Volume 43, Issue 5

02. 03. 15.

The Bear Facts

Say Anything.

Why we can't compromise on free expression.

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

Contents / 02.03.15.

5

BEHIND THE COVER

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29 “My inspiration was the freedom we all have to create whatever we want,” senior Amanda Hendrix said.

Volume 42, Issue 5 photos by Tribune News Service (top left), Nadji Filali (top right), Greg Zelkin (bottom)

5 Gas Prices Find out where the lowest gas prices are in a 10mile radius.

6 Robotics The robotics team prepares for upcoming ‘Recycle Rush.’

14 Academy Awards 25 Tour of Town Read about all the movies up for this prestigious award.

Shaw and Logan’s Circle are full of restaurants and things to do.

18 Creative Commons 29 Kate Murphy See the work of students from all areas, including photos and ceramics.

This sophomore is ranked 53rd in the nation for cross country.

8 Snow Days

20 Uncommon App

30 Ice Hockey

Find out how recent snow fall impacted school commutes.

Read the essay that got senior Brian Gilmore accepted to JMU.

This lesser-known club is playing well in the northern Virginia area.

10 Nadji Filali

21 Flag Burning

31 Athletic Director

Find out how this senior started his own clothing business.

Is flag burning a form of expression that needs to be protected?

Mike Clark takes over Mark Martino’s position as activities director.

2 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

“When it was scanned in a lot of the detail was lost, so I tried to strengthen the detail digitally,” senior Jesse Sands said.

02. 03. 15.

The Bear Facts

Say Anything.

Why we can't compromise on free expression.

Lake Braddock Secondary School

9200 Burke Lake Road • Burke • Virginia • 22015

“Next I added the message ‘Je suis Charlie’ and then the subheading. I also tinted the hands,” Sands said. photo illustration and quotations by Amanda Hendrix and Jesse Sands

Managing Editors Volume 42, Issue 5

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

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

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

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

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

Staff Writer of the Issue

Senior Maddie Sievers signed up for photojournalism last year but transferred to newspaper this year to work on graphics and to write stories. Currently, she is directing LB’s fashion show, following her dreams to go into the fashion industry, marketing and communications or business. In addition, she likes to spend time on Tumblr and YouTube.

Her sign signifies her love for froyo over ice cream.

“My obsession with frozen yogurt began about four years ago and has been ongoing,” Sievers said. “Last year, I had it almost once a week.”

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 3

News: Future and Past

Numbers To Know

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0.7 percent. For the first time since 2002, regular decision applications to University of Virginia dropped.

In addition, applications from first generation students increased 12 percent this year, with last year counting 3,179 to 3,552 this year.

4.3

1. Fusion, a spring dance held two years ago is coming back with stricter regulations and a different name. The SGA is in the process of planning the upcoming dance. 2. Senior Anya Michaelsen will attend the final round of the Intel Science Talent Search as a finalist on May 5-11. 3. Approximately 4.3 inches of snow fell on Fairfax’s grounds last Monday night and Tuesday morning, causing school to get canceled and delayed.

L

ast year, Fusion, a popular spring dance that was held on the LB blacktop was cut from SGA’s calendar of events. The administration prohibited spring dances after Fusion became a dangerous situation for students.

After a year, a proposal of rules were submitted to the school by the SGA and was approved by the administration. We will have a spring dance this year with regulations on what students are allowed to wear or bring to the event. The name, date and theme of the event is to be determined.

photo by Lifetouch(1), photos courtesy of Anya Michaelsen (2), crh.noaa.gov (3)

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aren Garza, the FCPS superintendent, will host two listening tours this school year. The next one will take place at 6:30 p.m on Feb. 17 at Falls Church High School. She invites students, parents, employees and community members to join her to get updates on news, listen to ideas, comments and questions from the audience.

2

4 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

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enior Anya Michaelsen was named one of the 40 finalists in the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search for her project on Kinematic Determinants of Scoring Success in the Fencing Fick: Logistic and Linear Multiple Regression Analysis.

As a finalist, Michaelsen will attend the final round March 5-11 in Washington, D.C. where she will display her work, meet with scientists and compete for awards. The three top finalists will receive $150,000 each.

O

Inches of snow that fell Monday, Jan. 26 and Tuesday, Jan. 27 in Fairfax, the heaviest total recorded.

The snow came in two phases, with the first phase starting on Monday morning, following the second in the afternoon.

The snow continued overnight. Most areas received from half an inch to four inches of snow.

19 Ingredients in McDonald’s french fries. The fast food restaurant’s latest campaign ad is a series of videos about its french fries. With many different types of oil, McDonald’s explains the necessity of each of them.

3

n Wednesday, Feb. 11, the Minority Parents for Excellence in Education will be sponsoring a Gospel Concert featuring the Howard Gospel Choir in the Little Theatre. The concert will start at 7 p.m., and admission costs $10. There will be fundraising activities, a silent auction, raffle and concessions.

The funds raised will go to scholarships, support and educational programs.

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oday is the first day of second semester. Report cards will be sent out Friday, Feb. 13. For seniors, semester grades and the new calculated mid-year GPAs will be sent automatically by Feb. 20 to all the colleges stated on their transcript request form. This will include all the courses taken this year in addition to a new cumulative weighted GPA. Verify your semester grades. Be sure to check Family Connections to confirm that they were sent. Seniors do not need to send in another request form for these mid-year grades.

This page was compiled and written by managing editor Sara Kim.

by Lucia Kim - Staff Writer

S

ignificantly lower gas prices has captured national attention and the AAA has reported that people can expect the already-decreasing prices to continue dropping. Already, the value in gas has declined more than a dollar in price from the spring peak price of $3.52 per gallon in April 2014, to $2.51 in December 2014.

Students and staff members are affected by the prices because many drive to and from school.

“My sister drives me to after-school

News

Gas Prices Plunge As oil prices fall in 2015, consumers are benefiting

activities sometimes,” freshman Allie Kim said, “which uses gas, and because the gas is cheaper, we can use the extra money for other things.”

As a result of the falling prices, Americans are now saving around $630 million everyday.

“I can spend more money on stocks and bonds,” freshman Declan Deady said.

Gas prices are decreasing because of the falling crude oil prices, which in turn are declining for a number of reasons.

With Europe still in recession, the foreign price of oil has gone down because slow economic Visiting the pump has become a lot less straining on the wallet in recent weeks activity means (top). Since June, prices have fallen to under $2 in some places (bottom). less demand

Kinaya Hassane ‘The Interview’ pg. 7 for oil and so lower prices.

The United States has also doubled in its production of crude oil and has replaced 4.5 million of imported barrels of oil causing prices to lower.

Lastly, increased production of natural gas has replaced a significant amount of oil use in energy generation, resulting in more oil to be used to make gas.

After the statewide average in New York fell below $3 in December, all the contiguous states now have an average below New York. As of Jan. 9, the average price for regular gas is $2.20 per gallon, which is $1.14 less than the price last year at the same time.

In Arizona, grocery shoppers are able to get gas below $1 because of rewards programs at Shell or Circle K stations. Safeway and Walmart are also offering rewards and discount programs that offer gas rewards with grocery purchases.

“Lower prices can stimulate the economy by allowing people more money for spending within the U.S.,” freshman Fredy Veru said.

The lower gas prices are also influencing stock prices and car sales as well. With lower gas prices comes higher stock prices, and historically the combination tends to increase car sales. As the economy continues to rebound, auto sales could be at their greatest since 2005.

Last November was one of the best months for car sales in the last eight years and kept the industry on track to sell at least 16.5 million vehicles through the end of 2014.

“Lower gas prices make jobs and necessary resources more available by increasing the accessibility of transportation,” Deady said.

Unfortunately, what goes down must come back up, and the gas prices will eventually rise. Some believe that the decreasing prices over a long period of time will hurt the economy.

“People are already losing their jobs,” history teacher Cheryl Sutphin said, “because the gas companies cannot break even with the cost of producing a barrel of oil.

Eventually the prices will go back up.”

graphic by Jesse Sands, photo courtesy of energy.utah.gov

Ayman Farid Social Media pg. 6

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 5

Think before you tweet: keeping it clean

by Ayman Farid - Staff Writer

W

ith the emergence of social media as a huge presence in modern-day society, the posts one makes on it are becoming increasingly important. This is particularly true when it comes to applying for jobs, as employers are now doing more and more to find out as much as they can about potential employees, which may include checking their social media accounts.

“I think that it is a good way to judge candidates because it allows them to see what their potential employee is truly like outside of the formal application process,” senior Matt DelVecchio said.

While users should indeed err on the side of caution when it comes to social media networks such as Twitter, the fact remains that they can also be quite useful tools. When used correctly, Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks can be rapid vehicles of information, as well as great ways to stay

in touch with friends.

“Overall, I think that if people use it in the right way, social media can be very beneficial,” Kim said.

However, while social media is often meant to help users become connected with the rest of the world, it is also becoming increasingly relevant in the search for a job. According to a 2012 survey conducted by CareerBuilder. com, 37 percent of employers use social networks to screen potential workers.

That means almost four out of every 10 employers look at employees’ social media profiles to judge them based on their social media personalities.

“I believe FCPS does check up on social media profiles for potential employees,” math teacher Susan Kim said.

Many employers not only judge potential employees based on their social media profiles, but also abstain from hiring candidate due to their posts.

According to the survey, 34 percent of employers who scan social media profiles

have found content online that has directly caused them not to hire the candidate.

Of this 34 percent, half said they didn’t offer the candidate the position because of provocative or inappropriate photos or posts on his/her profile, and 45 percent said they didn’t hire someone based on evidence of drug and/or alcohol use on

pool noodles, representing litter.

After they release the challenge, the competition gives teams six weeks to plan, build and code a robot that will accomplish the tasks assigned to them.

The team meets five times a week because they have to finish building the robot within those six weeks.

The robotics team is planning to approach this challenge with a robot that has a lifting mechanism, which will lift boxes as high as around 6 feet.

“When we build the robot,” Kook said, “we have different teams including programming, electronics, chassis, gearbox and more.”

Building a robot does have its hazards, and the robotics team has a building site they received last year that they share with another community-based

team, AIM Robotics. In prior years, they worked in garages or other small spaces and then a Boeing Corporation warehouse until they received the space provided by Shirley Contracting. There are also parent volunteers who supervise the building sessions.

What’s special about the robotics team is that it is a community team open to any high school student regardless of educational venue. Most of the team is made up of Lake Braddock and West Springfield students. Because the team is not part of a high school, the robotics team has to provide its own equipment, transportation and meeting/ build location. The team also has to find sponsors, buy insurance and pay for utility bills.

Although being a community team does have a few disadvantages, the robotics team has been successful in past competitions. In 2008, the team won the Top Rookie Team Award and the Top Eight Team Award at the Virginia Regional Competition. Since then, the team has been awarded the Engineering Excellence Award in 2010 at the Greater DC Regional competition and was a finalist at the Chesapeake Regional last year.

This year, the robotics team is once again competing at the Greater DC Regional, held at George Mason University Patriot Center on March 2728.

“I think that if people use it the right way, social media can be very beneficial.”

- Susan Kim

his/her profile.

“I try to keep [my social media accounts] clean because I’ve been warned about employers checking them,” junior Michael Rivera said.

Robotics team gearing up for competition

by Lucia Kim - Staff Writer

T

photo by Lucia Kim

he For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition has begun, and teams are in the process of building their robots to complete the challenge: Recycle Rush.

With strict rules, limited resources and time limits, teams are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills and build and program robots to complete tasks.

“My favorite part is listening to others talk about how all the work is going to come together,” junior Shaymi Adetayo said, “and how the robot will function.”

According to FIRST, the competition is a chance for students interested in engineering to get to learn under professionals, use sophisticated software and hardware and compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments with the added bonus of qualifying for $20 million in college scholarships.

“Robotics gives real-life use of engineering and computer science,” junior John Kook said.

This year’s challenge, Recycle Rush, is a recycling-themed game. Six teams are split into two alliances with three robots in each alliance, and they face off to score as many points as possible by stacking crates on scoring platforms, capping those totes with recycling containers, and properly disposing of

6 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

Robotics team works diligently to prepare for their competition.

It’s Academic team wins TV recording

by Jake Gold - Staff Writer

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n Jan. 10, the It’s Academic team won its televised competition against Osborn High School and Suitland High School in a nail-biting victory. Lake Braddock won by one tie-breaking question. After winning the initial match, the team will go on to a March 7 playoff round, also filmed at NBC4.

The victorious team consisted of It’s Academic veterans, seniors Ben Tobin, Josh Wartel and team captain sophomore Priscilla Cruz. Tobin has been doing It’s Academic for three years. Cruz and Wartel are in their second year.

“This is my third year doing it. My brother, who is two years older than me, really wanted me to check it out. After the first meeting, I really liked it,” Tobin said. “Plus, I’ve always been a big fan of Jeopardy, so I really liked the idea of participating in a trivia game.”

It’s Academic is much like an athletic sport; it requires training to win. It’s Academic members meet every week to practice together.

“Every meeting, we play at least one game of It’s Academic,” Tobin said.

“There are several rounds that cover several different topic areas. The goal is to buzz in first with the correct answer to score points for your team.”

Besides official practice, however, It’s Academic participants train individually by absorbing information from

With strong support from students and faculty alike, LB came out victorious at its recording.

everywhere they can—the news, books, school, television, Jeopardy, etc.

Junior Liam Kelly served as an alternate during the televised showing of It’s Academic. As an alternate, he practiced with the team and sat in the audience to watch the broadcast.

“We play trivia games with two teams,” Kelly said. “The first and third rounds are just random questions you answer alone to get points for your team, and the second round is a team round with two categories, where you can confer to get the right answer.”

When time ran out on the official clock, Lake Braddock and Osborn both had a cumulative score of 460, but after an impressively quick response from Wartel in the tiebreaker, Lake Braddock came out on top with a final score of 480.

“I came into the tiebreak with a similar mindset to that of Douglas MacArthur that ‘there is no substitute for victory,’” Wartel said.

Lake Braddock’s triumphant It’s Academic match against Suitland and Osborn high schools aired at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 31 on NBC4.

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

O

n Christmas Day, eager moviegoers lined up in front of box offices, ready to make a political statement aimed at North Korea by seeing the new Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy, The Interview. After the hermit kingdom and a group of vigilante hackers, The Guardians of Peace, made threats of violence against those who went to the Dec.16 premiere, the film’s debut was postponed for a second time and was only shown in select theaters and online. In the end, efforts to prevent The Interview’s release not only failed, but the movie also raked in more than $6 million in theaters and $31 million online, making it Sony’s most successful online movie.

The debacle over the film’s release resulted in a renewed discussion on the issue of free speech. Celebrities, such as actor George Clooney, asserted that Americans “cannot be told [they] can’t watch something by Kim Jong-un.”

Even President Obama stepped into the fray, calling Sony’s initial decision to not release the movie “a mistake.” He sympathized with Sony’s concern for the safety and privacy of their employees, many of whom had their private emails and Social Security numbers leaked.

However, he asserted that freedom of

expression was an important right to protect.

The Interview faced even more controversy when it came under fire for poking fun at a regime that commits serious human rights abuses. In 2013, the United Nations formed a Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) which is carrying out an investigation on possible crimes against humanity that are occurring under Kim Jong-un’s rule.

These include, according to the commission, “violations of the right to

food, violations associated with prison camps, torture and inhumane treatment,” among many other atrocities.

Some students, like those fighting for the people suffering under Kim Jongun’s regime, see the movie as offensive and ignorant of the starvation and abuse that happens in North Korea.

“I feel that this film does not take the suffering of the citizens seriously,” president of Lake Braddock’s Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) club Samreen Singh said. “It causes the viewers to not recognize how terribly the regime treats the citizens of North Korea.”

On the other hand, some in LiNK saw nothing wrong with the movie and thought it was beneficial to their cause.

“I thought it was harmless,” secretary John Kook said. “In fact, I was glad that Sony made this movie. Although it’s funny, it mentioned a lot of current problems that are going on in North Korea like propaganda and starvation.”

Moviegoers, like senior Elspeth Ripley, saw the movie as a lighthearted comedy rather than the subject of an intense debate over human rights and diplomacy.

“I was expecting something that could really be offensive to Kim Jong-un, but I didn’t find anything incredibly critical or demeaning,” Ripley said. “Do I think it lived up to the hype, though? No.”

photos by Jake Gold (top) Cartoon by Laura Mulrooney (bottom)

After hacking, ‘The Interview’ launches itself into houses

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 7

A detailed look at student accounts from jan. 6 when many FCPS students had trouble getting to school due to the snow

The News In-Depth

Say It Ain’t Snow

by Dinali Dassanayaka and Megan Cantwell News In-Depth Editors

When LB students woke up on Jan. 6, many were surprised that FCPS had not delayed or closed school, especially when they looked out the window and saw snow on the ground. The day that followed was chaotic and eventful as students and staff alike attempted to get to school in spite of the terrible road conditions that backed up traffic for miles.

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photos by Elena Simon

1. Seniors Niall Kingdale and Gregory Kupraty play outside LB in the snow on Jan. 6. 2. Senior Mike Chase engages in a snowball fight with other students.

8 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

n Jan. 6, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) made the decision to open on time despite the possibility of a “slight dusting� of snow.

The snow, however, soon became heavier and caused an immense problem for students, teachers and administrators attempting to get to school. Many students came in late only to find that their teachers had not arrived yet, and teachers without first period classes were rushing around, trying to cover all the classes. Students who attempted to walk to school had to make the precarious journey on sidewalks covered in ice and snow, and the school sidewalks and parking lot were in a similarly dangerous condition.

The original snow forecast that FCPS followed when making its call admittedly only forecasted a light dusting of snow that would have a negligible effect on the morning commute to school. However, the reality turned out to be quite different. Several inches of snow and ice accumulated in the early hours of the morning, making the usual traffic problems of the area much worse.

Students who drove in had a number of difficulties they had to overcome. Between trying to keep their cars from spinning out and attempting to make it through the traffic that stretched for miles, it was a nasty commute for any driver. Buses were sliding down hills in neighborhoods, and some students were stuck on the bus for several hours. Many arrived late or had to turn around during their commutes because the traffic was unmoving or their cars broke down before they arrived.

Even once students arrived at school, the day was not productive for many students due to absences of a large potion of teachers and students. The focus of the students instead turned to social media, where students, teachers and parents all over the county started a national and global trend, #closefcps, to express their outrage that schools remained open and, in the case of many students, to campaign for an early release from school. The former idol of many FCPS students, school board member Ryan McElveen, also received some heat from students (although he had nothing to do with the decision) and issued an apology on Twitter for the decision to keep school open. Superintendent Karen Garza also issued an apology along with another one posted on the FCPS website.

“I was leaving my house, and I was already late. My mom wouldn’t let me drive myself to school, so she decided to drive me, but the car with four-wheel drive was in the garage, and the garage door had broken the night before and wouldn’t open. We ended up driving my car that was 15 years old. We inched down the road for about a quarter of a mile before I gave up and got out of the car, and my mom turned around.

I walked about a mile to school in the snow, passing the car that couldn’t drive up the hill and was slowing down all the traffic. I got into school right when the bell was ringing for first period to start, but only about half the class was there. Later that day we had a Spanish chat about our morning. I had it a lot better than many of the other students at the school. The day was fun though because none of my classes really did anything, and some teachers even told us to just keep up with Twitter instead of doing work.”

Alexis Smedley, 11 “Getting to school was a massive struggle that morning. My dad drove me and we had to take a bunch of back roads cause the main ones were too busy or too dangerous. It took almost an hour to get there, but since I leave really early, I got to school about 10 minutes before the bell rang. We were lucky, but I know a lot of other people weren’t.”

Lauren Bailor, 11

“I ran into issues pretty much instantly. I have a Front Wheel Drive Car, so it was pretty difficult driving in the snowy/icy conditions. The second I tried turning out of my neighborhood onto a main road (Lee Chapel) I already began to struggle. I had troubles making the turn, and it took a long time for my tires to actually gain traction and move me forward in the correct direction. I didn’t have many issues after that as majority of the roads I then traveled on were fairly clear due to the immense traffic that was driving through them, but I encountered issues once again when I went into a neighborhood to pickup my friend. I struggled to get up the first hill to turn into his neighborhood, and then barely managed to get up the hill on his street after stopping to let a bus pass by. On my way down the hill, I attempted to turn into his driveway, but I ended up just sliding right past his house. I had issues getting out of his neighborhood, but it was the same thing as before, unable to make the turn and get up to speed, etc. Everything else was fine from there, but then on the way home, after going back into his neighborhood, I ended up sliding into an intersection after trying to brake. Luckily the intersection was empty of cars, and that was pretty much all of the issues I had during the commute to and from school.”

“I went to pick up my friend from her house like I usually do, and when I got there she asked me if I could take two more people because their car got stuck. I had four-wheel drive so I didn’t have a problem but on our way, traffic was backed up half -way through Lake Braddock Drive. There were several men waiting around and helping people who got stuck. It took about 30 minutes to get to school when it usually takes 5-10.”

Hannah Stokes, 12

Jason Kaplan, 12

“I was getting ready to leave for school when my mom told me it had snowed overnight. I earnestly clicked refresh on fcps.edu unable to accept the harsh reality.

It was 6:20 when we left, which was 50 minutes earlier than when I usually leave, and I still got to school at 7:20. The way there was crazy. Lake Braddock drive was crammed from the school all the way to White Oaks, at the Shiplett Boulevard intersection. “ Minhyuk Choi, 11

photos courtesy of Alexis Smedley and Lauren Bailor/by Jake Gold

“Pretty much I was going down a hill, hit the brakes and because of the ice and snow, I slid past a stop sign into the middle of an intersection. Luckily, there was only a few cars, [and they] saw me coming and were able to brake and not hit me.”

Ward McKinley, 12

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 9

Gerardo Cerna

Ericka Nguyen pg. 14

Profile

Devon Lee Joanne Yoon pg. 15

Chasing his dream

by Aya Khaznadar - Staff Writer

Senior Nadji Filali: The founder of Outliers Clothing Company

photos courtesy of Nadji Filali

10 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

Filali took the initiative to create his own clothing line called “Outliers Clothing.�

Production is currently limited to T-Shirts, but his catalog will soon include beanies, hoodies, socks and joggers. Visit OutliersClothingCo. bigcartel.com to see all the Outliers apparel brand clothing.

Filali wears his Dream-Chaser T-shirt to advertise his clothing line (left). His newly designed T-shirts are in the making and can be found on his website at OutliersClothingCo.bigcartel.com (opposite page upper left). Filali models his Outlier clothes, seeking ways to advertise his clothes (opposite page upper right).

“

We see what others cannot see, we do what others deem impossible, we ‘can’ when they ‘cannot’, we are the possible in impossible, we are the Outliers,” said by senior Nadji Filali via Facebook.

Like many students, Filali wanted to find something to set himself apart from others.

Not being able to afford the expensive brand-name clothes he saw at department stores, he took the initiative to make his own and created a clothing line called Outliers Clothing.

“When I was younger, I wanted to fit in,” Filali said. “I always wanted to be the cool kid, and at one point, I was too focused on fitting in. And it didn’t work out so I focused on standing out.”

When Filali heard the word “outlier” in class one day, he came to an epiphany for his clothing line name.

“I wanted a name that would set me apart, but at the same time represent who I was,” Filali said. “During Mr. Kissel’s seventh period Probability/Statistics class, I was dozing off, on the verge of falling asleep; then I suddenly faintly hear ‘outlier, someone or something that is

detached from a normal group, far away.’

It hit me right there, and then, I found out what I wanted to call it.”

Filali has wanted to create a product or invention, although he wasn’t quite sure what. He also wanted to have a specific type of style that defined himself and his company, but wasn’t in the financial position to do so.

“I was shopping at Macy’s looking thoroughly at clothes that didn’t intrigue my interest, were way too expensive and not my size,” Filali said. “I thought to myself ‘Why not create something that takes all three of those variables into positives?’ That same night, I began visualizing images in my mind.”

Currently Filali has a website, OutliersClothingCo.bigcartel.com, which advertises his fitness and apparel brand.

For now production is limited to T-shirts, however, he hopes to expand his catalog to include beanies, hoodies, socks and joggers.

“Both my long-term and short-term goals are to open up my own shop,” Filali said. “Or at least, get in a well-known shop. For now, I want my brand name and logo to be known out to the public;

we are heavily focused on marketing and promoting. We want to be a well-known and respected brand and hold our seat in the industry.”

Wanting to expand his company and become more successful, Filali’s main priority is improving the current design Junior Chris Clarke is the company’s graphic designer. Filali and Clarke both create designs that reflect their definition of what an outlier is.

“I work with Nadji on basically everything,” Clarke said, “but I focus mostly on everything graphic design, including clothing design, promo material, as well as the website.”

With more than 2,400 followers on Instagram, social media has had a major impact on the company. In fact, Clarke and Filali began working together through Twitter when Filali tweeted something that caught Clarke’s eye.

“I had seen him posting about it on Twitter, and I was pretty interested,” Clarke said. “It just kinda evolved from there. I’m excited to be part of the team though. It’s great to be a part of something unique like this, and I can only hope I can help us achieve our full potential.”

photos courtesy of Nadji Filali

“Outlier: someone or something that is detached from a normal group, far away it hit me right there and then, I found out what I wanted to call it.”

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 11

Giving back to Haitians

by Devon Lee - Staff Writer

W

photo courtesy of Joanne Yoon

hile some students were enjoying their winter break at home and relaxing, junior Joanne Yoon went out of her way to help children in an underdeveloped country during her mission trip to Haiti.

“I was able to go to Haiti through my church, Korean Central Presbyterian Church, with other church members,” Yoon said.

This was Yoon’s first mission trip, and she had wanted to go on one after she attended a church retreat, which opened her eyes to the idea of going on a mission trip.

Yoon was joined by five adults, one college student and two elementary students.

“I wanted to go over the summer with my youth group but due to spring activities, I couldn’t go to the training meetings, and so I couldn’t go,” Yoon said. “However, my church also had mission trips in the winter for families so I went with my dad and other families.”

Yoon and the others on the trip had to work hard and accomplished a lot while on the trip.

“For the first two days, my team and I painted a clinic in an underprivileged area,” Yoon said. “Afterwards we went to three other locations to do Vacation Bible School, sharing the gospel and God’s love, giving them presents that they cannot get in Haiti, like food and drinks. We also brought supplies such as medicine and gave it to the missionaries.”

Through all this hard work, Yoon had the opportunity to see what an underdeveloped country was like firsthand.

“From this experience I was able to travel to a third-world country for the first time,” Yoon said. “It really opened my eyes to how privileged people in America are compared to the

12 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

rest of the world. Spreading Christian faith, Yoon was able to meet children and noticed how they lived.

“The children there don’t really have anything and sometimes not even parents to care for them, but they were always outside playing with each other unlike the kids here who are so busy with their iPads and TV,” Yoon said. “Most importantly, I felt the love and blessings of God from the loving kids that always had smiles on their faces, and I preached the gospel for the first time in front of many people.”

When Yoon was on her trip, she had the chance to bond with orphans.

“My favorite experience was when I went to the orphanage, and I met a boy named Mashe,” Yoon said. “He had big eyes and a bright smile, but he was so small and thin. It broke my heart to see all the thin kids at the orphanage.”

From meeting Mashe for the first time, Yoon was deeply impacted. She discovered that sometimes being kind can mean the world to some people.

“Once when the kids were watching a movie, he was outside and I invited him to sit with me, Yoon said. “I’ve never seen such a genuine and happy smile before. I guess my favorite part was making him smile and making him happy, and when he was smiling it made me really happy, too.”

Yoon realized how such a small gesture could make someone so happy.

Even though she enjoyed that aspect of the trip, Yoon still had some parts of the trip that she didn’t particularly like.

“The worst part of the trip was when I was at a church in a rural area,” Yoon said. “When we did VBS, there were about 150 kids. After we gave the kids food and water, some of the kids asked for more. I couldn’t give it to them because we didn’t have enough extra for all the 150 other kids, but they kept asking. I felt so much sympathy for them because they don’t have enough of their necessities so I wanted to give them everything I had, but I knew I couldn’t so it broke my heart.”

The whole idea of helping others while teaching people about God really appealed to Yoon, she said. The trip to Haiti may have been Yoon’s first mission trip, but she anticipates many more.

“I would definitely go to Haiti again because it was such a wonderful and new experience,” Yoon said. “The children and the missionaries there loved having us.”

Gaining Respect on the Mats Junior Erika Nguyen is the only girl on a JV wrestling team in the district and has faced multiple challenges while breaking the stereotypes of females and contact sports. any contact sports are dominated by the male population. Junior Erika Nguyen, however, is an exception, being the only female on the JV wrestling team at LB and in the district.

Since she was a little girl, Nguyen has been interested in contact sports, such as karate and kung fu.

“When I was little, I wanted to be a bodybuilder and WWE Diva,” Nguyen said. “That’s how I got into wrestling.”

It wasn’t until her junior year when she started putting in more work and effort.

When she went for the team this season, her coach, Scott Matheny, welcomed her with open arms and told her to work hard.

“She’s treated exactly the same as any other wrestler on the team,” Matheny said.

“She has to meet the same expectations as everyone else, as she’s wrestling boys from the other teams.”

Being the only girl on the wrestling team, Nguyen said she feels empowered because of all the positive feedback she receives from her peers.

“The attention and support I get for competing in a male-dominated sport is great,” Nguyen said. “Changing and weighing in at other schools still feels a little weird, but other than that, I love it.”

Nguyen said she enjoys being on the team because she can express herself and compete in an atmosphere where she feels comfortable.

One of the things that Nguyen likes about the team is that the male teammates don’t treat her any different just because she’s a girl.

“The guys on the team are very positive and supportive about me being on the team for the most part,” Nguyen said. “I didn’t come in to this thinking my opponents and teammates would treat me different. We all train together, crack hilarious jokes and just

have a good time.”

During practice, Nguyen pushes herself to her ultimate limit to become a better athlete.

Outside of school, she does a lot of cardio and work outs to maintain a fit physique. Wrestling has also changed Nguyen’s eating habits and the choices she makes before eating.

“I’m definitely eating a lot healthier because my body craves the essential nutrients and vitamins it needs in order to function properly,” Nguyen said.

When it comes to competing at wrestling matches, Nguyen faces unique challenges because she’s a girl. For example, she wasn’t allowed to compete for some matches because she didn’t have a cap for her hair, causing her to compete at only one jamboree so far.

At some of her matches, guys from the other schools made inappropriate comments and looked at her in disturbing ways, she said, but that didn’t stop her from going on the mat and giving it her all. She is currently out due to a concussion, but hopes to be back soon.

“It’s annoying to hear some of the guys on the other teams make such annoying, misogynistic comments towards me, even though they think they’re being discreet,” Nguyen said. “I can still hear them, and it motivates me to prove them wrong and work harder. I love proving people wrong, and I love showing what I’m really made of.”

Although Nguyen has full support from her classmates and peers, her parents were hard to come around when she first started to wrestle.

“My parents have mixed feelings about me wrestling,” Nguyen said. “They don’t fight against it so much as they used to because they know it’s something I love to do.”

Junior Joanne Yoon traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. There, she was able to spread her faith and could help those in impoverished areas within the country (opposite page, upper left). Junior Erika Nguyen receives a pat from her coach after a meet. Nguyen is currently the only girl in the district as a wrestler and has overcome many challenges to participate in the sport that she loves (center).

photo courtesy of Erika Nguyen

M

by Gerardo Cerna - Staff Writer

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 13

The Other Contenders Selma - 20 to 1 For the first time in history, a female African American directed film was nominated for Best Picture. Not only does Ava Duverney do MLK justice by creating an outstanding biopic of him, but she hits all the right notes in it. From the politics, to his family life, to his supporters, to the man himself, everything in this film is brought to the screen with evident care.

Birdman - 18 to 1

And The Oscar Goes To...

On Feb. 22, the Academy Awards will honor the year in filmmaking.

Which movie will take home the most prestigious prize - Best Picture..

Odds by Wynn Las Vegas

The Frontrunner

In Birdman, Michael Keaton plays a former cinema superhero who is trying to resurrect his career by writing, directing and starring in his own Broadway play. He wants to prove to himself and the world that there is more to him than big Hollywood blockbusters and that he is capable of real art.

Whiplash - 60 to 1 J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller show off their acting chops in Whiplash. Teller plays a music student who gets a seat behind the drums in a jazz band led by a teacher, played

by Simmons. Teller’s character literally sheds blood, sweat and tears on his drum set as he is pushed past his limits in the constant mind games Fletcher inflicts on him.

The Grand Budapest Hotel - 9 to 1 Wes Anderson directed The Grand Budapest Hotel, which about a concierge named Gustave H. who works at The Grand Budapest Hotel, a popular European ski resort. This film takes place in the 1930s and is about how Gustave and his employee, Zero, try to prove his innocence after he’s framed for murder.

The Imitation Game - 7 to 1 graphic by Jesse Sands and photo courtesy of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts

The Imitation Game is a historical thriller about a British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and pioneering computer scientist named Alan Turing who cracked the Nazi’s naval Enigma code, which helped the Allies win World War II. This movie won Movie of the Year at the American Film Institute Awards.

American Sniper - 75 to 1 Boyhood - 2 to 5 Directed by Richard Linklater, who is also up for an Oscar himself, Boyhood is the most ambitious movie to hit theaters in recent memory. The film was shot with the same cast over a period of 12 years to display how a boy grows up, both emotionally and physically. Linklater explores and captures road trips, birthday parties, graduations, bullying, peer pressure and everything in between. This micro-budgeted coming-of-age drama has already won big at the Golden Globe as well as rave reviews from critics. The film has acting nominees, Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, which boosts its chances of victory.

If Boyhood wins, it would be the first Best Picture victory for IFC Films.

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American Sniper focuses on a Navy SEAL sniper named Chris Kyle, who is torn between his family and his job.

His accuracy as a sniper saves countless lives, but he is mentally scarred. Featuring Bradley Cooper, American Sniper has been nominated for six awards at the Academy Awards.

The Theory of Everything - 30 to 1 The famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane Wilde defy terrible odds and break new ground in the fields of medicine and science. Hawking was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease at the age of 21, which drastically changed his life. The Theory of Everything display how the two defy the odds and achieve more than they could imagine.

Three of the Best, One of the Worst: Travel Sharon Smothers, geometry and calculus teacher

“Grandchildren and traveling would be the two things for retirement; if you’re going to sum up my life in two words, it’s that.”

“I was in Bali last summer and up in the mountains. We stayed at this beautiful resort in this mountain community that was the most fabulous place I’ve ever seen in my life. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

There was rice fields right there; we had our own pool.

The owner who opened this resort, [who was] a very wealthy man, he had this thing called the Golden Hour Tour, and we meet him at 5:30 in the morning. It was just my husband and I and him, and he drove us into the countryside. And we watched the sun come up over the mountains, and then he just talked about the real Bali.

He was just so proud of his country. It’s what I love to see when I travel. I love to meet people and hear them talk about their home. If I can get into somebody’s home, it’s just such an honor.”

2. Sailing in the British Virgin Islands on the Catamaran “I’m going [to the British Virgin Islands] again in October. I’ve done that several times. We love to sail. We rent a sailboat with some other couples, and we just sail around the islands for a week and look at the countries.

One of the most fun things was tying the rafts to the sailboat and just floating in the water and have the dolphins and turtles come up. The water is crystal clear. It’s so blue and beautiful. And the dolphins would swim next to the sailboat as we were sailing so they were tailing the wake. I think the most important part was that it was just so off the grid. It was so relaxing We listened to no news, we worried about nothing.”

3. Oxnard, California “My favorite place in the states, besides grandchildren, would be Coastal California. We’ve lived in San Diego, we lived in Oxnard, had a 10-minute ride to the beach. Because my husband was deployed in Antarctica, the kids and I used to bike up to the beach for dinner, three or four nights a week, and have dinner at the beach. I wish my husband could’ve been there, but he was in the Navy. That was special, they remember that clearly.

California is my adopted home.

California is actually where I plan to be buried. It’s in my will. I’m going to be cremated, taken out in an airplane, do a loop—something I never do in life— and thrown out to sea. And if my kids want to visit me they can pack sandwiches and put on sunscreen and go to the beach.”

The Worst: Cleveland, Ohio “I lived in Cleveland for 18 months.

Cleveland was probably a wonderful city, but it was just a personally difficult time for me.

I could’ve been anywhere and not have been happy. I’ve been back since and have had much better times since the 18 months I’ve been in Cleveland.

We got some of our best friends from Cleveland that are actually best friends today.

What I thought was a bad experience at the time, gave me some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

photos courtesy of Sharon Smothers (1,2), californiasecuritypro.com and wrsoc.com.

1. Bali, Indonesia

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 15

Lake Braddock’s Accomplished Artists

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was in France with my mom, and we came across a protest we were not a part of while we were separated from our tour group, junior Jamie Melvin said about her Photography.

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hrough people criticized me for using Beyonce’s face, I [actually] used Rihanna’s face, and I’m happy with it, senior Sara Belen said about her ceramic.

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y dad took me and my sister to Africa over the summer and while we were on a safari we saw these two zebras, junior Monika Bierschenk said about her photo.

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The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

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or summer vacation we went to Germany, and we went sight-seeing, sophomore Isabelle Renteria said about her photography.

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he night was misty, and I wanted to see what I could do with the mist coming off the lake, senior Amanda Hendrix said about her photography.

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took the photo over the summer at the sulley plantation car show on father’s day, said senior Emma Holzer about her photography.

3 February 2015

The Bear Facts

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A look back at the success of ‘Hairspray’ Quick facts: From Jan. 22 to 25, Lake Braddock Musical Theatre performed Hairspray, a musical about a plump girl named Tracy Turnblad, played by Kirsten Chase, whose dance dream comes true when she wins the lead role in the show, The Corny Collins Show. This local TV dance program turns Tracy into a celebrity overnight and then launches a campaign to integrate the show.

by Jake Gold - Staff Writer

photos courtesy of Jake Gold

(Above) Mayhem erupts on the set after Tracy (Kirsten Chase) announces that she wants everyday to be Negro Day on The Corny Collins Show. (Right) Tyler King (Link Larkin) serenades girls from the show with the song “It Takes Two.”

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here was no doubt that LBMT’s Hairspray was going to be a great musical. I knew that going in. What I didn’t expect, however, was a show that-so chock-full of energy and humor and enthusiasm—would truly blow me away. And, that Hairspray did.

Hairspray, set in Baltimore in the 1960s, is the story of an

18 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

overweight girl, Tracy, who aspires to dance on the fictional Corny Collins Show. In the process, she falls in love with the dreamy Link Larkin and attempts to racially integrate the show. It’s a large and complicated role to play, and junior Kirsten Chase nailed it. Her voice was cheery and optimistic, just like Tracy should be.

The rest of the cast shared Chase’s enthusiasm. Junior Tyler King (Link Larkin) played the perfect teenage heartthrob, with a stunning voice and a robust charisma. Tracy’s best friend, Penny (senior Kaitlyn Lunardi) had an equally strong appearance: her dopey, gawky stage persona complemented well the undeniable charm of her love interest, Seaweed (sophomore Micah Super).

Tracy’s parents, Edna (sophomore Josh Lee) and Wilbur (senior Michael Sparrow) were a riot; their dance to “You’re Timeless to Me” was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a musical. Velma (senior Sarah Kreinbrink) and Amber Von Tussle (sophomore Michaela Nichols), the mother

and daughter pair, played an excellent (albeit, terrifying) set of villains. Motormouth Maybelle (junior Asjah Janece), the lively record shop owner, provided a nice balance of sass and serious dialogue about racism. But besides named characters, every other actor or actress showed an enthusiasm for the show unmatched by any production I’ve seen in the Little Theatre. The ensemble was as talented as it was large. There were 62 performers in the show, and they all proved to be top-notch.

But the cast isn’t the only part of the show. Everything else came together perfectly to create an authentic ‘60s atmosphere. The set, firstly, was big and bright and vivid with lots and lots of colors.

The costumes and hair were the same. Neon clothes and teased hair made for a truly scintillating experience.

LBMT actually contracted Paul Mitchell, the hairstyling school based in Tyson’s Corner, to do their hair. The lighting and sound did nothing but enhance the production as well, giving Hairspray a brilliantly produced and truly genuine sixties vibe.

All in all, Hairspray was fantastic. The standing ovation the cast received in their opening performance is a testament to that. In fact, Hairspray is a great example of how to do musical theater correctly. Hairspray was fun and happy. Hairspray made the entire audience smile. Hairspray had strong actors with a strong technical base and phenomenal backstage work. And a great musical, like Hairspray, is worth more than the sum of its parts.

Comment

Ayman Farid ‘Charlie Hebdo’ pg. 20

Daniel Jarris Flag Burning pg. 21

The Staff Editorial

Say anything

U

pon its publication, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1854 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which depicted the horrors of slavery, became an immediate sensation, selling 300,000 copies. The antebellum South, built on the institution of slavery, attacked the book as subversive, and students at the University of Virginia orchestrated a book burning in Charlottesville. A Maryland court even sentenced a former slave to 10 years in prison for carrying a copy of the novel in public.

But anyone who has read an American history textbook knows that Stowe had the last laugh. Uncle Tom’s Cabin inspired an unparalleled cultural focus on slavery; historian Donald Liedel estimated that the production of anti-slavery literature in the North quadrupled after Stowe’s book was published. President Abraham Lincoln met Stowe in the midst of the Civil War and asked her: “Is this the little woman who made this great war?”

Nearly two centuries later, the story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is more relevant

than ever. On Jan. 7, Islamic terrorists stormed into the offices of a French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and killed 12 staff members. While Europeans and Americans from across the political spectrum were outraged by the violent attack, there has been a fierce battle over the right way to honor Charlie Hebdo.

Should the paper’s cartoons, which have depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a porn star and a homosexual, be reprinted?

Are countries such as France, that criminalize some hate and anti-semitic speech but allow Charlie Hebdo to print freely, promoting a dangerous doublestandard? Perhaps most importantly, what obligations do writers, artists and speakers have in a diverse but open society?

None of these questions are easy to answer. In this month’s issue of The Bear Facts, staff writer Ayman Farid argues that Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons are meant “to offend people and to provoke a reaction all in the name of a good laugh, not to try and solve any social or political world issues.” Farid says that “I will not honor the magazine’s actions.”

In some respects, the editorial board of The Bear Facts agrees with Farid; Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons frequently target the same Muslims who face widespread discrimination and isolation in modern-day Europe. Like the TV show South Park, Charlie Hebdo often promotes entertainment over engagement with societal problems.

However, it would be a gross mistake to claim that the French magazine isn’t committed to solving global social or political issues. In China, Russia and the Middle East, freedom of speech and expression are either under threat or non-existent. Corrupt, brutal regimes are built on a foundation of lies: that votes were counted fairly, that corruption is minimal, that society cannot handle dissent. Soviet author Alexander Solzhenitsyn famously argued that, with free speech and expression, “we would be astonished how quickly the lies would be rendered helpless and subside.” To stand with Charlie Hebdo, to express “Je Suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie”), is to trust that, with the tool of free speech, our society can sort lies from the truth and meaningful words from the white noise.

To stand with Charlie Hebdo is to believe that the lesson of Uncle Tom’s Cabin still holds true. Although Leo Tolstoy called the book an example of “the highest art flowing from God and man,” it’s now widely considered racist, crude and sentimental. Schools have struck it from their curricula. But the political power of the novel, like the attack on Charlie Hebdo, cannot be erased. Four million people marched in support of Charlie Hebdo in France, and the paper’s latest print-run numbered a staggering five million purchases. Terrorists can kill and destroy in the name of the sacred Prophet Muhammad, but remember this: Artistic freedom, which underpins our books, our movies, our newspapers, our songs and countless other forms of creation, is just as sacred.

photo courtesy of Douliery/Tribune News Service

Free speech is the vital cornerstone of democratic government and freedom

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 19

Of mice, mazes, braces W

by Brian Gilmore - Guest Writer

hat do you imagine when you hear the word mousetrap?

Could it be the mechanism that kills rodents? Maybe even the amusing board game that is ever so irritating to set up. When you consider this word, however, I doubt that the first thing you associate it with is teeth. As strange as it sounds, the only thing that comes to mind when the word mousetrap pops into my brain are my pearly whites.

I went through the bulk of my life with no dental troubles, whatsoever, not even one cavity. My perfect dental record ended, however, in the eighth grade when it was discovered that I had an impacted bicuspid. This unfortunate finding now meant that I had to receive oral surgery and visit the dreaded orthodontist. I understood that the procedure and the sentence of two years in braces was part of the package, but I was unaware that the mousetrap would have a share in my treatment.

During the summer of 2011, I had the brackets and wires placed on my teeth.

The process, to me, seemed incessant.

Just as I thought it was concluding, my orthodontist pronounced that it was time for the mousetrap. I immediately shot up in my chair thinking that these insane people were about to slap my tongue back with a device that killed rodents.

I was told not to fuss and that it would help bring my impacted tooth into place.

After the doctor had finished, he asked me to glance into the mirror to assess my appearance. I quickly felt my stomach drop. When I observed my reflection, the only thing I noticed was a parabolic wire stemming from top to bottom on the left side of my mouth. It was hideous. It was the mousetrap.

The contraption was quite ghastly, and many unpleasant happenings occurred due to it. It stabbed me in the gums nonstop. My peers now noticed me not by my face or hair, but by the shiny wire sticking out of my mouth. For a time, I even struggled to speak clearly, lisping

as my tongue could not move without stroking it in some way. I desired nothing more than for this wretched object to exit my mouth. Blessedly, 2013 arrived, appearing to me as the light at the end of the tunnel. On that glorious day in late July, my nemesis was gone forever.

With my eyes shut, I sauntered up to the mirror and smiled. Anxious to see my newest look, my eyes sprung open. This time, my smile remained as my choppers looked better than ever.

While I would consider my time with the mousetrap an extremely embarrassing period of my life, I now can do nothing other than thank it. If the wire obstruction was never positioned in my mouth, I would not have learned that good things come to those who wait. I waited patiently, even struggled, and the end result bypassed my wildest expectations.

Brain Gilmore is a senior at Lake Braddock and will be a freshman at James Madison University next year.

‘Charlie Hebdo’: Not a black and white issue

by Ayman Farid - Staff Writer

“

photo by Dumontier/Tribune News Service

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

Given the recent tragedy in France, this well-known quote by the philosopher Voltaire has become a cornerstone of the argument concerning the attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

This attack is a tragedy, and it has rightly been condemned by Muslims and non-Muslims alike worldwide. No matter how it’s stated, the killing of 12 people is simply unacceptable in a civilized society.

However, when one delves deeper into the history of this magazine and what it has published in the past, the matter of the magazine itself suddenly becomes much less black and white.

In Islam, the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is strictly forbidden.

Therefore, when Charlie Hebdo published a cover in the fall of 2011 depicting the prophet as the issue’s “guest editor,” extremists responded by burning down Charlie Hebdo’s offices.

However, the magazine soon replied by furnishing the cover of their next issue with an image of a Muslim man (possibly meant to be Muhammad) kissing the

20 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

magazine’s editor, known as “Charb,” on the mouth, prompting even more controversy. In September 2012, the magazine published more cartoons of the prophet, several of them depicting him naked in very suggestive poses, drawing criticism from both Muslims and nonMuslims around the world. In addition to these, the magazine has targeted figures such as Pope Benedict XVI, Osama bin Laden and others in highly controversial images on their covers as well.

As a practicing Muslim, when I looked at some of the images Charlie Hebdo has published in the past, I was shocked.

Frankly, not only are many of the images crude and unsavory, but they are also extremely disrespectful to the 1.6 billion or so Muslims worldwide who have never entertained a thought of committing such unspeakable acts of violence. The images, to put it bluntly, are offensive, distasteful, lined with a thin layer of bigotry and, in

French police officers patrol north of Paris during the manhunt after the shooting at the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo headquarters.

The Uncommon App

The Modern World

my opinion, crossing the line between entertainment and insult.

While many have defended the magazine by calling it satire, this is slightly untrue. Satire is defined by literary devices.net as “a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and/or corruption by an individual or society.” That does not seem like the material Charlie Hebdo publishes. It seems that they aim to publish sensational and controversial material simply to offend people and to provoke a reaction all in the name of a good laugh, not to try and solve any social or political world issues.

So, did those 12 civilians, particularly the journalists, deserve to be killed?

Absolutely not. This attack was an utter disgrace, and should be condemned by anyone who possesses an ounce of human decency, including Muslims.

Finally, in the wake of this horrible attack, one of the phrases that was used to honor the victims was “Je suis Charlie,” which means “I am Charlie” in French.

While I certainly wish that the victims of this shooting may rest in peace, I still do not approve of their work. I will defend their right to say and publish what they did, and I will vehemently condemn the ruthless killings, but I will not honor the magazine’s actions. I am not Charlie.

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

New year, new approach to racism

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n light of the recent uproar over police treatment of African Americans, an important question has come up: How do we fix America’s race problem? Despite the massive strides people of color have made in society, racism in this country is far from over.

This issue goes far beyond police brutality, however. There are a plethora of ways in which people of color are experiencing life as second-class citizens in this country. Housing and income inequality are hindering advancement.

Mainstream media perpetuates stereotypes of non-whites, which then plants the seed for relentless mocking and prejudice. Criticism about the way minorities are living in this day and age is falling upon deaf ears. The clearest and most disheartening example of this ignorance is seen in a survey done by

White people are more likely to believe discrimination against whites is a bigger problem than that against blacks.

made since the Jim Crow era. But racial progress does not end with the election of a black president, especially when President Obama’s election had essentially no trickle-down effect. Many minorities still have limited access to the education and resources that would allow them to ascend to positions of prominence as President Obama did because of institutional racism that blocks social mobility. Though inspirational, Obama’s accomplishment was an anomaly and cannot be seen as the end-all-be-all of racism in America.

It’s important that we dispel this idea that we’re living in a “post-racial society.”

Differences must be acknowledged and criticisms must be heard. The unwillingness of many white people to recognize the great power imbalances that keep people of color at the bottom of the pile is helping to prevent full equality.

Even if it means simply refraining from referring to minorities with derogatory language, white people need to take the initiative to use their inherent privilege to dismantle this country’s systemic mistreatment of non-whites.

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

The desecration of principles: flag burning

by Daniel Jarris - Staff Writer

S

ince the Vietnam War, Americans have burned the flag as a form of dissent and as a way to express their disapproval of the state of this country. In response to the failure to hold police officers accountable for incidents of police brutality in the past months, protesters have taken to the streets and burned the flag. This is a powerful, effective expression of one’s First Amendment right that must be protected.

Many have strongly opposed flag burning, claiming that the flag is a sacred symbol of this country and burning it is sacrilege. However, it is not the piece of cloth that is sacred, rather it is the values that the flag stands for that are sacred. It is the right to speak out against authority without being persecuted. It is the right to burn the flag. If America fails to live up to the standards it has set, then the people of this country have every right to express their disapproval by burning the flag. It shows that the values that the flag stands

Battleground USA

for are being violated, that we expect more from this country.

This act is not disrespectful to the people who have served their country; it is a statement that says that our troops didn’t risk their lives for this country only to have its core principles destroyed.

As opposed to vandalizing cop cars, public buildings, looting stores or other crimes with victims, there is no victim in the symbolic burning of the flag. There is no shop owner A protester burns an American flag on the street in front of city whose business is temporarily hall in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania stifled. The taxpayers do not ban it, including an attempt by the U.S. have to pay for the damages Senate in 2006, which failed to pass by done, as there are none.

One does not need to approve of only a single vote.

Any attempt by the government to desecrating the flag in order to believe that preserving the right to do so is absolutely silence the people is a step in the wrong necessary. Some people may find it direction. It is a step towards censoring shocking to see the flag destroyed, but speech solely because it is disrespectful. the sight of this scene is far less appalling It is a step towards an oppressive society than the possibility of limiting the without the right to dissent. There is a American people’s right to free speech. choice to be made between permitting Although flag desecration is protected by the desecration of the Constitution or the the Supreme Court decisions of Texas v. desecration of the flag.

Johnson and United States v. Eichman, Congress has repeatedly introduced Battleground USA is a regular Bear Facts constitutional amendments attempting to column focusing on national issues.

photo by Perez/Tribune News Service

by Kinaya Hassane - Staff Writer

Michael Norton of Harvard University in 2011, which showed that two-thirds of African Americans believe that their race generally makes less money in comparison to whites, an established fact.

But only 37 percent of whites believe the same thing.

This complete denial of America’s reality has gone so far that Norton’s study found that white people are more likely to believe that discrimination against whites is a bigger problem than that against blacks.

Of course, much progress has been

Beyond Good and Evil

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 21

Corporate personhood corrupts politics

by Alex Nesterovich - Staff Writer

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s presidential campaigns get underway, it seems that, more large corporations decide the fate of America’s biggest elections now more than ever. Several landmark Supreme Court decisions have led to a political climate giving corporations enormous influence.

In Buckley v. Valeo (1976), the Supreme Court ruled that monetary donations to political candidates counted as “speech,” protected by the First Amendment. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court decided that political donations by corporations could not be restricted because this would restrict their speech, set as precedent in Buckley v. Valeo.

In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores (2014), the Supreme Court ruled that corporations, as a whole, can possess deeply-held religious beliefs in the

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

photo illustration by Jesse Sands

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same way an individual can, essentially declaring corporations to be people with respect to religious exercise.

This trio of decisions has helped dissolve the integrity of the U.S. political system. Corporations have the right to free speech (large monetary donations) and can’t be limited in that speech. The term is called corporate personhood: the idea that corporations have the same legal rights as people. If corporations are people, then why aren’t they extended the full rights of citizens?

If corporations are people, what stops them from exercising a political opinion?

Using precedent from Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, one could reasonably

If corporations are people, then why aren’t they extended the full right of citizens?

Dear Editors, I’m not writing about any certain article, I’m writing about something I’ve noticed. A lot of the time, your polls aren’t accurate. The people taking the polls mostly ask the questions to their own friends. Polling your friends isn’t an accurate sample of the Lake Braddock students. If you want to [have] somewhat accurate polls, ask random people to get different views and responses.

Katie Plescow Senior *Editor’s note: Surveys of the student population by the staff of The Bear Facts are done by either asking a random sampling of people in the hall or polling entire classes. We try very hard not to be biased and poll only one group of people.

Dear Editor, I would like to say that [Ashley Lustig’s] article, “LGBT issues remain,” is such a typical pro-gay agenda topic.

It talks about the experiences of a single gay [person] and doesn’t reach out to anyone else. I like that you’ve included one person who has a reasonable view about not everyone being quite accepting. But other than that, the rest of the article focuses on one person’s experience, which cannot represent others who are of the same sexual preference. Bullying happens in all forms and ways. You can’t just pinpoint one person and claim that her issue is one that still remains today.

Try to have more contrasting opinions on a topic like this, and you won’t have people like me complaining. It is just simply too one-sided.

Yeram Yoon Senior

Battleground USA

argue that corporations should be allowed to exercise a political opinion and ask prospective employees whom they voted for in 2012. You can’t do that.

What about equal protection of the laws as specified in the 14th Amendment?

Well, what about equal protection of the law for the female employees who worked for Hobby Lobby stores and were denied certain types of contraception mandated under the Affordable Care Act (2010)? The government does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment in requiring a corporation to provide contraception because a forprofit corporation’s purpose is to produce a profit, not to further a religious idea.

Corporate personhood, by its very nature, can only be applied selectively.

Corporations can only be awarded some rights. The Buckley, Citizens United and Burwell decisions have corrupted the political process by stating that corporations have many of the same rights as people. Unlimited free speech in the form of money from corporations limits free speech of the people because the voices of the people are easily drowned out, as it’s much more convenient to receive a check than to listen to a citizen in need.

Dear Editor, I read [Jake Gold’s] article titled “Going solo: Obama keeps reform moving.” The article had good quotes, but [it] seemed one-sided to me. [It] says that his order is justified, but the executive order is a slap in the face of many legal immigrants, the people that waited in a line for hours, even days, to enter the U.S. as a citizen.

They jumped through all the hoops to become citizens, and now the people that don’t come over legally are [getting] a free pass that other legal immigrants didn’t get. People have to work for the American dream. Our government is making the American dream available on tax payers’ money.

Jessica Bolin 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 as needed basis on page 2 of the paper. Advertising inquiries can be referred to bfacts@gmail.com. The Bear Facts is located in room L202 and can be reached by calling (703) 426-1087.

Responses may also be emailed to bfacts@gmail.com

Editorial Policy

The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

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unior Liam Kelly exerts a look that can best be described as punk.

“I dress like a punk,” Kelly said.

“I wear a pair of Vans sneakers, jeans, various T-shirts and a darkcolored sweatshirt.”

Kelly said the most important part of his outfit is the T-shirt.

“I like to mix it up between band T-shirts, pocket tees and other T-shirts. The rest of what I wear is pretty generic, but the shirt always switches up,” Kelly said.

With a variety of shirts, one would think Kelly has a favorite one, but that’s not the case for him.

“I don’t really have a favorite shirt,” Kelly said. “There’s something about all of them that I like. They each have their own personal touch.”

Everyone has a reason for the way they dress, and for Kelly, it is music.

“I think the music I listen to inspires the way I dress the most because a majority of the T-shirts I own are band T-shirts,” Kelly said.

“The rest of my style is modeled around that.”

***

24 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

Style

Marcell Subert Shaw and Logan Circle pg. 26

Liam Kelly

A Tour of this Town

Shaw and Logan Circle W

A Tour of this Town is a semi-regular column that appears in the Bear Fact’s style section. News editor Marcell Subert, our writer, travels to different regions of the District and reporting the do’s and don’t’s of each region. The goal of this column is to expose students to the fantastic destinations the District offers in hopes that students will explore them.

Logan Circle Shaw

hen the sun sets over the District of Columbia, workers descend down to the street from their high-rise offices and make their way up 14th Street to the epicenter of nightlife in the city: Shaw. Sprawling outwards from the intersection of 14th and U, this upscale neighborhood containing an ocean of restaurants, bars, clubs and exclusive venues forms a scene unlike any other in Washington. As opposed to Georgetown, Shaw (also known as U Street Corridor) is not a weekend-only nightlife area.

Instead, Shaw offers something for every day of the week.

By day, the coffee shops and espresso bars along 14th, such as Dolcezza and Peregrine Espresso, reign over other establishments with a heavy influx of caffeine connoisseurs.

Residents in this area are generally young couples or professionals who dwell in the high-end condos and apartments nearby. The listing price for these abodes averages out to approximately $660,000, according to Trulia. Décor for these well-to-do living arrangements are made possible by the many establishments in the neighborhood that specialize in contemporary home furnishings such as Room & Board and Urban Essentials.

When nightfall finally comes around, the area swells as all of the eclectic eateries in Shaw open their doors for the dinner crowd. All types of nourishment can be found here ranging from Southeast Asian tapas at Doi Moi to traditional Italian food at Lupo Verde and southern comfort food at Eatonville.

One doesn’t necessarily have to empty out their pockets for a meal in this crossroads; more affordable places like do-ityourself falafel joint, Amsterdam Falafel, and jumbo slice pizzerias dot 14th street.

Entertainment is also not hard to find in this diverse cultural center. The independent music venue Black Cat has been serving the District since 1993 with a broad range of music and entertainment. One can also have a chance to laugh and cry at a showing at the Studio Theatre a little ways down 14th Street in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

A quick turn down U Street at the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs, and the nighttime adventure continues.

Home to many iconic landmarks such as Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Lincoln Theater, U Street delves deep into the culture of the city and its past. Jazz music legend Duke Ellington grew up in this area, and for many years U Street was a hub of African-American culture, much of which remains to this day.

The avant-garde neighborhood of Shaw is a recurrent cultural nerve center of our nation’s capital that is sure to entertain people from all walks of life.

The Bottom Line Peregrine Espresso: Serves gourmet Counter Culture Coffee and delectable pastries, 1718 14th St NW Washington DC 20009 Doi Moi: Modern southeast Asian tapas restaurant, 1800 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 The Original Ben’s Chili Bowl: Famous DC landmark since 1958, 1213 U Street NW Washington, DC 20009

Top: Standing at the intersection of 14th and U streets. Middle: Southeast Asian tapas restaurant Doi Moi from the corner of 14th and T. Bottom: Cars line 14th Street.

photos by Sandor Subert

by Marcell Subert News Editor

Washington, DC

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 25

#closeFCPS

To protest the non-snow day, students unite on Twitter

by Katie Vinson - Web Editor

O

photo illustration by Hannah Lim

n Tuesday, Jan. 6, what started as a light snow storm turned to chaos. With 3 to 4 inches of snow piling onto the ground, students stood alone at bus stops and waited for rides that didn’t come. A bus toppled sideways, sending students to the hospital. Classrooms only had a handful of kids when the bell rang. It was in this state of chaos that a movement for the record books was born: #closeFCPS. In order to voice their displeasure with the FCPS leaders, namely school board member Ryan McElveen and superintendent Karen Garza, for not cancelling school, students, parents and teachers took to Twitter with the hashtag.

26 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

“#closeFCPS was a trend waiting to happen,” junior Chris Clarke said.

“Beginning with the Ryan McElveen phenomenon of the winter of 20132014, FCPS students have been building a substantial Twitter presence.”

The hashtag climbed to the top of Twitter’s national trends and into the worldwide trends, until it achieved No. 1 on both and landed a spot on Buzzfeed.

“Nationally trending never even crossed my mind,” Clarke said. “Then No. 1 internationally? That was crazy. I mean, we’re just a bunch of kids that wanted to get a snow day; [it] makes you wonder what you can do with a large group of people united behind a cause.”

People from other counties, states and even other countries, including England, Australia and Germany, voiced

their support.

“Sending love and support from Scotland #closeFCPS,” Dougie Harrower, a resident of Scotland, tweeted.

The day was not all fun and games on Twitter, however. Students, parents and teachers were furious with school officials after struggling with a dangerous commute. They shared pictures of car crashes, turned over buses and stories of having to walk from their homes and abandoned cars.

At the end of the day, FCPS officials heard student pleas and responded.

“We apologize for the difficulties the weather caused this morning,” FCPS said in a statement released online. “The decision was made with the best information we had very early this morning. Needless to say, the conditions were far worse than anticipated.”

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Connor O’Neill LB Hockey pg. 30

Sports

Katie Karlinchak Mike Clark pg. 31

Kate Murphy runs in a race on Jan. 15 at Liberty University. Murphy has been climbing the national indoor track rankings for the past several weeks.

by Katie Karlinchak - Staff Writer

S

ophomore Kate Murphy has recently shot up in the ranks in cross country and track, setting new records and obtaining the status of being the 53rd fastest cross country runner in the nation.

Murphy started her running career last year for LB, participating in cross country and then in indoor and outdoor track. She has made a name for herself after attending meets in Oregon, Florida and Kentucky, this year, placing high in all of them.

“I love being able to run with my team,” Murphy said. “Having other people to push you is really helpful and running overall just makes me happier.”

Murphy’s inspiration for running is graduate Hannah Christen, who was her senior [buddy] when she was a freshman and helped her learn a lot about running.

She inspired Murphy to push her self and become ranked fifth in the region and state and 53rd in the country. While over half of

the teams across the country do not have an indoor track team during the winter, Murphy says that the competition is still tough.

“I just try to block out the competition as much as possible because it just causes more thinking that I don’t need to be doing,” Murphy said. “I just have to be focused on what I’m doing and not what they’re doing.”

Murphy ran a 10:40 in her 3200 meter race (two miles) on Dec.13 and has a mile time of 5:01 for indoor track. At states for cross country, Murphy ran the 5k in 17:53, placing second. She also attended the Nike Nationals in Oregon for cross country, getting the opportunity to meet and run against some of the fastest individuals from around the country.

“After my race at cross country nationals, I think that’s when I realized I can hopefully go far,” Murphy said. “I thought that I would be really far back in the race, but getting 24th really opened my eyes that I could race against top girls in

the U.S.” For the Nike Nationals, Murphy said that the road getting there was bittersweet when both she and senior Alex Corbett got the opportunity to head to nationals but were disappointed when their whole team couldn’t go. As far as competition goes, Murphy has a lot of competition ahead of her in the country but has only five places before she takes over the top title in Virginia.

“I try not to think about [being one of the fastest sophomores] because I know there is so much competition that’s better than me,” Murphy said.

Murphy said that she loves being able to run with her team and that her motivation is not only self improvement but also to help her team. As far as junior and senior year, Murphy hopes to keep running and setting new personal records.

“I don’t have a specific goal by senior year; I just hope to improve each year,” Murphy said. “I just focus on specific goals one season at a time.”

3 February 2015

The Bear Facts

photo courtesy of Gregg Zelkin

Murphy races her way into the record books

29

Hockey puts opponents on ice

by Connor O’Neill - Staff Writer

H

ockey: one of the loudest, roughest and fastest-paced sports to have been played in the United States. Countless fans yell and shake the stands during games as they cheer on their favorite teams. But, if this sport is so loud and makes its appearance so apparent, then why is so little information about our ice hockey team known?

“Our hockey team is a club sport and not a FCPS-funded scholastic sport,” sophomore Mark Anwyll said. “The

Senior Alex Strunk celebrates after a goal was scored against Yorktown on Jan. 9.

scholastic sports will always have more team coverage.”

The team is led by freshman Bryson McDaniels, who currently has five assists as well as two goals. Two other important players are sophomore Michael Sevachko and senior Zach Erdman. Sevachko has scored four goals over the season so far as well as two assists. Erdman is not far behind with three goals of his own along with two assists.

“Our team has the potential to be one of the best high school teams in Northern Virginia,” Anwyll said. “Sadly, since it is a club sport, attendance is not mandatory, and we miss some of our best players. Also, we don’t have a lot of ice time, so we don’t get to practice often. If we could practice as a team more, we could learn our strengths and weaknesses better.”

So far, the team has had three home games at Prince William Ice Center; all of which resulted in wins for the Bruins.

They have also had three away games with less success, for a record of two losses and one tie. The first of the home games was against Chantilly. The Bruins were able to come away with the win with a final

Freshman Bryson McDaniels takes a shot during a game against Yorktown on Jan. 9.

score of 9-0, starting off the season strong.

Another win for LB came when they faced off against Yorktown. That game, freshman Jacob Lechner and McDaniel contributed a goal apiece as well as two assists. In the third win, the Bruins almost lost their grip against Woodbridge, but were able to pull through and hang on for the narrow win of 3-2. The team does not have a post season, so the season ends in February.

“We seem to just know where the other is on the ice at all times,” Anwyll said, “and we use that to our advantage. I believe we all seem to click and it creates great team chemistry.”

Corbett continues dominance in indoor track

by Tom Anderson - Staff Writer

I

photos courtesy of Gregg Zelkin

n the sports world, most teams have a star player, someone who excels and sets a great example for the rest of the squad. For the cross country team, senior Alex Corbett, who broke records and won titles on his way to earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Virginia, fit perfectly into the role.

Corbett started running cross country his freshman year. Now-retired gym teacher Jay Coakley saw Corbett’s potential when Corbett was in seventh grade running the mile for fitness tests.

“After doing the mile for a fitness test [in seventh grade], [Coakley] saw a lot of potential,” Corbett said. “[Coakley] said ‘Hey, you should join track club.’ At first, [I was skeptical], but then he talked me in to it, and I joined the track club in eighth grade. I then went straight into cross country in high school and really enjoyed it.”

As soon as Corbett started running high school cross country, he had an immediate impact, running for the varsity squad in his first year on the team. During his sophomore year, Corbett made the squad for the state meet, which is made up of the top seven runners on the team. Corbett finished 22nd in that race, and it was during this race that Corbett started to recognize his own potential. “[When] I got 22nd at the state meet,

30 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015

[it] was great,” Corbett said. “I don’t think I was even ranked there, so I just knew that was the beginning of getting a lot better.”

Since that state meet, Corbett has been tearing up the competition in cross country.

He broke the school record at the Burke Lake three-mile, and won the individual state title this year after finishing in second the year before. While Corbett achieved individual glory, he also was able to win the state title with his teammates, giving LB its first boys’ state title since 1987. “[Winning the state meet was] a dreamlike scenario; it was a really good day,” Corbett said. “After crossing the finish line

Corbett runs in a meet at Christopher Newport University on Dec. 12 and 13.

in first, probably the coolest feeling was turning around and seeing my teammate [senior] Kevin Monogue coming in second.

Our coach was ecstatic, so it was a really good feeling.”

With a polished resume, college coaches were clamoring for Corbett to come run cross country for their university. After receiving multiple offers from prestigious universities, Corbett decided to attend the University of Virginia.

“Kentucky, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Lehigh and William and Mary [were all interested],” Corbett said. “[but] I decided to go to Virginia. I liked the fact that it was close to home, but kinda different from Northern Virginia. They have a really good team, so I was pretty pumped to be on a team like theirs and for them to be interested in me.”

With his high school cross country career over, Corbett is looking forward to competing in indoor and outdoor track.

As of Jan. 27, he was within one second of setting the state indoor two-mile record.

Corbett is also looking forward to running at Virginia, which he believes will give him the push he needs to become the best runner he can be.

“After high school, [I want to do] the best I can in college,” Corbett said. “I think running with people that are better than you makes you better, so the fact that I’m going to a team like Virginia who are really good gives me a good feeling about the future.”

1 question, 4 quarters How do you motivate your team?

Brian Metress

John Giannelli

Girls’ Basketball “It all starts the night before when we scout the team we’re about to play. Right before the game I’ll let them know we’ve had a good few days of practice and our goals for the game.”

Bob Digby

Track & Field “When we get down to championship season, my emphasis is always on the team; that they’re competing for the guy next to them. I like to get them mad [at their seeding]. ”

Scott Darwin

Swim & Dive “If you ask my team, I give an amazing inspirational speech.

But most of my kids are self motivated so I don’t have to do a whole lot. I just give a short pre-meet speech.”

Activities director Mike Clark will be taking the next steps forward.

Clark takes over as activities director

by Katie Karlinchak - Staff Writer

A

fter Mark Martino retired on Dec. 29, Mike Clark took over his position as the director of student activities. He was previously the assistant director of student activities.

When Martino announced that he was going to retire at the beginning of November, many were wondering who would take over his job. Many expected that one of his assistants would take over. But the question was: Which one? Mike Clark or Bill Hughes? As the assistant, Clark had only a 10-month contract and was in charge of updating the web pages, transportation and working for the director. Now Clark will be working year-round and will be an evaluator for the teachers in the physical education department. He will sit in budget meetings and will have to sign off on athletics information as a part of his job.

“I am excited to watch the student athletes compete in contests and watching kids perform,” Clark said.

“It’s not just about the sports and the athletes it is about everything: debate, one-act play, theater, all activities.”

Although he is not an LB graduate, Clark has been at LB since 1990, teaching business and math before becoming the assistant activities director and then receiving a promotion this year to become the head activities director. Clark’s presence at LB has not only been limited to athletics. He was also the class sponsor of 1999, 2001 and 2003.

“I got to plan their proms and all their fun senior class events,” Clark said.

As Clark continues his first year being the director, he hopes to make it a smooth transition for each coach by creating individual budgets. At the moment, there is one budget for all the sports teams to share, which makes it hard to figure out how much money they really have to work with.

“Its a little too early to tell, but I hope to make budgets for every sport so that each coach knows if they do too much fundraising or not enough,” Clark said.

photos by of Gregg Zelkin (Left) & Amanda Hendrix

Boys’ Basketball “We motivate them by the fact that right now it’s a three-team race for the conference title between Lake Braddock, TC Williams and Woodson, and you gotta beat them.”

3 February 2015 The Bear Facts 31

Jumping with Jordan for 11 years, and I first started when my mom put me in a class. After being in the class, I really enjoyed it, and my mom put me on a competitive team.

I always get adrenaline when I compete vault because it’s so fast, and it’s so much pressure to make something perfect in 10 seconds.

What is your favorite event How long have you been in gymnastics, and what is doing gymnastics and what your favorite thing about that event? inspired you to start?

I’ve been doing gymnastics My favorite event is vault.

Who is your biggest role model in gymnastics?

When I was younger, my biggest role model was the older girls in higher levels.

What is your favorite part about being on the gymnastics team at LB? My favorite part about the team is meeting new people and being on a team and getting to do what I love. photo courtesy of Gregg Zelkin

Athlete of the Issue: Junior Jordan Tautges

32 The Bear Facts 3 February 2015