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Andrew Elliott, ‘11Editor-in-Chief

“I’m just going to Google everything,” said senior Ta’Chelle Morris in response to the news that the school would let its subscription to Questia expire in January. After five years, librarian Mrs. Esperanza De Sisneros says budget cuts have forced the school to drop its most expensive database subscription.

Washington-Lee is currently the only Arlington county high school that subscribes to Questia. “It was more than we thought we could justify with so much other material available,” said Mrs. De Sisneros.

The money for Questia came from a combination of the library’s budget from the county, as well as funding from the IB department, the technology department and the PTA. With rising costs, the IB and technology departments had to withdraw their funding, and the remaining funding was not sufficient to cover the cost of Questia.

Library says goodbye to Questia

Schoolwide drive brings massive donations

Features

Sports

News

Lifestyles

Opinion

Online

Holiday

Bags of cans overfill the Alumni Conference Room. The SCA-sponsored food drive brought in 8,741 cans donated by third period classes, totaling almost 5,000 pounds of food. The cans were donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. To read the full article, go to the Crossed Sabres webpage.

Questia offers students newspaper articles, books, scholarly journals and encyclopedia entries that allow full-text search options and access to what their website boasts as “rich, scholarly content” as a part of “the world’s largest online collection of books and journal articles in the humanities and social sciences.”

Every student in the school is registered with a Questia account, though some speculate that underclassmen do not have a use for the site. “It should be just for seniors, because we have the heaviest workloads,” said senior Kelsey Butterworth, who uses Questia in her IB Topics class.

Emily Nalker, who graduated last year with the IB Diploma, used Questia extensively for research on her Extended Essay in psychology, and praises its ability to save time on lengthy research assignments. “I know this sounds lazy, but you have no idea how much more work it is to literally flip through books and post-it note things instead of just being able to control-f key words and find exactly what

you need in Questia materials.”Mrs. De Sisneros is confident that

students will be able to utilize other resources for research papers once Questia disappears. “Maybe it won’t be as convenient, because it won’t be at your fingertips, but the resources are still there.”

Mr. Jeffrey McCarthy, who teaches both AP Government and IB History of the Americas, hopes students will take this opportunity to seek out other sources of information. “Students, I think, need to lean on the librarians a little more.”

Mrs. De Sisneros echoes his sentiment. “Librarians are here to help.”

The county currently subscribed to eLibrary, Gale and many other online database and publishers. Students, however, may be unaware of these options. “I just go on sites from Google, I don’t use databases,” said junior Mona Sharma.

Gale in particular offers over 20 different products, each with its own specialization. Opposing Viewpoints, for example, offers

articles and journal entries on controversial topics. Literature Research Center offers biographical information for over 130,000 writers. Gale recently purchased Questia as well, but the extent to which the library’s subscription to Gale will allow Questia access is undetermined, but likely limited at best.

Mr. McCarthy also hopes to explore Google Books and Google Scholar for research as his classes complete work on internal assessments.

The ease of Questia, however, may be hard to replace. “Extended Essay checkpoints are inconveniently due around the same time as other huge senior year hurdles, like college apps and IB English orals,” said Nalker. “It’s a really stressful time and Questia made my research for my EE that much easier.”

Mr. McCarthy remains optimistic about students’ ability to conduct research after Questia disappears. “I bet it’s not a big deal in the end. I bet as a school we figure something out to effectively replace it.”

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Most expensive online subscription falls to budget cuts

Find out where students are going for winter vacation and get student reactions to the re-cent midterm elections.

Take an inside look at the rise of the hipster and the ugly hol-iday sweater trend.

Preview the Swim and Dive team’s upcoming season and meet two school alumni who never quite left.

Check out the Crossed Sabres webpage for more information about the food drive and an opinion on school banners.

Discover how students can go green and what the opinions of one student are on the holiday deocration policies.

Get the latest information on medical marijuana legislation and hear one student’s opinion on why it should be legalized.

Learn how to make holiday treats and get reviews on some of the best and worst holiday music.

NEWS Crossed SabresDecember 15, 20102What’s

Going On?School news and

noteworthy events

Dec. 3 - Students stood up and recited Poetry Out Loud Participating students first presented their poems to their English classes. The winners from each class later competed in a grade-level competition, where three winners from each grade were selected to compete in a school-wide competition which will take place on December 15.

Dec. 4 - Another successful annual holiday bazaar There were many artists in the cafeteria selling a wide range of items including artwork, clothing and jewelry. Many of the school’s clubs sold homemade food and other items in the main hallway. The Madrigals and Women’s Chorale also performed holiday music.

Dec. 16 - Listen to the music The school’s band and orchestra will perform their winter concert. Come to the auditorium at 7:00 p.m. to hear a wintry mix of songs that the band and orchestra have spent the past season preparing.

Jan. 10-14 - Quarter exams are coming soon During the week following winter break, students will take their second quarter exams to assess their progress throughout the quarter. Students should check the handbook for a detailed exam schedule.

Jan. 17-18 - Some rest time at the end of the semester The United States will celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Students have school off and the country takes a day to celebrate the life of a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. On the following day, teachers will have a teacher work day to finish all of their work as well as complete students’ grades from the first semester. There will be no school for students.

Jan. 22 - Students present science projects to the com-munity The science fair will be held in the school cafeteria. Students from chemistry, biology and physics classes will present their projects to a series of judges and compete for numerous prizes. All first place winners will move on to compete in the regional science fair in February.

-Matthew Hirsch ’12

Planning for another holiday seasonStudents look forward to the fun activities that come with winter break

“This winter break I’m going to the Bahamas on a cruise and I am going to stay there for a week.”

“I’m going to New York City [to the] Usher and Trey Songz concert at Madison Square garden on the twenty-ninth.”

“I’m going to Canada to view the Niagara Falls and then skiing.”

“I’m going to play my video games all day, every day.”

“I am going to finish all my college applications and practice tennis for spring tryouts.”

“I’m going to New York to visit my family, which is what I do every year. We usually go into the city and go to a play or go shopping at least once.” -senior Holly Parker

“My family is going to visit so we will open presents and have a lot of fun.”

-sophomore Tony Luu

-sophomore Juwan Cephas

-freshman Elilta Abraham

-sophomore Alvaro Torrico

-senior Shushan Tafere

-freshman Derin Dogu

Andrew Karpinski, ‘11Staff Reporter

Pledging to go meatlessCafeteria adopts Meatless Mondays trend

This year at school, the nationwide phenomenon of Meatless Mondays was instituted. The act forces students who buy school lunch to cut meat out of their diet one meal per week to help achieve an overall healthier diet and lifestyle.

While people are mainly reducing their meat consumption for health reasons, they are simultaneously helping the environment by decreasing the need to produce livestock, which negatively affects the environment through methane emissions, soil degradation and eutrophication. Studies show that the average American consumes eight ounces of meat per day. The United States currently has a higher obesity rate than any other industrialized nation in the world. Meat accounts for a high level of saturated fats, which contribute greatly to obesity rates.

With regards to the environmental effects, scientists predict that if Meatless Mondays is successful, meat consumption could be curbed by 20 percent, equivalent to the environmental change of every American using a hybrid car.

Since Meatless Mondays was introduced at the school, some of the common substitutes for meat put out by the

cafeteria staff are the black bean burger on a whole wheat bun and the vegetarian chilli. Some students at school say Meatless Mondays has reached their households as well.

“I wouldn’t say that we do it every Monday, but during most weeks my mom doesn’t let us eat meat for dinner on Monday nights,” said freshman Michael Katz. Katz said that he was

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

glad a simple meal change could have a positive effect on our environment. However, other students argue against the Meatless Mondays fad. “I don’t feel that I need any change in my diet,” said senior Kaleb Gered. “I buy lunch at school and I hate going into a new week knowing that I won’t have a full stomach after lunch. As far as I know, meat has protein, which is good for me.”

BY ANDREW KARPKINSKI

Sophomore Ana Ortiz (left) and junior Angie Alvarez (right) enjoy their veggie burgers on Meatless Monday. As part of a nationwide trend, the cafeteria stopped serving meat on Mon-days at the beginning of the school year.

Compiled by Audrey Paduda ‘13

NEWSCrossed Sabres December 15, 2010 3

Isabel Larroca, ‘14Staff Reporter

Why did you come to Washington-Lee? I love the atmosphere of the school, and I only live two minutes away.What did you want to be when you were younger? I wanted to be a dancer. I took many dance classes.What is the best vacation you’ve taken? Islands off the West Coast of Scotland. It was just beautiful, very natural and it stayed light outside till midnight.What is your favorite book? Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

A divided governmentAnalyzing the consequences of the 2010 election

Congressional Leadership for the 112th Congress

House

Senate

House Speaker: John Bohner (R-OH)Majority Leader: Eric Cantor (R-VA)Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)Minority Whip: Stenny Hoyer (D-MD)

Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NV)Majority Whip: Richard Durban (D-IL)

Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell (R-KY)Minority Whip: John Kyl (R-CA)

Two days after the 2010 mid-term elections, President Obama conceded that the Democratic Party had taken a “shellacking.”

By any historic account, they did indeed. When all the votes were counted, the Republicans had

not only taken control of the House of Representatives, leading the Democrats 241-190, but had also gained six Senate seats, leaving the Democrats with a 53-47 lead.

In gaining the majority in the House, Republicans selected Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) to serve as the new Speaker of the House, relegating current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the first female to have ever held the position, to minority leader come January. To add to Democratic woes, Republicans also picked up six governor’s mansions as well.

Students, who are close to being able to vote themselves, had many opinions to express.

“Now that Congress is much more balanced, although it will probably create gridlock, there will be more dialogue, and it’ll be better for the United States as a whole,” said senior class president Max Blackman.

Senior class vice president Eleanor Jacobs agreed, “I’m so happy Nancy Pelosi is out of office.”

Other students, however, were not very happy with this election’s outcome.

“Although I do thoroughly enjoy watching Sarah Palin’s Alaska on TLC, I don’t agree with the Republican platform. So, naturally, I’m a little apprehensive about their takeover of the House,” said senior Katherine Ponds.

Freshman Jesse Chung seemed to think that the Democrats were on the right track to succeed before the GOP gained power. “It’s like the GOP was driving a car…

they crashed the car and it started to roll down a hill, but the Democrats managed to stop it from rolling any further and start pushing back up the hill…America is frustrated that they aren’t back on the road and driving again, and so they identify with the flawed logic of the GOP.”

It was not all bad news for the Democrats, however. Though the Republicans gained six seats, the Democrats did maintain their majority in the Senate. They also won many of the close races in the west: the Senate and governor races in California, the Senate races in Colorado and Washington, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Senate race in Nevada.

Regardless, the GOP victory, fueled by lingering economic troubles, the rise of the Tea Party and a drop from a 69 percent in 2008 to a 44 percent approval rating for Obama has led to the most gains that any party has seen since 1938.

The Republicans definitely plan on doing something with this advantage. According to CBS News, the GOP has ambitious plans for the future. Republican plans include giving tax deductions to small businesses, repealing and replacing healthcare with “common sense solutions,” funding troops and missile defense, and enforcing sanctions on Iran.

In fact, just recently, the Republicans in the Senate flexed their muscles by defeating Obama’s plan to increase taxes upon Americans making over $250,000. The Republicans were able to do this with only 41 senators and the help of a few Democratic defectors. Soon, the GOP will increase their numbers by six more senators, making them even stronger, and the Democratic agenda will be in even more danger. Whether or not the Democrats fight the Republicans or compromise, there may be change in Washington.

Why did you come to Washington-Lee? Washington-Lee has a great reputation, and I wanted to help with books and for-eign language books.What did you want to be when you were younger? Ambassador to Spain, my Span-ish teacher had a big impact on me.What’s your favorite type of music? Bluegrass musicWhat is something you most remember about high school? I had terrific teachers who inspired me to be a teacher.

Ms. Catherine Dowling, Library assistant

Ms. Hilary Lord, Library assistant

What is your favorite thing to do outside of school? I love walking my dog in nice weather, reading and traveling.What is something that none of your stu-dents know about you? I’ve taken flying lessons.What is your favorite type of food to eat? My favorite food is Chicago-style pizza. I grew up in the Chicago area, and East coast pizza isn’t for me.

Ms. Jennifer Weidman, Physics teacher

Why did you come to Washington-Lee? Because it’s a great school.What is your favorite store at which to shop? Burlington Coat FactoryWhat was high school like for you? A good time to build a foundation for col-lege.What is your favorite type of music? Jazz and soulWhat did want to be when you were younger? I wanted to be an NBA Player.

Mr. Nick Ofiesh, Teaching assistant

New Faculty FacesThis year, there are 17 new teachers, two new counselors and three new teaching assistants joining the staff. Meet four of these new staff members below. Thirteen of the staff members were featured in our November issue. Interviews compiled by Nicolette Elm, ‘11. Photos by Abigail Bessler, ‘13 and Jack Bardo, ‘11

LIFESTYLES Crossed SabresDecember 15, 20104

Kirby Miller, ‘13Business Manager

Pizza Autentica, not so authentica

Headlines are so mainstream...

Internet browsers put

to the testIt is 6 p.m. on a Monday night and Pizza Autentica is

empty except for a father with his young son and a few employees standing behind the counter looking extremely bored. Pizza is lying out on the counter getting colder by the minute while gelato is in the freezer and appears to have gone untouched for days.

The lack of business going through Pizza Autentica is believable to those who have eaten there. Pizza and stromboli sit on the counter waiting to get put in the oven to be warmed up for a soon to be disappointed customer. The baking and reheating of the pizza causes the crust to be dry and everything else that is normally delicious about pizza to be burnt. The stomboli and other foods of that sort do not end up much differently.

Pizza is not the only disappointing food that Pizza Autentica produces. Pre-made paninis and sandwiches are taken from the freezer and popped into a toaster to be heated. While this may seem like a method that would produce a crunchy, warm sandwich in reality it makes a soggy outer crust with a middle that is still cold from the freezer.

Something that Pizza Autentica can say is that they do not mess up the easy things. Salads are decent tasting and fresh and those brave enough to try the gelato will not be disappointed. With many gelato flavors available it is hard to find one that is bad.

While Pizza Autentica’s food is less than satisfactory, the prices are considerably lower than others of its kind, like Sbarro. Five dollars can get the customer a slice of pizza and a large soda, which is nice for a high school

student’s budget. Unfortunately for seniors, there is very little parking available close to Pizza Autentica, so a quick grab and go lunch may not work out so well.

Sadly, Pizza Autentica is not so authentic. Pre-made food does not taste good after being reheated and the few things that taste good are not done by Autentica. For those who would like to try Pizza Autentica for themselves it is located at 850 North Randolph Street next to Smoothie King.

Located at 830 North Randolph Street, Pizza Autentica is in a convenient location for students to eat lunch or have a snack after school. However, the food was found to be less than satisfactoty.

The schedule of the typical high school student is usually jam-packed with sports, clubs, homework and family. When doing homework, students find that many of their assignments require the use of online resources. To use time effectivley, it is important to know which web browser one should use for their computer.

In the twenty-first century, homework has started to require online research, and for Arlington County Schools students, the use of Blackboard. Blackboard has online textbooks, homework information, daily handouts and more academic resources. Students have been told by staff that Blackboard is compatible best with Mozilla Firefox and only the newer versions of Internet Explorer.

When the mouse clicks on the Firefox icon, it starts up faster than Explorer. The navigation time, the time it takes to go to the next page, is faster on Firefox. Opening new tabs or pages is much more organized and faster with Firefox because it is customizable and flexible with software updates. So when Blackboard is required for work or any long period of research, Mozilla Firefox is the way to go.

Most internet browsers run on all platforms except for some like Safari. Safari runs on Windows but is the only browser other than Mozilla available for Apple products like the iTouch or iPhone. It is ranked fifth in the world for overall quality according to Consumersearch.com. But Safari only comes out on top for Apple product consumers because of the compatibility which is phenomenal because together, Safari is quick.

At home, browsers can be set up to fulfill someone’s wants and needs. This includes add-ons, bookmarks, tool bars, news feed and file sharing. But a key component to a great internet browser is the quality of security. Both Firefox and Google Chrome beat Explorer in the security rankings, along with the overall ranks according to Toptenreviews.com.

For Apple computer users though, Internet Explorer is not compatible which gives users another reason to use Firefox because it is friendly with most systems

including Apple c o m p u t e r s . Firefox is ultimately easy to use because it automatically u p d a t e s ,

organizes tabs and bookmarks the

way the user wants them, and has a faster response time compared to all other internet browsers.

Someone’s time management and organization can affect internet browser choice. Mozilla Firefox fits the description of having speed, quality, organized layout and flexibility. Therefore, Firefox comes out on top.

Hipster status is not something everyone can achieve, but there are some at Washington-Lee who have received this incredible honor. The definition of what a hipster is has evolved over the years. Hipsters first originated from the 1940s jazz movement, but then disappeared when the hippies arrived in the 1960s. Now hipsters are back and more prominent than ever in our community.

Junior Maheen Shahid revealed that to be a hipster, “You have to blast indie music through huge headphones, look like you haven’t showered in three months, have un-kept facial hair and your hair must look atrocious.”

Shahid added the importance of attire in leading a hipster lifestyle. “Your clothing must be vintage and so ugly that you wouldn’t wear it unless you were paid to. Shoes are way too mainstream. Hipsters like to be close to the earth.”

Although first rejecting her hipster status, Shahid, wearing a fluffy, stuffed snake around her neck, admitted that she is called a hipster at least six times a day on Facebook. She thinks that the most hipster thing about her is her obsessive use of Tumblr, a website where users can post pictures, music and blog about their lives that has become a hallmark of hipster society.

A major concern for hipsters is the possibility of appearing mainstream. A hipster attempts to avoid societal norms and keeps a healthy distance from anything

Paige Taylor, ‘12Staff Reporter

Manbir Nahal, ‘14Staff Reporter

BY KIRBY MILLER

related to pop culture. This is why they love listening to underground bands and take pride in their eclectic style.

Junior Jasmine Herndon considers herself somewhat of a hipster connoisseur. She said, “To avoid being mainstream, hipsters take pride in the fact that they tend to listen to bands no one has ever heard of.”

Hipsters often like to spice up their skinny jeans and plaid shirts with chunky plastic-frame glasses and an unexpected accessory. However, junior Jessica Whelan noted an irony in hipsters’ commitment to obscurity. “By rejecting all forms of mainstream, hipsters are therefore

controlled by the mainstream.” Hipsters tend to be concentrated

in metropolitan areas, like New York City’s Williamsburg neighborhood, and in college towns. The Washington, D.C. area, however, does not have a particularlly high concentration of hipsters.

There is a lot of controversy in the difference between hipsters and indie people, with some arguing that there is no difference at all. Many outside these social circles use the two terms interchangeably, often to the dismay of members of both groups.

Herndon, however, insists that there is a difference between

the two. “Indie people are more passive, whereas hipsters are more hardcore in their actions to remain different.”

Finding a hipster is rare at Washington-Lee, but if you look closely you will be sure to find some lurking in the corners, jamming to obscure music.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAHEEN SHAHID

Top: Junior Maheen Shahid shows off her hip plastic-frame glasses and beard. Shahid originally denied being a hipster, but has re-cently come to terms with the label. Above: Shahid again displays some make-shift facial hair and an unexpected accessory, a monocle.

An in-depth look at the hipster phenomenon

What to use for maximum efficiency, user-friendliness

New pizzareia fails to impress the taste buds

LIFESTYLESCrossed Sabres December 15, 2010 5

Classroom Fashion

Fashion lives in magazines, but can start anywhere. The heart of Arlington has its own share of fashion, highlighted by junior Melisa Lanchipa.

Lanchipa talks about what fashion really is to her.

Lanchipa does not follow the trends; she likes to make her own. Kind of like how kindergartners are forced to color outside the lines. “I like to be different, dressing the same would just be boring,” she said.

Wearing something that is comfortable and makes her feel good is important too. She sometimes has a hard time picking out the “perfect outfit,” which is why it can take her up to an hour to get ready.

The outfit she is wearing in her photo shows just how well her creativity works. Lanchipa’s sweater is from Wet Seal, top from Macy’s, leggings from Target, and boots from Charlotte Ruse. She ties everything together with a thin belt. Lanchipa puts pieces together that do a good job of complimenting her. Her wardrobe mostly consists of American Eagle, she said, because “I can find the best clothes [there] at a reasonable price.” Lanchipa takes pride in her appearance and puts her unique clothes on becuase they allow her to stand out from the crowd.

Not your grandma’s sweater

A-R-T-I-S-TOF THE ISSUE: Elio

are funny!” said sophomore Morgan Burns. “My uncle has one with Frosty the Snowman on it and when you hug him it sings.”

The singing Frosty sweater still is not the most outrageous one that you can find. Some sweaters are so covered in bells and baubles that each step has the wearer jingling, and yet another one depicts some festive flamingos that glow in the dark with a large furry collar.

However, not all of the companies have their sights set on purely holiday related sales. Baadsheep.com, a carrier of various kinds of unsightly sweaters, is trying to prove the sweaters that they sell are not only for the holidays, but as everyday wear with the motto “ugly is the new hot.”

Baadsheep is not alone in their mission to bring back ugly sweaters as popular fashion. Free People, a clothing chain known for their hippie style clothing and very expensive price tags, also has some

Zachary Perlman, ‘13Staff Reporter

Winter is here, and with it comes the holiday season. It is time to reach back into the corners of your closet and pull out that knitted sweater garnished with festive appliqués and baubles that only sees the light of day once a year.

An item of clothing such as this could really only be worn at one place, an ugly sweater holiday party. Not many students have had the chance to attend one of these events, but that does not mean that they would turn down an invitation if it came to them. “I think it is a funny idea, I would definitely go to one,” said sophomore May Stearman.

Online stores dedicated to the sale of ugly holiday sweaters have been established in reaction to the spreading popularity of ugly sweater parties. Many aspiring entrepreneurs have created websites such as Uglysweaterstore.com and Buyuglysweaters.com which are solely committed to bringing you “seriously ugly sweaters for Christmas, Halloween and everything in between.”

The store owners usually get their merchandise by raiding thrift stores and yard sales where the selection is abundant. They buy the sweaters for almost nothing, and sell them back to customers at higher prices.

“They aren’t fashionable, but they

unappealing options when it comes to sweaters.

Whether or not the attempt to bring in ugly sweaters as mainstream fashion will be succesful, it is still acceptable to wear them during the winter holidays.

Holiday decorations have been springing up faster than ever this year, but that does not mean it is too late to create your own. Heat up your glue gun and get ready to make the season’s specialty craft: a patchwork snowman!

Materials:Two tennis balls•One ping pong ball•Two clothespins•Two bending straws•Buttons•One eraser cap•Skewer or toothpick•Glue stick cap•Black construction paper•Wrapping paper•Crossed Sabres•Cloth•Scissors•Glue gun•Tape•

Duration: 20 minutes

Nicolette Elm, ‘11Staff Reporter

A student walks into the woods armed with a S.L.R camera and a few fellow peers who will serve as his models. In the deep darkness of the woods in North Arlington he covers his models with neon paint and positions them to make his new work of art. The artist is junior Elio Collantes, and the photo shoot was a project for his photography class.

“I got my first camera at the age of eight years old, it was a canon and I wouldn’t leave it out of my sight.” said Collantes. “I guess I just always loved to be different and I was always able to express my self through photography”

Collantes’ inspiration for his photography projects comes from famous photographers, the media, or even the smallest details of everyday life. His projects were inspired by photographer

Annie Leibowitz and musical artist Lady Gaga.

Collantes earns praise from his many of his friends and peers. Sophomore Rourke Donahue, who modeled in his paint-filled neon photo shoot, said “Aside from having a unique perspective he has a great work ethic and always goes the extra mile to get the

picture that he is satisfied with.”Collantes’ inspiration to do the odd

colored photos that students love so much were from the Lady Gaga concert when she was covered in neon paint. “The reason I moved to Virginia was because of family, and before my aunt passed away I was choosing my classes and she told me it would be a good idea to take photography,” said Collantes. His aunt, who was very into photography made him into the photographer he is today.

“I took photography I, II, and now I’m in Photo III and I absolutely love every aspect of it. I love creating beautiful images because I enjoy capturing emotions, movement, and expression,” Collantes said when asked about what makes him enjoy photography so much.

Collantes has been taking photography since freshman year and plans on continuing his career well beyond high school. He said, “I would love to continue on with my photography, go to an art school like MICA or VCU Art. I could see myself as an editor for a magazine or maybe have a gallery in NYC, my hometown.”

Ugly sweaters gain popularity during the holidays

English teacher Mr. Dave Peters bought his ugly sweater from baadsheep.com. He plans to it wear at an ugly sweater party.

To see more of Collantes’s photo-graphs, please visit the Crossed Sabres website.

BY ELIO COLLANTES

BY CLAIRE PETERS

1. Plug in the glue gun and allow it to heat up.

2. Wrap the ping pong ball in wrapping paper, the first tennis ball in a page from the Crossed Sabres and the third tennis ball in cloth. Use tape or the glue gun to keep the material snug.

3. Use the glue gun to attach the ping pong ball to the tennis ball and the two tennis balls on top of one another.

4. Take two buttons and glue them onto the head of the snowman (ping pong ball).

5. Cut the base of the eraser cup off so that only the point is left. Glue this under the eyes (it will serve as the nose).

6. Cut a strip of cloth and wrap it around the snowman’s neck several times to create a scarf.

7. Glue buttons along the torso of the snowman for the classic look.

8. Cut two straws down to about three inches. To create your snowman’s ski poles, glue the toothpick/skewer to one straw and attach it to one side of the middle tennis ball. Do the same for the other arm, or make another knick knack for the snowman to hold. The featured snowman is holding a miniature version of Crossed Sabres.

9. Cover the glue stick top with black paint.

10. Cut a small circle of black construction paper. Glue the glue stick cap to the circle of construction paper, then glue it to the top of the ping pong ball.

11. Glue two clothespins to the lower torso of the snowman for skis.

12. Congratulations! You have finished your patchwork snowman. Do not forget to display him in a common space for everyone to admire!

Luisa Banchoff, ‘13Technology Editor

Snowday craft A fun project for a winter day

Audrey Paduda, ‘13Staff Reporter

BY NICOLETTE ELM

Junior Melisa Lanchipa models her favorite outfit. Lanchipa said that it can some-times take her an hour to pick out the “perfect outfit”

CollantesBY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Meet one well-dressed student

Possession of marijuana can lead to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.

There is a $100,000 fine, felony charges, and a punishment of 10 to 50 years in prison for sell-ing marijuana to a minor.

If the drug is sold within 1,000 feet of a school, library or hospital, there are additional fines and jail time.

Virginia Marijuana Laws

FEATURE Crossed SabresDecember 15, 20106 FEATURECrossed Sabres December 15, 2010 7

Abigail Bessler, ‘13Staff Reporter

Andrew Dudka, ‘12Sports Editor

Nationwide efforts to legalize marijuana came to a screeching halt on November 2 with the failure of Proposition 19 in California; legislation that would have legalized private cultivation and possession for adults up to an ounce.

The cannabis plant from which marijuana is cultivated, grows worldwide both as a cultivated crop and as a weed, and has been used throughout history to combat illness. Early references to the herb stem as far back as 2700 B.C.E. in early Chinese manuscripts.

It was brought to the New World by Spanish settlers in 1545, and was a major cash crop alongside tobacco at the 1611 Jamestown settlement. It remained popular in social situations, albeit increasingly less and less, but was brought back into the spotlight with Prohibition.

The first time the phrase “gateway drug,” a drug that leads to use of more dangerous or potent drugs, was used, was during a campaign launched in the 1930s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics, now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. During the 1950s and 60s it became very popular among college students and hippies as a form of rebellion.

Recently, there has been a lot of focus drawn to legalization efforts for the drug and a change in its social acceptance. This change is largely due to a spike in popularity seen in the past 20 years, and research that has found therapeutic uses for the herb, such as to combat the side effects

In the United States, marijuana is regarded as a hazardous gateway drug, often leading to the use of more potent drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Americans in support of Proposition 19, a proposal to allow adults 21 and over to possess, consume, sell and grow marijuana, were very upset when it was overwhelmingly rejected by California voters on November 2.

Amsterdam is internationally known for its lax marijuana laws. Under the Opium Act, the possession of a small quantity of drugs for personal use is only a minor offense, and is widely tolerated provided that it is in small portions and not in the presence of minors. The sale of marijuana in coffee shops is also tolerated, as long as only five grams are transacted at a time, sale is limited to adults and drugs are not advertised.

The consequences for driving under the influence of marijuana are equivalent to those for driving under the influence of alcohol, and production and trading are forbidden, but the consequences are significantly lesser than those in other countries.

The Dutch justification for these policies is based upon the concept that making drugs forbidden increases their attraction. The Dutch attempt to decriminalize the use of soft drugs, legalizing soft drugs under the conditions of “personal use.” Additionally, the Dutch legalized medical marijuana in 2003.

According to Robert Kane, with Sensible Seeds, an online marijuana seed distributor, in parts of Australia, including Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland, police ticket those caught with less than 50 grams of marijuana rather than arresting them, and in Western and Southern Australia, police institute fines for minor possession rather than arrest.

In Belgium, smoking marijuana is legal for those over the age of 18, just as smoking cigarettes is in the United States. However, adults may only possess less than five grams and are not allowed to smoke in public or in the presence of minors.

Purchasing and distributing marijuana is illegal, but any one person is allowed to grow one female plant. As in the Netherlands, the Belgian government is supportive of research into medical marijuana and is well disposed to decriminalization.

In Peru, the distribution of marijuana is illegal, but similar to Dutch law, the consequences for possession vary depending on what the judge constitutes as a personal amount.

In Argentina, purchasing and growing marijuana is legal if in small quantities for personal use only. Also, the country is very supportive of medical marijuana programs.

Election seasons, like the recent mid-term elections, often bring candidate drama

and uncertainty about who will be the victor. This year’s political season featured

another source of excitement as well, the debate over the potential legalization of

marijuana. In Arizona, a historically Republican-leaning state, the success of an initiative

to legalize the use of medical marijuana in the state came as a surprise. An initiative

is put on a ballot when a petition signed by a certain number of citizens is submitted

requesting that the question be put up for vote.

The initiative, number 203, was the only voter-proposed initiative on the ballot

and barely passed with 50.13 percent of the vote. Arizona will join 14 other states

and Washington, D.C. in legalizing medical marijuana.

In California, Proposition 19, also known as the Regulate, Control & Tax

Cannabis Act, which would have legalized the use of marijuana for non-medical

purposes, failed, with 54 percent of voters voting against the initiative. It was

criticized for poor wording, vagueness and bad timing. Some of the initiative’s

strongest opponents were farmers who grow Cannabis L. sativa, the plant that

marijuana comes from, who were worried about falling prices of marijuana

following legalization.

The proposition’s supporters said that the taxed sale of marijuana could combat

budget shortfalls, cut off funding to drug cartels and redirect law enforcement efforts

to more dangerous crimes than marijuana use. However, even if the proposition

had passed, the sale of cannabis would have remained illegal under the federal

Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell has voiced his opposition to the

legalization of marijuana, even for medical purposes. Governor McDonnell said in

an “Ask the Governor” segment on local WTOP radio that he has “seen no evidence

that [marijuana] has all the therapeutic benefits that people claim.” The Obama

administration has also been strongly opposed to marijuana legalization.

Despite the current administration’s opposition to legalization of marijuana,

there are a few pieces of legislation currently under consideration by Congress that

address legalization. One, the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults

Act, would eliminate federal criminal penalties on possession of up to three and a

half ounces of marijuana. The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act

would give states the option to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to

patients. This act would also create allowances in federal law for states

that wish to protect the identity of patients using medical marijuana.

The lowdown on the Life:highA look at one of America’s most popular drugs

Fourteen percent of Arlington students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 had used marijuana in the last 30 days, according to a 2009 survey done by Voices for Virginia’s Children. The report included an abundance of other facts about drug abuse in high school settings.

This behavior exists despite serious consequences for marijuana use.

Consequences for teens caught using marijuana can include deten-tion, fines, community service, supervised probation, mandatory coun-seling, house arrest, driver’s license revocation and social programs.

Corporal Steve Taphorn, the school resource officer, said he has un-fortunately had to deal with substance abuse among high school students. He said that courts try to require counseling and therapy for teens rather than just a simple punishment. “The focus [by courts] is much more on educating and the goal is really to dissuade you from doing it again.”

With adults, Corporal Taphorn said, the courts give stricter punish-ments like jail time.

The legal consequences seemed to be lost on one anonymous student at school, who said they had gotten high on marijuana before. “It’s a thrill to do something that’s illegal,” the student said. “Using marijuana once in a while will not do me any harm—I still get good grades and participate in sports.”

The student said that legal consequences did not play a part in decid-ing to do drugs. “I was not really thinking that much about legal conse-quences, I was mostly just afraid of my parents finding out,” the student said. “I just want to have fun and not care about legal issues.”

Despite huge possession charges with jail time and fines ranging from $500 to $100,000 in the state of Virginia, the anonymous student seemed to be more worried about punishments at home. “I don’t really

chemotherapy and to ameliorate the symptoms suffered by patients with HIV/AIDS and cancer. According to Narconon, a drug rehabilitation organization, marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for various conditions including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism.

The drug however remains a regularly abused substance for recreational purposes throughout the world. According to marijuana-addiction.info, over 69 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once. After over a decade of decreased use in the United States, an upward trend developed for marijuana smoking in the early 1990s, particularly among teenagers.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug, among the likes of heroin and LSD, due to a high chance of abuse. Under the act, Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use. With the passing of a formal federal law prohibiting any use of the drug, a black market for marijuana was created, supplied with mostly drugs from Mexico and Colombia.

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia currently have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, sold through state-licensed dispensaries. There are many advocates for full legalization of marijuana, however there are also many who oppose the drug, and are quick to point out that the drug remains completely illegal in the eyes of the federal government.

Legislation on the laughing grass

Emily Walker, ‘12Lifestyles Editor

Marijuana 101: The history of hemp

Consequences of cannabis

Emily Cook, ‘12Staff Reporter

Other countries however, have been far more progressive in marijuana legalization. These countries, including the Netherlands, Peru, Colombia, Australia, Argentina and Belgium have decriminalized the use of marijuana, classifying the drug alongside cigarettes and alcohol. The policies present in these countries and the reasons behind their creation are very similar.

know really know what would happen if I got caught. I think my parents would probably have to pay a fine or something,” the student said. “I just wouldn’t want my parents to know I did [marijuana] because they said that they wouldn’t let me drive until I’m 18 if they catch me high again.”

Corporal Taphorn, on the other hand, said that most kids do drugs knowing about the legal consequences. “It’s pounded into your head from middle school with the Smart to Start program, the DARE program and health classes.”

Despite these efforts by the Arlington Schools to teach middle school and high school students about the effects and legal consequences of drugs, the percentages found in surveys show that Arlington has quite a lot more work to do.

Twenty percent of Arlington sophomores in 2009 had used marijuana in the last 30 days, along with 27 percent of seniors. The Arlington County Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed that 14 percent of students surveyed in 2007 said that they had offered or sold drugs in school.

The anonymous student said becoming a doctor was in the future. “I won’t use drugs all the time in college,” the student said, “but I can never say never since in middle school I said I would never smoke pot.”

Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since the early 1900s, and I think that it is about time to change that. I believe that marijuana should be legalized for personal use of people ages 21 and over. Over the years, many people have debated the legalization of the plant.

First, opponents of marijuana legalization say that the plant has detrimental effects on smokers, such as killing

brain cells. The truth is that it has similar effects on some people as alcohol does: stress reduction and euphoria. To me, people who are 21 and older should be able to enjoy the effects of marijuana as they do alcohol.

Although it is true that there are health risks associated with smoking marijuana, there have been no recorded deaths directly linked to the drug. Both alcohol and tobacco, two legalized substances, are linked to upwards

of 440,000 deaths per year in the United States. People should have the freedom to enjoy a substance that is not

a direct cause of death, if there are legalized drugs which can lead to death.

Along with being a substance that many people enjoy for its euphoric effects, marijuana also has numerous medicinal benefits. Users in states such as California and Colorado have confirmed that using marijuana relieves chronic pains and headaches, and reduces the pain from procedures such as chemotherapy. In states where medical marijuana is legal, the state governments collect taxes that are paid when the substance is bought in dispensaries.

According to Stephen Easton of businessweek.com, if the drug were legalized and taxed, it could generate between $40 billion and $100 billion per fiscal year. Along with the government generating new revenue, many current prisoners jailed for petty marijuana charges would be released, and future offenders would not even be admitted into the jails.

In my opinion, marijuana legalization is much more beneficial to the United States than it is detrimental, and I think a bill similar to Proposition 19 in California, which would have legalized medicinal marijuana will be passed in the near future.

Matthew Hirsch, ‘12Staff Reporter

Legalizing the light stuff

ALL ART FROM CLKER.COM

Foreign flowers International laws on marijuana

SPORTS Crossed SabresDecember 15, 20108

Sydney Butler, ‘11Staff Reporter

Andrew Karpinski, ‘11Staff Reporter

Noah Pilchen, ‘12Feature Editor

Swim team back with a splash

“All of my friends think I swim way too much and don’t know how I handle academics and swimming as well as I do,” said senior Lindsay Cronin. “I am astonished at that too.” Cronin started swimming at the age of seven and although she admits that her parents may have forced her into swimming, she has really grown to love the sport.

Watching Cronin grow as a person and a swimmer since freshmen year was

head swim coach, Ms. Kristina Dorville. “She is not always the loudest, or the most aggressive,” said Ms. Dorville, “But she is a genuine, kind and dedicated person.”

Apart from her skills as a swimmer, Cronin also excels when it comes to motivation. “I always try to encourage kids to cheer for their teammates, which gets them more involved on the team,” said Cronin. “ I think the more involved you are with the team, the more fun you will have.”

Her teammates have also benefitted from Cronin’s constant motivational

Facts about Lindsay CroninFavorite Athletes: Ryan Lochte

and Natalie CoughlinWorkout Food: Something light

like a granola bar or goldfishWhen not swimming: Works as a lifeguard and plans on assistant

coaching

Athlete of the Issue: Lindsay Cronin

NC double awesome; college basketball season returns

This college basketball season features a strong number of competitive teams from all over the country, and hopes for a very competitive year. A few local teams in the tri-state area have high hopes for success this season.

The NCAA regular season climaxes in a 64-team tournament every March, commonly known as “March Madness.”

The Georgetown Hoyas were ranked 16th in the preseason by ESPN. Last year the Hoyas’ NCAA tournament championship chances were brought to an

early and unexpected end in March with a loss to the Ohio Bobcats.

This year the team is looking to finish towards the top of the highly competitive Big East conference. An all-star backcourt consists of guards Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark. Freeman was named the conference’s preseason MVP and is expected to lead the team this year in scoring while fellow teammate Wright will lead the team as a captain and point guard.

Maryland University suffers from the loss of star player Grevis Vasquez, who entered the NBA for the 2010-2011 season. Young talent, found in the team’s

energy. “We all really look up to her,” said junior Jordan Kruger. “Not only because she is a captain, but because she keeps us all in a positive mood.”

Cronin also tries to encourage other to stay confident at swim meets. “It’s hard to always swim a best time, but if you pick

out the good things in each race, it can make you more optimistic about future races,” said Cronin.

Cronin hopes to continue swimming in college next year with plans of swimming at Hood College or University of Mary Washington, depending on how her season goes this year.

Captain Lindsay Cronin practices with the team after school. Cronin hopes to swim in college.

Cronin has been on the team since her freshman year.

sophomore center Jordan Williams, gives coach Gary Williams confidence that they be able to make another tournament run this year.

Students at school look forward to their favorite teams to make a run for the title in the upcoming season. “I love this time of year, it means a lot of great basketball to watch,” said senior Michael Tesfaldet. “Mark my words, my [Georgetown Hoyas] are making a run this season.”

Fans of non-local colleges show support for their favorite teams from different parts of the country. Senior Robert Dewald has been a loyal Duke basketball fan for as long as he can remember. “Duke won last

year. They’re ranked number one this year. It looks like a repeat is bound to happen,” said Dewald.

High ranked college teams across the country include Pittsburgh, Kansas and Ohio State, and ESPN sports analysts predict them to go far into the NCAA basketball tournament.

College basketball has a wide fan base and the large amount of teams accounts for a long and exciting season. “I don’t really have one favorite college basketball team so I enjoy watching any of the intense games on TV,” said sophomore Zach Biggs. “The level of play is great in every game you can find, that’s why I love college basketball.”

Diving into a new season

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

With their suits, caps and goggles ready to go, the swim team started its season conditioning in November with a more-than-expected turnout of interested students.

This year, the team has around one hundred members, a huge increase from previous years. “I never thought I would have 100 swimmers, I am definitely surprised,” said Ms. Kristina Dorville, who has been the team’s coach for six years.

Ms. Dorville is optimistic about the role the new swimmers, many of whom are freshman, will play in the team. She hopes they will be able to push the team forward in the new season.

Not every new member of the team is a freshman, however. Senior Sean Guerra will be swimming with the team for the first time this winter. “I wasn’t really interested in the swim team until I realized it was my last year, I like to swim so I thought it would be fun,” said Guerra.

The team faces many challenges this coming year. With Thanksgiving and Christmas at the beginning of the swim season, the practice schedule is highly fragmented. The team had two weeks to prepare for its first meet against Hayfield, on Dec. 3, and only another week in between their second meet against Falls Church.

Last years team made it to districts, and the team is hopeful they will be able to repeat this success. “This year I hope to replicate last year as much as possible,” said Dorville.

High on the list of goals for Ms. Dorville and the team this season is beating

rival Yorktown on Jan. 21, their sixth meet. “I can’t wait to wipe Yorktown’s face at districts this year,” said senior AJ Soutter, who is swimming for his third year as a member of the school team.

Normally, the team had Saturday morning practices at the W-L pool, but due to the growing public interest in the new facility, the team can no longer reserve the pool for this timeslot. “I’m disappointed about not having Saturday practice,” said Soutter.

Despite this dilemma, Soutter still hopes to get some of the other swimmers to continue the morning practices.

This year, the team faces many obstacles, and Dorville admits they face steep competition from local schools. She remains hopefuly, however, that the team will be able to unite and end with a winning season.

Although, the team faces many challenges this year, they can still take comfort in old traditions. These customs include secret swimmer gifts throughout the season, pasta dinners on Thursdays and dressing up on the Fridays when the team has a meet. “So far, it’s been a good season, I can’t wait to find out who my secret swimmer is when it’s over,” said junior Jose Ramos.

The team prepares for their upcoming meets with daily practices from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the pool. These practices include dryland exercises as well.

The team also recently participated in the holiday Bazaar to raise money and received new swimsuits. Despite the many challenges facing the team this season, with its expanded membership and rigorous practice schedule, they were successful in their first meet against Hayfield.

BY NOAH PILCHEN

BY NOAH PILCHEN

Left: Pennants are placed above the pool be-fore meets to help swimmers.Middle: The swim and dive team poses for its annual team picture.Above: Different lanes are labeled as “fast” or “medium” to aid community swimmers when picking lanes to swim in.

SPORTSCrossed Sabres December 15, 2010 9

Paige Taylor, ‘12Staff Reporter

Sports Briefs

Junior Francisco Blanco is modest and shy about his success in karate. With a medium build and timid demeanor, Franco does not look like the typical karate world champion. He moved to Arlington recently and wishes that karate was a more popular sport amongst his classmates, but he has had difficulty finding interested students.

Karate is a weaponless form of self defense using all parts of the body for defensive and offensive techniques to gain the advantage. Karate improves coordination, reflexes and helps build stamina, but also creates a clearer thought process and builds self-confidence.

Blanco began practicing karate in 2008 in Serbia. Although, his parents did not do karate when they were younger, he was drawn to the idea of practicing self-defense and fighting with his friends in an enjoyable manner. Blanco sought out karate to become stronger and gain confidence in himself.

Before moving to Virginia, Blanco practiced three days a week when in Serbia, and started entering competitions for karate. When he did not have formal practices, he fought with his friends in his

neighborhood. Blanco gained a lot of experience fighting with his

friends, many of whom were as talented as he was. As a result, Blanco has won 18 medals and will admit, “I have won every competition because I was better than the others.”

One of his hardest competitions was the Pana Americano because of the more challenging opponents coming from Venezuela, Brazil and Guatemala. He

credits his persistent attitude and desire to be successful with leading him to be victorious in the face of more strenuous and tiring fights. He believed that because of his grueling practices he was able to defeat the other competitors.

Blanco wants to compete here, but does not know anyone at school who does karate. He said, “I haven’t been able to practice as much here because it isn’t as popular.”

He wishes it were a sport at the school and could continue

practicing it, but is unable to do that at the moment. “I love practicing karate and this could be a real career opportunity.”

Karate champion looks for local interest

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Junior Francisco Blanco has won 18 medals in various karate competitions, a sport he picked up at his home in Serbia.

Greg Jacks, ‘11Staff Reporter

Fridrich and Monroe used to rollerblade on the bike trail, but find the parking garage safer. They have been blading together at the school since 2004.

74 years and still rolling

From 80 year-old marathon runners to 92 year-old sky divers, it is amazing what people can accomplish in the latter years of their life.

Two of these incredible senior athletes live right here in Arlington. Douglas Fridrich and Walter Monroe, two 74 year-old men who graduated from W-L in 1955, have been roller blading on the school’s parking deck since 2004.

The two lifelong friends began blading 14 years ago as they were looking for a fun activity to stay healthy. Neither had roller bladed before, but both had taken part in sports in high school. Fridrich wrestled, while Monroe ran track and played football.

“We had a couple [other rollerbladers] that tried it,” said Fridrich, “they fell down. They didn’t persevere.” Before too long, it was just Fridrich and Monroe out there

shredding up the asphalt. The two men make it out to the blacktop three or four

times a week when the weather is permitting.

“We started out riding along the bike path in matching roller blades,” said Fridrich, “but when Walter had an accident on the trail a few years ago, we were forced to find a safer, less crowded skating spot.” They chose the parking deck, and have been skating there ever since.

These two men have found a way to stay healthy and fit even at the age of 74. This perseverance has become an exemplary model of the school’s

P.E. curriculum for students.

As Mrs. Colleen Auerbach, a P.E. teacher, explains, “the focus of this year’s physical education course is lifestyle fitness.”

Lifestyle fitness is any exercise that can be done independently or with a small group, and can be performed at any age in life. Mrs. Auerbach poses Monroe and Fridrich as prime examples of lifelong commitment to staying physically active.

Mrs. Auerbach and her class have been crossing paths with Fridrich and Monroe for about four years now. whens she takes kids out for a roller blading unit. The two gentlemen have always tried to arrange their skating schedules so as not

to interfere with any P.E. classes. If the classes do happen to come out while they are skating, Fridrich and Monroe will leave immediately without complaint.

The two men do not plan on stopping anytime soon. “We’ll continue until we physically can’t,” said Monroe. “I’m 74, so I hope to be skating maybe until I’m 80. I’m not ready to quit now.”

Their perserverance is something from which Mrs. Auerbach hopes her onlooking students can learn.

However, it is not just the high school students who are benefiting from the seniors. Monroe and Fridrich have also enjoyed seeing the students roller blade. It

has ignited their memories and attachment to their alma mater. “When we curve around here and we blade, we talk about things, and we remember high school,” said Fridrich.

P.E. students find example in alumni

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

BY ABIGAIL BESSLERDouglas Fridrich and Walter Monroe roller blade on the parking deck courts. Both graduated from the school in 1955.

Football

Varsity football and head coach Mr. Josh Shapiro had one of its most successful seasons in years by going 7-5 and beating Yorktown for the first time in 28 years. The captains, seniors Daniel Guenther, Ian McLennan and Anthony Taylor, led the team to big wins over Hayfield, Yorktown and Thomas Jefferson. This off-season the team will be in the weight room doing conditioning. Seniors Daniel Guenther, Nico Burns, Nathan Young, Anthony Taylor and junior Rigo Salguero, all won spots on all district team. Mr. Shapiro was also voted Redskins High School Coach of the week for the week of November 29.

Field Hockey

Varsity Field Hockey and coach Mrs. Beth Prange went 10-9 and fell short of the district championship this year. However, the team took the heavily favored Lake Braddock into overtime in the regional tournament. Senior captains Sandra McCartin and Catherine Pricone played pivotal roles in their wins.

Cross Country

The girls cross country won districts this year with the help of coaches Mr. Jeffrey McCarthy and Mr. Matt Pryzidial. Coaches helped train new members as well as a lot of returning runners. Looking forward to next season many of the runners will be doing indoor track as well.

Volleyball

Although they had a record under .500 at 5-7, the volleyball team still had a lot of success. Coach Mr. John Delaney and assistant coach Mr. Steve Taphorn spent a lot of time training new players this year. The team also contributed to Cancer Awareness month by wearing all pink uniforms. Senior outside hitter Becca Jones was voted to the first All-National District Team.

Boys Basketball

Coach Mr. Bobby Dobson, senior captain Andrew Karpinski and the rest of the team are motivated to win the district. Although they have had a rough start going 0-3, and had a crushing loss to Montrose-Christian 91-43, the team has big games coming up against Hayfield on Dec. 21, as well as games against district rivals Yorktown and Wakefield in the upcoming weeks.

Girls Basketball

The team gets ready to take on Yorktown on Dec. 14, and Hayfield on Dec. 21. Although suffering an injury with sophomore Emma Cooper the team is still motivated to win these crucial games. The team will play Mt. Vernon at home on December 17, followed by an away game against Hayfield on Dec. 21.

COMPILED BY ZACH PERLMAN, ‘13

The song combines elements of “Deck the Halls” and “The Little Drummer Boy,” and twists them into an innovative Lady Gaga sound. For Lady Gaga fans, “Christmas Tree” is a must listen. The song is ideal for the next Christmas frat party and includes many lyrics that cannot be described or reprinted here. The song is a fun listen, but do not play it as part of a family-friendly holiday party.

HOLIDAY Crossed SabresDecember 15, 201010

Emily Cook, ‘12Staff Reporter

Greg Jacks, ‘11Staff Reporter

Every year as the Christmas season approaches, I gain an uncontrollable excitement for my favorite holiday activity, watching holiday movies. Even the thought of sitting by a warm fire in my most comfortable armchair with a mug of hot cocoa fills me with giddy anticipation. Watching these films with close family and friends has always been memorable.

Growing up in a Jewish household where the realities of Christmas were no more than a fantasy, these movies allowed me a taste of the wondrous Christmas experience. What A Wonderful World, The Nightmare Before Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street and Elf are just a few of these timeless pictures which I have enjoyed or plan to enjoy this winter.

What you might notice right away, however, is that most of these films are several years old. Hollywood has really not released a decent holiday movie since. Think about it: when is the last time you saw a good Christmas film-one that comes even close to comparing with the aforementioned classics?

This generation of movies, with the exception of stand-outs like Elf and Love Actually, has been absolute trash. Take for instance The Santa Clause II, a movie which completely butchered the legacy of the first movie. This sequel tells of an evil robotic Santa who takes over the North Pole planning to give every child in the world coal for Christmas. With a plotline like this, you do not even have to see the movie to know it is absolutely dreadful.

Four Christmases is another recent bad egg in the Christmas-film basket. This movie chronicles a model unmarried couple as they spend their Christmases avoiding their relatives. Come on, Hollywood, what kind of message does it send, when the protagonists in a film are a pair of selfish yuppies without an ounce of commitment to their family?

I want to see another Christmas classic-one that portrays traditional family values, none of this junk about materialistic chauvinists or non-believing ingrates. I want a movie with enchantment and delight, a tale that lifts the holiday into a majestic state. Sure it is corny and overly simple, yet that is why I love it.

A world without cheesy Christmas films is a dark and doomed place. These feel-good stories, often with enough fluffy dialogue to stuff a life-size reindeer body, are necessary to brighten up the dullness of our everyday lives.

This year, the movie industry has not even bothered to deliver a Christmas movie. Sure there are movies coming out which occur during the holiday season, but there is not a single picture coming out with a Christmas theme. It seems the days of cute elven boys and girls running around in green and red tights, laughing and playing with talking snowmen, are over.

So Hollywood, I am begging you to get back to the drawing board and draft up some good ol’ Christmas magic. The days of Fred Claus and Christmas With the Kranks are over. It is time to come out with another original and ingenious holiday film which will last for ages like the great pictures which birthed the genre.

Holiday music review

John Bardo, ‘11Managing/News Editor

Looking to find a yuletide earworm? Read this review of this season’s tunes

Appetizing seasonal recipesIt is that time of year again. Your family has either asked you

to make a dessert for your renowned holiday dinner or you thought it might be a nice sentiment to make one voluntarily. Nonetheless, if you are looking for something new, something different, then you have come to the right place.

Junior Raleigh Mills and sophomore Rourke Donahue submitted their favorite family holiday recipes, and over Thanksgiving break I baked both of them to give you a taste of what to expect if you are to use this holiday section for your baking needs.

First, I made the peppermint bark and was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. “Peppermint Bark is easy and enjoyable to make and a perfect Christmas gift for our friends and family,” said sophomore Rourke Donahue. In actuality, “Donahue Ten-Minute Peppermint Bark” took about 15 minutes to bake, including the opening and smashing of the 12 candy canes. The end product definitely got me in the holiday season but it was incredibly chocolaty and could use more peppermint (candy canes). Perhaps the use of the optional peppermint flavoring outlined in the recipe would help, but I opted not to use this.

Because my family does not own a double broiler, I used a simple pot to melt the chocolate in. Be sure not to pour the bark too thick otherwise it may be difficult to remove from the cookie sheet when it is done cooking. I poured mine so it was about one quarter inch to one half inch thick, which worked quite well.

The other dish I prepared was the scrumptuous chocolate pie. “Every Thanksgiving, each family member makes a pie and then during dessert, we vote on the best pie. Perfect Polly’s Chocolate Pie always wins,” said junior Raleigh Mills. “Perfect Polly’s Chocolate Pie” was the cherry on top to a break filled with sugar.

I substituted the half cup of pecans for the suggested cup of walnuts due to the lack of walnuts in my cupboard and my dislike of nuts. The bourbon had a very strong scent in the batter, but once cooked, could barely be tasted amidst the very overpowering chocolate. The final product was incredibly rich, but was specifically designed for chocolate-lovers with a sugar craving.

While my family was very grateful for the pans of desserts spread across the dining room table, my post-Thanksgiving diet was not. Nonetheless, I highly recommend these recipes, and happy holidays to you all.

For the recipe for “Mama’s Pumpkin Bars” submitted by junior Maddy Hay, see our online edition.

From left, the “Ten-Minute Peppermint Bark” and “Perfect Polly’s Chocolate Pie.”BY EMILY COOK

The decline of the

holiday film

Ten-Minute Peppermint BarkWhat you need:

1 cup crushed candy canes•2 lbs white chocolate•

Peppermint flavorings (optional)•

What to do:1. Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer them into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller.2. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler. 3. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add pep-permint flavoring at this point if desired). 4. Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parch-ment or waxed paper.5. Place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. 6. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces.

Perfect Polly’s Chocolate PieWhat you need:

3/4 cup sugar•1/2 cup light corn syrup•1/2 cup melted butter•1/4 cup bourbon•1 cup chopped English walnuts•16 oz. of semi- sweet chocolate pieces •1/4 cup cornstarch•1/9” pastry shell•

What to do:1. Beat eggs slightly and add sugar, corn syrup, but-ter and bourbon. 2. Stir in English walnuts, chocolate pieces and corn-starch. 3. Pour this mixture into the pastry shell. 4. Bake at 350° for one hour.

As a part of a new six-track Christmas EP, Lady Antebellum presents an original, multi-layered Christmas song with something for almost every musical ear. The song starts reminiscent of classical music with a piano and lots of strings in the background. By the middle, a soft electric guitar solo and a children’s choir is introduced. The lyrics allude to both the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas.

“Christmas Tree” by Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy

“On This Winter’s Night” by Lady Antebellum

“Oh Santa” by Mariah CareyMariah Carey is a veteran of the contemporary Christmas

music market, and with “Oh Santa” she turns out another desperate yet commercially bounded Christmas love song. The song opens with a Deja Vu of Tony Basil’s 1982 number one hit “Mickey,” as a group of singers chant “Santa’s gonna make you mine this Christmas,” with only clapping and percussion in the background. The song continues with Carey’s plea for Santa to grant her Christmas wish in a fresh R&B sound.

“My Only Wish” by Jessica SimpsonThe first single from Simpson’s new Christmas album, Happy

Christmas sounds very similar to Mariah Carey’s 1994 hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The instrumental arrangements, the beat and even the lyrics are suspiciously alike. In the chorus, Simpson even sings “My only wish for Christmas is you.”

Despite the similarities, “My Only Wish” offers some extra aspects that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” does not. The Motown influence is more pronounced with the brass section in the background and Simpson’s voice. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ITUNES

OPINIONCrossed Sabres December 15, 2010 11

Editor-in-Chief: Andrew Elliott, ‘11Managing/News Editor: John Bardo, ‘11Photography Editor: Abigail Bessler, ‘13Lifestyles Editor: Emily Walker, ‘12Features Editor: Noah Pilchen, ‘12Sports Editor: Andrew Dudka, ‘12Opinion Editor: Chad Hilla, ‘11Online Editor: Luisa Banchoff, ‘13Special Sections Editor: Sonia Phene, ‘11Business Manager: Kirby Miller, ‘13Adviser: Claire Peters

Staff Reporters: Sydney Butler, Emily Cook, Nicolette Elm, Greg Jacks, Matthew Hirsch, Andrew Karpinski, Isabel Larroca, Manbir Nahal, Audrey Paduda, Zachary Perlman, Paige Taylor

Crossed Sabres is the student-produced newspaper of the Washington-Lee High School community. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial staff and, unless otherwise noted, are written by a member of the staff.

The editorial board encourages responsible commentaries and letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit for grammar, style or lack of space.

Letters and commentaries containing obscenities, racial slurs or libelous content will not be published.

All letters must be signed by the author to be published. They can be printed “name withheld” upon request.

The Crossed Sabres publications lab is in room 1028. Any correspondence may be dropped off there or emailed to wlcrossedsabres@yahoo.com.

Contact informationWashington-Lee High School

Attn: Crossed Sabres1301 N Stafford StreetArlington, VA 22201

Phone: 703-228-6200Fax: 703-524-9814

wlcrossedsabres@yahoo.comwww.tinyurl.com/wlcrossedsabres

Last December, a girl in Gar-den City, Idaho was banned from singing at her school’s talent show. Why? Because the Garden City Community School director feared the song, “Christmas Don’t Be Late,” by Alvin and the Chip-munks, might offend non-Chris-tian students.

Sadly, incidents such as this are quite common these days. Schools across the country are banning the representation of spe-cific religions during the holidays and, instead, are adopting more “politically correct” forms of cel-ebration.

Teachers are replacing their Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwan-zaa parties with “winter solstice parties.” Holiday crafts such as Santa hats or Star of David orna-ments are being traded in for dec-orative thermometers or snow-flake lanterns.

Even songs are being changed for holiday concerts. Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, decided to change the lyrics of the Christmas carol, “Si-lent Night,” to a version with no reference to the original Christ-mas story. The new lyrics were sung to the tune of the carol, but went more like this: “Cold in the night, no one in sight, winter winds whirl and bite, how I wish I were happy and warm, safe with my family out of the storm.”

Students at Washington-Lee seem to dislike the idea of a secu-lar holiday season. “I personally think this policy is pointless. If someone is offended by a holiday celebration, they should bring in some of their celebration,” said sophomore Carrie Maggio.

Freshman Joshua Inyangson agrees. “I think it’s wrong to favor one holiday over another. How-ever, I think it’s going a little too far to forbid teachers from putting up decorations for the holiday that they celebrate,” he said.

But has this issue reached Ar-lington?

“There is no policy for Ar-lington Public Schools on holiday celebrations,” said Ms. Linda Er-dos, assistant superintendent for school and community relations. “Students are given the freedom to express their personal beliefs

in their own private work by the Code of Virginia.

“When it comes to holiday decoration and celebration, we do ask schools and teachers to be neutral in their display of dif-ferent religions,” Ms. Erdos said. “If a school is putting up decora-tions or having a holiday concert, we want them to be balanced in their representation of different faiths.”

Personally, I find the attempt to make holidays politically cor-rect not only ineffective, but detri-mental, and Arlington’s approach to the issue to be appropriate.

This is not to say that I do not understand other schools’ dilem-ma. People are easily offended, and it is the school’s job to make sure that every student has the best learning environment. When holiday decorations begin to spark disagreement, the easiest solution is often just to ban all forms of specific religious décor.

However, I fear this approach may be more harmful than any possible tension that could occur between students over religion. By simply removing the holiday element from the classroom, stu-dents are learning a dangerous lesson: When a topic makes you uncomfortable, avoid it. Rather than gaining a valuable experi-ence or having an interesting dis-cussion, students are learning to simply turn away from opinions with which they disagree.

Yes, religion is a sensitive topic. But in the real world, things that upset a person will not disap-pear as easily as a Christmas tree or a menorah. A major component of education is preparing children and teenagers for their lives after school and a big part of our lives after school is going to be accept-ing differences in others.

So, teachers, before planning the next “winter solstice party,” think about the value of holiday diversity. Put out the Christmas tree, the menorah, the Kwanzaa kinarah. If worried someone has been left out, tell students they can bring in their holiday’s deco-rations, too.

The holiday season is a time of tolerance, generosity and “Good tidings to you, and all of your kin.” We should keep it that way.

The controversy over holiday celebrations

Isabel Larroca, ‘14Staff Reporter

We need equal holiday advertising

Sydney Butler, ‘11Staff Reporter

Every year, students rush out of their schools for the winter holidays, tossing their books aside for another fun-filled winter break. They look forward to the Macy’s Day Parade, the illuminating Christmas lights and the giant Christmas tree in Times Square. But what about the other holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan? Why do not we have a menorah or a kinara in the middle of Times Square?

Each year the United States puts a major commercial emphasis on the Christmas holiday through the Internet, television and in advertisements. The image of the jolly old fat toymaker in the red suit and his magical elves are symbols of the religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It begs the question: Why is there a lack of emphasis on other holidays in the United States?

Stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Macy’s and Toys R Us all have sales for the winter holidays. However, if you refer to their websites it is clear more items are dedicated to Christmas than any other holiday. “I think that Christmas and Hanukkah are more commonly commercialized over other holidays, but there is definitely more commercial focus on Christmas,” said senior class president Max Blackman, who is Jewish.

Television and the Internet also have a large contribution to the Christmas influence. From late November all though December, TV stations like ABC, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network have Christmas specials like the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and the “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

The influence of the Internet has a major impact on how society views Christmas as well. Google is known for its “doodles” that change with each season. The main focus during the winter holiday season is usually on Christmas. Doodles vary from Christmas trees and ornaments to Santa and his reindeer.

“The reason I think they put so much emphasis on the Christian holiday though is because a majority of the American

population is Christian,” said Blackman.

In the United States today there are 310,784,620 people (according the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau). Out of those, 307,006,550 are Christian; 2.8 million are Muslim, and 6,452,030 are Jewish. Numbers of various different cultures and religions have increased in the United States over the years.

Have holidays been forgotten? If you ask me, I think that holidays have not been forgotten by those who celebrate them, but the media and the government definitely ignore them. For example, the government has established Christmas as a national holiday. Each year, New York City puts up a giant Christmas tree and lights all up and down the streets, and hosts several events like the Macy’s Day Parade and the lighting of the tree. There is no lighting of the menorah or lighting of the kinara, mentioned on the traveling websites www.ncytourist.com and www.ncytrip.com.

In my opinion, this is a huge problem. The media has a huge impact on American society. According to the Media Measurement Initiative and the Nielsen Wire Network, the average American watches approximately 153 hours of television in their home per month. In addition, 131 million Americans watch videos online in their homes or at work for approximately three hours per month, and 13.4 million Americans watch about three and a half hours of videos on their mobile phones each month.

My point is this: people know what they hear and see on television. Furthermore, if people in the United States are ever going to become more culturally and religiously accepting of others, I think the media should take the lead. They have a responsibility to highlight the cultural and religious diversity in this mixing bowl nation.

Before we toss our books to the shelf and go out for the holidays, I think it is important to remember how lucky Arlington is for its cultural diversity. The media and government should also remember this and take measures to celebrate it.

ART BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

We need to control political correctness

OPINION Crossed SabresDecember 15, 201012

Generally SpeakingStop sign would decrease risks, stress in mornings

The Biased Opinion of the Crossed Sabres Staff

The story of our failure to properly take care of the environment is one we all know well. The media gives ex-tensive coverage to tales of global warming acceleration, species in danger of extinction and finite oil. We’ve heard it before – but like it or not, our actions still have reper-cussions on the environment which affect us on a smaller scale. Here are some problems in Arlington:

Excessive vehicle emissions. Arlingtonians produced 2.73 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2007--up 10% increase from seven years before, according to Ar-lington County’s Department of Environmental Services. The upward trend is likely to continue, given the large amount of development in Arlington; by the early 2000s, Arlington had 21 million square feet of office/retail/com-mercial space, more than 3,000 hotel rooms, and 22,500 residential units, as reported by the Environmental Protec-tion Agency.

The danger of plastic overload. Many students are fond of soft drinks and energy drinks that can be purchased from vending machines. Although those lightweight, con-venient plastic drinking bottles may not seem significant, their excessive use is incredibly detrimental to the envi-ronment. According to National Geographic, bottled wa-ter creates 1.5 million tons of waste, and because oil, a fos-sil fuel, is used in making plastic bottles, 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. Plastic also can kill wildlife that ingests it.

Too much lawn love. If you love a green and pristine lawn, you may be encouraging your parents to get carried away at the expense of nature. Many pesticides and fertil-izers contain harmful chemicals and nutrients, and when they are not fully absorbed into the soil, they wash into the gutters and drain into the bay. These substances promote excessive plant growth and decay of other organic matter, for example phytoplankton and algae, triggering a severe reduction in available oxygen. Soon, these areas become “dead zones,” where little other marine life can survive.

Fixing these problems will not be easy. The best way is to start small. Make a to-do list of ways you can help to ease the burden on the environment. Stick to it, and encourage others to do the same. My suggested to-do list follows.

I Want YOU to...Go Green

Every morning we grip our steering wheels and steel ourselves. We have to face the nightmare that is the inter-section of Stafford and 13th Street.

At this intersection where 13th Street feeds into the drop-off lane, two-way traffic from Stafford must fight for passage and drivers and pedestrians have to struggle in a danger-ous free-for-all. As a solution, three-way stop signs should be installed to ensure a steady flow of traffic.

A typical morning scene often looks like this: the drop-off lane is backed up and all southbound and northbound traffic on Stafford is stopped as drivers wait to drop off students. Finally, the drop-off lane clears, but suddenly a 13th Street driver tries to take advantage of the stopped cars and races ahead straight into the drop-off lane while the other cars have to slam on their brakes to avoid a collision.

Now imagine what the road would look like with a stop sign. Similar to the effective

15th Street and Stafford inter-section, the drop-off lane would progress smoothly with a steady rhythm of cars taking turns. Few-er back-ups for southbound traffic would occur and northbound cars would not have to watch out for as many dangerous maneuvers.

With the current situation, traffic on Stafford has the right of way while cars coming from 13th Street must wait for a gap that never occurs. The only people with ease of access to the drive-thru are those northbound on Stafford.

The problem that arises is that the southbound traffic must make a left in order to enter the drop-off lane. Impatient parents resort to dangerous maneuvers and cut closely in front of oncoming traf-fic in order to drop off their kids even when it is not their right of way.

Several times we have seen a car attempting to turn left into the drop-off lane cut periously close in front of us while we are north-bound on our way to the senior parking lot. In previous years, when our parents used to drop us off, we would approach the drop-

off lane heading south and have to wait behind a huge traffic jam because we, like most other driv-ers, would be waiting to turn left.

Two-thirds of the cars must rely on the kindness of a few of the drivers who stop to allow oth-er cars to enter the drop-off lane.

A much more efficient flow of traffic could be achieved if a stop sign was installed. This would ensure that each side would get a turn and back-ups would not be as severe.

The stop sign would also in-crease the safety for pedestrians. In the confusion that arises, driv-ers may forget to check for pedes-trians. Sometimes drivers even attempt to use the crossing of pe-destrians to take advantage of the stopped traffic to make their own turns.

At a time when the morn-ing rush fuels road rage, the stop signs would improve the safety of the drivers and pedestrians on their way to school.

Hopefully, the stop signs will be implemented soon. Until then, we will continue to brace our-selves for the Stafford stretch ev-ery morning.

Traffic jams are a daily occurance on Stafford Street as parents drop their children off in the morning. Three-way stop signs on Stafford and 13th Streets would help to alleviate dangerous driving maneuvers.

The Generals’ To-Do List:1. I Like Bike. If you own a bicycle, and do not have to take the school bus, dust it off. Do not ask your parent to drive you. Better yet, whenever you find yourself reach-ing for the car keys, ask yourself if it’s really necessary. If not, the bike could be your alternative.2. Carry a water bottle and/or a reusable grocery bag. Yes, everybody loves a cold drink from the cafeteria, and free bags for groceries. But as you know, plastic isn’t worth the trouble. So fill up a water bottle, add the Gato-rade drink mix, grab a different, reusable grocery bag for lunch and you are ready to go! 3. Go all natural. Although the lawn does look nice with the special ingredients, such as fertilizer and pesticides, it can survive on its own. Devote your attention to other pursuits.

Chad Hilla, ‘11Opinion Editor

The author, a proponent of living green, rides his bike to school frequently and advocates that more students do the same. He points out that reusable water bottles can be used for a variety of drinks and that students can use reusable shopping bags to carry their lunch to school.

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

BY CLAIRE PETERS

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERThis month’s theme:

1st place: Pilar Curtis, ‘13

Please do your part for the en-vironment: recycle this issue in-

stead of throwing it away!

Ready, set, GO! January’s photo con-test is ACTION! A $10 Chipotle gift card will be rewarded to the picture that shows the most movement. You could bring your friends together and

have them jump in the air! Or you could come up with your own idea. The real challenge? Take an action picture—without it being blurry!

Submit to wlcrossedsabres@yahoo.com or drop the photos by the Publications Lab, room 1028.

SMILING!