feature In tough economic times, senior decides to attend NOVA to save money for later page 05
academics Juniors travel to Washington D.C. to experience journalism at the Newseum page 14
sports Boys soccer loses seniors, finds success on the field after undefeated start page 23
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID OAKTON, VA PERMIT No. 337 OAKTON HIGH SCHOOL 2900 SUTTON ROAD VIENNA, VA 22181
...page 06
Aggressive Mom, Dad Delay Work, Chase Student in Courtyard
oakton
GEESE HALT PRODUCTION
out look
04.02.09
Important dates: Spring Break: 4/3/09 - 4/13/09 Passover: 4/8/09 - 4/16/09 School Board Action: Plans for a later start time axed At its March 19 regular business meeting, the school board voted 10 : 2 to reject the proposed bell schedule change to move the start time forward to 8:20 a.m., and to confirm the existing start time of 7:20 a.m.
Grading Scale Change Update
Superintendent Jack Dale’s proposed model of a “basic ten-point grading scale with pluses and minuses” will be presented to the Fairfax County School Board at the April 20 meeting.
FBLA members finish strong in Regional Competition
Accounting 1: Bo Yang; 2nd Place Banking and Financial Systems: Homan Fazli, Daniel Hanson, Nicholas Sojka; 1st Place Business Calculations: Richard Kassner; 1st Place Business Ethics: Bella Nugyen, Amanda Davi; 3rd Place Business Financial Plan: Jim Braudaway, Danielle Filipponi; 1st Place Business Math: Jefferey Abed; 2nd Place Business Plan: Adam Searle, Lindsey Ladson; 3rd Place Computer Applications: Travis Hellman; 1st Place Computer Problem Solving: Peter Lee; 1st Place Electronic Career Portfolio: Ashley Advena; 2nd Place Global Business: Sarah Flower, Isaac Park; 2nd Place Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure: Shawn Mulfi; 1st Place Management Decision Making: Amanda Askari, Philip Tam, Katherine Thompson; 1st Place Management Information Systems: Mihir Kamani, Young Kim, Andrew Larkin; 3rd Place Network Design: Ahmed Abdulhadi, Tsering Norbu; 3rd Place Personal Finance: Kasey Sherman; 2nd Place
Public Speaking II: Allison Hicks; 1st Place
All-State Orchestra
Eight Chamber Orchestra students attended the All-State Orchestra Auditions at James Madison University on Feb. 28. 121 violin players auditioned for 44 openings, and 37 bass players auditioned for eight openings. These orchestra students will represent Oakton High School at the All-State Orchestra event on April 2 - 4: Stacy Ham - Violin Danny Song - Violin Mikey Lankenau - Viola Evan Cannon - Bass Adam Celli - Bass
Opus students win Power of Youth Essay contest
Three Oakton students won the top three categories in the “Power of Youth” essay contest sponsored by the Optimist Club of Vienna, moving ahead of competitors from James Madison and Marshall high schools. Our students walked out of the recognition program with $600 in prize money. Winners include Charlotte Dobry, first place winner ($300); Alice Yeh, second place winner ($200); and Kanna Werner, third place ($100).
Oakton Student finds success at 2009 Vienna Photo Competition Gladys Manzur won first place in portraiture, and second place in photo journalism at the 2009 Vienna Photo Competition. The contest was hosted by the Vienna Photography Association. Amateur photographers entered their work to be judged.
Gap Year Opportunities Fair to be held at Sidwell Friends School A Gap Year Opportunities Fair will be held at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. from 12:00 until 3:00 p.m. on April 4 for students who are looking for an alternative to college/ employment immediately after high school. Dynamy Internship Year, as well as other organizations, will provide information on the
In this issue... Feature
page 4
Senior Matt Johnson reports on his experiences at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journalism Conference, and how he won second place out of 102 high school journalists from every state in the country.
Academics
As the AP U.S. Government test approaches, the annual session of model Congress remains a valuable tool to give government students a real-life experience with some of the procedures and processes that real U.S. Congressmen go through.
page 9
Clubs
page 17 On March 21, seniors Jill Burke and Gladys Manzur joined students from as far away as Korea at the American University 2009 Moot Court Competition, arguing in mock trials before judges.
growing number of opportunities for personal growth through experiential education (travel, language immersion, directed study, outdoor adventure, community service and internships).
Northern Virginia Regional College Fair to be held at Patriot Center
page 03
feature
Outlook News Briefs
Your school. Your news. Stay up to date.
The Northern Regional College Fair will be held for juniors at the George Mason University Patriot Center on Wed., April 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Juniors will be given the opportunity to get a head start on their college searches at one of the largest college fairs in the Northern Virginia Area.
Oakton students place at Regional Science Fair
The Northern Region Science Fair was held on March 28 at Robinson Secondary School. Alex Peterkin, Angela Roller, Ankit Gulati and Simren Ajrawat all recieved first place prizes for their respective projects, with Peterkin recieving a grand prize nomination. All first prize winners will move on to the state competition. Danny Krulick, Greg Shallcross, Brandon Henton, David Jeon, Chris Peterkin and Daniel Monaco all recieved second place awards. Mary Stoney, Nina Stabile, David Springer, Ethan Haviland, Lindsay Blassic, Jonathan Reeg, Amanda Fox, Kirin Gupta, Emma Weil and Morgan Bayer all recieved third place awards. Kevin Chen, Kevin Sun, Connor Turley, Tyler Buczek and Stephen Mayhugh were all awarded honorable mention.
Students win scholarship money at FCCLA State Leadership and Recognition Conference
Dan Nguyen received the first place and a $5,000 scholarship from the Baltimore International College for cake decoration. Elizabeth Edwards, Alison Stafford and Andrea Bermudez were silver medal winners for their “Focus on Children” community service award. The girls have been volunteering at Mosby Woods Elementary School to teach children about ecological issues. - chris weil, feature editor, can be reached at chris. weil@oaktonmedia.net
Opinions Should study hall be offered as either a mandatory class period, like in some private schools, or even an elective? And while study hall could be helpful to some, is it worth the costs to implement?
page 19
Sports page 25
As the baseball senior leadership attempts to pull out another winning season, tensions remain high after the postponement of the Madison game, their chief rival on the baseball diamond.
04.02.09
feature
page 04
04.02.09
Basic Skills gives students time, attention needed to succeed in other classrooms
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alking into room 226 on any given day, there is a mixture of familiar and foreign features that give the classroom an entirely individual personality. The small, cramped room is a computer lab, a conference center, an arrangement of desks and creative thinking zones complete with an entire team of teachers per class, inspirational posters and stability balls to sit on. The only element more unique than the furnishings are the students themselves, a blend of classmates composed of different grades, courses, interests and abilities.
basic facts
However, each of these unique students hold between them a common similarity: they are all part of the special education
— Basic Skills is a class within the special education program — Students within the course have individual plans (IEPs) that determine what they need — There are approximately 200 special needs students within the program — The course is offered as an elective credit — Students can take the class for 4 years
program. Classified as “learning disabled, While the students benefit from the atficulty is in class, what they need; not every or on the autism spectrum, emotionally tention of the teachers, Basic Skills teachers kid needs the same level of support, nor the disturbed or have ADHD,” they were all are constantly adapting to students to better same kind of skill sets or support,” Dowd enrolled in Basic Skills. To many of these attend to their stated. students, Kathy Dowd’s room 226 is a study needs. Along with This diversity The class gives me more confidence. If I hall, a support group and a safe haven. class work, each does not deter stuwasn’t taking the class I know I would not Because the students are so widely diverse, student needs to dents from achievbe doing as well in school. I get about a half the course is highly individualized, with meet goals and reing success. On the hour of individual attention that helps me seemingly no core curriculum. Rather; basic quirements set out contrary, it seems to understand my assignments more, especially allow them a comskills is an elective class that caters to each on their Individuin government and geometry. students needs in other classes they might alized Education bination of freedom be struggling in. Programs (IEPs) - jeff cogswell, sr. and individualized “I have dyslexia, so it is hard for me to that outline how attention that they finish things on time for other classes, but their special eduwould not be able to I get extra work done in basic skills,” said cation is to be conducted. benefit from in any other setting. senior Constantine Trakas. “It is a class set “The basic skills teacher’s job is to coor“I wouldn’t call it a study hall class, but up so that you have the time necessary to dinate,” Dowd explained. “For example, I we don’t have anything to do in that class,” take care of things that you would not have make sure that all seven teachers for each of admitted junior Kate DiRosa. “We don’t the opportunity to in other class periods.” my students are aware of what the students’ have core objectives to cover for the class, Although the syllabus for the course difficulties are and what accommodations but Mrs. Dowd can reiterate anything we are states that “a lesson they need. And learning in our other classes. We all just do will be presented then I coordinate our own thing and if we need help we ask. It It’s very individualized in terms of what the each day,” students talks with home is a homework help period.” kid’s disability is, what their basic difficulty is benefit from the and talks between IEPs allow students more time to take in class, what they need, not every kid needs flexibility granted teachers and strat- tests, calculators for math assignments, the same level of support, nor the same kind from a class more egies [for them]. word processors for in-class assignments of skill sets or support.” dedicated to helping So you’re keeping and other options not usually included in them handle other track of seven mainstream classes. The basic skills course - kathy dowd, basic skills teacher course loads than classes for each of also provides students like Trakas with other covering points the kids that you valuable assets like confidence and organizaof curriculum. Senior Jeffery Cogswell, a have plus their performance, plus interactional skills. four-year basic skills student, said he greatly tion with the parents.” “The class has been a tremendous help appreciates the help he receives from his An IEP is a must in order to be involved to every aspect of my academics. Without teachers in the class. in the basic skills program; however, stuKathy Dowd I would not be the man I am “The class gives me more confidence; dents with such plans range from students today,” praised Trakas. “She has been exif I wasn’t taking the class I know I would with learning disabilities and emotional tremely helpful in allowing me to work in an not be doing as well in school,” Cogswell disturbances to those on the autism specarea where I am not pressured the same way explained. “It helps me boost my grades by trum and mentally handicapped. These I am in the classroom. Mrs. Dowd helped letting me get work done during class rather discrepancies explain the flexibility and lack me handle school work and advocate for than at home. I read, finish homework, talk of standardization that the teachers and stu- myself.” about classes and get help with anything I dents must operate under within the class. am stuck on. I also get about a half hour of “It’s very individualized in terms of what - ethan doyle, editor in chief, can be reached at ethan.doyle@oaktonmedia.net individual attention from a teacher.” the kid’s disability is, what their basic dif-
Beyond the Basics: - jeffery cogswell, sr. taken basic skills for four years,
In school, my favorite course is government, I like to learn about the presidency and elections and what is currently going on. Outside of school I play basketball for a rec league and hang out with my friends.
Students in the basic skills program are involved in both regular and special education classes. Outside the school, however, they all have unique interests and abilities
- constantine trakas taken basic skills for four years,
I have played football for four years. The effort I put into the sport and the friendships I got out of it were the best things about high school for me. Next year I will either go to college or move to Ireland to live with some family.
- kate dirosa, jr. taken basic skills for three years,
- ryan woods, sr. taken basic skills for three years,
The thing that I am most proud of doing at school is my involvement with Best Buddies and inside the special education department. I am also a cheerleader and threw varsity discus last year for the track team.
I was a wrestler all four years of high school. It was a great expirience for me and I gained a lot from it. Next year I will probably be going to Northern Virginia Community College to continue going to school.
feature
04.02.09
page 05
Ross McEwen finds financial haven at NOVA
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oss McEwen is much like many of his fellow classmates. He goes to four classes each day, is involved in several after school clubs and activities and is starting to feel the effects of senioritis. But unlike most of the other members of the class of 2009, McEwen has not run to the mailbox every afternoon since February hoping for an acceptance letter to college. He already knows where he is going and has known for almost his entire four years at Oakton. McEwen’s plan is to go to Northern Virginia Community College, part of the Virginia Community College System. While some people might scoff, McEwen purposely chose to go to NOVA. Although he has the grades and aptitude to attend a four-year university, he decided to go to NOVA for financial, as well as academic reasons. “I chose NOVA because it costs less, and I am still getting an education that is transferrable to universities in Virginia. It is a win-win situation.” NOVA is the second largest community college in the United States, according to its website. One in every five high school graduates in Northern Virginia enrolls in NOVA up to a year after graduating. According to Marian Kendrick, Oakton’s Career Center specialist, about 16% of the class of 2008 decided to attend NOVA. Even people who are not from the area move here to attend classes. At the low price of $95.60 per credit, it is definitely a good deal. “It is significantly less expensive [than a four year college],” Kendrick said. Some use it as an end goal for their associates degree or certificate and enter the workforce. Some students use it as a stepping stone for other schools- either because they could not get into that college before or they were unready to make the transition of moving to college.” McEwen’s parents have been saving money for him and his siblings to attend college since they were in preschool. Since he will be attending NOVA for two years, McEwen will take out no student loans and hopes to enter life after college with no debt. “I don’t have to pay application fees; I don’t have to pay room and board. I will only be paying about $3000 total for two
in-state tuition: $9,490 student body: 13,762 degree offered: bachelor’s degree Number of academic programs: 51
years,” McEwen said, “How much will you be paying for college?” In the same two years McEwen will be spending at NOVA, students at the cheapest public universities in Virginia will pay at least four times as much, including room, board and other fees for just one year. Around high schools in Northern Virginia, NOVA has gotten a reputation for being less-than-adequate and universitybound students have thought that they are smarter than people who go there. “I could have gotten into some Virginia universities [on my list]. I picked NOVA because my tuition would be paid in full,” McEwen said. Like any other college student, McEwen plans on participating in extracurricular activities both at NOVA and in the community. He has worked at The Water
Mine as a lifeguard since this past summer; a job he will continue to hold. At Oakton, he is the Thespian Honor Society vice president and has been active in the theatre department both on-and-offstage since his freshman year. Besides auditioning for NOVA shows, he also plans on auditioning for local theater. Community theater companies usually use college-age actors for the youngest roles as opposed to high school age because of a more flexible schedule. “Theater is something I want to keep in my life,” McEwen said. Though he knows what he wants to do outside of school, McEwen is less sure about his career plan. He knows he will be using credits from NOVA to transfer to a Virginia university, but he does not know which degree he will be taking classes towards. This is not unusual; as many college freshmen enter school undecided on their majors. “I’m getting matt johnson
mengtian xie
mengtian xie
erica stein
UVA
vs.
(Top right and left) Ross McEwen took an active roll in the drama program during his time at Oakton, including playing Froggy LeSeur in The Foreigner. (Left) He also participated in technical theater, helping to build the stages for school plays. McEwen’s experience in drama has had a great impact on him, and he hopes to keep acting in college. “Theater is something I want to keep in my life,” McEwen said.
NOVA
general ed[ucation] requirements out of the way the first year,” McEwen said. “I don’t have a specific career I’m pursuing.” McEwen is also not sure which college he will transfer to after his sophomore year. He will have a broad selection, since NOVA has guaranteed admissions agreements at 40 Virginia colleges, including the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary. McEwen has those and many others on the list he is considering. McEwen has other reasons for choosing NOVA besides the financial and educational aspects. One is that he will be living at home for two years. “I’m looking forward to living at home because I don’t have to pay room and board. I don’t have to do my laundry; I don’t even have to pay for food.” McEwen said. Along with living at home, he will be commuting to the campus (or campuses) where classes are held in various locations around the area. “I get to have my own car, which is the only thing I have to pay for,” McEwen said. “I’ve been working since sophomore year to pay for books, gas and room and board once I get to my junior year.” The one concern McEwen has is making new friends at a school where people are on campus for class only. “It does make me sad that my friends are going off in the world, and I’ll be stuck here in Northern Virginia. However, that doesn’t mean I will not be able to visit them.” McEwen is planning on moving to the college he attends when he transfers. “There’s only so much [of my family] I can take. And they can only take so much of me,” McEwen said. With his future for the next two years planned, one would think McEwen would be embracing senioritis and relaxing for the rest of the semester. This is not the case. “My parents expect me to have good grades, so I can’t slack off or they will definitely pull the tuition money,” McEwen said. “And they would probably spend it on a cruise.” - amanda herman, staffer, can be reached at amanda.herman@oaktonmedia.net
in-state tuition: $1,967 student body: 38,872 degree offered: associate’s degree number of academic programs: 57
feature
page 06 Oakton Senior Matt Johnson spent six days in Washington D.C. with 101 other student journalists from around the country to participate in the “Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journalism Conference.” While at the conference, the students went on “Meet the Press,” spoke with journalists such as Rick Jervis and Ken Paulson, toured the USA Today office, and visited numerous sites around D.C. In addition to the normal events, Matt was named one of two male finalsts and had the opportunity to interview with Al Neuharth and board members for a top scholarship of $10,000.
04.02.09 Free Spirit Conference ‘09
Senior travels to Washington D.C. for journalism conference
emily miles
(Left) USA Today reporter Rick Jervis discusses his time as a Baghdad correspondent. After sharing a slideshow of photos, Jervis answered questions from the students. (Above) Responding to a question during “Newsmania,” senior Matt Johnson confers with his teammates. Newsmania closely resembled the game Jeopardy with two teams of free spirits competing to answer trivia questions the fastest.
matt johnson
Mother Goose nests in courtyard, disrupts plans
T
his is not a joke. As of last week, two aggressive geese moved into the senior courtyard for another year of nesting, thereby halting plans to renovate the courtyard. These two geese, affectionately named George and Gracie by the faculty, are not in their first year nesting at Oakton—the two first visited last spring. “I am honored that Gracie feels protected under my window,” said Lou Nugent, godmother of the future goslings. “I was thrilled to see them back. I am looking forward to Larry, Moe and Curly when they hatch. I call them the three stooges.” On Friday, three of the senior class officers walk out in the courtyard to survey the work to be completed next day during lunch. Nothing could prepare them for what would happen next. “I was just casually strolling through the courtyard inspecting the dig site,” said Ethan Doyle, senior class vice president. “It was then when I noticed a goose sitting on a nest in the corner looking irate.” Thinking little of the danger, the officers then welcomed their friend, senior Yenni Tan, into the courtyard to join
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them in walking around. As she passed by the nesting mother, however, she had little knowledge of the danger that lurked above. “Out of no where the father goose [George] dive-bombed me with his wings and mouth wide open,” Tan said. “The shrill sound of his voice will haunt me forever. I don’t know much about geese, but I could tell by it’s eyes it wanted my flesh.” After fleeing back to the inside of the school, the other officers were left stranded at the end of the courtyard. “I stared at death in the face,” said Matt Johnson, senior class president. “Greg continued to hiss and all I had to protect me was a stick I found on the ground. You know what they say about your life flashing before your eyes? It’s true.” After finally re-orienting themselves, the three seniors cautiously tip-toed around the edges of the courtyard, making sure not to further irritate Greg. “They say Canada geese can smell fear,” said Nyssa Wratschko, senior class executive officer. “We made sure to show it proper respect with each step. One wrong move and someone could get bitten—or worse.” Richard Summer Owner
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Once they finally reached the other side, they realized what had to be done. “We are hereby delaying work on the senior courtyard for safety reasons,” said Wratchsko, the student heading the project. “We cannot risk the PR disaster of having a dead student on our hands. If that goose decided to attack a student, I’m pretty sure nothing short of divine intervention could stop the carnage.” Because geese are migratory birds, they are protected by the federal government. Relocating the nesting mother would be a federal offense. “Now all we can do is wait it out,” Doyle said. “Do not underestimate these geese.”
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feature
04.02.09
page 7
Not recovered, forever changed...
Soccer injury yields lifelong repercussions
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for children who have been out of school due to a setback in brain function,” said Sarah’s mother, Jennifer. “The program has specialists in all the areas Sarah needed attention: physical therapy, neuropsychology, occupational therapy and speech therapy.” At the program, Sarah relearned basic tasks, such as how “While I was playing a soccer game on January 12, 2008, to walk without looking as if she were intoxicated. Another I dove to save a ball from being kicked into the net,” Sarah form of therapy was simply taking walks around Baltimore said. “The opposing player, who hadn’t realized that I had with her physical therapist, who had to remind her on already caught the ball, kicked my head with the same force many occasions to look both ways before crossing the road, as she would have the ball.” a practice Sarah had previously known since early childSubsequently, when she was examined by the medics, hood. they asked her seemingly frivolous questions, such as who “We did a watered down version of regular yoga. the president was and the date of her birthday. She had no Everyone in the program participated, even those who problem recalling this type of information, but when asked were in wheelchairs,” Sarah said. “There was an 11questions from her long term memory about her family, year old girl named Jordan in my yoga class. She friends and everything important to her in life, she drew struggled to breathe; despite her impairment, she blanks. constantly repeated that she could do anything. My “The doctors prescribed me a drug called Neurontin, inspiration was embodied in a wheelchair-bound which is a pain killer commonly used by cancer patients,” little girl facing tribulations surprisingly similar to Sarah said. “They sent me home with the knowledge that my own.” I had received moderate brain When Sarah first went into trauma, which is much more dethe program, she remembers bilitating than common concusI realize that being learning disabled isn’t feeling like it would be pointsions. They assured me that my just a setback, it has opened my eyes to less; she didn’t want to spend two memory would eventually come being so much more tolerant of people who weeks with people who had much back.” learn and think differently than I do. bigger issues than herself. But A couple of weeks later, Sarah - sarah schmitt, sr. when she left the program, she returned to school. Her memory knew that it had been probably had not increased substantially; the most inspirational and one of she still could not remember who the best experiences she had ever had. many people were. As friends greeted her in the hallways, Soon after Sarah returned to school, she was still all Sarah could feel was a sense of bewilderment as she experiencing complications that interfered with her returned their “hellos” and kept on walking. ability to learn. In addition to being tired all the time, “When I came back to school, I felt like I was in the twishe had constant migraines accompanied by double light zone. In the back of my mind, I knew that I had been vision. familiar with the people who were trying to talk to me,” Dr. Kathy Dowd, special education teacher, a Sarah said. “But, no matter how hard I looked and thought about them, I still had no clue who they were. I just couldn’t stranger at the time, advocated for Sarah to get an Individualized Education Program. The program is place faces with memories.” used to grant students special accommodations by On top of trying to withstand the overwhelming sothe school in situations such as Sarah’s. cial setting of high school, Sarah had to make up weeks of Regardless of Dowd’s extensive efforts, the work which cumulatively added up to over three and a half screening comittee for Sarah’s assessment denied months of missed school. her of having any sort of disability. They refused “While some of my teachers were sympathetic, others to give Sarah the benefits of the IEP program. weren’t aware that my capabilities as a student weren’t up to Doctors from Hopkins had to physically par with what they used to be,” Sarah said. “My cognitive come to the meetings in order to convince abilities following the accident were about 10 percent of board members that an IEP was necessary. how they were before. As a generally bright student, I can “After everything I’ve been through, my understand why it was difficult for my teachers to believe special education teachers have definitely been my what had been going on because I looked fine. That was the greatest advocates. Over the course of a year, they have beproblem. Physically, I looked exactly the same. I did not apcome my close friends and mentors,” Sarah said. “The other pear to have trouble doing everyday things.” kids in Basic Skills have taught me so much as well. They Sarah’s doctors and parents soon realized that she could not attend school. She was sleeping for about 18 hours a day have proven to me that success isn’t directly interpreted by grades; it’s interpreted by willingness and character. I feel but was still tired all the time; they knew that they had to like my basic skills class is a safe haven because my feelfind a solution fast. ings are always taken into account and I have support from “My husband, Mark, and I enrolled Sarah into Johns people who know exactly what I’m going through. They Hopkins’ Kennedy Krieger Institute’s transitional program
Timeline of Sarah’s Injury
January 12, 2008 Sarah recieves a concussion when kicked in the head from diving to save a soccer ball from being shot into the net
January 17, 2008, Sarah returns to school for the first time
January 18, 2008, Sarah takes the school administered concussion test and realizes that she cannot continue attending school
have helped me through probably the biggest challenge of my life.” Though Sarah is thankful for the benefits of the program, such as being able to take a break in the special education room when she gets one of her daily migraines, she wishes that she could just be like everyone else. Sarah detests being treated differently. “I work hard for my grades,” Sarah said. “I don’t like people to think that I don’t earn them. I do my best to avoid getting any sympathy points, and it is readily apparent to my teachers that I bend over backwards to do well in school. It’s a Catch-22, though, the harder I focus on school, the more I set back my recovery.” Presently, Sarah is still in pain all of the time. It has been over a year since the accident and though she has recovered tremendously in terms of long term memory and lethargy, the long term effects of her accident are noticeably apparent. Sarah’s slight ADHD was previously manageable through organization and adaptive study habits, but now it is so apparent that she has to take medication for it. She now also has anxiety and OCD, which were both present before, but were also exacerbated by the accident. All three handicaps have been directly linked to her accident. “I realize that being learning disabled isn’t just a setback, it has opened my eyes to being so much more tolerant of people who learn and think differently than I do,” Sarah said. “There is no fine line between smart and stupid, it’s just different. I may have to do the same worksheet five or six times in order to understand a concept, but because of having to work so hard it makes me want to succeed that much more.” Not only has her “vision of success” changed, but Sarah’s insight surrounding special education in general has also been altered dramatically. “People who come off to me as compassionate and sensitive to those with disabilities are admirable in my mind,” Sarah said. “They have so much more class than those who are ignorant towards it. Before my accident I am sure that I may have cracked a joke or two about special ed, but that was because I had no clue. Now its just humbling to sit in my basic skills classroom and see what a difference those teachers can make, because everyone in there is struggling in one way or another. I feel as if they aren’t venerated enough for their efforts.”
an
itting in the ER, panic stricken junior Sarah Schmitt repeatedly asked her mother about the strange man anxiously waiting with them. Sarah could not even recognize her own father.
- sarah kashanian, staff writer, can be reached at sarah. kashanian@oaktonmedia.net April 10, 2008, Sarah returns to school to complete the remainder of the school year
March 2, 2008, Sarah is admitted to John Hopkins’s Kennedy Krieger Institute into a transitional program for brain trauma patients
Sarah will never fully recover from her concussion
feature
page 08
04.02.09
Tropic like it’s hype...
Dance afterthoughts vary among students
T 1.
week 1
Spring Dance receives mixed reviews
he oppurtunity for a pre-prom warm up was skeptical to some, but welcomed by those who remembered the commotion caused by CRAVE two years ago. Although starting off with a sparsely populated beginning, Tropic Like It’s Hot ended up being a blast for many students. As the night went on, the attendance level increased and those that were there grouped up to make the most out of the spring dance. The music varied from the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ to to various pop songs, and glow necklaces were distributed among the Tropic attendees. Tropical balloons and decorations were placed around the gym lobby and in the cafeteria, despite the cold temperatures outside. However, leadership, who used the dance as a fund-raiser for Prom, broke even at 160 tickets and achieved their goal of allocating money for Junior and Senior Prom in May.
As ideas for the dance began to formulate, leadership members began to strategize for permission to hold a dance in the gym. Cooperation between chaperones, adminstrators and police determined whether or not leadership would be able to host an approved event.
week 2 Once permission was received, leadership could actually begin to plan the dance. The theme Tropic Like It’s Hot was decided after collaborative efforts from all leadership classes which then went to the administrators for approval. The budget for the dance was talked about and finally decided at $1600.
week 3 After the logistics of the dance were decided, plans for advertising took place. Leadership put up various posters around the school and promotional t-shirts were designed and the order was placed. Leadership students wore them to promote the dance as some students had not yet heard of the date.
2.
week 4
4.
3. 1. On the last day of ticket sales, junior Meredith Freund hands a student change for the ticket she just bought. Ticket sales on Friday exceeded any previous days as students knew they could not buy tickets at the door. 2. Requesting a song at the beginning of the dance, junior Civia Stein asks the DJ to play “Get Low” by Lil’ Jon. The dance featured all kinds of music and the opputunity to request specific songs or artists. 3. Waiting for more friends to arrive, seniors Mannie Grant and Jake Marsden socialize with the people they knew at the beginning of Tropic. As the night progressed, more students showed up, which put more people on the dance floor. 4. As junior Teddy Shannahan journeys to the gym, he presents his ticket to Kristi Layman who was one of many chaperones at the dance. Once students entered the dance, they were not able to leave and re-enter. 5. Before serving up a snow-cone on the first day of ticket-sales, leadership member junior Clayton Wandishin writes out a ticket receipt for a just-purchased ticket. The receipts acted as proof of purchase if a ticket was lost, as well as identifying the buyer as an Oakton student. 6. Dancing at the beginning of the night, freshman Adolfo Lares moves to the dancefloor in-between songs. Students frequently entered and left the gym to cool off from the heated room. 7. Getting his bag searched as he enters the Gym lobby, sophomore Bryce Williams prepares to enter the gym. Bag checks were necessary as security was a priority at Tropic. Police officers and administrators took measures to be sure students acted school-appropriately. photos by drew gunther
As the date of the dance approached, leadership put out advertisements on Cougar News and planned a spirit week to get people hyped up for the dance. During lunches and in the halls, students handed out lollipops and candy to boost ticket sales in the coming week.
week 5
6.
7. 5.
The final week of ‘Tropic Like It’s Hot’ was dedicated to selling tickets any way possible. Tickets sold on Monday came with a free snow cone, which kicked off a week eventually selling over 200 tickets. Overall sales surpassed what they needed to break even, providing prom with some necessary funds.
- jessica klaber and emily mills, staff writers, can be reached at jessica.klaber@oaktonmedia.net and emily. mills@oaktonmedia.net
The President
Democrats
“As president, for the first four sessions of Model Congress, I was the same as any other delegate. On the fifth session, I delivered an address to Congress and vetoed four bills that I personally didn’t like and didn’t agree with. [I ran because] I wanted the veto power. [This leadership position] was different from the other ones. I’d describe it as an overall enjoyable experience where students could lead something themselves with minimal teacher advisory. [It also gave] good insight into how everything works and how it goes beyond what happens in class; there’s always an extension [of what we learn] somewhere else.” - tim henne, pd. 4
With the majority in all of the classes, the Democrats elected the Speaker of the House who would preside over committee meetings, floor debates and voting. Although some protocol seemed unnecessary, the rules are there to maintain order.
My main job was mostly procedural. I had to make sure things ran on time. It was pretty minor the first couple of days because there was just committee work. But I ran the floor debate on the last day.
- emma schmitt, pd. 4 speaker of the house
- photos and spread by danielle holstrom, editor in chief, can be reached at danielle.holstrom@oaktonmedia.net
floorplan of the Capitol
O
Students simulate Congress in two-week project to learn about legislative branch
academics
Committees
The minority in every period, the Republicans had the privilege of electing the President. He or She could use the presidential veto power to kill any bill. Both parties frequently reached across the aisle to pass what they thought was right.
“When committeess referred bills, they were passed to the rules committee. The rules committee had to go through all the bills and pick 35 to go on the union calendar. Then it decided whether or not it was an open bill or closed – if amendments could be made on it. If it was a really controversial bill, each side was given four minutes for debate. If it was a simple bill, one minute for each side. Then the bills were prioritized.” - betsy o’brien, pd. 4
Republicans
[Model Congress] will give me a good simulation of how a smaller party can make a difference under the majority.
- sean mcfall, pd. 5 minority leader
04.02.09
n March 16-27, AP Government students took what they learned at Capitol Hill and applied it to their Model Congress. Each student chose a political party to support and wrote two bills which would later be debated on the floor. Students also had the opportunity to run for leadership positions: speaker of the house, president, majority and minority leaders and whips and a variety of committee chairs.
AP Government students bring Congress to the Lecture Hall
page 09
academics
page 10
04.02.09
Oakton Media Group: takes a New York minute
O
MG, consisting of Oakton Outlook, Cougar News and Paragon Yearbook, recently embarked on a trip to Columbia University to experience journalism in a new atmosphere: New York City. Attending courses in various areas during the morning and during the day, while watching plays on Broadway, shopping, and promenading through the bustling, illuminated and teeming streets of New York at night, students were able to not only enhance their journalism skills in reporting and broadcasting, but also enjoy the urban environment that is “The Big Apple.” - vipin reddy, staff writer, can be reached at vipin.reddy@oaktonmedia. net
vipin reddy
Taking a break from walking on the crowded sidewalks of New York City, sophomore Kirin Gupta (right) hails a taxi in true urban spirit. On their way to a shopping excursion in China Town, students were able to rest their legs and ride in a cab to their downtown outing. “China Town offered a crazy selection of greasy foods, cheap knockoffs, fake IDs and sketchy massage parlors,” Gupta said. “It was so much fun to walk around and take it all in with such good company.”
As they rest on the steps of Columbia University’s main building, flashes and camera angles become opportune as Paragon staffers Anna Xie, and Gwendolyn Brown, juniors, junior Taylor Soldner, photo co-editor, and junior Kyle Hughes (left), Outlook staffer, admire the Ivy League university’s college campus atmosphere. During their time to rest between Columbia’s Scholasic Press Association seminars, during lunch breaks and after journalism sessions, students took advantage of Columbia’s surroundings by walking on campus, taking pictures, talking, sitting or simply admiring the beauty of the university’s urban and New York atmosphere. “We had our seminar sessions in [the university] and during our downtime in between classes, we hung outside and had fun taking various pictures,” Soldner said. “Just being at Columbia was fun, and the whole experience was just like being in college.”
vipin reddy
Amidst painted photographers and flashing lights, sophomore Zoe Mitchell and junior Kyle Hughes (below left) observe Planet Hollywood, enveloped by pop-culture. Journalism students enjoyed dinner at the restaurant on their first night in New York. “I was so excited to go to Planet Hollywood. The best part was seeing actual props from popular movies,” Hughes said.
vipin reddy
vipin reddy
Reading their first amendment rights, sophomores Zoe Mitchell and Kirin Gupta discuss how the press rights of the First Amendment, printed on the poster, affect them, while waiting for their Columbia student Press Association seminar to begin. While in New York, Journalism listened to seminars and toured the city. “In New York, I went to a lot of different seminars at Columbia which helped me improve my skills, design and being a better leader within the newsroom,” Mitchell said.
vipin reddy
Enjoying the snowy weather and the soaring skyscrapers around them, Oakton Media students (above) crowd around each other in the center of Columbus Center while drinking hot cocoa and taking more pictures. On their final day of the CSPA Journalism trip, students were able to roam New York City as well as shop and simply enjoy the environment around them. “The snow definitely added to the interesting feel of New York, and walking around the city with my friends, as well as shopping and just being in the city was an amazing experience,” said sophomore Michelle Chu.
academics
page 11
04.02.09
Orchestra plays at Georgia 50 States. 15 Schools. Fourth place. For the first time, Orchestra qualifies to compete in national competition, takes home trophy. While enjoying a three-course lunch at the Marriot Marquis Hotel in Atlanta, sophomore Sophia Yeam and junior Kathryn Berlin (below) reflect on the trip so far.The orchestra traveled to Atlanta for four days in order to compete in a national competition for music. “The food was really good there, and the restaurant was really fancy,” Xue said. “We had these extensive meals. First they served salads, then a chicken entrée and a mini key-lime pie.”
photo courtesy of sophia yeam
APES explores going green with colorful Legos sean mcfall, sr.
photo courtesy of flora lee
Rehearsing in a vacated room prior to the competition, freshman Stacy Ham, junior Jung Wook Jin and senior Hannah Kim (above) go over their music one last time before their official performance. The event, which took place on March 20, resulted in a fourth place finish for Oakton. Orchestra was the only public school that placed in the top five. “It feels amazing to have placed so high in this competition, especially considering the fact that we were the only school that didn’t receive any special training,” Jin said. “I’m really proud of how [ the orchestra] performed.”
Sophomore violinist plays at nationals for first time annette yoo, soph.
Q: What was the competition like? A: “There was a lot of pressure because we didn’t perform very well during rehearsals. Around 15 schools were chosen from the nation, and we placed fourth. We were the only public high school who got into the top five; other schools were magnet schools or private music schools. I think [Director] Collin’s afterschool practices and lessecond violin sons really helped us prepare for this.” Q: What was your favorite part of trip? A: “My favorite part of the trip was the hotel. The hotel had this really cool elevator that went really fast. We would ride it and go up to the 47 floor and back down repeatedly. Also, after the awards ceremony we had a two hour dance similar to homecoming. Oakton stayed together and we formed a giant circle and made O’s with our hands. We were the only group that stuck together, all the other schools dispersed.” Q: What was the worst part of the trip? A: “My butt was really numb since we had to sit down for ten hours straight on our car ride to Atlanta. The seats were really uncomfortable and we had to spend two nights on the bus.” Q: Why did you decide to join orchestra? A: “I’ve played the violin since middle school and I enjoy playing. The music we make sounds really pleasant, and Collins chooses a wide variety of music so it never gets boring. We’re always exposed to different styles of music, so orchestra stays interesting.”
photo courtesy of wendy xue
Members of the orchestra play duck-duck goose in front of the Georgia Aquarium to pass the time. The orchestra visited the the world’s largest aquarium, which is capable of holding over eight million gallons of water. “The weather was really nice so we decided to play an outdoor game,” said Annette Yoo. “Everyone in orchestra really bonded during duck-duck goose. I was stuck in the center for some time and it was really awkward sitting in the middle of a crowd of people.” -michelle chu, staff writer, can be reached at michelle.chu@oaktonmedia.net
N
ot much time had lapsed since the last “exciting” project. The AP Environmental Science class, under the guidance of the Mrs. Musgrove, had just finished an assignment that guest columnist involved graphing census data with a goal to better understand survivorship within human populations. So when our teacher announced another project, the class collectively groaned. But our anxieties were quickly soothed by the mention of Lego’s. (Anyone who tries to downplay how ridiculously awesome Lego’s are is someone I deeply pity.) We were given the task of creating a “green city,” one that efficiently uses its energy and intelligently plans out how it will evolve overtime. Upon completion, the students would select the best city in the class. My group (dare I say city planners?) consisted of Ellie Kaufman, Matt Johnson and myself. Armed with indomitable cockiness, Matt and I knew we were destined to win the contest. Matt typed up the metropolis brochure, made to show imaginary people the superiority of Ellieurbis, our city. How the splendid city of Ellieurbis would be built was left up to me and Ellie. At first I honestly just wanted to make a Lego sword in which to duel Michael Tynan, but Ellie quickly steered me onto the right path of creating a few mixed-use buildings made for residential and commercial purposes. Keep in mind we only had about an hour to create the prefect conurbation. Building blocks of very different colors were hurriedly mashed together to create dams, parks, schools and a revolutionary underground metro/sewage system. A sigh of relief was shared between me and Ellie for a brief moment of respite, until we both realized we had created the flawless Ellieurbis without scale. Luckily Mrs. Musgrove approached our table with a helping hand and calmed us by logically approaching the situation. She asked me “Sean, would you want to walk two miles to work every morning of the year?” The answer was abundantly clear, so our final obstacle was hurdled. What resulted was Ellieurbis, a city that would make Reykjavik quake in utter fear of its total and shocking efficiency. Sadly, the students of APES period four did not agree with the opinions of Ellieurbis’s city planners. We came in a lacking third overall. But the point of the project was not lost upon my fellow group mates and me. Through the experience we learned quite a bit concerning how much proper planning and basic efficiency can improve a city’s way of life. Interested murmurs of choosing city-planner as a career choice were heard throughout the classroom.
academics
page 12
04.02.09
When Studying Physics: Whiteboard
D
The American Association of Physics Teachers recognizes physics teacher Deborah Roudebush for her unique and effective styles in the classroom.
r. Roudebush wasn’t always interested in physics. In fact, science was at first a largely unfamiliar subject. “I went to a school in a very rural town, so I didn’t really know what physics was,” Roudebush said. “I was going to be a math major. Then I found out that to be a math major you had to study all these abstract [subjects] like Topology and Abstract Algebra and that made my head spin. So I said ‘I’ll be a physics major’, which I suspected used a lot of math, and I never looked back.” Since then, the AP and Honors Physics teacher has come to understand and share her love for the “underpinning of all sciences.” This summer, Roudebush will be in Ann Harbor, Michigan presenting her speech and receiving a $3000 award for Excellence in Pre-College Teaching. “A colleague put together a package for danielle holstrom
Seeking assistance from Dr. Roudebush, senior Allie Maher works on her AP Physics problems for the current chapter.
me with letters of support from various organizations that I work with, including Dr. Banbury,” Roudebush said. “I submitted my resume to a friend, and he gathered the information and sent it on to AATP.” As a teacher of a science that studies energy, forces and motion, her classroom setting involves plenty of movement. “The open environment we have is great,” said junior Ava Driscoll. “We can feel free to ask her any questions about the material and also have fun at the same time. There was one lab where we used motion detectors and a toy car to graph acceleration, velocity and position time graphs.” The atmosphere gives students a taste of a college physics course, in which the students must take their own initiative. While encouraging students to seek her assistance, Roudebush also promotes student-run study groups and collaboration. “She lets us experiment with everything first,” said junior Paige Davis. “We use large white boards and bounce ideas off our classmates to help us reach a conclusion. Dr. Roudebush has helped me find a new appreciation for physics.” Although many classes prepare students for standardized tests, the Honors Physics curriculum doesn’t involve an SOL. As a result, Dr. Roudebush’s approach to teaching is limited in lectures and small quizzes. “Her approach is definitely more labbased,” said junior Maria Laura Crespo. “Lectures really clarify and solidify everything we find in the labs. However, she lets you find things out for yourself and doesn’t just feed you information. I hope to learn how to learn for myself and not need so much hand-holding. I know that in college
HIT THE ROAD, JACK
Though in-state schools have the benefit of being close to home, out-of-state schools offer opportunities for those students who want to adventure outside of their homes. - alex straton and vipin reddy, feature editors, can be reached at alex.straton@oaktonmedia. net and vipin.reddy@oaktonmedia.net
danielle holstrom
Working on AP Physics homework, seniors Peter Lee and Jonathan Hwang collaborate during class to complete their problem set. Because the work is so extensive, Dr. Roudebush stays after school everyday except Tuesdays to answer further questions about labs and homework. teachers will be more like Dr. Roudebush ics and encourages students to open up to than [like] others.” the subject early in high school. Moreover, in a largely male-dominated “If girls are serious about continuing field of study, Dr. Roudebush serves as a role in the science fields, they really must take model to her female students who hope to physics because it is the underpinning of all pursue science and math related careers. sciences. There is a physics requirement in “She is great for giving straight-forward college if you want to major in any science, advice,” math, computDriscoll said. er-science or I was going to be a math major. Then “She’ll give engineering,” I found out that to be a math major you an honRoudebush said. you had to study all these abstract est response, “If students [subjects] like Topology and Abstract and won’t avoid physics Algebra and that made my head spin. sugarcoat [in high school], - dr. deborah roudebush, physics teacher they jeopardize anything. I wasn’t going their chances of to take AP [later] pursuing Physics next year, but after talking with her a career in physics. I am so happy that in our about my schedule she convinced me that, first-year course so many girls have stepped even though it would be hard work, it would up to the plate and I encourage many more definitely be worth it.” girls to try for that second year.” For young women who are looking to - daphne martschenko, staffer, can excel in the math and science fields, Dr. be reached at daphne.martschenko@ Roudebush stresses the importance of phys- oaktonmedia.net
WEST VIRGINIA
OUT OF STATE
SCHOOLS
danielle holstrom
SOUTH CAROLINA
Joseph Bostaph
PENN STATE Wendy Rodgers
Annie Beury
History teacher
Science teacher
OHS class of ‘08
greek life
not as hectic
college town
intramural sports
student government
football fanatics
“The fraternity I was in was very positive. It forced a structure of etiquette and social rules that were really great life lessons. There were 120 members.”
“There was a really great intramural sports program. A large percent of the undergrad population was involved, and it had almost all intramurals sports that are equivalent to varsity sports, except gymnastics and rifle.”
“Because the school is in the South, it’s not as hectice as Northern Virginia. It’s a lot more relaxed, a lot slower paced. Everyone is a lot less concerned with time.”
“There’s a freshman council that is run through the residents halls. The student government is a little bit similar to Oakton’s SGA, but on a much bigger scale. We’re five minutes away from the state house, so we know what’s going on.”
“The town surrounds the campus, so students have the opportunity to get food fast and do other things in the town. There’s a homemade creamery.”
“It has a big football team because it’s one of the Big Ten teams. The fans get all dressed up in blue and white. There are a lot of social events surrounding the games. Everyone follows the team and supports it.”
academics
04.02.09
page 13
Anatomy gets to the heart of the situation asli durak
Q: Discuss the open heart surgery field trip.
A:
We went into a room where we sat in chairs and peeked through the glass to see the heart surgery. We also took a quiz before and after the surgery to see how much we knew about the heart.
Q: What went on during the surgery?
A:
sasha borojeni, sr.
Ann Starr’s Human Anatomy and Physiology students witnessed an open heart surgery at INOVA Fairfax Hospital on March 16th, 19th and 20th. They were able to see surgeries ranging from a coronary bypass to a valve replacement, leaving them with firsthand knowledge about the cardiovascular system.
The patient in surgery had a cardio bypass, and we saw them stop the heart. It was amazing. Who knew by stopping a heart you could save a life?
Q: How was the experience?
A:
It was really cool. I’ve never seen surgery, let alone really been to a hospital besides to visit people. It was very “Grey’s Anatomy” for me in the sense of the actual procedure.
Q: What have you gained from this experience?
A:
I found out that I can never be a surgeon. That is just way too long on your feet in one room, but I realized it is cool how much doctors can do now to save a life. asli durak
While on the field trip, senior Kasey Dezelick (left) watches the valve replacement on the screen. The doctors used a pig’s heart valve to save the patient and repair the damaged heart. “It was really cool to see how the doctors stopped a beating heart,” Dezelick said. “Seeing it firsthand is a lot different [from what we learn in class].” Wearing the 20-lb “fat suit” around his waist, senior Adon Rosen (right) learns what too much junk food can do to you. “[The fat suit] weighted a lot more than I thought it would, because 20 lbs doesn’t seem that much, but when you put it on it feels like a lot more,” Ronsen said.
Q: How do you think this trip and what you learned will affect you in the future?
A:
I learned a lot about saturated fat, so basically I learned to watch what I eat. This is the age where people will be at risk for heart surgery because clogged arteries and diabetes will go up, so I know now that I have to eat healthy. - mayura iyer, staff writer, can be reached at mayura.iyer@ oaktonmedia.net
On Saturday, Mar 28, students milled around on the floor of Robinson’s gym, which was covered with a tarp under fourteen tables et out to hold the science projects. Hundreds of participants line up in front of colorful backboards and complicated displays, most of which I am still convinced could not possibly be the work of high school students. Students have worked the first three quarters of the school year, some starting even earlier, to get to this point. The student from McLean who presented next to me had started getting his project together last July. Even so, work like that still didn’t measure up to the standards it takes to get into the International Science Fair as a Grand Prize winner. Presentations to the judges should be succinct but impressive, they told us. In a few minutes on
First Place Alex Peterkin, senior Angela Roller, freshman Ankit Gulati, freshman Simren Ajrawat, freshman
Friday I tried to remember I was supposed to make use of my data, communicate well, and always bear in mind that there was a gym full of my competition: students who excelled in science and were frighteningly adept and well-organized in the pursuit of the subject. Presentations lasted all morning, and my nervousness persisted as well. The lucky contestants were let out at 1:00 p.m. after five hours waiting and given the rest of the day to stew in their agitation. It was most pleasant, and awards commenced Sunday at 3:00 p.m. to hand out the results of so much work. I was relieved to receive a third-place certificate, though it was less than most Oakton students (of whom I am surprisingly proud and
Second Place
Third Place
Honorable Mention
Brandon Henton, sophomore
Mary Stoney, freshman Nina Stabile, freshman David Springer, freshman Ethan Haviland, junior Lindsay Blassic, junior Jonathan Reeg, junior Amanda Fox, freshman Kirin Gupta, sophomore Emma Weil, sophomore Morgan Bayer, freshman
Kevin Chen, junior
Chris Peterkin, sophomore David Jeon, sophomore Daniel Monaco, freshman
not as jealous as one would think). The best thing about the whole ordeal, though, was cheering as each of those students went up to receive their awards, listening as these students were given all the support and praise they were used to seeing given to the sports stars. Seeing that impressive dose of stadium-style recognition (and countless scholarships) given to these science students was an experience worth working for. - kirin gupta, staff writer, can be reached at kirin.gupta@ oaktonmedia.net
Kevin Sun, junior Tyler Buczek, sophomore Stephen Mayhugh, sophomore Connor Turley, freshman
Sophomore Kirin Gupta proudly presents her science project to Erik Gunther, senior. This was Gupta’s second year at Regionals.
academics
page 14
04.02.09
Juniors learn power of journalism at Newseum Juniors packed the Newseum to get a look at the world of Journalism. There were History and English assignments for the juniors to do while they examined the various exhibits in the Newseum.
T
he field trip to the Newseum in Washington, D.C. was so much more than just a day off from school. As the juniors crammed onto charter buses, many did not know what was to come upon entering one of the newest museums in D.C. “I was pleasantly surprised,” said junior Alexandra PerezPuelles. “I did not know what to expect, but the exhibits especially and the movie theaters really impressed me.” The Newseum featured exhibits about the Berlin Wall, the FBI, September 11 and Pulitzer Prize winning photographs. English students were required to pick four Pulitzer photographs to write about. Perhaps one of the most acclaimed parts of the Newseum is the theatres. The Newseum features five theatres. One of the theatres, The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater, plays 4D movies that captivate audiences young and old. Unfortunately, not enough time was allotted for students to fully enjoy the Newseum. “I want to go back [to the Newseum] and see everything I missed,” said Taylor Soldner, junior. “I felt a little bit rushed.”
taylor soldner
Juniors stand outside of the Internet, TV and Radio exhibit at the Newseum. The Newseum features exhibits that portray newer forms of media that have recently taken over the world of journalism and have re-directed the way people receive news.
- drew harrington, staff writer, can be reached at drew. harrington@oaktonmedia.net
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taylor soldner
While taking notes, junior Allison Harllee views the Pulitzer Prize photographs exhibit. The exhibit features award-winning photographs from various historic events. It also includes interviews with the photographers.
Call: 1-703-359-4714
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page 15
clubs
From the fields to the gym floor: field hockey goes...
Experience: 3 years “Indoor fockey improves your stick skills.”
Rachelle Marquez
Varsity Field Hockey
I
t’s been years in the making; many have tried, but never succeeded. Two juniors, Lindsay Grasso and Rachelle Marquez, finally made it possible. An indoor field hockey club has been created. “Field hockey players have always talked about creating an indoor field hockey club at Oakton, but it was hard to get approved because of the risks involved with the game,” Grasso said. There were many obstacles in the process of creating the club. Including finding a place to play the games and finding a teacher to sponsor the club, but the ladies managed to overcome
— Hitting the ball with a back swing is not permitted. — Players must not play the ball with the back of the stick, raise the ball off the ground except for shots on goal, touch the ball with any part of your body or obstruct an opponent who is attempting to play the ball.
Experience: 2 years “Playing with new people makes you a better player.”
04.02.09 drew gunther
Varsity Field Hockey
Junior players start club to enhance skills in offseason
drew gunther
Lindsay Grasso
Indoor Rules
meet the creators
sophmore, amanda bailey anticipates a pass from a team mate. Junior, georgina crookes closely guards her.
Junior, lindsay grasso approches sophmore, amanda bailey and uses a block tackle to steal the ball.
these challenges. “Finding a sponsor was definitely not as hard as finding a location,” Marquez said. “Mr. Shin is a great sponsor; he was a field hockey coach, so he already knew about the sport.” The club’s sponsor Mr. Shin previously coached the varsity field hockey team at Hayfield. “I wanted to be involved with the field hockey program here, but didn’t have enough free time to commit,” Shin said. “Sponsoring the indoor club is my way of supporting the sport.” Indoor Field Hockey is currently starting up and is available to anyone who is interested in playing. No previous knowledge of the game is
required. “We are all about having fun,” Grasso said. “It doesn’t matter if you were on varsity, JV or have never played; all that’s required is a love for the game.” The ladies meet every Tuesday and have a playing sessions from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. So far there are around 25 members. “The turnout far exceeded my expectations,” Marquez said.
- tesla jensen, clubs editor, can be reached at tesla.jensen@ oaktonmedia.net
Players use different passing techniques for indoors
Flick
Push Pass
Scoop
Jihoon Shin
Coached Varsity Field Hockey and Soccer at Hayfield “This is my way of staying involved.”
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Moving the ball along the ground using a pushing movement. When a push is made, both the ball and the head of the stick are in contact with the ground.
Pushing the ball so that it is raised off the ground.
Raising the ball off the ground by placing the head of the stick under the ball and using a lifting movement.
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clubs
page 17
04.02.09
Standing on trial
Students argue a moo t court case but gain real exp erience
gladys manzur
W
fast facts
aking up early on a Sat. morning to argue a court case in front of a panel of judges, seniors Gladys Manzur and Jill Burke went to American University on Mar. 21 to participate in the 2009 Moot Court Competition. Manzur was a quarter finalist and Burke a semi-finalist in the event. Every year, high school students from all over the world come to compete against their peers in a mock trial based on a case dealing with the first amendment rights of students. Each participant traveled, some from as far as Korea, to Washington, D.C. to attend this event. However, a marathon also occurring this weekend presented obstacles. “My father decided he was going to drive us in because I am terrified of driving in D.C.,” Burke said. “When we got there, half the roads were closed off because of a — The event was held at WCL (Washington College of Law) — The executive board members are second and third year students — Competition is the first and only tournament of this kind in the country
gladys manzur, sr.
marathon. We kept asking police if they as well as whether or not they want to knew how to get to American University, pursue it. but none of them knew. Eventually we “I learned a lot of case law,” Burke decided to take the metro.” said. “In addition, if I ever wanted to be a Other problems Burke and Manzur lawyer I now know the general procedure. had to face occurred before the day of the I definitely want to go to law school, but competition. in terms of being a lawyer, I completely “We originally registered with five disagreed with my client. She was people,” Burke said. “One person had a incompetent and added fuel to the fire. If I commitment they had to take care of and met Kierston Aaronson I wouldn’t want to the two others just didn’t show up.” represent her.” Once there, Manzur and Burke, along Other participants, such as Manzur, also with all the other felt that the case, competitors, argued while believable, a case about a It was worth it in a sense that it was my own presented the high school junior, personal undertaking and I only had a week defendant as guilty. Kierston Aaronson, “I think it was a to prepare for it. who was suspended very realistic case,” - Gladys Manzur, sr. Manzur said. “In my multiple times from Lake Bartow High opinion Kierston School for refusing to remove a blog that Aaronson was at fault because in the case highlighted the concerns of students. In the she had repeated offences against the school. trial, two students, acting as a petitioner and She seemed to be carrying out a personal a respondent, would argue whether or not vendetta, so she was not protected under Aaronson violated her right of freedom of freedom of speech as stated in the first speech with her blog. amendment.” There were four rounds: preliminary, At the end of the trial, once each student quarterfinal, semifinal and final. For had argued and rebutted, the judges each, the trial followed a specific process gave critiques on the performance of the similar to a real court trial. participants. “Each side presents its argument,” “We look for how well they know said Executive Board of Washington the material, how responsive they are to College of Law Moot Court Honor Society questions and their overall delivery,” said member David Gaines. “In an appellate Executive Board of Washington College of court, the judges ask questions throughout Law Moot Court Honor Society member [the trial] instead of the two lawyers just Christie Stahlke. speaking.” The judges give feedback regarding Through this process, students learn everything from students’ use of what its like to work in the law profession information to how well they are at public speaking. elise werner “The judges tended to be fair,” Burke said, “though at times it was nit-picky, like at one point they would say I used my hands too much while others said it was good. So it was
Senior Jill Burke stands in front of a panel of judges during the quarterfinal trial. Burke acted as the respondent during the case, arguing in support of Aaronson. kind of contradictory.” Using information during the argument was not a problem for the competitors. “It was closed research, so what they did is they gave us everything we needed to know,” Burke said. “They supplied a 41-page packet that was on the website. Besides that, I ended up having to stay home a day in addition to 12 hours of research. I probably worked on it a total of 20 hours. Other schools had coaches. One school in New York would meet each Thursday night with lawyers at a law firm to go over everything. They had that advantage.” Knowing the information well gave Manzur confidence while she was arguing in front of the judges. “At first I was pretty nervous,” Manzur said. “However, I knew the material pretty well so after a while I became more confident.” Though some participants dedicated a lot of time, others did not. “Because there were no criteria or requirements to enter, it was obvious that a lot of people did it for their résumé rather than to gain from it,” Burke said. “So what I noticed is people from other schools didn’t do very much prep before hand; they just wanted to say they competed in a moot court competition.” At the end of the day though, participants left with more knowledge as to their future careers as employees in the field of law. “It was worth it in a sense that it was my own personal undertaking,” Manzur said. “And i only had a week to prepare for it. Additionally it confirmed my feelings that I do want to pursue a law degree.” - elise werner, staff writer, can be reached at elise.werner@oaktonmedia.net
page 18 Selling like hotcakes...
voice
The Outlook Dance tickets should be available at door Thermometer
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fast facts
What did you think about Tropic Like It’s Hot? The music was a little shifty. I made the most out of the situation though, so it was cool.
The week leading up to the dance, no one seemed interested, so I didn’t go.
- tommy cook, sr.
I thought it was fun. No one was really dancing, but it was still good because people were hanging out.
- maggie stevens, fr. It wasn’t that great because not a lot of people went. We probably won’t have a very good prom because of it.
- saeid kian, sr. The people who I wanted to be there were there, but there weren’t enough random people to create a good atmosphere. - tauobe jasper, jr.
I didn’t go because everyone said last year’s spring dance was terrible.
- lucas gillenwater, jr.
cougar quotes
cougar quotes
04.02.09
ropic was not hot... the atmosphere in the gym lowing crowds, teens also have a tendency to be indecisive was mild at best. SGA and the junior class put up about social decisions like paying 10 dollars for a ticket a valiant effort to inspire interest and attendance before they know exactly who is going. in a post-Crave world. But the results were again not up Opening ticket sales at the door will alleviate the presto expectations. sures of making a preemptive decisions. Rather, students Ticket sales fell far short of other dances, mainly due to can make plans the night of, and be drawn inevitably by a closed-door policy from the adminthe lack of nighttime activity in the area istration that stifles the efforts of the to seek refuge with a few hundred of student leadership. — Not selling tickets at the their closest friends in the dance. Those in charge of hyping up the The main argument against this tactic door decreases revenues dance did the best they could to reach has been population control: with — An open-door policy an apathetic student body with a whole unknowns from all around running in, would be just as easy to week of spirit days and promotions it will be impossible for the administracontrol ticket sales with at every lunch; but something is still tion to keep a safe, controllable crowd missing from the formula that makes in the gym. That scenario could easily — More kids at dances dances a true success: ticket sales. be prevented by tracking ticket sales means more fun, profit With only 300 tickets sold at lunches, at the door and cutting off entrants as the spring dance “Tropic Like It’s Hot” soon as the number has been reached. was considered somewhere between success and failure Others say a first-come-first-served door policy will not as a fund-raiser. Although school dances, especially prom do enough to deter students from other schools from enand homecoming, generate large profits through ticket tering an Oakton student dance. However these students sales, this year only produced around $1000 of profit for are still providing their funds, so they are helping the SGA and the Junior class to share (Leadership Teacher community rather than hurting it. Maria Cruz). These rules should apply to homecoming as well as In order to drive up profits and increase the sense of spring and winter dances, but not prom because of its school pride and community, the administration can take selective nature and expensive price. one simple step: selling tickets at the door. By refusing to An open door policy will benefit both the students and do so, the school has done a disservice to the SGA and the administration raising the temperature for all upcomclass officers, as well as the larger student population. ing school dances while maintaining safety and spirit. Student dances are largely rated between students on the this staff editorial is the official variable of attendance: the more students attending, the opinion of the Oakton Outlook more likely others on the fence are to go. Along with fol-
HOT Spring Break
Britney Spears Concert College Acceptance Letters
Tropic Like It’s Hot turnout
Family bonding over break Only a month until AP Exams
COLD
- dustin ward-dahl, soph.
Letter to the Editor: Speeding tickets ensure driver safety
I
cannot disagree more with [the] op-ed piece on teen driving and traffic tickets (Outlook, 3/9/09). Your editorial is rampant with misinformation and distorted logic. To wit: 1) You refer to being pulled over as an “ordeal”. This is an event which the driver himself/herself has created; the driver is not a victim; 2) You refer to police as “indulgent in giving tickets”: Well’ good, this is what I want them to do to make our roads safer; 3) You say that police “should be focusing on legitimate crime”. Are you kidding? Speeding results in more highway deaths than any other
driving behavior. Speeding endangers all others on the road. If that’s not a crime, what is? 4) Police do not have “quotas”; 5) You say, “officers prey on students”. It is well known that after 2:00 pm on roads near high schools, there are many speeders. I call it good police work; 6) You claim that “police should be more lenient” towards kids. Hmm, I believe leniency just might lead to kids becoming life-long speeders. How would a warning lead to young drivers learning “from their mistakes”? Many kids still don’t learn from tickets, how would a warning be
more effective? Sutton, Blake, Chain Bridge and other 7) Your claim of “inconsistency” is area roads after school. If anything, not substantiated and quite random. there needs to be a crackdown on Speeding is the single most dangerous speeders, all speeders, in order to not act a teenager can engage in. Further, only slow traffic, but to effectively speeding, not drunk driving, contrib- teach or force drivers to slow down. I utes more to car wrecks and deaths offer this challenge to all area drivers: than anything else. Speeding leads to For one month drive the speed limit running red lights, tailgating and agand see what happens. I am sure that gressive driving, such as lane changthe number of wrecks would decrease, ing. How in the world can you make there would be less tickets issued and a case for any driver to “get away” everyone would be safer. with speeding? That would lead to a learned behavior of dangerous driving. Having taught at Oakton for - jeff dunson, government teacher, many years, I have witnessed all types send all letters to the editor to editors@ of speeding and dangerous driving on oaktonoutlook.com
voice
page 19
Study hall constitutes time for academic aid matt johnson
Pro
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for the best possible college application cannot even begin to consider wasting away one of their seven courses on ‘Study Hall.’ If anyone feature editor expects a university to respect a student who opted to take a nonexistent class, they will find that they are unequivocally wrong. Whenever high school students are given this much freedom, they destroy it. If the proponents behind this idea for a required study hall actually think that the students enrolled, who are already opting to take a nonexistent class, will actually sit down and responsibly do their homework, they are, once again, incorrect. It makes no sense whatsoever to waste school and student resources on a required or optional study hall. Students will just have to do homework at home.
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zu gladys man
Powerful prose
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airfax County, along with the rest of the nation, is currently facing a financial crisis. Even Fairfax County, typically a symbol of success when it comes to its education and credentials, has proven that it is not immune to the national economic ebb and flow. Programs will be cut and jobs will be lost in response to a predicted $650 million shortfall, and seeing how the school system consumes about half of the total county budget, a significant portion of these cuts will come from FCPS. How does this pertain to the implementation of either a required or optional study hall? Jobs. According to Dan Storck of the Fairfax County School board, salaries make up approximately 88 percent of the school system’s $1.627 billion budget. This is why in response to next year’s budget crisis, about 800 full time and part times jobs in the county will be cut. With that considered, we cannot begin to justify paying teachers to sit in and monitor students doing homework. This pointless job does not deserve a chunk of the school system’s budget when good teachers and county workers are losing their jobs. Absolutely not. The word ‘homework’ in and of itself implies that such work be done at home. Not in a countysponsored classroom, sucking salary money away from those who actually need and deserve it. These are only the financial reasons against a required study hall class. In terms of logistics, any Oakton student who is serious about building up his or her credentials
danie
should be integrated into student’s schedules to reduce sleep deprivation and improve grades. A study hall is conducive to learning the same way a health club is conducive to exercise. I personally have great difficulty being as productive at home as I am in school. After a long day of classes and after school work, the couch, television, Facebook, texting and music can be lethal distractions. Providing students with a quiet learning environment where they can get ahead on work would be invaluable. Will some students socialize during this period? Absolutely. But simply because some kids don’t use time allotted does not mean you should scrap the system as a whole. The majority of students would relish the ability to lighten the homework load and free up time for other activities. While some might say it would require a lot more money to fund an after school study hall and staff it with instructors, the pay off is in the long run. By addressing the needs of those students who are suffering academically, study hall would help reduce the numbers of students being fed into summer school. When the Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School in California decided to make study hall mandatory for its struggling students, the honor role jumped from approximately thirty percent to over fifty. In addition, scores on tests rose, the average GPA increased by nearly half a point, and the percentage of students turning in homework doubled. Why shouldn’t Oakton experience the same success? A mandatory study hall would acheive this.
“Social hall”: Extra funds for students to slack off chris weil
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or most students at Oakton, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. From sunrise to sunset to well into the editor in chief morning, student’s lives are bursting at the seams with school work, extracurricular activities, employment, religious commitments and other time consuming activities. The majority of kids who wander the halls have bags under their eyes, and you would be hard pressed to find a classroom without at least one student near comatose. When the recent proposal by SLEEP was voted down by the county board to open schools later, a very real issue remained unsolved. Rather than adjusting start times and disrupting thousands of schedules, a regular study hall time
04.02.09
Oakton students placed first, second and third in the “Power of Youth” essay contest, held by the Vienna Optimist Club. The first place winner, Charlotte Dobry, is featured here.
charlotte dobry
he young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it, generation after generation.” - Pearl S. Buck The strength of youth does not guest columnist lie hidden in its potential for the future, nor does it require years of carefully sheltered education to be perfectly honed. The true power of the young lies in their ability to dream of the impossible; to see the future as a place brighter than today; to strive toward the dreams that adults abandoned long ago. It is not, therefore, solely their education, but their imagination which allows today’s youth to strive toward a better tomorrow. Imagination. It allows the fostering of a near-impossible
dream in the most unlikely situation. It allows the mind to wander for a bit from the strains and toils of the world into a place free of stress and pressure and outside influence. It allows the creation of a bright future in something as simple as sand in a sandbox. And it is something adults often lose in their years of experience. This ability of children to stray beyond the confines of reality gives them the power to hope and dream for things adults have long ago given up on for their supposed impossibility. Children are the ones who have idealistic dreams of becoming firefighters and astronauts and imagine themselves saving the world one person at a time and walking on distant planets. They are not stopped by the consequences, or the dangers to themselves, as they fabricate stories of what they will achieve. Children are brave enough to try to do the unthinkable, which can so often actually be done, when most adults would simply
dismiss it as foolish, or worry about the humiliation failure would bring. Theirs is a world that is blissfully black and white, malleable as sand in a sandbox and easy to fix, and made fair by following “the golden rule.” Theirs is a world where achievement is not limited by society’s perception or self-preservation. It is the world to which most would be glad to return. But here we are; stuck in our own reality, brushing sand from our hands along with children’s dreams because our ancestors before us have decided that it wasn’t possible to build castles and knock them down forever. We foolishly leave the sandbox and its simple joys behind, dragging new, big-kid toys out to play with in the larger world, abandoning childish dreams and open-mindedness. But it is these very impossible dreams of the young that are their power, taking a bleak future and creating hope for a better one. For in the sandbox, everything is possible.
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page 20
Spears leaves fans satisfied
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kyle highes
y friend and I arrived at the Verizon Center in D.C. two full hours before the Britney Spears concert was set to begin, and the staff writer area around the venue was already flooded with fans. We flocked into the theater and made our way to our seats, the excitement and electricity filling the arena. As we waited in our seats for the opening act, the Pussycat Dolls, to start, attendees could send text messages to be displayed on the huge center screens for all to see. Then, the lights dimmed and the curtain in the middle of the stage rose as the Pussycat Dolls began. They performed six of their most popular songs as the anticipation rose for the main attraction. When lead singer Nicole Scherzinger made her final bow, fans began to chant for Britney to appear. Stage hands set up for Spears’ performance as various circus acts were performed on the stage, in line with the tour’s theme. When they stepped off the stage, the opening video began, starring web gossip celebrity Perez Hilton, hyping fans for the oh-too-close arrival of Miss Spears. The video ended with Britney shooting Perez with a cross bow, and the curtain rose, revealing Spears in a ring leader costume in the center of the stage. My ears rang as I cheered at the top of my lungs for her starting number, the title track ‘Circus’. As the concert progressed, the energy and power remained constant, even while Spears wasn’t on stage for several costume changes and circusthemed back-up acts performed. The set list was a good mix of new and old songs, with fresh remixes to liven up her older performances. The cheers escalated every time fans recognized the opening hooks from their favorite classic Britney songs. The highlight for me was a Bollywood rendition of Spears’ song Me Against the Music, originally sung with Madonna. Spears closed the concert clad in a scandalous police officer’s uniform as she sang her hit song ‘Womanizer’. As the platform she was on ascended, she thanked her fans and the cheers reached their peak. The show’s success was undeniable. Of course she lip synced, and the back-up dancers probably did more work than she did, but this was expected. The crowd was satisfied. The most incredible aspect of the concert was thinking back on how far Spears has come. It was mind blowing to think that mere years ago, the girl I was seeing command the attention of everyone in the stadium was the same girl who infamously shaved her head, beat an SUV with an umbrella and ran around in a pink wig talking in a fake British accent. Spears was on a very dark path for several years, and while many thought she could never return, millions of dollars in ticket sales and the cheers of even more of fans surely proved them wrong.
04.02.09
Media Mix It’s Blitz!
Outlook staffers pick the best new releases from the past month
Twilight
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Background: Yeah Yeah Yeahs met at NYU in 2000 and emerged as a part of New York’s garage rock revival. They toured supporting the Strokes and the White Stripes, and then released their debut album in 2001. “It’s Blitz!” is their third studio release. Review: “It’s Blitz” returns the energy missing from Yeah Yeah Yeah’s previous album. It brings back the strength and intensity of their debut album with a new synthpop edge, and is sure to be a favorite among old fans, as well as inviting in a new audience.
Music
Key Tracks: Zero, Soft Shock, Hysteric
Punk Goes Music Pop, Vol. 2
Background: The continuing “Punk Goes…” series takes familiar pop and hip-hop songs and puts a different, clever punk twist on them. “Punk Goes Pop Vol. 2” is the eighth installment in the series. Review: “Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 2” delivers to absolutely everyone, whether they are a fan of either genre or not. It’s fascinating just to hear songs whose lyrics and hooks you know so well being totally demolished into punk anger. Some audiences may not enjoy the screamo break downs, but for fans who enjoy that, the album delivers. Key Tracks: Toxic as performed by A Static Lullaby, When I Grow Up as performed by Mayday Parade, See You Again as performed by Breathe Carolina
Watchmen
Background: “Watchmen” is based on a controversial graphic novel of the same name by comic book writer Alan Moore. He brought a more mature and thought provoking approach to comics, and is revered as revolutionizing the comic book industry. Review: Many will not like “Watchmen” for the simple fact that it is far from what most would expect from a superhero movie. It’s dark, grimey and makes you think, which may not be what someone is looking for in a movie. But going into the theater with an open mind will bring viewers a thrilling and fascinating venture into a very different kind of superhero movie. Though cheesy at moments, it offers a strong mix of action and hard-hitting moral issues, while remaining fascinatingly violent and gritty along the way.
Movie
DVD
Background: Based on Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novel, “Twilight” centers on the developing romance between an average teenage girl and a vampire. Edward Cullen comes from a family of vampires, and knowingly, and fearfully, risks Bella Swan’s safety by having a relationship. His fears are realized, and they are forced to fight for their lives in this fantasy. Review: “Twilight” seemed disappointing in comparison to the hype that surrounded the film. Although it stuck to the major plot, in order to condense the storyline, some characters had to be cut and the development of the love between the two main characters seemed lacking the previous depth and description found in the book. Although there were multiple humorous and dramatic thrills along the way, the overall dialogue seemed cheesy and insincere. Nevertheless, the movie provides an entertaining storyline for non-readers, but followers of the Twilight series will be disappointed in the film’s interpretation of Meyer’s bestselling novel.
All I Ever Wanted
Kelly Clarkson
Background: Kelly Clarkson emerged on the pop scene due to her success on “American Idol”. During the recording process for her fourth album, Clarkson worked with new writers and a new production crew, due to controversy that arose during her previous album. Review: After struggling to transition from the American Idol pop star to a more serious female rocker, “All I Ever Wanted” places Clarkson’s perfectly in between, and this album has multiple bouncy, pop-rock hits. What could be considered an average pop album, Clarkson album is set apart by her powerful voice. Songs like ‘My Life Would Suck Without You’, and ‘Long Shot’ give a bubble-gum pop feel to the album, but this is contrasted by the faster punk-pop pace found in ‘Whyyawannabringmedown’ and ‘I Do Not Hook Up.’ Key Tracks: My Life Would Suck Without You, Whyyawannabringmedown, Long Shot
Music
- zoe mitchell and kyle hughes, staff writers, can be reached at zoe.mitchell@oaktonmedia.net and kyle.hughes@oaktonmedia.net
voice
04.02.09
page 21
Oakton pranksters wreak havoc on April 1
alex buscemi
My best friend filled my sock drawer with worms because my nickname is worms. I was in a rush to leave my house because he was waiting for - ryan wormeli, jr. me outside so I ran to the drawer to grab socks. Instead I grabbed a load of slimy worms, and I chased after him with the worms in my hand.
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he jokesters at Oakton have always planned mischievous and conniving pranks at the expense of their friends and family for April 1. However this tradition is 400 years old, dating back to 1582 in France. Since then, people have familiarized themselves with the harassment that takes place on April1. The tradition originated when the Gregorian calendar was introduced, and New Year’s week, March 25- April 1, was moved to January 1. Some refused to acknowledge the change and continued to celebrate the new year in April. Eventually these people were labeled as “fools” by the general public. They were sent on “fool’s errands” (invitations to nonexistent parties) and had other practical jokes played on them. The tradition eventually spread around the world and was soon introduced to the American colonies by the British and French. April Fools’ Day has been celebrated in different ways by varieties of people. These funny and embarrassing stories show how kids go out of their way to put a smile on a friend’s face.
- shayda shahbazi, staff writer can be reached at shayda. shahbazi@oaktonoutlook.com
Bathroom Suprise
outlookstaff
For April Fools day, I put Saran wrap on the toilet in my parents bathroom. That -conor murphy, fr. day, someone used it without looking; let’s just say my parents were not pleased with me.
Editors in Chief
Academics Editor
Ethan Doyle Danielle Holstrom Matt Johnson
Elena Kaufman
Feature Editor Chris Weil Voice Editor Nia Roberson Zoe Mitchell (Asst.) Clubs Editor Tesla Jensen Kirin Gupta (Asst.)
A few years ago, my brother and I paged my dad, but the callback number we gave was for a nail salon called Female - kit mahoney, soph. Adventure. So when he called them back, he got some lady on the phone trying to sell him a pedicure.
alex buscemi
Pink Pinkies
- colleen howell, soph.
alex buscemi
Last year, I went over to my friend’s house and put over 200 coins on a ceiling fan. When - matt johnson, soph. they turned on the fan the coins went everywhere, hitting the family in their faces. It took over 2 hours to pick them all up but it was worth it.
alex buscemi
Flying Pennies
Female Adventure
Insight Editor Erica Wohlleben
Business Manager Nyssa Wratschko Yenni Tan (Asst.) Online Editors
Sports Editor
Koorosh Massoudi Ryan O’Gorman
Alena Schwarz
Staffers
Copy Editor
Alex Buscemi Daniel Chait Michelle Chu Victoria Doxey Erik Gunther Amanda Herman Kyle Hughes
Alex Straton Photo Editor Drew Gunther Gladys Manzur
I painted my brother’s toenails and fingernails with pink nail polish while he was sleeping, and he didn’t realize it until he was almost ready to walk out the door for school. By then it was too late and he had to go to school like that.
Mayura Iyer Sarah Kashanian Daphne Martschenko Emily Mills Alex Perry Vipin Reddy Rachel Sapone Shayda Shahbazi Sarah Kashanian Owen Chesser Drew Harrington Jessica Klaber Elise Werner Alex Zanin
alex buscemi
Wormy Socks
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.
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Boys Soccer Surges in Early Wins
sarah kashanian
page 23
Standing in front of the net, four varsity soccer players prepare to block a place kick.Though the team lost its matchup to Madison, the game was very close and each possession was key. The team has let up very few goals thus far and hopes to continue this trend throughout the season. Though their schedule becomes laden with opponents from the Concorde district in the upcoming weeks, the team will not change its preparation and will rely on consistent play to lead them to victories.
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hree wins. Two wins. One win. Over the last three years of boys varsity soccer, each season has successively produced fewer victories. An initially promising season last year yielded a single mark in the W column by midMay. With the departure of nine seniors, many may have been skeptical of the team’s chance or morale in early 2009. A month into the season, however, the squad is off to a strong start, already doubling their win total from last season.With a relatively young team this year, the coaches were determined to improve on last season’s outcome. After a few weeks of games, the team has shown a solid offense and swarming defense, allowing only a handful of goals. This has left spectators to wonder why this sudden change occurred. “The attitude this year has been very successful so far,” said assistant coach Douglas Kaltenbaugh. “The coaching staff has been very pleased with the effort.” Head coach T.J. White has also noticed this change, yet emphasizes that the game plan and preparation have not been as influential as the character of the players. “I wouldn’t say there’s any more talent,” White said. “When we’ve had talent at this school, we’ve been very successful. There have been a lot of issues off the field in the past. One of the things we did was we tried to change our culture. We’ve had a little bit of a losing culture the last three or
four years where people haven’t always put the team first. This year we have kids who have great attitudes and give great effort.” This effort has shown early on, as younger players have risen to contribute to the success. Junior Zach Alire has been instrumental thus far, finding the back of the net in three successive games. Talent, however, has not been the sole reason for this achievement. “Both [conditioning and talent] have been important,” Alire said. “There are many talented kids on the team, and we are in good shape so the injuries have been kept at a minimum.” There has been an effort in practice to coordinate the different positions. The understanding and achievement of a unified game plan could also be responsible for initial success. “[Coaches] have been working with defense, mid-field and offense so that we play well together,” Alire said. “[Between last year and this year], we are more serious on the field and in school.” Though the team hasn’t generated many wins in the past few years, the coaching staff maintains that this is not the ultimate concern. “Our expectations are to control what we can control so we aren’t judging ourselves by record but by doing the right thing,” White said. “It is a process; it is a journey. I think it really comes down to attitude, effort and the players believing in themselves and one another. To be honest, I haven’t seen the other teams play yet, so I don’t know if we can beat them or not. Rather, we’re interested in playing to our potential.” Senior captain Omar Ismail has been on varsity for the past three seasons and has witnessed the team’s rough stretch firsthand. This new attitude and team effort has had a large impact on
preparation for games, especially through practice. “Last year the players and coaches didn’t exactly agree on everything, but we are finally on the same page and taking care of business,” Ismail said. “Practices are extremely competitive, and that intensity transfers into the game. You can really tell that our team spirit is much higher this year, and there is a real seriousness in our approach to games as there is a great hunger and desire to win.” The fact that the team’s offense is much improved has been an integral part of their success. In the first three games, the team has amassed more goals than in the first nine games of last season. “Even though we may not have found our best form or played to our full potential, we have put 150 percent into everything we do, and so far this has really paid off,” Ismail said. “We are also having very little problem scoring goals, which has been a cliché issue with the team for the last three years. Including preseason, we have scored nine goals in six games.” With this renewed success, the varsity squad looks at future opponents and a legitimate contention for a district title. Riding this streak could mean even more down the road as May rapidly approaches holding the playoffs. “This year Robinson is definitely the team to beat, and Westfield is always really solid, but there isn’t a single team to be scared of,” Ismail said. “We are going into every game with the belief that we will win.”
drew gunther
Boys soccer doubles its win total from the prior season in less than a month of play
- alex perry, staff writer, can be reached at alex.perry@oaktonmedia.net
04.02.09
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New coach serves girls tennis well
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meet a member - Rachel Schwartz, sophomore, ranked #6 Sophomore Rachel Schwartz is proudly representing her team this season, having won three matches and lost only one. She has been playing tennis since before she can remember and she “absolutely adores” the sport. It’s an addiction for her, and without it, she claims, it’s easy to slip into withdrawal. For Rachel, the best thing about tennis is getting to work out all her stress on the court after school. “Tennis at Oakton is a fun, competitive way to spend time with friends while kicking butt.”
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asty backhand. Killer to build off that foundation and prepare for future experiserve. Quick return. ences,” Henry said. “This is a great group of girls, definitely With a series of hard a successful team.” hits and powerful serves, girls Team members are also pleased with the new team’s promtennis has launched a successful season so far. ised success and potential wins. With practice almost every “The girls tennis team is off to a great start, with a record day, the team is working hard not only with their rackets, of 3-1 so far, and a great group of girls who work hard,” but with creating a firm structure of team-interdependence. said Coach Joshua Henry of his team. Before the game with “The support and teamwork we learn, especially with Chantilly, the team lined up to make a show of its stabilthings like doubles matches, are evidence of how much ity, high-fiving one another and standing in lines to offer more there is to tennis than hitting a ball over a net,” individual support. Schwartz said. The team embraces tradition to keep their spirits high. From senior Samantha Silver to freshman Alina Suyama, Henry pounds sophomore Rachel Schwartz’s fist before players are participating in teambuilding activities like the she rushes to her singles match, smoothing her tennis skirt locker-buddy encouragement system. along the way. “At the start of the season, there’s Schwartz, like many of the other so much excitement, especially complayers who have stuck with the team ing out of such a successful season — Mar. 13 - Chantilly: W (6-3) through the years, is more familiar from last year. The pressure is on, — Mar. 17 - Robsinson: L (2-7) with the Oakton Tennis tradition than but I know we’ll get there,” Askari — Mar. 24 - Westfield: W (6-3) her coach. said. “[Henry] is new this year, but he Coach and players alike are con— Mar. 27 - Centreville: W (5-4) really knows what he’s doing. He’s fident in the team’s abilities, but the convinced me that tennis is a lifetime strongest sentiment on the green sport, and I know it’s more to me than courts is the buzz of anticipation at just a couple games and a school team,” said sophomore the prospect of the new season. Amanda Askari. “We’re looking forward to the rest of the season,” Henry Despite scheduling conflicts with weather and a coach said. “So far there have been a few challenges, but they only who is new to the team, it is clear that Henry and his playmake us stronger. Overall, it’s been a positive experience, ers are willing to work hard to defend their title as District and I owe most of that to the girls, who are always great.” Champions. - kirin gupta, assistant clubs editor, can be reached at krin. “The team had a winning season last year, and we’d like
04.02.09
gupta@oaktonmedia.net
taylor soldner
Running alongside the tennis nets to receive a high-five from each of her teammates, sophomore Alexis Klein prepares for her matches in the set with Chantilly. The team won the first set of the season with a score of 6-3.
Crew girls take 2nd, club sets record at regatta
photo courtesy of oakton crew
As they near the finish line, the men’s second eight begins its sprint. Moving ahead of Lake Braddock they won their heat and advanced to finals where they placed 5th.
sity men’s (VM) coach. Dennis — Grils 1st Eight: 2nd Becker and Dan — Girls 2nd Eight: 4th Muir also joined the team as the — Boys 1st Eight: 6th novice men’s — Boys 2nd Eight: 5th coaches, and Dane Underwood, the former VM coach, became the VW coach. “Andy is a great coach. He has a different coaching style, much more technical,” said senior Adam Willhite. “We’re not just relying on our brute strength to get us through races anymore. I think that after we make a few technical changes to the boat we’ll be really competitive.” Underwood also brings a different coaching style to the girls. “Dane is tough on us and doesn’t let us slack off,” said senior Kelly Binder, captain. “The practices are five times harder and the intensity of practice is much higher, but it’s so worth it. Last year we got fourth for like every race, but I
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his past Saturday, Mar. 28, at the Polar Bear Regatta, the varsity women’s eight (VW) placed 2nd, losing to Robinson by 0.3 seconds. The rest of the team had a strong regatta as well, with all four of its boats qualifying for finals. This was a first for the club and Oakton was one of only three teams that were able to accomplish this. “Overall we did really well; it was the first time we were all in the finals,” said senior Maggie Auer, captain. “This was definitely a huge improvement from last year when basically only one or two boats would make it to finals.” With one regatta down and many more to come, crew is looking to be a strong competitor this season. “We are definitely a lot better as a team than we were last year,” said Daniel Carlen, junior. Many changes were made to the coaching staff during the off-season which the rowers contribute to their success on Saturday. Andy Fiebig joined the team as the new var-
Last year we got fourth for like every race, but I know we can do a lot better this year. I hope we can make it to finals for states.
- kelly binder, sr.
photo courtesy of thomas francis
Fixing the wheel under his seat, senior Kevin Cho prepares for the first regatta of the season. Before every race rowers clean their boat and inspect it for broken or loose parts that could slow them down during the race. know we can do a lot better this year. I hope we make it to finals in states.” Underwood has even higher hopes for the women. “I would like to see our VW get first in States this year and the second eight to place in the top three,” Underwood said. “That way both boats will qualify for Nationals. It will be tough but I think they can do it.” - nyssa wratschko and alex zanin, business manager and staff writer can be reached at advertising@oaktonoutlook.com
sports
04.02.09
page 25
Seniors lead in mind and strength
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he bases are loaded by the opposing team, with two strikes and two outs until the end of the game. For any other majorly young team, the players may be put into panic, but the calm demeanor of the experienced seniors. For a team with only six seniors, senior leadership plays an important role in the overall team play. “Leadership is key to the success of this team and there are guys who look up to older players like myself for advice and help in different aspects of the game,” said senior first baseman Trevor Falk. Not only do the seniors settle down the nerves of their less experienced teammates, but are also role models to the underclassmen and younger players. “[The younger players] watch what they do. They watch how they play, how they hustle and how they carry themselves on and off the field,” said Head Coach Justin Janis. The current seniors started taking over as leaders as early as the off-season where they made it their goal to prepare the team in more than just the physical aspects of the game. “Through long off-season workouts and practices the older guys have been motivating and teaching the team from the start,” Falk said. “Mental toughness is something this team relies on and the seniors have helped produce that.” While the team doesn’t seem to be as hot as they were in past years, it’s the result of being a young team and growing. “We’re only three games in and I’m pleased with where we are as long as we improve each game and every practice,” Janis said. “The commitment’s there.” In the eyes of the players, some improvement is already there. They also appear to have the mentality that they can alena schwarz
do well this season. “So far our team has played well. Our first two games we showed sparks of what we needed to do. There were times that the team looked great coming together,” Falk said. “However in our third and last game this team came together and showed the ability that we have.” Additionally, they have set realistic goals and formed a trust between each other. “This team has the capability to be great and we are starting to believe that,” Falk said. “The things we have to work on can be fixed in practice but I would not trade a single one of our players for any other.” That teamwork and trust will come in handy when the team faces Madison, one of their longstanding rivals, not necessarily because of the success of the two teams, but for “bragging rights.” “It’s such a big game because of how close we are. It’s a tradition between the Vienna schools,” Janis said. “The first Oakton coach used to coach at Madison and Madison’s current coach is an Oakton grad.” Since the game has been rescheduled to April 15, the second half of the season, it will serve as a point of reference to see how good this year’s baseball team really is. “That whole week will be a test of where we are,” Janis said. “We’re playing Chantilly, Madison and Robinson. By then it’ll be close to the second half of the season so there should be no excuses.” In terms of the outcome, the players believe it to be positive, but not quite as easy a win as it has been in previous years. “This game will be scrappy. Every run will be fought for and every play will be amplified,” Falk said. “Traditionally though, this game is one of our greatest to play in.” As long as it keeps up the system that’s carried it so far, the team is expected to do well in the rest of the regular season as well as the post-season. “They have to keep the up consistency, work very hard and they’ll be rewarded for their hard work,” Janis said. “It’s tough to tell this early, especially with baseball, but I don’t see why we couldn’t go as far [as last year].” With the loss of so many seniors last year, current senior leadership is even more important this season, and while
Running towards the fences of the outfield, senior Bobby McCormick tries to follow and catch the stray ball hit by the Westfield player.
they may not end up being state champions this year, the players have high hopes that it will z ar happen hw c s soon enough na le a thanks to all the work they’ve put into their season thus far. “This team has worked so hard both in the offseason and practice everyday. After the loss of so many good players last year, many have wondered whether or not we will be able to step up and produce as the team did last year,” Falk said. “I have seen it every day in practice that this team has the opportunity, the talent and the overall ability to be great and in time we will show that.” - alena schwarz, sports editor, can be reached at alena. schwarz@oaktonmedia.net alena schwarz
Getting ready to bat, senior first baseman Trevor Falk faces Westfield the first time this season. The team lost the game 2-15, its second loss, but is improving. “We’re inexperienced as a team,” said head coach Justin Janis, “but we’re doing everything we need to and are giving great effort.”
Pitching to home plate, senior pitcher Ryan O’Gorman strikes out the Westfield player while junior infielder Matt Chandler stands at third base ready to catch any ground balls. O’Gorman, who started the first four innings, had seven strikeouts.
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04.02.09
Girls work overtime to compete in two sports
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training.” Alexander also believes in the possibility of doing both sports and actually benefiting the players and improving their abilities in both sports. “Doing track along with soccer will make them faster and that is something you cannot coach,” Alexander said. Down time is very important to the players because with both sports and schoolwork taking up the bulk of their after-school time they look forward to every relaxing moment they get. “I try to take advantage of downtime because the sports eat into my time to hang out with friends, watch television and fun stuff like that,” Corridon said. gu n
almost equal in the mind of Corridon. “Softball is fun because it is more of a team sport, but both of them are very important to me,” Corridon said. In order to cope with the schedule conflicts, Fitzgerald and Corridon have to sacrifice many other aspects of their social life. Alexander tries to instill the sense that soccer is their first commitment and the players are responding positively to this idea. “I am more committed to soccer because the game and the team is more fun while track is really just running,” Fitzgerald said. “I have less time for relaxing and having fun with friends after school,” Fitzgerald said. Not only are their coaches worrying, but the players is a coach themselves also worry they may and counselor succumb to over exhaustion. “I am worried about getting hurt, so I have been did watching out for getting soccer and involved in too much action,” coached track Fitzgerald said. for six years s Although worried about used to ct Fitzgerald, Alexander is not teach a f spanish as worried with Harris as their fast coach. “The only problem is that they could get hurt doing both sports, and it could affect their performance,” Alexander said. “Harris is a smart and safe guy; he would keep them from getting hurt by over
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fter running for track, freshman Danielle Fitzgerald and Emily Corridon race to the practices for the other sports teams they participate in. Fitzgerald goes to do drills with the girls soccer team, and Corridon goes to run bases with the softball team. Girls soccer head coach, Brooke Alexander, keeps Fitzgerald dedicated to soccer but still gives her a little freedom to keep up with track with head coach Tyrone Harris. “They are committed first to soccer, and are not allowed to miss practice or games,” Alexander said. “I am still allowing them to train for track, while some coaches have a firm rule about not participating in other sports.” Leading her team, freshSoftball and man forward Danielle Fitzgerald track, although streaks down the field. During that very different game against Madison the Cougars sports, are won 3-0.
- owen chesser, staff writer, can be reached at owen.chesserr@ oaktonmedia.net
Stepping up to the plate, freshman outfielder Emily Corridon waits for the Centreville pitcher to throw the ball. The game was held at Centreville and the softball team lost 2-3. The loss made its record 1-3.
photos by alena schwarz, drew gunther, ellie kaufman and taylor soldner
Baseball
Softball
Boys Soccer
Girls Soccer
Crew
Mar. 18 vs. Stonewall Jackson L (0-7) Mar. 24 vs. Westfield L (2-15) Mar. 27 at Centreville W (5-2) Record: 1-2 Upcoming Games: April 2 at Fairfax April 6 at McLean
Mar. 17 at Broad Run L (1-6) Mar. 18 at Stone Bridge W (3-1) Mar. 24 vs. Westfield L (3-7) Mar. 27 at Centreville L (2-3) Record: 1-3 Upcoming Games: April 2 at Fairfax April 14 vs. Chantilly
Mar. 11 at South Lakes W (5-1) Mar. 13 at Langley W (2-1) Mar. 19 vs. Lake Braddock T (1-1) Mar. 23 vs. Madison L (2-3) Mar. 27 at Wakefield L (1-2)
Mar. 28 Polar Bear Regatta Boys: 6th Girls: 2nd
Record: 2-2-1
Mar .18 vs. Langley W (4-0) Mar. 19 vs. Lake Braddock W (6-0) Mar. 23 at Madison W (3-0) Mar. 27 at Wakefield W (10-0) Record: 4-0 Upcoming Games: April 14 vs. Centreville
Boys Tennis
Girls Tennis
Boys Lacrosse
Girls Lacrosse
Track
Mar. 13 at Chantilly W (5-4) Mar. 17 vs. Robinson L (2-7) Mar. 24 vs. Westfield L (3-6) Mar. 27 at Centreville W (6-3) Record: 2-2 Upcoming Games: April 2 at Fairfax April 14 vs. Chantilly
Mar. 13 vs. Chantilly W (6-3) Mar. 17 at Robinson L (2-7) Mar. 24 at Westfield W (6-3) Mar. 27 vs. Centreville W (5-4) Record: 3-1 Upcoming Games: April 2 vs. Fairfax April 14 at Chantilly
Mar. 12 vs. Richmond Shock W (9-1) Mar. 18 at Herndon W (14-6) Mar. 20 vs. Fairfax W (8-2) Mar. 24 at Westfield L (6-9) Mar. 28 at Georgetown Prep L (21-1) Record: 3-2
Mar. 19 at Bullis L (4-14) Mar. 20 at Fairfax W (18-3) Mar. 24 vs. Westfield L (11-17) Mar. 25 at Centreville W (20-6) Mar. 27 at Stone Bridge W (10-9) Record: 3-2
Mar. 28 Brian Watkins I-95
Upcoming Regattas: April 4 Walter Mess Regatta April 11 Smokey Jacobs Regatta April 18 Darrell Winslow April 25 Charlie Butt Regatta
Upcoming Meets: April 4 Wolverine Invitational April 10 - 11 Wildcat Invitational Apr. 15 at Westfield April 18 at Gus Lacy
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Softball “swings for the fences” in search of successful season
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he softball team begins a new for the team this season as its captains. They season with more excitement are the only seniors on the team who have past than they’ve had in previous seasons experience and hope to bring the team seasons. New and returning players a championship this season since it will be their bring with them more experience and last year as a Cougar. Next year, both will be playing softball at the a chance for a new start and a run to the college level. top. “[Eward] and I are the only returning seniors and [Eward] is already “Our goal this year is to make it to the going to Georgetown to play while I’m headed to Salisbury,” Cafiaro regional tournament and hopefully said. to states because The other, players on the team look it’s a really fun up to their senior leaders as role models experience,” said and count on them for guidance for the senior Callie Eward. team’s success in tough situations. Though past “[Cafiaro] is one of our best hitters seasons have been and is a solid infielder,” said junior disappointing for Hanna Graves. “[Eward] is another key the team, it remains player because she’s really consistent upbeat and positive. [on the field] and is a great lead-off Returning senior batter.” Throwstandouts, Eward alena schwarz ing the ball, - anthony barba, staff writer, can and Christina Practicing between the fifth and sixth innings sophomore pitcher Cafiaro, will of the Westfield game, junior left fielder Hanna be reached at anthony. Mackenzie Lynn tries barba@oaktonmedia.net Graves works on her catching. to get a strikeout. lead the way
Going up to bat, freshman catcher Mandy Krage swings to hit the ball. In their game against Westfield, the team only had three runs, losing with a score of 3-7.
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Girls basketball falls just short at state final
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Keeping with tradition, the Oakton fans were the most unified at State Finals, even though they were argueably outnumbered. Even after the team had lost, they kept up their praise with chants of “We still love you.”
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Calling to a teammate, senior forward Brianna Johnson readies herself for a pass. The team scored 61 points, 42 of which from the team’s 14 three-pointers. Oakton missed 13 of its last 14 attempted shots, eventually leading to the team’s heartbreaking loss.
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After receiving the trophy as the runnerup, principle John Banbury shows his appreciation for head coach Fred Priester.
fter a difficult and triumphant season, the Lady Cougars’ State Championship ended during the State Finals to Princess Anne with a score of 61-71. The Cougars ended their season with a record of 30-1. However, while the team couldn’t seal the state championship, they did set a new state record for three-pointers with 14 in 27 attempts. At the five-minute point in the fourth quarter, the Cougars were ahead, but, unfortunately, due to many missed shots afterward, their season came to an end. - alena schwarz, sports editor, can be reached at alena. schwarz@oaktonmedia.net
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