Oakton Outlook 2012-2013 Issue 6 by Laura Murphy

Outlook oakton

vol. 50 | issue 6 | 3.21.13

Then& Now inside

spotlight

Staying home for spring break? Check out these fun local activities

showtime

Relive Shamrock Fest, Hot 99.5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day music festival, through the eyes of students

snailmail from the editors

outlook staff adviser lauren luna editors in chief

inter is over and spring is here. Track finished off the winter season at Nationals, taking home second place for the girls (Page 24), while spring sports are kicking off the season with qualified captains in the lead (Page 26). The beginning of spring also means that spring break is fast approaching. For those of you who have to hear about all of the exotic vacation destinations your friends are visiting, never fear! Spring break can still be exciting for students staying at home (Page 11). Movies and music can make for an entertainment-savvy spring break, with new releases such as “Oz: The Great and Powerful” (Page 30) and Justin Timberlake’s latest album (Page 31). For those of you more interested in older films and tunes, reexperience what was hot 30-plus years ago (Page 14-15). While spring is often thought of as the season of new beginnings, we decided to celebrate the spirit of the new season by going back in time (Page 14-17). Just how much has the world changed since the 1980s? Well, the Berlin Wall fell, the Internet became the next big thing, iPods were released and, last but not least, the age of legwarmers came to an end. However, as we all know, 90s fashion can be just as cringe-worthy, evidenced by our reactions of horror whenever we are shown baby pictures. Will Uggs and yoga pants come to define the 2000s? Only time will tell.

regards,

Gabriela Driscoll Michelle LoRusso

gabriela driscoll michelle lorusso madlin mekelburg marilyn yang

newsworthy editor erin bennett showtime editor carly stonehouse touchdown editor jennifer prosser viewpoint editors sofia crutchfield kim gibbons

spotlight editor karli gillespie indepth editor melanie aguilar online editor oliver lopez-gomez business manager ria bhatia copy editor reina datta photo editor

alana peters

staff writers sunni bean abbey bonin alex driscoll natalie eberhart lauren embroski kenneth hippe jacque groskaufmanis

Madlin Mekelburg Marilyn Yang

ori

mis

torri marquis ramya mukalla laura murphy anee nguyen erin preaskorn alex xenos

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 alana peters student body: 2138 circulation: 1300

snailmail 3.21.13

in this issue

courtesty of collider.com

courtesy of the paragon

gianna sheffield

vol. 50 | issue 6 | 3.21.13

31 7

courtesy of dylan staniszewski

courtesy ed lull

24 newsworthy touchdown

spotlight

head heads 6 Seniors 12 Students 27 Track to the hill: to Nationals: shine

Seniors get a taste of the federal government’s inner workings on Oakton’s traditional field trip to our nation’s capital

Tracks wraps up the winter season at the New Balance Nationals competition, with the girls taking home second place

in annual competition: Oakton’s wealth of individual artistic talent is recognized at the Scholastic Awards

12 indepth

showtime

30 16 Teaching through the generations: George Mills shares a teacher’s insights into how Oakton has changed through the years

“Oz: The Great and Powerful”: “Oz” brings back classic Disney themes, yet adds some twists to the familiar whimsical tale

contents 3.21.13

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3.21.13

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I had my one year anniversary with my boyofriend.

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newsbriefs 1

New United Nations Children’s Fund club created by motivated junior

On Feb. 21, several interested students attended the initial meeting for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) club. The club was founded by junior Lyba Khan, and it aims to help aid poor children in developing countries by raising awareness of their impoverished situation. She was encouraged by her parents to start the club, as they had always wanted her to get involved with world issues. “Over the summer I really thought about [how to make a difference],” Khan said. “I realized that not many people from Oakton actually know about these issues, and that’s why I wanted to do it.” The students that attended the meeting hope to make progress in the global poverty epidemic by fundraising and awareness activities. “We’re going to do a lot of fundraising activities,” Khan said. “I’d like to start with some bake sales and carwashes, things like that.” The club is planning on meeting once a week on Wednesdays to get students involved with these real world causes. “I hope we get a good amount of members,” Khan said. “It will be great to have students learn about others in need through our meetings.”

laura murphy

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

Assistant Principal Chip Comstock responds to article “Oakton puts the old in gold”

In response to the article, “Oakton puts the old in gold,” I would like to address the concerns raised by the writer. In regards to the bathroom renovation project, the current plan is for all bathrooms to be renovated by the end of the 2013 calendar year. Most of the work will be done over the summer. The hand dryers will be replaced by paper towels. Over the past two summers, the county has completely replaced twothirds of the roof. The final phase of the roof renovation will be this summer, covering the library, main hallway from gym lobby to the cafeteria, the cafeteria, front offices, school counseling offices, and clinic. The roof renovation should help significantly reduce the number of leaks; however, the plumbing in the building is very old and tends to leak from time to time. When there are leaks, we submit a work order to the county and they come out to fix the leak. From time to time we do have mold in the building. If mold is reported, we work with the county to have experts come to Oakton to assess the problem and to take corrective action. If you have a concern about mold or suspect a mold problem, please report the location of the problem to the Gold Office. As for the temperature in the building, there are a couple of issues at play. During the cooling and heating season, rooms with windows are cooled and heated by the units under the window. These units are 40 years old. Certain parts of the units were upgraded two years ago using government stimulus funds. Upgrading 40-year old equipment has helped but there are still issues and concerns that can only be addressed with a complete renovation, scheduled for the year 2017. If there is a concern about the classroom temperature, your teachers are instructed to let me know and I will have Mr. Welch, the building engineer, check on the situation and take measures to correct it.

bennett courtesyerin of Austin Bae

erin bennett

newsworthy 3.21.13

Students pledge to end usage of the r-word

Science Olympiad Team places at regional competition

On March 7, the annual “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign took place in the cafeteria where students and teachers pledged to expunge the word “retard” from their vocabularies by signing the Best Buddies “Spread the Word” sign. The overall goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the fact that the r-word can be hurtful and offensive to those with and without intellectual disabilities. “Spread the Word brings more awareness to the use of the word and how it hurts people, because a lot of people don’t know about its harmful effects” said Kat Fleckenstein, Vice President of Best Buddies. More than 400 students signed the pledge on March 7th, and the overall “Spread the Word” effort has accumulated hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide. “It’s not just Oakton, it’s everywhere. The whole campaign is bringing awareness to the movement,” Fleckenstein said.

On Feb. 16, the Science Olympiad Team went to the district regional competition at Charlottesville High School. The Gold and Burgundy teams have been working diligently since the beginning of the school year to gear up for this competition, and each team sent out multiple pairs of students to compete in numerous categories of engineering, physics, and construction. The Gold team managed to get third place and the Burgundy team got fourth place. “We worked really hard,” said sophomore Austin Bae. “The nights before the competition, [the team] had to pull several all-nighters.” Since the teams placed so well at the competition, they will be advancing to the state-wide level. The statewide competition is coming up soon, and they will need to continue their high-achieving streak to advance to the national level. “I don’t know what to expect for the [state competition],” Bae said. “I just hope that we can beat Thomas Jefferson and Langley High School.” jacque groskaufmanis

newsworthy 3.21.13

Seniors visit Nigerian Embassy

On March 15, senior students in Super Seminar, a class that consists of AP Comparative Government, AP U.S. Government and AP Literature, took a field trip to the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C. As a part of their second semester curriculum of AP Comparative Government, the students study the political systems of different countries and compare them to the U.S. government system. The goal of the trip to the Nigerian Embassy was to investigate and understand components of the Nigerian government. Students conversed with members from the embassy and were able to learn more about the members’ jobs as ambassadors. “We’re studying Nigeria in Comparative Government, so we went to D.C. to visit the embassy,” said Kat Fleckenstein, senior. “We met the Minister of Trade and Commerce and he talked to us about his experiences and his feelings about Nigeria and its future. Emily Norris, senior, also went on the field trip and appreciated the beauty the embassy had to offer. “It was really cool because I’d never been to an embassy before,” Norris said. “We got to see all the architecture and art, so that was really enjoyable. It was also cool to see all the differences between Nigeria and the United States.” While there may be similarities between the United States and Nigeria, there are also plenty of differences. “I’m really interested in Nigeria because it’s a country full of such culture,” Fleckenstein said. “I think they’re an up and coming country because they have a lot of oil resources, they just need to sort out their political corruption. I thought the embassy was a good representation of everything Nigeria is trying to become.”

courtesy of Austin Bae

laura murphy

Seniors head to the Hill

n Feb. 27 the senior class of 2013 rode the metro to Capitol Hill to spend the day learning about the United States government and its processes. Many seniors spent the day viewing the facilities while some students were given private tours. “Our friend’s dad knows someone who works for John Boehner, so he got us a private tour of Boehner’s office, and we got to go out on a balcony on the Capitol. It was pretty awesome because [the building] was all closed off because of the Rosa Parks statue [ceremony], so a bunch of security were questioning us why we were there, but we got passes to go in [to the Capitol building] VIP,” said Giuliana Macaluso. The Supreme Court had a highly controversial case being heard the same day as the Capitol Hill trip. “We saw the protest outside the Supreme Court building which was really interesting. The protesters gave us signs and we got to join them for a bit,” said Micaela Sturm. “They said they were protesting the Voting Rights Act and how some states were saying we didn’t need it anymore because it was behind the times, but they think that if it gets eliminated then people’s rights will be in jeopardy.” The purpose of the Capitol Hill trip was to teach students about how the government system works and functions. “I was able to gather information about the inner workings of the House since I’ve never experienced it before. The trip really pushed me to become even more active in D.C. since we’re fortunate to live right next to our Capitol city and can take advantages of that. I can really advocate for the issues that are close to heart along with those that I’m still learning about,” said Chris Crapco. The Library of Congress was a highly visited by many students due to its elaborate architecture and vast number of rare books. “The Library of Congress was my favorite part of the trip because they had the oldest bible, the Gutenberg Bible,” said Mitch Batchelder. Some students were given the opportunity to meet congressmen while touring the Senate and House of

Annual trip gives seniors insight about how the government really functions

all photos by gianna sheffield

Seniors Chris Crapco, Shannon Holcombe and Shannon Carney observed the protests to the Supreme Court hearing. “We stood outside the Supreme Court and discussed the cases with a few protesters,” Crapco said.

Representatives. “A chief of staff for a Maryland congressman recognized us from the [committee] hearing and offered to show us around the Canon building. He was really nice and gave us a lot of great insight,” said Shannon Holcombe. Another student had a similar experience while exploring the lesser known areas of the buildings surrounding the Capitol. “The most interesting part of the trip was definitely when we got lost in the tunnels under the House buildings and got help from a chief of staff from a representative from Maryland who talked politics with us,” Crapco said. Each student had a different experience while spending the day at the Capitol. “I learned that Capitol Hill is a really exciting place and something is always happening. It’s really cool how you can just walk in to hearings and congressmen’s offices. Although there is a lot of security, the capitol is very open and friendly,” Holcombe said. Senior were able to sit in on Senate committee hearings that were also open to the public. “I thought it was pretty cool that if you are interested in something, like say you are really interested in gun violence or preventing it, then you can sit in on a committee hearing. I liked how it was pretty open to the public and you can be involved in politics if want to,” Macaluso said. While enabling students to have a greater understanding of the United States’ government system, it sparked a career interest in some students. “Capitol Hill is an interesting place. There are actually a lot of jobs there if you know the right people and it might be something that I want to pursue,” said Kris Ford.

Some seniors were able to gain access to private sections of the Capitol through friends who have close connections to representatives in the White House. “Our group saw Time Kaine and we saw the protest outside the Supreme Court building which was really interesting,” Sturm said.

erin bennett newsworthy editor

newsworthy 3.21.13

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spotlight

Queen of the crosswalk

karli gillespie spotlight editor

She keeps you safe everyday as you come to school early in the morning and leave in the afternoon. Sharen Lewin, from the Fairfax County Police Department, has been Oakton’s Crossing Guard for 11 of her 17 years as a crossing guard. She is also the crossing guard for neighboring Mosby Woods ES and Marshall Road ES. Lewin shares with us stories about her job and her life.

karli gillespie

Q: What has been the scariest thing you have exoerienced as a crossing guard? [At Oakton one] Monday, a girl’s mom passed out behind the wheel, and the girl grabbed the wheel and came through the fence. It was an out of control car going 50 or 60 mph and she pulled [the wheel], and [the car] came on over near where I was. I jumped to the left and got out of the way. It was definitely the scariest thing in the whole time I have been crossing.

Q: Where is the best place you’ve travelled to? I’ve gone to Hawaii and Paris. My husband had won a trip [to Hawaii] through his work, and it was really nice. We stayed in a nice five star hotel; there was a luau, and we did some snorkeling.

Q: What is the best part of being a crossing guard? The best part is the kids. Meeting kids and getting to know them, watching them graduate and move on, it’s definitely not for the traffic.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?

I listen to 94.7 Fresh FM and also Christian, so I am always flipping back and forth [on the radio].

Q: Where did you grow up?

Q: What can Oakton students do to make your job easier?

Q: What is the funnest thing you have ever done? Well I love to ski, and we have a boat too. [My family] is definitely [made up of] outdoors kind of people. That’s probably why I can handle the weather [while on the job]. I love doing things outside.

A lot of the kids think they’re bigger, and that because they’re teenagers they think they can cross the street by themselves, but that’s what I’m here for. [Just recently,] kids were walking across the street and a car wasn’t stopping, and they almost got hit because they won’t wait for me to cross them. But overall you all are respectful drivers and follow my commands in the mornings.

I didn’t grow up here, but my parents lived here in Vienna, Virginia, and both my little brother and sister went to Oakton. When I got old enough I moved here, and we lived in Vienna for 20 years. I had two of my kids graduate from Madison, and one from Oakton. My son Joshua graduated in 2006, the year [Oakton] won the state championships, and he was the center for the football team. My other daughter is a freshman at Oakton right now.

spotlight

3.21.13

datta Have the Best Spring Break “Staycation” reina copy editor Spring break is one of the most anticipated vacations... that is if you are going to an exotic place with the sun and sand. However, those of us who are staying home for the break have to find other ways to entertain ourselves, and use that precious time to our advantage. We’ve got the best ways to have a great stay-cation without leaving Virginia.

“Movie-fest”

Sometimes the best spring break is the simplest spring break. Pick out some of your favorite movies like Pitch Perfect or oldies like The Breakfast Club, and have a movie day. Just relax in your living room with your closest friends and family, and enjoy a bowl of popcorn.

Spring Break Playlist Spring Break...Here to Party album Luke Bryan Cruise Florida Georgia Line

for a t s i r u “ To

day”

Many of us take how close we live to one of the most famous cities in the US, Washington D.C for granted. Take this spring break as an opportunity to explore the amazing city we live so close to. Check out great museums like the Smithsonian Natural and American History Museums, the Spy Museum and the national monuments that are scattered around the city. No pressure of a school assignment due, just enjoy the experience.

it “Walk

out”

Here Comes the Sun The Beatles Island in the Sun Weezer Walk the Moon Anna Sun On Top of the World Imagine Dragons I Will Wait Mumford and Suns Bohemian Rhapsody Queen Sweet Home Alabama Lynyrd Skynyrd

Great Falls National Park, Potomac Heritage Trail, Fountainhead Regional Park; all of these amazing places are less than an hour away, and all have great hiking trails. Hiking is calming, breathtaking and great exercise all at the same time. Grab a couple of friends and see who can make it to the top first.

x”

“Rela

You’ve been working hard for seven months, you deserve a break. Lie on the couch in your sloppiest clothes, eat all the junk food in sight and watch some re-runs of Friends, we won’t judge. Take this time to catch up on some much needed sleep.

spotlight 3.21.13

If you aren’t the kind of person who likes to sit around all week, get crafty! Start your very own DIY project. Find some old clothes, furniture, anything really, and get artsy. Check out websites like pinterest.com or craftgawker.com for your inspiration.

Students shine in annual competition

sunni bean staff wrtier Oakton students compete in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards against other high school students across the nation, winning awards for their outstanding writing, art and photography.

senior Entry: Photography Award: Silver Key “My portfolio was about six photos on graffiti and street art. I started photo [class] freshman year, and I really liked it so I’ve took it every year since. In 2011, I also won 2nd place in the Youth Photo DC Contest for the social changes category. I’ll probably do [photography] in the future and take classes in it and all.”

Other winners include

spotlight 3.21.13

sunni bean

Dylan Staniszewski

junior Entry: Poetry & writing Award: Honorable mention Poem: “The Prayer of Jean Helion” “My piece was actually from another contest where [I] had to write a poem based on a piece of art. The art [I chose] was of a very gray dreary painting with just an umbrella and a side table, and it gave me inspiration [to write] the piece. I write about all sorts of things, but typically nature.”

senior

Aline Dolinh

sunni bean

Hayley Johnson

sunni bean

Quinn St Louis

freshman

Entry: Photography

Entry: Poetry

Award: Gold Key, Gold Key Individual, Certificate of Individual Merrit

Award: Gold Key, DC Teen Voices, American Voices Poems: “Imigrant,” “American Dream,” “Daughter One” & “Radio Silence”

“For the contest I photographed myself. I [photograph] everything, pretty much from nature to light. I’m going to college for [photography] at Alfred University in New York. It’s a BFA program, which is Bachelor of Fine Arts. I’m also into 3D, and I do some drawing. I went to VCU this [past] summer for drawing and sculpture.”

Anna Jordan, junior (Honorable Mention) Heidi Tubbs, junior (Honorable Mention) Elysee Hoang, senior (Silver Key) Marriya Schwarz, freshman (Honorable Mention) Emily Yaremchuk, senior (Gold Key, Honorable Mention, DC Teen Voices)

“My poems were basically about body image issues mostly in teenage girls. I tried to make [them] realistic, but at the same time I knew I was dealing with a really heavy issue and that I might not be able to portray it as accurately. I tried to blend personal experience and what I thought because it was [an issue] I hadn’t really written about before.”

Exhibition of Learning shows off students’ talents

Students take advantage of the Exhibition of Learning on March 19 and 20 to show off their creativity and unique projects.

jessica dallessandro | freshman

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signer

Last year I made a newspaper dress,” said Angela Chen. I thought it was fun making fashion out of things that aren’t usually used, so this year I’m making a soda can dress. It’s kind of an improvement on last year. To make it, I cut the top and bottom off of the cans, and cut it to flatten it. Then I just cut out the shapes I want. Laura Macdonald, another sophomore, modeled my dress last year, and she’s going to this year too. I’m trying out for the design course, so if I get in, then I’m hoping to do a five piece fashion show next year [at the E.O.L.]. angela chen | sophomore

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I’m doing my E.O.L. on a computer animation project I did in engineering drawing,” said Kyle Sullivan. “It’s like a mars rover design, animation. It shows the different things the Rover can do. I chose it because it’s a project that’s more interesting than facts pasted on a poster or a fifteen slide Power Point, and it actually means something to me. I’m proud of this project because I feel that it’s some of my best work in that class. kyle sullivan | sophomore

erin preaskorn

“

Enginee

Scientist

I’m doing my Exhibition of Learning on a project I did with another sophomore, Ben Wang,” said Austin Bae. “We went to Regular Science Olympiad. They asked me if I had a preference for what I did, and I said engineering and life science. They assigned us Roller Coasters. We just bought a lot of sticks, made the foundation, and made a lot of rails. The point was to make a marble go down in 30 seconds with only gravity helping. We got 5th place at Science Olympiad Regions. We’re going to states for it as well. austin bae | sophomore

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erin preaskorn

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Computer

erin preaskorn

De Fashion

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Movie P

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erin preaskorn

My project is of a movie I did in drama with David Fish, Jack Brandt, Neil Totten,” said Gunnar Michael. “I chose it because we’ve been planning for this a really long time. “Nebraska Smith: Taken” was fun to make. It’s an adventure, and the sequel to our musical we made in drama one called Nebraska Smith. In [the sequel] the main character is taken and Nebraska Smith must get him back. The movie is actually what the makers of “Indiana Jones” based their stories off of. gunnar michael | sophomore

laura murphy

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erin preaskorn

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I’m doing my E.O.L. on a camp I founded,” said Jessica Dallessandro. “I founded Camp Dramarox 4 years ago. It’s for kids 7-10 and they come and learn about theater. They get to put on a play, and the whole thing is a week long. I work with another freshman at Oakton, Allie Welham, and it takes place at my house. To present it, I’m going to use a tri-fold board. The point is to show the progress of the camp, and how its grown since it opened in 2010. It’s something I’m really into, and proud of.

I’m doing a research project on education that was for my English and government class,” said Megan Geshan. “We had to pick an issue we wanted President Obama to do something about. I chose education because its very relevant, and its important for everyone to be educated to a certain extent, and for students to have options to further their education. We research the status quo, what has been done already, how that is working, and then we came up with our own plans for it. I did [the Exhibition of Learning] last year, so when my teacher gave us the option, I chose to do it this year too. usiast h t n E n megan geshan | senior Educatio spotlight erin preaskorn staff writer 3.21.13

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indepth

Coming out of the dark ages

Technology in the 1980s appears archaic in comparison anee nguyen staff writer to iPhones and other advancements today

In the 1980s, computers were massive hunks of plastic and wiring with keyboards that were built into the base. Their screens varied between very large, bulky displays and smaller, oblong monitors. These technological masterpieces could be used to find social hangouts, dating sites, research resources and computer games. Computers became the new fascination.

Blast from the past Forget “Don’t Stop Believin’” and listen to these other hits In The Air Tonight You’ll Be In My Heart

Personal cell phones didn’t really exist in the 1980s. Most phones were the size of a small cou brick and just as heavy. rtes y of The most similar gadget to a zaz z cell phone in the 1980s was the beep- le.com er. Beepers are instant messaging devices that enabled users to text back and forth with another person. The device got its name from the beeping noise it made every time a message was received.

Fight for Your Right (To Party)

Sabotage

Against All Odds

Any Way You Want It

You Can’t Hurry Love

Intergalactic

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

No Sleep Till Brooklyn Brass Monkey

Faithfully

True Colors

Open Arms

Another Day In Paradise

Who’s Crying Now

One More Night

Wheel In The Sky

Easy Lover

I’ll Be Alright Without You Only The Young

courtesy of official websites and microsoft clip art

courtesy of niclassics

Stayin’ Alive How Deep Is Your Love? courtesy of pocketcalc

In the 1980s it was all about the boomboxes that people could carry on their shoulders and the Walkman players that people could slide into their pockets. The boombox was a huge stereo that blasted music. These were more common in the city areas versus the suburbs like Oakton. The Walkman, however, was extremely popular with almost all high school students. They were portable cassette tape players that included attached headphones and were acceptable in school. The Walkman and boomboxes revolutionized how people listened to music.

Night Fever

Pour Some Sugar

No Matter

You Should Be Dancing

On Me

Hysteria

Bringin’ On The

Animal

Heartache

Rocket

Rock Of Ages

Love Bites

More Than A Women Jive Talkin’ Nights On Broadway

courtesy of xda developers

Essential 80s movies While it seems that high school today may be nothing like in these great 80s movies, several movies from this time are absolutely essential for high school students. Make sure not to miss out on these timeless hits! kim gibbons viewpoint editor

melanie aguilar indepth editor

The Breakfast Club (1985) Saturday school is dreaded by nearly every student, and when five completely different students fill the school library at 7 a.m. on Saturday, they feel the same way. However, it is unknown to these students that as the day progresses, they will share their lives with each other in a way that allows them to recognize that none of them are too different from one another. While the outside world may define them as a brain, and athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal, they recognize that they are not who society decides they are, and they will always know themselves as The Breakfast Club.

Say Anything (1989) Summer love is no stranger to recently-graduated seniors Lloyd Dobler and Diane Court, who face pressures from family, friends and even themselves that they must conquer to stay together. When Diane learns that she was accepted to a study program overseas in England, she and Lloyd try to overcome yet another obstacle to their relationship.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) Ever woken up to a day so beautiful, you just couldn’t bring yourself to go to school? Ferris has. While tricking his parents and escaping the wrath of his high school principal, Ferris and his two friends head to downtown Chicago for a day of parades, beautiful cars and nearly everything else Chicago has to offer to a couple of teenagers. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off adds a unique comedic twist to the oh-so-familiar unwillingness to go to school. movie covers courtesy of amazon.com

indepth 3.21.13

torri marquis staff writer

George Mills is a well-known substitute at Oakton, but what many people don’t know is that he taught biology and coached freshman football here in the 1980s. We asked Mr. Mills for a first-hand account of what Oakton was like thirty years ago.

Q A

What was it like to teach at Oakton in the 1980s?

Q A 16

Oakton High School was a pretty large school in the 80s because they drew central from Fairfax County, so the student body was around 3,300 those days. In 1983 I was Department Chairman of the science department and it was so crowded that we had teachers on carts going around from room to room in the science department, and that wasn’t good because of equipment and things like that. How is Oakton different now compared to what it was like then? Where the library is now there was nothing but a textbook storage room. There were a lot of rooms that were added inside, like there are a lot of rooms upstairs particularly that have no windows. They had to increase classrooms.

indepth 3.21.13

Q A

Which aspects about Oakton have improved and which have worsened? A better thing for Oakton is technology. Oakton is very fortunate to have a lot of the technology that it has compared to other schools. Attendance is a real problem now. It used to be better and more consistent. People were on time to classes and things like that. There was nobody in the hallways between classes. When did you stop teaching at Oakton? I stopped teaching in 2004. I just started subbing in 2008. I wasn’t a fan of substitutes. I never took a day off in the thirty-two years I taught. I never had a sub because I didn’t trust them, so it’s ironic that I am one now.

Q A

Gym

Teaching through the generations

This freshman class warms up with a light jog in matching shorts and shirts. These shorts have lengthened over the past 30 years, but the students are still just as excited to get fit.

Fans

“

vs. 2012-2013

Back in the 80s, there weren’t even gym uniforms. Similar to the basketball teams of the time, gym class was nothing but kids with tall socks and short shorts.

The fan sections at the football games had just as much cougar pride as our fan sections today. These teens were hyped up for a good game and far from camera-shy.

The student section at one of this year’s football games was equal in spirit, but had perhaps a few more costumes and decorations than the fans of much earlier on.

Imagine making phone-calls via payphone every time you want to get in touch with your parents. These students had yet to experience the luxury of texting under their desks.

Nowadays, students can whip out their cell phones to text or call anyone at any time. These devices are common due to ease of access and not needing to leave class just to communicate with buddies. This year’s homecoming week had an “American” themed spirit day with lots of red, white and blue. Being able to dress up still brings out the humor and school spirit within the student body.

Phones

“

I think there was less pressure to go to college than there is now.

1980s

Spirit

ave you ever wondered what school was like when your year,” said junior Laura Merten. Merten estimates that typical parents were teenagers? Many aspects of high school Oakton students will take nine or ten AP classes before they education have changed since the 1980s. The educagraduate. tional experiences that your parents remember from their time One of the reasons for this increase in student determination in school are very different from the academic life that high to take AP classes is a rise in competition between students. school students experience today. More students are trying to get into the top colleges today than For one thing, the AP classes that are common in high schools they were just a decade ago. In 2002, the Ivy League schools today were quite limited in the 1980s. The College Board, a accepted between 10 and 28 percent of applicants. However, non-profit organization based in New York City, has been runby 2010, some of the schools’ acceptance rates had dipped to 7 ning the AP program since 1955, but it took a long time for the percent where they still remain today. program to gain popular“I think there was less pressure ity. Most high schools to go to college than there is now,” in the 1980s offered Foley said. “I think there were between one and two AP more people that were just satisclasses, and some schools fied with graduating and not going david foley | gym teacher didn’t offer any at all. to college, whereas now I think “The AP classes were students have more pressure to get really just getting started,” said David Foley, gym teacher and into college.” Oakton High School graduate of 1986. “I don’t think there With the declining availability in today’s job market, it is no were any AP or honors classes at Oakton then.” wonder that there is so much competition between teenagers Currently, Oakton High School offers AP courses in almost to get into the best colleges and get the best jobs. Along with every subject. The College Board offers 34 AP courses in total. many other aspects of society, the high school academic experiMany students at Oakton will take multiple AP courses during ence has evolved drastically since the more laid-back days of their high school careers. the 1980s. “I’m in three [AP classes] right now, and I’m taking six next

alana peters photo editor

Throwback! Want to know the true differences between Oakton in the 1980s and today? Compare the Oakton life of then and now.

Students also had fun dressing up or down in funky clothes during spirit weeks. Though we can’t verify what theme these 80s students were celebrating, it closely resembles this year’s “mismatched day.”

Napping

The academic environment has changed drastically in the past few decades

Then and Now: Oakton

Taking time during the day for a cat-nap was as similar a value then as it is now. These teens knew the importance of beauty sleep to get through a hard day at school.

Outlook

Education transformation

torri marquis staff writer

The Outlook staff was full of great thinkers and creative minds, but one major difference is the amount of male students occupying staff positions. They also did not have any Outlook Twitter or Facebook pages.

Z Z Z

Students, and especially seniors who are ill with Senioritis, are in great need of some shut-eye to re-fuel for an entire day of learning. Not much has changed when it comes to naps. Your Outlook team today may have a smaller male population, but it is still the same group of hard-working writers as its predecessors. We too enjoy goofy group pictures and posing for a camera.

indepth 3.21.13

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viewpoint

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

OHS 1986 yearbook

alana peters

Time After Time: The high school experience has changed

o you ever imagine your parents as high school cheat in order to stay “competitive” is limited, students today students? Have you ever thought about how different benefit from competition in schools, as it offers motivation for school was for them without the rules and resources we them to take advantage of educational opportunities. have today? Because of today’s technology, is our own education On a more administrative level, safety precautions taken today truly better off than it would have been 30 years ago? are much more intensive than they were several decades ago. While most classes and traditions remain the same, the typical During our parents’ days in high school, rules were simple and “high school experience” has changed dramatically over the more common-sense; something along the lines of “respect past three decades. While Calculus is and was a class option, your teachers and don’t do anything to jeopardize the safety of teachers today use smartboards and fancy TI-84 calculators to you or your peers.” A violation of these rules would result in teach the subject rather than chalkboards and basic calculators. perhaps a stern warning or maybe a school suspension for a few Instead of using a poster to help give a presentation in English days. Now, during the first week of school, all students receive class, students create Power Points, Prezis or even videos. a somewhere-near-40-page handbook of “Student Rights and Technology has changed the way students learn, but it can Responsibilities” that lists everything that is and isn’t acceptable also be detrimental to the teaching and learning processes; it in a school environment and what actions will be taken has expanded the ways in which students should a student break the rules. While it’s can cheat or copy off of one another. While that administration must put The Staff Editorial is understandable technology brings a new wave of teaching such strict rules in to place, it’s unfortunate that to classrooms and provides a plethora of the official opinion of an honest mistake in school today can turn into resources to teachers and students, it is permanent record, while the same mistake the Oakton Outlook amight unfortunately contributing to the decline of have been easily dismissible several the honor system in schools today. decades ago. Also contributing to this decline in morality is the high level of Aside from essentials such as football games and core subjects, competition in schools. For example, it is increasingly difficult high school today is almost incomparable to high school 30 years to get accepted to your college of choice, and this admissions ago. Students may complain about some of these differences, decision is determined by your performance in high school. as the importance of academics over other activities in high While competitiveness in school systems allows students to school has definitely increased over time, but it’s undeniable that strive for success and hopefully learn more in the process, some the resources we have as students today play a fantastic role in students choose to cheat due to increased stress levels caused by preparing us for college and “the real world.” While we may this competition. With so much at stake regarding our futures, have lost some freedoms and fun, these four years of high school this is almost understandable, but it discounts the entire basis will take us far, and it’s important to recognize how lucky we are for competition. However, since the number of students who to be high school students in 2013.

viewpoint

3.21.13

Sprechen sie Deutsch?

laura murphy staff writer

Soon, this question and many others will be a definite “no” due to the recent desicion to phase out several language programs.

s students go through high school, many face the difficult decision of choosing what classes they wish to take. In order to provide students with new educational experiences, most high schools require several language credits for graduation. Unfortunately, with county-wide budget cuts, these language choices are slowly dwindling down to the most common of the romantic languages. These options often include French, Spanish, and, depending on the school, Latin. Oakton previously had several other options to add variety to the typical elective scene, but over the years, these languages have been disappearing. The American Sign Language class was the first to be retired, with lower levels being phased out in 2010, and German classes soon followed, with now only the AP, level four, and level three classes remaining. “It’s really a shame,” said German teacher Ina Laemmerzahl. “German is a very useful language, and unfortunately there is no chance of [reviving] the program.” As of this year, the school has also been considering dropping the Japanese program, unless over 30 students enroll in the level one class. While these languages are not as popular as the other options, they provide an opportunity for students to develop a highly unique education portfolio. This in turn

allows them to stand out from others applying for colleges and succeeding at their future careers. Having alternatives to French, Spanish, and Latin also allows students to gain more global perspectives, instead of the typical Euro-centric education that most American students are accustomed to. While these languages are steadily being phased out, this school year, Oakton has picked up a new Mandarin program, now offering a level one class. This program might offer some hope to those souls who have had the misfortune of already experiencing the loss of their language elective, or those interested in Chinese culture.

Oakton extracurriculars can coexist financially

alk of the new 2.4 million dollar turf field has left some students feeling underappreciated and at a financial disadvantage. There is a common misconception among students that Oakton shows favoritism towards sports and athletic groups. However, that is not the case. With regards to academics, Oakton is given a specific budget by the county each year and must divide that budget by the number of students enrolled in each class. By this system, there isn’t any room for favoritism of sporting electives because the money is distributed from the county and thus is out of the control of Oakton’s administration Then there’s the ultimate question: Does Oakton give more financial support and attention to sports than it gives other extracurricular activities? The answer is simply no. Whether students are on sports teams or in academic clubs, the same fundraising opportunities are offered to them. Some have generated an idea that the school is funneling money into these successful sports teams, when really, the teams just have a larger student body than those of clubs which means that there are more people available to fundraise. Students sometimes see this as unfair because athletics at Oakton have a larger overall budget. However, due to the fact that the athletic department has many more students than each invidual club or group, they raise more money because they’re

viewpoint 3.21.13

courtesy of Yuri Hong

doing so collectively. Take the turf field for example: field hockey, lacrosse, football, and marching band will all benefit from the new turf field and because of this, there has been more of a group effort to raise funding for this renovation. There is nothing unfair about the turf renovation because it is something that the sports department is conducting completely independent from FCPS budgets. Since FCPS funds play no part in the renovation of our fields, it also means that no clubs or programs at Oakton will suffer or lose money at all from this because the budget is going untouched. Now, this is not to say that the resources of the arts programs and academic clubs are completely adequate. The debate team competes without a coach, the art classrooms lack the correct amount of space needed to store materials and the newspaper is given no money from the school whatsoever to print its monthly paper- however, these are problems that the county and particularly the school budget cannot address. These are problems that individual groups have to overcome on their own through fundraising. Minority groups experience a challenge when it comes to fundraising because they have less people, but that isn’t a result of unfair distribution from the school, that’s just the facts of jacque groskaufmanis current enrollment. staff writer

Improving school security the right way School saftey can be improved without infringing on the Constitution

ince the atrocity at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut was committed, there has been a lot of discussion about gun control and school security. Many have suggested that stricter gun laws should be enacted while others claim that schools simply need more armed personnel. There is no definitive answer to ensure school safety because there will always be people who intend to harm others. However, there are definitive statements that can be made regarding school safety and public safety in general. First of all, stricter gun laws simply do not work. Connecticut has tough gun laws, however that did not stop Adam Lanza from breaking them. It is against the law in Connecticut for anyone under the age of 21 to possess a handgun. Lanza was 20. It is also illegal for persons to bring firearms on school property. Connecticut even has a law prohibiting so-called “assault weapons,” but none of these laws stopped the murderer. Restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens will not solve anything; in fact it will make things much worse. When guns are banned the only people left with them are criminals. Innocent people are then left defenseless. If gun control is not the answer, then what is? Well, the single most effective thing that can be done immediately is to make sure that there are armed personnel in every school. Depending on the size of the school, there may need to be more than one security officer. Nothing can guard against attacks better than a gun. The policies and techniques schools put in place can also vastly improve the security of schools. According to FairfaxTimes.

Guns are not the answer

com, “many state-of-the-art security systems function simultaneously within the school system, ensuring the optimal safety of its students.” Jim McClain of the FCPS office of Safety and Security stated in a forum that currently all FCPS elementary and middle schools have an electronic door access system in place. A pilot program is in the works to see if the system would work in high schools such as Oakton. FCPS schools also have “emergency planning templates” that “instruct administrators on how to perform evacuations, lockdowns and ‘Shelter in Place’ procedures.” These policies can help make schools dramatically safer and should be embraced. In addition to putting in place policies, school staff members should be trained for crisis situations and arming a few administrators would not be a bad idea either. Actions can and should be taken to prevent events similar to the one in Newtown from happening without violating the Second Amendment. misa mori

Introducing more arms to school environments is a recipe for disaster

t’s enough of a tragedy that students across the country feel bored or imprisoned in school. But it is nothing short of heinous that they should feel unsafe. This is something all Americans can come to a consensus on - kids should feel safe while they’re learning. But that’s where the agreement ends. How can school districts best ensure the wellbeing of their students? I can say this with complete conviction: the answer has absolutely nothing to do with more guns in schools. The argument for more armed personnel in schools is that if an armed person approaches the school with the intent of shooting it up, the only thing that’s going to stop him is another armed person. That’s valid. The argument against armed personnel revolves around the everyday issues of what could happen with those guns on the more frequent occurrence of when there isn’t a sniper about: kids getting their hands on the guns, accidental injuries, the possibility of said armed personnel being mentally unstable. There is also overwhelming statistical evidence that having guns in a household increases risk of injury or death, and the potential for that ratio to extend to places

alex xenos staff writer

sofia crutchfield viewpoint editor

of learning. Also valid. Here’s one way of looking at it. In general, it’s more common to come across someone with a fear of flying than a fear of driving. Essentially everyone you know drives in a car frequently and without anxiety, even though the risk of dying in a car crash is one in 5,000 compared to one in 11 million for plane crashes. Although less likely, plane crashes are bigger, scarier and covered more heavily in the media than car crashes, which pick away at lives in a less dramatic but more devastating manner. So in our frenzy to keep kids safe from mass murderers, let’s not forget those who die in smaller accidents and localized crimes. We can prevent both fiery massacres and accumulating slip-ups. How about the apartment-buzzer-like system for letting people into the building that FCPS elementary and middle schools have adapted? How about advanced lockdown and police notification procedures? We shouldn’t have to fight fire with fire. We shouldn’t have to surround kids with pistols when they should be learning. Not when we can prevent both the plane and the car crashes, the big and the small.

viewpoint

3.21.13

touchdown 1

*Girls Varsity Soccer 7:00 pm vs. McClean

*Girls JV Soccer 5:30 pm vs. Lake Braddock

*Girls Varsity Soccer 7:30 pm vs. Lake Braddock

Boys Varsity Soccer 7:00 pm vs. Centerville Boys JV Soccer 5:30 pm vs. Centerville

*Varsity Baseball 6:30 pm vs. Herndon *Varsity Softball 6:30 pm vs. Herndon

10 Boys Varsity Lacrosse 4:30 pm vs. St. Andrews Episcopal

*Boys Varsity Lacrosse 7:15 pm Robinson

Girls JV Soccer 5:30 pm vs. Chantilly

Boys Varsity Tennis 3:30 pm vs. Chantilly

*Varsity Softball 6:30 pm vs. Stone Bridge

JV Baseball 6:30 pm vs. Westfield

Girls Varsity Soccer 7:00 pm vs. Herndon

JV Softball 6:30 pm vs. Westfield

Girls Varsity Tennis Concorde District Tennis Tournament: Round 1 Singles/ Doubles 3:30 pm

*Varsity Baseball 6:30 pm vs. Hayfield Secondary

*Boys Varsity Soccer 7:00 pm vs. Herndon

*denotes home game

*Girls Varsity Tennis 3:30 pm vs. Robinson

April 7

A look at some of the upcoming athletic events in April and news from the athletic community

24 Girls JV Lacrosse 6:00 pm vs. Washington & Lee

Boys Varsity Tennis 3:30 pm vs. Centerville

Girls Varsity Lacrosse 6:00 pm vs. Woodgrove

*Boys Varsity Soccer 7:00 pm vs. Lee High

Boys Varsity Lacrosse 7:15 pm vs. Yorktown

*Girls Varsity Tennis 3:30 pm vs. Herndon

*Varsity Baseball 6:30 pm vs. Chantilly

Boys JV Soccer 5:30 pm vs. Wakefield

*Varsity Softball 6:30 pm vs. Chantilly

Girls Varsity Tennis 3:30 pm vs. Robinson *JV Baseball 6:30 pm vs. Centerville

Boys Varsity Tennis 3:30 pm vs. Westfield

*Girls Varsity Lacrosse 7:30 pm vs. Chantilly *JV Softball 6:30 pm vs. Centerville

Boys and Girls Varsity Crew 9:00 am Walter Mess Regatta *Varsity Baseball 2:00 pm vs. Madison

Prom

*Girls JV Soccer 5:30 pm vs. Robinson

Boys and Girls Varsity Crew 9:00 am Darrel Winslow Regatta Boys JV Lacrosse 1:30 pm vs. Gonzaga

Boys JV Lacrosse 11:00 am vs. Dominion

Boys and Girls Varsity Crew 3:00 pm Occoquan Junior Invitational

27 Boys and Girls Crew 9:00 am Al Urquia Regatta (non-Varsity) Charlie Butt Regatta (Varsity)

Girls Varsity Tennis Concorde District Tennis Tournament: Quarterfinals Singles/ Doubles 3:30 pm

Field hockey fundraises for fields

michelle lorusso editor in chief

As the althetic community continues to struggle to raise sufficient funds for the installment of turf fields, the field hockey team contributes $1000 thanks to its fundraising efforts.

ith the Turf Project still lacking significant funds, individual sports are stepping up and pitching in. Through various fundraising efforts, the field hockey team raised $1,000, which they presented to Principal Dr. Banbury on Feb. 26. Installation of the three turf fields is set to begin in May. The stadium field will be converted to turf as well as two of the upper fields, one of which will be lined specifically for field hockey.

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“We are the ones who will benefit from the turf,” said varsity field hockey coach, Kaitlin Fleischmann. “It is important for us as a program to contribute and give back to the school.” The majority of the funds were raised through two bake sales at two home basketball games. “The bake sales were lovely,” Fleishmann said. “We had excellent parent volunteers and really good baked goods. It was all by donation and people were very generous.”

gianna shefield

Field hockey juniors Lindsey Shields, Catherine Miller, Dilara Long, Brooke Mustain, Bailey Uitz and Jennifer Prosser present a giant check for $1000 to Banbury.

Girls’ tennis gets an ace

jennifer prosser touchdown editor

Junior transfer Lizzie Stewart serves as a valuable weapon for the girls’ tennis team

fter losing in regional semifinals to Thomas Jefferson last year, the girls tennis team was out for revenge in their first scrimmage of the year. They blew away their post-season foes 6-3. Leading the way was junior Lizzie Stewart, a new transfer and new team number one. She took on Jefferson’s Rena Liu and beat her 10-1. She also teamed up with senior captain Katie Clark to win the doubles match. Stewart is a fantastic addition to the Oakton tennis team. She has been living, eating, sleeping and breathing tennis since she was four years old. “I’ve been playing forever,” Stewart said. “My mom used to take me out to play, and we would toss balls together.” When Stewart was nine she committed to tennis and began to train full-time at academies. Today, she plays for 4 Star Tennis Academy in Fairfax and trains nearly twenty hours a week. All of Stewart’s hard work is evidenced in her numerous tournament wins and consistently high national rankings; at one point she was among the top 20 in the country, and currently she ranks number one in Virginia. Stewart transferred to Oakton from St. Stephen’s & Saint Agnes, a private school in Alexandria where she was the 2012 Independent School’s singles champion and Player of the Year as well as an All-Met first team member as a freshman and sophomore. She made the switch at the beginning of her junior year so that she could focus on tennis and practice more. “I don’t have an eighth period so I go home and train,” Stewart said. “Most of the girls I play against are home schooled and play 40 hours a week, while I was only playing six. Now I play 16-18 hours a week, and I am a lot more competitive with them.” To many high school students, being so committed to a sport sounds daunting, but to Stewart it is a source of strength. “On the court I am in full control,” Stewart said. “I don’t have to rely on anyone else.” However, as an individual sport, the long, lonesome hours can be boring. Stewart, therefore, relishes the opportunity to play on a high school team with other girls. “We are a really good team,” Stewart said. “We have some really good players, and we all really like each other and get along really well. Oakton tennis this year is going to be really good; I think we could win states.” A state title is not out of reach for the roaring lady cougars, and for Stewart, another undefeated season and more All-Met honors are surely to come.

courtesy of lizzie stewart

Lizzie Stewart makes a play for the ball during practice. “On the court I am in full control,” Stewart said. “I don’t have to rely on anyone else.”

20 2 6 14 BY THE NUMBERS...

wins in twenty-one games for Stewart

wins in two matches for the undefeated team

girls compete on the varsity tennis team

individual game wins for the team as a whole

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3.21.13

Track and Field heads to Nationals At the last meet of the season, Oakton comes to perform Sophomore Allie Klimkiewicz runs full steam ahead as she handles the third leg of the girls 4xMile Relay.

Senior Meghan Jean-Baptiste on the approach for the long jump, one of five events in the pentathlon.

photo courtesy of ed lull

King LoGo

hile most track athletes had finished their tryouts and were well into their outdoor season, a select few raced one last time indoors. On the girls side, All-State athlete Meghan Jean-Baptiste participated in the pentathlon, which requires athletes to complete five events in one day. The pentathlon, which includes events such as the 800 meter run and shot-put, is not quite the usual event for Jean-Baptiste, a sprinter and jumper. “I was signed up to do it as a sophomore, and I liked to do it,” Jean-Baptiste said. While she did improve her score from the year before, it was unfortunately not enough to get the school record. “I was disappointed, but I did okay in my other events so it’s no big deal,” Jean-Baptiste said. Meanwhile the school-record-holding 4x800 relay team made up of sophomore Allie Klimkiewicz, junior Hailey Dougherty

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and seniors Kristy Carrigan and Briana Stewart took the opportunity to run an uncommon event, the 4xMile relay. With three of the four going allstate in the same event, success was all but assured as they came in second place, becoming All-American in the process. The likelihood of success didn’t prevent the runners’ nerves, however. “Personally, I was freaking out before and during the race because I had no idea how things would turn out,” Stewart said. “All of us were completely speechless [when we finished second]; for a while we couldn’t believe it was reality. The feeling is definitely still present, and we are incredibly grateful for the experience.” “I would have never imagined in a million years getting a second place medal at nationals,” Dougherty said. “It was an incredible feeling to see my teammate turn the final corner of the track, running towards an All-American title.” Meanwhile, the boys brought third with state polevaulter, senior Lucas Wratschko, and all-state hurdler, senior Nestor Folta. Both came for one last shot at getting school records, Folta for the 55-meter hurdle record and Wratschko for the indoor pole-vaulting record. Wratschko fell short of his season best as well as the school record of 15’, getting 14’3”. “It was just an off day” Wratschko said. “I’m definitely looking forward to spring, a new PR and the school record, which I tied with indoor.” Folta also fell short of the school record, this time in the 55 meter hurdles. “I wanted to run a clean race, not hit the hurdles,” Folta said. “Running a clean race is not easy; I have only done [it] three times this season.” At the distance level, the boys’ 4x800 team consisting of sophomore Phillip Hrinko, juniors Matthew Livingstone and John Stoney, and senior Oliver Lopez-Gomez hoped to redeem themselves after a disappointing race at states. Unfortunately, the race did not go as planned. Nevertheless, the four boys managed to turn out their second fastest time all season. “States was a crowded race, but here there was no one,” Livingstone said. “I was hoping to run 1:59 [in the 800], but now I’m just ready to start fresh this spring.” “The race was fun, and it was an awesome experience,” Stoney said. “I look forward to the spring and trying to get to nationals again next year.”

oliver lopez-gomez online editor

This vs. That

Water or Gatorade, Nike or Under Amour? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the score? Oaktonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletes share their preferences of this versus that when it comes to playing the game they love. alana peters photo editor

Homework VS Practice

Gatorade VS Water

alana peters

7 3

Nike VS Under Armour

alana peters

Agility VS Strength

10 2

Indoor VS Outdoor

alana peters

Home Game VS Away Game

9 to 2

alana peters

Photos from advertised companies unless otherwise specified

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3.21.13

Meet Oakton’s Spring Sports Stars

alex driscoll As spring sports move forward into the season, upperclassmen step up staff writer

all photos by Alex Driscoll

and take charge of their teams.

Girls Varsity Tennis

Boys Varsity Tennis

Track and Field

“Our practices are a lot more serious this year, and I think it will improve our playing and our chances on going to states,” said senior captain, Gary Yeh.

“I’m looking forward to another district championship win; we’ve taken the title the past couple of years, and I think we can do it again,” said senior captain, Katie Clark.

“This season I think we’ll do pretty well; we have a good incoming class of freshmen. We’re lacking sprinters, but I think we’ll be set for districts,” said Nestor Folta, senior.

Boys Varsity Soccer “I want the team to play to its full potential and try to reach states. For my past years on the team we haven’t reached states, so I hope we can get there this year,” said senior captain, Jay Bundren.

Girls Varsity Soccer “I think we’ll be able to play pretty well,” said senior captain, Alyssa Morgan. “We lost 14 seniors this year, so we have some pretty big shoes to fill.”

Girls Varsity Lacrosse Boys Varsity Lacrosse “As long as we work together and communicate on the field, I think that we’ll be able to go far,” said junior captain, Danielle Palmucci.

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“I think we will be able to play pretty well this season and that it will live up to everyone’s expectations,” said senior captain, Jack Harris.

Varsity Softball “I think we can do really well; we have a few kinks to work out [to] improve our teamwork, but once it’s all worked out I think we’ll go pretty far,” said senior captain, Mary Kate Mehegan.

Varsity Baseball “I think we’ll be pretty good; our players have a lot of talent, and I’m excited to play with them this year. I want to keep the team excited and into the game,” said Mitchell Caroll, senior.

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showtime

Meet Archie, an upand-coming band made up of Oakton students

sofia crutchfield viewpoint editor

Local band has high hopes I magine a typical local pop-punk band, just starting out, doing gigs in the suburbs. Now imagine that band actually has significant talent and ambition, and you’ve got Archie. The band is comprised of Oakton students Nick Jones on guitar and Blair Kilner on bass, Langley senior Seth Coggeshall on guitar and vocals and George Mason University freshman Brandon Austin on drums. Despite these age differences, the band is top priority for all members. “The plan is to pursue the band,” Coggeshall said regarding the future. “We’re all planning on staying in state if we go to school to keep it going,” Kilner added. Most of Archie’s current activity revolves around playing shows in the DMV area. “We’re just trying to play a lot of shows,” Jones said before exitedly discussing a busy summer.

They’ve played all over the area, at venues such as Jammin’ Java, Empire and the 9:30 Club, as well as shows in Harrisonburg and Baltimore. When asked about their favorite venues, the boys all thought of Vienna’s own Jammin’ Java. “Even if there’s only 20 or 30 people, it looks so packed,” Kilner said. “It’s such a comfortable place for me.” Jones agreed, stating that “you can’t see in the back because of the lights, so it makes us feel better about ourselves.” After self-recording their first five-song EP, Dreams Equipped, Archie plans to record a full length album over the summer. Their influences include acts such as Fall Out Boy, All Time Low and My Chemical Romance. Says Kilner: “We’re middle school girls, basically.”

get in the loop: facebook.com/ ArchieTheBand @ArchieTheBand

photos courtesy of the band

LEFT: From left to right, band members Brandon Austin, Seth Coggeshall, Blair Kilner and Nick Jones pose for an official group shot.

RIGHT: The band’s first five-song EP, Dreams Equipped, is available for download on the group’s Facebook page.

showtime 3.21.13

The Shamrock Tradition Oakton students Lorelei Christie and Gianna Sheffield attended the annual Shamrock Fest on March 16th in our nation’s capitol.

his year marks the 14th annual National Shamrock Festival. Shamrock Fest is a St. Patrick’s Day street concert with live music, food, drinks, carnival rides and more. The festival is held every year in celebration and honor of St. Patrick. Shamrock Fest is sponsored by HOT 99.5 and is the largest party Senior Gianna Sheffield in the region featuring over 40 different bands on ten different also attended the Shamstages. This year’s festival took place on March 16 at RFK Stadirock festival on march um in Washington, D.C. Many Oakton students attend Shamrock 16th along side Christie. Fest every year and never fail to have a handful of crazy stories to “I had no idea what share. Among those students to expect. I heard it was were seniors Lorelei Christie and Gianna pretty crazy, but I didn’t Sheffield, who were attending for the first time. : They had a blast and plan to attend the future imagine [this].” Sheffield said. festivals. Sheffield had an unforgettable experience and made memories that will last a lifetime. “The people behind me started a mosh pit, and everyone was getSenior Lorelei Christie ting pushed around. Somehow in the crowd I lost my earring; I was and her friends lucky though because some guy lost his wallet. I hope he found it.” attended the St. Patrick’s Along with losing her earring, Sheffield crowd surfed among thouDay Shamrock Fest on sands of people before the main show. March 16th at RFK “It sounds dangerous, but Stadium in Washington it was actually really funny, DC. and I’ve never seen anything like it. I woke up the “This is my first Shamrock Fest, but I go to all of the other D.C. next morning with bruises 101 festivals so it wasn’t too different,” Christie said. all over, but it was abso After stalking Sublime’s tour for many months searching lutely worth it.” for a local concert, Christie found Shamrock Fest. “Their music has this incredible ability to unite people, and this was a perfect reflection of it. The audience was super into the music during their set, so it was a pretty awesome hour of bliss. I met a lot of really fun people.” Christie realized the power of the music and its effect on the audience. . She had the ability to connect with people she didn’t even know. lauren embroski “I expected people to be more into the other bands, but natalie eberhart most of the excitement was staff writers reserved for SWR. Everyone in the crowd was so friendly and nonjudgemental.”

showtime

3.21.13

Taste Quest: Healthy Cereals

madlin mekelburg editor in chief

With breakfast having been dubbed the most important meal of the day, the number of people who pass on it is shocking. Kick start your day the right way by pouring yourself a bowl of one of these delicious and healthy cereals. It should be noted that soy milk rather than regular milk was used when sampling these delectable cereals.

Quaker Oatmeal Squares: Brown Sugar

media mix

t first glance, these unassuming woven squares of goodness appear to be simple and almost bland, but after the first spoonful your world will turn upside-down. There are several different flavor options, but Brown Sugar is really the only logical choice. The soft sweetness that accompanies every mouthful is too much to resist, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself indulging in a second bowl. But breakfast eater be warned: Although full of healthy grains and fiber, Quaker Oatmeal Squares have the highest calorie count of all the featured cereals. Calories: 212 per 1 cup serving

Barbara’s Puffins: Peanut Butter

ased on the delightful taste of Peanut Butter Puffins, it is clear that Barbara knows her way around cereal. Each square is light, airy and crunchy, providing you with the perfect amount of peanut butter and pizazz. Their rich taste may be a bit much for some breakfast eaters, but the surprisingly low calorie count may keep you coming back for more.

all photos by madlin mekelburg

Calories: 110 per 3/4 cup serving

Honey Bunches of Oats: With Almonds

classic, but a goodie, Honey Bunches of Oats has to be classified as a healthy and delicious cereal. The powerful, sweet taste of each individual flake of cereal and the honey bunches of oats honeylicious punch fit together perfectly and create an undeniably delicious way to start your day. But, with an alarmingly fast rate of sogginess, you have to make sure to finish your bowl as quickly as possible, before your scrumptious flakes turn into a pile of mush. Calories: 130 per 3/4 cup serving

Oz the Great and Powerful Returns

The “Wizard of Oz,” the classic we all know so well, returns to theaters in a captivating abbey bonin staff writer prequel of witches, love triangles and outstanding 3D special effects.

isney has worked its magic again, as the newest installment of the well-known “Wizard of Oz” series premiered in theaters on March 8. The movie is the prequel to L. Frank Baum’s original tale, written at the turn of the century, introducing the wizard. The movie attracted a large and surprisingly mixed, crowd. “Oz” is not limited to any one age or gender. It has many aspects that appeal to people with all kinds of interests. For 3D special effects enthusiasts, the visual effects are spectacular. The movie is visually appealing which made this film the box office hit. Besides the magic of special effects for families with elementary school kids, it has a pleasant, classic Disney message of believing in oneself that undeniably makes everybody feel inspired. At the same time, the movie sparked the interests of the showtime nation’s teens and tweens, 3.21.13

with its comical approaches and relatable conflicts and themes. The story also included subtle aspects of romance, jealousy over love and power and popularity. Aside from the positive highlights, the motion picture has received numerous criticisms from Wizard of Oz fans for its divergence from the traditional story line. I can agree with this criticism, because at times it gets complicated to keep all of the three witches, Glinda, Evanora and Theodora, straight. At first, it is difficult to differentiate from the wicked sister and the sensitive, over-jealous one. In addition, the beginning makes the bad witches seem good and the good one evil. This movie will have the famous Disney themes and newly introduced aspects that make it unique to other Disney films. It will get a bit confusing, but it will all come together at the end to make for the perfect happy ending.

the host I

Stephenie Meyer is back with her all new adaptation directed by Andrew Niccol

n an inventive and fantastic novel, Stephenie Meyer blends both science fiction and romance into a story no one has ever read before. The Host, Meyer’s world renowned adult Sci-fi thriller novel, follows the story of Melanie Stryder (Saorise Ronan), one of the few remaining “wild” humans that is captured by the unseen invaders. Wanderer (also played by Saorise Ronan), the invading ‘soul’ of Melanie’s body is given the task to probe through Melanie’s memories and thoughts, to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. But while Wanderer pursues her task of exposing the resistance, she discovers a greater problemthe prior tenant of her body (Melanie) refuses to relinquish hold of her mind, and isn’t quite willing to give up to the invader. Unable to separate herself from her bodies’ desires and the memories, Wanderer grows affection for the man Melanie lovesJared (Max Irons), a human in hiding with the human resistance that Wanderer has

been tasked to expose. But, when outside forces threaten them both, Wanderer and Melanie become unlikely allies in the search for the man they both love.

Coming to theaters March 29

Stephenie Meyer’s playlist for the Host

Soul Meets Body Death Cabie for Cutie Papercut Linkin Park Futurism Muse

Admission

n this eye-opening book about the nerve wracking college admissions process, Jean Hanff Korelitz, a former outside reader for Princeton University, entwines both the personal and official aspects of the process in one book “Admis-

courtesy of official website

carly stonehouse showtime editor

courtesy of official website

Get the rest at Stephenie Meyer’s official website

An exciting look into the behind-theramya mukalla scenes of the college admissions process staff writer

sion”. Even though it is a fictional story, it is also a painful depiction of how difficult it is to get into an Ivy League School. “Admission” made it to the limelight through the movie version, which features Tina Fey and releases on March 22nd. While the book is more serious and emotional, the movie is supposed to make the story lighthearted. Admission is centered around a 38 year old woman named Portia Nathan who is a Dartmouth graduate and works as an admissions officer at Princeton University. The book has its appeal mainly due to the inside look into the world of college admissions, from school visits to college essays, all from the perspective of an admissions officer. At some points, it’s almost like Korelitz is selling the whole character of Portia. Being an admissions officer, it is a given that she determines the direction of the lives of hundreds of applicants. Korelitz made Portia’s character more likeable by making her weak. Also, it looks like Korelitz is selling Princeton as well. She takes every opportunity to notify the reader that yes,

Princeton is fair in its selection of students and no, Princeton does not give any special treatment to any applicant. All in all, the book is a great read to go alongside with the upcoming movie.

courtesy of official website

showtime

3.21.13

Driving Safe is a Choice We Teach Safe Driving Habbits and Technique

Aloha Driving Academy is known for always providing a calm and nurturing learning environment, one that our keiki (children) can learn safe-driving habits with a little bit of ALOHA. Courtesy goes a long way while out on our busy roads but safety is first. We look forward to serving you. Like us at Aloha Driving Academy (group) for events & offers.

Scheduling is very flexible Teen program: (Hours 6am – 10pm) ⇒ Reaffirm classroom instruction ⇒ Teach safe-driving habits ⇒ Seven separate lessons consisting of 50-minutes behind the wheel and 50-minutes of observation (as required by law) ⇒ Parallel parking, Backing into parking spaces, Interstate and more (not required) ⇒ Pick up and drop off from home, school or work

If we are on the line or out of the office, please leave a message. We will return your call.

www.AlohaDrivingAcademy.com We are licensed, bonded and insured.

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