The Highlander February 2015

Teammate

Cousin

Rabbi

Grandpa

Who’s watching?

Volume LIX • Issue 4 • February 2015 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

highlander

Me

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D

Mom

Best Friend

Dentist

Big Brother

Neighbor

Uncle

Dad

Teacher

Little Sister

the

CONTENTS

3

38

NEWS 3 McLean MSA travels

to regional conference

4

19

FEATURES

IN-DEPTH

A&E

OPINIONS

SPORTS

12 Where clothing

22-25

19

29

36

Swim team finishes strong

37

Sisters bond over gymnastics

38

Winter sports update

41

Wrestling dominates on the map

43

Athlete of the Issue Jackie Green

44

The Finish Line

comes from

Generation Netflix: Popular online streaming service integrates itself into our everyday lives

Theater puts on Big Fish

21

Junior releases music on iTunes

30

26

Highlander Oscars

32 33

TARC teams build model rockets

14 Rose Saydahmat

5

PTSA sponsors Mindfulness Training

15

Students celebrate the Chinese New Year

7

Eco-friendly schools

16

Blind date night

27

8

Feminism club emerges

17

10 Qs with Naima Chambliss

2015 Highlander Highlights

28

App reviews

9

World news according to Ashwin

18

11 French

Honors Society eliminated

profile

Alex Stone

Society is too dependent on mobile devices Crossfire: Is college early decision a good plan?

Midterms cause unneeded stress School should embrace two-hour homework policy

34

GPA boosts do students disservice

35

Staff Editorial: Teachers should turn on morning news show

Dear Highlanders, This issue, our In-Depth focuses on the ways that Netflix can have a positive impact on people’s lives.

highlander

the

Letter from the Editors

Volume LIX • Issue 4 • February 2015 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

Editors-in-Chief

Andrea Delgado & Hannah Menchel & Grace Murray Julia Al-Akkad & Nhi Nguyen & Maddy Witchey

Managing Editors

Make sure to take notice of the Sports section as the winter sports season winds down. Catch up on the latest news and read about the new Feminist Club, something that has received mixed reactions from the McLean community.

As always, we encourage you to write to us with any and all concerns, complaints or compliments for The Highlander. In the time between issues, go to thehighlandernews.com for the latest stories.

Lastly, at The Highlander, we are constantly aware of the fact that we would not be able to produce this magazine without the invaluable help and support we receive from many in this community. As such, we would like to take a moment to thank all the people who have donated to The Highlander: The Barnett Family, Juliana O’Reilly, Marc and Kay Menchel, the Witchey Family, the Pincus Family, Cyndee Lord, Susie French, Tom Rapson, Irwin and Irene Menchel, the Walker Family, Janet Rogers and Lisa Waldow.

If you wish to make a donation, please contact us at thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com.

With love, Andrea Delgado, Hannah Menchel & Grace Murray

Design Editor Head Photographer Photographer

Mark Mizusawa James Carver Tanya Ajalli

Advertising Manager

Tara Blackwell

Cartoonist

Anna Marie Garland

Section Editors News Editors

Andrew Opem & Melanie Pincus

Opinions Editors

David Kagan & Liam Zeya

Features Editors

Lucy Hopkins & Katie McGinn

A&E Editors

Ashwin Dasgupta & Sabrein Gharad

Sports Editors

Jake Barnett & Jessica Bulford

Reporters Lisa Bears Anjalie Chauhan Christine Cheon Ethan Cherry John Corvari Michael Davis Lila Duvall Monique Ford Nora Hashem Elena Ifarraguerri

Esme Khalid Veronica Kim Connor Koch Carlyn Kranking Brooke Lyons Sophie Mariam Dereck Marwa Ingrid Morse Sanskriti Neupane Eleanor Patrick Adviser

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Evan Rapson Leena Raza Young In Seo Sam Silverman Aisha Singh Jade Smith Danielle Walker Jennifer Wang Bora Zaloshnja Catherine Zysk

Lindsay B. Benedict The Highlander is a public forum in which members of the school community can express themselves, discuss issues and exchange ideas. Printed by aPrintis.

Advertising Policy: The Highlander sells ad space on each page of the paper except on the front cover, Opinions section and InDepth report. The staff reserves the right to reject any ads it deems libelous, obscene, disruptive or otherwise inappropriate.

To Submit a Letter to the Editors: Please e-mail it to thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com or bring it to room R133.

The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws concerning obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process.

‘12, ‘13, ‘14 NSPA First Class; ‘07 All-American; ‘06 Pacemaker Finalist; Hall of Fame

‘05, ‘07, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14 CSPA Gold Medalist; ‘08 Silver Medalist

‘14 George H. Gallup Award

Netflix home screen cover design by Andrea Delgado & Mark Mizusawa

‘14 VHSL Trophy Class; ‘11, ‘12 1st Place Winner; VHSL Savedge Award

NEWS

MSA MIST-ifies students

McLean’s Muslim Students Association to compete in regional tournament Sabrein Gharad A&E Editor

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cLean High School’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) will be attending regionals at the Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament (MIST) March 6 to 8. MIST is a competition held across the U.S. and Canada for high school students.

The D.C. regional competition will be held at the University of Maryland at College Park, where competitors can participate in a range of competitions from

group film projects and 3-D art to debates, scholastic bowls and basketball games.

McLean’s MSA has been participating in MIST for the past seven years. It has become the primary focus of the club and all of its members for the majority of the school year.

MIST’s theme for the 2015 competition is “The Clarity of Sincerity: From Outer Perceptions to Inner Reflections.” In addition to competitions, Muslim leaders and scholars of all ages will hold sessions and workshops discussing this theme and

engaging with youth to address similar issues in society today.

The winners from each regional tournament qualify to participate in the national competition.

“Our MIST competition team placed third for a short fiction piece written by Esme Khalid,” MSA president Haneen Abdelhalim said. ”Because she placed, we qualified for nationals, and her short fiction piece went on to win fourth place nationally. We are very proud of her.”

CLUB UPDATES

ASL CLUB

ROOM TO READ

RED CROSS CLUB

Room to Read is a newly formed chapter at McLean of the Room to Read organization, a non-profit organization with the mission to provide universal access to education and a focus on gender equality.

Recently, club members volunteered at the Patrick Henry Family Shelter, hosting a “kids night” event. Room to Read is planning to hold a book drive and donate the collected books to a local elementary school in need.

On Feb. 18, the Red Cross Club will be partnering with Girl Scout Leena Raza for a Heart Disease event. It will be held in the cafeteria from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

At the event, there will be free food, an exercise station, a blood presurre station and a general information station.

“This event should provide students not only with knowledge but with an understanding of heart disease,” math teacher Kelly Bozzi said.

American Sign Language Club meets every Monday after school. After an hour of silent learning, the club members ask questions and engage in conversation about what they learned.

The club is planning to have silent film viewings and silent parties. The club will also be attending a basketball game at Gallaudet University, a private university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing.

Photo courtesy of Muslim Interscholastic Tournament Page design by Julia Al-Akkad, Monique Ford, & Sabrein Gharad

NEWS

3

Club going up on a Tuesday

Juniors prepare for Team America Rocketry Competition Nora Hashem & Ethan Cherry Reporters

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our teams from physics teacher Tom Pratuch’s classes are competing in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) this year, working to build model rockets and compete for national recognition.

“This is going to be our year," Pratuch said. Pratuch has been sponsoring TARC teams since roughly 2006, when a group of students in his AP Chemistry class approached him asking for his sponsorship.

Since then, Pratuch has offered the option to participate in TARC to his advanced classes.

TARC began in 2002 as a one-time celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ aircrafts taking flight. The popularity of the original event led the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry to sponsor it as an annual competition.

An average of 7,000 students compete each year with the goal of building a model rocket that reaches a designated altitude and stays in flight for a specified duration.

These values change each year. This year, the goal for the teams at McLean is to create a rocket that is able to carry an egg 800 meters up for between 46 and 48 seconds. The primary incentive for students to compete is a $60,000 cash prize and scholarships split between the top 10 finishers. NASA also invites top teams to submit proposals

to their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program designed to support NASA’s Space Launch System.

The competition offers all competitors an opportunity to study math and science.

In 2006, Pratuch worked closely with the lone competing team at McLean. That team completed multiple qualifying launches, something some of Pratuch’s teams in the years since have had trouble doing.

“At the beginning [in 2006], it was pretty much a dice roll,” Pratuch said.

Before Pratuch taught at McLean, only one of his students was interested in the competition. Now, he offers it as an alternative to the Science Fair for students in his physics classes.

Rocket teams must spend their own money on rocket kits and equipment. This is what presents the mathematical challenge for the participants.

“We built [the rocket] in a month over several 30-minute sessions,” junior Yonsei Kim said. All but one of the McLean teams used kits to build their rockets. Kim’s team, the McLean Hot Shots, used a Rising Star

by Dynastar. Using a kit is much more cost and time efficient for teams, allowing them to focus on the math.

“I think that our team is doing a great job progressing—we already launched once in November,” junior Christopher Lo said.

“The earlier we start the further ahead we are going to get in the long run. This gives us a chance to think about changes we have

Prepare for Liftoff—Juniors Thomas Grady and Yonsei Kim prepare for launch at a qualifying launch in November. The pair hopes to have their rocket carry an egg 800 meters into the air for a period of between 46 and 48 seconds. (Photo courtesy of Yonsei Kim)

Blast off!—Junior Christopher Lo and his team launch their first successful rocket.

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Lo)

to make to the rocket in order for us to have a more successful launch in the future.”

TARC can be a better choice for students who would find the required Science Fair unhelpful.

“Personally, I chose TARC over Science Fair because rocketry revolves around engineering, a field I am aiming for in college,” Lo said. “It is also a great way to practice communication and problem solving skills.”

Pratuch said that one of the primary reasons he offers students the option of doing TARC is to give them the chance to explore engineering. It is also an opportunity to explore the world of rocketry, which Pratuch said he enjoyed as a teen.

“I’ve been playing with model rockets since I was a teenager myself. Not continuously, but [for a] number of years as a teenager, later on when my nieces and nephews were all teenagers, and now that I’m sponsoring TARC,” Pratuch said. “And with four teams that already have their rockets and launches, I’m hoping this is the year. It could be a pipe dream, but I’m hoping it’s a real one.”

Page design by Nora Hashem & Ethan Cherry

FEBRUARY

McLean tries Mindfulness Training Sessions help students relax, relieve stress

Andrew Opem News Editor

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thought I would be one of maybe 25 people, but when I got there I saw close to 1500,” said PTSA health and wellness committee chair Wilma Bowers regarding an event at W.T. Woodson High School, where she first heard about Mindfulness Training.

“After the presentation, I asked [school psychologist] Mrs. Werfel, ‘What is the one thing that would have the most impact on McLean students?’ and she told me Mindfulness Training,” Bowers said.

On Jan. 14, McLean High School began its first of two eight-week Mindfulness Training sessions, becoming the second school in Fairfax County to incorporate the program.

“The purpose of the program is to help us realize the power within our bodies, help students calm themselves, and give them perspective,” Bowers said. ”They’re so caught up with trying to outdo each other with their APs and honors classes, it’s like a race. Even if they don’t like the class, they think it will make a difference in the future, but there is no evidence that’s true.”

In order to help students tone down their stress levels, Mindfulness

Training employs a mix of yoga and mindfulness techniques. Students perform different breathing and stretching exercises while also learning to express gratitude and similar traits.

“Yoga has a bad reputation where people think you’re just bending yourself into a pretzel,” Bowers said. “But in reality, it’s meant to put you into a position to relax.”

One typical exercise is called a body scan.

For this activity, instructors have students consider questions about how different parts of their body feel, and guide them through focus exercises, starting from their head until they reach their feet, or vice versa.

One of the attending students, junior Antonio Vazquez, has his own favorite exercise.

“At the end of each session, we get to kind of reflect,” Vazquez said. ”It’s very quiet and you get to close your eyes. I think about what I do, today, tomorrow, and the things that I’ve done.”

The reflecting also reaches a physical level, in which students exercise their bodies, in addition to their minds.

“Sometimes you’ll feel your muscles.

You’ll wiggle your toes, your ankles,” Vazquez said, “you’ll shake your knees a little.”

This activity is similar to the body scan, and it provides another example of the type of motions the students at Mindfulness Training go through.

Tranquility

in Training—

Instructor Corinne Krill leads students in mindfulness training. Participants practice mindfulness breathing exercises and yoga techniques.

Students also have conversational periods to talk about feelings and gratitude.

“My favorite part is having students engage,” instructor Corinne Krill said. “I really enjoy connecting.”

Ultimately, the sessions are designed to deliver relaxation through mindfulness and yoga.

“Our goal is to teach students so that eventually they can learn to do these exercises on their own,” Bowers said.

The program has already been paid for by the McLean PTSA and a grant from the Josh Anderson Foundation, a charity promoting teen mental health, so the training is free for any students who wish to attend. “[When I go,] I feel more calm throughout the day,” Vazquez said.

Data from student polls supports this sentiment, showing that 86 percent of students felt more calm after a normal 30-minute session.

Offered after school on Mondays and during Highlander Time on Tuesdays, Mindfulness Training will be available until Tuesday, March 4. Each gathering is able to support up to 15 students.

At each session, a certified instructor from Dream Yoga, Inc., or Minds, Inc., leads the students.

“I feel strongly that the practice can help youth magange stress and increase their overall well-being,” Krill said.

She believes in the healing qualities of the activity and encourages students to try Mindfulness Training.

“Every child or teen should have the chance to experience a class and gain the tools to help calm themselves,” Krill said.

Her only other wish is that she could have more time with students and make the class some type of requirement.

“It should be integrated into F.L.E. or P.E.,” Krill said. “I think every kid should experience it.”

Mindfulness (n.) - the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

Photo by James Carver Page design by Andrew Opem

5

Two green efforts become one Group attempts to make school more eco-friendly

Perform an environmental audit Create an eco code

Involve the entire community

Mike Davis & Evan Rapson Reporter & Online Sports Editor

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cLean High School joined the green movement when two efforts merged into one idea.

Senior Morgan Gillis and STEM teacher Cara Mosely were inspired to start ecofriendly projects at school, such as a rooftop garden and a courtyard greenhouse, but had no way to carry them out.

Principal Ellen Reilly became involved when she introduced to Gillis and Mosely the Eco-Schools program, a green program she is working to involve in the school’s curriculum.

The two groups are now working together to gain funding and support from the Eco-Schools program, through which schools around the world have already incorporated environmentally friendly projects into their curriculum.

“The PTSA is willing to put as much as $4,000 into the program, and is writing for a grant,” Reilly said.

With this program, opportunities for students in terms of environmental projects would help to improve the school’s curriculum. However, before McLean will benefit it must join the Eco-Schools community.

NEWS

Monitor progress Establish an eco team Link to the curriculum

“To become part of the Eco-Schools program, the minimum requirement is to fill out an energy audit,” Mosely said. “To get this audit done we’re going to need more students to survey the school and help out. Taking this inventory would allow the school to make better efforts to go green, and these inventories are a large portion of the Eco-Schools program.”

There are 11 different pathways to advance through the program.

“Each step can allow the school to gain a Bronze, Silver or Green award,” Mosely said. The award level is based on the school’s performance and efforts to become more energy efficient.

The Eco-Schools program successfully brings communities together through the projects it inspires.

“Fairfax County’s main goal is to make the pyramid of schools part of the EcoSchools program. Starting with elementary schools and working their way up to high schools, Fairfax County is attempting to make every school in the area part of the program,” Reilly said.

“Becoming part of the program is not the only step McLean has to make. Creating an Eco-Plan projecting future projects is a

requirement as well,” Mosely said.

Funding is needed and so are helping hands. The project is currently only controlled by a small group of teachers and two students.

In order to conduct an energy audit, those who are involved must go around the school and assess every room in the building. This not only takes a lot of man power, but also a lot of time if there are not enough people.

In order to keep people motivated and to keep efforts towards going green moving, the school needs more people to conduct these audits as well as more ideas that could inspire others to join in.

“I want to construct a greenhouse from mainly recycled bottles,” Gillis said.

He has already begun brainstorming how to begin and keep his project alive.

He envisions the garden planted within the greenhouse, which he believes would help benefit the entire school.

“Academically this garden will improve the school’s curriculum as a whole,” Mosely said.

Through these efforts, McLean is making strides towards gaining a green reputation.

Page design by Mike Davis Photo courtesy of Google Images under a Creative Commons license

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Feminist Club spreads awareness about gender equality New club hopes to decrease misconceptions, teach students about feminism Esme Khalid & Lisa Bears Reporter & Online A&E Editor

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cLean High School’s first Feminist Club started meeting earlier this school year with goals of both highlighting sexism faced in everyday life and spreading awareness about the true definition of feminism. The club encourages equality for both men and women.

“Feminism is the social, economic and political equality of all genders,” club founder junior Farnaz Shirazi said. “People like to focus on women more because women have been the target for the longest time.”

Sexism tends to slip under the radar, remaining unacknowledged and unnoticed by many.

“So many girls are afraid to raise their hand in class and express their opinions so they don’t sound like ‘that girl’ that makes a big deal out of nothing,” club co-president junior Haneen Abdelhalim said.

Shirazi said that members of the McLean community have experienced the effects of sexism first hand.

“McLean definitely needs more information about feminism. One example is the Dropbox issue,” Shirazi said. “So many people blame the girls for it instead

of the boys who set it up.”

The club has received some negative criticism, which members said they expected. Eighteen out of 20 posters put up in approved areas were torn down.

“There were mixed reactions. The majority of people were supportive, but there’s been negative feedback,” Shirazi said.

Misinformation about the definition of feminism has led to many misconceptions about it—for example, that all feminists hate men or believe women should have more rights than men. Feminism does not attempt to degrade men, but asks that men and women receive equal treatment and rights as human beings.

“The main issues right now are getting equal pay and equal treatment, like how girls get dress coded [because] it disrupts [boys’] education,” Shirazi said.

Although womens’ rights tend to be the central focus of feminism, the cause addresses the double standards and societal expectations faced by both men and women. All students are encouraged to join the club, and there are currently two male club members.

“It’s open to everyone who’s informed about feminism and wants a place to express their views, or people who want to learn more about feminism,” Shirazi said.

“Guys should get involved because they have sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and most will probably have daughters in the future, so they definitely should want to advocate for womens’ rights.”

German teacher Karen Wolpert is the club’s sponsor, and the group meets weekly in her classroom. They show movies and are currently working on plans to help womens’ shelters and host guest speakers.

Wolpert said the club has appreciated administrator support.

“Dr. Reilly has been very supportive. She was a little surprised by the interest in the feminist club, so that was great,” Wolpert said. “It’s amazing how many people come to the club every single Monday. [There are] somewhere between 20 to 30 people every week.”

The club’s goals include educating and raising awareness about gender equality.

They hope to clear any misconceptions on the purpose of the movement and the club itself.

“Some people equate feminism with man-hating. Just because you want a certain group to be respected and seen as equal doesn’t mean you’re trying to push another group down,” Wolpert said. “To raise someone up doesn’t mean to push another down.”

25%

76%

86%

98%

of females consider themselves feminists

of males consider themselves feminists

of females believe in gender equality

of males believe in gender equality Based on a survey of 100 McLean students (50 girls and 50 boys).

Page design by Lisa Bears & Esme Khalid

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FEBRUARY

Ashwin around the world A recap of the news on six continents

1) Jan. 3 – Washington, D.C., U.S.

4) Jan. 7 – Paris, France

7) Jan. 19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

New congressmen who were elected during the November midterm elections met for the first time, beginning the 114th Congress. The Republican party came out on top in these elections, giving them a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

A pair of gunmen entered the office of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, during an editors meeting and gunned down 12 people before fleeing the scene. The two men were eventually killed by police in a printing factory on Jan. 8. The attacks were in response to the magazine’s depictions of Islam, including multiple covers featuring the Prophet Muhammad, a figure that is forbidden from being drawn in Islam.

Alberto Nisman, an Argentine federal prosecutor, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his apartment hours before he was supposed to deliver a testimony against Argentina’s president, Cristina Kirchner.

Nisman had accused Kirchner of impeding the investigation of an 1994 attack on a Jewish community center. Initial reports seemed to point toward suicide; however, journalists and politicians have expressed many conflicting views about the validity of the reports and an investigation is still underway.

2) Jan. 3 – Baga, Nigeria The militant terrorist group Boko Haram massacred an estimated 2,000 people after seizing a military base in the area. This was the deadliest attack yet from the group who last year alone killed over 10,000 people. Currently, emergency workers are having difficulty attending to the wounded and caring for children whose parents are missing.

3) Jan. 6 – Oxford, England Scientists at Oxford University began human trials for a new Ebola vaccine. The vaccine, developed by a pharmaceutical branch of the company Johnson and Johnson, is set to be available in Ebolastricken regions of Africa such as Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone by the middle of the year.

NEWS

5) Jan. 11 – Java Sea, Indonesia One of the two black boxes of the Airbus A320 has been recovered by divers. The Air Asia flight made worldwide headlines after it lost connection with air traffic control while flying over the Java Sea on Dec. 28. All passengers of the flight have been presumed dead, but the multinational search for the bodies and other clues as to what happened persists.

6) Jan. 13 – Urumqi, China China has created a law banning the burqa in Urumqi, the city with the highest concentration of Muslims in China. Critics have said that the law, specifically banning “face-masking robes,” is an attempt to further marginalize China’s Islamic Uighur population, who have felt increasingly oppressed by a slew of anti-Islamic laws across the country.

8) Jan. 20 – New Delhi, India India’s Environment Ministry reported that tiger populations in India have grown from 1,400 to 2,226 in the past seven years. India, a country that is home to 70 percent of the world’s tiger population, has struggled in the past to combat poachers and destruction of habitats. However, this new figure bodes well for the future of the endangered beast.

Page design by Ashwin Dasgupta

9

McLean says au revoir to French Honor Society Students and teachers discuss what happened to the society and why

Leena Raza Online Features Editor

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n past years, the French Honor Society has been an important club at McLean, along with the other language honor societies, in recognizing students who excel in foreign languages. This year, however, the French Honor Society has been terminated.

Senior Chloe Berthelon was part of the group last year.

“We used to tutor other students who needed help with French,” Berthelon said.

Berthelon said between 20 and 25 students participated.

One reason the society ended was because there was a lack of participation.

After the initiation ceremony, half of the students would not stay for the baguette and cheese at the end. French teachers said students just considered the society a resume builder.

“People always had excuses for not coming to the meetings,” French teacher Michael Click said. “The vast majority

didn’t fulfill their commitment.”

Click stated that hardly anyone participated even though the majority of the Society consisted of students in AP

“People always had excuses for not coming to the meetings and the vast majority didn’t fulfill their commitment.”

-French teacher Michael Click French. Tutoring sessions were planned during Highlander Time, but only one tutor ever showed up.

Isabel Brazell, another French teacher at McLean, agreed with Click.

2013-2014 Foreign Language Honor Society Membership

French

“It’s more work for us as teachers,” Brazell said. “Maybe next year it will come back, but not right now.”

French teacher Jenica Hardy said that budget cuts that have caused teachers’ salaries to be frozen made it difficult for teachers to fit the honor society into their schedules.

“We’re not getting a raise any time soon.

I mean, I had to get a second job, so I don’t have time for it,” Hardy said. “It’s not coming back any time soon.”

Hardy said she does not have time to do anything extra outside of her contract.

Students who have taken French for several years, some since elementary school, said they are disappointed there is no honor society.

“I really like the language and it’s fun to learn,” junior Nadim Najjar said. “It’s good for college, too.”

If Fairfax County’s budget situation changes in the future, teachers said they might reevaluate their decision, but for now, there is no French Honor Society.

26

of 30 French students polled said they want a French Honor Society

25 students German

15 students Latin

8 students Images obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commmons license Page design by Julia Al-Akkad & Leena Raza

NEWS

11

FEATURES

Cost of clothing adds up Demands for low-priced clothing come at the expense of workers at home and abroad Melanie Pincus & Catherine Zysk News Editor & Reporter ina Rahman woke up on April 24, 2013, and went to work like she had every other day. She left her cramped, one-room apartment where her husband and her two children slept, and entered her workplace—a massive, eight-story commercial complex in Bangladesh bearing the name “Rana Plaza” in red lettering.

At 8:46 a.m., the eight stories of the garment factory collapsed into one another as the cracked walls gave in to the weight of thousands of people, machines and articles of clothing.

At 8:46 a.m., Rahman and over one thousand other people lost their lives, making this collapse the deadliest accident in the history of the garment industry. On top of that, over two thousand people were injured, both in the collapse itself and in the days following as emergency personnel and victims’ friends and families made rescue attempts.

During the search for survivors, the tags of popular brands such as H&M, Gap, Walmart and United Colors of Benetton were found in the rubble. Reports later found that the building was constructed with cheap, nondurable material, and did not come close to meeting required

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building codes.

Rana Plaza represents one of many garment factories used by clothing companies to mass produce in-demand goods for their consumers at the lowest possible monetary cost. “[Companies] mass produce. They get [clothes] out there,” fashion marketing teacher Debra Fargo said. “People don’t care [where it’s from]—they just want it cheap.”

To meet company quotas, children are often forced into labor. According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Labor, over six million Indian children between the ages of 6 and 14 work in factories instead of going to school. The report finds that 168 million children are working worldwide, and that half of that number work in hazardous conditions.

A study by the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations and the India Committee of the Netherlands found that Best Corporation, an Indian cotton textile company that provides materials to a number of major brands, including Gap and Old Navy, encourages women as young as 15 to work for them by promising fair pay and better schooling opportunities.

Instead, these women are forced to live in cramped rooms with only the most basic amenities, which have to be shared among up to 45 people. They are unable to contact

home without direct supervision, and their living quarters are cut off from the rest of the world by barbed wire and guards.

It was not until the devastating collapse of Rana Plaza that companies and governments began to make serious attempts to change the garment and textile industry of East Asia. One such attempt resulted in the Bangladesh Safety Accord, an independent agreement between companies including American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch that pursues reasonable health and safety measures in Bangladeshi garment production.

Several major brands, however, such as Gap and Target, refuse to sign the accord, allowing the possibility of mistreatment in Bangladeshi factories to remain.

The Rana Plaza collapse also prompted the creation of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, an organization founded

by North American apparel companies with a five-year goal of improving safety in Bangladeshi garment factories.

In a poll of 80 Mclean High School students, only 17 considered the location of clothing production as a factor in their decision to buy clothes.

Most of those who considered location did so for the sake of quality, not worker rights.

FEBRUARY

“I’m not gonna pay more than $50 for something overproduced in China,” senior Julianna Kang said.

While the process of implementing labor reforms in garment-producing countries such as Bangledesh and India is still in its early stages, raising labor and wage standards remain matters of concern in countries such as the U.S. Reforms in labor practices began in the U.S. over a century ago, in 1911, when the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York burned to the ground, killing 146 workers.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), passed in 1938, aimed to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.

Through this act, companies are required to maintain “minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency, and general well-being of workers,” without “substantially curtailing employment or earning power.”

This is an admirable goal, but, unfortunately, one that can be thwarted fairly easily.

The FLSA goes on to state that as long as the purchaser or company acquiring goods from a particular source has a written assurance from the producer that they are complying with FSLA requirements, they are permitted to do business with them.

This unclear wording extends beyond the FLSA and into clothing companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, guidelines in which companies outline how they will strive to achieve both their own goals and those outlined in the FLSA. Forever 21, named on a variety of lists throughout the Internet as a top store for fashion on a budget, states in its CSR policy that it enters into “comprehensive” agreements in which suppliers and vendors “promise” to comply with FLSA and Forever 21 standards. However, these promises are not always kept.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor discovered numerous minimum wage and overtime violations in sewing factories based in Los Angeles, at least one of which was used to produce clothing for Forever 21.

The Department of Labor’s report on these discoveries states that workers had been producing garments in “sweatshop-like” conditions for four years. Forever 21 was investigated for this incident in 2012, and it is unclear whether the situation has been resolved.

Despite suspicions about poor conditions for Forever 21 workers, the company’s

FEATURES

profits have increased from $2.6 billion in 2011 to $3.85 billion in 2014, according to Forbes.

The apparent lack of negative response from customers may be caused by inadequate awareness, or an overpowering desire for cheap clothing. Freshman Anna Sargent shops at Forever 21, and was not aware of the allegations against the company. She said that knowing about these claims could make a difference in her decision to shop there.

“I wouldn’t want to give my money to people who are going to use it poorly and not treat their employees [well],” she said.

Low-price incentives, used by companies like Forever 21, can be crucial to attracting customers, especially students with limited resources.

“I try to be price-conscious, because either I’m spending my [parents’] money, or I am spending my own money, which I don’t earn a lot of on a regular basis,” senior Rebecca Hall said.

Some companies, individuals and groups are working to both encourage consumers to consider how potential purchases are produced when shopping and to improve conditions for garment workers.

One such advocate is the Garment Worker Center, an organization based in Los Angeles and representing the only center in California dedicated to garment worker issues.

According to the Garment Worker Center, the desire for fast production causes garment workers to be denied typical employee rights.

Students are also making attempts to change their buying habits.

“If it’s made in America, I am more likely to buy it—even if it’s more expensive—because it’s [not made in a] sweatshop,” freshman Charlotte Roberts said.

Consumer decisions like this have the potential to encourage reform. In 1996, for instance, students all over the U.S. protested the use of sweatshops in East Asia to produce college spirit wear. This spurred the creation of several advocacy groups that forced colleges to choose certifiably humane factories.

Change, however, does not always have to be fought for on such a grand scale. Simply choosing what company to buy clothes from, and whether or not to be conscious of where and how products are produced can influence the market for the better. In the end, the market is controlled by the consumer’s wants and demands.

60%

percent of garment workers denied minimum wage

93%

percent of garment workers who do not recieve overtime wages

168,000,000 children working in

factories instead of going to school Do you think about where your clothes come from before you buy them?

63

17 NO

YES

Survey of 80 McLean students

Facts obtained via Garment Worker Center and U.S. Department of Labor Photo of anonymous worker in Indian garment factory obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons license Page design by Melanie Pincus & Catherine Zysk

13

A rose blooms in the Uyghur community Annie Lu & Katie McGinn Reporter & Features Editor

A

t 6’1”, this junior is a figure that is hard to miss. Her pale face is surrounded by a hijāb and her green eyes mirror the flash of light reflected off her glasses. Her name is Rose Saydahmat.

Although Saydahmat was born and raised in D.C., she was brought up in a culturally distinctive family. Her parents, who are both of Uyghur decent, moved from China’s Xinjiang region to the U.S. to escape religious persecution and pursue their post-secondary education. Not only does Saydahmat work hard to understand her past, but she is also very passionate about preserving her culture.

This passion has led her to become heavily involved in McLean’s International Cultures United (ICU) Club. She joined the club as a freshman, first serving as a publicity officer and then as a treasurer.

This year she is vice-president.

ESOL teacher Dr. Ben-Barka, sponsor of the ICU Club, often works closely with Saydahmat. She remembers the first time she saw Saydahmat at a Multicultural Night held by the club. Saydahmat’s older sister was part of the club at the time and brought her family to the event. In the third grade at the time, Saydahmat was dressed in a bright yellow traditional costume, dancing and helping her sister.

“I believe she’s more mature than most people her age. Even though she was young, in a new environment with so many people, she seemed at ease,” BenBarka said.

For Saydahmat, the club is a safe community to express the strong sense of ethnic pride that has been instilled in her ever since she was a child.

“ICU has helped me gain knowledge about different cultures. It is also nice to be around people, who share the same cultures and morals as me,” Saydahmat said.

Despite her busy schedule of five AP classes, Science Olympiad and varsity track, Saydahmat always manages to find time for the club.

This year, she will even help organize the Multicultural Night herself.

In June 2014, she decided to expand on her love for cultural ethnicity beyond the school walls. Saydahmat and her childhood friend Aydin Anwar wanted to unite

the female Uyghur youth in the area by helping to provide a place to share ideas and form friendships. This drove them to found the Northern Virginia Uyghur Youth Organization (NVUYO).

“Aydin and I were at a wedding and all the people with the same ethnic background attended,” Saydahmat said.

“We found that the girls there were actually divided. There were the girls who were born [in the Xinjiang region] and the girls like me who were born in America and were westernized. We do not have a large population in general, especially not here in a diaspora community, so we can’t create this wall between us based on where we were born. In order for us to come together, we needed something everyone could benefit from.”

During their first official meeting, they hosted an Iftar, a feast for breaking fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

Since then, they have organized monthly meetings, activities, community service projects and religious study groups with their 15 members.

Saydahmat’s career plans are looking to combine her passion for both international development and medicine.

“I want to become a pediatrician,” Saydahmat said. “I have plans to either go back to my home country or to other places where there are the same diaspora communities, to provide medical, American-grade service.”

She has already accomplished a lot to help her community and is only looking to extend her efforts in the future. “[My parents] told me that I had to work hard and remember where I come from,” Saydahmat said. “How is what you do here in America going to help promote your culture’s cause?”

Photo by James Carver Page design by Katie McGinn

FEBRUARY

Students perform traditional Chinese dance Dragon Dance team members celebrate Chinese New Year

Jennifer Wang Reporter

W

ith effortless fluidity, the flashing red and gold dragon circles and loops smoothly above the performers, as if hovering freely, chasing a golden ball, often known as the “pearl of wisdom.”

Every year, Chinese New Year festivities run from Feb. 19 to March 3, and many McLean students participate in the festival in Washington, D.C., which includes a wide variety of events including the

popular Chinese Dragon Dance. McLean students who are members of the New World Bilingual Institute perform in the Chinese Dragon Dance Team. They meet each weekend to practice the dragon dance and refine their performances.

“Practice is long and hard sometimes, but it’s still fun to work as a team and have it all pay off when we perform,” senior Hye won Choi said. “Everybody on the team is

Dance of the dragon—The New World Bilingual Institute Dragon Dance team performs in Washington, D.C., for the annual Chinese New Year festival. Members dressed as zodiac animals in the background are also part of the festivities (above). The team also performed in the streets of D.C.’s Chinatown under the Friendship Archway (upper right). (Photos courtesy of Jessie Zhang)

FEATURES

really cool and nice.”

An annual event during the Chinese New Year holiday and an essential part of the parade, the dragon dance is performed by a team controlling the dragon with poles, forming a spectacular display by lifting, lunging and sweeping the head, body and tail of the dragon, creating the illusion of a flying dragon. One performer also controls a golden ball atop a rod, a sacred flaming pearl that can represent truth or the sun and functions as the object of the dragon’s chase. The team consists of about 10 members.

“I just focus. It’s okay if people mess up, just pick yourself up and keep going at it,” said senior Joy Zhang, co-captain of the Chinese Dragon Dance Team. “For instance, a few years ago, one of our poles that held the dragon snapped at the 2012 Chinatown parade but it was okay—we improvised.”

Not only active during the Chinese New Year festival, the team also performs on and off throughout the year.

“The best part about performing is the food afterwards, because we usually can just chill out and eat good food,” Choi said.

The Dragon Dance team was selected to perform at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration and organizes fundraisers, such as the 2013-2014 Lead2Feed project, in which the Dragon Dance team raised over $1,300 to donate meals to people in rural China.

“We practice to combine efforts as a team to make the dragon come to life, helping the community by getting involved, and having fun while we’re at it,” senior Huan Le said.

Page design by Jennifer Wang

15

McLean Matchmaking

Can a survey really bring two people together?

Tanya Ajalli & Jade Smith Photographer & Reporter

W

ith Valentine’s Day as a reminder, many Highlanders find themselves all too aware of their single status. A social experiment

was conducted to try and match two people up based solely on similar interests. Fifty people were surveyed on personal traits and qualities they are searching for in a significant other. Junior Samantha Remer and senior Zach Heuple were chosen as a match based on their compatibility.

On Feb. 1, the two students met up at the mall and were given $20 to spend on their date. They decided to eat at Five Guys and walk around the mall, getting to know each other as the time flew by. After the official date ended, the duo decided to watch the actionromance movie The Wedding Ringer.

Similarities: • • • •

Athletic Desire someone down to earth Both introverted and extroverted Likes all genres of music

Searching for the perfect pair—Sam Remer and Zach Heuple walk around the Under Armour store.

“I think the date went well.

He laughed a lot and it was really casual. We talked a lot and had good conversations.

It wasn’t awkward at all!”

“My idea of a blind date was that it’s more scary than getting to know someone first, but it also gives a thrill of adventure.” —Junior Samantha Remer

“I was not expecting a lot; I didn’t know what she was going to look like so that was weird but exciting.” —Senior Zach Heuple

Laughter is contagious—The duo strolls around Macy’s, trying things on as they go.

Titanic moment—The two goof off at the playground, playfully reenacting a famous scene from Titanic.

“The food was really good and I enjoyed her company—she was very friendly. We’ll see what the future holds between us.”

By the end of the date, Zach and Sam exchanged numbers.

They are planning another date soon.

Page design by Jade Smith & Tanya Ajalli Photos by Tanya Ajalli & clipart obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons license

16

FEBRUARY

1

Would you rather be in constant pain or have a constant itch?

I would rather have a constant itch than a constant pain. They are making wonderful lotions these days.

2 How many toddlers would it take to beat you up?

Three, because toddlers are vicious.

3

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

2 I have never been to a concert in my life. It just never came up.

4 Go-to Friday night activity?

Prior to the season ending, the first thing I’d always do was watch How to Get Away with Murder on my DVR.

10 Qs w/

Ms. Naima Chambliss

By Katie McGinn, Features Editor

(English Teacher)

What was it like working in an Anacostia Public School?

5 What are you scared of?

6

I am afraid of the dark. That’s why there is always light wherever I go.

The best light is the TV and I always sleep with the TV on.

I got to see what a lack of resources and a lack of parental involvement and an overall lack of concern for education looks like. It made me really appreciate the upbringing that I had.

7 Who was the craziest student that you had?

8

If you were going to be killed in three hours, what would your last meal be?

Matthew Spahr! You just want to know what he will say next. I have never seen a college essay about Tupac. I have never seen someone bring me an article that was supposed to be current about gorillas from 2009 from The Onion.

Okay, I am going to be murdered in three hours. Great. I would want my grandmother to make me some spaghetti with turkey meat, because I don’t eat red meat or pork or anything like that.

9

10 How many Uggs do you own?

Most embarrassing moment?

I had this student in Baltimore who was not the best. I was the dean at the school and they asked me to come and remove him from class. When I got to the classroom, I started screaming at this kid. The student was just staring at me... It turned out to be the wrong kid.

Anything Ugg? Seventeen... My favorite pair of Uggs are white and are called Ugg Sparkles I Do! I never wear them mainly because I don’t want them to become messed up, but also because I don’t have anything to wear them with.

Photos by Katie McGinn

FEATURES

17

Highlander of the Issue:

A-stone-ishing acting Senior Alex Stone stuns on and off the stage Lucy Hopkins Features Editor

B

ehind the stage, a sense of impending doom has washed over the actors.

The impatient tapping of shoes and quiet murmur of the crowd all add to the anticipation. However, a focused Alex Stone calmly runs through his lines, and prepares to charge the stage and do what he loves. Suddenly, the curtain is drawn and the scene commences.

Stone, a senior, has taken part in almost all productions at McLean since his freshman year. Year after year, production after production, Stone’s performances are praised. Not only is his singing voice always flawless, but his lines are delivered with authenticity and emotion.

“Watching Alex perform is like watching...some natural phenomenon,” junior Emily Carr said. “He was absolutely born to perform, and I rarely ever miss a chance to see him in the school productions.”

Stone’s ability to perform may be Godgiven, but that does not mean he simply shows up and performs. He regularly puts in about four hours of practice a day for the school productions, and frequently

rehearses for an additional three for his community productions.

Stone has been working in theater since childhood and was raised in a theatrically inclined family.

“When I was a little kid, I saw my dad in a show…and since then, I was just like, ‘Oh man, that’s really cool. I really want to do that,’” Stone said. “My brother, Nick [a member of the 2012 graduating class], was also an inspiration for me, because he’s really good…it didn’t really hit on my radar that this was something that I wanted to do as a career until about middle school, but I’ve been working on it ever since.”

Stone’s years of hard work have certainly paid off; not only does he receive rave reviews for both his community and school productions, but he was also nominated for the 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholar of the Arts award, making him one of 60 in the nation to be bestowed with such an honor.

Stone’s hard work does not go unnoticed by his peers, either.

“He’s a very charismatic person with an incredible amount of energy…and his ability to convey a lot of emotion and depth is absolutely astounding,” said junior Gillian Wright, who handles advertising for the McLean theater department productions. “While he is a rather playful person, he knows when it’s time to work and get stuff done. He is quite the performer.”

In addition to memorizing lines and studying characters, Stone also regularly works on his vocals, something that he has been doing since he was a kid.

“When I was little, I would

always make my mom turn off the radio and just let me sing show tunes. I think that has really helped me develop my love for the music, and, I think, started preparing me for the performances I’m doing now.”

One such performance is the production of Big Fish, the musical the theater department has been working on since the beginning of this school year. Though Stone says that his favorite play to put on was Catch Me If You Can, his enthusiasm for the spring production is undeniable.

“We’re going to be doing all sorts of cool stuff…slam dancing, some big bang numbers, even some tribal witch dancing.

Everything that you could possibly think of doing in musical theater is in this show,” Stone said.

His determination to succeed in theater has driven him to make many big decisions before even leaving high school. For instance, he decided to take fewer classes this year to accommodate his rehearsal schedules.

“This year I’m not taking science or math, which gives me more time to work on theater… I love my parents for being so supportive and actually guiding me towards this schedule to kind of make more time for myself and get more stuff under my belt. Granted, English and Gov., AP Music Theory and Econ are still hard classes, but it’s easier to manage it all without those two other classes,” Stone said.

As far as the future goes, Stone has steep goals. He is auditioning for more than 10 schools and is aiming to attend Carnegie Mellon, a school he deems “arguably the best in the nation for musical theater.”

Wherever he ends up, Stone is sure to be one of the biggest fish in the pond.

Stones in the spotlight—Alex Stone and his father perform together. Stone’s brother Nick also participates in theater. (Photo courtesy of Alex Stone)

Page design by Lucy Hopkins

FEBRUARY

Catch McLean Theater’s Big Fish

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Welcoming the audience—The McLean Theater Company proudly expresses their excitement for their latest production. Big Fish will premiere at McLean on Feb. 19. (Photo by Isabel Zapata) Young In Seo Reporter

A

fter weeks of late night rehearsals, McLean Theater students are finally ready to present their latest production, Big Fish. The audience will be able to experience the imaginative story, advanced props and thrilling music.

The story follows Will Bloom and his father, Edward Bloom, whose favorite pastime is to tell tall tales. On Will’s wedding day, Edward tells one of his favorite stories of how he once set out to catch a huge uncatchable fish using his wedding ring as bait.

The play follows Edward’s stories that range from meeting witches to strange towns to a mysterious mermaid. As Will continues to listen to Edward’s tall tales, he begins to lose trust in him.

“Will had this connection when he was a kid. But when he get older, he starts to kind of hate Edward because he wasn’t there for me, and they don’t have the connection that they did before,” said freshman Linus Stroik, who is playing the younger version

of Will.

Students are capturing this complex story by using props that will amp up the watching experience.

“We have lots of cool stuff,” senior Marielle Burt said.“We made a cannon and we ordered about a hundred...probably about a thousand, more than a thousand... so many daffodils.”

However, daffodils and cannons are not the only things to look forward to in Big Fish.

The entire stage from the floor to the walls is made of wood and features new automated platforms and high-tech lights that will aid in the fantasy-like scenes in the play.

The Big Fish production has also prepared aerial acrobats who will be climbing and dancing from silk ropes hanging from the ceiling. In addition, the musical has huge dance numbers with interesting choreography.

“We have some really kick-ass choreography,” Burt said.

In order to fit the movie into the format of a musical, minor changes have been

made to the story. However, these changes have not affected the story plot-wise. “[Big Fish] is much more focusing on the differences between reality and fantasy,” Burt said. “You have these huge blown up scenes with lots of singers and dancers and it’s juxtaposed with these really intimate reality scenes. Those are more true to what you see in the movie.”

Although the show has extravagant and lively scenes, it also explores characterization and emotional development.

“I really like the interactions between Edward [Alex Stone] and his little son when Will was young,” theater teacher Amy Poe said.

Using Big Fish, the theater students are participating in a competition called the International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where an annual week-long festival in June brings together high school theater groups from all across the country.

“We are hoping to get adjudicated to go to nationals, so it’d be really cool if we get to be on the national stage,” Burt said.

Page design by Young In Seo

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19

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Get to know “That Girl” Junior Nicole Sheehan releases music on iTunes Sophie Mariam Reporter

S

tudents might have seen junior Nicole Sheehan walking around the hallways or performing in school musicals, but some Highlanders may not know her as a singersongwriter whose music is available on iTunes.

Sheehan was performing at McLean Idol her freshman year when one of the judges, a music producer with a studio, approached her and asked if she was interested in recording at his studio.

“I did my demo album, when I wrote my songs and recorded most, when I was 13 to 14,” Sheehan said.

The album included songs “That Girl,” “Violet and Veruca” and “If Only I Knew You.” Sheehan is now working on a single. The single is titled “Stuck at Seventeen” and will be coming out around the end of February.

“It’s about a person in my life that I know personally, and it means a lot to me,” Sheehan said. “I’m also having a promoter help me out with my new single to put it on lower scale radio stations, and if people

Studio star—Nicole Sheehan experiments with production equipment during a recording session. She had the opportunity to work with her producer and record her original album in a professional recording studio. (Photo courtesy of Nicole Sheehan) start to like it they can talk to their friends and help bump it up as far as it will go.”

When it comes to Sheehan’s music style, she describes it as “kind of singersongwriter, which is open to whatever I want to make it into. But right now I’m leaning towards stuff that’s kind of like Lorde.” Sheehan is also a big fan of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ music.

“Her songs are catchy and reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s early albums,” Sheehan’s friend junior Zoe Le Menestrel said of Sheehan’s first album.

Sheehan’s musical theater background has also influenced her music.

“I’ve always loved musical theater so being able to write my own kind of songs and to express my own feelings instead of a character’s is kind of something special that I get to do that not many other people do,” Sheehan said.

The future of Sheehan’s musical career is still up in the air.

“It all depends on how well I can promote this kind of pop album, and if it takes root

and if people are interested in it,” Sheehan said. “Otherwise I’ve been sticking to musical theatre, so I might keep recording some albums and hopefully if one is a hit I’ll do more of that. I’m not really sure where it will take me but it’s just an activity that I love and that I’m lucky to have.”

With her music being public, it’s strange for Sheehan to think that her friends and peers can listen to it any time.

“I’m very modest about my music— I don’t talk about it with my friends or anything, but it is kind of weird because it’s so personal,” Sheehan said. “But at the same time you have to get it out there, and I have to start somewhere. But I think this song I’m writing now has that kind of pop or more electronic modern vibe that will be more comfortable because it’s something people would normally sing.”

Students should look out for Sheehan’s new single “Stuck at Seventeen,” coming to iTunes soon, and catch her on stage in the McLean production of Big Fish.

Page design by Julia Al-Akkad & Nhi Nguyen

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21

IN-DEPTH

1986

Generation Netflix Popular online streaming service integrates itself into our everyday lives

22

FEBRUARY

2015 Elena Ifarraguerri & Nhi Nguyen Reporter & Managing Editor

W

ake up. School. Homework.

Netflix. Sleep. Sometimes the “homework” can be removed from the equation, but the routine seems all too familiar, especially to high school and college students. What is different now is that Netflix, an on-demand online streaming service, has managed to become an integral part of everyday life.

Netflix can really be a double-

edged sword. Though it can quench our generation’s need for instant entertainment—thousands of shows and movies at the click of a button—this popular service can cause a plummet in both social life and productivity.

Despite the negative perception, Netflix has actually been bringing together communities of people with common interests. Not only does it help create relationships, it also brings together different generations.

Photo illustration by James Carver & Isabel Delgado

IN-DEPTH

23

Linking friends Netflix users are cooped up in their

rooms and don’t see the sun for days, right?

Wrong. A popular topic of conversation among teenagers today is Netflix.

Friends commonly converse about a recent new show to watch—rather than being an antisocial activity, it’s becoming a part of socialization.

“I always get recommendations from my friends. It’s always ‘You should check out this show on Netflix.’ Everybody does that,” social studies teacher Adam Wilkinson said.

Nearly everyone has a Netflix account these days, so it’s a great conversation starter. There are bound to be shows and

“

all 13 episodes first. Usually it’s within the first 48 hours,” Wilkinson said.

Netflix allows users to create five different profiles on one account. This account-splitting feature lets users share their accounts with family members and friends. However, among friends, it is common to see the cross-sharing of different streaming services such as HBO GO, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video.

“My buddy shares his Netflix account with me, so I let him use my HBO GO account,” Wilkinson said. een very common i

Bridging generations The accessibility of Netflix encourages many users to try new movies and shows.

junior Kiel Posner said.

Watching Star Trek with his father proved to be valuable bonding time.

“My dad and I are opposites. I’m really go-with-the-flow and he’s tightly wound, so watching together was a very neutral [activity] where we wouldn’t have yelling matches—we’d just watch,” Posner said.

Netflix provides an opportunity to understand pop cultural references like: “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.”

Where is that from? Find the answer by going on Netflix.

This not only applies to older works, but modern pop culture as well.

What happens to Mr. White? Who is Gossip Girl? What is that Benedict

”

My dad and I are opposites. I’m really go-with-the-flow and he’s tightly wound, so watching together was a very neutral [activity] where we wouldn’t have yelling matches—we’d just watch. -Junior Kiel Posner

movies that a person has in common with that stranger across the room.

Bring up Breaking Bad with someone new and become instant best friends. See a girl in a headband? Tell her she looks like Blair Waldorf and expect to be giggling about Chuck Bass within seconds. Most importantly, Netflix brings the voices of multiple generations together to rant about the perfection that is called Lorelai Gilmore.

The cultural phenomenon known as “binge-watching” also helps to facilitate deeper bonds. In order to qualify as a binge-watcher, one must watch at least two episodes of the same show in one sitting.

“When House of Cards comes out, it’s going to be like a race, like who can watch

24

“For older people, they might not take a chance on a newer movie. But because it’s so much more accessible, they’re more inclined to watch. They can also watch the older movies. For the younger generation, they can go back and watch those older movies too,” Wilkinson said.

There are various collections of films and shows on Netflix, sorted not only by genre but by period as well. Classics like The Twilight Zone and The Graduate can be seen on the queue. Many are landmarks in the cinematic culture.

“When I was 11 or 12, my dad and I used to always watch the [Star Trek] marathon that was on on the Fourth of July. But when we found it on Netflix, we would watch one episode a night before I had to go to bed,”

Cumberbatch show everybody is raving about?

After being educated on the cinematic arts, Netflix users will finally able to understand that gifset of obscure references that keep surfacing on Tumblr. No longer will ears have to be covered when somebody blurts out a spoiler for a show that has been waiting in the queue to be watched. It must feel nice to finally be in tune with the rest of the world.

“I feel up to date with cultural happenings. Once you watch this show you can go on Tumblr and find people that you can talk with about it,” sophomore Gigi Iyob said.

FEBRUARY

107 out of 200 students have a Netflix account

Students who have a Netflix acccount... watch an average of Netflix a week

6.1 hours of

are currently watching at least binge-watch at least

TheAn importance of Netflix important component of Netflix is

that it can serve as an outlet to de-stress about school or the struggles of being a teenager.

“When I’m feeling jumpy or anxious from a panic attack, I’ll sit down and watch something that will make me laugh and make my heart feel really big, like a family comedy or something,” Iyob said. “I’m in

control of my emotions when I’m watching.

If I want to feel happy, it’s good to escape from the outside world.”

In addition to being a de-stresser, Netflix can even evoke new interests and inspire future careers.

“I watch a lot of documentaries about animals and anatomy because I’m interested in going into the medical field,” Iyob said.

“At first I wasn’t interested in anatomy at all, but then I watched a documentary about it

2 shows

twice a week

and I realized how interesting it really was.”

The community of Netflix users is continuously growing in size, even across the globe. It fosters new friendships and strengthens old ones, and even brings families closer together. There’s nothing wrong with burrowing under the covers, winding down and enjoying an episode of Friends. Or nine.

Page design & infographic by Elena Ifarraguerri & Nhi Nguyen

IN-DEPTH

25

The 2015 Highlander Awards The staff’s picks for the best of this year in film Mark Mizusawa Design Editor

Interstellar

I

n the semi-distant future, Earth is running low on resources and lower on options. In a desperate effort to preserve human existence, scientists must look to the stars. Interstellar is a visual masterpiece that goes beyond the wormhole into what can only be described as a truly epic cinematic experience.

Best Film

Best Cinematography

Best Special Effects

Rosamund Pike

B

est known in recent times for her role as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, a thrilling murdermystery based on a novel by Gillian Flynn, Rosamund Pike delivers a performance powerful enough to kindle love and trust in budding relationships between couples across the nation.

Best Actress

Matthew McConaughey

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rmed with an irrepressible Southern accent, Matthew McConaughey plays the lead part in Interstellar, an engineer and former pilot named Cooper. When humankind has nowhere left to go but to the stars, Cooper is tasked with pioneering the way into this new age of existence. McConaughey also received much acclaim for his role as the AIDSstricken bull rider Ron Woodroof in 2013’s Dallas Buyers Club.

Best Actor

Mockingjay

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he first part of the last cinematic installment in The Hunger Games series featured a chilling soundtrack to guide viewers through the struggles of Katniss Everdeen, forced to lead the weakened masses against the oppressive governing body of a dystopian society, all while keeping up a healthy dating life.

Best Soundtrack Page design by Mark Mizusawa Photos courtesy of Paramount, 20th Century Fox & Lionsgate

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FEBRUARY

What to watch, listen to, read and see in 2015 Andrea Delgado & Hannah Menchel Editors-in-Chief

MOVIES

The Short List

The Divergent Series: Insurgent, March 20

The second installment in the trilogy sees Tris (Shailene Woodley) stand up against the establishment in her hometown of post-apocalyptic Chicago.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron, May 1

The second Avengers movie sees things go horribly wrong when Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) creates an artificial intelligence named Ultron (James Spader) to protect the Earth.

Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Dec. 18

Marvel

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the movie is set Smoke + Mirrors: ALBUMS to revisit old characters from the series Imagine Dragons, Feb. 17 and welcome new ones.

Smoke + Mirrors is the second album for the group.

Rebel Heart: Madonna, March 10

Madonna is releasing her thirteenth studio album. Six tracks have already been released.

Avicii was one of the producers.

Title TBA: Kanye West, Rumored

MARCH: MOVIE – Cinderella APRIL: TV – Game of Thrones MAY: MOVIE – Pitch Perfect 2 JUNE: MOVIE – Jurassic World JULY: MOVIE – Ant-Man AUGUST: TV – Emmy’s SEPTEMBER: TV – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert OCTOBER: MOVIE – Victor Frankenstein NOVEMBER: MOVIE – Mockingjay, Part 2 DECEMBER: TV – Sherlock special

Kanye is not the only artist rumored to have an album dropping in 2015; Adele and Rihanna are also both thought to be releasing new music this year.

TV SHOWS

Big Machine Records

CONCERTS

Taylor Swift 1989 Tour

Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) adjusts to life in New York City after leaving a cult.

Taylor Swift plays two shows at Nationals Park on July 13 and July 14. Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes will be her opening acts.

Game of Thrones: HBO, April 12 The popular TV series, based on the books by George R. R. Martin, returns with 10 more episodes.

The Foo Fighters

The band will be coming to RFK Stadium on July 4. Their most recent album, Sonic Highways, was released in November.

The Late Late Show With James Corden: CBS, March 23

Hozier

The artist behind the Grammy-nominated single “Take Me to Church” will be playing at the Lincoln Center March 9.

A&E

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Netflix, March 6

Netflix

James Corden replaces Craig Ferguson, who stepped down after nine years of hosting.

Page design by Hannah Menchel, Andrea Delgado & Mark Mizusawa

27

App-solutely great apps The best apps of the year, available on Google Play and the App Store Aisha Singh Reporter

Duolingo

Free Duolingo makes learning new languages fun and simple.

It’s armed with a wide array of languages to choose from, including French, Spanish and Danish. “[Duolingo] shows that technology and language learning are the same,” veteran Duolingo user and Spanish teacher Adam Stryker said.

Camera+

$0.99 Although this photo editing app has been around for a while, its new feature redesign has lended itself to the app’s efficiency.

“I’ve used the app for about a year. It’s been really useful when editing my photos,” sophomore Isabel Delgado said.

Elevate

Free This app is a brain training program that lets the user learn through a variety of different techniques, such as memory, speaking, calculation and reading. Elevate has an amazingly responsive interface that gathers data and manipulates the difficulty level of games based on training sessions.

Swype

$0.99 A feature integrated into Samsung phones years ago, the App Store is finally providing users with a tool allowing users to type words without lifting a finger. This is only available by installing the app.

SwiftKey is a free, but less well-known, alternative to Swype, which is also available for download. Its functions are more primitive but work in the same way.

Trivia Crack

Free This app lives up to its name, according to the many people who are addicted to the general knowledge game. However, ads on the app are irritatingly frequent.

“If I see Kate Upton one more time...” English teacher Elise Emmons said, in reference to a particularly persistent ad.

Apple Health

Free Apple Health was integrated into the iPhone’s latest software update, iOS 8. Chances are the health app is already logging information for you, like walking and running distances or even flights of stairs climbed.

After all, an Apple Health a day (probably) keeps the doctor away.

Page design by Aisha Singh

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FEBRUARY

Left to our own devices

OPINIONS

Excessive cell-phone use is taking a toll on society Liam Zeya Opinions Editor

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f one ventures into McLean’s cafeteria during a lunch period, chances are they will come across a familiar yet somewhat disturbing sight. Scores of students line the lengthy, colorless tables, with food sitting in front of them and, more often than not, a cell phone as well. While handy, these devices that most high schoolers have become attached to are beginning to take a toll on people in a variety of different ways.

“Humanity’s growing obsession with the smartphone will probably lead to the demise of social skills and healthy relationships,” sophomore Kaleb Stander said.

He’s right. According to a recent study from the University of California, Los Angeles, children who were denied access to technology for five days were considerably better at reading human emotions at the end of the five-day period than children exposed mainly to electronics and screens for the same number of days.

These alarming short-term results suggest that the problem is likely to persist on a much grander scale throughout society in the long term.

“Excessive social media focus combined with almost non-stop phone use exacerbates teenagers’ already substandard social skills,” junior Johnny Choi said.

It is difficult to refute the contention that people who have grown up with a wealth of entertainment and knowledge in their pocket are less likely and less able to make real human connections.

In addition to degrading people’s social skills, excessive phone use also plainly stifles physical and personal interactions with other people.

“I don’t mind phone use during down time, but during any sort of face-to-face

social interaction, they should be away,” junior Taz Ridgely said.

Unfortunately, most adolescents these days fail to follow Ridgely’s advice.

Oftentimes, within a group of friends, one member’s engrossment with their cell phone will spark the other members of the group to follow suit and take out their own devices. This perpetuates the cycle of phone addiction and destroys the tangible

Anti-Social Media—Students use their phones during lunch. On average, children are about 12 years old when they receive their first cell phone, and more than 78 percent of American teenagers have their own cell phone.

(Photo illustration by Liam Zeya)

face-to-face contact and connections that humans need. Conversation dies out, and friendships become awkward and strained.

“Real relationships with people have to be built in person—not cyberspace,” junior Shirin Dashti said.

The purpose of a cell phone is to be a small supplement of relationship building, not a staple. Using them while with others defeats their purpose and can actually make people less socially connected with others.

In addition to their devastating affects on people’s social behavior, a massive amount of time is wasted on cell phones.

A recent Mobile Insurance study found that the average person spends about 90 minutes a day on their phone. That means that most people are on their phone for at least 23 full days each year, and for phoneaddicted high schoolers, it’s probably a lot more than that.

“People can use their phones, but when they don’t have them, they should still be able to socialize and communicate with the world around them,” senior Niel Ketkar said.

Despite all of the problems they can spawn, it is indisputable that phones are essential to our everyday lives. They enhance and quicken communication, and provide safety to whoever is carrying one. People should not just stop using their phones—that is not feasible and it would probably lead to other issues. Rather, they need to be conscious of their cell phone use and try to temper it when they are with others.

“Without smartphones, your good grades probably increase, but your boredom does too,” freshman Alex Anthony said.

I disagree. Having a small metal and plastic contraption as the center of one’s world is a haunting, but increasingly realistic, problem that people are facing every day. I challenge you to stop using your phone so much. You will focus better, work better, sleep better and feel better. If you try, you will inevitably make more dynamic and viable connections with others.

Page design by Liam Zeya

OPINIONS

29

CROSSFIRE: Is early decision t The early decider catches the worm Early decision is the best option when applying to college Hannah Menchel Editor-in-Chief s we get into 2015, seniors find themselves done with college applications, anxiously awaiting decisions that will not come out until March or April.

For some students however, their futures and where they will go to college have already been determined.

Every year, many people at McLean decide to apply “early decision” to a variety of colleges and universities, a legally binding agreement in which a student promises that they will attend that college should they be admitted. Early decision is one of the smartest options a student can take.

First and foremost, early decision significantly increases a student’s chances of getting into college for some schools, especially the Ivy Leagues.

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According to the website The Ivy Coach, the early decision rate for many Ivy League colleges was double or more what their regular decision acceptance rates were.

For example, Dartmouth accepted 27.9 percent of the early decision applicants last year, while their regular decision rate was 9.9 percent. Columbia University, whose regular decision rate last year was only 5.5 percent, had an early decision acceptance rate of 19.7 percent. This pattern also holds true for many other colleges and universities.

Additionally, applying early decision takes a lot of stress off a student’s shoulders.

“Knowing where I’m going to college is a huge relief. I really hated the uncertainty of not knowing where I could be a year from now, and now that I know, I can stop worrying about the future and live in the present,” said senior Jamie Starr, who applied early decision and will be attending Swarthmore College next year.

Colleges may also be more likely to accept a student with an academic profile slightly below their usual standards if that student applies early decision. Colleges like to lock in students; they like the guarantee of having a certain number of people definitely joining the class.

Therefore, they want to accept many students early decision who are legally obligated to attend that school.

Some students might also not choose the early decision option because they are afraid to make a

commitment and want more time to make their decision. While college is undoubtedly a huge decision, no matter how many campus visits people go on, people will never really get the true feel of a school until they attend there. The “perfect school” is a myth, and transferring, although not ideal, is never out of the question.

“I think ED is a great idea for people that have found their dream school as it definitely helps your odds of getting in since the applicant pool is smaller,” said senior Claire Roberts, who applied early decision to the College of William & Mary and will be attending there next year.

Clearly, one of the major drawbacks to applying early decision is the uncertainty about financial aid. Due to the fact that students do not file Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) until January, after the time when early decision applications need to be submitted, students who apply early decision have no idea how much financial aid they will receive from a college until after they are legally bound to attend there. Therefore, early decision is not the best option for families that depend on that financial aid. However, public schools like William & Mary and Virginia Tech offer early decision and also come with the lower price tag of in-state tuition.

Applying early decision also saves time and money from applying to other colleges.

Early decision replies usually come in December, while applications for most schools aren’t due until January, meaning that if students do get accepted early decision, they need not waste hundreds of dollars on the admissions fees for other colleges.

Overall, early decision is the smartest option because it is the option that leads to the least amount of stress and the most security.

Cartoon by Anna Marie Garland Page design by Hannah Menchel

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FEBRUARY

n the right decision?

Who wants the worm anyway?

Early decision is not for people with commitment issues Andrea Delgado Editor-in-Chief

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very year, nervous high school seniors hoping to go to college have to weigh the many application options available to them. Some students will choose to apply early decision or early action in November so they can receive an answer by December.

While students admitted under early action do not have to commit to the college until May, those admitted under early decision are legally bound to attend.

Although early decision certainly has its benefits, it is not the right option

for the majority of students because it comes with several drawbacks.

“The disadvantage is that you’re locked into that school because you’re signing a contract that says, ‘If I’m admitted, I will withdraw

all my other applications and agree to attend this school,’” career center specialist Dawn Allison said.

By withdrawing applications to other colleges, students lose the chance to think about other options. A decision to attend a school often translates into a four-year commitment, so it is in students’ best interest to carefully consider all their choices.

“William & Mary was one of my top choices and that was early decison but I didn’t do that because I feel like it would have restricted me a lot,” senior Devika Shankardass said.

Even though students may have a certain dream school in mind, many of them could be happy at a variety of schools. There is no such thing as the perfect college, but it is easier for students to find the one with the best fit when they have multiple options and plenty of time to decide. Applying to a mix of different schools also maximizes success in the application process since results can be unpredictable.

“I still wanted to have a more flexible choice because I like to compare and contrast everything rather

than just have

one choice

and be stuck with it,” senior Meredith

Harris said.

Additionally, early decision takes away the opportunity to consider other financial aid packages. Decisions are released in December, but the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) cannot be filed until January.

“Most times your financial aid package is not going to be processed until March,” Allison said. “So there you are hanging out wondering if you can afford it once you’ve been accepted and written letters to all your other schools saying, ‘Thanks, but I’m not gonna go there,’ and here you have this lovely, expensive school that you’ve been admitted to and you don’t know what it’s gonna cost you to go there.”

Even though some may save money from avoiding multiple application fees, in the long run those fees become insignificant if they have to attend a school that puts them thousands of dollars into debt.

Early action is the smarter alternative because it still takes away the stress of waiting for an answer.

“I think that the college gains more than the student through the early decision process,” Allison said. “We like early action better than early decision because of that.”

Because of the legally binding nature of early decision, students have to be completely certain about their commitment. However, that is often easier said than done.

“Unless this is your absolute first choice school and you’re willing to go there regardless of whether you get financial aid in the amount that you want, you should not apply early decision because then you’re burning bridges that maybe you shouldn’t burn,” Allison said.

Cartoon by Anna Marie Garland Page design by Andrea Delgado

OPINIONS

31

Midterms have no purpose

End of semester exams only result in cramming and stress Christine Cheon Online News Editor

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very year, the announcement of midterms yields fresh feelings of despair and stress throughout McLean. It is impossible to escape the hours of studying that midterms require, as well as the inevitable stress they cause. Teachers insist they are necessary, but students wonder about the purpose of having midterms at all.

Teachers give midterms in order to assess the performance and study habits of their students. Although students are given the chance to see what they need to improve upon, making the effort to change afterwards does not necessarily happen.

“Once you have a habit that’s developed over a couple of months, no one’s going to change [their study habits],” sophomore Beth Pottanat said. “People will probably just study longer and not differently, especially since they feel as if they didn’t study enough.”

Another problem with midterms is that they end up taking time out of the teacher’s instruction. If midterms were eliminated,

more useful material could be taught in this period of time.

“You have to study a lot harder and it takes time out of the teacher being able to teach you new material,” junior Sarah Therriault said.

Especially given the recent snow days, scheduling these midterms has become an inconvenience for teachers.

“It is difficult that midterms are given in the winter, and the snow days do get to be of a bit of a hassle in my freshman class,” history teacher Kerri Fry said.

However, the most important issue with midterms is their contribution to students’ stress. Due to the amount of material covered over the course of a term, studying for midterms is an extremely time consuming and difficult task.

“It’s too much to learn. I read the textbook for about three hours a day to study for midterms, [and] it’s way more studying than for a [regular] test,” sophomore Nick Reutermann said.

Cramming for midterms is a difficult task because students have to retain all the information they had learned up to the time of the midterm. For a regular test, only a certain amount of information is covered.

Students can’t help but find themselves cramming for midterms, especially when they take difficult classes, decreasing the amount of time they have to study for midterms.

Cramming is counter-productive because it leads to a lack of sleep, which in turn leads to decreased performance and cognitive impairment. Giving midterms only causes students to cram in information that will end up leaving their brains later anyways.

According to Mayo Clinic, stress from midterms can take its toll on students’ bodies as well. Its effects include headaches, muscle pain and sleep problems. Students’ moods are also affected as they experience irritability and lack of motivation.

“I usually have sleep problems [while] studying for the AP World midterm, which takes me at least three to four hours to study for each night,” sophomore Jihyun Bak said.

The cons outweigh the pros when it comes to giving midterms. Eliminating midterms would relieve both students and teachers alike from stress.

Teachers should reconsider giving midterms to students and take into account the many drawbacks.

Photo illustration of Jake Barnett by James Carver Page design by Christine Cheon

32

FEBRUARY

Two-hour homework rule is unrealistic FCPS superintendent attempts to limit high school homework to two-hours Carlyn Kranking Reporter Two hours, though it may seem like an eternity while sitting in class, is not a long period of time. Two hours is just enough for one sports practice, one movie or one band rehearsal. But two hours could hardly suffice for seven classes’ worth of homework.

Section III.A.5. of FCPS Regulation 3205.1 states that, “In general, homework across disciplines should not exceed… two hours at the high school level. Longterm projects may require additional time.

Teachers should adjust daily homework assignments accordingly.”

FCPS superintendent Karen Garza is trying to enforce this rule. For a high school student taking seven classes, this amounts to about 17 minutes of work for each class, or 34 minutes between classes with the block schedule. This is not realistic. With the advanced classes that many high school students take, the workload for each class far exceeds half an hour.

Getting the desired grade in a class requires students to spend time on day-today assignments as well as studying. Fastpaced classes are not exempted from this.

“If you’re taking a bunch of advanced classes, there’s no way to cover that material in two hours of your day,” AP U.S. History teacher Dylan Wedan said. “Currently, there’s not enough time between when we start school and the AP test to cover

everything in the amount of depth that we have to.”

In theory the rule is beneficial. Junior Camila Gonzalez sees the positive side.

“I think the two-hour rule would be very effective for mental health...to be an actual human being and not be a zombie when you wake up,” Gonzalez said. She added that the homework load as it is now “does cut into social time, exercise and sleeping.”

The two-hour regulation would help students to have more free time and succeed in school. Gonzalez believes that

“You can’t max out classroom engagement activities and minimize homework at the same time.”

- AP U.S. History teacher Dylan Wedan if the teachers assigned less homework, students could still do well on tests.

In reality, at a number of high schools in Fairfax County, students feel pressure to take many advanced courses for their GPA or colleges. Spending a mere two hours on homework wouldn’t give them their desired results on report cards.

“You can’t have a kid take several advanced courses and have a rule like that without something suffering,” Wedan said.

“Either the kid will suffer because they will be held responsible for things that they haven’t been given a legitimate chance to know, or the course will suffer because the standards will drop.”

The regulation would also be nearly impossible to enforce. All teachers couldn’t coordinate the amount of homework they assign, and there’s no way for the superintendent, a principal or even teachers to monitor how much time a student spends. Every student works at a different pace. What might take 20 minutes for one person could take two hours for another.

“When there’s homework in AP Stat, it’s usually at least an hour,” sophomore Lucy Zheng said. “And I can spend a lot of time studying for Chem before a test.”

It is clear that the two-hour homework regulation would not benefit everyone.

But one question remains: if students can’t reasonably finish their homework in two hours, then what is the solution?

Solutions to the homework problem should be mostly on an individual basis— attempts to generalize them have resulted in unrealistic rules, such as the two-hour homework policy. It seems the difficult truth is that students really have to know themselves and take only the classes they think they can handle without too much of a challenge.

“I think it becomes too much when you are doing homework for hours on end and you get no sleep,” Zheng said. “Your health is more important.”

How much time do McLean students spend on homework nightly?

1-2 hours Emma Paquette, 12th grade

7 hours Lama Al-Rajih, 9th grade

2 hours Niel Ketkar, 12th grade

Lucy Mulligan, 11th grade 3-5 hours

5 hours Caroline Song, 9th grade

0.5 hours Danny Proctor, 10th grade

8-9 hours Alex Fan, 11th grade

2-3 hours Bobby Laird, 10th grade

1.5 hours Madison Brown, 10th grade Page design by Carlyn Kranking

OPINIONS

33

An A in arts is the same as a B in advanced courses The weighted grading system trivializes non-honors electives Connor Koch Reporter

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he weighted grade point average (GPA) scale that FCPS uses encourages students to take harder classes just to get the 0.5 or 1.0 GPA boost. Students will sometimes take classes they do not enjoy and are not even interested in if they think it will be an easy way to give their GPA a quick boost before they send grades off to their dream colleges. The better way to impress a college that a student wants to go to is to take a rigorous schedule of classes that the student is genuinely interested in.

This is not a good way to encourage students to push themselves. It causes students to overextend themselves to take harder classes they couldn’t care less about.

For example, arts students who earn an A in their level 2 or level 3 classes will end up with the same GPA as someone earning a B in AP Environmental Science or AP Psychology. This motivates students to take these courses instead of ones that they might actually be interested in.

It not only gives people who are truly interested in arts and other electives a handicap with their GPA, but also seems to say that these classes just aren’t as important as honors and AP science, English and math classes.

AP and honors courses are available

throughout high school for most students.

Students can start taking honors history, honors English, honors math and honors science in freshman year. They can begin some AP courses such as AP World History or AP Computer Science their sophomore year. However, for the majority of art courses, students need to take three years of the art prior to taking the AP course in that subject, like ceramics and studio art.

The extra time students need to invest into these arts courses to start earning the 1.0 GPA boost is not worth it for many students.

“Advanced classes have larger individual workloads per student and they are designed to be much more challenging than regular classes. These classes were designed for students that sought to learn at a higher level, and they should be rewarded for it,” senior Desmond Curran said.

While it is obviously harder to do well in these classes and have a strong GPA without the weighting scale, the reward should be the more rigorous schedule and proof of academic initiative for college.

“The difference between the regular and honors courses I teach is mostly the amount of writing that honors students do,” history teacher Barbara Ruff said. “The textbook is the same, and much of the material taught overlaps, but honors does more analysis of documents and essays. The AP courses have their own college-level textbook and

have more writing and coursework due to the extra material that they need to know for the AP test.”

It also isn’t fair to students who are truly involved in some of the arts and elective classes that do not get a GPA boost. If the students are truly interested in the accelerated learning experience and material the advanced classes offer, they will take them regardless of any GPA boost.

This problem with the weighted GPA can be solved by weighting all classes equally. Many private schools in the area already take this approach.

“We don’t get anything like [a GPA boost],” said Alex Malikyar, a sophomore at Saint Stephens and Saint Agnes Preparatory High School. “The reason people take AP courses here is because they are either interested in the subject or they want to show a better schedule for college.”

This system has the benefit of equalizing all grades between students who are much more inclined to take elective and creative classes and those who want to take accelerated academic classes. There is no longer any motivation to take classes that the student is not interested in to boost their GPA. Students are able to focus on what they are truly interested in, without pressure to get that higher GPA, and arts and elective courses are considered on equal footing with other advanced academic courses.

Same grades, different GPA—These students got the same grades in different classes; Jane focused more on mathematics and science classes, while John focused on arts and electives. With the weighted grading system, their GPAs are very different.

Infographic by David Kenworthy Page design by Connor Koch

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FEBRUARY

Teachers neglect morning news show Students deprived of vital information The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

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any teachers feel that the morning news show intrudes on their class time. They do not allow students to watch it, or disgustedly watch when a student insists on turning on this required portion of the morning. This incredibly brief daily show is a vital part of the McLean High School culture. It is a source of information and entertainment, and it keeps the students united as a community every morning.

“There’s no easy way to get information out to 2100-plus people, and I don’t have a problem turning it on so that the people in my room can get that information,” English teacher Lori Wagoner said. “There’s so much more than just delivering announcements.”

In a school as large as McLean, it can be nearly impossible to get a message out to the entire student body. Clubs such as the National Honors Society and Active

Minds use the morning news show as their main source of communication. Students in these clubs who miss a meeting can miss out on opportunities to participate, should they miss the morning news show. This can prevent a well-rounded education beyond academics.

“I have used the morning news show to communicate to McLean by letting them know about club meetings that are happening,” said senior Ryan Waugh, the president of the Active Minds club. “I love seeing my peers on the show, and I love a good laugh in the morning, which the show provides. Sometimes I feel like the news show gets left out to dry due to academics.

The news show is a part of McLean, and has to be a part of the day.”

In addition to having announcements, the news show includes the moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance—both outlined as expected parts of the day in the SR&R booklet. Both portions allow students to take a break from a hectic morning filled

with getting ready for school, traveling to school and enduring the first class block, and also to refocus their minds for another six hours of learning.

The moment of silence is particularly important because students who feel the need are allowed to pray briefly, or to reflect on the work that the rest of the day will require.

“Teachers should turn on the morning announcements every morning not only because it has information that’s necessary for the student body but it’s also entertaining,” said senior Lizzy BrownKaiser, a producer and anchor on the show. “It sets the mood for the rest of the day [and] there’s so much more than just delivering announcements.”

The broadcast journalism classes create news segments that explore different parts or people of McLean. Every so often they are simply hilarious and can be remembered and referenced for months to come. Students who don’t watch the morning news show are robbed of these school-binding clips.

“The students work hard,” Wagoner said.

“They produce something for the school and I think they deserve our attention for what they’re doing. Those last minutes are time dedicated to the morning news show—it’s not my time for instruction.”

In the schedule for each day, the last eight minutes of first block are always designated as time for the morning news show. This is not a suggested activity; it is a required part of the school day for every classroom at McLean. Not allowing students to watch this brief but important show can lead to confusion and a lack of communication for groups throughout the entire school.

Outside of the morning news show, very little time is given to students for their own use. Students are expected to sit through more than four hours of constructive class time throughout a regular school day. Is it too much to ask for eight minutes?

Page design by Grace Murray

OPINIONS

35

SPORTS

McLean swimming finishes strong

Both boys and girls finish in top three at conference meet

John Corvari Reporter

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hen it comes to McLean’s swim team, there is far more to weekly meets than what meets the eye. For every race, most of which take mere minutes or even seconds to complete, countless hours are spent training in practice—hours which go largely unnoticed outside of the team’s circle.

Competing in conference and regional meets makes the time spent in the water well worth it. This year, both the boys and girls teams finished the season and prepared for the conference championship knowing they were strong competition.

The conference championship meet was three days long, from Jan. 29 to 31. The boys managed a second place finish, and the girls placed third but were just one point short of second place.

“Myself and the team really stepped up to our potential,” junior Chris Murphy said.

“Second place for the guys and a close third place for the girls is phenomenal.”

Many strong performances powered the team through districts, as 19 swimmers and divers advanced on to regionals.

Swimmers advance to regionals individually, either by placing in the top six in their respective events at districts or by swimming a certain time during the season as specified by the conference’s rules.

The first day consisted of the dive portion of the meet. Diving is scored as one event and can be of great significance to the team score.

Senior dive captain Caroline McCleary was the state champion as a sophomore and the state runner up as a junior. She entered the championship hoping to repeat what she did two years ago.

McCleary did not disappoint, locking up her third consecutive conference title in dive and setting a conference record with a score of 445.400. Junior Delaney Gallagher, sophomore Hanna Farson and sophomore Bobby Trono all advanced to regionals in

dive as well.

“It was probably my best meet this season,” McCleary said. “We’ve all worked really hard this season and it’s awesome to see it all paying off.”

The preliminary rounds for swimming events were on the second day and the final rounds on the third, making for an exciting finish to determine the conference champion.

The result was several impressive victories by McLean swimmers.

“We performed well as a team and individually,” coach Lori Wagoner said. “I was extremely pleased with our performance.”

Murphy won both the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.97 seconds and 100 backstroke in 51.48, and sophomore Carter Flint swam a conference record 58.95 in his first place

100 breaststroke finish.

The sizable number of regional athletes is an exciting accomplishment for a young team, full of underclassmen.

“Our underclassmen are incredibly fast and talented,” said senior Matthew Grocock, one of the team’s captains.

Even looking ahead beyond the current season, the Highlanders seem primed and ready for more victories.

“I look forward to where this team is going, and the potential they have,” Wagoner said.

But for now, the team still has work to do. They will continue to swim throughout the spring and summer months, spending hundreds more hours in the pool, always looking forward to the few minutes when all of their work will pay off.

Swimming to success—Senior Christine McCulla dives into the pool during a relay. McCulla and the girls 200 medley relay placed second at the conference championship with a time of 1:50.05. (Photo courtesy of Nora O’Sullivan) Page design by John Corvari

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FEBRUARY

Sister, Sister Siblings team up on gymnastics Family affair—Sisters Carolyn Brown-Kaiser and Lizzy Brown-Kaiser pose on the balance beam.

Julia Al-Akkad & Maddy Witchey Managing Editors

S

enior Lizzy Brown-Kaiser steps onto the mat. Beads of sweat run down the back of her neck. Chalk covers her hands.

She is overtaken by nerves as she feels a pit forming in the bottom of her stomach.

Although Lizzy has competed in hundreds of gymnastics meets, it is her senior night and this meet marks the nearend to her career as a gymnast at McLean High School.

Lizzy grasps the bar. She takes a deep breath and begins her routine. Her performance is flawless.

The only person as happy as Lizzy after her performance is her sister and teammate, freshman Carolyn Brown-Kaiser, who sprints across the mat to congratulate her sister. The two cry from feelings of nostalgia because they know that their time as teammates is soon ending.

The Brown-Kaiser sisters started doing gymnastics at age 5 and the two have been inseparable on and off of the mat ever since then.

“I was really energetic as a kid and my parents needed to find some way for us to get out the energy, so gymnastics was a good option,” Lizzy said.

What started as an after-school activity has now taken a dominant presence in the Brown-Kaiser household. The sisters are also on the same club team, the Arlington Aerials.

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“I thought it would be really weird having my sister on the team since I knew it meant we’d always be together at club gymnastics, high school gymnastics, at home and at school, but it’s surprisingly nice because I have someone in the family who understands the exact pressures I am going through,” Lizzy said.

Carolyn and Lizzy’s love for gymnastics has not only strengthened their relationship as sisters, but has also helped to connect the Brown-Kaiser family.

“It also has united our family because we have a common spirit for our team and we are all involved,” Carolyn said.

The Brown-Kaiser family attributes the sisters’ successes to their supportive relationship, even in the midst of competition.

“I think them being teammates has only affected their relationship for the positive,” said Kathy Brown, Carolyn and Lizzy’s mother. “They have great camaraderie and they support each other and I think that attitude has spread over into their everyday lives.”

Their bond as sisters has also impacted the gymnastics team dynamic.

“My teammates just think [my sister and I] are the same person and they are really entertained by it,” Lizzy said.

“Yeah, we’re best friends and gymnastics has made us even closer,” Carolyn said.

Lizzy has had a very successful record while competing for McLean, including

numerous district championships and state tournament appearances. Carolyn hopes to live up to her sister’s legacy by continuing the team’s winning streak throughout her time at McLean.

“Lizzy has had a great career at McLean in large part due to her dedication to gymnastics and her work ethic,” McLean gymnastics coach Courtney Lesson said.

“So far this year, it has become apparent that Lizzy has instilled these same qualities in her sister. The rest of the team feeds off of the energy that they bring to all gymnastics events.”

While the two are excited to be competing with one another, their main focus is on the success of the team.

“Since my freshman year, we’ve made it to states every year and last year was our strongest year yet because we won conferences, got second in the region and finished second in states,” Lizzy said.

After winning conferences on Feb. 2, the team is set to make another successful run for the state championship.

“All members of the team contribute their own unique set of skills and characteristics,” Lesson said. “We obviously hope to win the state championship every year, but we realize that there are many small steps between now and the state championship. With that in mind, we must focus on our upcoming meet, and getting better each and every time that we step foot in the gym.”

Photo by James Carver Page design by Maddy Witchey

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Winter sports update Gymnastics team aims high

After finishing second in states last year and winning conferences, the gymnastics team hopes to improve this year by bringing home a state championship title.

With standout senior gymnasts including Jackie Green, Lizzy Brown-Kaiser and Madi Schuman, the team believes they have strong leadership and a good chance to bring home a banner.

“We’ve always had a really strong team so hopefully we can keep that up if everyone stays healthy and works hard,” Brown-Kaiser said.

“Injuries can easily make or break a gymnastics team.” The team won their fourth consecutive conference championship on Feb. 2.

Girls basketball struggles

Flying high—Junior Delaney Gallagher competes in a beam event during a meet on Jan. 28. (Photo by James Carver)

Boys basketball fails to execute

The boys basketball team’s hopes for the season were high after they earned a thrilling 56-53 win against Jeb Stuart on their season opener on Dec. 2.

However, their hope quickly faded as the team failed to execute in high pressure situations. Their record was 3-16 as of Feb. 4.

The team’s frustration continued to grow as they found themselves consistently falling short in close games as exhibited by their overtime loss to Madison 59-46 on Jan. 20 and a close loss to TJ 46-44 on Jan. 9. The team found themselves in the midst of an eight game losing streak, which ended with a 43-37 win against Marshall on Jan. 12.

“Lately we have been struggling because we get pressured by other teams and we haven’t been able to handle the pressure too well,” junior starter Nick Wright said.

The team is aiming to end their season on a high note as they prepare for postseason play, which begins with the Liberty Conference tournament starting on Feb. 17.

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2

the place the boys swim team finished in the Liberty Conference tournament

The girls basketball team experienced early season struggles, with a 6-13 record as of Feb. 3. They are a young and inexperienced team with only one senior member, Katie Horenstein. The team is led by junior captains Karynne Baker and Jessica Monroe.

“We are not doing as well as we hoped because we are a young team and we have had difficulties playing well as a team because we are so new together. We are trying to find a balance between individual playing style and coming together as a team,” Baker said.

The team attributes their difficulties to losing many valuable starting seniors to graduation last year. The team’s notable wins include beating Woodson 47-23 on Dec. 6 and defeating Marshall 49-28 on Jan. 7.

Despite losses, Monroe is tied for 44th in the All-Met region, which encompasses elite basketball private schools, for three-point field goals with 25 for the season as of Feb. 3. Conference play begins Feb. 17.

Storm the court—Junior Jessica Monroe goes oneon-one against a Yorktown opponent on Feb. 3. The team lost 47-51. (Photo by James Carver)

3

number of games the boys basketball team won as of Feb. 4

6

rank of the girls basketball team out of eight in the Liberty Conference as of Feb. 4

FEBRUARY

Winner winner—Junior Conor Grammes pins down Langley opponent Niko Waltman during a match on Jan. 30. Grammes competes at the 152 weight level. (Photo by James Carver)

Indoor track moves on to regionals

Wrestling dominates the mat

After placing eighth out of 30 at the prestigious NOVA Classic Tournament, tying a school best, the wrestling team is poised to do well in upcoming postseason meets. Standout wrestlers include brothers sophomore Brendan Grammes and junior Conor Grammes.

“I think we have the most potential of any McLean wrestling team in the last 35 years,” Conor said. The Liberty Conference Championship took place on Feb. 6 and 7.

The indoor track and field team competed in the Liberty Conference Tournament on Jan. 22 and Jan. 29.

Of the competitors, those who finished in top three placement and qualified for regionals include: Rose Castle-1st place (high jump); Danielle Maynard-3rd place (high jump); Elise Koehl-3rd place (shot put); Jason Sprouls, Alex Pierce, Korey Blodgett and John Corvari-3rd place (4x800), Alex Fan-2nd place (pole vault); Matt Ohlson-1st place (shot put); James Carver1st place (high jump); Kelly Oler-3rd place (high jump); Morgan Gillis, Ryan Creeser, Stefan Min and Andrew Park-2nd place (4x200); and Kelly Oler, Caitlin Pyne, Paige Harper and Caroline Watkins-3rd place (4x400)

Finish strong—Senior Jason Sprouls runs in the 4x800 race at the Liberty Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Jan. 22. The relay team finished third. (Photo by James Carver)

Swim and Dive finishes strong

The swim and dive team had a strong presence at the Liberty Conference tournament on Jan. 30, as many of its members won and qualified for regionals. The girls swim team finished third in the conference, while the boys finished second.

Senior diver Caroline McCleary won her third consecutive conference championship, with a score high enough to earn AllAmerican Consideration. Other divers also qualified for regionals including junior Delaney Gallagher, who finished third, and sophomore Hanna Farson, who placed sixth. Sophomore diver Bobby Trono also qualified for regionals based on a high score from the regular season.

Junior swimmer Chris Murphy set two new conference records and won both the 100 free and the 100 backstroke events. Sophomore Carter Flint also set a new conference record with a win in the 100 breaststroke event.

Freshman Sam Gollob and sophomore Timothy Wu also qualified for the state meet in the 100 breaststroke event.

The Northern Region Dive Finals took place on Feb. 3 and 4, and the swim finals took place on Feb. 7.

Reporting & page design by Maddy Witchey

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4

consecutive times the gymnastics team has won the conference championship

1

the place senior Matt Ohlson finished in the Liberty conference for shot put

3

the place sophomore Brendan Grammes finished in the VHSL wrestling state championships last year

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Zug steps up for young wrestlers Freshman shows that age doesn’t matter Colin Edson Reporter hen people think of winter sports, wrestling isn’t always one that comes to mind. However, for Calvin Zug, the only freshman on the varsity team, it’s the only one that matters.

It all started when Zug was 8 years old, when he was convinced by his friend Duncan Green to give wrestling a shot.

Once Zug delivered his first pin, he knew that wrestling was the sport for him.

“I get a feeling of accomplishment from doing the hard work that is required to be a good wrestler,” Zug said.

For as long as Zug has been wrestling, he has demonstrated a passion for the sport.

Zug is always willing to go the extra mile or do the extra push-up to help reach his full potential.

“Calvin has a lot of experience in the sport, which has been helpful, and this is a great valuable experience for him in the future,” head coach Ken Jackson said.

In 2012, Zug experienced his first setback when he broke his arm during a match.

“I broke my arm wrestling in sixth grade, two weeks before the state elementary school tournament. I chipped a piece of my elbow off and had to have surgery,” Zug said.

He realized that his diagnosis meant missing the rest of the season. Yet Zug knew he had to keep a positive

W

mentality if he wanted to get back on the mat. The next year, Zug came back to wrestle and finished in the top 12 in the Virginia State Tournament, demonstrating his resilience.

“Zug made varsity due to his hard work and experience,” freshman junior varsity wrestler Ammar Abdelghany said.

His hard work does not go unnoticed by those around him.

“He wrestles 113 pounds so he usually wrestles more experienced wrestlers,” Jackson said.

Despite being smaller and sometimes younger than his opponent, Zug managed to keep an impressive record of 7-7.

Where Zug will end up in his future is unknown, but if he continues to push himself, it is easy to imagine that he will go far.

“Wrestling has definitely helped me be a better person, but especially my work ethic.

If you don’t work hard you don’t move forward,” Zug said.

Grappling for success Wrestling team strives to establish itself as a regional power Jake Barnett & Ethan Cherry Sports Editor & Reporter

T

he entrance to the wrestling room is easy to miss, two doors across from the Lower Gym. Much like the discreet room, McLean’s wrestling team has been tucked away in students’ minds.

This is finally starting to change, as with the team’s increasing success and roster size students are starting to notice and appreciate the team.

While their sport only consists of three three-minute rounds, wrestlers maintain an intense fitness level during the season.

Maintaining their weight during the season is vital; extreme sacrifices are made to do so.

“Cutting the weight is definitely the hardest aspect of the sport for me, but it is all worth it when you are able to win a match. Wrestling is by far the most individually gratifying sport,” sophomore Brendan Grammes said.

Traditionally, wrestling at McLean was uncommon among students and only practiced by a few highly disciplined athletes.

This is starting to change, with McLean enjoying a recent run of success, including placing eighth out of 30 at the prestigious NOVA Classic tournament, tying a school best.

“I think our recent success is a product of the change of culture that we have tried to instill here: the dedication factor— commitment not only in season, but out of season,” head coach Ken Jackson said.

In correlation with the team’s rise as an up-and-coming wrestling power school, students like junior Jonathan Sperling are taking up the sport and embracing its challenge.

“I decided to wrestle because I got cut from the basketball team and wanted to still play a sport

that was challenging, so wrestling was the perfect fit,” Sperling said.

While the wrestling team has new wrestlers like Sperling, the team is anchored by the Grammes brothers, junior Conor and sophomore Brendan.

The Grammes have each been wrestling for 10 years, and both have wrestled at the varsity level every year they have attended McLean.

“I think [our team] has the most potential of any McLean wrestling team in the last 35 years,” Conor said.

After winning district championships in the past few years, the team hopes to defend their reputation of success on the mat.

“We have a lot of talented athletes and a lot of hard workers who practice for hours in the wrestling room,” Sperling said.

All of the hard work has been apparent at recent meets. Seven McLean wrestlers medaled at the NOVA Classic, and seven wrestlers on the team have more than 25 career wins.

“The ultimate goal is get to the top,” Jackson said.

This year signifies an important step in the right direction as multiple wrestlers challenge for state titles.

On the mat—Freshman Calvin Zug sprawls during his match on Jan. 30 against Langley. Although Zug lost, dropping his record to 7-7, McLean went on to defeat Langley 41-32.

(Photo by James Carver)

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Photo by James Carver Page design by Maddy Witchey

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Jackie Green

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE Jessica Bulford Sports Editor What made you want to start gymnastics?

I started gymnastics at such a young age because most of my family was involved in the sport.

Has anyone in your family also participated in gymnastics?

Yes. My mom was a gymnast and my grandparents own a gym. Also, my aunt and uncle were both gymnasts and they now coach Stanford’s gymnastics team.

What is the hardest part of gymnastics?

The hardest part of gymnastics is overcoming fears and finding mental strength. Everything that we do in gymnastics is physically difficult; however, the hardest part about it is having enough mental strength to go for skills.

What’s the most important part of gymnastics?

The most important thing about gymnastics is the bonds that you form with your teammates and coaches. In this sport, lifelong friendships are made. You always want to do your best for both yourself and your teammates because they are always there to support you.

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What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

How did it change your “career”?

I broke my elbow and tore my UCL last year. It took me out of gymnastics for about a year. All of the doctors told me that I wouldn’t be able to do gymnastics again.

However, I was able to come back with hard work and a lot of rehab.

What have been your biggest accomplishments?

Being awarded an All-Met honorable mention my freshman and sophomore year.

Also, placing second in the state last season.

What is the biggest challenge you are facing this season?

This season is my last season. For the past three years the team and I have created a tradition of excellence. We have won districts and placed second in the region for three straight years. We also placed runner-up in the state. This year we hope to take the team to the next level and have an even more successful season. Our greatest challenge is to live up to the high expectations that we set for ourselves and to keep the tradition of excellence going for the next years to come.

STATS & FACTS NUMBER OF YEARS DOING GYMNASTICS: 14 HOURS OF PRACTICE PER WEEK: 20 CLUB TEAM: ARLINGTON AERIALS FAVORITE EVENT: VAULT Photos by James Carver Page design by Jessica Bulford

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THE FINISH LINE

Camille Duffy Basketball Freshman What’s your go-to aux cord song?

What is the most exciting part of a game/meet?

Who is your favorite celebrity couple?

What’s your social media pet peeve?

What word would you use to describe Valentine’s Day? 44

Colton Heuple Hockey Sophomore

Delaney Gallagher Swim and Dive Junior “Reflections”

“Uptown Funk”

“Bricks”

The last two minutes

The last seven minutes

Nailing a skill

Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher

I don’t pay attention to celebrities

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds

When people retweet their birthday tweets

Depressing

Instagram

Sweet

People unfollowing then following

Cheesy

Photos by James Carver

Jason Sprouls Winter Track Senior “Everytime We Touch”

Seeing all the fans

Kanye West & himself

McLean Post Secret

Crippling Loneliness

Page design by Jessica Bulford

FEBRUARY