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Thomas A. Edison High School
Is
worth the hype? Opinions Editor Jessica Cruz offers her views on the ground-breaking Broadway show (pg. 8)
Thomas Edison High School • Volume 52• Issue 5• 5801 Franconia Road • Alexandria, VA 22310 • June 13, 2016
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what’s inside NEWS:
STEM Program (3) Cheating scandal (4) FCPS budget (5)
FEATURES: Overlooked opportunities (6) Edison over the summer (7)
OPINIONS: Is “Hamilton” worth the hype? (8) Pre-Labor Day school start (9) Guest writer Benjamin Eckman (10) Staff Editorial (11)
SPORTS: Olympics preview (12) Column as I see ‘em (13)
ARTS: Summer concert preview (14-15) Edison’s Got Talent (16)
SENIORS: Beach Week (3) Letter to Journalism seniors (4) Graduation speaker (5) Senior Choice Award winners (7) Where seniors are going to college (8-9) Decorating caps (10) Prom reflection (11) Athlete college commitments (12-13) How sports affected high school (14) June 2016| The Current | 2
The Current is a student-edited publication serving the Thomas A. Edison High School community. The Current Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Justin Askenazy Managing Editor Ryan Pinkney News Editor Emily Jarmin Opinions Editor Jessica Cruz Features Editor Judy Beauvais Sports Editor Will Dobson
Online Editor Ryan Pinkney Arts Editor Talia Carter Arts Director Joel DeSante Business Manager Judy Beauvais Copy Chief Will Dobson Adviser Carl Irvin
Staff Writers & Photographers Camryn Anderson
Ben Davenport
Joel DeSante
Jillian Brooks
Lexy Thomas
Bailey Thompson
Katie Burkett
Salman Ashraf Zemi Jacob
Eles Jones
The Current is the official newspaper of Thomas A. Edison High School published quarterly by the journalism staff. It serves as a vehicle for student expression and is an open forum of issues of interest and concern to the school community. Year-long subscriptions are available for $20. Subscription forms may be ordered via email at edisoncurrent@gmail.com. Subscription forms may also be picked up in room C-215. The staff is deeply committed to a code of journalistic ethics that demands the exercise of accuracy, good judgment, and impartiality. The content of The Current is determined by the editorial board. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff of The Current, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors or staff members. Signed editorials and letters to the editor reflect the views of the authors. The Current solicits advertising, but reserves the right to reject any material deemed libelous, disruptive, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to edisoncurrent@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. With any general questions regarding The Current, please email edisoncurrent@gmail.com
Letter from the Editor: As everyone is counting down the days until summer begins, welcome to a special double issue of The Current! In this half of the issue, look for articles about Edison’s brand new STEM program and a preview of the concerts coming to D.C. this summer. Also in this side is a piece by Opinions editor Jessica Cruz on whether the musical “Hamilton” deserves the national fervor surrounding it.
If you turn the paper around, you’ll find the annual Senior Issue! Included in that half is a feature on where many Edison seniors will be going to college, as well as where athletes have commited to play sports after high school. Thank you for your readership this year and here’s wishing you a great summer! Justin Askenazy Editor-in-Chief, The Current
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STEM program introduced to Edison Edison chosen for Global STEM Challenge program starting next school year
Salaman Ashraf staff writer
Salaman Ashraf
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tarting in the 2016-2017 school year, Edison will introduce the Global STEM Challenge Program. This class will incorporate students’ skills in the STEM subjects of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Edison is the only school in the country that will offer the Global STEM Challenge Program. The STEM program is a “grant-funded program from the Virginia Department of Education,” said Director of Student Services Deborah Guillen. Edison was chosen for the program because it already has a large technology lab. In addition, Edison has an exprienced technology teacher Ivan Chirinos. Edison is also a racially and ethnically diverse school, which helps because “FCPS wants to increase enrollment of of minority students in STEM classes,” said Guillen. Edison is also located close to many other schools, so it is accessible to students from across the county. The STEM program will give students the opportunity to express their knowledge in science, math and technology. Students will be demonstrating their knowledge by doing different hands-on activities that challenge the students. These activities teach students how to apply math, science and technology into daily work. This course will take up
Edison students work on cars during their academy class. Students who sign up for the STEM program will take part in similar hands-on experiences. students’ first, third and fifth blocks, so students will be losing two classes from their schedule. The program will combine all of students’ classes and put it into a curriculum that challenges them. Guillen said the program will help students by teaching them how STEM is used for a career and it will help prepare them for a career in STEM. Also, close to 100 colleges are working to tackle some of the Global Challenges that Edison will be investigating throughout the program, said Guillen. When students complete the program, they will have experience in the STEM field,
which will help them understand and solve challenges. In addition to college STEM programs, Fairfax County estimated that Virginia will have over 400,000 STEM jobs by 2018 that pay double or more the average hourly wage Students who participate in the program will be prepared and have knowledge for their jobs. The STEM program has a selective process for students. The first requirement is that enrollees have to be rising freshmen. They also must have completed Algebra I before entering Edison. The
program will mainly be for Edison students, but will accept a limited number of students from other schools in the county. For now, the class is open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guillen said if the class fills, then a waiting list will be created for the program. “What is innovative about the program is that rather than these courses being taught separately [math, science and technology], students will be learning how they all function together through project-based learning,” said Guillen.
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Students caught cheating on chemistry midterm
“Cheating is wrong but sometimes for students, it seems necessary,” -Aidan Blair
Prince said she did not want to comment on the issue. Berhane, who is a student of Prince, said, “[Prince] was very disappointed that someJune 2016| The Current | 4
the exam and was suspended for two days in school and two days out of school. Kohistany said, “Sometimes
by
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one took the effort to do what they did.” After it was discovered that some of the midterm scores may not have been authentic, the chemistry teachers decided not to count it as a grade. Students had to retake the midterm exam on May 2 and 3 and the grade that students received would be counted in their 4th quarter grades. “It was so annoying. It was unfair to the people who didn’t cheat because we worked hard the first time and then we had to do it all again,” said Guerch. Sophomore Isabella Meerzaman said, “They didn’t have much of a choice since so many people cheated and they didn’t know for sure who they all were. It was their best option to make all of us retake it even though not everybody cheated.” Berhane said that she chose not to participate in cheating because the consequences outweighed the reward. “It wouldn’t be fair to myself or anyone else,” she said. Sophomore Shabir Kohistany confessed to cheating on
Graphic Design
Camryn Anderson staff writer he second chemistry midterm, held on April 11 and 12, was found to be cheated on by several sophomore students and had to be retaken. A letter, written by Assistant Principal Timothy L. Boyd, was sent home with all students who took the exam. According to the letter, the chemistry teachers became aware that the security of the assessment had been compromised after answers were found on chat and social media sites. Sophomore Kayla Guerch said that there was an answer key being sent around and people were able to get perfect scores. Sophomore Isabel Nieves said, “I heard that there was a huge list of suspected people that cheated and that’s terrible. It’s unfair for the people who honestly did well on the midterm and had to retake it.” According to sophomore Selam Berhane, people were getting pictures of the test, which gave them an advantage over other students. Chemistry teacher Laura
Joel DeSante
Chemistry students share answers to midterm; several suspended
in life you have to do the wrong to get to the right.” Kohistany said that he confessed to cheating because he believes that it was a very bad mistake. Edison has been trying their best to make students aware of the consequences of academic dishonesty. Cheating has been a big problem in schools across the globe but why exactly do students do it? “I think that people cheat because they’re too lazy to study for the test, and if they actually tried, they could get a good grade. They would rather memorize the answers on a test than learn the actual
information and criteria,” said Nieves. Sophomore Aidan Blair said that students cheat because it is the easy way out. “Cheating is wrong but sometimes for students, it seems necessary,” said Blair. According to the Examiner, an online news source, students cheat when they lack confidence with their ability. “Sometimes I second-guess myself even though I shouldn’t,” said sophomore Paige Barwick.
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End of year budget wrap-up
Fairfax County Public Schools make adjustments on the budget for the 2016-17 school year that can impact students Katie Burkett staff writer
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n May 27, the School Board adopted Fairfax County Public Schools’ fiscal year (FY) 2017 $2.7 billion budget. Compared to previous years, the 2017 budget will contain minimal cuts. Every year, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) proposes a budget for the upcoming year. History teacher Michael Hohenwarter said, “The proposed budget goes from the Superintendent to the School Board to the county Board of Supervisors. It is an all-year process with different proposals and versions being tossed around, back and forth. There are hearings and votes and such throughout the year.” According to the FCPS website, the money for the school system is known as a transfer, which comes from the Fairfax County government. The rest of the revenue comes from the state. For the year of 2016, FCPS proposed a FY 2016 budget of $2.6 billion. According to www.fcps.net, the budget had an increase of $53.9 million, or 2.2 percent, over the FY 2015 approved budget. This particular budget was problematic for Edison High School. Hohenwarter said, “In general, budget items across the board have been pretty tight. There are minor things which impact the students on a day to day basis like no tissues, but there are also things that you don’t see (operational stuff, staffing, building use fees, etc).” In response to the effects of
this year’s budget cuts, Edison Principal Pamela E. Brumfield said, “They gave schools fewer teachers, so we just put more kids in a classroom. With that, it becomes difficult to offer classes. So you can’t offer as many electives or choices for students because you don’t have the teachers for it. For classes, you offer what is essential. That’s part of the budget cut.” Students noticed a budget cut impact in other things such as sports. Junior Oscar Carranza mentioned budget cuts affecting sports this year. Carranza said, “We didn’t get good football jerseys or new helmets. Some coaches got fired and we didn’t have enough staff or meals like
other big schools did. We also had to pay for spirit packs, which was the T-shirts and other sportswear and they were bad quality because they didn’t have a brand.” On May 27, the FY 2017 budget was passed. Budget Vice Chair of the School Board Tammy Kaufax said, “It is one that contains minimal cuts. This is a good-news budget and in contrast to the great potential cuts we anticipated earlier this year. The budget includes reductions totaling more than $30 million including $6.7 million as a result of reductions in student enrollment projections as compared to the previous year. Since 2008, FCPS has reduced its operating budget
by nearly half a billion dollars and eliminated more than 2,175 positions.” When mentioning how the new 2017 budget will affect the upcoming school year, Hohenwarter said, “In general, I think the budget passing as it was proposed will mean no new “budget cuts” will occur. At the very least, things should be the same: no increase in parking pass fees and no direct student fees for IB tests as they are this year. In many places of the county, they should be better off … especially in the elementary schools where class sizes will be going down.” As with previous years, schools try to make due with the funds they are allotted.
FY 2017 Budget highlights include: * Salary increases – $62.2 million to provide a step increase for all eligible employees and a 1 percent market scale adjustment for all employees. * Teacher Salary Enhancements – $40 million as an initial investment to improve our teacher salary scales to attract and retain the highest quality teachers. * Class size – $10.8 million to reduce large elementary class sizes. * Living Wage – $0.3 million in the School Operating Fund and $1.1 million in the Food and Nutrition Services Fund to bring the salary of all contracted employees currently below living wage to the living wage minimum. * Bus Replacement – $2.2 million to replace some of our aging buses. * Health Insurance Increases - $13.8 million for increases in division costs for employee health coverage. * Retirement Increases - $14.7 million for increases in division costs for the Virginia Retirement System and Fairfax County Employee’s Retirement System rates
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More than meets the eye Judy Beauvais features editor
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Judy Beauvais
dison has many opportunities for students to strive and do better in their high school career. Some opportunities indirectly benefit students but some of these opportunities get ignored by students. “We do lots of different things that students don't always realize,” said Director of Student Services Deborah Guillen. “The Math Center started last year and one of the teachers [Lynn] Rebers started it,” said Math Center teacher Stephanie Gaussion. The program serves a purpose that the school thought would truly help the students. “I guess Administration saw the need for students to have more time to work, lunch time being a free time that students have, if they wanted a place to get extra help,” said Gaussion. The school supported a program to help their students become stronger in the subject. Although the teachers made an effort to create a program where students can gain extra help outside of the classroom there is still
Senior Kennedy Telfair completes her work during the C lunch period. The Math Center allows students to do their work in their room in the cafeteria.
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a scarcity of students. “I average probably two students per lunch period everyday. I'd like to see numbers increase more next year , but there are some times where I'll have six or eight students at one time,” said Gaussion. High school is designed to prepare students for life after high school. Sometimes students are unsure of what they want to do when high school is done. Programs such as the Career Center are here just for that. Students can use the Career Center to plan what they want to do or create short-term goals for themselves. “The Career Center helps with all kinds of post secondary planning, from going to college, to technical school, to the military,” said Career Center specialist Elizabeth Szentkiralyi. The Career Center not only helps with planning but also helps students explore financing options for those plans. “There's scholarships, internships and job opportunities,” said Szentkiralyi. With all the opportunities provided by the Career Center, still few students use it. “When it's FAFSA time or it's time for college applications there can be up to 15-20 students in the Career Center, and then sometimes there's only one or two,” said Szentkiralyi. “What I see happening is students don't know what's actually available in the Career Center; they don't know where to find the information and they don't know how to ask.” Student Services is known for the counselors and schedule-making but there is more to Student Services than students know.
Judy Beauvais
Edison provides programs and opportunities that help students succeed in high school
Counselor David Schlemmer talks to senior Kwabena Boataeng outside his office. Counselors not only assist students inside their office, but reach out to students while they are in class or in the hallway.
“It's actually a pretty big department, which people don't realize. They think it's just the counselors,” said Guillen. “We have the registrar, [who] helps enroll every new student. We have a student information assistant who works with all the stuff in SIS [Student Information Service]. We also have a transcript assistant. We have our full time psychologists. We have a full time social worker and we also have a parent liaison,” said Guillen. Student Services has people who can assist students in more than just the academic aspect of high school. Student Services has many people to help the school run efficiently and help the students stay on track. “In terms of your counselor getting to know you, the better they know their students, the better they can advocate for you. For example, writing letters of recommendation for colleges or they can help with job references. The more they know about you
and what you're doing outside of the classroom, the more they can [say about you],” said Guillen. Using Student Services gives students the benefit of making an impression of themselves to their counselors that can help them in the near future. Students have opportunities here at Edison to make their high school school career more successful.
Opportunities in Edison •
Student Services
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dlguillen@fcps.edu
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Career Center
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Director of Student Services- Deborah Guillen
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Teacher- Elizabeth Szentkiralyi elszentkiral@fcps.edu
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Teacher- Amber Jensen ANJensen@fcps.edu
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Edison Writing Center Math Center
Teacher-Stephanie Gaussion slgaussoin@fcps.edu
features
Eagles soar over the summer
Jillian Brooks staff wrtier nce students leave for summer break, some may assume that Edison High School becomes inactive. However, Edison is still busy over the summer break, even without students in it. There are still employees, such as teachers and administrative assistants, employed throughout the summertime to ensure that students have the best possible school year the next time they enter the building. Assistant Athletic Director Jim Harris works over the summer.“I help facilitate a great start to all of our school’s activities for the school year. I make sure every athlete is eligible to play a sport they are trying out for,”
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said Harris. Harris also makes sure all the sports teams have a bus to their away games and all the home games have officials. He works with Director of Students Activities Greg Dombrowski to improve the facilities at Edison. According to Melanie Morris, the IB coordinator at Edison, there may be an opportunity for rising juniors over the summer. “What we’re planning is kind of a bridge week between the tenth grade and starting IB classes in the eleventh grade.” Morris said that the workshop will be a week in August that will “teach things like mindset; growth mindset vs. fixed mindset and some time management skills and study skills.” Morris also said that during the week students
will work on the English and history summer assignments they will have to do. Morris said that the program would extend into advisory sessions during the next school year and is not just for IB diploma candidates. “It’s for anyone taking from one to six IB classes next year to help bridge that gap,” she said. Tentative dates for the workshop are August 15 through 19 for three hours each day. Morris said that there will be more information coming about the workshop. Also happening over the summer is a basketball skills camp from July 11 to 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The camp is co-ed and open to 4th through 10th graders who are at any skill level. There will also be opportunities to take senior
Jillian Brooks
After school is let out, Edison still functions to prepare for the following year
Assistant athletic director Jim Harris poses in front of the winter sports banner. Harris works over the summer to prepare for fall sports.
photos on July 14 and 15. Students can make an appointment to have their portrait taken through Lifetouch. While students may think that nothing happens over the summer, Edison still functions so it can be prepared for the next year.
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Jessica Cruz opinions editor
“H
amilton: An American Musical” has caused uproar on Broadway and in society since its premiere in August. The musical, which was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, follows the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton. The show was recently nominated for 16 Tony Awards and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In his musical, Miranda breaks traditions through his use of rap and his way of writing. “Hamilton” has impacted the world for many reasons. Firstly, “Hamilton” bridges the gap that was somehow created between rap and Broadway. Secondly, it was written by a person of color. Miranda is of Puerto Rican descent. In addition, the cast is mostly people of color. The appeal that “Hamilton” has for young people probably stems from the use of rap. Miranda managed to do something that has never been done before; he incorporated rap into a successful musical. Miranda is a lyrical genius. He took a genre that has recently been transformed into something completely different from its origin and morphed it into history. In the past few years, rap has become mostly about drugs and misogyny. While most of the rap that young people listen to is not necessarily educational, or, to some, worth listening to, “Hamilton” is quite the opposite. Miranda uses all the techniques that a rapper should use, such as rhyming and beats, while maintaining the value of his story. Some might claim that rap is not music and therefore “Hamilton” should not be considered a musical. By June 2016| The Current | 8
saying that rap should not be considered music, you are essentially silencing the culture that created it as a manner of expression. African-Americans created rap as their way of conveying messages that they felt would never be heard otherwise. Secondly, there are songs that are not rap in the musical and they demonstrate just as much creativity and uniqueness as the rest of the songs in the musical. Miranda does not only create raps; he also writes songs. This just goes to show how versatile his work can be. “I think that anything that is creative that you put before an audience to accept should be accepted,” said drama teacher Tammarrah Addison. “And to those who say it’s not a musical because of rap, who are they and who makes them king?” Miranda composes rap battles out of political discussions in songs such as ‘Cabinet Battle #1,’ but he also is able to bring forward emotional scenes with songs such as ‘Burn’. It is amazing how fluid his work is. Miranda previously had another one of his musicals, In The Heights, performed on Broadway. In that musical, he also used rap to tell the story. As stated before, Miranda has proven time and time again that he is a lyrical genius. He managed to turn history into something in which our generation would be interested in and it is important to give credit where credit is due. It is not an easy task to make young people actually desire to listen to history. The fact that Miranda is a person of color opens doors for so many other people. The Broadway industry is mainly dominated by white people, and there is little to
Eles Jones
“Hamilton”: more than just some epic rap battles
The
entrance to the
being performed.
The
Richard Rogers
theatre, where
show will be moving to
no influence of other cultures. Through his work, he inspires people of color to work hard for what they love. I, for one, know that he is one of my biggest role models as a writer. The talent that he displays to the world and the knowledge he offers others is definitely admirable. Furthermore, many in the cast of “Hamilton” are people of color. Again, this allows other people of color to try harder to achieve their goals. When Miranda cast his actors, he purposely tried to make the cast as diverse as possible in order to showcase the diversity that is seen in America today. Most of the main characters in the play are played by people of color. James Madison is played by Nigerian-American actor Okieriete Onaodowan. “Hamilton”’s son, Philip, is played by Puerto Rican Anthony Ramos. The role of Eliza “Hamilton”, Alexander’s wife, was given to Asian-American Phillipa Soo and so on. “It definitely challenges cul-
“Hamilton” is Chicago and then to D.C.
ture and society in many ways. While our culture is quite diverse many races still aren’t treated equally and aren’t given the same opportunities,” junior Emma Krause said. Some people might not realize how influential the cast of “Hamilton” can be on young America. As a country, there is obviously a growing diversity and allowing someone who is not white to be able to star on Broadway stands for hope. There is hope that we, as kids of immigrants, as descendants of people from other countries, can also prosper in the arts. “It’s definitely ground breaking in the world of musicals; it reaches out to an audience that a lot of musicals never get to,” said junior Amanuel Yiblet. All in all, “Hamilton” is worth the hype. Not only is it a musical masterpiece, but it actually impacts our society. It delivers a message that we all should be receiving.
opinions
104 days of summer vacation cut short Camyrn Anderson staff writer
F
airfax County Public Schools will be starting the 2017-2018 school year before Labor Day, according to an FCPS press release on April 28. Schools in Virginia have started after Labor Day since the signing of the Kings Dominion Law, which states that school is to start after Labor Day unless a waiver is received from the state that considers the number of snow days from previous years. Since FCPS has had such a large amount of snow days over the past five years, the county has been able to qualify for this waiver. Just because we have had a lot of snow days does not mean we have to start school earlier. We have a certain
number of allocated snow days for a reason. By moving the start date to August, the summer of 2017 will be shortened. Though school will end one week earlier in 2018, it is not made up for in the previous year. This means that one summer will be cut down by a week, affecting vacations, school sports and academics. I do not agree with the decision to start school in August because it is not fair to students. It is not fair for the county to shorten our summer. By changing the school start date to August, it will discombobulate students who are used to starting school after Labor Day. School has started after Labor Day in FCPS since 1986 and it has been working well
for the student body. “I like that I have so much time to go on vacation,” said freshman William Han. With school starting in August, students will have more time spent in the classroom, which isn’t necessary. Towards the end of the school year, most students end up wasting time in their classes because there is nothing left to do. Not many students would be thrilled about school starting earlier.“I think that it is a horrible decision and should be retracted effective immediately,” said sophomore Lujane Juburi. A major concern among most students is their vacation time. For some, vacations might be cut or altered in order to make it back before school starts.
Freshman Mustafa Hafeez said, “I think that it’s a really foolish decision because, first of all, it’s cutting our break. Second, people go on long vacations so starting school early would either cut vacation time or cause students to miss the first week of school.” Some might think that while this change seems like a huge deal, students will have too many distractions in their lives and will not realize that summer break has been shortened. However, teachers and students will both have to sacrifice a week of their time. Because of the time that will be lost, the impact should not be ignored. The student body should not be robbed of their summer. They deserve two months of relaxation after ten months of hard work.
Attention Edison 2016 Graduates Want to be with your Edison friends one last time before summer? Don’t miss the 2016 Edison All Night Graduation Party
June 15, 2016
www.EdisonANGP.com Registration is now open $45 Early-bird Price good until May 1 Each attendee will receive a graduation memento, gift cards valued at $40 and opportunity to win prizes valued $5 - $300 Hypnotist Show, Casino, Bingo, Guessing Games, Caricatures, Tattoos, Inflatables, Swimming, Diving for dollars, Money Machine, All-You-Can-Eat Cafe 9 | The Current| June 2016
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Depression lies: Benjamin Eckman guest writer
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n good conscience, I cannot idly stand by watching others continue to suffer. Depression is a deadly disease that affects millions of teenagers and adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, 2.8 million teens experienced a depressive episode in 2014. These episodes sometimes lead to deaths--deaths that have impacted Virginia, Fairfax County and Edison High School. I want it to stop. To begin, we cannot perpetuate the lie that mental health issues should remain hidden in the dark, unspoken and ignored. The truth is we need to talk about them. Truth, honesty and openness are needed to help others overcome depression and the lies depression tells.
English teacher Benjamin Eckman unmasks the reality of the disorder
worthy of love or even cared for, then that love becomes the single candle bright enough to banish the darkness and the cold. But depression lies. It takes any and every opportunity to say no one loves you or could love you. You are loveable and worthy of love. You have a place in a community even if you haven’t found it yet. As a community, we need to remind each other that someone cares. Often a depressed
same thing. There are so many adults here at Edison High School who can be trusted to listen to you, care for you and to help: your teachers, administrators, coaches, advisers and student services staff, including your counselors and school psychologists.
person needs the reminder that there’s someone who loves them.
you to feel hopeless. Depression tricks you into seeing despair. I have been struggling, fighting, losing and winning this battle for over a quarter of a century. I’m still here. I will not lie and say one day depression will magically disappear. My depression can be a daily struggle of emotionally treading water, like being capsized in the ocean without a life jacket. I still have days when I leave Edison believing that I have failed miserably as a teacher, a colleague or a friend. But I have also learned to cope and so can you. I’ve gotten better at handling it. I know when I need to talk to a friend, relative or counselor. I’ve learned to find joy in the
Lie 4: It’ll never get better or I’ll always feel this way.
This is the most dangerous lie, especially during the teenage years. Depression wants
Lie 1: You are worthless.
This lie attacks the core of a depression sufferer’s self-esteem or inner self. Whether one’s inner voice is a whisper or a scream, it is a constant refrain reminding depression sufferers that they have no value to anyone, anywhere at any time.This is false. Even if you have depression, you must understand that you have value. One of the core reasons teachers teach is they believe that. You are worth the 60-hour work weeks of grading, teaching and planning. We are here because each of you is worth it. As children’s television icon Mr. Rogers stated, there is no one else in the world exactly like you.
Lie 2: You are unlovable or unlikeable. Love, friendship and community are the enemies of depression. If you feel loved, June 2016| The Current | 10
Lie 3: No one knows how I feel, no one has problems like me or no one could understand.
If any variations of this were actually true then I could not write this article. I know about depression intimately. I suffer from depression, and have since fifth grade. I know the lies well. I also know the feeling of emptiness and isolation that you cannot quite describe. I know how cold it feels on the inside, when you are desperate to feel anything other than depressed. You are not alone. There are other teens, adults, and children who suffer from the
smallest everyday moments. You learn to laugh at yourself and at the absurdity of life. You learn to surround yourself with people who love you unconditionally, support you and hold you accountable. For me, my faith is an essential component. You may find your solace in a myriad of different people, places or pursuits.
Why the lies are dangerous
If left unchecked, these lies lead to the thinking, “It’d be easier if…” or “The world would be better off…” which quickly escalates to suicidal thoughts. Let me be clear: Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Let that sink in for a moment. I know what it’s like to want to give up or to just quit. I know there are days when you feel life is pointless. In the end you would rather feel nothing than what you do feel. Please do not dwell on or give in to those thoughts and lies. Talk to a counselor, parent, trusted adult, teacher or friend. Remember: The world is better off with you in in it. You matter. If you or someone you care about may be at risk of suicide, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. These resources are available 24/7: • Call Community Services Board Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 • Text “CONNECT” to 855-11 to contact PRS CrisisLink • Call PRS CrisisLink at 703-527-4077. • In an immediate, life-threatening situation, call 911.
opinions
STAFF EDITORIAL
FCPS makes right call in final budget Courtesy of Fairfax County Public Schools
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arlier this year, we wrote about Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year and urged the School Board not to make any drastic cuts that would negatively impact students. Fortunately, with the passage in May of the final budget, the School Board made the best decision for students, parents and staff members. Thanks to an increase in funding from Fairfax County and the state of Virginia, FCPS was able to develop a balanced budget that raises revenue without including the Draconian cuts put forth to the School Board last fall. In fact, students may not notice the cuts at all. Most of the expenditure adjustments focus on teacher pay and benefits. For example, fewer contributions will be made to employees’ health insurance and a policy giving a higher pay rate to substitutes who are retired teachers will be reversed. While cuts in teacher benefits are never desirable, they represent the lesser evil when compared to
A graph showing the expected income and expenses for FCPS in the past three fiscal years. The county transfer was increased for FY2017, allowing the school system to balance its budget. the alternatives. Further reductions involve vehicle fuel and operating expenses for the central office, relatively minor adjustments. That FCPS was able to balance a budget at all after almost a decade of deficits and cuts is remarkable. That it did so with virtually no impact on students is even more noteworthy. Superintendent Karen Garza and the School Board should be commended for their repeated insistence on
Super Sponsors THE PINKNEY FAMILY THE ASKENAZY FAMILY THE DOBSON FAMILY
more funding from the local and state governments and for finding reductions that are as benign as possible. Meanwhile, the brighter financial outlook now allows FCPS to invest in resources that can greatly improve the experiences of students and faculty alike. Teachers will be receiving a badly needed pay increase, elementary school class sizes will be reduced and old buses will be replaced. Perhaps this will begin a new trend: one where less
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THE JONES FAMILY THE DESANTE FAMILY
THE SCHULZ FAMILY THE BEAUVAIS FAMILY
attention is focused on what programs should be cut and more is focused on how current investments can be improved or new ones can be made. FCPS realizes the new budget signifies a point of transition for the county. “It enables us to begin the process of rebuilding the school division,” said Garza in a press release. However, doing so requires cooperation and willpower among all involved. The School Board must continue to put pressure on the county Board of Supervisors and the state General Assembly to continue their commitment to children’s educations and prove that this year’s funding is not a fluke. Students and parents should also get involved. During the budget approval process, which begins in January, FCPS often holds community meetings where residents can voice their opinions to School Board members. After so many years of budget distress, no one should take the newfound optimism for granted.
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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 edisoncurrent@gmail.com, or pick up a subscription form in room C215. 11 | The Current| June 2016
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of
T
he Olympics is the second most-watched sporting event in the world, behind only the FIFA World Cup. So, naturally, it is an incredible honor to even go to the Olympic Trials, not to mention the Olympics themselves. Two current and former Fairfax County Public Schools students have this opportunity: Andrew Seliskar, a former Thomas Jefferson student, and Cassidy Bayer, a current West Potomac student. Andrew Seliskar had a sensational high school career as a swimmer, breaking several state records, some of which were previously his own. He specializes in breaststroke and butterfly, as well as medleys, so he is a competitive swimmer in all events. Seliskar has succeeded in individual medleys, as he won the 400 yard IM at the Pac-12 championships as a swimmer for
the University of California. He finished fifth overall at the NCAA championships, but did not swim a best time. In that event, Seliskar holds the National age group record, which was two seconds faster than his performance at the NCAAs. Had he swum that time at the championships, he would have easily taken third, missing second by a few hundredths of a second. Overall, Seliskar is ninth in the country in his 400 IM. This summer will be Seliskar’s second Olympic Trials. Cassidy Bayer is continuing to impress as a butterflyer. She currently is the third best 200 flyer in the country, and in 2015 was seeded first in the 100 fly at the Junior World Championships. Bayer’s 200 fly time is around 18th in the world. Bayer also won the 100 fly at the state championships in February. Bayer said she believes that she has a shot at an Olympic berth this year. “If you don’t see yourself doing
Courtesy
Will Dobson sports editor
SwimSwam
FCPS athletes look for berths on U.S. Olympic Team
Former Thomas Jefferson swimmer Andrew Seliskar swims butterfly at a Nation’s Capitol Swim Club meet. Seliskar now swims for the Cal Golden Bears, and won the 400 Individual Medley at the Pac-12 Championships in March. what you want to, there’s no is much more than that. She way that you will be able to do stated that, “swimming is it when it comes down to domore of a mental sport, and ing so,” Bayer said. “I’m not I feel like people don’t know saying I don’t have a chance that. I think you have to be and I’m not saying I do, but I mentally strong so that you will have to swim my best in can fail and learn from it. I’m
“I’m not saying I don’t have a chance and I’m not saying I do, but I will have to swim my best in order to [qualify].”
Courtesy
of
SwimSwam
-Cassidy Bayer
West Potomac
Cassidy Bayer swims the freestlye. She is trainUSA’s youngest Olympic swim team member at the Rio summer. swimmer
ing to become the
Olympics
this
June 2016| The Current | 12
order to do so.” This will be Bayer’s first Olympic Trials. Bayer has been swimming for the majority of her life, and said “my favorite aspect of swimming would be the friends I can make all around the world that will be friends I have for life.” Another perk is “the cool places I get to go.” While swimming may appear to just be muscular people thrashing through the water, Bayer said that it
good at mentally learning from experiences like that, and that is why I’ve gotten to where I am today.” Viewers from around the area should tune into the Olympic Trials to try and catch local athletes competing for the various slots on the team. The trials run from June 26 to July 3, and are the only way that athletes make it onto the Olympic team.
sports
Column as I see ‘em: Slide rule doesn’t add up
USA Today
with the introduction of the new rule. So far this season, there have been several games that have been greatly affected, and sometimes even ended,
of
W
hen you hear slide rule, you think of the calculating device that students used back in the dark ages, but that is not so anymore. Now, thanks to Dodgers second baseman, and renowned aggressive slider, Chase Utley, a slide rule has been instituted in Major League Baseball. It is a similar concept to the Buster Posey rule, after America’s catcher, Buster Posey, was seriously injured in a home plate collision. So, now contact at the plate, and when breaking up double plays is strongly discouraged. In the playoffs last year, Chase Utley was attempting to break up a double play, and in doing so, shattered Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada’s leg.
Utley’s maneuver can hardly be called a slide, though. Really, he rolled into Tejada’s leg, and almost missed the bag entirely. Someone tell that man that the stop-drop-roll
Courtesy
Will Dobson sports editor
Chase Utley slides into second base during Game 2 of the National League Division Series. While the Mets advanced, shortstop Ruben Tejada’s leg was broken, an he missed the rest of the season. technique is for fires, not baseball. While Tejada has since recovered, Utley’s slide has reverberated into this season
because of bogus slide rule calls. Also, we witnessed Jose Bautista get cold-cocked by Rougned Odor, which was my
favorite moment of the season so far. While I agree that there is a need to protect middle infielders in these situations, the decisions should be left to the umpires’ discretion whether to call the runners out or not. Instead, we should clone Rougned Odor. I predict that violent slides will decrease exponentially with our valiant guardian of the basepaths. In all seriousness, there are better ways to protect players than creating crazy red tape. The rule should also not have such a profound impact on games. Too many games have been ended because a player slid past the bag, sometimes not even intentionally. While the rule was created with good intentions, it should be far more flexible and open to interpretation of malicious intent and possible danger created by the player in question. 13 | The Current| June 2016
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Summer concert preview: Talia Carter arts editor
Luke Bryan
Beyonce
M&T Bank Arena, Baltimore, Maryland, June 10
Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Virginia, June 10
Barenaked Ladies
Wolf Trap, Filene Center, June 13
Ellie Goulding, Matt and Kim and Bebe Rexha Merriweather Post Pavilion, June 13
Guns N Roses
FedEx Field, Washington D.C., June 26
Journey, the Doobie Brothers and Dave Mason Wolf Trap, Filene Center, July 2
Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples Wolf Trap, Filene Center, July 5
5 Seconds of Summer Jiffy Lube Live, July 8
Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas Verizon Center, Washington D.C., July 26
June 2016| The Current | 14
arts
All the hot concerts around the DC metro area Billy Joel
Nationals Park, Washington D.C., July 30
Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Kevin Gates, Jhene Aiko, Casey Veggies and DJ Drama Jiffy Lube Live, July 31
Pitbull
Verizon Center, Washington D.C., August 4
Summer Spirit Festival Merriweather Post Pavilion, August 6
Paul McCartney
Verizon Center, Washington D.C., August 9
Barbra Streisand
Verizon Center, Washington D.C., August 18
Kenny Chesney and Old Dominion Jiffy Lube Live, August 18
Drake and Future
Verizon Center, Washington D.C., August 20
Train and Andy Grammar Merriweather Post Pavilion, August 20
15 | The Current| June 2016
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Stars sparkle at Edison’s Got Talent Edison’s end-of-year talent show highlights memorable Eagle talent Ryan Pinkney
M
managing editor
any students around the school wait in anticipation for Edison’s talent show, Edison’s Got Talent, where students from around the school showcase their amazing and sometimes outrageous talents. Edison’s Got Talent is run by the choir department, which holds auditions for students to be a part of the show. Auditions this year attracted a large number of students and, according to Choir Director Anna Robinson, made picking which acts got to perform a tricky task.
The students auditioned in front of Robinson, who made the final decision on entries accepted to perform at the show. Edison’s Got Talent is exciting for those who participate and for those who get to watch. Robinson said Edison’s
From left to right: Senior Dustin Starduck, Alumnus Peter Schieble, Junior Nicholas Riehle, Senior Thai Doung, Senior Luqman Rulmer, Alumni Lynn Do, Nicole Ferrel, and Leah Moses.
June 2016| The Current | 16
Got Talent is amazing for “showcasing the diversity of the student body both in talent and in culture, and gives students the opportunity to step into the spotlight and show off what makes them unique.” Junior Jenny Roegner said Edison’s Got Talent “is really cool because it includes all different groups of kids; it’s not just theatre or chorus.” This year’s show, Robinson said, was different because it included live audience voting
through a text message survey system so the student body had a voice in the winners along with the traditional teacher judges. Junior Nicholas Riehle, who participated in Edison’s Got Talent last year, said, “The show is the most clear opportunity for us to express ourselves and to show, indeed, that Edison has got talent.”
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EHS The Current on twitter
seniors
Vist our twitter feed for breaking news and updates about what’s happening in your Edison community
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Seniors 2016| The Current | 16
seniors
“High school has changed how I see the world.” -Kathryn Heislup
“Follow your dreams and exceed your expectations. Never back down.” -Elmer Argueta
“School was pretty alright.” -Megan Delaney
“High school is the best and is work towards the future.” -Oscar Mejia
15 | The Current| Seniors 2016
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Jocks’ thoughts: reflecting on high school sports Will Dobson sports editor
“My life revolved around [sports] because each season had only a weekend in between. Also, I work better school-wise with more commitments and stress, so having something every day made me more focused on school.”
- Emily Ajello
“Athletics helped me because I always kept my grades up thanks to study hall and grade requirements to stay on the team.”
-Megan Hendrick
“As a team, we made sure we were on track and always supported each other no matter what. We would always pick each other up, and never doubted ourselves.”
-Deon Smith-Bernardez
“Death. Pain. Suffering. Studying.” -Emily Wylie
“Started from the bottom, but I worked my way up.” -Alexander Castellon
“I am closest with the people I did sports with. My best friends come from swimming.” -Sarah Weinstein
Seniors 2016| The Current | 14
“My time with Edison lacrosse drove my competitive nature both on the field and in the classroom. My teamates and I pushed each other to be the best all-around student athletes.” -Eric Beinhart
“Challenging, but worth it. Band with friends was fun.” -Dan Cook
“Pressure really brings a team together because you’re able to lean on those around you.” -Skye Carlson
seniors Buffalo Frostburg State Alderson-Broaddus
Endicott U-Mass Lowell
Shippensburg Stevenson Marymount Mary Washington Eastern Mennonite Lynchburg Elon UVA -Wise
Mariyah Harper, Lacrosse School: Shippensburg; DIII Position: Defense Favorite Memory: “Beating T.C. Williams for the first time in girls lacrosse histroy.”
Danielle Hook, Lacrosse School: Lynchburg University; DIII Position: Attack Favorite Memory: “When we beat T.C. Williams for the first time in girls lacrosse history. It showed how much we had grown as a team.”
Evan Kerkhoff, Lacrosse
Gretel Bonilla, Soccer
School: Mary Washington; DIII
School: Marymount University; DIII
Position: Midfielder Favorite Memory: “Scoring my first goal against Annandale sophmore year.”
Position: Forward/Midfielder Favorite Memory: “Scoring the winning goal against Falls Church in overtime in the first round of Conference 13 playoffs.”
Monea Collins, Track
Rachel Sanks, Volleyball
School: Alderson-Broaddus; DII
School: University of Buffalo; DI
Best Event: 4x800
Position: Outside Hitter
Favorite Memory: “Winning conference and taking a victory lap with the whole team.”
Favorite Memory: “Making program history my senior year with our 12-4 record and coming in second in conference, which is the best season we’ve had in years.”
13 | The Current| Seniors 2016
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What’s next for Edison athletes? From basketball to volleyball, The Current takes a look at where some of Edison’s seniors will be playing college athletics next year. Ben Davenport staff writer
Tierra Cochraham, Basketball
Jada Graves, Basketball
School: Eastern Mennonite; DIII
School: Elon University; DI
Position: Shooting Guard
Position: Point Guard
Favorite Memory: “Bonding with my teammates and coaches in Florida on The Rocket rollecoaster ride senior year.”
Favorite Memory: “Going to Florida with my team and our pregame rituals we would do before every game in the locker room.”
Megan Hendrick, Basketball
Kennedy Telfair, Basketball
School: Massachusetts-Lowell; DI Position: Shooting Guard Favorite Memory: “Traveling with the team and creating unforgettable memories, while also being able to compete in the state tournament all four years.”
School: Frostburg State; DIII Position: Forward Favorite Memory: “Playing at VCU’s basketball arena in the state semifinal game.”
Reilly Dandridge, Football
Ahmad Kohistany, Football
School: Stevenson University; DIII
School: Stevenson University; DIII
Position: Linebacker
Position: Wide Receiver
Favorite Memory: “When I made my first Varsity tackle versus Herndon, whose running back was tearing our defense up and I stopped him for no gain.”
Favorite Memory: “Scoring a touchdown just before half[time] in the Tusacrora game my senior year.”
Emma McDowell, Hockey
Elsa Girardo, Lacrosse
School: Endicott College; DIII
School: UVA-Wise; DII
Position: Wing
Position: Goalie
Favorite Memory: “Winning the junior women’s hockey league championship this year.”
Favorite Memory: “Setting the school record for the most saves in one game at 34 during the Marshall game.”
Seniors 2016| The Current | 12
seniors Budget prom vs pricey prom The Current editors do their senior prom on a budget and at full price Talia Carter arts editor
I
got really lucky when I bought my dress. I went to a consignment store on an ordinary day to just browse. Little did I know that in the back of the store, there was a brand new prom dress (with the tag still on), never been worn. It was exactly my size and the style that I was thinking about. The best part was that it was only $50. The best way to go dress shopping is just to keep browsing and not give up if you do not find what you want. Also, set a limit for yourself. I told myself that I was not going to spend more than $100 on my dress because I did not want to spend that much on a dress I was only going to wear once. There was no point to buy new shoes when I already had a pair that worked fine. When I originally bought them, they were only $10 on clearance at JC Penney. Plus, prom dresses are usually long, so the shoes
are not typically visible. The accessories were the same deal. They were all items that I already owned, so I did not have to go out and buy new ones. Dinner: $30 Picking a place for dinner was a little tricky. I had to find a place that had reasonably priced food, free or cheap parking, was close enough to the actual prom so we would not get stuck in traffic and somewhere that offered vegetarian options. Saving the money on dinner was definitely worth the time it took to find the restaurant. Hair/makeup/nails: $0 You do not have to get yourself made-up professionally. The internet is a really helpful tool. You can see how to do your hair, makeup and nails all by yourself. All you need to do is practice a little bit. If you already own all of the tools you need, it is absolutely free. The little time you spend practicing is worth saving at least a hundred dollars. Was prom worth it? Despite not having all the luxurious amenities at prom, it was still so much fun. You do not need all the fancy items to have a good time. In fact, I feel better knowing that I saved so much money. All you need is the right group of friends to be with to make for a memorable night.
Emily Jarmin news editor
F
inding the perfect dress is harder than I imagined. Many dresses that I loved were overpriced. After many months of looking at numerous websites, I finally found one that I loved and could afford. I settled on a dress that was $298. I bought my dress off of amazon.com which saved me $30 compared to the price I found at retail stores. DSW is the best store to shop at to find reasonably priced shoes. I paid $45 for shoes that are comfortable and that I can wear again. I recommend not to pay a lot for shoes because they are not the most important thing about your outfit. Accessories are not essential for prom but some students, such as myself, like to add a little extra to their outfit. One should not spend more than $20 on accessories. It is easy to find cheap accessories at many stores. I went to Charming Charlie at National Harbor to find my accessories. Everything there is reasonably
priced, but is still made with quality. Hair/Makeup: $120 I have never been good at doing my own makeup for big events. I decided to get my makeup done professionally for $85. I would not recommend spending a lot of money on makeup unless it’s necessary. I chose to get my nails done for prom: I spent $35 to get my nails painted. Having pretty nails is not required for prom, but many girls like to spend the money for the occasion. Because I spent a lot of money on my makeup, I decided to do my hair myself. In my opinion, you should not spend a a lot of money on both, but choose one that you feel matters more. Dinner: $30 My group decided to eat dinner at a restaurant in DC called Carmine’s. If you do not want to spend a lot of money on dinner, there are many options locally that can provide you with good food at a low price. Was prom worth it? While all of these items are not necessary for prom, they add to the overall experience of the night. By the end of prom, I did not regret spending high amounts of money. The items that I spent money on led to one of the greatest nights of my life, and I would not take anything back. 11 | The Current| Seniors 2016
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No caps, no glory FCPS students should be allowed to decorate their caps at graduation this year Even if students are not pursuing a post-secondary education, they should be allowed to put whatever they want on their cap as long as it is appropriate. Why does everyone have to be the same? All students already have to wear
nity college. As a high school student, making the decision of where to go for the next four years was stressful and nerve-racking, as it was for most. So why can students, on one of their proudest days in life, not be able to show off where they are going for the next four years? It makes sense that after all the effort of attempting to get the best grades, writing essays and finding the school that is right for them, they should be at least able to show off their accomplishment. However, The Eagle Bank Arena, located at George Mason University (GMU) and home to Edison’s graduation on June 15, will not allow students who decorate their caps to enter the venue. Seniors 2016| The Current | 10
“I think this infringes upon our creative abilities. This is something most of us have looked forward to customizing since we began high school.” -Whitney Libebe
ments, but now some of the best chances to showcase their achievements are taken away. At least for the future graduates from FCPS, allow them to have a vote. Let the students vote about what color they want to wear since they now have to wear one. Or set up a strict policy for cap decoration. Even if it limits the students, at least it is
“We were told when we were younger to express ourselves, and our last year of high school, we’re unable to do so.” -Keiron Fontaine
“We already have the same color everything, and having a decorated cap would allow us to be more unique.” -Lydia Argueta
of
“Graduation has become extremely straightlaced and rigid. It’s no longer a celebration--it’s a formality.” -Haley Lawrence
cap from the individual and they lose the privilege to wear their cap. Two years ago I attended the class of 2014’s graduation and saw a plentiful amount of students who had decorated their caps. It did not impede
Wikimedia Commons
F
rom the moment most students step into high school, the one day they look forward to the most is graduation. It marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another. For a majority of students, their future will consist of attending some kind of post-secondary education, whether it be a university, college or commu-
“Once upon a time, admin, you were a kid. Stop ruining our fun.” -Ahmad Kohistany
the same color gown, so by preventing their expression through decorating their caps, it limits students ability to express their own uniqueness on a day that has become extremely rigid. Why are students not allowed to show off something of which they are proud? If the cap is not appropriate, then on the day of graduation simply take the
upon the ceremony or cause a disruption. In fact, their decorations allowed each student to freely express what they wanted on their cap. Whether it was a college mascot, unique drawing, shoutout to their mom or a favorite memory about high school, each one provided students the ability to showcase whatever they want on a day they will always remember. Graduation is about celebrating students’ accomplish-
Courtesy
Ben Davenport staff writer
better than preventing them from any type of expression. FCPS should strive to provide a graduation ceremony that is structured and well-organized while also being something where everyone can express themselves. Of course graduation needs its rigidity, but at least let the students enjoy their final day as an FCPS student. Graduation should be about celebrating the past and preparing for the future, but GMU and FCPS are hampering that opportunity.
Ada Lazo Justin Rogers
Randolph-Macon Cindy Johns
Endicott College Emma McDowell
Maryland Institute College of Art Alexander Castellon
Longwood University Priscilla Bufano
Hofstra University Leah Moses
University of Northwestern Ohio
Virginia Tech
Dan Cook
Emily Jarmin Robyn Palompo Shania Akter Catherine Woodward Shahanara Akter Natalie Hartzell Lauren Arias Skye Carlson Alexandra Chavez Cameron Lee Isabel Regehr Tess Megret Megan Delaney Tina Malhotra
Full Sail University Emma Cronnell
Evergreen State College Ryan Haupt
University of Massachusetts, Lowell Megan Hendrick
University of Valley Forge Siera Johnson
Saint Francis University Moses Kamara
York College of Pennsylvania Sarah Patrick
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Washington College Casey Lockard
University of Mary Washington
Kathryn Heislup Evan Kerkhoff Victoria Munevar Salma Sandoval
Indiana University Paul Goeglein
Temple University Whitney Libebe
nsent are included.
Alfred Reid Julissa Rios Lynn Do
Gemma Spicka-Proffit Noah Mota Pinto
Old Dominion University Kevin Aboagye Yohans Ashine Camille Brown Nana Donkor
United States Coast Guard Academy Elena Calese Kristen Magalis
and
Alyssa Loarca Sarah Loarca
Elsa Girardo
Larinda Kearny Dustin Starbuck Eric Beinhart Ridhima Bhatia Yammin Ezzedine
Victoria Hester Daniel Berry Tatiana Loarca Doug Barger
Justin Askenazy
Salem College
University of VirginiaWise
George Mason University
Christopher Newport
Jocelyn Dawson
Ryan Pinkney
ng as they head down life’s path
Liberty University
9 | The Current| Seniors 2016
by
FE
Raymond Miller
Designed
sity
seniors
Bridgewater College
the
current BYU-Idaho Kiriana Beal Talia Carter
Stanford University
University of Utah Anthony Glad
B
Emily Wilson Katie Wolfteich
University of Richmond Haley Lawrence
University of Virginia Demars Berhe Kruti Shah Jonathan Esteva Faten Hasan
Katie Kolo Jack McManus Annie Laurie Ross
Virginia Commonwealth
Lynchburg College
Molly Mallow Ahmed Chaudery Andrew Dempsey Hannah Malhoyt Benhur Negusse Melanie So Donovan Tran
Danielle Hook
Penn State University Daniel Ehrlich Jordan Larkins Ben Davenport Karmin Faiz Emily Ajello Mikey Emhof
Marymount University Sophia Chbarat Gretel Bonilla
Michigan State Erika Ramirez
He
tr ve ib rs st er ute ity d by o f :
ToVirg ri i
nia
Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus Judy Beauvais Huma Pervaiz Hudha Marva Deon Smith-Bernardez
Alexandria Campus Richard Benavidez Katie Burkett Kristen Gibson Deja Rogers
James Madison Traci Rasdorf Erin Coogan Brenna Coogan Mary Purcell Emily Wylie Kyla Bouttavong Clayton Crooch Rebecca Clasen
L I
William & Mary
Where Edison seniors are going as
Michele Fong Amna Baloul
West Virginia Lydia Ringquist
University of Alabama Anna Lee Foster
Stevenson University Ahmad Kohistany Reilly Dandridge
University of Nebraska- Rensselaer Polytechnic Omaha Institute Jacob Campbell
UNC-Chapel Hill
Sydnie Tran
Sarah Weinstein
Seniors 2016| The Current | 8
Only those students who gave their expressed written consent are
seniors Senior Choice Awards
Worst Case of Senioritis
Ryan Haupt & Setara Gardezi
Broadway Bound
Thai Duong & Talia Carter
Bachelor & Bachelorette
Deon Smith & Tess Purcell
Reality Show Star
Alex Castellon & Leslie Faulk
Musically Talented
Paul Geoglein & Katie Kolo
Change the World
Keiron Fontaine & Katie Wolfteich
Be a Billionaire
Bamlak Gessessew & Lauren Arias
Couple That Never Was
Ahmad Kohistany & Dani Hook
Boy/Girl You Want to Bring Home to Mom
Jack McManus & Katie Wolfteich
Cutest Couple
Daniel Berry & Kruti Shah
Best Dressed
Cobie Chinyauong & Ciara Bonner
Best Eyes
Josh Barrett & Siera Johnson
Best Celebrity Look-Alike Robert Johnson & Ciara Bonner Best Eyebrows Daniel Berry & Salma Sandoval Best Shoe Game Darrius Whitmore & Jada Graves Best Hair Dustin Starbuck & Ciara Bonner Most Changed Since Freshman Year Patrick Charlton & Monica Freitag Class Clown Ahmad Kohistany & Monea Collins
Courtesy of Google Images
ad
Find A Cure to Cancer Ammar Idris & Faten Hassan Nobel Peace Prize
Ammar Idris & Katie Wolfteich
Most Likely to be President
Ammar Idris & Katie Kolo
Life of The Party
Ahmad Kohistany & Casarra Condor
Most Spirited
Alex Castellon & Tess Megret
Most Likely to Nana Donker & Demars Berhe Brighten Your Day Most Talkative
Funniest Laugh
Shoulder to Cry On Nana Donkor & Tierra Cochraham Best Techie
Best Driver
Steven Lu & Robyn Palompo
Worst Driver
Ryan Haupt & Melanie So
Best Wheels Karim Claros & Sophia Chbarat Most Athletic Moses Kamara & Rachel Sanks
Nelson Caballero & Shania Akter Keiron Fontaine & Casey Lockard Anthony Glad & Katie Kolo
Most Likely to Shock Everyone at Reunion
Noah Pinto & Corinne Peebles
Best Nickname
Ahmad Kohistany & Emily Ajello
Best Bromance
Eric Beinhart & Ben Davenport
Attached At The Hip
Whitney Liebe & Ciara Bonner
Most Likely to be Late Ryan Haupt & Melanie So to Graduation
7 | The Current| Seniors 2016
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Attention Edison 2016 Graduates
Want to be with your Edison friends one last time before summer? Don’t miss the 2016 Edison All Night Graduation Party
June 15, 2016
www.EdisonANGP.com Registration is now open $45 Early-bird Price good until May 1 Each attendee will receive a graduation memento, gift cards valued at $40 and opportunity to win prizes valued $5 - $300 Hypnotist Show, Casino, Bingo, Guessing Games, Caricatures, Tattoos, Inflatables, Swimming, Diving for dollars, Money Machine, All-You-Can-Eat Cafe
Have an amazing
summer vacation
-The Current
Seniors 2016| The Current | 6
“Don’t fall behind in work, you’ll regret it later.” -Hera Kambitis
Courtesy of Google Images
“Crazy friendships while making it through life.” -Diana Lunture
“What goes up doesn’t alway come down.” -Anthony Glad
seniors
Graduation speaker changes for seniors
of
G
victory in the polls, Brumfield said, that, although Shu may be able to talk in a classroom environment, she felt that he would not be able to speak in front of a larger audience and believed he might not perform as expected. She said that it is not only the students’ graduation but their parents’, too. Brumfield went on to say the administration wanted everyone to walk out of graduation impressed by the speech and felt as if Shu would not be able to fulfill their desives. The administration also felt that there would be complications trying to get him to Northern Virginia since he now lives in Washington state. “I don’t think it is fair that administration overrode our decision. I thought Shu would have been a great speaker,” said senior Noel Araya. After removing Shu from consideration, the administration compromised with students on whom they preferred to be speaker. Senior Shahanara Akter said that the administration debated on removing the rest of the nominees and making Kiggins the speaker, but it let the students give their input as to why Racek and Karayannis should still be considered. Brumfield said she believes that Racek and Karayannis are great speakers, but they both recently spoke at graduation in 2013 and 2014, respec-
Courtesy
Lexy Thomas staff writer raduation day may be one of the most important days of one’s life, as it serves as a catalyst for the students to revel in academic accomplishments and a way for parents to glorify how proud they are of their child. For both students and parents, remembering and celebrating graduation is an important and special experience that should be enjoyable and fun. The graduation speaker and commencement speech is one of the major aspects of a graduation and should be memorable. Edison seniors nominated four possible speakers: former biology teacher Johnny Shu, English teacher Stacey Kiggins, and history teachers Scott Racek and Chris Karayannis. The Class of 2016 voted Shu to be their graduation speaker. Senior Melanie So said, “Having Mr. Shu as speaker would be great since everyone loves him.” So said Shu worked well with the students and had a great relationship with most of them. The students felt that it was only right if he was their graduation speaker. In May, Principal Pamela Brumfield came into Leadership class and gave the students many reasons as to why Shu could not be their class graduation speaker. After deliberation over Shu’s
Kristin Erickson
Administration overrules seniors’ vote to have Shu as speaker
History teacher Chris Karayannis gives his graduation speech at the 2014 graduation. This year, history teacher Scott Racek will be the graduation speaker at Eagle Bank Arena. tively and wanted to give other teachers a chance to be apart of graduation. Akter said, “ I think administration did take our concerns in mind and were good at being fair. One thing I felt they did wrong was tell Shu he could be our speaker and then take it back, but I feel like that was one honest professional mistake, ” After looking at every option, Racek was chosen to be
“Go vertical.”
the new speaker for graduation. Senior Tess Purcell said that she has an infinite amount of respect for Racek and has no doubt that he will be an amazing speaker. However, she feels betrayed by how administration handled the situation. Purcell said, “when they created the initial ballot, they should have intervened if they felt so strongly that [Shu] should not speak.” “It always seems impossible until its done.” -Karmin Faiz
-Mikey Emhof
“Real greatness is what you do with the hand you’re dealt.” -Jon Esteva 5 | The Current| Seniors 2016
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current PRESS
PRESS
Dear Journalism Seniors, E ditors. Staff writers. Colleagues. Friends. These words only begin to describe the many roles you filled this year on The Current staff. Your contributions to the paper set a standard that will be difficult to surpass in the years to come. From the brainstorming process until the final submission to the publisher, you went above and beyond the call of duty -- editing stories down to the tiniest nitpick, writing two or three (or sometimes four!) articles in an issue, coming to the Pub Lab during Eagle Time or
Seniors 2016| The Current | 4
after school to make sure your page design was just right or even driving to Maryland to get an unscheduled interview. The improvement made in the quality of the newspaper over the year was evident, and it was thanks in large part to your tireless efforts. We appreciate your constant willingness to listen to the other editors and for your work to be critiqued. Such cooperation made our jobs much easier, allowing us to focus on our own tasks and not on nagging or cracking the whip, so to speak. But during those very few
times when we were not hard at work, your senses of humor and uncanny abilities to bring levity to even the most stressful moments truly made for a memorable year. Whether it was singing along to pop hits from the ‘80s or holding us all accountable for our bad jokes with the Bad Joke Jar, you helped make journalism one of the most fun classes on our schedule. In a year of transition, with a new adviser and editorial leadership in charge, your support ensured there were no hiccups in the process. As we wait with uncertainty about
what the future holds for The Current, you can be assured that your efforts and achievements will always live on in print, online and in the hearts and minds of those with whom you worked. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and hope you will continue to be great writers, designers, leaders and friends wherever life may take you. Sincerely, Jessica, Justin, Ryan and Will
seniors Seniors celebrate graduation on the beach
Courtesy
of
Leslie Faulk
A few seniors travel to Myrtle Beach for a week to spend time with friends
Seniors Emma LaPlante, Leslie Faulk, and Patty Choi enjoy their 2015 summer vacation at Bethany Beach, Delaware. These seniors are looking forward to spending time at the beach with each other again this summer. to beach week so I can spend Emily Jarmin another week with my close news editor friends from high school befter graduation, seniors fore I go off to college.” are free from high Lots of time and patience school and ready to must go into planning for start the next chapter of their beach week. According to lives. While many seniors are LaPlante, “The hardest part going on different vacations was that we had to find a with family and friends, a few house that accommodates all students are going down to of us. We also had to get a the beach to celebrate the end parent to sign the waiver.” of their senior year. There is not a large group Seniors Emma LaPlante, of students going to Myrtle Leslie Faulk and Patty Choi Beach, but that did not stop are going to Myrtle Beach to these students from finding a spend time with each other house. Laplante said, “There and other friends for a week. are 18 people coming in our LaPlante said, “I am going house. Three of them are
A
“Always be a sunflower.” -Brian Nguyen
“Make your journey worth it and grab it by the throat.” -Ricardo Amaya
from Edison and the rest are from Hayfield.” Some parents may be cautious about sending their children to a beach alone for a week. Some parents may decide to travel to the beach to be close in case of emergencies. Faulk said, “I have been to a beach with some of the girls I am going with several times, so my parents trust me and my friends.” Dewey Beach, Maryland; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Ocean City, Maryland are some of the popular destinations seniors choose to spend their week of freedom. Ocean City holds many events aimed towards the students coming to the beach. Events such as Play it Safe, the Ocean City Car Show and Dew Tour are meant to cater to the graduates. Play it Safe holds alcohol-free and drug-free events during the month of June to accommodate the graduates who choose to celebrate graduation in Ocean City. Beach week is an exciting opportunity that allows seniors to experience a new kind of freedom. Faulk said, “I am most excited to be with my friends for a week on the beach before we have to leave each other. I also can’t wait to just lay out on the beach.”
“Senior year is fun.” -Jake Montgomery
3 | The Current| Seniors 2016
the
current Our seniors offered some reflection on their high school experience. Look for their quotes throughout this issue.
“You don’t get these years back, so make the most of them.” -Austin Rush “When in doubt, mitochondria.” -Faten Hasan
“High school was great “I’m not sleeping. and playing sports I’m just not a visual made it even better.” learner.” -Elsa Girardo -Judy Beauvais
“High school was not fun but it taught me new things” -Benhur Negusse
“Believe in yourself or you won’t believe.” -Ahmad Kohistany
“Talia knows what’s hot and what’s not.” -Daniela Chirinos
“High school was a time in my life where I learned lessons and became who I am today.” -Gretel Bonilla Seniors 2016| The Current | 2
“A lot of oppertunity, some misses, some not, but great.” -Sarah Loarca
“Throughout my high school career, it was all about meeting new people and being the best I can be in basketball.” -Jada Graves
Seniors
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Thomas A. Edison High School
Thomas Edison High School • Volume 52• Issue 6• 5801 Franconia Road • Alexandria, VA 22310 • June 13, 2016