out look
12.18.08
oakton
feature Explore a new school of thought with a tour through the neighboring New School page 3
academics AP Environmental Science and AP Government students collaborate for project page 8
sports Sports teams go door to door to fundraise during these tough economic times page 10-
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID OAKTON, VA PERMIT No. 337 OAKTON HIGH SCHOOL 2900 SUTTON ROAD VIENNA, VA 22181
Ice and Lights Performing Arts Puts on Show for Tiny Tots page 9
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NEW SCHOOL of thought
Misunderstood local private school looks to mix things up in the classroom
public schools - the most obvious being the size. “We design our own courses around the things While Oakton boasts a large student population of that personally interest us as teachers,” Oliver said. over 2300, the New School is at maximum capacity “I have a class on Romanticism, and another with about 150 students. Their largest classes have teacher has a class on early modern American 12 students. The small teacher-to-student ratio literature,” Roushakes said. “They are both English leads to more personal attention credits, but the student gets to in the classroom. choose which class he or she -- History of Rock “The teachers all take an prefers.” active interest in all of the The teachers at the New School and Roll (Art) students, because the classes are also encouraged to engage in -- Nuclear Power are small,” said Ben Fletcher, collaborative efforts with other Plant (Chemistry) a former Oakton student teachers in the school. -- Oil (World Studies) who now attends the New “Most of the classes are based -- Horticulture School. “I have good working around what we call a central relationships with all of my question,” Oliver said. “It is really (Biology) teachers, and I know that if for an open-ended question. For -- Stone Sculpture some reason my work is not example, I am an English teacher (Art) up to par or they don’t think and I collaborated with a U.S. -- Modern Middle I’m doing well in their class, History teacher. The question East (World Studies) was, ‘What are the lessons to be they are going to let me know I should change that. If you want learned from the Vietnam War?’ -- Food (Chemistry) to pass or you want to fail, it is Throughout the course, students really up to you.” will be learning about the war, Another striking difference is the lack of grade reading autobiographies, listening to oral histories level barriers when choosing classes. Classes are and at the end, they answer that question.” ranked with numbers one through five. Level one The areas that teachers specialize in are classes are the basic freshman level equivalent reserved for their upper-level classes. Roushakes, classes, while level five classes are the AP who specializes in Middle Eastern history, chooses courses. A staff of counselors develops a personal this subject matter for his level five classes. relationship with each student and assist them in While the New School has basketball, soccer their course selection. and ultimate Frisbee teams, it is not a school “A senior would never take a level one class, geared towards athletics. unless there were very special circumstances,” “I don’t think anyone who values their sports Roushakes said. “The student advisor would not teams at Oakton will fit into the New School,” likely allow them to take these classes.” Fletcher said. “We are not a big school, and we What is really special about the New School don’t have many sports teams.” is the classroom experience and the freedom Even though a small enrollment limits the that students have to shape their schedules. They amount of opportunities available to New School have the same credit requirements as Fairfax students, the community will cater to a student’s County schools, but with course selections such particular interests. as “Alternative Fuels” and “Imperialism,” how - er students satisfy those requirements is significantly i ins ca wo igh different. t ed hllebe itor n According to Roushakes, teachers are and and c essentially free to teach whatever they feel fea hris ture w is pertinent. This comes in the form edi eil, tor of the previously mentioned specific courses.
new school classes
he small, low-key private school off of Pickett Road is not likely to draw a significant amount of attention to itself. The majority of Oakton students will respond with little more than vacant stares when asked what they know about the New School of Northern Virginia. The members of the New School would have it no other way. The New School offers a haven for students who prefer a more personal environment than is typically offered in public schools. Although the student body, in reality, does not lend itself to stereotypes, the typical perception of the school from Oakton students who have actually heard of it is one of introversion and social awkwardness. “[Some of ] the students [at the New School] are somewhat eccentric,” said teacher and high school director Michael Oliver. However, there are not many generalizations that can be made about the student body as a whole. “We have a wide variety of students,” he said. “Some [students] are extremely idiosyncratic and would run into much resistance at public school, and some are here because they can benefit from the personal attention that we offer.” It is the unfamiliarity of the New School that has led to misconceptions within the Oakton community. “We are not set up as a public school counter culture,” said Steve Roushakes, a teacher at the New School. “The students who come here really enjoy the student-teacher relationship.” This relationship is so informal that formalities are completely negated when addressing teachers. “In terms of culture, it’s totally different. I don’t even know how to begin in how we’re different from public schools,” Roushakes said. “We all go by first names, which I think is the most dramatic [difference]. The whole school is built upon trust. Every morning we have a daily meeting, which is basically a sharing of information.” However, there are many differences between the New School and typical Fairfax County
feature
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The New School, a small private school located right off of Pickett Road, employs small class sizes and informal learning environments to provide its students with a personalized education that differs from the typical public school experience. chris weil
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12.18.08
feature
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12.18.08
the next step...
Justin Monts
Culinary Institute
Students pursue futures outside the boundaries of a four-year college
daniel danie chait l chait
With honeyed ham and a little pepper, Justin finishes the masterpiece: his own Chicken Cordon Bleu. “I’ve always been interested in food,” smiles Justin Monts, senior. “And when I’m cooking is when I’m most relaxed; it feels natural. I can’t totally explain it. It’s just what I like.” Most nights, Justin chills, spending time with his friends and enjoying the fact that he’s finally in his last year of high school. He doesn’t worry too much about the future, because he knows what he wants. He laughs easily and seems approachable. But there’s something more to him. You don’t even scratch the surface with that first glance. Always surrounded by people, he maintains his
calm with a relaxed but driven attitude that accomplishes stove, which are huge. We everything without making it seem like anything. have a lot more open tables Dissatisfied with the normalcy of a planned life, Justin and islands and things move quicker. has planned his life around his passion: cooking. This is exactly the set up you have in the “It’s a different kind of lifestyle,” he explains. “I don’t real world, and getting a taste of this now want to be sitting behind a desk all day. This way, I’ll is better than regular days at school.” be standing up and doing something. Moving things, Now, Academy is sending him out making things. Doing stuff with my hands.” into the world. Justin further stressed that the physical And that’s the only kind of future he can imagine. liberty of these kinds of positions is another factor Fitting into anyone’s standards isn’t high on his list. Justin in cooking’s appeal. He has also recently begun an sets himself apart from the average teenager with an internship at the Sheraton, where he works on food unusual dream and the drive to pursue it. preparation. “One of the biggest differences [between me and the “I do what my teacher requires and I get the work average student] is that in such a professional career, I done, but it’s a great course. It shows a lot of personal skill have to work my butt off,” Justin comments. “I work a lot and innovation. You learn multitasking; classes like these harder than most and in different ways. I’m constantly on actually show you what the future looks like. I can talk or my feet. We’re standing up, developing our skills, trying listen to music while I cook. It’s a better environment.” to show off what we can do. If you mess up one thing For students who have that ambition, it is easier to while cooking, it has an effect. In the real world, mistakes transform passions into professions. come straight out of your salary.” “I’m a hands-on person,” Justin said. “I like to see Choosing culinary arts was a life choice, and my results right away. I like cooking because everything preparation has already begun. happens immediately. I hate waiting, so I can’t imagine The requirements for a culinary school are different being in another kind of job. I can’t stand things getting than those for regular four-year colleges. Most culinary boring.” programs don’t require SAT scores, although having Another point in Justin’s profession is its value in his available scores may help a student gain loans or grants. personal life; cooking is a skill he can experiment with, Justin’s top choices for after graduation are the Culinary which allows him to come up with recipes of his own or Institute of America (CIA), which has locations across personalize his favorite dishes, like Chicken Devan. the US, or the Johnson-Wales school in “I get to use it at home, also,” he Colorado. Curriculums that focus heavily said. “I can take the things I learn Culinary students on cooking as a profession put emphasis from a job and make them at home. complete all on the student’s experience and freeI can mess around with things and thinking, with less attention to the theory. show off what I know. As I learn courses in their Right now, Justin is working on five more, I can do more in my work chosen major different scholarships that depend on and in my own kitchen.” before any other work experience and tests. He plans to Cooking for Justin is every range classes. Before enter a cooking competition this year of emotion: difficult, enjoyable, and applying, students ever-evolving. It’s at the center of that will give him more experience and test his skills. Preparation for this process his future. must have six began in his sophomore year, when he first “What I want the most is to months of culinary decided that he wanted to pursue a career open a restaurant in a ski village in work experience. in the culinary arts. Now a senior, he is Canada,” Justin admitted, “Or a grill taking classes at the Marshall Academy and by the beach in California. I want to working to build his résumé. work with friends that I’ll come to know over the years, “The setup in my Culinary Arts 2 Academy Class is and it’ll be like being with family.” different than a normal classroom,” Justin describes. “We have an industrial kitchen attached - the kind of kitchen - kirin gupta, staff writer, can be reached at kirin.gupta@ you see in a real restaurant, with an indoor grill and oaktonmedia.net
Fall 2006: Justin begins taking Academy Courses in Culinary Arts.
2006: Justin decides he wants to pursue Culinary Arts as a career.
next step
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ustin takes a whiff of his latest creation, savoring the smell of a dish that he has made his own. Mozzarella and Swiss, melting in swirls, pours out of the perfectly rolled chicken, tantalizingly tangible. It looks as good as it smells, because Justin accepts nothing less than perfection from his presentation.
editors’ note: this story is the second of a three-part exploration into students who are looking at other opportunities outside the traditional four-year college for the next step.
2008: Internship at the Sheraton, his first job in a restaurant kitchen.
2008: Scholarship applications and preliminary work for CIA and Johnson-Wales.
Dreams: To have his own restaurant in a ski village or a beach town.
2009: Studies cooking in a hands-on culinary institure.
Drama students travel to New York City to experience Broadway musicals, workshops
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24 hours in the city that never sleeps...
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amanda herman
kasey sherman
he house lights went Smith talked to them about down, the curtain audition tips and the hard went up and 49 work that comes along with students’ eyes twinkled as getting onto Broadway. the stage lights shone on “I learned from the the actors as they entered workshop that you really the stage. This wasn’t a have to get in there and go show being put on in our for it. You can’t expect the auditorium, this show was on career you want to come Broadway. to you. You have to go out On Dec. 10, drama took there and pave a way for a day-long field trip to New yourself, like we in drama York City. They left Oakton do,” said sophomore Holly at 5 a.m. and returned at 3:30 Kelly. the next morning. While The skills obtained from While doing an acting exercise, senior Amanda Herman (left) and junior Albert Anderson (far right) on the trip, the students the workshop transcended introduce themselves and shake hands as Broadway performer Tim Smith (center) studies their experienced a workshop abilities specifically interaction. The point of the exercise was to show volume and clarity while speaking to someone. with a professional actor, two for performances. The Broadway musicals and the workshop taught lifelong teacher Robert Bromley. city itself. lessons on how to interact Another major difference The two Broadway shows with people professionally. was the special effects of a were “Gypsy,” a Broadway “The workshop taught Broadway show compared to classic, and “Billy Elliot,” a me how to better present a high school play. new musical about a boy who myself to new people,” said “The best thing about the becomes a ballet dancer. senior Kasey Sherman. “I shows was just how amazing “The first show we saw learned how important first it was with what they could was Gypsy, and it was OK; impressions are, not just in do with the shows, in terms it was interesting,” said auditions, but in life.” of lighting, sound and set sophomore Ari Veach. “The The drama students design, ” said sophomore second play was ‘Billy Elliot,’ noticed that there were Taylor Vogelzang. “It always which is a rock musical show, more than a few differences amazes me [to see] the so it was intense.” between the school plays level of special effects and Before the show, the and Broadway. One was the the flawless execution in a students went to a workshop importance it holds to the professional show.” amanda herman where they spoke to Tim city and the people. Although the students While workshop director Tim Smith teaches, sophomore Ari Veach Smith, a professional actor “[At Oakton], theatre is believed “Gypsy” was a good (left) and fellow drama students eagerly take in the advice while who has been working on a class; in New York, it’s an show, many preferred “Billy former drama teacher Robert Bromley looks on. “At the workshop Broadway for 15 years. industry,” said former drama Elliot.” there was a professional actor who told us the differences th Looking up at a list of companies at 520 8 Avenue, sophomore “The show was incredible between auditions and performances. He gave us unique ideas on Esther Workman and senior Julie Kann speculate which studio from almost every aspect. We how to enhance our auditions,” Veach said. the workshop will be held in. were sitting right underneath although I really enjoyed the said senior Kasey Sherman. the lighting booth, and being shows, too,” Kelly said. “Being stuck on a bus for five a techie myself, it was really Since shows on Broadway hours means you can learn a fun to be able to talk to the start at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., lot about a person.” stage hands before the show there was plenty of time for Some students and during intermission,” the students to hang out, were impressed by the said junior Allison Hicks. shop and enjoy the city. performance of such a young “We also got to see how they “I loved shopping with my actor. They found it amusing did set changes; they had a friends in between getting to that the child star still really advanced system which New York and going to the evaluated his performance was automated to change workshop,” Hicks said. even after starring on sets without people. We don’t The trip had a double Broadway since Oct. have that kind of technology, learning experience. “I heard [the actor playing but we could definitely get Although the students Billy] say to his mom, ‘This some ideas from it.” act and perform together was the best I ever did [the In between shows, OFFERS multiple times a week, show,]’ which made me students were sent out on DRIVER’S EDUCATION AND spending this quality time smile,” said senior Caitlin their own to get dinner in the together let the fellow actors Edwards. BEHIND THE WHEEL. city. Some students even got PLEASE CALL and stage technicians get a taste of music not only on closer to each other. 703-573-1231 OR 703-593-4897 - amanda herman and stage but at the restaurants. OR VISIT “This trip taught me a lot, jessica klaber, staff writers, “My favorite part was not just about the theatre and can be reached at amanda. www.deltadrivingschool.net when we got to go to Hard getting into Broadway as a herman@oaktonmedia. TO GET A FREE COUPON VISIT Rock Café because there stage hand, but I also learned net and jessica.klaber@ was a lot of musical history, a lot more about my friends,” oaktonmedia.net
DELTA DRIVING SCHOOL
www.deltacoupon.net
12.18.08
page 06
Collaboration Everydays...
Other departments should take after AP Environmental Science and AP Government’s lead
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outlookstaff
12.18.08
P Environmental Science and AP Government teachers recently broke down subject barriers in their collaboration on a recent case study about both water usage and government lobbying. Students covered a water consumption bill from the stance of eight different interest groups, taking into consideration environmental, social, economic and political impacts of a real world water conservation initiative. The project, which spanned a week, was a valuable exploration into the correlation between two seemingly distant subjects. So much of high school learning is done in a vacuum, in standard temperature and pressure, with number two pencil only, behind classroom doors and under the assumption that “x” is not equal to zero. Knowledge of each subject exists only within its corresponding classroom and the designated part of the brain. History and language, science and math, as well as economics and government students are left to learn theories inside their own separate spheres, all “inside the box.” This compartmentalizing limits scholastic practice to rote memorization appropriate only for multiple-choice standardized tests, rather than promoting applicable understanding and in-depth study. Although many subjects have common grounds, it is rare that classes actually get together to interact and highlight similarities between their curricula. This, however, is the most valuable type of learning: learning that is done in the real world, where more than one subject applies. There are other programs designed for such collaboration that have fallen flat in their practice, such as Senior Seminar and combined AP World History and English 10. Although these classes meet in the same room
HOT Long break
The new year Holiday sales alex perry
and are taught by a team of teachers, they are rarely team-taught, group explorations. Rather, the combination of courses usually means little more than coordination of test dates and larger class sizes. As a school, we have spent a great deal of time working on inter-department coordination. Collaboration Wednesday was created for this very purpose: so teachers within each department could meet weekly to keep on pace with one-another and plan their classes accordingly. However, if we want to continue to be a top-tier learning institution, we should explore the possibility of more inter-department collaboration in learning. Although it may be more time-consuming than a powerpoint lecture, taking kids outside the boundaries of an individual subject stretches both the material and the students’ ability to learn. There are plenty of these opportunities to be found. World History, which already deals with the advent of technology, could combine
Editors in Chief
Academics Editor
Ethan Doyle Danielle Holstrom Matt Johnson
Elena Kaufman
News Editor Chris Weil Opinions Editor Nia Roberson Zoe Mitchell (Asst.) Clubs Editor Tesla Jensen Kirin Gupta (Asst.)
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Insight Editor Erica Wohlleben Sports Editor Alena Schwarz Copy Editor Alex Straton Photo Editor Drew Gunther Business Manager
with different math levels to discuss the origin of algebra, geometry and calculus and the causes and effects of these methods. AP Statistics could combine with biology on how scientific population data is compiled and the significance of these results. Latin and the other romance languages share a history that lends itself to exploration either by the individual language or through a history class. Collaboration between departments takes effort, innovation and will to take learning outside of the box, which all teachers should have within them. They are the ones who know the real world and it is part of their job to introduce the students to it. It is imperative for students to learn that all subjects relate to each other on a larger scale. APES and AP Gov did a good job breaking down the classroom barrier, and other departments should follow their lead.
Online Editors Koorosh Massoudi Ryan O’Gorman
Alex Buscemi Daniel Chait Owen Chesser Michelle Chu Victoria Doxey Drew Harrington Erik Gunther
Interims School on Dec. 22 and 23
COLD
this staff editorial is the official opinion of the Oakton Outloook
Nyssa Wratschko Yenni Tan (Asst.)
Staffers
No snow... yet
Amanda Herman Kyle Hughes Mayura Iyer Sarah Kashanian Jessica Klaber Gladys Manzur Daphne Martschenko Emily Mills Alex Perry Vipin Reddy Rachel Sapone Shayda Shahbazi Elise Werner Alex Zanin
Advisers Chad Rummel Mary Clare McKesson 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 may be sent via email to editors@oaktonoutlook.com or dropped off in Chad Rummel’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.
opinions
12.18.08
page 07
Trashing Values? Sports cuts’ effect on students po
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danielle holstrom
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he upcoming 2010 budget cuts have put both girls gymnastics and indoor track in jeopardy of becoming eliminated. They are both at the mercy of the proposals recently unveiled to the public by FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale. Cutbacks will be made in order to make up for staff writer the $220 million loss of money for the county. This plan would shatter the dreams of the gymnasts and runners who have worked long hours to be able to compete in high school athletics. The county chose to put these sports at risk due to the other options the athletes have to compete in their sport. It claims that gymnasts can compete at the private gymnastics level, club, and that track competitors can race in the spring. If gymnastics were cut, people like sophomore Emily Phung may not be able to continue the sport. Doing club gymnastics is too time consuming and expensive. Gymnasts, such as Phung, would not have anywhere to go to increase their skill level; their life devotion to the sport would end with the approval of the proposal. The opportunities for these gymnasts to compete in college may cease to exist if they cannot practice. Though cutting gymnastics would only affect 125 athletes in Fairfax County, these are athletes who have trained long hours to get where they are. Fourteen high schools in the county participate in gymnastics, and almost all of these schools already have their own equipment. Though there is an issue of the cost of coaching and judges, it is minimal and will not put a big damper on the county’s budget. Cutting the sports would only save the county $221,000 a year. Indoor track, on the other hand, tends to be utilized as a sport for the athletes of the fall and spring to stay in shape; without it, participants will have to choose a different route. Nearly 2500 athletes in the county run in the winter. By eliminating it, students are literally put out on the street. Winter track gives members more time to fundraise for the meets of the spring season. If it is cut, runners would not be able to prepare for spring competitions. The budget cuts must come from somewhere, but not from sports. Each year, teams try to fundraise as much as they can. Though most funds comes from the county, athletes should not be denied the opportunity of to get involved. Instead of completely cutting girls gymnastics and winter track, the county should simply fund the sports less and leave some of the cost as a responsibility for the teams. The choice is left up to the athletes to fight for their sport.
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sarah kashanian
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imes are hard. Money is scarce. We have to make cuts wherever we can: food, clothes, school supplies and now athletics. In the past, sports like girls gymnastics and indoor track have been a staple at Oakton. In the FCPS projected reductions for 2010, one editor in chief or both of those teams are set to be eliminated as part of the third tier of the budget cuts. Although this is a necessary measure, it is not passi on the end of the world for members of these two teams. In a student’s high school career, academics is the most important factor. The individual supply and textbook allotment is already being decreased from $144.51 to $123.96 as part of the core high school instruction reductions, saving approximately $1.1 million. Every aspect of the county is tightening its budget to save more money. The easiest and most effective next step is to cut smaller sports like gymnastics and track which needs more money. According to the official FCPS FY 2010 Potential Reductions, eliminating gymnastics will only affect 125 athletes in the FCPS system. There is no doubt that every one of these girls is dedicated, but for the amount of money it takes to sustain such a costly, equipment-intensive sport, it is not worth keeping the sport in place. The $221,000 that will be saved by cutting gymnastics will come from coaching supplements, transportation and officials fees. Cutting track would mean a lot more students are affected, but the savings would amount to even more than the gymnastics budget. The county spends a total of nearly $250,000 each year to fund indoor track, yet the sport does not require as much equipment as gymnastics or football, and can potentially run on its own. Fees could be paid with money the athletes raise themselves. Running teams at Oakton have already raised more than $16,000 this year alone. By becoming a club, track could still be a varsity sport and athletes would receive the same honors they did before; the only difference would come from the money being saved by the county when it does not have to sponsor the sport anymore. Because gymnastics is an expensive sport, whether it is a school or club team, finding an alternative for the athletes would be much more difficult than it would for track. Some girls would be able to afford to take outside lessons; others would not. The $500,000 being saved by cutting girls gymnastics and indoor track alone would help where other aspects of school are lacking. This in turn will help us grow stronger as students, which is the county’s main concern. We’re going to have to give a little to get a little.
ge coura
see story on page 10
Different teachers result in different grades
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alex perry
hen students get their schedules each year, the first thing they do is check which teachers they have for their classes. Such a focus is placed on this detail because a difference in teachers often dictates a difference in students’ staff writer grades. For instance, if two students put the same effort into the same course, but for two different teachers, their grades are liable to be dissimilar. This is due to the lack of standardization between the methods of teachers. While two teachers of the same course generally follow a similar curriculum, their teaching techniques differ enough to change the outcome of students’ grades. Some teachers are prone to giving excessive homework, while other teachers will not even collect homework. Teachers have different scales for tests, quizzes, homework
and projects. Some teachers give long and difficult tests that are a large part of a quarter grade, while others will give small tests that can be supplanted by a number of small assignments. Since such an emphasis is placed on a high school student’s GPA, it’s unfortunate that having a different teacher can have a significant impact on one’s grades. In retrospect, I wonder how different my GPA would be had I been taught by easier teachers in my previous three years. Is there a significant enough difference in these grades to change a student’s acceptance into more prestigious colleges? The fact that these questions can be posed should signal the importance of this issue and its need for a solution. Teachers should do more to equate their workloads with other teachers who teach the same course so the class does not play to the advantages of some students and exploit the disadvantages of others. This is not to say that students
should not do the work that they are assigned, but certain students do better with focusing on major tests or projects while others are better at doing many smaller assignments to offset not performing as well on larger assessments. While guidance counselors and teachers often say that the same assessments and assignments are given in two different classes, there remains a significant difference in the mannerisms of teachers. It is inevitable that teachers are going to have different teaching styles, but it becomes an issue when there is a large enough discrepancy between methods that it results in students having to do more or less work to achieve the same grade. The fact is that some teachers have more difficult styles of teaching than others, and I do not expect this to change. It would be helpful to students if teachers coordinated their classes so that the variation grading is minimal. - alex perry, with contributions from anthony barba, staff writers, can be reached at anthony.barba@oaktonmedia.net
Two classes, one project Students debate in mock congressional hearing to reform water usage in Colorado River Basin
sarah schmitt
academics
page 08
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he [dehydration] of the Colorado River poses a major [threat] for the thousands of people who rely on it as a water source. If it dries out, I can’t even imagine how devastating the effect of this would be,” said Rachel Hettler, a senior taking both AP Government and Environmental Sciences. Like Hettler, many students have extensively researched this previously unheard of topic. APES and AP Government students simulated a congressional hearing, debating which measures should be taken in order to preserve the river. Additional guest speakers assisted the students participating in this project by acting as a collection panel conducting the congressional hearing, listening to and questioning the various interest groups. “Each group was assigned a topic, and we had to argue why our function deserved the most water,” said Muna Ahmed, a senior in AP Government. “I was assigned to agribusiness, and my main point was to prove that agriculture and farming deserved the majority of the limited water supply. We also had to debate whether we should reduce the amount of water available for use in order to preserve the Colorado River.” In previous years, the two AP classes have conducted separate projects similar to that of the Colorado River issue, but this year teachers decided to add a twist to the project: combining both the environmental sciences and government classes. “We decided to combine with AP Government because we, as teachers, were discussing the topics we cover during the year, and the fact that in APES we need to teach about the legislative aspects of environmental issues,” said APES teacher Jeanine Musgrove. “We decided to cover something in an interdisciplinary way to try to make it more fun and meaningful for the kids and also to stress to them that the subjects they study are related to one another and don’t exist in a vacuum.” Combining the two classes was an experimental process that resulted in a favorable outcome for the teachers. The teachers who decided to participate in the new system were pleased with the process. “[The combination of the classes] went very well,” Musgrove said. “I think it was a good learning experience for the students. As teachers, I
think our goals were accomplished and as of now “Debating this issue in front of a simulated we are hoping to do it congressional hearing was really beneficial again next year.” because it helped develop my debating skills, Compromises which are pertinent to passing the AP between the exams,” Hettler said. “When we write our debaters were essays [for the AP exam], we are required to reached in order defend our position on major world issues, to satisfy all parties of the and this hearing replication really gave us congressional hearing. the chance to expand our ability.” “In the end, we had to The AP students, in addition to compromise on the use of having the opportunity to hear the water. The legislation was opinions of others, were able to that we reduce the amount defend their own positions on the of water we use,” said senior subject appointed to them by the Evan Hyer. “The decision teachers. had both positive and negative “The best part of the assignment effects because it preserved a lot was being able to voice our opinions of the water. At the same time, it’s and interests on the matter,” Hettler going to be a challenge to ration said. “Kids our age don’t normally get a the nation’s water supply among say in national matters because [most of the citizens who rely on it.” us aren’t] old enough to vote or express sarah schmitt The project served multiple our opinions, but this mock hearing Explaining the rules of the functions besides raising allowed us to communicate our mock hearing to the students, student awareness of the drying positions.” APES teacher Jeanine MusColorado River. It also acted as grove introduces the panel of - vipin reddy and michelle chu, staff an aid for students taking the AP judges including other teachwriters, can be reached at vipin.reddy@ ers and a representatitive exams, a requirement in order oaktonmedia.net and michelle.chu@ from Jim Webb’s office. to receive a college credit for the oaktonmedia.net given course.
see story on page 6
sarah schmitt While presenting their interest group topic, seniors Adam Henne, Rachel Enghauser, Adey Chaplin and Grace Terzian argue in front of four mock congressional speakers. During the presentation, students were put into groups representing different interest groups around the Colorado River Basin. Each group was given five minutes to present its case to the panel, and five minutes were allotted for questioning from the panel.
academics
12.18.08
page 09
Chorus and band perform for tots in “Ice and Lights�
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ith the holiday season upon us and winter break growing closer every day, the music department traditionally attempts to spread the holiday cheer with their winter concerts. This year, however, in addition to the normal holiday concerts, drama, band and chorus performed another type of concert: the first ever tiny tots concert, “Ice and Lights.� “A lot of schools have shows for tiny tots and we have not in the past,� said Choral Director Tiffany Powell, “Mrs. Newton and I had said that we should think about starting a Tiny Tots show, so we thought we would give it a try.� For the little kids and others who went, the alex zanin holiday music While performing a scene from “The Night Before Christmas,� seniors Danielle Scarand performcella and Kyle Burris act out the first lines of ers, including the Christmas story. Senior Malcolm Forbes Santa Claus and narrated the story while chorus members Frosty, helped acted it out for the kids in the audience.
raise their holiday spirits. “We definitely thrilled all the little kids at the show,� said junior Spencer King. “The best part was when the kids started freaking out about Santa Claus.� Three performances of the concert were given on Dec 11 and 12 including a showing during third period on Dec 12. “The first performance was pretty shaky, but we did pretty well [Friday] and the kids really seemed to enjoy it,� said sophomore Corinne Holland. In addition to the holiday music, there were also performers who acted during every song. When the characters in costume, including Frosty and Rudolf, went into the crowd, they recieved excited reactions from the kids in the audience. “The looks on the kid’s faces were priceless. Many of them ran up to me and the other characters giving us hugs. I felt like a Disney theme park character,� said sophomore Roxanna Ghamgosarnia. For students who wanted to play holiday characters in the performance, there was a signup sheet and auditions were held for the parts. “There was a signup sheet and we had to audition for it,� said junior Kelly Fox. “There were two other people also auditioning for the Sugar Plum Fairy, but I got the part.� Another factor which made the whole concert go better was that the performers felt less embarrassed performing in front of little kids than if they had to perform in front of a larger group of peers. “If we did it in front of the high-schoolers it would be
Chorus holds holiday themed concert
Orchestra joins with band for holidays
T
he Chorus winter concert, which will be held on Dec. 18, will be a holiday-themed concert performed not just by all of the normal and special choirs, but will also feature alumni and college students, who are home for the holidays, performing with their old choir groups. “All the choirs, such as Madrigals, Select, Concert Choir and Treble, are involved along with the Specialty choirs like guys group, girls group, jazz and show choir.� said junior Viktoria Chronister.
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rchestra performed its Winter Concert in the Auditorium on Dec. 16. Involving all of the orchestra groups, the concert featured a preview of songs it was going to perform at the National String Teachers of America competition in Atlanta. “All the bands played together, and it was nice for the lower groups to play with the upper level bands and learn from them,� said junior Evan Cannon. “It was [also] good to play some holiday songs, and the songs were pretty simple, so it was fun for everyone involved.� - owen chesser and alex zanin, staff writers, can be reached at owen. chesser@oaktonmedia.net and alex. zanin@oaktonmedia.net
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really embarrassing but in front of the little kids it was fine, they really seemed to enjoy it,� Holland said. The drama, band and choir heads are considering turning the tiny tots concert into a new Oakton tradition because the it was so well recieved and generally enjoyed by the performers. “This was our debut performance. We wanted to give it a try and do it as a collaborative effort with drama, choir and band,� Powell said. “We hope to build upon it for the future years and make it into a tradition.� - owen chesser and alex zanin, staff writers, can be reached at owen.chesser@oaktonmedia.net and alex.zanin@ oaktonmedia.net
Band performs “Ice and Lights� show
A
lthough the band’s winter concert usually features alumni coming back to play holiday music with them, this year it just held a regular concert. Due to the Ice and Lights show, which was a big holiday performance featuring symphonic and Jazz band A, the band department felt that this year the winter concert, held on Dec. 4, should just be a normal concert. “We usually have a group of band alumni come back for a Winter Concert, and they are invited to play a few songs with us. We didn’t do a holiday concert this year. Instead symphonic band and one of the jazz bands played Ice and Lights,� said junior Gabby Slaughter. maggie auer
michelle chu
alex zanin While singing “The Hannukah Song� during the “Ice and Lights� holiday show, Madrigals, a selective chorus, performs for an audience comprised of adults and preschoolers. In order to attract a younger audience, the show included performances by holiday characters during the songs.
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Door to Door
page 10
The economic downturn and county budget cuts have caused many sports teams to increase fundraising. Crew, a club sport, has always raied funds and indoor track, a team that is supported by the county, go door to door asking for donations.
on thebooks
12.18.08
Like many other students, Hildreth found herself outside in the cold asking strangers to support her athletic team. The annual crew fundraising event known as “Tag Day” requires rowers to meet at the house of a crew family and go throughout the neighborhood asking for donations. The “host house” provided her, and several other rowers with flyers, envelopes and guidelines on how to address people. “You have to explain to people that crew is not funded by the school,” Hildreth said. “Mentioning that donations are tax deductible is key.” With a $250 fundraising requirement and a fee of $660 to join the team per person, rowers have plenty of experience with raising money. “Tag Day started at nine [in the morning],” said senior Adam Willhite. “My family served as a [host] house for the event. We went door to door and told people we were a club sport, which is why we were asking for donations.” Events such as Tag Day, the Erg-a-Thon, the Borders Gift Wrapping Program and a Letter Writing Campaign harness the team’s ability to ask for donations. One of these events, the Boarders Gift Wrapping Program, started this year. In contrast to other events, the program hasn’t brought in as much money as anticipated. “We went to Borders and wrapped a lot of presents,” said sophomore Jamie Falter “We got about $20.” The Erg-a-thon sets crew apart from other sports. In the morning on a weekend, the team
Girls Basketball
sets up ergometers, machines designed to simulate on-the-water rowing, outside of a Starbucks. For most of the day team members will exercise on the machines, rowing for money. Bidget cuts, however, and money shortages have not threatened crew. Unlike sports such as indoor track, the club relies solely on outside donations and receives no aid from FCPS. Despite student and parent efforts, indoor track is on the verge of becoming another Fairfax County budget cut. In response, coaches have encouraged fundraising and set a $100 minimum fundraise goal for each athlete. The money goes towards equipment, meets, buses and hotel expenses during away trips. “I have to politely ask a neighbor if they would be willing to donate,” said senior Lihi Tzur. “You give them a tax refundable sheet; that way it benefits them, too. Sometimes I feel bad asking for money, especially with the economic crisis.” Many runners are just getting used to fundraising through methods other than carwashes and bake sales. Asking strangers for donations can often be uncomfortable and takes time to get used to. Going door to door requires confidence and preparation for any type of situation. “I believe we shouldn’t have to fundraise,” said senior Casey Weatherford. “We have so much money put to things we don’t need. The money could be used to fund sports.” As one of the largest teams, the participants of indoor track are expected to raise over $10,000. For the crew team, seeing other sports fundraise is a welcome change. “It’s good that other sports have to fundraise,” Willhite said. “With the county budget cuts, it would be unfair for certain sports to have to just support themselves and other sports to be so heavily funded by the county. This makes things more even.”
Outside of Starbucks, seniors Bert Udler and Nader Hussein erg for money as they are cheered on by teammate senior Elliot Ward. The annual erg-a-thon is one of many fundraisers the crew team participates in.
What does your team do to fundraise?
- daphne martschenko, staff writer, can be reached at daphne.martschenko@oaktonmedia.net
Boys Basketball
Dec. 9 vs. West Potomac W (75-30) Dec. 10 at Potomac W (69-52) Dec. 12 vs. Lake Braddock W
Dec. 8 vs. Loudoun L (52-63) Dec. 9 vs. West Potomac L (53-59) Dec. 12 at Lake Braddock L (50-61)
record: 5-0 upcoming games: Dec. 19 vs. Robinson
record: 0-4 upcoming games: Dec. 16 vs. Westfield
Swim/Dive
maggie auer
cougar quotes
“H
i, I’m a member of the crew team at Oakton High School,” said senior Heather Hildreth. “We row on the Occoquan almost every day in very expensive boats, and I was wondering if you would like to make a tax deductible donation to our team.”
Gymnastics
Dec. 5 at Fairfax Girls: W Boys: L Dec. 12 vs. Herndon Girls: W Boys: L
Dec. 2 at Thomas Jefferson 4th Dec. 11 at Centreville 5th
upcoming games: Dec. 19 at Washington Lee Jan. 9 vs. Robinson
upcoming games: Dec. 17 at Potomac Falls Dec. 8 at Freedom
Indoor Track
Every Saturday for three weeks we rake leaves outside houses. It takes the entire day.
-geoff moskawitz, jr. wrestler
Nothing that I am aware of.
-austin lopez-gomez, so. diver
We did the Sally Foster Wrapping program and Scripts program. We have a clinic for high schoolers its $90 for the week.
-carly isakowitz, jr. dance team We sell ads for our program for the Winter Tournament. The money goes towards things like new lockers.
- brieneke matthes, jr. basketball
Hockey
Dec. 12 at TJ Middle School No team score.
Nov. 21 at Herndon L (3-7) Dec. 12 vs. Langley L (2-8)
upcoming games: Dec. 20 at Episcopal Jan. 3 at Episcopal
record: 0-2 upcoming games: Dec. 19 vs. Hayfield/So. County Jan. 2 at No. Stafford/Colonial Forge
Wrestling Dec. 5-6 NOVA Classic 17th Dec. 13 5 matches at Warren County (2-3) upcoming games: Dec. 23 (H) Jan. 14 (H)
Sports Briefs
For information about Oakton Hockey, check out www.oaktonhockey. com
sports
12.18.08
page 11
Swim and Dive: 2 teams, 1 goal S
wimmers sit on the side of the pool deck, screaming at the top of their lungs as divers swim up to the surface to see their teammates cheering them on. They encourage each other not only because they love the team, but to help each other win in the end. The swimmers and divers attend practice every day after school to prepare for their upcoming meets. “We’ve been working really hard this year, and hopefully all our efforts will pay off, ” said sophomore diver Austin Lopez-Gomez. The retiring of the old coach, Greg York, brought new swim coach, Scott Tsuchitani from Delaware University, to the team. He has joined with past dive coach Cheryl Meltz, and both plan to work collectively in the hopes of embarking on a winning season. “This year we have great hopes to beat our biggest rival, Robinson, not only at our individual meet, but also at Districts, Regions and States,” Lopez-Gomez said. The two teams are joined as one and interact with one another in encouraging ways. “The swimmers and divers get together for team pasta dinners on Thursday nights before the meets, as well as participate in other social events together and support each other during the meets,” Meltz said. The girls swim and dive team had their first victory of the season on Nov. 5 against Fairfax. The final score of 175-140 demonstrated the girls’ hard work ethic, and talent. “It felt so great to start out our season by beating a good
team,” said freshman swimmer Stephanie Hallock. “Hopefully we can keep it up and stay undefeated.” The boys’ meet did not end as well because of their loss of six swimmers, who were at the higher level meet scheduled on the same day. Without the entire team present, the boys lost by 15 points with a final scoring of 150-165. “In the last meet we had pretty tough competition by a very good Fairfax team,” Meltz said. “We hope to build on our performance going into this week’s meet.” The divers individually score their points as the swimmers watch and cheer. The final points gained by dive team soon become the starting points for the swimmers. “Other high schools hear about us and are jealous of how spirited our team is,” Hallock said. “When we go to meets, we support our swimmers far more than any other school.” The majority of the participants from the previous dive season were upperclassmen, including three male and four female divers. Five had the chance to compete in Regionals and four went on to compete in States. This year there are four female divers, only two of which are returning members, and four boy divers, all of whom are new. “Last year, both the boys and girls diving teams dominated the Concorde District, never losing a dual meet and taking first in both District Championships,” Meltz said. To make up for the swimmers and divers who graduated, there are a lot of new of freshmen that joined both teams. “As a freshman, I feel really welcomed into the group,” Hallock said. “I just love the swim team in general.”
shayda shahbazi
Performing a front dive half twist, sophomore diver Austin Lopez-Gomez competes in the swim and dive competition on Dec. 12 against Herndon. The Girls won the meet 175-140 while the boys lost 150-165. - shayda shahbazi, staff writer, can be reached at shayda. shahbazi@oaktonnmedia.net
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