The Highlander - Cub Edition - May 2019

Volume LXIII • CUB edition • Issue 7 • May 2019 • McLean High School • thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

Letter from the Cub Editors Dear McLean,

Welcome to the Cub Edition, the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work on behalf of the students of Journalism 1. What you hold in your hand is the product of countless InDesign lessons, desperate editing sessions and Pran consistently saving the magazine from complete and utter collapse, so we hope you’ll enjoy.

Check out our News section for the inside scoop on the community’s latest controversy: the growing movement against Newport Academy’s new teen rehab center in McLean.

Our Features section contains a closer look into the life of Highlander Linnea Abt, a volleyball player who is living with epilepsy.

For a gripping analysis of party culture here at McLean and its longterm effects on students, our In-Depth is the place to go. Covering more than just the usual, it details the deeper causes of alcohol abuse and addiction, and the invisible impacts these can have on one’s health.

Turn to the Opinions section for our editorial on teachers misusing Highlander Time.

Interested in Sports? We cover this season’s big events and the rising stars of McLean athletics.

We can’t thank you enough for taking the time to read this edition of The Highlander; any feedback, questions or concerns can be directed to R133 or thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com. Make sure to follow @mhshighlander on Twitter and Instagram and check out thehighlandernews.com for updates until our first issue next year. Have a great summer, McLean!

Yours truly, Erica Bass, Maya Amman, Pran Kittivorapat & the students of Journalism 1

Volume LXIII • Issue 7 • May 2019 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101 Editors-in-Chief Design Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Advertising Managers Design Editor Copy Editor Cartoonist News Editors Features Editors A&E Editors Opinions Editors Sports Editors Fact Checkers Reporters

Adviser

Maya Amman & Erica Bass Pran Kittivorapat Heran Essayas, Mae Monaghan & Matthew Zarkani Maya Kalish & Paarth Soni Andy Chung Grace Gould Jayne Ogilvie-Russell Ana Paula Ibarraran & Laine Phillips Grace Gould, Aleena Gul & Cc Palumbo Taylor Olson & Paarth Soni Saisha Dani & Emily Friedman Josh Bass & Kaan Kocabal Grace Gould, Maya Kalish & Stephanie McHugh

Alex Banks Noah Barnes Zach Hasan Sydney Langston Jake Lynes

Michelle Martinkov Victoria Mollmann Benjamin Pham Lia Vincenzo Zeyad Zaeean

Lindsay B. Benedict

Editorial Policy: The Highlander is a designated public forum in which students can express themselves, discuss issues and exchange ideas. School officials do not exercise prior review on this publication or its online counterpart, and student editors are in charge of all final content decisions.

Advertising Policy: The Highlander sells ad space on each page of the paper except on the front cover, Opinions section and In-Depth article. The staff reserves the right to reject any ads it deems libelous, obscene, disruptive or otherwise inappropriate.

To Submit a Letter to the Editors: Please email it to thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com or bring it to room R133. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws concerning obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

CONTENTS

NEWS 2 3 4 5

Parents oppose McLean rehab center FCPS fights climate change Perfect Attendance Challenge & Girls in STEM WAT students open coffee delivery business

FEATURES

6 Junior aspires to join Air Force 7 10Qs w/ Claire Anton Highlanders tell their 8-9 Newbie stories 10 11 12

McLean staff shares ins and outs of their hallways Highlander of the Issue: Linnea Abt What should be a sport?

A&E

13 TikTok rises in popularity 14 Avengers: Endgame review dominates McLean 15 Apple market vs. T-Series in 20 PewDiePie the race to 100 million

IN-DEPTH ON THE COVER

16-19

YOUNG, DUMB AND ADDICTED: McLean students partake in drug use despite consequences Cover photo illustration of Swetha Manimaran by Pran Kittivorapat & Dasha Makarishcheva

OPINIONS

Teachers shouldn’t 21 Editorial: teach during Highlander Time

many Democrats running 22-23 Too for president and skipping have 24-25 Tardiness negative effects on students 26 White supremacy must be addressed early releases should 27 Three-hour be brought back TVs are ineffective for 28 Hallway McLean students needs to reform gun 29 America control laws

SPORTS

30-31 Freshman athletes on varsity sports 32 JV boys soccer’s extremely close games 33 JV boys lacrosse finishes successful season Aka takes his talents from 34 Brian basketball to soccer 35 McLean crew leaves legacy 36 Athlete of the Issue: Gracen Govan 37 Finish Line: girls lacrosse

NEWS

McLEAN PARENTS PROTEST TEEN REHAB CENTER Community meeting held to discuss rehabilitation center on Davidson Road

LAINE PHILLIPS NEWS EDITOR TAYLOR OLSON A&E EDITOR

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cLean has always been known as one of the safest communities around the county. However, according to parents, this is going to change because of the upcoming establishment of drug rehabilitation centers on Davidson Road.

Due to parents’ rising concerns, on April 24, over 600 people attended a meeting in the McLean High School auditorium regarding the transition of four residential homes near McLean High School into teen rehab programs.

The Newport Academy is a rehabilitation facility for children ages 12 to 17 with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues. The four homes purchased for the center are located on Davidson and Kurtz Road in McLean.

The people who attended the meeting had a range of opinions, yet after every comment, the opposition seemed to grow. Concerns included traffic and overall safety.

“You’re going to have 30, 40, 50 additional cars, [with] people who don’t live here, who aren’t going to be worried about my three boys who ride their scooters…and their bikes [near the road],” said Marc Lampkin, a parent who lives in the area, gaining him a long period of applause from the audience.

Concerned parents often referred to criminal incidents involving Newport Academy patients in Connecticut. These incidents involved students carjacking and stealing vodka bottles from a local bar. However,

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Jamison Monroe, founder and CEO of Newport Academy, insisted that he has tightened security on the homes.

“My concern is that no matter how well prepared [the Newport Academy staff] is, something [bad] will happen, so my question is why not care for these wonderful youngsters who need help away from heavy residential areas,” a distressed citizen said at the April 24 meeting.

Parents created a petition on Change.org against the group home, urging citizens to “say NO to Newport rehab in McLean.”

“While we recognize the need for such centers, [the] petition is to stop them from operating in [a] residential neighborhood and next to Lewinsville park,” said Sanjay Singh, creater of the petition.

Despite the vocal opposition, some were in support of the rehabilitation center.

“I just want to encourage compassion... these are just kids. My daughter was one of these children. She was sexually assaulted and almost committed suicide. Newport Academy saved [her] life,” a woman at the meeting said.

Seconds later, she was interrupted by a stream of boos.

According to Monroe, the facilities were placed in a residential area as a way to improve a patient’s time spent in the treatment facility.

“There is a big movement to provide services at a community level because all the evidence shows that treatment [close to home] will lead to better outcomes,” Monroe said.

According to Fairfax County Attorney Beth Teare, since the facilities are being

built in a residential area, they do not need to get a zoning permit. This is a result of the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination against anyone who is disabled, including those with mental illness.

Despite its legality, the Academy is causing problems within the McLean community, due to Newport Academy’s utilization of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to keep the homes secret from the community. These are primarily used to keep business and trade secrets confidential.

“Everyone can tolerate [a rehab center], where it was done in [the] open. [But the Newport Academy has done it in a way that is] above the community, in a secretive way, by [opening] four within a mile of each other,” Lampkin said.

Monroe admitted that he was unaware of this issue.

“I do not know why we had the NDA nor do I know who signed the NDA,” Monroe said.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member John Foust also expressed his worries.

“I do not support three houses on the same site,” Foust said, “but it is the law—we do not see a way to stop it.”

The McLean community has united against the Newport Academy in an attempt to force out the rehabilitation center using a Facebook group along with the petition.

“My kids [safely] walk up and down the street, and this is going to change because [the Newport Academy] doesn’t live here and [they] are going to extract the money and we will be left with the problem,” Lampkin said.

Photo by Marina Qu | Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

BABY STEPS

Fairfax County makes progress in the fight against climate change

LIA VINCENZO REPORTER

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irginia is taking steps to combat global warming amid new concerns that climate change is accelerating.

In March, Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly joined 34 other members of Congress in sponsoring the bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Both Republicans and Democrats have shown support for this policy that adds fees on fossil fuels, consequently driving companies to use cleaner energy. Money derived from these fees would be returned to communities around the country.

According to Fairfax County Times, “The bill would reduce emissions by 40 percent within 12 years and 90 percent by 2050, while creating millions of jobs.”

The Fairfax County School Board is leading the way in combating climate change in Northern Virginia. FCPS has partnered with the Board of Supervisors to implement solar panels in three schools. They plan to evaluate the number of FCPS buildings eligible for solar panels.

“There may be the possibility that—over time—more than three school buildings could have solar panels,” school board member Jane Strauss said.

A private company would manage the solar panels, and the schools would compensate them with the money saved in utility costs.

The school board is hoping this change will reduce the use of power plants and therefore decrease the carbon footprint of FCPS. “In Virginia, a lot of power comes from coal-powered utilities. So the more we can depend on solar, [the more] that cuts down on emissions,” Strauss said.

FCPS students are striving to combat global warming and see this move as beneficial. Students in McLean High School’s Environmental Club are passionate advocates for increasing renewable energy. “[Solar panels will] help create more renewable energy for the school as well as [teach] the students about renewable energy sources,” said sophomore Erin Vollertsen, a member of the Environmental Club.

The club is actively working to help the McLean community by initiating projects such as park clean-ups and tree planting.

“We did a tree planting for a neighborhood in Falls Church, where people would sign up to get trees planted in their yards to help [prevent] oxygen pollution,” Vollertsen said.

McLean High School is inspiring changes

in more than one way. The AP Environmental Science class gives students the knowledge necessary for developing ways to fight global warming.

“It’s not necessarily a class based around activism—it’s a class based on having the background knowledge so that you can use that to figure out the best way to act,” said senior Emily Simons, an AP Environmental Science student.

One of the school board’s missions is to inform students about the impacts of climate change and provide them with resources to combat it.

“As a school system, we continue to work on and include climate science and environmental sustainability as an integral part of our curriculum,” Strauss said.

Another important FCPS project is the Get2Green program. It teaches students to care for the environment and helps them learn about sustainable solutions for global warming.

FCPS offers the program in its curriculum with the largest number of certified Get2Green schools in the nation.

“We are teaching our children to be leaders in the environmental issue. It’s your world, your life, and if we don’t turn around global warming, you all will pay the heaviest price,” Strauss said.

No matter who they are—representatives, board members or students—everyone agrees on one thing: climate change cannot be left to resolve itself.

“Immediate action is necessary in order for us to be able to live on this planet in the future,” Simons said.

EARTHLY FACTS INFOGRAPHIC BY PRAN KITTIVORAPAT

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH WAS 1°C ABOVE PRE-INDUSTRIAL BASELINE THE OCEAN HAS ABSORBED 30% OF MAN-MADE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS THE GLOBAL MEAN SEA LEVEL FOR 2018 WAS 3.7 MILLILITERS HIGHER THAN IN 2017 IF THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET MELTS, THE SEA LEVEL WILL RISE APPROX. 200 FT.

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat & Lia Vincenzo

2018 WAS THE 4TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD 9 MILLION PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED WORLDWIDE BY DROUGHT IF THE GREENLAND ICE SHEETS MELTS SEA LEVEL WILL RISE APPROX. 20 FT. SOURCE: WMO REPORT & NATIONAL SNOW AND ICE CENTER

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CHALLENGING THE ABSENCES

he last quarter of the school year has begun, which typically comes with a higher average of discipline problems and lower rates of attendance throughout Fairfax County.

McLean High School is not an exception.

For this reason, Serenity Club, Sources of Strength, Minds Matter, SGA, the Leadership class and the PTSA created the Perfect Attendance Challenge, a competition that ran from March 11 until April 12.

“Students seem to be a little stressed after the holiday break, so we wanted to come up with a fun, creative challenge for students to stay engaged and give incentives for them to come to class every day,” said systems of support adviser Nicholas Corsi, one of the creators of the challenge.

The challenge focused on ending attendance-related problems, which include all-day absences, cuts and discipline referrals.

Students who didn’t have any of them were included in a weekly gift card raffle with three

Perfect Attendance Challenge keeps students engaged VICTORIA MOLLMANN REPORTER

winners from each grade every week.

The competition was not only between students, but also between grade levels.

After five weeks, the grade with the fewest attendance problems was promised an ice cream social as an incentive. This year, the freshman class won, and the social will take place in late May. In past years, the challenge was also attempted, but it was more effective this year, since students and staff made it a bigger event by organizing it in a joint effort.

“I think it’s important that we made a reason students would want to come to school [on] days they wouldn’t,” said freshman Atticus Gore, a part of both the Student Council and clubs involved in the challenge. “There are some students who [considered] skipping school or leaving early and didn’t because they could get a gift card, so I think [the challenge] is making a difference.”

Numbers wise, the impact that the Perfect

GIRLS ARE SHAPING THE STEM LANDSCAPE

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raditionally, liberal arts were considered a good fit for girls, often called the “soft” subjects for “the weaker sex.” There has been little focus on girls in STEM activities, but this is changing.

One place where McLean students reflect this shift is in the Girls Who Code (GWC) club. “[GWC] creates a fun and safe environment for girls to build a sisterhood and be able to see that girls can do it just as well as boys,” programming teacher and GWC club sponsor Karyn Kolly said.

GWC provides a platform for girls to pursue their coding interests.

“We have a project [where] we code something that can help with daily activities, and it’s supposed to grow girls’ coding interests in STEM communities,” said sophomore Maya Nair, treasurer of GWC. The need for girls to develop computer science skills is becoming more popularly recognized in contemporary society.

“I think it’s important to introduce coding to them early, so that they are more likely to do it later [so] we have more women in the

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Attendance Challenge had was noticeable.

Discipline referrals and attendance problems fell nearly two percent compared to last year.

The challenge emphasizes that everyone should try to reduce absenteeism. Missing one day of school can cause stress on students, because they have more work to catch up on or tests to make up.

From the point of view of students, the challenge is a chance to realize the importance of having a regular schedule and that school attendance brings an uncountable amount of benefits, helping students to create a successful future.

“Being [at] school every day—even when you don’t want to—[gives] students a sense of responsibility,” freshman Emma James said. “A challenge like this ensures that our generation, who is always on their phones and being influenced by wrong examples on the internet, focuses on what is actually important: education.”

Girls Who Code students explore female potential in STEM ALEENA GUL FEATURES EDITOR

field,” said sophomore Amelia Zug, president of GWC. In addition to hands-on projects, 10 GWC students went on a field trip to the Walmart Labs in Reston on April 4. They learned about the technologies that power Walmart and other department stores.

“

I THINK THAT WE CAN DO SO MUCH IN THE WORLD OF COMPUTER SCIENCE THAT CAN INSPIRE OTHER GIRLS.”

— MAYA NAIR

GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB TREASURER “[Walmart Labs] showed us that it’s really important to start young. There were actually girls in elementary school there who were part

of [GWC], which was cool,” Nair said.

In the lab, the girls participated in an activity that uses grocery-picking robots to display the value of efficiency and speed, which are important aspects of coding. “[People at the lab] gave us a quick tour of the labs. [Then], we sat down and they had people talk to us,” Nair said. “They explained their experience and challenges they overcame being a female.”

The trip not only provided educational opportunities to students, but also introduced them to possible careers.

“I learned more about being a female in computer science and how there are so many opportunities. You just really need to work hard to get it,” Nair said.

GWC members learned multiple STEM lessons they will be able to use in their future studies and careers.

“I think that females are definitely intelligent [and] have just as much potential as men do,” Nair said. “I think that we can do so much in the world of computer science that can inspire other girls.”

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

WAT WAKERY OPENS FOR BUSINESS Work Awareness and Transition students begin coffee delivery service for McLean staff STEPHANIE McHUGH REPORTER

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here’s nothing better than having fresh coffee delivered to your door first thing in the morning, and a new school program called the WAT Wakery has been devised to do just that.

Work Awareness and Transition, otherwise known as WAT, is a program designed to enhance the learning experience for special education students by helping them to better adjust to a work environment.

The original idea for the program was introduced a long time ago, but it was never pursued until now, when a new WAT teacher, Jessica Berns, reintroduced the proposal to the school. Since then, Berns has been working with Anna Southworth, McLean’s employment and transition representative, in order to bring this idea to life.

“We’re just setting it up in a way so that it can be their business,” Berns said.

McLean’s WAT students are off to a good start and have reached their initial goals.

The staff’s ultimate goal for the WAT Wakery is to improve students’ communication skills, eye contact, politeness and overall organization—skills that will

help them to become successful individuals in the future.

“It’s not just the simple [task] of making the coffee, but a lot of it is the social interactions they will be able to have,” Berns said.

Southworth and Berns are behind the operation and overseeing the program, but the coffee service itself is primarily managed by the students.

“The teachers are just there to guide them,” Berns said.

The program is organized so that older students will begin with the harder tasks and younger students will start out easy and eventually move up to do harder tasks. Once their individual strengths are determined, they will assume the role in the operation that best fits them.

“We’re going to focus on the strengths that we know right now, and then we’ll go from there,” Southworth said.

The program works by having teachers submit their order through a Google Form.

They can choose between coffee, tea or hot chocolate as their morning beverage. Once the order is fulfilled, the students go around to deliver the orders.

MORNING FUEL — Alex Disocky makes a hot cup of coffee for morning deliveries. (Photo by Stephanie McHugh) Graphic & page design by Pran Kittivorapat

Currently, a pilot program is in effect in order for the students to ease into their workload. As of now, they have already started their delivery in some hallways, and they’ll officially start delivering coffee to the entire school in the fall. “[It] might be at first a little intense [and] [the teachers] might be overseeing most of this at first, but hopefully we can pull back a little as they get more comfortable,” Southworth said.

Most students are happy about the idea of working at the Wakery, although some are beginning to have their doubts.

“Most of them are [excited], but I think they have to make a connection first,” Southworth said. “Once everyone’s really participating, then they’ll be more excited.”

Alex Disocky is one of the students who is looking forward to opening the Wakery. “[I like] making the coffee and delivering it,” Disocky said.

Aside from assisting their future career paths, this program also aims to help the students to better assimilate into the school.

“This will get them out there, and [it's] an opportunity to get them out of their comfort zone,” Southworth said.

A MORNING WITHOUT COFFEE IS LIKE SLEEP — WAT students are excited to make their morning deliveries.

(Photo courtesy of Jessica Berns)

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FEATURES

FLYING INTO THE AIR FORCE

Junior joins JROTC in hopes of joining the Air Force SAISHA DANI OPINIONS EDITOR

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hoes stomp on the grass, creating a muffled sound throughout the football field at Chantilly Academy. The sun’s rays beam overhead while 30 students in navy blue uniforms march in their positions in unison. A whistle blows and the rhythm of the marching changes.

Among the 30 students is junior Sofia Pardo, obediently following orders at her Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) academy class. Pardo’s face fills with excitement when she talks about the class and her plans to join the Air Force. “[JROTC] is a military training class, but it’s not as hard as the actual military training,” Pardo said.

Pardo attends her JROTC class at Chantilly Academy, as it will provide an advantage when she joins the Air Force. Many of the things taught in the class relate to her future goals. They learn drills, the right way to wear their uniforms, how to march and jodies to sing while working.

Pardo hasn’t always wanted to be a part of the Air Force. As a child, she wanted to be a police officer, but things changed once she learned more about the opportunities joining the military offers.

During her freshman year of high school, a few of her friends from church made her consider this opportunity.

“They explained to me the benefit of joining the Air Force, and how they would work their way to actually working for the Air Force,” Pardo said.

Since she liked the idea, Pardo researched the career path. She talked to her parents, and they were on board with her plans.

“I believe it is a wise and important decision to make at her young age, which

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demonstrates her maturity and responsibility towards life. I feel happy because I know this career path will provide her with a secure future where she’ll be able to pursue her dreams,” said Patricia Zapata, Pardo's mother.

Her parents suggested that if she wanted to join the military, she should take some classes for preparation during high school.

“When I moved to Virginia my sophomore year, I talked to my counselor about JROTC, and at the time Chantilly Academy was the only school which offered the class,” Pardo said.

Despite JROTC being far away, Pardo decided to sign up.

“If you really want to get a good title and you want to enter the Air Force with some sort of advantage, [JROTC] will give you a big advantage. Since they only offered two years, I decided to take the class my junior and senior year,” Pardo said In her class, Pardo learns the technical and the physical parts of being in the Air Force. The class has physical training every Friday and teaches the different ranks and insignias. Pardo is currently learning about the phonetic alphabet in addition to different marches and drills. “[Pardo] demonstrates that she always does what she proposes. She always pays attention, and I think she’s one of the best in the class,” said Westfield High School junior Maria Irias Alvarado, one of Pardo’s classmates. “She learns everything so fast and she always studies for when we have uniform inspection, as they always ask us questions.”

The class has helped Pardo grow as a person.

“Taking the class teaches you to be disciplined and take responsibility for

ALL SMILES FOR THE AIR FORCE — Sofia Pardo poses in her JROTC uniform after her academy class.

Pardo has to wear her uniform every Thursday to all her classes.

(Photo by Saisha Dani)

yourself, and outside of that it really helps you bond with people and work together,” Pardo said.

JROTC also comes with a few challenges.

The class requires strong leadership skills along with memorizing a lot of information.

“I think the most challenging part is stepping out of your comfort zone if you are not comfortable speaking up and being the leader of your group,” Pardo said.

Pardo loves traveling along with learning languages and cultures. After high school, Pardo hopes to work for the Air Force as a linguistic analyst. “[JROTC] helps you a lot at a personal level to develop character and also helps you develop strength because you are required to speak up for yourself and talk to a person with respect,” Pardo said. “Every time you answer you have to answer with yes, ma’am, no, sir.

It really shapes you, your personality, your view of older people and also your respect towards others.”

Page design by Saisha Dani & Pran Kittivorpat

10Qs with

Claire Anton (Physics Teacher)

Reporting & photos by Aleena Gul & Pran Kittivorapat Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

Scan this QR code to watch all her responses:

1 2 3

What was your favorite class in college?

Diffusion of Materials. I found the phenomena very interesting because it can be used to strengthen materials as well as embrittle them.

4 5

Why did you switch your career to teaching?

I traveled pretty much nonstop and it wasn’t really compatible with raising my kids, so I retired from engineering and started to teach.

What is the best project you got to do when you were an engineer?

I really liked working on the Space Shuttle. I thought that was a really fun vehicle to work on. I did the structural components and fuel lines within the shuttle itself and I helped with the exterior maintenance, the TCL and the carbon-carbon system.

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How much coffee do you drink each day?

I am a “one cup” person.

Why did you choose to teach AP Physics?

I have taught all levels of physics, and I was really excited about teaching AP because I thought it would be challenging and I thought that it would be less writing than IB Physics, which is what I was teaching prior to this.

What is your favorite scientific formula?

I like F=ma because it tells people that if you do apply a net force, you are going to cause an acceleration.

It is a good lesson.

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Which song describes you the best?

“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey.

Where is your favorite place in California, and why?

I really like Bolsa Chica Beach. I really like the ocean—it’s pretty and it’s fun to be there.

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What is the last thing you will do with your Science Olympiad team this year?

We are having our end-of-year party.

What do you plan to do in the summer?

Hike the Appalachian Trail.

Make sure to visit her before she leaves McLean to take a break from her teaching career at the end of the school year!

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NEW HIGHLANDERS ON THE BLOCK Newbies explain how they adapted to McLean this year SAISHA DANI OPINIONS EDITOR & LIA VINZENZO REPORTER Sophomore Sanjna Kaul Moved from Charlotte, NC

Junior Ethan Switzer Moved From Bejing, China

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ophomore Sanjna Kaul moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, back in August. Kaul had to adjust to the large size of McLean as her previous school was much smaller.

“Both my old school and this school are very good academically, but McLean is cut-throat competitive,” Kaul said.

Her schedule was also impacted. Not only does Kaul have to take Biology as a sophomore, but she also had to drop classes.

“In my old school we had eight classes, so I’m not able to take all the classes I want to take here.”

Entering a new school always comes with a few challenges.

According to Kaul, “[It was a challenge] getting used to how this school works, its atmosphere [and] finding friends.”

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Kaul’s advice for Highlanders: “It can be really nice to invite [new students] to eat lunch with you or talk to them.”

unior Ethan Switzer moved last summer from Beijing, China, where he had been attending an international school that went from elementary to high school.

“In terms of student density, [McLean is] much more closely packed together,” Switzer said.

Like many other new students, Switzer has to take classes he wasn’t planning on taking.

“At my previous school I took Algebra II but then skipped Geometry. I wanted to move up [math levels], but I didn’t have the jump credit, so I had to go back and take Geometry this year,” Switzer said.

His class choices were also limited.

“Because we came here late [in the summer], it was hard to register for some classes,” Switzer said.

Switzer’s advice for Highlanders: “[Understand that] not knowing the area is pretty hard because after living in a place for a while, you get to know the surroundings, and then suddenly having to know a new area is quite difficult.”

Junior Alessandra Padilla Moved from SHAPE, Belgium

Teacher Joseph Dwyer Moved from Dubai, UAE

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unior Alessandra Padilla moved to McLean from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium in September 2018. Her old school had around 330 students from over 10 different nations.

“Since [McLean is] bigger, it’s a lot less of a community, and it just feels like I’m at school, and then I see these people, but I never see them again,” Padilla said.

Moving also meant she had many scheduling difficulties.

“I have to take a lot of sophomore classes... It definitely makes it harder to meet juniors,” Padilla said.

A big part of moving is making new friends, but that’s harder to do than many people assume.

“It’s hard to make new friends when you don’t really know people, and you don’t know what to expect, especially moving from a different country,” Padilla said. “It was really weird because people talk differently here and act differently, so it was a huge shock to me.”

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Padilla’s advice for Highlanders: “Sometimes you should be the person to say ‘hey’ first because when someone starts a new school, they might be insecure…and just saying ‘hey’ can make a lot of difference so that they feel more comfortable.”

oseph Dwyer has been teaching at McLean since the beginning of the school year. Prior to his move, Dwyer lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for two years. Dwyer teaches World History I Honors and AP Psychology.

“The most difficult thing for me [when transferring here] was I hadn’t taught freshmen in a long time,” Dwyer said. “Getting used to their behavior and building the curriculum for Honors World I was something I hadn’t had previous experience with.”

Beyond teaching a new age group, Dwyer also had to get used to different systems. His old school used a system based on the students’ understanding not on points scored.

“One of the major differences in [my previous school] was they had standard space grading, which is much different than the point system that we have here,” Dwyer said.

Despite these challenges, Dwyer has adapted exceptionally to McLean.

“I love working here—it’s probably my favorite school that I’ve ever worked at,” Dwyer said.

Dwyer’s advice for Highlanders: “It’s important to not make assumptions that the [new person] understands all the systems McLean has in place.”

Photos courtesy of sources | Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT’S LIFE IN A YEAR A student from Thailand shares his personal experience PRAN KITTIVORAPAT DESIGN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

B

eing an exchange student has been my goal since I was in elementary school. At first, I did not have enough courage to be an exchange student. I decided to go to a summer program with my school in Toronto for a month to see what life was like away from home. That trip gave me the confidence to leave Thailand, my country of origin, for a whole year.

In 2017, I applied and took a test for a high school foreign exchange program with the American Field Service (AFS). Three months later, I got a letter saying I was admitted as an exchange student in the United States.

When I lived in Thailand, I attended an all-boys public secondary school with 3,000 students. Instead of moving from class to class, I stayed in one room and my teachers came to me. I had the same classmates in each class, and we knew each other really well.

I had school from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 50-minute lunch breaks, shorter class periods and took around 15 subjects. I wasn’t allowed to choose my classes or electives—instead we chose certain curriculum paths to take.

I chose the science-math program, but I

also wanted to be involved in English and Thai language activities at school. I played Scrabble in English and Thai and competed in Scrabble tournaments. In our first year competing at the regional level, we won gold medals.

In September, I arrived in America and walked inside an American high school for the very first time.

Everything was brand new. I took classes without knowing anyone or anything at all. At first, it was really hard for me to make my way to different classes. Soon, it became easy for me to navigate.

I noticed a different culture among the students. Back in Thailand, friends just say “hi” to one another, but here at McLean, my friends do fist-bumps, high fives and daps every time we meet. Even though I am bad at responding to American greetings, my friends are very patient when teaching me these motions.

Photography is an activity I have grown to love while living here in America. During every special moment throughout the year, I made sure to take pictures.

I even entered a photography and design project competition for the Technology Student Association, which enabled me to explore my interests.

McLean has given me many opportunities to try new things. One day, a varsity lacrosse coach saw me with a tripod and asked me to film every game in the team’s season. Filming for the team allowed me to participate in videography and sports at the same time, both of which I enjoy.

Outside of school, field trips have been some of the best experiences I have had this year. I went to Harrisonburg, New York City (twice), Pennsylvania and, of course, D.C. My favorite trip was to Columbia University with my journalism class. I made friends with new people and learned interesting tips about design from the event.

These eight months at McLean have been challenging, but they also helped me discover my passions. Once I return home, I will have to catch up on my last year of school and apply to university, where I hope to spend the next four years of my life deciding what to do in the future.

All the memories I made here will remain in my heart and my camera forever.

[EDITORS’ NOTE: The Highlander staff is so thankful for all you have done, Pran, and we will miss you next year!]

OFF TO AMERICA — On Sept. 11 last year, I flew with three other exchange students from Thailand to Dulles Airport. It was the longest trip I have ever taken in my life.

THE GREAT VISIT — On Sept. 28, AFS Virginia students visit the White House.

Afterwards we went on a tour of D.C.

SMILE FOR THE SUNRISE — Three AFS students and I watch the sunrise at Virginia Beach. We spent three days vacationing together for mid-year orientation.

RAISE THE FLAG — I traveled aboard the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise in New York City. We also rode past the Statue of Liberty.

THE GIVEAWAY — My physics class and DRESS LIKE A SPY — AFS students dress up for a scavenger hunt during our preI pose after my cultural presentation departure orientation on May 4. during International Education week.

MAY | FEATURES | 9

Secrets of the streets

McLean staff members share the ins and outs of their hallway

LEGEND:

YEARS IN THE HALLWAY

FAVORITE THINGS

FAVORITE NEIGHBOR(s)

FAVORITE TIME OF THE DAY

ELLEN REILLY

GREG OLCOTT

NIKKI KONG

DONALD VIVACQUA

PRINCIPAL

COUNSELOR

LIBRARIAN

PE TEACHER

7TH YEAR

3RD YEAR

2ND YEAR

16TH YEAR

HAVING ALL THE ADMINISTRATORS TOGETHER

RIDICULOUS, PHENOMENAL DEPARTMENT

WATCHING ALL THE STUDENTS WALK BY

“KILT COURT” (HALLWAY TO R196’S NAME)

MR. THOMPSON

MS. DALRYMPLE MS. OTAL

MS. BENEDICT MS. BRUINS

MR. SCHOLLA MR. MUSKETT

MORNING (GET A LOT OF WORK DONE)

HT AND LUNCH (HAVE THE MOST VISITORS)

MORNING

6TH AND 7TH PERIOD

JULIA BRAXTON

LAWRENCE LETKIEWICZ

DIANA SAFFARINI

JOSEPH DISHUN

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

ENGLISH TEACHER

BIOLOGY TEACHER

BIOLOGY TEACHER

2ND YEAR

1ST YEAR

1ST YEAR

3RD YEAR

CLOSE TO OTHER SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS

EVERYBODY WALKS THROUGH

NOT MUCH TRAFFIC, CLOSE TO WORKROOM

COLLEAGUES

MS. BRADY MS. BAXTER

MR. PUZAN

MS. CHOUMIL

ROOMMATES

4TH PERIOD

MORNING

AFTERNOON

MORNING

KARLA FREEMAN

MARCO GARCIA

HEATHER BOVAIRD

MICHAEL FARMAR

MATH TEACHER

SPANISH TEACHER

ENGLISH TEACHER

MATH TEACHER

2ND YEAR IN TRAILERS TRAILER CLASSROOMS ARE BIGGER ALL THE ENGLISH TEACHERS EARLY MORNING WHEN NO ONE IS THERE

6TH YEAR IN TRAILERS

14TH YEAR

2ND YEAR

FILLED WITH FRIENDS, LIKES CLASSROOM ALL NEIGHBORS, NEVER HAD A BAD NEIGHBOR WHEN THE KIDS ARE NOT IN THE HALLWAY

MAIN HALLWAY, SEE STUDENTS ALL THE TIME

LAST WORD FROM PRINCIPAL ellen reilly...

“THEY HAD PUT YELLOW AND GREEN DOWN THE HALLWAY UPSTAIRS, AND SOMEBODY HAD TO COME IN AND CHANGE THAT BECAUSE KIDS WOULDN’T WALK DOWN THAT PART OF THE HALLWAY BECAUSE THOSE ARE LANGLEY COLORS”

10 | FEATURES | MAY

MS. BRAZELL MORNING (1ST AND 2ND PERIOD)

DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH FIRE DRILLS MS. QUARRY MS. JAFFA MS. BRASWELL ANY TIME THAT’S NOT RAINING

Reporting & page design by Pran Kittivorapat & Michelle Martinkov

HIGHLANDER

OF THE ISSUE

A LIVING BATTLEFIELD

A STUDENT SHARES HER STORY ON LIVING WITH EPILEPSY CC PALUMBO FEATURES/IN-DEPTH EDITOR

B

eing able to freeze time and live in a moment forever seems perfect until it’s out of your control. Freshman Linnea Abt’s body entraps her in what feels like a neverending moment. Lightheaded and dizzy, she snaps out of a daze, desperately grasping onto her memory as it slips through her fingers.

When Abt thinks of the second grade, the first thing to come to mind isn’t coloring books and times tables. Instead, she recalls when she was diagnosed with epilepsy. The disorder triggers seizures due to a disruption in nerve cell activity in the brain.

“In elementary school, everyone had these good grades, and I was just falling behind completely,” Abt said.

Her mom’s concerns drove her to take her daughter to the doctor in May of 2011 to get tested. After ruling out potential issues, they came to the conclusion that she had epilepsy but were unaware of when it had developed.

“She had seizures probably once an hour every hour of her day back in second grade,” said Linnea’s mom, Gunilla Abt. “But because they weren’t the ones where she would fall to the ground and instead would go into a daze, we never really knew.”

Abt experiences her episodes in the form of staring off into space, then not being able to recall what happened. The severity can vary, so she makes sure to be safe. Today, Abt wears a bracelet to inform everyone of her condition, so people know what precautions to take.

“I literally can’t take it off. I shower with it, I sleep with it, I eat with it,” Abt said.

Abt is an avid volleyball player and was a member of the freshman girls volleyball team.

However, this presents a problem with dress codes during games: the players aren’t allowed to wear any kind of jewelry.

“When I once played travel I actually got yelled at by a referee for having this bracelet on,” Abt said.

The referees refused to allow her to play

the game because of their unwillingness to recognize her condition and allow an exception. Ever since, Abt writes her bracelet’s information on her leg from her hip down to her knee before games in case she is unable to wear it.

“I recently started going back to my bracelet because I had my last EEG and was told that it’s still there and it probably won’t be going away anytime soon,” Abt said. “I would rather have the bracelet on and get yelled at versus having it come off from sweat and people not knowing what to do.”

“

I BELIEVE THAT THE LESS YOU HAVE TO HIDE, THE STRONGER YOU GET MOVING FORWARD” — GUNILLA ABT LINNEA ABT’S MOTHER Along with physical side effects, epilepsy creates challenges in Abt’s everyday life.

For example, the Abt family travels abroad every year, but Abt’s epilepsy often presents roadblocks.

“Through security it’s always been a major setback. They always have to open medication and get it tested to see if I am trying to bring in drugs,” Abt said.

Without her medication on trips, she has a higher risk of having a drop seizure, which is a loss of muscle tone causing the body to go limp, resulting in a potentially injurious fall.

“The only drop seizure I’ve ever had was

Photo by Cc Palumbo | Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

once, and I was off my medication—that was by doctor’s orders,” Abt said.

Around every six months Abt goes into the hospital for an EEG, a test that connects round plates from her head to a monitor to track her brain waves. Every spike signals a seizure.

“Honestly, I don’t really mind it anymore,” Abt said. “And during the time I’m in the hospital, that’s the safest I will ever be.”

Abt’s condition has exposed her to situations that forced her to mentally mature faster.

“Because of the epilepsy she also grew up quicker, so she became more of an older soul in a young body,” Gunilla Abt said.

Abt leaves it all out in the open when it comes to her epilepsy. This enables her to surround herself with people who can keep her safe outside of the hospital in the case of an emergency. “[During a seizure], basically loosen stuff so it’s not tight around my neck and make sure nothing is in my mouth. You have to time it to make sure I’m not out for longer than two minutes, and if I am then you need to call 911,” Abt said.

Abt’s longtime friend shares her friend’s optimistic outlook on life.

“Linnea handles her epilepsy very well and, although it is tough sometimes, she handles it very maturely and bravely,” freshman Aziza Abdelatey said.

As for what’s next for the volleyball player, she’s now playing for MOJO Volleyball Academy and enjoying every second of it.

Abt doesn’t let anything hold her back from playing.

“Her epilepsy does not affect her volleyball, although she is more careful and attentive to her actions,” Abdelatey said.

Abt has gained strength from her situation.

“I believe that the less you have to hide, the stronger you get moving forward,” Gunilla Abt said.

MAY | FEATURES | 11

WHAT SHOULD REALLY BE A SPORT? MAE MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR & STEPHANIE McHUGH REPORTER

Have you ever broken a sweat doing a simple task? If so, you’re not alone.

Students across McLean High School describe their everyday challenges, things as simple as struggles with earbuds, and why these activities are deserving of a varsity letter.

STRESS STUDYING

“I had a big Spanish test that I forgot about in first period. When my friend told me that we had it I started to panic because I didn’t know if I had enough time to study for it. Honestly, I really think that with all the stress I get and work that I do, stress studying should definitely be a sport,” freshman Adie Close said.

UNTANGLING EARBUDS

“Whenever I want to listen to music and I pull out my earbuds they are always tangled. I feel like it takes more brain power to untangle them than it’s really worth,” sophomore Annika Tolderov said.

GOING TO YOUR LEAST FAVORITE CLASS

“When I really don’t like the teacher and my grade [in the class] isn’t that good, what’s the point of going? There’s just so much extra effort. Other times it’s too boring to handle and I don’t understand the point,” junior Saleem Aknine said.

RUNNING TO THE LUNCH LINE IN TIME “Getting to the lunch line is the worst and wastes all of my energy. I have to run to get my food or else they won’t give it to me. Also, I might not have time to eat if I get there late,” freshman Abi Esin said.

12 | FEATURES | MAY

Photo illustrations by Mae Monaghan & Stephanie McHugh | Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

TIKTOK

A&E

TAKES OVER READ UP — Sophomore Kate Kim makes a TikTok with her friends at school. She makes them during free time in math class. (Photo courtesy of

Rebranded famous app now attracts millions of teens HERAN ESSAYAS MANAGING EDITOR MAYA KALISH FACT CHECKER/AD MANAGER

Kate Kim)

W

alk into a high school bathroom and there might be teenagers dancing in front of their phones. Other teenagers may be lip syncing with friends to make a video in their classrooms.

Recently, millions of students began to create videos on the app known as TikTok, which has taken the world by storm.

Musical.ly was an app released in late 2014 that instantly hooked everyone from elementary school to adulthood. The app allowed people to lip sync to songs or do dances and allowed everyone to show their creativity. As the trend grew, students everywhere began to create Musical.lys, but the widespread trend faded quickly.

In 2017, the company ByteDance purchased Musical.ly and renamed it TikTok. Although remaining the same app, the new version began to attract a different audience. Users, or “musers” as they were called in the age of Musical.ly, continued to use their accounts in conventional ways. New users, though, began to refocus the content on TikTok from lip syncing to humorous videos.

“I started [TikTok] as a joke in Spanish because my friends had it and we decided to make them together,” sophomore Megan Williamson said.

At McLean, students use TikTok as a form of entertainment. Through videos of people dancing or making skits, TikTok users find ways to make every 15-second video creative.

Many, like junior Jessica Lawrence, began using the app as a way to pass time. Lawrence has since become a well-known TikTok user.

“It was my first time in American schools, so I did not know many people. In my free time, I decided to go on TikTok, and I thought it was very fun,” Lawrence said.

As TikTok users continue to post, they often gain a large number of followers and can receive thousands of likes. The number of followers users have is dependent on the types of videos they post.

“I have around 17k followers. I did not realize that I [was building up a follower count]. It just kind of happened because I started making them,” Lawrence said. “They were getting 400,000 views, and then more people started following me. I was [adding] a thousand followers a day at one point.”

Users can submit videos to be posted on the “For You” page, where random videos chosen by the app are featured. These videos often receive tons of likes, with some users gaining over 100,000 likes. TikTok users often have a goal of making it on the “For You” page since they want their video to receive thousands of views or likes.

“I have gotten [on the “For You” page], and I’ve been on Instagram meme pages,” senior Lauren Grobman said.

Some TikTok users recreate trends on the app to become popular. Recently, students recreated a trend where they show their high school day within 15 seconds. Other popular trends include doing specific dances to certain songs such as “Envy Me” or “Geek’d,” and recreating skits.

While Lawrence has taken a break from TikTok fame, she continues to use the app for her enjoyment. Her decision shows the true reason TikTok became popular in the first place—the excitement it creates.

“I don’t have a type of TikToks I make. I just don’t make any dancing ones because I am not that great [at it]. I just do whatever I think is funny because I think the best way to make TikToks is to have fun with it,” Lawrence said.

Users enjoy the lighthearted environment of the app, since everyone makes what they believe is fun. Whether it is a joke, skit or dance, users are able to display videos they believe are interesting.

“I love that everyone on there is so unique and funny,” Lawrence said. “Everyone has their own style of making something, so it could be the exact same sound, and a new person will make it something new and funny.”

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat, Heran Essayas & Maya Kalish

STRIKE A POSE — Senior Lauren Grobman makes a creative TikTok. She made it to the “For You” page and received over 6,000 likes. (Photo courtesy of Lauren Grobman)

DAY IN THE LIFE — Sophomore Megan Williamson makes a TikTok about her day in high school. She hopes to make it on the “For You” page one day. (Photo courtesy of Megan Williamson)

MAY | A&E | 13

VENGE THE FALLEN

Every journey must come to an end MAYA AMMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

his was it. The last hurrah, the final battle, and most importantly...the endgame.

Possibly the most hyped up Marvel movie to date, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame shattered almost every existing box office record, grossing $1.2 billion in its opening weekend alone. The conclusion to a timeline of 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, Endgame exceeded the expectations of Marvel fans.

I will never forget sitting in that movie theater lounge chair surrounded by strangers that were all about to experience this movie in a completely different way than me, but everyone had one thing in common—we were all about to watch the most anticipated film in cinema history.

Through 22 movies across 11 years, this series has been a crazy adventure. In this final installment, every unfinished plot and every unanswered question tied together and gave the audience an experience of a lifetime.

These movies have impacted millions of childhoods in ways other franchises could not. This epic conclusion accomplished what Marvel set out to do 11 years ago—create a marvelous universe that would leave viewers entranced for hours on end.

I saw my first Marvel movie when I was 8. I had no prior knowledge of the previous films, but my dad dragged me out to see The Avengers anyways.

A typical 8-year-old would be horrified by that much violence, but I was intrigued. Ever since then, I was obsessed. I have seen every single Marvel movie in the saga.

14 | A&E | MAY

Seven years later, I was sitting in a theater watching Avengers: Endgame. I had never experienced that much emotion in my life. I had never laughed louder or cried harder.

The storyline resumes a couple of weeks after the ultimate cliffhanger fans were left with in Infinity War—Thanos’ infamous snap.

It opens with our heroes devastated from the events of last year’s movie. They are struggling to find a solution to resurrect half the universe, including their friends and family who fell victim to the decimation.

Although it was an action-packed movie, the plot continued to evolve as our heroes met new allies and created plans that could hopefully bring back the vanished and unite as the team they once were.

The growing plot integrated new relationships between family and friends that introduced a new aspect in superhero movies, pulling triggers that brought most audience members to a deeper level of emotion.

The movie theater itself was filled with emotion, leaving devotees sobbing, fans tearing up and others just staring at the screen in awe at the mesmerizing end of an era.

I’m pretty sure I was the loudest crier in the room. At one point I was so unbelievably overwhelmed with emotion that the lady sitting next to me pulled out a box of tissues for me.

Although Marvel has spoken of this movie as being the end of the Infinity Saga, it comforts me to know that the MCU shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Along with Spider-Man: Far From Home coming this July and heroes like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther returning to the big screen, the MCU has plans for new heroes as well. New characters like the Eternals

and Shang-Chi will be introduced to the MCU in the near future.

Even though I’m sad it’s over, Marvel Studios did what they needed to do to provide an epic conclusion to such an unprecedented saga. There was no better way to say goodbye to this thrilling plotline created by the MCU.

Final rating:

6/6 Infinity Stones The MCU gave us an emotionally fufilling conclusion that left all Marvel fans shook.

Take this quiz to find out which Avenger you are!

Image obtained via Marvel Studios | Page design by Maya Amman | Graphic by Dasha Makarishcheva

APPLE DOMINATES MCLEAN MARKET

What’s behind the company’s success at McLean High School?

ANDY CHUNG DESIGN EDITOR & ZACH HASAN REPORTER

I

n 1976, Steve Jobs introduced Apple to the world, starting a chain of computers that revolutionized the way we use electronics.

Apple followed the creation of the Macintosh computer with iPods, which helped pave the way for modern day smartphones. Since the release of its iPhones, Apple has dominated the electronics industry in the U.S., especially at McLean High School.

Having a smartphone is almost a necessity for students across the globe. Smartphones have the ability to call emergency services, find the location of one’s family members and send messages to anyone in a matter of seconds. It is tools like these that make iPhones a vital tool in any environment.

Features like these persuade people to buy smartphones, but what separates Apple’s iPhones from its competitors?

“Apple is easy to use and you get the most out of your money. They often have new software updates which allows me to always know that Apple is trying to make my phone better,” freshman Richard Hou said.

Apple’s phones are sleek, polished and thin, unlike their competitors. IOS, Apple’s software, is widely considered the “lion” of the software world. Its simple design and instant responsiveness makes the software more appealing and easier to use.

According to CNBC, the simplicity of Apple’s software and their phones’ designs are the reason around 64 percent of people in the U.S. own an Apple product.

Apple products are especially popular among high school students. In a survey of 151

McLean students, 93 percent said they own an iPhone in comparison to the seven percent who own an Android.

Teens are big contributors to the tech industry. According to Business Insider, 82 percent of American teens own an iPhone.

“All my friends have Apple products, and I feel left out,” said freshman Varun Veluri, who owns an Android.

“

APPLE IS EASY TO USE AND YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MONEY.” -RICHARD HOU FRESHMAN

As the demand for iPhones increased, the demand for its accessories skyrocketed.

Apple’s popular AirPods are a prime example of this. AirPods are Apple’s second highest selling product, and this is only their second year on the market.

“After winter break, I was amazed by how many kids were wearing AirPods,” freshman Jake McGowan said.

McLean’s strong preference for Apple products may be a result of students’ need to use their smartphones to do schoolwork.

“I’ve always had an iPhone, and after

coming to high school, I realized that a phone, preferably an iPhone, is better because Apple has never let me down,” freshman Lily Brumbaugh said.

With technology advancing, the use of paper and other tools is declining.

“We have e-Carts and Google Classroom assignments, and we have to use Blackboard.

I need to check Blackboard and Classroom every day to see notes my teacher has posted, announcements, homework, and I’m able to do that by using my iPhone,” Brumbaugh said.

With increasing online requirements, students feel more obligated to invest in smartphones. An iPhone has similar capabilities to a computer, which allows students to use their phones to finish schoolwork and online tests.

“There have been plenty of times where students without phones had to use computers and got no work done,” freshman Ryan Sribar said.

Apple’s dominance has been consistent, and it won’t slow down anytime soon, especially in McLean’s hallways.

iPhone X vs. Samsung S10 stereo speaker/ 7mp camera

stereo speaker/ 12mp camera

5.8-inch display

6.1-inch display

7%

no home button

Page design by Andy Chung | Infographic by Andy Chung & Dasha Makarishcheva Apple logo obtained via Google under a Creative Commons license

MAY | A&E | 15

IN-DEPTH

16 | IN-DEPTH | MAY

YOUNG, DUMB AND ADDICTED

McLean students partake in drug use despite consequences HERAN ESSAYAS MANAGING EDITOR

MAYA KALISH FACT CHECKER & AD MANAGER

SYDNEY LANGSTON REPORTER

MAY | IN-DEPTH | 17

T

he final bell rings on a Friday. Students flood out, exhausted and hoping to relax over the weekend. However, when night comes, pictures on social media surface showing students at parties in flashy clothes.

Parties aren’t new. At high schools everywhere there is talk of house parties. In popular movies like Mean Girls and Love, Simon, there are high school party scenes, usually ending up with someone getting sick due to alcohol consumption. Pop culture creates a stereotype for the expectations of an average high school party, which entails a crowd of students, loud music and lots of drama.

Though it is common for students to desire a source of fun over the weekend, they often rely on alcohol or other drugs as entertainment without understanding the severe legal and personal consequences.

Although drugs may seem interesting to students in the moment, the potential repercussions are more harmful than beneficial.

JUST SAY NO

According to the FCPS 2017 Youth Survey, 17.9 percent of 12th grade students report using marijuana regularly. Marijuana is illegal in Virginia, prohibiting students from using marijuana regardless of their age, unlike restrictions on alcohol and cigarettes. Even though the potential punishments for marijuana are greater, students continue to use it.

For some students, drug use begins at a young age, and these habits often worsen throughout their high school career. Through their interactions with their peers, students begin to spread their habits and influence other students to begin illegal activities.

“I started drinking in 7th grade, and I started smoking [marijuana] my freshman year,” sophomore Mia Roberts* said. “I [do it] almost every week with my friends because it feels good.”

Drinking at a young age poses severe health risks. According to KidsHealth, alcohol consumption puts students at risk of getting liver, heart or nervous system damage, yet alcohol usage remains frequent.

The 2017 FCPS Youth Survey shows that 7.1 percent of 12th graders reported using alcohol before the age of 13, compared to 12.6 percent of 8th graders.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that teenage drinking can cause brain development issues and increases the likeliness of developing alcoholism. The brain fully develops around age 25, but teens start to drink up to 13 years before their brains develop

19.9%

OF MCLEAN STUDENTS CONSUMED ALCOHOL IN THE LAST 30 DAYS

24.7% OF MCLEAN STUDENTS USE MARIJUANA OR OTHER DRUGS

completely, which can impair multiple learning abilities.

Students are often oblivious to the consequences of alcohol and drug usage, even though there are countless resources available.

School counselors and school psychologists provide students with the emotional help they may need or refer them to others who can give specific help.

“I focus on how [drug and alcohol usage] affects [students] now, but what they do now does affect them in the future. Their grades in high school can affect their future decisions, so I try to get them to make good decisions now,” counselor Kathleen Otal said.

Regarding marijuana, addiction is not considered an issue, though school performance is. According to the NIDA, frequent marijuana users are more likely to have worse grades and more likely to drop out of school. “[Drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana] used to affect my school work, but I’ve learned how to manage it better. I used to have less motivation to do my work, but then I toned down [my drug usage],” sophomore Lily Smith* said.

The FCPS 2017-2018 Youth Survey states that 38.2 percent of 12th graders at McLean have used alcohol in the past 30 days compared to the FCPS average of 29.5 percent. Similarly, the survey shows that McLean students use marijuana more than the FCPS average.

The trend of alcohol and drug use has decreased slightly over the years, but the comparatively higher McLean average raises concerns about the overall success of students. With prescription drugs and painkillers, McLean students fall below the FCPS average.

McLean has various measures in place to attempt to limit substance usage and increase awareness. Clubs such as Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) provide students the necessary information on the risks of drug use.

“SADD is a nationwide organization that informs kids about the dangers of destructive decisions. It also works to encourage students to make healthy choices and holds them and their peers accountable for their actions,” said senior Ella Sangree, president of SADD.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Students who repeatedly use alcohol and marijuana can run into trouble with the school or the law. These students can receive an inschool suspension, an activity suspension or a referral to a class that teaches the consequences of drugs and alcohol.

56% OF MCLEAN STUDENTS HAVE GONE TO A PARTY WHERE THERE WAS DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

69.3% OF MCLEAN STUDENTS KNOW SOMEONE WHO RELIES ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Data obtained from the 2017-18 McLean Pyramid Youth Survey & a poll of 150 students

18 | IN-DEPTH | MAY

*Names were changed to protect the identity of the students

“I’ve gotten in trouble for being in possession of things I should not have had in school. This has happened multiple times, but the first time [was not as severe],” Smith said.

Schools are often lenient with a student’s first offense, as some may have it expunged from their record. When that happens, students often feel they are out of trouble and continue their habits. They may begin to think they can be reckless without affecting their future.

“I think that getting caught [the second time] has made me want to do it less, like I would not want to do it on a school day. I wouldn’t say that I would stay sober at every party that I will go to, but I think that it has made me drink less,” Smith said.

Potential consequences may influence students to limit or completely stop their habits. Students may feel regret, or realize that using drugs or drinking alcohol is unhealthy.

“My suspension has changed my views about having [substances] in school because now I think it’s dumb. It hasn’t changed me as a person, but it has made me smarter in the things I do,” Smith said.

THE DEEPER CONSEQUENCES

Not only are the legal consequences serious, but possible consequences from parents can feel more intense for students.

Students may feel annoyed because of the punishments, which then weakens their relationship with their parents.

Teenagers may also feel guilty for disappointing their parents by using drugs, and getting in trouble can create a break in trust between parents and their children.

“We find a lot of kids that are abusing substances and their grades suffer, their relationships with their friends and family suffer. In general, the substance they are abusing becomes the most important thing in their life,” Safety and Security Specialist Buddy Sekely said.

Drug use also affects the mental health of students. Consistent use causes students to not be the best version of themselves, which may cause self-hatred. Alcohol and drug usage may seem fun in the moment, though it poses serious long-term consequences on future habits and emotional well-being.

“Alcohol is a depressant, so while someone who is having a few drinks might have fun in the short term, when they’re coming down from their drinking or substance use it can have a depressive effect and then they feel worse,” school psychologist Beth Werfel said.

Werfel is one of the many school resources who provides information to students who are oblivious to the ramifications of substance use.

“I help [students] more in an indirect way in terms of providing students with education on mental health and wellness and also signs and symptoms of mental health issues,” Werfel said.

However, frequent drug usage can be spurred by other problems.

Students may have issues they do not know how to deal with and use drugs as a method to avoid them. Resources at McLean often try to work with them to solve their problems.

“I am able to help students and families find resources in the community to get support such as outside counseling or educational programs for people who are dealing with substance use issues,” Werfel said. “There are support groups in the area that students and families can take advantage of.”

Emotional health plays a role in substance abuse. Students who are not self-confident or have mental health issues may turn to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism for those problems.

“I think ideally if students could just get to a point where they generally feel pretty happy and satisfied with who they are as a person, and if they are able to accept their strength as well as accept areas where they don’t feel as confident and just building up those healthy coping strategies, that would be an ideal,” Werfel said.

Counselors focus on helping students solve their problems instead of telling them they’re wrong. They teach students to be able to think for themselves and assist them in making the right decisions in the future.

“I don’t want to problem solve for them because I don’t know what kind of situation they’re going to find themselves in,” Otal said.

“What I want to do is help them figure out for themselves what the right choice is so when they are confronted in the situation they are prepared to figure out what the good choice is.”

“

PEOPLE DO MAKE MISTAKES IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IT IS ABOUT LEARNING FROM THOSE MISTAKES AND CHANGING THOSE BEHAVIORS SO YOU CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE.” — KATHLEEN OTAL SCHOOL COUNSELOR

A HOPEFUL FUTURE

Frequent substance usage poses serious consequences with college admissions. Students who use drugs tend to be less focused in class, which can lead to a decline of grades. With the growing use of social media, public pictures and videos can be released to colleges, allowing them to find out what students participate in.

“If something happens to you, we don’t divulge that information as a school, but there’s social media, other parents, other college admissions people talking where colleges could find out what you did,” Otal said. “You have an obligation to tell colleges what you did.”

One incident under the influence can greatly impact a student’s life. When someone is impaired, their judgment is affected, leading them to make life-changing decisions.

“If you drink and drive or get caught drinking, there are legal consequences that can definitely impact your future... Whether it be drunk driving or someone getting hurt and you being a part of that, those are things you can potentially regret forever,” Otal said.

The ideal scenario is that students will realize for themselves that drug and alcohol usage is dangerous, and they will stop themselves from engaging in such behaviors. Underage drug use has always been prevalent, yet increased awareness about the potential consequences has provided students with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions.

“My goal is to get kids to realize that they don’t have to [use drugs and alcohol] in order to fit in, have fun or cope,” Otal said. “People do make mistakes in high school, but it is about learning from those mistakes and changing those behaviors so you can make better decisions in the future.”

Page design by Dasha Makarishcheva & Pran Kittivorapat | Photo & infographic by Pran Kittivorapat

MAY | IN-DEPTH | 19

T-SERIES VS. PEWDIEPIE THE BATTLE TO 100 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS ENDS ABRUPTLY TAYLOR OLSON & PAARTH SONI A&E EDITORS

T

he race to the top is finally over, but not for the reason some may think. T-Series’ and PewDiePie’s YouTube channels have the most subscribers of all creators on the site.

PewDiePie, a 29-year-old from Sweden whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, had the most followers until earlier this year when T-Series first surpassed him, and they have frequently swapped places since then.

PewDiePie is a well-known individual creator on YouTube. He uploads new content every day, ranging from “meme reviews” to gaming videos. He has been a YouTuber for nine years and spent six of those years with the most subscribers on the platform.

“PewDiePie is like a YouTube legend— everyone loves him,” freshman Einmon Tha said.

T-Series is a popular Indian record label and film production company that started a YouTube channel in 2006. Their content consists primarily of Bollywood music videos and film trailers.

T-Series is a multi-channel network, which is an organization that works in tandem with video platforms. YouTube assists them in many areas, and in return, they earn a portion of the channel’s ad revenue.

Given that YouTube is supposedly a “selfmade” platform, many believe that the most subscribed YouTuber should be an individual rather than a company.

In August 2018, T-Series’ growing popularity led PewDiePie to challenge him to a “race” to the 100 million subscriber mark.

This was embraced by many people involved in intenet culture.

“No matter the outcome, this will go down in YouTube history forever,” freshman Cormic McNamara said.

In an effort to help PewDiePie, his fans positively promoted his channel. They put up flyers in support, told strangers to subscribe

20 | A&E | MAY

and even bought billboards with his face on them.

McLean students have also gotten involved in the PewDiePie vs. T-Series movement.

“A couple of my friends [asked me], ‘Are you subscribed to PewDiePie?’... I pretty much had people check my phone to see if I was—of course I was,” junior Saleem Aknine said.

As this movement gained popularity, some people took things too far.

“Something I learned, and hopefully something people can understand, is when you have 90 million people riled up about something, you’re bound to get a few degenerates,” PewDiePie said.

In March, a few PewDiePie supporters defaced a World War II memorial in Brooklyn and posted a picture to Reddit. They vandalized the monument with the message “Subscribe to PewDiePie.” The YouTuber responded, urging fans to stop these hateful behaviors.

“It’s just so disgusting, so disappointing to have my name and community dragged into that,” PewDiePie said.

Vandalism was not the only act of violence

connected to this movement. A shooter attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15. During a live stream of the massacre, he told his audience to “Subscribe to PewDiePie.” “It was horrible… I actually have no words... when I first saw it I was pretty much shocked.

And the fact that it was under his name, I was more shocked than anything,” Aknine said.

The YouTuber took to Twitter to condemn the attack.

“I feel absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person. My heart and thoughts go out to...everyone affected by this tragedy,” PewDiePie tweeted after the incident.

PewDiePie released a video on April 28 concerning these violent crimes. He told his subscribers that the PewDiePie vs. T-Series movement needs to end. T-Series has since passed him by nearly two million subscribers, almost completely ending the race.

“I didn’t want hate to win, but it’s clear to me now the ‘Subscribe to PewDiePie’ movement should’ve ended [after the acts of violence],” PewDiePie said.

BY THE NUMBERS INFOGRAPHIC BY PRAN KITTIVORAPAT

PEWDIEPIE SUPPORTED BY

95 M

+

21

OF MCLEAN STUDENTS

SUBSCRIBERS

BILLION VIEWS

SUPPORTED BY

97 M

85% T-SERIES

15% OF MCLEAN STUDENTS

+

69

SUBSCRIBERS

BILLION VIEWS

3,830 UPLOADS

13,340 UPLOADS

*Data gathered from a poll of 188 students | Data gathered as of May 6, 2019 Photos obtained via Wikimedia Commons | Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

TEACHERS HOG HIGHLANDER TIME

OPINIONS

Teachers use students’ only break during school day to teach The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

H

igh school can be extremely overwhelming, and in our generation, stress levels are at an all-time high. At McLean, a student’s only break during the school day is being taken away from them by their teachers, which is completely unreasonable and must be addressed.

“Highlander Time is a great way for teachers to review material, target specific skills to help students better understand content and provide support for students if they are struggling. It’s a great way for teachers to conference with students and check their progress,” assistant principal Jeffrey Barham said.

While Highlander Time is very useful in these respects, many teachers take this too far. The purpose of Highlander Time is to give students a chance to catch up on work, meet with teachers individually or relax and take a break from their otherwise draining school day.

According to Edutopia, students are easily distracted, but regular short breaks can help them focus, increase their productivity and reduce their stress. This is especially important at McLean, where many students

take on overwhelming schedules.

Teachers who choose to teach through Highlander Time often claim that there isn’t enough time to cover all material in class, especially because of all the snow days we had during the winter.

“If I’m teaching during Highlander Time it might be because we need to make up time, or to review material that I might ordinarily go over during class,” biology teacher Catherine Hott said. “I like it to be a time that I can work individually with students, but sometimes we need to use it to review material as a class.”

If class time is used effectively, there should be enough time to cover all material.

Fairfax County has built 18 snow days into the calendar, and less than half of them have been used this year.

Even though some teachers abuse this time, other teachers choose to let students use Highlander Time as they wish, but are still available if students need individual help.

“A lot of times, students go to other teachers to figure out when they can make up work or when they can get extra help, so if I’m teaching through Highlander Time, then they’re missing essential information in my class,” English teacher Bridget Donoghue said.

According to the Fairfax County Youth Survey, an average of 42 percent of high

Reporting & page design by Emily Friedman | Comic by Jayne Ogilvie-Russell

school students reported high levels of stress in the past month. In addition to stress, 29.8 percent reported depressive symptoms in the past year. A break could give teens time to focus on how they’re feeling and destress.

“

STUDENTS PUT PRESSURE ON THEMSELVES WITH ACADEMICS AND EXTRACURRICULARS. HAVING THAT SMALL 30-MINUTE BREAK...IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL.” — BRIDGET DONOGHUE ENGLISH TEACHER

“I have to go see teachers a lot, especially meetings with counselors and administrators about things we can do around the school.

I do that during Highlander Time, and it’s extremely difficult for me to get those things done when the teacher is teaching and I can’t leave,” freshman Atticus Gore said.

A certain amount of material does need to be covered before SOLs and finals, but teaching during Highlander Time won’t solve this problem. If more material needs to be covered, then teachers can assign homework, which students can choose to do during Highlander Time.

“Students put pressure on themselves with academics and extracurriculars. Having that small 30-minute break during the day is extremely helpful to let you guys socialize with your friends and have some fun during the school day,” Donoghue said.

McLean students should stay on task during class in order to make sure teachers do not need to utilize Highlander Time to teach.

In other words, Highlander Time should be a time that students can use however they want. If they choose to catch up on homework, then that is their decision, but the period should not be structured by a teacher.

MAY | OPINIONS | 21

CANDIDATE CONFUSION There are too many Democrats running for president ERICA BASS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Y

ou probably didn’t know this, because it’s hardly news anymore, but a few weeks ago another Democrat announced that they’re running for president in 2020. This time it’s Michael Bennet, senator of Colorado and advocate for bipartisanship. I wonder if I’ll start receiving emails from him too… I don’t know if my inbox can take much more.

With a year to go before the next presidential primaries, 21 Democrats have already announced their definitive intentions to run for president.

As exciting as it is to watch the campaign trail play out like a particularly political episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Having a large candidate pool for a presidential election is not a smart move for the Democrats as they look to beat Donald Trump’s likely re-election campaign.

The primaries are crucial to winning the presidency. Both Democrats and Republicans will strive to secure enough support to carry them into the final election and win the office. A large candidate pool with similar platforms in the primaries can divide the voters dramatically, perhaps making way for an atypical and controversial winner.

We all saw it play out that way last time.

I still have vivid memories of 2015, seeing the Olympic-sized pool of Republican voters, watching Trump go down that elevator to announce his candidacy, and laughing. The chances of him winning were so slim.

SOME OF THE CANDIDATES

22 | OPINIONS | MAY

Yet lo and behold, while the other more standard Republican candidates bickered amongst themselves and divided the democratic party, Trump inspired a niche group of Republicans with his unconventional ideas, eventually winning himself the Republican slot on the ticket.

Now, Democrats seem to be falling into that trap, an irresponsible decision should the party actually hope to get a candidate nominated with a chance of winning.

“The candidate that moves on will be the one that has the most media coverage,” senior Kimya Shirazi said. “And sometimes that comes from a place of being very outspoken and using a lot of words wisely to promote yourself, like Trump did.”

In the fast-paced competition for the craziest headline that draws media attention, having the loudest opinion is now considered synonymous with being qualified, and with at least 20 candidates all shouting, it will take a real screamer to be heard.

“People don’t take the time to look and see who has very logical plans—they just impulsively listen to things that feed into their ideologies. So I just suppose whoever becomes the most well-known figure [will win the election]. The more people there are, the less you’ll know them,” Shirazi said.

Due to the intense competition for the primaries, candidates may soon begin following the path of name-calling, slandering and mudslinging that our own president used to get his name as publicized as possible.

“I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of candidates trying to distinguish themselves from the others because they are so similar ideologically,” AP Government teacher Julia Braxton said.

Hopefully Democrats have learned from 2016, and they’ll realize the defamation of fellow Democrats is a bad idea.

The Bernie Sanders vs. Hillary Clinton showdown of 2016 was one for the ages, with neither person pulling any punches in their fight to the top, and it had its consequences.

“Bernie Sanders himself last [election] asked his supporters to vote for Hillary when it looked like he wasn’t going to be moving on. But even though it was coming from him, people still obviously didn’t get the outcome that he had asked for, or would have wanted,” Shirazi said.

JOE BIDEN

PETE BUTTIGIEG

BERNIE SANDERS

Served for eight years as vice president to Barack Obama. Could he help guide the country back to a more unified time, or is he just a futile remnant of an era long past?

Making history as America’s first openly gay candidate for president. He’s inspiring Democrats from all across the country, but no one really knows what his policy plans are, or how to pronounce his name.

2016 phenomenon who managed to invigorate a new generation of voters with his socialist policies. Unfortunately, this feeling of the Bern spread like wildfire and may have ‘bernt’ down Hillary Clinton’s chances at the presidency. Could this happen in 2020?

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement recorded that over two million young, college-aged voters voted for Sanders during the primaries, but after he dropped out, only about 1.5 million voted at all in the general election.

Lasting rivalries can influence the eventual decisions of voters, and a lot of resentment was built up by Sanders voters by what they perceived as his snub.

Clinton lost Democratic followers in the end because of the intense support for Sanders that the competition of a primary election brought out, assisting in her eventual loss to Trump. The competition that takes place within a primary can be very intense, including the vilification of other candidates. This ultimately hurts the party by dividing voters prior to the actual election.

“

THE CANDIDATE THAT MOVES ON WILL BE THE ONE THAT HAS THE MOST MEDIA COVERAGE.”

— KIMYA SHIRAZI SENIOR

Perhaps this wouldn’t all be such an issue this year if Democrats weren’t such terrible voters. Don’t get me wrong, Democrats are still very politically active—the number of protests and campaigns and organizations led by Democrats in search of political change is impressive and inspiring, but they still have a severe voter turnout issue.

According to Newsweek, college-age voters (a demographic that usually sways liberal) consistently have a low voter turnout rate, with only 49 percent voting in 2016. However, Baby Boomers, who tend to vote conservative, repeatedly have some of the highest rates in the country, with a whopping 69 percent turnout in 2016. It also didn’t help Democrats that Latinos (who are also normally expected to lean

left) showed up to polls at much lower rates than expected, falling four points, and that African American voters fell off significantly after the end of Obama’s second term.

With issues like this in voting results, any form of division within the Democratic party will damage Democratic voter numbers; a widely accepted, popular candidate untouched by hurtful slander from fellow Democrats is needed to inspire voter numbers to rise.

I’ve often heard that the large pool of candidates allows for voters to vote for an individual person over a party platform, which sounds theoretically nice, but practically doesn’t work in today’s political climate.

It can be generally agreed that the primary focus of Democrats in 2020 must be beating Trump—a goal that cannot be sabotaged by the egos of every politician in America deciding that they alone would be perfect for the role of Commander-in-Chief.

Democrats don’t like to admit it, but Trump was very successful in shifting the median of right-wing politics. He was able to rally a base that was strong and unified enough that the majority of conventional Republicans in Congress (whose previous policy patterns have differed from the non-traditional views of Trump) are unwilling to challenge him. This lack of Republican pushback is what allowed Trump’s unconventionalism to last as long as it has.

If Republican politicians are putting party over policy for this election, Democratic voters need to too. I’m all for varied opinions in elections for Congress, but the stakes are simply too high in this one.

Some Democrats seem to be understanding this, as at least three candidates who were seriously planning on running have dropped out.

“My goal for our tour is to make the dignity of work the centerpiece of the Democrats’ 2020 campaign because I believe that’s the way to beat Donald Trump,” former candidate Sherrod Brown said in an interview with The Atlantic.

In order to actually have a chance in 2020, Democratic voters need to learn from their mistakes and prioritize a candidate who can represent the entire party against Trump. Don’t fall into the trap of getting caught up in unnecessary political drama, and make an informed choice that will be best for this country.

ELIZABETH WARREN

BETO O’ROURKE

KAMALA HARRIS

AMY KLOBUCHAR

An advocate for ending political lobbying. She’s known for reminding most of America of their 4th grade teacher. However, she did announce her candidacy by cracking open a beer bottle with her husband on a live stream...

Famously lost his Texas Senate race against Ted Cruz, but sparked a movement nationwide, and broke a record for most campaign money raised in 24 hours.

Former prosecutor and second black woman to ever be elected to the Senate, Harris wants to raise the salary for every American teacher.

First female senator of Minnesota. If she was able to win as a liberal candidate in a moderate Midwestern state, could she do the same for the country?

Infographic & page design by Pran Kittivorapat

MAY | OPINIONS | 23

CUTTING CLASS HAS ITS COST Tardiness and skipping class cause issues for students

ALEX BANKS REPORTER

A

PRAN KITTIVORAPAT DESIGN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

bsences and tardiness have grown to be some of the most prevalent problems in McLean’s culture. Extracurricular activities and distractions like social media draw students’ limited attention away from their education, and a lot of students don’t see the potential problems that arise when they skip a class or an entire school day.

24 | OPINIONS | MAY

JAKE LYNES REPORTER

ZEYAD ZAEEAN REPORTER

Absences not only impact how students understand course material, but they have other negative effects as well. Grades often suffer and interest in academics declines as students find other activities more attractive than their schoolwork.

According to the CRC Health Group, “Skipping school is a good predictor of other problems, including gang membership,

drug and alcohol use, theft, high-risk sexual behavior and vandalism.”

While these long-term effects are scary, FCPS used to have policies in place with stricter immediate consequences.

“I went to Centreville High School, [and if] you had seven unexcused absences or tardies, you got an F in that class,” School Resource Officer Scott Davis said.

Although school rules regarding tardiness and absences have changed throughout the years, the cause for tardiness has also changed.

Due to a majority of students having access to smartphones, the amount of kids skipping class has increased tremendously. Students can communicate with their peers to meet and hang out in bathrooms, walk around in hallways or even leave school grounds to get food.

“If you want to go to class and your friend decides that he wants to skip and he texts you to come with him, when you see that message, it increases the likelihood that you may choose to leave with that student,” systems of support adviser Nicholas Corsi said. “If you’re looking at a Snap story in class and you see friends at Santini’s, you might decide you want to leave class to go have a sub over at Santini’s.”

Students at McLean also tend to skip class on days when classes have tests or quizzes. This gives them more time to study and the opportunity to gather information from their classmates about what is on the exam. This behavior likely stems from the enormous pressure from parents, peers and other adults such as teachers and coaches to succeed.

In response to these absences, the McLean security staff uses a system to notify parents of a student’s failure to attend class in order to prevent future ditching.

“Fairfax County Public Schools has a system where, if a student is marked unverified before a class period, it automatically generates an email, text message [or phone call] to alert the parents that [the student is] not in school,” Corsi said. “If you don’t go to third period, your teacher is going to mark you unverified. That triggers the system to notify your parents or your guardians that you are not where you’re supposed to be, so it’s a safety concern.”

With these absences also come consequences. Being unexcused for 10 days results in a mandatory parentstudent meeting. If that student is under 18, they will be referred to the attendance officer, who will then place the student on contract.

The county’s effort to decrease skipping rates has been working, at least when it comes to chronic absenteeism, or having unexcused absences for more than 10 percent of the school year. The total number of students at McLean who are chronically absent has dropped from 243 students in the 2014-15 school year to 133 students* in the 2018-19 school year. These numbers are heading in the right direction, but this issue has not completely disappeared. Students brush off the responsibilities of school without acknowledging the possible future consequences of their actions.

For many students, school is one of their biggest priorities. Learning more and gaining experience at school

in preparation for adulthood is what students should focus on.

“Skipping now would definitely influence me in my future jobs—a habit would develop and my responsibility as a person would diminish,” junior Salah Mohammed said.

Students spend seven or more hours in school every day, and then choose to stay after school for various activities.

Students’ lives revolve around school, and therefore their attitude towards it should reflect its importance. “[You] have to put school first. You know, at 15, 16 17, 18 years old, you’re a student and that’s your priority. Y’all come here to learn and to get better. So if you look at it that way, it’s almost like this is your own job,” Davis said.

As we get older we start to realize what is most important: not our friends, but our education, because that’s the factor that will determine everything in the future.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNEXCUSED ABSENCES?

BY NUMBER OF DAYS

3 5 8 10

SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT ADVISER (SOSA): — SENDS A LETTER HOME TO PARENT OR GUARDIAN — MEETS WITH STUDENT — NOTIFIES COUNSELOR — AUTOMATED CALL OUT BY FCPS TO NOTIFY PARENTS AN ATTENDANCE PLAN IS REQUIRED — SOSA CALLS STUDENT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN TO CREATE ATTENDANCE PLAN — ATTENDANCE PLAN FORWARDED TO COUNSELOR — MANDATORY MEETING WITH STUDENTS’ PARENTS — SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER/ATTENDANCE OFFICER NOTIFIED TO DETERMINE SERVICES/INTERVENTIONS IF NECESSARY — MANDATORY MEETING WITH STUDENTS’ PARENTS — IF UNDER 18: REFERRAL TO ATTENDANCE OFFICER: THE ATTENDANCE OFFICER PLACES STUDENT ON CONTRACT, CONTRACT MAILED HOME AND FORWARDED TO COUNSELOR, HOME VISIT — IF OVER 18: STAKEHOLDERS MEET TO SIGN OVER-18 CONTRACT ACCORDING TO MCLEAN’S SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT ADVISER,

FCPS SCHOOLS MUST HAVE

FOR THE 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR:

CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM

OF MCLEAN STUDENTS WERE ABSENT FOR MORE THAN 10% OF THE YEAR*

LESS THAN 15%

6.5%

ACCORDING TO THE FCPS YOUTH SURVEY ADMINISTERED IN NOVEMBER 2015,

8.7 %

OF RESPONDENTS SKIPPED AT LEAST ONE DAY OF SCHOOL DURING OCTOBER 2015

3.2 %

OF RESPONDENTS SKIPPED THREE OR MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL DURING OCTOBER 2015

*According to systems of support adviser, as of May 8

Photo illustration, infographic & page design by Pran Kittivorapat

MAY | OPINIONS | 25

WHITE SUPREMACY POSES A THREAT TO THE WORLD

The issue of white nationalism needs to be addressed

W

SAISHA DANI OPINIONS EDITOR

hite nationalism has been an issue in this country since its discovery, especially since the creation of the Ku Klux Klan in 1865. This problem persists around the world, as was most recently seen in the horrific terrorist attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to all other races. Attacks by extremist groups have killed masses of people over time, just to establish dominance over other races.

Terrorist attacks executed by white nationalists are a serious threat to the world.

On March 15, 2019, an Australian man carried out two consecutive terrorists attacks at two mosques in New Zealand during Friday prayers. Forty-nine people were killed in this attack, spurred by feelings of white supremacy from the attacker. This tragedy exhibits how these extremists are still causing problems around the world.

In a press conference on March 16, President Donald Trump said he doesn’t think white nationalism poses a global threat, attributing such attacks to “a small group of people that have very, very serious problems.”

In reality, white supremacy is not a minor issue, as recent events have shown—it is a much larger problem than is acknowledged by many people.

“I think that any extremism no matter how big or small is a serious problem and should be addressed because a small problem can quickly turn into a bigger problem. If we don’t through our democratic principles do something to prevent that, we end up back where we were in World War II,” AP U.S. History teacher Cynthia Hawkins said.

In 2017 at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, protesters chanted racial and antisemitic slurs while marching with Nazi and Confederate flags.

Protesters clashed with counterprotesters, injuring 30 individuals. One of the white supremacists took his car and rammed it into the counterprotesters, killing one person and injuring 40 others.

It is extremely disgusting to see what this world has come to. We have extremists who are hostile to other races because of their belief that whites are the superior race.

People throughout the world, especially in this country, express Islamophobic views and categorize all Muslims as ‘terrorists’ based on acts done by a small group of Muslims.

“Not all Muslims are terrorists—it’s only ISIS, and they aren’t even Muslim. ISIS is just a whole different community versus what the Muslim community is,” sophomore Shifa Zalawar said.

These people put so much stress on hating Islam that they don’t realize white supremacy is a highly pressing concern.

In November of 2018, 11 people were

killed in a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pennsylvania. The shooter accused Jewish people of bringing ‘evil’ Muslims into the country.

Before being Islamophobic and accusing an entire population of being terrorists, people need to consider the equally concerning matter of the awful actions of white supremacists.

It is surreal that if one Muslim commits an act of terrorism it indicates that all Muslims are terrorists. But when a white supremacist executes a terrorist attack, they are one of a small group of people with serious problems, according to Trump. White people aren’t generalized by the acts performed by other white people, so why are Muslims?

It is immoral to inflict hatred on people because of their race or religion, no matter what ethnicity or creed. When events like this occur, we need to take action.

We as a society need to address the issue and discuss how these actions should be curtailed.

By sitting back and not speaking up as white nationalists carry out terrorist attacks, and by not even identifying them as terrorist attacks, we are accepting these actions and letting these atrocious people unleash their hate into the world.

We all need to voice our opinions about the wrongfulness of white supremacy to make sure these events don’t occur again. White supremacy is a threat to this nation and will continue to grow if we don’t do something about it.

m ajor events

PA

KS

Quebec City, Canada—six people were killed at a mosque during Friday prayers and 19 were injured. The shooting was spurred

BY Justin Trudeau’s tweet about welcoming all refugees after Trump's travel ban on several Muslim Countries.

g. 201 au

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania—A mass shooting in a synagogue caused the deaths of 11 people. The attacker posted absurd comments on his extremists’ social media site, accusing Jews of bringing 'evil' muslims into the country.

H arC 20

26 | OPINIONS | MAY

m

vA

19

v. 2018 no

rIL 201 ap

7

.2 jan 017

oslo, norway—A bomb attack targeted the youth camp of Norway’s Labor party, where 77 people were killed. The attacker wanted to prevent "the invasion of Muslims."

4

2 july 011

Overland Park, Kansas—A former KKK leader shot three people at a Jewish centeR and retirement home as he believed Jews were “destroying the white race.”

Charlottesville, Virginia—After neo-Nazi and white supremacist protests in one of the men drove his car into the crowd of COUNTERprotesters, killing one and injuring dozens of others.

Christchurch, New Zealand—NINE people were killed and many more injured IN a terrorist attack targeted at two mosques. This attack was driven by the belief that the white race is endangered and threatened by other races.

Infographic source: The Guardian | Infographic & page design by Pran Kittivorapat

RELEASES CHECK OUT EARLY

Three-hour early dismissals are important to students and should be brought back JOSH BASS & KAAN KOCABAL SPORTS EDITORS

D

uring a board meeting in June 2018, a decision that was long in the making was finalized. Fairfax County Public School officials and school board members decided it was in the best interest of schools to remove early releases from the 2019-2020 school calendar.

In doing so, the school system has managed to completely disregard student opinion and morale. Students are appalled as a result of the decision and couldn’t disagree more with the school board’s decision.

“

BY HAVING EARLY RELEASES, I CAN GET OTHER THINGS DONE SO THAT I CAN STUDY FOR A TEST EARLIER.” - SAAHIR RATTANI FRESHMAN

Three-hour early releases are harmless and only present themselves a couple times during the school year. These early dismissals should not have even been considered for cancellation.

During early releases, students have time to study for upcoming tests and gather their thoughts in preparation. Having a three-hour early release once in a while gives students valuable amounts of study time.

“DROWNING IN STRESS” “By having early releases, I can get other things done so that I can study for a test earlier,” freshman Saahir Rattani said.

Essentially, this excess study time results in more successful students with grades they can be proud of.

Three-hour early releases give students the flexibility to finish their homework and projects on time. They also help kids manage their time between schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

“Early releases allow me to finish my homework for the next day as well as homework due later in the week,” freshman Jacob Miller said. “It helps me manage my time between homework and sports.”

Students like Miller, a player on the JV boys soccer team, may have to play sports for hours and then proceed to come home with nothing finished. With an early release every now and then, students have the ability to get a head start on homework and the right amount of time to finish everything.

Furthermore, early releases reduce the amount of stress on teachers.

“I use the early release time to meet with teachers to plan our lessons or look for resources for students,” head librarian Joan McCarthy said. “I will miss [three-hour early dismissals].”

With three-hour early releases, teachers have more time to grade, collaborate with other teachers and plan out what they will do in their classes in the coming weeks.

In addition to using three-hour early releases for teacher planning, some teachers use the time to stay after to work with their students.

“In the library, on early release days, we

Illustration by Jayne Ogilvie-Russell | Page design by Josh Bass | Infographic by Kaan Kocabal

did not close right away, so we would see students finishing up assignments or getting to the various resources they needed...so we did see students use [the time] academically,” McCarthy said.

As a result of the calendar change, the county has added two more student holidays, for a total of 12. In addition, the removal has allotted for two more potential snow days.

Although a substitution for early dismissals is thoughtful, they do not even come close to filling the gap of the thrill students feel when stepping out the doors at 11:55 a.m.

This adjustment to the school calendar is already being met with disapproval from the student body. The removal of early dismissals is ridiculous and the idea to remove them should be overturned or at least revised.

McLean’s stance on early releases

82% 3% 15%

For Against Don’t Care

Data gathered from a poll of 100 McLean students

MAY | OPINIONS | 27

HALLWAY TVs INEFFECTIVE FOR STUDENTS McLean should make use of alternative ways to announce the news

A

just look trashy,” Principal Ellen Reilly said.

“Posters would sit there for six months and nobody would take them down, and then you have outdated information. People would put up stuff last-minute and it looks awful. We have to go through an approval process. It was a pain.”

Contrary to administrators’ beliefs, using hallway TVs to spread news rather than posters or P.A. announcements actually makes it more difficult for clubs and organizations to share information.

“I think the TVs help, but they are not the primary source of advertising announcements,” marketing teacher Debra Fargo said.

The school allows only a select few clubs to announce their activities over the P.A. system, which reaches every student. Other clubs, who use the TVs, see this as an unfair advantage.

“If they would allow us to [use P.A. announcements and bulletin boards], we would definitely do that because we want more people to come to our club,” said sophomore and Asian American Association officer Emily Chen.

Clubs who do have their own bulletin boards have the responsibility to update them, but they rarely do so. The school should allow more clubs access to bulletin boards.

A poll of 103 McLean students found that less than 13 percent of students are interested in what is being announced on the hallway TVs every day, and 50 percent of students are not

PRAN KITTIVORAPAT DESIGN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ccording to The Highlander’s March 2017 issue, the installment of TVs at McLean was part of a pilot program by the IT Multimedia Department of FCPS. These five TVs were installed in the hallways in order to inform students about school news.

Two years after their installation, the TVs are still not effectively informing McLean students of news around the school.

“I don’t really watch the TVs in the hallways because the information on them doesn’t really apply to me,” junior Max Mouries said.

The hallway TVs at McLean, operated by the student activities office, are meant to inform students about clubs or tryouts, as well as other reminders, including award recognitions.

“I think it is a good thing for [students] to always look at those announcements to see what is offered at McLean and to make sure that they are informed about other opportunities to be involved,” assistant principal Jeffrey Barham said. “[Hallway TVs are located in] a central location that students know where to look, and it also cuts down on interruptions to instructional time.”

Administrators see the TVs as an opportunity to easily get news to students and clean up the halls by removing posters, making the school more appealing to visitors. “[With posters in the hallways,] the hallways are very cluttered and ugly—they

HOW OFTEN DO STUDENTS LOOK AT HALLWAY TV SCREENS?

sure if the information they are looking for is on the TVs. The poll found that students usually get their news through social media, P.A. announcements, e-mails and posters. It is counterintuitive that students get so much information from posters because the school has put restrictions on them. Most posters end up in classrooms or bathrooms.

“For our club, we didn’t put notes on the TVs—[we] basically just create different kinds of posters and post them in certain classrooms and bathrooms,” Chen said.

Most students prefer using social media to receive school news. Over 50 percent of students like to get announcements over Instagram or Twitter due to its accessibility. “[Whether the students] are in the cafeteria, in front of the building, in the back of the building or looking at their phones, you have to put things where they are going to see it because they are the ones you are trying to [convince] to join things, go to games and join clubs,” Fargo said.

The TVs are not used by enough students to be an effective mode of communication.

Methods must be revised to better inform students.

In addition to providing more clubs with a place to post their announcements, the school should develop a shared social media account where clubs can share information in order to create a more well-informed and cohesive student body.

IS THERE ANYTHING STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN ON THE TVS RIGHT NOW?

NEVER

43

ONCE DAILY

10

I DON’T KNOW

52

ONCE A WEEK

27

SEVERAL TIMES DAILY

3

NO

40

TWICE A WEEK

17

WHERE DO STUDENTS GET NEWS AROUND THE SCHOOL? SOCIAL MEDIA

73 47

INTERCOM/P.A. E-MAIL POSTERS

28 23 21 ◄AFTERNOON NEWS SHOW 19 ◄HALLWAY TV SCREENS 18 ◄WEBSITE

YES

8

WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO GET SCHOOL INFORMATION? SOCIAL MEDIA

51 19

INTERCOM/P.A. E-MAIL

15

WEBSITE

8

6 ◄AFTERNOON NEWS SHOW 5 ◄POSTERS 4 ◄HALLWAY TV SCREENS

(OTHER/I DON’T KNOW 20%)

Data gathered from a poll of 103 students

28 | OPINIONS | MAY

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

AMERICA IS BEHIND ON GUN REFORMS

New Zealand shooting gives rude awakening to U.S. on ancient firearm policies GRACE GOULD FEATURES/COPY EDITOR CC PALUMBO FEATURES/IN-DEPTH EDITOR

T

wo hundred years ago, guns only fired one bullet at a time. Two hundred years ago AK-47s and AR-15s did not exist. Two hundred years later, we abide by the same laws established when times were drastically different. Two hundred years later, mass shootings are a common occurrence and a daily fear.

In order to keep U.S. citizens from living in fear and prevent more senseless deaths, tighter gun restrictions need to be implemented immediately. To not do so is to allow the death of thousands of Americans in mass shootings.

The longer this issue gets ignored and pushed to the back of the political agenda, the more people will become victims. As a society, we cannot afford to allow this problem to continue.

To put this in perspective, let’s review the mass devastation that has occurred in the U.S. due to a lack of gun reform. Forty-nine people were killed in Pulse Nightclub. Fifty-nine people were killed in Las Vegas. Seventeen were killed at Parkland High School. Twentyseven at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Thirty-two at Virginia Tech. Thousands of empty apologies and zero change followed.

The NRA, obviously, has some influential “solutions” to the gun control controversy in America. After the Parkland shooting, the lobby stood by their idea that reducing and banning the usage of guns only creates more of a problem, showing they believe more guns provide the perfect solution to gun violence.

“The quickest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Vice President Mike Pence said at the NRA’s annual convention in 2018, parroting a common gun lobbyist sentiment.

The problem with that is quite simple: saying that adding more guns into an equation in which they are the primary instrument in the mass murder of thousands is illogical and naive. The only impact more guns would make is the influx of money going straight to weapons distributors, benefiting the NRA. According to the NRA-ILA, the official lobbying arm of the NRA, Virginia does not require state permits to purchase a rifle, shotgun or handgun. Citizens may also own

machine guns, short-barrel rifles and shortbarrel shotguns so long as they register these weapons with the Department of State Police within 24 hours. This allows for weapons of mass murder to exist throughout the U.S. so long as the gun is registered, something someone willing to commit homicide is likely to disregard.

America’s loose policies surrounding gun ownership don’t seem to be helping murder rates. The U.S. gun-related homicide rates are 75 times that of New Zealand, a country that after just one mass shooting required only six days to enact new gun control laws.

QUICK FACTS INFOGRAPHIC BY PRAN KITTIVORAPAT

88.8 : 100 GUNS

PEOPLE

70%

OF THE DEADLIEST U.S. MASS SHOOTINGS HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS

2015

9,616

GUN HOMICIDES 2017

42%

OF HOUSEHOLDS OWN GUNS

2016

38,658

DEATHS FROM FIREARMS

307

SHOOTINGS FROM JAN. 1 - DEC. 5

The U.S., on the other hand, suffered over 300 mass shootings in 2018 and passed few effective resolutions to gun violence, a disease that seems to be plaguing us.

We need to learn from the example that New Zealand set with their quick policy change following the tragedy that scarred their country. Congress needs to put their political differences aside and work to create stricter gun control laws to prevent mass shootings.

It’s not only New Zealand from whom we can learn. Canada, which does not guarantee private gun ownership and requires a permit

for ownership of all firearms, had 266 gunrelated homicides in 2017 as opposed to the U.S. which had a record 39,773 murders associated with firearms.

Japan, a country which boasts some of the strictest but also most effective gun control laws in the world, had only 271,000 gun owners in a country of 127 million people as of 2011.

The nation suffered just three gun-related deaths in 2017, proving that strict gun control laws are much more effective than no gun control laws at all.

American citizens who believe it is their inalienable right to own a gun need to get over themselves and realize that the thousands of annual firearm-related deaths outweigh their personal belief that they can not survive unless their shotgun is hanging up beside their bed.

By allowing these weapons to remain prevalent in 43 percent of households throughout our country, lawmakers are essentially standing by and allowing people to be killed daily on American soil.

We need to learn from the examples of New Zealand, Canada and Japan and restrict the number of people who are permitted to own guns.

Not only do background checks to attain a gun need to be more extensive, but semiautomatic weapons must be banned in order to prevent any more mass shootings.

It’s true, the past has shaped the U.S.; however, times are changing. Our society is constantly evolving yet our gun control laws have not kept up. When the Bill of Rights was approved, mass shootings weren’t even a possibility, so abiding by the same gun laws as we did when the epidemic of gun violence didn’t even exist is extremely nonsensical.

If gun control caught up with our evolving society and modern issues, mass shootings wouldn’t be such a common occurrence.

No longer do guns fire one bullet at a time.

Firearm technology has greatly evolved since the amendment giving Americans the right to own them was passed. Gun technology has evolved. Deaths from firearm homicides have risen. So why has the legislation surrounding gun control remained the same as it was 200 years ago?

Infographic sources: CDC, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Pew Research Center, CNN, BBC, FBI Statistics, Vox Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

MAY | OPINIONS | 29

SPORTS

FRESH ATHLETIC TALENT AT McLEAN EMILY FRIEDMAN OPINIONS EDITOR & LAINE PHILLIPS NEWS EDITOR

Lily Brumbaugh Varsity Girls Softball | Catcher “When I found out I made varsity, I was really excited, but I was nervous for the season. I was just kind of overwhelmed, but it was a good feeling… The best part about playing on varsity is the competitive environment. Everyone is much older than you, so it’s important to always do your best.”

Photo courtesy of Kent Arnold

Tommy Lam Varsity Boys Tennis “The best part about playing on varsity are the people.

Everyone is really nice and funny, and they make the sport a lot more enjoyable... McLean tennis is different from other teams I’ve played for because they emphasize it being more of a team sport.”

Photo by Laine Phillips

Ava Soong Varsity Girls Lacrosse | Defender “The biggest challenge of playing on varsity is that the other teams are really good, and have more experience than the teams I’m used to playing... The girls on McLean are much nicer than any other team I’ve been on before because everyone gels together.”

Photo courtesy of Kent Arnold

30 | SPORTS | MAY

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR THESE SIX INCREDIBLE FRESHMAN ATHLETES

T

he Class of 2022 is the biggest class ever at McLean, and with this comes tremendous athletic talent.

Freshmen on varsity sports are rare, but these six aspiring young athletes have all worked extremely hard to make their way up to varsity spring sports using a combination of both natural talent and sheer determination.

Xavier Jemison Varsity Boys Track and Field | Distance “It is very overwhelming to run on varsity because instead of running against freshmen and sophomores, you run against juniors and seniors who have been running for up to 10 years... The hardest part is having to live up to expectations, but the meets are really fun.”

Photo courtesy of the Jemison family

Maggie Olifer Varsity Girls Soccer | Left Wing “The older players make you feel welcome, so you can’t really tell you’re younger, and everyone is like family... The hardest part of playing on varsity is the size difference, and the best part is all of the memories you make with the upperclassmen.”

Photo courtesy of Kent Arnold

Griffin Stieg Varsity Boys Baseball | Center Fielder “Being the youngest on the team is hard because I have a lot of responsibilities and the least experience, but it’s worth it because I get to play baseball.”

Photo by Julia McElligott Page design by Pran Kittivorapat, Emily Friedman & Laine Phillips

MAY | SPORTS | 31

JV SOCCER PLAGUED BY CLOSE GAMES McLean can’t find their finishing touch NOAH BARNES REPORTER

WARMING UP — The McLean team lines up for dynamic stretching before the game against Langley. These warm-ups are directed by the team captains and are done to prevent injuries in games. (Photo by Kaan Kocabal)

D

espite losing more games than expected, McLean’s JV boys soccer team showed promise throughout the season, which was full of extremely close games.

The team accumulated a 1-6-4 record, which is significantly lower than most had anticipated. While a winning record is important, the coaches’ main objective for the season was to improve their players’ athletic abilities.

“It’s a learning experience for both the players and I to learn more,” head coach Christopher Claude said. “We could do better, of course, and we will do better.”

In their away game against Langley on March 29, the team took a quick lead with freshman Mike El-Gharib scoring in the fifth minute. That goal ended up being their only one of the game, and they lost with a score of 1-3.

“I got a beautiful through-ball from one of our midfielders,” El-Gharib said. “The defender was pretty slow and I just ran by him.”

Several McLean team members were concerned by a penalty call made against them in the first half, which was called for the slightest contact in the box. This gave the

32 | SPORTS | MAY

impression that the call was biased in favor of Langley.

However, after Langley player Evan Preta scored his first penalty, the referee demanded a re-kick because a player on their team stepped into the box before the kick.

Stand-in goalie Jack Lannin from McLean saved the second kick with a phenomenal dive.

“It was a spectacular save, and it definitely boosted our team morale,” freshman defender Jacob Miller said.

Both of McLean’s regular goalies were not able to attend the game, and the team was ecstatic after the save. They advanced into halftime with a score of 1-0.

McLean struggled to maintain intensity in the second half, though, as the team didn’t get as many chances to score. Langley, on the other hand, fired up by the home crowd, spent most of their time attacking and threatening McLean’s defense.

The referee later awarded a controversial free kick in shooting range because of a Langley player who seemed to fall down with marginal contact. Langley freshman Cole Fisher took the free kick and scored.

“Not having our normal keepers really hurt

our team,” freshman midfielder Will Davis said.

McLean went on to lose the game 1-3, giving up two more late goals.

“I feel that our players got tired and the Langley players just ran hard,” assistant JV coach Marco Garcia said.

Despite losing or drawing most of their games, the coaches believe that the players have been developing throughout the season and are more ready to move on to varsity with each passing day.

“My goal is to get all 26 of my guys playing varsity next year,” Claude said.

The team aims to improve on their faults in order to achieve a better record next season.

“Communication is one of our weakest points, if not the weakest point,” Garcia said.

“We need to learn how to give constructive criticism and not put down other players.”

Despite their downfalls, McLean had a lot of talent on the team this season, and just couldn’t seal the deal in many of their games.

“Our season started off promising, but we were cursed by small losses,” Miller said.

“Almost every game that we had we lost or tied because our defense let in a late goal in the closing moments of the game.”

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

SIT BACK AND MCLAX

JV BOYS LACROSSE FINISHES A SEASON FOR THE BOOKS

GROUP HUG — The boys JV lacrosse team celebrates their 8-1 victory over Fairfax High School on March 9.

The early win got things started off nicely, as they only gave up three losses all season. (Photo by Will Nelson)

T

MATTHEW ZARKANI MANAGING EDITOR

he JV boys lacrosse team just wrapped up a fabulous season. The team started off their season on a high note, outscoring their opponents 48-15 through their first five games.

The team ended the season with seven wins, three losses and one tie. Despite their losses, they continued to excel.

“We would love to get those three games back—we did not play our best, but we still finished the season strong,” freshman Tanner Moore said.

Head coach Matt Kelly set goals for the team earlier in the season.

“Ideally I would like to keep the momentum, run the tables and get all of my players ready

for varsity,” Kelly said.

Kelly seems to have left his mark on his team members, as one of the freshman players, Jake Hackett, was moved up to varsity at the end of the JV season.

“Coach Kelly is a great coach—six days a week for two hours, he came out and showed his dedication to make us better players, and most importantly, better people,” Hackett said. “He taught the players many valuable skills and life lessons.”

Focusing on one game at a time and treating every game almost as though it was a new season helped ensure the team was prepared.

“We work on what we messed up on from previous games, and we all have the responsibility to work on our own,” freshman

Cooper Ferris said.

The team had lots of talent, and they had a couple of great leaders who especially contributed to the team’s success.

“Nick Lupi and Liam Downey are two of our captains who get the team hype and keep us disciplined at practice,” Moore said.

A key feature that made this team stand out was their athletic performance.

“Physically our speed makes us unique,” Kelly said. “We are really fast, and on a more personal level, all the kids have strong and vibrant personalities.”

The team’s confidence may have also helped them succeed.

“Don’t underestimate us, because we will destroy you,” Ferris said.

PLAYERS’ THOUGHTS ON THE TEAM TANNER MOORE

COOPER FERRIS

IZAAK RUIZ

“ALL OF US DEPEND ON EACH OTHER. IF WE MESS UP EVERYONE IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE, SO WE KEEP GOING UNTIL WE GET BETTER.”

“OUR TEAM IS SOLID. WE KNOW HOW TO WORK TOGETHER. WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP OF BOYS THIS YEAR.”

“THE TEAM IS REALLY GOOD, AND I LOVE MY TEAMMATES. IT’S A NICE ATMOSPHERE TO BE AROUND.”

Photos by Matthew Zarkani | Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

MAY | SPORTS | 33

SOCCER PLAYER A.K.A. BASKETBALL PLAYER Star basketball player Brian Aka explores other McLean sports MAYA AMMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

hen you see senior Brian Aka dribbling, is it down the court or down a field?

When he sped past you, was he dribbling a soccer ball or a basketball?

Aka was a star basketball player for McLean before the season ended. He has been a starter on the varsity basketball team since his sophomore year.

Around six years ago, Aka started playing basketball for the NOVA Cavs in the Amateur Athletic Union. He played on very high-caliber teams in his early childhood and started off with a solid foundation that would help him succeed in high school.

“His natural athleticism sets him apart from other members of the team,” boys varsity basketball coach Mike O’Brien said.

Aka has also been playing soccer on a McLean travel team since third grade.

Although he had an earlier start in soccer, he didn’t pursue it in his early high school years.

Instead, he chose to stick to playing basketball as his main high school sport. He quickly emerged as a standout player and leader, being named varsity captain in just his junior year.

For his last year of high school, Aka decided to try out for the soccer team.

“Some of my buddies on the team told me that they could use someone with my speed and athleticism on the soccer team, so that gave me the courage to try out,” Aka said.

Aka made the cut and immediately became a starter for the varsity team.

“Brian has exceptional physically abilities.

He is very fast, he has quick feet and great instincts,” O’Brien said.

His teammates respect him, and they see

what makes him a useful player on their roster.

“He’s always been really fast and has a long stride, which makes him hard to defend,” said senior Austin Jensen, Aka’s soccer teammate.

Aka is always seen as a team player. No matter where he is, he shows leadership skills.

“He’s never focused on himself—his main goal is to make the team, as a whole, better,” said freshman Michaela Aka, his sister.

Michaela is also a basketball player and aspires to be like her brother.

“He influenced me to play basketball and have a passion for it. He has made me fall in love with the sport,” Michaela said.

His strong leadership is displayed on the court and the pitch, helping McLean basketball achieve a prosperous past season and carrying that success to the soccer field.

“There have definitely been times where Brian was able to take over the game, especially

on the defensive side because he could [easily] take away a team’s best player,” O’Brien said.

Aka had many star moments throughout his high school basketball career. His natural talent allowed him to succeed despite the significant challenges he faced in both basketball and soccer.

“One of my moments that stands out for Brian is from his sophomore year. He took the challenge of guarding one of the best players in the entire region. He gave us a chance to really compete in that game,” O’Brien said.

Aka has a lot of fond memories from his time on the basketball team.

“Last year, the second Langley game we had, we came back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter. That was by far my favorite game,” Aka said.

People who played soccer with him at a young age recall Aka’s competitive spirit that he has maintained over the years. “[The] first time I played with him in travel [soccer] when we were 9, I was so scared of him because he always cleated people,” Jensen said.

Aka has had a vastly different experience with soccer at McLean, making a return to the sport so late in his high school career.

“As it’s my first year, I liked getting to meet new people on the team,” Aka said.

Aka’s growth as an athlete has been something O’Brien enjoyed witnessing.

“Overall, I am proud of the person Brian has become [during] his three years of being with me,” O’Brien said.

ALL-AROUND ATHLETE — Brian Aka dons both his soccer and basketball uniforms, showing how both sports are a part of who he is.

(Photos by Maya Amman)

34 | SPORTS | MAY

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

ROWING TOWARDS THE GOLD men’s crew shows what it takes to be the best

I

Benjamin Pham reporter

t may be hard to imagine nowadays with the team’s immense success, but the crew club was one of the weakest teams in Virginia not too long ago. The McLean men’s crew team’s journey is a story of how a group of boys and a coach changed the fate of a team that was set on a path of failure.

The team’s current seniors have evolved with the team that went from not having a proper Varsity 8—a boat that competes against other varsity boats—to being a powerhouse school.

“My [freshman year] we didn’t really have much speed above us and we had to push ourselves, but now we are able to show the younger guys what it means to be fast and how to get there,” senior captain Mason Duncan said.

When the current seniors of the men’s crew team joined as freshmen, they lacked upperclassman leadership and experience to push the team to new levels. This didn’t deter them, however, and the boys realized they needed to be fast to win and push their limits to achieve their goals.

“The current group of seniors [were] hungry off of a second place finish in the Freshman 8 the year prior,” senior captain Paul Fabrycky said.

Due to the second place finish at the beginning of the young men’s career, they had a taste of winning that made them yearn for the gold. The then-freshmen knew they had the potential to win and wanted it more than

anything. Their drive would eventually lead them to the success they now have.

“The program brought on a new men’s head coach, Nathan McClafferty, and with his new coaching style we looked to make great changes,” Fabrycky said.

This success is partly due to the new coach’s skill, which he brought from his time rowing for Cornell University and being an Intercollegiate Rowing Association champion.

“

NOW WE ARE ABLE TO SHOW THE YOUNGER GUYS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FAST AND HOW TO GET THERE.” — MASON DUNCAN MCLEAN CREW CAPTAIN As the boys entered their sophomore year, their hunger and McClafferty’s expertise pushed them, and they began doing well on the state level.

“There is no room for error and we need to execute accordingly,” McClafferty said.

Their no failure mentality continued well into their junior year. As the coach trained the

boys, they began to train the novices for the future. They showed the younger rowers what it means to row for McLean. They worked to ingrain the drive and focus they gained into the younger students in order to set the future of the team up for success. “[We] put a huge emphasis on developing the youth, so that when we are gone they are able to pick up where we leave off,” Duncan said.

The training of future rowers is key because the older rowers want to create a team that will continue their legacy of success. In order to do that, they needed to build a group of rowers whose skills weren’t based solely on speed.

The current team is a product of that first generation’s quest to build a team of many strengths and with a mindset drawn toward success.

“My expectations are that we are going to win states comfortably and potentially medal at national level events,” Duncan said.

After all these years, the current seniors have made the McLean crew team one of the top teams in the country. The team has consistently placed highly in national competitions, and with their ever-growing skills have even won numerous gold medals and awards. With the story of the current seniors coming to an end, their legacy will be carried on through the team’s future.

Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT — The McLean crew team rows down the Potomac River for practice before race day. (Photos by Benjamin Pham)

MAY | SPORTS | 35

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE GRACEN GOVAN SENIOR|SOFTBALL|CATCHER HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING SOFTBALL? I have been playing for McLean since my freshman year [when] I made varsity, and I have been playing softball for about seven years. I started at Little League, progressing to travel and then varsity.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT PLAYING SOFTBALL? It is a mental sport, and sometimes it is really hard to overcome the mental aspect of it... Other than that, it’s really fun, and it is a great way to establish teamwork and leadership.

“

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST IN THE UPCOMING SEASON? This year we have a really strong team, and I want to see how far we can get. Last year, we made it to States, so we have very high expectations this year that we have to live up to. Our team’s main goal is to win States.

THE PROGRAM IS LIKE A FAMILY. I HAVE MADE SO MANY FRIENDS ALONG THE YEARS. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH, AND I HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A BETTER SOFTBALL PLAYER—AS WELL AS PERSON.”

36 | SPORTS | MAY

WHICH ATHLETE HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST? My freshman year I wanted to be the starting catcher, but I played under a senior named Bella Norton. She was committed to Indiana University, and she was an amazing softball catcher. Every day, I got to practice under her, and she taught me everything I needed to know to be next year’s catcher.

She is a really big inspiration, and she continues to be one.

WHO HELPED YOU THE MOST ON YOUR JOURNEY TO MCLEAN SOFTBALL STARDOM? My dad is my biggest inspiration. I have two older brothers who are really into sports, and he helped them establish and start their sports careers. He encourages me to practice and be the best that I can. Throughout the years, his motivation has been a key part to my success. He makes me want to be on the field.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH SOFTBALL IN THE LONG RUN? In August, I committed to Tufts University for softball, so I hope to be as successful at Tufts as I have been in the past years at McLean.

Reporting by Zach Hasan & Paarth Soni | Photo courtesy of Kent Arnold | Page design by Imani McCormick

THE

FINISH LINE

How well does the girls lacrosse team know their coach?

We asked two players questions about Priscilla Smith.

LACROSSE WHAT IS COACH P’S...

PRISCILLA SMITH VARSITY HEAD COACH

MELANIE LINDSEY FRESHMAN

ROSE MAESTRI JUNIOR

FAVORITE FRUIT

PINEAPPLE

STRAWBERRIES

APPLES

FAVORITE TV SHOW

GAME OF THRONES

GREY’S ANATOMY

GREY’S ANATOMY

FAVORITE KIND OF FOOD

ITALIAN

ITALIAN

ITALIAN

DOGS OR CATS

DOGS

DOGS

DOGS

FOOTWORK/ SPENDING TIME WITH THE TEAM

WHEN WE DO THINGS RIGHT

SHOOTING DRILLS

CHOCOLATE

CHOCOLATE

COOKIES AND CREAM

FAVORITE PART FAVORITE OF PRACTICE BAND FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR

Photos & reporting by Ana Paula Ibarraran Page design by Anya Chen & Maren Kranking

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