Volume 42, Issue 2

10. 31. 14.

The Bear Facts

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

Contents / 10.31.14.

BEHIND THE COVER

19

17

29 “I actually got the idea from a video game called Watch Dogs.”

Volume 42, Issue 2 6 Cell Phones In the 21st century, are cell phones helpful or hurtful for student communication?

8 College Tuition photos by Jake Gold and Amanda Hendrix

The increasing cost of college has left many students with debt.

12 Leinz Sisters While they look alike, these sisters are not the same.

13 Liam Finn The star of 1984 talks about preparing for his role.

2

The Bear Facts

31 October 2014

17 Unplugged

29 Spirit Week

Students get to show off their musical talent.

Students show off their Bruin pride with creative outfits.

19 Disney Concert Chorus performs its annual children’s concert as Disney characters.

22 Lunch Security

10. 31. 14.

The Bear Facts

35 Spring Sports Teams get a head start on practicing to prepare for the competitive season.

A stronger security presence has been added to the cafeteria.

36 Winter Sports

26 Ebola

39 Randy Bills

Are students really in as much danger as they think they are?

“I was also making a graphic for the inside story, but it ended up being a better graphic for the front.”

A look ahead at our winter sports teams.

Learn about the impenetrable wall in football’s offensive line.

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

“Josh said “game of phones,” and I laughed, so I looked up the font and tried to emulate it. Then I took a popular phrase from the show [‘winter is coming’] and edited it.” quotations and cover by Jesse Sands

The Bear Facts Staff & Corrections Volume 42, Issue 2 Staff Writers Tom Anderson, Marianne Beveridge, Ian Bivona, Gerardo Cerna, Ayman Farid, Kinaya Hassane, Claire Hollinger, Kevin Hua, Michael Galligan, Jake Gold, Daniel Jarris, Spencer Jolley, Katie Karlinchak, Demetris Karounos, Aya Khaznadar, Lucia Kim, Maggie Komoniewski, Devon Lee, Anne Merrill, Alex Nestrovich, Connor O’Neill, Zelgai Saleh, Bunyamin Sevim, Nikki Sheppard, Maddie Sievers, Elena Simon, Jordan Stone, Nathan Zelalem

Management Editors-in-Chief Ben Tobin and Josh Wartel Managing Editors Sara Kim and Emily Migdal Copy Chief Thomas Kendziora Web Editors Ryan Mullins and Katie Vinson Photo Editor Amanda Hendrix Assistant Photo Editor Andrew Clinton Art Director Jesse Sands Business Manager Jake Hruska and Hao Nguyen

Editors Opening Remarks Editors Megan Cantwell and Dinali Dassanayaka News Editors Marcell Subert and Marleen Tipu Profile Editors Steve Hong and Yaitza Lopez Arts Editors Patrick Kearney and Vickie Park Comment Editors Paul Barnhill and Ben Concepcion Style Editors Hannah Lim and Michael Murphy Sports Editors Tu Lam and Jordan Small Adviser Kathryn Helmke

S T A F F

Corrections

Notice any mistakes in the Bear Facts?

Email bfacts@gmail.com or drop off a note in L202.

Senior Katie Vinson (Co-Web Editor)

P R O F I L E

In her second year in journalism, Vinson was promoted from a co-In-Depth editor to a co-web editor. Her job as a co-web editor entitles designing and posting content to the Bear Facts website, lbssnews.com and helping around the social media on Facebook and Twitter.

Besides working in newspaper, she is a captain of varsity crew and enjoys learning foreign languages.

“I went to Gov School for German for three weeks and also learned some Russian while I was there,” Vinson said. “I really want to work on that in college.”

Vinson was voted as the Homecoming Queen this year. Her sign signifies her view on life.

“I think you should take a step back sometimes and not stress over the little things.”

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 3

News: Future and Past

Numbers To Know

1

$61.48 The cost of a full protective suit for those fighting Ebola.

920 The number of chickens killed in a farm break-in on Sept. 20. Four teenage boys have been arrested. Foster farms said the cost of the chickens was $5,000.

A

fter almost a decade of debate, the FCPS board finally voted to push back start times to 8 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. for high school students for 2015-2016.

Costing $4.9 million due to a possibility of hiring more bus drivers, this new plan was designed with the help from the sleep experts at Children’s National Medical Center who emphasize the importance of teens getting at least nine hours of sleep.

They found that starting classes at 7:20 a.m. was negatively impacting students’ health and academic performance. They hope that students next year will be able to get extra sleep.

V

photo by Amanda Hendrix (1) and courtesy of MCT Campus (2,3)

irginia Medical Examiner and the Albemarle County Police Department has confirmed that the human remains found two weeks ago in an abandoned property are those of Hannah Graham. UVA students set up a memorial in remembrance of Graham on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, the suspect, Jesse Matthew, has been linked to several other sexual assaults, murders and abductions.

His hearing date is set for Dec. 4 in Fairfax County.

A

fter returning from Sierra Leone, nurse Kaci Hickox was placed in quarantine by New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Although she ran a high fever upon her return, she tested negative for Ebola on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Hickox threatened to sue for her release when governor Christie insisted on holding her in quarantine until Monday, Oct. 27, despite being symptom free. After the return of the health care worker who tested positive in New York, strict quarantine procedures have been put in place in New Jersey and New York.

$40 million was left to Foxcroft School by Standard Oil heiress, Ruth T. Bedford. Bedford passed away in June.

10% The percentage points Mark Warner is up compared to Ed Gillepie, according to a recent poll by CBS News.

The election will be held on Nov. 4.

$2.82 The average gas price in Virginia. According to the Associated Press, gas prices has fallen $0.18 in the last two weeks.

3

2

T

he Virginia Board of Education is discussing revising health education curriculum to include suicide prevention. The new plan teaches students essential health concepts and a way to identify signs and symptoms of depression and suicide.

The problem of depression and suicide has become a big issue, as suicide became a leading cause of death among the ages of 10 and 24 in 2013.

1. Jennifer Roberts, an English teacher, sends a grade report to her students’ school Gmail accounts for the protection of their privacy. 2. After the Texas nurse, Nina Pham was released from the NIH, President Obama invited her to the White House where he thanked Pham for her service. 3. Virginia’s gas prices have been dropping at an average of $0.18.

4 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

This page was compiled and written by managing editors Emily Migdal and Sara Kim.

Opening Remarks Holding our phones, forever

by Megan Cantwell and Dinali Dassanayaka - Opening Remarks Editors

As the piercing ring of the bell indicates the end of the school day, large majorities of students swiftly withdraw their phones and commence the endless cycle of texting and checking social media.

Cell phones have become a fixture in today’s culture, with top companies constantly brainstorming new ways to improve on the evolving features and designs.

Used for texting, going on social media and the occasional use of calling people, cell phones have become the top way to communicate with the world.

Cell phones are slowly impacting society in ways negative and positive.

The darker aspects of cell phones include texting and driving, a leading cause of death in teenagers. According to

textinganddrivingsafety.com, in 2011, at least 23 percent of automobile collisions involved cell phones.

However, the problem does not seem to be improving. Of adults 77 percent are very confident that they can safely text and drive, while 55 percent of teenagers believe it is easy to text while they drive and one in five drivers admit to surfing the web while driving.

Of teenagers, 34 percent said they have texted while driving. Most teenagers do not realize the dangers of texting while driving, and they try to justify their actions by claiming that adults text and drive as well.

Without cell phones, the process of obtaining information would be increasingly difficult and sluggish. It would also be hard to communicate with people in a quick and easy way. People would be unable to upload selfies on Facebook, and Snapchat would cease to exit. But most important of all, how would people know which Starbucks drink you got?

63% of cell phone

90% of American

adults own a cell phone

More than 1/2 of cell phone users have uninstalled or deleted apps due to privacy concerns

users use their phones to access the internet

44% of cell phone users

29% claim that their

67% of cell phone

cell phones are something that they “can’t live without”

sleep with their phones by their beds

users check their phones wtihout recieving any alerts

statistics from Pew Internet Research Project

1 in 5 cell phone users 79% of cell phone users use their phones to utilize have turned off the location send and recieve text location-based features tracker on their phones due messages to privacy concerns on their phones 49% of cell phone users

The evolution of Taking Selfies With one million plus taken each day, selfies make up almost one third of the total number of photos taken by 18-20 year olds. Selfie was the word of the year for Oxford English Dictionary in 2013, and Bradley Cooper and crew set the record for the most retweeted selfie of all time at the Oscars this year. The phenomenon is most popular in Australia, followed closely by the United States and Canada, with Facebook being the top platform for sharing self- portraits. Makati, Philippines is the city with the most selfies on Instagram, followed by New York, New York. Of male college students, 50 percent share selfies on Snapchat, and Kylie Jenner is the celebrity with the most Instagram selfies, with more than 450 shared.

6 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

(according to 10thingsme.com and mediabistro.com)

Top Social Media Apps 1.07 Billion monthly users 30% of people only login on mobile device 60.3% of all mobile sharing

(according to extendedramblings.com)

200 million monthly users 65% of users are outside of U.S. 60 million photos posted every day (according to instagram.com)

100 million monthly users 400 million ‘snaps’ per day 71% of users 25 and under (according to expandedramblings.com)

271 Million monthly users China has the most users: 35.5 million 9.89% of people use at work

Senior Katie Vinson and LB crew head coach Tracy Shakespeare Facetime graduate Lydia Chen on the blacktop before the homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 24.

(according to expandedramblings.com)

Darker Side of Phones...

It’s Not Just Texting...

According to The Atlantic, 87 percent of teenagers text every day. While Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snpachat are the most popular apps, usage of Pandora is suprisingly strong. 37 percent of teens say they use Pandora every day, compared to the 14 percent who use Pandora’s competitor, Spotify.

All-time best selling apps

Angry Birds No. 1 sold app in iTunes store.

Fruit Ninja The secondbest selling app of all-time

by Apple.

Doodle Jump Cut the Rope Close to 2 million downloads in the app store.

300 million dowloads on iTunes.

While cell phones and social media are

great at connecting us to our friends and family, they have also contributed to the rise of cyberbullying.

25% of teenagers report experiencing cyberbullying via cellphones and the internet Bullying victims are 7-9 times more likely to commit suicide than nonbullied teens (according to nobullying.com)

According to thehub.com, 33 percent of students would be happy to go a week without their phones. Student blogger Bethany Walsh accepted the challenge and decided to go a week without her cell phone. Seven days later, she was still alive. After a full week without her phone, Walsh said, “Never before had I been so excited to hear the text notification beeps echo around the room.” Walsh said that she had to find alternative ways to stay connected to her friends and family. She even had to write an actual letter with pen and paper a couple of times.

photo courtesy of Ismael Negron

Can you handle a week without your phone??!?

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 7

News

Inside 9 • Fundrasing Limits 9 • Suicide Prevention

10 • Dead Clubs 10 • Texting 11 • Gay Marriage 11 • Food Changes

Online: Ebola Virus

Record debt constrians students

A

graphic by Jesse Sands 8

s seniors put the finishing touches on their college essays, court teachers for recommendations and pare down their college lists, there’s one thought looming in the back of every student’s mind: Debt.

“It’s stressful enough trying to fill out applications and [writing] essays,” senior Grace Allas said. “But trying to figure out scholarships and how to spend the least amount of money over the next four years just adds to the mess.”

Among experts, there is little consensus on what the exact effect of student debt is on the economy as a whole. However, in the 20 years, the percentage of students graduating with loans that have yet to be paid off has risen from 45 percent to 70 percent. Also, according to a report in September by the California-based John Burns Consulting firm, it was found that 414,000 homes will not be sold because of the rapid rise of student loan debt.

The returns on a college education are being questioned, and more students are being advised to look into alternative pursuits such as gap years and community college. What does this mean for the graduating class of 2015 and their college decisions?

“I’ve been looking a lot more into in-state schools rather than out-of-state because in-state tuition costs a lot less,” senior Enberg Udquim said. “Even within in-state schools, I’ve been leaning towards going to George Mason for undergrad to save money on room and board.”

At the beginning of October, the University of Chicago announced that it would replace student loans offered in its financial aid packages with grants for those receiving need-based aid. Chicago joins a host of schools who are aiming to increase economic diversity and lightening the load of student debt among their student bodies.

While these actions are seen as a step in the right direction, rising debt can also be attributed to uneducated decisions made by students and their families.

“We get caught up with the sticker on the back of the car,” career center specialist Judith Edwards said. “People often think that name recognition equates The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

Student Debt 2010-2012

37 Loan Debt trillion

inStudent = $10 Billion

First exceeded

$1 Trillion in March

2012

MILLION

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

People with

Student Debt

highest consumer debt in the COUNTRY

New Interest Rate

6.8% starting July 1st

to a good job. If you utilize the resources provided, network and take advantage of

opportunities at any college, you can pay off your loans with a good job.”

New food regulation hinders fundraising

by Nikki Sheppard - Staff Writer

A

fter only a few weeks into the year, a new regulation was made to improve the nutritional quality of the food that’s sold at school. No unhealthy food or drinks are to be sold at school until 30 minutes after school has been dismissed. LB’s clubs and organizations had only the first month of school to sell unhealthy food to raise funds.

“The regulation went into effect over the summer,” principal Dave Thomas said. “We have been given direction by the superintendent to follow the guidelines. This will have a significant impact on our clubs and organizations who use food sales to raise money to support projects and activities.”

The upcoming graduating classes, such as the class of 2016, may not be able to make enough money to have their desired prom.

“I expect [the regulation] to cause issues for many class and club fundraisers,” class of 2016 sponsor Laura Stone said. “The class of 2016 only had one steady flow of income, and that was from the after-school sale of Colossal

doughnuts from have a great impact Shopper ’s. on LB’s fundraising This regulation strategy. LB will majorly limits have to come our fundraising up with new options.” ways to raise the This rule appropriate amount was made as of funding to keep part of Michelle their favorite clubs O b a m a ’ s and after-school plan to end activities running child obesity. and growing.

With this new “Clubs are regulation going to have to get from the Food creative with their and Drug food fundraisers A d m i n i s t r a t i o nStudents flock to the indoor concession stand 30 minutesin the future or move comes the hopeafter the final bell away from snacks that students will not consume fatty food entirely,” Stone said. that are often sold at schools.

Whether or not this regulation will “[This regulation was made by] actually help students develop healthy Michelle Obama’s plan to fight childhood habits is open to speculation. Hopefully obesity with a more nutritious school this change’s benefits will outweigh the menu,” former class sponsor Mark Purdy new complications the schools has to said. “Vending machines must be free of deal with. anything that will contribute to obesity “I think it’s good for people as a and it prohibits the selling of any kind of whole,” junior Serena Soliz said, “but the ‘fattening’ food before and after school school will have to find new ways to get within the first 30 minutes.” money other than selling the unhealthy It’s obvious that this regulation will food that they sold before.”

Hats go off to childhood cancer fundraiser

T

here are young children and teenagers fighting for their lives everyday against terminal cases of cancer. While chemotherapy is needed to help cancer patients win their battle, it also causes hair loss. This is why DECA has stepped in to provide hats for cancer patients through the charity: Ellie’s Hats.

“I think this is an excellent cause and an easy way to help those with cancer,” sophomore Lillian Bleicken said. “I would want to donate a hat to feel like I contributed to efforts to help those with cancer and even in the fight against cancer.”

Ellie’s Hats is an organization that was founded by Jay Coakley, a former LB P.E. teacher. Coakley was introduced to Ellie while he was teaching at Woodburn. Ellie was 5 at the time, and she was diagnosed with leukemia and started to wear hats because the chemotherapy she had to endure caused her hair to fall out. To help expand her hat collection, Coakley decided to conduct a hat drive. Now, this has become a statewide goal, to collect hats for other children with cancer.

“All DECA chapters in Virginia are participating in this event,” marketing teacher Erika Symonette said. “Jay had personally asked that we be a part of the

drive since he previously taught at LB.” The efforts to collect hats has just begun, and there haven’t been many donations yet.

“We currently don’t have many hats and would like more students to give to the community,” Symonette said. “Our goal is to reach 1,000 hats by the time Christmas break comes around.”

However, there are still some students who have taken the initiative to go out of their way to find a brand-new hat to donate.

“I have donated a hat,” sophomore Khanh Luong said. “It made me feel pretty good knowing that I helped a cause.”

Symonette even successfully brought Ellie’s Hats into her curriculum. By teaching students marketing techniques and skills, marketing students created posters and little cutout hats to spread the word.

Along with donating hats, several teachers volunteered to be a part of a dunk tank at Bite of Braddock to help receive more hat donations and fundraise. For a dollar, students had one chance to try to dunk a teacher and a new hat will give them the opportunity to try three times.

“I think the deal they have at the dunking booth will help increase the amount of donors because, I mean, who doesn’t want to dunk a teacher?” Bleicken

said.

Once all of the hats are collected, DECA leaders will go to donate the hats to child cancer patients. “[After collecting the hats], we can choose what hospital we want to donate the hats to,” Symonette said. “The DECA officers will probably go and donate the hats to the hospital that is chosen, and they may be able to also meet some of the kids and hangout with them.”

A student places a hat in the collection box for Ellie’s Hats.

photos by Amanda Hendrix (top) and Marcell Subert (bottom)

by Devon Lee - Staff Writer

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 9

Dead clubs descend to the grave

by Marcell Subert - News Editor

T

he future of several of the 51 clubs offered at LB are in question as a conundrum of absent or ever-changing sponsors, lack of student interest and old club revivals sweep the extra-curricular activities world.

Of the 51 after-school clubs offered, three remain without a sponsor and six without an assigned meeting room, according to the LB website.

One of the clubs that has its future hanging in the balance is Model United Nations (MUN). Once a prominent club, MUN has declined in stability, and its sponsorship remains unstable. The club began to decline last year as its studentrun structure began to fall apart.

“I believe what happened is that the students didn’t plan some activities,” former MUN sponsor Jennifer Adams said. “They thought that the sponsor was going to plan everything.”

Last year’s sponsor, Cici Schroeder, has left LB. The reins have been passed on to social studies teacher Mark Faust.

Faust is confident in the revival of this prosperous club and plans to take things slowly on the climb back to the top.

“I think that baby steps [are important] first because we are coming back from a club that was basically inactive last year,”

Faust said. “I think that there is a lot of potential [this year], and my job is not to scale the heights the first year but just to get re-established.”

Faust’s goal this year is to restore the student-run initiative of the club. He also plans to re-introduce all-day and possibly some overnight events to the club’s agenda.

Another big change in club sponsorship that may determine its fate is in the Future One Percenters of Former FOPAC sponsor Jim Novak departed LB last year, leaving the clubs America Club, also future in question. know as FOPAC. However, Ibrahimi remains optimistic Co-sponsor and Spanish teacher about the upcoming year and all of the Morgan Sohl will be taking a lesser role in possibilities it holds. the club this year as social studies teacher “I think it’s too soon to see which Homaira Ibrahimi takes on most of the direction it’s going to take this year,” responsibilities of club management.

Ibrahimi said. “I’m hoping for success. I “It looks like I am still going to be think we have a lot of great ideas about taking more of a lead in the club than I activities and fundraising.” had thought,” Ibrahimi said.

As the popularity of some after-school Last year was a golden year of FOPAC clubs shift in relevance, a few get ever under its president Joshua Deem who lead closer to the brink of non-existence while the club to its height of popularity. others have a chance at new life.

by Ayman Farid - Staff Writer

W

ith the varying amounts of homework, sports practices, tests and general stress on students’ lives in Fairfax County, students can become overwhelmed very quickly.

When they become overwhelmed, things may begin to get worse and worse, often leading to a downwards spiral.

This can affect students academically, socially and, most importantly, mentally.

However, the new FCPS CrisisText program attempts to resolve this problem by giving students a platform from which they can receive immediate support if they need it.

“I’m glad to see that FCPS is addressing students’ mental health and well-being,” counselor Catherine Trenary said, “because it should be the No. 1-goal for students’ growth and development.”

The FCPS CrisisText number (703997-5444) is always available, allowing students to receive immediate support 24/7. In addition to this, if students are concerned about a friend, FCPS is encouraging them to text the number

about their friend, enabling them to receive the help that they may need.

“If the idea becomes successful, then I do totally think it’s a good idea to allow students to recommend friends for this service,” junior Jonathan Russell said.

Depression, a serious medical condition, has been receiving more attention than ever before in the past few years. Especially with the recent highprofile suicides of certain well-known stars, such as Robin Williams, people are beginning to realize that depression is a serious issue, one that can affect many different types of people.

The FCPS CrisisText number (703-997-5444) is always available, allowing students to receive immediate support 24/7.

“I think we need to continue these outreach and education programs because they are beneficial, especially since you can’t always see what a kid is feeling,” English teacher Jill Kerns said.

While CrisisText certainly is attempting to help a worthy cause, some feel that it may not be as effective as other more traditional ways of communication.

Critics of the system say that it takes away from the personal experience a student gets from talking face-to-face with someone in person.

“Honestly, it’s a nice try, but I don’t think anyone will talk to it versus talking to a friend,” Russell said. “I feel like they would either tell a friend or tell no one.”

In contrast to this view, however, many feel that this is one of the main perks of the CrisisText system. If students do not feel comfortable talking about their problems in person, being able to do so through text may be a helpful tool for them.

“We live in a texting world now,” Trenary said. “If students like anonymity and feel more comfortable through text, the more options they have, the better.”

photo courtesy of the Lair

Students seek safety in texting

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 9

The cabbage patch comes to the cafeteria

D

ue to the efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Services, and prominent figures such as First Lady Michelle Obama and Fairfax County School Board member Ryan McElveen, changes to the school have been implemented.

These federal changes have been brought about by the Healthy HungerFree Kids Act in an effort to reduce childhood obesity.

“The new nutrition standards are evidence-based research and designed by the Institute of Medicine,” director of Food and Nutrition Services Penny McConnell said.

New breakfast and lunch meal patterns focus on reduced calories based on the grade levels of students, whole grain-rich breads and cereals, reduction of saturated fat, sodium, and zero trans fats, and choice of fat-free flavored or unflavored milk or low-fat unflavored milk.

All high schools have been implementing self-service fruit and vegetable bars so that students will gradually accept fruits and vegetables.

With the increased fruits and vegetables, it is a requirement that students select at least one serving of vegetable or fruit for lunch and one serving of fruit/ fruit juice with breakfast.

“I think the new lunch changes are

good,” junior Leah Choe said.

McConnell said that “in the coming months we will be introducing some new items developed and tested by our chef and at students’ request will be bringing back the Asian, Mexican and Italian lines on a rotation basis.”

All the new lunch menu items are healthy changes that meet the guidelines and have contributed to the continuing improvement of the health of today’s school environment.

The Smart Snacks in School standards will complement the healthier school lunches and ensure that kids are only offered tasty and nutritious foods during the school day.

Other changes to LB include the restrictions on the sale of junk food after school and the soda ban. LB is one of seven Fairfax County high schools to participate in the one-year pilot soda ban program. Regular soda products have been removed and replaced with healthier alternatives in compliance with the new USDA guidelines.

Some students are not very happy with some of the restrictions to their favorite junk food. Students also believe that even with the new changes, the consumption of junk food won’t disappear but rather occur elsewhere instead of at school.

Although these changes are directed towards healthier food choices and better nutrition, some students don’t believe they will make a big difference.

“I still definitely believe that bringing my own food is healthier than eating school food,” freshman Allison Kim said.

The new changes seem to have mixed reviews from students. Some appreciate the healthier foods while other students find the changes inconvenient.

“The fruit lines are a little tough to work with because people in E lunch often have to reach really far back to be able to get the food, which is tough for short-armed people like me,” Kim said.

.

The new fresh fruits and vegetables bar is one of the main nutritional changes in the school.

The Gays go marching on: the month in marriage equality The Ninth Circuit of Appeals struck down same-sex marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada. “It means so much for the courts to recognize our family and say that we must be treated equally,” said Lori Watsen, a plaintiff in the Idaho case.

10/12 10/7

A federal court finds the Alaska same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional “With each new state where same-sex marriages are legally recognized, our nation moves closer to achieving of full equality for all Americans,” attorney general Eric Holder said in a statement.

October 2014

10/21

State officials in Wyoming announce that they will no longer defend marriage ban “Rosa Parks didn’t give up her place on the bus,” Carl Olesen said. “And neither did we.”

10/6 The Supreme Court lets lower Appeals courts’ rulings that same-sex marriage bans were unconstitutional stand, immediately allowing for same-sex marriages in Virginia, Utah, Indiana, Utah, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Colorado.

10/14 10/9

West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey announces the state will no longer defend marriage ban. Fairness West Virginia, a gayrights group, issued a statement calling the decision “a historic day for all Mountaineers.”

A federal court strikes down North Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban. “[It was] a day that so many have fought so hard for,” says Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality.

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts

photo by Amanda Hendrix (top) and courtesy of MCT Campus (top), info by Alex Nestrovich

by Lucia Kim - Staff Writer

11

Profile

Inside 13 • Liam Finn

14 • Exchange Students 15 • Myriam Samake 16 • Michaela Sands

Online: Cheri Miller

Junior Holly Leinz executes a firebird at the Dancers vs. Cancer photo shoot, in cooperation with Under Armour (upper left). Leinz poses for the Dancer vs. Cancer program after being introduced by a family friend who photographs for the organization (upper right). Holly and Kailey pose with their dog Guiness at home (lower left). Kailey executes a kick in “Lights,” a jazz dance choreographed by Marilyn York at the Center for Ballet Arts (lower right).

Holly and Kailey Leinz

Leinz sisters push for perfection

by Gerardo Cerna - Staff Writer

A

photos courtesy of Holly and Kailey Leinz

cceptance to the University of Virginia, countless dance awards and scholarships are just the tip of the iceberg for alumnae Kailey Leinz. Her great accomplishments have left an immense mark on the school and an amazing influence on her younger sister, junior Holly Leinz.

Holly is currently on the varsity dance team, is in AP classes and is an officer in the National Honors Society and SGA. She is motivated by her sister and considers her a role model in her life.

“I like to think that I’ve guided her a lot,” Kailey said. “I know I broke in our parents for her, but I feel like she’s done a pretty good job on her own. I hope she’s learned a couple lessons from me,

12 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

though.”

Although they are three years apart, these two sisters have a close relationship.

“Me and my sister are really close,” Holly said. “She’s my best friend in the whole world. Kailey’s accomplishments motivate and push me to try and get as many of my own as possible because she set the bar pretty high.”

Getting admitted to UVA is tough competition for students, but Kailey worked hard throughout high school for a great reward and ended her first year at UVA with a GPA of 3.7.

“I try to work super hard during the week so I can let loose on the weekends,” Kailey said. “‘Work hard, play hard’ is my motto.”

Similarly, Holly strikes a tough balance in her academic, social and personal life. During the week, she

is fully dedicated to her school work and extracurricular activities, like dance, practicing 15 hours a week, and helping her mother out with their Mother Daughter Giving Club. During the weekends, she hangs out with her friends, still keeping up her 4.4 GPA. “The secret to my high grades is knowing that if I don’t get them, my parents will take away my social life,” she said. “It makes me work hard to maintain good grades, knowing there is a lot to lose,” Although they share similar hobbies, high academic status and looks, these two sisters are complete opposites.

“Kailey and I almost have nothing in common,” Holly said. “Kailey is the sweet, innocent one, and I’m kind of crazy and independent. Even when it comes to dance, she’s a ballerina, and I’m more hip-hop and jazz.”

Senior Liam Finn

In the darkness of ‘1984’, a new star shines

by Daniel Jarris - Staff Writer In LBT’s upcoming rendition of 1984, senior Liam Finn is starring as protagonist Winston Smith. Finn’s previous roles include Tajomaru in Rashomon and Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra. Although this is not his first time playing the lead, this looks as if it may be his most significant role yet.

Q: Which monologue did you perform for auditions? Did you expect to get the lead?

A: “Well, I performed a monologue from the play Waiting for Godot, as the character Pozza. Generally, in theater, I strive to get the lead, however Mirabal is very unpredictable—he will do what he thinks is right so I didn’t necessarily know what to expect.”

Q: You mentioned that this may be your most challenging role yet. What makes playing Winston so difficult?

A: “I’m not sure if lines are necessarily an issue; it’s more so that I have to do a lot of accent work and make sure I don’t let an American accent or pronunciation slip in, which would take away from the connection to the character. Also, [Winston’s] emotional depth and trying to relate to his struggle in such a dystopian society [will be difficult], but it’s something I have to achieve.”

Q: What types of preparations have you made to take on this role?

A: “[Something about this role that is different than other roles] is the accent work. We met with a coach to work on the accents.”

Q: Does the knowledge that 1984 will be judged in this year’s Cappies change your approach to the play?

A: “Not necessarily, because no matter the production, I always strive to take a fully serious approach; it is a platform to improve myself as an artist and collaborate [with other artists].

Generally, it’s not a good idea to let awards be your prime [goal] because you should be doing it for yourself, so in the end, no matter what, it’s rewarding.”

Q: I understand that you have a passion for creating music; have you ever thought about combining this with your passion for theater?

Q: Once you graduate, do you plan on continuing to pursue the performing arts?

A: “Yes, I am actually in the painful process of looking at performing art colleges right now. I plan to pursue acting, not for the awards or off-chance I’ll make it big, but because it is what I love.”

photos courtesy of Liam Finn

A: “I have thought about it. However, I’m not that into musicals.

I completely prefer straight plays. The type of music I create does not quite match most productions. However, there are exceptions, such as the musical Once or even The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I would definitely jump on a role that involved folk music or just allowed me to play guitar.”

Senior Liam Finn has gained experience in acting throughout the years playing major roles in productions such as Tajomaru in Rashomon (top) and playing Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra. (bottom) Performing these major roles has prepared him to act out the leading role of Winston in 1984 , LBT’s next play.

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 13

Juniors Elia Basso and Stefano Chiaromonte

Italian exchange students taste American life

by Maggie Komoniewski - Staff Writer

J

uniors Elia Basso and Stefano Chiaromonte have taken their dreams of American life one step closer by moving from Italy to Burke for a year as foreign exchange students.

Basso and Chiaromonte made the big move from San Severo, Italy to Burke on Aug. 13 and plan to stay until the end of June.

They chose to come to America because they wanted to make a dramatic change in their lives and had a desire to experience American life. They also wanted to learn English to prepare themselves for their prospective futures living in America.

“I don’t think there are a lot of guys that want to do that,” Basso said.

The boys came from a school of only about 250 people. They like how Lake Braddock is big and has a lot to offer.

Basso is taking business law and accounting, while Chiaromonte is taking theatre arts, advanced composition, and computer graphics. They have found that the relationship between the teacher and the student is different than it is in Italy.

After school both boys attend cross country practices, and Chiaromonte is involved in theatre. They have also gotten used to eating dinner around 6 p.m., rather than the usual 9 p.m. in Italy.

On weeknights and weekends, the boys go to football games, hang out with their new friends and attend sporting events in Washington, D.C. with their host dad.

“In Italy, we spend only the morning in school, no activities, no sports, no clubs,” Chiaromonte said.

Thanks to apps such as WhatsApp Messenger, Skype and Facebook, the boys have had no problem keeping in touch with their families and friends back in Italy.

The time change has caused some difficulty, but has not stopped them from communicating.

“It’s the best way to not be homesick,” Chiaromonte said.

So far, the boys have enjoyed their experiences living the American life. Although they miss their families, friends and Italian food, the pros of living here have made up for the cons.

They have found American schools, social lives, food and activities to be very different.

“Americans are crazy like me,” Chiaromonte said. “That’s why I like it.”

Q&A with Basso and Chiaromonte

photo courtesy of Elia Basso and Stephano Chiaromonte

1) What do you think of the United States and LB? Basso:: Best school ever, I really like it.

Chiaromonte: I’ve been dreaming about the U.S. since I was a little boy, and I’m finally here now. I love the U.S. because you can find people all around the world, different cultures all at once. In Italy, I just studied a lot, here I can do so many things. People at Lake Braddock are awesome and I’ve already made friends to hang out with and this is so cool for me.

2) What is your favorite and least favorite American food?

B: Donuts [and] not any really.

C: It have to say that my favorite American food [is]hot dogs. I really love them, and even if I had hot dogs in Italy several times, American ones are the best. My least favorite is Dr. Pepper.

3) How does culture in Italy and America compare?

B: Our school is just for studying and not for fun and it’s not like here where every teacher has their own class. If you get bad grades, you repeat a year. Plus, Italians are more friendly.

C: American people care about [personal space]. In Italy, [it’s] different because we always always hug each other, and, of course, give two kisses cheek-to-cheek when we meet.

14

The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

Junior Myriam Samake

Adding modeling into her life

by Aya Khaznadar - Staff Writer

She competed with other models in categories such as runway, swimsuit, jeans, unior Myriam Samake realized improv, monologue and commercial.

After she came back from the cruise she loved acting and modeling in the sixth grade when she won her Oct. 10, she received a callback from first speech contest and performed in Seven Sails Management in Hollywood, school plays. Her love for being on center Marsha Doll Models in Florida and Team stage and in front of the camera was the Tokyo in Japan. “[Currently] I’m working with an beginning of her modeling and acting agency now as I have career, which she’s done a fashion show done for the and filmed a T.V. past three years.

“I’m working with an show in Maryland,” Recently, Samake attended a oneagency now as I have Samake said.

Samake’s parents week cruise to the done a fashion show fully support her Cayman Islands and modeling career but Cozumel, Mexico and filmed a T.V show also emphasize the for a modeling importance of getting competition where in Maryland” an education. international and “I just tell myself local agents from as that I have to do my far away as England and Japan came to recruit potential talents school work in order to keep my grades up,” Samake said. “Staying organized and for their modeling and acting agency.

“The program was called Passport time management are also helpful factors. to Discovery,” Samake said. “I got the Leaving for Passport to Discovery for a information about it from a modeling week and missing school was hard, but and acting school [called Barbizon] staying after school and going to Bruin I graduated from last year. It was so Block helped me to catch back up.”

In addition to the modeling experiences beautiful to be at the beach with all my that Samake had during the cruise, she friends and other models.”

J

also gets the opportunity to travel to many places.

“Most of my modeling competitions are local,” Samake said. “However, this past trip was the one trip I traveled internationally. It was by far the biggest one I have attended.”

Junior Myriam Samake strikes a pose as she gains the experience of being a model. She has been modeling now for three years and hopes to continue.

Senior Elisa Stephano

by Maddie Sievers - Staff Writer

O

Senior Elisa Stephano cheers before the Robinson vs. LB game on Sept. 12.

n Oct. 2, senior Elisa Stephano spent her night in the hospital with crowds of doctors surrounding her constantly asking her to “wiggle her toes.”

After a rough day at practice with few of her stunts hitting, Stephano and her cheerleading stunt group finally hit a scale of a one-legged cheer stunt during a runthrough.

But while she was coming down, Stephano fell forwards towards the mat instead of backwards and was instantly hurt.

“It happened so fast,” sophomore Skyla Davidson said. “When she hit the floor, I was in shock and was just praying she was okay.”

Davidson is one of Stephano’s bases.

Even though there was nothing anyone could do, there was guilt associated with the thought that she could have done something more for Stephano, Davidson

said.

“When it first happened, we were all really scared because the trainers weren’t telling us anything,” senior Taylor Day said.

After the trainers came, Stephano was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and had a series of X-rays and CAT scans done.

But the doctors kept reassuring her she would be able to walk out of the hospital that night.

“It was surreal,” Stephano said. “Like what you see on TV, 15 doctors in your face.”

Luckily, Stephano was not badly hurt.

She had a concussion and a neck sprain, and with her coach, dad and two of her friends by her side, she felt reassured and comforted.

Unfortunately however, she was out for the remainder of the season and was unable to compete at cheer districts or regionals, where the team came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

photos courtesy of Myriam Samake (top right )/ John Lawrence (bottom left)

Cheered on by her team

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 15

alumna Michaela Sands

Teaching in Thailand, one letter at a time

by Maggie Komoniewski - Staff Writer

I

photos courtesy of Michaela Sands

n order to satisfy her desire to experience other cultures, LB alumna Michaela Sands traveled to Thailand to teach for a year, and has recently returned.

In 2013, Sands earned her Masters of Science in Elementary School Education from the University of Mary Washington.

Sands found the job in Thailand through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program. She applied for the program in 2012, got accepted and left for Thailand, along with 19 other ETAs, on Sept. 27, 2013.

Sands applied because she said she had been infected with a “travel bug” by her college professors and classmates who had studied abroad.

“I didn’t want to tour countries,” Sands said. “I wanted to experience them.”

Before leaving for Thailand, Sands had only student-taught in first and third grade classes. When Sands arrived in Thailand she was assigned to teach English to students in kindergarten and in grades three through nine.

Sands had never been outside of the United States for more than three weeks at a time. The experience was all new to Sands. Her mother, who is an assistant in the Lake Braddock Library, and brother Jesse, a senior at LB, were sad to see her go.

“It was very different for me to teach English in a community where English isn’t spoken outside of the school grounds, to students whose parents don’t speak English,” Sands said.

In Thailand, Sands felt that daily schedules were more flexible than they are here, she said. It wasn’t uncommon for unscheduled assemblies and other events to come up with little-to-no notice.

Students in Thailand do not get to pick their classes; they are determined based on test scores. All students are required to wear uniforms and wear their hair a certain length according to their ages. “[I had to learn] to adapt to another group of people, culture of education and curriculum,” Sands said. “No matter how frustrating it may have felt, I am extremely grateful for the experience.”

From living and teaching in Thailand, Sands has learned the value of living simply. She learned new ways to inspire kids and became good friends with the other ETAs she was with.

Living and teaching in Thailand for a year broadened her perspective on cultural exchange and education.

She learned to appreciate the little

16

The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

Alumna Michaela Sands (top left) teaches Anuban kids English words and ways to communicate through music and group projects. Sands also was able to interact and teach special education students such as Thai student, Nong Bam (top right). A group of students work with Sands as she teaches them English through games and group interactions (bottom).

things in life, particularly smiles, and made lots of new friends, as well as memories she will never forget.

“The sound of a smile is the feeling you get when students who transferred to another school come to say goodbye

“I had to learn to adapt to another group of people, culture of education, and curriculum.”

and surprise you with a scarf they made,” Sands said. “The sound of a smile is the sniffles you feel when the tears start to fall and the loads of laughter coming from all your friends playing games in the boys’ room at the Krit Thai Mansion.”

Sands returned to the United States on Oct. 8.

Although it was hard to say goodbye to Thailand, Sands was excited to be reunited with her friends, family and American traditions, such as pizza, butternut squash soup, the fall season and cheese.

She is currently working as a substitute teacher for FCPS. “The more places you call home, the harder it is to leave them,” Sands said.

Arts

Inside 18 • Disney Chorus Concert 18 • 3 More Movies to Watch 19 • FCPS Technology 19 • 3 of the Best, 1 of the Worst

Pages 20 and 21:

Lake Braddock’s

Artistic Talents

Unplugged moves into 2nd decade

by Jake Gold - Staff Writer

O

n June 10, 1994, 30 performers from three schools came together in the Little Theatre to perform 13 acoustic songs under the direction of theater director R.L. Mirabal. It was dubbed Unplugged. On Oct. 10, 2014— 20 years later—LBT’s Unplugged was still going strong.

For many student-musicians at LB, Unplugged is an opportunity to showcase their talents, similar to an open mic-style performance.

“I liked Unplugged because I enjoyed an opportunity to share my tunes with the uncultured students of Lake Braddock Secondary,” junior Josh Porter said.

Due to its easygoing requirements to perform, many students are able to show off their musical ability on stage, which they normally might not be able to do.

This opens the doors for many students to try their hand at performing in front of an audience.

“It’s an opportunity for anyone to try their best and perform in front of a crowd. You can be a vet or you can be a first timer, it doesn’t matter. It’s open to anyone who tries out,” junior Liam Kelly said. “It’s accepting of all musical genres and styles.”

With the aid of his guitar, Kelly

performed two songs on his own, one cover and one original piece. His first song was “Drown” by Front Porch Step.

His second piece, an original, was entitled “Maggots.”

“I chose them because they’re really fun to play, and one of them was an original,” Kelly said. “I wanted to see how it would be received.”

Kelly’s songs, as well as the other performers’, were received excellently.

However, the music wasn’t the only aspect of the show admired by the audience.

Mirabal, as well as the other performers, often cracked jokes between acts.

“Although Unplugged was an event well worth the showcase of every performer’s musical talent, I enjoyed the

Michael Sparrow, 12

comedic aspect of it most of all,” junior Breese Sherman said.

In addition to being enjoyed by the audience, the Unplugged performers enjoyed themselves as well.

“Everybody is really supportive,” Kelly said. “There’s a real atmosphere of cooperation, and everybody likes listening to everybody else. It’s a great environment for newer performers.”

One highlight of the show was watching Mirabal perform “One” by U2 and “Polly”

by Kurt Cobain alongside senior Liam Finn. “Polly,” written in the same era as the first Unplugged, resurfaced Mirabal’s memories about Kurt Cobain’s suicide.

“I was brought back to 20 years ago when kids at LB worshipped Kurt like a hero and were crushed by his death. It moved a lot of kids to open up and discuss what was going on in their lives back then,” Mirabal said. “So, it was perfect for Liam and I to make sure it got performed 20 years later.”

While reminiscing about the original show, Mirabal told the audience that the administration rescheduled the first Unplugged because they could not get a police presence.

“By the third song of them standing in the area in front of the stage,” Mirabal said. “The police got bored and left...[to catch] the basketball game.”

photos by Jake Gold

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Unplugged comes back with new performers. Erin Coughlan, sophomore, sings a solo on stage (left). Matt Lonam, junior, and Gillian Church, sophomore, play a duet together (right).

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 17

Beyond FCPS, area counties try new tech

by Bunyamin Sevim - Staff Writer As it becomes increasingly common for students to do almost all of their homework, and a good portion of their class work, online and on computers, schools across the nation and in Fairfax County are pushing forward new rules and initiatives to upgrade technology.

Many schools have signed contracts with the likes of Apple and Microsoft to provide their students with deeply discounted and even free software and hardware. FCPS has instituted its BYOD policy, in order to strengthen the bridge between education and technology and encourage students to augment their learning with the latest advancements in tech.

FCPS has rolled out an updated Bring Your Own Device policy, allowing any student to register their internet-capable device in seconds.

While some students are worried about their internet privacy being infringed, as administration will now have the ability to

monitor all students’ internet traffic, most students and teachers are supportive of the idea.

“I think engaging students through tech can be a great way to learn,” economics and history teacher Richard Hoppock said.

Hoppock’s economics class is one of many that has embraced the flipped classroom model, where students spend time learning material at home and online through the use of instructional videos and interactive activities.

In addition, FCPS has a program, FCPS@Home, which allows students to get software like Microsoft Office and Windows 8 for free.

“The program is a nice initiative on FCPS’ part,” senior Andrew Nguyen said.

“I take advantage of it to save a lot of money on MS Office.”

On the hardware side of things, students have enjoyed the benefits of smart boards and new computers for many years.

“I think we’re pretty well-equipped,” senior Joseph Spitek said. “We have new computers; we have things like Macs for

the art classes. Our laptops are kind of old, though.”

In Virginia, Henrico County Public Schools has led the way in providing free technology to students, providing almost 12,000 laptops to students in exchange for a $50 insurance fee to cover theft and damage, reported Scholastic News.

Montgomery County in Maryland has also started the deployment of more than 40,000 laptops and tablets to students and teachers in all grades, said a county spokesperson in a public announcement in early 2014.

MCPS has entered into contracts with various companies to get the devices cheaply, with the end goal being the establishment of MCPS Curriculum 2.0, a fully digital educational curriculum that allows for “anywhere, anytime access” to student resources.

These schools are amongst dozens across the nations providing students with laptops, tablets and software in order to bring their pupils up-to-date with changes in technology.

1. Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlan

feminist, enlightened type of modern man.

[I]t really is funny and insightful and kind of infuriating, too.”

Three of the best, one of the worst: Books

Gary Holtzman, history teacher

photo by Amanda Hendrix

‘Three of the best, one of the worst’ is a regular interview in Arts that highlights the favorites of a teacher or a student. In this month’s issue of The Bear Facts, history teacher Gary Holtzman is interviewed about his favorite fiction and non-fiction books.

Holtzman founded the Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Group at LB.

18

The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

“Starship Troopers is a book set in the future about a young man who becomes a soldier in a society in which anyone can be a citizen, but in order to be a citizen you must serve for a period of time in the military. It really was a great philosophical exploration more than a science fiction book. But I just finally read this one last year for [the] Sci-Fi Fantasy book group. And I was expecting it to be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be a masterpiece. It really is just as relevant and controversial as it was 60 years after it was written as it was in [1959].”

2. The Love Affairs of Nathanial P.

by Adelle Waldman “[A] very entertaining new novel, a debut novel, by a young writer in her 30s. And it is told from the point of view of a young, hipster novelist in Brooklyn. And it is very fun and is all about his relationships with women. [A]s it goes along you realize more and more that he is just a total cad, in that he really treats women very poorly, even though he presents himself to the world and considers himself a very liberal,

3. The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir “The Princes in the Tower [is] an investigation into Richard III, who was accused of killing his nephews, which has been debated for 300, 400 years.

But she really lays out the case; she uses all primary sources and looks at all the evidence of this murder mystery. And she just does a fantastic job, I think, of proving her verdict.”

The Worst. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis “I had really liked Less than Zero by Ellis, which is about a rich teenager in L.A., and the narrator is a drug addict. It really is a great critique about rich kids in the ‘80s.

He wrote this book, American Psycho, which was later a movie. [It] is from the point-of-view of a serial killer, and he must kill a couple hundred people over the course of the book. I was so horrified. It was just a terrible experience having read that book.”

‘The Theory of Everything’

Since he is often referred to as the smartest man alive, Stephen Hawking’s personal life is usually overshadowed by his genius. In this biopic, director James Marsh, who brought us previous films such as Man on Wire, looks to illuminate a part of Hawking’s life that people don’t often consider: the 30-year marriage with his loving wife, Jane.

Eddie Redmayne, who is portraying Hawking, has been receiving advanced praise from critics for his stellar performance.

‘Foxcatcher’ Sophomore Johnaton Brinson sings a solo during the Disney concert.

Disney comes to LB

by Jake Gold - Staff Writer

Director of Moneyball and Capote, Bennett Miller returns with his next film. It is based on the true story of wrestler Mark Schultz (played by Channing Tatum) and his struggle to step out of his brother’s shadow with a strong showing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

For many, it will be odd to see Steve Carell, who is playing wealthy businessman John du Pont, in a dramatic role. Skeptics of this casting choice should be put at ease by the knowledge that this is not the first time Miller has cast a comedian as a major character.

After playing Peter Brand in Moneyball, Jonah Hill was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

‘The Imitation Game’

This film follows the true story of mathematician Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his journey to crack the thought-to-be unbreakable Enigma machine, a German encryption device used by the Nazis during World War II. In accepting the challenge, Turing is entrusted with top secret information by the British government, and, as a result, is under constant pressure and surveillance.

It is safe to count on Cumberbatch to portray a genius, with previous roles including Sherlock Holmes, Khan in Star Trek and Julian Assange.

Movies to Watch

by Daniel Jarris - Staff Writer

31 October 2014

The Bear Facts

photos by Amanda Hendrix, Black Bear Pictures, Annapurna Pictures, Working Title Films

O

n Oct. 18, a horde of young Cinderellas, Belles and Elsas descended upon the Little Theatre to view the LB Chorus’ Children’s Concert. The children’s concert, often dubbed the Disney concert, is a choral arrangement of songs from Disney musicals such as Mulan or Snow White. This year, there was a notable addition of songs from the feature film Frozen.

Frozen, the highest-grossing animation in film history, earned more than $1 billion at the box office, and its soundtrack spent numerous weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 record ranking chart. With the addition of Frozen to the mix of older Disney tunes, the audience was blown away by the performance.

“The children’s concert felt...magical,” junior Liz Barr said.

Another audience member, senior Amber Kreiensieck, agreed with Barr’s approval of the show.

“The Disney concert had a great flow and the singers really connected to the crowd,” she said.

The attendees were not the only ones impressed by the children’s concert. Before, during and after the show, the chorus was ecstatic to be singing their favorite Disney songs with their friends.

“Our group did amazingly; we performed to the best of our abilities and brought smiles to the faces of all the children,” junior Kayley Manarchuck said. “Even with the addition of Frozen, the children loved the old as well as the new.”

Not only does the Disney concert bring smiles to singers and listeners, but it also brightens the day for local homeless and impoverished families. The cost of admission is $2 or two cans of preserved food—all of which is donated to a local charity, Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO). An allvolunteer agency located in Springfield, ECHO gives food and financial aid to low-income residents of Burke and Springfield.

“The Children’s Concert is a phenomenal experience,” senior Nick Johnston said. “Not only do we get to hear everyone’s incredible voices, but we also get to see a theater full of smiling faces and the knowledge that all the donations collected are going to a good, charitable cause with the ECHO foundation.”

The children’s concert has been a fixture for the chorus since 2002, and will continue to be a part of the choral program for many years to come. “[The Disney Concert] has stayed largely the same with additions when a new musical comes out,” chorus director Mary DeMarco said. “The [chorus] kids love it. They’re more excited than the 4 year olds are.”

19

Showcasing the Artistic Talents of LB Photography (top left, pg. 20) by junior Carl Moman: “I took this picture on more of an impulse if anything. I saw the dragonfly and took a few pictures of it, not really thinking of how it looked or how the background contrasted with it. I am glad that I decided to take this shot because it ended up being one of my favorite and best shots I have ever taken.”

Photography (top right, pg. 20) by junior Karlyn Crum: “This is a photo I took of my friend Courtney Emerson. I asked her to stand in front of this pair of angel wings we found in Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.” Sculpture (bottom left, pg. 20) by junior 20

The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

Lessly Fonsecca: “It wasn’t what I wanted to do, but it looks better.”

Photography (bottom right, pg. 20) by senior Colleen Murphy: “Beauty is nowhere but everywhere, I took this picture in New Mexico on our drive across country, and there was this beautiful scene to capture.

So I quick, grabbed my camera and took a picture.”

Photography (top left, pg. 21) by sophomore Haley Patterson: “I was just really intrigued by the way the cherry blossom branch circled the Jefferson, and how you are drawn to looking at the monument.”

Sculpture (top left, pg. 21) by senior Alex Salm: “I wanted to make it look like a castle that caught fire.”

Photography (middle left, pg. 21) by senior Emma Holzer: “I took this photo over the summer while visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico. I fell into love with the beauty of architecture here; every building is made to still fit into the classic surroundings.”

Sculpture (bottom left, pg. 21) by junior Emily Berst: “I made this as a present for my mom since she’s a yoga instructor.”

Photography (bottom right, pg. 21) by senior Mai Le: “Lead singer, Shaun Soho, of Crash Midnight.”

31 October 2014

The Bear Facts

21

Comment

Inside

24 • 25 • 26 • 23 • College Essay 27 • 23 • Net Neutrality 24 • Letters to the Editor 27 •

The Supreme Court Colorado APUSH Ebola Weighted grades Student protests

Purple and gold are the new black The Bruin Connection

by Marcell Subert - News Editor

M

photo by Amanda Hendrix

any students will hear the analogy comparing school to prison in their high school existence.

This can be seen in the new rollout of security officers patrolling the cafeteria parameters during the one “free” period students are given. The administration argues in previous Bear Facts issues that it is for the safety of the student body, but just where exactly can the line be drawn between the safety and well-being of students and a feeling of entrapment in an environment that should promote otherwise?

One of the biggest windows of opportunity for students to escape the watchful eyes of administrative staff is during lunches. Recently, school safety and security assistants have been assigned to various posts surrounding the cafeteria, including right by the concession stand and in front of the courtyard doors. If a student attempts to even leave the cafeteria simply to access their locker adjacent to the cafeteria doors, they will instantly be called out and told to return with a pass.

Even though the student is in view of the safety and security assistant for the entire duration of their locker usage, a pass is still required from an administrator stationed at the front of the cafeteria. It is as if common sense exits the cafeteria along with the student. According to the statistic published by the Chicago Post Tribune from September 2009 to August 2010, for every eight speeding offenses, only one is actually ticketed. Some police officers offer leeway in incidents where the motorist is not going dangerously fast but still going slightly over the limit.

Why does this not exist at our school, where the “offenses” are not anywhere as

22 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

The Bruin Connection addresses school-wide issues at LB

severe as speeding on a highway?

The doors to the courtyard are frequently locked from the inside to prevent students from re-entering the school from the courtyard during lunch, yet the doors leading out of the courtyard are always unlocked. It is illogical that not allowing a student to leave the cafeteria should be prioritized over letting a student leave the school building itself.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 88.2 percent of public schools have controlled access (locked doors) to the building during school hours.

Several students use their lunch period to their learning advantage by visiting teachers during that time. That simple process has been made more difficult by having multiple hoops for students to jump through in order to be proactive in their learning. Getting a note from a teacher and cafeteria administrator as well as inevitably being stopped in the hallway regardless of these permissions

uses up valuable time that the student could be using to get help from their teachers. Students leaving the cafeteria with the typical pink styrofoam trays given in the lunch lines seem to be a red flag for administrators.

A student stopped in the hallway from the cafeteria might not always be met with the common courtesy required of administration.

Inquiries from administrative staff at times can be sarcastic and even rude.

According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department website, police officers are not allowed to have their personal feelings or personal relationships with others affect their conduct while on duty.

This does not seem to be the case with the security assistants and administrative staff as their treatment of students reflect their blunt attitudes.

The balance between safety and logic seems to be tipped in the wrong direction There is such a thing as excessive security, and here at LB, that term takes on a whole new meaning.

The doors to the courtyard are frequently locked from the inside to prevent students form re-entering the school.

LB administrators and safety and security assistants have been cracking down on recent attempts to leave the cafeteria and courtyard.

The UnCommon APP

by Kim Drummond - Guest Writer

“

I. Don’t. Like. It” “Well you’re going to sit there until you eat all of it.”

“I’m not eating it.”

“Then you can sit there all night.”

This was the constant struggle between me and my mother throughout my childhood. Tonight, it was the Battle of the Dry, Chewy, Flavorless Chicken Strips.

The threat of spending the evening at the dinner table was merely a soft blow to my barricade of stubbornness. I would sit there all night, sleep on the kitchen table if I had to, but I would not put that sorry excuse for food into my mouth. Eventually my dad would take pity on me an hour later and release me from this fate.

Many kids will face a similar battle with their parents over some food they will not dare let pass their lips – for my mother, it was cooked brussel sprouts, and for my dad it was creamed spinach. However, not all children fought this battle at nearly every

The Uncommon App showcases college essays of current and former students

meal as I did throughout my childhood. My palate was extremely limited, and remains so to this day. My restrictions include: no meat except bacon, only about seven types of vegetables, and I cannot eat raw apples due to an allergy. When people learn that my palate is pickier than the typical fiveyear-old, the most common question is: “how do you survive?!” This is always said with a tone that implies chicken, not water, is the basis of life on Earth.

While this (shall we say, unique?) characteristic has caused its number of unsatisfying meals and obnoxious questions, it has helped me grow as a person. My picky eating habits have helped me handle social situations easily, especially when it comes to dealing with people asking awkward questions or being downright rude. “But why?! Meat is so good!” is not going to change my taste buds into magically craving a steak or Thanksgiving turkey. After years of practice, I have managed to answer these questions quickly and move on with the conversation. Also, I have become more

The Futurist

experienced in defending the choices I make, even those not related to food. Especially as a teenager dealing with the college process and deciding what I want to do with my life, this skill has come in handy quite often.

Instead of people looking at me as if I have three heads when I say I dislike steak, they give me the same look when I tell them my goal is to be a teacher. I have heard every comment there is, from “You are going to be so poor” to “Teaching? You’re too smart to settle for that.” Comments similar to the latter are the most aggravating, because if something is my passion, why shouldn’t I pursue it? Choosing a career seems to be pretty far off from being a picky eater, but when it comes to handling how people react to my choices, my childhood challenges have prepared me to become a mature adult.

I am ready to defend my beliefs to the end and take on whatever challenges the world throws at me. I just hope it isn’t chicken.

Kim Drummond is a freshman at the College of William & Mary .

The Futurist focuses on technological innovation.

Phone encryption by default: The new norm

by Paul Barnhill - Comment Editor

S

ince revelations about broad government surveillance programs were released in June of last year by Edward Snowden, privacy has become a huge issue in the technology world. Up until the Supreme Court case Riley v. California in June of this year, law enforcement agencies could search the phone of somebody arrested without a warrant. Many people’s phones contain a majority of their lives, making this a prime source of private data. As a response, encryption become one of the top demands on the menu for tech companies in 2014.

They’re now delivering on that demand.

On Sept. 17, Apple came out with iOS 8, the latest version of the Operating System for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. This update came with one big change in particular: The Data Encryption service in the OS automatically encrypts every file you create with 256-bit AES

encryption as long as you have a four“Apple will become the phone of choice digit passcode or alphanumeric password. for the pedophile,” said Chicago police If you have an encrypted device, Apple chief of detectives John J. Escalante. “The will no longer hand over information on it average pedophile at this point is probably to law enforcement agencies, even if they thinking, I’ve got to get an Apple phone.” possess a warrant.

This is the same dangerous logic that “It’s not has been used to erode technically feasible our constitutional rights for us to respond to with the Patriot Act. government warrants “When a child is in for the extraction of danger, law enforcement this data from devices needs to be able to take in their possession every legally available running iOS 8,” step to quickly find and Apple wrote on its protect the child and to website. stop those that abuse - John Escalante, detective children,” said Attorney Google doesn’t want to be left out General Eric Holder of the privacy and during a speech at a security boat. According to a September Sept. 30 conference against child sexual article in the Washington Post, Android abuse online. “It is worrisome to see L, the upcoming version of Android that’s companies thwarting our ability to do so.” supposed to be released in November, will Is it really necessary for police to be able also come with encryption that by default to go through our smartphones though? prevents Google from sharing our data Armed with a warrant, law enforcement with law enforcement. agencies are still perfectly capable of Law enforcement agencies bemoaned acquiring copies of text messages, calls this change to the iOS, and presumably and device backups on cloud services. the upcoming change to Android, urging Smartphones today contain some people’s people to think of children now that they entire lives; police departments do not are unable to access encrypted devices. need to be privy to all that information.

“Apple will become the phone of choice for the pedophile.”

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 23

Battleground USA

Battleground USA focuses on national news and issues

Questioning authority of the Supreme Court

by Alex Nesterovich - Staff Writer

S

ince the downfall of same-sex marriage bans in five states on Oct. 6, political commentators, almost exclusively on the right, have made claims of “judicial activism,” a term that describes a ruling from judges that comes from personal conviction rather than written law. Amid these claims, the role of the Supreme Court in contemporary America should be examined. What exact function does the Supreme Court perform today?

Since its founding in 1789, the Supreme Court has been criticized repeatedly as an “undemocratic” institution because it often overturns state and federal statutes

that, when passed, reflected the will of the people. When Hollingsworth v.

Perry overturned Proposition 8, a ballot initiative passed in California banning same-sex marriage, conservative voices complained that an over-eager judiciary was responsible for repealing the people’s vote to bar same-sex couples’ right to marry.

This is incorrect on several levels.

The decision had nothing to do with the personal convictions of the justices.

Antonin Scalia, a consistent and prominent conservative judge on the Supreme Court bench, was of the majority opinion that the people who put Proposition 8 on the ballots did not have the legal standing to appeal. The ruling did not pertain to the personal biases of the judges, but the unconstitutionality of such a law. This fall, marriage bans in Virginia, Utah, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Indiana were struck down as result of the Supreme Court’s denial of requests to hear samesex marriage cases. Clearly, this is not an

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editors, Lake Braddock does a pretty good job about making a professional-looking news booklet, and also including the amount of information they get to type up.

However, there is one article in particular that needs a bit of a fix up. “Dropping a beat, dropping the skateboard” is in fact an article about the person writing these very words right now. Not only have I never played a gig at a popular concert venue, but I never gave up skateboarding as well. I am a skateboard instructor at Wake Field, and music is just another huge passion of mine. Until Oct. 28, I will have only played a gig at a local club by the name of Empire.

Next time I just hope they don’t boast about me entirely.

Nick Layendecker Senior

“overeager” judiciary.

The Segal-Cover score, which measures the ideological leanings of Supreme Court justices, leans conservative; 0 being most conservative and 1 being most liberal, the mean score on the current bench is 0.378.

If anything, the current bench is one of the most restrained in history. Same-sex marriage bans are not being overturned due to the eagerness and personal ideologies of the United States’ judiciaries. Rather, they are being overturned by their violation of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, usually referred to as the Equal Protection Clause, which states that anyone within a given jurisdiction must be granted equal protection of law.

The Supreme Court is not an activist organization. While undemocratic in the sense that it thwarts “tyranny of the majority;” it is a necessary part of government that is essential in upholding the law of the land and protecting the rights of minorities, no matter how small or powerless they might be.

Dear Editors, In your last issue of “The Bear Facts” there was a story about all the coaching staff changes. I commend you that it was well written, and I enjoyed the interviews with the coaches. However it seemed as if this article was geared towards the varsity Football [sic] team. The author, Ryan Mullins, listed all the freshmen coaches with the varsity coaches. We are one program not one team. The thing that bothered me the most was Ryan said that, “state championship-caliber teams disband.” You do not know all the work we put in to the season. We feel that we can hang with anyone, and we are currently ranked third in the state.

Coming from a football player, that makes me mad because to think that our own school thinks that we will not win it all, means that our “Hype Section” does not “believe that we will win” it all.

Randy Bills Senior

Dear Editors, I really like how the article “Change to Bruin Block ignites controversy” talks about how the students dislike the new Bruin Block schedule. I don’t agree with the pie chart for who likes the new bruin block and who doesn’t. The whole 250 students they surveyed disagreed with the new schedule change, but it’s those 250 who want it changed. More students in this school are getting used to it and less students are wandering around.

At first I was against this whole change now I like it because on Wednesday’s I’m not sure where I’ll go if it’s not an assigned Bruin Block. I just feel like you didn’t ask an opinion of someone who likes the change.

Yormely Bonilla Senior

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, student-run newspaper serving the 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 the staff. The editorial board solicits responsible commentaries and letters to the editors but 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.

Editorial 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 Policy reached by calling (703) 426-1087. Responses may also be emailed to bfacts@.

24 The Bear Facts

31 October 2014

Beyond Good and Evil

Beyond Good and Evil highlights moral, ethical and religious issues in society

In Colorado, honesty is history

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

A

merican history is ugly.

Starting from the nation’s founding and continuing all the way to the present day, this country’s image is tarnished by violence and inequality that often gets glossed over in most history classes.

In an effort to shed more light on this side of history, the College Board has recently implemented a new framework for AP U.S. History that places increased emphasis on more controversial issues such as conflicts between early settlers and Native Americans, the debate over abortion and the current war on terrorism.

Conservatives have expressed vehement disapproval of the “revisionist” changes, insisting that it lacks an emphasis on “American exceptionalism” and focuses too much on America’s faults.

The largely conservative school board

in Jefferson County, Colorado has even expressed its desire to edit the curriculum, citing that the ideal U.S. history course should not “encourage or condone civil disorder [or] social strife.” However, this push to censor the new history course is fundamentally un-American.

Civil disorder and social strife, the very things that the Jefferson County School Board fears, are the drivers of societal change. Without the Occupy Wall Street movement or the Ferguson riots, economic and racial inequality wouldn’t make it into mainstream political rhetoric. Refusing to teach students about these aspects of American life is essentially turning a blind eye to these problems and wishing them away by not talking about them.

This country was founded on the idea that citizens can be critical of their government. Opponents of the AP U.S. History changes are essentially suggesting that the right to disapprove of government actions, past or present, should be inhibited. Instead, according to dissenters, students should be force-fed a love of their country and see no faults in their leaders and the laws they enforce.

Protecting today’s youth from America’s past transgressions will

not erase the damage inflicted by the United States during its centuries of institutionalized racism and sexism.

While this country has made sizeable progress in its treatment of those who are not straight white males, the nation is far from perfect. Women still lack bodily autonomy, and many racial minorities still face discrimination 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Sitting in current AP U.S. History classes is this nation’s future. In just a few years, current students will be of voting age, and some may even go on to become our country’s leaders. What will our country’s future look like if these members of our society have only a shallow understanding of the injustices America has committed and continues to commit? The refusal to teach history in a truthful manner leaves room for us to repeat it.

There’s no problem with teaching students the good aspects of American history, as there are many positive changes that have occurred since this nation was born. However, enforcing blind patriotism in our schools pushes this nation frighteningly close to a 1984-esque society.

photo by Amanda Hendrix

“I’m actually not sure what’s going on there,” Ayman Farid said.

LB AP US History, like all US APUSH classes, are using the same curriculum that is being reconsidered in Colorado.

31 October 2014

The Bear Facts

25

The Modern World

The Modern World, a regular column of the Bear Facts, focuses on international issues

Ebola: not your problem

by Ben Concepcion - Comment Editor Profuse bleeding, severe headaches, vomiting, fever and internal hemorrhaging: Why shouldn’t you be scared?

In just the past several weeks, the word Ebola has been used more than it had since at least 1995, the last time that there was an outbreak of the disease in Africa.

Ebola isn’t a nice word, and anyone even loosely acquainted with the subject is greatly disturbed upon hearing it. It is one of the fastest-killing diseases in the world, and its victims usually die a painful death within days of developing symptoms. It is hard to cure, and it seems to be almost exclusive to countries with poor health care systems.

This recent outbreak is the largest of its

kind in recorded history, and nearly every news network is running chilling stories of the thousands who are dying. With a new Ebola scare in the United States every week, and evidence of Ebola in both Texas and Spain, the entire western world seems to be in fear of a possible pandemic. Even at LB, not a day passes where someone doesn’t mention the word Ebola.

As Obama and European leaders scramble to address the concerns the public have over this seemingly disastrous threat to civilization, the media has been among the few to benefit. New stories every week update us on the latest deaths in West Africa and all the rumors that have traveled like wildfire. Just as the owner of a funeral home bittersweetly rejoices when business is good, the press

At LB, not a day passes where someone doesn’t mention the word Ebola.

photo courtesy of Dixon/MCT Campus

The burial team at the International Medical Corps Ebola treatment unit in Liberia’s Bong County sprays the grave of 11-year-old Anna Singbeh with a chlorine disinfectant. The bodies of victims are dangerously contagious, which means locals must abandon common Liberian rituals such as washing the bodies of loved ones.

26

The Bear Facts

31 October 2014

has enjoyed delivering a thrilling story to millions of scared citizens.

However, while the media happily tells ghost stories around the campfire, the threat of Ebola to the West, the United States and the students of Lake Braddock is extremely small.

In the three countries that have been hit by the Ebola outbreak, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the death count is 4,922. While this number seems frightening, comparing it to the combined population of 22 million leaves us with a squeamishly low death rate of around 0.02 percent. In the United States, medical mistakes account for a 0.06 percent death rate. In a way, one could say that doctors are three times as deadly as Ebola.

This, of course, is comparing a developed country to a developing country suffering from poor health care and epidemics. Though your chance of dying in West Africa might be small, your chance of dying in the United State is infinitesimal.

Not only is the health care of the developed world helping to prevent a pandemic, so is the environment. Ebola has so far been limited almost exclusively to Africa because it is a tropical disease.

Additionally, it doesn’t spread through air, water or even most food. Instead, it is primarily contracted through contact with other mammals. Ebola can often be the result of hunting wild animals in the African wilderness and not using proper cooking or sanitation techniques. And unlike many other tropical diseases, it can’t be spread by mosquitoes and instead can only be contracted by other humans through contact with blood, bodily fluids or mucous membranes.

Ebola is bad, and a challenge for developing countries in harsher climates.

But in the United States it should be one of the least of your worries. Making sick jokes, spreading rumors and calling every cough a pandemic is not referring to a genuine concern in our society, but instead only demeaning those suffering under horrific circumstances thousands of miles away.

The Bruin Connection

Weighted grades are a heavy burden

by Daniel Jarris - Staff Writer

I

t used to be the case that every teacher had his or her own grading system. Starting this year, however, the school has implemented a mandatory, school-wide weighted grading system, as if teachers previously had too much freedom in their curriculum. This system requires teachers to allot certain percentages of the student’s grade to different categories, such as tests and homework. Moving towards a more rigid grading approach is only going to further de-emphasise creativity and further emphasise regurgitation. This is a step in the wrong direction.

According to “Grading and Reporting to Parents,” a document produced

by FCPS that is located on the Lake Braddock website, “The teacher develops a percentage-based and/or letter-based evaluation design best suited to his or her class for arriving at the quarter grade.”

A weighted grading system may be

“best suited” for a class that has constant tests and quizzes, but is it really optimal for an art class, or any class with few major assessments, to have these weighted grades? For example, in AP U.S. History, there is only one test this quarter, and as a result, this test is worth 25 percent of each students’ grade.

In an aggregate point system, the magnitude of this test would be mitigated by the other work done in this class.

A single bad test wouldn’t cause a grade to plummet by a full letter grade or more.

Due to the changes, however, students’ grades at the end of the quarter may not match their achievement in the class due to a one-off day.

In this new system, where homework is in its own category, worth no more than 10 percent of a student’s grade, kids are given less of an incentive to complete their homework. If a student has previously completed all of their homework for a class, then doing homework cannot raise their overall grade, it can only hurt it.

Students no longer do their homework

because it will benefit their grade; they do it out of fear that their grade will drop. This is unhealthy. It replaces an environment where students are motivated by the possibility of improving in a class with an environment where students are driven by fear.

This new system is a regression on the education we are receiving at this school. There is a reason that the majority of teachers didn’t weight their grades in previous years: A weighted system wasn’t, and still isn’t, ideal for their course. The school must return to its previous, more fluid structure. The benefits that come from weighting grades would still exist because if teachers see that the positives outweigh the negatives, they could choose to use weighted grades. If teachers did not believe that the positives outweigh the negatives, then they would not be forced into using weighted grades anyway, as they currently are. This rigid system is helping no one.

by Bunyamin Sevim - Staff Writer

A

fter dozens of complaints from parents and teachers, according to the administration and Principal Thomas, LB officially instituted an assigned Bruin Block system for the high school in 2014-2015 school year.

Students immediately objected to the new system, and some began making plans to protest the new initiative.

“We [the students setting up the protest] were devising a plan to eliminate the dreaded curse of assigned Bruin Block,” senior Luis Baires said. “It causes nothing but problems...We decided to wear white T-shirts and peacefully walk out into the hallway [and stage a sit-in]

during Bruin Block. This protest was only intended to demonstrate against the oppression we felt.”

Senior Paul Barnhill and I scheduled a meeting with Principal Thomas, in order to discuss the protest. This was in accordance with the mandate of the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v.

Des Moines, which established students’ right to free speech under certain constraints. Sadly, the administration shot down the plan, claiming that it would be disruptive.

While the protest was ultimately canceled, it did succeed in raising questions about students’ rights to free speech and their right to protest in particular. While many were disappointed with the administration’s decision, ultimately they agreed with it, saying that it would have been disruptive and students’ rights necessarily need to be curbed when education is disrupted.

“I fully agree that students should be allowed to express themselves, as long as it is not harmful or disruptive to others,” senior Bryant Farley said.

At the same time, some believed that student protests, like the one planned earlier this year, are doomed to fail anyway.

“I don’t really believe that student protests really have an effect on big issues like late start times since administrators... are going to do things the way they see fit,” said senior Hannah Lockuff.

Yet others believe that the moratorium on “disruption” defeats the entire purpose of a protest and is a grievous violation of free speech.

“I believe in students exploring their right to self expression and having their voices heard against the multitudes of injustice surrounding them globally and locally,” senior Liam Finn said. “And protest is inherently disruptive; if it wasn’t, then it wouldn’t be a protest.”

It can’t be denied that a student’s right to free speech is a potent issue, not only when it comes to local issues like Bruin Block or late start times, but with national issues as well. Students need to be able to speak their minds about the issues facing this country.

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts

graphic by Jesse Sands

Failed protests challenge students’ rights

27

David Hughes Orthodontics David R. Hughes, DDS Vincent Mascia, DDS, MBA, MPH

We believe in teamwork.

GO BRUINS!

8314 Traford Lane, Suite A Springfield, VA 22152 tel 703.451.0502 drhughesortho.com Consultations are always complimentary.

Hey Juniors!

Scared of SATs?

Or just scared of boring SAT prep taught by dreary teachers?

Want RESULTS? Want FUN? Then you want US! We serve fast food, throw candy, and YANK your score up.

Registration starts: Classes start: Test date:

Now February 7 March 14 SAT!

Last year, classes were sold out by November!

Don’t delay!!!

www.MindworksEducation.com or call 703-250-6882!

2015 Small-Group Courses March 14 SAT March 14 SAT March 14 SAT March 14 SAT March 14 SAT March 14 SAT

Class Day: (choose one) Saturdays Saturdays Saturdays Sundays Sundays Sundays

Class Time: 9 AM – 12 PM 12 – 3 PM 3 – 6 PM 9 AM – 12 PM 12 – 3 PM 3 – 6 PM

Class Start Date: February 7 February 7 February 7 February 8 February 8 February 8

Class End Date: March 7 March 7 March 7 March 8 March 8 March 8

March 14 SAT

Tuesdays

3 – 6 PM

February 10

March 10

Test Date:

Educational Services

Proudly and effectively tutoring since 1997!

703-250-6882 703 250 6882 www.MindworksEducation.com 10501 Braddock Road, Suite 201 www.MindworksEducation.com Fairfax, VA 22032

703 250 6884 fax

Style

Inside

Next Issue:

33 • Relationships 30-31 • All About Fall 32 • Restaurant Review 33 • Heelys 32 • Homecoming

Fashion Analysis

From left to right: Juniors Laura Miner and Caroline Jones soak up the sun on Mediterranean Monday. Juniors Brooke Englebrekston and Claire Szipzsky test out their togas on Toga Tuesday. Senior Alex Petrovich and junior Mallory Niehoff prove their preppiness on Rush Wednesday. Seniors Jesse Sands and Stephanie Chewning pose for a picture on Socrates vs Hercules Day. Seniors Jasmine Tesfa and Marianne Beveridge sport their black clothes on Gods vs Titans Day.

by Michael Murphy Style Editor

W

ith homecoming only occurring once a year, students, such as senior Stephanie Chewning, give spirit week their all.

“Spirit days are a great way to show your school pride and spirit,” Chewning said. “I will never be able to describe how much I love Lake Braddock, so

to me, spirit days are the best ways of expressing it.”

In many cases, students won’t participate in all of the spirit days, whether it is because a lack of an outfit or lack of interest.

“I’m not really sure why people wouldn’t want to participate in spirit days,” Chewning said. “I know some days are harder to dress up than others, but it’s just one week and it’s more than just dressing

up, it’s a chance to show your spirit and even win money for your class.”

This year the spirit days were Mediterranean Monday, Toga Tuesday, Rush Wednesday, Socrates vs Hercules Thursday and Gods vs Titans Friday.

With such a large student population, LB has an array of outfits and takes on the spirit days. Junior Liam Kelly dressed as the Greek philosopher, Socrates, on

Socrates vs Hercules day.

Kelly knew that Socrates vs Hercules day meant nerds vs jocks, but chose to take it to a more literal level.

“I enjoyed Socrates vs Hercules day the most because I was able to dress as Socrates,” Kelly said. “This year’s themes were great. I can’t wait until next year’s homecoming.”

While homecoming has come and gone, the memories are here to stay.

photos by Michael Murphy, Amanda Hendrix, Jesse Sands

Spirit week dominated by Greek life

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 29

All About Fall Do-It-Yourself

APPLE DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS

• • • • • • •

1 can of Pillsbury crescent dough 1 Granny Smith apple 3/4 cup 7-Up 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

“PUMPKIN” PRETZELS

INGREDIENTS

• • • • •

1 bag of mini pretzels 1, 16 oz. bag of white chocolate chips Orange food coloring Green licorice or green M&M’s Wax paper

DIRECTIONS

1.

2.

3.

4.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cut the apple into 8 slices.

Unroll dough.

Roll apples in dry cinnamon and sugar mixture.

5. Place one apple slice in the center of the triangle. Wrap apples, making sure all sides are covered.

6. Butter the pan, and place dumplings on it.

7. Melt butter while whisking in cinnamon and sugar.

8. Add vanilla.

9. Pour the mixture over the dumplings.

10. Add 7-Up into the pan. Make sure to pour it around the dumplings, not on top of them.

11. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

12. Let cool for 30 minutes and serve.

1. Prepare a sheet of wax paper.

2. Place about 1/4 of chocolate chips in a bowl.

3. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until completely melted.

4. Add food coloring to chocolate until desired color is reached.

5. Dip pretzels in chocolate and shake off excess chocolate.

6. Place on the wax paper.

7. Place a piece of licorice on the pretzel before the chocolate hardens.

8. Let dry for 15 minutes.

9. Gently take pretzels off of paper.

10. Repeat steps 1-9 until desired amount is reached.

11. Serve.

This recipe makes 8 servings. It is a more challenging dish suitable for more experienced people.

This recipe makes up to 100 servings. It is a simple dish that’s a great party snack for many people.

30 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

What are you wearing this fall?

It’s okay to be comfortable and look fashionable for fall. As the air turns frigid, stay warm in an over-sized sweater paired with your favorite leggings. Slip on your favorite pair of ankle boots on the way out, and you’re good to go.

Action in Autumn

1. Pumpkin Picking Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin everything.

Pumpkin flavored and scented things are a fall staple, so why not take it back to the start? Pick your own pumpkin at Cox Farms in Centreville.

But hurry! It ends Nov. 4.

2. Hiking Nature is calling, so pick up the phone and feel the fresh, crisp air of a fall day than Great Falls Park with a group of friends? Open until the end of November, go and take advantage of the beautiful waterfalls and its breath-taking scenery.

3. Zoo Wear your newly inspired fall fashionforward outfit and spend your day with pandas and elephants at the Smithsonian National Zoo. To make this trip extra special, try to schedule a meet-andgreet with your favorite animal.

4. King’s Dominion Adrenaline, fear and an overall exhilarating night. Challenge your tolerance to terror when encountering wandering witches and ghouls at King’s Dominion’s Fright Fest. So if you haven’t gone already, go quickly because it ends Nov. 2.

31 October 2014

The Bear Facts

photos courtesy of H&M, American Eagle, Saks 5th, Scare-zone, Unsophisticook ,photo by MCT Campus

Stay warm and look great with this versatile outfit. A hooded sweater is perfect for layering over a collared shirt or under a light jacket.

With the addition of a pair of jeans and boots, a complete outfit good for any casual occasion is created.

31

Homecoming: Big Fat Greek Review

A recap of homecoming weekend, including Bite of Braddock, the homecoming game against T.C. Williams and the dance.

by Hao Nguyen - Business Manager

A

s previous years have done before, Bite of Braddock and the homecoming parade have become part of Lake Braddock’s tradition. This year, food from all over was catered, including (but not limited to): Chick-fil-A, Chipotle and D.C. Sliders. A wide span of organizations and clubs such as the Marines and the Army, various honor societies and DECA came out to fundraise and bring publicity to themselves.

While Bite of Braddock was going on, the parade was happening right alongside it. This year, the parade featured the marching band, JROTC, the students on homecoming court, the crew team and Girl Scouts.

“What makes the parade so fun is seeing the community surrounding Lake Braddock come out and seeing the children scramble for the candy being given out,” junior Natalie Farinas said.

After defeating the T.C. William Titans 52-7, the Bruins were ready for one of the most anticipated events of the year: the dance. This year’s theme was Greek gods and goddesses.

From the raved reviews, this year’s homecoming proved to be divine.

“Right as I walked in, I felt like I was walking into Mount Olympus itself,” sophomore Elyse Nguyen said.

With a walkway lit by torches and a gymnasium decorated like the inside of a palace from Mount Olympus, the décor did not fail to impress the attendees of the dance. After stepping through the entrance doors that led to the gym, the students would see drapes of white and gold hanging from the ceiling.

“Being all dressed up and surrounded by gold and white decorations, I felt like royalty,” sophomore Madison Ngo said.

Inside the gymnasium is where the actual dance is located. The gym was separated into two parts, a sitting area and a dance floor. The DJ this year proved to be one of the best the school’s ever had.

“The music he played was amazing” senior Hannah Lockuff said. “He played the music that everyone liked but not for too long so it wouldn’t be overbearing.”

However, experiencing previous homecomings, some students did not believe this homecoming was up to par.

“The fairy tale theme we had in 2013 set the bar really high for the homecomings to come,” senior Lauren Wong said. “However, the effort of SGA was evident in the decorations, and all the students should appreciate the time and effort they put into making our homecoming possible.”

photos by Jake Gold and Lifetouch

(Top left) The student section blacks out for the homecoming game against T.C. Williams.

(Bottom left) Students dance at the homecoming dance Saturday. (Right) The Bite of Braddock parade included the boys’ lacrosse team on a converted fire truck.

32 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

Restaurant Review:

COAL FIRE

by Jake Hruska - Business Manager

F

irst off, the decor and atmosphere of the new restaurant, Coal Fire, is what you’d expect from a restaurant that does mostly carryout orders. Fine, but it was nothing too eye-catching. There are plenty of tables, and there was no wait either of the times I was there. The plates and glasses are made of plastic, which, in addition to the laminated menus, make the restaurant feel cheap as opposed to “upscale,” something stated on their website.

For appetizers, I tried the french fries and the onion rings. The portions were large (clearly enough for two to three people). The fries were crunchy and well cooked, but perhaps a bit salty for my taste. The onion rings were a must have.

They are fried thin (more like onion straws) and seasoned with a zesty pepper spice blend; they come with a delicious horseradish sauce, which compliments the rings very well. It has a cool and tangy flavor.

I tried the creole pasta first, which far exceeded my expectations. Although the presentation and premise of the dish is nothing fancy, it definitely packs a spicy punch. The slow burn of the peppers in the cream base builds as you eat.

There is a healthy serving of meat with the dish, and my only gripe with it is that it seemed a bit greasy. Just as with the appetizers, the portion is rather large.

Lastly, I ordered a Margherita pizza with added pepperoni and Italian sausage. It was phenomenal. Pizzas all have a crunchy thin crust and are made with homemade sauce and mozzarella. The cheese was creamy and flavorful but not overpowering. The crust had a smoky, charred note from the coal oven. The pizza came with plenty of toppings. Fresh chopped basil was on top of the pizza, which in addition to adding to the overall presentation, was a refreshing touch to the savory flavor of the pizza.

Coal Fire is a local chain of restaurants specializing in pizza. I dined at the Rolling Valley Mall Shopping Center location for this review.

I have eaten at this location twice. Overall the experience was good, and I would recommend it. I give this restaurant a 6.5/10.

Relationships graduate, too

by Claire Hollinger - Staff Writer

I

Michael Chase (top) and Isabella Deluca pose for a picture before prom. Matt Bowersox and Casey Silva (bottom) celebrate Silva’s graduation.

n an age of highly realistic and logical ideals, many people believe that long distance relationships simply will not work out. According to a survey taken by a student at Albion College in Michigan in February 2013, only about 5 percent of college students have stayed with their high school sweethearts.

Coastal Carolina freshman Casey Silva and senior Matt Bowersox have been dating for a little more than a year now, and despite the 425.7 mile difference between the two, the relationship is still going strong.

“When you’re in love with a girl like [Silva], you don’t choose or try to be in situations like this,” Bowersox said. “We fell in love, and she went to school. My heart’s not gonna change just because she’s gone. It’s just tough.”

Couples are challenged with the change of not seeing each other everyday like they did in high school. But while distance can be an issue, students have found alternative ways to keep their romance alive.

Senior Mike Chase has been dating Virginia Tech freshman Isabella DeLuca for three and a half years now, and they have maintained a healthy relationship.

Even though there is a 257-mile distance, they are able to remain close with care

packages, calls every night and visits every couple of weeks.

“Isabella and I have been doing awesome with the long distance. Since she goes to Virginia Tech, it is easy to go up there every three weeks or so,” Chase said. “Nothing has felt difficult at all. I actually believe the distance helps.

When you’re away from someone for a long time, it makes it so much better to see them.”

With half of the pair getting used to college life, sometimes it can be strenuous on both in a relationship when they are so far away, experiencing such different things.

Moore and University of Virginia freshman Kristen Monheim have only been dating for four and a half months, but they have a strong connection that has allowed them to continue their relationship into college.

“It’s not as bad as you would think because while she’s acclimating to college and to the stress of college, I am doing the exact same with senior year and the stress of [it] and applications and more,” senior Devin Moore said. “It is stressful being so far away from each other because when you really care about someone, you just want to be with them.”

Despite the odds and statistics going against them, these couples continued their relationship, allowing them to mature not only as a couple but as individuals.

by Hao Nguyen - Business Manager

I

n 8000 B.C.E., man began adorning his feet with designer-quality leather laced with only the finest leather strips. Since 3200 B.C.E., man has utilized the wheel to its greatest potential. Or so we thought. It took one of the greatest men who ever lived, Roger Adams of Heelys Incorporated, to synthesize the two.

The result is a masterful creation called Heelys. Let’s take a look at people who have experienced the masterpiece that are Heelys.

“Heelys have proved to induce pain to anyone that wears them,” senior Madison Free said.

As a result of using Heelys, Free has suffered a concussion, a fractured wrist and a severed eyebrow, she said. But everyone knows, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Senior Lauren Wong suffered from many injuries, but it only helped her in the end.

“As result of training with my Heelys, it

strengthened my stabilizing muscles, which translated nicely to help me improve my routine on the balance beam,” Wong said.

Senior Jasmine Tesfa said injuries pertaining to the use of Heelys were the fault of the consumer because they were either “misused” or because “[the consumers] were not wearing protective gear,” she said.

“The overall idea of the shoe was a great concept,” Tesfa said. “Having a removable wheel that converts shoes to rollerblades is ingenious.”

According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), there were more than 131 injuries pertaining to Heelys. Fractures was the most common injury, which accounted for a little more than 50 percent of the 131 accidents reported.

The NEISS reported that a majority of injuries sustained from Heely use are orthopedic. However, a variety of other injuries have been reported. Although Heelys have caused countless injuries

and violated many basic rules of public conduct, they have proved their worth by strengthening character and reducing the use of environmentally damaging modes of transportation. You better buy your Heelys’ stocks now because Heelys are making a comeback.

Heelys are shoes with removable wheels in the heel of the shoe.

photos courtesy of Michael Chase, Matt Bowersox and MCT Campus

Bringing back wheels on heels

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 33

Buy Your Yearbook Now! & Save $20 www.yearbookordercenter.com

Use School Code 5061

Inside

37 • 37 • 38 • 36 • Winter Sports Preview 38 •

Football Injuries Breast Cancer Field Hockey Going Pro Column

Athlete:

Randy Bills

Juniors Ciara Johnson (left) and Caroline Jones (right) practice their swings during batting practice. Crew practices their strokes on the river at Bull Run (right).

by Jordan Small - Sports Editor

W

ith the competition getting stronger every year, sports teams look to find a leg up on the competition by starting training earlier. This year, four spring sports started their training ahead of the game. These teams, which include crew, girls’ lacrosse, softball and baseball, all are looking to improve on their performances from last year.

Crew began training to become more physically fit and to improve technique.

The team has been training by running daily, rowing hard on the water and using rowing machine called ergs.

They also held a fall rowing camp for new rowers who are interested in getting into the sport. The goal is to improve on their performance from last year and

qualify for states.

“It takes a lot to get into shape to be completely ready for crew season,” sophomore Faith Hoover said.

The girls’ lacrosse team began training about a month after their season finished.

During the month of July, the team would gather for training sessions between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. The team took August off but began training again in September to improve on stick handling and to get conditioned.

The team looks to also improve team chemistry earlier on, junior Dwyer Neal said.

As for the softball team, they started green days during the middle of September.

After losing to Cosby in the state semifinal game, the team looks to improve by holding practice and by building on a team full of many returning players.

“More hours and more reps will give us an edge on the competition,” sophomore Patty Maye Ohanian said.

The baseball team did not have the season they were hoping for last school year. Because of their poor results, the team began training for the upcoming season just four days after the 2014 season ended. The team has been in the weight room and in the batting cages most days since then. The players have their minds set on improving from last season and getting a head start on the competition.

“We hope to have our players’ physical strength, mental toughness and focus at their peaks before the season even starts,” senior Matt Supko said.

As the fall season comes to a close, the focus will turn from football to basketball, but for these spring athletes, spring season will still be the ultimate focus.

photo courtesy of Andrew Clinton (left/right) & Patrick Kearney (right)

Before winter, spring sports train

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 35

Winter Sports Preview

photos by of Lifetouch

Boys’ Basketball

Wrestling

Indoor Track & Field

Last Season: 24 wins, 4 losses, won the Conference 7 Final, lost in the regional finals and lost in state semifinals.

Graduated: Sam Fiedorek, John Nice, Vince Sica, Mo Ibrahim, Will Gregorits Returning: Reagan Jones, James Butler, Tom Gregorits, Peyton Bishop, Corey Pelham, Elliot Johnson Player’s Point of View: “[I am looking forward to] the opportunity to defend our Patriot District title. We’re going for a three-peat this year.”

-Reagan Jones, senior

Last Season: Conference 7 Champions, Fourth place in the 6A North Region, Third place in the 6A State Championship Graduated: Ian Riley, Jack Pappano, Sean Gamarra, Carl Runk, TJ Mansaray Returning: Ryan Haskett, Dante Wiles, Darius Wiles, Robert Sherwani, Shane Anderson, Matt Ahern, Andrew Niedringhaus Player’s Point of View: “Last year, we got third in the state. This year, I want us to do better than third in the state.”

-Daunte Wiles, junior

Last Season: 13-2, won district championship, lost in regional quarterfinals Graduated: Katy Kunc, Hannah Christen, Forrest Isenhour, Miriam Wade, Helen Gibbons, Brian Thompson, Maggie Ruuds Returning: Alex Corbett, Kevin Monogue, Sarah Riley, Daly Ferguson, Skyla Davidson Player’s Point of View: “The team is very new this season since we lost a lot of seniors from last [year], and we have a lot of new athletes.”

-Sarah Riley, senior

Girls’ Basketball

Gymnastics

Swim & Dive

Last Season: 11 wins, 13 losses, won the first round of the Patriot Conference tournament, lost the semi-finals of the Patriot Conference tournament, lost in the first round of regionals.

Graduated: Marcia Altman, Caitlyn Mandela, Aryn Burrage, Betsy Gallier Returning: Christine McGrath, Hermela Arcudi, Caroline Jones, Ari Zimmerman, Bailey Edwards, Kate Esper, Elisa Taylor Player’s Point of View: “We are going to have a lot of freshman and sophomores who are going to get a lot more playing time this season.”

-Christine McGrath, senior

Last Season: Fifth in the Patriot Conference Championship.

Graduated: Angie Garcia-Marquina Returning: Lula Phicadu, Taylor Fick, Erin Griel, Caitlyn Stockstill, Alexis Runk, Michele Kalweit, Bredow Dennis, Demi Sarantis, Jalissa Lim, Lauren Wong, Rory Hatch, Cydney Uzzell Player’s Point of View: “I can’t wait for the meets, and my teammates always know how to make practice fun and how to make each other laugh. I’m also pretty excited to be working with the new members on the team.”

-Alexis Runk, junior

Last Season: Boys won 6A Region Championship, while the girls came in third in the Patriot Conference.

Graduated: Merwan Benamor, Ben Fields, Kyle Hannam, Matt Cliff, Caitlyn Creasy, Ryan Krogel, Nora Lyle, Kristen Moneyhun, Kaleigh Neumann, Nick Porter Returning: Cole McGarry, Casey Phelps, Anne Merrill, Karina Kolb, Chris Stankiewicz Player’s Point of View: “I am excited about going to states again. I am confident that me and my relay team will make it to states this year.”

-Karina Kolb, senior

36 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

Injuries plague football seniors, team

by Demetri Karounos - Staff Writer

D

espite being plagued by injuries, the football team has persevered and continued to win while facing tough odds. With many of those injured returning soon, the team is planning to come back and finish the season even stronger than it started.

“Everyone will be back by the end of the season, so hopefully, we will get on a roll,” senior A.J. Alexander said. “I believe we can win all our games. We’ll just have to see.”

With the recent injuries to seniors Dejoun Lee, Tyreek Middleton, Abdul Ali, Steve Moreno, Evan Eschenburg and Alexander, many of the team’s underclassmen have had to step up and fill in leadership roles.

“The team has had a lot of young kids who had to step up and fill in for the older kids,” Lee said. “The starters returning will obviously bring us back up to another level, but it’s nice to know the younger kids

Going Pro

can step up, too.”

Alexander will be missing the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL. With the team’s star player and top scorer out, the team has looked to other players for leadership and to put the ball in the end zone.

“A.J. being out for the season affects us mentally, and it’s just a huge dent in the team’s leadership,” Lee said. “And I will have to step up when it comes to that part.”

Despite the team’s losses, it has benefited from the addition of two new coaches: Donte Davis and Rickey Lewis.

“The new coaches bring energy and have lots of experience they can share with us,” senior Ryan Fraga said.

The team reaped the benefits of returning injured seniors Lee and Eschenburg who scored a combined three touchdowns in the last weeks win against T.C. Williams.

“Any time you have starters injured, it’s going to affect your team morale and productivity,” Alexander said. “It’s about

how your team will overcome tough times and adversity.”

Improving to 6-2, LB has moved into second in the conference behind undefeated South County, who it will face at South County Friday, Oct. 31.

Senior Dejoun Lee (center) walks by teammates on crutches after injuring his ankle in the game vs.

Westfield.

A regular sports column on professional sports

by Tom Anderson - Staff Writer

E

very October, the NFL joins together to raise awareness for breast cancer. Pink ribbons adorn the field. Players can be seen wearing pink gloves and cleats and fans purchase pink team apparel. Breast cancer survivors are invited to come on to the field and get cheered on by the crowd. All of this however, is a scam. The NFL uses the plight of people with Breast Cancer for financial gain.

The NFL’s “Crucial Catch” campaign is aimed at raising money for the American Cancer Society and encouraging women to get mammograms. The NFL donates revenue from game-worn gear, which is auctioned off, and from pink apparel that fans purchase. All of the revenue from the game-worn gear goes to the American Cancer Society. However, when a consumer buys pink gear, only 12.5 percent of what they spend goes to breast cancer programs. Of the total revenue, 8.01 percent goes to actual research, according to Business Insider; 4.49 percent goes to the ACS administration and to the NFL’s own programs.

The NFL defends its fundraising by saying that they only can donate its 12.5 percent cut of the retail revenue; the rest goes to the manufacturer, Nike, and to the retailer. However, often the retailer is the NFL, and the retailer gets a 50 percent share

of the revenue. When a consumer buys a pink product from the NFL or a team’s website or store, they are giving half of that money to the NFL rather than the ACS. Sporting goods stores and Nike also don’t donate money, so in all cases someone is making a profit on the pink merchandise.

“If the NFL puts pink on their [products], then they should donate a substantial amount,” sophomore Mark Jaskot said.

“They’re deceiving the consumers.”

However, the abuse of breast cancer for profit is nothing new. Many companies will put pink packaging on their products

Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders perform in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month during the game against the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 13 of last year.

without donating anything substantial.

Swiffer Sweepers is an example. Swiffer covered their packaging in pink but only donated if a coupon was presented at checkout. If the buyer didn’t present the coupon, the pink packaging was just decoration. Even if the buyer presented the coupon, parent company Proctor & Gamble only donated 2 cents. Many companies also set a cap on how much they donate, with some companies stopping their donations at $15,000, but continuing to use the pink packaging long after they hit the mark.

“They are essentially marketing women and using a cause to make money,” comedian Andy Ruther said. “They’re making more money off the breast cancer products then they’re actually donating.”

However, the NFL has the power to stop this. Just like with the Ray Rice case, the league has the power to make an example. The NFL makes $9 million in annual revenue, and the small percentage of that money that comes from pink merchandising would be better served helping people stricken with the disease rather than contributing to Roger Goodell’s $35.1 million, tax-free salary. The NFL has the power to be honest with fans and really help people with breast cancer, take a stand to Nike and the retailers and make them donate more, and possibly set a precedent for other companies to stop using pink for profit. Otherwise, it’s probably for the best that it stops the pink madness.

photos courtesy of John Lorence (top), John Sleezer/Kansas City Star (bottom)

NFL needs to live up to its cancer promises

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 37

Going Pro

Wizards look to have magical season

by Thomas Kendziora - Copy Chief

A

Senior Jade Samec runs after an errant ball in the game against West Springfield on Oct. 20.

Field hockey roars into the postseason

by Katie Karlinchak - Staff Writer

A

fter a strong finish to the regular season entering the playoffs, a last minute win against West Springfield, and a heartbreaking loss to South County, LB’s field hockey team looks to rebound this week as the Northern Region tournament begins.

In their most recent game against South County, the Lady Bruins started slow, giving up two goals to the Stallions early in the first half. South County would add a third goal to start the second half, but LB didn’t give up. Goals by sophomore Haley Hopkins and senior Jade Samec cut the score to 3-2. However, despite having a multitude of opportunities to tie the game, the team fell short and was eliminated from the Patriot Conference tournament.

“I think we played hard but got off to a slower start, which is why the Stallions scored first,” junior Annina Zelkin said.

photo courtesy of Gregg Zelkin

“I feel we are really coming together as a team” - Bailey Edwards, 10

38 The Bear Facts 31 October 2014

“Sadly, we couldn’t get it back in time.”

Preceding this game was a nail-biting win against West Springfield. The Lady Bruins opened the conference tournament on Oct. 20 against a team they had beaten just four days before, and they were able to beat the Spartans again by a score of 2-1. LB scored late in the first half with a goal by senior Deysi Camacho. After the Spartans tied the game up in the beginning of the second half, Hopkins scored the game-winning goal with 1:35 remaining.

This pushed LB into the semifinals of the tournament, where they ultimately lost.

“I think if we focus on the things that we need to improve on, we definitely have a chance against the tough schools in our district,” senior Bronwyn Neal said.

The team lost six of its first 10 games, but won 10 of their last 11 to finish the regular season 14-7. They defeated Woodson and Robinson and won on their senior night against Centreville. Recently, the Lady Bruins played West Springfield for their last regular season game and won 2-0.

“We had a lot of trouble keeping leads, which is why we went into a ton of overtime [games],” sophomore Bailey Edwards said. “Now I feel we are really coming together as a team and playing stronger than we ever have before.”

After a slow start to the season, the Lady Bruins have fought back and brought themselves into contention for a state title.

s the NBA season tipped off this week, hopes are high in the nation’s capital.

The Wizards enjoyed a successful season last year, ending the regular season with a 44-38 record and winning its first playoff series since 2005. In a campaign that saw John Wall make his first allstar team and Bradley Beal continue to develop into an all-around threat, the team won 15 more games than the season before. If the fans’ prayers are answered, this positive trend will continue through the winter.

As per usual, a few personnel changes were made this offseason. Trevor Ariza, who provided valuable defense and shooting for the team last year, left to sign with Houston as a free agent. In his place is 37-year-old Paul Pierce, who is near the tail end of a career that will likely earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame. Although Washington doesn’t expect him to produce at the level Ariza did, he should certainly serve as a veteran leader and emotional spark plug this season. Also new to the team are forwards DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries, who figure to be valuable assets off the bench.

For the most part, however, this is the same squad that reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season. Head coach Randy Wittman and center Marcin Gortat were re-signed this summer, and the Wall/Beal combo figures to be a force to be reckoned with once again, even though Beal will miss the first six weeks of the season with a wrist injury. The two guards are just 24 and 21, respectively, and both have been steadily improving throughout their careers. Many who follow the NBA closely expect them to be among the best backcourts in the league for years to come.

In the aftermath of LeBron James’ decision to leave the Miami Heat and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Wizards have become favorites to win the Southeast division. Should they proceed to do so, they would be guaranteed homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which would put them on the inside track to play deep into the playoffs once again.

No Rushing Past Randy control the whole [offensive line], but it has become second nature [by this point].

We have gotten faster these past couple years, and we now rely on the whole team, not just a few players. We also went from running a five-wide passing offense to a balanced attack.

the past three years?

My sophomore year, I was just filling a void. Junior year it was more of leading just the O-line because we had three defensive linemen coming to the other side of the ball, and now it is leading the whole team. I have 30 starts and counting [hopefully], and I have to set How have you seen your role an example for the younger on the team change within players.

Athlete of the Issue: Senior Randy Bills

photo by Amanda Hendrix

How have you adjusted to the offensive line changes these past three years? In addition to that, how has the team itself changed overall in its approaches to the games?

Every year since I have been on varsity we have changed coaches and/or schemes. It has been difficult to change from year to year, especially at center because [I] have to

31 October 2014 The Bear Facts 39

The

Bear Facts

2014-15 PATRON AD CONTRACT

Lake Braddock SS • 9200 Burke Lake Rd, Burke, VA 22015 • (703) 426 1087 • bearfactsadvertisements@gmail.com

PATRON INFORMATION NAME:_____________________________________ Please print clearly as you would like it to appear in newspaper.

ADDRESS:___________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP: _______________________________ PHONE #:___________________________________ EMAIL:_____________________________________

WHY BECOME A PATRON

WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Lake Braddock Publications is solely supported through advertising and fundraising.

Your donation comes with a monthly copy of each issue of the newsmagazine.

Patron donations are one-time contributions and any amount is welcome. As a Patron of Lake Braddock Publications, your name will be published on the Patron pages of The Bear Facts, newspaper and The Lair, yearbook.

BRUIN PATRON - $150 GOLD PATRON - $100 SILVER PATRON - $75 PURPLE PATRON - $50 BLACK PATRON - $25 Basic Subscription - $10 Other Amount ____

We truly appreciate any contribution made to our program and look forward to enhancing our relationship with the Lake Braddock community.

Don’t miss a single issue!

_____ I just want to support the journalism program and do not wish to receive the Bear Facts each month.

Money generated from the patron program offsets the cost of attending national journalism conferences, purchasing computer and camera equipment and supplies for our publications room and to print our newspaper and yearbook.

SIGNATURE OF PATRON:

_______________________________________

Enclose check or money order to LBSS along with this form and return to:

Go with the winners!

PUBLICATION REPRESENTATIVE:

Lake Braddock Secondary School ATTN: Kathryn Helmke 9200 Burke Lake Road Burke, VA 22015

The Bear Facts and The Lair have received recognition from Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and the Virginia High School League.

_______________________________________ DATE OF CONTRACT AGREEMENT:

_______________________________________