April 2014

tjTODAY

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

APRIL 4, 2014

Tennis P6

VOLUME 29, ISSUE 5

FCPS lengthens school year due to weather

by Stav Nachum Features Editor hile many students have been enjoying the snow days this year in order to catch up on sleep, delay a test or put off a large assignment, these missed days were added to long weekends and to the end of the school year.

“I was incredibly grateful for the many snow days we were blessed with during my incredibly stressful junior year,” junior Shirley Burt said. “They allowed me to get some much needed rest, study for tests and actually have some time to myself.”

Thus far, as a result of snow days on Jan. 22, Feb. 13 and March 3, April 7 has been added as a telelearn day, and June 23 and 24 have been added onto the end of the school year, cutting into students’ summer vacations.

As a result of the extended school year, there are two possible outcomes regarding the final exam schedule.

W

Feb. 17: School on President’s Day

April 7: Telelearn day on student holiday

The first scenario is that the exam schedule is pushed back, allowing teachers, currently behind schedule as a result of the inclement weather, to gain back extra instructional time before final exams in order to have sufficient time to cover all of the necessary material for the final exams. The other prospect is to keep the exam schedule as it is and engage in something creative on the final Friday and Monday of the school year, such as a volunteering days or a massive field trip.

“If the exams remain on their previously assigned days, we could make the extra days into a service opportunity,” Principal Evan Glazer said. “Since all of our teachers would have to move their classrooms as this building is going to be under intense construction over the summer, our students could use these extra days to lessen the teachers’ burdens and help them to pack up their belongings and unpack them into their room.”

Though exams may be moved to allow for addi-

June 23: School follows regular schedule

tional learning opportunities prior to assessments, Advanced Placement (AP) exams remain on the same dates that were set at the beginning of the school year, as they are national exams.

“I feel like the APs are so standardized that College Board couldn’t move them just because one region is having a bad winter,” junior Charlene Franke said.

“It’s probably happened before at other locations.”

Not only are students’ examinations being affected, but also summer opportunities such as internships and programs. Many Jefferson students applied to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Residential Governor’s School Programs, some of which begin before the prolonged school year will end. For example, the humanities, NASA Mentorship, Marine Science Mentorship and Performing Arts programs all begin on June 22, two days before the extended school year ends on June 24. continued to p. 2

June 24: Added last day of school

Due to many school cancellations, four dates were adjusted to accomodate the new schedule.

COUNTING

UP

DAYS

THE

photo illustration by Sandy Cho

P4

Modifications to SAT upset students

P10

Shakira’s ambitious album is surprising

P13

Welcome home, new babies

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Students participate in Pilot DC

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news

Kudos & Accomplishments

Techniques selected as NSPA Pacemaker finalist For the first time in history, Jefferson's yearbook, Techniques, has been named a Pacemaker finalist by the National Student Press Association (NSPA).

Teams named finalists in 2014 Innovation Summit A team consisting of juniors Pooja Chandrashekar, Heather Lukas and Ramya Radhakrishnan, and a team consisting of sophomores Valerie Chen, Raghav Ramraj, Matthew Sun and Jasper Treakle have been named finalists in the 2014 Innovation Summit.

Khoo receives grant

Freshman Jillian Khoo has won a national research grant from John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.

Atluri and Zug chosen to promote computer science for women

Out of 18 female students in the Virginia and Washington, D.C. area, juniors Sreya Atluri and Maddie Zug were named the Virginia and Washington, D.C. Affiliates for the National Center for Women in Information and Technology. Runner ups were junior Haley Stumvoll and sophomore Satvika Kumar. An awards banquet was held in Richmond, Va. on March 15.

Pho selected to Virginia All-State Honors Choir

One of the 64 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students chosen, senior Hannah Pho is one of the students named to the Virginia AllState Honors Choir. In addition, seniors Kate Hao and Olivia Sullivan are alternates.

Sophomores win FBLA competition

A team consisting of Bhavana Channavajjala, Rishab Negi, Daniel Rubin and Sahaj Sharda received first place at the Third Annual High School Academic Business Competition, held at University of Virginia (U.Va) on March 7.

Students recognized in national art competition Senior Ji Whae Choi and sophomore Junyoung Hwang both received silver medals for their art in the National Scholastic Art Awards, which is sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. An award ceremony will be held at Carnegie Hall in May.

Kang published in Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

Senior Doo Won Kang's essay, "Combating climate change with ammonia-fueled vehicles" was published in the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists."

Kemp named Star of the Month

Energy Systems Lab Director Adam Kemp has been chosen as the Star of the Month by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA).

april 4, 2014

FCPS lengthens school year due to weather continued from p. 1 Therefore, if final exams are delayed, these students will be forced to take their tests ahead of time or miss the first few days of their programs.

Though senior graduation has a set date and will not be moved, even if several more days are added into June, the underclassmen must remain in school until the last make up day. As a result of these many changes and the decrease in summer vacation days, many students have come to find these snow days that they once thought of as a blessing as more of a

Inventors aspire to publicize inventions on The Tonight Show

By Sandy Cho News Editor Aspiring inventors were given the opportunity to submit a video detailing their inventions to “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” by March 13.

Senior Sam Rohrer and sophomore Juliana Bain sent in videos of their inventions. If selected, they will travel to New York City to record the show during the week of May 19.

For Rohrer’s invention, which also serves as his senior tech lab project for the Microelectronics Lab, Rohrer improved a tablet so that it can also provide audio imaging through a process involving digital signal processing.

“When you use a tablet right now, there’s no audio image created because the sound all comes out at one end. The only way to get an audio image is by using headphones and they create an audio image through stereo isolation,” Rohrer said. “But I’m going to create an audioimage using beamforming.”

An audio image is most notably experienced in movie theaters when, for example, the location of a car can be determined just by hearing the sound of it moving. Rohrer was especially inspired to improve upon a tablet that he would be able to enjoy.

“I was interested and I wanted to use the tablet,” Rohrer said. “I want to make tablets sound good, so I’m going to keep working on it to make it sound better.”

Bain, however, was inspired by an article she read in seventh grade on Tim Tebow’s traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

“For my science project, I tried to lower the concussive forces to the brain by adding additional padding to the exterior of a football helmet,” she said.

Bain studied previous versions of padded

photo by Sandy Cho

Senior Sam Rohrer improves his tablet in the Microelectronics Lab.

helmets to gain an understanding of why they failed. However, when using a different material of polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) to protect a minimal amount of padding, she discovered a breakthrough.

“Hopefully, I can continue testing and if proven effective, not just from the aspect of linear acceleration, it can help lower the risk of concussions, chronic traumatic encephalopathy and deaths on the field,” Bain said.

Last summer, at her internship with the National Football League (NFL) testing lab, she was able to reduce the severity index of injury by 80 percent on helmetto-helmet collision and is excited to move forward with her invention.

“I would love for the patent to be granted since it was rejected initially, and I would be honored to be featured on the show,” Bain said.

Jefferson hosts students from Zhengzhou No. 2 High School

By Sandy Cho News Editor On March 25, the Jefferson community welcomed 15 students and two staff members from the Zhengzhou No. 2 High School, which is located in Zhengzhou, Henan, China, marking the first annual visit for the Chinese exchange progrm.

"The exchange program benefits both the exchange and host students. Both gain knowledge of each other's language and culture," freshman Susanna Bradbury said. "Hosting a student this year guarantees me a spot to travel to China as part of an exchange next year if I choose to do so."

Bradbury, freshmen Immalla Chen, War-

Science Olympiad wins first

Jefferson's Science Olympiad team won first at the State Tournament. The members will travel to the national competition at the University of Central Florida on May 16-17.

tjTODAY Online

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curse; not only are they more stressed for exams that they now have less time to study for, but they are also forced to stay in school longer in June.

“I love being able to get more sleep a couple of days of the year, but I’d rather be sleeping during the summer when the weather is nice, it’s not disgusting outside and I’m not stressed about exams,” sophomore Debi Das said. “The snow days were fun, but they aren’t really worth it, especially when they begin cutting into summer vacation.”

photo by Sandy Cho

Foreign exchange students from Zhengzhou No. 1 High School eat and socialize durng lunch in the library.

ren Chen, Selina Cheng, Dan Qi and Sarah Zhou, sophomores Jeffrey Liu and Sophie Zhao, juniors Shani Cave and Ben Trans and senior Alice Yuen are hosts.

"I decided to host a student because I wanted to get to know people from China and learn about how life is like for a student there," Immalla Chen said.

To prepare for their visit, hosts made sure to clean their houses and to primarily speak English so that the exchange students would be able to improve their skils.

In addition, they didn't fail to welcome the students and make them feel at home.

"I prepared for my exchange student by buying her presents," Zhou said. "I knew she liked drawing and art, so I bought my exchange student some nice color pencils."

Students were surprised to discover differences in culture, especially when it came to school.

"They go to each of their 10 classes every day and have self-study sessions to do their homework," Immalla Chen said. "The classes are also very strict and aren't as interactive as American classes."

Though the students and staff members returned on April 4, both the exchange students and host students are glad to experience a great opportunity.

"The exchange students this year are getting the amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending a different country's school system for two weeks," Bradbury said.

Honor council begins restorative justice process

by Ellen Kan Managing Editor In the second semester, Jefferson’s honor council officially launched its campaign to rebuild trust by accepting cases that involve honor code violations. Recently, the council handled two cases through restorative justice, a concept that emphasizes recognition of the ramifications of one’s actions and non-punitive agreements between affected parties.

The members of the inaugural honor council are seniors Andy Holsten, Raeford Penny, CheyAnne Rivera and Joey Valery, junior Anant Das, sophomore Sophia Moses and freshman Kristin Myers. In future years, the members will be elected during annual class elections. Geosystems and math teacher Shawn Stickler and history teacher John Struck are faculty advisers for the council, and assistant principal Shawn DeRose is the point of contact within the administration.

First semester was dedicated to training, writing a constitution and establishing guidelines. The honor council began handling cases at the start of second semester.

“Overall, the honor council is striving to foster a community of trust and accountability at TJ,” Myers said. “All involved parties have the opportunity to participate in facilitated discussion about what happened, how that has affected them, and how they can move on and make things right.”

For each case, the honor council goes through a set of procedures. The council receives potential cases from faculty sponsors during weekly eighth period meetings. A prerequisite is that the student who has violated the honor code must acknowledge the wrongdoing and be willing to resolve the conflict. The members then evaluate whether the offense is a suitable task for the council.

The next step is the pre-conference, in which the council meets with each party separately to obtain more details and discuss. Parental consent forms must also be filled out for the student, and confidentiality agreements are signed by all members of the conference.

During the actual restorative justice conference, two student facilitators, who are members of the honor council and determined beforehand, join the involved parties in a discussion circle, along with a student representative and an administration representative. In this final stage, the student facilitators guide the conversation so that the offender and the affected students and teachers can see the situation from each other’s perspectives, repair their relationships and come to a consensus on how to proceed from there.

“The process is centered on restorative justice, so it’s more about restoration of relationships than about punishment,” Rivera said. “The parties involved come together and decide on a course of action that is suitable to both. This helps them see the other’s perspective and hopefully move forward in such a way that a repeat of the incident does not occur.”

The mutual agreement between parties is recorded in writing at the end of the conference and sent to the administration. The entire process is completely confidential.

The honor council looks forward to seeing the positive impact of their proceedings on the school community. However, it will take some time before there are clear signs of progress.

“I believe that things have progressed well, including our first proceeding, but I don’t think we can judge it or the Honor Council as a success until we see if student behaviors improve, cheating is reduced and student attitudes change to the point that all of us, as members of the TJ community, believe that cheating doesn’t have a place here,” Stickler said.

photo by Ellen Kan

Sophomore Sophia Moses and freshman Kristin Myers act as facilitators during a case regarding an honor code violation.

news

april 4, 2014

Jefferson Scholars announced

NEWSMAKERS Winners advance to nationals

photo by Sandy Cho

photo by Shayna Hume

The News Seniors Will Ashe and Robert Young were recently named Jefferson Scholars, now eligible for a full tuition scholarship to the University of Virginia (U.Va).

Backstory For the first time at Jefferson, both of the nominated seniors were offered a prestigious full tuition scholarship to the University of Virginia (U.Va) under the Jefferson Scholars Foundation program, which aims to promote leadership found in undergraduates.

Seniors Will Ashe and Robert Young have been selected as two of the 33 scholars and have the opportunity to take advantage of the many benefits the program has to offer.

“It’s an incredible honor and we’re definitely so blessed to have received the scholarship,” Young said.

“I really appreciate the work of everyone else who gave us this opportunity, especially Mrs. Kropf in the College and Career Center and the scholarship selection committee.”

The process involved a rigorous regional screening process by judges that took transcripts, extracurricular activities, essays and recommendations into account.

From there, 115 finalists went through a selection weekend that involved seminars, tests, essays and interviews before 33 scholars were eventually chosen.

Though both Ashe and Young are extremely pleased with being chosen, they are taking time to consider the offer.

“At this point I’m not committing to attending U.Va as I still have some last options that I haven’t heard from yet. Still, it’s an amazing and exciting opportunity,” Ashe said. “Everyone in the program was so friendly and happy to be a part of it. It really had a great community feel as well as spectacular resources.”

- Sandy Cho

The News Senior Manotri Chaubal stands next to first place project, titled “Reprogramming Hair Follicle Stem Cells into Cardiomyocytes,” at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair (VSSEF) on March 29.

Backstory After months of research and preparation, Regional Grand Prize winners presented their projects at the Virgnia State Science and Engineering Fair (VSSEF) on March 29, in hopes of advancing to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF).

Senior Manotri Chaubal and junior Matthew Park qualified to compete in Intel ISEF and will fly out to Los Angeles, Ca., in May of this year.

Chaubal’s project was titled “Reprogramming Hair Follicle Stem Cells into Cardiomyocytes,” while Park’s project was titled “Approaching Anti-Viral Therapeutics via Sequence Analysis of the Nucleoprotein and Glycoprotein Precursor Genes of Lassa Virus,” which Park began at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory under the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) program last year.

“I worked as a genetics intern, and so, not only was the experience new and breathtaking, but also, it served as a model for how scientific research actually works and what biological research necessitates,” Park said.

Both were surprised with the results, especially as this was Park’s first time entering the science fair and Chaubal was hoping to validate her project rather than to win an award.

“The judges asked some really tricky questions but gave me hopeful pointers and tips,” Chaubal said.

- Sandy Cho

TJMUN succeeds

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photo courtesy of Sreya Atluri

The News Junior Sreya Atluri and senior Parth Chopra received gavels at the 16th Washington Area Model United Nations Conference (WAMUNC).

Backstory From March 20 to 23, Jefferson Model United Nations (TJMUN) participated in the 16th Washington Area Model United Nations Conference (WAMUNC).

“Although the conference was difficult, everyone was satisfied with their own performance and truly enjoyed the weekend,” sophomore Shohini Gupta, the historian of TJMUN, said.

Senior Parth Chopra, juniors Sreya Atluri and Gavin Moore, sophomore Andrew Howard and freshman Hridhay Rangaraju were awarded with a gavel for Best Delegate. Also, seniors Varun Jain, Somya Shankar and Ani Surumpudi as well as freshmen Adam Kim and Prathik Naidu received Outstanding Delegate awards.

“WAMUNC was an incredible experience overall,” Rangaraju said. “I got to meet new people, make new friends and learn about the different topics that we debated and discussed.”

The recipients’ variety of grade levels predicted a positive future for MUN, one of the most popular and active eighth period clubs at Jefferson. Through the activity, the members of the club hope to polish keen insights in current events and developing speech and persuasion skills. Currently, the club is organizing TechMUN, which will take place on April 25-26 at Robinson Secondary School.

“I have participated in MUN for three years now,” Gupta said. “The variety of topics, which range from climate change to roleplaying a corrupt politician in New York during the 1870s has exposed me to many current events and issues I was not previously aware of.”

- Esther Kim

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opinion

april 4, 2014

SAT changes aren’t on point tjTODAY Volume 29 Issue 5

2013 Pacemaker - NSPA 2013 Trophy Class - VHSL 2013 All-American - NSPA 2013 Gold Medalist - CSPA

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Shayna Hume

Managing Editor Ellen Kan

Online Editor Lindsay Williams

News Editor Sandy Cho

Opinion Editor Tommy Lunn

Sports Editor Esther Kim

Spread Editor Alexis Williams

Entertainment Editor Anjali Khanna

Features Editors Stav Nachum Anshula Rudhraraju

Staff Reporters Megan Ganley Tara Gupta

Adviser Erinn Harris

Printer

Lead Editorial

has decided to increase the amount of time permitted.

While the changes in the Reading and Math section are welcome releases from tedious hours of studying an archaic lexicon, the new Writing section may become an even bigger challenge, and while it is noncompulsory at present, will undoubtedly become mandatory at top universities.

One last point of contention the new test seeks finally to resolve is the availability of online versions of the exam.

While their website advertises it still as a print test, on the press release, it is also stated that at select locations, a computer option will become procedure.

While the new test may seem mysterious with its generalized objectives, College Board has already announced on April 16, 2014, they will be releasing an extensive blueprint of the new test to “take that mystery out.”

However, until that day, most students are going to remain uneasy at the

tj TODAY’s unsigned majority opinion Goodbye to the 1500 national average. Now, once again, that score is the domain of only the top percentage of high school students. As of March 5, College Board has officially reversed the decision it made nine years ago, and removed the Writing section of the SAT. While the decision came as a surprise to many, the blow was softened by the fact that most students currently enrolled at Jefferson won’t have to prepare for the new test. In fact, the new test won’t be administered until the spring of 2016, just in time for the class of 2017’s junior year.

Some of the key factors that led to this change include the increasing prevalence of the ACT, an alternative standardized test for college admissions that focuses on subject material and deduction. In 2012, 1,666,017 students took the ACT, comparable to the 1,664,479 that took the SAT. Although the Writing section may have been expunged, two of the largest changes in the new SAT are in the Math and Reading sections. The new Math section is advertised to restrict itself to three subject areas: Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Algebra and Advanced Math—all of which are intended to avoid higher level mathematics.

Similarly, while the new Reading section will absorb parts of the Writing multiple choice, it will also be much more grounded in evidence, in addition to avoiding many of the obsolete vocabulary words College Board has until now.

For many students, however, the greatest cause for celebration is the removal of the dreaded essay at the beginning of the test. This new optional Writing section will differ from the traditional four-paragraph persuasive essay and will involve analyzing and extracting evidence from a source. To counteract the new essay, College Board

prospect of a new test with its logical but markedly different standards of evaluation—as well they should.

While many would agree that the new SAT will test students on material with increased relevance and pertinence to their future careers, it’s the class of 2017 that will have the most to gain or lose in two years.

Historically, Jefferson students do exceedingly well on the SAT and ACT. While Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) had an average of 1663 for the class of 2013, Jefferson’s average for the same class was 2194. Whether or not they agree with the changes College Board is making, future upperclassmen should examine all options for pre-graduation standardized testing to make sure the one they send to colleges best represents them.

The class of 2018 and beyond will never have the option to take the version of the SAT currently in circulation. Perhaps the current freshman class should think twice before waiting until the spring of their junior year to take the test.

cartoon by Tara Gupta

British application system is efficient and logical

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.

Signed editorials and letters to the editor reflect the views of the authors. tjTODAY solicits advertising but reserves the right to reject any material deemed libelous, disruptive, obscene or otherwise inappropriate.

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graphic by Shayna Hume and Tommy Lunn information courtesy of commonapp.org and ucas.com

Tommy Lunn Opinion Editor After months of waiting, Jefferson students are receiving the results of their college applications. However, our British counterparts across the pond have already heard their results, having applied through a simpler application system.

In the United States, many universities use The Common Application (Common App), anot-for-profit company. Students are required to write essays, provide lists of extracurriculars and awards, submit multiple teacher references and pay upwards of $100 per app. Only after turning in most applications do students begin to hear from universities in late March, if not early April.

In the United Kingdom, the application system is very different. Their equivalent of the Common App is the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS). Every university in the U.K. is registered with it, making for a streamlined application system. However, integration is not its only benefit.

First, students are only required to write one personal statement. The personal statement is used to gauge intent and academic knowledge, not to explain a flowery answer to a vague essay topic. In addition, the only other part of the application, other than academic record, is one teacher reference.

Perhaps the strongest aspect of UCAS is its limitation to apply to five total programs, with a maximum of two per university. As such, the U.K. does not see admission rates such as those of top schools in the U.S., as low as 6 percent at Harvard College, giving applicants a fairer chance at getting the offer they deserve. While there might be

trouble implementing a similar system in the U.S., most British universities offer minimum requirements for standardized testing - the main academic record, similar to our Advanced Placement (AP) exams - again limiting intense competition and giving students realistic goals.

Yet another strong aspect of UCAS is its low price. To apply for one program, one must pay £11, about $19, or twice as much for more programs.

UCAS also creates a system of rolling admissions, with applicants hearing back from schools in as little as a few weeks.

While some schools require interviews or other standardized tests, the system is much faster than Common App. While it is not necessarily fair to stick to one program, the fact that British students apply for a program creates a fairer application system. Too often at American schools applicants are unfairly compared.

Lastly, UCAS offers systems known as Extra and Clearance. Extra allows applicants to apply to a fifth choice, even after the Jan. 15 deadline. Clearance allows students to try for offers until late in the summer.

The biggest downfall of UCAS is its system of conditional versus unconditional offers. Conditional offers stipulate that students must achieve certain grades on their end-of-year examinations.

Overall, UCAS is a much stronger system. While the American education system is not formatted for UCAS, certain aspects of their streamlined system need to be examined and addressed in the coming application cycles.

opinion

april 4, 2014

5

Good substitutes are too hard to find As teachers grow nervous as their families start to grow, students are equally nervous for the new addition to the classroom: the substitute teacher.

Recently, a number of teachers have taken time off to care for their newborn babies. Though SANDY CHO long-term substitute teachers may be necessary, especially when teachers need to spend an extended amount of time with their families, it’s important for these substitutes to be acquainted with the overall vibe and unique culture of the Jefferson community.

Though many substitute teachers sub in for only a few days, they normally provide “busy” work left by the teacher’s lesson plans, rather than the active learning that students would normally receive. What is the difference between that and a snow day or an absence, in which the teacher could easily provide classwork through either email or Blackboard?

As evidenced by the snow days this year, utilizing substitutes like this is just a waste of time when our school year is already being pressed for time.

Of course, it’s understandable that it’s difficult to find teachers who are qualified to teach specialized classes, such as the higher-level math courses or languages, especially if there’s an emergency and a substitute is needed at the last minute.

However, teachers aware of their absences ahead of time can turn to creative methods of active teaching, such as recording a lecture or video, or writing out explanations for the substitute teacher to read.

In addition, some long-term substitutes may not be fully aware of the grade-conscious culture and classroom policies at Jefferson.

As a student of two teachers who have taken leave

for their new babies, I realized the importance of a longterm substitute coordinating with the teacher. Even small quirks of teachers can make quite a difference, such as how much work should be shown and how to show answers, and though some teachers already do so, synchronizing will allow a smoother transition when the teacher returns.

In fact, other states in the country are taking action. In January of this year, the school board in Wichita, Kan. approved changes regarding substitute teachers, including a recruiting program, specific restrictions to find more quali-

fied teachers and training in technology found in a classroom, such as the Smart Boards.

However, Jefferson has done an excellent job with bringing in retired teachers to sub for subjects they have once taught. This way, students will be able to have a productive school day, even without the teacher present.

Though the search is difficult, especially when retired teachers are on vacations or highly qualified substitutes may be at different schools, finding the right substitute for the rigorous atmosphere of Jefferson will be worthwhile.

cartoon by Megan Ganley

Dress code highlights gender disparity in school policies After a harsh winter with 11 snow days so far, there can be no doubt that students are optimistic for spring. As early as the beginning of March, a few warm days saw the presence of students wearing short shorts, tank tops and ALEXIS WILLIAMS sundresses. As a result of this warmweather optimism, the debate over the dress code this year may become even more heated.

The dress code is basically a question of self-control: Is it the students’ responsibility to control their clothing and limit themselves to clothing that won’t distract others, or is it rather the students’ responsibility to prevent

themselves from being distracted? A healthy balance needs to be obtained by the schools.

The administration at Jefferson specifically should be applauded for maintaining this balance. There are hardly any administrators prowling the halls with rulers to check if a student is wearing shorts that are just a bit too short or a top that dips just a bit too low. Aside from a few teachers that are strict sticklers for “dress code-appropriate” clothing, most students can get away with anything that’s not too obscene.

This isn’t necessarily true in other schools. Some schools in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) have outlawed leggings and other clothing items that are probably appropriate. But whether due to fashions or just sexism, the dress code seems to target girls more than boys.

Compared to boys, who occasionally get dress coded for a tank top or pants that sag, girls can be dress coded if their shorts are too short, their straps aren’t wide

enough, their dresses are too tight, their pants are too tight, their tops are too low cut, their midriffs are showing, their tops are too see-through and a multitude of other violations.

Are all of these regulations even necessary to obtain clothing that is not “obscene?” Leggings honestly don’t distract anybody, and neither do spaghetti straps.

Shoulders aren’t sexy. Allowing girls to express themselves through their clothing isn’t wrong.

In a society full of slut-shaming and double standards, the schools need to be the start of teaching girls that accepting—not hiding—their bodies is better to encourage higher self-esteem. While it is important to teach girls and boys to dress professionally, it is equally important to teach girls to act professionally with selfacceptance confidence.

Making sure girls feel confident with their bodies is more important than policing how they dress, which school administrations everywhere need to learn.

School calendars should not revolve around religious holidays Just around the corner is perhaps the most exciting part of the spring for many students: spring break.

Before the stresses of Advanced Placement (AP) exams and end-ofyear projects, tests and exams, students get to take a week-long break TOMMY LUNN from school. For many students, spring break means vacations, but for others it means an equally enjoyed week of sleeping in and hanging out with friends. Whatever spring break brings for students, one thing holds true: It is inappropriately scheduled around Easter.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has long been scheduling its spring break as the week before Easter.

While many other school districts do so, that does not make it right. While winter break revolving around Christmas makes sense because of the sequential New Year holiday, there is no reason for spring break to be scheduled the way it is, minus the bias towards Christian holidays in school planning. In contrast, colleges do not schedule this way.

Perhaps many years ago, it made sense to plan the break around Easter. Families would often plan their vacations around the holiday, visiting family and friends. However, that is no longer the case for most students. Instead, the break brings much needed-sleep or vacations.

What seems to be a much more efficient way of planning spring break is to position it around the end of the third grading quarter. First off, this will create a much more reliable break, instead of the schedule of the ever-changing

Easter holiday.

Additionally, this will create a much more stress-free break. If break occurs during the interim period between quarters, teachers are very unlikely to assign work over break. While this is not necessarily their fault, when the break occurs in the middle of a grading quarter it is hard to not assign work. Students would also not likely face difficult tests and due dates immediately after break ends.

As an added bonus to both teachers and students, this could combine the end-of-quarter workday with spring

break. This would give students another day to relax or to take their vacations, instead of taking off school at either end of the break.

FCPS, as well as other school districts, should rethink the planning of spring break. The placement of it around Easter is unfair and creates difficulties for both teachers and students. There seems to be no reason to not put the break at the end of the third quarter, something that the county administrators should reconsider this when making the next school year’s schedule.

cartoon by Megan Ganley

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sports

april 4, 2014

Boys’ tennis prepare to defend state title

Left to right: Sophomores Abhishek Bhargava, George Perry and Nikhil Ramachandran and junior Justin Sun competed against Langley High School, Jefferson’s long time rival, on March 26.

photos by Sandy Cho

by Sandy Cho News Editor The chilly wind of late March bit the bare arms and faces of the athletes, numbing their red noses and cheeks. However, keeping their eyes trained on the bouncy yellow ball, the Jefferson boys’ tennis team refused to take a breath as they continued to play against longtime rival Langley High School during a match on March 26.

Beginning the season with a victory against James Madison High School on March 21, the team’s record is currently two wins to one loss. The team is trying to replicate the successful run of past seasons, especially after placing first in states last year.

“Our team has set very high standards after the huge success of winning the state title last year,” sophomore Mark Prettyman, who is currently ranked first on the team, said. “I have warned my fellow teammates that nothing is given and it is important to approach every match with respect and as few expectations as possible.”

Despite the strong start to the season, the team is working hard to make up for the loss of talent after the graduation of class of 2013 alumni Ian Lin, Matt Swanhorst and Chris Vrabel.

“It is always challenging to maintain momentum when a team loses its best player,” Prettyman said.

“Luckily, this year, the tennis team received some young players who show great potential.”

However, after moving to Conference 13, the team may have difficulty in repeating last year’s successes.

“This year will be very different because we won states last year as a team, and Chris Vrabel and Kevin Wan were state doubles champions,” Head Coach John Myers said. “It will be hard to repeat last year’s success, because everything fell in to place. Everything worked out perfectly for us.”

Though there are no new changes in the training regime other than increasing conditioning, the players are focused more on improving individual players in order to defend their state title.

In addition, due to the recent inclement weather that has negatively affected players and their matches, they are concentrating on working just as hard as last year, despite the setbacks along the way to reaching their goals.

“Our formula for achieving success will most likely not change, but both of our coaches have repeatedly spoken to us about how important it is to not take any-

thing for granted,” Prettyman said.

Other changes to the team include more apparel, such as tank tops and socks.

Currently, the goal of the team is to reach for all the large competitions near the end of the season.

“We want to try and win our new conference title, new regional championship and the 6A State Title, which includes the tennis powerhouse schools of Mills Godwin and Deep Run High Schools, which have won multiple state championships,” Myers said. “By the way, Langley will not have to play these teams in their new format. We will have the much harder road to go, if we want to win again.”

Similar to last year, the team is working to grow its camaraderie between the players, especially under the leadership of seniors Jason Huang, Julian Nguyen and Brad Rosenblum, and both Prettyman and junior Kevin Wan, who is ranked second on the team.

“I hope that we can all come together as a team, especially in the tough moments,” junior Saelig Khattar said. “I also hope that we can remain consistent from game to game, and that everyone is able to perform during their matches. This way, we could have another great season.”

Softball team strives for excellence through teamwork

by Esther Kim Sports Editor On the vast field of earthy soil canopied by streaks of grass, a motley array of softball gloves, varying in color and size, rested perfectly in a straight line. Just a few steps away, a small group of girls quickly gathered into a circle and began stretching, starting off another after school practice for the Jefferson varsity softball team.

The perfectly organized line of gloves signified the most integral aspect of softball: teamwork.

Among immensely popular spring sport activities, such Junior Jessie Heise, as soccer and lacrosse, which welcome an influx of new a member of Jeffersron varsity softball students every season, softball boasts an intimacy between team, picks up a softplayers despite the low number of participants. This season, ball glove during the the varsity softball team accepted 14 memteam’s practice. bers after tryouts, while the junior varsity (JV) team welcomed ten players after facing difficulties recruiting members to fill the team.

“Softball is a sport that runs during lacrosse, soccer and spring track, which are popular sports of the season, so we lose many chances of recruiting players into the JV team,” sophomore Surbhi Patel, a JV player, said. “Recruiting has been a really hard task.”

Even before the season’s official beginning, Patel advertised students to join the team by posting on the Facebook groups of the 2016 and 2017 classes. Having ten members on a team that plays a sport requiring nine players, the small size of the

team impacts the skills development and teamwork that directly influence the results of their games.

“We are always worried that someone won’t be able to make it to the game,” junior Ruhee Shah, a JV player, said. “The only real advantages of the low population are that we all get playing time, and we get to know each other well really quickly.”

Currently, both varsity and JV teams concluded their first game of the season on March 21 with a loss to Fairfax High School. However, the players believe that the coherence and camaraderie of the teams will bring successful performances in the future games. The players, who devote an immense amount of time and effort during practices and games, immediately form amiable relationships with other members that promote the unity within the team.

The practices, which take place after school on weekdays and also on Saturday mornings for varsity players, consist of various types of warm-ups, drills and exercises. After beginning each practice with a series of warm-up exercises and dynamic stretches, the players spend half of the time on developing offense skills and the other half on training defense.

“It takes everything working together well both offensively and defensively to win games, so we really build a tight bond between our teammates,” senior Ellen Mulé, a varsity player, said. “I think our team has a strong chance to do well this year. We have worked hard on a lot of the parts we struggled last year.”

Despite facing various difficulties that may prevent the team from excelling in all of the games, the players are hoping to receive more valuable experience by engaging in the sport. Through the weekday practices, competitive games and the perfectly lined array of softball gloves, the members of the team not only hope to produce optimistic results for the season, but also to form life-long companionships with other members in the team.

“Playing softball has allowed me to make friends with people I would never get the opportunity to meet,” sophomore Kiran Girish , a JV player, said.“Being part of a team, may it be softball or anything else, allows me to remember that there are much bigger things than myself.”

photo by Esther Kim

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april 4, 2014

7

Jefferson crew triumphs despite unfavorable weather

by Anjali Khanna Entertainment Editor Despite the snow, wind, rain and sleet, the Jefferson crew team has pushed on, competing in two regattas thus far in the spring season, the Polar Bear Regatta and Regional Park Regatta. With 12 school day cancellations already and countless other missed practices due to the snow and inclement weather, the team has only managed to practice on the Occoquan river a handful of times. However, the teams still managed to pull out a few first place titles during the regattas.

At the Polar Bear Regatta, held at Sandy Run Regional Park on March 22, the Jefferson team won first place in the third women’s eight final race, first place in race 24b heat two, and first place in race 22b second men’s eight heat two.

It had been originally planned that the upper boats would only race in the Polar Bear Regatta, and the nov-

ice and freshmen boats would race for the first time at the Regional Park Regatta on March 29. However, since the inclement weather and practice cancellations severely limited the amount of on-water practice time for all the boats, the novice and freshmen girls boats, as well as some boys novice boats, dropped out of the Regional Park Regatta and plan to race at the Walter Mess Regatta on April 5.

“It’s definitely made it a lot tougher technique wise, especially for novices,” junior Azman Singh Garcha, a rower for Jefferson crew, said. “At the same time, the same applies for all boats, so given how well TJ crew did at the Regional Park Regatta, I think we have made good use of the limited time on water as well as any time at home by working out on our own.”

Even with the many missed opportunities to get practice time in before the Regional Park Regatta, the Jefferson team still managed to place first in the Jef-

ferson first men’s eight final race 49, with a time of 5 minutes, 43 seconds. The second men’s eight and third women’s eight also placed first in their respective races at the Regional park Regatta.

Coming in second on March 29 were the first women’s eight, second women’s eight, men’s junior eight and third men’s eight boats. Because of the early in the season victories for the crew team, the season looks promising to many of it’s members.

“Even though it’s really hard to compare the boats from last season to this year’s boats because we graduated so many seniors, we have so many sophomores who are passionate and coming up in the team so it’s really exciting,” senior Kinsey Moser, a varsity coxswain for Jefferson crew, said. “I think that the Polar Bear Regatta was a great start to the season and that we are working really well both as a team and as a boat.”

The members of Jefferson crew team practice reguarly after school and on saturdays at Sandy Run Regional Park to prepare for competitive regattas. photo by Anjali Khanna

Girls’ lacrosse team aims to continue early season victories

Boys’ lacrosse team looks forward to successful games

by Esther Kim Sports Editor Starting off its season on a high note, Jefferson girls’ varsity lacrosse team hopes to carry on the team’s successful performance for the next three months of the season.

After a successful scrimmage game against Mount Vernon High School on March 14 with the score of 16-3, the team continued its outstanding performance in the game against Falls Church High School on March 24, in which the team received the first win of the season with a score of 13-4.

“I think our team will have a very successful season,” freshman Sofia Kruszka, a varsity player, said. “We have a very strong defense, and that’s the key.”

After a week of tryouts in February, the team selected 22 returning and new members for the sport. This year, the team admitted seven talented underclassmen players into the varsity team.

“I think it is a privilege being an underclassman on the varsity team,” Kruszka said.“I have so many seniors and juniors to learn from, and they are all very good at giving me tips.”

In order to bring all the players with varying skills and experience into a coherent team, the team has been practicing from Mondays to Fridays after school.

The practice routine begins with runs and stretches, followed by different drills, including shooting, catching and throwing.

Amidst the frequent disturbances of the weather, the team is currently scheduled to compete with Washington-Lee, McLean and Lee High Schools next week. The players, who have devoted a significant amount of time and dedication to the sport, not only hope to continue its early wins, but also to obliterate the conventional prejudice against Jefferson sports.

“When other schools hear about us, they think that we are the nerds who aren’t good at sports,” junior Helen Zhang said. “However, when we choose to play a sport at TJ, we are not just playing for ourselves, we are playing to proudly represent our school.”

by Anjali Khanna Entertainment Editor Despite the recent ice and snow, the spring season for Jefferson boys’ lacrosse is well underway. The varsity team already competed in two scrimmages, against Hayfield Secondary School and Mount Vernon High School, as well as a match against Falls Church High School on March 24.

Although the first varsity match resulted in a loss to the Falls Church team, the season seems full of opportunities for the team to come together.

“The team is looking decent right now, but the biggest thing we have to work on is consistency,” freshman Nathan Kim, a member of the varsity team, said. “This means that everyone, including myself, needs to have their fundamentals such as catching and passing down.”

The team has faced many challenges due to the inclement weather of the past couple of weeks, yet both players from varsity and junior varsity (JV) squads have managed to train indoors to stay ready for the next game on April 8.

“With all the snow, we’ve been having a ton of indoor practices,” freshman Brian Yu, a member of the JV team, said. “Indoor practices usually consist of passing and catching drills, conditioning, going over strategies and formations, followed by some time in the weight room.”

Because of the lack of turf fields at Jefferson, the teams have been kept inside the gym due to muddy field conditions while other schools have held outdoor practice. Even with this disadvantage, the teams have maintained their training ethic and love of the sport.

“Lacrosse is a really fun sport to play, and spring is the best season to play in,” sophomore Wills Song, a member of the JV team, said. “The sport is really intense, and playing it with friends makes it all the more worthwhile.”

In order to pump up the team before game day, the team dresses up instead of participating in various spirit days like other sports at Jefferson do.

“As for spirit days, we have a saying: ‘We dress good, we feel good, we play good,’” Yu said. graphics by Esther Kim

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april 4, 2014

I don’t think e jersey is ffensive or wd, but that eing said re’s no way ould wear it school.” nior Julian lacorta

Boys get Busted:

sh tank tops cle hirts and agging pants are some common violations.

9

“It is not my job to make sure that boys aren’t distracted by their objectification of me.”

-senior Jordan Goodson

“I don’t think bare sides change how I or anyone else functions in school.”

-senior Jane Werntz

Girls get coded: Bare midriffs, undergarments showing, short shorts and hats are commonly reported. photos, graphics and reporting by Shayna Hume and Alexis Williams

8

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april 4, 2014

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It’s getting

HOT in here

by Alexis Williams Spread Editor As Jefferson springs into summer, the weather gets warmer and the clothing gets cooler. On a warm, sunny day of 65 degrees or higher, you can see shorts, sundresses and tank tops everywhere you look. But how short is too short? How tight is too tight? What, exactly, crosses the line between flirty and indecent?

According to the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook for Fairfax County, “clothing that exposes the midriff, cleavage, private parts, the midriff, or undergarments or is otherwise sexually provocative is prohibited.”

However, students and administration often disagree on this issue. Many students think that the dress code is restrictive, oppressive and even sexist, and that the dress code targets girls more than boys.

Others believe that the dress code forces students to control their dress to prevent others from being distracted, when students should maintain self-control and not allow themselves to be distracted.

“By demonizing the female body, the dress code deems clothing that is completely normal ‘scandalous,’” junior Andrea Donate-Perez said. “You didn’t know I had shoulders and thighs?”

The administration insists that the dress code is there for a reason: to simulate the real world and real codes of conduct.

“Part of what we do here is set students up for success,” vice principal Tinell Priddy said. “Most employers have a dess code. In a business office, you are not going to see a student walking around in short shorts.”

While many students think that a dress code limits student expression, the administration also recognizes when student expression is most important and is willing to bend the rules.

“There have been a number of times when we set aside the dress code, such as Homecoming,” vice principal Shawn DeRose said.

Some students, however, disagree with this idea because they believe that expression is important all of the time.

“People have the right to wear what they want,” sophomore Amir McGettrick said. “Girls have the right to choose what they want to wear; so do guys.”

As for the issue of self-control, the administration believes that self-control goes both ways.

“We want students to have ownership with this issue, and if we feel that they don’t make good decisions, we interfere,” DeRose said.

“It is not my job to make sure that boys aren’t distracted by their objectification of me.”

-senior Jordan Goodson

“I don’t think the jersey is offensive or lewd, but that being said there’s no way I would wear it to school.”

-junior Julian Villacorta

Boys get Busted:

photo by Anjali Khanna

9

Mesh tank tops muscle hirts and sagging pants are some common violations.

“I don’t think bare sides change how I or anyone else functions in school.”

-senior Jane Werntz

Girls get coded: Bare midriffs, undergarments showing, short shorts and hats are commonly reported.

photo by Ellen Kan

Left to right: Seniors Chandan Singh, Zartosht Ahlers, Jamie Simon and Andreas Butler are members of the Jefferson cross country and track team, and they bought America running shorts for their senior homecoming theme, which was “Born in the USA.” During homecoming week, Ahlers, Simon and Butler were dress-coded due to the revealing nature of their pants. photos, graphics and reporting by Shayna Hume and Alexis Williams

10

entertainment

april 4, 2014

Middle schoolers appreciate the Divergent falls short best literature of Shakespeare Shakespearience 2014, TJST gave students the of fans’ expectations At chance to study the life and works of the famous bard

photo courtesy of www.divergentthemovie.com

by Stav Nachum Features Editor Based on the first novel in the best selling trilogy by Veronic Roth, “Divergent,” starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James captured audiences around the world when it opened in theaters on March 21. With an action packed plot line and incredibly talented actors in the lead roles, “Divergent” takes an award-winning novel and makes it into a phenomenal franchise that will surely continue successfully with coming movies. This first installment to the triology, however, fell short of expectations, leaving the audience fairly disappointed.

Set in a futuristic dystopia, society is divided into five distinct factions that each represents a different virtue: Abnegation the selfless, Dauntless the brave, Erudite the intelligent, Candor the honest and Amity the peaceful. At the age of 16, Beatrice “Tris” Prior, like all the teenagers in her society, much choose to either stay in the faction in which she was born or transfer into another faction for life.

After her impossible decision to transfer into another faction and leave her family behind, Tris must take part in a highly competitive initiation process that entails extreme physical and intense psychological tests. Complications in her test, however, lead to her secret emerging: she is Divergent, meaning she doesn’t fit into any one group. If anyone knew, it would mean a certain death.

As she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, this secret might help her save the people she loves, or it will destroy her.

While the plot is interesting and usually engaging, the film is unnecessarily long. With scenes extending up to 20 minutes that include combat training and little else, at times the movie seems to drag and the plot seems forgotten entirely. Especially since many in the audience have already read the book, and for those who haven’t it is predictable that she will pass her training, there is no justifiable reason to prolong the so-called suspense when the entire audience can guess the outcome.

On the other hand, the movie has earned some goodwill because of the astounding action during certain scenes, incredibly well placed humor and, at the right times, some interesting science fiction elements that showed the potential for a good story line.

Sadly, even these amazing elements cannot overcome the fact that the lengthy movie seems to overlook the fact that the sci-fi story line is interesting enough without adding in the unnecessary teen angst at the ending.

Rather than a unique, enjoyable ending for a lovable novel’s movie adaptation, the writers seem to find a way to hit every formulaic young adult plot point imaginable within the last 30 minutes.

Falling incredibly short of the expectations and potential that the novel promised in a movie adaptation, “Divergent” is a movie that is going to disappoint the fan base and moviegoers. While it will surely make a fortune as the dedicated fan base will attend showings around the world, it isn’t a movie you should see if you want an action packed, science fiction adaptation of one of your favorite novels.

Coming Attractions photos courtesy of studio websites infographic by Anjali Khanna

‘Madagascar’

April 4: Theaters everywhere

TJST as well as other students from Jefferson ran the program, with adult chaperones supervising.

“I think a lot of people know who Shakespeare is but don’t know a lot about him, other than that he is famous and his work is really difficult to understand,” junior Kira Becker, who worked in the sonnet workshop, said. “His work is actually some of the most beautiful classical work written and isn’t too difficult when you break it down, so it’s important to keep it alive.”

The day provides younger children an opportunity to learn about Shakespeare in a fun, interactive way. Students in grades six through eight participate in workshops such as Contemporary Shakespeare and fight workshops. Those in third through fifth grades partook in activities such as props and improv.

“The best part of my day was probably hearing the gasps of shock when I helped demonstrate a head slam onto a desk in fight choreography, and seeing them figure out how to do the same thing safely and convincingly,” Le Floch said.

The youngest students, from kindergarten through second grade, took place in Shakespalooza. Shakespalooza lets the youngest participants learn about Shakespeare in a hands-on way, focusing on games, arts and crafts and presenting a play. The older students also conclude their day by presenting a play to their parents and peers.

With over 70 students in attendance, Shakespearience remains one of the most popular events for younger students hosted by Jefferson. Many of the students participated in years past, and return because of their good past experiences with the program.

“A lot of kids were saying that they recognized TJ students from prior years,” Becker said. “I think a lot of photo by Tommy Lunn kids come back year after year because it really is a Students at the eighth annual Shakespearience, held by the Thomas one in a million experience.”

by Tommy Lunn Opinion Editor Workshop after workshop, about 70 elementary and middle schoolers spent their Saturday learning all about the life, times and works of William Shakespeare.

Participants improvised, read sonnets, played games and much more to learn about the bard himself and many of his famous plays.

“Shakespeare has written some surprisingly funny and applicable plays to modern times, and so I want to help share that with people,” senior Alex Le Floch, who volunteered with the fight choreography workshop, said.

Shakespearience is a free, yearly event run by Thomas Jefferson Shakespeare Troupe (TJST). This year’s workshop was the eighth annual, and took place on March 29.

Volunteers from

Jefferson Shakespeare Troupe, read scripts of William Shakespeare.

Self-titled album by Shakira proves to be risky yet admirable

by Ellen Kan Managing Editor “I sound like a broken record.”

Well, yes, you kind of do… This was my initial reaction as I listened to the lyrics of “Broken Record,” the 10th track in “Shakira,” the Colombian singer-songwriter’s new, self-titled album. The 12-track album is a shocking departure from previous hits such as “Hips Don’t Lie” and “She Wolf,” and it is clear that the hipgyrating, Latin rock Shakira of old has changed considerably.

“Shakira” was a work in progress for over two years, as its release was delayed until March 25 due to her unexpected pregnancy. For longtime fans of Shakira’s salsa-inspired rhythms and racy lyrics, this new album may fall short of expectations.

In a clear attempt to appeal to the audiences of mainstream American music, Shakira has added a plethora of new music styles to her distinctive reggaeton vocals, which include rock, electro-pop, ska and even country. Some of the melodies are also all-too-familiar; for example, “Spotlight” is heavily reminiscent of Avril Lavigne, while the guitar intro to “The One Thing” is definitely Taylor Swift-esque.

However, although Shakira’s music may now be unfamiliar and unpleasantly so, her album deserves a second listen – and maybe a few more after that. Her unique, gravelly vocals have never been more obvious than in this album, and it takes an open mind to truly appreciate her artistry and, more importantly, her evolution as a musician.

A notable aspect of Shakira’s new album is that her music moves away from the objectification of the female body and her incessant quest for love.

Instead, she focuses more on taking a deeper look at the happiness she has found and the struggles that have paved the way to her present state.

Several of the songs allude to Shakira’s family. The

‘Captain America’

April 4: Theaters everywhere

‘Joe’

April 11: Theaters everywhere

lyrics to “23” refer to the age of her boyfriend, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, when they first met. Her lyrics are lovely and inventive, as she sings, “I used to think that there was no God, but then you looked at me with your blue eyes, and my agnosticism turned into dust.” “Loca Por Ti” is one of two non-English songs on the album, and Shakira sings the love song in Catalan, Piqué’s language.

Finally, “The One Thing” is an upbeat tribute to her son Milan, in which she insists that “you’re the one thing that I got right.”

“Broken Record” is also definitely a standout track.

Shakira’s voice is raw and real after the song opens with guitar chords evocative of the Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah.” The lyrics are simple yet hauntingly beautiful: “Your eyes take me to places I never dreamt about, your voice is the only music I can’t do without.” In this candid delivery, Shakira’s throaty falsettos and the breaks and dips in her voice allow us a glimpse of her more vulnerable side.

There are, however, certain songs that detract from the album. The rock ballad “Empire” is catchy, but the chorus is drowned out in too much autotuned crooning. Perhaps the most disappointing track is “Medicine,” a disjointed duet with fellow photo courtesy of shakira.fanfire.com judge Blake Shelton from “The Voice.” Modern country doesn’t suit Shakira’s voice well, and the song’s choppy structure and the lack of chemistry between the two artists both contribute to the arrangement’s downfall.

Critics may accuse Shakira of creating a commercial album to appeal to American tastes, but I’m more inclined to see “Shakira” as an honest attempt toward exploring new genres and tackling vulnerabilities. As with every risk, this one has its hits and misses, succeeding brilliantly in some ways and failing miserably in others. Each track played its part in helping us to understand Shakira’s colorful musical persona, and I look forward to seeing what her 11th album will deliver.

‘Don’t Look Back’

April 15: Bookstores everywhere

‘Lights Out’

April 15: iTunes

11 FROM CHAPTER BOOKS TO THE CINEMAS entertainment

april 4, 2014

More teen award-winning novels transformed to blockbuster films in 2014

graphics by Anjali Khanna photos courtesy of studio websites, information from goodreads.com and rottentomatoes.com

by Anjali Khanna Entertainment Editor As teens who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s, we have come to take for granted the number of hit novels which have been released during those years. We are the generation who grew up on the Harry Potter Series, and the generation who got to go to book signings from Suzanne Collins while “The Hunger Games” was still on the shelves in our local bookstores.

Growing up in this particularly unique time also meant that just a few years after the release of our favorite novel, we could line up outside the movie theater with our now high school age friends, and watch the premiere of a movie and relive our childhood memories. In fact, in 2014, many Jefferson students are already excitedly awaiting the release of “The Fault in Our Stars,” a movie based on the novel by John Green, as well as “Mockingjay,” the third novel of the Hunger Games trilogy.

“I am most excited for the release of ‘Mockingjay,’” sophomore Chloe How said. “I don’t go to the movie theater that often, but I’ll go see a movie in theaters if I’ve already read and enjoyed the book.”

The novel, “The Fault in Our Stars” was released in January of 2012. Since then, Green has sold over 1 million copies, and over 130,000 people have reviewed the book on various sites such as Amazon and Goodreads.

John Boone, the director of the movie which will be released in June of this year, is working with Green to represent the characters as true to the novel as possible.

Movies based on novels often garner more attention than regular movies because of the fan base that already exists before the movie’s release. Fans of the novel are more likely to automatically go and see the film, often without reading reviews first because they have faith in the author and director.

Some of the movies based on books in the

recent past have made it into the list of top grossing movies worldwide. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” ranks number four on this list, grossing over 1.3 billion dollars in 2011.

Other movies based off of the Harry Potter series have made it into the top 50 grossing movies, such as “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

“I think that the Harry Potter movies did so well in the theaters because all of the diehard fans of the book series already planned on seeing the films,” sophomore Tanmaya Rodda said.

Movies with a novel basis have become increasingly more popular, especially when young directors think that the movies and associated merchandise will make a lot of revenue. A prime example of this is Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby,” based off of the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Released in 2013, the movie partnered with jewelry company Tiffany and Co., and released a line of diamonds modeled after the culture of wealth in 1929 when the movie takes place.

The movie itself made 350 million dollars worldwide, not counting the money made from the Gatsby Collection at Tiffany and Co. Movies like these, which partner with other companies in order to advertise for the upcoming film, have become increasingly more popular, especially last year.

This 2014, “Lord of the Rings” fans, “Hunger Games” fans, “Divergent” fans and “The Fault in Our Stars” fans will all be able to re-enjoy their favorite novels of the past few years, as they prepare to stand in line for the cinemas once again.

“I think it’s important to read the novel before you go out and see the movie,” Rodda said. “I plan on reading ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ before watching the movie, so I’ll understand it better.”

Orchestra celebrates success at district assessments

by Anjali Khanna Entertainment Editor On March 15, both of Jefferson’s orchestras assembled at West Springfield High School, getting the chance to showcase their skills and get feedback from professional judges at the annual orchestra assessment festival.

Jefferson’s two orchestras, symphonic and philharmonia, led by Allison Bailey, scored a superior rating from the judges at the event, the highest available ranking of the assessment. Ranked from one to five on sight reading skills, cohesiveness and instrumental technique, Jefferson’s orchestras both scored a one from the judges at the assessment.

In preparation for the day of the assessment, each member of the orchestra learned three key pieces.

One piece was mainly for warmup,

and the others were played in front of the judges for scoring. After the first segment of the assessment was concluded, orchestra members were given seven minutes to analyze a recently published piece before performing in the sight reading segment, also in front of judges.

“I was a bit nervous to test at first,” freshman Arun Singh, a member of philharmonia, said. “But then again when I saw that I had my friends around me, and a great conductor like Mrs. Bailey to play for, I could keep calm.”

After celebrating the success at the orchestra assessment festival, Jefferson orchestra will go back to work in preparation for the spring concert tentatively scheduled for June 5.

“For the spring concerts each year, Mrs. Bailey usually gives us

MAY 2, 2014.

That’s the last day you can pre-order your 2014 Publications Package.

different types of music from what we’ve been doing so far during the year,” sophomore Eshara Abeysekera, a violin player in philharmonia, said. “During assessments we did more jig-style pieces where we would start and abruptly stop our bows with each note.”

This time between the orchestra assessment and spring concert often serves as a period of self reflection for members of the two orchestras.

Before performing in the spring, members have the opportunity to improve their style of play and practice what they felt they were weakest on during the assessment.

“I’d like to challenge myself with some harder pieces before the spring concert,” Singh said. “It would be nice to show our parents how we can still grow, even after photo by Esther Kim The Jefferson Orchestra, directed by Allison Bailey, perthe assessment.”

formed for dancers at the Viennese Ball in November of 2013.

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12 Finding

features

humor at Jefferson

“A prank is to go around and put sticky notes that say the locks have been changed on teachers’ doors. When the teachers come in the next day, they’ll think that the keys don’t work and even if they do work, they get confused and call the main office.”

-senior John Wilkes

april 4, 2014

Joke’s on you

April Fools’ worldwide pranking tradition

by Stav Nachum Features Editor Known as a day filled with the most elaborate pranks and practical jokes or hoaxes, April Fools’ Day’s origin is shrouded in mystery.

With its first written mention dating back to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in 1392, the date has been celebrated around the world with varying traditions ever since.

The most popular theory about the day’s origin lies in the fact that France changed its calendar in the 1500s so that the New Year would be celebrated in January to match the Roman calendar, instead of late March or early April. Word of this change, however, traveled slowly and many people in rural areas continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring. As the story goes, these country dwellers became known as “April Fools” and since then, people around the world have pulled pranks pranks have been pulled to celebrate this faux pas.

Some experts disagree. They state that April Fools’ Day simply grew out of age-old European spring festivals of renewal in which pranks and camouflaging one’s identity are common.

“I have always wondered about the origin of the holiday’s name,” sophomore Jordan Ganley said. “Which person does the ‘fool’ refer to: the prankster or the prankee? That has always been a mystery to me, and though personally I love the theory of spring festivals bringing rise to the holiday, the mystery simply adds to the excitement.”

Some international pranks held on April Fools’ Day have left behind a legacy, especially, by television stations such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In 1957 they held the biggest hoax in April Fools’ history when they showed the Swiss harvesting spaghetti from trees. In the following days, numerous people contacted BBC wanting to know how to cultivate their own spaghetti

“Are you an electron? Because I got my ‘ion’ you.”

-junior Joo Kang

trees. Similarly, another prank took place in 2008 when they claimed to have discovered flying penguins and even showed an elaborate video featuring Terry Jones walking with penguins in Antarctica and following their flight to the Amazon rainforest.

“I find the pranks from the BBC adorable – it’s nice to see that a major news provider can still enjoy a holiday in style,” junior Renee Romana said. “The pranks they have are usually hilarious without really freaking anyone out, which seems like a mistake that it would be dire for a source as big as them to make.”

Other programs, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), have also had their fair share of April Fools’ pranks. In 2008, the CBC radio program “As It Happens” interviewed a Royal Canadian Mint spokesman who announced the plans to replace the five-dollar bill with a three-dollar coin, which was later nicknamed “threenie”.

In the United States, a local Bostonian radio station sardonically stated that Boston mayor Thomas Menino had been killed in a car accident. Menino, who happened to be on a flight at the time, could not be reached and rumors spread of his sudden death and listeners began to believe the hoax. The pair were fired shortly thereafter once stations announced the prank.

“I think that many of the international pranks are hilarious since they fool so many people and cause a mass panic,” junior Marissa Einhorn said. “Some of the pranks, however, take it too far. Saying that someone is dead is not funny, even on a holiday made for jokes and humor, and frankly I’m glad the pair were fired.”

Over the years at Jefferson students have participated in a variety of April Fools’ pranks such as a simple tale to a friend that is an elaborate version of the truth or the classic gum case that zaps your hand when you reach for piece. Last year, one student brought in cupcakes and other treats and offered them to her classmates and close friends.

These students gladly accepted the filling, not knowing that she had dedicated hours the previous night to fill these treats with spicy fillings and mayonnaise.

“One year, I put ketchup packets under the toilet seats, so that when people sat down, ketchup would spray everywhere,” junior Nihar Gudiseva said. “I didn’t see their reactions, but based on the yelling in the bathroom, I felt content with my prank.”

The administration also took part in the April Fools’ Day celebrations with their own tricks. Various teachers had pop quizzes that were either incredibly hard and didn’t count once the students finished or incredibly easy and asked a humorous question at the end.

One memorable prank from the previous year, however, is the mustaches added to every student’s picture on Intranet for the entire day.

“Prior to last year’s April Fools’ joke, I didn’t think anything school-sponsored for April Fools’ could be anything but slightly amusing,” junior Thai Le said. “So, when I logged onto Intranet and Facebook last year and saw how other students really liked them and ended up putting mustaches on their profile pictures, I got a renewed sense of why I love the Jefferson community.”

Both internationally and within the walls of Jefferson, April Fools’ Day is a day filled with laughter, pranks, and hoaxes that will be talked about for many years to come.

“I love April Fools’ Day as it’s a great time to scare your family and not be reprimanded for it,” Ganley said. “I always look forward to pranking people because it’s a nice time to be silly around others.”

graphic by Anshula Rudhraraju

Clubs add a dot of comedy to the day “Why are kleptomaniacs bad at comedy?

Because they always take things literally.”

-sophomore Geetika Mahajan

“My favorite jokes and comedic material come from Saturday Night Live. I love the way the cast thinks of the most ridiculous events of today in pop culture.”

-freshman Anshu Sharma photos and reporting by Sandy Cho

by Sandy Cho allowing students to be imaginative.

News Editor “Improv Club is all about letting all your inhibitions go and Despite the stress found at Jefferson due to tall piles of home- letting the creativity flow,” senior Jordan Goodson said. “If work and rigorous tests to study for, several students have you’re ever in a tight spot in something like a presentation, beengineered a way to introduce humor into their lives. With a ing able to do a little improv can really help you out.” press of a red record button and a witty script to brighten anySimilar to Dot Comedy, the club allows students to be inone’s day, the new eighth period club known as Dot Comedy ventive and find release during their stressful days. aims to create comedic sketches, akin to those seen on YouTube.

“I like Improv Club because it offers students a chance “Dot Comedy has been working on an introductory sketch to relax and relieve stress while putting on some fun perforfor the channel, and we’ve started working on a spin-off of ‘Kids mances,” junior Gavin Moore said.“It offers the TJ community React’ with TJ students,” junior and co-founder Pegah Moradi skill-building in areas of creative thinking as well as on the spot said. “At the beginning of the year, we worked on scriptwriting public speaking.” techniques and formats.”

First founded by Moradi and junior James Jung, Dot Comedy was developed after Moradi discovered that Jung and her had similar visions for a sketch comedy club. The club expanded to include other officers, such as juniors Michael Erikson as treasurer and Justin Bui as executive producer.

“Overall we just want to make everybody smile a little more, and to just have fun,” Moradi said. “We’re all involved because we enjoy filmmaking, scriptwriting and fun, and we want to not only produce cool stuff, but also have fun while we do so.”

After moving to the trailers outside of Weyanoke Elementary School, the club faced setbacks in terms of their original filming plans. However, members are currently working so that next year, they will be able to produce more videos at a faster rate.

“I really hope that Dot Comedy becomes efficient so we chug out new videos faster. Right now, we’re way too slow for my liking but we’ll get better,” Jung said. “We’re trying to expand different genres of videos.” photo by Esther Kim However, Dot Comedy is not the only club that provides relief through humorous acting and witty repartees. Improv Juniors Pegah Moradi, James Jung and Justin Bui record their Club at Jefferson focuses on impromptu speeches and banter, comedy skit during Dot Comedy, an eighth period activity.

features

april 4, 2014

13

BABY BO M photo courtesy of Little Moon Photography, Hana Rhee andScott Campbell

Multiple teachers and administrators take extended absences to care of their families and newborns ence.

“Having a baby gives you an insight to the developmental time period where humans do not have any functionality and are completely dependent,” Glazer said. “I am learning through trying a lot of different things and a lot of trial and error. It’s like a big experiment: I have to think about how can I set the conditions right for the baby to feel comfortable.”

In addition to the warm welcome that Glazer’s son received, math teacher Hana Rhee also introduced her baby girl, Kate Rhee, to the Jefferson community after she was born on Aug. 24. Because Rhee had to take an extended leave to take care of her daughter, her students were taught by long-term substitute Joseph Ramunni until November. Now, however, she is now back to teaching her classes, though she has had to sacrifice other school-related activities.

“It is incredibly hard to teach outside of school hours since I have to drop off and pick up the baby close to school hours,” Rhee said. “I have to fully prepare for the classes and grade papers during my planning period and lunch, so I try to be as efficient with my time as much as possible.”

While incredibly happy with the birth of her daughter, Rhee admits that balancing her family life and teaching career it has been stressful.

“While expecting, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to have a baby that I would have to be fully responsible for, but now it’s juggling time and getting things done,” Rhee said. “There is never any time to relax but I wouldn’t want it any other way. She makes my life truly special.”

Another faculty member that recently welcomed a new member into his family is history teacher Scott Campbell. His son, Jedidiah David Campbell, was born on Jan. 31. While Campbell agrees that having his son has cut back on his time available for sleeping, grading papers and planning hours, he wouldn’t change it for the photo courtesy of Evan Glazer world.

“Having a child makes Luke Preston Glazer was born on Feb. 21 to Principal Evan Glazer and wife Jen Glazer.

by Stav Nachum Features Editor On Feb. 21, students across all grade levels rejoiced at the news of Luke Preston Glazer’s birth. With many congratulations and compliments spreading to the new parents through various social media websites, it seemed that the entire school played an active part in welcoming the new baby.

As another addition to this year’s baby count for the Jefferson community, Glazer’s son was welcomed with open arms by both students and faculty. Even when Glazer took a few days off to take care for his wife and newborn baby at home, the administration temporarily took over some of his duties to allow him to spend time with his new family.

“After the baby was born, I had to rely on a lot of teammates to help coordinate certain responsibilities in my absence while I was taking care of my wife,” Glazer said. “I am grateful that when people face personal circumstances, their colleagues surround them by sharing additional responsibilities.”

Even though caring for a newborn son may be demanding, Glazer believes that there are many entertaining and heartwarming moments that make it an incredible experi-

photo courtesy of Shawn DeRose

Shawn DeRose and his wife Mary Kate DeRose welcomed their third child and first son, Jack DeRose, on Sept. 19.

your life more unpredictable; it is one of the most worthy callings in the world,” Campbell said. “I love my son, but he only loves playing Scrabble and pooping himself.”

Although he is not a first-time parent, assistant principal Shawn DeRose also welcomed a new child, Jack DeRose, into his family on Sept. 19, and he took a week off from school to take care of his wife and children.

“My house is a bit more chaotic but, my time at TJ hasn’t necessarily changed,” Derose said. It just requires a lot more planning in advance now that I have three kids.”

Though teachers and administrators, just like DeRose, have many worries regarding their new additions to their families, most of them agree that the bundle of joy is worth the stress.

“It was always more stressful for me before the baby arrives. You worry about the health of the baby and your wife,” DeRose said. “Even though I took a week off after the baby was born, hopefully it didn’t have a negative effect on my job responsibilities. It believe that it was a fairly smooth transition.”

Mythvestigations holds second annual science fair for elementary and middle school level students

by Anshula Rudhraraju Features Editor Middle school students eagerly gather around for Mythvestigations annual science fair.

The fair was intended for elementary and middle school students in grades five through eight. The science fair is completely Jefferson-sponsored STEM outreach event that was hosted for the past two years. This year’s second annual science fair took place on March 22 at McLean High School with a grand total of 26 projects. The science fair was organized solely by the Mythvestigations team and funded by bake sales and the One Question grant money.

“Being able to see the fruit of our year-long efforts, all coming together, was very satisfying,” junior Anusha Saga said. “The entire fair ran smoothly from set-up and judging sessions to the award ceremony.”

The mission of the eighth period was originally to conduct simple experiments and do some mythbusting, inspired from the hit television show “Mythbusters.” The club comprised of officers junior Tara Abrishami, junior Anusha Saga, junior Mimi Nguyen, and senior Tina Joseph, wanted to make videos of their experiments and distribute them to local middle schools to expose students to science. Then the club decided that it would be better to host a science fair.

Judges for the fair were Jefferson volunteerss and several Jefferson students also presented their own research from Intel, Siemens, ISEF, and other major science competitions to expose the younger students to high-school research and engage their interest in science.

“I felt that it was unfortunate that most students don’t get exposed to science fairs

before high school when they get plunged into ultra-competitive science fair events with little previous experience,” Abrishami said. To fix this, we decided to host a science fair for middle shcool students.”

Although the science fair is over, Mythvestigations is looking forward to doing more experiments.

“After the science fair, I am looking forward to do a social experiment,” Abrishami said. “We tried it once before, but it was a disaster. I ended falling pretty dramatically in the middleof the hallway bruising my arms pretty badly, scaring just about photo by Anshula Rudhraraju everyone in the im- Middle school students share their science fair projects at mediate vicinity.”

McLean High School with other students, parents and judges.

14

features

april 4, 2014

PilotDC takes off The new coding competition that replaced the Hackathon inspires young computer scientists

by Anshula Rudhraraju Features Editor Maryland. 2:00 a.m. Several students are sprawled on the seventh floor of the Microsoft office building in sleeping bags. Others are hunched over their laptops, leaning against the wall, typing furiously. And some are planning out their projects on a white board, actively discussing potential obstacles with their group. It’s past the half-way mark for PilotDC and many students are close to finishing their applications.

Replacing Jefferson’s annual Hackathon, PilotDC is a 24-hour long coding event, which took place on March 29 and 30. Students formed teams, brainstormed ideas and worked together to bring one of those ideas to life using technology. Later, they demonstrated and pitched the applications or websites for an opportunity to win awards and prizes.

Students also had the opportunity to interact with local engineers and designers who mentored them over the course of the day.

PilotDC is the fourth Hackathon hosted by Pilot, a national organization, founded by mostly Jefferson alumni, which hosts hands-on academic events for students. The founding team for Pilot includes co-founders class of 2013 alumni Mayank Jain Alex Sands, brand-director Gabe Boning, and several regional representatives, including regional representation for DC, sophomore Peter Andringa. There was also a local team of Jefferson students comprising of senior Amy Kim, juniors Katherine Van Kirk, Ani Chandra, Anant Das, Jeevan Karamsetty, and sophomore Anna Klaussen.

“Everyone enjoyed HackTJ so much last year and we think that PilotDC will have the same fun, educational atmosphere at a larger scale,” sophomore Peter Andringa said. “In the end our goal for Pilot is to be a positive force for computer science education and to get high school students excited about all the cool things they can build.”

The event was open to all high school students interested in programming, experienced and amateurs alike. It served as a platform for students who wanted to build an actual application that can be used in real life, and many of the participating students lacked prior coding experience.

“I liked PilotDC because it gave me an opportunity to learn how to cooperate with three other people without being sleep-deprived and make an application at the same time,” sophomore Alison Hau said.

As an overnight competition, students came armed with a laptop, charger, extension cord, cell phone and presentation clothes for demos or final pitches. And for security reasons, students were not allowed to leave after arrival. There were no guidelines on how to dress for the event, but students were encouraged to dress sharply for the demo on March 30.

Although some students lacked teams prior to PilotDC, sessions were held to help people find team members or form teams.

There were also idea generation workshops to help students think of ideas to work on for their event.

Contestants were not allowed to work on their apps prior to the event, but they were encouraged to use services like Code Academy and web tutorials so that they could gain knowledge prior to the competition. Students interested in building Android or iPhone applications were encouraged to download Android Software Development Kit (SDK) or XCODE a few days before the competition started.

The judges for the competition include Dan Berger, founder and CEO of Social Tables; Brittany Heyd, one of the members of the founding team for 1776; Paul Singh, founder and CEO of Disruption Corporation; Jefferson Computer Science (CS) teacher Ria Galanos; and Ashish Jaiman, startup lead for Microsoft.

Overall, students enjoyed having the opportunity to learn how to learn.

“At PilotDC we want to help teach students all the skills needed to be entrepreneurs,” Andringa said.

“And the presentations gives students a chance to show off their projects and develop their sales skills.”

“I liked PilotDC because it gave me an opportunity to learn how to cooperate with three other people and make an app at the same time.”

-sophomore Alison Hau

Using PHP, HTML, CSS and mySQL, sophomore Pheobe Whitmore creates a tutoring website connecting students to peer tutors during PilotDC on March 29.

Photo courtesy of Will Ryu

Class of 2004 alumna writes her ticket to success

by Stav Nachum Features Editor Walking down the halls of Jefferson for the first time since her graduation, alumna Meagan Spooner was struck with déjà vu as the narrow hallways, her favorite lunch spot and the memorable Audlob seemed to bring back her past full force. She could practically see her old high school friends and their many explorations and celebrations through the halls of Jefferson. It was this trip down memory lane that reminded Spooner what it was that she had loved about Jefferson all those years ago.

“There’s a culture at TJ that you don’t find at most public schools—that smart isn’t only okay, it’s cool. Being high-achieving is cool. Being driven, having goals and going after them, is not just okay, it’s admirable,” Spooner said. “There’s a lot of construction going on right now, and maybe it won’t look like what I remember once it’s done, but for now I can still see exactly where I sat with my friends every day at lunch. It was surreal to see the school again.”

After graduating from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, Spooner, having considered working as an astronaut, a marine biologist and an archaeologist, took another path. After a series of jobs in television that didn’t work well for her, Spooner realized her lifelong dream when she published her debut novel “Skylark,” the first of a trilogy, in 2012.

Spooner’s writing career continued with the publication of her second novel, “These Broken Stars,” the first novel in the “Starbound” trilogy, which she co-wrote with Amie Kaufman in 2013. Named the best overall young adult novel of 2013 by the Huffington Post, this novel was a bestseller among teen readers. Another book, “Shadowlark,” the sequel to Skylark, was released in 2013 as well. Currently she is working on the final installment of the Skylark trilogy in addition to the final two novels in the Starbound trilogy.

“I decided to be an author when I was four years old, so it’s been a lifelong goal for me. It never occurred to me, however, that I could be the full-time novelist I am now, so even as a kid I assumed I’d have some other job,” Spooner

said. “I’m pretty sure I’d starve if I wasn’t an author.”

Having gotten her first three-book deal at the age of 25, and then a second three-book deal six months later, Spooner continues to write the next books in both of her trilogies.

As a result, she has a polished and effective writing process for her novels that allows her to maintain her tight writing schedule.

“My process is different for each book, and my sources of inspiration are different as well. In general, I spend a long time—often months—just thinking about the story, letting it percolate and steep in the various bits of idea fragments floating around in my head, before I ever start writing,” Spooner said. “Once I do begin, I write from start to finish without stopping or deviating. I don’t outline, I don’t write out of order.”

With her writing process allowing her to complete three books already with three more in the making, Spooner is just at the start of her writing career. She believes that once these two trilogy deals are completed, she will most likely continue her life as an author with several additional novels.

“These days, I tend to admire people more for who they are and less for their achievements,” Spooner said. “Growing up, I wanted desperately to be Neil Gaiman and Jo Rowling and Joss Whedon—and while my admiration for them and their work is still just as fierce, I feel much less driven to become them for their careers. I think that way lies jealousy, which tears your creativity down rather than build it up.”

Spooner’s career has been successful thus far and provides current Jefferson students with the inspiration and example of an alumna following her dreams. As such, Spooner was eager to provide the many current students with some valuable advice.

“My advice for TJ students, specifically, is this: Take a deep breath. No, really. I almost never stopped, when I was in high school, because at TJ you feel like you can’t,” Spooner said. “It’s all perspective. You actually have so much more time than you realize to achieve the things you want.” photos by Stav Nachum

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16

education

and

april 4, 2014

OUT

School community reflects on admissions and graduation issues

by Ellen Kan Managing Editor As the school year trundles on despite the mercurial weather, many students find themselves in the last sprint towards the finish line. For each class, the close of the third quarter and the opening of the fourth means something different, whether it is the senior reflecting on the bittersweet emptying of the proverbial high school hourglass, or the freshman finally settling into his own niche within Jefferson’s dynamic community.

However, this time of year is also significant for another group of students: the rising freshmen, the incoming class of 2018 that will serve as the new addition to the Jefferson family.

Admissions notifications for the rising freshman class were delivered electronically on April 4, a week after the intended date due to the inclement weather. As per usual, 480 students were offered admission, while 50 were placed on the waiting list.

There were, however, some changes made to this year’s admissions process. Most notably, the admissions office revised their evaluation of student candidates by instituting a holistic approach. The previous admissions process, which was used for the class of 2017 and earlier, judged a candidate’s application by combining individual evaluations for each of the five components – GPA, entrance exam scores, essay scores, teacher recommendations and the Student Information Sheet (SIS).

According to Jeremy Shughart, the Director of Admissions, the holistic approach will help address some of the concerns that were brought to the school board.

“The holistic approach allows the selection committee the opportunity to review all components for each candidate at one time,” Shughart said. “It provides us with an individualized way to assess a student’s capabilities, and it gives us a balanced consideration of a student’s experiences, academic attributes and recommendations so that we can review a student as a whole. We’ve refined the process to select a student body that continues to meet the goals of the school board’s policy and the TJ mission statement.”

Another change to the admissions process for the class of 2018 and beyond include decreasing the number of required essays from two to one and allowing the essay to be typed at home along with the SIS.

Some people have attributed the modifications to the admissions process to the class of 2015, which has been under the spotlight due to the unusually high number of students that have transferred out. As of March 18, the number of juniors enrolled at Jefferson stands at 425, compared with the enrollment numbers for the senior, sophomore and freshman classes, which are, respectively, 455, 471 and 470.

However, low numbers do not always reflect low achievement, as only a few students left Jefferson because they failed to meet the B-average policy. In fact, a number of students transferred out of Jefferson due to their family’s jobs.

“My dad found a compelling job in Silicon Valley, and we decided to move,” junior Faazilah Mohamed, who has changed eight schools in the last 10 years, said. “If I had known that I was going to leave TJ earlier, I would have definitely tried to utilize more of the unique resources that aren’t found in other high schools.”

While some students leave due to perceived academic struggles, others come to realize that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is not their calling.

Junior Jessica Hu decided to transfer back to her base school after realizing that her career interests lay in the fine arts and music fields.

“I honestly don’t regret my decision to transfer to base school,” Hu said. “I think it’s important to pursue what you’re passionate about, and I just didn’t have time to adequately balance what I am passionate about with schoolwork. However, I can’t say that I have no regrets about leaving; TJ has a wonderful community that’s built on trust and independence, and the environment is hardly the same at base school.”

The Jefferson administration also acknowledges that numbers cannot accurately give a full picture of a group of students. For example, the class of 2015 has been subject to a series of circumstances such as the new economics and personal finance requirement, as well as more prerequisites for senior research labs.

In light of these recent discussions, students have taken the time to reflect on their Jefferson experience.

“I’m actually really glad I’m a froshmore because it keeps everything about TJ in perspective,” senior Joey Valery said.

“Especially with college decisions coming out, everyone should realize that you can honestly succeed anywhere if you just let yourself enjoy that place.”

480 470

2012

Number of enrolled students

460

2013

450

2,953

2014

440 430

2015

420

2016

410

2017

400

2,577

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

Class End of Freshman Year

End of Senior Year

3,119 3,310 3,423 3,121

2016

Number of Applicants photos, graphics and reporting by Ellen Kan

Why TJ? As eighth graders receive word on their acceptance, current students reflect on why they chose Jefferson.

freshman Kana Griffin “TJ has great STEM programs and also programs for those invested in the arts or social studies.”

freshman Caroline Cox “I didn’t realize that the community was so close and spirited until I started here. I’ve never seen an atmosphere like this.”

sophomore Andy Charbonneau “TJ has a stronger focus on the STEM subjects and a little more interactive learning.”

junior Siva Somayyajula “The immersion in tech made me want to go to TJ on my own volition.

The tech classes at base schools were lacking.”

Left: number of students enrolled in each class at the end of freshman year (blue) and the end of senior year (red). Numbers for the classes of 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 are current enrollment numbers as of March 18. Right: number of applicants for the classes of 2012-2017. All information courtesy of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the TJ Admissions Office and the Department of Student Services. Infographics were made on Infogr.am.

senior Priya Raju

“I chose TJ because of the senior tech labs. I thought it would be intriguing to put together four years of learning into one culminating project for our final year.”