June 2012

tjTODAY

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

JUNE 8, 2012

JDAY P 10 and 12

VOLUME 27, ISSUE 9

TjSTAR showcases STEM Math put

in media’s public glare

photos by Jenny Chen, Arya Dahal and Sunny Kim

Clockwise from left: Senior Helen Hastings constructs her gumdrop tower using toothpicks and gumdrops during one of the many Design Challenges offered to students; junior Bruce Bland tests out a self-balancing vehicle at Displays and Demonstrations in Gymnasium 1; keynote speaker Subra Suresh, director of the National Science Foundation, addresses students, faculty and visitors in the auditorium.

by Jenny Chen and Arya Dahal News Editors On May 30, the TJ Symposium to Advance Research (tjSTAR) returned to the Jefferson community and populated the school with quirky, scuttling robots and iPads with the latest in app technology, among other displays of the power of the scientific world.

At the center of the event, however, were featured students who presented their own research and speakers from professional fields of science, math and technology.

Japanese teacher Koji Otani, chair of the tjSTAR Steering Committee, staff coordinator Kayla Gutierrez and other faculty members planned the day-long symposium. Seniors James Graham, Vansh Kumar, Lizaveta Miadzvedskaya and Ben Silverman represented students on the committee.

“I’ve been part of tjSTAR since 10th grade, and planning the event brings a satisfying pay out in seeing the school come to life with students and their research once a year,” senior James Graham said.

Seniors presented their technology research lab projects and Integrated Biology, English and Technology (IBET) freshmen got their formal introduction to sharing their field and lab-based projects.

“What’s impressive about tjSTAR is all students have a chance to learn about the full scope of research at TJ,” Principal Evan Glazer said. “Without tjSTAR, we can learn only from about one quarter of the senior projects that participate in science fair. Since tjSTAR is in late May, we can learn from all of the projects, plus the work from alumni and professional researchers.”

Freshman Kashish Jagga regarded his first tjSTAR experience as a success.

P6-7

P8

Students share summer plans

Spring sports wrap up season

“It was also pretty cool to be presenting our own projects at a scientific symposium like that. All in all, I’m glad I had the opportunity,” Jagga said.

Gym 1 contained displays and demonstrations to offer a glimpse into the most innovative technology in clean energy, robotics, crime scene investigation, land and air traffic and medical care from corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Caliper and Microsoft.

Another highlight of the symposium was the new and returning speakers from the professional world who represented different corporations and universities.

Andrew Ko, general manager of the U.S. Partners in Learning program of Microsoft, led a session to discuss entrepreneurship and the changing characteristics of businesses. continued on p. 2

P9

‘Avatar: the Last Airbender’ excites

by YouNa An News Editor The underperformance of the Class of 2015 in math and science is getting almost daily media attention. Stakeholders from the county level on down want answers as to why one-third of them need remediation.

“All the other classes have been excelling, including my freshman class. I’ve never seen it happen before,” senior Julie Vrabel said.

The admissions process has been cited as one possible cause for the freshmen’s lack of proficiency in math and science. Critics say the admissions test is too easy and that the process does not put enough emphasis on admitting the most math-oriented people.

Vern Williams, appointee to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel by the Bush administration and math teacher at Longfellow Middle School, believes the admissions process “can’t academically distinguish between the A and C students.”

“What if I assigned grades and some of the C students received an A while some of the A students received a C? And no student is allowed to appeal his or her grade,” Williams said. “TJ admissions in a nutshell!”

Similarly, in his May 25 column in the Washington Post, physics teacher John Dell voiced his concerns about the admissions process, saying students are no longer admitted according to their aptitude in STEM subjects, while some of the most promising students are rejected.

“I’m hoping the outcome of this process will be a new clarity on the purpose and methodology in the admissions process, which continues to support a nucleus of strong STEM students,” Dell said.

Admissions Director Tanisha Holland said the team is examining the entrance process to determine trends or indications, but no changes have been planned yet.

“I believe it’s premature to single out the admissions policy as the root cause of the TJ teachers’ concerns,” Holland said. “The admission process was changed in 2009, and it is appropriate to examine the selection criteria to ensure that it is effective in identifying students for TJ.” The team was prompted to examine the process partly because of a letter by seven math teachers asking that the admissions test be reworked. Two of the teachers had examined a previously administered test and determined the questions to be too easy.

“One of the points in the letter was that students were accelerating through math courses, such as skipping middle school math courses or taking summer Geometry,” said Principal Evan Glazer, who, as a math major, believes a solid foundation in math to be critical.

Glazer considers the acceleration through math courses to be another likely reason for the underperformance of the freshmen.

“So the question becomes, are students smarter than they used to be, or are we allowing them to accelerate through math courses?” Glazer said. continued on p. 2

P11

Retiring teachers bid farewell

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news

Kudos & Accomplishments

TJ band recognized as a Virginia Honor Band for 2011-2012

june 8, 2012

Class of ‘06 grad still runs TjSTAR scores more success in annual Relay for Life

The band was named a Virginia Honor Band for 2011-2012. The eligibility requirements were met by receiving the highest rating at the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA) State Marching Assessment and the VBODA District Concert Band Assessment. VBODA honors outstanding music programs in Virginia. This marks the first time the band program was given this award in over a decade.

Nelson to participate in High School Diplomats Program vJunior Amanda Nelson was selected

for an all expenses paid scholarship to the High School Diplomats Program.

She will experience a 10-day cultural immersion with American and Japanese students at Princeton University this summer.

Students win NCTE Achievement Award in writing vThe TJ English Department nomi-

nated juniors Tiffany Duong, Clara Guo and Sarah Khatry for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Award in writing. Duong and Khatry also won at the state level.

Achievement Award in Writing seeks to recognize excellent writers nationwide.

Students recognized for exemplary writing vStudent writings were chosen for publication in the Northern Virginia Writing Project’s Anthology for Exemplary Writing. They were submitted by Jefferson teacher consultants. These students are seniors Saketh Are, Luke Gessler, Kristina Hu, Daniel Seidman, Katherine Sheridan, Sarah Stites, Mary Sun and Kunyao Yu; junior Naomi Naik; and sophomores Lauren Mostrom and Jenny Seo.

Jang and Sumathipala garner international science award vSeniors Daniel Jang and Yohan Su-

mathipala were recognized at the International Science and Engineering Fair on May 13-18. Jang, a part of a team with two other students, won third place in the Energy and Transportation category and received an award from United Technologies of $3,000 in UTC stock.

Sumathipala placed fourth in Environmental Management and got an award from the United States Army of $1,500.

Hyndman and Miadzvedskaya win College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships vSeniors Rebecca Hyndman and Liza-

veta Miadzvedskaya were named student winners of the Merit Scholarship awards. Hyndman won a Wheaton College scholarship for biochemical research and Miadzvedskaya won a University of Texas at Dallas scholarship for law. Winners were determined according to their academic record and leadership in school and community. Each award ranges in amount between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years.

Students excel at computer science competition vThe Intermediate and Freshman Com-

puter Teams won awards at the American Computer Science League All-Star Contest on May 26. The Intermediate Computer Team took third place internationally in the Senior-5 Division.

Members were Nick Haliday, Abraham Kang, Doo Won Kang, Eric Tao and Victoria Xia. The Freshman Computer Team placed first internationally in the Junior-5 Division. Members were Corwin de Boor, Rishub Jain, Anirudh Ryali, Eric Sun and Puneeth Uttla.

tjTODAY Online

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

photo by Arya Dahal

Jonathan Nussbaum (right) runs with friends and family during Relay for Life on May 19.

by Arya Dahal News Editor The Relay for Life of Alexandria fundraiser took place at Jefferson on May 19.

The 750 participants from 65 teams raised a total of $82,290 and are continuing to raise more money towards the 2012 goal of $100,000. Making this youth event initially possible in 2005 was Class of ‘06 graduate Jonathan Nussbaum.

“I contacted the American Cancer Society and began negotiating permission with the school and the county. This was our region’s first all-youth Relay for Life,” Nussbaum said. “I remember getting to school the day of the first Relay at TJ in 2005 and wondering whether anyone would show up.”

Nussbaum was inspired to pursue a way to raise money for cancer research at Jefferson when a fellow classmate, Vanessa Jewell, was diagnosed with and eventually died from brain cancer in her junior year.

When Nussbaum was two, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and has been fighting for 23 years against cancer recurrence.

“Jonathan started it out of love, love for his mom and for his classmate who died.

Since I am a cancer survivor myself, Relay and that love has meant a lot to me,” World History and Geography teacher and Relay

sponsor Carolyn Gecan said.

Besides managing Relay, Nussbaum was actively involved in student council at Jefferson and Boy Scouts. He was also awarded the Prudential Spirit of Community Award in 2006 for his contribution to Relay.

Following Jefferson, Nussbaum attended Princeton University, where he served as the secretary for the Class of 2010. He is currently a third year law student at Duke University. Despite being away from Jefferson, Nussbaum returns every year during Relay and, with the help of friends and family, runs a mile for each year his mother has been a survivor.

Nussbaum attributes the success of Relay to Gecan as well as the Relay committee members that plan out and organize every aspect of Relay from entertainment to the luminaria ceremony. He also cites his mother as his inspiration to raise funds for cancer research.

“While my mother has always been my personal reason for Relay, she continues to motivate and inspire every new generation of TJ Relay-ers,” Nussbaum said. “We also have too many friends and family to count who have been affected by this disease, so we return to the Relay every year to honor their struggle.”

Priya Krishnan named U.S. Presidential Scholar

by Jenny Chen cause of Project Touch, the non-profit News Editor initiative that she founded to help imSenior Priya Krishnan was recog- prove the communication skills of aunized as one of the 2012 U.S. Presiden- tistic children through the use of techtial Scholars, an honor bestowed upon nology. only 141 high school seniors nation“Priya combines people skills, crewide. ativity, acuity and boundless energy The honorees were announced on in highly productive ways,” English May 2 and selected by the White House teacher Judy Bello said. “I probably Commission on Presilearned more from Priya dential Scholars, a group than she did from me.” appointed by President Taking advantage of the Barack Obama and made chance given by the proup of 32 education program to honor a notable fessionals, elected offiteacher, Krishnan chose cials and leaders in the Bello to receive a Teacher business and industrial Recognition Award. world.

“I chose Ms. Bello as my In pinpointing the U.S. most influential teacher Presidential Scholars, the because her class not only Commission narrowed a taught me about great field of 3,000 candidates American literature, but who had performed well also taught me about the photo courtesy of Priya Krishnan on the SAT or ACT by importance of the balance seeking those who had contributed to in life and how important it is to combat their schools and communities, showed stress effectively,” Krishnan said. leadership and character, and submitAlong with the other Presidential ted outstanding applications.

Scholars and awarded teachers, Krish“In general, U.S. Presidential Schol- nan and Bello have been invited to Naars are not only high academic and ar- tional Recognition Weekend from June tistic achievers, they are also leaders 16-19 in the District to engage with in their communities who can be com- professionals in the arts and sciences, mended for their service to individuals tour the area and receive the U.S. Presior causes that benefit others in some dential Scholars medallion and Teacher way,” said Caryn Grimstead of the U.S. Recognition Award, with a chance of Presidential Scholars program. meeting President Obama as in previKrishnan fit this criteria in part be- ous years.

continued from p. 1 “Your generation is doing a lot of wonderful things and becoming more socially active,” Ko said.

James Ellor, who works as an engineer for Elzly Technology Corporation, hosted sessions to help students understand the value of practical intelligence or street smarts.

“He emphasized how you don’t need an Ivy League education to succeed,” senior Laura Durant said. “Some skills like communication are not encapsulated in your GPA.” Jefferson teachers also became a part of the tjSTAR speaker experience by holding special sessions to discuss topics relevant to science and technology. Math teacher Ann Drobnis emphasized the integral role that technology plays in the 21st century compared to the technology 20 years ago.

In addition to speakers, Jefferson alumni ranging from the Class of 1989 to the Class of 2007 returned to bestow tips for life in high school and beyond upon students. Alumni offered not only their own stories about college and their job experiences, but also about the impact of Jefferson on their lives.

“Keep the fun, quirky things of TJ throughout your life,” Class of 2004 graduate Rachael Mongold said.

At the end of the day, keynote speaker Subra Suresh, who serves as the director of the National Science Foundation, addressed a packed auditorium on the research opportunities available to students.

“I really liked the keynote speaker because he spoke about an interesting topic,” sophomore Dhruv Gaba said. “I enjoyed the variety throughout the sessions because they were focused not just on technology but on the humanitarian aspect as well.”

Math skills a major concern

continued from p. 1 Some suspect middle school math instruction to be the reason for the freshmen’s low achievement. According to the Washington Examiner, math teachers at Jefferson think the level of middle school math is getting lower.

“Many outstanding traditional mathematics teachers have left the field because they were forced to lower their standards and replace them with fuzzy standards by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,” Williams wrote on his website.

Freshman Tim Cha sees the problem to be less-driven students than those in the past.

“I think the people just aren’t as motivated enough as kids in the past have been about getting good grades,” Cha said.

Parents of freshmen addressed the underperformance of the class during a May 23 forum with Glazer. Some possible reasons they brought up were weaker courses, less experienced teachers, and less ability for extra help.

They asked, among other requests, that the school ensure teacher availability during 8th periods and/or after school, require teachers to send electronic progress reports, provide consistency among the teachers in homework or level of difficulty, and give more opportunities for parent feedback.

Freshman Joseph Suh agrees the problem lies with teachers at Jefferson, many of whom he considers to be unhelpful.

“Most of the time, teachers can’t answer the questions, or the students are just too scared to ask them,” Suh said.

“We have been looking at records for four years to try to find early points when we can get an indication that students will start struggling,” Glazer said. “When the average math and science grade is a B-, we get a yellow flag.”

Starting next school year, all new students will take a math and science diagnostic test in the first week of school so the administration can be prepared for any possible problems.

According to Glazer, he will place an emphasis on addressing problems earlier in the year.

“What’s important is that we have genuine interest in helping the Class of 2015 and addressing the problems,” Glazer said. “It’s not one person’s fault; it’s all our responsibility.

There shouldn’t be finger-pointing at any one problem.”

A closed forum for parents and faculty was held in the auditorium on June 6 to further address these issues.

news

june 8, 2012

NEWSMAKERS One Question selected

Scouts receive Gold Award

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Nicoll on U.S. Physics Team

photo by Arya Dahal

photo by Amy Ahn

photo by YouNa An

The News Junior David Rice addresses the senior class and faculty before the keynote address during tjSTAR on May 30.

Backstory Rice’s question was selected as the One Question for the 2012-2013 school year by the Jefferson community. Rice’s question, “How does one balance the pressures of achieving personal academic success with the necessity of recognizing the fleeting nature of life and acting accordingly?” addresses the need for balance between a student’s workload and free time.

“We have high academic demands and place high expectations on ourselves, but we are still high school students and we need to be able to enjoy the high school experience,” Rice said. “It should be a learning experience, not just a step towards college, not just a transitory success.”

Rice’s inspiration for the question came from “The Last Lecture,” a book by a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor, Randy Pausch, who was diagnosed with fatal pancreatic cancer. The question is also a means to extend the “Stress Less, Laugh More“ campaign that preceded the two AP weeks.

The questions proposed for next year were first reviewed by the One Question panel. The chosen students then had to write a one-page rationale for their question, and these questions were finally posted on the Intranet and voted on by the students. The One Question was revealed to the school community on May 30, before the keynote address at tjSTAR. “Ideally, everyone should reflect on the question by connecting our school’s mission to society through their projects and activities,” Principal Evan Glazer said. “I am hopeful the TJ community will appreciate the One Question chosen for next year.”

- Arya Dahal

The News Sophomore Megan Ganley and senior Rachel Chuang are honored for community service projects.

Backstory Senior Rachel Chuang and sophomore Megan Ganley earned the Gold Award for Girl Scouts this year.

“The Gold Award is the highest honor for Girl Scouts.

It requires the fulfillment of an 80-hour community service project in which we select an issue that we would like to address and try to make an impact both in the local and the larger community,” Chuang said.

Chuang received her award for raising awareness about water safety in less developed countries.

“I wanted to raise awareness about the lack of access to safe drinking water in developing countries, as two million people die every year from water-related diseases,” Chuang said.

Chuang led several initiatives to make water pasteurization indicators, which are thermometers containing a soy wax that melts at the temperature in which bacteria and microorganisms are killed. This allows the people using the indicator to tell when the water is safe to drink in a time-efficient and healthy manner.

“Through this project, hundreds of these devices have been sent overseas, and I’ve been able to work with organizations such as the McLean Rotary Club, Partner for Surgery and DoSomething,” Chuang said.

Ganley focused on young children’s eating habits and self-esteem.

“I created two comic books, one on healthy eating called, ‘Food for Thought,’ and one on self-esteem called, ‘I’m Perfect.’ I then presented them to children to influence them to make better choices and see themselves better,” Ganley said.

- Amy Ahn

The News Senior Sam Nicoll, who was chosen for the 2012 U.S. Physics Team, looks over physics problems.

Backstory Senior Sam Nicoll was recently announced as one of the 20 students selected through a highly competitive process to make the 2012 U.S. Physics Team, five members of which will represent the nation at the 43rd International Physics Olympiad from July 15-24 in Estonia.

The selection process started in January with 3,600 participants first taking the preliminary Fnet=ma exam. About 400 of the participants then proceeded to take the semi-final exam, which was used to determine the 20 most qualified students for the team.

Nicoll, who made it to the semi-final last year, said the exam was difficult because its scope is beyond what is taught in AP Physics. He used that past experience to succeed this year, having practiced with past years’ exams.

“I had a pretty good idea of what the semi-final would be like. I also knew more physics this time around, having learned special relativity in Quantum Physics and some thermodynamics,” Nicoll said.

The team has left to participate in an intensive 10-day training camp starting on June 3 at the University of Maryland. At the end of the camp, five students and an alternate will be chosen to make the traveling team to compete in the International Physics Olympiad.

“I’ll study and work hard to make the traveling team, but I’m happy just going to the training camp.

I will be there with 19 very smart kids, and I will be listening to lectures from prominent physicists,” Nicoll said. “Going to Estonia for the IPhO would just be a fantastic bonus.”

- YouNa An

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Gail Gardiner, parent of TJ student, Class of 2010

It may be the last minute but it’s never too late to get help from Dalby for: SAT I SAT II ACT PSAT Calculus Pre-calc Algebra II Geometry Chemistry Biology Physics

Visit www.dalbytestprep.com or call 703-356-2728 to see what we can do.

Conveniently located in McLean at 1401 Chain Bridge Rd; Suite 102 Younger siblings can benefit from our TJ admissions preparation and older siblings can get help with LSAT, MCAT, GRE and GMAT.

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opinion

june 8, 2012

All school initiatives often ignored

tjTODAY Lead Editorial tjTODAY ’s unsigned majority opinion Volume 27 Issue 9

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

Editorial Board News Editors YouNa An Jenny Chen Arya Dahal

Opinion Editors Michael Chao Mallika Patkar

Sports Editor Tahmina Achekzai

Spread Editors Lakshmi Chandran Sunny Kim

Entertainment Editor Jennifer Walter

Features Editor

Generally, the fervor over the One Book and One Question initiatives dies down as the year progresses. School-wide activities prompting discussion are organized at the beginning of the year and do not seem to have a lasting impact on our community.

This year, the question was meant to help us prepare ourselves for future moral and ethical decisions. It seems ironic that the same year our One Question focused on ethics, our community was once again plagued with thefts and cheating.

Ethics can be easily integrated into a variety of subjects, so teachers could have organically integrated One Question discussion in the classroom multiple times. However, only a few teachers and students actively implemented the One Book and Question initiatives throughout the year. This group was able to integrate the initiatives in their classes, thus keeping them relevant throughout the year. So, what were some of the success stories from the classroom?

The biotechnology classes didn’t need to struggle to find applications for the One Question in their studies. The senior biotechnology students studied the question in relation to human research by not only watching the film “Eggsploitation,” but

also by sharing it with other classes. With several groups involved in the discussion, the biotechnology students and teachers were able to unite the community under the One Question.

The relevance of the One Book was not limited to science classes. During the Humanities II field trips, classes taught by AP U.S. History teacher Amanda Hurowitz and English 11 teachers Milde Waterfall and Suzette Henry visited Johns Hopkins hospital to further explore “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Students were even able to meet Ron Lacks, grandson of Henrietta Lacks.

There have been similar successes in previous years. During the 2009-2010 school year, when the One Book was “Three Cups of Tea,” many students organized donations to underprivileged schools through their TA activities. In the same year, SGA organized the first Service Week in response to One Question. Service Week has become a tradition in our school, with many clubs organizing donations and service projects.

Last year, English teacher Emily Orser organized a school-wide discussion of “Brave New World” to facilitate discussion of the One Book. Many eighth period activities, such as TJ Runway, were established through last year’s One Question grants. TJ Runway has been a successful club for two years now.

Although projects are successfully implemented around the school, the majority

Tara Gupta

Shayna Hume

Online Editor 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 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.

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

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

Letters to the

than personal reading or sports teams. However, I cringe when I encounter phrasing such as “robot student” and the idea that students – presumably Asian and AsianAmerican ones – are “feign[ing]” an interest in math and science. There are compelling historical reasons why Asian students lean towards math, science and engineering. And in four years here, those interests may deepen or veer in a different direction – that’s the beauty of high school.

Susie Lebryk-Chao English Teacher

Editor

Dear Editor: Ten years ago when I was considering coming to teach at Jefferson, I was told by a veteran teacher that the school was full of “professional” students, ones who would demand rubrics and question point deductions. I was also told the students would dig deep, into poetry and drama as well as science and math. I have found both types of students every year since I joined the faculty in 2002.

So that is why I am puzzled about the talk and discomfort about the make-up of the Class of 2016. What concerns me isn’t the change in backgrounds for the class as much as the buzz over the changing demographics. Why assume that more students from Asian backgrounds would make Jefferson a less vibrant place of learning?

I appreciate the reasonable tone in which the lead editorial (May 8) discussed the admissions process, and I myself have questions about a process that consistently weighs Science Olympiad more heavily

Dear Editor: I have bad news.... Your editorial (May 8) is blatantly racist and self-indulgent.

Para 1 laments 64 percent Asian admissions, para 2 decries the “robo student” and erosion in TJ culture. The conflict is between Asians who work harder and want to achieve and go to elite schools, and others who are somehow pursuing something more than a “race to nowhere.”

I’m disturbed that it comes from the editorial board rather than a misguided individual.

On the bright side, it’s a great learning experience. This is what racism actually looks like! It’s usually visible in the mirror, clothed in noble arguments (in your case the lack of African-American and Latino diversity), and includes a perplexing mix of some minority (Asians) coupled with a danger of corruption of values or a fall of

of teachers and students do not actively focus on the One Question. One of the main ways students are supposed to get involved is through the One Question grants.

Long-term projects are often established through the grants. For example, to promote the 2009-2010 question (“What are the social responsibilities of educated people?”), junior Ji Hun Kim worked through Chemistry Society to start an outreach program at Weyanoke ES. He adapted the program to this year’s question and implemented the project in March. Kim plans to continue the project next year. Similarly, junior Taylor Culman established a Lego League team at Holmes Middle School and plans to work with the team again next year.

These projects are yearlong endeavors, yet students only learn about them at the end of the year. Because of the lack of publicity, the One Question grant projects go unnoticed.

Sophomore Nithin Bala used grant money to set up a website to educate students about ethics (www.ethicsaware.com).

His website could have been used to spark discussion of the One Question throughout the school, but less than 100 students participated on the website because it wasn’t adequately publicized.

Fewer than 10 students attended the One Question grant presentation at tjSTAR, and only a small number of students apply for the grants each year. Many of the grants fund year-long outreach programs, but students are only made aware of the grant projects during tjSTAR in June.

The isolated successes of past years should serve as examples for next year. In order to ensure that next year’s One Question doesn’t become irrelevant, students need to take advantage of the grants. The efforts of the few show that the initiatives do have potential, that is, if students and teachers take advantage of the opportunity.

Next year’s question, “How does one balance the pressures of achieving personal academic success with the necessity of recognizing the fleeting nature of life and acting accordingly?” directly addresses our need for a balance between work and play, which gets at the heart of our students’ two main foes: procrastination and time management.

The question addresses issues that directly impact the student body, so next year, students should work on keeping initiatives active. Students can get involved by starting projects through the One Question grants. If the question is more visible throughout the year, our community will be able to actively reflect upon it.

The One Book and One Question initiatives don’t need to disappear into oblivion as they often do. The initiatives remain a great idea, but they are just that unless students and teachers get involved.

some civilization (even one so small and irrelevant as TJ’s).

Honestly, if someone doesn’t want to compete for a slot at TJ, that’s a valid choice.

But seeing your race (!) losing out to those who are better at it is no reason to complain.

I doubt you tell your friends you’re at TJ because you’re a robo-student who’s parents have pressured you; why decry the Asian kids for doing exactly what you’ve done, but in larger numbers?

This last is to say that your racism is also tinged with hypocrisy. A retraction is in order.

Most Sincerely, Damon Feldman Dear Editor: As a College Admissions Counselor, a retired staff member of IMSA, and graduate student at UCLA, I find the article “What Admissions Statistics Mean” (May 8, 2012) shallow, offensive and racist. This is hardly what I would expect from Thomas Jefferson and I hope not an example of the critical thinking that goes on among your students.

Brian Quinby

Letters are subject to the discretion of the editorial board. TjTODAY reserves the right to edit letters to fit the available space.

opinion

june 8, 2012 w

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SGA leaders share hopes for next year Junior Allison Chou

Junior William Lucht

President

Vice President

“My goal for next year is to foster spirit and pride within the TJ community and gear up for the exciting changes our school will soon undergo due to renovation.”

Sophomore Caitlyn Carpio Secretary “We always talk about how we have so much spirit during Homecoming week. I want to infuse this spirit throughout the rest of the year, like during the sports rallies.”

Junior Sam Hoegle

“My main goal is to expand communication with the student body, especially to those who don’t have Facebook. Although there is a small number of these students, they are a significant minority. ”

Treasurer “My goal is to make sure that TJ keeps up the great school spirit and that we are able to make all of the fun events as amazing as possible.”

When eyes wander, what should you do?

It’s more taboo to admit than sex, booze, or drugs, but I’d be willing to bet that by graduation, everyone has done it.

GINA HANSEN If your parents found out, they’d be embarrassed; your teachers, disgusted; your friends, not surprised. We know it’s wrong, unhealthy, addictive, but just this once isn’t a big deal and who will ever know? It’s everywhere, especially with today’s gadgets; photos and information spread instantaneously and suddenly that picture you snapped for a friend is in the hands of the whole class.

Yes, we sign an honor code every year, but the issue lies in how we define “cheating.” Few Jefferson students are desperate enough to steal and distribute tests, but we’ve all been asked, “How was the exam?” And I can nearly guarantee we’ve all answered.

But the vast majority of offenses lie with homework. We get lots of it—worksheets and book work, papers and lab reports, endless vocabulary, volumes to read. After enough of these assignments, we grow weary of memorizing details we know won’t be useful in our futures, and temptation knocks. And it’s easier than ever to answer with Facebook and Google Docs at our disposal. Getting “help” increasingly means unabashed copying from a free-for-all online docu-

ment.

Shouldn’t Jefferson be above the need to cheat? We are among intellectuals, the most passionate, curious and studious in the region, and anyone here will attest to the unique community. I didn’t do my calculus homework to see a classmate fervently copying every problem in the halls before class.

We should hold ourselves to standards higher than a Facebook group where one student can ask, “Someone hit me up with Tuesday’s homework?” with an email address, five more comment with their addresses, and some angelic soul sends all six a completed worksheet.

You want to stop cheating? First, teachers might cut down on the load— late nights, the frequent root of less-thanideal homework ethics, pressure students to find answers fast. But admit it, you could have been a little more time-efficient on most of those up-til-two nights.

So it cuts both ways. Our teachers could assign less busy-work, and we could budget our time more responsibly.

Secondly, when the time crunch strikes after a late sports game or family event or just absurd amounts of homework, teachers are human, too. They’re here to give you every tool to succeed in their classes, not to make your schoolwork impossible.

Don’t make it a regular thing, but nearly every teacher will grant you another day when you need it—they’d rather have it late than dishonest.

Finally, Jefferson needs to escape the hypercritical piranha mentality where scores are concerned. We have been brainwashed by grades, by the numbers

in red, by the capitalized letters on a transcript that decide our future. Blame parents, college admissions, teachers, our perfectionist leanings, whatever—it’s out of hand.

The desperate scramble for those extra few points makes us far more likely to sacrifice morals than if we were truly invested in the quality of the output.

M a y b e t e a c h e r s should use more optional assignments or make them worth fewer points. Maybe worksheets could contain more critical thinking instead of repetition. There isn’t a clear-cut solution, but surely we can pull our bright minds together and find a way to make this

better. It shouldn’t be OK to cheat to stay number one (or two).

Gina Hansen is a senior

Tara Gupta

6

spread

june 8, 2012

spread

june 8, 2012

CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER... OR NOT ?

7

Students choose between staying in school and pursuing personal enrichment Hosking to visit Morocco and study Arabic

Governor’s School: past and future

by Sunny Kim Spread Editor

“

“

Spanish, 2011 Junior Annie Park After it was over, my brain was so clustered with all three languages I know, English, Korean and Spanish, that I didn’t speak any of them correctly for a few days. I kept blurting out Spanish words here and there throughout my English and even Korean sentences.

”

French, 2011 Senior Sarah Rachal My speaking skills improved dramatically simply because I had to communicate exclusively in French. It was a lot of fun to spend time with people from around the state who enjoyed speaking and learning about French language as much as I did.

”

“

French, 2012 Junior Rachel Merriman-Goldring I am really excited for Governor’s School. I plan to study French in college, and I will visit and study abroad in Francophone Africa, so I think this program will be a good experience. I love speaking French, so hopefully this will help me attain a higher level of fluency.

The truth behind summer chemistry

“

Chemistry Teacher Omar Acio It is an intensive course because we cover one year’s worth of material in five weeks.

In terms of rising sophomores, the math has to be there. We really don’t have time to teach them, and they need to know what’s going on with the problem. If their math grade is riding a B or a B-, they are going to have a hard time with the class.

“

Summer Chemistry, 2011 Sophomore Anwar Omeish The workload we were given was far more than I expected. It was a lot of work packed into a very short amount of time, and it really was like a chemistry boot camp. But difficulty-wise, it wasn’t as hard to keep up with as I had been led to believe. Overall, though, its reputation matches its intensity level.

Last summer, when junior Bohe Hosking couldn’t apply to most internships because of his age (he was 15), he applied to Georgetown University Summer Program and studied Arabic there.

“I chose Arabic because I enjoy languages, and the Arabic language is particularly interesting with the different alphabet and scripts,” Hosking said.

This summer, Hosking is going to Morocco to study the Arabic language and culture as part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), a 7-week immersion program. This was recommended to him by senior Mary Kate Dilworth, who went to Russia through the same program last summer.

“

Bullen to volunteer in San Pedro, Paraguay

by Sunny Kim Spread Editor

”

In the beginning of the school year in Spanish teacher Nanette Mateo’s class, junior Lucy Bullen first heard about AMIGOS, an international, nonprofit organization that partners with Plan Paraguay to involve high school and college students for community service in Latin America.

“Even though I’d never really taken the initiative before to find a program like this before, going abroad during the summer always seemed like a cool concept to me,” Bullen said.

Bullen will volunteer in San Pedro, Paraguay, from June 27 to Aug. 8. There, she will participate in Plan Paraguay’s ongoing community development efforts such as extracurricular activities and environmental projects.

“I’ll be constructing stoves, planting trees, teaching the youth about reforestation and com-

Junior Bohe Hosking leaves for Morocco

June 15

End of 2011-12 school year

June 18

by Lakshmi Chandran

Summer Chemistry, 2012 Freshman Shantanu Gore I have heard that the class is hard, but some people say it really depends on your teacher.

I am expecting it to be challenging, but that’s one of the reasons I’m doing it.

Spread Editor At the end of the year, most students revel in the freedom of the summer months, saving all thoughts of school for the fall. But for sophomore Jay Hebert, his activities during the school year were just the jumping off point for summer plans.

An active member in the Jefferson Computer Security Competition Club, Hebert was able to take part in the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot competition hosted by defense technology company Northrop Grumman. The competition is designed to expose high school students to aspects of cyber security. Through his participation in CyberPatriot, Hebert qualified for a chance for

”

Full Immersion French Governor’s School begins

Sophomore Jay Hebert starts internship

munity health and learning a lot about the culture,” Bullen said.

Junior Emily Bartlett also went to San Pedro last summer and is currently training Bullen for her trip. There, she learned to speak Guaraní, drank maté and tereré (traditional, loose leaf tea, hot and cold versions respectively) and made life-long bonds with other American volunteers along with the community.

“I would love to visit Paraguay again sometime in my life and I would definitely participate in AMIGOS again,” Bartlett said. “Maybe I will do it next summer.”

Bullen doesn’t have any expectations for the trip, but is open minded about the service opportunities.

“The whole idea and experience of what AMIGOS does really drew me in,” Bullen said. “I’d rather be doing something like AMIGOS than being indoors with an internship.”

Hebert to intern at Northrop Grumman

” ” From one school year to another June 14

“Those seven weeks in Russia were the most fun and eye-opening time of my life so far,” Dilworth said. “Being in class with Russian teachers but American students for four hours a day was challenging, but I learned a huge amount of Russian and really bonded with the other Americans in my group.”

During Hosking’s time in Morocco, he will be living with a host family and attending daily classes.

The rest of the time he has there will be spent on learning the language and culture.

“There are also little trips that we will take to see historic landmarks,” Hosking said. “I’ve heard that we will spend a night camping in the desert.”

Hosking anticipates an educational experience in Morocco.

“It is an amazing program,” Hosking said, “and I’m really looking forward to it!”

June 23

Junior Lucy Bullen leaves for San Pedro, Paraguay June 27

an internship at the company.

The internship is focused on the field of computer security, with an added focus on the development of security technologies. With the threat of cyber-terrorism hanging in the air, the chance to gain experience in the field opens all sorts of opportunities.

“Mostly, I hope to learn. I think it will be very different working at such a large company, but I’m also excited to expand my knowledge in the field of computer security,” said Hebert.

But his gained knowledge can be put to good use here at Jefferson, through his participation in the Computer Security Competition Club.

“I hope that the skills I gain over the summer will contribute to our winning,” Hebert said. photos and reporting by Lakshmi Chandran and Sunny Kim

July 9

Jefferson summer school starts

Full Immersion French governor school ends July 14

July 22

Junior Bohe Hosking arrives back in U.S.

Junior Lucy Bullen returns to the U.S. Aug. 8

Jefferson summer school ends Aug. 9

Sept. 4

Start of 2012-13 school year

8

sports

Athletes recall their best games of the season

Varsity Soccer Senior Michael Serron “We shut Langley down on our senior night. We beat Stonebridge and McLean.

We beat the three toughest teams in the district, if not region, all in one season.”

Junior Varsity Softball Junior Vicky Moon “Marshall was an away game so we got to play offense in the later half, which definitely helped us scoring. This game we had particularly strong defense, a lot of three strikes and stronger offense.”

Junior Varsity Lacrosse Sophomore Alex Wood-Thomas “Our first four games we went undefeated. Those games went really well and felt great. We made mistakes, like missing passes, getting penalties, but we put a lot of work into correcting those mistakes.”

Freshman Crew Freshman Hannah Gaudet “At Ted Phoenix, we finished first in our heats and knocked the first seeded boat, Yorktown, out of the finals all together, something we didn’t think was possible. “ photos and reporting by Tahmina Achekzai

AUTHENTIC HAND TOSSED NY-STYLE

june 8, 2012

Spring sports wrap up season Lacrosse

Baseball

Crew

Soccer

Both the boys and girls lacrosse teams this year included a number of returning members, consisting of mostly juniors and seniors. The experience from these players certainly paid off, as both their records were an improvement from last year and throughout the season.

“We lost a lot of games we should’ve won,” senior Connie Huang said. “But we improved as a team, like in basic stick skills and communicating with each other and trusting each other.”

The girls lacrosse players were especially proud of their win against South Lakes, where their former coach has transferred to.

The boys team also beat South Lakes in their first District game, helping them advance to Regionals and end the regular season with a record of 8-6.

After a full season of winter training, rowers got ready for another season, filled with erg tests, seat races and regattas.

Even now, rowers are now planning on joining summer teams to get ready for the upcoming year.

The rowers’ dedication paid off in the spring. In addition to doing well at many regattas, the varsity boats placed high at the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championships.

The Boys’ and Girls’ first varsity boats both placed third in the state.

However, the team’s success did not come easily. There were a record number of injuries, leaving 10 out of the 60 girl rowers unable to participate at many regattas, and several former players did not return for another season.

Still, the rowers who stayed worked hard and improved throughout the season.

“Rowers on specific boats are very close with each other,” said junior Deanna Buttaro, who rows on the girls’ first varsity boat,“so usually everyone wants to get faster not just for themselves, but for everyone else on their boat as well.”

Track and Field

The track and field team enjoyed a season filled with medals, record breaking times, and unfortunately, a few injuries.

“We lost one of our members, Tom Zanger, due to a stress fracture,” junior Alan Barte said.

While some players suffered through injuries, however, others succeeded in breaking their personal records. One runner, senior Ed Cai, broke four personal records in the hurdles event.

Cai, along with two other players, Chris Rom and Katherine Sheridan, advanced to States. Rom and Sheridan participated in the 3,200 and 1,600 meter runs, respectively. In addition to these successes, junior Minh Bui earned All Region status in the shot put, and the boys 4 x 400 relay team finished eighth in Regionals.

The baseball team started their season strong, winning their first game against Hayfield Secondary School with a score of 6-5.

They had another impressive performance when they played against Langley. They went into extra innings during that game and had a walk off double by junior Ian McConnell.

Unfortunately, the team lost that time and the next time they played Langley, at the District Tournament.

The team held a record of 2-17 by the end of the season. Some of the players attribute their losses to the extensive number of errors throughout the season, for example, points where they should have gotten an out, but didn’t.

“We didn’t generate enough runs to be able to get away with that many errors,” junior Leonard Kosta, the catcher on the team, said.

Tennis

Both the boys and girls tennis teams ended their seasons winning the majority of their games, as usual. Both teams won matches in the District tournament and advanced to Regionals. Though they may not have achieved all their goals, players from both teams were happy with their accomplishments.

The boys tennis team advanced to Regionals, but was unable to make the regional final. However, Coach John Myers says this didn’t get their spirits down.

“While we did not make the finals, it turned out for the best, and we had a great season, anyway,” he said.

The girls team advanced to States but lost to Mills Goodwin, a team who has won States four out of the five past years.

Senior Madison Phillips, however, doesn’t feel the team fell short anywhere.

“It didn’t feel like a loss, it just felt like it ended,” she said. “We had a great team. ”

Jefferson is known to hold strengths in individual sports, but the soccer teams this season showed that students can excel in team sports, as well.

Despite a very short roster, the girls soccer team managed to place fourth in the district, finishing with a 6-1-7 record.

“The team won every game they should have won,” girls Coach Luis Gendive said. “TJ, despite our losses in first round over the years, is a very well respected team in the district and we maintained our reputation.”

The boys team won their first game at the District Tournament. The team was able to advance to the Regional Tournament, but lost to Robinson Secondary School there.

Still, the players and Coach Sean Burke were extremely satisfied with the season.

“We succeeded to play to our full potential and maybe more,” Burke said. “Soccer is a game of inches and we came up a little short.”

Softball

Despite a few players dropping out mid-season, the softball team still managed to win both their scrimmages and four out of five of their tournament games.

Unfortunately, their regular season didn’t go as well, ending with a 2-13 record.

“We would get hits, but they wouldn’t be at the right moments,” junior outfielder Crystel Calderon said.

Still, Calderon has been playing softball for Jefferson since her freshman year, and this is the first year she feels that the team didn’t give up. Even though the team won few games, team bonding helped players come back from big losses.

“We had a lot of fun,” she said.

“We got to know each other and enjoyed playing with each other.”

photo courtesy of Jane Anderson

Sophomore Matt Wattendorf runs at a track meet.

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june 8, 2012

Meet Abe, a Buffy for the 19th century photo courtesy of moviefanatic.com

by Daphne Fong Special to tjTODAY Seth Grahame-Smith had a wonderful idea when he combined our 16th president and vampires in his novel, “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.” It could have been a resounding success.

In a time when many authors and television dramas are taking advantage of the rising interest in young, romantic vampires, it’s all the more necessary these creatures are given certain distinctions from the masses. Here, they are rarely more than shallow villains.

Nearly every other character besides Lincoln is painfully underdeveloped. How anyone makes vampires, Stephen Douglas of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and Edgar Allen Poe one-dimensional is beyond me.

So many famous figures in history were introduced, but few given more than cursory scribble, and all were thoroughly absent of personality.

Furthermore, despite the author’s obviously extensive research and somewhat artful incorporation of historic detail – the frequent footnotes were an interesting addition that clarified certain facts – the liberties taken go too far to call Grahame-Smith’s book a Lincoln biography in novel form. And it’s not just because of the insertion of vampires.

The portrayal of Lincoln is appalling.

After only a third of the book, the impression of our beloved Lincoln is one of an angry, impulsive man. Sure, GrahameSmith has practically sung an ode to Lincoln’s impressive intellect, strength of character and leadership abilities by repeatedly stating that he has those traits, but his behavior in the novel is contrary to the description.

Perhaps every other fault could be airbrushed, but the treatment of the Civil War will make even the most forgiving readers cringe. The pacing of the all the events leading up to the secession and consequent war was well done.

However, upon arriving at what should be the shining moments of the novel, it’s as if Grahame-Smith suddenly realized that he had deadlines to meet and hastened through the rest of Lincoln’s life as quickly as possible without flat out listing in bullet form. The ending is abrupt and leaves much to be desired.

What “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” has going for it are a few brilliant, raw scenes and a number of quotable lines. While an engaging enough and fast read, this novel is not satisfying for those seeking a hearty vampire novel or good historical fiction. The most I can say for it is wasted potential. Watch the movie due out on June 22. Chances are it’s better than the book.

9

Nickelodeon ‘Avatar’ back and bad

by Jennifer Walter Entertainment Editor “Earth, fire, water, air.” This familiar opening with a slight twist starts the newest episode of “The Legend of Korra,” a Nickelodeon show that premiered in April.

The series is a sequel to “Avatar: the Last Airbender,” an animated show that was produced between 2005 and 2008 and gained popularity among young teens. “The Legend of Korra” is intended to appeal to a slightly older demographic and will be much shorter than its predecessor as it is set to run for only 26 episodes over two seasons.

In the show, the world is divided into nations, each representing one of the four elements, though the air nomads were wiped out before the first series. Many citizens of each nation have the ability to control their respective element through bending. Korra is the next avatar, the sole individual with the ability to master all of the elements and who serves as a link to the spirit world. By relying on advice from previous incarnations of the avatar, it is Korra’s duty to maintain the balance between the four nations.

Each episode takes place in Republic City, a multi-cultural city formed by Aang, the previous Avatar, and Firelord Zuko after the end of the hundred year war with the Fire Nation.

Years after its founding, the city is thriving with new technology, though it has problems typical of industrial cities, including an underworld of bending gangs.

“Without continuing the exact storyline of the original series, the new show incorporates both a modernized world and a government with a whole new type of battle between good and evil,” junior Divya Bhaskara said. “It’s like a fast forwarded version of the original series’

world.”

With groups of benders abusing their abilities to extort normal citizens, the Equalist movement has risen up to oppose bending.

“The whole bender versus non-bender thing was totally unexpected. I never even thought of that being an issue since the original series never focused on any non-benders at all,” junior LJ Heiertz said. “It’s almost like that part of the culture was unimportant and now it’s at the forefront.”

Led by the mysterious Amon, the movement trains operatives in chi blocking, which momentarily stops benders’ ability to bend the elements.

“I like that the enemy this time is an uprising trying to fight for equality. It makes them hard to see as villains, for me, as opposed to the first series, where worldwide war and conquest was the theme,” senior Julia Sokolow said.

The downside of this conflict with the Equalists is that it forces the show to stay focused on Republic City, and the mood of constant movement and exploration of the world found in the original series is absent.

Korra appears to be spiritually stunted, especially compared to the monk-like Aang, focusing completely on the physical aspects of bending. She aggressively faces down gang members and violent Equalists, but that doesn’t hurt her relevance to the audience.

“Korra is really relatable as a person just like Aang was, and the ways they react are very realistic,” junior Diana Li said. “They both were really frightened when they needed to fight with their main antagonists, and coped with them in a way befitting their personality. They’re still kids just like us, after all, but having to face all this responsibility and

pressure.”

Two teenaged brothers, Mako and Bolin, the first prominent family members of both Firenation and Earth Kingdom descent, have befriended Korra on the show. The trio participates in the extremely competitive pro-bending matches, Republic City’s equivalent of pro sports, while delving into some romance.

“Legend of Korra has a lot more teenage angst. It was amusing for a few episodes, but kind of got on my nerves,” Li said.

Chief Lin Beifong, the daughter of “Avatar” main character Toph Beifong and the metal bending police chief of Republic City, has also become a popular character after recent episodes showed that her skills rival her mother’s.

The other popular adult is Tenzin, Katara and Aang’s son. The only air bending master in the world, Tenzin works with Korra on the one element she has yet to master.

With its characterization, improved visuals and more complex understanding of issues, “The Legend of Korra” may not have yet matched its predec e s s o r ’s brilliant storytelling and compelling characters, but it’s well on its way. graphic courtesy of nick.com

‘Men in Black III’ revives series’ appeal turned as Agent J, but his mentor and partner Agent K is nowhere to be found. In a typically humorous fashion, Smith parades around the MIB headquarters until he realizes that all the other agents believe K to have been dead for four decades.

At that point, what is left to do besides time-jump off of the Chrysler Building? In the same amount of time that it would take a suicide-committing human to hit the pavement, Smith witnesses dinosaurs, the Great Depression and everything in between. When Smith lands at last, it is 1969, and he has to stop an extraterrestrial named Boris the Animal from killing the young Agent K, now played

by Josh Brolin, from making the future he he just left irreversible.

Now, this is the typical point when the concept of time travel goes askew. Whether it’s something in the classic race-againsttime, or the cheesy manner in which the past is handled, I always tend to get lost in the muddle. However, that was where “Men in Black III” surphoto courtesy of meninblack.com prised me.

Within the essential plotAgent J chases Boris the Animal in 1969 on a one-wheeled bike.

by Shayna Hume Features Editor There’s always a point when the general public agrees that a movie franchise has gone too far. Usually, it’s after a second or third sequel comes out or when time travel is introduced. Now, 15 years after the original was produced, Sony Pictures has released “Men in Black III,” a potentially dangerous combination of the two.

In “Men in Black III,” Will Smith has re-

line of killing both old and new Boris the Animal, we meet several vital characters.

In addition to a young Agent K, we meet an extraterrestrial—Griffin. Griffin is the last surviving member of his race, which has the power to see into the future. It is he who issues J a chilling warning: Where there is death, there will always be death. Without Griffin’s contribution, the movie’s somber tones would have appeared more arbitrary.

The end of the film arrives swiftly as the agents arrive in Cape Canaveral, Florida and are helped to the top of the ready-for-launch Apollo 11 by a military colonel recently converted to their cause. In a finale that was more than expected, there was one twist: the origins of Agent J. Until now, his origins have never been brought into the spotlight.

However, their late arrival did not give them the appearance of being an afterthought.

So, was this movie a success or a failure? It certainly kept the audience entertained, judging from the amount of laughs that Smith always manages to elicit. What is most impressive is that even with all the possible variations where time travel as a vehicle for “Men in Black III” could have gone wrong, it didn’t. But, like the Earthdestroying meteor at the end of the film, it was a close call.

10 TjSTAR and J-Day make for an educational and entertaining week features

june 8, 2012

Left: Jefferson’s Bhangra Team’s members, senior Pranava Raparla, junior Sunny Verma and sophomore Kunal Khurana, dance during J-Day for their last performance of the year. Below: Senior Gillie Cuda and junior Jessica Wang sell dumplings and other snacks to raise money for the Chinese Honor Society.

Above: Senior Kate Gaziano tries out one of the metal wands exhibited in Gym 1 during tjSTAR. Right: Junior Nick Johnson attempts to build a trophy during the Trophy Challenge demonstration for tjSTAR. Below: Freshmen Grace Liu and Katherine Yan brace against the cold water after jumping into the water slide during J-Day.

Above: Juniors Addy Song and Sarah Liu observe and maneuver the robotic machine in Gym 1 during tjSTAR. Left: Freshmen Reem Mohamed and Nur Simsek listen to Rhonda Brown, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, who set up a mock crime scene for students to observe the “CSI Effect” and collect evidence. photos and graphics by Jenny Chen, Mallika Patkar and Thrisha Potluri

www.tjAPchemESbio.com (written in English, Chinese and Korean) AP Chemistry (from summer to May) AP Biology (from summer to May) AP Environmental Science Summer Chemistry preview (May/June 2012) Physics (from summer to May) IBET, Brain Bee, and Organic Chemistry

By doctors specialized in helping TJ students for the last 20 years.

The website was written from experience by TJ students.

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to Reserve Your Seat!

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features

june 8, 2012

Looking to the future

11

Retiring teachers plan their anticipated free moments

by Shayna Hume Features Editor Sitting in Carolyn Gecan’s World History and Geography II class, many students were shocked to hear that after over two decades at Jefferson, Gecan would be retiring at the end of this school year. However, she is not alone in her choice.

As the 2011 to 2012 school year draws to a close, many long-time teachers are retiring.

The teachers include Paul Cammer, Larry Gaudreault, Carolyn Gecan, Roger Green, Marion Maclean, Dennis McFaden and Milde Waterfall. In addition, Luc Beeckman and Donald Majeske retired earlier this year, as well as building engineer Larry Bridges. The teachers’ departments range across almost every subject from foreign language to neuroscience.

When asked about their experiences here, From left to right: Biotechnology senior research instructor Larry Gaudreault retires after 42 years of teaching; humanities teacher Roger Green leaves Jefthe retirees offered varied opinions. ferson after 27 years; World History and Geography II and anthropology retir“I was lucky to have been hired just as the ing teacher Carolyn Gecan exhibits her many primate masks and sculptures. school was beginning to define itself,” biology teacher McFaden said. “In those early students.” days, TJ was still just a promise and not the established However, one of the teachers retiring from Jefferson this institution that it is today. It was exhilarating to be a part year is not planning on going into full retirement quite yet. of that promise.”

After teaching for 32 years, 27 of them at Jefferson, AP LitMcFaden has taught geoscience as well as biology erature and English 11 teacher Roger Green is planning on at both Jefferson and Oakton High School for almost 34 looking for another full-time job. years.

“I am only retiring from FCPS because of the way the “I’m not looking to fill up my days with more work. retirement system is structured,” Green said.

Once I have caught my breath from the intensity of workNeuroscience lab director Paul Cammer is also not retiring at TJ, I will take advantage of opportunities that come ing in the strictest sense of the word. Cammer will spend my way and that interest me,” McFaden said. the coming year in Beijing, China, and its environs, aiding Similarly, Biotechnology senior research lab instructor local teachers.

Gaudreault taught multiple subjects as the science depart“Right now, all their curriculum is structured and based ment chair at Jefferson and Ford Hunt High School since on memorization. Their teachers want more creativity and 1969. In 1999, he retired for the first time. However, he has interaction, “ Cammer said. since come back to work part time for almost 12 years.

McFaden sums up his years with characteristic humor.

“Being the first science department chair at TJ provided “I would like to thank the approximately 4,000 students a great opportunity to play a part in developing the best that I have laughed with, teased and learned from for the high school in the United States,” Gaudreault said. past 25 years,” he said. “It has been a joy to come to work World History and Geography II and anthropology every day and be able to play.” teacher Gecan has also played a role in the creation of the school. Gecan created Jefferson’s Anthropology Studies and Art, Tech & Culture courses.

“The thing I’m most proud of at TJ is starting the anthropology course. I know anthropology is going to be continued, but I don’t know about the Art, Tech & Culture course. I’m hoping they both will be continued long after I leave,” Gecan said.

Gecan not only created her own courses, but also cosponsored the Jefferson classes of 2005 and 2007 partnering with Russian teacher Betsey Sandstrom.

One of my goals is to play golf For some teachers, retirement is not only an opportuin every state in the country. I’ve nity to rest, but also a chance to rearrange their lifestyles.

CHUM and HUM II English teacher Waterfall has already managed to play in 12 states so far. made plans for what she is going to do during her retireI really would like to visit Hawaii ment. because they have some great golf “My husband and I are relocating to Vermont, taking courses. our snowshoes, canoe, bicycles and a life-long love of pine trees and granite rocks,” Waterfall said.

Gecan and Waterfall have taught students in CHUM together for 10 years. In those 10 years, the pair has worked — Larry Gaudreault collaboratively with three different chemistry teachers, the most current one being Robin Taylor.

“Ms. Waterfall and I have had a very positive experience together,” Gecan said. “She has the ability to tell great stories and make literature vibrant and interesting for her

“

”

“

I want to travel to Australia and New Zealand. The best times to go to Australia are December, January and February, but because of my teaching career, I haven’t been able to go for 43 years.

”

—Carolyn Gecan

“

I want to reread all six of Jane Austen’s novels and the George Eliot novels I’ve never gotten around to. I’m planning to meet with a group of current and former TJ teachers this summer to begin working through Joyce’s ‘Ulysses.’

— Roger Green

”

Photo illustrations by Shayna Hume

12

tradition

june 8, 2012

On June 1, the student body enjoyed an afternoon of food and underwater-themed fun and activities at the annual Jefferson Day end-of-the-year celebration. This year’s theme was Spongebob, and each of the classes took on a character from the show. Freshmen dressed as the infamous Squidward; sophomores as Spongebob’s pet snail,Gary; juniors as the trusty best friend, Patrick; and seniors as the main man, Spongebob. The faculty was represented by Plankton, and SGA members were the superheroes, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.

Counterclockwise from top left: Senior Burke Deutsch dribbles past junior Emory Ruscus in the J-Day Basketball Championship; senior Pranava Raparla performs Bhangra; seniors Linda Ho and Tien Bui pour bubble tea for VSA; senior Bryce Summers and teacher Scott Campbell play soccer; sophomore Rachel Laveson jumps off the water slide; junior Andrew Draganov grills sausages for German Honor Society.

illustration by Mallika Patkar layout and graphics by Amy Ahn photos by Amy Ahn and Sunny Kim