Oakton Outlook 2013-2014 Issue 2

T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S PA P E R O F O A K T O N H I G H S C H O O L

VOL.7 | ISSUE 2 | OCT. 2013

Beyond Belief

INSIDE

Viewpoint

The media should be covering more accurate and important information in the news.

Showtime

The fall season is upon us, so here are some unique fall recipes to try out at home.

snailmail from the editors

H

appy October, Oakton! First quarter is well underway with lots of activities and events happening around the school. We had a visitor from Senegal, Mr. Jobe, who spoke with students about the summer reading assignment “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (page 7). Who doesn’t love listening to inspirational speakers?

The recent trend these days isn’t clothing fads and cars so much as getting inked up. We had several students show and tell their stories behind their tattoos (page 8). What do these tats look like, and what do they mean?

But opposite of what is perhaps the most popular thing to do, what sports are more uncommon? We have decided to take a look at non-traditional sports (page 15) and how these more unknown sports hold such big places in athletes’ hearts.

It’s that time of year where girls lace up those cleats and boys shimmy into those cheerleading uniforms for a good game of Powderpuff football. We take you behind the scenes of the practices and the make up of both the Junior and Senior teams (page 16).

Getting down to the nitty gritty, which rumors and myths in and around Oakton are fact, and which are fiction? Play a game of myth busters (page 22) to see what crazy rumors have been proved or disproved.

Oh, and have a great Halloween, cougars!

regards, Carly Stonehouse Alana Peters

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outlook staff

adviser

Elizabeth Fortenberry

editors in chief carly stonehouse alana peters

newsworthy editor alex driscoll showtime editor anee nguyen touchdown editor

torri marquis

viewpoint editors alex xenos spotlight editor jennifer prosser indepth editor reina datta online editor laura murphy business manager katie xenos copy editor erin preaskorn photo editor sunni bean

staff writers veda bhatia

jacque groskaufmanis

maggie campbell

christiana meyers

jenna colturi

sam rutzick

morgan cooper

sonaj senior

courtney do

Editorial Policy: The Outlook is an open forum for student expression.

Unsigned editorials reflect the collective opinion of the Outlook staff.

Signed editorials represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Outlook or Oakton High School. Reader opinions are important to the Outlook and contributions are welcome. Make your voice heard by sending us a line about what’s on your mind. Letters to the editor may be sent via email to marilyn.yang@oaktonoutlook. com or dropped off in Mrs. Luna’s box in the main office or in room 135. The Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and content provided the meaning remains unchanged. cover photo by sunni bean student body: 2138 circulation: 1300

sunni bean

compliments of cornelia han

newsworthy

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A student from Oakton was awarded the 2013 National Student Poet award

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spotlight

www.writingandart.org

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The Outlook takes a look at Oakton’s beloved janitor, “Tupac,” the eyes and ears of the cafeteria.

touchdown

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Time for the junior and senior ladies to gear up for the annual Powderpuff game on Wednesday, October 30th.

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indepth alana peters

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Fact vs. Fiction: Which rumors heard in the halls of Oakton are true, and which are simply tall tales?

showtime

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16 VOL.7 | ISSUE 2 | OCT. 2013

carly stonehouse

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“Best of both worlds” takes on a whole new meaning when comparing the young Miley Cyrus’ 2007 pop hits to her most recent sound in “Bangerz” OCTOBER 2013

| Contents| 3

Memorable Moments See what fellow students have to say about everything happening this month in Oakton

“I’m so in debt I could start a government.”

- Michael Boyle | 11

“I saw a traveling disco.”

”In college I’m going to dress up as a kangaroo and wear moon shoes.” “I had a quesorido. Do not recomend.”

-Emma Savino | 11

- Jackie Toye | 11 “Does a

ghost cow say moo or boo?”

- Eric Lim | 12

Don’t drink orange juice after brushing your teeth. Just don’t.

- Michael Williams | 10

- Jazmyne Williams | 10 “Life is a glitch.”

- Jacob Davis | 10

“What if soy milk is just regular milk introducing itself in Spanish.”

- Michael Williams | 10

“Leggings are “Geometry not pants.” isfun.”just plane - Jallene Fuhrman | 12

- Austin Allison | 9

“This girl asked if Latin is called a dead language because it is used to talk to the dead.”

- Natalie Park | 11 4 | recurring | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3

“If you can’t read, you can’t lead.”

- Will Macomber | 9

newsworthy|

A quick overview of the past month and a brief look at upcoming school events. Be sure to check oaktonoutlook. com for more newsworthy stories.

multipurpose memorial The center: moved and improved The The new display at the field helps remember student David Sharrett The Center has made some changes this year to help Oakton students excel in their classes

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Oakton students have had a seemingly easier time in their classes because of the Center being around to tutor them.

This year, the Center has made some changes to make it open for all students. Robin Dixon, a senior, is one of the managers for the Center. “[The Center] promotes learning and thinking throughout the whole school by opening it to all subjects.” Dixon said, explaining one of the changes within the Center.

The center has recently moved to the back of the library and the reason for these changes is because there wasn’t one distinguished place to get tutored in all subjects at Oakton before. The Center now allows tutoring to students during all Cougar Times, during A and B lunch on Monday and Tuesday, and C and D lunch on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as being open on collaboration Wednesdays. It is closed on Fridays during all lunches, except two weeks before the quarter ends for students who need help before grades are due.

To be a tutor for the Center there is an application process.

Tutors who want to help students in Math or Science have to be in Math or Science honor societies. These students have demonstrated their knowledge in these subjects by joining the societies and will now have the opportunity to help other students.

The Center is a reliable place for students to show progress in classes.

“If the student shows willingness to learn, they will show an improvement in the class, but if they are only there for the grade, then the student will still struggle in the subject” Dixon said.

If the library exceeds the limit of people during Cougar Times, there will be someone standing outside giving the extra people passes to get priority for the next Cougar Time. Reach out to the Center if you are struggling in any subject, from math to English, and there will be a tutor who is happy to help.

who passed away and pays for the new fields

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Coming up to football games, attendees often see the new wall as a memorial, and just an added illustration to the renovation done to the fields this past year. However, the memorial isn’t new but rather an updated dedicatory honoring David Sharrett II, an Oakton graduate who died fighting in Iraq.

“Dave was a player for us in 1998 and graduated in 1999, and in 2008 when he was in Iraq, he was shot and killed,” said Jason Rowley, coach and teacher, “So we as a football program retired his jersey and we established the David Sharrett memorial fund, which is a fund we give to a graduate from Oakton in college to help fund their college expenses.”

However, instead of acting as an extension to the memorial, the added measures were put in place to create a way to stimulate help to finance the school’s funding for the turf fields and practice area.

Since the cost of the new fields was beyond the Oakton budget, they had to find other ways to compensate and finance the piece.

“The upgrade with the memorial is actually a few things rolled into one,” Rowley said. “One of them is just an upgrade of the facility by putting up something that is a nice entrance piece as you come into the area, and some of it is there’s going to be plaques on the memorial for the donors who contributed to the field renovation project. Then there’s the Dave Sharrett memorial, they just re-centered it and built the rest of the memorial around that piece.”

It was a yearlong process with Coach Barheight and Dr. Banbury also putting in a lot of time and effort through the year to make the improvement to our fields that bettered the establishment as a whole.

“I think it’s just great for the school, I’m an Oakton guy, I graduated from it, and it’s really great to see the improvements that we’re finally making around here,” Rowley said. “It’s nice to finally have the facility to match the level of competition that we play at.”

veda bhatia

alex driscoll

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OCTOBER 2013

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Poetry in Motion|

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line Dolinh, a sophomore here at Oakton was recently named one of the 2013 National Student Poets, an award sponsored by the Alliance for Young Writers, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and the President’s Committee one the Arts and Humanities. She, along with four others from around the nation, won this prestigious award.

“As long as I could read I have liked to write,” Dolinh said.

She always has been writing from an early age. The first tale she wrote was in first grade, about a group of talking cats who solved mysteries. However, she soon switched from just plain stories to poetry.

“In poetry you have to choose your words more carefully then when you are just writing prose, and theirs a level of ambiguity in, where sometimes you come away from poetry

How to love a timetraveler

I. Don’t.

Or, at least, try as hard as you can not to – whatever you do, don’t go with that boy who has hands awash in stardust, who grabs you by the wrist and promises to fly you away.

You know how stories like this always end.

II. Here are three facts about the twenty-third century: One. In Tokyo, the sky is lavender during daylight.

Two. Hovercars do not help with motion sickness.

Three. Boys, rather frustratingly, have not become any less indecipherable.

III. Light takes its time in reaching us, so all photographs in the world are a few moments too late – deep space is only delayed images, a film reel that is always a frame behind.

He took me to see a supernova, one that bloomed bright red and swallowed the sky like it was kindling. I knew it was already dead,

even as I watched it glow.

IV. The Sun is ninety-three million miles away from us, which means its light takes eight minutes to get to Earth. There are a million disasters that can happen in eight minutes.

Maybe the Sun has exploded, but we just haven’t realized yet.

V. The saddest part of the story isn’t even the fact that I’ll die someday – that part is predictable.

No, it’s the fact that he is drifting farther away from me, even as I can feel his hands laced through mine.

VI. Maybe he’s gone already and I’m the one who hasn’t realized yet. I won’t get a chance to say goodbye.

The greatest tragedy in the universe must be loving someone while knowing that neither of you can stay

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Alinh Dolinh, sophomore, takes her poetry to the White House

not really knowing the meaning of something. I like the unknownness [sic]of it,” Dolinh said.

In her poetry Dolinh takes everyday issues, such as heartbreak, love, identity, and looks, and blends it with science fiction and fantasy elements.

“A lot of my poetry comes from situations that I personally can empathize with,” Dolinh said. “It’s very much about creativity, and it’s about the idea of blending commentary with more fantastical things.”

Winners of the award are chosen from the national medalists of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. A group of educators, writers, poets, and other literary luminaries then select five winners, one each for the Midwest, Northeast, West, Southwest and Southeast regions.

As part of the award ceremony, Dolinh and the other four winners went to the White House, and got to meet the First Lady, Michelle Obama. They went to the White House on a Friday, but were not told that they were going to do so until the night before, so, understandably, she was a little nervous.

“We went to the White House, and waited for a little bit, and Michelle Obama came in. She is gorgeous, and really tall, she stands almost a head above me,” Dolinh said. “We didn’t think she would talk to us, just pose for pictures, but she was actually really gracious, she had read all our poetry and talked personally to each of us, she asked me about my perspective of the writers. She really cared, I think, about the [National Student Poets] program.”

courtesy of lawrence jackson “We went to the White House, and waited for a little bit, and Michelle Obama came in” Dolinh said.

The 2013 National Student Poets (from left to right: Micheala Coplen, Sojourner Ahebee, Nathan Cummings, Louis Lafair, and Aline Dolinh) with Michelle Obama.

sam rutzick staff writer

Bringing Africa to Oakton

Visiting teacher Moulaye Jobe sheds light on education in Senegal

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his year summer reading was given a new edge when Moulaye Jobe came to Oakton to share his own perspective on the book. Unlike the book’s setting in Malawi, Jobe lived in Senegal, on Africa’s west coast, but shared an equally bumpy road to education. Jobe received a bachelors and a masters degree in English from the school of human arts and sciences, Cheikh Anta Diop University, in Dakar, Senegal’s capital.

Just like in the U.S., in Senegal the law states that children need to attend school until the age of sixteen, but it’s not enforced. According to studies conducted by the Ministry of Labor only 40% of students between ages 5-14 are going to school. Students that do attend school spend six years in elementary school, but must take a competitive exam in order to get into middle school. After four years of middle school another exam is taken, the Brevet, and it is needed to pass in order to access a high school education.

In high school, students are put into different streams of classes based on their abilities. Stream L leans towards language and literature, while stream B is for economics. Stream 1 is for mathematics, and Stream 2 is for biology, and physics. After three years students take the baccalaureate exam. Depending on what stream students were placed into will determine their classes in college.

Many children never finish their education as they have to drop out due to reasons such as poverty, parental neglect and bad administrative attitude. Since many students come from poverty stricken homes they drop out to become apprentices and will work for no wages until they have attained the skills to make a living. Popular professions include becoming carpenters or mechanics. According to the National Agency of Statistics and Demographics 33% of children from age 10-14 have already dropped out of school and begun their professional lives.

Even though many schools in Senegal now have computer rooms, the country as a whole didn’t receive full internet connectivity until 1996. As for the curriculum, schools don’t offer

courtesy of moulaye jobe

courtesy of inge pisano

Jobe with his wife, daughter and french teachers Emily FugateBrunino and Inge Pisano at his home in Senegal. “ I had the oppurtunity to spend a year teaching french at Oakton, whille Madame Pisano spent a year in Senegal” Jobe said.

any electives outside of core classes and all lessons are taught in French. Schools in Senegal are not equipped to hold the amount of students that attend and can be filled with as many as 50 or 60 students in them at a time. The classrooms and labs also do not have enough supplies for the students and many of them do not come from wealthy families with the ability to buy their own.

“For me, teaching in such an environment is very challenging, but at the same time I see it as a mission. Such kids clearly need help to have a better life” said Jobe.

There are both public and private universities available in Senegal. Some students choose to study abroad, mostly in France, and are either supported by their parents or receive a government scholarship. There are very few of students, though. Most of the students end up studying humanities, but Senegal needs more students studying in sciences, technology and economic and social development. Even when students do end up studying science, they tend to leave Senegal to find better opportunities instead of staying and trying to help build up their country.

After receiving his Certificate for High School Training from the National Teacher Training College in Dakar, Senegal, Jobe became a French language assistant at Epping Forest College in Loughton, Essex, UK. From 2008-2009 he was appointed as a Fulbright Exchange teacher for French at Oakton High School. Jobe currently teaches English as a foreign language in Senegal.

“I think we value things better when we realize they are not easily accessible. What students in the US take for granted, even school things, can be hard to get elsewhere” Jobe said.

alex driscoll newsworthy editor

Students from Jobe’s school receive books donated by the US based organization called Books for Africa.

“The books were sent to us thanks to the help of former OHS student Amanda Wright” Jobe said.

OCTOBER 2013

| newsworthy| 7

spotlight|

For a collection of students, the permanent markings of Tattoos are not only to satisfy their artistic needs, but to express their stories through the skin. carly stonehouse

Stories through Skin the

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editor in chief

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percent of percent girls of boys polled said polled that they would get said that they a tattoo if the would not get a opportunity arose. tattoo if the opportunity arose. pecent of girls polled What made you want to get your tattoo? percent kelsey mcwilliams, 11 said that they of boys I’ve always wanted a tattoo but I had no would not get a polled idea what I wanted. I think it is a really tattoo if the said that they cool way to express yourself. opportunity arose. would get a Does it have a specific meaning for you? percent of tattoo if the My tattoo is for my great grandmother who opportunity arose. girls died in 2011 from lung cancer. We were really polled said percent close and she was a huge role model for me. that they would get of boys a tattoo on either Do you regret getting it? polled their arm or leg courtesy of kelsey mcwilliams said that they No, I don’t regret doing it. It is a great way to percent would get a tattoo permanently honor someone who I was really close with. of girls on either their arm polled or leg Ricky Cho, 12 What made you want to get your tattoo? said that they would get a tattoo percent Tattoos have always appealed to me. of some kind of of boys It’s kind of like art on the body. I have so symbol polled much skin, might as well have it drawn on. said that they percent of Does it have a specific meaning for you? would get a tattoo girls polled of some kind of My tattoo is actually just two names, my said that quote grandmother and my great grandmother. They they would get took care of me as a kid, that’s pretty much a a tattoo on their percent torso courtesy of ricky cho reason of its own. of boys Do you regret getting it? polled percent said that they You can’t really regret anything family. Even if it turns out looking bad, I of girls would get a tattoo polled wouldn’t have it removed because the purpose of this tattoo is was just to show on their back how much of an impact my grandmothers had on me. They pretty much turned said that they would get a tattoo me into the person I am now. on their foot What made you want to get your tattoo? percent Ramya mukalla, 12 percent of My grandmother was very sick and I of boys girls polled wasn’t sure how much longer she would be polled said they said that would get a alive, so I wanted to do something to show my they would get a tattoo of an support and also personally for me to tattoo of a quote animal on their remember her on their body body

Q A

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Does it have a specific meaning for you?

carly stonehouse

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tattoo of an

No, I will never regret getting it, although I make it a point to not reveal it much animal on their body around school or any other professional setting. But since it is my grandmother’s name, it is worth it.

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percent of My tattoo means perseverance and strength begirls polled cause they are the reason why my grandmother said that is alive and well today. they would get a

Do you regret getting it?

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percent of boys polled said they would get a tattoo of a person on their body

50 girls and 50 boys of all grades were polled for this survey

What is Brutal?

SUPPORT OAKTON DANCE BY ATTENDING THEIR NEXT COMPETITION

WHERE: Paul VI Catholic High School DATE: NOVEMBER 16th

5 ways to spot ...a freshman

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A closer look at the distinctive characteristics that make a freshman a freshman and a senior a senior, along with some upper classmen advice.

“I’m not short, I’m fun size!”

Being straight out of middle school and not to mention they’re 2-4 years younger than other students is no secret. Unless they’re an outlier, freshmen are most likely going to be smaller than everyone else.

Speed racer

On your mark, get set, go. Getting to class for the freshman seems more like a race; however five minutes is plenty of time so there is no need to sprint. Don’t sweat it, crossing the school doesn’t take as long as it may seem.

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Travel in packs

Big group walking in the hall? They’re most likely freshmen. Helpful hint: the main intersection is not the place to stop and socialize. Also, it’s okay to walk in groups, just don’t block the whole hallway when doing so. You will get shoved so don’t take it personally.

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Backpacks are bigger than they are

Being in a new school is hard, so it’s the normal reaction to over prepare.

Advice: it’s okay to be prepared but when you bring all of Office Depot in your backpack, you have a problem.

Ditch the map, Dora

Ever seen someone fumbling over their schedule? Staring in desperation at a map? Asking teachers/upperclassman where their classes are? Probably a freshman. Advice: you’ll figure out where things are eventually.

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...a senior

Diagnosis: senioritis

What’s a tell-tale way to figure out if someone’s a senior? If you don’t see them half the time. Senioritis kicks in a little earlier than people anticipate and it kicks hard.

Taller, better, faster, stronger

Obviwously the easiest way to spot a senior is their physical appearance. That muscly, six-foot-five guy you keep running into in the halls is most likely an upper classman.

Fear the beard

Growing a beard or mustache is like a rite of passage for senior boys. That and the fact that they can finally grow one.

Swagger

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While it’s mostly freshmen who still use the term “swag”, it’s the seniors who walk around the school with a certain confidence that scream they own the school (which they do).

Try hard? More like try less.

While there is a portion of seniors who have cleaned up their act and dress with more style, most are beginning to rock leggings, PJs and sweatpants daily. Proven fact: the older you are, the more bummed out you’re willing to go; if you think you’re bad now just wait until senior year.

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christiana meyers courtney do staff writer staff writer

Thijs [tie-ss] Brinkers finds a new home, far from home Dutch exchange student spends senior year at Oakton

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hijs Brinkers: Domino’s delivery man, superstar soccer goalie, Dutch exchange student.

Brinkers came to Oakton through the Aspect Foundation, an international study-abroad program.

His host family is the Stevens, who have two other boys at Oakton: Will, a freshman, and Johnny, a junior.

“I know one girl who [was an exchange student] last year,” Brinkers said. “She said it was very nice and stuff like that, so I thought I would do it too.”

Thus far, Brinkers has enjoyed his time in America. Though the age of a senior, Brinkers is enrolled as a junior because he is not able to graduate in the spring. However he takes a variety of senior, junior and sophomore classes.

“I take many sophomore classes, they are easy,” Brinkers said. “But my favorite classes are advanced PE and weight training. I’m friends with everybody, though. School is good.”

Brinkers has only been in American schools for a month, but he has already noticed many differences between Oakton and his high school in Holland.

“Almost everything is different at school,” Brinkers said. “In Holland I go to public school, but I can choose which one. If I want on the other side of Holland to school I can go. You can choose your school, what you want. Also, every day is different in Holland. Sometimes you start at nine, sometimes at twelve. I’ve never started at seven at school. If I had school early in Holland I could always skip. In Holland I drive with my own moped so it was not big problem, but here I have to ride the bus.”

Brinkers is also fascinated with the Oakton culture and football phenomenon.

“I’ve been to all of the football games. They are crazy; last time I was in the middle of the chaos,” Brinkers said. “In Holland we play all soccer, and people go to games like you

do football. But we don’t have school teams, only club.”

Brinkers has carried his love for soccer with him, and now plays for a CYA house team, the Chupacabras, with several other Oakton seniors.

“In Holland I was a goal keeper, but here I play with my feet,” Brinkers said. “I have nice teammates. We have fun.”

Beyond the differences in school and sports, Brinkers has also seen many differences in culture.

“I can’t drive here, but I can’t drive in Holland,” Brinkers said. “You have to be eighteen to drive, so people bike places instead. We don’t drive a lot though, everything is pretty close by so you can bike or use your moped. I drive moped, but it is a really nice one, it was very expensive.”

Brinkers paid for his moped by working as a delivery man at Domino’s, where he delivered pizzas on his moped.

“We don’t drive cars because it’s crowded and a lot of traffic,” Brinkers said. “I live between two citiesThe Hague, it’s fifteen minutes on my moped, and Delft, it’s about ten minutes from my house. Delft is a smaller city but it’s pretty nice too. It is very different [than here], we all live very close to each other. It’s all house house house house. It’s one big row with houses.”

However, Brinkers appreciates the many differences.

“It’s American culture,” Brinkers said. “I like it.”

He will stay until the end of the school year, and then travel around with his family.

“I can stay one month later after school and then I have to go because my visa. My parents want to come and pick me up,” Brinkers said. “We want to go to New York and stuff like that. I’ve already been but my mom wants to come and do that too.”

Thijs talks...

about his style “It’s expensive. I about what he likes to do for fun am European, so...

“In Holland for fun we go to the clubs, play soccer, hanging out with lots of my friends.”

Europeans are better dressed. I use apple product in my hair. Do you smell it?”

jennifer prosser spotlight editor

about Holland “The girls in Holland are better. I think they dress better, that’s the big thing.

The weather is better here, though. In Holland it’s cold now.”

about what he doesn’t like “There are a lot of rules in my house. My host parents are Mormon, so they are pretty strict. I missed a soccer game once because I had to go to church; my host parents didn’t want that I played on Sunday.”

all photos by jennifer prosser

OCTOBER 2013

| spotlight| 11

Talking with Tupac A spotlight of Oakton’s custodial staff: Khamphet “Tupac” Vorasane

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hamphet Vorasane, more commonly known as “Tupac,” works with the custodial staff in Oakton. Tupac is the eyes and ears of the school, having worked on campus for twelve years already. Although she is around every day in the cafeteria, most people don’t know her story. “[My job] is to clean the school. Clean it up, that’s it,” said Vorasane. Her favorite part of being at Oakton? “Everything!”

But the story behind her name is due to the creativity of a student no longer at Oakton.

“A student in here, who is probably now in college, he just came up with Tupac. I asked him ‘why you call me Tupac?’” Varasane said. “He said ‘it’s a pretty name!’ So I said OK, you can call me that. I don’t mind now, everyone calls me that.”

From all the time Vorasane has spent in the cafiteria, she has witnessed a lot of crazy mishaps and mayhem.

“One time in the cafiteria, kids threw something, some food, and that was crazy,” Vorasane said.

“Sometimes I have to yell at them.”

Being in the cafiteria and around the students has let Vorasane into the world of teenagers as well.

“I know everything,” Vorasane said. “I know how teenagers are doing...what they are learning.”

But will this friendly face continue to work here in years to come? According to Vorasane, she may stay for another three years or so.

“She’s always so positive and happy. She is just always loving life and it makes me love life.”

Marleigh Hall 12

“I heard about her my first week at Oakton.

She is always smiling and people always want to talk to her!”

Kristen Peters 9

Humans of Oakton

alana peters

alana peters editor in chief

peters sunnialana bean photo editor

Capturing the everyday student body in a style inspired by the blog Humans of New York

all photos by sunni bean

Giovanni D’Ambrosio, junior

“In Oakton... I feel like there’s no solidarity between students, it’s all about getting done what you need to get done. I remember the first day of school being told ‘upper classmen are the only ones that can sit at the round tables’ like mean girls esque rules about even the lunch room here.”

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Lindsey Wallen, sophomore

“We were changing into our jerseys out of our warm up shirts at a volleyball game and were out over near the guys locker room and all the guys started to come in. It was really embarassing; we had nothing on.”

Maddie Defreece, senior

“This summer I was the lead in fame all the way out in Wharton Virginia... so I didn’t know a single person. I had never heard of the theater before and it was pretty bizarre and funky. Usually, they’re not this open to new people in their theater, so it was strange that they had someone completely new as the main role.”

touchdown

The latest on cougar sports FOOTBALL

courtesy of mike vogel

V: 4-3 JV: 3-2 F: 2-3

Varsity football enjoyed a four game winning streak earlier in the season, beating Madison, Annandale, West Potomac, and Woodson all in a row. Recently the team experienced two tough losses against Chantilly and Centreville, but they scored an impressive 21 points against Centreville, which is the most that any team has scored against the Centreville powerhouse all season. Upcoming games for the cougars include Westfield on Nov. 1 and Herndon on Nov. 8.

Girls and boys cross country have both competed in multiple meets and invitationals this fall. At the Great Meadows invitational, the boys team got first place. Then a week later at the Oatlands invitational, the girls team got first place. Both teams continue to work hard and they hope to make a good appearance at the conference championships on Oct. 30.

CROSS COUNTRY

V: 5-16 JV: 10-1 F: 9-2

courtesy of jeff marquis

Oakton’s volleyball teams have been battling it out on the courts since the middle of August. At the annual Dig Pink match, all three teams pulled out wins against the Centreville Wildcats, the varsity team winning with a close score of 3-2. Their final home games and their senior night will be held on Oct. 31 before the varsity team heads to the conference quarterfinals on Nov.4.

FIELD HOCKEY V: 14-6

JV: 10-0-2 F: 3-5-2

courtesy of steve prosser

torri marquis touchdown editor

VOLLEYBALL

morgan cooper staff writer

CHEER Freshmen and JV “fockey” have finished their seasons, with JV ending with an undefeated season consisting of only two ties.

Varsity beat the Centreville Wildcats in the conference quarterfinals on Oct. 19, but went down to the Westfield Bulldogs in the conference semifinals.

Varsity hopes to come out with a win in the region first round on Oct. 29.

Along with cheering at the football games, the cheer team recently competed in the conference competition. They finished fourth at the conference semifinals on Oct. 15, qualifying them for the conference finals on Oct. 22.

At the finals they finished fifth, one palce short of qualifying for regionals. Although their competitions are over, they will continue to cheer until the football season is complete.

OCTOBER 2013

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Up before the sun... way before the sun

torri marquis touchdown editor

Oakton swimmers practice in the morning before they head to school

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t is pretty safe to say that every student hates to wake up early for school. Getting up at 6 a.m. is hard enough, but imagine having to get up at 4 a.m. This is exactly what some Oakton students do for their early morning swim practices.

“I wake up at 4 a.m., get my bags packed, and then leave by 4:15,” said senior Gray Liddell. “Then I swim from about 4:30 to 6:30, take a shower, and go straight to school.”

Gray attends these early practices four mornings per week for a swim club called Machine, but there are other swim clubs that offer these early practices as well. Senior Kendall Lawhorn swims for Nation’s Capital Swim Club, and she practices two mornings per week before school combined with after school practices every day.

“What’s definitely cool about the mornings is that we get to work with different types of training,” Lawhorn said. “So if you don’t come in the morning you don’t get that opportunity.”

Not only are these swim practices early in the morning, but they are also intense. At Lawhorn’s practices, the swimmers do a variety of different stations, some of them involving bungee cords and giant Home Depot buckets. Liddell admits that his practices are intense, too.

“They are harder than Oakton swim practices,” Liddell said.

“So they will get me ready for the season.”

Lawhorn has committed to swim at Radford, and she hopes that her hard work will help her achieve her college goals.

“Colleges usually only practice six times a week at most,” Lawhorn said. “I definitely practice more than the college level does which makes me feel good about myself because I know I’m working really hard so I’ll be ready for the college courtesy of kendall lawhorn level.”

Understandably, making it through the school day after wak- At her swim practices, Lawhorn uses a machine called a Vasa Trainer to ing up at 4 a.m. can be difficult for these competitive swim- improve her freestyle stroke. “It’s suspended up and you have to put your hands in the paddles and just make a freestyle movement,” Lawhorn said. mers.

“It’s a really cool machine.”

“People complain about waking up in the morning,” Lawhorn said. “They have no idea.”

Despite the early mornings and the busy schedules, these swimmers remain fully committed to their training.

“You really learn what it’s like to be committed to something,” Lawhorn said. “It’s a very strenuous sport and it takes a lot of dedication and hard work just like school and everything else.”

For Liddell and Lawhorn, swimming is something that is worth waking up for.

“People should know that it’s a huge commitment and swimmers -Kendall Lawhorn, 12 should get more credit for doing all the work that they do.”

“I usually start falling asleep in the middle of the first class.”

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-Gray Liddell, 12

The world of non traditional sports Some sports are more well known than others. Take a look at a few that have become increasingly popular at Oakton

Getting dirty with rugby

courtesy of nate corsi

Will rugby ever become a “traditional” sport in America?

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ugby is increasing popularity around the world, but when you look at the list of the most popular countries it is played in, the United States doesn’t even place. Many students believe that kids should be outside enjoying rugby just as much as they are other sports.

“Oakton should definitely have a rugby team” said sophomore, Nate Corsi “I know I’ve talked to a lot of my friends about it, and they seem interested in playing. Having a team at Oakton would really help it spread.”

Inevitably, comparisons will be made with American football. While American football takes up the front page of the sports section daily, rugby in America was lucky to be acknowledged when the World Cup took place in 2011.

Rugby is often called football’s father, or older brother. There is a famous story from the early 1800’s about William Webb Ellis who first ran the ball all the way to the goal. This took place at Rugby School in England, hence the name, rugby.

The first known rugby club was started at Cambridge University in 1839. As rugby spread, some rules were changed, and American football came about.

Corsi has played football in the past for Oakton, but is out because of a back and hip injury this year. “Rugby is a lot rougher, obviously we don’t use pads, but it’s also a lot faster moving,” Corsi said.

This October and November, the Rugby League World Cup will be hosted by England and Wales. These matches will be broadcast live by BBC and Premier Sports. Without major sports channels broadcasting rugby in the US, it’s hard to see rugby having a surge in popularity.

Sophomore, Nate Corsi runs the ball up the field during a rugby game.

“I love getting a clean breakaway during rugby,” Corsi said of his favorite part of rugby.

jenna colturi staff writer

Breakdancing: here to stay

The popularity of this difficult form of dance is on the rise

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reak dancing started with James Brown back in 1969 with his hit “Get on the Good Foot”. The high energy type of dance spread through New York quickly and dance battles emerged. As the dance became more popular, groups formed and began dancing together for multiple hours a day creating dance routines and improving their form.

Just as James Brown helped expand breaking in the past, a new movie “Battle of the Year: The Dream Team” is expected to bring more light to breaking. Whether or not the movie correctly represents break dancing is questionable. photos courtesy of bradley wang said senior, Bradley “My favorite dance move is definitely “That movie was so bad” “It’s a way of life. just like tiful culture there is in a freeze,” said Bradley Wang, senior. Wang. “It took out the beaudancing and made it about some kids can’t live without the flips. “ “We saw it the day it came out” added junior, playing sports, we dance” trating because all of the Inyong Ha. “It was so frusgood dancers got cut. Chris Brown wasn’t even good.”

-Bradley Wang, senior Wang and Ha are both Break Boys (Bboys) together in a group that practices daily after school. The Bboys at Oakton battle each other as well as other groups, and practice every day.

“I have always danced,” Ha said, as he began to dance. “I can’t stand still when there is music playing.”

Wang adds, “It’s a way of life. Just like some kids can’t live without playing sports, we can’t live without our dance.”

Wang and Ha hope to broaden the break dancing culture as they put together a club at Oakton Sophomore David Nguyen freezes in where break dancing will be discussed.

Oakton’s cafeteria during a breakdance move.

OCTOBER 2013

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Powder Puffin’

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F

carly stonehouse

aving suffered a bitter defeat last year, the junior team is gearing up to score a win. Brandon McCulla and Adam Cheney are coaching the junior powder puff team, and have come up with some winning ideas to take home the title.

“Our game plan is to use the natural athleticism that we have, which is far superior to the seniors,” said Cheney. “We want to take it right at them.”

This season the coaches want to make some changes to the usual game plan, making sure to get the most out of the players.

“This year is offensively different [than last year],” Cheney said. “We’re going to be playing two quarterbacks; both of them are very good at what they do.”

Despite last year’s unfortunate end, the two coaches remain confident in their team.

“There is no rivalry,” said McCulla. “We’re going to win.”

Junior and senior girls take the field resh from a big win last year, the senior

laura murphy online editor

powder puff team is excited to continue the winning streak.

“We have a lot of returning girls from last year, which we benefit from,” said senior coach Michael Greene. “They know their roles and have higher expectations.”

The seniors’ easy confidence is being channeled into tough practices engineered by Greene himself.

“The typical practice is made up of some basic flag drills, and then we work on formations and plays. At the end, the whole team comes together for a scrimmage,” Greene said. “We try to simulate some different situations and give them options on the field.”

Greene also hopes to change some of the game play from last year.

“Hopefully we will have a more interchangeability with the players,” Greene said. “Last year it was a bit stagnant. Everyone had their assigned role, and that was it.”

So what will the seniors be doing to win the game?

“Our game plan to beat the juniors,” Greene said.

Intensity and execution.”

What is Beautiful?

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Find out why these devoted scholar-athletes gain scholarship opportunities and the experience of a lifetime at OAKTON CREW!

Tuesday 10/22 4 - 6:30pm Friday 10/25 4 - 6:30pm Saturday 10/26 12 - 2:30pm

viewpoint

Oakton students share their opinions on controversial topics at Oakton and in our community

The Failure of News Media

News outlets have failed to fulfill their responsibilities

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ver the past decade it has become increasingly Investigative journalism seems dead as journalists often clear that major American news outlets are failing simply accept data given to them by the government and to do their jobs. From misreporting to flat out independent organizations. biased news programs, journalism appears to be on lifeWhat is equally troubling about the media’s behavior is support. The most recent example was the coverage of the what they choose to report on. After the MTV Video Music Navy Yard shooting this past month. Although there was Awards, there was endless reporting on Miley Cyrus’ cononly one shooter, CNN “confirmed” that there were multitroversial performance when there were serious issues to be ple shooters. Unless there is clear evidence, no information covered and discussed. It would be one thing if the Cyrus should ever be confirmed. All of the networks were reportperformance was briefly reported on for a day, but this was ing that an AR-15 rifle was used in the attack, when in real- not the case. The entire week seemed to be devoted to the ity the shooter used a shotgun and then proceeded to use subject. The media should pay little attention to inconsehandguns he picked up from dead security quential events like the VMA’s. They have The Staff Editorial is a responsibility to devote their time to guards. The media often reports what they want reality to be rather than actual realthe official opinion of reporting on important issues and events. ity. News should be based on facts with the Fortunately there is some hope. Even the Oakton Outlook goal of putting forth accurate information. though it is unlikely the major newspaThe opinions of the newscast, editors, and pers and television networks will change, producers should not play a role in the reporting. Unforthe internet has provided people with the ability to gain tunately, today we have media institutions that lean to the instant information, wherever they are. Smaller web based left or right when they should be leaning to the side of the news outlets have been a bright spot for investigative jourtruth. nalism.

There are responsibilities that come with being a journalThe media needs to be more responsible. That means reist, and those responsibilities are being ignored. An interporting news based on facts, not rumors and not opinions. viewer should be the “devil’s advocate” who asks the hard They need to treat all parties and topics with objectivism. questions no matter what their personal views are. Instead No more “softball” interviews. Journalists need to focus journalists give politicians softball questions and rarely more on things that matter and less on pop culture. ever use the opposition’s arguments as a basis for questions.

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Uncle Sam vs. Officer Sam

jacque groskaufmanis staff writer

Should America be the world’s police officer?

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t the end of the cold war, when the United States emerged as the world’s lone superpower, it viewed itself as having a right or a duty to protect democracy around the world. However, while initially this role seems to be magnanimous and righteous, the reality of US foreign policy is much more nuanced.

Now more than ever, America’s selfappointed “police officer” position is under worldwide scrutiny. Excruciating errors in Iraq, a jumbled and confusing policy regarding Syria have only deepened the perception that the United States is negligent in its role as world leader.

Americans and non-Americans alike are now asking themselves not only why the United States should take on such a role, but also if it is even in the world’s best interest anymore.

Such a question is difficult to answer because the role of “world’s police officer” is not an official one. It’s an unspoken truth that the United States has a reputation of trying to guide and often control other nations. This pattern is seen in the domineering role that America plays in the United Nations and is highlighted nightly on the worldwide news. However, as we make mistakes, we are simultaneously gaining a reputation of incompetence.

Our motives are being questioned, along with our effectiveness.

This is not to say that the US should permanently refrain from interfering in world events. From history alone we can gather that our periods of isolation were not prosperous times for our nation and that communication with the rest of the world is essential for a healthy system of diplomacy.

However, we the United States need to be smart about when, where and how we act.

Essentially, we need to stop biting off more than we can chew. We shouldn’t try to be the world’s police officer all by ourselves.

We should intervene when we see things that violate international laws and moral, but we don’t have to do so in a militaristic fashion and we certainly don’t have to do so alone. There are other countries with capable resources and it is okay for us to distribute some of the weight from our shoulders onto theirs so that the load is less heavy. We should always remain

vigilant and care about the other countries in the world, but when we start to assume that it is our duty to fix the planet, we wander into unjustified territory.

While many American politicians tout the American role as ‘police officer’ or ‘protector’, the true history of American international interventions are much more sordid. The U.S. has in fact supported many dictators both militarily and economically, one example being Mumbarek in Egypt. In addition, the American government has strategically worked to overthrow established democratic regimes

“While the United States excels in many areas, it is slowly losing its credibility in the international community.” in foreign countries, as was made evident in their involvement in the Chilean coupe d’état in 1973. Examples of questionable foreign politics initiated by the United States are beyond abundant. This is a huge problem considering the fact that the U.S. strives to be a role model.

A leader must be one that others want to emulate. Many events have slowly contributed to the problem, but one that solidified this new, downgraded reputation was our invasion in Iraq; an invasion that the US carried out for what were later learned to be illegitimate reasons. We thought they had weapons of mass destruction, they did not, we invaded, the world watched.

In doing this we not only made a colossal mistake in the eyes of the world, we also cost ourselves over 800 billion dollars, adding to our already tremendous national debt. The US continued to act as a poor example when recently debating whether to act in Syria. To the world, the American government looked both weak and indecisive as President Obama publicly struggled to muster up support that was simply not at his disposal. In addition, it’s debatable if Obama had been able to gain support, whether or not interference would have even been helpful at all. In fact, initiating strikes on Syria arguably could have hurt more civilians than targets, and been mini-

mally helpful in an attempt to stop Asaad.

Our international reputation is eroding with each and every trip that our government makes on the universal stage. On top of all of the mistakes we make overseas, the American government underwent a 16 day shutdown, the first one since 1996, because they couldn’t come to an agreement on problems regarding our own nation’s problems. If the leaders of our country can’t cope and compromise on issues only pertaining to us, how can they be expected to do so for the rest of the world?

Lastly, there is no question about whether or not the US has a military capable of interfering in other nations. We do.

Our military is the largest in the world, as it should be considering that the US military budget is far larger than those of the 10 nations below us combined. We have the equipment, the troops and the debt to show for it. Yes, we are incredibly strong but one could also argue that our strength is not sustainable. We are currently drowning in 17 trillion dollars of debt, 1.4 trillion of which was racked up in Iraq and Afghanistan (and more importantly, thousands of casualties.) Trying to maintain such a strong military is taking its toll on our nation both politically and financially. It’s difficult enough to try to protect ourselves, add in another country, or the rest of the world, and we are in way over our heads. The fact is we literally cannot afford to keep butting in.

Just to provide some perspective, if we took a mere 5% of the national defense budget, 33.24 billion dollars, we could provide aids treatments to 30 million people per year (almost the full count of people currently suffering from the disease) or provide vaccines to entire countries.

In short, the American government’s responsibility is to protect the American people, maintain hegemony in the international sphere and promote the economic wellbeing of Americans. The United States doesn’t always aim to promote democracy or any other “high ideal” unless it directly feeds the best interests of the United States, which more often than not comes at the expense of others and our integrity.

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A New Miss America, a New Pageant Is the Miss America Pageant ready for change?

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nikki singh staff writer

n September 15th, Nina Davuluri was crowned as the win was announced. People made comments like, “If you’re #Misfirst ever Indian American Miss America. Since then, sAmerica you should have to be American,” and “The Arab wins the internet has exploded with racial comments about Miss America. Classic.” Several people have even related this event her win and the pageant itself. Through comments by people to 9/11, mistaking her ethnicity. With the date of the competition online, the closed-mindedness of many Americans was on display. on September 15, many believed that it wasn’t a coincidence for From becoming the first Indian American winner to truly emher crowning date to be so close. bodying what her platform displays, Davuluri may just be setting Remarks like these didn’t seem to surprise Oakton senior, Saeed the stage for new awakenings in the Miss Speede.

America Pageant.

“For Americans to not be able to comprehend Fredrick Hickman, President of the Atlanthis event communicates the ignorance of peotic City Chamber of Commerce, said over ple,” said Speede. “Having an actual American 75 years ago, “Miss America represents the win Miss America, but not having Americans highest ideals. She is a real combination of across the country accept her just doesn’t make beauty, grace, and intelligence, artistic and sense. How can we expect to be the greatest narefined. She is a type which the American Girl tion, when we can’t even be equal?” might well emulate.” The pageant began as a In response to all the racial comments, Davulustrategic marketing tool, with the contestants ri said, “I have to rise above that. I always viewed being judged merely on figure. Although later myself as first and foremost American.” feminist actions worked towards bringing the As for the reactions online, she had expected attention away from that, by adding the talnothing less. ent and question portions, the pageant until “A lot of the remarks weren’t meant to be malirecently placed emphasis on beauty. cious, but just due to the fact of ignorance,” said Davuluri’s crowning can be seen as the turn Davuluri. of events for future pageants. Throughout her “I’ve grown up with so many stereotypes about courtesy of masslive.com pageant career she has worked towards fulfillmy culture, I just knew that it was something I ing her platform, “Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Comneeded to advocate for,” says Davuluri, who chose the platform petency.” She told The Guardian, “I’m thankful there are children three years ago as a Miss New York contender. watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America.”

This event is one of many that show how important it is to accept As for the reactions online, it’s clear that ignorance is overshaddiversity. America is a nation of different cultures and instead of owing many people’s judgment. Social networking sites like Twitdistinguishing between races people should accept the fact that ter and Tumblr, were bombarded with criticism minutes after her being different is what America is all about.

Online Media

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courtesy of tumblr.com

Twitter

Tumblr

Many people took to Twitter and Tumblr with their opinions of Davuluri winning Miss America

photo courtesy of blogs.wsj.com

What I Learned from the Other Side

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oughly a year ago, I left my home to live in France for a year, far from everyone and everything I know. For many, such an endeavor seemed so outlandish that they, on my return, found nothing to say but to ask me the nearly obligatory “coming home” question, “How was France?” to which I responded with some dry, stenciled answer such as “great” or “enjoyable”. The reality of the matter is that what I saw in that country shocked me and ripped open my sealed eyes.

Nearly everyone in FCPS has heard the ringing warnings against student harassment, but few appreciate the security of our school’s environment because they have not seen a school where harassment is tolerated. Where I was in France, schools are viewed solely as a place of learning. Extra scholastic activities are banned within the iron gates, and teachers seldom take time out to develop student character. There is no open discussion on bullying and the results are absolutely repulsive.

Students are ostracized from ruthless cliques for the most insignificant and uncontrollable of factors. To my horror, I saw someone justify his harassing of a fellow student by saying, “well he’s ugly,” to which I naturally and indignantly replied, “It is not his fault that he is not Gaspard Ulliel.” His response was a truly a rhetorical masterpiece: “yeah but he’s still ugly.”

Would such crass actions ever be tolerated so overtly in the halls of Oakton? Many would say yes, and many would say no.

Regardless, we must credit those hours of anti-bullying campaigns with indeed havart courtesy of josie chiao

ing a certain degree of success. It has now become the norm to keep criticism private and berate those responsible for harassment, and not partake in the harassment for fear of being harassed. Refreshing movements such as Spread the Word to End the Word garner much support to create a truly safe and informed learning environment for all.

But we must be wary to wave banners of victory over our halls. True that the spirit of our school hallows in comparison to our transatlantic counterparts. But have we truly defeated this mechanism called bullying? Allow me to answer this for you: no. And will we ever?

Probably not. It is the unfortunate truth that human beings will have negative sentiments and will produce hurtful words and actions, be they intentional or not. I will not insult every student in this school by claiming my innocence. Why do we do this? Are we as humans really so malicious?

We are all prone to bursts of rage, sentiments of revulsion, and views of ignorance.

We cannot attribute such uncouth actions as exclusively the norm among the French. It is not a question of culture or nationality. We all fall short, some more than others. This, however, is no justification for such actions, which must continue to be fought and condemned.

Though we often do, and most certainly will, continue to falter, it is important to realize that we are trotting on a right path towards empathy and understanding. Though a bullyfree environment may not be attainable, we can and do at least try. matthew choi guest writer

OCTOBER 2013

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Indepth

Myths and rumors have floated around Oakton for years, but how do we know what to believe? Who’s fabricating the truth, and how can we tell the difference?

School secretly a prison?

alana peters editor in chief

reina datta indepth editor

nancy nyamaa staff writer

fiction!

Could it be true that Oakton High School was designed by a person who specialized in the design of prisons?

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lthough school might feel like a jail to some students, the rumor that the school was built by someone who designed prisons is most likely false according to Dr.

Banbury.

“Not that I know of. It’s unlikely considering Herndon, West Springfield and Oakton all have the same identical floor plans,” Banbury said.

Banbury believes it is unlikely because the middle school in California that he attended back in the day, Pine Valley Intermediate School, literally had bars over the windows in the courtyards, and resembled a prison far more than the high schools in our area.

“Oakton doesn’t look anywhere near like a prison compared to that school.” Banbury said.

This rumor most likely started from students who merely felt that the school was holding them like a prison, and couldn’t wait to get out.

FACT! A

Security Cameras

The cameras around the school actually work... and are always watching

s rumors circulate about the security cameras around the school, an interview with Walter Baranyk, the security specialist here at Oakton was able to clarify any misconceptions. Baranyk confirmed the fact that there are several cameras around the exteriors of the building.

“The intent of the cameras around the school is to provide safety and prevent inappropriate actions. The system is also used to identify any trespassers on the campus.” said Baranyk.

Each entrance around the school can be viewed on a monitor and the cameras placed on the exteriors of the building can be maneuvered for full view of any given area. Baranyk then said, “The intent is not to say ‘gotcha’ to any student.”

All should be aware that the security system at Oakton is used solely to ensure the safety of the students and staff. On top of that, it can be a reminder for students to be mindful of their actions because any area could be under surveillance. The system is never used to invade students’ privacy; therefore, there are no cameras in the bathrooms or locker rooms. nancy nyamaa “The prominent source of security at the school is a cooperative student body.” said Baranyk.

With that being said, during the day and at school-hosted events, it is the responsibility of the students and faculty to watch out for one another and be mindful so safety is something that is always guaranteed.

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Did we fall too far from peters reina datta the tree? alana editor in chief indepth editor

fiction!

Be grateful for the mascot we have, because the alternative would “nut” be satisfying

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magine it’s the first football game, and the announcer is introducing the team. The announcer is supposed to say “Here comes the Oakton Cougars,” but what if the announcer didn’t call us the cougars? What if we were called something else?

There was a rumor that when our school was founded in 1967, there was a chance that we could have been called something other than the cougars. The founders of our beloved establishment were ready to call us the Oakton Acorns. Fortunately, this rumor is not true, and we are, and always will be the Oakton Cougars.

A cougar represents our ferociousness and our determination to do our best at all times. The only thing an acorn is, is a play off of the word Oakton, because acorns come from an oak tree.

Thankfully, there was some kind of luck that worked in our favor, and we were given the name the Oakton Cougars.

“If we had been called the Oakton Acorns, our school spirit and confidence would have gone completely down the drain, because no one would want to cheer for an acorn,” said Rohan Datta, freshman.

reina datta

Banbury and the Oakton Cougar The real Oakton Cougar could be closer than we imagined

FACT!

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s it true that our principal shot and killed our school mascot? Retract your claws, cougars, the Outlook did some digging, and we found that our principal John Banbury is an avid hunter with a hunting license. Back in 2008, he was hunting in Colorado when one of the most prized game in the nation, a wild cougar, entered his vicinity. Banbury shot cougar, had it stuffed, and shipped it home to Virginia.

“I lived in the West,” said Banbury. “It’s not uncommon to find and shoot cougars there.” The cougar is on the North American top 25 Big Game Animals, and Dr. Banbury’s main goal is to be able to get at least one of each of the animals. “I didn’t shoot the cougar with the idea that it was our school mascot,” Banbury said.

While some people feel indifferent about the cougar being shot, some people would find it cool to have it displayed in the school, but some people find that it would be strange to have a dead animal in the lobby of our school.

OCTOBER 2013

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Prankster Perks

laura murphy online editor

Every year seniors try to one up each other for the best prank. Here are some of the most memorable ones we have found...Can you guess which ones are real?

Born free FACT!

D

uring the “hayday” of school pranking, seniors decided to get a little wild.

According to Carol Henry, the former office attendant, on a seemingly ordinary Wednesday hundreds of baby chickens were released into the main

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As students left their first period classes, senior pranksters filled the walkways with the fluffy chicks. The small creatures milled about on the floor, with students towering high above them.

Unfortunately, not all the students were as observant about the chicks, and several chickens were crushed by the unknowing students.

“It was terrible,” said Henry. “[The chicks] were everywhere, feathers and all that. A few of them were killed and it was awful to clean up.”

Fortunately, by the end of the day, school officials rounded up the babies, mostly intact. Since this incident, students have not attempted another animal prank, probably for the best of both man and beast.

Pig problems FICTION!

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hile other students enjoy their daily dose of pork from their kitchen tables, some seniors decided to bring the farm house to the school house.

“I heard that that had happened a while ago,” said freshman Greg Bae. “It sounded really interesting.”

Several seniors placed a total of three pigs throughout the school, numbered one, two, and four. School officials raced around looking for the missing swine, unaware that it did not exist.

After hunting for several hours, the administrators admitted defeat, realizing that pig number three never existed.

Wake up call FACT!

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n the spirit of the early rising student population, some daring seniors decided to use their normally empty lockers for misdeeds.

“This was one of my favorite pranks,” Henry said. “Just like a senior prank should be, harmless but amusing.”

At 11 o’clock in the morning, alarm bells rang from student lockers throughout the school. The noise filled hallways attracted curious students and teachers alike.

“No one had any idea what was going on,” Henry said. “The school security had to look through all kinds of lockers to find out which ones had lockers.”

Over the course of the school day, the administrators hunted through hundreds of lockers to find the sources of the blaring noises. After the exhausting search, it is said that some school officials are still jumpy at the sound of alarm clocks.

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OCTOBER 2013

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Baby oil blues FACT!

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s senior pranks are one of the most interesting ways of creating a class legacy, one group of troublemakers were determined not to be shown up. The devious class thought of one of the most creative-- and dangerous-- ideas so far on our list that left both students and teachers reeling.

When students arrived at school one morning, they found that the floors of the main hallway were slick with baby oil.

“Students were sliding all over the place,” Henry said. “Everyone was tripping all over themselves, and we had to be extra careful walking down the hall for several days.”

The thin film of grease made it impossible to gain proper traction on the tile floor, and as a result numerous faculty members and students were injured.

“I didn’t like this [prank] as much,” Henry said. “I almost got injured myself.”

Unfortunately for the pranksters, several members of the brain trust were reprimanded for the incident. Despite the lack of disciplinary action, students have been wary to pull something of this nature again.

Fiction!

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Class outside the box

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owards the end of the school year, restless seniors got the jump on school administrators.

When students who had morning trailer classes went to start the day, they found all of their desks had been relocated to the roof.

Learning halted for those students during first period, as maintenance workers flooded the scene.

The school administrators eventually reprimanded some of guilty students, but the unscathed have gone down in high school prank history.

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OCTOBER 2013

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ive or six years ago, seniors once again brought their creative minds to the time consuming art of pranking.

However, this group of wannabe-graduates aimed their strike directly at the teacher population.

“When I came to school that morning, every single coffee pot had gone missing,” said administrative assistant Cindy Deans. “We looked everywhere, but they had all been taken.”

Where had they all gone you ask? The daring amateur burglars smuggled the coffee pots out of various faculty lounges and classrooms, and proceeded to hold them hostage for the day.

The coffee pots were eventually returned by the end of the day, but the damage had already been done. The not-so-caffeinated and subsequently exhausted teachers were shorted their morning cup of joe.

“The prank seemed harmless enough,” Deans said. “I just never realized how much I would miss my coffee, even if it was just for one day.”

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Coffee Crazy FACT!

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Festive Fall Foods Get in the mood for fall by trying these seasonal treats.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Homemade Apple Cider

Courtesy of allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups of milk 1 cup of pumpkin puree 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flours 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt

Courtesy of Erin Preaskorn

erin preaskorn

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

erin preaskorn copy editor

Butternut SquashBread Courtesy of mybakingaddiction.com

1 cup butternut squash purĂŠe 2 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoons baking soda

Courtesy of trialx.org

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the butternut squash puree, eggs, oil, water and sugars until thoroughly combined.

3. Stir the dry ingredients into the butternut squash mixture.

Pour into the prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean

illustrations by jacque groskaufmanis

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You will need: 8-10 apples Sugar Brown sugar Cinnamon Nutmeg Allspice Cheesecloth Step 1: Cut and core the apples and then puree them.

Step 2: Add white sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Step 3: Let sit for half an hour, and then pour mixture into a strainer over a saucepan. Let sit for a few minutes.

Step 4: Use a cheesecloth to drain the rest of the mixture.

Step 5: Boil juice on high for about two minutes. Do not boil too long or the flavor will boil out. erin preaskorn

showtime|

The ultimate Halloween movie list for maximum hair raising and nail-biting

The Scare Scale 1. Halloweentown (1998)

Disney classic is what comes to mind with this movie. Every year, tons of kids (and high-schoolers) can’t wait to see Marnie Piper and her witchy grandmother, Aggie travel around a town where it’s Halloween 24-7. Not exactly high on the scare scale, but a definite must watch. imbd.com

2. Hocus Pocus (1993)

“Hocus Pocus” will forever be Disney’s greatest Halloween movie (sorry “Halloweentown”). The Sanderson Sisters, especially Winifred, singing “I’ve Got a Spell on You” somehow make Halloween complete. This year, millennials who shared in the memory lead the movie to trend worldwide on Twitter.

3. Blair Witch Project (1999)

This one hits kind of close to home with it taking place in the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland. Any story surrounding a group of young friends solving the mystery behind a local legend is bound to end badly, with an exception of “Scooby Doo”. The shaky, grainy camera and extremely low budget really boost the realness.

4. Carrie (1976)

Even with the remake starring Chloe Grace Moretz coming out, this horror classic will never be forgotten. This movie was far ahead of its time and still has yet to be outdone in terms of teen psycho slashers (i.e “Scream”). This movie’s final scene still seems to give the 70’s generation the shudders.

5. Nightmare on Elm St. (1984)

“1, 2 Freddy’s coming for you”…This 80’s horror movie set the standard for the next two decades of movies with subhuman killers. A story surrounding a psycho corpse who can only kill you in your dreams is premium nightmare fuel. Plenty of blood and guts with an easy to follow plot makes this movie number five.

talkstephenking.com

6. The Shining (1980)

Heeeeeere’s number six! Aside from one of the main character’s hilarious bowl cut, this movie is a hands-over-the-eyes thriller up until the finale. Jack Nicholson’s wriggling eyebrows and Tony, the psychic finger, make this film a staple in any horror movie devotee’s collection for ever, and ever, and ever.

7. Insidious (2010)

The fairly new franchise is nothing short of scream inducing. The psychological elements in this film really boost the don’t-fall-asleep factor. (Side note: I’m not one who scares very easily, but while at the premiere, I screamed so loud the entire theatre laughed at me). imbd.com

sonaj senior staff writer

8. The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist has the deadliest of combinations when it comes to perfecting a horror movie. It was made in the 70’s, the golden age for American horror. It stars a creepy child with the voice of a 40 year old man, and is the first movie to use pea soup to cause sheer terror. The Exorcist is a Halloween movie marathon must have. Definately one of those movies that should be watched before you die. Hopefully, those two events won’t be related.

OCTOBER 2013

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YEARBOOK NOW ON SALE. ORDER YOURS TODAY! *Log on to our website: YearbookOrderCenter.com or call toll free at 1.866.287.3096 *Your order number is: 4770 (Please have this number handy when you call or log in to order your yearbook)

Out with a bang media mix

I

t’s been three years since Miley Cyrus’ last album, and since then things have gone in a very different direction.

Cyrus’ new album, “Bangerz,” came out on Oct. 8 with a surprising new hip hop twist. Featuring artists like rapper Juicy J, Britney Spears, and Mac Miller, Cyrus is aiming for a more “dirty south hip-hop” according to an interview.

The album combines popping beats with techno dj-ing that brings out a different side of Cyrus’ vocals. Along with “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball,” Cyrus’ disc contains other hits which feel like a weird combination of her old Hannah Montana days and a post haircut raving.

In some of her tracks, even her old country accent returns.

An estranged Cyrus also uses her former fiancé, Liam Hemsworth, in a very Taylor Swift-escque manner; making him the subject of many of her new songs. Many pity tracks have all the signs of a postbreak up rhapsody that would appeal to the recently single. Overall, “Bangerz” has achieved the ultimate goal of a bumping hip hop medley.

A compare contrast of the “best of both” old and new Miley Cyruses and her music anee nguyen

I

showtime editor

n her first debut, Cyrus was simply known as the innocent Hannah Montana. Her first EP, “Time of Our Lives,” produced one of her most famous singles, “Party in the U.S.A.” a classic middle school jam.

An awkward transition between country to her pop beats, these tracks had distinct Cyrus vocals, without other artists, in order to promote her new sound. This album was meant to show both sides of her, both a sensitive country girl with songs like “When I Look at You,” and also a boppy side, as shown in “Kicking and Screaming.

However, trying too hard to be everything, she failed to create any songs that would be a great hit. Her vocals are sloppy as she slurs through many of her pop tracks. Along with her undeveloped vocals, her lyrics portray her immaturity and poor song writing skills Moving onto a new era of sound, Cyrus has completely changed her image.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t get the best of both worlds.

courtesy of cornelia han

“House of Hades” emerges from Tartarus

maggie campbell

R

ick Riordan’s spinoff series “Heroes of Olympus,” will not fail to impress readers with the newest installment, “House of Hades.” “House of Hades” was released on October 8th. Every reader should snatch it up as soon as they can as “House of Hades” is definitely a book worth looking at.

Every one of Riordan’s books has reader-friendly content and relatable experiences. With the readerfriendly content “House of Hades” also contains a plot twist with heart-wrenching developments. “House of Hades” will mainly appeal though to lovers of action and fantasy.

Even though the main focus is Greek mythology, it is easy to connect to the characters. In “Heroes of Olympus,” they must deal with everyday teenage angst.

From having to handle frustrating teachers, to trying to control their love lives every teenager should be able to see a little bit of themselves in each one of the main characters in the “Heroes of Olympus” series. This is why readers may find it hard to put this book down.

“House of Hades” has numerous plot twists that Rick Riordan has in store for the readers. These suspenseful scenes in “House of Hades” will leave the reader wanting more. Sadly, new install-

ments usually come out a year after the prior one was released.

When it comes to content, “House of Hades” takes a much more mature approach than Riordan’s other books. “Heroes of Olympus” is closer to a high students reading level.

“House of Hades” will not disappoint Riordan’s fans.

This is the second to last adventure we will share with the“Heroes of Olympus.”

The finale of their adventures is the upcoming book “Blood of Olympus” set to be released on October 7th 2014.

maggie campbell staff writer

OCTOBER 2013

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anee nguyen showtime editor

WISCONSIN: University student, Eric ‘Silo’ Dahl is eating competitively to pay for his college education. He began in 2011, by eating a three-pound cheese steak in under 10 minutes. He finished in 5. (HuffPost)

EGYPT: The House of Bourgeoisie has created the world’s first pair of platinum stilettos, and they are at a running price of 70,000 Euros. (HuffPost)

VERMONT: A two headed calf named Kirstin Quesnel was born in Vermont on Oct. 2. It has one brain, and would’ve been born a twin (HuffPost).

What in the world?

NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand cat was stolen and returned with a swastika shaved onto its back.

Owner is perplexed as to what it means. (Telegraph)

BEIJING: Chinese official was fired after spending 1.6 million yuan (2,600 dollars) on a three day wedding. The official blames the cost on his newly wed wife’s family. (Telegraph)

Do current events make you yawn? Does the thought of reading one more article about the economy bring you to tears? Fear no more! Featured below are a handful of truly bizarre news stories from around the world that are sure to strike your fancy.

current events

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