6560 BRADDOCK RD. ALEXANDRIA, VA 22312
MAKING
GRADE
8
Students teachers give their opinion on the new grading policy
12
Candidates’ opinions on immigration
14
Staff reviews fall and summer entertainment
IN-DEPTH || 8 THE PITFALLS AND POSITIVES OF THE FCPS POLICY
TJTODAY
SEPT. 21, 2016 || VOL 2 ISSUE 1 || www.tjtoday.org
GRADE BOOK HOMEWORK 10 PERCENT CLASS PARTICIPATION PARENTS COLLABORATIVE THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE ASSESING AND TECH || ALEXANDRIA, VA MASTERY CORRECTIVE ACTION PROFICIENCY QUALITY BEHAVIORS ATTEMPT LATE WORK REASONABLE SUCCESS LEARNING ASSESING LACEHOLDER GRADE BOOK ENCOURAGED QUARTER SKILLS INCOMPLETE T H E M ACOMPLETE GAZINE RELATE ACTIVITIES ELIMINATE ZEROS QUALITY DOCUMENT CLASSROOM REPORT ACTIVITIES SECOND OPPORTUNITIES SYLLABUS CURRICULUM COMPLETION GRADING THE RECORDED NO MORE THAN 30 PERCENT SKILLS PRACTICE POLICIES ENCOURAGED QUARTER SCORES TEAM THE HIGHEST GRADE 80 PERCENT STANDARDS GUIDELINES LATE WORK PARTICIPATEThe CLASS PARTICIPATION PARENTS new grading policy aims to help but isGRADE it worth it?BOOK ASSES NO LOWER THAN 50 students, PERCENT GUIDELINES TEAM REASONABLE CURRICULUM EXTRA CREDIT ACCOUNT EXTRA CREDIT PRACTICE TEACHERS RESPONSE COMMUNICATES INSTRUCTION 0 MAY BE ENTERED PLACEHOLDER GRADE BOOK ENCOURAGED QUARTER HOMEWORK 10 PERCENT ELIMINATE ZEROS PARENTS ASSESING COLLABORATIVE INTO INTO CORRECTIVE ACTION PROFICIENCY QUALITY BEHAVIORS SECOND OPPORTUNITIES ATTEMPT WORK SUCCESS LEARNING ASSESING QUALITY SYLLABUS CURRICULUM RECORDED INCREASED CLASS PARTICIPATION SKILLS SAVING THE A POLITICAL NOTEWORTHY OPINIONS ENTERTAINMENT PRACTICE POLICIES ENCOURAGED QUARTER SCORES NO MORE THAN 30 PERCENT TEAM HIGHEST GRADE
NEWS 4 Summer construction update 5 New Jefferson staff members IN-DEPTH 6 Tailgate 7 One Question 8 New FCPS Grading Policy SCI AND TECH 10 JUMP Lab OPINION 12 Candidates on Immigration SPORTS 13 Fall Sports Preview ENTERTAINMENT 14 Fall preview WHAT I'VE LEARNED 16 Joanne Lee
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ANKIT AGRAWAL, KATE DENG, KATHERINE DU, ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, UZMA RENTIA TEAM LEADERS SABRIA KAZMI, ANGEL KIM, AVNI SINGH, CHRISTINE ZHAO BROADCAST EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ALEXA NGUONLY BROADCAST STAFF SHARON KIM, LYNN NGUYEN BUSINESS MANAGER MIJIN CHO STAFF WRITER BAYLISS WAGNER GUEST WRITERS ISHAAN GANDHI, AMITESH KOTWAL, IAN MORITZ ADVISER ERINN HARRIS
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.
NewsMAKERS
CONTENTS
News
CHRISTINE ZHAO
Freshman Julia Chen poses with Ms Oszko, teacher sp the LIFT mentorship program.
Photo courtesy of J
Tian (far left) poses with a group of competitors from t
Photo courtesy of
Principal Evan Glazer (back row, far left) and Luo (front right) celebrate the accomplishments of NGRD YST stu
NEWS
SEPT. 21, 2016
CHRISTINE ZHAO || TEAM LEADER
TINE ZHAO // PHOTO
teacher sponsor of
ourtesy of Joyce Tian
tors from the IChO.
o courtesy of Xuan Luo
d Luo (front row, far GRD YST students.
BACKSTORY In 2015, TJ received a $100,000 grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to establish the Learning through Inquiry, Fellowship, and Tutoring (LIFT) mentorship program. LIFT seeks to “propel talented, economically disadvantaged 7th and 8th grade students to pursue TJHSST... for their high school education.” Nine of LIFT’s first 93 scholars were accepted into TJ. Freshman Julia Chen was one of them.
Avni Singh || TEAM LEADER BACKSTORY Senior Joyce Tian competed in the 48th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Tbilisi, Georgia. The competition took place over a period of 10 days and participants were given a theoretical and an experimental examination, which are graded independently from each other. Tian placed 66th out of 266 participants and returned to Virginia with a silver medal.
Sabria Kazmi || TEAM LEADER BACKSTORY Over the summer seventeen students, eleven of them from our school, participated in the Youth Scientist Program (YST) of the National Graphene Research and Development Center (NGRD). The program is mainly run by the Lab Director of the Quantum Physics and Optics Lab here at Jefferson, Dr. Xuan Luo. The students completed innovative research in the physics field during the eleven week program.
HOW DID YOUR TJ MENTOR HELP YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS? My mentor was Pradyuta. I asked her about summer school and some general information about going to TJ. She also gave me advice as to what teachers to ask for a recommendation. When we met up, she helped me with the reading section of the test and the scrambled paragraphs. She gave me tips on how to answer the questions. FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM LIFT? I think my favorite memory was when we were running around the
building doing the scavenger hunt. During the scavenger hunt, we worked together while there was competition and I think that’s what TJ is all about. There is definitely some competition at TJ but students help each other achieve their goals. I made some new friends along the way as well. WHICH ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM BENEFITTED YOU THE MOST? The most important thing that helped with my success of getting admitted into TJ was the prep given by various TJ teachers.
HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER THE COMPETITION? Despite the difficulty of the exams, I had fun while taking them, and it really relieved me of any stress I felt beforehand. I also bonded with many other IChO participants as a result of the intense experience: we’d laugh about some of the easier problems, discuss those which were more complex. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? Though my future is still a relative unknown, I definitely know chem-
istry will play a role in it. Currently, I’m most interested in organic and biochemistry. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE? Despite the obvious focus on chemistry, IChO’s cultural exchange has left the largest impression. Tbilsii was beautiful, with my night adventures highlighting the welcoming nature of Georgia. Additionally, I still keep in touch with many individuals I met during this journey, and everyday I am impressed with the drive they possess.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING STUDENTS FOR THE YST PROGRAM? We choose the student who really has [an] interest in research, and the student the capability of learning new things. [They should] have the willing to learn and the will to challenge themselves. It’s not like you’re taking a class, everything [is] new. WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE? Students really learn a lot. It’s a very good experience, but it’s hard and very challenging. We accept all high schools’ students, but we need to have interviews [with them], it’s
very selective. We need to make sure they can finish the research in the summer, it’s very intense research. We aren’t like [a] science fair; we [do] real research projects. WHAT SKILLS DO STUDENTS HAVE AND WHAT DO THEY LEARN? First of all they read a lot of journal paper, real research papers. So they have some good reading [skills]. They know how to write a paper. From the very beginning I train them to write a paper.
KATHERINE DU // DESIGN
4 NEWS
SUMMER CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:
The light at the end of the ceiling-less hallway Bayliss Wagner || TEAM LEADER
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here’s much to discuss when it comes to Jefferson renovation, and Assistant Principal Shawn Frank is the one to oversee it all. He has a beard that he refuses to shave until the renovation project ends. He has planned that the interior school building will open in December. Through these last three years of the project, Frank still loves to watch students discover parts of the new building as they open. “The thing I love most—I love seeing when an area opens up and the smiles on kids’ faces when they get to see it,” Frank said. “Students here have been very flexible, have been very accommodating, with all the changes, all the dust, walking underneath lights…and just all the different challenges.” Demonstrating just how much Jefferson had changed, teachers had their own hectic first day as they received new room assignments the week before students flooded Jefferson’s hallways. “On Monday [Aug. 29], the teachers were exactly like the freshmen: ‘I can’t find anything, what’s going on?’”History of Science and Ideas teacher Jay Wickliff said. Over the summer, an entirely new wing had opened to move most humanities and all IBET teachers out of the learning cottages and into the building. “While most of us have our own instructional spaces, we are figuring out the next steps, which is how to work with these spaces,” Humanities Department Manager Suzette Henry said. “[It’s] sort of
like when you move into an apartment with boxes everywhere and you’re thinking, ‘now that I’m here, what do I do with this space?’” An expansive parking lot for staff replaced the space where teachers’ trailer classrooms once stood. Students can eat lunch in the Nobel Commons courtyard as well as Courtyard 2, and there is now an additional lunch line in the IBET wing. Moreover, one of the biggest accomplishments for construction now stands tall, as Frank and the rest of the construction team completed the Dome last spring, reminiscent Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. “There’s something to be said when kids are back from break and they’re walking through the Dome and they walk through the Nobel commons and kids are taking pictures and they’re all excited,” Frank said. The new building will include an expanded performing arts wing, renovated Gym 2, a planetarium, math classrooms and a full wing for the student activities office, 8th period office and clinic. Frank hopes that the physical freedoms of the new building will facilitate a stronger sense of community at Jefferson. “People actually can see one another more,” Frank said. “People are back in the building so it once again brings that cohesion, it brings back that TJ community and those are the type of things I love.” However, even with the schedule for construction planned out for the next year, Frank still has a treat for students who will spend the next few months curiously wandering the new hallways, and only time can tell what it will be. “There’s still a couple of surprises on the horizon…top secret,” Frank said.
NEWS
5
SEPT. 21, 2016
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GARY GROSICKI Angel Kim || TEAM LEADER
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rosicki grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., but his career in education has always been in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). He has held teaching and administrating positions since he started working in FCPS a decade ago. “I was at Cooper Middle School in McLean for 4 years, then I was at Woodson High School for 5 years,” Grosicki said. A former nuclear engineer and member of the Navy, Grosicki was interested in math and science since he was a student. “[I] particularly liked chemistry and physics, and I took some courses when I was in high school and university in statistics,” Grosicki said. Grosicki uses his past experiences to be a better administrator. His jobs as an engineer and technology executive exposed him to collaborative environments, and his job as a Navy officer involved working with newer members.
Robin Boodhoo (Finance Tech) Malcolm Eckel (Math/CS) Monica Geiger (Tech Ed) Gary Grosicki (Assistant Principal) Jeff James (Health/PE) Anita Landry (Math/CS) Corey Lightner (Math/CS) Susan Martinez (Counselor) Huynh Men (Custodian) Duy Nguyen (IA) Steve Richard (SRO) James Paul (Safety & Security) Teresa Eveleigh (School Psychologist)
NEW YEAR, NEW STAFF
COUNSELOR SUSAN MARTINEZ
S
Angel Kim || TEAM LEADER
pending her adult life in northern Va., Martinez has previously been a counselor at middle and secondary schools in FCPS. Before working in FCPS, however, Martinez worked in human resources and customer relations, where her experiences affect the way she works as a counselor. “I find that any time one works or communicates with others, whether it is with adults in the workplace or with students, the key to good relationships is listening attentively, establishing rapport, employing empathy and being reliable,” Martinez said. Martinez is entering her 18th year of being a counselor in FCPS, but working at a new school presents a new environment to become accustomed to.
“Work with the younger enlisted personnel and it is a lot like teaching, except it’s an hands-on environment as you can imagine,” Grosicki said.
“Although I’ve worked in the county for many years, there are some differences between TJ and other schools,” Martinez said. “Learning those differences may take some time, but I look forward to the process.”
Despite having experience, being a new administrator comes with its challenges. For Grosicki, one is time management.
In addition to learning about Jefferson, Martinez aims to meet individuals in the school community.
“I know most students herwa lot to learn as a new administrator at Jefferson particularly,” Grosicki said. “My goal is to learn as much possible and establish relationships with the community.” In his free time, Grosicki enjoys spending time with his family and traveling to activity-oriented or cultural places. “Sometimes I just go to food-y destinations, so I can take in the culture,” Grosicki said. “I like Anthony Bourdain’s show, it’s about how the culture is symbolized and comes out in the food of a region.”
“One of my goals is to get to know my students; I’m really looking forward to that,” Martinez said. Though her favorite subject as a student was English, Martinez enjoys reading and learning about a variety of subjects, including politics and quantum physics. She recommends that students read “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff ” by Richard Carlson and “Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be” by Frank Bruni. “I am curious by nature,” Martinez said. “[I read about] anything that captures my attention. I also enjoy a variety of genres of fiction.” KATHERINE DU // DESIGN
IN-DEPTH= complicated journey ONGOING CONSTRUCTION: The to a better campus Christine Zhao || TEAM LEADER
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he current status of construction often presents an inconvenience to fall sports that practice on-campus during August. This summer, access to large portions of the campus were blocked off, including locker rooms, the access road, and a majority of the building. Construction has not been easy on sports teams, including the field hockey team. Though the team has been able to practice on campus this year, in previous years, the field hockey team has needed to schedule summer practices at other schools’ fields in the heat of mid-afternoon. “One of the problems with practicing on other fields was that we could only get certain time slots, and it was like at 3:00 P.M., so it was really hot and sunny,” sophomore Kaitlin Phan said. This year, practicing on the football field has had its share of problems as well. “Two weeks ago, we had to postpone a home game because the lights [on the football field] weren’t finished,” Phan said. “The football field is also harder to practice on than turf.” The unfinished construction presented a hassle to members of the cheer team as well. Without a definite space to practice, cheerleaders found themselves having practice cancelled, sharing space with other sports, and hosting practice off-campus. Throughout the summer, the cheer team has hosted practices at Holmes Middle School, and Saturday practices at a cheer gym in Alexandria. “We had to skip a few days of cheer over the summer because there was literally no place to practice,” senior Samuel Liu said. “And on a few occasions, we had to share gym space which made it a bit scary to stunt because it was so cramped. Also, many Saturday practices over the summer were in a completely different location.”
CHRISTINE ZHAO // PHOTO
With the construction around campus, sports teams can often face difficulties finding suitable locations to practice in during the summer.
However, the end is almost near. This fall, new physics and humanities wings were opened up near the back of the school, providing easier transportation and bringing the school closer together on a whole. “This half of the renovation has made the school a huge improvement,” junior Robert Kim said. “Everything is closer together, the school is more consolidated, there are more commons areas, and there is less walking in general.” In addition, Gym 2 will open in the fall, with completion of the turf field and tennis courts projected for the end of summer 2017. “It’s a struggle, but it does teach us to be adverse,” Rashid said. “We have to make the most of what we have, and we will. It brings us together as a team - knowing we have a struggle, but also knowing that we can get around it.”
TAILGATE “TAILS” Sabria Kazmi || TEAM LEADER
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usic, food, and friends. That’s exactly the idea behind the tailgate held right before the first football game this season. The tailgate was on Sept. 2, right next to the football field, so that students could easily go to the football game afterwards. Although the tailgate mainly consisted of a small crowd of people listening to music from someone’s car stereo, it was still an opportunity, especially for freshmen, to get a taste of our school’s culture. “It was an awesome experience and it’s great being part of a school where there is a huge amount of enthusiasm and excitement, even when our team isn’t doing so well,” freshman Timmy Vu said. The tailgate was a place for many people to show their support for our football team. “Seeing everyone standing around the cars and putting on black paint under their eyes for the blackout was really fun, and it showed me how much we truly support our team,” sophomore Zyannah Mallick said. Others showed their school spirit simply by attending and meeting with fellow students. “I think these events help encourage school spirit because they give a
chance for everyone, especially the freshmen, [to] meet and greet in a nopressure, just-fun, setting,” senior Laura Chu said. Attending meetups like school tailgates can also be an easy way for people to meet their classmates. “I mostly hung out with people I already knew, but I was also able to meet new freshmen,” Vu said. Not only was the tailgate a good venue for freshmen to meet people, but it was also exciting to some of the upperclassmen to finally meet the incoming class. “My favorite part of the tailgate was getting to meet the freshmen and introducing them to what the game would be like; the cheers, the hype, etc.,” Chu said. Whether at a tailgate, a pep rally, or a dance, there is something about the environment that makes Jefferson unique. “I think that things like this [the tailgate] are what help TJ get known for having so much spirit,” Mallick said. “Before I came to TJ, I always heard how the school had so much more spirit than any other school. Having personally experienced the love that our students have for this school now that I’m here, I’m glad that I’m able to be a part of it.”
1?
IN-DEPTH
7
SEPT. 21, 2016
Senior Audrey Huang, creator of last year’s “One Question,” reflects on the retirement of the program During Flow Day on Apr 6 of the last school year, Principal Evan Glazer presented on the process of making decisions on a large group. This year will be Flow Day’s last year at Jefferson, as the program is being retired in the 2017-2018 school year.
AVNI SINGH // PHOTO
Avni Singh || TEAM LEADER
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he One Question program is a program that, over a course of various years, has come to include a student-led question, keynote presentations by authors, Flow Day, TEDxTJHSST, and InspireTJ, as well as many other activities. After eight years of the program, the Leadership Team at Jefferson has decided to retire it at the end of this school year. The team aims to reveal new priorities for Jefferson and reduce competing interesting by retiring the program, and the question for this year is “How can we better embrace failure within the TJ community and use it as an opportunity for learning and growth?”. In order to gain perspective into the program’s retirement, tjTODAY interviewed senior Audrey Huang, who created the One Question prompt for the 2015-2016 school year. How has the One Question program helped you grow as a student? A: On a personal level, I feel like being part of One Question gave me the chance to work with a bunch of different people I otherwise wouldn’t have likely ever even talked to - other students in different grades, various teachers, Ms. Gravitte, even Dr. Glazer a little bit, etc. I learned a lot about organizing large-scale events and compromise.
How do you feel about the program’s retirement at the end of the school year? A: I am quite sad to hear that the program is ending because I think it had a lot of potential. I know a lot of other people think one of the major problems of the program is that it does not create any “real change” in the school, and I think they are right in a certain sense. For example, there will always be a very high amount of competition at this school, and over the course of the year working with my One Question I’ve come to realize that problems like these aren’t necessarily solvable by any one program. However, I do argue that this one year of dealing with Competition vs. Collaboration has made an impact on the school in terms of generating a lot of discussion and making people more conscious of the issue. Do you think the One Question program is beneficial to the school? A: Again, I’m very biased when I say that yes, I genuinely think the One Question program does raise the awareness of a larger issue around the school. I’ve been in many passionate conversations where I’ve heard about just how much other people have been affected by the competitive environment and how much they too feel like collaboration is something we could have more of at this school. Again and again, the topic comes up; a solution has far
from been found, but I am at least satisfied that this issue will remain a conversation topic for a long time because I think this is a real issue that people should be aware of and think about. What does the program mean to you? A: This is such a funny thing to acknowledge but I know some people have called me the “One Question Girl” before, so in many ways I feel strongly connected to the program. The OQ program was like my baby for a school year and I gave a lot to try and make it a success. What advice do you have to someone who wants to participate in the program this year? A: My advice to anyone who is interested in participating in the program this year is to reach out to Adarsh and Jami, who are this year’s One Question winners, or to myself, or our new sponsor, Mr. Davis. We are always looking for more enthusiastic people to help out or share ideas! Adarsh and Jami have already talked to me about some of the plans they have for this year, and I’m very excited to see what this school year will bring for One Question.
KATHERINE DU // DESIGN
GRADE BOOK HOMEWORK 10 PERCENT CLASS PARTICIP CORRECTIVE ACTION PROFICIENCY QUALITY BEHAVIORS 8 IN-DEPTH ASSESING LACEHOLDER GRADE BOOK ENCOURAGED ACTIVITIES ELIMINATE ZEROS QUALITY DOCUMENT CLA SYLLABUS CURRICULUM COMPLETION GRADING RECORDED ENCOURAGED QUARTER SCORES TEAM THE HIGHEST GR PARTICIPATE CLASS PARTICIPATION PARENTS ASSES NO LO REASONABLE CURRICULUM EXTRA CREDIT ACCOUNT EXTRA INSTRUCTION 0 MAY BE ENTERED PLACEHOLDER GRADE B ELIMINATE ZEROS PARENTS ASSESING COLLABORATIVE I BEHAVIORS SECOND OPPORTUNITIES ATTEMPT WORK CURRICULUM THE RECORDED INCREASED CLASS PARTICIPATIO SCORES NO MORE THAN 30 PERCENT TEAM HIGHEST GR PARTICIPATION MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES CLASS PARTIC
SAVING
A
MiJin Cho, Avni Singh, and Bayliss Wagner || TEAM LEADER
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get on a track to a senior research program or mentorship, for example. Jefferson’s classes use different kinds of collaborative and project-based learning, with varying focuses on research. Quite frankly, we have research and lab resources that other schools don’t have, something we Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) new grading policy need to be appreciative and grateful for, so our classroom includes four main changes: the initiation of weekly grade experience and the way the new policies affect us may differ reports instead of interims; a cap on the percentage that from that of other students.” homework can make up of one’s final grade, the countyHowever, the negative effects of this policy may outweigh wide acceptance of late work, and the implementation of its benefits. retakes. Homework can only make up a maximum of 10% of a student’s final grade, no late assignment can be entered “I think that policies that may work well at one school may in as a zero in the gradebook, and one retake on one major not work well in another,” biology teacher Thomas Larson assessment per quarter is allowed for scores below 80%, said. “Any time you have a blanket policy like this, it’s a with the score for any retest capped at 80%. mistake. What would work at Edison or Lee High School hey’re on Facebook, awake and online into the early hours of the morning, preparing to ace an exam. They’ve only got one shot. But that may not be the case this school year.
The structure of classes at Jefferson may make it difficult to implement the policy in the same way it is being implemented at other schools.
“Jefferson is different from other schools’ learning environments for a variety of reasons,” senior Laura Chu said. “The structure of our IBET, HUM, and the way we all
is not going to work at Marshall or Oakton or Madison. Here at Jefferson, everything is so accelerated. My main concern is that if students keep getting into the habit of … [retaking] tests, they’re going to find that in trying to prepare for the retake, they’re starting to get behind on the other material they need to be keeping up with.”
TICIPATION PARENTS ASSESING COLLABORATIVE MASTERY ORS ATTEMPT LATE WORK REASONABLE SUCCESS LEARNING IN-DEPTH 9 AGED COMPLETE QUARTER SKILLS INCOMPLETE SEPT. 21,RELATE 2016 CLASSROOM REPORT ACTIVITIES SECOND OPPORTUNITIES RDED NO MORE THAN 30 PERCENT SKILLS PRACTICE POLICIES GRADE 80 PERCENT STANDARDS GUIDELINES LATE WORK O LOWER THAN 50 PERCENT GRADE BOOK GUIDELINES TEAM XTRA CREDIT PRACTICE TEACHERS RESPONSE COMMUNICATES ADE BOOK ENCOURAGED QUARTER HOMEWORK 10 PERCENT VE INTO INTO CORRECTIVE ACTION PROFICIENCY QUALITY WORK SUCCESS LEARNING ASSESING QUALITY SYLLABUS From students to teachers, opinions PATION SKILLS PRACTICE POLICIES ENCOURAGED QUARTER on the80new grading STANDARDS policy revealsGUIDELINES a T GRADE PERCENT LATE WORK school divided RTICIPATION PARENTS ASSESING COLLABORATIVE HIGHEST DESIGN // Uzma Rentia
Aspects of the policy, particularly the inclusion of retakes, have the potential to emphasize learning over simply grades in the school environment. “I personally think the new change in grading policy is a major step in advancing the academics of our county, not just focusing on grades, but also the opportunity for students to learn,” senior Chris Cao said. The policy is not completely new to FCPS, bearing similarities to some middle school grading policies. “I attended Rachel Carson Middle School, so throughout my eighth grade year, we had some of these policies already available, such as the less than 80% grade retake and weekly progress reports,” freshman Aashni Manroa said. “I enjoyed the weekly progress reports as [they] helped me keep up to date on my assignments, and the quiz retake policy is good for students to get their grade up. I’m glad that this policy is also in Jefferson.” swPhysics teacher Stephen Scholla worked at South Lakes High School, where the retake policy has applied since before 2010. He hopes students will not abuse the privilege,
as he has seen happen before. “Just as clearly as it was yesterday, I can remember handing a student a test, and before they even looked at the test, they looked up at me and said, ‘When’s the retest on this?’” Scholla said. While Scholla believes that the new grading policy could help students during their time at Jefferson, he fears that the “there’s a do-over” mindset will mislead students about the real world. “If you don’t get a job interview right, you can’t say, ‘Can I have another try at the job interview?’” Scholla said. “I think in that sense, we’re doing kids a disservice.” Because this school year will be the first time Jefferson is implementing the new grading policy, both teachers and students will have to adapt to the new regulations in place and see if it works in classrooms. “If I had to give advice to students, I’d say, ‘Use this as sort of a last resort,” Scholla said. The goal should be to be proactive and show self-advocacy.’”
SCI || TECH PHOTO // Ankit Agrawal DESIGN // Ankit Agrawal
JUMP
INTO THE
SCHOOL YEAR
The JUMP Lab offers underclassmen the opportunity to delve into new, growing fields of research AVNI SINGH AND ANGEL KIM || TEAM LEADERS
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rom surveillance techniques to recreational use, drone technology has been utilized for a wide array of motives, and has become a large component of discussion in society. Now, such advanced technology, along with other intricate materials and anomalies, will be under research in the Jefferson Underclassmen Multidiscipline Projects (JUMP) Lab.
“Students in the lab will be working under time and funding constraints,” James said. “If a project is not well-researched, it may not get approved. If a project is not going to be approved as is, I will have a conversation with the researchers about whether we can change the experimental design to make the project appropriate for the JUMP lab.”
The JUMP Lab was founded in 2014 and aims to provide underclassmen with a research space in which students can research a project they have developed an idea for. The director of the lab is Jefferson biology teacher Dr. Jennifer James, who determines whether or not applicants can carry out certain projects. Sponsors and contributors to the lab include the Jefferson Partnership Fund and Cisco, a technology company that designs, manufactures and sells networking equipment.
The deadline to apply to the lab was Sept. 16, and while applicants must participate in the Jefferson Science Fair in order to apply to the lab, they can also enter their research in other events.
In order to participate in the lab, candidates must submit a twoto-three page research proposal that includes experimental research proposals, developmental and engineering proposals and computer science proposals. Applicants can apply as a team or individually, and if accepted into the lab, will have access to equipment such as spectrometers, incubators, centrifuges and water baths.
“Research can also be entered into statewide and national competitions, such as Va. Junior Academy of Science (VJAS) and Regeneron Science Talent Search,” James said. “Students may also present at TJStar.” The lab provides students with an opportunity to learn more about the research process. “I’m applying to the JUMP lab because I’d like to gain some experience with research and have fun possibly discovering or creating something new,” sophomore Sahra Yusuf, who is applying to the lab with sophomores Sreya Maram and Stuthi Iyer, said.
SCI & TECH
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SEPT. 21, 2016
WHAT’S IN THE JUMP LAB? The JUMP Lab offers students the opportunity to use new devices and techniques to enhance their research experince. But what exactly does that include? AUTOCLAVE: Used to clean pipette tips and kill harmful bacteria by subjecting equipment to high pressure saturated steam.
INCUBATOR: Device used to grow microorganisms under controlled conditions.
DILUTOR: Dilutes mixtures or solutions to a lesser concentration by adding a liquid such as water.
MICROCENTRIFUGE: Used to spin small liquid samples at high speeds, producing tens of thousands times g-force.
Information from www.biology-online.org, medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, www.explainthatstuff.com/autoclaves.html, and neuationcentrifuges.wordpress.com/tag/what-is-a-micro-centrifuge/ It also gives students an opportunity after IBET to pursue new research projects. “We are applying because we were interested in starting a research project of our own after finishing IBET last year,” sophomore Rushil Joshi, who is applying to the lab in a team, said. “Our project is involved with the development of an algorithm for a surveillance drone to scan for individuals among a crowd while avoiding obstacles and natural movement. We hope to learn about computer vision and contribute to modern drone technology.”
have for their research is limitless. For instance, Yusuf is planning on working with electroencephalograms, which are used to track and record brain wave patterns. “My friends and I have decided to try and create an easy-to-use framework for EEGs and implement it with another project, possibly a robot,” Yusuf said.
Past projects in the JUMP Lab include: “The Effect of Exposure Time of Blue Light on Planarian Regeneration Rate,” “Analyzing Social Media Sentiment to Predict Stock Price with StockPile,” The experiences that students gain in the lab can also benefit them and “Developing a Software to Detect Likelihood of Contracting when they apply to labs of their choice in senior year. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).” “I’m hoping to gain experience with research in general, as well as specific experience in the neuro lab because it’s the one I’m hoping to go into this year,” Yusuf said. For those who apply to the JUMP Lab, the opportunities they
“I encourage anyone interested in the JUMP lab to come and talk to me,” James said. “The application process can seem a bit daunting, and I want you to know that I am here to help.”
OPINION DIPLOMATIC DIFFERENCES
Hear what Jefferson has to say about immigration - from all sides of the spectrum Immigration is a decisive issue in this electhe law” with no amnesty and deporting 11 DE tion. Democratic proposals towards fixing the million immigrants would cost between 400 MO system are a step in the right direction. Hillary and 600 billion dollars while hurting economic CR Clinton supports expanded access to healthcare Many Republicans have also proposed ATI and work permits known as Deferred Action growth. “E-verify,” which creates a database of all legal C Photos courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons, worldartsme.com, and timetoast.com
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for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) initiated by President Obama. These proposals not only protect our country and grow its economy, but also help immigrants who are stuck in a backlogged system. Republican proposals entail good intentions, but flawed ideas. For example, “enforcing
workers. However, as the American Civil Labor Union points out, there is too much room for error; even a 1% error rate would unfairly lead to 1.5 million people becoming unemployed. Republicans’ incomplete proposals won’t get us anywhere. Although they aren’t perfect, Clinton’s proposals do what’s necessary and allow us to grow an American economy that thrives on immigrants.
visas expire, they can be returned home. While stories about the immigration plan Republicans have strong solutions not only at the top of the Republican ticket dominate on the issue of immigrants who overstay visas, news cycles, moderate Republicans have been trying to get their message out: our immigration but also on the issue of H1B fraud. Many Republicans support tough regulations to go system needs to be fixed. after corporations who cheat the H1B visa Take, for example, the issue of immigrants who come to the United States legally, but over- program for profit. Senator Marco Rubio, for example, supports permanently closing the H1B stay their visas. Estimates show that this group I comprises a full 40% of all illegal immigrants in option to corporations who cheat. Senator Jeff shaan Ga nd the United States today. Many Republicans have Sessions supports increasing the minimum wage hi || G proposed measured steps to solve this problem. for H1B visa holders to discourage corporations UE ST WR from hiring H1B visa holders to save costs. Governor Chris Christie came out in favor of ITE R Behind the bombast of Trump exists a party tracking aliens who enter the country on a visa using existing biometric technology. When their begging to be heard on immigration. immigration provides a net benefit to the Regarding immigration, I have considered economy. many questions. How do immigrants, both The goal of Libertarianism is to reduce the legal and illegal, affect crime and terrorism role of government. Gary Johnson has repeatrates? Do they benefit the economy? Would a edly called for increasing the number of work wall work? visas to supply our own economy with labor “A bigger border fence will only produce while concurrently employing immigrants. taller ladders,” Gary Johnson, the Libertarian The government’s immigration restrictions Presidential candidate said. Along with creating need change. Clinton’s Democrats propose taller ladders, a wall could dismantle the North “comprehensive reform,” but have forgotten American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). R E to disclose what that means. Trump’s RepubLibertarians have considered my other T RI TW licans have a plan, but one riddled with ignotwo questions. While little accurate data exists S E GU | | rance. The best option is to let the free market on the crime rates of immigrants, we know tz ori M distribute employment. that immigration does not induce terrorism. Ian Economists and thinktanks also believe that
AN C I BL U REP
LIB ER TAR IAN
For extended versions of these immigration opinions, visit tjTODAY.org.
SPORTS
DANCE TEAM
Dance team had their first debut of the year during the halftime show of football games on Sept. 2 and Sept. 9. Their latest performances included routines to “Hit the Quan” and “Me Too.” The group of 23 will continue to practice for dance competitions and perform at home sporting events throughout the year.
FOOTBALL CHEER
The Jefferson varsity football team competed on home turf against Saint John Paul the Great in their first game of the season Sept. 2. Fans packed the stands in black to watch the Colonials face off against the Wolves. The Colonials ended the game with a score of 39 to 0.
The Jefferson cheerleading team participated in a three-day camp in which they worked with coaches on tumbling and stunting skills. The team cheered at the football games on Sept. 2, Sept. 9, and Sept. 16. The team’s first competition is in the beginning of October.
GOLF
CROSS COUNTRY
The Jefferson cross country team competed against public and private schools across the DC region at the Bull Run 2-mile meet on Aug. 25. On the girls’ team, freshman Sydney Szabos placed first in the Freshman Girls’ division. On the boys’ team, senior Will Baxley, junior Dylan Klapper, and freshman Jonathan West placed third in their respective divisions.
MARCHINGBAND
Thomas Jefferson Marching Colonials (TJMC) has been preparing a new show since August, themed “Ad Astra”, Latin for “to the stars,” and addressing space exploration from the past to present. TJMC’s members perform at all home football games in addition to participating in competitions.
REPORTING // Avni Singh, Christine Zhao, Angel Kim, Sabria Kazmi, MiJin Cho
The Jefferson co-ed golf team won the Conference 13 Preview Golf Tournament over the summer. They ended with a score of 319, and won against George C. Marshall High School by a margin of 33 strokes. So far, the team’s overall record is five wins and zero losses.
VOLLEYBALL
FIELD HOCKEY
This fall, the field hockey team is under a new head coach, Aubrey Lear, who has coached at Jefferson for four years. The team is a few games into the season, with a varsity record of three losses and one tie, and the junior varsity team with two losses and one tie. Jefferson’s field hockey season will continue until mid-October.
Photos courtesy of Christine Zhao, Angel Kim, Stephanie Levin, Coach John Myers, and colonialathletics.org,
SEPT. 21, 2016
The Jefferson volleyball team faced off against the Annandale Atoms in a home game on Sept. 8. Tied neck to neck before their fifth and final match, the varsity volleyball team won in five with a score of 15-4 in their last set, bringing the score to 3-2.
ENTERTAINMENT
FALL PREVIEW ‘SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU’
photo courtesy of www.chicagotribune.com
Christine Zhao || TEAM LEADER
Twenty-five year-old Michelle Robinson, an accomplished black lawyer, was not on a date, she proudly proclaimed to her parents. “Southside with You,” directed by Richard Tanne with a budget of $1.5 million, was released on Aug. 25 and is based on President Barack Obama’s (Park Sawyer) first date with Michelle Obama (Tika Sumpter). Robinson, breaking racial and gender barriers, was determined not to let any “smooth talkers” distract her from her career. Much to her shock and disbelief, Robinson realized that the community meeting her summer associate, Barack Obama, had invited her to was actually a date. With one small action, a relationship with a coworker could destroy all the success she had achieved as an African American woman, and she was determined not to let it happen. She repeatedly attempts to hold Obama at an arm’s distance by berating him throughout the day, but unfortunately for her, all her attempts at establishing a business relationship were to no avail; the film follows the pair as Robinson reluctantly visits an African art museum, is introduced to Obama’s church friends as “his new woman,” and slowly overcomes her determined resistance during Obama’s mesmerizing, inspiring, and seemingly spontaneous speech. Romantic, welldeveloped, and beautifully filmed, this movie is a definite must-see. “Do the Right Thing” and see “Southside with You.”
‘BLONDE’
photo courtesy of www.theverge.com
Bayliss Wagner || TEAM LEADER
What first comes to mind when you think of Frank Ocean? If you have Twitter, you most likely know him from jokes about his mysterious lack of public appearances and music releases for the last two years. If you listened to Channel Orange, maybe you knew him as an R&B artist with a soft voice and an affinity for mixtape skits; if you heard any Golf Wang music, you were acquainted with his smooth rap skills. Previously, Ocean’s music was sensual, rap-macho and creative. But he was a musician. Now, he is an artist. With “Blonde,” Ocean strives for originality like Prince did with his purple makeup, to say, “I don’t care about your labels,” to make sentimentality vogue. Ocean threw aside binary gender and infused the video for “Nikes” with magical, improbable pairings: eyeliner with men’s Nike sneakers; a woman swimming in a tank like a mermaid; Ocean in his white, beaded space suit next to the red devil in tap shoes. But “Nikes” is not the universal favorite because there is none. Twitter users quote every song and disagree about which is best. Could it be the smooth momentum of “Pink + White?” The jarring humor of “Facebook Story?” The varied styles and tempos in “Self Control?” You decide.
‘THE GOOD PLACE’
photo courtesy of Justin Ludin/NBC
Angel Kim || TEAM LEADER
The new NBC comedy “The Good Place” is about a woman named Eleanor (Kristen Bell) who learns from Michael (Ted Danson), the Good Place’s architect, she has died. In the Good Place, only favorable events happen - for example, nobody curses or gets hangovers. However, Eleanor realizes that her being in the Good Place is a mistake. She probably belongs in the bad place, where an innocent person must have accidentally ended up. Eleanor learns about what it means to be a good person with the help of Chidi (William Jackson Harper), while evading suspicion from Michael. “The Good Place’s” executive producers, Michael Schur, David Miner, Morgan Sackett and Drew Goddard have previously worked on comedies enjoyed by many, including “Parks and Recreation”, co-created by Schur, and “The Martian”, adapted for the screen by Goddard. Viewers can look forward to the show’s unique storyline and sense of humor. Parts of “The Good Place” were filmed at the Universal Studios backlot in Los Angeles. Visitors were able to view a section of one of the sets, filled with storefronts bearing names such as “Everything Fits” and “The Good Plates”. “The Good Place” was heavily promoted during the Olympics, and interested viewers will be tuning into the premiere of its first season on Sept. 19.
AD
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SEPT. 21, 2016
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SENIORS! Senior portraits will take place from
OCTOBER 3-6 in the lecture hall.
You will receive an appointment card in the mail. Be on the lookout! Got questions or a conflict? Email Ms. Harris (EHarris1@fcps.edu).
“
I went to Chile with a group of my church members. Just laying down our own troubles and devoting ourselves to others, and them
BEING THANKFUL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP them, made us happy. HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS.
They take less than what they deserve because there’s not much more for them. They don’t know how better it could be so THEY ARE HAPPY
WITH WHAT THEY HAVE.
Chile made me realize that our threshold for happiness tends to move up. We’re never filled. Sometimes, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PULL IT BACK
DOWN AND SEE THAT WE OVERFLOW.
After seeing the people smile after one tiny treatment and a bag of vitamins that won’t last them a month, I thought, SOME PEOPLE JUST NEED
TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE CARES FOR THEM. They don’t know that that’s all they need sometimes.
”
SENIOR
JOANNE LEE || WHAT I VE LEARNED PHOTO & REPORTING // Alexa Nguonly