Issue 1

current

Kelly MicKey

the

Thomas A. Edison High School

Thomas Edison High School • Volume 51• Issue 1• 5801 Franconia Road • Alexandria, VA 22310 • October 30, 2014

the

current

what’s inside

NEWS:

New staff (4) Springfield Town Center Opening Day (6-7)

OPINIONS: Why Kids Cheat (9) Ferguson (10)

FEATURES:

Homecoming Spread (12-13) Seven days without complaining (15)

ARTS:

Guide to DC/Alexandria (18) Halloween Makeup Tutorial (19)

SPORTS: Fall Overview (22) Football Team Tackled by Tough Season (24)

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES:

The Current is a student-run publication serving the Thomas A. Edison High School community.

The Current Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Megan Grondine News Editors Kristen Samuelson Marjan Popal Opinions Editors Allie Harris Ryan Pinkney Features Editors Kelly MicKey Gaby Ruff Managing Editor Judy Beauvais

Sports Editor Will Dobson Online Editor Justin Askenazy Arts Editors Josephine Neulen Keishla Morales Creative Director Meg Mowery Principal Pamela Brumfield Advisor Kate McEnerney

Staff Writers & Photographers Austin Chavez Jennifer Miller Caitlin Murnane Mackenzie Nolan

Submissions Policy: The Current welcomes pieces by outside writers. Students must include name and year. Faculty and staff must include name, position, and department. All other submissions must include name and relationship to Edison (i.e. alumni, parent, etc.).

For information regarding placing an ad, please email kemcenerney@fcps.edu or megangrondine@gmail.com Year-long subscriptions are available for $20. Subscription forms may be ordered via email at kemcenerney@fcps.edu. Subscription forms may also be picked up in room C-215.

Letters to the Editor are always welcome and can be anonymously submitted to room C-215 or emailed to megangrondine@gmail.com

The Current is online! Visit www.thecurrentonline.org or use your smartphone to scan the QR code for exclusive stories and photos not in print!

With any general questions regarding The Current, please email kemcenerney@fcps.edu or megangrondine@gmail.com

Pakistan

1. At only 17, Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her outspoken advocacy on girls’ education (www.bbc.com)

The Current 3 World 2 4 October 2014 | The Current | 2

United States/Africa

2. Ebola’s emergence has caused severe panic among Americans, but a few cases have been diagnosed in the United States (www.cnn.com)

United States

1

3.Consumers discover that their iPhone 6’s are susceptible to bending (www.independent.com)

Central America

4.Thousands of immigrant children from Central America are entering the United States. They have been through traumatic experiences, struggling through rough weather as they enter a country that is reforming their immigration policies. (www.cnn.com)

Goodbye 4x4:

news

Students will experience a change in schedule begining in Sepetember 2015

Marjan Popal News Editor ired of the 4x4 schedule?

The scheduling committee has come to the decision that the 4x4 block schedule does not meet the needs of the students and a new agenda will be implemented in September 2015.

The committee analyzed SOL pass rates and graduation rates when making their final decisions.

“The committee came to the decision that this new embedded schedule will please the needs of Edison community,” said English teacher and schedule committee member Stacey Kiggins.

The committee is considering four schedules which either put Eagle Time every other day for 90 minutes OR every day for about 35 minutes.

The second choice would require a class that meets for between 50 minutes and an hour every day.

Some argue that there is no need to fix what is not broken.

“I don’t understand why they are changing something that’s not broken. The 4x4 suited us well,” said Hudha Marva Other believe the change will come naturally.

“I was getting used to the 4x4, but I think the new schedule will be easy to adjust to,” said junior Kieron Fontaine.

Teachers see students everyday for semester classes, Students can take 8 classes, leaving more room for electives.

Teachers will go from teaching six classes to teaching five on an embedded day.

This lessens the workload of students because they will have more time to be productive. “ I feel like this change will serve the needs of the people who need that extra day in between classes to do homework,” said Fontaine.

This new agenda will be beneficial to students because they will have extra eagle time to work on work.

“Students will be taking seven content classes, and the eighth block will be remediation and intervention time,” said Kiggins.

This will allow students to receive the extra help they need which will increase students progress in their studies.

International baccalaureate students will not experience a major change, but might have to take their Theory of Knowledge class after school. “The proposed 8x8 schedule won’t really affect full IB students because they are used to having an embedded schedule,” said senior Suzanah Zelaya.

There is no longer an extra elective course option to provide a cushion for course retakes or additional electives.

This new agenda will create positivity which will help students balance their heavy work loads.

The new schedule will take some time to adjust to, but the purpose behind it is to better serve the needs of the students.

Mackenzie Nolan staff writer itting at the head of the table, Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza answered the questions of seeking journalism students from all over the county. All of the students from a majority of the schools around Fairfax County who came to this meeting had a list of questions they were ready to ask Dr. Garza. Every school asked one question going around the table. A lot of topics were covered in the hour and a half that this meeting lasted.

One of the first topics that was discussed was overpopulation.

Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) is one of the fastest growing counties, growing by 17 students per day. “That is almost a classroom per day,” Garza points out. “That’s about 134-139 classrooms per year and we’re only able to add about 74 classrooms a year.” FCPS is the 10th largest county earning $155 million a year.

Because FCPS is constantly growing, the green space that is

used to build schools is smaller, which is why FCPS will start to build schools vertically. FCPS has already bought a vacant office building and converted it into Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.

This is only the first of many.

Another big topic of controversy was the changes to the starting times of high schools. Late start times are definitely happening, and the school board decided what the time will be October 23rd. “I think it’s likely that they will approve the plan that we put forward... It would change the high school start times... from 7:10/7:20 to anywhere from 8 to 8:10,” Garza reveals.

The FCPS school board believes it is inevitable that their schools will eventually become tech savvy.

Of course there is the problem of students not having WiFi at home and how this will be paid, but their goal is to be able to issue every student an electronic device of some sort like a textbook.

“If any school community can figure it out, we can,” said Garza.

They are also planning on

starting a Comprehensive Electronic Portfolio for students writing. This is where students put all their writings from kindergarten to 12th grade so they can see their growth as a writer.

Something that Dr. Garza stressed was the County Leadership Team and the FCPS School Board’s new anonymous crisis text line [(703)997-5444] for people who need help.

“It’s not a problem that we can solve by ourselves,” said Garza.

T

Edison’s 2015-16 schedule might reflect the schedule below: CENTERVILLE HS SCHEDULE: Day 1 Block 1 Block 3 Block 5 Block 7

Remediation time (35 mins) Day 2 Block 2 Block 4 Block 6 Block 7 Remediation time (35 mins) This is just ONE schedule option. Edison will model the new schedule off one of the two proposals, but with adjustments to fit the needs of the students.

Superintendent reveals changes to come

Will Dobson

S

When the text line first opened they got 50 text messages. 25 of them were legitimate students who needed help and they know that they successfully helped one from distress.

Overall it was a huge success; better than they were expecting.

There were more topics that were discussed like budgets, refugees, and academy classes.

In the end everyone learned a lot about what’s to come for FCPS.

Dr. Garza sits at the head of the table answering journalism student’s questions. They found out some of the changes that are about to come to FCPS.

3 | The Current| October 2014

the

current

New staff is welcomed into Edison Kristen Samuelson News Editor

T

he Edison community welcomes new staff members to various different departments throughout the school.

The Science department has two new teachers: Berneatta Barnes, who teaches Chemistry, and Jared Gillis, who teaches Physics. The English department also has two new additions: Austin Stevenson and Michelle Alspaugh. Edison also has a new Academy Administrator, Shawn Heilemann, and a new Systems of Support Advisor, Scott Edmonds. Donald Dight is the only new History teacher.

Gillis is a new Physics teacher who recently relocated from Stuart High School. While the population at Stuart is similar to here, Gillis says the expectations at the two different schools are very different. Gillis attended Northeastern University but then transferred to Western Washington University where he completed his bachelors degree. He is now in a program with the University of Virginia to

acquire his masters degree.

Edmonds is the new Systems of Support Advisor, or SOSA, for short. His job is to help reduce the suspension and reassignments rate, to assist students with processing incidents that have led to behavior referrals, help mediate students in conflict, organize conferences between teachers and students, as well as supervising students and help assist with the completion of assignments while in Alternative Instructional Arrangement, AIA. Edmonds was previously at Burke School, where he assisted middle school aged special education students. Edmonds attended Portland State University to receive his undergraduate degree, then attended George Washington University for graduate school.

Dight is the newest member of the History Team,;he previously taught at Bishop Ireton, and has been in education for 25 years.

Dight studied for his undergraduate at Seton Hall University and

received his masters from Marymount University. When first in school, Dight believe he wanted to go into law and become a lawyer, but after substitute teaching in college, he decided law wasn’t the path for him. After traveling to Washington DC, Dight started doing experiential education at the Close Up Foundation; an interactive High School program where students and teachers get to use Washington DC as a classroom and experience first hand view of how the government works. “The Close Up Foundation really helped solidify my desire to become a teacher,” said Dight.

Heilemann is the newest member to the academy administration team.

He previously taught Biology at Stuart High School. After a summer at John Hopkins, he was a staff member at Chantilly for three years.

Heilemann attended Coastal Carolina University where he received a Bachelors of Science and Marine Science, as well as a Bachelors

the college application without that mountain of debt. Edison’s new club will hold workshops to show students that they can succeed in college, and have guest speakers to speak on the college application process and Latino issues.

Generous financial aid packages, grants, and scholarships ensure that anyone, regardless of their status, can graduate college debt free. On top of that, free summer programs such as the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Youth Leadership Institute and the Hispanic College Institute offer Latinos unforgettable learning experiences that look phenomenal on college applications. One of the LSA’s goals is to connect Edison

Latinos to these resources, but this new club does much more than that.

The Latino Student Alliance will raise the Edison community’s awareness of issues affecting Hispanics, such as immigration reform and discrimination. This will involve activities such as letter-writing campaigns, gathering signatures for petitions, and publishing articles in The Current. In this vein, the LSA will offer members the opportunity to give back to the Edison Latino populace through community service.

Seniors Suzie Zelaya and Marcia Cunning smile as This club also offers great opportunities for leadership they show off the shirts for their new club. Zelaya and Cunning found the student organization. positions. held in room D207 twice a month.

The LSA will accept any student Joining LSA is fantastic way to at any point throughout the year, make a difference in your future, and there are no dues required to school, and the lives of others. be a member. Meetings are typically

“It was one of the best moves I’ve ever made.”

of Arts for Political Science. To receive his Masters, he attended George Mason and received a Masters Degree in Special Education and Educational Leadership.

Heilemann originally dreamed of becoming a Marine Scientist, and while that was enjoyable for him, he realized it wasn’t the right choice. Heilemann then decided to go into Environmental Policy, where he worked at the courthouse seeing how it all ran, “ but that wasn’t really my cup of tea either,” said Heilemann.

At the time, Heilemann’s wife was a teacher and she suggested that he become involved in education.

“She made an argument that it’s basically the same, teachers and lawyers; they basically have to do the same thing, stand up in front of a group of people and get them to see your side of the story,” said Heilemann. The transition from being a lawyer to teaching was an easy process: “it was one of the best moves I’ve ever made,” said Heilemann.

Daniel Herrera guest writer

D

id you know that 17 % of Americans are Latino, yet less than 1 % of American Latinos receive a Ph.D.?

Edison’s new club, the Latino Student Alliance, “LSA,” seeks to help Hispanics and Latinos in our school community rise above any statistic and attend college. The LSA hopes to show students that going to college is not as daunting a task as it may seem.

To many students, the college application process can seem like a jumbled mess of forms and statistics that simply lands them in a mountain of debt.

However, the LSA seeks to educate Edison students on how to conquer

“Did you know that 17% of Americans are Latino, yet less than 1% of American Latinos receive a Phd?”

October 2014 | The Current | 4

Marcia Cunning

New club empowers the Latino community

news

The central kitchen manager heats up a new day really busy.

They have to clear breakfast and cook all of the food for lunch.

Moore has a slightly different job because she is the manager. “[I] send food and paper goods to all the finishing kitchens; place orders; assign duties to kitchen staff and ensure it is completed; receive deliveries; paperwork and production records, record keeping and delivery receipts; complete lunch service,” explains Moore.

All over the country there have been changes in what cafeterias serve because of the fight against obesity. Some new recipes that have been added this year in our county are for pizza, burritos, Asian influenced meals, yogurt parfaits, and chicken tacos.

Moore said that her favorite thing on the menu was the new parfaits.

Even though there have been a lot of changes in the last few years Moore says, “the biggest challenge

Kristen Samuelson News Editor

Students received hands-on experience about traffic stop techniques, fundamentals of fingerprinting, patrol equipment and vehicles, cadet and internship programs offering exploration of careers in law enforcement, helicopter capabilities, major crime specialties and investigative strategies, crime scene and crash investigation, firearms safety, defensive tactics, obstacle courses, and tours of FCPD facilities.

“I thought it was really cool that they have a program where girls would come everyday to learn about the different careers in law enforcement. It was definitely an

H

“I did not plan on doing this for a living.”

Mackenzie Nolan

A day in the life of Amy Moore

Mackenzie Nolan staff writer undreds of thousands of students buy their lunch every day. Every school has around 20 people working in the cafeteria. The Central Kitchen Manager, Amy Moore, talks about herself, her day, and the changes that have occurred in the menu.

Moore graduated from Johnson & Wales University with two AS and on BS in Applied Science Culinary Arts. “I did not plan on doing this for a living, but with a small child at home, I’d prefer to spend my nights and weekends with him than working at a restaurant at all hours of the night,” she said.

They all have a long day. Moore reveals that her shift goes from 5:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. There are only about four people who come to get ready for breakfast. When breakfast is over is when things get

A cafeteria worker serves a student, making sure he has a full lunch for the best health.

is making sure we sell a full lunch to each student.” A full lunch means it has to have a fruit or vegetable along with their entree to qualify.

They have more work that they have to do since they added a fourth lunch period because of the large number of freshmen coming in.

They work hard to be able to leave as early as possible. They get the breakfast out and clean it up.

They cook and serve lunch and clean up everything so they can get back to their lives because really, they are just people with lives outside of this.

eye opener,” said Robert E. Lee senior Melissa Bautista.

This specific program is designed for girls in grades 10-12 from the Northern Virginia area.

There will be another program scheduled for next year.

The program is free and is open is all women in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.

Criminal Justice is a new Academy class offered at Edison taught by Rodney Gohn.

The class is taught a variety of skills and tactics that men and women will need to know in order to lead a successful career in Law Enforcement.

The class covers emergency procedures search and seizure, de-

fensive tactics, use of force, police operations, procedural law, theories of criminal behavior,juvenile justice system, firearms training, custody procedures, criminal investigations, and court proceedings.

The Criminal Justice course prepares students for different careers in law enforcement including: Corrections Officer, Game Warden, Deputy Sheriff, Hotel/Retail/Business Security, Industrial/National Security, Police Cadet, Dispatcher, Officer, Security Guard, Private Investigator, as well as an Attorney.

Criminal Justice prepares students for a leading career in Law Enforcement.

The field provides hands on experience to give students first-hand knowledge about pursuing a career in Criminal Justice in the future.

Law enforcement fosters new leaders

T

his August, Fairfax County Police Department hosted the first annual Future Women Leaders in Law Enforcement program, lasting five days in the middle of August. Of the forty one women who attended, four of them are taking the criminal justice course at Edison.

The four students, despite taking the class at Edison, attend two different schools: Robert E. Lee High School and Hayfield Secondary School. Seniors Muna Ahmed and Melissa Bautista go to Lee, while seniors Michelle Jordan and Stephanie Willan attend Hayfield.

The students experienced lectures, panel discussions, and group activities that were led by experts in the criminal justice field.

“All people think about is how glorious law enforcement is, that’s really not the case.”

5 | The Current| October 2014

the

current

Reborn Springfield Town Center sp

Jennifer Miller staff writer

T

Jennifer Miller

he once dead Springfield Mall has now come alive, reborn as the new Town Center. The long awaited grand opening of the Springfield Town Center was a huge success. The new building was packed full of enthusiastic shoppers, and retailers hope it will stay that way as other stores and restaurants begin to open for business.

There are many new stores, and restaurants introduced to the Springfield area including Topshop, Nandos, Dick’s Sporting goods,Toys R Us, and Suite Blanco.

There are also popular returning stores and food courts that are now upgraded. Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle, and Foot Locker have returned with bigger stores.

Stores like Forever 21 and H&M

have also come back now with two levels, and a wider selection.

The dangling lights hanging off the ceiling throughout the town center and the big chandelier in the foyer drew the most attention. All of the stores that are currently open have a contemporary, fresh look. Even the always cluttered Forever 21 was organized and enjoyable, despite the large crowds.

There are still more stores to come; the grand opening of the town center was just the beginning. Not all of the stores are open; many are still finishing construction. Once these unfinished lots are complete and open for business, the Town Center will get even more action from anticipating buyers. “Some spaces in the town center were not leased until later; therefore they have had less time to prepare for the opening. There are about one

The front entrance to the Springfield Town Center welcomes shoppers. The grand opening of the Town Center was October 17th.

Featured Student Employees Vans:

“The Springfield Town Center is very busy, there’s a lot of people who come and go because they’re excited about the new mall, so it keeps me busy and on my feet. But it’s a nice environment, much nicer than the last mall.

The people I work with are nice and make working fun. The Vans at Springfield is no longer hiring but there are other locations that need more people. I suggest working at Vans!”

- senior Ricki Wood October 2014 | The Current | 6

Target:

“I enjoy working at Target because my coworkers make it easy and enjoyable; we’re like one big family. I’ve been working there for three months now and ever since the mall opened there has been bigger crowds. The Town Center is definitely bringing more action to Target. I recommend getting a job at the new mall because almost every store is hiring to fit the demand.”

- senior Kate Cresent

hundred stores in total, and only about thirty that are currently open.

Once the rest of the stores are done, then the Town Center will be ten times busier than it already is,” said project manager of the construction of the Springfield Town Center, Mark Miller.

Walking into the new Springfield Town Center, the bright lights, the new structure, and the open space give a very modern feel. “The Town Center had a great interior change; it looks like a totally different mall. Even though all the stores aren’t open, it still looks amazing,” said senior Prashami Gupta.

What looked like the most visited store on opening day was Dick’s Sporting Goods. The lines stretched throughout the store, and almost everyone walking in the mall had a Dick’s Sporting goods bag in hand.

This new addition to the mall is surely one of the most popular.

There was a large age range of people in the mall; from younger children to older adults, the Town Center is said to please people of any age. There also isn’t a clear division in gender, there seemed to be an equal amount of both men and women. The diverse selection brought forth by the reconstruction

and redesign has welcomed a broad crowd.

Another new addition is the Regal Cinema. Now that the town center has upgraded their stores, added better quality restaurants, a more modern interior design, and a movie theater; places like Kingstowne, and Tyson’s will have some new competition. “Now that Springfield is open, you can go shopping, get some food, and see a movie without having to leave the Town Center.

It helps the people that don’t have cars to do a lot in one night,” said senior Gabby Torres.

The theater has a new feature that many people are excited about: the new chairs. Movie theater chairs are known for their less than comfortable seats. The small cup holders that won’t fit candy boxes or bags of popcorn. The Regal Cinema in the new Town Center has comfy reclining chairs, and a small table that pulls out in front of each seat. Now when you buy a movie ticket, it comes with a designated seat number. That way everyone who buys a ticket already has a predetermined seat, and there will be no more fighting for the seat.

Many called the Springfield Town Center a new and improved version of the old Springfield Mall that used to stand in it’s place. It has the words “Fashion, Dining, Living,” printed on a wall in every corner of the Town Center to show that it is not just a mall, but a combination of many entertainment outlets. It is different from any other mall or shopping center in the area; in the fact that it has not only fashion and living stores, and appetizing restaurants, but also other sources of entertainment such as the Regal Cinema.

“You can go shopping, get some food, and see a movie without having to leave the Town Center.”

Job Openings at the Town Center

Restaurants: • •

Maggiano’s: Server/Host/ Dish Washer/ Chuy’s: Server/Host/Busser/ Kitchen Staff

Stores: • • • • •

Sprint: Representative Pandora: Sales Associate Yankee Candle: Sales Associate Sunglasses Hut: Sales Associate Express: Sales Associate/ Stock Expert

news

Jennifer Miller

Jason Murack

Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller

parks interest after grand opening

The hot spots at the new Springfield Town Center are shown in this collage. The places highlighted (starting with top left down) include Starbucks, Forver21, Express, seats in the Regal Cinema, Dick’s Sporting Goods, an escalator inside Forever21, and the Regal Cinema.

7 | The Current| October 2014

the

current

Once a cheater, always a cheater

Is cheating becoming an integrated part of the classroom environment?

Allie Harris Opinions Editor ids cheat- a lot.

According to Stanford University, 86% of all high schoolers will cheat at least once in school.

It is safe to say that most kids know that cheating is against the honor code for most classes. So why is it still so popular?

The easy answer is that the educational system values numbers over knowledge. The county does not care what you know if you can’t decipher their strange phrasing and unnecessarily complicated questions.

Apparently, the county thinks that your tests scores are more important than your name.

Pressure to get into college drives the actions of most high school students.

It is no wonder that in a system that tells you that you must frequently be on the honor roll to get into college, students are feeling the heat.

Additionally, the overcrowding of classes means that teachers have to ration their time, which translates into ‘if you’re not failing miserably, I don’t have time for you’.

The level of work that kids re-

K

ceive also leads many to stray from the honor code. Especially in IB courses, teachers place value on busywork that does little to nothing to further knowledge for students.

The social stigma that was once associated with cheating has fizzled out since a general understanding has spread among students.

I am not saying that cheating is right and students should hold no blame. The decision to cheat rests entirely with the students. Still, more attention should be given to the causes of cheating.

Teacher’s and county standards should be more lenient and forgiving when it comes to failing tests.

Tests should be more reflective of material taught and less reliant on a student’s ability to understand the very particular phrasing.

There is a problem with the education system when students are in tears at night and wake up dreading the thought of going to school.

This is not fixed by a simple “attitude adjustment”. There are deeper causes to cheating here.

Cheating, while not advised or suggested in any way by The Current, should not be entirely blamed on the student.

Ryan Pinkney Opinions Editor

C

heating is a destructive habit that not only affects one student but also anyone else trying to get education through the same school system.

In our world today no one seems to care about the integrity of a person.

Teenagers are constantly bombarded by the media, emphasizing the actions of celebrities who appear to be backstabbing, lying, stealing, and cheating their way to fame and fortune, and the teenage population finds these actions completely normal.

This constant feed of drama gives the impression that the world is caring less and less about integrity.

Students are also getting the impression that grades are the only thing that matters but this is a massive misconception. Teachers really do want to see what you know but they can’t read your brain. Test and exams are really the only, most accurate way for teacher to gauge whether or not students are comprehending material.

Cheating jeopardizes the whole testing system. If everyone started

cheating then the meaning of tests and grades would start to deteriorate leaving us with a bunch of letters and percents that have no real meaning.

Grades currently show nothing about the character, personality, or effort of the student. Schools should consider adding a Work Habit grade or Effort grade.

It is shocking to see how so many teachers seem to turn a blind eye to cheating. There should be more discussion about how to stop the wide spread of cheating before it is passed to the next generation. There should be more critical punishments for students caught cheating on exams. According to the The Educational Testing Service and Ad Council, “Cheating no longer carries the stigma that it used to. Less social disapproval coupled with increased competition for admission into universities and graduate schools has made students more willing to do whatever it takes to get the” A”.

If students who cheat can’t pass courses without cheating then they need to work harder or face the fact that they’re not going to get an “A”. Students who want to do well should be willing to work hard. It’s as simple as that.

A for anxiety: an issue we should worry about

This crippling mental disorder can have severe and lasting effects on students

A

ing stress from friends, family, and relationships. Hours of homework, procrastination, and preparation for projects and presentations often result in lack of sleep and eating.

When these two things, which are detrimental to your health and growth, are put on the back burner, things begin to go down hill. As you enter high school, you are not only having to adjust to a new schedule and setting but also new people and new stressors.

By the time you reach your sophomore and junior year, your friends start to become sparse and your responsibilities begin to pile up.

Then before you know it, you

are a senior filling out applications, anxiously waiting to hear back from your number one college.

Coming from someone who suffers from severe anxiety and panic attacks, I have come to the conclusion that over the past four years, I have endured more stress and Severe cases of anxiety may require an anti-anxiety preanxiety than the averscription medication, as seen above. Twenty five percent of age seventeen year old all teens are prescribed antianxiety medicine in the U.S. should. students complaining about their Counselors and teachers often schedules. fail to address anxiety seen in the Anxiety deserves more attention classroom. Anxiety is often passed and demands more resources in our off as stress and falls second to school system.

Caitlin Murnane

Caitlin Murnane Staff Writer nxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

As you walk through the doors of Edison, you are bombarded by not only thousand word essays but creeping due dates. On top of this, counselors often make us feel that without college or some sort of goal after high school, we fail to meet social requirements, like living in your parent’s basement.

Although school is a huge factor of anxiety, teens are also endurOctober 2014 | The Current | 8

opinions

He Said / She Said Staff and guest writers give their take on Feminism

Monty Westendorf Guest Writer eminism.

It is a word that often carries a negative connotation.

Feminism, as I take it to mean it, means to be a woman.

If a girl is a girl, then the traits that we see from her falls under the category of feminism.

That being said, if feminism is a bad thing, then it must be a bad thing to be a woman.

In reality, feminism is not a bad thing. It is akin to nationalism for a patriot, and racial pride for a member of any race.

We’re talking women embracing being women. What’s wrong with that? When did that become such a bad thing?

As with any opinion, there are those who take an extreme stance on the matter.

Many regard feminism as manhating, giving the word its stigma.

Feminism reminds many of shorthaired lesbians who make a fuss for no reason.

Feminism is not relegated to a stereotype though. It should not be viewed as anything negative.

For if men are to put down a woman’s right to be proud of her gender, then those men have no right to feel pride for theirs.

Feminism is about being proud of the struggles for equality that women have been facing for generations, the great leaps women have made in the workplace, in science, in humanity.

300 years ago, it was customary for the woman to be owned by the men. It was customary for women, even the most influential among them, to fall just beneath the worst of men.

Women were robbed of a voice, so they were therefore robbed of their importance.

F

Since then, women have labored tirelessly to achieve equal rights with men.

Slowly but surely, women have leveled themselves with men, a feat to be proud of.

Women should be respected especially.

There are men who still view feminism as a cultist movement intended to exercise the freedom of speech and assembly relentlessly.

They view it as a movement to suppress men I’m not sure about those guys, but I have never had to experience the hardship of being paid less than another who works the same job.

I have never had to fight every day for something I believed in.

I have never had to endure constant struggle in order to live like others do.

And for that, I value feminism and understand its purpose.

Meg Mowery Creative Director f you roll your eyes whenever someone says something to the likes of “Girls aren’t real athletes,” you might be a feminist.

If you feel a spike in your blood pressure with every “make me a sandwich” joke you hear, you may also be a feminist. If you think everyone should be able to make the same amount of money for doing the same job, I hate to break it to you, but you might be a feminist.

Don’t start fire-proofing your bras just yet.

Feminism is often confused with being super aggressive and super all-consuming way of life. You don’t need to go to protests or not shave your legs to qualify as a feminist. In fact, you don’t even have to be a female to be a feminist.

Feminism is defined as believing men and women should have

I

Senior Megan Mowery poses as the iconic ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ a symbol of female empowerment from World War II. The fight for gender equality did not end with Rosie and it continues with women across the world today.

completely equal rights. That’s it.

No self excluding necessary.

I get that a lot of us grew up being treated as equals, and most of us have not been super oppressed because of our gender, but that does not mean that we do not need feminism. A lot of my friends do not want to call themselves feminist because “I don’t think it needs to be it’s own thing, just treat everyone equally”, but when females are still making 77 cents for every dollar men are making, we need feminism.

When boys think its okay to talk about girls in terms of thots, wifeys, side hoes, and sluts rather than their descriptions of women off of something like their interests, there’s a need for feminism.

When choosing whether or not to wear yoga pants, I should not have to factor in whether or not people will pay more attention to me when I am talking to them or when I am walking away. For instance, guys could almost wear whatever they want anywhere ever and no one would care, but if a girl wears a tight, short-ish dress and high heels, she is a slut. She obviously does not respect herself if she wears such a provocative outfit.

There’s no way she just wore that because she feels good about how she looks. Nope, she is definitely asking for someone to spend the night with.

Feminism is about treating females like more than domestic or sexual items. Feminist is not a super extreme label that anyone should be ashamed of bearing.

Feminism is not about making females the dominant gender and hating men. It is about treating everyone like everyone else. It should not be that hard of a concept to grasp.

Treat all people like people.

9 | The Current| October 2014

the

current

“Hands up don’t shoot” Protests continue in Missouri, despite the decreasing spotlight

T

here is a social revolution happening in a southern city of our country, and nobody is paying attention.

Or rather, nobody is paying attention anymore. The racial tension in Ferguson, Missouri has been spilling over for the past two months and for some unbelieveable reason, the focus that was initially given to this tragedy-turned-social uprising has dramatically decreased.

What led to this insurrection?

In August of this year, an unarmed 18 year old black male named Mike Brown was shot to death by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, in Ferguson, Missouri.

Brown was accused of robbing a convenience store, which led to Wilson’s appearance on the scene.

However, the store owners said they did not report a robbery and there is no surveillance evidence of Brown committing this crime.

Brown fled on foot and was chased down by Wilson as the teen’s hands were up. Most of the outside accounts say that Wilson was the aggressor and Brown tried to pull away. There were also several

witness stories stating that Brown surrendered to Wilson and was mercilessly gunned down.

Wilson has still not faced any official charges at press time

a little over $342, 000.

Protests were organized shortly after Brown’s murder, initially gaining press due to the Ferguson police’s use of tear gas on children

Loavesofbread

Allie Harris Opinions Editor

The police in Ferguson regularly use tear gas as a means of deterring protestors.

and is on paid leave from his job as a police officer. In fact, the GoFundMe page created for Wilson by a third-party citizen and taken over by the Ferguson Police Department raised him over half a million dollars before it was shut down. In contrast, the GoFundMe for Mike Brown’s family, which provides meals and supplies for peaceful protestors, has only raised

and their military grade equipment.

Shocking, right?

This is still happening. There are still protests in the street and there are still cops arresting journalists just for taking pictures of their actions.

Innocent men, women, and children are being harassed by police officers in peaceful movements and there has been

no official reprimand for Wilson or the Ferguson Chief of Police, Robert Johnson. So why are people losing interest? Is the violence really becoming that monotonous.

Ferguson needs to go down in history books. Students hundreds of years from now should learn about Mike Brown being murdered on August 9th, 2014 by officer Darren Wilson. This needs to spark a movement. This cannot lose the focus of society after a mere two months.

The headlines of protesters being gassed and citizens being abused that we all gasped at on the news is still the reality for Ferguson.

Don’t forget about Mike Brown.

Don’t forget how the Ferguson media dehumanized him and tried to justify his murder. Don’t forget about the police armed with military grade weapons terrorized and arrested black citizens during peaceful protests. Don’t forget about Darren Wilson receiving over half a million dollars for murdering an unarmed black teenager. Don’t forget that the system is not trying to protect them, but to control them. Don’t forget that history is STILL being made in Missouri. Do not forget about Ferguson.

opinions section editors sound off about school In our honest opinion: The and county issues affecting Edison students

Dress Code Allie Harris Opinions Editor

N

ow that fall has arrived and we are steadily heading towards winter, many girls are breaking out their leggings and uggs.

A consistent point of contention between staff and students is whether or not leggings should be prohibited in the dress code.Some believe that they are distracting in the school environment.

Devils Lake High School in October 2014 | The Current | 10

North Dakota placed a ban on leggings earlier this month. This measure is intended to prevent attire from “distracting teachers and other students.”

While these people aren’t necessarily wrong, leggings- leg wear that is not revealing in any way- is not to blame. What should really be controlled is the sexualizition of females even when they’re fully clothed.

Teach self-control rather than punish girls for what pants they choose wear.

Start Times Ryan Pinkney Opinions Editor

F

CPS has officially decided to change high school, middle school, and elementary school start times.

While this may delay the time until students leave school and start homework, studies show that kids who wake up after 7:00 AM are less likely to suffer from depression and, on average, have more motivation and better standardized test scores.

The focus here should be on

student health, and one of the biggest problems facing our school system is sleep deprivation in teenagers. The damaging effects of inadequate sleep have severe consequences. The change in start should benifit the majority of students. Students who stay up late doing homework on a regular bases will get another hour of sleep in the morning which should increase student focus in the morning.

Students are going to have to adapt to the major change, but the positives may outway the negatives.

STAFF EDITORIAL

opinions

T

hink back to your first day of Kindergarten. You, four feet shorter than everything else, step onto asphalt and take your first big steps toward a long 12 year journey of education. Your face turns bright red, and the cheesiest smile spreads from ear to ear at the sight of that long, slinky, wormlike playground structure. You see the lengthy, wide school stretch out before you, and it’s only two stories high. There seems to not be anything intimidating about the structure of the building itself, and man, you cannot wait for recess.

Now imagine yourself three years later on your first day of third grade. You spring out of your mom’s car and gaze at the now-slightly smaller building with a familiar fondness. The feelings may the same for third, fourth, and fifth graders at Bailey’s Upper, but the building is drastically different.

To kick off the 2014-15 school year, these students stepped onto asphalt and took their first astronomical steps toward the county’s newest and most revolutionary elementary school, previously known as office building 6245 on Leesburg Pike.

Due to overpopulation of Bailey’s Elementary School, the Fairfax County School Board decided to renovate an old office

Ryan Pinkney

Increasing population in Fairfax County calls for revolutionary changes

Bailey’s Upper Elementary school opened on August 27, 2014, and it is not the typical school. In just eight months, Fairfax County renovated an old office building in order to create the new school in response to a population that was bursting at the seams.

building into what is now Bailey’s Upper Elementary school. Pre-K, kindergarten, first, and second grade continue to attend the old elementary school, whereas grades 3-5 attend Bailey’s Upper.

The new school has many innovative ideas built into it, and the construction workers took advantage of the location and structure. A science lab has panoramic views of Bailey’s Crossroads, so students can daydream out the windows and watch one by one as planes take

off from Reagan National Airport.

The walls of the office building are coated over with a special layer that allows teachers to use the walls as giant dry erase boards.

The walls of classrooms are blindingly white, but the staircases (which is one way the county is promoting fitness since the vertical building currently lacks a gym) contrast with a shade of some bright color. From the outside looking in, the building is impressive to the corporate world.

Inside, students are entertained and

PATRONS

Super Sponsors

GOLD PATRONS

SILVER PATRONS

THE MOORE FAMILY

THE HARRIS FAMILY THE ADELMAN FAMILY

THE NIEVES FAMILY THE ARNOLD FAMILY

awed by the modernness, decor, and creativity of the new building-which is certainly an upgrade from the meek and overcrowded building they came from.

Of course, many parents are alarmed by the office building setup. First, Bailey’s Upper Elementary School does not have a gymnasium, playground or recreational fields.

There are three wood-paneled, indoor areas with paddled walls set up like a weight room so that students still have a form of physical education. The county plans on building a playground within the next year. Emergency evacuation is another large issue with students only being able to take stairs and having no immediate route out of the school.

Vertical schools will become the norm, as the years progress, and they should have been a long, long time ago. Fairfax County is now realizing that with an evergrowing population, the wide horizontal schools are completely inefficient. With a rising demand for new schools, Bailey’s Upper Elementary school will not be the first of its kind, nor should it be the last. Superintended Karen Garza has only been with Fairfax County for one year, but this is one accomplishment she should truly be proud of.

BRONZE PATRONS THE VIDOVICH FAMILY

The Current staff would like to give a special thanks to our patrons for their endless support! If you would like to become a patron and receive every issue via mail, email kemcenerney@fcps.edu or megangrondine@gmail.com, or pick up a subscription form in room C215.

11 | The Current| October 2014

the

current

“The most exciting part was being a part of all of it. It was my freshman homecoming, who wouldn’t be excited?”

-Camryn Anderson, Freshman

“It was a great memory to have senior year.”

-Ricki Wood, Senior

October 2014 | The Current | 12

centerspread

EHS ROCKS

HOMECOMING

Kelly MicKey features editor nother year’s homecoming has come and gone, and now we have to get back to focusing on our homework, tests, projects, and other assignments.

For the Class of 2015, this year’s homecoming proved to be more of a challenge than it has been in the past. The sophomores and Juniors put up a strong fight, but the Seniors just could not be beat.

The freshmen, as usual, were thrown into the high-intensity spirit week with little knowledge on how seriously this annual event is taken. Despite their lack of

A

experience, the freshmen were able to survive and now have next year to look forward to.

The overall theme of this year’s homecoming week was music genres. The newly elected class officers met in May last year to pick the theme “music”. Seniors elected Pop, juniors chose rock, and sophomores chose Hip-Hop. After the freshmen officers were elected, they decided that World Music would be their inspiration.

The spirit week participation was impressive this year. Without school on Monday due to the Columbus Day holiday, spirit week started

“Class competition was fairly lax this year. The support between grades was evident.”

-Marcia Cunning, SGA Vice President “My favorite part was spirit week.”

-Sara Meyer, Senior Class Vice President “I think the football game was my favorite part because of the ability of all the classes to support Edison without going against each other.”

-Savannah Gold, Sophomore

out strong on “Tourist Tuesday”.

Binoculars, bucket hats, socks and sandals, fanny packs, and the most Hawaiian shirts seen outside of a luau could be found walking the halls all in the name of school spirit.

Following along with the overall theme of music genres, “Woodstock Wednesday” was up next.

Students and faculty dressed up just like the teenagers of 1969 only to return on “Theme Thursday” to dress in their class’ music genre.

Icons like the Spice Girls, David Bowie, John Lennon, and Beyonce roamed the halls in hopes of win-

ning two free tickets to the dance during lunch.

At the end of the week, the student body gathered in the gym for a pep rally, organized by the student leadership team, to get everyone excited about the game against the Washington and Lee Generals.

Despite the 14-21 loss to the Generals, the student section cheered on their fellow Eagles until the very end.

At the end of the week, seniors came in first place, juniors in second, sophomores in third, and the freshmen in fourth.

“Follies was a pleasure to perfom in, even if we didn’t win.

It was a lot of fun to hang out with everyone and the skits were absolutely hilarous.”

-Ethan Carpenter, Senior

“The Juniors did a great job and were very up to beating the Seniors.”

-Donald Dight, Junior Powderpuff Coach “The hardest part of planning was probably communicating with the class officers and sponsors to make sure they were aware of the events and regulations.”

-Allie Harris, SGA President 13 | The Current| October 2014

the

current

Text in CRISIS

Gaby Ruff features editor

I

n all reality, teens are shockingly honest via text message. The FCPS Crisis Textline is taking advantage of that fact in order to give students the help they need.

“The FCPS Crisis Text line is something that was developed through a partnership between Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax County Community Services Board. Students can reach out via text-message 24/7 to professionals who can provide help to those in crisis,” said Student Representative to the FCPS School Board, Harris LaTeef.

The hotline went live June 1, 2014. The text line complements other efforts to offer support to students such as new teacher training and counselor policies.

“It’s a great resource for our school communities to have and I’m glad the county has implemented it. As you well know, teens are more likely to communicate via text messages instead of voice calls so making help available via text messaging makes a lot of sense. I’m glad that FCPS is working to find new and innovative ways to help support our students.

The texting line is (703) 997-5444,” explained LaTeef.

FCPS is not the first to come up with a textline for teens. The FCPS program is modeled after the National Crisis Textline (741-741) that

went live on August 1, 2013. Following the motto “With help there is hope”. When a teenager texts the service, the message gets pinged to a certified counselor online who then texts with the teenager to offer more resources.

The FCPS textline works similarly, but on a smaller scale than the national hotline. While talking to a crisis worker, he informed this writer that,“We work with people in all kinds of crises. You do not need to be having thoughts of suicide or be in intense crisis to reach out to us. We

to students.

“All applicants have to be at least 21 years of age. They go through a training class that includes two days of training in suicide prevention,” said the crisis worker. “Our volunteers are very diverse in age, as well as race and ethnicity.”

The number of crisis workers available to speak to students changes throughout the day. “The evenings are typically busier, so we typically have higher staffing then,” explained the crisis worker.

Suicide is not a

FCPS CRISIS TEXTLINE:

help people at all stages of crisis. We are helping multiple people daily who are in various kinds of crises.”

The crisis textline volunteers, known as crisis workers, must apply and complete a training course in order to provide counseling

(703) 977 5444

new issue in Fairfax County.

According to a team of community mental health agencies and FCPS specialists, between four and seven students in Fairfax County take their own lives. The team compiled their

research into a 60 page report last September.

“These programs already exist and personally, it just seems that FCPS is just appeasing the public’s demand with this whole suicide text line,” claimed senior Kristina Diep.

Junior Sarah Weinstein does not believe that the line is able to prevent suicide, “I think its a good idea. It’s another place to go when kids feel alone. But do I think it will really save lives? No,” said Weinstein The crisis worker responded to this concern with, “The skills that we use on this hotline are based in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, which is shown to prevent suicides.”

“I think that schools getting involved with suicide awareness is great, but the new FCPS Suicide Crisis text line just seems out of place. I find it odd that this program will truly actually benefit those who are going through depression or have suicide related thoughts,” explained senior Kristina Diep.

Some maintain that the hotline is a good outlet for students in need.

Sophomore Fiorella Levine said, “I like the crisis text line because it’s an option for kids that are struggling to talk to somebody who cares and still remain anonymous.”

Inside the Broadcast Studio: Teen Suicide Prevention Video

By now, many students have seen the video made by four students in the Broadcast Journalism class about teen suicide prevention. The film was entirely written, produced, filmed, and edited by Senior Cassidy Calhoun, Sophomore Angelica Gaughran, Sophomore Johana Melendez, and Senior Sarah Velasco Kent. The idea came about after a meeting with the

October 2014 | The Current | 14

school psychologist, who commissioned the team to create four videos; this one is the first.

Broadcast Journalism teacher Dale Miller believes that the video made a special impact because it was studentmade and its production wowed many who saw it. Students will also begin to see some other changes to

the morning announcements. Broadcast will film each day’s program and upload it to its Youtube channel, where teachers will be able to access it each morning.

Scan this QR code or access this link to view the suicide prevention video: Watch other EHS Broadcasting videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ EHSBroadcasting?feature=watch

http://youtu.be/iz2Sy4Ouup0

features

SlutWalk comes to D.C. Feminists take the streets of D.C. to voice their opinion on “slut shaming”

Meg Mowery Creative Director

A

ccording to Toronto police officer Michael Sanguinetti, “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” This coming from someone who is supposed to protect the public and treat every crime with equal urgency outraged more than a few women, and thus, SlutWalk was born.

SlutWalk is a movement to “make a unified statement about sexual assault and victims’ rights and to demand respect for all” according to their mission statement. The idea behind using such a controversial name is to bring an end to victim-blaming and slut-shaming by reminding the public of a commonly forgotten cardinal rule of being a person: No matter what someone is wearing, no matter how much alcohol they have consumed, no one is ever ‘asking for it’. ‘It’ meaning any unwanted sexual advances or attention.

The first SlutWalk was held in Toronto in 2011.

Although the organizers anticipated the turnout to be about 100 women, 3,000 women showed up. SlutWalk has spread to many different countries and cities over the past three years, including the District of Columbia.

This year’s SlutWalk DC is taking place on November 1st, 2014, and it starts at 11 AM in Lafayette Square. The agenda for the day includes a march, rally, and SlutRock, a new event where participants will be able to listen to speakers and local performers.

Allie Kay, an Oakton High School junior, will be singing and performing a

spoken word poem. Kay describes her experience at last year’s SlutWalk DC as “such a fun environment, despite the lack of clothing, everyone was super friendly.”

The speakers last year were “diverse, from women whose abusers were their husbands to men who were sexually assaulted, to Muslim women on catcalls.” This year’s list of speakers includes a wide variety as well, including multiple males, proving that SlutWalk isn’t just for girls who are angry about being called sluts, but to anyone who is upset by the idea of women getting taken advantage of and then being told they’re the ones to blame.

Of the men scheduled to perform, Ted Watts, bass player and vocalist of D.C. based band The Love Load doesn’t call himself a feminist, but says, “I don’t think that I need to be a card carrying feminist to believe that a woman or a man may wear what they like and not be assaulted or abused for that freedom. And I don’t need to be a feminist to become enraged by arcane and misogynistic remarks from a mayor of any North American city - especially in the 21st century.”

Watts and The Love Load will be adding to the SlutRock concert lineup. The walk starts at 11:00 AM on November 1st in Lafayette Square. For more information about the event visit: www.slutwalkdc.com

“I don’t think that I need to be a card carrying feminist to believe that a woman or a man may wear what they like and not be assaulted or abused for that freedom.”

15| The Current| October 2014

the

current

Try seven days without complaining Kelly MicKey features editor

H

ave you ever thought about how much you complain? Psychologists say that as humans, complaining is a natural instinct. As infants, we cry to get attention. This tendency continues on through the rest of our lives. We complain to voice our opinion, whether or not people want to hear it. With the rise in popularity of social media, everyone has taken to this new platform to talk abut anything and everything. If you searched the hashtag “#firstworldproblems” on twitter , you would see people from all across the world tweeting about how much they hate their parents, how hot their house is, how much they want food, and how bored they are when all of their friends are asleep. In the back of their minds, most people know that there are people who are living in worse conditions than them, yet they continue to complain.

Taking your own seven day cleanse of trying not to complain might be good for you. A study done by the National Institutes of Health in 1996 stated that the average person complains at least four times a day. Studies have also shown that there is a good way and a bad way to complain. If you think that you complain too much, try cutting it out of your daily routine completely and see how you feel. If you are bothered by how much people complain, take a step to help your community by donating your time or money to organizations that will help those in need.

T

eens always complain about trivial things like this, without realizing that in reality, it is not that difficult to get up and close their bedroom door.

Thirty-nine percent of the homeless population is under

T

he first thing any teenager would probably do if their power goes out is drain their phone’s battery while checking up on various social media accounts, thinking that they will charge their battery when the pow-

N

o one is will notice if you’re wearing the same shirt that you wore in the picture you posted on Instagram two weeks ago. Unless you have been walking around naked or somehow lost all your clothing due October 2014 | The Current | 16

eighteen years old. The average age of a homeless teen is 14.7. That is four years younger than the seniors who are worrying about going off to college or pursuing other things after graduation.

Sometimes it is frustrating to have to break your concentration on whatever it is that you are doing to fix something, but that is most likely not the biggest issue you are facing.

Next time you start complaining though, think about all the people, all 100 million of them, who don’t have a permanent place to sleep at night.

er comes back on. Unfortunately, a quarter of the world still does not have access to power at all. These people do not have the luxury of central heating, air conditioning, or Netflix that we do.

While some people may feel

completely lost without the ability to relax and scroll mindlessly through their various news feeds at the end of the day.

Reducing the amount of time that you spend on your phone at the end of the day has shown to reduce

stress levels. Many of those that have taken the seven days without complaining challenge revealed that seeing other people complain just made them want to complain more.

to some natural disaster, you do have clothes. Whether or not you like those clothes is another story.

In the same way, many people say that they “have no food” in their house. They have food, just not anything that they want to eat at

that moment.

The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Most Americans have never seen people die in front of us because of lack of food. Given that the United States is the obesity capital

of the world, many Americans probably wouldn’t even be able to go to a country where people are on the brink of starving to death without being completely taken aback by the appearance of real hunger.

features

2 fast, 2 fiscally irresponsible How much are Edison students spending on fast food? ore often than not during lunch, students are seen walking the halls and cafeteria carrying paper bags from their favorite fast food restaurants.

In fact, fast food is so popular among teenagers that 40% of adolescents eat at a fast food restaurant daily according to CBS. Why is fast food such a popular option among teens?

“Fast food is just so easy to come by. It’s hard to find the time or money for anything else,” ex-

18

12

8

1

1

McDonald’s

Wendy’s

Burger King

Arby’s

Chick - fil - a

17

Nowadays I can’t go anywhere without seeing someone with Chipotle or Chick-Fil-A” said senior Omar Osman.

Our survey also asked students to indicate how much they spend monthly on food. The results were very close, with the $10- $25 category earning the winning thirty-two percent of the vote and the $25-$50 category coming in second with twenty-six percent.

The other options included ten dollars or less and fifty dollars and more.

“I spend so much money on food monthly. It just all adds up so fast,” confessed senior Caelan Tarbell. “It’s just such a mindless thing to do.”

Fast food has a way of appealing to people in ways other food cannot. The convenience, low cost, and overall popularity makes it hard for teens to resist.

Senior Summer Cio-Keller can relate, “It’s so hard for me to hate fast food because it’s just really convenient for me. Life is so hectic and I just really don’t find that time anymore to sit down and actually have a meal, said Cio-Keller.

Chipotle

Allie Harris opinions editor

plained senior Rishi Gupta.

Fast food is convenient and cheap, making it the perfect meal for just about anyone on a high school budget. For example, there are two different McDonald’s locations within a mile of Edison, proving that these big corporate food industries know exactly who to market to.

In an effort to find out exactly what fast food places students prefer, The Current conducted a survey. Fifty students were asked to choose their favorite option from nine different restaurants: Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Arby’s, and Roy Roger’s.

Chipotle topped our charts with thirty six percent of people voting the popular Mexican chain as their favorite restaurant and Chick-Fil-A came in as a close second with thirty four percent of the votes.

With the affordability of these speedy meals, its no wonder that the cost adds up.

“Teenagers spend too much money eating out.

1

Roy Roger’s

M

Gaby Ruff features editor

FAST FOOD RESTAURANT OF CHOICE 17 | The Current | October 2014

the

current

Alexandria art: No filters needed

Three ar t galleries in Alexandria that will blow your mind, not your bank

A

lexandria is not commonly perceived as the world’s art and entertainment metropolis; apart from some Josephine Neulen movie theaters and privately- owned galleries, there is not much to grab the younger generation’s attenArts Editor tion. Or so people think. In fact, there are plenty of hidden gems who have yet to be discovered by most.

For anybody who wishes to discover and admire local art, Alexandria has some unique things to offer. Although there is a virtual myriad of small establishments and galleries, the three possibly coolest (and cheapest) places are the local Torpedo Factory, Athenaeum and the Del Ray Artisans. All photos have been taken by Josephine Neulen.

Torpedo Factory

It is the home to the largest collection of publicly accessible working artist studios in the US. With 82 artists’ studios, six galleries, two workshops, and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, it makes a perfect pass time for people of all ages. Enjoy a day in Old Town, sign up for an art class and chat with local artists. The Torpedo Factory and its exhibitions are almost completely free (apart from the slightly pricier art classes), which makes it the perfect spot for a cool day in Alexandria.

Ongoing exhibitions: Post-Photography: Beyond the Print in the Target Gallery Open from October 25 to November 30

Del Ray Artisans

A community art organization in Alexandria’ s famous neighborhood Del Ray. It offers monthly exhibitions, countless of workshops and even auctions featuring visual and functional art. Walk around Del Ray and admire local art.

Ongoing Exhibition: “Metamorphosis!”

It is recurring on Thursday to Sunday from October 03, 2014 to November 02, 2014

How to get there Get onto George Washington Memorial Pkwy, and turn left on to Cameron Street. Finally, turn right onto N Union Street get to the Torpedo Factory. To get to the Athenenaeum, get onto George Washington Memorial Pkwy, turn left onto Cameron Street Take the first right onto N St Asaph St and finally take the third left onto Prince Street.

To get to the Del Ray Artisans, take the I-495 E/​I-95 N/​Capital Beltway to eventually get to Commonwealth Avenue. Turn right onto Hume Ave and take the first right onto Mt Vernon.

Athenaeum

The former Bank of the Old Dominion turned into the home of the of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association. It is a great art venue, tucked away in the historic streets of Alexandria. It has a wide variety of events and workshops for people of all ages. It offers unique and local exhibitions, most of which are free. It is open from Thursdays to Sundays, from 12 to 4 p.m. Ongoing exhibition: Icons of American Culture by David R. Allison October 2014 | The Current | 18

Make a day of it With the many attractions in both Old Town and Del Ray, there is something for everybody. Spend the morning in old town looking at new unique exhibitions, eat lunch and walk around the harbor. Or, spend your day in Del Ray taking an art class and exploring the many things the diverse neighborhood has to offer.

arts

Halloween Makeup Tutorial Keishla Morales Arts Editor

I

t’s the day before Halloween and you still don’t have a costume. You could always make a costume, but just making a costume with some clothes from your closet doesn’t really come out to having a scary costume. The simple solution? Go to Party City, buy a family pack of makeup along with some other makeup supplies, and follow the steps below for a ghoulish Halloween costume.

For this look, start off with some foundation as well.

Then apply a dusting of Cinema Secrets light touch colorless powder over the entire face, except for the eyes. Using a sponge, apply white face paint to where you applied the colorless powder to. Once finished,

To create this first look start off with some foundation. “People can have allergic reactions to face paint, so it’s best to put the lightest shade of foundation before starting to use face paint,” said senior Lina Dinh who helped with makeup for last year’s Wizard

The Cinema Secrets light touch powder allows for a smoother, and cleaner base coat of the white cream makeup. Use a fair amount of the powder for best results.

outline the eye, eyebrow area, and lower eyelid with black eyeliner. Using the black face paint, fill in the area you outlined. Once finished, take a black lip pencil and draw lines over the top and bottom lips to create an allusion of stitching. Have the person smile and

Keishla Morales

of Oz. Powder the face with Cinema Secrets light touch colorless powder (also found at Party City) and apply over the entire face except for the eyes, eyebrows and lips. Then spread white paint over where you applied the light touch colorless powder. Once finished, take

purple eyeliner and outline the eye area starting over continue making lines over their lips and a bit past the the eyebrow, part of the bridge of the nose, and under end of their smile, continually decreasing the size of the lower eyelid above the cheekbone. Then take each line. You can also add more details to the eyes by The family pack face paint sold at Party City eyeshadow that is similar to the eyeliner and fill it in. offers a variety of colors and tools to use. For making an arch of dots over the eyebrows, or making a Then take black eyeliner and create a cat-eye by making better results, find a few other colors of face more gruesome monster mouth. To add more contrast, a sweeping motion up with the eyeliner. Then take a paint or other makeup found at Party City and mix use contacts, a wig, or fake blood. dark or metallic lipstick and apply to lips. it up for a more creative look. All of this costs about

$20.00

19| The Current| October 2014

the

current

Putting the Purpose on the Plate

Culinary students discuss the art of plating food Judy Beauvais Managing Editor o many, food is just an item we find everywhere we go.

While to others, its a form of expression. Plating and cooking the food is all part of creating the masterpieces we consume.

“Everything on the plate should have a purpose,” said Culinary Arts teacher Chef Glenn Walden.

Food is more than an energy boost that we need to function.

“Food is beautiful just by itself, the art is interpreted in different ways,” said Walden. Food by itself is a unique creation that we tend to overlook and ignore the real value of. The Culinary Arts students have their own special definitions

T

about the art of food. “The meaning of the art of food to me is more like how you can express yourself like any art,” said Culinary Arts student junior Alex Chavarria. Food gives cooks another way to show their passion skills, and creativity.

Although we are used to the food we eat in America , the art of food is not the same everywhere. “Different cultures eat differently so they plate food differently,” said Walden. Each culture has a different meaning of the art of food. This is what makes food and its purpose unique and special. It also helps us enjoy the flavorful and deli-

ways to cook and plate foods, like chicken. “You have to make it yourself.

It’s different because with food you can have chicken a thousand different ways and tons of different ways to present it,” said Chavarria. Each food has ways of putting its purpose on the plate. When a plate is constructed rather than simply being put on a plate, the food as much more meaning. “Now [when I cook and plate], I keep in mind the texture, Culinary student Charles Hutchinson holds a straw-appearance, and the volume of the berry shortcake he created. He used chocolate chipsfood,” said Chavarria. and whip cream to adorn his dish.

Food is an art form that is often disregarded, with no true definicious tastes we love so much. “ So why tion. “There is no wrong way to not mix things? You never know what make food,” said Chavarria. Food will happen,” said Chavarria. Mixing is a masterpiece that takes many cultural differences helps us find ways to different forms. make food taste better. There are many

Answers: 1. Gillis 2. Crisis 3. One 4. Malala 5. Freakshow 6. September 7. Toronto 8. Bailey 9.

Seniors 10. Garza 11. Hampton

October 2014 | The Current | 20

All the answers can be found throughout this issue of The Current

Need a break from thinking?

arts

New standards paint a new class for IB F

or International Baccalaureate(IB) Art Teacher Raymond Dicillo, the new standards that will sweep the International Baccalaureate Art classes this year with a whole new system on the how the class will operate.

“The new curriculum makes IB Art more of an appreciation class,” said Dicillo.

“There is more emphasis on research of art than art production,” he said.

The change in curriculum will

mark a very different class than what most students are accustomed to.

“One of my favorite things about the class is how it’s unstructured,” said senior Clara Wynne. “Mr. Dicillo would normally give out due dates for the first three minutes of class, and then the rest of the time is up to us,” she said.

The new curriculum is intended to align with what how a typical IB course is structured, according to Dicillo. “That means a lot more writing,” he said. According to Dicillo, IB Art students are now required to do a formal research assignment that will run through the course of the year. “In some ways,

“There is more emphasis on research of art rather than art production”

the research does help,” said Wynne. “It helps you understand and appreciate the art more.”

Fellow IB art student, senior Lina Dinh, agrees.

“When you look at the history of art, you see how people were able to change the world around them by simply expressing themselves,” she said. “I think that’s cool. I want to be part of that history.” Senior Samantha Elliot’s abstract culture rests However, Dinh main- in plain sight in IB Art classroom. The piece of art tains that the class still has spoke for itself when it was on display. to pay for a certain fee for our art a high degree of indepensupplies, but eventually we still have dence. “Mr. Dicillo provides the materials, and we are able to create to start from the ground up,” she anything within our imagination,” said. “But that journey is the most fun and frightening.” she said.

Wynne agrees. “We are required

Austin Chavez

Austin Chavez staff writer

Judy Beauvais Managing Editor n the TV series Scandal, the team’s world opens up when Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope), returns to D.C. The death of Peter Foster (Patrick St. Esprit), the election rigging,and Olivia’s family, are reasons why “gladiator in a suit” Olivia Pope ,fled from D.C. Season four is her grand return to D.C.; she is offered a chance to work with the White House again. As she accepts the offer, political issues begin to rise.

Scandal is a thought-provoking show with minor flaws.

The acting fulfills the characters’ personalities well enough.

However,the transitions become confusing and hard to follow; it takes some thinking and keeping up with the show to understand the plots creation. Scandal is a show that provides a decent thrill to it’s viewers.

I

Meg Mowery Creative Director

A

nother quirky sitcom following New York City twentysomethings living in a nicer apartment than what their semi-artsy jobs would support. What’s not to love, right? Unfortunately, anyone who watched the pilot can tell that John Mulaney, creator and star, is not a trained thespian. He looks like a kid in his first school play who’s so excited to be in front of everyone that he can’t stop smiling. Given his background in stand-up, I expected his experience to show through rather than recycled jokes.

Although this seems a bit harsh, I am not saying the show was entirely unfunny. There were a few stand-out jokes that genuinely made me laugh instead of chuckling every time the studio audience laughs. This show is just a “fixer upper” to watch on Sunday nights.

Keishla Morales Arts Editor ome one, come all, and experience an evening of spine chilling thrills and a psychopathic clown killer. Come down into the madness that is American Horror Story: Freakshow.

With the return of Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson, the characters, their abnormalities, and their issues are brought to life. The plot for this season follows the last sideshows during the 1950s.

Horror fans may be disappointed by a lack of pure fear and excitement, but the writers leave room for character and horror development.

The new season draws you in with the horror, but keeps you hooked with the character development and plot twists. Freakshow has enough twists and turns for a promising season.

C

www.thegrid10.com

www.dreadcentral.com

www.christianpost.com

www.thecomicscomic.com

New school year, new seasons to watch on TV

Austin Chavez Staff Writer honda Rhimes’ latest show, How to Get Away with Murder, lacks the hard-hitting dialogue that made Scandal a phenomenon. But what it lacks in the writing is made up by the acting of the cast. With Viola Davis as Professor Annalise Keating and up-and-coming Alfred Enoch making their own, original mark in primetime television.

We are introduced to a disturbing yet intriguing plot: smart and young law students whose lives are intertwined with murder. Unfortunately, the suspense ends there.

The structure is confusing and way over done. Sure, Murder softpedals through a fun yet undeniably important part of the story.

But the cast is enough to drag it to the light. Perhaps “How to Get Away with A Great Cast” would be a better fit.

21 | The Current| October 2014

S

the

current

Fall teams trudge off field Will Dobson sports editor

A

fter off-seasons full of changes, sports teams were unable to find a foothold in the cliff that is Northern Virginia sports. As the season draws to a close, coaches, and players, can reflect on their respective seasons. “ We have played well in almost every game... and we’re more of a team, we just need to show it in games,” said Varsity quarterback, Junior Ben Davenport on their relatively underwhelming season.

At press time, they have a record of 2-5. Along with Varsity Coach Scott Woodlief, and lots of hard work, Davenport and company will try to improve next season.

Edison football has declined the past few years. This year, they have experienced losses to teams rarely lost to, such as Wakefield. Last year, Edison beat Wakefield with a final score of 45-14. This year, they endured a 21-6 loss.

Field hockey had an above average season, compared to past years. At this point last year, they were 6-7, but heading into conferences this year they are sitting pretty with a record of 8-5. With plenty of rising sophomores and juniors playing next year, their team could be even stronger. In coming years, field hockey could be one of Edison’s most exciting teams if they keep improving as they have been.

Cross Country just finished their first season in four years without sensational runner Louis Colson.

He wasn’t the whole team, though.

“Louis was a great runner,” said sophomore Cross-Country runner Ashenafi Ashenafi, “but we have another great runner in Jeffrey Gibson.”

“We may not be the best team this year, but we had some good freshmen come in, and may be back at the top in a couple years,” he said.

Golf played better than many

The JV cheerleaders perform their routine during the fall pep rally. The JV squad had a staff change in the offseason when they hired a new coach.

people thought this year, with only three returning players. “We lost some of our best guys... but we still exceeded expectations . Scores were not as low as last year, but we placed third at districts, and made it to regionals,” said junior Skye Carlson.

Varsity cheer has had a great season. They placed second at their conference competition, and are going to regionals again. JV cheer

acquired a new coach during the offseason, “She is great, she has given the team so much confidence, and trained us to have many more advanced stunts,” said Sophomore JV cheerleader Erin Arnold.

Many teams this year have had big changes, but they, for the most part, continue to have some degree of success. Eagles will come back next year, bigger, and better than ever.

Winter sports strive to avoid starting out cold

Girls basketball, swim seem poised for success this season

Will Dobson sports editor t press time, varsity football has a record of 2-5. That does not reflect other teams’ records at this school, though. Swimmers train almost every day in hopes of a first place on Friday. Wrestlers shed blood, sweat, and tears, tirelessly training to terrify teams they are pitted against. Basketball players shake off the rust, and work their shots back to fluid perfection. Track runners run endless hill repeats to hear the roar of the crowd as they soar to first place.

The swim team looks to build upon last year’s subpar season, with seniors Francisco Nieves, Callan Trimber and Sara Meyer. Neives and Meyer swam in the States meet last year with junior Sarah Weinstein and sophomore Amanda Peren. However, their team will be without upper class male divers.

A

October 2014 | The Current | 22

“Male divers contribute a large number of points to our team,” said Nieves, “it will be difficult to win meets without those guys.”

On the topic of swim, the team has acquired a new coach during the offseason.

With connections to a few older swimmers on the team, like Nieves, this season could prove to be a season to remember for the graduating seniors. “I am familiar with the new coach, he coaches Fort Belvoir Swim Team”, said Nieves, “He also has coached at the college level.”

A new coach could be the secret to a successful season for the swim team. With only two wins last seas, an improvement would be welcome

to many swimmers. With a small, but strong senior class, and a multitude of Junior and Sophomore swimmers, swim may be in for a reasonably successful season.

Nieves, who swam in states last year, could provide the spark that the team is looking for to catch fire this winter.

The girls basketball team, coming off a superb season last winter, will try to make it even father in tournaments, with their strong players. They will be trying to surpass their 25-4 record of last year, which would be a feat that deserves recognition. With a team as strong at theirs, they may force their way past opponents in

“Male divers contribute a large number of points to our team. It will be difficult to win meets without those guys.”

even more impressive style. With blowout wins, like ones against Stuart (61-5) and Lee (70-23), they could be in for another incredible season.

However, girls basketball did have some viable competitors last season, with very close games against Mount Vernon (59-54) and Madison (64-59). It remains to be seen whether or not they can continue winning against such stiff competition.

The wrestling team, without state caliber wrestler Brock Jacobson, who graduated last year, may be in for a rough season. With multiple sophomores, including well versed wrestler Robert Garnett, they may be a dark horse this season.

All in all, winter sports look to be in for an improved season. Picking up where fall sports left off, they hope to be an accreditation to the school’s sports program.

sports

23 | The Current | October 2014

the

current

Justin Askenazy staff writer ow near season’s end, varsity football coach Scott Woodlief can reflect on his team’s achievements this year. “I think we’re competing; I think the kids are getting better,” said Woodlief.

After winning their first game in August against Mount Vernon, the team has plummeted to a 2-5 record and been outscored by a total of 129-95. This will turn out to be their fifth losing season in a row.

The lowest point of the season so far came during the second game, a 34-0 defeat at the hands of West Springfield.

This was not their only lapse, however. A 27-15 throttling against Yorktown in Week 4 and a 21-6 loss versus Wakefield a week later contributed to their dismal season.

Added to these failures, a last-minute collapse against Lee in Week 3 led to a 20-17 defeat, further demoralizing the team.

At the homecoming game on Oct. 17 against Washington-Lee, the Eagles showed resilience by battling back from a deficit to tie the game, then ultimately losing on a late touchdown.

When asked to explain his team’s repeated shortcomings, Woodlief offered the same explanation many new coaches do.

“New system, new coaching staffa lot of times, you don’t win close games,” he said.

“Football is kind of one of [those] games [of] the way the ball bounces, and the ball hasn’t bounced our way this year,” said Woodlief.

Junior and starting quarterback Ben Davenport is frustrated by how the season has gone. “So far, it’s been pretty underwhelming...we just need to put it together on the field,” he said.

He also believes that the new system takes some getting used to.

N

“It’s a lot...it was hard to adjust to a new coach, new offense, and the way we call plays. But I’ve come to get used to it and kind of know what he [Woodlief] is thinking, so it’s easier when he’s trying to tell me the play,” he said.

The unhappiness has been countered somewhat by the efforts of senior defensive back/wide receiver D.J. Jones Jr. (108 yards, 2 TD) and junior defensive back/ running back Moses Kamara (215 yards, 2 TD), who have provided an occasional spark to a team desperately needing one.

Woodlief is also satisfied with Davenport’s performance on the field. “Ben’s learning a lot about football and he’s going to end up being a good quarterback by the time he leaves here his senior year,” he said.

Davenport mostly concurs.

“It’s been rough, but there’s been some good spots. I’m learning a lot and it’s been a good experience to be starting as a junior,” the quarterback said.

Also to the team’s great fortune, injuries have not been much of an issue this year.

Only one major injury has been suffered this year: Senior defensive back/wide receiver Thomas Fantaye, who is out for the season with a broken collarbone.

Does Woodlief believe injuries have contributed to his team’s woes? No. “With the injuries, we’ve been pretty blessed,” he said.

Woodlief ’s philosophy regarding injuries debunks a common misconception. “There is a difference between being injured and being hurt. If you’re walking and your legs are sore... you’re injured. If you break your leg, you’re hurt,” he said.

As the team licks its wounds, it must prepare for the annual Battle of the Birds next week against Hayfield. However, Woodlief only looks at the season one game at a time. As of press time, the coach was not yet thinking about the Hawks.

“I concentrate on the game of

“The ball just hasn’t bounced our way this year.”

October 2014 | The Current | 24

Kelly Mickey

Football team tackled by tough season

Running back Gregory Lucas-Roscoe talks to a coach during the homecoming game on Oct. 17. The Eagles lost to Washington-Lee 21-14.

that week; there’s no way that I can concentrate on Hayfield right now,” explained Woodlief.

History does not lend itself to an Edison victory. The Eagles are 0-5 against Hayfield (5-3) in the last five years, but Davenport thinks that consistency can get this year’s team over the hump. “We’re going to approach that game like we do every game- we’re going to look at film, look at what they do; we know they’re a very good team this year, so we’ll have to really prepare for them,” he said.

To trump a team like Hayfield, which is 4-3 and also has a new coach, practice time is invaluable.

Under Woodlief ’s rules, the varsity team has almost 11 hours of practice a week, including at 8 am the morning after a game. While some may call the addition of a Saturday practice extreme, Woodlief says it is necessary to combat the physical toll of a football game.

“We...run around and lift [weights] and get them up and moving around so they’re not stiff the whole week,” said the coach.

What has yet to be determined is how the team will finish off the season. As a result, optimism is still present among the players and staff.

“I think the kids are trying as hard as they can. I think if we continue on the road that we are right now, that will be a road of success,” he said.

Seven Questions with: Coach Scott Woodlief 1. Where are you originally from?

A. Hampton, VA 2. Did you play football in high school or afterwards?

A. Yes, in high school and at Coffeyville Jr. College, Ferrum Jr. College, Elon University, and the Newport News Apprentice School.

3. When did you decide to become a coach?

A. When I had the head coaching job at my high school.

4. How has football been a positive aspect in your life?

A. It has taught me how to cope with the ups and downs of life.

Everything you have in life, you have to earn, and that is what football shows you.

5. What are your plans for the team?

A. To play hard and compete to the end. I want every student athlete to be able to pursue their dreams with a great education.

6. How would you describe the team this year?

A. A great group of players learning how to become a team.

7. What do you pride most in your program?

A. Every player being successful on and off the field.