Oakton outlook april digital magazine

Outlook Official Newspaper of Oakton High School

3

Vol. 11

27

Issue 6

April 2018

37-38

National Poetry Month

Featuring the New Principal

Fashion Editorial

Insight on how students celebrate poetry

Introducing Ms. Jamie Lane to OHS

Spring fashion in full bloom

from the editors

snailmail Dear Oakton,

It’s finally fourth quarter! We’ve all made it through majority of the year, so it’s down to the final countdown, with only about two months to go until the last day. That being said, they are sure to be a very busy two months, filled with exams, warmer weather, and looking forward to summer.

There has been a noticeable difference in the past couple weeks, as both teachers and students are preparing for big exams that are coming up — whether it be SOLs, finals, AP exams, or projects that have been going on for the entire year. While there is variety in what stresses the students out at Oakton, we’ve taken the liberty to highlight just a few based off grade level (pg 18 & 19). But have no fear, because we’ve also highlighted a couple study tips and ways to prepare for these big exams as well (pg 23).

More than just studying for exams, though, the Oakton community is busy with other spring happenings as well. Prom was a success this past weekend, with Best Buddies holding a successful prom at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in DC (pg 6) and Oakton prom at the Waterford the day after. We share information on what Leadership actually does to prepare for the dance, from selling tickets to planning the spirit week, in order to better understand why prom is so expensive and exciting (pg 5). The spring musical is also underway, with the talented performers practicing on end to get ready for this weekend’s preview of Titanic (pg 21).

The spring sports seasons are in full swing, with many teams shaping up to have strong seasons. Oakton has many great sports facilities that we sometimes take for granted, like the multiple turf fields, so we’ve taken the time to compare Oakton to some other local high schools (pg 12 & 13). Speaking of sports facilities, even though the tennis team has been forced to relocate to Nottoway for practices, both the boys and girls teams are performing well so far (pg 10).

The strong sports teams at Oakton have remained a constant throughout the year, but we do have a major change in the administration. While we are sad to see Mr. Meier go and are thankful for his time here, we are excited to have Ms. Jamie Lane at Oakton after her time as assistant principal at McLean High School (pg 27). After over a year with no permanent principal, the selection process has finally come to an end, and we’re looking forward to getting to know Ms. Lane.

Be on the lookout for our last issue coming out at the end of March. We will be including a map for all of our graduating seniors showing where they will be heading off to next year, as well as things to look forward to this summer. As for now, good luck on everything coming up in the final weeks of the 2017-2018 school year!

Stay Rowdy, Cougs!

Jessica Marshall and Rebecca Woodhouse Editors-in-Chief

drawing by celia liberace

table of

Editorial Policy: The Outlook is an open forum for student expression. Unsigned editorials reflect the collective opinion of the Outlook staff. Signed editorials represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Outlook or Oakton High School.

Reader opinions are important to the Outlook

11

contents

photo courtesy of @Oaktonhs

What the Oakton Soccer boys think about the upcoming Champions League Quarter

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

cover photo by jessica marshall student body: 2500 circulation: 600

28-29 photo courtesy of erin lincoln

Robotics works hard to develop skills applicable in any field, and participates in competitions

outlook staff editors in chief

jessica marshall rebecca woodhouse

editorial board

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

adviser

elizabeth snyder

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

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

32 photo courtesy of hunner rezek

Women Giving Back, the nonprofit organization, has a section for prom dresses for girls to borrow around prom

36-37 photo courtesy of ashleigh tain

Warmer weather means different styles to follow and some of Oakton’s trendiest wear them well

news

Between the person and the pen

emily bach staff writer

I

n honor of April being National Poetry Month, it’s important to recognize the contributions of young poets at Oakton and beyond in their fields. Whether it be by creating for themselves or creating for publication, poetry serves as an important form of expression for many young people within and beyond the Oakton community. Poetry has long existed as a field dominated by older writers, if for nothing else simply because experience allows creators to widen their vocabulary and hone their voice. But, recently it’s begun to shift to become a young person’s game. The use of platforms like Tumblr and Instagram to share pieces has introduced the medium into pop culture, which naturally left young people wanting to read pieces they could relate to. Through this, poems by artists like Rupi Kaur, the author of the popular Milk and Honey, have quickly diffused into teenage culture.

Within Oakton, poets like sophomore Renee Pen and Gloria Wang have also utilized the medium, but they’ve done so in very different ways. Renee runs a Tumblr account for her poetry, but explains that she never intended to share her work with others, and rather uses the platform as a personal diary of sorts. “Part of what makes Tumblr unique,” she explains “is its ability to allow high schoolers to write without feeling like they’re really writing for anyone. It’s kind of just a collection of us sharing our ideas and artwork; we don’t really think so much about the consuming aspect of it.” Renee certainly isn’t alone in this belief. Poetry blogs on Tumblr are growing at a rate faster than almost any other on the site. This is largely due to the sheer volume of additional creators moving into the subject realm. As sites like Tumblr make the artform more accessible, they widen the horizon of the diversity of pieces that are published.

Gloria, alternatively, writes without a platform and rather submits to quarterly publications and magazines. This has typically been viewed as the way that poets are traditionally published,

“I write poetry because it’s my form of therapy and self expression. I think there’s something soothing about putting my thoughts on a page and seeing what I feel in writing” as these publications have the ability to distribute poetry a scale that was unrivaled for long periods of time. When

asked why she chose this outlet, she explained that submitting to publication and magazines pushed her to create better work. Because these publications have strict piece maximums, they’re often highly selective in creating issues. In this sense, publication is widely seen as an honor for many poets, as it indicates that their piece stuck out against the others. She elaborated to say that, “poetry isn’t just about the idea it’s about the way it’s communicated. For example, I could call a story simply ‘a story’, or I could call

4 news april 2018

it ‘a heart wrenching tragedy’, or ‘a gripping novel’. To me, it’s about how I can express what I feel in the most beautiful way possible, so in that sense, I like having that challenge to push me to work harder and smarter.”

But, despite utilizing the form differently, they both cited the same root source for why they create. As Renee put, “I write poetry because it’s my form of therapy and self expression. I think there’s something soothing about putting my thoughts on a page and seeing what I feel in writing”. Similarly, Gloria described her motives for writing as ‘highly personal’. “I’ve always believed that poetry for me is simply a necessity. To me, writing isn’t so much a choice as it is a part of what makes me happy and who I am,” she said. Whether it be through consuming or creating, poetry is one of many viable options for young people looking to express themselves, and what better time to start than during National Poetry Month?

How is Leadership involved in Prom?

Answering questions with Mr. Brandon McCulla about Leadership’s take on preparing for Prom 2018 at Oakton

What does the leadership class focus on for students?

“Leadership is about teaching students to step up and take that leading role in school. To be more specific, leadership focuses on students who are interested in taking on projects for the school, students who want to learn a little more about themselves, and how they can step out from following the trends and focus on directing the trends.”

What are some difficulties that leadership has encountered with students attending prom?

lana farkas staff writer

What are some ways that leadership has prepared for prom?

Out of a poll of 100 students who went to prom

93%

of students enjoyed prom at Oakton this year.

“There are students who sometimes push back against prom without really knowing what it is. I’m sure you’ve heard some students saying that they’re not going to the dance this year, but sometimes those students didn’t even go last year. So, to be quite honest, some students don’t really know what prom is and how much fun it can be because if you find the kids that went this year, I think they had a blast. Overall, i feel that prom had very positive reviews this year and it was very successful.”

“So, leadership has basically taken on the entire process of prom over the past three years. From running themes by our committees to controlling nominations and voting for prom king and queen, leadership does a lot to make prom actually happen. Some other things that leadership does in order for prom to happen is selecting a place for the dance, finding the decorations that go with the theme, running coat check at prom, and showing up two hours early to set everything up. As you can see, leadership does a lot more than you think in order to make prom a successful night.”

april 2018 news

5

Prom Best Buddies style

BEST BUDDIES PROM

A look into the annual Best Buddies Prom

6 news april

B

est Buddies is an organization dedicated towards advocating for the inclusion of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program targets helping those with the conditions of Down syndrome, autism, williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injuries. The program is offered in schools as a club centered towards helping those students feel welcomed and motivated in an overall accepting environment.

On Friday, April 27th, the Best Buddies organization held their annual Capital Region Prom at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington D.C. During the event, chapters from high schools located around the Washington D.C. area gathered together for a special night filled with dancing, singing, and entertainment.

This year’s prom was extra special due to the fact that Oakton Best Buddies members received free tickets to the event if they took part in the Friendship Walk that took place in early October. These students helped to fundraise for the event, putting Oakton in first place overall for fundraising, and won our high school free tickets to the dance.

At 7:30, the dance began, as the Ronald Reagan Center filled up with passionate members of the Best Buddies organization. Each chapter was filled with fervent students excited to represent both their schools and the Best Buddies program.

Seeing all the members from different chapters come together to celebrate the organization was an uplifting and inspiring occasion, as everyone was brought together by their passion and dedication to Best Buddies.

katarina faben editorial board member Featured at the event were a photo booth to capture the night’s memories, ample amounts of food for members to enjoy, as well as a DJ to make the night extra special.

Organization members danced the night away, listening to a variety of current, as well as throwback songs to lighten the mood. Songs listened to at the dance were recommended by students, as it was interesting to hear all the different genres of popular music. DJ Neekola played an array of songs from the past years, including multiple different styles of music for everyone to enjoy. Finger Foods, including hamburgers, hotdogs, and chips were offered at the dance, as well as a variation of different drinks from sodas to juices.

Accommodations were made for those who had allergies and sensitivities to certain foods, as labels indicated these allergens.

Vincent and Michelle, two current freshmen and members of the Best Buddies program were overjoyed when they heard about Prom. I remember feeling honored to attend their Prom with them, excited to make memories a be a part of the overall experience with them. After asking Vincent if he enjoyed himself at prom, he remarked, “It was so much fun”. This response made my day, filling me with happiness and delightment to be a part of such good-hearted organization.

Overall, Best Buddies Prom was a great way to not only celebrate the organization, but to meet other chapter members who were also passionate and excited about the program. The event helped to refocus on the purpose behind Best Buddies and remind both the public and local district about the importance of the program in not only our schools, but in our community.

“Best buddies prom was great!”- Vincent Wong (9)

Ending racism in a day Starbucks announces a social bias training go a racial-bias training to avoid a recurrence of this event in the future.

ashleigh tain editorial board

W

e all confide in Starbucks to grab a favorite familiar drink, study to the perfect balance of background noise, and meet with friends over a warm, overpriced pastry. For many, this is an untouched element of our academic and social routine. Starbucks is a place we like to call home.

On April 12th, however, a video of two men at a Philadelphia Starbucks went viral. The video included two black men being handcuffed and escorted out of the Starbucks. The paired caption explained the situation, “the police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing...” A Starbucks barista called 911 after accusing the men of trespassing. They caused no commotion during their stay and maintained completely composed facades while they were escorted out. This offense was ignorantly claimed as a reprehensible circumstance, however, due to the lack of evidence, the men were not charged.

Four days following the release of the video, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson addressed a formal apology to the two men and others who were affected by the situation. He announced that the manager responsible as well as over 8,000 Starbucks locations would under-

“What a weird coincidence that as a white person, I’m never accused of loitering when I fail to buy something at @Starbucks Hours and hours of writing on my laptop and not a word on my, uh ‘implicit obligations’”

According to his speech, the afternoon of May 29th would be closed to “address implicit bias, promote conscious inclusion, prevent discrimination, and ensure everyone inside a Starbucks store feels safe and welcome.”

“Another company that caves to a few whiners. Stand your ground and let the paying customers have their coffee on May 29th. In these times, everybody is offended.”

As the video gained popularity in the social media realms, an uproar of different opinions began to distinguish Starbucks consumers’ racial relations. #BoycottStarbucks gained momentum to broadcast those who were disgusted at handling of this situation. Others took action and protested in support of Black Lives Matter. On the other hand, there were others who were deeply offended at the prospect of Starbucks closing.

Numerous Starbucks employees, however, have reported discrimination from white customers. Some were posts who claimed to not have received the full story behind the incident and others embellished angrily on the threat of a closed Starbucks on a work day.

Evidently, current and former employees are shutting down these insensible comments, one reported “addressing bias is crucial in ensuring that all of our cus- @__BHB__ on tomers feel safe and welcome in our stores.” Anoth- FaceBook er employee stated that consumers are so blinded by their privilege and racial bias that they should too be taking this day to educate themselves.

“Addressing bias is crucial in ensuring that all of our customers feel safe and welcome in our stores.” @__BHB__ on Twitter

@cmclymer on Twitter

april 2018 news

7

Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Crisis A closer look at the phenomena that could change the world as we know it

A

ntibiotic resistance is on the rise, and new data is revealing how terrifyingly widespread it is. Each year 2 million Americans are infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria, and 23,000 of them die. Scientists warn that further lack of action could lead to the post antibiotic era with studies estimating a 10 million deaths globally by 2050. Antibiotic resistance is about to become more deadly and widespread than cancer.

Ever since the discovery of penicillin,the first discovered antibiotic, it seemed that humans had finally beat the microbes in a battle that has gone on since the beginning of time. However, overuse and abuse of these drugs are making them ineffective. Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic is used on bacteria. Most bacteria will die but a small few will have a genetic mutation that allows them to be resistant to the drug. Those bacteria then multiply and reproduce. Because bacteria reproduce very quickly, a whole colony of antibiotic resistant bacteria is quickly produced. When individuals only take half of the antibiotics prescribed to them by doctors, they expose the bacteria to the antibiotic without fully killing them, increasing the chance of producing antibiotic resistant bacteria. Additionally, taking antibiotics when they are useless, like using them to treat viruses, leads to resistance while doing nothing to improve one’s condition.

The problem is exacerbated because 80% of antibiotics in the United States are used on animals. And most of these are not for healing the animals, but instead are constantly put into their feed, sick or not, as growth promoters. The FDA has been slow to make real change and regulations and the food industry claims that these antibiotics are necessary. However, the European Union banned has banned all antibiotic growth promot-

ers in animal food and Denmark has taken it a step farther by banning all prophylactic uses of antibiotics.

Despite Denmark’s limitations on antibiotics, their meat production has not decreased and farmers reported that they money they used to spend on growth promoters they now spend on providing the animals with more food.

Not only are antibiotics being misused, but very few new ones are being made to put into the market.

The WHO has noted that there are 51 new antibiotics being prepared for the market, but according to officials, only 8 of them will “add value to the current antibiotic treatment arsenal.” In the past, new antibiotics were constantly being created and helped prevent bacteria from being overexposed to a particular drug to develop resistance. In the United States between 1983 and 1987, 16 new antibiotics were introduced to the market.

Between 2008 and 2011, only two new antibiotics were introduced. With few novel approaches to taking out bacteria, they have become accustomed to the method of attack against them.

Governments have tried to create policies that make it easier to approve and research new antibiotics but it will take more funding and greater incentives for companies to take on the challenge.

The prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the United States and globally is on the rise. A future where common colds, cuts, and illness are life threatening is rapidly approaching. However, by being aware of the issue, listening to our doctor’s advice, and encouraging the government to promote policies that reduce antibiotic resistance, we can try to slow down and maybe even prevent a future where antibiotics are resistant.

clare sparling staff writer

8 news april 2018

sports

Who is Desiree Linden?

juviannadean mullings staff writer

The first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 3 decades has been training for years for the experience

O

n April 16, 2018 Desiree Linden surprised crowds by putting an end to the three decade drought of women winning the Boston Marathon with Lisa Weidenback previously holding the record.She was thrusted into the spotlight after her thrilling finish at the 2011 Boston Marathon. Davila battled for the win with eventual winner Caroline Kilel through the final stretch of the course and came in second by only two seconds Linden, whom previously represented the U.S at the 2012 Olympics and 2016 Olympics in Rio for the women’s marathon. The california Native attended Hilltop High school in which she ran track and cross country, and even played soccer. As a freshman she ran a sub-5 minute mile ( under 5 minute) .At the CIF California State Meet she was a finalist all four years. In both 1998 and 1999 she was 8th in the 1600 meter run. In 1999 she also attempted to double in the 800 meters, finishing last after being depleted from the 1600. Though in 2000, she improved that to 5th.

Her best finish was 4th in 2001 in the 3200.In all but the 800, she was beaten by Sara Bei. Linden studied psychology at Arizona State University, and was a two time All-American in track and cross country. She finished third at the 2005 Pac-10 5,000m Collegiate Championships with a time of 16: 59.93. She now trains with the Hanson-Brooks Team in Michigan.

Desiree Linden, originally named Desiree Davila before he marriage to Ryan Linden, was born July 26, 1983 (34 years old) and raised in Chula Vista, CA, second largest city in the San

Diego Metropolitan Area where she attended high school before graduating in 2001. After college, Desiree worked customer service for an online retailer. Desiree has been married to her husband Ryan Linden since 2013 when they tied the knot at the Bay Harbor.

on the world championship team for the first time was the most memorable moment because putting on the uniform and running for something bigger than yourself is worth the goal and hard work.

The weather on race day had to be one of the most talked about topic in the Boston Marathon.

At the starting line, runners crossed their arms over their chests, rubbing their forearms and jumping up and down in an attempt to stay warm.

The athletes were all given two bib numbers so they could put one over each layer of clothing. Desiree Linden thought about dropping out of the Boston Marathon on Monday. She wasn’t drinking enough fluids and was afraid of getting cramps in her legs. With all the rain, strong winds and the coldest temperatures in 30 years made racing even more of a challenge. Early on in the race she even doubted she would be able to finish.

In a short conversation with Shalane Flanagan, Linden stated she might drop out. Although the weather was discouraging, Linden persevered. When she advanced to 3rd place, she knew dropping out of the race wasn’t an option anymore which led to her success.

“If it hadn’t been difficult,” Linden said, “it probably wouldn’t mean as much.”

“I had trained hard for this race and was determined not to let bad weather stop me from reaching my race goal.” Desiree Linden For family vacations, Ryan stated, “For Des’ marathon prep leading up to the trials, I actually traveled with her and the dogs down to Florida for the whole training segment, which helped to make it feel more normal knowing we were all together. I did a bunch of her daily runs with her leading up and some of her workouts to help out” in an interview on being married to an Olympian. In an interview with running competitor.com, Desiree stated that she prefers to run mid morning because of her age. Linden says being

april 2018 sports

9

2017-2018 Oakton Tennis Overview

aneesh sreenivas staff writer

After winning the championships last year, how is Oakton’s tennis team fairing now?

A

s the season for Oakton tennis is nearing its end, it’s time to take a look at their season. In the place they are right now, Oakton’s team is looking promising. They won the championship last year and are feeling confident they can do it again.

“I definitely think we can win this year because we won last year and we have a really strong team this year”, says Oakton girls tennis player, Keya Patel (10).

So far this season, they have lost one game. “I think our team is doing really great, but one flaw or trouble was the fact that we had a lot of cancelled practices due to weather issues so we didn’t have a lot of time to practice as a team, which is the only issue I can think of”, says Patel. Oakton’s team, as matter of fact, has been really successful this past season. They had all wins besides for one loss against Thomas Jefferson High School. All of their wins were with

10 sports

april 2018

a large margin as well as most of them had scores such as 9-0 and 8-1. Patel’s teammate Allie Lucky (9) feels that their team’s strongest aspect is the fact that their starters are very talented. “I think we are very capable of doing well.

Our strongest aspect is probably the fact that all of our starters are very talented.

We are also all very close and supportive of each other”, said Lucky.

The Oakton boys team is also doing very well having accumulated only one loss this season against Chantilly high school. They too have been winning games by large margins such as 9-0 and 8-1 as well.

Coach Tyskowski, who also coaches the boys team said that their toughest matchup this year was against Chantilly HS. She mentioned how both teams are really strong. “Chantilly won the State Title 2 years ago. We won it 3 years ago. Both teams still have some

of the players from that time, and both have gotten strong new ones. Each of us only has one loss, and it has been to each other”, Tyskowski said. She also mentioned how stress due to AP’s were a big downpoint. “Most of our players take many AP classes and also do other extracurricular activities. This means they are often tired or stressed. Not the best way to play Tennis, which is a very physical and mental sport”, she said.

On a positive note, she echoed what Allie Lucky said when saying “on the positive side, we have a group of young men who genuinely like each other and who love the “team” aspect, which is a nice break from the individual mindset of outside tournament play.

Overall, the Oakton tennis teams have been doing really well this season, and believe they are in a position to win it all!

Champions league preview

owen mccarty arthur kennington staff writer staff writer

A look into the upcoming matchups as the final approaches

T

he Champions League quarter final first leg kicked off last Tuesday. The defending champions Real Madrid faced off with Juventus for a rematch of last year’s final. Madrid were poised to make it to their third straight final and knew it began with making a statement against the Italian giants Juventus. Madrid are aiming to become the first team to ever win three consecutive Champions League finals.

Madrid got off to a quick start and in the third minute their star man Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 13th goal of the champions league season. Ronaldo continued his brilliance against Juventus by scoring a remarkable overhead kick to put Madrid up 2-0 .Later in the second half, Ronaldo again contributed to a goal by assisting the brazilian left-back Marcelo to put madrid up 3-0. This result was even more massive because in this tournament, away goals count as 2 goals when the final aggregate is added up over the two legs. This meant that Juventus would have to win 4-0 in spain in order to advance to the semi-final. In the second leg, Juventus stormed back and took a 3-0 lead only to be undone by a 92nd minute penalty in which Ronaldo converted to advance his team to their tenth straight semi-final.

The other marquee matchup in the quarter final was between the only two english teams remaining, Manchester City versus Liverpool. Manchester City were amongst the favorites to win the tournament due to their immense season in the Premier League. Liverpool were one of the dark horses in the tournament but with experienced manager Jurgen Klopp having been here before, the team was poised to upset the favorites.The first leg was at Anfield, the home of Liverpool where the fans created an atmosphere like no other. Klopp’s men stormed Man City with an early onslaught of goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Sadio Mane. The reds massive first half performance was enough to finish out the game as they were ready to head to the Etihad Stadium with a 3-0 lead.

The second leg got off to a horrendous start for Liverpool with Gabriel Jesus of Man City scoring in the second minute. Liverpool were able to hunker down the rest of the half, lead by centre back Virgil Van Dijk, they were able to make it to half only down 1-0. Liverpool began to grow into the game and then in the 56th minute, Mohamed Salah grabbed the all important away goal to even up the game 1-1. The game was all but over, City had to score 4 goals in 30 minutes to advance.

Liverpool added insult to injury when Roberto Firmino scored to put Liverpool up 2-1. Liverpool advance and will aim to make their first final since 2005.

The other two quarter final games were between Sevilla and Bayern Munich while the other tie was between FC Barcelona and Roma. Bayern advanced to the semis with a 2-1 aggregate

win over Sevilla. In the first leg of FC Barcelona vs Roma, Barca won 4-1 but Roma’s Edin Dzeko scored an all important away goal. Roma returned home with the full support of their home fans and the belief that they could come back. They jumped out to an early 1-0 lead and then captain Daniele De Rossi doubled the hosts’ lead. One more goal and they would advance and knockout Lionel Messi and Barcelona. In the 82nd minute, Kostas Manolas nodded in a header off a corner to put Roms up 3-0. They survived the final eight minutes of the game and advanced ot their first semi final in over 20 years.

The Semi Final draw took place and Roma were set to face Liverpool and Bayern were headed to a rematch of last years semi finals. In the first leg of Liverpool versus Roma, Liverpool came out on fire with Mohamed Salah coming out and scoring two early goals. Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane added on three more goals and Liverpool looked set to be in the final.

They were up 5-0 until two late goals from Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti gave Roma two massive away goals. They now faced the same three goal deficit as they did last round against Barcelona in which they came out victorious in the second leg.

The game ended 5-2 in favor of Liverpool. Liverpool will be poised to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself.

In the other leg, Bayern were prepared to get revenge for their heartbreaking loss to Madrid in the semis. Bayern have a fantastic record at home in the knockout stages of the Champions League. However, this is Madrid’s last chance for a trophy this season, and as the defending champions of the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo was ready to continue their path to glory. Joshua Kimmich got Bayern off to a promising start as they took a 1-0. However right before the half, the champions bounced back with Marcelo scoring a fantastic volley to tie the game 1-1 right before halftime. The in the 57th minute, Real Madrid had a fantic counter-attack which was capped off by a Marco Asensio goal, which would prove to be the winner. A win on the road and an all important advantage in away goals gives Madrid confidence for their second leg at home. However Bayer will look to do what Madrid did to them last season and win the second leg on the road to advance.

The Oakton boys soccer team are all massive fans of the Champions League and weighed in their opinions about who they think will win the tournament. Nick Berten (12), “This is a really tough year to predict, I thought Barca were going to until they got knocked out, but now I think Real Madrid will win it all.” “I am a Manchester City fan, but now that Liverpool beat them, I want them to go on to win it.” said Ben Harvey (12). Ted Ku-Dipietro(10) added, “I think Bayern will make a comeback in the second leg and beat Liverpool in the final.”

photos courtesy of UEFA twitter

april 2018 sports

11

Fields in Oakton’s Area

jacob rutzick staff writer

Comparing Oakton’s competitors’ fields to Oakton’s sports complex.

Oakton

O

akton has a great sports complex filled with many great fields. The cougar path leads directly up to Oakton’s prestene football field with two large bleachers on each side. The home bleachers located on the right side of the field as viewed from the path is always filled with students during football games. Moving on to the two turf soccer fields set up to the right of the football stadium. The two fields are one hundred yards and all well groomed with lights set up all around. The baseball stadium has never been good with patchy grass and low quality fences. Then last year the program did five thousand dollars worth of renovations and much improved the field. The field still needs some work, but it is much better than before.

Madison

M

adison has arguably one of the best overall sports complex in the region. The baseball field is incredible and the school takes great care of it. For example, Coach Pudge once took all the players out of class during the school day to shew geese off the field. The baseball field is grass not turf, and it has a dirt infield with a nicely groomed pitching mound. The field is surrounded by large lights that are used at night games. Along with this a large fence covers the entire field with th sponsors banners hanging from the outfield fence. Madison has a high quality football field that they also play soccer on. The field is surrounded by the track and the whole thing is enclosed by a large fence. The field has two large sets of bleachers on each side with the left side bleachers being the home bleachers. The field also has large lights all around it for night games.

South Lakes

S

outh Lakes also has a wonderful sports complex with great fields. The baseball field has good grass and is well groomed. However, the fence makes a corner in center field which is quite peculiar for a baseball field. The softball field is hidden behind the large baseball field. All of South Lkes fields are spread out and separated by large fences. The football field is one of the nicest fields in the area. The South Lakes football team is one of the best in the state and the field is similar. They have large light all around it for night games and the one hundred yard field has two large bleachers on each side for fans. The football field is also used for the soccer team and all of their home games. The field is surrounded by the track which is a quarter mile track. The whole thing has a large fence all around it.

12 sports

april 2018

Oakton

Madison

South Lakes

photos courtesy of ian huang

photos courtesy of adin yager

april 2018 sports

13

Practice, pre-game drills, and.....Fortnite???

How the immensely popular video game has taken over the lives kartik mukalla staff writer of the world’s best basketball players

B

y now, everybody and their grandmothers have either played, read about, or watched someone play w Battle Royale, a fast-paced and free battle royale video game where a player drops into a giant arena with 99 other participants and fights with various weapons and building tools in order to remain as the last one standing. Fortnite has transcended many boundaries that many other traditionally priced video games with platform limitations cannot seem to be able to cross. With all of this, it has become a global phenomenon, with Fortnite developers Epic Games raking in $223 million in March from in-game purchases alone. The mobile adaptation of Battle Royale is also destroying the competition, taking in close to $2 million a DAY from users playing it, outperforming Candy Crush, Clash of Clans and many other mobile games without even having an Android adaptation or availability for some older iPhone models. Along with such an addictive formula and success in sales, Fortnite has become a cultural movement, too.

Steven Adams showing off one of his many victories. Image courtesy of Steven Adams

14 sports

april 2018

Image courtesy of Keith Allison

NBA players, however, have been completely swept up in this nationwide obsession with Fortnite. Everyone from free agent superstar Paul George to Pistons leader Andre Drummond have been infatuated with this game and play it every day. In fact, Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a bruising defensive star on the court, has proven himself to be just as good at Fortnite as he is at rebounding on his Instagram, where he often flexes his victory screen.

“It’s all about awareness, knowing where stuff’s at..It’s so funny because people think you take it too seriously, but it’s actually a little more military than people think. You have to outthink all 99 people.” -Terrence Ross For many NBA players, Fortnite has become a great way to relax after games, mentally prepare for them, celebrate a victory, or even as a way to resist boredom and have fun during rehab from injury. The inherently collaborative nature of the game allows players to also connect with their teammates without even having to travel to a restaurant or a club or to one another’s houses. Fortnite’s popularity in the NBA has accelerated in particular due to word of mouth; Drummond only started playing after his friend and teammate Reggie Jackson recommended it to him.

The self-proclaimed “King of Fortnite”, Josh Hart. Image courtesy of Brad Penner

In particular, Orlando Magic veteran Terrence Ross had nothing but positive things to say about the game. In an interview with Bleacher Report, he said, “It’s all about awareness, knowing where stuff’s at..It’s so funny because people think you take it too seriously, but it’s actually a little more military than people think. You have to outthink all 99 people.”

Lakers rookie Josh Hart, has stood out by combining his passion for Fortnite with his fame for his playing ability. After breaking his hand in February, Hart became somewhat of a Fortnite celebrity, playing and streaming the game at any chance he got. After he recovered from his injury, he came out rocking Fortnite shoes and even did a Fortntie celebration on court. He’s also hosted several charity events using his Twitch channel blrsonly with other players, along with streaming on his personal channel, JHartShow.

While many older fans and players scoff at times over newer players’ obsessions with Fortnite, many agree that they would rather see their players staying at home and building relationships with teammates over a video game to celebrate rather than going out into clubs late into the night. Even if its rise to popularity was surprising, Fortnite has developed chemistry with teammates bonding and getting to know each other off the court when playing it.

ey

r ub

a

m you a e if

t e c

an

D

The

e

A

h ll t

rm

o inf

This

n

io at

d

u

yo

e ne

coach

am

e

t ce

in

ff

sta

r

ite wr

re

f

u ut

T

here’s no doubt about it, Oakn ton’s dance team a d is icrediblble.

As a rising freshman or I f wasn’t sure what to expect when I ut attended Oakton’s first pep rally of the o but I was soon in awe and cheering after trytheyear, dance team’s stunning performance in the o t n gym.

There’s no question about it, being on the dance pla team requires lots of hard work and dedication, but the sense of community and satisfaction one feels after performing is well worth it. For any students looking to try out in the future, here are some tips and retelling of experiences by Emma Rogers, a rising sophomore on the dance team.

r w s

t u o

try

ap

up

e th

ll

re

r ha

How many people are usually on the team?

The coach doesn’t always take an exact number but last year there were 24 members and this year there are 22.

This has been your second time trying out for the dance team. How would you describe the experience?

Tryouts are definitely stressful sometimes, but the overall experience is really fun.

How much experience would you recommend someone have before they try out?

I would definitely recommend having a few years of prior experience but most of the skills you need are worked on in tryouts.

Were there many rising freshmen trying out this year?

I’m not exactly sure how many new members tried out this year, but 7 new members were accepted.

What would you say are the best parts about being on the dance team?

Definitely the people and the friends you make because you keep those friendships all throughout high school.

When and how long are tryouts?

Tryouts were April 17, 18, and 19, and then April 23, 24, and 26.

Any advice for people looking to try out in the future?

Everybody there wants you to do well, so go into tryouts with confidence.

How long is the dance team’s season?

We start having practice in May and we’re done when basketball season ends, so usually in March.

Any factors people should consider before they decide to tryout?

Dance team for sure takes up a lot of time, so it can be hard to balance other sports and clubs at times.

april 2018 sports

15

Cougar captains

staff writer nathan tankel

A look at some of the Oakton boys lacrosse captains

S

pring sports are under way at Oakton High School and this year there are numerous captains. These student athletes play a vital role in both the successes of the overall team and also the enjoyment that the players have while participating in the sport. The importance of these players can’t be overstated and the close relationships they have with both the coaches and players help bridge the gap between them.

One sport where team captains are very involved in is lacrosse and the team boasts multiple senior captains.

Matthew Corgnati (12) is a member of the Boys Lacrosse Team and is one of the captains this year. He has been playing lacrosse for six years and really enjoys his role on the team; he personally likes it more than the one of a traditional player that he was used to prior to this season. One of the reasons for this is that being a captain allows him to play a bigger role in terms of leadership and also enables him to feel accomplished after leading the team out and after a big win. Overall his favorite part of the sport is still all of the close relationships that he has made as a direct result of it and as well as the inside jokes that he shares with other team members. He says that himself and the other captains are very important to the team and it is important that they are strong and assertive. This

16 sports

april 2018

is due to the fact that they are needed most when the team is going through tough times and needs that extra motivation in order to pull everyone back together and on the same page. Finally, he says that the main difference between the role of a normal player and a captain is found within their relationship between them and the coaches. Corgnati says that the captains are held to a higher standard and are thought of as role models to the younger players by the staff.

Douglas Preaskorn (12) is another captain of the lacrosse team. He loves the overall sport as well and has been playing for the majority of his life. This is in fact his 10th year playing and he has played throughout his high school career. His favorite part of playing is similar to Matt’s and he especially loves the brotherhood that lacrosse creates among him and all of his friends on the team. The main difference that he likes from the player role to captain is the fact that the underclassman look up to him as an example and also the fact that more is expected from him from both the players and coaches. This helps him grow as both a person and as a leader for the whole team. He

says overall the relationship between him and coaches got a lot better and closer over this year also. The biggest thing that he is counted on is to lead the team well and also just making sure practices run smoothly and without issues.

So far this season, the team has been incredibly successful and a lot of this can be attributed to the captains. Their current record is 7-3 and they boast many impressive wins and are continuing to play at a high level. Jacob Mink (12) says that the five captains on the team have done an amazing job so far and have been integral to the team’s success.

All Photos Courtesy of Douglas Preaskorn and Matthew Corgnati

indepth

The ultimate AP policy guide

ishika jain editorial board

o Q

This is Fairfax County’s first time implementing the policy of the county only paying for six AP Exams for each student. It is now AP Exam season, and Ms. Martha Rodeheaver answers a few questions below on how the new policy is being received in Oakton.

Q

Were there any specific classes that a lot of students chose to opt out of?

Has there been any lashback on the new AP Exam policy (from parents, students)?

“

I think the biggest questions have been coming now that parents are wondering about the fees they are seeing in MySchoolBucks and they are wondering what those fees are or why they have three of them and why they are the same price; it’s mainly confusion about that right now. There are also students that now want to opt out of their AP Exams, and it’s too late, and I think for the first year of the policy,questions like these will come up because it’s new.”

“

Well, there weren’t any classes that had a ton of opt outs. There are classes that habitually have low enrollment because of their nature. For instance, the language classes have smaller enrollment because there are just kids who don’t meet the requirement of four years of continuous language.

There are classes like that that just regularly have low enrollment. Looking at next year’s numbers, I didn’t see any changes as a result of the new policy. What I think will be interesting, though, is to see what eventually happens when students that aren’t take the AP class because they didn’t want to take the exam but now that that’s no longer a requirement, are we going to see a change in enrollment? However, it’s too soon to make that judgement call, right now.”

Do you think there is less grade inflation now as teachers can’t change their grades now if they get a 4 or 5 on the exam?

“

I think it’s hard to say right now because it hasn’t happened yet (Calvello). Ideally in a class, if you get an A in the class, you should get a 5 on the exam - that’s ideally what should happen but is not what always happens for a variety of reasons. Right now, unfortunately, that’s something we can’t answer right now because it’s not the end of the year.”

It may take a while for the new policy to run smoothly and sort out the logistics, but in the meantime, make sure you show up for the exams you didn’t opt out of.

april 2018

indepth

17

indepth

Managing stress: APs and senioritis Class perspectives of stress in the upcoming test season

H

ighschool is a stressful time to be a teenager, everyone understands that. But high school, mercifully, is punctuated into four sessions with a long break between each section. Each one of these sessions possesses its own unique struggles. Freshmen, for instance, have to acclimate to the whole new biome that is highschool life.

Sophomores, on the other hand, are lucky enough to be fully-fledged high schoolers while not having to deal with all of the stress associated with it. Seniors embody the peak of high school stress, but are allowed to slack off once college decisions are made - meaning that stress really only occupies the first part of their year. Juniors, however, exist in a terrible kind of stress purgatory. They face a full high school workload, just like Seniors, but aren’t allowed to coast at the end of the year. In fact, they can look forward to the beginning of next year, in which they get to do college apps (fun!).

And, for the extra achievers, they can also enjoy internships and service hours over the summer.

Jay Deshmunkh (11), a Junior currently taking 7 APs, said, “I would say junior year by far has been the hardest year as the curriculum has been more rigorous than in any other year. And managing the coursework with extracurriculars has been very stressful.” While this may be less true for some other Juniors (as most don’t take 7 APs), a quick chat with any group of eleventh year students reveals that this attitude is exceedingly common.

Of course, opinions vary. Michael Ng (11), when asked about his stress levels over Junior year, said, “Honestly, I’m at about a 6.5.” And, when asked about how he thinks Senior year will go, he said “I don’t think Senior year will be that much harder.” Ng, recognizing that his cool attitude puts him in the minority, admitted that he thinks his stress levels are abnormally low, and that most people probably feel much more stressed than he does.

JUNIORS

18

indepth april 2018

The staff editorial represents the official opinion of the Outlook editorial board

B

y May, seniors have already determined their plans for the following year. After spending four years of high school trying to maintain their GPA in order to complete their post-graduation goals, most seniors feel burnt out. Many seniors are still taking a heavy course load this year, yet they are lacking the motivation to keep up with all the work.

The main motivating factor that seniors have to do well on their AP exams is that they are able to earn college credit for these exams if they score high enough. The science department has even posted a list of all the AP exams that score that colleges in Virginia require for students to earn credit. In attempts to get senior students to care about their AP exam, teachers frequently remind their students how much money they could save for scoring highly on their exam.

It’s that time of year where seniors are trying to muster up all of the motivation they have left to do well on their AP Exams in effort to save some money and time in college. For some seniors, senioritis hasn’t affected them at all, still maintaining the same motivation they had all of high school. Whereas for a majority of the seniors who once were very motivated and focused have lost a lot of their ambition and are ready for graduation. It’s understandable that seniors are wanting to slack off a little bit especially now when there’s a strong testing front coming their way. For seniors and all of the students who will eventually be seniors, high school has mostly been about maintaining a good GPA, participating in extracurriculars and also maintaining a good social life; it can be hard to balance all of these things for four straight years without a break in between, and finally when there is sometime during senior year when college applications are over, seniors use the free time to focus on non-school activities whereas others choose to maintain their focus on school.

Ultimately, it comes down to how badly a student wants to get credits from their AP Exams. Another factor that affects a student’s motivation level to do well on the AP Exams is where they are going to college as some colleges don’t give many credits whereas others will give an abundant amount. Everyone has their different goals, it just comes down to how they are going reach their goals whether it be by breezing through senior year or rigorously working like they have been for the past 3 years of high school.

SENIORS

FRESHMEN T

he transition between middle school and high school is often a stress factor for many uprising high school students. They often find themselves in a position of uncertainty, concerned about what the future may hold for them.

Freshman year can be described as a slow push into high school life. The courses are made to be a little more challenging than middle school curriculum, while encouraging students to think at a high school level. Sophomore year brings students into a more challenging area of study, entailing higher levels of academic study and a more difficult class schedule overall. Although the transition between freshman and sophomore year can be seen as a more smooth progression, it can still be a challenge for some.

Klaire Danoff (10), a Sophomore currently taking her first AP remarked, “My stress level this year has definitely increased compared to my freshman year. My amount of homework has doubled and so has my amount of time studying for classes. Math is especially difficult, probably more than AP World. I feel like I spend more time studying for tests rather than actually learning the material in my classes.”

David Lee (10), shares similar views to the majority of the sophomore student body. When asked how his workload has changed between freshman and sophomore year, he says, “Sophomore year has changed my perspective on schoolwork. I now have to work a lot harder in the same types of subjects I took last year. The classes are definitely harder, and self-taught learning has become a more frequent theme in my courses.” While some sophomores are taking more than one AP level course, the majority are taking AP World History as their first AP class during their second year of high school.

SOPHOMORES april 2018

indepth

19

How to stay motivated When you reach the fourth quarter, you know that you’re almost done with the school year. You’ve finally reached the home stretch, but have you been able to do everything you wanted to during the school year? Or have you lost all motivation, and just given up.

M

otivation is not about always being motivated, but more about staying on track with your end goal. Think of the school year as a big mountain, and at the tip of the mountain is a goal you set for yourself in the beginning of the year. As you start the year you are gradually going up the mountain. However, by third quarter, you lose motivation and start slowly rolling down the mountain.

It is okay to lose direction, but the important thing is to find your way back up the mountain and to complete your end goal. Motivation is not about al-

ways being productive, either. Everyone will have those days when they feel like doing nothing. This is okay as long as it is only every once in a while, but don’t make it an everyday, or even a weekly, habit. Staying motivated is about trying, even when you don’t want to. It

3) Exercise

1) Stay calm and due the work in parts If you have an essay due in one week, don’t wait till the last minute to write it. Procrastinating only causes more problems. You probably are going to bed very late, skipping meals, and showing up late or unprepared for class. If you stay calm and do the work in parts you will be able to sleep better which will have you feeling more energized and acting nicer to others. Another tip is to study throughout the unit. That means studying the material you learned in the beginning of the unit so you don’t have to cram the night before.

20

indepth april 2018

can be hard to stay motivated, especially during fourth quarter. School has become boring, and all you do is review for finals. But why would you give up when you’re only inches away from completing something? When you feel like quitting or not trying anymore in school, think about how close you are to finishing the year. Also, think about your future self, and your future self will feel much better with an A on your final rather than a B. Keep trying and persevering so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and end with a good school year.

2) Keep with it There are ways you can stay motivated even when you’re tired and don’t feel like doing anything. Set a schedule and stick with the schedule. If you commit yourself to something, you have a greater chance of staying motivated.

This is because you will feel guilty if you don’t finish something rather than finishing it and feeling productive and accomplished.

Staying motivated in school doesn’t just mean you have to keep working on school work, you need breaks. That being said, going on your phone or watching t.v. is not a healthy break.

Going on your phone can become addicting and, before you know it, you have spent two hours on your phone and have no time to do your homework.

A good break is exercise, and it doesn’t have to be hard. You can easily go on a walk on a nice day, and it is just a way to calm your mind before conquering your homework. Exercise also helps you focus better on what you’re doing, and can really wake you up when you’re tired.

staff writer zoe sauger

Behind the scenes of Titanic the Musical zoe siamon staff writer

A look into the creation and struggles of Titanic the musical

O

akton never fails to put out a jaw-dropping spring musical, and this year is on course to continue the legacy of spectacular performances. Last years musical, Les Miserables, blew everyone out of the water and set high expectations for this years production. There is no doubt that at this point you have seen the posters lining the walls, heard the announcements, talked to someone on the cast, and know that the musical this spring is Titanic. Did you know, however, that this musical is completely different from the movie you know and love?

“Titanic is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a musical about the launching, voyage, and eventual sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. It’s not the Jack and Rose story from the movie, but a slightly more historically accurate version and all the characters are based on real Titanic passengers,” said Finely Kuester (12), stage manager of the Titanic. The musical follows multiple characters throughout their journeys in the ship,

ranging from the poor third class to the first class, and everone in between. Every one of the characters you will see on stage is based on somebody who was on the actual Titanic when it set sail in 1912.

For the production here at Oakton, the cast started rehearsals in January

“The story of the Titanic is very

well known, but seeing it happen on stage and getting to know the people involved makes the event so much more emotionally significant,” -Finely Kuester

of work behind the scenes. The set, the lights, and the sound are all done by students.

In addition, almost all of the music you will hear is done by an orchestra pit of students. “In terms of the set, there’s a lot of very big pieces that we have to figure out where to store and how to get them on stage at the right time. It’s a really complicated process, especially during a show as big as Titanic,” said Kuester, “our backstage crew has gone above and beyond to make the show look it’s best.”

Oakton has an amazing theatre department with so much unbelievable talent, this show is not one to miss!

“The story of the Titanic is very well known, but seeing it happen on stage and getting to know the people involved makes the event so much more emotionally significant,” Kuester said.

It’s not too late to buy your ticket, and trust me, it will be a show to remember!

and have been working hard since then. “Our actors have worked so hard to bring these people’s stories to life,” says Kuester. Along with those who perform onstage, there is a great deal

april 2018

indepth

21

Social media affecting our lives How social media is impacting the teens today

S

ocial media has been rapidly changing for years now. With updates and new apps, no one can say that social media hasn’t changed since last year. We have an app for almost everything now.

Although these improvements in technology are impressive, they may be somewhat of a detriment to our society. We are the first generation to grow up with social media all around us and it might be making a bigger impact on our lives than we think.

One of the biggest problems with social media is the lack of privacy. With the new Snapchat Bitmoji map, people can tell where you are at all times. There are many popular conspiracies that Facebook is even listening to you through your device.

The apps aren’t the only problem; thousands of hackers prowl social media networks looking for victims.

By injecting viruses into your device or gaining access to all of your personal information hackers can use social media to attack people.

Some apps lure you into a false sense of security with your infor-

22

indepth april 2018

mation. One of snapchat’s features is the “my eyes only” where you can keep private pictures and you can only can access to those pictures with a passcode. Although you are led to believe no one will ever be able to see those pictures, that is not the case.

Through social media we have lost so much privacy and most people may not even be aware of it.

Social media has affected kids social skills too. Think about when you go into the cafeteria, and most kids are staring down at their screen and they are completely oblivious to the people around them. Most kids find it easier to distract themselves with their phone then to find a way to start a conversation with someone else. With Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, there are endless way to keep busy and avoid social interaction. Before we had social media, we were forced to reach out to people and talk to them, but with social media, it can easily be done behind a screen.

Although there are some negatives, plenty of good things have come out of social media. We can share pictures with family and friends easily.

There are also many people who post

gracie mouzavires staff writer

accomplishments on their social medias. For instance, many celebrities have posted videos and pictures of them during service or different volunteering functions which is a way for kids to see these people that they idolize engaging in good behavior. Social media is also a great opportunity to connect with family and friends who live far away.

Social media has helped me maintain a better relationship with some of my friends who live in Connecticut- Helen Sloane (9)

From teachers to you: Tips for success on AP Exams

courtney te editorial board

Stressed about the upcoming AP Exams? Here’s a few tips from teachers to help out!

Do you think AP Review books are necessary for success on the AP exam? If so, what are the benefits?

AP World History

Mr. McCulla

1

“

“

Do you think AP Review books are necessary for success on the AP exam? If so, what are the benefits?

I think it really depends on the student and how they learn. One of the most important things about the AP test is confidence, so if you’re going to feel more confident with the Barron’s book or with any type of review book, go in and get that. But if you have been taking good notes and you’ve been paying attention all year and that’s what makes you feel comfortable, rely on those.

Some benefits are it takes an entire textbook and it crams it down to just the essential information. So if there’s a topic you don’t understand or a topic you’re struggling with in class, you can go back and look at that one section that might be like five pages and understand it rather than reading a thirty page chapter.

“

How far in advance should students begin studying for the AP exam?

2

Usually I put up on my calendar a countdown. I put it up when we get to about 50 days out from the exam, and I’m like, “This is a good time to start looking at things.” When you get down to like 30 days out, maybe 3 weeks out, I start saying, “Alright, now it’s time to really pay attention.” And when we get to about a week left, I’m like, “At this point, go home. Get rest. Put the books away, and give your mind and body a break from studying.”

3

1

Do you have any specific advice for students, based on experience?

I don’t think I’d use the word “necessary” but it’s definitely beneficial. In fact, I encourage my students to get one at the beginning of the year, use it throughout the year to help them review or to get a different explanation on a topic that you’re not sure about. Sometimes just seeing things explained in different words works. Plus, it’s a really good tool for getting ready for that unit’s test because it has multiple choice, practice free response that will look very similar to the test they’re about to take.

2

Do you think there’s a large difference between students who use the book and those who utilise their notes for the exam?

“

Yes, I do. Because my students that use their prep books, even ones who just use it towards the end of the year, I can tell that they have seen a greater variety of questions than my students who haven’t. And they are better equipped to handle a question that is worded a little different, a little off, not quite the same as we went over in class. They are able to roll with the punches easier.

How far in advance should students begin studying for the AP exam?

Since the AP exams are in May, I would usually say to make it easier on yourself, to begin reviewing in March.

Take a little bit every weekend, just a little bit.

Honestly, the biggest thing I would recommend is for students to go online and look at previous exams so that they can be familiar with the formatting, kinds of questions that they ask, the timing, that sort of thing. That is my #1 tip to look at released exams.

“

“

Students should trust the process. The teachers here do an excellent job. It’s not our first time around with the AP exams. We know what we’re doing, we know how to prepare.

It’s trusting your teacher and really trusting yourself. If you felt confident throughout the school year, you’re gonna do well. It’s always a day before the exam, two days before the exam, put the stuff away for sure. Go to bed at a normal hour, get that sleep, because nothing that you’re gonna

3

AP Chemistry

Ms. Giordano

cram in the last couple hours is gonna make a difference.

april 2018

indepth

23

feature

Meet the OHS security team Who are they and what do they do? brendan bellingham staff writer

photo courtesy of Oakton

Mr. Baranyk

is someone you likely recognize from the halls of Oakton but aren’t really sure of their job. Not knowing Mr. Baranyk is probably for the best, being that he serves as the safety and security specialist that enforces SR&R at Oakton. If you don’t break the rules of the school you probably don’t know Mr. Baranyk very well so here is a break down of what he does to keep our school safe: Baranyk is quite qualified for his position at Oakton. Prior to joining the Oakton staff he was a Fairfax County Police officer and he’s been at Oakton for nearly 14 years now. Baranyk has many jobs at our school but some of the main ones are: serving as the liasion between FCPD and FCPS, training staff for crisis drills, accessing security needs that impact students and staff, and managing criminal investigations underway at Oakton.

24 feature april 2017

Mr. Giambattista

has been at Oakton for nearly two years now and is “loving this school’s environment,” said Giambattista. He makes up a third of our safety and security team at Oakton and during my interview, he emphasized the importance of school security at this point in time. Giambattista takes his job quite seriously while keeping strong relationships with the students at Oakton. He loves Oakton for its diversity. The different cultures and perspectives he finds in the students is what brought him to Oakton in the first place, and it’s what keeps him from switching schools. Prior to Oakton, Mr. Giambattista worked on the United States Secret Service tactical unit. He came to Oakton and now strives to create an environment where students and faculty feel they can learn and teach safely.

Introducing Mr. Colgan

M

r. Colgan, a school-based technology specialist, has recently moved to Oakton High School after working at Rachel Carson Middle School. The Oakton Outlook has gained the opportunity to interview him about his transition between Carson and Oakton:

Why did you decide to come to Oakton after working at Carson middle school?

I wanted to have a bigger impact. I felt like I was helping a lot of people with technology while I was sat Carson. And I wanted to do that as a full time thing because I felt like the more I can help a bigger group of people the more I can incorporate new and creative ideas inside the classroom.

What are you most excited about this year?

The number of people I met and the amount of knowledge I gained was incredible. And I’m really excited to use that knowledge to help people.

sally park staff writer

research. I began to think that it would be a cool way to incorporate new ideas into the classroom.

I was a science teacher so I was able to do lab simulations in the computers. Kids were able to record data and make graphs and things like that in the computers. There was a lot of ways to explore new ideas we couldn’t explore in a classroom without technology.

Do you see any difference between Carson and Oakton?

The staff at both places are similar. They are very helpful and friendly. They are very understanding. But it seems like the role of teacher and staff here are more focused on preparing kids for what’s beyond high school. The teachers and counselors are focused on preparing kids for the next step. Whereas in middle school, they make sure they are getting the introduction for stuff they are going to learn about. Thefocus is a little bit different.

What’s your favorite part of being part of Oakton’s staff?

When I am able to help someone and they clearly have a lot of appreciation for the help I have been given to them. I feel like everyone is grateful for what I have done so far, and I feel like I’m a part of a really great team of people who really appreciate everything I have done for them. So that’s been a really great experience, to get gratitude for everything I have done and how great everyone has been about that.

A lot of people are very understanding that I have to suddenly look something up since I’m new at this job. They are very understanding that sometimes I have to go and look up what an answer is before solving a problem for them.

Could you tell us a little bit of yourself?

I grew up at Pennsylvania, and I lived there until I graduated college. And then I moved down here and that was when I started work at Fairfax county. I have been working at Fairfax County for my entire college career. I’ve always been interested in technology and then as I started my career, technology in the classroom really began to take off. We used computers more than to just type documents. We started to use computers for the internet. We started to use computers for

april 2018 feature

25

Oakton stars exit stage left

jessica marshall editor-in-chief

... and take their show on the road to college

photo courtesy of lindsey jacobson Lindsey Jacobson (12) will be studying Musical Theatre at Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC next year, after much consideration. Some of her previous roles, in order, in musicals at Oakton and in the area include “Caroline” in Titanic, “Fontaine” in Les Miserables, “Nun” in The Sound of Music, “Christine Daae” in Phantom of the Opera, “Fiona” in Shrek: the Musical, ensemble member in Mary Poppins. She plans to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in the undergraduate program and then go on to work right away after she graduates.

It has been her dream her whole life to continue her singing, acting, and dancing careers at the collegiate level and study Musical Theatre in college. After starring as “Christine Daae” in Phantom of the Opera her sophomore year, she knew that this is what she wanted to do with her life, so junior year she began looking into the best colleges for this artistry. Jacobson even had the amazing opportunity to study at the prestigious New York University for a month during the summer before her senior year to get a feel of how the college process works.

After spending the first half of her senior year auditioning for and applying to 20 college programs for Musical Theatre all over the country, she decided that CUA was the best fit for her and her future career, especially given that DC is home to the second largest theatre community in the United States (following NYC). Additionally, one positive thing about attending college close to the area she grew up in is that she has already established connections that will facilitate her involvement in the industry and will allow her greater opportunities throughout her career. “I am excited to be able to interact with a whole different and diverse group of people in the nation’s capital, including students from all across the country and even abroad,” Jacobson said.

Any college application process is difficult, but especially when it comes to Musical Theatre, students must take many additional aspects into consideration. “I would recommend starting the college process as early as possible. I had to take into account visiting all these schools and auditioning on site everywhere throughout the country. I traveled to Boston, New York, Chicago, Michigan, and Indiana, just to name a few. You have to be extremely organized when applying to college, especially when it comes to application and scholarship deadlines,” Jacobson said. Additionally, Jacobson recommends taking advantage of your summers by participating in either summer programs or internships because it not only establishes connections and builds your resume, but it greatly expands your skill set and will make you a more diverse and dynamic individual. When it comes to narrowing down colleges during your senior year, Jacobson says, “even if it is not where you thought you wanted to go, you will still end up where you are supposed to be -- success is whatever you make it.”

Out of about 1500 students who apply to Musical Theatre programs each year, only about 15-25 students are actually accepted.

Although he applied to 14 colleges and received all 14 auditions for their Musical Theatre programs, Parker Watters (12) felt that Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah would be the best choice for him. He decided this after auditioning in New York, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Michigan, and Utah, and speaking to multiple people about their esteemed program and well-rounded curriculum, as well as considering it the best economic decision. Some of his previous roles in productions at Oakton include, “Mr. Thomas Andrews (architect)” in Titanic this year, “Jean Valjean” in Les Miserables last year (his favorite role this far), “Raoul” in Phantom of the Opera, and “Bank Chairman” in Mary Poppins. He plans to receive his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, Dance, and Theatre at BYU in their four-year program.

Watters’ whole family has a large investment in theatre, including his father who obtained his degree in theatre and dance and his mother who studied music. Musical Theatre has definitely always been a huge part of Watters’ life, but he as always viewed it just as a hobby that he loves to do. Throughout his time at Oakton, Watters has been very focused on his academics, especially with math and science, and was, for a long time, planning to study engineering in college. After spending an extensive amount of time on stage in productions at Oakton, he realized that Musical Theatre was the thing that he wanted to do for the rest of his life. When Watters placed very high in a national voice competition in his junior year, he began taking the craft more seriously. This was the turning point for both him and his parents, as this is when they really decided to support him and his career in Musical Theatre.

After spending four years training rigorously in music, dance and theatre studies at BYU, he will have to put together a 10-15 minute performance showcasing his best abilities and what he has learned throughout his time there. The directors of the program will then take him to New York City and Los Angeles and will invite casting directors and agents to watch his performance, with the end goal of having an agent contact him and hire him to start working right out of college. Otherwise, if he is not hired right away, he would move to NYC or another large city and begin auditioning as much as possible.

“For anyone interested in pursuing Musical Theatre as a career, you need to take it realistically. It is easy to fantasize about Broadway and performing, but it is very hard work. Keep yourself balanced and be well-rounded so that you can change your mind if you need to,” Watters said. “If you are an aspiring actor, one thing that I will stick by until the day I die is that becoming more intellectually involved in the environment around you and pushing photo courtesy of parker watters

26 feature april 2018

yourself in every aspect of your life makes you a better performer and individual. Work hard, train hard, and perfect your craft as much as you can, but do not forget about the other aspects of life because they are vital to your performing abilities,” he added.

Introducing the new principal An insight into Jamie Lane’s background and hopes for Oakton.

riya jain staff writer

M

rs. Lane’s position as Oakton High School’s new principal was officially announced March 16th. However, it was not only until three weeks later that she began her transition into Oakton High School. She was tasked to wrap up her work at McLean High School and become familiar with Oakton. Before accepting the job of being the principal of Oakton High School, Mrs. Lane was one of the assistant principals at McLean High School. As assistant principal, she was in charge of departments along with others. Becoming principal, the biggest difference in switching roles is that she is now in charge of overseeing plans, the overall progress of the school, and ensuring that Oakton is going in the direction that she and the Oakton community wants it to go into. After being the assistant principal at McLean High School for six years, she felt that it was the natural step to explore the option of becoming principal and it felt right for her.

As Mrs. Lane takes the big step of filling the position of becoming principal, she says that although there will always be something to be nervous about or a challenge in a new job, she feels that she is ready to take on the obstacles that may come her way. She said she wouldn’t have taken the job if she thought she wouldn’t have been able to manage it.

“There is pressure of upholding Oakton’s reputation as it is one of the leading schools in the county - but it’s good pressure.” For things like the renovation (which isn’t present in every school in the county), Mrs. Lane has already taken steps in learning about the renovation to make sure she can do her best in contributing to the process. She has already created a network with other principals around the county who have experienced renovation in order to get their insights and what they have learned from that experience.

In the short time Mrs. Lane has been at Oakton, she feels that this is a great time for her to join the community. After experiencing the Exhibition of Learning and watching the AP Capstone projects completed by juniors and seniors, she said that something she already loves about Oakton is seeing students speak about things that they are passionate about.

With long-term goals, aside from wanting to stay at Oakton High School for a while, she hopes to continue to self-reflect and learn from everyone else around her and grow as an individual. “I’ve always been a very strong believer in self-reflection and I don’t think you can grow in anything unless you’re willing to reflect and talk to people and admit when you’ve made a mistake. For me it’s just about being the best I can be and learning from everyone around me, and continue to grow.”

“I loved seeing the students speak about things that they are passionate about.” -Mrs. Lane

About Mrs. Lane Mrs. Lane, from a family of five children, was born in New York. As the second oldest child in her family, her three younger siblings were very much younger than her and so, she took on the role of being much more than just an older sister to them. From a young age, she knew she liked teaching and that being an educator was her passion. Soon after, when she went off to college at Pennsylvania State University, she experimented with working with magazines, but quickly returned back to majoring in education as that was her passion and something she knew that was meant for her. After meeting her future husband at her college, she came to Virginia with him and found herself being an educator for thirteen years and being apart of administration for her seventh year.

april 2018 feature

27

Robotics Club rolling into worlds Robotics Club’s journey to success

Honestly, whatever you’re interested in there is a something for you at robotics -Erin Lincoln

28 feature april 2018

A

fter months of brainstorming, programming, and building, Oakton’s Robotics Club qualified for the First Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championships in Detroit, Michigan. Erin Lincoln (12) and Devin Gardner (12) are two passionate members of Oakton’s FRC team 623, and they helped create the finalized robot. Their countless hours spent after school working on the robot not only helped the club achieve their goals, but also allowed the members to gain many valuable skills.

As just one of the many excellent clubs that Oakton High School has to offer, there are a variety of different reasons why members joined robotics. For Lincoln, competing in FRC is something she has been doing since the fifth grade.

“When I came here, the first thing that I did was join robotics,” said Lincoln.

Although there will always be members with more experience than you, people of all skill levels are encouraged to join. Gardner did not join the club until his junior year as a way to gain more experience in topics that he is interested pursuing in college. “It’s a community full of very friendly, welcoming people; you can really join any time you want,” said Gardner.

Currently, the club has about 60

lindsey katsaros editorial board

members and three different teams.

Two of the teams compete in First Tech Challenges (FTC) where they build a smaller robot to compete in competitions during the first half of the school year. During the second half of the school year, a bigger robot is built by FRC members. Each team consists of about 20 members who each contribute to the club in a variety in unique ways.

During Gardner’s junior year, he was the engineering notebook captain for one the FTC teams; Gardner handled all of the technical documentation and recorded the entire engineering process for the FTC team’s robot. During Lincoln’s second year in the club, she created the community outreach branch of the robotics club. One event they did was host a workshop for middle schoolers to learn more about robotics. “The kids learned so much and they were all so happy,” said Lincoln. Members of the club can also work on programming, building and designing the robots as well as creating business plans to gain sponsors that help support the club financially. “Whatever you’re interested in, robotics can make a niche for you,” said Lincoln.

Members of the club devote many hours after school towards robotics. During the first half of the year, when members are working on smaller robots, they typically meet three days a week. “It’s not super time demanding because it is a smaller robot,” said Gardner.

In comparison, members on the FRC team meet four days of the week since they must build a robot that is twice as big as FTC robots. At meetings, members brainstorm ideas at the beginning of the season on a whiteboard, then try to execute those ideas.

However, most of the time those ideas fail, so then members have to go back to the whiteboard to brainstorm a new idea or improve their old idea. Lincoln said, “there is always an exciting moment at every meeting I swear.” One moment in particular occured after she had spent most of the year learning a new language of code in order to build one of the robots. “I had no idea what was happening then all of a sudden I had made the robot drive and I was like oh my god this is amazing,” said Lincoln.

At competitions, robots typically have to pick up some kind ball or cube and either stack it or make it into a basket. The FTC robot usually has two arms that can latch onto a ball or cube and a pulley system that lifts the arms up and down vertically. The FRC robot is the same as the FTC robots just on a much larger scale. “If you are on a FRC team or a FTC team that has been around for awhile you really can get a feel for the challenges because all of them are very similar tasks,” said Gardner. The robots compete multiple times with two other robots by their side. After this, the 8 teams with the highest number of points get to choose two other teams to join them, and all 10 or those teams compete to determine the winning

alliance. Oakton’s FRC team won districts in March, which qualified them for the world championships that took place in April.

While the robots are competing, judges walk around and ask about the team’s programming, how the robot works, the team’s community outreach, and the team’s business plan; these robots can win awards as well.

Gardner explained that the competitions are always very spirited. “I wore the cougar costume and I was there at the competitions and I was cheering and waving my arms around; it was so much fun,” said Gardner.

There are a variety of skills that members learn from being in this club. Gardner explained that this club is great “for people who want to get hands on and build things or people who want to learn more about computers or just robotics in general.” In addition, teamwork is required to build a successful robot. Lincoln believes that she has gotten more experience with group work through this club than through her high school classes since members have complete free range; members have to find a way to bring ideas together to complete a common goal. “Collaboration has really been the biggest skill that I have learned,” said Lincoln.

For anyone who has any interest in computer science, engineering, or working with power tools, Robotics club is a great place to gain new experience and knowledge. “Definitely if you like building things because I think this is like one of the only activities at school that really allows you to get hands on with creating a project,” said Gardner. There are many ways that you can leave your mark on Oakton, and Robotics Club has shown how they have left their mark in a many amazing ways.

If you like building things because I think this is one of the only activities at school that really allows you to get hands on with creating a project -Devin Gardner

april 2018 feature

29

The history of Oakton musicals Oakton drama’s most memorable productions

E

very year, it seems as if the annual school musical has more and more buzz surrounding it.

It’s for a good reason: they keep getting better and better! The popular performances have always been impressive, but each year the drama department finds it harder and harder to top themselves. Oakton Drama has put on a variety of productions through the years, from Into the Woods to Oklahoma! to Grease to Footloose.

These shows are no small accomplishment as they take hours upon hours rehearsing and dozens of cast and crew to achieve. While the high quality of production has stayed the same, there are many differences be-

tween the productions over the years.

For Oakton’s current theater arts director, Ms. Vanessa Gelinas, it all started with Little Women: The Musical.

It was the first show she was the fulltime director of. Inspired by the beloved book by Louisa May Alcott, the show followed the life of the adventurous aspiring writer, Jo March, and her three sisters. “I cried opening night, I went down to the pit and I burst into tears because I was so nervous. I had never directed a musical before,” said Ms. Gelinas. Luckily, things have changed since then. “Every years that it gets a little better, but it helps that I work with Mrs. Powell, we’re a good team.

We keep each other sane.”

Pirates of Penzance, Ms. Gelinas’ personal favorite, was put to life on stage in 2014. “That was when I think Miss Powell and I started to click with the challenges we could

30 feature april 2018

olivia garrone staff writer

put up for the kids, technically and performance-wise. I think we set a new bar that we’ve been trying to beat every year,” said Ms. Gelinas. The show itself is unique: a comedy opera. The plot follows a pirate named Frederic who fell in love with a woman named Mabel; however, like any interesting love story, a few challenges got in the way.

The 2015 musical was another un-

forgettable one: Mary Poppins. Based off the classic 1964 film, it was about a magical nanny named Mary Poppins, and the Banks family, whose lives she enters and changed forever. It was a next-level production: they had Mary Poppins flying and her friend Bert walking upside down. Ms. Gelinas said that special effects like these are the biggest challenge.

There’s one thing that never changes about an Oakton High School musical: the heart that goes into it. From the directors to the cast to the crew, everyone pours their heart and soul into each of the

Just two years ago, the annual spring production was the iconic Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical is about an opera house haunted by a phantom. The phantom kidnaps one of the singers, named Christine, who is in love with a man named Raul; however, it seems that the phantom loves her, too. It was a show full of twists, turns, kidnapping, and a grand chandelier that had to soar and fall all over the stage, an impressive feat due to special effects again.

The most recent musical was another stunner: Les MisĂŠrables. The story, set in 19th century France, had heavier themes than past musicals, featuring storylines with prison, death, and revolutions. These heavier topics ended up making the show even more memorable and impactful for the audience.

many hours of prep and rehearsal leading up to the big performances.

With every emotional line said and every sweet note sung on stage, one thing that is always apparent is the passion for theater of everyone

involved.

april 2018 feature

31

WGB helps those in need for prom season The local organization, Women Giving Back, gives to teens in need of dresses

payton wozny staff writer

W

omen Giving Back (WGB) is a non-profit organization that works to provide women in need of clothing with resources that they and their children might need for free. Their clothing can help women feel more prepared and confident for job interviews and can help their children feel more comfortable in social settings. They collect clothing donations as well as charitable donations to be used to pay for rent and other services they may need.

A special addition to Women Giving Back was made this year called the Prom Boutique. Prom is a very exciting time in a teenager’s life, but it is also very expensive. WGB wanted to ensure that any girl that wanted to go to prom could go, despite her financial situation, so they asked the community to donate prom dresses to give to teens in need. Hunner Rezek, who works with Women Giving Back, says, “The Prom Boutique was designed to grant all prom dreams possible for high school girls experiencing financial hardship.”

“Everyone deserves to have their prom dreams come true.”

-Hunner Rezek

The section included donated dresses, a collection of shoes, and other accessories, like bags and jewelry, for the girls to pick from.

“It has been successful. We decided to open more dates to allow more high school girls to shop,” says Rezek.

The organization relies heavily on volunteers and their work. Volunteers do a variety of tasks at WGB like shorting clothes, stocking the shelves, helping women shop in the store, and caring for children as their mothers shop.

Cecilia Larrazabal (10) is an active member of National Charity League who volunteers for Women Giving Back often. She says, “You get to help bring a smile to everyone’s face when they find something they can wear that is super cute and they feel comfortable wearing.”

Rezek adds, “The best part about this boutique is witnessing the happiness that the girls have when they find their perfect dress and do not have to worry about breaking the bank for it.” For more information about Women Giving Back’s mission, how/what to donate, or for specific times and dates to shop in their boutique, visit https://womengivingback.net/.

32 feature april 2017

between

100-150 dresses were donated

Photos courtesy of Hunner Rezek

a&e

The evolution of the young streamer

abel berrocal staff writer

How young students combine their passion for video games with entertainment

courtesy of wikipedia

I

f I told you a decade ago that you could make a respectable salary by streaming a live video of you playing video games, you would’ve called me crazy. But now, in 2018, successfully finishing the process towards becoming a partnered Twitch streamer can make streaming a viable occupation.

For the past 2 years, the biggest Twitch.tv streamers were seen as celebrities or entertainers. But it wasn’t always like this. Viewership, income, advertising, and endorsements quickly evolved to make twitch what it is today. One of the biggest deciding moments that caused twitch to evolve from a streaming service to a viable competitor to YouTube and some TV channels was amazon’s $970 million cash purchase of Twitch. Amazon was the turning point that blew up Twitch.tv. First, the purchase itself made headlines, and put the streaming service on TV and the news as people discussed the topic. This put twitch on the map for a lot of new visitors, and immediately began the process of Amazon’s amazing program to bring mainstream gamers to their service. Amazon implemented many plans such asTwitch Loot, a program where Twitch partners with a games organizer and makes exclusive twitch themed content for said game. although the concept is very simple, it has affected the growth of Twitch significantly. The other method appeals directly to new users, new twitch prime accounts receive one free subscription to the user’s favorite streamer. his gives newer users the great feeling of supporting your favorite content creator at no cost.

With these recent advancements, Twitch has seen the rise of many talented young entertainers who spend their days balancing ther education with their potential career in streaming. Society has evolved into one where a young person can pursue an entertainment career while they go through their academic life, and play video games with only positive judgement from their peers. This is a concept that is unknown to anyone who was alive 15 years ago.

A good example of a young entertainer is 15 year old Sam “s0m” Oh, who recently became a partnered Twitch streamer and became contracted under Complexity Gaming, a professional ESports organization that competes in many competitive video games. The young man who is commonly referred to as “s0m” became known for his great individual skill in Counter Strike, and his confident personality. Like

s0m, there are many young high school students who aspire to reach the level that s0m has, or aspire to overtake him and his fanbase.At Oakton, there are 2 popular streamers. One is Jarett “Lyth1n” Butcher (12), and myself, Abel“Unknown” Berrocal. For Lyth1n, streaming is a thing that he finds very fun, and takes a lot of passion in growing his channel and assisting other young streamers in growing their own. This sense of community is exactly what is causing Twitch to grow so quickly. This in addition to the recent release of Fortnite, which brought a huge young audience and many mainstream gamers to the streaming community, is bound to result in a world in which Twitch streamers are the new celebrities.

Twitch streamers will become the equivalent of the modern Ben Aflecks of the world. In fact, modern celebrities are beginning to recognize the soon to come norm of Twitch.tv.

Drake, and many football players have started joining gaming teams in an effort to preserve their careers in entertainment after their sports careers end. If huge names like Drake, Lil Yachty, and Post Malone are starting to become a part of the Twitch community, it is very easy to see that this is the future, and streamers will only get better.

In the near future, seeing high school students with amazingly produced streams who compete against other streamers in a race to the next milestone will be the norm. Maybe some will even become part of school teams for certain Esports or may cause encouragement for a broadcasting curriculum to be added to mainstream education as an elective. All these things are possibilities, but cant be done without the viewers.

So if you find yourself interested in joining a more interactive part of the gaming community, visit www.twitch.tv and find people that you find entertaining. To support your fellow classmates add “/Lyth1n” or “/aebrcs” to the link, and you will be directed to a fellow cougar following a passion.

courtesy of wikipedia

april 2018 a&e

33

sahithi jammulamadaka staff writer

A

t this point, it isn’t really a surprise when Marvel releases The movie starts where Thor Ragnarok ended, with Asgard a box office success with the past 18 of its movies grossing is in pieces. The remaining citizens of Asgard are on a ship above $100 million, and receiving more positive reviews with Loki, Thor, Heimdall and the Hulk when Thanos and than negative ones on the critical website, Rotten Tomatoes. his children murder all the citizens, leaving only Loki, Thor, With that said, Avengers: Infinity War, a mashup with almost Hulk, and Heimdall. They show a quick battle scene between every superhero in Marvel’s stable, may be able to trump them the Hulk and Thanos in which Thanos quickly puts Hulk in all with a twisting plot that is bound to keep the viewers at the what appears a state of unconsciousness. Then Heimdall uses edge of their seat. the last of his powers to transport Hulk back to Earth to warn This ambitious mashup of every Marvel superhero and villain the others of Thanos. This is where the plot begins as all the of recent movie franchise dares to do much more than simply characters get together to prevent Thanos from getting all six satisfy an appetite to see all the players commingle. It has some of the Infinity Stones. heavy themes mixed in with the lighter touch that many of Thanos’ plan is to bring “order and balance” to the universe these characters often portray. Particularly interesting is what it by taking part in large-scale genocide, and as they menmay be saying about the age-old battle of good vs. evil, making tion many times in the movie, with the help of the infinity some conclusions that are not usually touched on in this kind of stones he can do it by the “snap of his finger” Thanos starts Hollywood blockbuster, and not what audiences may be expect- the movie off, with already being in possession of the powing based on past experience. er stone and then the space stone (when Loki gives him the This movie is based all around the villain, Thanos, who hasn’t Tesseract) before he even goes off to fight the Avengers. The been the main focus in any of the past movies but has jumped rest of the movie contains the Avengers, Guardians of the to the center of attention as he is trying to steal all six infinity Galaxy,Black Panther and his Wakandan army fighting to stones to control all the power in the universe. (Infinity stones protect the rest of the infinity stones. are gems that gain the bearer omnipotence and omniscience.)

Overall the movie was success and, Marvel lived up to the He was mentioned briefly in both Guardians of the Galaxy one high expectations it set for itself. Marvel seamlessly tied and two as Gamora and Nebula’s father. His presence is also felt together the action, comedy, and emotional aspects of the in the end of Thor Ragnarok, in the ending scene as it shows movie making it an enticing movie for all ages.

Loki giving the Tesseract (or space stone) to him.

space stone

mind stone

Tesseract

Chitauri Scepter

The Avengers Thor Captain America Age of Ulton Winter Soldier The Avengers

34

a&e

april 2018

reality stone Aether

The Dark World

power stone Orb

Guardians of the Galaxy

time stone

soul stone

Eye of Agamotto

???

Doctor Strange

???

Rewind and rewatch

katie thompson editorial board

Inside Hollywood’s sequel epidemic

F

inding Dory, Boss Baby 2, Pitch Perfect 2 and 3. These movies are just a sampling of the sequel epidemic that has taken over the box office. In recent years, production companies have turned to the reliable box office revenue of sequels, rather than come up with a creative idea. However often times, the sequels get significantly worse reviews, and are less enjoyed by the public. Despite the fact that sequels aren’t typically the best received, they bring in reliable profits.

People consistently flock to the theatre to check out the sequels of movies they enjoyed, whereas on original idea is viewed as more of a gamble. If it wasn’t already official, the Golden Age of Hollywood is over, and the Age of Sequels is in full swing.

In August 2017, it was reported that 178 sequels were in the works at various production companies. Since 2000, the number of sequel released per year has spiked from around 5 to 38 in 2016.

The primary motivation for this is, of course, the money. Even though sequels consistently make less money than the original hits, the average revenue for sequels is nearly 5 times the average for all movies released in a given year.

While original movies are typically either a hit or a flop, sequels can be counted on to make money, even if we don’t like them as much.

Of course, this problem is compounded by the “Marvel Effect” and the

A Quiet Place: Released April 6th, Rated PG-13

success of reboots of old franchises.

Pretty much everyone loves the Marvel movies, and they’ve built a franchise/ “movie universe” of 18+ movies all connected to each other, and all relatively successful. Iron Man, Thor and Captain America each have three movies, Guardians of the Galaxy has 2, and of course the Avengers series just released its fourth movie. With the money making power generated by these movies, it has compelled other studios to try and create their own three piece successes. Things like Despicable Me (3 movies) and Pitch Perfect (3 movies) are good examples of how easily these franchises can turn sour and make fans wonder why they decided to make sequels. Additionally, the success of the Star Wars and Star Trek reboots motivate the studios to try and create a universe that fans want to come back to, so that they can profit off of a few ideas for decades. Of course, these great sequels and reboots are the exceptions, not the rules, but that doesn’t stop the companies from trying.

In order for a sequel to be successful, it needs to straddle the line between familiar and foreign. Too foreign and audiences will think it’s weird, too familiar, and it gets terrible reviews and box office revenue. That’s why the Marvel movies and reboots work so well. THey contain elements of the familiar while remaining familiar and drawing the audience in. Interesting-

ly, the most critically acclaimed and successful movies tend to be original hits. It’s rare that the sequel is ever as good as the original, but audiences love originals the most. Movies like It, La La Land, and A Quiet Place are good examples of movies that were well rewarded, original risks.

So while sequels are the most consistent and reliable bet, they really aren’t the best for studios. People get tired of the rehashing of former classics, but fall in love with new ideas. Something that movie studios seem to forget is that you need a good original to make a sequel, and they don’t seem to be coming around too often now.

Admit One There are 53 sequels or reboots coming out in 2018. Here are some original movies to support this year.

Black Panther: Released February 17th, Rated PG-13 april 2018

Christopher Robin: Releasing August 3rd, Rated N/A a&e

35

Spotlight on spring fashion

ashleigh tain editorial board

emily bach staff writer

S

pring is a time in which fashion blooms with the flowers. The typically darker tones of winter are replaced by lighter and brighter colors, beckoning with them a time of exploration and new styles. This season trends like vibrant yellows, gingham patterns, and embroidered denim are quickly diffusing into the mainstream. But, many fashion lovers at Oakton and beyond are experimenting with ways to make the trends their own. This month, we spoke to Sophomore Hannah Hunt about her personal style journey and how fashion has effected her lifestyle.

Hannah: For my first outfit, I’m wearing a screen-printed tee shirt that my sister designed on Photoshop to mimic one that we saw on Instagram, some embroidered Madewell shorts with little flowers, light pink gingham socks, and white birkenstocks. The second outfit I’m wearing is made up of a cropped blue and white striped tee shirt with light wash overalls and adidas superstars.

And, for my third outfit, I’m wearing flowy gingham pants from Zara with a yellow tank top and espadrilles.

How would you describe your fashion before moving here?

When I lived in Las Vegas, I had a very preppy style. I wore a lot of collared shirts, polos, and Ralph Lauren, which I did because I wanted to wear things that nobody else was wearing.

How has your fashion evolved moving here?

My fashion has completely changed. By moving here, there’s a lot less experimentation with people’s style, and they don’t typically have different self identities within

“Most of the time everyone wears the same thing and approach fashion less as an artform but more as another basic necessity of living, which I find really sad because I think fashion is one of the simplest easiest artforms that there is.” their clothing. Most of the time everyone wears the same thing and approach fashion less as an artform but more as another basic necessity of living, which I find really sad because I think fashion is one of the simplest easiest artforms that there is. So for right now, I don’t really want to commit to a specific type of style. I wear everything from sporty to preppy to thrift store-style. Right now I’m really into Zara because I feel like it has a good combination of femininity and designer-esque styles.

I know that you also prefer to thrift on the West Coast, so how is that different here?

36

a&e april 2018

ribbed turtlenecks and big sweaters, but in places like Las Vegas there’s a lot interesting 90s and 80s party dresses.

My sister actually made her prom dress out of one, which was really cool to see. I feel like on the West Coast, especially in Las Vegas, there’s a lot of variety and exciting pieces I really like being able to look at pieces and know that someone enjoyed themselves wearing it.

What is one thing you like about your fashion?

I am pretty proud of the fact that I do a fairly good job of style with comfort because my mom and sister don’t really care as much about comfort with their clothing, but for me I find comfort to still be important.

How does your family influence your style?

They influence it a lot. One thing I spend a lot of time doing with people in my family is shopping because they are the reason I love fashion. They’re the reason I got into it fashion after watching Project Runway, and have kind of continued my obsession since. From going shopping to showing me things on Style.com and sharing fashion runway shows that they liked to watching Zac Posen documentaries together, they’ve been the reason behind my love of fashion but also have given me room to find my personal style. You can see between all of the girls in my family that we have a similar style but it’s different and unique in that we like different things.

The fashion column series aims to tell the stories of others through their fashion fronts and resounding endeavors. Last month, we featured students who confide in ethical fashion to promote the environment while using recycled clothes to give a new identity (be sure to check these features in our latest print issue). This month, we turn to a truly unique style that is symbolic of change and anchors persistence.

As fashion is reflective of its ambient culture and society, Hunt’s style resonates her evolved west coast spirit and her family’s influence.

Most notably, Hunt’s older sister has revolutionized her interpretation of art, individuality, and experimentation in fashion. In this pursuit, the material brands are the backbone of style and confidence to match is the heart of being unapologetically yourself. Despite the overwhelming and contagious trends of the east coast, Hunt has always remained true to the style she grew up with; one that is both familiar and exotic.

april 2018

a&e

37

“Beychella” 2018: the rundown

amy dai staff writer

How Beyonce revolutionized the Coachella festival What is Coachella?

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly referred to as Coachella, is an annual music festival that takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Initially co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, Coachella features a variety musical artists from many genres of music, including indie, rock, and hip hop, as well as a display of contemporary art installations and sculptures in which visitors can take photos at. Coachella is known to be inclusive to all artists as it not only allows the performance of well known artists, but also gives those new to the industry a chance to perform as well.

As Coachella has become more popular and prominent on large social media platforms, it has also become the most profitable music festival in the world. The festivals that took place between 2013 and 2015 set new records for the number of attendees and gross revenues. This growing success has led to Goldenvoice, an entertainment company, to establish two new music festivals at the site in the California desert, Stagecoach and Desert Trip. Since the establishment of these smaller festivals, Coachella itself has notably gained more fame as celebrities and famous figures all flock to the venue at this time of year to join in on the fun, encouraging their fan base and the general public to do the same.

Beyonce’s Performance

38

a&e april 2018

Moreover, Beyonce’s yellow Alpha Phi Alpha hoodie gave special acknowledgement to historically black colleges and universities. Specifically, it referenced the fraternity at Cornell University as it was the first black inter-college fraternity that Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King, and Jesse Owens were members of. Most importantly, Beyonce saved the most prominent political imagery for a vest that was sewn with many patches that were black power symbols.

“I hope the world simultaenously pays it due respect to the rich black culture, faithful black elders and ancestors who live through Beyonce.”

All eyes were on Beyonce as she not only pulled off a stunning performance, but was also part of a larger movement whose purpose was to advocate for black rights. All aspects of Beyonce’s performance symbolized black power: from the songs she performed to

photo courtesy of Unsplash

the outfits her team designed, she “echoed the resilience of people a people who continue to be criminalised and persecuted for sitting, standing, walking, talking, laughing, thinking, riding in cars, breathing and for being black in America.” Beyonce, who has always been a strong civil rights advocate and supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, collaborated with costume designer Olivier Rousteing to create the symbolic costumes. Her centerpiece costume featured a headdress and outfit inspired by Queen Nefertiti, the Queen of Egypt and ruled alongside her husband, Akhenaten, while he was pharaoh. Due to her high status during their reign, she has come to be a symbol of feminism in which many civil rights activists turn to as a beacon of black power.

Beyonce’s songs and choreography also contributed to this larger theme of black empowerment as well. During one of her performances, she sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song about black empowerment.

According to Christi Henderson, a senior member of America’s largest online racial advocacy organization, “I hope the world simultaneously pays it due respect to the rich black culture, faithful black elders and ancestors who live through Beyonce.” Beyonce continues to not only be one of the most successful pop singers in the industry, but also serves as an inspiration to the younger generations’ future activists.

Summer time activities

Some ideas for having fun in the hot summer sun

T

he weather is getting warmer and before we know it summer will be here. Many kids will say that summer is there favorite time of the year, there are plenty of great memories people associate with summer, many people have planned vacations, the weather is warm, and best of all there is no school. Even if you are not going on any extravagant trips this summer there are plenty of fun things you can do. Some Oakton students talked about what their favorite things to do in summer were.

Most kids have access to a pool during the summer which is a great opportunity to get together with your friends. “In the summer swimming is always the ideal choice but you can mix it up with a water balloon fight,” Advait Menon (10). You could easily buy some water balloons on amazon or at target. Another fun thing to do during the summer is use a slip and slide. “Last year my friends and I found this slip and slide at target and it was one of my favorite

photo courtesy of sarah thompson

memories from last summer,” Tommy Mika (9).

There are also plenty of fun summer treats you can make with friends. You can make homemade popsicles with juice, or soda. Since most fruit is in season during the summer there are plenty of healthy snack ideas you can make with some yummy fresh fruit. Apps like pinterest and youtube have many recipes to make all kinds of snacks that are fun to eat and and fun to make. Since it can get very hot during the summer months in Virginia it is important to stay hydrated, Drinking lots of water is always important especially when it is so hot outside. There is a countless number of drinks you can make in the summer.

Since we live on the east coast we are lucky enough to live only a few hours from the beach. The beach is the epitome of summer vacation, no one can resist the salt air, the sound of the waves crashing and the feeling of sand

kalina boshkovska staff writer beneath your feet. “Going to the beach is an obvious activity for summer,” said Julia Hamilton (10). The beach is the perfect place to create some summer memories with your friends or with your family. In the day time you can soak up some sun but there are plenty of things you can do at night as well. “I like night time activities, like star gazing or walking around as the sun sets.

I like doing this later because it’s less hot,” said Hamilton (10).

Although getting some vitamin D great, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. It is important not to spend too much time in the sun because it can give you some really nasty sunburns and heat exposure is not something to joke about either. It is important that during the summer students remember to have a good time but to be safe at the same time.

april 2018

a&e

39

opinion

Society through our screens

Today’s youth is being influenced by violent video games

W

e live in a society governed by social media and technology. Recent surges in video game popularity seem like just another foothold technology has over our lives. In the current era of technology, video games have become widely accepted as a societal norm, despite video game content or audience age. Many video games on the market showcase violent simulations of shooting and killing other players. While these video games have become accepted as a general trend, few people pause to think about the effect video games might have on today’s youth and society.

Video games are not a new phenomenon and definitely are not temporary. “Our society is going so digital, like you’re starting to play games on your phone. I don’t think video games are going anywhere,” said Ms. Sunray Cho, Chemistry 1 Honors teacher. Ms. Cho herself is an avid video game player, having played since she was in college. Ms. Cho plays League of Legends the most since she has played it for so long.

She also enjoys playing games on her PC and watching people stream video games live.

Other popular video games include CS Go, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto.

Most recently, the video game Fortnite has attracted a significant amount of popularity. Fortnite is a game in which 100 players leap out of a plane onto an island and fight one another until only one player remains. Competitors collect weapons to fight and kill one another in order to win the game. Throughout the years, society has normalized such shooting games and these games are easily accepted as part of today’s fads. Many people often forget that while these are just games, such simulations normalizes violence by pitting people against people for imag-

40

opinion april 2018

wendy gao staff writer

inary reasons. In many instances, players of these games are young children or teenagers who are being exposed to violence at an early age. The emerging video game trend normalizes these games and encourages younger audiences to engage in violent video games that encourage shooting and killing for entertainment.

Violence in video games has been a topic of hot discussion over the years. “I know people are thinking ‘You’re shooting people in games’ but I think it’s how you react to those imitations,” says Ms. Cho. To Ms. Cho, video games have a greater impact on society in the way they facilitate communication.

Many video games feature voice comms, which allow gamers to communicate with each other live over a microphone. Negative comments are often hurled carelessly in these voice comms. “People talk a lot about toxicity in voice comms of some games. I feel like our society needs to communicate better and not be so toxic to each other,” says Ms. Cho. With a large number of young teens on voice comms and behind video game controllers, they are increasingly influenced by the language and media seen on video games. Toxic voice comms promote negative behaviors and personalities while also exposing many young children to a vulgar environment.

Despite these negative effects that video games might have on society, the recent rise of video games has brought along many positive outlooks. “Video games are a good way to relax and socialize with others. I think they provide a social activity and can help with quick decision making,” says Evan Witzcak, 11. Witzcak regularly plays Hearthstone with his friends and uses it to relieve stress. Strategic games like Hearthstone promote critical thinking and encourage problem solving skills. While many of the video games seen in today’s society feature violence and shooting, many of them also encourage strategizing and teamwork. “I like to play League for the competitive piece and also coming together with people you don’t know and trying to do something with teamwork,” says Ms. Cho. To all the gamers out there, don’t get me wrong; video games are fun and enjoyable. The purpose of this article is not to discourage playing video games or following the video game trend. With such a large number of video games involving violence, it is important to be aware of what such games are portraying. In the current age of technology and artificial intelligence, we should simply all be mindful of the screens we are placing before our eyes.

te ur co sy c of s he rc hv

Drawing the line between

FASHION...

Coachella Music Festival is a great chance to express yourself style-wise, but more often than not, limits are pushed.

T

he Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has always been infamous for questionable fashion choices among the thousands of attendees. For some, it can be a chance to try something new and crazy that they normally wouldn’t in their daily life. For others, Coachella is an exhibition of the racist and offensive.

The annual festival of nearly 20 years has created an entire sub-genre of style, easily labeled as “Coachella Fashion”. In its wake, Coachella Fashion has normalized the wear of culturally sensitive items such as Indian Bindis and Native American Headdresses as fashion statements. The list goes on: dashikis, cornrows, kimonos.

Cultural appropriation, by definition, is the ‘adoption of elements from a minority culture by a dominant culture’. We see it often in the style world; more often than it should appear, meaningful dress of historically marginalized groups becomes a new ‘trend’ in fashion.

Certain celebrities are also notorious for appropriating cultures that are not theirs: Kylie Jenner posting a picture of herself on Instagram with her hair braided into cornrows. Katy Perry performing as a Geisha (for which she has since apologized).

What makes it different from the sharing of culture, though?

That would be the imbalance of power not present in equal cultural exchange. There are numerous schools of thoughts on this issue.

Some believe that the idea of having things exclusive to certain cultures is insensitive in and of itself, a backwards step in the journey to a world without borders. Others believe that turning important elements of entire cultures into a fashion statement is inappropriate, whether it be at a music festival or on the streets.

“I think also people might think because it’s a special occasion it’s fine,” Hannah Hunt (10) said on the issue. “They might think it’s okay because they’re dressing up in it as a fashion or a costume, but that mindset is offensive in and of itself.”

No matter what angle you look at it from, cultural appropriation is continued marginalization of the groups that have been persecuted all throughout history. Whether or not wearers intend offense in their outfit choices, wearing a cultural item as a fashion statement is harming much more than helping the image of ‘minority’ groups in the United States and the world.

and emily richardson staff writer

OFFENSIVE rte

u co sy of n

so

ja e

ss

r pe

april 2018

opinion

41

I hate Mark Zuckerberg and you should too jake neuffer editoria board

In mid 2017, about when we all began accepting this current political hell as our reality, Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post, “We aren’t born hating each other. We aren’t born with such extreme views.”

It was certainly a nice thought, but Mark Zuckerberg, I think I was born hating you.

42 opinion april 2018

A

s far back as I can remember, just hearing Zuckerberg’s name left a sour taste in my mouth. But I couldn’t really put my finger on why. I’ve tried not hating him, I really have. He does have some redeeming qualities, after all. He is a philanthropist, he’s incredibly smart, and he was the pioneer of the social media revolution. So, to reconcile with my feelings, I set off on a spiritual journey to try and like him and realized, while researching, that I simply couldn’t. No matter how I tried to spin it, I just hated Mark Zuckerberg. Here, I have compiled why.

My negative feelings towards the world’s first android turned businessman probably began far before I could really understand these emotions. “The Social Network,” the movie dramatization of Mark Zuckerberg’s first experience with being an information peeping-tom, provided me with my first impressions of the man.

If you aren’t familiar with the plot of the movie, it doesn’t shine a good light on Zuckerberg. In it, he creates a prank website called “Facemash” which allowed Harvard students to rate the attractiveness of individual girls on campus (if this sounds like something that stereotype frat bro with computer skills would do, that’s because he was, indeed, a frat bro). Later in the movie, Zuckerberg gets sued for stealing the idea for Facebook from some of his peers after preemptively screwing them out of shares of the company.

While Zuckerberg denies that these events unfolded in real life exactly as they did in the movie, the film definitely doesn’t make him look good. It doesn’t help that Zuckerberg ultimately had

to pay $65 million to the Winklevoss twins for stealing their idea, meaning there’s good reason to be skeptical of his denial.

And there’s also the privacy issue, a situation so glaring that it has enmeshed itself into his character. It’s no secret that Facebook has had privacy issues in the past (after all, people upload information about their entire lives onto the platform).

Zuckerberg has done a terrible job of allaying these fears.

In an interview at a 2010 tech conference, Zuckerberg sat down with an interviewer who promptly grilling him questions about Facebook’s privacy policies, at which point Zuckerberg began sweating profusely.

And, in this context, profusely means profusely. It got so bad that many journalists felt safe in labeling this his Nixon moment (as the ex-president was known for drenching himself while on stage). When answering questions, Zuckerberg gave extremely vague answers and, ultimately, said that many of Facebook’s privacy clauses were not decided with users in mind and that they would be wise to “review them personally.” While this interview certainly looked sketchy, it didn’t tell us anything for certain - we got the Cambridge Analytica scandal for that.

If you aren’t familiar with the Cambridge Analytica situation, here is a brief summary.

Facebook sold data on up to 87 million users to a researcher who then passed it on to political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica who, lo and behold, was working with the Trump campaign. Not only did Facebook initially refuse to come clean about this, but we have no idea how often these kinds of transactions really happen this is just the one time they got

caught.

Because of this, Information Age Monopoly Man recently did a series of hearings on the Senate and House floors in order to explain Facebook’s position on data mining. And, by explain, I mean evade every possible question. His slithering was only aided by the fact that Senators and Representatives were given very limited time for questioning, and that the vast majority of them (because so many of our congressmen are old white men) spent their time trying to decipher what, exactly, a “face book” is. Regardless, Zuckerberg acted exactly as expected and was no help in getting to the bottom of the case.

If we want even more evidence that The Zuck doesn’t care about our privacy, leaked IMs from the early days of facebook reveal him saying, “If you ever want info on anyone from Harvard just ask me” before calling users “dumb f*cks” for trusting him.

This is the principle reason why I think I have such a distaste for Zuckerberg. While he has a glitzy social media presence (being the head of Facebook and all), his character and actions seem to contradict that image. Rather than being a slightly clueless but endearing character, like protagonists HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” he seems to act like the antagonists in that show: self serving, glory seeking, and apathetic to the needs of actual people.

I suppose that’s why I dislike Zuckerberg so much more than other businessmen (there are plenty), because he doesn’t own the general indifference. Rather, he seems to maintain a false air of genuineness that simply isn’t there. In other words: he is the fakest man in the world.

april 2018

opinion

43

Legalize it!

ashley shepard staff writer

As 4/20 comes and goes, many activists are calling for legislation change The history of cannabis cultivation in America dates back to the early colonists, who grew hemp for textiles and rope. Political and racial factors in the 20th century led to the criminalization of marijuana in the United States, though its legal status is changing in many places. 2016 was a big year for elections. The one that comes to mind is most likely the presidential election. However, it was also the year that many US states voted on the legalization of marijuana. Taking a page out of Colorado or Washington’s book, four states—California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine—decided to make marijuana consumption for recreational purposes legal. Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota voted to allow medical marijuana while Arizona defeated that move. There are benefits for legalizing marijuana such as economic, social ,and law enforcement reasons. Below are just some of the positives and negatives to legalizing marijuana.

For Legalization

Against Legalization Social Reasons

Social Reasons

- Criminalization of marijuana is unwarranted government intrusion into individual freedom of choice.

- Marijuana is no more harmful to a person’s health than alcohol or tobacco, which are both legal and widely used, and regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

- Availability of medicinal marijuana which has proven medical benefits for patients suffering from a host of ailments and diseases, including cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma - Improved quality and safety control

Law Enforcement Reasons

- According to the FBI Unified Crime Statistics, 587,700 people were arrested in 2016 for marijuana-related crimes, more than for all violent crimes like murder and rape combined.

- As a result, marijuana arrests place an undue burden on our judicial system.

- Allows police and courts to focus on violent crimes - Decrease in drug related gang violence

- Much in the same way that pro-life advocates seek to make abortion illegal for all based on moral reasons, so do some Americans who wish to make marijuana illegal because they believe its use is immoral.

- Long-term or abusive use of marijuana can be harmful to a person’s health and well-being - Second-hand smoke from marijuana can be harmful to others

Law Enforcement Reasons

- Some opponents of legalizing marijuana believe that individuals involved in illegal buying and selling of the drug are more likely than average to be involved in other crimes and that society is safer with marijuana offenders incarcerated - Law enforcement agencies don’t want to be construed as supporting drug use.

Fiscal Reasons

- Marijuana is one of America’s top-selling agricultural products - According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, combined four-year sales of marijuana for that state since it legalized cannabis in 2014 has now topped $4.5 billion - If marijuana was legalized and regulated, an estimated $8 billion would be saved annually in government spending on enforcement, including for the FBI and U.S.-Mexico border security.

photo courtesy of google.com

Much of the conversations surrounding legalizing marijuana doesn’t include a crucial issue: The people already incarcerated. Due to the racial backgrounds of criminalizing marijuana, most of these incarcerated men and women are minorities. This leads to a large amount of minorities being released from jails or prisons with a criminal record. And due to their criminal record, it makes it very difficult to hold a steady job. This leads to a spiraling cycle that continuously disproportionately affects minorities country wide. Activists around the country are calling for the legalization of marijuana as well as the release of inmates on nonviolent drug charges and the expungement of those records to ensure these newly released people can be employed. If these are issues you feel strongly about, make yourself heard!

Attend the Global Marijuana March on May 5, 2018 in Washington DC!

44 opinion april 2018

Is prom just for the

privileged?

rebecca woodhouse editor-in-chief

With prom this past weekend, many juniors and seniors spent hundreds of dollars on one night- which begs the question, is prom just for the people who can afford it?

I

f there is one thing that screams high school, it has to be prom. The school dance that requires planning on end, and some serious cash for most people in Northern Virginia.

This begs the question, is prom an experience that is only for the privileged?

The best way to consider the question is to recognize why some people may think this. For many Oakton juniors and seniors, prom can cost upward of $375. Breaking down the cost for the guy, if he pays for the dance ($120), dinner ($80), a new tie ($25) and a portion of the cost for a limousine ($150) — that’s already $375. If the girl doesn’t pay for dinner or the dance, she still has the cost for buying a dress ($200), jewelry and shoes ($100), as well as makeup, nails, and hair ($75). With this estimation, the girl could be spending up to $375 as well.

A large part of going to prom is getting dressed up and showing off one’s best, and putting their best face forward.

In many high school cultures, this means spending the most to have extravagant dresses and luxurious rides to one school dance. The fear of not having something good enough, or not looking up to the occasion is the reason for a large portion of the spending for what has to be one of the most expensive dates of the year. , It could be seen as insane that people would spend so much money for just one night out.

Going back to the question of prom just being for the privileged, however, the answer is that it doesn’t have to be. A question like that could be considered very elitist, as in the idea that only people who have the affluent lifestyle that is more common to Northern Virginia could have a successful prom. While a large portion of people who live in this area can afford to spend money on a night out, going to a school dance isn’t something that should be something that forces

people to worry about their personal finances.

The idea of something being privileged stems back to the idea of knowing what can be defined as privileged. It can go back to the idea of knowing that, unlike one in six people in America, most people in Northern Virginia know where their next meal is coming from. It can go back to the idea that in 2016 the United States Census Bureau reported that the median household income for Virginia in 2016 was $66,149, compared to $40,528 in Mississippi.

The topic of privilege and how it relates to Northern Virginia is a difficult topic to talk about. No one likes hearing that because they live in a more affluent area, their worldview is changed, but this has to be the case. This isn’t to say that everyone who lives in Northern Virginia is privileged, or that people who don’t live in this area can’t have the same mindset, but the privilege does exist. It’s a matter of looking outside of the bubble we all live in and not believing that simple things, like high school dances, are better or more fulfilling in areas with more money.

Going to prom and having a good time should not be something that is dependent on the amount of money one has, and for that reason prom is for everyone. While not to say that prom is ever going to be cheap, there are many ways to cut down on the cost so prom is more affordable for everyone.

Girls can probably get away with doing each other’s hair or makeup, and the guy can probably find a tie somewhere that would work as well. Spending an exorbitant amount of money isn’t what makes prom seem like an essential part of the high school experience. In other words, prom doesn’t have to be for the privileged, but the culture we are a part of can make it seem like it.

april 2018

opinion

45

Memorable Moments “Why do cows not have toes? Because they lack toes.”

- Nico Rivera, 10

“My favorite song from Moana is ‘You’re Welcome’.”

- Natalie Waple, 9

“H+ is the king daddy of “You don’t have acids.” to be on the - Ms. Giordano Honor Roll to be on a roll.”

“Grades aren’t important, you are!”

- Nico Hiep 12 - Erin Lento, 12

“I’m in the final three for Drama’s game of ‘Assassin’ and I literally have to look over my shoulder every two seconds. ” - Kate Vietmeyer, 11

“Did you remember to look both ways before you crossed my mind?”

- Maddie Shannon

“I am not your bro.”

- Ms. Guzman

“Slanted asymptotes have been on my mind a lot lately “Somebody once told me that and I don’t know why.”

I look like Fruity Poppin’.”

- Maggie Mark, 10 - Hailey Choi, 9