VOL. 12 | ISSUE 2
Official Newspaper of Oakton High School
OUTLOOK
8. SADIES BALL everything you need to know about Oakton’s new dance
27. RACE IN TV
the importance of representation in television
OCTOBER 2018
32. FAIRFAX RULES ON CLIMATE
fcps takes steps to help the environment where others don’t
editor
snailmail Dear Oakton, We are getting deeper into the dimension of fall and deeper into the scheme of the school year. Many things are coming into perspective as we are adapting to the steady and rigorous momentums of the school year. The energy is high and low and the academic atmosphere is tense as we are nearing the end of the quarter. In the midst of all this stress, pride, disappointment, hard work, and exhaustion, we have stories to tell and perspectives to share— from one student to another. Although the end of the quarter is notorious for the resonating panic and frantic bust within students, it is so important to maintain perspective of mental health (pages 2-3) and dissect the stigma around student resources (page 20). And just as important, the understanding the prevalence of physical illnesses and diseases during the colder seasons (page 22 and 26). In retrospect to the current events at Oakton, our front cover features a skewed and tamed interpretation of the vandalism at Oakton. And this is one of the few themes that is demonstrated throughout our pages. Our more extensive knowledge of school vandalism along with external opinions is featured on (page 10). In par with Oakton admin, we also discuss the policy of blocked websites according to FCPS (page 6) and the exteriority of Oakton lockdown effectiveness on (page 7). We delve into the science of peer pressure (page 24) and the evident drug use at Oakton from the contrasting perspective of alumni and students (page 17). On a more lighthearted note, the progressive reality of the Winter Ball styled similarly to Sadie Hawkins (page 9) and highlights from the Best Buddies Friendship Walk (page 31) demonstrate the evolution of Oakton’s culture. We recognize the student community through the Sophomore Science Fair (page 34) and Spanish Odes gallery (page 38-39). We hope you find stories to enjoy our second issue of the year, as there is something for everyone. The staff, as always, have put in lots of work to broadcasting a plethora of content that represents everyone and report on news that you care about. Good luck to everyone for the first quarter; remember to stay positive and healthy.
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 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 258. The Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and content provided the meaning remains unchanged.
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We will see you next month.
Ashleigh Tain and Jake Neuffer Editors-in-Chief
oaktonoutlook.com @oaktonoutlook @OaktonOutlook
interview and photography submissions are open to all drawing by gigi pham-ton
table of
contents editorial board editors in chief
jake neuffer ashleigh tain
editorial board
katerina faben riya jain emily bach courtney te zoe saugar payton wozny sahithi jammulamadaka
adviser acting advisor
elizabeth snyder joanna esty
oakton news
this site can’t be reached oakton: high security sophomore capstone changes the agony of asking destruction of property
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
virginia senate race what’s going on with kanye west? bringing down democracy tenth district congressional midterm
11 12 13 14
comparison culture: oakton’s underlying mental issues oakton renovation updates
politics
staff writers amira bashir genevieve bavisotto sara boddie portia dai madelyn flickinger andres gonzalez katie le connor maloney alexandra martschenko claudia messina sebastian osea veronica preaskorn anabelle rosse cole starmer kariann tan asher tankel
elizabeth thompson nikhil trivedi abudukadier cainaipuguli katherine zevallos olivia garrone aubrey harrell sarah jeffries conor krouse william locklin haley longfellow kartik mukalla sally park zoe saugar zoe siamon pari abdollahi brendan bellingham wendy gao jacob rutzick
sports winter sports preview cheerleaders are going to districts
15 16
opinion smoketon it’s time to stop procrastination time to reflect: an interview
17 18 19
indepth debunking the stigma around mental health integrity at oakton why changing fall and winter weather spurs sickness more of the good stuff; why there should be more school presentations impact of the urge horror writing tips is polio back?
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
the evolution of minority representation on television thou shalt not awaken a sleeping giant disney halloween movies: ranked 2018 fall aesthetics
27 28 29 30
a&e
feature best buddies friendship walk fundraising best places to eat near oakton changes to chemistry ap capstone takes on the pulitzer center a solution for stress changes are happening a gallery of spanish odes winter indoor’s new distance coach club volleyball: everything you need to know
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
2
OAKTON NEWS COMPARISON CULTURE: OAKTON’S UNDERLYING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
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y hand rests on the curve of her shoulder. It’s been there for hours now, and as hard as I’ve tried, I can’t move it.
“This isn’t worth it; this can’t be worth it,” she says, her voice quivering as it tries to wrap itself around the words. Her cheeks are stained with tears. At first they shimmered as they ran across her skin, but in the last hour, they’ve begun to blend in. To our left is a stack of AP Chemistry practice problems. Many of them are marked with red ink, and as they progress, the marks get more and more aggressive. They started as short notes, but by the end, look more like violent slashes. I’ve only been beside her for a few hours, but I’ve been here for many more. I’ve heard the same words before, uttered from different lips, surrounded by different papers, but nonetheless the same. “This isn’t worth it; this can’t be worth it,” she repeats, and she’s right. It isn’t worth it, or at the very least, it shouldn’t have to be.
This survey on its own is largely representative of National Institute of Mental Illness’ data on depression among teenagers. Less than .2% of all teenagers reach out to suicide hotlines each year, despite the estimated 3.1 million young people that struggle with depression in the United States alone. At first glance, this might appear to mean that there are fewer teenagers contemplating suicide. But, many experts have found that instead of reaching out, many students have been forced to fill the roles of counselors and therapists for teenagers suffering from depression. There are a number of reasons that young people could be disincentivized to call for help. These include fear of backlash, their natural inability to self-diagnose, and most prominently among the friends of depressed teenagers, fear of losing their friend’s trust. Additionally, often the circumstances that surround depression make deciding whether or not to call difficult, like unsafe home environments, illegal activities, and more. For some, calling can feel like putting a loved one in more danger, rather than alleviating it.
*** In the last two months, I’ve made three lists, each for a different person. They were titled “Reasons to Live Another Day”. One was scribbled onto damp loose-leaf paper, another was furiously typed on my phone, and the third was uttered in the dew hours of the morning. And just as the people that they were written for aren’t alone, I’m not either. I asked 50 Juniors at Oakton High School if they had ever considered calling a suicide hotline in the two months, either for themselves or for a friend. 23 said they had, with 15 specifying that they had considered doing so on behalf of a friend. Though that’s admittedly a small sample size, the numbers themselves depict an alarming number of students that have dealt with serious worries of mental illness since the beginning of Junior year. Out of curiosity, I conducted a similar survey among 50 Freshmen at Oakton, and the results were shockingly different. Only 4 said they had considered calling a suicide hotline, all of whom said they had considered doing so on behalf of a friend.
“The very notion that the stress of Junior year is causing serious mental health concerns (...) should indicate a broader problem with Oakton’s culture surrouding academics.” Regardless, seeking professional help when dealing with mental illness is a vital first step to recovery. Oakton has a multitude of services that can help struggling students manage schoolwork, their mood, and any outstanding issues that contribute to students’ mental health issues. However,
it’s also important to recognize the broader issues within Oakton that impact mental health. Though these struggles aren’t unique to Oakton students, their prominence and sharp increase from Freshman to Junior year should be a cause for concern. When conducting my survey, almost everyone that described worrying about mental illness cited burnout or stress as the primary reason for their concerns. Given this, it logically makes sense that stress, and thus mental health worries, would increase from Freshman to Junior year given the rigor of typical Junior courses. But, the very notion that the stress of Junior year is causing serious mental health concerns, to the point of suicidal tendencies, should indicate a broader problem with Oakton’s culture surrounding academics. The need for perfectionism and highly-competitive nature of Northern Virginia, in addition to Oakton’s long-standing record of academic success, creates a pressure-cooker environment for students. It’s not uncommon to hear of students retaking tests that they received A-s on, and complaining about SAT scores that are well above the national average. But, these behaviors are most problematic when combined with the comparison-oriented nature of Oakton. When teachers choose favorites based on letter grades, students choose friends based on intelligence, and Oakton largely chooses its recognized students based on academic performance over character, it’s natural that an environment that favors the brilliant will arise. For students that underperform, or even students that fear underperforming, Oakton’s environment is and will continue to be problematic until significant steps are taken to break it down. There is no monolithic solution to Oakton’s mental health problem, but recognizing that a problem exists is an important first step to changing it.
emily bach editorial board
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october issue
FROM A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE A series of firsthand accounts with mental health, as told by the people at the center of Oakton’s cultural failings. [My friend] hadn’t left her bed in six days. She talked differently too. I tried asking if she was okay, or if there was anything that I could do to help, but she always said that there wasn’t. I felt so helpless. I know that that’s selfish of me, and that I shouldn’t make it about me, but I worried about her all the time. I just wanted her to get better. But I didn’t know what to do. People always tell us to talk to adults, but what do you do when you can’t? [Her home life] would’ve been worse if I had called. I still don’t know if I made the right decision not to. She’s been better in the last couple of weeks, but I’m still scared. I kind of think I always will be.
anonymous, junior I kind of feel like everyone is always stressed. Everyone says that that’s normal for teenagers but I don’t think it should be normal - especially not like this. I saw someone crying in the bathroom for the first time yesterday. For guys you don’t really see that a lot. I walked out, but I thought about it a lot that day. It just doesn’t make sense that people are crying over due dates and tests and assignments. We’re young. It only gets worse from here - the pressure. I don’t even want to think about how it is going to get worse. A lot of my girl friends have called me crying, but I think it’s worse for guys here. We’re not supposed to cry. It’s hard though - to hold it all in. I’m usually okay but I don’t think everyone is. I kind of think we’re just all pretending, and trying to convince ourselves that if we pretend hard enough, we’ll be okay.
jack, junior My best friend has been depressed for a long time. When she first told me I didn’t believe her. She always seemed really happy. It never occurred to me that she wasn’t. I always talk to her about it, and I’ve tried to be a good friend, even though I’m not sure how to be. There’s no guidebook on how to do this. Sometimes she would get mad at me for asking her how she was, because she knew that I wanted to see how her depression was. That sucked, because I felt like I was doing it all wrong, even though I don’t have any idea how to do it right. It’s gotten easier as she goes through recovery. It’s still not okay. Whenever she doesn’t respond to my texts I get worried. One night she didn’t respond at all and I almost called. I hate always having to worry, but she’s worth it.
anonymous, junior I almost called the suicide hotline on myself. I had studied for my Precalc-Honors final for like 20 hours; it had been all weekend, and I still failed. I was so scared to go home that I had a panic attack. My parents expect a lot out of me. They moved here, and it was really, really hard for them to build a life for themselves. So, they expect me to do the same, except better. I have more resources than they ever did. All they had was hard work. I don’t even know if I have that. Nobody found me having a panic attack, and I didn’t tell my friends, so I went home. They yelled at me for hours. I get it, I actually failed, I mean I was upset too. They told me I was a failure, and they were right. I was so tired at that point. I didn’t do it, and I don’t think I actually would have hurt myself, but I wanted to then, and I never had before, so it scared me.
anonymous, junior Oakton is super toxic at times. Students should never be this tired. They should never run on pure caffeine. Everyone here puts up this front like they’re breezing through their 14,000 AP classes and curing cancer all at the same time, but they’re not. Nobody is- it’s not possible. Nobody here is perfect but everyone pretends like they are because everyone else pretends like they are. For a long time I believed it- that everyone else was perfect and I was insuperior. But I’m not, I’m just honest. A lot of people aren’t that here, and it makes it worse for everyone. I feel like we’re all hiding the sadness and showing the happiness because it’s easier. It feels easier even though it’s not in the long run. But how do you say that? It’s scary to be the first one to admit you’re imperfect. It feels really lonely. I think we chase perfection because we want to fit in more than anything.
kelly, sophomore
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1
What are the main areas being renovated while school is in session?
Mr. Full: Eventually, all classrooms will be renovated and 20 new ones will be added. Currently, though, the main office, library, lecture hall, science hall, dance studio, and counselling has or is being renovated. After the last game of the football season, we will also be adding a new cougar path that is handicap accessible and another concession stand with bathrooms.
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Sounds good! So, when do you estimate the new halls will be open to students?
Mr. Full: Starting next year, some of the halls will be opening, but others will be closing as construction moves to other parts of the school. Nothing is opening up this year though because the first phase is the hardest and longest. Eventually, we’ll be opening up a larger main hall that we’ll call “Oakton hall”, and have a larger main gym that will seat up at 1738 people.
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Given the current state of the parking lot, should we expect to see improved parking for next year?
Mr. Full: Definitely! Next year will have improved parking with an extra parking lot near the new softball field. It’s on the high priority list and we are trying to make improvements as soon as possible.
Mr. Full is an Oakton liason and part of the administration team.
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october issue
4
I see. When can we expect to see the softball team working practicing on the new field?
Mr. Full: Most likely this spring, but it will for sure be in time for their next season.
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What is the estimated amount of the annual budget going towards renovations at Oakton?
Mr. Full: Around two years ago, FCPS voted on a $88 million bond. As of 2018, the construction costs are especially high, although I can’t disclose exactly how much.
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Lastly, when is construction scheduled to end? Is there an official end date or is it estimated?
Mr. Full: Construction is supposed to take around 4 years, but there are additional factors that effect that time period, such as the weather.
brendan bellingham staff writer courtney te editorial board
6 THIS SITE CAN’T BE REACHED
olivia garrone staff writer
Why the FCPS network has been blocking more and more websites.
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here have always been a few websites blocked on the Fairfax County Public School wifi, but when Netflix watching was hindered by it earlier this year, students took notice. Following Netflix’s mysterious disappearance, other popular websites began to be blocked, such as Buzzfeed. More and more sites keep disappearing from the FCPS repertoire, leaving students and teachers alike with questions. What websites are being blocked, exactly, and why? What is next for the FCPS network? It turns out that FCPS has been filtering its content for a while now. Back in 2001, the Children’s Internet Protection Act was passed, requiring the school system to filter any content deemed inappropriate by Virginia. It’s noticeable now because it went through a major change recently. “We transitioned to a new internet content filtering provider this past summer,” said Maribeth Luftglass, the FCPS Assistant Superintendent in charge of the Department of Information Technology. “We are now working with a provider specifically focused on education to streamline our filtering process.” What does all of this blocked content have in common? Luftglass explained that there are a variety of categories FPCS filters out. These categories are filled with content inappropriate for students, such as gambling, games, and pornography. They also look at websites that get heavy traffic in FCPS, therefore burdening the network’s bandwidth (or signal). If the busy website has no educational use, they may block it for the whole division. In simple terms, if a website unrelated to school is so popular in FCPS that it is slowing down the system, it will likely become blocked. This is why Netflix
was blocked. “In addition, FCPS does not own rights to display Netflix content in the classroom,” said
Blocked Websites Including, but not limited to: Netflix.com Buzzfeed.com Googlefeud.com Agar.io Nintendo.com Miniclip.com Slither.io Etsy.com
Luftglass. Students should not have high hopes for Netflix coming back anytime soon One reason these websites are being blocked is to ensure that the network is being used how it was intended: for educational use. However, the biggest reason we continue to see the “This website is unavailable” message on our screens is because the county wants to make sure the students are safe. The internet is full of suspicious content and viruses, and it’s good that our school system is doing everything it can to protect us from that. Though students lost access to a few websites, in the long run, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the internet.
Addictinggames.com Arkadium.com Huffingtonpost.com Freegames.net Buisnessinsider.com Gamesgames.com Snapchat Epicgames.com Horoscope.com Bustle.com Answers.com
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october issue
OAKTON HIGH SECURITY Lockdown Policies & Oakton Safety pari abdollahi staff writer
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ct. 17, during Advisory, they went over the basic things to know about a lockdown. Teachers presented multiple scenarios, and students were told to discuss what they would do in the scenarios. Some of the scenarios included being in a restroom or in the hall when a lockdown was put into action. The primary goal of these scenarios was to give students a general idea of what they need to do in the event of a lockdown. According to an interview with Jamie Lane, the principal of Oakton, to get a better understanding of what the new lockdown policy is. She said “There is nothing new with the lockdown policy, but lockdown drills may happen during passing periods or the lunch period now, in order to let students understand where
nikhil trivedi staff writer
they need to go if a lockdown were to happen at any point, rather than just when students are in a classroom.” The school also wants to make sure that every room in the building and the trailers have covers for windows during lockdowns. As for basic security in Oakton, the principal said “With the renovation going on the security will be updated throughout the years with the specifications that the county comes up with. The school has control over the entrance to the school so that unknown people will not be able to get into the building. The front entrance leads right to the main office and the back entrance is locked so the people who are trying to get into the school, have to ring the doorbell or have someone from the in-
side open the door for them. Other doors will be locked during school days so no one can come into the school.” However, her only concern is working on the students letting people inside the school without knowing. This leads to the person outside not going through the normal procedure of checking in the main office. There will also be security guards going around the school during the day to keeping everything under control. The security in Oakton is very up to date even with the renovation going on they have everything control. The principal is new to the school and she really hopes to make the security here better and more improved.
8 SOPHMORE CAPSTONE CHANGES
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Sophmore capstones pave a way to a better future
fter the freshman end of year project, the POL, the capstone project is to follow sophomore year. The capstone projects at Oakton have been an occurrence for a long time now and is a pretty big part of an Oakton high schooler’s life seeing as the project continues from sophomore year to senior year with the same topic. This year, though, some changes will be occuring in the sophomore portion of the capstone. Here’s the basics of the capstone that you should know, as well as the changes that have been made this year.
What is the Capstone? Capstone Changes Q & A For the unacquainted, the capstone is a presentation project where a student chooses a scientific topic (related to the type of science class their taking) of their choosing to present about. Such topics chosen before include nuclear weapons, mirrors, and even mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. There is plenty of leeway when it comes to topics, so the student completing this project should be able to find a topic they’re interested in. It’s strongly recommended, actually, that the student find a topic they have a strong, genuine interest in as they will be using this topic for the next three years. The presentation is in the same style as the POL, where a panel made up of your advisory teacher and two other teachers evaluate your project in a classroom where other sophomores are also waiting to present. The medium used to present your data is in an infographic.
What are the big changes in this year’s sophomore capstone? We’ve asked the students to make their social studies connections related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Last year we asked all of the students to make connections related to “SPICE,” which is an acronym that is really only used in AP World History. Instead of forcing everyone to learn SPICE, we thought familiarity with the UN SDGs would provide for better student experiences. There are no other major changes this year. How would you say these changes impact the capstone experience? We hope that these changes make the social studies connections feel less arbitrary. We also hope that by connecting to a global goal, the sophomores will find topics that they are more interested in engaging with for a long period of time. Some of the best student presentations from last year featured a connection to a global issue, so we are hoping to have more students with a meaningful experience. What do you think the most important reason for the capstone’s existence is? Traditionally, school is based on teachers telling you things that we think you should know. Capstone-type projects combine service, leadership, and research with classroom assignments. In other words, capstone is a student-led experience. You decide what you’d like to learn, and with guidance from your teachers, you learn it. Do you think more changes will be made in the future? Each year the faculty reflects on the capstone experience and we actively seek student feedback on how we can provide a better, more meaningful capstone experience. We take the faculty reflection and the student feedback, and we make changes.
aubrey harrell staff writer
Any advice for sophomores doing the capstone this year? Pick a topic that you care about. Pick one of theUN SDGs you think is most important and which science topics are most interesting to you.
Will capstone be picked up by more schools soon? Last year, students at both Oakton and Justice HS (Stuart) completed capstone experiences. This year, there are more FCPS high schools joining us, but it takes time for a school to get to where we are. The schools joining us this year (Justice, Madison, West Potomac, West Springfield) will begin with Portrait of a Graduate reflections, and opportunities for students to exhibit their learning (like Exhibition of Learning and Presentation of Learning). Many of middle and elementary schools are also working on creating capstone experiences at grades 3, 5, and 7/8. These schools are Carson MS, Hughes MS, Luther Jackson MS, Colvin Run ES, Crossfield ES, Freedom Hill ES, Garfield ES, Mosby Woods ES, Navy ES, Oakton ES, Stratford Landing ES, Waples Mill ES, and Woodlawn ES. What is your favorite part about the capstone? Student choice. I love learning things from my students. What has been your personal favorite capstone topic? I’ve seen many that are impressive. The best topics are those that a student would probably learn about on his or her free time anyway. If anyone has questions about capstone, who can they talk to? All of the English, social studies, and science teachers are well-versed in the sophomore capstone. If you have a question that your teacher can’t answer, they will know who to email.
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october issue
THE AGONY OF ASKING
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A Sadie Hawkins dance is a possibility for the 2018-2019 school year, and excitement is on high.
conor krouse staff writer
W
e all know fast. The most enthuthem, siastic of the Oakton Even the Leadership we’ve student body are students are excited all seen them. The the girls however. It about the dance. The establishment of has almost become main planner, Allison asking people to a competition. Now Pham, is likely the dances as big and that’s a bit overboard, head of the exciteboisterous, known don’t you think? ment, and is pushing as “promposals”, is Believe me, us guys for every bit of fun at a big part of modern appreciate the enthu- the dance. Good muday high school life. siasm, but come on sic, decorations, and Boys across America now. a great theme is at the stress over top of the list. this concept; It can’t be too Q: What will the theme be for With the news of the Sadie Hawkins dance? the dance, students’ much, while it can’t be too hopes are already little. Asking A: There isn’t quite a defini- high. It’s Oakton’s a girl to a tive theme for the dance yet. first Sadie Hawkins dance is single As of right now we’re just dance after all, so handedly the no one knows what looking for a winter wondermost nerve to expect. Howland type of dance. racking thing ever, all of us at for us guys. Oakton implicitly However, this trust the Leadership - Mr. McCulla year the boys team in planning finally have a chance this event. The year to sit back and wait. At this time, no furwas off to a great ther news is known, start with HomecomAs of last week, a the leadership team ing. For now, the only Sadie Hawkins dance hopes to see high atdirection to go is up! has been approved tendance at the event, So ladies, get those and is officially in and plan to have it posters and cheesy order, set for Febdecorated as grand as one liners ready, it’s ruary 9th of next the Oakton gymnatime for you to expeyear— and the word sium can accommorience the agony of has been traveling date. asking.
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10 DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY Looking into Oakton’s bathroom vandalism
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andalism at Oakton has become a serious problem as the school year has progressed. In the past month, both the trailer bathroom and another bathroom have been vandalised. In the trailer bathroom, the hand dryer was ripped off the wall. In the indoor bathroom, the door was ripped completely off one of the stalls. Both of these examples are not isolated, as there have been many incidents of minor vandalism throughout the school. An anonymous source said, “I walked into the bathroom around lunch time three weeks ago and just saw the door ripped off the wall.” This source is the same one who sent the pictures of the vandalism. He also said, “I heard the door get pulled off its hinges. It was an extremely loud crash, and I saw someone leaving. I went into the bathroom and that is when I saw the door on the floor in the middle of the bathroom.” The door has since been fixed, and no doors have been destroyed in that way since. The hand dryer in the trailer bathroom has also been fixed, but took money and time to do so. This is a problem that has to stop, as the resources that are used to fix these acts of vandalism could be used to improve the school. The source also said the door breaking may have been an accident, but students still should never hang on the doors. As you can see, it can damage the doors or hurt the students. If you do break a bathroom door or hand dryer, you can get in serious trouble, and maybe even be suspended. This is yet another reason for why you should not vandalize the schools equipment, especially the bathrooms. It is just more work for the school and more trouble for you. Also, if you see one of your friends vandalizing school property, remind them they are not doing anyone a favor, not even themselves. Students don’t have to pay for these appliances, so if you break it, the school has to replace it. Treat the school’s property like your own, as you will be here almost every day, and the facilities are there for you to use and benefit from. The classroom equipment is even sometimes paid for by the teacher, so treat it with respect. Vandalism is a destructive practice that doesn’t help anyone, so refrain from participating or enabling it.
asher tankel staff writer jake neuffer editor-in-chief
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october issue
VIRGINIA SENATE RACE
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sahithi jammulamadaka editorial board
he mid-terms are quickly approaching, and the race for the Senate is as heated as ever with the partisan lines getting stronger every day. In Virginia, there is one Senate seat open for re-election, which is that of Democratic Senator Tim Kaine’s. His opponent is Republican Corey Stewart, the at-large Chair of the Board of Supervisors of Prince William County. As some students at Oakton are eligible to vote on Nov. 6, here is an insight to the candidates to help you make an informed decision on who to vote for.
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orey Stewart has been elected four times to a largely Democratic area and said,“I am thrilled with the grassroots enthusiasm we have seen all over Virginia; I am confident that Virginians are tired of having a Senator who is too weak, too liberal, and has gotten nothing done for them.” He believes that the Affordable Care Act has failed to deliver on its promises and strongly favors health savings accounts and short-term plans. “We should allow insurance plans to be sold across state lines (more competition is healthy). Ultimately, we need a free-market, consumer-driven health care system that puts the needs of patients first.” On the topic of unemployment, he sides with Trump and fully supports his new tax plan. “Thanks mainly to recently-enacted tax reforms, our nation’s economy is now roaring back to life. Wages are rising. Overall unemployment has fallen to a 49-year low. In the Senate, I would vote to make President Trump’s tax cuts permanent – and I would like to cut taxes, even more, to ensure continued opportunity and prosperity for all.” In regards to climate change, he said that CO2 emissions in the United States have been going down, and “thanks to hydraulic fracturing, which allows for the innovative extraction of more natural gas. I believe that, while sensible regulations are obviously needed, most environmental progress will be the result of the efficiency and innovation that only a prosperous, free market economy can deliver.” When asked about education and current Secretary of Education Betsy Devos, he believes that she is doing a “fine job” and shares her vision for more “innovation and choice in K-12 education, as well as her desire for states and localities to have more control over K-12 policy.” He would also allow “the 50 states to innovate and develop their own policies to facilitate high school completion, rather than insist on a top-down, onesize-fits-all ‘solution’ from D.C.” If elected to the Senate, he plans to make the Senate more transparent. “I will take this results-oriented mindset with me to D.C. You might not always agree with me – and that’s alright – but you’ll always know where I stand, and you can rest assured that I will always have Virginia’s best interests at heart,” he said.
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enator Tim Kaine grew up in the middle-class family working his ironworking shop in Kansas City and hopes to continue to “campaign hard and engage grassroots supporters in the run-up to the November elections.” He hopes to keep the economy strong and give more families access to good paying jobs. “When I was Governor, Virginia was ranked the best state for business — and it’s because we invest in our people, value our diversity, and grow the talented and educated workforce that makes our economy thrive.” Senator Kaine is also fighting to expand health-care to all Americans, he was one of the many Congressmen to oppose President Trump’s plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act. “Since the ACA was signed into law, more than 400,000 Virginians have gained access to health insurance, and I will continue to oppose efforts to roll it back.”said Senator Kaine. As Governor, he was an advocate for equal rights by banning discrimination against state employees and continues to plan to push for that kind of protection throughout the Senate. Senator Kaine is an advocate for women’s rights, and their right to make their own health care choices. “For too long, we have undervalued and marginalized women in our society. As Lieutenant Governor and Governor, I made it a priority to update Virginia’s laws on sexual violence and improve the treatment of survivors, and I’ve continued to actively support these measures in the Senate.” In regards to climate change, he believes that protecting our natural resources and environment are critical for long-term health.”I’m fighting the Trump administration’s efforts to gut federal environmental protections, including for clean air and water, and speaking out against President Trump’s decision to abandon U.S. leadership by withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement,” he said. When asked about education Senator Kaine said, “ I have and will continue to fight efforts to divert public school funding to private schools, and I support raising teacher pay and providing teachers with the tools and resources they need in the classroom.”When asked about his opinion on how Betsy DeVos, the current Secretary of Education is overseeing education he responded with, “I voted against Betsy DeVos’s nomination because she failed to meet three requirements I consider essential – someone who is pro-public schools, pro-accountability, and pro-civil rights. I will continue to push to ensure all students have access to a quality education in Virginia.” If re-elected he hopes to continue the fight for job, opportunity, and health care for all Virginians. On a last note Senator Kaine added his voice on the importance of young people representation. “Young people – including those in high school – have the ability to make a change and shape the future of our Commonwealth and our country. And everyone can get involved by volunteering.”
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POLITICS WHAT’S GOING ON WITH KANYE WEST? Despite a prolific output musically, West has been getting in to all sorts of controversy in 2018.
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kartik mukalla staff writer
Image courtesy of Shealah Craighead
n a year featuring various musicians’ deaths, controversies, releases, and countless viral moments, Kanye West has stood out, dropping 5 albums throughout the year with various collaborators and plans to drop a 6th on Black Friday. Pusha T’s DAYTONA, produced in its entirety by West, is a 21-minute opus of serrated and complex raps and minimalistic, perfectly curated beats. KIDS SEE GHOSTS, another 20-minute project, saw West and frequent collaborator Kid Cudi pack various themes about mental health and racial justice into their rapping and singing, while West found himself producing various psychedelic instrumentals with a heavy rock and trap influence. In both projects, West saw himself pushing new territory, doing things listeners had never heard him do before. His other offerings, such as his album ye, Nas’ album Nasir, and Teyana Taylor’s K.T.S.E. (Keep The Same Energy), were solid with a handful of good moments in between them. With all these releases, from a purely musical standpoint, West is having a fantastic year. From a general life standpoint, West has been having a frankly horrible year. After a horrible mental breakdown caused by physical and mental exhaustion in November 2016, West found himself hospitalized and took a hiatus until September 2017, reemerging with the promise of many albums to come. On Valentine’s Day of 2018 he returned to Instagram and in April he returned to Twitter, promising the development of various ambitious projects, such as an apartment complex, food services for impoverished people, and various aid programs. He also promised a whopping five new albums and collaborations with many fan-favorite artists. With all the momentum gained from his newfound social media presence, West seemed poised to take over the world again with another set of amazing albums.
On May 4, Kanye West found himself on a promotional appearance on TMZ, and, in a very Kanye manner, was open about his mental issues. He admitted that he underwent a liposuction in 2016 and developed an opioid addiction that contributed to his mental breakdown onstage. He stated that another cause of the breakdown was “fear, stress, being controlled and manipulation,” and feeling like “a pawn in a chess game of life.” as a result. However, he said something in a very decidedly un-Kanye way. “When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... For 400 years? That sounds like a choice.” In a single sentence, West set the internet on fire, with various people starting to doubt his sanity, despite his various attempts to clarify his statement. What came next, however was unexpected to say the least. His endorsement of Trump, his public cosign of the “Make America Great Again” slogan, and his endorsement of Candace Owens, a notorious race-baiting right-wing commentator, along with various controversial tweets and actions, seriously looked like the motions of a bipolar man off of his meds. Afterwards, with his album releases, the spotlight was taken off him and focused on the music. His Saturday Night Live performance on September 30th and his meeting with Donald Trump on October 11th reignited the firestorm of Kanye he generated. After delaying his album Yandhi and performing a generally harmless while heavily censored version of his hit song “I Love It” with Lil Pump, dressed as a Perrier bottle, West’s intentions were decidedly more pointed at the tail end of his performance of “Ghost Town” at the end of the show, where he stopped the music, and fully decked out in a MAGA hat, held the cast, crew, and audience hostage and went on unplanned rant about Trump, America, racism, and various other topics.
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october issue
BRINGING DOWN DEMOCRACY
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A guide to voter suppression
he midterms are coming up, and the fate of congress hangs in the balance. A few key swing districts could be enough to determine the direction of our country for years to come. That means that every vote counts. This is why recent trends in voter suppression have become so disturbing. Voter suppression is when one political party attempts to discourage undesirable voters from going to the polls. This can take many forms, some subtle, some painfully obvious. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, for example, has come under fire for running for governor while simultaneously stripping tens of thousands of Georgians of their voter registration. He is just the most recent and obvious example in a long American tradition of voter suppression. Here are some of the biggest ways in which voter suppression can happen, so that you can recognize it when you see it.
Felon Disenfranchiseme Felon Disenfranchisement
Photo ID Laws
Felon disenfranchisement is when felons are stripped of their voting rights. Opinions differ on the morals of this practice, as many reason that ex criminals should not have a say in how society runs anyways. Whether or not you agree with the practice, though it is still often used as a way to attack a certain demographic of voters. Felons are overwhelmingly likely to vote Democrat, and so Republicans have fought tooth and nail to keep them away from the polls in Iowa, Kentucky, and Florida where felon disenfranchisement is practices. Currently, there is a proposed amendment to the Florida constitution that would restore felons’ right to vote.
Photo ID laws require voters to present some valid face ID at the polls. The pretext for these laws is usually to reduce the number of invalid voters. This ignores the fact, however, that fraudulent voting in the United States is statistically negligible. Estimates put fraudulent voting in the 2016 presidential election at between .0003% and .00025% of the votes. The real issue with this laws lies in how policymakers define a “valid photo ID.” Student ID’s, for example, can be excluded from this category, making it significantly harder for college students to vote. The ACLU estimates that approximately 21 million Americans, or 11% of the population, do not have a government issued ID, mainly minorities, low income voters, immigrants, and people with disabilities.
jake neuffer editor in chief
Purging of Registrations On October 9th, the Associated Press estimated that Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp had purged over 50,000 voters from the rolls, over 70% of those voters being black. Kemp is currently in a campaign to become governor of Georgia. There are many ways to remove voters from the registration lists. The way Kemp has done this is by using an “exact match process,” in which social security, voting and drivers information are compared against each other. If any inconsistencies are found, such as one letter missing from a middle name, then voters have 40 days to correct the record before they are removed from the rolls. With these kinds of tactics, the potential for abuse lies in who the state targets, and how picky they want to be. In this case, Kemp’s office has targeted black urban voters with an incredible focus on small details.
14 THE 10TH DISTRICTCONGRESSIONAL jacob rutzick ELECTION staff writer
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irginia’s tenth district is home one of the most intriguing political races virginia has seen for a while. Northern virginia is a traditionally blue region. It may not look that way, but it is important to remember where the most of the populus lives. The northern blue section of the map is Fairfax and Loudon which house about a fifth of all virginians. This also happens to be most of the tenth district. It was a surprise when Comstock won two years ago, and it is clear that she has her work cut out for her.
The polling numbers show that Jennifer Wexton has a comfortable lead on Barbara Comstock. Wexton currently has a seven point lead on Comstock, that should be enough to secure a victory for Wexton. The tenth district congressional seat is the most important seat in the entire state. If Wexton wins she will work to pass democratic legislature and she will support left leaning candidates for local office just as Comstock did for republicans. Wexton’s imminent victory is a perfect example of anti-Trump republicans voting for an anti-Trump candidate. Hillary Clinton won the tenth district by eleven points. However, Mitt Romney was able to secure the tenth district against Obama. Northern Virginia won Hillary Clinton Virginia and they do not like President Trump. President Trump’s approval rating have dropped in every state. His approval ratings clearly did not start very high in Northern Virginia so it is very likely that more voters will be voting blue on election day. Most of Wexton’s anti-Comstock ads had some part about Comstock supporting President Trump. Clearly this campaign strategy worked and will inevitable work for many other democrats on election day.
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october issue
WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW A look into how athletes are preparing for the season
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he Oakton swim team starts the winter season with tryouts on November 5. In the past, over a hundred people have tried out. There are usually sixty-eight swimmers and ten divers. With the five managers, there are around eighty people in all. Luckily for them, most of the swimmers who scored points last year are back this year. One swimmer, Anthony Grimm is back after becoming state champion of the hundred backstroke as a freshman. “I wish they would build me a pool here at school, but it doesn’t seem that’s in the budget,” Said the head swim coach, Parker Ramsdell, “I think the team is going to have a really great season.”
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akton boys basketball tips off on November 16 while the girls team will start the season one week later. The boys varsity team is coming off a districts championship win and looking to continue their success this season. The boys varsity team has lost eight seniors, but return plenty of players from last year’s team. As for the freshman and junior varsity teams tryouts will be held in the beginning of November and rosters will be set in the following weeks. As for the girls team, they also won the Concorde District Championship last season. This year tryouts will be the first week of November and the season will start a couple weeks after. All in all, Oakton basketball looks ready for the upcoming season.
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akton wrestling is set to get back on the mat the first week of November. There are no tryouts for wrestling which usually leads to a large interest group. One wrestler, Om Nawthale is excited for the upcoming season because of the particularly large interest group this year. “I believe this year the team will do great due to a larger interest group and we have athletes from other sports, making our team more athletic this year.” Om went on to talk about their new head coach and his what the in season workouts are like. “This year we have a new head coach who focuses on maintaining health outside of practice, I think this will improve our workout quality and team morale. In my opinion the workouts are very tough but crucial in order to win, during workouts there is a big focu on dropping weight but maintaining muscle.” Overall this season for oakton wrestling look sto be a promising one.
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or the gymnastics team, tryouts are November 5 followed by practices as soon as the team is put together. The first meet is at the end of November. The team practices in the Auxiliary Gym for two and a half hours for four days a week. Usually there’s around sixteen girls on the team. “I think anything is possible, because I’m a new coach coming in. I’ve coached previously at Marshall, so I have experience winning Districts there. I know the team hasn’t won Districts here in a while, so that’s my goal,” expressed the coach, Christie McCormick.
will locklin staff writer veronica preaskorn staff writer
16 CHEERLEADERS ARE GOING TO DISTRICTS lizzie thompson staff writer
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lthough you may only hear about the Oakton heer team on the morning announcements, they actually have more success than you might think. Before getting into how the team did at the district and regional competitions, it’s important to understand the rules of the sport.The tournament itself is run by the Virginia High School League (VHSL). The competition starts in the districts of Virginia with semifinals and finals for each district with five schools competing in each competition. The top four out of five teams get to move on to the next round. After districts, the regionals portion of the tournament starts. It also has a semi-final and final. There are six regions and four subsections for the top teams. In regionals there are thirteen teams that compete and the top seven move onto the state competitions. The scoring of each competition is just as confusing as the bracket system. Each routine is scored based on tumbling sections, dance and choreography, stunt groups,
and jumps. Each of these sections are judged on difficulty and technique. The six judges’ scores are then averaged to create the all around score of the performance. All of the scores are out of 300 points.
The varsity squad’s journey started on October 10th at Chantilly High school at the district semi-finals. Oakton hit all of their stunts and came in 4th place with a score of 180.67. Since they were in the top four they were able to progress to the district finals. District finals were on October 17th at south lakes.
Their score was a 194.7 and they came in 4th again. Coming in the top four again means that they were able to advance to regionals! Last year the squad made it to the regional finals competition. Carlyn switzer, 9th grade JV cheerleader from this year said, ”last year was hard for everyone since we came so close to going to states.” Unfortunately the competition was very stiff this year, and the team struggled with some of their most consistent parts of their routine. “Some teams had even changed their routines from districts to make them harder. Our routine has always stayed consistent. I think that we were just a little nervous and that’s why our stunts were falling and our jumps weren’t as clean.” The team came in 11th out of the thirteen teams that were there. Even though they didn’t make it all the way this year, their hopes are still high for next year. “I’m sure that if we learn a couple of more difficult things and put all of our hearts into it, we could definitely make it to states next year.”
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october issue
SMOKETON
Top rated school turned drug hub alexandra martschenko staff writer
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akton High School wasn’t nicknamed “Smoketon” for no reason. The drug problem at Oakton, and other Fairfax County schools, is not a new concept to students nor to the community. Many failed attempts to limit drug use schools have only led to a distrust between administrators and students, and a zero-tolerance policy that is outdated and injust. In 1988, Ronald Reagan spoke to our school, and to this problem, urging us to “get tough on drugs” and give ourselves a better chance at the future. Now, thirty years later, Oakton High School has not heeded Reagan’s advice and we are suffering the consequences. In a time when new types of drugs are becoming easier and easier to access we have to ask ourselves what is being done to retaliate against this problem, and how far down this druggy rabbit hole have we gone. Throughout the past 30 years Oakton has become a hub for drug deals and mindless parties and an omnipresent feeling of peer pressure to engage in these illicit acts of drug use. Although there have been few major drug incidents within the past few years the prevalence of ‘soft’ drugs such as alcohol, vape, and weed have become a blanket concept that accompanies the idea of attending Oakton. It’s not hard to acquire drugs at this school; you don’t even have to know the right people. A friend of a friend is likely to ‘the nic’, a slang term for vape pens, and the friend of that friend can just as easily provide you with vape juice, replacement pods, and of course, weed and alcohol. Prom, homecoming, and football games. The biggest drug scenes of the year and the perfect time to try whatever illegal substance you’ve been dying to try at so-and-so’s par-
ty. The administrators are well aware of the fact that high schoolers like to party but there isn’t much they can do to limit the use of drugs off of school property, so when homecoming night comes along, people, such as a senior who would like to remain unnamed, rent a party bus, drive into Washington, and “buy a ton of weed and spend the night smoking and getting drunk” with no worry about the consequences. Not only are students less worried about the consequences for their off campus activities, it seems that they have become desensitized to the idea of
“Throughout the past 30 years Oakton has become a hub for drug deals and mindless parties...” getting caught using drugs in school. But has drug use really increased throughout the past few years or are we on a steady plateau of misuse? To answer this question it depends on which aspect of drug use you look at. If you look at the ‘softer’ drugs such as alcohol, vape, and marijuana the answer is an astounding yes. When asked about the lower-level drug use, a 2016 graduate stated “I heard kids are vaping all the time in class now, i don’t know why aren’t there stricter punishments” and a 2010 graduate proclaimed “ it was never this big in my time”. The upswing in vape use is unquestionable as its a relatively new product and has just recently gained momentum and interest. An increase in marijuana use in our area is also understandable with Fairfax County’s proximity
to Washington DC where recreational marijuana was recently legalized, making it easier than ever to obtain. Alcohol use has remained relatively steady and it seems as though it’s not the drug of choice for many students as it is harder to buy and even harder to hide from parents. However even alcohol saw its fair share of time in the spotlight a few years back when “seniors would play drinking games in the senior courtyard and bring alcohol in travel mugs” leading us to wonder whether these students were really able to sneak by with these seemingly unreal violations or if administrators turned a blind eye for some reason of another. On the other hand, harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and prescription pills have remained relatively unused, or better hidden, Other than an incident two years back when an unnamed student was witness to a huge scandal in which a few senior girls were caught taking Oxycontin pills in the senior courtyard in plain sight of security officers and teacher, and yet despite the severity of their violation, “...were hardly disciplined”. High schoolers are a huge market for drug dealers especially in the case of vape companies, which offer an array of easy to use products with appealing flavors and designs, so it’s no surprise that drug use has become prevalent at Oakton and most other high schools. What is surprising is the lack of action against these acts of drug use. Our zero-tolerance policy leads to the expulsion of a kid who takes doctor prescribed birth control on school property while another student gets away with only five days suspension for smoking marijuana on campus such as the case in 2009. It’s time for a new policy and its time for a new mindset.
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OPINION IT’S TIME TO STOP PROCRASTINATION abudukadier zainaipuguli staff writer
What is Procrasination?
You have a five-page essay due tomorrow, but you find yourself scrolling through Instagram. After making a million excuses, you finally get to work and stay up all night to finish the paper. You’ve been meaning to start reviewing for your history test for days, but you start to review everything on the last day. Sound familiar? We all have procrastinated at some point. It is delaying or avoiding to start a task either intentionally or habitually. Procrastination is not laziness, rather it’s when you make excuses to avoid the work or choose to do another task despite the consequences. Student advisor Mrs. Simcic says: “Procrastination is not understanding time management, whereas laziness is simply refusing to do so, procrastinators tend to get things done the last minute, while lazy people tend not to get it done at all.” There are many negative mental consequences of procrastination. It may result stress, guilt and, after long terms, depression.
How to stop Procrastination
Find out why you’re procrastinating. Recognize the problem that is holding you up. Don’t avoid the negative emotions that come with it. Most of us procrastinate because the task is too overwhelming for us. Divide your work into bits and pieces to make it manageable. Start the task by doing the most enjoyable part.
Form a plan
Make a to-do list and specify a time for doing them. Mrs. Simcic suggests setting mini goals if the task seems daunting. Try to break the task to small pieces. She says “tell youself I’m going to get this part done,that’s all I want. ”And that way even if don’t finish the whole thing, you’ll reach these certain goals.” Start by working short periods of time. Make every distraction out of sight, take a break after one session, and promise to reward yourself for making progress. Focus on starting and doing one task. Multitasking prevents you to get to the goal faster, while you feel like you have done a lot of work. Find someone to check up on you.
“Talk to either a teacher, a mentor or even an organized peer, and I would make an outline of the task, just to get started, cause an outline will help you develop those checkpoints.” Mind tools content team found that “Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities instead.” Procrastination brings stress and anxiety. It lowers your self-esteem. You start to doubt your ability to perform. The first step to stop procrastination is to recognize the problem and find out the reasons behind the delay. Then, with the right approach and help, you will soon end the bad habit.
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october issue
TIME TO REFLECT: AN INTERVIEW claudia messina staff writer
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ood job Cougars! We made it through the first quarter of this year, and as this quarter ends it’s good to reflect on what’s been done. In relation to school, it is very useful to reflect in order to better ourselves throughout the year. Although to some people it may seem useless, realizing what you can and can’t do in the future can prove to be very beneficial in relation to future success. To help other students look back on this quarter, three peers were interviewed on their personal reflection. When asked about what their favorite part of this quarter was, two of the three students replied “homecoming” and the other replied “football games,” all of which are very fun and important events for Oakton.
“Even though many of my friends didn’t want to go to homecoming, or didn’t go at all, homecoming was still very enjoyable for me and showed me a less stressful side of school” reported one of the interviewees. On top of that, when asked about
what their least favorite part of this quarter was, all students replied the stress and having to wake up early. This outlook on school is shared by many students. If you’ve ever walked through the halls with your friends and the conversation has dulled out, then you know the commonly brought up topics are usually related to how tired everyone is or which test is coming up that no one’s had time to study for. Many students know that with school comes lots of stress, but it is important to remember that stress can be managed and there are productive ways to take breaks. Additionally, the most common answer when asked about what the interviewees wished they had done differently this quarter was managing their time more wisely. It’s easy to put down what you’re working on to go hang out with friends or tell yourself that you can finish the assignment later, but it’s important to prioritize your work. There are many methods that can help with time management, but finding one that works for you is sometimes a challenge. “This quarter has definitely given me more motivation to manage my time wisely so next quarter that’s what I plan to do. It’s never good to start the year off with bad grades so I definitely need to get to work”, reported a separate
interviewee. Having a hopeful and motivated perspective on the future after not doing so well in the past is something students at Oakton should work on to help with future success. With motivation, comes expectations. For the second quarter, each interviewee had different expectations. One expects to have less stress because they planned on managing their time more wisely, one expects to dedicate more time for themselves and to sports, and one expects to get more sleep by going to bed earlier. It is good to have expectations because without them it is very hard to tell whether you’ve improved or bettered yourself. Once realizing what they should and shouldn’t do next quarter, and realizing what would help them succeed more throughout the year, each student was asked if they were excited to begin the next quarter. Everyone replied yes.
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INDEPTH DEBUNKING THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH
payton wozny editorial board
How our community can reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of mental health
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ental health can simply be defined as one’s emotional or physiological well being, but it is much more than that. Mental health affects everyone from dealing with emotions to coping with trauma. The most common, but not only, mental health issues at Oakton are stress, depression, and anxiety. Stigma in Our Community and Solutions Although mental illnesses are more difficult to see, they are just as real as a broken bone or strep throat. Many people who struggle with mental health issues feel the need to deal with it on their own due to the stigma surrounding the topic. Traditionally, mental health has been falsely viewed as something to be ashamed about, but more and more people are beginning to open up and talk about it. Mrs. Evert, the Oakton High School full-time psychologist, says, “I think we are moving in a direction where there is less stigma, but of course, you know, there still is.” Even though she only gets to talk to the students who do ask for help, Mrs. Evert does think the stigma could impact whether or not a student in crisis would reach out for help. Due to the negative connotation of mental health, it could make someone feel shameful or uncomfortable. Mrs. Evert says, “There’s this real kind of hesitancy in asking someone else to help them.” The best solution to this stigma is to normalize it. Knowing that others have opened up about mental health can give those who need help strength to find it. Just because the topic might be difficult to talk about, that does not mean it is not worth sharing because everyone deals with mental health to some degree. A great factor to someone determining if they think they want to reach out or not is their peers. Hearing others speak positively about the subject can significantly help someone in crisis. “But, I think more and more when you hear, especially in school, when a peer says, ‘Oh yeah, you know, I went and talked to my
counselor, or I went to talk to the psychologist about that, you should do that, too,’ I hear that that seems to help them,” says Mrs. Evert. Our community has the power to decrease the stigma associated with mental health. Try to talk more openly about mental health in safe spaces, and use this to educate yourself and others. When you speak up, it will give others the chance to do the same. Also, talking to others can help you understand new perspectives and you can share your own. Student Resources and When to Get Help Oakton HS has many resources if you think you or a peer needs help. There is a full-time school psychologist, Mrs. Evert, and a part-time school psychologist. They conduct short-term counseling, help with crisis man-
i ‘ tha ng a Not lo t t or ’s no it a okso t to s me so ne be ta met -M ga lk hi r.s tive ed ng Ev th abo ert ing ut ,”
agement(ex. panic attacks or suicide assessments), and cognitive and social/emotional assessments for Special Education. Oakton also has a social worker that works with students similar to the way the psychologists do. Also, in addition to academic aspects, the school counselors are trained to help with emotional problems. Mrs. Evert says, “I also hear that they(students) are nervous that it will be shared with colleges. It is not.” All emotional things you share with your counselor is confidential and would only be shared with colleges if you chose to add that struggle into your narrative. Another important person to take note of is Mr. Janis. He serves as the Systems of Support Advisor at Oakton HS. For more resources at Oakton, you can visit https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/ student-services/staff. Other resources include: •
The Regional CrisisLink Hotline: 703527-4077 • CrisisText: Text NEEDHELP to 85511 • The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE In the case of a life threatening emergency, call 911 (TTY 711) When assessing students symptoms, Mrs. Evert evaluates the duration, like if it has been months that they felt like that every day or just within the past week, and more importantly how this is impacting the quality of their life. She says, “A big turning point is when it’s impacting your daily functioning.” Major functions that might change could be failing to get out of bed, quitting an extra-curricular for no apparent reason, or grades dropping quickly. The Wellness Committee, a group of adults at Oakton who are working to flip the negative side of mental health to positive wellness, has brought therapy dogs, a motivational speaker, about the story of Craig and Fred, and yoga during cougar time. If you have any ideas on ways to relieve stress or feel more positive, please share them with the committee.
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october issue
INTEGRITY AT OAKTON The effectiveness of the honor code
Courtesy of Shritha Mandava
“I have neither given nor revieved unauthorized aid on this assessment.”
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very student at Oakton High School has seen some variation of this statement because it is the honor code here at Oakton. It is posted in every classroom and written on every test, but how effective is it really? I surveyed students at Oakton High School about the honor code, and when asked to rate the effectiveness of the honor code on a scale of one to five, the majority of students rated it a one or two. This goes to show that even though teachers enforce the honor code to some degree, it is not enough to prevent people from cheating, which many students stated as their reason for rating the effectiveness of the honor code so lowly. Furthermore, students said that they agreed with the policies of the honor code and followed the code themselves, but some stated that their peers do not. This shines a light on the issue with the honor code; students agree with the ultimate goal of the code, but
it is not followed. A freshman said about the code, “Not effective; great in theory, but doesn’t work in practice.” This leads me to believe that the underlying problem of the code is the enforcement. I interviewed Youna Wang (9) about the honor code, and when asked about how the honor code could be improved she said, “Maybe they could monitor the students a little better.” This statement may make sense, but teachers already pass out folders and separate desks to prevent students from cheating off of one another. I asked Christine Arvinth (9) the same question, and she said, “I don’t think it can be improved. I think you can just hope that people don’t cheat.” This shows that even though teachers do try their best to make sure that students don’t cheat, it is ultimately up to the students whether they choose to follow the code or not. There is a page on the Oakton High School website that outlines the consequences of vi-
olating the honor code, but the quandary of the situation is if the student isn’t caught violating the code, the student cannot be punished for it. Because of this, students who violate the code and get away with it don’t get the designated consequences, so they keep on violating the code, thus taking away the effectiveness of the code’s consequences. I think that if the consequences of violating the code are made clearer and more widely known to students, along with teachers monitoring students more closely for cheating, the honor code will be more effective. In conclusion, the honor code has a good basis, but the enforcement and awareness of it needs improvement. If the ability to thoroughly monitor students increases, then the effectiveness of the honor code will increase.
staff writer portia dai
22 FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER? Why changing fall and winter weather spurs sickness
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henever mother nature decides to shake things up, there is usually a noticeable increase in illness at our school. Students either brave class, tardily slumping in sporting dreary sweatshirts and whipping out thermoses of tea, or they rest up at home, welcomed by a bombardment of assignments upon returning to school. The well-being of our school undoubtedly suffers under changing weather, particularly when it becomes cooler. It turns out that it is not the cool, dry air itself that makes us sick, but the support it provides for the spread of pathogens. Two of the common cold pathogens replicate more easily in cold weather, making for a larger
haley longfellow staff writer population whose infectiousness is also encouraged by the cool, dry nasal passageways many individuals are prone to having in fall and winter. Susceptibility to the flu may also be increased when temperatures near freezing. In addition to hindering the nose’s ability to combat pathogens, cold weather and the other weather factors that accompany it also impact other body conditions that may spur illness. For example, cold weather can cause blood vessels to contract, contributing to heart problems, as well as cause tissues to expand slightly, which can cause aches and pains. It can also worsen the symptoms of asthma-affected individuals by cooling air passageways. One of the factors that goes hand-in-hand with such weather is low air pressure, which can actually be a direct cause of migraines. Human behavior can also prompt illness; you may have noticed that we tend to coop up indoors once it gets cold. Although this can be comforting, crowding together increases exposure to others and the potentially harmful pathogens they may carry. Additionally, studies have shown that being in areas with low ventilation may also increase the likelihood of getting sick. It is highly important to maintain good health and well-being any time of the year, but it can be most difficult when we are faced with the changing weath-
er winter and fall often bring upon us. Simple steps can make a big difference in your health. Ensure that you are sticking to a healthy diet and reasonable sleep schedule, getting enough physical activity, and avoiding habits such as touching the face and eating without washing hands first. It is also a good idea to get the flu vaccine, which will increase immunity to flu pathogens. If you do happen to get sick, take care of yourself and follow the recommendations of School Health Aide Christina Magnotti: drink lots of fluid, get lots of rest, and get some vitamin C into your system. “The best thing is to stay home so that they don’t spread germs around the school,” says Christina of students who do happen to catch sickness. Stay healthy and take measures to ensure a healthy, manageable season ahead. Despite science backing an increase in sickness in cold weather, Christina does comment that there has been a steady flow of student clinic visits this year regardless of weather. “As soon as they walked in the door, people were sick,” she says. This may speak volumes to the need for us Oakton students to minimize stress, take care of ourselves, and improve our well-being throughout the entire school year. Remember the importance of staying healthy and give yourself the care you deserve this year!
23
october issue
MORE OF THE GOOD STUFF; WHY THERE SHOULD BE MORE SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS.
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The reasons why more school presentations would be beneficial.
eople have a lot to say about the education system, more specifically public schooling. The consensus about public schooling in the U.S. is that it is a flawed system; sometimes failing to properly educate students. Over the years there have been multiple propositions, both beneficial and detrimental, but a lot of them don’t account for one thing; how the students feel. Students these days, especially high school students, feel overwhelmed due to the ludicrous amount of assignments they must complete. This will eventually lead to students becoming disheartened. No matter how much help is provided to a person, in the end, it’s meaningless if the person themselves don’t have the drive to make use of that help. However, there is a way of improving the spirits of students, specifically Oakton High School students, through school presentations. While it may seem that an hour-long presentation from a guest speaker won’t do that much good, it must be remembered that even the most unexpected of things can leave a meaningful impact. What’s the gist of a school presentation? Generally, school presentations consist of a special guest conducting a presentation to an audience of students. The purpose of a particular school presentation varies based on the presenter, either they have an important message that is meant to help the students or simply an inspiring story that they wish to share. Unfortunately, most school presentations are just meant to convey what is deemed essential information to the students. While this isn’t a bad thing in of itself, most students end up disliking school presentations, since it is another lecture that they must listen to. Craig & Fred On Oct. 11, there was a school presentation that was unlike the others, the Craig & Fred presentation. For those who didn’t attend or somehow forgot the Craig & Fred presentation, it was hosted by the author Craig Grossi. Mr. Grossi was a U.S. marine who met his best friend, a stray dog who he named Fred the Afghan while doing intelligence work for Marine RECON in a remote part of Afghanistan. He wrote a book about the journey that he had with Fred, and how they saved each other. Nowadays they travel across America with the intention of spreading the message of “stubborn positivity”, which is why Mr. Grossi presented at Oakton.
More of the good stuff
This is the where the magic happens, or at least the entrance!
The reception to the Craig & Fred presentation was absolutely positive, and those who attended it had a fun time. They were engaged with Mr. Grossi’s story and were enamored by Fred. The duo’s time at Oakton has had a memorable impact, as clarified by Ms. Butterfield, Oakton’s favorite Psychology teacher, who was an ardent supporter of Craig & Fred presentation. Ms. Butterfield, during her interview, perfectly articulated why there should be more school presentations similar to the Craig & Fred presentation. When asked why she supported the presentation, she said, “Yes, I supported the presentation because I believe it is time for students to learn real-world subjects. Many ideals that we want to instill in the students were in the Craig & Fred presentation.” She went on by saying that the presentation itself benefited the students since the memorable experience would allow for students to remember the presentation’s message of “stubborn positivity”. This is exactly why presentations like the Craig & Fred presentation should occur more often; it allows students to take a break from school while learning an important message.
andres gonzalez staff writer
24 IMPACT OF THE URGE It’s everywhere. It affects almost everyone in the world. Yet, no one seems to be making a conversation of it.
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eer pressure can be defined as either the positive or negative influence from members of one’s peer group. It exists almost everywhere, from popular television shows to the classrooms of our very own high school. Kids as young as eight can start to be affected. According to a survey conducted by Parent Further, only 10% of the respondents claimed to never have been influenced by peer pressure. That’s a noticeably small group. Due to many factors, peer pressure can easily affect teens much more than any other age group and also have worse consequences. For example, in high school, teens are extraordinarily eager to have the much-wanted feeling of belonging. They want to ‘fit in’ with the crowd and be the definition of ‘cool.’ It’s something that many high schoolers find necessary. Around this age, kids start getting their driver’s license. Since they know are allowed to drive, they can be easily peer pressured into reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, etc. In addition, this age frame also allows easier access to harmful substances, such as weed and alcohol.This gives them more dangerous acts to be pressured into. In accordance with a survey put out by the Oakton Outlook concerning peer pressure, about 60% out of 26 students said that they can identify as being negatively peer pressured during school. Those same students said they were mainly pressured to specifically try illegal substances or cheat on important tests. Yet, when asked about whether it’s serious enough to report to faculty, 50% said that “there really is no need to.”
annabelle rosse staff writer
To get a first hand account on the real effect of negative peer pressure in Oakton, the Outlook interviewed a student. Due to their request to remain anonymous, they’ll simply go by ‘George.’ When asked to detail some instances where they’ve been peer pressured, ‘George’ talked about how peer pressure lost them a friend. They were in gym class with said-friend when another classmate decided to call them out, insulting the friend in particular. Afterwards, George’s group of friends told him to confront the insulter. Once realizing that the classmate wouldn’t stop their berating without a stern response, he finally did confront the the student. However, much
to his friends’ anger, George didn’t do so with violence. Instead of fighting the tyrant, he choose instead to simply use words. That, unfortunately,
didn’t sit well with his friends. They said that he didn’t “really fit in with them if he couldn’t stand up for his friends.” With that, they basically ‘unfriended’ him, leaving George feeling guilty that he hadn’t just gave in to the pressure from his friends. Even though it is obvious that negative peer pressure has a huge effect on high schoolers, it’s also important to recognize positive peer pressure. This kind of pressure could help give a student motivation to try out for something that, by themselves, they never would’ve done alone. People manage to give in the same way as with negative peer pressure. Everyone wants to fit in with someone. So, for instance, if everyone in a person’s friend group is attending a study group, that student will feel more inclined to do so as well. Positive peer pressure is very similar to a positive influence. They both give the affectant the extra push they need to do something good for themselves. In all, peer pressure has it’s positive and negative sides, each with their own effects. Through the polls, it’s easy to say that too many high schools significantly feel negative peer pressure the most rather than positive. That’s a problem that may seem little at first, but in the future could mean serious consequences. Thinking optimistically, all the peer pressure could help make teens stronger. If teens are able to refuse negative pressure, despite the nagging need to fit in, they’re on the good track in life. Hopefully, every student will have that same courage and go on to run on the right path.
25
october issue
Horror Writing Tips
Why suspense is a good choice for a horror story
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hat makes a good horror story? When people hear this question, they think of scary monsters, blood, and probably murders. But what if that’s actually not true? A quote from H.P lovecraft gave his advice on choosing the right kind of fear for a horror story. “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” and if you think about it, it’s true. Most horror writers like to keep that kind of fear by not revealing the horror too fast but hiding it. This makes the audience feel anxious because they don’t know what’s going to happen; that’s called suspense. For example, what is the neighbor hiding? Who is the murderer at the dinner party? What is the main characters horrible secret? To have good suspense, you have to create a story that has good characters, a good setting, and a good backstory. Suspense will make the reader more interested to read farther and farther as long as it keeps them guessing what hides the terrible truth. To make the story more interesting, try to use the main character. When the main character learns something further about what’s going on in the story, so do we. In classic novels, writers would use the main characters diarys to help the reader learn more. You don’t have to do this, but you can if you want. Another way to make a horror story so great is to choose the right setting. For example, try a haunted house, a maze, or a abandoned building,but make each setting that seems to hide something grim and dark. To make the setting more challenging for the main character, write what makes the main character not able
to leave. You can use objects to make a good horror story too,but it has to have suspense to it. It can be a doll, a letter, or a bloody knife. This causes the audience to continue to guess about what the object means. Use dramatic irony and don’t make the whole story full of darkness. After all, you can’t keep the main character in the dark forever. Sometimes, adding some light can keep the audience to feel relieved. However as soon as the reader feels that way, take it away by adding the suspense of what and where it will happen. This is called dramatic irony. Now last but not least, the cliffhanger. This is very effective for suspense-just don’t overuse it. A cliffhanger cuts off before something tragic or horrifying is about to happen in each chapter, season, or episode. You can use this technique in a dangerous situation. This can make the audience guess on about what’s going to happen next.. This is what makes a great horrifying story. Suspense is the key to any scary situation.
katherine zevallos staff writer
26 IS POLIO BACK? The mysterious disease that is rising in concern across the nation
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t’s that time of year when the tissues are flying off the shelves and chicken soup is being heated on the stove; you are stuck miserable suffering though a cold. As much as all of us hate the common cold, there is a much more dangerous and life altering disease spreading throughout the United States. Acute Flaccid Myelitis or AFM for short is a Polio-like illness that is affecting mainly young children across 22 states. Dr. Dan Merenstein MD, director of Research Programs and Family Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, explains how the disease works. “Acute Flaccid Myelitis affects the nervous system, specifically the area of the spinal cord called gray matter. When the grey matter is affected by AFM, it causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak.” This is the cause of the paralysis that is commonly seen in patients. Some of the side effects that can lead to a diagnosis of AFM include leg or arm weakness, loss of muscle tone and reflexes. Some people also have trouble moving their eyes or speaking and swallowing. According to Dr. Merenstein, “Most patients are diagnosed by examining a patient’s nervous systems and running multiple tests to confirm a diagnosis.” Researchers are working to try and target the cause of the disease and how it spreads but so far have been inconclusive. “We aren’t sure what’s causing it or why its increasing. There is currently no treatment for AFM and doctors are often forced to just treat the symptoms. Most people that contract AFM will get better;however, if the disease affects a person’s breathing it can become a very critical and life-threatening situation. As of why there has been an increase in the amount of people diagnosed and why AFM seems to target younger children, Dr. Merenstein believes, “ There are many possible reasons that could
be contributing to the rise in the number of cases we’ve seen, some research has hinted that the Polio and West Nile viruses can lead to AFM;however, since there has been no conclusion for what may be causing the disease we aren’t sure why the number of cases is increasing.” Although AFM has been broadcasted as a fast spreading epidemic, it is still considered very rare with less than one million people diagnosed each year. “As far as protecting yourself and your family we recommend the same stuff as always, good hygiene, bug spray, etc.” Stated Dr. Merenstein. Although, AFM is very rare, make sure to take care of yourself and seek medical attention if you have any of the symptoms of AFM. If you are the majority of people who never have to worry about this disease, make sure you are stocked up on kleenex and are prepared for flu season.
maddie flickinger staff writer
Image courtesy of CDC.org
27
october issue
THE EVOLUTION OF MINORITY REPRESENTATION ON TELEVISION
courtesy of cathy jo floyd
How well are minority groups represented on the small screen? Moreover, why is it so important that they are?
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efore it was truly woven into our culture, television was marveled at so wildly that it really didn’t matter what was actually on the screen. The first ‘real’ TV show was called Little Miss Television in the 1930s, and it was literally a young girl and her toddler sidekick singing and dancing for the camera. Fundamentally, this is what all television programming still is: a couple of talented people doing and saying things to entertain the rest of us. How interesting is it, then, that something as truly mundane as a sequence of flashing lights and changing sounds plays such a significant part in our growing up? We bond over the things we enjoyed when we were young. It’s common at places like Oakton for a group of students to spiral for schoolwork into comparison of the shows that we enjoyed as kids. What we watched left a lasting imprint on who we are now— our interests, our senses of humor. Not only does it shape our personality, but television is part of the widely feared forms of media that are hypothesized to be hacking away at our self esteem. Television plays a role in the way we look at ourselves beyond our personal attributes, on a literally physical level. It, and forms
of popular culture like it, teaches us what we should find to be attractive and desirable. Consequently, under or improper representation of minorities and the like on television add to the already present societal stigma against those groups. In recent years, shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off The Boat have given us the representation that previous programming this century lacked, boasting an openly gay lead character and a largely minority cast in the former and the first Asian-American family on TV in the second. But those shows were only recently. For the better half of the 90s and the earliest years of the 2000s, NBC’s Friends dominated the small screen.
It was a cultural phenomenon, otherworldly popular and enjoyed by countless viewers of all demographics. But the show, as loved as it is, is severy under representative. Among the three most frequently recurring cast members, there is not a single minority actor cast. Or the top five. Or top ten. Or fifteen, for that matter. We’ve seen some serious improvement— but we still have a long ways to go. Not only is under representation harmful to minority actors attempting to be cast, but it sends a larger message to the viewers that they are, frankly, not worth portraying.
emily richardson editorial board
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A&E THOU SHALT NOT AWAKEN A SLEEPING GIANT Eminem responds to critics with his tenth studio album, Kamikaze.
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n Friday, August 31, Eminem dropped new surprise album, Kamikaze. He casually tweeted a link of the album and wrote, “Tried not 2 overthink this 1….enjoy” along with an expletive emoji. The 13-track album set the internet on fire. Produced by Eminem and Dr Dre, the album pays homage to the Beastie Boys album, License, to III and features artists such as Joyner Lucas, Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg, Royce Da 5’9”, and Jessie Reyez. It also includes Eminem’s track from the Marvel villain movie “Venom” starring Tom Hardy. The album, streamed on Spotify and Apple music, is the rapper’s first release since his 2017 LP Revival. It features Eminem in full old-school mode with classic Marshall Mather’s verses. Revival drew the worst critical response of Eminem’s career despite guest appearances from Ed Sheeran and Beyonce. The first track, “the Ringer” opens up with a motherlode of disses before shifting to the rapper’s anti-Trump rage. He calls out rappers like Lil Pump and Lil Xan on their subpar bars and choppy flow, claiming they are trying to imitate rap legend, Lil Wayne. In “Lucky you”, “Not alike” and “Fall” he asserts his confidence that he still means something to the Rap game and that he still has a place in the music industry. Eminem uses trap beats in “Not alike” and presents duplicated clips and structural mimicry to illustrate how rappers like Migos, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar’s work has been copied and how easy it is to lay down a verse in someone else’s song structure. A lot of people get dissed in this album, so if you aren’t Dr Dre, Joyner Lucas, Kendrick, J Cole or Sean, you’re pretty much a goner. Also, Eninem praises a few people such as Hopsin, Cypress Hill, and Travis Scott. He gave a shout out to Kathy Griffin in “Fall”, “Kathy Griffin, stackin’ ammunition / Slap the clip and cock it back on competition.”
sebastian osea staff writer
who in turn, tweeted her delight over the reference. By the time the album ends, pretty much everyone is dead. This includes Vince Staples, Joe Budden, Lil Yachty, Lil Pump, Lil Xan, Charlamagne tha God, Donald Trump, Ja Rule, Die Antwood, Token, Mumble rappers, Machine Gun Kelly, DJ Akademiks, Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Pitchfork, Lord Jamar, his ex-wife Kim. In “Fall” he sings about how he inspired the Hopsins, the Logics, the Coles, the Seans, the K-Dots, the 5’9s, and, oh, brought the world 50 Cent — the latter is a reference to Eminem signing Fiddy onto his label and jumpstarting his career. Eninem is also hard on himself as he raps “What I’ll never be is flawless” he assures us “all I’ll ever be is honest.” His best songs also have references to his past failures—typical Eminem. In “Greatest” he references Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” in a verse, “Revival didn’t go Viral” in timeless fashion. In “Stepping stone”, he addresses his relationship with former rap group, D-12, and their friendship and career trajectories. In “Nice guy” and “Good Guy” he expresses the popular concept of the nice guy to embody the entitled misogyny that leads to the violence we see in “Normal.” The album concludes with “Venom” that contributes to the soundtrack of the Tom Hardy superhero movie. Per chart data, Kamikaze is now the best selling rap album of 2018 in the United States, with 406,000 pure sales outselling fellow superstars like Travis Scott (ASTROWORLD, 392,000), Drake (Scorpion, 292,000) and J.Cole (KOD, 263,000). Even if Eminem’s 2017 album Revival faced low sales of 267,000, it still went platinum in countries such as Canada and became Eminem’s 8th no. 1 album in a row at the Billboard 200 chart entries. Thus, Eminem reminds us loud and clear why he is the greatest of all time.
Believe in restoring the game even if it means destroying all the players.
29
october issue
DISNEY HALLOWEEN MOVIES: RANKED katie le staff writer amira bashir staff writer THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS The night before christmas is an old disney classic and another great production by tim burton with a 95% rating from rotten tomatoes and a 10/10 from me.The movie is about Jack Skellington, “pumpkin king” of a halloween town, bored of the same old thing every halloween. One day Jack discovers a christmas town, he is so ecstatic from his new discovery that he attempts to share them with his halloween town citizens,who are not overjoyed with his discovery. This movie is the type of movie that you can rewatch over and over again. TWITCHES Twitches, made thirteen years ago with a 4.7/5 rating from amazon is another amazing movie. It’s about two twins, alex, and camryn, separated at birth, reunite on their 21st birthday and use their newfound powers to save their kingdom from the evil force of darkness.”I love this movie because it has so much cultural representation and of course everyone wants to escape to a magical world” stated hermon. The movie has a squeal, which has a higher rating than the original. GIRL VS. MONSTER Girl vs. monster is a movie with a 4/ 5 rating on common sense media, with it’s scary and not so scary moments. The movie is about Skylar, who find out her parents are from a generation of monster hunters after accidently releasing monsters from a secret container. With her geeky friends they must recapture the monsters and save their parents from the monsters who are out for revenge. The movie has the right amount of spice showing hints of ghostbusters in it. Viewers like Cameron K have said “Yeah i watched that movie it’s really cool.” CORPSE BRIDE This stop-motion animated film has a 7.4/10 rating and a 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. This film is about a guy, Victor, and a girl, Victoria, whom like each other and have an arranged marriage. Before the wedding, Victor goes in the forest and gets pulled to the land of the dead. From there, he meet a girl named Emily. Although
Emily is dead and Victor is alive, she wants to marry him. While Victor is down there, Victoria is forced to marry another man named Barkis Bittern. He has to get back above ground to stop the wedding before it happens. “The corpse bride is a very good movie, it’s extremely weird but in the best way possible, and it’s creepy yet intriguing at the same time”, states an Oakton student, Jaden Sims FRANKENWEENIE This Halloween movie released in 2012 about a boy resurrecting his dead dog has a 7/10 rating. A boy named Victor losing his dog and bringing him back to life. Other kids find out how his secret of bringing an animal back from the dead and start bringing back other animals. Because of this, serious consequences arose and now they have to fix it. “I haven’t watched it in a while, and I remember it being sad but still a great movie.” claims a student at Oakton, Emma Hoebler. HALLOWEEN TOWN The Disney original movie,which has a 6.9/10 rating on IMDb is about Marnie, on her 13th birthday finds out she belongs to a family of witches after following her grandma to halloween town. ‘Halloweentown’ is a place where supernatural beings can live a normal life, The portal the the magical world only opens every halloween. Not only does Marnie find out that she belongs to a family of witches but, her family is also in a feud against ‘the evil’ which is threatening to take over halloweentown and the world. This movie deserves the first because first of all, It’s a classic and it brings back early 2000’s vibes. “It’s a GREAT movie, it brings back childhood memories” says freshman, Emily Rodriguez. And i’m pretty sure everyone wanted to take the bus to halloweentown at some point.. HOCUS POCUS Hocus Pocus is a Disney Halloween movie that dates back to 1993. It has a rating of 6.7/10 and a 30% on rotten tomatoes. This movie is about a boy, Max, and his sister, Dani, moving to a place called Salem. They meet a girl there named Allison, who tells them about a story she heard about these trio witches that supposedly use to live in a cottage that she owns. They explore the cottage and end up releasing the trio of
witches and now they have to stop them from becoming immortal. Freshman, Nicole Kooritzky, said, “It’s very good, it’s a classic Halloween movie that everyone should watch. I grew up with watching it with my family and just cozying up on a nice fall day.” INVISIBLE SISTER Invisible sister was released october of 2015, It’s about Cleo, tired of being in her older sister’s shadow, who is known for her popularity in school. Although cleo isn’t as popular as her sister she is still one of the smartest students in the school, after experimenting with a project that goes awry and turns her older sister invisible. The movie has a 6.3/10 rating on IMDb. Many viewers have said this movie is relatable, and everyone at some point has wanted their siblings to disappear. “When i first watched the movie it was somewhat relatable I guess, i’m the younger sibling.” Stated freshman Fatima Hersi. MOSTLY GHOSTLY: WHO LET THE GHOSTS OUT? Mostly Ghostly is a film that has a 5.2/10 rating and 89% of google users liked it. This film is about a boy, Max, who wants to be a magician and while practicing his magic tricks in his home, he discovers 2 ghosts that are brother and sister named Nicky and Tara. They help Max with his social life at school, and in return he helps them find their parents. They end up being discovering an evil ghost, Phears, who holds Nicky and Tara’s parents captive. The three of them work together to try and stop him from his evils plans and release their parents. “I remember it being pretty good” says freshman, Taylor Richlin. THE HAUNTED MANSION A Disney film with a 4.9/10 rating has a husband, Jim, who is a real estate agent and his family going on a vacation. During their vacation, they stop at a mansion that turns out to be haunted by ghosts who’s name are Gracey, Ramsley, Emma, and Ezra. The ghosts needs them to help lift a curse and in return they’ll give Jim the mansion. “Haunted Mansion is my favorite Halloween movie.”- Shalini Jagannathan
30 2018 FALL AESTHETICS
@courtesy of @vivianeaudi
courtesy of @chanfetti
courtesy of @nuriamaa
A lookbook on the latest autumn trends
Leopard print If you feel like transforming an ordinary outfit to an eye-catching one, try incorporating leopard print into your everyday outfit. A simple t-shirt and pair of jeans can match up with a leopard print coat wonderfully, leaving you with a sophisticated while trendy look.
Oversized clothing With oversized shirts and sweatshirts, you can ensure that you’ll always be comfy and stylish in the midst of any forty degree weather. Try one size above your actual one and pair it up with a pair of black leggings for a day of pure warmth and comfort. Plaid From plaid overcoats to plaid scarves, the options are limitless for this recent autumn trend. Try pairing up a plaid overcoat with a white turtleneck and a pair of ripped denim jeans for an everyday fall look.
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hen we think about autumn fashion looks, most of us think about warm beanies and cozy infinity scarves to give our outfits an extra touch. However, for this year’s fall fashion aesthetics, these autumn classics have been replaced with reemerging past trends such as leopard print bags, boyfriend jeans, and colored sunglasses. So, in honor of the season of crisp leaves and pumpkin treats, here are a few of the latest autumn trends for inspiration for your next outfit! Incorporating black into your outfits: When asked about her favorite trend so far this season, Julia Colet (10) replied saying, “One of my favorite trends right now is incorporating the color black into outfits, because black goes with everything.” This simple color can do all the difference to tie your entire outfit together.
Looking for more inspiration? Here are some tips & tricks! A number of the fashion trends this fall are inspired by celebrities. We can give credit to many famous people, like YouTubers, actors, etc. for establishing recent style. On the streets, you can see people wearing colorful shirts with plaid or solid color pants. Popular shoes at the moment are Vans, Converse, Doc Martens, and any Nike shoes. These shoes have found such popularity because you can incorporate them in pretty much every outfit. Some accessories that have people hooked are colorful sunglasses, fun belts, and long socks to wear under long shoes. If you want to stand out with your style but don’t want to spend money on new clothes, there are a number of ways you can make new outfits with old clothes. If you have an oversized or normal fitting sweater, jeans or leggings, and any shoes, It can be guaranteed that you will get many compliments on your outfit.
sally park staff writer
genevieve bavisotto staff writer
31
october issue
BEST BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP WALK FUNDRAISING Oakton reaches top fundraising seat once again
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Oakton Best Buddies was able to raise over
and intellectual disabilities. Here at Oakton,
first once again at the walk. As the top fundrais-
we have a wonderful Best Buddies chapter in
ing school, we were able to once again start the
which we take part in creating an environment
Friendship Walk off as leaders of the walk, a
that helps to promote one-on-one friendships
huge honor to uphold.
est Buddies is an organization that
With the help of the Oakton community,
helps to promote an inclusive and kind community for those with mental
seventeen thousand dollars, enabling us to place
between students at our school. The peer buddy program allows for students with special needs to be matched with another student at the school. Together, the buddies participate in activities and events throughout the course of the year. Our combined effort and support for Best Buddies has allowed us to continue to carry out the platform in which the organization was founded upon and promote inclusion within our own school community. Recently, our chapter attended the biggest
Not only did we place first in the school fundraising category, Ms. Reed, one of the Best Buddies teachers at Oakton, was able to place in the top five for top fundraising individuals. The Friendship Walk provided a great opportunity for students to come together for a common cause of promoting inclusion throughout their schools. Students and their buddies were able to spend quality time together enjoying the walk, eating food provided by the walk sponsors, and dancing to music on the dance floor. Each chapter was able to celebrate
annual Best Buddies event, the Capital Region
their members and their participation in Best
Friendship Walk, where we won first place
Buddies, reflecting on the impact of the event in
as the number one fundraising school in the
their schools and the community as a whole.
Washington D.C. area. For the past two y-ears, we have been able to hold up this legacy with the help of students and teachers fundraising money and coming together as a whole to help promote our school. Klaire Danoff, a current member of Best Buddies, remarks, “It was so heartwarming to see so many friendly faces at the Friendship Walk, the buddies truly inspire me to continue walking for Oakton. I will definitely walk again next year to support Oakton.�
Overall, the Best Buddies Friendship Walk was a great success for both Oakton High School, and the Washington D.C. area. Not only were we able to celebrate values of inclusion and friendship within our school, but our first place fundraising standing at the event. Without the support of Oakton and our wonderful student body, we would not have been able to continue our fundraising legacy. A big thank you to all the students and staff who have supported Oakton Best Buddies in the past, much appreciation!!
katarina faben editorial board
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FEATURE BEST PLACES TO EAT NEAR OAKTON Need something for dinner? Craving an afternoon snack? These restaurants are just minutes away from Oakton and super tasty! Great Harvest
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Da Domenico Ristorante Italiano:
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editorial board zoe sauger
a Domenico Ristorante Italiano is a local italian restaurant located in Tysons, just a few minutes outside of Oakton. The authentic Italian food and atmosphere made this restaurant the best it could be. The dining room was filled with paintings of picturesque scenes from Italy, which made us feel like we were really there. We already knew we were in for a treat when we tried the bread - fresh, warm, and homemade, as if it had just come out of the oven (which it probably had). Next, the calamari and the Italian sausage were truly something else. There were many main courses to choose from, from pasta (homemade!) to chicken to steak. The chicken parmesan was cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of cheese and sauce. The ravioli was so unique, but still managed to surpass the classic cheesestuffed pasta that you find in grocery stores, which is hard to do. The filet mignon was beyond what anyone expected, with amazing flavor and nicely cooked and seasoned vegetables on the side. This restaurant was more on the expensive side, but it was well-worth it. You could tell everything was homemade and made with love, and the food paid justice to it’s Italian roots. If you want to pay the people at Da Domenico Ristorante Italiano a visit, you can visit their website at https://www.dadomenicova.com/.
reat Harvest Bread Co. is a bakery located in both Herndon and Vienna. The small store offers many different baked goods, with the main focus on bread. In the Fall, one of their most popular goods is their pumpkin bread, which tastes like a slice of heaven. The pumpkin flavor really shines through, and has just enough sweetness to be satisfying, but not overly sweet. It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert! Great Harvest Bread Co. offers more than just bread, though. You can pick from the delicious selection of cookies, muffins, scones, cafe options, and more! This store had a friendly atmosphere and smelled amazing (as expected). We would highly suggest paying them a visit! If you want more information on Great Harvest Bread Co, you can visit them at https://www.greatharvest.com/. Enjoy!
Image Coutesy of Great Harvest bread
sarah jeffries staff writer
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october issue
Image Courtesy of Southblock
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smoothie is always nice, but what about a smoothie bowl? Or even fancier, an acai bowl? Southblock is located in Vienna, it is part of the Jamman Java club. From the outside it does not look like much, which most of the restaurants in Vienna do. However, you walk in and it just has that vibe of calmness and like your about to have a really good time. The menu has a decent amount of choices of different acai bowls. An acai bowl is similar to a smoothie bowl but it contains acai berries which are sort of like blueberries or blackberries just a little more tarte. My personal favorite is the warrior bowl, which contains organic acai, bananas, strawberry, pineapple juice, and topped with handmade Granola (so good!), strawberries, blueberries, bananas. They have other flavors that are very unique, such as pb and j, nutella, and a special autumn flavor. If your not crazy about acai bowls don’t worry they have smoothies as well. A personal favorite is the strawberry colada smoothie. It is a normal strawberry smoothie, but has bits of coconut in it that gives this colada flavour. I love it because it feels like I am in paradise while I’m drinking it. The smoothies are perfect in the summer on a hot day because they are so refreshing and filling. The smoothies/ acai bowls are a bit pricey, but it is worth it saying that they are so good. Southblock:
29 Diner:
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ometimes all you need is the warm,cozy feeling that food can give you, especially on a cold day in Fall. 29 Diner is just that, the food there is another level of comfort food. When you first see the diner it looks like the diners you would see in the movies from the 1960’s. That is because it was opened in 1947, and has managed to stay the same. In 1992, 29 Diner was declared a historic site. The diner is very small, and is decorated on the inside with many pictures of people eating in the diner and the different functions the diner sponsors. The outside has a display of old-fashioned cars and a bunch of smokers to cook their famous barb-e-que in. The atmosphere of the diner is part of the reason so many people love it there. My friend and I walked in, and the diner was practically empty (it was a Sunday evening). The waitress immediately came up to us and said, “Hiah darlings, sit wherever you like.” The diner is a little slow-paced, but that adds to the whole experience. The menu has many choices, but a major part of the diner is the barb-e-que. I got the pulled pork sandwich with mac and cheese. When you get your plate it is a little simple, but the food tastes amazing. My first bite of the pork felt like heaven in my mouth. Then, the mac cheese was so superb words can’t even begin to explain. It was like I was eating my grandma’s mac and cheese on Christmas day. The cheese just melts in your mouth, and the breadcrumbs give this little crunch to counteract with the softness of the noodles. To top of the meal we got a slice of apple pie. It is a classic, and the apple pie at 29 diner was so scrumptious it makes my mouth water writing this. Eating at 29 Diner is not just eating out it really is an experience. The atmosphere of the diner makes your heart swell with joy. What made the evening all the more enjoyable was as my friend and I were leaving, an older man walks in and the waitress says,”Hi Jerry, usual?” There is a community at 29 Diner and it is so worth it to be apart of the community.
34 CHANGES TO CHEMISTRY How the chemistry curriculum changed this year
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his year, chemistry Honors introduced a new project: Science Fair. For those of you who took Biology Honors, you most likely know what this means for us. Research, drafting proposals, more research, etc. Essentially, an exact repeat of the previous year, with a new topic. So, why are they doing it? The main difference between the chemistry science fair and the biology science fair is the allowed creativity. Ms. Cho, chemistry teacher, says, “It doesn’t have to be Independent variable and Dependant variable, you can do more of the engineering design aspects. That’s what we’re more open to, because we want to let the students have more creativity in this project.” They will not be giving a strict The Effect of (IV) on (DV) format that many of us know so well. Instead, students will be given the freedom to do projects in the type of science that interests them most, whether that is chemistry or something else. Many sophomores are upset about the fact that their grade is the first to do this science fair. When asked why they decided to give chemistry this project, Ms. Cho responded, “We wanted to incorporate a more research based project. For this year, we just wanted to have a little more of a challenging curriculum. We’re not just doing it for the sake of making it harder, we felt like we wanted the students to have more exposure and experience with this type of research.” This project is essentially replacing the water
zoe siamon staff writer
quality project that had been done in the previous years. This is not the only change that chemistry has gone through. The class has also upped the rigor, in terms of grading and content. There are two main reasons, Ms. Cho explained, that this is happening. The first reason is simple, they want to align the content with that of other, nearby schools. The second (slightly more logical) reason is the SAT subject tests. In previous years, they did not cover all of the content that
appears in the chemistry subject test. “This year, we are trying to aline it (the curriculum) more so that the students don’t have to take AP chem just so they can do the SAT,” explained Ms. Cho. Although this will not, by any means, be an easy course, our Cougars definitely have what it takes. The individuality and creativity that make our students some of the best scholars in the county will certainly shine through during this project.
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october issue
AP CAPSTONE TAKES ON THE PULITZER CENTER AP Capstone students prepare for their first big presentations at the Putlizer Center.
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s Oakton High School is known for its yearly capstone projects, AP Capstone allows students at Oakton to indulge themselves in a wide range of topics that interest them. AP Capstone is a two year course that teaches students research and analytical skills but indulging them in several research projects. The research projects involve deep analysis of the different perspectives that can be used to approach a topic. The research done is presented through a research paper and a multimedia presentation. The first year AP Capstone students got the opportunity to have almost two months to research a topic in groups and will now be presenting their research on October 31st at the Pulitzer Center. The last week before presenting the topics involves the groups continuously revising and rehearsing their presentations to be within the time limit and be as informative as possible. Amy Dai (11), a first year capstone student, talks about her experience in AP Capstone so far and how her preparation for the Pulitzer
“I feel very anxious but at the same time, even more excited to be able to experience that kind of professionalism as well as speak with local experts [at the Putlizer Center].”- Amy Dai (11)
Center is going. Amy says that she took AP Capstone because she wanted to improve her research and analytical skills as they would be things that be useful in the future. Her group is currently researching about the Palestine-Israel land conflict. Each person in the group chose to research either the viewpoint of pro-Palestine or pro-Israel, and one person researched the viewpoint of “one side advocating for the other, despite personally identifying with the former.” Amy says that she really enjoys capstone so far as it has allowed her to engage with current events and help her learn about the topics that she has an interest in. To prepare for her presentation, her group has been continuously making edits to their presentation to eliminate any hints of bias, accurately cite their sources, and do better contextualization. “Presenting at the Pulitzer Center is a huge privilege and with that also comes a sense of nervousness as there would be many experts there to listen in on what insight we have to offer on our topics.” Amy also says that although
it is stressful, they are given an extensive amount of time to practice and rehearse in front of teachers that can help them fix their presentations. Amy says that capstone is very laid back as the groups are on their own to work on their own presentations each class and get many opportunities from their teacher, Mrs. Hovanec, to receive input and help.
riya jain staff writer
36 A SOLUTION FOR STRESS
cole starmer staff writer
Oakton students are working to end stress
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onotonous. It is defined as dull, tedious, and repetitive; lacking in variety and interest. For many people at Oakton, every day can be described as such. Each day drags on with tests, projects, assignments due, and teachers barking at you from every angle. For some, finding someone who is willing to listen to their troubles can be impossible. With each day that passes by, the stress of school mounts to a bursting point, and if you can’t find an outlet or someone to talk to, it can be detrimental to your grades, social life, and even your health. Thankfully, students at Oakton are striving to create a place where students can release stress, talk about their problems, and find a source of comfort. Welcome to the Association of Student -Counselors.
“I believe the club will be very effective as most students prefer to talk to other students when it comes to just venting about their problems having someone to talk to in general.” So who is the mastermind behind this club? Meet Kalina Boshkovska, the president and creator of the ASC. She is a junior who seeks to make a change in the lives of students at Oakton. “The main purpose of the club is to give students a safe place to go and express their feelings with someone they feel comfortable talking to, we are not here to cure mental illnesses but to help students talk about their feelings.” So in short, the point of the club is to be able to talk openly to a student just like you, who can relate to all of the stresses and worries of student life. Of course, our counselors at Oakton are wonderful, but sometimes it is easier for stressed students to open up to someone in a similar age group who they feel they can relate to. “We actually hope to become more than just a club, but a general association in Fairfax County schools,” she remarked. “I’ve met many students in the hall distressed over an issue they have no one to talk about with, so being someone who’s had experience with student counseling and understanding its impact, I decided to try to implement that into our system.” So far the club is in its infancy with only a couple of founding members, but Kalina aspires for the club to grow in size rapidly. “We’re looking for students who have been recommended by a teacher, or any school official who is legally qualified to help with students suffering from mental health issues.” Overall, the club is making a lot of progress in turning the tides of student stress.
“We will be advertising with posters as well as having it it anouced in the morning.” So far, the club has made great progress in furthering itself as a solid institution, but there is a long way to go in terms of ingraining itself into Oakton society. Kalina plans to further her clubs advertising by going onto the morning announcements, hanging up posters, and recruiting new members in general. In all, Kalina has shown her unshakable conviction and faith in her clubs purpose. The club still has a long road ahead, but it has made incredible progress indeed. For now the club is still waiting to be actualized, but any students willing to join the ASC should be ones willing to be ready to make a change; to make days at Oakton less monotonous, less dull, less tedious, and less repetitive.
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october issue
CHANGES ARE HAPPENING
wendy gao staff writer
The Fairfax County School Board passes a resolution announcing their support for renewable energy and climate action.
“The United States is not leading and neither is Virginia and that’s what we want. We want our representatives to be leading, to be taking every opportunity that there is to change to renewable energy.” -School Board Member Pat Hynes
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ver the past decade, America’s population of young people has grown increasingly vocal in advocating for social and political movements. The country saw young people rise for the March of Our Lives, Black Lives Matter, and many more. This past year, students in Oakton’s own backyard of Fairfax County have stood and spoken for issues that matter to them, including topics such as the environmental impact of the school system. Student activism in Fairfax County manifests itself through the recent climate change resolution and has made all the difference in the fight for a cleaner future in Fairfax County.
With over 200 buildings, a square footage of more than four Pentagons, and the second largest bus fleet in the nation, Fairfax County Public Schools requires a substantial amount of energy to power its facilities. Groups in the community have continuously urged the school system to switch to renewable energy in order to reduce the county’s sizable carbon footprint. Advocates include organizations such as Citizens Climate Lobby, Sierra Club, and Solar for Schools. Of these organizations, Solar for Schools is unique in that it is a completely student-led initiative. Solar for Schools is a group of students across FCPS working to get the school board to adopt solar panels for schools in Fairfax County. Solar for Schools students speak at school board members and promote their cause at community gatherings and events. Their efforts, along with other advocates’, was not unavailing, which was made clear earlier this month. This past month on October 11, the Fairfax County School Board passed a Resolution on Climate Change Action. The resolution was proposed by school board member, Pat Hynes, the representative for the Hunter Mills District, and seconded by Dalia Palchik, the representative for the Providence District. “The climate resolution that we passed is the school system’s statement that we will advocate for changes at the state and federal level to encourage and foster and support the transition to renewables,” said Ms. Hynes. With the new resolution, the Fairfax County school board will be formally authorized to support climate legislation at the state and federal level, and the board hopes to support an omnibus renewables bill called the “Solar Freedom Act” at the next general assembly session in November. While the Federal Government pulls back from the Paris Accord and retracts previous environmental laws, local governments need to push forward, and that includes school systems. “The United States is not leading and neither is Virginia and that’s what we want. We want our representatives to
be leading - to be taking every opportunity that there is to change to renewable energy,” says Ms. Hynes. In the coming months, the school board will continue to make progress toward implementing renewable energy. The board has asked the school system for a report that will be released in November or December on opportunities to change to renewable energy, including projects in the Capital Improvement Plan for the new year. The Capital Improvement Plan identifies the school system’s building projects each year, including new buildings, renovations, and additions. There are currently no projects in the Capital Improvement Plan for 2019, and the school board intends to request projects for potential renewable energy sources. Ms. Hynes says, “In January when we vote on the new capital improvement program, we want to see an addition, renovation, or a school that maybe exists but is getting a new roof. That’s an opportunity to completely change the energy sources for that school.” The report will also detail school systems in Virginia and throughout the United States with similar agendas and the actions they are taking toward renewable energy. Finally, the report will detail local governments and school systems that have carbon reduction statements. “We can come up with something that says we will reduce by a certain percentage by 2030 and I’d like by 100% by 2040 or something like that,” says Mrs. Hynes. “We know that we have to move very fast and we can’t just trust that it will happen. We have to have very ambitious goals to make it happen.” Alongside the laudable actions of the school board, the Fairfax County government that is separate from the board has also been making strides toward a more sustainable future. This fall, Fairfax County issued a Request for Proposal or RFP. The RFP is a contract to a vendor of solar technology for a lease-purchase agreement for solar panels. A lease-purchase agreement is an agreement between a vendor and a buyer, where the vendor invests in building and infrastructure and the buyer directly purchases the generated energy. Vendors answer the RFP and apply to work with the county by bidding prices. The county RFP is a step forward for schools because it will allow the school board to view the most cost-effective prices for solar panels, and decrease the purchase of fossil fuels. As the most powerful energy-supplier in Virginia, Dominion Energy offers low prices and competitive deals to Fairfax County Public Schools in order to preserve them as a customer. “It’s been really hard to find that point where a solar vendor can do better or at least as well, just in terms of cost. This RFP now gives us an opportunity to find that,” says Ms. Hynes.
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en español
LA GALERÍA DE ODAS
¡Un agradecimiento especial a Sr. Lewis! ashleigh tain redactor jefe
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Un enfoque del proyecto de las odas de español cuatro
ODA AL MAQUILLAJE Por muchos años de mi juventud, tú fuiste mi sueño. El día que mis padres me dejaron usar maquillaje fue el día de mi madurez completa y mi privilegio de la libertad. Pero a una edad joven, fui impaciente. Este hito parecia ser tan inalcanzable como una jarra de galletas prohibidas y la edad de dieciseís sería mi banqueta. Finalmente, yo tengo dieciseís años y soy unos meses lejos de diecisiete. Yo estoy reflejando en mi percepción y el maquillaje es extraño. Como un idioma exótico, no lo reconozco. El maquillaje es el engaño de la belleza, es una mascara de arte, es un estereotipo de la gente que yo no lo quiero tener más. - Ashleigh Tain
ODA A MI GATO
Mi gato es muy bonito Es como el atardecer Porque mi gato es hermoso Juego con mi gato en mi cuarto Y huele a flores El pelaje de mi gato es suave Es como una alpaca Los ojos de mi gato son azules Tiene la tierra para sus ojos El maullido de mi gato suena como música para mi Me encanta mi gato mucho Desafortunadamente, mi gato se escapó Lo extraño mucho Estoy pensando en mi gato Por favor, ven a casa mi mejor amigo - Anonymous
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ODA A MI MÁQUINA DEL EXORESSO
Tú eres mi salvador, Cuando me despierto por la mañana, Tú me das energía. Cuando estoy sintiendo triste, Tú siempre puedes animarme. Yo no sé lo que haría sin ti, Eres una estrella brillante que ilumina mi vida, Eres el arroyo del cual sale a borbotones la vida, Eres un guerrero que me salva de la ocuridad. Gracias por ser mi inspiración, Me das la fuerza que necesito para aguantar el día. Cuando entraste en mi vida, Fue como si me hubiera surgido de un mar de agotamiento. Estoy eternamente agradecida por ti. - Emily Steindl
ODA A MI CAMISA
Mi camisa es blanca y roja. Es muy blando y me hace sentir relajada como una persona se siente en la playa. La recibí cuando yo tenía nueve años, y ahora la camisa no me queda bien. Mi camisa es un tesoro. Cuando yo veo mi camisa, yo estoy muy feliz y emocionada, como una niña cuando ella recibe chocolate. Mi camisa es una conexión con mi abuela. Ella compró esta camisa para mí. Me hace falta mi abuela. Ella era mi todo. Cuando ella murió, yo era un vaso averiado. Yo protejo mi camisa como un soldado protege su país. Siempre estaré con mi abuela a través de este camisa. - Ankisha Singh
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ODA A MI IGUANA Oda a mi iguana En la tienda de mascotas Él dormía en una roca plástica como Las manchas brillantes destacaban Yo toqué el vidrio Sus ojos coloridos me miró Como un búho en la noche Yo sabía que lo quería El empleado lo puso en una caja Él quería ser tan libre como un Pájaro en el cielo Estamos en casa Finalmente y él es mío. Cuando lo miro, mi sonrisa Tamaño del gran cañon. Jorge es su nombre. Aunqué Jorge es pequeño, Siempre me hace feliz. - Audrey Schmitz
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october issue
in english
A GALLERY OF ODES
A special thanks to Sr. Lewis! ashleigh tain editor-in-chief
A spotlight on Spanish Four’s Odes project
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ODE TO MAKEUP
ODE TO MY EXPRESSO MACHINE
For many years of my youth, you were my dream. The day that my parents let me wear makeup was the day of my complete maturity and my privilege of liberty. But at a young age, I was impatient. This milestone seemed to be as unreachable as a forbidden jar of cookies and the age of 16 would be my stepping stool.
You are my savior, when I wake up in the morning, You give me energy. When I am feeling sad, you can always cheer me up. I don’t know what I would do without you, You are a bright star that lights up my life, you are the stream from which life gushes, you are a warrior that saves me from the darkness. Thank you for being my inspiration, you give me the strength that I need to endure the day. When you entered my life, It was as though you lifted me out of a sea of exhaustion. I am eternally grateful for you.
Finally, I am 16 and a few months away from 17. I am reflecting on my perception and makeup is strange. Like a foreign language, I don’t recognize it. Makeup is a deception of beauty, it is a mask of art, it is a stereotype of people and I no longer want it.
- Emily Steindl
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ODE ODETO TO MY MY IGUANA IGUANA At Atthe thepet petstore store He Heslept sleptininaaplastic plasticrock rocklike like AAbear bearduring duringthe thewinter winter The Thebrilliant brilliantspots spotsstood stoodout out I Itouched touchedthe theglass glass His Hiscolorful colorfuleyes eyeslooked lookedatatme me Like Likean anowl owlininthe thenight night I Iknew knewI Iwanted wantedhim him The Theemployee employeeput puthim himininaabox box He Hewanted wantedtotobe befree freelike likeaa bird birdininthe thesky. sky. We Weare arehome homefinally finally And Andhe heisismine. mine. When WhenI Ilook lookatathim, him,my mysmile smileisisthe the Size Sizeofofthe theGrand GrandCanyon Canyon Jorge Jorgeisishis hisname. name. Although AlthoughJorge Jorgeisissmall, small, He Healways alwaysmakes makesme mehappy. happy. - -Audrey AudreySchmitz Schmitz
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ODE TO MY SHIRT My shirt is red and white. It is very soft and makes me feel relaxed like how a person feels at the beach. I received it when I was 9 years old, and right now the shirt does not fit me well.
My shirt is a treasure. When I see my shirt, I am very happy and excited, like a little girl when she receives chocolate. My shirt is a connection with my grandma. She bought this shirt for me. I miss my grandma. She was my everything. When she died, I was a broken vase. I protect my shirt like a soldier protects his country. I will always be with my grandma through this shirt. - Ankisha Singh
- Ashleigh Tain
ODE TO MY CAT
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My cat is beautiful His beauty is like the sunset I play with my cat in my room And he smells like flowers My cat’s fur is soft It is like an alpaca My cat’s eyes are blue He has the earth for his eyes My cat’s meows sound like music to me I love my cat very much Unfortunately, my cat escaped I miss him very much I am thinking about my cat Please, come home my best friend - Anonymous
40 WINTER INDOOR’S NEW DISTANCE COACH
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his year the winter indoor track team has a new distance coach, Matthew Kroetch, who is teacher at oakton for economics & personal finance and World History. He was a high school All-American and is the record holder for the 5k at Oakton with a time of 15:04. He has previously coached for James Madison High School, where he coached several All-State runners, as well as seeing several of his athletes break school records for the men’s 5000m and 3 mile, woman’s and men’s indoor 1000m, men’s and women’s 3200m, and men’s and women’s 1600m. He also led Madison’s men to their first regional and state titles in 2016, as
connor maloney staff writer
well as their first women’s regional title in 2017. Kroetch has also coached the cross country team for this past season, where the team has won the district and regional championships, and is currently preparing for the state conference next Thursday. I interviewed Coach Kroetch about his new position this week, and he had this to say.
(bottom) Kroetch running for Virginia Tech (top) Kroetch’s profile picture for Pennyslvania athletics. Courtesy of Mr. Kroetch
Q: When did you start running? A: My freshmen year, during cross country. Q: What made you want to coach? A: I really liked track and the competition, and my coach had a big impact on me as a person, and I hope to do the same. Q: What are some of the biggest differences you plan to make to the program compared to the last coach? A: I want to put a greater emphasis on running more miles, instead of running for greater time in order to increase endurance.
The Winter Indoor tryouts are from November 5-9, and will be in the 55m, 300m, and 1600m, and will take place at Oakton High School. sign ups are outside room 157.
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october issue
CLUB VOLLEYBALL: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
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s winter is nearing, a new volleyball season is beginning… club volleyball. Club volleyball is a highly organized national competitive network of players age 10 to 18 receiving advanced training and competition on local, regional, and national stages. Most volleyball clubs consist of multiple teams for each age varying in level, or one team for each age. Many benefits come from club volleyball. My favorite part of the club season is three day tournaments. In three day tournaments, there’s a morning and an afternoon wave, depending on your age and division. You play three to five games and you have to work one to three. Working means you’re either doing the score sheet, doing the libero tracking sheet, reffing down reffing, line judge, or scoreboard, for other teams match. You and your team or your coach will decide what job you and your teammates will have each game. “I used to be so scared to do the score sheet because if you mess up, the whole game has to be paused while everyone waits for you to fix it,” said Anna Capobianco (9), who played for Vienna Elite last season. One common tournament is Capitol Hill Classic, which takes place in Walter E. Washington, which has over 200 courts with teams on almost every court. This is my favorite tournament every year because of how many teams there are, all there to play the sport we love. I also love seeing all my friends I’ve met from clinics all around the DMV because almost every team in this area attends this tournament. At Cap Hill Classic, I got to see some of my old teammates. I missed them a lot and it was great to see how they were doing!” Said Abby
Chen (10), who played for Virginia Juniors. The atmosphere is very vivid and animated with everyone having lots of energy. The convention center is huge and full of food stands and shops to buy shirts from the tournament. My friends and I love buying dip and dots and then shopping for T-shirts. There’s many different clubs in each region. Some clubs are more skilled than others, and some have many levels within the club in which vary in skill. For most people’s first year, they start at Northern Virginia Volleyball Club (NVVA). They start here because NVVA provides teams for players who just started, as well as very advanced players who have been playing for years. Other clubs such as Virginia Juniors only have one team, which is held at the highest level. In the fall before the club season starts, players do clinics for a bunch of different clubs to decide who they’re trying out for. Most clinics are held on Sunday for an hour to 2 hours at the clubs home. “Yesterday I went to Cassels for a Virginia Top Team and a Dulles VBC clinic. They were both fun and really well run so it’ll be a challenge deciding which one I’ll play for!”
sarah boddie staff writer
RESTAURANT: ROLL PLAY “Roll Play is the ultimate fast food restaurant. It is designed as an industrial and modern place with tons of options to take Instagram-worthy photos, and the Vietnamese food is created according to your own individual selections of flavoring, vegetables, and meat. The restaurant gives off a millenial vibe that is filled with life and flavor and is a go-to at anytime.” - Riya Jain
PLACE: TWIN’NI WITZ, GUATEMALA “Rolling mountains paint the area just below the sun, and the rooster crows moments after it peaks above the horizon. Young girls are scattered beneath the sunlight, and they dance with a freedom and flight that lives only among those in that have never known chains. The sounds of children and rooster nearly intertwine, forming a soft song deep in the mountains of Guatemala.” - Emily Bach
EDITORS’ FAVORITES
ALBUM: FOREVER NEVERLAND BY MØ “Every song on this album makes you miss a life you’ve never lived. Every song boasts a feeling big enough to fill a stadium. Every song sounds cool- for lack of a better word- and compels the listener to be reckless and live life for what it is; being alive. This is an album to blast at 3:00 AM, when you’re distant from reality but close to rationality.” - Emily Richardson
SINGLE: “YOU’RE SOMEBODY ELSE” BY FLORA CASH “The band Flora Cash sings with what sounds like a group of people whispering. This makes everything you’re doing stop, and you just listen and feel a sense of resonating calmness.” - Zoe Sauger
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: BABYLON BERLIN “Babylong Berlin is a german language Netflix Original, and is the most expensive show ever produced on mainland Europe. Set in 1930’s Berlin, the show follows a corrupt policeman navigating the power politics of the country. It is a beautiful and gripping reconstruction of a time long gone.” - Jake Neuffer