January 2012

tjTODAY

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

JANUARY 27, 2012

photo by Jennifer Walter

On Jan. 20, Swim and Dive senior night, the Jefferson team enjoys a motivational speech by senior captain Dylan Keightley before their meet against Langley. The boy’s team ended the regular season with a record of 6-1 when they defeated the Saxons, while the girl’s record fell to 5-2 after a close meet. See story on page 5.

11 students named Intel semifinalists, no finalists

by Sara Asad News Editor The Intel Science Talent Search announced its 2012 finalists on Jan. 25. Several perennial contenders landed in the top 40 including two from Stuyvesant High School in New York City and one from Montgomery Blair in Silver Spring, Md. Jefferson did not make it into the top 40, but had a double digit performance as semifinalists.

The recognized students at Jefferson were seniors Nicolas Arango, Ned Danyliw, Tushar Kamath, Darwin Li, Veronica Peterkin, Rithvik Prasannappa, Pranava Raparla, Arjun Srinivasan, Mary Sun, Anjali Taneja and Yuqing Zhang.

“This year’s results are great,” Intel/Siemens competition coordinator and Chemical Analysis laboratory director Brian Kennedy said. “The number of students selected as semifinalists was above average and a great turnout for the school.”

The deadline for submitting a project to

Intel was Nov. 1, an early cut-off date for many students. However, students started their research protocols prior to the start of senior year were better prepared for the quick turnaround.

“I had my project essentially completed in the summer and used the fall to run some more trials,” Prasannappa said of his lab work at the molecular neuroscience lab at the Krasnow Institute of George Mason University.

Prasannappa has worked at Krasnow for the past two years. His Intel project examines the behavioral functions of a certain class of neurons using optogenetic tools to selectively activate these neurons in drosophila larvae.

Most semifinalists conducted research during the summer with offsite mentors.

Arango, Danyliw and Raparla, all interned at MITRE and submitted their summer work as their Intel project.

In contrast, few semifinalists developed their own project and conducted research independently over the years. Peterkin, who

studied the behavioral effect of wearing an ultraviolet dosimeter for her project, began researching her topic as early as the ninth grade.

“I started researching melanoma in my ninth grade English class as part of the DuPont Challenge Essay Contest,” Peterkin said. “Personally knowing someone affected by the disease really made me want to learn more about melanoma and what I could do to contribute to its prevention.”

While Peterkin’s project was largely independent, she received a lot of assistance from her sponsor, Biotechnology lab director Andrea Cobb, former statistics teacher Philip Ero and her mentor, Suraj Venna at the Washington Cancer Institute, in completing her project.

Now participating in the senior biotechnology laboratory, Peterkin is pursuing another subset of her melanoma research by focusing on disease detection. continued on p. 2

photos courtesy of Techniques

From left: Seniors Nicolas Arango Ned Danyliw, Tushar Kamath and Darwin Li are four of the 11 Intel semifinalists recognized on Jan. 11.

P4

Students practice problem solving

P6-7

Students share 2012 bucket lists

P8

Student writing featured in One Axe

Tattoos and Piercings P12

VOLUME 27, ISSUE 5

Dale plans for his final year

by Rabia Idrees and Thrisha Potluri Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor Superintendent Jack Dale discussed topics including his recently proposed budget and future retirement during a press conference at Gatehouse Road on Jan. 17.

The budget calls for a 9 percent increase in spending which is expected to cover the needs of the county’s growing population of students and a 2 percent salary increase for teachers.

“My top priority before retiring is to get the budget to cover the needs of the school system so the next person in my position doesn’t have to worry about picking up the pieces from the recession, but can look forward,” Dale said.

According to Dale, the enrollment growth demands a larger budget. Typically 8,000 students enter the county each year and approximately the same number leave.

Recently, the same numbers of students are entering the county, but fewer are leaving.

Dale also discussed changes to the online learning system in place. Currently, the school board is working to find a balance between virtual learning and in school teaching. Because the dropout rate from online campus is considerably higher than from high school, the school board is trying to find the right kind of environment that would keep students motivated.

“The question is, what are the right elements for online learning?” Dale said. “I think that’s probably the next thing we are going to look at.”

Additionally, Dale expressed his support for Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposal to repeal the Kings Dominion law, which prohibits school districts from opening before Labor Day without a waiver from the state.

“I’m very supportive of his repealing that law. We surveyed staff, teachers and community members,” Dale said. “We have about 65 to 70 percent approval of starting before Labor Day.” Dale also hopes to bring back the Teacher Leadership Initiative, which was cut due to budget restrictions. The initiative was implemented in 2005 and provided teachers with year-long contracts, allowing them more time to develop student curriculum and improve instruction.

“I regret not having been more aggressive on Teacher Leadership and not making it a more permanent component of the school system. This may have prevented it from being cut,” Dale said.

Having served as superintendent since 2004, Dale announced his intentions to retire after June 2013 and is considering teaching at the university level. The process to select a new superintendent has yet to begin, but is expected to start in October or November with the help of a consulting firm. The final selection will be made by May 2013.

“I have told the new school board that it is most important that they establish their goals for the year before considering who the new superintendent will be,” Dale said.

Comparing the current school board to the previous one, Dale said, “They have more student perspective. This board will be quick to make changes whereas the previous board wanted changes made more steadily.”

P10

Books printed for students by students

2

news

january 27, 2012

Kudos & Accomplishments

Bailey directs Regional Orchestra v Orchestra director Allison Bailey

recently conducted the Senior Regional Orchestra at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake Public Schools. In addition to leading the Chamber Orchestra, Bailey performed a violin solo with the ensemble.

Computer team wins IDT contest v Senior Computer Team partici-

pated in the Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) Automated Software Testing Contest held on Jan. 7. Team tjhsst1 was selected as one of the four finalists and went on to place first at Washington and Lee High School for the final presentation. Students on the team were senior Albert Gural, junior Kalki Seksaria and freshman Videh Seksaria. IDT presented the school with a $1,500 check for the team’s high placement in the competition.

The IDT contest was an invitational for high school students in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area interested in industry level problem solving.

Improv team places first v The Jefferson Improv Team par-

ticipated in the Robinson High School Improvisation Competition on Jan. 16 along with other theater teams from the area. The Imaginary Friends, sponsored by humanities teacher Emily Orser, won first place. Team members include seniors Christine Jacobs and Rishi Malhotra, juniors Andrew Freix and Malaika Murphy-Sierra and freshman Gavin Moore.

Girls track team wins medley relay v The girls Distance Track and Field

medley relay team made of sophomore Grace Zeng and Cheyanne Rivera and seniors Sarah Nielsen and Katherine Sheridan took first place at the Montgomery County Invitational on Jan. 23. This year is the second consecutive year that Jefferson has won this relay race at the invitational.

Forty-six students recognized for All-District Band v This year Jefferson had the great-

est number of students from any school to be recognized in the AllDistrict band. Forty-six Jefferson students were selected with 12 students placing with scores high enough to be eligible for an audition for All-Virginia Band and Orchestra. Students with high standings for the audition are seniors Catherine Ayers, Autumn Chuang, Emily Harmon and Jacqueline Speiser; juniors Ryan Feng, Anurag Goel, Alexia Kim, Arjun Malhotra and Keshav Mantha; sophomore Bryan Higgins and freshman Joe Broom.

Jefferson earns Board of Education Excellence Award v Jefferson was one of 31 Fairfax

County public schools that received the 2012 Board of Education Excellence Award. Schools and divisions recognized for this award have met all state and federal achievement benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and have expanded educational opportunities for students and made significant progress toward goals for increased student achievement.

Under Armour wraps up Finding Undeniable photo courtesy of Christine Galloway

From left to right: Herbert Roberts (FPCA), Hope Armstrong (FPCA), junior Christine Galloway, senior Kevin Karn, Hunter Gillion (FPCA), Jake Zlotnick (Mainland Regional), Morgan Rann (Mainland Regional) and Anthony Campbell (FPCA) attend the 2012 All-America football game.

by Jenny Chen Sports Editor On the evening of Jan. 5, a local bar in Somers Point, N.J., found itself packed. This gathering in Charlie’s Bar was held to watch the announcement of the winner of Under Armour’s Finding Undeniable competition during the 2012 All-America football game.

The three Finding Undeniable finalists, selected from a field of over 600 schools, included Jefferson, Mainland Regional High School from Linwood, N.J. and First Presbyterian Christian Academy (FPCA) from Hinesville, Ga. The final winner was determined by the number of votes each school acquired via Facebook.

At halftime, visitors to Charlie’s Bar watched as Mainland Regional was declared the winner. The school is receiving Under Armour uniforms and products for its sports teams, totaling $140,000. Jefferson and FPCA are receiving banners.

“I was in shock,” said Mainland Regional athletics director Mike Gatley. “But as much as we were excited for our own school, we realize that when it’s an all or nothing type of situation, it’s very difficult because everybody put their heart and soul into this.”

For Jefferson, the competition was led by junior Christine Galloway and administered

by DSA Shawn DeRose.

“We have to give Christine a lot of props,” DeRose said.

Despite Jefferson’s loss, Galloway felt that Mainland was a deserving recipient of

the prize. She traveled to Florida with senior Kevin Karn for the announcing of the winner.

“After spending time with the representatives from each school and hearing the students’ stories, I believe that any of the three finalist schools were qualified to win,” Galloway said.

Maria Reed, FPCA technology teacher and administrator of the school’s entry, agrees.

“Of course we wanted to win, but we would have been happy for which ever school won,” Reed said. “We thought we had just as much of a chance as anyone had to win, and yes, it was disappointing, but at the end of the day they out-voted us.”

Mainland Regional dominated the competition from its launch in late October, never swaying from its place at the top of the leader board. Juniors Morgan Rann and Jake Zlotnick were the student leaders of Mainland Regional’s campaign.

“The major difficulty we had to overcome was the tragedy that happened over the summer when we lost four students, so the whole time we were trying to overcome that,” Rann said. “It was a big motivation for us to be undeniable and to honor the boys.”

Although Under Armour is only providing uniforms for seven teams, all of Mainland Regional will benefit from its win.

“Everybody’s budget is tough every year, so the money we save on the teams outfitted by Under Armour can be used to outfit other teams and there will be a

continued from p. 1 “This year I am laying the groundwork for research I want to continue in college for the next four years,” Peterkin said.

Sun carried out her research on adolescent depressive disorder independently for a couple of years.

Sun shares credit for her project with her teachers and sponsor, Neuroscience laboratory director Paul Cammer, who provided her with steady feedback throughout her research.

“I submitted my research paper to Dr. Cammer, who reviewed and gave me a lot of feedback for the project,” Sun said.

Sun also attributes her successful research experience to the preparation she received in her prerequisite classes.

“I learned a lot of skills in my Neurobiology and DNA classes,” Sun said. “Getting practice reading articles, developing an experimental design, and keeping a journal became

essential for conducting research.”

With the Intel deadline being so early, a quick turnaround can be a deterrent for many applicants if they do not start the application process before the start of the school year.

“There just isn’t enough time in the first two months of mentorship to start a new project, complete it, write a paper and complete the Intel application,” Raparla said.

Completing the Intel application is an extensive process which consists of answering several essay questions, submitting a research report and providing three recommendations.

“It can be a very comprehensive process and application,” Kennedy said. “In order to do well in a competition like this, students should start the process well in advance of or during the summer prior to senior year so they can better represent themselves.”

Every year, Intel selects a total of 300 semifinalists from high schools nationwide and overseas. This year,Jefferson garnered the second highest number of semifinalists overall.

Each semifinalist is awarded $1,000, and each recognized school receives $1,000 for every student named as semifinalist.

Intel semifinalists recognized Bus passes to be issued soon

Jefferson band members honored v Seniors Gina Hansen, Joyce Su

and Nicholas Allegro participated in the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band on Jan. 7 in San Antonio, Texas. All three students received congratulatory letters from Sen. Mark R. Warner.

domino effect,” Gatley said.

Joining Jefferson and Mainland Regional as finalists was FPCA. The academy’s high school entered the finals as the underdog with a student body of only 82 and was thus dubbed “the little school that could”

by Under Armour.

“We took every single opportunity to live, eat and breathe Finding Undeniable.

Soon it became a community effort, and everyone told a friend or two or 10 to vote.

It snowballed after that,” Reed said.

This snowball could only go so far, though, as the school found that the toughest part of getting support was keeping people interested and voting daily.

Jefferson also faced this problem.

“In the beginning people were all for it, but as time went by, people started to lose interest since we had a commanding lead,” sophomore Surya Gourneni said.

Even with this obstacle, Jefferson students were able to pull through.

“The students here are dedicated when they want to succeed,” freshman Hannah Gaudet said. “I think this really showed during the competition.”

Under Armour plans to return with Finding Undeniable 2012. Until then, its program website is devoted to Mainland Regional’s undeniable win: “We salute all the teachers, coaches, administrators, friends and, most of all, students who united to show the world what you’re made of. You have made us believe.”

photo courtesy of Techniques

Clockwise from top left: Seniors Veronica Peterkin, Ricky Prasannappa, Pranava Raparla, Yuquing Zhang, Angali Taneja, Mary Sun and Arjun Srinivasan were 2011 Intel semifinalists.

by Mallika Patkar News Editor Many students do not have the security of knowing there will be a seat available for them as they board their buses.

“I have had to sit in the aisle before and it’s very uncomfortable and unsafe. If the bus suddenly stops, students could go flying forward,” junior Ben Hsu said.

Administration plans to issue bus passes in late January or early February to students riding Fairfax County buses. The new regulation comes as a result of safety concerns that arose when students began to ride buses other than those on their assigned route.

“The crowding issue is universal. It is difficult to isolate the problem when crowding occurs on different buses at different times,” Principal Evan Glazer said. “Buses that are over capacity are unsafe as students can easily get injured if the bus were to get into an incident.”

Bus passes will be determined based on base school location, and attendance will be taken to determine regular riders.

Although students will lose the flexibility of riding different buses, Glazer believes the safety of students is the top priority.

“I understand students want the liberty to ride a different bus when they need to,” Glazer said. “This would be OK, if there was no overcrowding problem. The priority is for students to get home safely.”

The bus passes are the first measure to combat overcrowding. Starting this spring, students will be required to identify their preferred mode of transportation and ideal pickup and drop off locations.

“We will be able to have a more systematic plan once we get a more comprehensive understanding of students transportation needs,” Glazer said. “Students should honor their transportation route so that the school system can find an economic way of using public funds.”

news

january 27, 2012

NEWSMAKERS Iraqi delegation tours campus

The News

photo by Mallika Patkar

Abid Al Ajeali, Delegation Leader and Head of Higher Education Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, presents Principal Evan Glazer with a symbolic Iraqi plate after touring Jefferson on Jan. 13.

Backstory Members of the Iraqi delegation, including members of the Iraqi Ministry of Directorates of Education, and three World Bank officials toured campus as part of the delegation’s visit to Washington, D.C., to review the proposed draft of Iraq’s National Strategy for Education and Higher Education (INES).

One of the focuses of INES is to promote scientific research in education. The delegation visited Jefferson to observe a model high school and tour the senior technology labs.

“The visit exposed the delegation to the decentralized nature of TJ’s curriculum and administrative structure, which allows for additional specialized science, math or technology classes,” said Zainab Allawi, Education Specialist of the Human Development Department of the World Bank.

Sophomore Mya Abousy, who is of Iraqi heritage, saw the visit as means for Iraq and America to build a positive relationship.

“I feel the visit to TJ provided the delegates with an idea of a successful educational approach,” Abousy said.

The delegation met with Principal Evan Glazer before the tour to talk about Jefferson and its curriculum. The discussion covered a variety of topics, ranging from Jefferson’s social events to coursework.

“I hope we can establish a direct dialogue with a school in Iraq via video communications in order to learn more about their culture and society as a result of this visit,” Glazer said.

- Mallika Patkar

Japananese students visit

photo by YouNa An

The News Yuji Harashima, a junior at Yokohama Science Frontier High School in Japan, holds up a photo of his school during the presentation of his research on generating hydrogen from sunlight for fuel cell cars.

Backstory On Jan. 6, students from four science and technology high schools in Japan visited Jefferson on an annual trip.

“I wanted to visit the United States because it is a very strong country,” Harashima said. “In Japan, we mainly study for examinations, but in the United States, people do more research. I think the Japanese education system can learn many points from the American system.”

The students observed math and science classrooms in the morning and then presented their group and individual research projects during eighth period.

The projects included topics such as building a cleaning robot, investigating the strength of the honeycomb structure and synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid, or Aspirin.

“The world is getting smaller, and it is not good to keep our research just to ourselves,” said Keiichi Kure, who teaches English at YSFH. Principal Evan Glazer was one of the attendees at the event.

“It is great that students from Japan could come so we could learn from their research to reflect on what we could be doing here,” Glazer said. “I think it is important to promote fellowship between the students from the two countries.”

Japanese teacher Koji Otani agrees.

“I hope this is the beginning of a good relationship.

I know that the Japanese students and teachers want it too,” he said. He is planning to take students from Jefferson on a visit to YSFH this summer.

- YouNa An

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

Faculty shows off dance moves

photo courtesy of Liza Miadzvedskaya

The News Senior Tom Hillenbrand and English teacher Emily Orser dominate the dance floor in the Dancing with the Faculty competition at the Winter Sports Pep Rally hosted by the SGA on Jan. 9.

Backstory Nine facuty members, accompanied by student partners, took to the Gym 1 floor to showcase their talent during eighth period. Of these nine pairs, Orser and Hillenbrand earned the title of Dancing with the Faculty Champions after intense rounds of competition complete with water breaks.

“I had a very creative partner who was willing to try anything and just have fun with it,” Orser said.

All of Orser and Hillenbrand’s dances were either made up on the spot or planned immediately before the next round of the competition.

“At first I wasn’t sure how crazy I should get with the dance moves and was a little apprehensive because I had never met Miss Orser before,” Hillenbrand said. “But as the competition went on, I got a lot more into it. Miss Orser was great, and we ended up busting out some pretty spectacular moves. Given the chance, I would definitely do it again.”

The duo shone with their cartwheel move and the synchronized worm, which Orser felt was unsuccessful on her part. They wrapped up their performance with inventive choreography to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

Orser and Hillenbrand were both impressed by fellow contestant Spanish teacher Alexandra Pou, who performed the salsa and other creative dances with senior Pranava Raparla.

“It was particularly entertaining to watch the teachers that I have this year,” sophomore Virginia Wordsworth said. “I know that a lot of people were anticipating Señora Pou’s performance.”

- Jenny Chen

Why Dalby Tutoring and Test Preparation? w Grouped classes: we group classes by math scores. This saves time and reduces student frustration. Register now for March 2012 SAT prep. w Small classes: ten or fewer students. w Experienced instructors: only Rick and Kate Dalby teach the classes. Each has over 25 years of experience teaching ACT, PSAT and SAT preparation. They’ve seen it all. Ask your school counselor. w Quality service: it is easy to reach either Dalby. All students have our cell phone numbers for texting 24/7 and person-person 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. w Flexible test schedule: can’t always come to the Sunday practice? Our office is opened 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday for testing by appointment. w Great results: serious students make serious gains. See our website for testimonials and statistics. w Tutoring in academic subjects: algebra to calculus, biology, physics, chemistry and essay writing.

Visit www.dalbytestprep.com to register.

Click on “Register Now” Classes held in McLean, Va. Call 703-356-2728 for more information.

4

opinion

janurary 27, 2012

Our school day as a problem solved

tjTODAY Lead Editorial tj TODAY’s unsigned majority opinion Volume 27 Issue 4

2011 Pacemaker - NSPA 2011 Trophy Class - VHSL 2011 All-American - NSPA 2011 Crown Finalist - CSPA

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Rabia Idrees

Managing Editor Colleen Marshall

Layout Editor Anna Hicks

News Editors

Sara Asad Mallika Patkar

Opinion Editors Joshua Baquedano Noah Yoo

Sports Editors Michael Chao Jenny Chen Jennifer Walter

Spread Editors

Every month visitors from throughout the nation and across the world visit Jefferson to see what a model American high school is like. This month, high school principals, students from four high schools in Japan, and an Iraqi delegation came to Jefferson. What our visitors must quickly realize is that this “model high school “ is about a lot more than the physical plant.

Despite the challenges posed by our not so ideal building, our students manage to succeed. We’ve learned to navigate through the Jefferson obstacle course.

Have you seen the classic movie, “Apollo 13?” A day here can be an exercise in finding common sense solutions – and we’re not talking about our course content. The first of the challenges faced each day is figuring out what the heck is being said on the morning announcements. Sometimes the audio is muffled, and sometimes it isn’t working at all. If you’re lucky enough to hear and understand the announcements, that in itself is an accomplishment.

The bathrooms at our school are par-

Entertainment Editors Shayna Hume Claudia Lovegrove

Features Editors

Staff Reporters Steven Androphy Tara Gupta Ellen Kan Stefanie Van Rafelghem Anna Weidman Lindsay Williams

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 Web site: www.tjhsst.edu/tjTODAY Send letters to: tjTODAYopinion@gmail.com

photo by Rabia Idrees

Develop a plan for college applications

Amy Ahn Lakshmi Chandran

Tahmina Achekzai YouNa An Arya Dahal Sunny Kim Thrisha Potluri

ticularly problematic. The girls’ bathroom upstairs with the broken locks is by far the most infamous. No wait, maybe it’s the one near the cafeteria where an entire stall door fell off its hinges? Either way, you get what we’re saying.

It’s almost comical how you can experience all the seasons in one day at Jefferson.

You just have to walk from one classroom to another. On any given day, the temperature in one classroom will be miserably hot and another room just down the hallway will be full of shivering students.

The beauty of the entire situation is it just shows that Jefferson students and teachers are indeed problem solvers. If there’s a gaping hole with a leak in the ceiling, we just put a bucket under it. Broken window? No problem, just cover it with aluminum foil.

We think we’ve done pretty well as a school to overcome the day to day challenges posed by our building.

Now there is just one thing left to say.

Bring on the renovation!

JOSHUA BAQUEDANO AND NOAH YOO

The Class of 2012, for the most part, wrapped up college applications this month.

While only a few of us know for sure what school we’ll be attending next fall, we do feel we’ve learned some interesting – and perhaps not obvious to all those coming after us – nuggets of “wisdom” we’d like to impart: 1. Take the junior packet seriously. By the end of your junior year, you hopefully have a good enough relationship with your counselor that they could write you a solid recommendation. However, a great junior packet can push it over the top. In addition, the opportunity to expound upon your extracurricular activities is a great first crack at your college essays.

2. School visits are what you make of them.

A visit with parents, where you take a tour and attend the admissions office’s information session can go a long way in determining whether you enjoy the academic environment of a school. However, an overnight visit with friends (you can usually stay with Jefferson alumni) will help you figure out if you like the other aspects of the school. College/Career Center Director Laurie Kobick suggests visiting before you apply. “What you see online and on virtual tours is not the same thing as actually being there,” Kobick said.

3. Get as much preparation done during junior year as you can. Finish your SATs, and ask teachers to write your recommendations for your applications.

The fall of senior year is overwhelming with college stuff, so get whatever you can out of the way by the end of junior year and over the summer.

4. Don’t forget your safety school. Remember that the top schools will only take so many Jefferson kids, so safeties are invaluable. Seek out a few strong ones, and pick your top choice. If it has early action or rolling admission, apply that way and be done with

it. Having the peace of mind that you are accepted somewhere, especially a school that you know you would enjoy attending, makes the rest of your apps a lot less stressful. When looking at any school, Kobick’s best advice is to “make sure it’s a good fit.” This applies to safeties, too.

5. You will most likely apply to a school that doesn’t use the Common Application.

Most individual school online application interfaces aren’t as user friendly as the Common App, so get familiar with the website and take note of important dates and deadlines. The Common App is also making changes to its interface, making the site smoother, starting in 2013. It will provide students with a team of college counselors to ask questions regarding certain aspects of their applications.

6. Use the first part of senior year to get your English teacher’s feedback on essays.

Even for those shorter prompts, don’t think you will ever be able to complete a good essay in a matter of minutes. This isn’t like an assignment you can write the morning it’s due and expect it to come out well. All the senior English teachers are helpful and use class or eighth period time to help students with their college work; they have read countless essays and know what admissions officers are looking for.

7. There’s nothing quite so stressful as realizing you have some sort of deadline to meet that you’ve completely forgotten about.

Whether it’s sending your SAT scores to colleges or sending in applications ahead of schedule for merit scholarship consideration,

Tara Gupta

it’s a good idea to take all your deadlines and keep track of them on calendar just for this purpose. Don’t be the person freaking out on Facebook because you missed the deadline to make a payment or send out scores.

8. Yellow envelopes are every senior’s worst nightmare. Class of 2013, consider yourself lucky that the county has decided to move the transcript application process online. This was a great decision; one that every current senior can only wish would have come one year sooner. The days of students scrambling to get envelopes at the last minute are over.

9. Manage expectations. Getting expectations too high can lead to the ultimate disappointment when decisions come out, while being too pessimistic will drive you crazy. The best advice we can give is be on an even keel about the process. Talking about it too much will also drive those around you nuts. Everyone is going through the process, so don’t subject friends to every incessant detail about your college search (especially over Facebook).

10. Green mountains are your best friend.

These icons indicate that you are done with specific sections of the Common Application, such as school forms or supplements. Seeing a Common Application filled with tiny green triangles instead of yellow squares is the ultimate satisfaction. Maybe you’ll fill them in one at a time, as you submit each of your apps, or perhaps you’ll let them all loose at once on the night before they’re due (this is not recommended). But they’ll be there, waiting for you at the end of your application odyssey.

sports

january 27, 2012

Sports Highlights

Gymnastics

Wrestling

Swim Swim and and Dive Dive

5

Girls Basketball

photo by Jennifer Walter

photo by Jennifer Walter

photo by Jennifer Walter

photo by Michael Chao

by Jennifer Walter Sports Editors Wrestlers lean forward in their seats, concentrating on the competition taking place on the mat before them and shouting advice on Jan. 18 inside the Colonials’ gym.

The wrestling team trounced the Falls Church Jaguars in the first round and lost to Edison with a score of 48-9 in the second round.

“The best part of the match was when we walked off the mat after beating Falls Church,” junior co-captain Patrick O’Connor said.

Team co-captains senior Peter Reisher and O’Connor both excelled, going 2-0 for the two matches.

“Patrick got his 100th takedown of the season,” Reischer said.

O’Connor was undefeated as of Jan. 24, winning all of his 32 matches this season.

“Patrick went to States last year,” Reischer said. “My goal for this season is to join him.”

Junior Daniel Min also excelled, winning his first varsity match while substituting for an injured teammate.

“It was just the greatest feeling,” Min said.

“I don’t know how to describe it.”

The team is looking forward to future matches.

“If you win, it all depends on your effort,” Min said. “I feel like I get better every day.”

by Jennifer Walter Sports Editor The crowd was small but vibrant for a six team event, with a group of spectators occasionally jumping up to cheer on a gymnast in one of the four simultaneously occurring events.

The Jefferson team competed against the South Lakes, Langley, Fairfax, Chantilly and Lake Braddock gymnastics teams on Jan. 12 at South Lakes High School, taking fourth place with a total score of 116.3.

“We’re focusing on improving our team score for Districts,” junior Caroline Kerr said.

Jefferson began on beam and had multiple falls, which proved to be detrimental to the team’s overall performance.

“We started off on beam and I fell off at least five times,” junior Jenn Wang said. “That didn’t start it off well.”

However, the team was able to rally during the other three events “Floor was good,” Kerr said. “Kristen did her first flip [on floor].”

Senior Kristen Skowronski is the only senior on the team and is new to the team this year.

Skowronski is not the only gymnast that performed well. Kerr took third place overall at the meet, with a score of 8.4 on vault, 8.6 on bars, 8.5 on beam and 8.75 on floor. Junior Jasmine Denizard took fourth place overall, with 8.1 on vault, 8.45 on bars, 8.8 on beam and 8.7 on floor. Both Kerr and Denizard excelled at previous meets and are looking forward to the district meet.

“They work really hard,” head coach Peter Novgrod said. “We’ve got some fairly new girls on the team, and they’re picking it up.”

by Jennifer Walter Sports Editor The smell of chlorine permeated the humid air around the vast swimming pool on Jan. 20 at Audrey Moore RECenter. A growing chorus of shouts echoing off of the cavernous walls came from the Jefferson Swim and Dive team, as they prepared for the meet against Langley.

At the end of the night, the boys team beat Langley with a score of 205-104 and the girls lost 195-122.

“I thought the team did really well,” senior swim captain Katie Bennett said.

“Langley’s always a tough team to beat.”

Langley is the defending state champion for girls swimming.

“For the girls, it was definitely close,” junior Gene Gonzalez said. “There were a couple of close races at the last second.”

The team ended the season with records of 6-1 and 5-2 for the boys and girls team, respectively.

Individually, both swimmers and divers excelled. Senior dive captain Emily Saitta broke the school’s dive record with a score of 263.00.

“Langley was the final meet of the season, my senior night and my last dual high school meet,” Saitta said. “This made the meet really special and I was pumped up to do my best.”

Bennett won the 100 backstroke, senior captain Stephen Seliskar won the 200 individual medley and freshman Carrie Heilbrun won the 100 fly.

As Jan. 20 was also senior night, many senior classmates came out to help the younger swimmers and divers celebrate the 17 graduating seniors and their families.

“All of the seniors really appreciate all of the work of the underclassmen for senior night,” Bennett said.

by Michael Chao Sports Editor The Lady Colonials took on the Stone Bridge Bulldogs in a home basketball game that turned into a loss with a final score of 29-62 on Jan. 13.

Jefferson got off to a hot start, tying Stone Bridge after one quarter of play at 17-17. Afterwards, they had trouble scoring throughout the second and third quarters due to poor ball-handling.

“We had a really strong first quarter, but then afterwards, we got too many turnovers and it all went downhill from there,” said junior center Minh Bui, the leading scorer and rebounder that night for Jefferson.

Defense seemed to be an issue as Stone Bridge went on a 37 point scoring run during the second and third quarters. During the fourth quarter however, head coach Victor Chen rallied the team together and stiffened their play, outscoring Stone Bridge 12-8.

“It was teamwork and the fact that the team started to click in the fourth quarter that brought us together,” Bui said.

The season hasn’t been too kind on the Lady Colonials, who have only won two games. The team had no returning seniors and sustained injuries to key players early on. Therefore, their record shouldn’t speak solely for their level of performance.

“I don’t believe our current record is indicative of the players’ dedication on and off the court,” Chen said. “We have faced much more experienced and older teams so the scoreboard does not fully represent our competitiveness.”

The team still maintains an upbeat attitude towards the rest of their schedule.

“Now that the girls are continuing to improve, I would say our season looks positive from this point on,” Chen said.

Left to right: Senior Paul Wolfteich grapples with an Edison wrestler on Jan. 18; junior Zophie Quan prepares for a roll on beam on Jan. 12; senior Stephen Seliskar races in the 200 individual medley on Jan. 20 at Audrey Moore RECenter; sophomore Ellen Mule evades Stonebridge player Kayla Sleece on Jan. 13.

Dance team excels at East Coast Regional Championship

photo by Colleen Marshall

Junior Stephanie Levin received sixth place in the Senior Solo Lyrical competition at the East Coast Regional Championship.

by YouNa An and Colleen Marshall Features Editor and Managing Editor As the freezing rain pelted outside the West Springfield High School gym on Jan. 22, the spectator bleachers filled to capacity with screaming fans. Team after team took the floor to perform in the East Coast Regional Championship (ECR) competition.

The Jefferson Dance Team came home with a second place trophy in the Varsity Kick competition along with a fifth place finish in Varsity Jazz.

“The team performed very well, and I’m really proud of our soloists,” senior captain Syd Dogonniuck said.

“They’ve all worked on their routines so much this past year, and I’m so glad their hard work paid off.”

The soloists that performed early in the day included freshman Katya Plotnitskaya in lyrical and junior Katrina McTigue in jazz. Both received honorable mentions, and junior Stephanie Levin placed sixth in lyrical.

This was the culminating competition for the dance team’s members, who have learned upwards of seven routines since their season began in August.

“We perform many different types of routines,” Dogonniuck said. “During football games, for example, we do a combination of pom and kick routines.”

The girls on the team have mastered these routines over a double season, beginning in August and ending in February. The team stays excited through the long season by participating in activities like spirit days and secret pals along with their twice- a- week practices.

“In order to keep the girls involved and excited, we change up the routines and practices,” dance coach Melissa Weber said.

With only six competitions in their extended season, the team gets practice performing to an audience during home football and basketball games.

“Competitions are so intense, but games allow the girls to truly have fun performing for their school,” Weber said.

“It also gives us a chance to tweak our dances and gives the girls a chance to practice dancing for a crowd.”

Currently, dance is not a recognized sport by the Virginia High School League (VHSL), and many dancers resent this lack of acknowledgment.

“It’s kind of like how people say cheerleading is not a sport,” sophomore Christine Park said. “It should be since it requires all the aspects of sports like teamwork, endurance and balance.”

The VHSL may soon have to reconsider adding dance to their list of approved sports. When the West Springfield Dance Team, two-time National Dance Team Championship winners, made it to the semi-finals on the TV show “America’s Got Talent” last summer, the national spotlight focused attention on what some feel is an oversight.

“West Springfield didn’t compete at the competition they hosted on Sunday,” Dogonniuck said. “This is probably a good thing because they are so phenomenal that they intimidate other teams from competing against them.”

Whether the West Springfield absence aided the teams or not, the Jefferson dance program was able to finish out a successful season and is looking forward to a bright future.

“It is extremely gratifying when members of other dance teams comment on how much TJ has improved over the last couple of years,” Weber said. “I would love for this trend to continue.”

6

spread

january 27, 2012

spread

january 27, 2012

7

Whether it’s the ticking of the Doomsday Clock or the ending of the Mayan calendar, the world is pre dicted to end soon. What are on some of Jefferson students’ bucke Hu New a n i t r s e i t lists? r ov K

on or Seni t-air balloerness ho ild t

in a aland w d carpe ross e Ze the r ad-trip ac ds k l a - W on a ro w frien a bark with a fe ski down m E run ark rica Ame to telem iamond al d r u rn - Lea ble-black uadriling an glacie dou come q n Alask nsive - Be off of a ly expe e -glid idiculous own g n a - H Buy a r tars ry ing g even der the s ic for eve p un mus - Slee piece of family ional ose a ber in my r educat p m o - Co mem charity n a lish foundatio b a t s -E

- Fly

l horsel T e k r n Lu pics fo eshma

nerjee

Ba Freshman Orchi

Fr

e Olym h t o t ing - Go swimm ruise nac - Go o ael Phelps Mich - Meet to Hawaii - Go mping u j e e j un - Go b the lottery cean o - Win e h t o wn int age o d o -G ark c in a sh he bulls in with t - Run Spain

Sopho

more S

g - Indoor skydivin - Go to London - Go to Chicago - Visit Julliard n - Meet Tom Felto - Go to Antarctica ith dolphins - Go swimming w - Win an Oscar

d or E

parsh G - Meet upta Cristia n o R onaldo - Have a 48-ho u - Jump r party out of a p lane w questio ith a nable p a r - Burn achute my sch ool sup plies - Get a six-pac - Buy e k xpensi ve socc er cleat -Hire a s b utler -Grow a beard , and sh ave my head

Lee urrito eb t

e tl i Jun Chipo even, g s he

h t h try e (finis ree) o wit f e l - G lleng r the abb cha ano of Scr e Q’s) e e th th gam ke all nd eat a a ta ay - Pl haq (I urope, ere hat t S h s E t ie r tou st food f mov atch o -G be nch o to w n d u e b nt oo a t tch ays wa ir ball nd no a - W alw ot-a tain a h e a v I’ oun de i m R a wn “It would appear that die o d i the cause of the end of the k S world would be some sort

“The only scientific explanation of the world ending would be the sun dying, which is not predicted to happen for another four to five billion years. Life as we know it, however, could change due to man-made or natural disasters. Many of the predictions of the world ending are based on cultural or religious ideas or beliefs.”

- Lee Ann Hennig

HOW WILL

THE WORLD

END?

of celestial collision” - Jim Jarvis

bby

re A o hom ose bum p o R n al cle S

rd a otorcy y o c e - Re e a m e Jers d h - Ri o to t re -G Sho book ng a ite surfi ool r - W rowd sch un oc t of - G op ou e a n t m s r - D beco prote rica and oin a in Af - J kids elp H -

photo illustrations, graphics, and reporting by Amy Ahn and Lakshmi Chandran

Astronomy

Senio

r

Tan - Go white ia Ermak -wate - Buy r raft a P o ing - Wh l a r oid c ile wa a mer it start at an ing for a r a id a prete nd to musemen e to tp ha to fre ak ou ve a pani ark, c t the perso attack n sitt nex ing - Tou t to me ch a c - Go to a k elebrity arao - Buy roller ke bar -blad es

Geosystems

“Robert Frost deals succinctly with this very question in ‘Fire and Ice’. Frost posits that ‘from what I have tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.’ If life has been lived with a passion, I, too, favor fire. Hello Big Bang Theory!”

- Donald Majeske

The Doomsday Clock Humanities

is a representation of how close the human race is to self-annihilation. On Jan. 12, the time of the Doomsday Clock was moved from 11:54 to 11:55. The Clock is set by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, who evaluate the status of the world every few years. Because of the lack of nuclear restrictions, the disasters in Japan, and lack of progress in climate change, the world is now only five minutes away from destruction. graphics and reporting by Amy Ahn and Lakshmi Chandran

8

features

‘Scorpio Races’ rides to success

by Anna Hicks Layout Editor

january 27, 2012

Annual Knight of One Axe celebrates 25th anniversary

by Shayna Hume Entertainment Editor This year marks the 25th Annual Knight of One Axe, a night of highly anticipated comedic productions put on by the TJ Drama on Feb. 3 and 4.

“It’s the most fun show of the year,” senior Rishi Malhotra said. “The best part about One Axe is its ability to bring forth hidden acting talent. It’s usually new seniors that get the ‘Where Have You Been’ superlative award.”

First time actor, senior Varun Kumar, doesn’t take drama as an elective, but One Axe

allows him to be part of their performances.

In One Axe, students in and out of the drama classes participate heavily in the performances.

“Rishi told me to audition, I’d never really done it before. I’ve acted in class and in skits, but doing it for two hours at a time now is really fun,” Kumar said.

For those who don’t know what a one act play is, it is a single performance about 20 minutes long. The students involved rehearse the one act plays for over 20 hours—the same as if they were full length school productions.

photo courtesy of amazon.com

New York Times best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater published her newest novel, “The Scorpio Races,” in a Young Adult Fiction market itching for more of her work after the skyrocketing popularity of her last series “The Wolves of Mercy Falls.”

“Scorpio Races” inhabits a similar genre with elements of fantasy in YA lit, but unlike “Mercy Falls,” Stiefvater’s newest novel is set in an alternate society – namely the island of Thisby, on which the violent, maneating capaill uisce (colloquially referred to as water horses) arrive out of the ocean each November and are tamed and raced at the island’s economy-sustaining bloodbath of a tourist event, the Scorpio Races.

“Scorpio Races” is told from two perspectives. The first is the voice of Puck, a likeable, stubborn teenage girl who finds herself in a man’s world when she decides to enter the races in a desperate attempt to keep her older brother Gabe from leaving the island forever. The second is that of Sean, the gritty, mysterious champion of four previous races.

Stiefvater’s characterization possesses a masterful depth without getting caught up in complexities. We learn of Puck’s and Sean’s histories (they are both orphans, which feels clichéd but isn’t a big enough part of the novel to leave a bad taste) and follow their stories simply and chronologically.

The novel’s true stand-out points are the water horses and the races built around them. Stiefvater describes the horses and their carnivorous tendencies in frightening detail and the descriptions of the races are particularly heart-stopping. Additionally, the growth of Sean’s bond with his horse Corr feels more meaningful than any human relationships presented in the plot.

My only quarrel with the action aspect of “Scorpio Races” is that the race as the climax of the plot is confined to what feels like too few pages near the very end of the novel. The book spends its entire build-up working towards the race, but it seems as if just as the race begins and the action finally hits its stride, it’s over.

Still, the novel comes to a satisfying conclusion that keeps the focus on the horses, their riders and the relationships between them – and this is what makes “Scorpio Races” unique.

photo by Shayna Hume

Junior Zach Moser and sophomore Siboney Shewit rehearse in the one act “Before I Take the Stand.”

“Other schools do one act performances, but we’re the only ones that use the pun ‘knight’ and ‘axe’. That’s because they don’t have our sense of humor,” sophomore Abbey Rose said.

This year, two of the one acts are reserved exclusively for the drama classes. Three others are open for any students to participate in and one more is the one act that was performed for the Virginia High School League competition earlier this year.

As a whole, the plays promise a humorous night. However, there is typically one play with a more serious and controversial theme.

This year that is the VHSL play “Before I Take the Stand”. It is about a young woman going to court over sexual assault. Her story takes place while the defense is cross examining her while her own lawyer is preparing her.

The actors have been rehearing the six one acts three times a week, for two hours at a time in preparation for the big day.

“I think rehearsals are going really well.

It’s fun to be part of student-directed plays because everybody gets a little bit of input,” sophomore Nadège Aoki said.

The Annual Knight of One Axe begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

“One Axe is a great show every year, so I think it will be this year as well,” Creative Arts teacher Vincent Pollet said.

One Axe has proven to be both entertaining and thought-provoking for its audiences, and no one expects this year to be any different.

“One Axe is the most exciting part of the year for drama kids.,” junior Saloni Chaswal said. “You get to showcase your talent in a different way.”

Student-written plays shine in the One Axe lineup Rishi Malhotra

by Tahmina Achekzai and Claudia Lovegrove

Features Editor and Entertainment Editor “You’re grazing, go like this!” Senior Rishi Malhotra directs fellow senior Neal Chaudhuri, who is rehearsing his role as an animal in a documentary. Laughter erupts from all corners of the room as Malhotra gives a demonstration of how he envisions

by Tahmina Achekzai and Claudia Lovegrove

Features Editor and Entertainment Editor Senior Rebecca Edelstein has her cast under control. As she sits them down for notes after a run through of her original one act, all eyes are on her.

Since their freshman year, Edelstein and senior Christine Jacobs knew they wanted to direct together. When Edelstein wrote a play over the summer, they finally had their chance.

“Airplan (Without the E for Trademark Reasons)” is a one act show highlighting all the things that can go wrong – or right, depending on the character – on a flight.

Though Edelstein had been hesitant on submitting “Airplan” for The Annual Knight of One Axe, and had even considered submitting it anonymously, Jacobs soon convinced her otherwise.

a grazing gazelle.

Malhotra’s play, “High Definition,” is a rewrite of a one act he wrote over the summer. It features two characters, Luke and Rachel.

Throughout the play, Luke and Rachel try to find a TV channel that they can both enjoy – not too serious or cheesy, but a little realistic. The play switches between their living room to the shows playing on the “TV.” “I was thinking about perspective - in movies, the director is free to play with the camera angle, but on stage there is a constant viewpoint for the audience,” Malhotra said.

Aside from Luke and Rachel, the play features a variety of different characters.

To Vincent Pollet, the Creative Arts teacher, that doesn’t come as a surprise.

“He has been able to include a lot of people in everything we do in TJ Drama,”

“I really loved the idea of a crazy cast of characters stuck on a plane together,” Jacobs said. “I knew it had potential to be hilarious, so when Becca showed me her first draft (only seven or eight pages), I begged her write it as a full one act.”

Edelstein has been heavily involved in TJ Drama since their freshman year. She hopes to participate in theater after high school through college performances, like the ones here at Jefferson.

Edelstein, though she is also planning on continuing with theater, considers herself more into film. A couple of years ago, she participated in a summer program at the New York Film Academy, and since then has developed a passion for the field.

In the end, both film and theater helped her write the play. Though she’s

Pollet said.

Malhotra sent his play to the TJ Drama community and it was decided that it would be featured in One Axe. Malhotra has been involved with TJ Drama since his sophomore year, when he served as the production assistant for the spring show. Soon after, he auditioned for the Froshfest performance.

Since then, Malhotra has acted in every major production TJ Drama has performed.

Spending his time afterschool at rehearsals and his eighth periods at Shakespeare Troupe, Malhotra admits that TJ Drama has shaped his entire high school experience.

“When I think back on my high school years, no doubt the first thing that pops into my mind will be the experiences I had and friends I made through TJ Drama,” Malhotra said. “It’s a big de-stresser and has provided me with a creative outlet.”

Becca Edelstein always loved writing, her involvement in theater and film has helped her visualize the stories she thinks of.

“Things play out in my head as plays and film rather than novels,” Edelstein said. photos and graphics by Claudia Lovegrove and Shayna Hume

Coming Attractions infographic by Claudia Lovegrove

‘Born To Die’

Jan. 31: Stores everywhere

‘White Girl Problems’

Jan. 31: Bookstores everywhere

‘Chronicle’

Feb. 3: Theaters everywhere

‘The Woman in Black’

Feb. 3: Theaters everywhere

Rise Against

Feb. 5: Patriot Center

features

january 27, 2012

9

Powell and French find careers in journalism French chooses broadcasting

photo by Noah Yoo

Powell gives a presentation on how he became a journalist to Bello and Campbell’s HUM II class.

Powell takes journalistic chances

by Joshua Baquedano and Noah Yoo Opinion Editors The tall, broad-shouldered man had the look of a professor about him, but spoke to the gathered students with a relaxed feeling as he told them the story of how he found himself on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in 1964, reporting for CBS News – while he was still an undergraduate in college.

Adam Clayton Powell III, a University Fellow at the University of Southern California Center for Public Diplomacy, came to speak to the juniors in English teacher Judith Bello and history teacher Scott Campbell’s HUM II classes about the different career paths he has taken in his life.

Powell talked about his time as a freshman at MIT and how within a matter of weeks after the start of his semester, he found himself in the position of News Director for the university’s news radio station – with almost no prior experience in journalism.

It was this position that set him on his way to interning at CBS and writing for the trail-blazing reporter and eventual anchor Walter Cronkite by the time he was an upperclassman, and the future positions that came his way after graduation.

“People would ask me, ‘Will you be a politician or minister like your father, or an entertainer like your mother?’” Powell said.

His mother was Hazel Scott, an internationally renowned jazz musician and actress and one of the first African-Americans to break the color barrier in Hollywood.

“After my mother found out I’d be going into journalism, she told me, ‘Now you’ll be able to do both!’” Powell said, with a warm chuckle that incited laughter from the students.

His father, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., was the first African-American elected to Congress from New York and served in the House of Representatives for over 20 years.

Powell currently lives and works in Washington, D.C. He coordinates research efforts with government agencies through the Center for Public Diplomacy of the USC Annenberg School for Communication

“

and Journalism, and has held positions in organizations from National Public Radio to Quincy Jones Entertainment. His articles have appeared in publications like The New York Times and Wired magazine.

“He exemplifies the future for many TJ students,” Bello said. “No matter what you may plan today to study in college and pursue thereafter, you are likely to explore many careers as opportunities arise, markets and societal needs evolve, and your passions change.”

Through his narratives, Powell gave the class some insight into the day-to-day life behind his different careers, and how he’s adapted to each new challenge.

“The most striking thing about Mr. Powell’s talk was, surprisingly, not his destinations but his journeys,” junior Malaika Murphy said.

“The manner in which he became so successful was a matter of initiative, skill, fearlessness and a little bit of luck.”

One point Powell emphasized was the importance of taking chances. “You should not be afraid to reinvent yourself,” Powell said. “Grab opportunity when it presents itself. I arrived at MIT as an aspiring electrical engineering major, and within a year, I was reporting for CBS News live from the floor of the Democratic convention.”

“He was good at telling his story in a way that was interesting and relevant to all of us, regardless of what our interests were,” junior Michael Cooper said. “The most important thing I took away was that if you want to achieve something, just do it. There’s nothing there to stop you but yourself.”

After Powell finished his talk, the students asked questions about his career experiences, about the University of Southern California and his thoughts on the relationship between technology and the liberal arts.

“One can’t fully succeed without the other,” he said. “When I was a news director, we had access to some of the most cuttingedge innovations in the world and we were able to report it without a problem. What use is science if folks don’t know about it?”

You should not be afraid to reinvent yourself.

-Adam Clayton Powell III

”

by Ellen Kan and Steven Androphy While French was here, she tackled many Staff Reporters complicated news stories, most notably the Marie French suppressed a giggle as embezzlement of school funds by former she and a fellow reporter began a taping on finance technician Susan Litwin.

KCOU/88.1 FM, the University of Missouri’s In addition, French enjoyed writing student-run radio station. The topic was opinion pieces, and some of her areas of focus serious but slightly humorous. Normally, included sports funding and abstinenceFrench would know how to handle this. based sex education.

But this time, she and her friend burst out Along with her fervent passion for writing, laughing several times.

French was also a member of Slava, the Later, French received a scathing e-mail Russian Honor Society. Her teacher, Betsy written in all capital letters from her managing Sandstrom, praised her diligence and called editor, which harshly reprimanded them for her a “model student.” not being professional. “[She] had really good leadership skills, In reality, though, French is anything but was very organized and able to delegate tasks, unprofessional. A graduate of Jefferson’s and was one of the first student leaders of Class of 2010, she is currently a sophomore at tjSTAR,” Sandstrom said. the University of Missouri (Mizzou). Unlike In her senior year, French participated in many in her graduating class, she is pursuing the Life Sciences and Biotechnology research an unconventional laboratory, where career path: she conducted journalism. experiments on soil In her freshman samples. “It was year at Mizzou, really fun,” French French was a reporter said with a laugh. for KCOU/88.1 FM, “We played with where she developed dirt!” a knack for radio During her broadcasting.

She time at Jefferson, also enrolled in a French realized multimedia course she was more that broadened her inclined toward the views on how to humanities than inform the public. the sciences. “I like “You really get a [science], but it’s sense of what tells not something I the best story, what could see myself gets the best effect, doing.” However, and what draws the French pondered viewer in,” French the idea of science said. journalism.

French’s first D e s p i t e year of college her currently demonstrated the big determined path, difference between it took French a scholastic and while to figure out collegiate journalism. that journalism was For one, the courses right for her. move very quickly.

“I’m not like “You had to catch some people I on very fast,” French knew at TJ who photo by Stefanie Van Rafelghem said, referring had everything to her freshman Marie French talks with the Journalism 1 class. planned out from journalism course. day one and were “[The instructors] were like, ‘You’re afraid to on the fast-track to Harvard or Yale,” French ask someone questions? Too bad. Your first said. In fact, it took her until junior year to assignment is to ask people questions.’ They decide. French ultimately chose Mizzou for want to narrow down the people who don’t its prestigious school of journalism. put in any effort.”

Along with her pursuit of a bachelor’s Furthermore, she continued to describe degree in journalism, she is also hoping for the difficulty of retrieving information at a bachelor’s degree in political science and Mizzou. “It’s harder [at Mizzou]. At Jefferson, a minor in economics. French is intrigued we have a really close-knit community, and by politics and has been avidly following the Intranet, which is probably the best tool the current GOP race for the presidential for stalking people. Ever.” nomination. “I’ve been really enjoying [it].

French’s career path had its beginnings It’s kind of hilarious.” in her freshman year at Jefferson, when French’s solid belief is that “our society she signed up to take Jennifer Seavey’s needs a free press, an informed press and an Journalism 1 class. In the following years, informed public.” She hopes to create a big she rose up through the ranks to become an impact on the journalistic world by working editor in features, opinion and news. for The New York Times, covering politics.

“Marie wasn’t the most obvious future “[Journalism] is about finding out what journalist when she started,” Seavey said. the high-ranking people don’t want the “She seemed too introspective, but she grew public to know,” said French. “People need into her role as reporter and editor.” to know what they’re doing.”

10

features

january 27, 2012

Students write about personal experiences to guide peers

by Tahmina Achekzai and Sunny Kim Features Editors Tables, comments from users and the story of Jefferson fill the screen. On the top left corner, it reads “Surviving TJHSST.” Currently, it’s a Google document.

Pretty soon, it could be a book.

Sophomore Linda Lay started this project only a little over a month ago. Already, she’s written over 7,000 words. Surprising as it may seem to have a high school student take on a project for the sake of her peers, she isn’t the only one.

When senior Marvin Qian received the scores for his January 2011 SAT I, his super score of 2400 was complete, causing many of his friends to ask him for help.

“Since I didn’t have time to individually tutor each one, I figured writing a guide would be the easiest and most efficient way for me to assist people,” Qian said.

“Marvin Qian’s All Killer No Filler Guide” contains general tips on each section of the SAT I, in addition to a formula for the essay that he proved effective with a perfect score of 12. This guide was digitally distributed without charge to anyone who wanted it.

“I wanted to cater to those who didn’t want to read through the fluff and formalities required for a professional, widely-distributed test resource,” Qian said.

It is written in short paragraphs and bullets, with informal language and plenty of voice.

“I hope people will learn how to beat the SAT and get a few laughs while they’re at it,” Qian said.

During the summer of 2011, Qian co-founded a tutoring company called M2 Tutoring and taught an SAT crash course. He managed to increase his class’s average score by more than 200 points. He plans to do so again if there is a big enough demand.

“It was the only studying I did, and my writing score went from 700 to 770. I don’t think I could have done that without his help,” said senior Cynthia Chen, who studied with Qian for two hours the Sunday before the test.

Like Qian, 2011 graduate AJ Swoboda tried to help his peers with the college admissions process. Swoboda compiled a number of college essays into his series, “What Seniors Write at America’s Best High School.”

Swoboda published the first edition during his freshman year, after he observed his older brother go through the college admissions process. He obtained the essays from many of his brother’s friends and classmates, and afterwards, found a self-publishing website.

As much time as he put into the book, the hardest part came after publication.

“The biggest challenges I’ve faced have come from the parents,” Swoboda said. “Many support the book, but there are a select few who have an issue with it and make it difficult for me to advertise my book by talking about it before parent meetings at school.”

In addition, in the first year of Swoboda’s publication, he was reprimanded by both parents and administrators for calling Jefferson “America’s Best.” This issue was resolved,

though, when about a month later the U.S. News and World Report decided to rank Jefferson as the number one high school in the country.

“Usually, I end up getting around these speed bumps, because in the end, this book is a fantastic resource that is only helping people,” Swoboda said.

After Swoboda’s graduation, junior David Guo took the lead effort to make the 2011 edition of the series.

“AJ helped me by getting the 2011 graduates to submit essays. I put together the final collection of essays and updated a few other parts of the book along with a cover redesign,” Guo said.

The 2011 edition was published last month. With Swoboda at Princeton University, Guo took care of the marketing, selling and distributing.

“My future plan is to continue working on this series and publish the 2012 edition,” Guo said. “This project provides tremendous help to all students. It also provides a window for the outside world to know more about our school. As for any profits, I’ll be donating them to the school.”

The copies of the books are available in the Elizabeth Lodal College Career Center and Fairfax County Public High School Libraries.

According to the Career Center Specialist Laurie Kobick, the books are checked out mostly by the parents rather than the students.

While both Qian and Swoboda’s works are geared towards the audience leaving Jefferson, Lay decided to focus her project in a different direction. Her book-in-progress, “Surviving TJHSST,” is meant to introduce middle school students and their families to life at Jefferson and decide if it’s really for them.

Lay first got the idea for her book after hearing curious freshmen inquire into what life at Jefferson was really like. Since many of the questions were similar, she decided to go about a different approach in getting them their answers.

So Lay started to fill the Class of 2015 Facebook group with posts on topics like IBET, Homecoming, freshman academics and eighth period. Lay was surprised by the attention the

posts gained – apparently, freshmen couldn’t find this kind of information anywhere else.

“That didn’t really seem right to me. TJ is often thought of as ‘a college disguised as a high school’ and when you apply for college, you look at many different statistics, read profiles and really try and decide whether that college would be right for you,” Lay said. “Why couldn’t you do the same when you apply for TJ?” As a sophomore, Lay understands she doesn’t have all the experience she needs to write about the four years of high school. For this reason, she’s allowing everyone to participate.

Senior Kate Gaziano, who commented on the Google document earlier this year, was impressed by Lay’s work.

“I think it could be a useful resource for some people, but I wonder how necessary it is. Hardly anyone who gets into TJ doesn’t go.”

Lay recognizes that many students have different opinions.

However, she doesn’t let this stop her. In addition to the Google document, Lay also created a Facebook group where she poses questions for the students to answer.

Lay has taken several steps to ensure her book accurately represents Jefferson’s student body. Aside from the online questionnaires, she has been meeting with school staff and contacting alumni.

“Instead of an author, I see myself as an editor, compiling the opinions of the TJ community, trying to provide a clear picture for kids applying to TJ about what it is like,” Lay said.

As hard as she may try to get equal and valuable voices, though, there seems to be an unbalance.

“The freshmen, who generally have the most free time, volunteer and are excited. However, the juniors and seniors, whose input would be valuable, generally don’t have time to comment and respond to questions I ask,” Lay said.

Principal Evan Glazer thinks that every student has the right to free press but he worries about a potential problem in the case of different opinions or wrong information.

“It’s great that students are willing to share information to guide other students’ success,” Glazer said, “but to prevent confusion, a disclaimer should be put so that the readers know who generated the information in case they have questions and comments.”

Like Swoboda’s book, “Surviving TJHSST” relies on Jefferson students as much as it is meant to help them.

“One thing I would ask the TJ community is to actively participate in the making of the book,” Lay said. “I’m only taking notes – the book depends on your comments, your stories and your opinions.”

AJ Swoboda “What Seniors Write at America’s Best High School”

photo courtesy of AJ Swoboda

Marvin Qian “All Killer No Filler Guide to the SAT”

photo by Tahmina Achekzai

graphics by Tahmina Achekzai and YouNa An

New teachers bring fresh spirit to foreign languages

by YouNa An Features Editor Szilvia Oszko moved to the United States from Hungary in 1996. Little did she know she would be staying for good, much less that she would be the new German teacher at Jefferson 15 years later.

“TJ is the best place to teach in the county and I was thrilled when I saw an opening,” Oszko said. “It’s not a position you can pass up.”

Oszko expected to see bright and motivated students, and the students have lived up to her expectations.

“I was surprised a lot of students actually wanted to learn German here,” Oszko said. “You hear from other German teachers that students are not as motivated.

They just want to survive the class.”

Oszko brings with her an impressive resumé. Before she came to Jefferson, she worked at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute as a German language instructor for diplomats.

Before she came to the United States, she lived in Hungary as part of the ethnically German minority there and attended German schools. As a result, she speaks German and Hungarian equally well.

“A lot of students learn bad things about Germans in history class, but that’s not the whole picture. I’d like them to see Germany more realistically,” Oszko said.

Although Oszko has a different teaching style than that of previous German teacher

photo by YouNa An

photo by YouNa An

Oszko laughs as German Honor Society students practice a dance for I-Nite.

Cavich talks to long time friend and colleague Genevieve Delfosse before school.

Carter Vaden, sophomore Angela Tang says she is learning a lot from her German class.

“I’m sad there is no German 5, because I would like to have at least one more semester with [Oszko], post AP, before heading on to college,” Tang said.

Currently, Oszko is planning an exchange program with a high school in Germany. She also sponsors the German Honor Society, in which students participate in a variety of activities, such as performing during I-Nite.

“German 1 will likely be offered next year, so there is good chance the program will increase in the future,” she said.

As for now, Oszko is busy promoting the program. It seems that the German teacher position will be stable for a while.

“I’m planning on staying at TJ as long as I can,” Oszko said.

by Lindsey Williams and Anna Weidman Staff Reporters French teacher F. Tane Dusilo-Cavich walked into the room and placed her mug of café-au-lait on her desk. She began speaking in French before laughing upon realizing the interview was expected to be in English.

Cavich is the latest addition to the foreign language team. She has returned to teach in place of Luc Beeckman, who retired unexpectedly in the fall.

According to Cavich, learning a foreign language is vital to understanding other cultures.

“We need to travel to find out what other people’s expectations and beliefs are,” Cavich said.

She tries to apply this concept in her teaching by informing her students about

francophone cultures.

“We learn things outside of the textbook, so we learn more about the culture and language,” said freshman Isabel Ho, a student in French 3.

Cavich came out of retirement to teach French. Previously, she also taught Russian and German at Jefferson, but these are just a fraction of the languages she knows. Her native language is Croatian, but she speaks Italian and Spanish fluently as well and reads Latin and Ancient Greek.

Born in former Yugoslavia, Cavich grew up in Dubrovnik, Croatia but was forced leave for political reasons at the age of 22.

She then attended college in Heidelberg, Germany and has lived in the United States as well as other countries in Europe.

“I consider myself lucky to have lived in the three most beautiful cities in the world,” Cavich said, referring to Dubrovnik, Heidelberg and Washington, D.C. She especially loves the architecture in the District. On her commute to work, she often slows down to look at monuments, and she laments that others do not appreciate the wonders of the city enough.

Cavich taught at Jefferson for 10 years when it first became a Governor’s School.

She then left to help open the Rochester Institute of Technology/American College of Management and Technology in Dubrovnik. She enjoyed living in her hometown once again and taught there for 12 years before coming back to the U.S.

features

january 27, 2012

11

Forbes magazine publishes first list of ‘tomorrow’s brightest stars’ in 12 different categories

Abraham poised for Obama election effort

by Arya Dahal Features Editor When Class of 2003 graduate Yohannes Abraham was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in December for his work in the Obama administration, the news came as a complete surprise to him.

“I had no idea I was being considered prior to the selections being made. Forbes likes to keep these things secretive until it’s published,” Abraham said.

After graduating from Yale University in 2007 with a degree in political science, Abraham immediately went on to join Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Iowa.

He then served as the Virginia Field Director for the campaign, helping to turn the state Democratic for the first time in 44 years.

“I got into politics to do my part. I have strong, deeply

photo courtesy of Yohannes Abraham

Class of ‘03 grad Yohannes Abraham works in the White House West Wing for President Obama.

held beliefs on issues of social and economic justice, and I wanted to work to help advance them,” Abraham said.

Following the election, Abraham started working in the West Wing of the White House in the Office of Legislative Affairs. He acted as an intermediate between the president and the House of Representatives on crucial pieces of the president’s agenda.

Abraham attributes his success thus far to his mentors at Jefferson who inspired and encouraged him. In particular, he enjoyed working with Government teacher David Zack and English teacher Marion MacLean. MacLean clearly remembers Abraham and his keenness and ability to understand real world issues.

“Yohannes was tuned into a remarkably broad view of the world,” MacLean said. “He was both mature beyond his years and could see things from different perspectives.”

While in high school, Abraham played lacrosse and was class president for two years. He also served as the vice president of Black Student Union.

With the 2012 election cycle underway, Abraham will take on more responsibility. He is currently working as the deputy national political director for Obama’s re-election campaign under the aegis of Katherine Archuleta.

As for being selected as one of the 30 people under Forbes’ Law and Policy category, Abraham appreciates the recognition.

“It’s an honor to be named. That said, I think it’s healthy to take these sorts of things with a big grain of salt and some humility,” Abraham said. “And, of course, my friends gave me tons of grief about it, as good friends should.”

Ethier pursues creative energy options

by Arya Dahal print.”

Features Editor Along with these two business ventures, Ethier has President Barack Obama rejected the proposed Keystone also interned at GE Aviation and at Capire Micropower in XL Pipeline on Jan. 18 - at least temporarily. The controversial 2009 and 2010. Concurrently, Ethier was attending Duke decision, which was well-received by environmentalists, puts University for his Bachelor of Sciences and Engineering. the focus on more energy efficient While at Jefferson, Ethier was products in the market. interested in the aerospace field, At the forefront of this movement founding the Excelsior Aerospace is Class of 2006 graduate Jason Ethier.

Club because of his internship at OrEthier, the founder of Dynamo Mibital Sciences Corporation. He was cropower and the president of Cepalso involved in the process to start heron Consulting, was selected as one funding to send TJ3Sat (TJ CubeSat), of the 30 people under the Energy catthe first satellite designed by high egory for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. school students, into space. His work “I didn’t expect to be listed,” Ethier helped provide the foundation for said. “It says a lot about the Venture this spring’s satellite launch.

Community’s confidence in me as an “With a lot of effort and contact, entrepreneur, the members of whom the Excelsior Aerospace Club really were on the selection team. It is a good started CubeSat,” Optics Research sign.”

Lab Director John Dell said. “Jason Although both of Ethier’s energy was in the center of everything for a photo courtesy of Jason Ethier and engineering geared companies number of reasons.” are in a nascent mode, Ethier hopes to Jason Ethier holds a bench-top protoThose who remember Ethier well approach energy from a different angle type of his patent pending Turbo-core. don’t doubt his abilities as an innovathan most people. tor.

“We’re trying to holistically improve energy efficiency,” “In terms of pure energy and an original person to creEthier said. “Beyond efficiency gains, the systems will run ate opportunities, Jason was outstanding,” Dell said. “He without oil, leaving 30 percent less of an environmental foot- was a little bit kooky, too.”

Minshew advises young professional women online

by Sunny Kim Features Editor When she nominated a few acquaintances as candidates for Forbes 30 Under 30, Class of 2004 graduate Kathryn Minshew didn’t expect to receive an e-mail a month later, telling her she had made the short list.

“I was surprised they were considering me, but I was honored to have been nominated by so many people,” Minshew said.

Forbes magazine selected 30 people under the age of 30 in each of 12 fields on Dec. 19, 2011. Minshew was one of the 30 people selected for the Media category for her efforts in Pretty Young Professional (PYP) and The Daily Muse, and for her contribution to bringing HPV vaccine to Rwanda.

Minshew is a co-founder and the editor in chief of PYP, which strives to be the ultimate online resource for young professional women. She is also a co-founder and CEO of The Daily Muse, a job search tool for professional women.

“We’re the first online community to be serious about women’s careers, particularly women starting out in the workforce,” Minshew said. “There are so few resources available for young professional women. One of our aims is to increase the number of resources for women in the workplace and raise awareness around stereotypes and issues that still exist.”

Prior to the start of the two companies, Minshew worked with the national government of Rwanda to come up with a strategic plan for the implementation and introduction of the HPV vaccine.

“It was a problem nobody had tackled before, and it was incredible that after I left Rwanda, the vaccine started to be administered widely without controversy,” Minshew said.

In addition to her French classes, Minshew’s experiences at Jefferson include Model United Nations and TJ Drama.

“I started going to Model UN because a boy I had a crush on went there. But I found it interesting how countries worked together in international relations and global development,” Minshew said. “As for TJ Drama, I was passionate about it. It taught me how to be comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.”

Former social studies teacher Pat McCarthy best remembers Minshew from his Humanities I class.

“Kathryn impressed me not only in the class discussions, but also in her willingness to go above and beyond,” McCarthy said.

“She came to class with an exploring attitude, especially when she asked me to sponsor her for a History Day project. I simply had enough sense to avoid getting in her way.”

Minshew has many hobbies, including traveling, cooking and reading, but her rapidly growing company, The Daily Muse, takes up the majority of her time.

“There’s always something more to do to improve the new company, so it’s hard for me to spend too much time on myself,” Minshew said. “But I really love what I’m doing right now in a way I have never loved a job before.”

photo courtesy of Kathryn Minshew

The co-founders of Daily Muse, Alex Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew, attend the launch party to celebrate their new company.

Provides a comprehensive, step by step instructional roadmap Guides students and parents through the college application process Helps in college selection and writing a winning essay 9001 Braddock Rd. #257, Springfield, VA 22151

12

trends

january 27, 2012

Edgy body art enters mainstream culture

by Thrisha Potluri Features Editor ooney Mara’s striking transformation into Lisbeth Salander for her role in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” included several tattoos as well as multiple piercings in her ears, nose, lip, breast and eyebrows. Her appearance not only drew attention to her, but it also shined a spotlight on the world of tattoos and piercings.

Whether as a form of self-expression, a symbol of personal events, or just for fun, tattoos and piercings have been a growing trend.

Nesli Ozcan, a senior at Oakton High School had the words “La Bella Vita” tattooed across her lower back in 2010 after experiencing a rough year.

“I wanted something to symbolize that life is beautiful and to look past the bad stuff,” Ozcan said.

Tattooing is a practice that has existed for many centuries. Originating from ancient cultures, tattoos have been used as part of religion, body art, self-expression and cultural customs.

Nowadays, many people are get-

R

ting tattoos as a form of identity or to embody an event in their lives.

Eighth period coordinator Allison Agee also got a tattoo to symbolize a time in her life. Her tattoo is of a whale tail coming out of ocean waves, reminding her of the years she lived in Hawaii.

“In Hawaiian culture, whales symbolize protection and strength, especially for travelers. I got it for the symbolism,” Agee said. “I have always been a traveler by moving, and I was starting my own journey.”

Like tattoos, piercings are another form of body art. However, piercings are not as obvious a permanent fixture.

Junior Morgan Cheatham got her first piercings when she was five.

They were the typical lobe piercings that many people have. Last November, she went to a tattoo parlor to get her tragus pierced. All told, Cheatham has seven piercings.

“My best friend has a piercing gun so we do cartilage piercings all the time,” Cheatham said.

Although ear piercings are the most popular, more people have been getting piercings in other places as well. Nose, eyebrows, lip, and navel piercings have become quite popular in recent years. There are other types of piercings as well, such as Monroe and Madonna styles, dermal anchors and snake bites.

“I am waiting until college to get some of the bigger piercings, along with the tattoos that I want,” Cheatham said. She is planning to get her eyebrows, anti-tragus, rook, nose, and belly button pierced.

Like Cheatham, sophomore Olivia Sorto got a new piercing in November. Along with her nose piercing, which she got when she was 13, Sorto also has industrial, conch, septum and rook piercings. She also pierced her own ear during winter break.

“Both my sister and my brother had nose piercings, so you could say I was inspired to acquire my own body jewelry,” Sorto said.

However, girls are not the only ones to get piercings. Last year, senior Mike Taylor got his ear pierced.

“I think multiple tattoos and piercings at an early age gives off the image of irresponsibility and immaturity. But I don’t think it is necessarily taboo. The view on tattoos and piercings changes with every area you go to,” Taylor said. “However I do think that tattoos for the sake of having tattoos is irresponsible.”

Although tattoos and piercings have been a growing trend, there has always been a prevailing taboo in society concerning them. Many people associate tattoos and piercings with criminal activity, prisons and gang affiliations.

“There are a lot of negative associations that people may think of with gangs and prison,” Agee said. “The history of tattoos understandably has bad connotations like rebellion and crime.”

In addition to these negative associations, tattoos and piercings are looked down upon because they are considered to be extreme body modifications.

“Tattoos are pointless because they don’t make the person look cooler or whatever they’re trying to be,” junior Bakhtiar Chaudry said. “But piercings are OK, because they look all right as long as they’re not in weird places.”

It’s a fact tattoos and piercings aren’t for everyone, but just take a moment to watch your favorite sports teams or film stars on television or the Web. You’ll find they’re everywhere.

“I think tattoos are becoming more acceptable in society. More celebrities are sporting them, and shows like LA Ink motivate people to get a tattoo or piercing themselves,” Ozcan said.

Different Types of Piercings: A. Industrial B. Rook C. Conch D. Tragus E. Anti-Tragus F. Lobe

3.

1.

B. C. D.

2.

photo courtesy of Nesli Ozcan

A.

E.

4.

F.

5.

Students and faculty display their body art: 1. sophomore Olivia Sorto 2. Oakton senior Nesli Ozcan 3. Eighth Period Coordinator Allison Agee 4. senior Mike Taylor 5. junior Morgan Cheatham photos, photo illustrations, graphics and reporting by Thrisha Potluri