Oakton Outlook 2012-2013 Issue 5 by Laura Murphy

Outlook oakton

vol. 49 | issue 5 | 2.21.13

When Fear becomes Phobia Students and teachers discuss what keeps them up at night

inside

spotlight

Daniel Li dives into the vast world of social media with a new site of his own

touchdown

The excitement of the Superbowl is forever remembered through student tweets

snailmail from the editors

outlook staff adviser lauren luna editors in chief

he Outlook is back after a month-long break! With all the wonderfully inspiring things going on during February, such as Valentine’s Day (page 4), One Act Plays (page 6) and a yet another movie based on Nicholas Sparks’ literary genius (page 30), we decided to turn the focus on a rather heartwarming topic: fear (page 16). From creepy-crawlies to towering heights, we are exploring the strange and the not-so-strange phobias of the students and staff. Personally, we feel that residing in a port-a-potty while it falls over would be a fate worse than death. If you still have an appitite after that image, take a look at these tasty alternatives to potato chips for all of the health-conscious folk in the school (page 29). As the second semester begins, senioritis hits in full force (page 21). While some students cannot wait for the academic year to end, others are trying to make the most of the time they have left before heading off to college (page 31). The Superbowl has come and gone, and with it, the only time of the year in which we enjoy commercials. However, both the excitement of the game and some rather disconcerting commercials will forever be memorialized through grammatically challenged, yet insightful, student tweets (page 23).

regards,

Gabriela Driscoll Michelle LoRusso

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

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

alana peters

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

Madlin Mekelburg Marilyn Yang

ori

mis

gabriela driscoll michelle lorusso madlin mekelburg marilyn yang

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

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

snailmail 2.21.13

in this issue

courtesy of matthew choi

sunni bean

31 30

courtesy of dale cooper

alana peters

couresty of imdb.com

vol. 49 | issue 5 | 2.21.13

27 newsworthy touchdown Cross 6 Red Club and

Operation Smile make Hospital Gowns: Students work together to make hospital gowns to send to children in underdeveloped countries

spotlight

sports tour de 9 Le 27 Club on the rise: France: Despite club sport status, ice hockey has found tremendous popularity. Up and coming club Rugby attempts to follow in its path

Juniors, Amy Zhang and Matthew Choi spend their junior year studying abroad in France

14 indepth

showtime

are 14 What you afraid 30 of?: The Oakton community addresses common phobias and where they stem from

“Safe Haven” fails to uphold the Valentine’s Day spirit: Superficial absurdity takes center stage in “Safe Haven”

contents 2.21.13

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newsbriefs 1

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

Foreign exchange Exhibition of Learning excitement teachers learn sweeps through Oakton about American March 19 and 20 will mark the start of the second annual Exhibition of Learning at Oakton. Last year only freshmen were required to participate, but this year both schools freshmen and sophomores are required to share their favorite projects; however, it

During the past week foreign exchange teachers have been coming into classes to learn more about teaching and apply what they learn from American schools to teaching in their home countries. Foreign exchange teacher Humberto Sanchez of Venezuela describes his experience while visiting America for the first time. “First, we were in Washington with the company that is taking care of us and they were telling us what we can and cannot do because we are in a different culture,” Sanchez said. “In the second week we were in the university taking technology classes and taking research method classes.” The program is very selective taking only four out of 300 applicants from Venezuela alone. “We [the foreign exchange teachers] are from 30 different countries and we are hoping to learn and apply what we learn to our teaching,” Sanchez said. “I hope to know as much as possible about the techniques and strategies used here. That is the main goal of every teacher that is here [in the program].

erin bennett

is highly recommended that juniors and seniors participate as well. Requirements for participating in the Exhibition is slowly working its way up grade level by grade level. Next year freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be required to participate, and the following year all grades will be required to share a project. Shweta Dixit, sophomore, and Katie Clark, senior, are very excited about sharing their projects with parents and adults from Fairfax County. Dixit is presenting an English project in which she compares women’s sports from the very first Olympic Games to the present day games. “I think the Exhibition of Learning will be a good learning experience because I think it will help students become more comfortable talking in front of people, especially [people they have never met],” Dixit said. Clark is presenting a project from her Senior Seminar class, a combinations of AP Government and English Honors, where students were given an option to write a research paper or present a project at the Exhibition of Learning. “I decided to present a project because I thought the Exhibition of Learning suited me better [than writing a paper]. Last year I presented one of my summer projects and I had a lot of fun with it,” Clark said. “My project [this year] is stemmed off of a policy paper that was assigned, and I’m covering airline security problems and how to reform them.” Clark highly recommends that students participate in the Exhibition of Learning and encourages them to display their work for parents and adults to see. “A lot of parents who go seem to really [enjoy the experience] and also by telling [the parents] more about my project I seemed to learn more about it too,” Clark said. Projects will be set up throughout the halls of Oakton, to display the students’ work. Each student will be assigned a section of the school to set up their projects. This is not only a good experience for the students involved, but also the adults who gain insight into what Oakton students learn about throughout the different grade levels. Parents and adults are welcome to walk around freely, asking questions and learning about the various projects. courtesy of shweta dixit

newsworthy 2.21.13

Red Cross Club and Operation Smile make Hospital Gowns Red Cross Club and Operation Smile combined to Feb 6 to make hospital gowns for children in 3rd world countries. “Kids in 3rd world countries they often don’t have enough money to get them hospital gowns,” said Annie Wandishin, senior, who is the President of Red Cross Club. “So what we do is we bring in t-shirts we don’t use anymore and we cut them so they’re gowns, and we send them over the operation smile headquarters, and they distribute it to people in need.” Operation Smile has been around for over 30 years internationally, but Oakton established our club three years ago. The organization donates gowns and other necessities to children with Cleft-Pallet syndrome, and provides life saving surgeries. Red Cross also has various other planned events throughout the year. “With red cross, the big blood drive we do at the end of the year is pretty much planned,” Wandishin said, “But when we do the canned food drives and the PB&J drive, is all set up through us and try to tell everyone.” Both clubs contribute community service making gowns and cards for kids with cleft pallet surgery, donating food, and doing a blood drive with NOVA blood donor services. “My favorite part is just knowing that I’m getting people in the school to help out” said Elizabeth Villaflor, head of Operation Smile. sunni bean

French Ambassador Visits APCG Class

On Feb. 15, former French ambassador and long-time European Union advocate, Frédéric Doré, visited with AP Comparative Government (APCG) and French students to talk about the European Union.   “I was always interested in foreign relations,” said Doré.”After my studies, I decided to become a diplomat.” The European Union is an organization consisting of 27 different European countries that’s main goal is to promote freedom, respect for human rights, equality, democracy, and rule of law through friendly international relations.  “The EU is a framework for Europe,” Doré said. “But all the policies are still national. The EU is not involved directly in policy.” After his lecture, Doré was able to dedicate the rest of the time to student questions, and some were able to apply their high school French skills in this endeavor.  “I loved the question and answer session,” said senior Chris Crapco. “It was where all the main information came [from], and a lot of things we discussed in [AP comparative government] came up.” Doré gave the students valuable insight on many world issues, and his enthusiasm was palpable. “My views on the EU have shifted,” said junior Pooja Seth. “I now better understand the process [they go through] as an organization to implement things.”

Drama Department’s Dinner Theatre

Night of One Acts was a dinner theatre show on Feb 4 which previewed both Drama two and Drama three and four’s shows. This year, they made the show a chili cook off with food served before the plays and desert at intermission. This was the first time that all the money raised goes towards the Katie Smith Scholarship; a 1000 dollar scholarship made after a student passed away who was active in many creative parts of the school. Drama Three and Four preformed multiple shows, and one of them won districts with the performance. “Were doing three shows but the one were taking to regional’s is called Nowhere in America,” said Shane Lucas Ramsey, junior. “The theme revolves around alcoholism and how it destroys lives.” The other older plays were comedies while the Drama two productions was a redone Shakespeare medley. With the script as an adaptation of Shakespeare lines, the Drama two formatted the play and switched it around trying out a cowboy theme, a gangster theme, and finally setting to a modern theme. “Drama three and four have this tradition where they do a chant right before we go on stage and it really caught us off guard they were yelling and stuff,” said Veronica Silva sophomore. “But working with them getting ready for next year was the best.” susan rodriguez

sunni bean gianna sheffield

newsworthy 2.21.13

FCPS revisits redistricting Due to the growing population, Fairfax County high schools are overcrowded, and students will need to be redistricted to compensate

airfax County is planning to redistrict high schools due changes. to overcrowding in the next year. Superintendent Jack “Students are ok with [redistricting]; parents are upset. Dale has confirmed redistricting plans, and laid out a We have students testify,” Dale said. “This is a quote from a time table for the boundary changes. student who testified to parents, ‘Adults, get over it.’” “We have a boundary study that is underway now, and we’ll Dale discusses the option of building more high schools to be meeting with different community groups over the next accommodate the growing population. two plus months,” Dale said. “Right now we’re looking for a site of land out in the The public will also be able to give their input regarding the southwest part of Fairfax County to potentially build another upcoming redistricting plans. high school we’ll need in probably five to ten years,” Dale said. “Then [we will] have a public hearing on the boundary Despite the potential to relieve overcrowding, building new recommendations that come from the community. The school schools has its share of difficulties for the school board. board is set to vote on those in late April. It involves seven “The problem with opening new schools is that it is a longhigh schools, Oakton being one of them.” term process, and we always have five, ten, fifteen year plans Dale explains the causes of the need to redistrict the county. to do additions, school renovations as well as building new “Students just aren’t lining up right. Families move in to schools,” Dale said. a lot of different However, building areas, and we’re new schools will experiencing affect the planned population growth. renovations of current We’re getting high schools. anywhere from 2 to “If we have to build jack dale | superintendent 4 thousand students more schools, then every year,” Dale said. what we have to do is slow down the number of schools Although Oakton was part of the 2008 boundary change, it that are being renovated. So we actually do accommodations will once again be redistricted. when we do renovations. We add more classrooms while we “Oakton has been affected by a couple [boundary changes]: renovate,” Dale said. one a few years ago with South Lake High School and in this Renovations and redistricting also bring up financial one [Oakton is] being affected because Fairfax High school is concerns for tax payers. the most overcrowded.” “In the current county budgeting process, there is a certain Grandfathering is the term for allowing students to remain tax dollar amount that is allocated every year for us to be able in the school they are currently enrolled in after redistricting. to do renovations, additions, and new schools. So, the tax rates It is the school board’s responsibility every year to decide what won’t go up,” Dale said. students are grandfathered into schools. Dale describes how However, the new plan for redistricting is a temporary students will be affected by the immanent redistricting plans. solution as overcrowding is an ongoing concern. “Typically [the school board] allows the students who are “With our continued growth of 2,000 plus students a year currently in a high school to continue in that high school,” we will probably have to, every year, change the boundaries Dale said. somewhere in Fairfax County,” Dale said. Since the redistricting in 2008 was so controversial, Dale erin bennett gabriela driscoll expects similar reactions from parents this year. However, newsworthy editor editor in chief students tend to have a different opinion concerning boundary

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Right now we’re looking for a site of land out in the southwest part of Fairfax County to potentially build another high school.

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How students feel about redistricting 16%

42%

good idea

indifferent

bad idea newsworthy 2.21.13

Le Tour de France

reina datta copy editor

hink of being away from everyone you know and everything you are used to. It seems crazy to think that a person could live in a foreign country for so long without any of the comforts of family and friends. However, that is exactly what juniors Amy Zhang and Matthew Choi did. Both Zhang and Choi jet-setted their way to the country with the Eiffel Tower, l’Arc de Triomphe and some seriously good pastries. “I’ve always wanted to travel, and France has interested me since sixth grade when the middle school French teacher bribed us to take his class by promising us French food every week. I also wanted [to enjoy] one year before all the AP classes and college applications.”

“I live in Chartres, a traditional town about a half an hour away from Paris. As for the school system, my high school seems like an American university. The schedule’s the most unorganized thing I have ever seen. The teachers change classrooms; if the teacher doesn’t come to teach, there isn’t a class.”

“I have to leave France at the end of the school year. My visa expires if I’m not enrolled as a student, so I’ll be back mid-June. I couldn’t recommend studying abroad enough. For studying abroad, you have to be ready to change. It’s not easy all the time, but I never regret my decision to come here.”

y Am g an Zh

w tthe a M i Cho

“I was always fascinated about foreign cultures, and I love to travel. But I don’t really like being “the tourist” watching another country from a tour bus window. I wanted to really know the people and lifestyle of another country as someone who lives there.” “I live in Lorraine, which is in the northeast of France. There are huge differences between French and American school systems. One of the big things that stuck out to me was how directly the government controls everything. Instead of referring to the FCPS college board, in France, everyone refers to the Ministry. I felt like I was at Hogwarts.”

“The association I went with is Youth for Understanding (YFU). They assigned me a host family and helped me and all the other exchange students arrange travel and prepare for the program.”

spotlight

2.21.13

hard at work

DECA is a co-curricular club for marketing students across the country. Like many high schools, Oakton has its own chapter that works on marketing skills in a real world environment. Members also have the opportunity to compete at the district, state, and national levels against other DECA members in marketing role play situations. This school year, Oakton DECA has been active in a variety of areas in the community and they still have more to come. alex driscoll torri marquis

Events:

Sept.

-Fall Leadership Conference

staff writer

One Oakton

he annual Fan Quest Special Olympics basketball game between Oakton HS and McLean HS took place on Saturday, January 26. To promote the event, DECA members Peter Ott, Jon Nenner, and Drew Sandler orga-

Nov. -District Competition

Jan. -Anti-bullying presentations at RCMS -One Oakton Campaign

Mar. -State Competition

torri marquis Peter Ott (left) and Drew Sandler (right) present the medals to the Oakton Special Olympics basketball athletes. “My favorite part was easily the game and just seeing all the people there and seeing all the athletes so grateful and happy,” Ott said.

nized the One Oakton campaign. “I was part of helping set up the Special Olympics basketball game last year,” said senior Peter Ott. “It was a tremendous success and it was really inspiring.” The campaign aimed to get the school excited for the game and to encourage a more unified student body. DECA worked hard since the beginning of the school year to put their project into place. “We spent several months organizing different events to raise awareness for our campaign and to promote the Special Olympics basketball game,” Ott said. “We planned the pep rally and then we set up a tailgate before the Special Olympics basketball game and we helped organize several fundraisers and events during the game.” The Fan Quest game had a huge turnout, and the One Oakton campaign was a success due to DECA’s efforts and the assistance of other clubs. “It wasn’t just DECA. Leadership and the Oakton Octagon club helped out a lot. There were a lot of other people involved. It was a big unifying effort.”

Anti-Bullying Campaign

ECA Juniors Claire Weisskopf, Brooke Mustain and Danielle Smith were assigned to work on a public relations project. They decided to get the word out on bullying and set up an anti-National bullying campaign with Rachel Carson Competition Middle School. Their objective was to persuade students not to engage in bullying, and teach them how to effectively deal with bullying situations when they occur. The juniors coordinated times with the principal to come to the school as well as work with leadership and other volunteers. The students went to Rachel Carson four times during January to set up anti-bullying workshops to teach the middle schoolers about different ways to approach and handle bullying. They set up three 20 minute sessions with Oakton DECA participants. The students were given different bullying scenarios and had to come up with solutions on how to take action. “Bullying was something that we thought was emphasized in spotlight the wrong way, students are only 2.21.13 told not to bully, but we wanted

May

staff writer

to approach it from a different perspective and teach students how to prevent it and handle it instead” said Mustain. The juniors will present their project at DECA’s State competition in March. They hope that their anti-bullying campaign will not just impress the judges but have a lasting effect on how the middle schoolers approach the issue and their response to this serious problem in schools today.

DECA District President Jack Chapman

unior Jack Chapman holds one of DECA’s most important positions, district president. “I plan on running for the state action team, and being district president is a good experience to have before running” said Chapman. As district president, Chapman has many different responsibilities than the rest of the club. Chapman was in charge of running the district competitions this past Nov. at Lake Braddock, and was also responsible for collaborating with other Oakton members of the club to help coordinate the different events that DECA sponsors. One of Chapman’s goals this year is running for the state office. To be eligible for this position it requires passing a written test about DECA, providing a transcript and running a campaign. All of this comes down to a vote by DECA members to choose who gets to be in the state office. DECA is an opportunity for students to simulate the work place and, like Chapman, strive to succeed and reach positions of influence.

State Competition

oming up in the near future, DECA will be traveling to Virginia Beach from March 1st-3rd for the State competition. Many DECA members have been working hard to prepare their projects that they plan on presenting to the judges. “We’re going to take about 65 students to states for the state conference,” said DECA co-adviser Michael Greene. “It’s fun because you’re there to compete, but it’s also a great networking experience.” “There is a big opening session which is just a bunch of fun, and then on Saturday they actually compete,” said DECA coadviser Annie Fiehrer. “Saturday night is the mini awards session and then on Sunday the students find out if they qualify for the National competition in California.”

Deca Officers

Allie Delgado Chapter President

Connor Hunter President of Communications

Peter Ott President of Chapter Funds

Ciara Cooney President of Communications

Andrew Seastream President of Chapter Funds

Jon Nenner President of Activities

“ courtesy of claire weisskopf Mustain helps middle schoolers talk through bullying scenarios and come up with ways to solve them. “It’s important to know how to deal with bullying situations, not just avoid them” said Weisskopf.

I think [states] is just a fun thing for the kids to be able to be in a professional setting but still getting to have fun.

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annie fiehrer | deca supervisor

Sarah Sapone President of Activities

spotlight

2.21.13

madlin mekelburg editor in cheif

Student explores new frontiers in social networking

ost teenagers are no strangers to soMelio shares traits with these popular sites, it cial networking sites. From Facebook also presents a unique experience. to Twitter to Instagram, everyone is “Melio offers something that [Facebook and constantly connected to their friends and family. Twitter] don’t really offer,” Li said. “Facebook is But how often are people able to connect with mostly used to talk to your friends, and 90% of other individuals with similar interests through the other features are useless to you. I wanted to their social media? In June of last year, Daneil create something that was geared towards your Li, junior, created Melio, a own interests. You can really social networking site that tailor it to yourself and the You can really tailor it to does just that. things that are important to yourself and the things that you.” “Melio connects you to are important to you. people who share the same While Melio is relatively daneil li, 11 interests,” Li said. “But it alnew, it currently has around lows you to communicate with 250 users and has great your real life friends at the same time. It lets you potential for expansion. build new relationships and maintain old ones at “It’s not too hard to get users, you just tell a the same time.” couple people and it starts to spread by word of The formatting of Melio has features similar mouth,” Li said. “I’ve gotten feedback from a to both Facebook and Twitter. Users can post couple entrepreneurs I’ve talked to. They’ve told statements, like on Twitter, but they also have me I need to try and refine my website, so I’ve the ability to post into different groups. While been working on that.”

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New year, no new you

2.21.13

o wh ar e l ye op pe ver y l e 3% 1 fai

how long does your resolution last?

karli gillepsie spotlight editor

people who infrequently make them 9% people who how many people make never make resolutions? resolutions 21% people who succeed in their resolutions 8%

peopl ew infreq ith uen succe t ss 27%

-Barack Obama’s victory tweet recieved over 800K retweets, making it the most retweeted tweet ever. -32% of all internet users are using Twitter. -About 250 million images are uploaded to Facebook everyday. -There are currently 850 million active Facebook users. -In 2012, Instagram users liked a total of 78 million photos. -37% of Instagram users have never uploaded an image. -The average user spends 16 minutes on Pintrest per visit. huffingtonpost.com

top 10 resolutions 1) Lose Weight 2) Getting Organized 3) Spend Less, Save More 4) Enjoy Life to the Fullest 5) Staying Fit and Healthy 6) Learn Something Exciting

six st pa nths mo 6% 4

d ne ai nt h ai g ek m rou we th rst 5% 7 fi

spotlight

peop usua le who lly reso make lutio 25% ns

-In 2012, there were about 175 million tweets sent from Twitter every day.

While the majority of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, most never make it through the year achieving their one goal.

e t on pas nth mo % 64

t’s the same thing every year. As you’re watching the ball drop in Times Square, you quickly decide to make a New Year’s resolution and you promise yourself that this year will be different. You won’t forget about your goal in a week, you’ll try not to forget about it within the next 15 minutes. This year you will succeed. But let’s be real, the majority of of us drop our resolutions within a month, in fact, statistically speaking 30% of the people who create resolutions fail by their second week. Don’t feel too bad about yourself for failing though, because you are not alone. According to data collected by Statistics Brain, they have found that only eight percent of Americans succeed in their resolutions.

By the numbers

two past ks wee 71%

7) Quit Smoking 8) Help Others in Their Dreams 9) Fall in Love 10) Spend More Time with Family

all statistics courtesty of statisticsbrain.com

Acascuse Me?

Acapella music has grown to new heights because of the movie Pitch Perfect, including Oakton’s own men’s and women’s acapella groups.

capella singing has recently increased in popularity due to the success of the movie “Pitch Perfect,” featuring collegiate Acapella groups singing mash-ups of popular songs. Oakton’s Men and Women’s Acapella groups, referred to as Bed by 7 and the recently renamed Girls Night Out, have been a part of Oakton’s Chorus department since the 90’s. “Acapella is a style of singing which is basically just singing without any music or background [instruments], just using only our voices,” said senior member of Girls Night Out, Alex Bloom. “This can include beat boxing and [various] sounds using only our mouths,” Girls Night Out and Bed by 7 are similar to the groups in “Pitch Perfect” in the way they combine songs to form mash-ups. Bloom often arranges mash-ups for the group to sing in performances. The group has covered songs by Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Lauren Hill and many other popular artists. The girls pick all of their songs by writing down their favorites on a piece of paper and then voting on which songs to sing as a group. Bed by 7 also chooses their songs through popular vote, but instead of just singing covers of the songs they choose, they arrange all of the songs they sing to fit their voices and the sounds they want to achieve. “Thomas Hinds arranged ‘White Winter Hymnal’, by the Fleet Foxes, for the group to sing at their annual winter concert in December 2012. “We sing everything from Folk, to Popular, to songs from musicals,” said senior leader of Bed By 7, Spencer Waters. “Some songs we’ve sung in the past are ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and ‘Stand By Me’. “[In order to be an Acapella singer] you need good pitch and you need to be able to harmonize. It requires a lot of energy and confidence to sing a solo,” Bloom said. “We also sing a lot of different kinds of music, but we tend to sing a lot of pop songs, so you need to be open minded to different styles.” ‘The thing I like about [Acapella] is that it’s just the human voice, and I think there’s something special about the human voice that everyone can relate to,” Waters said. “It sounds so different from any other instruments and the sounds that can be produced are magical in some sense.”

natalie eberhart staff writer photo courtesy of Oakton Chorus

contents 2.21.13

o glo b

Trauma Drama Oakton students and teachers reveal their unique phobias

acr o

ophom ore Shane Brummon d first disc an acropho overed tha t he was bic at the a dangled ov ge of six, when he w er White S as ox Stadium “It was aw . fu holding him l,” Brummond said, as he descri upside-dow bed n over a le Since acqu d iring his fe ge in the st his brothers ar of heigh adium. persistent ts inconvenie nce in his li , Brummond’s phobia “I went to fe. has been a Fairfax Fa ir with my wheel,” Bru fr iends and mmond sa we went o id. “One of was swing n the ferris my friends ing his leg opened the s and I wa door and s freaking out.”

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P Chemistry teacher, Abigail Giordano’s fear of balloons started when she was in college. She was driving home on a hot day with a car full of balloons. The car became so hot that one balloon suddenly popped. “Then they all popped. It was like gunfire being fired behind my ear.” Giordano said. She avoids balloons at all costs, and when they were in the Oakton hallways, she purposefully went all the way around to get to her classroom. “It feels silly [being afraid of balloons],” Giordano said. She doesn’t know of anyone else who has this fear of balloons to the degree she does.

bia f free falling, history o h p o i av id o ally afra .

s re physic flying in plane ad two near hts or a f Ih o ig e t r h u a b f fe , o e e or th e tim a fear , h t e ia v b ll a a o h said. l h to trave e people as aviop Insanlly doesn’t perhile som nya Insanally h rashing. I used rashed twice,” h ,s e Ta f flying iophobia. When ost c and c o g t lm c a in e e y p teacher n fl s a aid of] es to av . Our pla hysical “[I’m afr in half an hour afraid of the p en it com h w s s e e r h it to take ar ist iences w of people who ely have ree of d herself down. r g it e e p n d x fi e e e d h m I ows deat calm he sa I do fly, h she kn shares t ion in order to aid. “If s y Althoug w anyone who t ll a a n ic a d to,” Ins kno akes me sonally fly, she t much as I used o t s a h y as Insanall ely, I don’t fly t a n u t r o “F g.” somethin

indepth 2.21.13

any people have a fear of amphibians and among them is senior, Jackie Akunda. Akunda’s main fear, however, is of frogs. This fear is known as Ranidaphobia, coming from the word “ranidae” which is the name of the largest family of frogs. “A frog can be on the ground and then in your face in two seconds,” Akunda said. Akunda’s belief that frogs are unpredictable is one of the main reasons why she is so afraid of them. When she was young, Akunda went to a park that had a pond, and in that pond there were hundreds of little frogs. “I just panicked,” Akunda said. “There were so many of them and I didn’t know what to do.” This experience was a trigger that caused Akunda to have an ongoing fear of frogs that she still has today.

katsar ida

ob h p

phobia a d i ran

bia ho op

indepth

ailu r

ophomore Ke ls e y M cWilliam feline ph obia beg s’ was abo a n when sh ut six ye e ar experien ce with a s old after a bad cat. random, unknow n “I tried t o pet it, face,” M but it ju st clawe cWilliam da s a cat, I li terally r said. “Now, whe t my un and h never I s McWilli ee ide.” a with bec ms’ phobia is a d au ifficult o ne to de door cat se several of he al r neighb s that oft ors have en roam hood. outaround h er neigh “There’s tbort porch an his one cat that always s d whene its on m ver I see side of t y it I refus he house e to come ,” McW outilliams s aid.

have fears of creepy bia o crawlies, and French teacher, Inge Pisano is no different. h p ost people

“A phobia I can definitely identify with is cockroaches. I grew up in the Midwest and I had never seen one before I moved to Virginia.” Pisano said. She encountered these crtitters in her apartment one day, and was horrified at the thought of her clean home being infested with the bugs. Still to this day, she can’t stand the thought of them. “They don’t do anything good,” Pisano said. “If I saw [a cockroach] right now, I would not hesitate to kill it. I would have no guilty conscience.” While she hasn’t seen a cockroach since the fateful day, she still cannot handle the idea of them scuttling about her. “I don’t deal with it,” Pisano said. “There isn’t a way I get over this [fear]. I just don’t handle it.”

anee nguyen staff writer

jacque groskaufmanis staff writer

indepth 2.21.13

Do you have a phobia? symptoms

Feelings of panic, dread, horror or terror Recognition that the fear goes beyond normal boundaries and the actual threat of danger Reactions that are automatic and uncontrollable, practically taking over the person’s thoughts Rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling and an overwheling desire to flee the situation Extreme measures taken to avoid the feared object or situation

what is it?

“Fear” is the normal response to a genuine danger. With phobias, the fear is either irrational or excessive. It is an abnormally fearful response to a danger that is imagined or is irrationally exaggerated. Phobias are the most common psychiatric illness among women of all ages and are the second most common illness among men older than 25.

treatment

Any phobia that interferes with daily living and creates extreme disability should be treated. With proper treatment, the vast majority of phobia patients can completely overcome their fears and be symptom-free for years, if not for life. Effective relief can usually be gained through either cognitive behavior therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

What are you afraid of? agoraphobia (public places)

ornithophobia (birds)

claustrophobia (enclosed spaces) trypanophobia (injections) hemophobia (blood) arachnophobia (spiders) apiphobia (bees) ophidiophobia (snakes) brontophobia (thunder)

acrophobia (heights)

gerontophobia (growing old)

phasmophobia (ghosts) triskaidekaphobia

(number 13)

aerophobia (flying) odontiatophobia (dentists)

indepth 2.21.13

melanie aguilar indepth editor

kim gibbons viewpoint editor

marilyn yang editor in chief

What scares you?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 10 million adults in the U.S. suffer from some sort of phobia.

“

I’m afraid of heights. I don’t want to die if I fall. If I feel secure, I’m okay, but I can’t look down.

”

chip comstock | administration

“

Chucky, the doll. I watched Chucky with my dad when I was eight because he said it was funny. You know the fear that sticks with you? That’s it. emily stangeby | 11

”

“

I was cooking eggs in my country when all of a sudden I saw a cockroach from a distance. I was like, ‘Oh God. Don’t move.’ But then it flew toward me! Never again do I want that to happen. lord mhatt mendoza | 12

by the numbers

”

90 % 7.8 % 500+ of people are of American helped with exposure therapy

n a m e d phobias e x i s t

information and facts courtesy of nimh.nih.gov, psychiatry.org and webmd.com headshots by melanie aguilar and kim gibbons; other photos courtesy of microsoft clip art

adults have phobias indepth 2.21.13

GET A FRIEND TO SIGN UP TOO & YOU BOTH PAY $225 EACH!

viewpoint

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

Misconceptions of phobias

As with any disorder, we should be respectful and informed about phobias

iving with a phobia can be hard, so it’s important for from debilitating mental disorders, they can be very serithose without phobias to be wary of stereotypes. As ous and often are extremely difficult to confront, even with with other types of anxiety, people with phobias are professional guidance. Telling someone with a phobia to “deal often victim to stigmas. Have you ever heard of someone with with it” is similar to saying “just cheer up” to someone with a phobia and thought they were “crazy?” Should people with depression—unhelpful, callous and ignorant. a phobia just “deal with it” like one would with a normal fear? “Phobias can’t be cured.” On the contrary, if you have a Should they worry about passing phobic behavior onto their phobia, you might not have it for life. Most of the time, they kids? aren’t absolved quickly or painlessly; it can take a lot of work None of that is true or acceptable. In the interest of being with a professional, such as a therapist, to sort through any considerate of those with phobias, here’s a guide of disproved emotional factors that allow the phobia to exist. myths and stereotypes to avoid. There are many different approaches to take. “Phobias begin randomly.” Actually, Psychoanalytical treatments delve into the The Staff Editorial is most phobias are not random at all. subject’s subconscious mind to find the root the official opinion of of the anxiety. Perhaps the most well known They generally come from a traumatic experience of some sort, whether or not the Oakton Outlook is exposure therapy, which is the process of it is major or remembered. It sometimes exposing the subject to their fear until they requires the help of a therapist to discover the initial cause. become more desensitized to it; for example, taking someone “Phobias are inherited.” So far, research on this topic is with a fear of heights on a tour of the Empire State building inconclusive. Some studies have shown that close relatives or having someone with a fear of snakes hold a snake. This of people with phobias have a higher chance of developing a is best done with the help of a professional to avoid inducing phobia, but it is unclear whether that is a genetic or environmore trauma. mental factor. The best thing we can do for those with phobias, or any “Phobias mean you’re crazy.” Plenty of fully functional, mental or anxiety disorder for that matter, is be supportive coordinated and happy people have phobias. In most circumand kind. Being educated is the first step—do some research stances, having a phobia has little to no effect on day-to-day of your own, take one of Oakton’s psychology classes or read mental status. on. “They should just deal with it.” Although phobias are far

viewpoint

2.21.13

very unlikely, since there has been virtually zero resistance to the new wave of changes. It is actually even embraced by much of the sports media. Rules that improve the safety of players are needed, but football is a violent sport and nothing can change this without damaging the integrity of the game.

To do so, it is often necessary to hit the receiver while he is attempting to catch the ball. This has been an accepted fact since the game was created until now. This new penalty prevents a defensive player from tackling receivers who are still in the air or have not had the time to anticipate a hit. This takes away from the game, because it impedes the defense’s ability to defend the pass. There should definitely be a rule against helmet-to-helmet tackles, but it needs to be called in a more rational way. Penalties are called far too often when there is no significant helmet-tohelmet contact made. Also, there should be no “blow to the head” penalties. They have helmets for a reason. Does anybody really believe that someone’s hand is actually going to injure a player’s head when they have a helmet on? People should be upset because these calls can decide the outcomes of games. Fifteen-yard penalties can flip the momentum of a game to the other team in an instant. It would be a shame for a championship game to be altered by a “defenseless receiver” penalty or a bogus “roughing the passer” call. There is no doubt that if this occurs, it would have left a bad taste in the mouths of many NFL fans.

mor

ver the past decade, the National Football League has taken major steps to protect players and reduce injuries. It is important for the league to put in place rules that reduce the risk of injury, but they also have a responsibility to preserve and protect the game of football. Unfortunately, the league has gone too far in trying to promote safety and their attempts are now having a negative effect on the game. Most of the safety rules are absolutely necessary of course, such as the facemask, horse collar and late hit penalties; the problem is when and why these penalties are called. For example, “roughing the passer” is often called when the quarterback is simply pushed a moment too late. This is completely unacceptable. How is a defensive player supposed to stop himself from hitting the quarterback when he is running at full speed? Yes, a penalty should be called if the defensive player had enough time to react and still proceeds to hit the passer, but this is a rare occurrence. To be frank, the new defenseless receiver penalty that was put in place two seasons ago is an awful rule. In football, it is the defense’s job to make sure a receiver does not catch the ball.

alex xenos staff writer Steps need to be taken to scale back certain rules while improving others. However, this is

misa

The NFL goes crazy with safety

Oakton puts the old in gold

Students can’t help but notice that Oakton’s infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired.

very school has issues, but Oakton surpasses the norm. Our so called hand dryers never work, the ceilings leak every time it rains, and sometimes even when it doesn’t. We have mold in the ceilings and walls and a heating/air conditioning system that never works. The hand dryers are supposedly the better alternative to paper towels; they are better for the environment, they’re cheaper and they prevent the spread of germs. But what is the whole point of them? To dry people’s hands. Say, on an off chance one actually works, the user still has to wait five minutes for it to dry their hands. The electricity used costs money, and the student misses valuable time in class. Also, studies, including one done by scientists at the University of Westminster, show that hand dryer machines actually spread germs. Are they still the better choice? Everybody at Oakton can’t help but notice that every time it rains there are a countless amount of buckets in the hallways, slowly filling up with water. In the bathrooms, it doesn’t even have to be raining for there to viewpoint be leaks. Why are we spending 2.21.13 money on things we don’t need,

like updating the vending machines, but our structure still has gaping holes? Who knows, maybe this is what leads to the mold growing in our ceilings. There’s obviously a problem when bathrooms have black mold, which by the way is toxic (it has not been confirmed as black mold yet, but none of the students want to get close enough to find out). The gym lobby bathroom, the cafeteria bathroom, and the English hallway bathroom are all being renovated, finally, but what about the rest of them? There’s always a weather forecast to predict the day’s temperature, but students have no way of guessing their school’s. Oakton apparently can’t find a median temperature that works, and instead we have to go from wearing a parka in one class to wishing that it was not inappropriate to wear bathing suits in school in the class after. The classrooms can’t even consistently keep the same temperature every day. No, we have to go from the coolness of Antarctica one day to the searing heat of the Saharan Desert the next. How hard is it to find a comfortable temperature for each day? Or at least keep classrooms the same temperature every day? erin preaskorn Come on Oakton, get your act together. staff writer art by parham roshanden

senioritis When procrastination meets lethargy and high school just isn’t enough anymore. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.

How to combat senioritis

1 3

for seniors

2 4

Remember: colleges ask for your senior year grades, even if you’ve already gotten into school. Good grades can help you with scholarships.

Pay attention in math and language classes; they’ll help you do well on placement tests before freshman year.

Going from hardworking senior to hardworking freshman is easier than climbing from the depths of senioritis. You don’t want to spend your entire college career bringing up your GPA from a lame first semester.

1 3

for underclassmen

Choose a good blend of classes for senior year: some that will keep you interested, some that will look good on a transcript and some that won’t stress you out.

When applying to schools early action or early decision, know that you’re setting yourself up for senioritis. Get good grades in your first three years—it’s the least you can do.

enioritis is bad, folks. We heard it over and over again from last year’s seniors, teachers, parents and desperate emails from colleges asking us to hang in there. But it is worse than we ever imagined. Rewarding myself for two sentences of writing with two episodes of “The Daily Show” is my new normal. Everything boils down to one question: is this relevant to my new future as a college kid? Studying for a class doesn’t have anything to do with GPA once senioritis hits. If a second semester senior studies (and that’s a big if), it’s because

he’s thinking ahead to the AP exam and even more ahead to getting college credits. A true senior looks at an assignment and asks herself, “Does this seem like an assignment I’d get in college?” If the answer is no, she gleefully tosses it back in the vicinity of her backpack and spends an hour or four on Pinterest. I’m not recommending this course of action, underclassmen. In fact, you’re better off maintaining your junior-year work ethic and riding that momentum into a good university and a successful life. But fate is fate and senioritis is a ruthless killer.

? e t a l o To embrace your senioritis • Spend as much time as possible with your friends • Get 8 hours of sleep now that you have time to be healthy • Turn abandoned New Years’ Resolutions into fulfillable New Semester Resolutions • Actually attend club meetings • Two syllables, infinite joy: Netflix • Read more books for fun • Go outside • Start getting excited about college!

sofia crutchfield

2nd semester senior viewpoint editor

ily y are

huk

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2.21.13

touchdown

Winter highlights of cougars on the prowl

GIRLS SWIM & DIVE

Winning districts the girls swim and dive team headed to regions and states where they won their second straight region and state titles. Junior Janet Hu and freshman Megan Byrnes continue to impress as both received Automatic All American times. The team broke five state records at the state meet, and beat out second place Yorktown 275-128.

BOYS SWIM & DIVE

After winning districts the boys fell short at the regional meet, falling short to Madison and Robinson, in first and second respectively. Senior Philip Hu placed first in the 100 meter butterfly and backstroke, the latter with an Automatic All American time and region record.

oaktonpatch.com

WRESTLING

Despite a slim roster and several injuries, the team showed strong this season, sending wrestlers to districts, regionals, and states. Seniors Matt Notarangelo and Eddie Gerow did particularly well, earning 4th and 7th place respectively.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Continuing their streak of dominance, the girls are 21-4, and vying for another region title. After earning the top seed in the district, they fell short to Robinson 41-44 in the finals, but continued on to regionals where they defeated McLean 42-33.

alana peters

BOYS BASKETBALL

For the first time since 2009, the boys finished with a winning record at 12-11. They earned the second seed and a first round bye in the district tournament, only to lose to Robinson 56-63 in district semis. The team fell short again in the first round of regionals, losing to Langley 58-46.

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Girls won their fifth district title in a row and the boys came in third. Sophomore Allie Klimkiewicz led the way, running three automatic state qualifying times and setting the 1000 meter school record. The boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 meter relay team of seniors Nestor Folta, Mitchell Carroll, Joey Bartosic and junior Miles Lindsey won their race with an automatic state qualifying time. Junior Jack Stoney was all-district in all of his events and earned a state qualifying time for two of them.

alana peters

SIGNING DAY

Feb. 6 was national signing day and five Oakton Football players committed. Chris Durant and Kyle Downer signed letters of intent to William and Mary and University of Albany, respectively. Mike Wandey, Kelly Brooks-Muse and Ryan Ladson also made verbal commitments to University of Maine. Elon and Sacred Heart, respectively. Baseball players Joey Bartosic and Mitchell Caroll signed to George Washington and UMBC respectively.

oaktonpatch.com

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Super Bowl on Twitter

All images used with permission from the individual twitter page

Official Twitter:

Key

Student Twitter:

Anticipation of Advertisements

alana peters photo editor

he Baltimore Ravens battled the San Francisco 49ers to victory on Feb. 3 at the 47th annual Super Bowl. The Ravens were finally able to pull through after an intense, neck-to-neck struggle preceding an untimely power outage on the field. But in addition to the game itself, the most tweeted-about parts of the Super Bowl were the commercials aired in between and of course Beyoncé’s performance during half-time. Here is what student and professional twitters had to say about the evening’s highlights during the biggest football game of the year.

Beyoncé Takes out the Lights

The Big Win

Beyoncé Lights Up the Stage

Miscellaneous

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Dance Team Goes to Nationals

Dance Team represents Oakton at Nationals, bringing home a trophy.

n Feb. 2, the dance team traveled to sunny Orlando, Florida for a national competition. The team had been gearing up for this since last June, and they were all very excited for the five day event. “We worked really hard,” junior captain Tricia Gore said. “We practiced almost every single day in January, with weekend practices [sometimes] lasting seven hours.” The team also danced at football and basketball games in preparation for the competition. “During football and basketball season we adjusted practice to three or four times a week,” senior captain Maria Canales said. “We also had a team trainer come, who helped us once a week.”

all photos courtesy of muriel wandey

The team poses in front of the ESPN Sports center, where they competed. “I really enjoyed the competition,” sophomore Caroline Fisher said. “We spent five days together and all of us got really close.”

laura murphy staff writer

The team performing their winning routine for the judges. “Usually our team is called last when they announce who made it to finals,” said Sommese. “This year we were called fifth and it was such a great feeling.”

For the actual competition, located at the ESPN Sports Center, the team was judged based on their energy, execution, communication and choreography. With hundreds of teams in attendance this year, the competition was fierce, but after all their dedication throughout the lengthy season, the dance team made it to finals and managed to snag 12 place in the “kick” category. “We had nine new freshmen on the team this year, and a lot of the upperclassmen were skeptical as to how we would do,” junior captain Victoria Sommese said. “But everyone really stepped up and we had a great season.”

Exhibition of Learning Oakton High School March 19th & 20th Starting at 6:30 p.m.

Freshmen & Sophomores we will see you there. Juniors & Seniors come to showcase your work as a great addition to your resume.

Seniors Chloe Pierce, Maria Canales, Lindsey Bolger, and Shannon Holcombe show their trophy. “[Dance team] has been my life for the past four years,” said Canales. “I will definitely be sad [about leaving]at the end of the year.”

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Invite family, friends, and community members to see students present a wide range of projects that have personal and academic significance. Psychology of deviant behavior, invention of iPod apps and even hip-hop dance are just a few of the projects that will be showcased.

Teens, put your life in drive today!

Call or text Blaze at 571-244-0718 No waiting list!!!

Be prepared: Tryout tips for spring sports Eat something with plenty of carbs and protein too. Chicken and pastas always the best, nothing too saucy that will sit in your stomach Drink a lot of water starting two days before, and eat an hour or two before the tryouts Try to go to every meeting and conditioning that you can, it shows your commitment to the team Always be on time; being late looks sloppy Sleep earlier then you usually would Wear something different to make yourself recognizable, if you wear something like everybody else you’re part of the crowd not anything special Dress warmly but also bring a change of clothes

Advice from Oakton: How student athletes prepare for spring sports “Think of it this way, no matter how hard it gets, when you’re done, it’ll be finished and you’ll be on the team”-laith hassanian, sophomore “Any sport you try out for, if you hustle hard, the coaches will realize and notice you as a player.” -nick fabian, sophomore “I always drink a protein shake after tryouts and those gummy Gatorade things”- lesley phung, sophomore “Try and talk on the field when you’re playing like be vocal and call for the ball, but don’t talk off the field”-alex morgan, sophomore “I wear my lucky neon green compression shorts before every tryout”-shane brummond , freshman “Let your actions speak for you, don’t talk to the coach too much or you seem like a suck up”- laith hassanian, sophomore “Drink plenty of water and each breakfast, make sure you drink at least 16 ounces of water the day so you don’t cramp up” -coach foley, teacher “Always look for feedback because that can help you, always look like a team but go all out, I try to get noticed by being friendly towards the other team members.”- veronica silva, sophomore “ Introduce yourself to the coach before it starts so he knows who you are, then they’ll look out for you and notice you more.” -collin banks, sophomore sunni bean staff writer touchdown

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Votaw skates towards goal in an attack against Osbourn Park. Votaw notched two goals in the 9-2 routing.

courtesy of dale cooper courtesy of oakton crew courtesy of oakton crew

s the spring sports season approaches, the rugby club team’s practices have begun. Even though Oakton as a school is not involved with the team, they still hold interest meetings to recruit players to try the new sport. The team consists of students from Northern Virginia, mainly from Chantilly and Oakton high school. “Because rugby, like hockey, can be considered a dangerous contact sport, the team is a club team that plays other clubs, not high schools,” said Jon Neuman, rugby interest representative for Oakton. The team practices twice a week at Word of Grace, and plays games on the weekends. “They play other club teams from Northern and Southern Virginia and Maryland because there aren’t too many other club rugby teams,” Neuman said. Many players on the team have never played rugby before, but there are more experienced players on the team as well. “I decided to play rugby because some of my friends and I were interested in it, and so we chose to do it all together,” said Ellis Heijst, junior. kenneth hippe Rugby is not the most popular sport, especially in the United staff writer States, but its interest and popularity is increasing. “My favorite thing about rugby is the high pace of the game like soccer and the rough part of the game like football,” Heijst said.

“My brothers and sisters all rowed for Oakton so it’s a family thing for me. It’s also fun to do it for my school.” -Christian Willhite, Jr.

GIRLS CREW

Members of the rugby team master the scrum during practice. The scrum is an important part of the game of rugby, used to restart play.

BOYS CREW

“I just wanted to try something new for the spring, and I thought that [rugby] would be fun.” -Ellis Heijst, Jr.

kenneth hippe

courtesy of dale cooper

“I love hockey, it’s so much fun. I’ve been playing for a long time and it’s great to play for my school.” -Alex Lambrides, Jr.

kenneth hippe

lthough not officially recognized by the school, the Oakton ice hockey team has quickly become one of the most popular winter sports. On Friday nights students pack the rink at either Ashburn Ice House or Reston Skate Quest to cheer on their skating Cougars. The hockey team has had an up and down season, beating regional powerhouse Briar Woods and brawling with regional foe Broad Run. Despite a 5-2 senior night loss to district rival Chantilly, the team finished the regular season with five wins and five losses, earning a spot in the playoffs for the third consecutive season. “Oakton hockey is fun,” said Luke Votaw, junior. “The fans are fun, skating is fun and hitting people is always fun.” FCPS cites the hits and the potential for injury as to why hockey remains at a club level. There have been quite a few hits this season, sophomores Alex Morgan and Kevin Nguyen got three game suspensions for throwing punches in an ice fight. However, there have been no serious injuries this season. “It’s always a good time,” Votaw said. “If you haven’t been to jennifer prosser a game yet, come out and support. The fans are always pretty good and it gets pretty intense out on the ice.” touchdown editor

ICE Hockey

Ice hockey, rugby grow, crew stays strong

RUGBY

Club sports on the rise

“I joined crew because I wanted to be on a sport and do something at Oakton. I have a lot of friends that do it too.” -Veda Bhatia, Fr.

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showtime

With love in the air, Oakton students convey their struggle in gift giving, as well as the new quality entertainment that will be sure to strike your interest.

WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT? WHAT IS 64% 62% A GIRL’S IDEAL GIFT

2 3

29% 22%

GIRLS

1 FLOWERS 2CANDY 3 STUFFED

BOYS

1 HOMEMADE GOODS 2 GIFT CARDS 3 CLOTHING

NATIONWIDE VALENTINES DAY STATISTICS FOR 2013 AVERAGE ANNUAL VALENTINE’S DAY SPENDING: 13.19 BILLION

PERCENT OF WOMEN WHO END THEIR RELATIONSHIP AFTER NOT GETTING ANYTHING: 53% AVERAGE NUMBER OF BABIES CONCEIVED ON VALENTINE’S DAY

THE AVERAGE AMOUNT THE 11,000 CONSUMER SPENDS $116.21

showtime 2.21.13

STATISTICS FROM STATISTICBRAIN.COM

WHAT IS 58% A BOY’S IDEAL GIFT 37%

18%

12% 12%

carly stonehouse showtime editor

2 3

THORUGH A SURVEY TAKEN DURING LUNCH, 50 GIRLS AND 50 BOYS SELECTED WHAT THEY WOULD WANT FOR A VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT.

“MY BOYFRIEND

ASKED ME WHEN VALENTINES

WAS...TWO DAYS BEFORE.” “MY FRIEND LET ME HOLD

HER BOUQUE OF FLOWERS.. “MY BOYFRIEND IT WAS A GREAT VDAY.” “MY GIRLFRIEND TRIED TO GAVE ME A HALF SURPRISE ME...INSTEAD EATEN BOX OF I FELL ON MY CHOCOLATES.” “MY BOYFRIEND TOOK BUTT.” “MY BOYFRIEND ME TO FIVE GUYS..IM A VEGETARIAN.” FORGOT TO

“MY GIRLFRIEND

MAKE A RESERVATION. SPENT MORE ON ME WE HAD TO TRY FIVE DIFFERENT “I ONLY GOT A GIFT FROM MY RESTURANTS.” MOM. I HAVE A BOYFRIEND.”

THAN I SPENT ON HER.”

Taste Quest: Best Veggie Snacks

marilyn yang editor in chief

Something Savory: Snikiddy Eat Your Vegetables Italian Herb & Olive Oil

media mix

nikiddy’s newest Eat Your Vegetables veggie chip flavor, Italian Herb & Olive Oil, is reminiscent of Domino’s hand tossed garlic-seasoned pizza crusts and is the perfect substitute for any pizza craving. Unlike many of its veggie chip competitors and its traditional tortilla chip counterparts, these chips are generously seasoned and pack a satisfying crunch. Who knew vegetables could taste so good? This snack contains one full serving of vegetables in each ounce.

Calories: 130 per 1.0 oz serving | Where to buy: Wegmans

Something Spicy: The Real Deal Sriracha Veggie Chips

he Real Deal’s Sriracha Veggie Chips can only be described as absolutely and irresistibly addictive. The individual chips themselves are comparable in size to popcorn, making this an ideal snack when watching your favorite TV show or movie. The exotic sriracha spice flavoring may be subtle, but it allows these chips to be anything but boring.

Calories: 110 per 1.0 oz serving | Where to buy: Whole Foods

Something Classic: 365 Everyday Value Veggie Straws

all photos by marilyn yang

hese veggie straws from 365 Everyday Value have the most classic taste out of these three choices, but that is in no way an insult to its merits. There may not be any bold or exotic seasonings, but the light taste and crisp texture of these veggie straws make them an almost automatic crowd-pleaser. This snack is well-suited for potato chip consumers on the hunt for a veggie alternative.

Calories: 130 per 1.0 oz serving | Where to buy: Whole Foods

Vienna Theater Company’s Production of The Proposals

courtesy of harold bonaquist

eniors are about to set off for college, wherever in the world that may take them, but they will still have the memories that they have created in high school. The Proposals pleasantly reminds people to appreciate these memories. The performance is filled with redemption, friendship, nostalgia, and self-confidence as well as much needed comic relief by the main character and supporting actors. The show represents the theme of appreciating each and every relationship and not taking anything for granted. You never how know long that person will be in your life. The story’s narrator, Clemma Higgins, a wise-cracking nanny, recalls the story of how her host family had to deal with their forgotten past stealthily creeping up and affecting their futures. Each member of the family, including Clemma, is faced with their own insecurities and baggage. The play is staged at the end of the summer and the set is an austere kind of cabin that perfectly represents the lasting message of the play: the somber reality that just like summer, all good things must come to an end. The bare set also emphasizes the brutal and harsh fact that there is no use of sugar-coating the truth.

abbey bonin staff writer

The cast members of The Proposals run in to unlikable aquaintances from the past at a county-wide luncheon.

If you follow the plot of the story well enough then you will definitely leave the theater with an overwhelming array of emotions, ranging from relief, laughter and sadness. There will inevitably be plenty of tears streaming down your face from both laughter and grief. The performance was held at the Vienna Community Theater on Feb. 1, 2, 8 and 9. This heartwarming play is recommended to anybody who enjoys heartfelt, passionate and genuine acting.

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2.21.13

Safe Haven Fails to Uphold the Valentine’s Day Spirit With no realism and an absurd screenplay, Safe Haven is nothing more than beautiful people in beautiful settings

ramya mukalla staff writer poorly done. Most dialogues were so ridiculously unnecessary o begin with, Safe Haven was released in the spirit of Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. While it managed to attract that even the biggest Nicholas Sparks fans were groaning and grunting. hundreds of young and single As soon as they fall in love, Erin/Katie’s husband people to the movie theatres, it also manshows up looking for her. The movie, in other aged to send most of them home in utter words, takes an almost “thriller” approach, which shock. ended up being another failure. Why the shock? Well, the movie Safe In essence, Safe Haven is not a good movie to Haven is a miserable, well advertised watch. To be fair, it is nothing like The Notebook disaster. The movie starts out with a (2004), which even though is equally sugar coated, young girl Erin (Julianne Hough), who is actually a delight to watch multiple times. There runs away from her abusive, police officer is a sense of realness to that movie, while Safe husband Kevin (David Lyons) and goes to Haven just falls flat. Southport, North Carolina to start a new Should you watch it because Josh Duhamel and life. Predictably, she falls in love with an Julianne Hough are gorgeous? Absolutely. extremely attractive widower, Alex (Josh Should you watch it because it is an incredible Duhamel), who has two unbelievably cute story line that keeps you on your feet? Absolutely kids. Score. not. Even though the movie started out very Should you watch it because you have nothing else slow, there was still hope. With the help of to do? Maybe, but watching this movie may make Jo (Cobie Smulders), Katie starts talking to you think of other things that you’d rather be doAlex more, and the movie graduated into a www.imdb.com ing. melodramatic love story as Katie and Alex fell in love through a series of different scenes; but even that was

Sly Cooper Thieves in Time Review This game is a steal of a good time

oliver lopez-gomez online editor

t’s been over seven years since the last Sly Cooper game was cially smooth, more than once there was a missed jump because released. Now with a new developer and on two very differit was hard to judge the distance. The combat feels especially ent platforms how does Thieves in Time hold up? off as the ability to strafe seems to have disappeared, meaning Set after the events of Sly 3, the playable characters of Sly, it’s hard to keep track of one opponent, let alone several. As Bentley, and Murray are all off doing their own thing. What someone who has played all the games and has a pretty good brings them back together is that Sly’s ancestors, a long line of idea about how these games have played may make it seem that master thieves, are disappearing, so with Bentley’s time machine these issues are more pronounced than they actually are. These and the team’s van they set out through Taken ingame Vita version nitpicks aside, the ultra-simple platforming is the ages to restore history and find out something that can be quite exhilarating as bewho is behind the disappearances. ing able to jump from point to point is a simple Clearly this isn’t a game that shouldn’t but feels quite elegant and fluid. be taken too seriously, the game certainly The game looks fantastic, as the cel-shaded doesn’t. Jokes and visual gags from the graphics really do pop in HD. The varying gorgeous cut scenes come fast and furious locales are easily distinguishable from one and while the majority fall into the really another and each just asking to be explored to bad its good puns category. It never befind the hidden collectibles. The Playstation came too annoying and considering how 3 version even come with a free copy of the serious most games try to be as of late Vita version, which with cross-save means it’s it’s a refreshing to hear some “egg-cellent” puns. possible to take one save game on the go. The Vita version is With each time warp comes a different ancestor of Sly to play the same in every regard except its graphics are defiantly a step as, a locale to see and a costume to find. For example in Feudal below that of the PS3 version, but since its free with an already Japan, you meet Rioichi Cooper, who is of course a master ninja discounted PS3 version it’s hard to find complaint about it. that can leap large distances. Sly also obtains a fire proof samuSeven years is a long time to wait for any sequels and with rai costume. Getting to a new time period it’s just fun to try out such a wait comes the high expectation to reach the point where what each ancestor and costume can do and this adds variety the last game left off. I can say that, for the most part, Sanzaru throughout the entire game that doesn’t take too much away has succeeded with Thieves in Time. There is variety without from the main three characters. part being diluted or under used, the writing is funny the showtime The minute to minute game-play any game is beautiful and just fun to play. 11.2.12 works though it doesn’t feel espe-

What’s on your senior bucket list?

The challenge is to leave your school in the beginning of the day, drive to Philadelphia, buy a philly cheese steak, and make it back to your high school by the time school ends. You then must present the philly cheese steak as proof and a photo of yourself in Philadelphia buying the cheese steak as well.

A long time tradition in which much of a high school senior class skips school on a pre-determined day. Kick back and hang out with all your friends who also partook in the holiday. Chances are many of your friends will be going off in different directions next year so make the best of the time you still have!

View any failure from the last four years as an opportunity to learn from your mistake. Put failures behind The philly cheese steak you and move forward. This is a new challenge start. If a difficult or unpleasant situation arises, ask yourself “what can I learn from this?” Chances are, you’ll find a 2. Senior skip day good lesson there.

4. Learn from your mistakes 5. Beach week

By this time, many high school seniors are licensed and have been driving for a while. A road trip with a group of friends might be the perfect way to end the year. This has the potential to be a fun and unforgettable experience but remember to buckle your seat belts and drive safe!

6. Find your passion

What are you most looking forward to for the end of senior year? 9% of seniors are looking forward to graduation

59% of seniors are looking forward to summer

lauren embroski staff writer

kaban jaff | 12

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Find your passion and pursue it! Find an issue or cause that you want to advance or a hobby that relaxes you and makes you feel competent. This is the beginning of your new life. You are only what you make of it. Spend some time every day, or at least every week, doing the things that you have found to matter most to you. Are you as focused now as you were at the beginning of the year?

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This is not the time for slacking. The time for slacking has passed and now I must work.

84% of seniors are not as focused now as they were at the beginning of the year

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5% of seniors don’t really care if teachers are more lenient of high school seniors

6% of seniors said teachers should not be more lenient of high school seniors

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A tradition in which high school seniors escape their homes and towns for a week and flock to the beach (usually Myrtle) following finals and graduation for some relaxing surf, sun and sand with your friends.

16% of seniors are just as focused

brian clark | 12

I am not focused now because I am attacked with senioritis. I did well enough to graduate my first and second quarter so that I could relax second semester.

3. Road trip

32% of seniors are looking forward to college

With graduation in sight, second semester seniors start to get excited. Below are some fun things that every senior should experience before their time is up!

89% of seniors think teachers should be more lenient of high school seniors

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I have already been accepted into my top college. At this point it doesn’t really matter.

gabbie galvez | 12

Should the faculty and staff be more lenient of second semester high school seniors?

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2.21.13

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