The Highlander - Issue 3 - December 2017

Volume LXII • Issue 3 • December 2017 • McLean High School • thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

CONTENTS NEWS 3

McLean’s local roads repaved

4

Yemen in midst of humanitarian crisis

5

Seniors in AP Government run for president

IN-DEPTH ON THE COVER 14-17 Breaking the Silence: #MeToo movement encourages sexual harassment victims to speak out Cover & inside photos by Maria McHugo

OPINIONS

FEATURES 7

Speak Up Initiative encourages public speaking

8

Highlander of the Issue: Carmen Beadie

9

10 Qs with Ian Howell

10

Deaf student teacher helps out at McLean

5

20

Editorial: Class curriculums should be standardized

21

Headphone use should be banned in classrooms

22-23

Crossfire: Is SIS beneficial or detrimental to students?

A&E

SPORTS

11

Movie Review: Coco

25

McLean inducts former athletes into Hall of Fame

12

Holiday movie power rankings

26

Swim & dive team looks forward to season

13

Holiday gift guide

27

Athlete of the Issue: Andrew Lopez

19

Video Game Review: Star Wars Battlefront II

28

The Finish Line

13

7

25

14-17

Letter from the Editors Dear McLean,

Volume LXII • Issue 3 • December 2017 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101

Winter break is just around the corner, and we hope this short issue of The Highlander will bring you some holiday cheer!

Editors-in-Chief

Bryan Chung, Colin Edson & Siddarth Shankar

Managing Editors

Rustin Abedi, Imani McCormick & Jackson Payne

Read our News section for details about the repaving of local roads and to find out about seniors running for president in their government classes.

Photography Editor

Sabrina Vazquez

Website Editor-in-Chief

Jessie Friedman

Check out our Features section, which highlights the Speak Up Initiative and features 10 questions with social studies teacher Ian Howell.

Advertising Manager

Rebeka Rafi

Design Editors

Maren Kranking & Dasha Makarishcheva

Flip to our Arts & Entertainment section for a review of Coco and to inspire your gift-giving with some fun and easy ideas.

As first semester begins to wrap up, our editorial in the Opinions section calls for each course at McLean to have standardized curriculums.

The Sports section covers some of McLean’s most distinguished athletes, who have now been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Our In-Depth examines sexual harassment at McLean in the wake of the #MeToo movement and the recent stories regarding sexual harassment in the media and entertainment industries.

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, Siddarth Shankar, Bryan Chung & Colin Edson

Section Editors News Editors

Maria McHugo & Jeremy Siegel

Features Editors

Maren Kranking & Nick Monroy

A&E Editors

Justin Kim & Conor Zeya

Opinions Editors

Jessie Friedman & Alex Mandanas

Sports Editors

Jack Stenzel & Ed Walters Reporters

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

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

Adviser

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

Lindsay B. Benedict

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

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

To Submit a Letter to the Editors: Please email it to thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com or bring it to room R133.

The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws concerning obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process.

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

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

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

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

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NEWS

Paving the way for a smoother future Local roads undergo transformation

Walk the Line — The new pavement is topped off with a fresh paint job. New lines are often the last step in the repaving process. (Photo by Emma Higbee)

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| ED WALTERS SPORTS EDITOR & EMMA HIGBEE REPORTER|

or a majority of the school year, the roads surrounding the school—Old Chesterbrook and Chain Bridge Roads— have been in the process of repaving. This has led to unforeseen delays for members of the McLean community.

“On the way to Starbucks after school, Old Chesterbrook gets really congested and slow because of all the construction,” history teacher Dylan Wedan said. “I also noticed they added a new stop sign, which I don’t frankly care for.”

Prior to the construction, the quality of the roads was deteriorating quickly and were in desperate need of fixing.

“I had to drive Old Chesterbrook a lot to get to and from school,” junior Luka Karony said. “The ride was always really rough due to all the potholes. It was definitely time for something to be done.”

Senior James Bradley frequently drives on many of the most used roads in McLean for his job, which is based in the heart of town.

“I work for New Star Asian Bistro. I’m a delivery driver for them, so I’m always using Old Chesterbrook to go on my delivery routes,” Bradley said.

While the construction was deemed necessary, it still caused many problems for Page design by Ed Walters

those who regularly travel in the McLean area. Many frequently used roads had lanes blocked, making traffic even worse.

“The construction got in the way of a lot of deliveries. I had to alternate routes like Kirby or Old Dominion where there was a lot of traffic which slowed me down,” Bradley said. “Now that the construction is done, the roads are a lot smoother and I can drive faster for my delivery.”

“The ride was always really rough due to all the potholes.

It was definitely time for something to be done.”

-junior Luka Karony The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) coordinated the repaving efforts in McLean, spending a total of $498,331 on Old Chesterbrook Road alone.

“It was a state-funded project. It comes out of the money that is allocated for the NOVA district,” VDOT project manager Ben Ernst said.

The repaving was part of a larger Plant Mix Project, which included $5,210,024 spent on projects in the greater Northern Virginia area.

“A Plant Mix Project is essentially a list of roads that are scheduled to be repaved, bundled into a paving contract and then put out to bid,” Ernst said.

Despite the setbacks caused by the repaving, the process has resulted in a generally positive response from the public.

For many, the culmination of months of hard work on the roads has improved the overall status of the McLean community.

“In general, I do believe that we need to upkeep our infrastructure. I am inconvenienced by it, but I know it is for the best and I’m excited for them to finish,” Wedan said. “Once they’re done, it will be a much more pleasant driving experience.”

While the construction on these roads proved to be a nuisance for anyone who uses a car on a regular basis, the revitalized roads will allow for smoother travels for years to come.

“I definitely think the newly paved roads are better for me as a delivery driver and also for McLean,” Bradley said. “It’s safer and helps everyone get around much faster.”

DECEMBER | NEWS | 3

Civil war in Yemen spirals out of control

Situation devolves into humanitarian crisis as the multi-sided war intensifies | RUSTIN ABEDI MANAGING EDITOR & JEREMY SIEGEL NEWS EDITOR|

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esieged by foreign nations, terrorist groups and civil war, Yemen has been bombarded on all sides for months now. A civil war that started in 2015 has pushed Yemen toward becoming a breeding ground for terror groups and humanitarian crises.

With the civil war and a Saudi Arabian blockade of the state, the country is deprived of crucial supplies and humanitarian aid.

Yemen reportedly fired a ballistic missile toward Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Nov. 4. The missile was promptly intercepted, but not before souring the relationship between Yemen and Saudi Arabia to the point of instigating a blockade.

“The way Yemeni broadcasters try to raise awareness is that they show really horrific images to try to get sympathy for the country and its people who are suffering,” Saudi-Arabian-Yemeni senior Al-Hassan AlHussain said.

The crisis in Yemen has dramatically escalated during the past two years. After the Houthis, a Shia militia group allied with former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, overthrew the internationally recognized authority of president Mansour Hadi, the Arab League states, led by Saudi Arabia, began an air campaign that has left most of the country in ruin.

“It’s concerning because... nobody is going to stop [Saudi Arabia], especially America, mainly because they have oil investments that are very important to them,” Al-Hussain

said. “I don’t imagine anybody intervening with one of the biggest oil producers in the world.”

The U.S. has been involved since the start of the conflict, even though their role has not been authorized by Congress. The military has refueled Saudi jets and has worked with targeting and intelligence gathering on the conflict.

“You want to help the people and make the situation better but it doesn’t seem like arming people is the best way.”

-government teacher Karen McNamara “You’ve got a worst of all worlds situation where we have moral culpability, but don’t have any control,” said Zach Cafritz, legislative director for U.S. representative Don Beyer of Virginia’s 8th congressional district, in an interview with The Highlander.

In addition to this, billions of dollars of arms and military equipment have flown toward Saudi Arabia, most of them from the U.S. Many of these supplies have been used in the situation in Yemen, which has turned into a stalemate.

“You want to help the people and make the situation better but it doesn’t seem like arming people is the best way,” history

teacher Karen McNamara said. “It does seem to lead to more instability overall.”

After the recent ballistic missile was launched from Yemen, the Arab League declared Iran to be responsible for supplying the technology to the Houthis. As a result, the coalition imposed a blockade on all materials going into the country, including humanitarian supplies. “[Saudi Arabia] seems to have less of a focus on protecting civilian lives,” Cafritz said. “Yet at the same time we still support their efforts.”

The enforcement of the blockade prompted quick condemnations from the international community. Civilians in Yemen were already living without basic necessities. “[Saudi Arabia has] been pretty public about using hunger as a weapon and targeting civilian populations in Yemen,” Cafritz said.

The Saudi government recently opened some of Yemen’s air and sea ports to humanitarian shipments. However, the primary centers of the outbreak and crisis have occurred in Houthi-controlled parts of the country.

Despite the humanitarian crisis in the country, Yemen has often been overlooked by major news media in the U.S. “If you look at the news, it doesn’t really have the focus of the American population to get their interest to prompt Congress to change anything,” McNamara said. “The attention span of people on those issues is remarkably short and so it’s only if Congress really feels the need to pursue it.”

21 million people in need of humanitarian assistance

7 million people dealing with starvation

3 million people displaced

10,000 people killed because of the conflict

1 child dies every 10 minutes 4 | NEWS | DECEMBER

Sources: UNHCR, The Intercept, UNICEF

Infographic by Bryan Chung Page design by Rustin Abedi & Jeremy Siegel

Keating is the Key — Senior Jake Keating films his campaign commercial in the White House press room.

Keating and his campaign team made it past the primaries, but lost the general election. (Photo by Josh Leong)

Seniors run for president

AP Government students make their way to the White House |SIDDARTH SHANKAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF|

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P Government students took part in a presidential campaign project at the beginning of second quarter that took them to places as far as the White House. Students made their own campaign ads and posters, polled their fellow classmates and developed policy platforms with hopes of getting the most votes and winning the election.

“It really helps [students] understand the full process that goes into a campaign, and the responsibilities of a campaign,” government teacher Julia Braxton said. “It makes a real world concept very applicable to them in the classroom.”

Students were first assigned to the Republican or Democratic parties, then they assembled campaign teams, consisting of a campaign manager, media specialist and polling staff.

Government teacher Karen McNamara came up with the idea for the project two years ago and implemented it in her classes.

This is the first year that all of McLean’s AP Government classes participated in the project.

“I just thought it would be really fun to have a mock election and see if we could have students act as if they were running for president,” McNamara said.

Each class had about six presidential candidates, three from each party. The

candidates initially ran in a primary election, and the top vote-getters in each party then competed in the general election.

“The process of elections can be really confusing. This project kind of puts us in the shoes of actual elections and it does help you learn—learning by doing,” senior Anna Karl said.

Karl’s group, along with several others, went to DC to film their campaign commercials. Unlike many other groups, however, they got access to a premier filming location: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Karl’s father, Jonathan Karl, works as the ABC News Chief White House Correspondent and got her group into the complex.

“We filmed outside on the driveway of the West Wing, right outside the Oval Office,” Karl said. “When we were at the White House, it was cool to talk to people who actually have experience covering elections, and we got a reporter, Karen Travers from ABC, to be in our video pretending to cover our election, which put it even more into a real-life perspective, because she said what she would say in a real campaign.”

While at the White House, Karl and her candidate’s team faced a real-life national emergency.

“We were right outside the Oval Office so we saw when Trump was in there... It

was during the terrorist attack in New York [on Oct. 31] so it was really hectic, and we actually learned about it at the White House,” Karl said.

Students have been very receptive to the campaign project, according to McNamara.

“Overall, they seemed positive...it has been fun,” McNamara said. “Hopefully, it’s a good way to go through the practice of what an election is like.”

The presidential winners in each class were seniors Linus Stroik, Liberty Henson, Charlotte Roberts, Ben Mennitt, Sophie Richards, Julia Luigs and Musa Haji. “[Winning] felt pretty great. Even though I wasn’t representing my own opinions, I was still able to make such a good case that other people felt compelled to vote for me,” Haji said.

Long-term substitute government teacher Angela Oliver said the project was not only fun for seniors, but for other students.

“My juniors have seen the posters and they’re excited to go into AP Gov next year,” Oliver said.

Rather than the classic PowerPoint presentation, Oliver said the project allowed students to absorb more information.

“Hands-on teaching allows the students to digest the information,” Oliver said.

“They’re actually living it...and hopefully it will make them great voting citizens of the United States.”

To see seniors’ campaign videos, visit www.thehighlandernews.com!

DECEMBER | NEWS | 5

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A chance to speak up

FEATURES

McLean students help empower young voices through Speak Up Initiative |COLIN EDSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & TOMMY SCHILDER REPORTER|

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veryone needs a voice—a voice to express opinions, to speak in front of people, to present ideas and to be a leader. As a young adult, being heard even by peers can be a struggle. The Speak Up Initiative, run by former and current McLean students, helps children develop the skills they need to become future leaders.

Speak Up was created in 2014 by Michelle Ma and Fatima Shahbaz, who were then a junior and a sophomore respectively.

It is a non-profit organization with a mission of inspiring young students to unearth a passion for public speaking.

“We provide free public speaking education to lower income and inner city schools,” said senior Riya Master, chief operating officer for Speak Up. “We basically try to help kids come out of their shells and learn how to talk to groups.”

Speak Up works on an eight-month public speaking curriculum. Volunteers visit each school they are working with to provide workshops aimed at improving public speaking.

“One of the main programs we do is a nine-step teaching education plan. We make

these paper cards with questions like, ‘If you were president for a day, what would you do?’ or ‘Do you think it’s better to give or to get?’” Master said. “At the end of the class, we will have kids go up and present their ideas, and then you debate. It gets them more involved in speaking in front of crowds.”

The program is directed toward students who attend socioeconomically disadvantaged Confidence Building — Fifth graders schools. Many of these students Tamim and AJ present during a Speak have the potential to succeed in Up meeting at Graham Road Elementary secondary and postsecondary School on Oct. 25. Each meeting, students educational environments, but are given a question to answer in front of lack the resources to do so. the group. (Photo courtesy of Noor Al-Saloum) “We were very cognizant that debate is an activity that is oriented towards education to help enrich the lives of students individuals of a certain socioeconomic that didn’t traditionally have access to it.” privilege...the majority of students who Speak Up began as a small, regional would most greatly benefit from public organization but has been able to expand speaking are those that don’t have the to four other branches across the nation opportunity to access activities like Model in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas and UN and debate,” Shahbaz said. “As a result, California. Volunteers from McLean we wanted to help bring public speaking implement the program at Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church and Stanton Elementary School in Anacostia.

At Graham Road, students expressed their enjoyment of the Speak Up program and its benefits toward their personal abilities.

“Speak Up is helping me be a better person. I am talking louder and talking more clearly so people can understand me more,” fifth grader AJ Singleton said.

The growth of the program, in addition to the students it helps, is beyond anything Shahbaz could have imagined.

“I watched the organization grow from simply a volunteer project to a full-fledged community initiative,” Shahbaz said. “I watched as students transformed from timid wallflowers to confident and self-assured speakers in only eight weeks.”

Master has also observed the resounding effect the program has had on students.

“They’re so excited to come to Speak Up,” Master said. “I really hope it stays around for Speak Up Family — Senior and chief operating officer Riya Master and a while.

I hope it grows.” junior volunteer Asia Kurtalic pose with a group of students in the Graham Road library on Nov. 15. Students come every week to form strong relationships with the volunteers. (Photo by Tommy Schilder)

Page design by Colin Edson

DECEMBER | FEATURES | 7

Highlander of the Issue Working behind a curtain of smoke Carmen Beadie uses makeup to bring characters to life NICK MONROY FEATURES EDITOR & JUDE SADEQ REPORTER

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heatreMcLean recently finished its production of Volume of Smoke, a play written by Clay McLeod Chapman, that tells the story of the Great Richmond Theatre Fire of 1811. While the actors onstage were deservingly applauded for their exceptional performances, those working in the wings and backstage as part of the crew didn’t quite garner the same attention for their efforts in the play. This effort can be observed through the work of crew members like senior Carmen Beadie, who aids in creating the immersive experience that has given TheatreMcLean such success.

“I joined makeup crew for the musical Big Fish during my freshman year and I started designing during She Kills Monsters, which was the first production of my sophomore year and third production overall,” Beadie said. “Ever since then, I’ve designed all of the makeup in the productions I’ve been involved in at TheatreMcLean.”

Beadie’s work as makeup design head starts as soon as preparation for the show begins.

“I read through the [Volume of Smoke] script and marked any lines in the show where the makeup details were explicitly stated. For example, an orchestra member said that she had burned the skin off her palm, so I added burn makeup to her hand for her design,” Beadie said.

In Volume of Smoke specifically, Beadie was tasked with understanding how each member of the cast would be affected by the fire in the show.

“I made a map of the auditorium at the time of the fire to determine where every character was in relation to the fire to get an idea of what part of their body was going to hit the flame,” Beadie said.

While it can be a painstaking and meticulous process at times, Beadie notes that there is no feeling like seeing all their work come alive.

8 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

Coming Alive — Senior Carmen Beadie applies a bald cap to

junior Kristen Waagner to simulate burns. Beadie worked alongside junior Cassi Creason as makeup design heads for TheatreMcLean’s production of Volume of Smoke. (Photo by Chris Davis) “It’s indescribable. You think about how much work went into [the show]—seeing it all come alive onstage is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had,” Beadie said. “It never hits me until our last rehearsal before the show, because that’s when everything is completely final. That’s what I’ve been working towards.”

Their hard work clearly paid off. During the preview week at McLean, many cast members from the show were seen roaming the hallways with scarily realistic burns and cuts all over their faces and bodies—work Beadie and their team were able to pull off with great effort and determination.

“It looked so real,” senior Lorelei Legg said. “At first glance it looks like there are kids who have all sorts of marks and injuries, and when you get up close you realize, ‘Wow, that makeup is incredible.’”

Before joining theater, Beadie recalls being terrible at using makeup.

“I was horrible at makeup before I joined theater... Halloween my freshman year, I wanted to be zombie Peter Pan so I taught myself and it grew from there,” Beadie said.

“Once I finally got my hands on some real makeup, I realized this was something that came very naturally to me.”

Three years later with Beadie as an integral part of the department, makeup is still no cakewalk.

“Age makeup is five to 10 minutes, concealing eyebrows takes about 20 minutes and ‘fantasy’ makeup can take up to 30 minutes,” Beadie said. “Everything is relative and depends on circumstance.”

Every production at McLean to this point

has given Beadie the opportunity to learn and master something new.

“For [Volume of Smoke], I had to teach myself how to do burns,” Beadie said.

“Seussical was face paint, Children’s Hour was eyebrow concealing [and] Don’t Drink the Water was age makeup. I’m always learning new skills. And it’s always exciting.”

With the amount of time Beadie puts into her craft, it is no surprise her peers and mentors have noticed.

“The work I see Carmen do is awesome.

Even though some shows don’t have a heavy makeup element, they still put in so much effort and detail it,” theater teacher Phillip Reid said.

However, Beadie notes that she could not have done this all alone. As always in theater, it is a group effort.

“I can’t say it was all my work. My friend Cassi [Creason] worked just as hard as I did,” Beadie said. “She primarily ran meetings and did logistic work. It was a very even split of our time and effort.”

While Volume of Smoke has come and gone, Beadie’s resume has only grown more extensive. Their ability to bring characters from a script to life speaks volumes for every other moving part of the theater department.

Beadie knows there will always be room for improvement and that no show will ever truly be flawless—but that is the beauty of theater.

“I don’t believe everything in the production has to be perfect for it to be successful, but it does enhance it,” Beadie said. “The more true to the story I am, the further the audience is immersed in it too.”

Page design by Bryan Chung

10 Qs with Ian Howell

(Social Studies Teacher) Reporting & photos by Sam Gollob Page design by Bryan Chung

DC Comics or Marvel Comics and why?

Who has been the greatest leader in history?

What is your favorite hard rock band?

It all depends who is writing and drawing them. I am a bigger fan of the author and the artist than the actual characters.

You can have the weirdest, off-the-wall character who really comes to life with a good creative team.

I think it is really simplistic to say there is one end-all and be-all leader. You have to take the situation into consideration and the context of the time. It’s all relative. You could say Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or George Washington, and those are just a few political leaders.

Stone Temple Pilots.

I discovered early on that I was only really exceptional at helping other people be special. I was good at helping people get over hurdles, so it just made sense.

What is the biggest mistake from the past that we have yet to learn from?

Not respecting the past. That’s always the biggest mistake. When you don’t reference the past and refuse to learn its lessons, that always leads to failure.

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?

Empathy. I think that a universal sense of empathy would beget tolerance. I think that most of us on some level suffer from a lack of empathy.

If you could give your students one piece of advice, what would it be?

Think consequentially. Always think what the next steps are. Don’t just stop on the immediate.

Star Wars or Star Trek and why?

Star Wars for escapism and a kind of psycho-spiritualism. Star Trek for idealism and hopefulness of a social evolution. I think it depends what mood you are in.

Why did you decide to be a history teacher?

What is the greatest trip you have taken?

The only place that instinctively made me say I want to stay here forever was Australia. As far as seeing a site, the most striking for me was Angkor Wat. I also have vivid memories of what it feels like to be in Egypt in the summertime when it is so hot you can’t sweat. And then again, I’ve gone into a valley full of lavender and been hit by a thick cloud of perfume. I think the more you travel, the harder it is to pick one place.

What is your favorite class or subject to teach?

It all comes down to teaching expression and understanding. I love any class that allows me to teach thought and consequence and empathy. Classes such as Comparative Government and World Religions lend themselves to this because they force students to compare and understand differences in our world.

DECEMBER | FEATURES | 9 OCTOBER | FEATURES | 15

The sign of a good teacher Deaf student teacher joins English teacher in the classroom REBEKA RAFI AD MANAGER & JESSICA OPSAHL-ONG REPORTER

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rom a young age, Natalie Grace wanted to be a teacher. Unlike most children, however, her hearing was impaired, making that task much more difficult. Undaunted by the obstacles, she is now a student teacher at McLean, preparing for her dream career.

Grace is here on Tuesdays and Thursdays and communicates with the help of two interpreters who trade off when they are here.

“Ever since I was a kid, I saw teachers helping other people, helping the deaf community,” Grace said. “A lot of people in the deaf community have bad English skills and I felt like I could really help them develop those skills.”

Grace is currently an undergraduate student at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and is hoping to become a high school English teacher. She began at the school earlier this year, when she was welcomed into the classroom of English teacher Heather Bovaird.

“I have a friend that is in charge of student teacher placements in the undergrad program [at Gallaudet University],” Bovaird said. “So when she had a deaf student teacher who needed an English placement, she contacted me because she knows I sign.”

“Ever since I was a kid, I saw teachers helping other people... A lot of people in the deaf community have bad English skills and I felt like I could really help them develop those skills.”

-student teacher Natalie Grace Bovaird looks to provide Grace with a sheltered high school teaching environment.

“It’s an easy way for that intern to come, have a little easier communication and still have the public hearing school experience,” Bovaird said.

To provide her with such an environment, Bovaird gives Grace the chance to participate 10 | FEATURES | DECEMBER

Grace-ful Signing — Natalie Grace, a deaf student teacher, stands in front of the class, signing. Grace, an undergraduate, is helping and learning from English teacher Heather Bovaird. (Photo by Rebeka Rafi) in routine tasks and to interact with students.

Doing so will help her develop the necessary skills to become a teacher.

“I’m just making sure that she is as involved as possible,” Bovaird said.

Bovaird is working hard to ensure Grace leaves with a comprehensive understanding of the roles and tasks of a teacher.

“She’s learning the kids’ names, she’s passing papers back, she’s taking over some of the easier things—not the grading­—but just some of the daily organization stuff,” Bovaird said.

Recently, Grace taught a lesson concerning Greek mythology and the deeds to become a hero.

“The interperter was talking while she was signing,” freshman Toleen Malkawi said.

“After a while, you stopped noticing the signing. I found it very cool.”

Bovaird had a deaf student teacher in the past, and while she has had some experience, she continues to change how Grace interacts

in the classroom to make her feel welcome and prepared.

“It’s always fun having a student teacher.

She’s my second deaf student teacher, so it’s nice to have a second experience to fix all of the stuff I didn’t do before,” Bovaird said.

Grace is enjoying her time at McLean, and with a smile on her face, she signs what being a student teacher for Bovaird has been like.

“I love it. It’s been great so far,” Grace said. “I’ve met a huge variety of people. I’ve met a lot of great students.”

Grace is grateful for the experience, and she is appreciative of how supportive everyone has been. Her accomplishments have brought light to the possibilities and opportunities open to the deaf community.

“Everyone’s excited for me, because the deaf community doesn’t have a lot of deaf teachers,” Grace said. “If a deaf person really wants to teach kids, either deaf or [not], they’re very excited for them.”

Page design by Rebeka Rafi & Jessica Opsahl-Ong

A&E

Coco shines in theaters

Pixar’s latest film brings life back to its studio |SEAN SENFT REPORTER|

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ull of color, music, humor, love and life, Pixar has delivered the heartwarming film Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich. Released on Nov. 22, the movie lived up to the high expectations that come with most Pixar films.

Coco tells the story of Miguel, a 12-yearold living in a small village in Mexico.

Miguel aspires to be a musician just like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz, who is known as the greatest guitar player of all time.

However, music is banned from Miguel’s family because it created conflict between his deceased relatives, and Miguel is forced to follow in his family’s footsteps and become a shoemaker.

On Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Miguel steals Ernesto de la Cruz’s guitar from his grave. The guitar transports Miguel to the Land of the Dead, where he must find his deceased relatives and find out the real reason music is viewed as a curse to his family. He also tries to find a way to chase his dream while keeping his family happy.

The immense creativity displayed by the Pixar team is evident throughout the film, as they build an incredible story that is relevant to the history of the Mexican people. The audience is easily able to connect with the characters and their emotions, making them feel as if they are playing a part in the movie.

Pixar is known for having some of the best animations, and this film is no different, with vibrant visuals in every scene. Pixar uses such tremendous animations that it is able to captivate the audience, which is sometimes

Infographic by Josh Leong Page design by Sean Senft

difficult for animated films. Some scenes use animations so high in caliber that it’s as if they are photorealistic.

Coco also benefits from being Pixar’s most musical film to date.

It is obvious that Pixar spent a lot of time in crafting its music and guitar work for the film, which allowed the movie to flow smoothly and methodically as a music score. Not only does the exceptional attention to music help the movie flow, but it also works to nicely complement the animation.

Most importantly, Coco is a fun watch, incorporating clever and well-thought-out jokes to keep the film moving at a good pace, making it even more enjoyable for the audience.

However, one of Coco’s flaws is its plot’s lack of originality. The film has a familiar theme: a child is chasing a dream but his family wants him to do something else with his life, and the kid has to find a balance between the two. Though this is a good message, it’s been done many times in past films, creating a rather familiar tone throughout the movie.

After recent disappointing Pixar films such as Cars 3 and The Good Dinosaur, the studio has rebounded nicely with this movie.

While Coco does not reach the heights of some of Pixar’s greats, it does give fans of the

Disney Pixar

studio a reason to be excited.

Coco also impressed in the box offices, making the most money of any film over Thanksgiving break. It’s enough to give fans even more faith that Pixar is officially out of its slump.

Coco is a smart and enduring piece of storytelling with a satisfyingly twisting narrative which keeps the audience engaged in the movie. Although the film is primarily intended for a younger audience, it is an excellent film for all ages and a great one to see as a family.

11 | A&E | DECEMBER

Holiday movie power rankings

142 Highlanders vote for their favorite Christmas flicks Comedy

Classic

42.3% Home Alone

40.2% It’s a Wonderful Life

38.7% Elf

27.5% White Christmas

12% A Christmas Story

24.6% Miracle on 34th Street

7% National Lampoon’s Xmas Vacation

7.7%

“Home Alone has all the elements of a classic comedy that’s fun for the entire family.”

Lauren Grobman, junior

“It’s a Wonderful Life combines all the best parts of Christmas movies: romance, family and nostalgia.”

Shelby Rose, senior

Animation

Meet Me in St. Louis

Romance

36.6% How the Grinch Stole Christmas

41.5% Love Actually

29.6% A Charlie Brown Christmas

25.4% The Holiday

18.3% Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

16.9% While You Were Sleeping

15.5% Frosty the Snowman

16.2% Just Friends The Holiday

“The Seuss-style animation and the songs make How the Grinch Stole Christmas so fun to watch!”

Cassi Creason, junior

“Love Actually is fantastic. It shows love in a variety of forms, from people who are struggling to some who Whileare You Were thriving, andSleeping Christmas brings them all together.”

Anna Kate Womack, senior

Action

Nick/Disney

47.2% Die Hard

32.4% Merry Christmas Drake & Josh

22.5% Gremlins

30.3% The Nightmare Before Christmas

19%

21.8% The Santa Clause

Krampus

11.3% Reindeer Games

15.5% Mickey’s Christmas Carol

“Die Hard has one of the best villains ever in Alan Rickman. At the ending you’re like, ‘Oh, right. This is happening during Christmas...and I feel the joy.’”

Phillip Reid, theater teacher

“Merry Christmas Drake & Josh has a great blend of humor and family, with a nice moral to the story and superb acting.”

Annie Przypyszny, senior

12 | A&E | DECEMBER

Reporting & page design by Anya Chen & Haley Rose

Give these gifts this holiday season Budget-friendly and minimal effort gift ideas Adult coloring book

Adult coloring books are a great idea for not only your artistic friend, but also for anyone looking to unwind. Find them online or at any craft store, like Michael’s.

Hand-decorated mug Decorate a white mug with a personalized message or an intricate design for the perfect gift for friends or family members.

Hot chocolate Mason jar

Use a Mason jar filled with hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows and crushed candy canes to build a unique gift that will put anyone in the holiday spirit.

Lollipop bouquet

Lollipops, a small flower pot and a Styrofoam ball: just three simple things can make a great personalized gift. The flower pot and Styrofoam ball can be found at a craft store.

Reporting, photo & page design by Sabrina Vazquez & Anna Grace Hopkins

Treat tumbler

A cute cup full of small goodies such as nail polish, candies and gift cards is a quick and easy gift anyone would love.

Experience gift

Give a gift that creates new memories like tickets to a sporting event or that new movie you’ve been wanting to see, or even going ice skating at your local rink.

DECEMBER | A&E | 13

IN-DEPTH

BREAKING THE

SILENCE.

#METOO MOVEMENT ENCOURAGES SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIMS TO SPEAK OUT 14 | IN-DEPTH | DECEMBER

|MAREN KRANKING DESIGN/FEATURES EDITOR & MARIA McHUGO NEWS EDITOR|

“ J

He said, ‘Why aren’t you into this?’

I told him, ‘I don’t want to be.’

But he continued.”

ane* is a student at McLean and a victim of sexual harassment. When she and her friends arrived at another student’s home on a Friday night, she was not asking for it.

“The person whose house it was I had never met before, but I knew one of the people there. And these people seemed really nice,” Jane said. “So my friends and I decided that we’d stay longer than we had originally intended.”

The group had been drinking throughout the night, but Jane was accustomed to this type of setting. As Jane and her friends were asked to follow the boys downstairs, the girls obliged, seeing no reason to mistrust their company.

“I was just dancing with [John*] and I wasn’t thinking. Again, I didn’t think there was any malicious intention... It was just stupid dancing,” Jane said. “[However,] from that point on, it was clear that there was some sort of intention that I hadn’t planned for.”

At the time, John was another student at McLean.

Being physically much larger than Jane, it was not difficult for John’s intentions to materialize into something more, despite their interactions being onesided.

“He pulled me to his chair and he sat me on his lap.

When I would try to stand up, he would pull me back to him, and this was just the beginning of it,” Jane said.

“There was nothing holding us together and we were just friends. I had never given any sign that I wanted to have any relation to him or any type of attraction that extended beyond friendship.”

Jane’s friend, Sarah*, noticed John’s sudden attraction to her friend and attempted to prevent Jane from getting involved in something she clearly didn’t want.

“I was there when it happened, and at the moment when I started to see what was happening I tried to stop it,” Sarah said. “I went over and talked to all of his friends, and I was like, ‘Is there any chance you guys could talk to him and make him stop? Because I don’t think he’d listen to me, but I think he would listen to you.’”

John paid no attention to the others. With alcohol in her system and at a distinct physical disadvantage, Jane found herself unable to effectively resist John when he acted further on his intentions.

“He picked me up—he physically picked me up—[and] he asked me to go into a room. I don’t remember what I said, but it wasn’t, ‘Let’s go!’ It wasn’t

an affirmation of his intentions,” Jane said. “[But] he picked me up and he brought me into a room that was right there. He carried me—it wasn’t him pulling me. I wasn’t doing any voluntary work.”

Once John brought Jane to a secluded room, she saw no means of halting his approaches.

“I remember I wasn’t making any advances. I wasn’t imposing any interaction on him. I was just laying there,” Jane said. “He started kissing me and I wasn’t really responding, and I remember he said something to me... He said, ‘Why aren’t you into this?’ I told him, ‘I don’t want to be.’ But he continued.”

Jane recounts that nearly 15 minutes had passed before one of the other boys interrupted, alerting them that a parent had come home and that they would need to leave the house.

“John picked me up again and carried me outside of the house to his car... I had said that it was not okay, I had said that I didn’t want to, but when it’s being imposed on you, you have no control over what’s happening,” Jane said. “We were in the car [and] the same thing was continuing.”

John’s treatment of Jane had far surpassed what she was comfortable with.

“This was not what I wanted to happen. This was not supposed to happen. I knew this person—I thought I knew this person—and now they were violating me in a way that’s... not friendship, that’s aggression,” Jane said.

Banging on the window of John’s car, Sarah put an end to the incident and took Jane from the car, claiming that her parents would be expecting them home soon.

“I saw what was happening when I looked in the window of the car... I immediately banged on the window and told them to stop and come outside,” Sarah said.

The impact of this assault exceeded the physical realities of that night. The experiences and the emotions did not cease once the incident was over.

#MeToo Movement

It is actions like those imposed upon Jane that have contributed to recent talk of sexual harassment, especially in light of the advancement of the global #MeToo movement. In the wake of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the media has erupted with discussion of sexual harassment. On Oct. 15, when the initial accounts of Weinstein’s actions

*Names have been changed to protect these students’ anonymity due to the sensitive nature of their stories.

The cover/left photo model is junior Ella Sangree, who is in no other way affiliated with the content of the article.

DECEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 15

were published, actress Alyssa Milano posted the first tweet of millions encouraging others to speak out and recognize acts of sexual harassment, using the hashtag #MeToo as a vehicle for change.

Since then, over one million men and women worldwide have used the hashtag to voice their experiences and abhorrence of sexual harassment, a demographic spanning over 85 countries. A multitude of other prominent men have been accused of sexual harassment, from Matt Lauer of The Today Show to Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey. It has even taken root within the McLean community. Social studies teacher Cynthia Hawkins, who posted on social media about the #MeToo movement, recognizes the significance of the campaign.

“There are certain times that are right for reform and the ability to reform,” Hawkins said. “And I think now people are...vocal. They feel as if they have the ability, that it’s important to be heard, and then there are a lot more people using social media.”

Hawkins received a number of surprised comments on her posts.

“I have friends, male friends, who commented on my posts that didn’t even realize the number of educated, successful women that were posting [#MeToo]. They were blown away,” Hawkins said.

Nonetheless, the #MeToo campaign has factors that can be counterintuitive for the process of discouraging sexual harassment.

Math teacher Crissie Ricketts acknowledges that the ease of posting online, rather than actual confrontation, can dilute the meaning of a statement.

“I was coming of age in the ‘90s... I think that [without social media], things got swept under the rug so easily because there was no way to communicate it. The only way to communicate [sexual harassment] was to, in person, go up to another person and say, ‘This is what just happened...’ [It’s] much easier to tweet ‘Me too,’” Ricketts said. “Frankly, saying something online is a lot easier than having the conversation in person.”

Still, Ricketts affirms that the campaign can have a positive impact on the reduction of sexual harassment.

“People say things online that you would never say in person...

But [the #MeToo movement] seems to have turned that into a good thing,” Ricketts said. “It’s causing more people to speak up than had spoken up before. [It’s] bringing awareness to inappropriate behavior.”

Awareness is a necessity in any movement for societal change

656 FCPS STUDENTS REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE SEXUALLY HARASSED SOMEONE ELSE AT LEAST ONCE IN THE LAST YEAR

12.4%

OF STUDENTS HAVE WITNESSED SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY ANOTHER STUDENT, FACULTY MEMBER OR THIRD PARTY

and it will be vital to reducing the prevalence of sexual harassment.

Nonetheless, that awareness seems to be lacking not only on a global level, but in FCPS and McLean specifically—a factor which furthers the physical and emotional implications for those involved in instances of sexual harassment.

Sexual Harassment at McLean

“I woke up the next morning and I remember I was disgusted,” Jane said. “Prior to this, I hadn’t been in that kind of scenario ever.

I had never been in a situation where I didn’t consent to anything that was being done, so having it happen...at the time, it wasn’t a reflection on the person who had done it to me—it was a reflection on myself.”

No experience of sexual harassment can be compared to another, but they each have significant consequences. The incidents of that Friday night had drastic implications for Jane’s self-image—the most appalling piece of her experience being John’s lack of responsibility for his actions.

“That was harassment. And thinking that nothing was wrong with that, and nothing was wrong with his intentions in doing that, is disgusting,” Jane said. “When I reflect on my sophomore year of high school, that’s what I think about. I think about being violated in that way and having not only my reputation but my own opinion of myself damaged because of this one person.”

Being an affluent area, it may be the expectation that FCPS students are educated on the tenets of sexual harassment and should be immune from its impacts.

“It’s just part of discussion—our normal discussion here is that you don’t treat people differently based on their gender, or their religious affiliation or their race, and that’s what this really gets to,” Ricketts said. “Northern Virginia—if you look at the political landscape, if you look at the polls—is just a very accepting and educated area.”

Meanwhile, results of the 2016-2017 Fairfax County Youth Survey show that nearly one in eight FCPS students had reported being sexually harassed in the past year. Furthermore, merely onefourth of FCPS students strongly agreed that they would feel comfortable reporting sexual discrimination or sexual harassment

OF STUDENTS DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE 19.2% REPORTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT TO SCHOOL

APPROXIMATELY

1 8

FACULTY OR STAFF OF THESE STUDENTS: 39.7% ARE MORE COMFORTABLE HANDLING THE SITUATION ALONE NOT THINK THE 22.1 % DO REPORT WOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY ARE 36.2% TOO EMBARRASSED TO DISCUSS IT WITH AN ADULT

IN

FCPS STUDENTS HAVE BEEN

SEXUALLY HARASSED Information obtained from the 2016-2017 Fairfax County Youth Survey

16 | IN-DEPTH | DECEMBER

Photo by Maria McHugo Page design by Maren Kranking & Maria McHugo

to an FCPS faculty or staff member. McLean social worker Marly Jerome-Featherson attributes these numbers to a lack of awareness regarding sexual harassment.

“What’s unfortunate is that some girls won’t even know when they are being sexually harassed. I’ve had girls come into my office and talk to me about things that were done to them and they did not understand that it was [sexual harassment]... They didn’t invite the behaviors. It happened and they...tolerated it,” Jerome-Featherson said. “I think we need to talk about it. I think we need to educate.”

“

to the youth survey, instances of sexual harassment increased with grade level: 10.2 percent of eighth grade students reported harassment as compared to 15.8 percent of 12th graders. The GLC is aware of this figure and is actively working to educate students as early as possible to reduce the likelihood of sexual harassment.

“We are, as a committee, looking at going to Longfellow and talking to middle school students,” Hall said. “We know this isn’t a problem that starts in high school. We know it’s something that starts at a much younger age.”

WHEN I REFLECT ON MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, THAT’S WHAT I THINK ABOUT. I THINK ABOUT BEING VIOLATED IN THAT WAY AND HAVING NOT ONLY MY REPUTATION BUT MY OWN OPINION OF MYSELF DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THIS ONE PERSON.”

Jerome-Featherson believes students should understand the definition of sexual harassment, which does not only entail a physical encounter.

“Any type of inappropriate sexual comment or behavior that is unwanted by the other party—whether it’s a statement or physical touch that is unwanted—I would consider sexual harassment," Jerome-Featherson said.

In addition to a lack of education regarding sexual harassment, Jerome-Featherson connects the prevalence of the issue to limited empowerment of its victims.

“It bothers me that not all girls are able to feel confident enough to say, ‘I didn’t ask for this, please stop,’” Jerome-Featherson said. “I think that’s really where we need to start: to empower women to take pride in their bodies and to [help them] understand when they are being violated.”

Many resources are available to McLean students to support victims of sexual harassment, including social worker Jerome-Featherson and the school counselors and psychologist. However, some students feel that not enough effort is applied to reduce sexual harassment.

According to the youth survey, 22 percent of students didn't think their reports of sexual harassment would be taken seriously by their school.

“McLean doesn’t do anything about [sexual harassment]. But there’s not one specific step you can take to stop it,” junior Sami Schneider said.

Consequently, students and groups at McLean have gotten involved in the effort to minimize sexual harassment in the community. Of those, the Girls Leadership Committee (GLC) has taken steps to address the issue.

“One of the goals of the GLC is to reduce harassment as well as create a network of support between girls at McLean High School and in the community,” said senior Ellie Hall, co-president of the GLC. “[The club envisions a community] where people stand up for each other and where people do know that there’s a way that you can report instances of harassment, and you can get help.”

Sexual harassment is not an issue that only affects high schoolers in FCPS, although it is most prevalent within that age group. According

Groups like the GLC play a significant role in decreasing the prevalence of sexual harassment in the community, but the issue cannot be resolved by the intervention of clubs alone.

The Larger Issue

The #MeToo movement and the efforts of groups within the McLean community will raise public consciousness of sexual harassment, yet sexual harassment remains a global issue that will require more enduring changes for a resolution. The number of people impacted by sexual harassment is a number that cannot be relieved by these efforts.

“The thing about the #MeToo movement that is crazy is that every single person was like, ‘Me too, me too, me too, me too,’” Hawkins said. “And [what I posted] was, ‘Do you seriously think there’s any female on Earth that has not been a subject, in some way, on some level, of being treated differently because they were female, because of appearance?’”

The elimination of sexual harassment will not be a quick process, but the McLean community must acknowledge its role in the larger societal issue in order to make greater progress.

“This is 2017, and we are not in the dark ages when we don’t talk about it,” Jerome-Featherson said. “We need to find our voice and speak up.”

The McLean community must recognize the impact of sexual harassment on the lives of those like Jane and 3,600 other FCPS students annually.

“The things he was doing, they’re not conquests, they’re not feats, they’re not achievements,” Jane said. “They’re violations.”

If you or a friend would like to talk to someone about sexual harassment, the school counselors, psychologist and social worker are available.

The FCPS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline is

(703) 360-7273.

DECEMBER | IN-DEPTH | 17

Star Wars Battlefront II stays on target Sequel improves on its predecessor at a major cost

Shock From Endor — Inferno Squad watches the second Death Star explode. The characters Del Meeko, Gideon Hask and Iden Versio appear in the campaign of the game. (Screenshot by Ross Oliver) |ROSS OLIVER REPORTER|

F

ast-paced battles throughout the galaxy are what Star Wars Battlefront II is all about. Developed by EA DICE, the sequel to Star Wars Battlefront is available on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC. It is an action shooter game combining a single player campaign and multiplayer action from across all eras of the Star Wars saga.

The campaign is a welcomed part of the game and a step up from its predecessor.

It focuses on the Empire’s Inferno Squad and its commander, Iden Versio, and aims to bridge the 30-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Despite covering decades of time, the campaign only lasts around five hours, frequently skipping several years.

The Inferno Squad and the supporting characters are memorable and voiced well, but the story is predictable with barely any twists and turns. The gameplay is interesting for the first hour but quickly gets repetitive, since all it does is have the player go up against hordes of enemies with zero variety.

The multiplayer mode has gone through a complete overhaul from the original, creating a new class-based system that’s reminiscent of the Battlefield series. There are four distinct classes: the heavy, the assault, the officer and the specialist. Another new multiplayer feature is the in-game point system, where the players earn credits based on their ingame performance and use them to buy certain vehicles and heroes. This means Graphic by Josh Leong Page design by Ross Oliver

skilled players will be able to play as far more powerful and famous heroes, creating a balanced experience.

However, the problem that holds the multiplayer back is the loot box system, which is tied to the players’ progression in the game. To get more upgraded abilities for a class, players have to open loot boxes with either the in-game currency or real life money.

These loot boxes are completely random, so a player may end up getting an ability that is essential to another class but useless to them.

While players can craft the star cards they want, the only way to get the crafting parts is through the loot boxes, which are scarce.

This causes a pay-to-win issue, where the most affluent players buy loot boxes to speed up their progress, leaving those who grind for hours completely in the dust.

Recently, EA DICE announced they will temporarily remove the ability to purchase loot boxes from the game, thus eliminating the pay-to-win aspect. This, however, ended up exposing a huge flaw of the progression system for each class. It takes around an hour to earn enough of the in-game currency just to get the cheapest loot box, which only gives three random star cards.

Another drawback in the game revolves around the heroes, like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, who are locked until the player earns enough credits to buy them. At first, the heroes cost so many credits that it would take at least 40 hours of multiplayer, not counting challenges that give credits, just to unlock one of them.

EA DICE responded to a complaint about the heroes on a Reddit forum, explaining that they wanted to give the player a sense of pride and accomplishment when they unlock a hero. This ended up backfiring on them, as it quickly became the most down-voted comment on Reddit ever.

The negative response spurred the developers to update the game so it would take just around 10 hours to unlock a hero.

While this is a step up, it still doesn’t mask the fact that the original system was put in deliberately to make the player purchase these loot boxes to bypass the significant amount of time needed to unlock these heroes.

Star Wars Battlefront II brings a number of changes from its predecessor, but not all of them turn out to be good. The reworked multiplayer and new campaign are nice additions, but the loot box system drags it all down. This game has taken two steps forward, but one step back.

DECEMBER | A&E | 19

OPINIONS

Teachers should coordinate curriculums

Students face unfair disadvantages as a result of random assignment The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

I

n subject areas with a focus on obtaining factual knowledge like history or science, there are strict county and state standards, making it difficult for there to be variability in course assignments or materials.

However, subjects like English or foreign languages have flexible curriculums due to broad standards of learning. They also leave room for subjectivity in grading criteria. This can become problematic for students, as a difference in grading standards can at times be unfairly advantageous or disadvantageous.

A course requirement for a 9th grade English class in FCPS may be, “students must have read Romeo and Juliet,” or “students must know how to construct a thesis statement.”

In a chemistry class, however, a requirement may be, “students must be able to correctly use and apply the ideal gas law with an understanding of Avogadro’s constant.”

Though both courses have standards of learning, that of chemistry is much more specific and restrained than that of English. “[The standards of learning] are not specific enough in some cases. It’s too looseygoosey. There’s a lack of clarity about what we are supposed to be focusing on,” English department chair Susan Copsey said. “For example, English 12 has traditionally been a course that’s just so broad. ‘British literature and the literature of other cultures’—I mean, that basically means we can teach anything.”

Although students are aware that different teachers may have their own unique teaching styles, when students sign up for the same course, they generally expect to receive the same education, including the standards by

20 | OPINIONS | DECEMBER

which they are to be graded.

“I agree it’s fairly difficult to maintain the same curriculum throughout all the classes, but it’s still unfair. Based on my experience, a student’s grade fluctuates solely based on the teacher,” senior Joy Kim said.

A common argument against a uniform curriculum is that teachers should be able to choose what they wish to teach their students based on what they believe is most important to their education.

“If someone is telling me what to teach every single day, then that kills the joy of teaching,” Copsey said.

According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, “When a [teacher] becomes involved in planning the curriculum for the students he is to teach, he has a personal stake in the matter and usually does a better job of teaching.”

Although this is a valid statement, it only truly holds under the assumption that students are placed in a setting where they are learning for the sake of learning. In the modern world—and especially in McLean— where competition is fiercer than ever, education has become a requirement.

Today, students are merely represented

by grades and numerical scores in order to differentiate between the academically skilled and lacking. If there is no set standard, the purpose of a grade will have been defeated.

In order for there to be a comparison, there must be controls.

These controls must stem from a uniform curriculum and a common grading standard that can be used across all classes of the same course. For the sake of fairness, every student should be evaluated using the same guidelines for the same assignments and assessments.

The English department has made considerable strides toward providing students a more equitable high school experience.

“Five years ago, teachers would go in [their] rooms, shut the door and do their own darn thing. You would see such a wide disparity,” Copsey said. “[Now], the movement toward the Professional Learning Community model has eliminated many of [those discrepancies].”

It is reasonable to infer that a completely uniform curriculum will not ever be feasible.

However, so long as academic competition remains a driving force for education, teachers must endeavor to approach a common, coordinated curriculum.

Reporting & page design by Jane Lee Graphics by Dasha Makarishcheva & Josh Leong

Headphones should not be permitted in classrooms Listening to music decreases student productivity

should not be in the ears of students during | ROHAN MANI REPORTER | class.

“If they are in a classroom setting, then n ideal school environment would be the expectation for us is that the earbuds are one in which peace and quiet allows for not in the ear and that they are focused on productive work. Unfortunately, headphones their learning,” Stavish said. “As we get into are not a part of this equation, even though the world of multitasking, we as people think some students may convince themselves that we can handle everything at once. But our listening to music during work helps them brains are not wired to handle everything. concentrate.

That is why in class and for learning purposes, But how do they really help? Does blasting we should focus on one thing.” music through your headphones help solve It is understandable that not all homework mathematical equations? Does listening to requires such critical thinking skills. In this the latest Kendrick Lamar song help figure case, listening to music at one’s house for easy out the impact of the Silk Road on trade? independent work is acceptable. However, In reality, it is one’s brain that allows for this is where the relationship between music cognition. Headphones are an unnecessary and schoolwork should end. luxury in the classroom.

Wearing headphones also creates a In the hallways? No problem with that. disconnect in communication between During lunch or Highlander Time? Not an two people. The informality of having two issue. But when the bell rings and class starts, earbuds in place while talking to a teacher, headphones should be kept away unless administrator or fellow student can appear the teacher believes they are necessary for disrespectful. learning.

Biology teacher Catherine Hott thinks In fact, listening to music has been linked that the ability to listen to music without with a decreased ability to focus. The Wall getting distracted depends on the student Street Journal cites a 2012 study of 102 and type of music. However, a reliance on college students from Taiwan that linked music while attempting to complete work listening to music with lyrics to lower scores leads to trouble when music is not permitted. on concentration tests.

“If a student is always using music during Assistant Principal Kate Stavish said that, work, it can be hard to transition to a testunless specifically instructed, headphones taking environment,” Hott said. “Students

A

Page design by Rohan Mani Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

should study in the same way they would prepare for a test.”

Students believe that music with lyrics can help them focus better and improve their scores on assignments. Sophomore Roy Jonkers feels that music can often create a relaxing atmosphere while doing work.

“Overall, headphones are very useful during class as they can help you get through the lesson,” Jonkers said.

However, if a student is simply trying to get through the lesson, it indicates that they should be putting more effort into understanding the concept. Listening to music does not fulfill this expectation.

Additionally, a high school student may not necessarily realize when their productivity is being harmed by the use of headphones. A student cannot count on themselves to stop listening to music if they get distracted.

At the end of the day, there is simply no need for headphones in the classroom. The classroom is a place for learning and engaging with class content and fellow students—not for blasting the latest Taylor Swift album.

Headphones provide a distraction and lead to lackluster communication between peers.

Therefore, they should not be permitted unless otherwise specified by the teacher of the class.

After all, getting a good grade is more hype than any Kanye album could be.

DECEMBER | OPINIONS | 21

CROSSFIRE:

SIS encourages students to be more efficient |ANNA BRYKCZYNSKI REPORTER

T

o excel in school, students need to understand where they stand within their classes. As technology increasingly becomes incorporated into the lives of Americans, it is only logical that students rely on an online forum to follow their grades.

SIS, the Student Information System, is an incredible headway in education.

Not long ago, students could only track their academic development at the arrival of interims and report cards. As long as an online server is available, students’ grades are constantly accessible. This provides students with assurance that their grades are what they expect them to be and allows them to act quickly to improve their grades right at the moment they falter.

“We didn’t have full access to our grades.

We only saw our grades at interims or at the end of the quarter, so what grades we had in between then, we didn’t really know,” English teacher Bridget Donoghue said.

Without the constant assurance SIS offers, students would lose the opportunity to recover their grades before the final report. Unless students repeatedly ask their teachers about their grades—an act that could be considered vexatious by teachers when coming from numerous students— they would wander through the majority of the year oblivious to their final marks. The assurance that SIS supplies is what makes it so appealing.

22 | OPINIONS | DECEMBER

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While the perpetual act of logging into SIS may seem obsessive, it provides a sense of security to students, who constantly seek to manage the erratic nature of teenage life.

“I check SIS at least once a day because my teachers are constantly updating my grades,” said junior Ella Sangree, who is currently taking five AP classes.

“My grades fluctuate a lot because of all the assignments I’m doing. SIS is really helpful for me to keep track of how I’m doing in my classes.”

-junior Ella Sangree Because of the efficiency of SIS, students can view how an assignment or assessment affects their class grade immediately after the teacher uploads the grade. If an assignment lowers a class grade, students have time to find ways in which they may improve.

The system also eliminates the majority of stress revolving around interims, the last week of the quarter, and the possible shock of final grades. By knowing what their grades are, students have no excuses to be unproductive.

“My grades fluctuate a lot because of all the assignments I’m doing. SIS is really

helpful for me to keep track of how I’m doing in my classes,” Sangree said. “It’s definitely beneficial for me because if I didn’t know what my grades were, it would be a lot more stressful.”

Since SIS offers a student’s grades upfront, they can see what classes they’re thriving in, as well as those they need to improve in. The competitive nature that McLean holds can be overwhelming, and losing academic focus can be easy. To prevent distraction, students need to know what they’re dealing with.

Along with the benefit of having their grades readily available, students who miss school can be aware of the in-class assignments they missed.

“SIS helps me be organized and know if I wasn’t there for a day what I have to make up,” sophomore Erin Ellington said.

The benefits SIS offers are unrivaled.

SIS provides efficiency and structure to a student’s high school career. Without SIS, students would face unawareness and anxiety toward grades and a constant fear of the unknown. Only having interim reports puts students in a position where they are unable to see their grades willingly, and are forced to anxiously wait.

SIS is set up to reward and comfort those who thrive academically and to motivate and warn those who slack. Its use of technology to portray the feeling of responsibility and independence is unique, and it should be recognized and valued for the resource it is.

Survey of 100 students Page design by Jessie Friedman

Is the Student Information System (SIS) beneficial or detrimental to students?

SIS contributes to stress culture at McLean |JESSIE FRIEDMAN OPINIONS EDITOR

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ixation on letter grades has always been a staple of McLean culture, but the easy access to grades provided by SIS has escalated this obsession further.

SIS, or the Student Information System, is a quick and easy way for students to check their grades. The system is accessible on all portable devices, so many students have become addicted to refreshing their screens, eagerly awaiting the input of new grades.

The easy access to SIS has contributed to the culture of stress at McLean, as students are obsessing over their grades more than ever before.

“This is McLean—of course [my students] pester me. It’s what they do. They breathe oxygen, they eat, sleep, go to the bathroom and complain about grades.”

-physics teacher Dean Howarth Junior Neha Rana has experienced this compulsion firsthand.

“I check it obsessively so I stress out quite a bit,” Rana said. “All in all, I’ve checked it upwards of 400 times since the beginning of this school year.”

Physics teacher Dean Howarth agrees that SIS facilitates McLean students’ preoccupation with grades.

“I think our maniacal infatuation with getting grades is what causes the problem.

SIS just makes it available. It’s kind of like a crack pipe for junkies. It’s not the pipe, it’s the crack, and the crack part is everybody’s desperate to get [good grades],” Howarth said. “[Students think], ‘If I get an A-minus, I’m never going to get into college.’ That’s the problem.”

Graphic by Josh Leong Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva

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SIS also puts pressure on teachers, as students constantly badger them about their grades.

“This is McLean—of course [my students] pester me. It’s what they do. They breathe oxygen, they eat, sleep, go to the bathroom and complain about grades,” Howarth said.

AP Government long-term substitute teacher Angela Oliver, who has only been at McLean for a matter of a couple months, has also encountered this problem. “[Students should] allow for more time for teachers to actually input the grades, because grading essays takes a long time and the parent and the child shouldn’t expect a 24-hour turnaround,” Oliver said. “Allow for a little bit more flexibility for the teacher.

They don’t have to check their grade every day. They don’t have to check the teacher every day.”

Although the concept of being able to view what’s missing is beneficial, the system could be modified to be more helpful for students.

“I think SIS can be improved in a way that it alerts the kids when things are just missing, so that they don’t get all upset and nervous about what their grade is, but they actually know what’s missing and can get it turned in,” Oliver said.

In this way, monthly or bimonthly grade reports would be beneficial.

Students would be able to view what they are missing and get it turned in without having constant access and stress about their grades.

This mania over SIS signifies a greater problem at McLean: putting a focus on letter grades as opposed to becoming more knowledgeable, educated people.

“I believe if a kid is very focused on what the grade is, they’re not focusing in on what they’re supposed to be learning and how to apply those applications in the real world,” Oliver said.

Howarth agrees that the underlying problem is students’ obsession with their grades.

“Our greater problem is when are we going to stop worshipping the false idol that is your grade point average and allow your grades to be a byproduct of what you’re learning,” Howarth said.

With pressure on students escalating, the constant access to grades only worsens the culture of stress at McLean. The purpose of school is not to get good grades, but SIS only fortifies this misconception. Until SIS is modified, unhealthy stress and grade obsession will continue to permeate the halls and classrooms of McLean.

DECEMBER | OPINIONS | 23

SPORTS McLean honors past greats Highlander legends inducted into Hall of Fame |JACKSON PAYNE MANAGING EDITOR|

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t halftime of the varsity football game against Langley on Nov. 3, the McLean Athletic Hall of Fame inducted its fourth class to be enshrined forever in the halls of the school. The Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in 2011, honors a new group of past Highlander stars every two years to coincide with the biennial home football finale against Langley. More information about the five new members of the Hall can be found below.

Photos courtesy of the McLean Athletic Hall of Fame

Scott Davis (‘88):

Fred Priester (coach ‘84-‘94):

Richard Showalter (‘64): Richard Showalter was a prolific scorer on the basketball court, holding McLean’s all-time single season scoring average record in 1963-64 with 23.4 points per game.

“Sharky” would go on to break seven different McLean basketball records, earn a 1964 All-State selection and continue his basketball and baseball careers at Randolph-Macon College. Last year, Showalter returned to McLean for the first time in over 50 years to speak to the freshman boys basketball team.

With 130 wins, Fred Priester is the all-time winningest basketball coach at McLean, having rebuilt the formerly dormant girls basketball program into a respected contender over nine years. Priester coached five Division I college players at McLean and ranks second all-time in the state of Virginia with 674 career wins between McLean and Oakton. Priester was named the Washington Post Coach of the Year in 2009 and led Oakton to a perfect 31-0 record and state title in 2012.

Page design by Bryan Chung

Barbara King (‘91): Barbara King was awarded McLean’s Most Outstanding Female Athlete award in both 1990 and 1991 for her all-around success in field hockey, basketball and soccer. King’s field hockey accolades include a Washington Post first team All-Met selection in 1990 and two first team selections for both all-district and all-region in 1989 and 1990. King also led the Highlander field hockey team to a 1989 Great Falls district title and was named the Most Valuable Player and regional All-American at the University of Virginia.

Scott Davis was an alltime soccer great at McLean known for his smooth playmaking ability. Davis received team MVP honors three times, first team All-Met in 1988, three first-team all-district selections, two first team all-region selections, an all-state selection in 1988 and led the Highlanders to the Great Falls district title that same year. On the football field, Davis was one of the area’s top kickers in 1987 before continuing his soccer career in college as a four-year starter at James Madison University, leading the Dukes to 63-13-5 record and the 1989 NCAA men’s soccer tournament.

Robin Lombard (‘78): Robin Lombard was one of the most dominant basketball players in McLean history, starting on varsity all four years and leading McLean to three straight Great Falls district titles from 19761978. Lombard earned three first team all-district selections and a 1978 first team all-region selection.

In addition to four years on varsity softball and two on field hockey, Lombard continued her basketball career at Penn State from 1978-82 as a two-time captain. Penn State gives a girls basketball award in her name each year for the player who “exemplifies the true spirit of Lady Lion basketball.”

DECEMBER | SPORTS | 25

Testing the

WATERS

A dive into MSD’s 2017-18 season

|RYAN DAHLSEID & JULIA McELLIGOTT REPORTERS|

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Flipping the Script —

Freshman Manuel Borowski, doing a oneand-a-half somersault pike, is expected to lead the dive team this season.

Borowski is a member of the USA Diving Junior National Squad. (Photo composite by Ryan Dahlseid)

resh off a season where boys placed sixth and girls placed ninth at states, McLean’s swim and dive team is looking forward to another successful year. However, after losing 30 graduating seniors, they will have to depend on their rising stars and standout returners.

“Senior Sinead Eksteen was the AllMetropolitan swimmer of the year last year as a junior, so I’m anticipating she will have another good year,” swim coach Kyle Drake said.

A key aspect to the team’s development is the teammate-selected captains. These athletes must demonstrate their dedication as well as leadership to keep the younger team members involved and facilitate their growth.

“I try to leave [leadership] up to my captains. All the captains are seniors, and they have the experience of what it’s been like to be an underclassmen on the team,” Drake said.

Senior Anno Kong, a primary swimmer on the team since his freshman year, is one of the team’s captains and enjoys getting the underclassmen involved in the overall chemistry.

“As a captain, I try to build team morale, be the ‘fun captain’ and encourage people to do their best,” Kong said.

Along with strong returning seniors who are looking to dominate the lanes, many talented underclassmen are planning to make notable starts.

“Skylar Sunderhauf, as well as Valentina Knapp, have been working hard and are looking pretty good,” Drake said. “J.J. Rieger has shown a lot of hard work and dedication in practice, as well as Philip Olander.”

The dive team looks to make a deep postseason run, adding freshman Manuel Borowski, who dives at the national level, to an already solid foundation of returners.

“Manny is coming in as a nationally ranked age group diver. I am anticipating that he’s going to have a really good season,” Drake said.

Borowski has already competed at the highest levels of

26 | SPORTS | DECEMBER

the sport for his age. He was selected for the USA Diving Junior National Squad, a program aimed at putting young athletes on track to compete at the Olympic level.

“This year, I would like to be in the top five at states and I would like to contribute as many points as I can to my team,” Borowski said.

The coach has high expectations for the season.

“I know there are some individuals that are going to have really good seasons, and we expect the team to be competitive,” Drake said.

When they are not in the pool, athletes on the team strive to maintain a tight-knit atmosphere, a mentality they take pride in.

“What really makes our team a family is the little things, like cheers before meets, standing at the edge of the lanes during races and of course the Silver Diner team dinners,” senior captain Anna Sargent said. “That’s where we all get to relax after a hard meet and really just have a good time.”

Page design by Bryan Chung

z e p o L w e r d n A ue s s I e h t f o e t e l

Ath

enior Grade: S sketball Sport: Ba Guard Shooting : n io it s o P

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

Dan Keating. He’s the one that started my basketball career. He was my first organized basketball coach and he really pushed me to be the best player I could be. He also started the travel team and I was part of that.

How has basketball helped you in other aspects of your life?

[It] helped me get to know a lot of people and branch out. I’ve been involved in more clubs and activities because of that, and even broadcast journalism—I would have never done that.

How long have you been playing basketball?

I have been playing since seventh grade, so like six years now.

Are you planning on playing in college?

No, [I] wasn’t competitive enough for playing in college and would rather go to a bigger name school.

How did you start playing basketball?

In seventh grade, I’d never played basketball in my life before, and I met my friend Conor [Zeya]. He introduced me to afterschool basketball at Longfellow and after the first meeting, I just fell in love instantly.

What has been your favorite memory from McLean basketball?

My sophomore year against Langley at their house and dropping 21 points. It was my favorite—my best and worst moments— because at the second half, I had 21 points and I kept making threes, but in the beginning of the third quarter, I fouled out, so it ended for me.

What is your favorite part about playing basketball?

Playing on a team and shooting. I really like [that] it’s like a family you have in a season and it’s just connecting with them.

When you get on the court, it’s just so much more fun when you play with each other, and it’s like playing with your friends.

Do you have any superstitions or traditions before a big game?

Music and I guess handshakes with my teammates. Silly handshakes that we have.

P (2015-16)

st Improved (2 o M : s Accolade

r Varsity MV 014-15), Junio

Reporting by Emma Johnson Photo & page design by Bryan Chung

DECEMBER | SPORTS | 27

THE

FINISH LINE Highlander athletes answer tough questions

OLIVIA BROWER FRESHMAN SWIM

TARA STEWART SOPHOMORE GYMNASTICS

What’s your favorite Disney movie?

EVAN STOUT JUNIOR BASKETBALL

ETHAN STEEL SENIOR INDOOR TRACK

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be?

Moana

Travel anywhere in the world in half an hour

Beauty and the Beast

World peace

Pocahontas

To see a Browns Super Bowl

The Lion King

Where would you like to be in five years?

Get into my #1 college

What’s your favorite seasonal treat?

Swimming in college at Virginia Tech

Peppermint bark

Physical therapy in athletic training

Apple pie

What are your favorite Working as an athletic trainer

Gingerbread cookies

Exploring the world after graduation

Gingerbread men

28 | SPORTS | DECEMBER

Page design by Bryan Chung Photos & reporting by Michael Redding

Ben Mitzelfeld

Tory Yoon

Niklas Stefansson Linus Stroik

Yaz Aloul

Dylan Phipps

McLean Hockey Varsity Schedule

Date

Team Activity

Varsity & JV Roster

Time

Location

12/15/17 Varsity vs. Broad Run

9:10

Ashburn

01/12/18 Varsity vs. O’Connell

7:55

Reston

01/19/18

Varsity vs. Madison

7:55

Reston

01/26/18 Varsity vs. Freedom

9:40

Reston

02/02/18 Varsity vs. Flint Hill

9:40

Reston

02/11/18 Varsity vs. Riverside

8:10

Ashburn

Photos by Kent Arnold & Kathryn Pasternak

Yaz Aloul Garrett Bain Kelly DeMatties Chris Gray Benji Harris Trent Hay Drew Hecker Emma Johnson Miranda Johnson Chase Joyner Scott Klein Ian McCormack Ben Mitzelfeld Jacob Paikin

Dylan Phipps Matt Regan Charlie Roth-Douquet Steven Song Ethan Spencer Niklas Stefansson Henry Stevens Linus Stroik Milo Stroik Evan Tierney Aidan Todorov Max Volkov Tory Yoon

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