November 2015

6560 BRADDOCK RD. ALEXANDRIA, VA 22312

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Students fear failure, but can they ever benefit from it?

WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR

Students reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving

CHEMISTRY AND ERIC BETZIG tjTODAY interviews Nobel Laureate

NOTEWORTHY ENTERTAINMENT Staff picks albums and artists to watch

IN-DEPTH || 6 THE HIDDEN FACE OF FAILURE

THE MAGAZINE

NOV. 19, 2015 || VOL 1 ISSUE 3 || www.tjtoday.org

DEMAND PERFECTION TJTODA Y DISANXIETY REGRET APPOINTMENT CONFIDENCE SUCCESS FRUS TRATION THE RESILIENCE FAILURE STRUGGLE TOLERANCE DILEMMA MOTIVATION EXPECTATION POSITIVITY PEER DIFFICULTY AID MIND14 17 31 SET THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECH || ALEXANDRIA, VA

CONTENTS 5

Providing students with a “LIFT” in-depth

6 12 14

A new perspective on failure Renovation: First step to success Thankful Thursday SCI AND TECH

16

An interview with Nobel Prize Winner Eric Betzig SPORTS

20

XC concludes season at championships

OPINION

25

Twitter gives favor to ‘likes’ ENTERTAINMENT

28

Jennifer Lawrence fights pay inequality in Hollywood

WHAT I'VE LEARNED

32

Teacher Michael Auerbach

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ANJALI KHANNA, ESTHER KIM TEAM LEADERS ANKIT AGRAWAL, KATE DENG, KATHERINE DU, ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, UZMA RENTIA DESIGN EDITOR KATE DENG BROADCAST EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS MELANIE KURAPATTI, ALEXA NGUONLY BUSINESS MANAGER PATRICK TOULME STAFF REPORTER JINY CHO, MIJIN CHO, KATHERINE HUGHES, SRUTHI JAYARAMAN, SABRIA KAZMI, ANGEL KIM, EMMALYN KIM, MADELINE OLD, AVNI SINGH, NIKITA SIVAKUMAR ADVISER ERINN HARRIS

NewsMAKERS

NEWS

News

tjTODAY is the official newsmagazine of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology published by the journalism staff.

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.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Jiao

Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Police Department

PHOTO // Alexa Nguonly

nt

NEWS

3

NOV 19, 2015 Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER

HOW HAS THIS EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU BECOME A BETTER CELLIST? Playing in a group demands accurate counting, intonation that agrees with other cellos and other strings, and most importantly, knowing that you’re not the main character.

BACKSTORY Andrew Jiao is a fourth-year cellist for Senior Regional Orchestra, a group of talented student musicians who play a concert after three days of rehearsals. “Joyeuse Marche” by Emmanuel Chabrier and “Rumanian WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE Rhapsody no.1” by Georges Enesco MOMENT FROM THIS ACTIVITY? were a few of the pieces featured in In sophomore year, one of the really this year’s program. The concert was important bells fell off at the wrong performed by both orchestra and time. The percussionist improvised and band students in Northern Virginia. played another one that didn’t change

the harmony, so it still sounded good. As musicians, we can’t focus on that -- our eyes are always on the music and our minds always counting -- but internally, I think all of us gave that guy the MVP award for not screwing up when it counted.

WHAT PIECES ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO PERFORMING? This year, unfortunately, it’s not that great. With an honors level orchestra like this, in my opinion, it’s a waste of an opportunity to not program some more exciting and challenging music.

So to be able to impact kids who are CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME A LITTLE BIT from different ethnic backgrounds and ABOUT THE EXPLORER PROGRAM? for them to say, “I see now that this BACKSTORY Kids in high school are eligible for the is a positive thing and I want to a law Fairfax County Public Schools awards program if they’re interested in a career employees for excellence in teaching in law enforcement. It doesn’t necessarily enforcement officer,” that gives me a great sense of pride. students and leading and supporting have to be police work, it could be schools. This year, resource officer corrections, probation, juvenile services, HOW DID YOU FEEL BEING NOMINATED Monica Meeks, won the Outstanding working in courts, or just anything law FOR THE SECOND TIME? Performance award for her work enforcement related.

It was really sweet that somebody I with the Fairfax County Police don’t even work directly for noticed and Department’s Explorer program.

HOW DOES THIS PROGRAM IMPACT YOU? observed all the hard work, because Recipients of the award receive a Because of everything that’s been sometimes I think we put hard work into coffee mug, an administration day, happening in society, the perceptions things and we’re not sure if it’ll pay off or and a 200 dollar reward. of law enforcement right now aren’t if anybody will notice it. that great, especially with race relations.

Avni Singh || STAFF WRITER

said. “I participated in a similar HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT THAT YOU WON THE TRIP program in Japan this summer, so I think broadening my experiences is BACKSTORY TO GERMANY? After being accepted through an “I couldn’t believe it,” Kumar said. “I interesting.” extensive application process, seniors had wanted to go last year but I wasn’t Satvika Kumar and Omar Saracevic old enough. Not only am I psyched to WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING will head to Germany on an allvisit internationally renowned research FORWARD TO DURING THE TRIP? “I’m looking forward to being with a expenses paid STEM trip, sponsored institutions, but I am also excited to host German student, and to get to by the Goethe Institute, from meet German peers who have the experience German culture and high Nov. 28 to Dec. 6. Saracevic and same interests in scientific research school,” Saracevic said.

Kumar, alongside ten other students and exploration.”

“I am really excited to visit from the U.S., will visit famous “It was crazy because I know a Volkswagen Autostadt and tour the parts of Germany and its research bunch of my friends last year won VW plant,” Kumar said. institutions. it and I was really interested to go to Germany this year,” Saracevic Ankit Agrawal || TEAM LEADER

DESIGN // KATHERINE DU

4 NEWS Renovation Update

CUTTING IT CLOSE: BUDGET CUTS UPDATE INFOGRAPHIC // KATHERINE DU, SABRIA KAZMI, MADELINE OLD

Statistics based on the percentage of Budget Task Force members in agreement with proposed cuts.

Design and Construction could turn over the followign areas from mid- to late-November: The Dome The Alfred Noble Commons

Main Office, Mail Room, Attendance Office Principal’s Conference Room Career Center Rosalind and Benjamin Franklin Commons Student Leadership Room Food Vending Kiosk (additional serving line) Two Health and Physical Education Classrooms Art Gallery GRAPHIC // KATE DENG

- 75 - 50 MILLION MILLION

Increase the student parking fee from $200 to $300

93.55%

Charge a fee of $200 per sport per student

90.32% 90.32%

100%

Require students to pay all test 83.87% 87.10% and registration fees for AP/IB tests Require students to pay all test 77.42% 90.32% and registration fees for PSATs tests Exclude students enrolled in online and academy classes from the calculation of base school teacher allocations for high school

74.19% 87.10%

Eliminate the one day of late bus service for high schools

67.74% 83.87%

Eliminate freshman athletic teams

58.06% 58.06%

Increase the class size formula 41.94% 74.19% for high schools by 0.25/1, respectively, students per teacher

NEWS

5

NOV. 19, 2015

Providing students with a “LIFT”:

Learning Through Inquiry, Fellowship, and Tutoring LIFT uses a portion of their grant money to buy educational resources for lower-income students.

Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER

Sixty-seven percent of students at Jefferson are of Asian descent, while 24 percent of the school population is white, according to Fairfax County Public School’s TJHSST Admissions Statistics for Classes of 2016-2019. In recent years, the competitive admissions test has led to a decrease in a culturally diverse community of learners. This situation is said to be partially caused by the reduced amount of materials and mentors that economically disadvantaged students have access to when preparing for the admissions test; many students with potential are not given an equal opportunity to improve their performance as compared to students with more resources. In response to this concern, teachers and administrators have actively put forth efforts to support students of lower socioeconomic status in their desire to study at Jefferson.

Learning Through Inquiry, Fellowship, and Tutoring (LIFT), is a program created

by Principal Evan Glazer and Assistant Principal Shawn Frank to help students that might not otherwise have access obtain useful resources when preparing for Jefferson’s admission process. The program promotes diversity in the Jefferson student body, providing a boost to give underrepresented groups the same preparation opportunities that higher income families can afford.

“This was something that was a concern to both myself and Dr. Glazer, because we have similar backgrounds,” Frank said. “We’re first generation college attendees, we came from a situation where our parents tried to provide the most but

did not have a lot. So we wanted to create a program where we could help kids who have similar backgrounds as ourselves, to make sure they had the opportunities to come to school at Thomas Jefferson.”

needs on top of the cost of the course.

LIFT is currently reaching out to students as part of the development process.

“Applications just were closed Oct. 16, and then from there, they process The program is funded by a hundred everything and you have the exam, which thousand dollar grant from the Jack Kent is the first weekend in December,” Frank Cooke Foundation. Countless schools said. “Right now, between students who across the country applied for the two-year attended the Middle School Institute or grant, but it was only offered to a total of students who still wanted to RSVP to be in six or seven of them. a program, we ended up with 99 kids. Out of those 99 kids, we ended up with 80 of “For a lot of tutoring programs you them who applied to Thomas Jefferson.” have here, you might work with tools LIFT strives to offer comprehensive mentor instruction for scoring well on “We make sure the Jefferson application process, despite that they are able to having members enroll later. At this time, other students may have already been get on that path to studying for the test.

taking classes that they want to take to get to where they want to go.”

-Assisstant Principal Shawn Frank

“With the LIFT program, we still only get students in, say seventh grade,” Frank said. “But it’s still trying to fill in those blanks that maybe no students were able to have access to, prior to eighth grade it’s tough.”

Frank mentions a priority of LIFT is not solely to get participants into Jefferson, but rather to spark long term academic growth for helping students uncover their interests.

that are adjacent to Thomas Jefferson,” Frank said. “LIFT is a program that pulls students from not only Fairfax County, but the surrounding counties that make up “Even though LIFT members might Thomas Jefferson.” not go to TJ, they’ll probably get one of the Through LIFT, Jefferson teachers offer best educations in just about every other test preparation for eighth graders seeking Fairfax County public school,” Frank said.

“And then [we] make sure when they go admission to the school. Another benefit there, that they are able to get on that path is access to scholarships for the summer Middle School Technology Institute, which to taking classes that they want to take to covers students’ transportation and lunch get to where they want to go.”

IN-DEPTH= DESIGN || ESTHER KIM, ANJALI KHANNA

From the A-, th e

F and all the gr

ades in betwee

ER D I S CON

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E R U L I A F

WH

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E W O AT D

n

...and can it be beneficial? || STAFF

To senior Saroj Chintakrindi, the word “failure” is a memory.

“The first time I applied to TJ, I was rejected,” Chintakrindi said.

“I failed to meet not only my own expectations, but also the expectations of those around me.”

After taking the time to think about his experience, he was able to channel it towards self-betterment and eventually meet his initial goal.

“To me, failure means redefining myself,” Chintakrindi said. “It means

questioning what I did wrong and what I could do better [next time].

Failure is a path to a better me.”

Academia is an amalgamation of high and low points. Scoring high on a test or achieving a five on an AP exam are reasons for celebration, but unsatisfactory academic moments are just as common. “Failure” is an unavoidable aspect of life, but the negative connotation associated with the word can be discouraging and adverse to students’ mental state. “[After failing once], the mindset

gains a foothold,” senior Vikram Gupta said. “You feel sorry for yourself and lose the determination to achieve success.”

Failure transcends getting a low grade on a test. It can also be applied internally: failing to meet personal standards or goals. When it comes to school, success and failure are often subjective terms. What some may perceive as a satisfactory grade or result, others see as a crushing disappointment.

“To me, failure is when I get

IN-DEPTH

7

NOV 19, 2015

“THIS TEST D

EFINES MY F

“MY a result that does not meet my expectations,” sophomore Emily Wang said. “Failure is when I know I could have done better.”

Failing can feel especially disappointing after the hard work a student invests does not come to fruition.

“Students start to feel incapable or worthless if they feel like they’re constantly failing, and as a result, they lose the confidence and motivation necessary to succeed,” junior Mina Nowroozi said. “It is a vicious cycle.”

The feeling of failure can play a major role at Jefferson. As a school with immense focus on academics, it can become tough for students to accept grades that they may not have been expecting. Furthermore, it may be difficult for them to realize that it will take much more to reach the expectations they hope to meet.

Are We Too Scared to Fail?

“I think that for a lot of students that come to TJ, they have gotten all straight-A’s in middle school and TJ

.”

ESS L H T R

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EL W E F I “

UTURE.”

ING.”

ERYTH V E E R A S E D GRA

Common worries about the concept of failure among highachieving students can create a culture of tension and stress.

is ‘TJ’ - it’s much harder and that’s obviously on purpose,” counselor Kacey McAleer said. “The students that are here are meant to be here, and they want a challenge, but when you get your first ‘curvy grade’ on your report card, first semester or first quarter freshman year, it could be kind of scary because you’ve never had that type of ‘failure.’ The TJ curriculum is meant to challenge students but we want students to do their best and be the best student they can be. The first curvy grade isn’t to be taken as a failure, but a lesson that one needs to adapt and change what they are doing to prepare for that course.”

As disappointing as “failure” can seem at first, it provides the means to change one’s habits to improve for the next time around. Performing below expectations compels students to consider why they underperformed and how they can alter their habits to meet their goals for the next assignment. Failure wakes students from their stupor and forces them to find flaws in their study methods so they can address the problem before it is too late.

“Every time I’ve failed a test, I used the incorrect problems to help me score better [on the next one],”

freshman Sahra Yusuf said. “This can easily be applied to sports, the arts, and interpersonal relationships.”

Though underperforming or failing to meet goals can have negative impacts on students and adults alike, the negative effect is generally only short-term. Ultimately, brushes with failure are necessary for growth and development. When everything comes easily and successfully, there is no value that comes from hard work invested to get to such a point.

Building tolerance to frustrations is necessary to build character as well as perseverance and resilience.

Such qualities do not come with effortless successes. It takes first-hand encounters with defeat to build lasting resilience.

A Learning Experience

“Failure is life’s way of kicking you down, and then giving you a helping hand ten feet away,” sophomore Akhil Rekulapelli said. “All you have to do to succeed is get through that ten feet, and then [life] will help you back up.”

Viewing failure as a learning experience helps students improve

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8 IN-DEPTH

Atychiphobia: Conquering my fear of failure Freshman Kayla Krieger reflects on the moments she let a fear of failing hinder her from achieving her personal goals, and how she overcame.

Denis Waitley, an American motivational speaker and writer, once said, “Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success.” The history of any successful person has many failures, Kayla Krieger || GUEST WRITER rejections and disappointments before they succeeded. Many world-changing events happened when people overcame their fear of failure, such as Jackie Robinson and the Little Rock Nine when they stood up against society and risked the possibility of failure to gain equal rights that changed the lives of African Americans in the United States.

Ever since I was a child, I didn’t fail at many things —academics, music or being obedient to my parents—I was good at them all. I thought failure was unacceptable because success was normal for me. However, as I got older, I had more responsibilities that caused me to make more mistakes. Every time I didn’t live up to my parent’s expectations, I felt as if I had failed. Fear can make someone feel child-like, vulnerable or not good enough. I felt like I wasn’t as good as I used to be when I made a mistake. Since then, I’ve had atychiphobia, a fear of failure. It has kept me and will keep me from taking so many important risks if I don’t overcome it.

I am a violinist in Jefferson’s Philharmonia Orchestra, right under the Symphonic Orchestra.

To be in any one of the orchestras, I was required to audition, and there was one excerpt that was required if I wanted to be in Symphonic. The

excerpt was a bit hard for my level of playing, but if I practiced it to the best of my ability, I had a good chance that I could play it well. Yet, I didn’t even try because if I made a mistake, I felt as if I would be rejected. It was my fear that kept me from reaching my full musical potential.

I remember first moving to Northern Virginia in seventh grade and hearing about Jefferson. I knew this was the perfect place for me, but I also knew that it was where all of the really smart students interested in science and technology came. The competition of being accepted was high, so I was scared of taking the test just in case I failed. Personally, I thought it was unacceptable and I would have low self-worth, but also because I thought that my teachers and colleagues would look down on me or think I was worse than what they had originally thought of me. I shouldn’t have been afraid, though, because I was accepted.

Although this helped me overcome this fear of failure a little bit, I still have atychiphobia.

An American author named George Dawson first learned to read at the age of 98 after having to work to support his family all of his life. At that advanced age, he decided to go to school to learn to read, but he didn’t focus on any of the stares, nasty jokes or even the possibility that he might not be able to do it. He knew it was something he wanted to do and didn’t let any obstacles get in the way of his goal, in which he succeeded and even wrote a book to share his experience.

I know that Jefferson is the perfect place for me, but it will also require a lot of effort to succeed. I will also fail a lot along the way, and also, just like the orchestra audition, I may choose not to do something because I don’t think I’ll succeed. However, like Dawson, I hope that TJ will help me remove those obstacles and overcome my fear of failure, and teach me that if I focus on what I did wrong, this temporary direction of failure could become a permanent one.

IN-DEPTH

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NOV 19, 2015 in the future. Instead of seeing failure as a dead end, students can see it as an ends to test, and then strengthen, their resolve. Failure does not define students’ self-worth, instead, it only encourages them to continue to work on improving themselves.

“Failure is giving up on yourself. If I studied as much as I could and went into a test confident in my knowledge of the material, I cannot fail,” senior Vikram Gupta said. “Whether I earn an A or an F, that is a success.

If I train as hard as I can for the wrestling season and get pinned in every match, I have not failed. Failure is a mindset, and that is a mindset that I will never accept.”

them to tweak their original plans and to form more manageable ones.

“I can think of examples of students who might go ahead and maybe do a BC Calculus class or an APUSH class... not thinking about what their strengths are, what their interests are, what their time is,” Smith said. “And then they fail and they realize, hopefully early on so they can make a change to what is more appropriate for them.”

Nonetheless, disappointment is an inevitable fact of life, regardless of whether or not one views it in a positive or negative light. When students experience failure, it is recommended for them to seek help from those who have learned to deal with these hardships effectively.

“If I train as hard as I can for the wrestling season and get pinned every match, I have not failed. Failure is a mindset, and that is a mindset I will never accept.”

Experiencing failure in some subjects allows students to discover what they truly hold a passion for pursuing in the future. This leads to better decision-making in career planning and helps students decide what fields to focus time and efforts toward.

“I think [students] should talk with the adults in their life, me included, and have that discussion, because nobody’s perfect, everyone has had failures, to find out from them how they had failures, and how the adult failed, and how’s a way to go from there,” Smith said.

- senior Vikram Gupta

“Sometimes it’ll get the student serious about their work and get them working harder or smarter, so [failure] can be positive,” counselor Andrea Smith said. “Plus, it can also tell them what they’re truly not interested in, because maybe they’re doing something not because they really like [it] or just because their friends are doing it and they’re not good at it.”

Students may choose a countless number of advanced courses for the next year, and later realize that they cannot handle the workload. Failure pushes

Just as failure will make a constant appearance in life, each time in a different form, a student’s response to it can also evolve. Maturing the way one responds to failure can be the deciding factor between taking a step forward or backward.

“A lot of students take failure as a damnation. They fail to recognize that they can come back from it and make themselves better,” Chintakrindi said. “It’s important for students to be resilient and bounce back from whatever low points they may go through.”

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TJ ON:

Defining Failure “Failure for me is not being able to meet my own expectations.”

- Freshman Elizabeth Ling

“I don’t believe any regretful situation or mistake is a failure unless that individual does not learn from it.”

- Junior Chris Cao

“I am the definition of failure.”

- Senior Anika Sindhwani

REPORTING || ANJALI KHANNA

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12 IN-DEPTH DESIGN , PHOTO || ANKIT AGRAWAL

GYM RENOVATION: THE FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS Recent renovation for Gym 1 has faced ups and downs thro

ughout its development

|| STAFF Follow @tjtoday_news

From the outside, pre-renovation Gym 1 looked completely run down with dusty floors and broken basketball nets, and its appearance even gained some sneers from its students. But despite its exterior appearance, prerenovation Gym 1 fostered years of school spirit through homecoming pep rallies and team sport.

Gym 1’s recently finished renovation features newly painted floors, high ceilings, windows that allow in plenty of sunlight and a new scoreboard. Though the appearance on the outside hasn’t changed the spirit-encouraging activities happening on the inside, it has definitely affected them, both raising and lowering the morale of students. Regardless, students were grateful that the renovation was finished as planned so homecoming week wouldn’t be altered.

“I’m glad it was finished in time for homecoming week because pep rallies are an essential part to TJ’s showcase of spirit which is absolutely amazing every year,” junior Ari Reddy said.

However, students who went to the Homecoming dance on Oct. 24 were all talking about one thing: the safety lights being on during the dance. Since different departments are in charge of different parts of construction, there are often unforeseen circumstances, such as the issue with the lighting, where the lights in Gym 1 were wired to the lights in the bus depot. Though this

is no longer an issue, it may have to be revisited in the future.

“You couldn’t have it pitch black in the bus depot, so they had the safety lights on in the gym, which also preserved the lights in the bus depot,”

“I think when other students from other schools come to our gym, we won’t be embarrassed about how old it might look to them.”

-sophomore Kanvi Shah

Assistant Principal Shawn Frank said.

“They’ve since worked that out and taken care of it.”

Another issue with the gym during

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

the Homecoming week pep rallies and dance the tarp on the floor, taking away from the ambience of the new gym and occasionally tripping students. The tarp was added in order to protect and preserve the $100,000-$200,000 floor from scratches. It is customary in many high schools to put down tarp when there are new floors because they have to be preserved for future graduating classes. Yet this also turned out to be a nuisance for students.

“It was a good idea because it protected the floors, but it was an obstruction to dancers during MEX,” sophomore Saket Bikmal said. “Also, it didn’t look good during the dance.”

Overall, students’ initial, displeased reactions to Gym 1 seem to have been replaced with an understanding of the situation.

Despite the inconveniences of the current precautions and the multiple adjustments during Gym 1’s construction this past year, students now look forward to use of the new school gym.

“Even with all its problems in the beginning, I’m still really glad Gym 1 opened up,” sophomore Kanvi Shah said. “It looks way better than the old gym, and I think when other students from other schools come to our gym, we won’t be embarrassed about how old it might look to them.”

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

IN-DEPTH

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NOV 19, 2015

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Kate Deng || TEAM LEADER Follow @kdeng_tjTODAY

Through the positives and negatives of renovation, MEX performances continue as planned

A

Little Party Never Killed Nobody” began playing on “Not only was the tarp not visually appealing, it was also Gym One’s loudspeakers. As senior dancers filed onto a hazard to performers because it was slippery or uneven and the tarped gym floors into formation, their eyes squinted added extra complications to an already chaotic performance,” as if they could feel the intensity of the afternoon sun on their junior Varun Iyengar said. faces.

Although students understand the want to keep the new floors clean and in top condition, many feel like there is no After a week full of spirit days and pep rallies, Jefferson point in prolonging the inevitable by possibly compromising students had already pretty much gotten used to the new gym. student’s safety.

With its new glossy floors and tiles on the walls sporting Jefferson colors, the gym renovations were refreshing.

“I love how the new floors have TJ written on them and the new walls have Jefferson’s colors,” senior Jeffrey Xia said. “It’s also perfect that gym one was introduced during homecoming week because it is the most spirited week of the year.”

One of the main renovation factors that affected MEX was the sunlight coming through the large windows that now tower over the gym. Although students recognize the everyday appeal of windows in the gym, many are afraid they will become a concern when students in gym class are playing basketball or other sports that require coordination and navigation. Another was the brown tarps covering the ground throughout the gym.

PHOTO || Ankit Agrawal

Senior Connor Jones performs in MEX for the homecoming pep rally.

LIGHTS AT DANCE ILLUMINATE RENOVATION DIFFICULTIES Lights on in Gym 1 affect the atmosphere for many attendees during the homecoming dance Katherine Hughes || STAFF WRITER Follow @khughes_tjTODAY

E

ven from outside the school, students could see strobe lights shining through the windows of Gym 1. As volunteers admitted them to the dance, students made “grand entrances” by walking through an arch of balloons on a red carpet.

Some students traveled to the Gandhi Commons for a photobooth session, but they could still hear the music the DJ played in Gym 1. Once students walked into the newly opened gym, they were greeted by a sea of dancing students and an upbeat DJ, but also a tarp covering the gym floor and lights that didn’t turn off.

Although many students complained that there were difficulties with using Gym 1 for homecoming after the dance, some didn’t mind. A tarp was placed on the gym floor to protect it from smudges made by high heels, but some students didn’t even notice the addition, while others even preferred the tarp to the bare gym floor.

“I liked using the tarp more,” sophomore Anusha Samant said.

“Last year we had to take our shoes off when we got to the gym because you can’t walk with high heels on the gym floor.”

Although students didn’t seem to mind the tarp, lights that didn’t

turn off in Gym 1 were an annoyance to others. Students felt that the lights staying on reminded them too much of a regular school day, yet again, some didn’t mind.

“I actually didn’t know about [the light malfunctions],” freshman MiJin Cho said. “I stepped out for most of the time.”

Although the lights have since been fixed, the issues with Gym 1 dissatisfied some students enough for them to wish the dance was held elsewhere. However, students acknowledged that other options weren’t really present.

“Yes, I would have preferred using another place for the dance because of the malfunctions,” Samant said. “But I don’t know which other places we could have used.”

Although strides have been made regarding renovations, as shown by the opening of Gym 1, students are still waiting for significant progress to be made.

“I think renovations in general are really slow, like turtle slow,” Cho said. “But it’s getting along great and that’s all I need.”

14 IN-DEPTH

THANKFUL THURSDAY

In anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday, students take a moment to reflect on what they appreciate “I’m thankful for family and friends. I’m especially thankful that my brother is coming home for Thanksgiving because I don’t see him that often.” -junior Selina Cheng “I’m thankful for going to a school where I can meet new people and make so many new, amazing, friends that I’d never would have met before, and I’m thankful for a family who supports me while I go to TJ.” -freshman Sophia Wang

I’M THANKFUL FOR...

“Living in the best country in the world, having great friends and family, Netflix.”

-senior Milan Bharadwaj

“I know sometimes I might be in high-stress mode but I also know that I’ll always have friends that I can talk to and find answers from. I am also thankful for wonderful parents that are always working to help me make the most of my high school experience. They sometimes have to dedicate a significant portion of their time to driving me from place to place.”

-senior Michael You

YES

NO

Data is comprised of 105 responses from Jefferson students. Each bag represents five students.

BLACK FRIDAY PARTICIPATION ON BLACK FRIDAY

FUN

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NOV 19, 2015

GIVING BACK DESIGN // KATHERINE DU

Opportunities to volunteer for charities and fundraisers

WHO: Bread for the City, a program that helps families get access to food, clothing, healthcare, and social services WHAT: Holiday Helpings, donate $29 for a turkey per family of four, start own drives and donate the money from the fundraisers, volunteer to package meals WHEN: Around Thanksgiving, dates for packaging meals throughout November WHERE: Online (breadforthecity.org), Bread for the City SE Center to package meals WHY: Funds to provide low-income DC residents with a Thanksgiving meal

WHO: So Others May Eat (SOME), an organization that helps the underprivileged and minorities in the D.C. area obtain food, clothing, and healthcare WHAT: Trot for Hunger WHEN: Thanksgiving Day, 8:30 a.m. for Kids’ One Mile Turkey Fun Run and 9 a.m. for 5k WHERE: Starts at Freedom Plaza, Washington DC, corner of 13th Street NW & Pennsylvania Ave NW WHO: Food and Friends, delivers meals and provides nutrition counseling to people with life-changing illnesses in D.C. WHAT: Buying and selling pies to raise money, each pie will provide for a full day of delivered meals to an ill child or adult WHEN: Until Nov. 19 WHERE: Selling pies around your community, order pies online (foodandfriends.org) 48

53

38

34

25

24

Other

Walmart

Target

18

Staples

Old Navy

Kohl’s

Kmart

8

Macy’s

12 JCPenny

12 IKEA

Home Depot

Costco

15

Sephora

17 Bed, Bath, Bey.

Banana Republic

20

Bath and Body Works

30

105 students polled, selecting multiple answers

34

American Eagle

Aeropostale

59

42

40

SHOPPING

es g

IN-DEPTH

sci & tech

LIGHTING THE WAY Uzma Rentia || Team Leader

T

hink “philanthropist” and Bill Gates immediately comes to many mind.

However, there is one corporate giant who has also decided to help the less fortunate: Manoj Bhargava, the chief executive officer and founder of 5-hour Energy, who has pledged to spend 99 percent of his wealth for solving the key issues of the world through technological developments.

“These days, when money is donated to an organization, it is simply shipped to that country in hopes that it is put to good use. But that does not have the impact as actually funding such inventions, which use practical materials that aren’t hard to obtain,” sophomore Natasha Narayanan said. “To make a real difference people need to invest, not just donate.”

Bhargava has funneled his billions into a “Stage 2” invention shop equipped with resources for inventing products aimed to benefit the poor, improve health and maximize the Earth’s resources.

The shop’s most promising invention is a 100 percent eco-friendly bicycle hybrid called “Free Electric.” Pedaling the bicycle for one hour generates electricity

Billionaire hopes to improve lives

for 24 hours. The driver’s pedaling drives a flywheel which turns a generator and charges a battery. The mechanism may seem rudimentary, but a few minutes of pedaling can generate enough energy to power 1,050 equivalent watts of lighting in energy power, equivalent to ten 100 watt light bulbs.

“To improve the design, you could scale it up, you could use mechanical advantage and gear ratios. You could also look at how to store the energy outside of a fly wheel.

Instead of a person pedaling you could hook it up to a stream and a water wheel.

That would be another way to improve efficiency,” said Clint Behling, director of the Prototyping and Engineering Materials lab.

1,000 gallons of water in an hour. Its efficiency and mechanism allow for energy to be recycled so that it requires minimal operational support.

Not only are “Stage 2” inventions cutting-edge and complex, they must also meet many technical requirements.

“The answers have to be lower in energy, it needs to be able to be made in massive scale, and then it also has to go past political issues. All of those are real problems,” Bhargava said in the documentary “Billions in Change.”

Although the invention shop is still in its initial stages, its significance is not lost.

“In supporting someone else we are supporting not only ourselves but this concept of togetherness which is what Electricity is not the only resource holds together the human race. In the that Bhargava is interested in providing. wealthy aiding in the development of The Rainmaker takes water in any state future technologies, they are benefiting and converts it into any level of clean the whole all of society,” sophomore water. It can create water on par with Zophie Botto said. “There are no groups pharmaceutical grade water to water for agricultural use. This is unlike current water of humans. We are all humans who work together, which is how we evolved into purification systems that are limited to such complex creatures and that’s how we converting seawater into drinking water will continue to evolve for years to come.”

The Rainmaker is capable of distilling

The Rainmaker 1

Water is heated into a vapor

Free Electric

2

4

3

The moisture is taken to a different

compartment

The moisture is

distilled

Bhargava hopes to run a test trial in India. Villagers will pool there assets together to purchase 1 Free Electric

The vapor is converted to clean water

1 bicycle can run an entire village.

5

1.

The Rainmakers will be put on barges in the open water. Water will flow into them with little ecological damage.

The clean water will be piped through floating pipes or transported through tankers.

DESIGN // UZMA RENTIA

SCI & TECH

17

NOV 19, 2015

ERIC BETZIG AN INTERVIEW WITH NOBEL PRIZE WINNER

Katherine Du || Team Leader

“H

e said yes!” I announced.

“Are you getting married?” my friend jokingly asked.

“No, Eric Betzig agreed to do the interview.”

Presenting on his and Harald Hess’ Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM) research project, I first heard Betzig share his story at Janelia Farm Research Campus. That’s when I knew I wanted to meet him again. Despite having won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Betzig clearly explained his innovation so even non-scientists could relate.

On Nov. 12, Betzig spoke to me about his life as well as the success, and failure, that are married into research.

PHOTO // KATHERINE DU

What was your favorite subject in high school?

I don’t know if I have a favorite subject.

I’m kind of a jack-of-all-trades, a master of none. I can’t really call myself a scientist or a physicist or a chemist. I think I’m an engineer at heart. One of my heroes is Joe Shea, who is the head of the program office of the Apollo project. He had to bring together the engineering skills of about 30,000 people scattered all across the country and try to make the command and service modules for the Apollo program.

Did you have a favorite teacher in high school or college?

In high school, my AP biology teacher. He was extremely difficult. He had never given an A before so I made it my mission to get an A in his class. And I did, but I turned in 100 page lab reports every week and I would actually skip other classes and pull all-nighters over and over again in order to do the work for his class.

How were you as a student?

I was a good student, I worked really hard. I really feel though that the things that stood me in good stead [were] how hard I worked on the things I was not good at. Language and English and composition and things like that. That made me more competitive

compared to my peers because I could write to science. The people should be working better papers and I could give better talks for the thrill you get from reaching the goal than other people because of the liberal arts itself, not the subjective thing of somebody component of my education, which I did else trying to pick winners and losers. Again fighting tooth and nail.

I wouldn’t give it up but at the same time How does your research with PALM tie into many more people value it much more your current research? highly on the outside than I do.

PALM was the goal of trying to get to the Were there any failures that really helped you highest resolution possible, and it pretty shape your career? much succeeded in that goal. But still it’s All my failures shaped my career. Failing pretty limiting because it really optimizes in with my first microscope taught me that one direction. So PALM excels in one area you have to look at the totality of the work but it gives up a lot in other areas in order that you do and be honest with yourself to do that. I guess the overall theme of about the cons as well as the pros. [During my career is finding different parts of the the years I worked] for my dad, I learned larger space of trade-offs, different pros and that you have to understand the needs of cons to make microscopes optimized for the customer, for me it’s the other biologists. different tasks.

You have to figure out what they need and What are the benefits and disadvantages of then what can I do as an engineer to make winning the Nobel Prize? something that serves their needs.

Benefits are, one is you have more What do you like to do in your free time? confidence, because I’ve often thought I play with my kids. I always say that guilt of myself as very insecure at work. You rules my life, and when I’m at work I feel meet some very interesting people, people guilty I’m not with my kids, and when I’m you wouldn’t meet in other walks of life at home with my kids I feel guilty I’m not at otherwise; next year I’ll be meeting the my work. guitarist from Queen. But overall, I wouldn’t give [the Nobel Prize] up. I was thinking about not accepting it when they called READ MORE at tjtoday.org because I think awards are toxic, generally DESIGN // KATHERINE DU

sci & tech

CRACKDOWN ON CANCER

Recent WHO report identifies meat as potential cause for rising cancer diagnosis Uzma Rentia ||TEAM LEADER Follow @urentia_tjTODAY

T

he American diet is famous for its gargantuan portion sizes, grease and general air of “unhealthy.” Meat plays a large part in giving the diet its reputation.

However, the country may soon have to leave their love of meat behind due to recent concerns by health advocates.

On Oct. 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) published findings identifying processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it can serve as a cause of cancer. Other substances in this group are tobacco, alcohol and asbestos. Red meats fell into a less definite bracket: Group 2A - a category includes the toxic pesticide DDT, insecticide malathion and mustard gas.

Understandably, the notion that meat can be as dangerous as pesticides evoked strong reactions. Collectively, Americans annually consume about 24.1 billion pounds of beef.

“According to most recent estimates 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are attributed to diets high in processed meats,” the authors of the report wrote. Though the numbers are staggering, evidently they pale in comparison to those presented by tobacco, also a Group 1 carcinogen which accounts for one million deaths worldwide.

However, the threat of processed meats still must not be taken lightly. It raises the risk factor of developing colon cancer by about 1.1 to 1.2 for every serving consumed per day.

WHO estimates eating 50 grams daily of processed meat or 100 grams daily of red meat increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent and 17 percent respectively.

There is also a possibility that beef and pork are linked to pancreatic and prostate cancer.

So how does a food packed with protein and nutrients have the ability to kill?

data compiled by USDA and American Cancer Society

The Meat Market Top Consumers of Beef and Veal In Thousands of Metric Tons

12 4 . zil ina U.S Bra E.U Ch Top Consumers of Pork In Thousands of Metric Tons

60 40 20 ina E.U U.S. hina C

Ch

Top Exporters of Beef and Veal In Thousands of Metric Tons

India Brazil Australia U.S.

2,400 2,005 1,590 1,098

Top Exporters of Pork In Thousands of Metric Tons

E.U U.S. Canada Brazil

2,250 2,155 1,225 530 GRAPHIC// Uzma Rentia

The answer may be in how it is cooked.

The study found that cooking meat at high temperatures generates potentially carcinogenic chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines. Both chemical compounds cause alteration in DNA. The cell in a human body escapes the normal oversight of replication, paving the way for a rogue colony of cells and later, a tumor.

“It’s been speculated for years that meat forms carcinogens. There could be other environmental contaminants that the animals are being exposed to or eating.

There are a lot of possible reasons we could be getting cancer,” Mary Susan Burnett, a DNA Science teacher at Jefferson, said.

Another possibility for the carcinogenic nature of processed meat lies in sodium nitrates, a common preservative. These nitrates form nitrosamines, a carcinogenic chemical compound, once they enter the body. The presence of carcinogens is only exacerbated when the meat is grilled enough to be charred.

The third factor is heme iron, found in red meat. It is a type of iron bonded with a metabolic molecule, protoporphyrin.

The iron makes up 10 to 15 percent of the typical Western diet, which is far more than the amount a human body needs. Once the heme iron is absorbed by the body, it can reach the colon and cause toxic reactions.

Even with all the talk about cancer, death and toxins, it is likely that only few changes will be made to the American diet. In fact, the conclusions of the WHO’s report are not groundbreaking discoveries; they fall in line with countless others. In 2002, the American Cancer Society released a report casting meat into a similarly negative light.

Public reaction to the findings was swift, yet the shock ultimately dissipated and Americans stood with their eating habits.

In the following decade, meat consumption actually increased, along with the number of cancer diagnoses. Still, many Americans are skeptical and taking the findings with a grain of salt.

“I know a lot of people who eat meat who are healthy and old,” sophomore Noah Barnes said. “I still don’t think all meat causes cancer so I’m still eating it.”

AD

19

NOV 19, 2015

sports

PRACTICE MAKES CHAMPIONS A look into the life of an XC runner Sabria Kazmi || STAFF WRITER

P

ush-ups, planks, stretches and, of course, running - just some of the many workouts the students in cross country do every day after school during practices. After two months of training 10 hours a week, all their effort paid off at at the championships, when the boys’ team placed second in the region.

However, the accomplishments of the season included more than just the boys’ win on Nov. 5 at Burke Lake Park.

“I came from Prince William County, so I didn’t know anybody going into cross country. Cross country really helped by introducing me to a lot of people, so it was worth it,” freshman Ish Sethi said.

To an outsider, cross country might seem like a lonely sport, in which every student runs silently for hours.

However, the members of the sport think quite the opposite.

“I really like how cross country is technically not a team sport because you run by yourself, but it still feels like a team sport because we train

together and you really get to know everyone,“ junior Nora Thompson said.

Like all sports and activities, cross country comes with a price. Practices can be tough and it takes a lot of mental and physical strength to get through them. The practices usually start off with a short warm-up, followed by stretches. Depending on the day, the next workout could be fast short runs or endurance runs that go on for a longer time and vary from four miles to over 10 miles depending on the level of the runner. During the last minutes of the practice, the team usually stretches one more time before leaving.

“Work outs are hard, practices are hard. It’s rough,” sophomore Jade Wang said.

In addition to the difficulty that working out and running involves, cross country takes up a significant portion of the students’ time and makes it a challenge to keep up with all the assignments and studying that classes require.

“The hardest part of cross country is managing time so that I can get my school work done. I get home around 7:30 p.m., so I start my homework around 8:00 p.m., which is kind of hard,” Sethi said.

After going through the challenges of cross country, the team shapes into a tight-knit and collaborative group.

“We’re like a community,” Wang said. “We all know each other and we’re all really tight.”

The sense of community plays a key role in the students’ enjoyment of cross country.

“At TJ the atmosphere is great, the seniors always let us have an enjoyable time,” freshman Rayaan Malhotra said.

The former and present members of cross country share the feeling that all the struggles that came with the sport were worth the experience they get out of it.

“The freedom aspect of the sport is amazing, it’s very beautiful, like when you’re running through the woods,” Malhotra said.

Photos by S. Do

SPORTS

21

NOV 19, 2015

Photo courtesy of Andy Zhao

Elizabeth Hu, 11

”I am very honored to be athlete of the season because I’ve been putting in a lot of work and effort into cheerleading and it is a huge honor for me. The cheer team and coaches are so loving and supportive, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of this sport.”

Athlete nominated by Coach Jamie Brown

Photo courtesy of Andy Zhao

Maaike Blindenbach, 12 “It’s really nice knowing that all the hard work you put in for the season payed off. It’s a great honor, especially because there are a lot of talented players on the field hockey team. I loved senior night because you could see all our hard work from nominated by practice paying off.” Athlete Coach Aubrey Lear

Photo courtesy of Frank Ding

Nathan Chuwait, 12 “I’m really honored to have my coaches give me this title.

Thanks so much to them.

Starting at the age of three, I have always grown up loving the sport of golf. I felt like we had a really strong season. I think it was a great way to end my high school golf career.”

Athlete nominated by Coach John Myers

ATHLETES OF THE SEASON

Photo courtesy of Andy Zhao

Photo courtesy of Nick Lemanski

Nick Lemanski, 12

“I’m truly blessed. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my football teammates and the coaching staff and am so grateful to have been able to be a part of the Jefferson football program. I have played varsity for three years at Jefferson and everything I do is for my teammates, they are my brothers and mean so much to me.” Athlete nominated by Coach Michael Auerbach

Amanda Hsu, 10

“Being named athlete of the season for volleyball is really amazing and it is so nice to know that hard work does pay off. In future seasons and years, I hope, with a lot of hard work and discipline, to win a conference championship with my teammates of Jefferson nominated by Varsity Volleyball.” Athlete Coach Helen Smith

DESIGN AND REPORTING || Kate Deng, Sruthi Jayaraman, MiJin Cho

Photo courtesy of Hong Yan

Maitri Patel, 12 “I’m a little surprised because I wouldn’t consider myself one of the best runners so it’s nice to know that people still notice. I’m going to miss the group of Jefferson cross country girls the most.

No matter how much they want to win, they will always support you no matter what.”

Athlete nominated by sophomore Jade Wang

22 SPORTS

WINTER IS COMING:

Returning and new athletes share thoughts on the beginning of the winter season

Basketball

Wrestling

Gymnastics

The winter basketball season started off in full swing with tryouts starting on Monday, Nov. 9 after school. Many of the students trying out are looking forward to being part of the team this year and making new friends.

“The coach said that the boy’s basketball team is like a family and that the team represents TJ as a whole, so I really want to be a part of that family and help represent TJ in games,” Akash Bansal, a student trying out, said.

The team’s first game of the season will be Dec. 1 at 7:00 pm against McLean HS after weeks of practicing six days a week.

Returning members, new students trying out and the coaches are all excited to begin the wrestling season this year.

“We have a lot of freshmen on the team, so I’m looking forward to them improving a lot and getting better, hopefully getting onto varsity once they have experience. Also a lot of wrestling, it’s fun,” senior and captain Vikram Gupta said.

Led by Coaches Alex Shmorhun, James McConnaughey, Clint Behling, Patrick O’Connor and James Pilkinton, the Jefferson wrestling team will start the new season with a scrimmage against James Madison HS. The team practices everyday after school from 4:15 to 6:15, and their matches, typically one or two per week, will begin this month.

The gymnastics team is looking forward to having new freshmen that have participated in gymnastics outside of school.

Gymnastics takes pride in their tight-knit team of only eight team members and four coaches last year.

“When I first started gymnastics, I really liked that gymnastics was personalized since there were a small number of people, which really gave everyone a chance to improve. Also, this year we have some freshmen who are actually experienced in gymnastics, so that’ll really help the team,” senior Aazrin Mir said.

Practices for gymnastics are three days a week in Gym 2, and there are additional practices outside of school in a professional gymnastics facility.

Jiny Cho || STAFF WRITER

Jiny Cho || STAFF WRITER

Avni Singh || STAFF WRITER

Monticello Maniacs continue to bolster Colonial pride

Anjali Khanna || EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Follow @akhanna_tjTODAY photo courtesy of Heather Murphy

At nearly every game, every match, every meet—they’re there.

Rain or shine, winning or losing—they’re there. The Monticello Maniacs pride themselves on the unflinching school spirit they bring to sports at Jefferson, school-wide inside jokes that pull students closer together and support for their peers who participate in Colonial athletics.

This season, the Maniacs, led by seniors Matthew Conway, Cece Xiao, Alex Cintron and D.J. Jayachandran, made it a goal to increase student turnout at fall sports events. By creating Facebook events,

making appearances on the morning announcements and staying active on twitter, they hoped to convince students that “coming to the game” is a worthwhile experience.

“The hardest part about being a Maniac leader is when kids tell me they can’t attend football games on Friday nights because they ‘have homework’ or ‘don’t have a ride,’” Cintron said. “Yes TJ is difficult, but it isn’t so hard that it should take away from your Friday nights. Come out and have fun when you’re in high school, balance in life is key.”

SPORTS

23

NOV 19, 2015

TRYOUTS AT GLASGOW

Freshman Basketball plays in unknown territory MiJin Cho || STAFF WRITER

As the freshman basketball players exit the boy’s locker room with Jefferson basketball gear, instead of heading towards the gym like they usually would, they head towards the trailer lot to get on school bus.

After two weeks of open gyms and training for the upcoming basketball season, the freshmen basketball players were finally put to the test during tryouts that began on Nov. 9. While the varsity basketball players have their tryouts at Jefferson, the new recruits start their first year of Jefferson Basketball with tryouts at Glascow Middle School.

“It’s a little unfortunate because the Jefferson gym after renovations is really nice and it’s a shame that we don’t get to use it,” freshman Aditya Koneru said.

However, the the newest members of the Jefferson Boys’ Basketball understand the that such a large space for three teams to practice on does not exist at Jefferson.

“I think it’s just something that needs to be done because we don’t have enough gym space at TJ. Also, the team at Glascow is a lot nicer than I thought it would be,” freshman Will Pemble said.

The bus rides to Glascow and the limited gym space have not discouraged the freshmen players. Rather, they are making a memory out of it.

“I think it is a little inconvenient but the bus rides are really fun. In a lot of ways, it is kind of like team bonding,” freshman Rohan Chaturvedula said.

Even without the new renovated gym

NOVEMBER CALENDAR : Home,

: Away

11/17 Fr Girls : 4:30 pm @ Lake Braddock SS (Scrim.)

JV Girls : 5:45 pm @ Lake Braddock SS (Scrim.)

V Girls : 7:15 pm @ Lake Braddock SS (Scrim.)

to dribble and play on, the freshmen boys found their hype through looking forward to the upcoming season.

“I think we are a pretty good team so far. Our freshmen team has a really nice roaster and depth in the tryouts,” Koneru said. “I have a feeling we’re going to have a really nice record this year.”

The freshmen basketball boys show enthusiasm for not only their winter season that will begin soon after the tryouts, but also the brotherhood that comes with basketball.

“It’s always fun to give your all to something you like to do. Also, I know that the Jefferson sports teams have a great sense of community,” freshman Cal Hartzell said.

11/21 Fr Girls : 3:30 pm @ TJ vs. Trinity Christian School (Scrim.)

JV Girls 3:30 pm @ TJ vs. Trinity Christian School (Scrim.)

V Girls : 5:00 pm @ TJ vs. Trinity Christian School (Scrim.) : 9:00 am Fairfax Dance Championship @ Paul VI High School 11/24

11/18 V : 6:00 pm @ James Madison HS (Scrim.)

V

: 6:00 pm @ Annandale HS (Scrim.)

Key -

: Wrestling,

: Dance Team

: Basketball,

oPInion TO H SS US E NF CR CO OUR Y

WHEN ANONYMOUS FORUMS TAKE A DARK FEAR

SION DEPRES

ANXIET

GRAPHIC || ANKIT AGRAWAL LEAD EDITORIAL

Y

IDAL SUIC GHTS U THO

TURN

The concept of a school-wide DEJECTION crushes page isn’t a new one. thoughts.

Ever since the beginnings of While both anonymous social media like Ask. posts received fm or Formspring.me, to Yik Yak tremendous amount of support and on college campuses today— students have loved sharing their opinions without aid from other students, it is undeniable facing the possible negative consequences that the “Thomas J Crushes” page is gradually losing its lighthearted beat and of attaching their names. morphing into a compilation of personal Unfortunately, it appears that what confessions that may be too private for a started as a positive way to express forum so exposed. feelings of love has quickly diverged into Academic stress, peer pressure an entirely different path— a way to ask and depression are subjects that must for advice, to get help, to express political be openly addressed in the school opinion and most recently, to complain. community. However, the case is different “Thomas J Crushes” is a well-known when these matters are discussed in Facebook profile with 1,170 users on its a public page by an administrator as Friends list, and the majority are Jefferson anonymous and unknown as the ones students. Its initial intent was to provide submitting the posts themselves. The an open and positive forum for the page’s decision to openly publish serious, student population by periodically posting maybe provocative, issues, even when anonymous submissions of affection for the content completely deviates from a student by describing his or her best its original intent, is an overreach of its qualities. However, while it has been trying popularity. to retain its original goal, the page has The unfiltered, exposed nature of the increasingly become a venue for some page, as it is with all social media networks, of most serious, contentious and even poses great danger for a possibility that it concerning conversations. may provide more misleading perceptions On Sept. 15, the page published an and views, those that are often based on anonymous post of a freshman worried the opinions of a single individual and about safely transitioning to Jefferson do not provide serious corroboration of and resolving multiple problems with facts. While it is important to bring up schedule changes. On the same day, it the often evaded and silenced subjects also published a controversial post about of the student community into light, the a student asking for help about suicidal use of an anonymous page originally

intended for romance alone is not an appropriate method for providing an impartial and moderated ground for discussion. In fact, it is questionable whether these forums can provide healthy and pragmatic proposals to alleviate the students’ grave concerns without acting as another online battlefield of intense exchanges of comments.

That said, however, we cannot ignore that many of the posts to the page suggest that there are bigger problems within the student community at Jefferson than just love and courtship. Instead, we suggest that topics like suicide and mental illness need their own anonymous confession medium-- a medium that is not open to student commentary and instead moderated by a trusted administrator or guidance counselor.

It is by this means that we will begin to see progress in ameliorating the serious issues that we deal with in the school community, not by a free-forall that allows students to argue over anonymous comments or complaints.

We are suggesting a separate anonymous forum for non-romantic matters that is merely more controlled. In other words, we believe that “Thomas J Crushes” should stay true to its name, and continue to spread the compliments and positivity that Jefferson students enjoy sharing anonymously with one another.

OPINION

25

NOV 19, 2015

MEDIA: FACT OR FICTION? Is social media becoming a reality for teenagers?

Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER Follow @kdu_tjTODAY

“Social media is not real life,” Essena O’Neill, 18-year-old social media personality, posted on Instagram.

The contrived celebrity pictures we view on social media cause us to compare ourselves to unrealistic standards of beauty.

O’Neill has recently received billions of views for her raw YouTube video detailing her unhealthy relationship with social media.

how we get news.

The purpose of social media is to connect people, but in the long run, does it really? I can think of a Facebook “friend” who has messaged me, though we still have never talked in person despite riding the same bus home. When unfamiliar people like my posts, it is only a show of support, not a show of our friendship.

Dedicating the video to her younger self, O’Neill is makeupfree as she speaks about her previous posts that were edited for the sole purpose of sweeping more views, likes or followers.

O’Neill has realized that her self-worth was tied to desired popularity on Instagram and YouTube, and has decided to rid her social media accounts of all her “fake” photos and encourage others to learn from her ignorance

In addition, social media does not provide genuine, tangible interactions that face-to-face conversations do. As a journalist, I have conducted interviews both in person and online, when under pressing time constraints. The typed two to three word Facebook messages cannot compare to, for example, the depth of a live interview after a football game. Noticing beads of sweat sliding down a defeated player’s face, feeling his frustration as he breathes heavily into the voice recorder builds a uniquely physical connection.

O’Neill explains that businesses exploit social media, using it as a promotional tool in which “companies will email [advertisers] with dot points of what you should say, with time When we are not surrounded by friends, it is becoming of the date to post, with what you should do in the photo, with second nature to pop out a phone and scroll through how you should hold the product or where you should have it in notifications rather than meet new people. Seventy-one percent the background.” of teenagers are on Facebook, with Instagram and Snapchat displaying 52 and 41 percent usage, respectively, according to Companies may define themselves by social media 2015 data from the Pew Research Center. This isolation from followings, but you can make the conscious decision to not define yourself by “likes.” Social media has the power to leave an our surroundings leads to the opposite of its original objective, impact on all of us— what we perceive, how we communicate, driving people further apart.

DESIGN || ANKIT AGRAWAL

tjTODAY Retweeted Kate Deng || TEAM LEADER Follow @kdeng_tjTODAY

I scroll through my Twitter feed and laugh as I spot funny acapella videos, relatable quotes, and dogs in pumpkins on several of the dozens of dog accounts I follow. I hover over the gray star and click without hesitation, watch as it illuminates into a beautiful yellow color, and continue down my feed with satisfaction.

That all changed on Nov. 3 when the

53

TWITTER’S NEW ‘LIKE’ BUTTON Following the bland trends of Facebook and Instagram

no-strings-attached “favorite” button turned into a marriage-license “like” button. Now, every time I spot a picture of Donald Trump dancing in Drake’s music video, I have to think twice before hitting the red heart.

While that is true, Twitter is known for its trademark “favorite” button and doesn’t need to resort to a generic button that Facebook and Instagram claimed long before.

And if confusion is really what it’s Twitter managers say that the afraid of, they should be thinking about “favorite” button was confusing to new that recycling (“retweet”) button instead, Twitter users and “like” is more universal. although that would really cause a riot.

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26 OPINION WHAT’S LEFT-OVER

Tips for conserving food before and after Thanksxgiving

CARTOON // Alvin Shi

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER Follow @kdu_tjTODAY

S

tuffing turkeys, beating eggs for a pumpkin pie recipe and grinding cranberries into sauce are traditional ways in which families celebrate Thanksgiving. Grateful feelings for the luxury of plentiful food circulate around the dinner table as family members update one another on recent occurrences.

Despite the constant persistence for guests to pile food onto their plates or to try more dishes, we often end up with a substantial amount of leftovers. On a daily basis, a tremendous amount of groceries and dishes are thrown away. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans waste food that worth about 162 billion dollars every year.

When I was eight years old, I witnessed a situation that has forever changed my perspective on the impact of food waste. Boarding a cruise with my family to visit rural areas, we stopped at the dock of a scenic island.

Peeping from the top of a food stand

was a child about the same age as me at the time, helping his parents sell dried shrimp to make a few dollars.

The scrawny boy attempted to scoop the shrimp for a customer, but he had to rely on his parents’ help to get it into a paper bag. As his mother completed his task, the boy longingly eyed the full bag of shrimp, as if he had not been able to eat a decent meal in days.

This memory pushes me to savor the meals that I am served, food that I acquire for granted. Sometimes I feel too full to finish eating my Chinese dinner, but every night, I still do. My parents remind me of the strenuous labor that goes into farming every grain of rice.

Five families from my mother’s side reunite to celebrate the Thanksgiving dinner every year. With the same mindset, we always take home the leftovers for the week after, in which we reminisce over the warm family gathering as we finish them.

“I think food waste, in any context, is by definition a negative thing. [My family] always tries to save as many leftovers during Thanksgiving, and I really think that helps alleviate the food waste problem in our household.”

- senior Matthew Sun

“I feel it’s unnecessary to just throw away perfectly good food when there are less fortunate people in the world. My family usually has a party so the food is all finished.”

- sophomore Michael Yang

“Wasting [a Thanksgiving meal] is a waste of the time and effort that was put into making it. [My family] makes [Thanksgiving dinner] for one person less than we have, which always works out fine.”

- sophomore Aman Shankardass

GRAPHIC // Adithi Ramakrishnan

OPINION

27

NOV 19, 2015

STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE Obama administration’s plan to reduce testing has positive and negative implications Nikita Sivakumar || STAFF WRITER

L

earning is a lot more than just filling in a bubble.”

These were the words that Barack Obama spoke in a video released by the White House on Oct. 24. In the video, Obama makes the point that many students, teachers and parents across the nation share: over the years, standardized testing has wrongly become the main focus of the educational system.

he states that tests should “enhance the learning process.” He elaborates that tests should be brief and aimed at helping students think at a higher level. Finally, Obama summarizes that tests should view student progress on a more holistic level by judging students’ test-taking skills as well as their participation and contributions during class.

“As president, I want to hold everyone accountable for making sure that every child, everywhere, is learning what he or she needs to be successful,” Obama said.

In the video, Obama admits that most students would prefer to learn something new and explore a broad range of interesting topics rather than spend hours learning material that Though the president’s three principles strictly adheres to what’s going to be on the test. of a good standardized test seem ideal to the learning environment, they aren’t enough for “I hear from teachers who feel so much pressure to teach to a test that it takes the joy out a good education. Early in the video, he states that the education system requires everyone in of teaching both for [teachers] and students,” the nation to come together in order to ensure a Obama said in the White House’s video. good learning experience. The nation must come The beauty of learning comes from curiosity together to define what a “high-quality” test and inquiry. Being able to focus on learning as is and implement different policies to enforce an experience is challenging when teachers have them. to prepare their students for a standardized test “When I look back on the great teachers who over a short period of time. Too often a lack of shaped my life, what I remember isn’t the way time forces teachers to speed through a lot of they prepared me to take a standardized test information in order to prepare their students what I remember is the way they taught me to for a test, rather than explore a broad range of believe in myself,” Obama said. ideas in the classroom and give students a more holistic view.

Education is more than just preparing for a test.

Rather, it is an experience that helps Despite the limitations that testing might students learn more about themselves and the place on teaching, tests are necessary to assess potential they have to change the world. I believe whether students are learning and gaining that Obama’s proposal to reduce standardized something out of a class. However, they should testing is crucial to improving the education not be so frequent or long as to take up too system.

However, in order for the improvements much precious class time. To address these to occur, a proposal isn’t enough. Teachers, conflicting issues, Barack Obama highlights students and parents alike must put in the time three basic ideals that all future standardized and effort to help maintain a balanced education, tests must fulfill, in order to maintain a healthy just as much as the state department needs to in balance between learning and testing. reducing standardized tests. Education consists First, he says that tests must be “worth of more than a letter-grade on a paper, but it taking,” meaning they should be “high-quality” will be a while before this ideal is implemented and accurately chart students’ progress. Second, in full.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Benjamin Chun on Flickr

entertainment

FILMS REVISIT HIST0RICAL MOMENTS SUFFRAGETTE

I

Madeline Old || STAFF WRITER Follow @Doscidicus

t’s hard for historical dramas to be suspenseful, especially when they revolve around well-publicized, fairly recent events, but “Suffragette” manages it. The climax is wordless and musically dramatic, protagonist and antagonist both suspended powerless to stop what is transpiring in front of them. While the whole movie is a sequence of suspense, breathlessness isn’t conducive to coherent storytelling.

Photo Courtesy of imdb.com

Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) is an average London working-class wife, caring for her family on top of a full-time job. Initially, she’s content in her life and refuses to self-identify as a suffragette. But one of her friends draws her into the movement, and it ends up costing her her former life. Mr. Steed (Brendan Gleeson) is a government official offering dubious advice; he’s less abusive than almost every other male character, but he attempts to convince Maud to quit the movement, and then to bribe her into informing on her friends.

The movie is about Maud and the rest of the suffragettes fighting for their right to live as full citizens, but we never quite see Maud believing in her right to exist as a person; she goes from beating to beating, interrogation to interrogation, workplace sexual assault to workplace sexual assault without much substance in between. She realizes she has to take action during a conversation with her husband, in which she realizes her daughter is set to have the same life as her. It opens her eyes to the fact that if she wants change she has to fight for it. But this sentiment is never fully articulated. Maybe internal monologues are harder to display in a visual medium, but Maud’s character growth still feels incomplete.

Suffragette makes viewers viscerally aware of the struggles these women faced. Casual misogyny comes from every corner.

Maud returns from her first brutal stay in prison, and her husband immediately starts complaining about how hard it was on him and their son. The one rich woman who can afford to bail herself and everyone else out of prison can’t, because her husband holds the purse strings, even to her own dowry. The dramatic equivalent of sight gags aren’t a fulfilling substitute for a clear plot, though. If you’re looking for a complete story arc, this is not the movie for you. Perhaps it can’t come to a satisfying conclusion, because the movement it describes has not ended.

BRIDGE OF SPIES Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER Follow @kdu_tjTODAY

Photo Courtesy of imdb.com

M

ind racing, heart hammering, Brooklyn lawyer James B. Donovan negotiated with the Soviet embassy in East Berlin, pushing for the exchange of Cold War prisoners. His goal was to trade a single captured Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel, for two Americans, Central Intelligence Agency pilot Francis Gary Powers and economics student Frederic L. Pryor.

Bridge of Spies documents Donovan’s journey, played by Tom Hanks. It begins when he first became involved with Abel, who was captured and accused of espionage. Several lawyers turned down the case, but Donovan, an insurance lawyer who had limited experience with criminal cases, agreed to fight for Abel.

Despite losing the trial, the defense experienced a turning point when successfully arguing against a likely death sentence. Donovan and Abel appealed the case to higher courts, eventually to the Supreme Court, and ideas are formed of a possible trade between Abel and seized American prisoners.

The movie shows the clash between Donovan’s allegiance to his family and country versus him struggling to present a convincing case of Abel, a foreigner accused of spying. The movie footage is not completely clear, as it does not appear to be focused.

However, this decision by director Steven Spielberg and his crew may have been to better relate the situation to the Cold War, where more limited technology was present. Bridge of Spies holds deception, but this theme is woven skillfully into the story in a way that adds to the distant, uncertain relationships between characters. The memorable storyline urges watchers to appreciate the sacrifices of loyal soldiers, and to emulate the feeling of undying, unwavering love of country.

ENTERTAINMENT

25

NOV 19, 2015

TACKLING THE GENDER IMBALANCE IN FILM

Uzma Rentia || TEAM LEADER Follow @urentia_tjTODAY

It is no secret that Hollywood it not a friend to women. In an industry dominated by men, women often have vastly fewer opportunities, and when they do get a role their monetary gain is often linked to age and race. However, A-list actresses are breaking the silence and advocating for equality.

There is a huge inequality especially with directors.

You have male directors being assigned more famous or better shows even if a female director is more qualified,” sophomore Masha Goykhberg said. “Of course there is the age, Hollywood is more likely to attract younger women as seen with actresses, tech crews and more.”

One of the most contentious disclosures from the Sony Hack in 2014 was the revelation that Jennifer Lawrence earned considerably less than her male co-stars for the film “American Hustle,” despite having a leading role and a previous Oscar win. Since the Sony hack, Lawrence has been able to negotiate for better earnings. For her upcoming film “Passengers,” she will be paid $20 million upfront, or 30 percent of the film’s earnings. Her co-star Chris Pratt, on the other hand, will be receiving $12 million.

The study “Inequality in 700 Popular Films” looked at factors such as race, gender and ethnicity among other categorizers. By the end, the study found a poignant lack of diversity. Put simply, movies look nearly exclusively for a certain types of actors to cast: white, straight, young male. The findings highlight an already known and persistent truth: despite bolstering ticket sales, women remain a minority on screen. Female-driven movies are the exception in a male-dominated industry. Franchises such as “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” do little to the doors for women in action films, where women barely make up a fifth of the speaking roles. Perhaps major film industries can follow the lead of Jefferson’s drama program.

However, financial success for most actresses is still a glaring issue. In 2014, the top ten paid actresses made a collective $222 million while the men made $419 million. In the Forbes list of the best-paid actors for 2013, the highest compensated actor, Robert Downey Jr, made $10 million more than the combined earnings of the top five female actresses. Liam Neeson, ranked 10 on the list, cashed in roughly the same amount as the highest paid female of the year, Angelina Jolie. Most would view it as strange that in modern times two people with the same quality of work are being differently compensated on the basis of gender.

In addition to Lawrence, actresses such as Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson and Cate Blanchett have begun to highlight this issue.

While 77 cents for every dollar is a disputed fact, what cannot be denied is the lack of parity in Hollywood. Now that they are speaking up, women are gaining ground - the combined earnings of the top 20 paid female actresses in 2014 was 24 percent higher than it was in 2013 - but that does not negate the fact that there is a long road ahead before full equality is reached.

“I would say that we have a lot more women than men in our department. Men do not want to be seen as feminine...and that it one of the reasons men have actually left the department. But we are definitely getting better at it over the past three years,” junior Natasha Shukla said.

DESIGN, GRAPHIC // Uzma Rentia

WOMEN IN THE MEDIA

2.25:1

Average ratio of male to female

5:1

Average ratio of men working in films to women

44

36

Average age for Best Actor/Actress winner

Despite the gap the program still makes efforts to include both genders, a pattern that film industries could mimic.

“Because we don’t have a lot of men in our department and a lot of our productions have characters that are both men and women we have to pick shows that don’t have too many men, but enough so that everyone who auditions has a part.

We choose shows that suit the people we have to pick our actors from. Women can’t get involved and there is no way for them to get involved, so providing opportunities like creating characters that are just as strong as the males and having “There are a lot of problems in Hollywood more of them or just hiring more women in even though many of the actresses are progressive. general would manage the gap,” Shukla said.

30.8% of speaking roles go to women

10.7% of films contain a balanced cast data collected by New York Film Academy

30 ENTERTAINMENT

LOCKED LOADED

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by the mysterious Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a man who had a hand in both Bond’s past and the more recent events taking place in the previous three films.

In London, MI6 does not have a shortage of problems either. “Skyfall” ended with the government harboring concern that the intelligence agency was becoming obsolete in the digital era.

“Spectre” picks up this thread by having bureaucrat C (Andrew Scott) attempt to reinvent the program through the use of drone in place of agents and 00’s.

Adithi Ramakrishnan and Uzma Rentia || TEAM LEADERS

For all the attempts to keep audiences entertained with gadgets and plotlines, the filmmakers fell flat with their portrayal of women. With the exception of the former “M” (Judi Dench), most women in the Bond movies are objectified and used either by 007 to get intel or for physical appeal. Admittedly “Spectre” is a step up from the previous Bond films’ overwhelming amounts of misogyny and “Casino Royale’s” femme fatale in the form of Vesper Lynd. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the movie’s most prominent Bond girl, has a mind of her own and initially resists Bond’s advances.

However, she eventually assimilates into the pattern of female characters falling into Bond’s arms.

Swann becomes one of his many “Bond girls” and defines herself throughout the movie as a love interest rather than an independent female lead.

The timeless gun barrel intro sequence, the enticing theme music and codename “007” can only point to one man: James Bond, the coy and clever assassin whose adventures have painted television and movie screens for over 50 years. Bond’s latest enemy meets his match in “Spectre,” the most recent Bond movie released on Nov. 6.

“Spectre” has all the elements of an action thriller: a car chase scene, an assassination and a mysterious young lady that catches 007’s attention immediately. Though the movie attempts to unite the previous Bond movies under a common thread, it ultimately fails to build up from and surpass its previous films, at times feeling too repetitive and cliche.

Although it is unlikely that Bond will fade from the 21st century culture anytime soon, his exploits in “Spectre” does fall flat.

Craig pulls out all the stops for his portrayal as Bond. He delivers the character as a hypermasculine, solemn and womanizing Bond that can bare his feelings when need be. Seydoux and Bellucci portray the typical Bond girls, and to quote Vesper Lynd, Bond’s love interest from “Casino Royale,” they are “disposable pleasures rather than meaningful pursuits.” While Waltz serves as the unengaging supervillain who still manages to leave havoc in his wake, Bond leads the chorus of himself, Q and Moneypenny in a rendition of chases, bullets, bodies and espionage.

The movie is a 148-minute wild goose chase. Bond (Daniel Craig) traipses across the globe, following various leads that seem like a series of pure coincidence. Nevertheless, Bond’s endeavors culminate in stunning action scenes all set in front of the gorgeous backdrops of Mexico City, Tangier and the Sahara.

“Spectre” offers nothing new to audiences.

Ultimately, the familiarity of Craig suiting up in a tux and taking on an assassin or mercenary in an elaborate chase is what has managed to entrance audiences for decades. While failing to meet the mark, “Spectre,” like its predecessors, finds success in sticking to the formula that has made 007 films such an iconic franchise - a formula whose charm does not seem to be wearing out.

“Spectre” continues the escapades of James Bond

“Spectre” opens in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead where Bond takes down the assassin Sciarra in a thrilling chase and helicopter battle. The encounter leads Bond to Sciarra’s widow who tells of a criminal organization her late husband belonged to: Spectre, headed

DESIGN || ANKIT AGRAWAL

ENTERTAINMENT

31

NOV 19, 2015

THE RETURN OF HARRY POTTER

Upcoming play brings much excitement for dedicated fans Adithi Ramakrishnan and Emmalyn Kim || TEAM LEADER AND STAFF WRITER

The boy who lived. He-Who-MustNot-Be-Named.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” follows Harry’s latest set of obstacles not as a boy wizard battling a dark lord, Until recently, these characters met but as a Ministry of Magic employee, their conclusions in “Harry Potter husband and father. It starts right where and the Deathly Hallows.” However, Potterheads across the globe are eagerly the epilogue ends in Deathly Hallows, 19 anticipating the release of “Harry Potter years later. and the Cursed Child,” a play that will For Potter fans who grew up in the continue Harry’s epic tale. The two-part cupboard under the stairs, this chapter in play will first air in West London’s Palace the series is a dream come true.

Theater on July 30, 2016.

“Harry Potter was an important piece

of my childhood, and I’m excited to see where [the play] takes the plot and how the characters’ lives change after the seventh book,” sophomore Niharika Vattikonda said.

The play is co-written by J.K. Rowling and features an award-winning creative team. Tickets can be bought until May 27, 2017, so fans have plenty of time to book and look forward to Harry’s next adventures.

Say Love // JoJo Jiny Cho || STAFF WRITER

STUDENT PICKS

JoJo returns to the world of pop after years since her last studio album, “The High Road,” along with a few EPs, were released in 2006. Her new “tringle,” or “III,” is what the singer calls her three singles. In her new release, Jojo includes the song “Say Love,” which begins with a soft beat that gradually becomes more powerful as she soulfully belts out the high notes.

“Say Love” is an emotional song about complicated, and often clueless, relationships that JoJo portrays with deep feelings in her voice. It definitely contrasts with her previous song, “When Love Hurt,” which seems to be more concentrated on the melody rather than the lyrics. Although critics are unsure whether “Say Love” or her two others on the tringle will put her back on the charts, but she has so far received a warm welcome for her return.

Wiped Out! // The Neighbourhood

Dancing on Glass // St. Lucia

Climbing to the top of the charts with “Sweater Weather,” The Neighbourhood is back with “Wiped Out!,” a new album which was released on Oct. 30. The first track, titled “A Moment of Silence,” has a chilled tone that carries throughout the rest of the album. “Cry Baby” includes a dynamic bassline, emotional lyrics and instrumentals that sound alternative. In addition, “Prey,” “Daddy Issues” and “Ferrari” are bound to become fan favorites.

The most notable track is arguably the lead single, “R.I.P. 2 My Youth.” The song, inspired by band singer Jesse Rutherford’s experience with his father’s death, has resounding words about growing up. Though critics have not been so pleased with the album, new and old fans of The Neighbourhood will enjoy it.

“Dancing on Glass,” the latest track by St. Lucia, was released on Oct. 22. From beginning to end, the song features a lively synthesizer hook. Withdrawn vocals, characteristic of the lead singer Jean-Philip Grobler, contributes to its indie-pop and EDM flow. The lyrics describe the way people often engage in activities that bring about detrimental consequences.

Listeners can relate to the cleverly veiled, repeating themes throughout “Dancing on Glass”.

Angel Kim || STAFF WRITER

Angel Kim || STAFF WRITER

Photos courtesy of abitofpopmusic.com, is3.mzstatic.com and consequenceofsound.files.wordprpress.com

DESIGN || ANKIT AGRAWAL

“

PHOTO // Alexa Nguonly REPORTING // Alexa Nguonly

I had no appreciation for how well Jefferson prepared me

for the next phase of life by making us work this hard. TJ

TAUGHT ME TO BUILD A TOLERANCE FOR THE LEVEL OF EFFORT REQUIRED TO SUCCEED.

All of us at TJ are here because we have some natural ability, and TJ is designed to create in us the work ethic, so that when we leave here, we not only have this natural

WE HAVE A WILLINGNESS TO DO THE HARD WORK NECESSARY TO ACTUALLY ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS. gift that we were born with, but

A lot of the criteria with which TJ students use to measure success versus failure, don’t actually relate to your happiness in life. I

FOUND THE ONLY WAY I WAS GOING TO BE HAPPY WAS DOING SOMETHING THAT I FELT MADE A DIFFERENCE, and what I

happened to find, is something that does not pay very much money and does not have a particular status in our society as being something that only the best and brightest do.

I would encourage [students] to look past what we at TJ typically define as success, and look for something that they think will make

THEY’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY DOING SOMETHING THEY LOVE. them more intrinsically happy because

MATH TEACHER, FOOTBALL COACH

”

MICHAEL AUERBACH || WHAT I VE LEARNED