Oakton Outlook 2011-2012 Issue 2

Outlook

Volume 46

Issue 2

Oct. 20, 2011

feature

sportsThe volleyball team raises awareness and funds at the annual Dig Pink competition.

indepthStudents share their unique license plates, sweet rides and rules of the road in parking lots.

newsLocal restau-rants go with the health flow and begin to offer healthy alter-natives to your favorite entrees.

Theater tech students explain what goes on be-hind the scenes of “Alice in Won-derland.”

Oakton

Rules of the Road

Expectations and etiquette for student drivers

Contact Ria Bhatia and Garret Allen

to Advertise in the Oakton Outlook Newspaper

[email protected]

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Outlook

table of contents

3oct. 20, 2011contents

6

newsA plethora of new restaurants begin to offer more healthy selections on their menus.

10

featureStudents share in their abundant school spirit at the pep rally and for spirit week.

23

sportsStudents go all out to show school spirit and support at football games.

There’s an app for that: a review of Apple’s latest apps. 28

a&e

19

opinionsAn examination of the loopholes in the FDA’s organic system.

indepthA closer look at the coolest cars and license plates at Oakton. 14

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4oct. 20, 2011letter

letterfrom the editors

AdviserLauren Luna

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

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 [email protected] 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.

Yours,

the buzz in the news room...

Outlook StaffEditors in Chief

Gabriela DriscollShannon Ragan

“ ”gabriela driscoll:

Can I join Art Honor Society (13) if I’m not taking an Art class?

michelle chu

“”

So yesterday, someone crashed into my car (17). I have a girl scout

bumper sticker on my car; what kind of person hits a girl scout?!

shannon ragan:

kim gibbons:

daniel greene:““ ””

Don’t make fun of my drawing. Gosh, Kim, you’re such a bully (20).

Is that a lamp or a computer?

“”

Is deer meat organic (21)? Be-cause Mr. Welch just gave me

some, and I ate it.

jackson lizardo:

5oct. 20, 2011news

“”

In my pocket lies the world, a world of opportunity, where each of my actions, however small, can change the fabric

of my reality… and I think some lint.

trenton robbins, effervescently profound senior

What’s In Your Pocket? It’s the last bastion of privacy and sanctity in an increasingly smaller and ever more public world. It

protects your keys and your common currency yet you give it nary a second’s thought. As the once-esteemed pocket wanes in recognition, I took to the halls to get the real beat on the street behind the

denim. Several members of Oakton’s learning community weighed in on this big question: What’s in your pockets?

“ ”Bottomless pits.

sean greeney, physics-defying astronomy teacher

“ ”The ring of power.

konstyantyn proskuryakov, destructively ambitious sophomore

“ ”Ideas and lists.

vanessa gelinas, tersely methodical theatre teacher

“ ”Key to the TARDIS.

rebecca henelotter, bi-cardiovasculered senior

“ ”My hands.

mitch dollard, dexterously-inclined senior

“ ”Imagination.

marina fondin, quixotically fictive senior

reid perkinsstaff writer

shannon ragan

6oct. 20, 2011news

newsin brief

2.

The Oakton Classic regional marching band competition took place on Oct. 15 at Oakton. High school marching bands from Northern Virginia and beyond participated in this tradition that brings together student musicians. “I like meeting a lot of new people, especially because they are from out of state,” sophomore Robert Miska said. “And the color guard gets to perform with us.” The Oakton Classic is run by volunteers of the Oakton Band Boosters, with the help of families and friends of the participants.

Virginia students come together for Oakton Classic tradition

The Writing Center is a facility that students can come to meet with a tutor to expand on their writing skills. Any students with writing assignments can take advantage of the center. “We have 60 tutors,” said Writing Center teacher, Beth Blankenship. “They are all a mix of seniors, juniors in AP Language and Composition, and there is one sophomore who is of very high caliber.” The Writing Center has also introduced new initiatives such as Traveling Tutors, who go to a specific Cougar Time upon request. The Writing Center was moved to room 133 this year, right across from the Burgundy Office, and is now open for students during lunch, Cougar Time and after school.

Oakton Writing Center invites students to come for tutoring3.

4.

Chorus celebrates childhood memories with Disney concert

1.Best and brightest prepare for Senior Regional Orchestra

Senior Regional Orchestra (SRO) consists of the best musicians in the region. These musicians prepare for months for a rigorous audition process, this year’s beginning on Oct. 3. “I auditioned with about 160-170 students who tried out for violin, but there are only 44 seats, so it’s very competitive,” said senior Rachel Kim. For the audition, stu-dents are required to prepare about three or four excerpts, numerous scales, and are asked to sight-read another excerpt. The audition itself lasts about five minutes. “I think SRO is a great experience for high school musicians,” said senior Mikey Lankenau. “The audition process can teach people how to control their nerves. It’s difficult because there are about a hundred musicians practicing at once before their audition.” The selected musicians will be meeting again in November to prepare for a concert.

Chorus is having a concert on Oct. 29, solely dedicated to classic Disney songs. Costumes will be worn throughout the night, and baskets of souvenirs will be sold. “My favorite song is ‘I’m not Going to Say I’m in Love’ from the movie ‘Hercules’,” said freshman chorus member Baldeep Kaur. The concert will consist of two shows; an af-ternoon show at 2:00 pm and an evening one at 7:00 pm. Tickets are being sold for $10 for adults, $7 for children and are free for toddlers.

isabella kidane

marissa hall

7oct. 20, 2011news

Seniors immerse themselves in real world politics on Candidates DayDiving to the political depths

While underclassmen busied themselves with a half day of standardized testing, seniors were treated to Candidates Day. Each year, Oakton government teachers appeal to local policymakers or political candidates to visit the school for a day to speak in front of the senior class. This year’s speakers were State Senator Chap Petersen and Virginia

Delegates Mark Keam and Jim LeMunyon. Seniors were split into two groups, one in the auditorium and one in the main gym, and candidates cycled between the rooms. Each introduced himself, gave a brief speech and then spent the remainder of his hour answering questions prepared by the audience.

Rebecca SmallAP Government teacherWhat is the purpose of Candidates Day?

Small: “For seniors to meet and get to know our elected officials and engage in dialogue with them. All of the officials [that were there] will be on the ballot next month. This will be relevant to seniors that were 18 and registered by Oct. 17.”What role did government teachers play in this event?“Each teacher was responsible for calling an elected official and begging them to come. It’s a good way for candidates to get their name out, but these candidates have full-time jobs so it’s hard to get them to commit to a whole day.”

How did you prepare your students?“We prepared our students to ask well-researched questions. We want them to ask something that can’t be looked up on the Internet, something that only the candidate could answer.”

What is the best part about this event?“It’s interesting to hear about votes [the candidates] have struggled with, and it’s interesting to hear them speak as human beings when it’s not clear to them what the right decision is. The beauty of democracy is that votes are transparent, so citizens can put their elected officials on the spot.”

“Delegate Keam seemed to have no difficulty connecting with students, so they were more open to his ideas.”

katherine fu, 12

“I looked around while LeMunyon was speaking and nearly everyone looked angry...”

dylan roche, 12

“To be honest, it was pretty boring. It was like being lectured for three hours.”

catherine reed, 12

“LeMunyon was good as far as government goes, but as for dealing with people, he’s out of touch.”

ashley rowles, 12

Students had this to say:

Seniors Pratik Singh and Megan Cahill listen with rapt attention as State Senator Chap Petersen encourages students to take an active role in politics by volunteering for local candidates’ campaigns.

courtesy of rebecca small

courtesy of rebecca small

Senior Nathan Green inquires about Delegate Keam’s opinion on the under-funded Northern Virginia metro project. “It’s simply too expensive to be a major focus right now,” Keam says.

Alice Springs Chickenwith aussie friesCalories:1172Total fat: 68 gramsDescription: Grilled chicken covered with monterey jack and cheddar cheese.

Grilled Chicken on the Barbiewith mixed veggiesCalories: 401Total fat: 8 gramsDescription: Seasoned and grilled chicken breast with BBQ sauce.

8oct. 20, 2011news

news

Skinnylicious Ham-burger with gar-den saladCalories: 570Total fat: 10 gramsDescription: Burg-er with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles served on a toasted bun.

Kobe Burger with french friesCalories: 990Total Fat: 20 gramsDescription: Kobe beef with sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Not this...

Go out to get healthy

The

Che

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Eat this...

Whole Wheat FettucciniCalories: 860Total fat: 0.5 gramsDescription: Whole wheat fettuccini noodles with chick-en and broccolini.

Eat this... Not this...Pasta De La MareCalories: 1320Total fat: 0 gramsDescription: Spahetti noodles with scallops, mussels, shrimp, garlic and white wine.

Each year more and more Americans are going out to eat. While the cost of eating out continues to rise, the obesity rates are also increasing. Popular restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and The Cheesecake Factory have created healthier options or modified items on their menus to offer selections which are

both appetizing and nutritious.

alex belden

Eat this... Not this...

news editor

alex belden alex belden



Information from outbacksteakhouse.com

Information from fatsecret.com

Information from macaronigrill.com

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TEENS

Put your life in drive

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Call or Text

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13043 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway

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November 5

4 to 7 p.m.All proceeds go to the Oakton Outlook

Help support your school newsmagazine

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BROWNIESMORE!

10oct. 20, 2011feature

featureThrough the looking glass of set construction

Welcome to the Wonderland of set construc-tion. There is no question that the cast has spent countless hours rehearsing for its upcoming

production of “Alice in Wonderland,” but they’re not the only ones preparing for the show. It’s the theater tech students’ contributions behind the scenes that provide the extra dose of magic and wonder that Alice’s Wonderland is known for.

Reid Perkins, senior, is the head of set design and con-struction in the class. Quite the opposite of the Queen of Hearts, Perkins maintains a level head while he overlooks every aspect of brainstorming, planning and construction.

“I started with the script over the summer, just kind of putting together some preliminary designs,” Perkins said. “Since then we’ve done a lot of revisions, what-ifs and alter-nate designs.”

Theater tech class has a limited allowance of money avail-able to them for each individual show, but they have never had a problem managing money and obtaining the correct supplies.

“A lot of [supplies] we can reuse, and that’s a key thing we look for, ‘Can we reuse this?’” Perkins said. “Occasionally, when we do need more supplies, we get them from Home Depot.”

Caroline Werenskjold, junior, isn’t shy as she recounts her many responsibilities as stage manager.

“I’m basically the boss of the backstage,” Werenskjold said. “I have a headset so I can talk with the lighting and sound people who are above the stage. I’m also the link between the director and the crew.”

Werenskjold is also enrolled in theater tech, where she has many duties within the construction aspect of production.

“I help out with the construction crew, because as stage manager, I have to know how to do everything,” Werenskjold said. “I don’t actually have to do it; I just tell people how to do it.”

Although Madeline Paul, senior, is not enrolled in theater tech, she is responsible for painting the finished set. Last year, she painted the sets for Oakton’s “The Family Man” and “Oklahoma,” and this year she will be painting the set for “Alice in Wonderland,” where her work will no doubt be as eccentric and whimsical as the Mad Hatter.

“I will be staying after school for two to three hours at a time, about twice a week to work on painting the set,” Paul said.

rawan elbabastaff writermadlin mekelburgfeature editor

Reid Perkins, Caroline Werenskjold,Trenton Robbins and Hyun Ho Lee all came in early on a Collaboration Wednesday to start building the walls that would become Wonderland. These students were dedicated to producing a fantastic set, and they took great pride in their work.

all photos courtesy of isabella kidane

Robbins embraced the nuts and bolts of the construction process, but he also looked forward to seeing the finished product. “I enjoy my incredibly fulfilling work, espe-cially when it comes to hammering,” Robbins said. “I like to see a fully constructed set in all of its splendor, especially the parts that I made.”

Lee understood the importance of set assembly, and chose to come in and help even though it was not a specific part of his job. “I love helping out the construction crew,” Lee said. “I feel like everyone should help out, no matter what crew they are on.”

Make sure to beat the White Rabbit and buy your ticket to come see “Alice in Wonder-land” at Oakton on Nov 10,

11 and 12 at 7 p.m.


Got spirit?Students dress up and down for spirit week

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Homecoming court members viciously pop their balloons during the pep rally.

Laura Macaluso, senior, and Megan Cahill, senior, cel-ebrate stars and stripes on “red, white and blue day.”

doorstep

Best places for picturesoutside restaurantbackyardstaircase

gabriela driscoll editor in chief

Members of the Homecoming court gather and ap-plaud each other after making their separate entrances via wagon, bicycle, piggyback and seductive dance.

The dance team energizes the crowd during the first pep rally in the renovated gym.

Band kids go all out to show their spirit at the pep rally, and are joined by a lurking gorilla.

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Homecoming restaurantsCheesecake Factory

Luciano’s

Macaroni Grill

Olive Garden = 5student votes

= 5 student votes


Seniors Sick of SenioritisThe average senior is just biding time until college acceptances start rolling in. For some, the stress of AP classes and standardized

testing is just a distant memory from junior year. Instead of struggling through AP Physics C, most seniors would rather have a free period. Seniors Mira Tanenbaum and Gabbey Tate break the mold of the average senior. Instead of trying to do as little as possible to get by, they do exactly the opposite.

Q: What AP classes are you in this year?

Tanenbaum: I am in five AP classes this year. I’m in AP Government, AP Literature, AP Statistics, AP Biology and AP Spanish.

Tate: AP U.S. Government, AP Comparative Govern-ment, and AP Literature. I am also in AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C.

Q: What keeps you from getting “senioritis”?

Tanenbaum: I am honestly really enthusiastic about a lot of my classes because I find them interesting. I have never been comfortable taking regular classes and not chal-lenging myself. I get frustrated when things move too slowly. I like working hard.

Tate: I could either play on the computer all day or just do my assignments. Also, I’d feel bad not doing my homework because I know that teachers put so much effort into creating the assignments.

Q: What motivates you to take such a challenging course load?

Tanenbaum: Last year I took four [AP classes] and col-leges like to see that you challenged yourself so I stepped it up this year and am taking five.The college I want to go to is very competitive and I want to get in so I work hard.

Tate: I’m motivated by college, I guess. Last year I took five AP and honors classes, and colleges don’t like to see you regress from AP classes to regular classes. I want to go to Carnegie Mellon or maybe even Princeton.

kari maharaj kari maharaj

kari maharajstaff writer

Driven by responsibility As a part of Oakton’sCharacter Education program, the Outlook will feature one of the four character traits in each of its next few issues.

Students have all heard their parents’ favorite instruction: be responsible. After hearing this for the hundreth time, the phrase seems to lose its importance. Contrary to students’ initial desire to ignore their parents’ advice, responsibil-

ity is an essential trait for students to consider. It’s relevant in just about every aspect of student life, whether it be home life, friendships, academics, athletics, a job or an extracurricular activity.

Ron Hutchison, member of Oakton’s security team, illuminates the essential factors of responsibility that students should understand.

Student responsibility at Oakton“You have the rigid, super-responsible students and then you have the students who absolutely deny all culpability. Responsible students will talk to you and acknowledge what they’ve done wrong. I can usually let them off with a warning. It’s the ones who don’t catch on that get the consequences.”

Knowledge is power“Students say ‘I didn’t know,’ but it’s their responsibility to know. People plead innocent when we’ve insisted that they know these re-sponsibilities. You need to know the rules, and it’s important to do that now because soon you’ll be adults. When you sign a contract you didn’t read and end up in court, you have no defense.”

Student driving responsibility“Being a responsible driver isn’t just about avoiding fines or keeping your license. It’s about avoiding the possibility of hurting yourself or others.”

Learning by mistakes“Everyone makes mistakes, but people think that if they admit these mistakes, they’ll become less of a person. Not admitting your mistakes gives you no chance to correct yourself.”

Personal responsibility“If someone feels I’m not treating them appropriately, I want to know. It’s beneficial for me to hear from others because I know what I need to work on. It increases my ability to be responsible. Personal responsibility enables you to like yourself better.”

For 16 years Rick Wells has been a part of the Oakton staff teaching a variety of classes in

the Physical Education department and coaching the offensive line for varsity football. But this coming February he is retiring from teaching and is “looking forward to a new period in [his] life.”

In total, Wells has spent 30 years teaching at Fairfax County schools and 32 years in the state. His first job as a teacher was at Marshall High School, where he taught for 15 years before coming to Oakton in 1995. His first time as a football coach was at Fairfax High School where he coached their team for two years.

Wells plans on joining his wife down at their riverside home near Smith Mountain Lake in Goodview,

Virginia. “I plan on spending more time on the

water,” Wells said, “participating in activi-ties like fishing and boating.”

His fondest memory while being at Oakton was winning the 2005 State Championship for football.

“Not all coaches are able to expe-rience winning a championship,”

Wells said. “I was lucky to be able to reach that pinnacle in my

coaching career.” At the end of the day, he is

most proud of having the op-portunity to work with the

teachers of the P. E. de-partment, for they are “hard workers and have characters that are a great example to students.”


Fare-Wells My best memory of Mr. Wells...

“...was when my class was talking about who had it harder in society, boys or girls, and my class jumped straight to talking about sex. Wells said we jumped straight into the no pants romance dance.” Courtney Moody, 10

“...was when he took attendence everyday in gym class. When he came to my name on the list he would start singing the song ‘Mr. Crow-ley’ by Ozzy Osbourne because that was my last name. It was the funniest thing ever.” Mark Crowley, 11

New clubs at OaktonAnimal Welfare Club (AWC): Lend A Helping Paw!Cofounders: Jenna Reiden, Hailey YookInterest Meeting: TBD, about 25 people signed up.Info: “We are planning on visiting animal shelters on the weekends,” said Reiden. “We’ll help out at adoption events, hold fundraisers and host drives at Oakton to will collect [supplies] for shelters like blankets, toys or dog food coupons.”

“... was from back in Driver’s Ed. He told us one of his favorite stories about a student he had, who was reading aloud in class one day. The student came to the word ‘filet mignon’ and read it exactly how it looks, not like how it is pronounced in French. I guess the story is funnier when Wells tells it, but trust me, the whole driver’s ed class was cracking up.” Daniella Beck, 11

Stepping Stones: Helping the world, one step at a time.Cofounders: Joanna Ro, Lyndy QuastInterest meeting: TBD, about 30 people signed up.Info: “Each year, we will pick an issue in the world to tackle.” said Ro. “This year we’re working on stopping human trafficking in the Fairfax area. Basically, we will fundraise and do little projects to raise awareness and volunteer with local organizations.” Conspiracy Club: Don’t believe everything you’re told.

Founder: Sara YaseenCurrently Meeting: Room 269Info: Inspired by the debate team, the club is meant to teach others “not to believe in everything you’re told,” said Yaseen. “Believe in logic, but challenge it; think outside the box! Don’t you want to know what really goes on around you?”

alana petersstaff writer

karli gillespiestaff writer

Beloved teacher Mr. Wells will be retiring later this school year.

alana peters

karli gillespie

The Conspiracy Club had its interest meeting on Thursday, October 13 to discuss the most popular conspiracies of today. They wasted no time on formalities, and jumped right into debating the actual events of the first moon landing.

14oct. 20, 2011indepth

Learn how to be courteous in Oakton’s parking lot.

indepth

1.DON’T

2.DON’T

3. DON’T

DO

DO

DODO

Park straight in a diagonal space. It’s like a coloring book; no one likes the kid who can’t stay in between the lines.

Watch for the poor pedestrians who are dodging the oncoming traffic as they trek across the parking lot.

Turn left. It never works. You will never be able to see both directions of traffic, and will probably then get hit.

Watch for those who think it’s a good idea to blindly turn left into raging traffic; it’s better to be safe than right.

Try drifting in the gravel lot. That just gets gravel in your tires and makes you look like an idiot when it doesn’t work.

Be conscientious of where you park. Just because there aren’t lines guiding you doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to block people in.

4. DON’TThink that you have the right of way. No matter if the imbecile coming around the corner is going 45 mph and hits you, tech-nically, it’s your fault.

Be understanding toward those who have corner spaces or other awkward spaces in the cage. Be a good person; let them out.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Driving

lauren embroskistaff writer

lauren embroski

15oct. 20, 2011indepth

“While with my behind the wheel teacher a car cut us off. He kept telling me, ‘hit his car, hit his car, hit his car!’ and continued to say ‘he laughs now, but he will cry in court.’” Austin Kendal, 11

“He made us a CD called the ‘Journey of Life’ that was about his mother. When my mom would call him out for never picking up his phone, he would say they were ‘best friends’ because she pointed out his flaws.”

Morgan Bayer, 12

Steering students in the wrong direction

“At the end of my ses-sion, my mom was out-side cleaning my car. When my instructor and I pulled up, he rolled down the window and told her [she] had pretty eyes. He was basically hitting on my mom.”

Priya Ganesh, 12

“The car we used was extremely hot and gross so I would say I felt like I was going to throw up. Therefore, my behind the wheel teacher would call me ‘throw-up girl’ to other students.”Emily George, 12

It’s pouring outside and the only thing you can see is the rhythmic windshield wiper waving at your exhausted face. You see the light turn red and you glide to a stop but the

car doesn’t obey. You hear a crash and a few seconds later you realize what just happened. Automobile accidents are the number one cause of death for American teens. In Vienna alone, there are about 150 crashes and 60 injuries, making Northern Virginia one of the highest crash-rating regions. October has the second highest monthly crash rate in Virginia with approximately 10,000 crashes last year, and Senior Adeeb Baiou became a victim of these statistics after his accident on Sutton Road in early October. “I was going up Sutton in the lane to turn left on to Blake Lane,” Baiou said. “Another student was turning left out of the senior lot exit and didn’t see me coming because of a car in the right lane of Sutton.” Although the other car flipped over into a ditch across from the senior parking lot, no one was injured. Despite his accident, Baiou still considers himself a good driver, just like the 65 percent of teens surveyed by

Newsweek. “I don’t text and drive,” Baiou said. This might not be be-lievable, however, due to a daunting statistic. According to the All State Foundation, compared to the 82 percent of driving teens in Virginia who claim to use cell phones while driving. only 49 percent admit to being distracted by texting. Parents remain the number one driving advisors, with 81 percent of teen drivers indicating their parents have the most influence on their driving. But Baiou thinks differently. “My parents don’t really influence me. I kind of learn by trial and error.” Regardless of who keeps you in check, take the sta-tistics to heart and keep the roads crash-free.

Crashing into Senior Year

christina leestaff writer

Students experience unusual methods of teaching during their behind the wheel sessions.

erin bennettstaff writer

The story of a student as they face the daunting reality of a car crash on Sutton Road.

17oct. 20, 2011indepth16oct. 20, 2011

indepth

Connor Sullivan, 12“It was originally my mom’s plate. When my family got the minivan, we moved the license plate to my car. It represents the ship Discovery that landed at James-town, the space shuttle Discovery and my mom’s title which is ‘Project Discovery.’ I love having a unique license plate.”

“It was originally my mom’s car. She chose the license plate because Virginia, California, and New York are all the places that she lived during her life.”

Gianna Sheffield, 11

Maria Canales, 11“I wanted to express my support for the Capitals in a way that was my own. My license plate means that I love the role of being a fan to the next level: being a fanatic. People driving know it’s me just by my license plate.”

James Craig, 12“It stands for ‘New England football fan.’ I got the license plate because I’m known as being a Patriot’s fan.”

Matt Knoche, 11“The license plate originally meant the year of the car, 1969. But now, it has kind of become a phrase my friends and I jokingly use instead of ‘cool.’”

CJ Reimann, 12“For my birthday my dad said I could get a customized plate and after we narrowed it down from a few options, I decided on the license plate I have now. In football my number is five, and I try to always make plays when I’m on the field.”

carly stonehousestaff writer

“People say my car is an old person car because it’s painted white, but I think that the white makes it classy. During the winter, I turn on the [seat] warmer, turn up the heat and put my top down; it’s like a sauna in my car.”

Mimi Dabestani, 12“Its name is Dumbo because it looks like the elephant. I inherited it from my aunt and uncle for free, and it’s like my baby; I love it. It’s kind of annoying though, because whatever I want it to do, it doesn’t do.”

Morgan Bayer, 12

“I really like the performance and handling of the car. The Quat-tro system gives it a great feel. The best memory I have with my car was when I first put it in sports mode and experienced its true speed on a twisty road.”

Brad Ambrose, 11“One time, I raced a car going 35 mph; don’t worry, I always go the speed limit. Oh, and the guy I was racing, yeah, it was Alex Ovechkin. No really, it was on Route 7.”

Max Harrison, 12

“I got it from my parents as a surprise for my sixteenth birthday. I cried when I saw it and was even more excited when I found out it was stick shift because I’d always wanted to learn how to drive stick. The best part is how fast it goes; I love having the wind blow in my hair.”

Varsha Vargava, 11

GR8-PL8S Students share the stories behind their personalized plates.

Whether they love or hate them, students share an emotional attachment with their cars.

Students Study Seat Belt SafetyOn Oct. 18, Fairfax County Police Department collaborated with Oakton’s security office and held

a number of activities to educate students on the joys of wearing seat belts. For a pop quiz on seat belt safety, students driving to school in the morning were pulled over to see who was wearing their seat belt. Whoever clicked it, got a “Think Safety” lollipop and a sticker. Throughout all four lunches, a “Seat Belt Convicer” was stationed outside the cafeteria, and a drunk goggle basket ball court was set up inside.

michelle lorussoindepth editor

“My dad decided to splurge on me instead of my brother and bought me the new Jeep. Its paint’s sparkly and looks black on some days and blue on others. My favorite part is the set of speakers that I can pull out from the top of the trunk for tailgating.”

Mira Tannenbaum, 12lsabella kidane

lsabella kidane

lsabella kidanecourtesy of mimi dabestani

courtesy of varsha vagava

michelle lorusso

Darrell Estes

“This week is teen safety awareness week; its purpose is to make sure that everyone wears their seatbelts and knows the effects that alcohol can have on them while they’re driving. Safety should be the number one thing you should think about while you’re driving. We want students to be smart, obey the law, and not let people talk them into doing stupid things behind the wheel.”

School Resource Officer“I was driving to school when the police officer pulled me over to the side of the street. Then, people from leadership came over and gave me a lollipop and a sticker for wearing my seat-belt. It was exciting.”

Kaylie Brown, 12Elise Bartakke, 12

“I love the sticker and the lollipop that I got because I was wearing my seatbelt this morning. I was being a safe citizen. I got lucky because my parking spot was before the long line, so I wasn’t sitting in the traffic it caused.”

madlin mekelburgfeature editor

michelle lorussoindepth editor

Dude,Where’s my car?

BUY A YEARBOOK

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IF YOUR NAME IS ON THIS LIST, YOU HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED A BOOK. IF YOU NEED A FORM, YOU CAN FIND ONE ON THE OAKTON HS WEBSITE OR IN ROOM 196.

19oct. 20, 2011opinions

pinionsStudents weigh in on controversial topcs in our daily lives

It happens more often than you think. From big crashes to fender benders, statistics show that teen drivers are more likely to get in collisions than adults. Alcohol and distractions such as music and texting are prominent factors in teen collisions, which raises the question: are teens mature enough to obtain a driver’s license? Mostpeoplemaysay“yes”atfirst.If highschoolersdid not possess the maturity that is necessary to be a responsible driver, the DMV would not let them get their licenses. However, there is no “maturity test” administered by the DMV. In order to obtain a license, a prospective driver must complete 45 hours of driving with a parent or guardian while they have their learner’s permit and in addition complete a behind-the-wheel program and a driving test administered by the DMV. After that, the parents of teens are the only ones who stand between them and the road. Teens are often subject to peer pressure and therefore don’t always make thoughtful decisions. Texting and driving, drinking and driving, or just not paying attention while driving are all common issues among teen drivers. While some teens are extremely accountable and are not likely to practice irresponsible driving, there is no distinct line that can be drawn between those who are accountable and those who are not.

Allowing irresponsible drivers on the road is a safety hazard for teen and adult drivers alike, as well as pedestrians. If a driver is not aware of his or her surroundings, all people in the general vicinity are at risk. While many teen drivers think they are good at driving, most teens actually don’t have enough experience to even be considered decent drivers. Parents should at least keep track of their teen’s driving habits in order to ensure maximum safety on the roads. Some parents are too trusting of their teens and therefore do not keep a close watch on their driving habits.

This lack of discipline on the part of the parents gives teens a sense of freedom and increases recklessness due to lack of consequences. Again, parents should have a stronger presence in the monitoring of teen driving.

While a “maturity test” administered by the DMV is idealistic, it is not at all realistic and will probably never happen. No steps can really be taken by the DMV to keep irresponsible teen drivers off the road as long as they are able to pass the driving test, which leaves their fate in the hands of their parents. As most parents don’t heavily monitor their children’s driving once they receive their license, only the awareness of irresponsible driving can increase our safety on the roads.

The Staff Editorial is the official opinion of the Outlook

chris graham

Many teen drivers lack the responsibility and maturity that is expected and required to be safe drivers


Over the past decade, bullying has received an extravagant amount of attention for good reason. It

seems no matter where you go for your news, there is a story about how bullying has affected schools and students. Even the nightly news often reports stories of bullying. In fact, just this month a teen named Jamey Rodemeyer committed suicide after being bullied, and it is getting a large amount of coverage by major news outlets such as Yahoo and ABC. All this attention has put pressure on legislators at the state and local level to get laws passed that crack down on bullies. Some states such as New Jersey even regulate what people say outside of school in their free time. But, are lawmakers going too far?

The answer is definitely yes. Once the government starts deciding what someone can and cannot say outside of school, they are overstepping their boundaries. The first amendment protects the right to freedom of speech. Of course schools need to take action and some laws may even need to be passed, but we do have a constitution and this is America. People have the right to

express their feelings no matter how mean those feelings are, as long as it does not take place in school. Although schools absolutely have to enforce anti-bullying rules in order to promote a good learning experience, they should not be enforcing school rules outside of school.

The most hyped form of bullying is certainly cyberbullying, which is due to all of the new technology that has been developed in the past decade. The internet has allowed people to communicate with the world or a specific person anytime and anywhere. Social networking, email and even texting are common tools for kids to attack one another.

Anti-bullying laws have also brought the hammer down on the internet, which once again is the wrong thing to do. The internet is not school, and it should not be treated like school.

The argument for laws that prohibit certain types of speech outside of school is that being bullied can affect your learning experience. If that’s the case, then pretty much anything can be considered bullying. If a coach benches a student, and that

student becomes so upset that he cannot focus in school, is the coach bullying the student? No, absolutely not. The government should focus on protecting the learning environment in school and leave everything else alone.

Strict anti-bullying laws can also be very expensive. When a student is bullied, the school district can be sued by parents for not protecting students adequately enough. New Jersey schools are even required to train staff to deal with bullying. This can become a huge financial burden for counties.

No matter what anybody does, there will always be bullying. Just because a law is passed does not mean that all of the sudden no one will pick on anyone just because they could get in trouble. We as a nation cannot overreact to bullying by allowing the government to intrude into people’s lives and regulate everything they say. What makes this country so great is that we have unalienable rights. It would not be right to enforce laws that intrude on the First Amendment.

The anti-bullying frenzy has finally crossed the line

Submitting homework online is a step in the right direction for both students and teachers

As technology continues to march forward, it seems no aspect of our life can be left the way it was. Even school has gotten with the times, and homework traditionally done with paper and pencil is not immune to change. Starting this year, a few teachers have began using SafeAssign, a program that much like digital drop box, allows students to turn in assignments through Blackboard. Instead of major assignments that are being turned in, SafeAssign is being used to turn in assignments more along the lines of a paragraph in length.

I look forward to these changes, for they make it easier for both the student and the teacher to do or grade the assignment. We are already at a computer so much these days that it only makes sense to do more of our work at a computer. Distractions aside, having a computer and the internet at your fingertips while doing an assignment makes it incredibly easy to research anything you might not know and in addition gives you the option to use a very useful feature that goes by the name of spell-check. Having the occasional extension due to a power outage never hurts either. For teachers the use of

SafeAssign means not only less papers but also papers that are easier to read (no messy handwriting) and much more portable since many can be easily stored on a flash drive or a computer.

There will be a time when we do all our homework online, and this is a step in that direction. Turning assignments in online makes things easier, faster, and just makes sense considering all that we do on our computers and online.

oliver lopez-gomez staff writer

alex xenos staff writer

raw

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lbab

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The rise of organic food has been so enormous and sudden that people have not realized it is mostly a giant

scam. Most people believe that buying organic food is good for you, local farmers and the environment and that it is more expensive for a reason when it is not even organic food half of the time. Sometimes this it is actually organic, but much of the time manufacturers of so-called “organic” food do not meet FDA regulations for what is considered organic.

In the late 90s, organic food became the new craze for consumers. The rise of organics was due to the release of conditions in which processed food was made and kept as well as the horrible treatment of animals. When this news hit, food manufacturers changed the way they made their food and really did improve the conditions in which the food was made. However after a while a few started slacking on their regulations. This downhill trend has led to flat out non-organic food being called “organic”.

There is a loophole in food labeling that allows non-organic food to be labeled as “organic” without the FDA’s logo. Since many consumers don’t look for this logo, they end up paying extra for food that isn’t actually organic; they get ripped off because they are paying more for the same product.

The FDA has done nothing to stop this international scam. There are no laws stopping food manufacturers and they are making tons of money by advertising that they are part of a false organic revolution. Many people have tried to bring this to the public’s attention, but the news has been focused on recent political scandals and celebrity “news,” drawing the spotlight away from this extortion. Food related news almost never gets the attention it deserves unless it involves poisoning. Food regulation has definitely improved from its grimy disease-filled start, but the food industry still needs improvement.

FDA’s faux-organic revolution

daniel greene staff writer

Organic food regulations do not pass FDA inspections

With all the craziness of college applications, many seniors find themselves contemplating which

type of application they should submit to their respective colleges. Should they stress applications due before Thanksgiving or wait until winter break to finish?

With how competitive college admittance has become, my parents and I have created different “game plans” to create an advantage against the countless northern Virginians applying to top universities, in state or out. It all begins with the November due date. When discussing it with my parents, we decided that my top choice school would definitely be my early decision school. Why stress so early in the school year? Why scramble to get all your test scores in the two test dates available before the application deadline? Well, because

schools are more willing to accept students that demonstrate a commitment to their school. My school is not as well known as the school that it is associated with, so they place a lot of emphasis on school loyalty. Most schools are like this because the more you want them, the more they want you.

Now, early decision can only be used for one application, so seniors need to choose wisely which school will be lucky enough to receive it. Since most seniors have a top school choice, it is usually easy to decide which school will receive the application. Early action, on the other hand, can be sent to multiple schools, which offers students the opportunity to apply to many of their top schools, not just the one that they chose for decision for early decision. Although not as convincing as early decision, it definitely makes a stronger impression than regular

decision. It’s like a, “hey, I really like you,” compared to, “I think you’re interesting.”

Now, regular decision is just a standard. It’s not bad at all, but students need to understand that they are being thrown into a pool consisting of applicants from all over the country. Some students are only doing regular decision, and it really confuses me that they are too lazy to send in an early application. Why risk not getting accepted to any schools? Let us think statistically. Compared to the couple thousand that may have gotten their acts together to send their application in early, regular decision consists of over ten times the amount. So seniors, keep your head in the game. It’s all about strategy, and this is a pretty easy one to follow.

kim

gib

bons

High school seniors should take advantage of early decision college applications

cole neuffer news editor


Fairfax County is both a curse and a blessing as students are soon to discover the world outside the

opulence. For the fiscal year of 2012, a $6.1 billion

plan was approved for Fairfax County, providing $1.7 billion in disbursements to Fairfax County schools. In this 2012 Adopted Budget, the funds come directly from real estate taxes which Fairfax County is more than able to afford. A recent census provides that as the second wealthiest county in the United States, Fairfax County rakes in an average of $103,000 per household. This is only second to Loudoun County with a whopping average of nearly $120,000.

What this means to you, the affluent offspring of this county, is that when you whine about how the collective “they” need to fix the vending machines that provide you with your daily dose of high-fructose corn syrup, there might be more

pressing matters that “they” have to deal with, such as public safety and health and welfare. Concerning public safety, about $412 million goes toward fire and police departments, 911 and other deterrents of danger.

Upon reading, questions you may pose regarding this information are “What do I gain from this?” and the ever-popular “What is the point?” Stop blathering and drill this through your skull: if this budget were not in place, your beloved football fields, tennis courts and yes, vending machines would cease to exist. As a product of the Fairfax County capitalist machine, you need to recognize and appreciate that most of you live in surplus, from the car you drive to the food you eat. Living near the nation’s capital, many take wealth of knowledge for granted, not to mention income. The focus of this argument stems from the utter lack of monetary maturity found throughout the

county as seen through vandalism, petty theft and other classic misdemeanors.

Schools across America are not provided with near as much funding as is Fairfax County. For this, many residents can vouch; we live in excess and damn well know it. Classroom essentials we deem as basic as the SMART Board, we do not need in order to learn. Impoverished nations around the world still contribute to international business through their own form of learning. Learning should not take place only on campus, but in the air surrounding collaborative minds. The line in the sand between what is absolutely essential for a child’s education and what is best is determinate on the tax payers and in turn, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Dear reader, this is much bigger than you.

Fairfax County’s Double-Edged Sword

Just over a month into school, students are already counting down the days to winter vacation. Every rain day,

holiday or half day in between has us thanking God for inclement weather, the pilgrims and Christopher Columbus for getting us the day off. On Oct. 12 we were given one more of those exalted half days. Maybe as a bribe, maybe as a reward, but whatever the reason, it was pointless.

Freshmen took the ACT Explore, a supposed taste of the test that they take in three years. With more questions in the survey than the test itself, the Explore was more of a self-assessment than a real test of knowledge. With 20 minutes of class and two hours of testing, freshmen might as well have not come. If they really wanted to experience the ACT, there are many opportunities to take the actual exam outside of school.

Sophomores took the PSAT, a preliminary look at the college assessment. The PSAT is primarily a search for the

National Merit Scholar Program. However, to qualify to be a National Merit Scholar, you must be a junior. Consequently, there was no point in sophomores taking the exam. If they wanted to practice taking standardized tests there are many practice exams available online and even given in the information booklet distributed by Oakton. The majority of sophomores spent the three hours apathetically bubbling in random answers anyway.

Juniors also took the PSAT and are possibly the only ones that actually benefited from the day. Over 600 juniors had to sit for the exam, many of whom will never even have their test scored. Oakton charged a $17 fee for juniors who wanted to have the test scored but paid for sophomores to have their exam scored. Juniors who didn’t pay had no reason to be at school. Furthermore, only three percent of juniors nationwide that take the PSAT qualify for National Merit recognition, and less than one percent of students qualify

to become National Merit finalists. Many juniors just wasted their day taking yet another test.

Seniors participated in Candidates Day, where State Senator Chap Petersen and Virginia Delegates Mark Keam and Jim LeMunyon spoke and had the seniors ask questions. While this was a great opportunity to get involved in politics, the majority of our seniors can’t even vote. The information given could have been found on the internet in the homes of interested students. Being at school was not necessary for them, either.

The half day wasn’t bad; I was more than grateful to have a free afternoon. But if I have to wake up before the sun, I’d rather it be for something worthwhile. All these opportunities given by the school could also be taken advantage of at home on almost any Saturday afternoon, not at 7:20 a.m. on a rainy Wednesday morning.

andy reed staff writer

jennifer prosser staff writer

Half day is not beneficialUnderclassmen gain nothing from the PSAT

sportsin brief

Golf sends three players to regionals2.

On Sept. 26 and 27, the golf team took part in the District championship tourna-ment at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Clif-ton, where it finished third for the fourth year in a row, falling only five strokes short of advancing to the Regional tournament. However, dominating performances by senior captain Jackson Lizardo, junior cap-tain John McGuinness and team number one junior Ho Jae Lee allowed these three to advance as individuals to the Regional tournament.

The Regional tournament took place on Oct.3 and 4 and was also played at Twin Lakes Golf Course. Wet and windy condi-tions governed play, causing the course to

Volleyball Hopes to turn season

around during districts

1.The volleyball team has had a little bit

of a bumpy start to this season, beginning with a record of 9-11. The renovations to the main gym made it unusable for volleyball home games at the start of the season, making it difficult for the team to gain any real momentum. The team failed to turn the season around at its first home game during the Dig Pink event on Oct. 5, coming up just short of beating Madi-son. The team will compete in its District tournament beginning on Oct. 31, where it hopes to advance to the Regional tourna-ment and repeat last year’s post season success despite its early season woes. The team will celebrate senior night on Oct. 27 vs. Robinson.

23oct. 20, 2011sports

The cross country team has started its season well and hopes to continue to domi-nate. Both the boys and girls teams have produced top individual finishers and have placed highly in events as a team. The boys had three runners in the top 25 at the Great American meet in North Carolina on Oct. 1 and took the top five individual spots at the Concorde district’s first meet on Sept. 21 at Lake Fairfax when it placed first as a team. The girls team took first place at this meet, both as a team and with sopho-more Robin Dixon’s impressive individual performance. The boys team placed fourth at the

Oatlands Invitational on Sept. 17 where they competed against the 45 best teams in the state. The girls team placed fifteenth of 41 teams. Other meets where the teams placed highly include the Great Meadows Invitational and the Geraghty Invitational at Mount Saint Mary’s University.Each team will be competing in the

District championship meet at the end of October.

After four years at Oakton, field hockey coach Kate Ruch announced on Oct. 13 that she will leave the school after the conclusion of this season. Ruch came to Oakton as head coach of the freshman team, but has coached varsity for the last three years. During that time she has led the team to a combined record of 33-25 and helped take the team to the regional semifinals last year. The announcement comes during the middle of the team’s best season since Ruch became head coach, as they have started off 13-3. The goal tending by senior Mira Tanen-baum this season has been phenomenal, as she has allowed only nine goals all season, including a tremendous streak of four straight shutouts. In addition to the excellent goalie play there have been other standout contributors such as senior forward Kara Leonard, who leads the team with eight goals scored thus far. After a 1-0 loss to McLean, the team rebounded with back-to-back wins over Fairfax and Cent-reville. While the start has been good, field hockey’s real test will come during Ruch’s last two regular season games against Cent-reville and Herndon.

Volleyball team shakes hands at the conclusion of the Dig Pink Tournament on October 5.

photo courtesy of grif barhight

play more difficult than usual. Although Lee, Lizardo and McGuinness all failed to advance to the State tournament, Lee came up only one stroke short.

The Regional tournament marked the con-clusion of a successful season for the team, including a 3-1 record in District play and many top finishes in tournaments, including a second place finish in the Charger Chal-lenge, a pre-season tournament sponsored by Chantilly.

Cross Country runs over district

opponents3. 4.

jackson lizardostaff writer

callum keltonstaff writer

Field Hockey coach set to leave during great season

isabella kidane


Excentric Fan Section Boosts Game Atmosphere

Oakton fans have typically been known for their crazy antics and ridiculous chants and this year is no exception. The senior class has taken charge and organized school wide tailgates and themes with events like the grove street tailgate, to ramp up the atmosphere and keep the game charged. But themed tailgates are just one of the eccentric events planned by the student body. Aside from the typical body paint and glitter; some fans went above and beyond and dressed in full blown costumes. “Being a senior fan, you have obligations. The responsibility is on you to pump everyone up,” said Sam Buck, senior fan. At the Outback Bowl Sam unveiled his golden trashcan held on to his body by suspenders that he bangs with drumsticks in full body paint, helmet and aviators. Sam is only one of many fans with a unique costume, senior Mason Hauser

wore a king’s cape, hat and gold body paint. “Home games we have truly upped the insanity” said Buck, explaining the electrified crowd present at home games, fans are also starting to work their way into away games, becoming a force to be reckoned with such as at the Woodson game, where many students dressed as shirtless Bat-man characters for the blackout despite the weather. “I’m going to continue not wearing a shirt for the entire season, even when it gets cold” said Connor Howell, senior fan.

That kind of dedication and fanatical energy is to be expected from the Oakton student section in the upcoming Concorde Dis-trict games.

Fans to Watch1. “I started basically because of the senior class last year. They were great. The tradition passed down, so I decid-ed to go above and beyond the call of duty”...”This is our last year for high school football so we’ve got to go all out” said Buck.

2. “ I decided on Tigger because of the jungle theme, and well I’m a wild ani-mal so I might as well dress like one”... “ I picked it up on my way to the game at a stop light from my friend’s trunk” said senior Max Harrison.

3. “I do it to distract the other team, and pretty much because it’s awe-some. I don’t really ever plan anything, it’s a new outfit every game. It just hap-pens.” said senior Pat Goulding

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spencer conley sports co-editor

mimi dabestani

allie berube

alini suyama

lizzy preising


Volleyball players

for breast cancer awareness

What does Dig pink mean to you?To me it means we are playing a volleyball game to raise money for people fighting for their live.How does Dig Pink affect you as a team?

It brings us all together to play for a good causeWhat makes Dig Pink special? Someone very close to me has breast cancer so I play this game for her.Do you feel more pressure during Dig Pink than you normally would?Yes, because a lot of people come to watch us play

What does Dig Pink mean to you? Dig Pink is a time

for all the teams to come together and really support breast cancer in a fun way.How does Dig Pink affect you as a team?Everyone on the team knows someone who is a survivor or has died from some sort of cancer and that really helps motivate us to do well.What makes Dig Pink special?Our freshman coach last year was the founder of the Dig Pink organization so that really makes it that much more special to us. His mother also died last year from breast cancer so we really go all out for the Dig Pink games.Do you feel more pressure during Dig Pink than you normally would?I do feel more pressure because more people are there to watch it and they all want us to win, but once I start playing the nerves go away.

The annual Dig Pink volleyball match between Oakton and Madison has tra-

ditionally been held to raise both money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. This year, Oakton hosted Dig Pink in the brand new gymnasium on Oct. 5.

Not only was the match the first home game for the Lady Cougars, but it also had a deeper more personal meaning for the team, as many of the players have personal ties to the fight against cancer.

“It’s very emotional because of how strongly my family has been affected by cancer,” said junior Emma Olson. “In a sense, I am playing for those in my family who have had cancer.”

Dig Pink is not only special to the play-

ers, but Freshman Volleyball Coach Rick Dunetz also has extremely personal ties to the event. During his coaching tenure at West Springfield his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. His struggling team turned around its record and became an inspiration for Dunetz’s mother’s fight against breast cancer. Due to his mother’s condition, in 2004, Dunetz started the Side-Out Foundation, which raises money for breast cancer research through volley-ball and Dig Pink events.

“His mom died from breast cancer last year and he kept coaching us and taught us to be strong no matter what,” said sopho-more Melisa Ozcan.

Similar to Dunetz, many of the players used their own stories of cancer awareness and those loved ones affected by cancer as motivation.

“It makes us play harder knowing we are playing for a good cause,” Ozcan said.

Due to the importance of Dig Pink in the community and within Oakton’s coaching staff, some of the players felt the

pressure to perform.“I feel a little more pressure because of

the large crowd and because it’s a special night so you want to play your absolute best,” Olson said.

Although the games were personal and forced all three volleyball teams to play their best, only the junior varsity team won 2-0, freshman lost 1-2 and varsity lost in a game that went to five sets 2-3. Although the varsity team has a record of 9-11, it will look to pull out key wins at the end of the regular season against Herndon, Cent-reville, Westfield, and Robinson in order to get into the playoffs.

Emily BeekmanSophomoreJV Volleyball

Abby MillsJuniorVarsity Volleyball

christian forbesstaff writernathan lalandestaff writer

isabella kidane

isabella kidane

Bob Hekl

bob hekl

Starting the season off with more wins than losses can put a lot of hype behind a team, but the thing that really counts is whether or not the team can live up to the hype. Since 2005, the Washington Redskins have started off four of their seasons, including this year, with a record of 3-1. A strong start to a season almost always guarantees one thing off the field, the fans will be pumped.

No matter what team you root for, witnessing your team start out with a winning record is always an exciting thing. The question that all fans have for the Redskins now is, if the playoffs are in the near future. Obviously the season has just started, and there is a lot of football left to be played, but that does not mean people can’t begin to have hope.

Only six of each conference’s 16 teams will make the playoffs, and the NFC East Champion usually ends up be-ing one of the strongest teams in the NFC. However, not winning the NFC East doesn’t mean the Skins can’t make the playoffs; one must never count out those two magical wild card spots. If there is one thing that every sports fan knows it’s that anything can happen.

No matter what sport or what season, the odds are always defied, upsets will occur, and the quest to become champion is open to anyone. Injuries and miracles, among other things, plague the field left and right, creating a detour into one’s plans for the season. While it may seem like a long shot to many, the Redskins could be on a detour that takes them to the NFL promise land, with a playoff berth. Until the playoffs though, Redskins fans can only do one thing: believe.

Boom or Bust: The Redksins’ Quest For Glory


PLAYER Att Comp Yards TD

Rex Grossman 143 83 989 6

PLAYER Att Yards Avg TD

67 233 3.5 1

19 135 7.1 1

Tim Hightower

Ryan Torain

PLAYER Att Yards Avg TD

16 248 15.5 1

21 246 11.7 2

Fred Davis

Santana Moss

Jabar Gaffney 17 238 14.0 1

RECEIVING

RUSHING

PASSING

Oakton sent a message to the Northern Region in their 21-14 win over district rival Chantilly. Not only did the student section come out in full force, but the team was determined to put the pretenders discussion from around the region to rest. The Cou-gars managed to hang on for the win securing a 4-0 sweep of Chantilly for the seniors’ tenure at Oakton.

“I was saying we’ve been waiting 12 years for this and now we got to prove it in four quarters and we did,” said senior quarterback Tuck Masker.

The offense came out a little cold and failed to establish a consistent rhythm in the first half on two 3-and-outs and a fumble on their own 18 yard line.

“[But] we’re a team where if you give us any air to breathe, one spark, we’re off,” Masker said. “We’re going to get confidence in ourselves and there’s no stopping us, so it all comes down to confidence.”

Oakton ignited a wave of offensive pressure and began to move the chains in the second quarter. On the backs of the running backs and Masker, the offense drove the 54-yards to the end zone, and the QB punched it on a five-yard run and seven minutes later rushed for another TD. By the middle of the third quarter Masker connected with senior wide receiver Stephen Lambrides on a 36 yard pass.

The biggest play from the defense came with

about 30 seconds on the clock with the score at 21-14. On the Cougars’ nine-yard line, Chantilly QB Romine scrambled to his right and found a hole. Senior defensive back Michael Durst noticed the run, lined up and managed to strip the ball from Romine on the four-yard line and senior lineback CJ Reimann recovered the ball.

“I thought we made some plays, gave up some plays too, but we tried to compensate for that by making plays when we had to,” Reimann said.

In one of the Cougars most impressive wins to date, the atmosphere was some of the best football you’ll see in the Concorde. Oakton fans went out to prove they were not a lackluster student section and came out in a dominant white-out. And the team that was questioned on their ability and were labeled fourth in the Concorde, came out to prove something to the entire region.

“All week there were critics out to get us, no one thought we could do it,” Masker said. “All that stuff that goes on outside of us puts no pressure on us, we put all the pressure on us because we know we can get em. We believe in ourselves so we put pressure on ourselves. Oakton’s real. That’s all I’m saying; Oakton’s real. We’re not a hoax.”

Dominating the Concorde: Football proves their “real”

Tuck Masker punches into the end-zone for the first score of the night on a five-yard run to tie the game up 7-7. Oakton ended up beating the Chargers 21-14 on Oct. 14.

allie berubesports co-editor

conner dickstaff writer

allie berube

arts &entertainmentQuick halloween costumes on a dime

Grocery bag ghost Cardboard transformer

Pumpkin head

Materials: a cheap jack-o-lan-tern and awesome photoshop skillsDescription: for those who are on the less creative side, this horrible excuse for a costume takes years of practice in the art of slacking off

Having trouble finding an affordable halloween costume? This year, instead of conforming to the usual stereotypes of provoca-tive cat, seductive superhero or creeper around the corner try

some of these DIY options to inspire fear in your friends. Let’s keep things G-rated kids.

Pencil walrus

Materials: any array of boxes to suit your fancyDescription: a rectangular adventure, this intimidating out-fit will be sure to frighten the yappy neighborhood terrier that ruined your best pair of Air Jordans 27oct. 20, 2011

a&e

Materials: a high quality plas-tic bag from the nearest dumpsterDescription: an all-time classic with the abilities to scare any one from the cranky old man to the little kid across the street

Materials: two pencils resem-bling menacing tusksDescription: a costume for an especially large and commanding figure. It takes an immense amounts of sass and attitude to pull this look off.

Scare Factor: Scare Factor:

Scare Factor: Scare Factor:

emma mankin

emma mankin emma mankin

emma mankin

erin bennett emma mankinandy reed

staff writers

28oct. 20, 2011a&e

Joe Brooks: the next John Mayer

For the past two years, British singer Joe Brooks has swept young teens off their feet with his charming

ambiance, quirky lyrics and acoustic ballads. Brooks began his career in 2008 as an un-signed artist but soon got the attention of many record labels after selling out two con-certs in the UK. He was recently dropped by Lava Records as he did not want to con-form to the American standards of “good music.” Still unsigned, Brooks continues to release CDs and perform in concerts, abid-ing by his own rules and concept of what makes great music. On Oct. 2, Brooks performed at Jammin’

Java where he sang a few of his favorite songs off his first EP Constellation Me to

the background noise of screaming girls. The night started off with Kevin Daniel and Langley High School alumni, Chelsea Lee, singing in amazingly on-beat chords. After the opening acts, Joe Brooks graced the stage with a low “hello” in his coveted British accent and the venue erupted in girl-ish screams and synchronized claps. Brooks began his performance with “Someday,” followed by several of his other songs and an occasional blend of his own music with other well known songs like Jessie J’s “Price Tag.” Although his fall tour is meant to promote his new EP A Reason to Swim, released on the first week of September, Brooks only sang one song from this album, focusing more on his widely-known songs from previous EPs. In an attempt to change the atmosphere, Brooks encouraged the au-dience to scream their lungs out as he sang his most well-known song “Superman.” While his songs were delivered with

perfection, what really brought light to his performance was his interaction with his audience, as well as with his guitarist and pianist on stage. Their silly jokes and crazy expressions showed their personality and allowed the enthusiastic audience to relate

to these twenty-something year olds as they sang their hearts out and showered the room with incredible harmony. The night came to a conclusion with about 50 young girls lining up to meet and greet the heartthrob. At only 24 years old, Brooks has already been able to accomplish what many of us can only dream of. With such high ratings and an abundant amount of talent; the future of this British sensation seems to be very bright.

isabella kidanephoto editor

courtesy of official w

ebsite

In the last few years a shift has occurred in the genre of rap music allowing unsigned artists to gain notoriety. The

internet has allowed unsigned artists to get their music out on download sharing websites, allowing millions of fans to discover them. In the past it was nearly impossible to get any momentum in their careers without going through a record label. The labels are trying to keep up with this new trend, but some artists are giving away their albums for free so new fans will download them. This makes it nearly impossible for labels to compensate and they are taking heavy losses. The most notable of these underground

rappers are Mac Miller, Chris Webby and Wiz Khalifa. Miller has already made over 1.5 million dollars in his career but he recently signed with a label to go main stream. Webby’s success has not been nearly

as profitable but he has sold out all of his shows on his latest tour “Websters Lab” compared to when he first started performing for only 10 people. In an interview on Youtube, he stated “the reason I don’t sign with a label is that I’ve started a business and I don’t want to be bought out by the local big chain.” It is undisputable that these rappers have met major success but they still haven’t come close to competing signed rappers who have advertising, sponsors and more artists to work with. These artists like Eminem and his net worth of $150 million along with 50 Cent’s $250 million (half of 50 Cent’s

money is from a $100 million deal with Coke for buying his self-started Vitamin Water) still have a huge advantage and a much bigger fan base that unsigned artists could only dream of achieving. Underground rappers use websites to get

their music known. Typically they give it away for free so people will not hesitate to download it. The websites they tend to use include datpiff where people can download thousands of albums for free. Youtube is also used to post music videos,

songs and interviews for publicity. Whether underground becomes the new mainstream or it just fades away, the change that has happened shows how big of an impact a single website can have on the music industry.

Rise of the underground music industry

daniel greene staff writer

courtesy of official w

ebsite

29oct. 20, 2011a&e

Footloose brings more energy than expected A 1984 classic becomes something modern and angsty

“Footloose,” an ‘80s classic, has recently been revamped into a film fit for this generation’s standards. The original, starring Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer, was a successful box office hit, but it is still too early to tell how well the new one compares in the box office. The new storyline begins with a fatal car

crash that kills five teenagers who were going home from a party. As a result, a parent of one of the victims, a respected reverend in the fictional small town of Bomont, Georgia, sets a strict ban on music and public dancing. Al-though moving to a small town where dancing is outlawed is a bit outlandish, the new “Foot-loose” does a better job at making it believable while in the 1984 version it takes a while to set in. Three years later, Ren McCormack, played by Kenny Wormald, is in for some problems after he moves to Bomont from Boston when he sets up a reputation as a “troublemaker.” Luckily, he gains two helpful friends, Willard, played by Miles Teller and Woody, played by Ser’Darius Blain, who both add humor to the plot.The characters in the 2011 version are more

likable and moments such as Willard’s inability to dance are some of the best parts in the movie, making him the star for a good portion. However, there is a greater emotional aspect in

the first movie that goes beyond the teen angst and fear. Both stories reveal the true character of Ariel, the preacher’s rebellious daughter, as she tries to deal with the strict rules imposed on her, but the new film adds the grief of her brother’s death, as well. Julianne Hough, who plays Ariel, is known for being on “Dancing With the Stars” and her country music career, although she only dances in the movie. The audience can be satisfied that the story-

line has not changed drastically, although new scenes were added and others were taken away, as was bound to happen. The new “Foot-loose” is a lot more vibrant, and scenes move at a quicker pace, preventing any boring or lengthy parts. Also, humor plays a larger role and what’s not to love about that? Although character development was not excellent, the remake was easier to get into and packed with a lot of energy that outdid the original. Also, for actors with not much acting experience, it held up for an enjoyable 113 minutes. So if you’re willing to watch it, watch it for Willard and Ren’s incredible dancing. “I can promise Footloose fans that I will be

true to the spirit of the original film. But I still gotta put my own Southern grit into it and kick it into 2011,” said Craig Brewer, writer and director, in a recent interview.

2011

1984

melanie aguilar-rojas staff writer

courtesy of paramount pictures

courtesy of paramount pictures

caroline hipwell melanie aguilar-rojasstaff writers

Amazon has announced that “Kin-dle Fire” with color will be available on Nov. 15, 2011. “NookColor” is already available.

*Kindle Keyboard 3G used for review

Features WiFi at AT&T

hotspots

Battery life

Holds Storage Price Weight

includes free 3G access

60 days 3,500 books 4GB $139 8.7 oz

nookfree

access at B&N Stores

60 days1,500 books 2GB $139 11.6 oz

Features Color LCD Screen

Mp3 capability

Free books available

Text-to-speech

Keyboard

kindle none* QWERTY

nook none* touchscreen

kindle

vs. Comparing two popular e-readers courtesy of amazon and barnes and noble

MUSICall images from official websites

New Blink-182: well worth the wait

They made a name for themselves as uncouth heroes of pop-punk and potty humor, they were the soundtrack for a gen-eration of hooligans, they toured the world, they built an astronomic fan base and they broke countless hearts when they split up in 2005. Now, after an agonizing eight-year hiatus, Blink-182 is finally back with an unconventional new album, “Neighbor-

hoods,” which courageously ventures in the same direction as Blink’s 2003 self-titled album. It’s mature and stunningly progres-sive. Travis Barker, one of the most prolific drummers of our time, is consistently astounding on every track. Guitarist Tom DeLonge has grown immensely as a proficient songwriter, as demonstrated in the tracks “Ghost on the Dance Floor,” “Snake Charmer” and “Wishing Well.” Last but not least, Mark Hoppus, bassist, brings something different to the table: the dark style of lyricism that distinguishes the past two Blink albums from the rest. The three of them come together in an extraordinary display of musicianship. At some points, it’s pretty obvious that the album was recorded disjointedly with different members in different studios like during the songs “Kaleidoscope” and single

“Up All Night.” Instead of clashing, how-ever, the distinct characteristics harmonize in a uniquely Blink-ish way, and those songs are some of the best of the record. While some nostalgic fans had hoped for an album reminiscent of old-school Blink, the band’s new approach is still ener-getic and angsty, and anyone who’s been to a concert recently can confirm that the guys have not let up on the sophomoric poop jokes. Also, the tracks “Wishing Well” and “MH 4.18.2011” are pop-punk masterpiec-es that any fan can enjoy. I’m left with only one question: have I been singing “Snake Charmer” obnoxiously in the shower and playing the whole album on repeat for a month because I’m just a total dork about this band? Or is it just that good? Probably both.

sofia crutchfieldstaff writer

30oct. 20, 2011a&e

Fujisan Chipotle Surimi Rolls ($2.99 / 4.5 oz package)

The cheapest and least conventional of the three, these surimi rolls were unexpectedly delicious. With an innovative blend of Latin American and Asian tastes, these rolls might even be able to impress those who do not particularly enjoy sushi. The only downside is that these rolls are made with “imitation crab meat,” which is a mixture of fish including flounder, rather than genuine fresh crab meat. A package of four has only 200 calories and can serve as a healthier substitute for similarly flavored tacos or burritos.

marilyn yangcopy editor

Cooked Spicy Shrimp Rolls ($5.99 / 5.5 oz package)

Although the smallest in individual size, these are the most flavorful. The relatively thin rice layer highlights the mildly spicy sauce which is counterbalanced by fresh cucum-ber bits. The eye-pleasing modern packaging also deserves to be noted. Not only is the

product visually appealing, but its ingredients also taste fresh which is a pleasant surprise for supermarket sushi. In addition, this selection is quite healthy with only 280 calories per package.

While this variety stands out for its unique ingredients such as shellfish eggs, the brown rice is a bit too dry. Although the product is labeled as “spicy,” the actual spiciness is barely notice-able, if there is any at all. Nevertheless, those who prefer more savory flavors such as that in soy sauce should consider purchasing a package. These rolls contain a reasonable total of 410 calories.

Genji Brown Rice Spicy Shrimp Tempura Rolls ($7.99 / 7.0 oz package)

Best Supermarket SushiTaste Questing: Northern VA’s....

marilyn yang

marilyn yang

wegmans.com

Med

ia M

ix

31oct. 20, 2011a&e

5 apps of the month

5. Fandango

4. Jenga

1. Band of the DayBand of the Day is unique and user friendly app that introduces the user to a new musical artist or band every day. It allows ac-cess to bios, reviews, videos, and ready-to-listen tracks from the band. This is definitely the app for avid downloaders in search of the next big thing. Price: FREE

Price: FREE

This is the perfect app for those Juniors and Seniors taking the upcoming SATs. This app is your own personal digital stack of flash cards. Brush up on your vocab and expand your lexicon in preparation for the standard-ized tests that could define your life. *Note: If you don’t know what lexicon means, get this app.

2. SAT Vocab

Although lacking steroid-induced-looking muscles and a thick Austrian accent, this app is just as motivating as your own personal trainer. Beginning with a series of simple workouts anywhere from 20-30 minutes, the application promises that you will be able to run a 5k run without stopping. For those attempting to stay fit in prepera-tion of the oncoming pumpkin pie and gingerbread cookies.

3. Couch to 5k

Price: $2.99

Tap- Tap Revenge is fun and we’ve all played our fair share of Words with Friends, but what about the classics? This app takes the family-favorite game

and turns it into a touch screen success. For those unfamiliar with the original Jenga, the ob-jective of the game is to remove a single wooden block from a tower of blocks while trying to maintain the balance of the tow-er. In the app the virtual tower will sway to-and-fro indicating where the next block should be picked. This app is the perfect boredom breaker; a high school student’s must-have.

The Fandango app is for anyone who enjoys a typical Saturday night at the movies. The app allows you to view trailers, see movie times in your local theatres, read reviews written by recent viewers, and purchase tickets right from your phone. The new version of the app even allows for reserved seating so you can choose where you want to sit back and enjoy the show.

emma mankina&e editor

Price: $0.99

Price: FREE

ATTENTIONSENIORS

Dear John,Watching you grow has been the best experience of my life. I am

so proud of the man you have become. You should always know

that you’re father and I are here for you for the rest of our lives.

We can’t wait to see the amazing things you’re going to do in college.

Love you forever,Mom + Dad

JOHNSONJOHN

BUY A BABY AD

KNOW A SENIOR? WANT TO PUT BABY PICTURES OF THEM IN THE YEARBOOK?

FORMS TO PURCHASE AN AD ARE AVAILABLE IN ROOM 196 AND ON THE OAKTON HS WEBSITE

ADS START AT 1 UNIT FOR ONLY $51 AND ARE

SOLD IN 1 UNIT, 2 UNITS, 3 UNITS, 4 UNITS, HALF PAGE (6 UNITS) OR A FULL PAGE (12 UNITS)

BUY YOUR AD SOON AS SPACE IS

RUNNING OUTOMGoakton media group

Oakton Outlook 2011-2012 Issue 2

Documents

Transcript of Oakton Outlook 2011-2012 Issue 2