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“I really do like wearing it be-cause it makes me proud of the work that I did almost one and a half years ago,” Connor said.The student body has been just as enthusiastic about the t-shirt. The PTSA Spirit Wear Parent Represen-tative reported that almost all of the Connor’s t-shirts have been bought out, and the school will receive a second shipment soon.

• • • Connor designed the mural in the summer of 2015 for his Person-al Project to portray the message that “no matter one’s ethnicity or background, we are all accepted at Tucker High.” “I really like the tiger with the flags on the inside because I think it perfectly represents that idea. Also, all of the words mean “diversity,” and I think it was effective in filling

the empty space and tying the idea together,” Connor said. He chose the flags for the design based on his friends’ ethnic back-grounds “When I selected the flags, I first went to the School’s Guidance to see the different nationalities rep-resented at Tucker. I only got very vague results like racial percent-ages. So I decided to choose flags based off of my friends in IB. For example, the Philippines is in the design for my friend Caitlin, China for my friends Danny and Emily, Italy for my friend Jackie and so on,” Connor said.

• • • Connor said he feels it is an absolute honor to have his mural printed for the Tucker shirt design this year. “It . . . is something that I will re-member years from now,” Connor said. He wanted to use the design

to create both personal and school pride. “In my opinion, Tucker is looked down upon by the other schools in the county for different reasons, but one way Tucker is amazing is that it is so diverse and different. That is why I did this mural in the first place,” Connor said.

• • • Conner submitted his first design to the PTSA for the yearly t-shirt design contest after another student encouraged him, ultimately leading to the design’s spread from a mu-ral near Cafeteria 1 to around the school. “When I see people with the shirt it makes me feel really excit-ed. I want to tell them I designed and created that mural! But then I remember who made the idea pos-sible, which is the Tucker student body and faculty.” — Grace LefflerInterviewer: Khristy Zheng

“In my opinion, Tucker is looked down upon by the other schools in the county for different rea-sons, but one way Tuck-er is amazing is that it is so diverse and different. That is why I did this mural in the first place.”

Special Feature

On campus, you may just hap-pen to find the creator of the popular diversity t-shirt, Con-nor Childs (‘18), wearing his design.

Connor Childs (‘18) poses by his mural. Photo credit: Adelle Blankinship (‘18)

The New Face of Tucker

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“Halloween Haunt has been something [my family does] for fun. I’ve gone to Halloween Haunt since I was a baby,” Jack said. “It’s kind of a tradition for my family at this point. It’s like a sort of home.” The Akers family goes to King’s Dominion so much that they have season passes. Jack said that his ad-miration for the artistic aspects of the park has grown over the years.“I love the amount of effort and de-tail that they include in creating the

Insider’s Look

One of Jack Akers’ (‘17) favorite holidays of the year is Hallow-een, especially because of the King’s Dominion “Halloween Haunt” event.

Jack Akers (‘17) in a scare zone. Photo credit: Khristy Zheng

A Haunting Experience

From left to right: Jack Akers, Kelly Zheng, Dorothy Raju and Khristy Zheng outside of Lockdown. Photo credit: Khristy Zheng

designs and train-ing the actors. My favorite part of Halloween Haunt was the Trick Or Treat maze, where they made this sa-tanic goat, which I didn’t notice until the third time I went through the maze.” However, Jack also appreciates more minimalis-tic mazes as well. Jack considers the Corn Stalkers maze to be inter-esting because it was “an interesting concept to have an outdoor maze since actors blend really well into the background.” The space inside the Corn Stalkers

maze is claustrophobically narrow, meaning partici-pants are much closer to the actors than they were in other mazes. Even though Jack “know[s] every point of [the park] like the back of [his] hand,” there are still some unsettling experi-ences for him each season while exploring new mazes in the Haunt. The Blackout maze is new this year and is pitch black with barely any lights. Jack lost his way during his first time in the maze, which he said disap-pointed him. One particular type of actor Jack really likes at the Haunt are what he calls ‘slidy guys.’ The slidy guys

have a metal bar that allows them

to slide across the floor and reach far distances pretty quickly in order to scare audiences. Though Jack likes this actor type, he appeared to be unfazed by the appearance of the occasional slidy guy. Jack said that being a slidy guy “was [his] dream job” at one point. One particular type of actor Jack really likes at the Haunt are what he calls Jack recommends visiting King’s Dominion on either Fridays or on Sundays as that is when the park is least busy. We arrived at King’s Dominion at seven o’clock, just in time for the “Overlord’s Resurrec-tion,” or as Jack likes to call it, the Overlord’s Speech. “The fact that he is the Overlord, the symbolic leader of Haunt, and also the fact that he is just this giant foreboding figure in his cloak is so awesome. When you see him from afar, it’s chilling. He is the embodiment of Haunt.” — Grace Leffler, Dorothy Raju and Kelly Zheng

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Q: What kind of materials were used to create this artwork? Are these materials usually used in your art?

A: I used 16x22 paper. I used soft graphite pencils, like HBs and Bs, because I needed the art to be dark. I also used tissues and blending tools. I used a grid to help make everything proportion-ate. I do usually use these things in my artwork, I love using graphite because it’s very versatile.

Q: Where did you get the inspira-tion to make this from? A: People are what I’m really good at drawing. This was my first self-portrait, and it inspired me to make more self-portraits.

Q: What does this piece mean to you? Why did you name this piece “Self-Portrait?”

A: It was my first self-portrait, and it’s the best one that I’ve made. It also won an award in Scholastics. The title is self-explanatory.

Q: What would you describe as your typical art style?

Student Artwork

This is Anna Abernathy’s (‘19) first self-portrait, which she drew for her art class last year.

Self-Portrait

“Self Portrait” by Anna Abernathy (‘19)

A: Realistic people. I like draw with darker colors, not colors like bright yellow. It doesn’t have a depressing tone. I think it’s more mellow.

Interviewer: Rachel Ding

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“My sister did the same exchange program two years ago, and she really liked it, so that’s where I got the idea,” he said. The application itself is quite complex as students have to apply to a German organization which works in conjunction with an American exchange program. “First you have to apply to the German organization with lots of information about yourself, and then you send the same informa-tion to the [American] organiza-tion, the CIEE,” said Jakob. But the move hasn’t been difficult for him as he has taken English for eight years since third grade. In fact, he said that his English class in Germany “is much harder than the one here.” “The only problem that I’ve had is in school subject where there are subject related terms like in math or oceanography. But other than that I feel like I understand every-thing.” The school system, however, is much different in the U.S. due to the availability of taking Immer-sion, ACA, IB, or AP classes. “We have a lot less subjects to be honest, but we don’t have your different levels… we have different [specialty] schools for that,” he said. The German system also has three types of schools that students can attend after elementary school. Jakob currently attends a Gymna

-sium school back at home, “which is for the smart kids [who] will probably go to college. There is real school, which you are expected to either go to college or work afterwards. There is also Haupt school. A lot of peo-ple don’t go to education af-ter this school, and not [very many] go to college. You can actually get a really good job if you do this education, if you don’t [decide to] go to college.” And instead of switch-ing classrooms, pupils stay in one and take all of their classes with the same group of students. In addition, Germany uses a point grading sys-tem, using “1-15, where 15 is 100, or A, and 1 is F.” The school system is also differ-ent in that final exams in America aren’t as intense as European sys-tems tend to weight them. “At the end of high school, we have to take a six hour exam for every subject we have. We have one test per day and goes up to six hours. People usually only need like four hours, which is long enough,” he said Jakob also noted the cultural differences between Americans and Germans. “German people are more mod-est - “bescheiden” - in Germany. For example, if you have a lot of money, you wouldn’t buy the most expensive type of car. In Germany, you would get a more not-so-open-expensive car.” In addition, Americans tend to have a stilted view of Germany. “No one in Germany actually celebrates Oktoberfest! Only a

certain state celebrates Oktober-fest, [which is] Bayern. That’s why everyone else dislikes Bayern. They make all the things people [associ-ate with] Germany... like lederho-sen.” Since Germany requires their students to decide on a career ear-lier, Jakob, though a junior, already has his eyes set on one particular college. “Here, the name of the college is very important. People ask me what college I want to go to, but in Germany, the college doesn’t matter. It just depends on what you are studying,” Jakob said. “The special program that I want to do is that you work for half a semester at Mercedes, and the other half of the semester, you study. And after the [internship] at Mercedes, you get a job there.” For any German travelers, he recommends trying a traditional German food called Kohl and Pin

Student Spotlight

Jakob Stindt is a new German exchange student at Tucker en-rolled in the eleventh grade.

Jakob Stindt (‘18) Photo credit: Khristy Zheng (‘18)

Germany Isn’t Bayern

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Though her family has stopped Trick-or-treating since she was six, Hannah still goes with her friends. “My favorite thing about Hal-loween is getting to hang out with [her]friends and wear really cute or ridiculous costumes and eat loads

of candy,” she said. “I mean, what’s wrong with getting free candy?”Her favorite Halloween candy is candy corn. “I can eat a whole giant jar in one night.” In the past, Hannah dressed up as Thing One, Thing Two, an angel, an Angry Bird, a cowgirl, and a banana for Trick Or Treating. “I also really like horror shows, especially American Horror Story. Some of my favorite horror movies are Carrie, Poltergeist, The Boy, Oui-ja, and The Visit, [the last of] which I only liked because it was extreme-ly cheesy,” she said.

“Some years, I just watch some traditional Halloween movies, such as Halloweentown.” Hannah believes that “Hallow-een is a pretty cool holiday,” partly because of one particular tradition she keeps. “I mean, I really like how you can get free candy at like 80% off the day after Halloween [and] then binge eat for the next two months.” — Kelly Zheng Interviewer: Abby Sebold

Traditions and Holidays

Hannah Lanterman (‘19) cel-ebrates Halloween with her friends and family members in order to bond and, most impor-tantly, get candy.

All Hallows’ Evening

kel and visiting Berlin, Hamburg, and his hometown Bremen. But he warns that “it rains every day [in Bremen]. We literally have a week without some [rain], and then it

hasn’t experienced any homesick-ness. “I miss the people, but I won’t say I miss my country itself.”— Grace Leffler Interviewer: Khristy Zheng

Cultural Recipes

Butter Paneer Masala

Ingredients:• 1 cup paneer cut into cubes • 2 tbsp butter• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste• 2 cups tomato puree -canned• 1 tsp red chilli powder• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder• 1/2 garam masala (spice) powder• 1/2 cup heavy cream• 20 almonds (soaked in hot water and grind into fine paste)• 2 tsp dry methi (type of spinach) leaves

the tomato puree, Stir occasionally. 6. Once it begins to boil, add the dry methi leaves. 7. Let it mix well for a minute. 8. Add the pan-sauteed paneer and mix well. Adjust the consis-tency of the gravy by adding little water. 9. Add the finely ground paste of soaked almonds to the gravy. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the gravy, check for salt and adjust as per to your taste. 10. Let the food simmer for a minute. Add the heavy cream during this stage. Do not boil the gravy at this stage. Let the cream mix well with the gravy.

• Salt• Finely chopped cilantro (garnish-ing)

Instructions: 1. Pan fry/saute the cubed paneer until golden brown, and put it aside to allow it to cool down. 2. Heat a pan with butter. After the butter melts, add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until it turns golden brown. 3. Add the tomato puree and mix well. 4. Add little water, salt, turmer-ic powder, red chili powder and garam masala. 5. Let the gravy cook along with

rains again. My friend made a joke that if it doesn’t rain in Bremen it snows.” Despite the differences both cul-turally and academically, Jakob

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11. Turn the stove off. 12. Garnish the gravy with finely chopped cilantro. 13. The Butter Paneer Masala is ready to serve. It is best eaten with white rice, bread, and Indian chapatti. 14. You can add more butter on top of the gravy for better taste. This recipe was provided by Sne-ha Iyyapillai (‘19)— Mary Habboush

The total cost of applying to college has increased as more seniors apply to more schools. In 2013, about a third of college applicants applied to seven or more schools. With more applications comes more application fees, standardized test score reports, and more. So how much does it cost the average applicant to apply? Since the average college application fee is $41, the application fees for, say, five colleges would then be $205. Assuming that our student applies to five schools and takes a standard-ized test twice, they would still have to pay $85 to register for two ACT without writing test dates or $90 to register for two SAT’s without essay test dates. Additionally, sending a report of only one of those testing dates of either SAT or ACT to the student’s five colleges would cost a total of $60. Sending an optional

CSS Financial Aid Profile to col-leges would cost $9 to register and $80 to send to five schools. Mean-while, the FAFSA form is entirely free. In total, it would add up to $439 to simply apply to five schools and send them each a CSS profile and two score reports of the ACT while minimizing costs by using the cheaper standardized test and only the average college application fee. Keep in mind that some colleges will require applicants to take either the SAT with essay or the ACT with writing, that highly selective colleges tend to have higher application fees, that some colleges require either the SAT or ACT along with SAT Subject Tests, and that students may have to deal with higher cumula-tive college application fee costs if they apply to more than five schools. In the end, $439 might be a low estimate, depending upon which colleges to which each stu-dent applies. A more interesting question is how much college applications could cost. If a student applied to twenty schools, they would pay $820 if their schools each costed

about $41. If the student took the SAT with an essay and three SAT subject tests four times each, that would cost $228 and $344 respec-tively. To send two of the student’s four SAT test dates would cost $480, and to send two of the four test dates of SAT subject tests-which would cover three SAT subject tests per test date-would cost another $480 to send to each of the student’s twenty colleges. A CSS profile would then cost $329 to register and send a report to each of the student’s colleges. That would

leave a total of $2681.For many students, how-ever, even $439 isn’t a plausible amount. But it is possible to save money through various strategies. Some students have fee waivers for college appli-cation fees, standardized

test registration fees, and standard-ized test score reports. This covers registering for the ACT with or without writing twice, the SAT with or without the essay twice, and two SAT subject tests. Fee waivers also cover sending one score report for the SAT or ACT to four schools. However, fee waivers must be re-quested through the student’s

Testing Tips

When college itself is expensive, how can you cut down on the costs of applying to college?

The Cost of Applying

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However, ACT scores are usu-ally available from two to eight weeks after testing while SAT scores are available, at earliest, three and a half weeks after testing. In short, students won’t know what their scores are before they send a free score report. However, this method can cut down college application costs.

Some colleges offer test-option-al applications, where the student does not send any scores. This can save money short term by allow-ing the student to spend $12 less on college applications. But, if the student’s scores are exceptional, then not sending a set of scores to a test-optional college may make it considerably more difficult to receive as much financial aid or merit-based scholarships. In ad-dition, some test-optional colleges require that students applying for the school’s honors college cannot apply as a test-optional candidate.

counselor and can be used only by students with specific circumstanc-es, such as those who participate in the National School Lunch Pro-gram (NSLP). Whether or not you qualify for fee waivers, it is always best to study beforehand and do your best instead of spending mon-ey to take a standardized test again. Additionally, both the ACT and SAT offer four free score reports that students must agree to send within nine days after taking the test. For students covered by fee waivers, they are allowed eight free score reports in total.

Another consideration in college applications expressing interest in colleges through going on a college tour. If it is difficult for you or your family to find transportation or carpool to tours, you can always take virtual tours online, go to local college fairs, or take advantage of college visits throughout October and November during AE. For more information on college visits, subscribe to Ms. Fancett’s Blog on Schoology where information is listed on visiting schools such as VCU, Christopher Newport, Old Dominion, and Mary Washington. If your college application is in any way due to finances, always make sure to consult with your counselor and Ms. Brenda Jackson, the senior GRASP Financial Aid Advisor. You can also follow Ms. Smith’s blog for monthly scholar-ships offered to Tucker students. Good luck!— Grace Leffler

This statement precedes the excuses that are to come. “I tried, I really did.” (That is what I told the Editor-in-Chief when writing this article.) Yes, excuses are indeed always a wonderful idea. Making an excuse is nothing like lying; lying makes a person ingen-uine and dishonest. But excuses are not lies. They are the reason why something didn’t happen, perhaps a little exaggerated, but excuses still retain a little bit of truth. Like howa project was supposed to be due Fri-day, but it wasn’t done on that day because of various other reasons.

Well, maybe those excuses you listed were why you didn’t finish the project, but those excuses probably weren’t the whole reason. Maybe you had had thought that an hour long youth group meeting was too interruptive to your schedule to start the project. It wasn’t be-cause you were a coach potato and watched TV for three days straight. You just had too many other things to do. What other things? Let’s talk about that later. Here is a perfect example: while your fellow peers toil at all costs, especially at the cost of sleep, you ask for an extension from the teacher, listing a lot of excuses. Suddenly, like magic, it is extended. While lies are

unreasonable, excuses are reasonable. Excuses are just reasons. You feel no guilt, no guilt at all. Excuses are guilt free, and nothing is added onto the weight already on your shoul-ders... except having to get the work done by the next due date. Suddenly, you realize that there is another big project due on the extended due date. You ask the other teacher for an extension. Okay, you’re done with the first project. Now there’s this one. Again, the extended due date is on the day of another project’s due date. The cycle repeats. Do you realize you are behind everyone? Yeah, excus-es are always a good idea, and the excuses you make for yourself aren’t lies. — Kelly Zheng

The Raw Truth

“I can’t today, I just can’t.”

Excuses

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Dear ETS I just finished my SAT. I took it on October first, and now I wait patiently for my scores. The scores I will get in three and a half weeks will determine everything for me. They will determine if I get into my reach school—the University of Pennsylvania—if I get a full ride at a school near my house—Virginia Commonwealth University—or if I get the money I need to go to my dream school—The College of Wil-liam and Mary. The rest of my edu-cational career and, indirectly, my actual career will depend on these scores. I feel confident in myself and in my scores. I know I will get the score I want, but it still scares me to think about what will happen if I don’t get the scores I need. This reminds me of some of my classmates. Most of them have to rely heavily on their personal essays, recommendations, activities, and GPA for their college appli-cations because their scores won’t cut it. I guess I am lucky that I test decently. I can’t imagine having to put so much trust on my entire high school career to determine my college career. My GPA is good, and I trust my teachers to write me ex-cellent recommendations but that is about the extent of my faith. I don’t have nearly enough community service or decent enough writing skills for that. I was never really big on community service. Of course, I still have several hours over all my four years of high school but not

nearly enough to rely on that. I may be writing this half decent letter to you but that is by no means reflective of my creative writing skills, which are only slightly above average. The SAT is supposed to compre-hensive exam that colleges use to determine how intelligent we are. The prob-lem is that the SAT is an aptitude test. It just predicts how good we are at certain tasks. It is in no way a reflection of our actual tintelligence. There is no one test that can do all that. But the SAT has become a measure of intelligence. Speaking from an objective stand-point, it seems ridiculous to assume that a three to four digit number can tell anyone how smart someone truly is. I don’t want to abolish the SAT or any other standardized test. I just want them to be a little looser. I have a friend who is super smart and has a really high GPA. College admissions should be easy for her, but her SAT score keeps holding her back. She is very intelligent, but her SAT scores don’t reflect that. The SAT needs reform.

If this test is supposed to predict our abilities, then it should predict them as accurately as possible. One of the other reasons I am writing this letter is so that you, the ETS, realize how much most high school seniors across the country rely on you. SAT scores determine which college we go to, and that can

some-times de-termine which jobs we get and how much money we ma

So, indirectly, the SAT can affect our way of life. If the SAT is so important, then shouldn’t it actually be reflective of our actual abilities? This is the reason that in addition to the SAT we have to do well in our personal essays, get good rec-ommendations, do a lot of indepth activities, and keep our grades up to even have a chance at getting into the college we want. As, in the end, the institutions which we are accepted at might just change our lives..” — Dorothy Raju

Dear

Dear Education-al Testing Center

(ETS)

“the SAT is just an aptitude test. It just predicts how good we are at certain tasks. It is in no way a reflec-tion of our actual intelligence. There is no one test that can do all that.”

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Samosas (3.99) There were two samosas per order, so, considering how filling the fried selections are, these were probably one of the most cost-effec-tive items on the menu. When the samosas were brought to the table, they were still steaming hot. The accompanying mint sauce was cold with a sour tinge. The sauce com-plemented the spicy aftertaste and offsetted the extreme temperatures of the samosas.

• • •Paneer Lababdar (10.99)

Paneer Lababdar consists of a creamy gravy with paneer, or In-dian cheese. There wasn’t anything else in the dish, so it wasn’t exactly the type of dish that is eaten alone, especially not without naan. Un-fortunately, the dish didn’t come with naan. So while it is nice to eat Paneer Lababdar for its consistent taste after eating each steaming hot samosa, the dish is not necessar-ily worth its price. It’s also worth noting that, unlike other Indian restaurants, these dishes don’t come with rice, so the consistency and texture of the food matters more. Otherwise, the rice would soak up the dish’s sauce, adding another filling component to the mixture. This was an interesting decision to make in terms of allowing the taster to consider flavor and texture alone, without the interference of rice.

In this case, it the Paneer Lababdar just didn’t have enough going for it without rice or naan.

• • •Chicken Tikka Masala with Naan

(9.99) Chicken Tikka Masala is a fa-vorite of mine, and I usually order it at all the Indian restaurants I go to. This time was no exception. The curry sauce was very tangy and delicious. It went wonderfully with naan and would have gone wonder-fully with some white rice as well, but Bawarchi doesn’t give rice with their entrees. Chicken Tikka Masa-la is usually about $16 at most

Indian restaurants, but it was only $9.99 at Bawarchi, likely because of its smaller portion size. One aspect that I did not like about the dish was that were more vegetables in the curry, and the few chicken piec-es that were there were quite small; I prefer a larger meat to vegetable ratio in curries. While the curry and chicken were very delicious, the size was reflective of the lower price.

• • • Chicken Majestic with Naan

(10.99) The Chicken Majestic consists of tender chicken pieces cut

Restaurant Review

Bawarchi

Paneer Lababdar (front) and Chicken Tikka Masala (Back). All picture in this article are taken by Khristy Zheng

About three minutes away from Tucker, Bawarchi offers a selec-tion of food at moderate prices for semi-casual dining.

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“The Chicken Majes-tic has the best presen-tation of the dishes.”

into small blocks, three chili peppers, and purple onions. The Chicken Majestic has the best

that this is the highlight of the four main dishes. It’s definitely worth its cost, both in terms of taste and value. However, it’s important to note that gratuity is included on weekends.

— Grace Leffler, Dorothy Raju, and Kelly Zheng

presentation of the dishes. There is not a lot of sauce on this dish, so it is only a little moist. It is also is very oily, which is obvi-ous after finishing the dish as there is a distinctly oily substance left on the bottom. There was no other com-ponent except the sauce and green garnishes. Overall, the best aspects of this dish are its visual appeal and its mild spiciness.

• • •Paneer Chili (12.99) (mild)

Paneer Chili is a dish with just the right amount of spiciness; you won’t question if there’s actually any spice, unlike the other dishes. Although, customers should make sure to re-quest the dish as mild! Even as a mild dish, it has the type of sauce that makes your nose run without mak-ing your tongue burn.It is more of a ‘complete’ dish than the others as it had peppers, paneer, chili sauce, and onions rather than a bowl of sauce with either a few pieces of chicken or paneer. Each of us agreed

seem. Sure, the dirt paths will ruin your shoes. Yes, the hay will get all over your hair and clothes. Of course, it’s going to smell kinda funky when you walk past the animal stalls. However, if you dress appropriately and are able to look past the ‘natural’ scents, then you’ll definitely be prepared to the fair. Another must-have is the presence of friends and family by your side. Who else is going to take your pic-tures to post on social media later? On a more serious note, bringing people you know along with you to the fair makes for a great expe-rience; you can try on all the funny Pokemon Go themed merchandise together as well as buy the hand-

crafted and very reasonably priced accessories. Also, if you don’t mind farm animals being in your presence, visiting the stables is a cute experi-ence. There are pigs, lambs, goats, horses, cows, mules, donkeys and all the stereotypical farm residents, who are actually very adorable and curious. In a separate part of the fair grounds, there is even a pigeon and bird tent, where you can buy your own fabulous pigeons and cockatiels! Our members were not experi-enced drivers, but they tried their best when navigating the highway system. The location for the State Fair was just down the road from

To The State Fair

Richmond Events

General Admission Tickets to the fair were available online, at the fair entrance, or at local Walgreens stores for $15 (Note: pre-purchased tickets are not refundable). Three of our members decided to take a trip that day to give you their overviews of events and happenings! Spending time at the State Fair is more entertaining than it may

October 2nd, 2016 marked the end of Virginia’s annual State Fair, which began this year on September 23.

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Kings Dominion, the oh-so popular amusement park in Doswell, which also opened their famous year-ly attraction “Halloween Haunt” the same weekend! Accordingly, the fair is not too far away; taking highway I-95 will make the drive roughly 30 minutes from Henrico County. However, getting a ticket and arriving may be the least of one’s worries. On Saturdays, going in the afternoon (specifically around 3:30PM) is not a wise choice, espe-cially on the last few days of the fair. Paired with the Halloween Haunt opening, traffic to the State Fair extended past the King’s Dominion Gate all the way to the I-95 exit. Due to this traffic, our members decided to delay their trip and to go a day later. On Sunday, arriving at or before 2:00 PM may delay the trip for around 20 minutes because of traffic created by the crowded parking lot. Nevertheless, you will

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be rewarded with a nice parking area and easy admissions to the fair. At the State Fair, there were a lot of vendors that sell everything from lemonade to ice cream cones to tur-key legs to tater tots. While there, Kelly, Khristy and I bought a bucket of french fries. The three of us suc-cessfully ate the whole thing and a refill. The bucket was $8, and every subsequent refill was $5. I also got a novelty cup of lemonade for $5, and refills were $3. The food was deli-ciously fattening. One of the stalls sold every kind of fried food: fried oreos, fried reese’s, fried dough and even fried butter. There were also churro stands and an Uncle Dave’s Kettle Corn stand. Even though the food wasn’t very healthy, it was all very delicious and all under $10.

“On a more serious note, bringing people you know along with you to the fair makes for a great experience”

All pictures for this article were taken by Khrity Zheng

I have gone to the State Fair every year for as long as I can remember. It has become a sort of family tradi-tion. Every year it changes slightly as new exhibits are added or old ones are removed. Last year there was an inflatable stunt bag and a raised platform, and for a fee of $10, you could jump off one of the platforms onto the inflatable stunt bag. This year, this activity was re-placed by a “Knockerballs” station. For a small fee, you could use these “knockerballs” to run around inside a human-sized, air-filled ball and/or run into other “knockerball” players. However the State Fair may change, it always remains my favor-ite fall event. — Khristy Zheng, Kelly Zheng, and Dorothy Raju

Top Ten (Writer’s Choice)

As 2016 comes to a close, let’s rec-ognize the fashion of 2016, consist-ing of both revivals and new styles.

1. Puma Puma shoes are trending ever since the collaboration with Rihan-na for her Fenty label. Her creepers specifically have hit it off with their unique suede fabric, wide color-se-lection, and gum-sole bottom. They have been trending in the street style realm. They’re a great closet addition if you can dish out the $200+ for them.

2. Adidas Adidas has been making a come-back ever since their Superstars became one of the most popular shoes of 2016. With the upcoming collab with Yeezy and the release of the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in Novem-ber, look out for the signature logo on the streets.

3. ‘90s looks The ‘90s are back with chokers, tracksuits, and over-the-knee socks channeling the previous decade and bringing reminiscence for ‘90s babes. If you aren’t feeling the ‘90s, you can start small with a cute choker or a jean jacket.

4. Bold Eyebrows The beginning of 2016 saw thick and ungroomed brows frequenting the catwalk, only to then be rocked by many fashion bloggers world-wide. Recently, straight, subtle brows are trending, so if you’re looking for the right look, feel free to “browse” for some inspiration by your favorite beauty bloggers.

5. Bold lips Another trending fad is the bold lip. Recent-ly, people have been not scared when it comes to experimenting with wild

colors. It’s a great way to experi-ment with new looks as it’s sure to be eye-catching and expressive.

6. Clear Heels 2016 started off with a fresh trend—the clear heel. Dubbed the Perspex heel, these heels add an interesting touch to any outfit. Statement heels have made a come-back as not only clear but gradient, colored, and glitter have all made an appearance on the runway.

7. Faux Fur With faux fur being a fad, you can now keep warm and on trend during the winter. Faux fur is a great way to make a statement- it’s eye-catching, bold, and ultimately cruelty-free.

8. Velvet If you’re a fan of the velvet fabric then you’re in luck—it’s coming back this fall season. The fabric is making a return this year as the rich and luxurious feeling is sure to be a staple in the cold autumn months.

9. Hair Tints When you think of the col-

ors red, orange, yellow, and brown you are sure to think of fall. So why not incorporate those colors into hair? Warm-toned hair colors are here for fall and will make your hair emanate the aura of autumn for the season.

10. Extra Long Sleeves Last but not least: long sleeves. What could be more cozy then loose clothing? This trend is a bit problematic for school but that shouldn’t stop you from rocking the oversized look. — Lina Cress

As 2016 comes to a close, let’s recognize the fashion of 2016, consisting of both revivals and new styles.

2016 Fashion Trends

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Movie Review

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) is a heartfelt movie adapted from the best-selling novel by Jesse Andrews of the same name. The movie touches on the stress of being a teenager but also takes a deeper dive into the importance of developing meaningful relationships and discovering your true purpose in life. Although dramatic, the movie manages to hold a good balance between humor and melancholy, with a reassuring narrative from the protagonist. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is not your typical indie teenage love story and deserves plenty of more recognition for its unique take on tragicomic films. (Warn-ing: SPOILERS.)

The ‘Me’ in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is Greg, a mouse-faced high school senior who makes terrible movies and has clear re-lationship issues. As the narrator, he opens the movie comparing the different groups in a high school to their own sovereign nations, an analogy in which he gains citizen-ship to each one to survive until graduation. This is merely just a defense mechanism for Greg as we later find out that he doesn’t have any friends and is afraid of putting too much hope in a relationship be-cause he fears rejection. In fact, he even describes his only friend Earl as his co-worker. So it comes as no surprise that when Greg’s mother

asks him to hang out with a girl named Rachel down the street who was just diagnosed with leukemia, he’s more than hesitant to comply. Nevertheless, he drags himself to the girl’s house and begs for her to hang out with him just to get his mom off his back. Ironically, Rachel feels sorry for him, and she agrees to be friends. After four days of the forced rela-tionship, Greg and Rachel actually begin to open up to each other, seeing each other every day. Once Rachel loses her hair and starts experiencing the harsh side effects of her therapy, Greg sacrifices doing his school work to spend more time with her. When Rachel finds out Greg is doing so poorly in school and has never even considered going to college, she forces him to apply and get serious about his future. At this point, Rachel is now the one taking care of Greg, and what started off as a boy trying to make a girl with cancer feel normal has turned into a story of a girl who wants to devote the rest of the her time to help someone else who’s future isn’t as clear. This subtle plot twist is what’s at the core of why this movie is so special. Because we never feel sorry for Greg—afterall, he’s not the one battling a terminal illness—we don’t find any reason to sympathize with him other than the fact he knows someone who’s slowly dying. While all of our sympathy is with Rachel, she is more worried about Greg than anything else. This re-verse in caregiver roles shifts the fo-cus of the movie from being about making others happy to making the most of your time through selfless-ness. Although similar, the two

two ideas are very different in terms of motivation. At first, Greg was forced into befriending Ra-chel, but soon he began to trust, sympathize, and perhaps even love her. But still he never thought she would really die. Throughout the movie, he even reassures the audi-ence multiple times to not worry because Rachel won’t die. But she did. And it hit Greg like a truck. However, Rachel knew her time was extremely limited and never sugarcoated the situation she was in despite the denial of those around her. Her resolve is clear in the scene where Rachel admits to Greg that she has decided to quit chemother-apy. In a painfully long, uncut shot of the two in Rachel’s bedroom, Greg expresses his feeling of defeat. His sorrow turns into anger, and he yells at Rachel, screaming that she is just giving up on everything. This is where the audience sees the two distinct personalities of these teens. Greg is immensely mad at Rachel for quitting because he put so much

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trust into their relationship, and now he thinks she’s given up on him. Rachel, on the other hand, is calm and collected in the scene, telling Greg that it is her life, not his. She knows there’s no point in torturing herself with medication that’s only making her sicker and harder for everyone to be around her. She wants to not only do what’s best for her but for her family and friends. While she has accepted her own death—as we all eventually must—she still hopes. The argument doesn’t end peacefully, and the two leave on bad terms. Greg confesses to his mom that since Rachel has given up on him, he’s giving up on her. He abandons the movie he and Earl were making as a tribute to Rachel and falls into a deep depression. His childhood crush asks him to go to prom after taking pity on him. He happily accepts even though he much rather go there with Rachel. On the day of prom, Greg instead takes his limo straight to the hos-pital to see Rachel again. When he sees her, his expression is a mixture of longing and sorrow. Neverthe-less, he puts on a smile for Rachel after he sets up a tiny projector to play the movie he finally finished for her. The movie is a stop-motion picture with intensely red origami and wild figures dancing across the screen in front of an entrancing background. The movie shows mul-tiple tiny inside jokes of Rachel and Greg’s relationship together with small cameos from her mother and friends, who silently smile from the

screen. As the soundtrack starts picking up, Rachel begins to cry. Then choke. Completely horrified, Greg desperately tries to get the attention of the nurse, and as they rush in, Greg presses against the wall, locking his eyes with Rachel’s as his movie continues to dance all around his body. In the next scene, Greg is on the floor of the hospital hallway, narrat-ing to the audience that Rachel fell

into a coma and died hours later. He apologizes for lying to the audience about her survival, and he admits some part of him ac-tually thought it would be true.As the next shot opens on a stoic

Greg at Rachel’s wake, he explains how much of an impact she had on his life. Conversely, another main theme of this story isn’t about how much a person touches you while they’re alive, but also how they af-fect you after they’re gone. As Greg walks through Rachel’s

bedroom for the last time, he be-gins to notice little things he never got the chance to experience with her. He learns of her love for na-ture and her unique hobby of book carving. And when he looks into a book filled with colleges which he gave to Rachel after his mother gave it to him, he finds a note written by Rachel. The letter explains that Ra-chel thought he was special enough to complete a college application for him. Greg breaks down in tears as he read the letter. He then care-fully places it back where he found it, takes one of Rachel’s pillows, and walks up the street away towards his house, relieved he got the clo-sure he so desperately needed.Me and Earl and the Dying Girl truly is a unique movie in the sense that it constantly builds the audi-ence up with sarcastic humor and then crushes them with devastating scenes. However it is guaranteed that the movie will leave a broad smile on your face as it teaches you to love and respect the people you have in your life.

— Roy Abiey

“another main theme of this story isn’t about how much a person touches you while they’re alive, but also how they affect you after they’re gone.”

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl conveyed a thoughtful message about death. Photo credit: Khrity Zheng

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TV Show Review

Our story begins with Go Ha-jin, who is a homeless, heartbroken woman on the side of the road. When she sees a child drowning, she jumps in and saves the child, drowning in the process. Due to a solar eclipse, she is transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty in Ancient Korea. She finds her-self in the body of a noblewoman named Hae Soo.

Here she falls in love with two princes, Wang Wook and Wang So. Both love her and vy for her love and affection. But there are darker things happening in the castle. Be-hind the loyal persona he puts up, a treasonous prince wants the throne and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means killing his father and brothers in the process. The acting is amazing, albeit a lit-tle overdramatic at times. Lee Joon-gi creates an emotional depth to his character Wang So that would oth-erwise make the show lacking. Lee has the ability to show the emotion-al agony that So has gone through since a young age. Additionally, IU, the actress for Hae Soo, undergoes major development in her

Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a Korean historical drama based on the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua.

acting, beginning as a confused teenager and ending the show as a mature, grown woman. Despite her near constant confusion, Soo was a great actor and is even bet-ter now. Kang Ha-neul shows the entire transformation that Wang Wook goes through, emphasizing how cold-hearted the character has become. This is a great show filled with heart-wrenching moments, intense drama, and just enough be-trayal. For anyone who loves action, drama, romance, or history, this is the show for you.

— Mary Habboush

Social Science

While going through my own college applications, consulting others and the internet periodically for help, it’s difficult to ignore other seniors’ constant worrying about where they’ll get into or miss the articles explaining how to beat se-lective college admission. So while these compounding moments make it seem like there is more reason to worry as an applicant today, maybe there is less.While it is true that there are more applicants this year than in prior years, this is due in large part to the more easily acces-sible and user-friendly online appli-cations. Many students are applying to more schools on average than before.

What’s important to remember is that each student has a reach school. Even if there are applicants more competitive than you apply-ing to the same school, they will likely get into other schools, which might open up spots for applicants like you. Seeing as more students are applying to more schools, it’s unlikely that everyone who is accepted to your dream college will enroll. Accepted students might get into a more competitive program and decline the offer to attend. You have a shot at any school as long as you apply. Don’t be afraid of being waitlisted or denied. Worrying will only interfere with taking standard-ized tests and your performance in high school. All the same, you should make sure to have realistic expectations. Applying to all reach schools is not the best choice. You will likely be disappointed come

College MentalityThere’s a feeling in the air; it is college season.

spring if you apply to ten schools with acceptance rates all under 13%. You should have some safe-ty and match schools as well. The point of safeties is not to throw away application money with the hopes of still attending your dream school; the point is to apply to schools that you would be happy to attend which also are more likely to accept you. I know a couple of seniors who applied to only one safety and all reaches and only got accepted to one school, a school they didn’t like in the slightest.While it’s fine to think about applying to colleges, don’t preoc-cupy yourself too much with your colleges’ decisions. Worry about it when the letter comes. In the mean-time, complete your applications and stay focused on what’s really important: enjoying this year.— Grace Leffler

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Thoughts, Theories and Speculation

“No, that is in Hinduism,” I reply with a patient half grin. “Wait, I thought you were Indian?” she retorts. “Yes, I am Indian, but not Hindu. Indian is a nationality and culture while Hinduism is a reli-gion.” The response is a puzzled expression. She is dumbfounded by

the fact that these two elements can be mutually exclusive. “So you are like a minority of a minority?” Yes, that would be an accurate way to represent myself- a minori-ty of a minority. While I am from Indian descent, showered by the culture of South Asia, I have also been brought up by the slightly overlapping yet distinct culture from my religion, Islam, which pre-dominantly thrives in Western Asia and North Africa. People may think of me as a square peg in a round hole, but those who view me this way have mislabeled my niche. Culture is vast, beautiful, layered, and filled with shades of gray; to say it is an objective black or white round hole

is a misnomer. In reality, I am a dodecagonal peg which fits perfect-ly in my own dodecahedron cul-ture: the culture of the Indian city Hyderabad with its special dialect, food, and clothing intertwined with an Islamic background and sprin-kled with elements of my American community. Yes, this is my culture: a minority of a minority, one that I am not a misfit of but one that I have created and one that I fit into perfectly.The vast interplay between different cultures create the wonderful world we know. The world would be a better place if every culture were accepted, allowed, and endorsed because beauty is ingrained within culture. This is just what we need in this modern society: a speck of beauty, a speck of coexistence. That narrative was my attempt at ex-plaining the difficulties of explain-ing my ethnicity to others.

Judging from an exterior perspec-tive, my hijab (Islamic headcover) indicates a correlation between the Middle East and myself. However, I am Indian. I was born in India and raised there for five years of my life. Translating the difference between these two elements is a daunting challenge if someone asks me about my ethnicity during our first conversation. This difficulty exists for me as many people tend to confuse nationalities, ethnicities, and religions due to stereotypes. I am not going to sit here and rant about how racist that is as it is not simply ignorant; it also reveals the misinformation that exists sur-rounding my religion. Despite this frustration, I think that people like myself have the duty to explain the differences and teach others about our religions and cultures. Other-wise, we may have no right to call them “ignorant.” — Zainab Rahman

Where I Fit“Do you all wear that red dot on your forehead?” she asks.

“Yes, this is my cul-ture: a minority of a minority, one that I am not a misfit of but one that I have created and one that I fit perfectly.”

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Music Review

The album was initially teased with a series of short films high-lighting each individual member’s song. The videos caused uproar amongst the fanbase for their cryp-tic nature and references to other works such as the book Demian by Hermann Hesse.

“Boy Meets Evil” The first song off the album has a melancholic feel with a messy instrumental, an EDM inspired hook with vocals by Jungkook, and passionate rapping from J-Hope in the verses. This catchy track describes addiction to a toxic love, repeating the phrase “too bad but it’s too sweet.” This song was also the first official comeback trailer’s background music, showcasing J-Hope’s dancing skill with sharp, intense movements and solidifying the album’s dark themes. The title itself is a reference to the final sec-onds of the “FIRE” and “Save ME” music videos, where the phrases “BOY MEETS WHAT” and “BOY MEETS ___” are shown.

“Blood Sweat & Tears” “Blood Sweat & Tears” is the second track on the album and is the only full-fledged music video for this comeback. This song is a departure from their usual hip-hop and R&B style with its addictive house instrumental and soft, whis-pery vocals. The lyrics are similar to “Boy Meets Evil,” focusing on a love addiction that the narrators can’t escape, including lines such as “Even my blood, sweat and tears, Even my body, heart and soul, I know that it’s all yours.” The music video mainly takes place in what appears to be a classical art museum with surreal imagery, such as member Jungkook floating, and vibrant, neon colors. BTS is seen wearing refined, formal clothing with plunging necklines and dark colors that contrast with their bright hair.

“Begin” “Begin” is the third track on the album and the first in the series of short films. It is a ballad centered around band member Jungkook. This song uses a slight instrumen-tal that complements his airy and layered vocals. Jungkook thanks the other members, his “brothers” in the song, singing “love you my brother, thanks to my brothers; I now have emotions, I became me.”

“Lie” “Lie” is the fourth track off the album and is the solo song and short film for member Jimin. This is one of the more dramatic and dynamic tracks, containing intense strings and an eerie female voice in the instrumental. The chorus of the song is a slight change of pace,

ditching the strings to focus on Jimin’s signature high-pitched vo-cals. The lyrics continue the theme of feeling trapped with lines like “It keeps happening even though I run away; I’m caught in a lie,” and “Find the me that was innocent, I can’t free myself from this lie.”

“Stigma” “Stigma” is the fifth track on the album and is member V’s solo song. It is a departure from the first four tracks and takes on a more jazzy and soft feel through its Zi-on.T-esque instrumental and brass backing in the chorus along with a powerful, booming bass. The vocals are deep and sensual but clash with piercing high notes, showing off V’s vocal range and ability. The lyrics are almost a continuation of the ideas of “Lie,” detailing an over-whelming guilt and failing someone close to him. Lines such as “Now cry; It’s only that I’m very sorry towards you; Again, cry because I couldn’t protect you” and “Please let me be punished, Please forgive me for my sins,” continue the dark-er themes of the album, even going as far as referencing suicide. It also carries the religious undertones that are more prevalent in the short films themselves.

“First Love” “First Love” is member SUGA’s solo and the sixth track on the al-bum. This slower song is primarily backed by a piano instrumental and features SUGA’s soft, careful rap-ping, a departure from the normal hoarseness we hear from him. The lyrics are similar to his recently released mixtape “Agust D,” specifi-cally tracks like “The Last,” which

BTS-WingsBTS or Bangtan Boys is a sev-en-member boy band from South Korea. Their group consists of four vocalists (Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) and three rap-pers (SUGA, J-Hope, and RAP MONSTER). They debuted in June of 2013 and have released two full albums and several mini-albums. WINGS is their second full album with fifteen tracks, including seven individ-ual songs from each member.

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show the more emotional side of him. The title is a bit misleading and is not about a person but his piano. He speaks of this piano as if it is a lover and describes their rela-tionship with lines such as “When I touched you with my small finger, ‘ I feel so nice mom, I feel so nice’” and “After the dawn, two of us, We welcomed the morning together; Don’t let go of my hand forever, I won’t let go of you again either.” This song describes how he grew apart from his piano once he began to pursue rapping and how he even-tually returned to it as a celebrity.

“Reflection” “Reflection” is leader RAP MON-STER’s solo track and the seventh one on the album. He starts off with an all-English intro: “I know every life’s a movie, We got different stars and stories, We got different nights and mornings, Our scenarios ain’t just boring.” This song is about his struggles to become a more confi-dent person, which is obvious with lines such as “I wish I could love myself.” The simple beat paired with melodic keyboard and a distorted, high-pitched voice creates a unique yet addictive instrumental.

“MAMA” “MAMA” is rapper J-Hope’s solo and the eighth album song. This track uses a ‘20s-esque instru-mental backed by a catchy beat to give it a more modern, hip-hop feel. J-Hope’s playful yet powerful rapping is nicely complemented by the chorus. The lyrics are written for J-Hope’s mother, who supported him and made sacrifices to pursue his dancing career. “But I didn’t know my mom’s support, Was not a open shortcut road; But a road of dreams while gripping debt; (Al-ways) The problem of money,

eventually my mother (Go away) Had to work away from home.”

“Awake” “Awake” is Jin’s solo track and the final short film/individual song in the series. It opens with strings delicately introducing Jin’s soft and careful voice and is eventually joined by piano and a simple beat. This track demonstrates Jin’s hard work in both dancing and singing with lines such as “I can’t fly like the flower petals over there, Or as though I have wings, Maybe I, I can’t touch the sky, Still, I want to stretch my hand out.” He compares himself to the other members as, unlike him, each of them became idols because of their music.

“Lost “ The tenth track off the album brings the listener back to group tracks, using elements of dubstep and both powerful and whispery vocals. This song questions if what the members are doing is right and if they’ve followed the path they should’ve in lines such as “This is too hard, is this path right for me? I am so confused.”

“BTS Cypher 4” “BTS Cypher 4” is the track that the fanbase collectively lost their minds over when it was announced on the WINGS tracklist. This cy-pher uses the same unusual instru-mental as Dutch rap group SFB’s track “Strangers.”

“Am I Wrong” The twelfth track off the album is actually a Korean cover of the fa-mous blues song “Am I Wrong” by musician Keb’ Mo.’ It’s a more mod-ern take on the classic song and has a catchy backtrack that juxtaposes the song’s sample (non-instrumen-

tal version). It’s one of the more playful tracks.

“21st Century Girl “ “21st Century Girl” continues with the more dance-oriented group tracks, including trap-in-spired beats and contagious, rhyth-mic shouting. It is another track frequently performed live.

“Two! Three! (Still Wishing There Will Be Better Days)”

This track slows things down after all of the excitement of the previous group numbers. It goes back to some of the themes in the solo songs and describes a walk in the park.

“Interlude: Wings” The album ends on an inspira-tional high note with a feel-good house instrumental. The song is not only addressing their younger fans without motivation but also their past selves: “This is the path you’ve chosen kid, don’t chicken out.”

WINGS has received incredible praise for everything from its ad-dictive beats to its heartfelt lyrics and unexpectedly good themes. Due to their rise in popularity over the last two years with hits like “I NEED U” and “FIRE” there was quite a bit riding on the success of WINGS. This album has brilliantly shown both the talents of the group members as individuals and as a col-lective group, and it is a welcomed addition to the BTS dis-cography. — Megan Rider

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