The Highlander--issue4 by McLean High School

Turn to page 20 to learn about the field hockey team’s ride to regionals

See page 14 for turkey alternatives for Thanksgiving dinner

What will winter bring? WHMS weatherman Ned Burchfiel makes his predictions on page 4

22 21 20 19

See where to help out during the holiday season on pages 10 and 11

Highlander

Volume 53, Issue 4

November 14, 2008

McLean High School 1633 Davidson Road, McLean, VA 22101

Briefly Freshman tutoring Every Monday and Thursday, freshman can go to room G255 for freshman tutoring from 2:20 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This program tutors students in just about every subject from math to Spanish. The actual tutoring is done by teachers as well as honor society students. On average, eight to 20 students come each day to get help. According to Spanish teacher Charles Shea, “all those who come benefit from it.” This program helps freshmen keep up with the quick pace of high school and have a more successful first year. -Ryan Flamm

Theater hosts Open Mic Nights in Black Box On Oct. 2, the theater department hosted an open mic night in the Black Box Theater from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. The fundraiser attracted an audience of 40 people, putting the Black Box at full capacity. There were seven acts, which included stand-up comedy, acoustic music, a capella, and electric guitar. All of the money collected from the event will go towards the theater department’s trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. They plan to keep hosting fundraisers like this one throughout the year when they are not busy working on their plays. There will be other Open Mic Nights in December, March, and May. Through these events the department will try to collect enough for their trip. -Ryan Flamm

photo by Charlie Park Principal Dr. Deborah Jackson and PTSA President Susan Perla celebrate progress at a PTSA meeting Monday. The two recently collaborated to bring an error in the format of high school profiles to the attention of the county.

Dr. Jackson corrects school noncompliance with state grading law Moises Cazal News Editor

Immediate action taken by Principal Dr. Deborah Jackson and the Guidance Department led to an upgrade of the school’s profile to include grade distribution data after a parent discovered it was a Virginia Department of Education regulation. The regulation passed Mar. 29, 2007 and was to be effective for the 2008-2009 school year. The PTSA brought it to the county’s attention last month and they began work on a standardized grade distribution format for all schools. Dr. Jackson and the Guidance Department worked quickly to send out around

600 updated school profiles to colleges on Nov. 3, where students had already applied. After many demands by the school to have their updated profile approved, “we received authorization from the county on October 31,” Jackson said. Grade distribution data is used by colleges to understand the rigor of the programs offered at the school and explain the grading policies. Since the school does not rank students, grade distribution would tell colleges what percentile a student’s GPA falls. The data is also used for merit scholarship considerations, but seniors applying early will not be affected by this delay. “They [colleges] are used to getting up-

dated information all the time,” PTSA president Susan Perla said. “Dr. Jackson did a terrific job.” The county has not provided any explanations for not complying with the state regulation. The PTSA sent a letter to the school board exhorting them for an explanation. According to a PTSA news release, in an FCPS meeting, school board member Jane Strauss said that they had “dropped the ball.” In the letter written by the PTSA, they also ask how this could happen at one of the largest and most prestigious school districts in the country and what other areas are noncompliant.

Superintendent Dale comments on FAIRGRADE, budget FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale held a student press conference Oct. 30, discussing potential budget cuts and changes to the grading scale, an issue on many students’ minds. Research of the grading scale within the county is underway, with findings to be presented to Dale in December. Dale was clear, though, that any changes within the grading system will take time. “It will not affect this year’s senior class,” he said. “I can guarantee that.” The research is focusing on three issues: college admissions, merit scholarships, and honors college admissions. “There is an issue on merit scholarships,” he said. “There seems to be more of a tendency to look just at the GPA and nothing else.” While Dale is indifferent about changes of the six-point scale, initial research shows the weighting system may put FCPS students at a disadvantage. “The weighting we give for AP and IB is potentially the major factor putting you at any disadvantage in the merit scholarship debate,” he said. “If we changed our weighting to be closer to one, like many jurisdictions do, that has a tendency to shift the grades of students at higher grade levels.” These are the students that would most likely receive merit scholarships. The research presented to Dale will be released to the pub-

lic. Dale wants to make sure that any potential changes are carefully considered. “If we change anything it’s going to be around for decades,” he said. The school system is also focused on the budget. County officials are attempting to come up with $225 million in cuts

“

Devan Kerley and Talia Roth News Editor and Editor in Chief

No matter where you read in the newspaper now, you can see we have an economic crisis...We are facing the same problem. -Jack Dale FCPS Superintendent

for next year’s budget, a “worst case scenario.” At risk are programs including transportation to academy classes, college preparation programs, free participation in sports and school funding of AP and PSAT tests. The county is also consider-

ing reducing FCPS staff, including teachers, administrators, and other positions, by as much as five percent, and consequently increasing class sizes. “No matter where you read in the newspaper now, you can see we have an economic crisis,” he said. “When we look at the county and the state, we are facing the same problem. It’s loss of revenue.” Soon, education changes may also come from outside the county. Dale looks forward to progressive education policies from President-elect Barack Obama. “He wants to focus on early childhood education,” Dale said. “He does want to look at merit pay or some other kinds of pay structures to support teachers. He’s looking at innovations in K-12 and the current public school system, as opposed to alternatives to K-12.” Obama has also shown interest in a policy that is close to his heart. “He’s prone to support federal initiatives to support people going into teacher education training programs,” Dale said. “Coincidentally, that’s how I started in education. I got a loan to go to college and then for every year I was a teacher I got 10 percent of the loan wiped out. I could see Barack Obama innovating those kinds of things.” Dale is focused on cuts right now, but is not ignoring improvements that he thinks will make the county more responsible and efficient. “After we get through this budget crisis, I think we need to become more green,” he said.

NEWS

Highlander

November 14, 2008

Student publications gain recognition from VHSL Devan Kerley News Editor

This photo of last year’s Iraq war protest, which was Contributors to the newspaper, yearbook, published Oct. 5, 2007, won senior Cranley Lockhart first and literary magazine competed with jourplace for a news photo in the VHSL publications competinalists in over 300 high schools across the tion. “[The photo] really summed up the feeling and the state and came out on top last month. participation of the event,” Lockhart said. The Highlander newspaper, Clan yearbook, and Tartan literary magazine won recognition from the Virginia High School League (VHSL) for their high quality. Several student journalists also won for photography and writing. Senior Talia Roth won first place for a sports photo of former McLean wrestler Sean Flint, who graduated last year. “I think I won because [the photo] was really close, it was really intense. It had a lot of emotion and I photo by Talia Roth think that’s what makes a good photo.” Senior Talia Roth’s picture of former McLean wrestler Sean Flint A news photo of last year’s Iraq war progarnered the first place award for sports photo. Roth left school early test in Washington, D.C. was awarded secand traveled to Fairfax High School for the wrestling regional chamond place. The protest, which was Sept. 15, pionship, staying for about five hours, to capture the picture. “It’s good drew thousands of people, including many to have someone confirm the work you’ve done,” Roth said about the students. award. “It turns out it really was worth it.” “I got so many good shots that day because it was such a cool event,” senior Cranley photo by Cranley Lockhart Lockhart, who took the photo, said. “It was so emotional and so easy to take pictures...I was just in the right place at the right time.” outdated.” were given out at the VHSL Championship Journalism Both the Highlander and the Clan won trophy class for The Clan wins trophy class most years because it’s high Workshop in October. Along with a plaque, the publications overall excellence, the highest possible award. Six other Fair- quality in many areas, where a lot of yearbooks are excel- were given a comment book with suggestions and criticism fax county newspapers and five yearbooks also won trophy lent in one area but not as strong in others, adviser Meghan of the work they had submitted. class. The Tartan earned first place, along with six other high Percival said. “We do a journalistic book,” she said. “We do a “I was really excited because I put so much effort into schools within the county. The Highlander staff achieved good job at a lot of things.” everything I do for newspaper,” Roth said. “It was nice to first place recognition for the staff editorial, “GPA system Finalists were announced in September, and the awards have validation of my hard work.”

Seniors take break from studies to learn ‘honesty pays off’

Nikki Kaul Reporter

Numbers

News by the

One night, two friends lied to their parents about going to the library, when instead the girls were planning to go to a party. At the party, one of the friends got drunk and the other friend, who had no license and little driving experience had to drive her home. The driver got into a car crash, and accidentally killed her intoxicated friend. Should she be tried as guilty? This was an example of the ethical dilemmas with which seniors were presented with on Senior Ethics Day. Following the presentation, there was a mock trial on the car crash, which was based on a true story. “The mock trial was interesting. It was a real life situation that we saw,” senior John Ramirez said. The senior class dressed up business casual and traveled to Marymount University on Tuesday to discuss and learn about ethics in everyday life. They were presented with moral and principle based situations from everyday life which would test their decision making skills. Senior Ethics Day helped seniors learn about the choices they will face throughout life, and the decisions they would have to make in those circumstances. “The purpose of Senior Ethics Day is to get kids thinking

about the decisions they make and the consequences of their actions,” French teacher Jenica Hardy said. Hardy was one of the many adults that organized Senior Ethics Day. The seniors were separated into three main categories indicated by the colors blue, white and red. Within those categories, students were further divided into groups of six to eight. The groups rotated to three sessions, which included discussions about the incident presented in the mock trial, and a presentation by AP U.S. History teacher Helen Stephan’s son, Roy Stephan. Stephan, a former McLean High School student gave a speech about cyber ethics and the importance of integrity. “Honesty pays off,” he said. Stephan, Director of IT Architecture & Engineering Services Intelligent Decisions, went on to discuss cheating at school and electronic hacking. For some, Senior Ethics Day was a day off from school, but other students benefitted from the experience. “The reactions were mixed from the students,” Hardy said. “Some students liked it, some did not.” Senior Sam Radelet felt the trip was beneficial to everyone. “Senior Ethics Day was a good day this year,” Radelet said. “It makes you think. The big examples make you have an open discussion and make you think where ethics really occurs.” Others, like senior John Ramirez, felt the trip to Marymount University was unnecessary. “It might be a little too late to learn about good and bad ethics. Our beliefs are basically already set in stone,” Ramirez said. “The situations were a little far-fetched and were black and white.” Seniors decided for themselves what ethics meant to them and what the world’s perception of ethics is. “Everyone has their own personal definition of ethics,” senior Rachel Love said. “Although everyone has their own morals, ethics generalizes what’s right and what’s wrong.”

67 days until president-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration

45 million turkeys consumed each thanksgiving

16:18 Senior Joe Thompson’s 5K time at cross country regionals

photos by Mohammad Tavakoli Seniors Jackson Langevoort and Charles Perla, left, listen to speakers during Senior Ethics Day on Tuesday. Former McLean student Roy Stephan, right, gives a speech during the conference about cyber and business ethics.

rank of Fairfax county’s average income in the nation

years since Virginia last voted blue

November 14, 2008

NEWS A woman on her way to vote talks with a Democratic volunteer on Election Day by the Rock entrance. Democrats Barack Obama and Mark Warner were elected, but Judy Feder conceded to Republican incumbent Frank Wolf for the House of Representatives. photo by Talia Roth

Local races baffle some young voters Molly Welch Managing Editor

Obama, McCain, Palin, Biden… Frank Wolf? Local candidates running for House and Senate election were relatively unknown to many students who cast votes on Nov. 4, and not without reason: for the past several months, the national consciousness has been zeroed in on the presidential election. While Democrats and Republicans sparred over the White House, however, local elections that will directly impact our community were underway, and few local teens were informed on elections deciding their district and state representatives. “I see signs for the local elections along the roads all the time,” freshman Amelia Dutrow said. “I recognize the names, I just don’t know much about [them.]” On the Virginia ballot, voted for a presidential candidate and also a Congressional representative and a state Senator. Most students chose between Democratic challenger Judy Feder, Republican incumbent Frank Wolf, and independent Neeraj Nigam for Virginia District 10. For Senator, voters chose between Democrat Mark Warner and Re-

publican James Gilmore. What first seemed like a simple “check yes or no” ballot between two presidential candidates has been a source of confusion for first-time voters. Many knew little about the Congressional and Senatorial races on the ballot before voting. “I didn’t feel like I was making an informed decision,” said senior Sarah Megas, a first-time voter. “I kind of voted along party lines and sided with Democratic candidates. I really just wanted to cast my vote for Obama.” Though students may know little about the races these positions may be much more influential in the community than the presidential elections. When confronted with a problem, most citizens contact their district-elected Congressional representative, who is often our most important ally in passing legislation to benefit the state. Student voters played a role in reelecting Republican Frank Wolf, Virginia District 10 representative, and electing former governor Mark Warner for US Senator. Like Megas, however, many gave little consideration to their votes for local candidates.

Highlander

Obama wins mock election by a landslide Bryan Kress Reporter

tudents voted in McLean’s first mock election this year, which was an attempt to get underage students informed about the presidential candidates. The mock election began as an idea from principal Dr. Jackson, who wanted to get students excited for the election. Government teacher John McGinnis was approached to coordinate the event. First he found representatives for candidates. During Young Democrat and Young Republican club meetings, members volunteered to participate in debates. Senior Charles Perla volunteered to represent Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Richard Sigman was nominated by peers to stand for Republican candidate John McCain. Volunteers then appeared on the WMHS morning show to announce each candidate’s platform and debate each other. The debate ran for approximately thirty minutes, which Sigman said was a good thing because “it was more concise and entertaining.” Although McGinnis scripted the introduction and the time schedule, he allowed student moderators, seniors Talia Roth and Lizzie Masgarha, to decide on questions for the candidates. “I wanted it to be student-oriented,” McGinnis said. The debate touched on major topics such as economy, foreign policy and environment. Representatives

had two minutes to answer questions and one minute for a rebuttal. Perla and Sigman wrote papers for their government classes on their political parties so each knew his topic well. They also prepared for the debate by watching the real presidential debates and studying the policies of Obama and McCain. “Charles and I worked to get our points across and kept it funny and interesting,” Sigman said about the debate. Perla thought the debate was a success and said, “We hopefully gave the people who don’t watch the news or read the newspaper a brief idea of our candidates’ platforms.” The final stage of the mock election was the voting process, which took place a week after the debate. 1680 MHS students voted through the program Survey Monkey in the social studies class. The mock election results were announced the day after Election Day. 67.9 percent of the school voted for Obama, while 18.4 percent voted for McCain. The results were not shocking to Sigman, who predicted prior to the election that “Obama’s going to win by a landslide.” The independent candidates, who were not represented during the debate due to time constrictions and briefly mentioned on the ballot, combined altogether won 13.7 percent of the student vote. McGinnis credits the victory to the fact that students “wanted someone who was young and different and would take the country into a new direction.”

NEWS

Highlander

Ned’s take on weather:

Ned Burchfiel Managing Editor

If December is the most wonderful time of the year, November has to be the most stressful—for meteorologists, at least. This is the season of winter forecasts, where amateurs and professionals alike try to predict how much snow and cold the coming months will bring. Before I made my own forecast, I thought it best to consult an expert in the field: Matt Ross, a contributor to the Washington Post weather blog Capitalweather.com. As he explained, predicting an entire winter season isn’t easy. “In a medium [or] long range outlook, the best you can hope for is painting a general idea,” he said. “The more specific you get the higher likelihood of a [bust].” Ross likes to use “analogs,” or years with similar weather, in making his predictions. He cited 1917-1918, 1943-1944 and 1996-1997 as some seasons that might match ours. The forecaster also relies upon the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which measures temperatures in the South Pacific. The Washington region receives much of its snow during warm “El Niño” conditions, whereas cool Pacific temperatures lead to a “La Niña” situation—unfavorable for snow. “The strongest signal is for a cold [December] which is pretty typical in very weak La Niñas following a stronger La Niña like we had last winter,” Ross said. Taking Ross’s personal forecast and advice into account, I set off to predict the snowfall McLean would see in the 2008-2009 season. Mother Na-

November 14, 2008

WMHS weatherman Ned Burchfiel predicts 21 inches of snow for the McLean region.

ture has underperformed 22 in the last few winters; my records for the previous school year area indicated only 8.3 inches of the white stuff and two school closings. The good news for21 snow fans, however, is what happened in October. 13 out of Washington’s last 14 October days had lows below average, according to Accuweather.com, and much of the Northeast saw three to twelve 20 inches of snow. (I even got to throw a few snowballs during college visits in New York and Vermont.) Though day-by-day conditions can’t predict a season’s worth of weather, students hoping for school cancellations can take heart in our recent cold spell. What does all of this add up to? Like Ross, I predict a cold December, but also feel that we’ll get a minor snow event during the holiday season. We should see an even mix of cold streaks and heat waves—resulting in average temperatures and a good amount of snow. We’ve had some interesting March weather in the last few years, so I feel confident calling for a winter weather event in the early part of that month. As far as numbers go, I think the Fairfax County area will experience five to seven snow events this year—with the bulk of those occurring in January and February. 21 inches of snow seems like a reasonable guess, and though it’s hard to forecast school closings, I think we’ll have at least three snow days by the time March rolls around. Winter forecasting isn’t easy, and I’ll surely be proven wrong on parts of my forecast. Then again, it never hurts to hope for snow. As Ross said, “Warm dry winters are awful.”

M ber

ark your calendar

m e v No 14

Mini Conferences

Girl’s Basketball Scrimmage

Half day - 11 a.m. release

27- Thanksgiving holidays - No school 28

r e b cem

First girls varsity basketball game

Second quarter interims

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Highlander

Young people pitch in politically

EDITORIALS

November 14 , 2008

Talia Roth Editor in Chief

While many high schoolers were focused on college apps or sports, some devoted their fall to political campaigns. Rain or shine, many trudged through the final days of the Presidential campaign knocking on doors and calling people on phones. The hard work and dedication of young people in the Presidential race was extremely admirable. In this election, more so than any before it, young people are getting involved. We are making a difference. Looking into a cam� paign office, or opening your door to a canvasser it is likely you will see a young person. Our own school, of which over 75 percent is ineligible to vote, opted to hold a mock debate, a mock election and has featured political videos on the morning show and the newspaper. For many, it is unlikely for you to go through the day without having a conversation concerning the election. Friendships were formed by people canvassing with each oth� er and finding a commonality in candidates. Facebook has even tapped our generation’s awareness creating Obama and McCain buttons as a part of the “free gifts” application. Friends send each other the campaign they support, or more often, jokingly, the one that their friend doesn’t. Status updates reminding people to vote overwhelmed newsfeeds. Government class, AP or regular, featured daily discussions about current events. My government class in particular can’t get through notes on the Constitution because we’re fighting about an issue in the election. 18 or not, we are aware of this election, and better yet, we care about it. Election Day proved that young people elected the fortyfourth President. According to an Associated Press story, exit polls showed young voters were supported Barack Obama by more than a 2-1 margin. We, as a generation, have done an amazing job showing we are not ignorant. We knew the issues of this election and how they affected us. Everyone who did something to support a candidate this election, whether the candidate won or not, should be proud. We showed we have our own opinions and are willing to fight for them. We are the future of this country and the future looks bright.

Charlie Park Reporter

Along with cranberry sauces, yams, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies, turkeys have represented the Thanksgiving holidays for more than two and a half decades. There have been�� s�� everal animal rights organiza� tions- such as People for the Ethical Treat� ment of Animals (PETA) - that oppose the purchasing and consuming of the turkey meat and promoting vegetables during the Thanksgiving holiday. The animal rights organizations do have a point that turkeys are slaughtered in a very inhumane way. Unlike the old pilgrim days, most of the turkeys that are sold in the�� refrig� erated sections of a grocery store are not from the natural turkey farm, but from factories. The turkey chicks are hatched in the incubator, and then are de-beaked (to make it easier to consume food) and detoed. After 14-18 weeks, when they reach maturity, turkeys are transported to the slaughterhouse, where they are electrically shocked (sometimes not, since the Humane Slaughter Act does not require the stunning of the poultry) and hung upside down where they wait for the rolling blade to decapitate them. The next process that awaits is the scalding tank, where turkeys are boiled. In America, 300 million turkeys die this way every year, and about 40 million for Thanksgiving alone. I agree that this is a very inhumane way to treat something that is alive. The turkeys are crying for help, hung upside down, and make the last cry before the inevitable death. This applies not only to turkeys, but also to cows, pigs, chickens and sheep before they

become beef, pork, chicken, and mutton. But is going veggie, as PETA suggests, a very humane and moral thing to do when being compared to eating meat? Let’s take a carrot for example. Most of the carrots in the market are not grown in the backyard garden, but in farms. In farms, which can be expressed as veggie factories, carrots are given artificial fertilizers and loads of toxic pesticides. Then the carrots are pulled out of habitat, forced into the box, and transported to the markets, where we purchase and eat them. This applies to every normal vegetable that we buy, cook, and eat. Both animals and vegetables that we grow are similar in the fact that they are forcefully born, forcefully given nutrients to get fat, forcefully shipped, and forcefully killed to be on our dinner table. What is the difference between producing turkey meats and carrots? Nothing. We just feel differently about the animals since they can cry and flap their wings for desperate survival, while car� rots cannot. If the people who oppose the consuming of turkeys during the holiday want to be genuinely humane about eating another organism, then the only food they can “morally” eat are fruit (since they are made to be eaten), salt, and water. And I bet extremely few people want to spend the Thanksgiving with only fruit, salt and water. So, enjoy your turkeys �� over the�� Thanks� giving holiday. And if you are the vegetarian who will refuse turkey dishes, then enjoy your alternatives. But if you are eating turkeys, just remember that you are eating the meat of what once had blood, eyes, and life like you. Be thankful for what you are eating. That’s why it’s called Thanksgiving.

Letter to the Editor We would like to take this opportunity around the school, bringing the student to respond to the article “Spirit Week fun body together. We are planning a second cut short.” This article proffered several spirit week in the winter and will include statements about this year’s homecoming class shirt day then, which we would have that we, as a Leadership and SGA group, gladly explained to a reporter. feel need to be addressed and explained. Finally, in terms of advertising. We put First, pajama day totals were not factored notices in pipenotes and made posters for into the final tally for spirit week and for the the dance that were all around the school, in Highlander Cup. We are, of course, aware every hallway and on every wall of the cafete� that counting this total would have put the ria. We sold tickets three days more than we senior class at a disadvantage. Had a reporter usually do, making it eight days compared come to the to the usual leadership five. Regard� class and ing spirit asked if this days: they, day were to too, were We are proud of the fact that be counted advertised in we do our best to hold honest before ac� pipenotes, and fair competitions, and we cusing us and at the pledge never to rig things so ‘the of unfair end of each practices, day, when seniors always win.’ we would totals were -SGA/Leadership have ex� announced plained all over the PA, of this and we also re� avoided an minded stu� undeserved criticism. We are proud of the dents what the next day was. We also hoped fact that we do our best to hold honest and the four, eight-foot long banners-put up be� fair competitions, and we pledge never to fore Spirit Week in the cafeteria-called suffi� rig things so “the seniors always win.” cient attention to what each day would be. Second, please keep in mind that the We welcome comments and constructive SGA and Leadership classes do not pick the criticism in all that we undertake. We do the Homecoming date. That is something that best that we can, but we do realize that ev� occurs in the activities office. We are simply erything won’t always turn out right. made aware of the date, and we roll with We understand that we could have done it. Concerns about the shortened schedule more and appreciate the feedback. We do should be taken up with that office. ask, however, that before we are unfairly Third, regarding class color day: It is true maligned in a public form, all efforts to ob� that the Leadership/SGA group is focusing tain accurate information have been made. on school unity. We made a decision to have Sincerely, Friday as “Big Red” day because we felt the The members of the SGA/Leadership Class “sea of red” provides a tremendous impact

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Yes, I will eat my turkey for Thanksgiving dinner

art by Kyana Afshar

EDITORIALS

November 14, 2008

Highlander

Obama makes history as first African-American President Talia Roth Editor in Chief

In 1865 slavery was abolished, in 1870 African-Americans got the vote in 1955 Rosa Parks took a controversial seat and, in 1963 Martin Luther King had a dream. But on Nov. 4, we elected our first African-American President. Whether or not you agree with President-elect Barack Obama’s politics, it is hard to ignore the enormous step our country has taken by electing the first African-American to be President. You might think it’s not a big deal. You might think he’s a Senator, he graduated from Harvard Law, what makes him different? I spent my summer two years ago hearing AfricanAmerican women telling me how ridiculous Barack Obama’s Presidential canidacy is. They said he would never get elected because this country isn’t ready for an African-American President. They didn’t believe enough people were over racism. Well, we proved them wrong. It’s not about Obama’s policies, it’s not about whether or not you think we should stay in Iraq, it’s about proof of how far we have come culturally. It is something to be proud of. We, black, white, Democratic and Republicannow have many of the same cultural values and many of those were validated on Nov. 4. In his residential acceptance speech, Obama talked about

Ann Nixon Cooper, 106, a woman born one generation past slavery who voted in Atlanta. “Someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin,” he said. “She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote.” While some may not be able to look past disappointment, it is my hope that they will eventually see the history we made on Nov. 4. Senator John McCain was gracious enough to describe how Obama’s election was significant. “We have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation’s reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.” McCain told his supporters Obama’s election was evidence of our development. “America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time,” he said. “There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.” Obama told the country that while our progress is remarkable, there is so much left to be done. Obama looked to the future. “If our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as

Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?” One can only hope that we can make as much progress as a nation in the next 200 years as we have in the past 200.

photo illustration by Mohammad Tavokali photo courtesy of .gov site

A longer Christmas seems to arrive every year Prianka Das Advertising Manager

Candy canes begin to border the supermarket windows, the Christmas trees are starting to be assembled and there is a glow of holiday cheer everywhere. Flip through the magazines and Christmas holiday advertisements welcome you. But hold on. Halloween just passed and the leaves have just started falling from the trees, and yet Christmas feels like it’s already here. Thanksgiving has yet to come, and yet one can surround themselves in holiday cheer and already buy Christmas stockings and little plastic Santas to one’s content. It really feels like the holiday season has come early and it keeps getting earlier each and every year.“Christmas in July is a horrible concept. Christmas carols right about Halloween are slightly too much for me. If anything, listen to Thanksgiving theme songs,” junior Megan Jones said. But why should it come so early? We haven’t even gone through the month of November. Personally, seeing some people putting up Christmas trees two months before the actual Christmas date is a big turn-off for me in celebrating the holiday season. “I think people who participate in buying Christmas things this early in the year lack common sense,” junior Em-

ily Hunt said. I understand this “early Christmas” could be some sort of a marketing strategy for businesses who depend on the holiday season for revenue and that they need these profits to keep their businesses alive, but the everlasting aura

said. “[Presents] are a lot cheaper to get in the late summer.” However the Hunts don’t usually set up their Christmas tree until a weekend before Christmas. Stress and pressure heightens among people who feel the need to match up with the public expectation of early gift-giving. Giving summer-related presents during the wintertime really doesn’t make sense. I also feel that customers who don’t live up to the customary standards promoted by marketing businesses on TV and magazines feel useless. Extending the holiday season lengthens this feeling of worthlessness for customers who are below the standard. This “early Christmas” concept has been going on for a couple of years. The SignPost, the Weber State University newspaper, reported that in 2006 KOSY106.5 and FM100 started playing Christmas music on the radio the day after Halloween. (In 2007, JCPenney’s in the Provo Town Center mall had already sold out of their most popular Santa decoration-twice.) They also sold 32 Christmas trees before Nov. 3, and many customers bought Christmas items before Halloween. So we can see that this art by Swarna Chowdhuri “early Christmas” concept has been going on for some time. But why prolong of red and green ornaments in department stores in October the holiday season? Let us begin it at an appropriate date—at is just unacceptable. least in the month of December. The holidays are supposed An “early Christmas” even does damage to the customers to be fun. Let’s just celebrate during the right season. visiting the stores. Customers feel needless pressure to start buying gifts early. Christmas, still months away, seems to them just days away. “I buy Christmas presents early,” Hunt

The

Highlander

Editors in Chief Cat Davis Talia Roth Managing Editors Ned Burchfiel Molly Welch Photo Editor Mohammad Tavakoli Online Editor Sarah Albani Advertising Manager Prianka Das Section Editors News Devan Kerley Moises Cazal Copy Editor Charlie Park

‘05, ‘07 CSPA Gold Medalist 08’ Silver Medalist

06’ NSPA Pacemaker finalist Hall of Fame 07’ All American winner

VHSL Savedge Award

http://www.myhighschooljournalism.org/va/mclean/mhs/

Circulation Managers Bridget Berry Paige Kinghorn Editorials Ali Shapiro Features Jasmine Mohandesi Sports David Berk Lizzie Masghara Assistant Sports Andrew Davis In-Depth Holly Betancourt Reporters Chris Herron-Venancio Ibrahim Jacobs Henry Kuhl

Nikki Kaul Bryan Kress Torin Liberthson-Brown Zenobia Morrill Cammie Meade Reza Masghara Daniel Jabbour Daniel Marx Rubina Sarkisian Asli Uyanik Adviser Amy Poe

Volume 53, Issue 4 Published 12 times yearly McLean High School 1633 Davidson Road McLean, VA 22101 703-714-5838

The Highlander is a public forum in which members of the school community can express themselves, discuss issues and exchange ideas. Printed at Silver Communications. “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.” Advertising Policy: The Highlander sells ad space on each page of the paper except on the opinions pages, front page, back page and center spread. To Subscribe: Mailed subscriptions of the Highlander are available for $20 per year. E-mail highlanderstories@gmail.com for information. To Write a Letter to the Editor: Please e-mail highlanderstories@gmail.com.

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November 14, 2008

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EDITORIALS

November 14, 2008

Highlander

Senior year stress overrated Bridget Berry Circulation Manager

Where are you applying? What’s your GPA? What do you want to major in? If you’re a senior, you’re probably being asked these fantastic questions at least once a day. It seems like all we do the first few months of school is “college stuff.” You know, filling out applications, writing essays, getting recommendation letters, all that fun stuff that makes us stay home on a Saturday night. Seniors are constantly saying how stressed out they are. With the whole college situation to deal with, on top of homework, after school jobs, and campus visits, it seems like none of us have time to do anything else. But perhaps college stress isn’t as bad as seniors make it seem. Of course it does require a good amount of work and time, but it’s really not as horrible and time consuming that students make it out to be. I have to admit, I fortunately haven’t felt the full, hard effects of applying to college. I applied to my top choice university early and got accepted. So along with a few select, scholarship promised athletes, I’m experiencing “senioritis” a couple months early. I’ve heard a number of seniors complain about having so much work to do. I think students definitely bring a lot of stress upon themselves. Now, if you’re applying to 15 different schools, that’s a different case. Good luck. But for the average se-

nior, who’s applying to anywhere from three to seven schools, applications should really not be that stressful. It’s even more fun to hear students with a 3.9 GPA whine about how they’re not going to get into a good school. Yea, okay. Most of us have had the opportunity to work on college essays in out English classes. Spend some time on it each night, have a teacher help you, and it should be done in a week at most. Applications, as annoying as they are, are really not that difficult. It’s usually just basic information. Mailing transcripts shouldn’t even be an issue. If you’re mailing them personally, give your counselor’s office a five minute visit, and you’re set. If not, write out the college address on that yellow piece of paper, a.k.a. the transcript release form, return it to your counselor, and let them do their work. Teacher recommendations shouldn’t be a problem either. Give them some guidelines on “who you are” and let them write their letter. Resumes are probably the least bit of a problem. You only need to write one, and you’re talking about how great you’ve been throughout the last four years of your life. Although collecting all this information and materials from counselors and teachers might be a pain, we’ve all had to deal with time management in one way or another. Just think of it as a big assignment. Seniors definitely think too hard about applications and spend too much time on them. It’s our last year of high school! We shouldn’t be getting headaches over an essay.

Seniors:

What’s the best perk of being a senior? “People pay attention to

Highlander Report Card

STAND created a genocide museum in the Lecture Hall to raise awareness.

SGA collected over 900 pounds of canned food during the Powder Puff game.

School didn’t start until 10:20 this morning because of mini-conferences.

12 days until Thanksgiving break.

Sophomores and juniors are far behind in Highlander Cup points against the seniors and freshmen.

Seniors have to send both their bad and good SAT scores.

“It’s your last year and you can do everything you want.” - Salvatore Gaito

you more.” - Joshua Naderi

“We don’t have to come back next year.” - Nicole Deatherage photos by Torin Liberthson-Brown and Rubina Sarkisian infographic by Ali Shapiro

To be honest, I really wish I were a freshman Ned Burchfiel Managing Editor

When I was a freshman, I envied the seniors more than anyone else in the school. Perhaps it was the car keys, or the amusement park trips, or the knowledge that college was just a year away. It’s strange, though. I’m now a 12th-grader myself, yet I find myself envying the freshmen. Oh, sure, it’s nice to drive home from school. I do enjoy getting out five minutes early on Friday. But for the most part, I’ve had little—if any—time to enjoy what’s supposed to be the best year of high school. In one class alone, I’ve written six in-class essays, typed out an eight-page research paper and summarized, cited and analyzed 50 newspaper articles. That’s not to say my other courses have been any easier. The problem with the 12th-grade schedule is that it includes more courses than what you see on the transcript. Take that fun class called College Applications. For homework, you write a mess of college essays, fill out “supplement” after “supplement,” rush to get three types of response forms into the counselor, solicit teachers for recommendation essays, spend Saturday mornings taking test after test, market yourself in college interviews, check in on your teacher recommendations, rush around the country visiting schools, fork over hundreds of dollars for application fees (and score reports), convince your parents to let you apply out-of-state, fill out financial aid and scholarship forms—and, once all that’s said and done, pray for big, juicy packets to appear in the mailbox with “Congratulations!” on the front. Rest as-

Sorry to interrupt

A column on just about anything

sured, underclassmen: your history paper will seem a breeze compared to the sort of work college applications has come to be. Oh, and don’t forget: this is one of the worst times you could ever apply for higher education, considering the competition and the costs. All the while, the freshmen have had quite a blast, considering the field trips and class meetings they’ve enjoyed. Each 9th-grader has an upperclassman that they can call on for homework help and advice. (Imagine if every senior had a freshman who would fill out college forms for them.) The

class of ’12 even boasts their very own room—G255—dedicated to them for after-school tutoring and relaxation. What do the seniors get? A parking spot. I don’t want to sound under appreciative. After all, I’m looking forward to June as much as any other upperclassman. Unfortunately, Hershey’s Park and Graduation are still hundreds of days away. In the meantime, I have applications due for colleges whose rejection rates have increased as steadily as my workload. The rest of the school sees us seniors when we’re at our happiest: socializing in the halls, looking goofy on the morning show, fighting for McLean on the field and the court and driving home from school. That, at least, was how I used to perceive senior year. What underclassmen don’t see are our all-night homework sessions, our frantic studying for AP tests and our rush to get college applications mailed in time. Anyone who judges senior year by what they see in High School Musical 3 is in for quite a shock. I admit it, freshmen: I wish I were one of you. Kids might have looked down on me (in more ways than one) when I was in the ninth grade, but at least I got to bed before midnight. At least I didn’t sweat over test scores and essay deadlines like I do now. We get a couple more privileges than you, but it’s been hard to enjoy any of them. Enjoy your years as underclassmen, class of 2012. After all, when your turn to be seniors rolls around, you may find yourself jealous of the class of 2015.

IN-DEPTH

Highlander

November 14, 2008

Giving back this season: the McLean community supports the region’s charities Local schools pitch in during the holiday season to help the needy Holly Betancourt, Cammie Meade and Alison Shapiro In-depth Editor, Reporter and Editorials Editor

Chesterbrook Elementary School, a local Fairfax County School, is helping out families who feel stress during the giving season. Students are collecting toys for the Salvation Army, which will then be donated to families in need. Marsha Moseley, the Librarian and Media Specialist at the school, is in charge of the collection. Many people in McLean take things for granted because the standard of living is higher than many other areas. According to the American Community Survey, which is put out by the US Census Bureau, the median income in Fairfax county is the second highest in the United States. The holidays are particularly stressful for families that struggle to put food on the table every day. According to Moseley, over the years Chesterbrook has given stockings full of toys to over 2,000 children in Fairfax County. There is a very positive response to the donation drive. “It’s something kids anticipate every year,” she said. “Every fall, children start asking me when the stocking drive will be. This year, the school is collecting from December 1st-5th.” Each grade is given a suggested age group for which to buy and during the week of the drive, students and parents bring filled stockings to the library. The SCA Community Committee helps to count the stockings and also the loose toys, the items that are too big to fit into stockings. Chesterbrook’s SCA Committee also organizes other types of donations and activities to help the community. The SCA conducts a canned food drive every fall to benefit the Salvation Army. “This year they are also teaming with a Girl Scout troop to collect canned goods every Friday to benefit a food pantry called SHARE,” Moseley said. In the spring, the SCA collects new and used books and donates them to children’s hospitals and shelters. McLean High School is helping those in need as well, starting with the Powder Puff football game that was on Nov. 6. The admission to the game was two cans of food. This year, the cans were donated to Food for Others, the largest distributor of free food directly to people in need in Northern Virginia.

art by Kristine Keenan

Other organizations in McLean High School have also done their part in helping the community. The Key Club works on different community service projects, and president of the Key Club, senior Anisah Khan said, “We have a lot of ideas and activities for members to get involved in.” The most recent project was a fundraiser for UNICEF. The participants, mostly younger siblings of McLean students, took the collection box around with them while they went trick-ortreating, and asked for donations. Khan thinks the fundraiser was a success. Although an exact amount has not been calculated, Khan said she thinks a lot people got money. The Key Club is also trying to raise awareness for the Walk for the Homeless, which is on November 22nd. The National Honor Society will be volunteering at So Others May Eat (SOME) during the Thanksgiving holiday delivering meals. SOME is a private non-profit organization that serves 800 meals every day to the poor and homeless in Washington D.C., gives out meals and helps the needy with clothing, finding jobs, medical care, and affordable housing. This Thanksgiving SOME is hosting its seventh annual Thanksgiving Day Trot. The 5K run will benefit SOME’s programs for the homeless. They are expecting 3,500 people from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. to participate. Last year’s event raised $132,000 and they hope to exceed that amount this year. “In addition to running or walking in the race, high school students could volunteer to set the course, check in participants, distribute water, etc.,” Marketing and Special Events Manager Tracy Monson said. During the holiday season, you can also donate or deliver a Thanksgiving or holiday food basket, one of SOME well-established traditions. Baskets are delivered to 60 seniors in the Caregivers Program and 30 seniors who attend SOME’s senior center. The baskets will be delivered to low-income seniors both tomorrow and on December 13. Already, 133 baskets have come to cover the 90 seniors in SOME’s programs. “We also end up giving several baskets away to people who call us out of the blue who are in need, since we have an excess,” Volunteer Coordinator of Elderly Services Programs Jenna Jones said.

Where do you volunteer? Fairfax Nursing Home

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation “I handle dogs at events to show people and they can meet the dogs and find them homes.” - Senior Katie Shedlock

“It makes me feel good helping people.” -Junior Joon Kwon

Madison Library “I generally work in the children’s section and organize books. I think it is a good way to give back to the community.” -Junior Zeynep Arslan

photos by Mohammad Tavakoli

Share receives support following shortage Rubina Sarkisian Reporter

amount of food being given out to families was increasing while the amount of donations stayed to same. “In October we served 172 families in the food It may be hard to believe but there is poverty all over Fairfax County. room which is about 600 people, we gave out 689 bags of food, and 186 bags About 172 families from Great Falls, McLean, Falls Church, and Pimmit Hills of clothes,” Glantz reported. “What’s interesting about that is that 20 percent are experiencing poverty this month. That number only includes the families more families came to us in September and October.” What has helped Share get through the economic that have been getting help from Share, Inc. in the recession is that they saw warning signs in advance. past month and excludes the families Share does “We saw signs of the recession about a year and a not help. half ago hitting local families, we started seeing Share, Inc. was started about forty years in 1969 it last August 2007, when we had increased visits by a coalition of churches and the Temple Rodef There has been a tremendous from people who were out of work and were comShalom in McLean wanting to help the poor in ing to get food,” Glantz said. “Families that would this area. Share offers multiple programs to famiresponse locally in Share’s come into the food room once a month started lies; they have a food room, a furniture service, food crisis, but I don’t want coming in 3 or 4 times a month. We’ve had a 50 a seasonal Christmas store, a monthly budget of them to think it’s over. percent increase in the number of families served cash assistance, and other programs. Share is a -Randy Glantz in the last year and 20 percent in the last month.” non-government assistance program; all of their President of Share Donations come from the local churches, items are donated to them and all work is volunsynagogue, food drives, schools, local businesses, teer work. and local families. According to Glantz, “The do President of Share, Randy Glantz said, “We nations come from many different people. The are a classical charity, no one gets paid, it’s all volMcLean Chamber of Commerce, Business Bank unteer work. We have volunteers that come in for a little amount of hours and we have regular volunteers.” Student from schools of McLean, Mars Corporation, and KPMG were some businesses that donated in this area work to get service hours while there are other volunteers that work this past month.” “The community response has been wonderful since we got the word out there regularly because of their interest in helping. “Some people might volunteer once, and other people who find it to their lik- about our food shortage. I’m just worried about the amount of donations going ing become regular volunteers.” Glantz said, “We have about 100 regular vol- down and the longer the recession lasts the more families are going to need asunteers that do the furniture pick-up and drop- off, 40 regular volunteers in the sistance,” Glantz said. “There has been a tremendous response locally in Share’s food room, and 20 more volunteers during Christmas time in the Christmas food crisis, but I don’t want them to think it is over. We are trying to maintain a food collection year round. A family in financial distress needs food every week store. About 125 people regularly donate.” The economic downfall left Share with no food on their shelves. The of the year.”

“

Food for Others Food for Others is Northern Virginia’s primary safety net for those who needfood when an emergency strikes, and for the growing number of working poor who are unable to make ends meet and need to supplement their food supplies. Food for Others receives much of its food from food rescue operations and food drives. Staff and volunteers pick up good food that would normally be thrown away at local grocery stores. The food is brought to the warehouse for temporary storage, including refrigeration. Food for others relies primarily on food drives to provide most of our non-perishable food. -14 Distribution sites -40 Organizations served -1,800 Families fed weekly -1,800,000 Pounds of food disturbed annually DC Central Kitchen The DC Central Kitchen is located in downtown DC and was founded to fight poverty using every resource available. The kitchen is used to prepare and deliver meals to social service agencies, and to train and employ homeless men and women for the food service industry. -Prepares 4,500 meals per day -Delivers food to more than 100 agencies. Volunteer Opportunities include: -Morning meal production Information from www.foodforothers.org -Evening Co-op Shift and www.dccentralkitchen.org

FEATURES

Highlander

Know before you go: Our top five tips for college visits

A successful college trip can make all the difference when it comes to choosing a school. Without a plan for visiting, however, it’s easy to return home feeling unaccomplished and confused. These five tips below will help you make the most of your visit.

5. Be intrusive. Seek out the opinion of every student you meet. They’re your best resource.

November 14, 2008

1. Remember: it’s your visit. 3. Do an interview. Your visit is the perfect time to speak with a college rep.

You’re the one applying to college, not your parents. Don’t let them forget that.

4. Go to class! Attending a lecture or discussion will give you an impression of the school’s academics.

infographic by Ned Burchfiel

2. Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts and impressions about the colleges you meet. Bring a camera, too.

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FEATURES

November 14, 2008

Highlander

The best sites on the web People.com, the online edition of “People” magazine, provides insight into the daily lives of Hollywood’s rich and fabulous. This year, the election has been covered extensively, as well as the glamorous lives of celebrities. Perezhilton.com was founded by blogger Perez Hilton, who writes about all the latest and juiciest Hollywood gossip. The blog makes fun of celebrities, and funny pictures can be found with interesting drawings on normal photos snapped by paparazzi.

Casual gaming site Pogo.com allows users to play online card games, board games, word games, puzzle games, sport games and more. Users can also join and connect with other online users to chat and challenge each other in friendly competition.

Miniclip.com is an online media hub that lets visitors play internet games, download e-cards and view animations. Users can also create their own avatars to represent themselves on the website. Pandora.com is a website that lets users enter in the name of a song or artist that they like, and the website gives songs that sound similar to the song entered. Users of the website can change parts of the song and if the users do not like the song, they can change it, and the website will bring up new entries.

No SHAVE November While students at McLean have a reputation for participating in “No shave November,” some are more willing than others to put aside the razor and let the fuzz grow.

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FEATURES

Highlander

November 14, 2008

Tofurky versus Roasted Turkey Asli Uyanik Reporter

Every Thanksgiving, people wrestle with the idea of whether to eat healthier by holding off on second helpings or refusing pumpkin pie. However, people like sophomore vegetarian Rebecca Teague go a step further and completely do away with the traditional turkey. In stead of turkey, many vegetarian and health fanatics choose Tofurky. Many vegetarians believe that Tofurky is not only healthier and tastier, but it also protects turkeys from maltreatment. Tofurky has been scoffed at for years for being a poor substitution for meat. However Teague believes that Tofurky is “so good. I switched my friend’s food with the meatless chicken nuggets and she didn’t even notice.” When it comes to taste many critics say that the taste of Tofurky beats the taste of oven ready turkeys that many stores sell. Food critic James Norton says “…it’s ultimately less delicious than a Tofurky.” The main ingredients in Tofurky are water, wheat gluten, organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride), white beans, and garbanzo beans. Turtle Iscourtesy of tofurkey.com land Foods, the main producer of Tofurky, promises that all of

the ingredients are organic and non-genetically engineered. Turtle Island Foods offers three types of Tofurky roasts (substitutes for turkey): the individual Tofurky Roast, the Tofurky Feast and the Tofurky Roast with Gravy. The Tofurky Feast contains side dishes of apple potato dumplings, giblets and mushroom gravy and wild rice. To make the festivities more like an authentic Thanksgiving dinner they even have “wishstix” which is a replica of the traditional wishbone made out of Tofurky jerky. Even though turkey is out of the question for many vegetarians, the traditions and festivities still stay alive. Roasted Turkey Portion Size Calories Fat (grams) Sat. Fat (grams) Cholesterol (mg) Protein (grams)

4 oz. 240 9 3 85 32

Turtle Island Tofurky Roast

4 oz. 190 5 0 0 26

*Source: USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

Touching traditions bring back memories for teachers Torin Liberthson-Brown Reporter

Mr. Joel Kane: Q. What is the most memorable

Thanksgiving for you? A. “It was one of those god-awful experiences, where the food was great, but the company was not so nice.” Q. What are some traditions you have for Thanksgiving? A. “The same as everyone, eat, try to stay awake after eating, and then watch the Detroit Lions loose again. Or is it the cowboys this year...?”

Mrs. Christy Toledano: Q.What are some family traditions

or memories that you have of thanksgiving? A. “Well, what you call stuffing or whatever, my family calls it filling, and for our filling, my job was to cut up the white bread into little squares. My mom would never buy white bread except on thanksgiving; she only had me eat wheat. So on thanksgiving, she always let me put aside two slices of the white bread for the next day and she would make me a Pb&j.”

Ms. Farris Gale and Ms. Rachel Siska : Q. What are some funny memories

you have from previous Thanksgivings? A. “Well, my aunt used to make the turkey for us and a lot of the meal, but she would serve the turkey cold. So now my mom cooks it because we felt bad teller her that it was disgusting.”-Gale Q. What is your favorite Recipe? A. “Sweet Potatoes from Boston Market! I got the recipe offline.”-Siska

It takes more than just an apple a day to keep the doctor away Henry Kuhl Reporter

photo by Mohammad Tavokoli

With the arrival of winter, students not only face colder conditions and the occasional snowfall but also the possibility of acquiring an array of sicknesses. In schools throughout America, students are affected by many common diseases and viruses. According to pharmacist Allen Heichman, the most common diseases he

ec1ounters are the flu and colds. Influenza, better known as the Flu is a virus that affects the respiratory system which is the breathing system of the human body. This virus can be spread through droplets in the air and on surfaces.

Symptoms of flu can be high fevers, hot flashes and cold spells, fatigue, trouble breathing, headache, cough, and loss of appetite. While influenza affects people with weak immune systems, and extremely young and old people, it can occur in anyone regardless of age. An estimated 36,000 Americans die, and 200,000 are hospitalized each year as a result of influenza every year. “When you get the flu virus without protection, your body is not able to make sufficient antibodies and it can be fatal,” Heichman said. Another common infection is strep throat. Strep stands for streptococcus pyogenes, which are small bacteria that travel through the air and on surfaces. Symptoms can be sore throat, painful swallowing, fever, headache, rash and stomach ache. Strep throat is most common in people aged 5 to 15, which includes high school students. Both of these diseases are transmitted through people and surfaces. School is definitely a place where students are at risk to catch these sicknesses. They can also cause students to get

behind in schoolwork. Sophomore Olivia Engel is an example of a student set behind in school as a result of a sickness. “I had an ear infection and strep throat at the same time. I got really behind in my schoolwork in addition to having to spend my Christmas Eve in the emergency room,” Engel said. However, there are many measures to be taken to prevent catching viruses this winter. Washing your hands continuously and using small bottles of disinfectant that many students carry around with them are both good ways to kill germs that may be spread through surfaces. Other ways to stay healthy are to keep warm, eat properly, and stay away from sick people. “Wash your hands and keep your hands away from your eyes and your nose,” Heichman said, that There is also a flu shot available to further prevent acquiring the flu. According to Heichman, the flu shot is 85 percent effective and patients should get their shots during the fall.

FEATURES

November 14, 2008

Highlander

Spontaneity brings color into hairstyles Jasmine Mohandesi Features Editor

“I didn’t really care enough to spend that much money on it. I just wanted to experiment and see how it would turn out,” In Mr. Sinclair’s AP literature class, students were assigned to Kerley said. According to Kerley, “it does seem that a lot of people have “do something existential,” something out of character. Senior Sarah Kollmorgen completed the assignment by spontaneously been coloring and highlighting their hair.” “I don’t know if that is just coincidence or if it is a trend,” dying her hair purple. “I had always wanted to dye my hair because it looks fun, Kerley said. Senior Cindy Chen has colored her hair blond, green, brown and the AP literature assignment simply gave me the push,” and blue. Kollmorgen said. She also believes that coloring has become more popular. Kollmorgen feels that hair color dying is becoming much “Recently a lot of people have brighter and bolder colors in more popular. their hair,” Chen said “I think they want to look edgier.” “It has really become a trend,” However, hair colorKollmorgen said. “I see much ist and stylist at PRatmore people with pink highlights Parners, Teresa Wine, and quirky hair colors.” Recently a lot of people have brighter and believes that hair colKollmorgen paid 25 dollars at bolder colors in their hair. I think they want oring has always been PRatPartners in McLean and dyed to look edgier. around. the back of her hair purple. The ap-Cindy Chen “It is just a high pointment only took 30 minutes. school phase. I died my “It was a really fun experience,” Senior hair pink when I was in Kollmorgen said. “My friends were school,” Wine said. “It is all so surprised.” really nothing new.” According to Kollmorgen, “it is Wine says that most teenagers just dye their hair “to be difdefinitely a fun process to change ferent and show off their individuality.” your hair color.” Wine works with client’s hair by using a combination of Senior Devan Kerley also added color to her look. Kerley color placing techniques as well as a color pallet. added pink highlights to her hair. According to Wine, highlights and coloring in ‘funky’ colors “It was kind of spontaneous. I just felt like doing something fun with my hair,” Kerley said. “I was just sitting at home bored are semipermanent and wash out after a couple shampoos. “Whether a new trend or not, teenagers dye their hair “funky” and so I bought hair dye and dyed my hair.” colors and future generations will do the same,” Wine said. Kerley bought the pink hair color from CVS.

“

Hair Services: Comparing Prices PRatPartners Hair in McLean:

HIGHLIGHTS: $105-$140 COLOR: $60-$70 Haircuttery in McLean:

HIGHLIGHTS: $50-$70 COLOR: $20-$65 Bubbles in Tyson’s Corner Mall:

HIGHLIGHTS: $70-$90 COLOR: $50-$70 Suissa in Tyson’s Corner Mall:

HIGHLIGHTS: $90-$225 COLOR: $55-$225 CVS in McLean:

HIGHLIGHTS: 10$-15$ COLOR: $5-$30

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Sophomore to graduate early in order to pursue acting career

Would you graduate early? “No because it would be too difficult to leave without my friends and who I’ve grown up with” -Bijan Peters Sophomore “Yeah because I would have more time on my hands for everything else.” -Makan Moinzadeh Sophomore “I don’t think so because I think I would miss out on a lot of experiences.” -Meryem Ok Sophomore “Sure, then I wouldn’t have to be in school” -Hussein Saab Sophomore

Cat Davis Editor in Chief

It is a generally accepted fact that the first two years of high school are typically easier than the last two. More is expected of you as an upperclassman; better grades, harder classes and more maturity, but what if you were anticipating to graduate as a junior? For sophomore Amadine Thomas, graduating early is just a step in the right direction for her acting career. “I haven’t done that much more acting than anyone else but I’ve known I wanted to do it ever since I was little, it is my dream,” Thomas said. Thomas began considering the idea for the first time in seventh grade. “I knew it would be hard and I would have to give up half my summer, but I can’t wait to devote all my time to acting,” Thomas said. With hopes of graduating early, come many aspects of high school that Thomas is forced to face alone. “It’s definitely harder to leave earlier than everyone else because I have to worry about schools and SAT’s [as a sophomore].” In addition, because she is ahead in many of her courses, Thomas is more often than not the only sophomore in her classes. Because of all the courses required to graduate, Thomas is forced to attend summer school every year. Over the summer she has taken geometry and

chemistry putting her in physics and pre-calc as a sophomore. This upcoming summer, Thomas is expecting to take English 11, making her advanced in all her subjects and allowing for two history courses in her schedule next year. According to Thomas, summer school is the most difficult aspect of graduating early. “I have to wake up every day for a month in the summer and go to school and learn about one subject for six hours while my friends are on vacation,” Thomas said. “I’m making a lot of sacrifices to do this […] but I can’t wait until I start acting full time.” Thomas attributes her ability to work ahead to her parents and friends. “My parents have supported me so much. They never told me that I should give up acting or that it wasn’t a good idea,” Thomas said. “Even though my friends don’t want me to go, they have supported me so much [as well].” Thomas’s best friend, sophomore Marielene Planas, admits that seeing Thomas leave a year early is not going to be easy. “I think it’s really cool. She is taking a head start on life as a 15 year-old, which takes a lot of guts,” Planas said. “[However], she is my best friend and it is going to be really hard to see her leave [early] and not having her here senior year.” Even though it is going to be hard,

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courtesy of Amadine Thomas Planas tries her best to help Thomas in whatever way she can whether it is by helping her study or acting. “I’m there” Planas said. After graduating with the class of 2010, Thomas’s priorities will be her acting career with the hopes of moving to either New York City or LA and getting into a good acting school. “I don’t have a concrete plan because you can’t have a real plan to become a successful actor,” Thomas said. Some might consider this extra year of acting time a waste of time, but Thomas sees it as even more opportunity. “In show business what you need more than anything else is experience. By graduating early, I will get a head start on my career and hopefully get some experience and training early. The earlier I can start acting full time the better”.

FEATURES

Highlander

November 14, 2008

“Role Models” sets a good example Bryan Kress Reporter

Role Models is the type of comedy that doesn’t come around too often: it brings laughs from the first minute until the final scene before the credits roll, while also having a lot of heart. The story begins with two salesmen named Danny (Paul Rudd, Knocked Up) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott, American Pie) who teach students about alternatives to drugs, like their Minotaur energy drink product. Danny is unsatisfied with his life, and one day his girlfriend leaves him after they get into a fight over his self-loathing. The aftermath of the breakup causes Danny and Wheeler to crash their Minotaur truck after a hilariously disastrous presentation at a high school. The two are given a decision between 30 days in prison or 150 hours of community service. Danny and Wheeler choose to participate in a child mentor program called Sturdy Wings, and this is where the movie picks up. The two children paired with Danny and Wheeler are the most unique aspects about Role Models. Augie Farks (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Superbad) is a teenage geek who participates in foam-sword battles with socially-inept adults. Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson, That’s So Raven) is a foul-mouthed boy who scares away every adult he gets assigned to. Thompson steals the movie with his adult attitude. Every line that comes out of his mouth, while profane and racially-charged, is hilarious. Role Models will join the ranks of movies like Anchorman

and Superbad with its excess of quotable lines. The movie makes use of the combination of a great script and improvised lines. The film is well cast and the chemistry between the Big and Little Brothers is pitch-perfect. Scott and Thompson connect through their vulgar humor, and every scene between the two is comedic gold. Scenes between Rudd and Mintz-Plasse progressively get funnier as more is revealed about Augie’s mysterious hobby. The laughable climax comes during an epic foam-sword battle against a bunch of middle-aged men. Every moment of it is great. While the main characters play the same type of characters that they have in previous movies, they play them so well in Role Models that it doesn’t matter. Scott is once again a potty-mouthed, no-care-in-the-world brute but this time around he brings a sense of maturity. Mintz-Plasse is on par with his now-famous McLovin character in Superbad, as the loser trying to get the girl. Rudd, famous for his quick-wit and sarcastic tone gives a sense of reality to the movie. Despite the racy dialogue, there is an underlying story of love, redemption and friendship. In essence, Danny is just a guy trying to win back his girlfriend by changing his lifestyle. Augie is a loser trying to fit in and Ronnie is a boy searching for someone to look up to. While the movie follows the same comedic formula where the main characters reach a turning-point, it’s amusing to see how they get there. Role Models is wall-to-wall with laughs and provides a solid story line. Although not suitable for everyone, it offers a brand of comedy that has been missing lately.

Photo courtesy of Universal.com

Binding aspect of early decision causes seniors to think twice Oct. 1 marked the end of the early decision process for many students. Some seniors accepted the binding contract because they were certain that they were applying to their “dream school,” while others just wanted to be “done” with the college process. Senior Caity Flint knew she wanted to apply early decision to Virginia Tech in early September. “I applied early to Virginia Tech because it is a school I have wanted to go to since I was a kid,” Flint said. “Tech is my top choice.” According to Flint, she felt a “huge relief ” after sending in her application. “I was so excited and happy that I had the application in to my top choice school,” Flint said. “It was pressure removed.” Although Flint was set on applying to Tech, the “binding” aspect of early decision caused her to consider her options. “It affected my decision to actually decide to do it. Binding means that if you get in you have to go there. You have

Q&A:

to be 100 percent sure. So it just made me think out all my options and be sure that I wanted to go to Virginia Tech,” Flint said. Senior Katie Phelan applied early decision to Miami of Ohio because she “wanted to get in and be done with the process.”

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Jasmine Mohandesi Features Editor

Binding means that if you get in you have to go there. You have to be 100 percent sure.

-Caity Flint

senior

“Although I was 50/50 between Miami of Ohio and Delaware I made the decision to apply to Miami because it has a pretty campus, is in a rural area and everyone I know who has gone there has been really happy,” Phelan said.

According to Phelan, even though applying early “takes some pressure off,” it is also stressful. “It is great know that I have an application in, but it is also stressful because if I don’t get in then I will have to go through the application process all over again.” Senior Ho Do opted against applying early decision. “I chose to do early action instead, because I wanted to get into my safety college first, so I would not have to worry much for the rest of the year,” Do said. “Early action has also given me the choice of choosing another college later on, if a better one accepts me.” While Flint and Phelan believe that applying early decision has many benefits, they do not believe that a student’s chances of getting accepted are higher than when applying regular decision. “With early decision, you are in a pool with people that are the ‘best of the best,’” Flint said. “You are held to higher standards.” According to Phelan, “you really need to have eye-catching credentials so that the panel of admission does not defer you.”

a freshman perspective from Christina Woo on what it’s really like to be a “Little Mac”

Q. Do you like being a Little Mac? A. Being a Little Mac is okay because you

get extra help from other students. You get to meet with seniors who have had the same teachers or same courses, and that helps a lot, since you get to talk to them if you’re having a hard time in class.

Q. When do you meet and what do you do with your Big Mac? A. I meet with my Big Mac on the designated days, and she emails me sometimes. When we meet, we just talk about the school or our grades and have some food.

Q. How has McLeadership helped you getting along in the school? A. On the first day, McLeadership was

really helpful because I didn’t know where my classes were. My Big Mac showed me around and I easily found my classes after that. Also, she gave me brief introductions about my classes and teachers, since she’d taken some of the same courses, and that helped a lot since it gave me an idea of what to expect from those classes.

Q. How could McLeadership be better? A. I’m hoping that we can meet some other

time than Highlander Time on Wednesdays. I can never get help from my teachers at Highlander Time because of McLeadership. I think that I’ve only had one free Highlander Time since the beginning of the year, because of the Skill Builders and McLeadership sessions. It’s really annoying having to wake up early on Wednesdays when everyone else can sleep late.

Q. Do you hope to be a Big Mac when you are a senior? Why? A. I’m thinking about it. I’m kind of willing to be a Big Mac because as a senior you get to meet the freshman students, and it seems like a great experience.

November 14, 2008

SPORTS

Football team matures despite their disappointing season Danny Jabbour Reporter

“Coach Patrick is real easy to talk to and he’s a lot of help,” sophomore Chase Mills said. “I have complete faith in the coaching staff and they are There were mixed feelings about this year’s varsity football team. The season came to a rough end after the McLean-Lan- taking the program in the right direction,” senior CJ Rogers gley rivalry game on October 31, Halloween night. The team said. “In a few years this will be a championship program, no doubt.” went 0-10 for the season, but Practices under the new many of the players had nothing coaching staff were different as but positive things to say. well. “Our record may have ap“Practices were a lot more peared to be disappointing, but beneficial this season. We actuour team chemistry grew every ally did stuff, it wasn’t lazy. There week,” sophomore Jimmy Ludwere more intense drills and wick said. there were no kids just sitting With the new season came around,” senior Jourdan Samuels many changes. Most importantsaid. ly, Jim Patrick was hired as the Things are looking good for new head coach. He came into the upcoming football season. McLean this year after coaching This year there were as many at Hylton High in Woodbridge as nine starting sophomores on Virginia. Patrick hoped to acthe varsity team. Many of these complish a lot this year, and had young players are focusing on high expectations for the team. making the team better in the “The biggest thing this year future. was teaching the kids accountIn order to motivate the team ability and to make the game fun even further, Coach Patrick put for them,” Patrick said. up a sign in the weight room Patrick already developed a that says, “2008 0-10. 2009 ?” plan to help the team succeed Though the team wasn’t winnext season. He felt that there photo by Mohammed Tavakoli ning the games, there was still a was not enough preparation in Senior defensive end Michael Shipley reflects on lot of school spirit, and it was an the off season last year. the game during a stoppage of play. exciting environment. “We need to have a better “There was a ton of school level of preparation in the off spirit at the games. Mostly everyseason in order to get the wins,” one wore red, and the big hardcore fans painted their face Patrick said. Over the course of the season the coaching staff succeeded and body. Almost everyone had some form of red on their body,” junior Amy Salame said. in winning the faith of the players. This should prove to The team’s confidence was boosted by the attendance of be an advantage going into next season as the coaches and spirited fans. Hopefully this confidence will carry over into players will be comfortable with each other and will work together effectively saving time at the beginning of the season next season’s games. to work on their game plan instead of making acquaintances.

Highlander

2008 All-district award winners Second Team All-region Field Hockey: Elisa Enriquez

First team All-district Field Hockey: Elisa Enriquez Caitlin Baker Olivia Applewhite

Volleyball: Cat Davis

Second team All-district Field Hockey: Johanna Morrison Jamie Bell

Football:

Riley Beiro CJ Rogers Chase Mills Ethan Beckett

Honorable mention Field Hockey: Sarah Park Casey Alexander

Volleyball: Lea Williams Alex Yensen

Football:

Anthony Maestri Billy Dvorkin Jonathan Fremerman Jourdan Samuels Michael Shipley Billy Bell Yael Wade Alex Rosenbaum

Conditioning leads crew to spring success Zenobia Morrill Reporter

Blaring heavy music, shouts of motivation, and screams of physical exertion; these are typical sounds that can be heard when walking by the McLean Crew erg trailers after school. Largely unrecognized, the McLean High School Crew Team completes every season with numerous achievements based on their stellar performances in competition with schools across the nation. Why are McLean rowers so successful? The answer is simply because the intensity of the winter conditioning program is, according to Coach Chris Gordon, “comparable, if not more intense than that of a college crew program.” This year, the rowers took the initiative to begin the winter conditioning program on October 10th, making the season start six weeks earlier than in years prior to this one. “We’re hoping that by starting the season earlier we can get back in shape after the summer faster, and have more effective practices that can get us well prepared for spring season.” senior rower Kelly Hall said, one of the numerous seniors that requested the early start. It’s not that these rowers enjoy the hours of excruciating pain of training, it’s that their motivation to win overrides their temptation to sit back and relax. Many rowers joined the program with the incentive of gaining a scholarship, or being noticed by an Ivy League. These hopes are far from out-of-reach judging by the success of McCrew Alumni. Just this last summer, two former rowers, Sam Stitt and Guiseppe Lanzone, competed in the Beijing Olympics. The current rowers in the program hold the same potential considering they finished last season with the team championship at Mid Atlantic Erg Sprints along with nine individual gold medals, eight individual silver medals, and seven individual bronze medals. After competing in the Virginia State Competition, the team earned four gold medals, one silver medal, and two bronze medals. This qualified

the team for Nationals, where the Women’s Quad finished in second place, and the majority of the boats were ranked top ten in the nation. After speaking to Coach Chris Gordon, it became apparent that the goals for this season prove to be even more challenging than before, with his hope that one qualifies in advancing to compete at a world-wide level in the Henley Regatta. It is basically an expectation that all boats place top three in the state. Dedication is an underlying factor when it comes to success for rowers. They must attend practice everyday except sunday for photo courtesy of John DaCrema at least two hours in the erg trailFrom the left: Last year juniors Kelly Hall, Danielle DaCrema, senior Nicole Rusers and in the weight room. Twice a week the team engages sell, juniors Brooke Bush and Colleen Devlin won the Virginia state championship in Yoga exercises and weight lifting in 20087. In the 2008 season, the team has high hopes for an even better season through more contitioning and team unity. to build strength in their core muscles, and during the other practices coaches focus on test scores and individual potential. Howthe focus is on perfecting the form of rowing on the ergom- ever, Coach Gordon describes the whole winter program as a eter while doing endurance and anaerobic pieces. Anaerobic form of “try-outs” because after each week of practice, rowpieces are particularly challenging, as rowers are expected to ers must come on Saturday mornings for “testing.” This is physically exert themselves to continuously increase their an- when rowers complete a 6K, 4K, or 2K and their scores are aerobic capacity. “Throwing up, panting, and crying are all recorded. When spring season begins in February or March, common at practice,”senior Brooke Bush describes, “I’d say the coaches observe the trends/ achievements demonstrated we have about three people throwing up from over-exertion by these scores to determine their placement in a boat. Also each week.” A common misconception is that rowing re- at the completion of the season is a Mid Atlantic Ergometer quires mainly upper-body strength, but actually, much of the Sprints Competition where each rower has the ability to instrength behind rowing comes from the leg muscles. dividually compete, off the water, to earn points for their For many sports, try-outs consist of a few days where team and potentially earn a medal.

Highlander

SPORTS

Powder Puff ‘08 THE GAME PLAN

November 14, 2008 Junior Brittany McCray gets back up after being taken down during a play. The juniors trailed behind the seniors throughout the entire game.

Danny Jabbour Reporter The seniors redeemed themselves after a tough loss in the final seconds of last year’s Powder Puff game. On Nov. 6, 2008 they beat the juniors in this year’s Powder Puff game, 18-13. The rookie juniors put up a good fight, but it just wasn’t enough to take down the veterans. “I think the seniors deserved their win. Their defense was a lot better than ours and I’m glad it was close and not a blow out,” junior player Caitlin Baker said. Last year there was much controversy about who had won the game, however “the game this year was fairer than Powder Puff games in the past,” junior coach Colin Cannon said. Both the juniors and seniors had secret weapons that helped them throughout the game. For the juniors it was trick plays on offense, but for the seniors it was both their strong defense and their attack on offense revolving around Caity Flint and Cat Davis. “Caity Flint was untouchable when she ran the ball and Cat Davis was a great quarterback,” sophomore Lauren Zimmerman said. There were mixed feelings about the game from the viewers in the stands. “Everyone was wearing a team color but there wasn’t a lot of cheering without the cheerleaders. I thought the game wasn’t as exciting as a regular football game,” Zimmerman said. On the other hand, some disagreed with Zimmerman, “I thought there was a lot of school spirit at the game. It was a great experience to watch the opposite sex compete in a game that they don’t play regularly,” freshman Omar Hamad said. This year’s game may be over, but sophomores are already looking forward to next year’s. “I expect the class of 2011 to wreck the class of 2010, no contest,” Zimmerman said. “We definitely have the more athletic players.”

Senior Colleen Devin takes on juniors Karina Guerrero and Teresa Schefer during a defensive play. The teamwork of an offense and defense allowed the seniors to win the game 18-13.

Seniors Nnenna Izegbu and Carolyn Chastka line up against the juniors in the second half. They quickly scored a third touchdown after the juniors score first. photos by Mohammad Tavakoli

Students cheer on their teams from behind enemy lines

19 Athletes show off for colleges

Andrew Davis Assistant Sports Editor

David Berk Sports Editor

SPORTS

November 14, 2008

Highlander

During the height of the NFL season, nobody in Washington is hated more than a Cowboys, Eagles, or Giants fan. These division rivals represent pure evil to most Redskins fans. Because of this, the few Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles fans at McLean are the focus of a great deal of criticism and ill will. Some of these fans have become the center of vandalism and abuse because of the teams that they support. Most of the incidents are harmless, but they contribute to an unfriendly environment surrounding these students. For instance, junior William Dutrow’s car has been vandalized bephoto by Andrew Davis cause he displays a large Eagles sticker Junior William Dutrow proudly shows off his Philadelphia Eagles gear. on the back. He has been a fan of teams from Philadelphia for his entire life. “After Homecoming somebody had written ‘Eagles Suck’ all over my car in The games between the Redskins and NFC East deodorant,” Dutrow said. rivals are always important. However, when you are Junior and Giants fan Steven Kadyszewski has also a fan of one of these rivals living in Washington, both experienced some of these spiteful acts. your teams and your personal reputation live and die “I have had several Giants sweatshirts stolen,” on these games. Kadyszewski said. “For a while it seemed like whenAfter the Giants easily defeated the Redskins to ever I got a new one someone would steal it, or hide it, start off the season, Kadyszewski made sure people or just do something to it.” knew that his team had triumphed. He wore his jerDespite these incidents, many fans of Washington’s seys, sweatshirts, anything with a Giants logo on it. rivals still enjoy going against the grain. Eagles and Cowboys fans have experienced the op“It is really fun,” Dutrow said. “You kind of get a posite end of the spectrum this year. After their defeats back and forth thing going with by the Redskins, other people. The two Washingthey became the ton games become a chance to butt of just about win bragging rights.” everyone’s jokes. Many of these fans also enjoy “It is pretty There is always the next game, and next angering Redskins fans. If their tough when the time the Redskins are going down. team has a big win over the RedEagles lose,” skins, or moves ahead in the standDutrow said. - Kevin Pyne ings, die-hard Giants, Eagles, and “People make fun Cowboys fans will never miss a Junior of you and give chance to flaunt their team’s gear you a hard time.” at school. However, this “I love wearing Eagles stuff to does not deter the school,” junior Kevin Pyne said. true fans of these “Sometimes it really makes people mad, and that’s just teams. “There is always the next game, and next time fun to watch. It really makes the Redskins game the the Redskins are going down,” Pyne said. biggest rivalry.”

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For many athletes at McLean, playing sports in college is a common goal. One way they hope to attract attention from college coaches is playing in showcase tournaments. This goal is not easily reached however. According to the NCAA, only about three percent of all high school athletes, male and female, went on to compete at the collegiate level in 2007. Even so, facts like this one have not weakened the spirits of aspiring college athletes at McLean. Juniors Matt Janssen, Tim Whitebread, Denis Buckley, Sean Fitzgerald and Chris Russo are among these athletes. Janssen and Whitebread play soccer, while Buckley, Fitzgerald and Russo play baseball. For almost all high school athletes trying to catch the attention of college coaches, playing in college showcase tournaments is their best bet. In doing so, athletes hope to stand out and attract the attention of coaches scouting at the tournaments. “It all depends on how well you play,” Janssen said. “I think that if I play well, I’ll get recruited. There are so many schools with good soccer programs that have coaches who come to the tournaments to watch that you are bound to find one to recruit you.” Although there may be some athletes who doubt the benefits of playing in college showcase tournaments, Buckley disagrees. “It does matter,” he said. “I get interest letters from colleges after every one [tournament] I go to. Coaches come and watch, and if you play well then you’re in good shape.” Collegiate tournaments exist on the state and national levels. For example, a popular national baseball showcase tournament that Buckley attended in 2007, the TPX Top 96, took place in Fort Myers, Fla. On a state level, James Madison University holds an annual baseball showcase. For soccer, Janssen is playing in two tournaments with his club team, one in Baltimore, and another in Tampa Bay. At these tournaments, the schools or programs holding them put the athletes through a series of exercises to test their fundamental skills, as well as particular strengths relating to their positions. “At the beginning they usually take your 60 [meter dash] time and then you do batting practice,” Buckley said. “That’s mostly for the hitters to show what they can do. Then they do fielding practice which lets the scouts watch infielders. After that you play games, which are mostly for the pitchers.” In addition to playing in showcases, athletes also make contact with coaches through email or letters, so the coaches know that the athletes are dedicated. “I emailed the coaches from the University of Kentucky, Wisconsin and George Mason to tell them when and where I’m going to be playing and that I am interested in their schools,” Janssen said.

Boys soccer kicks off preseason with futsal David Berk Sports Editor

McLean soccer has picked up where it left off two years ago with the start of winter futsal training. After acquiring a new coach last year, the team experimented with some new preseason training methods; this year, however, the team’s captains chose to begin the preseason with the after school futsal games. “We organized it in order to get people ready for tryouts and the season in a few months, especially people who don’t play on a club team,” senior captain Will Sloan said. “Also, some of the older players who were on the team two years ago wanted to do it again.” Futsal is played with a ball that is smaller and heavier than a normal soccer ball. It is played in a gym or an outdoor basketball court with two small goals on either side. Each team generally has between five and eight players and does not have a goalie. Futsal is played mainly to develop the foot skills of players and improve their touch on the ball. The 75 kids who signed up to play were broken up into 10 teams by Sloan. The teams rotate to play Monday through Thursday and will do so until a championship is held just before the beginning of

the season. Most of the kids who signed up to play in the league, which is sponsored by history teacher Rob Plunkett, feel that it will ultimately benefit them. “My club team is not practicing as much during the off-season so this is a good way for me to get some extra playing time in,” junior Matt Janssen said. “If people actually come and try, then this can be pretty beneficial.” For freshmen, the league offers a way to acquaint themselves with the McLean program and interact with some of the current players. “I think it’s good. I got to meet the team captain, Will, and I got to meet a lot of other kids who are going to play. Also, I got to meet the varsity coach because he stops by every now and then to watch,” freshman Michael Russo said. At some points during last season, it was evident that the whole team’s footskills could be improved upon. This is not uncommon, as the team is still growing and improving its skills. “Although it wasn’t too big of a problem in games, it was evident every now and then that everyone could brush up on their foot skills, but then again, everyone is committed to getting better,” Sloan said.

photo by David Berk Senior Niema Touhidi shields the ball from senior Will Sloan as sophomore James Perla looks on. The futsal league games are played out on the basketball courts Mondays through Thursdays in preparation for the 2009 soccer season.

SPORTS

Highlander

November 14, 2008

Hitting the backboard of success Under new leadership, field hockey gets a fresh start

Players by the numbers

120 Langley player Emily Knapp and senior Molly Welch face off at the McLeanLangley competition over the Rotary Cup. The Highlanders beat Langley twice this season, and advanced to regional quarterfinals.

Elizabeth Masgarha and Ibrahim Jacobs Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor Without a doubt, students have noticed the crazy spandex, attention grabbing headbands, and the constant “Go field hockey!” hollering around the halls over the past weeks. But this year, field hockey has been celebrating longer than usual due to a winning streak carrying them into the district and regional tournaments. “Since I have been at McLean, field hockey has never been too successful,” senior captain Annie Ruehlin said. “Our unity, strategy and abilities have finally come together, and we’ve been winning because of it.” One of the pivotal factors in this new success is the use of new strategy. Many players were shuffled on the field, playing positions completely opposite of the ones played in previous seasons. “Carolyn Postol used to be our sweeper, which is the lowest defensive position,” senior captain Molly Welch said. “This year, she played our highest forward and was one

of our leading scorers. We moved people around to find better fits.” The new strategy has also contributed to many player’s individual successes as well. Elisa Enriquez, Caitlin Baker, and Olivia Applewhite were all nominated for the first team all-district, and Johanna Morrison and Jamie Bell were nominated to the second team all-district. Enriquez was also the only team member to also be nominated for the second team all-region. The team attributes much of their new strategy and success to dynamic new leadership. At times, players can be hesitant to accept the style of a new coach, but field hockey welcomed Summer Hardman, a previous Division I field hockey player herself, with open arms and an openness to change. “Our coach has completely turned our team around,” said Welch. “She’s intense, and because of her, we finally believe in ourselves this season and went to every game not only with the will to win, but expecting to win.” Regardless of the coaching change, the team went into this season with hopes of

steals by Elisa Enriquez in 20 games. “Postol, who has never played offense until this year, became an instant success and tied Olivia Applewhite and Caitlyn Baker for the highest number of goals. -Coach Hardman goals scored by Carolyn Postol this season.

photo by Kent Arnold success and of have a better season than the last, though they never expected to have such a memorable season. “We didn’t really have a good idea of what this year was going to look like, but nothing’s final until the game is over,” junior Olivia Applewhite said. “When we started winning, we just improved on the things that worked before and just made sure not to get overconfident.” The team started noticing their progress when they beat Yorktown and then Langley in consecutive games. “Both of those games were really difficult and could have gone both ways, it was just such a relief to be ahead when the game ended,” said Ruehlin. Each win began to show the girls the rewards of their labor and was incentive to kept them going, pushing themselves to be quicker, stronger and more prepared than the opposing team. “We knew the season was going to be different, but our team had new energy to bring against every team,” senior captain Eliza Enriquez said. “Then those wins would just

“To the team, Enriquez serves as the team’s backbone. She was the first to create the offensive rushes and really gets people running on the field.” -Coach Hardman

“She is always willing to sacrifice herself for the team and so much heart and spunk on the field.” -Coach Hardman

years Summer Hardman has been a coach without seeing a player like Annie Ruehlin.

photos courtesy of McLean High School help us that much more towards getting better each week and playing with everything we had.” This year, the team went 14-6-2 and moved from districts to regionals. However, after an upsetting loss against Woodson in district finals, the team was unable to keep their streak alive beyond the second round of regionals. Field hockey’s season finished with a far greater improvement than last year’s 6-1-10 mark. Next year, the girls will look to match the record of the 1986 Virginia State Championship team led by Demby Banbury. Although they did not get to the state tournament, the girls have built a strong foundation off which to base next year’s team. Athletic director Tom Herman has new confidence in the program. “I’m really excited about field hockey. Traditionally, McLean has had a very strong program but we have been down the last four years. Field hockey has been one of the strong sports and now it’s back.”

2008 season at a glance September 5, 2008

October 3, 2008

In the Herndon Tournament game against Eastern View, McLean went into double over time and emerged victorious with a score of 4-3.

Against Thomas Jefferson, McLean beat their counterpart with a strong offensive strategy and ended the game 1-0.

HIGHLANDER When McLean and Langley faced each other for the Rotary Cup, McLean got the lead and finished the game with the winning score of 2-0.

FIELD HOCKEY In the second round of districts, McLean beat Madison 2-1 and was able to advance to District Finals against Woodson.

October 21, 2008

September 19, 2008 photos by Kent Arnold