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6560 Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312
DECEMBER 21, 2011 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4
TODAYtjT H O M A S J E F F E R S O N H I G H S C H O O L F O R S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O L O G Y
Alternative seating P2
Board votes in favor of cameras
NTSB proposesnew device banby Colleen MarshallManaging Editor
On Dec. 13, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that all state legislatures ban the use of cellphones by drivers behind the wheel.
sending 11 text messages in 11 minutes.“This ban couldn’t come fast enough,”
Driver Education teacher Heidi Smith said. “Unfortunately, teenagers live for the moment and don’t always think about long term consequences.”
This ban would apply to all drivers and prohibits text messaging and talking on the phone, even with a hands-‐‑free device.
“I understand not being allowed to text while driving because you’re taking your eyes
“But I think the ban on the hands-‐‑free devices
next to you.”It is now up to state legislatures to make
the decision. Texting behind the wheel has been banned in 35 states, including Virginia and Washington, D.C., and nine states require drivers to use hands-‐‑free devices when on the phone. Still, some studies have indicated that using phones with Bluetooth doesn’t actually decrease driver distraction.
“I tell students that they should leave their phones in the glove compartment,” Smith said. “No text message is worth the life you would have if you killed someone in an accident.”
P6Minh Bui brings energy to basketball team
tjTODAY sta! visits the Mall of AmericaP10 P12Student creates
remote control carP8-9Favorite holiday books and movies
What is beauty?More and more teenagers opt for plastic surgery to help create the perfect visage
by Sunny Kim and Mallika PatkarFeatures Editor and News Editor
Want that perfect cocoa complexion? That ski slope nose? How about those large doe-‐‑like eyes? It seems
many young people around the world are
facial characteristic dictated by their cultures. China has one of the most rapidly-‐‑
growing cosmetic surgery industries in the world, with plastic surgery becoming more and more popular in the last two years. Patients ages 18 to 23 composed about 60 to 70 percent of the 3 million procedures carried
Presse. The latest trends in plastic surgeries included having a pointier chin, a taller nose, a thinner stomach, fuller lips and double eyelids.
“Chinese people generally think heart-‐‑
shaped faces are more aesthetically pleasing,” junior Zophie Quan said.
This cultural phenomenon that generates more than $2 billion each year isn’t just limited
occurred in South Korea, where the double
people tend to have bigger faces and smaller eyes, which explains their desire for smaller faces and bigger eyes in order to appear more western.
there.”“I guess people just want to get something
that they don’t have,” Nathan said.But that doesn’t mean everyone supports
means as drastic as surgery.
probably not resort to plastic surgery. Just the idea of waking up one day and looking
bodies, so liposuction is the most common type of plastic surgery. However, in Iran,
body that is visible, so the face is valued more highly than any other part of the body. The most common plastic surgery is, therefore, rhinoplasty, commonly called nose jobs, which changes the shape and size of the nose.
“Nose jobs are quite common and even a fashionable thing sometimes,” junior Dina
put bandages on their noses. It’s a fashion statement to have it appear as if you have had a nose job.”
continued on p. 14
photo illustration by Sunny Kim and Mallika Patkar
by Mallika PatkarNews Editor
the optional use of surveillance cameras inside high schools on Dec. 15.
Eight of the 12 school board members voted for the policy that was proposed in
issues.Cameras would be installed in high-‐‑
lobbies, but would be banned from classrooms, locker rooms and bathrooms. The recordings will only be reviewed if an incident occurs.
“I like to think of TJ as a trusting place. Surveillance cameras make me think of jails and other unsavory things,” junior Rachel Merriman-‐‑Goldring said.
safety for students, “ freshman Josh Levy said. “I don’t think privacy would be violated.”
It is up to school principals and communities to install cameras.
grounds, Principal Evan Glazer does not believe cameras will be installed in the near future.
“We are not going to install cameras until our renovation process is completely over unless there is a serious concern,” Glazer
cause at this time.”
news december 21, 20112Kudos &
AccomplishmentsLincoln-Douglas debate students recognized in WACFL Tournament
Torbert new textbook author
Sandstrom recognized in Russian language festival
Varsity Math Team students win titles in Princeton math competition
2011 WMHSMUN a success
Seniors named in crew Scholastic Honor Roll
by Rabia IdreesEditor-‐‑in-‐‑Chief
by Tahmina Acheckzai and Arya DahalFeatures Editors
by Mallika PatkarNews Editor
balls delivered on Dec. 8.
photo by Mallika Patkar
replace chairsWhite House invites
photo by Rabia Idrees
photo by Rabia Idrees
photos by Rabia Idrees
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newsdecember 21, 2011 3NEWSMAKERS
The News Senior Ellen Howerton recites her poem choice during the school competition for Poetry Out Loud held on Dec. 7 during eighth period in the auditorium. Backstory Poetry Out Loud is an annually-‐‑held
national competition that promotes poetry learning through recitation performances at the high school level. The contest encourages students to “master
about their literary heritage,” according to the Poetry Out Loud website.
“I thought it was a good experience overall. I was
I realized what I had been anticipating was over,” Howerton said.
can advance to the grade level competition, where seven juniors or seniors and three freshmen or sophomores
The school winner then proceeds to the regional
all-‐‑expenses-‐‑paid trip to participate in the national
purchase of poetry books. The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry
Howerton won at the school-‐‑wide level last year,
poetry other than to keep reading it and enjoying it.”
musician, and being able to express myself through poetry helps me convey emotion through music.”
-‐‑ YouNa An
Howerton wins poetry contest
photo illustration by Thrisha Potluri photo courtesy of Jennifer Seavey
TjTODAY wins Pacemaker
photo by Shayna Hume
The News Seniors Avi Sachs, James Bradbury and
Backstory
a win this big in several years.”
High School League (VHSL) and National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT).
competition, but three compete on television at a time. These four students are selected by the other members of the club, based on experience and skill level. Not only do
“Throughout the competition, we kept our cool,” Kumar said. “Every time we buzzed, we conferred on the answers with each other and only got one wrong.”
Academic.” Along with Kumar, Sachs participated in the competition last year.
-‐‑ Thrisha Potluri
The News Pacemaker win at the JEA/NSPA convention center in
Backstory publications honored with the national newspaper
in the categories of yearbook and literary magazine, respectively.
Junior Priyal Gandhi, co-‐‑editor-‐‑in-‐‑chief of
have had together.
our placing because it made our improvement as a
Senior Adrienne Gillevet, editor-‐‑in-‐‑chief of
Best of Show placing.
do it again next year,” Gillevet said.
past nine years. Senior Rabia Idrees, editor-‐‑in-‐‑chief, expressed her
pride in winning the Pacemaker, which she describes as “a huge honor.”
that is of a high standard, and it is nice to know that professionals recognize the work we do,” Idrees said.
Gandhi also hopes to keep up the good work for
the spring conventions, where there are even bigger awards waiting,” Gandhi said.
-‐‑ YouNa An
SAT Prep Exclusively for High-AchieversIt’s no surprise that Honors Test Prep is the SAT prep program of choice for TJ students.
Visit honorstestprep.com to review our complete ’11-’12 course schedule and learn about our SAT Course, SAT Essay Workshop, and PSAT/SAT Course.
703 -237-2665 s a t@honor s t e s tp rep. com
Grouped classes: we group classes by math scores. This saves time and reduces student
Small classes: ten or fewer students.Experienced instructors:
school counselor. Quality service: it is easy to reach either Dalby. All students have our cell phone num-‐‑
Flexible test schedule:
Great results: serious students make serious gains. See our website for testimonials and statistics.
Tutoring in academic subjects: algebra to calculus, biology, physics, chemistry and es-‐‑say writing.
Visit www.dalbytestprep.com to register.
703-‐‑356-‐‑2728 for more information.
Why Dalby Tutoring and Test Preparation?
opinion december 21, 20114-‐‑
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Student feedback important in reviewVolume 27 Issue 4
2011 Pacemaker -‐‑ NSPA2011 Trophy Class -‐‑ VHSL2011 All-‐‑American -‐‑ NSPA2011 Gold Medalist -‐‑ CSPA
Editorial Board
Editor-‐in-‐Chief
Rabia Idrees
Managing Editor
Colleen Marshall
Layout Editor
Anna Hicks
News Editors
Sara AsadMallika Patkar
Opinion Editors
Joshua BaquedanoNoah Yoo
Sports Editors
Michael ChaoJenny Chen
Jennifer Walter
Spread Editors
Amy AhnLakshmi Chandran
Entertainment Editors
Shayna HumeClaudia Lovegrove
Features Editors
Tahmina AchekzaiYouNa AnArya DahalSunny Kim
Thrisha Potluri
Staff Reporters
Steven AndrophySam CaddLily ChawSandy Cho
Conrad GehrkiTara Gupta
Stefanie Van RafelghemKaren Sheng
Lindsay Williams
Web Master
Thrisha Potluri
Adviser
Jennifer Seavey, MJE
Printer
Silver Communications
TjTODAY
Science and Technology published
It serves as a vehicle for student expression and is an open forum of issues of interest and concern to the
A full-‐‑year subscription can be purchased through the Thomas
sending a check or money order for $20 to tjTODAY
to a code of journalistic ethics that demands the exercise of accuracy,
content of tjTODAY is determined by
tjTODAY, but not necessarily the
TjTODAY solicits advertising but reserves the right to reject any material deemed libelous, disruptive, obscene
6560 Braddock RoadAlexandria, VA 22312Phone: (703)-‐‑750-‐‑8375Fax: (703)-‐‑750-‐‑5010
TODAYtj Lead Editorialtj TODAY’s unsigned majority opinion
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NOAH YOO
Piracy doesn’t justify Internet censorship
Tara Gupta
opiniondecember 21, 2011 5As the calen-‐‑
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School lunches remain unpalatable
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2011: A year in review
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Giving the gift of generosity
MALLIKA PATKAR
STEFANIE VAN RAFELGHEM
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sports december 21, 2011
Undeniable opinions: How would winning the Finding Undeniable
athletic program?
6Worldwide sports converge
by Michael ChaoSports Editor
The United States is a myriad of faces and races, each with its own unique ath-‐‑letic pastime.
Americans pride themselves on
to their television sets watching pro-‐‑fessional football. Texas, in particular, is known for breeding one top-‐‑caliber
Brown, the varsity football starting cen-‐‑ter, is a testament to this stereotype, hav-‐‑ing moved here from Texas.
-‐‑ties and characters. To be a good player, you have to dedicate your life to it,” Brown said.
Another example lies in Wisconsin, where swimming has a fervent following.
credits her success in swimming to her Wisconsin childhood and the widespread popularity of swimming there.
“Since swimming is everywhere in
team and coach that I liked. I had many options to choose from and that made swimming easier for me to stick with,”
International sports and their fans have an equal amount of the spotlight. Among the high population of Indian and Paki-‐‑
popular sport to follow. During the months of Feb. through April, a cricket-‐‑fever swept through the school with the quadrennial Cricket World Cup.
the Pakistan national cricket team.“I would say that considering the num-‐‑
ber of people that follow cricket, it’s a pret-‐‑ty crazy thing for our country,” Almas said.
Almas’s passion for cricket translates into his lifestyle as well.
“Cricket isn’t just a sport to my coun-‐‑try. It can also drag into politics because it causes a lot of viewers to be aware of what goes on in opposing countries,” he said.
Soccer is another sport that has inter-‐‑national popularity, with a majority of it centered in Europe. Sophomore Zartosht Ahlers moved to America from Germany four years ago and has been a huge soccer
-‐‑ferson soccer team last year and credits his passion for soccer to the zealous following that soccer has in Germany.
“About 90 percent of German boys watch their favorite soccer teams play ev-‐‑ery Saturday,” Ahlers said.
Although soccer is generally known as the forerunner for an internationally-‐‑ac-‐‑cepted sport, Ahlers admits that the soccer fan base in the U.S. is not even close to Ger-‐‑many’s fan base when it comes to passion.
“Imagine comparing the Los Angeles Galaxy, one of the best American soccer teams, with Dortmund, a mediocre Ger-‐‑man soccer team. The Galaxy barely meets its seating capacity of 27,000 fans while Dortmund consistently packs its stadium with well over 100,000 fans,” Ahlers said.
Soccer is not the only sport popular worldwide but not as popular in the U.S. The cricket community struggles to please American audiences, as the total budget spent on the USA Cricket Association pales in comparison to annual revenue of the New York Yankees alone.
“Cricket is a sport that could be boring to watch if you don’t really have a team to root for. The U.S. doesn’t have a team as big as India and Pakistan do and that’s why
-‐‑ing,” Almas said.
However unpopular cricket may be out-‐‑-‐‑
ing in the school, similar to other sports.
cultures, can now call itself a melting pot of sports.
Bui plays successfully under pressure By Jenny ChenSports Editor
the waiting hoop. Parents, teammates and fans eye the scoreboard anxiously, but
enough.
exit the court, ending their Dec. 16 game 31-‐‑62 against the Chantilly Chargers.
basketball team. She is far from new to the sport, however, having played competitive-‐‑ly since elementary school.
“I started playing house basketball in third grade,” Bui said. “From fourth to eighth grade I played travel and Amateur Athletic Union basketball.”
With such an extensive background in the sport as well as early interest shown from head varsity coach Victor Chen, Bui surprised many when she did not join the girls basketball team in her freshman year. She has a simple explanation why.
At the end of sophomore year, Chen
camp with the team. While she did not go
basketball another chance during the winter season.
this program with her leadership and play-‐‑
ing abilities,” Chen said. “She is very coach-‐‑able and a great teammate. She also embodies our philosophy of playing for the other per-‐‑son.”
The other players on the team represent all grade levels with the exception of the senior class. Leading the young team is junior cap-‐‑
a powerful player. “She is a strong post presence and re-‐‑
ally knows how to take the ball to the hoop,” Cheatham said. “She truly has a knack for the game with great court awareness, strong post
Now, however, Bui feels great pressure from her peers to perform well. Having held back from the team that her peers had urged her to join for two years, there has been mounting anticipation about how she will do.
game but I did okay,” Bui said.-‐‑
tribution of 13 points to a 63-‐‑20 win over the Stuart Raiders on Nov. 29. As a center, the team depends on her to play close to the bas-‐‑
“She takes on a very important role this -‐‑
With this promising start, Bui has set her hopes on continuing to lead the team to vic-‐‑tory.
“I have a goal,” Bui said. “I want to score 300 points before the end of the season.”
photo by Jenny Chen
Junior Minh Bui scans the court for an open team-‐‑mate at a game against Falls Church on Dec. 7.
“It will foster school spirit and supply our hard-‐‑work-‐‑ing athletes with the high
quality equipment that they deserve.”
“Our teams would look sharp with these new items, and it could even improve our performance as well.”
“I know a lot of the teams have really old uniforms,
but winning the competition would allow every team to
look fresh.”
Junior Justin Hwang
Lacrosse
raise money for their sports teams. For cheer, I went door to door selling pizza cards, and for lacrosse, we washed cars in the blaz-‐‑
ing heat. Having that extra money will boost morale
among athletes.”
Senior Sarah Sam
Cheer and lacrosse
photos and reporting by Michael Chao and Colleen Marshall
Sophomore Taylor Yohe
Football, wrestling, lacrosse
infographic by Michael Chao and Jenny Chen
Freshman Jenny Kim
Field Hockey Alex Mohrman
Swimming
Wisconsin
Hassan Almas
Cricket
Pakistan
Zartosht Ahlers
Soccer
Germany
Jack Brown
Football
Texas
sportsdecember 21, 2011 7
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Track serves as training for players from other sports
Athletes of the Month
Paul Bentz
Wrestling
Richard Kuzma
Basketball
Carrie Heilbrun
Swim
by Jennifer WalterSports Editor
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photo by Michael Chao
up before the Wildcat Polar Bear Meet on Dec. 10.
photo by Jennifer Walter photo by Jenny Chen
photo by Jennifer Walter
spread december 21, 2011 december 21, 2011 98 spread
Books and movies help school community get into the holiday spirit
“I love ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’. It really embodies the holiday
spirit, and I believe Dr. Seuss really revolutionized children’s books.”
-‐ Head Librarian Anne Applin
“I grew up Jewish, and ‘Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins’ was the Jewish form of a holiday book. Essentially, the man saved Hanukkah from the holiday-‐
hating goblins”
-‐ Senior Julia Sokolow
“My favorite holiday movie is ‘Miracle on 34th St.’. It promotes things like
-‐ Freshman Advith Suresh
“My favorite holiday book is ‘Attack Of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons’ because I, like
Calvin, have an overactive imagination and connect with his altered perspective of reality. That, and it’s hilarious! My dad has been reading me Calvin and Hobbes since I
was four and I’ve always enjoyed it.”
-‐ Senior Jordan Myers
“My favorite holiday book would have to be ‘The Mitten’. I love the
obliviousness of the boy as he is standing on the outside of the page”
-‐ Sophomore Olivia Sorto
“I like ‘Elf’ because it’s a funny and original movie that never gets old. It has a little
bit of everything: friends, family and love. It stresses the need to have faith in Santa during Christmas and the importance of
having fun during the holidays, too.”
-‐ Junior Jihun Kim
“My favorite holiday movie is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. I watch it every year
with my family. It’s special to me because it reminds me of how much I have to be thankful
for and how important it is not to take life itself for granted.”
-‐ Senior Christine Jacobs
by Lakshmi ChandranSpread Editor
Winter-‐‑time evokes images of snow, crackling fires and elves in Santa’s work-‐‑shop. Even the biggest Scrooge would ad-‐‑mit to being slightly touched by the rows of decorated houses, the sound of jingle bells and those partridges in their pear trees.
But what really makes the holiday sea-‐‑son special are the traditions we share through our favorite books and movies.
As shopping malls fill up with eager shoppers, heading into a Barnes and Noble for a quiet moment in a leather chair is a perfect way to visit an old friend.
Sophomore Kaylyn Buford said, “I real-‐‑ly like ‘Rudolph the Red-‐‑Nosed Reindeer’ because it reminds me of the holidays and my childhood.”
“I really love ‘A Little Dreidel’. When I was little, my parents used to read to me and my siblings. Whenever I read it, it re-‐‑minds me of how happy it made me feel as a child,” sophomore Jordan Goodson said.
Books can be used to give back to the community as well. Reading to young chil-‐‑dren and the elderly exemplifies the giving spirit and is a very popular way to spread good will.
“I really like ‘The Polar Express.’ In el-‐‑
ementary school we used to read it to the elderly during Christmas time. We used to go over to a retirement home and read it to them,” sophomore Aparajita Sur said.
Books aren’t the only way winter cheer spreads, however. The timeless quality of a good movie also spreads the spirit of the season.
“My favorite movie was ‘The Santa Clause.’ It would really bring my family together during the holiday season and it was a nice tradition to have it,” senior Vicky Kelley said.
Even if they don’t hold any sentimental value, holiday movies can simply provide the cheer and the laughs needed this time of year which are sometimes missing from our busy lives.
“I like ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol.’ It’s really cute and funny,” freshman Veda Prasad said.
Whether it is a funny movie or a heart-‐‑warming book, simple traditions are what make this time of year so special.
“The traditional books bring back mem-‐‑ories from people’s childhoods. They like to revisit these stories to bring back these memories,” head librarian Anne Applin said. “They remind us of the simple plea-‐‑sures of the holidays that get lost during the other times of the year.”
sketches by Amy Ahnphotos, graphics and layout by Amy Ahn and Lakshmi Chandran
“You’re never too old to love ‘The Grinch.’ The way the Grinch’s
eyes well up at Lucy’s generosity always makes me choke up.”
-‐ Librarian Margaret Carpenter
entertainment10 december 21, 2011
by Anna HicksLayout Editor
Laini Taylor’s “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” tells the story of enigmatic adolescent Karou. Never graced with a last name, the blue-‐‑haired artist protagonist
reader does. As we follow Karou through the
harrowing maze of the streets of modern Prague, we slowly come to understand thread by thread her cryptic past and her thoroughly less-‐‑than-‐‑typical present. Raised by four part-‐‑human creatures in an otherworldly shop that can be accessed by doorways throughout the world, Karou grew up an errand girl, delivering teeth with mysterious purpose to her hulking
of teeth and wishes.The story unfolds curiously, playing
hand. As Karou spends her wishes (which
world is in a careful balance of normalcy and lunacy.
Karou’s life is a mystery to her friends,
seemingly random times to go to her “job,” while really she is traveling the globe to trade teeth with despicable characters ranging from grave robbers to kidnappers, all of them hoping for wishes in return for the teeth they have gathered. Karou navigates through these dangerous errands as an expert with knives and martial arts, completely able to defend herself and at no point a hapless damsel in distress. The source of her power, the strange eyes
until the very end of the tale.Taylor excels not only in her
storytelling ability, but in her descriptive talents. Especially at the beginning of the
and characters, creating a tapestry of imaginative scenery woven of elegant complexities and haunting enigmas. The story springs to life with a uniquely voiced and almost artistic style.
Beyond its beautifully embellished prose, “Smoke and Bone” is special in the magical way in which the intertwining plot lines come together to form one cohesive denouement at the end of the novel. Karou learns her true origins, the purpose of the teeth, the process behind the creation of wishes and the history of her world, all of which tie dazzlingly into her personal life and background. As the plot comes crashing to a close, the novel ends in a
novel was recently named to a very short list of notable young adult books by the New York Times.
sequel.
‘Smoke and Bone’ spins fantastic plot
photo courtesy of Penguin Group
by Shayna HumeEntertainment Editor
Walking into the Mall of America in Minneapolis, you might not think it’s that
would expect at a mall, but there are a few things that make it unique from just about every other mall in the entire world.
through the East Broadway entrance on
surprises. Right inside the doors, there was a sign pointing down a set of escalators that
proved that this mall was something none of us had ever seen before.
Past the aquarium was a huge lobby.
of stores towering above us, not to mention the two Christmas trees that rose halfway to the three-‐‑story high skylights.
America—its famous indoor amusement
seven acres large, with over 30 rides in it. Among these 30 rides are roller coasters, bumper cars, family rides and a ropes course suspended in midair.
we each paid $30 for as many rides as we
worth every penny. We went on each of the main thrill rides several times, in addition to several of the other family rides.
Plunge, which despite the cute name, managed to make a few of us scream. The coaster started by bringing us all up at a 90 degree angle and then plunging vertically down into a series of sweeps and loops before bringing us relatively gently back to the beginning. Other favorites included Avatar Airbender, Brain Surge and Pepsi Orange Streak.
sick from the constant motion. The next
place to sit down for lunch.
The Mall of America includes over 20 sit-‐‑down restaurants and a food court. Some of the places are the typical ones like
local malls don’t have restaurants like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Pardon My French.
split up and went to a Johnny Rockets and a Panda Express. We decided that once we
be dedicated to shopping.
to do, so one group headed to the Love from Minnesota store, while the rest made a run to the Disney store. On the way to those locations, we found some of the shopping that gives the Mall of America its nationwide appeal.
The Mayo Clinic is a “store” where you can go in and check out various health products, as well as experiment on touch screen computers that allow you to discover various parts of the skeletal and cardiovascular systems. The actual clinic is
facility, and has patients referred to it from
of America is one of a kind, and impressed us thoroughly with its professional air.
The biggest stores in the mall are actually considered some of its main
and the American Girl Doll store. At the end of our time in the mall, a
few of us ran back into For Love 21, the accessory store of Forever 21, to buy
metro back to the convention center, we
spiraling down all around us, a sight not uncommon in November for Minnesota.
When considering what makes the
a huge amount to consider. From the underground aquarium to the 520 stores that are open on any given day, the mall
where you end up, you are sure to be taken by surprise.
from
infographic by Claudia Lovegrove
‘The Fault in our Stars’Jan. 10: Bookstores everywhere
‘We Bought A Zoo’Dec. 23: Theaters everywhere
Matisyahu‘The Girl with the
Dec. 23: Theaters everywhere Dec. 28: 9:30 Club Jan. 3: ABC Family
Clockwise from top: sophomore Shayna Hume experiments with technology at the Mayo Clin-‐‑ic; senior Colleen Marshall stands with one of the mall’s Christmas trees; sophomore Hume with juniors Mallika Patkar and Thrisha Pot-‐‑luri and senior Rabia Idrees ride the Splat-‐‑O-‐‑Sphere in Nickelodeon Universe; an ariel view of the central atrium from the Danny Phantom Ghost Zone ride.
photos and graphics by Shayna Hume, Sunny Kim and Claudia Lovegrove
On location
ComingAttractions
entertainmentdecember 21, 2011 11Picks of the Month
photo courtesy of destroythebrain.com photo by Colleen Marshallphoto courtesy of wamu.org photo by Karen Sheng
Preview Theater ShowHeritage
by Colleen MarshallManaging Editor
Whether you particularly enjoy frigid temperatures, wish to recapture your inner child or just want to take a break from college applications or SAT prep, ICE! at the Gaylord National Resort will
winter break.Right across the Potomac, about
Gaylord has set up a small tribute to the incredible Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival that takes place every year in Harbin, China.
They brought in 40 ice-‐‑sculpting artisans to carve 2 million pounds of ice into a walk-‐‑through exhibit with the theme of Dreamworks’ “Merry
animated movie “Madagascar.”The show begins with a 10-‐‑minute
video explaining the plot of the movie that is displayed throughout the self-‐‑guided tour and also takes time to recognize the artisans who worked on the exhibit and explain the making of it.
The theme doesn’t particularly lend itself well to an older audience, with most of the visitors under the age of 10. But the famed two-‐‑story ice slide about half-‐‑way through the show provides thrills to both toddlers and teenagers alike. It is also fun to talk to the employees who hail from around the globe, especially Australia and South Africa.
The ice carvings themselves were intricate and completely recognizable as the characters from the famous movie, but in order to keep them from melting, the actual exhibit is kept at a chilly nine degrees Fahrenheit. So even though they hand out knee-‐‑length parkas to everyone entering the icy tour, don’t forget a jacket, gloves and a hat because it’s called ICE! for a reason.
Tickets will be available through Jan. 8 and come with a steep $35 price tag, but when one takes into account what they must be paying for air conditioning and the labor involved in carving the
it only takes about 45 minutes to get through the exhibit, it is easy to spend
resort along with the interesting shops and beautiful waterfront view of the Potomac at National Harbor.
by Karen Sheng
Experience how Colonial America embraced the holiday season at the home
by going to Christmas at Mount Vernon.Even though Christmas was primarily
a religious holiday in 18th century Virginia, the Christmas trees in the Ford Orientation Center and Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center and special holiday events show that the holiday was also a day for celebration.
While waiting in line for a 20-‐‑minute tour of the mansion, a tour guide
being open as a “special treat” because
exclusively during this special holiday event.
in which Martha Washington spent the remaining two and a half years of her life
George Washington died, a linen closet, a furniture storage room and guest rooms.
Downstairs in the formal dining room that Washington described as his “new room,” a typical Christmas feast was laid out. Even though there were traditional swaths of fresh greenery in the house, no trees were present, as the German
was not yet popular in colonial Virginia. Outside on the grounds, there was an
American Heritage Chocolate Program tent that displayed the process of making chocolate by following authentic 18th century procedures and recipes. Visitors can sample fresh chocolate made there and buy additional chocolate products in The Shops at Mount Vernon.
Nearby, a Christmas camel resided in a pen as Washington entertained his Christmas guests in 1787 by paying 18 shillings for Aladdin the camel to stay temporarily at Mount Vernon.
Another festive feature is a 15-‐‑square foot gingerbread house of Mount Vernon built by former White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier. The vast grounds are sculpted from fondant, and George and Martha Washington made out of marzipan.
Christmas at Mount Vernon is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily until Jan. 6. The event is included in normal admission. Ticket prices are $15 for adults.
by Steven Androphy, Sam Cadd and Lily Chaw
Shakespeare meets detective drama in Arena Stage’s production of “Equivocation,”
This imaginative and complex production is now playing at Arena Stage in the Mead Center in Washington, D.C. through Jan. 1, featuring the original cast.
Tony Award nominee Anthony Heald delivers an emotionally powerful and nuanced performance as protagonist Will “Shag” Shagspeare, a famed playwright who penned such plays as “King Lear” and
history” of the Gunpowder Plot, an infamous
himself. However, the more Shag writes, the
plot is rife with misdirection and not-‐‑quite-‐‑truths: equivocation.
“Equivocation” can best be summarized by a statement made by Father Henry Garnet to Shag, “Don’t answer the question they’re asking. If a dishonest man has formed the question, there will be no honest answer. Answer the question beneath the question.”
Indeed, the entire play is an equivocation
events, even within the space of a single sentence. Because“Equivocation” is played by only six performers, they frequently hold
character at the drop of a hat (literally, in one scene).
It’s complicated, bordering on abstruse — not a production you could miss a single second of. It does have strong language, brief nudity and scenes of violence, but there is
emotion that give the performance its panache.
actual gunpowder burning across the stage to the comical decapitation of the king in an abbreviated rendition of “Macbeth.”
Despite the comedic overtones, the play is rampant with dark humor. It’s not just an enthralling story that follows Shag through his process of creating one of the most brilliant plays in history, but also an exploration of
exalts death as an acceptable path. The magic
nodding in agreement, as well.
by YouNa An and Jennifer Walter
After a decade of waving magic wands, Daniel Radcliffe has transformed into a young English lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is traumatized by the recent death of his wife in the early 1900s.
In a satellite conference with journalism students on Nov. 19, Radcliffe told us his thoughts about his newest film, “The Woman in Black.”
“This is, as a whole, definitely the darkest film I have ever been in,” Radcliffe said. “It’s a horror film, but it’s not just an exercise at freaking people out. It has got a very honest side to it.”
Directed by James Watkins, the horror movie centers on Kipps and his experiences in a remote village in England, where he takes care of the final affairs of a client, the deceased Alice Drablow (Liz White). While staying in the Drablows’ abandoned house in the marshlands, Kipps discovers secrets about the ghost of a woman dressed in black.
Kipps himself is a depressed character, still recovering from the recent death of his wife.
The movie is an adaptation of Susan Hill’s 1989 thriller fiction novel of the same name. The novel has also been adapted into a hit play that has been the second longest running play in West End, a popular theater district in London.
Radcliffe has expressed confidence in his first film since the Potter series.
“You read a lot of really bad scripts so when you read a good script, you know,” Radcliffe said.
He is particularly excited about acting with his godson, Mischa Handley. Handley plays Kipps’ disabled son Edward in the film.
“For a film that has very few ‘aw’ moments, he provides the only ones,” Radcliffe said.
The movie will be released on Feb. 3. “The Woman in Black” promises to be an intriguing thriller and will undoubtedly attract a large audience, if only because of Radcliffe’s devoted fans.
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science december 21, 201112by Tahmina Achekzai and Arya DahalFeatures Editors
the vehicle’s motor.
the car run, they are trying to use
same amount of energy as it pumps out, so it has a net zero impact on the environment. You
everything
control.
Innovative projects drive Energy Systems Lab
Solid state hydrofuel is more powerful and has less pressure, while the direct methanol cell is more portable and easier to make. -senior Ed Cai
“
”
The Project:
have opposite charges.
Multi-‐‑Staged WaterFiltration System
photo illustrations by Tahmina Achekzai and Thrisha Potlurireporting by Tahmina Achekzai and Arya Dahal
Michael Serron and Jason Ye
Aquaponics System
The Project:
“Lord Kelvin Water-‐‑Drop Electrostatic Generator”
The Project: Birch is using the natural charges in water to create electricity.
The Project: De la Barra is using
Water Heater
photo by Tahmina Achekzai
Aquaponics System
Senior Carson Hotard tests his remote control ATV.
featuresdecember 21, 2011 13
Kimchi Chronicles DVDS & BOOKSNow available at all Hmart stores!
features december 21, 201114
continued from p. 1
-‐‑
featuresdecember 21, 2011 15Graduates reunite on Alumni Day
High school sweethearts couple up
Palchik sets her heart on anthropology
by Sara AsadNews Editor
She first learned to sew at the age of four, eight years later she made her first custom outfit, and at the ripe age of 17, Bob Bland made her first 20-‐‑piece runway show at Jeffer-‐‑son.
“I was the first person at TJ to ask to do a runway show. We made our own runway in the cafeteria, my friend Abigail Adams was the make-‐‑up artist and the students were models,” Bland said.
Bland, Jef-‐‑ferson class of 2001 alumna, is pursuing her dreams as a fash-‐‑ion designer in Brooklyn, New York with her own fashion line Brooklyn Roy-‐‑alty. For her fash-‐‑ion career, Jeffer-‐‑son has been one of her strongest influences.
“People at TJ are so accepting of people with different skills and talents. The adults were nur-‐‑turing and most of the kids thought it was pretty cool. They all appreciated that I was doing what I wanted to do,” Bland said.
So far Bland has released nine collections for Brooklyn Royalty including men’s and ladies’ ap-‐‑parel, accessories and jewelry. Just last year she opened a multipurpose space called Kingdom in NYC which serves as a bar, boutique and gallery for the local community.
“During the night there are live performances at Kingdom, and during the day it is a nice boutique where you can have a drink,” Bland said.
After graduating from Jefferson, Bland attend-‐‑ed the University of Creative Careers majoring in
fashion design with a minor in art history. She graduated sum-‐‑ma cum laude after three years and scored an internship with d i s t ingu i shed couture design-‐‑er Maggie Nor-‐‑ris during her college years.
After college, Bland went on to work with many of the fashion indus-‐‑try’s giants in-‐‑cluding Tommy Hilfiger, Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren.
“Ralph Lau-‐‑ren is great. I really enjoyed working with him when I was in corporate fashion for a few
years and would love to work with him again since he had made such a secure atmosphere for design-‐‑ers,” Bland said.
Bland married her hometown sweetheart Mi-‐‑chael Foulger in 2009 and gave birth to their first child Penny Virginia Foulger in December 2010. The recent addition to her family has inspired Bland to launch a couple more lines focusing on designs for maternity and baby clothing.
“One of the most beautiful things about doing fashion,” Bland said, “is that my interests are grad-‐‑ually moving in line with where I am in life.”
by Sara AsadNews Editor
Class of 2001 alumna Dalia Palchik began her undergradu-‐‑ate studies just as any other student. She had an idea of what
-‐‑cation since I have always wanted to be a teacher,” Palchik said.
During her freshman year, Palchik also felt a budding in-‐‑terest in international relations, another strong and popular
-‐‑
as she was not entirely interested in politics. During her sophomore year, Palchik was introduced to an-‐‑
thropology and loved learning about it. “I just fell in love with anthropology. It seemed to address
all the questions that I had growing up and going to school,” Palchik said.
While interning at the National Museum of Natural His-‐‑tory during the summer of her sophomore year, Palchik’s in-‐‑terest in anthropology began to wane.
“I liked anthropology but I knew I didn’t want to work in
sure that I was going to keep doing it,” Palchik said.
and traveled around the world. One of her most memorable experiences was volunteering at an organization focusing on
an online peer to peer lending organization providing loans
“While I was working with Kiva, I went to Togo on behalf of the organization for a month. It was amazing being there because the people had started great work with their loans,” Palchik said.
Throughout her time in Togo, Palchik heard and witnessed inspirational stories about the people and the impact of loans on their lives.
“The experience was incredible and I knew I needed to come back and do something with everything I had seen there,” Palchik said.
Back in college, Palchik knew she was interested in service-‐‑
would pursue.
like dance therapy and nursing, but I realized it wasn’t right for me,” Palchik said. “All along I had enough focus in what I wanted to be doing, so I decided to study economic develop-‐‑ment as an anthropologist.”
Currently, Palchik is applying to Ph.D. programs for an-‐‑-‐‑
nance organizations in northern Argentina.
Palchik has no regrets. “From freshman year biology with Mr. McFaden when I
wanted to study human anatomy to my interests in human culture now,” Palchik said, “it all comes back to anthropol-‐‑ogy.”
by Sara AsadNews Editor
Class of 1990 graduate Sean Ingram and Class of 1991 graduate Bethany Revak first met each other in their psychology class during his senior and her junior year. Ingram and Revak continued their rela-‐‑tionship while they attended college separately.
“We dated for nine years, basically the entire time we were in college,” Ingram said.
Ingram attended Virginia Tech for his bachelors and masters degree in electrical engineering while Revak attended the College of William and Mary for her bachelors in chemistry and Virginia Common-‐‑wealth University School of Medicine for medical school.
While Revak completed her degree in medicine, Ingram pursued his interest in patent law after grad-‐‑uation. Ingram was first introduced to patent law by one of his professors whom he conducted research with while in graduate school.
“At the time, my professor was an inventor on around 30 patents, and he introduced me to the idea of patent law,” Ingram said.
After graduation, Ingram worked at the U.S. Pat-‐‑ent and Trademark Office in Crystal City, Va. as a patent examiner.
“At that point patent law was basically a curios-‐‑ity. I didn’t know if I wanted to enter the patent field or pursue a traditional engineering career,” Ingram said.
After a year of working at the Patent Office, In-‐‑gram went on to the University of Richmond School of Law to study patent law and found his back-‐‑ground in engineering an asset to his degree.
“In patent law, attorneys must understand a com-‐‑pany’s cutting edge technology before being able to protect it. I use my engineering skills every day,” Ingram said.
Ingram currently works as a patent attorney at Novak Druce, a law firm in Palm Beach, Fla. He en-‐‑counters interesting technology on almost a daily basis but now approaches it from the perspective of
a lawyer. Revak currently practices as an urgent care physician and is a Physician Investigator at Palm Beach Research Center. Revak and Ingram have three daughters, ages four, six and eight.
Bob Bland pursues career in fashion
Class of ‘01 grad Bob Bland and her husband, Michael Foulger, have dinner after the Alumni Day reunion at the Sheraton Crystal City.
photo courtesy of Bob Bland
photo courtesy of Dalia Palchik
Out of high school 10 -‐‑ 20 years, grads share life stories
Spotlight on:
Alumni
Dalia Palchik, fourth from the right, donated one of the two motorcycles to the Microfund team in Togo for day-‐‑to-‐‑day operations.
photo courtesy of Sean Ingram and Bethany Revak
Sean Ingram, Bethany Revak and their three daughters go on an outing in their town of residence, Jupiter, Fla.
tradition december 21, 201116All I want for the holidays is ...
Custom Nike 6.0$110.00 at Nike.com “I like the bright obnoxious
colors at times and they’re
fun to dance in. I recently
discovered you can cus-
tomize the shoes.”-Junior Katrina McTigue
Baking for Dummies
$13.41 at Amazon.com
“It’s really unfortunate how
most things I b
ake turn out in-
edible. I’ve realized that I c
an
no longer rely on my mom to
bake for me once I’m
in col-
lege.” -Senior Ashley Jhu
Electric Violin
$129.99 at Amazon.com
“I’ve wanted an electric violin
since I started playing. I’d love to
be a huge nerd and rock out on
my violin with mixers and amps.”
-Sophomore Stacey Chobany
Camp Album$9.99 at iTunes
“I love Childish Gambino and even though I have already heard all of the songs, I want to support him.”
-Senior Chantelle Ekanem
NCAA Football 12
$59.99 at EA.com
“I just got an Xbox, and
I have very few games.
I would like to expand
my choices of games.”
-Freshman Aidan
Hennessey-Niland
Pashmina Scarf$14.99 at Target
really great. I want ones that are multicolored with patterns. ”
-Junior Jasmine Denizard
photos, graphics and reporting by Thrisha Potluri
Hermione Artefact Box
$35.00 at Noblecollection.com
“I’m a Potterhead, and you
can never have too much Har-
ry Potter stuff!”
-Freshman Isabel Ho
PlayStation 3$249.99 at us.playstation.com “All of my friends tend to on this device about a
year ago, which sparked
my interest in buying it.”-Sophomore Peter Tan
Chipotle Gift Card
$25.00 at Chipotle
“The burritos are the
best! Plus, there is a Chi-
potle right next to my
house.”
-Freshman Becca Clark-
Callender
Beats by Dr. Dre$349.95 at Beatsbydre.com“After seeing friends look-ing too fresh with them, I’ve wanted a pair of beats, too.”
-Junior Nipun Singh
