BearFacts Volume XLI, Issue 9 June 9 2014
EXPRESSIONS IN INK, STUDENTS MARK YOUTH WITH
Lake Braddock Secondary School 9200 Burke Lake Road, Burke, Virginia 22015
2 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Table of Contents
5 News
A cheating scandal has run rampant in AP Biology.
10 Profile
Michael Rochlis spent this winter coaching basketball.
15 Arts
Bad Mooka continues its march to success.
19 In-Depth
See where all of the seniors are going to college.
24 Comment
Are the right languages being taught correctly?
28 Style
Discover shopping websites to help you look fab this summer.
36 Sports
Varsity softball is looking strong through the playoffs.
Staff 9 June 2014
The Bear Facts 3
Bear with us: Meet the staff Editors and Management Editors-in-Chief - Ben Tobin and Josh Wartel Managing Editors - Sara Kim and Emily Migdal Copy Chief - Thomas Kendziora Art Director - Jesse Sands Photo Manager - Amanda Hendrix Business Managers - Jake Hruska and Anne Merill Web Editors - Ryan Mullins and KatieVinson News Editors - Marcell Subert and MarleenTipu Profile Editors - Steve Hong and Yaitza Lopez
Arts Editors - Patrick Kearney and Vickie Park In-Depth Editors - Megan Cantwell and Dinali Dassanayaka Comment Editors - Paul Barnhill and Ben Concepcion Style Editors - Hannah Lim and Michael Murphy Sports Editors - Tu Lam and Jordan Small Adviser - Kathryn Helmke
Staff Writers Omar Amin Ian Bivona Lizzie Callahan Andrew Clinton Lauren Crawford Sandi Daamash Kai DeBus John Esper Mikal Fikremariam Michael Galligan Austin Garlick Victoria Hodge Claire Hollinger Kevin Hua Spencer Jolley Katie Karlinchak Demetri Karounos Aya Khaznadar This student-run paper is an open forum produced by the journalism department and is given free of charge to all Lake Braddock high school students and faculty. The Bear Facts is an independent, studentrun newspaper serving the
Editorial Policy
students, the faculty and the Lake Braddock community as an open forum for student expression. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board and unless otherwise noted are written by a member of the staff. The editorial board solicits responsible commentaries and letters to the editors but
Margaret Komoniewski Andres Lang Devon Lee Mike Lodato Danny Murphy Alex Nesterovich Andy Ngo Connor O’Neil Quentin Paleo Nick Porter Tom Rahme Jonah Scharf Elena Simon Pooja Shethna Jordan Stone Ashley Thompson Amy Wang Nathan Zelalem reserves the right to edit for style, grammar or lack of space. Letters and commentaries containing obscenity, racial slur or libelous comments will not be published. A letter will not be excluded from the newspaper solely because it conflicts with the views of the newspaper or past or current editorials. All letters must be signed by
the author, or they will not be published. Corrections are printed on an as needed basis on page 2 of the paper. Advertising inquiries can be referred to bfacts@gmail.com. The Bear Facts is located in room L202 and can be reached by calling (703) 426-1087. Responses may also be emailed to bfacts@gmail.com.
4 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 News Briefs
Quick Bites of Braddock and Beyond No more books may be checked out of the library, but students can still return books they previously checked out.
photo by Elena Simon
The SAT is tomorrow, Saturday, June 7, and will be held at Lake Braddock, among other local schools. Students taking the test must bring their admission ticket and another form of identification into the exam, but all phones and electronic devices should be left at home or in the car. Three members of LB Theatre (Victoria Benton, Marissa Chaffee and Kyle Dannahey) received Cappie nominations for their contributions to the performance of Antony and Cleopatra. The winners will be announced on Sunday, June 8 in a gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The senior awards ceremony will take place next Friday, June 13, in the Little Theatre from 1 to 3 p.m.
On May 23, Elliot Rodger, 22, went on a killing spree near the campus of UC Santa Barbara. He killed six, including three in his Isla Vista apartment, and injured another 13 before turning the gun on himself. Much discussion has ensued after the killings, as Rodger posted a video on YouTube the night before the killings in which he expressed his plan and motives for his actions.
Meet the Coach Night for fall sports is June 16, and it will begin at 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity for studentathletes to become familiar with their coaches for the upcoming season, especially if either is in their first season with the team.
Author/poet Maya Angelou passed away on May 28 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. Angelou was best known for her series of autobiographical fiction books, especially I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969).
Senior exams will begin next week, kicking off with sixth period on June 11. Senior exams will take place from June 11-17, while underclassmen will take their exams from June 17-20.
This year’s Baccalaureate ceremony is on June 19, and will take place at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Seniors must remember to show up at 7 p.m. and bring their graduation gowns to the event. Graduation will be held at George Mason University’s Patriot Center on June 23. The commencement speaker will be Redskins running back Alfred Morris. Each graduate is given 10 tickets to the event, which they can share with friends and family members. photo courtesy of MCT Campus
The World Cup begins in Brazil on June 12. Brazil and Croatia will play the first match, while Jozy Altidore and the United States will begin play on June 16 against Ghana. The team will be without Landon Donovan, who was cut from the roster by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
photo courtesy of David M. Photography
photo courtesy of MCT Campus
The DECA Kickball Tournament is June 10. Students must form their teams of 10 and register their roster in B226 by June 9. The cost of participation is $5 per player.
AP Tests were held last month, and scores for Virginia students will be available online on July 8. Students must have a College Board account in order to see their scores.
photo courtesy of MCT Campus
5News
9 June 2014
Amid cheating, AP Bio gets an extra lesson by Kai DeBus - Staff Writer
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eceit. Lies. Fraud. At first, these words may conjure images of a hit TV show laced with political or criminal intrigue. But at Lake Braddock? A cheating scandal rocked the AP Biology classes prior to the Advanced Placement exam on May 12. On the second-to-last class exam, AP Biology teacher Jason Switzer discovered a handful of students with peculiar answers that mirrored his scoring guidelines. Word for word. What resulted was not only an unraveling of the circumstances itself, but perhaps more importantly, a lesson. A lesson beyond the functions of the mitochondria or cellular respiration. It was a lesson that delved into the
photo by Jake Gold
AP Bio teacher Jason Switzer aids a student during class.
relationship between teacher and student, learning and grades, and the academic pressures that every high school student encounters today. This year served as a major transition year for AP Biology. For the first time at Lake Braddock, AP Biology became a single block class that no longer met everyday of the week. Coupled with a myriad of snow days, the AP Biology department unanimously decided to administer take-home examinations. “Two things spurned on the take home,” Switzer said. “The primary reason was snow days. Second, having lost the double block, we had less time than in the past.” Students were given strict guidelines for these take-home exams. A sheet prefacing every test detailed the time limits for each section, the resources the students were permitted to use during the
test, and a parent signature verifying that all of these regulations had been met. The first few exams were administered, completed and graded without a hitch. But on the second-to-last exam, a few of the answers to the free response questions raised immediate red flags. “The answers I was reading from the students were definitely things I didn’t cover,” Switzer said. “[The students’ answers] were presented in the exact same order as the scoring guidelines so it was pretty obvious pretty quickly to me that it didn’t sound right.” Upon further investigation, Switzer saw a handful of students across all three of his AP sections had written similar answers. It became a blatant indication that the perpetrators had looked up the answers online and copied them verbatim. The reaction was swift and immediate, senior David Samuels said. “Mr. Switzer gave us a stern lecture about cheating and said that everyone would be written up for honor code unless they went up to him and confessed that they cheated on the exam or they did not cheat on the exam,” Samuels said. “Based on this, everyone who didn’t do this got a 0 on the exam, and those who confessed to cheating probably got a 0, too.” Switzer then instituted new policies for the final exam before the AP test. The test was administered in class and test corrections were no longer allowed. Senior Mashi Dehghanpour said Switzer’s decision to make the following test far less flexible was justified. “I felt that Mr. Switzer’s response was appropriate because people took advantage of his trust and cheated,” she said. Many students reported Switzer’s fury towards his classes in the immediate aftermath of the incident. But alongside his understandable anger, Switzer offered his own interpretation of the cheating scandal. “Anytime that I suspect students of cheating, first and foremost, I’m disappointed,” Switzer said. “That’s really the heart of it. I’m disappointed that they felt like they had to do that. I try to emphasize, when I talked to students after this, that I try to set up
an environment where the learning is the focus and that the grade is not why you’re doing something. I try really hard to establish a rapport with the students and establish an environment of trust in lots of different ways.” Beyond the scope of biology, the academic standards in locations like Fairfax County can act as a double-edged sword. On one side, FCPS attracts topnotch teachers, promotes a cutting-edge curriculum and offers a diverse selection of courses. On the other hand, this academic environment is a fertile landscape for brutal competition. Many students taking upper level courses like AP Biology dream of an acceptance letter from an Ivy League school or similarly ranked
“At some point in their lives, they will get caught.” - AP Biology teacher Farouzi Farouq college. This requires an enormous amount of intellectual prowess, impressive extracurricular accolades and a plethora of sheer luck. Instead of a nurturing environment, students may all too quickly find themselves sucked into a mindset where grades are the sole focal point of high school. Such intense pressure for success may smear the boundaries of moral conduct. “I just wished that students understand that this is for their own character building, and cheating does not help them,” the other LB AP Biology teacher Farouzi Farouq said. “At some point in their lives, they will get caught. It’s something they should stay away from; it’s not worth it. They should talk to teachers if they find that they are overwhelmed or under pressure. They need to communicate instead of taking the simple way out.”
9 June 2014 News
6 The Bear Facts
Crackdown causes angst with students by Elena Simon - Staff Writer
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n April 24, two important events took place at LB that had entirely separate consequences. The scheduled event of the day was the annual LB Art Show, where students milled around the gym looking at art booths. However, what was not expected occurred when police administered a search on a vehicle on school grounds with school officials present, school resource officer Amy Gee confirmed, and found the student to be in possession of marijuana. This proved to be only the beginning. As the security force appeared to crack down on the student body, students took to Twitter angrily with general resentment towards the administration. The administration said it was acting in the best interest of the school. “We’re not out to get kids, but we do have a responsibility to have as safe environment as possible,” subschool 4 principal Peter Kelly said. “The only times students ever hear about us [the administration] is when it involves negative interactions.” The next day an unrelated, yet significant event occurred when school administrators pulled a student out of class
and confiscated his phone. Allegedly, he had been selling people pictures of nude and semi-nude girls to people who know him or people who wanted them. It’s now a pending case with a detective working on trying to identify the faces of the people in the pictures. “When things are brought to us, we have an obligation to investigate,” principal Dave Thomas said. Soon after these incidents, students saw administrators cracking down in the hallways, with random hall sweeps during Bruin Block and more security roaming the hallways between classes. Police were seen patrolling around the school and various neighborhoods nearby. Students were also intimidated by new security faces who, unknown to students, were substitutes, not reinforcements. “It was so much change and things going on,” senior Burak Esen said. “Assumptions and rumors scared everyone.” A big concern among the student body was whether or not they could be searched at whim. In order to conduct a search, the school must “have a reason to believe a student has a weapon, alcohol, drugs, stolen property or similar evidence,” as stated on the 14th page of the SR&R.
In a meeting between the SGA and administration in an effort to communicate students’ concerns, associate principal Rob Sanders said that “if the information presented to you as a reasonable person makes you suspicious, then it’s reasonable suspicion.”
“We’re not out to get kids, but we do have a responsibility to have as safe an environment as possible.” - Subschool 4 principal Peter Kelly While students were up in arms about their rights being violated, administrators were focused on protecting the well-being of the school’s students. “Safety comes first,” Thomas said.
Senior biking: A roll down memory lane by Nick Porter - Staff Writer
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he daily commute to school in the mornings can be grueling. Students often find themselves frustrated, stuck in traffic for minutes on end, and wishing there was another way to make the trip. Now enter a group of senior boys calling themselves the Lake Braddock “Bike Squad.” On Fridays for the past few weeks, these unconventional commuters have resorted to traversing the roads of Burke by bike. Numbering greater than 25 members, the group meets at a central location in the Cherry Run neighborhood and rides out together down Burke Lake Road. Seniors Ryan Kelly and Bobby Harrington, the two main creators of the Bike Squad movement, affirm that the bike riding campaign began spontaneously and was motivated by the boys’ love to ride. “One day this idea came to us,” Kelly said. “We thought: Let’s ride bikes to school every Friday and call it the LB Bike Squad.” While the Bike Squad doesn’t officially
ride for a cause, many members have still used the movement to raise awareness on various issues. “I personally ride to reduce the use of fossil fuels,” senior Bobby Harrington said. “But that’s the great thing about our group. You can ride for what you believe in.” Kelly is less activist-minded than his co-founder but equally as passionate about the movement. “In reality, we ride for fun,” Kelly said. “We just live to ride.” The Fairfax County government website dictates that bicyclists have “basically the same rights, responsibilities, and duties” as motorists, and offers tips on commuting by bike, including finding co-workers or friends to ride with. This means that the boys are obligated to ride on the roads together with traffic as they make the trip. “The ride [to school] is pretty much downhill for the most part,” Harrington said. “If you hit the right lights, you can get to school in the same time if not faster than driving.” With plans to increase their LB
ridership and also recruit riders from other schools, the Bike Squad intends to ride to school every Friday for the near future. The group is dominated by seniors and carries hope that the legacy of their movement will live on forever after they graduate. “Some senior classes are remembered for outstanding athletes, senior pranks or even for kids going to amazing colleges,” Kelly said. “But the class of 2014...we biked to school.”
photo by Nick Porter
Seniors finish biking down the drive and holding up traffic as their senior prank.
The Bear Facts 7
News 9 June 2014
In scandal, students too sexy for shirts by Anoto Zaman - Staff Writer
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t Lake Braddock Secondary School, sexting has recently begun to gain popularity among students, not knowing that the potential consequences for doing so are much worse than they seem. “I know about 20 people I know did it. There are people in 10th, eighth, even seventh grade who sext,” eighth grader Matthew Stone said. While this fact remains unknown to many LB students, sexting is in fact a form of child pornography and can hold legal consequences. “The school doesn’t actually deal with sexting. It is a law enforcement issue,” student resource officer Amy Gee said. “By law we seize the phone or other device with the photo. If you are convicted of child pornography offenses, you could be registered as a sex offender. This is life changing.” Sexting under the age of 16 can also hold felony charges alongside social repercussions. It all ends up coming down to a rule of threes: Taking a revealing photo of yourself or someone else is
creation of child pornography; sending a revealing photo of you or someone else is distribution of child pornography; and having a revealing photo of someone else is possession of child pornography. All of these offenses are felonies, and if prosecuted and convicted, a teenager can be labeled as a sex offender. Along with several legal penalties, many students believe that sexting can have a large effect on someone’s future. “If you want to apply for college, your whole records are there,” eighth grader Alynne Cutler said. “If you have a criminal charge on your record, colleges will be less likely to accept you.” Teachers and administrators alike are trying different tactics to prevent students from sexting. “They [administrators] need to educate the students on the subject of sexting and make sure that they understand the ramifications of it,” history teacher Cheryl Sutphin said. The reasons behind sexting are varied. These reasons can range from boredom to being unable to understand the consequences behind it. “[Students sext] because they can find
it enjoyabl,” eighth grader Faiz Khan said. “What keeps me and so many others from sexting is having self-respect. Also my religion prevents it.” Students may sext for a variety of reasons. However, nude photos tend to spread without the subject of the photo ever actually knowing. “Once you send one of those pictures it’s out there and you could never get it back,” subschool two principal Lance Jackson said. One real world example of this is the suicide of Amanda Todd. In the highly publicized event, the root of her case was a revealing picture of her taken in 2010 when she was in seventh grade. The picture circulated the internet and lead to bullying that eventually culminated in her suicide. In the end, sexting can have a large effect on someone’s life, whether it is the legal consequences or the social repercussions. However, there is one easy way to avoid all of the pitfalls of this problem. “Don’t do it,” principal Dave Thomas said. “Have more self-respect and respect for others.”
Chipotle prices higher than calorie count by Jake Wartel - Staff Writer
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s Lake Braddock students walk through the doors of Chipotle this summer, they will be treated with an unfortunate surprise; for the first time in three years, prices will have gone up at Chipotle. Starting in the next few months, Chipotle will increase its prices from 3 to 5 percent. The price increases are primarily a product of the drought, which affects nearly 60 percent of the West Coast, according to USA Today, and has forced livestock and fruit prices to increase. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture announced that beef and veal prices are up 3 percent from March to April and up 11 percent from April 2013 to April 2014. Cheese prices and avocado prices have increased as well in recent months. Avocados are estimated to increase to a final price of around $1.60, said Timothy Richards of the Morrison School of Agribusiness. What this means is that price increases at Chipotle are part of a larger pattern of rising costs and demands at grocery
stores and restaurants across the nation. “They have really high quality cheese “When I go to the grocery store, and meats,” junior Nick O’Connor said. I’ve noticed it has been more expensive O’Connor travels to Chipotle three lately,” eighth grade civics teacher times a week and will continue to chow Cheryl Sutphin said. While the drought’s ongoing effects are increasing Chipotle’s prices, the changes are likely to have little affect on how much customers buy. “If [the price increases] just a dollar or two, then it’s not likely to affect how much I go,” senior Emily Clymer said. The NPD Group reported that the percentage of millennials eating out has dropped 21 percent in the last seven years. Yet even with fewer restaurant photo by Michael Murphy visits by millennials, Chipotle has managed to attract young Sophomore Josh Churchill stands in line as he orders at Chipotle. Americans in droves. A large part of Chipotle’s success at down at the Denver-headquartered attracting millennials lies with its unique Mexican restaurant despite the price and clever way of advertising. The increases. New York Times reported in June 2013 So as the West likely prepares for that Chipotle was wowing millennials another brutally hot summer, Lake thanks to its advertising focus on fresh Braddock students will continue to chill ingredients and socially responsible at Chipotle despite the price increases. farming.
8 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 News
Where fashion runs into dress code by Danny Murphy - Staff Writer
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hen LB students arrive at school, they do not expect to be reprimanded for what they
wear. “I’ve never personally felt threatened by the dress code because it’s simply not an issue for me,” junior Cole McGarry said. As a result, trends that show more
photo by Amanda Hendrix
The rule that shorts must be no shorter than the tips of your fingers placed by your side is commonly overlooked at LB.
skin have become more popular. However, many students now feel that the administration is limiting their right to wear what they want. “It was Hawaiian Shirt Day, and I decided to not fully button up my shirt. A lady came up and decided to button up my shirt for me,” junior Connor Anderson said. Disdain for the administration’s limitations on attire grew during spring spirit week. Male students were told they had to button their Hawaiian shirts up higher or be forced to change. Again on Toga Day, students were told to cover up because too much skin was showing. “On other days it’s not a big problem; it was just kind of weird to see it happen on a spirit day,” Anderson said. School policy on dress code has remained constant throughout the years. The strict enforcement of these rules is not being brought about because of new regulations.
But this, paired with the crackdown on Bruin Block has certainly increased student contempt towards the administration. “She turned to me and told me that we’re not at a bar trying to pick up guys,” junior Colleen Reilly. “They’re getting really rude about it.” The overall view that the administration was being too harsh only spread due to the fact that they were cracking down on students during a spirit week. The Bruin Block and dress code crackdowns have certainly created a hostile feeling towards the administration. “We’re not out to target students. The timing was just really weird with those recent drug busts,” subschool 4 assistant principal Peter Kelly said. Tensions are high now but are likely to die down over time. “Just use your judgment,” senior Hunter Macdonald said. “There are certain things you wear to school, and there are certain things that are cute, but you shouldn’t wear to school.”
as established by the Clean Air Act and other similar air quality bills. Despite these assurances from the natural gas industry that drilling will not negatively impact the environment, environmentalists cite multiple accidents in the past decades that have released thousands of gallons of dangerous chemicals in fracking hotbeds like West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Other environmentalists are concerned that fracking companies have refused to release all the chemicals they use in their
fracking fluids, which are alleged in the Oscar-nominated documentary Gasland to include toxins, carcinogens and heavy metals. These claims are supported by studies conducted by Duke University and the EPA, which have found “unacceptable levels” of methane, arsenic, barium and other chemicals in groundwater surrounding fracking wells. The proposed fracking has met with opposition from the Fairfax County Water Authority, the Washington Aqueduct, and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, the three largest water providers in the D.C. metro area. Similarly, the D.C. city council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution banning fracking in the George Washington National Forest in February. Not all environmentalists are strongly opposed to fracking however, in a recent article in Forbes, self-proclaimed environmentalist and co-manager of the Encompass Fund, Malcolm Gissen, detailed his reasons for supporting increased fracking, stating that fracking is important for America’s energy independence, the best alternative to dirtier fuels like coal and a huge boost to local and state economies. Ultimately, the decision to frack will be left up to the U.S. Forest Service, which will make a final decision in the upcoming months.
Push for fracking faces strong opposition by Quentin Paleo - Staff Writer
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espite resistance from environmentalists, local water providers and local politicians, natural gas companies continue to push for hydraulic fracturing, fracking, in the George Washington National Forest. While having the potential to create hundreds of jobs and increase America’s energy independence, environmentalists are concerned that fracking will release chemicals into the Potomac River, the chief water source of millions of D.C. metropolitan residents. Unlike National Parks and U.S. Wildernesses, national forests allow both recreational activities such as camping and certain commercial activities such as logging and mining. Natural gas companies hope to expand the type of commercial activities to allow fracking in the George Washington National Forest as the U.S. Forest Service drafts a new 15year management plan for the forest. The American Petroleum Institute argues that hydraulic fracturing is a safe process, with 99.5 percent of the fluid injected into the ground comprising of water and sand. Additionally the American Petroleum Institute maintains that well operators carefully manage all water and waste to prevent toxic spills and carefully monitor, manage, and report air emissions
photo courtesy of MCT Campus
A Sandridge Energy oil rig in Oklahoma similar to the one proposed to be built in GW Park.
10Profile
9 June 2014
A final salute to retiring LB staff by Maggie Komoniewski - Staff Writer
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fter teaching art for 26 years, Phyllis Coleman Lacy is turning in her classroom keys in exchange for a retired life. Lacy has been teaching art at Lake Braddock for 23 years. During these years, she has gained the affection of many art students. Her students admire her teaching style, art abilities and the atmosphere of her classroom. “Because of Ms. Lacy, I have become a better artist and will continue art after I graduate,” junior Noah Woodruff said. The art department has been immensely impacted by Lacy. Fifteen years ago, she routinely supervised the members of the art club that created the panel art that is still displayed in the library today. She was inspired by how well her students collaborated with each other and how committed they were to excellence.
Because of her students, she worked hard to become the visual arts chair and committed herself to making a difference in the art department, as well as the rest of the school. “I’ve had Mrs. Lacy for three years, and overall, she is one of my favorite teachers,” senior Abilene Schiefer said. “She is helpful outgoing, crazy, fun and exciting, and I feel like I can talk to her about anything.” Lacy’s students have not been the only ones learning all these years. Lacy has learned a lot from her students as well. From teaching, she has discovered how important it is to get to know her students before deciding how to approach learning. “[From teaching, I have learned that] each person is truly unique,” Lacy said. “They come from various walks in life.” Lacy has made lots of great memories that she will never forget during her time teaching at Lake
Braddock; however, is looking forward to exciting things to come and can’t wait to see what the future holds. She encourages students to be creative and
Phyllis Lacy
by Maggie Komoniewski - Staff Writer
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atty Screen has been working at Lake Braddock since 1997. She started off as a substitute teacher, field hockey coach and administrative assistant. She currently works as a main office assistant. “The diverse faculty and staff have been the easiest to work with, and the kids have been very enjoyable,” Screen said. Friends and coworkers of Screen are sad to see her go and will miss having her around next year. “I can’t think of anyone better to be the first person visitors encounter,” Principal Dave Thomas said. “She always has a smile on her face and is a nice, likable person. She will be hard to replace.” Screen has enjoyed her time here at LB, but is looking forward to making a big move to Wilmington, North Carolina, where she plans to spend lots of time with her new grandchildren and go
photo by Amanda Hendrix
Art teacher Phyllis Lacy has worked at LB for 26 years helping students grow as artists, building a personal connection and learning from her students.
take advantage of every opportunity to learn. “Learn to be hunters,” Lacy said. “By searching in books for knowledge and creating with one’s hands to truly discover one’s passion.”
to the beach, bike and golf as she pleases. Val Carter has been at Lake Braddock for 16 years. Working in the middle school special education department for nine years, and in the high
Patty Screen school activities office for seven years. Carter hasn’t seen a dull moment. “Everyday brings photo by Amanda Hendrix something new and different, assistant Patty Screen has become a crucial part in working in sports and Office running Lake Braddock from a substitute teacher, field hockey activities,” Carter said. coach, administrative and main office assistant. In the office, Carter operates Carter has witnessed first hand that everything that goes on behind the scenes to make sports and other everyone has unique abilities, she said. She has also learned how important activities possible. “Mrs. Carter is the backbone acceptance is. She encourages kids to try of our office,” assistant activities different things and not to be afraid of director Mike Clark, said. “She does rejection. “I think it’s important that kids try everything from answering the phone to new and exciting things and work hard at paperwork for us.” From working in the activities office, them,” Carter said.
Val Carter
The Bear Facts 11
Profile 9 June 2014
Skating sisters dream of Olympics by Victoria Hodge - Staff Writer
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abriella Carney finishes off her routine with a layback spin. She slows down to bow to the crowd as her performance comes to an end. As the applause dies down, Katerina Carney takes the ice as her sister Gabriella cheers her on from the sidelines. After years of training and practice, junior Katerina Carney and senior Gabriella Carney are two levels away from having a chance to go to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Both girls have dreamed of going to the Olympics for a long time, and now their goals are finally within reach. “It feels pretty good to be almost there,” Katerina Carney said. Their joint love for the sport is part of what pushes them to do well. For Gabriella, the common interest and passion the two share is beneficial. While Katerina’s strength on the ice is jumping, Gabriella finds spinning to be her area of strength, according to Gabriella. “It’s helpful to have a sister who also shares your goals,” Gabriella Carney said. “We have a sisterly, friendly competitive side but we are here to help each other.” The prospect of earning Olympic gold has been the biggest and main motivator
for both sisters. “The Olympics inspires me,”Gabriella Carney said. “I would feel proud to represent my country.” For both Gabriella and Katerina, following their dreams has a price. After dealing with the stress and workload that come with school and activities, both girls then have to go to the ice rink to train and do off-ice training, such as
“It’s helpful to have a sister who also shares your goals.” - senior Gabriella Carney ballet, afterwards. “It is a challenge to balance,” Gabriella Carney said, “but I’ve figured out a way
between school, orchestra and skating.” The support of their parents also plays a role in the success of Katerina and Gabriella Carney have found in figure skating. “Both my parents are very supportive,” Gabriella Carney said. “They cheer me on and come to my competitions.” Both Katerina and Gabriella are being trained and coached by Russian Olympic figure skaters Roman Skorniakov and Tatiana Malinina. “Our coaches do challenge us,” Gabriella Carney said, “but they don’t ask anything of us that we can’t do. They are always there to provide input and support.” Although they have yet to participate in qualifying competitions, both girls hope to compete in regionals this year, with the desire of moving on to states, nationals, and even international competition. Their hope is to possibly compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics. “Its possible,” Gabriella Carney said. “It is my goal, but it depends on the college I decide to go to.” Gabriella is most proud of the gold medal she earned at the Hershey competition in Pennsylvania. Katerina is most proud of winning the state games of Colorado. The jumping, spinning, grace and beautiful artistry are what both Katerina and Gabriella love about the sport.
photos courtesy of Gabriella Carney
Senior Gabriella Carney (left) takes on the ice while performing one of her many ice skating routines. Junior Katerina Carney (right) trains every day along her sister to achieve the chance in being able to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics for figure skating. Both girls motivate themselves in getting better every day to someday earn the Olympic gold metals they both dream of.
12 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Profile
The rigity jig is up; Novak leaves LB
by Michael Galligan - Staff Writer
Novak has been teaching AP Econ, AP Euro and most recently government while at s the door opens to Novakia one Braddock. His unusual teaching style is what can hear constant chatter between lures students to take his class in hope to get its leader, history teacher Jim him as their teacher. A normal class of his Novak and its civilians, the students. Novak consisted of Novak’s spontaneous behavior has been teaching and coaching at Lake and numerous class discussions in an attempt Braddock for 15 years and his time at LB to get everyone involved. Prior to his 15 years at has been enjoyed by Braddock, Novak began people who have and his career at Centreville haven’t had him. His “He gets to know his and taught there for more positive influences on than 20 years. students have helped students not only as “It will be like the them get into college. a teacher, but as a return of the prodigal son. “[He’s] my favorite I’m older and greater but teacher for my whole friend.” also wiser and a better high school career.” teacher than when I left senior Sean Gamarra said, “[and] also a -senior Sean Gamarra there. It will be exciting going back to where my great coach towards career began.” Novak me.” said. His influence on his His return to Centreville is a bittersweet students is something he prides himself on in and out of the classroom. He also coached one in his opinion. “I hope my students know that I gave the freshman football team, mentoring many them everything I had to give. No excuses, students. “He gets to know his students not only as a only results. I hope Novakia will live on in teacher, but as a friend,” Sean Gramara said. memory,” he said.
A
photo by Nick Porter
Jim Novak has become known for his dedication to helping his students learn. His move to Centreville H.S. has drawn a reaction of sadness from students that he has and had from the past.
Sophomore swimmer seeks the spotlight by Pooja Shethna - Staff Writer Sophomore Chris Stankiewicz has been swimming since he was 7. However, just like most people, he didn’t really become serious about the sport until recently.
“I am working towards swimming for a Division 1 college.” “I loved the water because I had been to the beach in San Diego and on the North Sea,” Stankiewicz said, “and my neighborhood happened to have a pool when I moved here.” Stankiewicz has been swimming year round for many years, and because of that he’s become an expert in dealing with the pressures and stress that come with being a full-time athlete. “I try my best to balance my schedule by setting my priorities, getting enough sleep and managing my time,” Stankiewicz said. Although the painful practices and stressful meets that Stankiewicz has
endured during the years seem horrible, there is a positive side to everything he’s done. He has made memories, both on the school team and on club team, which will last him a lifetime, and he is one step closer to achieving his future goals. “I am working towards swimming for a Division 1 college,” Stankiewicz said, “and I hope to qualify for the Olympics and possibly win a medal.” In order to achieve his big photo courtesy of Gregg Zelkin dreams, Stankiewicz has been Stankiewicz (second from the left) prepares to dive into the pool. working hard for several years. Stankiewicz has been swimming since he was 7 and has worked He’s improved his times in hard to become one of LB’s top swimmers. all his strokes as well as placed today. in the top three at districts this “I love racing, especially sprinting, and I past LBSD season. “I’ve medaled in relays at states and enjoy competition,” Stankiewicz said. “My swam in finals,” Stankiewicz said. “I placed friends help to motivate me in practice, second and third in districts and qualified and I race not only against them, but also for NCSA [Nation’s Capital Swim Club] myself to get better.” Even though Stankiewicz has made Junior Nationals in 100 breast and 50 free.” Stankiewicz’s parents are very several achievements in the nine years that supportive of him. They are proud of all he’s been swimming, he wishes to continue that he’s accomplished and all the hard to develop and grow both as a competitor work that he’s put in to get to where he is and a teammate.
13 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Profile
After concussion, a battle for clarity
Senior Mikaela Berst details her lengthy recovery process by Victoria Hodges - Staff Writer For a lot of students, the prospect of skipping school for a few weeks to stay home and relax sounds very enjoyable. The idea of days filled with junk food, TV and no homework is one that most would not object to. However, for senior Mikaela Berst, who suffered from two serious concussions in her sophomore and senior years, those months spent at home were unbearable. Berst’s first concussion was in spring 2012, when she banged heads with a soccer opponent during a game. The second head
“It was an honor to have a Washington Post article written about me. It was nice to see that people were cheering me on and helping me overcome my injury.” - senior Mikaela Berst injury occurred during a field hockey game in fall 2013. For both injuries, Berst was forced to stay home for months at a time and missed large chunks of her sophomore year and, most importantly, her senior year. “Since I did not lose consciousness when I received either concussion I remember everything,” Berst said. “I remember the days when my headache was so bad I was unable to come out of my dark room. I remember the countless doctor visits, blood tests, CT scans and X-rays.” In addition to the physical pain that came with Berst’s two concussions, trying to keep up with school work while healing from a brain injury created a lot of added stress to her life. “After missing months of school the number of missed assignments, quizzes and tests had piled up,” Berst said. “Not only did I have to jump right into the classes’ current agenda when I returned, but I also had to make-up all the work I missed, and do all of the work with a still injured brain.” In December 2013, Berst began homebound schooling, with tutors coming to her house between one or two times a week. However, the effect of the months spent away from school forced Berst to withdraw from four of her classes. While it was difficult to make up the huge amounts of work she missed, the thing Berst missed most about school was being around her friends. “The thing I missed most about school was the social aspect,” Berst said. “I missed hanging out with my friends in the morning before classes and eating lunch together. Because of my concussion this year I also missed out on the football and basketball games.”
photo by Sara Kim
Senior Mikaela Berst suffered two concussions from sports, one during her sophomore year and one during her senior year. Both left her out of school for months, and eventually, she went on homebound instruction. Despite the setbacks, Berst was accepted into University of Virginia and was able to finish up the last few months of her senior back at Lake Braddock.
This year, after finally recovering from her injuries, Berst was able to return and resume her position editor of the yearbook and even became the subject of a Washington Post news article. “It was an honor to have a Washington Post article written about me,” Berst said. “It was nice to see that people were cheering me on and helping me overcome my injury.” In addition, Berst was recently accepted into the University of Virginia to pursue her dream of majoring in business management and marketing. “I felt so blessed to be accepted into UVA,” Berst said, “After my second concussion I started to give up hope that I would get into UVA once I was forced to reduce my classes and activities.” While Berst’s two concussions were painful and made her academic and social lives difficult to maintain, the time spent at home allowed for some memorable moments in Berst’s life with her family and friends. “But I also remember all the extra time I had to spend with my family, and the days my friends dropped by for an impromptu visit or lunch date,” Berst said.
14 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Profile
Three juniors coach it up on the court
photos courtesy of Michael Rochlis
Junior Michael Rochlis (upper left), junior Nick O’Connor (lower left) and junior David Lynch (lower right) pose with their teammates by representing Burke in improving their game record from being 1-9, to upgrading to a record of 5-5 on the season.
by Maggie Komoniewski - Staff Writer
D
uring the winter sports season, junior Michael Rochlis coaches a basketball team of seventh graders in the Burke Boys Youth House League. He receives assistance in coaching the team from his good friends and assistant coaches juniors Nick O’Connor and David Lynch. Rochlis, O'Connor and Lynch all played
“Coaching is very rewarding because you get to watch the players improve both individually and collectively as a team.” - junior Michael Rochlis basketball throughout their childhoods and continue to play the sport. Last year, they decided to start coaching a team of sixth graders for fun. They enjoyed the experience and decided to follow their group of boys to seventh grade this year. “It’s nice getting to know the kids and
see them progress as individuals and in their basketball skills,” assistant coach Lynch said. The team’s first season was tough, having a record of one win and nine losses. The coaches had a hard time getting the boys to listen and follow directions, which made it difficult for the team to play well together and win. This past year (20132014 season), the coaches were more familiar with the players in the league and focused on drafting some better players in the draft. They learned from their mistakes the previous year and expanded on the kid’s knowledge of the game. The team’s record improved to five wins and five losses. “My favorite part is seeing their expressions after a win,” assistant coach O’Connor said. All three coaches love coaching the boys and agree that it is always a good time. Rochlis prefers coaching rather than playing because he feels it
is more rewarding and enjoys having the feeling of being a leader. On the other hand, O'Connor prefers playing because he can control the game. All three coaches enjoyed watching the boys improve, both individually and as a team. “Coaching is a good experience, and it’s great to be a leader for these kids because they look up to you, and it was a lot of fun coaching with my friends,” O’Connor said. Although it is very enjoyable, coaching isn’t all fun and games when it comes to being serious on game day. The coaches sometimes have to make tough decisions regarding which players to put in during clutch situations. They have to motivate the boys, and get them to listen, follow directions and respect them as coaches. They try to keep playing time fair, but use a strategic lineup during the last few minutes of the game. “Coaching is very rewarding because you get to watch the players improve both individually and collectively as a team,” Rochlis said.
15Arts
9 June 2014
photo courtesy of David Finn
photo courtesy of Scott Ripley
Bad Mooka band members Shaw Campfire, Marc Saucer and Zack Polson pose (left) for a photo for their website. Band Members Shaw Campfire and Marc Saucer greet (right) the crowd after their show at Empire Night Club on Jan. 1. It was the First show of the year for the band and their next one will be on June 21.
From Empire to Mookapalooza, Bad Mooka rises by Lizzie Callahan - Staff Writer
M
usic is well-known to be a unifying force, bringing together people of all different backgrounds and cultures. Naturally, music is known to also unite friends and classmates. In the case of one of the area’s up-and-coming bands, Bad Mooka, music has helped several friends stay connected even after high school through common creativity and musical innovation. “It’s incredible to play these shows surrounded by all these people I do and don’t know and have them cheer me on for playing these songs we write,” junior and drummer Shaw Camphire said. While Camphire is currently a junior at LB guitarist/singer Marc Saucer and bassist Zack Polson attend GMU and NOVA, they don’t find it hard to stay connected. “It’s really easy for us to stay connected,” Camphire said. “We all see each other all the time and talk to each other over text and Facebook when we’re
not together. It’s not like they go to school super far away either.” Bad Mooka’s genre is best described to be under the umbrella term of rock, Camphire said. The band has many musical influences, among them the guitar master Jimi Hendrix, D.C. punk scene veterans Bad Brains and even hip-hop royals the Wu-Tang Clan. Since they have so many influences, their sound isn’t so easy to categorize. “Some would call us blues rock, some hard rock, some funk rock,” Camphire said. “It’s really totally in the opinion of the listener. If you want to know what genre we are, just come to one of our shows or listen to our EP.” Bad Mooka will be hosting an event called Mookapalooza at 7 p.m. on June 21. The event is taking place at Wakefield Skate Park, which is a short distance from LB off of Braddock Road. The goal of the event is to raise money for VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, and although the event itself is free, they will be taking donations. “It’s going to be from 7 to 10 p.m. on
June 21. We’re going to have the lights on at the park so there will be skating, food and music all going at once,” Camphire said. “It’s going to be us, our friends from the Herndon area, The Scribbles; our good friends who goes to VCU, Thoughts On Standby; and our friends from D.C. who we have played with many times before, Tarfu.” As an up-and-coming band with hopes of breaking into a larger music scene, Bad Mooka has been busy preparing for shows and working on new material. The band is currently working on a music video for their song “Sewage Farm” off of their EP Primal, Camphire said. They’re also planning on working on another EP, but above all looking for new opportunities to further develop their sound. “Our current goal as a band is really just to be the best we can be,” Camphire said. “We’re always looking for opportunities to better ourselves and our music.” The band’s next gig is at The Juggling Gypsy in Wilmington, North Carolina.
16 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Arts
LB Theatre captures Cappie nominations by Jack Esper - Staff Writer Every year the Cappies, an organization that gets student critics together from around the D.C metro area to see high school production, nominates their favorite performances, technical elements and overall productions out of all the schools in all of the National Capital Area. This year Lake Braddock has three nominees, each for the production of The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra. The nominees are sophomore Kyle Dannahey for his lighting design, junior Marissa Chaffee for her performance as a featured actress and senior Victoria Benton for her make-up in the show. “I’m extremely honored as well as overjoyed to have received this nomination,” Dannahey said. “It’s an honor to share a place among the paragons of theater students past and present who have received nominations.” All the nominees were jubilant about their nominations. Chaffee, who was nominated for her performance as the soothsayer in Antony and Cleopatra gave
some credit for her nomination to Benton’s make-up design. “I think that I wouldn’t have been noticeable to the critics without Victoria Benton’s incredible make-up design,” Chaffee Said. Benton’s make-up design in Antony and Cleopatra included her creepy white eye contacts for the soothsayer, impressively realistic whip wounds and the changing of the performer’s skin tone. She pointed to these for the reason that she was given a nomination. “For my makeup design [award nomination], the fact that I made back whip marks look very real, the scaring for one of the characters and the fact that I had made half of the cast brown,” Benton said. Dannahey’s lighting design was striking throughout Antony and Cleopatra, and Dannahey was nominated due to his great design. “I believe the job of a lighting designer is to shape the world of a play; everything in your world is shaped by lighting,” Dannahey said. “I tried my best to use lighting to make things more interesting
while also using lighting to highlight themes that continued throughout the piece.” Undoubtedly, all of Lake Braddock’s nominees are not only talented, but dedicated to their craft. They all have a passion for the theater and were recognized for that passion and ability. They truly deserved the recognition they were given.
photo courtesy of David M Photo.
Junior Marissa Chaffee performs as the soothsayer in the spring play of The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra.
Chorus showcases top hits of the past
by Nathan Zelalem - Staff Writer
This year, the LB chorus department had a celebration of the last 100 years of American pop. Within the first few minutes of the Spring Concert, the audience was immersed within multiple time periods as the music that was sung included some of the most popular hits from each decade. “We went from the classic barbershop quartet to current music,” choir teacher Mary DeMarco said. “We sang rhythm blues, jazz, swing music and more.” Due to the wide variety of pop music that was covered during the spring concert, audience members will most likely have different songs that they enjoyed the most. “I thought everyone did a great job,” said sophomore Christopher Clarke. “It was a lot of fun because I was familiar with most of the pop music that was sung”. While the concert was largely similar to spring concerts of previous years,
DeMarco was able to switch things up a bit. No one in the audience was expecting to be taught how to sing along with the choir on stage, but everyone had a great time when the entire room erupted into “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. There was also a larger number of special acts during this spring concert compared to previous years. These were easily the highlight of the concert, showcasing the individual talent of the students who were able to captivate the audience. While singing is the main priority for a chorus concert, the choreography and costumes are also an important part. “The costumes were colorful and time period appropriate” said junior Nick Johnston. “A lot of energy and hard work went into it, so I’m glad it turned out awesome.” This concert will be the last for many students who have been part of the family for years. “I was really excited, but it’s also sad that this will be my last time singing at
Lake Braddock. It was bittersweet,” senior Georgia Cotter said. “It was a really fun concert because I think American pop is something that all ages can appreciate.”
photo courtesy of Laura Townsley
Chorus seniors are given roses after their last chorus concert this past Thursday, May 29.
The Bear Facts 17
Arts 9 June 2014
Rising Apps
Summer Festivals
T
here are always new apps being released through the app store and other app markets. Flappy Bird has been re-released by Dong Nguyen; it had been a huge hit with smartphone users and addicted players were upset when the game was taken off the market. Nguyen decided to take it off due to the overwhelming popularity, and he seemed to not be able to catch up with all the news. Another app called “Don’t Touch the White Tile” is a game that challenges players to press on only the black tiles as fast as possible. Many students became addicted to this game after Flappy Bird was released. 2048 is another game that has been widely played by students. 2048 is a puzzle game where the player aims to reach the number 2048 by adding numbers that are in powers of two.
W
ith warm weather and sunny skies swiftly approaching, many prepare for summer festivals and concerts. Hundreds of students are attending festivals and concerts such as Firefly, Warped Tour, Avicii, One Republic and The Script. The Firefly festival is three days long from June 19-22 in Dover, Delaware. The Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, Outkast, Jack Johnson and more are performing throughout the three days. Warped Tour will be on July 23, in Virginia Beach with artists such as The Maine, Watsky, Mayday Parade, The Devil Wears Prada and more performing. Performers have tents set up for meet and greets for their fans and will be spread out throughout the venue. One Republic and The Script are performing at Jiffy Lube Live together on June 27. On June 29, Avicii will also be at Jiffy Lube Live.
2
MOVIES
2 Jump Street, Earth to Echo, Dumb and Dumber To are being released this coming summer and fall. Coming out on June 13, 22 Jump Street is a sequel to 21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Acting as undercover cops, they enter the world of college. Earth to Echo will be out on July 2, and is about kids who embark on an adventure with an alien. Dumb and Dumber To is a sequel to Dumb and Dumber, a movie about two childish 20 year olds who go on an adventure for a new kidney. The first movie, Dumb and Dumber, was first released in 1994. Snowpiercer, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Deliver Us From Evil are also coming out during the summer. Snowpiercer, coming out June 27, is a scifi movie about a failed global-warming experiment that kills off most life on the planet. The remaining population live on a train that travels non stop around the world and when the lower class revolts, the train goes into disaster. Transformers: Age of Extinction, coming out on June 27, is the aftermath of the battle between transformers. Deliver Us From Evil, coming out on July 2, is about a New York cop who joins forces with a priest to fight the demonic forces that have overtaken their city.
Arts 9 June 2014
The Bear Facts 18
Review: Apple misses a beat with new purchase by Omar Amin - Staff Writer
T
he wildly popular headphones company Beats by Dre is being bought by Apple for a gargantuan $3.2 billion. This makes the creator, Dr. Dre, the first hip-hop billionaire, while Apple may face billions of dollars or more in losses. Recently, Apple has been plummeting towards its downfall against other competitors in the market such as Samsung and HTC. The big three companies have been furiously releasing tablets, phones and accessories to retain their dominance in the world of electronics. Now, Apple has taken a bold action in a desperate attempt to jump ahead of its rivals. Apple has purchased Beats by Dre at a valuation of a few billion dollars. Dr. Dre will be walking away from this deal a happy billionaire, but will this investment pay off for Apple? The first abnormal thing about this deal is the valuation, which is well into
the billions. Apple occasionally invests in smaller multi-million dollar companies to boost their overall value, but this is their first purchase in the billions, showing that it is more desperate. Although Tim Cook, the new CEO, has approved this deal, it should be noted that the late Steve Jobs objected to a major factor portion of this purchase. It is Beats Music, a new program to be introduced later this year. Beats Music can be described as a subscription program for unlimited music at a set fee of $9.99/month or $119.88/ year. Steve Jobs strongly opposed the implementation of a subscription music program, arguing that consumers would never buy into it. Beats Music promises
access to more than 20 million songs, music recommendations and no ads. Another subscription music service, Spotify, promises similar incentives in the music field. The main reason that Apple has made the Beats purchase is because Spotify is gaining control over the music world, leaving iTunes behind. Spotify offers free unlimited music, with ads. The ads can be removed with the purchase of a $10/month premium account, similar to the Beats Music revenue model. Spotify also promises more than 20 million songs, like Beats. This deal might have completely fallen through for Apple, with Spotify remaining a prevalent force in the subscription music sector and other competitors, such as Grooveshark and Google Play Music Streaming, coming out on top with their experience in the market. Apple should not have made this purchase, as it can prove detrimental to their company.
Apple may face billions of dollars or more in losses.
Google Docs helps accelerate students’ performance by Ashley Thompson - Staff Writer
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his year Google Docs became very popular here at Lake Braddock. Many teachers who utilize Google Docs say it is more efficient and helpful with assignments that need to be worked on outside of the classroom. Although many say Google Docs is better, many question if this new way to learn and collaborate has any disadvantages. “It is a great thing to use in a classroom with collaborative activities,” P.E. teacher Brett Garner said. Google Docs is a program where the user can create, save and share documents such as PowerPoints, spreadsheets, forms, documents and drawings. This differs from Microsoft Office because Google Docs requires the user to log in through the internet from any computer. This means users don't need to carry around their documents on a thumb drive, and don’t have to buy and download the program like Microsoft Office users do. A bonus to Google Docs is that it saves automatically so the stress of forgetting to save no longer exists. Because Google Docs can be logged into from any computer and can be shared with multiple people, many teachers like it more than Microsoft Office. Google Docs is efficient because teachers can assign reports or group projects that
students can effectively work on without can be mobile because you can either having to be in the same place. This download the Google Docs app onto feature allows much greater student your phone or just log in through mobile collaboration, and removes the hassle of wireless internet. having to get together in a computer lab. “I would recommend Google Docs,” Teachers can also check and edit student freshman Claudia Seleme said. “It helps documents and projects when they work people stay organized and not lose their on them in Google Docs. assignments.” “I believe that Google Docs is a So even though Google Docs, like little bit more helpful,” English teacher anything, has a disadvantage or two, Adrienne Lowry said. “When I assign many students believe it to be superior papers, I recommend Google Docs to Microsoft Office because of its ease of because you have all the options like use, efficiency and its accessibility. Word but little easier to find.” In the next few years, look for Google Although Google Docs may be Drive to meet new demands. more efficient, it, like anything, has its advantages and disadvantages. A big disadvantage to Google Docs is that you have to connect to the internet to be able to use it, compared to Microsoft Office, which you can use without an internet connection. One major advantage to Google Docs, however, is that you do not need to buy it like you photo courtesy of Andrew Clinton do Microsoft Office. Senior Jonah Scharf looks over a document on Google Docs during class. Also, Google Docs
19In-depth
9 June, 2014
Where are the seniors going for college? George Mason University Saad Amin Merwan Benamor Aysha Benomran Brian Betsill Nathan Choi Megan Chu Oscar Espinoza Andrea Farinelli Sean Gamarra Mazin Harb Tyler Harrison Laura Heger Autumn Kelty Thomas Langowski Brian Lanzas Esther Lee Darling Lievano Kim Magalona Kristine Nguyen John Nice Fadumo Osman Christopher Park Moonisha Rahman Ashley Robinson Molly Ruff Nicholas Sauter Evan Schweitzer Stephanie Shrieves Nicholas Stampone Ursula Vilca-Vega Barbara Wieczkowski Christopher Newport University Marcia Altman Allison Baltz Ryan Beach Faith Cooper Kacy Decatur Helen Gibbons Matthew Kelliher Mariah McKenrick Kristina Randall Randolph College Georgia LeGrand-Carney Old Dominion University Timothy Bui Cameron Demick Caitlyn Galbraith Michaela Leitzel Katherine Levan Karl Liebert Haben Zerhamenet Hampton University Jameel Tomlinson Virginia Military Institute Benjamin Fields The George Washington University Anna Coughlan Fahim Syed Volunteer with FCPS Alicia Moulder
College of William and Mary Hasini Bandara Gabriella Carney Ava Chafin Kimberly Drummond Genevieve Hammersley David Hollingsworth Leina-mei Johnson Sulleen Kauffman Marie-Claire Kent Quentin Paleo Andrea Powers Jonah Scharf Noah Woodruff Diana Worthen Virginia Commonwealth University Karina Aguilar Ayah Alshantir Jama Ayalew Abel Berhane Karina Bonilla Walter Carlos Ryan Cole Georgia Cotter Lida Daniel Jeffrey Escobar Alexandra Johnson Taylor Jones Gurpeet Kaur Ah Kim Michael Kim Conner Muth Yong Kyun Na Andy Nguyen Kathryn Rickards Liam Schenking Shayla Scott University of Virginia Mikaela Berst Eunice Chun Paul Cordova Kristen Cugini Araba Dennis Jasmine Edmond Sasha Fontaine Tess Irelan Owen Khoury Sydney Kirwan Eric Knickmeyer Jackie Ko Hana Lee Maelona Manik Uma Mengale Helina Meressa Kristen Monheim Da Young Moon Victoria Ngo Rachel Pehrsson Nicholas Porter Leanne Poussard Kathleen Roche Jordan Rothwell Jean Paula Salac David Samuel Vijay Shivakumar Shambhawi Thakur Sarah Tran Timothy Coulter (Wise)
Georgetown University Pooja Gajulapalli Liberty University Ji Na Chang Angela Lee Virginia Tech Chi Ho Ahn Devin Armstrong Manuel Becerra Sccott Belcher Chauvien Bui Corrie Chamberlin Jing-Ting Chen Stephanie Chung Isabella DeLuca John Esper Ryan Gaffner Kathryn Hall Alana Hutchinson Long Huynh Chan Yang Hwang Christine Kim Karen Ko Julia Kuhn Charles Lee Dongjun Lee Ethan Lee Murphy Liang Meekhol Lu Aneeka Mahan David Malinowski Erin McKenzie Daniel Medina David Moore Robin Nguyen Anika Peterson Bao-Thu Phan-Vu Kylie Remus Matthew Sandfry Lauren Schwartz Stephen Seong Alexandria Snow Marlon Sosa Stephani Sosa Marielle Spence Catherine Ta Huy Tran Justin Viens Jimin You Andrew Zdancewics Shenandoah University Katherine Burrage Leah Powers University of Mary Washington Lauren Bradshaw Bailey Dolloff William Flynn Ryan Ford Emily Gondar-Besser Kevin Jones Sarah Roche Kaitlin Roddy Alexandra Smith Annika Thiessen Maria Turmel
Radford University Crystal Allen Mitchell Bentley Rebecca Biersack Justin Bomar Abigail Davenport Deanna Di Silvio Sarah Ficadenti Muhaned Ibrahim Yulisa Manzo Samuel Mitchell Ryan Sheehan Marymount University Jessica Boner Meghan McCullough Toan Phan James Madison University Rachel Beck Elisabeth Blevins Matthew Bowles Lindsey Bross Elizabeth Callahan Hwijin Choi Justin Clemson Mashianeh Dehghanpour Courtney Farmer Isabella Franco Kristen Gaudian Kelly Gianiny Vanessa Girata Kaitlyn Goudey Courtney Hale Jennifer Hunt Delaney Ivins Christine Lee James McGrath Diego Menjivar Unyoung Park Kristen Price Vivian Ross Abilene Schiefer Rachael Smith Monica Sohn Glen Thomas Mason Trump Katherine Wagner Colleen Wallace Natalie Weare Sarah Whitmarsh Longwood University Michael Facinoli Emily Hassett Nora Lyle Jessica Malthaner Amanda Patterson Carl Runk Shiv Sharma Allison Slocum April Swartz Scott Welty Meredith College Megan Anderson Abigail Phillips Employment Wendy Ventura
NOVA Muhammad Abdullah Timothy Akol Melissa Arbolado Pedro Arias Gerardo Ballon Victoria Benton Blake Burton Huynh-Nghhi Cao Kimberly Coral Tristan Crum Rolando Davila Sarah Douglas Gabrielle Draugelis Logan Eggers Bishoi Elias Enrique Escoto Mervin Fanfon Christian Garcia Shaetavia Graham Christopher Hall Fnu Hasfa Stephania Henriquez Christopher Henry Alexander Hussein Ryan Hutchinson Kathryn Johnson Chae Jung Abdul Karim Kylie Keith Tessa King Ji Sun Lee Brandon Lennon Vinh Mao Sareya Marquina John Mataya Ali Muhammad Khanh Nguyen Mahamus Osman Ismael Palacios Christopher Prado Melissa Quint Ethan Rubi Oscar Sanchez Kyle Thompson Michael Tisler Luke Tompkins Kathleen Valencerina Morgan Watts Natalie Wilson Dean Wyatt Lauren Crawford Jennifer Lowry Ryan Cho Jefferson College of Health Sciences Evan Beauchamp Matthew Whalen Bridgewater University Austin Garlick University of Richmond Gahyun Lee United States Air Force Kaitlyn Kelly United States Army Andrez Obando U.S Marine Corps Christopher Dullea Brianna Hollins Philip Manuel
Pensylvania State Burak Esen (Altoona) Rennee Ryckman (Altoona) Christina Hayden Kevin Lestz Miriam Wade Michael Wold Haochen Wu Grace Youn Coastal Carolina Ashley Ellis Angelo Esposito Ryan Krogel Casey Silva
Baylor University Emily Brennan
Ryan Henderson Scott Holden Hannah Lee Sarah Nutt Jack Owens Rachel Pergerson Colby Wallmow
Clemson Marissa Bossard Megan Kauffeld
University of Nebraska-
Boston University
Elizabeth Hughes
Fordham
West Virginia Kelly Martin Nicholas Viens Andrew Walker
Gillian Bashaw Jeremiah Carew Aaron Laub
Georgia Institute of Technology
East Carolina
South Carolina Andrew Bachinsky Matthew Clift Emily Clymer Robert Harrington Anna Sasseville Tristan Shaffer Mallory Stathis Haley Young
Univerity of Alabama Joseph Darcy Angelique GarciaMarquina Emily Scheiner Jeffery Whitmarsh
Notre Dame Alexandra Altobelli
Jared Cottrell (Lincoln)
Colgate Universtiy Jacob Daugherty
Bridgewater College
Austin Garlick
Brigham Young
Auburn Joshua Deem Branden Pincince
Hunter Johnson Abigail Sowa (Idaho)
Hampden- SydneyBennie Williams
Tessa Cate(Bloomington)
Indiana University
Ithaca College Emma Enav
Robert Eaton (Bozeman)
North Dakota State Alec Klindworth
Norwich University Christopher Reardon
Parsons The New School for Design
Texas A&M Rachel Collister
The Catholic Universtiy of America Alexandra Rocha
The Citadel Noah Flowe
College of New Jersey Emma Hurst
University of Colorado
University of Florida
Caroline Croghan (Boulder)
University of Dayton Molly Metress
University of Illinois
University of Sciences in Philadelphia William Gregorits
University of West Florida Sara Martin
Andrea Leach
Montana State
Dickinson College Claire Colburn
Drexel University Kristina Moneyhun
Duke University Amy Wang
Danny Murphy Monica Quintiliani Alex Woo
Valley Forge Military College Karla Lopez Emnry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eric Ford (Florida)
Eui Lee
Byung Yoo (Urbana-Champaign)
Vassar College Kathryn Voegtlin Binghampton
Victoria Hudson
Marymount California Adeye Swann
Florida State Alexandra Soliz
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Caitlyn Creasy Rachel Hunt Patrick Reilly Monica Supko Haley Thomasson
University of Pittsburgh
University of North Carolina
Cory Huddleston Alexander Kim Kaleigh Neumann Madison Salka
Frank Carber (Chapel Hill) Hannah Christen (Chapel Hill) Caleb Henderson (Chapel Hill) Allison Eichelberger (Charolotte) Rachael Fasana (Wilmington)
Ryan Antonellis
Harvard College
Airforce Academy Kyle Desautels Forrest Isenhour
Abilene Christian University Madison Ray
Georgetown Pooja Gajulapalli
Yale Kai DeBus
Charleston Southern University
California Polytechnic State University
Lydia Grabski
Patrick Farrell
Creighton University Alexandra Donerson
Delaware State University Neal Dixon
Denison University Samuel Fiedorek
University of Houston
Michigan State Todd Lincoln Bonnie Nordstrom
Agnes Scott College Madelyn Kent
Alderson-Broaddus College Caitlyn Mandela
Jefferson College of Health Science Evan Beauchamp Mathew Whalen
Johnson & Wales Valerie Truong (Providence)
Lehigh University Madison Jenkins
Christopher Stelly Brian Thompson
Johns Hopkins Lance Hammond
Randolph College Georgia LeGrandCarney
Rice University Jin Park
Slippery Rock Rachel Brobeck
The College of Wooster Nan Denette
Ohio State Marissa Ajamian
Towson University Reece Burnett
University of Kentuky
University of Mississippi
Katherine Kunc Courtney Peterson
Richmond the American International College (London) Alexandra Ludardi
Willamette University Chloe Lawton
Marie Fletcher Madison Passmore
University of Missouri
Patrick Mueller (Columbia)
Kelly Valette
Ryan Kelly
College of Charleston Hunter Macdonald Alexandra Polchek
Emily Beagles Andrew Ward
American University
Jeta Luboteni
Maryland Institute College of Art Grace Lee
Susquehanna University Megan Stevens
Syracuse Sarah Kelley
Universal Technical Institute Allen Dunlap
University of California
Lydia Chen (Berkeley)
University of Nevada Matthew Mills (Reno)
Wake Forest Washington College Marie Mickley
MIT
Rochester Instiute of Technology
Marion Military Institute
Andrew Laffosee
Wentworth Institute of Technology Grace Doerry
Carnegie Mellon Creson Lee
University of North Georgia Ryan Kossover
Wheaton College Craig Moman
Pratt Institute Tho Pham
Widener University Trevor O’Brien Other:
Robert Lewenhaupt- CBYX CIEE Exchange Program Annalise DeppmeierGap Year in Turkey Kristen Christensen- Germany
22 The Bear Facts
June 9 2014 In-Depth
A Bit of Bruin Advice..... Elizabeth Hughes: “Senior year has flown by, and it’s hard to believe that in less than three weeks it’s all going to be over. If I could go back and give myself advice, I’d say, ‘Don’t worry!’ High school can seem so stressful, and I was the type to worry over things I couldn’t control. While high school is important, I found that there is honestly no reason to worry about the little things when in the end stressing is self-destructive. For example, with the college application process, it’s easy to stress over things you can’t control. When I took a step back, I finally saw how silly it was to worry about things I couldn’t control, and school became a lot less stressful. When I let some of the unnecessary worries go, I got to enjoy all the fun things to do at Lake Braddock. I went to more games. I made it to at least one event for every spring sport. I tried new things, and I was even in the art show. I found new things to participate in and really got to enjoy high school, as opposed to sitting around worrying about things out of my hands. So here’s my advice: Make the most of your time here and stop stressing; a situation is only as good as you make it.”
Frank Carber: “The most important thing you can do for yourself in high school is realize that you know yourself better than anyone else. You are going to be told a lot by other people not only how to act and who to be, but also what ‘success’ and ‘achievement’ are. Listen to advice and what other people tell you, but don’t lose yourself in the process. Lake Braddock—and high school in general—can be an extremely intimidating place and even with 4,000 people, it can feel like you don’t fit in perfectly anywhere, and by the end of high school you realize that no one fits in perfectly anywhere. Your qualities, flaws, quirks and talents don’t fit perfectly into any superficial clique that you come by in high school. However, you find out that this struggle is what makes us unique and is something to be celebrated. Allow yourself to figure out the things you love, and do them. Be different by being unashamed of what you care about and who you are. Never forget to prioritize your learning over your grades and know that there are more important things in your life than the scores you get in high school. Try new things and learn to accept and learn from your failure, and the best thing can sometimes come from a ‘failure.’ Thinking of college and doing well in classes is an exciting challenge, but can take a toll on you, so always find time for yourself and your health. It will be difficult, but try to enjoy the small and big things alike.”
23 Comment
9 June 2014
Lost in Translation: Languages Lacking ⌂
Different languages should be taught in FCPS
by Jonah Scharf - Staff Writer
P
arlez-vous anglais? ¿Hablas Inglés? Sprechen Sie Englisch? 영어 할 줄 아세요? Do you speak English? These questions are asked by American tourists every day in foreign countries, as they tour, visiting and experiencing the culture of foreign lands. Unfortunately, few Americans even bother to learn the language of the country they are visiting, and instead rely on foreigners to understand English. In today’s competitive world, schooling is supposed to put us ahead. It does a fine job in math, science and history. However, foreign language always falls behind. Here at Lake Braddock, the language department offers courses in Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Latin. Although this may be enough for those who want to work in Latin America or be the Pope, for many at Lake Braddock and for the U.S. government, it is not enough. Many of the languages that the school should be teaching are found nowhere in Lake Braddock. Moreover, these languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Russian are taught only at select schools and not spread throughout Fairfax County. Additionally, if students want to take these classes, they are forced to take it either online or in an academy. This is putting students at a disadvantage. Simply, students are not learning the languages needed to get ahead. The Modern Language Association reports that the No. 1 language for business is Chinese, and the No. 3 is Arabic (with French sandwiched in the middle). The C.I.A. and other government agencies need workers who speak Arabic, Chinese and other languages not offered at Lake Braddock, such as Hindi and Russian.
The biggest problem with this, however, is the cost associated with offering more languages. Ryan McElveen, the now famous school board member known for his snow announcements, has also created FCPS’s Internationalization/World Languages Working Group, which McElveen said in an interview with The Bear Facts, “is looking into ways that we can expand [language] offerings,
photo by Amanda Hendrix The range of languages taught by Fairfax County Public Schools may not be adequately preparing students for the changing, modern world.
potentially through virtual or online means.” McElveen adds, “Sadly we cannot afford to teach many languages at each school because we don’t have the resources.” The expansion of languages is important. But even the languages we do teach suffer in many respects. There is nothing wrong with students who want to take French, Spanish or Latin. Many people take languages not for business, but for pleasure.
However, this should not mean that students who want to take in-demand languages should not be given the opportunity to do so. The way things currently stand, students who want to excel in an in-demand language would be forced to take one such as Latin at Lake Braddock, then once in college, completely switch to a new one, wasting time and the cash required for college courses. All of these struggles could be avoided with more money allocated to languages, and as McElveen adds, “Learning critical languages is so important for our students because it gives them a skill that they can use to market themselves when they go to look for jobs in the U.S. or internationally.” Despite the tough choices made by FCPS in terms of languages offered, perhaps most damaging of all is the way languages are taught at Lake Braddock in general. Most often, vocabulary and grammar are emphasized over actual conversation. This is a major problem because conversation is the key to actually learning a language. Stephen Krashen, a linguist at the University of Southern California, explained in a Washington Post article that you have to force yourself to speak the language. Studies show repeatedly that intensive grammar study and memorizing vocabulary are of limited value. Students in classes that are provided with a lot of reading and conversation consistently do better than students in traditional grammar-based classes when both where tested on realworld communication. Plus, they do just as well on grammar tests. These students have acquired the grammar and vocabulary of the language naturally and can use what they have acquired in real communicative situations. They are also more likely to continue foreign language studies, Krashen said. More than 4,000 spoken languages and dialects are spoken in the world, and of course, FCPS cannot offer all of them. However, for the sake of student success and the changing geopolitical scene, changing which languages are offered, and how they are taught, best prepares them for the future.
The Bear Facts 24
Comment 9 June 2014
Textbooks heavy on backpacks and wallets ⌂
Financial burdens are too expensive for college students
by Kai DeBus - Staff Writer
I
The degree of unaffordability is getting to the point that it’s hurting learning.
t’s a stereotype that has all too often been validated again and again: College students spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on massive textbooks that they scarcely ever open. According to College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges, the average college student spends over $1,200 a year on textbooks. The idea of forking nearly $5,000 in unused textbooks over the course of four years, on top of skyrocketing tuition, is daunting. For current high school seniors matriculating to college this fall, paying for textbooks foremost, current college students can utilize the resources found on the does little to assuage such concerns. A recent report by The Student Public interwebs. One prime example are Interest Research Groups stated that open textbooks. These sources, under almost half of the students surveyed were deterred from taking certain classes because of textbook costs. Of the 65 percent of the students who did not purchase a textbook due to its high costs, 94 percent of them feared that their decision would hurt their grades. These statistics give grim evidence to monetary barriers between one’s true passions and the financial realities that accompany it. Many advocacy groups promote better photo by Ben Concepcion opportunities to The ridiculous amount of money spent on college textbooks has proven to be an obtain a collegiate immense burden on youth who are aspiring to learn. education. Yet, we must find a sustainable and effective an open copyright license, are free process to keep the students in college online textbooks that are made public to schools, teachers and students. In recent after their acceptance. So, what are our options? First and years, this option has gained traction
as a comprehensive and economic alternative to traditional textbooks. Supporters of free textbooks include David Wiley, co-founder of Lumen Learning, a company that helps schools transition to open resources. “The degree of unaffordability is getting to the point that it’s hurting learning,” Wiley said. Today, many forward-thinking institutions have begun adopting open resources for students. Rice University’s Connexions, MIT’s OpenCourseWare and California State University’s MERLOT system have all taken to the web to distribute free educational tools. But what if you’re a traditionalist, one who’s grown up accustomed to the solid feel of a physical textbook? The non-profit organization OpenStax College may have the answer. They’ve developed an innovative model: OpenStax is funded solely by grants from foundation sponsors, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Instead of focusing on maximizing profits, OpenStax can focus on providing economic alternatives to traditional textbooks. Online textbooks they provide are free that can be printed by students for no extra charge. If a student wishes a hardcopy, prices range from $30 to $50, a far sweeter deal than competing publication companies. Still, the problem remains. Most college students remain ignorant of these alternatives and continue to spend an average of $1,200 a year on textbooks. No matter the angle, paying such exorbitant prices for a book that you may or may not use is borderline ludicrous. For the benefit of high school seniors as well as current college students, it is time to stop piling on the financial burdens and look to reduced or even free alternatives. Still, the problem remains. Most college students remain ignorant of these alternatives and continue to spend an average of $1200 a year on textbooks. No matter the angle, paying such exorbitant prices for a book that you may or may not use is borderline ludicrous. For the benefit of high school seniors as well as current college students, it is time to stop piling on the financial burdens and look to reduced or even free alternatives.
The Bear Facts 25
Comment 9 June 2014
Drawing the mark of shame ⌂
People should not be judged by the ink on their body
by Anne Merrill - Business Manager
T
he definition of prejudge is to pass judgment about something, or in this case someone, before sufficient evidence is gathered. People judge all too easily in today’s society, from big things such as Kim Kardashian’s everchanging love life to small things like the number of calories in what someone orders when they go out for dinner. However, those kind of judgments do not keep people from advancing in the world. Who knew that in an era where people are encouraged to be different and stand out that having tattoos or piercings could keep one from being successful. “I think it’s hard to take seriously. I think it’s not the norm,” career center Specialist Judith Edwards said. “If you’re trying to be in a business setting it would be hard not to stare.” The main reason for businesses not allowing tattoos in the workplace is simply because they believe it distracts the consumer, and it could possibly tarnish the
business’s reputation, she said. Although tattoos can be distracting, they don’t keep people from performing well at their jobs. They do not make a person any less intelligent or any less capable, and, for those reasons, tattoos and piercings should not be judged in the workplace. For some people tattoos and piercings are still associated with certain “bad” people in society, such as bikers, criminals or gang members. Even if a person designs their tattoo as a form of expression, business owners sometimes see it as “calling attention to yourself, and not being part of the team,” according to Workingworld. com. Although tattoos were once associated with all those things, those times have long passed. That would be like judging a woman for showing her ankles in public because at one time a woman revealing her ankles was a prostitute. Or, it would even be like judging a man for being a stay-at-home dad because at one time it was improper for a man to not be in the workforce. To judge people based on prehistoric norms is not fair to anyone because very few people still fall in line with those norms. Getting a tattoo is a big decision, and even though people shouldn’t judge them, they will. Having a tattoo that can’t be covered up in a professional setting could cause problems when finding a job in the working world. Hopefully, however,
people will soon realize that a person’s choice of expression and individuality should not impact how successful they can be with their life and will not inhibit them in anything they want to do.
photo by Amanda Hendrix Students, such as senior Austin Garlick, with large tattoos are at risk of being judged by professional society.
Trusting charities becomes a challenge by Paul Barnhill - Comment Editor
O
ur world has many problems. Charities are supposed to fight these problems with donations, whether it’s saving dogs that are homeless or supporting research to stop breast cancer. For many large charities, however, that money is largely misused. This happens in charities such as PETA, the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure and Locks for Love. These charities are not the noble
helpers that many perceive them to be. The Susan G. Komen Foundation actually uses money from its donations to attack other charities. By Dec. 7, 2010, the Komen Foundation had identified and filed more than 100 legal trademark oppositions against small charities such as Kites for a Cure, Par for The Cure, Surfing for a Cure, Cupcakes for a Cure and many more for using any variation of the term “cure” in their names. “They came after us ferociously with a big law firm,” Roxanne Donovan said, whose sister runs Kites for a Cure, a family kite-flying event that raises money for lung cancer research. They said they own ‘cure’ in a name, and we had to stop using it, even though we were raising money for an entirely different cause.” The Susan G. Komen Foundation may have at one time been a benevolent
charity supporting breast cancer, but those days are long gone, and many people fail to do the research before they donate to these organizations. This is only the tip of the iceberg for the Komen Foundation. On Jan. 31, the Komen Foundation announced that they would be cutting funding to Planned Parenthood that went towards breast-cancer screenings. The reason? Pressure from pro-life organizations. The money in no way went to abortion procedures; the money was solely used to give breast-cancer screenings to women who couldn’t afford it on their own. When you’re a charity, cutting funding because the will of political organizations is unacceptable. After a massive uproar from the public, the Komen Foundation apologized and reinstated the funding Feb. 3.
The Bear Facts 26
Comment 9 June 2014
Seizing your rights: Your liberties at school
by Omar Amin - Staff Writer
R
ecent searches at school, due to sexting and drug use, have got students full of anxiety. However, most students are not even aware of their rights concerning searches. Through many court cases and legions of time, students have accumulated protections against the school. “Today’s decision sanctions school officials to conduct full scale searches on a ‘reasonableness’ standard whose only definite content is that it is not the same test as the ‘probable cause’ standard found in the text of the Fourth Amendment,” Supreme Court Justice William Brennan said in 1985. Reasonable suspicion is best described by the U.S. Supreme Court itself: “Articulating precisely what reasonable suspicion means... is not possible.” This loosely means that the searchers need to present a justifiable reason for searching the accused. Schools must be able to present their reasonable suspicion if it becomes necessary when the question of searching a student arises. A ruling in Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada states
that “reasonable find illegally suspicion does not imported apply if a person or exported simply refuses to goods in their answer questions possession. or is of a certain Students are ethnicity or race.” allowed to A d d i t i o n a l l y, ask for either just because a probable cause student hands or reasonable another student suspicion prior money while to subjecting putting something themselves to in his pocket is a search. not reasonable These are suspicion. not the only Students don’t things students need to be photo by Amanda Hendrix are able to acquainted with ask for prior knowing one’s rights could get oneself in serious trouble. the details, but Not to a search, Being aware of the rights a student has can save a person it’s vital for them from some dangers. however. to be aware of Students are their rights. able to call a lawyer or their parents prior One notable right is that they can question to a search. This can be an important move the nature of the search. This questioning because they can receive guidance before can only be done when students are their parents arrive at the scene or before informed about searches. School officials they are able to reach a lawyer, if needed. only need reasonable suspicion to perform If the searcher denies the call, you have the searches, but law enforcement officials right to remain silent until further notice. need probable cause. These officials are It’s imperative for students to be the police officers at our school. Probable aware of the rights they have concerning cause exists when “known facts and searches and seizures in the case they are circumstances are sufficient to warrant a in the position where they must subject man of reasonable prudence in the belief themselves to such an action. Knowing that contraband will be found.” This means your rights can be a valuable asset in the that a law enforcement officer may only protection of your best interest in any search someone when they have enough situation you are put in. An informed facts to back up a suspicion that they will citizen is a safer citizen.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editors, I was quite surprised when I opened this issue of the Bear Facts and found an article about our school’s Gender and Sexuality Association. How interesting that you managed to write about a club without, in fact, talking to any officers or people who have actually attended meetings. As the current president of the GSA, I would hope that anybody interested in learning more about our club and gaining a better understanding of our purpose and the reason for the name change would feel comfortable reaching out to me or my fellow officers through our Facebook, Tumblr, or email, if not in person. Those in leadership positions in GSA are more than happy to talk to the genuinely inquisitive, or at least point them in the right direction. Additionally, I would like to note that the term “transexual” (or as we like to spell it, transsexual) is both inaccurate and outdated,
as a quick Google search would yield. It would also be for the best to avoid referring to those questioning their identities as “confused” as the matter at hand relates to the often difficult discoveryofself,notalackofunderstandingmath homework. I hope that you will take my thoughts into consideration and approach any future articles on this subject with more thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and research. Madelyn Kent Senior Dear Editors, I liked this edition especially because it had a lot of focus on the senior class. I was able to read about the school-wide phenomenon happening known as prom, which colleges my peers decided on, as well as the new class elected leaders of the following years to come. I could relate to the article on Computer Science because I took the
class this year, and it’s totally right. Oh, and the senior pranks, sad to say, I don’t think we’ll have one this year. Overall, it was a good newspaper for the school. Kaitlyn Kelly Senior Dear Editors, “Cooking the Competition” was a very good article. Although it was very lengthy, I think it should’ve had more pictures. I haven’t heard about the competition, but it sounds interesting. Cooking is a great skill to have because you can cook whatever you want and you depend on someone else. The girl could turn this talent into a career if she wanted. This [is] a good article; it shows off someone’s talents and praises her for it. There should be more articles that praise people for their talents. Jeff Escobar, Senior
The Bear Facts 27
Comment 9 June 2014
Want an app? Just Google it ⌂
Google Drive is a serious option to replace Microsoft
oogle is one of the technology titans, as it has control of the search engine enterprise, as well as large stakes in the mobile phone, email and mapping industries. However, Google is not satisfied with just this. During the last year, Google Drive has been growing as a very real competitor to Microsoft Office, and now it seems that administrators are deciding that it is the right way to go, telling teachers to always use Google Apps. There is no doubt that Google Drive is a useful tool for students. It offers a wide variety of collaboration tools for what one needs, such as a word processor, a spreadsheet creator and a PowerPoint editor. Google Drive is one of the best ways to execute a group project without the stress that might occur when using Microsoft Word. However, being forced
to submit assignments via Google Drive is a step too far, and one that should not be taken. There are a variety of things that can go wrong when being forced to use an online application. If your internet goes down when you’re trying to submit an assignment, what are you going to do? Some might say to go to the library, but what if you have an assignment due on Monday? Every library in the county closes at 5 p.m. on Sunday, and a large number don’t open at all that day. For now, let’s just assume that no meteor is going to crash into your router at 11 p.m. and ruin your chances at a decent grade, but instead everything is going to go according to plan. Which should you use in that case? Google Drive is great if you can insure a constant internet connection and if you need to collaborate with others. However, the features of Google Drive often lag behind the once-standard Microsoft Office. For example, according to USA Today, Drive’s spreadsheets only contain 400,000 cells of data. This may seem like a lot, but Microsoft Excel contains a whopping 17 billion. That’s 42,500 times the amount of data you can
use in Google’s spreadsheets. There is no doubt that Google Drive is one of the best applications for group work. It allows for simultaneous editing, and for comments to be left, allowing for a forum of discussion right next to the actual document being edited. With Office, this is simply not the case. In a PowerPoint presentation, one of the most common group assignments, each student would need to send their own slides to one person, who would then compile all of them together. With Drive, this process is avoided and the stress and worry from the students can be mostly taken away. However, this alone is not enough to justify FCPS moving towards solely relying on Google Drive as a way to submit assignments. Microsoft Office has several features that make it a very viable option for students, maybe even a preferable one for some. If someone wants to keep using Office for their essays and assignments, then why shouldn’t they be able to do so? Google Drive may be a great and probably superior option to Microsoft Office, but that doesn’t mean that either one should be forced on students as the sole option for submitting work.
by Spencer Jolley - Staff Writer eer are cute and loveable creatures of nature that are adored by young children across the nation. These animals have been portrayed in movies such as Bambi, and they are loved across the world, except for when one jumps in front of your car and smashes through your front windshield causing thousands of dollars worth of property damage and possibly people’s lives. The problem is that there are simply way too many deer in Fairfax County. The most common deer in Virginia is the White-tailed deer,which is the one you’ll see dotting the woods. People and government agencies say that these
deer are harmless, but there is one key piece of data that show just how damaging deer can be. According to State Farm, $4 billion was spent on property damage during a one-year period in deer collisions. With that kind of money, you could buy the Lakers, Celtics and the Heat, according to Forbes. Deer’s direct economic influence on the ecosystem is harder to evaluate. However, it has caused millions of dollars of damage on trees and wildlife, according to the Virginia Deer Management Plan. According to them, the deer population can double in just a year’s span without hunting and other control methods. The problem is, those other control methods, such as disease and predators, aren’t effective. Hunting is the right answer to the problem. It is the only solution that has proven effective against the vast population of deer. According to the Department of Natural Resources of Maryland, deer and vehicle collisions
were reduced by up to half in their state during the fall due to managed hunts. Obviously managed hunts organized by the state are effective to a point, but why isn’t it also helping the collision rates in the other months? The problem is that hunters can only do this population control in the month of October and sometimes in November. However, deer are still doing their damage in the summer and the spring; they don’t just go away. According to a study done by the University of Western Ontario, deer vehicle collisions are also very high in the month of May and in the early mornings. Which is also the time that students and parents are traveling to school or work. The solution is clearly to extend these hunting months to help reduce the deer populations. Even though the hunts might not be as successful in these months, they will still do their job of reducing the population of the deer during the months that hunting typically does not take place.
by Spencer Jolley - Staff Writer
G
The case for clearing our deer D
28Style
9 June 2014
Online shopping will get summer hopping by Michael Galligan - Staff Writer
P
ools opening, attending concerts and participating in more outdoor activities are several signs of the beginning of summer. Along with those activities and beautiful weather comes comfortable and eye-appealing clothing that everyone will appreciate.
Stores have been preparing for their summer clothing lines for some time, but as it approaches, summer sales are beginning to become more common in all stores. Here at the Bear Facts, we’re going to help you weed through the different companies and have compiled a list of moderatelypriced clothing sites that will make you look your best this season.
Urban Outiftters is a clothing store along with a corresponding lifestyle blog. The company features an array of different clothing that could fit any style, ranging from grunge to summer clothing. Along with the sale of clothing they also feature the essentials, which consist of grooming/ beauty products as well as home decor.
“Swell” is a website that prides itself on having discount surfing/summer clothing at a discounted price. It features brands such as Reef, Billabong, Volcum and RVCA. It has clothing for both male and females ranging from tanks to shorts to flip-flops sold at reasonable prices.
Southern Marsh is company that sells clothing for both men and women, who give off the southern prep vibe. Even though the prices are a tad bit higher it reciprocates on the quality. Everything sold above average has a long wear-life.
“JackThreads” is an exclusive members-only website that features only male clothing. It is a website that sells discounted high-fashion clothing as well as home-decor. Its prices are already marked down up to 80 percent but then they have everyday sales with additional discounts ranging from, “Summer essentials” to “West Coast vibes: Summer gear.”
Just like Southern Marsh, Country Club gives off the preppy vibe that is often worn by collegiate men and women who participate in a Greek life. It is a discounted website that features popular brands such as Vineyard Vines and Southern Marsh and all orders come with free shipping with no minimum requirement.
H&M is a German company specializing in clothing for men and women, with an added sub-grunge look. It sells everything from men’s v-necks for $4 to women’s crop-tops at $6. It often has sales for members that range from free shipping to 70 percent off even on markdowns.
Chubbies is an up-and-coming brand that makes their claim to fame for “having the most radical and comfortable shorts.” Originals which are cloth shorts with a fiveinch inseam. Along with the originals, Chubbies started producing more of a variety ranging from sport utility to swim trunks.
29 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Style
photos by Amanda Hendrix and Andrew Clinton
LB students debut their meaningful tattoos by Emily Migdal - Managing Editor
F
or many students at LB, tattoos symbolize freedom and creativity but, they also help preserve memories. Although the decision to get a tattoo is not an easy one, many at LB are satisfied with their choices. “I got [my tattoo] to represent how I became an Eagle Scout,” senior Bobby Eaton said. “I got the eagle because of the Eagle Scout, and then the artist was also an Eagle Scout, and he showed me some designs.” Eaton chose to get an eagle fighting a
snake, but few can make these choices as easily as Eaton. There are many decisions to make from what design to get, to where to put it and the meaning it will have. “I’m from New Zealand, and the tattoo is bone carving, which you wear around your neck,” said junior Dejoun Lee. “Everyone has a certain one that they wear.” Encouraged by his cultural tradition, Lee chose to get the strength bone carving tattooed on his upper arm because he kept losing his necklace. Other types of bone carvings include purity, life, guardian and family. Lee chose to get the tattoo
because in order to wear another person’s necklace, it has to be washed in the ocean first, which Lee had to do often since he lost his necklace so frequently. “[I got mine] because I used to be depressed, and it’s a reminder never to go back there,” senior Christine Kim said. Kim’s tattoo is a quote on her side that says “I am enough” and it serves as an important reminder. “I was so nervous,” said Kim. “I had cold feet and everything. I was sitting in the waiting room and I wanted to leave, but I did it with my best friend. We did it together.”
Substitutes: More enjoyable than teachers? by Pooja Shethna - Staff Writer
W
alking into class and having a substitute teacher can be one of the best feelings in the world. However, the kind of sub you have can either make or break your day. Substitute teacher Stefanie Ancira started subbing 10 years ago when her children started school. She started out subbing for elementary schoolers and then climbed up the ladder and currently subs for high school teachers. “It’s a way to plug me in with my children,” Ancira said. When you’ve been subbing for years upon years, getting to know the kids grows to be a part of the regular routine. “Definitely high school,” Ancira said. “I love to hear the way they think, especially the smart ones,” Students all over the school, such as sophomore Jake Gold, enjoy class when their sub is Ancira. Certain qualities of a sub make them more lovable all together, such as being caring, kind, and understanding. Along
with that, a sub who has some knowledge of the subject they’re filling in for can make the class all the more bearable rather than one who has no knowledge on the subject..
photo by Andrew Clinton
Ancira subbing for a subschool secretary happily greets a student.
“The [precalculus sub] was trying to teach us a new concept and had no idea what she was saying,” sophomore Sarah Paquette said, “My teacher had to reteach the whole lesson the next class period
because no one had understood the sub.” Another thing that makes the experience of having a sub even better is when they’re young and lenient. Being able to listen to music in class and doing assignments at your own leisure can really relax a very serious and boring class. “[Mr. Kidd] didn’t really make us do anything,” senior Robert Briden said. “And he didn’t really care about what we did either.” On the other side of the spectrum however, there are subs who aren’t very popular with the student population. “I didn’t think she belonged in the teaching business,” Briden said. “I just got the vibe that she didn’t like kids.” Subs who don’t like to be around students can infect the atmosphere and make the class far worse than it actually is. On the other hand, subs who interact with students and enjoy their time in the classroom can make the class feel relaxing and a lot shorter than it actually is. Either way, the sub is temporary, and you will be able to live through the experience right alongside your friend.
9 June 2014 Style
30 The Bear Facts
What are you wearing this summer? BOYS
An outfit that will surely attract attention, which will allow you to keep cool as well. The tank top can be found at Urban Outfitters for $34. The Chubbies are sold on the Chubbies website for $50.
GIRLS
This outfit, great for a summer concert or event, can be paired with classic white Converse. The crop top can be found at Forever21 for $13. The shorts are sold at American Eagle for $45.
STAY COOL UNDER THE HEAT Ingredients
Directions
SMOOTHIES 8 strawberries 1/2 cup milk 3 tablespoons 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 6 crushed iced cubes
1. In a blender, combine the strawberries, milk, yogurt, sugar and vanilla. 2. Add in the ice. 3. Blend until smooth and creamy. 4. Pour into glasses and serve.
POPSICLES 2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries 1 cup raspberry juice drink 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1. In a blender, puree 1½ cups raspberries, raspberry juice drink, and corn syrup until smooth. 2. Fold in the remaining cup of raspberries. 3. Divide into molds and freeze until firm and serve.
The Bear Facts 31
Style 9 June 2014
TOP MOVIES TO SEE Transformers: Dark of the Moon - June 27: With a new cast, but the same Autobots, Transformers 4 takes place four years after the previous movie, Transformers Dark of the Moon. Scientists and businessmen try to learn from past Transformer invasions and develop technology so advanced that they lose control.
The Giver - August 15: The Giver takes place in a dystopian society where every aspect of life is controlled. Jonas is an exception who is given a rare job that gives him knowledge of the outside world. As Jonas begins his job training to become the next giver, he quickly sees that his world is not as perfect as it seems to be.
The Fault in Our Stars - June 6: Hazel, a girl with terminal cancer, discovers her true love at the Heart of Jesus, a meeting for people with cancer. Watch as she begins a journey that will change her perception of love forever.
22 Jump Street - June 17: After leading a drug bust operation in their local high school, undercover cops, Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), head to college for yet another crazy police operation.
photo courtesy of IMDB
TOP SUMMER ACTIVITIES TO DO
1
Bonfires: When the sun goes down, turn up the heat with a fun summer bonfire with friends. Just make sure to set up the firepit in a safe area with parental guidance.
2
Tie-dye shirts: This activity, easy and fairly inexpensive, brings an extra pop of color to your summer day. So grab some friends, a couple white T-shirts and a tie-dye kit, which costs about $10 at a local craft store like A.C. Moore.
4
Amusement parks/ waterparks: Buy a season pass to Kings Dominion or Six Flags and enjoy the thrill of rollercoasters and the refreshment of the waterpark all summer long. Water fights: Waterguns, waterballoon grenades and a hose. Your aquatic arsenal is all set and ready to go. Split into teams among your friends or other neighborhood kids and see which legion of water warriors will be victorious.
3
5
Pool: Many of you are already planning on spending your hot summer days at the pool. A good game of sharks and minnows could spark up some action in your day, or if you came to the pool to relax, you could lay out and soak up the sun. Be sure to come to the pool prepared; under no circumstances should you or a friend go to the pool without sunscreen.
photo by A. Davey/ Flickr
TOP CONCERTS TO GO TO Band Playing
Phoenix
Avicii The Neighbourhood Justin Timberlake Wiz Khalifa
Date
Description of event
6/7
Playing at the Echo Stage, Washington, D.C., this English indie, rock band plays upbeat music including songs from their new album, Bankrupt.
6/29
Experience popular songs like “Levels” and “You Make Me” by the Swedish DJ, Avicii, at Jiffy Lube Live.
7/9
Popular for songs like the “Sweater Weather,” this group is playing at the Echo Stage. Come out and support their mellow album, I Love You.
7/19
Enjoy his album, The 20-20 Experience, in the Baltimore Arena. Join this American pop singer in his comeback in the music industry.
7/27
Performing at Jiffy Lube Live alongside TYGA and Young Jeezy. Go to this outdoor concert to hear songs like his new single, “We Dem Boyz.”
photo by The Zender Agenda/ Flickr
photo by Nan Palmero/ Flickr
32 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Arts
Bruin Compositions 1
1
4
5 2
3
5
1. Senior Kim Magalona created this pot. “ This reflects what I love to do in ceramics, which is make something beautiful out of a lump of clay and paint it whichever way I want,” she said. 2. Senior Noah Woodruff created this art piece. “This is a self portrait. The colors aren’t blended together to show that the subject is at a distance,” he said. 3. Senior Diana Worthen took this photograph. “This was taken at the Baltimore Aquarium. I think jellyfish are especially fun to photograph because they’re so surreal and visually striking,” she said. 4. Junior Eriko Spurlock made this art piece. “This is a piece I did with colored pencils, I was inspired by summery color schemes, and I have a thing for drawing flowers so it was fun to draw,” she said. 5. Sophomore Joshua Porter took this photograph. “I like to document the lives of people downtown,” he said.
35Sports
9 June 2014
photos courtesy of Gregg Zelkin
Senior Ashley Flesch (left) pitches against West Springfield on May 2 and sophomore Danielle Newman (right) swings at a pitch against Woodson on May 9.
Softball swings for states
by Katie Karlinchak - Staff Writer
West Potomac, South County was not able to come back from their loss like the Lady Bruins did. “The second game we got on top of them right on the get go and ith regionals starting for softball, LB is finding itself on top. The Lady Bruins are ranked first in the state put the pressure on them instead of us,” Flesch said. The team overall contains a lot of talent on the field. Whether and second in the All-Met region. Securing their spot for regionals gives the Bruins an advantage, but the team agrees it’s hitting, pitching, catching or fielding, they’re very well rounded. With three freshman, four sophomores, six juniors and that they took districts one game at a time. two seniors, they are diverse in age, but the team still After 21 games and only one nail-biting loss to South functions like one big family. County, the Lady Bruins have set their standards high “I think we are one very well-rounded team this for states. At the South County game, the Lady year,” Flesch said. “If one person doesn’t step Bruins went into 13 innings without letting the up, the next person has got their back.” Stallions score. Senior Ashley Flesch, at the With only one senior graduating last head of command on the pitcher’s mound, year, the team offers tons of experience. held the Stallions scoreless going through With two seniors on this year’s squad, 12 innings. In the 13th inning, however, Flesch, who will attend West Chester the Stallions came out on top. The Bruins University on a scholarship for softball, have since redeemed themselves by and shortstop Amanda Patterson, the beating the Stallions 4-0, obtaining yet The total number of runs scored by the team hopes to find success in regionals another shutout. girls’ varsity softball team this season. and take the state championship title. “I could tell from the beginning of the Defensively, the team has shutout its “I think going into districts we were [first game against South County] that opponents in 16 games and allowed 11 runs going in strong but not taking any team we were not mentally prepared to play throughout the whole season. for granted,” freshman Bailey Edwards South County the first time,” freshman said. “Going into regionals and states Patty Maye Ohanian said. “I personally we are going to see better teams and more didn’t do what I wanted to do in pressured competition, so we are taking it one game at situations like that, and that affected the a time.” outcome of the game.” Last year, the Lady Bruins took the district After Flesch shut down the Stallions at their championship. This year, the girls softball team has second game, the Stallions were defeated and wound repeated their accomplishment, taking another district title. up hitting a slump. After playing the Bruins, the Stallions couldn’t hit off of any opponent, whether it was West Springfield, The softball team looks primed to sustain their success and who the Lady Bruins constantly held perfect games against) or hopefully bring the state championship to LB.
W
Number To Know: 236
6 June 2014 Sports
36 The Bear Facts
Sizing up the spring sports Crew Record and Results: LB finished another successful season on the water. The men’s lightweight came in second at states and qualified for nationals. The women’s first four also came in second at states and made the finals at nationals. Notable Seniors: Tori Hudson, Lydia Chen, Yong Na and Andrew Ward. Athlete’s perspective: “[The highlight of the LB season was] getting to go to nationals,” senior Andrew Ward said. “We were one of the two Lake Braddock Crew boats to go to nationals. Also we are the first men’s varsity eight from LB to go to nationals.” Looking Forward: The team looks to get more boats to states next year after having two boats finish second at states. With many seniors graduating, the offseason will be a time to grow and condition for next season.
Track & Field Record and Results: The LB track and field program finished off another successful season with both teams qualifying for states. The boys’ team came in second at the conference meet and second at the regional meet. The girls’ team finished first at the conference meet and second at the regional tournament. Notable Seniors: Hannah Christen, Katie Roche, Brian Thompson and Reece Burnett. Athlete’s perspective: “The highlight of my season would be when the girls’ team tied South County for the conference title,” senior Hannah Christen said. “Everyone came together as a team and even though we weren’t projected to win we were able to pull it off.” Looking Forward: The teams will look to build on strong conference and regional finishes to place high at states.
Baseball
Softball
Record and Results: LB finished with 11 wins and eight losses on the season. However, it lost in the first round of the conference tournament to Annandale to end the season. Seniors: Alec Klindworth, Ryan Henderson, Angelo Esposito, Jack Owens, Colby Wallmow and Joe Darcy. Athlete’s perspective: “The Senior Night ceremony” [was the highlight of the LB season],” junior infielder/pitcher Matt Supko said. “I have been playing with this class since freshmen year,” Looking Forward: With six seniors graduating, the returning players will look to bounce back from an early post-season exit to make another run at a state title.
Record and Results: LB has 22 wins on the season to go along with just one loss. The team is still alive in the playoffs and will likely have another rematch with South County. The two teams have already met three times with South County handing the Bruins its only loss of the season. Seniors: Ashley Flesch and Amanda Patterson. Athlete’s perspective: “[The highlight of my season was] winning the conference championship against South County because it was the second year in a row,” sophomore Danielle Newman said. Looking Forward: After another successful season the team will look to build towards the coveted state title.
The Bear Facts 37
Sports 6 June 2014
Boys’ Lacrosse
Boys’ Soccer
Boys’ Tennis
Record and Results: LB finished with 14 wins and six losses on the season. The team lost in the region quarterfinals. Seniors: Andrew Bachinsky, Joel Borda, Tim Coulter, Michael D’Adamo, Jeff Escobar, Burak Esen, Sam Fiedorek, Ben Fields, Scott Holden, Eric Knickmeyer, Kevin Lestz, Patrick Mueller, Nick Neptune, Trevor O’Brien, Hayden Pozza, Chris Reardon and Tre Williams. Athlete’s perspective: “[The highlight of the season was] beating Woodson in district semi-finals,” junior Ben Peters said. Looking forward: The team will look to get back to the conference final and win.
Record and Results: LB finished with three wins, six losses and five ties on the season. The season came to an end in the first round of the conference tournament to West Potomac. Seniors: Diego Menjivar Athlete’s perspective: “[The highlight of the LB season was] beating West Potomac during the regular season,” sophomore Evan Kramer said. “This was one of our best performances playing as a team.” Looking forward: After an early tournament exit the team will look to build on the chemistry from this year with only one player not returning next season.
Record and Results: LB has 15 wins and no losses on the season. The team won the conference match and is still in the regional playofffs. Seniors: Scott Belcher, Jacob Daugherty, Chris Dullea, Jack Esper, Bobby Harrington and Jonah Scharf. Athlete’s perspective: “[The highlight of the LB season was] the team winning conference championship,” senior Scott Belcher said. “Also the singles and double players winning the individual conference tournaments.” Looking forward: The team will look to continue its undefeated season and make it to the state playoffs.
Girls’ Lacrosse
Girls’ Soccer
Girls’ Tennis
Record and Results: LB finished with nine wins and eight losses on the season. The Bruins made it to the first round of regionals where the team lost to Langley. Seniors: Allie Snow, Kristen Gaudian, Rachel Pergerson and Shayla Scott. Athlete’s perspective: “[Our team is different from other teams because] all of the girls are really outgoing and are so much fun,” sophomore Dwyer Neal said. Looking forward: With only four seniors graduating, the team will look to build on the winning season. It will also look to get to the conference championship game after getting knocked out in the second round.
Record and Results: LB finished with 13 wins and six losses. The team’s season came to an end in the regional semi-finals against undefeated Battlefield. Seniors: Devon Armstrong, Kacy Decatur, Sarah Ficadenti, Brianna Hollins, Katy Kunc, Madi Ray, Katie Voegtlin and Natalie Weare. Athlete’s perspective: “[Our team is different from other teams because] we are all so close,” freshman Haley Hopkins said. “Everyone is friends with everyone” Looking forward: As a very young team, LB will look to build on its deep playoff run and repeat as conference champions and make it to the regional finals.
Record and Results: LB finished with 11 wins and three losses on the season. The team fell in the regional quarterfinals. Seniors: Christine Kim, Sarah Tran, Lida Daniel, Liisa-Marie Pihlak, Jimin You and Creson Lee. Athlete’s perspective: “The highlight of the season was when we beat Woodson for the first time in a really long time,” freshman Ari Zimmerman said. “It felt so good to finally beat them, and we put in a lot of hard work to do so.” Looking forward: After exceeding expectations, the team will look to build on its playoff run. It will also look to repeat its win over Woodson.
38 The Bear Facts
9 June 2014 Sports
Football coaches depart for new jobs by Tu Lam - Co-Sports Editor
A
fter an undefeated season that ended in a heartbreaking loss to Westfield, LB football team will be picking up the pieces again in 2014 with new hopes for a new season. However, in this upcoming season, the team will be without three men who were keystone pieces in making the team click. Linebackers coach Shaun Blair and offensive coordinator Eric Henderson will be leaving the purple and gold behind and moving to new schools as head coaches,
Coach Shaun Blair while wide receivers coach Tyronne Crabb will be following Henderson as an assistant coach. Blair will be picking up the red and silver of the McLean Highlanders, while Henderson and Crabb will be donning the orange and white of the Hayfield Hawks come fall. Blair accepted the position of head coach at McLean High School in December. The chance to be the head coach of a football team presents Blair with a unique chance. “It’s an opportunity,” Blair said, “and you don’t close the door on opportunity, you try to kick the door in.” Blair has mixed feelings about leaving LB, calling the move “bittersweet” and comparing it to when a player leaves. Despite Blair’s reluctance to leave LB, he is excited about the opportunity ahead of him. However, had the position been anything below head coach in prestige, he likely would not have accepted the role. “If I weren’t offered the position, or if it was going to be a lateral move, or even a slight promotion, I think I would have stayed here,” Blair said. “[LB football
is] an elite program, and unless you’re offered this type of position, I don’t think I would leave.” The Bruin coaching staff has built a close bond over the years, and Blair is loath to leave the camaraderie of the coaches and players. Blair was also a teacher at LB, and he will be leaving students as well as coworkers. With his eyes to the future, Blair is excited to lead a good program. Additionally, he looks forward to the chance to pass on his knowledge. “I have an opportunity to impart the things taught at LB about how to be a football player and how to be a standup young man,” Blair said. “I have an opportunity to impart that on a whole different community within the region.” Also taking up the position of head coach at another school is Eric Henderson, who became the new head coach of Hayfield football in February. This will be Henderson’s second stint as a head coach, as he previously held the position at West Potomac. The move will be one that provides Henderson with his own program to lead. “This is a good opportunity for me,” Henderson said. “I feel like I have some leadership skills and some things to offer the kids at Hayfield.” Even though Henderson is leaving LB, this does not mean that he will not miss certain aspects of the school. “I’ll miss the kids,” Henderson said, “without a doubt.” Henderson looks forward to leading the Hawks in the upcoming season, as his return to the position of head coach signals a new era for Hayfield. “[I’m looking forward to] running my own program again and just the dayto-day interaction with kids on a head coaching level,” Henderson said. “I miss that, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Coach Eric Henderson
However, none of these moves come without the opinion of LB’s own head coach, Jim Poythress, who feels confident that the holes left by Blair, Crabb and Henderson have been properly filled by capable individuals. “I think that we’ve already taken the proper steps to ensure all the positions are filled by knowledgeable people,” Poythress said. The football coaching staff, Poythress said, had more coaches than needed at the high school level, and the departures should not be overly detrimental to the
Coach Tyronne Crabb team. Because of this, no new coaches will be joining the Bruins come fall. However, position changes will have to be made. “I might move some guys up or move some people around,” Poythress said, “but [I’m not hiring] anyone new at the current time.” The movement and departure of coaches should not be considered a drastic change, as each season begins differently due to the nature of high school sports. “Those are all small changes, but I think we do things differently every year,” Poythress said. “We might tweak something (based on our personnel) here and there defensively or offensively.” The departures of Blair, Crabb and Henderson should not be thought of as a blemish to LB, as an assistant coach leaving one successful program in order to take a head coaching job elsewhere reflects positively upon the school. The time that Blair, Henderson and Crabb spent in purple and gold will hopefully give them the experience and confidence needed to find success at their new schools—except, of course, when they play LB.
Sports 9 June 2014
The Bear Facts 39
Snowing in the Spring You’ve been on varsity lacrosse for four years. How have you seen the team and yourself grow and develop? It’s hard to say how the team has developed over the four years because each year it was different, but all four of us seniors have definitely matured in our ability to play and also lead the team since freshmen year. This year, the team improved so much from beginning to end thanks to our new coaching staff. I understand that you tore your ACL. How did that injury affect your ability to play? I tore my ACL twice, which meant I had to sit out for about seven months both times. This obviously set me back a lot. Before the injuries, I was planning on playing in college, but it was injured during a big part of the recruiting process, and I also decided if I were to play in college and get hurt it wouldn’t be worth it. I learned a lot from the experience, though. What was the biggest challenge that you overcame this year? The biggest challenge that I overcame this year was definitely coming back and playing after three knee surgeries. It took a lot of hard work, but it was worth it.
Athlete of the Issue: Senior Allie Snow