The Viking Spring Issue

the

viking Loudoun Valley High School News Magazine 340 N. Maple Ave. Purcellville, VA 20132

Behind the Curtain page 3 A Look Back at Winter Sports page 7 Political Viewpoints page 11

issue 3, February 2012

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viking

the

staff:

editors-in-chief Rachel Boisjolie Tatum Davenport Torri Hart

at a glance

Managers commit hours of time to their teams.

copy editor Melissa Fairfax photo editor Charles Lyons ad manager Madison Coppa-Luckman staff writers Alessia Andrejasich Kelly Ashley Christine Ayala Jennifer Colantonio Blake Davis Gaelyn Foster Leigh George Katherine Hall-Wurst Alexandra Millman Courtney Morgan Lauren Pak Madeleine Rice Mairin Rivett Rachel Snyder Meagan Solano Sheridan Suminski Jo Trombadore Charlotte Tuohy Connor Wood staff photographers Paige Armstrong Tierra Dongieux Liam Klavon adviser Paige Cox contact paige.cox@lcps.org 340 N. Maple Ave Purcellville, VA 20132 540-751-2400

cover:

Senior Nick Robinson helps the team advance to a first place district finish.

inside: do you 1 Why Manage?

3

Behind the Curtain

5

Suit Up

7

Compete. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

9

Forward Harrison Jackson prepares to shoot a decisive foul shot at a district game against Tuscarora. The boys’ team went on to win the game 78-42.

“Good things happen to good people who work hard.”

-Harrison Jackson

The audience only sees half of what goes into making a production.

The swim team’s dynamics showcase their abilities and friendships.

A look back on the winter sports season.

The Brainy Bunch Members of Academic Team show off their knowledge at competitions.

10

That’s Debatable

11

Where Do You Stand?

Debate Team closes down their season, sending six members to higher levels of competition.

A break down of the political spectrum illustrates differences in political parties.

13

Pro/Con

Two Viking editors face off in a debate over the death penalty.

20 Fashion Frenzy

A winter fashion expo shows what styles work.

The Viking Values:

The Viking is a student-based newsmagazine at Loudoun Valley High School. All questions, comments or concerns can be brought to the staff’s attention in room 135. All editorials are published at the staff’s discretion. All quotes are validated by audio files. Advertisements and ideas are encouraged as long as they are appropriate and correlate with the student body.

why do you manage?

Managers dedicate an average of fifteen hours a week to managing a team.

Every hero needs a sidekick; Batman has Robin, Superman has Jimmy Olsen, Captain America has Bucky Barnes, and athletes have managers. Managers are the staple that holds the team together but do so without acknowledgement from the outside world. There are water bottles to be filled, clocks to run, mats to clean, and uniforms to wash; these things keep a team together, and the person that runs it all is the loyal manager.

“My friend wanted me to do it, so I did,” junior Katie Janda said about choosing to manage the wrestling team. Fellow managers continued to say the same thing when asked why they manage.

Though managers may accept their job willingly, they are in for a surprise when they get 1

their list of chores. Managers neatly fold and wash the laundry, fill up each water bottle, frantically keep score, and adjust to the smell of sweat. Each sport has its own unique challenges.

“I have to clean up blood, sweat, and grossness!” sophomore Carly Spear said about managing for wrestling.

The most disgusting moment for the set of eight wrestling managers is grasping the hairy, dripping-wet mop with their bare hands and ringing it out. The managers first spray the mat with antibacterial spray, wipe it up, and rinse the mop with water. Then they ring it out until it isn’t soaked.

The most challenging aspect for junior Evelyn Gillis is “the amount of time wrestling takes up; it eats up your life.” An average wrestling match held

on the weekend lasts for eight hours. At meets, it is up to the managers to keep score for each wrestler’s match; the point system is tricky, so it takes a lot of brain power.

“You get take-downs which are two points, reversals which are two points, escapes which are one point, a near fall that can be two, three, even four points! A pin is six points,” Janda said.

Other duties include managing brackets, which are a packet of diagrams designed to show who will proceed to each round of the meet; they have to be filled out for every individual match, even if a Valley wrestler isn’t involved. At home matches, the managers perform their usual jobs along with running the clock and tapping the referee when each two-minute period is complete.

In the gym during the girls’ basketball practice, managers constantly re-fill water bottles, run the scoreboard for activities and keep the equipment

“[Managing] eats up your life.”

-Evelyn Gillis

Clockwise left/Polizotto, Gillis, Muchado, and Richards scoring and running the clock; Gillis emptying water; Polizotto and Janda at the score table. Clockwise right/water bottles; Polizotto cleaning blood; Gillis cleaning mat; Gillis and Muchado taking stats; Polizotto and Gillis running score board.

organized. At games, the three managers’ main responsibility is to keep the book.

To manage the book, each shot taken has to be recorded along with the total points earned. “[The most challenging thing] is definitely doing the books, especially if there’s an issue, because you have to stand up for your own book and if you have a mistake you have to be willing to admit it,” senior Ciara Bucci said.

Not only do the managers learn to run the scoreboard and keep score, but they also have to organize their time.

“Some of the games that are away can be really late nights, so it’s kind of tricky to make sure you manage your time,” Bucci said.

The boys’ basketball managers take on the same responsibilities as the girls’ managers but with a few more restrictions.

“At practice, we’re not allowed to use our phones, and we have to watch the boys,” junior Christina Hopkins said. “[The most challenging thing is] dealing with the boys’ stenches.”

Though managing brings unique challenges and takes up a lot of time, it still has its rewards in getting to know the team; seeing them jump up in thrill, shout because of excitement and smile because they know they’ve accomplished something amazing is a reward in itself.

“Entertaining” is the first word Gillis used when she thought of managing wrestling. Some aspects of managing may be more dull than others, but getting to know the team seems to be a major highlight. An instant smile appeared on Janda’s face when she was asked how the team interacted.

“The team is really close. They like to cuddle, they love each other, and it’s so noticeable! It’s such a friendly sport,” Janda said.

For Bucci, the best part of hanging out with the team is a bit more deep.

“It’s just nice to see them be proud of themselves when they accomplish something or see them having fun; that’s the best part,” Bucci said.

Many people ask “why?” when someone says that they’re a manager, and most will respond with, “My friend pretty much dragged me into it.” Even when the manager can’t explain why they put up with all the responsibilities, it’s evident that it is about the inside jokes made throughout the season that no one else understands, the nicknames between managers and players, and the family atmosphere that is unbreakable. By the end of the season, many will say what Hopkins said when asked if she’ll come back next season: “I’ll definitely manage again.” article/Torri Hart photos/Torri Hart spread/Torri Hart

TRAINING ROOM KNOWLEDGE

THE BOSS: His name is Andy. He is the trainer for every sports team and every athlete at Loudoun Valley.

WHERE TO GO: The training room is the home of the medical kit, water bottles, ice, and bleach for blood clean-up. This is a manager’s supply headquarters.

WHEN TO VISIT: Managers come into the training room at the start of practice for water and the medical kit and at the end to clean up the supplies used that day. Athletes are welcome in the office any time to speak with Andy. People are always rushing in and out.

2

Behind Cur Before the curtain goes up, backstage teems with action.

It is Friday, December 9, 7:29 p.m., and the countdown begins in the auditorium. One short minute remains until the curtain opens and the audience experiences the opening of the much-anticipated play, “The Taming of the Shrew.” A single red drape separates the calm murmurs of the audience from the anxious whispers of the cast and crew backstage. The auditorium lights dim, and a dark silence engulfs both sides of the curtain. A final moment of excitement passes over the room as the deep red curtain draws back, and the show begins.

A play is nothing without a set. The tech crew works for weeks leading up to the performance, constructing scenery for the show. During a play, the “techies” scurry about backstage, ensuring that the lighting and sound onstage are perfect. They assist the actors in scene changes and move bulky props during a show as well.

Though their presence behind the curtain is unnoticed, the techies are a vital asset to the success of a production.

On the night of a performance, cast members are required to be present at school one and a half hours before the show. Though some may go home to ready themselves for the show, most stay after school for a Friday night performance. On those nights, cast members wait, talk, and eat the food provided by the Drama Booster.

The Drama Booster is an organization of parents that works to benefit every drama production. Consisting of parents from both drama and tech students, the booster donates props, costumes, money, food, and endless time and effort to the drama 3

productions. They also help build sets and help cast members ready their hair and makeup before a show.

Once call time comes, action explodes backstage. Actors change into their costumes, fix their hair, and apply makeup for the first scene.

Necessary props for the show are preset to allow for easy access amongst the piles of items backstage.

Some actors go over their lines or run an “Italian fire drill,” which is a practice technique in which all of the cast gathers in a circle and runs through the lines of a particular scene or even the whole play. Besides the pre-show practice and costume preparations, actors talk to each other and “get pumped” for the play.

After preparations are complete, the atmosphere backstage becomes subject to a series of rituals. Before musicals and some other productions, the cast does the Valley drama chant. They repeat the chant several times and gradually raise their voices each time until they scream the words.

Before “The Taming of the Shrew,” the cast initiated a new tradition of a fullcast handshake, much like the game of Twister but with hands. Actors also have unique rituals of their own. Senior Eavan Kennedy jumps up and down pogo-stick style before every show.

“For whatever reason, this practice always helps me center all of my energy,” Kennedy said.

Once the show begins, business falls into a familiar rhythm behind the

curtain. However, the orderly system is by no means tranquil. Anxious cast members waiting for a cue go over lines or pace around restlessly.

Some of their calmer companions whisper to friends, meditate, or listen to the show. Nevertheless, actors are faced with the task of costume changes, the most abundant pastime backstage. While the idea of sprinting off a stage and immediately stripping down in front of an entire cast of actors seems bizarre to the audience, for cast members, this occurrence is as natural as breathing. Some actors are lucky enough to remain in one costume for the entirety of the performance, but it is not uncommon to change costumes five or six times.

Junior Abigail Greene, the “amazing costume girl,” puts costumes together

and helps actors swap outfits during a show. Costume changes are hectic, but most cast members feel that drama is a second family and declare that the backstage changes are not strange.

“I had two costume changes [in the production],” sophomore Lily Olson said. “It’s not really weird, more

the

stressful.”

During a performance, the drama club instructor and the play’s director, Ike Stoneberger, can always be found sitting in the stage left stairwell.

From there, he watches the show and makes notes of what could be improved. Stoneberger gives no instruction or warm-up requirements before a show but offers the traditional “break a leg” and “have fun” to the cast. He rarely intervenes during a play, but Stoneberger posts critiques for the cast after a show. Though Stoneberger works hard in rehearsals to help actors perfect their characters, he sits back and relaxes during a performance.

“My emotions are very similar to any audience member,” Stoneberger said. “I try to let go of my attachments and allow the play to wash over me.”

Despite the chaos, the dark stage behind the curtain is home to hundreds of laughs and inside jokes for drama students. Cast members tease each other, joke about their costumes, and repeat familiar lines as they are performed on stage.

“We have so much fun backstage sometimes,” junior Doug Breton said with a laugh.

For drama students, drama is nothing less than a second home and a way of life. article/Gaelyn Foster photos/Roger Birch, Tierra Dongieux spread/Leigh George

d rtain

left/Ben Zook, as Petruchio, muses to Virginia Theerman, as Baptista Minola, at the Drama Department’s production of “The Taming of the Shrew.” right/Over the years, Valley has steadily acquired a collection of costumes and props which are stored in a closet in the chorus room.

UP

suit T

hey are the self-proclaimed night owls, the bus-party animals and the human fish. At night, while no one is watching, the swim team members magically transform into aquatic creatures. After the homework is finished, the bus ride is over, and all other activities are put aside, the swimmers jump in, eager to begin preparing for their next meet.

A practice typically starts around 8 p.m. and ends around 10 p.m., following a 30- or 45-minute bus ride, depending on the pool’s location. Unlike most teams that occasionally travel to attend away games, the swim team travels for everything. The pool that the team uses alternates between Ida Lee in Leesburg and Claude Moore in Sterling.

Unlike full swim teams consisting of 50 people, Valley’s swim team consists of only 31 swimmers, making it one of the smallest but also one of the closest.

“Numbers-wise, we’re statistically eliminated from winning. Even if every person wins their event, the total score is never high enough; we still lose,” senior Ian Miller said.

The team’s closeness dates back to their younger years, as most of the team has been swimming in summer house leagues since they were small. The team’s dynamic is also a result of

the extra things the team does outside of the water.

On the bus the swimmers sing, dance, yell and talk throughout the ride to unwind from their day. It is a time for them to relax. As practice begins, each swimmer prepares for the type of event they will be swimming in their next meet, be it distance or sprint.

The team often faces fatigue after their late-night workouts, long day at school, and hours or so of homework.

“I feel like I’m in the water more than I am on land,” freshman Shannon Pierce said.

Along with a few others, Pierce also in a competitive league called Snow. Snow’s practices are held early in the morning and are commonly followed by practices at night.

“I am always sleep deprived.

There’s just not enough time to do everything in one day,” Pierce said.

Unlike dual meets, where individual points help accumulate the team’s total score, Snow takes part in open meets, where the individual score that is counts.

“The biggest difference between how the teams are scored is with an open meet, it is all on you,” Pierce said.

Before meets begin, teammates engage in a chant shouting “MEN, MEN, MEN” or “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND”. At the meets, the swimmers cheer each other on at the edge of the pool and by the blocks. Although it’s hard to hear their fellow swimmers cheering while in the water, the team believes it is the thought that counts, and seeing

“I feel like I’m in the water more than I am on land.”

-Shannon Pierce

Late night practices, laps that turn into miles, and bus ride adventures define the swim team.

their teammates there in the brief moments they come up for air is always encouraging.

“When you hear or see the team’s expressions while you’re swimming, you can tell how close you are and know to keep pushing,” senior captain Kaitlyn Weaver said.

While the team may be less competitive than other teams because of its size, the team experiences a stronger bond than most. After practices and meets, the team goes to IHOP. Like the bus rides, breakfasts at IHOP bring the team closer.

“It’s safe to say that we annoy every waiter we have,” Weaver said. “We all get separate checks and are just as loud in the restaurant as we are on the bus.”

“After the season is over, it’s only a few months until we’re together again in the summer season,” junior Mark Shayka said.

Over time, the team has gotten to know each other on a much deeper level. Each swimmer feels comfortable enough to help each other and ask for tips about strokes. Winning isn’t the most important thing.

“We all genuinely care about each other,” Pierce said. “We’re a family.” article/Tatum Davenport photos/Sheridan Suminski spread/Tatum Davenport, Leigh George

from season to season by the numbers...

40 10 22 2 3 different events in a meet

Briar Woods Meet

handprints have been stamped on one person

Mark Shayka

different theme songs for the summer season

Senior Picture

miles swam each practice

Cara Broshkevitch

tubes of face paint used at a meet

The cheering section

1

box of Triscuits eaten per meet in the summer

Hannah Backman

12

scoops of ice cream eaten in one meal

The girls’ swim team

3

times per season that they play water polo

Ian Miller

4

different strokes

Shannon Pierce

5

hours a week spent at Gruto’s in the summer

Anna Broshkevitch

Compete.

Repeat.

Eat.Sleep.

quote bar/Cameron Kiani; Jessie Hardesty; Samantha Chavez, Alexie Badura, Kristen Cobb, Gabby Duff; Josh Hawk; Megan Skillman; Ian Miller

“There’s not much to improve on; we’ve been practicing hard, we’ve been playing well, winning a lot of games… we have really great chemistry,” sophomore Paul Rowley said.

7

“Actually, the best part of the season was how we lost every game. Not a lot of people can lose on the last game they’ll ever play and think, ‘Wow, well at least I’m here,’ and reflect on it in a positive way,” senior Lauren Jane said.

“The season has gone by really quickly; it’s been a fun season and we learned all the cheers really well and quickly,” junior Alisa Fishel said.

“I would say it was a slow start, but as it went on, I got better. My highlight was winning districts,” senior Josh Hawk said.

“We definitely let the pressure get to us in some of our meets; we could have done better if we were relaxed and calm,” freshman Katie Mendenhall said.

“I think what I’ll miss most about the season is hanging out with everyone and just being together,” senior Katelyn Weaver said.

top bar/John Yoxthimer; Hannah Backman; Samantha Chavez, Alexie Badura, Kristen Cobb, Gabby Duff; Alivia Yourchisin, Katie Mendenhall, Brittany Raffa, Megan Skillman; Jacques Deaver; John Williams; Jordan Kittinger, Rachel Leigh, Alisa Fishel, Alexie Badura, Samantha Chavez, Kristen Cobb; Kirsten Graves, Carmen Del Vecchio.

Season Highlights This winter, six sports teams competed for new records. Senior John Yoxthimer rocketed to stardom when he scored his 1000th point of his high school basketball career. All together, the boys’ basketball team ended their regular season with an amazing record of 19-3. They also placed first in the district and won the district tournament. Junior wrestler Josh Cassada-Maple completed his regular season with an almost undefeated record; despite one loss, he still qualified for the state tournament with seniors Josh Hawk and David Jarvis. Senior Ian Miller also represented Valley at states for the swim team, while junior Josephine Trombadore and freshman Bria Lloyd represented the gymnastics team. spread/Rachel Boisjolie

middle bar/Josephine Trombadore; Jill Hurtt; Josh Hawk; Justyn Miller, Neill Frazier, Ethan Watts, Kyle Fulton, Coach Chad Dawson, Cameron Kiani; Samantha Chavez, Alexie Badura, Kristen Cobb, Gabrielle Duff, Liliana Jarvi; Ny Gillis; Jill Hurtt, Caitlin Gore; Anna Broshkevitch. bottom bar/Lucas Troesh; Ethan Watts, Josh Grimard, Coach ChadDawson; Courtney Halterman; Katie Mendenhall; Lauren Jane; Alisa Fishel, Lana Vaillancourt, Samantha Chavez, Rachel Leigh, Alexie Badura; Marcus Oden; Josh Grimard, John Yoxthimer. photo credit/Paige Armstrong, Roger Birch, Rachel Boisjolie,Tierra Dongieux, Melissa Fairfax, Torri Hart, Zach Kakol, Sheridan Suminski.

8

Brainy Bunch

e h T

said. “It makes people more nervous to buzz in early because there’s the risk of losing points. It helps because if someone on the other team buzzes in and loses points, then we do better.”

After completing both the toss-up rounds and the directed round, the match ends. “The meets are pretty formal,” Ritenour said. “There’s a reader and a timer and they keep it quiet. Usually the students are very competitive and anxious to win, especially when we played Woodgrove.”

The team members are competitive during the matches, but before the matches, there are no thoughts about nerves or jitters.

“We usually sing on the bus, whether it’s just Frank Song and me or a huge majority of us,” junior Frank Demauro said. “It helps us get loose and release the pressure before and after the competitions.”

At practices, too, the team balances intense competition with fun relaxation. Members split up into two teams with names such as Tebow vs. Losers, Caps vs. Losers, Us vs. Them, and Euphemisms vs.

Innuendos. The teams then set off to compete against each other in a mock match. With everyone competing, the Brainy Bunch can get a little crazy.

“We’re so ridiculous,” Gallagher said.

“Everyone has their own unique aspect of ridiculousness. When we bring it together, it’s just like a mushroom cloud of ridiculousness.” article/Rachel Boisjolie photos/Rachel Boisjolie, Charles Lyons spread/Rachel Boisjolie

Can you answer these Academic Team questions?

1

What is the area of a square with a perimeter of 16?

2

Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase are the phases of what process of eukaryotic chromosome division?

3 4 5

What Virginia-born man was known as “His Accidency” after succeeding William Henry Harrison to become the tenth president of the U.S.?

What ancient Egyptian board game, which means “passing,” involves throwing sticks to determine how to move your pawns?

What is the common English meaning of the Japanese word “arigato,” the French word “merci,” and the Spanish word “gracias”?

Senet, 5. “thank you”

There’s a family in room 117.

After school hours, they can be heard laughing and singing from far down the hallways.

When they’re heard joking and teasing each other, one may assume it’s just a friendly get-together. But this family’s game of choice is an intense version of Trivial Pursuit.

Sponsored by teachers Alvena Ritenour and Katarina Felts, Academic Team takes Trivial Pursuit to a whole new level. When combined, the members know the singers of the latest songs, the famous rulers of distant countries, the records set in sports, the answers to calculus problems, the awards won by actors and actresses, the authors of classical books, and the scientific names of biological illnesses. One team member affectionately calls the group ‘The Brainy Bunch’ to show their knowledge in all areas.

“No one person could do the whole thing themselves,” junior Cecilia Gallagher said. “Actually, one person could probably do it themselves, but we don’t like to do it that way. It’s not really fair to the others.”

There aren’t any tests or auditions one must pass in order to become a member of ‘The Brainy Bunch.’ Participation is from “mostly word of mouth,” according to Ritenour, unlike sports where participation requires formal tryouts. However, Academic Team’s season, from October to January, functions similarly to a sports season: practices are only 9

Mondays, but there are meets every week as well as district, regional, and state competitions.

There are three parts of each match: two toss-up rounds and a directed round. Only four people may play at a time; team captains Alec Miller, Erin Fischer, and Frank Song choose these people before the meets in combinations to best cover all topics of questions. One selection of four members collaborates in order to answer the 10 questions of the directed round; although the four contribute to answers, only the captain may answer. Any of the four people may answer during the 15-question toss-up rounds but without collaboration. The toss-up questions also tend to be longer than the directed questions.

“I wish the questions weren’t so long and drawn out,” junior Mae Markowski said. “I wish it was more like Jeopardy.”

Meets also differ from Jeopardy in the sense that students do not have to listen to the entire question before answering. They can interrupt the readers at any moment. They answer via handheld buzzers, thus blanketing floors with wires in the libraries and classrooms where meets are held. After buzzing in and answering, students may be greeted with groans or congratulations. If students answer incorrectly when buzzing in early, points are deducted.

As the long questions give easier clues away toward the end of the question, answering later may be safer, as points are not deducted for wrong answers after the question is completed.

“It’s good and bad,” Gallagher

Answers: 1. 16, 2. Mitosis, 3. John Tyler, Jr., 4.

Academic Team is a different kind of competition.

Junior and co-captain Daniel Ackerman and junior team member James Holland

that’s debatable...

Longs days, fast banter, and loads of research: welcome to the Debate Team.

Tension is thick in the air as dozens of anxious Debate Team members wait for their long day at the debate tournament to begin. A debate judge yells out, “Round one posted!” and the jittery throng of students turns into an aggressive stampede of competitors. The chaotic multitude crowds around a single slip of paper and takes note of their information. Tall debaters push to the front and call out information to their shorter teammates who are unable to fight their way through the crowd.

Then, the initial anxiety of the room dissipates as competitors gather their belongings and rush to their first debate.

Debate is one of the most crucial aspects of contemporary politics and society. Universities nationwide, such as Harvard, James Madison, George Mason, Wake Forest, Liberty, and Georgetown, have debate teams and offer scholarships to gifted debaters. University summer debate camps are also a popular form of recreation and training. Debate Team co-captain and sophomore Madi Remillard is one of the passionate debaters who attended the Harvard Debate camp this past summer.

Debate is growing in many high schools across the nation as well. In West Coast states, such as California, Oregon, and Washington, debate or argumentation is a year-long high school elective. These schools corroborate the budding idea that debate is a vital part of education in a democratic society, rather than just an impressive after-school club. Debate Team coach Julie Hildbold has connections with various universities and high schools on the West Coast and is cognizant of their views on debate.

“On the West Coast, debate is a class,” Hildbold said. “When I tell them we have to do all of the work as an after-school team activity, they are shocked. They can't believe my team has to fit this in as an activity.”

Debate Team meets for practice every Tuesday and Thursday after school. The team is given a new “resolution,” or topic, every two months, which debaters must research, dissect and argue. The goal of debate is to be able to recognize both sides of a topic and argue the affirmative and the negative cases in a tournament. The heated and current

topics selected for debate include illegal drugs, their debate is in. immigration, juvenile delinquents and domestic Each debater has four rounds a day, two of abuse, so a team must posses a high level of which are after lunch. The last two rounds of the maturity. day are arranged by “power-matching,” in which a The upbeat Debate meetings consist of debater has an identical number of pre-lunch wins research, collaboration and practice arguments. as their opponent. Debaters motor through their After they receive a resolution, the debaters use rounds and gain confidence as the day progresses. internet sources, libraries, and a handy information The last round of the day is heated as packet from the Harvard Debate Team to gather competitors throw themselves at the argument evidence about both sides of the argument. Once to make a last impression. At the end of the day, the extensive research is complete and all points the tournament closes down with an awards discussed, the team begins “casing,” the process ceremony, which announces the top placings in of organizing their arguments and research into a all of the divisions: Novice, Junior Varsity, and logical speech. Once they complete their cases, Varsity. Debaters hope to place in the top six of debaters predict what their opponent might say their division in order to obtain a half qualification to in a debate the Metropolitan Championships in and brainstorm March. Six members of Valley’s team “When I tell [other counterattacks. have qualified this year.

Then, it is up to the teams] we have to do all The atmosphere of a debate debaters to study of the work as an aftertournament is in stark contrast to hard in preparation relaxation of practices. Before a school activity, they are the for the next debate debate, some nervous debaters scan shocked.” tournament. their notes, while others listen to Although music or chat with friends. However, -Julie Hildbold Debate practices most competitors loosen up as the are full of intense research and hard work, the day goes on, and by the time the bus leaves the atmosphere is fun and easygoing. Debate members tournament that evening, the team buzzes with tease each other, joke around and generally have jokes and funny anecdotes from the day. fun. Members also feel a sense of “family” in their “The ride [home] is usually riddled with sayings team. and jokes that sprouted during that tournament,” “The atmosphere of our practices is just sophomore Austin Merritt said. “The first meeting wonderful. It's so relaxed and we all get along really after a tournament is always like a little party where well,” freshman Morgan Blanton said. “Everyone on we get food and reflect on our performance. It’s lots the team has kind of the same sense of humor and it of fun.” feels just like being with your friends.”

The Debate Team offers a new way of looking Debate tournaments are the marathon of the at controversial topics and a vehicle for intelligent mind. The Debate Team attends tournaments once insight. The forensic family acquires not only a vast or twice a month, always on a Saturday. On the day field of knowledge, but also a set of friendships and of a tournament, debaters rise at six a.m. and travel matchless experiences. to a high school in their league, the Washington“Being on the Debate Team gives me a sense Arlington Catholic Forensic League (WACFL), to of purpose and belonging,” Remillard said. “Being compete. part of a team is a great thing, especially when the The team registers at nine and anxiously team is as fantastic as the Loudoun Valley Debate waits for the judges to post the first round or debate.

Team.”

When the slight sheet of paper is posted, members article/Gaelyn Foster flood to it to find out who their opponent is, which photo/Madeline Swartz side of the debate they will argue and what room spread/Torri Hart 10

11

Liberals generally believe that the plight of illegal immigrants in the U.S. must be dealt with in humane ways that may include amnesties. They also support immigration policies that encourage legal immigration.

Many liberals believe that the ownership of certain weapons should be restricted and that there should be a certain amount of government control to help protect the lives of innocent victims.

Liberals tend to believe that it is the government’s duty to enact laws that ensure equal opportunity in circumstances where discrimination has been or is evident.

In general, liberals believe that a woman has the right to choose to have a safe and legal abortion.Without such a choice, they feel that a woman has been stripped of her right to make her own medical decisions.

Liberal

immigration

gun control

affirmative action

abortion

Conservatives typically support stricter border control to keep out illegal immigrants who compete for jobs and burden the social welfare system.

Conservatives tend to believe that too much government control over gun-use could infringe upon their Constitutional right to bear arms and leave them without immediate protection against criminals.

Conservatives tend to believe that individuals should be hired or admitted based on ability alone, believing that to judge them based on ethnicity abolishes equal opportunity.

Conservatives typically do not support abortion; many of them believe that from the moment of conception, a new life has been created. Thus, they view abortion as the taking of a life.

Conservative

With Republican primaries currently underway and the upcoming presidential election quickly approaching, the news is overflowing with debates over these hot-button issues. Since a new crop of teenagers will meet the voting requirements for this presidential election, citizens must be able to recognize their stance on certain controversial issues. While the majority of citizens fall somewhere in the middle, these are the extremes which tend to characterize the views of either conservatives or liberals. Use this as a guide in order to determine where YOU stand!

Where do YOU Stand?

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Liberals typically accept taxes as a necessity in order to provide adequate public services.

article/Jo Trombadore spread/Jo Trombadore photos/Creative Commons (www.flickr.com)

Liberals tend to support same-sex marriage. They believe that everyone, heterosexuals and homosexuals alike, should enjoy the right of marriage and all the accompanying legal privileges.

People who are more liberal tend to be pro-euthanasia.

They believe that it is a person’s right to choose to end his or her own life if terminally ill.

Liberals tend to believe that the death penalty is wrong and actively support its destruction. They believe that the justice system will always be flawed, and thus, there is no guarantee that the prisoners being executed are actually guilty. Many of them see the death penalty as state-sanctioned murder.

terrorism

taxes

gay marriage

euthanasia

Conservatives usually support the traditional view of marriage consisting of one man and one woman. While some support civil rights unions, they believe the traditional sanctity of marriage should be protected.

Conservatives usually support lower taxes. They often distrust the government’s regulation of their money, believing that citizens should spend more of their own money.

People on the Conservative side generally do not support euthanasia, believing it is wrong to end a life, even when the patient’s consent is given.

Conservatives are typically pro-death penalty, believing that it is just to execute criminals who have committed especially heinous crimes against society.

They believe that in these cases, execution is the only way to ensure complete safety of citizens and to carry out justice fully.

Conservatives stress the importance of national defense and view terrorism as a huge threat to national security. Thus, they typically support the Patriot Act. They also believe that captured terrorists should be tried in military courts.

death penalty

While recognizing terrorism as a threat to national security, liberals tend to stress the importance of personal privacy and oppose the Patriot Act of 2001 that dramatically increased law enforcement’s ability to gather information.

Pro

Death Penalty The Viking editors face off

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It’s simple physics, and yet, it holds true in more ways than just scientifically. All actions have consequences, and when someone takes another person’s life purposely, what gives him the right to live?

According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), 34 of 50 states in the U.S. have the option of capital punishment, as does the U.S. military. The premeditated murder of another human being is the ultimate criminal act in a civilized society; capital punishment is not vengeance, but the consequence of willful behavior that society must punish in order to achieve justice. All citizens must know that to willfully take the life of another is to endanger their own.

An alternative to capital punishment is life in prison, but is that adequate punishment? For taking another human’s life, criminals are given a place to sleep, three meals a day, and often enjoy better health and dental care than most citizens, all on the taxpayers’ dime. Let’s get this straight: hardworking, honest citizens are paying their hard-earned money in order to sustain a felon?

Does that not just passively condone their actions?

Our justice system is supposed to be based upon reform; prison is for criminals who can be reformed in order to contribute to society. However, can we really believe that these people are remorseful for their actions? A murderer has already proven himself devoid of respect and in violation of all that a society expects from a citizen.

Opponents of capital punishment suggest that some of the cases that lead to the death penalty cost taxpayers more than lifetime incarceration; however, this is particularly due to the corruption of our legal system in which lawyers can game the system with endless appeals on technical grounds that have no direct bearing on the case. The system must begin to deny appeals in regard to minute details that have no pertinence to a suspect’s innocence or guilt; it is not a suspect’s argued innocence that keeps him on death row for 20 years, and which causes the cost of capital punishment to be higher than that of lifetime incarceration, but the prolonging of his case. In a case where all irrelevant appeals based on the fanciful imaginations of capital punishment dissidents have been denied, and where there is absolutely no doubt of a criminal’s guilt, he should be fairly tried, sentenced, and consequently executed in a timely manner.

One of the largest moral questions brought up by opponents is the humaneness of capital punishment. Lethal injection is the common form of capital punishment in the United States; it is carefully designed to be administered as a sequence of three shots, according to the DPIC. The first of these is a barbiturate that depresses the central nervous system in as little as 30 seconds, putting the person into a state of unconsciousness.

The second injection causes muscle paralysis so that the nerves can no longer send messages to the brain; the third stops the heart from beating.

This method is designed to be as humane as possible, with no pain to the lawbreaker.

With lifetime incarceration, the criminal will live while the remainder of his victim’s future is lowered into the ground, six feet deep; whatever measure of happiness or quality of life that a criminal can glean while imprisoned will far exceed that of his victim. Capital punishment, on the other hand, is the ultimate form of justice in consequence to the ultimate crime. Taking an innocent life is no excuse: actions deserve consequences. article/Melissa Fairfax spread/Rachel Boisjolie 13

Con

The 34 states in the U.S. that choose to implement the death penalty align themselves with countries such as Iran, Iraq, and China—only the most ruthless governments in today’s world. 128 countries worldwide have abandoned capital punishment, leaving it behind for a variety of more humane sentences.

The death penalty still thrives in the U.S., though, and remains one of the most anachronistic elements of our government still in action today.

The essence of the death penalty’s wrongheadedness comes down to its cynicism for the capacity of change and human goodness. Rather than respect the sanctity of life, the penalty disregards its subject with an exploitative flick of the wrist. It fails to engage with its subject’s humanity, offering no chance at reformation or an alternative path for the criminal. Most of all, its irrevocability illustrates the punishment as thoroughly irrational and reactionary.

Furthermore, the people who are administering this punishment are humans too and, thus, can easily make mistakes. Because the death penalty is a unique punishment—one that cannot be undone, no matter how you look at it—it is distinct from more common prosecutions and sentences, almost all of which are reversible and easily abrogated. Innocent people can easily be killed with tenuous justification.

When a government commits what is at its core an act of stone cold murder, it communicates to civilians that this method of solving problems is permissible. Some states in the U.S. that initiate the death penalty even see in an increase in their murder rate directly following the stature’s enactment. By combating murder with more murder, a government diminishes and commodifies death itself, reducing both its tragedy and gravity.

There is no reason why the death penalty is preferable to a lifetime of incarceration. In terms of disseminating the proportional punishment to a crime as serious as murder, doesn’t a lifetime in prison have more gravity and impact than a short, swift execution? U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan said it best: “Death is not only an unusually severe punishment, unusual in its pain, in its finality, and in its enormity; but it serves no penal purpose more effectively than a less severe punishment.”

A lifetime of incarceration would not only better communicate the wrongness of murder but also make sure such criminals receive the appropriate level of psychological, emotional rehabilitation in prison. After all, responding to an act of murder with yet another act of murder is hardly a clear-eyed way to approach the issue and is a solution that sends a mixed message. Though an action indeed deserves a morally proportional response, sometimes that retaliation ought not to be an exact mirror of the initial action.

It’s clear that states who utilize the death penalty don’t see a drop in their murder rate; rather than deter crime in these places, the rate increases, sometimes significantly.

For example, the South, an area which accounts for 80 percent of U.S. capital executions, also boasts the highest murder rate in the country. As more states begin to drop the penalty altogether, however, the homicide rate has dropped by 5 percent. Without even taking into account the moral muddiness of it all, this means that the base-line intent of the penalty is a failure since its goal is ostensibly to lessen homicides and make explicit the undeniable severity of the crime being committed. A hypocritical and thoroughly barbaric punishment on every level, the death penalty is a certifiable failure. article/Charles Lyons photo/Tierra Dongieux

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>> Fashion Frenzy spread/Meagan Solano

>Ever thought about shorts over tights?

These girls step outside the box, and it looks good.

>Why not bring back the 80s? These bright jackets and scarves make the outfit.

>Trendy shoes and…black socks?

>Riding boots – the kind you’d never actually get dirty riding in.

>Guys in ties – kudos to these guys on their sharp fashion…girls notice.