The Highlander - Issue 6 - March 2019

Volume LXIII • Issue 6 • March 2019 • McLean High School • thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander

CONTENTS NEWS 4-5

School board revisits overcrowding issue

6

McDance-A-Thon raises money for Children’s National

7

Ryan McElveen runs for Fairfax County chairman

8

Nude photo scandal emerges in FCPS

IN-DEPTH ON THE COVER 22-27 A NATION ON THE FENCE: Fairfax County faces immigration issues Cover photo illustration of Ethan Magne by Anna Brykczynski

OPINIONS

FEATURES

30

Editorial: College admission scandal not surprising

9

31

Boys’ restrooms in need of renovations

Jeffrey Barham becomes temporary principal

10-11

Highlander of the Issue: Ben Torres

12

10Qs w/ Will West

13

Q&A with @mclean_high_ memes

14

Benefits of attending NOVA

15

The Highlander Easter egg hunt

17

Choir celebrates diversity through music

A&E

7 10-11

Between the red and 32-33 Comic: blue halls

34

Students should seek help for mental health

35

Projects should not replace lectures

SPORTS 36

Girls varsity lacrosse hopes for stellar season

37

Math teacher doubles as professional rugby referee

38

Two varsity basketball players reach 1,000 career points

18

Spotlight on theater: Peter & the Starcatcher

39

FanFest returns for fifth year

19

Lil Pump’s Harvard Dropout album disappoints

41

Baseball and softball set season goals high

20

Apex Legends and Fortnite battle for victory

42

Three sports managers explain their roles

21

Review of D.C. food trucks

43

Athlete of the Issue: Teddy Merritt

29

The Highlander’s Asian snack recommendations

44

Finish Line: boys lacrosse

36 22-27

Letter from the Editors Dear McLean,

Volume LXIII • Issue 6 • March 2019 • McLean High School thehighlandernews.com • @MHSHighlander 1633 Davidson Road McLean, Virginia 22101

We’re almost there, Highlanders! With the end of the school year approaching rapidly, we hope this issue of The Highlander is one piece of reading you may actually complete.

Editors-in-Chief

Maren Kranking, Maria McHugo & Jack Stenzel

Managing Editors

Alex Mandanas, Imani McCormick, & Jeremy Siegel

Photography Editors

Anna Brykczynski & Julia McElligott

Regarding President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency in February, our In-Depth takes a look at the treatment of both documented and undocumented immigrant groups in Fairfax County. Not only does it track the county’s response to immigration, but it provides personal context for the impact of federal and local policy on life in the area.

Website Editor-in-Chief

Dasha Makarishcheva

Advertising Manager

Rebeka Rafi

Design Editors

Anya Chen & Dasha Makarishcheva

Copy Editors

Emily Jackson & Eric Mizusawa

News Editors

Dana Edson & Nicholas Lohman

Features Editors

Addie Brown, Rebeka Rafi & Sabrina Vazquez

A&E Editors

Carla Ballard & Anya Chen

Opinions Editors

Sebastian Jimenez & Jessica Opsahl-Ong

Sports Editors

Ben Brooks & Jack Shields

While the In-Depth will certainly be an interesting read, take some time to flip through our other sections as well.

The entire staff has dedicated a lot of work to this issue, and we cannot wait for you to read it!

Make sure to follow @MHSHighlander on Twitter and check out thehighlandernews.com for updates until our next issue. Come by room R133 or email us at thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com with any questions, concerns or letters to the editors, which we will do our best to print.

Yours truly, Maren Kranking, Maria McHugo & Jack Stenzel

Reporters Matthew Abbott Zach Anderson Camille Blakemore Talia Blakemore Nick Boyer Michelle Cheng Jackson Clayton Nolan Fitzsimmons Kyle Hawley Anna Grace Hopkins Elizabeth Humphreys

Emma Johnson Haine Jung Waseema Khan Isaac Lamoreaux Cordelia Lawton Rohan Mani Dua Mobin Sam Naemi Brooke Newell Eren Parla Marina Qu

Adviser

Katie Romhilt Charley Roth-Douquet Ava Rotondo Brandon Sauter Sarah Solis Tessa Stenzel Thara Tha Skye Sunderhauf Nicky Varela

Lindsay B. Benedict

Editorial Policy: The Highlander is a designated public forum in which students can express themselves, discuss issues and exchange ideas. School officials do not exercise prior review on this publication or its online counterpart, and student editors are in charge of all final content decisions.

Advertising Policy: The Highlander sells ad space on each page of the paper except on the front cover, Opinions section and InDepth article. The staff reserves the right to reject any ads it deems libelous, obscene, disruptive or otherwise inappropriate.

To Submit a Letter to the Editors: Please email it to thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com or bring it to room R133.

The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws concerning obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

‘17 Pacemaker Winner; ‘15 Pacemaker Finalist; ‘15, ‘17, ‘18 AllAmerican; ‘12, ‘13, ‘14, ‘16 First Class; Hall of Fame

‘14, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18 George H. Gallup Award; ‘15 International First Place ‘18 Crown Finalist ‘17 Silver Crown Winner ‘15, ‘16 Gold Crown Winner ‘05, ‘07, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18 CSPA Gold Medalist

‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18 VHSL Trophy Class; ‘11, ‘12 First Place Winner; VHSL Savedge Award

Printed by aPrintis

Letters to the editors These letters were sent from members of the McLean community concerning past issues of The Highlander newsmagazine. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas regarding the staff’s publications, we encourage you to send an email to thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com. We appreciate all contributions to our publication!

In response to pages 7-9 in the January 2019 issue of The Highlander.

Dear Highlander Editors, First, I want to thank you so much for all your hard work and effort in putting out such an amazing newsmagazine each month! I know how hard you work and the results show. I try to read The Highlander each time it comes out and I am always impressed.

Here at McLean, as you know, stress and anxiety is a big issue and a lot of that comes from the pressure of college admissions.

The counselors here try extra hard to lower the stress levels of our students in a wide variety of ways. A lot of that pressure and stress comes from the misperception that almost all students at McLean are able to get into highly selective colleges and universities.

In your January 2019 issue, from pages 7 to 9, the focus is the colleges or universities that students will be attending this year, or that last year’s seniors are currently attending. That list is made up of the following schools: Cornell, Duke, William and Mary, Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Bucknell and Princeton.

The course loads and grades that students need to take in order to get into these schools, with possibly the exception of Virginia Tech, is in the top 10 to 15 percent of what students at McLean are able to achieve. Even Virginia Tech has become highly selective.

In response to the article in the February 2019 issue of The Highlander, “Be hip, do HIP: Highlander Internship Program offers career insights.”

Dear Highlander Editors, For the Highlander Internship Program, I would like to make sure seniors are aware of the following: • HIP is May 20-24 (not late May to early June) • With regards to Tori Lam’s quote, “The only downside is that the program is largely based off your own connections,” I would like to make sure seniors know that I have worked hard to compile a list of sponsors and am available to meet with seniors to help them while they search for their internships. This was something that was thoroughly covered during the presentation given at the last senior meeting. While some students use their own connections, this program is NOT largely based off of connections.

Laura Venos College & Career Center Specialist

I would love to see future issues highlight schools that most students have not heard of. For instance, I have a student who has committed to dive at Lake Forest College in Illinois, which I think would have been very interesting. In addition, it would open students’ eyes to the fact that there are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the country, and that the top 100 most selective schools are not the “only” schools out there where students can be successful.

I am afraid that students who see this list of schools will think that in order to be recognized or important they will need to be accepted into these highly selective schools. This is just not realistic for the majority of our students. It adds stress to our already stressed-out student body. But it would be nice to highlight a more diverse array of students attending schools that are not in the “top 100.”

Please consider adding some less well-known students to any list in the future! You could come by Student Services and talk with any counselor about students that will be doing really interesting things next year at schools and in places that are not easily recognizable! I think that mixing it up would be a much healthier idea for McLean, so that we don’t add to the stress.

Thank you again for all you do and for taking these thoughts into account. I would be happy to share more about everything Student Services does to try and keep stress levels down at McLean. Have a great day!

Kathleen Otal School Counselor

Please do not hesitate to send us a message! thehighlanderstaff@gmail.com Instagram: @mhshighlander Twitter: @MHSHighlander Facebook: @thehighlandernews

MARCH | LETTERS TO THE EDITORS | 3

NEWS

Overcrowding solutions proposed

Community discusses plans for modulars, boundary changes HAINE JUNG REPORTER MARINA QU REPORTER

M

cLean High School is no longer just a full house—it’s an overcrowded house. Along with McLean, several other high schools in Fairfax County including Mount Vernon, Oakton and Centreville face the problem of overcrowding. But without a definite solution in sight, McLean is in a more challenging situation.

“McLean is the only high school that is already overcrowded and projected to be more overcrowded over time with no prescribed solution,” said Janie Strauss, the Dranesville District school board member.

McLean is projected to become the most overcrowded high school in FCPS. Its population will increase from 114 percent to 126 percent of its capacity by the 202324 school year.

The McLean PTSA held a meeting at McLean on Feb. 19. Strauss spoke about the issue with Kevin Sneed, the special projects administrator for Capital Improvements and Planning. The speakers emphasized the need to take action to combat overcrowding.

“We need to press for change,” Strauss said. “We’ve been watching these numbers,

but it is clear that the pipeline is showing us that our first priority is to make some changes at the high school level.”

The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a plan FCPS publishes annually to address future needs for the next five years, including funding information, current conditions, future outlooks on various issues and additional resources. Overcrowding is one of the issues addressed in the CIP. However, this year’s CIP for fiscal years 2020-24 does not contain specific plans to solve McLean’s overcrowding issue, which provoked some complaints from parents who believe the problem was not tackled properly.

“I see no concrete proposals in the draft 2020-24 CIP,” said McLean parent Susan Garrahan during a school board hearing on Jan. 8 at Luther Jackson Middle School.

Due to McLean’s restricted land space, possible long-term solutions are also limited.

“It’s important for our students and parents to know that [McLean] is the smallest high school in the county,” Garrahan said. “It is also in the bottom four of high schools in terms of acreage... We don’t really have the room to significantly

expand the school.”

During an interview with The Highlander, Strauss suggested that possible boundary changes could be implemented, but the process can be time-consuming.

“It usually takes 18 months to two years before you begin to implement [boundary changes]. Then there’s a grandfathering period, depending on the community’s willingness to change,” Strauss said. “If you have started high school, usually you want to finish [where you started]... So it takes longer, particularly for high school.”

While McLean is severely overcrowded, Langley High School is undercrowded, at 82 percent of full capacity. Strauss pointed out that altering school districts between McLean and Langley may be beneficial for both schools.

“If [Langley] continues to have declining enrollment, it’s hard to allocate enough teachers to staff all the courses and electives that [students] want to take,” Strauss said. “[Langley would be] running low enrollment courses, which is very inefficient.”

Principal Ellen Reilly expressed her ambivalence about the possible boundary change due to potential effects on students.

5-YEAR PROJECTION OF MCLEAN STUDENT POPULATION

MCLEAN PROGRAM CAPACITY

1,982 ▼

2,389

2,524

2,505

2022

2023

2,429

2,329

2019 4 | NEWS | MARCH

2020

2021

“I don’t want to move [any student] over to another school. This is your community,” Reilly said. “[But] it causes me grief when I think about safety and security...about how our teachers are going to be impacted if they have to move [classrooms] every period [due to overcrowding].”

Even though long-term solutions for overcrowding remain possible, mainly shortterm solutions have been officially proposed by the school board.

This year’s CIP includes the addition of a modular classroom unit at McLean in the 2019-20 school year to accommodate the Class of 2023, the largest freshman class in the school’s history.

Parents have conflicting views regarding this addition.

“A modular alone won’t solve the problem. However, it should provide a nicer quality of temporary classrooms than the moldy trailers we have now, and modulars have bathrooms,” Garrahan said.

“

MCLEAN IS THE ONLY HIGH SCHOOL THAT IS ALREADY OVERCROWDED AND PROJECTED TO BE MORE OVERCROWDED OVER TIME WITH NO PRESCRIBED SOLUTION.” — JANIE STRAUSS

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

Some parents think that the modular additions make a mockery of overcrowding improvements.

“Trailers and modular complexes should be for storage, not for students and learning,” McLean parent Vance Gore said.

Parents think that the board should hasten boundary changes and refrain from viewing it as more than a distant possibility.

“It’s seeming ever more clear that the

COUNTING THE STEPS — Special projects administrator Kevin Sneed discusses possible short- and long-term solutions to overcrowding at the McLean PTSA’s meeting on Feb.19. (Photo by Marina Qu) short-term ‘solution’ requires both a modular and a boundary adjustment,” Garrahan said.

Although McLean’s problem is not fully addressed in the new CIP, it does include solutions for other regions of FCPS. The CIP contains plans for a new high school to be built in the western area of Fairfax County, which may require a countywide district change.

“Ultimately, when the new high school is built…it will open the boundaries of Langley, Herndon, Chantilly and Westfield,” Strauss said. “The whole northern piece of Langley will likely be reconfigured, because they’ll be very close to a new high school.”

McLean is likely to benefit from this change as students will go to other schools, reducing its population.

Along with the continual Tysons development, the future McLean Community Business Center will increase the local population, which may worsen overcrowding in schools.

An additional elementary school will also be built in the Tysons area.

Vance Gore co-organized a group called McLean High Students, Parents and Community Expect Sensible School Size (McSPACES) with his son Atticus Gore, a McLean freshman, and other McLean community members. The group’s main goals are to inform the public and make

sure McLean’s overcrowing issue receives adequate attention.

“We think it is critically important that a learning environment include adequate, quality learning space,” Vance Gore said.

While parents take an active role in advocating for change, students have often stayed indifferent, although it affects them the most.

“Students absolutely need to be talking about these issues more,” Atticus Gore said. “The more students that show their frustration, the higher the chance of being heard.”

Increased awareness in the McLean community will help solve the problem more efficiently.

“The community needs to be engaged to be part of the solution,” McLean parent Jennifer Von Elm said. “There needs to be sustained pressure in order find a solution for McLean. Our voices need to be heard.”

The casual complaints among students in the intersection between the blue and red hallways indicate that McLean is overcrowded. But soon, without efficient solutions, it will become a problem severe enough to span beyond these complaints.

“This problem isn’t just about McLean High today,” Vance Gore said. “It is also about every child that will go there tomorrow.”

Statistics from FCPS Enrollment Dashboard | Infographic by Pran Kittivorapat | Page design by Haine Jung

MARCH | NEWS | 5

McLean dances for miracles McDance-a-Thon raises money for Children’s National ALEX MANDANAS MANAGING EDITOR TESSA STENZEL REPORTER

E

ach spring, “Miracle Families”—families with kids being treated at Children’s National Health Systems, who directly benefit from the money raised

by Miracle Network events—take to the McDance-AThon stage and tell their stories.

McDance-A-Thon is a seven-hour, student-run dance marathon fundraising event that takes place at McLean every year. This year, it will be held on March 30 at 5 p.m.

“One of our slogans is ‘we stand for those who can’t,’ so we don’t sit for seven hours in honor of kids who are being treated at [the hospital],” McDance-A-Thon sponsor and English teacher Bridget Donoghue said.

This year, the event has the most ambitious goal in its six-year history—to raise $50,000 in donations for Children’s National.

“Children’s National needs donations because while insurance pays for patient care, donations help to pay for many of the additional services offered to our patients and families at Children’s,” said Matt Tripsas, the assistant director of Children’s Miracle Network.

“Services such as art therapy and spaces like the Bunny Mellon Healing Garden or the Seacrest Studios would not be possible without philanthropy.”

The Bunny Mellon Healing Garden is a rooftop garden that gives sick children access to fresh air, sunshine and nature. The Seacrest Studios media-driven playroom is a space where patients can interactively learn about radio, television and entertainment. Both spaces are meant to make usually stressful stays at Children’s National more enjoyable for patients.

“Funds raised by organizations such as McDanceA-Thon go to our Fund for Every Child,” Tripsas said.

“The fund supports every area of Children’s National, gives us flexibility to meet our greatest needs and ensures that every child can receive the same level of care.”

The main goal of student executives is to raise money in the most fun ways possible. At the actual event, McDance-A-Thon participants play games, learn dances, listen to speeches and even compete in a dance battle.

“The reason that people are so dedicated to McDance-A-Thon is because we are helping the kids who are relatively close to our age and essentially kids in our backyards,” said senior Jisolu Awe, a McDanceA-Thon executive.

6 | NEWS | MARCH

“

ONE OF OUR SLOGANS IS ‘WE STAND FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T,’ SO WE DON’T SIT FOR SEVEN HOURS IN HONOR OF KIDS WHO ARE BEING TREATED AT CHILDREN’S NATIONAL.” - BRIDGET DONOGHUE

MCDANCE-A-THON SPONSOR

HOW YOU CAN HELP: 1. DONATE TO DANCERS ONLINE “The biggest influx of money comes from our online donor drive,” McDance-A-Thon sponsor and English teacher Bridget Donoghue said. “Each member of McDance-A-Thon creates their own donor drive page and they send the link to family and friends asking them to donate.”

2. GO TO THE EVENT “The McLean community can continue to support McDanceA-Thon and participate in the dance marathon,” said Matt Tripsas, the assistant director of Children’s Miracle Network.

“Programs like McDance-A-Thon have such a huge impact on Children’s National. As McDance-A-Thon continues to grow, the services and care we are able to provide our patients and families will also continue to grow.”

SCAN HERE TO DONATE

Page design by Alex Mandanas

More than a meme

Ryan McElveen runs for chairman of Fairfax County DUA MOBIN REPORTER now days, Fairfax County memes and social media clout—these are the most well-known aspects of school board member Ryan McElveen throughout FCPS. But he plans to bring much more to the table if elected as the chairman for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

The chairman has the duties of various party officials, acting as the mayor of the county. All the candidates’ hard work to obtain this position will be reflected by the outcome of the Fairfax County General and Special Election on Nov. 5, 2019.

McElveen’s friendly presence on social media has already captivated the attention of students across Fairfax County.

“He’s popular because he announces all the snow days, so obviously students care a lot about that. He’s also a reachable and kind of a funny person on Twitter and Instagram,” junior Sarah Gu said.

Beyond his lighthearted online presence, McElveen has ideas to address problems that have affected the county for years.

“During my school board experience for the past eight years, we have seen underfunded budgets for education which [have] led us to program [cuts], fees for students and lagging teacher salaries,” McElveen said.

One of McElveen’s main objectives to improve Fairfax County is strengthening the education system.

“My first passion will always be education,

S

and as county chairman, I will hold the purse strings for every program in the county, and education is the biggest part of that,” McElveen said.

Beyond education, Fairfax County suffers from several other issues including economic divisions, which McElveen hopes to resolve.

“I think decisions in the past have created a stark divide [in the county], which is essentially two Fairfaxes,” McElveen said.

“There are socioeconomic divisions, racial divisions, all sorts of divisions.”

“

YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT ONE FOOT BEFORE THE NEXT AND POWER ON UNTIL YOU EVENTUALLY REACH [YOUR GOAL].”

— RYAN MCELVEEN

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

McElveen wants to address many issues that have recently had a large impact on numerous schools within the county. The industry average for renovating buildings is 25 years, yet FCPS buildings are being renovated every 37 years on average due to a deficit in funding.

Photo courtesy of Ryan McElveen | Page design by Nicholas Lohman & Dua Mobin

“We continue to push the Board of Supervisors to give us more bond funding for schools, and as chairman, that’s something I’ll prioritize,” McElveen said.

McElveen is facing tough competition as three other experienced candidates are running for the position—Jeff McKay, Tim Chapman and Alicia Plerhoples.

“What I would say is that I am an underdog in this race. You know, a lot of students know me, but the people that usually vote in these elections tend to be an older demographic,” McElveen said.

Adults in Fairfax County may have different opinions towards McElveen’s popularity in comparison to students.

“I think that it would be a popular vote among students, but I’m not sure if his popularity extends to parents as much,” computer science teacher Lesley Frew said.

Even though McElveen faces a number of challenges as he runs for county chairman, he has a positive outlook for the future.

“You just have to put one foot before the next and power on until you eventually reach [your goal],” McElveen said. “Go off and do great things.”

LISTEN TO THE HIGHLANDER PODCAST’S INTERVIEW WITH RYAN MCELVEEN MARCH | NEWS | 7

A NUDE AGE OF SNAP CHAT NUDE PHOTO SCANDALS EMERGE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOLS DANA EDSON & NICHOL AS LOHMAN NEWS EDITORS 8 | NEWS | MARCH

“T

hat would never happen at our can impact the futures of people involved. school” is the sentiment expressed “I’d recommend students assume there’s by many McLean parents and students in always a possibility of something being the midst of sexting scandals at local high seen by anyone,” college and career center schools. But these occurrences are not specialist Laura Venos said. “If it’s out there beyond the scope of McLean—they are a in the universe, then it could be seen in reality. the admission cycle and then also the job A student’s Snapchat account at Robinson search.”

Secondary School was reported to police The message from administrators is after a witness disclosed that he had viewed clear—do not engage in inappropriate the account, which was posting fully naked activity online. photos of juvenile girls from Fairfax County School Resource Officer Scott Davis schools. The story broke on Feb. 26. informs students about the effects of sharing Four students are under investigation for via social media during visits to health child pornography, according to WUSA9 classes.

News.

“I have a saying with my daughter now: The investigation quickly expanded to five any images you take of yourself, I want FCPS schools—Robinson, Lake Braddock you to think if you’re going to send them Secondary School, West Springfield High out or text message it, think that it’s going School, W.T. Woodson High School and to go to mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and South County High School, according to also the person that’s doing the college The Burke Patch, a local news organization. admission,” Davis said. “The one doing This recent scandal represents a growing your [admissions] packet will get every text, trend of inappropriate online activity. In a tweet, Instagram and Snapchat that you survey of 130 McLean students, 53.8 percent send out.” said they had received a nude 47% or partially nude photograph.

4:21 PM Sprint LTE “I think students engage Highlander Poll Results in this activity to seem cool,” said an anonymous McLean student who has received nude ME images.

Have you ever sent a nude or partially A similar event occurred at nude photo via social media?

McLean five years ago.

126 STUDENTS The Washington Post 16.7% say yes and 83.3% say no. reported that in 2014, two ME McLean High School students Have you ever received nude or aged 16 and 17 created a Dropbox account with nude partially nude photos via social photos of 56 McLean girls. Each media? was organized into passcode- 130 STUDENTS protected folders labeled with 53.8% say yes and 46.2% say no. the victims’ names.

ME The students faced two Do you know someone who has had a days in youth jail, received nude or partially nude photo of them community service and were forced to refrain from using shared without their permission? the internet and social media 123 STUDENTS platforms for a year.

56.9% say yes and 43.1% say no.

“I don’t think most students ME realize that they would be Has a nude or partially nude photo charged with a felony for sexting or being in possession of yourself ever been shared of nude photos,” school board without your permission? member Ryan McElveen said.

129 STUDENTS The consequences for 56.9% say yes and 43.1% say no. participating in acts like these Infographic & page design by Imani McCormick

Assistant principal takes charge

FEATURES

Jeffrey Barham becomes principal for six weeks

I

ERIC MIZUSAWA COPY EDITOR

n charge of McLean for six weeks, assistant principal Jeffrey Barham is working his way up to eventually become a principal.

Now in his 19th year working for Fairfax County, Barham spent 10 years as an English teacher and seven years as an administrator for Justice (formerly J.E.B. Stuart) High School, and is now in his second at McLean.

His experiences in education have allowed him to grow as an individual and connect with the students, parents and staff members he works with.

While attending college at James Madison University, Barham changed his major for the second time during his junior year because he wasn’t happy with the career path he was on. After his people skills were affirmed by his adviser, Barham decided to take the career path of education.

“I was an RA and a hall director in college for four of my five years, so I would live on campus and offer programming [to] help kids who were struggling,” Barham said. “I needed to have a profession where I was going to be rewarded at the end of the day [that wasn’t] about money or just making a living.”

Thinking he would be a teacher for 30 years after he graduated college, Barham eventually discovered he could make a much larger impact as an administrator.

Due to his experience, Barham was chosen to take Principal Ellen Reilly’s seat while she’s filling in as an executive principal for FCPS Region 2.

“We have a fantastic team here, but a lot of them are in their first or second year as an assistant principal, so I have [the] experience,” Barham said. “I’ve done a lot of leadership roles in the region, and Dr. Zuluaga and Dr. Reilly have both been doing a lot to prepare me for the next step as principal.”

On a day-to-day basis, Barham has a variety of different responsibilities such as overseeing finances, staffing the building and resolving issues if they pop up. The departments he works with include social studies, world languages and special education, and his work is accomplished alongside teachers.

“Our job is to keep you safe; we’re supposed to give you a good education [and a] good experience,” Barham said. “I think that’s one of the beauties of the job—every

day [is] different things that you have to react to.”

To Barham, being an assistant principal isn’t as much about the work it entails, but rather about watching his students grow for the four years until they graduate.

“That’s always the most rewarding thing for me, is being able to help students, and watching them grow over four years, from freshmen to the time they leave and go out in the world,” Barham said. “It’s more of a mission for me than it is a job. I just enjoy helping kids.”

Aside from his years of experience in education, Barham is a dedicated coach to his son’s little league baseball team, and he also coached high school football for 11 seasons.

“I have known [Barham] for about 19 years, [and] we coached for about one [or two] seasons together back at Stuart High School when I was a counselor there and he was a teacher,” said Paul Stansbery, McLean’s director of student services. “He was enthusiastic, energetic and really wanted to do a good job.”

Barham actually attended Stuart and played football there when he was in high school, so he shows a lot of passion for FCPS and does his best to help his athletes be successful. His skills as a coach have largely transitioned to his career in education, working with students and parents alike.

“He’s always been kind of a team-oriented person, so that’s been really helpful with working with the rest of the administration to run the school,” Stansbery said. “I know he wants to be principal, and I’m hopeful that will happen to him sometime in the near future.”

Barham is known for his willingness to help out whenever he can.

“He’s really a positive person [and] he’s very approachable,” assistant principal Megan

Environmental portrait by Anna Brykczynski | Page design by Eric Mizusawa

Sherrill said. “He's probably the primary person I go to with all my questions, [and] he always makes time to talk—he never acts annoyed or put out.”

After she started at McLean last summer, Barham has been Sherrill's mentor to adjust her into the school's environment. He always comes into work with a "let's make today great" mentality, which allows his team to accomplish their tasks in the most efficient way possible.

“If he potentially becomes a principal at any school, they would be very lucky to have him,” Sherrill said. “He’s very good at making everybody feel included, and he’s really good at building a team atmosphere where you feel like [you’re] really part of something.”

Barham said he has grown significantly as a leader and a person over the last nine years.

“The job has many responsibilities, and I think I’ve really learned a lot about myself,” Barham said. “I’ve learned a lot about how to work with other people, whether that’s a teacher, a student or a parent, [and] the experience has made me a better communicator and reflective thinker.”

MARCH | FEATURES | 9

HIGHLANDER OF THE ISSUE

BUILDING THE PURR-FECT BUSINESS JUNIOR STARTS A PET CARE SERVICE IMANI MCCORMICK MANAGING EDITOR 10 | FEATURES | MARCH

W

hether it’s through hallway conversations or the company’s growing social media platform, you have probably heard of junior Ben Torres’ illustrious We Care Pet Care.

Torres has always had a soft spot for animals and longed for a pet of his own, but as a dedicated student-athlete, he knew it would be difficult to find time to care for a personal furry friend.

However, that did not stop him from pursuing his love for animals.

“I knew we weren’t really going to get a dog, so I [thought] maybe I could take care of other people’s dogs,” Torres said. “Just by chance, when our new neighbors moved in, they had a dog, and my dad was like, ‘Hey, my son would love to take care of your dog if you ever go away.’ They eventually hired me, and from there it spread through word of mouth.”

Since constructing an enterprise in 2015, We Care Pet Care has grown into a formal animal care business, offering services such as dog walking and pet sitting.

“My experience has been fantastic,” client Margie Richardson said. “Ben

is extremely professional, a great communicator and very reliable. And most importantly, [my dog] Charlie loves Ben, and Charlie can be tough to win over.”

As the business expands, Torres must adapt his approach to keep up with a growing clientele. He has developed a methodical system to scheduling shifts for the week.

“Usually what happens is every Sunday I reach out to all the clients, or they reach out to me, and we try to get the walks set for the week,” Torres said. “I have a shared Google Calendar and color-coded walks… Based on [an employee’s] availability, I will book them for the walk. Usually, it is close to two or three [clients] a day. If it is a snow day or a weekend, we can get close to four or five clients [each day].”

Thus far, Torres has hired two McLean students—junior Janine Dimatulac and senior Lauren Herzberg—and plans to employ more students to ensure the longevity of We Care Pet Care.

“I decided to start working for We Care Pet Care because it was really convenient and I have a really flexible Page design by Imani McCormick

schedule, so I was available to walk dogs a lot of the time,” Herzberg said. “I love dogs.

I have two of my own, and I am really good with them and have grown up with dogs my whole life. It is really fun to get to know the people and hang out with the dogs.”

Though the idea of managing employees was daunting at first, Dimatulac’s and Herzberg’s strong work ethics eased their transition to the We Care Pet Care team.

“I think I made a really great selection in who I hired and truthfully, I do not have to do a lot of extra work, which I am happy about and it has definitely made my life a lot easier,” Torres said. “It has given me the opportunity to help others financially.”

Torres chose to extend his financial support to Mc-Dance-A-Thon and the kids at Children’s National Hospital by fundraising, eventually reaching his goal of $1,500 on March 3.

“Hearing the stories of these young kids from Children’s National as well as the energy around the event, it is really amazing to see that many people who all have the same goal and make a pretty big difference, raising money,” Torres said. “I thought it was super special and I always wanted to do something in school.”

Beyond his fundraising efforts, Torres has set some goals to help improve and expand We Care Pet Care.

“Short-term goals as of right now are... finishing my website and marketing more,” Torres said. “Hopefully, over the summer, I don’t need another job. Preferably this could be a full-time thing. Over the summer and going into senior year, the plan is to get the name and possibly a new logo trademarked, then sometime in the future making it an LLC.” With these goals in mind, he will not lose sight of what We Care Pet Care has to offer.

“We do dog walking, pet sitting…if you have a bird, a gerbil, a hamster, a cat…”

Torres said. “If you have a pet, we are there and available to take care of it.”

BIG DOG ON CAMPUS — Ben Torres held a photoshoot with Juju, Leroy and Max while on a walk. (Photos courtesy of Gabi Xie)

CONTACT WE CARE PET CARE INSTAGRAM: @_wecarepetcare_ PHONE: (703) 667-0120 EMAIL: wecarepetcare1@gmail.com

MARCH | FEATURES | 11

Will West

10Qs with

Physical Education Teacher & Football Coach

Reporting by Brooke Newell Page design by Pran Kittivorapat

1 2 3 4

One thing most people don’t know about you?

I have never been on a plane before.

Most embarrassing moment?

When I was in college, I had a biomechanics lab. The teacher asked me to come to the front and demonstrate something in front of the whole class. I had worked out earlier that day, and when I got to the front of the class my legs started cramping up in front of a bunch of people I did not know. It was really embarrassing trying to hold it back.

5 6 7

Top three favorite sports?

Football, basketball, baseball.

Why did you start teaching?

My coaches and teachers in high school had a big impact, and I wanted to help other kids through high school.

12 | FEATURES | MARCH

8

Five words to describe yourself?

Ambitious, energetic, reliable, honest, and unassuming.

Most interesting job before teaching?

When I was in college, during the summers I would work [the] third shift at a loading dock, loading trucks. It was interesting, kind of sucked.

It was an experience.

Favorite memory while coaching?

Honestly, just getting to know the kids year through year, seeing the kids grow through the four years.

If you could relive any moment of your life, what would it be?

Probably first year or two of college. It was a learning experience. Everything is new.

9

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

1. To win the lottery.

2. World peace.

3. That more kids at McLean would sign up for personal fitness.

10

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Hawaii!

Q&A with Anonymous meme page sweeps McLean @mclean_high_memes Instagram account pokes fun of rigorous academic culture EMILY JACKSON COPY EDITOR

EMILY JACKSON COPY EDITOR

With over 1,000 followers, @mclean_high_memes has swept Instagram users with relatable content mocking the rigorous academic environment of McLean. Although the meme page has chosen to remain anonymous to social media, its founder agreed to an interview with The Highlander.

Why did you start the account?

What’s your favorite part about running it?

“My cousin showed me a meme page about their school and I thought it was really good. I started making some memes and I found a meme generator, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is easy.’ I made the page because I was bored one night.”

“My favorite part about running the page is when people say good things about it and DM me complimenting it. All the love and supportive comments are good... I like to make sure our fans know that we appreciate them.”

How many people are involved? “[It became a group when] someone was sending me meme ideas because I was running out, so I asked [him/her] if they wanted to run it too. Then we included two more mutual friends... We decided to keep it at four.”

How have you responded to hate comments?

“We receive a lot of hate comments that say our memes are trash or something...

Sometimes I delete the comments, and sometimes I just ignore them and don’t say anything.”

Will you ever do a face reveal?

“I haven’t really figured out if I’m going to reveal my face or not... I wish [followers] would just forget about it and enjoy my memes because that’s what it’s all about.”

Page design by Dasha Makarishcheva MARCH | FEATURES | 13 Memes courtesy of @mclean_high_memes

Is NOVA right for you?

Going to NOVA comes with more positives than negatives NOLAN FITZSIMMONS REPORTER

A

ttending Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) can be an enticing option to many McLean High School students after graduating. With an in-state tuition rate of $2,244, it is much cheaper than most four-year institutions. Going to NOVA gives students the opportunity to spend more time with their families and to take advantage of one of the many guaranteed admission agreements NOVA has with colleges, including highly ranked schools such as UVA and William & Mary.

“I decided to go to NOVA because it was a lot cheaper than going to a four-year university at first because I could live at home and my parents wouldn’t have to pay for it, and it’s pretty much the same classes that I’d be taking at a different university,” said Dereck Charles, a December 2018 McLean graduate who currently attends NOVA. Charles has found that NOVA offers a very focused environment conducive to academic success.

“I would say there’s not a lot of distractions—a lot of people there are just there to focus on their own work, so that kind of gives you an incentive to just focus on yourself and focus on your studies,” Charles said.

“

FOCUS ON YOUR CLASSES AND HAVE FUN WITH IT. DON’T BELIEVE THE STIGMA AROUND NOVA, IT’S NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE THINK.” — DERECK CHARLES NOVA STUDENT & MCLEAN GRADUATE

Former Marshall High School student Jacinta Das, who attended NOVA before transferring to William & Mary, enjoyed her experience there. She particularly liked the professors at NOVA. 14 | FEATURES | MARCH

“I had a fantastic experience. I got close to a lot of my professors, like really, really close to a lot of them. A lot of the professors were super great in terms of just being human.

They were very caring, very encouraging,” Das said. “They want to be there, and they want to really teach and work with people.

They want to better the education, a pay-itforward kind of thing. Even now at William & Mary, I don’t feel that [connection] with the professors.”

According to McLean college and career center specialist Laura Venos, NOVA can be a great fit for many students.

“It ends up being a really good option for a lot of reasons,” Venos said. “One, it’s costsaving. Two, a lot of students aren’t prepared to leave home, and so you can live at home while taking college-level classes.”

Venos stresses that going to NOVA is not uncommon at McLean—approximately 60 students reported enrolling there at graduation last year.

“If you look at the Class of 2018, more graduates went to NOVA than anywhere else,” Venos said.

Venos said students who attend NOVA often give positive reviews of the school.

“We have a lot of kids come back and they’re really happy with the experience,” Venos said. “They have an honors program, just like a lot of schools do. So if students want to be extra challenged, then they can apply to the honors program.”

Students have reported some drawbacks to attending NOVA, such as the lack of a social atmosphere usually associated with college campuses. Living at home can be helpful for staying close with family, but it

can hinder one’s ability to befriend peers.

“If you’re a very social person, it’s kind of difficult, because there’s not much of a social life there,” Charles said.

Not all students hold this opinion of the school’s atmosphere, though.

“If you insert yourself into activities and if you know what you want to do, then there’s nothing that’s going to stop you from meeting people and making friends,” Das said.

Venos said that NOVA does make an effort to help students maintain a fruitful social life that can, in some ways, replicate the environment at a four-year college.

“A lot of students don’t know they have a lot of social clubs and ways to make it feel like what your traditional college experience might feel like,” Venos said.

McLean’s student services department makes an effort to help prospective NOVA students learn about the opportunity and enroll.

“We do a lot for students to help them go to NOVA. We have an application completion session on March 28 for seniors who plan to go to NOVA, [where] NOVA reps come help with the application,” Venos said. “And then we have onsite placement testing on April 4 and 8, and we’re doing a field trip on April 9 for students who want to see Annandale’s campus.”

Charles said people should not believe the frequently espoused negativity surrounding NOVA. “I would say focus on your classes, and have fun with it,” Charles said. “Don’t believe the stigma around NOVA, it’s not as bad as people think.”

Infographic by Anya Chen | Page design by Nolan Fitzsimmons

Join the hunt! Win the prize!

Hidden in a *random locker,* there is a prize. In order to find it, follow these clues to figure out the locker’s number and combination... Good luck!

1

ST CLUE

2 RD 3CLUE TH 4CLUE TH 5CLUE ND CLUE

SOLVE THIS EQUATION

A) This was the year McLean High School first opened its doors.

B) Past Bagpipe Lane, you use this number door to access the track and football field.

C) [Answer A] minus [Answer B] minus 1900 = first two digits of locker number

BACK TO THE PAST

The next clue will be found on a *board* of records: In what year did Erik Smith break a school record?

Use the last two numbers of that year to finish the locker number.

RING-A-DING-DING

A relic of the past that still stands: when you needed someone to come pick you up, you used this—it has long been forgotten and unplugged. The first digits of the locker combination are inside of it.

2! 6! 4! 8! WHO DO WE APPRECIATE?

At the end of the hall, you will find a room number. This is the home of a *new teacher,* and also where the Geosystems class is taught. Subtract 200 from this number to find the next digits of the combination.

STEP UP YOUR GAME

On a *bridge* between the math and science classrooms, green and yellow, count the number of steps to obtain your final clue.

Write your answers down here!

Created by Waseema Khan & Isaac Lamoreaux | Page design by Anya Chen & Isaac Lamoreaux

MARCH | FEATURES| 15

Highlander Patrons As a student-run program, The Highlander would like to thank our generous supporters who make it possible to print our newsmagazine. Listed below are this year’s contributors. We would also like to thank all of our anonymous supporters.

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The Carrasco Family The McCormick Family Lorinda & Beale Opsahl-Ong Susie & David French Linn W. Ong Paula Hawkins & Daniel Lawton Marsha Ershaghi Donna & Bill Malcom Lois Gibbens Peter Stenzel

If you would like to become a patron, please send a check to:

The Highlander McLean High School 1633 Davidson Rd. McLean, VA 22101

SHARE MCLEAN’S NEWS WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS! Subscribe today to get all our 2018-19 newsmagazine issues!

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Ending the school year on a good note Choir prepares for upcoming events THARA THA REPORTER

M

cLean choir has an exciting last few months of the school year in store, incorporating several different cultures in the various pieces they will be performing in upcoming concerts.

“We’re taking songs from all over the world and from all different languages,” choir director Linda Martin said. “It’s kind of representative of McLean and how we have such a wide variety of cultures.”

Choir members appreciate the diversity of the music they perform.

“We sing more other songs in other languages such as Spanish, Latin and Greek than we do English songs,” said junior Miranda Ma, a member of the Armonia choir. “It allows us to be more versatile and comfortable with different types of music from all around the world and would definitely come in handy if I pursue music in the future.”

With songs from around the world, not only do singers get to explore the vocal techniques of different cultures, but they also can experiment with different musical trends inspired by instruments.

“One of our new songs is Australian based, I think. It incorporates the didgeridoo instrument, but instead of holding the boards we’re making its sounds with our mouth,” said junior Sofia Ortiz, who participates in the Armonia choir.

Choir members hope to learn plenty of new global songs in late March, when they will be heading to Iceland on an exchange trip, where an Icelandic high school choir will host them for several events in the country, such as visiting the famed Blue Lagoon and going on a glacier walk.

“We’re going over there in late March, and the high school students from Iceland are visiting D.C. later in the year, where we’ll take them around to all the major attractions,” Martin said. “We’re also going to be bringing some of our Iceland songs to our May concert as well. And we’ll be adding some more songs too… We’re doing a Japanese piece and a Polynesian piece. It’s a really neat thing to be a part of that comes with choir.”

Learning these pieces is a big commitment.

Page design by Thara Tha

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT — Choir director Linda Martin conducts as choir members practice in preparation for their trip to Iceland. Singers meet to rehearse their songs every Wednesday after school. (Photo by Thara Tha) Along with having class during the school day, choir meets every Wednesday after school and has long group rehearsals before their concerts.

“Not everyone has free time in their schedules to devote to hobbies like choir, at an important time in their lives where they should be finding themselves out, trying extracurriculars,” Martin said. “I think the biggest thing is that we’re all so pressured that we don’t take a moment to explore the passions that make us human.”

“

WE’RE ALL SO PRESSURED THAT WE DON’T TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPLORE THE PASSIONS THAT MAKE US HUMAN.” — LINDA MARTIN

MCLEAN CHOIR DIRECTOR In addition to choir, many students are involved in other extracurriculars such

as swim and dive, the dance team, soccer and debate. Finding time to fit these extracurriculars into their schedules has proven to be a common challenge among choir students.

“I think the kids here at McLean kind of feel like there’s a rat race and they’re not going to have enough time to achieve everything they hope to do when really that’s not the case,” Martin said.

With the support of their choirmates, singers find a common ground with others who can share in not only their struggles but also their passions.

“We have a great community here and we have amazing choir students, so the best part would have to be getting to work with everyone, being supportive of each other.

Also, just the opportunity to do something artistic and get their read on arts and cultures [is productive],” Martin said.

With their exchange trip to Iceland and a number of May concerts on the horizon, the rest of 2019 looks to be eventful for McLean choir, ending with their final concert on May 16 at 7 p.m.

“I hope everyone can learn to say yes to trying new things [in the future],” Martin said. “The second thing I hope is that people find a place to be doing what they enjoy doing with like-minded people.”

MARCH | FEATURES | 17

A&E

THE ALL-STARS — The cast rehearses the opening scene of TheatreMcLean’s spring play, Peter and the Starcatcher. The play includes a large cast of 44 students. (Photo by Cordelia Lawton)

Peter and the Starcatcher hooks McLean

Family-friendly play is set to catch audiences’ hearts CORDELIA LAWTON REPORTER REBEKA RAFI ADVERTISING MANAGER & FEATURES EDITOR

T

he story of Peter Pan is beloved, but TheatreMcLean is bringing a new twist to it with Peter and the Starcatcher, which premieres April 4. This spin-off shines a light on the origins of its iconic characters.

“It’s been one of my favorite pieces of theater since I saw it for the first time, and I’m really glad we get to share it with McLean,” said senior Carenna Slotkoff, who plays the female lead, Molly.

Audience members should be familiar with many of the characters from Peter Pan, but this play provides their back stories.

“It gives you an origin story of how Peter Pan becomes who he is, how Hook becomes who he is,” theater teacher Phillip Reid said.

“There are [a lot of] recognizable characters.”

Compared to previous productions, Peter and the Starcatcher promises a more lighthearted feel.

“This show has so many hilarious moments that people don’t want to miss. I can barely keep it together in certain scenes because I’m laughing so hard at some lines,” Slotkoff said.

The cast has been working hard to accurately embody their characters and create the story for the audience.

“I really enjoyed Peter Pan when I was a kid and I think being him—being like a child—really came out of me when I started acting as Peter Pan,” said junior Nolan English, who plays Peter.

18 | A&E | MARCH

This is English’s first time performing in a play at McLean.

“I really enjoyed theater back in middle school, and I hadn’t done it ever since,” English said. “I thought I had a good chance at getting Peter, and I was excited.”

English has mainly worked in tech theater and only recently transitioned back to acting.

“

THIS SHOW HAS SO MANY HILARIOUS MOMENTS THAT PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO MISS.” — CARENNA SLOTKOFF SENIOR FEMALE LEAD

surface resonates with so many young girls,” Slotkoff said.

The characters are only at the beginning of putting the play together.

“You can expect some really cool set design and really cool movement,” English said. “It’s very fast-paced, and it’s a show that a lot of kids will enjoy.”

What makes the play even more exciting is the message at the heart of it.

“This show has such a strong theme of growing up and the sense of childhood adventure and play, which I think is so important to portray,” Slotkoff said.

As always, TheatreMcLean has been working hard to provide an entertaining audience experience.

“It’s all stylized and imaginative.

The performance is great, over-the-top, unapologetic,” Reid said. “There’s some really wonderful, genuine moments. It’s just a lot of fun and it’s very creative.”

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER “I used to work on props and a little bit with paint, and that’s a little bit less demanding and less time constraining,” English said. “Now, as an actor, I have to get things done earlier and sooner.”

Slotkoff is especially enthusiastic about her part.

“The role of Molly Aster has always been one of my dream roles to play,” Slotkoff said.

Slotkoff admires Molly’s personality traits and how relatable she is.

“Her courage, maturity and wit, but also the vulnerability and innocence under the

RUNS APRIL 4-7.

TICKETS ARE SOLD ONLINE AND AT THE DOOR. BUY TICKETS HERE!

Page design by Cordelia Lawton & Rebeka Rafi

It’s clear he’s a dropout

Tha Lights Global

No meaning to be found in Lil Pump’s sophomore album ELIZABETH HUMPHREYS REPORTER

Y

ou definitely don’t want to “Be Like” rapper Lil Pump, who released his second studio album, Harverd Dropout, on Feb. 22.

With the title misspelling of “Harvard,” fans speculated that Pump had made a hilarious mistake, but HipHopXD magazine later stated that this spelling change was to prevent any legal difficulties with Harvard University.

Originally intended to be released on Aug. 17, his 18th birthday, the album was first postponed with Pump claiming he could not find it. He was later arrested for unlicensed driving which delayed the release further.

With my expectations set lower than low for this album, I was not surprised by Pump’s stylistic choices after listening to Harverd Dropout.

Most of the tracks turned out to be a complete disappointment, particularly “Stripper Name,” which features YG and 2 Chainz, and “I Love It,” a collaboration with Kanye West.

“I Love It” is one of the first tracks on the album, though it was previously released last fall. The basic, repetitive lyrics make for an all-around wreck of a song. Shortly after its release, artist Danielle Bregoli, otherwise known as Bhad Bhabie, posted a video to her

Instagram calling it the worst rap song of all time—and I agree.

Of course, Pump did not agree with this assessment of his talent, tweeting Jan. 28, “It’s scientifically proven that I’m the most lyrical rapper of all time,” even though there is obviously no scientific evidence to support such a claim.

“

IT’S SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT I’M THE MOST LYRICAL RAPPER OF ALL TIME.”

— LIL PUMP

RAPPER

Pump’s album is the catchiness of the tracks “Butterfly Doors,” “Drug Addicts” and “Be Like Me.” However, just because a song is catchy does not necessarily mean that it is good, as the true classic and iconic songs of rap contain messages that discreetly surround controversial issues to convey an important point.

As rapper J. Cole once said in a 2011 interview with National Public Radio, “Rhyme patterns are nothing without meanings to the words. A lot of rappers can do those flows, but the raps aren’t really about anything—which is cool sometimes, but to have the flow and the message is one of my favorite things.”

Harverd Dropout certainly falls into the category of albums that lack substantial meaning. Pump gives rap a bad name and is a talentless rapper that doesn’t truly represent the genre for what it is.

Rating: 1/5 As for the question if Pump really did drop out of Harvard, there is no evidence that he even applied to the school besides his tweet in 2017, saying, “I REALLY DID DROP OUT OF HARVARD TO SAVE THE RAP GAME.” The only positive aspect I could find in

Page design by Elizabeth Humphreys | Graphic by Dasha Makarishcheva

Harverd Dropout is mediocre and does not represent the true face of rap MARCH | A&E | 19

New wave vs. old wave

Apex Legends forces Fortnite to make serious changes BRANDON SAUTER REPORTER

G

amers all over the world are split between Fortnite, the dominant battle royale, and Apex Legends, the pervasive new battle royale.

As Epic Games’ Fortnite fails to stay fresh and exciting, players have turned to EA’s Apex Legends as their new go-to game.

Even with Fortnite releasing its eighth season and giving players a free battle pass if they complete challenges, the numbers have taken a hard hit due to Apex’s quick rise to fame.

Twitch, the number one streaming service, houses streamers such as TThump, ImMarksman and Tennp0, whose combined followers number 710,000, have shown that Apex Legends is a viable and professional game. Not only have these streamers continued to play, but they have also stopped streaming Fortnite, which was previously their main game. “[Apex is] by far the most fun I’ve ever had in a battle royale game, and with that fun came competition,” said veteran player Matthew Sicoli, who resides in D.C. Due to all the attention Apex is getting, Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, is offering a $100 million prize pool for upcoming tournaments.

Popular streamer Matt Vaughn, also known as Dellor, has been a huge advocate for Apex, making claims that there’s nothing Fortnite can do anymore.

With popularity comes hate and mass criticism. Players have gone on Reddit and other social media outlets bashing Apex for choices EA has made.

“I don’t care how many people are playing Apex Legends. I can’t stand it whatsoever,” sophomore Luke Pedula said.

Fortnite has also received criticism, with a major issue being its inability to reward skilled players. New players are also being crushed in public matches due to the fact that more skilled players have no other choice but to play against them. This issue would be resolved if Epic Games added a ranking system, but currently there is no talk of one coming.

“

I DON’T CARE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PLAYING APEX LEGENDS. I CAN’T STAND IT.” — LUKE PEDULA

SOPHOMORE

“Every single lobby is just a bunch of kids who play the game 10 hours a day matched with players who might only play once or twice a week,” Sicoli said.

Fortnite’s competitive events have been riddled with glitches and game-breaking issues that have caused players to miss out on the chance to earn thousands of dollars.

Every single event has serious issues that make players opposed to attending.

“I was actually sad not to see Tfue and Cloakzy [two pros] not attend Epic’s last

event,” junior Paul Hurr said.

Team Solomid, also known as TSM, is a huge team in esports and recently started up their own team including TThump.

With more big organizations creating more Apex teams, the opportunity for competitive tournaments is endless. With this endless opportunity comes an endless amount of players hungry for a shot at a great amount of fame and money.

“I’m thankful we live in a world where someone, no matter their race, gender or background, can become a pro gamer and sustain themselves financially,” Hurr said.

Professional Fortnite players have been offered life-changing contracts to represent an organization, and based on how competitive Fortnite has become, one can only assume that the level of competition with Apex will be similar.

As the popularity of gaming increases, parents are finally starting to understand the potential behind the opportunity to become a professional gamer.

Fortunately, big names like Tyler Blevins, also known as Ninja, have turned the public’s view of video games from being a waste of time into a form of productivity which could later end up becoming a career.

Today, the Apex vs. Fortnite rivalry lives on. However, in what could be just a few years, the biggest games could be completely different from what they are now. The only constant for gaming is the growth of the esport.

“I’m filled with excitement knowing how progressive the gaming community is,” Sicoli said.

GAMING ENTHUSIAST — Sophomore Nik Poppanos watches an Apex Legends video on his phone. Apex has replaced Fortnite for some gamers.

(Photo illustration

by Brandon Sauter)

20 | A&E | MARCH

Page design by Brandon Sauter

Some good truckin’ food

Reviews of some of the most crowded D.C. food trucks ZACH ANDERSON REPORTER & SKYE SUNDERHAUF REPORTER

American Fried Chicken

This truck came off a little intimidating. It was completely black with a small window to order food from and small white text that said “American Fried Chicken” over the top. With a name like that, we obviously had to order their chicken. The food came in a basket and smelled so good. The chicken was flat and covered in a really delicious seasoning. It came with a honey mustard sauce which was a perfect companion for the chicken. It was served over fries, which, like the chicken, tasted great, although they could have used a little more salt.

Overall, the food was better than we expected.

Zach: 9/10 Skye: 7/10

D.C. Quesadillas & Wraps Zach: 4/10 Skye: 5/10

With a license plate from every state surrounding the order window, D.C. Quesadillas & Wraps provided a distraction while we were standing around waiting for their food. We only ordered quesadillas, but the wait time was roughly 15 minutes. While that isn’t very long for a restaurant, food trucks are expected to be fast. After we got our food, we were nicely surprised with a free drink. The steak quesadilla we got was very flavorful. However, each of the four slices had different insides—some had onions and tomatoes, and others just had meat and cheese. Due to the wait time and miscellaneous contents, we agreed that it’s not worth it to go here.

D.C. Doner

This red and yellow truck offered Mediterranean-style food at fairly decent prices.

The lamb platter was delicious, but the chicken somehow tasted both really dry and like it could have been cooked longer. The cucumber sauce helped out the dishes a lot, but they shouldn’t have needed sauce to make the food taste good.

It was lucky they had that sauce because the hot sauce they provided tasted like a hoagie spread and wasn’t at all flavorful. For comparison, this truck tasted like a rip-off Moby Dick’s. The front bumper was severely dented and falling off the truck, and the prices were hard to read. Still, this food truck was good, just a little sketchy.

Zach: 6/10 Skye: 7/10

Mexicano Comida Bus

Zach: 7/10 Skye: 6/10

Our final truck was this little blue van with busted open doors. We ended up going to two Mexican trucks because so many trucks were offering this cuisine. This time, we got burritos and a quesadilla to taste test. After we ordered, the server coughed straight into his hand, then proceeded to make our food without washing his hands.

This lack of sanitary care obviously made the food less desirable. The burrito and quesadilla took a little more than five minutes to come out of the truck and were nicely packaged. The chicken burrito was extremely messy to eat, but the rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and chicken tasted good. All critiques aside, the chicken quesadilla was good enough to redeem our final truck.

Page design by Zach Anderson | Photo by Skye Sunderhauf

MARCH | A&E | 21

IN-DEPTH

A NATION ON THE FENCE F A I R F A X C O U N T Y F A C E S I M M I G R AT I O N I S S U E S

MAREN KRANKING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 22 | IN-DEPTH | MARCH

MARIA McHUGO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JEREMY SIEGEL MANAGING EDITOR

JACK STENZEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I

sabela* grew up in a region torn by violence.

Threatened daily by the actions of criminal gangs such as MS-13, her family lived in constant fear. Isabela is an undocumented immigrant attending McLean who came from El Salvador only two years ago.

“I came because my father was here in the United States, and thank god we were able to get the opportunity to come,” Isabela said.** “I did not have to go through what the majority of immigrants do, which is walking for 15 days and mounting a train. There is a train known as ‘The Beast’—all of the Latinos recognize it that way.

Many people die on that journey.”

Isabela and her family did not immigrate to this country in search of economic opportunity.

They came to the U.S. in search of security.

Alongside Guatemala and Honduras, El Salvador is located in the Northern Triangle of Central America, which is considered one of the world’s most dangerous regions.

“In Latin American countries there is not a lot of security… There are many people who gain money in a bad manner. They make a living by asking for money from others—robbing, killing,” Isabela said. “It’s not easy for us to be part of a country where you feel insecure even in your own home. People can easily come to your house, take you out and kill you. Let me repeat that we do not want to rob anything from anyone.”

Without legal documentation, Isabela’s status in the U.S. remains uncertain. Today, the threat to her security has a different face.

“Not every member of my family is legal in this country. Some of my family members have received a permit to work within the United States, but the policies of the Trump administration have taken these away,” Isabela said. “Now, without these permits to validate their residence, the government can take my family from this country.

I live in fear, and my family shares this same fear.”

Sofia*, another McLean student, suffers the reality of this very fear. While Sofia has legal residence in the U.S., her father did not.

“When I was growing up, he would tell me he was afraid that they would take him away. He didn’t want to tell me what it was exactly, so he would just call it ‘the garbage can.’ And every time I saw a trash can, I would think about my dad

going away,” Sofia said. “That’s what I thought it was. I never thought it would come to a situation where they would [actually] take him away.”

Three years ago, Sofia’s father spent 10 months in a detention center after being seized without documentation while driving. Since his release, he has returned to Mexico, leaving three children and a single mother to work for their livelihood.

“It’s just hard for me to grow up. I feel like I’m not even 16 years old—I feel like I’m 20. We’ve had to grow up really fast just to make money,” Sofia said. “We don’t have time for school. That’s not important to us anymore. We just care about having a house, having food, having clothes.”

Like Isabela, the majority of Sofia’s family in the area is undocumented.

“My whole family is stuck, in a way. We have to work twice as much just to get what we want. It just hurts,” Sofia said. “Growing up, I think back to the people that were around me; there’s like no one left. I have three uncles that were deported and two that were killed. When I look back at what I had, my family’s so broken now.”

The struggles endured by undocumented immigrants, and immigrant groups in general, are not unique to the families of Isabela and Sofia. Over the last decade, the obstacles they face have only gotten larger in the presence of strict immigration policy, especially since the 2016 presidential election.

“I FEEL LIKE I’M NOT EVEN 16 YEARS OLD—I FEEL LIKE I’M 20.”

—SOFIA

FAIRFAX COUNTY RESPONDS TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION On Feb. 15, the Trump administration declared a state of national emergency at the Mexican border, a call for billions of dollars required for the construction of the border wall denied by Congress. The McLean community has produced a variety of responses to this declaration.

“The problem at the border is mounting and has a significant negative impact on not only the states adjacent to it, but on the rest of America.

Trump issuing a state of national emergency is a direct result of the inability of Congress to pass effective legislation to address this problem,” senior Jack McManus said. “Without the funds to build an efficient barrier on the southern border, America will continue to suffer the effects of illegal immigration.”

*Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the students **Interview translated from Spanish by Carla Ballard MARCH | IN-DEPTH | 23

While some perceive this declaration as vital to national security, others consider the move expressly political.

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera is an associate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. She specializes in the areas of Mexico-U.S. relations, organized crime, immigration, border security and human trafficking.

“It’s very clear that this is about the coming election, this is about an understanding to validate the base of support. There’s no national emergency. If there’s an emergency at the border, it’s on the Mexican side,” Correa-Cabrera said. “According to the law, what is a national emergency is subject to interpretation. That’s the problem… I think the United States can utilize this moment to define what the national emergency is, but I don’t see it.”

Correa-Cabrera says federal actions such as this declaration promote negative attitudes towards immigrant groups, who make up a large portion of the U.S. population.

“The United States has been a nation of immigrants, which isn’t recognized by the new U.S. establishment, but it has been a nation of immigrants that have come to this country for different opportunities. We can talk about the Irish, the Italians, the Chinese, the Koreans,” Correa-Cabrera said. “At different points in time, it has been perceived as a country of opportunities.”

Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova shares these concerns with the impact of the 2016 presidential election.

“Many immigrants in our community feel scared, unwelcome, devalued and disrespected following the 2016 presidential election,” Bulova said. “[But] Fairfax County as a whole has an inclusive, kind and accepting culture when it comes to treating other human beings with dignity and respect, so I do not believe xenophobia is normalized here at all.”

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed the Statement on Diversity and Inclusion on April 4, 2017, responding to aggressive policies of deportation. “[This resolution was passed] when the federal government redefined the scope of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and started deporting residents with no violent criminal record,” Bulova said. “It was important that Fairfax County local government affirm to our community that we are a welcoming place that celebrates its vibrant and diverse population.”

The Board of Supervisors adopted this resolution in order to protect the diversity of its communities. The resolution states that Fairfax County has no obligation to assume the role of the federal government within 24 | IN-DEPTH | MARCH

in 2018... the # of people who faced deportation proceedings included:

3 , 476

in NEW YORK C I T Y,

12,811 in all of

P E N N S Y LV A N I A ,

4,438

in PHILADELPHIA,

& 1 2 , 0 37

just in F A I R F A X C O U N T Y.

Information obtained via the TRAC Immigration Project

the scope of immigration. joined 16 other states, as well as D.C., in opposition to the “We wanted to reassure the community that Fairfax addition of a question regarding immigration status on the County police officers do not participate in ICE raids, and 2020 Census. On April 3, the Board of Supervisors held a that our local police officers do not ask for immigration Public Safety Committee Meeting to coordinate regional status,” Bulova said. “Our police officers are here to protect law enforcement, during which ICE officials were denied and serve all residents, regardless of immigration status, the chance to comment. and it is important that residents “The discussion was not planned not be afraid to call 911 if they are to be about victim services, racial “MANY experiencing violence or need help.” profiling or immigrant rights. A In January 2018, Fairfax I M M I G R A N T S I N few days prior to the meeting, County Sheriff Stacey Ann an agenda was circulated which OUR COMMUNITY Kincaid announced that she would included the Field Office Director terminate the Intergovernmental F E E L S C A R E D , of ICE as well as Sheriff Stacey Service Agreement (IGSA), a Kincaid and Manassas Chief of voluntary agreement with ICE U N W E L C O M E , Police Douglas Keen, who chairs honoring immigrant detainers, by D E V A L U E D A N D the Northern Virginia Gang Task May 23. In spite of this statement, Force,” Bulova said. “ICE then DISRESPECTED Kincaid said she would continue asked that a representative from FOLLOWING sharing data regarding Fairfax the Victims of Immigration Crime County residents with federal law Engagement (VOICE) Office be THE 2016 enforcement. at the table as well. Since VOICE’s PRESIDENTIAL Sookyung Oh is the D.C. area mission was not germane to the director at NAKASEC, a civil E L E C T I O N . ” topic of this meeting, I asked they organization that began working not be a part of the discussion.

—SHARON BULOVA in Northern Virginia five years ago.

ICE then presented us with an CHAIRMAN OF THE FAIRFAX The organization concentrates on C O U N T Y B O A R D O F S U P E R V I S O R S ultimatum: ‘Hear from all of us or vulnerable areas of the community, none of us.’” including recent immigrants and The Board’s decision to reject the undocumented youth, women and seniors. ultimatum was targeted by Barbara Gonzalez, the assistant “The sheriff canceled a voluntary agreement with ICE director of an ICE office created to confront immigrant in which the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, the crimes. local jail, was holding people for 48 hours past their release “They didn’t want to hear what we have to say because time for ICE. Canceling that agreement was a good step. what we had to give out today was facts,” Gonzalez said in However, the sheriff then instituted a new policy where they an interview with The Washington Post in April 2018. “This share information about a person’s release to ICE. There is is America, and you’re censoring a federal law enforcement no federal requirement to do this,” Oh said. “With that said, agency and a partner?” it actually makes ICE’s job easier.”

Despite federal opposition, Fairfax County government Later in 2018, tensions among municipal bodies and aims to maintain the equity of its citizens through actions the federal government were heightened when Virginia such as the 2017 Statement on Diversity and Inclusion MARCH | IN-DEPTH | 25

and the adoption of the One Fairfax policy.

“One Fairfax is a joint social and racial equity policy of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board. It commits the county and schools to intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services,” Bulova said. “One Fairfax is a declaration that all residents deserve an equitable opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race, color, sex, nationality, sexual orientation, income or where they live.”

As immigration law becomes more aggressive, however, some members of the community believe Fairfax County government has not done enough to protect immigrant communities. Recognizing these concerns, the response to rigid immigration policy has not only come from governing bodies, but it has come from members of the community as well.

LOVE BEHIND BARS — Sofia’s father made this drawing for her and her siblings while in a detention center three years ago. “He’s a really good artist,” Sofia said. “He has so many talents. He was such a hard worker when he was here; he worked three whole jobs.” (Photo courtesy of Sofia)

26 | IN-DEPTH | MARCH

COMMUNITY ACTIONS In 2017, a band of social organizations and community members formed the Fairfax for All coalition to protect immigrant groups in Fairfax County, seeking to inspire legitimate action among the community and its legislature.

Today, the coalition extends to grassroots, civil rights, immigrant rights and faith-based organizations in the area.

Mary Supley is a volunteer with the Immigration Issues Committee of Herndon-Reston Indivisible, a progressive organization that advocates for transparency, inclusion, tolerance and fairness in the area. Herndon-Reston Indivisible is one of the organizations that makes up the Fairfax for All coalition.

“In early 2017, there was increased attention on the involvement of local law enforcement agencies and local governments in immigration issues as policies and enforcement changed at the federal level. Residents and organizations concerned about the human and civil rights of immigrants advocated for Fairfax County to end its voluntary collaboration with ICE, as a matter of justice, safety and morality,” Supley said. “Our advocacy included numerous meetings with county officials and public testimony to the Board of Supervisors, and the community responding with phone calls and emails to their elected officials calling for policy change to bring an end to the county’s voluntary collaboration with ICE.” In February 2018, the Fairfax for All coalition sent a draft of the Ordinance to Protect Equal Justice for All to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The adoption of this Ordinance would require all Fairfax agencies and employees to terminate collaboration with ICE when not mandated by law, including Sheriff Kincaid’s system of sharing information with federal law enforcement.

“We firmly believe the county should take a stand in favor of our immigrant neighbors, friends and family members regardless of their immigration status. We don’t believe that our county’s undocumented residents constitute a problem; our broken federal immigration system that causes family separation and makes it difficult for so many to enter and remain in the country lawfully is the real problem,” said Matt Bakker, who is another volunteer with Herndon-Reston Indivisible. “Unless and until that broken system is fixed, our county government should do its best to shield our immigrant communities from the brutal consequences of the ICE detention and deportation machinery.”

In anticipation of the elections for Fairfax County supervisor, Board of Supervisors chair, school board, sheriff and commonwealth attorney in November, the coalition created a candidate pledge to introduce the Ordinance to Protect Equal Justice for All upon taking office. In February, Braddock District Supervisor candidate Irma Corado became the first candidate to sign this pledge.

“While there is more work to do to ensure protections for

our community members through written policy, Fairfax citizens—we are here because we want to move forward,” for All coalition members continue to achieve success in its Isabela said. “Because of my father, I believe I have an mission through their daily work of engaging immigrant opportunity that most Latin Americans do not have.” community members, organizing with them and building Despite the rhetoric promoted by federal actions, no power for all residents of Fairfax,” Corado said. “There is level of restraint can reduce the motivation to come to the real urgency to address this local issue, and that is why I’ve U.S., no matter the means. signed the pledge to introduce Fairfax for All’s Ordinance “I think that whatever policies Trump is making, there’s to Protect Equal Justice for All within 45 days of being in always going to be a way for immigrants to come. There’s no office.” doubt in that,” Sofia said. “Immigrants are always going to Corado grew up in the Fairfax County school system, be here.” attending what is now Justice High School. Her experience Considering the current number of residents in as a first-generation Guatemalan immigrant impacted her deportation proceedings in Fairfax County alone, conflict run for district supervisor. surrounding the treatment of immigrants in this area is “Growing up as an immigrant in a mixed-status family, likely to persist, not only at the national level. my older sister and I were often asked to interpret and “Currently, there are 12,037 people in deportation translate for my parents, especially proceedings in our county. That in the school system… As I got older number is higher than the number and learned about the importance “ W E D O N O T of deportation proceedings in the of taking advanced coursework for entire state of Pennsylvania, as well as college prospects, I was too often the C O M E H E R E 38 other states,” Corado said. “This only Latina, immigrant or person of B E C A U S E W E number is deeply disturbing and color in my IB classes,” Corado said. W A N T T O R O B continues to increase.”

“Inequities still persist in our schools Regardless of political interference, today. These experiences inform my T H O S E W H O Bulova says the community will daily community work and I am A R E A C T U A L continue to advocate for its diverse proud to fight for all community population, one largely comprised of members, including those families C I T I Z E N S — immigrant groups from beyond the and community members who have W E A R E H E R E southern border. been systemically left out of the B E C A U S E W E “I am constantly attending events decision-making table.” that celebrate the traditions and According to her campaign, W A N T T O M O V E cultures of people from different Corado says it is the role of local F O R W A R D . ” nations. It is inspirational to get to government to provide for all aspects know and celebrate with so many of immigrant safety within Fairfax people of different backgrounds. I am County, a sentiment reflected by the — I S A B E L A proud that minority-owned businesses actions of the Fairfax for All coalition. make significant contributions to “Local government owes it Fairfax County’s economy and add to immigrant communities and other marginalized breadth and diversity to the business community,” Bulova communities to address unjust systemic oppression by said. “Fairfax County is fortunate to have a plethora of providing affordable housing for all, confronting climate diverse communities that contribute to our society in many displacement, holding systems that criminalize our positive ways.” community members accountable and ensuring equity in Nonetheless, the protection of immigrant groups in educational programs,” Corado said.

Fairfax County begins with tolerance among the community.

Until these inequities are fully addressed, both Federal and municipal policy is not the only boundary to documented and undocumented immigrant groups will inclusion. Differences in ethnic, geographic, religious and continue to face struggles surrounding their treatment under social backgrounds define the Fairfax County community. the law and within the community of Fairfax County. For “Some of my classmates in this school live and work most immigrant families, however, these struggles will never alone because their families are in El Salvador or another surpass those endured within their own countries.

Latin American country,” Isabela said. “It’s unjust that we “I will not only speak about myself, but in general for are branded as robbers. It’s unjust that we are branded as all the immigrants that have come to this country. We do immigrants—this is what we are, but it’s not necessary to not come here because we want to rob those who are actual recognize that status every single moment.”

Page design by Maren Kranking | Photo illustration by Anna Brykczynski

MARCH | IN-DEPTH | 27

Amazin’ Asian Snacks The Highlander’s top snack recommendations for all tastes

SWEET...

MICHELLE CHENG REPORTER | DANA EDSON NEWS EDITOR

CHOCOLATE MUSHROOMS

These bite-sized chocolate mushrooms provide a sweet and salty experience all in one. The milk chocolate top is creamy, while the salty cracker bottom complements it perfectly.

SALTY...

O!KARTO CHIPS

These chips offer a sweet, tangy flavor in a hollow shape similar to a veggie straw.

They are a light, airy snack perfect for on the go, but they will not keep you full for long.

DRINKS...

CALPICO

These uncarbonated Asian soft drinks come in various different fruit flavors with unique vibrant colors.

Calpico drinks provide a satisfyingly sugary flavor that is perfect for any sweet tooth, and there are so many yummy variations.

HONEY TWISTS The twisty texture of these honey-flavored rice crackers gives them an amazing crunch that goes well with their sweet flavor.

These chips capture the essence of a churro, both in shape and in taste.

SHRIMP CRACKERS Don’t be intimidated by the name. These chips offer a subtle savory hint of shrimp flavor that is not too overpowering. If you are interested in a little spice and extra flavor, we recommend the spicy version.

LEMON BLACK TEA Although the sweetness might overwhelm some, this is a delicious Asian take on classic lemon iced tea. This beverage is the ideal refreshment for a hot summer day, and the strong lemon flavor will be sure to quench your thirst.

*All snacks can be found at H Mart Photos & page design by Dana Edson

MARCH | A&E | 29

OPINIONS Level the playing field Operation Varsity Blues scandal is surprising, but not eye-opening The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

W

hen news of Operation Varsity Blues, the college admissions scandal, broke, many McLean students’ first thought was, “What did people expect?”

“Even though this [scandal] is a lot more illegal and sketchy, it’s particularly the same thing that’s been going on all the time,” senior Bilen Essayas said.

Living in McLean, it’s a given that privilege and power can influence college decisions. At our school, there are students with multiple generations worth of legacy at Ivy League schools. There are multiple people who have had parents’ friends “pull strings” for them in the admissions offices of prestigious universities. There are students whose parents pay thousands for a “college admissions expert” to fill out their Common App for them (to prevent typos, obviously).

“We’ve always heard about, for decades, [that] college admissions have been seen in favor of families who have resources, but it was the lengths that these families took that really surprised me,” college and career center specialist Laura Venos said.

The revelation that some parents were breaking the law to get their children admitted to prestigious universities seemed more like a natural evolution of the insidious culture surrounding college admissions in affluent circles than anything else. Operation Varsity Blues is the signal that this neverending cycle needs to be stopped in its tracks.

Regardless, this story is still shocking.

Reading that applicants’ faces were Photoshopped onto athletes’ bodies to make it seem like they were legitimate recruits is objectively laughable. Seeing the ridiculous sums of money college coaches were getting paid (former Georgetown University tennis coach Gordon Ernst reportedly made $950,000 for his involvement) is eye rollinducing.

Yet, the attitudes towards the admissions process displayed throughout the scandal were all too familiar.

“The college admissions process is 30 | OPINIONS | MARCH

incredibly toxic and relentless, and I feel like people at McLean are especially likely to do whatever they can to get into the best colleges they can, so I feel like it’s not very surprising to see people from the upper middle class and upper class doing this across the country,” senior Nathaniel Wyerman said.

“

WE’VE ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT, FOR DECADES, [THAT] COLLEGE ADMISSIONS HAVE BEEN SEEN IN FAVOR OF FAMILIES WHO HAVE RESOURCES .”

— LAURA VENOS

COLLEGE & CAREER CENTER SPECIALIST Wyerman was accepted into Georgetown University, one of the dozens of colleges caught up in Operation Varsity Blues, as an early action applicant in December.

This scandal has changed his perspective on attending the university.

“I look at Georgetown in a new light now because they accepted bribes from these students and I think it’s ridiculous,”

Wyerman said. “It’s really disappointing for me because a lot of candidates who were well-qualified to get into [Georgetown] were rejected simply because they were up against peers who had the money and the means to get accepted into these schools when they didn’t necessarily have the merit to back it up.”

The role that privilege, be it from fraudulent ultra-wealthy parents or the advantages that going to a school like McLean provides, needs to be re-evaluated in the college admissions process.

The Operation Varsity Blues scandal is indicative of the tangled web of inequity, stress and deception that the college admissions process has become, especially within wealthier communities. The only way to really level the playing field is to change the culture of college admissions.

Students and their parents need to put less emphasis on how good a certain college’s bumper sticker will look on their car and instead focus on what university would be their best fit. And colleges need to start prioritizing talent and work ethic above money and connections for all applicants when making their decisions.

“I remain optimistic that something like this [scandal] will actually help students and families,” Venos said. “I really hope that any students and families who are who are trying to game the system see this as a big warning that you’re not above the law or even just common ethical code.”

Comic by Dasha Makarishcheva | Reporting & page design by Alex Mandanas

Thrones not fit for a king

Boys’ school bathrooms in dire need of renovations ZACH ANDERSON REPORTER

M

y hatred for these oversized portapotties began early in freshman year.

As I watched the clock tick on, I became aware of an increasing need to go to the bathroom. I left my fifth period class early so that I could go and not have to return to class before heading off to seventh period.

I thought I was going to be able to have a quicker transition between classes this way.

Instead, my poor, vulnerable freshman self was left horrified and permanently traumatized. For some idiotic reason, the architects of our school decided on a wonderful way to design the bathrooms, the consequences of such a design unrealized by me until that fateful day.

You may not know this, but while standing at the two frontmost urinals in the green and blue hall bathrooms, you can make direct eye contact with any student in the hallway.

Of course, this thought would never cross my mind (because why should it?), so I stood at the urinal closest to the entrance of the green hall bathroom. As I unzipped my pants, the bell signaling the end of fifth period rang.

At first, all was going according to plan, but then, as the chatter from the halls became increasingly louder, I decided to look off to my right. That was when my life as I knew it would never be the same. While standing at this godforsaken urinal, I made eye contact with 11 acquaintances and 14 students I had never met—I still don’t know which of those was more awkward.

From then on, I decided to only use the stalls in the bathrooms. If I’m being fully honest, though, these really aren’t a great substitution.

Out of the eight boys’ bathrooms, 21 total stalls are accessible, but two of them are currently out of order and have been for weeks. In addition, four of the stall doors do not have locks and one particularly memorable door in the green hall bathroom has the hinges completely bent off. This door has to be slammed shut with force, but that’s a pretty common occurrence at McLean, anyway, considering that all bathroom stall doors constantly get stuck in or out of the frame.

Even more upsetting, I have recently undergone an unfortunate series of events in our school’s bathrooms.

On Feb. 19, I saw a rancid, egg-like, slimy green splat on the floor. I’m hoping it was part of the egg drop experiments from physics, but taking into account that I nearly yakked at the sight of this putrid substance in the blue hall bathroom, that’s not likely.

On Feb. 21, I went to use the green hall bathroom. This was a bad move.

I don’t know how many other people do this, but whenever I’m about to use a public sink, I make sure there is already a paper towel sticking out of the dispenser. This avoids having to dirty my hands in order to dry them off.

In the boys’ green hall bathroom, there are two paper towel dispensers. The one on the left has a trash can under it and the one on the right does not. I checked the right dispenser and saw that it was empty, so I checked the one on the left. I was pleased at

Page design by Zach Anderson | Illustration by Dasha Makarishcheva

first because I saw one in reach.

On further examination, however, I noticed that this paper towel was dangling just low enough that it was touching the trash. I thought I saw something red in the trash, so I walked over to investigate, only to see that the top layer of the trash bag was covered in bright, bloody tissues.

I really did not have the patience for this, so I went back to the right towel dispenser and pushed it to get out a towel. The machine, of course, had not been refilled. I figured that I could just dry my hands off on my pants, so I went and tried to use the blood-spattered sink.

The faucet I used wasn’t working so I tried all the other faucets. I didn’t get a single drop, so I had to take a detour downstairs to wash my hands in the now-infamous blue hall bathroom before returning to class.

On Feb. 27, nearly a full week later, I returned to the green hall bathroom. The sink was still out of order and it was now covered in a film of dried blood.

Girls will never be faced with one of the most awkward engagements known to mankind. At the urinals, you try to stay as far away from other guys as possible, but at McLean, this rule is almost useless.

There are no dividers between urinals, and only three dividers to separate the urinals from the entrance to the bathroom. At this point, we might as well be at a trough. This fits in perfectly with the disgusting and inhumane state of our bathrooms.

And I’m not alone in this. Ask any of the other 1,000 boys at our school and I can guarantee they will have the same opinion as me. The bathrooms need fixing—urgently.

MARCH | OPINIONS | 31

32 | OPINIONS | MARCH

Strength in admitting weakness

Students should not hesitate to seek the help they need SEBASTIAN JIMENEZ OPINIONS EDITOR

T

he stigma that surrounds mental health issues and getting help contributes to an unhealthy environment that fosters negativity. These issues are serious and can develop into potentially life-threatening consequences, and they are not new in our schools.

According to the 2017 Fairfax County Youth Survey, 27.3 percent of students reported feeling depressive symptoms within the last year. Furthermore, 31.2 percent of 12th graders felt the same thing—higher than the national average.

Students have to deal with the increasingly intense academic and social pressures that come from a competitive schooling system filled with equally competitive peers. This contributes to the high rates of depression seen in students.

The social aspects of a teenager’s life can be especially detrimental to their mental health by creating overpowering feelings of loneliness and exclusion.

“I think something that a lot of teenagers feel is left out,” licensed clinical social worker Kristin Heinz said. “One of the biggest issues affecting them is this need to feel connected with those around them. [They get] a sense that they are different, that they don’t fit in and are not accepted by others.”

This introduces a large obstacle in seeking help, as not seeing problems in other people will only serve to amplify a teenager’s feelings of isolation. They are led to believe that they are not only feeling alone, but are also alone in their struggle.

“I felt trapped and out of control. I felt like there weren’t many people I could turn to, especially because, for me, the people I turn to are my family members, so when they became the problem, there wasn’t much I could do to make things better,” an anonymous student said.

Feeling like a burden to others can also hinder motivation to get help; people can feel like their problems are theirs to deal with and that bringing them up to others is irresponsible or simply undesirable.

Especially when the nature of the problem is personal or sensitive, they will struggle in 34 | OPINIONS | MARCH

opening up to a complete stranger.

“I think it’s the lack of knowing and maybe not being able to trust other people.

Personally, I know Ms. Werfel from the Girls Leadership Committee, so I have a personal relationship with her. That’s why if I ever need to talk to her, I have no issue doing so,” junior Sophie Howery said. “But I do see how if you didn’t know Ms. Werfel, how you’d feel possibly awkward seeking help.”

In order to want to seek help, students need to have a positive relationship with possible help sources. Therapists can substantially uplift someone’s well being, and are an excellent, confidential option that everyone having issues should consider.

Nevertheless, teenagers can still be hesitant to try therapy.

“A lot of times, therapy with a [teenager] is really [about] trying to build a positive therapeutic relationship where they feel that they can have somebody they can lean on, that they can unload their problems to and that person is willing and eager to help,” Heinz said.

Since therapy is not an option that

is widely accessible to all people that are experiencing mental health problems, both McLean High School and Fairfax County have many resources that students can seek if they feel the need. Outside help is crucial, and the negative feelings students may have can pressure them into being reclusive.

“We’re very lucky here at McLean, because we have two school psychologists and a clinical social worker, so we have a lot of good support [available] on any day. All three of us can have students in our offices because the need is there,” school social worker Marly Jerome-Featherson said.

Running into problems throughout life is to be expected. These problems do not dictate whether or not there is something fundamentally wrong with someone’s mind, or that they are weak for seeking help.

“We’re human beings. And by that, I mean we’re relational beings, we need others to survive—we can’t survive in a vacuum,” Heinz said. “And that’s where connecting first with the therapist to understand maybe on a deeper level why [can help].”

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Infographic by Anya Chen | Page design by Sebastian Jimenez

It’s all about the balance Lectures should not be replaced by projects MARINA QU REPORTER

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tudents today are no strangers to posters, presentations and Flipgrids, and many enjoy the process that allows creativity and group work. Projects can help students in many ways, but it is important to understand that lectures are not the enemy of projects.

An appropriate balance between projects and lectures is the most beneficial way to help all students learn.

In many upper-level classes, students tend to work on interactive activities and graphic organizers during class, while learning the information themselves at home. However, this combination may not be the most effective method for learning.

“Lectures give students the visual and auditory stimulus that isn’t available when they simply copy notes from a textbook,” sophomore Hannah Tsai said.

Classrooms are shifting from teacherled learning to student-centered learning.

While this new learning method has many benefits, lecturing has been the standard way of teaching for a long time.

“I personally prefer being taught with a PowerPoint rather than doing projects.

While many see it as boring, I feel that it requires students to pay more attention in class,” sophomore Mia Hsu said.

Some students feel unprepared for exams and think that not enough information is acquired from only doing projects.

“Although students take notes from their textbooks to use in class, they don’t absorb the material because the lesson content isn’t reinforced enough,” Tsai said. “As a result,

students in project-based classes often have gaps in their knowledge.”

Projects can also cause students to shift their focus away from the content. They often take aesthetics too seriously, causing them to waste a lot of time.

“At times, [there is] way too much emphasis on design or etiquette when in reality the grade should be on the core of the project,” senior Anna Nguyen said.

Furthermore, students often have less confidence in their knowledge when obtaining information on their own.

“With projects, you are often doing your own research, and you can never be sure if you’re covering all the information you’ll end up needing for the test,” Hsu said.

Students learn in different ways, making it even more important to use both studentcentered and teacher-led methods.

“There should be a balance between those different styles of teaching because every student learns differently and something that works well for one person might be really ineffective for another,” sophomore Shruthi Manimaran said.

Despite the drawbacks, it is undeniable that projects have advantages, since gaining problem-solving and critical thinking skills is Yes 94%school the end goal of high courses.

“The value [of AP World History] is not in having this big list of, ‘I know all these things about history,’ [but in] having more of an idea of, ‘I know how to think about history,’ ‘I know how to interpret’ and ‘I know how to find that correct information,’ which at the end of the day is a lot more important than [recalling when] the Safavid Empire started,” social studies teacher Lindsey Fisher said.

The goal of upper-level classes is to prepare students for college and future careers by giving them certain skill sets; however, students also need to understand the essential concepts necessary for the courses.

“At the end of the day the tests make up the majority of our grades, so it would definitely be helpful if the projects helped improve our test performance,” Hsu said.

“

ALTHOUGH STUDENTS TAKE NOTES FROM THEIR TEXTBOOKS...THEY DON’T ABSORB THE MATERIAL BECAUSE THE LESSON CONTENT ISN’T REINFORCED ENOUGH.”

— HANNAH TSAI

SOPHOMORE

Lectures should be used to ensure students obtain the necessary information in class and students can do projects to reinforce the concepts they learned.

“I think that we should definitely keep doing [projects], but we should add more factual learning, including a PowerPoint or a summary of the textbook [reading each night],” sophomore Alison Chou said.

A balance between lectures and projects is necessary for students to learn effectively and provide a strengthened foundation of both skills and knowledge for students’ successes in the future.

Data gathered from a poll of 102 McLean students

YES 25% NO 75% DO PROJECTS PROVIDE ENOUGH LESSON CONTENT FOR STUDENTS?

NO 74%

YES 26%

NO 6%

YES 94% ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE CURRENT SHOULD THERE BE A BALANCE BETWEEN BALANCE BETWEEN PROJECTS AND LECTURES? PROJECTS AND LECTURES?

Page design by Marina Qu | Infographic by Marina Qu & Dasha Makarishcheva

MARCH | OPINIONS | 35

SPORTS

Lax to the max

Girls varsity lacrosse hopes to exceed expectations JACK SHIELDS SPORTS EDITOR ADDIE BROWN FEATURES EDITOR

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s McLean continues to prepare for the spring sports season, girls lacrosse is yet another team that hopes to follow up last year with another successful campaign.

Featuring talented seniors and strong underclassmen, the team has ambitions for another postseason run, despite changes throughout the lineup and a new coach.

“Last year the whole starting lineup was senior-heavy, so losing them this year is a big impact on skill level,” junior Errin Ellington said. “With a new coach, there are many changes with how we communicate and play on the field.”

Despite the changes the team has endured, they are shaping up for a strong season.

“I think every player on our team is unique and stands out in their own way,” sophomore Sena Kunzel said. “Everyone is highly skilled and shows a lot of effort, especially our team captains.”

The new coaching staff is trying a variety 36 | SPORTS| MARCH

of methods to bring the girls success this season.

“We have a very organized and structured practice that helps us with our skills in order to prepare us for games,” Kunzel said.

The detailed preparation started this past winter, well in advance of the new season.

“We received workouts every day to help us prepare for tryouts, and that helped so much,” Kunzel said. “There was also an offseason winter league to play games once a week with our McLean team. This gave us the chance to play together and get the feel for the ball before the season.”

The team seems to be connecting well and building chemistry, following previous difficulties in doing so.

“This team is mixed with seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen, which made it hard for us to connect on and off the field,” Ellington said. “We are getting better now since we’ve had opportunities to really get to know each other.”

The coaches and players have put in the time and are ready to face the challenges that

LAXING — Sophomore Kit Reed moves the ball upfield in a March 14 game against Marshall. The Highlanders lost the game 14-7.

(Photo by Anna Brykczynski)

await them on the field.

“If we lose a game or if we don’t have the best practice, I hope we aren’t hard on ourselves for making a mistake and try to do better next time,” Kunzel said.

The girls are eying a return to regionals and are determined to push even further.

“This season I hope that we can win states and exceed the expectations put on us,” Ellington said.

Although there is still work to be done, as displayed by back-to-back losses to open the season, the team remains hopeful to achieve their goals.

“My goals for this season are to support all my teammates and encourage them through practices and games,” Kunzel said. “I hope we can win as many games as possible and stay close as a team.”

Page design by Alex Mandanas

Laying down the law

Haley Aguiar balances teaching and rugby refereeing

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CARLA BALLARD A&E EDITOR

nside the classroom, Haley Aguiar spends her days teaching Economics & Personal Finance and AP Calculus AB. On the weekends, Aguiar suits up in uniform and readies her whistle to referee an intense game of rugby.

Aguiar began teaching this year at McLean after moving from southern California, where she had previously taught. Aside from her life as a teacher, Aguiar has developed a passion for rugby ever since her time as a freshman in high school. “[In high school] I was on swim team and I was talking to my captain about how I wanted to join lacrosse,” Aguiar said. “She told me not to join lacrosse and to join rugby because you get to tackle people.”

Aguiar then went on to play high school rugby for three years and college for four until she had to take a step down due to multiple injuries. She then began to coach before taking an interest in officiating, through which she found a new and challenging aspect of the sport.

“The hardest thing with rugby and life overall is the decision making—people always want justice and people always want

to create a hierarchy of authority,” Aguiar said.

On her rise through the rugby refereeing ranks, Aguiar decided it was important to find something to balance her rugby career with. From the time she was a junior in high school taking rigorous math courses, Aguiar knew she wanted to become a teacher.

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IT HUMBLES YOU A LOT TO REALIZE YOU ARE ONE PERSON, AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER PERSON’S PERSPECTIVE.” — HALEY AGUIAR

MATH TEACHER & RUGBY REFEREE

“My favorite thing about teaching is the relationships with students,” Aguiar said. “I enjoy watching students struggle through something and then being able to, at the

end, be successful with it. I enjoy watching students’ confidence grow.”

The process of becoming an official referee for rugby was easier for Aguiar than it is for most; she was picked up in her third year of refereeing developmental games to be in the top 16 for rugby sevens just last year.

Aguiar is now in the top pool of elite referees nationally for rugby.

Now that Aguiar is continuing to pursue her refereeing career, her appreciation for the sport has only grown.

“Rugby is very special because you could be on the field trying to compete, but then when you’re off the field, you’re all best friends,” Aguiar said.

Today, Aguiar is awaiting to see if she will get a chance at being able to referee rugby in the upcoming 2020 Olympics.

Both in and out of the classroom, Aguiar is growing as a teacher, referee and person through her love for her students and the sport.

“It humbles you a lot to realize you are one person, and your perspective may be different than another person’s perspective,” Aguiar said. “That goes into all of life, not just refereeing.”

TEACHING THE PASS — Math teacher Haley Aguiar referees a game for professional men’s rugby almost every weekend. Aguiar refs women’s rugby as well. (Photos courtesy of Travis Prior)

Page design by Carla Ballard

MARCH | SPORTS | 37

Shooting for a grand

Matias Prock and Elizabeth Dufrane total over 1,000 career points each KATIE ROMHILT REPORTER

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he boys Liberty District Player of the Year (POY), senior Matias Prock, is the third-ever McLean boys basketball player to break 1,000 points, currently holding the position of second all-time highest scorer.

“I started playing when I was around 4 or 5,” Prock said. “My parents just signed me up for a league on little toy hoops and I’ve been playing ever since.”

Prock’s high school basketball career began his freshman year, when he played as the only freshman on the varsity team in the 2015-16 season.

“It was pretty nerve-racking at first, but I had a good group of seniors to help me adjust,” Prock said.

This season, Prock averaged 20.9 points per game and put up six 20-point games. He led the team in total points and broke the school’s single-season point record, with 470.

“Breaking 1,000 points felt pretty rewarding for the past four years and was just something separate but nice to achieve for myself,” Prock said. “The Langley game just made it that much more rewarding.”

Prock ended his McLean basketball career with 1,139 points and a POY season. He is also McLean’s all-time career assist leader and holds the record for all-time most made three pointers.

“Overall I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with McLean,” Prock said. “I wouldn’t change a thing and I’m going to miss it a lot.”

UP AND UNDER — Matias Prock goes up for a contested layup against Yorktown on Feb. 8.

He began his varsity career his freshman year.

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STRAIGHT UP — Elizabeth Dufrane finishes at the rim against Langley on Jan. 11. She hopes to break more records as a senior next year.

38 | SPORTS | MARCH

he girls Liberty District POY, junior Elizabeth Dufrane, not only broke a thousand points but also broke the McLean girls basketball record of 1,003 points.

Dufrane started her basketball career in first grade.

“I was looking for an activity to do in the winter and thought basketball would be enjoyable,” Dufrane said. “I was able to be on a team with my friends that I went to school with and we had a ton of fun together.”

Dufrane started her McLean basketball career in the 2016-17 season, making the varsity team her freshman year.

“It was a challenge at first trying to learn the whole system and how to work with everyone on the court, but once everything clicked it all came together well,” Dufrane said.

This year, when the girls varsity basketball team played Herndon at home in the Liberty District semifinals on Feb. 13, Dufrane reached an important milestone in her career, hitting 1,000 career points. “[Reaching 1,000 points] was a really cool experience. Just to have it with that team as well, we had a really great team this year, and I couldn’t have done it without them,” Dufrane said. “[We had] great point guards, great post players and overall everybody [was] willing to help get me to that point.”

Because Dufrane is a junior, she has another year to continue breaking records. Her goal for next season is to break the all time McLean scoring record for both the boys and girls teams of 1,306.

The team went won the Liberty District championships this season, and Dufrane earned the title of Liberty District POY. “That was awesome as well, but also couldn’t be done without the team.

They were a huge part of my success this season,” Dufrane said. “Just being able to [know], if I was having an off game, they had my back all the way through.”

Photos by Maren Kranking | Page design by Katie Romhilt

A game to remember

Highlanders celebrate fifth year of FanFest

TALIA BLAKEMORE REPORTER cLean’s very own Special Olympics basketball team competed against the Lake Braddock White Panthers on March 23, continuing a tradition that began five years ago.

Coach Mark Thompson, who is McLean’s Special Olympics coordinator, and co-coach Molly Payne have been working hard to prepare for the game.

McLean’s team made their debut in 2011 at FanQuest—an event run by Special Olympics Virginia. With almost 1,500 fans in attendance at the first game, the event has always been one that both McLean students and the community look forward to.

“The whole idea was to give it sort of a college-level experience, that kind of camaraderie, fanfare, just like a really big rivalry game similar to us and Langley,” Thompson said. “[At FanQuest], we had the cheerleaders from Mason, we had the Capitals mascot, and just a lot of people.”

After attending FanQuest for four years, Thompson decided to create his own event for McLean. With the welcoming atmosphere that Thompson identified in McLean students, he felt that the event

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Michael Shank #15

EXPERIENCE: 5 years FAVORITE PART: playing in front of friends and family ROLE MODEL: Mr. Thompson BIGGEST FAN: parents BIGGEST CHALLENGE: the opposing team PREGAME ROUTINE: cheering with teammates

would be well received.

“I think it takes the kids a little bit to get used to this kind of [spirit]. I think they get nervous, they get scared,” Thompson said.

“And then all of a sudden they just let it all go and just start playing and it’s fun.”

In collaboration with Best Buddies, as well as the rest of the administration, FanFest has become a popular recurring event at McLean. The varsity dance team and the classic halftime half-court shootout add to the experience.

“It’s really neat how the school has rallied around the whole thing,” Thompson said.

With their season starting in November, the McLean Special Olympics team has played four games thus far. FanFest is their last game of the season.

“It’s going to be bittersweet this year because a lot of our team is leaving—they’re going to the Davis Center, so this will be the last time they’re all going to get to play together,” Payne said.

In addition to a basketball team, McLean’s special education program offers a soccer and running team.

“I also play on the soccer team, but FanFest is a big game so it’s my favorite,”

Abby Criswell #12

EXPERIENCE: 4 years FAVORITE PART: helping the team ROLE MODEL: LeBron James BIGGEST FAN: family BIGGEST CHALLENGE: someone fouling her PREGAME ROUTINE: listening to Imagine Dragons

Photos courtesy of Mark Thompson | Page design by Talia Blakemore

post-graduate Michael Shank said. “I also like playing with my best friend Ben Shue.”

Excited fans bring signs and Fatheads for their favorite players.

“It’s just a great opportunity for them to do what the basketball team gets to do 20 times a year and the football team gets to do 10 times a year. The kids absolutely love it,” Thompson said.

At the end of the 2018 FanFest game, the student section rushed the court and created a tunnel for the players.

“The kids come up to me and say, ‘Did we win?’ And I say, ‘Yes, absolutely,’ [because] that means you’ve truly given everything you’ve got because you haven’t been paying attention [to the score],” Thompson said.

Regardless of the score, players and fans alike come together to celebrate the efforts made by Special Olympics.

“It’s not about winning or losing,” Payne said. “It’s just about doing your best and that’s all we ask for.”

CHECK OUT thehighlandernews.com FOR FANFEST GAME COVERAGE!

Peter Connors #14

EXPERIENCE: 6 years FAVORITE PART: helping the team score and having fun ROLE MODEL: Robbie Bianco BIGGEST FAN: Best Buddies and Jackie LeVasseur BIGGEST CHALLENGE: speed PREGAME ROUTINE: drinking Gatorade and Powerade

MARCH | SPORTS | 39

Swinging for success Baseball team sets lofty goals this spring NICKY VARELA REPORTER cLean’s baseball program is one of the school’s most impressive sports, obtaining a number of regular season records over this past decade. Now in their sixth season under head coach John Dowling, the Highlanders plan to improve on last year’s solid record.

“We had a really good season, beating Langley both times and making it to the playoffs,” sophomore Nick Norton said.

Nine seniors graduated last season, among them Max Groppe and Grant Williams. Both are pursuing their baseball careers in college.

“We had a really, really great class of seniors that are going to be really hard to replace, but we’ve got a lot of returning guys that have been starting for a year or two, so we think we have the pieces there to try to

M

replace them,” Dowling said. “We’re gonna have to figure out our pitching situation and replace those 90-odd innings that graduated last year.”

Historically, the program has been successful due to its pitching and defense.

“When things are going good, we’re winning games because we’re throwing well and playing good defense,” Dowling said.

“Our goal is always to be the best defensive team in the region, and I think we have another opportunity to do that this year.”

With the emergence of a new starting lineup, Dowling is also hopeful about the possibility of expanding the team’s strengths.

“We have the potential to be a much stronger offensive team than we’ve had the last couple years,” Dowling said. “We’ve got some guys that can really move.”

Coming off a 14-7 record in their last season, expectations for the team are certainly high—especially from the players themselves.

“Our lineup is looking pretty dirty, so I’m expecting a great season,” junior Tio Graybill said.

Achieving these high standards is no easy task; winning a title in a region with 16 other schools takes a strong determination to win.

Luckily for McLean’s varsity team, it seems as though they’re ready to take on the challenge this year.

“We just need to believe in ourselves and focus in on practice and let the work we put in speak for itself on game day,” Graybill said. “We did lose a great group of seniors, but we still have more potential than last year with this lineup in my opinion.”

making it to regionals this year,” Simon said.

“States is definitely something we want to get to, but it will be a hard challenge.”

One of the many challenges for the team this year is being able to work together effectively after losing talented seniors and gaining new players.

“In the beginning of the year, it’s going to be hard for us to work together and come together because we took a lot of new girls—

we took four freshmen, so we have 17 girls on our team,” Socknat said. “It’s going to be hard to try to work together.”

Although it will require lots of practice and hard work to achieve what they did last year, the girls are willing to do anything they can to accomplish it.

“The team is preparing by working really hard [in] practice and staying focused,” Simon said.

Softball team hits for the fences this season ADDIE BROWN FEATURES EDITOR JACK SHIELDS SPORTS EDITOR

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oftball is hoping to follow up one of their most successful seasons to date after reaching states. This was just one of many great seasons for the team, who finished with an astounding 22 wins and just four losses.

Unfortunately, their campaign came to a disappointing end with a loss to Madison in the state semifinals. This season, the team is training hard and expects to make a comeback.

“Most of the girls on our team play travel softball, so they play year-round,” senior Riley Simon said. “This definitely helps them for the high school season.”

The team has been training in order to work better as both a team and as individual players.

“We’ve been having our practices every day, we have been training, doing situations, stuff like that,” sophomore Elena Socknat said. “We have been really working on individual positions and trying to work together.”

Players aspire to have even greater success than last season. Making it back to states, however, will certainly be a difficult task.

“I think we have a very good chance of

BUNTING FOR BASES — Senior Heather Geisler bunts at softball practice on March 14. The night before, the team won 14-0 against Chantilly.

Page design by Addie Brown | Photo by Anna Brykczynski

MARCH | SPORTS | 41

The students behind the sports Three team managers explain their roles Nick Barrett Girls Varsity Basketball Manager

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hen Nick Barrett first transferred to McLean in November of his junior year, he was eager to play basketball, but these plans were derailed when he realized he missed tryouts. He moved on and became a manager for girls varsity basketball—a more substantial job than most people realize.

“They were like, ‘Nick, you’re just the manager, your job is just to do water,’ and I was like, ‘No, you already have somebody else that does that. Her name is Ellie; she does the water and she does the book for your team. I’m actually here to help out,’” Barrett said.

Caroline French Varsity Baseball Manager

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enior Caroline French has been involved with baseball her entire life. She grew up watching it and began to actually play at an early age.

Unfortunately, she was not able to make the softball team her sophomore year, so she turned to managing as a way to still be connected with the sport. “[Not making the team] was kind of a curse, but also a blessing,” French said. “I found a place where they actually valued me and it felt really good.”

French’s baseball experience, however, didn't completely prepare her for her responsibilities in

Abby Dimmick

A

Indoor Track Manager

bby Dimmick has been running track since third grade, but in her senior year she decided not to continue running.

“It was really freshman year that I started getting more serious and competitive with it and it started to give me really bad anxiety before races like to the point where I would throw up before every single race,” Dimmick said. “Ultimately I decided my mental health was more important, so I decided to work to try new sports.”

This tough decision did not mean that she wanted to quit the team entirely.

42 | SPORTS | MARCH

At first, the team was hesitant to respond to a student coach, yet as Barrett began to prove his value to the team, they began to warm up to him.

“I led drills in practice, [and] sometimes I would give recommendations in the game—pep talks, stuff like that,” Barrett said.

As a student, he was able to create and maintain personal connections to the players he coached. Seeing his team win district championships was Barrett’s favorite memory from this experience.

“I mean, they’re my family; I’m just going to put that out there,” Barrett said. “I actually cried, because I was just so happy to be a part of something that I never [had before].”

Barrett is hoping to return as manager next year for another season with his “family.” managing the sport, but she didn’t let that slow her down.

“I am very educated in baseball, but some of the terminology that the coaches used I had never heard before,” French said. “I took on the responsibility of teaching the other managers what terminology meant as soon as I learned it, I took control of the score-book during games [and]we did announcing that I helped with.”

At times, French found it difficult not to overstep.

“I’ve learned that it’s important to have responsibility, but at the same time, you’re not the coach, so sometimes [you have to] step back and let things happen,” French said.

“If something exciting happens...you just enjoy the excitement [with] them,” French said.

“The sport had always been a huge part of my life so I wanted to continue to be involved even if I wasn’t running,” Dimmick said.

Dimmick knew that being a manager would involve a lot of responsibility, but her presence as a veteran of track made it easy for her to be embraced by the team. Her importance was apparent almost immediately when practices started.

“I think managers are really important because it’s another student [people on the team] can relate to and is there to cheer them on,” Dimmick said.

At the end of the season, Dimmick even received a track jacket with the word “manager” embroidered on it. This sign of her vital role on the team is one of her favorite memories from her time as a manager and one she is sure to keep around.

Reporting, photos & page design by Jessica Opsahl-Ong

Would you recommend being a manager?

“If anybody wants to feel a part of something special like that brings to you; it just gives you so much joy. I would definitely recommend that.”

-Nick Barrett

“If you have the time to put into a sport, I’d definitely suggest managing. It is a lot of time commitment.”

-Caroline French

“It’s a really good opportunity to be involved in sports you enjoy or if you want to be involved in some kind of after-school activity.” -Abby Dimmick

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE TEDDY MERRITT JUNIOR // BASEBALL // PITCHER WHY DID YOU START PLAYING BASEBALL? I started playing baseball because I would always watch it with my dad and I thought it would be fun.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF PLAYING BASEBALL? My favorite memory playing baseball was [a tournament in] Cooperstown, New York, consisting of over 100 teams. Playing against teams from all over the country was an awesome experience.

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF BASEBALL? The most difficult aspect of baseball is the mental game. The mental aspect of baseball is just as important as the physical aspect.

Keeping a positive mindset, having confidence in yourself and knowing how to deal with adversity is crucial in baseball.

“

KEEPING A POSITIVE MINDSET, HAVING CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF AND KNOWING HOW TO DEAL WITH ADVERSITY IS CRUCIAL IN BASEBALL.”

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF BASEBALL? The most rewarding part of baseball is winning a hard-fought game. Winning a hard-fought game feels so rewarding because you know the team gave their all and stayed focused.

Winning feels a lot better when you know it was well-deserved and battled out.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN CONTINUING BASEBALL IN COLLEGE? I am very interested in continuing baseball in college because I want to play with and against the best of the best. I would love to play at an ACC school, specifically Virginia Tech, Duke or UNC. These schools really stick out to me as they are competitive academically and athletically. Their student life and school spirit really stuck out to me as well.

HOW HAS BASEBALL INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE OFF THE FIELD? Baseball requires a lot of social and leadership skills which have helped me as a person because these skills branch out to many different aspects. It could help me succeed in school and at a job. Overall, it is very important to attain these skills no matter what you’re doing. Baseball has influenced my life in a positive way because it is something I strive to be better at and love what I do. I work on it every day of the year and it never gets old.

Page design by Imani McCormick Reporting by Ben Brooks | Photo courtesy of Teddy Merritt

MARCH | SPORTS |43

THE

FINISH LINE

How well does the boys lacrosse team know their coach?

We asked two team captains questions about Brian Simmons.

LACROSSE WHAT IS COACH SIMMONS’...

FAVORITESPORT FAVORITE DRINK FAVORITE DREAM SUPERHERO VACATION FBEST AVORITE VEGETABLE LACROSSE POSITION CELEBRITY CRUSH FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME FAVORITE BAND BREAK SPRING

DESTINATION

GAS STATION PERSONAL SNACK CATCHPHRASE

44 | SPORTS | MARCH

BRIAN SIMMONS

DAVID ONYEJEKWE

ZACH CHUNG

HOCKE MILK Y

LACROSSE DIET COKE

SOCCE RDEW MOUNTAIN

NEW ZEALAND OR SUPERMAN NORTHERN LIGHTS

THE MOUNTAINS BATMAN

SWITZERLAND HULK

BROCCOLI LSM

CARROTS D-POLE

CARROTS DEFENSE

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY “HELLS BELLS”

GEORGE CLOONEY “IN THE AIR TONIGHT”

MATT DAMON “GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN”

GRATEFUL DEAD McLEAN LACROSSE FIELD

GRATEFUL DEAD NEW JERSEY

GRATEFUL DEAD BUSCH GARDENS

IF YOU’RE SOUR CREAM WALKING, & ONION CHIPS YOU’RE WRONG OR GUMMIES

ENDLINE DORITOS

VARSITY HEAD COACH

SENIOR CAPTAIN

SENIOR CAPTAIN

HOT FRIES & ICE CHECK, SOUR PATCH BEST CHECKKIDS

Photos & reporting by Pran Kittivorapat Page design by Anya Chen & Maren Kranking