REBEL ROAR
#yolo
Fairfax High School 3501 Rebel Run Fairfax, VA 22030
Contents
News
3 4 5 6
12
Letter from the editors
2012 Year in Review
Features
Cyber Security Create Government Jobs Students Boycott School Lunches News Briefs
Entertainment
7 8 9
Middle Spread
17 18 19
Holiday Baking Made Easy Black Friday Fades Into Gray Thursday Innovating in 2013
Students Learn How They Learn
Sports
Tran’sformations At The Movies With Aoife and Addy
20
Dance Team Prepares For Competition Season Varsity Cheer Takes Second
Commentary
21
10 11
Basketball Begins Season at Tipoff Tournament Indoor Track off to a Fast Start
22
Staying Active Over Winter Break
23
Fairfax Hosts NOVA Wrestling Classic
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Holiday Shopping Boot Camp Students’ Dissatisfaction With IT Grows For Your Flynnformation
Rebel Roar Staff 2012-2013
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Editor-in-Chief Nikki Strickland Jessica Miers Managing Editor Rachel Tran Copy Chief George Flynn News Editor Suha Khandker Entertainment Editor Emily Verbiest Commentary Editor Erinn Fecteau Features Editor Rachel Tran
Sports Editor Jackson Campbell Art Director George Flynn Business Manager Suha Khandker Aoife Maher-Ryam Staff Writers Hannah Flynn Erich Greenfield David Schrack Adelaide Powell Web Master Erinn Fecteau Adviser Carl Irvin
Editorial Policy Rebel Roar is a published forum of student expression. Letters to the Editor and guest articles 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 editori-
als 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 emailed to FHSRebelRoar@gmail. com.
Letter From the Editors Dear Rebels.
I
t’s that time of year...just kidding, we’ll spare you all the cliches for now. As we brainstorm what information the Rebel Roar will publish for you each year, December always seems to be the hardest month to stray away from the typical, hackneyed, holiday stories. This year, however, there were so many fresh and interesting topics to discuss, that we’re proud to say that the broken record of holiday repeats and classics are surely a thing of the past! Of course for those of you who simply can’t get enough of the holiday spirit, we wouldn’t want you to think that the staff is full of scrooges! For some, it may be the holiday music that sparks December excitement, so make sure to check out Addy Powell’s holiday album reviews on page 9. If it’s the holiday treats you’ve been looking forward to, then be sure to read up on Hannah Flynn’s tips to make delicious and easy holiday recipes on page 17. We can probably all agree that the best part of the holiday season is the week-long, homework-free, winter break; but with friends out of town and massive crowds at shopping malls and movie theatres, long, boring, winter days stuck at home can slowly turn into a scene from “The Shining.” For an interesting at-home activity, check out the Myers-Briggs personality test on page 19. As always, for the sports junkies, read Erich Greenfield’s story about how sophomore Peter Laing wrestled his way to the wrestling classic finals on page 21. Lastly, it wouldn’t be a holiday wrap up without a 2012 year in review. Check out the middle spread for the top nine events that made 2012. As we wrap up the year, we say goodbye to the good and the bad of 2012 and hello to a new year full of new events, stress and adventures. We wish all you seniors that are waiting on college acceptance letters good luck and to stay positive. The journey is almost over. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year. We always like to remind all of our readers that this is your paper and you do have a say in what we publish. Please feel free to submit your suggestions, complaints, stories etc. to fhsrebelroar@gmail.com. As we finish this year off strong, we hope that you will enjoy the last Rebel Roar issue of 2012. Lastly, do a snow dance, turn your pajamas inside out, flush ice cubes down the toilet and keep your hopes high for lots of snow this winter! Happy Holidays!
Nikki Strickland
Jessica Miers
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Cyber Security Impacts Jobs By Jessica Miers
I
magine: the lights go out in every city, banks randomly fail, water towers and power plants are destroyed and rendered useless, leaving an entire nation to fall to chaos and complete disarray. With the heart of the nation running on cyber controlled technology, it would take only one successful cyber-attack to make this nightmare a reality. With cyber threats rapidly increasing, it is hardly surprising that jobs in cyber-security have become one of the top-most priorities for the national government. According to a report from Symantec Corporation, one of the world’s leading software and security companies, malicious attacks by cyber criminals increased by 81 percent with more than five billion attacks blocked in 2011. This year, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) reported an estimate of six million cyber-attacks on DoD computers, mostly originating from China. “It [cybersecurity] is important because virtually every aspect of our daily living and our nation’s security are dependent on safe and secure networks; everything from banking, to medical records, to transportation systems to the power grid that delivers electricity to our homes, schools and businesses and more,” said career experience specialist at the Chantilly Governor’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) academy, Joan Ozdogan. With the dramatic increase in cyber warfare over the year, jobs in computer programming, software development, database administration, and computer systems analysis, made the U.S News top 25 most successful careers in 2012, most of which reported salaries of over $70,000 per year and $114,000 per year for skilled computer programmers. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Instructor, Terry Levoy said, “There are many jobs available in the field of Cyber Security such as Intrusion Analyst, Forensics Analyst, Penetration Tester, Software Engineer, Security Architect and more.” To join the world of “white hat hackers,” otherwise known in For students with a competitive edge, “CyberPatriot,” a yearly cyber competition sponsored by Northrop Grumman, offers a blend of cybersecurity with competition as teams from around the world compete to clear and fix as many vulnerabilities presented on virtual computer images in a six hour time frame. Winners of all three rounds compete in the National Championships in Washington D.C, where prizes range from monetary rewards to internship opportunities. Currently, FHS does not host teams for the competition but students interested in competing can sign up with one of the teams at Chantilly High School. Senior Andrew Day shares his experience at these annual competitions.
Students enhance their programming skills in Mr. Campbell Programming 1 class. Photo by Jessica Miers
the cyber world as ethical hackers and secure systems managers, is to join a nation of cyber-defenders dedicated to protecting the United States from the threat of malicious and destructive attacks that could be detrimental to society. For students interested in putting on the white hat and joining the cybersecurity army, Fairfax County Public Schools offers several opportunities to educate and prepare students in the computer sciences field. Specifically, the Chantilly Governor’s STEM academy “offers courses in the three pillars of information technology (IT) knowledge for cyber-security; Network Administration, Cisco Routers and Oracle databases,” said Ozdogan. Students who invest the time to pursue degrees in computer science/programming and careers in cyber-security are welcomed to a variety of jobs with the DoD, Homeland Security, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more. “I would say if they [college/university] offer a Cyber Security major, that would be best, especially if it is technical. Experience in the IT field contributes greatly to the skill set so a computer science degree is good too. CISSP certification is very necessary too,” said Levoy. What exactly happens on competition day? First, We setup our equipment. Then we login into the virtual image. We set security settings and get rid of malware from the images, lastly we put on the finishing touches and leave. How many rounds are there? There are a series of rounds. Currently, we are done with round two and moving towards round 3. After round three, we go to semi-finals and then we’re hoping to finals at National Harbor. How does this competition benefit high school students? This competition helps students learn skills such as defending, ethical-hacking, troubleshooting and much more that applies to a career field with a shortage of workers and high paying jobs.
This will be senior, Andrew Day’s second Why did you choose to do CyberPatriot? year competing in the I wanted to learn something new and experience something cyber competition. Photo different. courtesy of Jessica Miers
News
New Generation Takes to the Polls By Erinn Fecteau
Following the recent 2012 presidential election, exit polls have shown that voters 18 to 29 years old made up 19 percent of the electorate. For many years, young citizens have been stereotyped as being apathetic in regards to voting, so campaigns target middle aged and senior citizen voters instead. According to the Washington Post, however, voters aged 65 and older only comprise 16 percent of the vote, three percentage points less than those aged 18 to 29. Political analysts believe that this shows the importance of an increasing young voter turnout. Exit polls from Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state were analyzed to discover more about the emerging age gap. Political analysts were immediately able to recognize a strong shift in ideologies; approximately two-thirds of younger voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, with roughly only one-third of elderly voters giving their support. Nearly 70 percent of 18-29 year old voters support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, while fewer than 50 percent of elderly voters did. Just over half of the young voter demographic
also supports the legalization of marijuana, in stark contrast to the two-thirds of senior voters who oppose it. Polls conducted by various newspapers and websites such as the Huffington Post and USA Today also reveal a steady decline in party affiliation in young and middleaged voters. Rather than commit themselves to a political party, many voters now vote based on the candidate’s policies, stances on issues, and overall platform. In the past, it was common for a citizen to support one political ideology, and vote for that candidate no matter what. This new mindset of younger voters is believed to signal a shift socially and politically in the years to come. Although only time will tell how young voters will affect policymakers, these recent exit polls give a clear glimpse into what is to come. "This proves that any campaign that ignores young voters does so at its own peril." said Heather Smith, president of Rock the Vote.
This is recent data from polls conducted by the Washington Post and ABC.
Fairfax Boycotts Lunches
F
airfax county public schools have previously received complaints about the food served in their cafeterias. Real Food for Kids, an organization comprised of FCPS parents has been raising awareness for healthier school lunches since 2010. According to their website, since they have started petitioning, the county has started using healthier ingredients to prepare lunches and removed excessively processed food from their menus. Fairfax High School students decided to take their own stance on Dec 4. by boycotting school lunches. “I support the boycott because the school food is bad, taste wise and nutrition wise” says junior Kevin Carney who expressed similar sentiments to many of his peers.
By Suha Khandker
While students showed their support by opting to bring lunch rather than buy it from the cafeteria, others thought the boycott would hurt those who don’t have the option to bring lunch. Junior Ben Whetzel says “It’s a bad idea because for some student on free and reduced lunch, lunch is the only meal they can be confident about receiving.” In response to the boycott, a student advisory council held a meeting on Dec 11. to taste more nutritious lunches that may be added to future Fairfax menus. Senior Kinjo Kiema comments “there seemed to be a lot of interest in getting better cafeteria food, but not enough people participated.” Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Public Schools
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News
News Briefs The Mixed Nut
Boundary Study
The influx of approximately 720 freshman during 2011-2012 school year intiated the FCPS boundary study. Photo courtesy of Jessica Miers The dance academy performing at Providence Elementary. Photo by Suha Khandker
On November 30th, the Dance Academy here at Fairfax held a winter performance at Providence Elementary School. The show was called the Mixed Nut. It was a rendition of the famous ballet The Nutcracker with a modern twist.
Clothing Drive a Success The FHS interact club hosted a winter clothing drive from November 26 - December 10. They collected over 10 bags of winter wear to donate to the Salvation army.
Lanier Goes Green
Lanier wins the Green Flag award. Photo courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation
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Lanier Middle School was awarded with Virginia’s first Eco-Schools Green Flag Award from the National Wildlife Federation. The Green Flag awarded to schools who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to enviromental sustainability. Lanier is the second school in the nation to recieve this honor.
Fairfax County School Board have concluded their last listening tour meeting on November 26 in the FHS cafeteria. Parents who were present at these meeting were able to share their concerns with school board members. The school board is projecting to have a plan for this issue by mid-January.
New Year, new administrator Starting January, FHS will be joined by a new administrator. Previous assistant principal Baek Chong left his position here at Fairfax and is now the principal of Mark Twain Middle School. Retired assistant principal Richard Griffin will take over until a full time administrator is
City Council honors students
FHS students win awards for attending Virginia Governor’s School Photo courtesy of City of Fairfax Schools
On December 5th, the City of Fairfax School Board held a ceremony to recognize outstanding students from Fairfax City schools. Lanier Middle school was recognized for recieving a Green Flag. Fairfax high students were recognized for superior achievements in academic and extracurricular activities.
Entertainment
Tran’sformations: Holiday Edition By Rachel Tran
‘T
is the season to sparkle! Glam-up for holiday parties this season and add a fun, sparkly touch to makeup. Celebrate and brighten the winter break holidays and New Years with this beautiful, yet simple look.
1) Apply eyeshadow primer to lids to
enhance the eyeshadow colors and add a sticky texture for the glitter.
2) Brush a silver eyeshadow all over the lids up to the crease.
4) Use tape to remove excess, fallen glitter
8) Apply two coats of navy mascara to both the top and bottom lashes.
from parts of the face.
5) Using a crease brush, sweep a navy blue eyeshadow in the creases of the eyelids and towards the outer corners.
9) Brighten the inner corners of the eyes and highlight the eyebrow bone with white eyeshadow.
10) Apply a second layer of silver
3) Using a small eyeshadow brush,
carefully take silver glitter and pack it on the center of the lids.
glitter to the lids to add emphasis.
6) Line the top lashes with dark blue eyeliner, thickening the line towards the end.
11) Apply concealer and foundation
to areas of the face with blemishes and imperfections.
12) Apply a coat of cranberry-colored
lip gloss to the lips to finish off the look.
7) Line the bottom waterline with the same blue eyeliner to further define the eyes.
Photos by Rachel Tran and Jo Coenen
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Before
After
At The Movies By Adelaide Powell and Aoife Maher-Ryan
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
The Twilight Saga has finally come to an end. The die hard fans will appreciate the last installment of the franchise, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2,” that wraps everything up, and others will probably be able to have a good laugh after watching the movie. The film starts off right where the last movie ended, with Bella (Kristen Stewart) becoming a vampire. The action begins when another vampire sees Bella’s daughter Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) and believes her to be an immortal child. The creation of immortal children was made illegal by the vampire authority the Volturi, and when they hear word of Renesmee, they set off to kill the child. The final showdown provides for some much needed action, but contains one too many beheadings, and the special effects are terrible. The twist at the end is actually very surprising and entertaining, as are the insane giggles and expressions of the Volturi leader, Aro (Michael Sheen).
Skyfall
Photo courtesy of www.Photobucket.com Silva (Bardem) interrogates Bond (Craig) in a building on his private island.
Photo courtesy of www.epk.tv Renesmee (Foy) share a tender moment her mother Bella (Stewart) when she displays her ability to show memories through her eyes when she touches’ others faces.
James Bond impresses once again in the series’ new installment, “Skyfall.” Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a cyber terrorist, plans on releasing pictures of spies from different agencies, compromising their covers. Bond (Daniel Craig) has to protect his boss, M (Judi Dench), from Silva who has a personal vendetta against her. This leads 007 to go back to his roots when he and M are forced to retreat to Bond’s childhood estate, Skyfall. Craig does a good job of portraying an aging but still smoothly fierce Bond as does Bardem in his role as a more modern villain, opposed to other evildoers in the series. The movie sets itself apart from others in the series by including new gadgets, thrilling action sequences, and re-introducing new actors as past characters.
Life of Pi Yann Martel’s acclaimed novel “Life of Pi” has come to the big screen in a breathtaking but slightly boring adaptation. The film stars Piscine Patel, nicknamed Pi (Suraj Sharma), a boy who practices Christianity, Hinduism and Islam and lives in India with his family. They find the need to sell the zoo that they own, and they travel by boat along with their animals on a journey to their new home, Canada. However, their travels are cut short when a storm hits and leaves Pi and Richard Parker, a bengal tiger, as the only survivors. Although this part of the movie drags, the merit of the film is somewhat made up for in the masterful use of 3D to create beautiful scenes that enchant. Newcomer Sharma carries the weight of the movie on his back, being the only actor in many scenes and express- Photo courtesy of www.epk.tv ing great emotion. Pi (Sharma) tries to survive on the
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harsh seas after a shipwreck.
Entertainment
Do You Hear What I Hear? Holiday CD Review
Grab some hot cocoa, bundle up and give a listen to the many holiday albums out this winter. There are several newly released festive CDs that will please every taste, ranging from country, R&B, alternative and pop.
By Adelaide Powell
On This Winter’s Night-Lady Antebellum
Silver & Gold-Sufjan Stevens
Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood do a good job in bringing holiday cheer to their first holiday album. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a creative take on Mariah Carey’s overplayed hit, with a slightly different background and a slower tempo. The instrumentals in “This Christmas” change up the country trio’s sound and adds a different flavor to the album. They slow it down again on “The First Noel” and “On This Winter’s Night” which flatter the groups’ vocals nicely. “Blue Christmas” livens it up and is a welcome reprieve from some of the more Photo courtesy of www.Photobucket.com mellow songs on the album, as is the sugary “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
Sufjan Stevens has already released a Christmas album, so there might not seem like he has more to offer. However, his latest achievement, “Silver & Gold” has a whopping 58 songs! The album offers tons of originals as well as some old favorites; although “Jingle Bells” becomes a barely recognizable hot-mess in Stevens’ hands and “Do You Hear What I Hear” goes techno. Some of the better renditions are “Joy to the World,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Holly Jolly Christmas.” One of the higher points in Stevens’ own creations is the enchanting “ChristPhoto courtesy of www.asthmatickitty.com mas In the Room,” and the more cheery sounding “X-mas Spirit Catcher.”
CeeLo’s Magic MomentCee Lo Green CeeLo’s new album is a mix of lively renditions of classic (and overplayed) holiday favorites. Although there could have been some more originality here, Green adds some soul to the likes of “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” which also features Photo courtesy of www.Photobucket.com Christina Aguilera, and “This Christmas,” making the songs seem more like his own. Such enthusiasm exists in “What Christmas Means to Me” and “Run Rudolph Run” that grabbing a sled immediately may be the only option after a listen.
Christmas In the SandColbie Caillat Colbie Caillat offers a new take on the traditional Christmas album, offering more sunny and cheery songs for a holiday spent at the beach (or one wished to be). Country fans will appreciate Caillat’s duet with Brad Photo courtesy of www.Photobucket.com Paisley on “Merry Christmas Baby” and although the title track“Christmas in the Sand” may not be the most amazing new Christmas song, it is still original and catchy. Another of Caillat’s better creation’s is “Mistletoe” and one of the best classics on the album is “Winter Wonderland.”
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g n i p p o h S y a Holid p m a C t o o B
F
cteau By Erinn Fe
rom the surface, the holiday season is an enchanting time. Shimmering lights are strung from every tree and building in sight, the promise of snow excites students, and suddenly everything is scented like a fresh batch of cookies made from cinnamon, sugar and magic. Underneath that sparkly surface, though, lies a much more stressful reality; for some students, it’s dealing with the hordes of relatives that, for some reason, migrate to their home without fail every winter season. For many others, it’s deciding on what to buy for friends and family—moreover, how to scrape together what little cash they have to make those gifts an actuality. High school students cherish what few dollars and quarters they can dig out from under seat cushions and piles of laundry. With that in mind, what follows are a few simple tips to help spend those newly rescued bills as efficiently as possible:
1.)
Save on buying boxes for shipping! For students with friends or family from out of town, buying packages for shipping can be an adventure of its own. Savvy holiday shoppers are known to visit local grocery stores, restaurants, and even fast food chains to ask that they hold onto cardboard boxes from shipments. Stores typically just recycle the boxes they receive, so a polite request that they keep them for an extra day is normally not a hassle (assuming that the boxes are picked up in a timely manner, and not left to grow dusty in their storage rooms). The few extra bucks saved might be the difference between getting a friend a five dollar gift certificate or that CD or t-shirt they were dying to have. When ordering online, websites will often ask that users to create an account before processing their purchase. Set the birthday field to match the date that the transaction is happening. Many websites will send emails with discounts on customers’ birthdays, meaning big savings when ordering. Those who are worried about not having 365 emails available to reap the rewards of having a birthday every day can relax: the website 10minutemail.com will give visitors a randomly generated email that lasts only ten minutes. This gives users time to verify accounts and purchases, as well as dodge waves of junk mail from going to their main emails. After ten minutes, the email is deleted and users are free to receive another.
2.)
Students’ Dissatisfaction With IT Grows
U
By Jessica Miers
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sually when one hears the phrase, “intervention time,” the ideas of drug rehabilitation centers and awkward family confrontations come to mind. At Fairfax High School, however, intervention time simply means that failed attempts to make it to the library or cafeteria within five to six seconds is none other than a death sentence condemning the unlucky back to their “IT base” for the next 45 minutes. For those who have attended FHS during the glory years of R&R, it is not surprising that the majority of opinions on IT are mutually negative. R&R, for those who are new this year, consisted of a “pride time” followed by a “choice period” every grey day. Students would report to their pride time period for 45 minutes, where teachers would refrain from teaching new material and instead use the time for reviewing or catching up on work. After pride time, R&R would begin and students could go to any teacher’s classroom, the cafeteria or the library for free time as long as they weren’t failing a class. “I prefer the old system. IT limits how much I can help students,” said Advanced Placement English Literature teacher, Carol Lambert. This year, Principal David Goldfarb announced that it was out with R&R and in with IT to combat the mass overcrowding of 2600 students. Though the administration may feel that is a successful solution to a growing problem, from a student’s perspective, the solution seems inconvenient, counter-productive and overall, frustrating. “It’s overwhelming to have to seek help from teachers, fulfill service hours for certain clubs that can only be done at
school, and go to work all while balancing homework which IT barely makes a dent in. In retrospect, only 45 minutes of R&R made a big difference,” said senior, Casey Lawrence. The switch to IT this year begs the question as to how this idea really solves the overcrowding problem. Students that are released at the teacher’s discretion are forced to race to their two options of either the cafeteria or the library. Hordes of students flooding to the library, desperately trying to avoid the overly noisy cafeteria is inevitable. Naturally, when the library is filled to capacity, it becomes as loud and disruptive as the cafeteria crowd. Trying to defeat overcrowding by confining students to two small locations is counterintuitive. “The IT system shows a lack of trust in students by narrowing our choices. Only three options are given: stay in the classroom, go to the overcrowded library, or noisy cafeteria. I often don’t need help in the IT class of the day, but instead another subject that I am prevented from going to,” said senior, Rachel Tiemann. Senior Will Park followed up with, “It allows us to get help from a particular teacher on a particular day, regardless of whether we actually need help from them. R&R let us get help from who we needed, when we needed. Clearly, as the school’s population continues to grow, school administrators will have to find new ways to organize the extra 4th period time. Until boundary lines are redrawn and populations are resized, there may be no clear or perfect solution to this issue; however, from a student’s opinion, IT is not the solution-- rather, it’s another problem.
Commentary
For Your Flynn-formation By George Flynn
Hot
Celebrity Freakouts
It’s a fact that a celebrity isn’t really a celebrity until they’ve completely freaked out at least once. Lucky for us, this seems to be the season for going crazy in hollywood. Veteran problem child Lindsay Lohan returned to her roots last month with a drunken arrest outside of a NYC nightclub. The same week, newcomer to the tantrum scene, Angus T. Jones, confused us all when he called “Two and a Half Men,” the show that has made the highest paid child actor in America “absolute filth.”
Photo Courtesy of csmonitor.com
Girl Meets World
The stars have officially aligned for Cory and Topanga to return to TV! America’s favorite 90’s teens are about to become our favorite 2000’s parents. Quite frankly, nothing makes me happier than the idea of Mr. Fe-heheeeny teaching life lessons to a new generation of Matthews children. Although it may be awhile before production begins, you can be darn sure that I’m already dusting off my John Adams High spirit wear in anticipation!
FIRE
Fire is hot. Literally.
Photo courtesy of benabetts.com
LED Holiday Lights
Not
Thanks to LED lightbulbs, long gone are the days of “sleep in heavenly peace.” Instead, the Holidays have turned into a barage of bright white bushes and reindeer that turn 15 different colors. If everyone would just agree to take down the blinking icicles, maybe we could all have a Photo courtesy of christmaswow.com truly happy holiday.
Metro
Am I the only one who doesn’t understand why it takes longer to get downtown via mass transit than it does driving on the beltway during rush hour? As convenient as Metro might be when it works, when it doesn’t, aka 95 percent of the time, its a pain in the bum!
Photo courtesy of princeofpetworth.com
Shorts In December There’s just so much wrong with this one... so. much. Seriously, you can deal with wearing pants for the next few months. And if not, then I suggest you look into getting a pair of those nice pants that transform into shorts with a single zip. Those are hot.
Photo courtesy of imageg.net
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r a e Y 2 1 20 w e i v e R In
Trayvon Martin Murder Feburary 26
Giants Win the Super Bowl Feburary 5
In a rematch of 2008, Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning led the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots. Manning is only the fifth player in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowl MVP awards, joining all-time greats Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Bart
The shooting of an African American teen by Neighborhood Watchman George Zimmerman caused nationwide controversy. The shooting highlighted debates about gun control, racial profiling and “stand your ground” laws in America.
April
Starr, and Terry Bradshaw.
January Italian Cruise Ship Crashes
French Exchange Students Visit April 22
Photo courtesy of Kallie Pugh
January 13
On January 13, the Italian cruise ship “Costa Concordia” colided with a reef off the coast of Spain. The collision left at least 30 people dead and injured more than 60 others.
12 Photos courtesy of photobucket.com
Students from France came to visit during their spring break at the end of April. These students stayed with Fairfax High School students enrolled in French classes. Senior Kallie Pugh, who hosted an exchange student, said “I just happened to find my international best friend in Charline. We did everything together, especially shopping, that was her favorite!”
Olympics
July 27-August 12 Athletes from around the globe took to London to compete this summer. Breakout stars included gymnast Gabby Douglas and the Fab Five, swimmers Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin, and British diver Tom Daley.
Colorado Theater Shooting July 20
At a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises� in Aurora, Colorado, gunman James Holmes murdered 12 people and injured 58 others using several semi automatic guns. The tragedy sparked calls for stricter gun control laws from groups around the country.
Photo courtesy of Karl Gehring, The Denver Post
Fairfax and Woodson High Schools competed in a contest to see which school could spend the most at the Fairfax Circle Chicfil-a. After a week of nonstop chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, Fairfax won the prize of $500 towards the athletic department and a free Chic-fil-a lunch for the entire school.
December
Obama Wins Reelection November 6
Tornado Hits the Bleachers
Photo by Nikki Strickland
November 30
Photo courtesy of Abby Sisson
August September 8
Fairfax Wins Chic-fil-a
On September 8 a tornado ripped through Fairfax County, tearing the backstop of the Fairfax High School baseball diamond right out of the ground. The backstop is currently being replaced with a more sturdy alternative made of brick.
After a long campaign, filled with attack ads and super PAC commercials, President Barack Obama beat Governor Mitt Romney, winning the White House for four more years. This was the first time since 1816, that three Presidents in a row have been elected to a second term.
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Fairfax’s Best 2012 Memories Thor Rasmussen senior
“[My best 2012 memory] was beating Wakefield 20-1 in lacrosse. I got a hat trick in the first quarter and it was our first game coming off a losing season.” The Wakefield game was the boys varsity lacrosse team’s first game of the 2012 season.
Saalar Aghili sophomore “My favorite memory of 2012 was spending an entire week of the summer in Newport Beach, California. My uncle and I took a cross-country roadtrip from Fairfax to San Francisco and topped along the way. We went to Chicago, North Dakota, and other cool places along the way. It was ten days I’ll definitely never forget. ”
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Allie Copeland
junior
“My favorite part of 2012 was becoming friends with Sean Nowers! He and I have become really close this year. We can talk about anything and he always manages to make me laugh. I don’t know what I’d do without a friend as good and funny as Sean.”
Tessa Bechert
freshman
“William and Kate’s baby announcement! I love them! I got up at four in the morning to watch their wedding and even made a wedding cake for the occasion! Their baby is going to be so cute because William was such a cutie when he was younger and she is so pretty and I love England so I just love pretending like I’m part of the royal family.”
A Year Thro
ugh Tweets
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Features
T
Semi-Homemade Desserts
By Hannah Flynn
his Holiday season can get stressful with projects due before winter break, family coming to town, needing to get presents for loved-ones and more. But one thing that can be stress-free for the next few weeks is baking adorable holiday treats. There is no need to slave away for hours to get a cute and delicious treats to impress family and friends.
Santa Hat Brownies Ingredients
One box of Brownie Mix 8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese 1 Stick of Butter 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract A pinch of Salt 3 Cups of Confectioners Sugar 12 Strawberries
Directions:
Bake brownies according to package and let cool for 15 minutes. Using a biscuit cutter, or any round shape, cute brownies to desired circular shape and size. To make frosting, make sure butter and cheese are softened. Place butter and Mascarpone Cheese into standard mixer, and mix for approximately 2 minutes on medium speed. Once mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and salt. Allow mixture to mix more. Once vanilla is incorporated, add confectioners sugar, one half cup at a time. Allow frosting to get to desired consistency. Once frosting is done, place frosting on top of brownies, and a single strawberry on each brownie. Recipe Adapted from daisysworld.net
Reindeer Sugar Cookies Ingredients
One pack of sugar cookie dough A large bag of m&m’s One bag of chocolate covered pretzels
Photos by Hannah Flynn
Directions:
Roll dough into one to one inch balls. Bake as directed on the package. Immediately after taking cookies out of oven, take the chocolate covered pretzels and push them firmly into the top of the cookie. Then push two brown and one red M&M’s into the cookie underneath the pretzels. Let the cookies sit in order for the candy to set.
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Black Friday Fades Into Gray Thursday By Aoife Maher-Ryan
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Photo courtesey of David Tintaya
his year, the annual Black Friday sale held the day after Thanksgiving generated huge crowds and profits for many stores nationwide. But why was this year’s different? Major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us opened their doors at 8pm on Thanksgiving night for eager customers. David Tintaya, a Fairfax resident went to Toys R Us with his family after Thanksgiving dinner, said, “I like that they [Toys R Us] are opening at night, so I don’t have to get up in the morning.” Despite all the deals that stores were offering, some victims of Hurricane Sandy couldn’t take advantage of them. The hurricane that struck earlier this month dampened sales in the North East region of the U.S. Inhabitants on the coast of New Jersey faced long lasting power outages, and are still paying for the damage the super storm caused. The total money spent on the Black Friday weekend has
steadily increased over the years. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent nearly 59.1 billion dollars this year. This could be the result of the growing Eager customers wait in line outside of Fair Lakes Target. number of shoppers and the insistent promotional campaigns that most retailers launch in early November.
Innovating in 2013 By David Schrack
1. Civilian Drones -- The
military monopoly on drones is now a thing of the past. Drones, which today are known for their usage in killing members of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, will be used for civilian purposes like waste management, energy use and entertainment value. “Civilian enthusiasts are getting into the act, too; they have customized drones to nab polluters, inspect drilling rigs, and take stunning pictures for movies and real estate listings,” said Laura Shin of smartamerican.com.
2. Wearable, Flexible Technology --
Soon, it may be possible for people to wear circuits that are embedded in tattoos or clothes. One use of this new electronic application is monitoring one’s vitals, heart rate, breathing or other medical purposes; another application is militarily, such as solar cells woven in soldier’s uniforms or tracking devices for people missing in action.
5. Alzheimer’s Prevention Pills -- Alzheimer’s, a disease found in the elderly
that gradually causes dementia, may be prevented at its simplest form: the rare genetic mutation that causes it. A drug called crenezumab targets this mutation and keeps Alzheimer’s at bay. “If this approach to fighting Alzheimer’s is successful, it has the potential to transform all future prevention and treatment research and to herald the beginning of the end of this devastating disease,” said Dr. Pierre N. Tariot of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to ABC News.
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Photos courtesy of photobucket.com
3. Fetus Genome-Sequencing -- A simple blood sample from the mother will
suffice in retrieving a fetus’s complete genetic sequence, allowing doctors to see single-gene diseases (such as cystic fibrosis) before the fetus is even born. This enables the doctors to use different prenatal therapies to ensure the disease is at least partly prevented, which does not endanger the life of the mother and does not require trained obstetricians. “Some researchers envision do-it-yourself kits that mothers would send to a lab,” said the Scientific American.
4. Breathing-Restoration Microbubbles -- The brain, after
a few minutes without breathing, begins to shut down, putting a person at risk of cardiac arrest and death. Currently the only solution -- inserting a breathing tube into the mouth -- takes away precious minutes. But a new foam-like solution, containing microbubbles absorbed by the bloodstream, could possibly buy the fifteen crucial minutes that could mean life or death for someone.
Features
Students Learn How They Learn Myers-Briggs Testing Describes Personality Types
By Rachel Tran and Nikki Strickland
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ome would say that the first, and possibly most important, step to a good education is determining how best to learn for one’s personality type. But how can a student know which strategies suit them without having to guess at their own character traits? The Myers and Briggs Foundation, created by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, provides a personality type test to help people learn about themselves, according to myersbriggs.org. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator asks questions used to determine various characteristics of people and categorizes the test takers into 16 distinct personality types based on four traits. Senior Katie Rossbach said she thinks the test is beneficial to students because “A lot of people like to think highly of themselves and underplay their weaknesses, so by taking personality tests you can really figure out who you are and what suits you, which will lead to finding a career and a life that’s for you and not for your ideal self.” Senior Mimi Lam, categorized as type ENFJ, said “The results described my personality perfectly. Knowing [my combination] will definitely help me choose possible career paths in the future and understand the reason behind my decisions.”
Sample Questions I like to... meet new people and 1 take action 2 not sure
3 4
reflect on my thoughts and ideas
5
I trust the... tangible and love the specific details
1
not sure
3
2
4 abstract and love to gerneralize a pattern I make decisions... through detatched, rational, and logical thought
Introversion (I) / Extraversion (E) -Introverts often spend time alone, whereas extroverts generally spend their time with other people. -Introverts are more thought-oriented, while extroverts are more action-oriented. -Introverts seek depth of knowledge, but extroverts seek a broad range of knowledge.
Thinking (T) / Feeling (F)
-Those who prefer thinking base their decisions off of what seems logical and rational, and those who prefer feeling make their choices by empathizing with the situation. -Those who favor thinking tend to be indifferent and impersonal, whereas those who prefer feeling weigh their decisions off of the people involved in the situation. -Individuals who prefer thinking are typically technical/science-oriented and those who prefer feeling are more peopleoriented.
not sure by getting a feel for the situation and looking for consensus I make decisions... through detatched, rational, and logical thought
Perception (P) / Judgment (J)
-People who make decisions based on their perception are usually spontaneous, and people who use their judgment are more organized. -People who prefer using perception generally mix their work and play time while people who prefer using judgment usually work ahead of time before playing. -People who use their perception rarely make plans whereas people who use their judgment frequently draft their plans beforehand.
1 2
Intuition (N) / Sensing (S)
-People who prefer sensing are more likely to trust concrete details and facts, and people who prefer intuition trust information that is abstract and theoretical. -People who favor sensing are usually concerned with their reality and experience, while people who favor their intuition pay more attention to new possibilities and ideas. -Those who use their sensing more generally start with facts and form the big picture, whereas those who use their intuition more typically form the big picture and then look at facts.
5
not sure by getting a feel for the situation and looking for consensus Questions courtesy of www. apejet.org/sites/four_question_myers_briggs/
3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
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Dance Team Prepares For Competition Season
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By Emily Verbiest airfax High School’s Varsity dance team finished the fall season and prepares for the beginning of the competition season. Head coach Samantha Gaylord said the Fairfax dancers are “looking forward to showing off their skills and representing FHS.” The team earned many notable titles in the past months. On November 19, Fairfax Dance competed in the 2012 Fairfax Dance Championship. The team placed first in the small varsity jazz category, and members Jessie Brown and Rachel Fernandes took ninth and tenth place in the solo division. For the Universal Dance Association’s Dance Camp, captains Madison McGinty and Jessie Patterson choreographed the home routine that earned first place. Additionally, members Madison McGinty, Sami Smith, and Brenna Surette received UDA’s All American Award.
Fairfax Dance will be competing in the George Mason Dance Team Invitational and the East Coast Regional Dance Championship. Coach Gaylord said, “The Varsity Dance Team has been working hard to perfect their jazz and pom routines for the upcoming competitions. We have a young team this year that has a lot of talent and a bright future! We had an awesome football season and are looking forward to successful competition and basketball seasons in the coming months!"
Photos Courtesy of Chris Steuble
Varsity Cheer Takes Second at States By Emily Verbiest
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airfax High School’s Varsity Cheer team wrapped up a successful season, placing first at Northern Regionals and second at States. Junior Kristin Morrow said, “the season went very well, we improved so much since the beginning of the season and we did amazing at competition!” “Coach Wes pushed us to be the best each and every one of us could be. He knew exactly how to coach each person on the team and how to prepare everyone for the competition. He’s really an excellent coach,” said
“By the time competition came everyone was ready. Before competitions we would blast music and just hang out to get in the zone,” said junior Sarah Mazzatenta. The team spent much time together outside of the gym Morrow said, “we had team sleepovers, dinners, movies and whole team bonding days.” Morrow continued,“we practiced so much, every day for at least three hours. There was blood, sweat and tears, laughter and crying.”
Morrow.
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Photos Courtesy of Chris Steuble
By Jackson Campbell
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Basketball Begins Season At Tipoff Tournament
Sports
he expectations for the boys varsity basketball team could not be much higher this season, after last year’s journey to the regional semifinals. However, getting back there will be a whole new challenge. Coach Barbee says the veteran members of the team have done a good job of helping the new players learn his system thus far. “They are learning fast,” Barbee said. “A lot of our new players are seniors. I think we have eight seniors this season, which is a lot. The chemistry has been good.” “The expectation is always to have a successful season.” Barbee continued. “We hope to win the district this year, and I think we have what it takes to make it back to where we got last year.” “With some new additions to this team, our overall outside shooting ability has greatly improved which will help us out.” said Burnett. The Rebels opened up the season at Woodson High School in the Red Jenkins Tipoff Classic, losing to both Wakefield High School. Burnett and Robic both had strong Fairfax unveils new uniforms this season with 27 and 24 points respectively. performances against Wakefield, Burnett added five three pointers in the 71-68 loss. The Rebels rebounded well a week later with a 70-57 home win over former Concorde District rival Centreville, an impressive win early in the year. “Coach Barbee purposely scheduled some tough opponents early in the season so I’m not worried about our slow start,” Burnett said. “Once everyone starts to know each other better and the offense starts gelling, we’ll be a very dangerous team.”
Indoor Track Off To Fast Start
By Jackson Campbell
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ust one meet into the season, Fairfax’s varsity Indoor Track team is already showing signs of building off last year’s success, in which they had two runners qualify for states. Senior Yol Ho Sung and Junior Naomi Lanos are returning members who both qualified for states last year, and Sung started where he left off last season as he turned in first place performances against Madison, Stuart, and Yorktown High Schools on Dec 7. Sung took first in both the 300 meter dash and as a part of the 4x200 meter relay, as well as a second place finish with the 4x400 meter relay team. Coach Carr emphasized the veteran leadership, saying “Our returning Seniors will lead the way: Yol Sung in the long sprints, David Hollinger in the distance events, Ben Lee in the high jump, and Mia Montgomery in the triple and long jumps.” These four stepped up at the first meet, as Lee won the high jump event and Hollinger finished first in the 1600 meter run with a time of four minutes, 54 seconds. As a team, the Fairfax boys won the meet easily with a total of 72 points, defeating second place Stuart with 47 points. Yorktown and Madison finished in third and fourth, with 35 and 25 points respectively. On the girls side, Fairfax was victorious with a 44 to 28 point win. “Of course we all want to win, but most of our athletes will not advance to Regional or State competition. We would like to see the number of athletes advancing continue, but if they finish the season with a personal best, I consider them to be winners,” Coach Carr said. “It’s all about getting faster, growing stronger, and jumping higher and farther.”
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Staying Active Over Winter Break By Jackson Campbell
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s with all weekends and breaks throughout the year, catching up on sleep over winter break is usually a main priority of many students, so it can be easy to forget that there are plenty of exciting ways to stay active. Here are just a few of the many options within driving distance of Fairfax:
Whitetail Resort Mercersburg, Pa
photo courtesy of photobucket.com
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hitetail is less than a two hour drive from Fairfax, and has 25 trails for both skiing and snowboarding. Senior Jigme Taring recommends the resort, saying “Whitetail has some slopes that are perfect for beginners and some slopes that can even give advanced skiers and snowboarers a challenge.” They offer reasonable rental rates, and a large marketplace to get take a break and get some food between runs. “Whitetail is a solid choice if you want to make a day trip to the slopes.” Taring continued.
Liberty Mountain Resort Carroll Valley, Pa
graphics courtesy of clipart
O
wned by the company who runs Whitetail, Liberty is another place perfect for a day trip. Whether advanced, or just going with the family, Liberty has tons of options. They offer lessons for first timers, but also have trails that are up to 5,200 feet long. Senior Carter Elliot loves the anticipation right before a run, saying “You don’t really realize that you are at Liberty until you get your music bumpin’, your boots strapped in and your face chilled by the cool photo courtesy of Carter Elliot
air at the top of the mountain. That’s when you realize you’re about to shred Liberty.”
Fairfax Ice Arena Fairfax, Va
J
ust a five minute drive from Fairfax High School, the Fairfax Ice Arena is convenient and a very affordable option. They offer public skating hours almost every night, and have both ice skates and hockey skates for rent depending on the preference and ability of the skater. Besides being a fun way to stay active this winter, the price and location make for an excellent time with family, friends, or even a date. Senior Chris Graff, who works at the Arena, and says that “it is something fun you can do with your friends during the winter season.”
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photo courtesy of Chris Graff
Sports
Fairfax Hosts NoVa Wrestling Classic
Erich Greenfeild
On Dec 7 and 8, Fairfax High School held the 25th annual NOVA Classic Wrestling Tournament . This tournament opens up the wrestling season and provides coaches with an early season preview of what is to come in Northern Region competition. The NOVA Classic was divided into multiple sections depending on weight classes. The first day began at ten in the morning and finished at eight at night until there were only semi-final and final matches remaining. The preliminary round results were put into a system of wins and losses so that it would narrow down the wrestlers to the top of their weight classes. The first day primarily involved those wrestling preserving some energy while still putting full effort into the matches in an attempt to win, while keeping the students strong and able for later matches . As the day progressed the wrestlers would begin to increase aggressiveness and work even harder to defeat their opponents. "After practicing on the mat and conditioning myself I started to see how much demand is put on the body and how I needed to improve even further to succeed in wrestling matches. When the tournament was finished I saw the differences from practice to tournaments and how the matches were even more physically demanding." Said Junior Hithem Shaw. On the second day nearing finals, Head Coach Craig Franklin prepared with Sophomore Peter Laing to get him ready for his third match of the day. Up to that point Laing never had advanced to the second round by pinning his opponents before the buzzer went off. In total Laing spent 65 seconds on the mat in the first two matches, with a quick victory in 20 seconds the first match and 45 seconds in the next match. In his third match, Peter had his opponent from Lake Braddock pinned in just 47 seconds. After winning his third match, Laing said “ Hard works makes great achievement in not only wrestling but in life as well.” He placed second overall in the tournament for in the 285 pound weight class after loss in the fourth and final match. Junior Adam Elhajj went on to take sixth place in the 160 pound weight class. Franklin believed that Laing had a chance at winning in the finals before he even finished his third match. Franklin said “There are a few good wrestlers and they all work very hard, Adam Elhajj and Peter Laing have very good shot at making it to the finals if not taking first overall for their weight class.” Franklin went on to talk about the teams standings in comparison to last year, saying “We have been trying to improve from last year, it was a difficult past year and we hope to do better in this season.” The wrestling season has begun for the Fairfax Rebels, and now that the NoVa Classic is over the team’s next matches will be at the North Stafford Duals on Dec 15 where the team will face the Stafford Wolverines. Photos by Erich Greenfield
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Rebels Give Back This Holiday Season Toys for Tots is a nationwide organization started by the US Marine Corps. The goal is to give children, new, unwrapped toys during the Holiday season. Places in Fairfax such as Giant, Bob Evans, Reston Towne Center and Tysons Mall are collecting toys until December 19th. Website: http://www.toysfortots.org/
Our Daily Bread is a food bank located in Fairfax City. All food collected goes to struggling Fairfax County families as well as the elderly and disabled. ODB is collecting financial donations until December 14th. Visit their website to find out specific dates for food drives, and distribution. Website: https://www.odbfairfax.org/H
The Lamb Center is a daytime drop-in center for the poor and homeless in Fairfax. Help can be given by volunteering, making a financial donation, or donating goods. The Lamb Center is specifically in need of personal hygeine products which can be dropped off at 3220 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax City, VA 22030. Website: http://www.thelambcenter.org/ Facets is a non-profit organization that helps people by providing emergency shelter, food, and medical needs, and helps to provide safe, sustainable and permanent housing. Facets is currently ruinning a holiday gift drive, for children and adults. Drop of gifts at FACETS’ main office, 10640 Page Avenue, Suite 300, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. Website: http://facetscares.org/