Cub Edition 2017 by The Highlander

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highlander

Volume LXI • Issue 7 • June 2017 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

Cub Edition

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Letter from the Cub Editors

Volume LXI • Issue 7 • June 2017 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101

Dear McLean, As the school year approaches its end, it is with the greatest joy that we present the Cub Edition of The Highlander, created by students in the Journalism 1 class. Check out the News section for coverage of Ryan Zimmerman’s trip to McLean and information regarding the new silent room in the library. Our Features section catches up with author and teacher Mr. Even, as well as McLean’s beloved substitute Ms. Saenz. Our In-Depth takes a closer look at the lack of independence that McLean cultivates in its students. Flip to the Opinions section for an analysis of the infamous hot dog debate or an examination of millennial ignorance of current events. Open up the Sports section for a look at D.C. sports on the rise and a piece about why managers are the unsung heroes of McLean sports. Thank for taking the time to pick up this edition of The Highlander; any feedback, questions or concerns can be directed to room R133 or at thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com. Have a great summer, McLean! Sincerely, Nick Monroy, Maria McHugo & the students of Journalism 1

Editors-in-Chief

Nick Monroy & Maria McHugo

Managing Editors

Mary Pottanat & Jeremy Siegel

Copy Editor

Avery Kulak

Advertising Manager

Seth Eshraghi

Cartoonist

Dasha Makarishcheva

News Editors

Ben Brooks & Chaerok Hong

Features Editors

Faisal Al-Gailani & Rebeka Rafi

A&E Editors

Thara Tha & Sabrina Vazquez

Opinions Editors

Anya Chen & Emily O’Keefe

Sports Editors

Javier Noyola, Charlie Olifer & Will Payne

Reporters

Adviser

Carla Ballard Faris Bouzid Roy Jonkers

Paul Murray Michael Roth Pedro Ordunez Collin Wimmer Lani Perkuchin

Lindsay B. Benedict

Printed by aPrintis

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 e-mail 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.

Cover photo illustration by Maria McHugo

CONTENTS NEWS 3 4 5

Ryan Zimmerman visits McLean News Around the World

Library installs silent room

FEATURES

6 Substitute teacher Saenz 7 10 Qs with Donald Vivacqua of the Issue: 8-9 Highlander Aaron Even

IN-DEPTH

10-13

The Declaration of Dependence:

McLean students are unprepared for reality

A&E

14 15

Thrift shops provide cheap alternative

Apple vs. Android

Slime trend grows at McLean

17 18

Review: Beauty and the Beast Review: 13 Reasons Why

OPINIONS

Bridge project provides valuable experiences

23 24

Bathrooms should be upgraded

Teenagers should keep up with the news

Early risers are wiser

SPORTS 27

Managers: unsung heroes of McLean sports

D.C. sports on the rise

Editorial: McLean should implement HT 8 every day

McLean should eliminate lockers

Athlete of the Issue: JaneAnne Tvedt

Crossfire: Are hot dogs sandwiches?

The Finish Line

Academic Writing - Strengthening AP Literature Exam Prep

Strengthen your academic and expository writing and test skills this summer with a recently retired local teacher with 22 years experience in teaching AP English Literature, English IV, Honors 10 English, and ESL. UVA and University of Richmond graduate with Post-graduate Professional Certification in all of the mentioned areas. AP Literature exam prep available also. Be intentional and start a year early for best results. I will come to your home if you live in the McLean H.S. district. or you can come to me near Yorktown at night. I employ another English teacher who is a graduate of The University of Virginia and is trained in ESL with CELTA/Cambridge certification. She has local experience in tutoring and classroom teaching and is adept in prepping for standardized testing for SAT and in helping students compose compelling college entrance essays. Call or text Mrs. Thompson at 703-371-2914

Ryan Zimmerman visits McLean

Phones Down, Home Run press conference educates students

NEWS

Maren Kranking & Julia McElligott Reporters

ashington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman visited McLean as part of the Phones Down, Home Run press conference that took place at the practice softball field on May 10. The initiative aims to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The decision to hold this event at McLean was influenced by the results of an activity held in the cafeteria earlier in the year, which prompted students to write down what helps them most with stress. “An overwhelming number of students said going out for a drive,” Sources of Strength sponsor Nick Corsi said. “[Additionally,] with the Fairfax County Youth Survey, 48 percent of [McLean] students identified that they are texting and talking on the phone while driving.” The Sources of Strength club, the leadership class and the varsity softball and baseball teams were invited to the conference, along with groups from nearby schools. During the event, a variety of speakers were invited to present their experiences, including representatives from Transurban, Partners for Safe Teen Driving and Inova Trauma Services. Sources of Strength peer leader and McLean sophomore Carenna Slotkoff also took the podium during the press conference.

“If you don’t respond as soon as they text you, they’re not going to shut you out of their life or never talk to you again.” -Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman “Everyone is at a risk for [distracted driving],” Slotkoff said. “It’s something that can be ended if everyone is proactive in limiting their possible distractions. I know so many people who are distracted drivers, and it’s scary to think about the potential threats they face or could cause just because of a distraction like a simple text.” Through raw facts and personal stories, the JUNE

Phones Down, Home Run — Ryan Zimmerman, first baseman for the

Washington Nationals, speaks at the Phones Down, Home Run press conference on May 10. The event was held to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. (Photo by Julia McElligott) speakers emphasized the importance of not being distracted while driving. The goal was to further educate and impact young drivers on the potentially deadly effects of distracted driving. According to the campaign, Virginia counties that are a part of the Phones Down, Home Run initiative have significantly lower accident rates that are attributed to distracted driving than in other counties. “After watching the press conference and hearing all the statistics about how dangerous distracted driving is, I have made a conscious effort to put my phone down while driving and I have encouraged my parents and friends to do the same,” junior and varsity baseball player Ryan Dahlseid said. In an effort to discourage distracted driving, Zimmerman made an appearance at the conference to speak to the attendees. Zimmerman has partnered with the campaign to help address the dangers of phone use behind the wheel. “Wait until you get there [to use your phone]...five or 10 minutes isn’t going to

change anything,” Zimmerman said in an interview with The Highlander. “You [might] think it’s so urgent, [but] it really doesn’t matter whether you wait 10 minutes to get where you’re going. If you don’t respond as soon as they text you, they’re not going to shut you out of their life or never talk to you again.” After the speakers finished their presentation, students were invited to sign a pledge to put their phone down while driving. Zimmerman and the rest of the campaign said they hope the conference will help lower the number of distracted driving accidents. “Most of the time everything works out in the end,” Zimmerman said. “You can just wait. It’s not that big of a deal.”

For more pictures from the press conference, visit thehighlandernews.com Page design by Maren Kranking

The future of France Emmanuel Macron elected president

Four Americans detained Ben Brooks Cub News Editor

Michael Roth Cub Reporter

North Korean hostages

he French presidential election that was held on May 7 saw Emmanuel Macron winning against Marine Le Pen with a sweeping majority. However, it was not without complications, as a last-second document leak, allegedly from Russian sources, targeted Macron. Macron, the centrist candidate, beat Le Pen, the nationalist candidate, with a vast majority. The Telegraph reported he won with 66 percent of the vote. Macron’s party, En Marche!, claimed itself victim to a massive hack that leaked sensitive emails and documents about Macron’s campaign. According to Wired, the National Security Agency confirmed that Russians were likely responsible for the attack. French election law prohibits French media from reporting on such incidents to prevent last minute scandals from affecting election results. “In France [the government] completely shut down that information,” French teacher Isabelle Brazell said. “It completely defeated the purpose of [the attack].” Following President François Hollande, who sported a four percent approval rating, Macron will have to deal with many large national issues. “People are unhappy…[due to] low salaries, unemployment, immigration and terrorism,” Brazell said. Further, Macron claimed to be a centrist candidate, but people worried he wasn’t being truthful. “There were concerns that he was a Socialist like [the last president] François Hollande,” freshman Ben Jeannot said. People were also concerned about the other candidate, Le Pen. Le Pen’s platform was very conservative, particularly when set next to candidates like Benoit Hamon and Jean-Luc Melanchon. “She seemed too [conservative],” Jeannot said. Despite Macron’s clear platform, France’s future is not certain. “It’s a situation we’ve never seen before,” Brazell said. “If this is going to work or not… The future is going to tell us.” Though Macron won the election, he’s not out of the clear just yet. According to France 24, France’s legislative elections are coming up, and he needs people who will support him. Since he isn’t part of a mainstream party, he will have to compromise with both Republicans and Socialists. A centrist, Macron plans to unite liberals and conservatives. As such, people hold hope for the new administration. “Before, [France] had a Socialist [leader]…the situation was not very good. The president before that was a Republican…that was not very good either,” Brazell said. “So maybe it’s time to go above parties and [unite] everybody… If he’s successful, it will be amazing.”

ince 2015, four American citizens have been detained in Pyongyang, North Korea. Two of the four either had lived or were living in Virginia, including a UVA student named Otto Warmbier who was detained on Jan. 2, 2016, for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda sign. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Due to the lack of normal diplomatic relations between the two countries, the U.S. has been relying on the Swedish Embassy in North Korea for information on the status of the detained U.S. citizens. Kim Dong-chul, who formerly resided in Fairfax, Virginia, was arrested in October 2015 and is facing a 10-year prison sentence on espionage charges. A Korean-American, Kim Sang-duk, who had been a professor at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) was detained at the airport in April and subsequently arrested for alleged attempts to “overturn” the government. In May, Kim Hak-song, a lecturer at PUST, was arrested for alleged “hostile acts,” according to the North Korean government. “The tensions are so high right now that trying to go for the... hostages [is] not the priority of the U.S. right now,” senior Alex Brunner said. Some people believe the U.S. should use force to get the hostages back, but others have different opinions. “The [U.S.] should try to negotiate with the government because if they try to take the hostages by force then it will set off a whole chain of reactions,” freshman Cora Eaton said. “The [U.S.] should be much more proactive about telling people the dangers of going to North Korea.” On May 25, House lawmakers submitted the North Korea Travel Control Act, a bill to restrict Americans from traveling to North Korea and block tourism. “The regime has routinely imprisoned innocent foreign civilians and used them as bargaining chips to gain credibility with the West,” South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson said in a statement. “We should not enable them any longer.” The U.S. does warn people about the dangers of going to North Korea, but putting restrictions on going there would help to prevent hostages from being taken in the first place. “Until the regime is stabilized more, people should only be going over to North Korea to meet with officials,” Brunner said. Given the risk of potential conflict, including North Korea’s threatened use of nuclear weapons, these detained U.S. citizens have added to American worries about increased tensions with North Korea. “North Korea has nuclear weapons and they’re not afraid to use them. We have to be cautious,” freshman Brendan Camp said.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Page design by Young In Seo & Siddarth Shankar

NEWS

Work in Progress — The silent room in the library has been in the works for nearly three years. It will serve as a sanctuary for those seeking peaceful study. (Photo by Maria McHugo)

Library installs silent room

Addition of quiet area meant to enhance educational experience Nick Monroy Cub Editor-in-Chief fter three years of planning, a new silent library space will open for students soon. The recently constructed room will provide a tranquil area of study or relaxation, sealed with sound-proof glass panels in order to provide a sanctuary in a densely populated area of the school. “It will allow us to maintain the sense of a fairly quiet library but also still let students come in and do their own work,” head librarian Joan McCarthy said. This undertaking did not happen overnight. It took countless meetings and proposals to finalize McCarthy’s dream of renovating the library, something she admits could not have been done alone. “All the credit goes to [Principal Ellen] Reilly. She said, ‘Let’s do this—it’s what the students are saying we need,’ so I’m happy we’ve made it here,” McCarthy said. “She was able to get the funding for it.” The McLean High School population has grown in the past several years and many areas of the building have struggled to keep up with the numerous students who pass through every day. “The bathrooms are a mess and the hallways have dozens of traffic jams every

day,” sophomore Stefan Maric said. “If we have the funding, we should try to start renovating as much as we can.” The high concentration of both students and teachers in the formerly quiet hot spot has threatened the characteristic silence of the library. McCarthy hopes the quiet room will solve this problem. “We realize the library is a very popular gathering place...and as we expanded as a school, it became harder to maintain [a quiet library] without having to police our patrons,” McCarthy said. McCarthy placed high importance on design when helping to plan the silent room. The new section is meant to be simplistic, modern and appealing to all students. “We didn’t want it to look like a mall or a storefront,” McCarthy said. Although the quiet space is scheduled to open by the last weeks of school, the soundproof glass will be installed by the end of summer break. “We are also adding sound absorbers to the walls so that students and projects can still operate with different activities going on,” McCarthy said. The quiet room is not the first big project the library has undertaken in the past few years. Rather, it is another addition to a long

line of changes meant to make the area more enjoyable. “[We also added] the advanced applications room with five supercomputers for editing and other programs that go above and beyond in terms of software,” McCarthy said. The additions to the library have already been noticed by regular patrons, many of whom see the changes as a positive step forward. “It gives the library the ability to serve more people and gives those who need the quiet and separation the ability to have it,” sophomore Lindsay Blum said. “I think it’s a great idea.” The initiative to upgrade the library to make it a more inclusive and effective workspace was a joint effort with many different moving pieces, but it all stemmed from the feedback of the student body. “The main decision [to build the quiet room] came from feedback from the students,” McCarthy said. “It will be the domain of teachers and students who need a quiet space—we are very excited to see how the student body responds.”

Page design by Nick Monroy

JUNE

FEATURES

Saenz of the times

Substitute encourages students to travel by sharing life stories Lani Perkuchin Cub Reporter

he tardy bell chimes as the last few students trickle into English teacher Courtney Klein’s classroom. They look across the room to determine whether their lack of punctuality will be noticed, but it is not their usual teacher sitting behind the desk. They exchange smiles and silent celebrations with one another as they realize their teacher for the day is Raquel Saenz, the beloved McLean substitute known for the stories she tells of her life full of travel and adventure. Ask any student at McLean and they will tell you Saenz is one of their favorite substitutes, always pleasant and very entertaining with tales from 33 countries and all seven continents. “When I tell my students they’re having Ms. Saenz as a sub next class, they all celebrate, and you can’t say that for every sub,” physics teacher Dean Howarth said. Saenz has been sharing her unique personality and background with students at McLean since 2005. “After my husband passed away, I would go jogging to relieve stress. One day I passed McLean High School, and that’s when I decided I wanted to start substituting here,” Saenz said. But this decision was not the beginning of Saenz’s career in teaching. “I retired from my job as a full-time teacher in 1996, [but] I have been teaching [and substituting] since 1957,” Saenz said. Sixty years later, this fact often shocks students as they imagine how long their substitute has had to master the job, and how much she has seen. “I think the story that students remember most is Ms. Saenz’s trip to Antarctica,” senior Dana Peters said. “It’s so crazy that she’s been there in the first place, but the story of her commute is even crazier.” Saenz describes the trip as the hardest one she has ever been on. “At the tip of South America, there is a whirlpool where the Atlantic and Pacific meet. We went through 48 hours of turbulence on our boat so bad that we had to strap ourselves in our bunks,” Saenz said. 6

Wonder Sub — Substitute Raquel Saenz writes the lesson plan on the

board for the class she is covering on May 25. She has been a substitute at McLean since 2005. (Photo by Nick Monroy) “Everyone was vomiting.” Despite the hardships, Saenz’s hunger for adventure and exploration perpetuates. Going hand-in-hand with Saenz’s affinity for teaching, her love for travel sprouts from her desire to learn about other people and their different ways of life. “My favorite story [is] from when I visited Patagonia, [where] it is so cold that plants are unable to grow anywhere [besides] greenhouses,” Saenz said. “[Because of this,] salads sold in restaurants were very expensive.” Saenz and her husband were walking the streets of Patagonia when they encountered a man with a large cardboard box. Curious as to what he was carrying, they inquired and discovered it was lettuce he had grown in his greenhouse that he was planning to sell to a restaurant for a lot of money. “He said selling the lettuce was his best money maker. He invited us to his greenhouse and showed us the lettuce he was growing,” Saenz said. “He was also growing flowers [since] there were no flowers outside.” She smiles as she remembers the kind man. “I complimented the flowers, so he cut

one and presented it to me,” Saenz said. What would seem to most like a small gesture meant the world to Saenz. “[He gave me one of his flowers] even though he could’ve sold it for a lot of money. I think it was his way of saying, ‘Thank you for taking an interest in my life,’” Saenz said. Her experience in barren Patagonia manifests exactly what it is that Saenz loves about traveling. Saenz relishes the opportunity to explore the world and experience all walks of life. Today, Saenz gets her dose of adventure by visiting her timeshare in the Caribbean every winter. At the age of 80, her passion has not died. “Now that I am widowed, I travel alone quite a bit, and it doesn’t faze me,” Saenz said. Saenz wishes for students to learn from her that no matter what age or circumstance, seeing the world will better you. “Traveling is the best education you could ever get,” Saenz said, “especially when you go into neighborhoods and talk to people who live there. [Doing so will make] you the best you can possibly be.” Page design by Lani Perkuchin

FEATURES

10 Qs with

Donald J. Vivacqua (Health & Physical Education Teacher) Reporting by Faisal Al-Gailani Photos by by Faisal Al-Gailani & courtesy of Donald Vivacqua Page design by Bryan Chung

If you were trapped in a desert, what three things would you bring?

What animal do you see yourself as?

A knife, a cooking pot and a 550 cord.

A dog, because if you treat it right, it will listen to you. It’s also loyal.

What’s your favorite song? “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles.

How long have you been teaching? I’ve been teaching for 14 years and coaching basketball, football and track for 15 years.

If you had one wish that would come true, what would you wish for? To get to spend another day with my mother.

What’s your favorite part about McLean? The P.E. staff is my favorite part about McLean High School.

What will you be doing over summer vacation?

What is your main goal as a P.E./Drivers Ed teacher?

I’ll be driving my motorcycle to Texas and back.

To encourage students to be productive citizens.

What would you be if you weren’t a teacher? I’d be a photographer.

What are your top three favorite sports? Basketball, badminton and curling. 7

Highlander of the Issue

English teacher publishes his second novel Aaron Even wins an Independent Publisher Book Award Rebeka Rafi Cub Features Editor

nglish teacher Aaron Even recently published his second novel, He Comes in Fire. The book took him 10 years to complete and recently won an Independent Publisher Book Award. For Even, it all started in the late 90s when a series of church arsons occurred. Around this time, Even began to work for National Geographic as a researcher, where he furthered his own private study of the subject. “This topic was really hard to write about, [as] I had to do a lot of research to write this novel,” Even said. Published on Oct. 25, 2016, He Comes in Fire is about a string of unsolved church arsons in Virginia around the year 2000. “I had to do quite a lot of research because I wanted things to be realistic in the novel,” Even said. “I was able to contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, [so] I went to their laboratory and was able to watch controlled burns as well as talk to fire investigators.” Even’s hard work paid off when he won an award this year. “[My novel] won an Independent Publisher Book Award for best regional fiction in our area, and it was nominated for the Library of Virginia Award which I’m very happy about,” Even said. Although this is a difficult topic to write about, Even has a lot of writing experience. He published his first book, Bloodroot, in his late 20s. “I have always been writing, since I was in high school, and I continued on trying to write novels in college [but] they were terrible,” Even said. According to Even, a combination of patience and time is essential to pursue a passion. “Writing is something [that] if you like it, you just do it all the time. So you have some misses, you have some hits—just keep doing it and doing it,” Even said. Going through the process of getting a book published is a difficult journey. The 8

Sharing His Words — Ninth grade English teacher Aaron Even gives a

book talk at the Madison Storytellers Festival in Madison, New Jersey, in June 2016. He Comes in Fire is his second published novel. (Photo courtesy of Aaron Even)

2008 market crash was a major roadblock because of scarce opportunities. “I overcame [the crash] by just [continuing to] plug away. You just have to accept the likelihood of failure and move forward. I try to have some balance in my life and not to be obsessed with writing,” Even said. Even brings these aspects of his life into the classroom. “[Even] is a significant teacher who uses helpful methods of teaching to [encourage] his students to view the subject of English in positive ways,” freshman Sofya Protsenko said. “Mr. Even opens his students’ minds and eyes to show them the true meaning of literature.”

Other students affirm Even’s educational prowess in addition to his literary achievement. “Mr. Even is the best English teacher I have ever had,” freshman Sofi Recinos said. “He is so full of knowledge and teaches our class with such passion for the subject.” Even always pushes his students to unlock their full potential when it comes to literature. As far back as high school, Even knew that he would achieve his goal of publishing a novel. “I was committed to that—it would’ve been just a huge, crushing disappointment if I had never [had this achievement of ] publishing a novel,” Even said. Even pursues other activities, such as JUNE

Aikido, in which he has now earned his black belt, as a way to do something other than writing.

“From a business perspective, from a financial perspective, from a mental health perspective, it’s the stupidest thing you can possibly do with your time and your life.” -English teacher Aaron Even “I’m really trying to take a mental vacation from writing this year,” Even said. As well as being a published author, Even has a background in working in television. “[Television] wasn’t something that I planned on doing. I planned on being more academic,” Even said. Writing has always been a hobby for him, even throughout middle school. “I just started [writing] when I was in middle school. I remember trying to write my first novel,” Even said. “It was just like if you enjoy music then you end up picking up an instrument and trying to play—it was that simple. I enjoyed reading books and I wanted to do the same thing,” Even said. When Even was stuck writing about a character, he drew from real life situations for inspiration. “I broke my leg playing a soccer game, and it occurred to me about a month later after I had gone through surgery...I just thought that the character should break his leg,” Even said. Even doesn’t publish novels for the fame, fortune or popularity. He does it because he enjoys writing. “On one hand it makes me think that doing something like writing a novel is a hard thing to do. From a business perspective, from a financial perspective, from a mental health perspective, it’s the stupidest thing you can possibly do with your time and your life. The process of publishing is so difficult, so challenging, that you’re not going to stay in it unless you really are committed to it,” Even said. Recently, Even encountered some problems with his publishing company, Atticus Books. FEATURES

“Atticus Books was the original publisher and shortly after my novel’s release, I found out that it was going to be the last book they published, that they were having some problems and were going to shut their doors this year. Of course I didn’t know that, so I think the publishers published the novel with the best of their intentions and that they wanted it to be successful,” Even said. Sometimes the hardships in publishing a novel are just out of the reach of an author. “[Atticus Books] had some problems that were just separate from anything that I would know, so it was published, and it’s already out of print,” Even said. Unfortunately, Even has to find another publishing company for his novel, though many editors from larger publishing houses are interested in it. “I just signed a contract with a literary

agency, which is a very good agency that I’m pleased to be associated with now, and they’ve gotten an agent working on flipping this book to a larger publisher,” Even said. Even has been completely humble about this experience and hasn’t let these accomplishments change him. “Sometimes life puts you through the wringer for some reason, and it doesn’t feel good when it’s happening to you and sometimes it doesn’t feel fair, but if you don’t get too self-indulgent about it then you can come out of it and see the good side,” Even said. Writing a novel is a strenuous process, but it can also be a rewarding one. “There are moments when the wheels are really turning and everything’s clicking and you feel like you’re really on your game,” Even said. “That’s a really great feeling.”

Interested in reading this novel? The MHS library has multiple copies of He Comes in Fire. An excerpt from Aaron Even’s He Comes in Fire: “He turned, shading his brow. The stranger looked down on him with the slightly dazed expression of one who has finished an arduous and painful task; his right hand slid along his hip into his jean pocket, retrieved something small and bright, and climbed back up toward his mouth. A moment later a tiny flame wriggled in his hand. Smoke curled and mixed with his laugh, sudden and humorless, incongruent. He exhaled and squinted into the bright distance. Splayed tree tops and sharp curves of mountains stood against the afternoon sky.” Page design by Rebeka Rafi

The Declaration of Dependence

McLean students are not prepared for reality CARMEN BEADIE after high school Maria McHugo & Nick Monroy Cub Editors-in-Chief

inals have concluded, stress has subsided and a long four years have come to an end. The sleepless nights are over and the crowded hallways lay desolate. Amongst a sea of red caps, the sole certainty remaining is a diploma in hand marking a future ahead. However, students are unprepared for the responsibility which is to come after graduation—students are not ready for reality. For McLean students, the key to independence is not in reach. Out of a survey of 104 students, 96 feel that high school does not prepare them for reality. While many students have been enrolled in a breadth of college-level classes, the life skills required for the transition from youth to adulthood are seemingly absent. “High school has not prepared me to be independent in the future. School only prepares you to be better at memorization and certain scholarly skills. It does not prepare you for actual life skills [such as] how to fend for yourself,” senior Andrew Park said. “Students become more dependent on their families rather than themselves.” It is not only the students of McLean that bear such opinions, but staff members share similar thoughts. In recognition of this, Principal Ellen Reilly has devoted focus to bridging the gap between high school and adulthood. “I think that you should have a class period off to go take care of your own business and study on your own time and start learning what that independence is,” Reilly said. However, the regulations of Fairfax County do not permit this flexibility. “By the rules and the confines that we are in, I can’t allow that to happen,” Reilly said. “I do think that we don’t prepare you. How do we?” It is often thought to be the responsibility of the individual student to make a successful transformation from childhood to adulthood. It is not the school but the student who is in control of their own destiny. Math teacher Crissie Ricketts said she often observes this principle. “What I like to do is put the emphasis on the students... If you don’t do your homework, I’m not going to give you a grade and you are going to bear the consequences on the test,” Ricketts said. “That’s part of growing up... We lead [students] to water,

and if they don’t drink, that’s on them.” Ricketts noted the lack of individual responsibility at McLean. The introduction of the newly updated retake policy this year has negatively contributed to this aspect of student life. Under the refreshed policy, if a student scores an 80 percent or lower on an assessment, they are eligible for a retake and can earn a final score of 80 percent at the maximum. Chemistry teacher Christina Hicks estimates there are one to eight retakes on each test per class of 30 honors students— nearly one-third of each class. Students have abused this policy to a point which approaches negligence. “What I’ve seen this year with the retakes is that we are not preparing students. What used to be a lovely Algebra 2 Honors course has now become a retake course,” Ricketts said. “Again, again and again it is retake, after retake, after retake, and it has been exhausting.” However, preparation for the future pertains to far more than just academic proficiency. School counselor Gregory Olcott feels that independence also requires experiences outside of the classroom. As such, adolescents should explore their opportunities and involve themselves in activities and extracurriculars which provide a basis for independence. “I learned more in the hallways and outside of school about things that are important in life than I did in the classroom. The opportunity to socialize with peers and to be exposed to different beliefs and cultures and experiences from other people—those are the type of things [that] prepare you for life, not necessarily sitting in an AP [Biology] class,” Olcott said. While the responsibility for independence may primarily fall on the individual, it takes a village to raise a child. It is imperative that a support system and community be built around every student in order to ensure a path to success. Therefore, the duty must also be placed on the parents, who have a vital role in the transition to adulthood. “I have kids come back and say that high school was harder than college. So yes, do I think that we prepare [students] academically? Absolutely,” Reilly said. “Do I think that we have the avenues that we can get students ready for social independence? That’s a parent thing.” 11

1 in 6 students in AP World retake tests

1 in 5 students in Chemistry HN retake tests

1 in 6 students in APUSH retake tests Data collected from McLean teachers

Nevertheless, independence calls upon the removal of parent-mandated control. Independence does not require handholding, nor does it command constant involvement from a parent or guardian, but it necessitates an individual trust which comes with accountability and reality. “I see a difference in parental communication: the freshmen—their parents, I hear from [them]; the seniors—I don’t hear from a parent unless I pass them in the grocery store,” Ricketts said. The lack of student responsibility for their transition into adulthood is detrimental to their future success. The measure of preparation is not and should not be solely academic or social. “Having seniors understand what college and what living with someone you’ve never met is like is a really big stretch. I think that those are difficult scenarios for us to have you prepared for,” Reilly said. “We teach

you independence in how to study and how to work. Those are our things; we are education.” McLean High School is just that—an educational institution. That being said, it is the role of such an establishment to educate students on the basic tenets of reality, not merely academic matters. Teenagers spend thousands of hours within the confines of high school, developing individual identities and systems of thought. Hence, there is no better entity to authorize student preparation than one’s own school. “[I believe] it is the role of the school to prepare all students for the real world, because it’s important to become an adult early on so that you may make money and be successful,” senior Alex Brunner said. Currently, Fairfax County requires student enrollment in either personal finance or AP Economics, two courses which seek to better prepare students for the reality of

adulthood and the economic decisions that come with it. While such courses denote a significant attempt to prepare students, they ultimately fail, as they only account for a mere 3.5 percent of cumulative time spent in high school. “I know nothing about finance, because school has not [taught] me. What is five percent of my money going to? I have no idea,” junior Max Groppe said. “How do I know if I have enough money to spend on food? What if I have a kid? Do I know how to raise a kid? ...I’m not quite sure.” In encouraging independence, the McLean administration seeks to guide student populations, endeavoring to right wrongdoings and accordingly educate students. Nevertheless, staff members cannot effectively direct transitions into adulthood with such little time allotted for instruction. “What we try to do is teach kids how to advocate for themselves… We talk to you IN-DEPTH

when you get in trouble, we go to school dances—but that is a four-hour block of time that we get you. We tell you to make right choices when you go to the football game, and we teach you how to regroup and get yourself back up if you don’t. Those are the kinds of things that we do,” Reilly said. Although reasonable endeavors exist, the recognition of high school’s failure to

I’ve got to go take care of this business,’” Reilly said. “We don’t do it, so how do you get ready for college the next year?” McLean alumni have experienced the impacts of such a preparation deficit in their post-high school ventures. The realities of independence come with a great deal of responsibility, which FCPS could have done a better job teaching. McLean Class of 2016

of independence in scheduling—i.e., hold information sessions where similar topics are discussed or have alumni come back and talk about what they may have changed freshman year—[students] may be better prepared for independence after high school.” The vast majority of McLean students are left wholly unprepared for adulthood. Students are isolated from the realities of

“Academically, they are very well prepared… But we are not the real world.” -math teacher Crissie Ricketts prepare students for reality is undeniable. The majority of McLean students feel academically ready for the responsibilities of adulthood, though there lies significant social and economic ineptitude. “We make you come to every period, we make you come to all of your classes [but] we don’t allow you to say, ‘You know what [Principal] Reilly, I have to go to the bank—

alumna Becca Deitch, a rising sophomore at the College of William and Mary, suggests amendment to the current institutions of preparation. “I think the biggest adjustment to living independently after high school is learning how to manage your time effectively and in a healthy manner,” Deitch said. “If high schools could introduce some idea

feel that high school provides necessary preparation for independence*

65% 27%

of employers agreed***

of the students felt their writing skills were strong enough for the professional world***

independence, leaving them confined to the pages of their AP textbooks rather than the freedom which marks maturity. “Academically, they are very well prepared…we live in a nice suburban environment where we are sheltered...we are not inner city, we are diverse, but in very specific ways,” Ricketts said. “But we are not the real world.”

About 87% of high school students

? want to earn a college degree and land a career**

*Poll of 104 students **College and Career Readiness Survey conducted by YouthTruth ***Survey from Association of American Colleges and Universities Infographics & page design by Bryan Chung

JUNE

A&E

Hey McLean, let’s go thrift shopping Cheaper alternatives to mainstream clothing stores Anya Chen Cub Opinions Editor

ver the years, thrift shopping has evolved from a bargain opportunity into a novelty hobby. A thrift store is not only a center of used goods and outdated jackets, but it is a hub of unique pieces and endless possibilities. That local thrift store is much more than its dilapidated facade. “Every once in a while I’ll find something really special,” said junior Ellie Hall, the head of costume design for TheatreMcLean. “You’ll go into a thrift store and there will be things you’re not looking for, but when you’re least expecting it, you’ll find something you love.” Thrift stores often have more to offer than that of mainstream clothing stores. In addition, they are practically gold mines for those who identify as frugal shoppers “Prices are more than 50 percent off

usually, which is perfect for the struggling high school student,” senior Andrew Park said. “[Thrift stores are] much cheaper and has a much wider range of styles, brands and vintage clothing.”

“You can find more unique pieces that you won’t find anywhere else.” -junior Ellie Hall A common concern for newcomers who are less experienced in shopping at thrift or consignment stores is the quality of clothing. However, according to sophomore Jana Kral, an intern at vintage store Amalgamated

Clothing in Arlington, there is nothing to worry about. “The quality is superior to almost anything you could find at a store if your pieces are older,” Kral said. “A lot of the stuff people wear now is similar to what people wore before, so you’re getting the same thing as retail but at a much better price.” Both the community and the environment benefit from thrift stores. Thrift shopping is a great way to recycle and repurpose clothing instead of filling landfills with more waste. “The creation of new clothes is done in such a mass-produced and environmentally damaging way,” Kral said. “At thrift stores, it’s definitely a more environmental process.” Thrift shopping can be a challenge, but the end result is worth the effort. “It’s the hard work that goes into it that’s really rewarding,” Kral said. “It’s cool to know that you’ve bought a unique piece that no one else is wearing.”

Page design by Anya Chen Photos courtesy of Ellie Hall, Andrew Park & Jana Kral

A&E

Clash of the calls The great phone debate of Apple vs. Android returns Collin Wimmer Cub Reporter tudents spend enormous amounts of time on their phones every day. Accordingly, it is important to have a device that can work well and even look good as society becomes more attatched to this technology. Therefore, the question always arises: the iPhone or the Android? Apple and Android represent the most prominent cell phone softwares of our time. Android is more popular worldwide because a variety of companies choose to use its software in their phones, such as the Pixel phone by Google, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and many more. However, in a poll of 100 McLean students, only 12 had Androids. Of these 12 students, freshman Campbell Cusey is a proud owner of the Android Pixel by Google. “I prefer Android over Apple because Android is much more customizable and has near field communication (NFC),” Cusey said.

NFC allows data to be transferred between electronics by simply tapping them together. It can be used to share files and pictures and can even act as a key card. This capability is limited to Android products. “The one problem I have with Android is that I can’t play GamePigeon,” Cusey said. GamePigeon is an extension to the iMessage application on the iPhone which allows users to send games in their text strings. This feature is exclusive to iPhones. Freshman Duncan Fitzsimmons just received his first iPhone and is very happy with its capabilities. However, he is displeased with the phone’s automatic notifications. “It keeps asking me to update it, even when I say no. Then a few seconds later it will ask again,” Fitzsimmons said. “It’s kind of annoying.” The Galaxy S8 is the newest Android phone from Samsung. This edition is water resistant, so it can be submerged in five feet of water for five minutes or less. This feature allows the owner to accidentally soak their

iPhone 7

- Submerge one meter for 30 minutes - Screen cut off for camera and home button - 4K camera - GamePigeon

phone and not have to worry. In comparison, the iPhone 7 is able to be submerged one meter into the water for half an hour. Though it may not go as deep as the S8, it retains the ability to be submerged for a much longer period of time. The iPhone 7 has dual cameras which gives the photos greater depth, whereas the Samsung S8 has only one camera and it is not as powerful. While the S8 has a screen covering the entire face of the phone, which gives the user more space to use, the iPhone 7 has limited screen space due to its home button. The iPhone is better for social interactions as it has the better camera and has more texting capabilities, whereas the S8 is better for using at work due to its larger screen and key card functions. Both phones have different features for different situations, so deciding on the better phone ultimately depends on each user and their respective intentions.

Samsung Galaxy S8

- Submerge five feet for five minutes - Screen continuous from top to bottom - 4K camera - NFC

Graphics & page design by Bryan Chung & Siddarth Shankar

JUNE

Getting stuck in the slime trend

Sticky Situation — Slime videos seem to be the next be craze in internet trends. This is just one of several trends to fall under the category of satisfying videos. (Photos courtesy of @nvrslimes)

Satisfying trends dominate students’ social media at McLean Sabrina Vazquez & Emily O’Keefe Cub A&E & Cub Opinions Editors

quish, crunch, pop. These are the sounds of slime—a trend booming on social media. Scroll through any McLean student’s Instagram and you are likely to stumble upon a video of someone meticulously tapping and stretching the gooey substance. Few seem to understand why these videos are as mesmerizing and intriguing as they are, but there is a science behind all of it. The autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, is responsible for the popularity of these videos. Certain sounds or experiences can trigger tingling sensations around the head and neck area. Triggers can range from the tapping of fingernails to soft whispering to the sound and sight of slime videos. “My understanding is that it’s an extension of mindfulness, like a sensory experience that not everyone has, but that some people can have...the ability to kind of clue into what your body is experiencing at a given time can help people have that,” AP Psychology teacher Cynthia Hawkins said. Slime has been around for decades now, yet its popularity has grown to heights towering over past similar products. In the 1990s and early 2000s a slime-like substance 16

called Gak was all the rage with children and teens alike. Thanks to social media, apps have allowed people from all over the world to watch and share these new slime videos

Satisfaction Takeover — Satisfying

videos have dominated social media. Two of these trends are paint mixing (top) and sand cutting (bottom). (Photos courtesy of @paintvideos and @sand.tagios)

at record speed, causing the trend to gain popularity seemingly overnight. “I think without social media, slime wouldn’t be as popular. Some people love watching it, and social media is a convenient way to see it rather than having to go out and buy it,” sophomore Nathaniel Wyerman said. Social media makes slime almost impossible to miss, yet some wish these viral videos would die down. “I don’t really like slime because it looks disgusting. Also, I don’t really see a point to playing with it,” Wyerman said. Slime is not the only trend that provides gratification to people across the world. ASMR videos with paint mixing and sand cutting give viewers a similar feeling of satisfaction and relaxation. “I like paint videos. [The videos are] very calming [and] nothing is really happening. There is something inexplicably satisfying [watching] two colors become one,” sophomore Catherine Lawrence said. Whether it truly is satisfying or not, there is no doubt that the slime trend will continue to flourish. In a world of people who desire instant satisfaction, who knows what the next big trend might be. Page design by Sabrina Vazquez

A&E

Disney

Nostalgic figures come to life in Beauty and the Beast

“Beauty”ful masterpiece touches hearts, striking worldwide success Chaerok Hong Cub News Editor ays of endless Disney films and abundant princess dolls will soon return, thanks to Disney’s plans to release over 20 remakes of their classic films. On March 17, Disney released one of these remakes based on the original animation Beauty and the Beast. The film has garnered the interest of movie fanatics, children and nostalgic millennials around the world. Luckily, Beauty and the Beast not only lived up to fan expectations, but also exceeded them. One of the biggest concerns when remaking movies is that they need to be faithful to the original animation while also creating a synergy through the input of new and diverse elements. Beauty and the Beast is a solid model of what constitutes a good remake, in that its makers were able to strike a good balance between the original and the new version. Disney fans have the tendency to reminisce about their childhood, and this movie makes them do just that. This remake seems to have earned sympathy among fans of the original animation. The dramatic interpretation of the movie keeps the audience from getting bored throughout the entirety of the film. For example, despite the absence of rose petals left to break the spell, Belle’s tears symbolize ‘true love’ and eventually stop the everlasting curse. However, if the movie plot

were to draw out the Beast falling in love with Belle, the feeling of true love could be communicated more fluently. Since this movie is a mixture of animated characters and actual actors, the combination of it must be natural, and it definitely is. The dialogue between the characters and people are so well integrated that it almost seems as if talking candles and clocks are real. Each character has something to love about them. The unique characteristics of the animated characters are very humorous, like the closet that loves to brag about how good she is at singing and the cute fights between Lumière and Cogsworth. The bromance between Gaston and LeFou has the whole theater laughing throughout the movie, and the meekness that comes out of a character as gigantic as the Beast is very compelling. The scene when the Beast tries his best to make the biggest smile he can to greet Belle is simply unforgettable. One negative aspect of the movie is that Emma Watson’s voice seems somewhat autotuned. The songs she sings would have been more authentic and the beautiful melodies would have been much more impressive if the auto-tune was forgone. Most importantly, the Beauty and the Beast adaptation serves to truly depict how special it is to live as a human being, rather than as an inanimate object devoid of feeling. The sadness and despair the inanimate characters express when they are about to turn into ornaments portrays the aforementioned as

the last rose petal falls. In retrospect, the movie depicts the true meaning of having such emotions toward one another and the delightfulness of having someone to share life with. The nostalgic value of the movie coupled with its natural flow, acting and warm message make this film worth watching. The success of Beauty and the Beast creates global anticipation for upcoming Disney remakes including Mulan, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, each successful in its own right and delivering unique and resonating messages.

Rating

Disney is planning more than 20 live action remakes, including Mulan in 2018. Which ones are you looking forward to seeing? Go vote at thehighlandernews.com!

Page design by Chaerok Hong Images obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons License

JUNE

Seven reasons why

Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why both positively and negatively affects students and staff understands the gravity of Hannah’s situation, and what to do about it,” sophomore Avery Burgess said. “He is the only one who really takes action and tries to do something about what happened, unlike the other characters in the show.”

ear students of McLean High School, welcome to your tape. It’s me, though I’m not necessarily live, nor am I on stereo. I’m here to tell you, in a Hannah Baker kind of way, why the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why will either become your favorite show, or one you wished you never watched. 1. The plot After high school student Hannah Baker’s unexpected suicide, her friend Clay Jensen tries to unravel the reasons behind the tragic incident by listening to tapes she left behind. Each episode introduces a new tape.

2. Hannah

The experiences Hannah endures are grueling and overwhelming—incidents that no one should have to face. However, viewers can agree that Hannah tends to play the pity game with her subjects by leaving behind recordings, placing blame on her listeners for her suicide. Many believe that Hannah’s school was already impacted enough by the suicide itself, so why throw gas into the fire by guilt-tripping those closest to her?

3. Clay Jensen

Good ol’ innocent Clay, tear-jerker and understated heartthrob of the series, steals hearts (including Hannah’s) and leaves a wake of upset throughout 13 Reasons Why. Aside from being the character that the story follows, Clay is the only character in the show who recognizes how wrong the whole situation truly is, as well as how disturbing Hannah’s actions are. He is also the only character who actively attempts to avenge and acknowledge the real reason behind Hannah’s death. “Clay is the only one who truly

4. The big concept

The show openly brings up major issues dealt with in high schools every year such as bullying, sexual harassment, suicide, depression and many other socially oriented topics. Its purpose is to explain how these issues led a girl to end her life and how situations like Hannah’s can appear everywhere. The show does a stellar job explaining that people need to realize how harmful these kinds of actions can be.

5. The dangerous message

The show attempts to demonstrate the magnitude of the effects of bullying and sexual assault. However, the revolutionary aspect of the show lies in its aggressive presentation of the consequential effects of suicide on an entire community, as well as how depression and the cruel acts of others deeply affect people like Hannah. What really jumps out to me and some viewers is the dangerous message that Hannah leaves behind about how she dealt with her situation and how she ended her pain. Although the primary message is that suicide does not only affect the victim but also everyone else, in some ways the show may trigger other problems. For example, it is later revealed that Hannah wrote poems about how she believes she would be happier if she were not living. “13 Reasons Why fantasizes ideas of suicide and can be really traumatizing to [viewers],” sophomore Sam Monroe said. “[However,] it also shows the effects of people’s actions on others’ lives.”

6. The threat it has on its watchers One of the biggest problems with 13 Reasons Why is that teenagers today will watch it alone, including those who may struggle with problems similar to Hannah.

The show is a threat to these students because as the show goes on, they may begin to relate Hannah’s story and her situation to their own. The show may promote the idea of selfinflicted pain and suicide. Also, the graphic and traumatizing scene showing Hannah’s painful death may further the detrimental impact on others who may experience suicidal thoughts. This turns the show into a dangerous catalyst instead of preventing the very problem it is trying to combat.

7. School system portrayal

Nearly every school has some sort of counseling system that works primarily to maintain a healthy life for students in trying to prevent and identify issues similar to those Hannah dealt with in 13 Reasons Why. In the show itself, Hannah’s school hardly recognizes nor deals with the ridiculing that she is put through on their own school grounds. The administration and student council at Hannah’s school only take action after something happens, like when they began a suicide prevention campaign following Hannah’s death. The way the show portrays how little schools are involved in helping their students stereotypes all schools as apathetic, which isn’t necessarily true. “All of these issues are certainly prevalent at McLean, high schools and counties everywhere—it’s just the way that they were portrayed by the show and how they weren’t necessarily correct,” English teacher Elise Emmons said. Whether it be the stereotypical high school setting with the dreamy basketball players and all the parties, or the dramatic events portrayed throughout the show, it’s obvious to me why 13 Reasons Why has become so popular in today’s teen culture. However, Netflix has taken a big risk in releasing a series that touches on a sensitive topic like suicide for such a young audience. My advice to you, whether you are a student, teacher or parent, is to be aware that 13 Reasons Why is unlike other Netflix shows: handle it with care if you dare.

Page design by Carla Ballard & Dasha Makarishcheva

A&E

Highlander Time 8 should be every day

OPINIONS

The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander cub editorial board

igh schoolers are becoming increasingly stressed. Whether it is the amount of homework, AP classes or other extracurricular activities, students need a little break to get their minds off the exponential pressure placed upon them. Highlander Time (HT) is a time block when students should get to relax and prepare for the rest of the day. Students should be able to make use of this time in a way that destresses them instead of being designated to a specific classroom. According to a poll of 100 McLean students, 93 percent reported feeling a great deal of stress on a daily basis. Therefore, is it too much to ask to choose how we get to spend our HT? HT 8 is supposed to balance out the schedule with the other HTs, which students rotate through each day in order to be able to see each teacher within a two-week span for remediation and help. An unencumbered HT would especially benefit students who have after school commitments such as clubs, sports or jobs. Some students do not have any other time to ask teachers for help or complete their homework, so having the opportunity to go to the teachers of classes they need help in on any day rather than waiting for the assigned HT would be beneficial. Students are allowed to get passes to see different teachers during HT, but some teachers do not allow students to leave their classes. In a poll of 100 students, 94 percent said they want to have HT 8 every day. “HT 8 [every day] would provide an opportunity to not only study or do homework, but also to enjoy time with friends or playing sports outside. HT 8 is a great way to catch up on missing work and quizzes as well,” freshman Fiorella Salazar said. Students would be able to go to any classroom and use this time to complete any incomplete assignments that are due. High schoolers should have some free time before they have to sit through three full 90-minute blocks of class time plus 3rd period. JUNE

“I think it is a good idea to have HT 8 everyday because it would benefit the students by allowing them to visit any teacher they wanted—[that way] passes wouldn’t be required,” junior Laura Belvedere said. This time can really help students, especially juniors and seniors who do not take P.E. class anymore, as these 30 minutes can be used for playing sports outside or walking around inside. Studies from the University of New Hampshire show that a brain break helps students focus more during the day, which means that students and teachers alike would benefit from this time. People might argue that the halls would get too crowded or that students might get out of hand or act chaotically. However, most students actually like to go into classrooms and places such as the library and cafeteria to get work done during HT 8. If they aren’t getting work done, most high schoolers just like to calmly walk around and chat with their friends. Since teachers would also be given a break, some might be happy to patrol the halls or stand outside their doors to monitor the “chaos” happening. HT 8 every day would not only positively affect students by giving them the opportunity to finish assignments, but it also would help keep them more focused for the

rest of the day. “Well, [having HT 8 everyday is] not possible because the state requirements for seat time, if you had HT 8 every day we would not meet seat time,” Principal Ellen Reilly said. “You’re supposedly supposed to do 900 minutes per course, and if you don’t make those minutes then you all don’t get credit for your classes, so we are already pushing it with the amount that we do with the HT being 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, so we barely make that minimum there.” Although it would require appealing at the state level, the change should be taken into consideration as it would accommodate the needs of overworked students and lead to a reduction in student stress and an increase in focus.

want 8 everyday 94% ofHTstudents

Poll of 100 students Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva Reporting & page design by Rebeka Rafi editorial board

Lockers are a waste of space McLean should get rid of useless lockers that overcrowd hallways Thara Tha & Avery Kulak Cub A&E Editor & Cub Copy Editor

very student at McLean has to deal with walking through overcrowded hallways. The culprit? Lockers. These large metal receptacles serve hardly any other purpose than to congest the traffic of students getting to class. The majority of students do not use them, and therefore they need to be eliminated. All students are assigned a locker at the beginning of the school year. According to a poll of 140 McLean students, a mere three percent use them. The very few that do are typically in band or other extracurriculars that require them to bring supplies they cannot hold throughout the day. Most students are content with using their backpacks to carry their materials to classes. Very few know what their locker combinations are, let alone where their locker is at all. Each locker is roughly five feet tall and one foot wide, protruding from both sides of the walls and taking up more than onefifth of the 11-foot wide hallways. Getting rid of lockers would open the hallway and help students get to class quicker, ultimately leading to a reduced amount of tardies. “I like using my backpack for all of my school materials,” freshman Emma Petri said. “Using a locker would probably make me slower at getting to class on time.” Having to get up in the middle of class to get something from a locker could cause a student to miss out on important 20

information and disrupt the class. On the contrary, some students find lockers useful. “I like using my locker to store projects, my lunch box, my winter coat and other bulky materials,” freshman Motasem Bamashmous said. Even among those who use their lockers, including Bamashmous, some believe that their days would be uninterrupted if lockers were removed. “I’d love if kids would use them, but there isn’t a want for them,” Director of Student

Services Paul Stansbery said. The county should remove the lockers that protrude into the hallways, leaving the lockers that are in the walls for students who request locker usage. In fact, this move has precedent. Langley High School decided that during their renovations they would remove lockers, while leaving built-in lockers for their band and orchestra students, according to their newsmagazine, The Saxon Scope. Lockers do not have a use in McLean. They take up space, clutter the halls and very few people use them. It is time to remove them.

Poll of 140 students Photo and page design by Thara Tha & Avery Kulak

OPINIONS

CROSSFIRE:

Is a hot dog a sandwich? Hot dogs defy labeling

Bread + filling = sandwich Paul Murray Cub Reporter

he school has been plagued with this debate. It has destroyed friendships, started fights and caused grudges to form. Despite the opposition’s propaganda, the hot dog is a sandwich. Merriam-Webster defines a sandwich as “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.” Another definition is “one slice of bread covered with food.” The mere fabric of the term “sandwich” implies the characterization of a hot dog. Arguments against the hot dog being a sandwich just don’t make sense. “Hot dogs do not have normal bread [like a sandwich],” freshman Analise Demarco said. “Fancy restaurants always cut sandwiches in half, but you don’t cut a hot dog.” Although some may argue that the term ‘hot dog’ refers only to the sausage itself, the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary affirms that the denotation can also refer to the sausage and roll. Furthermore, it states that, “when it is served in the roll, it is also a sandwich.” The website of the English town of Sandwich states “the 1st century B.C. Jewish Rabbi Hillel the Elder is reported to have started the Passover tradition of putting lamb, mixed nuts and herbs between two pieces of unleavened JUNE

Pedro Ordunez Cub Reporter bread,” thus catalyzing the emergence of the hot dog. During the Middle Ages, people constructed such hot dogs in reference to the indulgence as a brand of “open sandwich.” Even its origins recognize the hot dog as a constituent of the sandwich family. The hot dog’s cut ratio is skewed, its bread form is variant and its contents retain a tubular shape, but it is still a sandwich. Due to its unique appearance, the hot dog is already an outcast amid the sandwich society. Humanity must not disparage the hot dog further by questioning its very nature. As long as there is some ingredient between two pieces of bread or like carbohydrate structure, the hot dog is a sandwich. Its origin, ingredients, structure and its very definition are what make the hot dog a sandwich.

28% yes, they

n a world where disorderly discourse destroys the very nature of that which humanity holds dear, the essence of the hot dog is unclear. The Great Hot Dog Debate has shown the world that what seemed to be an obvious opinion was not so discernible. The majority population at McLean believes that the hot dog is not a sandwich, but there remains a small rebellion on the opposing side, representing less than one-third of the student body. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is the most reputable source on this topic. The council branches from the North American Meat Institute and has been around since 1944. According to the NHDSC, a hot dog is not a sandwich and “is truly a category unto its own.” The president of the council and vice president of the of the North American Meat Institute, Eric Mittenthal, supports the council’s ruling.

72%

are Poll

of 20

0 stu

den

say no, hot dogs are not sandwiches

“A hot dog has bread on the side and the bottom with the top open. [A sandwich is] meat with bread on top and on bottom,” Mittenthal said in an interview with The Highlander. The opposition’s MerriamWebster definition of a sandwich is incorrect and outdated. “[The Merriam-Websters] are word nerds and we are hot dog nerds. [Thus,] we are the official source on hot dogs and sausages,” Mitthenthal said. Hot dogs are iconic. No sandwich is quite like them. We should allow the hot dog to be unique and not have to be connected to the sandwich family. Simply calling a hot dog a sandwich strips away its individuality and lessens the significance of its past. How about we set the hot dog free from these labels? The NHDSC website brings up another good point: “Imagine being at the ballpark with the organ playing, the crowd cheering and a vendor walking through the stands saying, ‘Sandwich, get your sandwich here!’” For the modern definition, for the individuality it deserves, for the stance of the NHDSC, it can comfortably be proclaimed that the hot dog will not be regarded as a sandwich. Most McLean students believe the hot dog is not a sandwich—and they are absolutely right to do so.

Graphics by Bryan Chung Page design by Imani McCormick

Bridge project provides valuable experiences

Chemistry project with physics principles should get the recognition it deserves Emily O’Keefe Cub Opinions Editor

onors Chemistry students are mandated by the county to do an externally moderated project during the school year, as they have been required to do for over 20 years. McLean students have the choice of participating in the science fair or the bridge project. The bridge project is an assignment in which students construct a bridge using only popsicle sticks and Elmer’s glue to hold a sufficient amount of weight. Although seemingly irrelevant to chemistry, it is an important project that provides students with experience using the scientific method and serves as a second option aside from the science fair. Since students are given the option between the bridge project and science fair, they should not complain about the work required for either project. The two projects give students the opportunity to present and defend their research or project to an audience other than their teacher.

“Once people start building the bridges... I’ve had a number of students that said, ‘This was pretty fun.’” - Chemistry teacher Christina Hicks “This is the best way for a student to actually do science and then communicate with other like-minded individuals on their topic,” FCPS high school science specialist Darrell Pankratz said. The main reasoning behind giving the students an alternative to the science fair is so students don’t have to do the same project two years in a row. For some, the science fair may have been a tiresome project, so the bridge project lets them try something new. “[Chemistry teachers have] had a number of students come from biology and say, ‘You know what? Science fair was not my favorite experience,’ so we wanted to give them a 22

choice,” chemistry teacher Christina Hicks said. Students often choose to complete the bridge as it is perceived as a more defined project and therefore an easier task. Others choose the bridge project because they don’t want to repeat the experience they had with the science fair. “[With the] science fair you go through so many mountains of paperwork and so many rounds of trying to get your project approved,” sophomore Piper Phillips said. In terms of safety, the bridge project is one that leaves students unscathed by burns or dangerous chemical reactions, as participants have not learned enough chemistry to conduct such experiments on their own. “[The bridge project is] a lot safer than trying to mix things together when you’re not really sure about how that works,” Hicks said. Students complain that the bridge project is hard because the building is tedious, but the workload is quite similar to science fair. In fact, the time frame given for the bridge is longer for a similar amount of work. “I didn’t particularly like science fair or bridge project but I’d say I would do the bridge project [again] just because it’s a more convenient time frame for me,” Phillips said. Some students even become fond of the bridge project as they get into it. Building, testing and seeing how much weight their bridge can hold in comparison to other

bridges can become an exciting experience. “Once people start building the bridges and they get closer to the deadline, the project becomes more critical in their mind that they start building bridges. I’ve had a number of students that said, ‘This was pretty fun,’” Hicks said. Some people who are not fond of the project procrastinate building and testing, or go into the project expecting it to be easier than it is. Chemistry teachers try to tell students beforehand that it can be a difficult project. “You can’t just build one bridge and put all your eggs in one basket. You need to build one to test it, change things, test it—it takes up more time than students think because building a bridge, getting all the sticks lined up and waiting for it to dry is what should be happening,” Hicks said. There is nothing students can do to get rid of these mandated projects in the near future. In the meantime, students need not complain about the irrelevancy of the bridge project in their chemistry class. The bridge project is an important alternative for the science fair, so students should be thankful for the ability to choose. “I think there are benefits to building something and testing [it]...That’s the scientific method,” Hicks said. “You’re still getting science experience out of it.” Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva Page design by Emily O’Keefe

OPINIONS

Going to bed early makes a big difference Studies prove adopting an early bed time is optimal Mary Pottanat Cub Managing Editor

t is almost 8 a.m. when students start to walk the dimly lit halls of McLean High School. Most seem to have almost no life in them, with faces like zombies and tired, droopy eyes. However, there are the few who practically strut into school, smiles glued to their faces as they exude positive energy. Going to bed early is the reason for this disparity and the solution to sleep deprivation among students. Students should be encouraged to develop a habit of going to bed at an earlier time, as it can positively affect their physical and mental health in addition to their ability to succeed. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you’re sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It’s forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information.” In 2015, FCPS high schools implemented a new start time of 8:10 a.m. in an attempt to accommodate for the greatly sleep-deprived high school demographic. Despite the later start time, students’ sleep patterns remain disrupted. These sleep patterns negatively impact school performance. Although aware of the “health benefits,” students do not seem to follow through on getting rest. They often blame going to bed late on extracurricular activities, homework and their own time management skills. “People need to consider that when taking on different obligations, whether it be your course load, athletics, clubs, jobs, we all have to make choices,” AP US History teacher Maggie Tran said. Students who consistently stay up late to complete homework may develop delayed sleep phase syndrome, a disorder when sleep is delayed from normal bed time, making it difficult to wake up at a desired time. According to researchers of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, delayed sleep phase syndrome is associated with “increased daytime irritability, poor school performance and mental disturbances.”

This syndrome may go undiagnosed for many, but it can be evidenced by developing a habit of napping later in the day to make up for the sleep loss. The lack of consistency in sleep patterns can ultimately change the way the brain functions as well. Research on brain scans of both types of people has shown how different sleep cycles can alter brain functionality. “[Research] found lack of sleep may lead to the impairment of white matter related to

“[The] key is getting enough sleep [because] your brain is still developing until about age 25.” -history teacher Rachel Baxter emotional or cognitive disorders,” researcher Shumei Li said in a 2016 CBS News article. As more adolescents are diagnosed with

this disorder, it may be harder for late sleepers to change their habits. “After a few years of sleeping late, my circadian rhythms make it difficult to sleep any earlier. Even without having anything that needs to be done for the next day, I don’t feel the urge to sleep until it is significantly past midnight,” senior Charles Fang said. Those who sleep early tend to rise early as well. The benefits associated with early rising times are proven and plentiful. “I always feel more productive when I get [to school] in the morning so that I have time to get organized and get everything in order,” history teacher and dedicated early sleeper Rachel Baxter said. After getting enough sleep, a working mind can support brain growth. “[The] key is getting enough sleep [because] your brain is still developing until about age 25,” Baxter said. Whether students have the determination to change when they sleep or not, going to bed early has proven to make a positive impact on one’s physical and mental health. Students can start tomorrow right by going to bed earlier tonight.

Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva Page design by Mary Pottanat

JUNE

Broken bathrooms and the right to renovate

Students demand renovations for school bathrooms Anya Chen Cub Opinions Editor

tudents should be able to use the bathroom without the struggle of trying to keep the stall door closed. However, a broken lock seems like a minor inconvenience when the stall beside it does not have a door at all. For years, McLean students have suffered faulty bathrooms while FCPS funds are spent on other unnecessary improvements, such as the remodeling of the FCPS website. Now, students must combat the gratuitous spending and call for bathroom renovations that should have been completed years ago. “[Bathrooms] should always be clean and operating,” Director of Student Activities Gregory Miller said. “It’s really important to me that not just our bathrooms, but also our facilities in general, are clean.” However, this is not the case for most of McLean’s bathrooms. “I think the school bathrooms are abhorrent. It doesn’t help that there’s chipped paint and vandalism everywhere,” junior Dasha Sweet said. “I don’t use the bathrooms unless I absolutely must.” Additional issues regarding the bathrooms have remained unresolved for several years. “Last year and the year before, there was no door on at least one bathroom stall in the school. They took almost half a year to put it back on, and before that they just left the door on the floor,” junior Emily Adams said. “Most of the sinks are broken. They either don’t stay on, or they don’t turn off. There’s either burning hot water or freezing water— there’s no in between.” When tested, 16 out of 32 sinks in the girls’ bathrooms did not function properly. The sinks are an inconvenience instead of a helpful necessity. A poll of 125 McLean students showed that 88 percent were in favor of bathroom renovations. “I think they should at least have the stalls repainted with a better non-chip paint,” Sweet said. “The sinks should also be replaced because sometimes when I go into the bathroom, the water is just running, and it wastes a lot of water and money.” Even with such an immediate need for

bathroom renovations, such a task involves a complicated process. “It’s not just putting up new tile. Everybody thinks that Home & Garden Television is going to come in and make it pretty, but it’s not how it works. It’s the infrastructure,” Principal Ellen Reilly said. “If we replaced the sinks, we would have to do entirely new plumbing. It’s a lot more.” Funding is sparse and sometimes unavailable for construction in the school. “I don’t pay for maintaining the facilities—Fairfax County maintains the facilities,” Reilly said. “There’s no money to put into the building.” The general estimate from the county for renovating solely one bathroom is a total of $50,000, according to Reilly. However, these roadblocks cannot be an excuse against students’ basic right to comfortably use the bathroom and wash their hands. According to the Center for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), numerous illnesses can be spread by not washing hands effectively. Malfunctioning sinks hinder students’ ability to keep their hands clean which can increase their chances of getting sick. “I know that the sinks don’t always work,” Reilly said. “I tried when I first got here to fix these things, but the county said no. Outside the doors, the hand sanitizer [dispensers], I’m the one who put those out there.” A study conducted by the CDC shows that hand sanitizers may be an alternative to hand washing, but they do not eliminate all types of germs and harmful chemicals like soap and water do. Furthermore, six of nine hand sanitizer dispensers were either broken or empty at the time of testing. The bathrooms do not reflect the image that McLean strives to project. As a school ranked second best in Virginia according to USNews, our facilities should match the standard we are held to.

Crusty Bathroom — Sophomore Sabrina Vazquez peers out of a

bathroom stall in the red hallway with a horrified expression as she stares at the shoe print on the door. The bathrooms are in desperate need of renovations and students have begun to take notice. (Photo illustration by Anya Chen)

Page design by Anya Chen

OPINIONS

Students are oblivious to the news Teens need to uphold their civic duty to stay informed Jeremy Siegel Cub Managing Editor

tudents and teenagers often stress about homework, friends and getting into college, but they are ignoring the issues— both national and global—that may affect them throughout their lives. In order to be productive citizens, students must pay attention to the news and current events. “The news should be a priority, but it’s not,” sophomore Noor al-Saloum said. “Our opinions reflect who we are, and they’re formed through understanding current events.” Throughout the past 20 years, there has been a clear decline in attention to the news, particularly amongst teens. According to Reuters, 60 percent of students ages 12 to 17 pay little to no attention to the news, while a Business Insider poll found that only 16 percent of teens ages 13 to 18 read the newspaper at all, down from 42 percent in 2000. “In the library, the librarians asked McLean students what was going on in North Korea, and many could not answer unless they were reading the book specific to North Korea,” freshman English teacher Bridget Donoghue said. None of this is the fault of a single teen, but the current generation has seen declines in attention span. According to a 2015 study published by Microsoft Corp., humans have, on average, an eight-second attention span, which is one second shorter than that of a goldfish, as well as down from 12 in 2000. “Just in general, I think that [a shortened attention span] is worsening our understanding of the news,” al-Saloum said. Most news and technology companies understand this and have pandered to the circumstances. New features on outlets such as Snapchat and Twitter have included ways for users to get informed. According to Business Insider, the majority of teens use Snapchat or Twitter as their main source of news. “A lot [of students] get news from social media instead of actually reading the news or watching the nightly news,” Donoghue said. “A lot of them look at that Facebook sidebar for the news.” JUNE

While relying on social media for news should in theory be more impactful as it reaches more teens, important stories often become overshadowed by articles with substanceless information ranging from “How to Make Your Own Fidget Spinner” to “Four Types of Girls You Meet At A Party.” According to Jim Rutenberg of The New York Times, “Media companies race to give their readers what’s popular—which is more

“People not paying attention to the news creates ignorance.” -Senior Brian Parsa discernible than ever in an age of ubiquitous data measurement—at the expense of what’s true or informative.” Some teenagers do not pay attention to the news altogether because they believe it

does not directly affect them. This is untrue; especially in the humanity subjects, knowing and understanding the news is critical to understanding the curriculum. “In English especially, we’re always trying to make [a] connection to the outside world, and students who pay attention to the news have an edge,” Donoghue said. “I assume the same applies to history, where you talk about how history repeats itself.” On top of students getting a bump in class from paying attention to the news, there is a simple civic obligation that many teens are not upholding. In order to execute moral and intelligent decisions, students must first be informed. Those who are not making their decisions based on accurate and factual information are only eroding the fabric on which this nation was built. “People not paying attention to the news creates ignorance,” senior Brian Parsa said. “If students grow up not [paying attention to the news], then our future is going to be dominated by ignorance.”

Page design by Jeremy Siegel Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

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SPORTS

Most Valuable Non-Player — Senior Rita Awad embraces coach Rob Bouchard on Senior Night. Awad managed girls varsity soccer for four years, her entire career at McLean. (Photo courtesy of Kent Arnold)

Managers: the unsung heroes of McLean sports Team managers devote countless hours to keep teams on track Charlie Olifer & Faris Bouzid Cub Reporters

eam managers are often overlooked, but the truth is that managers are one of the most important parts of the team, and without them McLean sports would not be able to function properly. Freshman Sevval Gulhan took on the role of a manager of the JV baseball team this year. “The boys were so nice to me and my fellow managers,” Gulhan said. “Our jobs ranged from keeping score to filling up the water bottles.” The baseball team has 14 games a season with each game lasting around three hours. The managers of the team must come an hour early to set everything up and stay an hour late to clean up, meaning that Gulhan spent a total of nearly 70 hours helping the team on game days. “We spent about 200 [total] hours with the team,” Gulhan said. “[This] left me with little free time after school.” Gulhan is not the only manager who struggles with balancing their time. Freshman Raya Jabboure spends her spring as the manager for the JV boys lacrosse team. The time Jabboure spends with the squad is JUNE

often unnoticed and underappreciated by spectators of the game. Due to their commitment and devotion, managers deserve more respect than they’re given.

“You are a part of the team even if you don’t wear a jersey like everyone else.” -soccer manager Rita Awad “Most of the time we were filling water bottles, or we were cleaning up after the boys,” Jabboure said. “We had little free time to ourselves, but it was worth it.” Senior Rita Awad has been managing girls soccer since her freshman year and recognizes the magnitude of her role on the team. “I feel like being a manager is one of the best things you can do,” Awad said. “No one thinks of us having a big role but it’s an integral piece of the program. You are a part of the team even if you don’t wear a jersey like everyone else.”

Although audiences often fail to acknowledge the importance of managers, players recognize the significance of their managers. “Our managers have played a very important role: keeping us organized, running practices, getting involved,” said sophomore Lindsay Blum, a girls varsity soccer player. “They’ve made the team so much more fun and have provided a really great atmosphere.” Coaches also affirm the importance of their managers. "The [managers] would fill up water bottles, boost the boys up, and were a huge part of the team’s success. Sometimes they would bake the guys cookies and that was a big deal. The boys respected them a little more after that," said Woody Kidd, the head coach of the boys JV lacrosse team. In the eyes of the spectators, a manager may be a replaceable entity without any impact on the game itself. However, McLean sports have been heavily influenced by a group of unknown heroes, the managers. Members of our community must acknowledge the work of the managers—without them, there would be no game to watch. Page design by Charlie Olifer & Faris Bouzid

D.C. sports teams show promise

Washington sports teams quietly rise through the ranks William Payne & Javi Noyola Cub Sports Editors

t the beginning of the 21st century, sports teams in Washington, D.C., were exceptionally bad. Fans were starving for a team to make the playoffs, much less hoping they would win a playoff series. Enter the 2016-2017 seasons and D.C. is optimistic that their sports teams are in for a great year. The Wizards’ John Wall is a rising superstar, while the Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin and the Nationals’ Bryce Harper have been superstars for years now. Now, D.C. has something most cities don’t have: three very competitive sports teams. “The Wizards are a very young, tough, hungry team who have struggles on the defensive end,” freshman Wesley Nostrand said. “They are out for a championship.” The Washington Wizards had a combined record of 406-644 from 2001 to 2011. The Wizards are presently top five in most regular season losses since the year 2000, giving them a 39 percent winning percentage throughout that span. Washington's basketball team started the year out slow, beginning with two wins and eight losses in their first 10 games. The Wizards were one of just 13 teams in NBA history to qualify for the playoffs after starting out the season with only two wins in their first 10 games. The Wizards finished the regular season

as the number four seed in the Eastern conference. After handily dispatching the Atlanta Hawks in six games, they took on the number one seeded Boston Celtics. The Wizards pushed the Celtics to seven games, eventually losing the series in Boston, in what was seen as perhaps the most competitive series in the playoffs thus far. "The Wizards’ season was a very memorable one for long-time fans and the city of D.C. as a whole," freshman Nicholas Canovas said.

“The Wizards’ season was a very memorable one for long-time fans and the city of D.C. as a whole.” -freshman Nicholas Canovas

Despite the Wizards having an incredibly strong season, the best is yet to come. The Nationals have a similar story to the Wizards. The Nats have won 458 games over the last five years, much better than their 340 total wins in the previous five. The Nationals are enjoying early success thus far with the likes of Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper starting the season on fire after underwhelming 2016 campaigns.

Watching

the Ball Fly — Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper launches a homerun in a July 2015 game against the Baltimore Orioles.

(Photo obtained via Keith Allison on Flickr under a Creative Commons license)

Unfortunately, offseason acquisition Adam Eaton, who the Nationals sold the farm for, was off to a blistering start until tearing his ACL and Achilles tendon in the 23rd game of the season. However, the Nationals remain hopeful they can make a deep playoff run this fall. "Contributions from both our rookies and our veterans along with Zimmerman's best year of his 12-year career with the Nationals have led the Nats to a great amount of success throughout April and early May," freshman Andy Ricketts said. Since the 2000-2001 season for the Washington Capitals, they have enjoyed eight divisional titles. It is safe to say the Capitals have been the only team success D.C. has had in the past decade. As the years have progressed, the Capitals have been the only team D.C. sports fans have been able to truly bond over. The 2016-2017 season was a successful one, and although they couldn’t get over the hump this season, their accomplishments were noteworthy. The city has been more united through the recent success of Washington sports. The Nationals, Wizards and Capitals all have solid rosters and have played well thus far in the regular season, and they have brought many smiles to D.C. fans. Although the chances for a D.C. sports title this year are slim, the future is looking brighter and brighter for the nation's capital.

t d e v T e n An

Jane

e u s s I e te of th

Athle

re ophomo Grade: S ld ie F & ck Sport: Tra en: 3 k ro rds b o c re l o o Sch

What are your favorite events to participate in? My favorite events are high jump and hurdles. In the spring I do 100-meter hurdles and in the winter I do 55-meter hurdles. Why did you chose to be on the track team? I chose to join track because in middle school it was offered at my school and I liked it a lot after I tried it and so I kept doing it. What is your favorite part about playing a sport at McLean? Being able to do things outside of school with the people I go to school with and competing with my friends. Do you have any pre-meet traditions? I usually [go] on the bus with my team and I listen to music and I eat a lot of food—healthy food because it’s before I compete.

eld:

ords h c e r n a e L c M JUNE

What was your most memorable moment? My most memorable moment is probably the first time I jumped 5’2” in the summer after eighth grade. [It was then that] I thought that I could actually be good at high jump. How has playing a sport impacted your life? Playing a sport is really good for me because it’s an easy way to de-stress and spend time with the people I go to school with. What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome in your sports career? Thinking that I couldn’t jump over a certain height, [5’3’’], in the high jump. I wasn’t [able] to do it for a while, maybe for three weeks I had a little slump, but then I jumped higher and the slump was ended.

), 100-meter c se 6 .9 (8 s rdle ’6”) 55-meter hu high jump (5 g n ri sp ), c 1 se hurdles (16.0 Page design by Bryan Chung

Reporting by Sabrina Vazquez Photo courtesy of JaneAnne Tvedt

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Isaac Conyers Freshman Lacrosse

Connor Carroll Sophomore Baseball

What is your favorite kind of bear?

Black bear

Cayla Davis Junior Soccer

Anna Zeng Senior Tennis

Describe the color yellow to someone who is blind. Doesn’t matter because you’re blind

Black bear

Bright, mellow

Gummy bears

Warmth of the sun

I don’t know—there are two schools of thought

Bright and ugly

What music do you listen to pre-game?

What is your dream car?

Mumford & Sons and slow jazz

1975 Volkswagen Beetle

Kendrick Lamar and Future

Chrome Lamborghini

Beyonce and Wiz Khalifa

Convertible Buggy

Avril Lavigne/Melissa Vandella

A Range Rover

Page design by Bryan Chung Photos by Charlie Olifer & Faris Bouzid

SPORTS