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F RIDAY , J UNE 8, 2012
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By Claire Acosta I surveyed 100 George Mason students (31 seniors, 27 juniors, 21 sophomores, and 21 freshmen) and asked them to tell me which top three caused them the most stress in their life. Growing up
Athletics
School work
Balancing time
Bullying
Body image
College stress
Social situations
Sex and relationships The results for each grade were fascinating. For seniors, the top three were school work, balancing time, and growing up. For juniors the top three were school work, balancing time, and college stress. For sophomores and freshmen the top three were school work, balancing time, and athletics. So the winner for all grades is, not so surprisingly, school work. This school is very academically challenging and kids in every grade deal with
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Why are we so stressed?
Students at George Mason experience stress throughout the year and pressure to succeed. But, how much is too much? Photo Credit: Natanim Teshome
stressful school work. lit- of stressors Of course, there are different types and different ways that stress cantleaffect you. Maybe stress in social situations time or in sex and relaout you don’t tionships can lead to you doing things of really want to do. you On the other hand, stress with school work or r college stuff can lead to an overwhelming feeling, day which leads to lack of motivation. to Trust me, I know all about lack talk of motivation. However, I think that the most important thing is it to learn how to deal with the stress. There will always be stress in your life, but when you add it to the everyday stress of growing up and being in high school, it can be scary. Make sure you take a
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Did you know that this year there have been 47 documented concussions among the students of George Mason High School and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School? That means that about one in every 27 kids
between the two schools have experienced a concussion. Of these 47 cases, 14 of them were active cases at one time, according to Mason Athletic Training Coordinator Vicki Galliher. In a presentation she gave to
school officials, parents, and students last February, Galliher stated that “in my 29 years in the sports medicine profession, I’ve never had that many concussions at once, so that has been a real challenge in helping manage —> pg 4
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a little time out of your day to talk it out with friends, or just zen-out and escape from your stressful day. No matter what is causing you stress, there is probably someone out there feeling the exact same way, especially in high school since we all seem to have the same adolescent thinking patterns whether you like it or not. So don’t internalize it all. Let someone know what’s stressing you out, because chances are someone is in the same boat. CA I NSIDE
THIS ISSUE :
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T IME M ANAGEMENT
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B ODY I MAGE
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B ULLYING
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G ROWING U P
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L ETTER TO E DITOR
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A CADEMICS V .
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INVISIBLE INJURIES IN THE CLASSROOM
By Graham Parvinkarimi
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ATHLETICS
STRESS RELIEF
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SUMMER
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LASSO STAFF AND MASTHEAD
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National Statistics Sex by age 15: 25% of girls 30% of boys
Sex by age 17: 50% of girls and boys
P RESSURES
OF SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS
WEIGH HEAVY ON STUDENTS By Maria Infante Out of the multiple pressures and stresses in high school, the pressure to have sex and the pressure of “serious” relationships in high school is a widespread issue among teens. According to www.purehope.net/ teens.asp, a website that shares facts from credible sources on teens and sex, statistics show that •
25% of girls and 30% of boys in America have had sex by age 15;
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21% of ninth graders have slept with four or more partners;
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50% of 17 year olds have had sex;
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and 55% of teens between the ages of 13-19 have engaged in oral sex.
So what does this mean? Applying these statistics to
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However, not all, but a large sum of sexual encounters between teens are due to the fact that they consider themselves in a serious relationship. Although this may sound less precarious to some, serious relationships in high school have many negative effects. One George Mason parent commented, “Once teenagers start having sex with their boyfriend or girlfriend, it makes breaking up a bigger deal, and basically the whole relationship a bigger deal.” This makes sense; to most teens, sex (especially for the
first time) is a pretty big deal. When teens are in serious relationships, especially when they are in the “honeymoon stage,” they spend most of their time with their significant other, talking on the phone, texting, and hanging out. Of course this isn’t always a bad thing, but it can often lead to teens being stressed about balancing their time correctly. “I definitely had trouble balancing school, spending time with friends and spending time with my boyfriend. My friends would stop calling me because they felt like I would always be with my boyfriend and not want to hang out with them,” said a George Mason junior female. According to Teenage Research Unlimited by the Love Is Not Abuse Organization, “One in four teens who have been in a serious relationship —> pg 3
MANAGEMENT , A BALANCING ACT
By Eric Brown
Photo Credit: ClipArt
GMHS to make a general conclusion, this means approximately, 37 freshmen have had sex with more than one person, 175 juniors and seniors have had sex, and approximately 370 Mason students between ninth and twelfth grade have engaged in oral sex.
Time management is one of those skills you’re not taught in school; you have to learn it for yourself.
it. If you can’t organize information well enough to take it in, then it doesn’t matter how skilled you are if your procrastination keeps you from getting your work done.
It doesn’t matter how smart you are-- you can read about it all you want-- but you won’t be effective at it until you’ve participated in doing
Time Management is a skill that is self-taught. It goes along with the motto “practice makes perfect.” A lot of young people who are
in school or who are looking for a job really need to know how to manage their time effectively. Merlin Mann, editor of the productivity blog 43 Folders says, “In today’s workplace, you can differentiate yourself by your ability to handle information and manage your —> pg 6
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“S EX ” CONTINUED … say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family; the same number have been pressured to only spend time with their partner.”
sex with someone can be stressful, the lies that teens come up with to hide the fact that they’re having sex from their parents can also cause a teenager and a parent much angst.
This means approximately 173 Mason students between grades nine and twelve have experienced distance from their friends and family due to their relationships.
“Stress within the family is also added on when your kid is hiding the sex part because then they’re lying to you about what they’re doing.” said the same GMHS parent. She advises that students “Keep a line of communication open, you have to eliminate the things that you have an age for. As a parent, you sort of have to lower the preconceived idea of age that kids begin to have sex.”
Aside from feeling pressure to spend most of their time with their significant other, teens also feel pressured by their boyfriends or girlfriends to have sex. Also found in data from The Teenage Research Unlimited, it is reported that one in three girls between the ages of 16 and 18 say sex is expected for people their age if they're in a relationship; half of teen girls who have experienced sexual pressure report they are afraid the relationship would break up if they did not give in. So, that means about 172 girls attending GMHS have felt this pressure. “The first time I had sex I was filled with lots of different emotions. I wanted to do it because my boyfriend was a year older than me and he had already done it so, I wanted to make sure he wanted me. I did feel pressured because I did it to impress him and to secure our relationship in a way because we were so up and down,” said a George Mason senior female. Although the pressure to have
Teenagers, as most of us know already, have raging hormones that cause them to act out and make decisions without really thinking about the outcome. This happens during adolescence and puberty and is pretty much an uncontrollable factor in part of growing up. According to teenbrain.drugfree.org, the brain develops from back to front and the Prefrontal Cortex, the part of the brain that controls impulses and reasoning, is not fully developed until the age of 25. This is why teens act out and don’t think about the consequences of their actions. This article is not to say “Don’t have sex or be in a relationship,” but it is very important for teens to be careful and be aware of the
The pressure to be in a relationship is a widespread trend for high school students not only at George Mason High School but across the country. The true emotional rollercoaster often goes unseen and can impact student academic performance and mental stability. Photo Credit: Maria Infante
responsibilities and emotions that come with being in serious high school relationships and having sex. The Mason parent continued to say, “When relationships get to the point of being serious, there is stress added, more so for girls than boys. For boys, they could go and tell their friends stories about their girlfriends which can really affect the girl emotionally, however it doesn’t work that way the other way around. Advice I would give to parents is that you can’t look at the topic of sex the way you want it to be, you have to look at the way it is.” Parents: Although in high school it’s hard to prevent your kids from doing a lot of things, you can educate them on sex, teach them about different means of contraceptives, and try to be supportive of your teenager, because high school is an emotional rollercoaster. Editor’s Note: Requests for comment by George Mason High School faculty and professional staff were denied. MI
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S TRESS - NO - MORE : T HREE EASY WAYSTO By Andrew Finein As students at one of the top high schools in the country, it’s near impossible to avoid an enormous amount of stress each and every day. Between the school pushing every student to take at least one IB class, a new dual enrollment program, and tough athletic teams, stress is finding everyone no matter how well they hide. Some students have even started to turn to illegal or unhealthy habits to cope with it. Across the country, bad student habits have
COPE WITH STRESS
even gotten out of hand and have resulted in death or serious illnesses. However, there are countless healthy ways to deal will stress that won’t cause damage to your body, but instead help you both physically and emotionally. A leading factor that causes stress throughout the day which can easily be fixed is not getting enough sleep. Texting, watching television, and playing on the computer are common reasons for staying up late. According to Ms. Judy Becker, a
Laptops, phones, and iPod's are common distractions which keep high school students up late at night. Photo Credit: Andrew Finein
—> pg 5
“C ONCUSSIONS ” CONTINUED ...
Cooper the dog is available for rental through the library to any student at Harvard. Dogs are proven to help relieve stress in their owners (or renters). Photo Credit: Harvard University
these cases.”
college and professional athletes.”
The actual number of concussions that students have sustained may actually be higher; many go un-diagnosed because concussions are often hard to spot, giving them the nickname the "invisible injury.”
Lee categorized the high incidence rates of concussions in teens as an “epidemic” and also stated that “the public as well as the medical profession have failed to appreciate the consequences of this problem and have been unaware of its significance and its long-term complications.”
The Mayo Clinic defines a concussion as “a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions” which can ultimately lead to cognitive, physical, and emotional side effects. Concussions are particularly dangerous to teenagers; their brains are still developing and any minor alteration in brain function during this developmental stage can leave the brain permanently disabled.
Concussions occur in all sports, even sports such as basketball, which are not traditionally thought of as high-contact sports. Photo Credit: Graham Parvinkarimi
In an article he wrote for impacttest.org, Dr. Michael Lee, a pediatrician in Southport, Connecticut who specializes in adolescent and sports medicine, stated that “younger athletes (in high school or in lower grades) have been shown to exhibit longer recovery times when compared to
Thus, the recent high incidence of concussions is alarming because of the physical toll that the injury causes to a growing teenager. As Galliher states, a concussion leaves one’s brain fragile, and if any further damage is done to it, permanent consequences can occur. The health issues which concussions cause have recently begun to receive nationwide attention via articles published by national news outlets such as USA Today, which has published several articles recently about concussion-related health issues among National Football League players. Several different local news outlets around the country have also published similar articles. However, most of these articles only exam —> pg 7
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therapist at George Mason High School, if students stay up late “they then come to school exhausted and unable to cope with the pressures of high school. Because of their inability to function well at school, their schoolwork may suffer, contributing to overall stress.” Tracing this back, all this stress can easily be prevented by getting more sleep. Mena T. Scavina, D.O. recom-
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mends teenagers get at least eight and a half to nine hours of sleep per night. To keep this pattern and to make sure you are not too tired, Scavina says not to “sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than two to three hours later than you do during the week.” If a teen is able to accomplish avoiding these distractions and get at least nine hours of sleep per night, it will lower their stress level and help them keep calm throughout the day. But let’s say you are getting plenty of sleep every night but you still feel exhausted and stressed all the time, what else can you do? Physical exercise and yoga are two great and calming ways to alleviate stress. Linda Crump, owner or LCS Fitness in the City of Falls Church says, “When stressed, our bodies go into ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing cortisol, which is a stress related hormone.”
Walking around a track is a simple but perfect way to relieve stress. Photo Credit: Andrew Finein
If too much cortisol builds up then you start to feel the effects and easily get even more stressed. To help counteract this buildup, Crump recommends working out on a regular basis. Not only does working out and performing yoga help reduce these levels, but it also “helps to increase the production of hormones that actually make you feel happier and less anxious,” explained Crump. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends
cardio exercise should be done at least five times a week, for 20 to 60 minutes. Stretching exercises such at yoga should be done two to three times per week. Performing these exercises won’t only help reduce stress but they will also help keep you in shape and may also give some people more self-confidence. If you aren’t the type of person to work out and do yoga though, there are still more healthy ways to help reduce stress. It is as simple as getting a dog. Dogs have been used as a source of stress relief since World War II when they brought joy to the hearts of troops and got their minds off of the war. Colleges such as Harvard and Yale have started to offer dogs to students who have become overwhelmed with stress for various reasons. As a handful of students turn to unhealthy habits to cope with stress, there are still many exciting and healthy ways to put up with it. Attending George Mason High and living in the City of Falls Church gives us an advantage over students in other areas party because of Mason’s very supportive administrators and having at least one fitness center or yoga center within walking distance from any house in the city. AF
P RESSURE OF PERFECTION REACHES PEAK IN MEDIA By Sara Campbell Body Image: (n) a subjective picture of one's own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others With the onslaught of media and increased access to magazines and television aimed at younger and younger audiences, teens are in a precarious situation as they view rock stars, models and celeb-
rities that look and act perfect. They don’t see the air brushing that goes into the perfect glossy photo, or the makeup, hair and wardrobe specialists making each teen celebrity sparkle. Eating disorders are on the rise largely due to an overwhelming amount of pressure posed by perfection-crazed media producers. Educating people, especially girls of the
Blush, lipstick, a blush brush, and mascara are all many items women use every day to try make themselves beautiful and flawless. Photo Credit: Sara Campbell
dangers of eating disorders is the first step in helping this national epidemic disappears. —> pg 11
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“T IME MANAGEMENT ” CONTINUED … time. Careers are made or broken by the soft skills that make you able to handle a very large workload.” Especially in the down-turned economy, this skill will become crucial to success in the work place and for starters, finding a job. For students, this skill will help them differentiate themselves from their peers when in school and even when applying to college. People don’t really know sometimes how to manage their time. For example some students in George Mason are crunched for time between school, sports, and jobs, and some people just don’t know how to handle all of it. In high school, time management can seem like a daunting task, which is true; it’s a balancing act fit for a three ringed circus, and one false step can bring you crashing down. For example, some people spend too much time studying and some don’t allocate enough. Both of these are an issue be-
Photo Credit: Eric Brown
cause with the first you sacrifice spending time with your friends or doing other activities and the other scenario graded in school would become an issue. Some people in George Mason haven’t acquired this skill, yet every story has two sides. Others Mustangs have mastered the time management puzzle. Caroline Staley, junior, is one of those students who have learned to manage her time effectively. Caroline works at Sportrock, a rock climbing gym in Alexandria on the weekends. “It’s actually a lot harder than it looks working there,” said Staley. “Most people have the whole weekend to catch up on their work or hang out with their friends. It’s hard having to work, keeps up my grades and do my home work, and still be able to hang out with my friends.” When asked about how she manages her time for all of this she said, “I usually try to do all the home work that needs to get done over the weekend on Thursday and Friday. I like doing this because it lets me go to work without stressing out over the HW that I need to get done for Monday and with the work done it lets me hang out with my friends a little more on the weekends. My system doesn’t always work though because sometimes I just have so much home work it’s impossible to do it all on Thursday and Friday so it spills over into the weekend, but I manage.” She’s learned how to effectively manage her time due to her being a full time student and maintaining a part time job. This shows that you have to practice managing your time until you find that balance. Sometimes it doesn’t always work and if you fall or slip a little, you just have to pick yourself back up and try again. No matter what age you are, you’re still learning how to manage your time. Even teachers at GM have to worry about this. Mrs. Kate Dirga, a math teacher, has two kids and a husband. She’s found a way to manage her time so that she can get all of her school work done and have enough time for her family. She does this by prioritizing her work and commences to do her work from there. “I motivate myself by saying ‘I’m not going to watch this TV show unless I get my work done or I sometimes do my work while watching the TV show in the background,’” explained Dirga. Dirga also works out before school each day so she doesn’t —> pg 9
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“C ONCUSSIONS ” CONTINUED … ine how concussions affect those who play sports professionally and among people who are no longer in school. As a result, many people do not realize the toll which concussions can take on a student's ability to do schoolwork.
ering from their concussions, even though their concussions took place at different points in the year. Thus, the majority of students who are recovering from a concussion have a pile of work to do when they are cleared to work again.
When a student is diagnosed with a concussion, he or she is immediately prohibited from reading, writing, using computers, and almost any other type of school-related work. These limits usually last from one to two months depending on the severity of the concussion and how quickly it is diagnosed, with extreme cases ranging from several months to several years.
Having to do a few monthsworth of work in a few weeks can add an ample amount of stress to these students' already stressful lives.
Students are also prohibited from almost all physical activity as well, but as Galliher put it in her presentation, “cognitive engagement of the concussed brain can have a more profound effect on concussion recovery than physical activity.” Thus, students who have been diagnosed with a concussion are allowed to do virtually nothing in school for months at a time. As one student who suffered a concussion while wrestling put it, “there wasn't anything productive to do unless you count sleeping as a productive thing.” Each of the students that were interviewed for this article acknowledged that they missed several major assessments while they were recov-
One concussion victim acknowledged this stress, saying “I missed a lot of work and every teacher wanted me to catch up on their class. There was more work than I was told I was going to have.” This heavy workload is compounded with the fact that recovering students can only work 20 minutes at a time, and they must take a five minute break between each time they work. This limited ability to work means that it can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a year for a student to fully catch up on his/her school work after a concussion, depending on how much work he/she has missed. A teacher in the science department at Mason recognized the large amount of time it takes for a student to catch up on their work, saying that “in my experience, it takes at least a month [for a student] to get everything made up.”
This teacher also mentioned that accommodations may be made for the student in order to help them catch up faster. For example, a student may do a modified version of a lab experiment that his/her classmates did which covers the same material as the original but can be completed faster. However, if a student’s concussion occurs towards the end of the school year, he/she can be forced to work into the summer and even into the next school year in order to overcome the setback that his/her concussion has caused. While concussion facts such as these may alarm some, the true toll that a concussion can take on a student truly hits home when parents discuss how a concussion has affected their child. A parent of a child who suffered a concussion this school year stated during Galliher’s presentation in February that her child’s concussion was “probably the hardest thing our family has ever gone through.” This parent went on to say that “we go in to wake [the child] up in the morning, and you know immediately what the day is going to be like. Is it going to be good? Does he roll over and his eyes are swollen and, you can just tell, it was a horrible night, he didn’t sleep.” The parents of this child added that their child had to essentially sleep for two weeks instead of going to school, and afterwards was forced to only attend school at a limited —> pg 8
When a player is suspected to have a concussion, he/she is immediately examined by Athletic Trainer Vicki Galliher, pictured above, on the sidelines. Photo Credit: Andrew Finein
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“C ONCUSSIONS ” CONTINUED … pace before returning to school fulltime. Narratives like this reveal how hard it is for a student to function, let alone attend school and try to learn, when he/she has a concussion. More attention needs to be put onto raising awareness about the effects that concussions have on students’ ability to learn, in order to make sure that these students are not left behind the rest in school. This starts with opening people’s eyes to the fact that concussions not only add stress onto studentathletes’ athletic lives, but can also cause lasting setbacks in their academic careers. GP
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By Tory Hyde Bullying can be just one of the many stresses in being a teenager, although for some of us more than others. You may be thinking “Is bullying really a problem at George Mason?” The answer is yes! Bullying is all around, us we just don’t think of it as bullying because it has just kind of been part of our high school "culture.” It happens so often that no one thinks much of it. But believe it or not, there are students in our school who feel like they have been severely bullied. "I have been bullied since about the first grade," said a male underclassman. "I have been called names, and been
Sticks and stones can definitely break bones, but words are also hurtful. If you see someone being bullied, stand up for them and be a friend. Photo Credit: Tory Hyde
punched a couple of times.” When asked how bullying has affected him he said, “I don’t have many friends because people are jerks and I don’t want to be bullied anymore. I tend to stay home a lot because if I want to hang out somewhere I don’t want to see anyone that I know. I have become less social because of it." He says he has told teachers about the bullies and that it hasn’t been very effective. "Normally a teacher will ignore when someone is calling me names.” He recalled one instance when a teacher simply said, “They are just boys being boys.” “It's really hard because I don’t think there is anything I can do about it. I would like to be able to deal with the bullying myself and I hope that something would happen to make it stop." A student should never feel this way. A teacher should take a bullying complaint seriously and try to make it stop and do something to keep bullying from happening again.
If someone is being bullied by another student and complains about it, the teacher or administrator should give the bully a small punishment and if they continue to harass the student they should get a worse punishment. This seems to be a reasonable way to stop the bullying that is taking place. The administrators at George Mason say it can be hard to discipline specific people, because each case is so different. “Most of the time students won’t say anything to their guidance counselor if they are being bullied because they don’t think their issues are important enough to bother with, or they don’t think anything will change,” said Counselor Mr. Brad McAdam. There is a very fine line between joking and bullying. But there is only so much the school can do. As students, we need to also make an effort to take notice if someone says something rude to someone else, even if they are “just kidding.” Another way students can take action is by treating others with respect. Think before you say something that could be rude even if you are just messing around, you never know how someone is going to take your “joke.” TH
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“T IME MANAGEMENT ”
It is essential that students learn to balance their time in order to be successful in school. Academics, athletics, extracurricular clubs, tutoring, family commitments, and leisure time compete for attention. Photo Credit: Natanim Teshome
CONTINUED … have to do it after school. On the weekends she sometimes hires a babysitter to play with her kids while she catches up on her work, but she always finds time to be with her family. When asked for advice for other people to manage their time, she jokingly said, “Drink lots of coffee for energy” and “all of your time management problems will be solved if you get up earlier.” Dirga does all of this to keep her balancing act intact. Joseph Frank Landsberger has a Masters in International Management from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, and has written a series online about time management at www.studygs.net/ timman.htm. He’s devised a list of 10 strategies that can help you effectively utilize your time. The strategies are listed to the right. Landsberger says to select at last one of the ten applications and develop a new study habit, this should help you manage your time more effectively. EB
Tips for Time Management 1. Create blocks of study time and break time 2. Have a dedicated study space 3. Do weekly reviews 4. Prioritize your assignments (Mrs. Dirga does this) 5. Achieve "stage one"--get something done! 6. Postpone unnecessary activities until the work is done! 7. Identify resources to help you. 8. Use your free time wisely 9. Review notes and readings just before class 10. Review lecture notes just after class
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Growing up at George Mason High School By Allie Plata In high school, when the topic of growing up is mentioned the first thing that pops into anyone’s mind is a picture of a senior packing his bags and heading off to college. Yes, that is definitely growing up; an eighteen year old being thrown into a world of chaos they have never experienced before. Living on your own, making your own decisions and most importantly, being completely separated from your family can be a tough process. For many, this idea of growing up can be terrifying, but is leaving high school really the hardest part of growing up? Is being thrown into the chaos of high school too early even scarier? For years, George Mason was For the last six years, students have a high school and a middle attended GMHS from eighth through school, until 2005 when Mary twelfth grade. With such a large age Ellen Henderson opened as a difference, it’s no wonder the eighth middle school serving fifth graders look up to the upperclassmen, through seventh graders. literally. Photo Credit: Tory Hyde
Before this, although the building was shared, “the middle school students and high school students were completely separated” said Mr. Tony Green, physical education teacher who has been with the school district for twenty-two years.
Eighth grade students are assigned lockers in the first week of school at GMHS. Having a locker can be intimidating and scary for some, yet it is a clear milestone in growing up. Photo Credit: Maria Infante
Today, there is a
separate high school and middle school with very different rules. At Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, the rules are much stricter. Students walk from class to class in single file lines and in silent hallways. They have assigned lunch tables and very strict rules when it comes to electronic devices. The rules at MEH are strict for a reason; the maturity levels of a middle school student are much lower than those of a high school student. It is necessary to have these rules, so that learning isn’t an obstacle. Of course, to a high school student these rules seem unreasonable. “The rules are very firm at MEH…I think that having assigned seats for lunch is way too much especially since it's still just middle school. They should at least be able to be with their friends so that they are comfortable around each other,” said sophomore Nicole Zorniak. At George Mason, the teachers are able to trust the students because the students are older, more mature and can respect the school and its rules with more ease. Coming from the rules of MEH to the rules of George Mason, it is many times too much for an eighth grader to handle. The eighth graders aren’t used to the freedom of wearing what they want, chewing gum in class, or be-
ing able to decide where they want to go during Mustang Block and it is overwhelming. “I have seen eighth graders literally rolling on the floor screaming, running around the hallways like it is field day, and hanging on lockers and desks like it is playground… during times like those it is obvious that they can’t handle the freedom that is given to them at GMHS and do not have the level of maturity that high school students portray,” said sophomore Mimi Nemec. Not all eighth grade students act in this manner, but it is the ones who do that give the grade a bad name. Take this into account: the students and administration expect the eighth grade students to act the same way as 16-18 year olds, which is impossible. Many of them cannot handle what is expected because they are thirteen and fourteen years old. They are not only facing the pressure to act in a mature way that they aren’t ready for, but they also start to feel the pressures of high school students way too early, especially in areas such as schoolwork and sports. “Being in high school, there are more responsibilities such as exams, tighter schedules and making sure to do well in classes because even now some of my classes count on —> pg 11
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“G ROWING U P ” CONTINUED … my transcript,” said eighth grader Raheem Lawal. Grades are always important, but entering high school where every student is worried about college and their grades adds unneeded stress to a 13-14 year old. Most eighth graders are only taking one to two high school credit courses as compared to the rest of the school who are taking five to seven high school credit courses. Eighth graders are also given
the opportunity to play JV sports, with freshman and sophomores who are more physically developed. They are competing for that one spot on the court and have to work extremely hard to earn it. Although many students don’t play sports like volleyball, cheer and football until they are in eighth grade, they are still expected to perform at the same level of those who have played for two years on JV.
“Walking into volleyball tryouts and being the youngest one there was pretty intimidating. I had to work extra hard to keep up with everyone throughout the season,” said eighth grader Hayley Loftur-Thun. Eighth graders also face the pressure to act the way older kids do and do the same things older kids do. They see the seniors in the hallway talking about “that party” and they might think that drinking and drug use is something —> pg 15
Underclassmen begin dreaming about sitting in the senior courtyard at a young age. Senior privileges are something to look forward to at GMHS. Photo Credit: Tory Hyde
“B ODY IMAGE ” CONTINUED … Keeping your body healthy According to the health section of The Ballet Companion, to keep your body healthy, you need to keep a wellbalanced diet rich with water, fiber, and micronutrients such as: Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamin A, C, D, E, vitamin B1* (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3, (niacin), Vitamin B6, (Pyridoxine) Vitamin B12, Calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Eating moderate amounts of these foods can provide you with these micronutrients: Whole Grains Cereal Brown Rice Fruits/ Orange Juice Fish Poultry Dairy Products Nuts/ Seeds Legumes Lean Meats Eggs Wheat Germ Tofu
Vegetables/ Vegetable oils Oysters Keep in mind that you should not go on any extreme diets. Fad diets are best to avoid because they help one lose weight temporarily and they can advance to poor eating habits. Very few people can last on a diet for very long eating only five carbs and a stick of celery each day. ACE Certified Fitness instructor, Tracy McClung said, “You need to love yourself the way you are today and not how you want to be six months from today.” Understand that there is a difference between obsessing over your body and maintaining personal hygiene. Simple acts such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, washing your clothes and hands, and cutting your finger nails can help your body stay healthy and clean. Negative Effects An eating disorder is a severe disturbance of eating habits such as ano-
rexia, bulimia, binge eating and the female athlete triad syndrome. It causes many physical and psychological disturbances. Many things contribute to a tendency to have an eating disorder. Low self-esteem, cultural and social influences, anger management, family conflicts, perfectionism, troubled relationships, and competitive athletes are at a higher risk. As reported in “Eating Disorders Among Athletes,” by Divya Kalaiya, PhD, athletes such as ballet dancers, dancers, figure skaters, gymnastics, rowers, swimmers, runners, wrestlers, and horseback riders tend to be more prone to eating disorders. Why? They want to excel in their sports which require quickness, and being light and agile making them more susceptible to eating disorders. Athletes are under constant pressure to be the best by coaches, fans, competition, and themselves. —> pg 12
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pieces, feeding others when refusing to eat themselves
“B ODY IMAGE ” CONTINUED … Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder primarily affecting adolescent girls and young women, characterized by pathological fear of becoming fat; distorted body image, excessive dieting , and emaciation. It is extremely dangerous. It causes the victim’s heart rate and blood pressure to drop because their body is trying to save all the energy it possibly can. This can lead to fainting, exhaustion and heart failure. Amenorrhea, or menstruation, does not occur because their hormone levels are low. This may leave bones vulnerable to fracture, or osteoporosis because the bones have lost of density which can lead to stress fractures. Muscles, organs, and systems loss start to fail and deteriorate. Bulimia Nervosa is the frequent purging (vomiting) to get rid of food, or excessive exercising to avoid weight gain resulting in medical problems including: wreckage of the esophagus, ulcers, and cancer in the esophagus and teeth due to stomach acids; heart failure; electrolyte imbalance; and rupture of the pancreas because it starts to digest itself. As stated on MedicineNet.com, some behavior and physical signs of anorexia and bulimia are:
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Binge Eating
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Loose and baggy clothes to hide weight loss/fluctuations
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Terrified of being fat
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Throwing up and use of laxative to get rid of food
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Fasting
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Sever physical activity and exercising
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Sneaking food
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Bathroom visits after meals
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Sore throat and tooth decay
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Exhaustion and sore muscles
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Crippled
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Pale
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Always cold Distended abs
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Little food consumption
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Weird food habits: cutting food into really small
Binge Eating refers to short frequent periods of excessive eating usually resulting in weight gain. Short term physical effects on the body are increase in body fat, shortness of breath, and decrease in mobility. Long term physical effects are cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, heart attacks), stroke, cancer, and diabetes. This disorder is most commonly brought about by depression or some kind of traumatic experience where the individual uses food as a method of coping.
Teenagers are conditioned by the mainstream media to find flaws with their bodies. Anxiety can lead to some serious health concerns. Photo Credit: Tory Hyde
And finally, the recently recognized eating disorder, the female athlete triad syndrome. It’s a disorder of eating leading to no
menstruation because of a poor diet, extreme exercise and osteoporosis. Later in life, this can result in being crippled, increased stress fractures, and permanent loss of bone strength. Those with a low self-esteem are at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder. They’re under the assumption that they're not good enough, that losing weight will be the way to happiness. When looking in the mirror someone with an eating disorder may see an obese overweight person, when in reality they're alarmingly skinny. Victims of an eating disorder tend to withdraw from society. Immense amounts of secrecy are needed to conceal an eating disorder. It is difficult for them to hide it from friends and family that care about their well-being. Lies and removal from society are a result of efforts to keep this illness camouflaged. Other psychological signs are: •
Mood swings
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Self-hatred
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Eating habits determining how good they feel about themselves
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Insecurity
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Perfectionism
How do I help? George Mason Athletic Training Coordinator, Coach Vicki Galliher, said, “Encourage the person to talk to someone they trust that might help them look at their issue more —> pg 13
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“B ODY IMAGE ” CONTINUED … objectively than they might be capable of doing on their own. Friends of individuals who are dealing with eating disorders should not try to “force” the individual to eat or make lightly of the situation – but rather attempt to support the individual by encouraging them to seek help. The same advice would apply to someone dealing with a poor/ negative self-body image.” We all go through different phases. Sometimes we're skinny, sometimes we're heavier. No two people are alike, so it's important not to judge one’s self based on what the girl on the cover of Vogue magazine looks like. You can’t change your genes, but you can change your attitude toward yourself. Teens are constantly being overwhelmed by the pressure from magazines, friends, peers, TV, those at work, etc. telling them that they need to be pretty, be this weight, wear that, be this tall, eat that. It can be very harmful to the teenage mind and can lead to many problems including eating disorders. Sophomore Huntley Campbell said, “I care about my appearance because it can tell a lot about the kind of person you are and how you present yourself. But, at the same time I don’t self-obsess with my image, and try to be something I’m not. I’m confident with the person I am and
I’m not going to try to make sure that everyone likes me. It’s best to be yourself because everyone else is already taken.” Whenever you feel unimportant or like you’re not good enough, just remember what Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” SC
Drugs have become much easier for high school students to get a hold of, but how prevalent are they at Mason? Photo Credit: Dominick Banks
L ET TER TO THE EDITOR : D RUG P ROBLEMS AT M ASON By Dominick Banks Drugs can be a problem at any school, in any demographic, whether it’s a public or private school, religious or non-religious. At the high school age, drug usage has no prejudice; anyone can find himself or herself caught up in the drug scene. As for George Mason, the drug issue is a very debatable topic. For some, the prevalence of drugs in the school seems miniscule compared to other issues, but on the opposite side of the argument even a miniscule amount of drug usage is too much. Both sides of the argument can be attested to, but the real issue at hand is how to handle situations in which drugs become a problem at Mason. The percentage of drug users at Mason is not large, but can still be detected. In any school setting, drugs are legally prohibited and unacceptable. With the small number of students actively using drugs at Mason, it is more reasonable to focus on drug counseling service for specific students rather than the drastic measures taken thus far. One instance where the reaction to drugs may have gone too far was last year when the administration, in an effort to instill in fear those who were bold enough to bring drugs into the building, brought in the “drug dogs” to search every student’s bag and locker. This even sparked controversy throughout the city, for obvious reasons. Was it really necessary for dogs to be brought in? Was this an invasion of student privacy? Some say that the “drug problem” is not nearly prevalent enough to warrant such drastic measures, but for those of the school’s administration, it was necessary. Administration has the duty of making sure that Mason is a safe, welcoming, and respectable environment for everyone who attends. One point of view might say that the drug dogs were —> pg 15
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A CADEMICS
V . SPORTS : CREATING BALANCE
By Jack Webster
A RE YOU A STUDENT ATHLETE
OR AN ATHLETE STUDENT ?
The academic rigor at George Mason High School is much higher than most high schools, and the same is true with the standards set for sports. Mason has a history of having a high standard in both academics and athletics. But for many students it can be hard to balance the workload between school and sports. A lot of these students take a dive in one of the two to try to be the best at the other. What should a student do when faced with the challenge of choosing between school and sports?
It is true that students who partake in sports tend to have higher grades. This does not mean that many students are not stressed because of it. Students often times have tests, games, and practices jammed into a span of a couple of days. This can cause enormous stress and pressure upon the student to succeed in both sports and grades.
solution to every player’s problems, because each case has to be handled on its own. Each student may have his or her own different problems, which need to be treated differently. That makes it necessary for students, teachers, and coaches to work together to make sure the student does not slip in class or on the field.
Coaches are quick to point out that you are a studentathlete, not an athletestudent. But at the same time, some coaches do not allow student-athletes to miss a practice or game in order to study for a large test. So what can the student do?
One Mason runner said, “I would skip practice any day to keep a good grade.”
Athletic Director Tom Horn says, “Not asking the day before asking to miss practice.”
Both in the classroom and on the field, Mason students are expected to have high standards. But what is more important to students: grades or sports? Photo: Jack Webster
He says that students came up to him all the time in his tenure as the Mason football coach asking for permission to miss either a practice or a game in order to study for a test. He recommends that students learn to manage their time wiser, and coaches are always able to help with time management in order to maintain their standards in both. It is not as simple to find a
As a matter of fact, he would miss a meet too. The runner once had a very critical test for a class he struggled in, so he emailed his coach in advanced explaining he would not be able to attend the meet in order to study for it. The coach became “furious” over it, the student said. The runner also said “[coaches] stress studentathlete, but then they expect athlete-student.” Was the runner right to skip practice to keep a good grade? Obviously the coach and student would like to see their student-athletes get straight A’s, but realistically that isn’t going to happen. What is important is maintaining their academic level. Some students let their grades slip because of sports. If a student usually does get almost all A’s, then suddenly a couple of B’s shoot up, that
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“L ET TER TO THE EDITOR ” CONTINUED … a necessary action to inform and even warn students of the severity and amount of
opinion on what constitutes and does not constitute a “drug problem.”
intolerance the school has for drug use. Others would say these actions are obnoxious and unnecessary-- especially when their children’s privacy is invaded in such an exaggerated way.
Those who use drugs occasionally or frequently have different opinions, as opposed to those who have never used or thought about using a drug.
“I was not thrilled with the school’s bringing in drug dogs; it felt a little like Nazi Germany to me. That sent the absolute wrong message to kids. I think there is drug use at Mason, but I think it’s at every school. I also think it’s the parent’s job to deal with their kids and what they are doing, not the school,” said an anonymous George Mason parent. We cannot forget those who the “Drug problem” at Mason directly affects: the students. Student opinion on the drug use at Mason varies greatly. This is because, for one, every student has a different
An anonymous student stated, “I use drugs about every day and so do about 80% of my friends. Yes, I think there is a drug problem,” and as for the drug dogs, “it was a good attempt to catch kids, but it was dumb since nobody brings [drugs] to school. I do think the school does their best to control the situation without invading people’s rights, but there is nothing they can really do about it.” The student body and faculty at George Mason attend school each day with the purpose of learning and growth. The environment at George Mason is welcoming and safe,
and for the most part drug free. The small percentage of the student body that does participate in drug use is more or less a small flaw of Mason, but can a flaw be considered a problem? If so, is it a problem that requires drastic measures to be solved, or can it be handled with individual support? Sincerely, Dominick Banks Lasso Staff Reporter
Police dogs are used in many schools to seek out drugs and illegal substances. Photo Credit: ClipArt
“I WAS NOT THRILLED WITH THE SCHOOL ’ S BRINGING IN DRUG DOGS ; IT FELT A LITTLE LIKE N AZI G ERMANY TO ME . T HAT SENT THE ABSOLUTE WRONG MESSAGE TO KIDS . I THINK THERE IS DRUG USE AT M ASON , BUT I THINK IT ’ S AT EVERY SCHOOL . I ALSO THINK IT ’ S THE PARENT ’ S JOB TO DEAL WITH THEIR KIDS AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING , NOT THE SCHOOL ” -A NONYMOUS PARENT
“G ROWING UP ” CONTINUED … everyone does. “I started using drugs and alcohol in eighth grade probably because I started high school and it was more available to me,” said an anonymous sophomore boy. In a middle school with fifth graders, drinking isn’t really a problem. In a high school
with seventeen and eighteen year olds, it is. Underclassmen use upperclassmen as their role models and when they see the pictures on Facebook of their role models holding “red solo cups” with questionable liquids inside, it exposes them to a brand new scene they aren’t quite ready for.
Growing up is something everyone has to go through, but for our eighth graders at George Mason, it is arguably a more challenging experience. Hopefully with the move back into the middle school in 2013, the eighth graders will have a smoother transition into adolescence. AP
Growing up in George Mason High School may have its ups and downs, but graduation day serves as a reminder that it is all building towards something wonderful. Photo Credit: Joy Wagener
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H OW TO RELIEVE ALL YOUR STRESS By Mimi Nemec Homework. Grades. Sports. Friends. Family. For an average high school student today, these are components of our daily lives. We tend to pile way too much on our plate and lately it seems like Sophomore Claire Trevisan be- there aren’t enough gins preparations for her final hours in a day to exams. Schoolwork is jut another finish all of the work pressure that adds stress to her we have piled on, let alone find the time life as well as playing for the girls varsity soccer team. Photo to relax. Credit: Mimi Nemec Sophomore Nicole
Local Directory of Stress Relief: Yoga: Dancing Mind Yoga 929 W Broad St. www.dancingmindyoga.com
Sacred Well Yoga Studio 450 W Broad St. www.swys.com
Tai Chi: Tai Chi-Wushu 7251 Arlington Blvd. www.uswushuacademy.com
Gyms: Vantage Fitness 402 W Broad St. www.vantage-fitness.com
Falls Church-Body and Brain 7115 Leesburg Pike www.bodynbrain.com
Planet Fitness 6763 Wilson Blvd. www.planetfitness.com
Bikrams Yoga College of India 1057 W Broad St.
Fitness First
www.bikramyoga.com
6270 Arlington Blvd. www.fitnessfirstclubs.com
Zorniak said, “School work is the most stressful. When I’m stressed, I can’t sleep very well throughout the night and worry a lot during the day. It changes my mood and balancing my time is hard.” Sophomore Peggy Brozi agreed that schoolwork stressed her out the most and said, “The pressure of getting good grades is so stressful! I tend to worry a lot during the day.” You may think that things like meditation and relaxation techniques are pointless and won’t help. But with regular use, it may very well help with your stress. It doesn’t hurt to try, does it? All you have to lose is 5-20 minutes a day, or an hour or two on weekends. If that small amount of time adds up to a lower stress level, then it’s worth it. Don’t go thinking that stress is just something everyone deals with and not do anything about it. There are some pretty serious side affects to having a lot of stress. According to American Psychological Association's 2010 "Stress in America" report, physical effects of stress include fatigue, sleep problems, and upset stomachs. Anxiety, lack of motivation or focus, irritability, and depression can also result. There are long term effects as well: obesity, heart disease and memory impairment as a few examples. Some students may “shut down” when under a lot of stress. Instead of the stress motivating them to work harder, it may make them buckle under pressure and just stop caring and doing things. This is where the grades might start slipping with missing or late assignments.
Although stress is a normal part of life, too much has been proven to lead to negative physical effects. There is no way to end stress completely. However, there are ways to relieve that stress to stay healthy and productive. Feeling overwhelmed? There are easy fixes that you can do to start lowering your stress level and raising your happiness level. Physical activity is great to let off steam, not to mention, exercising releases endorphins into your blood stream that give you a feeling of happiness and positively affect your overall sense of well-being. You go on a jog or take a walk around your neighborhood. If you would prefer an indoor, controlled climate, then there are plenty of gyms in and around Falls Church City to go to (see directory at end). If you have a couple hours and some money to spare, doing things such as getting massages and taking a yoga class can be relaxing (see directory at end). There are thousands of Yoga DVDs to choose from if you wish to do them in the privacy of your own home. The positives to getting a DVD might be that unlike a yoga class that you may only take once, yoga DVDs are reusable to pull out once a week or —> pg 17
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SUMMERTIME IS EARNED, MELTS STRESS AWAY By Paula O’Rourke If you ask students what their favorite season is, more than likely they’re going to say summer. Go figure, right? From September to June, it’s nine long, hard months filled with stress from work overload, late nights and sleep deprivation, and five consecutive days that seem to crawl by week after week. Then after those five gruesome days, it’s finally Friday, which means one thing: the weekend. Two seemingly short days that can be spent doing what you please, not what you’re forced to. It’s a chance to catch up on the sleep you missed while
staying up cramming for all those tests that seem to all fall on the same day, or hanging out with friends and family with a chance to just kick back and relax for a bit. Each week, it’s dreadful Mondays and counting down the days until Friday. This cycle seems to repeat itself for the duration of the school year, until it’s summertime. It’s a three month pay-off for the hard work that you put forth during the school year, and it’s so magical. You’re given three months of free time to do whatever you want, with the most beautiful weather. Plus, everybody looks better tan!
Rising seniors Emily Bell, Jeremy Brown, and Stephanie Chaney enjoy spending time with each other over the summer and attending various outdoor events. Photo Credit: Paula O’Rourke
Though, there are some who are opposed to the three month break and wish that school was year-round. It is feared that kids who don’t spend their time focused on academics for three months are forgetting too many valuable things that teachers spend so much time teaching. So, when kids return to school the following year, teachers are spending too much time going over —> pg 18
“S TRESS RELIEF ” CONTINUED …
help to alleviate stress. The steps to meditating are as follows:
when you feel like relaxing.
Sit quietly and comfortably.
Relaxation techniques and meditation are things that you can do by yourself at home to relieve your stress.
Close your eyes.
A power relaxation technique is imagery. A common way of using imagery is to imagine a scene, place or event that is safe, peaceful and happy, using all senses to remember the image. This place will be like a retreat from stress and pressure. A different use of imagery is to imagine stress, distractions, and everyday concerns flowing out of your body or into a padlocked chest. Meditation will fully relax your body and
Start by relaxing the muscles of your feet and work up your body, relaxing muscles.
S TRESS R ELIEF S TRATEGIES
Focus your attention on your breathing. Breathe in deeply and then let your breath out. Count your breaths, and say the number of the breath as you let it out (this gives you something to do with your mind, helping you to avoid distraction). Do this for ten or twenty minutes. (mindtools.com) MN
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“S UMMERTIME ” CONTINUED … material and re-teaching it. “I would hate it if I went to an all-year school because I love summer so much. Especially since it’s my junior year, I can’t wait for it to be over. There’s just too much stress over too many things,” said junior Kylie Englander about summertime.
Students enjoy America’s favorite past time— baseball— on their summer “Right now, I have two jobs vacation. Photo Credit: Paula and am getting back into O’Rourke
cheerleading, which is all on top of schoolwork. I’m up really late most nights, later than I should and I know it’s bad,” Englander added about her lack of sleep. “You can only stretch yourself so thin, you know.”
A majority of the school can relate to Englander’s problem because over 90% of kids who attend Mason participate in at least one sport and/or an extracurricular activity. That means that their time after school is taken up, leaving the only time for homework at night, which can lead into the early hours of the morning. Joyce Alexander, a second grade teacher in Loudon County, is about to take on her first year of teaching summer school.
I’ M LOOKING FORWARD TO MY LAST SUMMER BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL ’ S OVER , JUST WAITING TO SEE HOW AMAZING I CAN MAKE IT .” -K YLIE E NGLANDER
“I’ve been teaching for almost twelve years this past year, and over those 12 years I have found as teachers, we really do spend a majority of the beginning of the year re-teaching what’s been lost over the summer. Now, that being said, I can’t
complain about summers. I love my summers! They’re great,” said Alexander. “This is the first year that I’ve been asked to teach summer school, and I’m interested in tracking the progress of the kids who attended summer school, and seeing if they have an easier time settling back into the new year than the other kids who didn’t attend summer school.” Laughing Alexander adds, “and maybe they won’t give me such a hard time in the first few weeks!”
knowing that it’ll feel so good to be done. “I think that even though it’s kind of annoying to be doing a lot of review once the year starts again, every bit of summer is worth it. The best times that I’ve had during my life have been during the summer. It’s what every teenager looks forward to, especially since school is so hard and stressful nowadays. I’m looking forward to my last summer before high school’s over, just waiting to see how amazing I can make it,” Englander says with a smile. PO
Summer is earned, really. It’s three months of unwinding and relaxation before jumping into all the stress that no one wants to deal with. From a student’s perspective, it’s the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, rather than looking at working hard in school as important for colleges and the future, it can be easier to think about how amazing it feels to end the year on a good note and know that you’re done for a few months. It’s motivation to Whether it’s a journey to climb a mountain or a push yourself
staycation, Mason students find things to keep them busy over the three month vacation. Photo Credit: Paula O’Rourke
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7124 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22043 Contact Us: EIC.Lasso@gmail.com
Lasso Staff, 2011-2012 Editors-in-Chief
Broadcast and Technology
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News Reporters
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Feature Reporters
Dominick Banks
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WWW.FCCPS. ORG/ LASSO
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Sports Editors
Sports Reporters
Graham Parvinkarimi
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Advertising Manager
Advisors
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The Lasso Staff is seeking motivated, enthusiastic, and organized new staff members. Enroll in Journalism I today! The primary function of Journalism I is to learn and employ basic journalistic principles in the production of the school newspaper, the Lasso Online. The role of a student in a production class is very different than it is in a traditional class. As a staff member, you will have specific responsibilities to carry out related to your staff position, as well as the general responsibility of working with the rest of the staff to produce a high-quality newspaper. The course meets the requirements for an elective course and does not substitute for a required English course. All staff members are required to show understanding of basic journalism skills before submitting to the student publication. Beginning staff members will spend much of the first semester learning the fundamentals of journalism, and both beginning and returning staff members will regularly meet in a more traditional classroom setting for discussion and activities related to the field of journalism. On a theoretical level, the course will explore ideas such as the history of journalism, journalistic ethics, and responsible standards. The majority of class time will be devoted to writing, editing and production tasks. As a staff member, you will have access to some exciting opportunities and will work hard. Journalists never stop thinking about stories and never cease to explore possible angles to a story. Eat, sleep, and breathe news-writing!