The Highlander - Issue 2 - November 2017 by The Highlander

Volume LXII • Issue 2 • November 2017 • McLean High School • thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

A SPLIT SECOND

CONTENTS NEWS

A&E

New superintendent hosts press conference

Museums to visit in D.C.

Students get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month

New shows to watch

Teachers take on increased workload

Female empowerment clubs on the rise

8 9

28-29

Food review: The Block

How NOT to survive a horror movie

J.E.B. Stuart HS renamed Justice HS

American Horror Story: Cult reveals phobias

Women gain right to drive in Saudi Arabia

OPINIONS

FEATURES

Editorial: Early decision favors wealthy applicants

10-11

Iran deal should not be decertified

School spirit renewal

Best Buddies walk in D.C.

14-15

Highlander of the Issue: Eric Stein

McLeadership makes big impact

10 Qs with Joe Muskett

18-19

Snapchat changes communication

20-21

Legend of Bunnyman Bridge lives on

IN-DEPTH ON THE COVER 22-25 A Split Second: Nation faces battle over gun control measures and meaning of the Second Amendment Cover photo by Colin Edson Inside photos by Jude Sadeq

34-35

10-11

28-29

Crossfire: Should kneeling for the national anthem be considered disrespectful?

FCPS should provide more late buses to high schools

Teachers need to make a living wage

Trash talking MHS sports is not acceptable

14-15

SPORTS 39

Sinead Eksteen: top three swimmer in Virginia

40-41

Fall sports captains reflect on season

Committed athletes ponder pros and cons

Athlete of the Issue: Maddie McArthur

The Finish Line

22-25

Letter from the Editors Dear McLean,

Volume LXII • Issue 2 • November 2017 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101

As the days get shorter and colder, we hope this copy of The Highlander will brighten your day as we make the transition to fall and the start of second quarter.

Editors-in-Chief

Bryan Chung, Colin Edson & Siddarth Shankar

Managing Editors

Rustin Abedi, Imani McCormick & Jackson Payne

Check out our News section for details about the renaming of J.E.B. Stuart High School and McLean’s efforts to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Photography Editor

Sabrina Vazquez

Website Editor-in-Chief

Jessie Friedman

Our Features section highlights the work of Best Buddies and McLeadership, as well as our Highlander of the Issue, football player and rocker Eric Stein.

Advertising Manager

Rebeka Rafi

Design Editors

Maren Kranking & Dasha Makarishcheva

Flip to our Arts & Entertainment section for food reviews at The Block, a newly opened Asian food experience, and to find out how NOT to survive a horror movie. November is college admissions season, and our editorial in the Opinions section targets colleges for favoring wealthy applicants through early decision. The Sports section highlights committed swimmer Sinead Eksteen and recaps the fall sports season. Finally, our In-Depth examines America’s debate over gun control and the Second Amendment after the recent Las Vegas mass shooting. Make sure to follow @MHSHighlander on Twitter and check out thehighlandernews.com for updates until our next issue. Come by room R133 or email us at thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com with any questions, concerns or letters to the editors, which we will do our best to print. Yours truly, Bryan Chung, Colin Edson & Siddarth Shankar

Section Editors News Editors

Maria McHugo & Jeremy Siegel

Features Editors

Maren Kranking & Nick Monroy

A&E Editors

Justin Kim & Conor Zeya

Opinions Editors

Jessie Friedman & Alex Mandanas

Sports Editors

Jack Stenzel & Ed Walters Reporters

Julianne Akard Carla Ballard Ben Brooks Anna Brykczynski Anya Chen Dana Collings Ryan Dahlseid Ben Davis Pragya Dhungana Sam Gollob

Rose Harris Emma Higbee Anna Grace Hopkins Emma Johnson Miranda Johnson Haru Kato Jake Keating Jane Lee Josh Leong Rohan Mani

Adviser

Julia McElligott Alexandria Meuret Sasha Meyman Ross Oliver Jessica Opsahl-Ong Michael Redding Haley Rose Jude Sadeq Tommy Schilder Sean Senft

Lindsay B. Benedict

Editorial Policy: The Highlander is a designated public forum in which students can express themselves, discuss issues and exchange ideas. School officials do not exercise prior review on this publication or its online counterpart, and student editors are in charge of all final content decisions. Advertising Policy: The Highlander sells ad space on each page of the paper except on the front cover, Opinions section and InDepth article. The staff reserves the right to reject any ads it deems libelous, obscene, disruptive or otherwise inappropriate. To Submit a Letter to the Editors: Please email it to thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com or bring it to room R133. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws concerning obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

‘15, ‘17 Pacemaker Finalist; ‘15 All-American; ‘12, ‘13, ‘14, ‘16 First Class; Hall of Fame

‘14, ‘16, ‘17 George H. Gallup Award; ‘15 International First Place ‘17 Crown Finalist ‘15, ‘16 Gold Crown Winner ‘05, ‘07, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14, ‘15, ‘16 CSPA Gold Medalist

‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17 VHSL Trophy Class; ‘11, ‘12 First Place Winner; VHSL Savedge Award

Printed by aPrintis

NEWS

New superintendent hosts press conference Student journalists ask Scott Brabrand about his vision for schools |SIDDARTH SHANKAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF|

CPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand hosted a press conference for student journalists on Oct. 24 where he answered students’ questions for 90 minutes. Brabrand was appointed in June to replace outgoing superintendent Karen Garza. Brabrand began his career in education in 1994 as a social studies teacher at Herndon High School. He eventually became the principal of Fairfax High School and then an assistant superintendent. He left FCPS five years ago to become the superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools until returning earlier this year. “It’s been probably 30 years since a superintendent in this system was in the system [before],” Brabrand said. “I know some of the history... I’m hopeful that’s going to help me continue to make good decisions.” Brabrand’s familiarity has allowed him to develop close connections with schools. Every Friday, he visits an FCPS school as part of what he views as his commitment to the job. “I need to be out in schools and seeing students, not just sitting up in my office... that’s not where stuff is going to get fixed or solved,” Brabrand said. One of Brabrand’s most pressing concerns is the level of stress in the county. “Our teachers are saying they’re overwhelmed. Our students are saying they’re stressed,” Brabrand said. “This place doesn’t need to be a 13-year boot camp of just push yourself to exhaustion and then drop and be glad you’re finally out of here... We’ve got to figure out how to create a work-life balance Photo by Jackson Payne Page design by Siddarth Shankar

for students.” Brabrand attributes much of the stress to a culture of perfectionism that pervades the county’s schools. “Up here, we are consumed with a culture of competitive suffering,” Brabrand said. “How do we move away from a culture of perfectionism here to a culture of optimalism, to do your personal best?” Brabrand also reiterated his goal of making FCPS the center of world-class education.

“We need Fairfax County Public Schools to be the premier school system in this country, if not in the world.” -superintendent Scott Brabrand

Students confronted Brabrand with problems facing FCPS in attaining this goal, especially with cuts to the annual FCPS budget. Brabrand does not foresee these problems occurring in the future. “I’m not looking to add or cut any other programs,” Brabrand said. His top priority is increasing teacher compensation, which is currently below market average. “I’m going to ask for almost 50 million additional dollars just to get our teachers to market compensation,” Brabrand said. “Classroom to classroom, there are more great teachers in Fairfax County than

anywhere else. And to get great teachers and keep them, we’ve got to pay them well.” FCPS receives 70 percent of its funding from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Last year, the Board of Supervisors refused to raise property taxes, thus requiring cuts to the FCPS budget. “Only the Board of Supervisors can decide the way to fund it. Property taxes is one way; there are other taxes that can be a possibility, but those aren’t my decisions,” Brabrand said. Brabrand believes the community will be receptive to paying more in order to maintain the quality of education in the county. “I believe our community is willing to pay more for great teachers... I think our community can and will step up because they recognize what the value of good teaching is,” Brabrand said. Even with a tax increase, the increasing enrollment of students in FCPS has left the system in danger of more shortfalls. According to FCPS’s fiscal year 2018 budget, “FCPS has taken significant budget reductions of more than one-half billion dollars....Without future increases of revenue, FCPS will not be able to address employee compensation and sustain the current quality, nor the full range of academic programming currently offered to students.” Despite the problems Brabrand faces on the job, he maintains an optimistic mindset. “We have to love students... We need to love teaching and learning,” Brabrand said. “This world revolves around love... We need to have a school system where students can feel loved and are capable of loving.” NOVEMBER | NEWS | 3

A month of support at Mc ean

Students get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month | MARIA MCHUGO NEWS EDITOR |

s each of McLean’s girls volleyball teams took the court on Oct. 5, their minds filled with a purpose beyond the usual hope for victory and pride. The girls played not only to represent their school, but to support the one in eight women and one in 1,000 men who will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. October was established as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) in 1985 after recognition of a need for public awareness in the global fight against breast cancer. The McLean community has involved itself in the cause through participation in athletic traditions, spirit days and other endeavors. McLean’s volleyball team hosts a Dig Pink night each October. From this year’s event, the girls raised over $1,400 in support of breast cancer awareness. “We sell T-shirts, baked goods and lottery tickets, and all of the proceeds go to the Side Out Foundation,” said junior Paige Pilewski, a member of McLean’s varsity team. “Each year, we also create a survivor wall—we ask players if they know of any survivors or current fighters and we create a profile for [these individuals], dedicating our Dig Pink game to every one of them.” The members of the volleyball team have made a significant impact on those affected by breast cancer. “I appreciate that McLean has a Dig Pink game and that we raise money for the cause,” 4 | NEWS | NOVEMBER

Pink Ladies — Sophomore Trista Keder embraces her mother, a breast

cancer survivor, before the Dig Pink volleyball game Thursday, Oct. 5. sophomore varsity volleyball player Trista Keder said. “Last year, my mom survived a hard-fought battle with breast cancer, so the cause means a lot to me.” In addition to the volleyball team, other fall sports teams have taken part in BCAM. “[Field hockey] has a Dig Pink game every [October] where both opposing teams wear pink and demonstrate their support for the cause with decorated home fields and pink ribbons,” said junior Genevieve Deeken, who plays varsity field hockey. Aside from athletics, McLean’s leadership program has attempted to involve students and teachers in BCAM. “We did a pink-out for school and for the football game [on Oct. 20], because it’s a tradition that we do here every October for BCAM,” leadership senior Natalie Cole said. “We wear pink not only to the football game, but also to school to show that overall, our school is a community that cares.” Despite the involvement of numerous groups and students at McLean, senior Paulina DeAnda, whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, feels the community can do more to support breast cancer awareness. “We have not done enough,” DeAnda said. “We can do way more, especially as a community...We could have some more spirit days that relate to breast cancer awareness or create banners.”

According to the MedStar Regional Director of Breast Health, Shawna Willey, any endeavor which supports public awareness of breast cancer can help those who are impacted by the disease in communities nationwide. “The community needs to be aware of how common the disease is and even more importantly, that there has been an improvement in survival,” Willey said. “By raising awareness, hopefully the fear of diagnosis and the reluctance to have screening and evaluation can be overcome and women or men will be empowered to confront the diagnosis head-on.” Throughout BCAM, the McLean community has shown its support for those afflicted with breast cancer and their families. Whether it is a friend, a family member or even an acquaintance, Willey said any small gesture of care is a step toward advancing the fight against breast cancer. “Time and time again, I have had a patient who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer tell me that they were amazed at the number of people who came forward [with support],” Willey said. “[The patients] are now a part of a club that none of them wanted to be in. But people gain strength from others [and] a community should rally when one of its members is in crisis.” Photo courtesy of Natalie Legg Page design by Maria McHugo

Teachers take on increased workload

Additional teaching contracts help mitigate overcrowding |SIDDARTH SHANKAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF| hen 100 extra students enrolled at few years as a result of budgetary concerns. McLean this summer, administrators As the county has faced increasing budget realized they needed teachers to instruct new shortfalls, the school board has increased sections of classes. Eleven teachers are now class sizes to make up for the deficit. teaching six classes instead of the usual five as “That obviously reduces the amount of part of an additional teaching (AT) contract. staffing you have for your building...it’s up to The number of sections for each class now 31 students per class section on average; is usually determined in the springtime that’s how every school is staffed,” Stansbery after rising ninth graders and McLean said. “The budget isn’t large enough for us to students register for classes, but sometimes have more teachers than they give us.” extenuating circumstances require these Despite the extra workload, some teachers numbers to change. In recognition of the sign on to AT contracts to receive increased problem of extra enrollment, FCPS allowed compensation. McLean to overspend its staffing budget this “It’s always voluntary...we don’t force summer. anybody to teach an extra class,” Stansbery “In the summer, [enrollment] happened said. “Teachers value that extra pay enough in an unusually large amount...but at that that they’re happy to take on the extra class.” point, all of our teaching assignments are set,” While teachers on AT contracts are Director of Student Services Paul Stansbery happy with the increased pay, they are also said. “When we don’t have other options, having difficulty coping with the additional then we can get some of our current teachers workload. to teach an extra section to fulfill that need.” “I’m very tired by the end of the day, Teachers were approached a month before but the worst part by far is grading,” history school started about potentially teaching an teacher Dylan Wedan said. “In general, essay extra class. According to Stansbery, this year grades...take me 20 minutes for one, so that’s has been more problematic than most. so many hours. Also, I don’t know the kids’ “This is my seventh year [at McLean]. names. Especially not the freshmen.” There was maybe one or two other years Students have noticed that it takes longer where we approached that many [teachers for grades to be put into the grade book. on AT contracts], but that is more than most “Some teachers just take a little longer to years,” Stansbery said. get everything back to their students,” junior AT contracts have been needed in the past Bilen Essayas said.

Teachers on AT contracts also lose one of their built-in planning periods. “A lot of the grading or planning that we all do during the off periods, I don’t have that anymore,” Wedan said. “The off periods I do have, I have meetings, which are helpful for planning, but I still need individual time.” The need for AT contracts is not confined to McLean, but is a county-wide problem. “I do know other schools had that issue. Maybe not too many had it as much over the limit that we did. This was really unusual for us to be that far over,” Stansbery said. Stansbery hopes the need for AT contracts will be alleviated soon. “Two-thirds of the schools in Fairfax County are over the capacity for their building... My understanding is there is a plan to build a new high school out in the western part of the county,” Stansbery said. “They’ll create a set of students who go to that school and adjust boundaries around the county to alleviate the overcrowding.” While the AT contracts have been a shortterm fix to the problems of overcrowding, students do not believe they are a sustainable long-term solution. “There definitely should be more teachers hired,” Essayas said. “Teachers can’t really take time on each of their students if they have [more] classes.” Infographic by Bryan Chung Page design by Siddarth Shankar

11 TEACHERS at McLean are teaching six classes

31 STUDENTS per class in FCPS high schools

Two out of three FCPS schools are over capacity

Highlander Patrons As a student-run program, The Highlander would like to thank all of our generous supporters who make it possible to print our newsmagazine. Listed below are this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributors. We would also like to thank all of our anonymous supporters.

THIS COULD BE YOUR AD Reasonable rates! Reaches thousands of students & parents! Show your support for McLean!

Gold ($200+) Silver ($100+) The Zeya/Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Grady Family The Chung Family Debra Mastronardi The Siegel Family David & Michelle Senft Susan Donovan Bronze ($50+) Laura Przypyszny Hyun Jung Hwang Mi Ju Kim Susie & David French The Mandanas Family Brian Wilkerson Richard Keating Dorothy Schilder Brian Wilkerson The Manning Family Kim & Scott Hopkins The Roberts Family Blair Marshall Victoria Meuret Aurora Hong John Meuret In memory of Danielle Tooley Peter Stenzel If you would like to become a patron, please send a check to: The Highlander McLean High School 1633 Davidson Rd. McLean, VA 22101

Who run the clubs? Girls!

Female empowerment clubs are on the rise at McLean GIRLS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE PLANS NEW YEAR | ALEXANDRIA MEURET REPORTER |

he Girls Leadership Committee (GLC) is one of McLean’s newest clubs whose purpose is to empower and bring leadership opportunities to girls at McLean. “Dr. Reilly wanted to encourage female students to have leadership roles in the school,” school counselor and GLC sponsor Kathleen Otal said. “She started with Ms. Werfel, [and together they] gathered five girls and told them that they wanted them to do something to make a difference in the school community [because] we noticed that girls are very organized, but sometimes they are a little bit shy to speak up and be leaders.” One of the original five members of the

club, senior Ellie Hall, confirms GLC’s early ambitions of supporting girls at McLean. “[The girls and I] started meeting during Highlander Time 3 and we started talking about what issues we saw at McLean, and how we could fix them,” Hall said. “[Then,] we brought Brie Mathers—the spokeswoman for “Love the Skin You’re In!”—in last year to talk about body positivity.” Mathers’ message produced a positive response from girls at McLean, according to Hall. The success of the event encouraged the GLC to organize similar events in the future. “Long term, we are organizing a fair of professional women to come and talk to

Girls Leading in Relaxation — The Girls Leadership

Committee discusses the upcoming spa day they are planning. (Photo by Alexandria Meuret)

Girls Who Protect the Internet — The Girls Who Code

club listens to a presentation on cybersecurity careers by Andrew Sheldon. (Photo by Alexandria Meuret)

GIRLS WHO CODE CONQUERS TECHNOLOGY

| DANA EDSON REPORTER |

n its second year at McLean, Girls Who Code members are planning to expand their presence in the school and to influence their community by focusing on an impact project. Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization that encourages girls to explore the fields of computer science. The group supplies the club with a curriculum and provides the sponsor with a training course to help guide the program. “I was excited to be a sponsor because Girls Who Code is a great nonprofit organization that encourages girls to get involved in computer science in a fun way,”

Page design by Imani McCormick

students at McLean, and we’re also going to get [younger students] to come and learn more about women in different professions and how they got there,” Hall said. Members of the club are looking to expand and gain more members as the school year progresses. The GLC meets the last three Thursdays of every month in the career center or in room R194. For more information on events and meetings, follow the club on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @mcleanglc. “We are open to any female, transgender or non-binary student who’s interested in joining,” Otal said. “There’s so many opportunities for girls to take leadership roles and we encourage anyone to join at any time.”

business teacher and club sponsor Karyn Kolly said. “I believe that many students can benefit from making friendships, building good relationships and by learning about technology and programming in an exciting environment.” This year, club members are focusing on learning how to write HTML code for a communal cause. “We are going to build a website,” Kolly said. “During the course of the year, you focus on what is called an impact project and you pick something that you want to impact your community.” The club not only helps to make a

difference in the community but also aims to give girls the confidence to pursue their career goals in technology. “Computer science is used across a variety of careers today. This program is great because it is dedicated to girls’ interests and introduces them to a variety of career opportunities,” said junior Anna Nguyen, co-president of Girls Who Code. “I joined because I was interested in computer science and inspired by the founder of Girls Who Code, and my dad because he pushed me into the engineering field.” Girls Who Code is a lifelong program that allows girls to pursue their goals in technology. Girls who are interested can get involved by attending meetings every other Thursday in room S128. NOVEMBER | NEWS | 7

A decision set in stone

School board votes to change name from J.E.B. Stuart to Justice High School |SIDDARTH SHANKAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF|

he Fairfax County School Board voted 7-4 on Oct. 26 to rename J.E.B. Stuart High School to Justice High School. The name change will take effect in the 2019-20 school year. The final vote to rename J.E.B. Stuart, which is named after a Confederate general, took place after two years of community discussions and battles over the name that spilled into the most recent school board special election on Aug. 28. “The question [of renaming J.E.B. Stuart] originally came from students at Stuart,” school board chair Jane Strauss said. “We had a number of very articulate students who spoke to the school board... They felt that it was not right to have a school named after a Confederate general who was not known for any important contributions.” Student advocacy has been a major part of the movement to rename the school, as Stuart sophomore Kayla Longmyer attests. “I’ve seen it as a great opportunity to honor people who aren’t really known. I’ve really gotten into it,” Longmyer said. “I’ve worked for two years and I’m not sure what to do after all this.” J.E.B. Stuart is one of two high schools in Fairfax County named after Confederate leaders, the other being Robert E. Lee High School. Stuart was named and opened in 1959 during the period of massive resistance to desegregation in Virginia. “At J.E.B. Stuart...there was a time when internally, the community got rid of the Confederate flag which was in the gym floor,” Strauss said. “It bothered the students and the

8 | NEWS | NOVEMBER

school board to honor [the Confederacy].” The Stuart mascot, the Raider, still carries the blue flag while riding on horseback, a vestige of a blue Confederate battle flag. Opponents of the name change raised concern about the costs associated with it. Renaming the school to just Stuart High School would cost $512,572. Changing the name to Justice will cost $800,620. “I’m not 100 percent with the spending of public money to do all this,” senior Ryan Murn said. To respond to these concerns, school board members have vowed to raise money for the cost of the renaming from the private sector. FCPS has routinely faced budget shortfalls over the past three years. The J.E.B. Stuart community voted on their top choices for renaming the school on Sept. 16. The superintendent then recommended the top five names to the school board for consideration: Stuart High School, Justice Thurgood Marshall High School, Barbara Rose Johns High School, Peace Valley High School and Louis G. Mendez, Jr. High School. The board decided to neglect the choice of ‘Stuart,’ even though it was the top selection within the community vote. “What was the point of a community vote if we weren’t going to listen to the vote?” school board member Elizabeth Schultz said during an Oct. 16 work session. “I feel like maybe what we’re going through is almost like a game of charades.” Proponents of the name change, however, believed renaming the school to Stuart High

School was maintaining the status quo. “It just doesn’t make any sense,” Stuart senior Lily Beres said. “It’s no change at all. What are you going to do for the next 10 years when kids walk in and be like, ‘Oh, it’s Stuart, but it doesn’t mean anything. It’s not the same as it was before.’” Justice Thurgood Marshall, Barbara Rose Johns and Louis G. Mendez, Jr. were names recommended by proponents of the name change, as each were minorities. Marshall was the nation’s first African American Supreme Court justice, Johns was a plaintiff in the Brown v. Board of Education case that outlawed segregation in public schools and Mendez, Jr. was an army officer in World War II from Fairfax County. The fourth-choice option, Peace Valley, refers to the school’s address on Peace Valley Lane. While the Board ultimately decided to honor the name of Justice Thurgood Marshall, Louis G. Mendez High School was a close second after nearly four hours of debate and the culmination of a two-year renaming process. Members felt the Mendez name would be meaningful since the school is majority Hispanic. In retrospect, the name change battle has been divisive for the community, but school administrators have been distancing themselves from the controversy nonetheless. “We don’t [have a role in this]. We can’t get into political beliefs,” said McLean assistant principal Jeff Barham, who previously worked at Stuart. “The administration’s role is just to make sure that every student is safe and that they get a great education, and that’s what the administration of Stuart always strives to do.” Photo by Maria McHugo Page design by Siddarth Shankar

Saudi Arabia lifts ban on women driving Saudi Arabia makes progress toward giving women equal rights

|SABRINA VAZQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR & ANNA GRACE HOPKINS REPORTER | he government of Saudi Arabia announced on Sept. 26 that it will lift its Campaigning ban on women driving. This new policy will for Change — go into effect in June 2018, marking a major This cartoon milestone in Saudi Arabian women’s rights. was created in “Driving represents freedom and support of the independence. I mean, every 16-year-old Women2Drive knows this. As soon as you can drive, you are campaign, a free and have a certain independence from movement in your parents that you didn’t have before, and Saudi Arabia for Saudi women it means independence advocating from the men,” German teacher and Feminist giving women Club sponsor Karen Wolpert said. “When a the right to woman can drive, she’s equal to [a man] in drive. (Photo that sense—she has an independence she obtained via Google Images didn’t have before.” Saudi Arabia is far behind most other under a Creative Commons license) countries when it comes to women’s rights. The lift of this ban symbolizes a step in a ensure Saudi women are equal to their male formed and began advocating for women slightly more progressive direction for the counterparts. to have the right to drive in Saudi Arabia. conservative country. “When a woman has equal access to The group has staged several protests since education, then [men and women] are equal. its creation, which assisted in persuading the When a woman is as educated as a man, then government to change its policy. “[There’s] nowhere to go she can have her own job, she can have her “It’s important for the women of Saudi but up. Things will get better own money, she can make her own decisions,” Arabia because, obviously, they deserve the Wolpert said. “Financial [dependency] on right to drive, and the fact that they have eventually and we men equals inequality.” gained it is wonderful,” said junior Ashley just have to keep fighting Previously, Saudi Arabia was the only Winegarden, a Feminist Club member. “The until they do.” country in the world to restrict women from hard work of activists in the Middle East has -junior Ashley Winegarden, driving. However, Saudi Arabia is not the paid off and true equality is possible.” The removal of the ban marks a positive Feminist Club member only country to limit women’s rights. “The rights of women in Muslim countries shift in women’s rights and hints at a more vary by country. It’s not Islamic law—every progressive era of Saudi Arabian social policy. “I think progress is inevitable, and that country has its own laws,” Wolpert said. “[There’s] nowhere to go but up,” the work of activist women around the Activists have been calling for the repeal Winegarden said. “Things will get better world and in Saudi Arabia will truly make of the ban on driving for several years now. In eventually and we just have to keep fighting incredible differences in equality for women,” 2011, a campaign called Women2Drive was until they do.” said junior Kristen Waagner, a Feminist Club member. While this move is an improvement to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, several restrictions limiting women’s rights are still Women CANNOT: in place. According to Human Rights Watch, women in Saudi Arabia have the same rights as legal minors. They cannot partake wear certain in certain acts without permission from a go swimming clothing and male family member, such as choosing who make-up they marry and accessing certain medical make a decision try on clothes in procedures. compete freely in without the dressing rooms Though Wolpert believes the ability to sports approval of a male drive is an important right, she places the family member highest priority on education in order to

Other Restrictions on Women in Saudi Arabia

Infographic by Maren Kranking Page design by Anna Grace Hopkins & Sabrina Vazquez

NOVEMBER | NEWS | 9

FEATURES

A spirit in the halls

School

|MAREN KRANKING

hree years ago, someone walking through McLean’s blue hallway on game day would be met with an overwhelming sea of red. Stadium bleachers were packed with excited students, with the student section at standing room only. Unfortunately, this spirited scene diminished over time. This year, however, the spirit of the school is making a small but definite comeback. “[School spirit] was at a peak my freshman year,” senior Jack Reed said. “That senior class did a really good job and then it was at a very sharp decline after that.” This year, the leadership class has taken on the task of bringing the level of spirit back to its former glory. One of the most prominent solutions to the spirit problem is actively working to promote the awareness of spirit days and events. “I think it’s mostly just lack of knowledge,” leadership teacher Karen McNamara said. “I feel like if people know, they are going to come out and get involved.” Leadership is improving the classic traditions and spirit days at McLean, while also adding a few new ones of their own. “[Last year] it was just not as hyped 10 | FEATURES | NOVEMBER

spirit on the rise at McLean

DESIGN/FEATURES EDITOR & JULIA McELLIGOTT REPORTER|

up,” senior class president Marshall Pratt said. “I don’t think as many people were aware of the social media outlets available, and we didn’t have students and teachers in charge that really cared about reaching out and taking a big part in telling everybody. The people in charge now really do care about school spirit...they have a particular drive.”

“We’re really emphasizing that it’s cool to dress out for spirit days and it’s cool to be involved.” -senior Anna Sargent, leadership student In previous years, the tailgates held before football games were restricted to upperclassmen only, but this year they are being opened up to the entire school in an effort to make the student community more inclusive. This year leadership also hosted a movie night on Oct. 13 and a bonfire night on Oct. 26 to increase opportunities for students to socialize and gather as a school community.

“Maybe we won’t have a football game [one] night, [but] we still want some emphasis on school spirit those days,” leadership student Anna Sargent said. Leadership has put immense effort into promoting spirit days and special events by posting announcements around the school: on TVs, posters in the halls and cafeteria and by word of mouth. “[Other years] I think that a lot of [spirit] stayed within the leadership groups and it wasn’t really spread out,” Sargent said. “This year, we’re trying to spread it out to the underclassmen through Big Macs and other groups in the school.” Leadership students have raised the bar for spirit not only for other students, but by reaching out to teachers to encourage participation. “More teacher involvement would be better, because the teachers influence the students,” Pratt said. “If the teachers are dressing out for spirit days, it will encourage their students too.” Another effective way to communicate to the school community is through social media. A group of students who call themselves the “MHS Hype Squad” has taken

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of a Victory —

Students show their spirit at the football game against Yorktown on Oct. 6.

(Photo by Maren Kranking)

Cheers —

Senior Jennie Korb cheers alongside her team at the pep rally on Oct. 27. (Photo by Julianne Akard)

Fired Up —

Leadership hosts a bonfire night on Oct. 27 to kick off homecoming weekend. (Photo by Ryan Dahlseid)

THIS YEAR’S SPIRIT INSTALLMENTS tailgates are now inclusive to all students

it upon themselves to bring energy to McLean through their Twitter account, @MHSHYPESQUAD, created in 2014. “[Hype Squad] plans to go to different sports teams’ games and hype it up, and we plan all the color-outs and themes for each game,” Reed said. Both around the halls and at sporting events, the hard work of the leadership class is beginning to pay off. Spirit at McLean can be seen on spirit days during the school day, student turnout at sports events and participation in other school activities. “Overall, I think it is increasing a little bit,” McNamara said. “I’ve noticed more dress out days that kids are participating in.” Though school spirit is slowly rising, there is still much to be done. Many students do participate in themed days and come to school events, but there is still a large number who do not. “Sometimes I see people around the

school not dressed [on spirit days],” freshman Sophie Smith said. “Some people will go all out and kind of feel like an outsider because no one else is doing it.” Leadership is aware of this issue, and in order to combat it, they have adopted a new approach. “We are trying to increase the quality over the quantity of school spirit,” Pratt said. “Instead of just having a bunch of different spirit days, we will have maybe one or two that we stress and try to get a lot of people to participate in.” Although the process may be a slow one, the work of the leadership class and the rest of the community is moving McLean’s spirit in the right direction. “Our school is definitely a lot closer than last year, and we are definitely making sure to involve everybody,” Pratt said. “Spirit days are getting better, we are reaching out more— the community is getting more connected.”

“Fright Night” movie night held on Oct. 13

TICKET ADMIT ONE

Twitter account @MHSHYPESQUAD continues to inform students

greater promotion of spirit days

pre-homecoming bonfire night held on Oct. 26

Page design by Maren Kranking

NOVEMBER | FEATURES | 11

TRY A

CLASS ON US

The best and only authentic full-body boxing workout that changes your body, clears your mind and completely engages your spirit.

Show us this ad at the front desk to redeem your complimentary class and wraps

450 N Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 992-6888

Best Buddies thrives at McLean and beyond Program cultivates student relationships through promotional DC walk | COLIN EDSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & JACK STENZEL SPORTS EDITOR | est Buddies brings out the best of “We have gone to see movies, gone everyone involved. The program aims bowling, walked around the mall and went to help students with intellectual and on hikes. I love to text my buddy and tell developmental disabilities (IDD) by pairing him about my day, and he likes to text me each of them with a student volunteer. These and tell me about his,” Carroll said. volunteers act as mentors and engage in The strong spirit of Best Buddies was various activities with their buddies. evident at the Best Buddies Friendship Walk “The main purpose is to help students on Oct. 21 in Washington, D.C. with disabilities make friendships with “Since the walk is in D.C., it’s a big general education students,” multiple spectacle that everybody comes to see. It’s disabilities teacher and Best Buddies adviser our biggest fundraising point,” said senior Jessica Berns said. Riley Smith, president of the Best Buddies Berns started with Best Buddies when she program at McLean. was in high school and continued with the The annual walk started in 2009, and its program at James Madison University. In popularity has made it a significant event. 2014, she brought her passion to McLean More importantly, it promotes the contagious and became a teacher-adviser of the program. benevolent spirit the Best Buddies program Best Buddies has been a feature at McLean embodies. since 2011, allowing students to connect “There’s no requirements. A lot of people with the special education program. Students think they just don’t have the personality for engage in a variety of activities that revolve interacting with people with disabilities, but around building a meaningful relationship in reality, everybody can find it in their hearts between buddies. to develop friendships. Friendship is what it “We have a chapter meeting once a month is all about,” Smith said. where we do activities with buddies,” junior The Friendship Walk highlights the Connor Carroll said. large impact Best Buddies has in Northern Carroll has been involved in the program Virginia and beyond, and showcases some since his freshman year. This year, he meets of the achievements of the program from twice a month with his buddy, junior Trevor the past year. Best Buddies thrives on the Sheehan. altruism of its volunteers, which they hope

A Walk to Remember — A few thousand people came out to the National Mall to walk alongside friends, family and classmates at the Best Buddies Friendship Walk on Oct. 21. The sun came out as the walkers crossed the finish line, turning into a beautiful day. (Photo by Jack Stenzel) Page design by Jack Stenzel & Colin Edson

Finish Line Frenzy — McLean’s Best Buddies volunteers celebrate after their walk. The walk was followed by a dance party with a live DJ. (Photo courtesy of Riley Smith)

will translate into lasting friendships. “More than anything, our students just want to be regular high schoolers and have normal friendships,” Berns said. Those friendships are mutually beneficial. The buddy student receives attention and opportunities to gain new connections while the mentor gains a rewarding experience and lifelong friendships. “It’s a thing where you get taken away from the real world and it’s just you and your buddy,” Carroll said. The walk emphasizes unity and camaraderie—the very foundation of the Best Buddies program that has allowed it to grow into an international organization. “It’s nice to see people coming together, all walking together for the same purpose,” Smith said. With this sense of togetherness in mind, it’s easy to understand why the club is growing at McLean. “My sophomore year it was one-to-one, but the club has since doubled in size,” Smith said. Programs like Best Buddies show that there is another group of students who deserve the same attention and opportunities general education students receive. “There are millions of people with IDD,” Smith said. “Best Buddies has brought awareness to the fact that a lot of these individuals are intelligent and crave the same friendships and relationships that everyone else does.” NOVEMBER | FEATURES | 13

Highlander of the Issue

Rocking and rolling through life Eric Stein: football player, charity worker, rocker | BEN DAVIS REPORTER |

14 | FEATURES | NOVEMBER

Photos by Ben Davis Page design by Maren Kranking & Maria McHugo

part-time music instructor, a football player and a rocker walk into a classroom. Surprisingly, all three personas are wrapped into one admirable teenager—Eric Stein. A senior at McLean this year, Stein is juggling a complex schedule, but “The Stitch” finds a way to sew it all together. Stein embarked on his musical career when his parents gave him a guitar at age 6. The guitar served as a consolation gift for having to give away their family dog after the dog bit Stein, forcing him to have to get stitches—hence his nickname, “The Stitch.” Stein’s mother soon saw that the gift became more than a mere toy for her son. “Little did we know [that] when we bought Eric a guitar in the first grade, it would shape his life,” Doris Stein said. “Music...has made him confident, mature and a leader.” Stein’s musical abilities landed him a job at Bach to Rock, a music school in the center of McLean, where he works with young children. In addition to the time he commits to his job, Stein has been a member of the same band since he was in the second grade. Stein’s band, The Unexpected, consists of three members: drummer Jack Lichtenstein, bass guitarist Brian Bodell and Stein on lead guitar and vocals. Despite attending different schools, the boys manage to jam together for at least two to three hours per week on Tuesday nights. When they are not practicing, the boys spend quality time with one another. Stein views his bandmates not only as friends, but as brothers. They have only positive things to say about Stein’s character. “Eric is the perfect person to front the band because of his energetic nature. He also takes on the most difficult task in the band, which is singing and playing the guitar at the same time,” Lichtenstein said. “Eric is a great friend and bandmate to have.” These natural qualities are what motivate Stein to give back to his community. Through involvement with his band, Stein participates in events for charities like Bands for Bikes and Families Fighting the Flu. “It’s a really cool experience to play at places like Bands for Bikes, which my drummer sets up... We try to raise money to donate bikes to people in Africa,” Stein said. Stein is drawn to charity work for personal reasons. “I think of my older sister at these [events], because she died of the flu when she was 4 and I was 2,” Stein said. “[Now,] my family is really big on fighting the flu... In addition to my family being on the board

Practice Makes Perfect

— Eric Stein rocks out with his band, The Unexpected, before their performance at Bach to Rock on Oct. 19. The band members write their own songs, as well as covering other artists’ songs such as “Redbone” by Childish Gambino. of directors of Families Fighting the Flu, [my band] plays every year at a charity auction.” Stein’s songs are inspired by true feelings and events that he has lived through. He recognizes his own life as a story that can be heard chapter by chapter within his music. “Music isn’t just a pastime for me; it’s generally what dictates my life. If for some reason I don’t turn in my homework, it’s because I’ve been playing music and have been trying to learn one song for two or three hours,” Stein said. “I participate in other extracurriculars, but music is the only thing I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.” In addition to playing in his band, Stein represents the McLean Highlanders on the football field. As starting center, he is required to practice snapping the ball for about half an hour a day, in addition to attending mandatory three-hour practices, games on Friday nights and watching game film at 8 a.m. each Saturday morning. “My schedule is a hard thing to comprehend, but I honestly could not imagine devoting my time to anything different. [In doing these things,] I have made friendships that will probably go beyond high school, which really means a lot to me,” Stein said. Stein graduates this year, but he plans to pursue music composition and continue playing with his band after high school. “We are like brothers,” Stein said. “[With them,] I really think music for me is more

than just a hobby for outside of school. To me, it’s more like something that takes over my life.” Stein’s parents support their son’s hopes for his future as well. “[Eric] and his band have excelled from being a cute, school-aged trio into an original music performing group that can frontline great venues and stand on their own,” said Gary Stein, Eric’s father. Stein plans to keep in touch with his bandmates throughout college. They have already planned a reunion tour for The Unexpected during their college years. Stein knows that the bond he and his bandmates share is unbreakable. “It’s always been the core three,” Stein said. “We are brothers.”

Scan this with Snapchat or a QR code reader to listen to The Unexpected on thehighlandernews.com! NOVEMBER | FEATURES | 15

McLeadership makes big impact

Big Mac program welcomes Class of 2021 | ED WALTERS SPORTS EDITOR |

very year, hundreds of rising freshmen make the transition from middle school to the much bigger, more intimidating McLean High School. The McLeadership program helps these students adjust to the changes that come with the new school. “A Big Mac is somebody who takes the eighth graders coming from middle schools and helps them transition into the busy high school life,” senior executive mentor Jessie Seppi said. “You make them feel welcome, you get to know them and you make sure they know who to talk to if they ever have problems.” McLeadership executive mentors are chosen to mentor the Big Macs and teach them different strategies for working with the freshmen. “We try to get Big Macs to develop a friendship, rather than seeming like someone above them,” senior executive mentor Mia Barringer said. “We try to make it more personal. We try to get the freshmen more involved with school activities and find something they enjoy.” Little Macs see their mentors as people who have been through the same struggles they have and are willing to help them with any hardships that come up. “My Big Mac helps prepare me mentally for all types of situations I might face,” freshman Nate Fimbres said. “It’s given me an opportunity to talk to someone who has experienced what high school is like.” The McLeadership program is headed by

Forging a connection — Freshmen meet with their Big Macs during a connect group meeting on Oct. 24. They meet about once a month. assistant principals Jamie Lane and Kate Stavish and school counselor Greg Olcott. The Big Macs share high praise for these faculty members. “I really look up to all of them. They’re very personable, very funny and they know how to get along with people and interact in a way that makes them feel welcome,” Seppi said. The trio sees McLeadership as a chance to connect with students, something they get to do less frequently as administrators. “I was struggling with not being able to have that connection [with students] when I started here,” Stavish said. “[McLeadership] gave me that connection where I would be able to interact with students pretty closely over the course of a school year.” Despite the work they’ve done for the program, they still attribute their success to the hard work of the students involved.

Leading the Pack — Executive mentor Jessie Seppi works with Big

Mac Joe Horowitz during an Oct. 24 meeting. There are 16 executive mentors in the program this year. 16 | FEATURES | NOVEMBER

“I think we rely almost 100 percent on the [students’] ability to lead them,” Lane said. “They’re in full control of communication. They decide how to deliver the messages they’re trained on.” There is a competitive application process for becoming a Big Mac. Rising juniors and seniors who are interested must first submit an online application. “Right now, there is an online application that the executive members of the outgoing senior class and the rising seniors look at,” Lane said. “They score those written applications and identify what they want to see in the answers.” After the online portion of the application, each applicant meets with a group of executive mentors for an in-person interview. “The students from several years ago requested an interview component be added in,” Lane said. “They really wanted that face time. It’s something they value more than the written application.” Those who are chosen to be Big Macs savor the opportunity to help freshmen transition to high school. “I wanted to be a good mentor for the freshmen,” junior Big Mac Carter Robertson said. “I’ve been through the troubles of freshman year and felt I could help them through it.” At the end of the day, the goal of McLeadership is to build a community of trust and safety. “I always tell the Big Macs, ‘Don’t be a robot,’” Seppi said. “Be someone the freshmen can talk to, someone they are comfortable with.” Photos & page design by Ed Walters

10 Qs with Joe Muskett

(PE/Driver’s Education Teacher) Reporting by Rebeka Rafi Photos by Sabrina Vazquez & Rebeka Rafi Page design by Bryan Chung

Why did you decide to retire this year?

What was your favorite part about teaching physical education?

When you have 30 years in the state, you are able to retire. Actually I have 39 [years of teaching]. I had nine in Texas, but by the time I came up, you still had to teach for 30 years to retire.

The whole realm of physical education—health, driver’s ed, all of that—you see the young men and women in an entirely different atmosphere. So, I would consider myself fortunate to see them in that way.

What hobbies do you have outside of school? [Coaches] devote so much time to our students and to coaching on the weekends, I’m looking to start some hobbies. I’ve really had none. If you had to see one McLean teacher for the rest of your life, who would it be? There are a lot of great teachers, but it would have to be Coach Don Vivacqua. We have shared an office now for a dozen years and he is a quality man.

What is your main goal for retirement?

I’d get to the water. Get to the water and get a boat, because I don’t think that those zombies can swim.

There are hundreds of kids that disappear in America every year. I’d like to do something, even just volunteering answering phones, something like that, and help find the children in America.

Do you know when your last day at McLean will be?

Who is your favorite celebrity?

What would be your first action if there were a zombie apocalypse?

My official last day is Jan. 1, Elvis Presley because he 2018, but I’ll probably go out influenced so many people What otherwith occupations a little earlier, right around his music.have you had in the past? Thanksgiving. My major in college was education If you were able to have any and Phys Ed majors, they typically superpower in the world, what would run pools, they work at camps, and I it be and why? gravitated towards swimming pools forItawould long time. be to fly, because forever I have thought that it would be pretty cool to be an airline pilot. What is the worst excuse you have heard as a teacher or as a coach? A kid said he had to go where his family business was raising elephants and he had to go to his uncle’s farm to help with the elephants. It was so | FEATURES | 17 bizarre youNOVEMBER had to believe it.

Snap out of it!

Snapchat changes style of communication |MARIA McHUGO NEWS EDITOR|

odern conversation is no longer confined to in-person exchanges, but now occurs on a multidimensional plane. This new landscape of interaction is entirely internet-based and is augmented by the platform that is Snapchat. “As Snapchat has developed, not only has face-to-face communication declined, but Snapchat has taken over most means of [interaction],” sophomore Lana Al-Saloum said. Developed in 2011, the platform garners nearly 301 million average monthly users according to 2016 data collected by Omnicore, a digital marketing agency. Based on a survey of 148 McLean students, nearly nine in 10 use Snapchat daily. The popularity of this platform has translated to usage within the classroom. “Even just a year ago, not as many students were using Snapchat as they are now,” STEM teacher Cara Mosley said. “I’ve started using Snapchat in my classroom, because I believe it’s become one of my students’ top ways of communicating with each other. [This has made matters] very interesting and really funny when students are sharing videos about engineering using a Snapchat story.” Meanwhile, as the social media landscape has evolved, students have found themselves infatuated with their devices. In response, many teachers have instituted policies of phone collection—especially in McLean’s English department. “Last year, I tried to give students the chance to not put their phones up,” English teacher Kendra Stolee said. “But it became too much of a distraction to have students know what was going on when there was something happening with their phone.” Using Snapchat can also promote a negative social atmosphere. English teacher Elise Emmons believes this stems from the temporary and disappearing nature of messages sent through Snapchat. “Snapchat has changed communication in a sense that there is no longer a footprint. You can have entire conversations with people and you cannot back them up. The gossip train can evolve, but you can’t point

the finger at anyone,” Emmons said. Though Snapchat allows distant individuals to communicate, it may diminish the importance of face-to-face interactions. “Although it’s a fun way to keep in touch with friends you may not see as often, when [you] see people you Snapchat in person, the interactions tend to be awkward and different,” junior Kathryn Burry said. Snapchat-based interactions are markedly different from personal and realistic communication. “[Snapchat] takes away from what’s going on around you,” English teacher Michael Enos said. “When there’s face-toface interaction with somebody, there are nuances to a conversation that are not there with Snapchat.” School psychologist Beth Werfel suggests that there are psychological implications that result from a dependency on Snapchat and social media in general. “There’s a time and place for social media, but millennials have to realize that there’s also a place for face-to-face communication and contact,” Werfel said. “I think the other thing to consider with social media is that people post their best photos, the fun and cool things that they do and [this] can make others who see their Snapchats and Instagrams ask why their lives aren’t like that. This can impact [an individual’s] mood or self-esteem.” Whether its impact on millennial communication is positive or negative, the famous yellow logo continues to populate the phone screens of nearly every McLean student. Snapchat has left the whims of traditional verbal communication as a ghost of the past.

Add @MHSHighlander on Snapchat!

9in10

McLean students use Snapchat

Based on a survey of 148 students

39%

37.5% Less than 10 Snapstreaks 10-20 Snapstreaks More than 20 Snapstreaks Based on a survey of 102 students 60

Snapchat 50

iMessage 30

18 | FEATURES | NOVEMBER

23.5%

Other Primary Online Communication Based on a survey of 92 students

Classic Highlander Snaps

If you’ve encountered any of these snaps in your recents, chances are you’ve stumbled upon a Highlander.

THE EGG Snapchat culture is dominated by the beloved egg snap, only fully depicting the snapper’s forehead and eyes.

THE MIRROR PIC Given the many bathrooms in McLean, the mirror snap has become a student favorite—especially on spirit days.

THE SNAPFILTER This basic snap most often includes the dog filter or the flower crown, two Snapchat-made staples.

THE S&R Not to be confused with the SR&R booklet, the S&R is a snap sent to multiple users at the same time.

THE 4 A.M. HOMEWORK SNAP This late night homework snap epitomizes the atmosphere at McLean, a go-to for many dedicated students.

THE COVERT MID-CLASS SNAP Increasing in popularity due to recent phone policies, the covert mid-class photo is coveted among Snap rebels. Snaps used with permission Page design by Maria McHugo

Go Highlanders!

NOVEMBER| FEATURES | 19

A legend lives on

Debunking the legend of the Bunnyman Bridge

| RYAN DAHLSEID & SAM GOLLOB REPORTERS |

he Colchester Overpass lies just 10 minutes outside of historic Clifton, Virginia. A one-lane road weaves through a wooded landscape for about three miles before reaching this bridge, which stands out amongst its remote surroundings. Worn railroad tracks run across the top of the bridge and its rustic nature puts visitors on edge. It’s not hard to understand why it has become such an infamous landmark. Commonly known as the Bunnyman Bridge, stories of this landmark and the insane murderer from which its nickname is derived have been passed through the D.C. area for generations. The legend has been told in many different ways throughout the years. “There are a lot of variations of [the story], but the most prominent one describes...one or more mental patients who escaped from an asylum somewhere near the Clifton area around the turn of the century,” Fairfax County Public Library archivist Brian Conley said. “They escaped into the woods [near the bridge] and started living there, then began preying on the local residents.”

The legend has taken on a life of its own in the Clifton area. The Clifton General Store sells shirts with depictions of the Bunnyman Bridge along with a common retelling of the tale. Sam Wallington, a cashier at the Clifton Italian restaurant Trattoria Villagio, has heard a slightly different story.

“When the police went to find him, all they found were dead bunnies’ bodies, so they nicknamed him ‘The Bunnyman.’” -Clifton resident Sam Wallington “It’s this whole tale. I think back in the 1960s or 70s, there was a bus full of prisoners that was taking them to a new prison and it crashed,” Wallington said. “Apparently a serial killer or a crazy guy got loose, then went into the woods. When the police

went to find him, all they found were dead bunnies’ bodies, so they nicknamed him ‘The Bunnyman.’” The Bunnyman Bridge has been so ingrained in the culture of Clifton that most children who grew up in the area have their own unique tales about it. “I was legit terrified of it as a kid. [The police] would close it off mostly because kids liked to mess with the neighbors,” Wallington said. Nadine Vasquez, owner of Whitehall Farms in Clifton, has grown up with the legend. She has seen the myth evolve from a local phenomenon to a more public interest. “It was a spooky thing to do when we were growing up,” Vasquez said. “[These days] Clifton does a whole thing around the Bunnyman. They do a whole haunted trail.” While the majority of Clifton residents are familiar with the legend, many residents of Fairfax County and the greater commonwealth of Virginia have their own stories to tell, including history teacher Rachel Baxter, who lived in Virginia for a substantial portion of her childhood. “I’ve heard lots of different versions of

the story. I feel like the one that sticks out in my mind the most is that a bus transporting mental institution Downtown patients crashed on the bridge and Clifton — they all escaped,” Baxter said. “There The railroad was another version that they would that runs hide and come out and kill people through the heart of town is when they tried to drive through the the same one bridge.” that passes With so many stories and folklore, over the bridge it is almost impossible to distinguish a few miles fact from fiction. Conley has spent away. years following leads and researching the multiple versions of the story in order to find the truth. Bunnyman “It was a professional interest. Bridge — At the time I started the research, I The infamous was working as a library associate at home of the Fairfax County Public Library in the legend of the local history collection. We started Bunnyman is getting a regular string of people located on coming in and asking about it, and as Colchester Road in Clifton. a librarian you just kind of get tired of having to say, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘there’s no information,’” Conley said. “So I went off the assumption that most Tracks of legends oftentimes will have some Terror — basis in fact.” In one version of the tale, the Conley first heard the story in the Bunnyman early 1970s, despite the rumor that throws himself the event happened at the turn of in front of a the century. Through research of The train on these Washington Post news articles from tracks above that time, he came upon a startling the bridge. discovery. “The actual event occurred in late

October of 1970. A couple was in the Burke area, which is not Clifton, but near what’s now the Burke Centre train station. They were parked one night in a driveway at a house that was thought at the time to be vacant. They were approached by an individual who shouted something about trespassing and threw a hatchet through their window,” Conley said. “As you can well appreciate, neither of them got a good look at the individual but they did describe him as dressed in white. They variously describe some kind of headpiece that might have looked like a rabbit’s ears.” This story was picked up by local newspapers and even The Washington Post for its startling nature as well as its proximity to Halloween. Since this bizarre event, the story has spread to a

larger audience. “When it hit the Post, it also got out to The Associated Press news feed and it was picked up in newspapers as far away as Florida that I know of. The Internet makes the whole planet aware of things, and of course it’s morphed into websites,” Conley said. “There have been published fiction books on it and there have been at least two movies featuring a Bunnyman that are loosely based on the legend. I had heard it said that Donnie Darko was based loosely on the legend.” The legend of the Bunnyman Bridge and the figure that haunts it is one of Fairfax County’s well-known legends. Although the actual event differs greatly from the magnitude of the legend that has formed around it, the mystery of what actually happened remains frightening. “If it’s a legend, we have to assume it has grown over time. This is exactly what happened with the Bunnyman. The actual event is, while less gruesome, at least as strange as any of the Internet tellings on it,” Conley said. Intriguingly, the culprit of the 1970s hatchet story was never apprehended. No version of the story has been proven true, and no version has ever been proven false. It is safe to say there is a lot of uncertainty involved in the legend of the Bunnyman. As Conley said, “most legends oftentimes will have some basis in fact.” Perhaps the shirts in the Clifton General Store ring true. Maybe, just maybe, “He’s still out there...” Photos by Sam Gollob Page design by Ryan Dahlseid

IN-DEPTH

A Split SECOND

Nation battles over gun control and meaning of the Second Amendment | COLIN EDSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, JAKE KEATING REPORTER & JUDE SADEQ REPORTER |

unfire refused to cease. Bullets ripped through the weary bodies of the American people, debilitated by the oppressive British, yet the fight for independence persisted. No such fight would have survived without the pride and determination that filled the hearts of the Americans, and no such fight would have been won without a means of aggression which, in the case of the American Revolution, was the gun. After 11 years of unrest, the Second Continental Congress wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It was the first major step to independence. The fighting did not stop there. It was not until seven years later that the final gunshot was fired at Yorktown. “Guns are closely linked to America and its history. We gained our independence at the end of a rifle,” National Rifle Association (NRA) media liaison Catherine Mortensen said in an interview with The Highlander. Without a proper government or a way of maintaining order

“

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” An Epidemic Sitting in his 32nd floor hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, just seconds after shooting a security guard, gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of over 20,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival. In 11 minutes, Paddock killed 58 and injured more than 500 before killing himself. The massacre has been recorded as the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. “The Las Vegas shooting was a very emotional event to hear about. It was devastating to see and even more heartbreaking having to imagine what those people were going through,” senior Shiraz Kunzel said. Paddock possessed 23 weapons in his hotel room, 12

Guns are closely linked to America and its history. We gained our independence at the end of a rifle.” -NRA media liaison Catherine Mortensen

across the nation’s colonies, some of the most knowledgeable and influential people who lived at the time created a document of paramount importance to American integrity: the Constitution, which established the framework for a national government. Solicitation by the American people for greater protection of individual liberties resulted in the writing of the Bill of Rights by James Madison in 1791. Unalienable rights that were protected by the Bill of Rights included the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial. There is one amendment, though, that has yet to be commonly agreed upon by such an ever-changing nation, and that is the Second Amendment. The American people support it or oppose it, they love it or they hate it, they use it for or against arguments of gun control. It is the sentence written by Madison over two centuries ago. 22 | IN-DEPTH | NOVEMBER

equipped with bump stocks—a device that increases the rate of fire of a firearm—along with 50 explosives and 1,600 rounds of ammunition in his car. What transpired in Las Vegas is just one of many mass shootings over the past few years to break the record for the deadliest mass shooting in American history. In 1999, high school seniors Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris shot and killed 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado. In 2007, Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. In 2012, Adam Lanza shot 20 first graders and six adult faculty members to death at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. “I was covering the White House and Congress when the most horrific school massacre of all took place: Newtown,” ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl said in

an interview with The Highlander. “Through it all, what strikes me is how consistent the response has been: calls for more gun laws followed by inaction in Congress. Remarkably little has changed.” The increased frequency of mass shootings has sparked widespread debate over the subject of gun control. Republicans and Democrats have disagreed fervently and are unlikely to reach an agreement on any pertinent issues. Because of this, two strikingly partisan interpretations of the Second Amendment have developed. Gun rights supporters believe the Second Amendment serves as a means for Americans to defend their homes and property and that any legislation involving the regulation or control of guns is a direct violation of the amendment. “If you take away guns, as you can see in Britain, they are having a knife murder epidemic. Their murders are skyrocketing and they are all by knives, because guns are illegal. We need to figure out what is motivating people to kill others,” NOVA Firearms manager Rachel Dresser said. “The tool is the tool; if it’s not a drill, it’s a hammer.” As for gun control advocates, they believe that the amendment is subject to regulation in order to adapt to the constantly changing gun culture. “Even though the Second Amendment is something that the Founding Fathers thought of right along with the freedom of religion and speech, it seems like it allows people to own too much. There are so many guns that are not made for selfprotection,” senior Hyun Kang said. “The Second Amendment does need to be challenged and we all know this by looking at the Las Vegas shooting.” Regardless of the ambiguity or evolution of the Second Amendment, the Founding Fathers did not give the American people the right to keep and bear arms with the intent of using them for inflicting harm among the public. They could not have known that dangerous people would obtain the tremendously devastating power that is in a firearm these days. There are two operative clauses of the Second Amendment: ‘to keep Arms’ and ‘to bear Arms.’ The former clause has been successfully upheld by the Supreme Court in the District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), in which D.C. special policeman Dick Heller challenged a D.C. law banning the possession of guns by prohibiting the registration of handguns and making it a crime to possess an unregistered firearm. The Heller case held that Americans have a constitutional right to keep a firearm in their home, and to use it for protection on their property. While Americans have the right to keep arms, there is not yet agreement on whether they can bear arms.

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

NOVEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 23

Executive Action Under the Obama administration, the federal government focused heavily on gun control reform after the Sandy Hook shooting. Obamaera reform focused on revamping background checks and increasing the effectiveness of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. While Obama’s main focus was background checks, he introduced sweeping reform to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) by proposing greater funding and hiring 200 more federal agents. He also aimed to improve funding toward mental health care by giving $500 million to the Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Health and Human Services was also given the ability to restrict gun ownership access to people with certain mental health problems. These reforms were all passed using executive orders and are at risk of being overturned by President Donald Trump. “Donald Trump campaigned as a strong Guns on Guns advocate of the Second Amendment. It was a — The National major theme of his campaign and he was endorsed Firearms very early and enthusiastically by the NRA,” Karl Museum said. “But shortly after the Las Vegas shooting, at the NRA Trump suggested he could support additional gun headquarters laws. He wasn’t specific, but there is a move in in Fairfax has Congress to ban so-called bump stocks.” a plethora Five days after the Las Vegas shooting, the of guns on display, giving NRA called on the ATF to question whether or visitors a look not bump stocks adhere to federal law. into the rich “I think there is a consensus between history of guns.

24 | IN-DEPTH | NOVEMBER

Democrats and Republicans that bump stocks should be banned or more heavily regulated,” senior Ben Mennitt said. Though gun control laws, such as a ban on bump stocks, make it more difficult for people to acquire deadly firearms, they don’t necessarily prevent mass shootings. “Tougher gun laws may not have prevented any of those shootings, but I believe the younger generation will be looking for ways to stop this kind of violence from happening so frequently,” Karl said. Virginia’s GUbernatorial Race For the first time in their lives, many seniors at McLean voted on Nov. 7 for governor of Virginia. Their voices directly impacted public policy changes, especially with regards to gun control. Democratic candidate Ralph Northam and Republican candidate Ed Gillespie took strong stances on both sides of the issue, with major implications for gun culture in Virginia, the home of the NRA. Northam stands firmly behind his position to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Virginia. In addition, he wants to reinstate purchase limits and universal background checks which Republicans have opposed. On the other side of the aisle, Gillespie stated that the extent of his gun legislation would only reach the regulation of bump stocks. Gillespie’s opinion on gun control essentially goes hand-in-hand with the beliefs of the NRA. He received an “A” rating from the NRA and is heavily backed by both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. The NRA not only controls firearm reform but also keeps a running list of candidates who support or oppose Second Amendment rights. For the Virginia election, Gillespie was “NRA endorsed,” while Ralph Northam received an “F” rating in August. The listing is posted on the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action (NRAILA) website and doubles as a printable version of the ballot “to refer to on election day.” “We are supporting A-rated Ed Gillespie and we are not supporting F-rated Ralph Northam. We think there are implications that are very profound for Virginia and [citizens’] ability to protect and defend themselves,” Mortensen said. The NRA ardently spoke out against Northam and his gun control policies before the election. “The NRA sees Ralph Northam as hostile to your Second Amendment rights because he supports gun rationing laws...bans on commonly owned firearms...[and] criminalizing the private sale of firearms between lifelong friends and family members,” Mortensen said. Northam received significant financial support from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization that supports gun control and strives to end gun violence. Financed by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Everytown donated $700,000 to Northam’s campaign in hopes to increase Democratic voter participation. Everytown was not the only organization that hoped to influence the Virginia election. The NRA directly donated $2,500 to the Gillespie campaign, funded independent television advertisements and had a significant social media campaign that showcaseed Gillespie’s support for gun rights. The NRA’s efficacy comes from their efficient grassroots operations which, at its most basic level, includes active local participation in government and government decisions. Grassroots organizations are dedicated groups of people that will go out of their way to get results

background checks have blocked nearly 3 million gun sales to prohibited people

from their representatives, whether that entails emailing, calling or giving their representatives a visit in person. The NRA takes great pride in their grassroots organization and they see it as the cornerstone of their success in shaping legislation passed at the national, state and local levels. “This election is absolutely critical. The NRA has a robust grassroots operation throughout [Virginia] to educate voters about the threat that Northam poses to their ability to protect and defend themselves,” Mortensen said. “We are very effective in the sense that we efficiently get information directly to our grassroots supporters. They are what makes the difference in the gun control issue.” Students at McLean took the gun control issue into consideration when they decided who to vote for in the gubernatorial election. “Northam is well-versed on gun control. He is a veteran and stated that he experienced firsthand how lethal guns are. He passed a lot of legislation such as the Concealed Reciprocity Act and his background makes me confident that he will tighten gun control,” said senior Carolyn Brown-Kaiser, who voted. “That is something that resonates with me as a voter, since I believe there should be more gun regulation.” Culture Divide Per data collected in 2014 by demographicdata.org, Virginia is 31st for gun ownership in the U.S. with 35 percent of the state population owning guns. A Quinnipiac University poll in April of this year found 94 percent of Virginians support universal background checks and a majority of Virginians, 54 percent, support stricter gun laws. Not only do Virginians agree with imposing more control on firearms, but there is an overwhelming consensus—over two-thirds of Virginians—that believe guns will not make Virginia safer. Unlike the majority of Virginia, Northern Virginia holds a more Photos by Jude Sadeq Page design by Bryan Chung & Colin Edson

liberal perspective on gun control. During the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was held as a completely red state for the majority of the night until the votes from Northern Virginia were counted. The striking difference between Northern Virginia and the rest of Virginia derives from the type of community that is present in each area. People’s beliefs about firearms in urban, suburban and rural areas vary greatly. “There is without a doubt a bubble us Northern Virginians live in. It’s safe to say we are a far more liberal area compared to the rest of Virginia and I think that will affect the governor’s race greatly. In the 2016 presidential elections, Northern Virginia outweighed the conservative rural areas of Virginia. If it’s happened in the past, there’s a great chance it can happen again,” Brown-Kaiser said. Northern Virginia is a growing urban center and tends to advocate for more regulation on guns as the likelihood of gun violence is much more likely in a relatively dense area. “As you get into places in the suburbs where people just don’t grow up with that same sense of guns, people handle it a lot differently. It is just a different culture. It’s a culture divide,” Mortensen said. The gun control debate will continue to rage on nationwide, even after the gubernatorial election in Virginia. It is unlikely that any piece of legislation will satisfy both parties, besides the ban on bump stocks. Karl believes the right given to American citizens in the Second Amendment should be respected while also acknowledging a need to end mass shootings and gun violence. Finding a middle ground is crucial. “The Founders clearly did not want the government to have a monopoly control over weapons,” Karl said. “The right to keep and bear arms is a key part of the Bill of Rights and cannot simply be ignored.” NOVEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 25

A&E Want to see some art? Here’s where to start

Visit these captivating D.C. art installations before they’re gone | ROSE HARRIS REPORTER |

Renwick Gallery

Hirshhorn Museum American Art

ENDS JANUARY 2018

ENDS FEBRUARY 2018

ENDS JANUARY 2018

Parallax Gap

arallax Gap focuses on the semblance fabricated by the concepts of craft and architecture. The exhibit stretches across the ceiling of D.C.’s esteemed Renwick Gallery’s Bettie Rubenstein Grand Salon. In recent years, the gallery has had numerous ceiling installations such as WONDER in 2015 and Leo Villareal’s 23,000 dangling lights, titled Volume, that still remains in the gallery. Architects David Freeland and Brenan Buck incorporated Eastern and Western techniques to create an optical illusion through the use of a parallax, which distorts the position and direction of lines when viewed from different angles.

26 | A&E | NOVEMBER

Trace: Ai Weiwei Lumia i Weiwei’s Trace is a collection of portraits constructed from LEGOs of individuals who are social justice activists. The artist’s technique and precision with the LEGOs is amazing—from a distance, these portraits look like photographs. The portraits are displayed on the floors of enormous white rooms, allowing the vibrant colors and fine detail of each portrait to stand out in the midst of 175 others. Walking through the Trace exhibit is also a learning experience. Weiwei’s portraits encompass a variety of dissidents such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Chelsea Manning, prompting visitors to want to learn more.

homas Wilfred invented a new art form that was among the first successful fusions of modern art and technology. Lumia consists of 15 light compositions that present changing colors on a black background. Photos fail to capture the true beauty of the exhibit. The ever-changing component of the art has a fresh, unique perspective that emanates through each transition. Wilfred’s genius light transposition transforms the aesthetic presence in the gallery. The lights are part of a greater whole, creating the feeling of being in another galaxy. This display of light is science in action, and it is quite a remarkable experience. Photos & page design by Rose Harris

START HERE

Which new show should you watch? Take this quiz to find out what you’ll be binging this season

in the mood to laugh?

want something action-packed?

nah man

yeah boi

like spinoffs?

no thanks

heroes

crime show

yep

good guys or bad guys?

medical drama or soap opera?

not my drift

into political humor?

crime show or superheroes?

sign me up

goodies

sure am

medical drama

soap opera

baddies

heck no slice of life

slice of life or supernatural?

supernatural

YOUNG SHELDON Star character of The Big Bang Theory Sheldon Cooper goes to high school at 9 years old. Thursdays @ 8:30 on CBS

WILL & GRACE A gay man and straight woman face middle age together as roommates in Manhattan in this reboot of the ‘90s hit. Thursdays @ 9 on NBC

MARVEL’S THE GIFTED A suburban family joins an underground network of mutants to escape a hostile government. Mondays @ 9 on FOX

SUBURRA A fight over land near the Vatican leads to a battle of corruption and violence among crooks. Netflix

GHOSTED Two polar opposites are recruited to investigate paranormal activity which has the ability to threaten humanity’s existence. Sundays @ 8:30 on FOX

MINDHUNTER Two FBI agents in the late ‘70s interview serial killers to understand what caused them to commit their crimes. Netflix

THE MAYOR A local rapper accidentally wins a mayoral race when a publicity stunt goes awry. Tuesdays @ 9:30 on ABC

DYNASTY Two of America’s wealthiest families feud over the control of their fortunes in this remake of an ‘80s classic. Mondays @ 9 on CW

THE GOOD DOCTOR An autistic man excels as a surgeon due to his unique perspective on the world around him. Mondays @ 10 on ABC

Reporting & page design by Haley Rose & Anya Chen

NOVEMBER | A&E | 27

NEW FOOD ON |ALEX MANDANAS OPINIONS EDITOR & IMANI MCCORMICK MANAGING EDITOR|

The Block is an Asian food hall with individual food, dessert and beverage spots

Balo Kitchen

Munch

alo Kitchen’s Asian comfort food style falls flat. The tender chicken nuggets were delicious. You could say it was love at first bite, but that love quickly came to an end. Its peppery seasoning gives the chicken a distinct flavor, yet the aftertaste does not differentiate itself from a bucket of KFC. Dipping sauces such as Sriracha or ketchup give it the tangy flavor it needs. Balo also incorporates their fried chicken into a mediocre taco. The tortilla was quite appealing, but everything else failed to live up to what we consider The Block standards. The chicken and rice dish was tastefully plated with classic, soy-glazed chicken breast on a bed of white rice, served with pickled greens and scallions. Initially, the chicken had a refreshing impression, but after a while, the flavor became kind of monotonous, and the overcooked rice had a mushy, unappetizing texture. Overall, Balo Kitchen is middle-of-the-road. The food is definitely tasty, but eventually every taste became repetitive and unexciting. Though you could definitely find an Asian comfort food meal to fit your fancy, Balo is not the best choice for quality cuisine at The Block. 28 | A&E | NOVEMBER

unch is known for their unique, unconventional ice cream flavors such as Earl Grey, Fruity Pebbles and Raspberry Lychee Rose. Their most popular flavor is the Ash Coconut (right) served in a charcoal cone. We topped it off with Frosted Flakes and ube, a purple yam drizzle. It tastes like traditional coconut ice cream but is infused with carbon powder and activated charcoal, giving it a distinct dark black color. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor (left) served in a red velvet cone with Frosted Flakes is deliciously sweet and, yes, cinnamony. The blend of flavors did not fail to impress us. Munch is also known for their doughnut sandwiches—a mouthwatering concoction of panini-pressed doughnuts stuffed with ice cream and topped with crumbled cookies or sugary cereal. Their toppings incorporate American processed sweets and cereals like Oreos, Fruity Pebbles and sprinkles. They also offer some inventive glazes, like green tea and sesame, to perfect the Munch experience. Munch blends American and Asian classics to create truly special desserts. If you’re in the mood for something sweet and out-there, start lining up at Munch.

THE BLOCK 4221 John Marr Drive, Annandale, VA 22003

Pokéworks

SnoCream

okéworks’ Chipotle-style build-your-own meal option allows you to adapt their menu to whatever you’re craving. “Poké your way” when choosing a base, protein, toppings and sauce. If you can’t decide what to get from the food bar, you can opt for one of their many Signature Works. These meals are inventive spins on time-honored Hawaiian and east Asian dishes, including a multitude of options for bases and an array of Japanese-influenced toppings. We ordered the Hawaiian Classic (right) and Shiso Salmon (left). The Hawaiian Classic captures the fusion cuisine of the islands. The ahi tuna, green and sweet onion and seaweed create the perfect balance of sweet and savory. A slight kick from the chili flakes gives the bowl the ideal amount of spice it needs. The entirety of the Shiso Salmon bowl tastes fresh with every bite, but the lack of incorporated flavors, such as the ponzu sauce and shiso, do not give the Atlantic salmon a delectable taste. Pokéworks is also known for their poké burritos, which is sushi rice with a roasted seaweed wrap, and poké salad. Pokéworks’ assortment of food makes it the perfect spot for any foodie.

noCream Company is known for “sno”—a Taiwanese cross between shaved ice and ice cream. They start by shaving down a large block of one of their delightful flavors, which is then garnished with crunchy toppings and a sugary drizzle. The ice cream has an appearance similar to a French pastry—layers upon layers of thin sheets of ice cream piled onto each to other to create a mountain of flaky dessert. However, this sweet delicacy takes away from the creamy quality of ice cream. The shaved ice concept turns ice cream into a slightly watery dessert. We tried the coffee sno with Frosted Flakes, Oreos and chocolate drizzle, a classic chocolatey take on SnoCream. Their wide array of ice cream flavors range from vanilla to taro milk tea. Speaking of milk tea, SnoCream goes above and beyond by incorporating milk tea into their menu. It is used for bubble tea and their newly introduced soft serve. Our favorite bubble tea by far was the rose milk tea. I scream, you scream, we all scream for SnoCream. Photos & page design by Imani McCormick

NOVEMBER | A&E | 29

How NOT to survive a horror movie

The perfect things to do if you’re tired with your life

|JUSTIN KIM A&E EDITOR|

ell, the school day is over and you don’t care about your grades, so tonight’s the night to sit back and chill with your friends! Where would you like to go? A shady campsite? A mountainside cabin? A darkened hospital? Don’t worry, these places pose no threat to you whatsoever! Now that you’ve chosen the darkest and creepiest place to hang out with your friends, do you hear some thumps and groans coming down the dark hallway? Don’t worry, send only one of your friends down there, since it’s perfectly safe. Ignore the screams. And the blood. And the body parts. Better call someone. What’s that? There’s no reception and your phone’s out of juice? Well, figures. In that case, I suppose the best course of action is to go investigate. It’s not every day you get to be trapped in a dark place with something murderous. Look, a murderer with a deadly leg of lamb! Not impressed? Don’t blame him. Do you know how hard it is for horror movie killers these days? The clawed glove, machete, chainsaw, etc. have already been taken. Oh, don’t worry, he can’t complain. His head is as empty as his motivations. Somebody’s screaming! Is it your girlfriend? In that case, don’t worry. She’ll survive after you come rushing to her aid and get an early date with death. If it’s your boyfriend, don’t worry either! He’ll prove his love by running straight at the murderer and heroically wetting his pants. 30 | A&E | NOVEMBER

Oh, dear. Now you’ve got blood all over you. How about a shower? It’s perfectly safe to strip and take a leisurely bath. Just make sure to do it as provocatively as possible. Why? Um, no reason. It’s not like this is the last time we’re gonna see you, so we might as well see the most of it. But wait! You’re running for your life, with most of your friends gone, but you’ve forgotten the most important thing...the love scene. Come on, where are your priorities? People always fall for the nearest hot guy or girl when a psychotic killer is trying to cut their legs off. Even if their former lover just fell out the window. Thank god, you escaped! Now let out a big sigh of relief and immediately turn around. Wait, you’re all right? In that case... quickly duck down in front of a mirror and look up again! Still fine? Then let your friends know! Call out to them as loudly as you can! Huh, this usually results in a lot more blood...why are you still standing? Oh, there’s the killer! What took him so long? Is his leg of lamb that good? All right, you’re cornered in the room...so now’s the time to channel your inner ScoobyDoo and improvise! A closet door, a nail gun and half a Subway sandwich will certainly work against this unstoppable murderer— wait, it actually worked? Well, who knew, psycho killers also have a craving for a midnight snack. Let’s leave our murderous friend to munch on black forest ham and run for your life.

It’s only you now, and dawn is approaching...just checking, but are you a white girl whose personality matches that of white bread? Good, everything’s as expected. Anyway, there’s only 10 minutes left of the movie now, so run! Run as fast as you—what are you doing on the ground? You tripped? You weren’t wearing high heels? Your ankle wasn’t sprained? Don’t worry, gravity just seems bent on making you eat dirt. It’s not like the studio sees women as athletic idiots who can’t walk to the coffee machine without falling over. All right, there’s the BMW you parked outside. All you need to do is get in there and drive away, with no worries about it suddenly breaking down. After all, you filled up the gas, pumped the tires and checked the engine last night, right? What do you know, it still breaks down. The killer’s caught up to you. I guess I’ll have to write in your obituary, “killed by a leg of lamb.” What did you expect? The killer is unstoppable, with no contrived weakness that will lead to an anticlimactic death—oh, the lamb’s mother is here and is beating the killer to death. Who knew? You’re finally free! The killer’s gone somehow, the authority figures arrive late as usual and you’re homeward bound! Now it is time for celebration! Don’t worry, everything is over! There’s no way the killer found some convoluted way of surviving for the next 13 sequels... Look on the bright side, at least tonight was more exciting than college applications. Page design by Justin Kim Drawing by Dasha Makarishcheva

American Horror Story: Cult triggers phobias New season brings attention to condition |EMMA JOHNSON REPORTER|

lowns. Spiders. Heights. Snakes. The dark. Death. For some people these are just fears, but for others they are phobias, and it is uncommon to see them in mainstream media. TV shows like Monk and The Big Bang Theory have had characters with a fear of birds for comedic effect, but serious phobias have not been well-represented until this season of American Horror Story: Cult. “This season definitely touches on more modern topics...[and] phobias are portrayed as a joke and not taken seriously,” junior Taylor Mooers said. Cult focuses on Ally Mayfair-Richards, who suffers from multiple crippling phobias including coulrophobia (fear of clowns), hemophobia (fear of blood), agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) and trypophobia (fear of bumps and small clusters of holes). Most people have heard of phobias, but many are unable to distinguish between a phobia and a fear. “I think we say we have phobias...when in reality they’re probably just a fear....The definition of whether something is truly a... phobia would be [it] has to interfere with your daily life,” AP Psychology teacher Meghan Percival said. “If you can avoid it, or if it’s slightly unpleasant to you...but [you can] still go on with [your] day, then [you’re] not truly phobic.” This misinterpretation of phobias is partly due to their portrayal in the media. “I think the media likes to focus whatever

topic we’re covering on extremes and behavior, and as a result we focus on, not the most common, [but] on the ones that are incredibly debilitating for people,” Percival said. While coulrophobia is a more common phobia, having the main character of Cult deal with less common phobias brings to light the very real conditions some people have. “The rare phobias are typically unusual stuff to be afraid of so people who have it are often teased,” Mooers said. Cult brings up multiple phobias, but because not everyone has the same fears, some people are under the impression that those suffering from phobias are faking it. “I have a really bad fear of moths and butterflies [and] it affects me whenever I see or think of them,” junior Erida Dervishi said. “So many people thought I was faking my phobias because it wasn’t [common].” Sometimes, just the simplest of things can trigger intense panic or a panic attack. Just like for Ally, those with agoraphobia only have to step outside for their fear to kick in. It becomes a burden when little and seemingly meaningless things cause panic in daily life. “A Spongebob episode where there were moths and butterflies attacking him actually started my fear,” Dervishi said. Lesser phobias can become burdens to one’s daily life without the individual even knowing. To have a phobia, a horrific experience is not always necessary. Percival believes people should be supportive of those who suffer from phobias.

Page design by Emma Johnson Graphic by Dasha Makarishcheva Photo obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons license

“I think what I’d really want people to be well informed about is that it’s normal to be afraid of things,” Percival said. “Just respect the fact that if you have a loved one or a friend who’s suffering, you should always want to do something to bring them calm or peace or, you know, back to a normal way of functioning.” Entertainment media has a reputation of presenting either unrealistic phobias, or unrelatable ones. But just because those phobias aren’t severe or well-known doesn’t mean that is what most phobic people are like. “[There are] truly people suffering, and so we should find ways to bring [an] end to people’s suffering,” Percival said. There are ways for those suffering from phobias to get help. “Phobias are...treatable disorders. With very little time, most phobias can be treated pretty quickly,” Percival said. “Help is available and it’s really fast—this is not years and years of intense therapy.” The newfound attention Cult has brought to the existence of phobias underscores the changes to societal attitudes that have happened in the last few decades. Today, there is more of a willingness to help sufferers. “In the last 20 years...we’ve become a lot more willing to talk about different issues that we’re experiencing with mental health,” Percival said. “I think phobias are one of them and so hopefully that increased dialogue means...people are becoming more aware.”

NOVEMBER | A&E | 31

OPINIONS

Income impacts college admissions Early decision programs favor wealthy applicants

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

cLean students have long been aware that colleges favor early decision applicants, but this practice is inherently inequitable and must be adapted or abolished altogether. Students with lower socioeconomic backgrounds are discouraged from applying early decision, because financial aid information is released after the binding deadline for the program. Career Center Specialist Laura Venos advises students to consider their financial situation carefully before applying to a college early decision.

“If somebody is concerned about whether or not they can afford a college, they’re less likely to say, ‘If I get in, I’ll definitely commit to it.’” -senior Philena Sun “Early decision is binding, which means if you get in, you go there. That is really reserved for students who are very confident that is their first choice and also confident that they can pay for that school, regardless of whatever financial aid package they might get,” Venos said. Due to this financial uncertainty, some students are prevented from applying early decision to their first choice school. “I would apply early decision if I could afford to,” senior Carmen Beadie said. Senior Philena Sun also understands this issue. “If somebody is concerned about whether or not they can afford a college, they’re less likely to say, ‘If I get in, I’ll definitely commit to it,’” Sun said. Many colleges drastically favor early decision applicants. According to Time, Duke University’s early decision acceptance rate in 2015 was 26.8 percent while its 32 | OPINIONS | NOVEMBER

regular decision acceptance rate was only 10.2 percent. A similar pattern can be observed at other highly ranked institutions, including Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University. Unfortunately, qualified, lower-income applicants are more likely to get rejected in regular decision rounds, preventing these students from reaping the advantages provided for financially privileged students who apply early. Financial uncertainty is not the only deterrent for lower-income students considering early decision. “Early decision in general favors wealthier students, but not just because of the financial package,” said school counselor Brook Dalrymple, the head of McLean’s College Partnership Program. “Early decision means that students know their school earlier on and have gotten probably a lot of advice and support and resources that maybe other students haven’t.” The College Partnership Program was created to diminish the obvious inequities present in the college admissions process. “The goal of the College Partnership Program is to support students who have been underrepresented in college in general,” Dalrymple said. “It also includes students who are maybe of lower socioeconomic status and need additional resources and support

that’s at the level of their other peers.” By creating the College Partnership Program and similar programs, high schools have attempted to solve the bias present in admissions. But for reform to be truly effective, colleges must also be active in the movement for change. There are two possible solutions that colleges could implement to eliminate the problems posed by their unfair admissions processes. The first option is to abolish the early decision option altogether, so all students with differing socioeconomic backgrounds have the same chance of acceptance. The second option is to have students apply for financial aid earlier. By moving the financial aid application process to the spring of junior year or the summer before senior year, students will be aware of their financial situation before making any binding decision. It is clear that colleges must modify or eradicate their early decision programs to ensure equal opportunities for all students. Without change in the future, numerous qualified students will be unfairly discriminated against for reasons outside of their control. Colleges must make a conscious effort to eliminate this bias toward wealthy applicants and make all colleges equally accessible for every student.

Page design by Jessie Friedman Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

Iran nuclear deal decertification is unwise President Trump’s decision has grave consequences |RUSTIN ABEDI MANAGING EDITOR n Oct. 13—Friday the 13th— President Donald Trump took the first steps to unravel one of the most important nuclear nonproliferation agreements ever reached. Against the wishes of some of his most prominent advisers, Trump decided it was in the best interests of the U.S. to not be a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a regretful mistake. Iran, the nation under inspection through the agreement, has been complying with the conditions of the plan. In 2015, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (U.S., Russia, China, United Kingdom and France) along with Germany formed an agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran over its nuclear program. In exchange for lifting devastating economic sanctions on their country, the Iranian leaders had to accept a strict 24-hour surveillance on their reactors, Services Committee. reduce their enriched uranium stockpile “Iran is not in material breach of the and hand over two-thirds of their 20,000 agreement, and I do believe the agreement centrifuges, equipment that is necessary for to date has delayed the development of a the creation of nuclear weapons. nuclear capability by Iran,” Dunford said. The deal, which faced a lot of scrutiny in The nuclear agreement has the support of Congress, including by some members who the majority of the American allies. sought to undermine the agreement over the wishes of then-President Barack Obama, was “We have to have a implemented in 2015. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear balanced approach to regulatory agency, was assigned to oversee all handle Iran. We need to nuclear activity within Iran. The IAEA has be able to sanction them published several reports since 2015 that have verified Iran’s cooperation. for the things that they’ve Many of Trump’s White House advisers done without creating an are in favor of staying in the nuclear adversarial relationship agreement. Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced his support for the deal where they pull out of the before the Senate Armed Services Committee nuclear deal.” on Oct. 3. -former counterintelligence “If we can confirm that Iran is living by research specialist the agreement, if we can determine that this is in our best interest, then clearly we should Angela Oliver stay with it,” Mattis said. “At this point in time, absent indications to the contrary, it is something the president should consider Trump is pointing to other destabilizing staying with.” activities that Iran is currently engaged in Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff throughout the Middle East, but the problem Gen. Joseph Dunford echoed this message with decertifying the deal on this basis is that in Sept. 26 testimony to the Senate Armed those problems don’t have anything to do

Page design by Rustin Abedi Photo obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons license

with the agreement. The deal only applied to Iran’s nuclear program. The decertification actually places the U.S. in a worse position to deal with the additional issues surrounding Iran’s behavior. Sanctions can be reimposed very easily, as the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act states that a simple majority of Congress can implement sanctions that would end the deal. “While we are a strong powerhouse, if no other powerhouse is supporting us, we would then be standing out there alone,” said long-term history substitute and former counterintelligence research specialist Angela Oliver. “It would be the United States against the rest of the world.” Instead of having a strong, international coalition, Trump is isolating the U.S., much like he did with the Paris Climate Agreement. “We have to have a balanced approach to handle Iran,” Oliver said. “We need to be able to sanction them for the things that they’ve done without creating an adversarial relationship where they pull out of the nuclear deal.” The issues that surround Iran following the formation of the JCPOA still exist. However, in order to solve these problems, the progress that has been made cannot be lost, especially with the nuclear issue temporarily resolved. NOVEMBER | OPINIONS | 33

CROSSFIRE:

Athletes have a constitutional right to kneel | ROSS OLIVER REPORTER

e knew it was never supposed to be easy. That was the nature of the beast. But with a clear conscience, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick approached the media last August and explained his reasons for kneeling. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. Athletes should be allowed to kneel due to their constitutional right to free speech. These athletes should be allowed to express what they believe, and others should not be able to hinder their First Amendment rights. “People that want to restrict these rights are being just as disrespectful [to] our athletes,” senior defensive lineman Ammar Abdelghany said. Taking a knee isn’t about disrespecting the flag or our country; it is about shining a light on what is happening in the U.S. It’s about standing—or in this case kneeling—for what is right. Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins defended this right on social media. “This is not an indictment about law enforcement or police. We’re not antipolice,” Jenkins said. “Many of us have worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement to figure out ways to really move us forward in a better direction, to reinstill trust in our law enforcement and to really hold that accountability and transparency that our communities are looking for.” The athletes’ kneeling is also effective. They have caught both President Donald Trump’s and the nation’s attention using this method of protest, and they are getting support for their causes as a result. For example, the Detroit Lions owner, Martha Ford, has pledged to her players that she will donate money to community organizations if they stop kneeling. “I think it’s effective at forcing people to be aware of the issue,” government teacher Ian Howell said. “It keeps them aware until they get tired of it.” 34 | OPINIONS | NOVEMBER

People often argue that kneeling is being disrespectful to our flag and country. But rarely does anyone actually abide by the United States Flag Code, the document that tells us to put our right hand over our hearts and stand for our national anthem. At high schools across the country, students celebrate spirit days wearing outfits stylized with the American flag, but according to the flag code this is considered

“It’s effective at forcing people to be aware of the issue. It keeps them aware until they get tired of it.” -government teacher Ian Howell extremely disrespectful. Even the NFL doesn’t abide by the code, since they hold the flag horizontally, when the proper way to hold the flag is vertically. “If you’re going to bring up the point [that] kneeling is disrespectful to the flag, you have to say that printing it on clothing is disrespectful too then,” senior football

captain Adam Taylor said. Another argument is that football players should just play football and not mix their personal beliefs with sports. However, not all athletes have thousands of followers on their personal Twitter accounts. As a result, the issues that are important to them would be discussed less. It certainly wouldn’t be as effective as kneeling on national television. People are quick to look at dropping ratings for the start of the 2017 NFL season and say it’s due to the athletes kneeling. According to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, NFL ratings have been consistently going down, not due to kneeling, but due to the oversaturation of football. We should all be welcoming to athletes choosing to kneel, regardless of what we think, because it is their constitutional right to be able to express themselves freely. The athletes taking a knee aren’t being disrespectful or unpatriotic. On the contrary, these athletes are devoted to their country since they are using their platforms to emphasize race relations and inequality. Athletes who kneel are not insulting anyone. We should think about the actual issues the athletes are kneeling for and try to solve them instead of arguing about the act itself.

Comics by Dasha Makarishcheva

Should kneeling for the national anthem be considered disrespectful?

Players are disrespecting a symbol of freedom | JOSH LEONG REPORTER

o stand and to tremble, hearts that break for lost loved ones and the insatiable pride a parent feels looking at their child, vindicated in their pursuit of the American Dream. These are the emotions that erupt when the national anthem plays. More than a ceremonial custom, it’s the declaration of what it means to genuinely embody “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” The NFL players who choose to kneel should be aware that the anthem is a sensitive and passionate subject. As former president Barack Obama explained in a speech last September, “The meaning that [the anthem] holds for men and women in uniform and those who’ve fought for us—that is a tough thing for [the public] to get past to then hear what [players’] deeper concerns are.” The nature of the players’ protest invites different levels of interpretation. “Players might not even realize how hurtful it can be to others. If they think they’re kneeling for one thing, they might not realize how different people can interpret what they’re kneeling for,” senior Ben Mennitt said. “Not to discredit some of the legitimate reasons they kneel for, but what I

Page design by Ross Oliver & Josh Leong

will say is that people have died fighting for this country. All the things that the families of those who’ve died can hold on to are the symbols of America.” These symbols have become lifelines for broken families and command due respect.

“Players might not even realize how hurtful it can be to others... They might not realize how different people can interpret what they’re kneeling for.” -senior Ben Mennitt “In the military, they drape American flags over coffins of fallen soldiers. It means a lot to them,” senior Cole Adams said. Kneeling becomes counterproductive for promoting change simply because the NFL’s audience is already so emotionally invested in the anthem. Supporters of kneeling emphasize players’ obligation to use their platform to speak out, but there are other ways to do so. “[Players] are just acting in ways that don’t really benefit anybody. There are plenty

of other ways to speak out, and it doesn’t have to be during the anthem while the flag is being displayed,” Adams said. Opportunity doesn’t always facilitate appropriateness, either. In many ways, it only adds insult to the disrespect these protests already impose. “Do they have a right? Yes. Do I think that it’s right of them to do that? No. I’m trying to watch football. I’m not trying to watch them kneel for my national anthem,” senior Anno Kong said. “I understand what the players are advocating for, but I don’t really see how kneeling demonstrates what their argument is. Kneeling has so many more implications than the players might think it does.” Part of the NFL’s player contract emphasizes the importance of players conducting themselves both “on and off the field with appropriate recognition of the fact that the success of professional football depends largely on public respect for and approval of those associated with the game.” There are a variety of ways in which players can advocate for their own causes while still preserving respect and awareness for others. “Just using LeBron James as an example, he’s super involved in his community in Cleveland, he does charitable events and he still stands for the national anthem. I just think there are certainly better ways of getting their messages across without necessarily offending anybody,” Mennitt said. Americans are called to be good stewards of the blessings won for them. “The flag becomes our representation of our freedom. And it’s what gives the players the freedom to even kneel in the first place. But then they’re going and disrespecting that freedom the flag represents,” Kong said. Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, articulated it best. “I could shed a tear every time the national anthem plays, because it’s that powerful,” he told ESPN in response to Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the anthem. “It’s an oxymoron that you’re...disrespecting the flag that has given you the freedom to speak out.”

NOVEMBER | OPINIONS | 35

It’s not too late for more late buses FCPS activities fee should fund more late buses for high schools | JESSICA OPSAHL-ONG REPORTER

s more students join after-school extracurriculars, the struggle of how to get home is at its peak. With the rise of working parent households, many students are left without a go-to ride. While McLean does have a late bus system, the buses only come once a week on Thursdays. According to a November 2015 study by the Pew Research Center, 46 percent of U.S. households have both parents working in a full-time job. “It’s not available for me to be picked up because my parents usually work until at least six,” sophomore Tyler Jarrett said. Expanding the availability of late buses would be beneficial to students. Transportation, while not the most important reason for choosing whether or not to participate in extracurriculars, can be a major deciding factor. “[For] all of our clubs, the meetings take place right after school, and especially with our freshmen and sophomores who most likely aren’t driving or don’t have a ride, they’re probably less likely to stay after for a meeting,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. Even if a student decides to stay after school until someone can come and get them, there can be difficulties with getting homework done. “The library closes very early, so there is barely any time to use computers to do work and other important things. It creates a major barrier to do everyday homework and projects...so work piles up,” Jarrett said. Parents tasked with picking their children up also feel stressed. The promise to pick a student up from school may impact the parent’s work schedule or cause their child to stay at school for prolonged periods of time. In order to address these issues, McLean should have more late buses. They would help students who don’t have easy access to other transportation and encourage students to participate in more extracurriculars. “It sounds on the surface like a good idea, because we could have clubs more often, meetings more often, [and] because the 36 | OPINIONS | NOVEMBER

transportation would be available. But there are a lot of other factors,” Miller said. Why does McLean only have one day for late buses, while middle schools in this area have three? Like most things, the answer lies in the cost. “Each middle and high school are provided with one free late run a week. All middle schools pay for an additional two days of late runs every week. [McLean] High School would have to fund any additional late runs that they request,” transportation supervisor Lavon Carter said. Carter estimates that running additional late buses would cost high schools $200 to $300 per day. As an incredibly wealthy county, earning an annual household median income of $105,416 according to Forbes, Fairfax County should have the ability to pay for a day or two more of late buses. Several means could be utilized for getting the money for

late buses, and the new activities fee is a good place to start. The activities fee, which was implemented this school year, is a $50 payment to the county which students who participate in any after-school activity pay at the beginning of the year. As of yet, the activities fee doesn’t have a designated purpose—it is simply added to the overall budget of FCPS. However, the activities fee should benefit students who want to do activities. Providing more days for late buses is the perfect way to do this. Utilizing the activities fee for something which actively helps the families of Fairfax County navigate after school activities would be an appropriate use of this money. Fairfax County should consider including more late bus days for high schools. The late bus system should grow as the needs of students grow. Right now, it’s stuck in the past. Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva Page design by Jessica Opsahl-Ong

FCPS

average teacher salary in 2014

$58,000

$ $ $ $

Teachers in Alexandria City make

Teachers in Arlington County make

12%

more than teachers in FCPS

$ $

15%

$ $

more than teachers in FCPS

$ $

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

Teachers are rightfully abandoning us FCPS staff is underpaid and getting their deserved pay elsewhere |JEREMY SIEGEL NEWS EDITOR

cross Fairfax County Public Schools, several classrooms are being left vacant. Instructors have left their beloved schools and students to go teach our neighbors. Why? They get paid far less than they should. According to a May Washington Post article, the average teacher salary in FCPS was around $58,000. Comparatively, teachers in Alexandria were being paid over $72,000 and in Arlington teachers were paid over $73,000. Teachers, knowing they can get better wages elsewhere, are leaving. While FCPS pay is on par with or above some national average estimates, the wages in FCPS are not even close to covering the cost of living in the area. “[FCPS] gives a good starting pay,” government teacher Ian Howell said. “[But] you have to remember this is one of the five most expensive places in the country to live.” While the cost of living has risen rapidly in the D.C. area, teacher pay hasn’t. On the cost of living index, McLean has a score of 142.6, compared to the national standard of 100. Despite this statistic, teacher pay is not 1.426 times the national average. “[My sister] lives in Front Royal,” Howell said. “Housing in Front Royal was half to a third of here. Our wages weren’t that different.” The cost of living is an important factor causing teachers to seek housing elsewhere, leading to much longer commutes to school. “It’s gotten to now where you really have to travel to find [a house] at a reasonable price,” Howell said. “Or you have to get lucky.” Of course, lack of pay has affected teaching staff. Teachers are leaving FCPS for Page design by Jeremy Siegel Infographic by Maren Kranking

other counties, where pay is far higher than what they receive here. “It’s justified,” junior Neha Rana said. “I think that teachers leaving FCPS for other areas is justified.” While teachers are leaving, the quality of education in FCPS is declining. “Good teachers leave FCPS,” Rana said. “When good teachers leave, we hire worse teachers. Our quality of education declines when this happens.”

“We need to pay teachers more. I don’t see how we can not pay teachers [more] when they control our future.” -junior James McHugo Students notice this decline, but many teachers lack the monetary incentive to continue teaching in FCPS. “We need to pay teachers more,” junior James McHugo said. “I don’t see how we can not pay teachers [more] when they control our future.” Despite teacher pay being comparatively low in FCPS, there is still a small margin of growth. Since 2014, teacher pay in FCPS rose around six percent, according to the Virginia Department of Education. However, this is far from Business Insider’s reported national average of 11 percent wage growth. Though wages have stayed relatively low compared to surrounding counties, benefits to teachers have traditionally been high in Fairfax County. This may now be changing, as health insurance costs are on the rise.

“Just this year alone, coinsurance for Aetna is going to double,” Howell said. “That doubling...is going to mean $4,000 out of pocket instead of $2,000.” Along with the rising costs of insurance, constant revisions to the Educational Employees’ Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC) are shrinking the benefits teachers receive. The ERFC helps retired teachers make ends meet before Social Security benefits kick in. Under the current ERFC policy, to receive benefits teachers must have either worked in FCPS for 30 years or be 60 years old and have worked for five years. However, the old policy was much more generous, giving more benefits to more teachers. On top of that, future budget cuts will likely further weaken the ERFC. “About every five to seven years there seems to be a rewrite of the way the contracts work,” Howell said. “As recently as five years ago, [teachers] could actually retire and still work for a salary.” The failure of FCPS to provide adequate salaries that account for the true cost of living in the county while cutting retirement benefits is harmful, not only to students and teachers, but to society as a whole. “We’ve certainly skewed the ability of the middle class to purchase what was once considered middle class,” Howell said. As the school board begins the process for next year’s budget, students and community members should demand their representatives place the highest priority on increasing teacher compensation. Teachers are role models for our community. It’s time we provided them with a living wage. NOVEMBER | OPINIONS | 37

Throwing the flag on trash talk

McLean coaches deserve our support rather than being blamed for losing |JACKSON PAYNE MANAGING EDITOR

“W

inning on the high school level should be a pleasant by-product to what you’re really supposed to be doing, which is developing young people into good citizens.” —National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) mission statement. If coaches at McLean were judged on whether or not their coaching meets this standard rather than by wins and losses, McLean would be considered an athletic juggernaut. However, McLean’s various shortcomings on the sports field have led to an ugly epidemic of disrespect for our coaches and teams throughout the school and community. For years, whenever a team struggles, coaches are always the target for blame from parents, players and students. People may feel embarrassed about the results on the field, but the real embarrassment is the way we choose to treat our coaches because of it. What the community often fails to understand is that coaching is much deeper than just a final score. “At any level, when a team is struggling to find success, it’s always easy to blame the coach, but at the end of the day, the players are the ones playing,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. “I think that unless you’ve actually coached high school sports, it’s hard to realize how much time and effort goes into [coaching] and really how much our coaches care about the kids.” Coaches aren’t just calling plays—they work full-time teaching jobs (for criminally low wages), deal with high school kids all day (often along with their parents), blend a group of entirely different personalities together into a team and then squeeze all the possible effort and talent out of them. Any sort of negative speech toward coaches and their teams just makes their jobs even harder. “No matter what kind of arena you’re in, if you’re hearing negative comments [from the community] they can get into your psyche and start to bring your morale down,” varsity boys basketball coach Mike O’Brien said. “The biggest thing a coach can 38 | OPINIONS | NOVEMBER

do is help his team focus on what they can accomplish instead of what people are saying on the outside.” McLean fans do a great job of supporting their teams at each game—but the rest of the week is a much different story. “I definitely hear [trash talk] around the school from people that don’t have any involvement in the football program, so they really don’t understand the full process,” varsity football head coach John Scholla said. “Parents will sometimes come to us frustrated, and I get that because we’re all frustrated. It bothers me because people act like the coaches are fine with losing when none of us are fine with losing.” Students care enough to criticize our teams and declare that “McLean sucks” all the time, but none of them care enough to make a difference to change that. “If you look at a student section on a Friday night, you can see a number of goodsized, athletic kids who should be playing football, and it’s a shame that they don’t play because it’s such a great game,” Scholla said. O’Brien agrees that students should get involved before they begin to criticize. “If you want to rip on a team, then pick up a stick or a ball or put on a set of pads and come help the team out,” O’Brien said. McLean parents would obviously like to watch their kids succeed on the field, but at the end of the day no game could ever be

| as important as the lessons our coaches teach the players to help them succeed in life. “You learn more life lessons through adversity than when you win all the time,” O’Brien said. “I understand that everyone wants to win, but I hope that parents can look back at the bigger picture and ask, ‘Did my kid gain something useful from playing that sport that they can apply to the rest of their life?’” “I don’t think any of those negative people understand the work that goes in behind the scenes to help these kids from a global perspective and prepare them for life outside of McLean,” Scholla said, “especially when dealing with real life adversity, teamwork and overcoming setbacks after high school.” While I have never put on a Highlander uniform or played as a member of a varsity team at McLean, I will be forever grateful for the relationships I have had with different coaches at our school and their impact on my life. I can’t even begin to imagine the impact those same coaches have on my classmates who have actually played for them. Coaches are some of the most selfless people I’ve come across in high school, devoting their careers to sharing their passion for sports and supporting their players through adolescence. It’s time our school community fully appreciates the true unsung heroes of our athletics programs—no matter the final score.

Page design by Jackson Payne Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

SPORTS

Just Keep Swimming — Sinead Eksteen swims freestyle at the AT&T Winter Nationals last December. She will swim for the University of Notre Dame next year. (Photo courtesy of Paula Stewart)

Senior swims in (free)style

Sinead Eksteen looks to stay at the top this upcoming season | TOMMY SCHILDER REPORTER |

enior Sinead Eksteen, one of the top swimmers in Virginia, is readying herself for another season. Her prowess in the water and competitiveness outside of it have set her up to have a standout season this winter as well as opportunities at the collegiate level. Eksteen is currently ranked as the third best swimmer in the state of Virginia and 55th in the nation for the Class of 2018, according to collegeswimming.com. In addition, she was dubbed All-Met Swimmer of the Year by The Washington Post for the 2016-17 swim season. She is looking to build on last year’s sensational season, which was capped off by breaking records in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle at the Virginia 6A state championships. “I didn’t know I broke the records until the coach told me,” Eksteen said. “But I don’t really think about that when I’m swimming. I kind of just go just for the place and my team, so time just goes with it.” Eksteen has no particular goals in mind for the upcoming season, yet her expectations are set on finishing at the top. “I’m trying to go close to my times again. I don’t really have any specific goals, but maybe just to do well at states and get within the top places,” Eksteen said. Although the high school swim season is just beginning, Eksteen has been hard at work in the off-season, making sure her body Page design by Tommy Schilder

is physically fit to perform at a high caliber level this winter. To say her workout schedule is rigorous is an understatement. “I practice 18 hours a week—six days a week, for three hours in the afternoon. In the mornings I go to the gym—we have weights for an hour three times a week. I do yoga once a week, so it’s four times a week in the morning then six times a week for practice. So yeah, it’s pretty crazy,” Eksteen said.

“Sinead is one of the most committed and competitive people I know. She’s dedicated to swimming—she takes two online classes so that she can go to swimming every day after school.”

-senior Kaela Moskowitz

Eksteen’s level of competitiveness is best explained by her close friend, senior Kaela Moskowitz. “Sinead is one of the most committed and competitive people I know. She’s dedicated to swimming—she takes two online classes so that she can go to swimming every day after school,” Moskowitz said. Eksteen’s intense dedication and commitment have paid off, as she committed to swim Division I for the University of

Notre Dame this past spring. She chose Notre Dame after considering schools such as Texas, UVA, Northwestern and Tennessee. “I chose Notre Dame because I went on an unofficial [visit]. I really connected with the team and I loved how they prioritized family. I stepped on campus and felt like I belonged there. And I’m excited to get all the clothes they give you your first year,” Eksteen said. Eksteen dedicates her successes to her personal coach, John Flanagan. “He’s pretty inspirational to me. He always helps me with my stroke and constantly corrects me,” Eksteen said. “I wouldn’t be here without his support.” In addition to her experiences with Flanagan, Eksteen has had much success with McLean swim and dive team head coach Kyle Drake, who pointed out some of Eksteen’s best qualities. “Sinead is one of the best because she has the dedication to work hard and improve year-in and year-out. Last year she went undefeated in her individual swims and set school, conference, region and state records,” Drake said. “In addition to her individual performances, Sinead is also a team player who wants the girls team to succeed.” Eksteen has made quite the progression with the McLean swimming program since her freshman year. Perhaps that progression will end with a spot in McLean’s Athletic Hall of Fame. NOVEMBER | SPORTS | 39

Fall sports season comes to a close

McLean’s fall sports captains recap teams’ highlights CHEER

CROSS COUNTRY

MARCHING BAND

FIELD HOCKEY

Kyoko Minamino

Jack Reed

Nour Khachemoune

Grace Davis

Favorite aspect of the team: “I like having all my time taken up by band. It clears your mind from thinking about school too much.”

Favorite aspect of the team: “The camaraderie and how everyone works together.”

Favorite aspect of the team: “Everyone is cooperative and adorable in the sense that they treat me as a leader and always talk to me with sparkling eyes. Every person is caring and looks after one another.” Favorite moment of the season: “The district finals competition! It was my last competition ever, so there was a lot of meaning behind it. We left everything we had on the mats and put 120 percent into our performance. I’ve never been more proud of my team.”

Photos of sports captains Grace Davis, Nour Khachemoune, Adam Taylor, Maddie McArthur and Kyoko Minamino. (Photo

credits from left to right: Kent Arnold, Marion Meakem, Kent Arnold, Kent Arnold and the Minamino family)

Reporting by Haru Kato Page design by Maria McHugo

Favorite aspect of the team: “Everyone has a different story, but we all come together easily.” Favorite moment of the season: “Finishing first place for the Lake Braddock relays with my team.” Motivation: “A cold shower at the end, especially after big meets and hard races.”

Favorite moment of the season: “When we first start learning the show, at band camp during August.” Motivation: “I don’t think too much, and go into autopilot. I stay confident in what I do.”

Favorite moment of the season: “My favorite moment of the season was when we beat Herndon for the third time, because it made us able to move up to regionals.” Motivation: “Reminding everyone how good it feels to win. This keeps our heads in our game and keeps us fighting.”

Season Stats Football: 0-9 GOLF

VOLLEYBALL

FOOTBALL

Thomas Schilder

Maddie McArthur

Adam Taylor

Favorite aspect of the team: “We have a lot of inside jokes and everyone seems to really enjoy playing.” Favorite moment of the season: “The George Pavlis Memorial golf tournament, which is one McLean hosts every year. I had my best round there. Our whole team got to play, so that was really fun, and we also got to eat together afterwards.” Motivation: “Let everyone know that we are the best team talent-wise and depth-wise.”

Favorite aspect of the team: “We are all so close and good friends and that helps us connect on the court and work better as a team.”

Favorite aspect of the team: “Definitely the camaraderie. I think we’re pretty tight knit...we’re really a band of brothers.”

Favorite moment of the Favorite moment of the season: season: “Beating Yorktown, because “Being elected captain, because they were undefeated. It also that meant the coaches and really showed how well our team teammates trusted me.” can play.” Motivation: Motivation: “The drive to win and to get “We’re all really competitive, so better hasn’t left. It’s why we there isn’t much I could verbally play football.” do. So I just play the best I can and lead by example.”

Volleyball: 16-7

Regional Qualifiers

Field Hockey: 8-11 Cross Country:

Girls Team Regional Qualifiers & Siler Weaver Boys Regional Qualifier

Golf: 3-3

Regional Qualifiers: Thomas Schilder, Hunter Jewett & Jonathan Zou

Marching Band:

USBands Virginia State Champions

Commitment issues Athletes weigh the pros and cons of playing in college |ANNA BRYKCZYNSKI REPORTER |

rowing up, many adults describe high school as “the best years of your life.” Yet, as these years pass, living the fabled glory days to the fullest extent is getting harder and harder for teenagers due to the ever-lurking reminder of college. In grade school, the school a student attends purely depends on where they live. College, however, serves as a battleground for competition since admission is never guaranteed. So when is it appropriate to start fighting? The most exploited way to gain an edge on one’s peers is by exceeding in a sport. Any college that takes their reputation in sports seriously seeks out talented studentathletes through hired recruitment scouts. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has various restrictions forbidding scouts from prematurely contacting studentathletes before their sophomore year. However, adding regulations doesn’t prevent students from planning their strategy to entice the attention of college coaches. “I’ve been looking to commit since eighth grade,” said senior Julia Longo, who committed to play softball at the University of Pennsylvania as a sophomore. “I would play in front of them at camps, and I did really well at one camp and they asked me to come back on an unofficial visit, so we organized it through my coach sophomore year,” Longo said. Unofficial visits are defined by the NCAA as visits in which the student or student’s family pays for all expenses of the stay. The visit turned out in Longo’s favor, and she was asked to commit to play softball for the Class of 2022. While this might seem like a serious step towards her future, the commitment she was offered was purely verbal—nothing is in writing. A verbal commitment states that if the student maintains their grades at a certain standard and keeps out of any serious 42 | SPORTS | NOVEMBER

Breaking Expectations — Seniors Cassidy Slavik and Paulina DeAnda

play in a game against Madison last season. Slavik is committed to play lacrosse at East Carolina University. (Photo by Imani McCormick) trouble, they will have a high chance of being admitted into the school. In fact, nothing is permitted to be in writing until November of a commit’s senior year, when a signing day takes place in front of friends and family. McLean’s fall signing day will occur on Nov. 8. While even a verbal commitment does add a sense of certainty to Longo’s college career, prior to that meeting, she didn’t have much to show for her time in high school.

“There’s still a chance that I don’t get in...that everything would fall apart.” -senior Julia Longo “I would travel the country every single weekend to either play in a tournament or visit another college,” Longo said. “My freshman and sophomore years, I didn’t go to any football games because I was gone every single weekend. I didn’t go to homecoming.” Along with hundreds of student-athletes across the nation, Longo sacrificed fully experiencing her high school years in exchange for having a glimpse at the next four. Despite Longo’s commitment to her school, her attendance is not assured. “There’s still a chance that I don’t get in... that everything would fall apart,” Longo said. After finding a college that fits their needs and preferences and being showcased in front

of the watchful eyes of recruiting officers, students finally make the big decision of making a collegiate verbal commitment. However, some student-athletes still have the prospect of failing to be accepted into their chosen school academically. Even more alarming, verbal commits may face rejection because the coaches found someone better to replace them on their roster. For some, the first step in the process is the most challenging. “Since a lot of my teammates committed freshman year, they had some doubts and some of them have decommitted from schools, but since I waited longer, I was older and knew more of what I wanted,” said senior Cassidy Slavik, who is committed to play lacrosse at East Carolina University. Between the unreliability of a verbal commitment and the indecisiveness of student-athletes, the question remains— why do many students pursue the path of commitment? “It helps financially. A lot of times, schools will give you money to come to their school,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. Miller committed to play baseball at James Madison University his senior year at Herndon High School. For athletes at McLean, committing to compete at the next level seems like an attractive option for spending their college years, but those interested should keep in mind the process and hard work that lies behind the glorious facade of getting a college offer. Page design by Jackson Payne

r u h t r A c M e i d d a M Issue e h t f o Athlete

enior Grade: S lleyball Sport: Vo ter utside Hit O : n io it s Po

Who has been a mentor for you? My mentor has been [coach] Steve Stotler, because he has been there for me from the start of my volleyball career and is part of the reason I am the player that I am today.

When did you start playing volleyball? I started playing volleyball when I was in third grade. What are your responsibilities as a captain? As a captain, I have to make sure the team is ready for the game and work with the other captains to run events like Dig Pink. Are you planning on playing in college? I am not planning on playing volleyball in college because I am too short to play at a college that I would be genuinely happy at. What is your pre-game ritual? My pre-game ritual is to do a cheer with my team. What has been your biggest challenge with volleyball? My biggest challenge has definitely been my height. I am considered very short for my position and a lot of coaches have underestimated me because of it.

Accolades:

What was your favorite moment on the team? My favorite moment has been beating Madison twice in the past four years in five games. It’s always a really fun and eventful game and I love playing against them. What is your favorite part of the sport in general? My favorite part of the sport is the fact that it’s a team sport and that you have to work with other people to win. What is your biggest accomplishment with volleyball? My biggest accomplishment is being the first in McLean history to get 1,000 kills. It’s always been something I’ve dreamed about and I never thought I would actually get there, so it was really exciting.

), gion (2015-17 rst Team All-Re Fi ), 17 46) 01 (2 01 et (2 Conference nd Team All-M First Team All015-17), Seco (2 te a St llA Second Team

Photo by Sabrina Vazquez Reporting by Emma Higbee Page design by Bryan Chung

NOVEMBER | SPORTS | 43

THE

FINISH LINE Highlander athletes answer tough questions

ELEANOR RICHARD FRESHMAN VOLLEYBALL

JOSH BROWN SOPHOMORE FOOTBALL

What should Kylie Jenner name her baby?

SOPHIA ATWOOD JUNIOR CHEER

LAITH SAMAMREH SENIOR CREW

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Angelo

Pineapple

Shontaytay

Pepperoni

Krystle

Hot sauce and olives

Straight Up (in Travis Scott’s voice)

What would be your first act as president if given the opportunity?

Cheese — I’m a simple man

What is your most memorable sports moment?

To make each town have two Chick-fil-As

[On Oct. 10] when we crushed Washington-Lee

I wouldn’t build a wall

When I ran full speed into a giant Korean man and got a concussion

Throw a party in the White House — open crib I would pass return free filing so no one would ever have to calculate their taxes ever again

44 | SPORTS | NOVEMBER

What are your favorite Winning states with gymnastics

Qualifying for semifinals and beating all the Virginia teams

Page design by Bryan Chung Photos & reporting by Imani McCormick

Back To School With Guided Study Hall Monday-Thursday 3:30pm-7:30pm

Better Grades Personalized Tutoring 10% Off Purchase *Show this ad Better Test Scores K-12 All Subjects Available

SAT ACT PSAT SSAT ISEE And Much, Much More!

(703) 288-4400 mclean@c2educate.com

PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THE McLEAN HIGHLANDERS Bring in your student or faculty ID for a 10% discount on your check

Myloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grill 6238 Old Dominion Dr. McLean, VA 22101

Nothing says loving like cooking from our oven!

Phone: 703-533-5880 Fax: 703-533-7768 www.mylosgrill.com