February 2021

TJTODAY vol 6 issue 4

feb. 2020

thomas jefferson high school for science and technology 6560 braddock rd. alexandria, va 22312

got mask?

Playing spo

rts during a pandemic p challenge fo resents a n ew r Jefferson students

ABSTRACT During a gymnastics meet, senior Lisa Raj Singh completes a wolf jump on the beam.

This winter sports season was Singh’s first season competing for the Jefferson gymnastics team. “Joining the Jefferson gymnastics team senior year brought me back to my happy childhood days learning cartwheels and stumbling on the beam. I loved the winter sports experience, and am beyond grateful for the chance to compete socially distanced with a wonderful team,” Singh said. Photo by Al General.

STAFF EDITORIAL BOARD

Print & Online Editors-in-Chief Broadcast Executive Producer Team Leaders Vikram Achuthan Annika Dunneja Stuti Gupta Sonia Kanchan Anuj Khemka Pratika Katiyar

Sean Nguyen

In-Depth Editor Minjoo Song

Social Media Manager Zia Sun

Aafreen Ali Rachel Lewis Christina Lu Nathan Mo Connie Ryu

TJ Podcast Network Editor-in-Chief Whitman Ochai

Advisor: Erinn Harris tjTODAY is the official newsmagazine of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The staff is deeply committed

to a code of journalistic ethics that demands the exercise of accuracy, good judgment, and impartiality. The content of tjTODAY is determined by the editorial board. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff of tjTODAY, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

tjtoday.tjhsst @tjhsst_media

@tjtoday_news

tjTODAY

CONTENTS tjTODAY vol. 6 issue 4

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feb. 2021

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cover story 06

PANDEMIC IN PLAY New VHSL and FCPS guidelines shape the winter sports season

features 04

HEALTHCARE HEROES Senior Teja Valluri and junior Vivi Rao assist healthcare workers during the pandemic

12

FRESH START Jefferson freshmen overcome the challenges of navigating IBET online

sci-tech 14

PRINTING OUR FOOTPRINT Sophomore Suraj Vaddi develops an app to assess watershed quality

opinion 16 CIVICALLY MINDED OR CIVICALLY BLINDED? Objectively taught civic education may alleviate, but not eliminate, misinformation and political polarization

18 CAMERA CONCERNS Camera use in the virtual classroom should be encouraged but not mandated

19 ON THE SUBJECT OF SUBJECT TESTS College Board’s changes widen the test gap

THE FALL OF SNOW (AND SNOW DAYS) Online school does not take away the necessity of snow days

entertainment 20 JOURNALING DOWN TO THE BULLET A new look into the old trend of bullet journaling

22 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Jefferson students find creative ways to spend time outside

12

HEALTHCARE HEROES

by Anuj Khemka

Senior Teja Valluri and junior Vivi Rao assist healthcare workers during the pandemic

A

frenzy of patients, desperate to get treatments and diagnoses. Groups of doctors, clothed in faceshields, gloves, and extra-protective scrubs.

Medical receptionists, ever wary of the spreading virus, seated behind large glass dividers. Such is the scene of healthcare offices around the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amidst it all, senior Teja Valluri and junior Vivi Rao have continued to work in a healthcare setting, persevering to provide patients the care they need.

Valluri serves as an assistant to his aunt, a physician at INOVA hospital, while Rao works as a medical assistant for her mother’s practice.

CONCERNS AND CAUTIONS While not overwhelming, the fear of contracting and spreading COVID-19 was certainly on Valluri and Rao’s minds and remains ever present today. “[I was worried about contracting

1

COVID], but the fear of COVID underweighed the experience and the interest I had in working at the job,” Valluri said.

For Valluri, concerns over COVID-19 came to a head when in October, his entire family contracted the virus.

“I was worried [that I caused my family to get COVID-19], but it turned out to not be because of the job,” Valluri said. “[Even if it had been] I think I would have still gone back, I think they would have understood [how it’s part of the job] and they would have been fine with it.”

Despite the inherent dangers associated with working in healthcare during the pandemic, Rao and Valluri maintain that precautionary measures within their offices vastly reduce the risk of contracting COVID. “Being in a family of doctors, we have resources like protective gear and supplies, we have high-quality masks already on hand, and we have disinfectants,” Rao said. “Being in a doctor’s office is really sanitary too compared to like a lot of other places, so I feel like the fear of getting COVID was there, but it was kind of on the same level as a lot of other people.”

Rao and Valluri are now both vaccinated, but they continue to exercise caution in regards to the pandemic.

“Just because we’re vaccinated doesn’t mean we can’t spread it to other people potentially. Especially since COVID is airborne, [if] you come into contact with

FEATURE 5

“The most interesting part is just seeing how healthcare can still succeed in the face of a pandemic.” something, you can still affect someone else, so it’s important to still keep up your precautionary measures,” Rao said.

“The moment you come back home from somewhere, change your clothes, take a shower, and wash your hands.”

ENTHUSIASM AND EXPERIENCE Rao and Valluri’s willingness to work in healthcare even in the face of pandemic stems from a longstanding interest in medical work.

“Working with my mom during this time was something I wanted to do because you get a lot out of this experience [and because] I’m interested in medicine.

I think it’s an amazing field and I have always wanted to do something in it,” Rao said. “I was planning on working there this summer anyway, and with COVID happening, we just had to change around some things to allow me to work there and to take the precautions to work there.”

Longer hours, worries over contracting COVID, and minimal opportunity to interact with patients have made for less-than-ideal work circumstances. Even so, Valluri is appreciative of the overall experience.

“I would prefer to have it in a nonpandemic setting, but I’m definitely happy and satisfied with the experience I’ve had so far,” Valluri said. “The most interesting part is just seeing how healthcare can still succeed in the face of a pandemic.”

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1. Clothed in a mask and protective scrubs, senior Teja Valluri snaps a picture while on break at the INOVA hospital. Valluri’s attire is one of the many precautions taken to protect him and the rest of the staff from the coronavirus. PHOTO // Teja Valluri 2. Smiling, junior Vivi Rao poses for the camera before beginning her first day as an assistant at her mother’s office. “I wanted to help. I think it’s important to help, and also it’s a good experience for me personally,” Rao said.

PHOTO // Vivi Rao

pandemic

by Stuti Gupta, Sonia Kanchan & Pratika Katiyar

IN

New VHSL and FCPS guidelines shape the winter sports season

COVER STORY 7

B

PLAY

all? Check. Water Bottle? Check. Mask? Check.

The winter sports season has successfully added a new item to the pre-practice checklist for student athletes.

To adjust to the pandemic and Virginia’s phased approach to reopening, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) condensed the 2020-2021 sports season and issued a new set of guidelines, recommending masks and social distancing during practices and games. FCPS has issued mandates for wearing masks during play for sports, with the exception of wrestling, swim and dive, and gymnastics.

With these regulations in place, some Jefferson students still decided to opt out of the sports season, citing the growing number of COVID cases in the community. Other students decided to continue playing, despite the changes administered to the season. Some of these students have chosen to wear their masks while attending practices and competing in sports excluded from the FCPS mandate.

PHOTO // Katelyn Chen

Participating in a drill, freshman Akash Wudali works to pass the ball quickly while the opposing team’s defense–freshmen Aarya Vijayaraghavan and Aiden Cheong–surrounds him. “Playing basketball during the pandemic was different from other seasons, but it was still fun to play and make new friends on the team,” Wudali said. PHOTO // Fiona Zheng

what drove your decision to play sports this season? anthony wong : “I am a captain for swim, but also it’s been my family at TJ and I wanted to still have that experience one last time.”

annika topchy : “Track is definitely a big part of my life. It’s part of my future too, and I’m trying to get recruited for college to run. This season was really crucial to me since I didn’t have the spring season. So, with indoor, I was really excited for it and needed it for my [running] times to prepare for my outdoor season.”

ben rubin : “I’ve played sports all year for many years and I haven’t missed a wrestling season since I started wrestling six years ago. That’s something that’s important to me and that’s why I decided to wrestle this season.”

“[MASKS] TIRE ME OUT, BUT IT MAKES ME A STRONGER PLAYER” -DAMI AWOFISAYO

FEATURE 9

which precautions are your sports taking to lessen the spread of COVID-19, and which precautions do you wish they implemented?

what drove your decision not to play sports this season? prasidha padmanabhan : “A close family friend of ours during the pandemic had started basketball, but their season was a little bit before ours. I was already thinking about not going, and then we heard back from them [the close family friends]; they had actually gone to a game, and a person that they had come in contact with had COVID-19 on the court itself. That really scared me because I know that now masks are mandatory, but in the beginning during games, masks weren’t mandatory, and it just seemed really unsafe to put myself at such a risk– especially when I don’t have the best immune system.”

dami awofisayo : “We try to social distance when it is absolutely necessary to take off our masks. We also have spaced out seating, they’re all at least six feet apart. They also sanitize the balls halfway through practice, and when we go to other schools, we can’t use any of their equipment until the game starts.”

rubin : “During practices, we wear our masks the entire time unless we’re doing live wrestling. We also stay in small groups. I’ve only practiced with two other people this season.” navya vargese : “I feel like they’re taking it a little bit lightly, the idea of temperature checks and masks being enough to prevent the spread of the virus seems a little weird to me. In the situation where a girl came in contact with someone who tested positive, we didn’t wait the full two weeks. We went in after a week, and I feel like we should’ve waited the extra week just in case. Even if it’s a false scare, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

do you feel that a mask interferes with your performance? awofisayo : “It tires me out more, but it makes me a smarter player. I think that once this is over, I would have more stamina because I’ve played in an environment where it’s harder to breathe. So, once we go back to normal I feel like all of us would have that advantage of playing with masks.”

HOW DO

MASKS

Cotton masks, a tightly woven fabric, are more effective than most other fabrics.

WORK?

vargese : “It definitely makes it more tiring on floor because the routines are long. But, on all the other events, it seems to be fine as long as you don’t have a mask that slips up and down easily.”

This depicts the size of the aerosol particles against the cotton mask fibers. The coranavirus is about the size of the smallest particle, but it spreads inside the largest particle.

The particles travel through the forest of fibers along with the air stream. The particle-fiber interaction and the ability of the mask to capture the particles to capture the particles is dependent upon the laws of physics

Illustration //Stuti Gupta Graphic adapted from The New York Times Large particles are easier to trap because their momentum may shift them off their path, they may crash into the fibers, or the air stream may bring them close to the fibers.

Smaller particles move in a zig-zag pattern as they are bounced around by the air stream. This increases the amount of time that the particles are in the fiber forest, and thereby increases their chance of capture.

Medium particles are the hardest to capture because they follow the air stream, twisting and turning about the fibers.

Wrestling a student from Falls Church High School, freshman Ben Rubin finishes a shot with a double leg. Wrestling is one of the few winter sports that has not mandated that players wear masks during competition. “With wrestling, I think it’d be pretty hard to keep a mask on during a match. I think that’s what drove the decision not to require masks with wrestling,” Rubin said. PHOTO // Ananya Bagai

COVER STORY 11

how has your team adapted to the changes in the season?

how has the school supported your team this season?

vargese : “We’ll all follow the protocols - fill out the forms, check our temperatures. I know practice times have been a little difficult. Our practices start at 5 and school ends at 4. Now we’re all at home, so that’s been a little hard.

But since we practice with other teams, they’ve been accommodating and they’ll go to Jefferson and set up our equipment, too.”

awofisayo : “I think the athletic team, just by having us play is one of the biggest things that they’ve done [to support us]. We also have senior night, but it was a little bit different this year. The seniors weren’t able to hug the coaches and players, but they still got their senior night.

So I think that the school is trying its best to follow the guidelines, but still put on a season.”

audrey czarnecki : “We take some breaks to go sanitize our

vargese : “It’s really great that they’re able to give us three

hands. During the actual matches, the first period is just one minute now. All three [periods] are supposed to be two minutes each. We also don’t shake hands with the other teams anymore.”

hours in the gym, even though basketball has practice at similar times. I know in prior years, that’s been a problem where we’ve had to work around their schedule. But it feels like they’ve accommodated us a bit more this year.”

have you experienced any instances where someone was unwilling to follow COVID-19 guidelines?

what do you miss most about a normal sports season?

awofisayo : “Not specifically on our team, but I have seen other teams, when they’re tired, they try to pull down their masks a little bit or take the mask and put it on their chin. There hasn’t been any consequences to that, but I have seen it happen.” topchy : “Some people have taken their masks down when they’re really close to other people. Being a captain this year, I just have to remind them - I know it’s hard to keep the mask on the entire time, but it’s better than getting sick. Keeping the masks on is pretty important, and I just remind them that we’re doing this to run, at least we can run. I feel like a lot of people get that and they’re willing to keep their masks on to have a season.”

wong : “I think all the little things that we were able to do together before — team dinners, taking photos right after school on spirit days, sleepover, pool party, all those things really made the season feel super lively and not being able to do those bummed a lot of us out.” czarnecki : “In a normal sports season, there’s usually more meets and also girls meets. Right now, since there are less people wrestling, they don’t have girls meets and I’m wrestling boys. And in my weight category, it’s a bit difficult.” rubin : “I miss having a big team and going into a gym filled with spectators. That kind of feeling and atmosphere just doesn’t exist with a team of eight people and twenty-five people in the stands.” topchy : “I feel like the dynamic is really different. It’s definitely shifted because of the lack of social interaction.

It doesn’t feel like a normal season, more like a filler, waiting for the next season. But, I am grateful to have a season, because any chance to run or compete, I’ll take, even if it’s a little bit different.”

To learn more about Jefferson students playing sports during the pandemic, visit TJTV News at http://tiny.cc/tjtvnews

FRESH

By Nathan Mo and Aafreen Ali

Jefferson freshmen overcome the challenges of navigating IBET online

START T

he robot project. tjSTAR presentations. Shakespearean adaptations. Integrated Biology, English, and Technology (IBET) has been essential to the freshman experience, allowing students to navigate their first year at Jefferson together.

However, with classes moving online, the typical communitybuilding in an IBET has been disrupted, with hands-on projects replaced by video demos and table groups replaced by breakout rooms.

Despite this setback, students and teachers alike have been able to find methods to circumvent the obstacles of distance and internet connection.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS Freshman Mihika Dusad believes that the shift into an online setting has been helpful in allowing her to feel closer to her classmates.

“I’ve found it easier to feel more connected to my classmates despite being online - we’re all in the same boat, experiencing the same things, and I think it would be the same way if we were still in person,” Dusad said. “I still get that communal feeling because we’re still doing everything together as a unit.”

Although the adjustment has not been typical, teachers have been instrumental in making the transition to Jefferson as smooth as possible.

“They have made it a lot easier for us to have social interaction through group activities like projects and breakout rooms. It’s great that they try to tailor their teaching to the students’ needs,” Dusad said. “Some of my teachers have also created a group space during break periods so students can talk to each other and get to know each other.”

FEATURE 13 Freshman Aurora Richard uses a filter to conduct a water quality lab for IBET. “The experiments are great opportunities to work with other students,” Richard said. PHOTO // Bernadette Richard

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These adapted methods of teaching have also helped freshman Trisha Arun build interpersonal connections in her own IBET. “In English, we do a lot of group projects, mostly project based learning, and we have a lot of group class discussions, which is great,” Arun said.

“I feel like I’ve gotten to know people in my IBET better through those projects because it’s easier to talk when you’re in a small group.”

FORGING FRIENDSHIPS Additionally, students have found ways to develop these bonds outside of the classroom.

“Our IBET rotation created an IBET group chat where we regularly message each other and ask questions about homework and class material. We also get together in Google Meet once a month just to hang out and continue to build those relationships,” Dusad said. “I like how we’ve all been able to come together despite how restrictive the online environment is.”

Facebook has proved to be a useful

resource for many freshmen in staying up-to-date with events around the school and getting a better understanding of the community at Jefferson. “[Facebook] keeps me updated on a ton of stuff, especially the amount of clubs and activities, and group chats on Messenger are an easy way to ask questions to a specific class,” Arun said.

“TJ specific pages also provide a lot of insight on just how other students are feeling and about what’s going on in

terms of school wide events.”

Other beneficial technologies work as tools in the classroom, helping students stay on top of coursework.

“All our resources in general that we use are great. “For example, Tinkercad and [G Suite tools] have made it a lot easier to stay organized online,” Arun said.

Through it all, the familiarity of IBET rotations has helped freshmen stay grounded as they begin their high school journeys.

“I think it definitely has been [a home base] for me— I’m not as close to as many people as I’d like to be, but I do have some friends that have come out of IBET, a lot more than I thought I would have at the beginning of the year,” Arun said.

Freshmen share Adobe Spark introduction cards to learn more about their IBET classmates. Teachers have used different methods to encourage building connections in the online environment. “Breakout rooms lack the personability that comes with actually talking to people about an assignment,” freshman Matt Sprintson said. “Projects and activities are more effective and enjoyable when it comes to creating lasting friendships.”

PHOTO // Erinn Harris

Printing Our

FOOTPRINT Sophomore Suraj Vaddi develops an app to help assess watershed quality

by Christina Lu

T

15 COVERSCI-TECH STORY 13

O

ne snapshot, millions of data points, and just one second later, Tar Print has classified each pixel in the image as pervious or impervious. Sophomore Suraj Vaddi created Tar Print, an app that measures the permeability of surfaces, to help monitor stream health and water quality. Impervious surfaces like roads, sidewalks and rooftops don’t allow water to pass through them, harming local streams and wildlife.

“Both [types of surfaces] impact the health of streams and water quality. They’re also a good way to quantify urban development and how much humans have encroached on a certain community or environment,” Vaddi said.

Tar Print aims to be an alternative tool for environmental scientists to collect data that’s just as accurate, but faster and easier to use.

“It’s designed especially for student researchers who might not have experience working with more complicated quantifying techniques like the ArcGIS program, which can be daunting,” Vaddi said.

HOW IT WORKS

In most softwares, the researcher would have to specify which areas were grassy and which areas were roads. But Tar Print automates that process using satellite imagery.

“You just have to click the camera button and it takes a picture of the area and scans it using machine learning and remote sensing,” Vaddi said.

The app also makes it easy for researchers to set the perimeter of the area they’re analyzing.

“It gives you the option to either use your current location or type in coordinates. From there you can choose to take a snapshot of the area with a radius of either one, two or three miles, whereas in other technologies, you have to drag a square out and map out the area,” Vaddi said.

Then, the machine learning model goes through every single pixel on the satellite image obtained of that region.

“It collects data about the red, green and blue

values of the pixel, nearby pixels and the pixels of where colors start to differ. Then it determines whether that singular point is pervious [or] impervious,” Vaddi said.

THE MAKING

Vaddi began working on the model to analyze stream health for his IBET project.

“In freshman year, we were going to do some analysis with a very low level model I was working on that actually didn’t use machine learning,” Vaddi said.

He went into this project without previous machine learning or app development experience.

“I had to use a standard machine learning model and gathered data from every single pixel using other techniques I researched and [some] I actually created along the way. I’m currently doing research under the guidance of Dr. Morrow, who has helped me ask the right research questions and get in contact with environmental specialists,” Vaddi said.

IMPROVEMENTS

Over the months, Vaddi developed the model further to account for different variables in the landscape.

“At the beginning you could only determine green values [as pervious]. I found that to be a major drawback, especially in Northern Virginia, where a lot of satellite imagery contains fall colors like reds and oranges. It can now detect fall leaves and it’s also good about detecting dry farmland as pervious as well,” Vaddi said.

He has also made the model more efficient and brought down the processing time.

“It initially took nearly 20 seconds to determine everything, but now it takes under a second,” Vaddi said.

Vaddi worked on optimizing the model throughout the summer, and Tar Print made it to the App Store in November.

“I’d definitely say it’s successful,” Vaddi said.

“I’m pretty happy with how far it’s gotten so far.”

ILLUS

TRATI

ON //

Forres t

Meng

LEAD-ED 17

K

nowledge is power, but from where should it be conceived?

As political discourse inflames the world, the extent to which civic education can help with mounting misinformation and political polarization comes into question Although all generations play a role in this “fake news”plight, younger generations specifically contribute to the issue with well-intentioned, yet frequently harmful, social media activism. Though proper civic education does not eradicate this problem, it can certainly help mitigate it by giving students the most basic and relevant knowledge. Similar to the step-by-step process used to learn mathematics in schools, we can build upon our civic education knowledge as time progresses.

THE WHEN AND WHERE Typically, students first take civics in eighth grade; the subject, for most, is not revisited in schools again until twelfth grade with the AP United States Government course. Having extra required civics classes in between those grade levels may not necessarily be

beneficial because students may not take the classes seriously, a lack of appeal that is perhaps further spurred given that Jefferson is a STEM school.

Civics seminars taught in a structure akin to the periodic Social Emotional Learning lessons, however, are a viable solution. Moreover, it is vital to address civics in the framework of other courses such as science or computer science because all fields of study are vulnerable to misinformation.

THE HOW To instill civil and thought-provoking discussion, all civics-involving courses should be taught from an objective viewpoint, offering both sides of the story. For instance, journalism teacher Ms. Erinn Harris addressed the events that occurred on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, in her class not by inserting her own perspective, but rather by sharing the accurate ways that media outlets should refer to those events.

Likewise, AP Government teacher Ms. Jennifer Hitchcock created a lesson about the Capitol Hill insurrection based on legal documents and Supreme Court cases to provide background. She allowed for students to create their own

opinions and write down their thoughts through journaling as a part of the lesson. However, while it is important to maintain an objective viewpoint, lessons should be taught within reason; ‘progressive’ or ‘conservative’ sides should always be defined and appropriately applied in the context of the conversation.

Take climate change, for example. We do not need to debate whether climate change is real, but we can contemplate the most efficient solutions for it.

Furthermore, teachers should provide room for students to form their own opinions, but never at the expense of facts. Students should have a solid and unbiased understanding of the facts before being encouraged to form their opinions.

Though the existing rampant political polarization is unlikely to decrease drastically as a result of civic education, if taught appropriately and objectively, it can serve as a springboard into other educational opportunities and raise awareness to better digest and analyze current events. Nonetheless, regardless of where we gain this awareness, knowledge is power – wield it wisely.

M INDED BL civically

Objectively taught civic education may alleviate, but not eliminate, misinformation and political polarization

ILLUSTRATION // Rachel Kwon

Camera Concerns

Camera use in the virtual classroom should be encouraged but not mandated A pen and paper swapped out for a laptop.

A bustling classroom switched to Pratika Katiyar Blackboard Editor-in-Chief Collaborate.

This is the new normal.

Virtual school has been challenging for both students and teachers, with one of the biggest obstacles being the lack of camera usage.

Turning on cameras has obvious benefits. It helps maintain a sense of normality in the virtual environment, and makes it easier for teachers to engage students and for students to foster a community with their peers. It also holds students accountable for learning the

material, as they are forced to pay attention and are unable to attend to other tasks while in class.

However, the lack of access to adequate internet can make it a challenge for students to turn on their cameras, as the bandwidth may not be enough to support them. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, approximately one-in-five teenagers are unable to finish their homework because of the digital divide.

Additionally, turning on cameras can be a huge invasion of privacy. Beyond just seeing a student’s face, the camera provides a look into the student’s personal life. This is not only stressful for some students, but can also be a risk to those with

extenuating circumstances.

In my experience, while turning on cameras has helped engagement in some aspects, in some of my classes like AP English Literature, we are able to have substantive discussions even without seeing each other. There are several alternatives to track engagement and keep students attentive in class. My teachers have structured class around tools like Kahoot, PearDeck, and Jamboard, or have used polls within Blackboard Collaborate to gauge participation. Though the situation is not ideal, students should be encouraged but not required to turn their cameras on. Instead, teachers should integrate other apps into the virtual classroom to encourage participation.

OPINION 19

The Fall Of Snow (And Snow Days) Online school does not take away the necessity of snow days

PHOTO // Anuj Khemka

On the Subject of Subject Tests College Board’s changes widen the testing gap

For years, standardized testing has been considered a ‘rite of passage’ in the high school experience Nathan Mo - whether it be AP Team Leader (Advanced Placement) tests, the SATs, or the ACTs, it is more than probable that the average high school student will take a standardized test. However, on Jan. 21, the CollegeBoard announced the cancellation of the SAT subject tests, effective immediately.

Critics of standardized tests have argued that they are much more favorable for privileged students who have access to resources like preparatory books and classes. However, I believe that the removal of subject tests has not alleviated this issue rather, it has only accentuated it.

Subject tests, along with AP tests, were used as a way to show mastery of a specific subject, ranging from biology to world languages. However, with the removal of subject tests, AP tests have become the only way

for students to demonstrate this mastery. The caveat is that AP tests, being centered around an entire course, are more comprehensive and rigorous compared to their counterparts in subject tests. For students who do not have access to AP courses and wish to demonstrate mastery of a subject, they now essentially have to study an entire course worth of material without the formal instruction or resources to do so. On the other hand, the test prep industry will continue to thrive, as this new situation has put more emphasis on the need for AP exams.

Although the removal of subject tests has received mixed responses, I believe that it has only created more harm than good. If these changes are permanent, the CollegeBoard and other testing companies must create a new method to allow underprivileged students to demonstrate their mastery of specific subjects in order to compensate for the loss of the SAT subject tests.

I never thought that I would live to see the day where after a snowstorm and about four inches of snow, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) refused to close school.

Annika Duneja However, I was proven Online wrong, when in that exEditor-in-Chief act situation every single student in the county was relegated to their desks, and forced to stare at the snow falling outside their window.

Historically, snow days are a sigh of relief for students all over the county, whether they choose to use the day to catch up on homework, play in the snow, or simply take a mental health day. In a year like this one, snow days could have been a much needed mental break for students who would simply like to be able to get up off their desks.

Besides, what happened to the sentiment of maintaining a sense of normalcy? The primary goal of online school is to help students feel as close to a regular school year as possible while learning remotely.

This idea should include snow days, which are expected for in person schooling.

Snow days are even built into the FCPS school calendar, and are therefore essential to a normal school year.

In fact, FCPS released a statement on Dec.ember 14, saying that snow days would occur if certain criteria were met.I would argue that four inches of snow, icy roads, and many surrounding counties closing school should meet these criteria. It seems that their earlier statement was simply an empty promise meant to appease students who only asked for a day off. Ultimately, in a disappointing move, FCPS has decided to take away the last hope for something that might resemble a normal school year.

by Rachel Lewis & Connie Ryu

A new look into the old trend of bullet journaling

ENTERTAINMENT 21

A

final swoop of ink across the page, and it’s done: the newest weekly spread in junior Justine Chu’s bullet journal. From citrus fruits to evergreen trees, the spreads in Chu’s bullet journal can take on any aesthetic or color scheme that fits her mood and the season.

Spark of Inspiration Bullet journaling became the hot productivity trend in 2017, while Chu was in middle school; she started hers two years later.

Initially, Chu found her spread inspiration online from Instagrammers and Youtubers, like the bullet journaling, doodling, lettering, and stationary expert Amanda Lee (@AmandaRachLee).

“I'm into hand lettering and kind of artsy things. I'm not that good at art, like drawing, but I use my bullet journal for that because it's just something that I enjoy doing when I have free time,” Chu said.

Making it Personal Although bullet journaling isn’t a top trend anymore, Chu continues to use her journal to organize and track her life and interests, from recording her sleeping and phone habits to the books she enjoyed that month.

Chu’s bullet journal has also improved her

Justine Chu’s bullet journal lies open to sleep and habit tracker pages in the theme for the month of January. Each month brings a new bullet journal theme, depending on the whims of the person who creates it.

PHOTO // Justine Chu

academic habits.

“I learned that I procrastinate a lot,” Chu said. “It's a more visual way of… [making] your schedule, so it's helped me be more organized.”

Last September, Chu started an Instagram account to share her and her sister’s bullet journal designs with a wider audience. Chu’s regular posting schedule has motivated her to be consistent in her bullet journaling.

“Realizing that people are seeing what I'm doing definitely keeps me on track to actually make my spreads,” Chu said. “Last year, [I] was really busy; I'd just skip weeks, and then I'd have to write things on sticky notes.”

A lot of bullet journaling Instagram pages are aesthetic wonderlands of swooping calligraphy and heavily detailed doodles, but Chu prefers to focus on the practical.

“In essence, bullet journaling is supposed to be… a quick way to keep your life together. I try not to be too pressured to be really doodle heavy or too focused on being perfect,” Chu said.

However, Chu’s bullet journal is more than just a planner or a space to practice hand lettering; it’s a home for memories.

“It's a place where I can keep everything that I feel like I need to remember or I need to keep somewhere tangible,” Chu said.

great outdoors the

by Annika Duneja

Jefferson students find creative ways to spend time outside

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hough we have had plenty of time to sit around during quarantine, we sometimes forget to get ourselves to go outside. Here are some of the ways Jefferson students enjoy the outdoors.

whatever you want - talking, or even just being quiet and enjoying the environment and the company, “ junior Gabriel Witkop said.

paddle boarding

biking

Perhaps the most common outdoor activity, biking, is one of the most accessible ways to get out and go places easily.

With a bike you don’t need to rely on a car to get places, while still being able to go further distances than running or walking. You can bike for a workout, with a friend, or even to see new places if you follow trails like the Washington-Old Dominion Trail (W&OD).

“I definitely started biking a lot more once quarantine started. Since I couldn’t really see my friends as easily as before, biking became a great way to hang out safely,” junior Ignacio Toro said.

Away from land, paddleboarding offers a fun and different way to get outside. With a self explanatory name, paddle boarding involves standing on a board while using an oar to paddle yourself across the water. Try it out yourself at places like the Occoquan River.

“It’s easy to be socially distant and you don’t have to worry about running into other people or running out of space, and also it’s outside, so it’s ventilated and beautiful,” sophomore Emma Cox said.

bird watching

For a new hobby, birdwatching is a relaxing way to be able to go outside, without having to make an effort to do hiking anything but watch the trees quietly. There are many wooded Sometimes, the best way to get outside is simply to walk. areas in Northern Virginia, making it easy to spot even rare Or, a slightly harder version of walking: hiking. Here in birds if you’re in the right spot.

Northern Virginia, scenic hiking spots like Shenandoah “I got into it because my dad set up bird feeders and we National Park are only a couple hours away. Closer to home, got to see how many beautiful birds live around here that there are many places along the Potomac River, like Great we were overlooking or never even saw before,” junior Simba Falls, Riverbend, and Scotts Run. Srivastava said. “I just became a spectator for the birds.”

“It’s something about the calm of a forest that lets you do

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1. Sophomores Aditi Shukla and Kaia Wright get ready to go paddleboarding on the Occoquan River. Photo courtesy of Emma Cox. 2.

On a hike through Great Falls National Park, junior Gabriel Witkop stops at a scenic point on the trail. Photo courtesy of Gabriel Witkop. 3. Junior Simba Srivastava catches a mourning dove in the trees on camera while birdwatching. PHOTO // Abhiram Srivastava. 4. Junior Simba Srivastava patiently lies in the grass, waiting to spot a bird through his binoculars.

Photo courtesy of Abhiram Srivastava. 5. In late January, junior Ignacio Toro goes on a bike ride around his neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Ignacio Toro. 6. Standing in the middle of a stream, junior Ignacio Toro pauses as he takes a hike through a forest. Photo courtesy of Ignacio Toro.

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RECOLLECTION AND

RETROSPECTION In quarantine, I am stuck to the confines of my own home during school. I used to have all these opportunities to hang out with my friends during the break, talk in class, and meet all these new people. TJ is such a large building, and so you are forced to put yourself out there. Especially since no one really knew each other during freshman year, it was a relatively new experience to get out of my comfort zone.

I don’t know why, but elevators are just a place to easily strike a conversation. One morning, I found myself hanging out with my acquaintance and we had a bunch of time to kill. We went into the elevator and started doing a bunch of tricks like a handstand and tried to jump at the same time. It was just super fun and made us become a lot closer. I know it sounds so stupid, but at that moment, there was such a thrill to being goofy in a mundane environment.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED PHOTO by Anagha Gorukanti REPORTING by Sean Nguyen

Senior

Anagha Gorukanti

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The most meaningful moments in high school were just enjoying all the little things in life. It is very easy to get lost in goal-oriented targets, but in doing so, you lose all the everyday joys. One memory always stands out—my friends and I, before class, went around and tried to figure out where the third elevator led to. It was just a fun little scavenger hunt, and yet it transformed acquaintances into friendships.