The Saxon Scope 2020-2021 Issue 3

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saxon scope

Asian American discrimination and why it must end

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Pages 17-20

Langley High School | Issue 3 Volume 60 | April 2021

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STAFF

Advisers

Christina Mitro, Jessica Shoemaker

Reporters

Editor-In-Chief Maddie Koenig

Managing Editors of Copy Jasmine Wang, Boden Gentile

Managing Editors of Design Lexie Gagnon, Cole Sitilides

Managing Editor of Online Colleen Sherry, Aiden O’Connor (Assistant)

Social Media Manager Caroline Castagna

Jewell Alcorn, Lily Ali, Philip Bogdanov, Callie Cahill, Grace Chen, Pranav Choudhary, John Colligan, Emma Crasnitchi, Jane Fennell, Ann Gillis, Samuel Gordon, Ashley Greenblatt, Benjamin Gulian, Artemis Hadadi, Ian Hoffman, Nathalie Hoffman, Annabeth Holsinger, Dike Illoh, Allison Jones, Nate Jones, Veda Kalindindi, Emma Kim, Andrew Leone, Taylor Maguire, Kaitlin McDowell, Sydney Miller, Lindsay Muangman, Yousuf Mufti, Philip Perry, Zoe Preisman, Alexander Roberts, Aisha Shakeel, Brooke Siegel, Ellis Sitilides, Kendall Snow, David Song, David Sun, Isabela Torkamboor, Brooke Van Beuren, Allison Wakeman, Jordan West, Jennifer Wu, Jonathan Yan, Hannah Yoran

Business Manager Marin Khalifa

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Saxons,

It is my pleasure to introduce the third issue of the 2020-2021 Saxon Scope; a culmination of both the countless hours dedicated by our jounalism team, and all of you in the Langley community who provided us with vivid inspiration ranging from senioritis to life on film to the best hiking spots in Virginia.

After months of working online for journalism and school this year, I’ve found it’s easy to grow nostalgic for things we’ve never experienced. Every uprooted precedent and new challenge recalls the nagging question, “What would this year have been like without COVID?”

But every decision we make will always lead us to wonder “what if?” even the ones made outside of a pandemic. So what’s left up to us is whether we let the potential of what could have been distract us from all we’ve accomplished and experienced this year—and for me, months of wondering “what if?” couldn’t possibly take away the countless memories, revelations, adventures, and ideas that occurred as a result.

Journalism taught me to see the

story in every little moment. For all the “big moments” I missed out on because of COVID, dozens of new stories about bonding with people I never thought would know my name, staying out in D.C. until 2:00am on a Tuesday night, and exploring interests I wouldn’t have had time to indulge in a conventional year coalesced to form a senior year memorable enough to make me forget about what could have been, and unwaveringly appreciative of what did.

I signed up for journalism my freshman year, and decided to continue through all four; a decision that I will always be grateful for, and will never leave me wondering “what if?” So once you’re finished flipping through the pages of this issue, reading about mask rules and history electives, I implore you to continue looking for the opportunities in life that will never leave you wondering what could have been.

Sincerely,

“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 petition their government for a redress of grievances.”

--The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America This Editorial Policy pertains to Langley High School’s student-run newsmagazine, The Saxon Scope, and its website, saxonscope.com. The full policy can be found in Room 1329.

The Saxon Scope is Langley High School’s official student-produced and published news-media outlet. The Saxon Scope has been designated a public forum in which students make all decisions of content with which to inform and engage its readers.

The adviser to The Saxon Scope will coach students and discuss any questions regarding content prior to publications; however, all content decisions are made by the staff of The Saxon Scope without prior review or restraint by school administrators or officials prior to publication and distribution.

Content published by The Saxon Scope may not always reflect the opinions or policies of Langley High School or Fairfax County Public Schools. Therefore, school administrators, Langley High School, and Fairfax County Public Schools are not liable for any published materials. The students-based staff of The Saxon Scope is legally responsible for all published content.

The Saxon Scope serves students, faculty, and the Langley High School community. Editorials express the opinions of the editorial board. All by-lined editorials reflect the opinions of the reporters and/or artists. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to submit material for publication. The Saxon Scope, under the discretion of the advisor, reserves the right to withhold or edit material submitted for publication. The Saxon Scope will not print material found to be in poor taste or detrimental to one’s character. Names may be held upon request. Letters may be placed in the Saxon Scope box in the office or brought to room 1329. The newsmagazine is published five times per year. Reporting, typesetting, layout, photography, and computer graphics designs are done by the journalism classes at Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Virginia 22101. (703)287-2797. FAX (703) 287-2797 or e-mail saxonscope2018@gmail.com.

content.

Pg 07 Elections

Pg 20 Life on Film

How 2021 Virginia elctions are being heavily influenced by 2020 elections

How disposable cameras rose to popularity and why teens enjoy using them

Pg 09-10 Student Vaccines

Pg 23-24 Quarantine Recipes

A look into students’ vaccination experiences

Pg 15-16 Virtual Honor Code

Editorial on the effectiveness on the honor code in a virtual setting

Pg 17-18 Asian American Hate The growing Asian American discrimination needs to end

Recipes to enjoy at home during quarantine

Pg 25 COVID College

How virtual tours are influencing students’ decisions on where to go to college

Pg 31-32 Athlete of the Season

Take a look at the Athletes of the Season, Caroline Hanlon and Will Long

Game On!

The game design elective offers students an introduction into a lesser-known career Ian Hoffman, Reporter

In the new game design course offered next year, students get to learn how to create games using a variety of programms. The decision to add the course was a result of interest and how it was a large branch off of other programming related classes.

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ost students are familiar with video games, however not many people think about how a game is made.

A new class at Langley addresses this topic; Game Design and Development is an introductory course that teaches students how to make and create games from scratch.

The class covers many aspects of game development including art and graphic design, animation, coding, modeling, and much more. During the course, students will work in collaborative groups to create a playable game.

They will also learn about other topics such as the history of game design and more.

“Game design also can incorporate the ideas of game theory, such as who are the actors in the game, what is the ‘push and pull’, the goals vs the obstacles and how to balance the game so it is challenging but not impossible and progress gets made” Langley Computer Science teacher Susan Huebsch said.

In order to design a working game, students will become familiar with programs such as Blender, a popular and free 3D modelling and graphics software, as well as Unity, a free game engine capable of creating 2D or 3D games. Coding languages like C#, Java, JavaScript, and Python will also enable students to build story based narrative games, fun simulators, or anything in between.

However, the class is only available to

sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have already taken Programming, Advanced Programming, or an equivalent class. With the many programming and coding related classes offered at Langley, it is no shock that Game Design was added.

“We review new courses available to us yearly that have the potential of being of interest to students,” Langley Director of Student Services Braden Peterson said.

Currently, Game Design has no sequential class.

“Ultimately, a continuation course would need to exist or a current teacher would want to develop a new course and submit it for review to the division,” Peterson said.

“This is no small task.”

Brandon Foster, a game developer who works at Epic Games, the company that created Fornite, is enthusiastic about students’ ability to explore this career path early on.

”It’s exciting to know there are subjects like that available as early as high school now,” Foster said. Although game design requires a huge amount of imagination and technical skill, many still don’t see game design as a respectable career.

After spending nearly his entire life working with video games, Foster has become very familiar with the field and the potential that it holds.

“There are lots of different jobs to be done on a game. Artists, programmers, designers, QA/ testers, producers, and even in those disciplines you can focus more specifically,” Foster said.

One of the biggest media industries is video games and taking up a career in game development could be a fun option for students interested in computer science.

“There is tons of money in games these days,” Huebsch said.

Since the field of game design is so broad, this introductory course that briefly touches upon all of the field’s aspects will give interested students a chance to discover their passion through a handson experience.

Ian Hoffman, artwork 4

Shooting for

How Langley students can set themselves up for future success while in high school Jack Colligan, Reporter

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hough NASA’s Perseverance rover has just landed on our neighboring planet Mars, NASA’s job is far from over.

“It’s a lot of work to bring soil samples back from Mars,” NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle project manager Michelle Tillotson Rudd said.

Rudd has been working diligently along with the combined efforts of both the Perseverance and the Mars Ascent Vehicle Team since 2019 to ensure that Perseverance can successfully bring Martian soil samples to Earth through the use of interplanetary rockets. While rocket science is no easy task, landing a highranking job at NASA takes a serious love of all things Aerospace.

“I always loved math and science, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in engineering growing up,” Rudd said. “I wanted to work on cutting-edge projects, so I decided to look for job opportunities in Aerospace Engineering.”

The intrinsic love of a subject is only the first stepping stone on the path to a highly successful career, as intense devotion and time are needed in order to rise above the rest.

“Maintaining a strong network and connections with people I went to school with provided me the opportunity to find my dream job at NASA. As for preparing for my job at NASA, I have to say get good grades, but more importantly have an eagerness to learn,” Rudd said.

This same eagerness to learn is not just present at NASA, but also at another aerospace institution: Lockheed Martin.

“For me, taking a ton of AP classes in high school was key. I know it’s cliche, but take as many AP classes as possible,” McLean High School graduate and Lockheed Martin engineer Benny Mardiks said.

While loading up on AP classes in high school may seem like a herculean effort in the short-term, it can save both precious time and money in college.

“If you take a lot of AP classes, then you don’t need to waste time taking the baseline-level classes at college,” Mardiks said.

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By skipping over many of the beginner courses he needed to take in his freshman year, Mardiks was able to start an internship at Lockheed Martin. Since then, Mardiks has become a full-fledged Lockheed Martin propulsion engineer while simultaneously finishing up his master’s in aerospace engineering.

Although college studies, future internships, and eventual careers may seem far off to current Langley students, there’s no reason not to start the path to a career early on.

Langley alum and recent University of Michigan graduate Kitty Ascrizzi believes the courses she took at Langley paved the way for her opportunity to collaborate with NASA as a programming intern for the Psyche asteroid mission.

“AP Computer Science was great! ...I think that everyone should know a little computer science,” Ascrizzi said.

During her work with the NASA Psyche mission, Ascrizzi was one of the computer programmers for the craft. The Psyche spacecraft has yet to launch, but when it does in 2022, it will be tasked with exploring and examining the Psyche asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.

Ascrizzi’s work with the Psyche mission is already completed, however, she started her early NASA journey through extracurriculars while still at Langley.

“I was a part of the C-Tech2 program at Virginia Tech while I was in high school, and I think that any STEM experience at a university over the summer is great,” Ascrizzi said.

“The best thing I did, though, was join a design team at University of Michigan. Recruiters really like to see design teams on resumes.”

The Psyche mission is a spacecraft that orbits the metal asteroid 16 Psyche and collects data about its unique properties.

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the Stars

When Ascrizzi joined her college design team her freshman year, she felt well-prepared by her time at C-Tech2 to tackle the challenges her design team posed. Ascrizzi attributes her past programming experiences as the reason why she landed the opportunity at NASA. However, after achieving her status as a programmer at NASA, her work was far from over.

“Once you get there, you really got to show up,” Ascrizzi said.

Throughout her time at NASA, Ascrizzi had to juggle her studies with her schoolwork. What alleviated her stress was knowing that the programming that she was doing for NASA was personally significant to her.

“Knowing that I was contributing on a craft going to the Psyche asteroid in 2022 was the best part of working with NASA,” Ascrizzi said.

The work Ascrizzi completed was not just significant to her. She also has a passion for Aerospace programming.

“The subject matter was really cool,” Ascrizzi said.

“Langley students should find something that [they’re] really excited about.”

Finding a passion may take some time, but that is ultimately what high school is for. Langley students frequently feel that they need to try everything and be as well-rounded as possible, but this can be counter-intuitive. While being well-rounded can be helpful in finding a favorite subject, it should not come at the expense of exploring one’s true passions. Although it does take time, once you find a calling, do not ever let go.

“Don’t try to half-ass a lot of things. Full-ass one thing,” Ascrizzi said.

After a month’s-long journey in space, the Perseverance rover landed on Mars on February 18, 2021. It is currently on the red planet collecting soil samples to be picked up and analyzed by scientists on Earth.

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2020: The Sequel

2021 Virginia Elections are being heavily infuenced by 2020 elections.

Philip Perry, Reporter

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020 was a year in politics like no other, with the COVID-19 pandemic, massive voter turnouts, and new heights in political polarization dominating the election cycle. The effects of last year’s election are expected to continue influencing Virginia politics through the upcoming elections across the state in 2021.

Recent trends in the state’s political sphere are only expected to intensify. Former President Donald Trump continues to be widely unpopular in Northern Virginia, and the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 by a riotous group of his supporters seems to have only solidified this view.

“In Northern Virginia, people couldn’t wait to vote against Trump. In Alexandria, he got less than 20% of the vote, which was reflected similarly in other counties as well,” said Chairman of the Alexandria Electoral Board, Bruce Brown.

However, Trump’s impact on elections is not new and has been apparent as far back as 2018.

“People were motivated in 2018 in ways they weren’t in 2016. Voter turnout was motivated by no person more than Donald Trump. It didn’t matter whether it was Democrats or Republicans. People were so fired up in 2018, even more so in 2020,” U.S. Government and Political Science teacher David Kuhn said.

The largest amongst the upcoming Virginia elections is the gubernatorial race that will take place on November 2. Governor Northam is not able to seek another term in office due to term limit laws, allowing several new candidates from both parties to enter the race. Of the announced candidates in the Virginia Democratic Party, Former Governor Terry McAuliffe has received the most endorsements, most notably from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

This early endorsement is likely a move by Democratic leadership to ensure the more moderate wing of the party maintains dominance in the state.

The Virginia Republican Party also has several candidates in its primary. During Trump’s administration, the Republican Party, suffered several defeats in state elections, most notably in 2018. Trump’s unashamed attitude toward openly opposing Republicans he saw as disloyal has further complicated the internal Republican divide, including at the Virginia state level.

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“If you get an endorsement in Virginia from Donald Trump, you may win your party’s nomination, but it’s basically a political titanic,” Former Virginia Congresswoman Barbara Comstock said.

Despite Trump’s endorsement being held in high regard, many are unhappy with Trump’s efforts to oust Republicans that oppose him.

“[Trump’s] Revenge Tour and attacking other Republicans is not popular. A lot of people will ignore that,” Comstock said. “I don’t think it will have much of an impact in Virginia.”

Besides political endorsements, another hotly debated topic during the 2020 elections was mail-in and absentee voting.

“80% of the vote was either early in-person or by mail. The traffic on Election Day was very light as a result,” Chairman Brown said. Despite some strong opposition, many of the temporary measures passed by the Virginia Legislature that expanded methods of voting last year have been made permanent.

A prominent critic of mail-in ballots is Trump, who continues to assert that there was widespread election fraud that turned the election in Biden’s favor. He blames the mail-in voting as a major cause of the “fraudulent” election outcome.

“Across the board in this country, our election system is pretty honest. While there is election fraud, it is rare and does not affect elections. The language from the President was false,” Brown said.

Comstock expressed similar views, saying the President’s statements have undermined American faith in election integrity and security.

“I think unfortunately this continued belief in ‘stolen election’ conspiracy theories has led to less confidence in the system. Republican party officials haven’t paid enough attention to the Big Lie and false information spread by their own members,” Comstock said.

With many issues and candidates, this year’s upcoming elections are expected to be just as eventful as 2020 as our state decides its future.

For all of your Technology Law needs Contact: Charles Lobsenz at (703)932-5837 or clobsenz@potomaclaw.com

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Vaccinated From the Virus

The inside scoop detailing the experiences of various students getting vaccinated.

Lindsay Muangman, Reporter

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hrough all the adversities presented through this uncertain pandemic, a glimmering sliver of hope has recently surfaced and is being rapidly distributed all over the world: the COVID vaccine. According to NPR, about 18.8% of Americans have gotten their first dose, and just under 10% have also received their second one as well. Of those numbers, the majority of those vaccinated are either frontline workers, elderly, or immunocompromised individuals. But what about students?

Many students have opted to return to in-person learning for the rest of the year, and among this group, a number have already been vaccinated.

Alyssa Medici is a senior at Langley and has been able to receive the vaccine through her employment at FCPS.

“I’m technically an employee of FCPS because I do tech theatre work,” Medici said. “We emailed our supervisor who basically said that since we get paychecks through FCPS and are FCPS employees, we could get the vaccine.”

Medici signed up to get her first vaccine on the 31st of January and was able to get the second dose on March 7th.

“It was very strange, it was kind of like a queue at Disney World,” Medici said. “You were constantly moving, never standing still other than to get the shot.”

Contrary to what she expected, Medici also felt that the atmosphere was surprisingly enjoyable.

“It was a really fun environment, which is not something

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you would think when they are trying to inject people with medicine,” Medici said. “There was music playing, I think Africa

by Toto played as I got my shot.”

Medici also commented that despite her fear of needles, getting the first vaccine was painless and easy. The second dose, according to Medici, hurt a little more than the first but the overall experience was efficient and much simpler than she originally believed.

“In terms of side effects, for the first dose, my arm was sore for 2-3 days afterward which is normal. Unfortunately, there aren’t any mutant powers here,” Medici said. “But the day after I got my second dose I was pretty knocked out. I was feeling fine by the afternoon but I definitely woke up with a mild fever. Once I slept on it though I was completely fine the next morning.”

Since Medici works alongside other students who received their vaccines, she has heard many stories and believes that everyone has had a very similar experience with the sign-up process, receiving the shot, and the side effects faced afterward.

She also commented that she now feels a sense of security now that she has been completely vaccinated and encourages others to get the vaccine when they can.

“It’s not like I woke up one day and said ‘I’m not scared anymore,’ but I believe in the science and know that it is going to help me rather than harm me,” Medici said.

Another Langley student who shared a very similar

experience when receiving his vaccines is junior Teddy Spaner. He is also an employee of FCPS with Medici and was able to get his vaccines the same way.

“The sign up for the vaccine was different for each time.

The first time I did it I was sent a link by the group that I was able to get it through, and then I just clicked on the link and picked a time,” Spaner said. “The second time [I got it] they actually had a malfunction in their system, so I had to call the Fairfax County Health Department and I spent three hours on the phone with them. After a while, I was able to get a link again and just register for the same vaccine but at a different location”

Despite issues with signing up, Spaner describes the process of actually getting the vaccine to be very expedient.

“At Inova, which is the first place I went, you just walked in, then they checked you in, they checked your stuff, and it was really streamlined. You walked through a bunch of places, got the shot, you sat down for 15 minutes, and then you left,” Spaner said.

While he had to get his second dose at Fairfax County Health Department, the process was identical to what he went through at Inova. He also stated that getting the shots was less of a hassle than he expected.

“Both vaccines were not painful going in, the actual shot itself felt fine. It was right afterward that you could start to feel it,” Spaner said. “The first vaccine I just felt a little weird right afterward, but the second vaccine my arm hurt a lot. The second day I’m pretty sure I had some sort of a fever.”

Even though the vaccine has not been around long enough for all side effects to be known, Spaner agrees with Medici that having the vaccine does create a sense of security and has

made him feel safer overall.

“Especially considering I work in a very crowded area where we work next to each other all the time. It’s very helpful that I have [the vaccine] because you never know who is going to have COVID.”

While only a select few students in the Langley community have been given the opportunity to be vaccinated, individuals under the age of 18 all across America have been vaccinated for various reasons. Immaculata-La Salle High School senior Sofi Farres is a student in Miami, Florida who was vaccinated due to being extremely immunocompromised.

“If my dad or I were to get sick we would probably die, no question about it. Getting this vaccine wasn’t optional for us, it was essential,” Farres said.

The sign-up process for Farres was very quick and easy, which she was grateful for as it meant she could get it as soon as possible. Once she was administered the vaccines, she experienced the common side effects of arm soreness and fatigue, but overall,

According to CDC, only 4,837 (<0.1 %) of the almost 13 million people who have been vaccinated are under 18. the whole process was painless and stress-free.

“Once you’re eligible and are able to get it, I highly recommend. It really isn’t that bad as far as shots go and it can only make this virus go away faster,” Farres said.

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Redefining History

Students and teachers explain the new African American History elective and all the exciting opportunities it brings David Sun, Reporter

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n light of the events of last year and the underrepresentation of African Americans in US History, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is now requiring a new course to be offered in all Virginia high schools starting this fall: African American History.

The new course will center around the experience of Africans and African Americans in the US from 1619 to today, as well as explore precolonial Africa.

“Black history is American history, but for too long, the story we have told was insufficient and inadequate,” Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said.

As of now, the Virginia Department of Education is reviewing and adding requirements to the history standards that give a fuller picture of the African American experience and history in US history classes.

“As we wait for those new standards to be finalized by the state of Virginia, FCPS decided that all students should be offered an opportunity now to take a free-standing elective course focused entirely on African American history,” Langley history teacher Melinda Conner said.

While there is some uncertainty around this new course, many students have already opted to choose this course for next year.

“It seems that there has been [lots of student interest in the course], but we are not completely finished with academic advising just yet,” Langley Director of Student Services Braden Peterson said.

Students had many opinions on why they wanted to potentially take this course.

“I want to take African American History to get a new perspective on our country we don’t [often] talk enough about,” Langley sophomore Talia-Rose Diorio said. “I hope to hear stories about events and people that are usually pushed off the pages of our textbooks.”

“I’m considering taking African American History because I think history is important to know, so we don’t repeat it, and because our past directly affects our future,” Chantilly sophomore Casper Aubert said.

The faculty and staff at Langley also had a lot to say about the new course, especially on why African American history is important.

“In light of the last year, this course will help students think through history in a different way that will support better engagement in the national, local, and personal dialogues that need to be had,” Peterson said.

“I hope that they come away from the course with increased empathy and a clearer understanding about what our country is now and what it was in the past. I would also love to see students translate their knowledge into action,” Conner said.

“This course will be enlightening and powerful.”

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In terms of why other students should potentially take this course, Aubert and Diorio have varying opinions.

“African American History stands out because the accomplishments and history of black figures is often whitewashed or left out altogether,” Aubert said.

“I hope lots of people are considering [the course] because of all of the social change we are so desperately fighting for,” Diorio said.

African American History will be offered at Langley for the 2021-2022 school year. The course serves as one elective credit, and can not replace a student’s social studies credit. While some of the details are still being ironed out, the course will feature a Capstone Project.

“I think this course will be enlightening and powerful in the most amazing way possible,” Diorio said.

Time’s Up for Timed Tests Why speed-based learning does more harm than good Aisha Shakeel, Reporter

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n a year where school has been almost entirely virtual, a few significant changes have been made to the test-taking process at Langley, one of the most prominent being the consistent use of timed assessments. Whereas in previous years, students were often permitted to use up to an entire class period to complete an assessment, online school calls for stricter testing policies.

“We want to be able to give tests equitably,” Langley math teacher Matthew Thorsen said. “Timed tests have been around before, it’s just a little regimented this year because now we take tests in Schoology.”

According to Thorsen, boundless access to the Internet could lead to dishonesty in some students. Strictly timing all assessments holds students more accountable, keeping them focused on their test, with not enough time to rummage through their notes or browse other online resources.

“More time could simply lead to more opportunities to cheat,” Thomas Jefferson senior Andy Chen said.

With that being said, the downsides of timed tests cannot be overlooked.

“Timed testing is kind of stress-inducing,” Thorsen said.

“I have to imagine that [the] little timer in the top right in red that’s ticking down has to be sort of nerve-wracking.”

For some students, this is true; for others, a timer might have little effect on them. According to a 2006 Harvard report written by Kurt Fisher and Thomas R. Bidell, “Children (and adults) show distinct levels of competence under different conditions.” All brains are unique, and every student reacts differently to the stress and pressure produced by timed tests.

Setting a baseline with the expectation that every student finishes before the timer runs out is unrealistic. Individuals already think, read, process information, and learn at their own pace, to begin with, so the added stress of a timer can be detrimental.

It is also worth noting that neither the speed at which a student completes a test nor the severeness of their timed-test anxiety has any relation to their overall competence. Research conducted at Stanford reveals that the highest achievers are typically the ones who become the most anxious when faced with a timed assessment. Timed tests can shut down even the brightest of students.

According to Alden S. Blodget, a former Massachusetts English teacher and administrator of fifty years, speed does not

indicate intelligence but rather measures automaticity, something displayed in experts as opposed to students who are just becoming familiar with a topic.

Similarly, Thorsen acknowledges that speed does not equate to understanding.

“If you can answer questions and show you understand the topic in any amount of time, then you’re showing that you understand something,” Thorsen said. “Time is sometimes a detriment to truly understanding things because it takes different people different amounts of time to really understand topics.”

Furthermore, stress has damaging effects on the brain that can cause anxietyprone students to freeze up during a timed test, no matter how hard they studied or how well they understood the topic beforehand.

Sian Beilock, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, found that stress obstructs the working memory, an area of the brain that holds necessary information for test-taking, such as math facts.

This blockage of the working memory causes panic or delay, even more so while a timer is present.

“Whenever I feel rushed or under pressure, especially in the last few minutes of my test, it feels like I just suddenly forget some things...I just panic and my mind goes blank, even for [concepts] that I was very confident in while studying,” Langley sophomore Jenna Sangid said.

In terms of the big picture, the ability to take an assessment quickly is not a life skill.

“There are a handful of jobs that are speed [reliant]—you need to do things quickly to be good at your profession—but [for] the vast majority of jobs and occupations, the ability to take a quiz or a test fast is not really a...skill that’s going to come in handy too much,” Thorsen said. “Retain[ing] knowledge and showcas[ing] the fact that you actually understand something...I think is more important.”

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The Pros to Going Private Private and public school students face a different hybrid learning experience

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Jane Fennell, Reporter

he switch to online school was an undoubtedly big change for everyone. However, the switch back to a hybrid classroom is arguably even bigger. While Langley staff and administrators are trying their best to make in person learning as seamless as possible, many students still find themselves feeling disconnected from their learning, or like there is no point to going back at all.

“One of my biggest fears was lunch, I saw a picture of the cafeteria, and I almost immediately switched to online. The thought of eating by myself in one of those little desks just seemed terrible,” Langley senior Nicole Schmanske said.

Schmanske is not alone in this thought. A photo released of the Langley cafeteria frightened many students so much that they switched to online before even trying a day of in person class.

An even larger portion of students switched to all online after one or two days, citing too much down time in class, a lasting disconnect, or many other reasons for their switch. However, Langley students dropping like flies from in person learning may make it easier for the administration to facilitate hybrid classrooms.

Meanwhile, at many private schools, students are beginning to return up to three days a week, and many are greatly enjoying their time back in the classroom. This begs the question, would a switch to hybrid learning be easier if Langley had the qualities and flexibility of a private school?

“FCPS, being the 10th largest division in the country has a lot of schools to coordinate,” Langley Director of Student Services Braden Peterson said.

While FCPS is making a valiant effort to create a learning environment that is both engaging and safe for students, it is much less customizable when the school board is dealing with a district with dozens of high, middle, and elementary schools, compared to one private school with under 1,000 students.

Quinn Heberlig, Photos

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Gonzaga College High School senior Quinn Heberlig has been enjoying hybrid learning and has been in the classroom at least once a week since October. He does not cite many of the complaints Langley students are facing, such as a disconnect with teachers, and too much downtime.

“Although there are safety precautions in place, it is nice to go on campus and catch up with friends that I do not get the chance to see outside of school. I have also felt more motivated to complete my school work and put my full effort into my classes since the beginning of hybrid learning,” Heberlig said.

Students at Gonzaga have the choice to go into school or be online, even on the days they are assigned to be in the building.

This lessens the pressure associated with in-person school and helps students feel more comfortable with their choice to go in.

Additionally, Gonzaga seniors are given privileges like eating outside or playing football at lunch. To further welcome their students back to the building, the school offers incentives such as hot chocolate in the morning and special lunches in the cafeteria.

“Langley does not operate in a vacuum and is part of FCPS. However, with the current mitigation strategies in place, fewer students makes the spacing easier,” Peterson said. With the alphabetical split and many students opting to stay virtual Langley may be able to start operating more similarly to private schools, gaining the ability to make small customizations to make things easier for students and staff in this undeniably challenging situation.

While there are definitely many kinks to work out in both public and private schools’ return to the classroom, the important thing is that the school districts are making a step in the right direction by giving students the opportunity to experience some of the things that they miss out on when learning online, even if those opportunities are small.

vs.

Devran Johnson, Photo

Faith Ann Finch, Photo

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CALL FOR YOUTH CANDIDATES McLEAN COMMUNITY CENTER | 2021 GOVERNING BOARD ELECTION

Want to be a leader?

Want to earn valuable community service and outreach experience?

Run for a seat on our governing board!

We’re looking for high school students who wish to serve their community by playing a lead role in helping to carry out McLean Community Center’s goals.

Candidate Petition Packets may be picked up at the Center. Deadline for returning the completed Candidate Petition to MCC: Friday, March 12 by 5 p.m.

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VISIT: HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/MCLEAN-CENTER-ELECTION

The Virtual Honor Code

Where do we draw the line for enforcing the virtual honor code when everyone seems to break it?

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Editorial Board

he 2020-2021 school year: a year of online learning resulting from a global pandemic. Old news. With all eyes and minds warped around this catastrophe, we forget about another contagion at hand — cheating. This detrimental academic strategy has spread among student bodies across the nation, especially ones like Langley’s competitive, college-driven community. While we may be wearing masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19, what type of preventative measure should we take to protect ourselves against this highly contagious academic virus?

Cheating can be the answer to your problems, a ticket to stress relief, and at little more than the click of a button away; it’s hard to resist. While cheating speeds up the academic process and can often help an individual’s grades, it sets individuals who cheat behind peers who may be completing their work and learning the information, yet they can both receive the same grade.

This low-risk/high reward situation also compensates for the lack of genuine learning online, where students are struggling to find the motivation to work hard and retain information in class.

The blame for these actions seems to automatically be placed on students. However, when the aspects of peer pressure, a virtual setting, and lack of honor code enforcement are all taken into account. It is hard to blame individual students for simply trying to fit in and stay on track with the rest of their

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editorial

classmates. The perception that cheating occurs more often in online courses was the focus of a study by King, Guyette, & Piotrowski (2009), in which they found that 73.8% of students surveyed felt that it was easier to cheat in an online class.

When resources like Chegg, Course Hero, Quizlet, Slader, and more all hold the answers to many common test questions across all subjects, students are able to unlock the door to a perfect test score even faster. With two simple clicks of the copy and paste buttons, students are able to find the exact test questions and answers to their AP U.S. History quiz or their Biology test. This leads to the question: If everyone cheats, how can teachers enforce the honor code effectively?

The answer is that honor code enforcement is dependent on the teacher.

Most teachers generally encourage their students to follow the honor code and have them initial their name after writing “I am on my honor” at the top of their essays or tests. However, other teachers have learned that cheating in this setting is inevitable, so they construct different test-taking forms in concurrence with this. For example, some 10th grade English students at Langley are allowed to participate in “group quizzes,” in which they are able to collaborate with others while filling out their answers.

Other teachers will automatically declare certain quizzes as “open-note” or “openbook,” which often results in harder questions and the presence of more freeresponse questions. Meanwhile, some

73.8% of students surveyed felt that it was easier to cheat in an online class

12% of FCPS High School students failed Q1 this school year. This is a 50% increase from the previous year and likely a motivator for cheating.

Data from George Watson Marshall University and Fairfax Country Public Schools

6. D 7. E 1. A 8. A 2. C 9. C 3. D B B 10.

4.

B 5.

∫lnx dx=xlnx-x+C ∫sinx dx= -cosx+C

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teachers decided to use the College Board’s “lockdown browser” feature.

“Lockdown browser prevents you from doing any other research while you are taking a college board or lockdown browser quiz or test. Since it prevents you from using Google/Wikipedia, it prevents you from searching up the answers as well,” Langley physics teacher Abhijot Kaur said.

In a school year such as this one, it is not fair to ask teachers to create more cheat-proof assessments due to the fact that they are already working overtime to manage this hybrid virtual/in-person year. Simply asking students to “not cheat” would bring little success due to the lack of immediate consequences, or because the reasoning behind their cheating is a much larger problem that is too overwhelming to handle on their own. When fear of failure, depression and anxiety, and desperation are often the foundation for cheating behaviors, it is not as simple to just say “stop.”

However, the longer this cheating behavior continues, the more drastic the consequences. Students who break the honor code (without getting caught) have a higher chance of academically succeeding than students who uphold the honor code and work legitimately. This will have a pivotal role in the next step of their lives: college

applications. Additionally, all the students who have gotten by this year by cheating have missed out on almost a year of education and are out of practice of study habits and intensive work. While they might benefit in the short term, that gap in knowledge and practice will hurt them in the upcoming years, especially once students are back in the classroom full time.

It’s important that teachers come prepared to rewind and revisit past lessons at the beginning of the 2021 school year. Math teachers of all levels may find it difficult to make sure all of their students are on the same page. Professors at colleges and universities may see more drastic differences in this matter; they may end up with a wide range of students who may have had a fully in-person, hybrid, or fully online 2020-2021 school year.

Ultimately, no individual person or teacher can be blamed for the excessive amounts of cheating, but we all must work together to bounce back for the upcoming year.

In upcoming years, it will be crucial that teachers prioritize making sure students understand the foundations of the concepts taught based on the lack of learning from the 2020-21 school year. With that though, students will need to kick it into high gear to get back to where they need to be for the future.

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ASIAN AMERICAN HATE

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editorial

The growing Asian American discrimination needs to end Editorial Board

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rutally beaten on the way to church.

Slashed in the face with a box cutter.

Stabbed in the back while walking home.

Hate crimes against those of Asian descent are on the rise. According to a report from Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Americans were subjected to nearly 3,800 hate incidents over the last year.

This exponential increase in violence was due to the belief that the virus was brought to the US from China alone. Early on in our country’s COVID outbreak, the FBI warned that it anticipated a possible spike in the amount of hate crimes against Asian Americans.

In times of struggle, history demonstrates that people feel the need to assign blame. For example, in the aftermath of the first World War, Hitler and the Nazi Party blamed the Jewish people for Germany’s struggles. Now, in 2021, history once again repeats itself as Asian Americans are being scapegoated for a situation over which they had no control.

“The pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated the racial discrimination that the Asian American community faces. It has legitimized and validated the hate that people hold in their hearts, making them feel they can more loudly voice their xenophobic and sinophobic views,” senior Jasmine Wang said.

The scapegoating of Asian Americans was especially magnified by former president Donald Trump coining the disease as “the Chinese virus,” “Kung-flu,” and “the Asian virus,” among many other variations. Whether bat jokes or outright hate speech, Trump’s impertinent and callous choice of words continually bolstered the anti-asian rhetoric.

However, even the World Health Organization advises against “attach[ing] locations or ethnicity to the disease” as “the official name for the disease was deliberately chosen to avoid stigmatisation.” All at once, Asian Americans have been submerged into two pandemics: COVID-19 and hate.

Unfortunately, from the Yellow Peril to Japanese internment camps to the death of Vincent Chin in the 1970s, this anti-Asian rhetoric and violence is not new.

“Seeing so many recent assaults on Asian Americans, and the subsequent rise in activism has been deeply saddening for me,” Langley alum Jenny Wang said. “It seems like the problem of racism in America is a never-ending and colossal struggle.”

However, these outright displays of violence that are finally coming to light within

mainstream media are not the only form of Asian American discrimination. Such prejudice also manifests itself in more discreet and quiet forms like the model minority myth.

The term “model minority” is often used in reference to minority groups, like Asian Americans, whose members are perceived as reaching a higher educational and financial success than other immigrant groups. While this label seems complimentary of Asian American achievement, the “model minority” epithet is a myth entrenched in stereotypes that ultimately hurts both the Asian American community and other minority groups.

It perpetuates a monolithic idea that Asian Americans are polite, law-abiding, and successful due to a combination of natural talent and hardwork.

In fact, the “model minority” fallacy has permeated into mainstream entertainment in films and shows like Crazy Rich Asians and Bling Empire, where even when the cast is composed solely of actors of Asian descent, every character is still portrayed as exemplary. This tag has ultimately shaped and confined the way in which Asian Americans view themselves. It has created a demand within their minds to only accept the best, causing an unduly strain on their mental health.

This is especially distressing because according to the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are three times less likely to seek mental health services than White Americans.

Additionally, Asian American college students are 1.6 times more likely than all others to make a serious suicide attempt (George Qiao, Plan A Magazine).

“As a student, [I’m] criticized for asking for help because I shouldn’t need help because Asians are ‘naturally smart.’ It didn’t feel right, but I accepted that I could not ask for help on anything because as an Asian, I should already know the answer and there’s something wrong with me if I don’t,” junior Melanie Chuh said.

Not only do these stereotypes put unnecessary pressure on Asian Americans to achieve highly, but it also minimizes the Asian American experience, overshadowing the needs of many. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of the United States Census Bureau data, Asian Americans are the most economically divided racial or ethnic group in the country. In fact from 1970 to 2016, the income inequality among Asian Americans has nearly doubled. With Asian Americans hailing from over 50 countries,

150% is the amount hate crimes targetting Asian people rose by in 2020. A shocking number considering all hate crimes simultaneously decreased 7% this past year.

833% Meanwhile, in the biggest city in the United States, New York City, analysts found a 833% percent increase in antiAsian hate crimes.

23.7% of Langley’s population is made up by Asians. This is the second largest demographic at Langley; White-63.02%, Asian-23.68%, Other-6.25%, Hispanic or Latino-5.09%, and Black-1.96% Data and Statistics from NBC News and Fairfax County Public Shools

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I remember getting called a ch*nk in the hallways and when COVID worsened, I heard jokes about Asian People eating bats.

22.6 million The estimated number of Asian aloneor-in-combination residents in the United States in 2018

145% Anti-Asian hate crime in 16 of America's largest cities increased 145% in 2020 according to an analysis of official preliminary police data by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremeism at California State Univeristy, San Bernardino

Asian Discrimination physical assault 8%

shunning/avoidance 20%

coughing/spitting 6%

verbal harrassment 66%

source: Stop AAPI Hate

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editorial

we cannot clump together the Asian American experience.

It’s crucial that all members of our society start to see those of Asian descent as more than just “Asian.” The term encompasses a wide range of people in America, including the Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Indonesian, etc. By clustering everyone together under one massive “Asian” umbrella, it can erase one’s own identity and further push down individual voices — ultimately perpetuating the idea that Asian Americans are naturally quiet and submissive.

Additionally, while Asian Americans are viewed as polite and dutiful, Asian Americans, particularly Asian women, are the least likely to be promoted to management.

This idea of a “bamboo ceiling” welcomes them to the table as they are well-behaved, but discourages them from actually speaking up and making change. This subtle form of racism reinforces a pervasive sentiment felt by many of being a perpetual foreigner.

Furthermore, the “model minority” is the idea that Asian Americans are a model or reference for other minority groups about how to succeed. This fallacy perpetuates the idea of the American dream that anything is possible through hard work and dedication, completely ignoring the institutionally racist setbacks built into our country. Too often do people in power deny the social change demanded by minority groups like African Americans, Latinos, or Native Americans by presenting Asian Americans as a prototype for success. The “model minority” myth downplays the racism against other groups by shifting the blame onto them and pits minority groups against each other, allowing those in power to sustain the long-standing racism that is infused into our cultural DNA. Therefore, the key to inciting societal change is intersectionality, the practice of diverse groups standing together against systemic oppression.

While this racism is especially apparent on a larger scale, with 23.7% of the Langley population being Asian, it is also applicable to the Langley community. Even though Asian American students at Langley have been racially profiled and criticized with racial slurs, it is much harder for students who are viewed as well-behaved, quiet, and obedient to retaliate against this type of hate.

“I remember getting called a ch*nk in the hallways

and when COVID worsened, I heard jokes about Asian people eating bats,” senior Fay Shuai said. “It makes me so angry that people are weaponizing a virus and that they’re turning something that shouldn’t be political at all into a political weapon. COVID has just divided our community.”

This virus has dramatically worsened acts of hate against Asian Americans, but it has also brought this long-lasting hate to light after hiding for so long.

“I’ve definitely been desensitized to smaller acts of racism and microaggressions. Growing up I never realized this was a problem, but when I meet new people, they’ll often ask where I’m really from or where my parents are from until they get an answer that satisfies them. Why couldn't they just accept that I was American at face value? Why do I have to be something American,” Jenny said.

However, it is finally time that we stand alongside our Asian American peers in opposition of the systemic racism they face.

“It’s been two weeks after the Atlanta shootings and I can already feel the Stop Asian Hate movement losing so much momentum. They think that Asians are just going to take this violence,” Shuai said. “It’s up to the student community to make these changes because it’s also our community that is perpetrating this violence and racist attitude towards Asians.”

Whether or not you have personally discriminated against your Asian American peers, it’s important to not only check yourself, but those around you.

“Don’t keep these Asian stereotypes within your mind. That’s not going to do anyone any good. In a way, it is promoting racism. You need to rebuild your thinking and your thought process about what Asians are,” Shuai said.

Educate yourselves, continue listening to the emerging narratives of people of color, be mindful, and do not assume that every person falls under one “stereotype.”

This starts right here in our Langley community. It is our job to stand together, as one united student body and have each other’s backs in a time of major world violence and fear. As long as we create a conscientious system of support, Langley will start to head in a more productive direction.

“We are not a trend. We are not your scapegoat. Hate is the virus, but together, we can stop the spread,” Jasmine said.

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Letter to Freshmen An open letter to the class of 2024 Aiden O'Connor, Online Editor Dear Class of 2024,

our years in high school are something that you can never repeat and, while they don’t determine how the rest of your life will go, it is an experience you do not want to waste.

There are many parts to high school, the main ones being academics and extracurriculars.

These two things will have a large effect on your high school experience and I want to make sure your class doesn’t make the same mistakes as me and some of my classmates.

Starting with academics; you want to take classes that will challenge you but not put you under too much stress. You also want to push yourself in classes you are interested in. When I was a sophomore, I took AP World History knowing that I was not interested in history and, because of this, ended with a B- and a barely passing grade on the AP exam.

On the flip side, you also shouldn’t take classes that are too easy for you. I made this mistake freshman year and it led to some of my classes being super boring and uninteresting.

“I really regret not taking harder classes freshman year. I didn’t really know what to expect going into high school so I didn’t challenge myself enough,” said Junior Michael Townsend.

Another mistake I made in academics was not trying hard enough during my freshman and sophomore years. When you are a freshman and sophomore it’s easy to think that college is far away and that you will have time to fix your grades. I made that mistake and now I am having to take hard classes my junior year to bring up my GPA from freshman and sophomore year.

The other major aspect of high school is extracurriculars. Langley has so many available extracurriculars I recommend taking as many as your schedule can take. I didn’t take any extracurriculars freshman or sophomore year and I regret it. They give you a chance to make friends with people that might not be in your normal classes or grade and allow you to go more in-depth on things you are interested in. Model United Nations is one popular extracurricular at Langley.

“I joined Model United Nations (MUN) when I was a sophomore and it led me to a lot of new friends and being able to spend time with my friends, not in a typical classroom setting,” Junior Arion Tripathi said.

Langley also offers lots of sports options and most include a junior varsity and varsity team. These teams can be a great opportunity to make friends outside of your normal classes. So even if you aren’t super talented in a sport, you never know, you might have a great time on the JV team.

To finish off, I want to add a few miscellaneous things. First off, go to every dance if you can. Even if you feel like you don’t want to, you will regret not going. Secondly, bad grades are not a flex, even if your friends act like it is. Do your best at your work because it is harder to change your grade at the end of the year than at the beginning. And finally, do not take the time for granted because senior year comes faster than you think. You and your classmates will be standing in cap and gown, diploma in hand, before you know it and you will want to be thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe how fast that went by.”

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Sincerely,

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Aiden O'Connor

opinion

Life on Film

How disposable cameras rose to popularity and why teens enjoy using them Kaitlin McDowell, Reporter

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very so often Gen Z likes to decide on a new way to share their photos. In the past, it has been polaroid cameras or Snapchat photos with fun filters. The greatest and latest trend is disposable cameras. Disposable cameras originate from the 90s when iPhones were nonexistent. These cameras have a limited amount of film on them and have to be developed if the buyer would like to see the photos. Many students see these cameras as a way to “live in the moment,” rather than being glued to a phone.

“I enjoy using disposable cameras because it gives a nice vintage touch to your photos. I also love how, after they’re developed, I can have physical copies of them to hang up or put them all together in a photo album,” senior Aivy Le said.

Once developed, disposable cameras produce hard copies of the photos taken on them. This makes it easy to make collages or frame photos from certain events.

“I prefer disposable cameras to iPhone cameras because people are always so focused on how good they look so they take a thousand photos on their phone to find the right one. With disposables you don’t really think about it, you just take one photo and then keep enjoying your time,” junior Katie Westerheim said.

When people go out and take photos with their friends, it usually takes a good amount of time for everyone to be satisfied with a photo of themselves that they will ultimately post on Instagram.

With disposable cameras, people don’t see the photos, until weeks to months after they have been taken so there is no opportunity for someone to claim they need to retake the photo.

“I love using disposable cameras because the experience is like no other. The wait for the pictures to develop and the 90s-like filter on them really creates a cool throwback aesthetic,” McLean junior Maya Amaan said.

Not only do these cameras have the feature of not being able to see the photos instantly, but they also give photos a “vintage” or “retro” filter. The anticipation of waiting to see the photos is fun as well since teens nowadays are used to seeing their photos instantly upload to their camera roll.

“I go through disposable cameras every so often especially during the summertime when I’m hanging out with my friends or on vacation,” Le said.

Disposable cameras are a great way to capture photos from a specific time or event, especially due to the limited amount of film they provide. They have become increasingly popular to use at parties, for example, some couples like to give their wedding guests disposable cameras to document their night, and then the couple can relive the memories once the photos are developed.

“During the pandemic, people have always been looking for something new and unique to try. I think documenting their

lives through disposable cameras became way more popular during COVID-19,” Amaan said.

The pandemic has given people the chance to spend plenty of time with their loved ones at home. Everyone has come to appreciate those close to them, whether friends or family, and disposable cameras are a great way to document that along with all the memories being made.

“I don’t really think they are a good way to take photos.

They’re an unnecessary amount of plastic waste, color film chemistry is pretty bad for the environment, and while they do have a beautiful lo-fi filter, you can definitely achieve that digitally,” Langley photography teacher Kelly Mulligan said.

From a professional standpoint, these cameras are not the best and their quality usually depends on the amount of light available. However, most would agree that teens use these for the “aesthetic” rather than for their effectiveness. Another downside to these cameras is that they are not environmentally friendly, as they go through lots of film and each camera is one-time use only.

“I think disposable cameras are worth the price, but it’s less expensive to get a film camera that you can reuse [in the long run],” said Westerheim. Not only are these reusable cameras cheaper, but they are better for the environment as well.

“I like using apps that make your photos look like they’re taken on a disposable camera with filters, so I don’t have to wait to get them developed,” junior Aprille Vetchapinan said.

While some enjoy this wait to get their photos developed, others do not. Instead, they use apps like Dispo, VSCO, or Lightroom to achieve the same Lo-Fi filter that disposable cameras produce, without the wait.

“Disposable cameras have become a staple to every hangout my friends and I have,” Vetchapinan said.

Whatever the preference, there is no doubt that photos from disposable cameras or replicas of them are taking over and are one of the coolest new trends.

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It’s Time to Hike As spring approaches, we rate top hikes around the DMV Philip Bogdanov, Reporter

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ith the weather getting warmer, step outside and enjoy one of the many delightful hikes around the Northern Virginia area. This is a list of popular hikes within close proximity to Langley High School!

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Scott’s Run

Scott’s Run is a half-mile hike from the nearest parking lot, with options for longer loops stemming from different locations. Scott’s Run leads to a small waterfall along the Potomac River and follows mini streams along the way.

“Parking is always difficult to come across and it tends to be dirty in the summer,” McLean senior Tessa Stenzel said.

However, the benefits outweigh the negatives.

“There is some cool graffiti on the way up and it’s an amazing hike to go on with friends. There’s often lots of people there and there’s a chance you’ll see someone you know,” Langley senior Charlie Tourbaf said.

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Maddie Koenig, Photo

Great Falls Park

Philip Bogdanov, Photo

An excellent choice is Great Falls Park ­— it is close to Langley and has lots of parking access. The only cons are that sometimes there is a fee to get in — depending on what entrance you use — and it can be crowded on the weekends.

But, the waterfalls are beautiful and the maps near the parking lot provide you with many choices about where to go.

“I have been there with my girlfriend and parents multiple times. It is super chill and a great place to go in order to enjoy conversations,” Rock Ridge senior Nico Cova said. Cova is an avid hiker and is an experienced backpacker.

Billy Goat Trail

The Billy Goat trail is a good one! It’s only 20 minutes from downtown Mclean and you can walk for hours. There are many opportunities to go down to the water and climb on all the rocks. A must do if you haven’t been there before.

Parking is a challenge on nice days, so come early.

“In the summer my friends and I would go to Billy Goat and go down to the water. It is super pretty to take pictures at and you can even swim if you’re daring enough,” Stenzel said.

Maddie Koenig, Photo

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life and arts

Boden Gentile, Photo

Shenandoah Hikes

There are many various hikes in the Shenandoah area. Hazel Falls and Cave, for instance, is spectacular. There is a swimming hole there that is amazing. It isn’t that crowded on weekdays but, a downside is that it is 2-3 hours away. It is about a 2.5-mile hike up to the hole, so you can do day trips. Make sure that you are dressed accordingly to the weather.

“I went hiking in the Shenandoah Valley and I got to see all sorts of wildlife, as well as beautiful views, and a raccoon sat by the campfire with my family and I,” Tourbaf said.

There is an amazing array of hikes to go on individually or with family/friends around. Do your research and get yourself outside these next few weekends!

Online Senioritis A How online learning affects motivation for seniors Nathalie Hoffman, Reporter

long list of overdue assignments due to the lack of effort to finish them is a reality for many students, especially seniors. As their final year of high school comes to an end, seniors often lose their motivation and become less engaged in school. This trend, which has become so popular that it’s earned the nickname ‘senioritis,’ is especially prevalent during online learning.

“I think online learning makes students more prone to lose motivation because the lack of normal socializing and participation has a great impact on students’ ability to focus. The lost sense of connection from repetitively staring at a screen for hours at a time makes students less eager to work diligently like they would in the classroom,” senior Arielle Moore said.

school, seniors are also faced with the reality that their high school career is about to end.

“Seniors can see the finish line and realize that no matter what happens, their place in the race will not change, so they start to slow down. There’s also the knowledge that after your first semester grades are in, colleges don’t look at your grades which removes immense pressure from students who have been working nonstop in high school to go to their dream school,” Holtzapple said.

Although seniors are about to graduate high school, the decision to stop staying attentive during class and turning in assignments on time can be costly. Lower scores not only negatively affect senior year grades, but they can also make it difficult for students to transition from high school to college.

“During this school year I have tried to stay motivated by finding a place in my room dedicated “I think online learning makes students more to school and keeping that space has helped me separate different parts of my mind so that I am able prone to lose motivation because the lack of focus in class and learn in my study area and use normal socializing and participation has a great to the rest of my room for more leisurely activities,” impact on students’ ability to focus.”

Robinson High School senior Claire Letzkus said.

Overall, the combination of online learning and high school ending leaves seniors finding their own

As seniors approach graduation and begin to mentally strategies to stay motivated from home and resist the urge to give check out, participation in classes has decreased. Consequently, up on school. many students in online learning have allowed their schoolwork to pile up and rarely participate in their online classes.

“Participation is sparse in most classes, or oftentimes the conversation is carried by only a select group of individuals…I CLASS wish my classmates and myself would be more open to OF 2021 answering questions and voicing our opinions over the microphones or in the chat,” Moore said.

Additionally, students are exposed to more distractions at home and in the online environment, meaning many students lose focus and fall behind.

Remaining engaged during class can oftentimes be difficult during online learning, and this is especially COLLEGE true for seniors who have already checked out after getting into college.

“In an online setting, a student can be doing a multitude of things that could distract them, while in a classroom there’s more structure to will students to participate. If I ask a question and nobody responds to it in the chat or using their mic, I can’t push them to respond like in a classroom,” Langley teacher Logan Holtzapple said.

With less interaction between students and teachers during online learning, as well as students being more isolated from their peers, motivation is hard to come by. In addition to less social interaction at

SENIOR

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Quarantine Fun recipes to try at home during quarantine Jennifer Wu, Reporter

Introduction

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ver quarantine, our kitchens have seen a lot—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It has seen tears of joy when the cookies come out the perfect golden brown as well as the magical disappearance of those same cookies within minutes. With so much free time, some people are becoming more active in the kitchen and finding a new passion in baking or cooking. It has brought many happy memories and interesting family bonding times, igniting a sense of hope amidst the pandemic.

“As quarantine struck, obviously I baked much more frequently… The more I baked, my skills also increased, but I think I got my mom and my dad really into baking too. Sometimes they would help me bake or they would just sit at a table near the kitchen island and they’ll just chat over there… and it created a really good bonding time [for all of us],” Langley senior Claire Yoon said.

“I found that with two little ones at home, we started to create a lot of little celebrations. We have missed a lot of relatives’ birthdays, so we would make sure that we had cake or a cupcake to sing over when we FaceTime with family members,” Langley’s College and Career Counselor Hannah Wolff said.

To fuel cooking passions or entice people to take on a

new hobby, here are some unique recipes to try.

Classic Chilli (taken from The Wholesome Dish, recommended by Jonathan Reiss)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium diced onion 1 pound 90% lean ground beef 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups beef broth 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes 1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Directions

1. Add olive oil to a large soup pot and place it over medium-high heat for two minutes. Then, add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the ground beef to the pot and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the beef is browned.

3. Add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir until well combined.

4. Add the broth, diced tomatoes (with juice), drained beans, and tomato sauce. Stir well.

5. Bring the liquid to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat (low to medium-low) to gently simmer the chili, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Remove the pot from the heat. Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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1. Don’t open the oven door frequently because it drops the temperature of the oven and wastes energy.

Cooking 101 Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (taken from Minimalist Baker, recommended by Mrs. Wolff)

Peter Wu’s Chinese Nanjing Salted Duck

Ingredients (makes about 11 cookies)

1 1/4 cup almond flour 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips 1/3 cup gluten-free flour blend 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/3 cup organic brown sugar 1/4 cup aquafaba (the liquid in one can of chickpeas) 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, dark chocolate chips, gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, and organic brown sugar.

2. In a separate bowl, beat aquafaba using a handheld mixer until light and fluffy and loose peaks have formed.

3. Add the melted coconut oil and vanilla and whisk to combine. Then add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. You should have a firm, semi-tacky dough.

4. Loosely cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Scoop out 1 1/2-tablespoons of dough and transfer to your lined baking sheet. Smash the cookies down slightly into small mounds with your palms. They won’t spread much, so you don’t have to leave a lot of room between cookies.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tricks

For

2. When you first try a recipe, follow it completely.

If you like it, experiment.

3. Use Instagram as a source for great recipes!

Ingredients (serves 4-8 people) One full duck 10 pieces of peppercorn 6 spoons of salt 2 pieces of ginger 2-3 strands of scallions Directions 1. Buy one fresh duck from the local supermarket.

2. Clean the duck with water.

3. Put 10 pieces of peppercorns and six spoons of salt together and put it into the pot, and let the salt and pepper mix become hot--just for a few minutes.

4. Rub the salt-pepper mix onto the surface of the duck-both inside and outside.

5. Put the duck into one container, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge.

6. After three to four days, take it out and wash off the saltpepper mix.

7. Put it into the pot with 2 pieces of ginger and 2-3 strands of scallions and fill the pot with water until it just covers the duck.

8. Cook for about 40 minutes.

9. Take out the duck and let it cool down for 15 minutes.

10. Cut the duck into pieces and enjoy!

Ba

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Touring the World...

How virtual tours are infuencing students’ decisions on where to go to college Alex Roberts, Reporter

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icking a college is a very exciting and stressful time for seniors. They get to visit their dream school and make hard decisions on where they want to spend their next four years. COVID-19 has made it harder for schools to provide in-person tours. They are now limiting those allowed to visit their favorite colleges to students who have already been admitted.

The college decision is more difficult than any other senior graduating class in recent years, so it’s no wonder students

are] definitely more eye-opening than a virtual tour, it kinda makes you experience the whole campus and student life from the point of view of a student.” Langley senior, Kanwar Singh said.

Additionally, college life is something that can be best understood when seeing, talking to, and learning from those who go to the school. Without seeing it for themselves, many seniors are left wondering how life at school is.

“Less physical tours of the colleges prevented students like me [from getting] to see what the college is truly like… I won’t really get the feel of how it’s going to be living/ studying there.” Langley senior, Enoch Taylor said.

The pandemic hasn’t only affected the 2021 seniors, but last year’s as well. As a result, some students are changing their plans to make their college experience as normal as possible.

“COVID definitely affected my [college] decision, I wanted to go visit but got stuck doing virtual tours because COVID was relatively new and scary… I took this year off so I wouldn’t have to deal with online college, so I took a gap year to make money. Hopefully, I will be able to do it on campus this year.”

A graduated student from the class of 2020 in Germany, Isaiah Sieb said.

Instead of virtual tours, some colleges are offering admitted students the opportunity to meet with professors and current college students, to try and make up for the fact that students cannot go and visit the universities. Schools such as the University of Miami in Florida also help students conduct their self-guided tours on their website, where you can go visit the campus yourself and download a map with points to visit on the map. Hopefully, this can be the first step in returning to normal and students being able to truly visit their dream schools.

“Less physical tours of the colleges prevented students like me [from getting] to see what the college is truly like…” are taking their time to decide which college they want to call home for the next few years.

This year’s college decision has been much more difficult than any other senior graduating class, so it’s no wonder students are taking their time to decide which college they want to call home for the next few years.

The campus and location of a college are very important when deciding if a school is worth going to. Virtual tours can’t nearly encapsulate the beauty and landscape of a school that is seen when going in real life.

“It’s such a different experience than just seeing pictures, you actually experience things for yourself… [on campus tours

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life and arts

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Mous Make Marks

A shot on the Mou siblings who participate in marksmanship Jasmine Wang, Managing Editor of Copy

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he room is loud, filled with both tension and supportive cheers. But they must stay focused with the stakes so high. Seniors and siblings Josephine and Victor Mou are aiming for an invitation to return to the Junior Olympics for pistol shooting for the third year in a row. However, the brotherand-sister duo was not always at this level of Olympic-qualifying prowess.

“I wanted to quit when I started. I was really bad,” Victor said. “Pistol shooting is one-handed and I had really bad upper body strength, so I could barely hold the pistol up to shoot.” Much like Victor who joined their shooting team, the NoVA Sharpshooters, a year prior in 2016, Josephine also had a rocky start in the sport.

“I didn’t click with it right away. I didn’t like it, almost to the point of hatred. But after about a month, I started to really enjoy it because I started to see the ‘character development’ it gave me,” Josephine said.

Despite their rough beginnings, the siblings stuck with the sport and after a few months began making great strides and are now co-captains of their shooting team.

“As they improved, they developed confidence and could make their own decisions. The confidence they developed helped them overcome the anxiety of performing a precision sport in front of a crowd,” retired NoVA Sharpshooters coach Mark Budgedon said. “It was a wonderful thing to see both of them go through that process.”

Only three months after learning to shoot, Victor won his first state championship, earning him an automatic invite to the Junior Olympics.

“I felt unstoppable because it felt so recent that I went

from not being able to hold the pistol at all to being the best in the state,” Victor said. “It really gave me boundless confidence.”

“Victor was shocked he won, but...I knew he would do well because he focused on the basics of taking each shot and didn't worry about the other athletes and how they were doing.

He developed confidence very early which was key to his doing so well,” Budgedon said.

Much like Victor, Josephine also experienced a strong arc in her shooting journey.

“I’ve always struggled with anxiety, but by participating in competitions, I’ve learned how to recenter myself and calm myself down when I’m feeling overwhelmed or extremely anxious,” Josephine said. “Since I only have a certain amount of time to shoot, I can’t be wasting my time freaking out.”

A key component in their journey of improvement was their focused breathing routine.

“To be successful at the sport, you have to be very calm and very relaxed. Even though they have to stay firm in their shooting position, they have to be very relaxed at the same time,” their mother and current NoVA Sharpshooters coach Lei-Ann Chang said. “They have to be in a very zen moment to do it. So, this has helped tremendously with their anxiety management and stress management.”

“In a sense, the breathing routine helps you stay calm and helps prevent your muscles from being overexerted. It’s kind of like forced meditation,” Victor said. “That breathing routine isn’t just isolated to shooting, I’ve taken it with me to other things like class presentations or when I’m just spontaneously anxious.”

Jasmine Wang, Photos

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sports

Alongside their meditative breathing technique, their mother has played an integral role in their shooting careers.

“She introduced me to the sport and kept me motivated to try. Before freshman year, I had crippling confidence and I initially thought ‘I don’t know if I want to do this.’ But she pushed me into it and I’m beyond glad she did that,” Victor said.

“Whenever I’m stressed during competitions, just seeing her face in the crowd relaxes me and calms me down,” Josephine said. “Without her support and constant encouragement I don’t think I would’ve come this far or come to love this sport as much as I do now.”

“I’ve been very involved in the sport since day one because I wanted them to feel comfortable. When you’re picking up something new, everyone is afraid to fail, so with me there, it was easier for them to focus on the sport and look back for support when they needed,” Chang said.

Shooting truly is a sport that demands the utmost attention and concentration, especially during competitions flooded with background noise from music, cheers, and fellow competitors shooting.

“That’s part of the sport really, how much can you focus on the target regardless of outside interference and how consistently can you do so. But it’s not just outside interference that you need to worry about, it’s a lot of internal conflict. All of the coaches, all of the professionals have described it as less of a competition against others, you’re always competing against yourself,” Victor said.

With each round being 80 minutes long, requiring at least 60 shots to be fired, this sport is clearly as physically taxing as it is mentally.

“Personally, I think the first shot is always the hardest, especially if no one else has shot yet. There’s this silent pressure, this huge tension [that the first shot breaks],” Victor said.

Competitions, in general, are incredibly draining and tensionfilled; and Junior Olympics is no exception.

“It’s intense [at competitions],” Chang said. “Each athlete is so focused and they’re very competitive with themselves. The

competitors are very professional young people.”

After each competition, both the Mou siblings emerge exhausted.

“I think it’s really stressful when you’re shooting because it’s constantly high intensity. Even though I’m just standing there, after every competition, I always go home and collapse,” Josephine said.

Despite the gauntlet of exhaustion and stress, they endure during every competition, neither Josephine nor Victor would trade this experience for the world. Rather, the entire Mou family encourages others to look past the stigma around guns and to give it a try.

“With their program, the first thing the athletes learn is the safety rules: how to respect the gun. All the kids here are super safe. They must know the safety rules like the back of their hand before they can actually start shooting,” Chang said.

“I wish more people would try it, females specifically and people of color. We’re a very white, male-dominated sport and I hope that changes,” Josephine said.

“Don’t be afraid to try it and don't quit because you don’t think you’re doing well. It’s a steep learning curve, so you exponentially increase. I didn’t know that and I thought that I was doing so much worse than everyone else. But it clicks, so don’t give up before it clicks,” Victor said.

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Masks in Sports

Which masks are preferred and recommended by Langley athletes to stay safe during sports.

Taylor Maguire, Reporter

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s the Covid-19 pandemic continues, people around the world are changing and adapting to continue living as normal as possible while being safe. As for high school sports in FCPS, there have been many covid rules regarding safety added this season, such as the mask policy.

“There are many different masks that would be good for different sports, however, the important part is that each athlete gets a mask that is effective and that they are willing to wear,” athletic trainer Jess Bigles said.

There are many different styles, brands, or types of masks available, however, the three favorites among Langley athletes are disposable medical masks, the Under Armour Sportsmask, and Athleta’s Activate mask.

Disposable Medical Mask Disposable medical masks are one of the most simple, effective, and mass produced masks during this time. These masks have many benefits regarding safety and comfort during sports that outweigh the few downsides, such as not being reusable and awkward fitting on some face shapes.

“I found that the normal medical masks are the best when I’m running, rowing, or just working out in general. They are easy to take on and off and are breathable,” junior Will Navas said. In addition to providing comfort and breathability, the medical masks have been proven to effectively protect users from the virus.

“The disposable/medical mask is recommended by a lot of medical professionals, so I believe it is effective in protecting myself and others,” freshman Paige Fredenburgh said.

Athleta Activate Mask

The Athleta Activate mask is another mask designed and created for athletes, in attempts to allow for the best performance possible while wearing a mask. This mask provides wearers with adjustable ear loops and a shape that fits the face. This mask is better suited for less rigorous activities, as it tends to fall down, making it perfect for low intensity sports.

“I like [the Athleta mask] because it has a wire, making it fit better. It also is adjustable and doesn’t suck in when you breathe, where some masks do. I feel that it effectively protects me and others from the spread of Covid,” junior Kendall Wilson said.

UA Sportsmask

Another popular mask, created specifically for wearing during sports, is the Under Armour Sportsmask. This mask provides multiple layers for COVID protection and is designed to allow for easy breathing at the same time. The Sportsmask comes in different sizes to ensure a comfortable fit for all athletes.

“I really like [the Sportsmask] because it fits my face perfectly so I don’t have to keep pulling it up. I also like it because it feels easy and comfortable to breathe in, but still keeps me safe,” junior Caitlyn Shumadine said.

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sports

School Vs. Sport Playing sports vs. going to in-person school during COVID

Kendall Snow, Reporter - Boden Gentile, Managing Editor of Copy

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hroughout online school, sports have been both a social outlet and daily physical for those stuck inside during the long hours of a school day. As the school slowly returned to in-person learning, some student-athletes decided to stay online, as opposed to their in-person peers.

“At school, I talk to my friends a lot more and stand closer to them, plus it is 5 hours long so I tend to forget to socially distance which causes safety issues, but in sports, I’m constantly handling work and I’m usually too busy to converse with others,” Tianna Wang said.

Tianna is a freshman at Langley and plays for the high

discouraged so it doesn’t seem worth it. On top of that, you get to sleep more, and [online school is] more relaxed,” senior Jack Ellinger said.

However, in the area of transportation, in-person students can simply walk from school to practice, and only have to worry about transportation home because of busses. Those who don’t go in-person need a ride there and back.

“I was already driving to school so it wasn’t really much of a difference. It’s just whenever I decide to drive here as in driving at 3 [to make practice] versus driving in the morning. There isn’t really much of a difference,” Ellinger said.

To many seniors, in-person school is an unnecessary risk when the stresses of college applications are over and online instruction works.

Then, the best option to see friends and have fun is sports.

“It’s an all or nothing thing. You can still get a good education at home, but for sports, you are just not doing them [at home]. There is no halfway, no online sports,” Jones said.

“Sports are how people stay healthy, how they stay physically fit, how they stay mentally healthy.” school volleyball team, but has chosen not to go back to in-person school. Many students have made this decision, seeing sports as an opportunity to socialize with friends, exercise, and have a good time while getting their education online and avoiding the risks of in-person school.

“Yeah, you are probably a bit more exposed to COVID [than staying at home] but, at the same time, sports are how people stay healthy, how they stay physically fit, how they stay mentally healthy as well, because they are still interacting with people,” senior Ethan Jones said.

Safety-wise, sports seem to be safer than in-person school because, although students are trying their hardest to stay socially distanced at school, there are times where it can be difficult. Passing others in a crowded hallway is an example. During sports, however, there is almost always open space to stay away from others while wearing masks.

“With stats built up over a year of continued sports nationwide at this time, it appears sports can be played with the minimal transmission but in school, you touch more shared surfaces with a wider array of contacts, so washing hands and using hand sanitizer seems a more pertinent need in school,” Langley football coach David Murray stated.

Most sports are played outdoors leading to less possibility of a covid spread in the open air. However, students in the school are constantly touching doorknobs, desks, chairs, and other shared surfaces. Thus, the opportunities to contract the virus are greater.

“Pretty much all of my friends in my classes are staying online. It just didn’t seem like a fun experience, being in lunch sitting the same way, not seeing friends in the hallway, communication is

Boden Gentile, Photo

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ATHLETES OF CAROLINE HANLON Ann Gills, Reporter

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Photos courtesy of Caroline Hanlon

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sports

arloine Hanlon has been rowing for Langley for 4 years and plans on following her rowing passion into college. “I will be continuing my rowing career at the University of Miami, Florida. I signed to row there in early November!” Hanlon said.

Hanlon started rowing her freshman year. “I discovered my true passion for rowing when I was 16. We were in Ohio, rowing for Club Nationals. It was incredibly hot, and we hid from the sun in a really worn down tent. The races were being televised and we met so many different rowers and teams from around the country... hat trip made me realize how much I wanted to keep rowing and that I wanted to pursue it in college,“ Caroline Hanlon said.

“Caroline always seemed to enjoy being in the rowing team however her true love and transformation with rowing I would say took place her sophomore year and has continued to grow despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented,” Langley Varsity Women’s Crew Head Coach Julie Sultiff said.

Hanlon is a valued member of the women’s varsity team. “Caroline brings so much fun and positive energy to each practice. Crew workouts can be really tough, but she always has us laughing and making jokes. At nationals our sophomore year, she went to the dollar store and put together a hilarious outfit and that’s such a funny memory for the entire team,” team captain, Anna Romani said.

Hanlon’s favorite boat to row in for Langley is an eight.

She usually rows either stroke or 6 seat. An eight boat actually seats nine people. The coxswain faces the rowers, who make up the other eight people in the boat. Stroke seat, or 8 seat, is the last seat before the coxswain. 6 seat is two seats behind stroke.

“My least favorite part of rowing would definitely have to be the blisters and the time it takes to get to the river!

During the on-the-water season, my hands are always covered in blisters from the handle of the oar. My hands pretty much look like I took a cheese grater and rubbed my hands back and forth,” Hanlon said.

Rowing is a time consuming sport. In order to manage her schoolwork and rowing, Hanlon creates a schedule. “As a result of Crew being such a big time commitment, you have to learn to balance your rowing and school work. I do this by creating a schedule and sticking to it. I also tend to do school work during the school day so I’m not completely overwhelmed at night. It really just comes down to being organized and not slacking off.” Hanlon said.

THE SEASON WILL LONG Nate Jones, Reporter

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enior Will Long has been playing baseball for most of his life, and his passion and commitment to the sport help him be the best baseball player he can be.

“I played my first season of T-ball when I was five because my parents liked baseball and signed me up,” Long said.

Long has been playing baseball for more than ten years of his life and has found appreciation not just from the scoreboard, but the valuable lessons the game teaches him.

“My favorite thing about baseball is how you always get a fresh start with every bat or every inning. It teaches you to move on and not let things define you,” Long said. Baseball has allowed him to develop life skills that he otherwise would not have attained.

Not only does Will Long enjoy playing baseball, he also appreciates hanging out with his teammates.

“My best memory was probably the trip we took down to Myrtle Beach my sophomore year. It was just a great atmosphere and we had a really good time,” Long said.

His teammates and coaches also enjoy having him on the team and believe that he is a big factor for their success.

“Will is a leader because he puts the team before himself,” senior Nick Faili said. “He carries his teammates with leadership and passion.” Whether they are losing or winning, he always makes sure that his teammates keep their heads up and focus on the game.

“Will always strives for perfection on and off the field.

I believe it’s one of his qualities that has helped drive him to have the success he has earned on the field and in the classroom,” Langley baseball coach Jared Sronce said. Long not only shoots for success on the field as a great baseball player, but he also shoots for success in an academic setting.. He understands that grades are just as important as playing baseball.

“He is a talented baseball player for sure, but honestly there’s way more. With us losing out on our season last spring, he has shown he loves the game of baseball and the process of what it takes to get better by having to wait two seasons to step back on our high school field. He has helped create a culture for our program that will last even once he is out of this building,” Sronce said. Besides being a talented baseball player, Long serves as a great role model for the Langley baseball program as he strives to be a great teammate and an excellent player for the coaches.

Next year, Long will continue his baseball career at the collegiate level at Cornell University.

Photos courtesy of Will Long

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