Out ook Oakton
feature
One senior hitchhikes his way to the Outer Banks in an adventurous spring break escapade.
news The recently elected members of next year’s SGA discuss their plans and aspirations.
opinion Student fundraising is driven by materialistic incentive rather than moral motivation.
sports Girls varsity crew qualifies for state finals and has high hopes for the national regatta.
Volume 46 Issue 9 May 24, 2012
a&e The highly anticipated “The Avengers” meets and exceeds the expectations of avid fans.
letter from the editors
Outlook Staff Editors in Chief Gabriela Driscoll Shannon Ragan
Looking to be more attractive? Here’s some tips. You’re welcome.
girls: 2.
Wake up three hours before sunrise to coat your face with tons of powdery chemicals
3.
Wear the shortest skirt possible without exposing your nether-regions Constantly apply spray tan to get that warm Jersey Shore-orange glow
boys: 1. 2. 3.
4.
Wear a muscle shirt at least two sizes too small so everyone can see your “guns” Get in touch with your inner Paul Bunyan and wear flannel on Friday Under no circumstances should you wear a belt, pants can start no higher than the top of your knees Wear some beach-ready sandals, but don’t forget to accessorize with long, black, old man socks
Yours,
Gabriela Driscoll Michelle LoRusso Madlin Mekelburg Marilyn Yang
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letter may 24, 2012
Sports Editor
Alex Belden Cole Neuffer
Allie Berube Spencer Conley
Business Manager
Feature Editor
Garrett Allen Ria Bhatia
your hair to a crisp. Don’t stop until 1. Straighten your hair resembles that of a scarecrow
4.
News Editor
misa mori
Madlin Mekelburg Copy Editor
Opinions Editor
Marilyn Yang
Kim Gibbons
InDepth Editor
Online Editor Oliver Lopez-Gomez Photo Editor
Michelle LoRusso A&E Editor Emma Mankin
Isabella Kidane
Adviser Lauren Luna
Staff Melanie Aguilar Erin Bennett Sofia Crutchfield Reina Datta Conner Dick Rawan Elbaba Lauren Embroski Christian Forbes Karli Gillespie Daniel Greene Caroline Hipwell Callum Kelton
Christina Lee Nathan Lilande Jackson Lizardo Kari Maharaj Ramya Mukalla Reid Perkins Alana Peters Emma Pfeifer Jennifer Prosser Andy Reed Carly Stonehouse 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 shannon. ragan@oaktonoutlook.com or dropped off in Mrs. Luna’s box in the main office or in room 196. The Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and content provided the meaning remains unchanged. Cover Photo By Isabella Kidane
Out ook table of contents
news
Meet the new SGA representatives and find out what they have planned for next year
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sports Find out what Oakton teams have ahead of them as the spring season wraps up
indepth There are several factors that influence how people view themselves, find out what they are
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opinion Senior pranks have gone from hilariously ridiculous to virtually nonexistent
feature Extravagance is the latest and greatest trend for Prom proposals
a&e
20 24
“The 39 Steps� is a bittersweet end for graduating drama students
isabella kidane
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news 1.
in brief
Remembering a devoted band director
Oakton’s own Cheryl Newton will be retiring at the end of this school year after twenty eight years of dedicated service to the Oakton band department. As band director, Newton enabled the band department to win numerous awards and recognitions over the years, a legacy that will hopefully be continued in the years to come after Newton’s commitment to the excellence of Oakon band. Due to her work, Oakton bands were able to receive high scores this past year during the Festival of Music. On June 2, there will be a picnic to celebrate Newton’s dedication to the band program as well as to commemorate her work with Symphonic band and Concert band I and II.
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Govenor’s School awardees
On May 4, eleven Oakton students were invited to attend Governor’s School due to their outstanding academic achievements. The program offers classes for students who have exhibited a higher interest in academia and learning, while allowing students to earn college credit for some of the classes they take while attending. “I am looking forward to going to the Governor’s School in Lynchburg College because it provides wonderful opportunities,” said junior Prathibha Chintagunta. “The program brings together a diverse group of students who share similar interests in math, science and technology and it houses some of the brightest students in the area.” The Governor’s schools of Virginia offer a wide range of curricula for students to choose from once they have undergone the application process. “While studying at the Governor’s School at Radford College for Humanities, I will be exploring how great leaders, such as Ghandi and Martin Luther King, solve world conflicts,” said junior Ambareesh Gorle. “I am definitely excited for what this opportunity will hold for me.”
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news may 24, 2012
3.
First annual National Heritage Scholarship
Congratulations to Garrett Allen, Class of 2012, for winning Oakton High School’s $5000 National Heritage Scholarship. This is the first annual award of the scholarship that will benefit a student from Oakton, Westfield and Chantilly High School every year. The scholarship is intended to reward students that excel in government and history. The National Heritage Scholarship program was started to inspire high school students in the science of government. Allen will receive the award from our U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf at the Oakton Awards Night on May 29. Allen was the Oakton awardee from a pool of nine applicants. Three finalists were interviewed to determine the final winner; the other Oakton finalists were Angela Roller and Ankit Gulati. The scholarship is sponsored by a non-profit charity, The Dansey Foundation. Rick Dansey, CEO and Founder, said, “Garrett’s passion for history and government was readily apparent in his interview. All finalists were strong, but Garrett is dedicated to being a part of the process to make our government work.” Allen did excel in AP Government and AP US History, but his additional traits made him a finalist, such as his selection to Virginia Boy’s State and his internship for VA Delegate Jim LeMunyon. Allen intends to study finance and political science at the University of Virginia in the fall.
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National Merit scholar announced
The National Merit Scholarship was awarded to senior Gabby Tate in April after she showed exceptional academic abilities on the PSAT her junior year. Between March and mid-June students are notified that they have been awarded a National Merit scholarship after qualifying as a Finalist. “When I initially found out I was confused because National Merit told the school I am attending in the fall I had won before they had told me, and I didn’t find out until they sent me another financial aid statement which included the National Merit scholarship,” said Tate. The National Merit scholarship is a onetime $2,500 academic scholarship that is awarded to approximately 8,000 students nationwide. “I will be attending Vanderbilt in the fall, so even though I was already given a substantial scholarship this [scholarship] was still a great help,” said Tate.
AP Bio and APES classes experience Wallops Island Students travel to a hands-on marine biology field station for a unique opportunity to encounter real science.
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rom April 25 to 28, juniors and seniors in AP Biology and AP Environmental Science ventured out to Wallops Island in Chincoteague, Va. for their annual two-night and three-day learning and bonding experience. Students resided in the dorms provided by the Marine Science Consortium. On the first day, students went out on a boat to one of the salt marshes to test the water for salinity and visibility. “In the afternoon, we went to an intertidal zone where we collected organisms,” said senior Amanda Labb. “[After the trip] we had a lab where we tried to identify all the [ones] we found.” The trip mainly consisted of understanding the effect humans have on marine biology. “We went to the beach where we collected shells to learn about the various organisms and also to learn about how humans can affect the coast line and barrier islands.” Labb said.
While students listened through multiple lectures from their group leaders about tides, organisms and the locations they visited, they also had the chance to relax in front of a campfire and take a mud bath in a nearby marsh. “The marsh was my favorite,” said senior Ashley Yim. “It smelled really bad but it was really fun to jump in and get muddy. We all had a difficult time wading through and a lot of us got stuck. I think everyone had fun at the marsh.” Despite the cold and rainy weather on the first day, students had a memorable experience. “My favorite part of the trip was seeing the wide variety of the organisms that live in the salt marsh,” Labb said. “My group collected a sea horse which was really amazing. We found these comb jellies that look like some sort of guck but are actually organisms that are translucent and can glow in the dark.” christina lee staff writer
all photos courtesy of Jeanine Musgrove
Seniors Nadia Schwapp, Sarah Mahmood, Ashley Yim and Amanda Labb search for fresh water organisms such as fish and seaweed at an intertidal.
Senior Angela Roller and junior Kayla Plecity enjoy a mudbath at a marsh in Wallops Island.
Instructor Jim shows senior Mary Yoon and students the mechanics of using different tools for the boat ride at a lecture for Oceanography and Equipment.
Students wind down around a campfire after a long day.
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news may 24, 2012
Oakton elections: leaders of tomorrow
alex belden news editor
On Friday May 4, students voted for who they wanted to run the school in the upcoming year. Winners of the election are in charge of planning school dances, class activities and school wide events.
Kristi Carrigan: SGA President “It was exciting to win because this is something I wanted to do. I want to get the school to have more school spirit and work to get more activities for every grade level.”
Alison Datoc: SGA Vice President “It feels great to win, after all the time it took to campaign. I want to make an impact on our senior year. I want to leave a memorable class gift and have more interactions between students and teachers.”
Jeff Gehring: 2013 President “Winning an election is a pretty cool feeling, it is nice to know your peers respect you enough to elect you. As president I get to work on graduation stuff like finding a commencement speaker.”
Sarah Kim: 2013 Vice President
Ellis Heijst: 2014 President
Katherine Dunwoody: 2014 Vice President “To win feels really exciting. Next year I am going to be planning and decorating prom, also I am going to be focusing on running activities and getting as many students to participate.”
“It feels fantastic to win. I am happy to be reelected. It is great that I already know my other officials so I don’t have to start from scratch. Next year we are finishing planning prom, we already have the venues, we just need the theme and decorations.” Gilian Townsend: 2015 President
“I feel really thankful. I was really surprised that I won. I can’t wait to put my ideas to use as VP and make it a really good year.”
Kate Wilkinson: 2015 Vice President “I was the only one running. I am excited to lead my peers and get more involved with my school. I plan to encourage spirit for my class hopefully [Oakton] overall will have more spirit.”
“It felt good to run, I was the only one running so I would have been surprised if I didn’t win. Next year I want to make the school better for my class and improve the school.”
DECA goes to nationals
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ECA, an organization that prides itself on “[preparing] emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the world,” held its nationals in Salt Lake City, Utah, from April 27 to May 2. Seventeen fellow students worked with people from around the world, 14,000 people attending the event in total, to get down to business. “It really was a great experience as a marketing student to do real life business projects, as well as meet so many people,” said senior Emily Richey, the president of the DECA club. “I’m so proud of all the people that competed, not only at nationals but also at states and districts,” Richey said when asked about her fellow members. “Everyone really tried their best and worked hard to get where they got. One member, Imren Johar, placed in the top ten for one of his role plays at the event. We were all really proud of him.” With the club growing in size, and Richey graduating with the class of 2012, the fate of the club’s success lies in the hands of the underclassmen.
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news may 24, 2012
cole neufer staff writer
“I’m sure they will all do a great job. I’m confident that Oakton will send another large group of students to nationals next year,” Richey said.
anne fiehrer DECA students come together for a group photo while attending nationals in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Caring for the Community
Many students at Oakton participate in community service opportunities throughout the year, however a few students have gone above and beyond in giving back to their community
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hile many students spend their afternoons and weekends organization for impoverished children. playing sports or hanging out with their friends, some “Recently, I went to visit my sister, who is attending the students prefer to aid their communities by participating in University of Ghana, and we volunteered at an organization called community service activities in their Future Leaders,” said Krailick. “This photo curtesy of stephen kralick. free time. organization actually pays for their Sophomore Christina Fleckenstein schooling once the kids are ready, so has been benefitting the community by we were teaching the kids necessary working at a therapeutic riding center skills, such as how to write, read and for kids and adults with physical and do simple math, like adding two digit mental disabilities. numbers. Overall, I thought that “I volunteer at a therapeutic riding the experience as a whole was very center in Northern Virginia called rewarding.” NVRTC. The program’s participants Freshman Briana Velez often takes range from kids to adults and the the time to help her local community classes are generally basic riding by volunteering with her church “While we were there we helped tutor the kids, many of whom lessons like steering, and stopping and are orphans or do not have the means to put themselves through which helps people in foreign going but there are also riders who don’t private education,” said Kralick. countries as well as people in need in even require a leader,” said Fleckenstein. her local area. “So the rider’s abilities really range. While the program is run “With my church, we go to homeless shelters and Sierra Leone through the county so there is a high demand and a waiting list to Africa. My church started a hospital in Africa which has benefitted participate.” many people in the area,” said Velez. “We also go to elementary Whereas, Junior Stephen Kralick has been aiding the global schools to help tutor kids, which has really improved a lot of the community by traveling to Africa and volunteering with an student’s grades.” erin bennett staff writer
Oakton Band Performs at Festival of Music
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he students of Oakton Band dominated in Chicago’s annual Festival of Music competition this past April. After performing for an audience of judges at Harper’s College, Oakton’s Jazz Band B and Concert bands I and II scored a rating of ‘Excellent’. This was surpassed only by Oakton’s Symphonic and Jazz A bands, both receiving the highest accolades of ‘Superior’. Taking place in more than 10 different cities across the nation, the Festival of Music is a ranked competition that houses a cornucopia of musical groups from the elementary school division to the high school level. The judges, experienced individuals with a background in the arts, adjudicate on a grading scale of ‘Poor’, ‘Fair’, ‘Good’, ‘Excellent’ and ‘Superior’. During their last scored performance, Oakton’s Jazz A stole the show when senior saxophonist Bobby Fuchs had a solo performance. His solo battled with the rhythm section’s bass line, freshman Charlie Hackemer, as he thrummed into a motley assortment of classic tunes ranging from the Super Mario theme to rock band Kansas’ “Carry on My Wayward Son.” “It felt great to actually perform my solo battle with [Hackemer] in front of an audience,” said Fuchs. “It’s always entertaining during practice, but with the addition of an audience it provides an adrenaline rush that gets me really pumped up.” With one final lascivious note, the crowd erupted, which sent the judges into a scintillating flurry of comments and critique; Fuchs was awarded the 2012 Festival of Music Soloist award the next day. For Band Director Cheryl Newton, Chicago was the best way to go out. Newton plans to retire following the end of the 2012 term, after several years of hard work in Oakton’s music department. andy reed staff writer
photo curtesy of oakton band
Oakton Band students took a moment to congragukate themselves for their impressive preformance during the festival of Music in Chicago.
For more information on the Oakton Band program and a complete schedule of upcoming events, check out www.oaktonbands.com
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news may 24, 2012
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Oakton athletics take Districts by storm BOYS AND GIRLS TENNIS Katie Clark and Danny Naja both secured first place at the district tournament, this is the third title for Clark who won 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 against Chantilly’s Sara Segalini. Naja won against Chantilly’s Conor Moran 6-4, 6-2 for his title. In doubles competition, Clark teamed up with Alina Suyama to secure their third straight doubles title of the district as well 6-1, 6-4.
GIRLS LACROSSE Girls Lacrosse won the district as a top seed finishing with a record of 13-2 after a hard fought win, 14-7, against Centreville who they previously lost to 13-14 in the regular season, and a blow out against Hayfield 20-8.
GIRLS SOCCER
Girl’s soccer went 9-2-2 in the regular season and are currently 10-3-2 after their first win in the district tournament against Herndon 1-0 who they beat in the regular season 6-1. In the second round the girls lost to Robinson 2-3 and are looking to battle through to the regional tournament on May 24.
BOYS LACROSSE Boy’s lacrosse won 9-8 against Westfield for the district title who they lost to in the regular season 8-11 for an overall record of 13-6 and top seed in the region. In the region the Cougars clenched a 4th quarter win against Edison after a delayed game7-6 and also won against Annandale in the 2nd round of the tournament 12-7.
TRACK Girls and boys track has kept on par with their successful regular season sending the majority of the team on to the regional meet with exceptional qualifying times. Danielle Fitzgerald and Michael McNamee are just a few of the finalists to watch in the upcoming regional and district meets.
BASEBALL Varsity baseball finished 11-9 in the regular season, and won their first round district game against Chantilly 5-3, making them 12-8. The Cougars met Westfield in the district semifinal round where they lost a hard fought game that they hope to take back in the regional tournament.
SOFTBALL Girls softball has a promising post season coming up with a 12-3 regular season record going into the district tournament in the semifinal round after a first round bye. In their first game, the Cougars secured a 10-0 win over Robinson, who they were 1-1 record in the regular season.
BOYS SOCCER Boys soccer finished 10-2-1 in the regular season and went into the district as top seed. In the second round of district play the boys took a hard fought loss against Herndon 4-1 ending their last year’s undefeated district title. Robinson, who they lost to 0-1, is the only thing standing in their way of the regional tournament.
spencer conley sports co-editor
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sports 3.
Boys lacrosse finds success
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in brief
Oakton is finalist in Wells Fargo Cup
The Wells Fargo Cup is awarded each year to the Virginia school that accumulates the most points based on the performance of the school’s athletic programs in state tournaments. Entering the spring season Oakton, having never won the cup, holds an 82.5 point lead over 12 time Champion Frank W. Cox. Thus far Oakton has benefited the most from state titles by both girls’ basketball and swim and dive, worth 50 points each. Strong performances by boys swimming as well as boys’ indoor track contributed 75 more points. The final standings will be released in June after spring championships have finished.
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Baseball battles back
It has been an up and down season for the baseball team, as the Cougars surged to a 6-1 start this season before dropping six consecutive games, including five against district opponents. However, baseball regrouped with seven wins in eight games, including a 6-0 run in the Concorde district. The Cougars were dominant over that streak, with the six wins coming by a combined score of 44-16, including a 15-3 win over Robinson. The success allowed Oakton to face Chantilly, in the opening round of district play. After jumping out to a 5-3 lead the game was cut short due to lightning. However, after a vote determined the game would be finished the following day, the cougars closed out the victory to advance to the district semifinals. In the semifinals the incredible run was halted, as the team fell to Westfield 7-5.
isabella kidane
After an 0-3 start it appeared that boy’s lacrosse might stumble to another mediocre finish. However, two separate six game winning streaks the team has advanced to the region semifinals. Despite the poor start the team managed to finish the regular season at 8-6, including a 2-3 record inside of the Concorde district. Consecutive victories over Centreville and Chantilly put the Cougars into the district finals against 11-4 Westfield. A 9-8 victory over the Bulldogs propelled Oakton into regional play, where wins over Jefferson and Annandale have the team set for a semifinal match against Langley.
Girls lacrosse continues to dominate post-season Coming off of a state finals appearance last season, girls’ lacrosse
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has enjoyed a similarly successful season thus far. Following a 4-2 start, which included the team’s lone loss of the season in district play, the Cougars have won nine straight games. The team has not only been winning, but they’ve been completely dominating everyone they’ve played. The closest margin of victory over the winning streak has been a five goal win over Westfield. After earning a first round bye in district play, the Cougars cruised to wins over Centreville and Westfield. The team has continued to impress in regional play, beating Stone Bridge and Hayfield by a combined score of 39-18. The Cougars will face 15-1 Madison in the regional semifinals on May 23.
Caps &Nats
The Capitals playoff run came to an end in game seven against the number one seeded New York Rangers. After a Joel Ward goal sealed a thrilling game seven win over the Boston Bruins, the defending champions, the Capitals came up just short against the top seeded New York Rangers, losing 2-1 in the deciding game. The closeness of the final game was typical of the Capitals time in the playoffs, as 13 of the 14 games were decided by just one goal, with five games going to overtime. Inexperienced goalie Braden Holtby started all 14 games for the Capitals and let up less than two goals per game. callum kelton staff writer
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After a hot start the Nationals have slowed down, dropping four of their last seven and falling one and a half games behind the Braves in the National League East. Two of those losses came in interleague play against the surprisingly successful Orioles. The main source of the team’s problems continues to be the offense, which ranks 21 in runs scored and 20 in batting average on the season. Bryce Harper, recently called up from the minor leagues, has experienced mixed results. Harper has hit just .244 with two home runs, but also provided one of the most exciting moments of the season by stealing home against the Phillies. The team was also hit with bad news, as catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. However the pitching staff continues to excel, as both Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez rank top 10 in the majors with ERAs under two.
New Additions
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Oakton’s new Calculus and Algebra 1 teacher, Dean Grenfell, shares his love for volleyball and steps up as the assistant coach for the varsity team.
akton Volleyball welcomes the new Calculus and Algebra He is getting to know some of the players. Rachel Johnson, 1 teacher, Dean Grenfell, to the team as the assistant Junior, who played middle blocker for Oakton’s varsity team last varsity coach for this upcoming season. fall, is excited for the new additions and changes to the Volleyball has played a big role in Grenfell’s life and team. he is excited to help out and coach for Oakton. “I think it is going to be a fun mix-up to have “I want to coach because I enjoy teaching new coaches,” said Johnson. “I think since we people about volleyball,” said Grenfell, “I didn’t go to states or go too far in last year’s enjoy the sport, I want to stay involved season, with it, and I want to be hopefully this year with new coaches and I enjoy the sport, I want to stay involved in something other than math new players coming up to varsity we will involved with it and I want to be at Oakton.” work better as a team and go farther with involved in something other than Grenfell is bringing his passion and his our volleyball careers.” math at Oakton. extensive background in volleyball to the Grenfell looks forward to coaching and dean grenfell, teacher table through this new coaching helping the team progress to their full opportunity. potential so that they are ready for this “I played three years of high school and upcoming season and can win some titles started the club team at Bloomsburg University for Oakton. and played all four years there,” Grenfell said. “From what I heard, last year we made it to By attending the spring practices he is becoming districts,” Grenfell said. “So this year I want to make it furfamiliar with the team and getting a feel for how they play. ther in districts, and bring home a trophy.” lauren embroski staff writer
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Girls crew second boat successful season comes to an end
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he second varsity girls crew boat qualified for State Finals by placing third in state heats at Sandy Run Regional Park in Occoquan on May 12. The boat, headed by junior coxswain Emory Lee and rowed by juniors Ria Bhatia, Gurvina Atwal, Sofia Diez, Kami Richter, Kristina Crump, Caroline Dilworth and Eleni Voudouris, and senior Elizabeth Brobeck, was the only Oakton boat to qualify for finals, but fell short of qualifying for the national competition with a sixth place finish in the finals race also at Sandy Run on May 12. The boat performed at a high level for the majority of the year and attained a ranking of number two in the state for much of the beginning of the year. The mens and womens first varisty boats also won the pettite finals at states, advancing them to the nationals reggatta in New Jersey on May 25. “It’s really exciting to be on such a successful boat,” Lee said. “We were the only Oakton boat to make it to finals and we performed well so it was just really an exciting year.” However, this success doesn’t come without hard work. As with any sport, hours of tireless work throughout the year are required for a boat to race to its full potential. “We have winter conditioning from November through Februcathy powers
ary and we got on the water on March 5,” Brobeck said. “You can’t just go out on the water and expect to win. To row well you need to be in shape. So we go to the gym and work out aside from rowing practice.” It is this hard work that helps to maintain the rhythm and inunison repetition necessary to perform well in races. “We try to stay perfectly in sync and connect,” Brobeck said. “If a boat isn’t in sync then it is slowed way down.” This bond is not simply physical. It transcends and permeates the body, mind and soul of everyone on a boat. “The boat is very fragile,” Lee said. “It really has to be eight people working together as one. It is a lot of unity and silent communication. As a coxswain I have to help make sure this bond is maintained and keep the girls inspired.” The fragility of a boat’s unity was made evident by the loss of second seat sophomore Jill Krajewski in the middle of the season to a concussion. “Our boat definitely got slower,” Brobeck said. “But we just kind of had to go with it.” Still, the boat finished 16 at the Stotesbury cup Regatta in Phildelphia, the largest high school regatta in the world. The girls second varisty boat races at the Al Urquia Regatta, where it came in second place. From the left, Emory Lee, Ria Bhatia, Gurvina Atwal, Aly Rodriguez, Mercedes Campos-Lopez, Kami Richter, Kristina Crump, Jallene madiln mekelburg Fuhrmann, and Eleni Voudouris rowed in the race as a mixed lineup.
jackson lizardo staff writer
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A break from student athletics Athletes look forward to summer break.
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sportslogos.com
Dan
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he end of the school year is near, and students are starting to look back at all of their experiences from September to today. Student athletes in particular have reflected on their battle with physical exhaustion and lack of time for personal activities. From Monday to Friday, and the occasional Saturday, every team had either a practice or a game. But the hard work does not end there; almost all athletic programs begin conditioning several weeks before the season even starts. Danielle Fitzgerald, senior, is the perfect example of a dedicated student athlete. She practices about two hours a day, three times a week sometimes not completing her homework until the later hours of the night. “I normally go to bed at 11:30,” Fitzgerald said. “It depends on how much homework I have.” Going through this routine everyday during the week can be-
christian forbes staff writer
come very exhausting. “I am so excited when the weekend comes around,” said Fitzgerald. Garret Dillon, junior, has an average of three and a half hours of homework every day on top of rugby practice. “I am physically sore and tired after practice. But I can’t afford to not do my homework,” Dillon said. “So I go to bed at about midnight on the days when I have practice.” As if his late nights aren’t enough stress and pressure, Dillon also has to wake up at 5:30 every morning. Being a student athlete is time consuming. But, to most of the athletes, it is gratifying when they are able to succeed both on the field and in the classroom. Oakton student athletes are very successful on the field, with several teams reaching districts. Both the girls swim and dive and girls basketball team rolled through the competition to win states. Academically the teams strive to balance academics with team commitments. A majority of the teams have a mandatory study hall for their players before games, ensuring that the athletes have time to both study and complete assignments. “Doing well in school and winning games makes it all worth it,” Dillon said. “I can’t imagine not playing a sport.”
Are the Redskins to be revived?
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After a troubled past with qaurterbacks, the Redskins look for Robert Griffin to be the answer
he future has arrived. Washington has finally gotten its franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III, commonly known as RG3. Griffin has been praised by scouts as a can’tmiss prospect that the Redskins had to greatly reach out to get. Most analysts and fans believe that Griffin will be the one to bring back glory to Washington; they believe he will be the one to bring the franchise its first Super Bowl in over 20 years. The Redskins had to pay dearly to get Griffin. They had to trade three first round picks and their second round pick for this year just to secure Griffin at the number two pick. They faced competition with the Cleveland Browns for the pick from the St. Louis Rams, but ultimately won the bidding war. Even
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though the Redskins had to give up four picks, the deal was worth it. The Redskins have gone through numerous quarterbacks since Mark Rypien (last Super Bowl winning quarterback) left the team after the 1993 season. Since that time, the Redskins used multiple, high draft picks on quarterbacks. This included Heath Shuler in 1994, Patrick Ramsey in 2002 and Jason Campbell in 2005. As fans remember, all three of those quarterbacks ended up badly. With this trend of bad drafting it would seem that RG3 might fall in this pattern as well, however Griffin is a truly different talent. When comparing Griffin to the other quarterbacks who have been drafted by the Redskins, his statistics are far superior. Yes, football has evolved into
a passing game, but Griffin had a better completion percentage and QB rating than the prior Redskins drafted quarterbacks coming out of college. He also had more passing yards and touchdowns while throwing fewer interceptions. In addition, Griffin’s running ability has been compared to that of Michael Vick. In fact, Griffin ran an unofficial 4.41 40 yard dash, being the fastest at the combine among quarterback’s. Griffin’s great throwing ability and natural athleticism make him a far better quarterback coming out of college than any other quarterback the Redskins have drafted. If the Redskins are to be revived as a franchise, then RG3 is going to be the guy to do it.
nathan lalande staff writer
OVERTIME: off season training
jennifer prosser staff writer
Whether the season just ended or is about to begin, summer is a valuable time for all athletes. Summer leagues, team camps and college programs offer opportunities for players of all abilities to train and improve out of season. Whether you have been playing for your whole life or have just begun, there is still an opportunity to develop. But above all, remember that champions are made when no one is watching.
Cross Country Gotta Run XC Camp: In the mountains of West Virginia, Gotta Run offers scenic runs as well as intimate race training with guest speakers and specialists. In addition to daily morning and afternoon runs, campers experience the traditional recreations of camp including bonfires, lip synchs and skits. The Oakton XC team goes August 12-17 and the $525 covers all camp costs. www.gottaruncamp.net High Performance Distance Academy: Start off the summer with running camps July 9-14 and July 23-28 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. In addition to two-a-day runs campers can go for hikes, inner tube in the river, play various sports, and have traditional camp experiences. $490 pays for dorms, food, training and activities. www.runaboutsports.com/overview.html Captains’ Runs: These summer runs are led by returning members of the medaling state team begin in June, check for details on www.oaktonathletisc.org.
Volleyball Northern Virginia Volleyball Association offers three-day skills camps and multi-session academies at area high schools throughout the summer for players of all ages and abilities.
Football
Footballcamps.com is a database with hundreds of one to four day camps for players of all positions at all levels at various locations across the country throughout the summer.
Summer swim
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ong hours and early mornings, the life of a swimmer is full of dedication and hard work. But in the summer, everything changes. The long hours are spent outside in the sun, mornings are still early but now they are spent with friends; summer swim team is when “swimming gets fun again.” Neighborhood pools each have their own team, and Oakton is home to members of several summer swim teams including the Franklin Farm Froggers, Oakton Otters, Fair Oaks Sharks, Fox Mill Fintastics and Mosby Wood Raiders. The friendly rivalry and fun competition is very appealing to many competitive swimmers. “I like summer swim because it’s less intense and less work than other teams,” said sophomore Cameron Santoro, member of the Oakton state swim team and Fox Mill Fintastic. But summer swim also offers an enjoyable team environment for the less competitive swimmers who just want to be with their friends. “I didn’t want the commitment of winter swim team so just swimming summer league with friends is great,” said sophomore Taylor Manley, a Fair Oaks Shark. “It’s fun to swim with so many people, whether they are on my team or the team that we are swimming against,” Santoro said. “Whoever doesn’t do summer swim is missing out.”
Field Hockey Capital Summer League: Comprised of high school teams playing 8 v 8 games, Capital allows for team development and competition in the preseason. Capital runs May 29- June 30 with games on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Draper Drive Field in Fairfax and George Mason. The $120 registration fee covers pennies, jerseys and coaching. www.capitalfieldhockey.com Meharg School of Hockey: UMD, reigning NCAA champ, offers valuable skill training culminating in tournament play in the weeks leading up to tryouts. Camp sessions are July 22-25 and July 29- Aug. 1 at the UMD College Park Campus. The $505 camp cost covers housing, meals, training and pennies. www.advancedplay.org/HOME.html VCU Team Camp is July 11-14, see Coach Sommers for details. Oakton also hosts the annual Cougar Camp June 18-21 and June 25-28 for 3-10 graders. Oakton students are welcomed to play or help coach at camp.
courtesy of oaktonpatch.com
The 2011 Oakton Otters Senior Meet featured neon paint, dance parties and a ceremony where seniors ran through a human tunnel to leap into the pool.
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sports may 24, 2012
Mirror, mirror on the wall
melanie aguilar-rojas staff writer
Students share their own and others’ self-image issues
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he appears confident on the outside. She’ll be seen laughing with her friends and boyfriend, but many of them don’t know how she feels about herself. And many would be shocked. “I don’t feel like I’m pretty enough,” said Miranda Johnson. “I feel like I can be skinnier, but with bigger features.” Even when she is outside of school she doesn’t feel confident in how looks, especially on Facebook. “I usually post pictures of my face, but I don’t like my face either,” Johnson said. “I have really chubby cheeks and a lot of people say I do. I just hate my cheeks.” She doesn’t always lack confidence though; instead, it feels like an endless cycle. “Sometimes when I get ready I feel attractive, but then I look again in the mirror and I feel ugly,” Johnson confessed. “I don’t know why I don’t feel beautiful.” Johnson also realizes that although she can hide the perception of herself well, others a lot closer to her can sense it. “Everybody in my family makes fun of me because I’m so self-conscious,” Johnson said. “I think everybody kind of feels self-conscious in their own way. Some girls prefer bigger boobs, a prettier face, or a flatter stomach.” But not only girls want to change their physical appearance. “My boyfriend feels like his arms are too small,” Johnson said. “He wants abs and he thinks he’s chunky. I tell him he’s crazy.” Besides confiding in each other about their insecurities, Johnson and her boyfriend try to boost each other’s confidence. “We usually convince each other that we’re ‘pretty,’” Johnson said with a laugh. “Obviously I have a physical attraction to him.” Even though Johnson has been dealing with self-image issues since middle school, she believes they will go away later on in life. “Sometimes I think my standards are unrealistic, but it’s not as bad as it used to be,” she said. And although many students face insecurities about their physique or appearance, other students like Alvin Chip do not. “I feel confident in myself, but I have some friends who aren’t as confident,” Chip said. “My one friend tries to play it off, but he feels self-conscious because he’s pretty short. He wants to be taller and stronger and faster and everything else.”
Nonetheless, Chip does not confront his friend. “I don’t tell him anything because he’s never asked me for help,” he said. “It’s kind of embarrassing to ask for help.” Chip thinks that lacking desired physical features shouldn’t be the only determining factor in how a person thinks about him or herself, but he does have opinions on what some girls might find attractive in a guy. “I think guys my age get girls by being in shape, being goodlooking and having a lot of charisma,” Chip added. “If you’re not good-looking, then you better be extra charismatic and funny.” Being an athlete has also changed Chip’s perspective on selfesteem. “I think athletic guys have an advantage over non-athletic guys because they probably have more confidence,” he said. “I consider myself pretty athletic, but I don’t feel advantaged over other guys because I don’t have a humongous ego.” Something he feels his peers can control and do feel confident about is their hair. “Guys get their haircuts based on what they think will look good,” Chip said. “Sometimes they think it will attract the women they like, but they don’t say it.” However, Chip thinks that guys should not care so much about what they look like. “Guys usually complain about their abs and arms,” he said. “They’ll say ‘Oh man I’m so frail’ or other guys will say ‘You’re too frail.’ People should just be happy with themselves. My friend needs to get over his shortness and accept that that’s the way he is and like it because it’s not going to change.” Yet, according to WebMD, growth spurts in males peak at 13 and that’s around the age that many boys are first entering high school. It’s also important to note that many physical characteristics are still developing in these high school years, which make it common for students to feel uncomfortable or self-conscious about their bodies. Watch any 80s high school movie and you’ll see kids with the same issues and concerns; the only difference might be that a camera was following them. *names changed for anonymity
What influences self-image? Disabilities
Temporary injuries or lifelong intellectual disabilities may affect how one thinks of themself.
School
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indepth may 24, 2012
caroline hipwell staff writer
Media
From models in magazines to interaction on social media sites, the pressure to conform can occur.
Grades, peers, teachers or sports thrown together in one place may influence a person’s outlook.
Family
Parents and siblings’ personalities can lead to comparisons or feelings of inferiority.
The evolution of “beauty”
melanie aguilar-rojas staff writer marilyn yang copy editor
Beauty is a subjective term. Yet across time and history, the perception of beauty has nevertheless been standardized, most commonly through the form of fashion. Fashion, like life and beauty, is dynamic and complex, able to both demonstrate mass popular attitudes and serve as an outlet for personal expression. Never simple but always changing, here is a look at the past half-century of fashion.
1950s
Fashion was conservative and appropriate, so less skin was “in”. Because of this, women typically wore dresses for any occasion-even if they stayed home.
1980s
Hair was big and wild as were some of the clothing pieces of the time. Frilly dresses, neon colors and shoulder pads were “bangin’”.
1960s
This decade broke traditions in both fashion and society. Women wore shorter skirts and more vibrant colors.
1990s
There were plenty of oversized sweaters and denim overalls in the 90s. Does anyone remember denim jackets and turtleneck shirts?
1970s
The 70s had more bell bottoms and less dresses. Trends reflected the “hippie” subculture which started in the 60s. Equally popular was the disco fashion.
Now
Now, we have incorporated fashion from every decade tastefully (we hope). Who knows what will be laughed at a decade from now? indepth may 24, 2012
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Putting on a fake smile
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s the warped form of what the “ideal” image for girls and boys has evolved over time, teenagers have taken it upon themselves to change everything about their appearance, even using tools like Photoshop. Facebook profile pictures have changed from natural candids to posed, overedited and over the top photoshoots. To elaborate on this subject, we conducted an experiment. We edited one half of a student’s face and asked our peers which half they found more appealing. We did not mention anything about photoshopping the picture.
What Makes You Beautiful?
reina datta ramya mukalla staff writers
We began by asking students questions about themselves and the opposite gender. The objective was to identify what teenagers really think about their appearance and how important looks are to them. We gave the boys and the girls the same general answer options, however, their answers conflicted.
Girls
Boys
Question 1: If you are going on a date, what do you think your date will notice most?
“She looks tired on the left side.”
“She looks more refreshed and awake on the right side.”
Makeup 7%
Personality 22%
Teeth 7% Hair 37%
Scent 45%
Smile 14%
Clothes 33% Style 35%
“I can’t really tell the .” difference
Question 2: What do you think is attractive to the opposite sex? Style 15% Personality 25%
Face 41%
Hair 33% Face 15%
“H looks er skin r and s eally clear moot h.”
“She looks stressed on the left side.”
Personality 7%
Body 34% Chest/Glutes 30%
Question 3: What do you think is your best feature? Personality 17% Body 24% Smile 28%
isabella kidane
According to our experiment, most girls favored the photoshopped half of the picture over the natural half. On the other hand, the majority of male students picked at random because they could not see a major difference. So, ladies, keep the results of this test in mind next time you’re trying to impress that cute guy in your math class by editing your profile picture on Facebook. The honest truth is, it won’t make a difference to him.
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indepth may 24, 2012
reina datta ramya mukalla staff writers
Which side did students choose? (out of 40 students)
Edited
Eyes 38%
Eyes 13%
Unedited
Hair 42%
Personality 38%
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indepth may 24, 2012
“Life in plastic, it’s fantastic!” One of Northern Virginia’s top plastic surgeons shares his thoughts on plastic surgery’s misconceptions and what people should really expect.
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melanie aguilar-rojas staff writer
osmetic surgery is on the rise. A surgery. Some need to rethink surgery and doubt is just a normal teenager growing. reported 13.8 million Americans some need to get help. Typically, I’ll refer Even adults have self-doubt and it’s normal underwent cosmetic procedures in them back to their medical doctor and they because without it you wouldn’t grow.” 2011, according to the American Society of can talk it over with their physician and they He also is aware of the growing trend to Plastic Surgeons. can get some psychiatric help or other help offer plastic surgery as a high school graduEven our age group has had a signifiif they need it.” ation gift. cant increase in cosmetic procedures. The Teenagers are also encouraged to wait for “There’s certainly a trend, not so much most commonly sought-out procedures surgery unless it is a serious issue. in the D.C. area but a little bit more in L.A. for 13-to-19-year-olds are nose reshaping, “A lot of the teenage issues we’re going and New York, where some young ladies breast reduction in men, breast augmentato get are maybe from trauma or congenital are having plastic surgery as a graduation tion, ear surgery and liposuction. These (present at birth) things that we’re changgift,” Goldberg said. “Anything with the procedures and many more amount to a ing,” Goldberg said. “We’ve had patients body contouring is probably a little too early total of 76,755 cosmetic surgical procedures who have had breast develop on one side, because most teenagers haven’t matured last year within this age group alone. but no breast develop on the other side. both physically and mentally yet.” “Here in the United States, plastic surgery You can imagine here’s a 16-year-old girl Therefore, once again, it is suggested that is widely accepted,” said Andrew Goldberg, who wants to go out swimming or wear a teenagers wait a couple of years before a plastic surgeon in Fairfax. deciding to receive some This acceptance, however, form of aesthetic or cosmetic We’re not going to make you comes with a price. surgery. “People’s views of the world “If you have questions, the somebody else. Once patients unand what was normal so to best thing is not to go on the derstand that, I think their expectaspeak, was different,” Goldberg Internet and look at a million said. “Unfortunately, that’s things, but get your mom or tions go more in line with reality. changed now and so I think dad if you’re underage and Andrew Goldberg sometimes people will come in come see a plastic surgeon with unrealistic expectations. Not everynice dress, so we’ll do an augmentation on to find out if it’s a reasonable concern,” body is going to be Angelina Jolie. Most of the side that never developed, which is sort Goldberg adds. “Sometimes, what you as a the reason why she looks the way she does of a reconstruction. So that’s appropriate in teenager think is not normal, is actually noris her genetics, so if you don’t have those that scenario.” mal. As physicians we kind of know what’s genes, you’re not going to look like her.” According to Goldberg, most women are in the realm of normal.” Yet, there is some hope for those who still still growing until they’re 18 or 20, while And finally for someone who is not a want cosmetic surgery. men can grow until their early 20s. Because teenager and believes they are mature “Certainly you can improve on what you of this reality, most plastic surgery isn’t enough to be a candidate for plastic surgery, have, so I think that’s an approach that I appropriate in high school unless it’s nonGoldberg offers this advice. take and for the most part plastic surgeons invasive procedures, which include lasers. “They want to think of why they are take,” Goldberg said. “We’re not going to “Every now and then, we’ll get individuals considering plastic surgery. What are their make you somebody else. Once patients that come in and want some cosmetic surgoals? Are there other avenues that would understand that, I think their expectations gery because they’re not happy with the way reach their goals and perhaps have a longgo more in line with reality.” they look,” Goldberg said. “But your bodies term effect? Like weight loss, where diet Yet, it takes more than being realistic are still changing, so typically liposuction, and exercise become habits you can keep about plastic surgery to be able to have it. breast enlargement, and things like that are with you for the rest of your life. And “You have to be physically ready, but you not appropriate for high school students” if there are things that you can’t change, also have to be mentally ready for surgery,” However, he understands what it’s like for then realize that perhaps when you mature Goldberg said. “A person is not ready if many high school students. more physically you can come in and have they’re going through a life crisis and think “Teenage years are tough. You guys are something done if it’s going to get you the surgery will fix that.” going through a lot of changes and a lot more self-confidence, a better outlook on For these people, other steps must be is expected of you. You have to get good yourself and improve how you interact with taken. grades, you have to get into college, and at people. Those are things you have to think “Not everybody that comes here is appro- the same time you have to try to fit in with about at any age.” priate. Not everybody that comes here gets all your friends. And so a lot of that self-
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indepth may 24, 2012
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pinions
Students weigh in on controversial topics in our daily lives
alana peters
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The self-esteem epidemic: just say no
round every corner, self-esteem issues are rampant. that seems inconceivable. What happened to the stereotypical The insecurity, the disorders, the make-up, the extreme teenager, the quasi-rebellious teenager with the “screw-it-I-doworkouts and the surgeries are all parts of a raging what-I-want” attitude and the driving need to be autonomous? epidemic that haunts American teenagers. But where does it Why has that image faded into a victim of self-doubt? come from and how can it be changed? That being said, it shouldn’t be too late for us. To see Let’s get the misguided stereotype of people with low selfwhich course of action is right for you, do a quick effortesteem out of the way: lonely, self-loathing, always doubtful, comparison analysis. What takes more time and effort: spendnever confident. They sit in the corner and ing an hour perfecting your hair and checking it belittle themselves. The Staff Editorial constantly throughout the day or learning to be That’s not true, when you think about it; comfortable with yourself ? is the official basically everyone is self-conscious. Girls don’t We have to stop fretting away our youth. We go anywhere without a sack of make-up. Gym opinion need to lower our expectations of one another, to of the Outlook memberships are in the tens of millions nastop basing those expectations on media-created tionwide. The sale of body-shaping garments facades. We need to become more comfortable like Spanx is a soon-to-be billion dollar market, with products with ourselves and with one another. available even for men (Manx, if you were wondering). Because there is considerable risk to losing ourselves in The mega-industry of advertising researches and exploits self-loathing. Becoming too superficial, vapid and materialistic our tiniest weaknesses. Shampoo ads insinuate that your hair means tuning out the world and living in anxiety, which really looks unhealthy and messy; you have to buy this product to doesn’t get anybody anywhere to be quite frank. make it look good. Deodorant and body spray commercials We are undeniably starved for time, all the time. You probinsist you smell awful; you have to buy this product if you want ably need every spare five minutes you can get to study for people within 20 feet of you. that history quiz, or text your friend back so she doesn’t think What they’re really doing is playing into intrinsic worries. you’re ignoring her, or read that book you’ve been meaning to We’re all so worried about our hair and B.O. that it only takes a read or sneak a quick power nap. 30 second advertisement to reinforce our fears. Point is, you’ve got stuff to do, so walk And although it’s always easy to put the blame on media, we away from the mirror and get on with your opinions are our worst enemies here. We buy into it, let it get to us. But life. may 24, 2012
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Teen depression deserves more recognition
Seniors: It’s our time now
It’s time to bring senior pranks back to Oakton High School
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rom, football games and senior pranks are all staples of the stereotypical high school experience. We’ve all seen the MTV shows about senior pranks gone wrong and hilarious shenanigans that made up our superiors’ final months in high
school. Closer to home, everyone fondly remembers the scooters in the hallways and the water balloon fights from past senior classes at Oakton. These pranks seem relatively tame when compared to the snow falling air conditioners suggested by certain websites, and our pranks led to no serious repercussions for the student-run shenanigans despite promises from the administration that stated otherwise. Seniors this year and in years to come should be more adventurous and go out on a limb in their final months. Senior pranks are a rite of passage. It is finally our turn to make our mark on the school that gave us the last four years of our lives. What do you have to lose? As long as the mischief is all in good fun, no one is hurt and no property is damaged, these senior pranks can live on in infamy without leaving a negative
legacy. A final prank gives the senior class the opportunity to come together as a whole for one last hurrah and add some lightheartedness to the stress of final exams, AP testing and the dreaded SOLs. Not only are senior pranks fun for the upperclassmen who get to participate, but they give the underclassmen an example of what senior camaraderie should be modeled after, as well as give everyone a good laugh. Finally, for teachers concerned about the consequences for these “trouble-makers,” cut these seniors some slack, they’ve got one more month here. My one last request of the senior class is: someone, somewhere, step up and become the 2012 legend. Everybody deserves a hero and the Class of kari maharaj 2012 deserves the staff writer legacy.
Do not rush to judgment on the Trayvon Martin case
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opinion may 24, 2012
wound to the back of the head. There is no reason to believe that this was a racist crime. The claim that he used a racist slur against Martin is false. The prosecutors themselves have admitted to this truth, but who needs legitimate evidence when you can simply create your own evidence in order to shape reality? Well, that is exactly what NBC did on the “Today Show” on March 27. Zimmerman had made a 911 call to inform the police of a suspicious looking man in his neighborhood. Zimmerman told the dispatcher, “This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.” The dispatcher then asked “OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?” Zimmerman replied by saying, “He looks black.” NBC aired this edited clip: “This guy looks like he’s up to no good … he looks black,” They simply took out the dispatcher to make it appear that Zimmerman was just a racist looking for trouble. Though the media has made it appear that Zimmerman is a racist white male, he is actually mostly Hispanic and has tutored minority kids in his community. The mainstream media would like you to believe that we live in a racist nation where blacks are
not acting friendly toward you one day, she is not “being bipolar.” Bipolar Disorder, as distinguished by the NIMH, is not defined as “the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through,” but rather, extended periods that alternate between mania and depression. The use of these terms as substitutes for “sad” and “moody” only contributes to the misunderstanding of these disorders and should end now. In addition, depression is usually discounted even by those who understand the disorder. Parents often think, “what does a 16-year-old have to be depressed about?” The peers of those who are depressed have been known to call them “overdramatic” and “miserable.” While it may seem from the outside that they may just be acting like the stereotypical, stubborn teenager, it’s important to recognize that those who suffer from depression did not choose to be depressed. Rather than ostracizing those who suffer from depression, the parents and peers of these people should try to be more understanding and reach out to help. It’s difficult, as sympathizing with someone who is going
through something that you have never experienced is next to impossible. However, awareness and consideration are two huge steps in the process of decreasing the stronghold that depression has on today’s teens. Efforts have been made to reduce the prevalence of this issue, but there is still much more to be done. For example, we have a school psychologist at Oakton, Samantha Sweeney. Her office is next to the planetarium, but next to no one knows who she is or how to reach her. Multiple resources and phone hotlines are available to those who need help, but few people actually know where to find these websites and phone numbers. The National Institute of Mental Health has tons of information on its website, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800273-8255 for immediate help. We have all the information we need; we just need to make sure that kim gibbons people who need it know where to get it. opinions editor
“Charitable” students often all talk, no action
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chris graham
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hy is the Trayvon Martin murder case getting all of this attention? People are murdered every day. According to the Chicago Police Department, the amount of homicides in the city rose by 60 percent with 120 murders committed from Jan. 1 through April 1. None of these homicides get national attention, so what makes the Martin case special? The truth is, it is not special. Murders like this one occur frequently, but the national media saw the case as an opportunity to bring up racial discrimination. They saw that a young black male was murdered by a man named George Zimmerman who could be portrayed as a racist white male. That is all they needed. They could not care less about the truth. The media immediately decided that Zimmerman was guilty of a racially motivated crime when there was little evidence to prove the accusation.We know there was a struggle and Zimmerman claimed he was simply going back to his vehicle, when he was attacked by Martin. Zimmerman told police that Martin was beating his head against the ground and that he feared for his life. The injuries that were observed by the police comply with his story as he had a broken nose and
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dolescent depression. Rarely discussed, and almost always overlooked. This concern has somehow avoided the spotlight and has become somewhat taboo to so much as bring up in conversation. Teens and parents alike have their own opinions and misconceptions about the issue, but without its discussion, these opinions remain unheard and these misconceptions remain uncorrected. No, it isn’t a pleasant topic to talk about. But it is a topic that we have neglected to address for too long, and there’s no better time than now to change our course of action. Among teens, words such as “depressed” and “bipolar” are tossed around by those who don’t fully understand the issues at hand. You are not “so depressed” after a bad grade on a test, and then feel totally fine the next day. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes depression as feelings that interfere with daily life over an extended period of time rather than the temporary feelings of sadness that are often confused with depression. In addition, if your friend is
hunted, but that is not reality. The United States Department of Justice reported in 2004, that 94% of black murders were committed by blacks People should stop and think before they rush to an emotional judgment. There was a struggle and Zimmerman was injured. His story has been consistent and people should look at the facts before they make up their mind. It is possible that Zimmerman is racist and guilty, but to make this assumption when the known evidence suggests otherwise is absurd. We do not yet know what evidence the prosecution will bring forth and should not be turning alex xenos to the media to make up staff writer our minds for us.
very time I walk into the gym lobby, I’m greeted by a colorful array of flashy posters representing different causes and events. One thing sticks out to me though—significant, charitable causes are treated in the same manner as a Sadie Hawkins dance or a football game. Not the same, even, because students seem to care more about sports fundraisers and spirit days than impoverished families and underprivileged children. Here at Oakton, it seems that instead of throwing support behind desperate causes that struggle to make a difference, we tend to propagate showy causes that are all talk and no action. Awareness weeks that consist solely of wearing a color to represent a serious disease or disorder hardly seem to accomplish anything, and bold posters and advertisements in the hallway are often simply empty promises. Whatever your motivation, whatever your budget, whatever you give, participating in charity says something about your character and morals. I think that Oakton students are all perfectly willing and capable of being charitable, but it’s a matter of prioritizing. We’re all absorbed in our grades, part-time
jobs, clubs, sports, so much so that we pay no attention to people who could benefit from our help. Organizations and students hoping to make a positive change in the lives of others should attempt to follow the example of clubs like Best Buddies and OSSAGA. These clubs back up their promises with real, effective actions, such as food drives, sports tournaments, holiday events, etc. Listen up, Oakton: it’s time to take action. Volunteering, donating, advertising, organizing, assisting—small, simple actions are all it takes to spur real progress and change, yet these are the activities that are overlooked the most. Next time you prepare to throw your support behind a worthy cause, think about what sets this cause apart from school events, sports teams, academic clubs, friend groups: altruism and scope. Participating in charity is hugely important in the sense that it can affect a wide range of people other than yourself. It’s an activity intended purely for the benefit of others, and it’s something that, when taken seriously, can make an incredible difference. So please, let’s take our charity seriously.
shannon ragan
mimi dabestani
Scrap the empty promises of purposeless posters and put some actions behind your words. It’s time for Oakton shannon ragan to step up and make editor-in-chief a real difference in the world around us.
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opinion may 24, 2012
Curse be gone?
conner dick staff writer
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he summer before each NFL season, football fans and gamers come together to play one of the most successful games of the year. The John Madden video games have grown more and more popular each year, especially now that the fans have the choice of who is on the cover. Until last year, it was up to the developers at EA to determine who was worthy of being placed on the cover of Madden, based on how they did the season, or seasons, leading up to the release of the game. At first it was truly an honor for a football player to grace the cover, but now it appears that there has been a curse put upon all who appear on it. There have been 13 NFL superstars who have been on the cover since 2000, and all but maybe one has been struck by the curse so far. Larry Fitzgerald, who was on Madden 10 with Troy Polamalu, is the only player who has recorded a successful post-Madden cover season to date. Aside from him, each of the other 12 players have
had downhill seasons after they were on the cover, either because of poor play or injury. Seven players had minor to severe injuries the years following, ranging from simple wrist injuries to blowing out both knees in two seasons. This year, Calvin Johnson, Jr. wide receiver of the Detroit Lions was voted onto the cover, surprising most by beating rookie Cam Newton who some claimed had the best rookie season for a quarterback ever. With a history of terrible seasons plaguing Madden cover athletes, Johnson may be the one man to officially break the spell. Johnson, nicknamed “Megatron,” has averaged 1.174 yards receiving in his first five seasons, as well as 9.8 receiving touchdowns a year. Johnson had his best season ever last year, setting new personal records in receiving yard (1,681), receiving touchdowns (16), receptions (96), yards per catch (17.5) and first down passes caught (77). Johnson has been consistently bringing in
Photo from EAsports.com
Calvin Johnson looks to end the video game curse that has struck too many
successful seasons already, with the worst team of the 2000s, so he could easily get past this “curse” placed on him. The 6’5”, 238 pound 26-year-old has slowly been getting better each year. If he can be the most dominant receiver while being on the worst team of the decade, no curse can hold him back, especially now that his Detroit Lions are getting better and better. If there has ever been a man to put the Madden curse in its place, it is Johnson. There have only been a few receivers as dominant as him, due to his impressive combination of size, speed, strength and jumping ability. The 2012-2013 year will be the year the Madden curse dies, and Johnson will be the man who ends it.
Students are over-tested and incredibly tired
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reathe a sigh of relief- it’s almost over. After two weeks of AP testing and two weeks of SOL testing, only two more weeks of finals remain and we’re free. After all these exams it’s a wonder we’re still learning new things and coming to school for other things besides testing. Now, I know the classes are on different schedules for test taking seeing as freshmen have no AP tests and seniors have next to no SOLs, but is it really necessary for the last month of school to be a solid block of testing? Of course, there is a perfectly good reason for how it got this way. College Board needs to see what was learned in the AP classes, the state of Virginia needs to see how its students stack up, and thanks to No Child Left Behind, the federal government really wants to see those scores, too. Teachers have to see whether any of their students paid attention to them. This inevitably leads to a lot of cramming in order to learn a
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whole year’s worth of material in a few days. We do this several times over, seeing as there are so many subjects to cover. Doing so is usually a one way ticket to stressville. Of course, the biggest problem with this kind of testing is that it is a bit redundant
marilyn yang
to have two or three different tests on the same subject. Having all these tests build on top of one another like a pyramid of horrors is not the ideal way to teach a class or take tests for that matter. Teaching to a test, which has been know to occur when test scores are a factor in getting school funding or college credits, doesn’t teach us anything other than how to pass that test. While it sounds good on paper, it has very few real world applications. Why not just have a standardized final for all classes that everyone can use? Instead of using May to test us, it should be used to teach us (crazy idea for school, I know, but not outside the realm of possibility). Instead of judging whether students have learned the information several times over, why not just ask once and let oliver lopez-gomez us really get to online editor know it?
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feature
karli gillespie staff writer
Austin Kendall,11 & Emma Olson,11: Box of Fun
Nicole Vo, 11 & Kevin Ayala, 12: Fairy Tale
“My boyfriend asked me when I went to one of his Varsity soccer games. It happened right before the game began, and it was a surprise. I was sitting in the stands and the announcer came over the speakers and asked me to come foreward, and all I could think was ‘Oh gosh, am I in trouble? I didn’t do anything, is it where my car’s parked?’ But, when I came down from the stands, Logan stepped forward from the center of the field with light pink roses in his hands and then asked me to prom. I knew he and my friend Acadia had spent the weekend trying to come up with the perfect way to ask me, but I never expected him to ask me when and where he did.”
Chris Crapco, 11 & Lauren Jewell, 12: Crime Scene
courtesy of sherrill callahan
courtesy of evangelyn hsu
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“On my birthday weekend, my boyfriend wanted to take me out on a special date. One of my friends met up with us there and then my boyfriend left and told me to leave the mall when he texted me. When I got the text, I exited Fair Oaks Mall from the entrance by Chick-fil-A and saw on the pillar a sign that said “Princess Nicole,” another sign said “once upon a time…” and on it was a clue for the next place I was supposed to drive to. In the end I found my boyfriend at the park in Reston Town Center with flowers, balloons saying “prom?” and a last sign saying “and she lived happily ever after.” I was so surprised by it all. I was glad he asked and really appreciated all the work he put into it.”
Logan Cropper, 12 & Morgan Mullis, 11: Game Time
courtesy of morgan mullis
courtesy of sherrill callahan
“I was in the basement at my friend Sherrill’s and someone came to the door. She ran up, and told me to stay in the basement. After a few minutes she told me to come upstairs. So I walked to the front door and there was a huge box that said “To Emma, open me here.” I opened up the box, and there was another box inside. Boxes inside boxes, and on the top of each box there was a question. ‘How many boxes do you think are in here? Did you think you got an early birthday present?’ were some, but the last box said ‘How many boxes does it take for you to go with Austin to...’ and inside he spray painted a piece of wood gold and burned the word prom into it.”
With Prom soon approaching, the boys and girls of Oakton have made grand and thoughtful gestures to get their beaus to say yes and accompany them to a night they will always remember.
“My friends Sherrill, Dylan and I all set up this idea at Dylan’s house to ask Lauren. What we did was buy yellow caution tape and chalk, and crossed off Dylan’s entire driveway with the tape. At the very front of the drive way we wrote in chalk, ‘Lauren, follow the footsteps’ and we proceeded to draw footsteps up to the garage doors. Then, right in front of the open garage door we traced an outline of my body with the chalk, and at one of the hands of my body was a vase of flowers. So then when Lauren came over and walked up the driveway to the outline we lowered the garage door, and on it was a sign that said ‘Lauren, I’m dying to go to prom with you.’”
emorial
ay
erriment
Memorial Day weekend is full of opportunities to enjoy good music, delicious food and fun times with your family and friends, especially since we live in such close proximinity with the nation’s Capitol.
Viva Vienna Memorial Day Festival The festival is held from Saturday, May 26 to Monday, May 28 along historic Church Street in Vienna, extending from Lawyers Road to Mill Street. Festivities will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Vienna and includes food, crafts, music and carnival rides, along with a Memorial Day tribute at noon on Monday. Parking will be available at the White Oak Tower Building and the commuter lot at Magruders on the corner of Maple Ave and Courthouse Road. The festival will benefit the community as well, for the profits from the festival go to local and international charities and a recycling collection center will be located in the parking lot of James Madison High School from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.
vivavienna.org
National Memorial Day Parade On Monday, May 28 beginning at 2 p.m. a parade of marching bands, veterans from all over the country, patriotic floats and helium-filled balloons will travel from the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street to 17th Street, marching along Constitution Avenue. The parade is sponsored by the World War II Veterans Committee and will feature a tribute to the generation that served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. nationalmemorialdayparade.com
National Memorial Day Concert On Sunday, May 27 at 8 p.m. PBS will be sponsoring a free concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The concert will feature actor Joe Mantegna, who stars in CBS television series “Criminal Minds,” and Gary Sinise, who played Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump” and currently stars in the CBS program “CSI:NY.” The National Symphony Orchestra will be performing along with the band Daughtry, singer and songwriter Natalie Cole, American country music artist Trace Adkins and renowned tenor Russel Watson. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will also be attending. Gates open at 5 p.m. and parking will be extremely sparse. It is therefore suggested that you arrive early and take the metro.
michelle lorusso indepth editor
nationalmemorialdayconcert.com
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feature may 24, 2012
Person of interest Trenton Robbins, senior, braved the wild roads of Virginia and hitchhiked to the Outer Banks and home again this past spring break.
W
hile most students count down the days until spring break and a highly anticipated trip to the beach, Trenton Robbins, senior, was looking forward to this past spring break for an entirely different reason. After gathering all of his courage, and a few choice belongings, Robbins decided to brave the unknown and try to make his way to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, via foot and hitchhiking. “My journey started with me leaving my house with a backpack full of two changes of clothes, another pair of socks, two cans of beans, a sleeping bag, a bathrobe, a towel and a couple of water bottles,” Robbins said. “I also brought my phone, but I only turned it on occasionally to call my girlfriend.” Robbins’ unusual means of transportation were predetermined, but were executed after almost no preparation or planning. “I’ve always wanted to hitchhike, and I was like ‘You know what? Spring Break, 2012, I’m going to do it’,” Robbins said. “There was no pre-planning or mapping, I just knew I was going to the Outer Banks because that was a place I could probably get to in a week.” There are several dangers associated with hitchhiking, each one more terrifying than the next, but Robbins had few fears before departing on his adventure. But, while he was traversing through Virginia, he had several experiences that were less than pleasurable. “I crossed the entire bridge that goes from the Outer Banks to the mainland on foot at 11 p.m. It took me an hour and half, and cars were whizzing past me; I was lucky that I had my towel so I could signal to the cars were I was,” Robbins said. “After I finally crossed the bridge, I was totally exhausted and about to collapse. I walked into a field that was just off to the side of the bridge, pulled out my sleeping bag and fell asleep. The next morning I had a bunch of mosquito bites on my arm.” Resting outside in a field was not the only odd sleeping arrangement Robbins had; he also sought shelter outside of a Wawa, and in the homes of several people he met on the road. Despite possible safety concerns, Robbins feels that he only met the best type of people during his vacation. “People think that everyone is a serial killer, but I only got picked up by the nicest people,” Robbins said. “I met some really interesting characters. I am still talking with and emailing some of the people that I met.” Through his travels, Robbins made great use of knowledge that he previously acquired from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, a novel by Douglas Adams. “In ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, the number one hitchhiking tool is a towel,” Robbins said. “I’m glad I brought one, because there are so many different uses for it. I dried myself off, I used it as a signal, I used it to block the sun, it was wonderful. My sunglasses and hat were also lifesavers.” Robbins’ experience has opened his eyes to the realities of the world, and he has taken away a very valuable lesson from his adventure. “I found out that you really can’t judge people based on the way they look,” Robbins said. “Even though people can be jerks, you can’t see the world as black or white or good and bad. But more than that, I just had a really good time. I found out that life is about the stories you have to tell, not about how much money you have in the bank.”
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madlin mekelburg feature editor
Day by day DAY 1:
Fairfax to Highway 50 Highway 50 to Middleburg, VA Middleburg, VA to Paris, VA Paris, VA to Route 17 Route 17 to Warrenton, VA Warrenton, VA to Fredricksburg, VA Found refuge outside of Wawa, slept here
DAY 2:
Wawa to Route 17 Route 17 to a Church Stayed with a youth Pastor
DAY 3:
Continued stay with youth Pastor
DAY 4:
Church to Virginia Beach Virginia Beach to North Carolina State Border State Border to Outderbanks Crossed back over to North Carolina mainland Found refuge outside in field, slept here
DAY 5: Field to Norfolk, VA Stayed with a family for Easter
DAY 6:
Norfolk, VA to Tyson’s Corner Tyson’s Corner to Home
To the reader: Although Robbins arrived home safely after his hitchhiking adventure, readers should note that hitchhiking is NOT a recommended mode of transportation. It is extremely dangerous, and illegal in several states.
New kids
n the block
rawan elbaba staff writer
“It was different than I expected and I’m the only marketing teacher here so I got to turn it into what I wanted which was exciting, but also kind of scary at the same time,” said Fiehrer. Her proudest moment at Oakton was “taking all of the students to states and when everybody was getting on stage, it was just that proud mom kind of thing of seeing them getting their awards and getting recognized for all of their hard work and everything that they had achieved.”
“It was a good year, I like the school and the students; the students are the best part,” said Penton. Her best experience as a teacher was “when students understand what they’re learning and they get excited about it, that’s probably the best part of teaching.” Penton shared her ideas for next year as well. “I’m always looking for ways to improve, so I’m sure that there will be things that I will change next year.”
Heading back home
L
“My year was a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work,: said August. “My favorite part about teaching is when kids come in with questions and we work through the problems together,” August said. As the year is coming to an end August plans on “getting students to study on their own a little more; I’m formulating plans for review sessions led by students.”
Lucia De Las Peñas returns to Spain after a year of living in America
language barrier
school layout
dress code
In Spain
photo by alana peters
ucia De Las Peñas, junior, is a foreign exchange student at Oakton, and after months of hard work learning a new language, she is finishing her days in America before returning to her home in Madrid, Spain. She’s been in the country for almost a year, but her story begins before then, when she made her decision to stay with a host family for a year in the US. “I decided to do the foreign exchange program because I have friends from Spain living here in Virginia,” Peñas said. And after visiting the US a few times before, Peñas and her parents decided that joining a program to “live the American experience and learn English” was a great idea “The first impression is [never] the best one,” said Peñas. “You just left your family, your friends, your country and you come here without knowing where you are going to stay or [what your host family is like]. Literally, you don’t know anybody.” Though learning the ropes of living in a new country, upon her arrival she was able to pick out some cultural differences here in the US. Peñas’ experience leaves her with no regrets. “I am so glad that I came. I will be able to tell people in Spain [what America is really like] and I won’t have more problems with my English. I would recommend it because it is only one year. At the beginning it can be hard but you get used to it. You will have good memories, learn a lot of new cultural things and will have new friends and another family forever.”
Algebra II
AB Calculus
Stacy August
Jennifer Penton
Sports Marketing DECA adviser
Anne Fiehrer
Being the new kid isn’t always easy, especially when you’re the teacher. Oakton’s newest additions to the teaching staff share their first year experiences and best moments as teachers at Oakton. The teachers end their first year with positive attitudes and resolutions for the next school year.
alana peters staff writer
In America
“If you wear pajamas to a school in Spain they won’t allow you to come in.”
“One thing I couldn’t believe is that people can were pajamas to school. When I first saw this I was shocked.”
“[High school] is completely different,” Penas said. “My school in Spain was so small, and we only have one classroom for each [grade]. ”
“Here, you can eat and drink in class, which they wouldn’t let you do in Spain. And you go to all your classes around the school.”
“I was kind of sad because exchange students from other countries know how to speak English because in their country they teach it pretty [well], but in [Spain] it’s horrible.”
“I am in Spanish 5 because I wanted an easy class, and French 3. The language classes are taught so much better here, and there are less languages you can take in Spain.”
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arts & entertainment Only a sketch
V
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s recent video game exhibition underwhelms
ideo games have come a long way since Pac Man and even the original Mario. Realistic, interactive environments boasting high definition details are now the norm, from Sony’s Uncharted to Bioware’s Mass Effect. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s exhibition “The Art of Video Games,” which will be on display until Sept. 30, chronicles these dramatic visual and technological developments while also featuring the artistic aspects involved in video game design. While the concept is original and technologically captivating, especially for an art museum, the exhibition itself seems to fall short, particularly when it comes to the art. This does not pose a significant problem for video game fans that are likely attracted to the exhibit solely for gaming, but it provokes questions of whether or not the exhibition is a good fit in an art museum. The actual video game portion of the exhibition also seems to be lacking, given the fresh concept. The second room features various interactive stations with playable games, but some of them are relatively unknown. The third room features a walk-through time line of video game consoles from the 1980s to the present along with four fan-voted games from each system, but it offers little supplemental information to most video game fans that are likely already well-versed in basic video game history. In addition, while the inclusion of Donkey Kong, Starfox, Pikmin, Uncharted 2, Mass Effect 2 and other critically acclaimed video games is commendable and brings some redeeming qualities to the exhibition, other famous video games are notably absent, including Pokemon and Goldeneye. Nevertheless, the absence of these influential fan-favorite titles are understandable; the exhibition was re-
marilyn yang Only the first of the three-room exhibition features concrete pieces of artwork such as sketches and photographs. The exhibition mainly focuses on game play and the history of video game development through five eras: start, 8-bit, bit wars, transition and next generation.
quired to go through the tedious process of requesting permission from video game developers to acquire the appropriate copyrights. In fact, Goldeneye was actually slated to be a featured title of the Nintendo 64 but was scrapped due to copyright issues. Anyone curious about the limited-time, free exhibition should not necessarily skip the opportunity to visit, but should be sure to plan other activities so as to not waste a trip to D.C. “The Art of Video Games” is still worth a quick look, if only to marvel at the vast progress of graphics and visual design or the antique console collection. However, it is not worth an exclusive trip, particularly for advanced or even intermediate gamers.
Final footsteps
A
isabella kidane Richard Hannay (Henry Ragan) finds himself in yet another absurd situation when he is forced to make an impromptu political speech while attempting to escape from the ominous men behind him. “It’s at the very least entertaining, even if you don’t know what’s going on,” Morales said.
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marilyn yang copy editor
Senior drama students bid farewell in the last play of their high school drama career, “The 39 Steps”
s the year comes to a close, so does the high school drama experience for seniors. “The 39 Steps” first showed in the fall of this year, but was brought back as a fund raiser for the KT Smith Scholarship, a scholarship in honor of former student, Katie Smith. The play is not only the last of the year, but also a bittersweet end for graduating drama students. “Even though this is my last performance, it’s sort of anticlimactic, but it’s been a fun ride,” said Trenton Robbins, senior. Seniors are not the only ones left feeling melancholy by their final performance. “I feel really lucky to be able to work with [the seniors], they have a lot of talent,” said
Natalie Morales, junior. Morales plays Pamela, a young lady from London who unwillingly becomes embroiled in Richard Hannay’s (Henry Ragan) conspiracy chase. Morales believes the intimacy created by such a small cast adds to the play. “The dynamic between all the characters is great,” Morales said. “We’re all really close, and you can tell. There is great chemistry on stage.” Robbins, who plays the dual role of actor and director, has to overcome the difficulties of directing the cast. “It’s like corralling cats,” Robbins said. “But they are a great group of people.” gabriela driscoll editor-in-chief
Have a
stylish
SUMMER
photo credit: victoriasecret.com
m
eagle.co
merican
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redit: a
This H&M bathing suit set is always a good one to have. This gives you the beauty of accessorizing your outfit with texture and color to give you a more fashionable look. $4.95 each.
photo c
photo credit: H&M.com
Protect yourself from the sun with this Victoria Secret’s straw fedora for only $35. With the single stripe of color (multiple colors to choose from) you can add a little splash of color to complete your stylish outfit.
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With these in-season sandals from Forever 21, Add along this American Eagle at only $16.80, you can acstriped towel for only $19.99, to complish a hint of texture tie in the rest of your patterns, and with a beaded pattern on make yourself have an artsy and bohemian inspired sandals. colorful look that everyone will notice. carly stonehouse staff writer
reid perkins staff writer man, eat your heart out. Don’t fret if your dream date is already taken. If modern-day society teaches us anything, it’s that contrived, likely insincere sentiments of affection inevitably crumble under the titanium girth of the American legal system. It’s a free country- exercise your God-given right to have your demands fulfilled because they’ve been enumerated on paper and stamped in triplicate. Shove enough litigators and notarized documents in the faces of all offending parties and that special someone will be yours- in a legally binding sense, of course. You’ll have to work on the romantic and physical attraction part on your own. (Hint: mantis pheromones) As most experts agree that prom is largely the single most critically important, defining moment of your life, failure to land a date may make you want to seriously consider bypassing your next couple hopeless decades and making a swift descent into embittered mid-life complacency. It’s probably for the best. So strip down to those unwashed tighty-whiteys and get cozy with the business end of your mother’s corduroy couch- hour six of TV Land’s “Murder, She Wrote” marathon awaits. If all else fails, well, who really needs a date anyway? That roll of economy-size bubble wrap taking up space in your garage is looking pretty lonely tonight.
Eleventh hour prom proposals
rom is kind of like the Matrix. Nothing about it is real. Disillusioned, jaded humans down a seventy-dollar blue pill in order to escape the painful truth of their own existence and find solace in a comforting social womb of artificial music and synthesized conversation. If you’ve spent the majority of your high school career down the rabbit-hole, Mr. Anderson, the end is not nigh. Peruse these last-minute prescriptions on how you’ll tune into this Truman Show of an adolescent ritual. When the figurative clock hits the eleventh hour and you decide you want in, it’s a wise choice to pick a novel way to “ask” a member of the opposite sex to said dance. Chloroform is rather passé and no, there’s an extreme likelihood you probably aren’t psychic. The line of thinking that involves assuming your intention manifested itself in the mind of that special someone is probably what got you in your current situation. If you’ve been ignored by the opposite sex for as long as you can remember, don’t be afraid to juice up. Praying mantis pheromones are fortunately free of both pesky health regulations and rational consideration for human use. You’ll just have to be a pioneer on this one. Worst case scenario, you end up grinding the night away not with compliant females but teeming droves of ravenous mantises. Sure, you’ll miss out on what most people besides Bruce Banner would call a “typical prom experience”, but think of the pheromone syringe as half full- it’s almost like you’ve instantly become an irrelevant, third tier superhero. Aqua-
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The beginning of the end Season finale May 17
T
Series finale May 13
T
he four best friends take their final stroll through Wisteria Lane on May 13 as the eighth and final season of “Desperate Housewives” came to a conclusion. The girls have been together through thick and thin, and their relationship is once again tested throughout the eighth season as unexpected events spiral their lives into complete chaos. Bree Van de Camp is accused of murder, Lynette and Tom are having marital problems, Gabrielle and Carlos Solis harbour a deep secret, and Susan Meyers deals with her daughter’s pregnancy. Their quickly unraveling problems were finally tied into a neat bow as Karen McClusky saves Bree’s trial by falsely confessing to the murder of Gabby’s stepfather. Despite its rushed finale, the show concludes on a heartwarming note with Susan’s departure from the neighborhood, Renee’s extravagant wedding, Julie’s new baby and Karen’s peaceful death.
he fang-filled love triangle comes to a conclusion in the finale of “Vampire Diaries” third season. After a long awaited and suspenseful season, Elena finally chooses Stefan over Damon, leaving the older brother as the perfect, vulnerable prey for Alaric. In the episodes leading up to the finale, we find out that Alaric and Elena have become bound to one another, meaning that if one dies so does the other. This left the Salvatore brothers in a scramble as they try to figure out a way to kill the newly transformed Alaric while keeping Elena alive. The final episode concludes in a cliff hanger as Bonnie kills Tyler in Klaus’s body, Alaric tragically dies, and the long awaited transformation of Elena suggests itself leaving the audience in complete anticipation for what is to come in the following season. Series finale May 21
A
isabella kidane photo editor
ccompanied by an hour long documentary recapping the entire show, “House” concluded its eighth season on May 21 with a cleverly titled episode, “Everybody dies.” The episode focuses on Dr. Greg House’s last medical case, which leaves him trapped in a burning house. While Dr. Eric Forman and Dr. James Wilson search for him, House has hallucinatory conversations with characters from his past, both dead and alive, making him question life and death. Through flashbacks, the audience sees past the antisocial and slightly insane exterior of House and gets a glimpse into his remorseful and ambitious interior. Despite the building’s explosion and everyone’s assumption that House is dead, the show concludes with a happy ending with House being alive and driving into his unplanned future with Wilson.
Season finale May 14
T
he seventh season of “Bones” came to a conclusion on Monday May 14 as Temperance Brennan, commonly referred to as Bones, is framed for murder by a long time nemesis and computer genius, Christopher Pelant. The final episode keeps its audience in mild suspense as the Jeffersonian team rummages through evidence in order to prove Bones’ innocence. Unfortunately, all the facts keep piling up against Brennan and the team. As a final resort, Brennan flees to destinations unknown with her daughter, Christine, in tow, leaving her husband, Seeley Booth, and the team behind to figure out Pelant’s game.
Battle of the sounds: Who really is king of the headphones? Beats By
Dre
Hesh
$169.99 Sound
Sound The Skullcandy have exceedingly average sound for the price. They will lose what quality they have at even moderately low volumes. The sound over time also starts to buzz due to bad quality. For the sound you get it seems you bought a pair of headphones worth a third of the price.
Style
Style
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daniel greene staff writer
AE2i
$139.99
The Beats By Dre have superb sound for Rap and Pop but leave a lot to be desired for in other genres. The drop in quality at lower volumes is noticeable, but not drastic. Beats By Dre are worth the price tag, but not the best by any means. Beats By Dre have a very popular look that comes in many color choices. The headphones have an extremely sleek feel and a strong comfortable build. Overall the quality of the headphones is fantastic.
Bose
Skullcandy
There are many different style choices for Hesh but they tend to be very uncomfortable because of their weight and bulk. The plastic has a very cheap feel and does not seem strong enough for the price. Skullcandy Hesh looks good but that is all.
All photos courtesy of amazon.com
$179.95 Sound
Nearly perfect for all kinds of music at all volumes, the Bose have a very pure sound and are great at blocking out the world. The caliber of sound is the highest in all areas with little to no faults.
Style
The headphones have a very tech and classy look suitable for anyone. The AE2i is very light weight and well built. They feel very sturdy and durable along with being very comfortable.
Taste Quest:Homemade Popsicles
Start your summer off sweet with these easy and breezy homemade popsicles.
Heavenly Honeydews
Looking for something simple? These honeydew melon popsicles make for the perfect pool side treat. They are a natural and refreshing way to cool down on a hot summer’s day. Ingredients: 1/4 – 1/2 of a fresh honey dew, 1/3 cup sugar, juice of one lime The How To: Dice the honey dew and combine all ingredients in a blender. Amount of sugar flexible depending on desired sweetness. Pulse until all large chunks are gone. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 4 hours before enjoying.
photos courtesy of official websites
Peaches and Creme
Peaches and Creme popsicle are a delicate blend of your favorite fresh fruit and a sweet creme. Just as easy to make, but with a bit more ingredients for a burst of natural flavor. Ingredients: 5 ripe peaches, 2 ripe bananas, 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, 2 – 4 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice The How To: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Add honey in depending on desired sweetness. Pour into 5 oz. Dixie cups or traditional popsicle molds.
Root beer Float Pops
Root beer is the all-American summer beverage so what better way to end your summer night than with these root beer float pops? Definitely more of a dessert than midday snack. Make them in a cone for extra fun! Ingredients: 1 can or bottle of root beer, 1/2 c. non-dairy or organic milk, 1 T. maple syrup, dash of salt, 1/4 t. vanilla extract
emma mankin a&e editor
Have a taste of
C
The How To: Fill each popsicle mold 1/3rd of the way full with root beer. Freeze for 20-30 minutes or until mostly frozen. In a small bowl combine milk, maple syrup, salt and vanilla. Remove popsicle mold from freezer and pour a small amount of vanilla mixture into each popsicle mold to make the “ice cream” layer. Freeze for an additional 20-30 minutes or again, until mostly frozen. Fill each popsicle mold the rest of the way with root beer.
Georgetown!
carly stonehouse staff writer
ome to Georgetown June 2nd from 11am- 4pm, to partake and experience the pleasures of the cuisine made in the Washington DC, metropolitan area. DC’s annual food festival “Taste of Georgetown,” is filled with 30 of D.C.’s most distinguished restaurants that will be running up and down the streets of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, south of M Street in the heart of Georgetown. There for only $5 per sample dish, or five sample dishes for $20 you can taste some of the restaurant‘s most popular dishes, as well as help a good cause. All proceeds from the festival will benefit the Homeless Outreach providing psychiatric care, shelter and meals through the Georgetown Ministry Center. Indulge in the pleasure of knowing that by tasting good food you will be helping your community to have a better future.
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