December 2015

TJTODAY THE MAGAZINE

6560 BRADDOCK RD. ALEXANDRIA, VA 22312

WHO WE

DEC. 17, 2015 || VOL 1 ISSUE 4 | www.tjtoday.org

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY || ALEXANDRIA, VA

Uniting in faith to dispel stereotypes, combat hate and re-define preconceived notions about Islam

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FAMILY TRADITIONS

Faculty share unique holiday traditions

24

TRUMP AND THE MEDIA

How Donald Trump is catching our attention

28

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

tjTODAY presents Holiday film favorites

IN-DEPTH // 6 RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM

ARE

CONTENTS

NEWS

4 Solar panels in FCPS? 5 INVENTeam receives MIT grant IN-DEPTH 6 COVER STORY Religious Extremism 12 Media and Islamophobia 14 Awaiting for winter break and holidays SCI-AND-TECH 16 The science of Santa 18 Bacteria resistent to antibiotics SPORTS 20 Boys Basketball in new season 22 Hallway practices OPINION 24 EDITORIAL Donald Trump and the media 26 Homework and Thanksgiving break ENTERTAINMENT 28 Star Wars: Will the return continue its legacy?

WHAT I'VE LEARNED 32 Caroline Nguyen EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Anjali Khanna, Esther Kim TEAM LEADERS Ankit Agrawal, Kate Deng, Katherine Du, Adithi Ramakrishnan, Uzma Rentia DESIGN EDITOR Kate Deng BROADCAST EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Alexa Nguonly BUSINESS MANAGER Patrick Toulme

NewsMAKERS

NEWS

Photo courtesy of American Society of Hum

Photo courtesy of www.blog.

STAFF REPORTERS Mei Baek, Neha Bhargava, Jiny Cho, Natalie Homnyom, Katherine Hughes, Albert Jang, Angel Kim, Anapuma Jayaraman, Sruthi Jayaraman, Sabria Kazmi, Shehar Kachru, Minna Kuriakose, Madeline Old, Avni Singh, Nikita Sivakumar, Angie Sohn, Sammy Tavasolli, Bayliss Wagner, Millan Welman, Anna Zhang, Christine Zhao ADVISER Erinn Harris

tjTODAY is the official newsmagazine of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology published by the journalism staff.

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.

Photo courtesy of G

NEWS

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DEC 17, 2015 Avni Singh || STAFF REPORTER

photographer and the founder of Positive Exposure, a nonprofit photography organization.

SUN: I was the one who saw the email first and I was like, “Wait, what?” and then I found May and I was like just, “May, we won,” and she was just like, “Oh, okay,” and we cheered.

BACKSTORY The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) chose seniors May WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ENTER THIS Kyaw and Ginny Sun as the winners COMPETITION? of the Teen Genes Video Challenge. KYAW: Dr. Ka, my bio-tech lab director showed me the competition, WHAT MAKES YOU SO PASSIONATE Participants of the challenge had and she said we could get extra to submit a three to five minute ABOUT GENETICS AND MICROBES? credit for doing it so I was like, video on genetics and how it KYAW: I thought it was really “Why not?” and I asked Ginny if works. Sun and Kyaw will share a interesting when I heard about it she wanted to do this with me. $1,500 prize and will participate in and that microbes can affect your a video chat with Rick Guidotti, health immensely, and it’s a growing HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WON? an award-winning former fashion field so I wanted to be a part of it.

ociety of Human Genetics

of www.blog.eastbay.com

courtesy of Gulnaz Sayed

Shehar Kachru || STAFF REPORTER

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE COMPETITION? I’ve been a football player for three years at TJ, I’ve loved the team, every minute I’ve spent on it, and it has just been a huge part of my life.

Personally, this is my way of giving back to the team, doing my part for it, and just continuing to spread the word about TJ Football.

we’re going to be making a video about why we should be winning the uniforms with clips of the whole school chanting, the team making plays, and some other cool clips we’re thinking about. I’ve already contacted a lot of talented people. I just want to get as much talent as we can to make this the best video possible.

WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR TIME DEBATING AT THE SCRANTON POLICY TOURNAMENT? TASNEEM: We didn’t do as great as we wanted to, so winning the rounds that we won was definitely amazing. It was an amazing feeling, cause this was my first varsity tournament nationally.

was definitely very competitive.

You can tell that people were motivated and had these goals set for themselves when they came into the rounds.

BACKSTORY Jefferson won the first phase of the Coach Snoop Promotoin to win custom uniforms for the football team designed by Snoop Dogg and Adidas. Eastbay, an athletic apparel company, announced the Twitter competition and word quickly spread as the hashtag #TJHSSTBySnoop was tweeted repeatedly by students such WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE as senior Edward Zhou, a member of OF THE COMPETITION? the football team, who spearheaded The next phase which we’re going the campaign on social media. to be doing up until December 20th,

Christine Zhao || STAFF REPORTER

BACKSTORY After preparing for weeks, policy debaters senior Jay Pan, juniors Elizabeth Hu, Jessie Shen and Sungjoon Won and sophomore Zulekha Tasneem traveled to Pennsylvania to attend a national debate tournament from Dec. 3-7 at Scranton High School.

The debaters experienced the opportunity to compete against 36 teams from 15 schools across the country.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE TOURNAMENT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WEEKEND? TASNEEM: The policy tournament

SAYED: Not everyone qualifies, but it provides everyone [with the experience] to learn new arguments and try new things. Every round is going to be different, so there’s always that little element of surprise that everyone is always looking forward to.

4 NEWS GRAPHIC // KATHERINE DU

Renovation Update

FCPS students rally for installing solar panels to conserve energy Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER

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ith nonrenewable energy consumption at 91.7 percent according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2009, high school environmental clubs are urging Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to look toward installing solar panels onto schools.

NEW UPDATE: The information in the last Renovation Update has now been changed. The following locations listed below are still pending confirmation by fire marshals and have an unclear opening date.

The Dome Alfred Nobel Commons Main Office and Mail Room Principals Conference Rooms Career Center Rosalind & Ben Franklin Commons Student Leadership Room Food Vending Kiosk Two Health/PE Rooms Art and Project Gallery

Locations to open in mid-January: World Language Classrooms Four Internet Cafes

“Solar panels are the most practical of renewable energy sources available to schools,” senior Millen Anand, chairman of Jefferson’s Environmental Impact Club clean energy committee, said. “Wind turbines are also a possibility, but there are far greater structural and zoning concerns with turbines than solar panels.”

Currently, schools including James Madison High School have been garnering support for solar panels.

Jefferson has already been one of the first to install these environmentally friendly alternative power sources onto the newly renovated building.

“The major pros that we pushed to the school board were the educational benefit of solar panels, not only within TJ, but educating elementary schoolers

TOUR TJTV

such as Weyanoke students on environmental issues,” Anand said.

However, a major setback for other schools currently campaigning is the FCPS budget deficit, as the county is striving to cut down spending on unnecessary projects to be able to properly manage monetary costs next school year. It is difficult for them offer monetary support to causes with no immediate impact when forced to cut down on costs at the same time.

“There is an initial cost of the actual solar panel and the cost of labor to install the panel,” Anand said.

If solar panels are installed in the future, they will offer learning opportunities for students, pay for energy costs over time, and would show that FCPS is actively putting forth an effort to help preserve the environment.

“If students see their school and county actively taking a role and getting involved in environmental issues, it can motivate and instill passion for issues of sustainability, which will be increasingly important later in the 21st century,” Anand said.

VIDEO

Explore frequently updated content created by the broadcast team:

GRAPHIC // Kate Deng

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NEWS

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DEC 17, 2015

Inventing for InvenTeam:

Students collaborate to create an innovation that will benefit their communities, apply for a grant to expand idea

Angel Kim || STAFF WRITER

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hether it’s for a class project or a club, Jefferson frequently provides its students with opportunities to be innovative.

Seven students received 10,000 dollars from LemelsonMIT InvenTeam grant on Oct. 14. In addition to Jefferson, 13 other schools have InvenTeams that are recipients of the grant. Senior Dhriti Vij was first exposed to the opportunity through her older sister, who was in InvenTeam faculty sponsor Mr. Mark Hannum’s class at the time.

“Hannum did an [InvenTeam] project, and that was my sister’s year also, so I sort of had a good idea of what they were working on,” Vij said. “There were people in her grade and she told me about it.”

While working together in Dr. Kennedy’s organic chemistry class, seniors Junyoung Hwang, Gabriel Margolis, Bijal Rajput, Lavanya Shukla, Dhriti Vij, Bill Zhang, and Jonathan Zheng formed Jefferson’s most recent InvenTeam. They are designing a more affordable and precise emergency tourniquet, a device that is used to stop bleeding by compression of an artery or limb with a bandage.

Teams in the past years have developed prototypes for inventions such as a neural-directed wheelchair and an emotive aid for autism.

“The project essentially is an improved emergency tourniquet that has a faster occlusion pressure acquisition,” Zheng said. “[The tourniquet] will be automated and easier to use.”

The project is applicable to treating both local patients as well as those in other countries.

“You can use [tourniquets] anywhere: war zones, even bombings which can happen anywhere. There’s always a need for tourniquets,” Vij said. “They even use them in your regular hospital.”

InvenTeam, in whole, involves extensive collaboration among teams and local organizations. The diverse background knowledge among the Jefferson InvenTeam members has been useful throughout the project’s stages.

RADIO

DESIGN // KATHERINE DU

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From left to right: Gabriel Margolis, Bijal Rajput, Ria Galanos, Bill Zhang, Junyoung Hwang, Dhriti Vij, Jonathan Zheng, Lavanya Shukla Photo courtesy of Lemelson-MIT

“One of our members, Bijal, actually has EMT [emergency medical technician] experience,” Vij said. “We’re just all bringing to the table different skills that we have, we’ve all taken different classes, like optics, energy systems, and some of us have taken AP physics.”

This team’s faculty sponsor, Ria Galanos, teaches mobile app development and Advanced Placement (A.P.) computer science classes at Jefferson. She helps the team with meeting their deadlines, contacting mentors and acquiring the resources they need.

“I was excited that they had a computational aspect to their app,” Galanos said. “They wanted to use technology in order to improve their product.”

The students had to wait until their junior year to begin the grant application process, as InvenTeam requires schools who have received the grant in the past to wait three years before applying again. The grant requires interested students to create a project that would benefit their local community.

“We brainstormed for several hours, different ideas that we could try to find an innovative solution for,” Vij said.

Once the team had been notified that their initial plan had earned them a place in the next round of the application process, they submitted a more detailed final proposal. Until they present their invention at EurekaFest held in Massachusetts University of Technology (MIT) this June, the team is working on their project by organizing finances, programming and working on computer aided design (CAD).

“At EurekaFest we plan to showcase our finished project, and see what the 13 other InvenTeams around the nation have been doing to improve their local communities,” Zheng said.

DESIGN // KATHERINE DU

IN-DEPTH= DESIGN || KATHERINE DU, ANJALI KHANNA

Senior Kareem Mohiyuddin prays after a meeting of the Muslim Student Association during eighth period.

Many Muslim students at Jefferson pray five times per day, depending on the position of the sun.

The ongoing story of how extremist acts from a militant group in the Middle East negatively impacts the global view of a culture

dispelling

ISLAMOPHOBIA

with faith

|| STAFF

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ust as the opening bars of a comedy or riveting drama’s theme sequence sounded around 8PM on Dec. 6, television channels switched gears to a distinctly different line of programming. Minutes before the President of the United States, Barack Obama, presented his address to the nation, newscasters and radio stations mentioned how he would be discussing the “War on Terror,” as well as its repercussions.

“ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) does not speak for Islam,” President Obama said. “They are thugs, and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of a more than a billion Muslims around the world, including millions of patriotic MuslimAmericans who reject their hateful ideology.”

During the speech, Obama expressed in words a common thread that has been working its way through

society since the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on Sep. 11, 2001.

“I know, after so much war, many Americans are asking whether we are confronted by a cancer that has no immediate cure,” President Obama said.

Fear, warfare, destruction— words that have become commonplace for many Americans when discussing issues relating to the Middle East. Due to the ongoing events and crises taking place for over a decade, the idea of terror has instilled a sense of panic in America, and has led to the misguided perception of Islam.

Defined as closed-minded prejudice against Islam and Muslims, Islamophobia is a privately held feeling, but can have great power as others begin to agree with it en masse. In 2011, the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center (ADGC) conducted a study surveying 27 countries across the

t

IN-DEPTH

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DEC 17, 2015

A Closer Look:

DESIGN, REPORTING // Uzma Rentia, Anupama Jayaraman Data from BBC, PBS and Berkeley Center

RELIGIONS AROUND THE WORLD JUDAISM Followers: Hebrews Holy Text: Torah Holy Place: Synagogue Originated: Israel Diet: Kosher Values: Peace, truth & justice among the community and family are core values

5.9% Folk Religionists

0.2% Jews

7.1% Buddhists

31.5% Christians

15.0% Hindus

16.3% Unaffiliated

CHRISTIANITY Followers: Christians Holy Text: Bible Holy Place: Church Originated: Jerusalem Diet: No general diet restirictions Values: Peace in society; violence only in times of self-defense of innocent life

0.8% Other

23.4% Muslims

SIMILARITIES Judaism, Christianity & Islam: -Monotheistic -Originated from Judaism -Belief in prophecy Judaism, Christianity & Hinduism: -Lunar based calander All: -Traditional belief in a peaceful system with violence out of necessity

globe. In it, 52 percent of the American representative sample surveyed said that they believed the United States did not respect Muslim societies.

Much of the tension surrounding the religion stems from the actions of the extremist militant group, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also referred to as The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The mission of ISIS, as stated publicly in June 2014, is to establish a form of Islamic government, led by successors to the prophet Muhammad, across the Middle East.

ISIS attempts to achieve this goal by using violence, resulting in the deaths of countless civilians across the globe. According to United Nations (UN) investigations, ISIS has executed tens of thousands of people in Syria

ISLAM Followers: Muslims Holy Text: Quran Holy Place: Mosque Originated: Saudi Arabia Diet: No pigs Values: Peace, violence only with justification

HINDUISM Followers: Hindus Holy Text: No single scripture Holy Place: Temple Originated: India Diet: No cows Values: Peace & violence for protection from attack and justice

and Iraq alone, including women and children, since the announcement of their mission in June 2014. Though ISIS commits murders in the name of Islam, the extremist nature of their actions does not reflect the beliefs of the majority of Islamic citizens. In fact, a substantial number of ISIS victims are Muslim. A UN report published in October 2014 found that ISIS has killed 9,347 Iraqi civilians - most of them Muslim - in the first eight months of 2014 alone. “[ISIS] uses religion as an excuse,” sophomore Mariam Khan, a Muslim Student Association (MSA) member, said. “These extremists use the name of God [to justify] what they are doing, but that is not at all what Islam is all about.”

8 IN-DEPTH The portrayal of the recent terrorist attack in Paris on Nov. 13 and the shooting at a center for people with developmental disabilities in San Bernardino, Calif. on Dec. 2 have done little to dispel these misconceptions of Islamic beliefs.

Virginia. Imam Abu Nahidian, the religious leader at Manassas Mosque, reported the caller threatening to kill members of the mosque in retaliation for the deaths in San Bernardino.

“These extremeists use the name of God [to justify] what they are doing, but that is not at all what Islam is all about.”

“If the media showed what [ISIS] did to Muslims in their own countries, or what rules it was breaking in Islam, people would realize that the Islamic community doesn’t support them or count them as one of their own,” Khan said.

Unfortunately, this lack of media attention and understanding among select groups of Americans has led to hate crimes against followers of Islam who have no connection with the attacks. Following the San Bernardino shooting, an anonymous caller threatened a mosque in Manassas,

-Sophomore Mariam Khan “Mindsets have changed after terrorist attacks. People can’t forgive or forget the acts that ISIS committed,” freshman Eric Sun said. “Because they cannot forgive, they develop fear and suspicions of Islam, therefore causing a state of tension between Muslims and nonMuslims.”

what is islamophobia?

Often it can be easy to claim the actions of an extremist few define a whole group of people. This view can be dangerous as it establishes pre-conceived notions about said groups.

Sergeant Jonathan Perok of the Prince William County police said that, if the call could be traced, the culprit could be charged with a hate crime.

Though police may apprehend the perpetrator in the future, the message sent by his actions remains all too clear.

“It’s easier for people to hate

on [Muslims] as a group because they want something to blame for their suffering,” junior Jenny Zhang said. “But, that doesn’t make it okay because a majority of these accused terrorists are innocent, honest people and they don’t deserve to be punished for something they didn’t do.”

Issues centered around extremism and generalizing the beliefs of a religion are not new to the press; they have existed for centuries, and are now being brought to light due to current events. In 2010, TIME magazine published an article titled “Islamophobia: Does America Have a Muslim Problem?”, describing the fierce opposition to the construction of a mosque in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. The author of the article, Bobby Ghosh-Dearborn, explained how the arguments of other Americans against the construction of the mosque were mainly inaccurate assumptions toward Muslims.

Extremism and its negative effects are impossible to ignore in the modern day, drawing the attention of political leaders from multiple parties.

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, former vice president Dick Cheney denounced current presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States.

“I think this whole notion that somehow we can just say no more Muslims, just ban a whole religion, goes against everything we stand for and believe in,” Cheney said. “I mean, religious freedom has been a very important part of our history and where we came from. A lot of people, [such as] my ancestors got here, because they were Puritans.”

The implications of extremism are more severe than the religious profiling occurring currently; altering

IN-DEPTH

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DEC 17, 2015

the perception of Islam can result in long-term consequences for those being unjustly accused.

“I think that Islamophobia is driven by terrorism, and it can negatively affect my future,” sophomore and MSA member Ayman Slamani said. “Anyone who’s afraid [of Islam] could prevent [me] from gaining the opportunities I would [normally] get.”

In addition to the congressional measures that Obama summarized during the Dec. 6 address, there are actions that the American and global people should avoid.

“One should not attack religious communities because of the actions of a few extremist people,” senior Jennifer Lee said. “That religion does not advocate violence - it’s the extremist people who interpret the religion differently and who try to kill people over things like that.”

The views of ISIS are not a shared Islamic belief, but rather they are restricted to the terrorist communities and the people that they influence.

“Generalizations can always be very dangerous, but they’re what people tend to go towards, because a lot of people like to look at things in black and white, good or bad, good and evil, so in that sense there’s not really an in-between, and since that’s much easier than actually getting the full story and fully understanding something, they can just look at a group of people or a country and say, ‘They’re good, they’re bad, avoid them, attack them, be peaceful with them,’” sophomore Linda Diaz said. “So then that’s always easier, but because that’s the norm for many people, that’s why people tend to make those generalizations.”

Nonetheless, with the fight against terrorism organizations increasing in magnitude, it will take the cooperation of multiple nations and a shift in the global mindset to succeed.

“It’s just going to get worse and worse, unless something big happens,” sophomore and MSA member Faris Awan said. “[Recent events] make me want to respond to [extremism], but I know that it’s just going to make it worse, so I just keep it inside. Make myself a better person.”

DEFINING RELIGION Sabria Kazmi || STAFF WRITER Uzma Rentia || TEAM LEADER

Islam

1: n; monotheistic and Abrahamic religion based upon the Qur’an and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (570 CE - 632 CE) 2: vb; to peacefully surrender and be contented, comes from the root word salam, or peace

Qur’·an

1: n; believed by Muslims to be the literal word of God and the last divine revelation. It was revealed over a period of 23 years and contains 11,423 chapters, called surahs, and over six thousand verses, called ayahs. It includes references to past events and stories of Prophets, it is not in chronological order

Sha·ri·a

1: n; “the path.” Forms the basis of the Islamic legal system, under which only Muslims can be tried.

According to the Islamic Supreme Council the purpose of sharia law is to establish justice, educate the individual, uphold morality, prevent hardship and prevent oppression

Ji·had

1: n; struggling or striving.

Said struggle should be only for a good cause, which does not constitute killing innocent non-muslims.

“Allah’hu Akbar”

1: n; means “Allah, God, is greater.” It is statement Muslims say consistently throughout the religious prayer done five times a day. It is not a war cry; during the early days of Islam people were actually looked down upon for using it as such.

Definitions from Critical Lives by Yahiya Emerick

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DEC 17, 2015

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12 IN-DEPTH

THE POWER OF MEDIA:

Is the media worsening the issue of Islamophobia?

Sruthi Jayaraman and Kate Deng || STAFF REPORTER and DESIGN EDITOR

In light of the Paris attacks a little over a month ago, and the recent San Bernardino shootings, Islamophobia, a prejudice against Islam and Muslims, has become an increasingly discussed issue. One of the leading factors of this discussion is the way media is portraying terrorism.

With newly minted technology rising from every avenue, media is one of the most important means of distributing information to the populace, including social media.

Although most media sources, such as Cable News Network (CNN) and American Broadcast Company (ABC), attempt to be objective, in some cases, they can be biased towards one side of an issue and have the power to influence the views and opinions of people to a certain degree.

“I know personally I don’t really think twice about wrong information on credible news sources because I assume they know that they’re talking about,” sophomore Cassie Quach said. “But I do realize that many of them can be biased, and I have sometimes been a victim to their misinformation.”

In regards to Islamophobia, some media sources have framed their information in a way that perpetuates

fear of Muslims.

“Fox News portrays all Muslims as terrorists and generally puts them in a bad light in order to gain viewers who believe whatever is on TV is true,” freshman Divya Kumaran said.

However, even though media sometimes present a biased view,

“Media influenced our views because we are so exposed to it, especially now that a large amount of social media is available as well.

News articles, TV shows, and other media sources can have a lot of bias that will influence the reader.”

-Senior Melissa Pothen it is not completely their fault for perpetuating inaccurate portrayals.

“Even though the media tends to give biased information, it is

still partially the people’s civic responsibility to be an informed citizen, which means looking through more than one form or source of news in order to eliminate bias as much as possible from various partisan news outlets and corporations,” senior Augene Park said.

The media has been constantly reporting information about the recent terrorist attacks, but as Islamophobia becomes a larger issue, it raises the question of whether media is instigating that prejudice.

“It’s hard to say for sure whether media is doing a good job, because I am only exposed to more popular media sources, but I feel like when there is a major terrorist attack or shooting, every top-tier media source pounces on that one event and gives a generalized overview,” junior Amritha Justin said. “I’d much rather know about how I can help, what could be done to prevent such events, and what other events that are similar to the one under the constant spotlight.”

As new incoming information will emerge with time concerning terrorism and other issues, it is important to note the differences between media’s facts and opinions.

photos courtesy of Creative Commons from Altair78, Deskana, KevinAction, and Newstruck.

IN-DEPTH

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DEC. 17, 2015

ISIS, NOT MUSLIMS: Jiny Cho || STAFF REPORTER

Extremists are NOT representative of the whole religion

Recently, the term “extremist” has become more closely associated with the actions of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), due to its violent crimes against countries throughout the globe.

Although ISIL is a terrorist group claiming to be centered around Islamic ideas like peace, their prejudice in no way applies to every Muslim. Those who agree with “extremist” ideals make up an extremely small population of Muslims.

In a Q&A, Jefferson students respond to the aftermath of these tragedies and what it means for the global landscape.

HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO THE TRAGEDIES WHICH OCCURRED AROUND THE WORLD, SPECIFICALLY IN PARIS?

“I was surprised at first. After the surprise settled in, I was more alarmed and worried about the people who suffered and about what they might do next,” sophomore Medhini Rachamallu said.

WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD DO OR SHOULD NOT DO WHEN RESPONDING TO THE ATTACKS?

“The people who did these attacks are not representative of their religion, their nationality. We as people need to keep in mind the plight of the refugees, and also try to help them while not generalizing them based on their religion,” freshman Vikrant Magadi said.

“People shouldn’t really freak out, they should just know that we’re in a pretty safe country, so there’s no need to stay at home all the time now, just because of those attacks,” sophomore Adam Yee said.

“When people lack nuance in the understanding of their faith, are in a bad situation, or are in a political climate where there’s lots of violence and hatred, they tend to go to religion to justify their actions. Islam is a religion that has been all about understanding and applying religion to different situations and just to be accepting of others and engage in peace, not violence,” senior Kareem Mohiyuddin said.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES RESPOND TO ISIS Bernie Sanders

Focuses on protecting incoming refugees.

“During these difficult times as Americans, we will not succumb to racism. We will not allow ourselves to be divided and succumb to Islamophobia. And while hundreds of thousands have lost everything, have nothing left but the shirts on their backs, we will not turn our backs on the refugees.”

Rick Santorum

Blames President Obama for the recent ISIS attacks in Paris. Opposing Obama’s current policy, he supports stronger action.

“People are dying because this president refuses to face the truth. I would be launching a major offensive against ISIS right now.”

Jeb Bush

Donald Trump

Supports military action “Are we fighting a war or is this a law enforcement exercise? Make it a war.” His goal is to create “stability, so when we leave, we don’t have to come back again.”

Is personal in his plan to deal with ISIS “You have to take out their families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families! They care about their lives, don’t kid yourselves. They say they don’t care about their lives. But you have to take out their families.”

Favors non-military approach

Favors military approach

Hillary Clinton

Sticks by the current strategy employed by President Obama, opposing military action to combat ISIS “In terms of thousands of combat troops like some on the Republican side are recommending... it should be a non-starter, both because I don’t think it’s the smartest way to go after ISIS - I think it gives ISIS a new recruitment tool if we get back in the fight.”

Carly Fiorina

Lays out a plan to assist global allies “Instead of having a Camp David conference to talk our Arab allies into a bad deal with Iran, I would have had a Camp David conference to talk with our Arab allies about how we can support them to fight ISIS.”

candidate quotes from the Washington Post, CNN, the New York Times, CBS and the Huffington Post

Ben Carson

Has taken an aggressive stance on American involvement in terrorism “I think America’s involvement should be trying to eliminate them completely. Destroy them. I think in order to make them look like losers, we have to destroy their caliphate.”

GRAPHIC || Lilia Qian Design || Uzma Rentia

14 IN-DEPTH

TJ ON: What are you doing for your holiday break?

“I’m planning on hanging out with my friends and spending time with my family— and most importantly, getting a lot of sleep.” -Christina Blake, 9

“My family and I are taking a trip to Florida and going to Disney World with my little sister. I love how at Disney, wherever you go, everyone’s always nice to you.”

-Brit Richardson, 9

“I’m going to Sri Lanka for vacation. We’ll be able to go scuba diving, snorkeling and jetskiing and stuff like that. The whole family is going be there, so I’m really excited to see them.”

“I plan on catching up on homework then playing some League of Legends.

Im not going on vacation anywhere far though, so I’m looking forward to be able to sleep.” -Jiaxuan Qin, 10

-Rohan Suri, 11

Photo courtesy of ClkerFreeVectorImages on pixabay

DESIGN, REPORTING // KATE DENG, ANJALI KHANNA

SOME HOLIDAY RECIPES: from our families to yours Thumbprint Coookies

Barley Soup

Peppermint Fudge

Ingredients ½ cup butter ¼ Cup brown sugar 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans

Ingredients: 11g-chopped onion 2TBSp- butter 4 cups- clear chicken stock 3 oz- barley (preferably soaked overnight) 2 TBSp- finely chopped parsley salt / white pepper (to add if you wish) 2 cups- beaten yogurt 2 tsp- dried and chopped mint

Ingredients: 2 Cups of Sugar ½ Teaspoon of Salt 4 Tablespoons of Butter 1 5-oz. Can of Evaporated Milk 1 Jar (7 oz) of Marshmallow Fluff 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla 1 12-oz. Package of White Chocolate Chips 3 Crushed Candy Canes

Directions: 1. Saute onion in butter in desired pot 2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil 3. Add barley to the pot 4. Simmer the mixture for an hour 5. When barley swells, add parsley 6. Take some of the soup and add it to the yogurt and beat 7. Gently add the soup and yogurt mixture to the pot of soup (NOTE: make sure the soup is not boiling) 8. Garnish with mint and enjoy

Directions: 1. Line 9 x 9 pan with foil and butter lightly.

2. In a large pot, combine sugar, milk, butter, salt, and fluff.

3. Boil for about 5 minutes to 234 degrees (soft boil).

4. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, vanilla, and crushed candy canes, and stir to combine.

5. Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool until hard

Directions: 1. Mix first 5 ingredients together 2. Roll them into balls and dip into slightly beaten egg whites and then in 3. finely chopped pecans 4. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 5. Bake 5 minutes at 375 degrees 6. Take out and gently press ball with thumb or small measuring spoon 7. Bake about 7 minutes longer 8. When cool, put your favorite buttercream frosting in the thumbprint DESIGN // Madeline Old and Sabria Kazmi PHOTO // Erinn Harris

IN-DEPTH

15

DEC 17, 2015

BIOLOGY TEACHER TRADITIONS Biology staff shares some of their quirkiest and memorable holiday traditions

PICKLE ORNAMENTS SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY IN SPAIN

“When I lived in Madrid, Spain, as a child, my most memorable family tradition as Catholics was putting up the Christmas tree and particiapting in family actvities.

In Spain, people spent a lot of time socializing with neighbors and friends in a beautiful, big square with booths set up sellings all kinds of festive things.”

-Sonia Del Cerro

“We have a pickle ornament. After the kids go to bed, we hang it on the tree.

It’s really hard to find because it’s green, like the tree. So, the first kid to find the pickle gets to open the first present.

It’s always fun to watch and makes me think back about what it must have been like for my parents.”

-Thomas Larson

EATING EXOTIC FOODS (left)

“My grandmother-in-law is an old school Southern so Christmas dinner includes things like jello molds and asparagus casserole.

There are some weird food traditions, but surprisingly it’s all pretty delicious. My favorite part is just seeing everybody. I love seeing the family and pets.”

-Aubrie Holman DESIGN & PHOTOS // Kate Deng REPORTING // Katherine Du and MiJin Cho

SCI&TECH THE SCIENCE OF SANTA

Information from Science Daily and the Telegraph

THE MATH OF SANTA’S TRAVELS Weight of Gifts Carried

Destinations

Assuming each child gets the Sphero BB-8 App-Enabled Droid (in honor of the new Star Wars Movie) for a present, Santa will be carting 567 g (1.25 lb) per child.

That’s 396,900 metric tonnes total. For comparison, a Boeing 747-8I airliner can carry 237.5 tonnes in passengers, luggage and fuel.

Santa must visit about 700,000,000 children in a night.

Assuming three children per household, that’s 233,000,000 homes in one night.

Distance Traveled

If we assume that the 233,000,000 households are distributed evenly around the world, and the planet’s surface area is 510,000,000 km, then each stop between households will be around 1.47 km apart. Santa will therefore have to travel a total of 342,510,000 km.

Speed of Sleigh

If he travels from east to west with the Sun, Santa has about 32 hours to work with due to changes in time zones. Traveling 342,510,000 km in 32 hours equates to a speed of 10,703,437.5 km/hr (6,650,807.72 mph), or a little under 1,800 miles per second, assuming Santa takes no time to deliver the presents and does not stop for breaks. The fastest-moving man-made object in history, the space probe Voyager 1, clocks in at 10.8 miles per second.

Cost of Gifts

Sphero BB-8 App-Enabled Droid is worth $150. Santa will therefore have to spend a grand total of $105,000,000,000 to provide each child with one.

Number of Reindeer Required

Assuming reindeer are capable of pulling around 150 kg (330 lb) each, and that the sleigh itself weighs nothing, then Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixen will need the additional help of 2,645,992 reindeer.

However...

Given the speed Santa is going, he, 2,646,000 reindeer and 700,000,000 Sphero 88-B App-Enabled Droid would be vaporized.

THE SCIENCE OF SANTA’S SLEIGH

To prevent himself from burning up due to air resistance, Santa uses an ion-shield of charged particles held together by a magnetic field.

Santa’s toy sack is actually a reversible thermodynamic processor. This creates toys on site, using the carbon from chimney soot. The processor works by applying high-precision electromagnetic fields to reverse thermodynamic processes.

The sleigh is equipped with the latest technology, including laser sensors that can detect upcoming Truss of the sleigh is made of a wind conditions to find the honeycombed titanium alloy that is optimal path. very lightweight and ten to 20 times Santa warps space-time to ensure he reaches all stronger than anything we can his destinations in time. make today.

A reindeer would need a 33-foot-long wingspan to fly.

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ROCKET SCIENCE Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER

Embellishing the National Zoo with 500,000 light emitting diodes (LEDs), the Smithsonian’s Zoolights festival is a yearly tradition for visitors of all ages.

From Nov. 27 to Jan. 2, environmentally friendly LEDs illuminate the zoo’s surroundings while more than 20 musical groups, including a Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) student orchestra, perform at The Meadow. Three 12.5 feet long tracks on Lion and Tiger Hill allow families to enjoy snow tubing experiences.

Pepco, the lead sponsor of this year’s celebrations, will lecture in the Think

Tank about ways to use energy efficiently at home and give away related, free goods.

In addition, winners of a competition to design a creative winter wonderland, “It’s a Small, Small World,” will be able to gain access to a behind-the-scenes tour of the park’s Small Mammal House. Other interactive opportunities that the National Zoo offers over winter break include feeding Amazon fish and sea lions, as well as meeting a great ape or elephant trainer.

In Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, a free discussion on Human Origins Today (HOT) topics will detail

human evolution on Dec. 18, from 4 to 5 p.m. A Hall of Human Origins Tour is presented from 11:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. on most Sundays.

Q?rius invites visitors to discuss science topics with experts and see a few real specimens that make up only a small portion out of the thousands in Smithsonian’s collections. The experience is open on all weekdays until 2 p.m., and the entire day on weekends. Live tarantula feedings and a trip to the butterfly pavilion are daily adventures fit for students and their families.

SCI & TECH

17

DEC. 17, 2015

NIH PLANS TO END TESTING ON CHIMPANZEES Uzma Rentia || TEAM LEADER

From germ theory to developing have created a scientific impasse with The effectiveness of chimpanzees treatments for diabetes, researchers have chimpanzee research, yet many researchers is not always so clear cut. Chimpanzees heralded animal testing as an integral part remain convinced of the necessity of have been used as experimental models in shaping biomedical research. Now, chimps. of humans in several research fields, even though international epidemics are “It’s good that NIH wants to take a including infectious disease, reproduction, extremely rare, animal testing has increased step toward animal rights, which is always language and behavior. Chimps are the by 73 percent over the last decade. positive especially since it’s NIH; it sets greatest asset when modeling infectious The increasing use of animal diseases. As the only animal model testing has ignited a heated debate. susceptible to all five main hepatitis The Pros and Cons of Testing Chimpanzees Animal rights activists question viruses, chimpanzees were critical in They provide an Chimpanzees its ethics and scientists claim its the development and safety testing of accurate model have played a vital importance to research. However, vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis to further explore role in developing one of science’s largest names, B, which reduced infection rates by 92 Respiratory syncytial current or virus (RSV), an RNA possible cures for the National Institutes of Health and 82 percents, respectively. virus that causes upper Hepatitis A, B, C, (NIH), took a stand against animal Chimpanzees are also essential for and lower respiratory and D and HIV testing when it announced on developing and testing monoclonal disease in young Nov. 18 that it would end support antibody therapies for autoimmune children for biomedical research on diseases and cancers because their chimpanzees. While the decision cell surface receptors and cytokine was predominantly received with profiles are almost identical to those of praise, it did incite some backlash humans. Monoclonal antibodies that among scientific circles. were tested in chimpanzees are used to Putting chimpanzees “I think it’s not a good treat B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Chimpanzee The primates in facilities will decision as chimpanzees are, to and several inflammatory and arthritic testing lead to the have been actually increase my knowledge, useful in learning conditions. development of a used to study expenses. It costs vaccine that could malaria for about behavioral development Despite the undeniable success of $9.70 more daily cure other primates decades to house a chimp and as a whole are not put in chimpanzee testing with infectious of Ebola in a sanctuary inhumane treatment,” sophomore diseases, they have not been a Mihir Patel, a Siemens semifinalist, universally successful model for all said. human diseases. The murky waters Ethics is a Two events catalyzed the surrounding chimpanzee research is Chimpanzees are large reason inconsistent with how NIH’s announcement. The first why many researchers agree with the animal testing accurately they mirror is the Institute of Medicine’s IMO’s recommendation for scientists is being called human symptoms (IMO) independent assessment to carefully consider whether the use into question and reactions published in 2011 that questioned of chimpanzees is necessary to treat or the usefulness of chimpanzees for control a public health challenge. behavioral research. The study led “I think a lot of good things come to more stringent requirements out of animal testing so if there are for research with primates. The second is a precedent. But I am concerned about current studies that use chimpanzees it’s the chimps’ status as an endangered species research itself. People use in vivo models important to see them through the end. under the federal Endangered Species Act such as chimps for studies and behavioral I think it’s a good decision on their part in June. The uncertainty regarding chimps’ experiments. It [the decision] could especially since chimps aren’t as accurate usefulness as well as their precarious limit the extent to which people make of an animal to test on,” junior Shruti environmental situation resulted in breakthroughs. Personally, I am all for this Anant said. “But, if they are important for researchers having to apply for permits to sanctuary, but I am concerned about loss infectious diseases then I think we should perform invasive research with chimps. of research subjects,” senior Daniel Chae, keep them for those fields because the The IMO’s study, need for permits a Siemens Competition National Finalist, more we do with animals, the better the and concerns of animal rights activists said. results we get with humans.”

DESIGN || Uzma Rentia

18 SCI & TECH

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA RAISE CONCERNS Sammy Tavassoli || STAFF WRITER

While most students’ greatest concern is earning a decent grade on their next test, they should turn their attention to a more prevalent health issue. In the Guangzhou prefecture of Southern China, researcher Yi-Yun Liu and his colleagues have discovered a strain of bacteria, known as Gram negative bacteria, that has a mutated gene with an immunity to all antibiotics.

Due to a recent mutation, this particular strain of Gram negative bacteria is no longer treatable with polymyxins, a particular class of antibiotics designed to treat the most resistant bacteria.

The bacteria has evolved and become insusceptible to antibiotics because of the abundant presence of the most widely-used polymyxin, colistin, in the proximity of bacterial organisms. The majority of the issue arose from Southern China’s farmers’ tendency to overuse colistin in the fattening of poultry, to the point where it appeared in 21% of animal samples tested from 2012-2014. As a result of poultry consumption, the bacterial infection spread to humans.

An epidemic was hardly underway as only 16 out of 1322 human subjects tested by the South China Agricultural University have contracted the bacteria, but the resistance gene’s ability to transfer between strains of similar bacteria alarmed many researchers.

The ability permits the gene to render all strains of this bacteria as “panresistant,” or completely resistant to all antibiotics.

The developed bacterial strain also interacted ominously with other virulent bacteria, including E. Coli, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas. These types are known to incite a large proportion of blood, urinary and gut infections, which may

raise the issue of whether the new bacteria can promote the spread of these infections as well.

Most cases of discovered strains only involved isolating the bacterial strain in question, due to the bacteria’s ability to be easily transferred between strains.

The ability to transfer the resistance gene, MCR-1 (a gene responsible for instructing the development of the protein, melanocortin 1), on a plasmid, a swappable circle of this bacteria’s DNA, made the strain considerably more difficult to isolate.

Liu and his team were not the only ones concerned about this issue, though. The entire international community faces the threat of a global epidemic due to their inexperience with this brand of disease, and the fact that plasmid-borne illnesses generally become global.

It is hypothesized that curtailing the use of colistin for livestock will prove a futile effort as the damage has already been done. The undecided response for the infection leaves many to wonder what will become of the issue.

“It [the bacterial spread] wouldn’t be a huge risk to students at this time,” National Institute of Health alumni Jennifer James said. “However, in the US, there still is a problem with antibiotic resistance [in bacteria] that’s caused by adding antibiotics intended for human treatment in animal feed to make animals grow larger. We should reassess what we’re feeding animals in the US because we could very soon be facing a similar issue.”

Whether or not the current issue will directly affect students has been left undecided, but efforts to respond should be held as a priority.

THE BIRTH OF AN EPIDEMIC Origin Gram Negative Bacteria

Transfer of Gene

Pathogens Are Consumed

By Livestock

Animals Are Consumed By Global Population

Possible Global Epidemic Design || Uzma Rentia

ADS

19

DEC. 17, 2015

DECEMBER 31.

That’s the last day to order a yearbook and receive a FREE name plate.

After DECEMBER 31, name plates will no longer be available.

Visit WWW.YEARBOOKORDERCENTER.COM and use order #13621 to purchase TODAY.

DON’T WAIT: we’re headed for a sell-out!

SPORTS

N THING BUT NET Jefferson’s boys varsity basketball team begins to define themselves, one game at a time

F

Bayliss Wagner || STAFF WRITER

rom varsity summer league and after-school worksouts to intense tryouts under their coach, Mark Gray-Mendes, the boys varsity basketball team opened their season last week after months of pre-season preparation. To begin the season, the team competed in Marshall’s Statesmen Tip-Off Classic on Dec. 3-4. Earlier that week on Dec. 1, they played a close, hard-fought game against McLean, going into overtime and losing by only three points.

Although they didn’t win the tournament, the playing time gave the team a valuable opportunity to exhibit their strengths and provide the team with more experience working together.

Usually, the varsity team consists of mostly seniors and a few juniors, but this year’s mix includes two sophomores, six juniors and seven seniors.

of Jefferson students in attendance for the away game, erupting in cheers and claps after each three-pointer. They also loudly sang “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” during the opposing team’s free throws, a good-humored jeering tradition that originated with the Monticello Maniacs.

While the Parkview game ended with a 14-point deficit, the team still shows promise for this season. Cintron acknowledged that they are a “three-point shooting team,” a strategy that served them well in the McLean game but faltered in the Parkview game, though they made many shots and communicated with each other well.

“It all comes down to that. You could plan out as much as you want, but if you don’t put the ball in the hoop, then it doesn’t matter,” Cintron said.

Cintron believes their shot accuracy “The aim of this will improve, tournament was to especially with an find our identity as entire season of a team,” senior Alex practices ahead of Cintron said. “We’re them. By the end of really young.” the season, they hope Although most to have a group of PHOTO // Bayliss Wagner of the players have players with more Junior Matt Jennings goes for a layup while seniors Calvin Chen and Alex Cintron never played with each consistency in shooting, offer offensive support. The boys’ varsity basketball team put their pre-season practice into action at Marshall’s Statesmen Tip-Off Classic from Dec. 3-4. other before, senior DJ an excellent team Jayachandran explained that dynamic and even better they are quickly forming a bond with each other. communication.

“I think we feel more like family this year. We are definitely Jefferson students can look forward to cheering and jeering at making more of an effort to hang out outside of school and varsity basketball games all winter as the team progresses, finding outside of basketball so that we can build some sort of dynamic,” themselves and what works for them together. The varsity players Jayachandran said. are enthusiastic, hoping for an upset season.

Jefferson held the lead for the majority of the first game of the tournament against Centreville on Dec. 3. They finished it off with a score of 41-47, especially notable because Centreville is an experienced team. Their Friday, Dec. 4, had a sizable crowd

“I think we’re going to beat some pretty good teams,” Jayachandran said. “We’re going to surpass some people this year.”

READ MORE about the Dec. 8 victory against Yorktown at tjtoday.org Design || ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN

SPORTS

21

DEC. 17, 2015

JANUARY CALENDAR

1/13 JV Boys

1/2 V

: 9:00 am @ West Potomac HS

1/5 Fr Girls JV Girls V Girls

: Away : 5:30 pm vs. Trinity School

: 6:30 pm @ Herndon HS V Boys : 7:00 pm vs. Trinity School

: 4:30 pm @ Wakefield HS : 5:45 pm @ Wakefield HS : 7:15 pm @ Wakefield HS

1/14 Fr Girls Fr Boys JV Boys JV Girls

1/6 V

: Home,

: 6:00 pm @ Wakefield HS

: 5:30 pm @ Thomas Edison HS : 5:30 pm vs. Thomas Edison HS : 5:45 pm vs. Thomas Edison HS : 7:00 pm @ Thomas Edison HS

1/15

1/7 JV

: 6:00 pm @ Edison HS

: 6:30 pm @ West Potomac HS 1/8 Fr Girls : 4:30 pm @ Lee HS Fr Boys : 4:30 pm vs. Lee HS : 5:30 pm @ Thomas Jefferson MS JV Girls : 5:45 pm @ Lee HS JV Boys : 5:45 pm vs. Lee HS : 6:30 pm @ Providence District V Girls : 7:15 pm @ Lee HS V Boys : 7:15 pm vs. Lee HS 1/9 Fr Boys JV Boys V Boys

: 1:30 pm vs. Wakefield HS : 3:15 pm vs. Wakefield HS : 5:00 pm vs. Wakefield HS

1/12 V Girls

: 7:00 pm vs. Trinity School

Key -

: Wrestling,

: Dance Team, : Gymnastics

: Basketball, : Track,

: Swim,

V : 4:00 pm @ Chantilly HS V Girls : 5:30 pm vs. Thomas Edison HS : 6:00 @ Lee District V Boys : 7:15 pm vs. Thomas Edison HS 1/16 : 7:30 am @ Episcopal HS 1/19 Fr Girls : 4:30 pm vs. J.E.B. Stuart HS Fr Boys : 4:30 pm @ J.E.B. Stuart HS JV Girls : 5:45 pm vs. J.E.B. Stuart HS JV Boys : 5:45 pm @ J.E.B. Stuart HS V Girls : 7:15 pm vs. J.E.B. Stuart HS V Boys : 7:15 pm @ . Stuart HS 1/20 V

: 6:00 pm

1/21 JV

: 6:00 pm

1/22 : 6:30 pm @ Providence District V Girls : 7:15 pm vs. Marshall HS V Boys : 7:15 pm @ Marshall HS Design || ALEXA NGUONLY

22 SPORTS

“DIVING” INTO SUCCESS AT THE SEASON’S START Jefferson’s Swim and Dive Team wins first meet of the season NEHA BHARGAVA || STAFF WRITER

With 71 members and 17 new as their own RTC, upperclassmen ask freshmen, TJSD is one of the biggest underclassmen, event. sports teams at TJ and on Dec. 4, they participated in their first meet “Swim team was of the season with Annandale HS what I have been and South County HS. “Swim team was what I have waiting for the past been waiting for the past three three months and months and I’m really happy that it’s starting“ senior captain Matthew I’m really happy that Guo said. it’s starting.”

TJSD is known around school for having a very close-knit team. Their -Senior Matthew Guo intense spirit days and supportive cheers help all the members stay engaged in the sport even when they are not swimming. The team plans to continue their traditions of “TJSD is a lot more fun than my various team-bonding activities such regular swim team,” freshman Fiona

TT J J

TJSD chants as a group before the meet begins. The huddle is just one way members of swim team support each other and bring up group spirit for competitions.

Carcani said. “I’m really looking forward to going to all of the meets and all of the team activities.”

The women’s team defeated Annandale, while the men’s team beat both Annandale and South County. Both Jefferson teams had a combined score greater than both opposing schools, giving TJSD their first win of the season.

“Yesterday I was in practice and I was just swimming and I looked up and thought about how I’m never going to take part in try outs ever again and I got really sad,” Guo said. ”For the most part I’m really happy but when the end of the season comes it will probably be a different story.”

Photo courtesy of Neha Bhargava

DESIGN || ANKIT AGRAWAL

SPORTS

23

DEC 17, 2015

DESIGN || ANKIT AGRAWAL

Crew Prepares for an Extra-OAR-dinary Season Crew Conditioning kicks off training with winter workouts AVNI SINGH || STAFF WRITER

During the school day, the Einstein Commons are used to study, eat lunch, hang out with friends or sleep. However, after 4 PM, the common room slowly fills with rowing machines, which are wheeled in one by one from a room in the Biology hallway. Thus, crew conditioning begins.

Students participating in crew during the spring stay after school for conditioning every day until 6 PM, from around Thanksgiving break to the end of February. “[Crew conditioning happens] Monday through Friday right after school until 6 PM, but it’s really flexible,” senior Claudia Richoux said. “Usually you just pick a couple of days you want to go, and then stick to that schedule.”

The coaches, Coaches Kim Ehrman, Jeff, Lucier Christian Klein and Matt Shoop, play a major role in helping students train for the spring.

“They [the coaches] definitely motivate us and keep an eye on us while we’re rowing,” sophomore Akhil Rekulapelli said.

“They also give us tips on our technique for rowing, which helps us a lot during races.”

Primarily conditioning through the use of an indoor rower or ergometer, more commonly known as an erg, students simulate the action of rowing and measure the energy the rower exerts.

Workouts also include running, ab workouts and stretching.

“We do mostly erging since that’s the closest to what we do on the water,” senior Lowrey Peyton said. “We also do weight

lifting and running, a lot of body circuits, so planks, crunches, push ups, ab workouts and that kind of thing, and we also do stretching. We get a nice balanced work out.”

Conditioning not only helps students prepare for the season, but also helps them make connections with other teammates, new and old, before the season begins. “[Conditioning is] helpful because it makes you faster before you actually get on the water and it also keeps you in touch with the team and the coaches. It’s also really helpful for the novices because they learn how to erg, which is a similar motion to rowing, so they have a head start for the season,” Peyton said.

Photo courtesy of Avni Singh

Training on an erg in the Einstein Commons, Junior Brandon Wang participates in after school conditioning. Ergs are an important part of crew training and are used for thirty minutes during practices.

WORKING OUT WITH WHAT WE HAVE Practices in the hallway and commons may be a nuisance, but are necessary for future success.

ANJALI KHANNA || EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PHOTO // ANJALI KHANNA

Training athletes listen to coaches’ instructions after practice in Einstein commons. The chem commons are a necessity for practice, as they are the only place for crew and other sports to have room for training.

From down the hallway on a normal day after school, one will smell the sweat, hear the squeaking of shoes on tile, and see the equipment strewn about the floor. However, this isn’t construction; it’s the winter track team, preparing for competitions using the little space they have inside the school.

As fall turns into winter and the temperature dips, more and more teams have moved indoors for training. Both men and women’s crew teams are back in the building this season and using the Einstein Commons, having had to use the Word of Life Church for training last year. On top of that, winter track occupies the hallways and Gandhi Commons each day for stretching

and core circuits. Hallway practices, although inconvenient at times, are necessary if the team wants to remain competitive during the season. Even with its disadvantages, the hallway can still be a usable space for teams in the wintertime.

“Practicing in the hallways doesn’t really hinder our physical ability to practice since we can still use the areas to stretch,” senior Andy Charbonneau, a member of the winter track team, said. “However it does affect the communication and unity within the team because it’s harder for team leaders to get to know the newer kids or pass along information.”

OPINION LEAD EDITORIAL

TRUMPING TRUMP

(Ironically) We, as outlets of news, must stop giving attention to Donald Trump Photo courtesy of flickr user Ninian Reid

E

ver since the wealthy businessman, former reality television star and nowpolitician Donald Trump announced his run for the Republican Presidential nomination in June, he has become the center of attention in America. At first, it was entertaining--the countless controversial and ludicrous statements made by Trump over the past months were good for a few laughs. Now, as his poll numbers continue to surge beyond expectation, it is undeniable that he has become a serious candidate.

And with that, we know the entertainment is over.

Although Trump has consistently made provocative and derisive statements, such as his labelling of Mexican immigrants as “criminals,” “drug dealers,” and “rapists,” throughout his campaign, his recent remarks regarding the temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States has received new criticism, especially from the media. The Editor-In-Chief of Buzzfeed, Ben Smith, sent an email to the entire staff allowing the company to use the term “mendacious racist” in describing Trump, and multiple big-name publications, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, have published editorials with their open concern for his recent statements.

Yet Trump’s statements regarding Mexican immigrants and Muslims, surprisingly, aren’t the most outlandish things he’s said. At a recent campaign event, Trump claimed that the internet was at fault for corrupting the minds of American youth, arguing that terrorist groups like the Islamic State can appeal to said youths too easily. As a result, he suggests “closing that Internet up in some way.”

Trump continues, “Somebody will say, ‘Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech,’ These are foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people.”

Donald Trump’s relationship with the media has never been a positive one, but this is a new low.

Not only does Trump’s statement directly strike down the fundamental rights of the first amendment, but offers a close-minded view of the way we should be answering concerns to terrorism in the United States. Donald Trump even goes so far as to call out internet mogul Bill Gates, asking for his help in the suggested censorship.

As an outlet of news, we take censorship very seriously. Like Smith and Buzzfeed, we must not be reluctant to call out Trump for who he truly is, rooted completely in fact-- a demagogue, a racist, and frankly, un-electable.

Yet the greatest problem and possibly that of the most confounding irony is that the media simply cannot stop covering Trump on the front pages. As can be seen from this article alone, of this we are also guilty. Trump’s entire political campaign has been one that destroyed the common rules of American politics--instead of carefully considering his words before making a statement, Trump has continued his streak of highly controversial claims since the beginning. Strangely enough, it was that eccentric nature of his campaign that has made his presence ever more dominant in the media. Strangely enough, it’s what is putting him at the top of the ratings among the Republican electorate.

In an environment that has become increasingly obsessed over fast news and live coverage, the media is vulnerable to high impact, great magnitude stories. With

the rising influence of online publications and the minute-by-minute competition between different broadcasts, Trump’s iconic character and his ridiculous comments are elements too appealing to not be covered.

However, it is time for the media to resist the sensationalism. With the presidential election around the corner, Trump’s current lead in the polls is alarming. We both as a nation and as a publication must resist the temptation to humor him, and instead, expose his views for what they are.

First Amendment Rights Violated By Donald Trump Shocking the public time and time again with his egregious political statements, Donald Trump faces criticism about violating fundamental rights guaranteed by the first amendment. He has left us, and the public, wondering: which right will he try to strike down next?

1) Freedom of Religion

VIOLATED

Trump wants to ban the immigration of all Muslims into the U.S.

2) Freedom of Speech VIOLATED Trump aims to shut down parts of the internet.

3)Freedom of Press

NEAR VIOLATION

Trump views the media as “scum” and is attempting to get the electorate to agree.

to Peaceably 4) Freedom Assemble Trump has not yet violated this right.

OK

5) Freedom of to Petition Trump has not yet violated this right.

OK

DESIGN // Anjali Khanna, Uzma Rentia

OPINION

INEQUALITY FOR ALL:

25

DEC 17, 2015

Even in the wake of terrorist attacks, there should be no distinction between Christian and Muslim Refugees

Katherine Hughes || STAFF WRITER

W

hen I read the news on Nov. 13 that bombs had exploded and gunfire had opened in Paris in attacks that killed over 100, I didn’t know what to think.

How do you react to such tragic events like these? When the news came out that the attackers were Muslim, I knew what to think.

Every time an act of terror occurs, the suspect is investigated.

It seems that if the suspect practices a faith other than Islam, there is a national uproar for a few days but then it dies down.

If the suspect is Muslim though, the entire country, especially its politicians, seems to be filled with racial prejudice and the urge to profile all Muslims.

We must remember that the religion of Islam is not at fault in these situations; only a select extremist group, ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

In addition, these attacks have sparked a nation-wide debate over refugees and immigration to the U.S. After the Paris attacks, I knew refugees would feel the backlash of the violence caused by the terrorist organizations they are fleeing. I knew a large government battle over whether Muslim refugees should still be allowed asylum would begin after this event.

The attacks in Paris have inspired 31 governors to say they will prohibit refugees from entering their state’s borders by basis of a Muslim religious affiliation. Ted Cruz, a Republican presidential candidate, suggested only allowing Christian-Syrian refugees into the U.S., because “there is no meaningful risk of Christians

DESIGN // Uzma Rentia

With recent terror attacks linked to Islamic extremism, many U.S. politicians have discussed banning Muslims from entering the country as a safety precaution.

committing acts of terror.” We must keep in mind that being Muslim, or practicing a faith other than Christianity, is not synonymous with being a threat to the United States, just as being Christian does not exclude someone from being a terrorist. Notable and recent examples of Christian violence include the Wisconsin Sikh Temple massacre carried out in 2012 by a Christian due to racial hatred, as well as the Planned Parenthood shooting Nov. 27, also carried out by a Christian due to religious objections to abortions.

Allowing only Christian refugees into the United States will not limit the threats the United States faces; instead it would prohibit people who desperately need to gain asylum from doing so because of their religion.

Many experts on immigration have said the process of obtaining asylum in the U.S. is a long and difficult one.

Applicants must go through multiple

screening processes, one to gain resettlement as part of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees organization, and one to enter the United States. Between these screenings, in-depth interviews and multiple background checks take place, as well as physical exams to ensure military combatants are not admitted.

“Of all the categories of persons entering the US, these refugees [especially Syrian and Iraqi refugees] are the single most heavily screened and vetted,” a senior adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, only 2,290 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the United States because of the very selective process. In an article from the Washington Post entitled “They terrorized my daughters and killed my baby. That’s why we’re Syrian refugees,” published on Dec. 4, refugee Linda J., now living in Maryland, described this process. “I believe the screening we underwent was so intense… and so long that it would be impossible for militants to come here,” I believe only Muslim profiling is inspiring politicians to believe the probability of a terrorist gaining access into the US is far higher than it really is.

I do not think all Muslims, especially refugees who are particularly vulnerable, should be subjected to profiling because of terrorist groups like ISIS. It is wrong that politicians who believe that Muslim profiling, especially of refugees, is right, and that they have a platform to broadcast it to the world.

26 OPINION

THE HOMEWORK POLICY: A BLESSING OR A CURSE Are teachers really helping students with the KATHERINE DU || TEAM LEADER

With Thanksgiving break around the corner, I overheard nearby students discussing their plans for the upcoming weekend.

“I’m going to celebrate Thanksgiving evening at my friend’s house, and I’m excited about being able to watch football on TV together.”

“I’m traveling to North Carolina to visit relatives.”

“My stepmother and her family are coming over for Thanksgiving, and we’re going Black Friday shopping.”

Students were eager to savor the time for rest and celebration over the next four days. It reminded me of my elementary school days, of when I would count down the days in February and March until it was my next birthday.

After the implementation of the new homework policy for the 2015-16 school year, teachers are dissuaded from giving homework over Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks. It enforces that assignments, as well as tests and quizzes, cannot be due or administered on the first day back after the holidays, unless the students have already received adequate time beforehand to prepare for them.

The homework expectations committee advocates for “meaningful and manageable” homework assignments and submits their recommendations to the Leadership Team. The committee is comprised of one student from each class, five parents, two members of the

homework policy, or are they solely pushing back the inevitable?

administration, one counselor and seven humanities, math, science and language staff members.

The issue of homework assigned during the holidays is one that demands attention. In fact, out of the 1,513 students surveyed in a preliminary survey by the Jefferson Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), approximately 81 percent favored having no schoolwork over major Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) holidays.

In effect, teachers have carefully considered the new guidelines, and in most of my classes, we strived to reduce the amount of work that was to be completed after Thanksgiving when we returned back to Jefferson.

In calculus, my math teacher switched the date for a quiz so that it would not fall on the day after Thanksgiving break. In addition, the date for our “gateway” questions, a type of an informal quiz, was moved to a later date.

In accordance to the new policy by the Homework Committee, I did not receive any tests or quizzes on the day we returned from break.

Instead, I realized that the majority of

homework, projects and assessments were simply pushed back one or two class periods.

Although I was able to spend an enjoyable weekend with my extended family in Maryland, the expense for the celebration came later, when I had to spend tougher nights working on and completing schoolwork.

Students in higher grades, who are enrolled in more rigorous courses, may have been forced to work on projects and study for upcoming exams during the long weekend.

Overall, the sacrifice was worth it. The homework policy helped encourage students to take their mind off of school, to take the time off that they deserved. This Thanksgiving break was a fulfilling experience because, unlike weekends, I was given the choice to save homework for later.

When students escape two hours early on Friday into winter break, I hope that the updated homework policy will enable them to see it, again, as an “escape”—an escape from the structured educational system to wintry afternoons pursuing hobbies and traveling.

OPINION

27

DEC. 17, 2015

TJ

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

TC WILLIAMS

JEFFERSON ISN’T THE ONLY LANE TO GET WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

LANGLEY

The Russian exchange students who visited us a few weeks ago might not have gotten a good idea of the average school in the United States.

They asked our Journalism class a few questions about our school, and one girl, when we were discussing the various class offerings, asked what was special about our senior labs versus the ones other schools had. Are ours fancier? Do we have a wider variety?

We looked at each other and said that no, senior labs were unique to Jefferson.

At first glance, Jefferson is obviously different. The process of applying consumes months. We’re required to take computer science, technology and calculus, while a student can leave Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) with a standard diploma not having taken any math above Geometry.

However, is Jefferson really that special compared to our neighbors in FCPS schools in the same neighborhood, receiving the same amounts of funding from the same wealthy taxpayers?

The community at Jefferson has reasons to be different. Our teachers have excellent reputations, for teachers who wish to teach a group of students

who are more willing to study their subject are drawn to the magnet schools as much as the students are.

The students all have a common interest and enthusiasm for academics and share experiences related to hard work and academic achievement. We are trusted with advanced and often highly costly equipment for our pursuit of learning and research.

I went to Longfellow as my middle school, and applying to Jefferson was considered a big deal. We counted down the days and hours and minutes until the final decisions were released and frantically called and texted each other to see who would be with whom for the next four years.

The girl I could always count on to help me with my math homework didn’t get in. My best friend hadn’t even applied.

If you’d asked me two days before the results came out, I wouldn’t have guessed who the few excluded students from my circle were going to be.

Sure, the entrance exam attempts to separate out the academically stellar, but it can’t magically, or accurately, determine who will be successful in the future. Texas Instruments doesn’t card anyone to see what high school they go to. Libraries are free to all.

OAKTON

MADELINE OLD || STAFF WRITER

Being in the Jefferson community often gives the impression that it guarantees students a greater and brighter future better than it might in reality, and that we may be more special than we are by learning a special curriculum in special labs with other students who have been designated as worthy of such attention.

However, I know I’m no smarter than my friends at McLean. Jefferson’s often tremendouos workload and rigorous curriculum in the sciences might even edge out the interests that could have been the students’ niche.

I know one student who truly loves music, but homework prevents her from practicing as many hours a day as she did in middle school.

We’re certainly not uniquely mature.

My teachers have had to assign seats to stop people from talking too much.

We have friends and crushes, complain about our parents and cram for exams like teenagers anywhere else.

It is my Research Statistics teacher’s first year at Jefferson, and once, after having to quiet us down, he commented that teaching at Jefferson after a bunch of other schools has taught him that all teenagers are really the same. Is that so much of a surprise?

DESIGN || ANKIT AGRAWAL

ENTERTAINMENT STAR WARS: THE FRANCHISE CONTINUES Jefferson offers opinions on the revival of the “Star Wars” series Anna Zhang || STAFF REPORTER

“Hope is not lost today... it is found,” said Princess Leia. And so goes the newest Star Wars movie to come out in ten years since “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.”

On Dec. 18, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will air in 2D, 3D and IMAX theaters across America. Taking place approximately thirty years after “Revenge of the Sith,” the movie will follow new and recurring characters from the series in worlds such as Jakku and D’Qar. Many Jefferson students are waiting in anticipation for this new movie to come out.

“I’m super excited and hoping to get tickets to go see [the movie] the Saturday after the premiere,” junior Jasper Barnett said. “I’m interested to see what Disney does with it. Looking at the trailers it seems like it’ll be pretty good.”

Produced by Walt Disney Studios, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the first movie in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which will follow episodes four, five and six. However, some Jefferson Star Wars fans believe that episode six should have been left as the end of the series. “[Episode] six itself had a brilliant

ending with Anakin Skywalker finally in the Star Wars universe, students are fulfilling the prophecy that he’d bring contemplating whether to watch the balance to the force, just as Darth Vader six other movies before seeing this new instead, and how the Death Star was release. destroyed and the rebel alliance won a “I haven’t seen all the Star Wars movies huge victory,” sophomore Adi Sarkar and it’s hard to find time to watch said. “It was acceptable to leave it as them,” senior Tiger Zhang said. “But I that.” still want to see But as in any great series, the new movie fans are eager to know more and be able to about what happens next. understand the “There were still a few plot.” unanswered questions, like With the what happened to the rest Stars Wars of the Galactic Empire’s franchise being a remnants which weren’t prominent part destroyed and with the Jedi of American Order, so more movies like culture and episode seven are great,” entertainment, Sarkar said. it is certainly The Jefferson community worthwhile to seems in agreement that the watch the movies new Star Wars movies are a for insight into Photo courtesy of imdb.com good move by Disney. this much“Originally, Lucas had actually celebrated pop planned for there to be another three culture phenomenon. movies.” Barnett said. “And I’m “Definitely watch at least the original interested to see who the new Sith is, so trilogy before watching The Force this new movie is exciting.”

Awakens if you haven’t yet,” Sarkar said.

Because of the complexity of the “And even if you have, do it anyway.” plot and large number of characters

MEET THE NEW CAST

Finn Originally a stormtrooper for the First Order (formerly the Galactic Empire), he later abandons his post and joins the Resistance (formerly the Rebel Alliance).

He is in possession of Luke and Anakin’s lighsaber.

Rey

Poe Dameron

Kylo Ren

A strong-willed fighter and scavenger on the desert planet Jakku.

Later joins the Resistance.

The most talented X-wing fighter pilot of the Resistance. He leads a team of T-70 X-wing fighter pilots (successors of the T-65 X-wings) collectively known as “Black Squadron.”

A dark warrior strong with the force and commander of the First Order. Operates under the Supreme Leader Snoke.

Graphic // Uzma Rentia

ENTERTAINMENT

29

DEC. 17, 2015

THE WASHINGTON CHORUS WHO Natalie Homnyom || STAFF WRITER

The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. will welcome twotime Grammy award winning group, The Washington Chorus, under the direction of Julian Wachner in their 53rd season of performing “A Candlelight Christmas.” The production will include sing-alongs, Christmas classics such as “Silent Night” and a candlelight procession with a brass, organ, percussion and harp, along with the 200-voice chorus. “A Candlelight Christmas” will also feature The Madrigal Lords and Ladies from McDonough High School directed by T.C. Mazzeo, making this the 24th season of the show supporting high school music programs.

This season includes four shows from Dec. 13-22 starting anytime between 5-8 p.m. Shows will be in the Kennedy Center concert hall and will last approximately two hours split with a 20 minute intermission. Tickets range from $18-72. To find out more information, visit the Kennedy Center website.

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL” Natalie Homnyom || STAFF WRITER

For those with a desire for the classics, Ford’s Theatre presents a play adaptation of the Charles Dickens novella, “A Christmas Carol.” Adapted by Michael Wilson and directed by Michael Baron, the audience can watch the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge played by Edward Gero, a member of the Shakespeare Theatre Company since 1983, as he meets the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future and performs musical interludes.

This year will be the adaptation’s seventh season and its 500th show will be on Dec. 26. Presented in The Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., performances will take place almost every day from now until Dec. 31 and are approximately two hours long with fifteen minute intermission.

Most shows start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets cost anywhere from $32-70. To purchase tickets, visit TicketMaster.com, and for more information and a trailer of the play, visit the Ford’s Theatre website.

HOW TO ENJOY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON A GUIDE FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO VENTURE OUT, AND ALSO FOR THOSE WHO PREFER THE COMFORT OF HOME

“CHRISTMAS VACATION” Patrick Toulme || BUSINESS MANAGER

This holiday season, as family and friends gather around for holiday fun, consider watching “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold.

In the 1989 comedy, Griswold wants his family to have the “perfect” Christmas and goes to great lengths to make it happen with the perfect Christmas tree, dinner and light display.

However, when his plans go haywire, Clark and his family experience one calamity after another—random fires, a vicious squirrel in a Christmas tree and crazy relatives dropping in unexpectedly are just for starters.

Regardless, through it all, Clark remains focused on the family Christmas, making the best of each holiday emergency.

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is a great movie for a good laugh, but it also reminds the audience the importance of family—crazy uncles and cousins included.

Overall, the movie is a wake-up call that there really is no perfect holiday, no matter how hard the Griswolds or any family tries to make it— but that’s okay. Sit back, enjoy the time off with family and friends and include the Griswolds as well.

“DOCTOR WHO” Natalie Homnyom || STAFF WRITER

This winter, the annual Doctor Who Christmas special will return with “The Husbands of River Song.”

Alex Kingston will reprise her role as River Song, making this episode her first with the twelfth doctor, played by Peter Capaldi. BBC released two trailers on Dec. 5 featuring the two stars fighting off King Hydroflax’s headless robot.

In addition to being broadcasted on BBC America, select theaters will be showing the episode Dec. 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. along with an interview of Alex Kingston and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Tickets can be purchased off of the Fathom Events website or at participating theaters. Fans can catch “The Husbands of River Song” when it airs Dec. 25 or buy it from the BBC One website.

Design || Uzma Rentia

30 ENTERTAINMENT when the job is done.

At midnight, the Christmas tree springs to almost double its original size, marking the start of Christmas day. The nutcracker transforms into a young prince and embarks on a magical journey with Clara that is detailed in Act II.

Cracking open ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballerina Ashley Bouder performs as Dewdrop in Act II of ‘The Nutcracker’. A performer for New York City Ballet, Bouder has also starred as the Sugarplum Fairy and Marzipan.

Katherine Du || TEAM LEADER

Photo courtesy of New York City Ballet, illustrated by Katherine Du

P

rancing across the theater stage, ballet dancers in intricate hand-designed costumes delight the audience with innovative choreography and a flawlessly synchronized rendition of “The Nutcracker.”

A chorus of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments accompany the performance, singing the ensembles composed

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

“Every time I have seen the ballet, the costumes have been different, but the main themes are always present,” sophomore Artemis Veizi said. “The mice always have the ears and neutral colors, the sugar plum fairy is almost always wearing pink and always has a very detailed costume, and so on. There’s also the iconic Clara nightdress costume and then Mother Ginger with her large skirt.”

Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa, stars of their own television program “The Live With Kelly And Michael,” host a version of the ballet performance as part of the “Lincoln Center at the Movies” series. The show has become a yearly tradition, featuring New York City ballet dancers with choreography by George Balanchine.

The musical performance introduces two children in Act I, Fritz and Clara, who have decorated their Christmas tree and are awaiting guests to show up at their annual Christmas Eve holiday party in their home. Company starts to file into their house, and in the midst of the festivity a man donned in black clothing and wearing an eye patch, appears and frightens Fritz.

However, Clara knows that the man is Dr. Drosselmeyer, an expert at making toys and

repairing clocks. They continue to celebrate together, until Dr. Drosselmeyer presents the children with gifts that he prepared.

The children are shown a toy horse and three wind-up dolls, and each of the girls is given a China doll while the boys are presented with bugles. Fritz and Clara also receive a drum and a nutcracker, respectively.

Jealous of Clara’s nutcracker, Fritz seizes the toy out of her hands and it breaks because

“Every time I see a new [costume] I’m reminded of Christmas all over again and it’s honestly one of the things I love most about the ballet.”

“My favorite part [of ‘The Nutcracker’] has always been the sugar plum fairy and cavalier pas de deux in the second act,” Veizi said. “I really love this part because it concludes the most beautiful and exciting part of the ballet, when all of the ‘sweets of the world’ have performed. And usually, the two dancers in this part are some of the best in the whole performance, so it’s always beautiful to watch.”

Junior Melody Chiang, a member of Sterling Ballet Academy, dances in three scenes of her studio’s interpretation of “The Nutcracker” this winter season.

“Every company has their own spin on [‘The Nutcracker’],” Chiang said.

“The music is the same and the role is the same, and the dance style is the same, but the specific choreography can be different. It’s just how everyone has different ways of writing the same story but the exact way you spell out the words, or in this case movements, is different.”

The studio does not have a sufficient number of boys to fill in the parts that call for male dancers, so girls from the studio or male principal dancers from other ballet companies are hired to play those roles. Technical aspects, such as partnering, need to be restructured to fit the makeup of the Academy.

-Sophomore Artemis Veizi

“My studio is kind of small and fairly new, so we have a lot of little kids and not very many boys,” Chiang said.

of his hasty handling. Dr. Drosselmeyer gives Clara a handkerchief to wrap around the wounded doll and she ties it so that the white cloth covers its mouth.

Audiences often enjoy The Nutcracker for its slight variations from version to version in dance style, props and musical execution.

The guests leave Fritz and Clara’s home later in the evening, and the household becomes quiet. Clara wakes to check on the nutcracker, falling asleep on a sofa with it cradled in her arms. Dr. Drosselmeyer approaches Clara and removes the nutcracker from her grip to repair it, gently placing it back into her arms

“I personally love every costume, especially the Sugar Plum Fairy’s,” Veizi said. “Obviously they’re beautiful but every time I see a new one I’m reminded of Christmas all over again and it’s honestly one of the things I love most about the ballet.”

ENTERTAINMENT

31

DEC. 17, 2015

TURN DOWN FOR WHAT? Holiday albums that will keep you in a festive mood “THAT’S CHRISTMAS TO ME” // PENTATONIX Angie Sohn || STAFF WRITER

Pentatonix returns for the holidays with the deluxe edition of their album, “That’s Christmas to Me.” The deluxe edition includes all original 11 tracks, along with four new additions. Since its release on Oct. 30th, the album has been on top of the Billboard’s Holiday Albums chart. That is no surprise; “That’s Christmas to Me” is full of classic winter tunes with the unique acapella twist that Pentatonix brings.

Most of the four new additions to the album are renditions of popular holiday songs we’re familiar with, such as “Joy to the World,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The First Noel.” However, the acapella flair the group is known for puts a new twist on these classic songs.

In “The First Noel,” the distinct voices of the members blend into an effortless harmony. Near the middle of the track, the bass, which begins to Photo courtesy of ptxofficial.com emulate a drum beat, greatly enhances the listening experience. “Just for Now” fits a more mainstream pop vibe, with the fast beat and lyrics listeners can enjoy anytime of the year. “Joy to the World” is an upbeat track in which the lyrics are delivered over the strong bass beat. Moreover, while listening to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” I could imagine it being played in many stores as well as the cheerful winter spirit it induces.

“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU” // MARIAH CAREY Millan Welman || STAFF WRITER

Photo courtesy of mariahconnection.com

Despite its age, as the holiday season rolls around, it’s impossible to avoid adding Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” into the playlist. Released in 1994 on Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album by Columbia Records, the song remains a particular favorite. Especially after

Carey’s remake in 2010, its popularity continues to rise every holiday season.

The song’s hopeful tone to see her loved one once again on Christmas and the gentle melody have touched people enough for the “Rolling Stone” to call it a “standard” for the holiday season.

“CHRISTMAS” // MICHAEL BUBLE Nikita Sivakumar || STAFF WRITER

“Christmas,” the holiday album Michael Buble released in December 2011, continues to be a popular hit during the holiday season. Every year, songs from the album make it to the top of the lists. Last week, the song “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” placed 14 in Billboard’s Top 20 Holiday Songs Chart, and the very same song made it to the top iTunes and Spotify charts multiple times in the past. On Dec. 4, Michael Buble, along with other singers, hosted his annual “Christmas in Hollywood” on NBC. This year, in addition to other holiday songs, Photo courtesy of michaelbuble.com Buble performed his new single “The More You Have (The More You’ll Give),” which is bound to become another hit. Each song describes the characteristic love and happiness that goes around during the holidays. Ever since its release, the album has become a classic that warms the hearts of all when the weather gets cold.

DESIGN // KATHERINE DU

PHOTO // Alexa Nguonly REPORTING // Alexa Nguonly

“

•It’s easy to feel down about yourself at TJ if you compare yourself to other people, so I think it’s really important to

REALIZE THAT THIS PROBABLY ISN’T GOING TO MATTER LATER. .

I was talking to my aunt who had [cancer] and she said It is important to be positive throughout cancer treatment,

HAVING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON YOUR RECOVERY. because I know with a lot of diseases in general,

I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO GIVE UP. It’s really easy to just stop swimming

because it’s a sport. It’s not school or something, so you feel like it doesn’t really matter as much.

It’s okay if you get the F on the test now or you don’t get straight A’s because we’re all going to go to a college anyways and we’re all probably going to get the same job that makes the same amount of money. YOU’RE

STILL GOING TO BE HAPPY, SO WHY DOES IT MATTER?

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM, to be involved in your own culture and at least to know something about it.

JUNIOR

”

CAROLINE NGUYEN || WHAT I VE LEARNED