the
S G N I H T N I MA
Everyone’s aware of the plasma TV’s in the cafeteria. But not many people know of the debacle that occurs every C lunch on blue days.
Buried under homework during winter break, so not cool. If it supposed to be such a joyus time, why do we spend it miserbale doing shoolwork?
The theater department premiered Lucky Stiff on December 3. For those of you that didn’t go, check out a complete review of the play.
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flects re r a o R l e b The Re worst of d n a t s e b on the
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2009! page 12
What’s so important about a Snuggie anyway? Turn to page 19 to view our As Seen on TV Review.
Are those cookies I smell? Yes, yes they are. See what else is cooking in Gourmet Foods!
Swimming Legacy: Meet the newest addition to the Rebel swim and dive team, Matty Ferguson.
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- - Virginia High School League First Place in Newsmagazines 2008-2009 - Staff 09-10 Editors in Chief Andrew Dilworth Jordan Sharpe
Managing Editor Lindsey Bush
News Editor
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Commentary Editors
Art Directors
Entertainment Editor
Staff Writers
Annelise Jensen Allie Sawyer
Zafar Shaw
Sports Editor Kevin Dowd
Copy Editors
Melissa Lin
Brian Berenbaum Aditya Bhatnagar
Features Editors
Business Managers
Anurag Bhatnagar Kevin Poon
Emily Buzzard Emily Stone
Jake Fulmer Dan Webster
Chip Barker Abraham Hassan Steven Kendall Samantha Lerner Makeda Martin Kyle Moodhe Matt Reihing Emily Robinson Emily Taylor Boa Thai Aneela Wadan Alex Woodill
Adviser
Lauren Millette
The Rebel Roar is published as a public forum of student expression. Letters to the Editor are encouraged. Only signed letters are considered for publication. The editors reserve the right to edit all material in the interest of clarity and space. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the staff or school administration. The staff writes unsigned editorials
on a majority basis. The Rebel Roar accepts all advertisements deemed appropriate for a public forum meant for young adults and are subject to the discretion of the editors. Students are encouraged to take an active voice in the student publication. Questions, comments, and letters can be e-mailed to FHSRebelRoar@gmail. com.
letter from the editors 2
010 is fast approaching, which means many changes for FHS. Winter Break is only days away, and the New Year is quick to follow. So, what’s your New Year’s resolution, Rebels? To do better in school, be a better son or daughter, shed those excess holiday pounds? Whatever the challenge, there is no doubt a Rebel can handle it. The season of giving is upon us, and the Rebel Roar is giving lots to our readers. This month, our paper includes many intriguing features like the As Seen on TV Review, and a How to Handle Relatives Guide. Our middle spread also highlights the 2009 Year in Review. Look back at the bests and worsts of 2009 and prepare for 2010 with suggestions for New Year’s Resolutions. Continuing this month are your favorites, including The Buzz, Ask Kevin, and the Emily Over. New to this issue is our “He(a)rd in the Halls”. This soon-to-be recurring feature highlights those random things you hear in the hallway that make you laugh and question the intelligence of the people talking. It’s ok, it probably happens to all of us. Be sure to check out our review of the most recent theater performance, Lucky Stiff. Also Rebels, help out those less fortunate this winter by bringing in your new or lightly used winter wear for the Winter Wear Drive, which ends December 17. If you have any suggestions for our paper, feel free to e-mail us at fhsrebelroar@gmail. com, or send a Letter to the Editor. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy this issue of the Rebel Roar! Happy Holidays, Rebels. Stay safe.
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News
Giving some warmth
F
HS Leadership has once again begun its Winter Wear She was surprised that they did so well on the first year, Drive for this winter season. This drive was created and believes that they will be able to collect a good to provide new or slightly used winter clothing to those amount this year. Donations went to the Fairfax County less fortunate in our community. This event has not been Public Schools Human Resources Department and were as notable as one would hope, but this year, leadership distributed throughout the county. Many people would hopes there will be a change in spirit. be shocked to know that even in 2007, there were 9,746 As most students know, the Canned Food Drive is the homeless people in Virginia. With unemployment now most popular and well established of at a shocking 10%, the winter clothing all donation programs at Fairfax. Soon is needed more than most of us can after this drive has closed, the Winter imagine. Wear Drive begins. The program lasts Christina Hurd is one of the members from December 7-18, and items can be of the Leadership group in charge of turned into the main office, commons, running the Winter Wear Drive. When and English classes. This year’s drive is asked what they were in need of, she off to a great start, and leadership hopes said, “Any donation is important, but to be able to match and maybe even coats are really needed and so are exceed the 400 winter garments that children’s clothing.” Christina was they collected from Fairfax students very enthusiastic about the current Students donate gloves and other last year. items that had been brought in and winter wear for the Winter Wear The Leadership advisor, Mrs. Melnick, even said “Someone brought in little Drive. Photos by Kyle Moodhe. began the program just last year as boots, they’re so cute.” The donations a drive to help local Fairfax County are planned to be sent to the Lamb families who must be concerned about such basic things Center in the City of Fairfax. as staying warm in the winter. Mrs. Melnick said, “Fairfax County had sent out an e-mail to do some sort of winter Kyle Moodhe ‘10 wear drive, which we were luckily planning on doing.” Staff Writer
Arguments arise over TV channels
F
amily struggles over the remote have spread from prefer arts think that “the school is a totalitarian system the household living room to the lunch room. The where everything is based on sports, some of us would lunch time war that occurs over the large screen plasma just rather watch the news” said senior Morgan Younts. television in the cafeteria every For students like Younts, the 5th period during C lunch has TV debate is just another part grown from a simple debate over of the school that gives athletes ESPN or CNN into something the upper hand. that has been referred to as “a Lescure, a junior, continually gang war.” – Sam Brott, Junior. changes the television back In fact, for Brott, walking to ESPN so he can watch into C lunch during 5th period “SportsCenter.” He describes is similar to stepping onto himself as the “voice of the a battlefield, the channels student lunch population” changing from “ESPN to CNN to and feels as though it is his off, is just too much to handle.” “duty to carry out the general Although almost every other wants [of the students].” television in the cafeteria is Maybe next time this major tuned into ESPN, it is important Students in C lunch as they cheer for their favor- “gang war” arises, Lescure for athletes like Brott to be able to ite television channels. Photo by Emily Buzzard. will keep in mind that it watch ESPN no matter what side “annoys the [heck]” out of of the cafeteria they are facing. However, the lunch table students like Younts. closest to the television would prefer to watch the news. The under-represented portion of our student body who Emily Buzzard ‘11 Business Manager
News
Music department concert preview T he FHS C h o r a l Deptartment, in combination with Orchestra and Band, will be having a concert on December 17 at 7:30 pm. They are offering free admission Chorus director, Mr. Frels, conducts to the concert the orchestra. Photo by Makeda Martin. they have been practicing for weeks, including after school and during classes. This concert will summarize all of the work that they have done in the recent months of the school year. Their hope is that they will be showing their improvements since last year and their skills that have been gained over these months. Director Luke Frels is preparing the group not just for their concert, but also for their competitions in the spring. Approximately 200 students will be participating in the winter concert from all groups of the music department, including chorus, orchestra, and band. The songs that will be performed will celebrate holidays from around the world. The first song that the entire chorus will be performing is Te Deum Laudamus by Mozart. The next piece that the entire chorus will sing, Hallelujah Chorus, will be performed at the end of the concert as per tradition. The different Orchestra accompanies chorus for the levels of Winter Concert. Photo by Makeda Martin. Chorus will also be performing their own songs in order to show their individual work and celebrate the holidays of
specific countries. The advanced choir, Voce, will be celebrating African holdiays by singing African Noel and Betelehemu. The highest women’s chorus, Bel Canto, is featuring music from the Nutcracker for their performance. The two songs from the Ballet that they will perform are Russian Dance and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies. The Men’s Ensemble will be singing Feliz Navidad, which is “Merry Christmas” in Spanish. The Women’s Chorale will sing classic Hebrew songs in celebration of Hanukkah. Although in this concert there will be no soloist, the department will be having a Cabaret with all soloists performing next month on January 8. Their next performance as a group will be when they compete in the All District Chorus Concert on February 20. The time and date has yet to be decided.
Makeda Martin ‘10 Staff Writer
News Briefs
News
Fairfax High hosted the annual NOVA Wrestling Classic on December 11 and 12. Fairfax placed 2nd overall. Medalists in individual weight classes include: Jake Cox in 1st, Alex Morgan in 3rd, Jordan Yost in 3rd, Abdul Chadli in 5th, Joey Vanderplas in 5th, and Kevin Richards in 6th.
Fairfax Theater performed the play, Lucky Stiff, on December 3, 4, and 5. The play was wellreceived.
Upcoming Events: • The Winter Dance will take place on Friday, December 18. There will be no charge for admission. • There will be an early release on December 23 and Winter Break will last till Janurary 4. • Fairfax’s Winter Wear Drive will end on December 18.
Senior Kevin Dowd finished 18th at Cross Country Nationals in San Diego on December 12. Photos left to right: photo courtesy of: Lindsey Bush, Mikail Faalasli, and Margot Kelly.
• Spirit Week will be from December 14-18, and the pep rally will be on the 18. • The IT’S ACADEMIC team will take on the faculty in a Scholastic Bowl competition on December 23 during 8th period. • 2009 graduates will be coming back to talk about what college is really like and to share advice for juniors and seniors about applying to college on December 22 during 5th period. Refreshments will be provided. Students must sign up by December 21 on Family Connections.
Entertainment
Lucky Stiff is a success T
he Fairfax Theater of the harried brother of department put on la Porta; and Luigi Gaudi an excellent version of (Andrew Flores), who Michael Butterworth’s became Witherspoon’s comedy, Lucky Stiff, which guide in Monte Carlo. The ran December 3-6. Down ensemble was excellent, on his luck shoe salesman providing strong singing Harry Witherspoon and acting from even (Mikail Faalasli) comes the smallest roles. The into an inheritance from impeccable accents topped his recently deceased uncle off the great performance. (Alex Woodman). The only We particularly enjoyed stipulation is that he must the songs “Monte Carlo”, bring his uncle’s corpse and “Fancy Meeting You on a vacation to Monte Here”, as these catchy tunes Carlo. He is followed by showed the chemistry two women with interest between the duos of Cropp in the money as well. Dog and Rickwald and Falaasli activist Annabel Glick and Norland. (Anne Norland) and the The sets and scenery, vindictive Rita la Porta overseen by Technical (Allie Cropp) both chaseSenior Mikail Faalasli led the FX Players in a successful Director Mrs. Wendy Witherspoon to Montewinter performance of Lucky Stiff. Photos courtesy of Mikail Faalasli Knight, were both Carlo in an attempt to get effective and eye catching. the money for their own devices. The stage was effectively split into two different scenes Director Mr. Paul Rubenstein did a great job casting at times, showing versatility from Stage Manager Jess the parts, as each actor was able to give an outstanding Rawls. The pit, while small, added a dramatic tone to performance in their roles, no matter how unusual the the play when necessary, doing a fantastic job. The only part. Music director Molly Khatcheressian made sure hitches in the production were the costuming and the that the singing and choreography were also up to their one slideshow. While many costumes were well done, high standards. The charismatic Faalasli led the ensemble some simply did not fit. The slideshow may have been of crazy characters, through both his convincing acting unavoidable due to the complexity of staging those and engaging performance in each musical number. scenes, but we thought it simply didn’t go well with the Norland was the perfect foil to Falaasli, portraying Glick way the rest of the play was performed. with poise and elegance. Cropp led the onstage insanity All things considered, this was one of the best playing the bipolar, scorned lover. productions we have seen from Fairfax’s theater, which Supporting the three leads were Woodman, who didn’t says a lot. We look forward to future productions, move a muscle during the entire performance; Vinnie including Chicago, which will be performed in the di Ruzzio (Josh Rickwald), who captured the essence spring.
Andrew Dilworth and Allie Sawyer ‘10 Editor-in-Chief and Commentary Editor
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Entertainment
Movies for the holidays T
he holiday season is a time to bond with family and friends. A great way to spend this time is to watch a classic Christmas film. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie Elf, you’re definitely missing out. This movie is a beautiful rendition of a humorous tale. Will Ferrell (Buddy) plays the part of a human that was raised by elves. When Buddy’s father (Papa Elf) gives him the horrifying news that he’s a human, not an elf, Buddy doesn’t know what to do with his life. Papa Elf tells him he must travel to the far away land of New York City. His arrival in New York leads to many humorous events as he adapts to the human way of life. Buddy’s aspiration is to spread Christmas cheer, because most people have stopped believing in Santa Clause. Another classic is Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This movie is truly a classic; released in 1964, it uses claymation to depict the characters. The story begins with Sam the snowman, who tells the story about Rudolph. Rudolph is constantly mocked because of his glowing nose. He teams up with an elf named Hermey, and the prospector named Yukon Cornelius. Together they find an island of lost toys and bring it back in time for
“My favorite part is when he can’t sit still in the doctor’s office and he starts eating cotton balls.”- junior Ellie Jordan on Elf.
“It’s very ridiculous, it’s weird, there is a Narwhal.”freshman Alex Griffith on Elf.
“It brings out the little boy in me.” -sophomore Jason Lee on A Christmas Story.
Christmas. Unfortunately, the night is extremely foggy, and Santa doesn’t know what to do. Watch this movie to see the exhilarating ending. Some say Christmas is not complete without watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. This story begins with a distressed Charlie Brown. He sees everyone around him liking Christmas for the presents and the decorations, but what he really wants is to know the true meaning of Christmas. Finally Charlie devises a plan: when given the task of picking out a Christmas tree for the pageant, he picks out the smallest tree. Finally, Charlie stands up in front of everyone and gives a touching speech on the true meaning of Christmas. Last but not least is the most classic of all Christmas movies, A Christmas Story. The story is about a 9 year old boy named Ralph. Ralph wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas but everyone tells him, “You’ll shoot your eye out with that!” After being told this, Ralph is devastated because that’s the only thing he wants. Many humorous moments ensue from his efforts to convince everyone that he should get his Red Ryder. Along with these failing efforts to get his favorite present, Ralph is constantly bullied at school, but this all changes when he finds a surprise under the Christmas tree.
Steven Kendall ‘11 Staff Writer
Rebels, what are your New Year’s Resolutions? “Leave more time to sleep” -Lukas Kuhle, Junior
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“To not fail any more anatomy quizzes!”
-Rachel Derrick, Senior
“Stop procrastinating”
-Vannessa Cardenas, Sophomore
“Get better grades” -Karl Renz, Freshman
Entertainment
TV season premieres D
ecember is the month in which many beloved fall TV shows are ending for the season. Fortunately for avid viewers, many returning shows will begin starting in January. As students return from the winter break, they will be showered with plenty of entertaining shows. Here is a preview of some of the highly-anticipated shows that will begin after the break.
24
Show: Season: 8 Season Premiere: January 17, 2010 Channel: Fox Description: Kiefer Sutherland returns as Jack Bauer, and this time he must deal with assassination threats due to a peace conference between President Allison Taylor and President Omar Hassan of the Islamic Republic of Kamistan (a fictional nation). The plot is set in New York, and the events of the show will occur from 4 pm to 4 pm. Cast: Returning cast members include: Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brien, Annie Wersching as Renee Walker, and Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor. New members include: Anil Kapoor, Mykelti Williamson, and Katee Sackhoff. Interesting Fact: Anil Kapoor, who will play President Hassan on the show, is a well-known Bollywood actor who also appeared as the game-show host in the movie, Slumdog Millionaire.
Lost
Show: Season: 6 Season Premiere: February 2, 2010 Channel: ABC Description: In this highly anticipated final season of
Lost, fans will finally learn the fate of the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815. Last season’s finale left fans with a major cliffhanger, and fortunately, they don’t have to wait much longer. Although fans are skeptical as to how the plot will be entirely resolved, Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have stated that they have “always envisioned Lost as a
show with a beginning, middle, and end,” and so fans will “have the security of knowing that the story will play out as we intended.” Cast: Returning cast members include Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard, Evangeline Lilly as Kate Austen, Jorge Garcia as Hugo “Hurly” Reyes, Naveen Andrews as Sayid Jarrah, Josh Holloway as James “Sawyer” Ford, Yunjin Kim as Sun Kwon, Terry O’Quinn as John Lock, and Daniel Dae Kim as Jin Kwon. Interesting Fact: Executive Producer Carlton Cuse has stated that the time travel and flash-forward elements of the series are over, and that the final season will focus on something different.
American Idol
Show: Season: 9 Season Premiere: January 12, 2010 Channel: Fox Description: American Idol returns with new
contestants hoping to make it far into the contest. This season will be different from previous ones, as former judge Paula Abdul has been replaced by Ellen DeGeneres. Idol Gives Back also returns this season, set to be held on April 21, 2010. Cast: Ryan Seacrest will continue to host the show, and Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi will return as judges alongside DeGeneres. Interesting Fact: Neil Patrick Harris, Avril Lavigne, and Joe Jonas will appear as guest judges during the auditions for the show.
Aditya Bhatnager ‘10 Copy Editor
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Commentary
The Buzz
R
ebels, I am being forced to write an introduction for this article despite the fact that I am extremely depressed over my dear friend Clyde being horribly sick. Who likes introductions anyway? We all know that introductions are the hardest part of writing any essay. Plus, I don’t need to “hook” my reader’s attention. I am entertaining enough without an introduction. There you go Newspaper Staff, you finally happy? This is the intro you get because you don’t care about my beloved fish Clyde.
Hot...
...Not
Panera’s new Macaroni and Cheese Everyday when I go to sleep I thank the man who created this steaming, perfectly cheesy, heap of heaven. I crave the delectable dish almost daily and I eat it weekly. This explains the “mac belly” that I am forming. Be warned Rebels, a large bowl of Panera’s divine mountain of beautiful noodles is just short of a thousand calories. It could be a huge mess unless you have some selfcontrol. Yoga pants These comfortable pants are possibly the best discovery that I have made this month. Who would have thought that an activity that involves peace and ease would require such comfy pants? Plus, they make people look way more fashionable than sweat pants. Just make sure that you don’t buy a pair that is too tight, could be gross.
that
Social Interview Who doesn’t like answering questions about their friends’ future rap names or preferred dinner date? The influx of the use of “Social Interview” on Facebible is helping people get to know each other, and giving people hope that someone actually wrote on their wall when they receive that shining red notification. Dog Snuggies I have never been a big fan of dressing up animals, just because I used to dress up the family cat in my clothes and it would claw at them until they tore. I never did get to wear those Pocahontas leggings again… but the point is that dog snuggies allow for both fashionable and warm dogs. Plus, this way you can match with your doggie! 10
Designed by Dan Webster
Kraft Mac and Cheese I know this is a highly controversial belief, but I am confident enough in my new found friends to beat up anyone who openly disagrees with me so I can take a stand on this issue. Kraft Mac and Cheese is just too cheesy. I t turns orange when you put the whole packet of cheese in. That just isn’t natural! Accept it for what it is and join me in my boycott of Kraft Mac and Cheese. The cheesiest does not mean the best. Jhorts and tights Jean shorts and tights are a heinous match up that can lead to lack of friends, gambling problems, loss of eyesight, projectile vomiting, or even having children with rat faces. Plus, you shouldn’t wear shorts in the winter anyway. It’s just all around bad. Bumper stickers with small words Driving along the road and encountering a bumper sticker that is unreadable due to the size of the words is the worst thing that can possibly happen to a curious driver. When I can’t read a bumper sticker I get way too close to the said car in order to set things straight, and that definitely is a safety hazard. Next time you think you are being witty by putting a small bumper sticker on your car, think again, you could get rear ended and it would undeniably be your fault. Bumpits While Bumpits may be the easy way out of a formal occasion, you need to resist the urge to put the plastic crescent in your hair. As Rebels we just aren’t classy enough to withhold the uppity standard that Bumpit wearers must possess. If you want to purchase a beauty enhancing kit from TV, at least go for the Bedazzler.
Emily Buzzard ‘11 Business Manager
Commentary
Ask Kevin Dear Kevin, Christmas is fast-approaching, and I have yet to accomplish any meaningful Christmas shopping. I’m looking for gifts for my entire family and a lot of my friends. I want to get gifts that show thought but don’t empty my wallet. What suggestions would you have? Sincerely, Stingy Sarah Well, it’s that time of the year again, when people willingly throw away their hard-earned money. Many say the spirit of the holidays is in virtues such as togetherness and giving. I have mixed feelings about that statement. A budget-oriented, economic person such as myself tries to minimize losses over the holiday shopping season, and I would advise you to do the same. At the same time, thoughtful gifts can be the most heart-warming, memorable and most importantly, the
cheapest. Look at it this way: you could get a loved one that iPhone they always wanted, or you could show them how much you really care and make them something, like macaroni art, or fancy paper snowflakes, popsicle stick ornaments, or elementary school craft projects. Your parents are the easiest people to shop for. For your dad, go to Sears Auto Center, blindfold yourself, spin around a couple times, and start running. The first thing that you run into that’s under 10 bucks, buy it. For your mom, just head over to the nearest Yankee candle store, find the weirdest smelling candle they have there, and buy it. Everyone else pretty much falls under the category of macaroni art and other homemade gifts. Play your cards right and you can spend around 10 dollars total on all of your Christmas shopping and the best thing about Christmas is that no one can complain about how much you spent (or didn’t spend), and everyone just has to smile and act happy while they receive your gifts. That’s the beauty of Christmas, though, it’s all about giving and joy and all that garbage. You have no obligation to get something that costs a lot of money or even requires a lot of effort. It just has to show thought. But don’t tell that to anyone looking for a Christmas gift for you, or you might end up with a stocking full of homemade soap and foam cutout ornaments.
Kevin Dowd ‘10 Sports Editor
Take a break with the homework D
uring Winter Break, both students and teachers enjoy the crisp winter weather while reuniting with close family members for the holiday season. Gifts are exchanged and even the most obnoxious of relatives seem somewhat amiable. Children, parents, and siblings share stories, laugh, eat, and play together during their time off. We all appreciate snow, a white Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza. The last thing on everybody’s mind is homework! Who wants to spend this joyous time of year with hours of tedious work? Junior Nannan Chen says, “Nobody wants to do homework over the break, instead, they want to relax and enjoy the break.” Teachers must realize the county has implemented breaks to allow both the faculty and students to relax and enjoy a week without school. Some teachers argue that homework is necessary during the break. They explain that there is no time to waste and that Winter Break is a perfect opportunity for getting students up to date with required material. These circumstances are
usually associated with AP classes, for which students must take an AP Exam in May. Therefore, teachers assign multiple chapters to read, vocabulary to learn, or projects to complete. All this homework leads to enraged parents who claim that an overwhelming amount of work during school breaks is not effective; in fact, they declare that homework during this time of year prevents students from enjoying a family reunion or a memorable vacation. Freshman Ashley Burson claims, she absolutely “hates” homework assigned over the break, stating that, “It’s my family time and you don’t want to worry about homework. It’s called break!” All things considered, teachers should not hand out homework during Winter Break, or any school breaks for that matter. Let the students be free for about a week: we need the recuperation and relaxation that comes with much anticipated school breaks.
Zafar Shaw ‘11
Entertainment Editor
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Year in Revi
A
t FHS, we have continued our success on the field and in the classroom. Tennis doubles partners Sidarth Balaji and Jason Luu earned first team All-Met Selections for their performance during the tennis season and the Lady Rebels swim and dive team came in third at the state competition, finishing top three for the second year in a row. This school year, FHS Cheer won the state title, Fairfax’s second ever. Senior Kevin Dowd advanced to the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship, placing 18th. Varsity football advanced to regional play for the first time in a decade, finishing the season 6-4, and 5-2 in the district. The theater’s one-act show, Never Swim Alone, won the VHSL State Championship, and their Beauty and the Beast production was top notch. Their production of Lucky Stiff, performed in December, was also excellent. We had fourteen students commended for the National Merit Scholarship, and one semi-finalist, Emily Schutz. The FHS It’s
Academic team finished second in the region, led by Catherine Treyz, Jackson Walters, and Luke Warnock of the class of ’09. The Rebel Roar was named first place in the Newsmagazine category by the VHSL, and The Matrix brought home second place in Literary Magazines from the VHSL. At the Virginia Junior Classical League State Convention, the Latin students at FHS brought home 57 awards, including first places in geography, watercolors, Roman History, mixed media, and alternative art forms. The marching band won multiple competitions, including the JMU Parade of Champions and the Oakton Classic. A big change occurred over the summer, when Dr. Brabrand announced his promotion and Mr. Goldfarb was announced as FHS’ new principal. Mr. Hoffman was named the Teacher of the Year for 2009.
Photo Credits
dimpost.wordpress.com-Obama Inauguration provisage.com-unemployed MIT grad thebaumer.wordpress.com-Pirates zimbio.com-Richard Phillips foxnewsradio.com- Sotomayor guardian.co.uk-Metro crash
iew
By Andrew Dilworth
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culturedecoded.wordpress.com-Palin blogs.suntimes.com- Kanye thisisdiversity.com-Tiger
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009 was marked by national and global change, including a new president, his policies, and the economic downturn. Our wars in the Middle East continue, and President Obama has recently announced that our focus will move from Iraq to Afghanistan. The economy is recovering, but the national unemployment rate is still at 10.2%. The year started off with a bang, as Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. The economy continued to tank as the American car industry continued to fail. General Motors cut tens of thousands of employees, adding to the already-high unemployment rate. Somali pirates harried U.S. and international ships from February to May. The most high profile case occurred when Captain Richard Phillips was captured by the pirates, and forcibly released after a tense four-day standoff. President Obama ended May by nominating Sonia Sotomayor for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed her appointment as the first Hispanic justice in August by a huge majority. The Washington Metro experienced its first fatal crash in 13 years when one train crashed into the
back of a stationary train, killing nine. The end of June and beginning of July were marked by a multitude of celebrity deaths, most notably entertainer Michael Jackson, infomercial superstar Billy Mays, and former NFL quarterback Steve McNair. Sarah Palin announced her resignation as governor of Alaska, instead focusing on the promotion of her biography and, presumably, preparing to run for the Republican nomination in 2012. Bill Clinton negotiated the release of two imprisoned American journalists in North Korea in August, cutting their 12 years of hard labor to a mere three months. They had been captured for crossing into the country without permission. Kanye West made a name for himself in September by interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the VMAs, setting off a media circus. Tiger Woods, perhaps the biggest global name in sports, was recently revealed to have cheated on his wife, Swedish supermodel Elin Nordegren. Obama continued his tumultuous year when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy” and other achievements.
Commentary
He(a)rd in the halls I
t’s like a stampede. A stampede made up of unhygienic, loud, rough highschoolers, all desperately trying to shove each other to get some more breathing room. You always manage to get wedged between that guy who has been too lazy to shower and that girl who feels the need to scream in your ear, while realizing that someone else’s hand is where it doesn’t belong. And just when you’re about to suffocate from holding your breath, and about to flip out and backhand that person whose hand is on you, you suddenly hear it. You look around to see if anyone else noticed and although usually no one else does, it’s okay. It’s enough to get you through the annoyance of the hallways and enough to keep you grinning for the rest of the day. Yes. It’s the incredibly ridiculous, bizarre, awkward, unexpected snippets of conversations you hear in the hallway that seem to make everything a little better.
Melissa Lin ‘10 News Editor
“The shape of the earth looks like an orange?”
“Have you ever noticed how greasy the bathroom toilets feel?”
“Deer snot doesn’t actually taste that bad.”
“Dang… I got ketchup in an awkward spot.”
“One of my ex-lovers said, ‘I love you!’” “No, I heard her eyeball fell off the screen…”
“Did you see his arm dangling?”
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• Chicken and Shami - $10.99 • Chicken and Beef - $10.99 • Chicken and Lamb - $11.99 • Beef and Shami - $10.99 • Beef and Lamb - $11.99 • Lamb and Shami - $11.99 • Meat Lovers Platter - $17.99 (Choice of any 3 meats on Meat Lovers Platter)
• Extra Nan - $1.00
King Sandwiches All King Sandwiches are served open-faced with Afghan bread and Afghan fries (Spicy or Mild)
• King Gyro - $7.99 • King Shami - $7.99 • King Chicken - $7.99 • King Beef - $7.99 • Add Salad - $1.00
Wrapped Sandwiches All Wrapped Sandwiches are wrapped in Afghan bread with lettuce, sauce and comes with a small bag of chips.
• Wrapped Gyro - $5.99 • Wrapped Shami Kabob - $5.99 • Wrapped Chicken Kabob - $5.99
• Kids Chicken - $4.99 bread and Afghan fries (spicy & mild) or rice)
• Kids Shami - $4.99
(Half skewer of ground beef kabob served with small bread and Afghan fries (spicy & mild) or rice)
• Kids Gyro - $4.99
(Gyro meat served with small bread and Afghan fries (spicy & mild) or rice)
Side Orders
• Nan - $1.99 (Afghan bread made in our traditional clay oven)
• Sabzi (Spinach) - $1.99 • Burani Baunjon (Eggplant) - $1.99 • Chickpeas - $1.99 • Basmati Brown Rice - $2.99 • Mixed Veggie Salad - $2.99 • Afghan Fries (Spicy or Mild) - $2.99 • Skewer of Meat - $3.99 (Your choice of chicken, beef, shami or gyro.)
• Skewer of Lamb - $4.99 • Skewer of Vegetables - $1.99 (Your choice of onion, tomato or mixed.)
• Dipping Sauce (White or Green) $0.50
Features
Winter Break checklist I
f you find yourself bored during Winter Break, refer to the following list of fabulous ideas. We have incorporated many different things to do to tickle your fancy, no matter what you celebrate. Compile an iTunes playlist of all of your favorite holiday songs (check out 97.1 WASH FM for some ideas). Go ice skating at the Reston Town Center and then take a trip over to Cosi to warm up with hot chocolate and s’mores. Go to the Bull Run Festival of Lights any day of the week up until January 10th, 2010. See Rosslyn covered in lights, then cross the bridge over to Georgetown for good food and shops. Make a gingerbread house and bake festive cookies with your very best friend. Snag tickets to the Rockettes for their December 19th D.C. show ($125 off of ticketmaster). Go caroling! Watch the lighting of the National Menorah each night during Hanukkah on the White House grounds, at the Ellipse. Attend a holiday concert like the City of Fairfax’s
concert on December 19th. Go see the lit up Christmas tree and listen to the entertainment in Washington, DC. Open every night in December. Construct a giant jigsaw puzzle. The lighting of the Christmas Visit the tree is a nice sight to behold. Photo Massanutten Ski courtesy of Ms. Millette. resort and go snowboarding, skiing, or even sledding. Have a holiday movie marathon with your family. Drink eggnog. Go to a friend’s house and sit in front of the fireplace. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY… SLEEP IN!
Abraham Hassan ‘10 & Emily Robinson ‘11 Staff Writers
Small club, big aspirations Y
ou may or may not have are long-term projects, such heard about the club as creating notebooks for the “GLI”. It’s one of the lesser girls with pictures and letters. known clubs here at FHS. “This club is important to GLI stands for Girls Learn me because I don’t think it’s International, and it’s run by fair for the girls to have to sophomores Paulina Tammaro, labor in fields and in hard, Cassidy Tammaro, and Valerie dangerous jobs while the Budynas. “It is a club that boys can go to school and works to earn money to send learn. I believe girls should to girls in India who need have the same opportunities supplies for their education as boys and with this club we and money so they can attend are able to help them achieve school. In India, girls don’t that” says Paulina Tammaro. have the same opportunities “I want girls all around as boys, and we provide a Sophomores Paulina Tammaro, Cassidy Tam- the world to have as good way for them to be able to,” maro, and Valerie Budynas lead Girls Learn an education as girls do Paulina Tammaro explains. International. Photo by Emily Stone. in the United States” Last year, the club wrote letters Valerie Budynas says. back and forth with the girls from India, and had the Even though the club is called Girls Learn letters translated. They also sold key chains International, boys are welcome also. Meetings are and bracelets made by the girls they were held in Ms. Proulx’s room, usually on Thursdays. trying to raise money for. This year, they Emily Stone ‘12 16 plan to do two “GLAM projects”, which Business Manager
Features
Surviving the holiday season I
’m sure you’ve heard horror stories about what after this family member enters the room. happens when families gather The holidays shouldn’t be during the holidays. I haven’t all about avoiding your family, experienced this, but I have heard though. Embrace what makes tales of holiday gatherings gone them unique, and spend some wrong. Before winter break time with them. Tips I have for comes, I hope to provide some spending time with family: advice about how to survive your Don’t bring up touchy topics. extended family this holiday Like that tattoo that your 16-yearseason. old cousin got or the baby they Being with your extended had? Avoid it. family can cause problems because Involve everyone. Have a you only see each other a couple dance party with your drunkles, of times a year. There are certain as they are usually pretty good types of family members that you dancers. must avoid AT ALL COSTS: Go on a group outing! Ice A family photo fails. Photo courtesy of awkwardDrunkles: The name says it familyphotos.com. skating is highly recommended. all. You know, the uncle who is Not everyone may be able to always intoxicated. participate, but that will only make it more entertaining Overly Doting Aunt: The aunt who can’t stop herself for you. Also, getting everyone out of the house will from cutting you a piece of pie large enough to feed a relieve any tension between family members. third world country. Another characteristic is constant Don’t spend the whole time thinking about how they petting: most common is finger-combing your hair and drive you crazy. Mind over matter: if you go into the rubbing your back. holiday thinking you’ll have a terrible time, you will. The Black Sheep: Many times, this could be a cousin Take some time for yourself. Don’t feel like you or an in-law, who has committed some heinous crime have to spend every waking moment conversing with against the family in the past. If everyone talks about grandma. this person behind his or her back, or suggests they stay in a hotel, they are the black sheep. Emily Stone ‘12 The cranky Grandma or Grandpa: Fights about Business Manager politics and complaints about temperature always ensue
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Features
Cookies, pastries, and pies, oh my!
Gourmet foods students stir, mix, and bake cookies in class. Photos by Lindsey Bush and Aneela Wadan.
T
hrough the door of the gourmet foods classroom waft think cookies are best straight out of the oven, we were the smells of pastries and pies, making one curious as instructed to place them on the cooling rack. Once the to what exactly they are making. The day I happened to cookies had cooled, we were allowed to eat them, and be in the gourmet foods class, chocolate chip cookies were thankfully, they were delicious. We then had to clean up on the menu, a cookie classic. after ourselves, which is one of The class began with a the most important things that demonstration by the instructor, the gourmet foods students Ms. Rice. She showed the class learn. The class then filed back step-by-step what they were into the classroom to have to do in their lab. After the its labs checked by Ms. Rice. demonstration, the students “[My favorite part] is got to work in the cooking washing the dishes. Cleaning lab and began gathering the up the mess that I make, getting supplies needed to create their the gunk off the bowl,” said final product. This is when I sophomore Grant Cloud. “I joined in with the class. From like making something clean there we began mixing things instead of a mess like I usually together, hoping that we were do.” Students in this course doing it right. At this point learn more than just the art of I realized that baking is a The hard work finally pays off. Photo by Lindsey cooking. They learn how to Bush. lot harder than just reading take care of the equipment, a recipe. It is a science. If how to prepare food safely, everything isn’t exactly right or if you mix things in the how to read recipes, how to measure, and how to keep wrong order, you’re jeopardizing your product. In the a clean kitchen. All are essential in learning to cook. process of mixing our dough, the students in the group The gourmet foods class taught me a lot in the 45 or I was in realized that we had left out a key ingredient. so minutes I was there. The greatest lesson I learned After we fixed our mistake, we placed the dough on the that day was that it takes exactness and patience to baking sheets, and waited for what seemed bake anything, especially chocolate chip cookies. like forever for the cookies to come out of the oven. We were silently praying that we 18 Lindsey Bush ‘11 hadn’t ruined our product. Even though I Managing Editor
Features
As Seen On TV E
ver since the arrival then, HD Vision Sunglasses and untimely death are for you! How many times of infomercial magnate have you taken dieting pills Billy Mays, As Seen On TV to no avail? Do you wish products have experienced there was an even easier a spike in popularity and way to lose weight without are increasingly more physical exertion? Then mainstream. Close on the you want to buy Wellness: heels of the colossus that Think and Lose, the weight is Mays, Offer “Vince” loss program where you Shlomi, also known as the can wish yourself thin! “ShamWow Guy”, burst onto Even worse are the tactics the scene with his advertising that infomercials are using, masterpieces: the ShamWow namely pseudoscience and and Slap Chop. His ads were cheesy rhymes. We all know only outdone by his wellthat the product we are trying publicized arrest, which did to purchase is ridiculous; you wonders to bring infomercials do not need to convince us that from the underground scene of there is real science behind public access TV at three in the this product (I’m looking at morning. Quickly following you, MagEnergy and Miracle the ShamWow’s instant Magnet Insoles; just because popularity was the Snuggie, you use complex sounding a backwards robe for those names like Neodymium N38 who find normal blankets too doesn’t make you any more confusing and difficult to use. Senior Victoria Sachs, an avid collector of televiscientific than Bill Nye, in These brilliant products sion products, tests her Shamwow and Snuggies in fact it makes you less so). have inspired countless Furthermore, we are not fiveimitator products like the cafeteria Photos by Chip Barker. year-olds; just because you ShamWow, which is actually rhyme things does not make an imitator of the late, great Billy Mays’ Zorbeez you the infomercial equivalent of Dr. Seuss. Things like that product. In addition, infomercials have been vital do not automatically make us want to buy your product. in adding to the humor community with YouTube Infomercials are becoming a driving force in today’s videos like the “ScamNow”, “Rap Chop”, or the society and I believe it is an industry worth following. College Humor lampoon, “ShamWow Guy in Jail”. Some are terrible ideas and do not deserve to assault However, these wonderful outcomes are weighed the public’s senses with their awful commercials, down by terrible side effects like a huge influx of but the few gems that shine through are more than increasingly useless products, all hoping to recreate the worth sifting through the garbage. bolt of lightning that was the ShamWow. For example, have you liked looking out the window but decided that Chip Barker ‘10 19 Staff Writer reality is nice but just doesn’t look real enough? Well
Sports
Sports Briefs
Swim & Dive They opened their season with a doubleheader, swimming against Madison on Friday, and Marshall on Saturday. The boys were missing five of their top swimmers, and fell to Madison 215-100. Senior Peter Rossbach qualified for the regional meet with a score of 216 in diving on Friday, December 5. The girls also faced a shortage of swimmers due to a large club swim meet, and lost 206109. Saturday was a brighter day for both teams, as the boys defeated Marshall 204-101 and the girls won 211-102.
Boys’ Basketball The Rebels are off to a 2-1 start for the first time in recent memory. They began their season by beating Dunbar, 69-49. With balanced scoring (four players in double figures), the Rebels took their halftime lead and expanded it through the second half. They followed that game with a tough win at Dominion, 57-50. They lost to Woodson, 70-59, to end their winning streak. Indoor Track The FHS indoor track team was split up the weekend of December 12, with some of the more elite sprinters competing at an invitational at Christopher Newport University. Senior David Ladd came in second place in the 55m dash by less than .01 seconds and was part of their 4x200m relay that finished fifth, in a time of 1:35:93. The other members of that relay were seniors Daniel Hildreth and Brian Hallahan and sophomore Nebil Mezher.
Girls’ Basketball With two wins in their first three games, the girls’ varsity basketball team is off to their best start in recent memory. They edged out Washington and Lee, 53-50, in their season opener, and stayed close to Oakton in their only loss to date. They beat rival Woodson at home, 61-55, breaking a five year losing streak against them. Senior Lauren Burford lead the team, scoring 27 points versus Woodson.
Coach Spotlight: Wes Vaughan T
he most exciting thing about being a coach of any cheer team or program is seeing the individual skills and talents develop,” says six-year Head Cheer Coach Wes Vaughan who has greatly enjoyed his time as a cheer instructor. Vaughan cheered at Page County High School, and also in college at James Madison University growing up. This led him to become the head cheer coach at Spotswood High School in Harrisonburg, Virginia for five years, and later, a coach at AllStar Legacy in Dulles, Virginia. Now he continues his success in cheer, having led the FHS cheer team to victory at the 2009 State Championship. The champion cheer team consists of many leaders including the captains, seniors Emily Andrukonis, Keara McCullough, Jasmine Hardmon and junior Yesle Soh. “I
really look for team members who are dedicated, hard working, and athletes who listen to instruction and make things happen,” said Vaughan about his cheerleaders. He adds that the captains maintain the family aspect of the team, making them closer. Vaughan has set many goals for his team which include “[keeping the program] moving in a successful and positive manner”. He instills in the team that it’s important to keep working hard no matter what they’ve already accomplished. “Titles are examples of hard work and dedication, but we really teach our team members that the quantity of titles is not important, it’s the quality of group and individual efforts, as well as being appreciative of the obstacles that they have overcome.”
Resume
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Jordan Sharpe ‘11 Editor-in-Chief
Sports
Swim legacy lives on through Fergusons A
s she steps up on the blocks, she turns to her left, their swimming careers together as mere toddlers on the then to her right. She takes in the image of each of Haden Village Villains neighborhood team, but began the girls beside her. The crowd fades out, the swimmers to favor different strokes. Now, looking back, Matty disappear, and suddenly it’s just her, going through the states “We just kept swimming and realized we were race step by step in her mind. The gunfire sounds, and both decent at it.” This realization was certainly an she’s off. Matty Ferguson goes through this ritual before understatement considering the swimmers they both every race, putting herself in the right state of mind to would each turn into. When Mrs. Ferguson signed them swim all out in every up for the neighborhood race. league, she had no idea The Ferguson they would stick with name has been heard it. At the time, Matty poolside for many was three, and Emily years, thanks to the eight. Neither of them success of Emily showed anything more Ferguson on the FHS than slight potential. Swim Team. Now that Finally arriving on she has graduated, it the FHS scene, Matty is left to Matty to keep Ferguson is poised to the family legacy alive. take over her sister’s Emily specialized role as one of the in breaststroke leaders of the Swim her freshmen and Team. sophomore year, “I do think Matty switching to freestyle has the same potential as a junior and senior. as her sister… seeing It took only two her dedication to the short years to set sport she reminds me four solo records in of her sister,” says freestyle and two Coach Harris. Matty’s relay records by the Freshman Matty Ferguson prepares to swim the 100 Breastarrival was preceded time she left Fairfax as stroke. Photo courtesy of Toni Rayder. by lots of talk and a senior in 2008. She excitement over “the went on to swim for Virginia Tech, taking an FHS Swim second Ferguson swimmer,” to a point where it seems and Dive state ring with her. Matty came as a freshman impossible for her to live up to the expectations, but she with a fire in her eyes and a goal to out-do her sister. She came ready. Matty has been preparing to join the Fairfax is mainly a breaststroker and wishes to take some of ’09 Swim Team nearly her whole life, and at last it’s time for graduate Ellyn Baumgardner’s, records in breaststroke her to show her stuff. Even before she could walk up by her junior year, as well as knock her sister’s freestyle right, Matty was in the pool; her tiny feet kicking away, times off the chart without delay. propelling her through the water. Now, she has grown The Fairfax Swim Team was steered to victory by to 5’8, and can propel herself across the pool in record Emily Ferguson, along with her many friends and peers time. on the team, all of her four years swimming at Fairfax. She has always strived to be like her sister in and She led the team in every regular season dual meet, and out of the water, and thinks of continuing to follow her eventually to states in her senior year. Emily was an sister’s footsteps all the way through college, claiming, inspiration to everyone on her Fairfax and club teams, “Maybe there’s a future Virginia Tech swimmer in me.” and most importantly, to Matty. From Coach Harris’s point of view, at last coaching Matty, after two years with Nikki Strickland ‘13 Emily, she sees, “a lot of Emily in Matty, but they are Staff Writer also very different as well.” The Ferguson sisters started 21
Bob skates her way to the top E
rica Bob might just be the all-American girl. However, her long blonde hair, flawless make-up, pearly whites, and pink outfits all add up to something more than stereotypical. She is a dedicated athlete, a superb student, and an FHS socialite. F i g u r e skating is a real sport filled with frostbite, injuries and sequins, and Bob embraces every aspect of it. She may be one of the most dedicated athletes at Fairfax, seeing that she doesn’t even k n o w what the term “offs e a s o n ” means. Bob’s devotion shows on and off the ice. She has gone to five regional competitions throughout her career, and continues to be a major challenger in every competition she enters. Her work with a personal trainer helps with off-ice Erica began skating conditioning, “it’s hard at when she was seven times, but definitely worth years old. Photos courtesy it,” Bob said. of Erica Bob. Bob’s daily schedule may just send any average teen into an overbearing amount of stress. She skates four times a week and
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heads to the Fairfax Ice Arena directly after school. If she has to stay after school for academic purposes, she is forced to set up a new ice session over the weekend. But Bob feels as though her crazy schedule is nothing out of the o r d i n a r y, “everyone that does sports knows that it is hard to manage your time wisely, b u t time management is definitely a necessity.” Getting down that triple axel lutz flip, or whatever ridiculous name those moves have, was probably easy for Bob as compared to balancing her heavy school load with her intense figure skating schedule. This year she is in three AP classes, honors science and advanced math. The overachiever even took the initiative to start cheerleading last year, but she knew that the crazy schedule that we all endure junior year would not be very kind to her new found talent. Bob said that she was forced to “choose because both are such major commitments.” At Fairfax, some of our best athletes go unrecognized. It is not uncommon to hear some person talking about how our athletics stink, but in reality we have people at our school, like Bob, who go above and beyond to represent themselvesas a Rebel athlete.
Emily Buzzard ‘11 Business Manager
Diary of a champion B
y placing 9th at the South Regional Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, I was invited to race in the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships on December 12 in San Diego. The trip was pretty much a three day vacation to the Hotel Del Coronado, which was right on the beach. So while everyone was playing winter sports, I was still be training for the never ending season of fall cross-country. I would miss school on Thursday and Friday to fly out to (not so) sunny San Diego for what would be three days I would never forget. I decided to keep a journal of my adventures on the West Coast. Enjoy!
Thursday 4: 50 PM
I woke up at 3:06 sharp this morning for the flight and pretty much was not functional until 4:15 when I got to Dulles. We picked up Paige Kvartunas, another qualifier from the area on the way there. We worked our way through the airport and we were flying by 5:15. We landed in Atlanta and had a three hour layover which was spent looking for food and meeting up with and getting to know the rest of the South team, later to be dubbed the “durty south”. We arrived in San Diego to some of the best weather I have ever experienced. It was 65 degrees with a nice sea breeze blowing. We arrived at the hotel(pictured right), got our room keys, and headed down to the some room to pick up tons of free stuff. I am currently waiting for my roommate to get out of the shower so I can get ready to go to dinner. This place is huge and there’s a good chance I’ll get lost on the way to dinner. Friday 3:30 PM
Saturday 6:40 PM
We just got back from the course jog at Balboa Park. They had us rehearse the introductions so they didn’t get messed up for tomorrow. I got to do mine with Meb Keflezighi, the winner of the 2009 New York Marathon. My coach was there to lead me through my pre-race workout, which included some easy running followed by strides. I’m actually eating lunch right now and I’m having a fancy looking ham sandwich with some pie. The food here is amazing. Dinner last night was great and it was Mardi Gras themed and they had us make our own hats. I made a hat with some playing cards on it as well as a bunch of sparkly string. There was a spider on my hat while I was making it and I killed it with a glue gun. So I guess that was part of my hat too. It was basically just the South boys making hats along with all of the girls. I guess we are just special.
The race was indescribable. There were so many cameras and there was a giant jumbotron near the starting line and a camera on a sort of crane thing that hovered around the start/finish lines. The weather was terrible. By the time the girl’s race started, there was a steady drizzle and by the time I stepped to the line, it was pouring and the course was extremely muddy. I finished in 18th place, 2 seconds away from All-American honors (top 15). I saw somewhere that I was ranked 35th going into the race. So I guess I exceeded everyone else’s expectations except for my own. When the bus got backto the hotel, the durty south crew decided it would be a good idea to run straight into the ocean. It ended up being kind of cold (who knew?) so we sprinted to the hot tub and stayed in there until someone made us leave. After that was beach football, which is a post race-tradition among finalists. It was Team South vs. Team West and we won. Too bad we lost to them in the actual race. I am currently sitting in my room getting ready to head down to the awards banquet. I signed up for filet Kevin Dowd ‘10 Sports Editor mignon, but I sort of just want Chipotle. Oh well.
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Emily Over Holiday Special
This month for the Emily Over we decided to just give you ideas of what to do instead of doing a make over so you can do it your self. For the girls we pared a little black dress and a black leather bomber jacket, this is a great mixture of feminine and masculine. For the guys we went with a causal but sophisticated look with a white button down, sweater vest, and some jeans. To dress the look up we added some nice black dress shoes and a wool coat. With this look you cant go wrong this holidays, they’re perfect for a holiday party with the family or a fun night out with your friends! New York & Company Leather Jacket - 86.95
Banana Republic Wool Jacket - 80.00
Ralph Lauren Sweatervest60.00
Little Black DressForever 21- 29.80
Ralph Lauren White Button Down -80.00
True Religion Jeans- 245.00
Red Shoes- Payless19.99
Black Dress Shoes -95.00