Volume 42, Issue 3

11. 25. 14.

The Bear Facts

WEED

IN

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

Contents / 11.25.14.

9

BEHIND THE COVER

32

35

“I wanted to show the different number of states that have legalized medicinal marijuana and recreational marijuana.”

photos by HO/ MCTcampus (top left), David Eulitt (top right) Danna Ferguson (bottom)

Volume 42, Issue 3 8 Snow Days

17 ‘1984’

32 NOVA Lingo

FCPS is prepared for snow with 11 built-in days.

For its Cappies production, LBT pulled an Orwellian classic.

From “finna” to “bet,” Northern Virginia has a distinct vocabulary.

10 Marijuana

18 Jingle Ball

35 Cross Country

Take an in-depth look at the legalization of marijuana.

The annual star-studded mega-concert is coming back to the Verizon Center.

Boys win at the state meet and girls are state runnersup.

12 Anya Michaelson 22 Voting

11. 25. 14.

The Bear Facts

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37 Mark Martino

See how science took one bright student across the country.

In the midterm elections, there was a significant drop in youth voting.

After 23 years at LB, the athletic director is leaving for new opportunities.

15 Bianca Thurgood

26 Janitors

39 Sarah Riley

This talented student was accepted to the national choir.

Do janitors receive enough appreciation for their profession?

Learn about the only senior girl who ran on the cross country state team.

2 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

“I wanted to draw someone demonstrating his new rights, but we decided not to put it on the front.”

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

“We jumped through a lot of different hoops picking this headline. Some were too inappropriate, others were just plain dumb, so we settled on a neutral one.” quotations and cover by Jesse Sands

The Bear Facts Staff & Corrections Volume 42, Issue 3 Staff Writers Tom Anderson, Marianne Beveridge, Ian Bivona, Gerardo Cerna, Ayman Farid, Kinaya Hassane, Claire Hollinger, Kevin Hua, Michael Galligan, Jake Gold, Daniel Jarris, Spencer Jolley, Katie Karlinchak, Demetris Karounos, Aya Khaznadar, Lucia Kim, Maggie Komoniewski, Devon Lee, Anne Merrill, Alex Nesterovich, Connor O’Neill, Zelgai Saleh, Bunyamin Sevim, Nikki Sheppard, 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 Managers Jake Hruska and Hao Nguyen

Editors News Editors Marcell Subert and Marleen Tipu News In-Depth Editors Megan Cantwell and Dinali Dassanayaka 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.

Junior Ayman Farid (Staff Writer)

P R O F I L E

After a year of journalism in middle school, junior Ayman Farid decided to take the course again this year. Sports journalism is a field that he is interested in and wants to go into it in the future because he feels like he “can be pretty successful with this style of writing.” During class, he writes stories to “bring truth and insight to the students of LB” and relaxes by talking with his friends.

Out of school, Farid enjoys playing the sport he’s played for 12 years: soccer. He also runs for the school’s cross country and track teams.

His sign signifies his belief that “as people who undoubtedly are fortunate in life, we should always be thankful for the numerous blessings we have.” He believes in compassionate acts, such as giving to charity and volunteering.

25 November 2014

The Bear Facts 3

News: Future and Past

National Merit Scholarship Honorees Last October, current seniors took the Preliminary SAT. The National Merit Scholarship Program identified and honored 32 students in four levels.

Semifinalist National Merit Emily Clanton Anya Michaelsen Daniel Song Karen Soohoo Michael Sparrow Semifinalist National Achievement Leul Berhane-Meskel Kinaya Hassane

The National Weather Service predicts above average snow total for Virginia this winter.

hanges to the BYOD policy were implemented on Nov. 20. Although students are no longer required to register devices, ‘fairfax’ and ‘FCPSmobile’ are no longer available. Registration is now done through logging in to the ‘FCPSonboard’ network. After first login, students should be able to stay connected to the network.

Use of devices, such as phones, laptops and tablets, is unchanged. Many students struggled to connect.

C

T

photo by Tim Dominick/ MCTcampus

his year’s Black Friday will be Nov. 28 and many popular stores will open at midnight. Wal-Mart declared that they will make their Black Friday a week-long event.

Many businesses are planning on beginning their sales on Thursday and have it last through the weekend to increase the number of sales.

The following Monday, Dec. 1 is Cyber Monday, which also offers deals for online shoppers.

B

eginning in the 2015-2016 school year, Montgomery County will have no religious holidays. Winter break will replace Christmas break, and Jewish holidays will simply be replaced with a day off.

This, however, does not change the days off that teachers and students have.

The Muslim community, although happy about some progress towards equality, still does not get days off for Eid. n Nov. 12, the first-ever space probe successfully landed on a comet. The probe, Philae, is 300 million miles away, transmitting data back home.

The space craft Rosetta began its mission in 2004, attempting to sync into the comet’s orbit. In the 10 years since then, it has skimmed Mars, hibernated for three years, then finally dropped a lander.

O

T

hanksgiving break begins with an early release on Wednesday Nov. 26. Students will be dismissed at 12:10 to inter break begins for students lead into a 4 day weekend.

Thanksgiving will be on Nov. 27 and is on Dec. 19 with a two-hour early release. It continues with a two-week always the fourth Thursday of November. break from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2. This is the he National Weather Service says second year in a row that FCPS gets a this winter, weather is expected longer winter break.

The lengthened winter break is one of to be arctic cold, similar to Alaska’s many changes to the 2014-2105 FCPS temperatures, in many areas of Northern Virginia. calendar.

W

4 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

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Commended Leul Berhane-Meskel David Cho Daniel Cox Matthew Del Vecchio Claire Ellison Maryam Farooqui Sharon Garrott Cy Haukdal Sophie Kaye Margaret Kean Nattanon Ketram Alexander Laney Rachel Lessley Patrick Lin Kevin Monogue Jackson Murphy Andrew Nguyen Tiffany Pu Zelgai Saleh Christopher Scrafford Madison Sievers William Snyder Joseph Spitek Katherine Vinson Joshua Wartel National Achievement Program Sophia Manhertz This page was compiled and written by managing editors Emily Migdal and Sara Kim.

Bunyamin Sevim American Space Travel pg. 9

News

Neyla Downs Social Teachers pg. 8

LB says: Pokemon Club, I choose you!

by Marleen Tipu - News Editor

graphic by JMarleen Tipu and Marcell Subert, photo by Amanda Hendrix 6

P

ika-Pika-Chu! A familiar sound to many, the infamous sound of Pikachu is an unmistakable one to most of this generation, and will perhaps resound through the halls of LB with the creation of the new informal Pokémon Club.

Pokémon, the second most-renowned video game franchise in the world ever, according to the official Pokémon wiki, is a multi-media franchise that is owned and developed by the ever-popular, Japanesegames manufacturer, Nintendo.

With the goal to complete the Pokédex, an electronic device designed to catalogue and provide information regarding the various species of Pokémon featured in the video game, the fun and adventure in capturing all the virtual monsters has caught the attention of many, including students at LB. “Pokémon Club is a legitimate thing, and the number [of members] is growing, steadily but surely,” junior Anthony Gold said.

Still in the process of finding a sponsor The Bear Facts

25 November 2014

Members of the Pokemon Club duel outside of the training room.

for their club and being approved, members of the loosely-organized club meet up wherever they can just sit on the ground and duel each other on their DSs.

Created due to the largely-shared interest in the video game, the club was made for just having fun and bringing back students’ childhood and memories, although there is competition for trying to become the best Pokémon Trainer at LB as well.

“I joined the Pokémon Club because I’ve always wanted to be a part of a group of students who battle each other,” senior Caleb Monteymor said. “We have aspirations to put together a large scale tournament, and we need more members.”

From duels to socializing to reminiscing old childhood memories, the Pokémon Club holds many attractions for its members.

“My favorite part is the bragging rights, and the trash talking about the battles,” Monte said.

Some argue that Pokémon is not ageappropriate for high schoolers, but the club members think otherwise.

“If there is anything that you like to do, whether it is looked at for more mature group or a younger group of people,” Gold said. “You should just do it and not worry about what others have to say.”

x2VOL puts a new face on service learning

by Devon Lee - Staff Writer

T

his year, LB has made changes to its method of tracking students’ service hours. Students will no longer have to receive a signature after their performing community service.

Instead, the school has introduced a new program called x2VOL, an online program that keeps track of all the service completed throughout one’s high school career.

“Previously, you as a student had to keep four years of paper together to create your service resumé,” associate principal Rob Sanders said. “No person in the building was keeping any record of any students’ service hours. But now, x2VOL allows the school to keep track of students’ service hours.”

It is fairly easy to start an account, log in and record service hours. Students just have to follow a few simple steps. “[Students can] look at the far left upper corner of Blackboard for Family Connections, click on Family Connections, look for x2VOL and click on that, then just record your hours,”

sophomore Soobin Cho said.

Middle and high school students’ service hours will now be verified by teachers, administrators or counselors online.

“I look at a certain category of what is submitted to verify,” career center specialist Judy Edwards said, “and I read through what the student did and their reflection to determine whether or not what they did was a service learning project. If I see that the project is not service, then I will email the student.”

The hassle of always needing service verification sheets can sometimes be difficult on students. If a student accidentally forgot their paper on the day of their service, they would have to take more time to look for someone who could sign their paper. This doesn’t only make it difficult for the student, but also for the organization.

“Organizations love this program,” Edwards said. “It’s much less paperwork for them.”

Being a new to the school, x2VOL certainly comes with its share of confusion and mixed feelings.

“I feel that it is inconvenient to log in and put in the service hours,” sophomore Grace Bergan said, “because then I have

to wait for my hours to be verified when I could have just gotten a signature. It’s fairly easy, just kind of tedious.”

In addition to this new online system, there is also an x2VOL app that students can use.

“When students are doing their service or right after they have completed it, they can go onto the app and fill out the information on their phone,” Sanders said.

In addition to logging in their service hours, students can find volunteer opportunities. They can look for in-school or out-of-school events through this program.

“Students can look for a list of opportunities on their x2VOL page,” Edwards said.

“Organizations love this program. It’s much less paper work for them.”

- Judith Edwards

by Ayman Farid - Staff Writer

O

n Monday, Nov. 3, students from DECA, an international association of high school and college students and professors about business, finance hospitality and marketing, gathered at LB for the annual DECA District Leadership Competition, or the DLC. An annual event hosted during the weekend after the first quarter ends, the DLC is an important competition for DECA members who have aspirations of moving on to compete at the state and national levels.

“The competition at DLC is the same as it is at the state and at the national level,” senior and DECA officer Alec Johnson said. “Team role plays and written events start at states, but individuals have to qualify at DLC first.”

With 18 different potential events to choose from, students had a variety of topics they could compete in this year.

Most LB students entered categories such as Principles of Hospitality and Tourism, Job Interview and Human Resources Management.

“There’s a large variety of categories,” DECA sponsor Ericka Symonette said.

“For example, there’s Job Interview, a freshman-only category, as well as

Selling, another freshman-only category.”

Even though it still took place at the school, many students said the environment was vastly different from a normal school day. Competitions took place throughout the morning on Monday, Nov. 3, with all competitions

LB DECA congregates at their field trip to New York City in 2013.

ending no later than 12:30 p.m. Students from all over the county attended the event. For many of these students, it was their first taste of what the real world of

business and marketing can be like.

“It’s different from a normal, everyday school environment because you have to be more professional,” junior Kyle Baker said. “You have to treat everyone like they’re your boss.”

Out of the 35 participants the LB DECA chapter had at the DLC, 14 were recognized with individual awards (either first, second or third in their event). Among these students were Baker, junior Emily Bove, senior Alec Johnson, sophomore Julia Manuel and sophomore Lewi Abseno, as well as each of the seven students who will be moving on to states.

“We had 35 kids compete this year, compared to just two last year,” Symonette said.

Due to their scores at the DLC, seven LB students will be moving on to the state level, which is known as the SLC (State Leadership Competition). These students were Sana Subramanium, Thomas Lee, Jacob Wussen, Emilee Bondo, Katie Thompson, Brian Gilmore and Daniel Dinges. The SLC is being held at Virginia Beach in February.

“States takes place over a weekend, and the kids have a lot of practice time as well as down time,” Symonette said.

“States is a lot of fun.”

25 November 2014

photo by Ericka Symonette

On home turf, DECA duels for state qualifications

The Bear Facts 7

Teachers tweet and blur tech guidelines

by Neyla Downs - Staff Writer

A

s social media becomes more prevalent in the everyday lives of students and faculty, attention is turning to its use in school.

Teachers are utilizing sites such as Facebook and Twitter to better reach students with assignment reminders or extra information about the subject.

“I retweet things that are relevant to the curriculum, and sometimes I’ll send out my own tweets about an interesting TV show on the History Channel or Discovery Channel or on the news that I think my students should be aware of,” history teacher Michael Henrich said.

“It’s mostly supplementary because we have to make it optional.”

Although it is far from required, social media can be a useful communication tool.

“I think it gives [teachers] another way to connect to students outside of the classroom, and as long as they’re using it under parameters and being open about it, I think it’s good,” history teacher Veeda Ranjber said.

She said it is essential to keep personal and teacher accounts separate.

“We have to be aware that anything we say on a public forum represents Fairfax County, whether we like it or not,”

Ranjber said, “so things that you don’t want to say in front of your students, you shouldn’t be posting publicly either.”

Technology specialist Kate George, responsible for reminding the teachers of guidelines related to appropriate social media usage, agrees.

“Things that we like to remind teachers: You should never friend students,” George said. “If you’re using Twitter, it needs to be approved by the principal, and it needs to be monitored.”

This, she said, is because anything that teachers and faculty members do points back to FCPS, and as such, they must represent the school system in an appropriate way.

“We’re all Fairfax County Public School employees, so you never stop being a teacher,” George said. “You never stop being part of the community, so you want to make sure that what you put out there is appropriate and that you have your privacy settings for your personal account set...knowing that people can share pictures with other people and then those pictures can get shared.”

Although most teachers do not post anything terribly inappropriate online, according to freshman Alex Park, a student finding a personal account of a faculty member could challenge the authority of the teacher in question.

“It could become an issue with privacy, and then you never know what might happen,” Park said. “[Students] might have a different opinion about that teacher.”

In the end, the difference between good social media and bad social media lies with the person responsible for maintaining the account. “[As a teacher] you just want to make sure that you’re using good judgement with what you put out there,” George said. “Your entire life doesn’t need to be on social media. And that’s probably the hardest lesson to learn.”

English teacher Kelly McMillan scrolls through her Twitter page.

Before winter, LB prepares for snow

by Devon Lee - Staff Writer

I

photo by Aya Khaznadar 8

n the previous year, all FCPS schools suffered due to a lack of built-in snow days, which resulted in an extension to the school year.

However, this year, the county has taken special measures to prevent this.

“When I look at the calendar, I see that we can miss up to 15 school days, and no time is added to the end of the school year,” subschool 4 administrator Peter Kelly said. “I think last year that was the problem; we kept on having to add more time to the end of the year. But this year, we are pretty well-prepared.”

These 15 days include four teacher workdays or holidays that can be used as make-up days if necessary. The three built-in student holidays come from the reduction of the calendar from 183 to 180 student school days.

Although many did not enjoy the additional four school days that were added to the end of last school year, they were needed to fulfill the requirement of 180 school days per year.

“I went on vacation at the end of last The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

year, so I was not in school during the extra days,” sophomore Chloe Baker said, “but I thought the added days were pointless because we were not learning anything.”

LB does not have control over the calendar. The county-issued calendar that is provided is used by all schools in FCPS. “The budget and calendar are provided by the county,” Kelly said. “The county clears the school roads and parking lot, but the school custodians clear the school sidewalks.”

Most students favor these built-in holidays because it gives them a break from school.

“It is nice having the new student holidays,” Baker said. “Since the school year is so crazy, it is nice to relax and have mental health days.”

Students have overall had a positive attitude towards the added student holidays.

“I think the county has planned well,” Baker said, “and if they don’t take away the student holidays that are built in, it would be great. However, if these student

holidays are turned into a regular school day, they should expect low attendance because many people plan trips over three-day weekends.”

There are predictions that this winter will be similar to the last and bring a lot of snow and snow days, according to the National Weather Service. The county has probably taken some actions to prepare for this upcoming winter, but LB is also ready.

“I do not know what actions the county has taken to prepare for this upcoming winter,” Kelly said. “But I know that our custodians are well equipped with enough sand and salt.”

However, some believe that this excessive planning is not as necessary as others may think.

“I do not think we will need too much planning,” sophomore Khanh Luong said. “Last year was just one of those rare occurrences when it snows nonstop.”

The county has planned ahead and created ways to prevent an extension in the school year.

“I think this year, we have a lot more flexibility,” Kelly said.

America’s space future dealt setbacks

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his December will mark the 46th anniversary of the last moon mission and the last time humans left the low-Earth orbit.

Since then, humanity has remained close to home, with exploration of the Solar System left to satellites and rovers. With the end of the space shuttle program, and the nearest manned mission to Mars planned for 2030, the reigns for exploration of the cosmos have been passed on to the private sector.

According to the IRS, the United States budget was $3.8 trillion in 2013; a vast sum, greatly outdistancing the collected GDP’s of dozens of countries.

However, the budget allocated less than 1 percent to NASA and other spacerelated ventures, giving the lion’s share to defense. This is arguably due to a decreasing interest in space on Capitol Hill; the vast spending and support in the ‘60s and ‘70s was primarily a result of the space race with the USSR. Conversely, according to Wired, billions of dollars have been spent on the nascent commercial spaceflight industry, with more spending yet to come.

Private spaceflight started in earnest in 2012, with SpaceX and other companies being chartered to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). Prior to this decade, commercial spaceflight was limited to

the launching of private satellites, and manned flights remained the realm of science fiction and pipe dreams. Virgin Atlantic and other companies sold

NASA’s Orion spacecraft arrives to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex

reservations for “interplanetary tours” in the ‘90s.

Currently, two companies are vying for dominance of the industry: SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. Both offer reservations for suborbital flights and are currently testing a number of different spaceships to accomplish this task. However, SpaceX also contracts with NASA, sending cargo to the ISS

with their Dragon Capsules, and plans on eventually chartering astronauts.

NASA currently hires the Russian Federation to transport astronauts on their Soyuz rockets.

This past month, the private space industry was dealt a great blow with the catastrophic failures of two missions.

A rocket belonging to Orbital Sciences Corporation crashed and was forced to self-destruct by NASA engineers after failing on the launch pad at Wallops Flight Center in Virginia.

While there were no casualties, this is a major setback for the astronauts and cosmonauts on the ISS, who were expecting supplies from the rocket.

At the same time, the full extent of the damage done to the launch pad is not clear. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crashed on Oct. 31 during a test flight, killing one pilot and grievously injuring a second.

Authorities are currently investigating the crash, and while many expected that the tragedy would prove to be a major setback for the company, and for the industry as a whole, Virgin Galactic reported that investor support remains high and vows to continue testing its spaceship.

As the days pass, the private space industry continues to grow at an explosive rate. From cheap commercial satellites to the dream of affordable tours to orbit, it’s clear that the future of exploration is truly blasting off.

The United States’ Space Jam NASA’s rover, Spirit, got stuck on a rock on Mars, and stayed in that position until its last transmission in 2010.

10/28/14 An unmanned cargo ship self-destructed on the launchpad at Wallops Flight Facility following mission failure.

5/1/09

Philae, the sister ship to Rosetta, was launched almost a decade prior and finally reached the comet it was supposed to land on. However, Philae did not complete its landing successfully, and currently floats unsupported around the rocket.

11/14/14

February 2003

November 2014

2/1/03 Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the atmosphere, killing all seven crew members. This was the second space shuttle to be destroyed, following the Challenger explosion in 1986

10/31/14 8/31/11 The final shuttle mission, flown

by Space Shuttle Atlantis in July 2011, marked the end of the shuttle program in August of that year.

The VSS Enterprise, an experimental space ship belonging to Virgin Galactic, crashed during a test flight, killing one pilot and grievously injuring another.

25 November 2014

photo courtesy of MCT Campus (top), NASA(bottom) info by Bunyamin Sevim

by Bunyamin Sevim - Staff Writer

The Bear Facts 9

A detailed look at the sweeping legalization of marijuana across the United States of America using data from both around the country and from LB.

The News In-Depth

New states join legalization process

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

O

n Election Night 2014, Washington, D.C. was added to the ever-growing list of places where marijuana is now legal. Initiative 71, a ballot measure legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in Washington, D.C., won by an overwhelming majority on Nov. 4. Under this new law, adults over the age of 21 will be allowed to smoke and grow cannabis in the nation’s capital. The initiative’s passage is a momentous victory for civil rights activists in the District who aim to end the disproportionate amount of marijuana-related convictions among blacks, who constitute 88 percent of all convictions.

Some students see the drug’s legalization as a positive step forward.

“The usage of marijuana will definitely carry less [of a] social stigma,” senior Effi Hertig said, “[and] the police will be able to focus on more serious crimes, which will bring long term social benefits.”

Others don’t see the passage of Initiative 71 and similar measures as a good change.

“Scientists don’t truly know what the drug

does in a physical sense,” senior Daniel Becker said, “which is why I think [legalization] will have a negative outcome.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the usage of marijuana can have adverse effects on the body. Research has shown that 9 percent of users become addicted, and that percentage is higher among young people and frequent users of the drug. However, it’s unknown whether or not smoking marijuana can lead to lung cancer just as smoking tobacco does.

No matter the effects, there is a clear shift in public opinion on the drug. Medical marijuana is legal in 21 states, and recreational marijuana is legal in four. A Pew Research study released on Nov. 5 shows that in 1969, 84 percent of Americans believed marijuana should be illegal.

Today, that percentage has fallen precipitously (save during the “Just Say No” campaign of the late ‘80s) to 45 percent. Attitudes are clearly shifting among the population, so an initiative similar to the one in D.C. could be in the near future for Virginia.

“Should that issue come before the state legislature,” history teacher Patrick Ward said, “it’s up to the people of Virginia to decide.”

graphic and photo by MCT Campus and Oliver Douliery/Abaca Press

Activist Anastasia Stepanova from the D.C. Cannabis Campaign holds a sign during the midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Washington, D.C. Voters in the U.S. capital and two West Coast states decided to legalize marijuana in a test for broader cannabis legalization efforts across the United States.

Marijuana during D.C.2010 legalizes for medical the Obama marijuana purposes Administration

10 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

2011

Delaware legalizes medical marijuana

158 million users of marijuana in the worldmore than 3.8 percent of the planet’s population. drugfreeworld.org

Next to alcohol, marijuana is the second most frequently found substance in the bodies of drivers involved in fatal car accidents. drugfreeworld.org

How LB students feel about marijuana 15% support decriminalization legalization

8% support criminalization

69 percent 57 percent of Americans of Americans would be believe that bothered if alcohol is much more smoking was in public. harmful. pewresearch.org

pewresearch.org

More than 94 million people in the U.S. have admitted to using marijuana at least once.

36% support medicinal legalization 40% support full recreational legalization On Oct. 7 and 10, 202 total LB students were surveyed during their 1st, 6th, 3rd or 7th period classes or assigned Bruin Blocks. 17 students supported full criminalization (illegal to possess and harsh penalties if caught), 31 supported marijuana being decriminalized (illegal to possess with light penalties if caught), 73 supported medicinal and decriminalized (patients with a medical marijuana card can purchase and possess) and 81 students supported recreational use (fully legal and regulated like alcohol).

2012

Marijuana fully legalized in Washington and Colorado

2013

Justice Dept. announces they will not challenge state marijuana laws

Violent crime and property crime in Denver dropped 10.6 percent compared to previous year following legalization of marijuana. rt.com

2014

Minnesota and New York legalize medical marijuana

map graphic by MCT Campus/ graphic by Jake Gold

drugfreeworld.org

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 11

Gerardo Cerna Phill Saunders pg. 14

Profile

Marianne Beveridge Laura Egeland pg. 16

The Building Blocks Of Her Life For Senior Anya Michaelsen, a science fair is only the beginning

By Anne Merrill - Staff Writer photo courtesy of Anya Michaelsen

In May of 2014, senior Anya Michaelsen left Virginia for an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the Intel ISEF against students from around the world.

12 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

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ach year, students from high schools around the county are eligible to compete in the Fairfax County Regional Science Fair. The grand prize winners of this science fair are offered admission to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a competition in which students from around the world compete for various prizes.

In May 2014, Anya Michaelsen, a junior at the time, left Virginia for an all-expenses-paid trip (funded by Fairfax County) to compete in the Intel ISEF, in Los Angeles, against students from around the world. Michaelsen was joined by 12 other FCPS students and placed fourth overall in her category.

“I competed in the Physics and Astronomy category with my research on the kinematics of sport fencing,” senior Anya Michaelsen said. “I looked at a specific action in fencing to see what changes fencers can make to be more successful.”

According to the Intel ISEF, “More than 1,700 high school students from over 70 countries, regions, and territories are

awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for more than $5 million in prizes.”

Intel ISEF is funded by the Society for Science and the Public and Intel Corporation along with other sciencefocused businesses. This means the participants have the chance to interact with many bright students, as well as the opportunity to get their work critiqued by judges.

“My favorite part of the science fair was getting to interact with other bright and curious minds, passionate about science,” Michaelsen said. “During the event, not only did I meet a diverse group of people, but each one was genuinely interested in hearing about my research and delighted to talk about their own.”

Michaelsen also got to know many of her competitors personally. Along with the science competition, the students were taken to Universal Studios, which had been closed and reserved just for the participants.

“Outside of the fair itself, my favorite part of the trip was the group I went with.

Our group was 14 students from Virginia,

and we spent the entire week together,” Michaelsen said. “[At Universal Studios] the lines were short, the company was fantastic, and with the judging over, we could all relax and have a good time.”

The Intel Science Fair is just one of many science-related events Michaelsen has attended. She often finds ways to connect her two passions, which are fencing and science.

Michaelsen is a competitive fencer and tries to include her fencing in her science studies. She has attended PhysicsFest at William and Mary as well as the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in D.C. and the Shenandoah Undergraduate Math Symposium at JMU. Michaelsen’s first choice school for next year is Haverford, a small liberal arts school near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She hopes to continue her passion for science by majoring in physics, math or possibly both.

“My success at the International Science and Engineering Fair on paper means that I can add this accomplishment to my resume or under awards for applications,” Michaelsen said.

photo courtesy of Anya Michaelsen

“The real benefit from going [to L.A.] was...getting to exchange ideas with some of the brightest young minds in the world.”

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 13

Phill Saunders

Once a track star, now a classroom leader

by Gerardo Cerna - Staff Writer

I

n high school, many students have friends to be there for them and help them get through problems. Although friends are great for advice and help, sometimes all students need is an adult role model to just listen and give you meaningful advice and support.

Phill Saunders, a technical drawing teacher at LB, is popular among the students he teaches and the students that come to him to talk.

“When my students leave LB, I want them to carry compassion. I want them to know that it is okay to help each other out in class.”

- Phill Saunders “Without Mr. Saunders my day would be tedious and boring,” junior Renata Urbina said. “I’m happy to relax when I’m with him and my friends.”

Saunders attended the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a full scholarship for track and field career.

Running track was considered an escape from his life at home.

“My parents were really strict, and I did not want to go home after school, so I decided to run track,” Saunders said.

After Virginia Tech, Saunders never planned on becoming a teacher.

“It just worked for me,” Saunders said. “I finished early, and I could do my training after school.”

Saunders loves teaching and enjoys the environment at LB. He said that the students are great and hard-working, and he respect for all his fellow staff members.

photo courtesy of Phill Saunders (top)/photo by Gerardo Cerna (bottom)

Saunders works with students during his architecture and drawing class preparing them to become succesful in everything they do (bottom). When Saunders attended Virgnia Tech, he was able to recieve scholarships in track and field and began to pursue it in college. He attended the Penn Relays Competition in 1986 (top).

14 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

“Mr. Thomas is the best principal I’ve ever worked with,” Saunders said. “He is supportive and understands what real life is like.”

Saunders enjoys teaching and appreciates his job at LB. One perk that he definitely likes is his schedule and having the opportunity to spend time with students.

“Mr. Saunders is such a funny, motivational, optimistic and inspiring person,” junior Omega Berhane said. “[He] has motivated me to see that you can live a positive life, as long as you have positive thinking, and, of course, hope.”

As a mentor to all his students, Saunders has impacted them in many different ways. Senior Gabby Rodriguez describes him as a second father to her.

“I have learned how to accept constructive criticism and [to] fight for what you believe in,” Rodriguez said. “Mr. Saunders has motivated me to go to college and graduate, as well as to always being prepared for the unexpected.”

Saunders’s approach towards teaching is different compared to other teachers. He doesn’t like to force work on his students and prefers to give it to them in small portions.

“My goal for my students is to help them achieve success,” Saunders said. “If they don’t finish something when it’s due, I give them extra time so they can put their best effort into it. I talk to all my students on a daily basis; communication is key.”

Saunders wants to see where all his students are 10 years after they graduate. He wants to see how successful everyone is at whatever they pursue in.

“When my students leave LB, I want them to carry compassion,” Saunders said. “I want them to know that it is okay to help each other in class and outside of class as well. The more they help others, the more they can help themselves.”

Julia Speranzo

En pointe dancing creates attitude shift

by Gerardo Cerna- Staff Writer

J

unior Julia Speranzo has had to overcome many obstacles throughout her life in order to become the athlete that she is today.

“When I got into sports, I was so far from athletic,” Speranzo said. “I was very uncoordinated to begin with, but quickly began to grow into myself and excelled at taekwondo, swim, soccer and basketball.”

When she was younger, Speranzo said she was a tomboy, always going for guys’ sports because of her older brother, Joey. After many years of kicking it with the boys, she decided she wanted to explore other options and pursue gymnastics. Although the gymnastic coaches were extremely impressed with her flexibility, they turned her down because of her height.

However, Speranzo was recommended to try dance, and she fell in love during her first class.

Although she started at

a later age than most girls, Speranzo picked up dance pretty quickly, she said. Her teachers gave her support and helped her overcome her struggle.

“Once I gained my confidence and learned to embrace my confidence, I grew a lot as a dancer,” Speranzo said.

Speranzo was on the varsity dance team, performing at the football half-time shows, and she runs track during the winter and spring seasons.

“Performing creates a sense of self-confidence and passion,” Speranzo said. “It makes dancing enjoyable.”

When Speranzo first started dance, she wasn’t too serious about it, but she improved over time and gained interest for competitions. She started to practice about 20 hours a week and was placed on her studio’s team. After years of working and perfecting technique and ability, Speranzo eventually became overwhelmed and decided to stick with the LB dance team.

Bianca Thurgood

by Maggie Komoniewski - Staff Writer

S

enior Bianca Thurgood started singing when she joined choir her junior year at LB. Despite her lack of experience, she worked hard and went on to participate in Virginia AllState Choir and Nationals, both of which are exclusive choirs that come together to collaborate and perform as a whole.

Thurgood has always possessed an interest in music and would consider herself to be a musical person, she said.

Having the experience of playing the violin, piano, and ukulele for years, it was no surprise how quickly Thurgood picked up singing.

Thurgood was placed in Select Women’s Ensemble her first year in chorus and is now in LB Singers, and LB’s Advanced Mixed choir.

When she found out she was nominated for all-state choir near the end of her junior year, she was full of excitement.

For All State, participants were expected to learn the music and practice

all on their own.

They were then required to attend a three-day rehearsal with the entire choir. The Virginia All-State Choir then performed on Saturday, April 26, in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

“I was extremely shocked when I made All-State,” Thurgood said. “But really

“I was extremely shocked when I made All-State.” happy.”

Thurgood then went out on a limb and applied for the national choir. Over the summer, the National Association for Music Education, or NAFME, released the list of the 300 out of 600-plus applicants chosen to be apart of the choir. Thurgood was shocked when she found out that her name was on it.

“The website was actually down the day they were releasing the list, so they tweeted it out,” Thurgood said. “I was shocked when I found my name on the list.”

Thurgood and the 299 other selected students performed at nationals on Oct. 27-30. Nationals were held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thurgood considers it one of the best singing experiences she has been part of.

“I love the feeling I get when I have a good performance,” Thurgood said.

For the time being, Thurgood is keeping up her hard work, both in class at school and with her voice teacher, Janelle Maeger, whom Thurgood is continuously inspired.

“Even on a bad day, [Maeger] always manages to make it better,” Thurgood said.

She plans to continue singing in college and is applying to the music program at the University of Birmingham for next year. Her main goal is to keep improving overall with music.

25 November 2014

photo courtesy of Julia Speranzo

Belting out notes at national choir

The Bear Facts 15

Laura Egeland

M

photos courtesy of Laura Egeland

any universities are willing to offer astounding scholarships to studentathletes—but competing in college sports at the Division 1 level is a feat that many high school athletes will never have the opportunity to achieve. Senior Laura Egeland received the opportunity to do so. In late October, Egeland committed to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa to row for the Crimson Tide, a member of the Division 1 Southeastern Conference. However, her decision wasn’t without difficulty, as she was sought after by other powerconference schools.

“At the beginning of the year, I had narrowed a list of 70 schools down to three, which were Alabama, Oklahoma and Clemson,” Egeland said. “I chose Alabama because when I visited, I fell in love with the campus and town of Tuscaloosa, and the team was a group of talented people.”

Egeland’s diversity in rowing made her an attractive target for Division 1 colleges, as she is able to take on multiple roles within the team, making her one of the school’s most esteemed rowers.

“I mainly row port side, but I can row starboard and scull as well,” Egeland said. “I am one of the co captains on the LB crew team.”

Certain sports are not for everyone, and rowing takes a special kind of personality as well as spectacularly in-shape people who are willing to give it their all during every race.

“I love rowing because I am a very team oriented and competitive person,“ Egeland said. “In rowing, you are facing the opposite direction you are going, so you are able to watch the people you are beating, which is very motivating.”

Rowing is unlike many other sports in that it is entirely team-oriented, which creates a special bond between many members of the crew team.

“Our team is a family; we are always together not because we have to be but because we want to be,” Egeland said.

“My teammates have pushed me to be the fastest and best rower I can be, and I have been able to drop a significant amount

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The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

Decision Time Egeland commits to University of Alabama, a member of the SEC, and its talented crew team

by Marianne Beveridge - Staff Writer

of time each year because of them, and because I get faster I have been invited to train to eventually be on the national rowing team.”

Although Egeland already possesses an impressive resume of rowing accomplishments, she isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and she holds high hopes for her future in Tuscaloosa.

“At Alabama I hope to continue to get faster and faster in hopes of making the U-23 National team,” Egeland said. “I hope to win a conference championship alongside my new teammates [as well].”

Despite Egeland’s rowing process, her roots are elsewhere; she grew up participating in other sports, like swimming.

“I was a swimmer for nine years before freshman year, but I became really sick that summer and had to have surgery before high school tryouts,” Egeland said. “I wasn’t allowed in the water until three days before, [so] needless to say I did not make the team.”

E g e l a n d ’s misfortune ended up being a blessing in disguise, as she then had the opportunity to join the team that would eventually lead her to a myriad of college offers, and it was all by chance.

“During the homecoming parade one of the girls on the crew team yelled out to me from the float, ‘Hey tall blonde girl join crew!’

[So] I figured I would give it a shot,” Egeland said. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

“I chose Alabama because when I visited I fell in love with the campus and town of Tuscaloosa, and the team was a group of talented people.”

Arts Review and O Reflection

19 84

Winston (played by senior Liam Finn) writes in his journal, even though it is illegal to do so (top). A Thought Police member (played by Zach Peek) leads away Parsons (played by Madeline Long) (middle). Mr. Charrington (played by Alex Laney) discusses his arrangement with Winston and Julia (bottom).

Daniel Jarris Movies to Watch pg. 19

by Jake Gold - Staff Writer verpowered, extremely all-knowing government. Corrupted, militaristic police force.

Brainwashing.

Overwhelming poverty. Strict social and economic hierarchy.

These phrases probably evoked ideas of recent dystopian novels—The Hunger Games, Matched, Divergent; however, the themes have been relevant for 65 years in George Orwell’s 1984. A novel before its time, 1984 tells the story of the rise and demise of a small-scale rebellion in a large-scale anti-utopian world. Through the efforts of theater director R.L. Mirabal and the Lake Braddock Theatre department, 1984 was brought to life in the Little Theater from Nov. 20 through Nov. 23.

The student-run production did not stray far from the novel’s general plotline: An omnipotent government exists in the post-apocalyptic country of Oceania. Winston Smith (senior Liam Finn) attempts to break free of the bonds placed

by Oceania’s socialist regime through small civil resistance. Along with his partner-in-crime, Julia (senior Marissa Chaffee), Winston is caught by an “inner-party member,” O’Brien (senior Levi Meerovich), and brought to a prison. Here, the duo is tortured and brainwashed.

Both Finn and Chaffee gave all-star performances. Their on-stage chemistry was easily apparent, and they both portrayed well the complicated relationship between Winston and Julia. Finn displayed his exceptional talent for theater throughout the production. He especially shone in the scenes in the Ministry of Love and Room 101; his pain seemed absolutely real.

Meerovich played a terrific villain, delivering multiple powerful monologues.

But Mirabal showed that his aptitude for selecting actors was just barely surpassed by his talent in selecting crew. The lighting (directed by Kyle Dannahey) was exceptional; it was clearly a meticulously-planned endeavour, creating an appropriate atmosphere of despair and dystopia.

The set design (directed by Max Grove) followed suit.

The show’s real strengths laid with its prop and sound design, however. The props (directed by Diana Sudak) were a spectacle; special mention goes to the live rats used in a torture scene. The sound (directed by Helen Moreau) was also remarkable. The “Voice of the Party” was voiced live, a technical feat.

Because 1984 is the Lake Braddock Theatre’s show presented to the Cappies (a team of student theatre critics), Mirabal and the rest of the department put an exceptional effort into the production, and it shows. 1984 is a masterpiece and one of the best shows, in terms of both acting and technical savvy, to be presented at the Little Theatre for many years.

25 November 2014

photos by Jake Gold

Katie Vinson Jingle Ball Concert pg. 18

The Bear Facts 17

Jingle Ball makes its return to DC

by Katie Vinson - Web Editor

I

n a few weeks, almost 20,000 people will groove to the beat of Meghan Trainor’s “All About that Bass.” They will sing along to summer anthem, “Fancy” and sway to the beat of Charli XCX’s “Boom Clap.” All of these artists and more will perform at Jingle Ball, an annual mega-concert held at the Verizon Center on Monday, Dec. 15.

The lineup includes 16 artists, such as the aforementioned, plus solo acts Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato and boy band 5 Seconds of Summer.

“I am most looking forward to Demi Lovato and Jessie J because I am a big fan of their music, specifically Demi’s,” junior Shannan Mitchell said, “and they are both huge powerhouse singers that I know will be great in concert.”

There are some lesser-known artists, such as Kiesza, performing alongside the best-selling pop stars. Kiesza is a Canadian singer-songwriter known mostly for her single, ‘Hideaway.’

“I don’t know the artist,” Mitchell said, “so I’ll have to see her perform to know if I like her.”

While some relatively unknown artists have been added to this year’s lineup, the list has grown a lot from last year’s set of nine groups and artists to 16 total acts.

Last year’s Jingle Ball included alternative groups like Paramore and Fall Out Boy, both of whom will not be returning this year.

“The lineup was good last year,” senior Madeline Wann said. “It had something for everybody; it wasn’t a bunch of artists all of one genre.”

Even though Wann enjoyed last year’s Jingle Ball and especially Miley Cyrus’ performance, she will not be attending this

year because of how expensive tickets are, she said. The price of tickets range from $50 to $1300.

Despite the cost and addition of less popular acts, junior Mallory Niehoff believes the artists will make the night will be worthwhile, she said.

“You really get your money’s worth,” Niehoff said, “and even if you aren’t a fan of some of the artists there, there is someone there for everyone.”

Jingle Ball is on a weeknight, but the concert is nearly sold out.

Three of the best, one of the worst: Bands 1. The Clash

graphic by Maddie Sievers/ photo by Amanda Hendrix

Bob Irelan, physics teacher

“The Clash, having been prompted by their manager Bernie Rhodes to ‘write about what affects you,’ did just that. The world they saw around themselves was gray and limited and barely functioning in their experience. Their version of early punk rock was an exercise in selfcreation and living a free and creative life.

Their music invited, indeed called for, a questioning of the ‘way things were.’ It was also a challenge to their audience in a way. They did not want to appear as rock stars to their fans, but as collaborators and instigators in the activity of freedom and creativity. The music in its anger and rejection and passion and its joy invited, invites, the listener to set out on their own experiment in creativity and freedom. Or not. And, especially live, the band is awesome, as many bootleg recordings attest.”

‘Three of the best, one of the 2. The Who 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, physics teacher Bob Irelan is interviewed about his favorite bands. Irelan is very passionate about listening to his tunes.

18

The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

“Pete Townsend, the song writer for the Who, during the Who’s hey day, consistently wrote from the perspective of outsiders, of people who could not find their place in the conventional order, who did not find the limited possibilities open to them inviting or human possibilities.

In doing so, he, and not just he of course, spoke to a very broad sense among youth of the ‘60s and early ‘70s who were searching for a more fulfilling course through life than they saw themselves

being offered by their society. The music did not offer any specific answers, of course, but it reflected and embodied and prompted asking questions and not simply acquiescing to the given. And, of course, their music, particularly live, was powerful and intense and passionate.”

3. Sleater-Kinney “[Sleater-Kinney] came out of and carried on the riot girl movement. Three young women making great punk/rock music, propulsive, questioning, angry, insightful. They were feminists, of course, playing great music in a genre that was not exactly welcoming or respectful of women’s voices.”

The Worst: Hair Metal Bands “Modern country, Lee Greenwood, Rush, Genesis, Boston, any hair metal band and the vast majority of rap fit that bill. My objection to something like hair metal is that the idea is these people are rock guys, and you are there to give them money.

The genres are limiting. There’s these rules that musicians must follow to still be part of that genre, so the music becomes very mannered. There’s a certain style of drumming that’s always gonna be the same.

There’s gotta be an electric guitar solo. You have to dress in a particular way, have long hair, do and say certain things. This strikes me as the antithesis of the invitation to freedom and creativity, both musically and humanly, that the bands I like embody.”

A Holiday Movie Preview • compiled by Daniel Jarris

1. Inherent Vice Dec. 12 In this film, Director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) returns with this adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel.

Inherent Vice follows a dysfunctional, drugfilled detective Doc Sportello, who is played by Joaquin Phoenix in 1970’s Los Angeles. When his exgirlfriend disappears, Sportello attempts to track down his former lover and solve the mysterious case.

After premiering at the New York Film Festival in October, the film has been receiving critical praise for its unique style and its mix of serious themes with light humor.

2. Exodus: Gods 3. Annie 4. Big Eyes and Kings Dec. 19 Dec. 25 Dec. 12 After a short Previously filmed in Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator and Blade Runner) takes on the Old Testament’s story of Moses, portrayed by Christian Bale,. In this film, Bale frees 600,000 Egyptian Slaves from his brother, the pharaoh Ramses.

Aaron Paul, Joel Edgerton and Ben Kingsley join Christian Bale in this starstudded cast. Although this is one of the most impressive casts of this Oscar season, it has been receiving major criticism for its failure to include a single black actor or actress in an important role.

1982, Annie is the story of a tough orphan, played by actress Quvenzhané Wallis, in modern day New York City. One day, when Annie is running through the streets, she is saved by mayoral candidate Will Stacks, played by Jamie Foxx, and develops a unique relationship with him.

At only 11 years old, Wallis was already an Academy Award Nominee for her performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild, and can be counted on for a good performance.

This new twist on the classic 1980’s musical is a great movie for people of all ages.

5. The Interview Dec. 25

hiatus from live action films, director Tim Burton returns with his new film, Big Eyes.

This film is the biography of the prominent American artist Margaret Keane, played by Amy Adams, in her brutal divorce with her husband Walter, played by Christoph Waltz.

Big Eyes interprets the drama that occurred in the 1950s where Walter Keane became largely famous for the artwork he claimed was his. Margaret Keane then accused her husband of taking credit for and mass producing her work under his name without her permission and a series of lawsuits followed.

After the major success of This is the End, directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg return with a new comedy film.

In this film, Dylan Skylark, played by James Franco, hosts a tabloid TV show that happens to be followed

by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. After growing tired of never being taken seriously, Skylark and his producer, played

by Seth Rogen, set out on a journey to interview this illusive figure in order to gain credibility. They are stopped and given a task by the CIA: to assassinate North Korean President, Kim Jong-Un.

25 November 2014

photo courtesy of Annie’s official Instagram, Big Eyes official Facebook, The Interview, Inherent Vice and Exodus: Gods and Kings’ official movie sites

In Theaters Nationwide: 5 December Movies To Watch For

The Bear Facts 19

LB’s Creative Commons Place

W

alking through the woods with friends, we found the hidden beauty of Burke, senior Amanda Hendrix said about her photo.

I

kinda wanted dramatic colors, and I always draw little suns, Junior Sophie Lyle said about her ceramic.

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The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

T

he assignment was to draw still life, and in order to make it more interesting I drew a statue so I could practice portrait drawing, senior Amanda Patton Said about her painting.

I

was on a Ferris wheel at the board walk in Ocean City, and... I thought it was an amazing view, senior Amber Amin said about her photo.

I

M

y grandfather is the one who showed me how to take photos and appreciate black and white photos, senior Collen Reilly said about her photograph.

wanted to make

something that expressed happiness and painted with color, Junior Sonya Butseva said about her ceramic.

D

espite the fact it is a decaying carcass, I found this bird’s skeletal form visually enticing and an urge came over me to capture it, Senior David Finn said about his photograph.

I

t combines butterflies and flowers in a unique way, junior jane pyo said about her graphic.

25 November 2014

The Bear Facts

21

Marcell Subert Death with Dignity pg. 25

Comment

Jake Gold Unappreciated Janitors pg. 26

Why Every Vote Matters The Staff Editorial

A national disgrace: Low voter turnout could destroy America’s democracy

E

photo courtesy of rockland.ma.gov

very citizen of the United States is guaranteed certain rights under the Constitution, but with these rights come civic responsibilities. Among these duties are obeying the law, staying informed about the issues that affect one’s community and participating in the democratic process.

The latter entails showing up to vote on election day every November, but the importance of doing so seems to have been lost on the people. Voter turnouts are not nearly as high as they need to be, and if this trend continues, the country will suffer as a result.

The general election tends to garner a high turnout; 59 percent of registered voters followed through on their civic duties in 2012. Contrary to the belief

22 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

of some, however, there are important elections in other years as well. The midterm elections, in which all seats in the House and a third of the seats in the Senate are up for grabs, consistently fail to draw 50 percent of the registered population.

The 38 percent turnout this year was the lowest since 1942, but it wasn’t much lower than in other recent years. The Millennial Generation was particularly egregious in missing out, accounting for 19 percent of the electorate in 2012 but only 12 percent for the midterms.

Because of this kind of voter apathy, an important demographic is underrepresented when it comes to sending politicians to Capitol Hill. As far as longterm consequences go, this generation will be most affected by Washington’s upcoming decisions. However, since

young voices fail to make themselves heard at the polls, they will not be heard during the policy-making process. Congress will continue to place the interests of younger voters lower on its list of priorities as long as it believes that alienating that demographic won’t severely harm their chances of keeping their job.

As an individual, you can do little about the apathy of others; the only vote you can control is your own. Make the most of this chance. If you don’t show that you care about the democratic process, then you shouldn’t complain or be surprised when the politicians in Washington don’t show that they care about you.

‘The Staff Editorial’ is an unsigned editorial that showcases the opinion of the Publication’s editorial board.

MOOCs: A growing alternative education

I

n the age of sky-high college tuition rates, needing a college degree to get far in a career seems to ring true more than ever. Virginia in-state tuition is around $25,000 a year with room and board for most public universities, and out-of-state tuitions cost almost double that on average. The hour rate for an undergraduate class at UVA is $334.

More and more students are turning to community college and the chains of student loans to try to make their way through upper education. The cost of this knowledge is simply astronomical.

Thanks to the internet, a more affordable way to learn is here. MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) are lectured by the same accredited professors who teach these classes at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, University of Virginia, University of Washington, and countless more. They generally include assignments where students are required to apply what they learn from the lectures, whether it’s a programming assignment,

Massive Online Open Courses are becoming a popular way to obtain education for free.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editors, I read the article “Students Seek Safety in Texting.” I like the article because it gives different opinions on the topic. In order for the article to be more informative I think it should have shown more data with the corrolation of suicide and deppression and also shown how 3 out of 10 kids are depressed whether major or minor.

He definitely could have made it more interesting. Other than the lack of data, it was written well.

Katie Plescow Senior Dear Editors, This article [“Cheered on by her Team”] caught my attention because I saw the picture of a cheerleader, and I

am a cheerleader so it caught my eye.

After reading this short bit, I re-read the title, and I think your title is good but it doesn’t relate to what you wrote in the article. You wrote about Elisa’s injury and how it happened and what went down, you didn’t really directly write about her teammates cheering her on. Maybe the title should’ve been, “A devestating bump in the road” or “Aftermath of the fall.” I thought it was really good that you included her main and side bases’ perspectives because they were right under Elisa when she fell. The article in its [sic] entirety was good and informational but it could use some more excitement and exaggeration. This incident was a big deal; it affected the team a lot, I think it would be more appealing if

reading to really absorb the information.

“You feel like you are sitting next to someone, and they are tutoring you,” Jacqueline Spiegel, a mother of three who has enrolled in multiple MOOCs, said to the New York Times.

MOOCs come in a timed format with deadlines to encourage productivity and a self-paced format. If learning is the end goal, then it can be done whether somebody has one or 10 free hours a week for it.

Much of what is covered is the exact same information found in official college courses. When I took a class called Foundations of Business Strategy

by Professor Michael Lenox of UVA, I learned how to analyze a business via various factors to see if it would succeed or if changes to its business plan would be needed. The information was incredibly well presented, and I was surprised by how much I actually took away from the course.

MOOCs aren’t for everyone, such as the student who needs a lot of one-on-one instruction, but when you don’t have to pay for these classes, why not give them a try? You may learn something useful.

‘The Futurist’ is a regular column of The Bear Facts focusing on technological innovation. it were juicy. Next time just look for more detail, dig a little deeper!

Elisa Stephano Senior Dear Editors, The article on page 25 seems to be something found pretty irrevelant and uninteresting to high school students at Lake Braddock. I can’t see why anyone would care about the curriculum in in Colorado among the spectrum of readers of The Bear Facts.

Maybe instead focus on national, state or local things that will somehow have the potential to affect the student’s life. This might bring more interest to the table.

Mackenzie Williams 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. Corrections are printed on an Editorial as needed basis on page 2 of the paper. Advertising inquiries can be referred to bfacts@ gmail.com. The Bear Facts is located in room L202 and can be reached by calling (703) Policy 426-1087. Responses may also be emailed to bfacts@gmail.com.

photo by Paul Barnhill

by Paul Barnhill - Comment Editor

a business case study or something else.

These assignments are then usually peer graded. The cost of participating in one of these classes? Absolutely nothing.

While these classes don’t give any sort of credit or degree, the experience and knowledge they provide can come in handy when applying to college classes or future jobs. It could be the thing that gets an aspiring worker’s foot in the door for their first job. Moreover, many of these classes are high-quality and contain thorough material along with additional

The Futurist

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 23

Third parties are the key to democracy

by Marianne Beveridge - Staff Writer

A

s the Millennials—or Generation Y—reach young adulthood, they are beginning to hit the polls. This generation is different from any other: Teens and young adults (with the help of smart phones and social media) are now far more connected to the world around them, allowing them to keep in touch with the latest news developments and educate themselves on any topic imaginable. The political landscape has begun to shift, and nontraditional parties are gaining more attention.

In 2012, the Libertarian presidential nominee, Gary Johnson, received about 1 percent of the popular vote. However small this may seem, it is a step up from the 1 percent received by all thirdparty candidates combined in the 2008 election. Fast forward to Nov. 4, when the country headed out to the polls to vote in the midterm elections. Robert Sarvis, the Virginia Libertarian candidate for the

Senate race, received about 2.5 percent of the votes—53,396 voters checking him off to represent the Commonwealth.

This is a significant leap from the 2006 Senate election, when third parties in Virginia received 26,102 votes, merely one percent of the popular vote.

This shift leaves many Virginians— and Americans as a whole—wondering what is causing more people than ever before to vote for neither the Democrats nor the Republicans. It is simply the result of our generation being born into a culture of vicious partisanship in Washington. We’ve grown up constantly subjected to the tendency of both parties

Gary Johnson speaks during the Libertarian Party presidential candidate debate at the Embassy Suites in Orlando, Florida.

Battleground USA

to blame the other side for the U.S. government’s failures, along with brutal attack ads during election season and constant negative campaigning. We’ve also experienced both Democratic and Republican administrations, Senate majorities and House majorities.

One thing we have yet to experience, however, is a significant change in the political climate of the country. We grew up during the recession and generally bad economic times, and have yet to experience a thriving country.

Our generation is turning to third parties as a fresh, new solution to end hard times. It is the result of many new voters feeling let down by both sides of the aisle and simultaneously feeling ready for new ideas in our nation’s capital. In the future, our generation could be the one to contribute to the transformation of a third party into one of the two most prominent parties in America—or maybe an entirely new three-party system, where the third is not shrugged off by the media and most of the country. For now, however, this generation’s growing support for third parties is merely a reflection of the thirst for change in America, and could be the ones to make it in the future.

‘Battleground USA’ is a regular Bear Facts column focusing on national issues.

Virginia wage laws produce minimal satisfaction

by Alex Nesterovich - Staff Writer

L

photo by Dowell/MCT Campus

ately, addressing Ebola and ISIS has been the priority for Washington, but there is one particular issue that hits millions of Americans more directly. For the 1.6 million Americans who earn the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, living conditions get more desperate every day that a minimum wage increase is put off.

The statistics on minimum wage workers are astonishing. Today, 88 percent of minimum wage earners are 20 years old or older, up 15 percent from 1979. Most minimum wage earners are full-time workers, meaning the paltry minimum wage is all they have to subsist on. Parents make up 27 percent of minimum wage earners and 19 percent of

24 The Bear Facts

25 November 2014

American children would directly benefit from a minimum wage increase.

Two main arguments are used against a raise in the minimum wage. The first, and more common, is that an increase in the minimum wage would increase the unemployment rate. A study from the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California-Berkeley showed that in metropolitan areas that contain state borders, no noticeable effect on employment existed despite substantial differences in the minimum wage.

The second main argument used by

Living conditions get more desperate every day that a minimum wage increase is put off.

opponents of a minimum wage hike is that if minimum wage is increased, then inflation will occur. The same study found this claim unsubstantiated as no difference was found in price level across state borders.

Still, many business owners refuse to raise employee’s wages and cite false information as an argument for doing so.

At a meeting of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned a restaurant employer on why he hadn’t raised his employees’ wages, and he gave the inflated price level “defense.” “[A minimum wage increase] has an inflationary effect on the economy,” he said, “so you may actually be taking away the money you just gave that employee through the minimum wage increase.”

Study after study has shown his claim to be incorrect. Raising the minimum wage will have a negligible, if any, effect on employment and inflation and will lift millions of Americans out of poverty. It is time for Washington to pass an increase in the federal minimum wage.

Woe to the unprivileged

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

of the wonderful things this area has to offer, people living in impoverished areas did not choose to be in their situations.

Many like to insist that those who are economically disadvantaged are that way due to their own laziness. But the opportunities for advancement to higher education (and later, well-paying jobs)

that we have in Northern Virginia, such as AP and SAT prep classes, are not widely available in areas with much lessconcentrated wealth. While colleges are increasingly becoming more sensitive to these circumstances, the student in D.C., where 70 percent of students are on free or reduced lunch, may not even apply to college because of the costs of traveling to visit schools and submitting applications, things that we, in Northern Virginia, don’t think twice about.

As Americans, the idea that one can work hard to overcome any obstacles they encounter is deeply ingrained in the population’s mentality. But success, unfortunately, isn’t the result of hard work alone. Your success in life is very much correlated to the amount of money you have. So instead of buying into the mentality that those who need help should just help themselves, we need to come to terms with the fact that some situations are insurmountable without a leveling of the playing field. With a change in mentality, progress can be made in the creation of the programs and policies necessary to ensure that the American Dream can become reality for more people.

While students visit the U.S. Capital on a school trip, just miles away there are thousands who are shut out of economic gains and prosperity.

‘Beyond Good and Evil’ highlights moral, ethical and religious isssues in society.

T

hink about your life right now.

You probably live in a nice home. If you can drive, then you probably have your own car. Every morning, you drive your car to one of the best schools in the nation with the intention of attending a top college. These are the wonderful things about living in the bastion of wealth that is Northern Virginia.

Now imagine someone your age who lives in a cramped apartment in Southeast D.C. Their parents probably both work minimum wage jobs. Gang activity is rampant. Graduating high school isn’t a given, especially considering the fact that schools are run-down and use old textbooks. Statistics all show that the odds of breaking this cycle of poverty is highly unlikely. So why does the rest of the population insist that it’s this student’s fault for being in this situation?

Just as you never chose to live in Northern Virginia and be the recipient

Beyond Good and Evil

by Marcell Subert - News Editor

O

n Saturday, Nov. 1, terminallyill cancer patient Brittany Maynard chose to end her own life after just 29 years by means of drugs prescribed to her under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. After being told that she had less than six months to live, Maynard decided to resist the slow and painful mental dilapidation that she would have suffered from her disease.

The concept of an early death in order to relinquish future pain is already practiced with animals. This practice is regarded as “putting it out of its misery,” which is commonplace and is widely accepted as the humane thing to do. Said method is especially embodied in the

popular book Old Yeller, where the main character of the novel shoots a rabid dog in order to end the inevitable pain and suffering it would have felt in its demise.

In this situation, a human outside the sphere of illness makes a judgement call on ending the animal’s life. A similar case arises when those opposed to the Death with Dignity Act who are not terminally ill decide that one should not be allowed to end their pain and suffering through medical means. A person not affected by such painful illnesses lacks the perspective of those who do have it and fail to grasp

“I do not want to die, but I am dying; and I want to die on my own terms.”

- Brittany Maynard

the situation through the eyes of someone who has had to deal with such misery.

The Death with Dignity Act is often wrongly associated with suicide, which is a very rash juxtaposition. Death with Dignity is a well-thought-out and educated choice made by people who are trusted to be in a sufficiently healthy mental state to make such an important choice. A suicide is a hasty decision generally made out of desperation and not always by people in a good mental state.

“I am not suicidal; If I were I would have consumed that medication long ago,” Maynard said on CNN.com. “I do not want to die, but I am dying; and I want to die on my own terms.”

In 2013, 71 people in the state of Oregon passed away using medication prescribed to them by their physicians under the Death with Dignity Act, according to the Oregon Health Authority. These 71 people made an educated choice to end the pain and suffering they would have had to deal with until their death. Death with Dignity is not just a means to an end but a humane way of ending a terminal illness.

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts

photos by Chamberlin/MCT Campus

Killing pain different than killing people

25

School has sweeping lack of care for janitors The Bruin Connection

Absence of sufficient janitorial appreciation in the school is a complete embarrassment

by Jake Gold - Staff Writer

I

photo by Jake Gold

t’s a common story: An immigrant moves to the United States and takes a low-paying job with obscenely long hours to make ends meet. These people, overworked and underpaid, often receive very little recognition or respect. This sentiment is well embodied by Lake Braddock’s own custodial staff.

Between dealing with the rampant littering in the hallways, the general lack of clean-up in the cafeteria or any of the other sanitation and maintenance issues throughout the school, the custodial staff does a lot for the student population. And, often times, they do it without receiving any gratitude.

“I feel like the custodians do so much for us that we may or may not even realize, and we do nothing for them in return,” senior Carly Shapiro said. “They make sure our school is clean and do a lot for us and a majority of the school

26

The Bear Facts

25 November 2014

doesn’t even have the decency to say ‘thank you.’”

At Lake Braddock, the custodians work two shifts. One shift runs from 5:30 a.m., when the school opens, until 3:30 p.m., and the other starts at 3:30 p.m. and ends at midnight, when the school closes. This means that many custodians work 45-plus hour work weeks with exceptionally early or late hours. Often, careers that involve late or early overtime hours are considered valiant and respectable. Why are school custodians not given the same deference?

Guerry Cespedes, the school building superintendent, manages all of the custodial staff. While he doesn’t work with students on a daily basis, Cespedes said that the staff deserve more than indifference or apathy from the school.

“All of the kids are not always behaving themselves,” Cespedes said.

“There’s always someone trying to give you a hard time.”

One shining example of a custodian deserving of students’ respect is Georgina Okra. Okra, a long-time custodian at Lake Braddock, moved from Bodomase, Ghana in 1996, and started working at Lake Braddock in 1998. After six years

of the evening shift she was given the morning shift—and a promotion. As a custodian II, Okra oversees the other custodians in the building. She has been working as a Custodian II ever since.

Despite working at Lake Braddock for nearly 17 years, Okra is still thankful for her job and finds enjoyment in it every day. “[My favorite part] is when the kids are here,” Okra said. “When the kids are here, time goes fast. I like it. Over the summer, time goes slow.”

While Fairfax County does celebrate a “Custodian Appreciation Week” on Feb. 23-27, it is not enough to simply give each custodian a thank you note and a gift card from the SGA; every day should be “Custodian Appreciation Day.” While being a part of any custodial staff is a tough job, it’s doubly difficult at a school. Lake Braddock’s custodians work preposterously hard with little appreciation, and it is about time they received an ounce of appreciation from the student body.

‘The Bruin Connection’ is a regular column in the Bear Facts that focuses on school-wide issues.

Where failures become successes The Uncommon App

by Quentin Paleo - Guest Writer opened my final sophomore report card and felt sick. My grades, especially in Honors Pre-Calculus, had dropped. Although, I had tried, I still finished the school year with less than stellar grades. This lack of success left me feeling frustrated, demoralized and exhausted.

The summer before sophomore year had brought many changes. My dad returned from a deployment in Afghanistan and then was reassigned from Keesler Air Force Base to the Pentagon. So, my family and I moved from Ocean Springs, Mississippi to Northern Virginia. Enrolling in my new (and larger) school, I chose a challenging schedule. Trying to find my niche, I became involved in several time-consuming extracurricular activities: marching band, Model UN, It’s Academic and the school play A League of Their Own. Over the course of sophomore year, I felt more and more overwhelmed and isolated. This resulted in a math grade I never thought I’d see associated with my name: D.

I

My second summer in Virginia began, and I really wanted to feel better about living here. I thought a lot about how to make this happen. Finally, I asked my parents to make an appointment for me to see a counselor—not a school (academic) counselor, but the kind you find at hospitals and clinics. It was hard, even embarrassing, talking to a stranger about my feelings, but it really helped a lot. I quickly realized I was not the only kid who’d ever had trouble adjusting to a new school or balancing a hectic schedule. My counselor taught me techniques for dealing with stress and anxiety, which I can use for the rest of my life. With each appointment that summer, I felt my “load” lightening.

Junior year started, and I was determined to have a different outlook than I had the previous year. I still enrolled in challenging classes, and I continued to be involved in extra-curricular activities. I even worked part-time at my local Safeway grocery store. But I chose to be in control of my academic and social life. My grades greatly improved, and I felt more confident in and

out of school. This sense of accomplishment and ability continues as I work towards graduation.

Sophomore year was disappointing and demoralizing, but the experience taught me an important life lesson: In life, there will be successes as well as failures. I now realize the importance of keeping a positive attitude and dealing with issues (like upcoming assignments, etc.) in a productive manner. Staying organized is an important technique to avoid becoming overwhelmed. I also learned (from my Safeway co-workers, a few of whom quit college or high school and now have to work two jobs) to keep trying even if a class or project gets tough. In short, overcoming obstacles is about trying, trying harder, learning from past mistakes (and others’ mistakes), getting help when you need it, and not defining yourself by shortcomings and disappointments.

Quentin Paleo is a freshman at the College of Willliam and Mary, and this essay was submitted as his common app.

World leaves size-12 carbon footprint Modern World

n a monumental decision on Nov. 12, the world’s two largest economic superpowers came to an agreement to prevent further environmental degradation due to carbon emissions. In this agreement, Chinese president Xi Jinping has pledged to cap carbon emissions by the year 2030, and President Barack Obama has pledged to cut carbon emissions 26-28 percent by 2025. Together, these two countries are responsible for 45 percent of the world’s total carbon emissions. This groundbreaking commitment could prove to be a massive step forward in the fight on climate change.

This agreement has been receiving major criticism, particularly from the right, because China is allowed to continue to let carbon emissions grow while the United States has to cut them. While this may seem unfair, China’s economy is in a much earlier state of development than ours, and according to the World Bank, it has grow almost four times the rate of ours

I

Ozone, the chief component of smog, is a byproduct of emissions from automobiles, power plants and oil refineries such as this refinery, on the Delaware River.

reneging on it. Not only would this have disastrous effects on the future of the battle on climate change, but it would also result in an unnecessary, and possibly detrimental, political schism with our largest economic trading partner. The agreement may not be perfect, but we, the American people, must stand by and support it.

‘The Modern World’ is a regular column of The Bear Facts focusing on international issues.

photo by Bryant/MCT Campus

by Daniel Jarris - Staff Writer

since 2010. It is in a much earlier stage of development and relies heavily on nonrenewable resources. Coal alone provides 80 percent of the country’s electricity.

It would not be feasible to entirely cut, or even reduce, carbon emission as the United States is doing, without completely turning the Chinese economy on its head.

Before completely halting its carbon emissions, China must first move away from an almost solely non-renewable, resource-based economy.

In the past, these two countries have been on the opposite side of the spectrum in the climate change debate. While China believed that richer, more developed countries should take the lead on cutting carbon emissions, the United States believed that developing countries should take the lead because they are more reliant on fossil fuels. By committing to take action, this will inspire other countries, developed and developing, to follow suit.

Now that the two largest economic powers are cooperating, there is massive potential for ground-breaking policy to be drafted and implemented at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference.

While this agreement will not come close to solving the climate change issue, it is a step forward. It paves the way for future, more drastic measures to be taken. In the following days after the agreement, Republicans, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, have harshly criticized the “one-sided” agreement and hinting at

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 27

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Tutori

Katie Vinson No-Shave November pg. 32

LB Fashion Pass

Style

Maddie Sievers Christmas too early pg. 33

Courtney Emerson

*

photo by Michael Murphy

F

ashionable, stylish and chic, all words that describe junior Courtney Emerson.

Emerson, an enthusiastic fashion marketing student, gives credit to the blogger Danielle Bernstein for directing her to the life of high fashion and emphasis on dress.

“What you wear is like a first impression, people dress like the person they want to be and I think that is admirable,” Emerson said. “Dressing up makes me feel good about myself.”

Emerson wants to excel in the fashion industry and hopes to eventually become a model and or a writer for the premier fashion magazine, Vogue.

“Best case scenario, I’d be a model or an editor of a magazine,” Emerson said.

“I would also like to be a buyer for a big brand.”

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 29

give thanks for thanksgiving Do-It-Yourself

EGGNOG

“TURKEY” CUPCAKES

graphic by Jesse Sands, photo by L. Mueller/MCT Campus (left), photo courtesy of Mommysavers (right)

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

• • • • • •

• • • • • • •

4 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon 1 pint whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 4 egg whites

DIRECTIONS

1 bag of candy corn 1 box of chocolate cake mix 1 package of Nutter Butter cookies Chocolate frosting Candy eyes 1 bag of Reese’s Pieces Red licorice

DIRECTIONS

1. Crack eggs and place yolks into bowl and stir until it lightens in color.

2. Gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar into the bowl and beat until completely dissolved.

3. Add the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

4. Place egg whites in bowl and beat to soft peaks.

5. Add 1 tablespoon sugar gradually and continue to beat until dissolved.

6. Whisk the egg whites into the mix.

7. Chill and serve.

1. Follow the directions on the box of cake mix to make the cupcakes.

2. Make the “turkey” after frosting the cupcakes 3. Take a Nutter Butter cookie and place two candy eyes next to each other (use frosting as an adherent).

4. Place a Reese’s Pieces under the eyes as the beak.

5. Place a small piece of licorice next to the “beak” as the wattle.

6. Push six candy corns into the cupcake with the yellow end sticking out.

7. Push the “turkey” into the cupcake. *This recipe calls for raw eggs. Consuming raw or 8. Serve. uncooked eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

This recipe makes 6-7 cups. It is an easy recipe that requires little experience in the kitchen.

30 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

This recipe makes up to 24 servings. This dessert doubles as a display and a tasty treat.

PRESS START

AT THANKSGIVING

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberries, indigenous to America, were most likely present at the feast, not in sauce form.

NOT AT THANKSGIVING 25 November 2014 The Bear Facts

31

Left to right: Seniors Tony Leonardo, David Lynch and Jonathan McVicker are growing out their facial hair for No-Shave November.

The no-shave season is here

by Katie Vinson - Web Editor

G

illette, Schick and Kiehls hate November. According to Bloomberg.com, razor and razor blade sales fell 7.8 percent in the 12 weeks before Dec. 21, 2013. No-Shave November is here yet again.

The premise of No-Shave November is simple: People across America see if they can go a whole month without shaving their beards. They band together and talk about it in school and through Twitter hashtags.

“It shows a way of pride for men,” senior Tony Leonardo said, “even if you can’t grow any [facial hair], you still [can] try.”

While the month is popular at LB and on Twitter for forging brotherhood bonds, it is also the name of an important campaign for the American Cancer Society (ACS). By growing out their beards and spreading the word, men can fundraise and spread awareness for cancer in general. All donations go

towards the organization’s research for all types of cancer.

On its website, The ACS states that the goal of the No-Shave November campaign is to raise awareness and fundraise for all kinds of cancer by encouraging men to grow out facial hair, since many cancer patients lose it due to chemotherapy.

No-Shave November, also called Movember for the combination of moustache and November, is a good way to spread awareness without having to spend money, according to the website.

It could even save money that would be spent on shave products.

However, senior David Lynch believes many guys like to simply participate for the fun and peculiarity of it, he said. “[No-Shave November] is so popular because it gives guys an excuse to not shave, and it allows those who are usually clean shaven to grow it out,” Lynch said.

Even though it’s Lynch’s first year participating, he will have one of the best beards around and takes inspiration from

Gandalf, he said.

Varsity football also created its own unique take on No-Shave November.

“I decided to do No-Shave November because some of the football team was doing it,” senior Jonathan McVicker said. “[I’m doing it for] the playoff beard.”

Some members of the team will grow out their beards and moustaches through the playoffs. They will shave once LB loses a game and is cut from the running for a state title.

The month does, however, pose unique challenges. “[No-Shave November means] the willingness to put up with those awkward semi-mustaches in pursuit of a luscious manly beard,” senior football player Connor Anderson said.

Despite its pitfalls, the month is gaining popularity. The trend is lasting like Throwback Thursday, Anderson said. Hashtags promoting the event, like #Movember or #Letitgrow litter Twitter.

“Abe Lincoln had a beard,” Anderson said, “and so should you.”

A guide to the vernacular of Northern Virginia

e

photos by Elena Simon, graphic by Maddie Sievers

bet /bĕt/ n 1 An agreement to terms with another person 2 a state of understanding bruh /brŭ/ n A response to something obscure or ridiculous fleek /flēk/ adj when something is on point, looking good esp. perfect finesse /f -nĕs’/ v to attempt to persuade someone to do something for your benefit finna /fīnă/ n the process of completing an action

32 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

geek /gēk/ v to perceive something as particularly humorous salt /sawlt/ adj angry, upset salty /sawltē/adj being angry or upset sice /sīs/ v 1 to provide a good or service squad /skwad/ n one’s group or posse whom they affiliate with on a daily basis whip /hwīp/ /wīp/ n 1 a mode of transportation 2 a car • whip v 1 the act of driving someone, usually one of your boys

by Claire Hollinger and Demetri Karonous - Staff Writers

H

undreds of people, stuffed into stores, fighting and frantically searching for items: the end of the world? No, Black Friday.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, noted as the first day of traditional Christmas shopping, during which thousands of shoppers line up awaiting significantly reduced prices on products storewide. In recent years, stores have opened as early as 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while many people are still home enjoying their dinners with family and friends. For many students, Black Friday is chance to buy Christmas gifts as well as winter clothes and gear at very cheap and affordable prices.

While some people prefer staying in with their families on Black Friday, others prefer going out into the chaotic shopping scene. One student who prefers to do her shopping in person is junior Micah Castro, who joins her family in the festivities.

“Up until last year, my family and I would travel up to the Rehoboth Beach outlets and do our Black Friday shopping there,” Castro said, “Now we just go to malls around here, and we go to every store we can. I just love Black Friday shopping so much. I like shopping at Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Target and Pink because they have some of the best

s items month Christmas of t ng lli on se fr n in s ga er Wal-Mart be ). A huge crowd gath A crowd of Stores like ay (top left op right). (t lid al ho de e t store th ea before d a gr pple retail hopes to fin tside the A ou y tl en Best Buy in ti rs waits pa iPad shoppe . t) gh ri m to (bot

deals.”

Extremely low prices and great deals lure many customers into chaotic stores on Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 28 this year. However, stores plan to continue the trend of starting the shopping before midnight, and some are opening as early as 6 a.m. on Thursday.

“Stores offer great deals on Black Friday, but people should be spending time with family and friends rather than lining up outside stores for decent prices,” senior Matt Supko said.

“Opening stores earlier and earlier each year has defeated the purpose of Black Friday.”

While some are adamant of the great deals and prices offered on Black Friday, others believe it doesn’t live up to the hype and prefer other methods of shopping. Cyber Monday, which is three days after Black Friday, features many great deals of its own, and many prefer to do their shopping online on this day.

“I personally like to do my shopping online,” fashion marketing teacher and online boutique owner Ericka Symonette said. “I believe that on [that night] you need to be home with your family. Black Friday is taking away from what the holidays are all about.”

Despite recent changes to the holiday, Black Friday remains one of the busiest shopping days of the year and is utilized by many in their Christmas and New Year’s shopping.

Does Christmas come too early?

by Maddie Sievers - Graphic Assistant

H

ow early is too early to get into the holly-jolly spirit?

Christmas ads started the day after Halloween this year, and the annual debate over stores pushing holiday spirit too early began. Although Christmas ads aren’t the only thing that seem to start earlier every year, they have been the subject of scrutiny from consumers who believe stores are pushing holiday products too early.

“I think it’s funny because [the stores] completely forget about Thanksgiving, which is a lot of people’s favorite holiday,” freshman Sophia Ancira said.

“Although I like [holiday ads], I think they should stop [coming out so early].

I think it’s more cute [than annoying] because everyone loves Christmas, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some Thanksgiving ads.”

Even though students generally think ads should wait to air until post-Thanksgiving the early holiday cheer generally brings a positive feeling to LB. “I think it’s a good way to get people into whatever holiday spirit,” junior Nathy Adisse said. “I think [stores] do start Christmas a little too early because I’m already seeing Christmas lights and decorations up, and it’s only November.”

photo by Tim Dominick/MCT campus, photo by Randall Benton/MCT campus, photo by Amanda Hendrix

Get ready for another crazy Black Friday

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 33

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

Use School Code 5061

Tu Lam Mark Martino pg. 37

Sports

Andrew Clinton Boys’ Basketball pg. 38

Senior Kevin Monogue (left) came in second overall to help the boys’ team win the state championship. Senior Alex Corbett (center) came in first overall in the state meet. Sophomore Kate Murphy (right) came in second overall to help the girls’ team finish second in the state. The boys’ and girls’ state teams (bottom) pose for a picture with their state trophies.

by Tom Anderson - Staff Writer

O

n a cold Saturday at Great Meadows park in The Plains, Virginia, LBXC proved its superiority in the state. The boys’ team won its first state title since 1987, while the girls finished runners-up to Oakton.

Under the leadership of seniors Alex Corbett and Kevin Monogue, the boys’ team trounced the competition to win the state title, winning for the first time in 27 years. In the 5K race, Corbett finished first in the 6A division, winning the individual state title with a time of 15:08. Monogue ran a 15:19 time, finishing second, giving the Bruins the two fastest runners in the division. Corbett and Monogue found a unique inspiration before the race, when coach Michael Mangan used a permanent marker to push on his runners.

“Our coach came up to us before the race and wrote ‘365’ on our hands,” Monogue said. “That was to represent how long we’ve been training for this moment

and this day.”

The exemplary performances by Corbett and Monogue set a foundation for the Bruins to win the title, with LB’s five other runners running quick times, including another top 10 finisher. Junior Colin Schaefer ran the course in 15:39 to finish seventh. Rounding out the Bruin squad was junior Ben Fogg (18th), sophomore Evan Chase (28th), junior Cav McGaw (30th) and senior Tommy McArdle (45th). With all of the Bruins having great races, they

“Our coach came up to us before the race and wrote 365 on our hands.”

- Kevin Monogueri

were able to accumulate an average time of 15:44. Their final score of 41 points was more than enough to beat runner-up, West Springfield, who scored 92 points.

“It was pretty awesome [to win states],” Monogue said. “It was one of the best feelings in the world, and it’s so incredible to go up there with your guys who you worked so hard together with and accomplish this awesome thing.”

While the girls’ team didn’t come in first, they still ran incredibly well, coming in second place to the repeat-champion Oakton Cougars. The Lady Bruins ran an average time of 18:39, while Oakton ran 8 seconds faster. Oakton scored 44 points, led by three top-11 finishers, to top LB’s total of 58. However, there are many positives for the Bruins to take from the meet. The squad that ran at states only had one senior, Sarah Riley, while the rest of the team was made up of underclassmen.

The state runner-up, Kate Murphy, is only a sophomore, and with as deep a team as the Bruins have, the future is certainly bright for them.

photo courtesy of Danna Ferguson and Kerrie Johnson

Cross country completes winning season

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 35

1 question, 4 quarters: Why did you commit to your college sport’s program?

Bobby Seifert

1

2

Soccer | Christopher Newport

Cross Country | Virginia

“Before I even considered playing soccer at CNU, I fell in love with the campus. Then the soccer added to the urge to go there.”

Reagan Jones

Alex Corbett

“[UVA] has a really good team, and I loved that it was in state and closer to home. When I went on the official visit there I really liked the campus.”

3

4

Emma Rakowski

Softball | Mary Washington

Basketball | Wheaton

“I went on a visit [to Wheaton] and fell in love with it. It’s got a great basketball program, amazing academics and the people are some of the nicest I’ve ever been around.”

“I wanted to go [to Mary Washington] because it is only 40 minutes away from home. I also liked it because it’s a small school with small classes and nice people.”

College football moves to four-team playoff

by Spencer Jolley - Staff Writer photos by Andrew Clinton (top), photo courtesy of Rodger Mallison/Fort Worth Star (bottom)

F

or years around this time of year, college football fans everywhere would be wondering who the top two teams in the BCS poll would be.

However, the system changed from last year. The top four teams in the country, as determined by a panel, will compete in the college football playoffs. The No. 1 and No. 4 teams will compete against each other, as will the No. 2 and No. 3 teams. Then the winner of each game will play against each other to determine the national champion.

Last year’s national champion, Florida State, is still undefeated, and, barring an upset, will likely make it to the playoffs.

They had a couple of scares against Louisville, Clemson, Oklahoma State and recently Miami, but they’ll still need to get past Florida, who pulled an upset over Georgia this year. If they do, the panel has no choice but to let the Seminoles in.

After losing to the now-best team in the country Alabama, Mississippi State sits at No. 4. They will need to win against Ole Miss to remain in the top four. Quarterback Dak Prescott has played a large role on the Mississippi State team; in just nine games, he has thrown for more than 2000 yards and 18 touchdowns. Mississippi State has been able to beat Auburn and LSU fairly easily this year, and if they play the way they did 36 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

against those two teams, then Mississippi State could be marching to the playoffs.

It seems like Oregon is always in the conversation late in the season. This year, the Ducks look poised to make it to the playoffs barring a late stumble in the final stretch. In the committee’s eyes, Oregon is the No. 2 team in the country, leaping in front of No. 3 Florida State. They did lose to Arizona earlier in the year, but if Oregon takes care of business in the PAC 12 championship, they should be the secondranked team.

Despite Alabama’s impressive win over

Mississippi State, they’ll still likely need to win the SEC to make it into the playoffs.

As a one-loss team, Alabama’s position is precarious, and with a slip from them and Mississippi State, the SEC might not even get a bid to the playoffs. Alabama will need to play solid defense against an at-times electric Auburn offense, however, before thinking about the SEC championship game.

After TCU’s shellacking of Kansas State, the team leapfrogged Alabama to grab the last spot in the playoffs. But now that Alabama has leaped to No. 1, TCU is left on the outside looking in at No. 5. TCU will need to win out, and to have someone ahead of them lose. After all, TCU does not play any noteworthy opponents the rest of the way, so they cannot bolster their resume.

As we head towards the committee’s decision, there will be controversy because one team will feel that they should be the one competing for the title. For now though, all the audience can do is speculate on what could happen. The controversy is what makes the season exciting, and it puts weight on every single game. No matter what happens, the end of the season will have many glued to their seats.

With the change in the playoff format, the championship trophy was also changed.

‘Next Level’ is a regular sports column devoted to breaking down college sports.

Martino prepares for retirement

by Tu Lam - Sports Editor

“

Good afternoon Lake Braddock, just a couple of quick announcements,” a voice reads from a speaker on a Friday afternoon.

However, at the end of 2014, that voice will be leaving the halls of LB. Mark Martino, the long-time activities director, will be retiring from his position at the end of the year, ending a long chapter in the school’s history books.

Martino has worked here for the last 23 years, over half the time LB has been open. For 10 years, Martino’s time here was spent as an English teacher and boys’ basketball coach, and for the last 13 years he has worked as the student activities director. However, at the end of December, Martino will be moving on to another job, one that remains connected to Fairfax County and athletics, but not directly connected to FCPS. “There’s an opportunity for me to do something else,” Martino said. “Not within [FCPS] but within athletic services in the Fairfax County government.”

Martino describes his position as one that manages field usage between the various community organizations and the schools. With multiple youth clubs requiring a field for their activities, time slots must be assigned for each group.

“I’ll be working with a group called Neighborhood and Community Services,” Martino said. “It’s the group that schedules

Athletic Director Mark Martino shakes the hand of senior Olivia Olsen on Senior Night for field hockey.

all the fields for Burke Athletic Club, Springfield Youth Association, Chantilly Youth Association and making sure that they get the fields and schools get what they want.”

Because he has spent so much time here, Martino finds it hard knowing that he will be leaving the halls and students of LB, despite the opportunity that his new position offers him.

“It’s going to be really difficult to leave the school system and to leave LB and the student-athletes,” Martino said. “I’ve been here for so long it’s part of my life.”

Martino’s replacement has not yet been determined, as his position is one that requires multiple interviews in order to

find a candidate with the most merit. One obvious candidate would be his assistant, Michael Clark.

“We work in conjunction with one another,” Clark said. “Some of the things that I do are some of the things he does as activities director.”

However, a job as important as Martino’s requires advertisement in order to give any applicant an opportunity.

“The job will be advertised and then [the applicants will interview],” Martino said. “We hope to have somebody in place before I go so there can be a transition.”

Martino describes his new job as one that was too difficult to turn down, and so he will be moving come January.

Martino’s departure will have a lasting impact on many of the LB staff. Girls’ track coach and 10th grade gym teacher Robert Digby has been a longtime friend of Martino’s and will miss him after he leaves.

“He’s done it all,” Digby said. “(He’s been a) teacher, coach, administrator, and he’s been an awesome for us. Of course I’m sad that he’s leaving (because) he’s a good friend of mine, but I wish him well.”

Martino’s departure will be a bittersweet moment for him, as he said that he considers himself fortunate because of the opportunity he had to watch students compete athletically and academically, he said.

“It truly is, I think, the best job in the school system,” he said.

by Ryan Mullins - Staff Writer

I

n the world of high school sports, the majority of attention is usually directed towards the players and coaches who steal the spotlight and gain the passion of their fans. But there are other important members, who play a crucial role in every athlete’s high school career. These members are the trainers, silent guardians who look out for and help protect all athletes that a school has. And this year at LB, the trainer staff has seen a lot of change.

After the 2013-14 sports seasons, which were highly successful and filled with multiple championships, the Bruins staff lost its most experienced athletic trainer: Meredith Sheeron.

Sheeron was a valuable and long time member of the athletic trainers at LB, who had a decade-long tenure as the lead athletic trainer.

Replacing Sheeron this year is Emily Huss, a trainer who was an active member of LB’s trainer workforce last year and played very important roles in

injury prevention and recuperation. After becoming the full-time athletic trainer, the secondary position was left wide open, eventually being taken by Kelly Kavanaugh, who is also an instructional assistant (AI) at LB. With a promotion to the full-time position, the work amount is slightly different from that of the part-time position.

“Our responsibilities are the same,” Huss said. “The only that’s really different is the full time technically works more hours than the part time.

Regardless of this experience however, there a considerable amount of pressure added on after becoming the head of the trainer’s staff.

“There definitely is more responsibility as far as talking to coaches,” Huss said. “(We’re) making sure they’re all on the same page, organizing things and scheduling things.”

In a school with a population of more than 4,000 students, there are bound to be injuries, making a trainer’s life very strenuous at times.

Athletic trainer Emily Huss works on junior Annina Zelkin’s wrist.

“I would say [we see] anywhere between 20 and 30 kids a day,” Huss said.

Even though being the main trainer is a tough job at times, it is still an enjoyable at the end of the day.

photos courtesy of Gregg Zelkin (top) & by Tu Lam (bottom)

At h l e t i c t r a i n e r s p i c k u p t h e p i ec e s

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 37

Going Pro

Women’s soccer’s turf war with FIFA

by Jordan Small - Sports Editor ext summer, Canada will host the women’s World Cup. For the first time ever, the athletes will be playing on artificial turf at all six venues. Many big-name international stars are suing FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, and the Canadian Soccer Association over the use of artificial turf at the World Cup. These players include U.S. stars Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux, Germany’s Nadine Angerer and Mexico’s Teresa Noyola.

One big issue the women have with playing on the turf is the higher risk of injury. According to ESPN Sports Science, skin abrasions are up to three times more likely on turf than natural grass because of increased friction. Also, in the same study it is shown that the stress on the ACL joint can be increased by up to 45 percent.

Another difference between artificial turf and natural grass is the increase in temperature. In the six host cities, the average temperature for June is 75 degrees. But according to Sports Science, the temperatures can be 33 to 55 degrees warmer on turf because it retains more heat than grass. This leads to increased dehydration and slower reaction time.

The players are claiming that the refusal to change the playing surface by FIFA is gender discrimination.

“The reality is, the men would never play [the World Cup] on field turf,” Wambach. “So for me, it’s a women’s rights issue, it’s an equality issue.”

In the official documents of the lawsuit, the players claim FIFA is violating the Human Rights Code by making the women play on the turf instead of the men.

“The surfaces on which FIFA has either demanded or permitted the women to play are more dangerous than the surfaces on which the men are asked to play,” according to the official documents of the lawsuit.

FIFA and the CSA have said they will not put grass down over the turf, and that turf is “the future of soccer;” 24 countries are to attend the World Cup in Canada, which begins on June 6.

N

Senior Reagan Jones (left) and junior James Butler (right) shoot during practice on Nov. 19.

New faces enter boys’ basketball

by Andrew Clinton - Staff Writer

L

photos by Elena Simon

ast February, boys’ basketball won the district championship and easily breezed by the first three rounds of regionals, but in the end the Bruins couldn’t win it all, losing the regional final to W.T. Woodson and the state semi-final game to Colonial Forge High School.

This wasn’t the only loss the team sustained. Absent this year are many key players who either graduated or were injured. Guards Vincent Sica, Sam Fiedorek, and John Nice and forwards Will Gregorits and Mo Ibrahim graduated, and senior A.J. Alexander tore his ACL during football season.

With so many players leaving, the door has been opened for new talent to join the team, like senior Matt Reeves, who moved here from Kentucky over the summer.

“It’s pretty cool playing for Lake Braddock,” Reeves said. “Virginia basketball is a lot more fast-paced and more athletic compared to Kentucky basketball.”

In order to catch up, Reeves has been practicing with the team since summer.

However, Reeves is not the only new player that will be joining the team; junior Brandon Murphy will be moving up to the varsity level after playing for the freshman and JV teams.

“I’ve been working for this since freshman year, and I just feel so accomplished as a person and as a player,” Murphy said.

38 The Bear Facts 25 November 2014

This will be Murphy’s first time playing varsity, and he has already noticed a change in practices.

“Practice style in JV was more focused on skills, but on varsity, it is more focused on how the offense works,” Murphy said. “There’s a variety of coaches for each position that will work with you on individual skills.”

In addition to the new players on the team in Reeves and Murphy, senior David Lynch will be returning after a one-year hiatus. Lynch played on the team during his sophomore year but had other priorities during junior year and didn’t try out.

“Junior year, I really wanted to focus on my grades, and I needed more time to focus on my academics that year,” Lynch said.

Lynch also said that he continued working on his game during his junior year and feels ready for this upcoming season.

This bright outlook reaches up to the coaches as well, as head coach Brian Metress also feels optimistic about how the team will perform this year, he said.

“I think we are going to be able to step up this year,” Metress said. “We’re going to be young, but we are going to be young basketball players. So that’s the key thing.

Sometimes you can be old but not good basketball players. We’re young we have a lot of capability, and hopefully that translates to victories.”

The first game of the season will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at Robinson Secondary School.

‘Going Pro’ is a regular sports column that analyzes professional sports.

Running the course with Riley

How is this year’s team different from those you’ve been on in past years?

At the beginning of the season our girls team was

described as a ‘new and young’ team. We started this season building up our varsity team due to the fact that a lot of our varsity girls graduated last year. I am really impressed with all we have accomplished this season. From winning the Disney Cross Country Classic in Florida and the Conference Championship to placing third in Regionals, I would have

never expected our team to have achieved as much as we have without the girls we had last year.

What is your favorite thing about cross country?

I really love the atmosphere of the team. That’s one of the reasons why I decided to stick around for four years; I love the team. My favorite part is the ‘family like’ aspect of it all.

Athlete of the Issue: Senior Sarah Riley

photo courtesy of Sarah Riley

As a senior, how has your role changed this season?

As a senior, I had to step up and be a leader.

Along with my fellow teammates we were charged with mentoring the underclassmen.

25 November 2014 The Bear Facts 39

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