Oakton Outlook September 2019 by Elizabeth Snyder

FALL 2019 | ISSUE 27: OUR STORIES

OAKTON

finding balance between work and school Page 32

the official magazine of oakton high school. find more inside

CONTENTS

The Oakton Outlook is the official school newspaper of Oakton High School.

Page 19

WILL FRESHMAN FOOTBALL BE THE CHANGE? Can the team’s spirit lead them to a season of success? Read Ethan Heard’s piece inside. Page 29

BEHIND THE LIFE OF MINH NGUYEN The story of an Oakton custodian, as told by Nour Alkaaby.

Page 27

Page 38-39

THE HOPE OF THE HOPE FOUNDATION

WHAT OAKTON CLIQUE ARE YOU IN?

A second change for people living with HIV, as reported by Zoe Sauger

A fun(ny) flow chart by Zoe Siamon

Page 07

Page 09

CONTROVERSY IN THE LOT

TO DROP OR NOT TO DROP?

Is Senior Parking worth the money? An investigative piece by Riya Jain.

Oakton’s trend of dropping classes and its impact on learning: A story by Sameeha Khan

Page 04-05

OAKTON X MULTIMEDIA Learn more about the Outlook’s push for multimedia journalism inside, by Ashleigh Tain and Emily Richardson.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

welcome to the september issue

check us out online @oaktonoutlook oaktonoutlook.com

Page 37

DOES GEN-Z SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY ON ICED COFFEEE? Find out about Oakton’s caffeine habits in this piece by Kinsey Clements.

It’s a new school year so that means a new Outlook staff! We are excited to announce the new editors-in-chief, Ashleigh, Emily, Sahithi as well as the new editorial board. This group of people will make sure that the Outlook is the best it can be. In order to make our stories more student-driven, we will be highlighting the use of interviews and also be using the “feature” section of our newspaper much more. This means that our staff will be more involved in the Oakton community and will work hard to document what is going on in the student body. Another new change this year is our new project: Oakton x Multimedia. The point of this project is to highlight the underrepresented voices and opinions at Oakton. We will be doing this through mini-documentary series, social experiments, and social media posts. So make sure you follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all of the updates. Once again we have re-done parts of our newspaper this year to make it more sleek and attractive. We have changed our format, updated some of our fonts, and added a new pop of color into the magazine. To match that everyone on the staff will be working extremely to step up their designs. We are incredibly excited about the start of the new school year, and can’t wait for everyone to see all the new things we have planned. Best, Ashleigh Tain Emily Bach Sahithi Jammuladaka

Editors-in-Chief

6 A Different Kind of Homecoming Many Students Have Alternative Plans for Homecoming on October 5th

nfortunately, there has been a scheduling mishap. Oakton’s Homecoming is to take place on the same day as a drama field trip, a band competition, and a cross country meet, not to mention the October SAT. This is going to hinder a number of students from celebrating the way they might have envisioned. Here’s the general consensus of those affected by each event.

No-Show

There is a trip to Oregon that will prevent some drama students from going to Homecoming. Some have arranged to celebrate back in Virginia in an unconventional way, but generally, the tight-knit drama community is not too concerned. “It’s usually a night to have fun with your friends, and those on the trip will just do it in a different state,” says Abby Cortez, a junior. The expectation was set that those on the trip would have to miss Homecoming, too; attendees are enthusiastic about the wonderful shows and workshops to come in Oregon. “Perhaps we will all miss dressing up and going to a nice dinner, but for me, the theatre in Oregon makes up for it,” she says.

Off-Key

Though they will be cutting it close by performing at a competition in the late afternoon, marching band students will still have the opportunity to attend Oakton’s Homecoming. They have even been given permission to leave the competition as early as possible. “It really isn’t creating much conflict,” says Dhriti Gampa, a junior. Gampa does note that competitions can wear students out; they might not be apt to attending Homecoming. In particular, freshmen are conflicted about what to do. Gampa and her friends hope to unwind and have fun at home for their homecoming night.

Across the Country

Testing, Testing

The October SAT will take place in the morning on the day of Oakton’s Homecoming, meaning that some students will have quite an eventful day. This may be stressful. Homecoming can be considered a reward for a strenuous few hours of testing, though. “I think it’s funny how I’ll start the day in sweats, glasses and sneakers and end the day in a dress, jewelry and heels. I am, however, excited to relax with my friends after the stressful test,” says Sydney Chen.

Photo Courtesy of Oakton Cross Country

26 Varsity runners will be in North Carolina for an invitational meet on the day of Homecoming. “Generally, people aren’t too bothered by it,” explains Carly Odom, a sophomore who will be attending the meet. Given that they are attending the event based on merit, these runners are likely willing to make sacrifices for their sport. “I’m fine with missing it because I’d rather be at a meet than a dance,” says Odom. However, she notes that the few freshmen going are sad to give up their first homecoming experience. Some team members have also made plans to go to other schools’ homecoming dances.

“Everyone seems content with their plans.” - Abby Cortez

haley longfellow | staff writer Photo Courtesy of Oakton Drama

september issue

riya jain | editorial board

The Controversy In The Lot

Oakton High School seniors reflect on the daily parking situation and if the parking passes are really worth it.

n the first few weeks of the school year, seniors scrambled to the sign outside of the main office to see if they got a parking pass in the second lottery. Due to renovation, Oakton High School has limited parking available to both students and teachers; of course, the teachers are given priority in the parking lot. The remaining spots that are left in the lots are granted to seniors. They, however, must have a parking pass in order to “legally” park in the school lots. To get the pass, they had to enter a lottery system this past summer with information about themselves. During cougar kickoff and a few weeks into the school year, two lists came out with which seniors were granted a parking pass. If they got a parking pass, they would have to pay $200 to the security office. Otherwise, if they park without a parking pass, they are fined $25. Juniors and those that couldn’t get a parking pass end up parking on Sutton Road or in nearby communities. This, however, causes students to show up to school as early as 7 am. Though being able to park at the school may seem like a convenient option, many seniors regret paying money for their pass and prefer to ride on the bus or park on Sutton Road. This is due to the fact that there is only one exit out of the lot in the afternoon, and so, it takes time for all the cars in the lot to exit one-by-one. In addition, the road the cars have to follow to exit the school feed into the same road that kiss-and-ride and busses use to exit the school. Thus, at 3:05 pm, all cars have to wait for all busses to exit the school. Many seniors claim they get back home at the same time that they would have if they went on their bus. Amy Dai (12) says that she has waited up until 20-30 minutes to get out of the Oakton lot. She says that she has only found her parking pass convenient when she has to stay after school for extracurriculars, and that the system needs to be changed. She further explains, “The lot is not accessible or convenient, and is too expensive considering the current situation.” Clare Sparling (12) says that she sees many seniors running towards the senior lot as soon as the last bell rings so that they can beat the traffic. After reflecting on the parking situation, she’s surprised that there hasn’t been an accident yet in the lot as there are many cars trying to leave all at once. Despite these inconveniences, many seniors still continue to use the lot as many play sports and also don’t want to waste the money they spent on their pass.

8 shevany moharir | staff writer

How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation What is the best way to approach a teacher about writing a recommendation?

s fall approaches, the top item on every senior’s agenda is college applications. From the essays and the SATs, the whole process can be extremely stressful. But one aspect of a college application that can be particularly intimidating is the one that the student doesn’t even have to write. That is teacher recommendations — specifically finding a teacher to write one. Asking a teacher for a recommendation can be scary and confusing because it can make or break your application. Therefore, it is extremely important to find and ask a teacher for a recommendation that will demonstrate who you are as a student. Ask a teacher who has taught you recently. The more recently a teacher has taught you, the more they will be able to write about you. This is important because in order for a recommendation to be strong, the teacher should have enough to talk about. Therefore, it would be ideal to ask a teacher who you had in junior year. Your freshman and sophomore teachers may not remember what you were like in their class which will make it much harder for them, so they are also more likely to reject you request.

Choose a teacher who you know well. This may seem obvious, but it is very important to get a recommendation from a teacher who will be able to write strongly about not just you as a student, but also you as a person. When asked about his opinion on what type of student he would consider writing a recommendation for, Oakton English teacher Mr. Flowers says, “It can’t just be the one kid who sat in the back of the class and never contributed. Then, I don’t know who they are.” He then continues “Anyone who’s asking for a recommendation, just make sure you have something else with that teacher besides just that student-teacher relationship.” If you have a good relationship with the teacher, your recommendation will stand out and be much more meaningful.

Stay organized. Make sure you have all of the paperwork and information the teacher might need in order for them to complete the application. Remember, the teacher does not have to write a recommendation, so you should try your best to make it less work for them, if possible. Part of staying organized means staying on time. Don’t ask the teacher a few days before the application deadline. This will add unnecessary stress on both of you. Try to ask the teacher at least a month in advance in order to give them time to write a quality recommendation. Expect to follow up. After you have asked for a recommendation, make sure you visit the teacher to show your gratitude. This visit can also serve as a reminder to the teacher to write the recommendation if they haven’t already, without having to say it explicitly.

september issue

To Drop or Not to Drop? sameeha khan|staff writer Oakton juniors and seniors load on AP classes to compete in a race of prestige and academic excellence, constantly comparing the amount and rigour of their courses to their peers. The average AP classes taken by an Oakton upperclassman amounts about 3 or four, but students can take as many a six or seven APs in one school year. The increase in average AP classes directly corresponds to an increase in an action that is popular among AP students: dropping classes. But how does dropping a class hurt students and how do Oakton teachers really feel about students dropping their class?

“Until about the second semester, 10-15% percent of students in AP Chemistry drop the class”

photo credit: @oaktonhighschool on Instagram

Students who consider dropping a class, both AP and not AP, are often torn with this question: “Would it better for me to get a bad grade in a hard class or a good grade in an easy class?” In respect to college admissions, students know that course rigor is substantial in an admissions decision, but are usually unsure of whether it is considered so heavily that it out-

weighs a few GPA points. Frequently, dropping a course involves losing an AP credit and a prerequisite to a more advanced class. It is crucial to look at the pros and cons before dropping a class and to seek advice, as it can help students be more successful and better understand the dynamic of the course to prepare for the rest of the year. FCPS policy allows students to drop classes without leaving evidence of the course on a student’s transcript unless it is dropped five days after the first quarter ends. After that period of time, either WP (withdraw passing) or WF (withdraw failing) is recorded

Often in justification for a bad grade, Oakton students rumor that in more challenging courses, teachers make the first tests or few assignments extremely challenging to ‘weed’ out students that are unprepared or unwilling to work hard in the class. This rumor is quickly rejected by AP/Honors Chemistry teacher Mrs. Bingham, who states that instead, it is the students who are getting more accustomed to new a class and testing structure. “In fact, the first unit is always review,” Bingham said. On the other hand, teachers at Oakton do not structure the beginning of an AP class to be easy to keep students in the course, as Bingham mentioned “It’s an

AP level course and we, as teachers, have a curriculum that is dictated by College Board and based on the AP exam in the spring.” At Oakton Highschool, science AP courses are considered to be some of the hardest APs and Bingham considers this when preparing her Honors Chemistry students for more advanced material. “Until about the second semester, 10-15% percent of students in AP Chemistry drop the class, but very few students switch into AP Chemistry,” she states. Mrs. Bingham believes that “students should only take AP courses that they are truly interested in” and in some cases, withdrawing from AP Chemistry can be

next to the course, but the grade given at that time is not considered in the student’s GPA. Colleges tend to factor in dropped classes into admissions if they are visible on a student’s transcript and if there are multiple classes in one year, but if a student dropped because of an external circumstance, admissions officers are generally understanding, especially if an explanation is provided. The leniency given by the Fairfax County school administration allows for students to take advantage of the system and sign up for hard AP class just to try them out, relying on dropping the course if they feel it’s not for them.

beneficial, as students are able to pursue extracurriculars or other courses that they have more interest in. In fear of deterring students from taking their courses and inciting controversy, a few teachers declined to speak on this matter. In fact, a few teachers encourage their students to stick with the APs as at the end of the year, the student will have learned to think critically, practice a good work ethic, and learn from their failures. In courses that are known to be hard, it is important to accept that students are not always going to get an A, and oftentimes it is worth sticking with those courses so colleges can see the way students react to adversity.

10 Leadership What is Leadership? Why should you take it?

Photo courtesy of Oakton High School

round the school, many freshdigital or on paper, for members of said the Oakton High School website men and sophomores have been Oakton to view, some are spent planning when describing the elective spreading the word about this events, and others are spent doing many Many underclassmen question how new elective, although most underclassmore activities to make our school a more the grading system works. “You have to man aren’t sure what it’s all about. enjoyable environment. send in screenshots of your Instagram “It’s a class of people that want to make “The Leadership program aims to help and Snapchat stories,” Maddi responded. a difference at Oakton,” Said Maddi Kriz students develop the leadership skills and Members of leadership are expected to (12). “People who like to take initiative, traits needed to be leaders in school and spread information about Oakton news, and to guide and influence the people beyond while working to build a sense such as posting dates and information around them.” Leadership is an elective about spirit days, Homecoming, and at Oakton, where the members are reschool sponsored events. If you Leadership is responsible for other sponsible for school events such as sports post pictures supporting these events, games and pep rallies, as well as keeping coming up with spirit weeks, so make you earn an A. Oakton up to date with student interests, sure you show your spirit the week In conclusion, leadership is the class such as culture and trends. to before homecoming by wearing the join if you want to leave your mark “People join that want to make a differat Oakton. I asked Maddi what her following: ence at Oakton regarding enjoying being main goal is before she gradutes. “The in school and sporting events,” Maddi big thing in leadership this year is the Monday: U.S.A colors said as she described the goals of leaderfact that there’s so much reconstrucTuesday: Jerseys day ship. “Doing the things that make it more tion… so our goal is to make it to see Wednesday: Pink out spirited, united, and energetic.” They the positives of Oakton, like how fun spread school spirit by organizing things Thursday: Fr - black, So - white, Jr - the teachers are at pep rallies or how such as Homecoming, pep rallies, Cougar fun each student is at the sporting burgundy, Sr - gold News, and creating posters to hang events… so when our class graduates, Friday: Hawaii day around the school to notify students and people will continue to influence each teachers on big events at Oakton. Some grade. class periods are spent discussing ways to of community among students, teachers, fix student complaints about our school, staff, and parents at Oakton High School others are spent creating advertisements, as a place to learn, work, and enjoy life,”

sara boddie|staff writer

september issue

The Yang Gang Moving America Forward Andrew Yang Pushes up as the Underdog Canidate

brendan bellingham|staff writer

As the term limit for one of the most divisive presidents expires, the democratic nomination is a hot seat this election cycle. Older white men top the polls so far as middle America grapples with the fact that women or people of color can be a figurehead for the free world. Sanders and Biden are most popular alongside Warren and Harris, but there are a number of candidates polling low that access the democratic debate stage via grassroots campaigns. One of those candidates is Andrew Yang.

Yang is not a career politician but rather an entrepreneur. As a child of Taiwanese immigrants, he understands the American ideal of individualism because his parents have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made a future for their kids. Yang sees the future of the nation in his two sons and believes that the crippling economy forced him to take action. Yang knows the workforce is rapidly changing with automation taking over jobs in many fields. The Freedom Dividend is his flagship campaign point. The plan to give every American adult $1,000 dollars a month is the solution Yang sees fit to aid those at risk of unemployment. Statistics predict an increasing number of Americans at risk of losing their jobs to new technology. Big business leaders like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos support the idea of Universal Basic Income as their business models increasingly support automation. Under a Yang presidency, money for Universal Basic Income will come from taxes on big companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook that profit the most from the automation that reduces jobs. Money from the tax will spread wealth into American homes to create a trickle-up economy that has the middle class building up the economy rather than a trickle-down model where funds gradually reach the poorest as the wealthy get richer. A point of contention you’ll hear immediately from the right when discussing this solution to counteract an increasingly automated world is that this is a socialist agenda. This idea actually promotes a better form of capitalism that promotes an economy where money begins in the pockets of families and is then spent in markets to build the economy. As the candidate pool narrows, Yang’s polling numbers will have to increase for him to win the candidacy. Yang will have to push more moderate policies to override the farther left ones like universal basic income. Most of the U.S population describe themselves as moderate and Yang has enough middle group polices to appeal to the masses.

POLITICS

The Race For Presidency - Or Not? Why Republican Figures Are Chosing Not To Unseat Trump

he past three years with Trump as president have been very controversial and have made the president’s reputation sink, so one might assume that Republican candidates would be leaping with joy to one-up our current president during reelection season. Given his unpopularity among many voters from both parties, there’s no way it could be that hard, right? In reality, many figures of the Republican party who could potentially be good presidents have chosen not to unseat trump. Unseating a president of one’s own political party is one of the most difficult maneuvers, especially in this case. Although many citizens are unsatisfied with Trump due to his character, and his political decisions have gained the support of social and economic conservatives because they are inclined to major companies’ favors. For an alternative candidate of the republican party to run, they would have to have different policies from Trump in order to make them unique but these changed policies will not have the support of major industry influencers. Frankly, the only opposition the Republican party has against Trump is his character.

“He is a person of horrible character who corrupts everyone around him, undermines essential social standards and is branding his party with an image of

bigotry that will last a generation,” reports the Washington Post. President Trump has shown his disregard for social standards on several occasions. One including when President Trump made a comment regarding three Congresswomen of color, telling them to “go back to their broken and crime infested countries.” This behavior has been unfavorable by many people of both political parties in branche s of the

Government. However, for Democrats these events make their arguments against Trump more popular, but for Republicans the debate of policy over character becomes increasingly stressful. Although someone’s character is always something to take into consideration, Trump has much support from

a conservative policy standpoint amongst Republican voters. The increasing popularity of the Democratic argument has forced many Republicans to overlook character and focus more on policy out of loyalty to their party. Policies related to the regulation of major companies that allow them to rule the industry have gained support through specific industries, purely because their business is being benefitted. In addition, many Republicans support his decisions relating to the appointments into political office, so regardless of how terrible some might think Trump is, his party as agreed to only support his policies. This brings into question why not have good character and well-supported policies? If a candidate has the same ideas and wants to enact policies that Trump has already set in motion, why would they be voted for over someone who has been in office for four years? The opposing candidate of the same party would undoubtedly lose but this action from a societal standpoint could have a great effect. Although they wouldn’t win, standing up to an existing president purely because the candidate disagrees and disapproves of the way the president has been acting could demonstrate that it isn’t party against party, its people against an unjust president.

claudia messina | staff writter

september issue

Presidential Candidates and the Student Loan Debt Crisis What do Democratic Candidates plan to do about the Student Loan Debt Crisis?

ne of the important issues affecting Oakton students, especially Seniors, is the high cost of college. On average, graduates of the class of 2017 who borrowed money for college graduated with $28,650, with there being 1.5 trillion dollars in loans in America in total. Obviously, this is a big issue that lies ahead for Oakton High School students. So, let’s see what the top 8 presidential candidates for the Democratic Party plan to do about it. First up is Joe Biden. Biden’s main plan for dealing with student loan debt is to improve and simplify upon the already existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which provides student loan debt forgiveness to those who work full time at qualifying public service jobs at a local, state, or federal level, or at a qualifying non-profit. Elizabeth Warren, the current 2nd place in surveys, is much more radical than Biden in her answer to student loan debt forgiveness. Warren’s answer to the student loan debt crisis is to simply to make higher education free for all and cancel all existing student loan debt. Much like Warren, Bernie Sanders’s plan to deal with student debt loan is to wipe out all existing student loan debt and make higher education free for all. Fourth up is Kamala Harris, and she is much less radical on her approach than Sanders and Warren. Harris plans to allow people to refinance high-interest loans into low-interest loans and expanding Income-Based Repayment, which allows for people to pay only what they can afford. Harris also plans to reduce the cost of college across the board. The final candidate is Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg plans to make college cost different amounts, according to income, but overall lower the cost of college. For lower-income families, they will pay nothing for college, and middle-income families will pay nothing for public college. Buttigieg also plans to expand Pell Grants, which don’t have to be repaid. However, this is only a surface level coverage of the issue. To get a better idea of the issue, here’s what Mr.Waxman, a government teacher at Oakton had to say about it. Mr.Waxman agrees that Student Loan Debt is an important issue to Oakton students, but more so to upperclass students, and that anyone who is considering attending higher education should look into the issue. Mr.Waxman personally believes that there should be more government to lower the costs of colleges and universities, although plans like Bernise Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s plans to make all college free, and wipe out student loan debt are too ambitious. Overall, Student Loan Debt is a very complicated issue, as are most political issues. Before you vote, look into presidential candidates’ policies and decide for yourself which one would be best for America. Don’t forget to look into issues as well, as there are numerous issues facing America today. Plus, before choosing a college, think about how you plan to repay any loans you may need to take out.

maxwell pfeifle|staff writer

14 Cougars Strike for Climate A recap of the Global Climate Strike and why students from Oakton High School protested.

hree days before the UN Climate Action Summit, more than four million people worldwide rallied to show the United Nations they would not take inaction for an answer. World leaders have a long track record of devising inadequate climate solutions that are unenforceable and too leisurely for the stringent timeline humanity is on. The Global Climate Strike that took place on September 20 was the most massive mobilization of people for the climate that history had ever seen, and they were intended to be acts of power by the masses to demand bold and urgent climate action from officials at the Climate Action Summit. With over 2,500 decentralized actions in more than 163 countries from all seven continents (yes, a group of scientists even protested in Antarctica), the September 20 strike was rightfully a Global Climate Strike. Close to Oakton High School, the Washington, D.C. strike was one of the flagship events. An estimated eight thousand people rallied in front of the United States Capitol after marching down Pennsylvania Avenue from John Marshall Park. In the crowd were several Oakton High School students that skipped school to protest. Holding signs above their heads and shouting for their lives, they blended in with the body of chiefly youth attendees. As the demographic most affected by the climate crisis, young people have been the leading voice in pushing for climate action. Clare Sparling, 12, says, “My younger brother is only three years old. By the year 2030, he will only be 14. He will be inheriting a climate he had no say in. So, I struck for my future, for his, and the future of all those yet to come. I struck because we deserve a

livable future.” However, Sparling also feels they should not be alone. Climate change is an intersectional issue that envelops everyone and therefore needs everyone. “It was disappointing that it was mainly young people. We should not have to skip school to demand a liveable future,” she said. Having similar thoughts, Ava Liberace, 11, protested as well. Liberace describes feeling furious, sad, and shocked at the lack of government concern surrounding climate and the environment. Before attending the strike, she felt isolated and alone in her fight to save the planet since she assumed not

“As people were walking out of the Capitol to listen, I wondered if they heard us. I hope they truly saw us and what we stood for.” - Ava Liberace, 11

many youth or adults cared about the environment. However, after protesting, Liberace drew great comfort in the thousands of youth that joined her on the front steps of the Capitol. During the rally in front of the Capitol, officials could be seen walking out onto the balcony to observe and listen to the strike. “I wondered if they actually heard us. I hope they truly saw us and what we stood for,” says Liberace. “There is power in numbers, and there were thousands to speak for it in front of the United States Capitol.” The case is slightly different for Erica Coon, 12, who also attended the strike in place of her regular Gold day classes. Coon is currently taking Advanced Placement Photography and decided to make her way to the Capitol to take pictures. “This is such a big part of history - I wanted to be there to capture the moments. Sacrificing some of my classes to go and march was definitely worth it!” said Coon. Regardless of individual reason, thousands of young and old people’s lives and stories intersected on September 20 in both Washington, D.C. and around the world. The fight has only just begun, and will not end until world leaders heed the calls and demands of millions around the world. Power comes from below, and millions of people made known on September 20 that there is an undeniable, unignorable need for climate action.

wendy gao|editorial board Courtesy of Maren Astell

september issue

A Look on the FCPS Board Election A fetaure on candidate Rachana Hiezer

isabel knipping | staff writer

Courtesy of Fairfax Times

n Nov. 5, 2019, twelve seats will be up for general election according to Ballotpedia. Nine seats are elected by the district, while the other three seats are elected at large. The six candidates are Karen Keys Gammera,, Cheryal Buford, Priscilla DeStanfo, Rachna Heizer, Abrar Omeish, and Vinson Palathigal. Hiezer is running for Fairfax County School Board at large (county wide). Rachna Heizer is an attorney, a college professor, and disability rights activist. She has worked to help children in Fairfax County who may not fit into a predetermined mold, like her two children. I interviewed Rachana Hienzer about platform and movations. “Students should get involved because it is the only way our democracy survives. Voting is not the only way to participate in our society. Civic engagement through advocacy is also an important way to leave to have one voice heard and make a difference.“

said Heinzer when asked about why it is important to learn about school board elections. She believes it is important for students to know about the school and its members since they are the ones who make policy for schools. Hienzer’s two kids went Fairfax County Public Schools for kindergarten through 12th grade. She avocated tested for them and other children to get the best education possible regardless of challenges they may face. “As the parent of two children who have spent their entire educational careers in Fairfax County Public Schools I know firsthand how wonderful our schools are but also the work needed to ensure they bring out the best in every child. I have spent more than a decade as a community advocate working collaboratively with school leadership elected officials and community activists to improve our education system.“ Hiezner also believes in supporting and advocating for teachers so they can give students a high

quality education that supports their needs. She has spent time working on addressing students student mental health, disability advocacy, and juvenile justice on a county and state level. Heinzer has many platforms and issues she wants to focus on. She plans to improve the growing mental health crisis by implementing mindfulness and peer mentoring programs, as well as trauma informed education and substance abuse prevention. She also plans to add more counselors and make sure schools have an accepting and respectful environment. She will address the students increasing workland to make sure there not overmellwed and stress while still making sure they have a good education. She also plans to help make sure students have a well rounded education, with artistic exploration and project based learning along with academics and S.TE.M. She plans on decreasing class sizes to prevent overcrowding. She will make sure students are challenged but also that their strengths are nourished. She plans to give teachers livable wages and make sure their needs are taken care off. “Community partnerships to expand career and technical oppernaties and community schools with wraparound services, she said. “All students are equally respected, supported, and included, regardless of gender identity, disability status, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or statues.”

16 MLB Playoff Breakdown jacob rutzick l staff writer

The MLB Playoffs are about to begin and the Oakton Outlook has the breakdown you need. We have our picks for the winners of all series including the World Series.

Series and possibly their first World Series win in those three tries. Scott Sloan, 12, said “The Dodgers have are definitely the team to beat and I think they are a lock for the World Series.” The other contenders in the NL include the Braves, the Cardinals, and the Nationals. However, it seems as if the Dodgers are a lock to make a deep postseason run this year. he MLB Playoffs are about to begin and here’s everything you Prediction time. This year’s NL and AL Champion need to know about them this year. Series matchups will most likely be Astros vs. YanThe American League (AL) looks to be a two team race in kees and Dodgers vs. Braves. This year’s World Series between the Astros and Yankees. The powerhouse dynasties have matchup will most likely be Dodgers vs. Astros. The ruled the MLB for the past two seasons. They were the first two teams Astros superb pitching will most likely be the key to reach 100 wins and were the first two teams to clinch their respecfactor that leads them psat the Yankees powerhouse tive divisions. They have sat in the top two to three spots in the MLB’s lineup. The moment will most likely be too big for power ranking all season despite dealing with major injuries. The the Baby Braves, and the playoff hardened Dodgers astros have rode their MLB best starting pitching staff who happen to will take advantage and advance to yet another World have the ALs top two Cy Young candidates. Justin Verlander is having a Series. But the Dodgers will end up most likely falling historically good season with a WHIP that would scare even 2004 Barry to the 2017 Houston Astros who will add yet another Bonds. Garret Cole may get to the 300 strikeout number that is almost World Series title to their dynasties resume. unheard of. Those two combined with a lineup including Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Michael Brantley and you have one of the best teams in the MLB. The Yankees don’t have nearly the pitching the Astros have as their ace Pedro Severino sat out a majority of the year with an injury. However, the Yankees make up for their lack luster pitching with the best lineup in the MLB. Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorious, and DJ Lemahiou have all had great years. The Yankees, after Severino’s recent return, are primed to make another world series run. The National League (NL) seems to be much less competitive than the NL. The Dodgers have been the best team in the NL all year and it hasn’t been that close all year. MVP candidate Cody Bellinger looked like a lock to win the award earlier this year, but has slowed a bit recently. The rest of the team including sluggers Justin Turner, Cody Seager, and Adubal Hererra has been great all year. The great hitting combined with a Cy Young level season from Hyun Jin Ryu and great pitching from Walker Buehler and Clayton has made the Dodgers a very dangerous team that are hoping to make their third straight World

september issue

Nobody’s safe in the NFL

The most popular sports league in America has been getting away with murder.

espite running the most overwhelmingly popular major sports league in America, the leadership behind the NFL has treated players in the worst imaginable way possible since the 1992 strike. Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated interviewed Calvin Johnson, ex-Detroit Lions wide receiver and all-time NFL leader in yards per game. He did not hesitate to criticize the traditions that have resulted in a history of player mistreatment by both the NFL itself and the teams within. Johnson went into detail about the suffering he endured throughout his nine-year NFL career, which included nine concussions, chronic severe pain, and countless losses and playoff misses on various haphazardly managed Lions squads. Despite being possibly the best wide receiver in the NFL during his tenure with the Lions, Johnson retired early at the age of 30, due to a lack of winning and good management, much like Lions running back Barry Sanders, who retired at 30 despite being the most dominant running back of his time. Johnson painted a vivid picture of the Lions’ mismanagement of him. One particular instance, he noted, was when he got a concussion in the middle of a game and talked about it to the press. After the conference, training staff members told him that he passed their concussion test and that he should change his story and apologize for saying hat he had a concussion.

Images courtesy of Kevind810 and Jeffrey Beall respectively Another widespread issue with the NFL that Johnson brought up was the abuse of opioids and painkillers. He described how after a particularly rough game, he would be able to walk into a training room, ask for a bottle of Vicodin, and have it handed to him relatively easily. The issue Johnson elaborated on is quite widespread. A study by the Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis showed that former NFL players abused painkillers at four times the rate of the general American population. Vice Sports showcased a series with NFL retirees which saw them talk about how teams often encouraged players to take painkillers to play sooner despite a lack of confirmation from team doctors. They also showcased how they found themselves saddled with opioid addictions and essentially endless funding for it from their salaries during their playing days. The NFL’s contract situation is quite restrictive as well. Unless a player is a star like the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan, teams often pay them in unguaranteed money, resulting in them essentially being paid weekly, allowing teams to cut them and remove their salary from their cap. This can also result in stars being underpaid by teams in an effort to save salary. NFL players have been fighting back against this system, such as Melvin Gordon of the Los Angeles refusing to sign a contract for 3 weeks after he felt his team’s $5.6 million

salary offer was not enough for a player of his caliber, or more famously when Le’Veon Bell sat out an entire season after the Pittsburgh Steelers refused to pay him what he was worth. Teams, owners, commissioner Roger Goodell, and even the sports press have often reacted with anger towards these attempts at player independence, but they are fighting a losing battle. In the NHL and NBA, player rights are emphasized over everything else and players often don’t have to sit out seasons or battle just to get paid what they’re worth. Meanwhile, the MLB’s free agent arbitration serves as the purest skill-based assessment system, with players and teams both arguing against each other to a board of arbitrators on how much the player is actually worth. The NFL has been host to some critical issues recently, and they have been consistently ignoring them in favor of PR moves and advertising, and it has been working. Most people don’t care about the thousands of former players having their lives destroyed by CTE or opioid addiction, and they don’t really know how the NFL’s antiquated contract system works. The NFL would like to keep it that way, and the best way to do that is to ignore the issues.

kartik mukalla | staff writer

SPORTS

Be the change How the new football coach led Oakton to victory portia dai | staff writer Oakton football has been underwhelming for the past two seasons, but after two years of waiting Oakton has finally won a game against Fairfax High School. This leaves us wondering what “change” new football coach, Coach Morgan, made that lead to Oakton’s victory. Regarding the win against Fairfax High School, he says it couldn’t have been a better thing for the first game of the season. The win was a great thing for the seniors to have and to countless people to whom the win meant so much too. Coach Morgan regards this to be “one of the best moments I’ve ever had in my life.”

oach Morgan has been a teacher for twenty years, previously working as a marketing teacher at Lake Braddock and a coach at Woodson. He decided to come coach at Oakton because of the school’s history of success in sports and the good community as well as student body. Coach Morgan is also excited to follow

in the footsteps of great coaches and “bring Oakton back to the greatness we once had.” His goal for his players is to learn from football and become better men. Coach Morgan believes that football is a sport that brings everyone together towards a common goal no matter race, ethnicity, or even age. Coach Morgan’s favorite part about coach-

ing is teaching his players strategies and improve their physical abilities. Outside of coaching, he enjoys as many sports as he can. He was a semi-professional baseball player for sixteen years and indulges in watching, playing, and coaching football.

New football coach, Coach Morgan

“One of the best moments I’ve ever had in my life.” The Oakton win against Fairfax

hen asked to share about his coaching strategies at Oakton compared to Lake Braddock, he said that when he coached at the former, he taught players about his “ideology, lingo, verbage,” and what to look for so that everyone would think on the same level for ease of communication. He says it took awhile at Lake Braddock, but eventually, it “trickled.” By “trickled” Coach Morgan means it passes down to incoming younger players. At Oakton, he is trying to communi-

Credit to Oakton Smugmug cate more with upperclassmen so that it “trickles” down to freshmen and eighth graders. Coach Morgan also thinks that the expectations and culture at Oakton needs to change, but the kids are getting it. When asked what he thought about playing the homecoming game against Lake Braddock, he immediately answered that he of course wants to beat them, but that he does have respect for the kids he has had in class. Nevertheless, he says that “there would be no better way to start off homecoming

weekend than with an Oakton win.” The strategy that helped his players the most was accountability and learning that “they only have to do their job and to trust that their brother will do their job themselves.” He says the key part was everyone working towards the common goal of winning with a calm, cool, and collective attitude. We hope that the homecoming game on October 4th will see another victory to finish off the season strong; come out to support the team!

september issue

Will This Years Oakton Football Be The Change? In previous years at Oakton, the football team has had their fair share of losses. Last season our varsity football team went on a ten-game losing streak and had a total of six touchdowns spread throughout the season. This year, hopefully we can be the change. Micheal flood, a wide receiver on the freshman football team says that the support that they are getting from teammates and coaches this year “is definitely what they need to turn around this year’s football for the better.” We had a great start to the season with Varsity’s incredible performance against Fairfax. Although Varsity lost the following couple of games, we still have the rest of the season to change. The Freshman team also had a good game against Woodson where we won 58-6. By keeping good team spirit, a positive attitude, and having good Spirit week is a way that students can show their school spirit sportsmanship throughout the season, the football team and that they support the football teams. It is a way to kind will have hope to win their games. of build up excitement and hope for the homecoming dance and game on saturday. With the Freshman vs Langley game tomorrow and the Varsity vs Langley Homrcoming game on Friday, we should show our support by participating in spirit week and by dressing according to the decided theme og the game. An example of a theme is a Gold-out where everyone wears gold or a USA theme where everyone wears red white and blue. Though it might be hard. With the team spirit and student body supporting the team, I feel that our teams can come through this season and be the change for Oakton Football.

courtesy of oakton athletics

20 Why are the Miami Dolphins so bad? It is usually a major accomplishment to set a record, regardless of its scale and the specifics behind it. The 2019 Miami Dolphins, however, are giving new meaning to record-breaking activity. The dolphins have been outscored 42 to 176 in their first five starts. Let that sink in for a moment. They have been outscored by their opponents by an average of 35 points, blowing former record-holding teams out of the water. It does seem like the Dolphins are starting to get their feet under themselves to a certain extent after experiencing two mind-blowing beatdowns from the Baltimore Ravens (59-10) and the New England Patriots (43-0) after losing by much smaller margins to the Cowboys (31-6) and the Chargers (3010), but only time will telwwhether the Dolphins are back on track. So we’ve established that dolphins are bad; not just bad, really bad, historically bad, uniquely bad. All these struggles beg the question, what is really going on with the Miami Dolphins. Do they have a shallow roster, a lack of star talent, an unskilled coaching staff, or are they just simply experiencing a bit of bad luck. I did some research to pinpoint the root of these problems and these are the conclusions that I have arrived at as to why the 2019 Miami Dolphins football team is so incredibly bad:

ben abrahams|staff writer

21 Dig Pink and the Side Out Foundation The story of this Oakton tradition and how it came to be september issue

he Dig Pink charity volleyball game is coming up on October third. So before the game comes, it’s important for everyone to know where the organization came from. Dig Pink is a part of the Side Out Foundation, started by Rick Dunetz, who is a former volleyball coach at Oakton. He is still in the area and coaches at West Springfield. The side out foundation website defines

clinical trial examines the effects of individualized treatment on patients with metastatic breast cancer (stage IV). Individualized treatment, known as targeted therapy, provides doctors a better way to treat stage IV breast cancer, based not on the type of cancer, but on its molecular architecture. This gets us better therapy prediction and better results and closer to removing the word ‘terminal’ from our cancer vernacular.”

Being a varsity coach comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility. At the same time, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. This time was even harder because his mother was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, which has no cure. This news motivated his team to go farther than they ever had before in the state competitions. He then used his sadness to help others who were going through the same

itself as “Schools, tournaments, and clubs [uniting] their communities by hosting events that create impactful experiences and build positive team culture, all while fundraising for SideOut’s stage IV breast cancer research.” The foundation also looks to empower communities through their young athletes in order to fight breast cancer. The Foundation originally set out to simply raise money, and donate to other breast cancer research facilities in order to find a cure. But, they have since turned into much more. The side out foundation has now become a research facility in itself. The Side Out Foundation website says, “Our

They have created a clinical trial that is thing as his mom and raise money for trying to get to the root of the disease. breast cancer research, which started The foundation continues the Side Out Foundation. to raise money for their research and The Side Out Foundation is clinical trials through their Dig Pink an important fundraises and raising Dig-a-Thons all over the country. awareness for breast cancer. Luckily, They currently have nine thousand our school has been participating in twenty six teams that participate in the this fundraiser since the beginning, dig pink tradition, including Oakton and it has no signs of stopping this volleyball. Through these fundraisers year. This years fundraiser is on Octothe organization has been able to raise ber third at five o’clock, so be sure to fourteen million dollars for breast come support our team then. cancer research, specifically for their clinical trial. Rick Dunetz created the Side lizzie thompson|staff writer Out Foundation in 2004 while he was the head coach for West Springfield.

22 alexandra martschenko | staff writer

Luau: a homecoming debacle Is the Homecoming Theme Cultural Appropriation or are we too Sensitive?

n the age of controversy and extreme caution, it is difficult to tell when something is crossing a line. Many seemingly innocent concepts can be perceived as cultural appropriation to certain groups and this leads to a feeling of being trapped in a box of caution with no way to do anything without approaching it with an abundance of care. As homecoming approaches the seemingly warm hearted idea of a Luau has brought up feelings of concern among the student population. Many students have decided to boycott the dance to stand up against the appropriation of Hawaian culture. A Luau is described as a vibrant feast with music and cultural per-

formances. Many students are concerned that Oakton won’t honor the beauty and vivality that a Luau entails in an appropriate way. Oakton Senior Bhadra Nair and Sophomore Pulelehua McClung, a Hawaiian native, stated that “ Oakton has a reputation of being very inclusive. The fact that they’ve chosen this as a theme is hon-

off limit, many within good reason, it’s difficult to do anything without having someone complaining. Cultural sensitivity is important but there has to be a limit to the censorship that is put onto certain objectives. That being said, Hawaii has extreme hardships that for the most part were brought on by people who only see the island as a tourist destination and not a land with a history and culture. The natives have had their own cultures ripped away by colonizers and now used by a high school leadership committee who does not see the harm in appropriating other states’ culture. If the theme had been Arabian Nights or something centered around Naive American culture, there would have been a huge stink raised about the issue. But, because Hawaiian culture has been appropriated for so many years that nothing is being done to assuage the issue.

"The fact that they’ve chosen this as a theme is honestly extremely inappropriate and, frankly, gross” -Bhadra Nair, 12 estly extremely inappropriate and, frankly, gross” and have encouraged their friends to skip the dance in favor of something a bit more culturally appropriate. Unsurprisingly, many people have jumped on the trend. Whether or not the homecoming theme is controversial is in the eyes of the beholder. In a world where so many things have become

september issue

Improved Cafeteria, but Has the Food Improved As Well?

New lunch room but same food

n the summer of 2017, Oakton High School started a four year renovation project. The first thing that has been completely redone is the school’s cafeteria. Everything about the new cafeteria is newer and better than the old one, from the massive amount of space to the food court-like lunch lines. However, alongside these improvements, has the food changed for the better? Students from all around Oakton share their opinions. Maya Youssef (10) said that “it’s very low quality food” and that “the food choices aren’t as healthy as they should be, like the salad, which is supposed to be a healthy option but is over 400 calories”. When she was asked if she could change anything about the lunches, she responded saying the school should “provide students with a real lunch that is tasty, but also healthy for them”. She also added that “they should be able to go to the grocery store and get the same food the school is providing for them”. Other students interviewed agree that the foods are not as healthy as they could be. Ilyaz Dresser (10) said that “everything is massed produced with lots of preservatives”, and that the dieted drinks should be switched back to the normal ones because the “diet ones have so many more chemicals than normal ones”. Ilyaz made some good points, especially with the dieted drinks because when a drink is made to be ‘sugar free’ or ‘low calories’, the missing sugar or calories is substituted with artificial sweeteners which can lead to health problems later in life. Aaron Gray (11) said “the school’s lunch is very artificial looking, and

it feels like the food has never changed from when I started eating school lunches” when asked what he thought about the school’s food. He also stated that “many of his friends have been sold expired products like smoothies and gatorade”. When asked if there was anything he would change Aaron said, “I would like to change the pizzas at the school because the school’s pizzas are not the best, while microwavable pizzas are not expensive and better. Overall, many students said that they want more variety in general because having the same selection of food everyday and eating the same thing gets monotonous and boring. Many also agree that the school’s lunches are poor quality, and is not as healthy as it is made out to be. I agree with the students and believe that if they want their students to eat healthy, they should make food that the students will enjoy but also is good for them. The quality of the school’s food is crucial because it will encourage good eating habits and keep students happy and healthy. If students dislike the food, it would just be a waste of food and money by making food that students do not enjoy and will end up tossing it at the end of lunch.

katie le | staff writer

OPINION

How the Family-Run Farm is Expressing the Importance of a Voice

or those of us who have grown up in Northern Virginia, Cox Farms has probably been the source of some fond fall memories. The family-run farm located in Centreville, most notoriously known in the area for their Fall Festival and Fields of Fear events, has everything from hayrides and slides to fresh apple cider and kettle corn. They keep in touch with the community through their email newsletter, website, social media, Courtesy of @coxfarmsva and most authentic means of communication are the two road signs outside of the farm. Instagram Feb. 18, 2019 Aaron Cox-Leow, a co-owner and Co-Farmer-In-Chief of Cox Farms, is in charge of the social media accounts. During the off-season, “we don’t have a ton of farm-related stuff to say, so sometimes we use our signs to address other issues,” says Cox-Leow. Many may be unaware of Cox Farms’ social media accounts, more specifically, their controversial posts regarding many topics such as gun control, equality, abortions, and immigration; generally taking a liberal point of view. However, it is important for us to take a look into the beliefs of organizations that become a major part of our lives, and the impact these situations can have on our community. The family-run farm has been present on various social media platforms for roughly a decade, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Their older posts are generally neutral and what you would expect from a community farm, like pictures of pumpkins and goats. In June of 2016, they posted a picture of a rainbow wagon with the words “At Cox Farms, equality is always in season” in reference to the Pulse NightClub shooting. However, it wasn’t until early 2017 when they truly began connecting their political views to their business. Cox-Leow says their decision to begin “fighting injustice” began after a family business Courtesy of @coxfarmsva meeting, in which they “agreed that part of living our values meant using our resources Instagram July 4, 2019 to strengthen our commitment to resist white supremacy and fight injustice, not just as a family but as co-owners of our business.” So, they literally put that goal into their longterm planning. Their iconic cinema letterbox is a recurring picture throughout the account; sometimes advertising activities, other times expressing political beliefs. In February 2018, the letterbox read “Resist white supremacy,” with a lengthy caption to clarify the reason they decided to post these words outside their farm, basically boiling it down to decent humanity. Additionally, throughout the spring of 2018, they continued to post some more subtle, but obviously serving a deeper purpose, signs including, “We call cow manure!” and “Make racism wrong again;” just to give you an idea. You can view the full collection of these messages under the “Roadside Signs” photo album on their Facebook page, or throughout their Instagram and Twitter feeds. They keep in touch with the community through their email newsletter, website, social media, and most authentic means of communication are the two road signs outside of the farm.They keep in touch with the community through their email newsletter, website, soCourtesy of @coxfarmsva cial media, and most authentic means of communication are the two road signs outside of the farm. Instagram Aug. 5, 2019 The Cox family has received a variety of responses regarding these statements. Some just hateful responses, others including threats and hostility towards the business. Some have expressed wishes of neutrality. And the rest, send love and support towards the business. When asked about the topic, Park said, “It doesn’t have an effect on whether or not I would go[to Cox Farms] or not, but that may be in part because I agree with a lot of it.” After expressing her understanding of her privilege, Cox-Leow went on to say,” I believe that allies have a responsibility to speak out in support of marginalized communities.” However, regardless of your political views, Cox Farms is undeniably playing a major role in the community by choosing to display their values, in which they show the impact of a voice and speaking up for what you believe in.

payton wozny | editorial board

september issue

Cancel culture, and what it says about our modern-day world

aura Lee was an internet-sensation with over five million subscribers on her Youtube channel and multiple new makeup videos a week. In August 2018, old tweets resurfaced, displaying her racist and fat-shaming behaviors. As a result, her career is gone- no more brand deals, over a million loyal fans lost in her community, and constant shaming by the public. Everything she’s worked for for six years is all gone due to tweets she posted over seven years ago. Cancel culture, or call-out culture, is boycotting or ignoring a celebrity or public figure, specifically after they make racist, homophobic, or sexist comments. Nowadays, “canceling” someone is extremely common and has happened to numerous celebrities, most notably Kanye West, Bill Gates, Taylor Swift, and James Charles. While there are many strong opinions on the internet as to whether or not cancel culture should exist, many fail to recognize how it represents the values and morals of our modern-day world, and how respecting others and their beliefs is becoming more important to the current generation. To begin, one of the primary arguments about cancel culture is that many of the scandals have to do with past comments or issues, they are not an accurate representation of the person in our current world. Although strides of progress have been achieved in the past few decades, this reasoning is invalid most of the time. As in the Laura Lee case, her racist tweets only went back to 2012. While the public has further acknowledged and become more aware of racism within the past few years, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t wrong seven years ago. While she probably would never have imagined how admired and famous she would become in less

eileen lincoln | staff writer

than a decade, it still demonstrates how how her ignorant and harmful actions truly have an effect on others. Making excuses such as these for wrongful behavior only enables it in the future. Other examples include celebrities who have sexually assaulted or abused others, such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. In fact, “this legacy of cancel culture even goes back to the 1960s with the director Alfred Hitchcock and his abuse of Tippy Hedren on the set of the movie The Birds, which was highly inappropriate in the way in which he acted towards her,”

says Elizabeth Sullivan, a senior here at Oakton. “The fact that actors are finally getting justice that previous generations couldn’t means that cancel culture is doing some good in the world.” While these problems have existed for decades, the newer phenomenon of cancel culture allows for victims to finally promote change in our world. Additionally, many have suggested that cancel culture is unfair and unreasonable because it destroys one’s career and fur-

ther opportunities. However, rather than ignoring problems in the world, cancel culture authorizes standards to be set on social issues and indefensible doings. It obliges celebrities who have committed unjustified actions to be forced to own up to their responsibilities and face consequences. While, it is understandable how others may feel as if call-out culture may be harsh at times, especially with thousands of social media users commenting hateful or rude messages, their success is not always demolished, as shown in several cases. For example, take the Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift fiasco a few years ago, in which Taylor Swift was “cancelled.” Since then, almost everyone has overlooked that drama, and she has gone on to release multiple record-breaking albums and songs. Cancel culture imposes consequences on those who have performed inappropriate actions, yet also enables those who have displayed change and growth as a person to learn from their mistakes and continue with their careers. So, while many provide strong takes on whether cancel culture is beneficial or not, there are multiple cases for each viewpoint. While it forces celebrities and influencers to own up to their wrongdoings and create change on critical issues, it doesn’t always allow people to improve from their mistakes. Ultimately, cancel culture represents how this generation is becoming more sensitive to certain issues and uses social media as an outlet for addressing the problems in our world. Additionally, it symbolizes a sense of optimism for future generations with increased activism and engagement with necessary problems in an effort in order to establish a more respectful and thoughtful population.

26 GROWING UP DY LEXIC

I fell in love in third grade, not with the boy that sat next to me in math class or a dreamy television supermodel, but with language. Growing up dyslexic, I’d been taught certain things about my condition: that it would inhibit my reading abilities, perhaps make me more creative, but most of all, that a love for language was all but forbidden. Beginning in kindergarden, it was evident that I didn’t see words like the other kids. My sentences looked more like abstract paintings than the portraits they were supposed to represent: the Is were often too large, Ps replaced with Qs, Ms mistaken for Ns. Paragraphs looked more like alphabet soup than anything resembling order, a trait that often earned me poor grades. For a while, being dyslexic felt like starting a race from 100 meters behind. I spent many years struggling over texts and looking for hints in the pictures of assigned readings that my classmates grasped easily. Being called on in class summoned feelings of intense embarrassment as I cracked through each of the words, pausing before even small qualifiers like “the”. I was never a good reader or the champion of the school spelling bee, and for a while, I resented my condition. I’ve never been someone that wants to be “normal”, but I wanted to be good enough - to be able to keep up with my younger brother when he read Harry Potter or bring home a perfect spelling quiz. I wanted to live up to the expectations placed on “normal” kids.

As I matriculated through the education system, I found ways to compensate for my condition. The version of English that I taught myself can’t be summarized by a set of trends, but I understand it anyways, similar to the way that most Americans recognize a green light as symbolizing go, even if we haven’t been formally taught it. In doing so, I taught myself a different way of writing, and truthfully, of living. English in schools is approached in a very formulaic manner, similar to math. While we don’t learn rules of addition, we learn combinations of letters that “make sense” together - that q+u=correct and -tion is far more common than -tiom. We’re taught from an extremely young age that there are formulas to our ways of speaking, communicating, and as a result, living. We learn that language exists only within the confines of spelling and grammar itself, but I never saw grammar or spelling in the static way that it was portrayed. To me, spelling shifted just as much as letters did when I read, and grammar changed with it. I didn’t identify with the definition of language that I had been fed, and as a result, had to build my own. I found my definition in abstract art. I came to view letters as symbols, not as pieces of a formula. I saw language as fluid and constantly changing, not as a constant, unalterable tool. In turn, I learned to view the world in a more changing light. I saw documents as evolving with the times, literature as open to interpretation, and the people behind them as com-

plex, multifaceted writers. Language is fundamentally the basis of our communication, and as a result, of our understanding of each other. In learning to view it in a less formulaic way, I began to appreciate the nuances of humanity: the ones that often fall between the couch cushions or are cut off before their ending.

Being dyslexic made me an artist, not because I was ever trying to create art, but because my day to day is filled with incomplete drawings that I have to attempt to understand - puzzles with pieces that I craft. Being dyslexic taught me that the best writers aren’t artists because of the way they weave sentences together or use fancy vocab terms, but because their work reflects humanity: evolving, changing, and impossible to describe in formulas.

september issue

The Hope of the HOPE Act The HOPE act is giving patients with HIV a second chance in life

Photo courtesy of voanews

hen someone says they are HIV positive, you immediately back away a couple of inches and express how sad it is. There is a negative stigma around the disease, yet many people don’t understand that someone can live a perfectly normal, healthy life with HIV. In the 1980’s there was an epidemic of AIDs, which is an autoimmune disease that can develop from being HIV positive. The majority of the people infected with HIV/AIDS were members of the LGBTQ community and because of this AIDs was viewed as a disease for those who are ‘dirty’, pairing the disease with a negative outlook. However the negative connotation around the virus, social media has helped spread a positive outlook on the disease, and slowly as the pride movement is taking place and increased acceptance of the LGBTQ community, people who are HIV positive are experiencing less social turmoil. When someone who is HIV positive needs an organ transplant, they are put at the end of the transplant list with limitations around receiving the organ, basically putting the patients on a deathbed. The reason for this rule is that UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) does not want to give a healthy organ to someone who will always be ‘sick’ or have the disease versus giving a healthy organ to someone who will be ‘healed’. Recently, a doctor performed the first (assumed first) organ transplant from someone who is HIV positive to another person who is HIV positive. The procedure was a kidney transplant that took place at John Hopkins, and so far both patients, the donor, and the recipient are recovering well. The second transplant took place at Duke university and was the first live kidney transplant. Both of these transplants are under the HOPE act, an act that allows people with HIV to donate to others with HIV. This act was passed in 2013 and only allows five hospitals with transplant centers to perform the procedure, including Duke and John Hopkins. The kidney transplants performed at John Hopkins and Duke has led to many more people who are HIV positive wanting to donate their organs. This has not only helped soften the stereotype around HIV but also other diseases such as Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B. This could be the way of the future and give the opportunity for people with HIV/AIDs to live a longer and healthier life.

Photo courtesy of nbcnews

Photo courtesy of UAB

zoe sauger | editorial board

Photo courtesy of Duke Health

FEATURE

Dragonfly; NASA’S Wonder of the Sky

NASA’s Nuclear-Powered Self-Driving Drone and its mission to unravel Titan

ragonfly, NASA’s nuclear-powered self-driving drone sounds like an impossible creation from a dystopian novel. In reality, this awe-inspiring machine is made up of technology which can be found in many common drones and technology today, though its purpose is far greater. The probe’s mission is to explore the mystewrious terrain of Titan - Saturn’s largest moon!

The probe itself is a dual-rod quadcopter, otherwise known as a drone with four rotors, with a motor and propeller on each rotor. The size approximately resembles a compact car, whichseems bizarre to think that such a bulky device was created to hover over the surface of Titan. While the quadcopter portion of the probe is something anyone can easily find on Amazon in normal drones, the probe’s nuclear-powered quality can be attributed to the technology NASA uses for its Curiosity rover on Mars. But why explore Titan? Unique to the 150 known moons in our solar system, Titan is not only the only one with a considerable atmosphere, but it’s also the only location aside from Earth which has liquid in the form of seas, lakes, and rivers on the moon. While Titan differs in the sense that its liquid involves hydrocarbons as opposed to water, it still has cycles of evaporation and condensation much like our planet Earth. Furthermore, Titan’s terrain closely parallels Earth’s, although the frigid temperatures and different chemical composition,unfortunately, make it impractical for human habitation. The temperature, an astounding -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-179 degrees Celsius), causes the surface of the planet to be encased in ice water that serves the purpose of rock on Earth. Much like bodies of water shape the terrain of planet Earth, methane and ethane carve Titan’s surface into river channels and lakes filled with natural gas - a terrifying concept on Earth, but just another one of Titan’s unique features, The similarities don’t stop there, however - there’s also dunes on Titan which resemble those of the desert of Namibia in Africa! With a coffee-grain like appearance and a dark hydro-carbon composition, these particles stretch across the moon’s equatorial regions and add to Titan’s mystique. Yet another one of Titan’s special qualities is its thick, primarily nitrogen atmosphere. Of the 150 other moons, it’s the only one to have this characteristic, even if it tragically lacks some of the key elements needed to make the planet safe for humans to occupy. This nitrogen and methane filled atmosphere are partly responsible for the thick haze which surrounds the planet, which happens as a result of the methane and nitrogen in the air constantly being recycled. But while the source of continuous methane on the planet is unknown, it’s clear to see that there’s plenty of reasons for NASA to gather more information on the inner-workings of this astounding moon! Once the probe has been launched from Earth in 2026 and has arrived in Titan in 2034, the probe will drop from its carrier capsule and begin making a series of “leaps” across the planet to map the terrain, and finally unearth the wondrous astronomical body underneath.

elene lipartiani | staff writer photos courtesy of NASA/JPL

september issue

Behind the life of Minh Nguyen A feature on school custodian, Minh Nguyen.

tudents are promised a safe and clean learning environment by FCPS. None of that would be possible without the help of our school custodians. Minh Ngyen, one of the eighteen school custodians, spoke to us a little about herself and what she does. Nguyen and her husband Loc Bui work with others from 7 a.m. to3:30 pm to maintain a clean and secure environment.

nour al-kaaby|staff writer

Oakton, and a good amount of hers is dedicated to the upbringing of her four kids, the oldest only eight years old. Nguyen says that she takes her kids volunteering frequently to teach them to help others and take time to be kind to their community. She also tries to take them to church as much as she can. I asked Nguyen what she would do if she wasn’t so busy all the time she told me that she would go back to school and get a good educaMinh Nguyen and her husband Loc have been married tion. Throughout our interview, she talked a lot about for 9 years and emigrated from Vietnam to America the importance of education and how she believed it was in 2015 with their two kids at the time for a better life. essential for everyone to get a good education. Nguyen told me about her struggles coming to America and starting from scratch. Learning a new language was Take a moment to get to know the people around you; one of her biggest challenges. Now they live in Sterling you never know what you can learn. Life’s too short to be with four kids. careless. Start thanking school staff and take time to talk to them about their day. It's no secret that everyone at Nguyen began working at Oakton 6 months ago and Oakton is too busy to blink, but taking time off our work says it has one of the best work environments she's been to build relationships with those around us is essential in. and will be beneficial in the long run. “People will forget the good things you do for them but “it's great when in the morning they come and [say] ‘good what they will never forget the way you made them feel,” morning.’ It's so kind, it makes us happy,” Nguyen said. said Nguyen. One of her favorite parts of working at oakton is when students greet them. “The reason we have such [a] good experience is because of our supervisor,”said Nguyen. Like everyone else Nguyen, has a life outside of

30 Best study spots near Oakton High School Every high school student who would not admit to spending hours pouring over homework in some sort of coffee shop or cafe is lying. While a lot of people choose Starbucks over a smaller, lesser known coffee shop, there are tons of hidden gems near Oakton.

“The coffee here is so good, and I always choose to come when I’m nearby.” (Kathryn Edgar, Peet’s Coffee)

My absolute favorite place to study is Caffe Amouri. Located in Vienna near Church Street Pizza, it’s a small coffeehouse with a very cozy vibe. The walls are lined with old vinyl covers, and the menu is written on a chalkboard above the counter. My go-to studying snack is the chai tea latte with coffee cake or a brownie. The latte has a very smooth, cinnamon taste, and the bakery items always have just the right level of sweetness.If you want a fall drink, they also have the pumpkin pie latte, which in my opinion is better than the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. The whole atmosphere is very friendly and community oriented; whoever’s behind the counter always greets you with a smile.

Another great place is Peet’s Coffee. It has two close locations, one in Vienna, the other in Fairfax Corner. I usually order the iced caramel macchiato, and, if I’m hungry, a chocolate chip cookie. Their blueberry muffins are a great breakfast to start off your day. All the coffees and teas are made expertly and taste wonderful. The atmosphere is more business-directed, and you’ll often see business people having a casual meeting in person or on the phone, or working away on their laptop.

“They have the best croissants! They’re so buttery and light. I get them every time.” (Kate Day, Caffe Amouri)

veronica preaskorn | staff writer

“I really love the food, because it has a great flavor, and it’s unique to the area.” (Leah Campbell, Magnolia Dessert Bar and Coffee) Still fairly new, Magnolia Dessert Bar and Coffee is a smaller place with a friendly ambience. It isn’t big enough for larger parties, which is really nice for studying. The honey toast pocky strawberry is a great, sweet snack to keep you on task. The cost may seem a little high, but the portions are fairly large. Their affogato lattes are the perfect blend of sweet and bitter, but, if you don’t like bitter, you can’t go wrong with their white chocolate mocha. It’s also located in Vienna, and everyone is really nice and helpful.

september issue

Torn Between Religion and Grades The internal struggle faced by students of minority religions

eparated by ten days are the two most holy days of the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Parents stay home from work, and grade school students will stay home from class as well. They will go to services at the synagogue and spend the rest of the sacred day with other relatives, including grandparents and cousins. Many Jewish high schoolers are unsure of what to do, as both holidays lie on school days. Do they go to school and feel guilty for missing services, or choose to stay with family, and deal with the stress of making up school work? Rosh Hashanah is most commonly thought of as the Jewish New Year. It is a day for remembrance and judgement. American Jews celebrate the holiday in many different ways. Some traditions include candle lighting in the evening and services in the morning. Throwing bread into a body of water for the ceremony of Tashlich symbolizes casting our sins away from the previous year. Special meals are also eaten on this holiday, which often involve a round loaf of challah bread, which symbolizes a round year, and apples dipped in honey in hopes for a sweet year to come. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is ten days after Rosh Hashanah.

lindsay greenspan | staff writer Jewish adults fast on this holiday and are commanded to do no work. This is to fully devote the solemn holiday to repentance and reflection. Services are attended once again, and at sundown, families “break the fast” and traditionally eat a breakfast meal consisting of items such as bagels, blintzes, and fruit. Around the High Holidays every year, Fairfax County sends

o u t their Guidelines for Religious Activities. The policy states, “Fairfax County

Public Schools, as an agency of the government, shall be neutral with respect to religious beliefs and also shall not engage in any activity that either disparages or advocates religion.” The guidelines mention nothing about homework or tests, causing students to feel hesitant for missing school for fear of having a lot of work to make up. This conflict is not just faced by Jews, but by those of other minority religions. Muslims must make this same decision for Eid-alFitr, close to the end of the school year when final exams are occurring. When asked about making this choice, Katelyn M., a ninth grade student said, “It makes me feel sad that I can’t be with my family during this time, and I have to choose between religion and school.” As important as these holidays are to the Jewish community and those of other minority religions, the overwhelming idea of catching up on schoolwork deters students from missing school. In the end, what weighs more for a high school student? The value of religion or the stress of schoolwork and grades?

32 Tiring Days and Busy Nights

Finding out how the srudents of Oakton balance their school and work life. Sitota Mesfin | Staff-Writer

School can be very stressful, what with the long classes, difficult tests, and heaps of homework. In addition, some students also take on jobs, diminishing more of their time. Including that, some participate in clubs as well! How can they balance both their school life and work life, while still staying on top of it all? Is it really worth the stress and late nights that are sure to come? I asked some fellow Oakton students just how they do it. “It’s become a little harder to balance school and work because I take APs and those classes usually require a lot more time … [my manager] can schedule me up to 8 hours a day so it gets tiring coming home and getting school work done, ” says Daioa Al-Kaaby (12). She also let me know that she participates in many clubs, including NHS, MSA, and BSU. Along with all of that, she was a manager of the wrestling team the year before. After being asked if her job was worth it, she said, “My answer to this changes. In a way, I feel so much more productive and good after a shift when I accomplish things and get recognition … But other times when I’m stressed over school and I haven’t gotten much sleep and my performance at work isn’t great … I feel like quitting.”

Similarly, after asking a sophomore if she believed her job was worth the sacrifices she has had to make, she says, “Sometimes I think it’s not … I sacrificed sleep, I never have free time [because] it’s either taken up by school or work or homework.”

While some students are on the edge of whether they think their job is worth it, Frank Smoot-Canty (11) replies with a much different statement. “Heck yes! I love my job! My coworkers are amazing to be with and there are some excellent benefits to working at a pizza place … I usually am able to get all my homework and projects done when I return from work.”

After looking through it, I have realized that even though work has taken a lot from these students, including sleep and free time, they push through. Working a job has made them more mature and focused, and has even helped with their time management skills. Even though some may not love their jobs, they still get it done, feeling better in the end.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”-Angela Merkel

33 The Road to College Begins september issue

he first few months of senior year often give students more stress than they have ever had before. With early decision and early action deadlines for college approaching, students all over the school are frantically writing essays, filling out transcript request forms, and asking for recommendations on top of their heavy course loads and jam-packed schedules. With this little sleep, it’s like junior year all over again for many Oakton seniors as they check off items on their college checklists. The first step in the process was deciding where to apply. Virginia schools such as Virginia Tech, James Madison, and the University of Virginia are perennial favorites. And as always, there are many high achievers aiming for schools in the Ivy League, such as Princeton, Harvard, and Yale, as well as people who just want to get out of state. Applying early instead of regular decision to Virginia Tech has been a very popular choice this year as a result of the anticipated increased admissions difficulty after the school over admitted about 1,000 students last year. For some, once colleges were decided,

olivia garrone | editorial board

Everything Oakton seniors have been doing to kick off college application season

prep started in the summer. The majority of college applications opened up on August 1st, and essays were released last year so that students could get a head start. Essays were started in coffee shops and senior profiles begun on beach vacations in an attempt to relieve stress from the school year. Now, crunch time has arrived. The deadline for transcript request forms was Monday, September 30th, so many students spent the weekend rushing to finish their senior profiles for their counselor recommendations. On the morning of the deadline itself, the counseling office had a line so long that it was bursting out of the trailer; luckily, it was worth it for the satisfac-

tion of completing the first official step on the road to college. Transcript requests weren’t the only thing on seniors’ minds this week; essays have been even more of a hassle. “The essays stress me out. I have a lot of them in the works; I just recently plugged in my coalition essay and now I have a lot of supplementary essay happening,” said Cathleen Papas (12). Fortunately, the English department has been lending a hand. 12th grade English classes at Oakton have been working on an assignment designed to produce a personal statement essay that can be used for college apps. This opportunity for feedback from peers and a teacher leaves students feeling better about their essays. Despite the burden of applications, the end goal is enough to keep everyone going. “I’m looking forward to it, to college, the adventure, new experiences. I’m kind of just ready to break out of the NOVA bubble of protection, I want to leave. I want to experience new things, new people,” said Papas.

34 Women History Heroes

Featuring women heroes who you might not know

Grace Park | Staff Writer

Helen Keller Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on June 27, 1880. Then, one year later, she lost her sight and hearing because of a disease presumed to be Meningitis. It took away her ability to speak. In 1887, Helen met Anne Sulivan, a tutor. Anne taught Helen with passion. A year later, Helen went to Perkins School in Boston and learned many communication skills there. A few years later, she applied to Radcliffe College, which then functioned as the female Havard College. After graduating college, she wanted to speak for disabled people, so she traveled to 25 different countries and gave motivational speeches for Deaf people. Also, she wrote 12 books and some articles. Her stories are usually about her life. She wrote about how she grew and her obstacles for achieving her goal. Helen Keller, the great writer and speaker, died at the age of the 87 after giving hope to the disabled people in the world.

Courtesy of Thought co

I surprised about her work. I think she’s a very determined woman and that finds joy in everything. -Madisyn Moses (9)

Eizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821, in Bristol, England. In 1832, their family moved to New York. At first, she applied to many of the medical colleges, but all of the college didn’t accepted women except Geneva College in New York. On January 23, 1849, Blackwell finally got a medical degree, making her the first woman to achieve a medical degree. After she graduated, she decided to found the medical college for women at New York. It began with small number of students and teachers; there were fifteen students and the teachers were just Elizabeth Beckwell and her sister. One year later, she went to the U.K. and educated people and with information about health, so that people can prevent diseases. She died, n May 31, 1910. She worked with women’s caste and developed health care for whole life.

Courtesy of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish

Courtesy of Time

Mother Teresa Mother Teresa was born in the Republic of Macedonia on Augut 26, 1910. When she was 12, she decided to commit herself into religious life, then she joined the Sisters of Loreto. In India, while she was working, she decided to help people. She founded a school for starving and poor people, and on October, 1950, she established the Missionaries of Charity. New members of the Missionaries of Charity opened doors around the world, and by the 1990s, over one million people worked for it. For this work, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In later years, She suffered two heart attacks with heart disease. At first, she refused to take medical care of herself on the grounds that the poor she was taking care of were not allowed, but after the second seizure, she had surgery at the request of the government and the pope. She came back and died peacefully on September 5, 1997. The funeral was held as state funeral on September 13. India’s government expressed respect and condolences.

She seemed like a very generous person because of her heart warming actions! Her mind to helping the poor truly reveals the affection. -Bibechana Pandey (9)

Sources: Wikipedia, Biography.com, and notablebiogrpahies.com

september issue

It: Chapter 2 scares, but doesn’t quite make it out of the sewer Horror movie sequel has trouble staying afloat.

ept. 6, 2019: Horror-hungolden. Yes, there was suspense and gry audiences flocked by jumpscares galore... but the thing was, the thousands to theChapter 2 didn’t feel like the horror aters across the globe to see movie it was expected to be. What the long-awaited sequel to had worked in the first film was Andy Muscetti’s 2017 film It. the mystery of Pennywise, the capIn the two years since Chapital letter in It, and audiences left ter One’s release, fan hype the theater of Chapter 2 with that for the second movie adaption mystery revealed. The ominous thrill of Stephen King’s classic novel of the film suffered from it, and as a rehas grown considerably. The first sult, so did its box office results. film had broken October box office courtesy of Google Images Now, plenty of King fans out there will records with a $700 million opening, argue that a movie’s earnings don’t necand is still widely regarded as one of the best movie adap- essarily reflect its quality. But this goes beyond money. tations of a King book. This second movie was well placed Somehow, with the same director, familiar source matein relation to Halloween, so the overall spooky mood was rial, and an all-star cast backing the movie’s release, it’s alive and well when moviegoers took their seats. success was all but halved in comparison to the previous Considering all this hype, it’s a bit of a letdown that film. So, what happened? Chapter 2 lacked the same ferocious bite of its predeHorror movies have been around for a very long time, cessor. That’s not to say that It: Chapter 2 didn’t float; the and over the years, the worst of the genre has developed movie had a very successful $384 million opening, and a formula of cheap scares and wooden characters that, was relatively well-received by audiences. Critics weren’t quite frankly, becomes boring after awhile. The simple as friendly, giving the sequel a mere 63% on Rotten Toma- truth is, very few horror movies achieve It-level greatness, toes as compared to their 86% consensus for Chapter 1. or even Friday the 13th cult fame. And once a horror movLook at those numbers for a second. Audience interest ie does become mainstream, it generally lacks that extra in the movie dropped from a record-breaking $700 mil- substance, that additional depth, to generate a successful lion to $384 million, which is still incredible for a Hor- sequel. Chapter 2 suffered that formulaic problem, reusror movie… it’s just nowhere near as groundbreaking as ing instead of improving upon the new and innovative Chapter 1. ways to scare audiences that Chapter 1 had championed The thing is, Chapter 2 wasn’t a bad movie. In fact, plen- so well. ty of moviegoers genuinely liked it. Even the most scathIn the end, It: Chapter 2’s true problems lay in its own ing critics can agree that the acting performances from strengths. The aforementioned director and source mateBill Hader, Jessica Chastain, and James McCavoy were rial resulted in a film that felt very similar to the original, emotionally raw and superbly proportionate to their except this time, the audience already knew where the younger selves, and Bill Skarsgard delivered a capturing scares would be. The vast scope of the movie, from a killer performance that channeled the creepy demon-clown he Paul Bunyan statue to monstrous god-aliens, was both a was born to play. It was long, sure, but every scene and gift and a curse to the film’s believability and scare-factor, plot development kept the audience alert and watchful and It: Chapter 2 buckled a little under its own CGI-infor when Pennywise would appear next. “I thought it fit fused weight. pretty well with the book, but I actually liked the movA red balloon, when filled with air instead of helium, ie better,” says Fairfax student Zoe Varacalli (11). “Even does not float, and It: Chapter 2 was filled with a lot of O2. though I knew what was coming, it was still surprising and terrifying.” charlie williams | staff writer Yes, the movie was scary. Yes, the cast was

A&E

The Impact of Online Shopping

he recent closing of some of our favorite stores due to bankruptcy have shocked many. There are many contributing factors to these businesses unfortunate losses, but one in particular stands out the most; Online shopping. Now, not saying that online shopping is the cause of all evil and must be abolished immediately. Online shopping has been around for a while, but in recent years, it’s gained a lot of popularity amongst the youth. It’s understandable, as it’s a convenient way of getting what you want fast. Popular companies like Amazon sell cheaper items for higher quality and variety. Online shopping also gives the customers a feeling of more control over what they’re purchasing. There are no busy crowds, boring lines, and sales pressure, as it’s all done from the comfort of your couch. Furthermore, there are no opening and closing time, so you can shop wherever, and whenever you want. There are even ways to send gifts to family/friends living across the world through the internet and online shopping. It saves on time, energy, and money. It’s amazing how much it impacts and influences our daily lifestyles. There’s a long list could go on about the pros of online shopping, but with the pros, comes the cons. The increase of online shopping has caused thousands of stores to go out of business, which also means thousands of jobs being lost. Many also fear that it’ll cause a monopoly. In 2019, a survey from digital commerce reported that millenials make 60% of their purchases online! While there are many safe places to shop on the internet, there are also a numerous amount of online scammers and unfriendly websites. You are more likely to get scammed online than you are in real life. Since you don’t have the ability to physically observe the items you are purchasing, it can sometimes come damaged, broken, or not come at all. Delays in shipping orders are also quite frequent, some arriving months after the shipping order. There’s also a

shriya ramanujam | staff writer

shipping fee, which can sometimes even cost more than the actual item bought. Shopping online isn’t helping our environment much either. The packaging with the excessive bubble-wrap and the unrestricted amount of plastic used are extremely harmful to our ecosystem. Additionally, the fossil fuels released while making the delivery are very harmful. Now that you’ve heard both the pros and cons of online, it’s time for you to make the choice. Shop online more, or shop at stores more? More research was conducted by interviewing. The subject of the interview did not wish to be recorded. Introduce yourself please: My name is Anvitha and I’m currently 18 years old attending high school. What do you use more, online or in-store shopping? And do you prefer more? In-store shopping for both questions because I don’t trust online shopping. You can’t try things on online and it’s often misleading. What’s your worst experience with shopping online? I once downloaded a virus by clicking a link that I thought was amazon. That was not fun. Good thing I got it removed a few days later though. I’m much more careful now. What’s your worst experience with instore shopping? Not to be rude or anything, but bad salespeople and customer service. Long lines are also really annoying. Sometimes I think that shopping for my product online would’ve been a better option in those situations. What’s one thing you’d like to improve about online and in-store shopping? For in-store, definitely the long lines and customer service. Also, the way the salesperson bombards you while you’re trying to shop peacefully is too much for me to take. I’m a very introverted and shy person, so it’s really hard for me to say no and ask for them to let me shop in peace in those situations. For online, it’s definitely the way they inaccurately rep-

resent the products you’re shopping for. Like, you think you’ve ordered a green dress but it come to your house in pink. That’s why I personally don’t trust online shopping and usually prefer to shop in places where I’m sure that the products I’m purchasing won’t disappoint. Are you someone that cares a lot about the environment Yes, because this is our home. Why wouldn’t you care about the environment. And what’s your thoughts on how the packaging of online shopping affects the environment ? There’s a lot of plastic, which urgently needs to be fixed. You’re just dumping more plastic into the ocean, which really makes me angry and sad at the same time. Save the turtles. How do you think we can fix or improve this problem? We could fix this problem by limiting the unnecessary use. Like, do you really need to use that much bubble wrap? This also happens in a lot of stores too, not just online, where they are still using plastic bags. I know a lot of people are already doing this, but more people should start bringing reusable bags. It’s ridiculous! I definitely think everyone should recycle and reuse. I feel like not many people are talking about how helpful it is to reuse products, so I’m going to mention it. Reusing is very helpful and will definitely benefit our ecosystem. Have you ever been scammed through online shopping? I guess yes because some of the things I’ve bought were way different from what was pictured. But also no, because all the products I’ve ordered have arrived safely and in-tact

september issue

Does Gen Z Spend Too Much Money on Iced Coffee?

Everday teenagers walk around the halls of high school with their iced coffee, prefereblyfrom Starbucks, at hand but what does this mean for their wallets? kinsey clements | staff writer

eneration Z is happily spending more and more money on food and drinks when compared to the past generations (Gen X and baby boomers). Why is this, you may ask. Well, Gen Z, born between 1995 and 2015, is statistically the most health-focused generation thus far and, consequently, will gladly spend more on alternative milks and/or food that aligns with their values.

add up. Although Gen Z is a smaller percentage of the population, when compared to millennials and baby boomers, companies are taking into consideration that they’re more likely to spend money on things they could make at home, such as iced coffee. This is causing more businesses to move towards primarily selling iced coffees, as Gen Z considers this drink considered a year-round drink.

So, what does this mean for Generation Z’s spending habits on iced coffee?

To further prove these explanations, a survey was conducted that contained the questions: How often do you drink coffee? How often do you drink iced coffee? How much coffee do you drink is considered “gourmet”? If you do drink coffee, how often is it purchased out, such as Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? How much money per week do you spend on iced coffee? The survey was sent to 50 individuals from the Gen Z population and 50 individuals from the Baby Boomer population.

Considering that Gen Z spends most of their money on food and drinks, iced and cold brew coffee has become increasingly popular with Gen Z and is now the most popular beverage within this generation. From 2016 to 2017 Gen Z’s cold coffee consumption has increased by 50%, which is drastic compared to Millennials only 20% increase in cold coffee consumption in the same year. Additionally, Gen Z is more attracted to gourmet cold coffees found in coffee shops, as compared to home brewed coffee and most buy this drink multiple times a week, which can

proved that a majority of Baby Boomers drank coffee, but mostly not iced, and a majority of the Gen Z population only drank iced coffee. Furthermore, the Gen Z population mostly drank gourmet coffee (with flavorings, espresso, etc) when compared to Baby Boomers, who primarily drank plain coffee. What I found most fascinating about this survey was that almost all of the Gen Z population only bought their coffee, while Baby Boomers rarely bought coffee out. Thus leading Gen Z to spending upwards of $20 a week on coffee while the average baby boomer only spent $5 a week on coffee. If these trends continue throughout the entirety of Gen Z’s lifetime, and baby boomers are no longer in existence, most of the money spent by Americans will go towards gourmet beverages and food. Although businesses in this industry will experience an increase in profit, Gen Z should evaluate what the majority of their money is going towards and reconsider if this will really benefit them.

The results were quite intriguing, as it

Survey Questions

Coffee Consumption of Generation Z & Baby Boomer How often do you drink iced coffee?

How often do you drink coffee?

How much money per week do you spend on iced coffee?

Days Per Week Baby Boomers

Generation Z

Baby Boomers

Generation Z

$10

$15

$20

$25

38 What Oakton Clique do YOU belong in?

Loyal

Your friends would describe you as...

Go to a good college

After highschool you want to...

Pursue what you’re passionate about

Starting your homework Figure it out later! Getting ready for your afterschool activity

After school you can be found...

How athletic are you?

People who don’t know you think that you’re...

Yo wi walk flight

VER

Talented

Quiet

Hanging out with your friends

Enough to get by

Intimidating

Gilmore Girls

Your favorite TV show is...

Friends

september issue

zoe siamon | editorial board VERY

Busy

Drama Kids You are meant to be besties with the drama kids! You are outgoing and fun, and have such tight bonds with your friends. You thrive in front of a crowd but you also enjoy one on one time with your closest friends.

How comfortable are you in front of a crowd?

You get winded walking up a ght of stairs.

It’s where you thrive You don’t love it but you’re fine with it

Tight Knit Friend Group

You have a group of really close friends, and everyone knows it. You are typically known as someone’s friend, but your people are YOUR people. Nothing could come in between your group and a lot of people are jealous of what you have, even if you don’t realize it.

Loud Kids

You sometimes get a bad rep for being a little loud or obnoxious in class, but it’s just because you are usually with your people. You have a lot of close friends and are considered to be extremely extraverted. You love making people laugh, and your teachers either love you or hate you.

Quiet Kids

You don’t really care

VERY

You and your friends sometimes are referred to as the “nice” kids or “quiet” kids, but that’s really just because they barely know you! You may be quiet or withdrawn in public, but that doesn’t mean that’s how you always are! People tend to think positive things about you and assume you are really smart, and you are!

It’s not your favorite thing in the world...

Is crew a sport? Yes!

The Office

Band Kids

Crew Kids

Clique Based on the Sport you Play

The people you hang out with usually are on your team. It’s not like you don’t hang out with other people, you just spend most of your time with your teammates. People see you as very social, and you usually are.

You belong with the crew kids! You are so close with your crew friends because you guys see each other 24/7. People may claim that crew is pretty much your biggest personality trait, and while they may not be completely wrong, there are other parts to you and your friends!

You belong with the infamous band kids. You may occasionally get a bad reputation as a little awkward from people who don’t know you well, but you have the closest friends and a passion like no other.

40 The Five Hidden Treasures of Virginia

holland cogan | staff writer

Must see destinations for both Virginia tourists and residents alike The beauties of Virginia are often overlooked, even by Virginia residents themselves, due to the bustle of everyday life. This is unfortunate, seeing as there are many treasures hidden in the history-rich state that deserve their time in the spotlight. Here are a few underrated spots that deserve more recognition. 1. Staunton River state park A sight for the Stars. Staunton River State park is beautiful in daylight, but magnificent at night.It is the first Virginia State park to be named an International Dark Sky park. Park officials go through lengths to make sure no obstructions are in view and use approved dark sky fixtures in cabins andparking lots. The Dark sky observation Area is the destination for astronomers and stargazers. 2. Presidents Heads A mini Mt.Rushmore sitting in a field, Croaker, Virginia is home to the Giant President head statues. An eerie destination where tourists seem to flock to take photos of the crumbling twenty foot statues. There are tours during the day and night, but many say that the evening tours give off an unsettling vibe. This could be a spooky destination for upcoming fall activities and good photos. However, due to the decaying of the statues, people have limited time to venture out and seek the statues out

Courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine

Courtesy of Virginia Department of Conversation and Recreation

3. Fairy Stone State Park Fairy stones, folklore, and intriguing backstories oh my! Fairy stone state park is known for the mysterious “fairy stones” that are embedded in the soil of the park. It is said that the cross shaped stones come from crystallized fairy tears. If that isn’t enough to catch a person’s attention, other areas of interest include the Park’s beautiful views of Fairy Stone lake, and a rich history dating back to the 1920s where it was a mining community with occasional moonshine activity( illegal alcohol brewing). The trails lead to an old mine shaft, great views, and cabins.

4. Lake Ann Van Gogh Bridge,Reston Springtime is a prime spot for the Lake Anne Van Gogh Bridge, located in Reston. The bridge is a picturesque view and is surrounded by pink cherry blossoms. It can be found along a running trail and offers a break from the commercial area around it. The structure was based off of Van Gogh’s paintings of bridges in Arles, France. Daria Ausen (11) says she would go there because “ I like Van Gogh, and because I would take pictures there. “ 5. Huntley Meadows Park Take a stroll on the wooden docks of the park’s wetlands, venture into the meadows filled with wildflowers, or look out on the park from the observation tower. Huntley Meadows Park offers water trails on its numerous rivers and land trails that have Native American roots.

Courtesy of Public Art Reston

september issue

How Disney Plus Will Change the Streaming Landscape

isney will be coming out with its own streaming service that hopes to dethrone the two kings of streaming, Netflix and Hulu. The service will be called Disney Plus and it will include content from all of Disney’s biggest platforms. Most of the content will be Marvel, StarWars,and Pixar related since they are Disney’s most popular companies. Disney Plus will officially release on November 12th and cost only $6.99 a month. When it comes to streaming, mid-November generates more revenue because it is right before the holidays. Price wise, Disney will start at a lower price compared to other streaming services in order to entice customers into making a switch. Additionally, the variety of content is one of the best selling points of the service. Marvel will be coming out with tv shows centered around characters that do not get a lot of screen time in the movies. Shows like Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye will be extensions of the movie universe they have created for the last decade. Disney Plus’ biggest early release for opening day will be The Mandaorian. It will be a StarWars related show that will focus on bounty hunting and has a 100 million dollar budget. The argument to switch is convincing, especially for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and StarWars. But will it

be enough to take business away from the top dogs of streaming? The Disney executives have come up with several ways to rip into Netflix and Hulu business models. All Disney owned content will leave all other services like Netflix once Disney Plus launches. This is very significant because half of Netflix’s most popular movies are owned in some way by Disney. Movies from the worlds of Marvel, StarWars, and Pixar will leave all services that have movies from those platforms. Essentially, this also means that any deals between Disney and Netflix are dead and they will never add Disney related content for the future. In addition to taking business from Netflix, Disney has bought out Comcast’s share of Hulu. They have 55% of Hulu which means they control how the service will move forward. Disney has announced that it is bundling Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus altogether. The cost of this bundle will be 12.99 per month, the same price as Netflix and still cheaper than HBO. This bundle changes the current streaming landscape by giving consumers even more of a reason to jump on the Disney Plus bandwagon. When the series was first announced, the general consensus was that most people were unwilling to cave into the fast-growing Disney entertainment monopoly. Since the bundle

will locklin | staff writer

has been announced, the backlash has simmered and the media seems to behind the service because of the outstanding value that Disney Plus presents. The rise of Disney Plus might be difficult for the millions of viewers that pay for streaming services. Streaming became popularized because of its level of engagement and interaction. It’s easily accessible and provides a variety of content that cannot be matched by live TV watching. We pay for a certain streaming service because of what it offers and how much value you get out of the service, however,the 2020’s look like the start of the streaming wars. All the companies will be stuck in bidding wars for popular shows that they own the rights to. For example, Netflix will lose The Office to NBC and Friends to Universal because both Universal and NBC are starting their own streaming services and want their original content back. They licensed the shows over to Netflix and made a steady profit but as companies have now found out, it makes more financial sense to start their own streaming service. Disney Plus will continue this trend by taking shows from other services and encouraging more competition with other multimedia companies. As a result, the consumers will be forced to make tough decisions about the entertainment they want.

42 Disney Remakes: Is it a worth it?

joe wong | staff writer

With Disney releasing a remake of the classic movie “Mulan” on March 27, 2020 and continuing to follow the footsteps of Beauty & the Beast, Alladin, and The Lion King, I’ve decided to speak with senior Thu Pham, a student taking film studies at Oakton, about their thoughts on retelling the classics we all grew up with. Back in the early 1990’s, when Disney first came out with Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, they earned 1.9 billion dollars, with Lion King earning most of the money with 968.5 million dollars. These three films were childhood favorites - especially Lion King as it was a masterpiece both cinematically and musically. The soundtrack of Lion King was capable of selling over ten million copies nation-wide. Today, the new version of The Lion King, released July 19, 2019, so far has earned 1.64 billion and Beauty & the Beast and Aladdin have earned more than one billion dollars. But

“The problem with these remakes is that they, in its core, are merely recollections and almost exact replicas from the originals, and don’t offer anything new in either themes or storylines.” -Thu Pham

does that mean they should be recreated? While talking, we briefly discussed if the new updates that are present in the films are still truly worth watching. She replied, “While I agree that these movies are visually stunning and captivating, they are at the moment just nostalgia factories for those who need it without bringing anything new to the table.” With a remake of Mulan coming out on March 27th, Pham also took a small stance about the future of Disney and her opinions of the upcoming film. “Based on the other remakes, I would say to not see the upcoming movie, but based on the trailer alone, I might check it out if given the chance just because I want to support Asian representations in Hollywood movies in general. But no Mushu, no movie”. Of course Pham was joking about not wanting to see the movie only because Mushu isn’t in the upcoming film though: Disney decided not to include Mushu to show cultural appropriation, hence also why it also won’t contain music numbers. At the end of the day, Disney’s just

a company that wants to make money, but that doesn’t mean they should be repeating movies they’ve already created just to “retell the magic in the Disney classics”. Frozen, for example, in 2013 earned a whopping 1.27 billion dollars and has a sequel soon to be in theatres on November 22 this year and is bound to be successful. Zootopia, released in 2016, was able to accumulate a little over one billion dollars. Meaning that although these “classics” are a guarantee of success, it doesn’t mean they should keep repeating stories but instead take chances and create new movies.

september issue

What to Expect From Marvel Phase Keep up to date with all of the MCU’s upcoming releases

arvel’s Phase 3 of their overarching storyline for the MCU has now reached its end, topped off with the release of Spider-man: Far From Home. Marvel phase three has been very generous towards viewers in terms of content, providing highly awaited and acclaimed films like Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as bring upon a conclusion to the Infinity Saga, which consists of the three completed phases comprised of all twenty-three currently existing Marvel films up to this point. Marvel Phase 3 was the conclusion to the captivating storyline that’s been building up for years, ever since the fateful release of Iron Man in 2008, the first movie apart of the MCU. With the end of Phase 3 comes a satisfying and fulfilling ending to a generation of well-loved characters and storylines, but it also leaves the audience with more questions and presents possible future plotline opportunities for characters. While pre-existing MCU characters will get their time in the spotlight to be more fleshed out and have their adventures put into film, there’s also the potential for a new batch of superheroes to debut on the big screen for the general public to fall in love with and root for. So, what can fans of the MCU expect from Phase 4?

Black Widow May 1, 2020

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Fall 2020

Shang-Chi Legend of the Ten Rings February 12, 2021

WandaVision Spring 2021

Loki Spring 2021

Hawkeye Fall 2021

Eternals November 2020

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness May 7, 2021

Thor Love and

Thunder November 5, 2021

aubrey harrell|editorial board

44 Ameer Vann Returns to Music

The former BROCKHAMPTON star’s new EP gives insight into the artist’s feelings following his controversial release from the band. max dolinh | staff writer

uring the rapid rise of BROCKHAMPTON in 2017, Ameer Vann seemed to be one of the stars of the boy band that was taking the music world by storm. The artist, who was one of the group’s founding members, appeared on a majority of their songs. He was the cover star of each of the albums in their Saturation trilogy which is widely considered to be their best work. Fast forward a year later to May 2018, he was kicked out of the band. Following allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple accusers, Vann was put under fire and the group collectively decided to remove him. Since the fallout, BROCKHAMPTON has released two studio albums, Iridescence and Ginger, in which the group partially addresses the departure of Vann and his past actions. Vann addressed the allegations through social media, in which he apologized and described his past actions in relationships as “selfish, childish, and unkind”, but completely denied any claims of illegal sexual or emotional abuse. He said that he knew apologies were not enough, and hoped to be an example of someone who has grown from their mistakes in the future. Following his departure from the band, he has left music indefinitely.

The cover of Emmanuel Courtesy of Genius

max dolinh | staff writer

After over a year’s long absence from music, Vann released the six-track EP Emmanuel on September 18, 2019. Some fans have remained loyal to Vann, and his new project still has made enough noise to warrant reviews from critics around the music world. However his fanbase is nothing of what it used to be. As for his new release, Emmanuel, it has garnered mixed reviews. Aaron Wang, an 11th grader, says, “There’s really only one good song (Glock 19) out of the six. The production seems sloppy and I didn’t enjoy it much.” In the title track, Vann details his experiences and feelings as a result of leaving the band. He said that he has lost many friendships over the situation and fell into a depression. Furthermore, he attributes his dark past to his childhood experiences growing up around bad influences. On the track Sunday Night, Vann disses his former band over how they have handled the fallout. He criticizes how the members of the group have cut off contact with him and exploited the situation by using it as content for their songs when his feelings were not considered at all. In addition, he says that the band’s music has not been the same since his absence. “He’s right about that. Their new albums definitely aren’t as good as any of the Saturation albums.” Wang also says. On the other four tracks, Vann mostly discusses the same themes: his newfound loneliness without the group, the betrayal that he feels, and his struggle with his inner demons. Overall, Vann’s tone throughout the EP is far from apologetic. Instead of taking a more regretful approach to his return to music, he uses the project to defend himself without acknowledging the mistakes that had led to his downfall, contradicting. On whether or not he will return to fame, only time will tell. Artists such as Chris Brown and Trippie Redd have found great success in the music industry despite their histories of abuse. One thing is for sure: Ameer Vann will not remain a social media punching bag for his whole career, and the success of it will depend on his ability to transform his image.

“Repetition creates pattern, pattern creates meaning.” -Ms. Savidge

“Don’t thank God, thank me.” -Mr. McCulla

“You know you are a successful parent when your kid isn’t in jail.” -Ms. Boyer

memorable moments: teacher edition “Wooowww, sorry I get really excited by 3-d population pyramids” -Mr. Krizel

“When I pulled down the lever I could feel the veins in my arms fill with the sweet, sweet milk of democracy.” -Mr. Krizel “And remember kids, you can’t go clubbing if you’re monk.” -Mr. Tiller

“Sheep are stupid. The only thing stupider is my cousin.” -Mr. Tiller