NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID OAKTON, VA

PERMIT No. 337

OAKTON HIGH SCHOOL 2900 SUTTON ROAD

VIENNA, VA 22181

Explore a new school of thought

with a tour through the neighboring

New School

feature

page 3

AP Environmental Science and

AP Government students

collaborate for project

academics

page 8

Sports teams go door to door to

fundraise during these tough

economic times

sports

page 10-

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oakton

Ice and LightsPerforming Arts Puts on

Show for Tiny Totspage 9

page 03

12.18.08

featureNEW SCHOOL of thoughta

- erica wohlleben and chris weil,

insight editor and feature editor

T he small, low-key private school off of Pickett Road is not likely to draw a significant amount of attention to itself. The majority of Oakton students will respond with little more than vacant stares when asked what they know

about the New School of Northern Virginia. The members of the New School would have it

no other way. The New School offers a haven for students who prefer a more personal environment than is typically offered in public schools.

Although the student body, in reality, does not lend itself to stereotypes, the typical perception of the school from Oakton students who have actually heard of it is one of introversion and social awkwardness.

“[Some of ] the students [at the New School] are somewhat eccentric,” said teacher and high school director Michael Oliver. However, there are not many generalizations that can be made about the student body as a whole.

“We have a wide variety of students,” he said. “Some [students] are extremely idiosyncratic and would run into much resistance at public school, and some are here because they can benefit from the personal attention that we offer.”

It is the unfamiliarity of the New School that has led to misconceptions within the Oakton community.

“We are not set up as a public school counter culture,” said Steve Roushakes, a teacher at the New School. “The students who come here really enjoy the student-teacher relationship.”

This relationship is so informal that formalities are completely negated when addressing teachers.

“In terms of culture, it’s totally different. I don’t even know how to begin in how we’re different from public schools,” Roushakes said. “We all go by first names, which I think is the most dramatic [difference]. The whole school is built upon trust. Every morning we have a daily meeting, which is

basically a sharing of information.”However, there are many

differences between the New School and typical

Fairfax County

public schools - the most obvious being the size. While Oakton boasts a large student population of over 2300, the New School is at maximum capacity with about 150 students. Their largest classes have 12 students. The small teacher-to-student ratio leads to more personal attention in the classroom.

“The teachers all take an active interest in all of the students, because the classes are small,” said Ben Fletcher, a former Oakton student who now attends the New School. “I have good working relationships with all of my teachers, and I know that if for some reason my work is not up to par or they don’t think I’m doing well in their class, they are going to let me know I should change that. If you want to pass or you want to fail, it is really up to you.”

Another striking difference is the lack of grade level barriers when choosing classes. Classes are ranked with numbers one through five. Level one classes are the basic freshman level equivalent classes, while level five classes are the AP courses. A staff of counselors develops a personal relationship with each student and assist them in their course selection.

“A senior would never take a level one class, unless there were very special circumstances,” Roushakes said. “The student advisor would not likely allow them to take these classes.”

What is really special about the New School is the classroom experience and the freedom that students have to shape their schedules. They have the same credit requirements as Fairfax County schools, but with course selections such as “Alternative Fuels” and “Imperialism,” how students satisfy those requirements is significantly different.

According to Roushakes, teachers are essentially free to teach whatever they feel is pertinent. This comes in the form of the previously mentioned specific courses.

“We design our own courses around the things that personally interest us as teachers,” Oliver said.

“I have a class on Romanticism, and another teacher has a class on early modern American literature,” Roushakes said. “They are both English

credits, but the student gets to choose which class he or she prefers.”

The teachers at the New School are also encouraged to engage in collaborative efforts with other teachers in the school.

“Most of the classes are based around what we call a central question,” Oliver said. “It is really an open-ended question. For example, I am an English teacher and I collaborated with a U.S. History teacher. The question was, ‘What are the lessons to be learned from the Vietnam War?’ Throughout the course, students will be learning about the war,

reading autobiographies, listening to oral histories and at the end, they answer that question.”

The areas that teachers specialize in are reserved for their upper-level classes. Roushakes, who specializes in Middle Eastern history, chooses this subject matter for his level five classes.

While the New School has basketball, soccer and ultimate Frisbee teams, it is not a school geared towards athletics.

“I don’t think anyone who values their sports teams at Oakton will fit into the New School,” Fletcher said. “We are not a big school, and we don’t have many sports teams.”

Even though a small enrollment limits the amount of opportunities available to New School students, the community will cater to a student’s particular interests.

chris weil

Misunderstood local private school looks to mix things up in the classroom

The New School, a small private school located right off of Pickett Road, employs small class sizes and informal learning environments to provide its students with a personalized education that differs from the typical public school experience.

new

sch

ool c

lass

es -- History of Rock and Roll (Art) -- Nuclear Power Plant (Chemistry) -- Oil (World Studies) -- Horticulture (Biology)-- Stone Sculpture (Art)-- Modern Middle East (World Studies)-- Food (Chemistry)

Justin takes a whiff of his latest creation, savoring the smell of a dish that he has made his own. Mozzarella

and Swiss, melting in swirls, pours out of the perfectly rolled chicken, tantalizingly tangible. It looks as good as it smells, because Justin accepts nothing less than perfection from his presentation.

With honeyed ham and a little pepper, Justin finishes the masterpiece: his own

Chicken Cordon Bleu. “I’ve always been

interested in food,” smiles Justin Monts, senior. “And

when I’m cooking is when I’m most

relaxed; it feels natural. I

can’t totally explain it. It’s just what I like.”

Most nights, Justin chills, spending time with his

friends and enjoying the fact that he’s finally in his

last year of high school. He doesn’t worry too

much about the future, because he knows what he wants. He laughs

easily and seems approachable. But there’s something more to him. You

don’t even scratch the surface with

that first glance. Always surrounded by people, he

maintains his

calm with a relaxed but driven attitude that accomplishes everything without making it seem like anything. Dissatisfied with the normalcy of a planned life, Justin has planned his life around his passion: cooking.

“It’s a different kind of lifestyle,” he explains. “I don’t want to be sitting behind a desk all day. This way, I’ll be standing up and doing something. Moving things, making things. Doing stuff with my hands.”

And that’s the only kind of future he can imagine. Fitting into anyone’s standards isn’t high on his list. Justin sets himself apart from the average teenager with an unusual dream and the drive to pursue it.

“One of the biggest differences [between me and the average student] is that in such a professional career, I have to work my butt off,” Justin comments. “I work a lot harder than most and in different ways. I’m constantly on my feet. We’re standing up, developing our skills, trying to show off what we can do. If you mess up one thing while cooking, it has an effect. In the real world, mistakes come straight out of your salary.”

Choosing culinary arts was a life choice, and preparation has already begun.

The requirements for a culinary school are different than those for regular four-year colleges. Most culinary programs don’t require SAT scores, although having available scores may help a student gain loans or grants. Justin’s top choices for after graduation are the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which has locations across the US, or the Johnson-Wales school in Colorado. Curriculums that focus heavily on cooking as a profession put emphasis on the student’s experience and free-thinking, with less attention to the theory.

Right now, Justin is working on five different scholarships that depend on work experience and tests. He plans to enter a cooking competition this year that will give him more experience and test his skills. Preparation for this process began in his sophomore year, when he first decided that he wanted to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Now a senior, he is taking classes at the Marshall Academy and working to build his résumé.

“The setup in my Culinary Arts 2 Academy Class is different than a normal classroom,” Justin describes. “We have an industrial kitchen attached - the kind of kitchen you see in a real restaurant, with an indoor grill and

stove, which are huge. We have a lot more open tables and islands and things move quicker. This is exactly the set up you have in the real world, and getting a taste of this now is better than regular days at school.”

Now, Academy is sending him out into the world. Justin further stressed that the physical liberty of these kinds of positions is another factor in cooking’s appeal. He has also recently begun an internship at the Sheraton, where he works on food preparation.

“I do what my teacher requires and I get the work done, but it’s a great course. It shows a lot of personal skill and innovation. You learn multitasking; classes like these actually show you what the future looks like. I can talk or listen to music while I cook. It’s a better environment.”

For students who have that ambition, it is easier to transform passions into professions.

“I’m a hands-on person,” Justin said. “I like to see my results right away. I like cooking because everything happens immediately. I hate waiting, so I can’t imagine being in another kind of job. I can’t stand things getting boring.”

Another point in Justin’s profession is its value in his personal life; cooking is a skill he can experiment with, which allows him to come up with recipes of his own or personalize his favorite dishes, like Chicken Devan.

“I get to use it at home, also,” he said. “I can take the things I learn from a job and make them at home. I can mess around with things and show off what I know. As I learn more, I can do more in my work and in my own kitchen.”

Cooking for Justin is every range of emotion: difficult, enjoyable, and ever-evolving. It’s at the center of his future.

“What I want the most is to open a restaurant in a ski village in Canada,” Justin admitted, “Or a grill by the beach in California. I want to

work with friends that I’ll come to know over the years, and it’ll be like being with family.”

page 04 feature 12.18.08

the next step...Justin Monts

Culinary Institute Students pursue futures outside the boundaries of a four-year college

2006: Justin decides he wants to pursue Culinary Arts as a career.

2009: Studies cooking in a hands-on culinary institure.

next

ste

p

Culinary students complete all courses in their chosen major before any other classes. Before applying, students must have six months of culinary work experience.

editors’ note: this story is the second of a three-part exploration into students who are looking at other op-portunities outside the

traditional four-year college for the next step.

dani

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ait

Fall 2006: Justin begins taking Academy Courses in Culinary Arts.

- kirin gupta, staff writer, can be reached at kirin.gupta@oaktonmedia.net

2008: Scholarship applications and pre-liminary work for CIA and Johnson-Wales.

Dreams: To have his own restaurant in a ski village or a beach town.

2008: Internship at the Sheraton, his first job in a restaurant kitchen.

dani

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ait

The house lights went down, the curtain went up and 49

students’ eyes twinkled as the stage lights shone on the actors as they entered the stage. This wasn’t a show being put on in our auditorium, this show was on Broadway.

On Dec. 10, drama took a day-long field trip to New York City. They left Oakton at 5 a.m. and returned at 3:30 the next morning. While on the trip, the students experienced a workshop with a professional actor, two Broadway musicals and the city itself.

The two Broadway shows were “Gypsy,” a Broadway classic, and “Billy Elliot,” a new musical about a boy who becomes a ballet dancer.

“The first show we saw was Gypsy, and it was OK; it was interesting,” said sophomore Ari Veach. “The second play was ‘Billy Elliot,’ which is a rock musical show, so it was intense.”

Before the show, the students went to a workshop where they spoke to Tim Smith, a professional actor who has been working on Broadway for 15 years.

Smith talked to them about audition tips and the hard work that comes along with getting onto Broadway.

“I learned from the workshop that you really have to get in there and go for it. You can’t expect the career you want to come to you. You have to go out there and pave a way for yourself, like we in drama do,” said sophomore Holly Kelly.

The skills obtained from the workshop transcended abilities specifically for performances. The workshop taught lifelong lessons on how to interact with people professionally.

“The workshop taught me how to better present myself to new people,” said senior Kasey Sherman. “I learned how important first impressions are, not just in auditions, but in life.”

The drama students noticed that there were more than a few differences between the school plays and Broadway. One was the importance it holds to the city and the people.

“[At Oakton], theatre is a class; in New York, it’s an industry,” said former drama

teacher Robert Bromley. Another major difference

was the special effects of a Broadway show compared to a high school play.

“The best thing about the shows was just how amazing it was with what they could do with the shows, in terms of lighting, sound and set design,” said sophomore Taylor Vogelzang. “It always amazes me [to see] the level of special effects and the flawless execution in a professional show.”

Although the students believed “Gypsy” was a good show, many preferred “Billy Elliot.”

“The show was incredible from almost every aspect. We were sitting right underneath the lighting booth, and being a techie myself, it was really fun to be able to talk to the stage hands before the show and during intermission,” said junior Allison Hicks. “We also got to see how they did set changes; they had a really advanced system which was automated to change sets without people. We don’t have that kind of technology, but we could definitely get some ideas from it.”

In between shows, students were sent out on their own to get dinner in the city. Some students even got a taste of music not only on stage but at the restaurants.

“My favorite part was when we got to go to Hard Rock Café because there was a lot of musical history,

although I really enjoyed the shows, too,” Kelly said.

Since shows on Broadway start at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., there was plenty of time for the students to hang out, shop and enjoy the city.

“I loved shopping with my friends in between getting to New York and going to the workshop,” Hicks said.

The trip had a double learning experience. Although the students act and perform together multiple times a week, spending this quality time together let the fellow actors and stage technicians get closer to each other.

“This trip taught me a lot, not just about the theatre and getting into Broadway as a stage hand, but I also learned a lot more about my friends,”

said senior Kasey Sherman. “Being stuck on a bus for five hours means you can learn a lot about a person.”

Some students were impressed by the performance of such a young actor. They found it amusing that the child star still evaluated his performance even after starring on Broadway since Oct.

“I heard [the actor playing Billy] say to his mom, ‘This was the best I ever did [the show,]’ which made me smile,” said senior Caitlin Edwards.

page 05

12.18.08

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While doing an acting exercise, senior Amanda Herman (left) and junior Albert Anderson (far right) introduce themselves and shake hands as Broadway performer Tim Smith (center) studies their interaction. The point of the exercise was to show volume and clarity while speaking to someone.

While workshop director Tim Smith teaches, sophomore Ari Veach (left) and fellow drama students eagerly take in the advice while former drama teacher Robert Bromley looks on. “At the workshop there was a professional actor who told us the differences between auditions and performances. He gave us unique ideas on how to enhance our auditions,” Veach said.

- amanda herman and jessica klaber, staff writers, can be reached at amanda.herman@oaktonmedia.net and jessica.klaber@oaktonmedia.net

amanda herman

kasey sherman

Drama students travel to New York City to experienceBroadway musicals, workshops

Looking up at a list of companies at 520 8th Avenue, sophomore Esther Workman and senior Julie Kann speculate which studio the workshop will be held in.

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page 06

12.18.08

AP Environmental Science and AP Government teachers recently broke down subject

barriers in their collaboration on a recent case study about both water usage and government lobbying. Students covered a water consumption bill from the stance of eight different interest groups, taking into consideration environmental, social, economic and political impacts of a real world water conservation initiative. The project, which spanned a week, was a valuable exploration into the correlation between two seemingly distant subjects.

So much of high school learning is done in a vacuum, in standard temperature and pressure, with number two pencil only, behind classroom doors and under the assumption that “x” is not equal to zero. Knowledge of each subject exists only within its corresponding classroom and the designated part of the brain.

History and language, science and math, as well as economics and government students are left to learn theories inside their own separate spheres, all “inside the box.” This compartmentalizing limits scholastic practice to rote memorization appropriate only for multiple-choice standardized tests, rather than promoting applicable understanding and in-depth study.

Although many subjects have common grounds, it is rare that classes actually get together to interact and highlight similarities between their curricula. This, however, is the most valuable type of learning: learning that is done in the real world, where more than one subject applies.

There are other programs designed for such collaboration that have fallen flat in their practice, such as Senior Seminar and combined AP World History and English 10. Although these classes meet in the same room

and are taught by a team of teachers, they are rarely team-taught, group explorations. Rather, the combination of courses usually means little more than coordination of test dates and larger class sizes.

As a school, we have spent a great deal of time working on inter-department coordination. Collaboration Wednesday was created for this very purpose: so teachers within each department could meet weekly to keep on pace with one-another and plan their classes accordingly.

However, if we want to continue to be a top-tier learning institution, we should explore the possibility of more inter-department collaboration in learning. Although it may be more time-consuming than a power-point lecture, taking kids outside the boundaries of an individual subject stretches both the material and the students’ ability to learn.

There are plenty of these opportunities to be found. World History, which already deals with the advent of technology, could combine

with different math levels to discuss the origin of algebra, geometry and calculus and the causes and effects of these methods. AP Statistics could combine with biology on how scientific population data is compiled and the significance of these results. Latin and the other romance languages share a history that lends itself to exploration either by the individual language or through a history class.

Collaboration between departments takes effort, innovation and will to take learning outside of the box, which all teachers should have within them. They are the ones who know the real world and it is part of their job to introduce the students to it. It is imperative for students to learn that all subjects relate to each other on a larger scale. APES and AP Gov did a good job breaking down the classroom barrier, and other departments should follow their lead.

outlo

okst

aff

Staffers

Alex BuscemiDaniel ChaitOwen ChesserMichelle ChuVictoria DoxeyDrew HarringtonErik Gunther

Business Manager

Nyssa Wratschko Yenni Tan (Asst.)

Editors in Chief

Ethan DoyleDanielle HolstromMatt Johnson

News Editor

Chris Weil

Opinions Editor

Nia RobersonZoe Mitchell (Asst.)

Clubs Editor

Tesla JensenKirin Gupta (Asst.)

Academics Editor

Elena Kaufman

Insight Editor

Erica Wohlleben

Sports Editor

Alena Schwarz

Copy Editor

Alex Straton

Photo Editor

Drew Gunther

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

Amanda HermanKyle HughesMayura IyerSarah KashanianJessica KlaberGladys ManzurDaphne MartschenkoEmily MillsAlex PerryVipin ReddyRachel SaponeShayda ShahbaziElise WernerAlex Zanin

AdvisersChad RummelMary Clare McKessonOnline Editors

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Interims

this staff editorial is the official opinion of the Oakton Outloook

Other departments should take after APEnvironmental Science and AP Government’s lead

alex perry

page 0712.18.08 opinions

When students get their schedules each year, the first thing they do is check

which teachers they have for their classes. Such a focus is placed on this detail because a difference in teachers often dictates a difference in students’ grades.

For instance, if two students put the same effort into the same course, but for two different teachers, their grades are liable to be dissimilar. This is due to the lack of standardization between the methods of teachers. While two teachers of the same course generally follow a similar curriculum, their teaching techniques differ enough to change the outcome of students’ grades.

Some teachers are prone to giving excessive homework, while other teachers will not even collect homework. Teachers have different scales for tests, quizzes, homework

and projects. Some teachers give long and difficult tests that are a large part of a quarter grade, while others will give small tests that can be supplanted by a number of small assignments.

Since such an emphasis is placed on a high school student’s GPA, it’s unfortunate that having a different teacher can have a significant impact on one’s grades. In retrospect, I wonder how different my GPA would be had I been taught by easier teachers in my previous three years. Is there a significant enough difference in these grades to change a student’s acceptance into more prestigious colleges? The fact that these questions can be posed should signal the importance of this issue and its need for a solution.

Teachers should do more to equate their workloads with other teachers who teach the same course so the class does not play to the advantages of some students and exploit the disadvantages of others. This is not to say that students

should not do the work that they are assigned, but certain students do better with focusing on major tests or projects while others are better at doing many smaller assignments to offset not performing as well on larger assessments.

While guidance counselors and teachers often say that the same assessments and assignments are given in two different classes, there remains a significant difference in the mannerisms of teachers. It is inevitable that teachers are going to have different teaching styles, but it becomes an issue when there is a large enough discrepancy between methods that it results in students having to do more or less work to achieve the same grade.

The fact is that some teachers have more difficult styles of teaching than others, and I do not expect this to change. It would be helpful to students if teachers coordinated their classes so that the variation grading is minimal.

Times are hard. Money is scarce. We have to make cuts wherever we can: food, clothes, school

supplies and now athletics.In the past, sports like girls

gymnastics and indoor track have been a staple at Oakton. In the FCPS projected reductions for 2010, one or both of those teams are set to be eliminated as part of the third tier of

the budget cuts. Although this is a necessary measure, it is not the end of the world for members of these two teams.

In a student’s high school career, academics is the most important factor. The individual supply and textbook allotment is already being decreased from $144.51 to $123.96 as part of the core high school instruction reductions, saving approximately $1.1 million. Every aspect of the county is tightening its budget to save more money. The easiest and most effective next step is to cut smaller sports like gymnastics and track which needs more money.

According to the official FCPS FY 2010 Potential Reductions, eliminating gymnastics will only affect 125 athletes in the FCPS system. There is no doubt that every one of these girls is dedicated, but for the amount of money it takes to sustain such a costly, equipment-intensive sport, it is not worth keeping the sport in place. The $221,000 that will be saved by cutting gymnastics will come from coaching supplements, transportation and officials fees.

Cutting track would mean a lot more students are affected, but the savings would amount to even more than the gymnastics budget. The county spends a total of nearly $250,000 each year to fund indoor track, yet the sport does not require as much equipment as gymnastics or football, and can potentially run on its own.

Fees could be paid with money the athletes raise themselves. Running teams at Oakton have already raised more than $16,000 this year alone. By becoming a club, track could still be a varsity sport and athletes would receive the same honors they did before; the only difference would come from the money being saved by the county when it does not have to sponsor the sport anymore. Because gymnastics is an expensive sport, whether it is a school or club team, finding an alternative for the athletes would be much more difficult than it would for track. Some girls would be able to afford to take outside lessons; others would not.

The $500,000 being saved by cutting girls gymnastics and indoor track alone would help where other aspects of school are lacking. This in turn will help us grow stronger as students, which is the county’s main concern. We’re going to have to give a little to get a little.

Different teachers result in different grades

The upcoming 2010 budget cuts have put both girls gymnastics and indoor track in jeopardy of

becoming eliminated. They are both at the mercy of the proposals recently unveiled to the public by FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale. Cutbacks will be made in order to make up for the $220 million loss of money for the county. This plan would shatter

the dreams of the gymnasts and runners who have worked long hours to be able to compete in high school athletics.

The county chose to put these sports at risk due to the other options the athletes have to compete in their sport. It claims that gymnasts can compete at the private gymnastics level, club, and that track competitors can race in the spring.If gymnastics were cut, people like sophomore Emily

Phung may not be able to continue the sport. Doing club gymnastics is too time consuming and expensive. Gymnasts, such as Phung, would not have anywhere to go to increase their skill level; their life devotion to the sport would end with the approval of the proposal. The opportunities for these gymnasts to compete in college may cease to exist if they cannot practice.Though cutting gymnastics would only affect 125 athletes in

Fairfax County, these are athletes who have trained long hours to get where they are. Fourteen high schools in the county participate in gymnastics, and almost all of these schools already have their own equipment. Though there is an issue of the cost of coaching and judges, it is minimal and will not put a big damper on the county’s budget. Cutting the sports would only save the county $221,000 a year. Indoor track, on the other hand, tends to be utilized as a sport

for the athletes of the fall and spring to stay in shape; without it, participants will have to choose a different route. Nearly 2500

athletes in the county run in the winter. By eliminating it, students are literally put out on the street. Winter track gives members more

time to fundraise for the meets of the spring season. If it is cut, runners would not be able to prepare for spring competitions.

The budget cuts must come from somewhere, but not from sports. Each year, teams try to fundraise as much as they can. Though most funds comes from the county, athletes should not be denied the opportunity of to get involved.

Instead of completely cutting girls gymnastics and winter track, the county should simply fund the sports less and leave some of the cost as a responsibility for the teams. The choice is left up to the athletes to fight for their sport.

Trashing Values? Sports cuts’ effect on students

danielle holstrom

editor in chief

sarah kashanian

staff writer

alex perry

staff writer

see story on page 10

leadership

teamwork

determinationopportunity

passion

health resp

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bilit

y

couragegoa

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- alex perry, with contributions from anthony barba, staff writers, can be reached at anthony.barba@oaktonmedia.net

“The [dehydration] of the Colorado River poses a major [threat] for the thousands of people who rely on

it as a water source. If it dries out, I can’t even imagine how devastating the effect of this would be,” said Rachel Hettler, a senior taking both AP Government and Environmental Sciences.

Like Hettler, many students have extensively researched this previously unheard of topic. APES and AP Government students simulated a congressional hearing, debating which measures should be taken in order to preserve the river. Additional guest speakers assisted the students participating in this project by acting as a collection panel conducting the congressional hearing, listening to and questioning the various interest groups.

“Each group was assigned a topic, and we had to argue why our function deserved the most water,” said Muna Ahmed, a senior in AP Government. “I was assigned to agribusiness, and my main point was to prove that agriculture and farming deserved the majority of the limited water supply. We also had to debate whether we should reduce the amount of water available for use in order to preserve the Colorado River.”

In previous years, the two AP classes have conducted separate projects similar to that of the Colorado River issue, but this year teachers decided to add a twist to the project: combining both the environmental sciences and government classes.

“We decided to combine with AP Government because we, as teachers, were discussing the topics we cover during the year, and the fact that in APES we need to teach about the legislative aspects of environmental issues,” said APES teacher Jeanine Musgrove. “We decided to cover something in an interdisciplinary way to try to make it more fun and meaningful for the kids and also to stress to them that the subjects they study are related to one another and don’t exist in a vacuum.”

Combining the two classes was an experimental process that resulted in a favorable outcome for the teachers. The teachers who decided to participate in the new system were pleased with the process.

“[The combination of the classes] went very well,” Musgrove said. “I think it was a good learning experience for the students. As teachers, I

think our goals were accomplished and as of now we are hoping to do it again next year.”

Compromises between the debaters were reached in order to satisfy all parties of the congressional hearing.

“In the end, we had to compromise on the use of water. The legislation was that we reduce the amount of water we use,” said senior Evan Hyer. “The decision had both positive and negative effects because it preserved a lot of the water. At the same time, it’s going to be a challenge to ration the nation’s water supply among the citizens who rely on it.”

The project served multiple functions besides raising student awareness of the drying Colorado River. It also acted as an aid for students taking the AP exams, a requirement in order to receive a college credit for the given course.

“Debating this issue in front of a simulated congressional hearing was really beneficial

because it helped develop my debating skills, which are pertinent to passing the AP exams,” Hettler said. “When we write our essays [for the AP exam], we are required to defend our position on major world issues,

and this hearing replication really gave us the chance to expand our ability.”

The AP students, in addition to having the opportunity to hear the opinions of others, were able to defend their own positions on the subject appointed to them by the teachers.

“The best part of the assignment was being able to voice our opinions

and interests on the matter,” Hettler said. “Kids our age don’t normally get a say in national matters because [most of us aren’t] old enough to vote or express

our opinions, but this mock hearing allowed us to communicate our positions.”

While presenting their interest group topic, seniors Adam Henne, Rachel Enghauser, Adey Chaplin and Grace Ter-zian argue in front of four mock congressional speakers. During the presentation, students were put into groups representing different interest groups around the Colorado River Basin. Each group was given five minutes to present its case to the panel, and five minutes were allotted for questioning from the panel.

acad

emics

page 08

12.18.08

- vipin reddy and michelle chu, staff writers, can be reached at vipin.reddy@oaktonmedia.net and michelle.chu@oaktonmedia.net

Two classes, one projectStudents debate in mock congressional hearing to reform water usage

in Colorado River Basin

sarah schmitt

Explaining the rules of the mock hearing to the students, APES teacher Jeanine Mus-grove introduces the panel of judges including other teach-ers and a representatitive from Jim Webb’s office.

sarah schmitt

sara

h sc

hmit

t

see story on page 6

page 09academics12.18.08

Band performs “Ice and Lights” show

Chorus and band perform for tots in “Ice and Lights”

The Chorus winter concert, which will be held on Dec. 18, will be a holiday-themed concert performed not just by all of the normal and special choirs, but

will also feature alumni and college students, who are home for the holidays, performing with their old choir groups.

“All the choirs, such as Madrigals, Select, Concert Choir and Treble, are involved along with the Specialty choirs like guys group, girls group, jazz and show choir.” said junior Viktoria Chronister.

Orchestra performed its Winter Concert in the Au-ditorium on Dec. 16. Involving all of the orchestra groups, the concert featured a preview of songs

it was going to perform at the National String Teachers of America competition in Atlanta.

“All the bands played together, and it was nice for the lower groups to play with the upper level bands and learn from them,” said junior Evan Cannon. “It was [also] good to play some holiday songs, and the songs were pretty simple, so it was fun for everyone involved.”

Although the band’s winter concert usually features alumni coming back to play holiday music with them, this year it just held a regular concert. Due

to the Ice and Lights show, which was a big holiday per-formance featuring symphonic and Jazz band A, the band department felt that this year the winter concert, held on Dec. 4, should just be a normal concert.

“We usually have a group of band alumni come back for a Winter Concert, and they are invited to play a few songs with us. We didn’t do a holiday concert this year. Instead symphonic band and one of the jazz bands played Ice and Lights,” said junior Gabby Slaughter.

With the holiday season upon us and winter break growing closer every day, the music department traditionally attempts to spread the holiday cheer

with their winter concerts. This year, however, in addition to the normal holiday

concerts, drama, band and chorus performed another type of concert: the first ever tiny tots

concert, “Ice and Lights.”“A lot of schools

have shows for tiny tots and we have not in the past,” said Choral Direc-tor Tiffany Powell, “Mrs. Newton and I had said that we should think about starting a Tiny Tots show, so we thought we would give it a try.”

For the little kids and others who went, the holiday music and perform-

ers, including Santa Claus and Frosty, helped

raise their holiday spirits.“We definitely thrilled all the little kids at the show,” said

junior Spencer King. “The best part was when the kids started freaking out about Santa Claus.”

Three performances of the concert were given on Dec 11 and 12 including a showing during third period on Dec 12.

“The first performance was pretty shaky, but we did pretty well [Friday] and the kids really seemed to enjoy it,” said sophomore Corinne Holland.

In addition to the holiday music, there were also per-formers who acted during every song. When the characters in costume, including Frosty and Rudolf, went into the crowd, they recieved excited reactions from the kids in the audience.

“The looks on the kid’s faces were priceless. Many of them ran up to me and the other characters giving us hugs. I felt like a Disney theme park character,” said sophomore Rox-anna Ghamgosarnia.

For students who wanted to play holiday characters in the performance, there was a signup sheet and auditions were held for the parts.

“There was a signup sheet and we had to audition for it,” said junior Kelly Fox. “There were two other people also auditioning for the Sugar Plum Fairy, but I got the part.”

Another factor which made the whole concert go better was that the performers felt less embarrassed performing in front of little kids than if they had to perform in front of a larger group of peers.

“If we did it in front of the high-schoolers it would be

really embarrassing but in front of the little kids it was fine, they really seemed to enjoy it,” Holland said.

The drama, band and choir heads are considering turning the tiny tots concert into a new Oakton tradition because the it was so well recieved and generally enjoyed by the performers.

“This was our debut performance. We wanted to give it a try and do it as a collaborative effort with drama, choir and band,” Powell said. “We hope to build upon it for the future years and make it into a tradition.”

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- owen chesser and alex zanin, staff writers, can be reached at owen.chesser@oaktonmedia.net and alex.zanin@oaktonmedia.net

- owen chesser and alex zanin, staff writers, can be reached at owen.chesser@oaktonmedia.net and alex.zanin@oaktonmedia.net

While performing a scene from “The Night Before Christmas,” seniors Danielle Scar-cella and Kyle Burris act out the first lines of the Christmas story. Senior Malcolm Forbes narrated the story while chorus members acted it out for the kids in the audience.

alex zanin

While singing “The Hannukah Song” during the “Ice and Lights” holiday show, Madrigals, a selective chorus, performs for an audience comprised of adults and preschoolers. In order to attract a younger audience, the show included performances by holiday characters during the songs.

alex zanin

Orchestra joins with band for holidays

Chorus holds holiday themed concert

page 10

12.18.08

Door to DoorThe economic downturn and county budget cuts have caused many sports teams to increase fundraising. Crew, a club sport, has always raied funds and indoor track, a team that is sup-ported by the county, go door to door asking for donations.

“Hi, I’m a member of the crew team at Oakton High School,” said senior

Heather Hildreth. “We row on the Occo-quan almost every day in very expensive boats, and I was wondering if you would like to make a tax deductible donation to our team.”

Like many other students, Hildreth found herself outside in the cold asking strangers to support her athletic team. The annual crew fundraising event known as “Tag Day” requires rowers to meet at the house of a crew family and go throughout the neighborhood asking for donations. The “host house” provided her, and several other rowers with flyers, envelopes and guidelines on how to address people.

“You have to explain to people that crew is not funded by the school,” Hildreth said. “Mentioning that donations are tax deductible is key.”

With a $250 fundraising requirement and a fee of $660 to join the team per person, rowers have plenty of experience with raising money.

“Tag Day started at nine [in the morning],” said senior Adam Willhite. “My family served as a [host] house for the event. We went door to door and told people we were a club sport, which is why we were asking for donations.”

Events such as Tag Day, the Erg-a-Thon, the Borders Gift Wrapping Program and a Letter Writ-ing Campaign harness the team’s ability to ask for donations. One of these events, the Boarders Gift Wrapping Program, started this year. In contrast to other events, the program hasn’t brought in as much money as anticipated.

“We went to Borders and wrapped a lot of pres-ents,” said sophomore Jamie Falter “We got about $20.”

The Erg-a-thon sets crew apart from other sports. In the morning on a weekend, the team

sets up ergometers, machines designed to simulate on-the-water rowing, outside of a Starbucks. For most of the day team members will exercise on the machines, rowing for money.

Bidget cuts, however, and money shortages have not threatened crew. Unlike sports such as indoor track, the club relies solely on outside donations and receives no aid from FCPS.

Despite student and parent efforts, indoor track is on the verge of becoming another Fairfax County budget cut. In response, coaches have encouraged fundraising and set a $100 minimum fundraise goal for each athlete. The money goes towards equipment, meets, buses and hotel expenses during away trips.

“I have to politely ask a neighbor if they would be willing to donate,” said senior Lihi Tzur. “You give them a tax refundable sheet; that way it benefits them, too. Sometimes I feel bad asking for money, especially with the economic crisis.”

Many runners are just getting used to fundrais-ing through methods other than carwashes and bake sales. Asking strangers for donations can often be uncomfortable and takes time to get used to. Going door to door requires confidence and preparation for any type of situation.

“I believe we shouldn’t have to fundraise,” said senior Casey Weatherford. “We have so much money put to things we don’t need. The money could be used to fund sports.”

As one of the largest teams, the participants of indoor track are expected to raise over $10,000. For the crew team, seeing other sports fundraise is a welcome change.

“It’s good that other sports have to fundraise,” Willhite said. “With the county budget cuts, it would be unfair for certain sports to have to just support themselves and other sports to be so heav-ily funded by the county. This makes things more even.”

on th

eboo

ks Girls Basketball

Dec. 9 vs. West Potomac W (75-30)Dec. 10 at Potomac W (69-52)Dec. 12 vs. Lake Braddock W

record: 5-0upcoming games: Dec. 19 vs. Robinson

Hockey

Nov. 21 at Herndon L (3-7)Dec. 12 vs. Langley L (2-8)

record: 0-2upcoming games: Dec. 19 vs. Hayfield/So. CountyJan. 2 at No. Stafford/Colonial Forge

Indoor Track

Dec. 12 at TJ Middle SchoolNo team score.

upcoming games: Dec. 20 at EpiscopalJan. 3 at Episcopal

Boys Basketball

Dec. 8 vs. Loudoun L (52-63) Dec. 9 vs. West Potomac L (53-59)Dec. 12 at Lake Braddock L (50-61)

record: 0-4upcoming games: Dec. 16 vs. Westfield

Swim/Dive

Dec. 5 at Fairfax Girls: W Boys: L Dec. 12 vs. Herndon Girls: W Boys: L

upcoming games: Dec. 19 at Washington LeeJan. 9 vs. Robinson

Sports Briefs

For information about Oakton Hockey, check

out www.oaktonhockey.com

Wrestling

Dec. 5-6 NOVA Classic 17thDec. 13 5 matches at Warren County (2-3)

upcoming games: Dec. 23 (H)Jan. 14 (H)

Gymnastics

Dec. 2 at Thomas Jefferson 4thDec. 11 at Centreville 5th

upcoming games: Dec. 17 at Potomac FallsDec. 8 at Freedom

- daphne martschenko, staff writer, can be reached at daphne.martschenko@oaktonmedia.net

coug

ar q

uote

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What does your team do to fundraise?

Every Saturday for three weeks we rake leaves outside houses. It takes the entire day.

-geoff moskawitz, jr. wrestler

Nothing that I am aware of.-austin lopez-gomez, so. diver

We did the Sally Foster Wrapping program and Scripts program. We have a clinic for high schoolers its $90 for the week.

-carly isakowitz, jr. dance team

We sell ads for our program for the Winter Tournament. The money goes towards things like new lockers.- brieneke matthes, jr. basketball

Outside of Starbucks, seniors Bert Udler and Nader Hussein erg for money as they are cheered on by team-mate senior Elliot Ward. The annual erg-a-thon is one of many fundraisers the crew team participates in.

maggie auer

page 1112.18.08 sports

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Swimmers sit on the side of the pool deck, scream-ing at the top of their lungs as divers swim up to the surface to see their teammates cheering them on. They

encourage each other not only because they love the team, but to help each other win in the end.

The swimmers and divers attend practice every day after school to prepare for their upcoming meets.

“We’ve been working really hard this year, and hopefully all our efforts will pay off, ” said sophomore diver Austin Lopez-Gomez.

The retiring of the old coach, Greg York, brought new swim coach, Scott Tsuchitani from Delaware University, to the team. He has joined with past dive coach Cheryl Meltz, and both plan to work collectively in the hopes of embark-ing on a winning season.

“This year we have great hopes to beat our biggest rival, Robinson, not only at our individual meet, but also at Dis-tricts, Regions and States,” Lopez-Gomez said.

The two teams are joined as one and interact with one another in encouraging ways.

“The swimmers and divers get together for team pasta dinners on Thursday nights before the meets, as well as participate in other social events together and support each other during the meets,” Meltz said.

The girls swim and dive team had their first victory of the season on Nov. 5 against Fairfax. The final score of 175-140 demonstrated the girls’ hard work ethic, and talent.

“It felt so great to start out our season by beating a good

team,” said freshman swimmer Stephanie Hallock. “Hope-fully we can keep it up and stay undefeated.”

The boys’ meet did not end as well because of their loss of six swimmers, who were at the higher level meet scheduled on the same day. Without the entire team present, the boys lost by 15 points with a final scoring of 150-165.

“In the last meet we had pretty tough competition by a very good Fairfax team,” Meltz said. “We hope to build on our performance going into this week’s meet.”

The divers individually score their points as the swimmers watch and cheer. The final points gained by dive team soon become the starting points for the swimmers.

“Other high schools hear about us and are jealous of how spirited our team is,” Hallock said. “When we go to meets, we support our swimmers far more than any other school.”

The majority of the participants from the previous dive season were upperclassmen, including three male and four female divers. Five had the chance to compete in Regionals and four went on to compete in States. This year there are four female divers, only two of which are returning members, and four boy divers, all of whom are new.

“Last year, both the boys and girls diving teams dominated the Concorde District, never losing a dual meet and taking first in both District Championships,” Meltz said.

To make up for the swimmers and divers who graduated, there are a lot of new of freshmen that joined both teams.

“As a freshman, I feel really welcomed into the group,” Hallock said. “I just love the swim team in general.”

Swim and Dive: 2 teams, 1 goal

- shayda shahbazi, staff writer, can be reached at shayda.shahbazi@oaktonnmedia.net

Performing a front dive half twist, sophomore diver Austin Lopez-Gomez competes in the swim and dive competition on Dec. 12 against Herndon. The Girls won the meet 175-140 while the boys lost 150-165.

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