The Highlander - Issue 3 - December 2018

Volume LXIII • Issue 3 • December 2018 • McLean High School • thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

CONTENTS NEWS 3

Forecasted winter weather

4

New ideas grow in McLean science community

5

Questions arise regarding traffic safety around McLean

7

Old Korean Legation opens as museum

FEATURES 8-9

Profile: Andrew Diller

10

Students participate in YouTube’s Vlogmas

11

10Qs w/ Emily Jaffa

12-13

Highlander of the Issue: Ashley Xing

14

Empowering introverts in the classroom

15

The Highlander’s declassified

16-17

Ben House starts style business

18

New long-term sub teaches at McLean

19

Teachers learn student slang

A&E 21

Spotlight on theater: Anything Goes

28

Reboot of The Grinch

29

Comparing Christmas music remakes

30-31

Lil Peep’s posthumous album release

IN-DEPTH ON THE COVER 22-27 A VIRTUAL REALITY: The Highlander examines the effects of social media on McLean students Cover photo illustration by Jack Stenzel

OPINIONS 32-33

Editorial: The Pledge of Allegiance should not be played at school

34-35

Crossfire: Should the 14th Amendment be repealed to stop birthright citizenship?

36

The U.S. must learn from other nations

37

A national school curriculum should be implemented

7 8-9

SPORTS 38-39

Student becomes nationally ranked fencer

40-41

Freshman girl continues family’s hockey legacy

42

Seniors sign to collegiate athletics

43

Athlete of the Issue: Evan Stout

44

Finish Line: swim & dive

40-41 22-27

Letter from the Editors Dear McLean, Alongside the hope for snow days, this winter brings a new issue of The Highlander!

Noticing one too many noses buried in an iPhone throughout the hallways of McLean, our In-Depth explores the generational obsession with social media and its impact on student life.

Not only does the piece detail the so-called FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, perpetuated by social media and its constant presence within daily life, but it uncovers the additional dangers of gaming and a lack of face-toface interactions. At the same time, we include a number of prevention methods aimed at reducing the detrimental effects of social media and screen time on human development.

Although our In-Depth is likely to be an eye-opening read, don’t let this stop you from browsing our other sections as well. After all, reading The Highlander is a great distraction from your Instagram, Snapchat or social media in general. The entire staff has spent weeks on this issue and we cannot wait for you to read it!

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, Maren Kranking, Maria McHugo & Jack Stenzel

Volume LXIII • Issue 3 • December 2018 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101 Editors-in-Chief

Maren Kranking, Maria McHugo & Jack Stenzel

Managing Editors

Alex Mandanas, Imani McCormick, & Jeremy Siegel

Photography Editors

Anna Brykczynski & Julia McElligott

Website Editor-in-Chief

Dasha Makarishcheva

Advertising Manager

Rebeka Rafi

Design Editors

Anya Chen & Dasha Makarishcheva

Copy Editors

Emily Jackson & Eric Mizusawa Section Editors

News Editors

Dana Edson & Nicholas Lohman

Features Editors

Addie Brown, Rebeka Rafi & Sabrina Vazquez

A&E Editors

Carla Ballard & Anya Chen

Opinions Editors

Sebastian Jimenez & Jessica Opsahl-Ong

Sports Editors

Ben Brooks & Jack Shields Reporters

Matthew Abbott Zach Anderson Camille Blakemore Talia Blakemore Nick Boyer Michelle Cheng Jackson Clayton Nolan Fitzsimmons Kyle Hawley Anna Grace Hopkins

Elizabeth Humphreys Emma Johnson Haine Jung Waseema Khan Isaac Lamoreaux Cordelia Lawton Rohan Mani Dua Mobin Sam Naemi Brooke Newell

Adviser

Eren Parla Marina Qu Katie Romhilt Charley Roth-Douquet Ava Rotondo Brandon Sauter Sarah Solis Tessa Stenzel Skye Sunderhauf Nicky Varela

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.

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Winter weather arrives early in the DMV

NEWS

Average lows and snowfall expected to exceed past years ERIC MIZUSAWA COPY EDITOR

A

s leaves fall from the trees and the brittle cold rolls in, the heartwarming time of year we all know and love—winter season—begins. This feeling, however, will be diminished this winter by the beyond-harsh weather we are expected to see.

Although winter officially begins on Dec. 21, the Washington D.C. region has already experienced two winter-like phenomena as of this past November.

“A brief but powerful snap hit Washington on Thanksgiving, resulting in some of the lowest temperatures during the holidays in years, if not decades,” reporter Jason Samenow wrote in The Washington Post.

The East Coast was hit with an “arctic blast” on Nov. 21, when weather from up north moves south, causing severe drops in temperature. For the next three days, overall lows reached the low-20s with highs only in the mid-30s, nearly 25 degrees below normal for this time of year.

Earlier and even less predicted was the first snowfall, taking place Nov. 15, the first time it’s snowed prior to the month of January since 2009. Occurring so early on, these events indicate more severe weather throughout the next few months, with snowfall predicted to be nearly double the average.

“Consulting meteorologists and weather companies unanimously agree: Washington is in for a snowy winter,” Samenow wrote. “[They] predict 20 to 30 inches of snow, which is substantially more than the average of 15.4.”

Since 2016, overall snow depth and temperature drops have undoubtedly increased in the months November through February. The conditions this winter, however, aren’t the result of an ongoing trend, and are instead more closely related to events in the Pacific Ocean and their effect on the climate of the East Coast.

“After a moderate La Niña last winter, we are moving into a similar El Niño this winter,” meteorologist Doug Kammerer wrote in Team4 News. “Typically, that means colder than average temperatures and more snowfall.”

A typical El Niño occurs when warmer conditions develop in the eastern tropic of the Pacific Ocean pushing colder temperatures to Page design by Eric Mizusawa

SNOWVEMBER — The first snowfall of the year took place on Nov. 15 in the DMV area, and its final depth was nearly two inches. This is the earliest official accumulation of snow since 1996, which fell a day earlier on Nov. 14 according to The Washington Post. (Photo by Eric Mizusawa) the east, an event that usually takes place in the beginning of December.

“El Niño is warm water upwelling and [results in] warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific,” said eCART manager Aron Sterling, a former meteorologist. “Some signs point to a slightly different El Niño called El Niño Modoki.”

As opposed to a typical El Niño, an El Niño Modoki is a more rare event that develops in the Pacific Ocean’s central tropic, and is thus much farther away. For this reason, temperatures sent to the East Coast are far colder than they normally are, resulting in our region’s especially harsh weather.

“Another factor [to the winter we have] is the sun,” Kammerer wrote. “We are moving into a solar minimum, which means the sun is producing less activity.”

When the sun reaches this “solar minimum” during its 11-year cycle, it emits fewer solar flares, producing less thermal energy. As a result, its effect on the Earth’s surface temperature is significantly reduced and ultimately increases El Niño’s contribution to future winter conditions.

“The sun is close to [this] solar minimum,” Sterling said. “This lack of energy can drive

colder and snowier weather for the East Coast.”

The last major contributing factor to how our winter plays out is unexpectedly the seasonal transition in North Asia when they experienced a slow start and heavy end to their autumn snows.

“This snowfall usually creates a condition that allows [a] Polar Vortex,” Sterling said. “[When it] breaks down and moves closer to us, [it allows] a funnel of cold air that leads to increased snow totals.”

The effects of these three events combined are the reason for our premature winter weather and why record-breaking temperatures and snowfall are expected within the next few months.

Considering what we’ve seen so far, people should remain informed with local news on trends that may develop this season. With the weather we’re predicted to have, numerous school delays and closings are more than likely to ensue further into the year.

“It snowed in November and it’s been a lot colder this year,” sophomore Nikolas Papapanos said. “I think we’ll have more snow days and I’m pretty happy about that.

We really need the break off school.”

DECEMBER | NEWS | 3

New ideas grow in McLean science community Students revive Science Honors Society TALIA BLAKEMORE REPORTER

A

s senior year caught up with the officers of the previous National Science Honors Society at McLean in 2014, interest throughout the society dissolved, resulting in the failure of a once prevalent program.

In early 2018, rising seniors Jennie Ende and Mila Volpi brought their interest to revive the society to the attention of teachers and administration, but by that time it was too late.

“If you’re going to do an honors society you have to do it in the certain windows, so we couldn’t really get going too quickly as a lot of things have to happen before you can form the society,” said science teacher Cathy Hott, one of the co-sponsors of the honors society. “You have to make sure you have school support from the administrative level, to the teacher sponsor, to the students.”

Coincidentally, senior Kimya Shirazi and junior Gloria Sun made their own plans to create an honors society.

“It’s really interesting. They were separately not even aware that [the] others had done all this legwork already and that there was that much interest,” Hott said.

When the school year began, they were able to initiate further efforts.

“Once we knew that we had kids who were authentically involved in this, we went ahead and pushed forward with the process a little bit more,” said assistant principal Darrell Pankratz, administrator of the science department. “Then it was submission to the National Science Honors Society to get approval to start the chapter here.”

Once applications had been accepted, the girls realized they had filled a void in available programs. They received over 100 applications and were able to establish a strong base for the chapter at McLean to build upon.

“It was one of the first major opportunities I really found to establish and lead something so big, because I didn’t realize that 130 people would come,” Sun said.

In order to engage such a large group, the club has laid out their plans for the following year into four projects.

“We have outreach at McLean—that will include tutoring in biology, physics and all the different scientific areas. We also have a greenhouse that we’re working on. Then we have community outreach which would [include] going to local elementary schools and setting up STEM programs,” Ende said.

“We want to make sure that [we are] making engaging projects that kids are actually interested in and making it very student-led.“ Other events are also in the works. Shirazi wants to expand her event committee to introduce guest speakers, set up a science career fair and other field trips, as well as collaborate with the astronomy club on their observatory nights.

“Our main goal of everything has been to really make it feel like a club atmosphere and not an honors society that you just get volunteer hours for and then log them,” Shirazi said.

McLean introduces alternatives to Science Fair ROHAN MANI REPORTER

U

nlike previous years, students can now choose from a variety of options in order to fulfill the aspect of their grade normally accounted for by Science Fair.

Although participation in Science Fair is usually required of students in honors classes and optional for students in AP and regular classes, this year McLean has introduced more ways for students to showcase their understanding of the scientific process.

Diverting from strict poster board guidelines and presentations, alternatives to the Science Fair include the Grand Challenges video project explaining a scientific concept, which was introduced last year, as well as maintaining a portfolio as part of the robotics team or joining the Science Olympiad team. For Honors and AP Physics, students complete the catapult project in order to fulfill the requirement.

4 | NEWS | DECEMBER

“We wanted to have student choice and allow students to do something that’s more relevant to them,” said assistant principal Darrell Pankratz, administrator of the science department.

The Science Fair provided students with an opportunity to cultivate and design an independent project which tested a scientific hypothesis. Once data was collected, the students would present the project and create a lab report to be submitted for a grade.

For each alternative, students will still be keeping track and following a procedure that mirrors aspects of the scientific process seen in the Science Fair.

“Either way, they are still kind of doing the scientific method of investigations: questioning, getting data and conclusions,” Pankratz said.

McLean’s expansion beyond the rigor and strict guidelines of the Science Fair allows students to pursue topics of interest and

express their findings in different ways.

“It opens up flexibility for students and allows them to exceed and expand in a couple of different subjects,” Pankratz said.

Some students who are continuing with the Science Fair project believe it best aids their understanding of how to investigate and present a topic.

“The Science Fair helps teach me aspects of real life application skills of science, which will be helpful in future classes by requiring me to formulate a lab report, presenting a topic, etc.,” sophomore Shawn Berdia said.

Others who chose from the alternatives believe they still provide a complete understanding of the scientific process.

“I think the video project helped as much as the Science Fair because I still had to write a paper and do a lot of research on a scientific topic,” said junior Aziz Mallosh, who completed the Grand Challenges video project last year.

llustration by Dasha Makarischeva | Page design by

Talia Blakemore

Don’t walk this way

Accident on Westmoreland raises questions about pedestrian safety NOLAN FITZSIMMONS REPORTER

A

female McLean student was hit by a car on Oct. 12 while crossing the street after school using a crosswalk on Westmoreland Street, according to the Fairfax County Times. While little information is available about the incident, an elderly woman who was driving the car was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Although this incident may have been largely the fault of a negligent driver, many people believe that steps could be taken to prevent future accidents from occurring.

Principal Ellen Reilly would like to install a system that would have a light turn red when pedestrians press a button at the Westmoreland Street intersection near the Rock entrance. “[Alexandria Hospital has] a crosswalk and a light, but it stays green all the time until a pedestrian comes and hits the button, and then the lights turn red ... and I think that’s what we should have,” Reilly said.

Senior Jules Le Menestrel, who walks to school every day, questions the extent to which changes should be applied.

“

I HAVE SEEN [DISTRACTED BEHAVIOR] IN EVERY DRIVER... PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR CELL PHONES AT THE STOP LIGHT.” — SCOTT DAVIS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER “I think a traffic light is sometimes more than is necessary, especially considering that there are not that many cars that are actually turning on that intersection,” Le Menestrel said.

School Resource Officer Scott Davis

Page design by Nolan Fitzsimmons

FINGERS CROSSED — Students cross on Westmoreland Street shortly after school on Dec. 6. A student was hit by a car at this intersection on Oct. 12, causing concerns about pedestrian safety.

(Photo by Julia McElligott)

confirmed such accidents are rare.

“I’ve been here six years [and] that’s the first incident that I’ve had where someone was hit there,” Davis said.

While Davis questions the scope of the issue of pedestrians being hit by cars near McLean, he does frequently observe distracted driving.

“I have seen [distracted behavior] in every driver,” Davis said. “People are on their cell phones at the stop light, or picking up their phone.”

The problem of teenage accidents at crosswalks, especially those surrounding schools, is significant across the nation.

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit outreach program of the Children’s National Health System, five teenage pedestrians are killed every week in the U.S. In addition, since 2013, pedestrian deaths of teenagers have increased by 13 percent.

In order to avoid more teenage pedestrian accidents, Safe Kids Worldwide recommends building more traffic lights at school intersections and the setting and enforcing of speed limits with a maximum of 20 miles per hour in school zones.

Both of these initiatives are lacking at McLean High School due to the absence of a traffic light near the Rock entrance, and the speed limit on Westmoreland Street—25

miles per hour—being slightly above this recommendation. While cars are legally required to yield to pedestrians, the law requiring them to do so is seldom enforced.

Another issue is that one in four high school walkers exhibit distracted behavior per statistics from Safe Kids Worldwide.

Distracted walking often involves people talking on the phone, texting or wearing headphones.

“I was driving along, and a pedestrian stepped out into the road and I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him,” said John Mutersbaugh, a senior who drives to school.

While Mutersbaugh is dismayed that a pedestrian was hit by a car, he believes that some pedestrians exhibit dangerous behavior while crossing the street.

“While it is unfortunate that the person got hit, some pedestrians do not understand how to walk,” Mutersbaugh said.

Given the nature of this problem and the factors that surround it, Reilly believes that student activism would be most effective method of pushing for change, reducing the number of accidents within our area.

“I think a group of kids needs to get together and they need to write a letter,” Reilly said. “I think a petition needs to be written to [the Virginia Department of Transportation].”

DECEMBER | NEWS | 5

6 | NEWS | DECEMBER

Old Korean Legation opens doors as museum

New historic site reveals early diplomatic endeavors of Korea and the U.S.

L

HAINE JUNG REPORTER

ocated in Logan Circle in Washington D.C., the Old Korean Legation opened to the public this spring as a museum after a two-year restoration process aiming to recreate the original rooms and furniture.

A legation is defined as the official residence and office of a diplomatic minister of a foreign nation. In the late 19th century, King Gojong of Korea claimed his state as an empire which at the time was gradually losing autonomy to Chinese and Japanese interventions. During this period, the Old Korean Legation emerged.

The building itself was built in 1877 and later purchased by Korea in 1889.

It was used as the main stage for Korean diplomatic figures to communicate with their counterparts in the U.S. The original Victorian-style architecture has been preserved for the entirety of its 141-year existence.

“I found it interesting how the legation was a Western-style building instead of a traditional Korean one,” sophomore Yeonho Gil said.

The Korean Legation was a cradle for the blossoming friendship between Korea and the U.S. The Korean minister, his staff and around 10 associates used to work there.

The building’s restoration started three years after the present-day South Korean government repurchased the legation, a considerably long waiting period.

“There had been a lot of movement for repurchase [of the legation] among Korean Americans here in the U.S. before the official purchase,” said Dr. Jong Soo Han, who is a curator at the building.

When the restoration finally began, leaders of Korean cultural heritage organizations considered the best use of the legation.

“During the process of restoration, many discussed how this building could potentially be used to educate the second and third generations of Korean Americans about Korean history and culture,” Han said, The legation building not only embodies the historic and diplomatic endeavors of both countries, but also the cultural clashes.

“When the first group of [Korean people called Bobingsa] encountered the U.S. president [at the time], Chester A. Arthur, they bowed deeply to him, [which surprised Page design by Alex Mandanas

THE OLD AND THE NEW — The Old Korean Legation building looks almost identical to the one illustrated in the left postcard. The Korean flag, “taegukgi,” that hangs on its roof once symbolized Korean autonomy.

(Photo by Haine Jung)

the American diplomats],” public relations coordinator Hyojin Sarchet said.

In fact, this was so shocking that it made the headline of an American newspaper page.

This rather humorous event depicts the two distinct cultures encountering each other for the first time. Although cultural shocks are of a different scale today, they still exist for Korean immigrants coming to the U.S. The restoration team was able to match original setups using photographs of the interior that were taken for the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893.

Inside the three-story legation building, there are multiple rooms each assigned to a specific purpose. The first floor mainly includes public spaces for social gatherings, such as reception and dining halls. This is the most accurately arranged floor since it was the only one of which photos were found.

“When these photos were enlarged, little details like the rollers of a sofa chair were shown and these details helped match the original setups,” Han said.

For the second floor, the restoration team relied on another source, and the rooms were restored to the original offices and bedrooms of the Korean minister and officials.

In the 1910s, when Korea was under Japanese imperial rule, Korea was forced to

sell the legation to Japan for $5. Some walls on the third floor were destroyed during this time, leaving its original layout a mystery. It is now functioning as a large exhibition hall.

Back in the day, the use of a legation was a significant stride for Korea in terms of introducing its culture to the Western world.

“Korea made an unprecedented move of disclosing a ‘Joseon Gallery’ at a foreign exhibition event, which served as the starting point of the introduction of Korean culture to the West,” Han said.

The legation connects Koreans in the McLean community to their heritage and culture even though Seoul is almost 7,000 miles away.

“The legation is a Korean historic site that can only be seen in [the U.S.], so for Koreans like me living here, it is a great experience to be able to visit the legation,” Gil said.

The Old Korean Legation can also be helpful to students in McLean who crave a better understanding of their country’s history, especially concerning its existence as a cultural melting pot.

“The Korean community is especially big here at McLean,” Gil said. “So it is great that the Korean legation could provide more historical background to non-Koreans...here who are friends with Koreans.”

DECEMBER | NEWS | 7

FEATURES Science teacher transitions from beaches to classrooms MAREN KRANKING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

hether it be his bubbly personality, love of puppets or copious amount of children’s toys, oceanography and astronomy teacher Andrew Diller is no ordinary teacher.

“I don’t know how to describe him,” physics and astronomy teacher Jeff Brocketti said, laughing. “He’s a big ball of energy and always in a good mood. He’s one of those people [where] you don’t know how he operates at that level that early in the morning, [but] that you just enjoy interacting with.”

Diller’s energy isn’t the only thing that sets him apart from other teachers—his past as an educator and researcher has given him plenty of experience and passion to teach. Diller studied biology at the University of Michigan, graduating with a teaching certification.

He taught in classrooms for four years before deciding to go back to attend graduate school at the University of West Florida (UWF).

As a graduate student, Diller worked as a marine biology extension agent, where he was involved in public outreach surrounding the university’s research. He was also able to perform research himself, studying sea turtles in Pensacola, Florida.

“We had a sea turtle monitoring program. Sometimes you can see the turtle, but most of the time you were just looking for the nest, so you look for the [turtles’] tracks,” Diller said. “We put signs up, we’d monitor the nest, then after two months when the eggs hatched, we were there to make sure the hatchlings went into the water.”

Diller also tagged sea turtles in order to study migration patterns, 8 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

but he centered his work on protecting and monitoring nests.

“Any time you got to see the female turtle’s nest, it’s really neat.

Sometimes we would get [to the nests] really early in the morning, and sometimes [the turtles] would still be there,” Diller said. “Just to see this 300-, 400-pound turtle digging a nest, just kind of going about her business and ignoring everybody, then crawling back into the water... It was all just really cool.”

As an educator, Diller would take videos of sea turtles during his work to show in classrooms. For him, showing others these videos was one of the most rewarding parts of his job.

“It’s amazing how when you show [people] these things, how much people really love those animals,” Diller said. “For whatever reason when you show them the video of [turtles] crawling out of the ground together, heading towards the water, it makes them care.”

Diller enjoys educating others about sea turtles because they hold great significance throughout all aspects of the environment. “[Sea turtles] need the land, the beaches [and] the oceans to be clean, and the fact that they’re struggling shows we’re messing things up here,” Diller said. “They’re a great ambassador animal, and I was able to use sea turtles in almost every situation to show people why they should care about the oceans. And that’s always been amazing to me, how you can take one animal like that and create interest and love for conservation and protecting the oceans.”

Diller participated in various other research opportunities. He

“THAT’S ALWAYS

BEEN AMAZING TO ME, HOW YOU CAN TAKE ONE ANIMAL LIKE THAT AND CREATE INTEREST AND LOVE FOR CONSERVATION AND PROTECTING THE OCEANS.” — ANDREW DILLER OCEANOGRAPHY & ASTRONOMY TEACHER

PERDIDO KEY, FLORIDA — Andrew Diller rides an ATV on the Gulf Islands National Seashore in 2011, where he worked as an extension agent for the University of West Florida before moving to Virginia.

He got the chance to study sea turtles and monitor their nests as well. (Photos

courtesy of Andrew Diller)

worked with fishermen and shrimpers to ensure that they correctly released excess fish. And before entering graduate school, Diller spent a summer in British Columbia researching killer whales, following a kayaking trip to the area with his wife the year before.

One of Diller’s most prominent memories of the trip occurred during his research, when a killer whale lit by bioluminescent organisms passed by.

“It was so bright that one time,” Diller said. “A killer whale came up right near the shoreline and the entire outline was glowing, and [when] the blow shot up in the air, it was all glowing.”

After working for UWF for 11 years, Diller moved to Virginia because his wife, a sustainable engineer, was offered a promising job in the D.C. area.

Although Diller loved his work with sea turtles, he was willing to return to a traditional classroom setting in Virginia to continue his educating career.

Diller taught at McLean High School for one year, then transferred to nearby West Potomac High School for two years. Now, he is in his third year back at McLean, currently teaching oceanography and astronomy.

“Once you get to the marine biology part [of oceanography]—that’s really what I love,” Diller said.

“That’s what got me into biology, [learning about] animals [and why] they live where they are. And it tends to be the students’ favorite part, too.”

Diller’s work with UWF has helped him to teach his oceanography classes, and his love of astronomy grew in part through his work with sea turtles as well.

“If you’re out at night waiting for a turtle nest to hatch, there’s not a whole lot going on. You see a lot of stars, and one of the things that a lot of us would do when we were out there is skywatch,” Diller said.

“When you get someplace like that, on the beach or out in the country where you can see all the stars, it’s really amazing.”

Moving to Virginia has also allowed Diller to engage in another hobby of his— coaching. Having run track in college, Diller is now the coach of Langley High School’s track and field team, an opportunity he did not have while working in Florida.

“I didn’t have time to [coach] while I was in Florida doing all my sea turtle stuff,” Diller said. “It was a great job, I loved it, but this lets me do a

Page design by Maren Kranking

little bit of both things I love.”

Lindsey Stirling, a senior in Diller’s oceanography class and track athlete, enjoys the engaging way he leads classes and having a teacher with similar interests as herself.

“It’s pretty cool to have a teacher who’s also a track coach,” Stirling said. “Even though it’s for the wrong school, it’s still pretty cool.”

To students and teachers alike, it is clear that Diller holds a true passion for what he teaches.

“If you have any doubt as to whether or not he enjoys what he’s doing, all you have to do is sit in his room for a couple minutes and you’ll realize that he’s completely genuine,” Brocketti said. “He has a love for the topic that he teaches, in addition to teaching itself.”

Brocketti appreciates Diller’s personality, both in and out of the classroom.

“He’s probably one of the more genuine people I’ve ever met. What you see is what you get, and it doesn’t change whether he’s talking to a student or to a teacher,” Brocketti said. “That’s one of the things I like best about him.”

Although he no longer works in Florida, Diller still has ties to his former job. He started several programs there, such as one that implements downward-facing lights in cities to keep the sky dark; this allows for newly hatched turtles to more easily find the ocean.

Occasionally, he still helps out with such programs.

“I still get calls sometimes [from] Florida—some people that I’ve worked with down there will call me and ask for some advice,” Diller said. “I don’t get to do as much of the turtle stuff now, but I try to stay involved when I can.”

Whether through research or educating, Diller has always worked toward promoting conservation.

“Especially for our oceans, it is 70 percent of our planet, and it controls so many things.

It all really does come back to the ocean as far as our planet [goes],” Diller said. “Even though we live on the land, if the oceans aren’t healthy then everything that we do could be in danger, as well as all the animals and all the other things out there.”

Diller encourages others to work in the research field if given the opportunity.

He is thankful for the opportunities he has had, and he finds joy in his ability to teach and inspire others to pursue their passions.

“If you can get into one of those jobs, it’s one of the best jobs there really is,” Diller said.

DECEMBER | FEATURES | 9

Viewers left in Awe

Senior YouTuber participates in Vlogmas AVA ROTONDO REPORTER ZACH ANDERSON REPORTER

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ey guys, welcome back to another article of The Highlander! YouTubers use opening hooks like this in each of their videos to welcome their viewers. As the platform has gained popularity, YouTube channels and personalities have diversified and spread worldwide. At McLean, student YouTubers create their own videos for the world to see.

Senior Jisolu Awe has run her self-named channel, Jisolu Awe, since freshman year, uploading videos on topics ranging from fashion hacks to personal stories.

“At the start, [my channel was] more beauty guru type videos like fashion and life hacks videos, but that became storytimes, vlogs and makeup videos,” Awe said.

Some big name YouTubers receive millions of views on their most popular videos, and Awe is inspired by these stars.

“For a long time, my inspirations were beauty gurus like Rclbeauty101 and CloeCouture, but then it shifted to more storytime YouTubers, like Tana Mongeau... and Savannah Brymer,” Awe said. “I used to have a tip account on Instagram and I always really wanted to make a YouTube channel, but was too nervous to.”

Awe soon overcame this fear and created a YouTube account for the world to see.

This December she is trying something new that audiences love: a festive spin on the traditional vlog.

“Vlogmas is basically when you vlog every day for the entire month of December, until Christmas,” Awe said. “It’s just supposed to be a fun look into your life [and how you celebrate the holidays].”

Vloggers nationwide have begun spreading their own holiday cheer through Vlogmas.

However, many do find it challenging due to the steep time commitment it requires.

“I have never successfully done Vlogmas,” Awe said. “Not because filming every day is annoying, but because editing videos every day for an entire month can be so hard.”

Creating a video requires a lot of preparation and planning. Art teacher and broadcast major Jennifer Jensen gives a few tips to new videographers and vloggers who are up to the holiday challenge.

10 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

“Having a good camera is going to help, or a good phone,” Jensen said. “If you can get sound equipment too... that’s really going to put you to the next level. But if you’re just trying to have fun, then definitely [come] up with good topics that people want to watch.”

Vlogmas is a trend that started on YouTube, but not all vloggers are YouTubers.

If students are interested in learning more about vlogging or the art of creating videos, other students and staff have the experience to get those students started.

“

[VLOGMAS IS] JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FUN LOOK INTO YOUR LIFE.” — JISOLU AWE

YOUTUBER, SENIOR “Any student can stop by and we can set up a time to discuss questions,” Jensen said.

“I would be happy to help.”

Many who participated in the process last year are excited to do it again this year.

“Last year, I participated in Vlogmas,” junior Briana Walia said. “Filming and editing is really entertaining. It’s also really nice to be able to look back at my videos and

remember what I did each day. I post them to my finsta so that my close friends are able to see them.”

Walia posts privately so that strangers are not watching her videos, but privacy is not the only reason YouTube is not a desirable place to post videos for some. Awe has encountered other barriers online.

“YouTube algorithms are intended to gain more viewers and high amounts of watch time. That means more people [are] watching ads and in turn making [more] money for YouTube,” Awe said. “I don’t post videos multiple times a week and [my channel] has been in YouTube’s system for almost six years [so] my videos aren’t going to do as well.”

In spite of the downsides of YouTube’s complex algorithms designed to increase profit, Awe has found that her friends, family and subscribers have been helpful throughout her YouTube journey.

“Most people have been supportive of my videos, but what I appreciate about my friends and family is that a lot of them are able to give me guidance on what I should or shouldn’t post,” Awe said.

This support is especially important and helpful in current online culture, when so many people are viewing videos and judging others based on them.

“There’s obviously people who like to scrutinize every little thing I do,” Awe said.

“But that’s a natural part of life, and it’s not something I let stop me.”

STAYING POSITIVE — Senior Jisolu Awe speaks passionately in this video’s thumbnail. She encourages her viewers, called “cuties,” to stay happy.

Photo courtesy of Jisolu Awe | Page design by Ava Rotondo & Zach Anderson

10 Qs with Emily Jaffa (Math Teacher & Senior Class Sponsor)

Photos & reporting by AnnaGrace Hopkins & Emma Johnson Page design by Bryan Chung

What is your favorite part about planning your wedding?

My favorite part was trying on dresses, but I am excited to plan an event that I can share with my friends and family and make memories.

What advice do you have for seniors when they head off to college?

Stay true to who you are, find your passions and embrace them... Try new things and explore, but once you find something you really love, do your best to stick to it and follow what you are passionate about.

What is your favorite food or tradition during the holidays?

Growing up, I would go to New York every year with my mom for Christmas. I am Jewish so I don’t actually celebrate Christmas, so we would have a mother-daughter trip and fly up Christmas day and eat at a Jewish deli.

LENDING A HELPING HAND — Math teacher Emily Jaffa answers questions for seniors Jack McManus and Joe Horowitz.

Why did you choose to teach math?

I actually went to Virginia Tech to be an engineer and quickly discovered I did not enjoy my science classes nearly as much as my math classes. I knew I needed to do something where I could be talking and interacting with people all the time, so teaching seemed like the perfect fit.

What is your favorite thing about winter festivities?

I love the holidays and seeing family and friends and drinking all of the winter drinks, like hot chocolate and hot apple cider.

What are you looking forward to most in 2019?

Getting married.

What is your favorite classic winter movie?

Every Thanksgiving, I’ll watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and after that, I’ll watch [the 1994 version of] Miracle on 34th Street because it starts at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

What’s your favorite formula?

In sixth grade when my math teacher was teaching it to us, she would say, “area=πr2 but pies aren’t square, they’re round.”

What other occupations have you What is your favorite thing to do on a had in the past? snow day?

My Wear majorpajamas, in collegewrap-up was education in a blanket, anddrink Physhot Ed majors, theyand typically chocolate just look at run the pools, they work camps, and I snow from theatwindow. gravitated towards swimming pools for a long time.

What’s the best thing about being a teacher?

Interacting with the students—that’s what I am here for. I love teaching and sharing my knowledge but building relationships with the students is the cherry on top of the sundae.

DECEMBER | FEATURES | 11

HIGHLANDER OF THE ISSUE

KEEPING THE W KEEPING THE

COMPETITION COMPETITION IN CHECK

Junior Ashley Junior Xing XingAshley becomes a be-

hether “devastating” and “really painful” or “the best day of your life,” to most people, none of these phrases appear to embody the seemingly dull nature of chess. But to junior Ashley Xing, these words cut through chess’s boring portrayal and summarize the strategic and surprisingly riveting game perfectly.

As one of only five selected female members of the U.S. World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC) team (also known as “the chess Olympics”), Xing serves as an inspiration for young girls who want to pursue chess, a game that is dominated by men. Locally, she teaches a chess class at Pimmit Regional Library and visits a girls chess class in Herndon, where she encourages them to grow a passion for the game.

Xing ranks in the 97th percentile of chess players across the nation. She has attended the highly selective Pan-American Youth Chess Championship and placed third at Women’s Nationals, marking her as one of the most elite youth chess players in the world.

Xing began playing chess by accident and initially thought of it as little more than a juvenile hobby.

“I first started chess club at school in the spring of third grade,” Xing said. “My parents didn’t know what to do with me after school because they had to work. So they just dumped me at chess club.”

comes a member ofYouth the U.S member of the U.S. World Chess Championship World Youth Chess team ChampionNICHOLAS LOHMAN NEWS EDITOR

12 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

Slowly her childhood activity transformed into a serious passion.

“I had a series of three [good] tournaments in a row...and then I just really started getting more serious after that, because I was like, ‘Oh, my god, I’m actually getting somewhere,’” Xing said.

Xing began studying for tournaments, which entails completing warm-up puzzles called “tactics” and reading about chess strategies— she estimates she has read 60 strategy books. Over the years, she even began beating her former teachers and inspirations.

“Whenever you’re at a rating [a score that represents one’s skill], you think that people the next class above you are like [a] god…and then once you get there...[you feel like you can] always do better,” Xing said.

Xing’s journey to success hasn’t been easy—she’s hit many plateaus along the way. However, she credits these obstacles with making her the player she has become.

Eventually Xing’s frustrations paid off, as she qualified for the 2018 WYCC, which took place in Greece from Oct. 19-21. Discovering she been admitted to the competition was an unforgettable moment.

“I woke up, like, in the middle of the night to check my rating. I [remember thinking], ‘Oh, my god, please [let my score] be 1900,’ and then it was,” Xing said. “It was the best day of my life.”

Attending the conference immersed Xing in a realm of chess players from all over the globe and helped her form unbreakable bonds with her American teammates.

“Ashley contributed to the team by bringing a fun and positive attitude to the team room every night, no matter how her game went,” said Arya Pubal, Xing’s WYCC teammate. “She inspired me to forget bad games and be completely focused on the next. We all got to experience her sense of humor and it made everyone feel more relaxed.”

“

WHEN I PLAY, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. EVERY GAME IS ITS OWN LITTLE LIFE STORY.” — ASHLEY XING JUNIOR

“For half a year [I was] stuck [at a] pretty low [rating], and I got really frustrated. My dad was like, ‘Maybe chess isn’t for you,’” Xing said. “I was like, ‘No, Dad, I have to break [my rating].’ And then it happened.”

Xing’s parents attribute her success to her ability to move past challenges.

“I believe that chess is not just a game but also a highlight of our life. You will have times when you may win several games in a row, but there are also times when you lose all your games, just like life offers to every one of us. It is her love of games, her willpower of winning, her hard work and perseverance that helped her [break] through,” said her mother, Joanne Xing.

As the qualifying deadline for the 2016 World Youth Chess Championship approached, Xing continued her training with a drive to reach the tournament’s required rating.

“She’s very disciplined in her studying,” said Allan Savage, Xing’s private instructor. “She’s currently my best student.”

She qualified for WYCC at a local tournament, but a slew of heart-wrenching events followed.

“I had a really good tournament and I broke [the required rating of ] 1800. [Later I] got rerated down to 1797. I was...so devastated by that. I emailed the [head of the tournament]; I had the screenshot [documenting my time there] and everything,” Xing said. “The next year, I broke [the new required rating] and was really happy I qualified, but then I got sick with meningitis, so I couldn’t go.”

Xing was determined to make it to the competition in spite of her illness. But while she may have been mentally prepared, she was nowhere close to being physically ready for her competition.

“When she woke up from the ICU the first thing she asked me was what date the WYCC was. She then said she still had two weeks to prepare for it. It was a tearful moment when she found out she could barely sit still, let along travel to Uruguay,” Joanne Xing said.

The level of stress and intensity experienced by her teammates is something Xing has learned to deal with every time she competes.

During her matches, her love of chess transcends her anxieties, making her a calm and collected opponent.

“A chess game can go on for a really long time, [often] five hours, so when I play, nothing else matters. Every game is its own little life story. I might have a test the next day, but I just completely forget about it,” Xing said. “[My mind] turns off.”

Each day of the tournament, Xing was briefed by her coaches and would look up her opponent on a database. She also would listen to her pump-up music of choice—ironically, heavy metal—as she prepared herself to compete against her foreign adversaries.

“It was so cool to play people from different countries,” Xing said.

“I played an Australian person and nine European people. I [beat] a Russian...[and Russian competitors are] known for being amazing at chess,” Xing said.

Xing placed 46th at the tournament out of 90 competitors.

“I’m proud of how far I’ve come because my parents were always telling me to quit...and sometimes when you go through a really bad series of tournaments you just start losing hope,” Xing said. “[Looking back at my old self ] I think I would have been proud of how I was able to overcome those barriers.”

Xing remains excited about the future of her chess career, and she plans to play in college.

“I want to go [to a college] that [has] a lot of good players. Some colleges with a lot of good players form a team and then go to tournaments together,” Xing said. “I want to do that because except for World Youths I’ve never gone to a tournament with a team before.”

Beyond college, chess will likely provide Xing with a lifetime of enjoyment.

“It’s something that you can just keep playing for your entire life,” Xing said. “It doesn’t go away.”

Environmental portrait by Julia McElligott | Page design by Maren Kranking

DECEMBER | FEATURES | 13

Empowering introverts in the classroom Quiet students are more than they appear to be CORDELIA LAWTON REPORTER

Q

uiet. Boring. Shy. These traits are what people tend to think of when they hear the word “introvert.” Introverts, however, have so much more to themselves than these misinterpreted character traits.

“I would say an introvert is somebody who...is a little more thoughtful in the way they think in the way they see the world,” counselor Tara Lodwig said.

Many teachers at McLean offer different teaching methods to assist their introverted students.

“I think the more we try to bring a variety of instructional methods into our classroom, the more we’re going to hit all kinds of students,” AP Psychology teacher Meghan Percival said.

One thing that could be done in classes is for teachers to try to avoid activities that involve random participation.

“I think [this] can cause anxiety [for] introverts because [they] generally want to think things through a little bit more,” Lodwig said. “If it’s random...then it puts them on the spot and doesn’t allow them time to really process their thoughts.”

Introverts can also take matters into their own hands when faced with participation by preparing for discussions beforehand. Doing so enables them to listen to their classmates and offer their own insight at the end of the class. They can also work with their teachers outside of class time if that is what they prefer.

“If that’s something they’re struggling with, I would hope that they would feel

comfortable [reaching] out to their teachers and letting them know they want to be an active participant, and there are some ways they might better do that,” Percival said.

Lodwig believes teachers at McLean do a lot to support introverts who are in this type of situation, which is done by using the “Think, Pair, Share” method.

“

I THINK THE MORE WE TRY TO BRING A VARIETY OF INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS INTO OUR CLASSROOM, THE MORE WE’RE GOING TO HIT ALL KINDS OF STUDENTS.” —MEGHAN PERCIVAL AP PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER “[Teachers] might give students an opportunity to think about whatever the prompt is and pair with one other person or a small group...then share...with a bigger group,” Lodwig said. “I think that introverts will have had time to process different ways to get comfortable enough to share in a big group.”

Just because introverts usually don’t deal well with random participation, there’s still an opportunity for them to participate in the class lesson.

“I’ll still raise my hand to answer questions,” introverted senior Zoe Skoric said. “I’ll still talk to kids, but usually a

selected few.”

False presumptions about introverts and how they participate, however, aren’t the only ways they are misconceived in the classroom.

“One thing that gets on my nerves is when teachers come up to you and say [something] like, ‘Why don’t you sit with other kids?’ or ‘Why aren’t you engaging yourself in the classroom?’” Skoric said. “It’s not to say I’m not engaging myself, [but] personally, I prefer having my own space and doing my own thing.”

These stigmas leave such students feeling isolated and misunderstood, which affects their social lives and performance in school.

Lodwig, as an introvert herself, said how important it was for her to feel accepted by others. She recommends teachers and students read Quiet, a book by Susan Cain that portrays introversion in relation to one’s education.

“As I read [Quiet], I [thought], ‘Oh my gosh, this is so me,’ and I think [it’s important] knowing there’s other people out there [just] like me,” Lodwig said.

Quiet Power, Cain’s sequel to the original, works to instill a sense of confidence in introverted students by encouraging them to explore their strengths. Taking its messages into consideration could really help to empower introverts at the school and mitigate the stigmas that surround them in their everyday lives.

In Quiet Power, Cain wrote, “As much as I love extroverts, though, I want to shine the spotlight on what it feels like to be quiet— and show just how powerful quiet can be.”

QUIET TIME— Counselor Tara Lodwig recommends two books written

by Susan Cain to introverted students. Quiet focuses on adult introverts, while Quiet Power deals more with introverted students. (Photo by Maren Kranking)

14 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

Page design by Cordelia Lawton

The Highlander’s GUIDE TO BEING ORGANIZED

Successful students and teachers explain ways to improve grades Tip # 1

Tip # 2

Have a schedule or planner

Do the little things right

Having a planner is the first step to take when it comes to organization because it provides a simple way to keep track of assignments.

“If you want to be able do your work, you need to know what homework you have and when it’s due,” said sophomore Zeyad Khadih, who has straight As in all five of his AP classes.

By keeping track of his assignments, Khadih is able to organize around his due dates.

“The secret to getting As is being consistent, and doing work ahead of time,” Khadih said. “To do both, you must consistently keep track of your work.”

Amidst all of the major projects, assignments worth fewer points are often overlooked, but are just as important.

“Those small grades can really add up,” Khadih said.

Consistency is a major requirement to get good grades, and paying attention to details is a part of that.

“The reason smaller assignments are the difference between an A and a B is that students who earn As in AP History courses generally take everything seriously and take advantage of every opportunity to learn,” social studies teacher Lindsey Fisher said. “Students who get As in AP World History are focused on the learning, and the grade comes with that.”

Tip # 3

Tip # 4

Divide your work into small bits

Set daily goals

Projects can be intimidating, but in reality these assignments are meant to be easy to plan around.

“In AP World, one of the big things we try to get students to learn is how to manage their time better,” Fisher said. “We assign projects and reading in advance to give students enough time to work on them at their own pace.”

In fact, when divided up, every assignment can be easy.

“My grades were terrible last quarter,” sophomore Mohamed Mohamed said. “But ever since I started to divide up my work into smaller parts they’ve been significantly better.”

Many students are deterred from working because they feel as if they don’t know where to begin. This can be resolved by adding a daily goal section to the planner.

“Every day I have a new goal in each of my classes,” junior Sid Meka said, “so I know which work I need to that day and focus on completing them.”

By having goals, students are also more motivated to work.

“It feels great,” Meka said. “Knowing I’ve fulfilled a goal, it makes completing something much more rewarding and enjoyable.”

Tip # 5

Tip # 6

Be proactive

Have a routine

Schoolwork may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but students should still put in the effort to be proactive with their work.

“I always make sure to start my work ahead of time, and it has paid some great dividends,” sophomore Rakib Anam said.

Anam has had straight As this year, showing how important it is to stay one step ahead in order to succeed.

“Every good student knows that the secret to getting good grades is doing things ahead of time,” Anam said.

Page design by Dasha Makarishcheva | Reporting by Eren Parla

The final step to making sure these changes are permanent is to turn them into habits.

“Every day I go to swim practice, and immediately after, finish my homework,” Meka said. “It’s been my routine on weekdays for such a long time now that it happens naturally.”

When it becomes a habit, going through the steps of being organized becomes a lot easier.

“Some days, I’m really tired,” Anam said. “But even then, once it’s 4:45, like clockwork, I always end up working.”

DECEMBER | FEATURES| 15

Ben House flips streetwear into mansion money ALEX MANDANAS MANAGING EDITOR JACK STENZEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

he word “mogul” isn’t often used to describe high schoolers, but it certainly applies to senior Ben House.

Even though he swaggers through the hallways in thousand dollar Supreme sweatshirts and limited edition Off-White Nikes, his outfit isn’t what stands out most about him— instead it’s his insane work ethic and dedication to his business that makes him an anomaly.

The money didn’t arrive in his pockets out of thin air.

Rather, House has been quietly growing his streetwear resell business—buying and selling trendy clothes and accessories for big returns, with his specialty being high-profile shoes.

“I am a pretty introverted person so shoes gave me a way to express myself without having to say words, and as I wanted more and more shoes, I needed a way to finance my collection,” House said.

His business relies on buying limited streetwear merchandise that he can then turn around and “flip,” selling it for a higher price to all types of hypebeasts, sneakerheads and many other consumers who want to rock exclusive or limitededition clothing and sneakers.

“The clothes I sell are a reflection of pop culture and are mostly a cheaper alternative to high fashion,” House said.

“People are willing to spend a high price tag because of how limited most of these pieces are. When a shoe has less than 500 sold, it can go for thousands.”

16 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

House’s influence on the DMV sneaker community can be measured in part by his large consumer networks. Not only does he sell streetwear and shoes to McLean students, but he has also connected to famous figures like rappers Lil Baby and Soulja Boy. With plenty of money to spend and lots of young flexers, McLean seems to be the perfect market for House’s business.

Students are willing to drop thousands on House’s clothes.

One student, sophomore Niki Gibson, spent over $2,500 on products like Gucci track pants and Balenciaga high tops. “[I bought from Ben] because I like designer clothing and I had lots of cash to spend,” Gibson said. “More young people have lots of spending money and want to look good.”

Many of House’s early consumers came from the high school community. It started with small buys and selling to friends, but he quickly realized the potential for his hobby.

“November 2017 is when I began to expand in order to make money,” House said. “I began to expand my output and distribution. Expansion began with the blue tint Yeezys and original Off-White Nike, after the Ten collection released that month,” House said.

Profitable returns obviously entail considerable risk for House, although he believes his work ethic and knowledge of the resell industry are what set him apart from others in the market.

“

PERSONALLY, I DON’T CONSIDER MYSELF SUCCESSFUL YET.” -STREETWEAR MOGUL BEN HOUSE

WALK IT LIKE I TALK IT — House flexes in a black Supreme sweater worth $1,000. He went on to sell the same sweatshirt later that day. (Photo illustrations

by Jack Stenzel)

“Of course there is competition, but most are a lot smaller than me and ones that are equal [or] bigger have different markets,” House said. “The reason it is so lucrative is how hard [reselling] is. People don’t understand the time and capital needed to run this business.”

Over the past three years, House’s small hobby has transformed into a full-blown venture, with his chief offices located in Falls Church. To keep up with demand and maximize profit, he uses special machines that help him time the purchase of limited releases.

“There is a huge intangible asset aspect,” House said. “You can have the most expensive computer program, but if you don’t know how to use it, it’s worthless to you.”

House is a part of a DMV resell industry that is a hotspot for streetwear consumers, creating a profitable arena for all types of sellers. An icon of the DMV marketplace is Gautam Malik, also known as @kickzmalik on Instagram. Boasting over 76,000 followers, Malik is the gold standard for House and other resellers when it comes to the potential of the resell lifestyle.

“Entering the sneaker market at 11 years old, I was able to slowly learn the inside and out of this multi-billion-dollar market. With the time advantage I was able to watch other resellers, study their success and mistakes while slowly building my inventory and clientele one shoe at a time,” Malik said. “[I was] selling shoes on

eBay every night because they’re weren’t many platforms available in 2012-2015, [and it] forced me to think outside the box and branch into other ideas for distribution.”

Having entered the industry more recently, House has looked to more efficient programs and technology-heavy platforms to grow his business. These new niche distribution outlets and marketplaces make House confident in the potential for sustainable growth for his exciting entity, as well as the promise of new competition.

“The internet has allowed for the exponential growth of this industry,” House said. “Since the launch of services like Stockx and Goat, the industry has changed so much and so many new resellers have entered the market and therefore prompted companies to produce more items.”

Malik and House showcase a shift in the streetwear resell industry that has gained momentum around new technologies and resources that help resellers buy, sell and market more effectively. Their influence keeps the school looking fresh, although House knows he still has some untapped opportunities.

“Personally, I don’t consider myself successful yet, but most other people would consider me successful,” House said. “If you look down the halls, you can see how hypebeast and street culture have had an effect on the population each year. More and more kids wear Supreme, Off-White and Yeezys.”

DECEMBER | FEATURES | 17

Graduate student gets first taste of teaching Long-term sub shares her story of going from student to teacher SABRINA VAZQUEZ FEATURES EDITOR

G

raduating from college is a difficult task on its own, but finding a job after graduation is a completely different challenge.

For Nagham Abu-Bader, working as a longterm substitute at McLean is another step toward becoming a full-time teacher.

“This is my first long-term subbing which is nice, because I get to plan and I get to meet the kids,” Abu-Bader said.

Abu-Bader has been subbing for English teacher Michael Enos while he’s on paternity leave. Being a long-term substitute has given Abu-Bader the opportunity to get a feel for the life of a teacher more than just being a day-to-day substitute. “[There are] new challenges, like cheating, [that] I wouldn’t know if I just subbed for one day,” Abu-Bader said. “But also the relationships are a good part. The relationships I’ve developed with the kids are obviously different because I see them every day.”

Because she was in high school not long ago, Abu-Bader understands the stress high school students face.

“I went to Robinson [High School],” Abu-Bader said. “I did the full IB diploma and I missed the diploma by one point on my exams, so...I get the pressure. School isn’t for everyone. It’s okay to not be good at something.”

Abu-Bader also faced hurdles on her way

18 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

to becoming a teacher. She didn’t decide that she wanted to become a teacher until her last semester in college, and a few years prior to that she was on a completely different career path. “[There was] pressure from my parents to become a doctor,” Abu-Bader said. “I went to [James Madison University] for two years and was [majoring in] pre-dental bio and did poorly and decided to dropped out.”

Even after she left Madison, Abu-Bader still faced some challenges while trying to complete her degree.

“I wanted to transfer to [George Mason University], but they wouldn’t let me because my grades were so bad,” Abu-Bader said. “So I went to [Northern Virginia Community College] for a year, got a 4.0 [GPA], transferred to Mason and graduated with honors.”

Abu-Bader’s experience in college had a lasting impact on her, even now as a teacher. “[Having struggled] is why I’m totally cool with extensions and things—because I get it,” Abu-Bader said.

Students notice these qualities in AbuBader’s class.

“She better understands what it’s like to be in students’ shoes,” senior Lia Chandra said. “She is able to adjust her teaching style to suit what would be most helpful for students.”

Abu-Bader’s start to teaching has many similarities to Enos’ own beginnings. Enos

contacted Mason in order to find students to substitute for him during his absence, which started in October.

“When Mr. Enos first started teaching he took a long-term sub job,” Abu-Bader said. “That’s how he got his foot in the door and learned, so he wanted to give that opportunity to one of Mason’s students. So that’s how he found me.”

Being a long-term substitute presents its own set of problems that go beyond what full-time teachers have to face.

“I think that one of the challenges that long-term substitutes face is being able to seamlessly transition the class from one teacher to another, while simultaneously teaching new material,” junior Priya Shah said. “Ms. Abu-Bader has done that really well.”

Even though Abu-Bader was in her students’ shoes not that long ago, she is adjusting to teaching students in McLean’s high pressure environment.

“There’s a lot of pressure on the kids,” Abu-Bader said. “They’re more worried about getting a good grade than they are about actually learning.”

Abu-Bader is not only dealing with the challenges that come with teaching, but she is also juggling with getting her master’s degree. She is currently working toward a degree in secondary education from George Mason University.

“It’s not an easy job and I do school fulltime right now. I’m taking nine credits which is full-time for grad school and then I teach ONE ON ONE full-time because I come here,” Abu-Bader — Nagham said. “Like now I’m grading papers, but I also Abu-Bader have an assignment due tonight. It’s really helps junior hard to balance it, but it’s rewarding.”

Kate van Abu-Bader will finish subbing for Enos Meter with at the end of December. In January she will her portfolio begin a teaching internship at Chantilly for AP Lang.

High School that will last for the rest of the Abu-Bader school year. She hopes to start her first fullhas been the time teaching job next fall. long-term Even though she was only here for a substitute for English teacher couple months, her presence in the classroom left an impact on her students.

Michael Enos “She really wants to help students learn,” since October.

(Photo by Sabrina Chandra said. “I think her perspective as a Vazquez) recent graduate makes it easier for her to relate to us.”

Page design by Sabrina Vazquez

Weird slang, but okay

Teachers attempt to define slang terms RAQUEL SAENZ Substitute Teacher

DEFINITION: “Someone was weird but flexible. Sometimes they’re weird, sometimes they’re not.”

USED IN A SENTENCE: “Tommy was acting weird flex, but okay.”

“WEIRD FLEX, BUT OKAY”

ANTHONY PUZAN

Social Studies Teacher

DEFINITION: “It [is] just almost like an exclamatory kind of remark, like, ‘Bet, you’re on.’”

USED IN A SENTENCE: “I bet you can’t do this.”

“BET”

DE FINE D BY URBAN DIC TIONARY AS

DE FINE D BY URBAN DIC TIONARY AS “to understand, acknowledge, etc.” or “as in ‘sure,’ ‘you bet,’ ‘you know it,’ ‘that’s for sure’ or ‘that’s a plan’”

“used in reply to something odd or weird that you wouldn’t agree with or understand, but go with anyway”

EMILY FIFER Math Teacher

DEFINITION: “Somebody’s hungry and wants to make a sandwich.”

USED IN A SENTENCE: “Let’s get this bread so we can use these turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving to make a turkey sandwich.”

“LET’S GET THIS BREAD”

DE FINE D BY URBAN DIC TIONARY AS “originally ‘let’s get this money’ because dough is slang for money” and “now loosely defined as a saying for one to succeed in something”

BILLY THOMAS Physics Teacher

DEFINITION: “Wig is an old political party of parliamentary origin where everyone wore a whitefeathered hair dress.”

USED IN A SENTENCE: “The wig party, now defunct in America, had awesome headwear.”

“WIG”

Reporting & photos by Rebeka Rafi | Page design by Dasha Makarishcheva

DE FINE D BY URBAN DIC TIONARY AS “when someone does something so good that they go bald,” or “when something happens so unexpectedly that your wig flies off your head” DECEMBER | FEATURES | 19

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Anything Goes revival hits all the right notes

Arena Stage presents modern take on classic musical ANYA CHEN A&E & DESIGN EDITOR

A

rena Stage provides a refreshing twist to the 1934 classic Anything Goes, with magnetizing vocals, engaging humor and lively choreography that immerse the audience in its plot line.

Set on the S.S. American, a luxury cruise heading from New York to London abundant with love triangles, family drama, gangsters, showgirls and plenty of mischief, the farce-filled musical directed by Molly Smith follows Billy Crocker (Corbin Bleu), who stows away on the ship as he chases his true love, Hope Harcourt (Lisa Helmi Johanson)—even though she’s engaged to another man. Meanwhile, Reno Sweeney (Soara-Joye Ross) longs after Billy and crime runs amok.

Corbin Bleu of High School Musical fame stuns as Billy, with his charm and boyish optimism. His voice brings a sweet, smooth sound that provides a much-needed balance to the show’s flashy caricaturization that often becomes overdramatized.

Soara-Joye Ross transforms the character of Reno—originally more of a stereotypical musical theater lead female role—with her rich, sultry voice that holds a bold, dynamic essence of jazz and provides depth to her portrayal.

Lisa Helmi Johanson’s haunting vocals sent shivers down my spine in Hope’s heartbreaking song “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye.”

The musical’s choreography, arranged

by Parker Esse, dazzles as well. As dancers fill the stage with upbeat, rhythmic tap numbers, each step is on beat and every move is clearly purposeful and artistic.

“We spent hours and hours coming up with detailed, meaningful, story-telling choreography to ensure that every step had purpose and heart,” assistant choreographer and

ensemble member Lizz Picini said.

Their efforts show—the stage shines especially in the numbers “Anything Goes” and “Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” which showcases onstage costume changes and includes a majority of the cast.

The technical aspects tie the whole production together beautifully, with the set and costumes standing out the most.

The costumes are period to old Hollywood in the early 1900s and are crucial in the establishment of the atmosphere.

Reno’s saturated gowns allow her to stand out in every ensemble and they perfectly complement her movements and attitudes.

Hope’s elegant, flowing dresses convey her innocence and life of luxury by reflecting a pearl theme.

The set at Arena Stage is particularly unique—a small section in the center of the auditorium surrounded by audience seating on all sides. Arena makes the most of a very limited space, portraying a variety of settings including a jail, a bar, a bedroom and a restaurant, with seemingly effortless transitions.

However, considering the musical was written in the 30s, the humor appeals more to older audiences. Some jokes come off a bit too forced and corny at times with an excessive amount of tacky roughhousing, purposefully bad disguises (which include a mustache and wig made of dog hair) and offensive caricatures, specifically of Chinese culture. One character’s name is even “Plum

A&E

Blossom,” and others appropriate traditional Chinese clothing.

Still, the comedic timing appears very natural—characters deliver witty one-liners back and forth in swift banter.

Arena Stage’s take on Anything Goes is more satirical, aiming to mock the outdated humor of the original, which was written by Tony award-winning Cole Porter in 1934. “‘Anything Goes’ is a creature of its time,” artistic director Molly Smith said.

“What is racially insensitive today was not seen as such then. I knew that it was critically important to address the issues of racism that are inherent in the piece.”

While the musical was written to be played by a mainly white cast, Arena Stage’s production features actors of color in a majority of the lead roles.

“We live in a world of multiple experiences, races, genders, religions, cultures and more,” Smith said. “I want my work to reflect today’s world to illuminate the material I’m exploring.”

Anything Goes is vibrant; it provides an uplifting breath of fresh air that simultaneously pulls inspiration from themes of current events. The sweet, optimistic tone in its music and dance leaves the audience feeling light and energized.

If you’re looking for a pick-me-up this holiday season, then hop aboard the S.S. American at Arena Stage.

STARCROSSED LOVERS — Lisa Helmi Johanson and Corbin Bleu shine as Hope and Billy in their enchanting duet “It’s De-lovely.”

(Photo courtesy of Maria Baranova)

Page design by Anya Chen

DECEMBER | A&E | 21

IN-DEPTH

22 | IN-DEPTH | DECEMBER

A VIRTUAL REALITY

BEN BROOKS SPORTS EDITOR

M

IMANI MCCORMICK MANAGING EDITOR

issed parties. Once in a lifetime international experiences. Raging festivals and concerts.

Aesthetically pleasing food. A single photo has become more valuable than the experience associated with it.

As a teenager, it is easy to fall into the depths of social media. Supposedly, these growing interactive platforms are an outlet of self-expression. However, social media has revealed itself as the barrier between happiness and a falsified reality aiming for perfection.

“Everyone is always putting their best face forward on photo sharing apps like Instagram and, although it is not always a realistic display of a person, one can’t help but feel jealous or left out if they see others online doing something fun,” junior Mia Valencic said. “I think everyone must experience this jealousy, whether it be subconsciously or not, because everyone dreads the feeling that they’re missing out on something enjoyable.”

The perception of exclusion layered with anxiety is described as the “fear of missing out,” often referred to as FOMO.

AVA ROTONDO REPORTER

JACK SHIELDS SPORTS EDITOR

Because social media limits face-to-face interactions, it is commonly used as a substitute.

The rapid growth of technology over the last 20 years has changed the way in which people communicate, ultimately creating short-lived, instantaneous relationships and inducing feelings of isolation.

“I think that social media is fun and a great way to connect with people,” junior Tess Ginsberg said.

“However, I also think that people who are staring at their phone all day are missing out on things going on in real life.”

Social media has morphed into a worldwide communication network and initiated the push for content meant to please large audiences. It poses an escape from the monotony of our daily lives—or so many users believe.

“The problem is that it often ends up creating stress. Furthermore, when access to social media has been restricted...some teens experience considerable agitation and anxiety due to FOMO and this does mirror the withdrawal people experience with other substances,” clinical psychologist Dr. Risa Sanders said.

DECEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 23

People are able to reinvent themselves through heavily edited images of exciting parties and exotic vacations on an idealized profile. As these images of perfection flash across a screen, feelings of FOMO creep into the background, slowly consuming other users. Recognizing these potential impacts, students like senior Lia Chandra have deleted their social media accounts.

“I don’t really feel like I have FOMO because not having social media has given me more time and reasons to spend quality time with my friends and family,” Chandra said.

Chandra has seen many friends and family members become different people, allowing social media to take over their daily lives. They stop living in the moment and are constantly obsessing over picture opportunities and the popularity of their posts. Chandra is thankful that she is not distracted by social media. She has learned how to maintain meaningful face-to-face interactions and live in the moment.

As Chandra and many others are beginning to realize, unrealistic expectations have created a generation that is emotionally dependent on online success. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), individuals who spend more time on social media are at higher risk for depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. FOMO fuels the need for recognition and approval from others online.

“Receiving likes and comments on social media undeniably makes you feel good about yourself, so a lot of teenagers chase this feeling of acceptance,” Valencic said.

While peers can show support and positive reinforcement for their friends, not facing the risk of real-life consequences for things said online enables some to use social media to make demeaning comments about others.

ONLINE OPPRESSION Cyberbullying has become widespread as platforms of communication such as social media and gaming have grown. Cyberbullying is the use of technology to bully an individual, generally through threatening text messages, but can also take the form of critical comments and direct messages in response to social media posts. The social pressure of always being connected spurs this judgmental and comparative online culture.

Individuals compare themselves to others on social media, which can be a cause of depression, anxiety and other disorders. It has become a significant concern that strangers and peers alike spread harmful commentary across the internet, extending the commonality of mental health problems.

“People who get cyberbullied through social media tend to be susceptible to mental health issues,” senior Aarushi Desai said. “Seeing images of people they wish to be like can also lead to these issues. People do not have a filter within social media and I think that is the main reason that mental health becomes so vulnerable.”

With tools such as comments and likes, it is now easier 24 | IN-DEPTH | DECEMBER

for users to show support for their friends and their posts, but they double as sources of stress. “[Social media] can be weaponized as a bullying tool, and can spread private information or lies like a wildfire, leading to devastating outcomes. It can fuel depression and anxiety, and has been a factor in tragic outcomes like suicide,” Sanders said.

“

EVERYONE IS ALWAYS PUTTING THEIR BEST FACE FORWARD ON PHOTO SHARING APPS... ONE CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL JEALOUS OR LEFT OUT IF THEY SEE OTHERS ONLINE DOING SOMETHING FUN.” — MIA VALENCIC JUNIOR

GAME OVER Despite the devastating effects of cyberbullying, aggressive behavior online continues to occur frequently. In recent years, online gaming has grown in popularity as a form of entertainment. Its competitive nature has made it another platform for cyberbullying among serious gamers, who can be greatly angered by the games they play. This typically takes the form of voice chat between friends or strangers while playing.

“I feel like the easy form of communication is both a positive and a negative. I think it’s a positive because of how easy it is to talk to other people and [how it] builds bonds with people that you may not otherwise talk to,” junior Noah Sandler said. “It can also be a negative because you begin to get into the realm of trolling and scamming, which is never good in a community of all ages.”

As social media and other forms of technology become more prominent aspects of daily life, many people are

Inside cover photo illustration by Jack Stenzel | Page design by Imani McCormick

struggling to put away their devices and do other activities. Gaming Disorder results from excess gaming, and it has been recognized by the World Health Organization as a condition that occurs when gaming is prioritized over daily tasks. Just as with social media, gaming has the capability to become extremely addictive for those who play often.

“When people get addicted to gaming they begin to prioritize the feeling that you get,” Sandler said.

“They can even go as far as prioritizing it over other things that they enjoy, and it can eventually cause FOMO and guilt that you’re not doing other things.”

FOMO is a common consequence of gaming because while people are easily able to communicate with others through gaming platforms, they are also able to see who else is online and who they are talking to; some may feel left out if they are not involved.

In a study conducted by the University of San Diego, depressive symptoms in adolescents increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015 and have been on the rise ever since. Not only does online harassment and constant gaming cause these symptoms, but impersonal and superficial interactions that occur online are another factor. While social media may allow people to interact with one another, it will never replace face-to-face connections.

BLACK MIRRORS Only recently has society equated virtual correspondence with in-person discussion. Members of generations before the social media era notice the interactions of current young adults to be shockingly different. “[There is a] trend that many young people [do not have] basic interpersonal social skills… They just don’t make eye contact and they get intimidated when you make eye contact. I think that might have something to do with texting and social media use.

It’s a very specific mode of communication and one that gives a false notion of intimacy,” University of Chicago Chief Sleep Research Technologist Harry Whitmore said. “When you get put in front of somebody in person, there are these extra layers of interaction that, if one solely relies on texting, you don’t really develop.”

Adolescents and young adults of the media age are more likely to be socially awkward than older generations, who had experience with more consistent verbal interaction due to the later intervention of technology.

“Many young people never use the phone and are rather socially anxious about speaking on the phone.

While it may be okay in high school, it is hugely problematic in adult life,” Sanders said.

Infographic by Anya Chen & Imani McCormick

Sprint LTE

4:21 PM

Settings

Screen Time

47%

SCREEN TIME

Today at 4:21 PM

My iPhone 23%

0-1 hrs

40.5%

20.3%

2-3 hrs

4-5 hrs

6.1% 10.1%

6-7 hrs

8+ hrs

MOST USED PLATFORMS BY STUDENTS

Instagram 87.9 % Snapchat 85.8% Facebook 20.6% Twitter 20.6% Survey of 148 McLean students

HOW ADDICTED ARE YOU TO SOCIAL MEDIA, ON A SCALE OF 1 - 10?

1 10.8% 2 6.1% 3 13.5% 4 8.1% 5 14.2% 6 12.8% 7 9.5% 8 7.4% 9 4.7% 10 12.8% DECEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 25

“

IT’S A VERY SPECIFIC MODE OF COMMUNICATION AND ONE THAT GIVES A FALSE NOTION OF INTIMACY. WHEN YOU GET PUT IN FRONT OF SOMEBODY IN PERSON, THERE ARE THESE EXTRA LAYERS OF INTERACTION.”

— HARRY WHITMORE CHIEF SLEEP RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Teachers recognize that students constantly have to transition between their virtual worlds and reality. Evidence of these lifestyle shifts is present in communication during the school day and can hinder a student’s participation in class.

“I notice a lot more conversations taking place virtually, whereas in-person conversations are either non-existent, or when they exist [they are] not very concrete or meaningful,” science teacher Jennifer Choumil said. “I also notice lack of eye contact during conversations—eye contact is essential in indicating you are a good listener, focused and paying attention.”

Though this lack of basic communication is more present in younger generations who have grown up with and continually use social media throughout their lives, students do recognize the downsides to distorted interactions.

“Our generation is so used to hiding behind a screen where they can do and say anything they want without punishment, but when it comes to the real world people are often more timid and hesitant to behave this way,” Valencic said. “Since awkward conversations can be avoided by texting or Snapchatting instead, social media has limited our ability to make real, sincere interactions in person.”

Adolescents’ self-esteem in particular has been affected as their presence online has increased. From followers to feed aesthetics, the average teenager is truly consumed by the constant demands of a wired lifestyle.

26 | IN-DEPTH | DECEMBER

“[Social media] is often used as a measuring stick of popularity and can result in an irrationally negative and skewed view of oneself. The heavy emphasis on physical appearance on social media can contribute to severe selfcriticism and worsen the struggles teens already have with their body image,” Sanders said. “Our fascination with social media can consume vast amounts of time leading to procrastination, avoidance and withdrawal from actual human interaction, resulting in social anxiety or even social phobias.”

The Renfrew Center conducted a survey which found that 48 percent of people edit their pictures to make changes, including blemishes, body shape and even skin tone. One in eight people claim to edit their photos because they are unhappy with their appearance. Social media perpetuates desolation relating to self-confidence and body image because there is so much desire for validation from other users.

“Honestly, I would get rid of the likes and comments,” Valencic said. “This way, everyone would be able to share things they actually care about and that interest them, not just things they think will please their audience. This would get rid of any judgment or criticism which people on social media often face and would allow for them to be a more authentic version of themselves.”

This suggestion would alter the entirety of online culture from a place of attempted perfection and desperate validation to a platform that provides an outlet for individual expression of self-confidence and passion. However, this does not seem to be where the future of social media is headed. In the meantime, shifting the mindset of the user is the most plausible strategy to change the internet experience.

“For those on social media, I’d say that you shouldn’t worry too much about what to post, when to post or stress about the number of likes and comments you get,” Chandra said. “I think the real purpose of social media is to connect with others—which is great—but just make sure you don’t get so wrapped up in social media that you change the way you’re living your life or forget to enjoy the present.”

It is true that most memories will last a lifetime, whereas most social media posts will not. The trends of today will change tomorrow due to the fast pace of today’s world.

Getting caught up in making a good impression online causes more angst than it is worth, especially when it leads to missing out on what is happening in the real world.

Taking steps to pull social media users out of the depths of fantasy and into actuality are necessary.

IMMEDIATE ACTION “Prevention is a lot easier than intervention,” Sanders said. “If you haven’t already plunged into social media platforms, then it’s probably a good idea to continue that way. Device use is a habit and managing or ending that habit requires mindful awareness.”

For those who are frequent social media users and would like to cut down on their use of these addictive platforms, there are alternatives to simply deleting an account.

“Time spent on it should be limited,” Valencic said.

“Since it has been associated with mental health risks and can be a distraction from more important things in life, I think teens, including myself, should restrict themselves from relying on it so often.”

The new iOS 12 update includes a helpful tool which allows iPhone users to see their daily and weekly time spent on apps. They can also set daily timers for certain apps so they can control their screen time. Other apps, such as Offtime and BreakFree, work similarly and can be downloaded on iOS or Android, helping users set healthy phone usage goals that limit their daily use.

It is also highly recommended to turn off screens well before going to bed. According to a study done by the NIH, allowing bedtime and screen use to overlap can have severe consequences, including one of over 70 sleep disorders that range from insomnia to narcolepsy.

“Most people use their devices too close to bedtime, and there is reasonable data to support that [doing so] can shorten sleep and push your circadian rhythm back a little bit,” Whitmore said. “You want to stay up later than you would otherwise if you weren’t staring at a screen with all of that blue light hitting your optic nerve [and] suppressing melatonin.”

Disruption of the circadian rhythm and a lack of melatonin result in wakefulness overnight and compromised alertness in the morning. There are multiple ways teenagers can go about solving their sleep-related troubles.

“Sleep researchers advise turning off screens at least one hour before going to sleep,” Sanders said. “Also, don’t allow your bed to become your command center. Millions of kids are lying in bed with textbooks on one side, an open laptop in their laps and the phone next to them.”

The NIH found that taking longer to fall asleep and sleeping for shorter periods are linked with phone use before bedtime, which causes adolescent social media users to lose two hours of sleep weekly. In the long term, this contributes to chronic sleep deficiency, which increases the chances of developing poor mental health and contracting physical illness.

“Unless it’s truly extreme, it’s not really possible to sleep too much. Sleep should be part of the triad of health: getting enough exercise, having a good diet and getting enough sleep,” Whitmore said.

Whether it be that these disorders result in less sleep or vice versa, there is clearly a correlation between the two subjects. Ninety percent of children with depression also suffer from a lack of sleep, according to a study by Harvard University’s Medical School. Issues such as depression and anxiety can be avoided by choosing other alternatives to

device use before bed, such as reading a book, listening to podcasts, showering or bathing and even talking in person with friends or family.

“I think I’m definitely avoiding spending lots of time online by not having social media. It has really helped me be more present and enjoy life in the moment,” Chandra said.

During the school day, students are constantly wielding laptops, cell phones and tablets for schoolwork and personal use. The patterns of social media use and its multifaceted effects are amplified in the halls of McLean as students march to their classes plastered to their phone screens.

In a survey of 148 McLean students, 36 percent of students said they spend more than four hours each day on their phones. The time spent using technology interrupts time that should allocated for classroom learning.

IN THE SYSTEM Though disruptful at times, some teachers find that technology can actually be helpful in class when used properly. Whether it be for a research project or a Kahoot review game, students are often encouraged to explore the internet to broaden their perspective on the topics explored in class.

“I use technology a lot in my class—I actually depend on phones because we don’t have access to computers for each student yet. I walk around the room a lot to keep students focused,” Choumil said. “I also have brain breaks where students can use that time to check social media if they like… It allows students the outlet to check their phones but then enables them to refocus when we regroup for the task on hand.”

Just as FCPS has implemented policies to curb harassment, intimidation and bullying, there are also policies that limit phone use during school. As outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, electronic device misuse results in consequences including confiscation, teacher conferences and the suspension of technology use in school.

FCPS expects students to be respectful of others online regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation, recognize the impact of having a digital footprint and remain truthful when interacting on online platforms.

These responsibilities and expectations are not solely for the use of electronic devices in school. They should also be reinforced in everyday life, since social media can have such detrimental effects on its users.

In the upcoming weeks off from school, remove the distraction of social media from your life. Unplug and reconnect with family and friends. Enjoy healthy interactions that may only come once a year, and you may be surprised by how refreshing a break from social media can be.

DECEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 27

New Grinch, who dis?

New CGI version is watered down but still pays homage to beloved classic CAMILLE BLAKEMORE REPORTER

I

f all you are looking for is a feel-good holiday movie, The Grinch is the one for you. However, the exaggerated, enjoyable cynicism of the 1966 TV special’s Grinch has been diluted to a slightly crabby, bland shadow of the original character.

The movie begins with an alarm playing Christmas songs, followed by a couple Dr. Seuss-inspired inventions in the Grinch’s cave. Then appears Max, who scampers down to prepare breakfast and notices that the pantry only contains a few scraps of food due to the Grinch’s habit of eating his feelings. So off our now-relatable hero goes down to Whoville, which is in the midst of Christmas celebrations—what the Grinch hates the most. While the animation is beautiful, the classic, predictable story is stretched from 30 minutes to 90. To fill the time, several key characters undergo some not-always-welcome character development.

In town, we meet Cindy Lou Who, who wishes to visit the North Pole in order to enlist the help of Santa to assist her mom. But when her mom informs her that Christmas will be over by the time she gets back, she makes a plan with her friends to trap Santa instead.

Meanwhile, the Grinch is horrified when he finds out that this year is going to have a “three times bigger Christmas”—his worst nightmare.

A massive Christmas tree in town inspires him to steal Christmas, and, well, you know the rest.

In the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Cindy Lou Who is the 2-year-old picture of innocence who inspires the Grinch’s transformation from the flat, classic “villain” stereotype to a rounder and more relatable character. Today’s version features a sassy, adventurous tween with a posse of friends, and a Grinch who is just an exaggerated introvert with whom the audience is supposed to relate.

While the absence of animal cruelty seen in the 1966 version is understandable, the Grinch’s original villainous character is hardly recognizable. Luckily, that means we spend more time with Max. While not necessarily an improvement, as both versions have their appeal, Max’s character is a masterpiece that counters the Grinch’s cynicism and helps the audience approve more of the Grinch due to how kindly he treats his 32.5% How The Grinch Stole Christmas companion.

(1966) Max is the only sidekick 28.0% The Polar Express we need, (2004)

13.5%

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

26.0% Other

200 Highlanders vote for their favorite animated holiday films

28 | A&E | DECEMBER ZACH ANDERSON REPORTER

Illumination Entertainment

however. The addition of a childish moose character to pull the Grinch’s sleigh is a pointless plot diversion, despite his brief recurrence to help out later.

Distasteful PG-level gags are designed to appeal to very young viewers. The gross humor only serves to disgust adults. While the movie thankfully avoided simplistic bathroom humor, it made up for the omission with the addition of the pointless moose character.

Illumination’s efforts to make the Grinch more kid-friendly resulted in a loss of what defined the character in the first place—his mean, spiteful spirit, yet human-like ability to feel with the help of a little girl.

The movie’s guaranteed box office success took a toll on the quality, with the Grinch’s character being reduced to such an extreme that it made me nostalgic for the original. Nonetheless, The Grinch is still a wholesome family movie. While overly exaggerated in this version, the classic, idealistic ending reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas— being together with family and friends, not society’s materialistic tendencies. For fans of the original Scrooge-style character, however, The Grinch is likely to be a miss.

Rating: 2/5 Infographics & page design by Anya Chen & Dasha Makarishcheva

Christmas clash

Comparing Christmas classics to remakes L A S T CH R I S TM A S

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

VS.

VS.

Columbia, Epic

Big Machine

WHAM!

TAYLOR SWIFT

Columbia

Epic, Syco

MARIAH CAREY

FIFTH HARMONY

The Wham! duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley intertwined their musical talents to produce the classic tune “Last Christmas.” Using soft instrumentals and vocals, the two effectively convey the sadness accompanied with love that some people feel during the Christmas season.

Swift adds her 2000s country twist on the song by incorporating her own vocalizations and instruments, but her attempt at an upbeat tone overshadows the true meaning of the song.

Mariah Carey combines her powerful voice with loud and energetic background instruments to create one of the most iconic Christmas songs. The uplifting tone of “All I Want for Christmas is You” makes listeners eager for the holiday season.

Fifth Harmony failed to step up to the challenge to remake the holiday hit. Although one would think five voices would be more powerful than one, their vocals don’t even come close to the energy and passion that Carey emits.

ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

SANTA BABY

VS.

VS.

Decca

Walt Disney

BRENDA LEE

HANNAH MONTANA

Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” has the same transporting effect of Kitt’s “Santa Baby” with her soothing voice and saxophone instrumentals.

While Lee’s original composition appeals more to the older generation, Miley Cyrus as Disney character Hannah Montana uses more modern, rock and roll instruments that target a younger audience. However, the pop version doesn’t compare to Lee’s original production.

IN A SURVEY OF 200 HIGHLANDERS:

77%

PREFER THE ORIGINAL

Reporting by Addie Brown & Katie Romhilt

23%

RCA Victor

EARTHA KITT

Republic

ARIANA GRANDE

Eartha Kitt’s original “Santa Baby” is a slow melody with light background instruments. Even with her soft, quiet voice Kitt manages to create an alluring tune. Kitt’s rendition transports the listener back to the 1950s while still maintaining the Christmas spirit.

Ariana Grande’s remake is louder, with a more complex background arrangement. She is accompanied by Liz Gilles in this faster version of the Christmas classic. Both artists use more power in their voices to mimic the seductive sound of Kitt. Overall, the pair successfully imitate the song while preserving its meaning and spirit, but Kitt’s original still prevails.

PREFER THE REMAKE

Check out the songs we reviewed h e re !

DECEMBER | A&E | 29

Columbia Records

Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 2 comes back to life A look into deceased rapper Lil Peep’s album sequel ELIZABETH HUMPHREYS REPORTER

H

e hasn’t quite left us yet. Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 2 is the posthumous sequel album of artist Gustav Elijah Ahr, otherwise known as Lil Peep, released on Nov. 9. As his first fully released album since his tragic overdose in 2017, the content is exceptionally artistic and encases many important messages.

“It will come out when the time is right,” we were told by Smokeasac, one of Peep’s collaborators, in a Tweet last December— what seems like centuries ago. “When Peep’s family approves. Just know it exists. Be patient for Gus.” The first part of Come Over When You’re Sober (C.O.W.Y.S.) was released in August 2017. It consisted of seven tracks, my top three including “Save That Sh*t,” “U Said” and “Awful Things.”

“It evokes feelings of alienation, of loneliness, of feeling like you’re never good enough,” the New Musical Express website said. “The somber project is blistered and broken in all the right ways.”

Although sequels typically fail to live up to their originals, C.O.W.Y.S. Pt. 2 exceeded my overall anticipations, particularly with its 30 | A&E | DECEMBER

opening track, “Broken Smile.” Leaving me with tears, I listened to the song on repeat the moment it went viral.

Extremely grim, it focuses on a girl who abandoned Peep despite his love and affection. He explains how he sought her out because of her “broken smile” and reflects on their time together before she left. Being arguably the best track on the album, many were left speechless. The song is beautiful, yet so melancholic that it is almost hard to listen to. “[I] just finished listening to it. Amazing,” sophomore Daniel Revollo said.

Despite the song’s prominence, the other 12 are similarly quite melodic and a gift for the ears, and they should not be forgotten.

“C.O.W.Y.S. Pt. 2 is full of realness,” senior Sasa Parker-Salas said. “[It contains] a mixture of different emotions [that] flow through my body when I listen to it.”

The hype leading up to the second part of C.O.W.Y.S. was intensified after The New York Times published an article about the album.

It teased the unanswered questions following Peep’s death, adding to the large number of posts by his Instagram management team as it advertised the tape.

“We’ve all gone through loneliness at

some point in our lives, and we all have our own demons,” sophomore Tessa Hager said.

“I feel that Peep was really reaching out to his listeners by telling his story, and I believe there’s a powerful message behind his music.”

Peep’s music gives the feeling of emo vibes between his dingy style and sound, bringing unique qualities that give the world of rap a new face.

“When I think of Lil Peep, I think of someone who’s broken-hearted yet isn’t afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve,” Parker-Salas said. “From his music to his art, he was able to find the fun and some sort of happiness in the darkest of places.”

Before the official release of C.O.W.Y.S. Pt. 2, Peep’s management also released many of his unfinished singles. Two of these became particularly popular with fans because they featured another mainstream artist.

The first one was made into a collab with DJ and producer Marshmello, called “Spotlight.” The second, “Falling Down,” featured the late XXXTentacion. However, releasing collaborative music with both artists deceased can be a complicated process.

Two of Peep’s closest collaborators, Lil Tracy and Nedarb, believe he would have disapproved of the ways in which the song

Page design by Elizabeth Humphreys | Graphic by Anya Chen

“Falling Down” was presented, claiming that X and Peep didn’t even like each other.

Nedarb even went as far as to say he would ‘haunt’ anyone who tried to work on his music after he dies.

“Don’t listen to it. X and Peep were never even friends [and] didn’t even like each other,” Tracy said in a now-deleted Tweet.

To clear up any discrepancies about C.O.W.Y.S. Pt. 2, Smokeasac made several statements about the purpose and creation of the album the day before it was released.

“People hated and didn’t understand when part one came out; it’s impossible to not expect the same as part two,” Smokeasac said in an Instagram post the day before the album release. “We talked in depth about where the sound of part two had to go to be finished. I tried my best for him.”

In addition to “Falling Down” and “Spotlight,” a few tracks from C.O.W.Y.S. Pt. 2 were released slightly before the rest of the album, called “Cry Alone,” “Runaway” and “Life is Beautiful.”

These songs depict Peep’s childhood and the issues he had to face being different than a typical high schooler, dealing with depression and loneliness. Even in just the titles, it is easy to see the thought he put into all of his lyrics.

“Gustav definitely reflects on the struggles he faced growing up within his hometown,” Hager said. “I think he really brought forth his insecurities within ‘Cry Alone’ and ‘Runaway.’”

Admired for his originality, the contrast of Peep’s gruff voice against the slow-moving melodies highlighted his unique talent.

One of the qualities that separates Peep from other rappers is his ability to write meaningful music about the rough areas of life, such as failed relationships, lust and longing, drug use and abandonment.

“What separates him the most from other artists is how versatile his music is, with very experimental beats and guitar samples— things you don’t hear often within his genre,” Hager said.

“

PEEP BRINGS OUT THE QUESTION OF OUR FATE, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL RELATE TO.” — TESSA HAGER

SOPHOMORE

He not only provides insight to his own life—he also allows listeners to feel and reflect on the world around them.

“Growing up, [Peep] was often judged by adults and other kids for the way he looked or how much money his family had,” Hager said. “I think his lyrics are really based around this sense of vulnerability.”

“Life is Beautiful” dives into the irony in which societal and cultural beliefs tell people that if they live a successful life, it will lead to happiness. “[Peep] lived a life with no regrets, and so I think that’s something that we as a society shouldn’t be so afraid of,” Parker-Salas said.

“Stuff happens, people get hurt, but that’s what you call living life to the fullest.”

Along with arguing that this idealism is not true, the song also explained Peep’s distrust of law enforcement, touching on instances of police brutality.

“Isn’t life beautiful? I think that life is beautiful/They’ll kill your little brother and they’ll tell you he’s a criminal/Welcome to America, this type of sh*t is typical,” he wrote.

Peep continued to express his views on the corruption of authority in “The Way I See Things,” where he felt that police would

Image obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons License

not leave him in peace and were a constant source of harassment rather than help.

“He really contradicts the superficial aspects of life over reality as we know it,” Hager said. “I think Peep brings out the question of our fate, which is something we can all relate to.”

An example of this appears in Peep’s song “Dying,” where he addresses the severe problem of drug abuse and addiction in our culture.

“When it comes to drugs, pill-pushers and takers, we are a country virtually out of control/If you’re feeling depressed, to get relief, take a pill/Most of us are addicts,” Peep wrote.

Often making references to the drug cocaine, Peep focuses on it particularly in “16 Lines.” The track itself literally contains 16 lines, a play on words which he uses to symbolize lines of cocaine. Both provide Peep with the stress relief he craves, both in writing the lines of his song and snorting the drug. “[Music] got me out of serious drug addiction,” Peep said in an interview with Vice Magazine in September 2017. “It’s got me through suicidal sh*t, self-harm, the list goes on.”

He continues on this topic in “Leanin’,” which tells the story of the effects of his dangerous lifestyle. Because of his easy access to these substances, Peep talked about surviving multiple overdoses.

“I have horrible anxiety,” Peep said in the interview. “I used to abuse it really badly, like 20 pills a day, having seizures in my sleep. It’s just, when I have something like a concert or an interview... If I’m nervous, I’ll just do one and I’m chill.”

The problems Peep struggled with including drug abuse shaped his musical style, representing all his pain through his songs, especially in C.O.W.Y.S. Pt. 2.

“Lil Peep was simply an indescribable person,” Parker-Salas said. “But it’s the impact he [had on] his fans that I believe can change the mind of others.”

Best music to be released since the death of Lil Peep impresses fans DECEMBER | A&E | 31

LIBERTY & JUSTICE

OPINIONS

FOR SOME

The Pledge has no place within public education The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

A

“

‘LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL’ SIMPLY ISN’T FAIR FOR OUR COUNTRY’S STUDENTS TO RECITE UNTIL IT’S ACTUALLY TRUE.” — SENIOR LAUREN GROBMAN

t 8:12 each morning, the buzz of an intercom brings students to their feet as they place their right hands over their hearts and their attention toward the American flag. Lasting 13 seconds, the Pledge of Allegiance is broadcasted daily in every hallway and classroom of McLean, but such an attempt at inspiring unity and patriotism has failed to serve its purpose. The Pledge of Allegiance has no place within the public education system.

“Every morning, the student body has to listen [to] or say something that pledges us to and supports only one country, one religion and one way [of life] instead of encouraging diversity and choice,” senior Gabby Williams said.

The Pledge of Allegiance has been adjusted three times since its initial conception in 1891 by Francis Bellamy of Boston. What was once a means of commemoration was injected with religious images amidst the Cold War and the trials of the Red Scare.

With the approval of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the final adjustment was made in 1954, declaring the U.S. as “one nation under God.” Fairfax County did not require the daily recitation of the Pledge in its public high schools until May 14, 1998. The Highlander newspaper of the 1998-99 scholastic year included a photo poll regarding the policy at the time.

“The Pledge serves no real purpose. The government thinks it promotes patriotism, [but] when it is said every day it loses its meaning,” William Heaps, a member of the Class of 1999, wrote in the issue.

Today, government teacher Ian Howell agrees that the daily recitation of the pledge dilutes its significance,

causing students to ignore the true meaning of its words.

“If all you do is recite a mantra and you don’t think about what it actually implies—that you’re supposed to get over your differences, that you’re supposed to be unified, that you’re supposed to apply the law equally to everyone, that you’re not supposed to be judgmental— it [becomes] superficial,” Howell said.

Recent events have raised skepticism of whether the Pledge’s words are in fact being heard. On Nov. 17, The Washington Post reported that hate crimes rose by 17 percent in the last year as according to data collected by the FBI. “Yesterday, there was an article about a Jewish professor at Columbia University that had swastikas painted all over her office. [Then,] there was a story about a lesbian girl who got disowned by her parents and almost lost all of her funding for college,” Howell said. “At what point does the Pledge actually manifest itself?”

Most public school systems such as FCPS require the recitation of the Pledge as early as kindergarten.

This only further reduces the significance of the Pledge, causing it to become more of a routine than a meaningful endeavor.

“The Pledge has been a part of students’ daily [lives] ever since they began attending school. However, it is for this reason that it is often overlooked,” Chowdhury said. “There shouldn’t be a need to recite it at the beginning of every day.”

Meanwhile, if the words of the Pledge are actually digested, it becomes clear that the statement does not fully represent the student body, especially concerning its religious allusions. Senior Camron Khaliq is an American Muslim.

“I think that as unified Americans the entirety of the student body is represented [by the Pledge of Allegiance],” Khaliq said. “But in terms of the specifics,

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for 32 | OPINIONS | DECEMBER

Reporting by Maria McHugo | Page design by Maria McHugo

such as being ‘under God,’ there are some aspects that don’t represent us.”

Nonetheless, such a criticism of the Pledge has been noted before. In the 1963 case of School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, the court claimed that, “The reference to divinity in the revised Pledge of Allegiance...may merely recognize the historical fact that our Nation was believed to be founded under God.” Still, despite the origins of the U.S. and the absence of a national religion, some students believe the words of the Pledge support only the Christian majority in the country.

“I do feel represented by the Pledge of Allegiance, but it deserves mentioning that I am white and Christian, which seems like it may be the target demographic considering the [wording],” Williams said.

Others share stronger beliefs concerning the repetition of religious sentiment.

“I think the Pledge has been used by certain people as some weird platform for them to practice cult-like nationalism,” senior Lauren Grobman said. “Teaching kids who can’t even think for themselves to mindlessly repeat a mantra for 12 years is definitely detrimental to students’ [abilities] to think for themselves.”

The daily repetition of the Pledge does not mandate that all students must stand and recite it, however. The FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities guide reads, “Students are expected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and to observe one minute of silence each day, unless the student or his or her parent objects to participation in such exercises… A student’s decision to participate or not to participate should be respected.”

Regardless of this clarification, Howell notes a lack of understanding among the student body.

“There’s this perception that somehow you must stand for the Pledge, you must say it, when actually you don’t have to,” Howell said. “Constitutionally, you have the right to argue it, you have the right to discuss it, you have the right to an opinion, so no one should force a minor to stand and say the Pledge, especially a minor who doesn’t understand it.”

At the same time, senior Jules Le Menestrel says even the knowledge of this option does not release the pressure to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I do stand for the Pledge, but mostly because of social conformity. It’s hard to say for sure, but I would be less likely to stand without [that] pressure,” Le Menestrel said. “I feel like in America we have a habit of blindly following authority, and I feel like patriotism is

“EVERY MORNING, THE STUDENT BODY HAS TO LISTEN [TO] OR SAY SOMETHING THAT PLEDGES US TO, AND SUPPORTS, ONLY ONE COUNTRY, ONE RELIGION AND ONE WAY [OF LIFE] INSTEAD OF ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY AND CHOICE.” — SENIOR GABBY WILLIAMS not nuanced enough. We’re raised to do the Pledge of Allegiance without actually thinking about it.”

This tendency to comply with authority has been promoted by the early recitation of the Pledge in public school systems, despite policy that allows for exemption.

Accordingly, Williams says such a statement should be reserved for significant occasions, if any.

“If the government or the administration wants the Pledge to have an impact on students, it should be reserved for Veterans Day or after a tragedy so that [its words] and its goals register with students instead of blending into the background routine of mornings at McLean,” Williams said.

Until students actually internalize the words of the Pledge, such a strategy of promoting unity and patriotism is nothing more than a series of syllables.

“I hope that we can [transform] into the ideal nation we claim to be, [but] that takes an honest look at who we are and what we say,” Grobman said. “‘Liberty and justice for all’ simply isn’t fair for our country’s students to recite until it’s actually true.”

which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

DECEMBER | OPINIONS | 33

CROSSFIRE:

The White House should repeal the 14th Amendment KYLE HAWLEY REPORTER

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resident Donald J. Trump sparked controversy last month when he announced his plans to sign an executive order abolishing the use of birthright citizenship, which is often used by immigrants who have a child on U.S. soil in order to secure American citizenship.

For a century, illegal immigrants have taken advantage of the 14th Amendment.

The birthright standards need to be rewritten to prevent this activity.

Many Republican leaders in the past, including Presidents Ronald Reagan and Dwight D. Eisenhower, have planned to end birthright citizenship but were unsuccessful.

Now, President Trump insists he can repeal the 14th Amendment, the guardian of birthright citizenship, with executive action. Instead, he should stop the use of birthright citizenship through a more legal and justifiable approach.

“I think that Trump should work with Congress to repeal the 14th Amendment,” said sophomore Claire Akard, the Secretary of McLean’s Turning Point USA. “Trump’s window to get his plan through the House is closing since the Democrats took control this past election. He needs to do it now.”

This amendment was ratified in 1868 during the Reconstruction era, giving citizenship to former slaves and ensuring “equal protection of the laws.”

When penning the document, the author of the 14th Amendment, Sen. Jacob Howard, claimed the law would not be taken advantage of by immigrants.

“This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons,” Sen. Howard said on the floor of the U.S. Senate in 1866.

This debate continues in the U.S. with modern-day lawmakers pushing their 34 | OPINIONS | DECEMBER

agendas and bills to stop the unjust law.

“To become an American citizen is a privilege and an honor,” Jack Fields, a former U.S. Congressman from Texas, said in an interview with The Highlander. “Either you do it morally [and] legally or not at all.”

Trump demands that only U.S. citizens can give citizenship to their children, an action Sen. Howard intended on doing.

According to The Washington Post, 8.4 percent of the resident population in 2012 was a child of an immigrant born outside the U.S. In the same year, 4.5 million children lived with at least one undocumented immigrant.

These undocumented immigrants include the infamous El-Salvadorian gang group, MS-13, who take advantage of the 14th Amendment to gain themselves equal protection regardless of their citizenship status.

U.S. law states that minors under the age of 18 must attend a school to gain an education. This also applies to kids with no citizenship.

According to The Washington Post, there are currently 900 to 1,100 MS-13 members

in Fairfax County alone. According to the Fairfax County 2015 Youth Survey, 2 percent of respondents claimed to be a member of a gang. Harmful immigrants have the right to attend our schools. This needs to change.

“Why are gang members protected by the 14th Amendment? The law allowing them into our schools is wrong,” sophomore Emma Messer said.

Granted, many domestic problems have been resolved with the help of this amendment. The law is crucial to equal rights, helping a variety of huge Supreme Court cases in the past such as Brown v.

Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia. It was also a tremendous support in the creation of the Equal Rights Act of 1964, signed by President John F. Kennedy.

These beneficial outcomes of the amendment are highly important to our nation. However, this does not protect the amendment from rightful criticism concerning unfair protection of certain groups.

Trump and Congress need to come together in unity to stop this law from continuing in our nation.

Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

Should the 14th Amendment be repealed to stop birthright citizenship?

America must preserve the Constitution JEREMY SIEGEL MANAGING EDITOR

S

ection 1 of the 14th Amendment reads as follows: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

The 14th Amendment is a guarantee of equality in the U.S., providing unalienable rights that may not be abridged by the government. To argue that the debate surrounding the birthright citizenship isn’t about race is purposefully ignoring the historical context of the amendment.

“The 14th Amendment was truly purchased by the blood sacrifice of the legions who died in slavery and during the Civil War,” Sen. Tim Kaine said in an interview with The Highlander.

Along with historical context, the current political atmosphere is essential to understand the nature of the attacks on the 14th Amendment.

“Immigration policy has been a focal point of the Trump administration since its inception,” Sen. Mark Warner said in an interview with The Highlander. “From the travel ban to the birthright citizenship statements, the president has tended toward extreme measures that have been used as political tools to divide the country and they have often fallen directly at odds with the fundamental values of our nation.”

Trump has dealt with all immigration issues the same: using racially driven fear to advance a radical agenda. Trump has even falsely labeled immigrant populations as “criminal,” despite criminal convictions for native whites in Texas being almost four times higher than among immigrant populations.

“The rhetoric by the president regarding the migrant caravan is certainly deliberate,” Warner said. “Framing the caravan as an ‘invasion’ is a polarizing and fear-mongering tactic that mobilizes a right-wing base.”

Using the same tactics with birthright citizenship as with the rest of his immigration Infographic & page design by Anya Chen

policy, Trump is directly targeting minorities in a clear and ironic violation of the 14th Amendment.

“His announcement was just a few days before the midterm election,” said Siddarth Shankar, a Class of 2018 McLean graduate who currently attends Yale and is a citizen through birthright citizenship. “He basically just said that to rile up his base, the people who wouldn’t necessarily be supportive of minorities.”

Trump also discussed this issue in 2015, during the Republican primaries.

“Trump has wanted to end birthright citizenship since his 2016 campaign,” said Alex Nowrasteh, a senior immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute. “It’s in his position paper on immigration.”

Birthright citizenship is central to American values and a core of the American Dream.

“Historically our country is a country of immigrants,” Shankar said. “Part of the promise of the American Dream is that you can come to America and have children [who] will have a better life.”

Birthright citizenship was borne out of a need to protect African Americans and racial minorities, and it is still a crucial tool to protect minorities in the U.S. Removing it plainly targets those very same minorities.

“It’s a way to marginalize minority communities,” Shankar said. “You’re basically shutting off your society to any diverse

influences, and you’re saying that diversity isn’t a good thing.”

While attacking diversity and equality, the assaults on the 14th Amendment also fail to recognize the constitutional necessity and legality of birthright citizenship.

“Ultimately, it is for the Supreme Court to decide,” Warner said. “No serious legal scholar believes that the birthright citizenship order holds any weight, nor do I.” Any executive order would be effectively and illegally sidestepping constitutionality.

“It would be unconstitutional to end the 14th Amendment,” Shankar said.

Removing the 14th Amendment, according to CNN, will do nothing but double the amount of undocumented children in the country, raising the number by 4.7 million. Repealing birthright citizenship is simply an attack on equality, rather than a true solution to the immigration issues in the country.

“If [Trump] was interested in solving immigration challenges, he’d work with Congress on comprehensive immigration reform,” Kaine said.

President Trump truly isn’t interested in solving the immigration issues facing these countries. Attacks on birthright citizenship are not only attacks on equality and minorities, but they also pose a threat to the American Dream. Fixing immigration should come in legal and comprehensive legislation, not unconstitutional executive orders.

62 BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP % AMERICANS OPPOSE CHANGING 60 THE CONSTITUTION TO REMOVE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP % AMERICANS WANT TO KEEP OF

OF

Data obtained from Marist Poll

DECEMBER | OPINIONS | 35

U.S. versus them

The United States has a lot to learn from other countries CARLA BALLARD A&E EDITOR

D

id you know that according to an article

by The New Yorker, beginning in 2016, 40 counties with large black communities had 158 fewer places to vote than their predominantly white counterparts? How about the fact that an astounding 44 percent of Americans know someone who has been shot? Or that since we elected Trump into office, the gender gap in party affiliation has increased drastically? While other foreign countries flourish, the U.S. and its reputation are further than ever from becoming “great again.”

“We come from different worlds, cultures and ways of doing things,” said Fernando Prieto, political adviser for the embassy of Spain in Washington D.C. “The U.S. is a very important country and ally of Spain, but that doesn’t mean that we do not disagree with some of the policies of the current administration.”

Since the 2016 presidential election, U.S. policy has never differentiated more from other countries. Being the most prominent figure in the U.S., President Donald Trump is responsible for running and representing our country in a collaborative manner— something he has utterly failed to do. In a study by Pew Research, 70 percent of 25 countries surveyed had no confidence in Trump’s ability to succeed.

Many have pointed to the establishment of excess tariffs as a prime example of presidential insufficiency, and given the country’s economic standing, its policy directs much of the global market.

“We’re one of the strongest economies in the world, so we are going to have a ripple effect with our economic policies,” U.S. History and Social Studies teacher Emer Johnson said. “Whether we enforce tariffs or trade openly with other countries is going to affect their economies, their currency and things like that.”

Not only has the tariff increase caused a global reaction, but Trump’s recent verbal attacks toward Germany have left North Atlantic Treaty Organization members and people around the world in “disbelief,” according to an article by CNN news.

36 | OPINIONS | DECEMBER

“I definitely think that America gets a bad reputation, especially recently with President Trump,” senior Laura Friloux said.

“I wholeheartedly disagree with his policies, and the rest of the world does too.”

These opinions are not confined to students. Due to the divisive nature of the country’s politics, the sometimes controversial decisions and events within the U.S. tend to be covered more by international news platforms, even more so than those of other countries.

“With a 24-hour news cycle, we definitely see everything that everyone in the government does, especially the bad things,” Friloux said. “Because of this, everything is definitely...negative.”

A recent important topic in the news was the 2018 midterm elections. Not only did Americans follow these elections, but other countries did as well. Considering the scope of the country’s policy, elections within the U.S. are crucial for everyone.

“The recent elections have been followed with a lot of attention in Spain,” Prieto said.

“This is a recognition of the importance of the U.S. to the world.”

A common critique of the U.S. regarding elections is the voting process. In the U.S., a citizen may only register to vote after turning 18, let alone a number of additional regulations. Let’s not forget the disappointing amount of voter suppression.

Meanwhile, in other democratic party

systems, citizens are preregistered to vote from the day they are born. Election days are also held on non-working days in order to produce a larger voter turnout.

“In Spain, citizens are practically registered to vote, and we also have a national system of identification which does not exist in U.S.,” Prieto said. “It is harder in the way that you have to be registered to vote…and the system requires more involvement from its citizens.”

Every vote counts, especially when our country is corrupted by controversy that can only be solved by compromise. At the same time, another one of the most significant national issues is our current gun policy.

A statistic from an article in The Washington Post states that only one in a million citizens in Poland and England die due to a gun-related homicide. How many people in the U.S., you may ask? Thirtyone people per million, or 31 times that of countries like Poland. Still, even this statistic is not enough to encourage our country’s leaders to develop effective policy. Like the gun policy in the U.S., several other issues are unable to be decided or compromised upon due to the big man on campus—you guessed it, our dearly beloved president.

Now to answer the questions within your mind, what can we do to bring our country back to its worldwide glory? It is plain and simple. Instead of focusing on our superiority over other countries, we should spend more time trying to learn from them.

Page design by Carla Ballard | Comic by Dasha Makarischeva

Setting the standards

National standardized curriculum should be implemented MARINA QU REPORTER

A

lthough she transferred to McLean her freshman year, junior Alexa Stimpson will be required to take World History I as a senior with a class of freshmen. Why? Because she needs to meet the requirements of the Virginia Department of Education that weren’t a part of her old school.

Situations like this are common among transfer students due to the lack of a national standardized curriculum. Standardizing the core class curriculum would benefit students as it maintains an equal standard for colleges and assists those who move to other states.

Lacking this standard, transfer students experience a scheduling shift that sets them apart from others in the same grade, affecting all four of their high school years. Although Stimpson only moved across the Potomac from Maryland, the varying standards between states has still left a considerable impact on her school life.

“I took AP Government and Physics as a freshman, biology as sophomore and now chemistry as junior,” Stimpson said. “I took AP World History without [taking] World History I, so now I have to take World History I next year as a senior.”

The “Common Core State Standards Initiative” was introduced in 2010 by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers, gaining support from both sides of the political line including former president Barack Obama.

The program is intended to promote equalized standards among all 50 states, yet it is less effective concerning mathematics and language arts due to its flimsy institution.

“There was a national standard that was made up for [biology], and most states are following those… Every state modifies and publishes their own [standards],” said John Walters, a biology teacher at McLean who has taught in Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

For D.C.-area schools in particular, students frequently transfer due to parent involvement in government jobs. These students often experience difficulities in adjusting to the new environment due to the distinctions between school curricula.

“It was difficult for me to transition to a strict school with different needs...

[At McLean,] I tend to spend all my time studying and stressing every school day.

During my years in Hawaii, it was easy achieving all As. Now I have to work hard to even get Bs,” said sophomore Ann Hoffler, who transfered to McLean as a freshman.

Hoffler moves every three years due to her father’s involvement in military.

“

I TOOK AP WORLD HISTORY WITHOUT [TAKING] WORLD HISTORY I, SO NOW I HAVE TO TAKE WORLD HISTORY I NEXT YEAR AS A SENIOR.” — ALEXA STIMPSON JUNIOR

Because the education departments between different regions have different priorities, a student’s education can become disjointed, providing them with an incomplete understanding of basic core concepts.

“In Hawaii, we rarely had to read a book and I never did annotations,” Hoffler said.

“Once I came here, my English classes [required] a lot of essays and annotating large

Page design by Marina Qu | Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

chapters. [My school in] Hawaii also decided to skip on teaching advanced grammar to me needed for high school so I relied on my dad to teach me.”

Some people argue that students should learn based primarily on the geography of their where they live—for example, that students in Colorado shouldn’t study tidal behaviors, while students in Florida shouldn’t study the ecosystem of a prairie.

This approach, however, is impractical considering how often people move around in the U.S. Additionally, it would only increase the already vast educational gap between the states. “[In Hawaii], we never touched on mainland governments,” Hoffler said. “We would read endless text of Hawaiian history and current problems in Hawaii. I wrote several essays about gambling in Hawaii, building the telescope on top of a sacred mountain and much more.”

Ultimately, globalization has increased the need for states to provide a well-rounded education for their students as opposed to having them learn about irrelevant topics.

The U.S. government, on the other hand, is responsible for preparing its students for when they eventually take on a role in the real world.

This will never be accomplished if a national standard for education isn’t applied to all states, as the broad distinction between state schooling is holding countless Americans back in their education.

DECEMBER | OPINIONS | 37

En garde!

SPORTS

Dahyun Kang becomes a nationally ranked fencer after only two years JESSICA OPSAHL-ONG OPINIONS EDITOR

D

ahyun Kang swiftly dodges her opponent’s blade and in the next instant darts forward, the tip of her blade on her opponent’s chest. Two years ago, Kang had just walked into a friend of a friend’s fencing club to try it out. Now, she is a nationally ranked fencer.

Kang has always been an athletic person, but in eighth grade she didn’t have a sport she could completely devote herself to. When someone suggested fencing and took her to their club, she decided it was the sport for her.

“It’s so unique; you don’t see a lot of people fencing,” Kang said. “I hadn’t really thought of the sport before, but when you’re doing it, the environment is really cool.”

Now a junior in high school, Kang is still fencing competitively. In just two years, she has been able to adopt new strategies and climb the ranks of fencers.

Currently, she is ranked 35 in the USA Fencing National Rolling Point Standings in Cadet—meaning a birth year of 2001-

38 | SPORTS | DECEMBER

2002—Women’s Epee. However, to Kang, these rankings don’t mean everything.

“What I found really interesting about fencing is just because you’re ranked really high doesn’t necessarily mean you can beat all of the people below you. It’s all about

“

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STYLE THAT YOU FENCE WITH, SO EVEN IF YOU’RE FENCING SOMEONE WAY BELOW YOU, YOU CAN GET EASILY BEATEN.” — DAHYUN KANG

JUNIOR

the style that you fence with, and so even if you’re fencing someone way below you, you can get easily beaten because the styles are so different,” Kang said.

Fencing styles are crucial in the sport, and the style a competitor chooses can shift during competition while they try to beat their opponent.

“I think [fencing] has to do more with strategy, because even if you train a lot… if you don’t use the exact moves you need at that time, then you’re basically done for, because it’s all split-decision making,” Kang said. “You have to know what to do when your opponent does [a] move...[and] how to react to it. Of course training comes in with it, because you have to have a variety of moves that you’re able to do, but I think it’s mostly just strategy.”

Kang pays attention to her opponent’s

Photos by Ben Brooks | Page design by Maren Kranking & Dasha Makarishcheva

strategy both during and before competition.

“I try to watch the opponent if they’re fencing someone else...and I see what kind of attacks they usually do, what kind of habits they have, what kind of movement they have, anything I could see to find a maneuver to get the point myself,” Kang said.

Fencers use a few main strategies in their rounds.

“Some people would block the sword out and then hit, while other people would go straight in without trying to touch the sword,” Kang said.

Blocking the sword is also called “grabbing the sword,” and how much a fencer does it is a key part in developing their strategy, which is important to know when fencing an opponent.

“With people who grab a lot...you try to fake one way and then move your blade out when they try and parry it, and then go in the other way,” Kang said.

Kang tends to not grab the sword very much because she uses a longer blade, which offers less stability. Learning how to best work with this blade has been one focus of Kang’s training, and she has improved a lot over the past two years.

“Back then all I would do is just extend, but now I’m trying to incorporate other techniques, like actually trying to grab the blade,” Kang said.

Outside of the help she receives from her training, Kang also has a large support network of her friends and family. At a national competition in July when Kang was between clubs and didn’t have an official coach, she surprised herself by placing 10th among 179 other girls. She credits this in part to the support of her friends.

“They were cheering me on from behind and trying to coach me too, and that helped a lot because I didn’t have a coach at that time,” Kang said.

This relationship goes both ways, as Kang often helps her fellow fencers.

“She’s always there for me, giving me words of encouragement whenever I’m feeling unmotivated and cheering me up when I get frustrated,” said Julia Kim, a junior at Clarksburg High School and member of Kang’s old fencing club, Penta Olympic Fencing Club.

Frustration is a common feeling in any sport, and it is difficult for athletes to overcome because it is a mental block—it can’t be fixed like technique can. “[Kang] experienced some times when she simply didn’t want to fence.

It’s called being in a slump,” said Kang’s mother, Minyoung Park. “When she fell into a slump, it was challenging for me to prevent her from missing practices and pull her out of that state of not wanting to do anything.”

Park works hard to help her daughter through these moments of wanting to give up.

“I try to support [her] as much as I can mentally, physically and monetarily. I give her rides to her fencing club in D.C., go with her to competitions and try to make the best environment possible for improvement,” Park said.

One way Park helps Kang improve is by recording her bouts.

“Usually when I go to competitions, my mom videotapes me, and so afterward I analyze what I could do to get that point if I missed it at that competition,” Kang said.

Kang attends competitions throughout the year, many of which are far away due to the low concentration of local fencers.

“Sometimes on the weekends, I go to New Jersey or New York because they have a lot of good fencers over there and good clubs,” Kang said. “The big [competitions] that I go to once every month are North American Cup (NAC) competitions, and that’s held everywhere around America.”

These competitions are broken into two major sections, the first of which is called pools. In pools, participants split up into groups to fence each other, and the highest ranked fencer proceeds to the next round: direct elimination.

To win a bout in the direct elimination portion of the competition, one has to either secure 15 points or win three rounds that last three minutes each. Lose a bout, and the fencer cannot continue.

“People have different tactics [for direct elimination] but mine is usually just for three minutes, [I] try to get five touches...

I just think each is a pool bout and try to win every one of them so I can win it in total,” Kang said.

On Dec. 15 and 16, Kang will be attending a NAC competition in Cincinnati, Ohio, with hopes of making it past pools to the direct elimination round.

Until then, she will continue preparing through a regimen of training, analyzing film and surrounding herself with positive people.

“

I SEE WHAT KIND OF ATTACKS THEY USUALLY DO...HABITS THEY HAVE, WHAT KIND OF MOVEMENT THEY HAVE, ANYTHING...TO GET THE POINT MYSELF.” — DAHYUN KANG JUNIOR

DECEMBER | SPORTS | 39

WITHIN STROIKING DISTANCE FRESHMAN CONTINUES HER FAMILY’S HOCKEY LEGACY

MAYA AMMAN REPORTER 40 | SPORTS | DECEMBER

Y

ou can hear the swift sounds of blades scraping against the ice as freshman Franny Stroik zooms by. There is a thump as other players check each other, but try their best not to run into this 5-foot tall girl.

Franny has survived and excelled playing in a mostly male-dominated sport, and exceeded the expectations of most.

“They treat me differently, but not in a bad way,” Franny said.

There are implied checking rules against girls. It is high school hockey culture to not hit girls or smaller players in the way players normally would “When I’m on the ice, I don’t see myself as a girl. I am just one of the players, and the boys see me as that too,” Franny said.

Franny is just one of the many Stroiks to play hockey. The tradition started with her grandfather. Richard Weaver was a goalie for the University of Vermont, and he was the inspiration for Franny’s oldest brother, Linus, who graduated from McLean High School in 2018. Linus adored watching his grandfather play and that motivated him to become a hockey player.

THREE STROIKS AND YOU’RE OUT — In the spring of 2018, Franny Stroik played hockey alongside her brothers Milo and Linus. As an eighth grader, she was eligible to play for McLean’s hockey team during the spring season.

(Photo courtesy of Jennifer Weaver)

“As a child, any piece of sports equipment you would give Linus, he would turn it into hockey gear. He was obsessed and he was a force you couldn’t stop,” said Jennifer Weaver, the Stroiks’ mom.

Linus started playing hockey when he was 5, and since then he has been striving to get better. Linus is now a freshman at the Colorado School of Mines, where he plays for their hockey team. He influenced both his younger brother and sister to explore hockey.

“I watched my brother’s hockey games and I saw him having a lot of fun, so I decided to give it a try,” junior Milo Stroik said.

Milo was truly inspired by Linus, so he gave hockey a chance. He has been playing for 10 years now and can’t get enough of it.

“I think it’s really cool to play the same sport as your siblings. We were definitely able to learn a lot from each other and help each other grow and improve,” Milo said.

They always used to scrimmage in their driveway and give each other tips on becoming better players. Milo has been playing travel hockey for the Reston Raiders for about five years, and he is now one of the co-captains of McLean’s hockey team.

“It is a pretty big responsibility to have to lead the team both verbally and also by example,” Milo said.

Milo is both a role model for other players on the team and for his family, especially his sister.

“In my opinion, Franny gets treated differently more for being smaller than the others than for being a girl,” Weaver said.

“Linus himself was also a very small and scrawny kid, and I believe that Franny is treated on the same standards as him.”

Franny’s coaches and teammates give her a very supportive environment where she can enjoy playing hockey.

Franny has now been playing hockey for five years. She started figure skating in second grade, but that became boring for her. She wanted to follow her brothers’ footsteps and become a hockey player.

For the time being, she is the last link in the family chain of hockey players. Her friends and her family strongly encourage her pursuit of the sport.

Page design by Imani McCormick

“Hockey has made me proud to be a girl, proud to be who I am and proud to be different. I’m not afraid to tell people that I play a game that’s less popular for girls than it is for boys,” Franny said.

In addition to playing on the McLean hockey team, Franny now plays for a spring season recreational team. She has been playing travel for a couple of years now, but stopped this year for school sports and for her travel soccer team.

Franny and her siblings are all also soccer players. Sharing these two sports has helped them have a tighter bond.

“

HOCKEY HAS MADE ME PROUD TO BE A GIRL, PROUD TO BE WHO I AM AND PROUD TO BE DIFFERENT.” — FRANNY STROIK FRESHMAN

“It has been really exciting to play hockey and soccer with my siblings, but especially hockey because we got to play together as a line for one short season at McLean,” Linus said.

Franny plays right wing, Milo plays center and Linus plays left wing, allowing them to be the attacking line together.

“It’s a proud moment for me when I tell people that my younger sister plays hockey with me,” Linus said.

Franny has managed to surprise most people with her skills and talents.

“It’s been really cool to see her improve over the years. She is faster than anyone I know. While it is scary at times because she is smaller, she is able to handle her own against these really tall players,” Milo said.

Since they are both on the McLean hockey team at the moment, Milo will get to see Franny develop and enhance her skills before he passes the torch to her.

Chris Stroik, the siblings’ father, has recently decided to take on hockey as well.

He played in a men’s league for some time, and is now the assistant coach for McLean hockey.

He has been coaching for about three years now. He picked up hockey through his kids and is now a proud part of the family’s hockey tradition.

“It’s always fun to observe each of their different styles of play. Each of them approaches the sport in a distinct way,” Chris said.

All three kids have been exposed to recreational hockey, travel hockey and high school hockey, which are all different in their own ways.

“They get onto the ice and show a great deal of sportsmanship, and that is one of the hallmarks of any youth sport. They are ultimately out there to have fun,” Chris said.

“They show a fair sense of competitiveness, which drives the team to success. It helps them in their development as human beings, whether it’s on the ice or in their communities.”

“It is fun having a common language in the family. We all root for the Caps, a team I have been rooting for since I was a little girl. It is fun to continue to be a hockey fan through my kids,” Weaver said.

This sport brings the Stroik family closer together. Linus might want to continue into a men’s league after college. Both Franny and Milo plan on pursuing hockey in college, and maybe even further after that.

“It shouldn’t be a battle between being a girl or a boy to participate in a sport that you truly enjoy,” Franny said. “Girls playing hockey will not only help the status quo, but it will also teach boys to cope with different playing styles, helping them understand what it is like to play as someone who is different.”

Want to see McLean’s hockey team in action? Scan the QR code for their schedule!

DECEMBER | SPORTS |41

ON

CLOUD

SIGN Four seniors sign to collegiate athletic teams

MARIA McHUGO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

s most seniors scramble to complete their college applications, four have already committed to collegiate athletics teams. Seniors JaneAnne Tvedt, Ella Sangree, Gracen Govan and Kendall Robertson attended their College Signing Day on Nov. 27, surrounded by friends, coaches, teachers and family.

While Robertson was able to sign a National Letter of Intent, a binding commitment to the collegiate team, Tvedt, Sangree and Govan signed non-binding celebratory commitments. According to the regulations of each institution, some athletes are not able to sign legally binding commitments before attending the university.

Robertson committed to play Division I soccer at Rice University next fall, the culmination of nearly 13 years of constant practice and dedication.

“Soccer has definitely had a huge impact on my life, as it has not only put me on a trajectory towards college but it has shaped my character,” Robertson said. “The first emotion I had after committing was relief.”

Senior Lindsay Blum has played soccer with Robertson since they were 8 years old.

“She’s gone from being this little kid with bangs, always doing her signature stepover move, to a phenomenal athlete who trains so hard and deserves everything she’s earned,” Blum said.

Although Tvedt was not able to sign the same bonding commitment as Robertson, she shares similar sentiments regarding her commitment to the Division I track and field program at Virginia Tech (VT). VT began recruiting Tvedt during her sophomore year as a jumper, yet she visited a number of other 42 | SPORTS | DECEMBER

programs throughout the process.

“VT was my last official visit, so I was able to commit on the phone the day I got home.

I tried not to, but I definitely cried when I ended the call,” Tvedt said. “I am so lucky that out of all the schools I looked at, I found a program and a coach that fits me perfectly.”

Sangree signed her celebratory agreement with Columbia University’s Division I lacrosse program at the same time as Tvedt.

“

I AM SO LUCKY THAT OUT OF ALL THE SCHOOLS I LOOKED AT, I FOUND A PROGRAM AND A COACH THAT FITS ME PERFECTLY.” — JANEANNE TVEDT

VT TRACK & FIELD COMMIT However, Sangree was forced to endure a prolonged commitment process due to both her position as a goalie and NCAA regulations.

“It’s often quite difficult to commit to specific colleges since some teams may not want a goalie in a certain grade,” Sangree said. “I was also looking at two other schools for a very long time, and it was difficult to communicate and get clear answers due to the strict NCAA rules about communication between players and coaches.”

Despite these obstacles, Sangree’s commitment to Columbia is a testament to eight years of playing lacrosse. Senior

Genevieve Deeken has played with Sangree since the fourth grade.

“Ella maintains the backbone of our team as a goalie and she always looks to help the team improve,” Deeken said. “She always looks to improve herself [as well], and will work tirelessly at the collegiate level to support her team.”

Govan signed her non-binding commitment to Tufts University’s Division III softball program, validating all the work she has put into the sport since she was 7 years old.

“Committing was the best feeling in the world. I had always dreamt of playing college softball and knowing my hard work paid off was more than I could have asked for,” Govan said. “It felt like everything I have done and everything I will do is all worth it.”

Her mother, Gretchen Govan, described the family’s excitement for her daughter’s commitment.

“We are thrilled that Gracen was able to find a school that she loves and will have an opportunity to be successful,” she said. “She has worked so hard and I couldn’t be more proud of all of her accomplishments.”

McLean will host another College Signing Day in the spring. Until then, however, the athletes encourage everyone to pursue their goals with the knowledge that hard work and dedication will produce success.

“My only advice is to work as hard as you possibly can and if you really want something, never give up on it,” Govan said.

“Playing any type of sport, [like] playing any type of instrument, is never easy, but as long as you practice and put in the work you will be successful.”

Photo courtesy of Ella Sangree | Page design by Maren Kranking

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE EVAN STOUT

SENIOR BASKETBALL PLAYER WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START BASKETBALL? I started playing basketball probably around first grade. I started playing because my dad used to play when he was a kid, and throughout high school. I always loved watching it with him.

He really showed me how to play the sport.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF BASKETBALL? The intensity that it takes to play the sport. The mental aspect of it, and pushing yourself to the limit every single practice and game.

[Also] playing with my teammates and having a good time.

DESCRIBE YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT. Last year against Langley, we beat them at home. It was a really big moment. It was the first time varsity has beat Langley in three or four years.

“

BASKETBALL...

CORRELATES WITH SO MANY OTHER THINGS LIKE WORKING HARD IN SCHOOL AND WORKING HARD IN A JOB LATER IN LIFE.”

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION? LeBron James. He’s always been my favorite player. I always try to be like him on the court and off the court, helping anyone I can and just being a good person.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF BASKETBALL? Mentally staying in the game and pushing yourself constantly. Whether it’s shooting free throws or getting back on defense, just keep playing hard regardless of how tired you are.

IS IT HARD TO BALANCE PLAYING BASKETBALL WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE? You learn a lot of key aspects that you will need for later on in your life, so no, it’s not hard. You just learn how to deal with it and you just have to keep working hard.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PRE-GAME RITUAL? Probably eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and just something light to get me ready to push myself to win the game.

Reporting by Brooke Newell & Isaac Lamoreaux | Page design by Imani McCormick & Maren Kranking

DECEMBER | SPORTS |43

THE

FINISH LINE

How well does the swim & dive program know their coach?

We asked two captains questions about Kyle Drake.

SWIM & GO-TO STARBUCKS DIVE ORDER WHAT IS COACH DRAKE’S...

KYLE DRAKE

CHLOE ALEXANDER

ALEX GLASSMAN

FAVORITE CANDY

PEANUT M&Ms

SNICKERS

SKITTLES

FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT

TACO BAMBA

CHIPOTLE

CHIPOTLE

TOP GUN

LEGALLY BLONDE

STAR WARS

FAVORITE THING ABOUT COACHING

SUCCESS OF ATHLETES

THE MEETS

WORKING WITH THE ATHLETES

LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT COACHING

PAPERWORK

WHEN PEOPLE MISS THEIR EVENTS

WHEN PEOPLE DON’T LISTEN

GOLF

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

FAVORITE MOVIE

FAVORITE SPORT (OTHER THAN SWIM & DIVE)

44 | SPORTS | DECEMBER

SWIM & DIVE HEAD COACH

SENIOR SWIM CAPTAIN

SENIOR DIVE CAPTAIN

Reporting by Ben Brooks Page design by Anya Chen & Maren Kranking | Photos by Ben Brooks & Skye Sunderhauf