The South Lakes
Sentinel
South Lakes High School slsentinel@yahoo.com 11400 South Lakes Dr. Reston, VA 20191 (703) 915-4676
Celebrating a life MYP project aims at raising funds, awareness toward brain cancer research and prevention; dance groups perform in honor of Cindy Martin
Top Right: Latina Danza begin a dance number. Far Right: Sophomores Helen and Michelle Slivinski lead the entire cast in singing “Hallelujah.” Near Right: Sophomore Nikhil Delahaye performs a dance stunt. Above: Senior Giselle Duran dances to the song “My World: My Soul.” Photos by Katie Poindexter
Mr. Seahawk returns to stage tonight Mr. Seahawk is back. Returning after a three year hiatus, the junior class has been putting together Mr. Seahawk, a pageant for a group of boys who dress up in costumes and perform skits for their audience. This annual performance began 20 years ago with the Class of 1991. This year the junior class will host it on Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater. The categories are beachwear, talent, grade level
colors, and date wear. Judges are receptionist Liz Knapp and math teachers Antony Sharp and Karla Chustz. They will determine the semi-finalists who are then asked a few questions before the winner is decided. “We want it to be a fun and an entertaining night for everyone,” said junior coordinator Chris Sheppard. “I am so glad we were able to put this together this year, and I know the seniors are extremely excited they finally get to participate in this tradition.” Admission is $5.
PHOTO BY KALEY DUNCAN
Juniors Kyle Norfleet and Abby Reed put the final touches on lighting and sound for stage while junior Sam Cook rehearses.
See Inside
Centerspread
Focus
As children we all had dreams for our future. Check out the dreams of these Terraset students.
Page 10-11
Reston Founders Day is a special day throughout the community that not only commemorates another milestone for Reston, but also for its founder Robert Simon. This year on April 9 the event celebrates Mr. Simon’s 97th birthday and Reston’s 47th birthday. More so, the event celebrates the history of Reston and the strides its founder made to establish it. The genesis of Reston began on a simple yellow pad, solely as an idea of a perfect community in the eyes of founder Robert Simon. With intuition and a vision, he set the ground plans for a community that reflects connectivity, inclusivity, and diversity. His vision manifested today into a culturally diverse area with over 40 miles of trails and an aesthetically pleasing exterior arrangement, offering multiple activities community wide. From volunteering to recreation, Reston offers a variety of opportunities for active residents. “I would like people to think about what role they play [in the community],” said Supervisor Cathy Hudgins of the Hunter Mill district of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Hudgins hopes that people will want to get involved in the community, since Reston is a community dedicated to “us all giving back and sharing.” The Reston community centers around the inclusivity of an environment lively and connected. Structurally, the Reston community is aesthetically constructed on the architecture that Simon observed while visiting Europe. “In the European community, the farmer would wake up, eat his breakfast, and go across town to farm,” said Simon. “Then, when he finished, he’d go to the plaza before returning home. Here in the United States, the farmer wakes up, eats his breakfast, and goes outside on his own farm. When he is done for the day, he goes home. Where is the community?” In coming years the metro system will establish a station in Reston in the first stage of constructing a metro system which leads to Dulles Airport. This construction arrives with pros and cons. The metro will be a good source see Founders Day, page 4
Sports
See how stress can influence students in a negative fashion. “Race to Nowhere” sheds light on the ongoing struggle.
Page 8
Founders Day set for April 9 by Justin Williams staff writer
Sophomore Helen Slivinski and dance teacher Terlene Terry-Todd saw three months of planning come together with the Think Love Benefit Showcase, presented on March 20. The show, which consisted of performances by Essence Dance Compamy, Latina Danza, and several other musicians, aimed to raise money in honor of Cindy Martin, who passed away on February 23 of brain cancer. Slivinski took on this project as part of her MYP project and raised over $2,000 that will be donated to the Imerman Angels Organization and the National Brain Tumor Society.
by Julia Cockrill business manager
Thursday, March 24, 2011 Volume 26, Issue 6
Collect the new collectable cards of all of the spring sport coaches. Also, catch previews of all of the upcoming sporting events.
Pages 19
News 2-4 • OpEd 6-7 • Focus 8 • Centerspread 10-11 • Student Life 12-13 • Style 14-151• Seahawk Stories 16 • Sports 17-20
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
News
“We should have big murals that are really cool, colorful, and expressive.” - Kari Cantwell, senior
The South Lakes Sentinel
NEWS IN BRIEF .
Spring plant sale to support ANGP planned The spring plant sale is ongoing until April 15. Plants will be available for pick up on April 28. Proceeds will help support the All Night Grad Party. Go to www. southlakesptsa.org/angp.htm. “Race to Nowhere” screening scheduled PTSA is hosting a screening of the educational documentary “Race to Nowhere” on March 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Little Theater. Tickets may be purchased through http://rtnsouthlakeshigh. eventbrite.com/. Tickets are $10 plus a $1.54 processing fee. Seahawk Athletic Booster news Athletic booster passes for all spring sports are available for $25 per person. Contact Holly Murray at hgmur5@ cox.net for details. Sports apparel is available at www.seahawkboosters. com. Summer sports camp registration is available for nine different sports. Contact Cynthia Lopynski at cclcm12@aol.com for details.
Students respond to Mideast protests by Bryant Midura contributing writer Over the past few months, the Middle East and North Africa have been enveloped in fiery anti-government protests. So far the governments of Egypt and Tunisia have fallen, and long-time dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi is on his last feet in Libya, where civil unrest is rampant and many people have lost their lives due to violence. A no-fly zone was recently declared over the North African country by the United Nations. “Libya’s riots are a mess,” said freshman Sarkis Daiyan, “They’re causing a lot of death and depression, and I’ve heard they could be a threat to the United States.” Other major protests have occurred in Algeria, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen; as well as most other countries in the Middle East and Africa. Government reforms have occurred all across the Middle Eastern and North African world. Victims of the protests have included the regimes of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Yemenis President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Jordanian President Samir Rifai, and
Tunisian President Ben Ali. Many worry whether the lack of a government in Egypt will result in radical Islamists taking over the country, which happened in Iran during the late 70`s. “Iran was a special situation,” said Nojan Hajiabassi, a freshman of Iranian descent. “I think it’s a good thing that people are standing up for their rights, overthrowing dictatorships and creating their own governments.” SGA President, and Senior of Sudanese descent Maab Yasin agreed, saying “It’s hard to say. I don’t think so, but maybe. The leaders are smarter and more likely to listen to the people.” He went on to explain how a radical cleric took over after the Shah of Iran fell in the 1970s, and that she did not believe there to be any danger of that happening in Egypt. Hajiabassi also believes that the protests will result in either noticeable changes in government or losses for the protestors. “Either a lot of people [will] get killed or the government gets overthrown. There might be some anarchy if the military can’t step in. People will group together.” Not everybody thinks that the protests in the Middle East are an
effective way of enacting change. “They’re stupid,” said freshman Maria Ingea, a native of Lebanon. “They’re pointless. They’ll end like they always do. No government and everybody’s going to freak out.” Foreign Policy magazine’s Mark Lynch wrote, “I’m not hugely optimistic that we will see real change, given the power of these authoritarian regimes and their record of resilience. But still... interesting times.” But nevertheless, the protests are likely to have a lasting impact in Middle Eastern and African affairs. As North African blogger The Moor Next Door put it, the protest wave is “one of the most important events in the Maghreb in the last decade, regardless of their outcome. ... They represent a long term trending… building not over months or weeks but years.” But why are Africa and the Middle East so keen on revolution and overthrowing autocracies now? Most of the regimes have been in place for many decades. Hosni Mubarak was President of Egypt from 1981 to his resignation in February. Muammar Ghaddafi has been the de facto leader of Libya since he took control in a coup in 1969. The sudden hostility by Arabs towards their governments can possibly be
Japanese disaster prompts desire to help victims by Kaitlin Welker news editor
Environmental film showing at Walker Nature Education Center The Walker Nature Education Center will show the second of its environmental film nights, “The Green House,” on April 15 from 7-9 p.m. The documentary, made in McLean, focuses on the first carbon-neutral show house built and explores ways to create a green show house. A $5 donation is suggested. Reston Arts Center offers teen programs Emerging Visions: A sense of place, an exhibit consisting of works from Herndon and South Lakes students, will be held until April 14. Free Fridays with Interact Story Theater is offered on April 1 from 5-7 p.m. Dodgeball Theater, a teen theater ensemble, is scheduled for April 8 at 7 p.m. Call 703471-9242 for details. FCPS Institute for the Arts registration now open Institute for the Arts is currently accepting registration for its summer program slated for July 5-29 at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Contact the Fine Arts Office at 571-423-4530 or go to www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/ FineArts/IFTA/nonFCPS. htm for details. Tuition cost is $750 for Fairfax County residents. Discount offered for FCPS employees and families registering more than one child.
blamed on poverty and deprivation in the region. A joint study by the Arab League and the United Nations Development Program indicated that in most Arab countries, young people constitute 50 percent of the unemployed, the highest rate in the world. According to the same report, rates of poverty remain high, reaching up to 40% in some places. The study also noted that the region has seen no decrease in rates of poverty for the past twenty years. Neo-Liberal economic policies put in place by Arab countries during the 1990s helped to expand the income gap between the poor and the rich. Many, including Al-Jazeera’s Lamis Andoni, also blame extensive corruption within Arab governments. The Middle East has not seen anything like the current protests perhaps in its entire history. The combination of the mostly peaceful revolution in Egypt and the violent civil war occurring in Libya is an interesting contrast to watch, and many will have their eyes trained on the region over the next few months to see what will happen to the Middle East, which remains one of the most volatile regions in the world after more than a century of perpetual conflict.
PHOTO BY KATIE POINDEXTER
Junior Morten Gruhndal is working on his mural of a whale and giant squid, located downstairs. Gruhndal hopes to show diversity through the sea animals.
Downstairs sea life mural comes to life
by Edgeri Hudlin circulation manager South Lakes has always displayed art, ranging from sculptures in the art hallway to giant murals on the walls depicting complex scenes. Even before South Lakes was renovated, there was a colossal painting of a giant blue man without eyes leaning forward as if to grab whatever helpless student dared to look at him. Now quickly developing in the basement is a large mural of an immense whale and squid spreading out to take up the entire wall on two sides. “I like the whale because it’s very soothing,” said gym teacher Nadine
Hetman. “It reminds me of the beach I would like to be on right now.” Art is one way that South Lakes is able to display the talents of the students as well as create emotion throughout the building. “It’s nice to walk around and be like ‘Wow what is that?’” said senior Sobechukwu Chinaka. “I want to know who’s painting it.” The artist responsible is excited for the completion of the painting and hopes to portray a theme through the sea animals. “We want to portray the diversity at our school so we are showing different kinds of wild life,” said junior artist Morten Gruhndal. “We are going to open it up for people to sign
the fish to show more diversity.” Gruhndal hopes to finish the mural within the next few weeks. The painting is not yet finished. However some students have already begun to criticize the artistry. “They’re vandalizing our school,” said sophomore Millad Nooristani. “This ain’t no crusty aquarium. We are in Reston, and there ain’t no fish around here.” Apart from the occasional negative feelings, the students are excited for the completion of the Sea Life Mural. “It’s a magnificent spectacle of South Lakes artistry,” said sophomore Schrikar Kupa.
On March 11, 2011 an earthquake with a value of 8.9 on the Richter scale hit Japan, and according to the national police, left the country with an official death toll of approximately 9,000. As a result of this massive quake, thousands of people are left without any knowledge of the location of their family members and friends. All the way across the world, even people here in Reston have been affected by this infamous event. Many students have friends or family who live in Japan, even in places close to where the earthquake struck. Fortunately, the families of some students like senior Tanya Negin were not harmed by the quake. “I was just really relieved that my family didn’t get hit by the tsunami,” said Negin. “I really hope everyone else who was over there is okay.” “It’s actually kind of ironic because my grandma was visiting from Japan when the tsunami hit, so she’s okay,” said junior Christy Hoffman. “I feel so lucky that my grandma is safe because I don’t know what I would ever do without her.” However, others such as senior Monica Chowdhury were not as fortunate. Members of Chowdhury’s See Japanese disaster, page 3
Hundreds of people line up to wait for food at a large supermarket in Sendai, Japan, Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Food and water are scarce in Sendai and the electricity remains off. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)
Thrusday, March 24, 2011
News
“[The situation in Japan] is another serious misfortune but I think the most important thing is to not stop what we’re doing and we still need to help.” - Laurence Ward, English teacher
The South Lakes Sentinel Music teachers commend students on earning blue ribbon status “I give a bravo to Choral for their performance. I’m very proud of their commitment to excellence and their dedication to the Choral department. Their energy and enthusiasm is the center of what we do. They are the most high achieving students and are the best.” -Choral teacher Rita Gigliotti
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“I thought that orchestra performed wonderfully. They played to the best of their ability and were rewarded for it. They are some of the best students in the school and are very accomplished, dedicated, and hardworking.” -Orchestra teacher Bryan Baldwin “They are bright and dedicated students. This is their fourth year receiving a state honor and it’s a rare status. Their work has defined them as students and after a few years they could be the best in the country. It takes a special group to achieve what they did.” -Band teacher Grayson Fore
Japanese disaster from page 4
family were killed during the tsunami in the Fukushima area. “It’s really stressful because you don’t know what’s going on,” said Chowdhury. “The waiting is probably the worst. I just really hope everyone else’s family is okay.” Even though Japan is on the other side of the globe, much can be done here in Reston to help. Every Tuesday, Japanese students are selling baked goods and other culinary items outside the art hallway to help raise money that will go towards the relief. Also, the leadership class will be sponsoring another Chillhawk, and all the proceeds will be given to the American Red Cross. “I think it’s really great that we’re doing all we can to help Japan,” said leadership student, senior Julie Thomas. “It’s really tragic to see everything that’s happened to innocent people and I’m glad that I can be a part of the relief.”
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Peace corps from page 16
special memory for Evans, she says that it’s difficult to pick a specific day that was the best because the Peace Corps was more about moments. “Some of my favorite memories aren’t about anything big, just interactions I had with people or moments of awe,” said Evans. “There would be times when it felt like nothing was going right and suddenly something would happen that we often referred to as a ‘Peace Corps moment’ because it reminded you of why you were there and what the whole experience is truly about – cultural exchange.” Evans learned to love the Lesotho culture during her stay there and now fondly recalls their passion for music. “One of the things I love most about the Basotho people is that they incorporate music, singing, and dancing into every part of their lives,” said Evans. “For celebration, for mourning…music is a part of it all. Even for professional gatherings, beginning or ending the meeting with a song or dance was the norm. I miss that!” Evans gained much from her service with the Peace Corps. She says that she changed for the better as she became a much more flexible, culturally sensitive, and patient person. Her work also made her look at her own life differently and inspired her to continue working with youth and families upon her return to Virginia in 2009. “In terms of long-term goals, the experience definitely inspired in me the desire to live abroad again someday and to work in a profession where I have the chance to try and make a difference, no matter how small, every day,” said Evans. Evans’s husband currently continues doing work related to HIV/AIDS awareness and education, and the two talk about serving in the Peace Corps again when they retire.
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
News
“Obviously the situation in Japan is extremely depressing, but I feel like the United States has taken too long to bring aid in Japan.” - Walker Vaughn, sophomore
The South Lakes Sentinel
GRACE exhibit showcases artwork from art students
Founders Day
by Kaley Duncan photo editor
from page 1
For years the Greater Reston Arts Center, or GRACE, has worked with South Lakes, Langston Hughes Middle, and Terraset Elementary along with many other schools around the county to create many opportunities for the students. This year instead of students viewing the art they were creating it. GRACE welcomed 55 South Lakes and Herndon High school artists and their work. The theme for 2011 is “Emerging Visions: A Sense of Place”. South Lakes students Dorothy O’Boyle, Sydney Hamilton, Thomas Cuisimano, Myra Richardson, Lauren McGreggor, and Lucy Yen were just some of the many artists whose works were displayed. O’Boyle and Hamilton based their artwork on bullying. The piece consists of a dark photo of the pair with heavy makeup and sullen facial expressions with negative words on pieces of paper above and below them. The piece illustrates the negative effects that bullying has on students. “The makeup is used to cover up our faces to help us hide from the society that we face every day,” said O’Boyle and Hamilton in a March 8 Reston Patch article. Cuisimano and Richard-
son’s piece depicts what clouds peoples’ visions. It is a piece that relates to many because it can be interpreted in different ways. The students were given a broad task and they were able to do with it what they wanted. GRACE happily took every piece that was submitted. “Usually when galleries are involved they have strict boundaries for the artwork and pick out the pieces that they want,” said fine arts director Matthew Ravenstahl. “Instead GRACE was
open to anything the students created that was unique.” The opportunities that were given to the students are usually hard to find. “They just told them to create pieces that they had never seen before and let them go off of that,” said Ravenstahl. “The amount of respect and trust in the opportunities that GRACE gives our students usually just doesn’t exist, so we are very lucky.” The art exhibit stays open through April 14.
PHOTO BY KATIE POINTDEXTER Sophomore Thomas Cuismano looks at his exhibit entry at GRACE.
Students interning at Lockheed Martin by Kimberley Gyapong staff writer
At South Lakes, students can obtain real world business experience by working part of their school day interning for Lockheed Martin. The current interns are the seventh cohort of the IT Apprenticeship Program. Before they could be part of the program, interns had to be nominated by their teacher or counselor. After the nomination, the students had to be interviewed by Lockheed Martin. “The interview was nerve-wracking,” said senior Jake Greenbaum. “A lot of kids went for it. I wasn’t nominated for the internship, but I wanted to skip flex. I was told by another student about the Lockheed Martin internship, and because of my good grades, I got in through the recommendation of Mr. Arrington, my counselor.” The students work at the internship every green day and are given experience working with Lockheed. Just like any other job, benefits are provided for the students. The Lockheed internship pays for full college tuition, along with health, car, and home insurance. In order to keep these benefits, interns are expected to go to school and work part time with Lockheed. Over the
summer, they are expected to work full time for Lockheed. “I’ll still work at Lockheed after I graduate,” said senior Maxwell Leon-Guerrero. “I’ll be doing part time at Lockheed and be going to school at George Mason.” “When they turn 18, company sponsors pay for their security clearance, so they don’t have to pay for it which is nice,” said business teacher Mindy Koeninger. Students learn skills on how to work in the business world. They learn how to use a variety of computer programs that are very useful in their future jobs. “We’re in training,” said Guerrero. “I’m proficient in Excel, Microsoft Word, and Visual Basic, and we use Unix. I know how to do a program using SQL.” Training also helps students build confidence. “At first I was uncomfortable talking to people,” said senior Marwa Osman. “But now I can talk to CEOs and other business people without feeling intimidated.” “We learn leadership and how to work in business,” said senior Jaspreet Sambre. Anyone wishing to learn more about the Lockheed Martin internship program should contact Koeninger at 703-715-4577.
Reston’s namesake, Robert Simon, sits at the bench at Lake Anne that bears his statue. PHOTO BY JUSTIN WILLIAMS
of transportation for Reston commuters and commuters travelling to Reston. The negative side of the argument evokes the possibility of Reston’s congested roadways and inadequate bus system. “I do not know what effects the metro will have on Reston,” said Simon. “My hunch is that it will not make a difference unless the bus system does better efforts in efficient public transportation.” Reston was developed around a village plaza in order to spark interaction within the community. There are a number of plazas across Reston and even a town center which encompasses and regenerates a sense of community. The original concept of the Reston community that Robert Simon developed was not welcomed by many developers. “Stupidity,” said Simon. “Everyone thought this it was crazy to have townhouses in the buoys.” These ideas were not so farfetched. Today, many townhouses that border Lake Anne use environmental technology for sustainable energy. “These houses on the lakes retain air conditioning from a system using the water on the lake,” said Hudgins, who also said that Simon was very intentional in creating what he envisioned. Integration was another problem Simon faced in creating Reston, which led to his removal from the Reston development project in the 1960’s. “I advocated for integration from the first day.” said Simon. “I would not have been fired if I did not want integration in Reston.” This was a great issue at the time of planning and development. With the Civil Rights Movement and segregation being roaring topics, wanting to build an integrated community could only be seen as lunacy. The idea that multiple races could cohabitate in an apartment complex was foreseen as a problematic situation. Yet, the idea of a diverse community was not hindered, making Reston the multicultural and welcoming community that it is today. This is apparent at South Lakes High School, where over 70 countries are represented. Hudgins believes that students in the Reston community can live in one place and have exposure to what the world is going to be like, which was evident while her sons attended high school in the area. Little did the original developers who fired Robert Simon years ago know, Simon’s idea of integration would lead to a more connected community through diversity. The Founders Day celebration begins April 9 from 12-5 p.m. at Reston Museum. Events include a treasure hunt, a video storytelling project, and a birthday celebration for Simon.
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Controversy surrounds classic literature censorship by Clint Bouttavong staff writer Censorship is a two way street. It can be used to block harmful material, but on the other hand, it can suppress free speech. As government agencies like the FCC continue to censor material they deem offensive, audiences begin to ask themselves when it is acceptable to censor material. For years, Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” has been censored by many school districts because of the use of the N-word, despite the book being historically significant and a great work of American literature. A new edition of “Huckleberry Finn” replaces the offensive racist terms with the word “slave” and has created controversy on the national stage. Some people feel that replacing the N-word with “slave” amounts to censorship. Some may argue that censoring a
novel like “Huckleberry Finn” only serves to desensitize our country’s youth to our racist past and can lead the nation down a slippery slope. “Basically if you censor material that you think is offensive it becomes easier to censor other things,” said English teacher Lisa Trigiano. Others argue that censoring the N-word and other derogatory terms will serve to eliminate the offensive terms all together. However, a term like the N-word may not be eliminated when people use it so casually on a day to day basis. “I do not think it is possible to eliminate any offensive term, because there’s always going to be some person who feels that it’s cool to use derogatory language,” said sophomore Edgeri Hudlin. “The solution is that teachers and students who have a brain should avoid usage of the terms so it can set a precedent for clean language.” Others argue that the publishers are not trying to censor the book but
are just replacing the offensive terms with more acceptable words. “The publisher’s intent does not appear to be censorship,” said student teacher Cindy Steiner. “The schools are guilty of censorship. The publisher is trying to get the book back in the schools.” Twain was in fact a firm supporter of abolition and emancipation. His apparent intention was not to insult African and Native Americans by using the offensive terms. Rather it appears he wanted to show the injustices of American culture that had resulted in the terms being used in a derogatory manner on an everyday basis. Censorship is a sensitive subject and can lead to controversy. It can be used to shield younger audiences, but it can also be harmful to our nation’s ability to have a discussion about certain subjects. Schools are a major battleground in the fight over censorship and will continue to be subject to these kinds of debates.
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Op/Ed
“The school could be more environmentally friendly by enforcing the recycling more than they do now and by making sure students and teachers turn off the lights as much as possible.”
-Ashley Turner, sophomore
The South Lakes Sentinel
MYP project honors life of Cindy Martin
The South Lakes
Sentinel 11400 South Lakes Dr. Reston, VA 20191 (703) 915-4676 fax: (703) 715-4597 slsentinel@yahoo.com
Guest editorial
Managing Editors Bethany Lowe Will Sweet
by Helen Slivinski Think Love coordinator
Business Manager Julia Cockrill News Editor Kaitlin Welker Features Editor Julie Thomas Sports Editor Emily Lipscomb Seahawk Stories Editor Rebecca Rosenman Photo Editor Kaley Duncan Staff Artist Cristian Bocanegra Circulation Manager Edgeri Hudlin Staff Writers Clint Bouttavong Kim Gyapong Leslie Hernandez Melanie Jalim Bryan Linsangan Rachel Rogers Alyssa Siqueiros Justin Williams Adviser Phil Dignan
The South Lakes Sentinel is an open forum publication serving the South Lakes High School community. The Sentinel solicits letters to the editor. Letters must be signed. The editorial board reserves the right to edit such letters for grammar, usage, clarity, punctuation, and length. The Sentinel will publish no material, including advertising, that is libelous, obscene, or has a clear potential for disruption of the school routine, as has generally been determined by law. The Sentinel staff will make every effort to avoid conflicts of interest, to be fair and balanced in reporting, and to reflect the diverse population of South Lakes High School. The content of The Sentinel is determined by the editorial board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the faculty advisor, administration of South Lakes High School, or Fairfax County Public Schools. The Sentinel is a member of the following scholastic organizations:
The Sentinel is printed by Silver Communications.
This Day in History
The worst oil spill in U.S. territory began when the supertanker Exxon Valdez, owned and operated by the Exxon Corporation, runs aground on a reef in southern Alaska.
PHOTO BY YANNICK FAUBERT
From the board
Schools need to take the next measure in recycling Every day at lunch, we’re forced to betray our own environment when we carry our food on those unrecyclable Styrofoam trays. If you didn’t know that those trays weren’t recyclable, now you do. There are so many ways to avoid such a harmful situation, which begs the question, why aren’t we doing anything about it? Alternatives include plastic or cardboard trays. Some schools in other districts have already made the switch to cardboard lunch trays. Cardboard is one of the best types of materials to recycle, and it would be hugely influential if we made the transition. That’s not the only environmental problem we face during school, you know what I’m talking about if you buy water bottles at lunch. Here’s a classic example of killing the earth one plastic bottle at a time. You buy a water bottle at lunch, don’t finish it, and take it to your next class. You go to recycle it, then look into the recycling can and realize there’s only paper in it. That’s
right, there’s no option to recycle bottles in the classrooms. The only way to recycle bottles is to physically go into the cafeteria and find the one or two recycling cans designated for bottles. Chances are, if you’re in class looking to get rid of your water bottle, you’re not gonna hold on to it and wait till class is over to recycle it. So what does that mean, it means that we’re constantly aiding in the eventual downfall of the planet we live on. If our generation doesn’t start doing their part now, we won’t have future generations to look forward to. Maybe that seems a little extreme, but it’s honestly the reality of the situation. We need to start getting more involved and more proactive when it comes to recycling. The public school system needs to take this problem seriously. The problem will only decrease if schools start training students to use all available efforts to recycle. Students will learn to recycle at school and hopefully bring what they learn home with them.
I began my Middle Years Program personal project knowing that I wanted it to benefit a good cause. After contacting many organizations and receiving no response, I began to grow weary, thinking I’d never find a worthy cause to devote my efforts to. My sponsor however, Mrs. Terlene D. Terry-Todd, heard about a friend of a friend named Cindy Martin who had brain cancer and no medical insurance to cover the costs of treatment. She was born and raised in the HerndonReston area and worked as a hairdresser at New Decade Hair Salon in Reston. Mrs. Martin was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in August 2010 and had been battling it hard. The loving mother and devoted friend however could do nothing to offset the piling treatment bills. My sponsor and I made the decision to fundraise for Mrs. Martin in late December of 2010. As the new-year began, so did our full steam campaign. We advertised and marketed t-shirts with a logo I designed to raise money for her and to raise awareness about her disease. Within the first two days of selling said t-shirts, we made an outstanding amount of $420. As sales progressed, so did our aspirations. We decided to plan a benefit show to raise awareness and to rally support
for finding a cure in the month of March. These two operations in conjunction were to raise the much needed funds to pay off Mrs. Martin’s funeral. Sadly, Mrs. Martin passed away on February 23, 2011 after catching pneumonia during her last stage of treatment. The loss of Mrs. Martin devastated many of us, yet we continued to push our campaign with new vigor. After completely selling out our t-shirts, we decided that we would devote a show to her life and legacy, focusing on her personality and her inspiration to us. A cast and crew of mainly volunteers were organized to perform in a live dance and music show. All of the performers were students from various performing art departments at South Lakes High School who created their own pieces to perform. The day before the show, the calculations dictated that we had made over $1,828.00 in funds from “Think Love” t-shirts alone. After a good turnout at the benefit show, we estimate that we have well over $2,000 in funds which, by discretion from Mrs. Martin’s family, will be evenly split between the Imerman Angels and National Brain Tumor Societies. The entire project was a success and will continue through a new, upcoming non-profit organization called “Cindy’s Legacy.”
Seahawk
Talk What do you think about the 60 minute interview about censorship in Huckleberry Finn?
“It’s kind of weird that they’re trying to change an old book so much. I don’t think they should mess with it because it ruins the purpose and historical value of the book.” -Michael Giaon, senior
“I do think it’s really offensive to use the N-word in the book and I’m glad that the schools are taking care of it. ” -DJ Christian, senior
“I think they should change Huck Finn because using the N-word can be offensive to some people and younger kids won’t be exposed to it.” -Taylor Gebauer, junior
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Op/Ed
“I haven’t coached JV for awhile but I know that alot of times it can be really tough to make varsity but to make it it takes a mix of being talented and having a good work ethic and JoJo has both.” - Brian Elliott, JV baseball coach
New methods to enforce tardy policy causes student outrage Alyssa’s Angle whole period? I guess it’s just hard for me to understand how helpful that really is. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that it’s disruptive for teachers when students stroll into class a few minutes late. But I was recently informed by one of my teachers that the official tardy policy is to give a warning for the first one, a call home for the second, and a detention for the third. This policy is enforced by the teachers. If there’s already a policy in place then why do we need the new one that has recently been put in place. On March 16, at the PTSA meeting, the newest tardy policy was introduced, it would be in effect the following day. The main feature in this new policy is a call home as well as an email to parents every time a student is tardy. Not just once a day, each and every tardy receives this special treatment. A parent could get as many as four phone calls a day. Understandably, the administration feels it’s necessary to take an immediate and ruthless action, but who knows for sure if this measure will produce results. According to most students and parents, the only thing this new policy will do is contribute to high levels of annoyance.
Varsity baseball gains freshman player with fantastic potential What’s What with Will? by Will Sweet managing editor
I don’t have an iPad, but people think I do. How do I do it? At the end of every email I send, I just write, “Sent from my iPad.” Genius! What’s the deal with TV shows that randomly go on month-long breaks and show nothing but reruns? You don’t see me taking a break and re-publishing my column from a few months ago because I’m tired and couldn’t come up with anything new. And I have to write something almost once a month! These TV shows can’t keep it up every week for seven or eight months? Weak. Speaking of TV shows, the South Lakes baseball team is looking a lot like “The Bachelor” recently. Just like “The Bachelor” had a lot of people talking about what went down on the last episode, the South Lakes baseball team has a lot of people talking about what could happen as the season unfolds. (Okay, I’ll admit it—that transition was terrible). What could possibly stop the South Lakes baseball team from claiming the district championship at season’s end? Aside from the other teams, nothing, that’s what. This year’s squad is oozing with talent and potential. One player in particular has caught the eye of almost every talent evaluator south of the Mason-Dixon Line—that player is freshman sensation JoJo Lear.
Letters to the editor Hey Seahawks! Write a letter to the editor. It can be about the newspaper or any topic you feel needs to be addressed, preferably in 200 words or less.
Enough about sports, where is the art?
by Alyssa Siqueiros staff writer
A few weeks ago the student body of South Lakes was hit by some troubling news. We were warned of a new craze that would be hitting the halls, in effect immediately. Announcements were made that hall sweeps would randomly take place throughout the school day. Everyone knows that they can get to class on time, but the time we get in between classes is one of the best parts of the day, so why would we cut it short? Being a minute or two late to class really isn’t a big deal if you ask me, especially when you have to make it all the way across the school to the art wing. Seriously, hall sweeps? What? Are we in middle school again? I honestly can’t take anyone seriously about these hall sweeps, the idea that sweeping kids off the halls and detaining them for an extended period of time is actually ridiculous. All it’s doing is taking kids away from their classes, and away from learning. And what’s with the whole teachers locking their doors thing? I’m pretty positive that will do absolutely nothing. The only thing that will amount to is losing valuable time in class. It’s just awkward and embarrassing, what are you supposed to do, just linger out in the hall for the
The South Lakes Sentinel
Making the varsity team as a freshman is no easy task. To find the last time a freshman made the varsity squad, you have to go all the way back to the last decade. Yes, in 2009, four freshmen defied the odds and made the varsity team. One of those freshmen was Nick Beaulac, who was then described by a wide-eyed Sentinel scribe as “young, eager, quick, sharp, spry, swift, agile, nimble, lively, and energetic.” Of course, now Nick is older and none of those adjectives apply. But they do apply to JoJo. “JoJo has a lot of potential,” said team spokesman Billy McLaughlin, a former freshman himself. Billy’s usually not very good at judging talent, but he’s spot-on with his assessment of JoJo. JoJo’s motto in life is, “There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m just gonna have to make it move.” He claims he thought of that before that Miley Cyrus song came out. Yeah, sure. JoJo has drawn comparisons to Marco Scutaro, a shortstop with the Boston Red Sox. Who’s making these comparisons, you ask? That’s not important. What is important is that JoJo could singlehandedly bring to South Lakes baseball what Marco Scutaro has never brought to any major league team—a championship trophy. No pressure, JoJo.
I really appreciate the fact that we have a school paper. It’s a great outlet for student’s opinions and also a great way to inform students about what’s going on around them. However, I don’t think our paper does a good job of this. Most of the articles are about things no one cares about, or focus disproportionally on certain subjects. (There are sports other then basketball and football, or I’m pretty sure there are.) Recently an exibition in GRACE opened, in which many art and creative writing students are featured. Also, I have only one thing to say about the relationship articles- we already know. Also, about writing… cite strong statements and learn to form sentences. Please. - Molly Mason, junior
Seniors aren’t slackers When I first came to South Lakes last year I thought the workload was unbearable. Now that senior year has come, I have realized that it gets worse. Senior have been so stressed out this year about gettings their IAs done, IB tests, and keeping grades up for college. On top of that , we have extracurriculars that we do as well. People who think being a senior is going to be a breeze have another thing coming. Be prepared. -Carey Mitchell, senior
Do schedules stress out students? “I wake up at 6:05 in the morning and go to school. I come home and eat, sleep, and play basketball. Then I eat dinner, watch television, and go to bed at 2:00 in the morning.” -Donald Christian, junior “I wake up at 6:00, then go to school. After school, I go to track, eat and go to sleep at seven thirty.” -David Jonson-Ward, sophomore “At 5:40 a.m. I wake up, shower and get dressed. At 7 a.m. I leave for school. At 4 p.m. I play basketball. At 7 p.m. I eat dinner. At 9 p.m. I do homework and go on Facebook. At 11:30 p.m. I go to bed.” -Ahmed Gibreel, junior “I wake up at 6:00 a.m., get out of bed at 6:30, shower and get dressed, brush my teeth, go downstairs and eat breakfast (sometimes), and then I get my school stuff together, run out the door, and drive my sister and I to school. After school, I stay after on Wednesdays, then go to Chipotle, Chick-fil-a or McTacohut, go to work, go to gym, go home, go on Facebook or Youtube, then homework, TV, more homework, then Facebook again, shower, pick out my outfit for the next day, then go to be at 12 – 1 a.m..” -Alyssa Gilbert, senior “I get up at 6:00 in the morning, get dressed and go to school, then I go to the trainer for my knee, then I go to track practice from 3:00 – 4:40 p.m. I then go home. I never do homework at home. I go to sleep at 10:00.” -Chermara White, junior “I wake up at 6:30 in the morning, and then I get dressed and go to school. After school, I take a nap, then go to tutoring and do homework. Then I go to the gym, finish my homework and go to sleep at 12 – 1 a.m.” -Olivia Hill, junior “ At 6:20 a.m. I wake up, shower, and eat breakfast. At 7 a.m. I leave for school. At 3 p.m. I play basketball or workout. At 5 p.m. I go to work. At 9 p.m. I do homework. Then at 10 p.m. I go on Facebook, listen to music, and watch TV. At 11:15 p.m. I go to sleep.” -Lucian Fox, junior “At 6 a.m. I wake up, get ready, then go to school at 7:09 a.m. Then at 4 p.m. after school is over, I go workout, then I go home at 6 p.m. to shower. At 7 p.m. I eat dinner then go to sleep at 11:30 p.m.” -Tony Dickerson, junior “I wake up at 6:15 a.m. and then I go to school. After school, I go to the teen center, and then I go home and get ready for church. Then I go back home read a book, eat dinner and go to sleep at 11 p.m.” Information compiled by Olivia Hill and J.D. Wallace
-Junior Ebott, sophomore
See more about student stress on the Focus page, page 8.
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The South Lakes Sentinel Patron List
The staff of the South Lakes Sentinel would like to thank the following patrons for their support of our publication.
Earl and Patricia Hudlin Elizabeth Knapp Chris and Patrice Welker Mike and Kathy Thomas Karla Chustz Alison Hansan Mark A. Penn Marge Carrico Sara Short Susan Heironimus Terrie Galanti Sherri Evans Mill Matey Sally Moran Anne McCloskey Andy and Teresa Mott Dr. and Mrs. William J. Smith Damian and Alessandra Del Toro Amy Saylor Yvonne Surrette Kathy Williamson Sarah Ladwig Karen Amster John and Lilly Tomasi Margie Welker Alex Barret Barbara and Dave Mullaney Chelsea Mullaney Lowe
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Focus
The South Lakes Sentinel
“No one specific person stresses me out, but having too many events and assignments piled on at once doesn’t bring out the best in me. Getting up at six in the morning when I’m a nightowl doesn’t help any either.” - Jamie Thomas, freshman
-Movie Review
Race to Nowhere offers many situations, few solutions by Marci Thrailkill contributing writer
“You have to do good in school to go to a good college.” This is the response a third grader gives to the camera crew in the documentary called “Race to Nowhere.” This film focuses on American students and how stress is seemingly taking over their lives. The film focuses on the causes of stress and how students cope with it. The fear of failing is a major issue because it drives kids to do things they wouldn’t normally do such as staying up all night to study and do homework, taking stimulants such as Adderall, cheating, dropping out, and in one casecommitting suicide. The director of the film, Vicki Abeles, and her family, are also subjects of the film. Abeles talks about growing up in a family with no father and having a mother who had very little income and several children, and how that drove her to be successful and in turn, push her kids to succeed. She first noticed her daughter struggling in school when she got into seventh grade and decided she had to do something when she heard about a girl named Devon Marvin who committed suicide the weekend after receiving an “F” on a math test. Drugs have always been an issue in school but recently kids have turned to using stimulants. One girl talked about how at first it was great because it helped her focus but then it started to have some horrible effects on her, she was lucky enough to get help and stop the addiction. The film gives much focus to cheating. Getting anything lower than an “A” is like failing for some and they will do anything to get the highest grade. Cheating is a huge problem because students just accept it as a way of life. A boy explained a time when he cheated but ended up getting a bad score and he was caught afterwards. Cheating also ruins trust bonds between the teachers and students. Something that the film points out is that people from all backgrounds struggle with stress. Some students said they got extra pressure to do good because they were from low income families and felt they needed to do better than their parents. Kids from high income families feel the pressure to do as well or better than their parents because failing just isn’t accepted where they are from. While the movie has some valid points about improving school systems and giving kids too much homework and tests, they never mention significant improvements that can be made. Their solution is to just get rid of homework and be done with it. However, homework is just a small part of stress and some homework is necessary. One part of the film focuses on a former teacher that became a full-time tutor. While many embrace getting the extra help, the film poses the tutoring industry as being a result of the stressful environment and high expectations at school. Because this film focused on so many issues, it was constantly jumping from one problem to the next and never stopping long enough for people watching to think about what the interviewees said. Towards the end of the movie, there was an interview with Devon Marvin’s mother, Jane Marvin. Suddenly the movie slowed down and took an extra long time talking about Devon and what happened to her after she failed her math test. Although the issue of suicide needed to be addressed, the amount of time focused on it was unnecessary and felt like a ploy to get viewers’ emotions stirred up. A better use of time would have been talking about what happened to Devon and then offering ways to improve students’ stress levels and looking for differences in children’s behavior so suicide can be prevented. If you are a parent, I would recommend seeing this film. It might help you realize the effect of you adding stress to your kids. For students, the film isn’t going to tell you anything you don’t already know about stress. I would rate this movie two out of four stars because while the documentary talks about some important issues, it is completely biased, focusing on many issues but providing too little solutions.
ART BY Cristian Bocanegra
Adolescent psychologist speaks to parents on student stress by Julie Thomas features editor
Sports, jobs, clubs and other extracurricular activities can be overwhelming. Adding school and homework to the mix can be extremely stressful. Stress in school has become a topic of discussion among students, parents and teachers. The PTSA is bringing the controversial documentary “Race to Nowhere” to South Lakes for a screening on Tuesday, March 29. The documentary follows families with children dealing with the stress and pressure from school and other activities. As a precursor to the movie, PTSA invited adolescent psychologist Dr. Joe Hyman to speak at the March 16 meeting. “The PTSA decided to bring “Race to Nowhere” to South Lakes to begin dialogue among students, parents, teachers and policy makers regarding stress amongst high school students,” said PTSA president Joan Burkhart. “Most of the high schools in our area have hosted or are planning screenings through their PTSAs or PTSOs and we want to offer our parents an opportunity to be part of the dialogue.” At the PTSA meeting, Dr. Hyman discussed the struggles and negative affects schoolwork can have on students today. He attributes some of the stress and anxiety to the way that school systems are set up.
-Book Review
South Lakes screening of Race to Nowhere Tuesday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. hosted by PTSA Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door Tickets may be ordered through the following website: http://www.racetonowhere. com/screenings/south-lakeshigh-school
“One problem is that a school functions to make kids pass tests, such as the SOL,” said Hyman. “Students memorize what is going to be on the test and then forget it as soon as it is over. That is not the way to learn material long term.” Many of the pressures that come with high school is engaging in advanced courses such as IB or AP. These classes offer more credits, but may come with some setbacks. “The fallacy about getting in to a top college is that a student needs to take advanced courses as soon as they can and build a good resume with community service, sports and extracurricular activities,” said Hyman. Dr. Hyman emphasizes that higher level courses add tremendous amounts of pressure to a workload for little pay off. “It does not matter whether you get into a prestigious college or not, it matters if you make it through college and graduate,” said Hyman. “Race to Nowhere” highlights the stress put on students from homework and sports. This pressure starts younger due to advanced courses being offered earlier to students. Taking advanced courses too early in an education can do more harm than good and create unnecessary stress. The signs of stress include anger, mood swings, sleep deprivation, drug abuse or a change in eating habits. “Some stress is good on students
to make them motivated to do work, but too much stress can completely affect a student’s life,” said Hyman. Stress in moderation allows students to understand the pressures of the real world. “We live in a driven society where we want our kids to excel, to be involved in clubs and sports and to be well rounded, but too much pressure can be counterproductive,” said Burkhart. One idea that some families share in “Race to Nowhere” is that school is for schoolwork but home is for family time. Throughout a high school career the amount of stress and its origin can change and adapt with students. “I am stressed because of all the homework and tests that I have,” said freshman Humna Aiaz. “I also need to have good grades, work on my MYP project and I have tennis practice every day.” As students get older, the pressures of school can change. “I get stressed out because I have to worry about taking the SAT’s and deciding where I want to go to college,” said junior Beza Kumbi. Being able to deal with stress and pressure comes with maturing and growing. Strategies for handling stress include setting a schedule which incorporates homework and study time, getting enough sleep, and eating at regular intervals throughout the day to have a balanced diet.
Chua’s “Tiger Mother” book stirs controversy; also a fun read by Hallie Turner contributing writer
“Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” has created controversy that pits Chinese and American parenting styles against each other. The author, Amy Chua, is not technically a Chinese “tiger mother.” Her parents emigrated from China to America and pushed Chua hard towards her own eventual success. Chua, determined to raise her children in traditional Chinese fashion, pushes her own two daughters to the point where one rebels. Her two daughters, Lulu and Sophia, quickly pick up the violin and piano and practice up to six hours every night including during vacations
and illnesses. They are not allowed to participate in a school play or have a playdate or a sleepover, and every decision they make is essentially their mother’s. But Lulu rebels at age 13, and their entire family changes. Chua is married to a white Jewish man who does not believe as strongly as Chua in strict parenting and occasionally tries to let the children off easy. Her children have certainly not had her husband’s lenient American upbringing, and their mother’s determination to make them stars is admirable. Sophia started learning piano at age 3 and was a concertlevel pianist in her preteens. But as I read on, I started to cringe at Chua’s treatment of her children.
At one point in the story, she openly calls Louisa ‘garbage.’ That was when I realized that the relative freedom of American children still results in a modestly successful life, and sacrificing sanity and happiness for success is not a very good trade-off. Chua, the author, startled me with her carefree writing style and sense of humor. I was expecting a much drier book based on the topic, which is strict Chinese parenting, but the book was quite playful and unexpectedly funny. I was pleasantly surprised. At one point I actually laughed out loud when she explained how she finally realized that her dog was probably not going to be a dog
prodigy and stopped trying to relentlessly train it. The book was quite enlightening. I started to understand the morals of a “tiger mother.” Chua explains very logically that children are only happy when they are successful, and so it is important to make them successful, even if they resist. “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” is a book that I would recommend for anyone ranging from students to tiger mothers themselves. The strict mother is eventually humbled by her 13-year old daughter, so it is not only a success story of the parents at first, but of the children, which is why it appeals to such broad audience.
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
The South Lakes Sentinel
Remembering past wishes and dreaming of the future Terraset Elementary students share what they want to be when they grow up; Seahawks share the most important item on their bucket list by Julie Thomas, features editor Disney princess, astronaut, firefighter, police officer or doctor is a common answer from a child on their career plans for the future. However, as students get older, their plans can change from hopes and wishes to reality. Elementary school is the time for kids to dream and imagine anything they want to be. Growing older allows room for imagination to have a “bucket list”. This term refers to realizing a dream, whether it is taking a trip, meeting a celebrity, or doing something completely crazy, before a person dies. Some high school students may have already realized their bucket list fantasy. “I had wanted a tattoo since I started high school and I got my first one on my sixteenth birthday,” said junior Ellie Huber. “Now I have three tattoos and am really happy that I got them.” Other dreams may deal with traveling to various destinations around the world. “I had always wanted to go to the Dominican Republic,” said junior Corey Gilmore. “I went with my family two years ago and it was cool.” Although visiting exciting countries can be on a person’s bucket list, living in exotic places may also be a future desire or fun past experience. “I lived in so many different countries and have gone to so many different schools,” said senior Collin Coker. “I don’t like moving but I love experiencing new cultures and meeting new people.” On the other hand, many students are still waiting to realize that one special dream. “Before I die I want to go to a Duke home game and be one of the Cameron Crazies,” said junior Billy McLaughlin. Realizing a special dream may mean facing some fears. “I have always wanted to either swim with dolphins or skydive,” said senior Katie Cunningham. “I would be nervous to skydive though because I am afraid of heights.” When looking back on the past, many kids can recall the exact career they thought they would venture toward in life. “When I was younger I always wanted to be a chef,” said senior Nina Rodriguez. “My little sister and I would always pretend we owned a restaurant and would cook for our parents.” In some cases, a person can stick with a dream throughout their entire childhood. “I have been playing soccer since I was five years old,” said senior Kirstie Fleger. “I am really excited that I get the opportunity to play in college and continue doing what I love.” Knowing what career path to take in life can make growing up much easier. “I had always known that I wanted to be a teacher,” said English teacher Katie McDonald. “The only thing I had to decide was what I wanted to teach. In high school I decided that I loved English and focused on that in college. I liked not having to worry about my major because I knew all along what I wanted to be.” Being able to realize a dream from childhood can give a person a certain sense of personal accomplishment. “When I was in third grade I had a piece of writing published in a local newspaper,” said English teacher Phil Dignan. “It was about the Watergate scandal. I completely got the information wrong, but having something published stuck with me for years. All throughout high school my dream was to write for Sports Illustrated.” Although some do not achieve their ultimate goal, the journey towards that goal can lead to something else. “I have never written for Sports Illustrated,” said Dignan. “However, I have had the opportunity to write for smaller publications while teaching English and journalism and I have absolutely no regrets.”
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Student Life
The South Lakes Sentinel
Club News .
Las Vegas Night! Adults only Las Vegas Night will be held on April 1 from 7:30-11 p.m. at the Reston Community Center. This benefit will raise money to support the cast and crew of Rumors, the drama team that will perform at the International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. Must be 21 years of age to attend the benefit. See www.southlakesdrama.org for information. 5K road race scheduled for April 9 The SLHS Band Boosters and DC Road Runners 5K will occur on April 9. The race begins and ends at SLHS. Cost is $30 for adults, $15 for those 15 years and under. Registration is available at southlakesband.org until midnight, April 7. Journalism students traveling to New York, Anaheim Staff preparation is under way for next year’s yearbook and newspaper editors. Members of next year’s Freebird Yearbook went to New York City on March 16-18 to attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Convention. Eleven students representing both the Freebird and Sentinel staffs for 2010-11 will head to Anaheim, California for the National Scholastic Press Association Spring Convention on April 14-18. Show off your talent in Lit Mag The “Portfolio” literary magazine needs your submissions for this year’s issue. Submit your work via email to sl.litmag@gmail. com or bring them to Mrs. Abdelrazaq, Room 472. Music program earns blue ribbon honors The music program, consisting of orchestra, band, and chorus, all earned superior ratings and received the coveted VMEA Blue Ribbon School designation. This followed three weekends of superior-rated performances. Latina Danza takes 2nd place in competition Latina Danza attended the Dominion Latin Dance Competition on March 19 and finished second overall. Sophomore Dayana Raudales and senior Mike Hepfinger took second place in the couple’s salsa category.
“I feel that the R-word campaign was very inspirational. The word has been used for years and is very hurtful. It is time for a change. -Alexis Newsome, junior
Manga increases in popularity among students
1970’s to early 1980’s. Even then manga wasn’t such a sensation until animation, like Akira, Dragon Ball, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Pokémon, was translated into English. Soon American TV shows, video games, and comics started by Kelly Mott using manga form. contributing writer Many students draw manga, typiStudents from South Lakes read cally using black-and-white and manga books at an incredible rate. featuring stylized characters with “At least 100 manga books large, round eyes. They learn how get checked out every week. We to draw manga from “how to draw” actually have to order more manga books and/or by copying the same books because so many people picture in a book and then trying to go through the books we have so draw it from memory. fast,” said librarian Alison Hansan. “I like drawing manga but all the Manga is the Japanese word for details in drawing it are really hard, whimsical drawings and dates back but at the same time, that’s what to 19th century Japan. Manga is a makes manga art,” said freshman type of graphic art that tells a story. Kimberly Rivera. A fun fact about “I like drawing manga is that you the hair. I love read it starting at how it’s spiky and the back of the it’s fun to draw. book from right I like how every to left like the character’s hair Japanese. can be so differA wide variety ent,” said freshof manga exists man Madi Cook. for every interest. -Melissa Lieberman, freshman Reading manga Categories of is different than manga include action-adventure, reading a regular book. romance, sports and games, “It’s like a picture book for historical drama, comedy, science teenagers,” said junior Victoria fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror Gunther. and many more. In America, manga is not the Japanese people of all ages typical comic book, but in Japan it have read manga for hundreds is. The characters are more animatof years, but manga was not sold ed, and readers can envision them in the United States until the late easier. Manga books do not contain much narrative. Unlike books, they are mostly based on the dialogue of the characters. “I like manga because it gives a new perspective on characters,” said freshman Melissa Lieberman. “I like the cool drawings in manga books. It’s better to read than actual books, and I like how you can actually see what’s happening,” said freshman Skye Burns. Due to the popularity of manga books at South Lakes, the library has ordered more graphic novels including manga and two popular manga series, “Vampire Knight” and “Otomen.” ART BY LIGHT HOUNGBEKE
“I like manga because it gives a new perspective on characters.”
Leadership students conduct campaign to end the R-word by Rachel Rogers staff writer During the week of February 28, the leadership class ran the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign to stop the derogatory use of the word “retarded” by students. This high school campaign is based on the national “Spread the Word to End the Word” day, held on March 2. The program’s goal was to raise nationwide awareness of the derogatory use of the R-word and how its use can hurt people with actual disabilities. “It was good to spread awareness of the R-word so that people won’t use it,” said leadership class member, senior Ashlei Sutton. Sutton, along with seniors Alex Turner, Julie Thomas, Emily Harper, and junior Taylor Murphy served as the third quarter project committee in the leadership class, and were in charge of the R-word campaign. “A few teachers from the special education department came to us to get our help to raise awareness of the negative effects of saying the R-word,” said Thomas.
Leadership posted the “Spread the Word to End the Word” slogan throughout the school and encouraged students to sign a pledge to stop using the R-word in an offensive manner. The pledge read that a student would “pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the R-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.” “It’s stupid for people to use the word,” said Sutton. “It does affect people especially if they have a disability or it’s their family or friends.” Pledges were placed on the cafeteria wall for a week as a colorful symbol of how many students signed the pledge. Over 500 signatures along with over 100 buttons sold mark the success of the campaign. Many students decided to join in with the campaign. Some did not. “Unfortunately I didn’t sign the pledge because I was lazy, but also because I never used the word in the first place,” said sophomore Kelsey Erickson. There are many students who
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH GRANT
Senior Josh Grant with band members Imad El-Amine, Isaac Valenzuela, Jordan Lynch, Chase Kaczmarek, and Salomon Valenzuela.
FreQuontrol making its mark by Leslie Hernandez staff writer
With many talented bands around the world, young band-fanatics cannot help but wonder what it would be like to have a band of their own. South Lakes senior Josh Grant knows firsthand what it is like to be in a band. Grant has been in a band with his friends, Imad El-Amine, Isaac Valenzuela, Jordan Lynch, Chase Kaczmarek, and Salomon Valenzuela, since 2010. FreQontrol is the name of the band formed by the group vocalist, Isaac Valenzuela, in 2009. FreQontrol includes vocalist Isaac Valenzuela, bassist Kaczmarek, drummer El-Amine, synths player Salomon Valenzuela, and guitar players Lynch and Grant. The band plays a variety of genres, including HipHop, Metalcore, and Electronic. From making music with pots and pans to using cereal boxes to make guitars, inspiration can be obtained from almost anything, but the band was inspired by desire and sound. “Isaac was inspired with his desire to make a band with an original and fresh sound,” said Grant. “But as a group, life and mutual love for music inspires the music we play.” FreQontrol prepares for shows
by practicing in El-Amine’s garage. To them, practice determines the outcome of their performance. “Our practice schedule depends on when we have shows and how important they are,” said Grant. “Practicing is very important because we are very sloppy if we go without it.” Like many bands, FreQontrol has songs with deep meaning to them. To Grant, the song “Aura” is one that feels special to him. ““Aura’ was the first song we wrote after I was added to the band,” said Grant. FreQontrol recently played the main stage of Ice Jam 2011 in Baltimore. The band is also preparing for their upcoming shows which they will perform in three different states. “We have a lot of exciting shows coming up,” said Grant. “We have a show in Springfield on March 29. We are playing The Jamboree in Ohio on April 9 and at the Launch Music Conference in Pennsylvania on April 22.” The band’s success has not only landed them shows but also a potential recording contract. “We are negotiating a management contract at the moment and are planning to shop our music to record labels later this spring,” said Grant.
PHOTO BY KALEY DUNCAN
Members of the leadership class pose in front of the pledges that the student body signed to not use the R-word during the “spread the word to end the word” campaign. Students were able to sign the pledge and buy a button to raise awareness. have stopped using the word, or “I heard a lot of people complain never used it before in an offensive about it,” said Erickson. “It makes manner. Some students did not even people use the word more often realize that the word was an issue. when they think about it.” “I never really hear it used ofEven with some negative consefensively against someone,” said quences, many students and teachers sophomore Jocelyn Espinoza. “It’s think the campaign was a good idea just used as a way to describe someand appreciate the results. thing.” “If it affected at least one person, The project has increased awarethen it was worth it,” said leadership ness in the school, and there are teacher Mike Astudillo. “There’s students who have stopped using the always going to be a percent of word negatively. However other stustudents who don’t jump on board. dents have used the word even more, Leadership is here to help with the despite the campaign’s intentions. other 99%.”
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Student Life
“SingStrong was so much fun to perform in. We all are like one big family. -Emily Hanbury, freshman
The South Lakes Sentinel
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DECA places in state competition by Alexa Amster contributing writer
SingStrong SingStrong is a weekend long international a cappella music festival annually held at South Lakes in order to raise money for the Alzheimers Association. This year, over 200 singers and presenters attended the March 5-7 event. Performers included South Lake’s own choral group Limited Edition and featured beatbox, barbershop, jazz, rock, hip-hop, doo-wop, and classical artists. Top: Limited Edition finishes their performance of Don’t Stop Believing with a dramatic fist pump. Right: Sara Wajneger and Lara Hirner perform with their jazz quintet, Westside Five, in the March 5 performance for the school.
Photos by Grace Erard
Top: Freshmen Marika Ottoman and Emily Hanbury get ready for the performance of Limited Edition during the daytime presentation for the school. The group purchased buttons from the leadership class to “Spread the Word to End the Word” and wore them during their performance.
South Lakes DECA students attended the State Leadership Conference in Norfolk, Virginia on March 4-5. Thirteen students participated in the conference. They completed a comprehensive exam prior to attending the conference, which was then added to role play scores. Role play events are divided into multiple categories including Travel and Tourism, Sports and Entertainment, and Financial Services. “It took a lot of hard work from our students,” said Ricks. “Lots of after-school practice was required in order to succeed at the conference.” A South Lakes student had never won first place in any category in the leadership conference prior to this year. Juniors Nathan Vellayan and Armando Drain broke the cycle with their first place win in the Travel and Tourism category. “It feels great winning at states,” said Drain. “I didn’t expect it and cannot describe the feeling.” This win made Vellayan feel like his efforts were validated. “It feels good knowing I’ll be going to Orlando for a week,” said Vellayan. “All that studying and three years of marketing class paid off.” Drain and Vellayan competed against fifty-four teams in the same category. “I’ve had students win at the district and regional level, but never at states,” said Ricks. “It feels amazing because all of my students worked so hard and always took my advice. It goes to show that all the hard work paid off.” Junior Edy Fahey placed second in the SLC, competing in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing event. “It felt really good especially when I accepted my award in front of 2,600 people,” said Fahey. “It was a little embarrassing because my fly was down, however I am very excited for Disney World.”
Students gain unique language learning experience by Kaitlyn Hudenburg contributing writer
High schools offer multiple world languages, and the most popular are Spanish, French, German, and Latin. What makes Fairfax County unique is that they offer Japanese at many of their schools too. “The immersion students take the language beginning in first grade and continue with it through the end of elementary school,” said Japanese teacher Adam Podell. “They learn science and math in the language, and when they get into middle school, they go into a transition program. This is when they begin to learn the actual language. From high school up, they just speak and learn Japanese.” Nineteen schools are involved with the Japanese immersion program in the county, and 129 students are taking Japanese at South Lakes. “When I was four, my family and I moved from Arlington to Herndon because of the Japanese immersion program,” said freshmen Michelle Buck. “It was mostly my mom’s idea. She is Japanese, and she wanted me to excel in the language. My dad thought it would be benefi-
cial for me later in life.” Reasons to join the program range from family influence to curiosity about a whole new language and culture. “I decided to take Japanese because it was offered at Fox Mill Elementary,” said freshmen Danielle McLellan. “I decided to give it a try because it sounded super interesting to learn an Asian language.” According to FCPS, the immersion program develops multicultural awareness and a more global perspective for its students. Podell said that immersion students have good listening skills and speak fluently, but there is a gap in their knowledge of grammar and the language. He doesn’t think that the transition program in middle school is as effective as it could be. However, students participating in the program feel as though they gained from the immersion program. “In the Japanese immersion program we did math and science in Japanese rather than in English,” said freshmen Nicole May. “It is proven that you learn those subjects better when learning them in a different language.” The goal of the program, accord-
PHOTO BY KAITLYN HUDENBURG
Sophomore Sean McCrone writes in Japanese during class. For many students srudying Japanese, the study of this language began in elementary school as part of the immersion program.
ing to FCPS, is to develop students’ communicative and academic proficiency in the target language and in English, making it beneficial to learn two languages rather than one.
“Learning any second language is more marketable,” said Podell. “This will help you later in life, more than not speaking a second language at all.”
“I like to take Japanese because it’s a less common language,” said McLellan. “And you get to learn about a culture so different from your own.”
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Style
I think that the current fashion trends are scarves, skinny jeans, Sperry’s, and a cute shirt. -Yosselyn martinez, junior
The South Lakes Sentinel
Current Fashion Trends
Students dress for spring
With the warm Spring weather comes new clothing styles. Girls are wearing pretty floral dresses with strappy sandals. Boys are seen around school wearing dress up clothes, collared shirts with sweaters over them, khaki pants, and Sperry’s.
Paul (R) Two British comic geeks travel through the American mid-West and meet an alien on the run. They then help him escape organizations like our government.
Source Code (PG-13) Captain Colter Stevens of the U.S army wakes up to find himself in anothers man’s body. He then learns he is part of a mission to find the bomber of a commuter train.
Sucker Punch (PG-13) Follows a young girl in the 1950s who is about to be lobotamized as she attempts to escape the asylum she is trapped in with her Inmate friends.
“ I think the movie looks pretty neat, but I’m unsure if I’m actually going to see it.” Michael Savage-Benoist, junior
“It is a prettty intense trailer. But how many more movies are going to force us to see characters have their brains manipulated while they fall in love with something from the past, the future, or both. I see a little Inception in this movie.” Phil Dignan, newspaper adviser
“ I think it’s a little weird with it just being about chicks fighting people but the effects look really good, so I’ll see it!.” Taylor Kerson, junior
“I’m feeling bad because I feel like Seth Rogen is falling off, he started off so strong in his career. It just does not apeal to me, it looks so childish.” Justin Williams, senior
“It looks like an interesting movie, but I might jepordize my manliness by seeing it. And besides my mom won’t let me see it, theres to many girls.” Edgeri Hudlin, sophmore
IMAGES COURTESY OF THEMOVIEINSIDER.COM
Music Review
Shirock delivers a solid, upbeat debut album by Clint Bouttavong staff writer With their debut album “Everything Burns,” the band Shirock delivers a solid rock album. It does come with flaws expected from a band’s debut. The album starts things off with the track “New Solution,” an upbeat opening track. The track showcases the unique vocals of lead singer Chuck Shirock. His vocals work perfectly with the almost anthem-like feel of the song. It’s refreshing to actually hear a bass in a track that isn’t drowned out by the rest of the band. The pace of the album slows down with the next track “Time Goes By,” a catchy ballad that serves almost as a break from the previous track. The part that stands out most about the song is the guitar parts. The solo near the end of the song is subtle and
straight to the point, which is a nice change compared to other bands’ somewhat overblown and complicated guitar solos. With the next track “Still Young,” Shirock once again picks up the pace from the first track. The song as a whole has a classic rock sound but still manages to stay current and fresh. The track is driven by keyboardist Pap Shirock’s piano playing. It’s almost refreshing to hear a modern rock band that has a prominent piano player. The band once again slows down the pace with the track “I’ll take Rain.” Keyboardist Pap takes over vocals for the track from vocalist Chuck Shirock. Her vocals are distinctively different from Shirock’s, almost less charismatic, but she manages to hold her own on this track. The lyrics of the song are extremely sweet, almost too sweet. Though in
Shkie’s Life by Takira Riley
this case, the gooey lyrics are a plus. The album seems to have a good mix of upbeat rock songs and slower ballads. With the slower songs, the listener can take time and actually appreciate the music as compared to
songs with a faster pace that seem to be done before the listener has a chance to decide whether they like the track or not. The next track “Say It Out” is one of the few flawed songs on Shirock’s
debut album. The vocals sound absolutely dreadful, almost whiny, especially in the chorus. Up until this track, I had mostly liked Shirock’s vocals. The lyrics are cheesy and clichéd, which actually really disappoints me as a listener. Unlike the previous track, it does not seem to hold its own. The next track off the album “Drag You Down” seems to redeem Shirock and makes up for the flawed track that was “Say It Out”. The majority of the song moves at a slow pace, but near the end it crescendos into a powerful climax. The band transitions flawlessly into a faster tempo without making it sound too obvious. The lyrics seem to have subtle religious themes as God is mentioned more than once during the song. One track that manages to stand out in an album full of great material is “Man Inside.” For most of the song
the only two presences are the vocals and a piano. Only near the end does the rest of the band make an appearance. The title track “Everything Burns” is almost like a flawed masterpiece. The first two minutes are extremely boring and do not really stand out. But halfway through the three minute mark, the band makes up for the long stretch of boredom with a phenomenal guitar solo. Overall the track is a mixed bag, which I partly hate and partly don’t. As a person who does not usually listen to pop-rock acts like Shirock, I can truthfully say that I enjoyed this album. Though there were some flaws, they were barely noticeable and didn’t affect my listening experience. Though this record will only appeal to fans of the genre, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience a solid rock album.
“Proms have escalated, escalated, escalated. Our proms were held at school. We didn’t have limos because we always felt like you needed to save something special for after you’re 18. It was like the movie “Grease”, no DJs and paper flowers by the decoration committee. It was beautifully done.” -Liz Knapp, receptionist
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Style
The South Lakes Sentinel
Shoes with cause attract attention among students By Edgeri Hudlin circulation manager TOMS are a new addition to everyday fashion for many. The special thing about them is that every time a person purchases a pair, a pair is matched to an underprivileged child in a developing country. The Company TOMS was founded by an American traveler by the name of Blake Mycoskie. While in Argentina, he noticed that the children did not have shoes. Mycoskie came up with the idea of establishing a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased to a child without shoes in a struggling country. Just as other shoe brands do, they have many different styles, colors and designs. Many students feel that the shoe is a nice addition to their wardrobe as any other shoe is. “They are super comfortable and
SEAHAWK
Talk
they go with almost anything,” said sophomore Kaitlin Welker. “It’s also really great that they are going towards a good cause.” Many students bought the shoes after noticing them on others, however, others bought them specifically because of the good cause “I like TOMS because I feel good when I get them because every time I buy a pair, they give a pair to a child in need,” said sophomore Katherine Allgaier. “I have two pairs and they are my favorite shoes. I got them over the summer because I thought it was a good idea and not because everyone else had a pair.” Even those who do not like how the shoes look still agree that they are going toward a good cause which is agreeable. “I think they’re ugly and cheap material but they are going towards a good cause so I am supportive of them generally,” said Seahawk alumna Waveney Hudlin. Hudlin is a college freshman at
How much do you plan to spend for Prom this year?
“It’s going to be really expensive, because I have to pay for me and my date, and then my tux, and food for us that night. It’s just going to be expensive.” -Deon King, senior
“Well it’s like 300 for the dress, and 60 dollars for nails and stuff, and then there’s the hair and other stuff. It will probably be around 700 dollars.” -Mary Skillman, senior
“I don’t know how much I’m going to pay or what it will cost. I’m a junior and never done this before. I’m clueless.” -Sam Campbell, junior
“It’s going to be a crazy amount. It’s always more for girls though, I don’t know why. I guess they need the dress and make-up and all that stuff.” -Benjamin Munoz, senior
“I’ll spend close to a grand if you count everything. There’s the dress, the hair, a limo, and then there’s food.” -Johanna Huezo, junior
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PHOTO BY ALYSSA SIQUEIROS
Julia Deschamps is a fan of TOMS and often wears them to school because of the comfort. TOMS have become a common trend in the past year. Stanford University, and observed TOMS as a trend in California as well. Even though the proceeds of TOMS go to a good cause, they still
are considered expensive. “The price definitely is not the reason why I bought the shoes,” said senior Alyssa Siqueiros. “The fact that they benefit other people makes
me feel good about myself.” The TOMS shoe company campaign of charity has caught on, over ten thousand pairs have been sold.
16 In the name of peace Thursday, March 24, 2011
Seahawk Stories
“I would like to be in the Peace Corps because I’d like to help people.” -Michaela Graves, senior
The South Lakes Sentinel
As Peace Corps 50th anniversary approaches, past members of Peace Corps share experiences Mary Morris, English teacher Served in Swaziland, 1981-83
by Kaitlyn Hudenburg contributing writer English teacher Mary Morris, at age 23, left for Swaziland, South Africa in May 1981-1983 after joining the Peace Corps. Morris came from a small town in Georgia and wanted to see the world. Her father said that she should go on adventures to have good stories to come back with. Morris brought along many suitcases, hair curlers, and makeup for the trip. But of course, the Corps sent her to a place with no electricity. The town didn’t have water either. They drank rainwater and went to the market only once a month. Morris had to walk three miles to get to the main road then hitch hike the rest of the way. She was only allowed to wear skirts and dresses because showing of thighs was not allowed in their culture. Morris taught math even though she wasn’t good at it. Her boyfriend taught her, so then she taught the students. It was difficult for the students because they had to take tests from England. “You had to immerse yourself in their culture and learn their language,” said Morris. One of her funniest experiences was Morris and her boyfriend went swimming under a waterfall. While they were swimming, they felt something being thrown at them. They looked up and saw baboons throwing rocks at them from the top of the waterfall. When they decided to leave, the baboons started following
and laughing. While in Africa, Morris visited Zimbabwe at a time of political unrest and went to Victoria Falls, known for having some of the largest falls in the world. She also experienced a harrowing trip. “We started in Swaziland and went to Cape Town,” said Morris. “It was a six week trip and we got stuck in the desert at one point. I also climbed Table Mountain.” Morris went at the time after the ‘hippie movement’ when so many people wanted to help others, to give back, and that is exactly what the Peace Corps had to offer. Kate Offutt, science teacher Served in Rwanda, 1987-90
by Humna Ajaz contributing writer Science teacher Kate Offutt went to Africa to study 11 different species of monkeys in the “Land of 1000 Hills,” Nyungwe in Rwanda, Africa after graduate school. In Rwanda, Offutt became involved with the Peace Corps and worked as a tourist guide through the forest from 1987 through 1990. While working as a tourist guide, Offutt wrote a guide to the forest which was eventually published. Offutt also worked with a team consisting of three members to set up a monkey project to attract tourists to the forest of Rwanda. Working in Nyungwe, Offutt made a thrilling discovery finding a new species, the owl faced monkey. Offutt received an opportunity to survey the harder to reach areas of the forest. “There were two guys who would chop down the leaves and bushes to
make a path,” said Offutt. Unfortunately, Offutt’s experience came to an end in 1990 when a civil war broke out in Rwanda. Offutt enjoyed the climate Rwanda offered. “The weather was nice,” said Offutt. “The days were warm and the nights chilly enough to let me have a fire in the fireplace.” Participating in the Peace Corps gave Offutt a different perspective on being an American. “The experience helped me realize how wasteful we are as Americans,” said Offutt. “We do not need all these things to be happy. The people in Nyungwe have very few things and are still very happy. Also they value relationships much more than we do.” Working in the Peace Corps changed her. “I went from being a type A personality to a type B personality.” said Offutt. Working in different environment helped Offutt gain interest in different cultures which eventually led her to teach in Fairfax County. Dawn Lee-Evans substance abuse counselor Served in Lesotho
by Grace Erard contributing writer Substance Abuse Counselor DawnLee Evans served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa from 2001-2003. Evans chose to join the Peace Corps after completing her graduate program because she wanted to travel and do something meaningful with her life. She first became interested in the organization after seeing a promotional flyer and decided to do more research. After doing some soul
searching Evans was sure the Peace Corps was the right place for her. One of Evan’s most powerful memories is when she was first taken to her house after the ten week training period ended. When she pulled up to the grass thatch roof hut that she would live in for the next two years, she was horrified and couldn’t help wondering what she had gotten herself into. Evans says she likes to look back at that moment because after living in the hut for two years it didn’t seem so scary anymore. In fact it had the comforting familiarity that only one’s home can have. In Lesotho, Evans worked as a Primary Education Teacher Trainer. She provided support to local preschool teachers and introduced them to innovative teaching methods. A large part of her job was holding conferences, but she also planned activities for the students. This was sometimes difficult though due to the lack of materials available. “Living in a poor place forced me to become more resourceful,” said Evans. “For instance, if I wanted to do a painting activity with the kids I would have to find a way to create paint or substitute something else because of the lack of substantial supplies. I also sometimes had to think of ways to create classroom materials from cardboard.” Evans incorporated HIV education into lesson plans in order to introduce the preschoolers to prevention methods early on. This was especially important in Lesotho, a country suffering from the HIV epidemic. “The high rate of HIV infection was astounding,” said Evans. “Saturdays were actually designated as ‘funeral days’ because there were so many people dying. Anywhere you went in Lesotho on Saturdays you could see the processions and gatherings. People who lost a loved one often shaved their heads and wore a thin strip of black cloth around their neck as a sign of mourning – it was overwhelming to see because there were so many people always wearing that black cloth.” Working in an environment so strongly afflicted by grief and loss
Married teachers working together by Sachi Jain contributing writer In many marriages today, spouses use the work day as time apart from the other, only to reconnect in the evening at home. But for the Greens, a married couple who both happen to teach at South Lakes, absence doesn’t seem to make the heart grow fonder. French teacher Pam Green loves working with her husband, chemistry teacher Tom Green, and would have it no other way. Fifteen years ago, the Greens met on a rainy day at church, and Mr. Green asked Mrs. Green to accompany him on a walk. Mrs. Green was nervous at first, but her worries washed away as the walk continued. Mr. Green asked her out to a military ball, and it was there that they fell in love. “It was about time I took a date to one of those things,” said Mr. Green.
“I’ve been going by myself for too long”. Following the ball, Mr. Green was sure he’d found his one and knew he was going to ask her to marry him. One nice day in March, eight months later in the same spot where they met, the Greens had a small but beautiful wedding. The Greens have been married for 15 years now, and this is the first year they’re working together. Mr. Green has been teaching for the past 37 years, and Mrs. Green for just as long. “It’s fun, and I am happy to sort of combine energy with him. It’s also nice riding together and helping each other out”, said Mrs. Green. Though they don’t have the same lunch or free periods, they spend much time together as a couple, especially at school events.
“We’ve been going to Sing Strong even before it was named Sing Strong,” said Mr. Green. Unlike these love-birds, Chad Lahmen, our assistant principal, actually found his “one and only” through teaching. Back in the day Mr. Lahmen worked as an athletic training supervisor at Chantilly High School, while Mrs. Lahmen worked as the girl’s basketball coach. Being in the same department, they spent much time together as both co-workers and friends. One night Mr. Lahmen invited her over to his house for a game night with some friends.It was there they discovered how alike they were. “We have a lot of common interests besides teaching but teaching is a big one I guess,” said Mr. Lahmen. “That’s how we met.”
Two years passed by and they fell in love. Mr. Lahmen popped the big question with a romantic song played through his guitar at a quaint Georgetown restaurant. While both worked together at Chantilly, Mr. Lahmen doesn’t see that happening at South Lakes. “I left Chantilly to come to South Lakes and to go into an administrator position”, said Mr. Lahmen. “It would’ve been hard to have my wife here because I would be her supervisor. That would be an awkward position for the both of us. Of course, going to the games together and being around each other more is definitely a plus. But I think working at different schools is for the better.” Mr. Lahmen and his wife have been married for four and a half years and are hoping for kids in the future. (PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM AND PAM GREEN)
PHOTO COURTESY OF PEACE CORPS
Peace Corps director Aaron Williams, a resident of Reston, speaks at the State Department during its 50th anniversary recognition. wasn’t always easy for Evans. Neither was being away from her family while dealing with everyday life in a third world country. One of Evans’ most unpleasant moments is when she cracked a tooth, leaving the nerve exposed. “I had to wait two days with nothing but Advil before Peace Corps could come and get me and take me to South Africa to see a dentist,” said Evans. “Not a fun couple of days!” According to Evans, it was also challenging at times to accept that women are often treated differently in Lesotho. “Once I was walking alongside a mountain and from somewhere way above someone started yelling out how much livestock they would offer my father in order to marry me,” said Evans. “I couldn’t even see where they were but they could see me. That was something else that was difficult at times, being watched - like being in a fish bowl – all the time.” Evans now stresses the importance of positivity when encountering those types of situations. “Those experiences are just part of being in another country and ultimately what I learned is that we all have much more in common than we have different,” said Evans. “We all have family and loved ones that we care about, we all want to be healthy and happy, we all like to laugh and have fun, and we all value connecting with other people.” Evans also sees the irony of that particular circumstance as Lesotho is where she met her husband of seven years. He was volunteering in a nearby village and the two eventually met and fell in love. Although meeting her husband is a
See Peace Corps page 4
Weird and Wacky Stories Three stories are true, one of them is false. Can you guess which one it is?
Matt Heffernan -- 11
“When I was in Scotland, we saw a highland coo (cow) in the middle of the road. Another car hit the coo, and it fell onto our car’s hood.”
Bryan Alverez -- 12
“When I was twelve, I climbed up a tree and did two somersaults off it and fell on my knees.”
Ben Cohn-- 11
“I have a fake eardrum.”
Nathan Pool-- 12
“I got into a fight with a monkey over a banana.” Last issue’s answer: Will Sweet’s Beanie Babies were never stolen by the cleaning people.
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sports
“I think it’s going to be a great year. We have a lot of fun together as a team and hopefully that will carry over onto the field.” -David Odlen, senior
The South Lakes Sentinel
Seahawk varsity baseball loses 6-0, wins 10-4 in Herndon Tournament
SPRING SPORTS UPDATE Lacrosse
Boys Varsity: The boys are starting the season off good with a 2-0 record going into Tuesday’s game with wins against George Mason and Stonebridge. Junior goalie Alex Tucker is back playing after recovering from a concussion. Varsity head coach is Craig Lunde. Girls Varsity: With five new coaches added to the staff, the girls won their opening game against Dominion, but fell to Stonebridge. Captains are senior Katie Cunningham, and juniors Abby Reed and Samantha Chamberlin. Head coach is Martin Chamberlin, assisted by Rebecca Caldwell.
by Carey Mitchell contributing writer
The South Lakes varsity baseball team went out to Herndon this weekend to face off Faquier County teams during the Herndon Tournament, playing against Kettle Run Cougars on Friday and again on Saturday against the Fauqier Falcons. Falling to Kettle Run on Friday, the Seahawks were nearly shut-out, with junior Billy McLaughlin hitting the only single. The Seahawks lost 6-0 to Kettle Run but rebounded against Fauqier on Saturday, winning a 10-4 and scoring five runs in the first inning. Junior Ryan Forrest enjoyed a three-hit game with a solo homerun, single, and double. Senior David Odlen and sophmore Austin Gibbons both contributed with three RBI’s each. “There’s no other feeling in the world than when you hit a home run,” said Forrest. “The second I hit it I knew I scored.” Others who assisted during the game were McLaughlin with one hit and two runs, junior Nick Beaulac with three runs and one RBI, senior Will Sweet with a double and a RBI, and junior Nathan Vellayan with a single. “I’m really proud of the team so far,” said manager, sophomore Erin Flattery. “It’s been a really great start to the season.”
Baseball/Softball
PHOTO BY KAITLIN WELKER
Junior Nick Beaulac assists with a run and gets a RBI after hitting a single.
Sweet and Odlen both pitched during this game. Sweet pitched four innings and only allowed five hits and two runs. Odlen pitched the last three innings with six strikeouts. Starting out strong in the preseason, the Seahawks have a decent amount of potential this year to go
just as far as they have in the past. “I can’t wait to see how far the team goes this year,” said manager, sophomore Kaitlin Welker. “We have a really strong team this year with unlimited potential. Liberty District champions has quite a nice ring to it.”
Boys Varsity Baseball: The team started off their season with a win against their first district opponent Langley. After losing their first game in the Herndon tournament last weekend, the team recovered by winning their second game. Team leaders include David Odlen and Nick Beaulac, coached by Galvin Morris. Girls Varsity Softball: The team played their first district game against Langley on Tuesday, losing in the final innings. Captains are seniors Alyssa Siqueiros and Nina Rodriguez, coached by Mark Severin.
Soccer
Boys Varsity: After Tuesday night’s game, the team’s current record is 1-4. The boys lost to Herndon, 3-0, on March 18. The team is headed by returning varsity head coach Marty Pfister and assistant coaches Mary Strait and Ashley Wyant. Girls Varsity: With one tie and one loss on their record, the girls took on Langley on March 22. Captains are seniors Kelly Kolb and Kirstie Fleger.
Tennis
Boys Varsity: Lead by a new coach this season, Susan Banville, team seniors include Sam Boone, Damir Golac, and Richard Kropp-Sullivan. Their next match is March 28 at Thomas Jefferson High School. Girls Varsity: As of March 21, the girls’ record was 0-3. Captains of the team are senior Michaela Graves and junior Karen Cronk. The team is coached by Gabriel Kotto
Track and Field Track and Field: The track season is underway with returning head coach Scott Razcko, assistant coach Joseph Schuler, and shotput coach Maurie Calloway. The team has added Kevin Donovan to the staff as the pole vault coach.
HAVE YOU RESERVED YOUR COPY? Tasha Adams Nada Adibah Sameer Ahmadieh Maher Ahmed Isabela Samelle Alcantara Robert Allen Kit Allgaier Griffin Allison Bryan Alvarez Davis Amen Ian Anderson Jenna Anderson Casey Anderson Ian Angara Jacqueline Angel Felix Arroyo Cameron Arshadi Katherine Asmussen Zach Auman Alexandra Avilov Nabil Bakhshi Kimberly Baram Vera Barba Morgan Barlow J. Rhys Barnes Kenneth Barros Sophie Barrowman McNeill Bauer Corey Baumgartner Morgan Baumgartner Maya Baumgartner Claire Beck John Beck Claire Beck Hannah Becker Samuel Becker Erin Becker Sadie Belt Abdallah Benyoucef Rachel Berman Julia Binger Danielle Bissonnette Michael Bissonnette Brian Bixby Tracy Bixby Greg Blanpied Karolina Bohn Sara Bolanos Walter Boone
John Bostwick Robert Bouwmeester Chloe Braganza Lauren Brake Ashley Brake Andrew Brooker John Brooks Michelle Buck Austin Bur Colleen Burkhart Molly Busch Theresa Buteux Marvin Campanilla Ethan Cantwell Kari Cantwell Patrick Cantwell Gia Capestany Allison Carone Wesley Casson Joseph Chafetz Emily Chafetz Samantha Chamberlin Jamel Charouel Randy Chavarria Zachary Chen Mac Chiaravalle Anna Chiarvalle Tyler Choe Brandon Christopher Caitlyn Christopher Charles Clark Adam Cline Paige Coatney Emily Cochran Bradley Cohen Sarah Cohen Benjamin Cohn Collin Coker Hilton Cole Christine Comer Sam Cook Justin Cosing Mary Cronin Kevin Cronin Elise Cross Ian Crutcher Caed Cunningham David Cyncynates Sara Dalsheim Nicolette Davalentes
Garrett Davis Mary Davis Emma deGraffenreid Zachary Deker Daniel Delcoco Viviana Deltoro Mitchell Dempster Brooke Dempster Julia Deschamps Maur Dessauvage Kary DeWeese Dory DeWeese Grace Dobbs Veronica Dolcich Kelsey Donnelly Nadejda Doutcheva Lara Duffy Kaley Duncan Charlotte Dunn Giselle Duran Aren Durana Hanna Dzurilla Sara Dzurilla Lilya Eberle Tobechukwu Ekwempu Audri Emerson Kelsey Ericsen Miranda Essig Danielle Essig Cori Everett Sam Ezersky Yannick Faubert Kelly Fergus Laura Ferraro Augela Ferrerosa Theodore Ferrin Paul Fertitta Ella Fertitta Caitlin Ferzoco Skyler Fetter Ellie Fialk Gregory Fischer Dominique Fitzgerald Nicholas Flammang Kalla Fleger Kalla Fleger Kirstie Fleger Kirstie Fleger Margaret Flemings Elyssa Fogleman
Myles Fogleman Eva Forman Ryan Forrest Josh Forrest Alexander Friedrich Alessandro Gaiarin Elizabeth Galanti Katrina Gauger Natalie Gauger Maya Gentry Morgan Gerdon Ashley Gerlach Zoe Geyman Austin Gibbons Lindsey Gibson Carson Gillions Ryan Goff Damir Golac Ellen Gose Taylor Gose Anna Gosling William Goswick Allison Goswick Cassie Grabski Joshua Grant Michaela Graves Kevin Gray Jake Greenbaum Lindsey Greenough Lauren Grossmann Nicholas Guarnaccia Isabo Guevara Tsiyon Gurmu Jacob Haack Danielle Hale Dylan Hale Emily Hanbury Emily Harper Emery Hart Amalia Harte Haley Hataway Fredrick Hawkins Rachel Heatherly Catherine Heatherly Matthew Heffernan Robin-Maria Hegendorfer Michael Heitfield Brendan Helms Kaitlyn Herrick
Bernardo Hickok Maximillian Hijar Sampson Hijar Emma Hilder Hannah Hinton Ted Hirsch Kacey Hirshfeld Christy Hoffman Emily Holt Lauren Horlacher Katie Horlacher Richard Hortelano Kritina Hosi Christopher Howard Victoria Howard Stephanie Huard Faith HuddletonAnderson Kaitlyn Hudenburg Rachel Hume Tyler Hutson Kevin Hyer Julia Idelson Amanda Jayasinghe Caitlin Jensen Michael Johnson Christopher Jones Denzel Joseph-Walker Katherine Jung Liza Karras John Walter Keady Joshua Keeley William Keeter Elizabeth Keith Matthew Kelly Michael Kerr Evan Keys Evan Keys Tanvir Khan Nadia Khoury-King Nicole King Maddy King Alexander Knutson Justin Kobayashi Lisa Kolgan Anna Koozmin Lea Kotto Jessica Kreson Richard KroppSullivan
Get order information on the SLHS homepage! Orders due APRIL 1, 2011.
Andrew KroppSullivan Kshitij Kumar David Kurland Lindsey Lambakis Adrian Lamoureux Michael Lanning Matthews Catherine LaValley Mark Lawson Megan Le Kevin Le Michael Lear Austin Leggett Emily Lemoine Maxwell LeonGuerrero Reuben Levy-Myers Sean Liesegang Anndi Liggett Jessica Lin Anne-Marie Lloyd Erica Loftin Kyra Longacre Brandon Longworth Bethany Lowe David Lowman Megan Luckenbaugh Margaret Ludlam Molly Lumnitzer Sarah Lynch Mark Macaluso Robert Macnamara Hank Madden Christopher Maginniss Alicia Malmberg Neda Mameghani Ram Marimuthu Gohar Markaryan David Mathews Rebecca Mattern Diana Mazid Erin McCann Grace McCarthy Ross McCarthy Allison Mccluskey Virginia McGiboney William McLaughlin Danielle Mclellan Thomas McLenigan
Claire McTiernan Edwin Medrano William Meinert Elizabeth Merin Parker Messick Connor Metcalf Allie Micka Bryant Midura Nick Miller Aaron Miller Cara Minnix Klim Miro Carey Mitchell Glenn Mitchell Sebastian Miya-Melgar Jordyn Moder Ricardo Montoya Nigel Moore Madeline Moravitz Jay Moravitz Robert Mosley Lindsey Most Kelly Mott Aleksi Mowinski Alyssa Moyer Margo Moyer Kathryn Mueller Alison Mueller Jefferson Mullins Taylor Murphy Gargie Nagarkar Jackson Nasr Logan Nasr Tanya Negin Anthony Nelson Vy-Anh Nguyen Sarah Nibley Jack Nicol Parvin Noor Ahmad Cristina Oancea Dorothy O’Boyle Eric O’Brien Benjamin O’Connor David Odlen Tope Oladimeji Isabe Oliver Clayton O’Neill Apt Orthodontics Gregory Osbon Dana O’Sullilan
Becky Oswalt Maggie Oswalt Joseph Owens Claire Page Allyson Paiewonsky Lexi Palley Christine Parvin Julia Pascal Erin Persil Irene Pham Jai Photavath Dane Pilcher Anna Pleskow Alexandra Podshivalova Nicholas Pomerantz Nathan Pool Keishan Prakash Julie Pramis Breanna Pride Judy Pyun Ione Quinn Justin Racek Nicolette Rappaport Timothy Rawlins Benjamin Raymond Abigail Reed Kelly Regan Andrew Reinhold Will Rhodes Nina Rodriguez Rachel Rogers Italo Romero Alison Rubenstein Noah Rubin Jenny Rubin Joseph Rugari Thomas Rugari Caitlin Ryals Melissa Ryczek Crystal Sadrzadeh Kenna Salvatore Alexander Sanders Ian Sauer Marly Saunders Chiara Sauvage Jacob Savage Allison Scheler Andrew Scherzinger Kira Schmidt
THE 2011
Erik Schroder Kayla Schroff Kyle Schuh Carter Schultz Jennifer Schwarzkopf Sierra Scoggin Emily Sennett Sean Shada Neena Shahzad Aftab Kevin Shazad Allen Shen Abigail Short Laura Shultz Brandon Shur William Sickenberger Caroline Sigle Victoria Sigle Raytwan Silva Julia Simmons Mary Skillman Catherine Skillman Helen Slivinski Michelle Slivinski Yuri Smith Eli Smith Spencer Smith Darius Smith Charlotte Smith Zachary Smith Miles Sollinger Ian Spener Miyoko Spratley Sasha Sprei Jonathan Springfield Olivia Steele Katherine Stosch Eric Stout Christian Swartz Timothy The Matthew Thomas Julie Thomas Kristin Tran Juliana Traunero James Traylor Alexa True Ashley Turner Michael Uhrig Richard Uhrig
Alexandra Vagonis Jonathan Valenzuela Alyssa Van Schilfgaarde Samyukta Venkat Ceasar Villacorta Kenia Villatoro Pia Von Barby Scott Walter Sophia Weimerskirch Kaitlin Welker Reed Wheeler Elwood White Maddy White Julian Whitney Lizzy Windeland Eugenia Witherow Rachel Wood Madeline Wright Maab Yasin Alexander Yi Dmitriy Zhigunov Kristin Zipprich Kelsie Zipprich
freebird
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sports
“I’m tired of capitalist pigs creating an unequal distribution of wealth by hoarding their dinero. Lets just play some good ole fashioned, socialist foosball.” -Kevin Muir, Nick Guarnaccia, seniors
THE
LOWE DOWN
by Bethany Lowe managing editor
The NFL lockout will make no one happy because the fans will not have their football Sundays and both the players and the owners will not make their money. With the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the salary cap in the NFL, decisions are developing as to where to go from here. The owners want a salary cap and the players do not, for obvious reasons. The owners have decided to lock the facilities until a deal is made. When I first heard about this, I felt that the owners should just give up and let the teams play because, along with many, I want to watch the games. After reading more about the problems, I have decided that everyone involved is demonstrating greed. The owners make so much money off of the players and the players get paid an exorbitant amount for playing sports. Of course, it is understandable that professional football players make so much because of the dangerous nature. Getting hurt is such a possibility and their career is over so quickly that they need money to subsist. A documentary was on television about how some NFL players buy so many expensive cars, clothes and houses that they manage to go bankrupt. After seeing that, I stopped feeling bad for the players in this issue. Still, the owners of the NFL teams are still worse than the players because without their players their teams would not exist. They also make a good bit of their money from the sales of the jerseys and their franchise becomes popular because of the players. What baffles me the most is that this league that makes billions of dollars is doing a lockout in the first place. Because a compromise is what the owners of the NFL want, everyone involved should hurry up and make one before the 2011 season is upon us. For now, they will continue to throw money into the arguments and debates of where to go from here. What is one of the major factors in this conflict again? That’s right, its money. The NFL needs to just figure it out before football fans have to figure out something else to do on Sundays.
The South Lakes Sentinel
18
Parkour popularity climbs by Skylar Brown contributing writer Imagine climbing two or more stories high, running your fastest, jumping, and gliding through the air overcoming any obstacle. This is what makes Parkour an exhilarating sport. “It makes me feel physically fit,” said sophomore Theo Burton. “It makes a good workout.” Parkour was created by David Belle who was inspired by his father, a firefighter in the Vietnam War. His father taught him the climbing tactics he employed to reach people trapped within burning buildings. Belle put his stunts on YouTube, and Hollywood caught sight of his videos and started incorporating his stunts into films. The Parkour phenomenon was born. “Parkour is getting from point A to point B your fastest, overcoming any obstacles in your way,” said sophomore Dylan Bartoe. Many movies and TV series include Parkour styles to increase action and excitement. One example is the mini-series “The Phantom” which contains Parkour within the first 30 minutes of the series. Movies such as “Cop Out,” “Casino Royale,” and “Takers” incorporate different styles of Parkour. In the movie “Takers,” Chris Brown performed his own Parkour moves, running from cops, jumping
over and onto cars and stairs, climbing buildings, and jumping from roof to roof. Excitement from Parkour web videos and movies has increased its popularity among teenagers. “I was skating in this garage,” said Bartoe. “There were snow drifts all over the garage so we jumped out on them. We took videos and put them on YouTube, and then saw similar videos and noticed Parkour.” The motivation to learn and practice Parkour differs from person to person. “The voices, they speak to me,” said Burton. Eighth grader Eddie Demichelis said his friends are what motivate him. Like other sports, Parkour requires specialized training. “Arm weights and especially running for endurance are the main focus of my training,” said Bartoe. “I do lots of upper body strength and practice,” said Demichelis. Parkour does have its dangers. Broken bones, scabs, and scrapes can be the downfalls of Parkour. However Parkour practitioners have ways of coping with the dangers. “Parkour is only dangerous if you take things far beyond what you feel comfortable doing,” said Burton. Experienced Parkour runners do have advice for anyone wishing to learn Parkour. “Start with stunts within your ability. There are plenty of good tutorials on YouTube,” said Burton.
PHOTO BY KATIE POINDEXTER
PHOTO BY VIVIANA DEL TORO
PHOTO BY KATIE POINDEXTER
PHOTO BY VIVIANA DEL TORO
them as my dad does.” Parents are not the only participants in the influential game. The British study also stated that 65% of the athletes who changed into more intensive training and teams were persuaded by coaches. Junior Ryan Forrest is another one of the successful athletes here at Physical Fitness Study South Lakes. Forrest is the third best wrestler in the state. At a young age, he was heavily influenced to enter the sport of wrestling by his father who was a wrestler during high school.
During sixth grade, Forrest was persuaded by one of his coaches to compete in travel wrestling. He is now one of the best wrestlers in the country. “I don’t regret joining travel wrestling,” said Forrest. “I enjoyed it and only got better.” Forrest is currently training with ten time world champion Wade Schalles, who is also the holder of the record for most pins in NCAA history. Many major athletes, including Rafael Nadal, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, and Kobe Bryant, were all influenced by parents and turned out as foremost athletes. With so many star athletes having been influenced at a young age, don’t be surprised to see Forrest and DeAtley become premier athletes.
Parental influence brings students to elite level of athletic participation
By David Freeman contributing writer
Parents influence kids in every which way, from smoking to work ethic to sports. A study came out from Britain in June of 2003, stating that athletes’ involvement in high level sports is heavily dependent on their parents. Here at South Lakes, we have many similar cases. Freshman Nicholas DeAtley is a motivated athlete here at South Lakes. DeAtley ran cross country during the fall and quickly flourished, even participating in the state competition. During the winter, DeAtley tried out for freshman basketball and swiftly attained the position of starting guard.
This spring, DeAtley is competing in outdoor track, again hoping to compete in the state competition. At a young age, DeAtley was introduced to the sport of basketball. DeAtley’s father is a former college basketball player out of Hampton Sydney College and ran marathons -J Sports 2003 after college. He still maintains a strong passion for both sports. “I don’t blame my dad for introducing me,” said DeAtley “Basketball and running are great sports, and I feel the same love for
“Young athletes’ involvement in high level sports is highly dependent on their parents.”
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sports
“I think our soccer team should be doing better than the record shows this season. Hopefully the rest of the season will be more successful for the team.” -Mohamed Ali, senior
The South Lakes Sentinel
Boys varsity soccer starts season with 0-4 record by Emily Lipscomb sports editor
PHOTO BY EMILY LIPSCOMB
Junior Mitchell Dempster passes to Junior Jesus Maradiaga in the game against Langley on March 22. The Saxons defeated the Seahawks 4-0.
Softball falls to Hornets 4-0 by Bethany Lowe managing editor
The varsity softball team started off the regular season with a 4-0 loss to Herndon on March 14 at home. The Hornets took the lead early in the game, scoring 3 runs in the first two innings. “It took us a while to get our swings down, but once we got past the second inning, we were fine,” said senior captain Alyssa Siqueiros. The team was able to get hits off Herndon’s pitcher, but was not able to get a runner home. “At one point in the game, we had the bases loaded and our batter couldn’t get them around,” said senior captain Nina Rodriquez. “That was disappointing because we were so close to scoring.” Despite the three runs scored on the Seahawks, the players agree that sophomore pitcher Mary Severin pitched a good game. “Mary pitched all seven innings and didn’t give up many hits, which was impressive because they are a hard hitting team,” said Siqueiros. Freshman Paige Coatney was a standout hitter for the team. “Paige had some pretty good hits in the game and I feel like we performed well for our first game, but we definitely still need improvement,” said Loftin. Seahawk softball will play March 25 at Stone Bridge at 6:30 p.m. Their next home game is March 29 against McLean.
Girls soccer faces detrimental injury in season opener By Kaley Duncan photo editor
Girls varsity soccer started its 2011 season by welcoming 10 freshmen to the team. They got to test their new talent in their game against Herndon on Friday, March 18. The girls seemed eager to start the game against their rival Herndon. However, an early game injury disrupted hopes. “Unfortunately, our goalie Natasha Russell collided with one of their forwards and was out for the rest of the game,” said senior defensive center mid Kirstie Fleger. Freshman player Natalie Toma was volunteered as a substitute goalie for the game. “She had no prior experience as a goalie. It was really admirable that she stepped up to the challenge,” said junior Rachel Berman. Although the girls were missing their goalie, they played their hardest. “During the first half everyone put in 150 percent and pressured Herndon well,” said Fleger.
With a load of freshmen on the varsity team, some were skeptical of how they would do. “I was proud of how the freshmen handled themselves, especially for the first game,” said senior sweeper Kelly Kolb. Not only did the freshmen prove themselves, but other players stood out during the game. Junior outside back Kayla Funaki received praise by many members of her team. “Kayla did a phenominal job of marking one of their quickest players, and shut her down during the entire first half,” said Kolb. Although the team lost 5-1, they showed their chemistry on the field. “There is definitely room for improvement, but our movement offensively was stronger and more sophisticated that it has been for a long time and our defense was solid,” said Kolb. The girls are anticipating a come back and are optimistic about the season ahead. “I can’t wait. We have so much talent this year,” said Fleger.
Boys varsity soccer is 0-4 so far this season following a 4-0 loss against Langley on Tuesday. The season began with a scrimmage win over South County, but the team fell to Annandale, Kettle Run, and Herndon. The boys are fighting to improve upon their 1-14 record from last year, and according to some players, the problem isn’t individual talent, but team collaboration. “We have some really awesome talent on the team,” said sophomore Zach Deker. “The problem is our chemistry. We haven’t been playing with each other that long and have to adjust to how everybody plays. We have to connect.” The boys JV team seems to be picking up the pace. Opening their season with a 2-0 win against Herndon, the team went into Tuesday’s game against Langley looking to stay undefeated. Sophomore Tyler Hutchins scored the team’s only goal. “We were all really excited to get things going against Langley,” said Vaughn. The team tied at 1-1, leaving their record 1-0-1. “I think our team tends to work better with each other,” said JV sophomore Walker Vaughn. “We know how to play well together, and I think if varsity does that they’ll get back on track.” Both teams play again tonight at Westfield. “We just have to start playing as a team,” said Deker. “When we do that, things will start to happen.” The boys will take on Westfield away tonight at 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Spring Sports Preview
The South Lakes Sentinel
Varsity Baseball head coach Hometown: Reston, Virginia Player Experience: Little League, four years of playing at South Lakes, four years of Seminal College in Florida. Coaching Experience: AAU leagues, 15 years of high school, and college teams in the summer. Expectations: “I expect to be holding a trophy at the end of the season, whether it’s a district, regional, or state one. As long as I’m here, that goal’s not going to change. Girls Varsity Lacrosse head coach Hometown: Scottsplains, New Jersey Player Experience: Never played. Coaching Experience: Became a coach when daughter Sami’s team was left without a coach. Eight years of youth leagues and junior varsity coach at Marshall. Expectations: “We’re trying to build a whole new program from the ground up. The girls have phenominal chemistry and have the potential to be competitive.” Track and Field assistant/distance coach Hometown: Apollo, Pennsylvania Player Experience: Ran in high school, for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and for the military. Coaching Experience: On and off for over 30 years. Expectations: “We have the goal to be boys and girls district champions, and have the boys win regions. We’re trying to build a more competitive girls team and take more kids to states. We want to continue to be a track force to look out for.”
Galvin Morris
Martin Chamberlin
Joseph Schuler LEFT, Junior Kevin Koehncke hits back a ball served to him by his partner during a practice on Tuesday, the 22. Seniors on the team are Richard Kropp-Sullivan, Damir Golac, and Sam Boone. The team added new head coach Susan Banville (featured above, right) this season. The boys’ next match is the 28, at Thomas Jefferson.
Mark Severin
Craig Lunde
Susan Banville
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Varsity Softball head coach Hometown: Boutiful, Utah Player Experience: Played four years in high school and in college. Coaching Experience: 25 years of travel teams, all star leagues, and high school teams. Expectations: “We should do better than we did last year. We have a little better pitching and I except more experienced players coming in for future years. We’re trying to get that ground base started for a future team in off-seasons as well.”
Boys Varsity Lacrosse head coach Hometown: town of Baldwin, Long Island, New York Player Experience: Captain of high school varsity, played four years at Yale, and became their 4th all time scorer. Coaching Experience: Second year as head coach for South Lakes, coached teams in Long Island. Expectations: “I expect us to be ranked in the top 10. This junior class we have now is one of the best South Lakes has had, and they’ll be back again. We’re looking to win.” Boys Varsity Tennis head coach Hometown: Oak Hill, Virginia Player Experience: played for Shepherd University on partial scholarships. Coaching Experience: coached girls basketball for six seasons, this is her first tennis team. Expectations: “There is a lot of talent, young talent, on the team. I want to build the freshmen and sophomores up to be strong players, and add depth to the team. If we can carry out some wins while doing this, it’ll be the icing on the cake.” LEFT, Head coach Martin Chamberlin and assistant coach Rebecca Caldwell assist freshman Molly Clough in a drill during practice on Tuesday. TOP RIGHT, Junior Abby Reed plays defense on sophomore Kenzie Hughes during a varsity drill at practice. The girls will host the Marshall Statesmen on Friday at home. BOTTOM RIGHT, sophomore Lucas Slover and fellow lacrosse player celebrate during a practice. Boys varsity lacrosse takes on Centreville on March 26. PHOTOS BY EMILY LIPSCOMB