Hawk Talk February 2020

The Hawk Talk 2500 James Madison Drive Vienna, Virginia

Pages 10-11: A discussion of the various approaches schools use to combat gun violence

James Madison High School February 7, 2020

Preface

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Hawk Talk

Dear Madison, This cycle, our In-Depth spread investigates a topic that affects almost every student in America: security measures and drills taken to combat gun violence in schools. Turn to pages 10-11 to read about some of the measures taken in schools around the country, including Madison and Fairfax County, to address increasing gun violence in schools.

Flip to our News section to learn about Fairfax County’s recent approval of a policy that will allow students to miss a half day of school for participation in civic engagement policies, another policy that could affect every student. However, many students may have to find alternate transportation if they plan to use the Metro to attend a protest in D.C., as the Vienna Metro station will be closing for the summer, starting on Memorial Day. Also in our News section, read about U.S. Rep. McEachin of Virginia’s progressive climate bill and Instagram’s testing of a new policy that would hide the “likes” count from users.

Although summer is far from here, many Madison students already have plans for the summer and beyond. Read about two committed Madison athletes’ reflections on memorable moments in their high school careers and their plans for the future in our Sports section. Our Lifestyle and Entertainment sections also include a bit of reflection, as some of our editors and staffers look back on the biggest fashion moments of the last decade and their most-listened-to artists and songs, respectively. Scan the Spotify Code to listen to some of their favorites, but make sure to use the search feature in the Spotify app.

Even though the weather might suggest otherwise, we are in the middle of winter, and as such, it seems fitting that we include at least a mention to winter break. Check out Features to learn about three Madison students’ trips around the world over the break. Unfortunately, winter break had to end, but we hope everyone has been able to transition back to the school schedule. Part of that readjustment probably meant reviewing material from before the break in preparation for upcoming exams and, possibly, retakes. Our Opinion section

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explores the advantages and disadvantages of Madison’s retake policy.

We round out this issue with a dive into several Vienna institutions. Flip to Community to read about three of these spots and learn about the rich history and cultural relevance of some of most historic locations in our town.

As always, a huge thank you to our readers, patrons, staff and adviser.

Sincerely, Christina Luckett & Stephen Desmarais

Jane Miscavage Sridevi Joshi Michael & Ellen Brown Patricia Kambrod Catherine Yeagle Christina Pisani Risa May Gayle Schlueter

Online Editor-in-Chief

Christina Luckett Stephen Desmarais

Caroline Scheider-Williams

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2500 James Madison Drive Vienna, VA 22181

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Print Editors-in-Chief Christina Luckett (’21) and Stephen Desmarais (’20) and Online Editor-in-Chief Caroline Scheider-Williams (’20) still hope for a snow day, despite the warm weather.

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Entertainment Spencer Todd Bridget Levesque

Sports Sophie Shayne Josh Brown

Lifestyle

In-Depth

Kirsten Carl Mia Pisani Eva Ponos

Krutika Joshi Rachel Schlueter

Features Jordan Roller Trish Truong

Art Director Naarada Samarasinghe

Community

Digest

Jillian Geib

Ethan deBorja

Fact Checkers Madison Dietrich Aida Araia

Staff Reporters Josephine Eason Ethan Qin

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is a public forum published by the students of James Madison High School. The publication aims for objectivity in its news reporting.

Any opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the staff unless otherwise indicated.

Submission Policy: Letters to the Editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously. However, The Hawk Talk also reserves the right not to print letters received. Letters and guest columns as well as any feedback or advertising requests can be emailed to thehawktalk@ gmail.com or hand delivered to an editor or advisor in the Hawk Talk room (167).

Digest

2.7.20

INSIDE this Issue

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Vienna Metro Closing

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The Hawk Talk Online Visit us at warhawknews.com Instagram: @jmhshawktalk Twitter: @madisonhawktalk

“Does orange juice even have pulp?”

28 Billion streams on Spotify credited to Drake last decade

In-Depth: Combating Gun Violence in School

CHECK THIS

kes me a m N P V g “Usin feel smart.”

“You are so dry.”

15 Retake Policy

9 Total Star Wars movies with the addition of “Rise Of Skywalker”

10-11

Students Visit From Costa Rica

Years Baby Yoda has been alive

ce as me.” a f e m a s the “You have “Its pretty dark milk.”

Madison Swimmers Take On Olympic Qualifiers

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Madison’s Favorite Computer Games

OUT

“You can’t Renegade right.”

“Lunch moves very quickly through me.”

18 Baby Yoda Mania

20 Staples of Vienna

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News Vienna Metro station to close in summer of 2020 2.7.20

By SONIA SAMANTAROY & NAARADA SAMARASINGHE Art Director & News Editor

The Vienna Metro Station will close this summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day as part of Metro’s Platform Improvement Project. The Vienna station, along with the Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church stations, will undergo various repairs and reconstruction on their platforms, but West Falls Church will remain open to serve as the western terminus of the Orange Line. Trains will continue to run through East Falls Church station while it is closed to limit service impacts outside the development region.

“

I will carpool instead of using another metro station out of convenience because other stations are too far away.”

- Emily Kinsely (’22)

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The Vienna metro station will be closing for renovations, causing many commuters to make alternative plans for transportation.

This is the second part of Metro’s Platform Improvement Project, the first of which was held last summer from May 25 to Sept. 9, with repairs and additions taking place in stations throughout the Blue and Yellow lines.

In these stations, slip-resistant tiles, mezzanine areas, stainless-steel platform shelters with charging outlets, additional passenger information display screens, LED lighting and new speakers were installed, all of which can be expected after renovations throughout this coming summer. In 2019, the renovations caused a 10% drop in Metro ridership across Virginia as many switched to cars and busses.

The Orange line allows adults and students to travel from Vienna through the metropolitan area and back as an eco-friendly, less congested and more efficient form of transportation when compared to motor vehicles. The closure announcement has caused many to predict that both the Tysons Corner and Reston stations will become crowded over the summer, as many workers traveling to the D.C. area will need to find another way to board the metro.

“I will carpool instead of using another metro station out of convenience because other stations are too

far away,” Emily Kinsley (’22).

In addition to workers commuting to work in the city, some students use the metro to go to Washington, D.C. for internships over the summer.

Because many of the stations going under repair have more passengers and go through larger stations than the ones renovated last year, many presume that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will lose an even larger percentage of their ridership than last year.

There are ways WMATA has planned to offset this loss of ridership in the past. When several Blue and Yellow lines closed in the summer of 2019, in an effort to encourage many regular commuters to board metro shuttles, the transit agency allowed for free parking in several stations under repair. While this strategy may have resulted in an estimated sum of $2 million in losses of funds from the previous year, it also permitted WMATA to keep many of their regular passengers through three months of repairs. Cost is an incentive for a faster finish as the longer the metro station is closed, the more money they will lose.

IMAGE COURTESY OF PIXABAY.COM

Instagram limits view of “likes” for mental health reasons

By JILLIAN GEIB Community Editor

Instagram’s experimentation with a new policy that would hide the ‘likes’ feature results in backlash from influencers.

Popular social media app Instagram has implemented its biggest change yet: preventing users from viewing the “likes” accrued on posts from other accounts. The goal of this change, according to the platform’s developers, is to discourage users from focusing on the number of likes their friends are accumulating, ultimately easing some of the stress caused by what many see as a fierce popularity contest. With the change, account-holders will still have access to their own metrics but will no longer be able to view the number of likes on someone else’s post.

“Taking away likes will reduce competition between users, which will change the platform because standards will become lower,” Anisa Nanavati (’21) said.

Some of the platform’s most prominent influencers have been critical of the change, as many companies take users’ ratings into account when considering brand deals. Rapper Cardi B also pointed out that hateful comments have the greatest potential to cause emotional harm, more so than an unsatisfying number of likes. Psychologists and Instagram users alike have acknowledged that issues resulting from cyberbullying and feeling left out remain unresolved. However, both parties agree that

hiding likes will still lead to improvements in mental health.

ple, and I do not really think that it will have a positive impact in the long run.”

“

Taking away likes will reduce competition between users, which will change the platform because standards will become lower.”

- Anisa Nanavati (’21) Instagram has already experimented with hiding likes in seven different countries, including Canada and Australia.

“The people who base their self-worth on numbers of likes will not be able to use Instagram that way anymore, but they will probably find another way,” Nanavati said. “I think taking away likes is kind of coddling peo-

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News FCPS allows students to miss school for protests 2.7.20

By SPENCER TODD Entertainment Editor

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After Fairfax County Public Schools approved a policy that permits students miss half a day of school to attend protests.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) made headlines on Dec. 18 after approving a new policy that would allow students to miss half of a school day in order to attend “civic engagement activities.” With the rise of activists such as Greta Thunberg and the Parkland Survivors, many students have become involved in political protests and activism. However, in order to attend protests before the new policy was announced, students either had to find an excuse to leave school early or accept an unexcused absence.

The policy was first proposed in early 2019 by Former At-Large School Board Member McElveen but was originally put on hold. The school board revisited the proposal on Oct. 2 and began considering it before it’s

official approval on Dec. 18. The policy itself officially took effect on Jan. 27, 2020.

“

SINCE FCPS IS SUCH A BIG COUNTY, LETTING ITS STUDENTS PARTAKE IN MORAL PROTEST HAS THE POTENTION TO BE REALLY IMPACTFUL.”

- Katie Monacella (’21)

Monacella said. “It’s amazing that this opportunity is available now and if it’s used to its fullest potential, it could cause a lot of positive change in Fairfax County.”

In order to take advantage of the policy, students must have a legal guardian fill out a pre-arranged absence form and must provide proof that they will be attending the protest.

“For protests to be effective they need to happen often and with increased intensity each time, so half of a day is not enough for change to actually happen, but I’m glad to see FCPS become a leader in this,” Monacella said.

The response over the new policy at Madison was generally positive, with many students excited to use the policy to attend protests in the future.

“I think it’s great. We’re always taught in school to participate in our community and our government, and civil disobedience is an essential part of that,” Katie Monacella (’21) said. “Since FCPS is such a large county, allowing its students to partake in moral protest has the potential to be really impactful.”

Monacella has been very active in political protests over her years in high school, so the new policy came as a relief, as it meant unexcused absences would no longer be an issue. She intends to utilize the policy to attend climate change marches, such as the Earth Day events later in the year.

“I think now that people know that they’re able to miss school to protest, they’ll be more willing to do it,” PHOTOS BY ETHAN QIN

US Rep. McEachin introduces progressive climate bill

By KATIE BARTLETT Opinion Editor

Virginia Rep. Don McEachin proposes climate change bill set to make the United States achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.

Congressman Donald A. McEachin introduced a new climate change bill on Nov. 21 with ambitious country-wide goals to drastically reduce U.S. carbon emissions.

McEachins “100% Clean Economy Act of 2019,” bill is sponsored by over 150 House representatives, and it’s objective is to achieve a 100% clean energy U.S economy by 2050. All seven of the Virginian Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors, but any House Republicans have yet to endorse it. The bill plans to protect the environment while strengthening the economy by creating well-paying green jobs and lessening the impacts of climate change for generations. Laying out principles for federal agency action, the act will improve public health

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR LAWMAKERS TO WRITE LEGISLATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THEY ARE THE ONES WHO CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

“

- Maya Smart (’21)

and resilience, especially for low-income communities which have been disproportionately affected by the results of climate change.

The 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 is less ambitious than the Green New Deal, proponents of which include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders.

While the Green New Deal pushes for 100% renewable energy by 2030, McEachin proposes that his bill “is still ambitious and it’s very consistent with what scientists tell us we have to achieve.”

In 2018, the U.N. released a report stating that major climate catastrophes would ensue if global greenhouse emissions were not cut by 45% by 2030 and that a global emission of net-zero is required by 2050. The U.S. is one of the leading contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, but this bill would set the U.S. on a path towards net-zero emissions. A 100% clean energy economy for the U.S. would mean a transition from fossil fuels like oil and coal to more sustainable—both environmentally and economically—energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

Many Madison students are excited by the prospect.

“It is important for lawmakers to write legislation about climate change because ultimately they are the ones who can make a difference,” Maya Smart (’21) said.

Madison clubs such as Amnesty International and Students for Environmental Action (SEA) contribute as much as they can by organizing cleanups and spreading accurate information, but policy makers have the ability to foster more efficient steps towards a cleaner climate.

“I hope that lawmakers from both sides of the aisle can come together to support this bill,” Smart said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA MERCURY

Rep. McEachin speaks in front of the Virginia Capitol

Sports

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Madison swimmers compete in Olympic Qualifier Anna Keating

Elizabeth Kuhlkin

Alexandra Dicks

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Madison Swim and Dive team member Anna Keating (‘20) has been swimming since she was eight years old, and competing from the age of 12. On December 4th Keating attended the four day Toyota U.S. Open Championship meet in Atlanta, with goals to get her best times and improve her racing technique. The event was a 2020 U.S Olympic qualifying meet but Keating had already qualified for Olympic Trials a few years ago, so this year she attended to build on her experience.

“The atmosphere is so cool at those meets because you get to see the best swimmers in the world and it really inspires you and shows you that you could be like them someday if you work hard enough,” said Keating.

Even long-time swimmers such as herself can stand to learn a lot just from being present at meets such as these. By watching the more seasoned athletes you can learn about warm up/warm down schedules that work well, as well as other ways to prepare for races, Keating said.

Currently a senior, Keating has plans to continue swimming in college, with a near future goal for the Olympic Trials in June of this year.

“I have some big goals and I am looking forward to seeing what I can do,” said Keating.

The 2019 U.S. Open Swimming Championship Tournament welcomed Alexandra Dicks (’21), a threetime All-American and Madison record-holder, as she participated in this internationally renowned event, placing in the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle.

“Qualifying has been a goal for me ever since I was little,” Dicks said. “I hope to qualify some time this year; I am only three tenths of a second away from the qualifying time.”

Dicks started swimming full-time about two years ago, amassing numerous regional and state victories along with creating a large group of friends that share a communal passion for swimming.

“The highlight of my meet was getting to meet all of the professionals I see on TV and look up to. It was super cool to watch all of the world record holders race,” Dicks said.

Her determination and tenacity has granted her innumerable accomplishments and triumphs while still maintaining her academic success. Dicks was taken aback by her results at the U.S. Open, however she is still committed to achieving her goals.

“In the future, I hope to improve in the sport even further and most importantly have fun with it,” Dicks said.

Many understand the anxiety and exhilaration of trying out for a sport, but few could fathom the prospect of testing their skills for the renowned Olympic games.

For Madison swimmer Elizabeth Kuhlkin (’20), however, this prospect became a phenomenal reality after traveling to compete in the Toyota U.S. Open Championship meet.

“It was kind of crazy to warm up in the same lane as Olympic champions and see them walking around the pool,” Kuhlkin said. “You get a little starstruck, but then you realize that they are just regular people who were in your shoes once.”

Undoubtedly, competing at such a high level takes years of hard work and dedication. The William and Mary commit began her remarkable career as a little kid in her neighborhood pool, later joining Machine Aquatics, a major competitive swim team in Northern Virginia Overall, Kuhlkin was happy with her performance at the Olympic-qualifier meet, though her fondest memories lie outside the pool.

“Spending time with my teammates was definitely a highlight,” Kuhlkin said. “I also got to hang out with some of the people who I’ll be swimming with in college next year, so that was cool.”

Social media shapes sports fan experience

By ETHAN QIN Staff Reporter

The sports world blends with social platforms as technology evolves.

As we progress further into the age of technology, social media and phone usage will unsurprisingly play an even larger part in our daily lives. With that, big entertainment industries like sports as a whole, have seen an exponential growth in fan engagement.

Social media is one of the most important tools for sports; fans can follow their favorite teams and athletes, all the while getting instantaneous reports on their desired sports content. With social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, fans can like, post, and share any and all sports content they want. Social media is not only a useful tool for fans but for sports organizations as well. Sports organizations can use social media as an avenue to better their relationship with the public, reduce their marketing cost, and even increase total sales.

Athletes are considered some of the most influential public figures, and immense pressure comes with their public image. While professional athletes make a lot of money in comparison to the average person, a large part of their overall salary comes from social media endorsements. Cristiano Ronaldo, a soccer player who has amassed over 200 million followers on Instagram, gets paid 750 thousand dollars for every post on his Instagram account. He gets paid the third most per post out of all celebrities, only losing out to Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez.

Social media is also the easiest way for athletes to not only connect with their fans but use their platform to help others and promote causes that they care about.

All the time, professional athletes use their social media platform to advocate for charities, and most of the times, the athletes themselves are the entire reason that the charities are successful.

“Social media gives exposure to professional athletes, and it’s a great way for people to see how they conduct themselves on and off the field,” Samantha Constantine (’21) said. “Social media just gives us easy access to watch and experience that.”

Constantine, committed to New Jersey Institute of Technology for soccer, is currently the goalkeeper for the girls varsity soccer team. Though she expressed social media was a positive influence on sports as a whole, it was evident that social media played little to no part in her recruitment process for a Madison athlete like herself.

“Don’t use social media as your only way of communication to colleges, so make sure you’re reaching out in other ways,” Constantine said. “Also make sure you don’t have anything bad on your social media, like anything that could hurt you.”

For normal high school athletes, it is clear that social media should not be the main way of commu-

nication with colleges. High school athletes should be reaching out on their own to put themselves in a better position to get noticed and recruited.

As for sports as a whole, social media is the beginning of a new age within sports -a new dawn of instantaneous sports updates that streamlines the sharing of content in a way that draws an even larger fan engagement, that ultimately should be considered a betterment for the entire industry.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SPORTS DIGEST

Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. takes a selfie with a fan.

Sports Committed Athletes Reflect 2.7.20

By CAROLINE SCHEIDER-WILLIAMS Online Editor-In-Chief

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Committed student athletes reflect on important moments in their high school careers.

Paige Williams

Paige Williams (’20), a member of the Madison lacrosse team, has committed to play at Christopher Newport University (CNU) next year. CNU, which is an NCAA Division III school in Virginia, is a place where she looks forward to playing with Madison alumni Zoe Dyer (‘18), bonding with new teammates and improving her athletic skills. While excited by what the new opportunities college will bring, Williams reflects on her time at Madison.

“Madison has shaped my athletic career by helping me learn the balance between school and sports all while keeping my physical performance at a peak,” Williams said.

Williams, an Under Armour All-American player, says some of her highlights throughout her time at Madison include playing for the D.C. Command team in the All-American tournament in 2017, and placing second in the conference meet sophomore year.

Unfortunately, Williams injured her hip last year, requiring hip surgery and her to take the season off. However, the culture of the team kept her involved.

“Some of the biggest takeaways have been that your team comes first and that practice should be seen as a distraction from negatives, not a negative itself,” Williams said.

Her dedication and commitment to the Madison lacrosse team has helped them succeed in recent years. However, she is also grateful for the things that Madison has been able to do to help her succeed in her academic pursuits.

“Madison has prepared me for this commitment by helping me find a school that fits my academic needs and taking classes to make me excel in the future,” Williams said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIGE WILLIAMS

Carolyn Scott

Carolyn Scott (’20), a member of the Madison Volleyball team, has committed to Skidmore College, a NCAA Division III school in New York.

“I could say I was a volleyball recruit, but I really wasn’t guaranteed an acceptance just because I was committed to the team,” Scott said. “Madison is very academically competitive and prepared me to go after my college of choice by pushing me academically.”

Scott has competed with the volleyball team all four years, two on Junior Varsity and two on Varsity. She has had success in her time here at Madison, one of her highlights include beating Oakton this past fall. However, Scott accredits it all to her team.

“Volleyball is such a team-oriented sport that any success or failure really rests with the whole team,” Scott said. “The game we won against Oakton this season was really fun. The whole team did really well.”

In reflecting on her time at Madison, Scott emphasizes the numerous lessons the sport taught her throughout the years, particularly lessons about learning seniority to supporting and helping the younger players.

“This is something that really teaches you how to respect your seniors, while also playing against girls who are at a higher level than you,” Scott said. “It also then teaches you how to help and be patient when younger players need a bit more time to adjust.”

Scott’s experience at Madison has helped her develop skills that she’ll be able to utilize in her future. At Skidmore, she plans to pursue Environmental Science and Asian Studies in addition to playing volleyball.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN SCOTT

Popularity Surrounding VYI Boys Basketball

By KIRSTEN CARL Lifestyle Editor

Hype around VYI Boys Basketball has increased with fans and social media.

The Vienna Youth Incorporated basketball for 1112th grade boys has been getting lots of attention recently and has built up a large fan base of high schools students. The players put on a show, and the energy they receive back from the crowd helps motivate them to play better. Because the boys are around the same age and are close friends, they have a competitive edge that proves to be an advantage on the court.

“Being able to play on a team with a bunch of your friends as well as playing against your friends is what makes VYI so special and also so competitive,” Mark Quantrille (‘21) said.

He plays for the Spruce 69ers, who’s team color is blue spruce. Quantrille has noticed that the friendship between the boys also helps them play better, gravitating a large crowd to the games.

“We love to have fans at our games cause it really adds to the hype and makes you want to play better,” Quantrille said. The boys feel that crowds and fans brings their playing to the next level.

Another driving point for the boy’s motivation and

fan base is the Instagram account, vyireport, which posts game updates, player highlights, VYI news and playing times. This acts as a platform for elevated social advertisement. The account is run by VYI league players and has approximately 457 followers. Posted game times advertise each game and draws out the big crowds.

Sam Nunez plays point guard for the Spruce 69ers and has invested friendships with the boys on the team.

“The best part about our team is that we are all friends and we have fun playing with each other,” Nunez (’21) said.

Established friendships are things that not all teams have, so the boys being friends is a unique trait they celebrate. The friendships add another layer of devotion to the team. Nunez also finds that the team’s fan base helps to keep the game enjoyable and fierce.

“Having fans at the game makes the game a lot more fun because we all play better and there is heckling which makes the game more competitive,” Nunez said.

As fans are attracted to the games, the team can improve their game play and put on a show for the crowds.

The boys continue to play together and have left quite an impression on the court. As the team has progressed, they have built up a fan base and support from social media. This has helped them flourish and play at their best.

“We’re all friends and we have fun while we play,” Nunez said.

A crowd of Madison students intensely watch a basketbell game PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK QUANTRILLE in the Vienna Community Center.

In-Depth

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Combatting Gun Vio

By KRUTIKA JOSHI & RACHEL SCHLUETER In-Depth Editors

On Feb. 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fl. Seventeen students died, and 14 were wounded. This week marks the two-year anniversary of this tragedy.

Since 1970, the U.S. has experienced 1,316 school shootings. Eighteen percent of these occurred after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In 2020 thus far, Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that researches gun violence, has recorded four incidents involving guns in school settings, including one death. With a government bitterly divided on gun control legislation, the responsibility of implementing preventive and protective measures to avert such crises falls upon schools. As such, school districts around the country have implemented mandatory safety procedures, such as lockdown drills.

Lockdown Drills

Lockdown drills and other security procedures at Madison are mandated by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) through the state of Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly requires all schools to hold four lockdown drills each year. Lockdown drills have been in use since the 1950s during the Cold War when fears of nuclear bombings were at their height. These drills help prepare and instruct students on what to do if an internal threat is present in the building or if there is an external threat, like a robbery, nearby. At Madison, drills begin with an announcement from a faculty member. Teachers then lock their doors, close the blinds, turn off the lights, and gather students into a corner of the room. Administrators and security personnel come around to each classroom to ensure that the door is locked and that students are not within the line of sight of doors and windows. Madison faculty works to make these drills as realistic as possible to give students and teachers a practical way .

“I think lockdown drills help students overall because, since we do them regularly, if a shooting ever does happen, the student, even if panicking, knows the procedure well and knows how to get to a safer location,” Cameron Buchanan (’21) said.

Lockdown drills train students and faculty to protect themselves and remain calm under pressure with repetition. However, when people fail to take lockdowns seriously, the security team says then can fail to be a practical way to rehearse defense against an internal threat.

“We need everyone to take every drill we have here seriously,” security team supervisor Tony Thomas said. “We need the teachers to take it seriously; we need the students to take it seriously because you never know when it [a school shooting] is going to happen. For any drill, we want to take that full force and be serious about it.”

Active Shooter Drills Lockdown drills are the method FCPS uses to simulate an active shooter situation. However, some schools in other parts of the U.S. take a different approach by implementing active shooter drills. Active shooter drills first surfaced after the Columbine massacre in 1999 and became popularized after the Parkland shooting two years ago. In an active shooter drill, adults replicate a school shooting through roleplay. A fake shooter is armed with a pellet gun that shoots plastic pellets and emits gunfire sounds. Students are taught to run or hide, barricade doors and remain calm but responsive.

These drills are most commonly practiced unannounced and with varying degrees of intensity, depending on the school. In some drills, students play dead if ‘shot,’ faculty use fake blood, and teachers and students fight the attacker.

While some schools administer their own active shooter drills, many hire the assistance of third party organizations, the leading one being ALICE Training Institute. ALICE, an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate, certifies instructors who then carry out the drills. Gunshot sounds echo throughout hallways, the attacker shoots with plastic pellets, which reportedly sting, and students and teachers attempt to take on the gunman. Some schools store cans or rocks in classrooms to throw as a defense.

These drills differ starkly from lockdowns in that they reportedly create a highly tense and chaotic environment. In traditional lockdown drills, doors are locked, windows are covered, and students quietly huddle in the corner of the classroom. However, many worry that this passive nature of lockdowns is the exact flaw in their effectiveness. By contrast, in active shooter drills, students and teachers can be seen running, throwing items, hiding or fighting the attacker. That being said, active shooter drills face equal amounts of, if not more, backlash, primarily for the inadvertent psychological damage they are reported to cause. According to the Tampa Bay Times, during an unannounced active shooter drill in Short Pump, VA, students burst into tears and texted their parents good-bye messages.

This caused an outcry from parents who reported the severe emotional ramifications the drill had on their children. Despite this, proponents of active shooter drills claim that such intensity is necessary. They argue that in the event of a real shooting, students would be forced to cope with the trauma anyways, so at least they will be prepared.

Though FCPS does not perform active shooter drills, some students have voiced that the drills could prove to be an effective way to prepare for a school shooting. However, some think the benefits of these drills are outweighed by the negative effects they could have on student and faculty mental health.

“I think doing a relative reenactment like that [an active shooter drill] could potentially help, but it also could do some harm,” Buchanan said. “It’d help students get used to being under pressure from a shooter and get used to the site of ‘blood,’ however there’s also the fact that this could scare many students due to its realness.”

Structural Security

Security drills, like lockdowns and active shooter drills, are a way to prepare for potential gun violence in schools. But Madison also uses other methods to prevent a potential school shooting, like locking doors, both outside and classroom, at all times.

“In the past, some doors would be locked while others would be unlocked,” School Resource Officer (SRO) Brett Manthe said. “Now, all the doors are locked. In a panic situation, being able to lock the door, even though it’s such a simple task, can actually be difficult to do. Trying to lock it under panic, you’d be surprised at how hard that can be.”

Locked doors became an FCPS policy as a direct response to the Columbine school shooting, which claimed the lives of 13 people and injured 21 others.

Madison is also equipped with many security cameras throughout the hallways, gyms, the cafeteria, and other rooms. The security cameras allow for a select number of Madison faculty, like the security team and administrators, to monitor activity and movement inside and outside of the school. The cameras are also equipped with motion sensors, so in a lockdown situation, the cameras will be notified when there is any sort of movement.

“Five years ago, if we were in a lockdown and the police were here, because the building is so big, they’d be walking around the school blindly trying to pinpoint where the threat was,” Hood said. “But now it’s instant to find where that threat is. I’m not saying people can’t be harmed because people anywhere can be harmed, but it allows us to be much quicker and faster to alleviate the situation.”

Threat Assessment

Another method of gun violence prevention that Madison and FCPS utilizes is threat assessment.

During the Reagan era, in an effort to maintain safe and healthy school environments, Congress passed laws such as the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994, which imposed harsh punishments on students who committed serious offenses. Thus emerged the term “zero tolerance,” which refers to school policies that assign set severe punishments for specific crimes without considering any circumstances or rationale. In recent years, the qualification of such offenses has broadened

to include minor vio without a doctor’s n denounced, as it di nature harms studen One such rehabilitat The steps of t student poses, deter of action that protec student. The goal of schools by identifyi them with avenues assemble threat asse health professionals to the team’s attenti the school’s commu made impulsively bu made with sustained accordingly through or other courses. Suc important element in manner.

In FCPS, the Vir all public schools t that legislation was have operative threa education. At Madiso administrators, scho Additionally, the par to be a part of the the Virginia Center application, impleme

Studen

Threat assessm many students can a teachers, and admini can report any signs number and email to Department. Student 2342 and leave anon In addition to t being responsible wh “Security of the responsibility,” Man and let someone in knocking. I know it the door, like someb a student, and you le Students sh get something from “What stude the time, is when k something, like their see doors get proppe Joseph Fernandez sa and go to their car, building.”

Whether or not drills, threat assessm become distressed o for others, it seems n their best in protec experimenting with hope that schools ca

2.7.20

In-Depth

11

olence In Schools 37% 57% 58%

olations such as skipping class or carrying medication note. Today, the use of zero tolerance policies is widely isproportionately targets minorities and its punitive nts who could benefit from more rehabilitative policies. tive alternative is threat assessment. threat assessment are threefold: identify the threat a rmine the seriousness of the threat, and devise a course cts possible victims and extends help to the threatening this violence prevention strategy is to ensure safety in ing foreseeable problems with students and providing to address the underlying reason. Schools generally essment teams comprising school administrators, mental s, and law enforcement officers. Threats are brought ion by students, teachers or virtually any member of unity. They are then classified as transient, i.e. a threat ut with no serious intention, or substantive, i.e. a threat d intent and detailed planning. Officials then take action h conflict resolution, medical prescriptions, supervision, ch threat assessment is increasingly considered to be an n maintaining school safety in a supportive and healthy

rginia General Assembly passed legislation that required to assemble threat assessment teams. Then in 2013, enacted in an effort to make Virginia the first state to at assessment teams in all public institutions of higher on, the threat assessment team is comprised of school ool clinicians, like a social worker and psychologist. rent of the student being assessed is typically invited process. The Virginia General Assembly also created for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS) to study the entation, and policies of threat assessment in schools.

of Madison students feel that Madison’s security drills prepare students for a potential school shooting*

64% of Madison students worry about the potential for a school shooting occurring at Madison*

of Madison students feel that safety at Madison could be improved by the implementation of active shooter drills*

58%

of Madison students think participating in an active shooter drill could have a negative psychological effect on them*

*According to a survey of 222 Madison students

of Madison students feel that the Madison staff would not be prepared in the event of an active shooter*

nt Involvement

ment is a policy controlled by security and faculty, but also take action to help Madison stay safe. All students, istrators have access to anonymous tip lines where they s or warnings of danger. These tip lines include a phone o FCPS and a phone number to the Fairfax County Police ts can also call Tony Thomas’ office phone at (703) 319nymous tips. tip lines, students can also help secure the building by hen it comes to opening doors or leaving the building. e building falls on us by title, but it’s also everybody’s nthe said. “For example students sometimes walk over n that they don’t know just because they’re outside may seem mean, but if there’s a stranger knocking on body who doesn’t look like or you don’t recognize to be et them in, our secure building has been violated.” hould also be cautious when leaving to go outside and their cars or leave school. ents also need to keep in mind, and we see this all kids go out to their car in the parking lot to retrieve r phone or even to leave and come back to campus, we ed open with stones or pebbles,” security team member aid. “Between the time that they prop that door open that’s an opportunity for a stranger to come into the

t schools should implement lockdowns, active shooter ment is an ongoing debate. For many, it seems futile to over the mere possibility of a school shooting; however, necessary that schools assume the worst and put forth cting schools. Regardless, officials country-wide are different safety and prevention procedures with the an become that much safer for students.

ILLUSTRATION BY NAARADA SAMARASINGHE

Features

12

Winter break vacations around the world

By TRISH TRUONG & SONIA SAMANTAROY Features Editor & News Editor

Read how three Madison students spent their winter break in different destination vacation spots.

ISRAEL

Mati Turunen (’22) traveled to Finland to visit his grandparents and celebrate his grandfather’s birthday.

The trip wasn’t his first time there but it was still interesting and fun.

“Since I have gone to Finland to visit my grandparents a few times before, it wasn’t incredibly new, but it’s still a great time compared to sitting around at home.”

Turunen said.

Unlike some people who travel to a warmer place for winter break, Turunen went to a colder place to enjoy his break.

“I mostly just enjoyed the massive amounts of snow,” Turunen said. “I went sledding almost every single day when I was there.”

Traveling to different places around the world is a good way to experience and learn new things.

“Since I’ve grown up with Finnish culture nothing was too new, but slight unsettling differences in Finland like the weird traffic lights never fail to freak me out,” Turunen said.

Finland

HAWAII Finland PHOTO COURTESY OF SASHA TEPP

A picture of Masada, an important ancient fortess in Israel.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SASHA TEPP

A scenic view of the Dome of the Rock.

For this winter break, Sasha Tepp (22’) travelled to Israel; a place that was abundant in both history and religion. Sasha and her extended family went to multiple cities in the small country. They started off in Tel Aviv, a small coastal city, then made the drive to Safed, the Sea of Galilee, and then to Jerusalem, the capital. Throughout their vacation, they went on multiple tours and looked at some of the many ruins in the Jerusalem. A highlight of the trip was swimming in the Dead Sea; a body of water that is so salty that fish and plants cannot exist.

“It was very strange because it was so salty that it was almost physically impossible to drown,” Tepp said. “However, you could only stay in it for 5 minutes because it is bad for your skin.”

During her vacation in Israel, the conflict with Iraq was in full motion. There was some concern of Iraq shooting down Israeli planes.

“I learned more about the political situation in Israel,” Tepp said.

“The conflict with Iran was happening at the same time we were on the plane so it was a bit scary.”

Hawk Talk

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYLVIA DIXON

Sylvia Dixon (22) swimming with a turtle in Hawaii.

FINLAND

PHOTO COURTESY OF CNN.COM

The Helsinki Cathedra in Helsinki, Finland.

Over winter break, Sylvia Dixon (’22) went to Maui, Hawaii to celebrate Christmas instead of making her usual visit to her grandma in Florida. As a Christmas present from her parents, Dixon and her family flew to Hawaii with their cousins and grandma to relax and spend some quality time together.

“It was really nice to take time off from school, volleyball, and all of my extracurriculars, and I was able to relieve a lot of stress I had,” Dixon said.

A highlight of the trip was a long awaited dinner at Mama’s Fish House on Christmas day. Mama’s Fish House is a famous restaurant that is so popular that reservations need to be made weeks ahead.

“The seafood was excellent and we ate lots of fish,” Dixon said. “We also ate a lot of fresh fruit because there are a lot of tropical fruits grown there.”

Not only did Dixon do the classic activities like snorkeling and kayaking, but she also went on some exciting excursions like whale watching and swimming with turtles.

“We went kayaking out in the ocean and where we stopped happened to have turtles,” Dixon said. “It was really fun and I also got some cool pictures.”

Family matters: Teachers with children at Madison

By MIA PISANI Lifestyle Editor

Two teachers and their children reflect on what it is like to go to Madison together.

For most students at Madison, school is seven hours away from home, but some students at Madison spend their time at school with their parents. Teachers with children at Madison spend a majority of their time close to one another.

Cameron Counts (’21) and Jean Counts enjoy their time at Madison together. Jean Counts is a multiple disabilities teacher and the Girls Varsity Lacrosse coach.

Cameron Counts enjoys being able to go to her mom for help throughout the day for help, whether it be for homework or if she just needs to relax in Jean Count’s classroom.

“You always know someone’s here,” Cameron Counts said.” She always helps me with my homework, or if I need anything.”

Despite all the pros, there are still negatives to learning where your parents teach.

“Sometime she has meetings after school, and we drive together so I have to stay after,” Cameron Counts

said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMERON COUNTS

Cameron Counts (’21) and Jean Counts posing for a picture together.

Cameron Counts also feels that their close proximity to each other has led to Jean Counts knowing everything going on in her social and academic life.

“She just knows everything.” Cameron Counts said.

From having a parent who is a teacher, Cameron Counts has learned what it is like in a teacher’s shoes.

“Just try to make relationships with your teachers,” Cameron Counts said. “Even if you do have a bad day, and you want to talk to someone, your teachers can really help.”

Chemistry teacher Jyothsna Vallampati also has a child at Madison. Her daughter, Divya, is a sophomore.

Jyothsna Vallampati has said that it’s fun to work at Madison while Divya Vallampati attends school here.

She is able to see if her daughter is stressed and never has to worry about buses, or how Divya Vallampati will get to school.

Features Day in the life of an administrator 2.7.20

By SONIA SAMANTAROY News Editor

Administrators’ workdays are unpredictable, but rewarding. Follow the arrows to see what three do on a daily basis.

Elise Fasick As the Director of Student Services, Timothy Buckley is involved in many different activities at Madison. Because of that, his schedule is full and involves holding meetings with teachers, department chairs, parents and students.

Dr. Farrish has a busy schedule that changes daily. She monitors hallways, sees her students, checks in on teachers, and meets with parents. She also has after school responsibilities such as attending sports games.

Fasick deals with disciplinary issues and sometimes has to intervene and assign consequences. However, she prefers positive meetings, where she gets to encourage and reward students when they do something well.

“It is really great for students to have a positive relationship with their administrator because if you get into a sticky situation, they know you and have an established rapport. It is a benefit to the student for the administrator to know that from more than just one isolated incident that may not reflect who they are on the whole.”

Elise Fasick

Timothy Buckley In addition to other departments, Elise Fasick supervises all of Madison’s ESOL students.

This is partly due to the fact that she speaks Spanish, and some students are more comfortable talking to her when they speak the same language.

Buckley supervises D lunch, and he enjoys his daily lunch shift as he gets to interact with students.

Because special education involves many state and federal laws, Dr. Farrish collaborates with staff from Madison and other schools to support student needs and make sure everyone is up to date with legal mandates.

“My favorite part of the day is interacting with the students. It is very interesting when you see kids in their ‘natural habitat,’ whether it be in the cafeteria or hallway, you see what they are really like… My happiness really derives from them.”

Timothy Buckley

Cheronda Farrish Dr. Cheronda Farrish oversees the special education department, 504 plans, clinical support, and the art department.

Her main responsibility is collaborating with families, students, parents, and staff to ensure all students at Madison are receiving a free and appropriate education.

Fasick and other administrators like toregularly observe classrooms so that they can help teachers learn, improve, and grow. Administrators try to visit a variety of classrooms so it becomes a “normal” occurrence to have someone in a room.

Buckley’s day constantly pivots as urgent events trump what is in his schedule.

Consequently, as the day progresses, it gets busier.

13

Students visit from Costa Rica Madison students gain new perspectives from hosting exchange students.

By ETHAN QIN Staff Reporter

In mid-January, Madison students welcomed Costa Rican foreign exchange students as a part of a two-week program where the exchange students learned about American culture. The program, which started last year, is a result of A La Carte Travel. A La Carte Travel is an agency based in Vienna that initially reached out to Mrs. Holman and Ms. Howell about the possibility of starting a foreign exchange student program at Madison.

“I want my students to learn about other cultures, especially of Spanish-speaking countries, so for them to have somebody from a Spanish-speaking country stay with them, they can learn so much more than I can just tell them,” Spanish teacher Carrie Holman said. “To actually get to talk to somebody the same age from a different part of the world just really opens your eyes to how big the world is and how different our cultures really are.”

Each Costa Rican student was paired with a corresponding Madison student who provided them with room and board. Most of the time during the program the exchange students participated in activities separate from their assigned Madison student such as touring DC, snow tubing and shopping. However, the exchange students also shadowed their Madison counterparts for a few days in school.

“I’m learning very much from America and I see how different it is from Costa Rica, it is all very interesting,”exchange student Maripaz Ramírez said.

Her partner, Valerie Willham (’20), expressed a similar outlook on the program.

“I really did learn a lot about her culture, but what I didn’t really expect was how much I would learn about my own culture,” Willham said. “There are so many things I haven’t really thought of about my culture until I saw it through the eyes of someone who’s never really experienced it before.”

“Hands-down my favorite part of the day are the students; that is what gets me up in the morning.

The procedural stuff I do because I have to, but I love coming in and seeing the kids. They are my heartbeat and they are the ones that make my job enjoyable.”

Cheronda Farrish

GLOBE AND PHOTOS

BY JORDAN ROLLER. AIRPLANE COURTESY OF KINDPNG. COM. SPEECH BUBBLE COURTESY OF FREEPIK. COM.

14

Opinion

Hawk Talk

Highschoolers would benefit from access to wellbeing centers

By CHRISTINA LUCKETT Print Editor-in-Chief

Planned Parenthood will open 50 wellbeing centers in high schools across LA County. Read one Hawk Talk editor’s opinion on the role of these centers in high schools and whether other US locations should consider adding them as well.

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and the L.A. County departments of public health and mental health recently launched an initiative to open 50 sexual healthcare clinics in high schools throughout the county this year. The initiative aims to bring health and wellness care to underserved and underrepresented communities.

Within each center, students will have access to birth control pills, condoms, tests and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and other reproductive health services. Each center is also staffed with health educators for at least 20 hours per week.

Since the question of whether or not schools should provide any sort of sex education remains a contentious issue, it follows that this new initiative has been met with both support and backlash. Legislation for sex education in the United States is regulated by states, and currently, only 13 states require information presented to be medically accurate, and only 19 require that information about contraception be provided. Sex education is not mandated in the state of Virginia.

Planned Parenthood’s partnership with L.A. County, however, goes beyond most states’ sex education into “comprehensive sex ed,” or sex education that includes “age-appropriate, medically accurate information on a broad set of topics related to sexuality including human development, relationships, decision-making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention,” a c -

Planned Parenthood provides • • • • • •

STD and HIV testing and treatment Birth control Screening for reproductive cancers Pap tests Vaccines PrEP and PEP (medicines to help prevent HIV) • Transgender health services • Vasectomy and other sterilization services • Condoms

cording to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

Although many opponents claim that the initiative is unnecessary or leads to increases in abortion rates, the decision to open Planned Parenthood centers in schools in low income communities is critical to providing access to information and resources that benefit students’ overall well-being.

A 2011 study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found a positive correlation between abstinence-only sex education and teenage preganancy and birth rates, indicating that abstinence-only education is not effective at preventing teen pregnancy in the US, which continues to have the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among developed countries. According to a 2017 CDC survey, half of the 20 million STD cases reported that year were among young people aged 15 to 24.

Planned Parenthood’s emphasis on comprehensive sex education through this new initiative is linked to STI and HIV prevention, and when considering further findings of the same CDC survey, this link becomes more compelling. The survey found that of the 30% of students surveyed who had engaged in sexual in-

5,800,000

people provided with sexual and reproductive health care, education, and outreach by Planned Parenthood annually.

101 million visits to www.plannedparenthood.org in a single year.*

*STATISTICS COURTESY OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD

tercourse during the previous three months, 46% had not used a condom.The American Academy of Pediatrics argues that a lack of access to condoms for teenagers stems from the widespread belief that increased access to contraception leads to increased sexual activity, resulting in many schools de-emphasizing condom use, despite numerous studies, including several from UNESCO, that have found that an avoidance of discussion of contraception does not increase the age at which students begin engaging in sexual activity. Planned Parenthood addresses both of these issues by not only educating students about birth control options, but also providing free access to them.

Yet Planned Parenthood’s new program also addresses a significant social barrier to comprehensive sex education--“our country’s cultural inclination to avoid conversations about sexuality [and sex] entirely,” as Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States Policy Director Jennifer Driver puts it. The new program’s structure has never been implemented before, but the model based on clinics, or wellbeing centers, within high schools aims to create welcoming, non-judgemental spaces where students can feel safe while discussing their experiences. Of course, this program does not claim to bring an end to the previously mentioned cultural inclination, but it provides a starting point from which students can begin to feel more comfortable discussing sex and sexuality, a quality that would make this program valuable in all schools in the US. While the launch of the initial program cost about $16 million, the program reaches 75,000 teens and includes training for interested teens to become peer advocates and continue the program. Although almost every high school in the US could benefit from the addition of a wellbeing center, the initial plan to launch the first clinics in low-income communities is a critical and necessary step, as the NIH study also noted that as median household income decreases, level of abstinence education increases. This means that students in low-income communities are more likely to receive sex education in school that stresses abstinence, making Planned Parenthood’s new initative even more critical in those areas and states where medically accurate sex education is not mandated.

Opinion

2.7.20

By JOSH BROWN Sports Editor

The Retake Policy

15

By MADISON DIETRICH Business Manager

The retake policy at Madisom presents an opportuntiy to do better and save grades, but are the advantages of retakes worth the disadvantages that many do not think about? We interviwed teachers and students to see what Madison faculty and student population think.

PROS

CONS

Retakes provide a safety net that is a lifesaver for many students’ sinking In American society, we believe in second chances. From our country’s parole grades. As the quarter and school year progress, students get increasingly irritated system to the second-chance breakfast at Madison, we see examples of this in so with tests and lackadaisical with studying. This is a recipe for poor grades, and remany places. So why should our retake policy be any different? The retake policy, takes help to boost them. Despite the benefits these retakes can provide in increasin addition to enabling students to obtain higher academic achievement, also aling grades and reducing stress, there are several negatives that most students lows them to better understand the content they are learning and maintain strong choose to ignore, including setting unrealistic expectations for college, fostering a mental health. procrastination mentality and creating more work for teachers and students alike.

Madison’s retake policy allows students to improve an assessment grade up Many students depend on retakes to boost test grades they are unhappy to a 90% or an A-. Over time, retaking multiple tests will significantly boost a stuwith, but this privilege is not carried over to college. When retaking tests becomes dent’s final grade. For example, earning a D on a major assessment most likely routine in high school, students get into the habit of using the first test as a pracbrings their overall grade down, but studying hard to potentially bring it up to an tice run. Unfortunately, this tactic does not apply in college when retakes are unA- can allow their academic achievement to skyrocket. available. One of the main goals of high school is to prepare students to go on to Many students see the wide variety of benefits of the retake policy implea higher education if they so choose, and the shock of taking away retakes makes mented at Madison. Will Manousos (‘22) is one of them, who specifically sees how the transition to college more rocky than it otherwise would be. Looking even furhis mental health is improved because of the retake process. ther into the future, retakes are not available in real life, so students might as well “It gives students a second opportunity if they happen to mess up the first get used to it now. test,” Manousos said. “Sometimes, I find myself having a rough day on test day Retakes also allow students to develop or maintain procrastination tactics and just can’t focus on my work. That’s when the retake comes in, because it’s a and laziness that cause problems in the future. With the knowledge that retakes second chance to redeem myself where I was previously not in the right state of are available, students get rewarded for not preparing properly for a test by mind to take the exam.” getting a second chance. While some students use this in a positive manA common misconception about the retake policy at Madison is that ner to prove their commitment to their classes, others use it to blow off students abuse the system by not studying for the first assessment and studying for tests and as an excuse to not put in appropriate effort. rely solely on the retake to boost their grade. However, the Madison “Some students really make use of the retake well, but that’s a very retake policy suggests that students complete “corrective action” as small population,” said chemistry teacher Jyothsna Vallampati. To a part of the retake process. This is usually remediation work reBY NAARADA SAMARASINGHE prepare for the future, it is important for students to understand quired in order to retake, which prevents students from taking that the availability of a second chance does not make abusing advantage of the system, as they will be more encouraged to the first acceptable. study for the first assessment so they will not have to do exAdditionally, retakes create more work for teachers tra work in order to retake. Additionally, the remediation and students in their already busy lives. Planning a reprocess will cause students to understand the content take requires students to review their original test, better with more practice, which will help those studo corrections, talk to their teacher, study and podents in future units of study. tentially stay after school. Teachers then have to Additionally, Madison teachers, knowing the grade the tests, taking up time when they could stress students endure outside of school, see be planning lessons, grading other work or the mental health benefits from the retake taking time for themselves. “Everyday I policy. spend about two hours either grading a “Students now are involved in a lot test or regrading a test,” said Vallamof extracurricular activities because of pati. Using up that valuable time is the pressure they feel from colleges frustrating, especially when it ocand just the Northern Virginia area curs on a regular basis. in general,” math teacher Marit Despite the commonly Rowland said. “So when a stuheld view that retakes are dent has the ability to go a positive way to improve into a test knowing that grades, students often they might have anothfail to take into acer chance, I would count that the long hope that would term drawbacks put their mind outweigh the somewhat at short term ease.” stress relief.

MAD FEELS

GET A BAD GRADE ON THE FIRST TEST

The Retake Cycle

GET A BETTER GRADE ON THE RETAKE

STUDY FOR RETAKE, NEGLECT ALL NEW ASSESSMENTS

16

Lifestyle

Hawk Talk

Dressing Through the Decade The biggest trends and fashion moments in the last decade

By ERIN MCCORMICK, KIRSTEN CARL & MIA PISANI News Editor & Lifestyle Editors

Lady Gaga wore a meat dress to the MTV Video Music Awards. This was a major moment in pop culture and fashion.

Glitter heels were a huge fashion statement, bringing life to the regular high heel look.

This dress was super popular in fashion magazines after Luptia Nyong’o wore it to the Golden Globes.

IMAGE C OF FLA OURTESY TICON .COM

Chokers are a trend that was popular in the 90s and was worn in 2016 by many well known celebrities.

Rihanna wore this in the 2018 Met Gala. It was a papal ensemble by Maison Margiela.

PHOTO COURTESY SEVENTEEN

PHOTO COURTESY LULUS

PHOTO COURTESY COSMOPOLITAN

PHOTO COURTESY EONLINE

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

PHOTO COURTESY VOGUE

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

PHOTO COURTESY NEW YORK TIMES PHOTO COURTESY GLAMOUR

Dip-dyed hair was a popular trend set by Kylie Jenner in which the ends of one’s hair are colored to add vibrance to hairstyles.

PHOTO COURTESY FOREVER 21

Over the knee boots were a huge trend in 2013. They were often worn with jeans.

The blue and black dress or white and gold dress was a cause for controversy in 2015.

Millions of people argued over the true colors of the dress, which the owner revealed are blue and black.

PHOTO COURTES-Y EONLINE

PHOTO COURTSEY GUCCI

Fanny packs were a trend in the 90s and came back in 2017.

Zendaya wore a Cinderella-like outfit at the 2019 Met Gala that lit up. She also had a mini purse that represented the carriage in Cinderella.

Lifestyle 17 DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE

2.7.20

By EVA PONOS Lifestyle Editor

MINECRAFT

At the beginning of the 2019-20 school year, Madison distributed school-issued laptops to every student. This new change has made it easier for students to do work and research outside of school, and for teachers and students to have better access for communication. However, there has been an increasing trend of students using their school-is-

sued laptops to play computer games during school and in class.

Though the school has blocked many distracting sites, students have either found other games to play or downloaded games through google drive. These games range from typing games and fun quizzes, to Minecraft and Coolmathgames.com.

COOLMATHGAMES.COM There are plenty of games on coolmathgames.com for people to play, but one of the most popular has to be Fireboy and Watergirl. It is a two-person game that has different environments and challenging rooms with the goal of getting to each character’s door as quickly as possible and collecting as many gems as you can.

Other popular games that students play on coolmathgames.com include 2048, Blocks, and Papa’s Freezeria.

Minecraft is a game that focuses on exploration and creativity. The game is self-directed, and is available on almost every platform. People enjoy minecraft due to its accessibility, openness and has benefits relating to problem solving and geometry. Users are able to play with friends and interact while building and exploring new environments and facing difficult challenges.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALMART.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORKABLE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF 9TO5GOOGLE.COM

DO’S •

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Take notes! I ask one of my parents to take notes during the info session. They usually do this in their notes app on their phone and email it to me when we leave. I do this so I can get their point of view and so I can also listen and not look like I am on my phone. After the tour and the info session, I always take notes right when we leave when I am in the car so I do not forget anything. I also do this on my notes app.

I have a folder with all of my parents’ and my notes for the future when I need a refresher.

Try to get to know the area around the school.

You are not just moving to a new school, you are moving to a new city, maybe even a new state. It is helpful to go eat in the town or city near campus in order to get a feel for the type of place you could be living in for the next four years. Walk around to experience the environment and culture of a new place.

When going through the difficult application process, it can be helpful to have memories and visual representations of what you liked on your visits or of the campus. “I would recommend taking pictures of your favorite things on a college campus or things that are important to you,” Aryan Pandya (’20) said. This could be a quad, a statue, or maybe a view of the campus. This can motivate you to get the application done, or be a fun memory!

Madison students offer their advice on college visits

By EVA PONOS & SOPHIE SHAYNE

DON’TS •

Lifestyle Editor & Sports Editor

As Spring Break comes closer and closer, it is time to start thinking about how important and convenient of a time it is to knock out some college visits. We have a week off when you can take a couple of days with your family and tour some beautiful campuses without the stress of going back to school after the weekend.

However, college visits can

be scary. It is a step towards the next big transition in all of our lives. These visits can help you decide where you are going to live for four years, so you want to get everything out of it that you can. Here are some of Madison’s best tips and tricks to know in order to not embarrass yourself while seeking a clear path for the rest of your life.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA PETERSON

Don’t randomly choose a tour guide if you have a choice. Choose a tour guide who is majoring in something similar to what you are thinking of studying, and someone who is from somewhere near Virginia or a place that you identify with to get an authentic, hopefully somewhat similar experience. Make sure the tour guide gives you a good impression, someone who you would get along with and respect their opinion.

There are a lot of misconceptions about schools that are made without experiencing the schools, so it’s important to avoid bias when visiting colleges. “Do not go into a college visit with a closed mind,” said Aryan Pandya (’20). “There are definitely some colleges that I thought I wouldn’t like that I did.”

Don’t pick a random day to take a tour. Try picking a day when students will be on campus, to get a more authentic visit and view of the school.

You will see students on campus doing everyday things, which will give you a better understanding of student life at the school. “I toured in the summer, but I think spring break is a better time to do it because the weather is moderate and the students are on campus,” said Anna Peterson (’20). “You will get a much better feel of them and the culture.”

Entertainment

18

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Hawk Talk

BABY YODA M A NIA INSPIRES FA N THEORIES

“The Mandalorian” launched new streaming app Disney+ with a bang. The first season of the Star Wars franchise did not disappoint fans whatsoever and introduced “The Child,” more colloquially known as “Baby Yoda,” to the internet. Since the series’ debut, fans have begun speculating about Baby Yoda’s origins and purpose.

By ERIN M CCORMIC

K

News Edito r

THEORY #1: The reason behind Moff Gideon hunting Baby Yoda is not clarified in the series, but a possibility could be that he is hunting force-sensitive individuals. However, there are other force-sensitive individuals in the galaxy (like Luke Skywalker) so another possible reason could be that Baby Yoda is the Chosen One and could interrupt plans for the return of the Empire. This would explain the great interest in capturing the Child.

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GET LEVESQUE ILLUSTRATION BY BRID

THEORY #2: One of the few things we know about Yoda’s species is that it is rare, as only Yoda and Yaddle appear. George Lucas made it a rule not to investigate Yoda’s race and even joked that Yoda is the love child of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The great interest in Baby Yoda could be due to the fact that he is the last of his species. The show takes place five years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, which means that Yoda has already passed away after living for 900 years.

THEORY #3:

✨ ILLUSTRATION BY BRIDGET LEVESQUE

SPOILER ALERT: Palpatine returns in the “Rise of Skywalker,” and some theorize that Baby Yoda is tied to the Emperor’s resurrection. Yoda’s species is rare and perhaps has force-related qualities that other force-sensitive beings lack. Perhaps Palpatine is hunting Baby Yoda to make himself more powerful.

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Entertainment

2.7.20

THE

DECADE

Hawk Talk staffers reflect on their favorite songs and artists of the last decade.

ARTISTS

19

Listen to the music mentioned on this page here!

WRAPPED SONGS

One Direction

Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi (2019)

By MIA PISANI Lifestyle Editor

By KATIE BARTLETT

One Direction was one of the first big boy bands. They began on “X Factor” and quickly gained a huge following, primarily from teenage girls. When people think of boy bands, their first thought is typically One Direction because of how popular and influential they’ve been. The break up of One Direction was a huge moment in the decade. People still listen to One Direction, despite the break up.

Opinion Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYCO RECORDS

Lewis Capaldi’s voice is so real and full of soul and gives me goosebumps every single time I hear it. His lyrics come straight from the heart and I can relate to a lot of his songs really well. This combined with the pure angelicy of his voice makes me genuinely feel emotions, which is pretty weird. Capaldi’s voice and lyrics are so raw, and they really get you right in the feels.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPITOL RECORDS

Travis Scott

By EVA PONOS Lifestyle Editor

Travis Scott makes his music into an aesthetic. There’s a very specific style that he uses, with heavy autotune, recognizable adlibs, and an eerie vibe. His music is generally well-liked, and he has a very loyal fanbase. His music, although it develops, is always very constant, and his albums have a lot of variety with tempo, beats, and style of rap. On his most recent album Astroworld, he had hype songs such as “No Bystanders,” and then slower, more introspective songs such as “Coffee Bean.” His music is really easy to vibe to. I’m constantly playing it in the car, with my friends, or just getting ready in the mornings. I went to see him at Capital One Arena in March of last year for his Astroworld Tour, and it was so amazing.

Wolves by Kanye West (2016)

By KRUTIKA JOSHI and STEPHEN DESMARAIS In-Depth Editor and Print Editor In Chief

In “Wolves,” Kanye compiles many different sounds and samples from all kinds of genres, including operatic vocals from Sia and a melodic bridge from Vic Mensa. The song feels simultaneously melancholic and transcendental. People can say whatever they want about Kanye West being an unstable and egotistical maniac, but the man is a musical genius. He has revolutionized the hiphop genre and continues to push boundaries with every new album.

By SPENCER TODD Entertainment Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF CACTUS JACK RECORDS

Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” is the perfect example of a break up anthem, and the messages about self care truly resonated with me. It’s a simple song, but it’s the personal lyrics and catchy chorus/ catchphrase that made the song shine. To me, this song truly cemented Grande as one of the best pop singers of our generation, and possibly of all time too (and yes, I’m willing to fight for that opinion).

Also, shout out to her song “no tears left to cry,” truly a perfect pop song.

Imagine Dragons

By JORDAN ROLLER Features Editor

It’s simple: their songs are kickass.

“Natural,” “Believer,” and “Whatever it Takes” are great songs to pump you up.

“It’s Time,” “On Top of the World,” and “Bet my Life” are happy, celebratory jams that are great to sing along to in the car. And if you listen to their deep tracks, you won’t be disappointed.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INERSCOPE RECORDS

PHOTO COURTESY OF REPUBLIC RECORDS

American Teen by Khalid (2016)

By KIRSTEN CARL

Big Thief

Lifestyle Editor

By LAUREN ARVIS Newspaper Adviser

I first got hooked on this band when I watched the video of their Tiny Desk Concert at National Public Radio (NPR).

Lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s raw vocals and guitarist Buck Meek’s soulful guitar riffs had me transfixed. Check out “Shark Smile,” or “Masterpiece,” or “Paul” for a first listen.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOD MUSIC RECORDS

thank u, next by Ariana Grande (2018)

PHOTO COURTESY OF SADDLE CREEK RECORDS

The song “American Teen” has a great beat which really resonates with me. As a dancer, I listen to how music sounds and works, and this song is one that stands out. It is a great song to roll the windows down with and sing with friends. I have made some of my best memories with this song, and I am able to go back to those times whenever I hear it. The song itself is about being a teenager and how youth is the best part of life. It taught me that growing up and change is a part of life.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RCA RECORDS

Community

20

Staples of Vienna

By JORDAN ROLLER Features Editor

Hawk Talk

Many spots around Vienna contribute to the town’s sense of identity.

Here are just a few.

JIL LIA NG EIB

The Freeman Store Built in 1859, the Freeman Store was designated as a historic structure in 2011.

The building has served as a general store, residence and post office, but today it functions as the headquarters of the Vienna Historic Society, which is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the town and its residents.

The main level sells Vienna keepsakes while the second floor houses the museum. The displays change a couple times a year and always portray a different aspect of Vienna’s history. Recently, the Freeman Store has been showcasing Vienna through the decades, and in 2020, the museum will feature the town in the 1960’s.

Recently, a used book cellar has also opened in the basement, where everything from classics to Twilight is sold for $1-$2. Proceeds from the book sales fund the historic society.

JIL LIA N

GE IB

The Vienna Inn The Vienna Inn has been a staple of the community for decades. Founded in 1960, the small business will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. In that time, the building has remained largely unchanged, and the walls are now lined with kids’ drawings and local sports teams’ trophies from over the years. The restaurant often sees customers whose parents brought them there as kids now bringing their own children, a testament to its central role in the community.

Along with the cozy atmosphere, what keeps people coming back is the food. The Inn serves many kinds of comfort food, from fried shrimp to chicken wings to burgers, but it is best known for its chili dogs. Loaded up with chili, cheese, spicy mustard, and onion, The Inn sells over 10,000 a month.

OT PH

A TESY OF R ILS TO TRAILS OUR OC

The W&OD Trail

COURTESTY OF PITER@

The Washington and Old Dominion trail runs for 45 miles from Alexandria to Purcellville. The paved trail is perfect for bikers, runners and rollerbladers, and nearby trails that branch off are great for hiking and horseback riding. Near Vienna, the trail is surrounded by trees and parks, perfect for taking a break from town life.

The trail exists where the tracks of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroads were once laid. The Railroad was built in 1847 and it played a major role in the development of the region, as Northern Virginia’s largest urban centers, Alexandria, Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Leesburg and Purcellville all lie on its former route. In 1968 the railroad company closed, and in 1974,it was turned into a park.

However, the most interesting history of the W&OD relates to the Civil War. In the summer of 1861, both the Union and Confederate armies were scouting in Northern Virginia.

The two armies met, the Union soldiers riding in a train, near where Park street intersects the trail. In the ensuing “Battle of Vienna”, the Confederate soldiers opened fire on the train with two cannons and rifles. The Union soldiers jumped from the train and sought cover in the nearby forest, and eight were killed. The engineer disconnected the cars and raced the locomotive back to Alexandria. This was the first time a train was ever involved in a United States military conflict.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEEDPIX.COM