal the beginning of spring. Spring also brings the beginning of the high school soccer season, where LB soccer is looking to improve on last year, when they lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bruins, who are perennial powers in Northern Virginia, began their season against arch rival Robinson. Looking to start off the season on a strong note, the Bruins were disappointed when they lost 4-1 in an important game. The Bruins, who were missing some key players, gave up 2 goals before answering to make the game 2-1.

However, the Bruins weren’t able to maintain the positive momentum, giving up two more goals before the final whistle. “[The Robinson game] was an embarrassing performance for [Lake Braddock] soccer,” sophomore Fabian Munoz said. “With Robinson being our rivals, it made it [really]

painful to lose by such a huge difference.”

However, the Bruins responded strongly in their next four matches. Playing all at home, the Bruins outscored their opponents 21-2 with wins over Chantilly, Centreville, West Springfield and Westfield. Munoz attributes the success to the lessons learned from the tough loss to Robinson.

“I feel our defensive awareness was not where it needed to be [when we played Robinson],” Munoz said. “[The team] noticed this, and [we] worked on it at practice. And it has really paid off.”

After the win streak, the Bruins faced another local rival, the Woodson Cavaliers.

The Bruins would lose 2-0 in a game marked by missed opportunities. The Bruins had 11 shots on goal but failed to score, while the Cavaliers were able to capitalize on the few chances they created. They scored their two goals from only two shots on goal. Afterwards, LB players were extremely disappointed. “[The team] knew we didn’t play our best, and we missed so many chances. We could

have easily scored six goals, but we couldn’t finish,” senior Yusuf Monawer said. “It was disappointing to lose because we knew we should have won.”

Despite heartbreak against Woodson, the Bruins managed to keep their heads high as they won two games straight, beating the Oakton Cougars and the Yorktown Patriots.

The Bruins beat Oakton 4-2, in an impressive win over one of Northern Virginia’s best teams.

The next week, the Bruins beat Yorktown in unimpressive fashion, but the team was proud of the way they stuck together to grind out a win.

“The Oakton game was important because we knew [Oakton was] really good,” Monawer said. “[The team] worked really hard during the week, and when we got on the field we felt prepared. Everyone was on the same page.

Yorktown was not one of our better games, but we overcame adversity and came together to win.”

The boys will have their next match on May 12 at home against Lee.

Sports / Page 30

1 question, 4 quarters

What has it been like playing a varsity sport as a freshman?

Erin Kelliher

Girls’ Lacrosse photo by Gregg Zelkin “I learned so much more about the game than I knew already. I feel like a sponge at every game and practice, just absorbing lots of information; the seniors are like mentors to me.”

Maria Pareja

Girls’ Soccer photo by John Lorence “Well, I definitely really like [varsity] because people say things about me being a good player. Not only that, but I like playing with older girls because it makes me a better player.”

Jack Darcy

Baseball photo by John Lorence “[Varsity] is fun. You learn a lot of new information for the next three years. It is fun being around the seniors. It is a good experience.”

Allison Kurland

Softball photo by Gregg Zelkin “My favorite part about [varsity] softball is being a part of the team and becoming friends with the upperclassmen.

It’s always a fun time no matter what we do.”

Going Pro

2018 MLB All-Star Game comes to the District

by Tom Anderson - Staff Writer

O

n April 6, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the 2018 MLB All-Star Game would be held in Washington, D.C. at Nationals Park.

Manfred, who was in D.C. to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day, announced that the Nationals would be hosts of the 2018 contest. This marks the first time that the franchise will host “The Midsummer Classic” since 1982, when the Nationals were called the Expos and played in Montreal. This will be the fourth time the city of Washington has been home to the All-Star Game, and the first time since 1969, when the game was played at RFK Stadium.

“I am very excited about [the game being held in D.C.],” sophomore Michael Garcia said. “[It’s cool] when D.C. holds major events.”

The MLB All-Star Game is traditionally held in the middle of the long baseball season and during the heat of summer. The game pits the best players from the American League (AL) against their counterparts in the National League (NL). The players compete for home-field advantage during the World Series, with each league’s champion getting four home games rather than three. Because of the extra incentive that the winner gets, the MLB All-Star Game is considered by many to be more exciting and more hotly contested than other American all-star games like the NFL Pro Bowl or NBA All-Star Game.

In addition to the All-Star Game, Nationals Park will also be holding other festivities that are traditionally tied in to the All-Star Game. On the Sunday preceding the game, the All-Star Futures Game will be held.

First played in 1999, the Futures Game pits baseball’s hottest prospects against each other, with players being grouped into a USA team and a World Team. The Home Run Derby will be played on Monday, with baseball’s best power hitters trying to hit as many home runs as possible. The All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday to wrap up the festivities. A celebrity softball game, which traditionally contains former stars and famous celebs, will be played, taped and then aired after the All-Star Game takes place.

The hosting of the All-Star Game won’t just be good for the Nationals, but it will also be beneficial for the local area. The All-Star game will bring many fans with tickets to the big game, but also others who are in town for the other festivities or to take in the experience.

With a vast influx of tourists, the district is expected to make a big payday off the game. According to tourism group Destination DC, gameday alone should generate $34 million for the local economy. The total spending from the festivities should total between $5060 million.

Page 31 / Sports

by Anne Merrill - Staff Writer

T

he crew team had a hard time getting their season started this year due to frozen water and high winds, but now that the season is in full swing, they are showing how much they continued to improve in the offseason.

The first three regattas of the season were canceled due to inclement weather,

but the delayed start to the season seemed to have no impact. According to the results posted on the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association Regatta’s Twitter, LB has been placing high this season, with multiple top five finishes. Additionally, both the boys’ and girls’ novice boats took the state title on May 2.

“Due to the weather this season we have had a lot of delays and cancellations,”

senior Laura Egland said. “I think our team really rose to the occasion, and we have been doing really well.”

Last season, there were two boats that made it to Nationals, and this year, the team has hopes of sending more. Unlike last year, there are two different nationals this year, which offers two chances for the team to perform their best. The first will be the SRAA National Championships in Camden, New Jersey, and the second will be the National School’s Championship Regatta, held on the Occoquan River.

“My boat, just like all of our boats, hopes to place in states so that we can go to nationals this year,” senior Jason Sheehan said, “and the only way to accomplish that is to keep practicing hard and getting first in the remaining regattas before states.”

The Virginia State Championship is scheduled for Saturday, May 9. That leaves the team less than two weeks to finish their regular season training to be ready.

“In past years we would have one or two boats do really well, but this year it’s every boat,” Egland said. “I think everyone wants one thing, and that’s to stand on the awards dock with a gold medal. I am incredibly proud of our team and how hard they have worked this season.”

Softball dominating district after 12 games

by Ryan Mullins - Web Editor

A

fter soaring to great heights last year, LB softball has once again opened its season with dominating performances against a variety of teams, all in an effort to once again return to states and hopefully win it all.

Starting the 2015 season on-fire, softball had a jump start with 11 straight wins, seven of which were in-district.

“We are all really close and work well together,” junior Danielle Newman said.

However, on April 25, the team suffered its first loss of the season to Bishop O’Connell, one of the most talented private school teams in the area, by a margin of six runs. Yet, the team recovered with impressive poise, continuing its takedown of teams by defeating the West Springfield Spartans in the next game.

“We try not to let losses affect how we play in our upcoming games,” Newman said. “When we lose a game, we learn from it and move on to the next game.”

Last year’s team finished the season with a remarkable record of 25-3, losing only once in the regular season, and receiving the final two losses in the 6A Northern Region finale and the VHSL 6A State Tournament semifinal; all three of these losses were by a margin of only one run. “[After] last year, we lost our pitcher

and our shortstop,” junior Caroline Jones said. “However, I think we gained a lot of great girls this year who have put us in a great position to succeed again. The freshman class (Allison Kurland, Ellie Mataya and Maggie Mrowka) this year has been a huge part of our success.”

Losing talented seniors is a trial that all teams overcome, but the bond between players is what keeps teams together.

“The main cause of the team’s success is our friendships on and off the field,” Jones said. “We trust each other and know that everybody out there is giving their best. Also, we have a great coaching staff that tries to make sure our practices are difficult, but we still have fun. And I think that’s a great balance.”

With such strong bonds, it will take more than one loss to keep this team down.

“We keep the same approach [in every game],” Newman said. “We never take anyone for granted. That, focus and teamwork [make the team strong].”

All three of these things will be needed in the upcoming games as everyone will be giving the team their best shot.

“I think we are still really focused on our goal,” Jones said. “We want to win states, and even though we lost two key players in our starting lineup, we gained a lot of great girls as well so I think as a team we feel confident in the people we have.”

Despite the loss to O’Connell, softball maintains a dominant offense, outscoring opponents 137-17 after 12 games this season. Photo by Gregg Zelkin.

The road to states is a tough and harrowing journey. However, for many players on the team it is a familiar path, and they are prepared to once again take it.

“I think we have a chance to win it all this year,” Jones said. “We are looking strong in our district so far, and if we stay focused, I think it’s definitely a possibility we could return to the state tournament.”

The Dynamic Duo

What is your favorite part As seniors, how have your What is your favorite part about playing lacrosse? roles changed this year? about playing together?

CG: I really love the sport because you become really close with all of your teammates and make bonds that will last a lifetime.

TS: My favorite part is the sense of brotherhood.

Coming out on the field everyday with your brothers is a blessing.

CG: The biggest change is stepping into that leadership role and knowing that you must give it all you have for your last year.

TS: I definitely have more responsibility as a senior, but also as a captain.

CG: We have a lot of chemistry on the field.

It’s really fun playing with someone like that, in both a teammate and best friend aspect.

TS: Being able to play with your best friend is awesome. It has definitely strengthened our bond. photos courtesy of John Lorence illustration by Jordan Small

Athletes of the Issue: Seniors Chris Gilmore and Tyler Stewart