The Highlander - Issue 4 - February 2018

Volume LXII • Issue 4 • February 2018 • McLean High School • thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

JUDGMENT

CONTENTS NEWS

IN-DEPTH ON THE COVER

3

FCPS substitute shortage creates teaching problems

22-25

4

New calendar features later winter break

Clouded Judgment: Vaping epidemic blows through McLean

5

Leadership attempts to host winter formal dance

7

McLean adds new elective courses

8-9

Trump: year in review

FEATURES 10

School Resource Officer Davis makes a mark

11

10Qs with Jenn Choumil

12-13

Highlander of the Issue: Chris Davis

14-15

Activist Herman Wainggai shares his story

16

FCPS Youth Survey reveals reality of McLean students

17

Early decision admits share college success

18-19

Ex-Highlander finds YouTube success

A&E 20

TheatreMcLean’s one-act play garners acclaim

21

McLean’s celebrity doppelgangers

26

Review: The Bachelor

27

Students show off tattoos

29

Review: The Post

Cover & inside photos by Maren Kranking

8-9

OPINIONS 30

Editorial: Higher-level arts classes should get GPA boosts

31

Excessive fire drills burn valuable time

32-33

Crossfire: Is “teaching to the AP exam” harmful?

34-35

Climate change deniers are denying us a safe future

12-13

SPORTS 36-37 39

Boys varsity basketball turns heads

Gymnastics looks to build on past success

40-41

Chain Bridge Cup adds spirit to rivalry

43

Athlete of the Issue: Kaela Moskowitz

44

The Finish Line

36-37

22-25

Letter from the Editors Dear McLean, We hope you survived first semester and hope The Highlander will get you excited for the next one!

Read our News section to find out about next year’s school calendar and the new classes that will be offered, such as yoga and Combating Intolerance.

In our Features section, read about an ex-McLean student who’s made his name on YouTube and our Highlander of the Issue, a junior who competes in national dance competitions.

Flip to our Arts & Entertainment section for a review of The Post and to read about TheatreMcLean’s award-winning one-act play.

Volume LXII • Issue 4 • February 2018 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101 Editors-in-Chief

Bryan Chung, Colin Edson & Siddarth Shankar

Managing Editors

Rustin Abedi, Imani McCormick & Jackson Payne

Photography Editor

Sabrina Vazquez

Website Editor-in-Chief

Jessie Friedman

Advertising Manager

Rebeka Rafi

Design Editors

Maren Kranking & Dasha Makarishcheva

Copy Editor

Maren Kranking Section Editors

News Editors

Maria McHugo & Jeremy Siegel

Features Editors

Maren Kranking & Nick Monroy

A&E Editors

Justin Kim & Conor Zeya

Opinions Editors

Jessie Friedman & Alex Mandanas

The Sports section covers a new tradition of the McLeanLangley rivalry: the Chain Bridge Cup.

Sports Editors

Jack Stenzel & Ed Walters

Our In-Depth examines the clouded judgment that many students display when choosing to vape, including inside school grounds. The recent popularity of vaping devices has affected McLean students profoundly.

Julianne Akard Carla Ballard Ben Brooks Anna Brykczynski Anya Chen Dana Collings Ryan Dahlseid Ben Davis Pragya Dhungana Sam Gollob

Our Opinions section highlights how the dreaded shrieks of the fire alarm can damage student productivity, and our editorial calls for a GPA boost for higher-level arts classes.

Make sure to follow @MHSHighlander on Twitter and check out thehighlandernews.com for updates until our next issue. Come by room R133 or email us at thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com with any questions, concerns or letters to the editors, which we will do our best to print.

Yours truly, Siddarth Shankar, Colin Edson & Bryan Chung

Reporters Rose Harris Emma Higbee Anna Grace Hopkins Emma Johnson Miranda Johnson Haru Kato Jake Keating Jane Lee Josh Leong Rohan Mani

Adviser

Julia McElligott Alexandria Meuret Sasha Meyman Ross Oliver Jessica Opsahl-Ong Michael Redding Haley Rose Jude Sadeq Tommy Schilder Sean Senft

Lindsay B. Benedict

Editorial Policy: The Highlander is a designated public forum in which students can express themselves, discuss issues and exchange ideas. School officials do not exercise prior review on this publication or its online counterpart, and student editors are in charge of all final content decisions.

Advertising Policy: The Highlander sells ad space on each page of the paper except on the front cover, Opinions section and InDepth article. 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 email 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.

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.

‘17 Pacemaker; ‘15 Pacemaker Finalist; ‘15, ‘17 AllAmerican; ‘12, ‘13, ‘14, ‘16 First Class; Hall of Fame

‘14, ‘16, ‘17 George H. Gallup Award; ‘15 International First Place ‘17 Crown Finalist ‘15, ‘16 Gold Crown Winner ‘05, ‘07, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17 CSPA Gold Medalist

‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17 VHSL Trophy Class; ‘11, ‘12 First Place Winner; VHSL Savedge Award

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No substitute for good substitutes

FCPS pay cut for retired substitutes leads to shortages

NEWS

however, I lose out on my planning time and I am not getting paid to look over somebody have to sub as much as five days a week if I else’s class,” technology teacher and can get it,” Shetterly said. “It has affected me Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council a lot. For me, it’s worth it, because it’s part of (STAC) representative Libby Settlemyer said. what I need to do.”

At STAC meetings—attended by school Consequently, teachers are often left with representatives with the superintendent— substitutes that may not always be able to proposals are being made to resolve the instruct a class or follow a plan as well as a issue of teachers having to fill in for their retired teacher would. Teachers have become colleagues. less confident about using personal and sick “A lot of administrators and counselors days. started out in the classroom with their teacher’s license. If those kind of people are required to do some classroom time, that “I have to sub as much as would alleviate some of the subs situation,” five days a week if I can get Settlemyer said. “Another thing that came up was that there should be an hourly stipend it. It has affected me a lot.” for teachers that fill in to give an incentive.”

The gravity of the situation is multiplied by the scant pay teachers in the county -substitute teacher Joan Shetterly receive.

“The superintendent is looking for some “[Sub requests] haven’t increased this year creative solutions. There is also a budget because a lot of teachers won’t take off now,” crunch, so any increase in pay for subs is administrative assistant Lidia Martin said. “A going to mean that there is less money to lot of teachers before could take off knowing give to teachers for pay increases,” Settlemyer they had a responsible teacher that could said. actually teach the class; they could leave a After having such noticeable impacts plan that they could follow. Now, there’s very throughout the county, the budget for the few good subs.” upcoming year is likely to increase pay for At times, when there is no substitute retired teachers. available or the notice of absence is too late, “We hope to be able to continue to fellow teachers who are in their planning raise the pay for teachers, so you will see periods are asked to fill in for a block. us push hard for that, and everybody’s very “Sometimes, we are scrambling to get concerned,” Strauss said. “We’re hoping for a coverage. [Covering] is all well and good; better financial outlook.”

| COLIN EDSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & TOMMY SCHILDER REPORTER |

T

he shortage of substitute teachers in FCPS has had a noticeable impact on McLean and on the county as a whole.

The decrease began at the start of the 2016-17 school year, when the pay for retired substitutes was cut significantly. The budget for that year included a 35 percent decrease in pay for retired substitutes, meaning an hourly pay of $14.23.

“Retired teachers’ pay has been lowered...

That in essence has caused the sub shortage.

In this school alone, we probably had at least 10 retired subs, really good subs, many like myself. Now I think we have two, mainly because it’s not worth it,” said retired teacher Joan Shetterly, who has been serving as a substitute at McLean for over four years.

Retired teachers who do not rely on the pay from substitute teaching have decided to spend their time in other ways.

“As employment opportunities increase beyond education, which the unemployment rate is very low in Northern Virginia, that means that people who might have been a substitute teacher are probably finding jobs with better pay out in the economy,” school board chair Jane Strauss said.

The few retired teachers remaining have been seriously impacted by the pay cut.

Shetterly goes on mission trips often, and she needs the money to continue to do so.

“I’m one of the few subs that is very dependent on budget. Instead of having to sub three days a week to meet my budget, I

McLean

FCPS

1,694

213,705

1,352

197,845 Teacher Sub Requests Teacher Sub Jobs Filled

190,066

Teacher Sub Requests Teacher Sub Jobs Filled 1,659

199,223 1,337

463

86,139 457

80,201 2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

*information obtained via R Chace Ramey, FCPS Assistant Superintendent, Department of Human Resources

Infographic & page design by Bryan Chung

FEBRUARY | NEWS | 3

Winter break gets moved forward 2018-19 school year calendar features later winter break, Aug. start |SIDDARTH SHANKAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF|

T

he Fairfax County School Board approved FCPS’s academic calendar for 2018-19 on Dec. 14, continuing the earlier start to the school year. Other major changes to the calendar include moving winter break forward by one week, meaning it will run from Dec. 22 to Jan. 6 instead of the last two weeks of December.

The postponed winter break leaves many students concerned that they will not have enough time to finish college applications before the Jan. 1 deadline.

“Coming from a junior, all my senior friends were already stressed out about college enough,” junior Zoe Skoric said.

“I think it’s a little bit ridiculous that they would take away more time from them for that. The seniors should definitely have more time for apps next year.”

Teachers who rely on winter break to finish college recommendations are expecting to experience a time crunch under the new calendar.

“I probably write 10 or 15 [recommendations] during break,” history teacher Dylan Wedan said. “It makes it a little bit tighter to do [while also having time] to relax.”

Under the new calendar, school will begin

on Aug. 28 for students due to a waiver from the Virginia Department of Education that allows FCPS to begin before Labor Day. School board chair Jane Strauss believes the pre-Labor Day start is beneficial for students.

“We’re well aware that our students have to take high-stakes tests with fewer instructional days,” Strauss said. “You guys really do have two or three weeks less of instruction, and that’s not right.”

“You guys really do have two or three weeks less of instruction, and that’s not right.”

-school board chair Jane Strauss Constructed with the input of numerous community figures, Strauss believes the calendar provides the best schedule for students, parents and teachers.

“Part of the challenge is balancing the number of instructional days each quarter to try to be instructionally appropriate K-12.

We’ve been hearing for the seniors, it’s not

ideal, but when you have to balance [the calendar] out for the entire school division, you can’t satisfy everybody’s needs,” Strauss said.

Though winter break is moved ahead, the calendar incorporates a longer threeday Thanksgiving break, allowing students and teachers to travel for the holiday early.

According to school attendance specialist Renee Yates, 375 McLean students—about one-fifth of the school—were absent on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving this year.

The calendar also includes three-hour early release days rather than the current twohour early release schedule. The new early releases were built in to the calendar in order to allow for staff planning time.

“For a two-hour release, by the time you’ve cleared the building, you often only have an hour for those instructional planning days,” Strauss said. “The three-hour early release best met the needs of the teachers. We have to professionally support them.”

Wedan, however, disagrees with the premise of the three-hour early release days.

“Adding a three-hour release from a twohour release—those days are already kind of a waste of instructional time, more or less,” Wedan said. “It seems silly to me.”

2018-19 FCPS Academic Calendar Winter break MOVED FORWARD one week, from Dec. 22–Jan. 6

Thanksgiving break is lengthened to THREE days

School starts BEFORE Labor Day, on Aug. 28

Early releases are THREE HOURS instead of two

ONE in FIVE students were absent on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving this year 4 | NEWS | FEBRUARY

Page design by Siddarth Shankar

Leadership throws Snow Ball Third time’s the charm for winter dance | EMMA HIGBEE REPORTER|

A

fter McLean’s first winter dance three years ago, the leadership class has attempted to replicate its success. Yet due to its unpopular reputation among the student body, efforts to hold another dance have been unsuccessful.

This year, Leadership students are set on making the winter formal a reality. The will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 8 to 11 p.m.

“We have planned on doing a winter dance the previous couple of years, but we have wanted to do a Sadie Hawkins,” Leadership teacher Woody Kidd said. “Many students aren’t a fan of the Sadies, so we’re just going to have a normal winter dance, at a lower cost, to hopefully give students something fun to do in the month of February.”

Last year, there were rumors among the student body that the dance was not actually going to happen. This dissuaded students from buying tickets and proved the rumors to be true. Leadership plans on avoiding this problem to ensure the dance goes on as planned.

“This time we’re going to make sure people realize that the dance

is planned and on the calendar, so everyone knows that they will be able to buy tickets,” said senior Spencer Lukehart, the dance committee head.

Another key obstacle Leadership students identified was the widespread dislike for a Sadies Hawkins-style dance.

“We are reducing the price for tickets to $10... it’s going to be a more budget-friendly dance for the students.”

-Leadership teacher Woody Kidd “We are eliminating the idea of Sadies, although ladies are obviously still allowed to ask males and vice versa,” Kidd said. “It was what deterred students from wanting a winter formal or even seeing it as a possibility.”

Some people pinpoint the problem as being a general bad attitude among the student body surrounding schoolsponsored activities.

“I think with a lot of school dances the issue is a lack of school spirit.

People just don’t feel like the dances are worthwhile. This is especially a

problem with the winter dance because it’s not a tradition like homecoming or prom,” said senior Anna Sargent, the Leadership events director.

Those planning the dance foresee a different atmosphere than that of homecoming or prom. It is being advertised as an opportunity to spend time with people in a less formal or stressful way.

In an attempt to heighten anticipation for the dance, Leadership plans to emulate the ambience of Snow Ball ‘84, a dance from the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.

Decorations will be planned in accordance with this theme.

“It’s not going to be as big as homecoming or prom; we are reducing the price for tickets to $10, as opposed to $20 for homecoming, so it’s going to be a more budget-friendly dance for the students,” Kidd said.

Despite its title, the winter formal will actually be less formal than homecoming, so the budget for the dance is much more restrictive.

“We are shooting for spending under $3,500 total. The majority of that money will be going towards paying the DJ, and the remainder will be split among various committees,” Kidd said.

Big Things Coming —

Leadership students Ted Miller, Maddy Anderson and Jessie Seppi gather inspiration from Stranger Things. Winter dances have failed in years past, but this year, the class is determined to succeed.

WHEN: Feb. 10 8-11 p.m.

WHERE: Lower Gym COST: $10 per ticket

Photo & page design by Emma Higbee

FEBRUARY | NEWS | 5

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(703) 288-4400 mclean@c2educate.com

New courses come to McLean Yoga and Combating Intolerance attract student attention |JESSIE FRIEDMAN OPINIONS EDITOR|

W

ith the new year comes another period for course registration at McLean, as freshmen, sophomores and juniors frantically research which courses are worthy of their commitment.

New courses available for the following school year include a yoga elective, written by biology teacher Catherine Hott, and Combating Intolerance, sponsored by Principal Ellen Reilly.

Hott has been advocating for a yoga elective for a long time.

“I’ve has this idea for many years. I’ve been taking yoga and I have done a lot of teacher training and as a coach, too, I can really see the benefits of people starting it at a younger age,” Hott said. “We offer personal fitness so this would complement that type of curriculum elective. It’s something that’s really accessible to all people.”

When students are considering whether or not they should take yoga, Hott urges them to keep an open mind.

“I think a lot of people may still think it’s only for super flexible people and those are the people that should be practicing, but yoga is meant to be individualized so that each person can practice it in a way that is supportive of where they are with their own strength, balance and flexibility,” Hott said.

“I feel like it’s a great skill for people to have or at least know of so they have that option.”

Hott also believes yoga has the potential to reduce stress among McLean students.

“When you’re doing a movement and you’re really focusing on it for the purpose of improving one’s health and for being connected with what you’re doing, it can be a useful tool for stress reduction,” Hott said.

After communicating with students from different backgrounds, Reilly was inspired to bring another intriguing elective to McLean, Combating Intolerance.

“The more we are educated about people’s backgrounds and their beliefs...then the more acceptance and kindness we have in this world.”

-Principal Ellen Reilly “There are a few students who come to talk to me about their different backgrounds, and I learn from them. They have shared their experiences and hardships with me, so when I started hearing about this class, I thought about these kids,” Reilly said.

Reilly hopes the class will make McLean, and the world as a whole, a more accepting place.

“I think the more we are educated about

McLEAN HIGH SCHOOL is the

st 1

FCPS SCHOOL TO INTRODUCE THE

YOGA ELECTIVE

Infographic by Maren Kranking Page design by Jessie Friedman

119 3

people’s backgrounds and their beliefs, the better understanding we have and then the more acceptance and kindness we have in this world. That is why I wanted to bring the class here,” Reilly said.

Combating Intolerance has already drawn considerable interest from McLean students, including junior Aarushi Desai.

“Just the title drove me to hear about the class, because ‘Combating Intolerance’ sounds like a class that you can make a difference in and learn more about the world.

It was also a new class and something new intrigued me,” Desai said.

Reilly advises students to take the class in order to change their global perspective and empathy.

“It’s going to take you on a different journey than I hope that you thought you were going to start with,” Reilly said. “At the end of the year, you will leave with an appreciation and a better understanding so that when you go off into this world and when you meet somebody, you might have a better understanding of what their background is and where they come from.”

Desai agrees that the class has the ability to change students’ world views for the better.

“In this day and age, with everything going on, I believe it’s really important to realize and learn about what is going on around you and in the world,” Desai said.

“This class seems like it can inspire you to make a difference.”

TOTAL ELECTIVES AT McLEAN McLEAN IS ONE OF

NEW ELECTIVES AT McLEAN:

3

FCPS SCHOOLS TO OFFER THIS

COMBATING INTOLERANCE YOGA SPANISH 3 FOR FLUENT SPEAKERS

FEBRUARY | NEWS | 7

Trump’s year in review

Unconventional presidency has had its ups and downs in 2017 Obamacare Repeal Fails July 28

Travel Ban

President Trump attempted to follow through on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare.” Although legislation passed the House of Representatives, the reform was stopped in the Senate, after Senator John McCain cast a no vote to defeat the bill 51 to 49. However, the individual mandate was repealed in the tax plan passed in December. The president also terminated the subsidies that helped people cover the costs of their insurance premiums on the individual market.

Jan. 27

The president issued an executive order that instituted a travel ban on individuals coming from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, affecting over 134 million people. Decisions in the court system have stalled or mitigated some of the effects of the action while revisions have been instituted.

Notably, the ban on Iraqis was lifted, while people with relatives in the U.S. have been granted the ability to visit.

JAN APRIL JULY Supreme Court and other Judicial Nominations April 8

With a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president convinced the Senate to abolish the filibuster on nominations to the judiciary in order to get judge Neil Gorsuch into the position. Former president Barack Obama had previously nominated Merrick Garland for this Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, but he was blocked by Republicans in the Senate.

Trump has been quick to nominate more judges in the first year of his presidency than nearly all of his predecessors. He has appointed 12 appellate court justices, more in his first year than any president in the past 100 years.

8 | NEWS | FEBRUARY

AUG North Korea Aug. 10

President Trump has been very combative against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with tweets criticizing his ballistic missile tests.

Trump also went to the United Nations Security Council to implement international sanctions.

The dictator’s threats to the U.S. have been matched by Trump, who has promised “fire and fury” in the event of further nuclear posturing from North Korea and tweeted that his “nuclear button” was larger than Kim’s button. Recently, talks between South Korea and its hostile neighbor have cooled the situation on the Korean peninsula, but hostilities still exist in this region of the world.

Image obtained via Gage Skidmore on Flickr under a Creative Commons license Page design & image modification by Bryan Chung

Historic Tax Reform Dec. 22

Middle East Oct. 13

President Trump has been vocal about his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, which was negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama. Trump decertified the agreement back in the fall, due to allegedly destabilizing activities by Iran in the Middle East.

Trump also became the first U.S. president to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a longtime ally of the U.S. This move unleashed a fury of international outrage at the United Nations, in addition to angering many other Middle Eastern allies.

OCT

Trump was successful in implementing his tax plan, which prioritized the cutting of corporate and upper incomelevel tax rates. It has been his only major legislative victory as president in his first year. The bill cut corporate tax rates from 35 to 21 percent, while lowering the top marginal income tax bracket by 37 percent. The legislation is expected to add $1.445 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, which already stands over $20 trillion and is projected to be $30 trillion in 10 years.

DEC

Russia Investigation Oct. 30

While Trump has dismissed the investigation of collusion with Russia as a “complete witch hunt,� special counsel Robert Mueller is still hard at work interviewing various Trump staffers and family members and issuing subpoenas for bank records from Deutsche Bank in New York.

As part of the investigation, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has been indicted for financial improprieties. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn also entered a plea deal with the special counsel in exchange for offering valuable testimony to investigators. Mueller has interviewed former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and is now considering interviewing the president himself.

Reporting by Rustin Abedi & Jake Keating

FEBRUARY | NEWS | 9 FEBRUARY | NEWS | 9

FEATURES

Fun Times — SRO Scott Davis stops by the STEM room to talk to students on Jan. 25. Davis frequently visits classes during the school day.

(Photo by Alexandria Meuret)

“

“I’ve always wanted to have an impact with the youth of today.”

-school resource officer Scott Davis

Officer Davis makes his mark

Students and staff reflect on Davis’ impact at the school |MIRANDA JOHNSON & ALEXANDRIA MEURET REPORTERS| cott Davis, McLean’s student “[Students] know he’s visible resource officer (SRO), has been and around the building, so they’re an integral part of the community less likely to bring bad things in the for the past five years. In that time, school because he’s not just sitting in students and staff have fostered a his office [and] he’ll probably catch deep appreciation for his efforts. you,” Director of Student Activities Davis’ job as an SRO encompasses Greg Miller said. a range of responsibilities throughout Davis’ enthusiastic personality McLean. helps him shape relationships with “My job is to handle anything students, encouraging them to make law enforcement related here at the good decisions. school, and then obviously I go in “He’s really helped decrease things and talk to different classes [when] because he has conversations with teachers let me come in,” Davis said. kids,” Reilly said. “By having those “Sometimes I talk about search and conversations, he tells them, ‘I care seizure [or] the Constitution. [In] about you, I want to help you, but P.E., I talk about drugs, alcohol, if you bring drugs into this school, I different types of cases that involve will arrest you.’” juveniles.”

Students say Davis promotes a One of the most noticeable effects safe atmosphere in the school. he has had on McLean is the decrease “He’s definitely a positive in student referrals. influence on all the students at “In the five years that he’s been McLean,” senior Grace Davis said. here, our rate of discipline has “He keeps everyone in line, but with dropped a lot,” Principal Ellen a positive attitude.”

Reilly said. “My first year, we had Before becoming an SRO, Davis 17 referrals to the superintendent was a street officer working the for drugs and knives... When Officer midnight shift. He decided that what Davis got here, it went down to he really wanted to do was make a 13, and then the following year it difference in the lives of children. went down to seven and then the “When I [was] out in the street, following year to one.”

I actually just liked talking to young Part of the reason Davis has such adults and to little kids... [and] I’ve an impact on the school community always wanted to have an impact is because of his presence within the with the youth of today,” Davis said. building.

Despite all of the hard work Davis

S

10 | FEATURES | FEBRUARY

does, he always manages to have fun.

“Sometimes, he will make an appearance in my class,” senior Brett Richardson said. “Once he came in, hopped on a computer and started playing games for a while, then just picked up and left. Legendary.”

Not only does Officer Davis make a lasting impression on students, but he also stands out to his colleagues.

“We’ve had six SROs in the 20 years I’ve been here,” security specialist Buddy Sekely said. “He’s up there with some of the best. He makes the students feel comfortable talking to him and comfortable being in school.”

Sekely and Davis typically work together for most problems that arise, but there are occasions when they work on separate issues.

“We do work very closely on most issues in the school. Some things have to be separate because it’s a school issue and not a police issue, and vice versa, but other than that, we pretty much work hand-in-hand all day long,” Sekely said.

Though Davis is a point of authority for students, he is also a friend, and strives to make a difference in students’ lives.

“If you just want to come by and talk, you can come by and talk to me,” Davis said. “If I can help you out in any way, I’ll do my best to help you out.”

Page design by Imani McCormick

10 Qs with

Jenn Choumil (Science Teacher)

Photos & reporting by Sabrina Vazquez & Anna Grace Hopkins Page design by Bryan Chung

What is the most rewarding part about being a teacher?

Watching the kids when they make that ‘aha’ connection. Taking something that is really complex... and understanding it better, saying, ‘Oh, I get it.’

Who is your go-to musician or band?

It really depends on how I’m feeling, so if I want to listen to something pop music, I really like Katy Perry. Going back to the 80s, I like Madonna. If I want to listen to rock, I used to listen to Def Leppard.

If you had to teach only one area of science for the rest of your career, what would it be?

Any life science. I’ll keep it broad, because I like biology for different reasons and I like anatomy for different reasons.

What is your favorite aspect of working at McLean?

It’s a very rewarding atmosphere, but it’s also a giving community.

The partnership that teachers, students, parents and the administration has together really helps foster a good learning environment for everybody.

What qualities make a good teacher?

You have to have organizational [skills], you have to be able to break down information in a way that students can understand it and I would also say a lot of patience.

You have to audition for American Idol. What song do you choose?

Anything from the 1980s. [It] honestly depends on how I feel that day. I like all sorts of music, but I think anything from the 80s.

Describe yourself in five words or less.

What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

I really like Fuller House and I do binge watch that when Detail-oriented, dependable, it’s released on Netflix. conscientious and a little bit ofWhat fun. other occupations have you had in the past?

If you could describe yourself as a would was it beeducation and why?

Mycolor majorwhat in college and Phys Ed majors, they typically Purple. I don’t really have a run pools, they work at camps, and I reason—I just really like purple. It’s a gravitated towards swimming pools nice, fun color. I mark my papers in for a long time. purple. It’s a good color.

If you could invite one person (living or dead) to have dinner with you, who would it be?

Rosalind Franklin. It was her picture that led to the discovery of the DNA molecule. She doesn’t get enough credit where credit is | due.

FEBRUARY FEATURES | 11

Highlander of the Issue

Junior breaks it down on the dance floor

Chris Davis heads to 2018 Dance Worlds Championship Nice Move —

Chris Davis does the “baby freeze” in front of the school. This dance move is one of Davis’ many breakdancing moves.

|COLIN EDSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & JUDE SADEQ REPORTER |

W

hen junior Chris Davis went to China for his sophomore year, there wasn’t a single Chinese word in his vocabulary.

However, after attending a dance studio on a daily basis, he realized that dancing was more than just a series of motions—it was a way to blend into a new culture.

(Photo by Julia “When I was in McElligott) China I learned that... dancing is like body communication. I just danced with [the people at the studio] and I would learn some words dancing with them and connect with them,” Davis said.

Along with learning dance at the dance studio just minutes from his apartment, he learned to speak Chinese at a proficient level.

“I had online classes so I could dance more often,” Davis said. “My dad had a friend 12 | FEATURES | FEBRUARY

there that was able to house us... I went there to learn Chinese—we had Chinese lessons every day.”

While Davis became more serious about dancing during his year-long stay in China, his desire to start had come years earlier after playing a dancing game on the Xbox and watching Step Up. “There were dance games that my sister would find on the Xbox and I would play them—I really liked them,” Davis said. “I beat the whole game. It was too easy and I wanted to try something new.”

Following his Xbox mastery, Davis found his new challenge by taking dance classes over the summer with his sister, junior Jennifer Davis.

“I had the basics of dance when I was 12 but I didn’t take it seriously,” Davis said. “I only danced during the summers. I learned that it is all about repeating the choreography, mapping it out in your mind, knowing where your body needs to go and the muscles you need to do each move.”

During middle school, he found dance to be the answer in his pursuit of a hobby.

What began as a pastime during the summer months turned into a legitimate outlet of expression for Davis.

“Last year I started competing,” Davis said. “In middle school I didn’t really do anything, I didn’t play a sport or an instrument, so dancing was the in-between.”

Before he left for China, Davis tried out for the dance team at McLean, not knowing he would be on the other side of the world the following year. He made the team, but had already moved by the time practices began. Davis currently dances with the Adrenaline Studio All Stars at Adrenaline Studio in Vienna.

“It’s a new experience, I really want to improve. I just wanted to push myself,” Davis said. “I know that being on a competition team will help me get better.

His team, called “Fusion,” is made up of many dancers who live in both Virginia and New Jersey. Despite being away from each

other most of the time, Davis has found unique ways to build a bond with his team.

“The long car rides to competitions in Maryland and New Jersey are how the teammates form their bond and get to know each other off the stage,” Davis said.

Despite being the youngest on a team of many college students, Davis has played to his strengths in order to make himself an asset to the team. “[Chris’] positive Dancing with attitude makes everyone excited to work and the Stars — dance,” said Nicole Davis (third Chiaki, who is an assistant from left, coach for the McLean standing) dance team. poses with His team will be his team, the performing at one of the Adrenaline biggest stages in dance Studio competition in April: All Stars, the 2018 Dance Worlds after the Championship. To secure team’s first competition a spot in the competition, Davis’ team had to qualify in Ocean by winning a competition City. The on the Cheer and Dance team Extreme Tour last year. performed “Teams from other in the Open countries perform in Co-ed Disney World and Hip-Hop come together for a big category.

(Photo courtesy competition,” Davis said. of Chris Davis) “We get to go to worlds because in November we

went to a competition and we won first place.”

Davis’ rapid success can be attributed to his dedication to the sport, which does not go unnoticed. Davis spends many nights at the dance studio, for about three hours at a time.

“His dedication is his strength. He goes to the dance studio five times a week after school,” Jennifer Davis said. “Even if he is not dancing, he just goes there and hangs out there and listens to music and he practices.”

Open hip-hop and jazz are Davis’ main

styles of dance, but he is looking to develop a Dance Dance unique style of dance as Revolution— well as learn others.

Davis and “I want to learn more his squad styles. I’m hoping to be perform at proficient in breaking and the Relax make my own style. I just Dance want to make my dance Studio my own,” Davis said. monthly Throughout his showcase journey, dance has proven in Xinxiang, to be a way for Davis to Henan grow as a person.

Province, “He is naturally a shy China. Davis person and very timid, lived in but with dancing he has China for his gotten more assertive and sophomore more confident,” Jennifer year. (Photo Davis said. “It shows courtesy of Chris when he is talking to his Davis) friends or just in general, he has gotten more of that confidence.”

Davis’ plan is to continue dancing and to see where it takes him. Dance has given him a lot, but it has especially been a way to express himself freely.

“I just enjoy it. When I am listening to the music and just dancing and following the beat, it just makes me happy,” Davis said. “Thinking back on it now, if I hadn’t learned how to dance I wouldn’t have learned Chinese as well. It’s a way of expression.”

FEBRUARY | FEATURES | 13

| JOSH LEONG & SAM GOLLOB REPORTERS |

T

hunder echoes across the water, piercing the sky. As the violent ocean roars, towering waves rise in its temper, threatening to swallow the canoe whole. Floundering alone in the open ocean, 40 refugees pray, taunted by the storm. But like the devil knocking on the door of their frightened hearts, waves of doubt grow.

“When do we get to Australia? When do we arrive?” As an exile, political prisoner and refugee, Herman Wainggai has never known a moment of silence in his life.

Seated in a cushioned booth and wringing his fingers, Herman fidgets awkwardly.

14 | FEATURES | FEBRUARY

Soft jazz music plays in the ambiance of Pulcinella, just a turn off of Old Dominion in McLean. Somehow, it’s hard to reconcile Herman’s movie-script refugee story with the unassuming man working in the Italian restaurant.

Born into a fisherman’s family on the West Papuan coast, Herman’s eyes surrender the portrait of a man tortured by his past yet captured by a conviction to speak out.

“We knew exactly what happened in West Papua. If we don’t speak up, then the killings would continue. My family members could die tomorrow, because we are a target of the

government,” Herman said.

Since 1963, the Indonesian military has systematically killed and imprisoned West Papuans in what human rights groups have called a genocide. West Papua borders Papua New Guinea, an island in the South Pacific, 1,654 miles from Australia.

Arbitrarily handed over to the Indonesians in the 1960s, West Papua has been denied self-determination in controversially fixed referendums.

Scarred by his memories, Herman has witnessed the violence and human rights injustices committed by Indonesian officials.

“They said to them, ‘If you have a chance to vote Merdeka [West Papuan

independence], your tongue...[will be] cut by the authorities.’ So [we] had no choice,” Herman said. “It was under gunpoint. You couldn’t express yourself.”

Thrown into prison, Herman faced the harsh reality of his world—one masked by deception and silenced by oppression.

“When I was arrested for the second time in December 2002, I was charged with subversion... I got to the room, [and on] the first night, I could still smell blood on the floor [from] where one of the West Papuan activists [had been] killed,” Herman said.

Under the threat of arrest and further consequences in 2004, Herman embarked on a daring escape from West Papua.

“We left midnight, on Jan. 13. I thought it [would] take only 16 hours to Australia, but no, it wasn’t 16 hours...,” Herman said.

“First day, second day, third day… The canoe would turn around. Everyone was scared. We all cried to God, ‘God, please help us!’ We thought we might sink in the open ocean and die.”

Along with 40 other refugees, their makeshift canoe finally made landfall on Mapoon Island in Northern Australia. They had spent three days at sea.

Indonesia has taken firm steps to track, prosecute and prevent outspoken supporters of Papua Merdeka, or West Papuan independence. Herman himself has been labeled an exile, granted asylum status in the U.S. Since arriving in America, Herman’s main purpose has been lobbying at the United Nations headquarters in New York or organizing public demonstrations and protests in DC.

His involvement in West Papuan advocacy in the nation’s capital has not come without scrutiny. On the steps of the Indonesian Embassy with protesters in March 2017, officials photographed him through gates.

“In West Papua, the reason they took pictures was because they [wanted] to come to your house and arrest your family members,” Herman said. “It’s very interesting when American students come out and [protest].

Thank God it’s a free country and we can express anything.”

Protests like those at the Indonesian Embassy are the mark of an engaged democracy. Senior Riya Master believes protests like Herman’s are an effective way to participate in pressing global issues.

“We thought we might sink in the open ocean and die.”

-West Papuan independence activist Herman Wainggai “Showing solidarity in the face of these issues and actually raising awareness, especially since we live so close to DC... We have so many opportunities right where we are, and not a lot of people choose to seize them,” Master said.

The Fairfax Student Peace Awards aims to recognize local human rights projects like Herman’s. Margaret Fisher, coordinator of the awards, argues that FCPS’s diversity

allows it to be a hotbed for student activism. “[FCPS’ access to diverse cultures and political opportunities] is a total blessing.

It is also a challenge. Practicing conflict resolution in a safe environment can prepare students to be peacemakers on a larger scale when they graduate,” Fisher said.

Herman hopes that his activism can inspire students to join the cause of West Papuan independence.

“I believe [that] if American teenagers know about the issue and educate themselves, and they begin to talk to their parents, family members and friends at school, in DC, McLean, Tysons or Fairfax, they know local newspapers [can] cover the issues [and] the government here can pick [it] up straight away, because we are very close,” Herman said.

Herman firmly believes that West Papuan independence can be more than just a dream.

The independence movement currently hinges on United Nations intervention, but without Herman’s activism, the entire cause is likely to remain silenced.

“Here in the present, when you think about it, no one actually thinks that one little act can do anything. But anything you do now, you don’t even know how it’s going to affect anyone later on,” Master said.

Herman stands in solidarity with the students pushing for change.

“When you have your own experience to fight for something that you believe, no one can stop you,” Herman said. “I came to the U.S. to tell my story that many American people still don’t know.”

Photo, map & page design by Josh Leong

R

ESULTS EVEAL EALITY

|BRYAN CHUNG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF|

reported spending three or more hours on an average school day playing video or computer games, or using a computer (including tablets and smartphones) for non-school activities.

Female students reported higher rates of alcohol use in their lifetime than male students. reported drinking alcohol at least once in their lifetime.

students reported using marijuana in their lifetime. *BASED ON 2016-17 FCPS YOUTH SURVEY RESULTS PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2017

reported smoking cigarettes at least once in their lifetime.

Early bird gets the worm

Meet four of McLean’s early decision and early action applicants MEET THE SENIORS U.S. Coast Guard Academy

William & Mary

ABBY COMEY

ADDIE DIETRICH

Virginia Tech

ELLIE HALL

Harvard

NOUR KHACHEMOUNE

funniest moment in high school?

It was pranking Shelby and Haley into thinking they’re my best friends.

(Don’t show them this.

They don’t know yet.)

When I fell up the stairs freshman year. It wasn’t funny for me then, but everyone who saw me had a good laugh!

My oceanography class is hilarious. We keep a running list of all the funny stuff that happens.

When my group and I got an F on the bridge project, I was so surprised by it that I found it hilarious. My friends thought I was insane.

My favorite class was definitely German. Frau is a great teacher and really makes the class awesome!

AP Psychology, hands down. It was probably the class that is most applicable to my daily life.

AP Chemistry never felt like a class, but rather just investigating chemistry for fun, which I love.

I decided to apply early action because I wanted to know the decision before Christmas.

As soon as I got on the campus at Virginia Tech, I fell in love and knew I wanted to be there for four or more years.

Since Harvard was my top choice, I wanted to show my interest in Harvard by being in the first application pool.

I was really happy and relieved, but I don’t think it set in until a few weeks after when I started signing all the contracts.

I opened the decision letter right before jazz band rehearsal with two of my friends standing next to me, and proceeded to screech with happiness.

My boyfriend and I went to Mount Vernon to watch the fireworks. It was around the holidays, so there were a bunch of events including a live camel and hot cider.

My mom keeps telling me she’s going to take me out to dinner with our extended family to celebrate. I did get flowers from someone on the day I got in, though.

It’s okay if you don’t know exactly where you want to go and if you don’t get into your top choice.

Having options is good.

You can have a great time at any college.

Don’t freak out about the number of essays you have to write. Most of them aren’t even a page long, and can actually be fun as they motivate you to think about yourself in a new way.

favorite class?

Creative writing was my favorite class because I want to be an author, and I’ve always loved writing.

why early?

I knew where I wanted to go and I wanted to get the process out of the way so I could enjoy senior year.

reaction to acceptance?

I called my older sister who went to William and Mary and we both cried on the phone. It was wonderful.

I was calm and collected during the call but as soon as I got off the phone I screamed and ran downstairs to give my mom a big hug.

admissions celebration?

My parents and I drove to campus that weekend to celebrate.

It felt so good to be there knowing it’s going to be my home for the next four years.

That weekend my family had a celebratory dinner and I went around telling my good news to anyone who would listen.

advice to rising seniors?

Remember that where you go to college will not dictate what kind of a life you’re going to lead.

Start your applications early. Doing it over the summer seems boring, but it really pays off during the school year.

Page design & reporting by Anya Chen

FEBRUARY | FEATURES | 17

FORMER HIGHLANDER FINDS FAME

Dillon Baheri turns a hobby into a career

ED WALTERS SPORTS EDITOR CONOR ZEYA A&E EDITOR

M

Young Mogul —

Baheri poses in front of his recently purchased Range Rover. He makes over $30,000 a month from his cryptocurrency investments. (Photo

courtesy of Dillon Baheri)

ost teenagers spend their days with friends or studying for upcoming tests, but 18-year-old exMcLean student Dillon Baheri spends his days thinking of how to grow his multiple YouTube channels.

“Growing up, I watched YouTube a lot and really enjoyed it,” Baheri said. “I was inspired by the people I watched and wanted to do it myself.”

He was drawn to YouTube for its ability to stay current and the wide array of available content.

“I think YouTube is better than TV because when you’re watching TV, you have to sit through ads and you have to wait to watch the shows you want to watch,” Baheri said. “With YouTube, you can watch exactly what you want to watch whenever you want, and that’s why I love it.”

Baheri, who runs the channels Exility, ExtractHub, SportHub and others has amassed over 2.5 million combined subscribers. He started his first channel in 2009, which focused predominantly on video games, but recently he has switched toward more comedic videos.

18 | FEATURES | FEBRUARY

“My main channel is Exility, but I don’t post on it that much,” Baheri said. “Behind that one is ExtractHub, which does videos on YouTubers. It’s kind of like TMZ, but for YouTubers.”

Baheri grew up in McLean and attended McLean for his freshman and sophomore years, but his channels began to grow rapidly and he decided it was best for him to drop out during his junior year in 2016 to focus on YouTube.

“I dropped out in eleventh grade and I’ve been pretty happy with my decision,” Baheri said. “I’ve been able to do stuff like visit YouTuber friends in Miami to work and collaborate with them.”

Senior Max Glick is a friend of Baheri and worked with him back when he first started his channel.

“He started with a shared channel with his friends called LD Studios. His goal in seventh grade was to do YouTube full time,” Glick said. “I think it’s really impressive what he’s doing, and the fact that in seventh grade he knew exactly what he wanted to do and he did that and did it well is awesome.”

Leaving high school has freed up many new opportunities for Baheri. It has allowed him to meet other YouTubers from around the country and focus on building his channels.

“It is nice having a lot of free time to focus on my work, but I do miss a lot of the people I got to see everyday,” Baheri said.

Baheri’s younger sister, Sabrina Baheri, noticed a change in Dillon after dropping out of school.

“Dillon was really shy and quiet in school before he became successful. I guess now that he’s gotten all of this success, it has made him a lot more confident and focused,” Sabrina Baheri said.

Baheri and his fellow YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, have been working and investing together for over two years.

Baheri met Donaldson about three years ago, after Donaldson made a video on his own YouTube channel “roasting” Dillon.

“After we became friends, we basically grew our channels together,” Donaldson said. “We help each other come up with ideas and stuff like that.”

Both Baheri and Donaldson have received criticism for their “clickbait” videos, which are video titles and thumbnails that lure the viewer into clicking on the video and watching it.

“If you want to grow on YouTube, you sometimes have to clickbait,” Donaldson said. “YouTube’s algorithm is based around click ratios, so if you have something lots of people click on, your channel will grow and you will get views. If you clickbait and your videos are actually entertaining, it’s the perfect formula.”

Dropping out of high school also gave Baheri time to start investing his money in cryptocurrencies, which are digital currencies that operate independently from central banks. Baheri and Donaldson have both invested most of their YouTube money in cryptocurrency.

“We actually got introduced to cryptocurrency by a kid that was in my math class at McLean,” Baheri said.

“He told us about Etherium [a type of cryptocurrency].

When we first invested in it, it was about $70 a coin.

We thought we had entered late, but it just kept climbing and now it’s over $1,000 a coin. That was one of our first investments.”

Baheri and Donaldson also invested in a Bitcoin mining facility in North Carolina.

“We started our facility about a year ago,” Baheri said. “One Bitcoin was only worth around $800 or $900 and now it’s hovering around $15,000.”

Using money from the Bitcoin he has sold, Baheri has invested heavily in other cryptocurrencies such as ITC and HTML that make him around $30,000 per month, allowing him to turn a profit despite an $8,000 monthly electricity bill at his facility in North Carolina.

“I try to diversify my holdings so I don’t lose too

much too fast,” Baheri said. “I think Bitcoin can only grow so much before it either falls or stagnates, and these altcoins are the future of cryptocurrency.”

Although Dillon has made a good amount of money from investing in cryptocurrency, he understands the risks of his investments.

“The thing to consider when you’re investing is the market could be a bubble. We honestly don’t really know,” Baheri said. “Still, if you buy into the mainstream currencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin and Etherium, those will probably do well over time. It’s not completely guaranteed, but they have the highest likeliness of doing well.”

Baheri and Donaldson both say that the best way to make smart investments in cryptocurrencies is to have a connection with a reliable person who knows a lot about the market. They get most of their investment advice from former McLean student Raphael Rehman.

“My first piece of advice for investing in cryptocurrency is to learn why it has so much value before you buy,” Rehman said. “Don’t go in just because other people are going in. When you do go in, expect a 50 percent loss in the first week.”

Even as Baheri’s YouTube presence continues to grow and his investments start bringing him more money, he does express some regret for dropping out of school as a junior.

“I do miss a lot of the people at school and that environment...there’s nothing that compares to going to school into a building full of people that you know,” Baheri said. “I wish I went to prom or a lot of those events. Obviously, I didn’t have a normal childhood.

Sometimes, I wish all this YouTube and cryptocurrency stuff could’ve happened when I was in twelfth grade so I could have savored my high school years, but I had to take the opportunity when I had it.”

Baheri’s goals for the future aren’t completely clear due to the unpredictable cryptocurrency market.

“As of right now, my goal is to continue getting more channels, and hopefully continue with cryptocurrency to see how far it goes and hopefully retire off cryptocurrency and YouTube,” Baheri said.

High Power —

Baheri’s bitcoin mining facility in North Carolina.

Along with coinvestor and fellow YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, the mining facility serves as a steady source of income.

(Photo courtesy of Dillon Baheri)

“

I didn’t have a normal childhood.

Sometimes, I wish all this YouTube and cryptocurrency stuff could’ve happened [later]...but I had to take the opportunity when I had it.

-YouTube star Dillon Baheri

Page design by Bryan Chung

FEBRUARY | FEATURES | 19

A&E

You Have 30 Minutes Remaining... — At the VHSL theater competition on Jan. 20,

Anna Kate Womack and Emily Lachow portray women struggling against male dominance over their household minivan. (Photo by Justin Kim)

Ready, set, act

McLean's one-act comedy triumphs over the district |JUSTIN KIM A&E EDITOR|

A

P Theater. No, that’s not a class at McLean—sorry to burst your bubble.

“AP Theater” is the name of the one-act play McLean presented to win the VHSL sectional competition. Held on Jan 20, the competition featured nine high school theater departments devoting their time, hearts and souls for one act to rule them all.

McLean's play in particular details the endeavors of a high schooler trying to complete the "AP Theater" exam, which entails writing a play about the struggles of adolescent life in three distinct styles of theater: Bunraku, Greek and Theater of the Absurd.

What follows is a 30-minute act filled with a prom date, a minivan and a college admissions officer dressed as the Grim Reaper creepily standing over a distraught senior.

The key to the entire play is the disparity between the outfits and the roles, the styles and the content, the humor and the commentary. Bunraku is a Japanese style of play that is done with puppets. I'm fairly sure the puppets weren’t supposed to be actual people propped up on sticks. I'm also certain Greeks didn't talk about driving a minivan to Model UN. And I would like to have a good long talk with whoever came up 20 | A&E | FEBRUARY

with the dominatrix reciting trigonometry.

The absurdity all fits together like a puzzle, captivating the audience.

The most significant disparity that drives the play, however, is the hammy hilarity of the acting and the actual commentary that is being made about some very real problems faced by teens today. When presenting a story about an obvious love triangle, gender inequality and college admissions, it is very easy to slip into edginess, yet the actors deliver it with such hamminess that it eases the sharpness, making it easier to absorb.

It is clear that these are students, but they're also actors that understand the biggest thing to a play isn't the fancy setting or the makeup, but the commitment. A special shoutout to Blake Johnson for bringing loads of bizarreness as a college admissions officer (based off of a certain Latin teacher) and to Haley Rose, who handled five different voices magnificently and was most deserving of the best actor award she received.

All those factors come together as the play delivers genuine laughs for the audience. I almost wish there had been more acts to this play, with even more theater styles, as well as a box of popcorn for me. Though considering that I almost choked on popcorn once while watching a comedy program, that may be a bad idea.

This rousing comedy has clearly proven its quality. McLean came out the victor in the VHSL competition, trumping eight other schools. Perhaps that was due to its status as the only comedy out of the nine plays. After all, we all need to lighten up during these times of political and social discord.

“There’s no need for all the craziness,” drama teacher Phillip Reid said. “All we need is a few laughs.”

The trophy the theater department won came as the result of all the ideas, time and enthusiasm of the entire theater staff. They have a right to shine.

“I’m just really proud of them,” Reid said.

“I keep telling them to not apologize for their work, just go at it and have fun, enjoy...and I think they really did. It showed. I can’t wait to go back and do it again on Feb. 10 at the super regionals.”

To the poor student taking the AP Theater exam—no worries, you got a solid five.

Final Verdict

Page design by Justin Kim

Seeing Seeing double double

Celebrity lookalikes grace the halls of McLean

LAURA VENOS

SARAH SILVERMAN

“We have some of the same facial features so it kind of makes us similar, but everyone says we look ‘exactly alike,’” Venos said.

GEORGE STIMSON

HUGH JACKMAN

“This is the first time I have ever been compared to him,” Stimson said.

SHEA KILLORAN

SAM MONROE

NATALIA DYER

BRENNAN MEDINA

LOGIC

“I have been told so many times I looked like her,” Monroe said.

“A few days ago, I was in the airport and a couple people came up to me and told me I looked like Logic,” Medina said.

TAYLOR SWIFT

“I used to look like Taylor Swift but now I think I only kind of resemble her,” Killoran said.

JULIA GREEN

AMANDA SEYFRIED

“Are you guys here to take a picture of me because I kind of look like Amanda Seyfried?”

Green said.

Reporting & photos by Ben Davis Page design by Imani McCormick Celebrity photos obtained via Google Images under a Creative Commons license

FEBRUARY | A&E | 21

IN-DEPTH

JUDGMENT VAPING EPIDEMIC BLOWS THROUGH McLEAN | MAREN KRANKING DESIGN/FEATURES EDITOR & MARIA McHUGO NEWS EDITOR | | NICK MONROY FEATURES EDITOR & JEREMY SIEGEL NEWS EDITOR |

A

s cloudy vapor spills over stall dividers, the bathrooms of McLean echo the overcast weather of the recent weeks. The privacy of these stalls as well as classroom corners have facilitated the wide use of discreet forms of e-cigarettes, or vapes, among the student body.

“It started [with] only a few people; since then, it has developed into something much bigger. I felt peer pressured into JUULing... An atmosphere has been cultivated at McLean where you feel pressured to JUUL [or vape] to fit in,” junior Jonathan Huntley* said. “Right now, every group in the high school community has taken to vaping.”

WHAT IS VAPING? Vapes are handheld nicotine products notorious for their inconspicuous design that resemble flashdrives. The most common of these devices are JUULs, PHIXes and Suorin Airs, all of which are small enough to hide in the palm of one's hand. While the purchase and possession of these devices is legal only for those 18 years of age and older, vapes have found a new market among students.

Based on a survey of 410 McLean students, 38.6 percent of students have vaped at least once. Brian Maslowski, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs seminar instructor for FCPS, said this trend emerged three years ago primarily with younger students, though has now become prevalent among high schoolers during this academic year.

“This school year is definitely a new wave at the high school level. In previous years, if we had to go out and speak to a student because they’d committed a violation, it was usually middle school,” Maslowski said.

According to the 2016-2017 FCPS Youth Survey, nearly twice as many students reported smoking e-cigarettes than those who reported smoking conventional cigarettes in the past month. Now, it is common to find a group of students huddled around a vape in a bathroom stall or performing ‘smoke tricks’ in the back of a classroom, unnoticed by teachers or faculty members. In a survey of 278 McLean students, 38.1 percent had been offered a vape at school.

“I went to the bathroom a week ago, and I just saw vape coming out of the next stall,” junior Neha Rana said. “[Even] on Snapchat, when [students are] in class, they’ll record their friends JUULing for a second when the teacher isn’t looking.”

Those who do spend their time JUULing during school acknowledge that they have bred a culture of vaping within the student body.

“It’s become a recurring joke among students to go to the bathroom and JUUL, even with those who aren’t addicted. It inhibits education because it takes from the focus of learning,” Huntley said.

Director of Student Activities Greg Miller noticed the vaping trend has extended past school hours as well. The devices are hidden

*Names have been changed to protect these students’ anonymity due to their participation in illegal activity.

22 | IN-DEPTH | FEBRUARY

beneath McLean’s bleachers or even brazenly in crowded student sections.

“I know at some of our athletic events, a couple of kids have been kicked out and gotten in trouble for [vaping],” Miller said. “It seems like it’s become a new fad among kids.”

The discreet nature of these devices is not the sole root of their appeal to the student body. Maslowski said that many crave the buzz associated with e-cigarettes and vapes.

“The two main reasons I found students are doing any type of vaping...is because the nicotine content is very high...or they develop an addiction to it because they’ve done it too often,” Maslowski said.

“Or they just like to do smoke tricks.”

Maslowski said that vaping has become normalized at the high school level. Instead of a drug-seeking behavior, it can sometimes simply be something to do. “[Years ago, students] would have gone out and played basketball or something, and now they might still go out and play basketball, but take a break to JUUL,” Maslowski said.

Tom Smith*, a senior who said he has vaped at school, explained how many students view the use of e-cigarettes during class.

“School is really boring,” Smith said. “The buzz is great, and you kind of just chill and relax.”

School Resource Officer Scott Davis said the ease of obtaining

JUULs and other vaping devices can account for their common place in student life.

“You’re buying [vapes] online, you’re buying them at 7-Elevens or at mom and pop grocery stores, things like that,” Davis said. “I think [that vapes are] more accessible and it seems like everybody’s like, ‘Oh, you’ve got one, let me try it.’”

According to Maslowski, some stores aim to make larger profits by knowingly neglecting to card underage students while raising vape prices. Other times, minors either use a fake ID or rely on college students and other adults—whether it be a friend or sibling—to purchase their vapes.

“People who have fake IDs will buy JUULs for themselves, but they will also sell or give them to other people,” junior Kate Mason* said. “Also, people with older siblings or friends will have them [purchase vapes].”

Since vapes are often used as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, some students bear the misconception that the devices are far less dangerous than tobacco products. However, in contrast to their unassuming appearance, vapes and e-cigarettes can have serious implications for their users.

“The scary thing to think, and what I’m hearing, is kids think that it’s safer, that it’s a healthy alternative to smoking or tobacco,” Miller said. “But from everything I read and hear, that’s not the case.”

FEBRUARY | IN-DEPTH | 23

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS Using sleek, streamlined packaging and design, vape producers market directly to younger demographics. Such advertisement techniques can make vapes and e-cigarettes appear to be less dangerous than traditional smoking and contribute to their appeal to student populations. “[Companies] make [vaping] look cool, and I think they’re packaging it more towards kids,” Principal Ellen Reilly said. “It’s just like they packaged cigarettes. There’s the Marlboro man—he’s a good looking guy, he’s mysterious.”

Rana speculated that students who do vape also have an impact on other students’ decisions to vape.

“I think [the appeal is] from the student community more so than from the company itself,” Rana said. “When more students start to use it and they actually put a brand [name] to it, and they start naming their JUULs funny names, and the hype builds up.”

The frequency at which students use the devices is relatively unprecedented in comparison to traditional forms of smoking.

While the long-term effects of heavy usage remain unknown, one JUUL cartridge—which may only last a single day for avid users—is equivalent to the amount of nicotine in an entire pack of cigarettes.

they can break down into cancer-causing [substances],” Maslowski said. “Some of the chemicals by themselves, in their normal state before being heated, are perfectly fine, so we get the idea that [vapes can be] safer [than cigarettes], but we have to be careful not to say that safer automatically means safe.”

Though data shows that 38.6 percent of McLean students have vaped before, 77.4 percent of surveyed students believe that the activity is dangerous. Although students are aware of the medical implications, many continue to use vapes and e-cigarettes.

LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS In addition to the medical implications, the legal repercussions of both the usage and possession of vapes on school property carry significant weight. Until recently, vapes and e-cigarettes were not considered to be tobacco products, nor were they explicitly included in FCPS drug policy.

“As soon as [vapes] became tobacco products and the law was passed for Virginia, Fairfax County jumped right on board and [did the same],” Maslowski said.

Based on current policy, if a student is caught with a vaping device on school grounds, the issue is handled as a tobacco violation. For a

“

WE GET THE IDEA THAT [VAPES CAN BE] SAFER [THAN CIGARETTES]. BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO SAY THAT SAFER AUTOMATICALLY MEANS SAFE.” — BRIAN MASLOWSKI A common misconception about vapes is that the smoke is merely water vapor. However, according to Maslowski, the vape juice in the devices contains multiple carcinogens.

“If it’s just water vapor, then why are you even smoking it?” Davis said.

According to the report “The Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes” released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on Jan. 23, there is conclusive evidence that vapes “contain and emit numerous potentially toxic substances.”

Maslowski uses an analogy to explain the long-term effects that vaping could potentially cause.

“If I go to McDonald’s and have a meal, in the grand scheme of my health, it’s not that big of a deal. [But] if I go over for the next 30 days to have lunch and dinner at McDonald’s, you [would] think maybe something is going to happen to me and my body. Why don’t we [understand] that with drugs? If you’re going to engage in a habit [where] you’re intaking something over and over again, you have to realize that it’s going to have some kind of negative effect on you,” Maslowski said.

Chemicals contained within vaping liquids are subject to high temperatures during use. Maslowski said this factor could cause even greater health threats.

“We know that some of those chemicals, when they’re heated up, 24 | IN-DEPTH | FEBRUARY

ALCOHOL, TOBACCO & OTHER DRUGS SEMINAR INSTRUCTOR FOR FCPS

student’s first offense, the ultimate goal of the administration is to educate and discourage repeated use. “[The school] would give our office a call to set up what we call an intervention—we just come and talk to the student one-on-one,” Maslowski said. “As long as they’re cooperative and participatory, that’s a successful thing and they go on about their day.”

The remaining consequences are up to the discretion of the administration, which may include suspension. If the student is caught again, however, they will receive a summons and are required to attend court with their parents. In most cases, the judge will assign a designated number of community service hours or a fine for students in violation of school policy.

“All [students] signed the SR&R,” Davis said. “You know the rules, and then you go to court and the judge looks at you and goes, ‘Wait a second. First off, you’re doing it in school. Second off, you’re not an adult yet. Third off, you signed the piece of paper knowing that you’re not supposed to do this stuff.’ The judge goes, ‘What am I supposed to do with you?’”

If a student-athlete is found to be vaping on school grounds or during an extracurricular activity, there will be repercussions in terms of their participation. In 2015, the participation policy was updated to require a 30-day suspension from activities and participation in a substance abuse assessment.

Page design, photo & infographic by Maren Kranking

“[Vaping] is a violation of our participation policy [that athletes] sign,” Miller said. “It’s no different from if you got caught smoking [weed], drinking, using drugs... It carries the same weight as far as the participation policy.”

As the trend has become so widespread this year, students may not be aware of the consequences of vaping and the fact that it is an illegal activity for all students on school grounds. “[Students] need to just think about it like, ‘Is this going to be worth it if I get caught?’ Most of the time, it’s not,” Miller said. “Most of these kids who get in trouble, I know them and they’re good kids. They just made a poor decision.”

LOOKING AHEAD Due to the novelty of the devices and the secrecy with which students engage in the behavior, parents and faculty have considerably low knowledge about vaping. Reilly verified the lack of understanding within the McLean administration and the community as a whole.

“We were seeing it some last year,” Reilly said. “We didn’t know what it [was]... We knew [about] e-cigarettes, so a teacher would say someone was using­an e-cigarette, but then all of this JUULing comes into play.”

In order to combat the growing popularity of vaping among high schoolers, FCPS and the McLean administration have begun to take steps to educate the community on the trend and its dangers. The Office of Student Safety and Wellness of Fairfax County provides a variety of resources for schools to raise consciousness of the vaping trend.

“We offer to come out to talk to staff; we offer to come out to do large-scale things for students; we’re going out and doing as many parent presentations as we can,” Maslowski said. “Everything is offered—it just becomes [a matter of ] how proactive each school wants to be.”

On Jan. 10, Maslowski attended a faculty meeting at McLean to provide an overview of vaping and to teach the staff how to recognize such behavior in the classroom. In addition, he attended a special PTSA meeting alongside McLean administrators on Jan. 19 to educate parents on the dangers of vaping and other drugs.

“I definitely think it was informative for teachers who didn’t know anything about vaping,” English teacher Elise Emmons said. “[It] gave them a chance to actually see what [vapes] look like so they can be aware of what’s going on in their classrooms and potentially stop it from happening.”

Although McLean is taking copious measures to decrease vaping, Rana remains skeptical of the effectiveness of these efforts.

“I feel like [vaping is] so ingrained in our society that it’s not going to be completely overturned by what the school says,” Rana said.

However, both FCPS and McLean administrators plan to continue educating the community on the risks of vaping in hopes of stemming the dangerous fad.

“I don’t know at this point if [the vaping trend will] last. I don’t know if it’ll be one of those things that maybe we’ve hit the peak and it’ll come down,” Maslowski said. “Any type of substance use is cyclical, so it might ebb and flow.”

At the same time, the McLean administration will remain firm in enforcing the rules and regulations provided by county policy and law.

“Just know it’s against the law. I mean, I do have to do my job,” Davis said.

“It’s not like all of a sudden we find [a student using a vape] and say, ‘Okay, you’re not in trouble. Have a nice day’—no. I don’t want to get kids in trouble, but sometimes we have to.”

Even if the trend of vaping at school dies out in a few months, the consequences have the potential to linger.

“I have yet to meet the kid who says, ‘You know, Mr. Miller, that was worth it.’ I wish kids would think that through,” Miller said. “I can tell you that 100 percent of [students caught with vapes] regret their decision, and if they could go back in time they wouldn’t have done it... Nothing good is going to come out of bringing drugs or alcohol or tobacco products to school.”

Infographic based on a survey of 410 students

38.6%

OF McLEAN STUDENTS HAVE USED A VAPE OF THESE STUDENTS: 31.7%

40.7%

9.0%

18.6%

VERY RARELY

ONCE A WEEK

ONCE A MONTH

NEARLY EVERY DAY

WHY DO YOU VAPE? IT LOOKS COOL “SMOKE TRICKS” PEER PRESSURE

22.7% 18.6% 14.0%

THE “BUZZ” CURIOSITY

28.1% 16.5%

DO YOU THINK VAPING IS DANGEROUS?

77.4% 22.6% YES NO FEBRUARY | IN-DEPTH | 25

A Bachelor bummer

The Bachelor returns with a premiere episode that falls short of the final rose |HALEY ROSE REPORTER|

M

any in Bachelor Nation were shocked to hear that Arie Luyendyk Jr. was tapped for the lead of the 22nd season of The Bachelor. The real estate broker and former Formula One driver appeared on Emily Maynard’s season of The Bachelorette six years ago, so he was not particularly high on anyone’s radar to become the lead this year.

It doesn’t help that his first episode received the lowest ratings for a premiere in the show’s history.

Nonetheless, as a loyal follower of the franchise, I turned on ABC at 8 p.m. just like the rest of Bachelor Nation to delve into another 10 weeks of tears, roses, contestants’ Instagram promoting, and yes, love.

Now, you can’t ask much from The Bachelor—though I’m a longtime fan, it’s easy to see the vapidness of the show, its middling production quality and archaic take on romance—but what you can ask for is fresh dramatic plot lines and exciting new contestants. Arie’s premiere episode unfortunately lacked both, with recycled plot lines (“She stole him away to chat TWO times instead of just one like the rest of us!”) and relatively bland conversation.

The episode starts by recapping Arie’s time on The Bachelorette, with videos of his arrival, rejection and subsequent appearance on After the Final Rose. If you ever wanted to watch Emily’s season, save yourself the trouble—the time they spend trying to jog the audience’s memory of Arie’s heartbreak as first runner-up renders that unnecessary. It’s 26 | A&E | FEBRUARY

not until we’re almost 10 minutes in when we move to the present day, losing valuable time we might have wanted later getting to actually know the current contestants beyond a 10-second conversation about career aspirations.

Arie fills the role of the Bachelor only adequately. While he’s not as bland as most recent lead Nick Viall, he lacks the humor of fan-favorite Sean Lowe and the fun unpredictability of Juan Pablo Galavis. The producers try to get us to view him as dopey and cute when he adorably forgets a cue or swoons over a girl, but on a 35-year-old Bachelor, it’s hard to believe and comes off more awkward than endearing.

Fortunately, the episode isn’t a total bust, thanks to the eccentricities of a few contestants. Hell breaks loose when Maquel steals Arie for some alone time away from Chelsea, the feisty single mom who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Some girls think Bekah, the nanny from Los Angeles, is lying about her age. Others are bothered by fitness instructor Krystal’s alleged “fakeness”—look out for her to be the big villain of the season.

In other news, Tia is southern! Kendall collects taxidermy! And in the preview for the second episode, Bibiana screams at the cameraman to go away! If Arie isn’t enough to make this season interesting, we at least have a few key players to watch going forward that will spice up the mansion.

As formulaic as night one was, this season of The Bachelor should not be considered a total letdown for fans. Although the dates are pretty pedestrian (the second episode

features the girls attending a dog tricks show which just doesn’t compare to last year’s zero gravity simulation) and the traveling is not as exotic, the contestants are just as catty as ever and will make great contenders for the next season of Bachelor in Paradise. And hey, just like 99 percent of the rest of the Bachelors, Arie will inevitably break up with his final choice in a couple months. Don’t give up hope...yet.

RATING: THE AUTHOR’S EARLY PICKS Becca K. showed promise on the first one-on-one date with Arie where they had undeniable chemistry and she was showered with designer clothes.

Seinne is beautiful, Yaleeducated and her screen time has been limited yet positive.

Look for her to be a sleeper hit.

Kendall is quirky yet not creepy and would provide a lighthearted break for Arie from the other more intense contestants.

Bekah is seen by some as too young, but her charisma and unpredictability may be what it takes to win Arie over.

Photos used with express written consent of ABC

Seniors share their tattoo tales |CONOR ZEYA A&E EDITOR|

“M

y tattoo is on the inside of my right heel. The tattoo is of a lotus, which signifies peace and purity. There are four dots below the flower, which represent the four members of my family: my mom, dad, sister and me. I got the tattoo in September of last year, and I’ve never regretted getting it. Getting this tattoo was the worst pain I’ve ever been in in my entire life. It took about three minutes to do, which is good because if it went any longer I would have fainted.”

“I

“T

“M

he tattoo on my forearm symbolizes my country’s [Iran’s] history. I got the tattoo July 15, 2017, and I’ve never regretted it because it’s something that I wanted to get a long time ago. It only hurts the first couple minutes, then it becomes sore. It took about an hour for them to complete it.”

have five tattoos, but my favorites are the world map tattoo and the birds on my inner forearm. I got the world map because I have traveled to many countries. The three birds remind me of my mom who is also getting the same birds on her inner forearm. I got my tattoos when I was 15. I don’t regret any of my tattoos because they all have meaning and sentimental value to me. It didn’t really hurt, but everyone has different pain tolerances. They didn’t take long because none of my tattoos have shading.”

y tattoo is of the letter Q on my right wrist. It is my best friend’s initial and the past five years of our friendship. I got it this past summer. I have never regretted getting my tattoo.

I’ve always wanted to get one and I can change the design if I don’t like it. It hurt for a few seconds, but the pain went away right after.”

Page design by Bryan Chung

FEBRUARY | A&E | 27

The Post exposes itself as a fantastic movie

Spielberg succeeds once again, creating a cinematic masterpiece

I

|ROSS OLIVER REPORTER|

t’s 1971, a time of typewriters and rotary telephones. The Washington Post is just a mid-size, family-owned paper business. The Vietnam War is still raging and tensions are rising to pull out.

After a stint surveying Vietnam, Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys), a military analyst employed by Rand Corporation, feels compelled to leak the Pentagon Papers, a set of confidential government documents about the U.S.’s failing efforts in Vietnam, to The New York Times. However, the event quickly escalates as The Washington Post decides to play catch-up with them, with publisher Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) taking the lead.

Steven Spielberg masterfully directed this film, making it both enjoyable and fun, while both Streep and Hanks deliver wonderful performances. Spielberg’s direction of The Post is exemplary, making a historical event interesting without boring the audience to death. The movie also draws from past journalism films like All The President’s Men, which profiled how The Washington Post covered the Watergate scandal.

Streep portrays Graham fantastically, evolving from a grieving wife whose husband committed suicide to a strong and commanding publisher. Meanwhile, Hanks ably demonstrates Bradlee’s devotion to the news, portraying him as a true patriot who is dedicated to providing accurate reporting.

The supporting cast of Bob Odenkirk, Bruce Greenwood, Sarah Paulson, Alison Brie and others also do a magnificent job portraying their characters. The cast and set depict an authentic view of the 70s, catapulting viewers into the chaos and frenzy of the decade. The John Williams score fits the tone of the movie perfectly and does a great job supporting its intense moments.

This movie comes out at the right time, as it deeply resonates with our current political climate. The parallels between Nixon not wanting the news to expose him and President Trump shutting down news outlets and reporters with allegations of “fake news” are evident throughout the film.

As a younger Washington Post reader, the movie provided an opportunity to learn about the history of the company and how it first earned prestige.

However, the compelling story isn’t without its shortcomings. In a movie called The Post, you would expect it to focus on The Washington Post, but it feels like the film overshadowed The New York Times’ involvement in the true saga of the Pentagon Papers. Also, the pacing sometimes feels off balance, making the end of the movie feel a little rushed.

In the end though, The Post delivers a fun, yet intense look at a crucial time for The Washington Post and journalism itself.

This is a must-watch, though not necessarily in theaters, because the images and sounds aren’t the focal point of the movie. The plot and the cast more than make up for any flaws in production. As with any Oscar favorite, The Post is both an excellent movie and a great experience.

Rating

20th Century Fox

FEBRUARY | A&E | 29

OPINIONS

A tale of two transcripts

Higher-level arts electives should receive GPA boost The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

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his year, students that are taking or have taken a level 4 foreign language class were awarded with a 0.5 GPA boost for the class.

While this move rewarded students who have reached a certain level of a foreign language, students taking higher-level arts classes are not granted the same opportunity. Such art classes should be given the halfpoint boost as well.

Nationally and state-recognized ensembles such as symphonic band, philharmonic orchestra, advanced choir (Madrigals) and theater are just some of the higher-level art electives that students can face academic repercussions for taking, despite the hours of work required.

“We put in about 15 hours a week, which is more than class time.

We meet after school for rehearsals and many times on the weekends. We have gigs, concerts, stuff like that,” senior Madrigals member Alexa Fermin said.

30 | OPINIONS | FEBRUARY

Senior Abby Comey, president of Madrigals, agrees with Fermin’s assessment.

“We put in a lot of work outside of school. A lot of us take voice lessons.

The music isn’t something you learn in the classroom,” Comey said.

In addition to the time spent in these elective classes, students are absorbing content that transcends the level of most high school courses.

“A lot of the music we’re learning is actually college-level music, which is more difficult to learn and master than high school music,” Fermin said. “I think we should have a GPA boost.”

Implementation of the GPA boost would not be difficult; other elective classes in science and technology, such as STEM Engineering, already have 0.5 boosts.

“Being in Madrigals is no less difficult than a STEM engineering class. It requires the same intellectual ability,” performing arts department chair Linda Martin said.

Colleges are increasingly looking for well-rounded applicants, but they can be deterred by the lower GPAs that arts courses can endow on a

student’s academic record. Providing a GPA boost would ensure that students who excel in the arts would get the proper recognition for their efforts.

“It would just be a reward for those students that want to function at the very highest level of academia,” Martin said.

Our musicians represent us on the world stage, traveling to Germany and winning awards such as the Sudler Flag of Honor. Our thespians win state awards. Our journalists write compelling stories and garner national acclaim. These achievements should not go underappreciated.

“The arts kids work very hard.

They work as hard as kids in STEM or in science or in any type of advanced course,” Martin said.

In a world enraptured by new developments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, it is important to not lose sight of the significance of the arts in academia. A GPA boost would provide a tangible benefit to those who devote their time and energy to pursuing their unique craft.

Reporting by Siddarth Shankar

“

We put in about 15 hours a week... [and] a lot of the music we’re learning is actually collegelevel music... I think we should have a GPA boost.

-senior Madrigals member Alexa Fermin

Comics by Dasha Makarishcheva

Fire drills burn time

Excessive fire drills are counterproductive to student success BEN BROOKS REPORTER

T

he Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) requires schools to conduct two fire drills within the first month of school and two more throughout the rest of the year. However, McLean has 13 fire drills per year. With nine more fire drills a year than VDOE requires, FCPS students are forced to miss valuable class time.

“I’ve known how to [perform] a fire drill since we were in 1st grade. They’re pretty simple.”

-sophomore Charlie Gartner All Virginia schools have nine more fire drills per year than is required by VDOE, adding up to 169 fire drills for the average student from kindergarten through twelveth grade, but VDOE only requires 52. Fairfax County has 117 extra fire drills throughout a student’s educational career.

The fire drill in sixth period on Jan. 19 lasted eight to 11 minutes from the time the bell went off to the time students returned to their rooms, depending on where in the building classrooms were located.

With an average time of eight to 11 minutes per drill, that is a minimum of 104 minutes, or 1.7 hours, of class lost to fire drills each year. With around seven hours in a school day, students miss more than an entire three days of school just for fire drills over their entire academic career.

Unfortunately, VDOE fire law is supplemented by the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code section 405.2, which states that “every public school shall conduct a fire drill once a week for the first 20 school days of the school session, and then once a month for the rest of the school year.”

“The Virginia Fire Code supplements the [VDOE code]...[it] can require that you do extra,” security specialist Buddy Sekely said.

Page design by Maren Kranking

“Virginia fire law doesn’t supersede state law, but it can add to it.”

Because of the state fire code, McLean is legally compelled to have more fire drills than necessary every year. This requirement is counterproductive, because at this point in high school, every student can easily perform a fire drill.

“I’ve known how to [perform] a fire drill since we were in 1st grade. They’re pretty simple,” sophomore Charlie Gartner said.

Having over 100 fire drills and missing parts of many tests and quizzes is disruptive to the academic environment. Fire drills during tests create an opportunity for cheating. Students can discuss answers from the test or quiz they were taking and use this information to their advantage when they return from the drill.

Students also miss out on valuable time to complete their work in class.

“I missed multiple Latin quizzes, part of an English essay and a math test last year,” Gartner said.

While fire drills are certainly important to ensure student safety, the requirement imposed by the state is disruptive and counterproductive. Teachers and students often fall behind in their scheduling due to excessive fire drills.

“It can be really annoying sometimes, because we’ll be doing something in class and then we can’t get it done [because of a fire drill],” history teacher Hilary Viets said.

To change the number of fire drills, the Virginia fire code would have to change, not the state law. The fire code was last amended in 2012.

Students, teachers and parents should petition their legislators to allow schools to abide by VDOE law rather than the excessive requirements of the state fire code. This change would not only benefit teachers, who would more easily maintain their classroom routine, but also students, who would not have their educations interrupted by the dreaded shrieks of the fire alarm.

each fire drill lasts approximately

8 to 11

minutes

169 fire drills

total from K-12

~1,352 minutes of class missed from K-12 due to fire drills

which amounts to

22.5

hours

FEBRUARY | OPINIONS | 31

CROSSFIRE:

Properly preparing students for their exams is a must ALEX MANDANAS OPINIONS EDITOR

O

ne thousand and seven McLean students are enrolled in AP classes this school year, and they all know what’s in store for them at the end of the year: the AP exam.

The inherent goal of an AP class is to properly prepare students for the exam, leading to a “teaching to the test” mentality in AP classes.

Teaching to the test is not only beneficial because it improves students’ performance on AP exams, but it also allows students to learn valuable information to prepare them for college.

Scoring well on an AP exam is extremely beneficial to students. If a student receives a high score on an exam, they are eligible to receive credits that allow them to avoid retaking the same class once they reach college. Though obtaining credit depends on each university’s policies, AP classes give students the opportunity to save money, worry less about credit requirements and choose more classes that interest them once they are in college.

“I go to UC Berkeley and my credits transferred over when I enrolled. I ended up having enough credits to qualify me as a sophomore, so my AP credits were equal to two semesters of college courses,” said McLean Class of 2017 graduate Sri Medicherla, who took 10 AP classes. “It’s nice because I don’t have to stress about getting the right number of credits in, because I had the luxury of already fulfilling those in high school. I got a lot of requirements out of the way, but I still get to make use of four years of college.”

AP exams are meant to simulate collegelevel exams, which allows students to grasp what a college course is really like.

Preparing for these exams forces students to learn college-level material, adopt advanced study habits and adapt to logistical changes, such as weather-related schedule 32 | OPINIONS | FEBRUARY

adjustments, just as real college students must do.

“When I took physics in college, my school didn’t offer AP Physics, so I went into my college class learning the material for the first time while a lot of my classmates had already learned it in high school,” AP Physics C teacher Jeff Brocketti said. “That’s the benefit, I think—being able to take a course in college [where] you’re learning the stuff for the second time makes it a lot easier to pick up on the nuances.”

The College Board, the organization that administers AP Exams, offers curriculum guidelines that often align with what teachers already want to teach. “Teaching to the test” doesn’t take away from enriching education; it just streamlines and incentivizes it.

“It’s good for AP curriculums to be structured to fit the student’s will to succeed on AP exams, because students are still learning in the process of [taking APs],” junior Zoe Skoric said.

Brocketti agrees that learning the subject matter and preparing for the AP exam are not mutually exclusive things.

“I’m trying to educate you in the class

so that you do well on the exam while also learning the material,” Brocketti said. “You can teach the class and still prepare for the exam. You can still teach to the exam while still preparing them for life beyond high school.”

From a humanities perspective, this philosophy still holds true. On the AP Language and Composition exam, students are tested on three timed essays: synthesis, argument and rhetorical analysis. These essays evaluate a student’s ability to comprehend and analyze passages, develop strong assertions and support their claims with adequate evidence.

“What we’re trying to do is expose you to things, and then set up a scenario that is most like the exam itself to prepare you,” AP Language and Composition teacher Annette Billingsley said.

By teaching to the test, students learn valuable skills that are not only applicable to the exams, but to a plethora of other topics and situations.

Comics by Dasha Makarishcheva

Is “teaching to the AP Exam” harmful or helpful?

Teachers fail students if the goal is scoring a 5 JULIANNE AKARD REPORTER

T

eaching is for learning. We score how much learning occurs with standardized testing. This makes sense—it’s fair. However, learning often fails to happen when teachers teach solely to the exam. Even in August, teachers often refer to the end-of-year AP exams when planning lessons.

In AP Language and Composition, students are rarely required to write essays outside of timed writings, which are included in the AP exam. However, in college, professors frequently assign long papers and research assignments. Being able to write a timed essay will not prepare students to write these types of papers that are expected of them in college.

“For me, there are a variety of reasons for the timed writings. It simulates the structure of the test requirements, it tells me exactly how a student thinks and writes under pressure and it keeps everyone honest,” AP Language teacher Kendra Stolee said.

Page design by Alex Mandanas

Learning to write under pressure and time constraints is helpful—but so is learning to write papers. If one does not learn to write a paper outside of time constraints, they are missing valuable English skills.

Teachers do a disservice to their students by pushing for them to score well on the AP exams. Ultimately, school is about learning.

Testing is simply a means of measuring how much a student has learned. By only preparing for the AP tests, teachers limit the scope of material they teach.

To her credit, Stolee does not view AP scores as her main focus as a teacher.

“My ultimate goal is to make better writers and thinkers,” Stolee said.

In general, AP classes are overhyped.

Harder courses have merit and value, but scores on the AP exam do not result in many significant benefits.

According to career center specialist Laura Venos, AP exam scores are sent to colleges following acceptance and are used only for class selection, not for the college admissions process.

“AP test results are not used in college admissions,” Venos said.

Colleges will see your grades and the GPA boost from taking a weighted AP class, but students should take hard classes for the sake of learning more advanced topics.

Students should not choose courses based on college; rather, they should choose the courses that truly interest them.

“I took [AP classes] so I could learn more in-depth material than I would in a regular class. I joined the class to be engaged.”

-junior Gabby Williams

“It does seem that in all my AP classes, the goal is to do well on the test. That isn’t why I took the class, though. I took [AP classes] so I could learn more in-depth material than I would in a regular class. I joined the class to be engaged,” junior Gabby Williams said.

Dedicated students care about learning more than they care about AP exam scores. It is time for teachers to care about more than exams as well.

McLean’s AP scores are impressively high, but students are short-changed by an examcentric mentality.

In light of recent changes in FCPS policy, students are no longer required to take AP exams. However, students were notified that “FCPS strongly encourages all students to take AP tests for courses in which they are enrolled.”

Hopefully, this policy will elicit a necessary change that challenges the current inclination to teach to the AP exam, while encouraging students to take courses they are truly passionate about.

FEBRUARY | OPINIONS | 33

IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT Global warming deniers are denying us a safe future ALEX MANDANAS OPINIONS EDITOR IMANI McCORMICK MANAGING EDITOR

34 | OPINIONS | FEBRUARY

F

or the past 10 years, AP Biology teacher Julia Murdock has taken her students to MarineLab, a non-profit, educational organization aimed at promoting ecological conservation and marine science education.

“Along the Florida Keys, there’s a barrier reef, and it’s gorgeous,” Murdock said.

“There’s a center of graduate students there who I’ve grown up with.”

Hurricane Irma ravaged MarineLab in September, annihilating their facilities and leading to months of necessary cleanup.

The storm had such a significant effect on MarineLab that they had to cancel two months of classes.

“There was debris, small and large, even a boat, covering our property that had to be cleaned up,” said Sarah Enger, the Director of Curriculum and Program Development at MarineLab. “This has been two months of cleaning, scrubbing, shoveling, lifting, demoing, building [and] removing mold.

We miss the students; we miss being a part of ocean conservation; we miss getting students excited about science.”

MarineLab wasn’t the only area damaged

by hurricanes this year. Hurricane Harvey left Houston underwater and Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

“My entire family is [in Puerto Rico]. I have a 98-year-old great grandma who needs a lot of health care, but that’s not available now,” junior Ariana Colder said. “My grandparents and my mom sit around and talk about what’s going on all the time, and it stresses me out and genuinely scares me, so I have to cover my ears and read my textbooks out loud, or else I wouldn’t be able to focus on my work.”

Natural disasters such as droughts, hurricanes, wildfires and extreme weather events can destroy communities, leaving thousands displaced. The government’s current lack of climate control is inhibiting global environmental progress and protection. This ignorance and inaction is incredibly irresponsible, and ultimately our generation will be left to handle the planet that our predecessors destroyed.

Research from NASA and NOAA shows the mid-20th-century global average temperature has increased by 1.78 degrees

Photo of People’s Climate March in Washington on April 29, 2017, by Sam Gollob

Fahrenheit, recording 2017 as the second warmest year ever, after 2016. Furthermore, roughly 11 percent of the world’s population is susceptible to the consequences of climate change, according to Conservation International.

In 2017, Hurricane Irma in southern Florida, Hurricane Harvey in Houston and Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean demolished parts of North America. Debris occupied Caribbean barrier reefs and water engulfed entire cities, resulting in billions of dollars in damage. NASA reports that the severity of North Atlantic hurricanes has rapidly intensified since the 1980s, in large part due to global warming. The frequency and magnitude of these destructive storms will persistently increase as the climate continues to warm.

Additionally, Southern California has seen a series of intense wildfires beginning last December, which have caused more than three billion dollars in damages according to the California state Senate. These fires burned over 200,000 acres of land and killed 40 people. California governor Jerry Brown, along with numerous scientists and environmentalists, have attributed the severity of the wildfires to increased aridity caused by human activity.

“Organizations across the country can do work to reduce the risks posed by climate change. Just as important as what we’re doing at the federal level are actions at the state, local and tribal levels.”

-Paul Gunning, Head of the Climate Change Division at the EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency responsible for protecting our health and environment.

Combating climate change and its adverse effects is supposed to be one of its main priorities. However, since President Trump appointed former coal lobbyist and notorious global warming denier Scott Pruitt as the agency’s new head administrator last year, the EPA’s position on the validity of scientific facts has become questionable.

“Pruitt rejects the notion that humans

are the primary contributor to climate change. He contradicts the EPA’s stance and completely disregards basic scientific facts.

His interests align with major polluters and thus, he would rather line their pockets than do his job,” said junior Mara Kessler, who participated in the People’s Climate March last April.

Pruitt is not alone in his denial of climate change. According to the Yale Program of Climate Change Communication, an astounding 42 percent of Americans do not believe that our climate is affected by human activity. President Trump capitalized on this misconception during his campaign and has cultivated a culture of climate change denial to appeal to coal miners, a significant portion of his electoral base.

Trump frequently rejects scientific facts through tweets and speeches. He famously tweeted in November 2012 that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive” and in December 2013 that “global warming is an expensive hoax!” The news outlet Vox found that the president has tweeted 115 messages that discredit global warming. This skepticism has permeated his presidency as well.

“Not only has Donald Trump ignorantly disregarded the reality of the situation, but he has done everything in his power to obliterate past efforts,” junior Noor Al-Saloum said.

“From scrapping Obama’s Clean Power Plan and pulling out of the Paris Agreement to basically destroying the EPA, his disregard for climate change is an understatement— rather, it is plain ignorance.”

Pulling out of the Paris accords, which set non-binding goals to reduce carbon emissions across the planet, was a devastating decision; the U.S. remains one of the few nations in the world not currently bound to the agreement.

The Clean Power Plan proposed plans to limit American carbon emissions, with the ultimate goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions 32 percent by 2030, but it was rescinded under the leadership of President Trump and EPA administrator Pruitt.

Additionally, the Trump administration cut the Interior Department’s scientific research initiative in half, significantly reducing the amount of government granted global warming experimentation and research.

“It is simply irresponsible of the federal government to ignore such a problem and

go out of its way to prevent regulations that would help stem climate change,” Kessler said. “The Trump administration is more concerned with standing by its party lines and refuting scientific facts than focusing on the well-being of the American people.”

“My entire family is [in Puerto Rico.] I have a 98-year-old great grandma who needs a lot of health care, but that’s not available now.”

-junior Ariana Colder

Though our government is committed to consistent inaction against global warming, everyday citizens are fighting the issues.

“Organizations across the country can do work to reduce the risks posed by climate change. Just as important as what we’re doing at the federal level are actions at the state, local and tribal levels,” said Paul Gunning, head of the Climate Change Division at EPA, in an interview with The Highlander.

At McLean’s first home football game of the season, students organized a school supplies drive for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. With help from McLean and Marshall football fans alike, McLean students collected hundreds of backpacks, notebooks, pens and pencils.

McLean is just one contributor to the efforts to combat the adverse effects of global warming. According to The Texas Tribune and USA Today, over 675 million dollars have been raised for Hurricane Harvey relief worldwide. This doesn’t account for the thousands of local goods drives, similar to the one conducted by McLean.

Though the threat of global warming cannot be understated, action across the world is promising. From notable accomplishments like the Paris Agreement to smaller scale ones like building-wide recycling programs and local fundraisers, progress is underway, with students at its forefront. “[The future generations] will find themselves paying for the mistakes of the past,” Murdock said. “If we don’t tell the government that we’re willing to [take on the burden], we’re going to find ourselves in a very bad place in 50 years.”

Page design by Bryan Chung

FEBRUARY | OPINIONS | 35

SPORTS

Boys basketball silencing critics Young, hungry squad rises from past futility

Fresh off a winless campaign. A 6-61 record over the past three years.

No region tournament appearances since 2014. For all these reasons, outsiders were quick to dismiss McLean basketball from contention before the season even began. Since then, McLean has not only won games, but they’ve burst back into relevance and deserve your attention. | JACKSON PAYNE MANAGING EDITOR |

36 | SPORTS | FEBRUARY

Big Red Machine

— Senior guard Andrew Lopez launches a pass and junior center.

Aaron Hale makes a layup against Langley on Jan. 12, a close game that McLean would ultimately lose 60-53. Confidence, experience and chemistry have propelled the Highlanders from the cellar all the way to playoff contention this season.

T

he Highlanders’ hard-fought 82-81 victory over Tuscarora on Dec. 1 was 665 days in the making.

Nearly two years after their previous win, snapping the longest losing streak in school history was just a preview of things to come for the young, surprising Highlander squad.

“Getting a win early in the year gave us confidence that this was not like last year and helped us learn as a team that we can play with anyone,” junior forward Evan Stout said. “The difference from last year is that we are more experienced, deeper and all in it together.”

Winless just a year ago, the Highlanders are currently a respectable 6-10 with key wins over teams such as Woodbridge, Herndon and Forest Park. Over winter break, McLean turned heads with an impressive Fairfax holiday tournament performance, finishing second to a strong Flint Hill team.

“Winning is a habit...It doesn’t just happen,” head coach Mike O’Brien said.

“They are still learning what it takes to win consistently. They know they can compete with teams.”

With just two seniors on the roster, the young team features 10 juniors, including point guard Matias Prock, a starter since his freshman year and the winner of the Fairfax holiday tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Guard Tucker Leggett and

forwards Brian Aka and Evan Stout also played considerable minutes last year as sophomores.

“We had four sophomores play more than expected last season,” O’Brien said. “That inexperience is hard to win with but it helped them be more prepared for this season. You can’t teach experience. Last year’s difficulties were this year’s gains.”

“We were confident throughout the offseason and knew we had a chip on our shoulder to prove we are a good team.”

-junior forward Evan Stout Experience has been everything for the Highlanders, who now have the confidence and discipline to take on tough opponents within the district.

“The first few games were eye-opening for us because we realized how much potential we have, and ever since then we have used our confidence to motivate us to get better,” junior center Aaron Hale said.

Five close losses by seven points or fewer to Marshall, Madison, Langley, WashingtonLee and Yorktown may show up as losses in their record, but the experience gained from

playing in those close game situations could be pivotal for the team when it matters most in the regional tournament, where O’Brien plans to take the team this year. “[Our goal is to] make the regional tournament,” O’Brien said. “To go from no wins to making the region would be a big step.”

In addition to keeping them in close games, players have given credit to O’Brien for motivating them to compete their hardest.

“Coach O’Brien has created a sense of competition in the team,” Hale said. “No one is guaranteed minutes—we all have to work for them. I think this is great because everyone gives it their all in practice in order to get a chance to play.”

“Coach has motivated us tremendously by making us work harder in practice, [and he] motivates us to pick up our teammates when they are down,” Stout said. “He has a lot of strengths as a coach such as putting us in positions to win depending on who we are playing. He gives it his all every game.”

Young, yet experienced and with a strong underclassmen group on its way, the future of McLean basketball promises to be bright.

“We may not be as athletic as some of the other teams,” Hale said, “but we will work harder than them both on and off the court.”

Photos by Anna Brykczynski Page design by Jackson Payne

FEBRUARY | SPORTS | 37

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Setting the bar high

Decorated gymnastics team succeeds through pressure Gymnastics Nation — Senior Lola Amaya performs her beam routine at the home meet on Jan. 18. Amaya

and her senior teammates have won two state titles over the course of their careers. (Photo by Anna Brykczynski) | JESSICA OPSAHL-ONG REPORTER | attitude that rubs off on all the girls, which encourages all of us to work hard and fter winning the state championship in accomplish all of our goals,” Simon said.

2015 and 2017, McLean gymnastics set An accomplished gymnast herself in high standards for this season. Their team, college, Mollé’s firsthand experience allows headed by coach Courtney Mollé, is training her to better understand the unique risks hard for the upcoming February meets, that gymnasts take to push themselves to which will include district, regional and state improve. competitions.

“Gymnastics is certainly a physical sport, “McLean gymnastics is a determined, but it is also an extremely mental sport. hard working team, and I have no doubt that Getting yourself to do skills on a four-inch we will rise to any challenge. We have a lot beam is not something that comes naturally, of potential and depth this year, making us so it is important to have a tough mindset a strong contender for states,” senior captain when doing gymnastics,” Simon said.

Carolyn Brown-Kaiser said.

The team has experienced consistent “[The team] knows what success over the years, but since Mollé was they are capable of... hired in 2009, they have been able to set themselves apart from the competition and the will to fight and put in secure two state titles.

110 percent effort is what “McLean gymnastics has been on the makes this team special.” rise for awhile and has always been tough competition for other schools, but our -head coach Courtney Mollé coach has done so much for the program in the past few years that has really helped the gymnastics team become number one in the Furthermore, the incredibly visual nature state,” senior captain Sam Simon said. of gymnastics makes mistakes obvious, and Mollé knows how to push the gymnasts, the prospect of errors are frightening for the and the results of her methods speak for gymnasts. themselves.

“Most gymnasts are perfectionists. They “[Mollé] has dedicated so much of her want every turn to be perfect,” Mollé said. time to pushing us towards the best gymnasts Aside from drilling on a routine, part of that we can be. She also has a really positive training lies in dealing with the pressure that

A

comes with being judged on high-risk moves.

“Keeping a positive attitude is something we focus a lot on as a team because it is reflected in our routines and it lessens the stress and pressure of the meet,” Simon said.

Mollé teaches techniques to help ease the stress surrounding competitions.

“Before every routine, [Mollé] has the gymnasts close their eyes and visualize themselves doing their routines,” BrownKaiser said. “This technique not only calms my nerves and relieves some of the pressure, but also provides me with confidence before my routine.”

All gymnasts have their own way to deal with the intensity of the meets, but Mollé believes in honing in on certain aspects to settle the nerves.

“The best way to approach fear is with a lot of determination and patience. Focus on progressions and lead up drills to get past the fear of a specific skill or mental block,” Mollé said.

What makes the team great is not just the coach, but the gymnasts who work hard to achieve the best they can. “[The team] knows what they are capable of, so fighting for every tenth [of a point] is what helps contribute to their success,” Mollé said. “You can’t win them all, but the will to fight and put in 110 percent effort is what makes this team so special.”

Page design by Jessica Opsahl-Ong

FEBRUARY | SPORTS | 39

Two Schools The introduction of the Chain Bridge Cup adds more hype to cross-town rivalry |JACK STENZEL SPORTS EDITOR|

The Prize

The Story

hen McLean and Langley compete against each other in any sport this year, there will be a lot more at stake than just bragging rights in the community.

“The Chain Bridge Cup is a year-long athletic competition with Langley in which points are awarded for wins when we compete against them in all of our fall, winter and spring sports,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. “If we compete against Langley twice in a sport, each game counts as one point. If we only play once, the game counts as two points.”

Miller believes the cup will add more life to the cross-town rivalry.

“It’s my hope that athletes will be more likely to attend a McLean/Langley rivalry game if they know a victory can have a positive impact on McLean athletics as a whole,” Miller said.

On Jan. 12, McLean basketball came into its match-up with Langley riding an undefeated record in district play and a 5-7 record overall. Langley looked to build on a 6-6 record while also remaining perfect within the Liberty district.

The rivalry is inherently special for the players, because it offers a unique playing environment.

“It’s against people we know well, like having friends on their team and in their crowd,” junior Matias Prock said.

The whole community feels a heightened sense of competitiveness during the intense, high-stakes games.

“Many of the students from both schools have known each other for a long time and this is just another way to add to what has been a great rivalry for many years,” Miller said.

W

Shoot and Score — Junior forward Brian Aka prepares to shoot against Langley on Jan. 12.

40 | SPORTS | FEBRUARY

One Trophy

The Legacy For over 60 years, athletics at McLean have been an integral part of the school’s mission to provide students with the best possible education.

“Studies have shown that kids who are involved in sports at the high school level have higher grades, score higher on tests, are more likely to go to college and have higher selfesteem,” Miller said.

For the key figures in McLean’s basketball community, the Chain Bridge Cup won’t change the already electric atmosphere that the rivalry naturally creates.

“The atmosphere for those games is always the same...the hype for Langley is incomparable,” McLean boys varsity basketball coach Mike O’Brien said. “[That hype] is a learning situation of how to play and stay focused with all the outside distractions before and during the games.”

Photos by Anna Brykczynski Page design & graphics by Bryan Chung

Looking to Rebound — The McLean student section cheers on the basketball teams as they take on Langley on Jan. 12. The boys lost 60-53 and girls fell 61-35 to strong Saxon sides.

Langley

McLean

Cheer (2 pts Districts) Boys Cross Country (2 pts Districts) Girls Cross Country (2 pts Districts) Football (2 pts Districts) Field Hockey (1 pt per game) Boys Golf (2 pts reg season match) Girls Volleyball (1 pt per game) Boys Basketball (1 pt per game) Girls Basketball (1 pt per games) FEBRUARY | SPORTS | 41

z t i w o k s o M la

Kae te of the Issue Athle

enior Grade: S sketball Sport: Ba Guard Shooting Position:

What are your responsibilities as a captain?

To help represent the team and make sure that everybody’s doing what they need to do on the court.

Are you planning on playing in college?

I don’t want to play for the university team, but I also want to keep playing, so I’m probably going to play intramural.

What is your pre-game ritual?

Playing music and just talking through our goals for the team that we’re going to bring into the game.

What has been your biggest challenge with basketball?

The biggest challenge for me was getting over my back injury and working myself back into the game.

Who has been a mentor for you?

My AAU coach, Jeremy Paul, has been a mentor to me because he has helped me to gain my confidence that I need on the court to play to my full potential.

What was your favorite moment on the team?

My favorite moment on the high school team was when Brooke [Barlow] burned herself with pain-free wax and she actually got a third degree burn.

What is your favorite part of the sport in general?

The team aspect of the game. I met some of my closest friends from basketball, and I like the competition.

Who is your favorite basketball player and how have they impacted you?

When I was younger, my favorite player was Martell Webster, who played for the Wizards, because even though he didn’t play that much, he always put in the work. He also inspired me as an athlete because of the way he bounced back from injuries and never let them hold him back.

What is your post-game jam?

I listen to a playlist called “Good Jams” that I made on Spotify and it’s mostly early 2000s hip-hop. ay Tournament 16 at the Holid 20 m a te nt e ay Tournament All-Tournam 17 at the Holid 20 m a te nt e Reporting by Haru Kato All tournam

Accolades:

Photo by Anna Bryckzynski Page design by Bryan Chung

FEBRUARY | SPORTS | 43

THE

FINISH LINE Highlander athletes answer tough questions

KYRA BOLDEN FRESHMAN BASKETBALL

JERRICK BRAVO SOPHOMORE INDOOR TRACK

If you could date any celebrity who would it be?

SARA VAVONESE JUNIOR GYMNASTICS

SPENCER LUKEHART SENIOR SWIM

What’s the dumbest way you’ve been injured?

Trevor Jackson

I fell out of a window when I was 4 and scarred my forehead

Taylor Swift all the way

I was riding my bike up a hill with a backpack on and I fell

Justin Bieber

Tripping on a curb

Alexandra Daddario

On the bunny slope

What body part would you not mind losing?

If you had a million dollars what would you buy first?

Left pinky toe

A lot of food

My nose because I could walk around looking like Voldemort

Extra Wii controllers for when my friends come over

What are your favorite Appendix

Plane ticket to the Maldives

My left hand

An apartment in Charleston

44 | SPORTS | FEBRUARY

Page design by Bryan Chung Photos & reporting by Emma Johnson