In This Issue... Fairfax Registers to Vote Seniors Reflect Fairfax Prepares For College Spring Sports Wrap Up

2

ContentsNews

7 Summer Movies

8 Hot New Haircuts Homo Explicatus

9 TRAN’sformations

Entertainment

3 Letter From the Editors

4 News Briefs

5 Fairfax Votes

Democratic Convention

6 CISPA

Middle Spread

11 Senior Introduction

12 Personalize Dorm Rooms

14 Fairfax Goes to College

16 Decorate Your Dormroom

18 Seniors Give Advice on Surviving High School

19 Seniors Pick Roommates

Rebel Roar Staff 2011-2012Editor-in-Chief

Emily StoneManaging Editor

Jessica MiersCopy Chief

Walker CarlsonNews EditorRachel Tran

Entertainment Editor

Gabrielle SeversonCommentary EditorBrandon Blankenship

Features EditorNikki Strickland

Sports EditorWalker CarlsonArt Director

Elizabeth FulmerBusiness Manager

Jessica MiersStaff Writers

Suha KhandkerNatalia ColonErinn Fecteau

Natalie ShabanErich Greenfield

AdviserCarl Irvin

Editorial PolicyRebel Roar is a published forum of student expression. Letters to the Editor and guest articles are encouraged. Only signed letters are consid-ered for publication. The edi-tors reserve the right to edit all material in the interest of clarity and space. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the staff or school administration. The staff writes unsigned editori-

als on a majority basis. The Rebel Roar accepts all adver-tisements deemed appropriate for a public forum meant for young adults and are subject to the discretion of the editors. Students are encouraged to take an active voice in the stu-dent publication. Questions, comments, and letters can be emailed toFHSRebelRoar@gmail.com.

Commentary

20 Just So You Know...

21 Boy Bands Rise Again

Features

22 Scrumptious Summer Recipes

23 Britain Celebrates 60 Years of Reign

24 Melat Wins For Photography

25 Fairfax Goes to Prom

26 Students Join the Military

27 Fairfax Adapts

Sports

29 Spring Sports Wrap Up

30 Olympics Preview

Back Cover

32 Powderpuff Recap

Rebel Roar Staff 2012-2013Editor-in-ChiefNikki Strickland

Jessica MiersManaging Editor

Rachel TranCopy Chief

George FlynnNews Editor

Suha KhandkerEntertainment

EditorEmily Verbiest

Commentary EditorErinn Fecteau

Features EditorRachel Tran

Sports EditorJackson Campbell

Art DirectorGeorge Flynn

Business ManagerSuha Khandker

Aiofe Maher-RyamStaff WritersHannah Flynn

Erich GreenfieldDavid Schrack

Adelaide PowellAdviser

Carl Irvin

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Hello Rebels! You may be wondering who we are and why you aren’t reading the wise thoughts of Emily Stone. Well, allow us to introduce ourselves; this is Jessica Miers and Nikki Strickland and while your current editor-in-chief will be living up college life at William and Mary next year, we will gladly take the lead as co-editors to

bring you the latest news, updates, school features and unique commentary that is the Rebel Roar.We’ve finally made it to the end. Goodbye books, classes, teachers, schedules, and routines, and hello to pools, friends,

beaches, tanning, and stress-free summer relaxation for the next 3 months. Seniors, the Rebel Roar has made this your issue! Before you walk out of Fairfax and into the real world, please take time to check out the senior spread to see who will be joining you at college, and read the recounts of our senior staff writers.

For those of you who will still be returning to the Fairfax community next year, there are a lot of things to look for-ward to. Make sure to check out the features sections to find out what changes will be made to the Fairfax routine such as the new R&R schedule and the new policies on electronics. We have also asked our senior writers to share some tips on how to survive these last years of high school.

Our readers can also look forward to a change in the Rebel Roar next year. Our current staff writer Erinn Fecteau will take on the role as not only commentary editor but also web master of the Rebel Roar’s new website which will be under construction this summer.

We are excited to say that we too are also looking forward to senior year, graduation, and working with the new staff to bring all you the best of the Rebel Roar. Let me remind you all that this is your newspaper, as Emily put it, and we invite you to submit your own articles, letters to the editor, pictures and ideas to fhsrebelroar@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @FHSRebelRoar. So as we wrap up the year, we leave you all with this: Freshmen; your days of being the babies of the school are over. Sophomores; get ready. Next year is the one that really counts. Get ready for work, work and more work. Juniors; you’ve made it this far and it’s almost over. Get those college applications started this summer. We’re finally seniors. And Seniors; get out of here! It’s time to start your lives as college studs! You will be missed.

We hope everyone has a happy and safe summer,

Nikki Strickland Jessica Miers

LetterFromtheEditors

DemocraticConventionsAs the Republican Primaries

close on June 26, the National Democratic Committee pre-

pares the Democratic Convention to nominate current President, Barack Obama, as the Democratic candidate for the 2012 presidential election.

After his his win in Texas on May 29, Republican candidate Mitt Romney secured his GOP nomina-tion to run for president against Barack Obama in November. The final primary will be held in Utah at the end of June when Romney will be officially nominated by the Republican Committee.

"I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled

to have won enough delegates to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee," said Romney as reported by National Public Radio.

While the Republican committee pre-pares for their final nomination conven-tion, Democratic National Committee chairman, Debbie Shultz, announced that the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C will begin on Sept 4. and close with Obama’s nomination acceptance on Sept 6. Day one of the convention will

be open to the public to celebrate “labor day of the Carolinas and the South,” as

reported by the official National Democratic Convention website (demconvention.com). (Continued on page 5)

Photo courtesy of columbian.com

NewsBriefs

4

On May 9th, President Barack Obama confirmed his support of gay marriage in an ABC interview. In the interview Obama stated “it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” President Obama is the first sitting president to publicly take a stance on the issue. Although he endorses gay marriage, Obama said that he supports the idea of allowing gay marriage to be decided by the states.

Obama Announces Support for Gay Marriage

In Miami Fla. on May 26, homeless man Ronald Poppo was viciously at-tacked by a man, suspected to be under the influence of “bath salts,” as he had his face ripped apart and eaten by who police identified as Rudy Eugene . Coined by locals as the “zombie guy,” Eugene was shot dead by police when he refused to stop eating the man’s face. Poppo still remains in the local Miami hospital under critical condition.

Florida’s Zombie Man

This year’s graduation speaker will be Dr. Lillian Lowery; who was principal here at Fairfax High during 2001 and 2002. .Lowery has served as the Secre-tary of Education for Delaware since 2009. According the counselor Renee Sch-meider, during her time here in Fairfax, Lowery was a “rising star”. Schmeider also stated “we all knew she would eventually go to the top.” In April, Lowery stepped down from her position in order to pursue another opportunity. Start-ing July 1st, Lowery will serve as the Superintendent of Schools for Maryland.

Fairfax Graduation Speaker

The state of Virginia will hold elections for the presidential election 2012 on Tuesday, Nov. 6th—to be eligible to vote in said election, citizens must be

born on or before that date, according to rockthevote.com. That being the case, many students at Fairfax will be eligible to vote in the approaching elections.

One politically informed student, junior Katie Ross-bach, has already registered to vote. “We live in a society and government system in which the government directly affects our day-to-day lives. Registering to vote allows you to have a say in what the government does and the decisions that they make,” she said. Rossbach said she was excited to register and to be able to vote for the next president.

Registering to vote is not a difficult task. One can simply go online to rockthevote.com and answer a few questions. Eligible students in senior government classes were given the opportunity to do so in class. Senior Pau-

lina Tammaro said, “It was through our history class so it was easy to do,” about her registering experience.

Rock the vote encourages the younger generation to participate in the election with their slogan, “Building political power for young people.” The site also provides information and answers questions to make registering and staying informed easy for students. Rossbach said, “I think it’s really important for young people to register because we make up a huge percentage of the voting popu-lation and so if enough of us do vote, what we say really can have a big impact,”

“For most people, they’re going to live in this country for the rest of their lives—I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to vote if it’ll affect you for the rest of your life.”

FairfaxVotes

rockthevote.com webpage photo courtesy of Nikki Strickland

News(Continued from page 4) The second day will be led

by the National Democratic Convention chair, Antonio Villaraigosa, to officially start the convention proceed-ings at the Time Warner Cable Arena. On the third day of the convention, delegates will be instructed to vote for the Democratic Party candidate to run in the presidential election.

“This convention is going to be the most open and ac-cessible in history. It isn’t about political ritual or simply re-nominating the president, it’s about Americans coming together,” said Shultz, as reported by the Democratic National Convention website.As an incumbent, Barack Obama will deliver his accep-tance speech at the Bank of America 74,000 seat Stadium where the public will be invited to attend on the final day of the convention.

“That allows for greater participation from Americans of all walks of life,” said White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney as reported by the Washington Post. “That’s the reason why he did it in 2008 in Invesco and why he’ll do it again in Charlotte. That’s the biggest venue.”The National Democratic Convention has made it a goal to allow more Americans to be a part of the nomination process this year in September.

"From the start, this convention has been about engag-

ing more people in the process," said Schultz. "We saw in Denver in 2008 how holding the president's acceptance speech at Invesco Field allowed more American's to be part of the process and part of this experience,” she said, as reported by the Huffington Post.

While the Democratic National Committee encourages Americans to get involved with the upcoming convention, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee also encour-ages local student volunteers to become active members of the 2012 campaign process by handing out fliers and hanging campaign posters.

“The Democratic Convention is a good display of participation in government, though deepens the crevice in American society made from the continuous battle of democrats versus republicans said junior Megan Strait.

Photo courtesy of clclt.com

Jessica Miers ‘13Managing Editor and Buisness Manager

Nikki Strickland ‘13Features Editor

5

CISPA passes in House

6

On April 26, 2012 the House of Representatives passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) on to the Senate. The purpose of the bill is to strengthen cyber

security by allowing companies to share any information they pertain to be threatening with the government. However opponents

argue that the bill is too vague and intrusive on people’s privacy. According to a Washington Post article, technology companies and associations like, Tech America support the bill because they believe it will be an effective way to share information on potential cyber threats. As the Washington Post reported, Facebook Vice President Joel Kaplan stated that “. . . if the government learns of an intrusion or other attack, the more it can share about that attack with private companies (and the faster it can share the informa-tion), the better the protection for users and our systems.”

The reasoning behind the legislation is that by allowing com-panies to share this information, potential cyber attacks may be prevented. However, the bill has been criticized because it could allow private companies to share vast amounts of sensitive, private data about its customers with the government. CISPA would override all other federal and state privacy laws allowing private companies to share any personal information that is perceived as a cyber threat.

Sam Hurley ‘14 said “Cybersecurity bills like CISPA, SOPA and PIPA are very broad in their wording and are written by people who rarely use the internet and do not have much knowledge of how the internet works. We cannot expect people who do not use the internet to understand citizens (who do use the internet) and to be aware of the citizens’ point of view. Also, the CISPA bill infringes on our freedom of speech and our rights to browse the internet without fear of our information being given out to the government.”

According to an article on cnet.com,The White House gave im-mediate notice on April 18 to stop the bill, threatening a veto if the wording is changed in the bill to be more specific and to change

sections of the bill to be less infringing on the rights of citizens who use the internet. A representative of the National Security Council gave the official response to the new bill on April 17 and said to a Hill Newspaper reporter, “While information sharing leg-islation is an essential component of comprehensive legislation to address critical infrastructure risks, information sharing provisions must include robust safeguards to preserve the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens.”

CISPA would also give Internet Service Providers free rein to monitor the private communications and activities of users on their networks. According to the bill, H.R. 3523, “Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would have the ability to share the cyber threat in-formation with any other entity, including the Federal Government, which can be thought as part of a cyber security system, regardless of any other privacy or telecommunications law.”

Avaaz.org, an online website to use for petitions of conflicts around the world, has developed a new petition for CISPA to keep the bill from passing and being put into action. The petition was started on April 5 in order to reach the ultimate goal of one million signatures and stopping the bill from reaching the White House. The site was used once before in petitioning against previous cybersecurity bills, SOPA and PIPA, accomplishing the goal of one

million signatures. As of June 5, the petition has reached 799,690 signatures and was signed by people located all around the world ranging from the United States, Italy, Australia, and Brazil.

“I believe the implications are much larger later on because we are not sure what information they are taking and when they are taking it,” said department chair of career and technical education Mrs. Mary Lewis “ Plus the government has no real need for the persons information also, how will it help cybersecurity?”

Photo courtesy of politico.com

Photo courtesy of Suha Khandker

Suha Khandker ‘13, Erich Greenfield ‘14Staff Writers

news

Entertainment

The cinematic experience has been a cultural marvel ever since the dawn of moving pictures. It has gripped whole generations and drowned them in wonder, admiration and love; it has shaken entire peoples and consumed them with anger, excitement and joy. Because of this the summer has become not just a season of extreme heat, but film

frenzy. Many people, especially people who are young, use the summer to engorge themselves in the movie mania. Thus, this summer in particular is expected to be full of blockbusters, so here are brief summaries of five major movies coming to theaters.

1.The Dark Knight Risesis the climactic conclusion to the Dark Knight legend. Batman returns to Gotham eight years after taking the fall for Harvey Dent/Two Face’s crimes, and assists the city and its police force in preventing the terrorist lord Bane from destroying the city. (rated PG-13 | release date July 20)

Photo courtesy of media.comicbookmovie.com

2.The Avengers is the cinematic adaptation of a comic book clas-sic. A mix of well-established superheroes and relatively unknown ones, the Avengers must rescue Mother Earth and her constituents from the malevolent Loki and his army. (rated PG-13 | released May 4)

Photo courtesy of guysnation.com

3. Prometheus is the prequel to the 1979 science fiction classic Alien. After discover-ing a clue to the origins of Man, a crew of several explorers embark on a journey to investigate the clue. But what they find may not help Man, instead, it may destroy him. (rated R | release date June 8)

Photo courtesy of customizemyi.com

4. The Amazing Spiderman is the reboot of the Spiderman movie franchise. Peter Parker begins to question the disappearances of his par-ents after finding a mysterious briefcase left by his father, only to be led to Dr. Curt Connors and his alter ego, the Lizard.(rating unknown | release date July 3)Photo courtesy of hdwallpapers.in

5. Dark Shadows is the comedic adaptation of the 1966 TV show. A vampire by the name of Barnabas Collins awak-ens and is set free in his ancestral home, which he finds is overrun by a dysfunctional futuristic society in need of his protection. (Photo courtesy of beyondhollywood.com) (rated PG-13 | released May 11)

Photo courtesy of beyondhollywood.com

David Schrack ‘13Staff Writer

Summer Movies Hit Theaters

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H o m o E x p l i c a t u s

versusmodestyswim suits

Getting tired of the same ole Bieber flip? How about the I-didn’t-actually-wake-up-20-minutes-late-but-I’ll-throw-my-hair-into-a-messy-bun-to-make-it-seem-like-I-don’t-care-about-school look? It’s time for change, ladies and gents; a change in the way the world sees hair.

A flip ponytail is quite possibly the best way to trick people into think-ing a lot of time was spent on your hair in the morning, when in reality, the look is only one swift move more than a sloppy pony tail… serious-ly! Once you’ve got a loose ponytail done, make a little hole right above the hair-band and flip the tail on through. So elegant, so easy.

This look takes a little practice and a resistance to head rushes, but it’s totally worth it. Flip your head upside down and start braiding from the nape of your neck up to the middle of your head. From there, you can go for a braid, bun, or some other hairy creation.

Just because dark hair seems to be the mature and sophisticated hair color of choice doesn’t mean that it’s your only cute choice… It’s summer! A time for beaches, bikinis, and barbeques, not to mention, a youthful new hair color: BLONDE! It doesn’t have to be platinum blonde; there’s dirty blonde, strawberry blonde, or blonde highlights. Take your pick, and lighten up for the summer.

Flip Ponytail

Upside-down Braid

Lighten Up!

HOT n e w h a i r s t y l e s

As summer approaches, so do the days of pool and beach lounging. When in search for a bathing suit, it is inevitable to find a plentiful supply of itty bitty bikinis, strapless tops, and sliced up one-pieces. It makes one wonder, when did bathing attire become so prova-cative and minimal? When did scantily clad women begin dominating the magazine and television advertisments all summer long?This summer, I encourage all ladies to start a bathing revolution; a change in how America views summertime swimmers, and here’s how to do it:

1. Trade out the stringy bikini bottom for high-waisted bloomers

2. Try on a tankini!Tankini’s aren’t just for 6th graders who are in the transition from one-pieces to bikinis. Do a little hunting and you’ll find shape-flattering suits in all kinds of styles, colors, patterns, bows, and ruffles. There’s a great chance that this more modest style will work well with your body-type and fashion tastes.

3. Go for a one-piece, just do itCute one-pieces DO exist, there’s proof! They can be just as cute, or cut-er, than a skimpy bikini, and they’re a fabulous eye-catcher.

Photos courtesy of blog.hai-randm

akeupbysteph.com

Photos courtesy of bikiniswim-wears.com, swimsuitoutlet.com, and theorchidboutique.com

Gabrielle Severson ‘12Entertainment Editor

Gabrielle Severson ‘12Entertainment Editor

In the spirit of the 1940’s and 50’s, high-waisted bloomer bottoms are certainly stylish. Not only are they a bit more modest, but they are also very slimming and can put an original twist on a modern-day suit.

8

9 Rachel Tran ‘13Features Editor and Managing Editor

Day Night

1. Protect your skin against harmful UV rays and apply a daily moisturizer that contains SPF 15 or higher.

2. Apply bronzer to your forehead, nose, and cheeks. Since you’ll probably be out in the hot sun all day, don’t wear heavy makeup and make this a foundation-free summer!

3. Apply eye shadow primer to your eyelids for longer-lasting color.

4. As the base color, ap-ply a vanilla colored eye shadow starting at the crease.

4. Apply a light lavender color to your eyes.

5. Gold eye shadow works for all skin tones! Apply a shim-mery gold starting at the center of your eyelids in a windshield-wiper motion.

6. Apply a brown eye shadow to the outer corners and crease using a blending brush.

7. Line the top of your eyes with black or brown eyeliner as close to the lash line as possible. Avoid lining the bottom waterline since it will probably come off during the day.

8. Apply two coats of waterproof mascara to your top lashes.

9. Finish off with a clear lip balm that has SPF and vitamin E. Lips can sunburn too!

5. Apply a medium purple eye shadow to the center of your eyelids and crease for more depth. 6. Apply a dark-royal purple to the outer corners of your eyes and use a blending brush to soften up any harsh edges.

7. Add a small amount of silver glitter to the inner and outer corners of your eyelids. This will complement the purple eye shadow for a fun and sparkly look.

8. Line your top and bottom lashes with black eyeliner for more defined eyes.

9. Apply two coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

10. Highlight your brow bone with white eye shadow and add white eyeliner to the inner corners of your eyes.

11. Apply one coat of pink lip gloss to your lips to finish off the look.

Things You’ll Need: Things You’ll Need:

Summer is known for its scorching heat and sweltering weather. Here are two looks you can try during the sum-mertime that will not sweat off during the day or fade throughout the night:

Entertainment

6028 Fairfas HS ad.indd 1 4/19/12 11:12 AM

10

TheSeniorIssue

LetterFromTheEditor

Sincerely,

Emily StoneEditor-in-Chief

Dear Readers,

This month is a combined Senior Issue and Cub Issue. In May, our issue is traditionally a month for the upcoming staff to step into their new roles. In June, we usually devote the whole issue to Seniors.

However, we made a decision as a staff to combine the May and June issues this year. The next eight pages are a tribute to the Class of 2012 and their past four years at Fairfax.

The greatest part of these last few months has been seeing all of the hard work from the Class of 2012 come to fruition. The next page is evidence of the dedication and drive of all Seniors, whose future plans are more than impressive.

It’s bittersweet to complete my final issue of the Rebel Roar. It was excit-ing to be able to share the job with Nikki Strickland and Jessica Miers, our Editors-in-Chief for next year. I look forward to seeing great things from them, because both of them are more than prepared to step into their new positions.

To quote the great lyricist Vitamin C, “I keep, I keep thinking that it’s not goodbye, keep on thinking it’s a time to fly.” Stay classy, Fairfax! HAGS!

2012

University of AlabamaThomas FrederickKerri Weldy

AirforceTatiana Gonzalez

American Musical and Dramatic AcademyMichael Anderson

ArmyAlexander BertelliRocky Alexander Shif-flett

Art Institute of WashingtonKierra BlackmonAlicia Marcia

Auburn UniversityLauren Wilson

Averett UniversityKyle Walsh

Bellevue CollegeIan Bixler

Bridgewater CollegeJesse ColliganJulia Morris

Brooklyn CollegeStefanie Daniels

Catholic UniversityMaddy Thompson

Central Florida UniversityMarkus Hull

Columbia College ChicagoLeonardo Rodriguez

Coastal Carolina UniversityAlly Pittman

Christopher Newport UniversityJason DodgeElizabeth FulmerJosh Mazzatenta

Cornell UniversityJisoo Kim

Culinary Institute of AmericaJohn Spanninger

Delaware State UniversityEric Barfield

DePaul UniversityHarrison Weger

Drexel UniversityC.C. Howard

East Carolina UniversityLeah BarkerBrittney Coleman

Evangel UniversityMason Lewis

Film ConnectionIcheiri Ramos

Florida State UniversityVictoria McClintock

George Mason UniversityEssence AlsberryOksana AndersonMegan BayneJack BelkinAlison BroylesAmber BunchVeronica BustosFelipe Cardenas IIIVanessa CardenasElizabeth ChanthaArthur ChuAmelia ChungJodie CustodioJapneet DhillonErdenesuren Erdene-batWilliam A. FrancisQuillan HeimSehrish HussainAna-Karina JinHae In JunChelsey KimChristy KimJanice KimKara LaddPeter LamHetty LeeJane LeeYedam LeeVictoria LordWalter MartinezNicholas McLernonCristina MendozaYenai MengistaGerardo MoralesBlaine MulugetaLucas NaglerJulie NguyenTiffany Nguyen

Mason PazhwckChris RobicKimberly Mae RowlandDeema SarrajManmohan SinghKen TaSindhu ThokalaRenee ThomasShakhnoza Tokhtak-hunoraTho TranTaylour WalkerEric WangSam WeaverAshlee WilliamsYasin YilmazMaha ZahariTony Zambrano

George Washington UniversityVarun JoshiKimia KhoshbinElena Kysar

Georgia Institute of TechnologyRohan DeshmukhAndrew Hoeft

Gordon CollegeBecca Welke

Hampton UniversityNorman Smith

Hampton-Sydney CollegeKyle DeivertAustin Perryman

University of Hawaii at ManoaHanna KoKristin Lee

Hood CollegeAlex Burns

Hunter CollegeKhalil Turner

Indiana UniversityJenna Degner-Lopez

James Madison UniversitySheelon AghiliKea AllisRosalie AltieriAnita AyresMichael AtassiMin Min ChangValeska CousinsKevin FeehanAustin FrankMatt Frank

Alex GlaumChris HaynesJohn HobsonLauren HooperJoe KacedanJulia LyonBrianne McCraveAnnamarie MeinsenDevon RichardsKatie RobertsonJessica SchnelleConsuelo SevillaTiffany ShaoNicole TranBrian Wilk

Jefferson College of Health SciencesLindsay Hopkins

Johns Hopkins UniversityShannon Parker

Johnson & Wales UniversityKelly Walker

Kent State UniversityJohn Garon

Liberty UniversityAlexandria BoykinMoses Yim

Longwood UniversityHailey MachenTracy NeillLiz Nguyen

Marine CorpsJacob LoyEdson MedidChris Sisson

Marshall UniversityDolan Savage

University of Maryland Baltimore CountyLiz McNaughton

Marymount UniversityClaudia ArguetaVincent HaydenMallory JohnsonHana LeeOlivia Nguyen

Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyParuku Paerhati

Mary Baldwin CollegeDejhanira Torrico

University of Mary WashingtonClaire AshurMary FesakJoe FriedHung Khoi DuNicole MarcheseNancy Ortega

University of MiamiMaddy Atteberry

University of MichiganJake Snyder

University of MississippiMackenzie Altizer

New York UniversityAnne Norland

North Carolina State UniversityJames Chang

North Carolina A&T State UniversityLorenzo Harris Jr.

NOVANima AbdollahiMarcelo AcunaZahra Ahmed

Class Of 2012Where To Next?

Jose AlemanSalwa AlhussieniKay AlyemniAyesha AmanChristopher AndersonRatib AnsariKristin BairdCharissa BaileyJessica BarretoZack BennettDevon BlantonHunter BowenReginald BullockBrian CabreraVincent CanoAlex CaspersonMiguel CastroEthan CateCarlos CavascoMax CavicchiaCezar ChaclanYlina ChavezVictoria CiavarellaNicole CopiaQuel CrutchfieldKyle DavisJordan DeSalvoIvonne Delacruz

Hasancan DemirbasDavid D’DiegoZurab DekanozishnliSemakaleng DoddMayra FloresZach GallottaJack GeierConnor GleasonRyan GleasonMurat GozubuyukSabrina GranStephanie HancockMykerra HendersonKelly Nunez HerediaNuriz HernandezZack HoethJuniad JanPhillip Davis JohnsonKevin A. JuradoCourtiney KennedyShakira KempSha KhanParisa KharaLaReesa KidwellZhiyan KochanyBrenda Sejas Lamas

Jason LeeNida LiaqatConstantina LimaichiNick LowstuterAliyah MahmudAyah ManalastasMonica MaldonadoGrecia MansillaDavid MarquinaFabie MbitaErin McGrathJacob McKinnisKathryn McMorrowGabe MejiaRobert MelikianMax MillerKourtney MontagneAlfredo MoranMike MpalangJeremy NeilanArakaren OlveraRickie PapettiShelby PeterSamantha PetittCassandra PimentaTanya PimientaJessica PittingtonVictor Ponciano

Ashley RamirezAlex RashidMirana Ravelomanat-soaLyndsey ReidZola RiosEdgar RiveraRaquel RodriguesPablo Santiago IIIChelsea SantosStephen SchaefferEvan SchaussEddie SeveroniGabrielle SeversonNatalie ShabanCeles SibounheuangLeah SmithDanielle SpriggsAlly StevensChristelle TianiVincent TranPaula A. TrincheraAbhisek UpadhyayJessica VasapoliAlessandra VazquezJoaquin Violante

Doreen VoKatherine WeinerAngela WiChris WilliamsGiSang YoonFardowsa Yusuf

Northwestern UniversityChristina KimAditya Mazmudar

Ohio State University Clara Lee

Oklahoma City UniversityKaitlin Nelson

Old Dominion Uni-versityRebecca GoldmanJustin IbrahimJason Kazi

Indiana University of PennsylvaniaErin Schulze

Pennsylvania College of TechnologyKyle McTague

Pratt InstituteMee Rae Jun

Purdue UniversityAlysa Baird

Radford UniversityNick ApostolicoTyler BellinoRobert BushLauren CapitanoChristina D’saSally DillingerRyan GaffneySal JuarezSarah KimKris KostadinovJessica MacCammonTaylor McCaffreyJamie McCormickMarco PaulinaJalen PettawayJared Savage

Randolph-Macon CollegeMitch Ardinger

University of Rhode IslandEmilia DeMarco

S. John Davis CenterKelley Baker

University of South CarolinaJessie BrownHaley Johnson

University of Southern CaliforniaChristine Song

University of South FloridaNatalia Colon

Southern Virginia UniversityGrant Montoya

Syracuse UniversityJenny ChaeAdam Wasinger

University of RichmondBrianna N. Rodriguez

Universal Technical InstituteJames Aswalap

Utah Valley UniversityAbdul Aldahlawi

UVA-WiseDavid Kihiu

University of VirginiaJohnathan BaikMichael CarterMenth ChengSharon ChunBritney HarperMegan HarperKanit LandonJane H. LeeAlex Smith

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRobbie AshtonAntonio ClaureHillary J. Essis-EssottJennifer FerrellKevin HackerKristiana HadleySam HornerAmber LeightySarah NewmanSamantha RayKelly SeiboldHeechul Shin

Michael SilesChantel SmithTameka SmithFarren TashjianYoung Min Yoo

Virginia TechNuha AbousamIndy BermanSean BurkeChase CampbellShayna CiniTeddy CummingsMelina DuongMichael HarnischSarah HigginbothamSophia HuangMaggie IfarraguerriGarrett LiouWoo Seong JeongErin JoyceBingying LinStephanie MahmoudiKemaya NguyenJenil PatelAllie PenroseTharshikha Pirupak-aranAlex PiccirilloRachel SchagrinKody SherlundShyla StricklerJoe TalbertHannah VogelCharles Walsh-LeRoyRyan WhitcombErica Yoon

University of WashingtonJisoo Jung

Washington State UniversityDerrick PollardJeff Southall

West Chester University of PennsylvaniaKatie Derrick

West Virginia UniversityNick Sisson

College of William & MaryAllison DoaneFelicia LopezEmily StoneRebekah Sue

Class Of 2012Where To Next?

R em em b e rW h e n . . .

1st Grade

• “Pokemon” iss one of the most searched words on the internet

• 51 million viewers watching the first sea-son finale of Survivor

• Learning cursive and ROYGBIV

2nd Grade

• 9/11• Invention of Wiki-

pedia• Shrek & Monster’s

Inc arrive in the-aters

3rd Grade

• DC Snipers• Department of

Homeland Security is created

• Kelly Clarkson wins season 1 of American Idol

7th Grade

• Virginia Tech Shoot-ing

• The 1 billionth song is purchased from iTunes

• Pluto is no longer con-sidered a planet

8th Grade

• Obama and Hillary Clinton begin cam-paigning for the presidency

• First iPhone and iTouch release

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hal-lows is published

9th Grade

• Tina Fey’s portray-al of Sarah Palin on SNL

• Beyonce’s song “Single Ladies” is released

• Michael Jackson dies

4th Grade

• “Do Not Call” list prevents telemar-keting calls

• Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean are re-leased

5th Grade

• Launch of Face-book

• Martha Stewart goes to prison

• First same-sex marriage

• Janet Jackson is exposed during Superbowl

6th Grade

• Hurricane Katrina hits U.S.

• Disneyland turns 50

• Bird flu begins ap-pearing in Asia

• Release of Xbox 360

• “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy re-voked

• Lindsay Lohan goes to jail... many times

• “Avatar” becomes highest grossing film of all-time

11th Grade

• Gabrielle Giffords and 18 other peo-ple shot in Arizona

• Egyption President Mubarak resigns

• Verizon takes-on iPhone

12th Grade

• London riots grow out of control

• Amy Winehouse dies

• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedicated in D.C.

10th Grade

It’s time for a trip down memory lane, Seniors. Throughout our past 12 years of school, so many monumental changes have occured. You may be surprised by how much, or how little, time has gone by since our elementary school years began in 2000. So let’s remember...

Gabrielle Severson and Brandon Blankenship ‘12Entertainment Editor and Commentary Editor

Decorate Your Dorm RoomGirly

sporty

It’s important to plan on bringing extra lighting, because most rooms only have over-head lighting or desk lamps. Mini chande-liers and floor lamps are options.

Even boys have decorating options that still look mascu-line. Trunks are a great storage option, and can double as a table or seating. Milk crates are also stackable, and can be used to store books and clothing. Mini fridge carts are a good place

to store condi-ments and utensils.

Elizabeth Fulmer ‘12& Emily Stone ‘12Art Director & Editor-in-ChiefDorm rooms are known for being pretty sparse

and small. However, with some creativity, they can be transformed into a space that reflects personality and is comfortable to live in. It’s im-

portant to keep in mind that having enough storage space is key and lack of clutter with make life easier.

Beachy

Boho

Dorm Neccessities• laundry bag/basket• mattress cover• floor rug• desk lamp• floor lamp• fan• mini fridge• microwave• T.V.• dry erase board• shower caddy• under-bed storage boxes• trashcan• over-the-door shoebags• removable wall adhesive• handheld vacuum• bed risers

ELIZABETH

A beach theme is relaxing to come back to after a long day of classes. Bean bag chairs are a relaxing alternative to desk chairs. Also, some dorm rooms have tile floors, so it may be a good idea to bring an area rug for cold mornings.

String lights are another lighting option that is softer than the typical overhead dorm lighting. Removable wall decals are perfect for dorm rooms, they can be reused and found in dry erase and chalkboard forms.

“Get involved and stay active! Don’t be that kid that doesn’t contribute in high school.”

How to Survive High School

Not all young scholars enter the doors of Fairfax High School with the wisdom of the graduating s class of 2012. Instead of blindly going through high school having to learn these tips on your own, the senior class leaves you a helpful guide to successfully making it out alive for all underclassmen.

“Take advantage of your freshman year and don’t slack off. It’s your easiest year so it’ll keep your GPA up”

Annamarie Meinsen“If you take Geosys-tems make sure you get Mr.Smolinski, he’s the best!”

Cameron Bias

“Don’t take too many AP classes your senior year”

Sarah Higginbotham

“Have good time management...keep school and free time separate”

Teddy Cummings

“Apply to college early!”

Grant Montoya

Nicole Tran

Natalie Shaban ‘12Staff Writer

As the year comes to a close many things begin to run through students’ minds, especially for the senior class. With graduation quickly ap-

proaching the excitement, and anxiety, about head-ing off to college begins to slowly settle in. Seniors who will be heading to college next year have already more than likely visited their future home and got-ten used to the surrounding areas preparing for what is to come.

An important part of setting up one’s future col-lege life is the ongoing search for on, or off, campus housing. Finding a place to live can be a piece a cake for incoming freshman due to the information provided by the college itself, but finding a roommate can prove to be quite the challenge. Fortunately for those looking for their future roommate(s) the mod-ern world we live in provides quick and simple ways to do so.

One way one could find a roommate would be through a social network. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. have become the new form of communication not only for socializing, but for schools as well. Many, if not all, colleges have mul-tiple groups on social networks that provide informa-tion on different things. Some of the groups include athletics and clubs or, for what incoming freshman will be looking for, their actual graduating class. In-coming freshman should look to their school’s “Class of 2016” groups in order to see other upcoming fresh-man that will be joining them at school next year. By

doing so one can easily find someone they think is best suited to room with.

Senior Liz Nguyen used the social net-work method in order to find her room-mate. Nguyen said that, “Facebook provided a wide variety of options for me, and it made the

communication a lot easier and less awkward.” How-ever, finding a roommate through a social network should not stop one from actually meeting them in person. “Having talked to her through Facebook was easy, but we hung out a week or two after just to make sure we got along in person just as much as we had online,” said Nguyen.

Although social networks provide an effortless way of finding a roommate, a college’s actual student website also offers a simple, yet effective, way doing so. After being accepted to a college one should be admitted into the student body system, and will then

have a student website for the school. The student websites supply your personal information, courses, and housing options.

Senior Mackenzie Altizer used her Ole Miss Stu-dent website in order to find her future roommate. Altizer said that, “I wasn’t really looking for anyone in particular, but the website made the process a lot easier.” Having been found by her future room-mate on the student website Altizer says that she “definitely recommends incoming freshman to look to their school’s student website for housing, and room-mate, options.”

Finding a roommate used to be a complicated and stressful process. The old ‘random picking’ colleges used to do for roommates selection put the ultimate amount of stress and anxiousness on incoming freshman. However due to the development of social networks, and student websites, finding a roommate has never been easier.Natalia Colon ‘12Staff Writer

Seniors Pick Their Roommates

Photo courtesy of Liz Nguyen

Photo by Natalia Colon

JustSoYaKnow

Brandon Blankenship ‘12Commentary Editor

NOTHOTBad Luck BrianOne man’s misfortune is another man’s entertainment; or so seems to be the case with Twitter’s new celebrity, Bad Luck Brian. His experiences are miserable and in extremely ill humor, yet he provides priceless joy to all his 130,000 new fol-lowers with new, irreverent jokes daily. And if you don’t follow one of the many pages already, you should probably join the fun and check it out otherwise you risk missing countless more hilarious tweets.

GraduationFor some of us this just a stepping stone towards bigger and better things down the road, for others it’s a sigh of relief that we no longer have to deal with waking up at the crack of dawn, and for a few… well it’s about the most prestigious honor they’ll ever receive, but that is all determined by us now. I for one can say I’m proud to be a Fairfax Rebel in the graduating class of 2012, and I know 500 other kids who probably feel the exact same way. We’ve been through so much as a class between our loses and changes and triumphs, but in the end most of us have made it and it’s been real. Thank you all.

Hoodie aLLenIf you haven’t heard the name already, you might just be

missing out on some of the greatest talent the music industry has to offer. With catchy tunes and witty, uplifting lyrics, Hoodie Allen has become a phenomenon worldwide after the release of his new independent album All

American this last April, making him immensely successful compared to

the likes of other signed artists. And best of all, he keeps it all cool by interacting with every fan online and offering to meet them in person before and after his incredible live shows. So for-

get the ignorant and repetitive rap junk that has destroyed our youth, and listen to some real music, the real good music of Hoodie Allen.

undercLassmen at PromThese last two years I was led to believe that Prom was for juniors and seniors, but it appears that I may have been mistaken now that the dance has been overthrown by underclassmen who will do just about anything to get an older date to take them. I really don’t see the point honestly, just save it for your last two years so it will be more fun and you can save some money as opposed to trying so hard to fit in with the older kids, it’s pointless. Please respect the tradition and keep the dance to upperclassmen only, I’m sure I’m not the only one peeved by this.

GrowinG uP/movinG onI can honestly say that’ll I’ll miss this place and its people, for the most part. We’ve all grown so used to the daily routine and familiar faces that it’s become hard for us to let go. Yeah high school isn’t the greatest thing ever, but I’ve had more fun these last four years writing for the newspaper, stirring up antics in the halls and spending time with my friends than I think I could ever fully appreciate and it’s been a great experi-ence. And this sounds super lame, but I will actually miss walking Gabrielle to class every period. Either way, it’s been real and I wish you all the best of luck.

Fake tanninGLately, I’ve noticed an increasing amount of students that look like oranges or cheap leather, and the only conclusion I can come to is that teens are using personal tanning salons more and more. Not only is the color bad enough, but it causes a person to look super fake and plasticy, not to mention that it causes some people’s eyebrows to match their skin color, making them look even stranger! Is it really that hard to just wait a few weeks until the sun is out every day and get a more natural looking tan then?

20

COMMENTARY

21

To an entire generation, the words “Bye Bye Bye” mean so much more than just “see you later.” They mean Justin Timberlake and

the rest of *NSYNC waving their hands three times across their chests to audiences around the world. Those words have an emotional meaning that will not likely be forgotten any time soon, even if the boy band hasn’t performed together since 2002.

Almost 10 years later, a new set of words is excit-ing a generation: “What Makes You Beautiful.” After a lack of quality boy bands for so long, One Direction is taking the US by storm and the import-ed boys are quickly filling the void left in teen girls’ hearts that has been empty since *NSYNC broke up.

The groups obviously aren’t identical, the One Direction boys being from the UK as opposed to the Orlando-based *NSYNC boys; but the groups defi-nitely have some striking similarities. For one, they both consist of five teenaged boys who have the abil-ity to keep their teen girl audiences captivated. They also both have deep roots in TV. One Direc-tion is the result of the X Factor UK and many of the *NSYNC boys were discovered on the Mickey Mouse Club, alongside other future stars including Britney Spears and Christina Aguliera.

Musically, the groups also have a lot in common. Both groups became well known as a result of their up-tempo radio hits. Their devoted fans know that there is much more to the groups beyond the top 40 hits. 1D and *NSYNC have some slower love songs

in their repertoires, including the 2000 ballad “This I Promise You” and the One Direction fan favorite “More Than This.”

Unfortunately, no good thing can last forever, and boy bands are no exception. *NSYNC broke up after less than seven years together. Who can say how long One Direction will stick together. No matter

the answer, if groups like The Beatles and The Jackson Five are any indication, the mu-sic of these two groups will live as important parts of American culture long after the bands themselves are no more.

Photo courtesy of allmusic.com

BoyBandsRiseAgain

Photo courtesy of ryanseacrest.com

George Flynn ‘14Staff Writer

Annie’s Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Scrumptious Summer Recipes

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcakes

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-strawberry-shortcake/detail.aspx.

Ingredients: •2 packages of chocolate chip muffin mix•2 cups heavy cream•6 cups sliced strawber-ries•2 cans whipped cream

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 de-grees. 2.Mix muffin mix and heavy cream. 3.Add ingredients in the separate bowl to the mix and combine until dough-like.

4.Roll dough into balls and flatten to two-inch in diameter and one inch thick. Bake twelve to fifteen minutes or until golden brown.5.Split shortcakes and fill with whipped cream and strawberries. Top off with more strawberries.

22

Ingredients: •3 diced apples•8 ounces each of raspber-ries and blueberries•8 ounces of diced cantalope•1 pound of strawberries•2 tbsp white sugar•1 tbsp brown sugar•3 tbsp of fruit preserve

For cinnamon chips:

•10 flour tortillas•Butter flavored cooking spray•2 tbsp cinnamon sugarDirections:

1.Mix apples, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cantalope white sugar, brown sugar, and fruit preserve in large bowl. Cover and chill for fifteen minutes.2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.3.Cut tortillas into wedges the desired size for your chips. Spray one side of each wedge with cooking spray. Sprin-kle cinnamon sugar over each and spray with cooking spray again. 4.Bake for eight to ten minutes. Allow to cool for about fifteen minutes.

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/annies-fruit-salsa-and-cinnamon-chips/detail.aspx.

Nikki Strickland ‘13Features Editor

There are the classics—hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage. There are the sides—fruit salad, corn on the cob, baked beans. But what can make a summer cookout stand out? A great desert can. Here are a couple recipes I found to top off any summer meal. I found these recipes on allrecipes.com and

adapted them to make them work for me, with the ingredients I had. As I tried them both out I found they were easy to make, and delicious to eat.

FEATURES

Britain Celebrates 60 Years of ReignOn June 3th, 2012 hundreds of Londoners gathered along the Thames River to watch the Queen’s Diamond Ju-

bilee. The Jubilee was held in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year of rule. The flotilla that marked her Diamond Jubilee was comprised of over 1,000 vessels. This was only the 2nd jubilee held in U.K. history. Accord-

ing to CBS news, the Guinness Book of World Records stated that the flotilla had broken the record for “largest parade of boats.”Although the weather was dreary, many spectators came out to see the huge chain of boats sail down the Thames. The celebrations started Saturday with Derby Day in Epsom. The celebrations lasted until June 5th when the Queen waved to crowds of people from the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen is the second longest serving monachy. Only five other monarchs have ruled for over 50 years.

2. The Queen has received over 400,000 awards and honors since 1952.

5. Queen Elizabeth’s birth-day is on April 21st but is offi-cially celebrated in June.

6. The Queen launched the British Monar-chy’s official website in 1997. In 2007, the official YouTube channel of the British Monarchy. This was followed by the creation of Royal Twitter and Facebook page.

Photo Courtesy of bbc.co.uk

Photo Courtesy of northeast-medals.co.uk

4. She has taken 129 portraits since her coronation

3. The Queen has launched 21 ships during her reign.

Photo Courtesy of eliza-beth-ii.blogspot.com

Photo Courtesy of omg.yahoo.com

Suha Khandker ‘13Staff Writer

23

Junior Perry Melat of Fairfax High School recently placed first in one of the Virginia SkillsUSA competitions for his work in

photography, and was one of a group to compete. SkillUSA states that the goals of the photography competition are for “Contestants [to] demonstrate their ability to use digital SLR’s, image editing software (Adobe Photoshop) and professional studio lighting.” Competitors performed on-site photogra-phy, and presented judges with two mounted and matted photos prior to the competition date to be judged.

This is not Melat’s first time tangling with photography, of course. “I’m hoping to do this for a living. It’s what I love.” Melat is responsible for many of the photos that document school events over the years, along with a group of others. Many of his photos actually feature FHS’s own students. He currently has his own website (link can be found at the bottom of the article) that showcases a variety of his work, including his people, product, and architecture shots as well as his work in photo manipulation. Melat has also uploaded over six-hundred photos to his Flickr account, and has a racked up thousands of views on his pictures. Said one fan: “I have always enjoyed browsing through flickr, looking at photos, trying to get ideas to either replicate or apply to different subjects. Every once in a while, the photographer does more than capture a picture. He brings you into their art and somehow you feel a part of it. “I think one of the first pictures I saw of Perry’s included a descrip-tion that made me feel like I’ve know Perry forever. He was so honest with his thoughts, I was blown away [by how] a stranger is telling the world about his life in pictures. As I started following his work, I found myself compelled to begin commenting on his work; taking his style as an example and challenged myself to write more than ‘great picture.’ Then I observed how openly Perry takes feedback from everyone that comments on his work. His work continues to improve with every new photo he posts. I really enjoy following Perry’s work on flickr and am learning so much from him. His photography skills and per-sonality far exceed his age!”

Erinn Fecteau, ‘13Staff Writer

FHS Student Takes Gold at SkillsUSA CompetitionPerry Melat’s award-winning photography, and his hopes for the future

Want to see more pictures? Check out one of Perry’s Webpages:

http://melatphotography.zenfolio.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/perrymelat/

24

PROM2012This year’s prom was hosted at Fairview Park Marriot on June 2nd. Juniors and seniors alike rocked the night away with a smoothie bar, chocolate fountain, and souvenier sunglasses in all sorts of radical colors. Prom king and queen walked through a parted croud to accept their crowns and a slow dance was played afterward. The DJ mixed plenty of older hip hop songs with popular songs from the past few years. It was a dance to remember and, as one senior said, “This was the greatest night of the year. I’ll have so many memories!” Gabrielle Severson ‘12

Entertainment Editor

25

FEATURES

After high school, enlisting in the military provides opportunities for students who have difficulty affording higher education; for those

who still want to go to college, they can attend an academy such as the United States Military or Mer-chant Marine Academies. At a military academy, students have their entire time spent at college paid for. The meals they eat, housing, all the books for classes, and most other

costs that are involved in going to college. This pro-vides great appeal to students who cannot pay for all of the things involved in college without going into debt.All if the military academies allow students to join whatever branch of the military that they would like or not join in any branch at all. So students who are unsure about joining the military can still go to an academy that lasts four year and gain a higher level of education.

“I believe it is a high honor to be selected [for a military academy] and finish as an officer. Students will also be leaders when they graduate from the academy,” said Maureen Kim, Fairfax’s Career Cen-ter Specialist “It is also a great opportunity for those who want to join the military and it helps students take the next step in education.”

The United States Military, on the other hand, offers educational benefits after their eight year service is done and they will be paid $37,224 for a college of their choice. The U.S. Military also pro-vides medical care, thirty days of paid vacation, and housing on base or housing through a military allow-ance that is off base.

But, for those who decide to stay with the military route, those students start out at a higher rank than those who enlist. For example, in the Army, students start out as a 2nd lieutenant. Also those who choose to go to a military academy and graduate start out at a higher pay grade than those who enlist.

Joining a military academy not only provides

discipline, but also valuable lessons to use later in life. But even with great opportunities, it is not easy to get into a military academy. Students have to get a letter of recommendation from their congress-men to see if they will sponsor the student which is required.

Also the student must maintain a GPA close to 3.2 and be at the top of their class as well as well rounded person in the community. For example the student must be in a community service organization or involved in some sort of volunteering. Also the student must be in a school sport in high school and succeeded in the sport.

“The military offers great opportunities for both people who cannot afford college as well as people who want to serve their country. If the academy pays for college that just makes it more worth it for people who are interested in going that route.”said Sopho-more Aaquib Sayed.

Different academies provide different opportuni-ties, deciding to go to the Merchant Marine Acad-emy, students spend one year of their four years at the academy on a boat traveling across the world, ranging from Australia, islands in the Caribbean and the West Coast of Europe. Also the students learn to maintain and drive a boat with fellow stu-dents and several instructors.

When going to the United States Naval Academy, students can join the Language Study Abroad Pro-gram that provides midshipmen who have completed at least two years of a foreign language with op-portunities to gain first-hand knowledge of foreign people, their cultures and their worldviews, through total language immersion for four to six weeks. Plac-es that students go for study abroad include Jordan, Egypt, China and France.

Fairfax Joins the Military

Erich Greenfield ‘13Staff Writer

Merchant Marine Academy CampusPhoto courtesy of wikimedia.org.

Photo courtesy of majastevanovich.files.wordpress.com.

26

FEATURES

27

Fairfax AdaptsAs the school continues to grow in size, adjustmets and advancements need to be made in order to keep

things running smoothly. Next year, several changes are being made in the way Fairfax High School will be run so that students can continue to have a fun and comfortable learning enviroment. Here are

some of the adjustments that will be put in to place in the 2012-2013 school year.

R&R

It’s out with R&R and Pride Time and in with Intervention Time or as coined by Principal David Gold-farb, “IT.” Starting next year, students will no longer go to R&R and Pride Time but will instead report to the two classes that are slotted for each of the 39 minute periods. For example, students may be

asked to report to IT periods one and then two. There will also be a “choice” option when the schedule reach-es IT period eight. For example, students will go to eighth period for IT and then have their own choice as to which class to attend after. Students are required to go to their scheduled IT classes as attendance will be taken.Goldfarb said that the change will give students more options for using their free time more produc-tively. This IT block is not to be used for teaching new information. Instead, teachers can release students with a grade of a B or higher to the cafeteria or library. However, teachers are not obligated to release these students. Students that are failing classes will remain in the classes that are assigned for that day until the grade is pulled up to a B or higher. Goldfarb also said that he is looking to make the library offer a truly quiet place to study while the cafeteria will be open for socializing. While the administration works on tweaking the small details of this new policy, Goldfarb said that the change was necessary with the over-crowding and should take care of some of the population issues.

Mr. Zwicker will be retiring from FHS this year so the school will be looking for a 10th counselor over the summer.

New Guidance Counselor

Photo courtesy of fcps.edu.

Nikki Strickland and Jessica Miers ‘13Features Editor and Managing Editor & Business Manager

Starting next year, all rising freshmen and sopho-mores will be required to take one economics and personal finance class for one credit before

graduating from any Fairfax County Public Schools. Students may choose which year they decide to take

the class as long as the credit is received before graduation. Goldfarb recom-mended that stu-dents take the class during their junior year since there is no P.E requirement.

Economics and Personal Finance class Next year, administrators and

the information technology department are working on

a policy that will create times and “zones” where cell-phone and laptop use will be permitted. When these devices are per-mitted, students will be required to have their elec-tronics checked and registered by the IT depart-ment in order to use the school’s network. There will be the possibility that students will be able to use these devices during lunch and have them on their person instead of being turned off and stowed away in backpacks.

Electronics Policy

Photo by Jessica Miers.

SpringShowsImprovement

29

Entering the season with typical confidence, Fairfax High School spring teams experienced both disap-pointment and flashes of excellence; there were teams

for which 2012 brought leaps of improvement, while others seemed to spin their wheels.

If one positive can be pulled from nearly all teams, it’s that if there were no significant steps taken forward, there were also no significant steps backward, at least as far as win-loss records are concerned.

In fact, several teams saw huge jumps in their records. 2011 was a year that wasn’t kind to many Fairfax spring squads, as neither boys lacrosse, boys soccer, nor softball won a single game. 2012 was a 180 degree turn for these teams.

For softball, changes in their coaching staff were a catalyst for bringing a new attitude to the program, and wins followed. Coach Matt Hoffert took over the head job on var-sity after coaching the JV squad last year, and stressed that a winning mentality in practice translates to winning when it counts. They saw results almost immediately, winning four of their first five games. Their improvement even caught the attention of the Washington Post, which featured an article on the team in early April. After the hot start, they trailed

off somewhat, the victim of high-scoring opponents. Still, their seven wins on the year were a testament to the positive effects

a simple coaching change can have.For the boys soccer and lacrosse teams, though, consis-

tency was the key to improvement. After similar winless seasons, sticking with the program and their coaches seemed to be enough for the teams to get better. Lacrosse had three wins over Wakefield, Stuart, and Marshall High Schools, but injuries to a few key players may have kept them from a better year. Meanwhile, the soccer team nearly went .500, winning five and losing eight games.

Perhaps the most successful Rebels in 2012 were on the track and field squad. Four members of the team qualified for the Virginia state championships, which were held in Richmond on June first and second. In the Northern regional championships, junior Yol Ho Sung won the 400 meter sprint with a personal best time of 49.35 seconds. Senior Lorenzo Harris also qualified for the state championships in the 110 meter hurdles, also setting a personal best time, while senior

Mallory Johnson qualified in the discus throw and sophomore Dryanna Renwick qualified in the triple jump.

Senior goal keeper Hailey Machen gets an-nounced during the soccer team’s senior night.

Walker Carlson, ‘13Sports Editor

Photos courtesy of FairfaxHighSports.org

ForFHSTeams

SPORTS

Phelps Begins His Swan Song

30

Kayaking, taekwondo, and fencing may not be the first sports that come to mind when thinking of the Summer Olympics, but four Northern Virginia athletes will be competing in these events, with no Olympic experience between them.

Terrence Jennings, 24, of Alexandria, has been competing internationally in Taekwondo since 2003. He graduated from T.C. Williams High School in 2004, and then went on to become Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year in his freshman year while attending Northern Virginia Community College. He will head into the 2012 games with a world ranking of 16th, but he will not be taken lightly by the competition after finishing 1st in the 2012 Olympic Trials.

Competing for the United States Taekwondo team is Mehdi Dehgani, 20, of Fairfax, a Lake Braddock High School graduate. He has previously fought in the Junior Olympics, and after winning Bronze there in 2008, he may have similar success in London. Throughout his career, he already has racked up 10 Gold medals in 10 tries at the Virginia State Championships.

LocalAthletesCompeteForTheU.S.

After spending the past 20 years in the pool, Michael Phelps has decided it’s time to retire. First, he will try to defend a few of his eight

gold medals from the 2008 Beijing games, but record-setting or not, the 2012 London Olympics will mark the end of his career.

Phelps is just three medals away from becoming the winningest Olympian of all time, an accomplishment he wasn’t sure he was even going to chase after the 2008 games. He took a few months off following his historic gold medal run, but later decided to return to training to compete one final time.

Although he is just 26 years old, he said in an interview with Anderson Cooper that he is burned out from swimming his whole life. In order to be successful this summer, he will have to outshine fellow American swimmer, 27 year old Ryan

Lochte who has been dominating at international competitions since the end of the Beijing games, winning 23 medals in three years.

Regardless of his performance in London this summer, Phelps’ post-pool plans seem to be set. Talking to Phelps, ESPN columnist Rick Reilly presented a hypothetical situation where Phelps is a 30-something ex-swimmer yearning for the water again, and inspired to make an Olympic comeback. Phelps quickly shot that idea down.

“Me? At 30? Swimming? Oh, no. Oh, God, no! At 30, I’ll be playing golf every day.”

It remains to be seen whether Phelps will be able to stay out of the water on the golf course, though.Jackson Campbell, ‘13Sports EditorWalker Carlson, ‘13Sports Editor

FranksManageTheirSchedules,Soccer

SPORTS

31

The sports community at Fairfax High School is a network of players, coaches and parents, but there is more going on behind the scenes of every team;

the people who shag the balls, organize team events and provide moral support; these are the managers.

Senior Matthew Frank and his brother, junior Daniel Frank, manage the girls varsity soccer team at FHS. Together they help out at practices, come to team dinners and cheer along with the players on the bench during games. The two brothers, referred to as “The Franks” by the team, are as much part of the team as the players themselves.

“I have a lot of school spirit,” said Matt Frank. “I just want to contribute to Fairfax the most I could.” Matt runs on the Varsity Track Team in addition to managing the girls soccer team. He also played football and basketball in the fall and winter seasons. Although he is a busy student and a tri-athlete, managing is not a job he takes lightly.

“Before games I help warm up players and shag all the balls.” Matt said “During the game Daniel and I get water for the girls and cheer them on too.” Later he joked that he also helps the coaches “strategize” for the games.

“Managing the team is really fun and everyone is really nice,” Daniel said. He described the sense of team as “really tight” among the players, managers and coaches. Daniel recently had surgery on a torn ligament in his shoulder and has had to continue the duties of managing with one arm (the other is in a sling).

“Being a manager of a team is like being a player on the team. It requires a lot of commitment but you should still be having fun. Matthew and Daniel are perfect for this job; they are hard-working yet always manage to make the team laugh.” said Gino Leon, head coach of the girls

varsity soccer team.Managing a team also cuts out on the student’s time,

which can sometimes have negative effects on academics. “I have fairly good time management skills so

[managing] hasn’t really been a problem so far,” said Matt. “Also, no soccer games have interfered with track meets yet so that has been convenient.”

Both brothers commented on how much they enjoy working with the team. “It is a great way to be a part of the school athletically,” Daniel said. “I strongly advise managing a team to someone who is not interested in playing on a team.”Gillian Elliot, ‘15Guest Writer

Daniel and Matt Frank, left and center, participate in the girls soccer senior night, accompanied by an unknown student. Photo courtesy of FairfaxHighSports.org

17 year old kayaker Michael Rudnitsky is originally from Jerusalem, but attends Herndon High School now. He hasn’t made the olympic team yet, but placed first at the 2011 Pre-World in Wausau.

Alexandria native Alexander Ryjik, 18, has fenced on the U.S. junior national team twice. In 2009 he won the silver medal at the Cadet World Cup in Kowon, Poland. This summer, the former Hayfield student, who now fences at Harvard, hopes to make his mark in London.

POWDERPUFF

Photos by Elizabeth Fulmer & Courtesy of Anda Bruk

Freshmen vs. Sophomores

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Seniors0-1