February 2012

tjTODAY

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 6560 Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

I-Nite P10

VOLUME 27, ISSUE 6

First and last period online courses to be offered

by Jenny Chen News Editor A Fairfax County School Board work session agreement on Feb. 13 will allow students to take online courses from the convenience of their own homes as substitutes for start and end of day on-campus classes.

The proposal stems from efforts to improve student health and to allow students to get

TJ talks

What do you think about the proposed legislation?

SB210

All cell phone use would be a primary offense for provisional license holders.

“It would be better to keep cell phone use as a secondary offense. It’s harder for officers to use their own judgement in determining a driver’s age.”

-junior Deanna Buttaro

more sleep. After completing their first period class at home, students would have to provide their own transportation to their on-campus classes.

Online lessons in lieu of first period classes could lead to a broader range of courses available to Jefferson students, such as creative writing. In the same way, online courses set at the Jefferson level of difficulty could be open

to students from other FCPS schools if there were enough requests for them.

“It’s like a two-way street,” Principal Evan Glazer said. “Our students can have the opportunity to take courses not at our school and conversely students who don’t attend our school full time might have the potential to enroll in something if we offered it online.”

The online course option would be

if u want 2 txt ur ticket is nxt Pending Virginia bill could make cell phone use a primary offense

Crash zones

Due to high accident rates at Fairfax County intersections, VDOT has approved the installment of cameras at the following red lights: 1- University Drive and North St. 2- Fairfax Blvd. and Fairfax Circle 3- Fairfax Blvd. and Route 123

SB219

Texting would be a primary offense for all drivers.

“In theory, the bill should be fine, and I support it because people don’t make the best choices.”

-senior Stas Schaller “When people text when they should be watching the road, they put hundreds of lives in danger. I think a stronger punishment is necessary for texting.”

-junior Sajala Shukla

photo illustration by Mallika Patkar

by Jenny Chen News Editor A Virginia Senate bill (SB210) would make all cell phone use behind the wheel by provisional license holders a primary offense. The bill passed the Senate on a 3010 vote on Jan. 24, but has lost momentum in the House of Delegates Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee, where on Feb. 16 a subcommittee recommended it to

P7

Emily Saitta dives at States

be voted on later.

Currently, cell phone use by drivers under the age of 18 is a secondary offense, meaning that police officers can only pull a driver over if he or she violates another law such as speeding. The bill would allow officers to cite drivers for just cell phone use.

State Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, was the chief patron of the bill. According to the

P8-9

Hidden side of love revealed

Washington Examiner, he said that teens who drive while operating cell phones are 16 times more likely to cause fatal accidents than adults without cell phones.

The bill would make Virginia one of 25 states and the District of Columbia that have already made cell phone use by provisional license holders a primary offense. continued on p. 2

P12

Dental hygiene important for teens

especially useful for taking certain AP electives or for fulfilling the new economics and personal finance credit requirement for the class of 2015 as well as future students.

“That’s an example of how you can take a course that’s not going to affect the rest of your TJ studies. It wouldn’t put students at a disadvantage later on,” Glazer said. continued on p. 2

Rise of thefts on campus

by Mallika Patkar News Editor Senior Tim Song did not think twice before leaving his backpack in the hallway during an I-Nite rehearsal on Feb. 3. However, when he returned to retrieve it at the end of the rehearsal, his wallet was missing.

“I was shocked that something like this would happen at TJ since the only thing that we joke gets stolen here is food. The thief took $34, but luckily nothing else. Mr. McCormick found it down the hall under a vending machine a week later,” Song said.

Since September, thefts have roiled campus life and continued through February.

The security office has not found anyone responsible. There have been accounts of nonJefferson students on campus; however, none of the rumors have been substantiated.

“The highest elevation of thefts took place before the winter holidays. There were five or six days when five to seven cases of theft were reported each day. The thefts are still occurring,“ Principal Evan Glazer said.

“Now, we generally have one to three a day.

It’s very unfortunate. We don’t want to change the culture of the school because of a few individuals.”

The thefts occur at varied times during the school day and after school. Stolen items are generally high-end electronics and money.

“At Jefferson, students tend to be trusting enough to leave valuable items unattended. In our building, backpacks are left everywhere, creating a source for theft. This creates a climate for someone who wants to be a thief to be tempted,” Safety and Security Specialist Bob McCormick said.

Many teachers require students leave their backpacks outside of the classroom during class. Sometimes students find entire backpacks missing. Senior Pranita Ramakrishnan’s backpack went missing on Dec. 9.

“My cell phone, laptop charger and calculator were among the objects in my backpack at the time along with all my notes, textbooks and homework for blue days,” Ramakrishnan said. “I think the main thing to realize is that we cannot be too trusting of our environment, even at a fostering environment like TJ.” Teachers who forbid backpacks have begun allowing students to bring electronics into classrooms.

“The physics teachers allow us to bring in all of our electronics and valuables and leave them on the tables in clear sight during tests. I really appreciate this,” junior Mairead Bartlett said. continued on p. 2

P16

Students give back during Service Week

2

news

Kudos & Accomplishments

Science Bowl advances to State Finals vJefferson Science Bowl team won

the Virginia Regional Science Bowl on Feb. 4 at the Jefferson Lab in Newport News. Seniors Yuqing Zhang and Zeming Lin, juniors Alec Brenner and Kalki Seksarin and sophomore Owen Gray competed with 22 other teams and won the competition with eight straight victories. The team will now advance to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. scheduled for April 26-30 and will be awarded an all-expense paid trip for Finals.

40 students place first in schoolwide science fair vOn Feb. 10, 40 students in teams or

as individuals earned first place honors in the school-wide science fair competition. First place winners were seniors Hayden Chun, Edward Danyliw, Adrienne Doebrich, Joseph DuBois, Stewart Hahn, Connor Hann, Emily Harmon, Daniel Jang, Bina Kakusa, Karin Lehnigk, Cynthia Li, Darwin Li, Omeed Maghzian, Eric McShane, Jacob Miller, Sarah Munyan, Karishma Popli, Rithvik Prasannappa, Rafa Rahman, Pranava Raparla, Yohan Sumathipala, Lianna Yang and Stephen Yuan; juniors Yash Bhatnagar, Nancy Ding, Vivek Gorijala, Zacharia Hosseinipour, Katie Hsia, Lauren Huang, Sindhura Kolachana, Hun Sung Lee, Jason Lee, Avinash Ramesh, Saniya Suri, Hanna Tso, Jong Seok Won and Keven Zhang; and sophomores Archis Bhandarkar, Andrea Li and Parth Chopra. The Regional Fair will be held at Robinson Secondary School from March 16–18.

Grand Prize winners at the Regional Fair will be invited to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pa. from May 13–18.

february 29, 2012

Kings Dominion Law unlikely Online courses as substitutes to get repeal in legislature

by Sara Asad News Editor Since the law passed in 1986, some Virginia legislators have been pushing to repeal a mandate requiring all public schools to start the school year after Labor Day. On Feb. 2, the House of Delegates passed a bill repealing the so-called “Kings Dominion Law” with a solid majority and sent the measure to the Senate for consideration.

It is currently before the Committee on Education and Health The law’s namesake refers to the popular theme park on Interstate 95, 75 miles south of here, and it has come to symbolize the tourism industry and the businesses that feed into it.

The tourism industry claims the repeal would cost it $369 million in lost revenue and the Commonwealth $21 million in taxes.

Unlike county-specific school timings and transportation, the start of the school year is mandated by the Commonwealth and applies to all school districts. The House’s version of the bill allows school districts to set their own calendar for the school year.

“One possibility is to start before Labor Day, then schedule larger blocks of time off at the end of each quarter,” FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale said.

One concern for lawmakers supporting educators is that a late start hurts students on national tests such as Advanced Placement (AP) exams due to less class time in comparison with other states.

“I think it would be a great opportunity

for students if we start earlier,” AP U.S. History teacher John Struck said. “It would make the playing field more level for all Virginia students.”

For many students, an early start to the school year is preferable as long as school ends early as well.

“Last summer, I was working at a summer camp that started before school ended,” junior Abby Biow said. “If we end earlier, students won’t have to miss the last days of school for their summer commitments.”

Another option would be either to have longer breaks between quarters or extend winter or spring break.

“Overall, I prefer ending school sooner, but even two weeks of spring or winter break makes family traveling a lot easier,” sophomore Andrew Coffee said.

For Principal Evan Glazer, an early school year start also means an early end to first semester, just in time for winter break.

“I think it would be awesome to start early,” Glazer said. “It makes sense for first semester to end before winter break so students don’t have to worry about studying over break and can start fresh again.”

Although the House has approved the repeal, similar bills have already been rejected in the Senate.

“I don’t think that it will pass only because nothing has changed in the Virginia legislature that would make a difference,” AP Government teacher Dale Kummer said.

“The amusement park industry is powerful and there is not enough public opposition.”

Spike in thefts on campus

Gonzalez receives Gold Medallion vSenior Nicole Gonzalez was named

the recipient of the 2012 ExxonMobil Gold Medallion for engineering and mathematics as part of the Washington, D.C. Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Gonzalez was among 18 students recognized at the ceremony. The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards program offers educational grants to Hispanic high school seniors chosen by regional selection committees based on their academic achievement, leadership, community service, category focus and an essay about the role their heritage has played in their success.

Howerton wins poetry competition vSenior Ellen Howerton, the Poetry

Out Loud school champion, placed first at the regional competition on Feb. 18. Howerton will now proceed to the state competition in Richmond, in March. Poetry Out Loud is an annually-held national competition that promotes poetry learning through recitation performances at the high school level.

U.S. Presidential Scholars announced vThirty-two students were named finalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Seniors Katie Bennett, James Bradbury, Amelia CarolusHager, Jeongwon Choi, Mary Kate Dilworth, Elizabeth Ellor, Adrienne Gillevet, Gina Hansen, Emily Harmon, Tushar Kamath, Priya Krishnan, Rachel Kumar, Elaine Lee, Cynthia Li, George Liang, Jahnnavi Madiraju, Ananya Mishra, Sruthi Poduval, Sarah Rachal, Graham Schmidt, Daniel Seidman, Nicholas Skeen, Flint Song, Suganya Sridharma, Arjun Srinivasan, Peter Town, Elisabeth Von Spakovsky, Victor Weiss, Jesse Witkowski, Lianna Yang, Yuqing Zhang and Stacey Zhou were recognized based on their broad academic achievement. These students will be reviewed again in April, and the U.S. Presidential Scholars will be announced in May.

photo by Sara Asad

Unattended valuables including electronics left in backpacks are prime targets for thefts.

continued from p. 1 Student athletes who practice after school are often more likely targets because teams leave their backpacks unattended during practice.

“The thefts are isolated incidents and do not occur in one targeted area. They occur at varied times of day, but the locker rooms, hallways outside the gym and cafeteria are sensitive areas because student athletes leave their backpacks there after school,” Asst. Principal Mary Ann Bosley said.

Junior Emory Ruscus, a member of the crew team, found contents of his backpack scattered in a bathroom with his backpack, wallet, glasses, calculator and passport missing. Ruscus later found his passport and ID cards, but has not recovered the other items.

“The thing I do differently now is that I bring my backpack into the cafeteria with me while I am at crew practice,” Ruscus said.

Junior Julia Arthur had left her backpack in the girl’s basketball locker room during the school day, but at the end of the day, her money and iPod were missing.

“My money was in my wallet at the bottom of my backpack in the back corner of the school. I was surprised somebody stole it because a lot of people don’t even know that locker room exists,” Arthur said.

The security office relies on student reports to investigate the thefts.

January Issue Corrections: • In the article “Annual Knight of One Axe celebrates 25th anniversary,” Abby Rose’s name was misspelled and English teacher Vincent Pollet was misidentified.

• In the article “Dance team excels at East Coast Regional Championship,” Christin Park’s name was misspelled.

“Many times, people do not steal for their own personal use,” McCormick said.

“If a student is selling an electronic item at an extremely low cost, there is most likely a reason for it. If someone reports such behavior to us, we can solve the theft problem.”

In 2008, there was a similar string of thefts on campus, but the group of students responsible were found because of a student disclosure. The security office believes the current thefts are a group effort as well.

“There are too many incidents per day that it is unlikely one person is behind all of this. Possibly several uncoordinated groups might be responsible,” McCormick said.

School Resource Officer Mark Harrington believes that unauthorized individuals on campus may be responsible.

“In several incidences, there were reports of non-TJ students on campus near the areas in which thefts occurred,” Harrington said.

The front office has taken measures to record all visitors who enter campus.

“All staff members wear badges. Anyone who comes to campus must get a temporary badge from the Lobbyguard machine by scanning a driver’s license. Students should report any suspicious individuals without badges,” Bosley said.

According to McCormick, there is not enough solid evidence to file a criminal report for the thefts. Until enough evidence is found, the issue of thefts will remain a school matter.

Students missing electronics are advised to report the missing item and serial number to Harrington. Harrington tracks the missing items through the National Crime Information Network so that if the item is pawned or sold on websites, it can be tracked.

Students can also call Harrington at (703) 750–5032 to report any suspicious behavior anonymously.

“It is important that any missing items or suspicious behavior is reported,” McCormick said. “The faster we know, the more we have a shot at recovering items and ending this issue.”

continued from p. 1 One such AP elective that has the potential for being a popular online course according to the new policy, since it is already offered through the online campus, is AP Economics.

Junior Katie Hsia plans to take AP European History in her senior year, but she is reluctant to take these electives in the form of online substitutes to oncampus classes.

“I would not do it because it takes more self-discipline to do your work in an online class,” she said.

Jefferson students interested in taking online courses, as long as they do not affect classes in later years, will verify their course selection in February and March. This will be followed by a meeting with Principal Evan Glazer about the chosen online course.

Driving bill could ban phone usage continued from p. 1 Some provisional license holders support the bill.

“Teenagers underestimate their reaction time. This will help prevent them from doing anything that could cause harm,” sophomore Grace Zeng said.

Junior Aileen Huang agrees. She says that changing cell phone use to a primary offense would be a more effective deterrent on distracted driving than a secondary offense.

“Too many people still text at stoplights or pick up the phone knowing that if they don’t do anything else wrong, they can’t be pulled over,” Huang said.

“It’s scary being a newly licensed driver and seeing someone whip out a phone at a stop light right next to you.”

One problem that arises is the difficulty of enforcing this legislation. Opponents of the bill say that there is the potential for age profiling, questioning how officers would recognize drivers under 18 just by looking at them.

“The law should apply to either all drivers or just not exist at all,” junior Acacia Dai said. “There’s a fuzzy line of distinction between those who are above 18 and those below 18.”

Despite potential setbacks, senior Reece Anderson supports the bill because of personal experiences with distracted driving.

“I know some of my friends have gotten in accidents because they text while driving. It’s a really dangerous thing to do,” he said.

In addition to the teen driving bill, Barker was the chief proponent of another bill (SB219) to make texting and e-mailing behind the wheel a primary offense for all drivers.

This legislation passed the Virginia Senate on Feb. 7 with a 28-12 vote and was referred to the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee on Feb. 13, but was also recommended to be laid on the table. Equivalent bills have all previously failed to advance in this committee.

Nonetheless, Drivers Education teacher Heidi Smith stands by both the provisional driver bill and one for all drivers.

“Any time you cause an accident that was 100 percent your fault, nothing good will come out of it,” Smith said.

“The primary offense rule will help protect all road users.”

photo illustration by Sara Asad

news

february 29, 2012

NEWSMAKERS Math team vies in Boston

photo courtesy of Margaret Coffey

The News Juniors Kiffa Conroy and Kalki Seksaria participate in the Guts round of the Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT) on Feb 11.

Backstory Twenty-four students from Jefferson’s Math team traveled to Massachusetts for the HMMT. The first round of competition involved three 50-minute tests in Algebra, Geometry and Combinatorics which competitors took individually.

The second round, referred to as the written round, consisted of 10 proof-based problems that were solved by each team. In the third round, also known as the Guts round, each team solved a total of 36 problems in 80 minutes.

“This experience was thrilling. I loved being able to work with my teammates on the competition, and I’m really going to miss the adrenaline rush,” senior Seung In Sohn said.

Jefferson’s A team ranked 15th against almost 100 teams from around the world. The competition had about 700 competitors. Sophomore Victoria Xia placed 10th in the Combinatorics competition and 17th overall.

“I was surprised to hear that I ranked 17th because I didn’t feel so positive after the competition,” Xia said.

“I felt the competition was more difficult this year than last year.”

Aside from competing in the tournament, the team also had the opportunity to participate in various mini-events, to attend an ice-cream social, to tour Harvard Square and to catch up with alumni in the area.

“Though it was an incredibly challenging year, I’m pretty satisfied with how we did,” senior Kristina Hu said. “After all, most everyone enjoyed the experience, and that’s what HMMT is all about.”

- Rabia Idrees

Students present research

photo by Jenny Chen

The News Junior Katie Hsia, who won first place in the plant sciences category with juniors Nancy Ding and Hanna Tso, presents her project at the Science and Engineering Fair on Feb. 8.

Backstory On the afternoon of the school-wide fair, 153 students shared their projects with student, parent and faculty visitors.

Winners from 17 fields of science, engineering and math were announced on Feb. 10. Students chose to participate in the fair for various reasons. A number of seniors submitted their mentorship or technology laboratory projects, but underclassmen also had a strong showing.

“I did science fair last year and I’ve always been interested in research and learning more,” sophomore Andrea Li said. Her study of Guillain-Barre Syndrome earned her first place in biochemistry.

Other students, including senior Yohan Sumathipala, pursued the fair because of previous work on their projects. Sumathipala’s project was entitled “Novel Apparatus for Catalytic Oxidation” and won him first place in environmental management.

“I designed the apparatus in my freshman year and I found that it sort of worked, so I expanded upon it during my sophomore, junior and senior years,” he said.

Junior Avanti Shirke, who placed second in medicine and health sciences, entered the fair for a different reason.

“I wanted to get a head start on what could possibly be my senior tech project,” Shirke said.

Twenty-five students will advance to the regional fair at Robinson Secondary School from March 16-18. Select students will also attend the Virginia state fair at Old Dominion University from April 6-7 and the international fair in Pittsburgh from May 13-18.

- Jenny Chen

SAT Prep Exclusively for High-Achievers It’s no surprise that Honors Test Prep is the SAT prep program of choice for TJ students.

Visit honorstestprep.com to review our complete ’11-’12 course schedule and learn about our SAT Course, SAT Essay Workshop, and PSAT/SAT Course.

703-237-2665

sat@honorstestprep.com

“My son and daughter both took the Honors Test Prep course and both scored 2380 on the test. They reported that they were given individual feedback and error analysis in addition to applicable practice problems. It is obvious that Mr. Berk keeps up to date with the most recent changes in the test and is invested in the students’ achievement. I was glad to find a course tailored to high achieving students.”

Gail Gardiner, parent of TJ student, Class of 2010

3

Seniors simulate in Richmond

photo courtesy of Dale Kummer

The News Senior Nick Allegro competes in We the People high school state finals, held at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond on Feb. 10.

Backstory Dale Kummer’s third period AP Government class, representing Jefferson, placed third overall in the state. This is the school’s second year competing in the simulated congressional hearings.

“One of the things I like about this program is that an entire class must enter the competition,” Kummer said. “It’s more democratic because this isn’t limited to all-star students or government geeks.”

Prior to the competition, the class studied from a textbook supplied by the program. Each student selected one of six units in the material to prepare, with topics ranging from presidential powers to civil liberties.

“Instead of just listening to lecture after lecture, our class periods were spent researching politics and government, discussing its role in the contemporary world,” co-captain senior Ananth Sridhar said.

The co-captains agree that more practice was what the team lacked in vying for first place.

“We didn’t even have a draft of our speeches until a week before, so we could have spent more time editing them,” co-captain senior Katherine Sheridan said.

A panel of judges acted as U.S. Congressional representatives during the event. The program is directed by the Center for Civic Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

“I think that as science and tech students, we often lose focus on politics and government,” co-captain senior Ricky Short said. “As many of the judges pointed out, as future scientists and engineers, it’s important that we stay engaged.”

- YouNa An

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opinion

february 29, 2012

Joint classes should be seen as assets

tjTODAY Lead Editorial tjTODAY ’s unsigned majority opinion Volume 27 Issue 6

2011 Pacemaker - NSPA 2011 Trophy Class - VHSL 2011 All-American - NSPA 2012 Crown Recipient - CSPA

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Rabia Idrees

Managing Editor Colleen Marshall

Layout Editor Anna Hicks

News Editors

Sara Asad Jenny Chen Mallika Patkar

Opinion Editors Joshua Baquedano Noah Yoo

Sports Editors Michael Chao Jennifer Walter

Spread Editors Amy Ahn Claudia Lovegrove

One of the most prominent aspects of Jefferson’s curriculum is team taught classes. In each of their four years here, students are at least offered the opportunity to take a class coordinated by a team of teachers, mostly in the humanities. One criticism of these courses is that they are not actually team taught at all.

While discussing the reimplementation of honors courses at a recent Board of Education meeting, former PTSA president Louise Epstein downplayed the role of integration in the classes, saying that since they are rarely team taught, it would be easy to take the curriculum from Jefferson and teach it as “singleton” honors English and history.

While it is true that the courses may not necessarily be team taught all the time, the editors of tjToday disagree that the classes, as presently constructed, should stand on their own. From Humanities I and II to Senior Topics and Seminar, integrated classes add to the value of a Jefferson education.

Where these classes help students is in the integration of multiple courses.

Joint projects and related curriculum serve to relate subjects such as English and history.

The humanities classes in sopho-

more and junior year are when the joint classes serve the greatest purpose.

Sophomore HUM I allows for flexibility in the curriculum, giving teachers the opportunity to teach the humanities in the way they see fit. One downside to this is that students in different HUMs have different experiences, but all these students still receive an important introduction to the humanities. One of the most important techniques that teachers employ in these classes is coordinating the literature taught in their English 10 class with the time periods being studied in World History I. HUM II is different in that it affords teachers less flexibility. The AP U.S. History (APUSH) test in May means that APUSH teachers must stick to a more rigid schedule. However, similar to HUM I, many English 11 teachers teach literature from the same era being taught in APUSH. Many junior HUMs also assign a research project, allowing students to do in-depth research on a topic of their interest, whether it’s based in the humanities or sciences.

Senior year is the least formal of the integration programs, as Topics and Seminar both incorporate Advanced Placement courses and have to prepare for exams. The globalization factor

increases the integration of the Topics courses. While there are assignments that count for grades in both classes, the integration is less obvious.

Now, are these classes always teamtaught, with two teachers leading a large class together? Not necessarily. In our experience, the instances of classes actually being taught by two teachers are few and infrequent. One teacher may lecture, and the other may interject to make a point or two, but that is usually the extent of the teamtaught aspect of the class. But this doesn’t outweigh the positives associated with joint classes. These benefits include sharing multiple classes with the same people, making study groups easier. The teachers are also aware of each other’s deadlines, oftentimes lightening the workload for the students.

So perhaps the flaw in team taught classes is that the phrase “team taught” is a misnomer. “Joint” or “coordinated” classes may be a better description of these integrated courses. Even if they exist under a different name, these programs have a place in the Jefferson curriculum, as they add to the students’ experience, especially in the humanities.

Entertainment Editors Lakshmi Chandran Shayna Hume

Features Editors Tahmina Achekzai YouNa An Arya Dahal Sunny Kim Thrisha Potluri

Staff Reporters Steven Androphy Tara Gupta Ellen Kan

Web Master Thrisha Potluri

Adviser Jennifer Seavey, MJE

Printer Silver Communications TjTODAY is the official newspaper of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology published monthly 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.

A full-year subscription can be purchased through the Thomas Jefferson Publications Package or by sending a check or money order for $20 to tjTODAY. The staff is deeply committed to a code of journalistic ethics that demands the exercise of accuracy, good judgment and impartiality. The content of tjTODAY is determined by the editorial board.

Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff of tjTODAY, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

TjTODAY solicits advertising but reserves the right to reject any material deemed libelous, disruptive, obscene or otherwise inappropriate.

6560 Braddock Road Alexandria, VA 22312 Phone: (703)-750-8375 Fax: (703)-750-5010 Online paper: www.tjhsst.edu/student life/publications/tjtoday Send letters to: tjTODAYopinion@gmail.com

Tara Gupta

Bridle the politics when it comes to health W h a t happened to Susan G. Komen for the Cure?

Since its establishment, the Komen organization has done an unprecedented amount of NOAH YOO good towards the cause of ending breast cancer in the United States and across the world, investing nearly $2 billion in research, public education and treatment – all this without pushing any political, religious or ideological agenda. Founder Nancy Goodman Brinker, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, is seen by many to be a hero for her work.

But it isn’t any of these accolades and accomplishments that have thrust the organization into the headlines over the past few weeks. Komen was set to give Planned Parenthood funding for over 170,000 clinical breast exams over the course of five years, the only source of such services to many poor and uninsured women. Their decision to defund Planned Parenthood at the end of January

earned them immediate flak from women’s health advocates across the world. Thankfully, Komen reversed its decision and came out with a public apology several days later on Feb. 3 – but damage has been done. They bent to the political will. The question that’s now being raised is, why was such a decision allowed to be carried out in the first place?

The answer, it seems, can be boiled down to Komen’s senior vice president for public policy, Karen Handel. Handel came into her position in April of last year, after an unsuccessful run for state governor as a Republican in Georgia. She ran on a pro-life platform, pledging her dedication to ending the activities of Planned Parenthood.

It is completely unacceptable for such a politically driven character to be appointed to a high-level policy leadership position in a theoretically neutral, non-profit organization. This is especially worrisome considering that she was a woman that had shown clearly that she was fully committed to bringing down one of the groups that she was hired to work with.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time that politics and government have reared their ugly heads in the world of health care. Take for instance the recent abortion bills passed by the Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates.

One of the measures required a transvaginal ultrasound to be conducted before a wom-

an can have an abortion. There’s no medical reason for this incredibly invasive and inappropriate procedure.

In fact, there’s no reason for this at all. If the intent is to show the potential abortion recipient the heartbeat of their unborn child, there are far less invasive methods that can accomplish this. However, if the intent is to turn back the clock on women’s rights in health care and make sexual assault a prerequisite for abortion, then I’d say the GOP is doing a pretty good job.

Fortunately, Virginia governor Bob McDonnell seems to have backed down considerably from his prior firm support of the measure, after a weekend filled with severe scrutiny from the media and women’s health advocates across the country. He asked that the bills in question be amended to require transabdominal (or external) ultrasounds.

Regardless of party affiliation, it doesn’t matter. Let them argue all they want about how the government should facilitate the distribution of health care, when it comes to how health care is actually practiced, especially practice that would have a great impact on the lives of millions of women in our country, the decisions should be left to the people that actually know what they’re doing: the doctors, researchers and medical professionals that have dedicated their lives to medical betterment.

Got duct tape? Anything but the mall

I’ve always hated the mall.

In recent years, my mom has somewhat given up on making me go there.

Instead, she now buys REBECCA HYNDMAN clothing for me to try on at home and returns what doesn’t work out.

I don’t hate shopping as a practice. In fact, I’m generally fine with shopping at Sports Authority, The Home Depot, and grocery stores. Sports Authority has terrible customer service and cool, functional clothing. Home Depot smells like sawdust. Grocery stores have food.

The mall, on the other hand, is terrible, because most stores have “good” customer service (annoying, overly helpful sales associates), lights flash in the corridors, music conflicts in areas in between stores, and bunches of pre-teens attempt to be cool, but fail miserably.

I’ve thus far avoided school dances.

In the process, I saved myself from going to the mall at least three times. As a senior in high school, I must deal with the existence of prom and the craziness of finding a prom dress. Unfortunately, this most probably means going to the mall.

Since I hate the mall, I’ve been thinking of other ways to obtain a prom dress.

The first alternative to come to mind is the Internet. I wouldn’t have to leave my house or deal with customer service.

On the other hand, although many websites sell dresses, it is difficult to find a good fit without going to a store. Plus, most of the models look like angry, seductive mermaids.

I could still go to a store without going to the mall, but the only one I can think of is David’s Bridal.

David’s Bridal is out of the question.

Although bridesmaids dresses can double as prom dresses, I will not be caught alive in a wedding supply store. I had to go to one a few times for my brother’s wedding and found they have the same headache-inducing effect as malls.

As I do not want to go dress shopping in person and know that online shopping would lead to multiple returns,

ultimately ending in failure, I have been brainstorming ways to make my own dress.

My first idea was to enter the “Stuck at Prom” Duck brand duct tape contest, something I might have done even if I liked frequenting malls.

I initially tried to make a dress for one of my Barbie dolls, but after making the top of the dress, quit and went to bed. I did not, however, quit making duct tape clothing. I made a vest for Homecoming spirit week and got it autographed at a rock concert instead of going to Homecoming.

Although I may still want to make a duct tape prom dress, I’ve come up with other ideas. At one point, I decided to make a dress out of leaves and packing tape. I started laminating (taping) leaves, but quit when I realized they were somewhat see-through and were molding.

The real factor that determines whether or not I can avoid the mall is time. Although second semester will be less time-demanding than first semester, making the vest took all summer. I guess I’ll just see what happens.

Rebecca Hyndman is a senior.

photo illustration by Colleen Marshall and Noah Yoo

Stop the need for useless cramming As a student here, I understand the importance of science and technology; they are the backbone of progress and knowing these topics will prove JORDAN MYERS useful in life.

However, that’s not what I’m learning. I’m sure every student knows the feeling of cramming for a test and then forgetting everything afterward. Teachers tell us not to do that because we don’t actually learn the material, but I can tell you from experience that cramming works.

The fact and detail-obsessed style of TJ’s coursework makes rote memorization the only viable option for passing a test. I don’t have the time to conceptually analyze the information over the next week, since I have other tests to cram for.

Nor do I have the inclination. I have no practical uses for knowing how to find the current produced by an electromagnetic solenoid. As a result, the class merely hones my skill in spewing out formulas and executing procedures. The Internet can do that far better than I can.

Biology is a blur, chemistry was forgotten, physics was repressed, geosystems is

5 Mitt needs opinion

february 29, 2012

torture. The reason is that we’re bombarded with details. When teachers try to cram information into our brain, then we will cram in response. Thus, the material is quickly forgotten and the time wasted.

Now don’t get me wrong. Those aforementioned topics are useful in many aspects of life, but the technicalities aren’t. I need to understand that our bodies convert food into raw materials and energy, but I don’t need to know how some redox-ing thingy gets that electron somewhere in an oil rig (that is all I remember from that Biology chapter on energy).

The Jefferson population has more motivation to learn than many other schools, but even we don’t like learning everything. Do teachers seriously think we want to know proxy evidence for glacial retreat?

I’m sure a few people do, but everyone has varying interests, as proved by the difference between what’s important to the teacher and what’s important to the students.

I’ve heard the argument that schools want to expose us to different subjects so we can learn what we like and what we don’t.

But there’s a difference between letting us sample food and forcing food down our throats. The latter only results in the food being regurgitated on a test.

Of course, not everything gets vomited out of your brain on the quiz. If you’re lucky, you’ll retain something that’s on the upcoming cumulative exam. After the year is over, though, I always forget almost everything.

The educational system at Jefferson was

once eloquently described to me as the Shotgun Method. They shoot a bunch of information at you and see what hits. This approach is a waste of time, resources, and is mentally exhausting for the targets—I mean students.

Our brains are designed to forget useless and/or uninteresting information. Despite all the enthusiasm teacher’s have for their subjects, most of the material becomes useful only because it is tested, and then it becomes obsolete.

The story is different if the course is an elective. Give me those details. I signed up to learn them, and I will find them useful and/ or interesting enough to remember. Dictated courses, on the other hand, leave no such feeling.

If the institution wants to force subjects on us, at least make it appetizing and painless. By that, I mean give us knowledge that is applicable to life, like how to use chemistry in cooking, without making us read textbook chapters on the history of the atom.

Teaching applications is the only way to make science relevant. Unfortunately, the only applications we learn are in senior tech labs, which only deal with one subject. Thus, that one subject is the only one we learn well enough to do anything with it.

In order to be a school of science and technology, we need to actually learn the science that can be used in technology— not study the science well enough for test-taking.

Jordan Myers is a senior.

to get real

The time has come.

It seems that the public has been bombarded with new and exciting Republican presidential hopefuls for months now, COLLEEN MARSHALL only for them to be mired in scandal or embarrassed by debate blunders a week later.

First, all eyes were on Michele Bachmann, then Rick Perry, then Herman Cain, taken over by Newt Gingrich and most recently with wins in Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, sweater vestwearing Rick Santorum has grabbed the spotlight. And there is always Ron Paul, with his relatively small but very enthusiastic group of supporters. But with Super Tuesday in just under a week, it is time for Mitt Romney to finally prove himself to the GOP and to the people.

Good old Romney seems to have been running for president non-stop for the past four years. He therefore has run a well-organized and well-funded campaign that helps him consistently poll well but has been unable to energize a party that seems to be wishing more and more for a candidate that will stand up for conservative principles.

His record of flip-flopping on flagship conservative issues, that well-coiffed politician hair that screams privileged white male and the very fact that he hails from the People’s Republic of Massachusetts all contribute to his less than stellar popularity among Republicans who don’t want to settle when it comes to their candidate. If you ask me, the only people who are really gung-ho for Romney are the Republicans from New England – all three of them.

So what can Romney do to finally set himself apart and excite a larger base in the way that his competitors have been able to do, if only for a short time?

Maybe take a page from the Gingrich playbook and orate like he means it. Or look to Santorum or Perry and their appeal to the religious vote. He can even channel Cain when it comes to his experience in the business sector.

But overall, he needs to stop projecting his weak, moderate image that quite obviously hasn’t been working in a country and a party that were most recently rocked by the passionate Tea Partiers of 2010. Romney needs to switch up his strategy, and he needs to do it fast if he plans on winning the nomination.

If Romney is able to pull off this feat of alteration, he will finally get the surge he has needed to separate himself from the pack. And he needs to gain that momentum to do well next week on Super Tuesday.

As for the Super contests themselves, there are some interesting ones to look out for. First and foremost, it seems almost impossible that Massachusetts and Vermont would go for anyone besides Romney. And then of course, there is Virginia, where only Paul and Romney made the ballot.

Gingrich has been focusing almost all of his campaign efforts in the south on Tennessee and Georgia, his home state.

But because he and Santorum will end up splitting the more conservative vote, this may just help Romney in the end.

Among the other five states up for grabs, Romney’s superior funding and organization will help get his name out there with more advertising than his challengers, which is so important when only so much face-to-face campaigning can be done.

With all of these advantages, Romney has been claiming to be the front-runner of this GOP primary season and the logical choice for the next Republican nomination since McCain was nominated in 2008.

It is now time for him to walk the walk.

And if he can’t, then he should step aside and let a more conservative candidate take the reins for 2012.

6

sports

february 29, 2012

DETERMINED TO WIN

Ian Ladner Soccer

Tom Hillenbrand Lacrosse

Ian Lin

Lizzy Miranda

Tennis

Track and Field

Helen Hastings Softball

Erin Slatery Crew

graphic by Jennifer Walter reporting by Colleen Marshall and Jennifer Walter

Spring athletes look forward to successful season with

many teams returning stars from last year’s competitions Boys Soccer

The Colonials soccer team is through with its competitive tryouts and preparing for the first game against Falls Church on March 12.

“I really believe that if we build a really strong defensive unit, we will put ourselves in a position to succeed,” head coach Sean Burke said.

The team hopes to reach Regionals.

“I think we’re TJ,” Burke said. “We’re outmatched a bit physically, but in the spirit of Jeremy Lin, we will fight with what we’ve got.”

Girls Soccer

Ending their last season with a record of 5-1-9, girls soccer players are already training to improve their game.

“We’ve been doing conditioning, so hopefully we’ll be prepared for the season,” senior Anastasia Georgiou said.

The team aims to get to Regionals, which will be difficult in a district with two former State champions, Stone Bridge and McLean.

“Our biggest challenge is to stay healthy and have all the players available when it matters in a very competitive district,” head coach Luis Gendive said.

Boys Tennis

Boys tennis, a longtime Jefferson powerhouse, advanced to States semi-finals last year. This year, the team seeks to again reach States.

“We haven’t lost too many good players, but it will still be tough at States,” junior Ben Hsu said.

The team went undefeated in the regular season last year and is looking forward to the competition of upcoming games.

“The biggest challenge to overcome is working with the demanding TJ academic schedule and still play championship tennis in the very competitive Liberty District.

That is one of the reasons we keep so many players,” head coach John Myers said. “It is a great balancing act that the team is able to respond to this and still be so successful on the court.

Girls Tennis

The Lady Colonials advanced to Regionals in the past two years, only to be beaten out both times by Langley and McLean. This year, the Colonials hope to break that pattern and beat their two rival teams and reach States.

“Half of the players on the team are seniors this year, so it’s their last chance,” junior Natalie Chen said. “We want do it for them more than anything.”

While academic stresses do afflict the tennis players, the team’s spirit is unhampered.

“Our students at TJ are under tremendous academic strain, so remaining healthy during the tennis season is a challenge,” head coach Steven Myers said. “I believe, however, that the TJ girls tennis team offers a positive outlet for our student athletes.”

Boys Lacrosse

The Colonials lacrosse team of last year, after getting acclimated to a new coaching staff, ended the season with a record of 5-7.

“We’re really excited for the season because we’re returning almost all of our starters,” senior Tom Hillenbrand said. “We’ve been playing together for a long time, and we’re looking a lot better than previous years.”

The team intends to use the offensive and defensive systems developed last year, as the players will now be used to the different strategy.

“I’m looking forward to being back out there with the team,” head coach Nick Worek said. “I’m ready, and I think they’re ready to

start playing.”

tougher teams we have to face.”

Girls Lacrosse

Crew

The Lady Colonials had a record of 2-10, but are looking to improve with the next season “My goal is just to get better this year and have fun with it,” junior Kleo Greenwood.

The team will have two scrimmages against Falls Church and Herndon, before the first game.

The baseball team, with the newly instituted green days and practices, is fully prepared to tackle a new season.

“We want the team to approach every practice and game aggressively and full of confidence,” head coach Craig Lewis said.

“This will translate into success.”

The team had a disappointing season last year, with a record of 4-15.

“We are not going to go out and hit home runs every game,” Lewis said. “We will utilize our speed and make plays happen to keep teams guessing.”

After losing four seniors from their top boat last year, the girls crew team is competing to fill the gaps with young talent this spring.

“Our goal is to out-race our erg scores from winter training and then place well at States,” senior captain Erin Slatery said. “Our competition will be very strong this year, but we’re hoping to do well in our regattas.”

On the boys’ side, winter training has been a large part of their preparation for the season.

“My training philosophy is that medals are won in the spring, but earned in the winter,” senior captain Nick Skeen said.

On Feb. 4, Jefferson sent athletes to the Mid Atlantic Erg Sprints, which is the second largest indoor rowing competition in the world. Skeen and junior Emory Ruscus placed first in their respective competitions.

“These and other very successful scores give me a lot of confidence going into the spring season,” Skeen said.

Softball

Track

Baseball

Having lost only two players from last year, the softball team is looking forward to a superior season.

“Seeing some of the promising incoming freshmen makes me think that we could maybe even place in the district,” junior Rachel Dyment said.

Ending the last year with a record of 7-13, the team will focus on improving this season.

“A lot of our players can do almost anything, so it’s about making the best combination on the field,” Dyment said. “We have a lot of talent defensively, but we are in a pretty tough district. We plan to focus on improving our hitting so that we can compete with the

The spring season will be a culmination for Jefferson track and field athletes, who have been competing throughout the year on the cross country and indoor track teams.

“There’s a great team environment,” junior Carrie Sun said. “It’s always a fun experience.”

A standout athlete is senior Ed Cai, who won the 55-meter hurdles at Indoor Track Regionals.

“Our athletes are very dedicated and have been training all year,” senior distance runner Chris Rom said. “The spring will be the culmination of three seasons of hard work to get to where we are.”

sports

february 29, 2012

Don’t go for Manning The National Football League season has drawn to a close. Those arduous games and on-field performances are a thing of the past. The JOSHUA BAQUEDANO arrival of the off-season can only mean one thing: our beloved Washington Redskins are set to dominate the next five months until training camp starts.

It is now time for the Redskins to lead their fans on their annual tease. This spring’s objective: acquire future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

Manning missed all of last season after having neck surgery, leaving his future with the Indianapolis Colts in doubt as they are expected to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, picked by many to be the next Peyton Manning, in April’s draft.

The possible availability of an aging, overpriced superstar has obviously led to speculation that the Redskins will attempt to acquire Eli’s older brother.

My advice to owner Dan Snyder, general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan is to avoid temptation. The Redskins are on the right track, but the team is not at the point where the acquisition of an elite quarterback like Manning will push the team into the Promised Land.

This is not to say that Washington is all set at quarterback. Combined, the incompetent Rex Grossman and the comedic John Beck threw 18 touchdowns and 24 interceptions last season.

But an aging quarterback like Manning, fresh off multiple neck surgeries, will lead to more harm than good. Grossman and Beck were sacked 41 times last season behind the Redskins’ mediocre offensive line. How many hits can Manning’s surgically repaired neck take before he can’t throw anymore?

That doesn’t even address the question of whether Manning can still play. He hasn’t thrown an NFL pass in over a year and will be 36 years old by the time the season starts.

Should the Redskins have to trade to acquire Manning, he won’t be worth the picks. If the Colts release him and he is free to sign with anyone, he won’t be worth the money.

This is just another example of Redskins fans being tricked into believing that they are ready to compete. Sure, the Redskins swept the Super Bowl champion Giants this season, but that doesn’t mean that the team is ready to accomplish what the Giants did.

The team’s last three first round draft picks, Brian Orakpo, Trent Williams and Ryan Kerrigan have been encouraging. By continuing that trend and building through the draft, being patient and making prudent free-agent signings, the Redskins will find success.

7

photos by Colleen Marshall

Saitta to continue diving at Navy

by Michael Chao dive teams, including Harvard and Yale.

Sports Editor “I was only allowed to go on five difSenior Emily Saitta approaches the div- ferent recruiting trips, according to NCAA ing board, a ball of energy waiting to be rules,” Saitta said. “After I finished going on unfurled during her next dive. A voice cuts my trips, Navy definitely became my numacross the pool, signaling for her to stop as ber one choice.” the previous diver has to redo her dive.

Her future career is wide open to a variSaitta redirects her focus and waits. ety of possibilities, all of which may build Flashing her coach a peace sign and upon her college diving experience. a sly smile, she readies herself for the “Diving will be a fun and integral part of plunge. Seconds later, she breaks the wa- my career. I never get bored with the sport ter’s surface with barely a spray of foam. because it’s a challenge. There are always Saitta finished 5th overall at the AAA different ways to improve upon yourself,” VHSL State Diving Saitta said. competition held at Diving at a colGeorge Mason Unilege level will also versity on Feb. 18. be a whole new Saitta, who served experience for her, as dive team captain as she describes for her third year this it as something season, had become completely differthe 2012 Northern ent from anything Virginia Dive Chamshe has done bepion after placing fore. Her practice first at the Northern schedule, although Region’s girls diving already rigorous, championship. Her will be increased score of 385.90 points to practicing once placed her well ahead or twice everyday. of the second-place These new finisher and earned commitments her a spot at the state do not come diving competition. without benphoto by Michael Chao She also received Emily Saitta will attend the U.S. Naval Academy. efits.

All-American consid“The Naeration at Regionals, val Academy a hefty achievement that she will carry has the most amazing school spirit I have with her as Saitta prepares to dive at the ever seen,” Saitta said. “They also have very college level. beautiful and state-of-the-art diving facili“I was recruited by the Division 1 team ties that I can take advantage of.” at the United States Naval Academy, and Despite the differences, not everything I will be diving for them next year,” Saitta changes once Saitta transitions to diving in said. college.

However, the Naval Academy wasn’t “One thing I am glad will be the same is the only school that had Saitta on its radar. the huge family you join whenever you are She was recruited by a total of 15 different on a swim or dive team,” Saitta said. prestigious universities for their respective Saitta’s success in diving does not come

without hard work and dedication to the sport. She practices five to six times a week, most of which are spent with the Alexandria Dive Club. Being part of this competitive out-of-school league propels Saitta forward.

“Competition drives Emily, but it never gets the best of her. She thrives on competition and always keeps a positive attitude, which allows her to perform well in almost any meet she participates in,” Jefferson dive team coach Hannah Mendelson said.

Part of Saitta’s success in diving can be also attributed to her background. Starting out as a gymnast, the techniques used in gymnastics helped Saitta perfect her dives and flips.

“I was actually a gymnast before becoming a diver, and that taught me how to flip.

One summer, I was flipping off a diving board and really enjoyed it, which caused me to sign up for the dive team,” Saitta said.

“I have loved it ever since.”

Besides her athleticism and experience, Saitta also brings leadership to the dive team.

“Emily is a great role model for other divers. Not only is she incredibly skilled, she is also hard-working and diligent at perfecting her craft,” Mendelson said. “She always displays this attitude before, during and after meets.”

Now that Saitta has finished up her high school diving career, she is looking forward to life at the Naval Academy. Saitta will be missed within the Jefferson community.

“Her work ethic is indescribable,” Jefferson dive team coach Charlotte Edwards said. “I am very proud of Emily, as we all are, and wish her the best in her future of diving.”

Saitta’s never-say-never attitude is evident in the way she appreciates diving and her success.

“What drives me to keep doing what I do is the feeling I get while flipping in the air and ripping a dive. Both feelings are indescribably amazing,” Saitta said.

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february 29, 2012

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

9

Jefferson students discuss both healthy and abusive behaviors during a month focused on traditional love and romance

Dating abuse can start with seemingly harmless acts

by Tahmina Achekzai and Anna Hicks Features Editor and Layout Editor

T

he words “forgotten memories” and “endless heartache” ran across the screen, interspersed with pictures of a smiling young girl from her very first years until her very last ones. The video was dedicated to Siobhan Russell, a teenager from Oak Hill, who was strangled, stabbed and mur-

dered by her ex-boyfriend when she was just 19.

Dating abuse became a front page story with widely publicized incidents such as Russell’s and that of U.Va. student Yeardley Love, whose boyfriend, George Huguely V, was convicted of second degree murder on Feb. 22.

The Safe Community Coalition (SCC) of McLean, which hosted a healthy relationships and dating event on Feb. 9, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, hoped to increase awareness of dating abuse in teens.

Partnered with McLean, Jefferson, Langley and Madeira School PTSAs, the forum served to inform teens about how to recognize the symptoms of potentially violent behaviors in teen relationships.

Dating abuse comes in three different forms: emotional abuse, social abuse and sexual and physical abuse. Emotional abuse can include name calling, blackmail and pointing out faults. Social abuse occurs when one’s partner controls his or her social life, which can lead to isolation. Sexual and physical abuse can mean being pressured into participating in sexual activity or being hurt through physical attacks.

A senior who chose to remain anonymous was in an emotionally abusive relationship during her freshman year. She was dating a student from her base school until he broke up with her for another girl, telling her she was worthless and ugly. Currently, one of her friends is in a physically abusive relationship, but unfortunately, she hasn’t done

1. What have been the best moments of your relationship?

Eric: Every month on our anniversary date we try to do a little something extra for each other.

The Viennese Ball is also probably one of the highlights of each year because I get to spend the whole evening with her and it’s something I always look forward to.

Hana: Eric and I go to the Viennese Ball together every year which is always something to look forward to because it’s a week before our anniversary and because we don’t really go to any of the other dances at school. We also celebrate “month-iversaries” and try to make it a special day everything month in any way we can.

2. Have you ever encountered any pressure, from inside or outside your relationship, to do something you weren’t comfortable doing?

Eric: There haven’t been any situations that I’ve felt uncomfortable with Hana. We’re both very open with each other and like to goof off a lot when we’re together.

Hana: I’ve never felt pressured by Eric in any way: he’s the most supportive person ever. I always feel so comfortable around him and know that I can always be myself. Some of our friends know we act like little kids goofing off when we’re together.

Sophomore Hana Chan + junior Eric Lin

anything about it.

“If a person doesn’t realize there’s something wrong with their relationship, you can’t help them,” the senior said. “They’re just going to hate you for trying to interfere.”

Problems with teens not recognizing situations of abuse or not being motivated to end the abuse are common. In order to recognize abusive dating situations, teens should keep in mind that relationships should always be positive experiences.

“If you’re in a relationship, you should be happy - not just one person but both people should be happy,” senior Laki Rajendra said. “Too many relationships are built on one person’s gratification over the other’s.”

The concept of dating can often be misunderstood, and this misunderstanding can sometimes lead to abusive relationships. Jefferson students admit that their peers may be interpreting the idea of dating in the wrong ways.

“Teenagers don’t really get the concept of being in love,” junior Crystal Calderon said. “It’s just a social thing. They don’t get into [relationships] for the right reasons.”

This misunderstanding is contributed to by a number of factors, including movies, songs and even books, which often present ideals that cause teenagers to feel like they need to be in a relationship to fit in. Not only may teens be dating for the wrong reasons, but they may be getting into relationships too quickly.

“You have to make sure you know the person before you start dating,” said freshman Kali Liang, who was exposed to ideas like “asking week” and other pressures to start dating just this year.

In her opinion, many relationships go wrong because teens aren’t careful enough when they choose their partners. Sophomore Connor Hennessey-Niland points out another problem teens face.

“Because of things like Facebook, you can’t really be unsure of a relationship,” Hennessey-Nilland said.

“It’s got to be ‘Facebook official.’”

This new evolution in dating leaves little room to think about whether things are headed in the right direction before becoming official, which causes dating to move more quickly than it otherwise might.

Social media doesn’t just factor in at the beginning of a relationship. Websites like Facebook can also play a significant role once the relationship has started. With the advent of new technologies and methods of communication, it’s easy for a partner to become overly protective or controlling. Sophomore Tom Stone has a friend who has even shared his Facebook password with his significant other.

“His girlfriend overreacted to something and kind of forced him into it,” Stone said. The friend, though reluctant, gave in - mostly because he didn’t want to mess up a newly formed relationship.

“She wanted to be able to trust him, but it was a contradiction. They shouldn’t need to share Facebook passwords.”

Password-sharing, whether it indicates a bond of trust or not, might seem harmless until something goes wrong in a relationship. A senior, who chose to remain anonymous, had a friend who was victimized by her significant other through her technology and social media.

“My friend’s boyfriend grew jealous and insecure of the attention she was getting, so he began emotionally abusing her, and later physically as well,” the senior said. “He deleted some of her online accounts, deleted the numbers on her phone, and generally tried to isolate her.”

Teens often regard confiding in a friend or family member as taboo.

According to SCC Executive Director Mimi Weisberg, who spoke at the PTSA event, preventing abuse among teens comes down to trusting yourself. When a partner feels uncomfortable in a relationship, he or she needs to do something about it.

“Don’t ignore the origins of fear,” Weisberg said, “and don’t ignore what your gut is telling you.”

3. How do you two overcome any problems you have?

Eric: I do my best to support her in any way I can, usually just by cheering her up if something outside of the relationship is bothering her. We rarely have problems with each other though.

Hana: If there are any issues outside of our relationship, we try to make our decisions together and do it based on trying to make the other people happy as well as considering what’s best for us. But we always manage to get through things because we make sure both of us are being supportive.

4. What is your favorite thing about your significant other?

Eric: I love looking forward to seeing Hana every day. I think she is the cutest and prettiest girl I’ve ever met, and I’m just glad that I get to spend time with her at school. I’d say I’m a really lucky guy since she loves me back.

Hana: Definitely Eric’s personality. Seeing him smile whenever we see each other makes my day every time. But Eric smiles a lot actually because he’s such a happy person and so easy to talk to. He’s also super supportive no matter how small the situation, which is great because I know he’ll always be there if I need someone to talk to.

5. What about the other person makes fighting for the relationship worth it?

Eric: I’ve been through a lot with Hana and I don’t really think I could actually make it through the school day without her. Believe me, when she’s sick and I’m at school by myself, I have no idea what to do for ten minutes in between classes or during lunch. Just seeing her every day makes me so happy and she understands me so well. The obstacles we’ve been through have just strengthened our bond with each other.

Hana: Eric is one of the most amazing people I’ve met in my life. He’s unbelievably nice and knows me inside and out so well, so he can tell if something is wrong pretty quickly, which is nice that he picks up on that. I think also the fact that we’ve been through so much together both good and bad that we understand each other really well.

TJ TALKS This month, tjTODAY conducted a poll on the Intranet on dating abuse/violence to see how students feel within their relationship dynamic. The poll was taken from letyourheartrule.com.

No Yes

1. What was your initial attraction?

Joseph: Well, the first day of freshmen year, I saw her walk into my Latin class, and I knew I didn’t have a chance because she was way out of my league. And then I saw her again during my CompSci class, and I had that fleeting moment of picturing the future, but then I realized no way. After many months, I got to know her at Relay for Life, and we just hit it off. Her beauty attracted me, but her personality pulled me in.

Angela: I can’t remember; that was freshman year. But I think I liked how he was such a nice guy to everyone. Yeah, that was attractive.

2. What have been the best moments of your relationship?

Joseph: There have definitely been a lot of high-points during our relationship. I’d say that whenever we go out to dinner for special occasions, go on trips or just talk on the phone hours on end. In the past year, two of the best moments were being crowned as Homecoming king and queen and dancing in the Hispanic Alliance dance with her.

Angela: Well, going to Kings Dominion was fun, since we just started dating. Of course, I can still remember our one week

1. What have been the best moments of your relationship?

Aaron: Just hugging her everyday makes me happy.

Kirsten: I can’t think of any specific high-points, I just love spending time with him.

2. What kind of things do you two like to do together?

Aaron: Being that we are both TJ kids, we occasionally play video games together.

Kirsten: We try to go see movies whenever we can. Other than that, we play League of Legends together, and we both like to play cards.

3. What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome together?

Aaron: Not having any classes together, so we spend time together whenever we can.

Kirsten: We’re both really busy so it’s hard finding time to hang out outside of school, and we don’t have any classes together so I only get to see him between classes and during lunch and 8th periods.

4. Have you ever encountered any pressure, from inside or outside your relationship, to do something you weren’t comfortable doing?

Aaron: Yes, we calmly discussed when neither of us were pressured to come up with a logical solution and fitting response to the pressure.

Kirsten: He has provided a little pressure a few times, not very often though. We just talk things through, and are completely honest with each other.

anniversary, when he bought me roses. And I remember the first time we held hands down the hall and the first time we hugged. It’s all so cheesy.

3. What kind of things do you like to do together?

Joseph: I like to do anything with her. We definitely like to go out to eat at fancy restaurants.

Angela: Well, we like adventures, but he’s definitely more of a dare-devil than me. I love, love, love dress-up dinners. And I like reading, so sometimes we read with each other, separate books, but it’s just so relaxing and nice.

4. What is your favorite thing about your significant other?

Joseph: It would be that she says what she thinks and feels.

Angela: He doesn’t freak out about things like I do, so we’re good for each other. He’s like an anchor. He’s also incredibly sweet and caring.

5. What about the person makes fighting for the relationship worth it?

Joseph: I can’t find anything better to fight for than the person that accepts me and makes me happy.

Angela: He always fixes the fight, so fighting is OK.

5. What is your favorite thing about your significant other?

Aaron: The way she smiles.

Kirsten: I love his personality. He’s everything I could ever want: sweet, caring, funny, and he always knows how to cheer me up.

6. What about the person makes fighting for the relationship worth it?

Aaron: She brings me happiness, and that isn’t easy to find.

Kirsten: We get along so well, and I can tell him anything. He’s such an amazing person and a great source of moral support for me, especially during my junior year.

Getting to see him makes me enjoy coming to school, and I don’t know how I would have made it through this year without him.

Sophomore Aaron Zhao + junior Kirsten Cardinal

1. What was the initial attraction?

Nick: She’s my best friend.

Cassandra: We were best friends first.

2. What have been the best moments of your relationship?

Nick: We went to California this summer to visit her family. It was a great experience meeting these people I hadn’t met before and going on a trip with her.

Cassandra: We went on a trip up and down the coast in California.

3. If you felt there was a downside or low point to the relationship,

The person I am with understands that I have my own life, too.

Yes - 83% No - 17%

Seniors Angela Liu + Joseph Yoon

what do you think it would be?

Nick: We’re always bickering about things that don’t even matter.

Cassandra: We don’t see eye-to-eye on some everyday things like what is appropriate in some situations.

4. What kind of things do you two like to do together?

Nick: We watch movies, play a lot of cards, go on walks and look at the sunset and the stars.

Cassandra: I live on a golf course, and we take walks on it.

5. What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome together?

Nick: We don’t have a lot of free time for each other. It’s difficult to keep the relationship alive so sometimes I do little cute things just to remind her that I care.

Cassandra: It’s hard to find time for each other. I think it’s been two months since our last actual date.

6. What makes the relationship worth fighting for?

Nick: She’s my best friend. She’s always there. I can’t imagine her not being there.

Cassandra: He’s just a good person to be around. It’s always interesting. I get bored very easily, and he manages to keep everything interesting for me.

Seniors Nick Allegro + Cassandra Leong

No

Yes

The person I am with texts me or calls me all the time.

Yes - 58% No - 42%

1. What was your initial attraction?

Andy: She’s really loud and rambunctious. The first thing I noticed at my freshman Back-toSchool Bash was her yelling at freshmen to join crew. It made me smile seeing how exuberant she was. She’s a real attention stealer.

Cynthia: He was legitimately the first attractive Asian boy I saw at TJ. But he’s very funny and too charming for his own good. The first time we met at the bash, he was wearing his football jersey because he had just gotten off of practice, and I guess it was a bonus that he was an athlete.

2. If you felt there was a downside or lowpoint to the relationship, what do you think it would be?

Andy: I have to share my snacks.

Cynthia: He lives in Lorton, and I live in Vienna. I don’t want to know how much I’ve spent on gas money. It’s a 40-minute drive one way.

3. What kind of things do you two like to do together?

Andy: We talk a lot. She’s really good at it so I’ve become good at listening.

Cynthia: We’ve visited nearly every ice cream, froyo, gelato, and dessert place in Vienna. It’s fun comparing different stores. We also eat Chipotle a lot. Like, every date.

4. What is your favorite thing about your significant other?

Andy: She’s an optimist.

Cynthia: He makes me forget all my stress.

Happiness is something I take for granted with him.

5. Have you ever encountered any pressure, from inside or outside your relationship, to do something you weren’t comfortable doing?

Andy: She’s always meeting new friends and tries to get me to talk to them. I usually just try to catch her when she’s alone.

Cynthia: He’s always trying to get me to eat spicy food, but spicy is just something I can’t deal with.

6. What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome together?

Andy: She’s going to Cornell next year while I’ll be stuck here.

Cynthia: Our personalities clash a lot. It’s just part of being in a relationship, and we have to work through it. Communication’s key.

7. What about the person makes fighting for the relationship worth it?

Andy: She makes me happy.

Cynthia: All the love he g i ve s back to me.

Senior Cynthia Chen + junior Andy Loh Yes

No

The person I am with makes me feel like no one else would want me.

Yes - 11% No - 89% photos, graphics and layout by Amy Ahn, Claudia Lovegrove and Thrisha Potluri

10

entertainment

february 29, 2012

Mr. Feynman seen in a new graphic light

photo courtesy of Penguin Group

by Dave Wyman Special to tjTODAY There is much to be written about Richard Feynman—famed physicist, pioneer of quantum electrodynamics, educator, occasional drummer and safecracker, and one of the boldest minds ever to do science.

Jim Ottaviani and illustrator Leland Myrick are the first to bring Feynman’s legacy to the graphic medium, aiming for a broader audience than the scientifically inclined.

“Feynman” is intended as an accessible and crisp exploration of the physicist’s life, philosophy and work. It draws heavily on Feynman’s own biographical works, “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman” and “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” as well as samplings from his numerous lectures and essays.

Feynman, born in 1918 in Queens, New York, blazed a brilliant path across the 20th century. He was part of the Manhattan Project, solved some of physics’ most difficult problems, and helped identify the cause of the Challenger disaster.

He made it one of his life’s quests to bring his science to a lay audience.

The book is structured in short episodes, each from a different anecdote, lecture or chapter in Feynman’s life. The episodes are of refreshing variety, and for the most part, set an engaging, readable pace.

If anything hinders the biography’s effectiveness, it is that it is thematically overcrowded. A life so vibrant and varied as Feynman’s breeds varied interpretations among his friends and biographers, and Ottaviani seeks to include perhaps one too many themes while keeping concise.

Leland Myrick’s drawing, in a distinct minimal style, is composed of thin, wavering lines and broad spaces, with only sparse line shading to fill the gaps.

The colors, by Hilary Sycamore, are simple and flat, complementing Myrick’s work.

In that spirit of Feynman’s quest to educate the public, Ottaviani includes significant material from Feynman’s later public lectures on quantum electrodynamics, a topic that is usually opaque even to physics students. It was Feynman’s belief that if you couldn’t explain something, you didn’t really understand it.

It is the inclusion of those lectures that distinguishes Feynman from a simple comic biography. To some, the actual science might seem to drag down the narrative portions of the book. But here Ottaviani and Feynman ask that we read carefully and think a little.

I would recommend doing so. Once Feynman gets you into it, it’s quite interesting. And besides, you’ll probably learn something.

showcases diverse talent

by Shayna Hume Entertainment Editor International Night (I-Nite) began with pizzazz as the curtain rose, revealing the Namaste Guys on stage. In a tightly-packed ring, they swayed from side to side, chanting.

At the center of the circle, a few lifted their president and I-Nite coordinator, senior Pranava Raparla, onto their shoulders.

“What made I-Nite so special was that students were participating in acts that were of a culture that they weren’t a part of. This means that they were not only learning about a different culture, but also showcasing the school’s incredible diversity,” Raparla said.

I-Nite is an annual school-wide event in which all the culture, language and performing arts clubs put on acts in a 3hour-long extravaganza. This year, two nights of I-Nite tickets sold out in just over 30 minutes during a lunch period.

For the first time, I-Nite had its two predetermined performances spread out over the course of two days, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18.

Considering the length of the event, I-Nite still managed to fly by far too quickly.

Whether that was because of the quirky jokes of the MC’s, seniors Wills Johnston, Kevin Tong and Varun Kumar, or if it was because of the performers themselves, I-Nite turned out to be a diverse and entertaining show from Namaste’s kickoff to the finale performance by Poi Club.

Clockwise top right: Sophomores Anudeep Mangu and Anirudh Surumpudi stunt in Namaste Guys; members of Chinese Honor Society perform from the inside of traditional dragons; senior Kevin Tong uses two Chinese yo-yos at once; junior Zach Ho displays his dance skills during Black Student Union’s hip hop routine; senior Glenna Yu dances a solo

during Chinese Connection Girls; seniors Yasmine McBride and James Miller take center stage during Swing Dance.

tjTODAY Online

To see more photos, visit our website at tjhsst.edu/studentlife/publications/tjTODAY

graphics and photos by Lakshmi Chandran, Shayna Hume and Claudia Lovegrove

Coming Attractions infographic by Shayna Hume

‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax 3-D’

March 3: Theaters everywhere

‘Break it Yourself’

March 7: Stores everywhere

Bombay Bicycle Club March 7: 9:30 Club

‘The Hunger Games’

March 23: Theaters everywhere

‘Goddess Interrupted’

March 27: Bookstores everywhere

entertainment

february 29, 2012

Picks of the Month Theater

Album

photo courtesy of amazon.com

photo courtesy of cigunston.blogspot.com

‘Reign of Terror’

by Noah Yoo Opinion Editor Noise-rock duo Sleigh Bells’ newest release, “Reign of Terror,” lives up to its name when it comes to volume. The entire album sounds as if vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist/producer Derek Miller wrote and recorded their tracks with one mantra in mind: go hard or go home.

With stomp-clap beats and loud, bombastic guitar chords, there’s rarely a moment of aural peace in “Reign of Terror.” It’s entertaining for the first few tracks, but the band falls into the trap of writing essentially the same song over and over. At the end of it all, I could barely even remember the individual highlights.

The album kicks off with the “True Shred Guitar,” featuring a recorded live audience reminiscent of famous live releases from artists like Guns ‘n Roses and Peter Frampton. It’s the perfect opener, with atonal harmonics and loud guitar, leading into the equally hardhitting “Born to Lose.” But I barely even noticed as they went into their next number, “Crush.” In listening to “Reign of Terror,” you subject yourself to the sonic fists of Miller’s tinnitus-inducing instrumentation, but those punches slowly become dull.

Sleigh Bells has got the noise aspect of noise pop down pat - but they could take a lesson from their predecessors in The Jesus and Mary Chain and their peers in Yo La Tengo when it comes to injecting their songwriting with some variation. A cool, creative concept doesn’t make up for uncreative, repetitive structure. Krauss’ crooning voice fits wonderfully between the layers of thickly distorted guitar, but her syllabic style of singing makes for meaningful but abbreviated lyrics.

In theory, Sleigh Bells’ music shouldn’t even really work - Miller was formerly a guitarist for a metalcore band, and Krauss a member of a teen pop group but the heavy instrumentation, combined with industrial dance beats and Krauss’ breathy, effects-processed voice make for a unique listening experience. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how their live performance is when they open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Verizon Center this May. There’s nothing revolutionary in “Reign of Terror,” but if you’re a fan of bands like Sonic Youth, it could make for a nice shot in the arm. Or ears.

3-D Movie photo courtesy of monstersandcritics.com

Healthy Option photo by Lakshmi Chandran

‘Shear Madness’

‘Star Wars Episode I’

Red Mango

by Rabia Idrees Editor-in Chief The tacky yellow wallpaper, checkered black and white floor and loud ’80s music are early indications for viewers of the antics to come. Combine a murder mystery with knee-slapping comedy and you get “Shear Madness.”

The play takes place at a hair salon in Georgetown owned by a flamboyant, gay hairdresser, Tony Whitcomb.

Whitcomb, fellow hairdresser Barbara Demarco, sleazy antique store owner Eddie Lawrence and socialite Eleanor Shubert all become suspects in a murder mystery when Isabel Czerny, a famous pianist living in an apartment above the hair salon, is murdered.

From there the play becomes more engaging with the audience trying to figure out who was responsible for the murder. The play takes place in the Theatre Lab which seats about 400 people and lends itself to interaction between the performers and the audience.

After an interrogation session with each of the suspects, the audience is allowed to vote for who they think murdered Czerny. So how does the play end? Well here’s the catch. The play ends differently every time depending on who the audience chooses to be the murderer.

It is no surprise that the show has been playing at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for almost 20 years. The actors interest the audience with their witty humor, sometimes making jokes that even they cannot resist laughing at.

The cast made fun of everyone from Newt Gingrich to D.C. police, including audience members and fellow cast members. Laughter was contagious throughout the performance, especially when Whitcomb jumped out of a closet singing Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” The actors’ ability to improvise during the performance was particularly impressive.

The show runs for two hours with an intermission during which audience members can talk to the actors. Tickets for the performance are available for almost any night and are priced at $45.

Although the tickets are pricey, the play is not one you will regret watching.

by Shayna Hume Entertainment Editor As the symbolic first words of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace”came rolling onto the screen, in 3-D for the first time ever, many of the younger audience members pulled out toy lightsabers and turned them on, transforming the theater into what can only be described as an arena of disproportionately large green, red and blue glow sticks.

Met with harsh reviews when it first came out and subject to endless criticism from the original “Star Wars” fans, “Phantom Menace” nevertheless accumulated a lot of hype for its rerelease in 3-D, almost parallel to the excitement for the original movie. The remake follows the recent 3-D trend aided by the re-releases of classic Disney movies, like “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

However, despite the excitement of feeling like a lightsaber might touch you and the flair that the three dimensional element added to the climactic fight scene on Naboo, the new dimension of the remake added little overall to the quality of the film.

The few other scenes that included parts noticeably transformed into 3-D were when Sebulba crashes during the pod races on Tatooine and the debris from his pod flies towards the audience, and when Anakin caused the Trade Federation’s ship in outer space to explode.

It is clear that the effects used in the remake did not come close to the potential the movie had for 3-D, although that can be attributed to the fact that the film was not originally shot in 3-D unlike later films like James Cameron’s “Avatar.”If you are on the younger end of the spectrum and just excited to see the saga in theaters at all, then “Phantom Menace” lives up to expectations, but if you walk into the movies looking for all that 3-D has to offer, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed.

“Phantom Menace” is only the first film of the ‘Star Wars’ saga to be stereoconverted into 3-D. My only hope is that the other five manage to succeed in the new dimension as this one did not.

by Lakshmi Chandran Entertainment Editor In the ever-expanding world of frozen yogurt shops, it is easy to get lost. But the moment the glass doors open into the modern atmosphere of Red Mango, you will have found your bearings once more.

Unlike other frozen yogurt shops, Red Mango lets the buyer get their own yogurt. There are no standardized sizes, and no limit on the number or type of toppings you get; the yogurt is priced simply by weight. With a wall of ten different flavor options and a huge expanse of topping options including fresh fruit, the possibilities are endless.

All yogurts, including their original (plain) flavor, are sweet with just the right amount of tart to keep the taste balanced. Choices span from pomegranate to peppermint, all of which are relatively healthy. Combined with any of their topping options, it can make a great snack, or even meal, if you go for the parfait cup.

And then there are the smoothies.

While there is a menu with popular smoothies, the process is generally the same. If you ask for a smoothie, you can fill the cup up with whatever you want and they will blend it into a smoothie at your request. Again, the freedom that comes with this system is almost as good as the yogurt itself.

Another interesting menu item rewards their loyal, year-round customers. With a line of four artisan hot chocolates, Red Mango has catered to the winter crowd with marvelous results. The only catch is that these cold weather beverages are not as customizable as the other items they offer. But with flavors like Irish Chocolate Cream and Raspberry Chocolate Truffle, a chocolate-lover will surely find something to their liking.

Categorized as a “Quick Refreshment Chain,” it has scored high with Zagat’s twice. There are now locations in Arlington, Fairfax and Vienna.

Red Mango is a healthy and delicious alternative for the traditional ice-cream cone and provides a refreshing new take on the popular yogurt trend. It’s modern, innovative, and not to mention, downright scrumptious.

KU 1on1 TUTOR HO3D ENTERPRISES, LLC.

Phone: (703) 678-6458 Toll-Free: (888) 237-2667 E-mail: KU1ON1TUTOR@gmail.com

OUR TUTORS’ QUALIFICATIONS

• 3.7 cumulative unweighted GPA for high school • Strong communication skills • Experience working with kids or students • Available to work at least four hours a week • Access to transportation • Amicable personality

11

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• If you are a top student (grade 10 to 12 ) interested in helping younger schoolmates, meets certain GPA criteria and would like to build work experience for college applications/earn extra cash.

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12

features

february 29, 2012

SMILE BRIG T

Good dental hygiene is best prevention

by Arya Dahal Features Editor Junior Daniel Anderson got his first dental cavity at the age of five. He clearly remembers the dentist placing a needle to his gums, numbing the mouth and finally drilling and filling his cavity. For the next six years, his baby teeth would be plagued with additional cavities requiring multiple dental visits.

“My teeth are very cavity-prone,” Anderson said. “I’ve lost count of how many cavities I’ve had over the years.”

Anderson had the tools for easy access to dentists in order to remove his cavities.

However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 19 percent of children between the ages of 6-18 currently have untreated cavities. The number of people with cavities is also affected by the poverty level with the number of untreated cavities accumulating with increasing poverty levels.

Because of this fact, each year on the first Friday of February, thousands of dentists across the nation provide free oral health care services to children from low-income families.

This annual event highlights the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) program and National Children’s Dental Health Month.

These programs were initiated 10 years ago in order to raise awareness about oral health and to promote good dental habits at a young age.

“Kids can form solid habits early on and actually keep using them,” senior Tim Song said. “In high school, it is a lot harder to start good habits.”

Bad breath, or halitosis, tops the list of dental problems related to dental hygiene.

Bacteria that accumulate on rotting food stuck

Do you floss?

From top down: junior Nadia Rentia, sophomore Connor Hennessey-Niland, senior Tim Song, sophomore Alice Yuen, freshman Nihar Gudiseva and senior Emilie Anderson

between the teeth are the most prominent cause of halitosis. However, bad breath can also be a sign of a functional medical problem such as a local infection or dry mouth.

“The first and most important thing for a person with bad breath is awareness. They should be aware of their problem and take care of it as soon as possible,” sophomore Navya Thippana said.

Halitosis can be combated easily by consistent and proper brushing twice a day, flossing and using mouthwash.

Gum disease is cited by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as another form of periodontal disease. It can involve gingivitis, bleeding gums or mouth sores primarily due to plaque buildup.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends flossing twice a day as an effective tool that allows one to reach places between the teeth where plaque buildup is common.

“Flossing must be done daily, along with brushing, to remove bacteria between teeth where the toothbrush bristles cannot reach,” Christina Slenker, a member of the dental hygiene team at Annandale Smiles, said. “Flossing is essential in preventing periodontal gum disease.”

Good dental hygiene is especially important for people with braces, as the wires and rubber bands tend to attract food and plaque. According to WebMD, orthodontists recommend brushing after every meal and using fluoride mouthwash daily.

“With braces, you can’t eat certain things and brushing is not harder, just different,” senior Vansh Kumar said. “It takes longer to brush with braces because there are now four parts to your teeth.”

Dental Hygiene at Jefferson

Yes: 26% No: 74%

How many times a day do you brush?

One: 17% Two: 79% Three: 4%

The effectiveness of bonding has dramatically reduced the number of cavities in children. Bonding is the procedure in which a resin is bonded to the patient’s teeth to be used as a filling to repair cracks and decayed teeth and improve discoloration.

“The size of the fillings and the color has changed. We can do fillings that are much smaller and we don’t use mercury anymore,” Juan Loza from Loza Dental Great Falls said.

“We use materials that match the tooth color and filling that will chemically bond with the tooth structure.”

Junior Alana Whitman believes that technological advancements work hand in hand with advancements in dental hygiene.

“If you look at people’s teeth from a century ago, they just weren’t that good.

But now people have healthy teeth,” Whitman said. “So in a way, dental hygiene shows the progress we’ve made as a society in technology and hygiene in general.”

Loza agrees. He cites the laser technology to fill in cavities and digital technology to create teeth as signs of technological progress coupled with improvements in dental hygiene.

Along with this progress, many dentists and orthodontists are willing to donate their time and resources to ADA’s GKAS program.

The ADA’s push to educate children early on about oral hygiene has garnered about 9,000 dentists, 400,000 underprivileged children and 30,000 volunteers. It hopes to establish good dental habits in children to set them up for healthy teeth and gums as adults.

“It’s harder to learn and maintain effective dental habits later on in life and easier when you’re young,” junior Tarun Kalakoti said.

What kind of toothbrush do you use?

Electric: 34% Manual: 66%

Source: Intranet poll of 467 students graphics, photos and reporting by Tahmina Achekzai

Wisdom teeth removal becomes a routine procedure for teens

by Sunny Kim Features Editor When a strange bone growth was found in senior Luke Gessler’s jaw, his dentist recommended immediate surgery to have it removed. Even though it had no relation to the primary surgery, the dentist recommended that Gessler have his wisdom teeth removed at the same time.

“My parents and I saw no reason not to, so we went ahead with it,” Gessler said. “I don’t regret it. I was on powerful analgesics after the procedure so I didn’t feel any pain at all.”

On the contrary, senior Rebecca Edelstein’s parents felt the need for a legitimate reason.

“The first time my dentist told me I would need my wisdom teeth out was over a year ago,” Edelstein said. “I’m not keen on having sharp things drilled into my mouth so I decided to wait because it wasn’t urgent.”

Even though her wisdom teeth weren’t impacted or coming in crooked, Edelstein’s primary dentist recommended removal. With all four coming in, her small jaw would be overcrowded, creating the possibility of other teeth getting pushed together.

“My mother wanted to double check that I really did need them out, so we went and saw another dentist who agreed,” Edelstein said.

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, evolved in

humans for the purpose of catching, killing and eating prey. Their use is no longer necessary in modern society. The procedure of removing these unwanted and often problematic teeth is a multimillion-dollar industry that generates significant income for dental professionals.

According to the American Journal of Public Health, more than 67 percent of all wisdom teeth extractions performed are unnecessary, highlighting the increasingly routine nature of the procedure. This is especially true for those in their late teens or early twenties.

“In the later teenage years, the root formation is the most ideal for extracting the wisdom teeth, when it is about one-half to two-thirds complete,” said orthodontist and Jefferson graduate Ashkan Ghaffari .

Both the American Public Health Association and National Institutes of Health recommend removing wisdom teeth only based on evidence of pathology. But sometimes, this surgery can be performed for questionable reasons as seen in Gessler’s case.

“If there is enough room for the wisdom teeth to erupt, you should generally try to keep them. I personally have all four of mine, and they are healthy and functional,” Ghaffari said. “But oral surgeons always prefer asymptomatic teeth at the time of extraction,

as this reduces the chances of post-surgical complications. Surgeons generally don’t want you to go under anesthesia more than you have to.”

Senior Linda Ho’s case illustrates one of the most common problems caused by the growth of wisdom teeth: tilting and crowding.

“It was recommended by my orthodontist that I get them removed,” Ho said. “Plus, since my last molar was impacted against my other tooth, I was starting to get a cavity because I couldn’t brush or floss the area on my own.”

Junior Isabella Liu plans to get her wisdom teeth removed soon for a similar reason.

“Apparently, my wisdom teeth are going to grow in extremely crooked, practically in a horizontal direction,” Liu said. “So I have to get them removed as soon as possible.”

Whether or not a legitimate reason is behind it, wisdom teeth removal surgery comes with risks. Last April, a Marriotts Ridge High School junior, Jenny Olenick, died when her heart rate and blood oxygen level dropped under critical levels during the procedure.

Junior Thuc Tran, who got his wisdom teeth removed last month, experienced an unpleasant reaction to the strong anesthesia.

“I started having this excruciating headache the moment I woke up from the anesthesia,” Tran said. “After a day of suffering at school, I

ended up with a 101.7 degree fever.”

Intolerance to chemicals is not the only problem. Senior Christine Jacobs had facial swelling over a week after the surgery.

“My cheeks swelled up so that I looked like a chipmunk. It was completely unexplained, no infection or anything,” Jacobs said.

“Luckily I just took more of the medicine they gave me, and it went away after another couple of days.”

But some lucky individuals seem to have benefitted from evolution. Senior Rebecca Hyndman had only two wisdom teeth growing in, and her brother has none at all.

“My dentist said I was 50 percent more evolved than most people because I had only two wisdom teeth,” Hyndman said. She had them removed because, like Edelstein, her jaws were too small to accommodate the teeth.

Still, even with the risks and questionable reasons involved, wisdom teeth removal surgery is one of the most popular dental care procedures, with more than 5 million Americans opting for it per year.

“I don’t think I would have avoided it, had I been able to,” Jacobs said. “I definitely would rather have a surgery like this when I’m young and able to heal faster, rather than when I’m older.”

14

features

february 29, 2012

Students ponder their identity as blacks, African Americans or Africans during celebration of Black History Month Ethiopia - Freshman Solomon Shewit and Ghana - Sophomore Comfort Sampong Sophomore Sib Shewit Sophomore Comfort Sampong’s parents found themselves facing the same situation that many African families were facing.

They decided to move to America from Ghana in the 1980’s for better economic opportunities.

“My parents found that the U.S. met their expectations. The only curve ball was the cold weather,” Sampong said.

Although Sampong has only visited Ghana once, she still celebrates certain traditions.

For example, naming ceremonies are an important tradition in Ghana.

Children are named after family members who made a difference in their lives, and their middle names are based on the day of the week they are born.

“My full name is Comfort Bentuma Ama,” Sampong said.

“Comfort Bentuma after my dad’s aunt and Ama because I was born on a Saturday.”

The last time Sampong visited Ghana was when she was five years old, but she hopes to visit again soon.

“I personally am very interested in Ghanaian culture, so I enjoy speaking with recent movers about their experiences,” Sampong said.

Nigeria - Senior Chantelle Ekanem As Black Student Union meets to prepare for their I-Nite performance, senior Chantelle Ekanem discusses dance moves with other members of the club.

Similar to other people who migrate to America for economic opportunities, Ekanem’s parents moved here for jobs and better education.

Ekanem’s dad moved from Nigeria to attend Brown University, while her mom searched for jobs after attending college in England.

“Life here was not what my parents expected,” Ekanem said.

Because her parents were raised in a more familial environment, they were surprised by the smaller households and looser knit communities.

Although they face cultural differences, Ekanem’s family still keeps in touch with traditions.

“We still eat Nigerian food, go to Nigerian parties and wear traditional clothing at events,” Ekanem said.

Some African families who have come to America more recently identify with African Americans who have lived here a long time.

However, this is not the case with Ekanem.

“My family and I identify more with families such as ourselves, who are African, because they moved here more recently from Nigeria and started families,” Ekanem said.

Zambia - Junior Yihemba Yikona Junior Yihemba Yikona came to the U.S. from Zambia when she was only three years old, when her father was offered a scholarship to study law at the University of Virginia.

“For a while, we visited every two years,” Yikona said. “I haven’t been back in about three years, though.”

Though she only lived there for three years, Yikona has seen a great cultural divide between the two countries. In Zambian culture, the elderly are never addressed by their first name.

“Anyone around someone older than you and who is outside your family is referred to as aunt, uncle, grandma or grandpa, even if you don’t know them,” Yikona said.

In addition, Zambian culture emphasizes the importance of family, whether a brother or a fourth-cousin.

Family is always welcome, even without an arranged meeting.

Although there are many cultural differences, Yikona still relates to other African Americans who have been in the U.S. for a long time.

“I identify to a certain extent.

If I talk about my hair around them, they actually understand what I’m talking about,” Yikona said. “I do also have Zambian family friends that I connect with.”

Like many other students, sophomore Sib and freshman Solomon Shewit’s parents moved here to get a better education and attend college.

However, because their parents had older siblings who had already come to America, they were not too surprised by different customs and society.

One main, recurring cultural difference the Shewits have seen between African countries and America is different family lifestyles.

African families are more closely knit and they form larger communities.

“In Ethiopia, family and friends are really important and you spend a lot of time with them, more so than typical American families,” Sib said.

Aside from a family-orientated lifestyle, Solomon also notices a difference in education.

“In Ethiopia, parents push their kids to be the best they can be,” Solomon said. “It’s because they are living in an impoverished life and want better for their kids.”

The Shewits’ family celebrates Ethiopian holidays and cultures.

They also keep in touch by connecting with other Ethiopians at places like the hairdressers and Ethiopian grocery stores.

“It’s easier to talk to people who have the same upbringing,” Sib said. “However, I think it’s also interesting to hear about life in other African countries versus life in Ethiopia.”

Malawi - Senior Bina Kakusa When senior Bina Kakusa moved to America, one of the first things he noticed was that everything was super-sized, especially the food.

“The amount given in one serving at restaurants was unbelievable at first,” Kakusa said.

Having lived in Malawi for a few years, Kakusa’s family moved to Britain for a while. Later, after his father was offered a job at World Bank, Kakusa’s family moved to America, in part also because they wanted better educational opportunities.

Like other students, Kakusa was surprised by the more informal culture in America compared to his native country.

“Everyone tends to keep to themselves more than is common where I’m from,” Kakusa said. “Neighbors don’t really talk to each other unless their forced to but in Malawi, everyone was your neighbor, and your neighbors were basically family.”

To keep in touch with Malawian culture, Kakusa and his family often get together with other Malawian communities.

“There is a large Malawian community in Maryland and we often have large get-togethers and all the parents reminisce about the old times,” Kakusa said.

graphics and reporting by Thrisha Potluri

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tradition

february 29, 2012

Ten days to make a difference

Jefferson gives back to the community with student-run activities

Junior Emily Barrett takes photos of sophomores Madie Reinsel, Laura Manno, Rebecca Duke and Snigdha Srivastava to raise money for charity at the yearbook photo booth.

Senior Robert Dioso spreads peanut butter on a slice of bread for UNICEF’s project for the homeless.

Students eat lunch in the dark hallway on Environmental Impact Club’s Power Down Day.

Senior Anastassia Kornilova tie-dyes a bed sheet for the LGBT youth shelters for a Gay Straight Alliance project.

Sophomores Alison Yu, Amelia Griese, junior Amanda Hicks and senior Ally Walsh put together ribbons for students to pin to their shirts in support of the U.S. armed forces.

Seniors Kerry Zhang, Pavan Naik and Gillie Cuda decorate cookies for the homeless during National Honor Society.

Seniors Andrea Li and Marvin Qian hold up the “I am a catalyst to end human trafficking” sign to raise money and awareness for the Catalyst Foundation through the Vietnamese Student Association.

“

Seniors JungMin Park and Esther Wang put grape jelly on bread to make sandwiches for the homeless during the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

There was something going on each day, and the people who participated really got into it to make it last an entire week.

”

–senior Helen Hastings, SGA president

Junior Yash Maniar decorates a paper plate to make maracas to donate to the Inova Children’s Hospital during Hispanic Alliance.

Freshmen Arthur He and Sam Cho decorate a cap to be donated to children in hospitals during the two-block event sponsored by Codi’s Hats and TJ Runway.

Senior Mike Taylor participates in the Student Human Rights Commission (SHRC)’s “Confidence is…” project.

Freshman Maya Chung signs the Service Week banner in sign language.

Juniors Julia Arthur and Ashley Hwang write letters to soldiers during the Fellowship of Christian Athletes block.

Sophomore Stacey Chobany writes what she believes confidence is for SHRC’s “Confidence is…” project.

photos by Tahmina Achekzai, Arya Dahal and Sunny Kim

Senior Reece Anderson shakes his newlymade maraca during Hispanic Alliance.

february 29, 2012

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