December Online Issue

Outlook Official Newspaper of Oakton High School

30-31

Primary Style A look into the winter fashion at Oakton

Vol.11

8

New year, new look Updates on the renovations

Issue 3

December 2017

35

A guide to gift giving Follow the flowchart to decide!

snailmail

Contents

from the editors Dear Oakton,

T

he much-awaited Winter Break is almost upon us! We’ve made it through part of second quarter, Thanksgiving, and the start of winter already!

November was a busy month, with the end of fall sports, college acceptances, and the uncertainty of Cougar Times. The future of our footbal program is also uncertain, with much of the football coaching staff stepping down following the end of the season (pg 14). Many seniors already know where they’re going to college (pg 24-25), but some underclassmen fit in that category as well (pg 15). Also included in this issue is a shocking look into how FCPS compares to the rest of the country with regards to standardized testing, especially the SAT (pg 6-7), and how that may impact college admissions. Although there was a scare during the month about changing Cougar Times, it seems like that restructuring will wait -- but is the set-up for Cougar Time right now even working (pg 40)?

With the holiday season upon us, we have some helpful tips and tricks to keep everyone going during this busy season. For people who want to stay in shape with all the holiday treats, making it to a good studio is a must (pg 28-29). Anyone with extra time should be sure to check out festive light shows in the area (pg 36), or spend that spare time and money on making someone a special homemade gift (pg 37).

The winter season also brings many other changes, such as new fashion, winter sports, and renovations. Oakton students Summer Hogan (12) and Maggie Luo (11) model trendy outfits and styles to follow during these cold months (pg 30-31). Winter swim & dive (pg 12) and track (pg 13) are also off to a strong start, with goals of a near-undefeated season like last year for swim & dive, and a hopeful outlook for reaching qualifying times for track.

With the renovations starting up, classes located in rooms 134 through 146 will be moving to the trailers directly following Winter Break (pg 8). At the same time, geometry students are working up a storm coming up with their own designs for the new school, which begs the question, will their designs be considered (pg 10)?

As for right now, we are wishing everyone the best of luck this holiday season, and with the start of 2018. It may be a while until our next full print publication, but keep checking because it will definitely be worth it!

Stay Rowdy, Cougs!

photo courtesy of jessica marshall

8

The new year brings new changes at Oakton, with classes moving into trailers and renovations beginning

13

photo courtesy of joanna moffitt

The winter track & field team looks forward to an exciting and eventful season

30&31

photo courtesy of ashley tain

Oakton upperclassmen show off their sense of style with the colder weather and winter trends

36

photo courtesy of rebecca woodhouse

Check out some nearby holiday light shows to attend this winter season

Jessica Marshall and Rebecca Woodhouse Editors-in-Chief

Editorial Policy: The Outlook is an open forum

drawing by celia liberace

for student expression. Unsigned editorials reflect the collective opinion of the Outlook staff. Signed editorials represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Outlook or Oakton High School.

Reader opinions are important to the Outlook and contributions are welcome. Make your

outlook staff editors in chief

jessica marshall rebecca woodhouse

editorial board

katerina faben ishika jain lindsey katsaros jake neuffer ashleigh tain courtney te katie thompson

adviser

elizabeth snyder

staff writers emily bach brendan bellingham abel berrocal enmanuel checo amy dai lana farkas wendy gao olivia garrone aubrey harrell riya jain sahithi jammulamadaka owen mccarty grace mouzavires

kartik mukalla juvianna mullings sally park emily richardson jacob rutzick zoe sauger zoe siamon ashley shepard clare sparling aneesh sreenivas nathan tankel payton wozny

voice heard by sending us a line about what’s on your mind. Letters to the editor may be sent via e-mail to efsnyder1@fcps.edu, or dropped off in Mrs. Snyder’s box in the main office or in room 135. The Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and content provided the meaning remains unchanged.

cover photo by student body: 2500 circulation: 600

news

The start of the season of giving

payton wozny staff writer

Places to volunteer this winter

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t’s December and the start of the season of giving. Volunteering is a great way to help yourself and the others around you. When you volunteer you bring a feeling of accomplishment to your daily life and you strengthen your social skills by working with people. Cecilia Larrazabal(10), who is an avid member of National Charity League, says, “I enjoy volunteering because it is very rewarding to help people less fortunate than me and better my community.” There are many opportunities to volunteer in our community this holiday season.

Christmas at the Farm Frying Pan Farm Park is looking for volunteers to set up for activities, help with

crafts and cookie decorating, clean up, and more. The parks main entrance is 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon, VA 20171. Volunteers are needed on December 10th from 9 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. For more information on the event visit the QR code to the right.

Burke Lake Winter Wonderland Burke Lake needs your help transfiguring the park into a Wonderland full of activities for families. Volunteers 16 and up are needed on December 9th and 10th at 7315 Ox Rd. Fairfax Station, VA 22039. Sign up for this event here:

Gift Wrapping Gift wrapping will take place at the Pentagon City Mall (1100 South Hayes St. Arlington, Va

22202) for a variety of dates between December 11 to 19. All volunteers must be 12+ and volunteers 12-17 need to be accompanied by an adult. The fundraiser will help Wounded Warriors and Adopt a Hero programs. For more information and to sign up, visit the QR code.

Northern Virginia Family Services Donations Not all volunteer opportunities require labor. NVFS is having a toy drive

on December 11 and 12. They are asking for new toy donations for children of all ages; infants, toddlers, kids, tweens, and teens. You can drop your donations at 13868 Metrotech Dr. Chantilly, VA 20151 between 9 A.M-6 P.M. on Monday the 11th and 10A.M.-6P.M. on Tuesday the 12th. Some examples of toys to donate are puzzles, dolls, construction toys, dress-up clothes, non-toxic art supplies, toy cars, sports equipment, bikes, helmets, and jewelry.

Oakton Holiday Giving Tree Oakton High School is collecting donations to support families in need. You

can donate clothes, shoes, gift cards, food, personal care items, laundry detergent, reusable shopping bags, and more. Write the ID number on the donations and bring the gift receipt if possible. Give the donations to the Gold Office by December 12th. To sign up to bring items and for more information, visit: Volunteering is a great way to bring you joy this holiday season. “I love bringing a smile to people’s faces,” says Larrazabal. There are so many opportunities to help your community this season, so don’t miss out. Afterall, it is the season of giving!

december 2017 news

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Cougar Senior class resolutions New year’s resolutions for Oakton seniors

owen mccarty staff writer

arthur kennington staff writer

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akton’s Senior class arguably has the toughest schedule to adhere to with so many responsibilities in and out of school. However, to be a Cougar, it takes some dedication to complete the tasks they are tested with everyday.

Here are some possible New Year’s Resolutions that the Senior class of 2018 can take up and hold for 365 days.

1.

First, we have the most common resolution that leads to a better lifestyle, which has to be working out. As teenagers, we have no excuse to not get out every day and help out our bodies, especially those who participate in athletics. At the same time, who doesn’t want to feel healthy and look great? All it takes is finding a way to workout, whether it be at a gym or with some daily routines at home. The biggest obstacle to staying healthy is yourself and the mental barriers you have to get over.

As said by one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, Derek Jeter, “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do – and I believe that.”

2.

Giving up is more easy than continuing to strive in a difficult situation. As seniors we all know this is evident with the phenomenon that is “senioritis.” We push aside assignments, procrastinate, and leave maximum effort out of the equation that we’ve given for four years now. However, this can be very detrimental, as your senior year grades really do matter and shouldn’t be slept on. Find a way to motivate yourself and take into account that this is your last year of having to deal with the immense amounts of stress that come with high school. Get past that “senioritis” the only way possible, by proving

3.

The holiday season is a time of joy and love spread through families, friends, and acquaintances. This is a great time to start a year of humility and care and, as seniors, it is easy to spread the message. Start by appreciating your teachers, whether it be by a simple conversation or even a “hello” in the morning. Of course, be nice to the friends you have but even by being nice to people you don’t talk to it can make a huge difference in someone else’s day. Having this positive attitude can help relieve your stress over some of the priorities that school throws at you this year. There really is no downside to being nice

4.

Family can obviously be annoying for some people at certain times, but even with the most of unbearable moments, we, as seniors, need to realize the small window of time we have left with them before life becomes our own. Soon, you’re no longer gonna get to come everyday and see your family, and this will be a hard pill to swallow unless the realization happens now.

Because of this, appreciate your family for these last few months instead of pushing them away, because, soon enough, you

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december 2017

5.

As hard as it is to understand, your friends are the closest asset you have besides your family. To all of us seniors, the people we’ve become close with these past four years are very important people in our lives. Even though there is a possibility that these people will not be with you later on in life, it is still important to take your friendships as cherished experiences. The most important thing to stress about your relationship with your friends is that this year should be the best year you have had with them. Go out of your way to create memories with them, as some will not be there for long.

6.

With college coming fast, most of us will have to adjust to a major lifestyle change: we will have to begin living on a smaller budget. So, while we are living at home, where our parents provide for us and take care of the bills, food, and gas., we should go out and find jobs to start saving up so we will have some spending money for college and to help out with tuition. Not only will a job allow you to earn money but it will also teach you many other valuable lessons. One of the most important lessons is a greater respect for money because, as young adults, it is easy to spend our parents money on unnecessary items.

When you have to work for your money, it is a lot harder to spend because you can remember all you had to do in order to earn that. Think, is a $12 salad really worth the hour and a half I had to work?

7.

Dedicate yourself to something you love to do. Your time as a kid is fleeting, and you should want to enjoy it to the best of your ability. If you are going to do a sport, go all in. For many of us, this is going to be the last time we ever to get play a sport competitively. If you want to play baseball, go out everyday and work for it so that you can be the best that you can be.

If you want to join a club, go out and do it. When you graduate you want to make sure you have no regrets, because this is the last time you will ever have these opportunities.

8.

Find a cause to donate to, a place to volunteer at, or anything to help the greater whole of human beings. It does not have to be something worldwide, it can just be something small in your community. Small things, such as helping out with food drives at a local church, can take less than an hour a week and can have a huge effect on those in need. As long as you are helping those in need or aiding a foundation that will help others, you are making a real difference.There are many opportunities to volunteer which require no training or any payment. Not only will the volunteering look good on your resume, but it will also also allow you to feel more morally fulfilled.

9.

Finish all your college and scholarship applications. For many seniors, their applications have already been been submitted and are waiting to hear back from their early action and decision schools. However for those applying regular or rolling decision, their applications are not due until mid January or February. That may seem far away, but finishing them now rather than later will take a huge weight off your shoulders and give you one less thing to worry about during the holiday season.

Also, there is no way to predict how busy you will be with school in the coming months, so for now you should take your guaranteed free time to finish up your applications.

10.

Take time out of your day to de-stress. Senior year is hectic, especially at this time of year. If you are following our suggested resolutions then you are being proactive with your college applications and will have more spare time in the upcoming months. This is a very stressful time. and all the work that you are doing will start to add up. Studies show that taking an hour out of each day to think deeply and be on your own is vital to a healthy mind. In this hour, you should not be on your phone or watching tv, but sitting somewhere quiet and clearing your mind. This will give you a well needed break.

december 2017 news

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Do FCPS students score higher on standardized tests?

FCPS Class of 2017 Outscores Nation on SATs

amy dai staff writer

In a recent data analysis conducted by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and College Board, it was revealed that the FCPS class of 2017 surpassed their state and national peers on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT in both required sections (evidence-based reading and writing) and overall.

The table below compares national, state and FCPS averages:

US Average

VA Average

1044

1095

1185

Reading Writing

527

558

594

Mathematics

517

538

591

Overall

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december 2017

FCPS Average

How to Ace Your SAT: Tips From Oakton Seniors Take the ACT first.

Since the ACT is shorter and students must work under a stricter time restraint, after taking it, the SAT will seem much easier in terms of timing. -Jenny Wong

Khan Academy Khan Academy was a great resource for me. Their online practice tests were extremely helpful because they provided me with the testing experience I needed (the timing) and immediately gave me my score and the answers I got wrong after I completed the tests. Khan Academy also has practice exercises focusing on particular skills and mini timed sessions to help me become familiarized with the types of questions on the SAT as well as improve my pacing. However, closer to the test date, I started to do daily practice tests to continue to expose myself to all the types of questions being asked and improve my pacing. The day before the test, I would suggest relaxing and going to bed early.

-Karen Yang

Studying Less = Less Stress My trick is not to study. The more I study, the more I get nervous, and I end up doing worse. The first time I took the SAT, I studied from a prep book or two, but didn’t perform too well. The next time, I didn’t have time to study, so I just winged it. I scored so much better. -Joria Le

Self Discipline > Frivolous Tutors & Prep Classes In terms of SAT preparation, tutors and classes can take you halfnews self way, but the real testament to improvingdecember your score2017 is through discipline and dedication. Taking tons of practice tests, reviewing weak areas, and doing self-prep on Khan Academy and UWorld really helps. -Aparna Nanduru

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NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK What new things will be happening to the school after winter break?

8

hase 1 has begun. After over 6 months of planning and preparing for renovation, the students and teachers of Oakton will start to feel the impacts the renovation. The individuals and groups involved in planning the renovation made sure that students and teachers were not at much inconvenience, and diligently planned the phases and schedule for renovation.

The tennis courts provide space for all the trailers to be placed on, leaving the bus/car routes not to be impacted. Newly published plans include a dance studio and common areas designed for POLs and collaboration. Every part of the school will be renovated at some point in time involving new features to the school.

This being said, not all classes/departments will move to the trailers, but rather may be shifted to another room during the time of renovation.

As of phase 1, trailers 1-13 will be moved to the other side of the school along with the new trailers.

With a total of 44 trailers, most students will gradually move to the trailers at some point in the renovation process. At the beginning of the new year (2018), classrooms (rooms 134-146) in the hallway in front of door 4 will be transferred to the new trailers. Currently, the plan is to try moving some of the classes that are currently in the trailers to inside the building after the winter break, however, plans have not been finalized yet.To provide convenience for students and teachers, there will be trailers with bathrooms and water coolers to avoid going into the school continuously. The counselor offices will also be moved to the trailers.

The plan to keep the trailers after renovation is completed will depend on the how big the school population is.

In place of the soon-to-be vacant classrooms in front of door 4, the main office will begin to be constructed and the library will temporarily be placed there. Starting in the summer, the area in and around the main office will start to transform into the science hallway, lecture hall, and library.

riya jain staff writer

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december 2017

How should you study for midterms?

It can be difficult to study for important tests. You can spend hours studying and not get anything out of it. Here’s a quiz and some tips on how you should study. zoe sauger staff writer

What methods of studying are you currently using?

Reading/looking over test material Is this working for you?

Yes

Using flashcards

Is this working for you?

No

Winging it

Is this working for you?

Yes

Yes

For most people it can be hard to memorize things and they need a fun way to learn or they need another way to memorize material rather than constantly reading the same

Are you someone that needs more creativity in your studying or do you need another method to memorizing?

No

No

Using flashcards is a good way to memorize things, but sometimes your memorizing the order of the flashcards and are not understanding the bigger topic. So, if you realize that flashcards aren’t working for you focus on things you like to do.

Need another way? Do you like to play games?

Winging it probably does not work for most people. Especially for the midterm; it covers a lot of material and memorizing everything takes photographic memory. Which most people do not have.

Music Playlist for studying “Piano man”

by Billy joel “Set on Fire”

by Magic Giant

If you’re still doing well and you’re winging it you are probably getting lucky. When you are learning the content of an AP class, winging it won’t work, especially if you are doing it for your midterm.

“Sweet Disposition”

by The Temper Trap “La Tour (piano)”

by Samuel Lindon “Water Ripples (piano)”

by Enno Aare

Do you memorize by reading things?

More creativity

Not really my thing

enmanuel checo staff writer

Games

“Golden Age”

by Late Night Episode Do you need something quick Are you compet itive?

Reading/rewriting Tips 1. Play some music- if you are going to listen to music make sure it is something you won’t start singing along with.

2. A trick to rewriting is reading over everything, then copy it in pencil, after that copy it all in pen, and finally copy all of the key things in a color that stands out for you like red or yellow.

Flashcards help you memorize things on your own.

They also build up your confidence, if you are more confident you will feel more prepared for the test. Making fake tests prepares you for how the test might feel by putting yourself in that environment. If you already know the format your test follows it would be helpful to make your ‘fake’ test in the same format.

Everyone wants to win.

So, making studying a way you can win would create a fun studying environment.

When making the game, make questions that you would have to answer to move forward. Try to make a level of questions ranging from easy to hard and determine the amount of spaces moved forward on the difficulty of the question. It is almost like forcing yourself to study.

Ever doodle when taking notes? Maybe use the doodling to remember the test material. Incorporate your doodle into the notes and use it for memorization. Color coordinate the drawing to match each part of the notes it represents. Taking a test about the digestive system?

Make a story about a piece of food that goes on an adventure through the digestive system.

december 2017 news

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katarina faben editorial board member

Shaping up for a great project Students remark on their past experiences during the Geometry “renovation project”

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he Oakton renovation is having a large impact on student school life. Through schedule changes and class relocations, students are learning to adjust to the new surroundings and environment of Oakton. A question to be prompted however, when looking into the impact of the renovation on students, is the work of those put into the project. Last year, during the 2016-2017 student school year, the non-honors Geometry classes took on the task of “renovating the school”. Through a student project held within the classroom, students designed a new plan for a part of the school worth renovating in their eyes. They designed a plan for the space, while taking into consideration the schoolwide budget and space available to them. The result of the assignment was a plan made by groups of students for each designated renovation space. Students then passed on their design ideas to the architects who designed the plan for the school. But were the students’ ideas used in the creation of the Oakton High School renovation plan?

A

nswering this question is a former Geometry student, Jazzy Young. When asked the question of the extent of which she felt her ideas would be considered in the school wide renovation, she stated, “We chose to renovate the courtyard because it’s always about looks when you think of something and making the courtyard look nice and visually appealing might interest others to visit it more often. I felt that aspects of my renovation may be included in the school wide renovation but not the whole thing because other groups could have had better ideas than mine that the architects liked more.”

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verall, the Geometry renovation project provided a sense of student input into the Oakton renovation as a whole. With student created designs and outlines, came the inspiration and execution of new ideas provided by the Oakton student body. Whether the students ideas are implemented, it is certain that the project has impacted the students in a multitude of ways outside of the assignment. Through handson interaction will math in the real world, students were able to dip their feet into the world of math.

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december 2017

A beginner’s guide to sounding like an NBA fan

kartik mukalla staff writer

T

he new NBA season is in full swing- Even with notable figures Lavar Ball and LeBron James feuding with the president of the United States and controversy over Kevin Durant feuding with teenagers on Twitter, NBA ratings are at an all-time high thanks in part to various super stars joining the same teams and a crop of young and exciting talent lighting the league on fire.

So, let’s get started on the basics.

Here are a few key terms you should know so you can have a fundamental understanding of basketball: POSITIONS: Point Guard: The player on the court usually tasked with making plays for the team and making passes that lead to scores, also known as assists. Usually 6’3”-6’5” Shooting Guard: The player on the court usually responsible for scoring and playing defense on the perimeter of the basketball court. Makes plays sometimes. Usually 6’4-6’7”.

Small Forward: A player with a variety of responsibilities, the small forward has to be equally proficient at scoring, making plays, rebounding and defending, and usually serves as an all-purpose player that can play up to three positions. Usually 6’6” to 6’9”.

Power Forward: A player that is usually used to play good defense, score from inside, rebound, and handle the ball in rare cases. Usually 6’8”-7’0” Center: A player that can defend the interior from scorers close to the basket, centers are usually tall and strong.

They are also tasked with grabbing a lot of shots that players miss for rebounds.

Centers rarely shoot from outside of the paint. Usually 6’11”-7’2”.

Image courtesy of Keith Allison

Image courtesy of Keith Allison A great way to masquerade as a sports fan is to say insightful things about basketball players. Here are the most well-known NBA players and a few things you can say about them: STEPHEN CURRY: Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors used to be criticized for his lack of durability. Drafted into the league in 2009, he showed flashes of potential but ultimately fell victim to chronic ankle injuries. However, after the success of an experimental treatment, along with supportive ankle braces, Curry completely evolved his game and won the NBA MVP in 2015. SInce his reinvention, Curry has been a consensus top-5 player in the league, holding the record for most and second-most three pointers made in an NBA season. While Curry’s stats have gone down because of Kevin Durant joining the Warriors, he still remains a major threat on offense and possibly the greatest shooter of all time.

Key Talking Points: You can talk about the injury that Curry suffered recently against the pelicans, and how he has underperformed in the finals against LeBron James. While Curry is regarded as a great player, many argue that his claim to all-time greatness is hindered by his poor final performances.

RUSSELL WESTBROOK: After Kevin Durant left to join the stacked Golden State Warriors, Russell Westbrook was left all alone on the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016. He responded by averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, averaging the first triple double for a season since Oscar Robertson and leading the league in scoring. After an early playoff exit against the Houston Rockets due to insufficient backup, the Thunder acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, two of the best players in the NBA. However, even after acquiring such talent, the Thunder have struggled early on in the season and struggling in the playoff race.

Key Talking Points: Some people argue that Kevin Durant left the Thunder partly due to Russell Westbrook’s ball-dominant, score-first playstyle, but Durant himself has said that that was not the case. If you hear people arguing about that, try to bring up Westbrook’s current struggles with an extremely talented Thunder squad.

KEVIN DURANT: Kevin Durant is unarguably the most hated player in the NBA right now. However, he’s also one of the 10 best players in the NBA. Drafted by the OKC Thunder, Durant, along with his all-star teammate Russell Westbrook, led the Thunder to many playoff victories but ultimately failed to bring an NBA championship to his city. Due to this, he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Durant fell into an even worse standing with the public when it was revealed that he was using an anonymous Twitter account to roast teens. On the court, teaming up with so many all-stars has elevated his play.

Key Talking Points: Due to Durant’s status as a villain-like figure in today’s NBA, people tend to focus on his off-the-court antics. A good point of discussion is how his game has become more efficient due to the fact that he gets much better shots in the Warriors’ pass-heavy system.

LEBRON JAMES: The best NBA player in the world and arguably the best player of all time, LeBron James is a machine.

LeBron was drafted by the Cavaliers, but failed to win a title there after 8 years. As a result of this, he signed with the stacked Miami Heat in the 2011 offseason and won two championships with them. James eventually returned to Cleveland, where he came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in 2016 to bring Cleveland its first championship. After the Warriors acquired Kevin Durant, many consider LeBron the only hope in stopping them.

Key Talking Points: Due to Kevin Durant joining the Warriors, LeBron has also become the defacto hero of the NBA due to his immense talent. Despite his current status in today’s NBA, LeBron was the subject of a lot of criticism by joining a different team to win a championship, although people agree that Kevin Durant’s move was far worse for the league. LeBron has also drawn a lot of criticism for handpicking players to join his team. Armed with this information, I hope you can hold your own when someone asks you what’s going on the NBA today. Good luck.

december 2017 sports

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Oakton Swim and Dive

jacob rutzick staff writer

courtesy of Oakton Athletics

O

akton Swim and Dive had an incredible year last year. They got first place in the conference, second place in regionals, and third place in states. And, the cherry on top: they were undefeated. After an incredible season it is important to look back at some of the best moments of the year.

The Oakton swim and dive team had many great meets during the regular season and playoffs. The swim and dive team’s season was an incredible showing of Oakton high school’s great talent. Oakton Swim and Dive’s last season can be divided into two parts.

The regular season, and the playoffs of the 2016-2017. After the great success of last season, Oakton has many hopes for this year.

The regular2016-2017 season for Oakton brought great success. The team went undefeated, and they were led by their captains: Tom Hallock, Liam Klopfenstein, Mike Lee, and Jet PhamTon. The team manager, Jack Shields, also played a serious role in the team’s success. For the first four games of the season the team was away, but they closed out the rest of the season with three home games before entering the playoffs. Oakton won all seven meets including a huge blowout against Westfield with a score of 247 to 65. They continued their success into their next

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game, in which they had another large blowout with a score of 233 to 81. Oakton ran through the last few games and completed their undefeated season.

The playoffs continued on the great success of the regular season. Oakton finished the year with a conference championship, a second place finish in regionals, and a third place finish at states. Oakton Swim and Dive had one round to win in order to secure a conference championship. Next, Swim had two rounds for regionals while the Dive team only had one meet for the regional tournament. Finally, to close out the season, the Swim team had two meets at George Mason University for the state tournament and the Dive team had one meet at Oak Marr. Oakton had a very successful season, even though they couldn’t close out a regional or state championship.

“I was sad we didn’t win, but it was a great year overall.”-Kyle McCleskey

The 2017-2018 Oakton Swim and Dive team is hoping to build on the great success of last years team, and possibly secure a state title. The team has good chemistry and it seems that everyone enjoys playing on it. When asked if he liked playing for the Swim and Dive team,

“Yeah, I love being on the team” Kyle McCleskey

The swim and dive team has one of their captains from last year, Liam Klopfenstein,returning to Oakton for his senior year. This means the team has an established leader who can pave the way for the rest of the team to succeed. The new Swim and Dive season will start in February, but the team is already assembled and practicing. The team can use this extensive practicing to be better prepared for the season.

This will hopefully lead to Oakton winning another state championship.

Boy’s Winter Track season

nathan tankel staff writer

Looking into the upcoming season

Schedule for the Upcoming Regular Sports Season December 9th Facility : Episcopal December 15th-16th Facility : Christopher Newport University December 23rd Facility : PGC Sports Complex December 27th Facility : PGC Sports Complex January 6th Facility : PGC Sports Complex

W

ith tryouts over, and the season underway, the Oakton track team is excited and hoping to build on their overall successful past year. Last year, some of the highlights from the season were very good performances during states and overall solid running from the majority of the team. Specifically, Ahmed Hassan (12), won first in states which was incredible and set a high standard for the team.

The team hopes to dominate in the regular season and to qualify and perhaps have some team members win states again. Their first meet was last weekend against Marshall High School.

Tripp Johnson (12) said, “The first meet went exceptionally well and a lot of our

runners placed very high which was great to see.” He also says how a big goal for this year is to have their relays do much better then they have in the past. In order to achieve this, the team has gone over these relays many times during practices. Also, Tripp says how he is most looking forward to a fun season with his teammates for his senior year. He hopes that this year is simply a continuation of the winning tradition that last year exemplified.

A large reason for the boy’s teams success is one of their team captains, Ahmed Hassan, who they will continue to rely on this year. Last year, in addition to winning states, Ahmed improved all of his times. Notably, his best mile time is 4 minutes and 12 seconds which

All photos courtesy of Tripp Johnson and Ahmed Hassan

is just as impressive as his two mile time of 9 minutes and 8 seconds. Since sophomore year, he has qualified for every single state meet and has been recognized as all state as well. Ahmed says, “ I am very excited for this season as it is my final indoor one of my highschool career and that he hopes to stay healthy and lead the team to victory again.”

This year should be another very successful one for the team and especially if their runners can continue performing like they did during the first meet.

Also, the leadership that the captains provide is invaluable and they will be able to help the team deal with the pressures that comewith high expectations.

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Oakton’s football staff steps down What does the future hold for our football program?

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here has been a lot of speculation about the football coaching staff’s decision to step down following the end of the 2017-2018 season. It is customary that when the head coach steps down, his coaching staff follows suit.

A school’s head coach selects his staff, so if he or she steps down, then the whole staff will step down to allow the new head coach the opportunity to choose his staff.

Oakton Football’s Head Coach, Jason Rowley, who is also an English teacher at Oakton, stepped down from the position of Head Coach after spending 22 years coaching football at Oakton, to spend more time with his family.

“After coaching Oakton Football for 22 years, I made the decision with my family to step down from being head coach to spend more time with my family,” Coach Rowley said.

“Oakton is now in the process of selecting a new head coach, and then that coach will get to pick his coaching staff”.

Coach Rowley’s decision to step down however, came purely from personal reasons, and not anything to do with the team’s performance.

“Obviously our team didn’t achieve our goals for this season. We let fans down, we let players down, and we were disappointed in our performance. However, that has nothing to do with my decision to step down. I wish nothing but good luck for the players moving on.” Rowley said.

The process for selecting a new coach is under way, and the school will soon be ready to start a fresh new season in 2018.

The athletes, too, are optimistic about next season. Ahmad Shaw, 12, commented that he doesn’t think this change will be detrimental to the team. While a new head coach will mean changes for the team, Shaw believes that team lead-

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ership also comes from the athletes themselves, and the team’s focus should be on guiding their underclassmen players.

“A lot of the players want to be really good. They are already motivated, and they want to win games and even a championship” said Shaw, “My job next year is to lead them.”

aneesh sreenivas staff writer

Already committed

olivia garrone staff writer

Seniors aren’t the only ones being recruited for college

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igh school seniors are usually the ones being asked where they’re going to college. Most juniors and underclassmen have no idea where they want to go or if they even have a chance of getting in. Many of us can’t commit to an ice cream flavor, let alone where we’ll spend the next four years of our lives. However, there’s a rare exception to the rule: certain students who excel in sports can be recruited by college coaches earlier on. They sometimes get verbal commitments from these coaches to have a reserved slot on the team when they arrive at the college. Our very own school has a few of these dedicated students in our midst; here’s a little bit about them!

Isabella DeLew Cornell University “I absolutely love Cornell! From the moment I set foot on their campus I knew that that was the school I wanted to go to,” Bella DeLew (11) said. The coaches at Cornell offered her a spot on the women’s soccer team when she starts college in 2019. As an Oakton varsity soccer player, she sees a lot in the Ivy League school. She is not only excited about its soccer program, but its challenging academics as well. But more than the school’s record, it was the people there that had her convinced it was the right choice. “The coaching staff was so welcoming to me and made my trips up to the school so memorable,” said DeLew. “Seeing the team atmosphere and the dedication that they all have to each other was the deciding factor for me. Going away to college is hard for everyone so knowing that I would have a big family waiting for me when I got there made the decision easy.”

Photo courtesy of Camille DeLew Natalie Wilson Pennsylvania State University Natalie Wilson (10) has been playing soccer for eleven years, more than half of her life. All of her hard work on McLean 01 ECNL and Oakton’s varsity team will soon pay off, as she is committed to play on the Penn State women’s soccer team. She accepted Penn State’s offer because it’s her dream school: not only has she grown up with it because of her family’s legacy there, but she is drawn to its positive environment.

“I went to a Penn State soccer camp in 2017 and instantly loved the school. I met the coaches and several players and loved how they treated each other as a family,” Wilson said. The cherry on top is that Penn State’s women’s soccer team is one of the top 20 in the nation. “It is the perfect fit for me.”

Photo courtesy of Trevor DeLew

Evelyn Pickett United States Military Academy Evelyn Pickett (11) is committed for not only attending West Point for four years but also serving in the military service for 5 years too. After playing lacrosse since she was in third grade, Pickett was spotted by coaches at West Point during one of her tournaments.

They invited her to visit, then attend camp before she was offered a valuable spot on the team for the class of 2023, which she accepted.

“I’ve been on several visits up there and each time I fall in love with how amazing each person there is,” said Pickett. “I love everything the school stands for and the opportunity to play lacrosse there was something I couldn’t turn down.”

Photo courtesy of Marcia Pickett Alexis Theoret University of Virginia “I am very grateful for the opportunities I have to play soccer,” Alexis Theoret (10) said. She is currently busy playing soccer with FC Virginia five times a week and was on Oakton’s varsity team last spring. Now, she has a commitment with the coaches at UVA to play on the soccer team and attend the prestigious school in 2020. She’s looking forward to working with the coaches and her future teammates. “I can’t wait to play soccer for my school with my best friends.”

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Theoret

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Oakton Cougars charge into Chantilly Oakton showing their dominance in their rivalry with Chantilly

Although mostly friendly, the rivalry between the Oakton Cougars and the Chantilly Chargers is a big one. A rivalry started by football, and continued throughout all school competitions.From Varsity football all the way to debate, the two The last time the two teams faced off in field hockey, the match was an outlier to the general trend of the Oakton consistently bump horns.

Field Hockey

games. Our girls stepped out on to the field on the afternoon of August 29. After a long and hard-fought match, The Chargers Successfully broke their losing streak by Football taking down the Cougars in a heartbreaking 2-0 loss.

Although very upsetting, our girls have been working The origin of the rivalry, and inarguably where it is extremely hard, and next time that the Chargers step onto most prevalent is football, by far the most viewed sport of the field, the Cougars will overcome. both schools. With every home game being a mini-holiday for the students, the excitement builds towards that Friday. Every match is looked forward to by a large To conclude majority of the students, and the pressure for the players This season, over most sports, the Oakton Cougars have is immense. Although the more experienced and matured showed their prowess on the field after winning domplayers have been conditioned for this feeling, the match inantly in the two most followed sports. With the apagainst Chantilly puts butterflies in everyone’s stomachs. proaching beginning of winter sports, we will be able to This season, the cougars hold a 1-0 record against the experience the rivalry in the amazing Basketball games Chargers. The first and only time they faced off, Oakton and in wrestling. Will the Chargers be able to wrestle back temporarily settled the rivalry by blowing out the Charthis losing tendency? Or will the Oakton Cougars remain gers with 4 touchdowns in the second quarter. By the at the top of the food chain? fourth quarter, the score was 52-21 for the Cougars who headed home with smiles on their faces, bragging rights on their shoulders.

Soccer Whether you call it futbol or soccer, it is undeniable that the matchup between the Cougars and the Chargers is always spectacular. The graceful and almost family-like playstyle of the Cougars, against the individual skill of the Chargers. In the previous Spring season, the two faced-off on May 3rd. Here, the Cougars came out on top yet again.

“It’s always very nerve racking to play against them. The more people show up, it’s harder it is to communicate, and the pressure of upsetting your fans is always on your back,” said Masaru Furushio. After a dominating with a 3-0 score, he also stated that, “It felt great, and relieving.” The Cougar’s soccer team has been known to play as a unit on and off the field. After playing together and taking down the Chargers, the boys went home proud of another winning performance.

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abel berrocal taff writer

indepth

Seasonal depression Darker than the weather

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is the season! Days get gloomy, nights get longer, and smiles sometimes form into frowns. More people experience what’s known as “seasonal depression” in this time of year than any other season. Although the winter season is filled with holidays, many people become sad, sometimes for no apparent reason. Possibly because the sun sets early, it’s getting colder outside, and dark clouds seem to make an appearance every day.

Seasonal depression is medically defined as a depression that comes and goes at various times of the year. When there is a sudden change in weather, such as the colder sweater weather that replaced the sunny days of summer, many find themselves feeling sadder or more blue. This is the season when depression finds its way into many people’s heads. Just like adults, many teens experience this depression, “It feels as if the darkness of the outside consumes you into a vacuum of space and no one can see or hear you… it’s really scary and seems everlasting” said James*. Seasonal depression is a lot more serious when it is happening to a vulnerable teen who is still trying to find their place in this world. Even people who are not diagnosed with depression can feel sad around this time, and very often they don’t know what caused their sadness. As a matter of fact, psychologist don’t have a clear reason for it either. According to PSYCOM.net, “Researchers have yet to uncover the specific cause for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).” However, there are several factors are at play.

The reduction of sunlight in winter can throw your biological clock out of whack and reduce levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates your mood,and melatonin, a chemical which regulates sleep and mood, in our brain. The two chemicals mentioned are crucial to our well being and happiness. Luckily it’s only temporary.

Seasonal depression is common among those who have served in the military. This is due to the fact that when soldiers go to fight for our country, their body goes through a lot of stress. On top of being physically stressed, they see and experience things that they remember for the rest of their life. Often soldiers have friends die in battle, sometimes they even watch it happen, this is extremely damaging to the brain as the image never leaves their long term memory. Having the stress and extreme concentration of going into battle, alsong with the fact that you must face that your friends may die and you have to move on and continue fighting is very intense. When these soldiers come home, other than the happiness of seeing their families, they experience long term mental health effects such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). When the month or day approaches that a soldier experienced something scarring, the memories tend to come back to them causing them to fall into a depression. This depression does pass, however it revisits again later.

There are many ways to help individuals that suffer with this mental disorder, or even just the people who feel down during this time. Most of the time it helps if there is someone simply there for them. “I like it when I have

kalina boshkovska staff writer

someone to go to, to forget about my sadness, or a shoulder to cry on and let my bottled up emotions out”, said Karen*.

It may be hard to talk about emotions with people because you fear their reaction, however it will benefit in the long run. Talking to a trusted adult or even just a friend can help tremendously, because they can give advice and comfort as well as just hear out what you have to say. Whatever the case, if you notice that your friend seems down or unhappy, try talking to them, don’t force them to tell you anything, simply be there with them, try to make them smile, and assure them that everything will be okay. Doing random acts of kindness can also make a person’s day, so something as simple as leaving a note with a sweet message on your desk before you leave class can make a change.

* Names of people interviewed have been replaced with different names for privacy purposes

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An ove

rview o

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r holida

As we enter into a season filled with carols, cookies and sweaters, it’s impossible not to feel the Christmas spirit in the air. But, it’s easy to forget that there are a plethora of other holidays being celebrated this december, after all, it is called the holiday season, right? Here’s a list of a few lesser common holidays you might not know as much about.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Rooted in Chinese tradition, the Mid-Autumn Festival typically falls in the 8th month of the lunar calendar. The holiday celebrates the end of the autumn harvest, and is believed to be the day with the brightest shining moon in the lunar year. It’s most widely recognized for its enormous celebrations and mooncakes, which are traditional pastries reserved for the festival. The tradition has since been adapted to other Asian cultures, most notably in Japan and Vietnam. As explained by sophomore Morgan Pham, “The Mid-Autumn Festival is a cultural event that holds a special place in my heart. As a minority in this country, traditions that are from Vietnam are hardly noticeable here. Because we live in the US, we basically only get to experience American holidays. Being able to visit family and see that we aren’t alone while celebrating it makes us feel closer to home, especially at a time in this world when foreign ideas or cultures aren’t always welcomed with open arms.”

St. Stephen’s Day

Also known as Boxing Day in other parts of the world, St. Stephen’s day celebrates the life of the christian martyr, St. Stephen. It is widely popular in Europe, but in the U.S. tends to be celebrated by more traditional christians.

The day is generally broken up into three steps of commemoration, scripture, customs, and charity. The first, scripture, is observed in church, in which celebrators read

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relevant parts of the bible. The second is enacted personally, with many families practicing traditional customs that have been passed down for generations. The third and final commemorates St. Stephen’s legacy as a helper of the poor, and now can typically seen in monetary donation form.

The Prophet’s Birthday

A Muslim celebration, the Prophet’s Birthday represents just what it sounds like, the prophet Muhammad’s life.

Methods of commemoration greatly vary, some opting to take classes to further their faith, and others choosing to throw extravagant parades. The most common of these celebrations is a communal meal, in which Muslims (and occasionally non-Muslims) gather to share food and cake.

Kwanzaa

Lasting a week, this traditional African American and Pan-African celebration in honor of African culture and beliefs. Among the Oakton population, Kwanzaa was voted the holiday people knew least about. Given the lack of information available to students, it makes sense that the day is traditionally misunderstood. Many believe that Kwanzaa is in essence African Christmas, when in reality that could not be farther from the truth. In fact, the holiday bares much more resemblance to Thanksgiving than Christmas. It was initially intended to celebrate harvests, but has come to represent a celebration of life. It takes place from December 26th to January 1st, and remains a widely recognized holiday in the U.S.

emily bach staff writer

Twitter’s struggle with free speech katie thompson editorial board

Social Media vs Freedom of Expression

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or a few years now, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have come under fire for things like harassment, fake news, and trolls. Twitter has had an especially bad problem with influential users like celebrities like Ed Sheeran, Leslie Jones, and Emma Stone leaving the platform either temporarily or permanently due to negativity and harassment. Twitter’s mission statement is “to give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers”, but now, that mission is in question.

Twitter’s speech policy bans harassment, bullying, and hate speech, but they historically have struggled to enforce their policy. Twitter’s founders had the goal of establishing a platform where anyone could speak their mind about anything. However, they underestimated the task of monitoring the platform. Writing the algorithms to monitor this type of behavior is extremely difficult. For example, a basic ban of hateful words could block users speaking out against hate and harassment. Additionally, an average of 6,000 tweets are posted every second, so the volume of posts on the platform makes it nearly impossible for Twitter’s computers to screen everything.

The main problem with Twitter’s inability to regulate itself is that the

platform’s problems have escalated to the extent where their mission to “give everyone the power to...share ideas” is compromised by the people driven off the platform by harassment.

While an exodus of normal users (not celebrities) hasn’t happened yet, Twitter is desperately trying to find a solution to their problems with bullying, and trolls before that can happen.

They’ve introduced features that allow users to block certain keywords and hashtags from their feeds, but some users say that hiding the abuse isn’t good enough.

Increasingly, Twitter and other social media sites have become a place for extremist groups to group and coordinate. The relative anonymity that can be provided by social media has provided a way for people like racists and Neo-Nazis to interact with and follow others who share their beliefs without having to face backlash in their public lives. White supremacists like David Duke and others have amassed thousands of followers and use tweets to rally those who agree with them.

Also, these sorts of accounts can be the beginning of fake news stories that spread like wildfire across social media. A study by Pew Research Center showed that two-thirds of American adults get “at least some” of their news from social media, meaning that

fake news stories gain traction extremely quickly and have a real impact in the world. This kind of misinformation can be very dangerous. For example, President Donald Trump is infamously responsible for tweeting several false stories and accusations that have been equally debunked by as many people who beleive him.

Another reason why Twitter’s free speech policy is so controversial is because some people feel their restrictions disproportionately censor conservative users. This has led to several accusations of Twitter only censoring certain viewpoints ad having a bias for liberal users. The censoring of certain accounts could be seen as either bias or a restriction of harassment, but Twitter’s mission to protect the sharing of ideas gives them the responsibility to make their users feel comfortable enough to share. But that begs the question of where to stop censoring? What can be defined as offensive or harassment when those two words mean different things to everyone?

While Twitter and other platforms like Facebook are becoming more and more integral to our society, they still have a long way to go before their sites are truly a forum for free speech and discourse.

We believe in freedom of expression and open dialogue, but that means little as an underlying philosophy if voices are silenced because people are afraid to speak up. In order to ensure that people feel safe expressing diverse opinions and beliefs, we prohibit behavior that crosses the line into abuse, including behavior that harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence another user’s voice.

Twitter’s official statement on free speech

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The Capstone Experience

rebecca woodhouse editor-in-chief

Schools from Albemarle County (Charlottesville, VA) to Alabama are interested in the project based learning and capstone projects Oakton is involved in. Since Oakton is trying out this newer way of learning on such a large scale, OHS stands out as a leader in the field of improvement science.

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apstone at Oakton is unique to Oakton. The idea of having more interdisciplinary projects and less traditional-type assessments is more progressive than the mindset than many high schools have, and people are starting to notice.

Counties like Albemarle County in Charlottesville, VA have taken notice of the different approach that is a part of Oakton’s culture and are incorporating similar ideas into their own schools.

Visitors from Albemarle County Public Schools came to Oakton on November 15 to learn more about the Capstone experience, and how Oakton is currently incorporating more student-based learning into the curriculum. In addition to the visitors from Albemarle in Virginia, Oakton also had teachers and administrators come from Alabama to learn more about how Oakton runs on November 14.

Just like with students performing research for their Capstone at Oakton, the visitors are using the idea of finding a subject expert to learn and further explore the idea of project based learning. “The best practice for teaching and learning is being able to see what teachers and students are doing,” said Ms. Dean, Instructional Coach at Oakton. People are interested in Oakton in particular for the Capstone and presentations of learning because Oakton is such a large school. “A lot of smaller high schools or districts have more flexibility to meet individual’s needs, but a school like Oakton with 2,600 kids trying to have project based learning makes us stand out,” Dean said.

Schools learn about what other schools are learning about because every school is part of a NIC - a network improvement community. The idea is based off improvement science, or a systematic way for schools to improve.

“Public education is a lot like medicine because we don’t turn anyone away,” Dean said. Medicine has a very systematic method of improvement, so it follows that the same logic should be applied to public schools as well.

More specifically, the NIC that Oakton is a part of is for student led or student engaged assessments. There are 11 counties across the state of VA part of the NIC, and teachers and administrators meet to discuss. Oakton has been part of the NIC for two years. The goal of the NIC: to have 10,000 experienced student led assessment. While this number may feel small for Fairfax County, compared to some counties like Albemarle, with only 4 high schools with 600 students each, this is a high

goal. The schools in Albemarle County are trying to do the same thing as Oakton for Capstone, but Oakton is further along in the process. However, Oakton will have the opportunity to learn from the schools in Albemarle County when they have an entire class devoted to working on capstone instead of sprinkling the work around to a variety of classes, like Oakton is currently doing with Capstone due in history and English courses.

The goal of Capstone is for students to have a say in their learning experience.

All the districts in the NIC are taking time over the next couple of months to visit each other. “Oakton chose to visit with Albemarle because we are both working on Capstone,” Dean said.

Additionally, teachers from Oakton will be visiting Albemarle county sometime later in the spring to see what’s going on in their schools as well.

In addition to FCPS’s work within the NIC for student-based assessment, there has been a push from the past superintendent, Dr. Karen K. Garza to implement capstone to all the grade levels, K-12. Last year, teachers from all over the country met to form an assessment innovation team and to draft capstone assessments for students grade K-3.

Oakton has been involved in this process of capstone planning for others due to the programs the school has already put in place, such as the Exhibition of Learning (EOL), Presentation of Learning (POL), and Capstone.

There is currently a group of around 60 students at Justice High School (previously known as JEB Stuart HS) who will be trying capstone for the first time as the county pilot. Currently, only Oakton and JEB Stuart are involved in Capstone. The eventual goal is that all students in Fairfax County will participate in a capstone project. “What it will look like at each school is different, but the assessment innovation team has generated design principles for what a capstone experience is, so there is a framework but teachers at each school will be challenged to figure out what the

capstone should look like,” Dean said.

For example, one of the main principles about student capstones is that is has to be a year long project, so students can’t just accomplish it in a week. Another criteria is that students have to be getting feedback outside of the school, by finding a subject matter expert. However, there is still room for flexibility for capstones for each school.

The first year of Capstone for Oakton was 5 years ago, and was a very different experience than it is right now. It originally started through advisories.

There is no one driving force behind the Capstone at Oakton, instead it is through the work of various teams of teachers who have been working together. “Right now we’re in a good place, but we still do need a few tweaks,” Dean said.

Capstones can be viewed as just extra work for students, so the question has been raised, why? Why spend so much time and energy working on creating yet another project for students?

According to Mrs. Dean, meaningful learning happens when students are engaged and have a choice. The keyword for Capstone is experience. “Capstone is beneficial for students because the steps students need to make are like the skills they need in the real world.

Capstone is not a thing to do in high school, but Capstone is how life works,” Dean said. For example, the process of researching something, making an argument, sharing learning, making product and making the community better is something that happens all the time. Mrs. Dean equated this to the college admission process- the ultimate presentation of learning for seniors.

The purpose of Capstone is to allow students to learn skills that are important the skills valuable for the real world, while learning about a topic that interests them. The value is placed in individual experiences and deeper learning. Students have the opportunity to put what they learn into action. The goal is for students to feel empowered by the end of senior year, because they have provided a service and given back, rather than just take tests all throughout high school. With this in mind, it makes sense that other schools are interested in what Oakton is doing. More than just simple projects and tests, Oakton is implementing an idea that can better prepare students for life after high school, on a much larger scale than seen before. From Alabama to Albemarle, everyone is, and should be, taking note of the Capstone experience.

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wendy gao staff writer ashleigh tain editorial board

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lickity clack. Tappity tap. Letters scurry across the page with every press of the keys and give way to endless rows of black ink and squiggles. Hands fly over the keyboard in a blur, trying to keep up with a rapidly churning brain. The cursor their pen, the pages their sanctuary; they write of places further the feet could ever wander and more than the eyes can ever see. It is 3:24 am. Fingers are cramping and eyes are drooping, yet souls have never been more on fire.

Every November, hundreds of thousands of writers embark upon writing a 50,000 word novel by November 30th. In other words, they try to write roughly 200 pages in the span of a month. This frenzied writing event is sponsored by an organization called National Novel Writing Month, ‘NaNoWriMo’. At Oakton High School, several students created a club in participation to NaNoWriMo; dedicated to writing and discussing their novels.

Just write. At least in the act of writing, you’ll create something and that’s more than can be said of most people.

-Daniel Hong, 10

As unattainable as the word goal sounds, one of Oakton’s own students surpassed 50,000 words. “What motivated me was the goal. I wanted to become not just a person who says ‘I want to become a writer’,” He says, “but I wanted to become a person who’s an actual writer who could actually sit down and write,” says Daniel Hong, 10.

Hong loves reading books and hopes to pursue a career in writing in the future. His novel is inspired by one of his favorite books, Catcher in the Rye. Hong said, “I based the main character around it, but I added my own elements.”

Completing NaNoWriMo was not an easy feat.

Writers face a multitude of challenges throughout the month of November. They must find time

22 feature december 2017

in their busy schedules to write, juggle work and school, and overcome a writer’s greatest enemy: writer’s block. To deal with this problem, Hong said, “Sometimes when I got stuck I would just write a short two page story something so I could just get the words out and then I would return to the main story.”

Besides the overwhelming word goal and writer’s block, the biggest issue Hong says he faced was privacy. Hong said, “Sometimes I couldn’t find a quiet room. Then there were some nosy people. I had to ward those people off.”

“I think that students who are writers and are aspiring to write are often inhibited by that inner editor, and it’s hard to turn off that inner editor that says ‘Oh, this is garbage’. National Novel Writing Month is about writing so fast that that voice doesn’t have time to register and it’s about building a community of support around that act of just sitting down to write,” says Mrs. Moran, sponsor of Oakton’s NaNoWriMo club.

Mrs. Moran has partook in NaNoWriMo three times.

She is currently working on writing a young adult novel of her own. Like Mrs. Moran, Hong, and other members of the NaNoWriMo club, we have the potential to all be writers. NaNoWriMo creates this time by carving an entire month devoted to the act of simply writing. Although we don’t have to wait for NaNoWriMo to come around again to try to write our own novels, it can be used as a beginning. Mrs. Moran said “The difference between a writer and an aspiring writer is that the writer finds the time to sit down and write the book. I think that this is the starting place.”

NaNoWriMo is about writing so fast that that voice doesn’t have time to register.

-Mrs. Moran

Take NaNoWriMo as an opportunity to be inspired and start today. Someone once said be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. If that is writing, then let sparks fly.

No shave November

gracie mouzavires staff writer

Oakton students are put away their razors for the month of November

N

o shave November is about raising awareness for cancer

patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free. Donate the

research. The participants drop their razors for a month

money you typically spend on shaving and grooming to ed-

and grow out their hair for all of November. Although No

ucate yourself about cancer prevention, save lives, and help

shave November has become a popular joke on the internet

those with cancer. Cancer kills about 7.6 million people every

it actually has a significant purpose. No Shave November is

year and is a great cause for donation. Hopefully, No Shave

all about cancer research. Due to chemotherapy, most cancer

November will bring these organizations much closer to de-

patients lose all or some of their hair. The organization start-

feating cancer for once and for all.

ed in hope that people will take the money they would have spent on razors and donate it to St. Jude.

Many Oakton students are participated in No Shave November. David Siamon (11) is one Oakton student who decided to put away his razor for November. “I’ve kind of always wanted to know what I would look like with a lot of facial hair, and no shave November gave me the inspiration to try it out,” said Siamon.

No Shave November was founded on Facebook in 2009, but only a year ago began a partnership with the American Cancer Society. Their organization has grown since it first started in 2009. Now thousands of people take to the internet with pictures of their facial hair to show support. Many famous people have gotten in on the challenge to and they

photo courtesy of Kalina Boshkovska

have influenced many people to join in too. “I first heard about No Shave November when one of my favorite football teams decided to do it, I look up to them and I decided that I wanted to do it too,” said Siamon. Advait Menon, (10) is another Oakton student who participated in No Shave November. Cancer has affected him personally and he recently lost someone to cancer. “I participated to get people aware of cancer and how they can support the patients and help find a cure,” said Menon.

Whether cancer affects your personally or not we can all agree that we need to find a cure. The more we take part in events like No Shave November the closer we get to conquering the disease. “I am most definitely going to participate in no-shave November in the future,” said Menon. The foundation explained that the goal of No Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer

photo courtesy of Zoe Siamon

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Early Decisions

emily richardson staff writer

Throughout all the chaos of college applications, these Oakton seniors don’t need to stress.

Sarah Thompson Wake Forest University

“I loved that it was a small student body and yet had a lot of school pride and a good athletic program. I also loved the individual attention they give to each student.” - Sarah Thompson

“As for recreation, I’ll join a sorority because Greek life is really big there. In the spring, I may try rowing.”

- Sarah Thompson

“I’ll join the EMT crew in Winston, Salem to keep up my certification.”

- Sarah Thompson

“I’m intersted in majoring in Public Health with a Pre-Med track and, hopefully, Med School afterwards.”

- Sarah Thompson

Katie Holec University of Alabama “I’m interested in joining a sorority, going to football games, and meeting new people.”

- Katie Holec

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“I loved that it was a small student body but had a lot of school pride and a good athletic program. I also loved the individual attention each student gets” - Katie Holec

Jennifer Coon Ohio State University “I will hopefully be majoring in English.”

- Jennifer Coon

“There’s no specific reason why I wanted to go here. I was born and raised in an Ohio State family, so my love

“I’m planning on club swimming, joining a few clubs such as Special Olympics, and possibly joining a sorority.”

- Jennifer Coon

for the school grew over time.”- Jennifer Coon

Mandy Odom University of Delaware “I’m going to study Exercise Science and then, in a couple years, hopefully getting into PT school.” - Mandy Odom

“I’ll be running cross country and track for the school and I’m so excited!”

- Mandy Odom

“They have a great Physical Therapy program. When I visited, I loved the campus and everyone I met. Also, it’s only a little ways from home, which is perfect.” Mandy Odom

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Around the world in seventeen days Where are Oakton students headed this holiday season?

clare sparling staff writer

F

rom the sky blue waters of the Caribbean to the spicy aroma of fresh food along crowded Indian streets, Oakton students are traveling around the globe this holiday season. Maggie Mark, Charitha Vennapusa, and Andrea Dukic are excited to see the sights. While some trips are family traditions, others are simply vacations.

No matter the type of journey, though, all are ecstatic.

Caribbean Maggie Mark, a sophomore, is headed to the Caribbean on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. There, she will be able to explore the sandy beaches of Jamaica, Haiti, and Mexico. Mark said: “I am really excited to go to the Caribbean because it is warm there compared to here. We are going with our cousins so it will be fun to hangout together. I am also excited for the food.” Maggie brings up some vital points. The breezy summer like air seems like a dream for those of us back at home, forced to brave the frigid winds of December. A myriad of activities, food choices, and entertainment are provided to the guests of the towering ship. From a Japanese sushi bar to the fresh flavors of the Mexican buffet, the cruise has it all.

Thailand and Dubai Andrea Dukic, a junior, is going across the world this holiday season. In Thailand, Andrea will visit Phi Phi and Phuket with her dad and sister. There, she will bask in the sun along crystal blue beaches surrounded by gorgeous landscapes and rock structures. In Thailand, she will also visit the floating markets of Bangkok. There, vendors float along the rivers in small canoes selling fruits, vegetables, and tasty snacks. Furthermore, she plans to go on elephant rides across the picturesque landscape.

After Thailand, Andrea Dukic is heading to the glamorous city of Dubai. To begin with, she is exploring the glorious man made island of Atlantis, shaped like a palm tree. Additionally, she is heading to the iconic mall in Dubai with an indoor ski slope.

Afterwards she will hit the sand slopes with some sand boarding along the dunes, an experience most of us envy. To finish up the trip, Andrea Dukic will watch the fireworks light up the city sky on new years.

India Charitha Vennapusa, a sophomore, is preparing for her biannual trip to southern India. There, she visits her extended family. Vennapusa said: “The best part is I can watch TV for 16 hours on the plane, you get to see your family, and your grandpa stuffs you with food.” Some of Vennapusa’s favorite foods are the lamb and curries. According to her, everything tastes better in India. Additionally, Vennapusa enjoys visiting the numerous temples along the streets.

The unique architecture and art is a crowd pleaser every time. In past years, Vennapusa visited Mysore, an iconic location where many movies and music videos are shot. There, she explored a stunning water fountain park. All in all, Charitha Vennapusa loves her biannual trip to India and can not wait to see her family soon.

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ishika jain editorial board lindsey katsaros editorial board

‘Tis the season

Oakton students talk about their holiday traditions

T

oday, there are a wide range of holidays celebrated during the holiday season not only around the world but also at Oakton. There is a large emphasis on Christmas nowadays and many other holidays from different religions tend to get overshadowed.

Below, we have interviewed two students, who practice Zoroastrianism and Judaism, about their thoughts on Christmas and how they celebrate the holiday season.

Autriya, pictured on right, and family celebrate Persian new year. Photo courtesy of Autriya Aidun.

Yalda Autriya Aidun (9) follows the religion of Zoroastrianism, the first monotheistic religion. Not many people still practice Zoroastrianism, but many of Aidun’s friends and families practice Zoroastrianism. Other than that there are not many people who practice the religion in the area or at school that Aidun knows of.

During the holiday season, Aidun celebrates Yalda, the celebration of winter, on the day of the winter solstice, which usually falls on December 21. The day is celebrated with family and is considered to be “a family day” as Aidun stated. Aidun usually goes to her grandparents house and celebrates with them. When it comes to the holiday hype around Christmas, Aidun does not really feel left out during the holiday season. “We still celebrate Christmas for fun but not religiously. I like Santa.” said Aidun. Aidun’s family enjoys participating in the holiday festivities by putting up a Christmas tree and celebrating Christmas for fun. One of Aidun’s favorite holiday celebrations is the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

Nowruz is usually celebrated around March 20th. Aidun and her family usually set up an elaborate table and exchange gifts to celebrate spring.

Hanukkah

Other Holidays

While many people are still focused on buying their christmas gifts, Jews throughout the world are celebrating Hanukkah, an eight day celebration of lights.

Although it is considered a minor holiday for the Judaism faith, it often gets misinterpreted as a holiday that holds magnitude similar to christmas since they both occur during the same time of year. The exact eight days in which this holiday takes place changes every year, but the traditions do not. Gaby Katz (12) always celebrates hanukkah with her family. Katz said, “On the first night was always light the menorah as a family.” Katz also loves eating all of the hanukkah food.

“Some nights we will go to our family friends house and celebrate with them too and eat and latkes and hanukkah food.”

Katz does not feel left out of the holiday spirit.

“We also lightly celebrate christmas too,” said Katz. She even listens to christmas music, with her favorite song being

When someone wished you a “happy holidays,” they could be referring to a wide variety of holidays that take place throughout the month of December. Kwanzaa is one such holiday, which celebrates the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Saint Nicholas Day is another Christian holiday that is often overlooked. It celebrates the birth of Saint Nicholas who serves a role model for gift giving, and is more commonly known as Santa Claus. Rohatsu, of Bodhi Day, is a buddhist holiday that celebrates Buddha’s decision to sit under a bodhi tree until he reached spiritual enlightenment. This holiday is celebrated through meditation, and is as important to buddhist as Christmas is to Christians. Mawlid el-Nabi is an Islamic holiday that r and honors the birth of the prophet Muhammad, the founder of the islamic faith.

photo courtesy of jacob rutzick “Jingle Bell Rock.”

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Healthy holiday habits

jessica marshall editor-in-chief

‘Twas the week after Christmas, and over on the couch, not a creature was stirring, just a sleeping teen slouch...

2

1

Commit to staying fit by signing up for classes. This is a great way

Make your New Year’s Resolutions, and

to ensure the best workout because you are more motivated by your peers and are given organized exercises by trained instructors (see studios on right).

4

get a head start over break!

5

Go shopping!

Cut the added sugar in sweets

and desserts and opt for more natural, fruitbased treats like a delicious fruit salad.

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december 2017

Catch up on sleep.

8 Challenge yourself. Use this

free time to quit being a couch potato and get moving!

9

De-stress and meditate.

Try not to be consumed by tons of school work or college apps. Enjoy time with family, engage in holiday traditions, get plenty of exercise, and take time to rest and recharge.

Teenagers need about eight to ten hours of sleep each night! While it is understandable to get less than that during the school week, definitely try to go to bed earlier and sleep later to be refreshed over the holidays.

Not only can you go and buy beautiful new workout clothes, but walking around the mall is actually a great way to get in those daily steps.

7

3

6

Find workout buddies to keep

you motivated and to catch up with over the break.

Drink more water.

We all forget to drink enough with school and hectic schedules, but over the break, make it a mission to increase your water intake. You will feel a difference almost immediately, and your body will definitely thank you!

Commit to classes!

SoulCycle

Located less than about 30 minutes away in Georgetown, DC and West End, DC, SoulCycle is a fantastic workout and a great experience to enjoy with friends or family. They offer 45-minute, 60-minute, and 90-minute classes every day of the week, but make sure to reserve your spot days in advance -they are very popular and fill up fast! It costs $34 for the typical 45-minute class, plus an extra $3 to borrow cycling shoes.

CorePower Yoga

They have many locations, but the closest ones are in Fairfax Corner and Merrifield,only about 15 minutes away from Oakton. CorePower is extremely popular in this area among young adults, so grab a friend and sweat it out! Classes are offered every day of the week, beginning in the early morning and continuing through the evening. CorePower offers both regular yoga (“CoreCardio” and “Yoga Sculpt”) and hot yoga (“Hot Power Fusion”). One class starts at $24, but new students will receive one week of free classes when they sign up as members.

UFC Gym, Fairfax

Train like a champion at UFC Gym! Located in Fairfax near Fair Lakes, they offer classes everyday and have something that will be a fun experience for everyone. From Self-Defense to Functional Fitness to Kickboxing, most classes are around 50 minutes long, and activate all muscle areas of the body -- burning about 500 to 800 calories.

CowFace Yoga, Vienna

Located in Vienna only a few minutes away from Oakton, CowFace Yoga is an up-and-coming destination to relax and have a rejuvenating experience. They offer typical yoga classes in addition to Spa Yoga, Children’s Yoga, Trapeze Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Guided Meditation, Pilates, and more. Furthermore, CowFace holds retreats at various locations, including “Balance Body & Mind,” “Healthy Daily Life,” “Digital Detox,” and “Meditation Practice.” Classes range from 45-minutes to 90-minutes.

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a&e

Primary Style

F

ashion is a very fluctuating part of our lives; whether we embrace it or neglect its significance is a choice. Whether some days we want to feel accomplished and appealing or other days when we just want to be comfortable. Whether we feel inspired by different styles of new people or stay true to familiar culture. Although we don’t consider ourselves professionals or stylists, we know how to appreciate fashion in its flourishing forms.

That being said, welcome to Oakton’s new fashion column— a feature of students who have allowed us a window into their lifestyle, passions, expression, clothing. As of December, the Outlook will deliver this column and series to stabilize the very fluctuating thing we call fashion.

This month, we are featuring 3 beautifully diverse and charming girls: Yani Hernandez, Junior, Maggie Luo, Junior, and Summer Hogan, Senior. From Maggie’s heavy, rich red trench coat (that yes, she wore throughout the school day) to Yani’s subtle, lace layer top to Summer’s vibrant, copper hair, we resonate a theme of fresh, rustic primary colors to welcome the stale, pristine winter to come.

Can you give us a quick breakdown of your outfit?

M: “I am wearing a black and white striped turtleneck from H&M, blue jeans from AE, thigh high suede heeled boots from DSW and a red heavy trench coat from China.”

Y: “My jeans are from Hollister, my shirts are from F21, and my jacket is thrifted.”

S: “My navy blue sweater is from Madewell, blue jeans from Abercrombie, and brown boots from South Moon Under.”

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emily bach staff writer

ashleigh tain editorial board

Who inspires your style?

M: “My two best friends both have amazing taste. We always compliment each other on our outfits, and even though our outfits are very different, we inspire each other to dress up.”

Y: “Definitely Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid.”

S: “I wouldn’t say one person particularly inspires it— I just get inspiration from online and what I see in stores and in magazines.”

What does fashion mean to you? What encourages you to dress up?

M: “I think depending on what you wear, you can tell what type of person that is, so I like to dress nice and composed, classy-chic.”

Y: “I think what makes a difference between me and other girls. I like play around and I feel like fashion is allowsme to do that. I can identify myself [through my clothing].”

S: “Personally fashion means to put forward self-expression and being able to express yourself through clothes and put together a little bit of you through what you’re wearing. I like the feeling of looking nice and put together. I think it helps me do my work and perform well in school.”

A

s we transition to the winter season, we’re excited to welcome a wide variety of artistic expressions. Through fashion, each of us have the ability to convey both our perspectives and personal aesthetics in a way that are authentic to our true selves. Whether it be through thrifted jackets or bright red trench coats, the importance of fashion spans far past visual appearance. We hope that through Oakton’s fashion column, every reader will have access to inspiration from people that are similar to their personal style. We’re so thrilled to have produced Oakton’s first fashion column, and look forward to crafting more in the future. Catch us next month!

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DC COMICS

wwwww

M

arvel vs DC Comics: a war that has been raging on for decades. Though popular Marvel heroes like the Hulk and Spiderman have been starring in TV shows and movies since the 1960’s, Marvel has started digging into its portfolio to make stars out of the lesser-known characters like Iron Man and Daredevil. As more characters become box-office hits, they’ve continued to exist with an interconnected movie and TV world. Marvel’s Agents of Shield, the hit Marvel show often has parallels to the movies. Marvel’s biggest rival, DC, has started diving into the cinematic universe universe as well.

Which universe should you invest your time in?

DC Comics is relatively new to the movie world, but has made a name for itself as one of Marvel’s biggest competitors. Some of DC’s biggest characters include Batman, Superman, Wonder woman, and The Joker. In the DC universe, the TV shows and movies have almost no connections with exception of the Flash in Justice league. The biggest hit for DC was their Batman trilogy. It followed the entire story of Batman and his battle against the Joker. Wonder woman was another instant hit, and became the highest grossing superhero origin film in history. DC tends to have a various set of villains that have well-developed stories, making the movies suspenseful and entertaining to watch.

Though DC has good villainous characters, they fail to develop alternate stories and characters. The movies usually have an incoherent structure and the movies itself don’t flow well together, which is caused by the constant change of directors.

They also don’t take the time to develop their universe and tried to cram all of it in Batman vs Superman, which is one of the reasons why it did so poorly.

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DC Comics is relatively new to the movie world, but has made a name for itself as one of Marvel’s biggest competitors. Some of DC’s biggest characters include Batman, Superman, Wonder woman, and The Joker. In the DC universe, the TV shows and movies have almost no connections with exception of the Flash in Justice league. The biggest hit for DC was their Batman trilogy. It followed the entire story of Batman and his battle against the Joker. Wonder woman was another instant hit, and became the highest grossing superhero origin film in history. DC tends to have a various set of villains that have well-developed stories, making the movies suspenseful and entertaining to watch. Though DC has good villainous characters, they fail to develop alternate stories and characters. The movies usually have an incoherent structure and the movies itself don’t flow well together, which is caused by the constant change of december 2017

Which is b

MARVEL

s better?

sahithi jammulamadaka staff writer

The Marvel universe contains mostly of the Avengers, but also includes X-men, Daredevil, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel has spent over eight years perfecting their universe and creating every storyline to prepare for Infinity War, an upcoming movie with majority of the Marvel ensemble. Their characters are super relatable and have human flaws which makes them more appealing to the audience. Marvel is also well known for injecting humor into their films in strategic places which also works to extend the realism of their characters. The TV show, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, connects to the movies in a clear way to build up on the already vast universe. They also have a very clear path on where the movies and story lines are going to go in the future. In spite of their success, Marvel has its own problems. Many people find Marvel movies to be very heavy-handed because, \ the themes in the movies tend to be very obvious and could have a bit more ambiguity for a better experience for the viewer. Marvel tends to have amazing action-packed storylines but besides Loki(Thor’s brother) there is a lack of strong villain characters. There is still room in the future to include more impactful, strong villains. With Loki’s last appearance in Marvel films being Thor Ragnarok there is now room for Thanos, the new villainous character, Marvel hopes will be the new force to be reckoned with.

Whatever you prefer, hours of fun from both give you a great deal of options to devour. Maybe one day, comic book fans will finally get an intercompany crossover, say “Avengers vs. Justice League?”

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Saving money during the holidays Money doesn’t grow on Christmas trees

C

hristmas is approaching quickly and the latest and hottest gifts are being swiped off the shelves and offline right before our eyes! Every year the average American spends between $500-$800 on gifts alone which equals up to $400 billion dollars by along with $6 billion on decorations.

On average, parents spend about $200 on each child. Even though we still have a struggling economy, parents are willingly spoiling their children with iphones and xbox ones that their hearts desire. With these numbers climbing every year due to new products and high demand amongst consumers,Americans are losing in profits with large companies such as Apple and Samsung gaining. Without a budget, consumers are expected to pay large amounts so that a loved one is pleased as a tradition, but are the prices worth the pay and effort? The real question is why are we forgetting the importance of Christmas all of a sudden? Here are some helpful tips to save money over the holidays.

To ensure the money is going to a good place, track your spending. If you are a professional Christmas shopper, then you should own a separate Christmas fund bank account. For the non-professionals or first-timers, there are apps to keep track of spending or you can just use a pen and paper or receipts. For a cheaper and more family friendly outlook on Christmas, you can easily engage your loved ones in memorable activities such as seeing Christmas lights, caroling, making crafts, sledding, ice skating or even baking cookies and watching classic movies. Since Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the past, if you were unable to catch any deals, there is still hope! Most stores still have ongoing sales after these events. If you can’t find any in the retail stores, there’s always outlets. Outlets are stores that contain cheaper prices of name brand stores. They aren’t second hand stores, but that’s also another option. Thrift shops sell gently used items including clothes, toys, and electronics that are

1.

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great if money is tight. Thrift stores usually have sales based on the tags or day of week, so you can save a lot!

Starting off the year with piles of debt is becoming a new norm for families across the country since Apple released their new iPhones,and clothing brands became online stores.

As stated previously, the many Americans end up spending about $700 every year on christmas gifts and $200 on holiday decorations such as inflatable santas and LED lights. Producers are developing new innovations to make their company succeed and bring in high paying customers. When a company like Apple or Samsung releases a new phone or tv, it’s a proven fact that people will do anything to get their hands on the latest phone. Recently, the IPhone 8, 8 plus, and x(10) have been released and they’ve become one of the most wanted gifts by parents and children alike. Microsoft, a well known game console company, released the xbox 1x on November 7th of this year for $500! That takes up nearly all of the average money spent by each American during the holiday season.

Along with electronics, new toys are being released and kids are making their lists. The Nintendo Switch and Hatchimals are present on the lists of children across the country. “I spent about $1,000 on two kids and wasn’t working at the time,” said a mother from a survey based on the topic of spoiling kids during the holiday season.

If parents stay on this route of big spending and putting bills on the back burner, the consequences are sure to follow after.

In order to keep your pockets from breaking, it’s best to establish a holiday shopping plan. The basic plan starts from about 1 week prior to actually going and buying the gifts. This consists of creating a budget, tracking your spending, watch for sales, and staying with cheap holiday

2.

3.

juvianna williams staff writer

traditions. It’s also good to make sure you’re aware who’s on your shopping list. If you’re shopping for family and friends it’s best to limit the gifts because most likely you won’t be the only person giving them a gift, so it only makes sense to offer one or two gifts.

Whether you’re shopping for a loved one or receiving gifts, always remember it’s the thought that counts. Another money saving tip would be to give the same gifts to everyone. By doing so, you can cut down on the costs and pressure of shopping for a picky person. If you receive a gift you didn’t want, don’t make it seem like it’s the worst gift ever. It seems like we’ve all forgotten how important holidays are and the true meaning.

Christmas is about spending time that was lost throughout the year with family. Since New Year’s Day comes after Christmas, it’s good to start the year off with money that wasn’t all spent on gifts. Saving money is beneficial for everyone so being on a good money saving route can lead you through the New Year without a lot of worrying.

4.

courtney te editorial board

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aubrey harrell staff writer

Must-See local lightshows Nearby holiday light shows to attend to this winter

With the holidays rapidly approaching, comes the time to start getting into the holiday spirit. One way to accomplish this is by attending a holiday light show, a beautiful and classic event that occurs in many places events happening at the moment.

Bull Run Festival of Lights and Holiday Village:

The Bull Run Festival of Lights is a 2.5 mile long travel that you enjoy in the comfort of your car. Alongside the route you take, there are a variety of different light displays set up that illuminate your path. After you’re done admiring the lights, you can enjoy a trip to the festival where you can enjoy traditional carnival rides, food and drink, and pictures with Santa Claus.

When: Every day from November 22 to January 7, runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays and 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekends Where: 7700 Bull Run Dr Centreville, VA 20121 Price: Alternate between $20 to $25 depending on date attending

Zoo Lights at Smithsonian’s National Zoo:

Another breathtaking lightshow worth noting is the Zoo Lights show at the Smithsonian National Zoo. If you don’t feel like paying to see a light show, then this location is best for you. In addition to admiring the beaming lights, you can also marvel at all the animals the zoo has to offer. There will be constant music performances by an assortment of artists. Additionally, you can also enjoy some classic holiday drinks offered, such as hot apple cider, eggnog, and hot chocolate.

When: Every day from November 24 to January 1 (Except for December 24 & 25) from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Where: 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008 Price: None

Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights:

At Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, you can take a half-mile walk on a path surrounded by custom made light fixtures. This location is plenty spacious, so it’s perfect for large groups and children. After taking a stroll through the lustrous lit path, you can enjoy s’mores and hot chocolate by the bonfire positioned in the clearing.

When: Every day from November 10 to January 7, runs from 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Where: 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court Vienna, VA 22182 Price: Ranges from $8-$13 depending on date attending

GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens:

Possibly the most captivating light show being showcased on this list is the Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights. Every year this light show has a theme, and this year’s theme is “Stories in Lights”. This light show made up of more than half-a-million lights, and is chock-full with hand-crafted flower creations, fairytale creations, and classic folklore story. Afterwards, you can enjoy superb food at the dining areas available.

When: November 24 to January 8 (Closed December 24 and 25) from 5:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Where: 1800 Lakeside Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23228 Price: $13 for adults, $11 for seniors, $8 for children under 12

Duffield’s Natural Tunnel Holiday Lighting of the Tunnel:

The Duffield National Tunnel is a scenic bridge strung with lights. This location is definitely the most magical out of all the other lighting events listed. Being surrounded with the panoramic sights is sure to inspire anyone into the enchanting holiday feel.

When: December 1-2, 8-9, and 15-23 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Where: 1420 Natural Tunnel Parkway Duffield, VA 24244-9361 Price: $5 to $9 depending on date

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zoe siamon staff writer

What DIY gift should you make?

Use this flowchart to find out what DIY gift you should make this holiday season!

Who is the gift for?

Friends

Photo courtesy of Felicia Gordon

Family

What matters more to them?

Quality

Thought

A Little

How much effort are you willing to put into this gift?

A Lot

Vanilla Sugar Scrub: Bring the spa to anyone’s home with only four simple ingredients! You will need 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of almond oil, ½ tsp vitamin E oil (you can find this at any Walmart or Walgreens), 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a cute jar to put it in. Mix all ingredients and store in a cute jar. Voila!

You can also pair this with nail polish, fuzzy socks, bath bombs, or anything else that would make a “spa day” basket!

Everyone wants to give their loved ones the perfect gift, but sometimes that is a lot easier said than done. It is extremely difficult to find a gift on a budget, and no one has the money to get everyone they know expensive gifts. DIY gifts are an amazing way to give friends and family cute presents without breaking the bank!

Photo candle: This adorable candle showcases your favorite pictures in a few easy steps! You will need a plain white candle, tissue paper, normal paper, a printer, and either a hair drier or a heating gun. Attach a sheet of tissue to a normal piece of printer paper with a little bit of glue. Print your picture of choice onto the tissue paper, making sure it will fit on your candle. Cut the picture to the size of your candle, place it on the candle, and then wrap the whole thing in wax paper. Heat the entire thing using a heat gun or blow drier. Peel away the wax paper, and you’re done! This gift is an adorable and creative way to showcase cute pictures with your friends or family.

Are you willing to buy materials?

Is the person responsible?

No

No

Yes

Yes

Are you artistic?

No

Cookie in a jar: This adorable cookie in a jar will bring joy into anyones home.

You will need 1 ¾ cup flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp salt, ½ cup sugar, ¾ cup packed brown sugar, 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 quart size mason jar. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and pack into jar. Add brown sugar in and pack down with a spoon. Do the same with the white sugar.

Sprinkle chocolate chips and finish jar with a cute holiday ribbon.

Now you have an adorable way for some quick cookies! Include an instruction card with the jar.

It should say: Preheat oven to 375° F. Beat ¾ cup butter, 1 large egg, and ¾ tsp vanilla extract in large bowl until blended. Add cookie mix and mix well. Put on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!

Yes

Succulent and pot: All you need is paint, a little pot, potting soil, gloves, and a succulent plant for this adorable DIY. Just paint your pot however you want. Keep in mind that you can use tape to make the lines cleaner. Put on your garden gloves, fill the pot with soil, and plop the succulent in. Make sure that the person receiving this gift knows to keep it in sunlight and water twice a week. This is the perfect little friend for anyone responsible enough to take care of it, who love plants, or just want to spruce up their rooms!

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Uh-Oh a Snowstorm!

lana farkas staff writer

What to do during a snowstorm

D

ecember is a month made up of holiday cheer and fun activities. However, we often forget that December can also be filled with snowstorms! Yes, a snowstorm. When the light fall of snowflakes turns into a blizzard, you may be stranded in your house for days. The real question is, what can you do to keep yourself from boredom? From watching movies to baking sweet treats,below are ways to stay entertained during a snowstorm.

BAKE A CAKE

HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT

Snuggle up in a big blanket with a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie. You can gather your family together to watch a fun holiday film or you can treat yourself to your own personal movie theater in your bedroom. Be sure to have delicious snacks to munch on.

Baking treats can be a good way to satisfy your sweet tooth. From Christmas cookies, to cupcakes, and even a cake, baking can help prevent your boredom from busting. Not only that, but you can spread some holiday cheer and share your desserts with your close ones.

READ A BOOK Although it doesn’t seem like it, reading a book can help transport you into a new world with new adventures. So get comfortable, grab a good page-turner, and get ready for an exciting experience!

MAKE A FORT Get in touch with your child persona and make a fort.

While it’s cold and freezing outside, building a fort is a fun activity to do with friends or family, and it’s a warm place for you to relax during a snowstorm. So grab all of the pillows and blankets you can find and start building.

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TAKE A BATH When it’s cold outside, the best remedy to stay warm is to take a steaming bath. With bubble bars, soaps, bath salts, and bath bombs, taking a bath can help you a reach a level of luxury that will not only relax your mind, but your body as well.

opinion

Collaboration or isolation?

Is educations love for group work leaving some students in the dust?

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ollaborative learning,” “group work,” and “project-based learning” are just some of the buzzwords you may have heard. Often, these words are dropped by teachers to explain why a project is being done a certain way. The lecture has fallen out of fashion, with the group project taking it’s place. The image of the teacher as a leader of classroom learning has been replaced with that of a guiding hand for students to learn on their own. Planning templates released by the New York Department of Education in 2013, for instance, were completely scrubbed of mentions of “lessons,” instead only using phrases like “mini-lessons.” Search up “group work in schools” on Google, and the vast majority of hits will tell you all about the benefits of sorting students into small groups and letting them figure out an assignment or complete a project on their own, with very little mention of the shortcomings of learning centered around groups. Group work has a ton of well researched, tangible benefits for students. But there will come a point, sometime soon, or maybe we’ve already reached it, where the full benefits of group work have been realized. Many students are now left to wonder if these methods really benefit them - and how.

The benefits of collaborative learning are well known. When students work together, they can more easily break down complex tasks, manage time, challenge assumptions, and deal with feedback. These benefits are only underscored by the fact that the vast majority of jobs, especially higher level ones, involve working with other people in some way. The ability to pool knowledge can also be enormously useful, even outside the academic space. As the saying goes, “two heads are better than one.” When one student is struggling with a concept, their peer could help them learn it in a more individualized way than, often, the teacher could. Jo Boaler, a British educator and founder of YouCubed, a website dedicated to improving the way math is taught in schools, echoes this sentiment. She believes that schools need a “revolution in the way maths are taught,” with working as a team being a large part of that revolution.

But working in a group can have some huge disadvantages to learning.

To start with the obvious, bad group dynamics can make a miserable experience for the kids who actually try.

Ms. Snyder, who teaches Oakton’s AP Capstone class (a course where group work and collaboration is a common theme), agrees that students who don’t pull their weight can really take away from the experience of the ones that do, saying that they “can make the whole experience harder and much more stressful.” She does add, though, that “this also give the students who put in the effort the opportunity to confront slacking and manage teams better much earlier than they normally would.” Teamwork in the classroom also opens the door for excess chatting and arguing, something that can completely destroy productivity. This problem becomes even worse if people in the group know each other. If this is the case, friends also have a habit of insulating themselves from the rest of the group and not engaging as they normally would.

Obviously, not all students are going to respond to educational methods the same way, but Susan Cain argues that the current educational methods have left many people in the dust. Specifically, introverts. In her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, she makes the case that the current way the classroom is structured is engineered to work for some students, while ignoring the needs of others. School’s fixation on working in groups is tailored specifically towards the stimulation heavy needs of extroverts, while leaving quieter, less socially motivated people to deal with it as best they can. She says that the many people work better in quieter, more individually focused environments, have failed to receive this because their needs are much less obvious.

Ms. London, an Oakton math teacher, subscribes to the methods of Jo Boaler.

She agrees that there are better ways to teach math and, with a team of other teachers concerned that students weren’t engaging in critical thinking, has been a leader in changing the algebra teaching methods to be team-oriented. She admits that the changes have

made the course more difficult on some students, but says that they “give more students the opportunity to think deeply,” and she has a point. Students do engage more when made to work with their peers.

Student engagement in the classroom has been a headache for teachers for a long time, and having them work together may be the answer. But not everyone works the same, and many people will perform worse when forced to work with others day-in and dayout. At the end of the day, taking a more individualized approach to each and every student is the definitive answer, but how teachers could cope with that in the machine-like environment of public schools is another massive question.

jake neuffer editorial board

december 2017 opinion

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It is time to change Cougar Time

Cougar time changing due to renovations

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ougar Time, a time intendend for making up tests, getting extra help from teachers, and completing homework is about to change drastically. The original concept of giving students a period to get work done during the day instead of after school was fantastic in both students and administrators’ eyes, however the idea has been warped since its creation. Good students take Cougar Time seriously; they visit a teacher for extra help or find a quiet room to study in but Cougar Time is being abused by students looking for a little more than boring study time, and they are ruining it for everyone. Unfortunately, I think administration expects Cougar Time to go down hill much quicker than the students. Admin expressed their first concerns with Cougar Time at a meeting in September of this year when they considered what students want and what administrators want and brainstormed solutions.

Cougar Time has always divided the student body into workers and non workers, those that use Cougar Time and those that don’t. The goals for students during Cougar Time are specific to the person and their individual needs.

Some people might have practice after class and know that if they don’t use cougar time they won’t get their work done. But if someone else doesn’t have anything going on after class and is able to complete work when they get home

40 opinion december 2017

than they are more inclined to roam the halls with friends or watch YouTube during Cougar Time because that is how that person budgets their time.

Based on teacher and student insight, this wide range of uses for cougar time is something Oakton’s administration understands but cannot tolerate for the safety of Oakton students.

Administration and some teaching staff see Cougar Time’s current state as unstable. Acording to adminstors during the September meeting, changes to Cougar Time would restrict students mobility during cougar time and virtually force students to stay in one class during the period and get work

brendan bellingham staff writer

done. Administration could have a number of reasons for revamping Cougar Time. One of these reasons could be the construction coming to Oakton that will effectively make the campus a construction zone,and infringe on student safety if they are not accounted for. Post winter break inside and outside the building will become a work zone with heavy machinery that has no place on campus during the school year.

The construction could force admins to crack down on knowing where students are throughout the entire school day to ensure safety, as they are responsible if anything goes wrong.

While nothing is for sure, I expect for Cougar Time to be converted to a return period as renovations commence to follow other FCPS schools with return periods. Other schools, like South Lakes, have return periods where students return to a specific period each day of the week to get extra work done in that period. Return periods would make keeping track of students easier for administrators but would restrict student freedom to work on the subjects they feel they need to work on. The return period is probably the change that administrators will settle on, and for better or for worse this will be the work period students will adapt to in order to meet safety requirements during renovations.

Christmas capitalism

ashley shepard staff writer

A blessing or a curse?

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hen you hear the word ‘Christmas’ what do you think of? Christmas trees? Santa? Presents?

Cookies? The list is endless. However I think of something a little more significant: capitalism.

Capitalism by definition is “an economic system that features private ownership of the means of production and where market forces determine the way in which goods are produced and how income and profit are distributed.” In short, capitalism keeps the government out of the economy and keeps the decisions between people and companies. Now, this may seem like a good thing to keep decisions between the producer and consumer but it’s not. Capitalism is not all it’s cracked up to be. Yes, it does provide incentives to be rich and efficient but it also creates a way for firms to build a monopoly and abuse not only consumers but also their workers by lowering wages. Along with that, capitalism creates a large inequality between the rich and poor and can be detrimental to the environment.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “How does this relate to Christmas?” Well the truth is, capitalism controls Christmas. Remember when you were little and your parents would just want a handmade card or craft? But now all they want is the newest iphone or a gift card to costco. The whole holiday season creates a bubble of spending all over America and most of the world. From black friday to Christmas there is a shopping frenzy to get the best deals and buy presents for our loved ones. Somehow our society has morphed from valuing heartfelt and thoughtful gifts to material things that we don’t necessarily need or even want. And that’s exactly where capitalism has taken control over our holidays.

Capitalism has outlived its usefulness, it takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes.”-Martin Luther King Jr. Slowly but surely the market has changed America’s ideals to equivalate money spent on gifts to how much a person values you. And now that majority of America shares these ideals, they abuse their power they have over consumers. One example of this is black friday. One day after we give thanks for everything and everyone in our lives, we spend money on materialistic things, whether they are for us, our families, or our friends. And it doesn’t stop there. From then until Christmas (and even after) Americans spend money rapidly in preparation for the holidays on thoughtless gifts. But what if it didn’t have to be this way?

This holiday season, I encourage you to opt out of the pressures of gifting and instead spend time with your loved ones making memories. And if you still feel the pressures to gift, get them a small and sentimental present that they will value more than a large, expensive, materialistic gift.

december 2017 opinion

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Biology HN vs. Biology

sally park staff writer

Why freshmen are choosing standard Biology over Biology honors

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any students at Oakton are taking all honor courses to challenge themselves academically. Freshmen students who would usually take all honor courses are now taking the standard biology class. Why exactly are students choosing the standard course over the honors class?

Honors biology requires an experiment

Biology Honors requires the students to conduct their own science experiment. Students can choose an experiment of their choice, but would then have to create their own research paper, research plan, and conduct their own experiment. In January, students are required to present their findings and possibly submit their experiment to the science fair. This process take couple months of preparation, and students work on the experiment primarily at home. In effect of this, some freshmen students are choosing the standard biology course over biology honors, because they do not want to go through the hassle of conducting their own science experiment. “I had to plant forty tomato plants and record observations every three days. It takes some time to water and care for all the plants, so it takes a lot of time out of my schedule,” said a freshman.

photo courtesy of Emily Chen

It serves as a break from other more rigorous courses

Students are saying that the standard biology course offers a simple, concise learning experience with little homework.“I only took the non-honors biology course, because I didn’t want to do the science fair project. But I’m glad I did take the course.

Sometimes we don’t go in-depth into topics as I would like, but I’m still learning a lot. I like regular biology because it is a break from my more rigorous courses,” says Nora Mutarelli (9). “It has the perfect amount of homework, and it’s not overwhelming,” says another freshman.

Students have their own interests and preferences

Everyone has their own preferences in the courses they would like to take. If students believe that a particular course is not a subject they would like to deeply dive into, they would choose the standard class. This applies to other core classes as all students have their own unique interests on what they would like to learn about. “Science is not a subject I enjoy in general,” says Bella Pacheco (9).

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opinion december 2017

Asking the right questions

With the college admission process at work, the acceptance process can leave a lot of unanswered questions for curious friends and family

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hile second semester senior year is recognized as the time for the seniors to chill and take time off, first semester is almost the exact opposite. With the college application season in full swing, many seniors are spending time not only doing their own school work but also scrambling to write essay after essay explaining why every school is actually the best fit for them. Seniors spend countless hours perfecting their applications, sending their resumes and list of passions to the schools they can see themselves at, all in hope for one thing- the acceptance letter.

College applications are no joke.

While schools have ranging levels of acceptance rates, there is still a level of rigour associated with any education after high school. For example, last year, UVA received 36,783 applications, only to offer acceptances to 10,061 of the qualified students. Last fall, Virginia Tech had 27,266 freshman applicants, with only 18,776 of them offered admission, and JMU received 22,285 freshman applicants and only accepted 15,822 students. That means that while thousands of students were accepted, thousands were not.

In addition to the stress caused by filling out the application and looking at the staggering acceptance rates at colleges across the country, what is difficult for students can be talking to other people once the decisions come out. While it makes sense that people want to know where each other are going, and family and friends are dying to know where someone got in, there is a limit to how much one should ask.

It can be difficult for seniors to be open to sharing what schools they are applying to, because chances are they will face rejection from at least one.

Colleges are competitive to get into, and no one likes having to tell everyone that

they failed and did not get into their top choice. It can be an awkward situation for seniors to tell others that they were rejected, and not something they will want to publicise.

However, this creates a difficult dilemma. For the curious family and friends who want to know, did Person X get into this college? Is it okay to ask, if the senior doesn’t bring it up themselves? What if the decision came out a couple days ago, and the senior still hasn’t said anything? What next?

It’s really only in your place to ask someone about their college acceptances if you are already close to them. If it’s just the person you sit next to in AP Lit, give them a little extra space when it’s around the end of March, or whenever the college decisions come out. If they would like to tell you, let them do it on their own. It’s not in your place to

The staff editorial represents the official opinion of the Outlook Editorial Board know every detail of their life, college admissions included.

Even if you are a close friend, still be aware of the sensitivity of the topic. The college admission process is already crazy enough, and the competitiveness is difficult. Especially if you did get into the college that your friend did not - be cognizant of how they may be feeling, and careful of what you ask. In most cases, it’s best not to ask directly, “Did you get into College X?”, but instead spark conversation by asking if they have any news, or updates in their life they would like to share.

Senior Maggie Klein agrees that it is important for seniors to share where they’re going once they find out, because, “it is a large part of your future

and your life,” but directly asking people if they got in or not isn’t the best.

“If they didn’t get in and are really upset about it, they should not have to share that with everyone,” said Klein.

However, if someone does get into their dream school and they are super excited, in that case it might be more appropriate to share.

Over the past couple of years, social media has been used as an outlet by some to publicly announce their acceptances. While it is exciting to finally know what school one will be spending the next four years at, there should be a limit to how much information one shares. Excessive posting, such as saying “5 for 5 so far!”, gets old after a while and is somewhat insensitive to those who may not have been accepted into some schools that they applied to. Bragging on social media can make others, who did not get the same level of happiness when opening their own letter from the college, feel worse about themselves. There is no issue with announcing what college you are going to, once the time has come and you know for sure, but prematurely announcing every single letter of success might not be in your best interest, or in the best interest of those around you.

In the end, it’s really only fair to ask people at the end of March where they’re going to college after they officially have made the decision. Don’t cause that uncomfortableness by trying to force others to share their successes and failures with you. If they really want you to know, they will tell you.

With some early action and early decision letters coming out in the upcoming months, keep this in mind when you’re wondering. Just make sure you aren’t too nosy, and let people tell you want they want you to know.

december 2017 opinion

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Memorable Moments

“Teamwork makes the dream work, unless you play tennis.”

- Grayson Timoner, 12

“The tears on my face go down like my grades.”

- Sara Azmi, 10 “Lindsey and I are raising money for the St. Baldricks foundation by shaving our heads and you should donate!”

- Mary Bedwell, 11 “I’m just a river of emotions.”

- Hollard Cogan, 9

“When you are crying in the car before school because you don’t want to come in.”

- Kirsten LaDestro, 11

“You can pay for school but you can’t buy class.”

- Jake Giordano, 12 “‘Bodak Yellow’ is the song of our generation.”

- Sambriddi Pandey, 12

“Your body is a temple. If you stuff it with food, it goes straight to your hips.”

- Mr. Kaplan “I’m gonna wing this test like I wing my eyeliner... I don’t.”

- Gaby Katz, 12 “The earth is flat. I mean think about it, the minecraft world is flat, so…”

- Maddie Shannon, 9