Out ook

Volume 46

Issue 7

March 15, 2012

opinionGoogle Plus brings nothing new to the already vast world of social networking.

news

featureSmall budget shoppers rejoice at a variety of better-priced second-hand boutiques in the area.

Oakton

indepthA change in the schedule for next year forces students to reevaluate class decisions.

a&eTaste Quest journeys for the most scrumptious chicken wings around.

UndefeatedGirls basketball

team wins the state championship for the first

time in school history

Cougar Chorus evokes a classic, chill corner-café atmosphere with its monthlyCoffeehouse.

OutlookCheck out the Outlook website for

New and extended content

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Podcasts, videos and blogs

www.oaktonoutlook.com

3march 15, 2012letter

letterfrom the editors

AdviserLauren Luna

Melanie AguilarErin BennettSofia CrutchfieldReina DattaConner DickRawan ElbabaLauren EmbroskiChristian ForbesKarli GillespieDaniel GreeneCaroline HipwellCallum Kelton

StaffChristina LeeNathan LilandeJackson LizardoKari MaharajRamya MukallaReid PerkinsAlana PetersEmma PfeiferJennifer ProsserAndy ReedCarly StonehouseAlex Xenos

Gabriela DriscollShannon Ragan

Sports Editor

Allie BerubeSpencer Conley

Copy Editor

Marilyn Yang

Business Manager

Garrett AllenRia Bhatia

A&E Editor

Emma MankinPhoto Editor

Isabella Kidane

News EditorAlex BeldenCole Neuffer

Feature Editor

Madlin Mekelburg

InDepth Editor

Michelle Lorusso

Opinions Editor

Kim Gibbons

Online Editor

Oliver Lopez-Gomez

Editorial Policy The Outlook is an open forum for student expression. Unsigned editorials reflect the collective opinion of the Outlook staff. Signed editorials represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Outlook or Oakton High School. Reader opinions are important to the Outlook and contributions are welcome. Make your voice heard by sending us a line about what’s on your mind. Letters to the editor may be sent via email to shannon.ragan@oaktonoutlook.com or dropped off in Mrs. Luna’s box in the main office or in room 196. The Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and content provided the meaning remains unchanged.

Outlook StaffEditors in Chief

Yours,Gabriela DriscollShannon Ragan

Although the past issue about marijuana got every-one all riled up and excited, we have moved on to less melodramatic topics. That is not to say that this issue will be boring in any way. No, dear students, this issue is the height of excitement, the top tamale, the number one nacho, the best burrito. After months of no use, the Career Center is finally

being opened (page 7). Confused and desperate stu-dents, struggling with college options and career choic-es, now have their very own messiah, Kimberly Harris. On to a completely unrelated topic, teachers from

other countries have begun visiting and observing our classes (page 10). The “Teaching Excellence and Achievement” program gives teachers the opportunity to visit foreign schools and learn from them. On to a somewhat related topic, the bell schedule

will once again be changed for next year (page 18). It seems impossible for Fairfax County to keep the same schedule for more than two years. There is something to be said for consistency.For those of you jock types, we review the results of the

girls’ basketball game (page 22). Hopefully we bust the myth that boys put more effort into athletics than girls. We have also busted the most common myths about our lovely school’s infrastructure (page 28), namely the ridiculous yet popular notions that our school is haunted by both restless spirits and the looming spectre of dispro-portional athletic spending.

Dear students of Oakton,

Cover Photo By Gary Sousa

In your dreamsBizarre creations of the subconscious

I was frolicking with ponies.rumtin aidun, gleefully equestrian junior

“ ”I was hiding in a Hollister store from Voldemort.lana bean, fashionably nose-challenged senior

“”

I woke up in the morning, found some frogs inside my socks. Put some boots on and met a cat. His name was Mr. Edmitten. Mr. Edmit-ten (the kitten) loved tuna and dancing in a tux on the piano. He had no friends. His moth-er’s name was Mayor Winnieham. She was a horse.chris graham, spontaneously animalistic sophomore

“

”

caroline fisher, acrobatically astute freshman

I was riding a tricycle and running away from two guys that were trying to kidnap me.“

”I see pandas in the majority of my dreams.stenson crews, beary bamboozled senior

“ ”I was running on a cliff, and then a unicorn with wings came down and told me I could fly, so I jumped on the unicorn and flew. Then I fell into the ocean and woke up.sophia silver, magically mythical freshman

“

”I had a recurring dream that I got kidnapped by really creepy men and they put me in a box and buried me alive in our coat closet...no one ever found me. monica ten-kate, claustrophobically pursued senior

“

”4march 15, 2012recurring

gabriela driscoll

5march 15, 2012news

newsin briefMUN dominates at Boston

For those not in Key Club, you’ve probably been wondering why students have been donning light and dark blue wristbands for the past few weeks. On Feb. 25, members of the Oakton Key Club teamed up with other 20B division members to host the Key Club Winter Carnival at Centreville HS. In alliance with UNICEF and The ELIMINATE Project, Key Club raised money to donate to African women and children who are suffering from maternal and neonatal tetanus. With a painfully high death rate of 60,000 women and infants, this lethal disease requires immunization for 100 million victims, roughly at the cost of $110 million, for complete elimination. Although it was open to everyone, the carnival mainly attracted children and their families. Volunteers were in charge of activities such as face painting, musical chairs, guessing jar, basketball, tic-tac-toe and bean bag toss. Oakton members put together a silent auction basket for “movie-night” themed items and was also in charge of the face-painting booth and guessing jars at the carnival. “It was fun raising a lot of money,” said sophomore Caitlin Yee. “It was a win-win for everyone.” Thanks to the fundraiser, Key Club was able to raise $2000 including wristband sales.

Key Club works with Project ELIMINATE

From Feb. 24 to Feb. 26, Model UN members dominated the 11th Model UN conference held at Boston University. After months of research and mock trials, student delegates immersed themselves in international conflict ranging from the Allied Occupation in Japan to international security. Seniors Angela Roller, Jake Wagner, Irene Arora, junior Lorelei Christie and sophomores Evelyn Wang, Ajay Mehta and Taseen Haque rang up a total of seven delegates representing Oakton HS. Roller won the Best Delegate award and gavel for her committee. “I represented John Henry Sununu in the Historical Joint Crisis committee,” said Angela Roller. “[We] debated…the Panama Canal Zone and the War on Drug.” Roller had to wake up at 1:30 AM for the midnight crisis, which “included taking members hostage, assassinating some of my committee members [and] bilateral meetings between the groups.”

AP Trifecta visits Chinese Embassy

3.

4.

AP Photo tours Portrait Gallery

1.

The Super Seminar class, taught by Rebecca Small and Sidney Dillon, paid a visit to the Chinese Embassy in D.C. on Feb. 29. The trip was a co-curricular connection to the class’s compara-tive government China unit. They were given a tour, followed by a video on China and a Q&A session. “When students asked questions about the state of Taiwan and Tibet, the Secretary of Education became quite tense and very defensive,” said senior Emma Kitchen. “The trip really drove home how the Chinese, or at least their government reps, feel about their country, and how important U.S.-China relations are.”

On Feb. 28, AP Photo students went to the National Portrait Gal-lery in Washington, D.C. to explore historical and modern artwork. Renowned American portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz’s Pilgrimage Exhibit was the focal point of the trip. “We were try-ing to understand why she went on this so-called pilgrimage,” said senior Tulsi Ratnam. Students viewed most of Leibovitz’s work, including the iconic photo of a TV that Elvis shot with a gun in the 1970’s. “When we got [to the museum], I was mesmerized by the TV exhibit,” said senior Sarah Mahmood. “There were different TV’s representing each state and they all formed in the shape of the US. The TV representing Kansas was showing the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and everything was outlined by neon lights—it was amazing.”

Senior Aarya Sawant asks a hard-hitting question he prepared with the rest of the Trifecta government class at the Chinese Embassy.

2. Sophomores Elizabeth Shin and Eric Yoon have fun face painting at the Key Club Winter Carnival to raise money for Project ELIMINATE.

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6march 15, 2012news

Exhibition of excellence Students prepare for the upcoming Exhibition of Learning where they will be

showcasing their interests and talents in a display. The exhibition is an opportunity to expose the community to the projects and innovations that Oakton students work on throughout the year, and how they can relate these projects to the working world.

“Students right now are nervous because it is the first time Oakton has done something like the Exhibition of Learning and they are not really sure what it is going to look like, but both students and teachers are excited because they have a more authentic audi-ence to present their project to and it is a wonderful opportunity for the community to see the great things that Oakton does. - sara licklider, English teacher ”

briana stewart, 11“By presenting the project at the exhibition, I want to show how ben-eficial the writing center is in terms of helping students improve their writing. People in the community may not necessarily know as much about the writing center so I will be giving an informative presentation to gain awareness and promote the writing center to anyone who want to know more about it.”

tommy clark, 9“In the Exhibition of learning, I will be presenting a helicopter I made for the Science Olympiad. To make the helicopter it required a lot of planning and designing, so I want to be able to show the community that not only do we complete school assignments, but we also create things that will help us in different industries later in life, such as Engi-neering and Physics.”

karina nyman, 9“The Exhibition of Learning is a way for us to highlight the things we have learned to the community. I’m presenting my enduring legacy project from history which describes how Greek theater has had an enduring influence on modern theater. I will be explaining the process of making the poster as well as how I had to research and collaborate with others to make my project come together.”

austin kendall, 11“At the Exhibition of Learning I will be presenting my mechanical candy dispenser from engineering class. I want to show the community that there’s more to these inventions than meets the eye. For example, while most people see a simple candy dispenser they do not see the intricate designing process and the hours of manual labor required to create a machine.”

all photos by erin bennett

erin bennett staff writer

Check out all the finished projects on March 20-21 from 6:30-8:30 pm.

news

7march 15, 2012news

Career Center reopens with new counselor from California

There have been many changes in the Guidance department this year. Due to two counselors

taking maternity leave, last year’s Career Center counselor, Danielle Coniglio, was made the counselor for students with last names from JUO-MAH. This left a whole in the Center, causing it to close. Recently Kimberly Harris was hired as the new Career Center counselor.“Before I moved to Virginia in 2010

I ran a college and career center in California,” said Harris. “Right before I came here I worked at a private univer-sity as an academic advisor.”Everything that was offered before

in the Center is still being offered. However, Harris hopes to add more opportunities if the office approves.

“Once I am more adjusted, and [if the office approves], I want to add more to the Center,” Harris said. “Currently the Career Center offers a library of books, CDs and pamphlets. I can help out with general questions that people

want to know. We didn’t have Fam-ily Connections in California because it was too expensive,” “When I found out that they had it here

I got so excited.” The Career Center offers important

tools for students of all grades. It can help you prepare for upcoming college applications and visits. Harris can also offer assistance to students who need help choosing a career path, providing information on financial aid and finding scholarships and military information. alex belden

news editor

1. Create a resume for college or jobs.

2. Check statuses on transcripts.3.

Apply for scholarships.

While enjoying a tasty treat and a cup of coffee, guests were be able to relax and enjoy performances by the Oakton Choral Department. From Jazz to Broadway, fellow students, along with some special guests, per-formed in small groups or as soloists. The concerts, which run from February to May, each have a different central theme. There will also be a different set of performers at each concert. Nikki Do, senior, who per-formed at the February 17th performance with Rachel Platten’s song titled “Thou-sand Ships,” said that the

concert was a minor success. “About forty people showed up. Most of the audi-ence consisted of parents and friends, but it was still a lot of fun,” said Do. “Chorus baked the treats, and the cof-fee wasn’t bad either.” When asked why Chorus decided to hold this concert series, Do said that “nor-mally Chorus has Cougar Cabaret. It is a lot of fun and is usually really success-ful, so Chorus wanted to do something similar, but on a smaller scale.” Although the last concert was a minor success, Do says that future performances are in jeopardy

of being cancelled. While the March 2nd concert did hap-pen, and the performances were excellent, Chorus still needs more people to attend. “We just need more people to come and enjoy music with us,” Do said. The past concert, “Valuable Voices” enabled underclass-men to show their talents while the audience enjoyed the same array of delicious treats and warm coffee. Cho-rus hopes that they can con-tinue the series in order to allow its singers to perform and showcase their hard work and talent.

Family Connections

has a lot to offer for

every grade level. Here

are some examples of

what you can do...

Compare your SAT scores to college scores.

4.

*For more information on Family Connections,

contact Kimberly Harris

April 13th 7:00pm “Rising Stars” OHS chorus mem-bers are joined by middle school chorus students from our feeder schools.

May 4th 7:00pm “Simply Spring” OHS chorus mem-bers celebrate the beginning of spring.

Chorus coffeehouse:a concert series

cole neuffer

cole neuffernews editor

”“ Currently the Career Center

offers a library of books, CDs and pamphlets.

kimberly harris, career center counseler

8march 15, 2012news

Budding art historians retrace the brushstrokes of the past

On March 1, 2012, Independent Art Study students lifted the cloth off several months’ worth of research and passionate inquiry with the Third

Annual Art History Symposium. Normally filled with the nauseating drones of rote administrative procedure, the Lecture Hall was filled with discourse in a more expressive vein, as well as light refreshments and the eager ears of audience members, comprised of interested students, teachers and parents. Ashleigh Wilson, senior, and Sofia Diez, junior, commenced the afternoon’s presentations by shedding light on the oft-neglected role of female artists in 20th century art. The pair highlighted the artistic achievements of German anti-war activist Kathe Kollwitz, African-American conceptual photographer Lorna Simpson and the iconoclastic art of gender equality advocates Guerilla Girls. The presenters did an excellent job of accentuating the main themes of the artists, including women’s role in an artistic society dominated by men. Paola Carreno, senior, also gave a voice to an artist silenced

by time and drowned out by more dominant tones. To those even outside the artistic community, revolutionary painter Pablo Picasso is a household name. An artist not so well-known is a colleague and close friend Picasso collaborated with to produce some of the great works and most innovative styles of the early 20th century, Georges

Braque. Carreno brought up the background of both artists, highlighting their drastically different origins, followed by their mutual influence in the development of Analytical Cubism. Tense genre debates were brought up with artist Meret

Oppenheim’s “Object (Le Dejeuner en Fourrure)”, presented by Mary Kate Mehegan, junior, and Alyssa

Golombik, junior. It was interesting to see the subtle differences between the Dada and Surrealist

movements, and the presenters opinion’s on exactly where the piece falls genre-wise. Lastly, Laura Preaskorn, junior, capped off

the afternoon’s presentation portion with an in-depth exploration of the real-life woman behind

the Mona Lisa’s vague grimace, as well as the vast cultural influences of the famous painting. The rather convivial afternoon was ended

by a National Art Honor Society induction and congratulatory words by guest speaker John M. Adams,

K-12 Art Resource Teacher for FCPS. As listeners’ heads left the Lecture Hall filled with images of furry cups, cubism, and both famous and not-so famous women throughout art history, both the presenters and Mr. Adams could feel accomplished knowing that for at least one afternoon minds were broadened and perspectives expanded by the revelatory power of art.

Independent art study students share oft-forgotten chapters of art history

Sofia Diez and Ashleigh Wilson present the works of Lorna Simpson.

Art-loving students listen closely.emma pfeifer emma pfeifer

emma pfeiferStudents hone in on the story of anti-war artist Kathe Kollwitz.

emma pfeifer

The audience enraptured by the presentation in progress

reid perkinsstaff writer

9march 15, 2012feature

feature

Based on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s adaptation of “Footloose”, Oakton’s interpretation, will bring the characters and music to life in this high

energy musical. When Ren McCormack, played by senior Aidan Smith, and his mother move from Chicago, Ren is prepared for the adjustment to his new school. However, he isn’t prepared for the restrictions, including a ban on dancing set by the local preacher, who attempts to control the town’s youth. The preacher’s rebellious daughter, Ariel Moore, played by senior Emma Mankin, sets her sights on Ren, which creates problems with other charac-ters throughout the play. This story is a classic, however, students at Oakton don’t know what to expect with this version of the play.

“Dancing is my favorite part of muscials,” says Caitlin Yee, sophomore “I hope they put energy into the dance numbers.” As the opening date on March 29 draws near, the actors and actresses think about how far they have come, and what they think students will remember about their show.

“My favorite thing about being in the cast is that we all challenge each other and push one another to our limits so that we can achieve our best,” says Mankin.

“As of right now the progress of the show is going pretty smoothly. I am confident that the show will be where we want it to be by opening night,” said Lauren Frautschi, a sophomore in the cast. “I think the students will notice the bond all of the actors have, and the cast will remember all the great friends we made during this process.”

Admit One: Footloose

reina dattastaff writer

The Directors: Director: Vanessa Gelinas

Vocal Director: Tiffany PowellMusical Director: Dr. Cheryl Newton

Make sure to get your tickets:Presale: $8

At the door: $10

Aiden Smith busts a move during a rehearsal for Footloose. “Watch-ing the play gradually come to-gether is my favorite experience.” said Aidan Smith.

Some dance team members, in-cluding Sophia Calopedis, senior, have volunteered to be dancers in the Footloose production. “It’s fun having dance team girls doing it,” Calopedis said. “Our season may be over, but I still get to see them.”

catherine reed

Role: Ariel MooreEmma Mankin, 12

reina datta

Aidan Smith, 12Role: Ren McCormack

reina datta

Oakton’s team of actors come together in a pro-duction that will make you want to cut loose.

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Oakton is by no means known for its buzzing criminal activity and compared to other high schools in the U.S. it is relatively tame. The recent addition of John Skyles to the Oakton security staff will

definitely aid in reinforcing a safe school environment. As a retired Secret Service Agent, having served from President Ford to President Clinton, he is far from inexperienced. Although Skyles majored in business and administration at the University

of Wyoming, after speaking with his uncle who worked in the government, Skyles interviewed for a position on the Secret Service staff.“I was hired after an intense background investigation,” Skyles said. “The

investigator actually stopped by my house to introduce himself. He said ‘I wanted to meet you because I’ve never met a high school or college student that hasn’t done something wrong in their lifetime.’” Skyles’ personality and dedication to responsibility may have predisposed

him to be an ideal candidate for the Secret Service, but he still had to spend three months training; toning his physical shape, learning the correct way to handle firearms and mastering important driving skills. “They had Nascar instructors teaching us how to drive,” Skyles said. “You

learn how to high-speed chase, do J-turns and all of those cool turns you see in the movies.”All of Skyles’ hard work paid off. As a Secret Service agent, he was able

to meet Princess Dianna and Mother Teresa, and he was also blessed by the Pope. “I got to travel all around the world, to places you don’t want to go, and

places you do,” Skyles said. “I got to see people and go places I never would have gotten to if I hadn’t been in that position.”

10march 15, 2012feature

A not so secret agent

Exchange teachers visit Oakton

madlin mekelburgfeature editor

daniel greenestaff writer

As a Secret Service agent, Skyles worked in close quarters with the first family. “Everything you heard around the first family is confidential,” Skyles said. “That way they feel com-fortable having you around.”

Although Skyles is used to working with Presidents and other important people, he has enjoyed his time at Oakton so far. “I enjoy the staff here, and the students are very nice,” Skyles said. “Everyone has been very welcoming.”

For the last few weeks, Oakton has been hosting eight teachers from around the world through the Teaching Excellence and Achievement program, run by the state department. . After being selected from thousands of applications, these teachers come to Oakton from Feb. 8 through March 7. Oakton volunteers for this program, because of the educational opportunities it pro-vides these teachers, and Oakton teachers and students. Below, two of these teachers share their experiences and opinions about the American school system.

Dmytro Bekas, a Social Studies teacher from Ukraine, has been teaching for 10 years in classes fairly similar to those at Oakton. Bekas noticed a few differences between the U.S. and Ukraine, mainly regarding technol-ogy in the classroom.

“We do not have the technical opportunities you have in American schools,” Bekas said. “We do not have as much equipment, Smart Boards, for example.”

Bekas has enjoyed learning about the U.S. and all the new experiences. “The biggest culture shock has not been the roads or the school sizes but the amount and diversity of

food,” Bekas said.

Rajesh Patil has been teaching English and History in an Indian government school for 21 years. While in the USA, he noticed the massive difference in class sizes. “The classes in India [are] typically around sixty students but can go up to 120,” Patil said. “Here the

classes look empty.” Patil says he has learned a lot while staying here such as teaching methods along with American culture

and has very much enjoyed the American experience.

all photos by daniel greene

Rajesh Patil, India

Dmytro Bekas, Ukraine

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kari maharajstaff writer 11march15, 2012

feature

Hot water. Something that we take for granted every day, is the cause of inspiration for Senior Kelsey Wildman, who in honor of her cousin Annie, created the “An-

swers for Annie Club.” The club was put together to raise money to buy a new solar water heater for the Kondanani Orphanage in Malawi, Africa. Raising money for the orphanage has always been close to the

heart of the president and founder, Wildman. “My cousin was originally adopted from the orphanage in Ma-

lawi, Africa, and that led me and my family to be more aware and involved with the orphanage,” Wildman said. “Also, my Aunt, who just recently passed away, had an especially

strong connection with the orphanage that made me want to help them even more.”To get the awareness across to other Oakton students, Wildman

put up posters around the school to broadcast the club. This is what attracted vice president, Megan Cooney, to join the cause.“I saw posters literally everywhere, on every single wall. The

posters were cute and vibrant, always catching my eye. So I de-cided to check it out,” Cooney said. Wildman, Cooney and the other eleven girls in the club, brain-

stormed and devised the idea to raise money through a party. This low budget party was held at the Vienna Community Cen-

ter, accompanied by DJ Vilar, a volunteer DJ giving out two free Mac Miller tickets. “I have a mutual friend with Mac Miller’s marketing manager that actually came and asked me to

be able to give free tickets at the party, so they could broadcast Mac Miller’s label to the high school students,” Wildman said. “I

considered it a win-win situation; it gave me a great way to get people to come out and also helped out Mac Miller as well.” Wildman also met her initial goal of raising $4,000. She raised

$2,090 from the 209 party attendees, and over $1,000 from friends and families of club members. Happy with the turnout Wildman is already making plans for another party later this spring. “I think people had a good time, so I’m hoping more people will

come out to the next party,” Wildman said. “But regardless I’m definitely doing another; it was really suc-

cessful, and the DJ already said he would do it again for free because it was for a good cause.”

Answers for Annie party

carly stonehousestaff writer

Answers for Annie team members pose in front of their hand- made sign before the party that night.

On Tuesday Feb. 21, seniors Mitchell Dollard and Tulsi Ratnam, and junior Dylan

Staniszewski were awarded Scholastic Gold Key awards, for their art work.“I got my Gold Key for my work

with computer graphics. After winning at the regional level, we go onto the national competition and if we win there it would be really cool,” Dollard said. “After college I want to work in Kinetic Imaging and Graphic design.” The students were recognized by

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. It is a nonprofit organization that recognizes the creative works of teenagers all over the country for exhibition, publication and scholarship opportunities.“The Gold Key is basically the art

equivalent of winning states. I used to

be on swim team and that was my life but this year I really focused on my photography,” Staniszewski said. I want to do photography in college, I am obsessed with it.” Ratnam also received the Cluster

VIII Assistant Superintendent’s award from Dr. Zuluaga for her photography portfolio along with a Gold Key.“I was really honored to even be

recognized,” Ratnam said. “My portfolio was pictures of the seven deadly sins and then the last photo was of the sinner because in total we needed eight photos in our portfolios.”The Gold Key is the most prestigious

of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The winning art and photos were on display at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus at the Ernst Community Cultural Center.

Scholastic art and writing awards

photo courtesy of dylan staniszewski

Answers for Annie, a new club, held a party to raise money for orphans in Malawi, Africa

Staniszewski’s extensive photography portfolio includes photos of everything from art work to animals, including her dog (pictured above). Since she stopped competitive swimming she has had more time to devote to her passion.

carly stonehouse

Members of Pretend and Release got a huge break Sunday Feb. 19 scoring a spot at the infamous

9:30 club in D.C. “Overall the experience was very nerve

raking, playing at such a big name club,” said senior Max Harrison lead guitarist. “But as soon as we started playing everything went away.” Pretend and Release formed in early June

with Harrison on guitar and senior Ryan Hobbs strumming the bass. “Ryan and I were in a band earlier but

most of the members were seniors,” Harri-son said. “So we knew of some friends who could drum and sing and decided we didn’t want to leave the music scene.” After a summer of jamming and loose

practices the final band debuted at Cougar Kick Off, with new additions Max Stabile moving to play on the drums and Ryan Mul-reany singing lead vocals and playing guitar. “The only band I had ever been a part of

was one in middle school called ‘The Con-spiracy’ so it was nice to be in an organized

band,” said Mulreany. The band practiced two times a week to

stay up to speed on their music, and then they practice every day leading up to a show. Along with the kick off of their tour, the band is currently recording an album to be released in the spring. “Our fans can expect an eargasm from our

CD in the spring, it’s great,” Harrison said.The band is a creative mesh of all the

minds in the group, each with their own song. All the members of the band write and contribute to the lyrics. “My favorite song is ‘Can’t Help but Smile’

because when I wrote it the lyrics meant a lot” Mulreany said. Once you walked through the beaten down

doors of the smug 9:30 club you enter a small hallway, where you can’t help but think to yourself “Am I at the right place or the wrong side of D.C.?” After you pass through this moment of shock and walk through the threshold of the stage door, you experience the full character of the 9:30 club: flashing lights, fog and screaming fans.

“The atmosphere was great. There were over 300 people aside from our friends there,” Mulreany said. This concert was one of many stops on the

Pretend and Release tour around the area, the next venue is the local Jamin Java on April 20, where you can expect to see a new mix of reggae.

The Closet 845 Station St.Herndon, VA 20170 Consignment

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Great selection of designer and moderate clothing, accessories, handbags, shoes, jewelry and more.

Student Band Battles at the 9:30 club

spencer conleysports co-editor

Oakton students land their first gig at a famous club in D.C.

1 Fashionable clothing at half the price; the longer clothing is on the rack, the less you have to pay.

141 Church Street NW #AVienna, VA 22180

Lead singer Ryan Mulreany opens the night with an emotionally charged song at the highly esteemed 9:30 club. “The venue was great it was incredible seening all my friends show their sup-port” Mulreany said.

12march 15, 2012feature

photo courtesy of stephanie miller

13march 15, 2012opinion

pinionsStudents weigh in on controversial topics in our daily lives

FCPS takes honors classes in wrong directionWe’ve all heard about the recent school board decision

to restore several honors courses in high schools around the county. This decision has spurred much

debate over whether this decision will really benefit FCPS students and whether the strain put on teachers will be worth it. Parents, school board members and teachers continue to toss ideas back and forth, despite the fact that the decision to offer these courses has already been made. However, an important voice seems to be missing: the voice of FCPS students. Previously, sophomores were forced to choose

between AP and regular courses for their history classes, and in junior year, had to make this decision not only for their history classes but for their English classes as well. The same choices applied to seniors. However, FCPS plans to begin offering honors level English and history courses for every grade level, which is endlessly beneficial to students. High school is stressful, there’s no doubt about that. Plenty

of students have commitments other than academics, such as sports, jobs, family obligations and many others. The addition of honors courses will allow students to better balance their schedules while taking these responsibilities into account. Also, many students aren’t ready for college-level courses, and up until now they have had to take regular courses in English and history because they had no other choice. Additional honors courses will allow these students to challenge themselves without committing to an AP class. However, this decision is far from perfect. For example,

Oakton High School is changing the two classes that are referred to as Senior Seminar; Oakton is offering AP

Government with English 12 Honors rather than with AP English 12 Lit, which is how it was previously offered. Many students are frustrated with this choice, as it is no longer possible to take both AP Government and AP English 12 Lit. There are several situations such as this in the new class options that have caused frustration among students and parents alike. The new options for honors classes are a wonderful addition

to our curriculum, there’s no doubt about that. The only problem is the somewhat restricting ways in which these classes are offered. Many students had already planned out their schedules for next year, and the modification of class offerings has forced them

to reevaluate their choices. Students aren’t necessarily harmed by this decision, but for some, it has caused minor difficulties. What FCPS should have done is offer honors classes in

addition to classes that are currently being offered, rather than at the expense of other course options. All classes should be offered with a stand-alone option in order to meet the needs of all students and not force them in to taking classes that are not fitting for them. This is another way to gauge that the needs of students are met; if there is a low demand for the class at hand, then that class can promptly be dropped, rather than never giving students a chance to enroll in the class at all. Overall, this decision will take some getting used to by both

students and teachers, but it is definitely a beneficial decision. Maybe, over time, FCPS and Oakton High School will be able to re-implement the classes that were removed from the curriculum, offering a plethora of courses to its students. Until then we can just wait and see what these new courses have to offer.

The Staff Editorial is the official opinion of the Outlook

kim gibbons

15march 15, 2012opinion14march 15, 2012

opinion

What’s your opinion on...

online gaming?

“I think online gaming is much better, because most of it is free.” caleb gri-abbott, 9

Google+?exchange teachers at Oakton?

“I really enjoy hearing about the different teaching and learn-ing styles. It’s a cul-tural experience.”

adria davis, 12

“I think Google+ had a pretty good start, but it eventually just faded away.”

aisha amjad, 11

“Sadie Hawkins, don’t know her... yet.” jacob

markin, 9

Sadie Hawkins?next year’s new class options?“The opportunity to take new honors courses next year helps me to plan and balance my new schedule.”hailey dougherty, 10

Over the past 15 years, the gaming industry has grown exponentially and is now the world’s biggest entertainment industry. Video games have become a part of modern culture.

According to the NPD Group, 72 percent of Americans play video games of some sort or another. The question that many gamers have argued for years is which is better: PC or console?PC gaming is often overlooked, but the quality of games made for the PC

(not games ported over from consoles) have never been better. Computers create an experience that consoles cannot because computers have a keyboard and mouse. Strategy games are far superior on the PC than on consoles. Computers also provide a more realistic experience for first-person shooters (FPS). Having a mouse and keyboard is ideal for an FPS. PC gaming provides what the hardcore gamer needs.PC gaming has also allowed for much more customization and sharing

of user created content. Video and audio settings are highly adjustable. There is an entire market of user created content for every game. Custom game content can be downloaded easily online and used in games for the PC. This can change how the games are played and adds many more possibilities than can be achieved on consoles. In order to use custom content on consoles with a game that does not support it, hoops have to be jumped through. This may even require downloading software onto the console illegally. Console gaming is appealing because it is affordable and fairly simple.

Unlike the PC, there is no need to blow $1,500 or $2,000 on a system that can handle top notch games. Consoles are made for gaming and are usually no more than $399 with a hard drive. They are also very simple because games and software do not need to be installed. They can be placed on virtually any television and are light and easy to move. The controllers for consoles are very simple compared to a keyboard and mouse. Consoles are definitely more appealing to a more casual audience. There is no real wrong answer to which is better, but what PC gaming

provides cannot be replicated by consoles while much of the experience provided by consoles can be provided by computers. From role-playing games to real time-strategy games, the PC does it. Console controllers can even be used on PCs. Unless you do not want to drop the cash or you are a more casual gamer, the PC is the ultimate gaming experience.

In the not-too-distant past, all we had in terms of social networking was AIM. Most of us can barely remember

it, but there really was a time when we wor-ried about our latest buddy icon rather than a profile picture. We used silly abbreviations, but not necessarily because we had to fit our thoughts within 140 characters. And we inserted emoticons to digitalize our feelings, not GIFs. Now, between Facebook, Twitter and

Tumblr, we are swamped with a plethora of social networking sites. Google+ recently joined the fray, portraying itself as the newest innovation in social networking. However, it is really little more than just a mere copy of any other chat site.The problem does not actually lie within

the features of Google+. In fact, Google+ has all of the vital and useful features that a social networking site should have, from an instant messaging component to photo sharing. It offers multi-way video chats, something that is even relatively unique. Rather, the problem is the site itself, espe-cially its time of release. Facebook, the target competitor of

Google+, was released in 2004. It has practically eight years on Google+, ample time for it to tweak its features to maxi-mize accessibility and functionality. Also, more importantly, Facebook has had those eight years to build up its user population. If Google+ hopes to surpass Facebook in terms of popularity, then it has quite an arduous journey ahead. Facebook’s 800 mil-lion users did not sign up overnight; it took eight years and plenty of changes.Furthermore, it seems unlikely that us-

ers will simply ditch Facebook for Google+ anytime soon. Face-book has had more than enough time to reinforce user loyalty. If not for its familiar-ity, then Facebook will retain its users for the sake of convenience; it is just too much of a hassle to switch over to a newer site like Google+ when all of your friends still use

Facebook. Re-uploading the thousands of photos that are already on Facebook does not seem fun, either.Sure, there is no problem with having

accounts on both sites. However, for much of the same reasons, Facebook would likely be the one getting more browsing time. Google+ would just be cast off as an “ex-tra” – just another part of an email account. The greatest flaw of Google+ is this

competition with Facebook. Technology blogs pitted the sites against each other

from the beginning, and this feud does not seem to have an end in sight. Unlike Twitter or Tumblr, which differ from Facebook enough to hold their own, Google+ follows a formula that is too remi-niscent of Facebook itself. It was simply released too late to be hailed as something new and revolutionary in the already overpopulated world of social network-ing.

We live in a fantasy world called Oakton High School. As a result, many of us are ignorant of issues pertaining to the rest of FCPS. One issue

is that some school boundaries include higher concentrations of poverty, meaning that the educational needs of students attending these “poorer” schools are not always met. With 49% of students in FCPS living in families with foreign-born parents, the growing diversity in schools has resulted in further obstacles for administrators.Erich Welch, a teacher at J.E.B Stuart High School, has

proposed a charter school that would admit 450 students from the greater Falls Church, Bailey’s Crossroads and Annandale communities. The proposed Fairfax Leadership Academy’s location is ideal because of the area’s demographic history. Because charter schools are public schools created by independent groups who want flexibility in their approaches to teaching, it would not receive extra funding from FCPS or have selective admissions requirements. Unique features to the charter school would be longer school days and a full year calendar which would help students develop the skills they need in order to graduate successfully. The biggest challenge is educating others about charter

schools. Many schools, such as Falls Church High School, believe that there is an unfair advantage if their students are “taken away” from them; however, there is no selection process, and the students that would be selected are not even of high school age. More importantly, how can change happen if initial steps are not taken towards benefitting several hundred kids? This charter school is not being proposed by a random organization that is foreign to FCPS. The people supporting it are regular individuals in the county with extraordinary goals. They, like many others who follow Virginia education, know that there is a problem, and this is their solution. It is time for FCPS to try something different, because

times have changed. Many programs, such as AVID, are geared toward low-income students, but they are not enough. The truth is that FCPS is not preparing every student for a successful future. Underprivileged students need more resources, and the achievement gap will keep widening if these issues are not addressed now. However, if the proposal is approved by the Fairfax County School Board this August, the school will be open to 7th and 8th graders on Aug. 12, 2013. It would be the fifth charter school in Virginia.

It is time for a charter school in FCPS

chris graham

I went to the Sadie Hawkins dance, but I didn’t go because I wanted to dance. I just wanted to see what kind of

turnout it would have, and I was expecting the worst. I honestly came out a little surprised. The Aux. gym did look nice, so clearly this was meant to be a dance equal to Homecoming. Unfortunately, it was lacking in something very important: students.There were people there, but so few

students chose to attend the dance that the Aux. gym felt empty. This troubling development is just one in a long line of school spirit-related problems, and our school seems to have plenty of those. Outside of the homecoming dance and

game and maybe Prom, it seems that

most people just really don’t care about school-related events. Whether it’s from indifference, having more important things to do or just a lack of time, the fact is that most students just don’t find school spirit useful or worth the effort.As you’ve probably noticed, school spirit

is not everyone’s top priority, and while I have nothing against school spirit, I just don’t see the need for it. The purpose of school spirit is to create a sense of school unity, but do we really need to feel more connected to other students in this school? While it would be cool if Oakton could fill a stadium for a football game or a track meet with fans, it’s really not necessary.So in a perfect world, the administration

would see the error of their ways, use this money elsewhere and leave us alone, but that’s not going to happen. If it’s not the leadership kids trying to promote school spirit, (bless their hearts, by the way, for trying as hard as they do in such an apathetic environment) some administrator or parent would try, because someone in or around this school thinks we need school spirit. The point is, most of the students at this school do not care who wins or loses, and nothing anyone says will change that. Let us just accept that, move on and have peaceful Fridays once again.

Sadie Hawkins: Final call for school spirit

Google+ joins a bloated social networking market

melanie aguilarstaff writer

alex xenosstaff writer

marilyn yangcopy editor

olliver lopez-gomezonline editor

PC gaming offers the same as console gaming and more

marilyn yang

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website www.oaktonoutlook.comand follow us on twitter

@oaktonmedia

17march 15, 2012indepth

Students give their input on re-cent topics of discussion regarding scheduling

indepthstatistics from a survey of 247 students

Freshman

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

Scheduling survey

Do you think the addition of honors classes is a good idea?

Yes

25.1

%

No

74.9

%

17.4 %

30.3 %26.0 %

26.4 %40.3 %

32.3 %

17.7 %

9.7 %

Of those who said NoOf those who said Yes

Have you ever skipped during cougar time?

Yes No Of those who said Yes

16.2 %

21.6 %

36.5 %

25.7 % 24.9 %

24.9 %28.3 %

21.9 %

Of those who said No

70.0

%

30.0

%

Do you think it would be beneficial to have the option to see two teachers during cougar time (each for 30 minutes)?

Yes

27.5

%

No

72.5

%

Of those who said Yes Of those who said No

21.2 %

27.4 % 28.5 %

22.9 % 25.0%

14.7%36.8%

23.5%

Saved by the bell

OPTION A

karli gillespiestaff writer

18march 15, 2012indepth

Oakton has been flooding with talk about news of a new class schedule beginning next school year. Oakton administrators are now debating between two extremely different schedule options from what is currently in place at Oakton.

This allows you to build more relationships among students, from freshmen to seniors. Twenty students will be ran-domly assigned to one classroom, where they will go every Gold day for the entire school year. The first 15 minutes will be spent on administrative needs (attendence, the pledge, morning announcements, Cougar News and a review of academic progress of students). This will essentially be your home-room, where you will turn in any forms, recieve interims and build friendships.

If schedule option A is chosen, Student Advisory students will be able to go to two different Cougar Time sessions every Gold day. Students will still be able to go to the teacher of their choosing for CT, but will be assigned to classrooms if failing a class.

Two Cougar Times

An extra period will be added next school year, though you will still only be taking seven classes. Oakton decided to add this period in attempt to remove the “singleton” everyday seventh period. An eighth period will help alleviate the problems of overcrowding in seventh period, as well as open up new options for AP science and seminar classes for seventh and eighth periods.

Eighth Period

Student Advisory

19march 15, 2012indepth

For most students, Collaboration Wednesdays are the highlight of their school week. You get an extra hour of sleep, or more time to complete your unfinished homework. However, next year, students won’t get an extra full hour of relax-ation. After this year, Collaboration will start at 8:00 A.M., rather than the 8:20 A.M. we have become used to. While losing an extra ten minutes of sleep might be unbearable to some, unlike the the past few years’ Collaboration, there will still be Cougar Time on these days (an hour long CT with schedule Option A and 35 minutes with Option B).

OPTION B

Rather than having A Lunch start at 11:05 like this year, all lunches will be scheduled 30 minutes earlier - now to the ten o’clock hour. Whether the school changes to schedule option A or B, this new and im-proved lunch schedule is here to stay.

Brunch Time Cougar Time

With schedule option B, Cougar Time will be every other day, like option A, but you will only have one 45 minute session. You will be able to go to the teacher of your choosing, unless failing a class, and have some extra time to work on assignments or get help from your teachers.

Each of your seven classes will be rotated through the “Return Period,” essentially giving each class an extra 40 minutes of each. If on Monday you are assigned to first period, then on Wednesday you would go to second period for Return Period. This will run like a normal class; attendance will be taken, and time can be used to review assestments, discuss upcoming projects or continue lessons from the previous class.

Return Period

Adminsitrators plan to make the final desicion on which schedule to choose before Spring Break.

What about Collaboration Wednesdays?

20march 15, 2012indepth

Choosing the level of difficulty for the coming school year’s classes has always been stressful and confusing. But with next year’s class options for all the grades’ history and Eng-

lish courses, more options are making things a little more complex.The grade that will remain the same is 9th grade’s regular and hon-

ors history and English classes. But 10th grade is where the changes start to take place. Both this grade and 11th grade will take on the addition of honors history and English in addition to the regular and AP level. English 10 teacher Sarah Licklider has mixed feelings about it.

“I think [the honors option] is great for students who would be too hesitant to make that leap, so it’s great for students who have always wanted to try out the higher level course but were too shy to do so,” Licklider said. “But it does worry me that other students aren’t going to push themselves as they should.”

While Licklider sees benefits in both having and not having hon-ors classes, AP Literature teacher Sidney Dillon doesn’t see a point to having an honors option.

“I think that if kids can take an honors class, they can probably do as well in an AP class. If they do honors, it’s not going to be all that much easier than AP,” Dillon said. “One thing about AP classes is that kids feed off each other. And if they’re strong students they’ll do better, so I don’t see a reason not to take it.”

A large group of students are appreciative of the opportunity to take an honors class rather than AP. Sophomore Emily Stangeby is looking forward to her junior year with the comfort and reassur-ance of having the honors U.S./VA history as opposed to the AP version.

“I personally love the idea of honors history. I mean, it’s better to be in a class that fits you and that you’re comfortable with rather than push yourself too hard and suffer,” Stangeby said “History can be a difficult class to take at the AP level and should be the subject to have that extra option for those students who need it. It just makes things easier.”

Not all students, however, are as psyched for the honors option to be presented to them. Sophomore Diana Yen doesn’t find honors ap-plicable to her academics.

“I don’t care if there is honors because I’m taking AP history my junior year either way,” Yen said. “I feel pressured from colleges because I’m already a minority and a girl, so I want to make myself look as good as possible. The grading and weights are different in honors and AP so I’m trying to be in the class that will be the best for my GPA.”

Senior year class options are where things get a little more complicated. The combined AP U.S. Government and AP Literature is offered this year. Next year this will then become AP Government and honors Litera-ture for the 2012-2013 school year. Another class option is called the Super Seminar “Trifecta.” It includes

a full year of AP Literature, and one semester of AP U.S. Govern-ment and another semester of AP Comparative Government. In this Trifecta, three AP exams are taken at the end of the year, but only two points will be weighted to the GPA.

Though the honors curriculum hasn’t been written yet, counselors still encourage students to select their classes as though the honors is an in-between for the rigor of the AP level and the basics of regular classes. Since it hasn’t been offered in the school before, only time will tell if the addition of honors is a good idea.

The honorable choice

alana petersstaff writer

Oakton is incorporating several new honors and AP courses to its 2012-2013 curriculum.

isabella kidane

So, what are the options?“Trifecta” Super Seminar AP Literature, AP Govern-ment and AP Comparative Goverment

In this class, you will spend all year learning AP Lit, while spending first semester on AP Gov and second semester on AP Comparative. By taking this class you get an automatic two point boost to your GPA, and in May you will be taking three AP exams.

Senior Seminar AP Government and Honors Literature

Like Trifecta, Senior Seminar is a combined class taking up two class periods. You would spend all year learn-ing both Literature and Gov-ernment, and only have to take one AP exam in May. A 1.5 point boost is also added to your GPA for taking this class.

AP Literature stand alone

Rather than putting yourself in a class where you must take three APs in order to take AP Literature, you can take the course all by itself. You only get a one point boost to your GPA, but you also only have to take one AP exam in May.

Honors Governmentstand alone

Unlike past years, taking stand alone AP Government is not going to be offered next year. If you are not taking either of the two seminars offered, you only have the option of taking Honors of Regular Government. How-ever, on the plus side, you get a .5 boost to your GPA, without taking the stressful AP exam at the end of the year.

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23march 15, 2012sports

in briefquick sports news from the past weeks

sports

girls tennis Tennis looks to start off this year strong with

new head coach Lauren Patrizi. Every team wants to win, but for Patrizi, tennis is more than that.“Every coach says ‘to win,’ right? My goals

for the team this season are to compete with

rugby clubThe Rugby Club, which was started in the

late 90’s by Mike Murphy and Clarence Wil-liams, and consists of students around the Northern Virginia area, competes in games from NOVA all the way to Virginia Beach. Social Studies teacher and former college

rugby player, Joseph Neuman, contributes to the club whenever possible. “It’s the NOVA U19 team, but Oakton

kids play on it, so it’s made up of kids from Oakton, Centerville, Chantilly, Westfield-- it doesn’t follow the traditional American sports model,” Neuman said Rugby, which was founded in the United

Kingdom and is highly popular all over Eu-rope, is becoming a popular college sport.

boys lacrosseThe boy’s lacrosse team has started the sea-

son with two promising pre-season showings against Osbourn Park and Annandale. These successful games were the product of excep-tional play from attack man Sean Schweicker with 4 goals and 2 assists in both games, Matt Dunwoody on defense and Andrew Lohmann as a long stick middy. Overall the team has high hopes, with a state championship within their reach.

michael mcnameeOn Feb. 2, senior track runner Michael Mc-

Namee broke school and district records in the 1000 meter event. His blistering time of 2 minutes and 29.05 seconds at the district meet vaulted him forward to victory in the event and into the state and regional competitions. “That was my goal,” McNamee said. “It was

like having a weight lifted from my shoul-ders.” He proceeded to place third in the 1600 meter event and racked up a top 10 finish in the 500 meter dash at the Northern Region tournament. It only got better at states where he came third in the 1000 meter and 1600 meter events.

22march 15, 2012sports

professionalsports briefs

The standard for Washington professional sports teams is to underachieve. This is a trend that the Wizards are following once again this season. The Wizards, just a lowly 9-31, are second to last in the Eastern Con-ference and in the NBA overall. The Wizards were able to bring in new talent

to the team this season including two first round draft picks in small forwards, Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton. However, the team seems to be doing worse with these players.In fact, both of the first round picks are

averaging less than a combined six points

per game and six rebounds per game. John Wall, who was tagged as the next great point guard, has not been performing up to his expectations. Wall has been a solid passer as he is averaging 7.8 assists per game, ranking him eighth in the NBA. In contrast, Wall is first in the NBA in turn-overs per game, averaging 4.1. Wall has played decently enough to be a good point guard, but the fact is that he has no help and cannot carry a team alone.While the Wizards are continuing to be

a struggling team, there are some hopes. The team is extremely young and looks to be one for the future as it has been playing better as of late. Nevertheless Wizards fans are going to have to endure another season of misery and hope the future is bright.

washington wizards

integrity, display outstanding sportsmanship, to be proud but humble in our successes and, if we should happen to lose, to do so graciously,” Patrizi said. “Tennis is a spectator sport! We welcome

any and all who would like to come out to cheer for us at our matches. Let’s go Cougars!”

Undefeated state championsGirls basketball wins their first AAA State Championship

girls soccerThe girl’s soccer team has started their season

strong with two 3-1 scrimmages victories against both Annandale and South Lakes. This start is the beginning of a strong season to couple with the formidable force Oakton soccer was last year despite the loss of their starting seniors. Girl’s soccer looks to be a serious threat this year for district, regional and even a state title with three seniors, Alex Weaver, Alex Meyers and Danielle Fitzgerald already Division 1 committed.

boys tennisThe boys tennis team has started the season

strong with a formidable 8-1 win against Fair-fax in their scrimmage. This year many of the returning tennis stars are back making for a huge threat in the concord District. This newly energized boy’s team is lead by senior captains Kyle Delgado, Pat Cary and Alex Tyskowski.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPBY THE NUMBERS

KATHERINE COYER, SR.24 Total Points7-12 FG-FGA10-11 FT-FTA2 Total Rebounds3 Assists2 Steals

CAROLINE COYER, SR.9 Total Points4-13 FG-FGA1-2 FT-FTA7 Total Rebounds4 Assists1 Steals

ELIZABETH MANNER, JR.13 Total Points4-12 FG-FGA5-6 FT-FTA16 Total Rebounds2 Assists1 Block

ANGELA SICKELS, JR.8 Total Points3-4 FG-FGA2-2 FT-FTA1 Total Rebounds1 Assist2 Blocks

KARLIE CRONIN, FR.4 Total Points2-5 FG-FGA4 Rebounds1 Assist3 Steals

STARTING FIVE

TEAMS

Oakton

Princess Anne

1st 2nd 3rd 4th TOTALS

14 10 15 195 16 9 9

5839

With a 58-39 victory over state rival Princess Anne, the Lady Cougars conclusively took the state title back to Vienna. For the first time in school history, led by senior captains Caroline and Katherine Coyer, Oakton finished their season 31-0 with the State AAA Championship trophy back in our locker room. Caroline earlier in the state tournament was named Virginia’s Gatorade Player of the Year and Katherine earned her stripes by dominating the game with 24 points over impressive Princess Anne defense.

allie berubesports co-editor

photos by allie berube

WE ARE GOING TO KNOCK THEM DEAD (NOT LITERALLY)

O

25march 15, 2012sports24march 15, 2012

sports

PRINGBASEBALLSOFTBALLSOCCER

LACROSSE

TRACKTENNIS LAX

SOFTBALL TENNISSOCCERBASEBALLSOFTBALLLACROSSEOUTDOORTRACK LAXBASEBALL

TENNISLAXSOCCERBASEBALLSOFTBALL

GLAXBTENLACROSSETRACK BLAX

BASEBALLTENNISGSOCC

OUTDOOR TRACKSOCCERLAX

SOFTBALLLACROSSE

LACROSSEGTENBLAXTRACK

TENNISBASEBALLLACROSSE

LACROSSE

TENNIS LAXSOCCER

BASEBALLBSOCCSOFTBALLTRACK BLAX

BASEBALLLAX SOCCERSOFTBALL LAXLACROSSE

BASEBALLLAXGLAXSOFTBALLPORTS

2012 PREVIEW

12OAKTON

12OHS

OHS

OHS

BASEBALLOAKTON

OHSOHS

BY THE NUMBERS I’M READY...

DON’T ASK MEHOW “EXCITED” I AM... I’M NOT EXCITED

SOMETIMES OFF-THE-FIELD POLITICS HAVE

A GREATER INFLUENCE THAN ACTUAL ABILITY

ZERO FIGHTS WILL OCCUR ON THE BOYS TEAM THIS YEAR ON CREW, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE GIRL’S TEAM THOUGH

RUMORS SPREAD ON CREW LIKE WILDFIRE AND IT REALLY MESSES WITH US

THE SCHOOL NEEDS TO DO ADDITIONAL WORK ON OUR FIELD & FACILITIES TO SUPPORT US

I LIKE MY COACH AS A LEADER BUT HE KNOWS

VERY LITTLE ABOUT [OUR SPORT]. HOWEVER, THE ASSISTANT COACHES MAKE UP FOR THIS LACK

OF KNOWLEDGE

HOPING PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME OUT TO SUPPORT

YOU ONLY RUN ONCE THAT’S THE MOTTO, YORO

THERE’S A HUGE SEPARATION IN BOTH ABILITY AND ATTITUDE BETWEEN VARSITY AND JV

OAKTON

OHS

OHS

As the winter season officially ended with the girls basketball team winning the AAA State Championship (see page 23), spring sports are in full swing. After winning six Concorde District Championships in 2011, Oakton’s spring teams are looking for a big year to continue their Northern Region dominance. New storylines have emerged around our campus with the hirings of new girls lacrosse and girls tennis coaches, a crop of talented freshman and a senior class sending countless athletes on to the next level. With ten different sports programs during the spring, end-of-the-year athletics are anyting but dull. To kick off this exciting spring season, the Outlook has taken an inside look at over 100 athletes opinions concerning their upcoming season, their teammates and their coaches. With so many Oakton students involved in these programs, there are bound to be ups, downs and complaints, and the Outlook has given an anonymous voice to our athletes.

allie berubesports co-editor

HOW MANY DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL OAKTON WIN THIS SPRING SEASON?

1-23-4

5-67-8

9

16%

43%

18%

7%

14%

ON A SCALE OF 1-5, HOW INTENSE DO YOU

THINK YOUR COACH IS? 12

3

5

7%

9%

12%

37%

32%

4

HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK DO YOU HAVE PRACTICE, CONDITIONING OR GAMES?

1-4DAYS

5DAYS

6DAYS

OR MORE

Hu surfaces for air in the final sprint of the 400 freestyle relay, clinching Oakton first place.

Festivities commence at the Jim McKay Natatorium as the Oakton Girls Swim team dove into the pool celebrating their undefeated season and first ever state championship.

www.flickriver.com www.oaktonathletics.org

26march 15, 2012sports

Sixteen hundredths of a second to the majority of athletes is an insignificant sliver, but to Girls Swim and Dive, it was the time that solidified their

claim to the State Championship. Freshman Laura Branton, senior Stephanie Hallock, sophomore Kendall Lawhorn and sophomore Janet Hu clung to this time as it won them the 400 freestyle relay. Cougars were seeded second to Battlefield,

who led the majority of the race, but in the last 100 m, sophomore anchor Hu pulled ahead of the reigning freestyle state champion to seal the victory.“I knew it was going to be tough,” Hu

said. “I just kept my head down and tried to touch the wall first.”The come-from-behind victory earned

Oakton 40 points, a significant portion of their 183 point win, only 17 points ahead of Osbourn Park High School, who came in second place.“States this year was so fast,” Hu said.

“The energy was really exciting.”

The sophomore had several big swims in the state meet, setting both state and pool records in the 100 yd butterfly (53.20) and 100 yd backstroke (53.45). Hu isn’t a stranger to posting big times. Two weeks before states at the regional championship meet, she set regional records for both the 100 yd freestyle (49.52) and 100 yd backstroke (53.76). Both swims were automatic All-American times.“It’s just great that all the hard work has

paid off, to be a part of Oakton history and contribute to the team,” Hu said. Hu began taking swimming lessons when

she was five and joined the Mosby Woods summer swim team and Curl Burke swim club when she was seven. Throughout her young development as a swimmer, her brother, junior Philip Hu, was a constant competitor.“We motivate each other,” Hu said. “I

always try to beat him, but it doesn’t happen as much as when we were little.”Both Hus continue to swim for Curl

Burke, and Janet is training in the pool at least three hours every day, preparing for the future.“I want to swim in college,” Hu said. “As

a sophomore, I have time to decide, but somewhere in California would be really exciting.”For now, Hu will focus on high school,

having fun and swimming fast with her “Oakton swim family.”“My best memories of swimming are with

Oakton. It’s more fun [than club], we’re more of a team, and we support each other more,” Hu said. “Last year at the swim team lock-in I ate seven brownies, had six cups of lemonade, got no sleep, and the next morning I got my best time in the 200 free at a club meet. I got by on chocolate milk and coffee with lots of sugar, but it’s an experience I’ll never forget.”The Oakton girls have a strong returning

team, and hope to repeat next year with back-to-back undefeated seasons and state championships.

jennifer prosserstaff writerHu comes up huge at states

Lin-sanity hits our halls

conner dickstaff writer

Lincredible. InLincible. Linspirational. At first glance, it would appear that this is a list of misspelled words. In

truth, these words describe the new NBA sensation that is Linovating the league, Jeremy Lin. Two years ago, Lin graduated from Harvard after four successful years. At Harvard, he averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 re-bounds and 3.5 assists per game and shot an impressive 47.1 percent from the field, but it still was not enough to get drafted. So why is this kid from Harvard making headlines all over the nation? The answer is simply because he is that good.Before the 2010 season started, many teams

passed up on the opportunity of signing Lin. After five Summer League games and small contract offers from a couple teams, Lin

decided to sign with his hometown Golden State Warriors. After a season, the Warriors decided to part ways with Lin and released him after the NBA Lockout. In December 2011, Lin was claimed off

waivers by the Houston Rockets. Then, two weeks later, the New York Knicks picked up Lin, and they could not be happier. In the past six games, Lin has become an overnight all-star. In his first game with solid minutes played on Feb. 4 against the Nets, Lin fin-ished with 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Lin set a record for most points scored

in his first five starts since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976, with 136 points. He has continued his success throughout the season by averaging 22.6 points and 8.7 assists in

his last 12 games. Also in the past 12 games, he had four double-doubles, and he scored a career-high of 38 points in the Feb. 10 win over the Lakers. So far this season has been one to remem-

ber for the 6’3” guard, and it has no signs of slowing down. Since Lin made headlines everywhere a few short weeks ago, he has only had one game with less than 10 points, and only one game under five assists. In just a short amount of time Lin is ac-

complishing more than a lot of players do in a season, and he has plenty of time left in the season to add on to his great success. He has helped bring his team back the playoff race.

Read the Oakton Outlook for all your informational

needs!

OMG

COUGAR CARICATURESFive Myths Concerning the Hygenic, Structural, and Moral Well-being of Oakton High Schoolhe phrases “falling apart”, “dilapidated beyond repair”, and “45 years without renovations” are thrown around a lot these days, often with the word “Oakton” inexplicably close by. I’ve dusted off the storied, time-worn ailments of mythic stature often ascribed to the frame of this great institution, and much like a common punishment dished out by my old Scoutmaster, have irrefutably “debunked” them.

Myth the First: False heating and temperature reduction- they work not.Many a day are Oakton’s halls filled with the dirge-like diatribes of students bemoaning the abrupt transition

from sizzling-hot trailers to classrooms reminiscent of the ice planet Hoth. While we haven’t determined the exact cause of this great thermal disparity, the theory of global warming (if it’s real, of course) tells us that such conditions will be typical in roughly 1000 years or so all throughout the world. So, the next time you find yourselves breaking out the parkas in late May, just think of yourselves as unwilling participants in a 180-day long experiment to simulate the living conditions that our human descendants and robot masters will be sub-ject to on a day-to-day basis. Science works in mysterious ways.

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Myth the Second: There is a high propensity of water leakage within these walls.Those omnipresent gray plastic trash cans you see doting the halls aren’t just for show. Due to recent global

water shortages, Oakton’s administration has considered the necessity of a sustainable, reliable water source easily accessible in the face of circumstances where both outside water sources and vending machines might be compromised. By retrieving water one drop at a time from the inexplicably leaky ceilings, harvesting back-wash from thrown away water bottles, and Dr. Banbury generously donating an undisclosed amount of sweat produced during one of his notoriously grueling dawn patrol workout sessions, Oakton has already produced a substantial, mostly sterile water supply.

Myth the Third: The bathrooms are flagrant violations of both human decency and godliness.Hmm. I don’t know if I’d be that harsh. Yes, the consistently clogged toilets make it hard for your waste to

end up where it needs to. Yes, the oft-broken sinks somewhat obstruct the twelve people who actually wash their hands from doing so. Yes, the somewhat tasteless in-stall graffiti lacks any proper grammar usage. In all honesty, it was a choice between either renovating the bathroom facilities or producing the several thousand “OHS Honor Code – Honor Counts” complimentary pencils that were mildly well-received several months ago. Sometimes, Oakton’s administration just has to be the bigger man and make those tough decisions.

Myth the Fourth: The school is haunted.Well, we can’t exactly lay this one to rest. Oakton’s frequent unexplainable cold spots (see first

myth) have led much of the administration to consider the probable existence of restless spirits within the halls of Oakton. Thankfully, local shamans have stepped in and determined the specter in question to be that of a comically displaced, though possibly vengeful, Scandinavian river spirit, summoned here via an impromptu after-school Dungeons and Dragons tournament over twenty years ago. Oakton’s ever-helpful Leadership class has “volunteered” to ritualistically carve a protective rune onto the large rock near the school’s entrance, hopefully warding off the revenant and sending the message that Oakton’s water supply need not fall prey to poison and infertility spells. Whether a correlation exists between the wrathful aquatic phantom and the incessant water leakage has yet to be determined.

Myth the Fifth: Athletic spending takes precedence over... well, every other area.Utterly ridiculous. That is all.

reid perkinskeeper of the eldritch tome

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usical come-backs

Music is a large part of our generation. From the second we wake up until the moment we fall asleep, we are essentially listening to some type of music. With music being a large portion of our lives, we strongly depend on singers and songwriters to provide us with such entertainment. Although the following well-known singers have not disappeared

from the media’s radar, they have not released an album in two to three years. 2012 has been dubbed the best year for all things entertainment and in hopes of keeping their names amongst the best, these stars plan to make album releases throughout the year.

artsentertainment

&

adam LAMBERT Lambert roseto fame on the eighth

season of American Idol where he was the runner-up.His first album, “For Your Entertainment,” received much praise from his fans, and after a worldwide tour with fellow American Idol contestant, Allison Iraheta, and Orianthi, Lambert is finally releasing his second studio album, “Trespass-ing”, on Mar. 20. He will also be touring with Queen this upcoming summer in Sonisphere Festival.

FOR FANS OF: Freddie Mercury, Maroon 5,American Idol

the all-american rejects

The group hasbeen around since 2000 as a mainstream rock band. Their most famous songs in-clude, “Move Along,” “Dirty Little Secrets” and “Gives You Hell.” After performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the band took a break to work on their fourth album. Two years later, The All American Rejects’ fourth studio album, “Kids in the Street,” will be released on Mar. 26. The al-bum is expected to have a completely different sound from their previous ones.

FOR FANS OF:Green DayGood CharlotteYellowcard

isabella kidane photo editor

Madonna has been busy with her fashion line, Material Girl, for the past four years. Now that the company is on its feet and doing well, she has decided to return to her humble abode. Her major comeback was announced when she performed at the last Super Bowl. Her 12th album “MDNA” will be re-leased on March 26 and will be headlining a worldwide tour come this May.

Madonna

FOR FANS OF: Christina Aguilera Kylie Minogue Pink

NO DOUBT

FOR FANS OF: Gwen StefaniAlanis MorissetteSave Ferris

No Doubt, is by far the big-gest musical comeback of the year. Known as one of the best groups of the 90s, the band is back to dominate 2012 af-ter an 11 year sabbatical. Al-though they’ve been touring since 2008, No Doubt has seen mediocre attention from the mainstream media. Regardless, the once “best band of the de-cade” is back with, hopefully, the same amazing music. The title and release date of their upcoming album is unknown, but is scheduled for sometime this year.

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examiner.com

Myth #2: It’s a kid’s book. If the aforementioned complex-ity, violence, psychology and politics aren’t enough to prove this one wrong, the only thing to suggest is to read the books and see for yourself. The main characters might be teenagers, but this isn’t a book about ado-lescence. For what it’s worth, my dad is a huge fan.

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What you need to know about

The Story “The Hunger Games” fans everywhere are count-ing down to March 23, eagerly awaiting the big screen adaptation of the first hit in Suzanne Collins’ dysto-pian trilogy. It takes place in Panem, an authoritarian nation comprised of a tyrannical governing city called the Capitol and 12 impoverished districts. Every year, to prove its dominance, the Capitol randomly selects two teenagers from each district to be sent as tributes to a gargantuan arena where they must fight to the death and survive in the brutal wild. Everything is recorded and broadcasted nationwide. Our protagonists from District 12, Katniss Ever-deen, who volunteered to go to the Games instead of her little sister, and Peeta Mellark, a big-hearted baker’s son, are sent to train- ing in the Capitol. But the action starts once they’re in the arena. Katniss and the tributes are sucked into a whirlwind of violence, murder, near-starvation, alliances, beasts, staggering wounds

and a looming threat: kill or be killed.

The Movie The anticipated film adaption was directed by Gary Ross (director of “Pleasantville” and “Seabiscuit”), who also worked on the screenplay. Suzanne Collins, author of the trilogy, had a hand in both the casting and the screenplay, so it is expected that the movie will stay very true to the books. (Whew!) Jennifer Lawrence, known for her roles in “Winter’s Bone” and “X-Men: First Class”, will play Katniss. She beat about 30 other actresses for the coveted role, including Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin

and Emily Browning. Peeta Mellark will be played by Josh Hutcherson, known for his roles in “Bridge to Terabithia” and “The Kids Are Alright”. The decorated cast doesn’t end there: Gale, Katniss’ best friend from District 12, will be played by Liam Hemsworth (“The Last Song”); Haymitch, Twelve’s only Hunger Games victor, will be por-trayed by Woody Harrelson and Cinna, Katniss’ cunning stylist, by Lenny Kravitz.

Myth #1: It’s like Twilight. No it is not. Gossip sites and Hollywood blogs

have tried relentlessly to compare the series, but don’t fall for it. Twilight can hardly hold a

candle to the complexity, violence, psychology

and politics of The Hunger Games.

The Myths

Taste Quest: Chicken Wings

Outback

With multiple TVs blaring in every direction, the sports bar Glory Days delivered what was promised- ap-petizing food and great service. Our wings showed up within 10 minutes of ordering, and they were soft and incredibly tangy, while celery and ranch dressing provided the perfect balance. Though hilariously messy to eat, they were an excellent addition to our game-watching experience.

Hooters

Want something to go along with your March Madness? Try these wings from around the area.

Hooters, which prides itself in being “delightfully tacky yet unrefined”, has managed to create the crunchi-est, sauciest wings out of all the wings so far. Though there is the option to have these wings “naked”- that is without breading- these are best crunchy and doused with sauce. The order was brought out in a reasonable amount of time, and along with some soda and a game to watch on the TV, proved to be an excellent experience. There are a few options for the sauce, from hottest to mildest- 911, Spicy Jack, Hot, 3 Mile Island, Medium and Mild, and a variety of other flavors like BBQ and Cajun.

BOOK CORNER: The Happiness Project

sofia crutchfieldstaff writer

Aside from the noisy bar and dark atmosphere, Outback Steakhouse had a friendly staff. The wings, though, were only adequate. They were insanely crispy on the outside, which would have been a good thing if the inside weren’t so dry. The wings had not been tossed in a sauce before serving, and were rela-tively flavorless. The blue cheese dressing was delicious, but the wings themselves could have been more soft and flavorful.

Glory Days

10 wings for $7.99

12 wings for $11.99

10 wings for $8.99

What do you want most out of life? Middle-aged mother of two, Gretchin Rubin, decidedly answered this daunting question with “happiness.” After this defining moment, staring out the window of a city bus in the Upper East-Side of New York, she began to plot her own pursuit of happiness. “The Happiness Project” is a memoir of sorts, detailing Rubin’s year-long journey. Each month is dedicated to focusing on a different area of bettering her life. January is finding vitality or “Energy,” February is focusing on her marriage or “Love,” and so on, until December is a cumula-tive “Happiness Bootcamp.” Modeled after Benjamin Franklin’s “Thirteen Values to Cultivate” in his autobiography, Rubin meticulously documents her progress through a “happiness chart.” Rubin’s anecdotes of her everyday life are comical yet relatable, making this book not only a fun read, but a self-help book in disguise that is sure to brighten your day. She implores her readers to remember one thing: “The days are long, but the years are short.”

Med

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emma mankina&e editor

photo courtesy of official w

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by Gretchin Rubin

photos from IMDB.comcheck oaktonoutlook.com for a review after March 23!

ramya mukallastaff writer

Heading in one direction: the top

The biggest boy band in the U.K. right now, One Direction, is ready to take the U.S. by storm as their much anticipated debut album, “Up All Night”, hits U.S. stores on March 13. One Direction, made up of Louis

Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, aged 18-20, originated on the U.K.’s biggest talent competition, the “X-Factor.” Each member of the group originally auditioned as solo artists, but was later put into a group by the show’s head judge, Simon Cowell. After finishing third on the show, One Direction released “Up All Night” in the U.K. in mid Novem-ber, debuting at No. 2. As they make their way across the pond, One Direction is guaranteed to win over thousands of American girls’ hearts with their melodic harmonies, Brit-ish accents and charming good looks. The album is filled with upbeat pop love songs that are sure to get you on your feet, along with the occasional heart-filled ballad. “Up All Night” features hits like the record breaking and Brit Award-winning single “What Makes You Beautiful”; the touching and heartfelt ballad “Gotta Be You”; their latest upbeat U.K. single “One Thing”; and the energetic pop/rock “Tell Me a Lie” written by Kelly Clarkson. The album is also sure to

help boy bands come back, especially as One Direction joins one of our own boy bands, Big Time Rush, on a U.S. tour this March.

rawan elbabastaff writer

photo courtesy of official website

American rock band the Black Keys put on a great show for D.C. last Friday, but failed to fill all of Verizon Center’s lofty seats with their promised

“big-venue sound.” The opening act--English indie rockers the Arctic Monkeys--started the night off red-hot with the funky-furious “Brianstorm” from 2007 album “Favourite Worst Nightmare” Bringing in songs from “Suck It and See” and “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” the primates from across the pond thawed through Washington’s wintry weather with stomping versions of “Library Pictures,” “Teddy Picker” and the post-punk-revived “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.” Arctic Monkeys set up the blues duo from Akron, Ohio to

take to the stage with a vivacity more commonly seen in local Washingtonian venue the 9:30 Club. With a maximum capacity of 1200 occupants, 9:30 would have catered to the rawness of Black Keys riffs far better than that of the space-like vastness

that the Verizon Center provides. Opening their set with the super low-fi hit “Howlin’ For You,” the Keys rocked everyone from the General Admission ticket-holder in the front row to the bleating pair of rock moms in the nosebleeds of section 409. A light show worthy of a roadside carnival and the stage

presence of a stilled Ferris wheel, drummer Patrick Carney plays with a novice intensity, seemingly halted by fear and the lack of creative chops. This, paired with guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach’s Midwestern wailings and bassy undertones makes for a difficult transition from the road of “El Camino” to the brilliant Hollywood-infested grounds that true indie bands seek. After their encore performances of “Everlasting Light,” “She’s Long Gone” and mega-hit “I Got Mine,” the Black Keys left the arena full of reverberations and good times, thus ending another spot on their 2012 El Camino Tour.

The Black Keys: not ready for big time

andy reedstaff writer