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December 2010
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Features
Places to spend time during the holiday season
Reston Town Center is nearby and offers ice skating page 11
thepurpletide4201 stringfellow road, chantilly, va 20151deCembeR 17, 2010 | issue 4
views......................4 academics...........8 features............11 in-depth..............12 arts & style......15 sports..................20
taking the time to give back means that those people in need have something to look forward to during this season.
s e v e n w a y s t o g i v e
“ “
1 2 5 643 7
arts & style
The Gaylord National Resort is hosting the ice show until Jan. 9Familiar characters such as the Grinch were made in icepage 15
’Tis the season to give
volunteer your time at a soup
kitchen or homeless shelter
participate in our neighbor’s child by donating a gift
card
donate toys to the marine toys for tots program at fairfax corner
send a care package to a
person or family in need
plan and decorate for a holiday party at a nursing home
donate to the salvation army bell ringers or become one
yourself
donate to the winter
coat drive at a Birkenstock
store
page 12
Senior Natalie Jamison
photo By JANE MUIR
1
3 4Basketball vs .T.C. Williams (Girls: Away, Boys: Home)7:45 p.m.
5Wrestling vs. Fauquier (Away)6 p.m.Wrestling vs. Robinson (Away)7:30 p.m.It’s Academic at South Lakes
6Interact Meeting2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.Spanish Club meeting
7Chantilly Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Basketball v. Robinson (Girl: Away, Boys: Home)7:30 p.m.
8/9Chantilly Model UN7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
10 11Basketball vs. Oakton (Girls: Away, Boys: Home)7:30 p.m.
12NHS Induction5 p.m.-10 p.m.Wrestling vs. Oakton (Away)7:30 p.m.
13Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.
14Basketball vs. Centreville (Girls: Home, Boys: Away)7:30 p.m.
15/16It’s Academic- QuizBowl at Edison
17Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
18Basketball vs. Westfield (Girls: Home, Boys: Away)7:30 p.m.
19Wrestling vs. Herndon (Home)7:30 p.m.
20Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.Spanish Club meeting
21Winters Children’s Show
Basketball v. Herndon (Girls: Away, Boys: Home)7:30 p.m.
22/23Winters Children’s Show
24 25 26Wrestling vs. Centreville (Home)7:30 p.m.
27Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.Basketball vs. Robinson (Girls: Home, Boys: Away)7:30 p.m.
M T W T F S/S
2011January
2 news decemeBer 17, 2010
Corrections• Grace Gioglio’s name was misspelled on the front page of Academics• The staff editorial cheating photo was taken by Kevin Nguyen, not molly Price• Sophomore John Downey is incorrectly labeled as a senior and Alex Johnson is not labeled as a junior on the front page of Arts and Style Ne
ws in
brief
according to uva today, during the fall of 2011, seniors will have the opportunity to apply early action to uva. students who apply early action will receive decisions before april 1. The early action deadline will be nov. 1, 2011.
NCTE writers UVA early actionin november, the ncte contest selected students to write a prompt in order to qualify for the next step of the competition. The students put together a portfolio to be chosen for the next round. finalists were juniors christine helms, olivia colella, ariana mollers, and diana digangi.
NEED A VOCAL TUNE-UP OR DEMO RECORDING?
work with an experienced teacher and performer
2004 TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDCREDITS: Opera, Broadway, Jazz, Pop & Re-
cordingsLORETTA GILES
BRAVURA PRODUCTIONS: [email protected]
1
3 4Basketball vs .T.C. Williams (Girls: Away, Boys: Home)7:45 p.m.
5Wrestling vs. Fauquier (Away)6 p.m.Wrestling vs. Robinson (Away)7:30 p.m.It’s Academic at South Lakes
6Interact Meeting2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.Spanish Club meeting
7Chantilly Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Basketball v. Robinson (Girl: Away, Boys: Home)7:30 p.m.
8/9Chantilly Model UN7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
10 11Basketball vs. Oakton (Girls: Away, Boys: Home)7:30 p.m.
12NHS Induction5 p.m.-10 p.m.Wrestling vs. Oakton (Away)7:30 p.m.
13Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.
14Basketball vs. Centreville (Girls: Home, Boys: Away)7:30 p.m.
15/16It’s Academic- QuizBowl at Edison
17Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
18Basketball vs. Westfield (Girls: Home, Boys: Away)7:30 p.m.
19Wrestling vs. Herndon (Home)7:30 p.m.
20Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.Spanish Club meeting
21Winters Children’s Show
Basketball v. Herndon (Girls: Away, Boys: Home)7:30 p.m.
22/23Winters Children’s Show
24 25 26Wrestling vs. Centreville (Home)7:30 p.m.
27Model UN2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.Model Judiciary2:15 pm.- 4 p.m.Basketball vs. Robinson (Girls: Home, Boys: Away)7:30 p.m.
M T W T F S/S
2011January
2 news decemeBer 17, 2010
Corrections• Grace Gioglio’s name was misspelled on the front page of Academics• The staff editorial cheating photo was taken by Kevin Nguyen, not molly Price• Sophomore John Downey is incorrectly labeled as a senior and Alex Johnson is not labeled as a junior on the front page of Arts and Style Ne
ws in
brief
according to uva today, during the fall of 2011, seniors will have the opportunity to apply early action to uva. students who apply early action will receive decisions before april 1. The early action deadline will be nov. 1, 2011.
NCTE writers UVA early actionin november, the ncte contest selected students to write a prompt in order to qualify for the next step of the competition. The students put together a portfolio to be chosen for the next round. finalists were juniors christine helms, olivia colella, ariana mollers, and diana digangi.
NEED A VOCAL TUNE-UP OR DEMO RECORDING?
work with an experienced teacher and performer
2004 TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDCREDITS: Opera, Broadway, Jazz, Pop & Re-
cordingsLORETTA GILES
BRAVURA PRODUCTIONS: [email protected]
3newsissue 4
By JANE MUIRlight reflected from the sparkling garlands that
surrounded every balcony and staircase in the old post office pavilion in washington, d.c. The great christmas tree on the center stage shined in all gold, a cancer victim’s name, age and hometown written on each golden ribbon.
christmas trees, lights and booths of activities and gifts contributed to the holiday dc candle-lighters event on dec. 11, a ceremony for young cancer patients and their families, sponsored by the childhood cancer foundation. approxi-mately 30 chantilly students and faculty members
volunteered at the event through the “11 for 11” service projects.
volunteers assisted with food preparation, arts and crafts, fun games for the children and event security.
“it is not every day that you get to help children with cancer, and it just makes their day better,” junior sahar Jawadi said. “i was a part of the food group, so we just cut up food and distributed it to the people.
The event began with a tree-lighting ceremony and commemoration of the cancer victims.
singers, pianists, a juggler and a unicyclist provided entertainment for the guests.
“we got to hear a lot of touching stories about kids who have been affected by cancer both those who are still affected by it, survivors as well as those who lost their lives to cancer,” senior class sponsor meredith norris said.
Lighting the path for cancer awareness
By SUZY ESTRADAas anyone who has
walked the path behind the track near greenbriar west elementary school knows, it is often a difficult trek. The slightest precipitation leaves the path muddy for days and days and only gets compounded during the wet, snowy winter months.
Junior diana saffarini came up with the idea to repave the path while walk-ing to school. as a member of the executive board of the sga’s beautification agency, it is saffarini’s job to think of ways to improve the school’s overall appearance. “i walk across the track each day because i park my car at a friend’s house in the morn-ing, and i was thinking about what project we could take on,” saffarini said. “one day as i was walking to my car, i remembered how muddy the area gets when it’s been rain-ing, so i decided to suggest the idea of getting an asphalt path there.”
The beautification agency is trying to repave other paths around the school.
“we’re doing greenbriar west and trying to get a path from the crosswalk and the path by the cafeteria door,” dreyer said. “we also want to make one by the band room.”
principal James Kacur overheard the beautifica-tion agency’s ideas and has decided to play a role in this process.
“when the beautification agency submitted the path proposal to administration, mr. Kacur happened to be in a meeting with the person in charge of pedestrian safety after the expansion of string-fellow,” saffarini said. The starting and ending dates of the new construction are still being determined by the beautification agency.
By MoNIcA vUoNgThis year on dec. 13, 14 and 15, chantilly’s
leadership classes volunteered at a local non-profit, community-based organization named our neighbor’s child. The goal of our neighbor’s child is to help support families who cannot afford to provide their children with gifts for the upcoming holidays. when our neighbor’s child first opened, they were only able to help about 30 families with needs of gifts for the holiday season. today, they have grown to help over 2,300 families in the centreville, chantilly, clifton and fairfax area.
“we do this because it’s a great thing to do and we reach out to a lot of people in our community and it really does make a difference to families and kids who are less fortunate during this time of the year,” senior tania Bordcosh said.
The leadership classes at chantilly have been
helping out with our neighbor’s child for years now and continue to do so.
“we collect wrapping paper for the organiza-tion and last year we collected over 1000 rolls.” said Bordcosh, “They use the wrapping to give to the families to wrap the presents that are donated by various sponsors and donators.”
The students helping out with our neighbor’s child help the organization sort toys and gifts, un-load the gifts off the truck into the warehouse, sort out new donated clothes and help with inventory.
another volunteer project that the leadership classes do for the holiday season is turkey bas-kets. each agency within each leadership class is assigned a family that needs extra help putting a Thanksgiving meal on the table.
after the students are assigned a family, they must contact the family and figure out the families likes, needs, wants and allergies.
New laws enacted
New VA laws may affect students and teacherswho drive to school
Possible path
pavementRepaving the path will
benefit those who walk to school.
SGA finds ways to give backSGA gives back to society through a program called “Our
Neighbor’s Child” which helps the less fortunate.
DC Candlelighters raise cancer patient awareness as one of the 11 for 11 service projects for the
senior class of 2011.
1. Families affected by cancer shared their touching stories during the DC Candlelighters event on Dec.11. Food and entertainment were provided. 2. Junior Sahar Jawadi watches from the Old Post Office Pavilion balcony at the opening ceremony. 3. (From left) Seniors Simone Walker, Tiffany Mitchell and Courtney Quick prepare a cheese platter for guests. Volunteers assited with food preparations, event security and working the arts and crafts stands.
1.
2.
3.
By chRISTINA cASTlEnew driving laws in vir-
ginia went into effect July 1 that may have an effect on the driving habits of young teenage drivers.
one of these laws explains that any applicant for a driver’s license must show they have successfully completed an in-classroom driver safety course provided for them by their school with a parent or guardian.
according to the partners for safe teen driving (pstd), in virginia, 562 unbelted, backseat passengers ages 16 to 18 were injured from 2006 through 2008 in virginia, and 22 passengers were killed.
another major problem growing among teenagers and adults today is distracted driv-ing.
The pstd traffic and safety program explained that talking on the phone increased the possibility of a crash by four times. text messaging also increases the risk of a crash by 23.3 times. also, 46 percent of teenagers admitted to texting while driving.
“it is very hard for your brain to multitask because most tasks use the same part of the brain,” driver’s education teacher Kristina plaugher said.
virginia residents under the age of 18 must attend a driving safety course with their parent or guardian.
making sure that a poten-tial driver takes this course is essential because anyone interested in getting their license before they turn 18 is not eligible to take Behind the wheel.
after completing the course, the student receives a certifi-cate or “green card” to prove that they have successfully completed the course.
“i think it [the course] helped my mom more than me,” sophomore christina mirda said. “she didn’t know that you are supposed to keep your hands down low on the steering wheel.”
photos By JANE MUIR
Members of Leadership provide gifts for children whose families cannot afford to provide their children with gifts for the holidays. Leadership classes volunteer with many other community-service projects such as creating Thanksgiving turkey baskets for families who cannot afford to provide an entire Thanksgiving meal for their families.
dec. 17, 2010Views
Staff Editorial
Dear Santa,
• Peace from college applications
• Patience in waiting to receive
college acceptance letters
• Casual conversations with fellow students NOT involving the words ‘college’, ‘GPA’ or ‘Common App’• Less stress-induced psychotic lash-outs at the parents
• Time to dedicate to friends
• One day to sleep in until noon• Time to clean out my car
Although I wish for world peace, a better economy,
jobs for all families, less poverty and a decent meal for
everyone on Christmas, I have just a few particular
requests for this holiday season.
By Jane muir
after spending countless hours walking the mall, using leftover birthday money, searching for that perfectly balanced gift between funny and thoughtful, you would expect to receive a gift worthy of all your efforts, because you deserve it. oh, the terrible disappointment you feel when you open a gift and inside is an item you clearly remember giving to another friend two weeks prior. The lines of gift giving etiquette have always been blurred, especially during the holiday season.
what is the appropriate amount of money to spend on a secret santa? when is it okay to accept the gift without anything to give in return? here are the answers to these christmas confusions.
defining spending limits between friends is crucial. you don’t want that awkward moment when your obvious efforts devour your friend’s measly attempt of a decent gift. Be aware of the money situation in your circle of friends. for secret santa gifts, a good range is between $10 and $20. when shopping for personal gifts for friends, the minimum should be around $20. remember how much you spend can reveal how important that person is to you.
gifts not only show how much you value someone, but certain gifts have implied meanings that you should always stay from. athletic gear can be interpreted by the receiver as “hit the gym!” too many beauty products can be interpreted as “put more effort into your appearance.” academic related gifts can be interpreted as “try visiting the library more often.” unless they specifically asked for that
continued on page 6
’Tis the season...to be frugal
I SAW MoMMy KISSING SANTA ClAUSor, “i Saw MoMMy CoMMitting adultery”
teaching children to condone their mother kissing a man who clearly isn’t their father is utterly unforgivable.and if it’s supposed to be her husband dressed as santa claus, why would he be dressed up like that after the kid has
gone to bed?if it’s some fantasy, i have no right to judge, but let’s be real, here. it’s a little creepy. (a lot, actually.)
lITTlE DRUMMER Boywhat’S the Banging aBout?
some child is being forced to bang on the drum all day long. to me, it sounds like some kind of sick code, pa rum pum pum pum.
GRANDMA GoT RUN oVER By A REINDEERPutting the laughter in ManSlaughter
why would you let your grandma wander out the door into the snow? she forgot her medication—she’s obviously in a frail state, get it for her! safety in numbers.
also, if you really cared and you were really begging, then you would’ve gone out with her. she had too much egg nog for christmas’ sake!
WINTER WoNDERlANDglaMorization of Shotgun weddingS
I get that winter is really fun, and when it’s gorgeous outside, you’re just super happy, but you should never be so eager to jump into marriage. It’s obviously twisted slant on shotgun marriages.
Also, who the hell is Alan Parson and what powers are invested in him that allow him to marry two people on a winter’s day?
SANTA ClAUS IS CoMING To ToWN
Stalking Childrensanta should not be so omniscient
and omnipresent. it’s unsettling. does he know when i’m asleep or in the shower? while he’s looking out for our best interest, ensuring that the naughty and nice children get what they deserve, there’s a fine line between vigilant and orwellian.
also, i’ll shout, cry and pout all i want, i don’t care about santa’s where-abouts.
BABy, IT’S ColD oUTSIDECondoneS date raPe
Need I say more? The entire song is a man trying to seduce a woman (or, at the end of the song, a trollop) into sin. And he does so successfully, by slipping a roofie in her beverage and using something as pure and pristine as snow to keep her from escaping his influence.
Every time children hear this song, they’re learn-ing to condone the drugging of women during the holiday season for their own sexual gratification.
SANTA BABygold digging woMen with
queStionaBle MoralS Beguiling Menstop seducing santa. he’s a married man, he’s extremely
busy, and you’re a selfish wench.Those golden rings in “The 12 days of christmas” were
probably the collected by this santa slut in her home wreck-ing affairs. it’s probably the mom from “i saw mommy Kissing santa claus.”
“ “santa cutie, there’s one thing that i really need the deed to a platinum mine, santa cutie, and
hurry down the chimney tonight.
WhITE ChRISTMASiMPoSeS white SuPreMaCiSt idealS
Some people don’t like snow. Maybe they want warm browns and greens and blues like a beautiful tropical island. Why do you have to go immediately to white? Why is a White Christmas the only acceptable kind of Christmas? There are more climates than tundras (frozen and dry) and mystical deciduous forests.
Christmas songs are naughty, not niceBy ShANNoN lINfoRD
caught up in the frivolity of the holiday season, people drink their christmas beverages without question, hum their hymns and mindlessly cackle their carols, not giving a second thought to what it is they’re singing.
These cute little jingles actually reveal a hidden agenda to lead children fur-ther off the moral path of righteousness, during the holiday season no less.
christmas songs are not messages of love and good cheer. They’re laced with hidden meanings, glorifying heathen lifestyles and full of adulterous activity.
Do yoU hEAR WhAT I hEAR?MoCking the deaf
The entire song is continuously harassing people, imploring to know if they hear the sounds going on. This isn’t a verizon commercial. There’s no need for “can you hear me now? good.”
one question regarding whether we can hear things should suffice, but thanks for the patronizing. i appreciate it.
“ “
she’d been drinkin’ too much egg nog, and we’d begged her not to go but she’d left her medication, so she stumbled out the
door into the snow.
WhAT ChIlD IS ThIS?Kidnapping (get it?)
if you have a child sleeping in your lap, you should know who it is, unless it landed on your lap in which case you should contact the authorities.
• A healthy form of caffeine
• Peace with SGA :)
• A snow day without e-mails from teachers or blackboard posts
A mini-wish-list
5viewsissue 4
By MIRANDA lEUNg
I’ve often pondered why teenagers are given a bad name, why we are often frowned upon by so-called adults, why the word “teenager”
often has negative connotations. It became clear to me. We just want to live, but how can we when societal expectations have a stranglehold on our very lives? And so we try we try to break free, we take every moment of thrill and happiness that we can
get. We grab for every chance that makes our hearts race. Perhaps the rest of society has forgotten what it feels like to live. I feel that we are pacing endlessly within a cage,
merely existing instead of living.
Caged.
photos Bymiranda leung
Santa
CensorshipBy NINA MoRENo
orget hatBy EMIlY hARgREAvES
twitter. flickr. tumblr. formsrping. youtube. vimeo. facebook. most of my friends have accounts on at least three of the above websites, i have some that have accounts on all. it is pure madness; it is unnecessary for the average person. most of the websites are created for professionals to share the work they have accomplished. let me specify:
why do i want a twitter? so that i can tell people when i am going to the bathroom? i can understand politicians,
musicians, publishers and other people of the professional sort to use this website to inform fans of upcoming affairs. however, this does not mean that i need one, why do i want to tell people what i am doing every day. people don’t care.
flickr allows you to post any type of picture you want and share it with the world. i understand this
for professional and aspiring artists and photographers. for me, i do not understand why people tell me i “need” to get a flickr. i use it to look at pictures other people take, but i am not an aspiring artist or photographer so i really have no purpose of sharing my photographs with the world.
tumblr is a website i do not even understand. i feel as though people create accounts from pure boredom. perhaps it is so that
people can feel as though other people actually care about the useless things they say. in reality, i don’t care if you found yet another picture of a celebrity you find attractive. if you are my friend, i probably already know you think they are attractive. if you are not my friend, i do not care about your unhealthy obsession. although, i must admit i have a tumblr, but i do not update it every time i find something amusing on the internet.
formspring is described by one word: scary. Think about it, anonymous people ask you questions and you answer “honestly.” Then, if
they decide to follow you they can see every question that you have been asked, as well as your “honest” answers and receive notification when you answer another question.
vimeo is another website i don’t fully understand. i understand the posting videos thing, but what makes it better than youtube.
why do i need an account on either vimeo or youtube if i am not uploading videos? sure, i occasionally have videos that i record, but it is things that only my friends and i would find entertaining.
facebook is like a combination of every website listed above. i can post videos and pictures, and with both i can decide who can see
them. i can “like” pages people have created for celebrities, movies, etc. that i am a fan of. i can stay in touch with friends. i can let people know what is going on in my life if i choose to bother people with frequent status updates. i can make a public page for myself if i am a professional or aspiring writer, artist, musician, etc. my question for you is: what is the point of having accounts on all of these websites? why do i “need” accounts on all of them?
The way i see it, i do not need any of these websites, and quite frankly, i can’t even keep up. i am constantly bombarded with new websites to post even more, essentially useless garbage that nobody but me actually cares about.
By STEfANIE fElDMANever since i was a little kid, i’ve been utterly obsessed
with harry potter. i dressed as hermione for halloween, hung the movie posters in my room and took the online “sorting hat” quiz until i got into gryffindor (hufflepuff is not acceptable) but most enjoyable of all were the midnight book and movie releases that i attended like the potterhead i am.
it was the height of the summer and as well as on my face, magic was in the air. or maybe that was just an ozone alert. either way, my friends and i were psyched to stand in a long line of sweaty nerds. i was only fifth or so from the front of the line at Barnes and noble to read the last “harry potter” book, “harry potter and the deathly hallows.”
i had spent most of my life waiting for that moment. when i finally got my hands on the book, i cracked the spine and inhaled deep of its glorious “new paper” smell. Then i got home, heated up a slice of leftover pizza and began to read. i was too tired to get very far, though, and left it on the couch as i shambled off to bed.
drifting to sleep that night i had no idea what the morning would bring. specifically, a fever of 102 degrees. i spent the day loafing around and trying to survive the plague that had spontaneously befallen me. it just didn’t add up; not only did i have the flu in the middle of the summer, but i didn’t even know anybody who could’ve conceivably given it to me. meanwhile, “harry potter and the deadly hallows” lay forlorn on the couch, a supermarket receipt marking my page.
time passed and i got better enough to want to read my book again. all that evening i was swallowed up in its excitement. The very next morning, however, i woke up to find that i’d thrown my back out. i was in excruciating
agony for about a week, and i spent most of it hanging upside down from the side of my bed. while doing so made my back feel better, it was not very conducive to reading a five-pound book so, again, i abandoned harry potter for a time.
hurting my back made absolutely no sense, though. i have no upper- or lower-, or any, body strength really, thus i shy away from physical activity. i hardly even help bring in the groceries from the store. (sorry, mom.) how could i have possibly wrenched my back when i don’t do anything that could lead to wrenching? all the while i felt his inky green eyes, so serene on the book sleeve, boring into my soul. it would not be an unfair assumption to say that they were glowing.
weeks passed and something was wrong. i knew that somehow, impossibly. harry potter was behind the various and inexplicable illnesses. and so i avoided him.
one day i jovially thought to myself that all of this was nonsense. it was hard to get over my obsession cold turkey, or cold hippogriff rather. i still loved harry potter. for god’s sake, i was a straight-up fanatic. letting my guard down, i began to read again.
The next morning i chipped a tooth on breakfast.That was the last straw. harry potter was soon
banished to my parents’ bookshelf. But even exile failed to dissuade his powerful reckoning. Because i, like an idiot, agreed to see the seventh and second-to-last “harry potter” movie, “harry potter and the deathly hallows part one”, with my friends for the midnight premiere.
The whole day leading up to the release brought suspiciously bad omens. in the hallway i was slammed into my a football jersey-clad boy; his halfhearted shrug and weak “sorry” did little to heal the bruise i could feel forming on my arm. at lunch i tripped over a backpack
and fell in a heap on the disconcertingly sticky tile. a grape smacked me in the forehead as i was walking to my bus. ok, now harry was just messing with me.
in the theater, i realized what had been behind my daylong bad luck. suddenly everything around me became potential death. my friends, however, seemed to think it very amusing to contemplate all the ways i could die that night. if the light suspended from the ceiling crashed, the heating vent could propel it the two yards needed to land right on top of me. in line for nachos a rabid badger could crash through the front window and attack me. The list goes on and on. with a package of oreos in one hand and my water bottle in the other, i prepared to meet my fate.
what did meet was an exquisite movie. no, really. it was wonderful.
we all started to call our parents as we dragged our limply exhausted bodies to the lobby. it was after three in the morning but so incredibly worth it, certain death notwithstanding.
“hey, stef. you didn’t even die,” my friend Kelli pointed out as we climbed into her mom’s mini-van.
“so sorry to disappoint you.”truthfully, i had almost forgotten about the curse.
could i be free? finally free? maybe whatever i had done to harry to deserve his unending vengeance was at long last forgiven.
“don’t worry,” she yawned and reclined her seat back to close her eyes. “This was only part one.”
Harry Potter is trying to kill me
6 views decemBer 17, 2010
certain pair of running shoes, stay clear of presents disguised as insults.
re-gifting sounds like such a questionable term. never, ever, re-gift items for your friends. But in moments of trouble when most of your money has already been spent on everyone else, re-gifting is acceptable for secret santa exchanges, like for people you do not know very well.
But what about that embarrassing moment when a friend brings you a gift and you have nothing to present back? unless this person is your significant other or best friend, this is okay. you can’t give the whole world a gift because you would end up broke and homeless. The lines for this rule are blurry when applied to guys. if a female friend gives a present to a guy, is he required to reciprocate? guys, it is alright to politely accept the gift and not give anything back. But if this female friend is your girlfriend, then you better be holding a secret gift behind your back. if are in a relationship, it is assumed without prior planning that you will be exchanging gifts.
also, homemade gifts, if done well, are just as good as store bought. a mixed cd is a great personal touch that you can add on to a gift that you did not feel was sufficient.
ultimately, do not let the frenzy of holiday spirit and pressure to buy gifts obscure your judgment. use common sense and common courtesy. remember, it should never be just about the gifts.
continued from page 4
The do’s and don’ts of gift giving
ThE PURPlE TIDE STAff editor-in-chief managing editor
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staff writers
adviser
Jane MuirMegan AmraenCaroline BaileySuzy EstradaSydney MahanMiranda leungStefanie FeldmanAstrid Da SilvaVy DoRuta TrivediDavid CooperKristen DiMarcoJosh WallaceGina SeymourMehsa TalebKevin Nguyen Molly PriceMonica Vuonghannah MakridisShannon linfordMatt PorterKsenia DomboChrsity harperChloe Cunninghamlindsey ErdmannStephanie MonahanKylie Buswell Christina CastleRanae Clements Ali Cooper Diana DiGangiStephanie Dolezal Erika GarciaEmily hargreavesAdithi KrishnamoorthySam MeierAriana MollersSean MoweryBretton Zinger
EDIToRIAl PolIcYThe mission of The purple tide is to provide an outlet for
student expression, present unbiased, in-depth news coverage, and inform and entertain students, faculty, staff and other members of the community. student journalists are required to promote responsible journalism and cannot violate the prohibition on written expression, contained in section c of chapter 1 and regulation 2612 of the fairfax county guidelines.
The purple tide is the official student-produced medium of news and information published and produced by Journalism 2-4 students. The purple tide has been established as a designated public forum for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. it will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. advisers may coach and discuss content during the writing process.
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all printed material will be subject to the review of the editorial Board. unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the editorial Board. otherwise, opinions expressed are not necessarily the views of the staff, editorial board or advisor.
we welcome letters to the editor, but only signed letters will be considered for publication. due to space limitations, not all letters will be published and we reserve the right to edit them for length as long as the meaning remains intact. materials that are considered gossip, illegal, libelous or profane by the editorial Board will not be printed. letters-to-the-editor should be emailed to [email protected] or sent to room 228 at chantilly high school.
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Society pressures weighing downBy ARIANA MollERS
we have become the society that has determined that the grades we make in middle
and high school as reckless, wild and inexperienced teenagers will dictate the amount of happiness we can
achieve in our future and for the rest of our lives.i have recently watched “The road to nowhere,” a
documentary by vickie abeles. The film brings the voices of the students to the front, revealing the huge secret
burden that society has loaded onto our generation’s backs: pressure.
The documentary shows stories of typical students admitting to falling into depression; this is a result of crushing
stress from the pressures to attain the highest grades and gpa possible, take the hardest classes to gain attention from colleges,
join every respectable club and excel at every sport. teachers and administrators confess that school has become this incredibly brutal
and vicious competition, a race to perfection and path to destruction. it forces students to religiously obsess about grades, panic before tests
as if each piece of paper will define the quality of human being they will become and get less hours of sleep than fingers on one hand. to be frank,
the stress is destroying our health.This pressure, almost blatant, is a result of parents who simply want the
best from their kids. it comes from our peers constantly brainwashing each other to believe that taking ap chemistry is the only way to succeed in life.
even the government looms over it all, with programs such as the no child left Behind, pounding against schools across the country for high test scores and better
results and above all else, the biggest pressure is placed by ourselves. what i find so frustrating is that colleges have become a ranked system. we only
care about getting into “the very best,” instead of finding the best fit or type for whatever we are interested in. certain schools are considered “worse”. i once mentioned that i was considering going to george mason university and the only reply i ever received was, “But you’re smarter than that! you need to go to uva or virginia tech!” The schools i am choosing to apply to are based off my interest in major, location and financial situation, rather than simply choosing a college due to its embellished reputation. many kids fall into this trap of superficiality where the logo and name mean more than the education.
i could relate so much with the film, and while it scares me to know that this is a growing problem in our country, it also makes me realize that i am not alone in these overwhelming, stressful feelings.
what can happen and what i want to see happen is society change its ideology and priorities. i want to see proficiency in the arts recognized to the same esteem as math and science one day. i ache for school to be about learning again, discovering and utilizing our passions and talents, not memorizing information for draining tests and being statistical numbers for state exams.
life is so beautifully fragile and short, we need to appreciate it more. we only experience high school once. all we want to do is enjoy it. Build excellence, but also create lasting memories along the way.
i urge my friends and peers to realize that numbers cannot accurately reflect how amazing, intelligent, talented and beautiful they all are. we seem to have forgotten this.
7viewsissue 4
500lbs
dec. 17, 2010academics
academics
Tricked-out cars showcase for Auto Collision class
Richard Markham from Ohio Technical College visited Chantilly’s Auto Collision classes to display cars that have special paint, radios and other featurespage 9
5 ways students get into the holiday spirit
By AlI cooPERrumors have been circulating for years that the
rising freshman class will be the first required to take four years of gym. as with other years, this rumor is false.
it has been confirmed throughout the athletic department that four years of physical education (p.e.) will not start with the class of 2015.
“There is no truth to the rumor,” physical educa-tion teacher Kurt sporkmann said. “That’s some-thing i’ve heard from the upperclassmen every year.”
although the rumor is not the truth, many of our own physical education teachers would support the idea of four years of p.e.
“as a physical education chair, we would love to have four years of physical education because it would double the number of staff members, which would give more opportunities for people to coach and be around the kids,” p.e. department chair Brent newell said.
if there were ever to be four years of p.e. required, it is believed that it would be four full quarters of p.e. without health for a quarter because seniors are taught health in their government class-es. however, there are options for students who do wish to continue in physical education classes such as weight training and weight training 2.
in other schools in the district there used to be classes that were presented for students who wanted to just do the units and games in p.e.
“it would be a good option to do advanced p.e. where it’s only activity,” p.e. teacher melissa Bibbee said. “i think the thing people like least about p.e. is the fitness they have to do in class.”
even though it is not believed that four years will happen, many people do think it would be good for the upcoming generations.
“i think it would be good for this generation to be able to work out for four years giving more opportunities to pick up on physical activities you could use throughout a life time,” newell said.
it in
By RUTA TRIvEDIThe week before winter break you are hoping to slack off
and take it easy. This becomes impossible to do when you realize that you have a major test in all of your core classes.
having many breaks during the months of december and January can lead to many teachers cramming major tests and quizzes in before breaks start. students have vary-ing opinions on the pressure cramming tests can cause. while some see it as beneficial to their grades, others would rather have the time over break to study for the test or quiz.
photo 3 students have two rolls of film due during each quarter. students are required to turn in 24 pictures before interims and 24 pictures after interims.
“i’m not sympathetic when i see kids sitting around doing nothing and i see all the work they should have done during the whole quarter in one week,” photo teacher Betty simmons said.
students have different opinions about potentially grade-altering tests right before a break.
“i like it better than having it [tests] right before break because i would forget everything over break,” junior Brenna ferris said.
other students, like junior mylan truong, have a prob-lem with many teachers cramming tests into the same week before a break.
“i don’t like how they give tests during the same week because they know other teachers are giving tests too,” truong said.
simmons disagrees saying that students should manage their time better.
“i always offer the same amount of work,” simmons said. “several students sit around all quarter rather than doing it.”
photo By RUTA TRIvEDI
During long breaks from school, students often forget material learned right before the break. As a result, teachers sometimes try to give all tests on the last days before the break, which can lead to work piling up for students in that week.
photo By AlI cooPER
As part of the curriculum, some students learn the skills involved in basketball. Students watch while others practice at the net and wait for their turn.
Gym requirements not increased despite rumor
Freshman class of 2015 will not be required to take four years of gym to graduate
Cramming
“For Christmas, we go to my aunt’s house, and we watch movies as a family while roasting marshmallows.”
sophomoreShawn Nguyen
“i dress up my dog in a Christmas sweater with bells so she can jingle with joy, and we go to a candle lighting show.”
JuniorRobbie Novak
“i celebrate with my family. We watch Christmas specials, decorate the tree, and we put lights in and around the house.”
seniorBerto Conn
“i celebrate by going to mass then dinner on Christmas Eve then opening presents at midnight.”
FreshmanMadeline Vargas
“i put up decorations with my parents and brothers. i also tell them what we do and memories from past years.”
JuniorAndrea Chavez
Teachers squeeze in tests and projects in the weeks before long breaks so students do not forget material or forget to study during their time off
1 2 3 4 5
photos By kSENIA DoMbo
9academicsissue 4
things you should know:
in exploring health Sciences, students...
10
1.
3.
2.
1. In Markham’s Live Air Brush Show: Revolution of Life, he worked on two cars and created one custom mobile air brush studio. In one car, he changed the wheel of a car to resemble a video game controller.
2. Markham airbrushes the outside of the cars as well as redesignes the inside. All Academy classes were invited to watch the show, which occurred on Dec. 9 and Dec. 10. Anyone was welcome to watch.
3. Markham turned a car radio into a gargoyle, placing speakers on its wings. Though representatives from Ohio Technical College visit Chantilly each year, this was Markham’s first year attending.
A different kind of art
Richard Markham of Ohio Technical College visited Chantilly’s Auto Collision class to show students cars he has turned into works of art
top Get certified as a health care provider and in CPR, first aid, blood borne pathogens and career safe.
1.
Become members of Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA).Learn how to draw blood from a mannequin.Learn how to give shots on a mannequin.Learn life skills like résumé writing and preparing for an interview.
Participate in medical office internships.Get two credits for the year: fall semester is Exploring Health Sciences, spring semester is Exploring the Language of Medicine.Go on a field trip to observe open-heart surgery.Learn about health care professions from a career counselor.
5.
3.
4.
2.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Provide hearing and eye screening test to all freshmen.
10.
510 academics decemBer 17, 2010
Should workload decide
class weight?While classes with the label of “Honors” receive a .5 bonus added to GPA, higher-level language
classes do not receive this bonus despite challenging curriculums and heavy workloads
By ASTRID DA SIlvAspending countless hours studying and reviewing vocabulary over and over, stu-
dents taking upper-level languages learn to balance a strenuous course while also exceeding in other challenging core classes. in order to obtain an advanced studies diploma, students must complete three
foreign language credits or two years of one language and two years of another. many students who continue on in a upper-level language take on a more challeng-
ing course load but feel they should get extra credit for their dedication. These students go
beyond the requirements, just like students who
choose in honors classes, but unlike honors classes,
they do not receive the extra .5 credit. But do these
upper-level languages re-ally deserve that attached
bonus?“yes. This definitely should be the case
because i’ve taken many honors classes and french 4 is one of the harder ones,” junior aman d’sousa said. “ap french gets a +1
anyways, so i think it would be fair to have the .5 modification.”The level of difficulty tends to increase in any level 4 or 5 language. most students
would not object to the weighting modification to help compensate for the work load.
“i do think we should get some sort of extra credit for it because three is the required amount for an
advanced diploma, and we’re going over advanced diploma and challenging ourselves more,” junior
nikki sandhu said. sandhu is in spanish 4 and said she is constantly bombarded by more work.
“i think some students are under the impression that because it’s not an hon-
ors course, because it’s an elective, it’s not a serious course,” spanish teacher
meredith alexander said.upper-level foreign language
classes are not just easy electives; they can be academically challeng-ing classes.
“as a language teacher, i would love for classes to receive honors credit,” alexander said. “i think that that would increase the stu-dent’s investment and dedica-
tion in the course.”students might be more
inclined to move on to upper-level languages if there was
this sort of compensation.“i think it would not
only make it more fair for the students in terms of their expectations of what
should be happening in that class,” alexander said. “But i also think that it would give the credit that’s due to world languages.”
some teachers believe that the type of work done in these classes does not deserve the added credit given to a gpa. no matter the work load or difficulty, language classes have
always had standard weighting in fairfax county. “level 4 is preparing you for college level but when you think about it, all of high school is either preparing you for college or preparing you for life,” span-
ish teacher nancy langley said. “you shouldn’t be given a reward for that.”
Chantilly Animal hospitalNorthern Virginia Veterinary Associates
Jay H. margolis, dVm• Adam S. Ainspan, DVM• martin Tohill, dVm• brenda Taddeo, dVm• Julie Nagel, dVm •
13705 lee Jackson Memorial hwy., Chan-tilly, VA 20151 (703) 802-8387 (703) 802-8390 faxwww.NovaVetPet.com
Other convenient NVVA locations:
Centreville Square Animal Hospital14215-L Centreville Square, Centreville,VA 20121(703) 222-9682 (703)222-8940 fax
Companion Animal Clinic10998 Clara Barton Drive, Fairfax Station, VA 22039(703)250-4100 (703)250-4145 fax
Falls Church Animal Hospital1249 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046
featuresWhat is the meaning of Christmas?
Christmas has changed over the years from giving and family bond to a focus on commercialization
page 12
in-depth
Catherine Aciojunior
“No, it’s a myth because there’s no scientific evidence to prove it and carrots have good properties for your health, but otherwise it’s just a myth. it will help a little but nothing significant.”
Fact: According to healthmad.com carrots contain beta carotene that becomes vitamin A which is absorbed by retinal cells, improving eyesight.
Fac
t
or
Fic
tio
n
“Yes, because the color of the carrot has a positive pigmentation that can improve eyesight.”
Andrew Bristolsenior
Do carrots help improve your eyesight?
dec. 17, 2010
1. The Festival of Lights at Bull Run park is an annual holiday event sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Aurhority every year. The light show is open from Nov. 24 to Jan. 9.
2. The song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was illustrated through lights at the Bull Run light show.
3. On Poplar Tree road, drivers can pull over to the shoulder and tune their radios to 97.7 to watch a light show, presented by Chantilly resident Led Stuart.
4. The festive environment at Reston Town Center is featured around a skating rink and an extravagant Christmas tree.
By MEhSA TAlEbchristmas is a celebration of Jesus’
birth over 2000 years ago. during this holiday season malls, ice skating rinks and homes are decorated with traditional ornaments such as christ-mas trees, wreaths and lights. in the united states, christmas was declared a federal holiday in 1870.
a major element of christmas is the belief in santa claus. from the moment they are born, children are told the legendary story of santa claus and his “naughty or nice list.” when they reach 12 years old, they discover that santa claus and the north pole are non-existent.
hanukkah is a celebration of the eight days and nights of commemoration of the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusa-lem. during these eight days and nights, families gather to light the menorah. after the holy temple was regained by the maccabeus, the soldiers were determined to purify the holy temple using their oil burning ritual, but they only had enough burning oil for one day. miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days.
however, hanukkah is one of the less important Jewish holidays, but it has become even more popular because it falls near christmas.
during hanukkah, families gather to light the menorah and spin the dreidel while eating potato pancakes called latkas.
Kwanzaa was created to bring together the african american community from dec. 26 to Jan. 1 to celebrate the first harvest of the season. during these seven days, african americans light their kinara and each night one of the seven principles is discussed.
The three colors of Kwanzaa, red, black and green, represent their struggle, the people and their hopes for the future. one candle on the Kinara is black and the other six are red and green.
Did you know? Everyone is open to celebrate Kwanzaa, even if you are not African-American.
Christmas Kwanzaa Hanukkah
1.
2. 3.
4.5. 6.
photos By kEvIN NgUYEN
the nights
Starry sightslight up
5. Spectators drive for two and a half miles, at Bull Run park, watching the light displays. Some of the light displays are based off different Disney movies but with a holiday twist.
6. Fair Oaks mall’s holiday decorations are based off the new movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Children are given the opportunity to pose with Santa Claus.
Different faiths
celebrate their
traditions and cultures
12 in-depth decemBer 17, 2010 13in-depthissue 4
The time honored tales of trekking through the woods to chop down a christmas tree and drag it home, traveling to grandma’s house in disastrous weather and having a house filled with distant relatives are all treasured christmas traditions.
in early childhood, christmas was a magical holiday centered on the beliefs of santa claus and his reindeer and anticipating that one special gift. as the year’s progressed and our imagina-tions wandered away from these beliefs, christmas time, along with the essential carols, candy cane and mistletoe, evolved into a more spirited season centered on the gift of giving—either through gifts or service work.
although the day after Thanksgiving has traditionally marked the beginning of the christmas shopping season, Black friday has marked the beginning of profitability for the retail industry since the 1970s. as retail industries depend more and more on the christmas season for their profit, the true meaning of christmas is distorted, questioned, but mostly embraced by americans.
The true meaning of christmas is often muffled as retailers seek to convince the public that certain products contribute to the spirit of christmas. This year’s christmas season was intro-duced to the public with the assistance of the media in promot-ing Black friday and cyber monday during the Thanksgiving holiday. approximately 212 million shoppers rushed to find the best bargains on Black friday, with stores opening earlier than ever, spending an average of $365.34 over the weekend according to the national retail federation.
television commercials provide their own image of what the holiday season should consist of—purchasing the most lavish decorations, an abundance of toys for children and the most cur-rent media devices. The idea of “giving” is often debated during this holiday season as americans purchase more products for the pleasure of their family or even themselves.
although the commercialization techniques of retail indus-tries often go overlooked during this time of year, americans conversely give back to the community through humanitarian efforts. volunteer work and donation projects contribute to the “giving” objective of the holiday season rather than the idea of receiving tangible gifts on christmas.
americans partake in volunteer work throughout the country during the weeks leading up to christmas and even on christ-mas day. even colleges and jobs have focused on the “giving” season at their annual holiday parties. an open discussion on the Brian lehrer show on dec. 7 documented several callers whose holiday parties have changed to benefit communities in need during the holiday season. a new york institute of tech-nology professor shared information about a club that hosted a cause-related holiday party. The club collected coats from friends, students and community members over the course of the holiday season. after collecting 100 coats, the club hosted a holiday party, “fashion with passion” in which they celebrated their donation to new york cares, a local donation company that gives back to local neighborhood children. The students were able to enjoy the same perks of a holiday party—food, entertainment and friends—but in the mindset of giving back to the needy.
although the focus of many americans is directed towards purchasing gifts for family members, friends, teachers or em-ployees, the commitment to volunteer work during christmas time continues.
has commercialization altered the true meaning of christmas? does the phrase “giving back” allude only to oneself during christmastime? service is a valuable component of the christmas season.
The time spent with relatives and friends through gift giving and christmas cheer contribute to the peaceful and joyous season embraced by all.
many families in our area are not as fortunate to live under a family’s roof, eat a healthy meal daily or spend time and receive gifts on christmas day.
amidst the chaos of finding gifts for family members and friends, students have found that volunteering their time through service work is the most fulfilling way to spend the holiday season.
for students, the holiday season is a relaxing period aside from homework and other stressful activities.
several students and organizations have devoted their free time to helping the needy during the holiday season.
“my grandma used to make me do toys for tots, but now i truly want to do it,” senior fallon Burklew said.
“i used to pick out gifts for myself when i was younger and now i get gifts for purely the children, as opposed to just spending $25 on gifts for myself and $25 for the children.”
while many students have contributed to the salva-tion army, our neighbors child and local organizations during the holiday season, giving back has become a group effort for some students at chantilly.
The Key club hosted several holiday volunteer events in order to get in the spirit of giving.
“we are visiting a retirement home and caroling through the halls and giving out cards and little gifts,” senior Key club president natalie Jamison said. “we are also visiting arlington cemetery and laying wreaths on the graves.”
The Key club mission of assisting children in the fairfax community was carried out on dec. 11 as they collected donations for the ronald mcdonald house while caroling. The gift of giving has spread throughout chantilly and into the community this year.
Giv in g
The commercialization of christmas has evolved into a bigger issue each year, and will continue to pose a threat to the holiday season as long as department stores and other retail stores remain in existence. The idea that christ-mas is distracted by commercial techniques has definitely aroused discussion among students during this holiday season. The impres-sive statistics from Black friday consumer reports has shed a light on americans spending a little too much on christmas gifts.
“a lot of big companies go out and over advertise during christ-mas time,” sophomore Brandon galindo said. “stores opening up on christmas and on other holidays contribute to commer-cialization and the general greed of people.”
decades ago when the economy was varied greatly from our current economic situation, families gave four to five gifts to their children
and concentrated on family tradi-tions, religion and peace during the holiday season. in today’s genera-tion, a greater concentration has been placed on giving more gifts as a token of one’s appreciation or love. to some students, commer-cialization does not pose as a threat to christmas, but rather a distrac-tion.
“i mean there are definitely commercial tactics, but i don’t think that should take away from traditional christmas,” junior grace gardner said. “traditionally the whole purpose of the holiday is supposed to be about the birth of Jesus, but now it is more centered on gift giving. most people enjoy shopping, so this is not really any-thing new.”
The enjoyment of christmas does not merely depend on receiv-ing or giving the most advanced gifts, the most extravagant dia-mond or in charlie Brown’s case, “a big, shiny aluminum tree.”
212 million people went shopping this year on Black friday
212 dots each dot represents one million people
price of a merry Christmas
four The amount of trash annually collected in the u.s. from giftwrap and shopping bags during the holiday season. from Thanksgiving to new years day, food waste, shopping bags, bows and ribbons all culminate to an additional 1 million tons a week to our land fills. conserve today!
milliontons
7.2%increase
The percentage increase in average shopper spending from last year (national retail federation) on Black friday. according to shoppertrak, oline and in-store sales rose 1.9 percent from last year, with total sales of $10.6 billion and $6.0 billion. stores opened as early as 12 a.m. on Black friday for eager shoppers to jump-start their christmas shopping.
Giving in the name of Christmas
A parallel between overspending and
heart-felt giving
com
mer
cial
izat
ion
Black friday has marked the beginning of profitability for the retail industry since this time. retail industries use ads to target shoppers, enticing shoppers to complete their christmases by purchasing mass-amounts of decorations and products before the sales end.
1970sretail
Retail industries reap benefits of holiday season, deviating from tradition
By JANE MUIR
photo By MIRANDA lEUNg
the
photos By JANE MUIR
12 in-depth decemBer 17, 2010 13in-depthissue 4
The time honored tales of trekking through the woods to chop down a christmas tree and drag it home, traveling to grandma’s house in disastrous weather and having a house filled with distant relatives are all treasured christmas traditions.
in early childhood, christmas was a magical holiday centered on the beliefs of santa claus and his reindeer and anticipating that one special gift. as the year’s progressed and our imagina-tions wandered away from these beliefs, christmas time, along with the essential carols, candy cane and mistletoe, evolved into a more spirited season centered on the gift of giving—either through gifts or service work.
although the day after Thanksgiving has traditionally marked the beginning of the christmas shopping season, Black friday has marked the beginning of profitability for the retail industry since the 1970s. as retail industries depend more and more on the christmas season for their profit, the true meaning of christmas is distorted, questioned, but mostly embraced by americans.
The true meaning of christmas is often muffled as retailers seek to convince the public that certain products contribute to the spirit of christmas. This year’s christmas season was intro-duced to the public with the assistance of the media in promot-ing Black friday and cyber monday during the Thanksgiving holiday. approximately 212 million shoppers rushed to find the best bargains on Black friday, with stores opening earlier than ever, spending an average of $365.34 over the weekend according to the national retail federation.
television commercials provide their own image of what the holiday season should consist of—purchasing the most lavish decorations, an abundance of toys for children and the most cur-rent media devices. The idea of “giving” is often debated during this holiday season as americans purchase more products for the pleasure of their family or even themselves.
although the commercialization techniques of retail indus-tries often go overlooked during this time of year, americans conversely give back to the community through humanitarian efforts. volunteer work and donation projects contribute to the “giving” objective of the holiday season rather than the idea of receiving tangible gifts on christmas.
americans partake in volunteer work throughout the country during the weeks leading up to christmas and even on christ-mas day. even colleges and jobs have focused on the “giving” season at their annual holiday parties. an open discussion on the Brian lehrer show on dec. 7 documented several callers whose holiday parties have changed to benefit communities in need during the holiday season. a new york institute of tech-nology professor shared information about a club that hosted a cause-related holiday party. The club collected coats from friends, students and community members over the course of the holiday season. after collecting 100 coats, the club hosted a holiday party, “fashion with passion” in which they celebrated their donation to new york cares, a local donation company that gives back to local neighborhood children. The students were able to enjoy the same perks of a holiday party—food, entertainment and friends—but in the mindset of giving back to the needy.
although the focus of many americans is directed towards purchasing gifts for family members, friends, teachers or em-ployees, the commitment to volunteer work during christmas time continues.
has commercialization altered the true meaning of christmas? does the phrase “giving back” allude only to oneself during christmastime? service is a valuable component of the christmas season.
The time spent with relatives and friends through gift giving and christmas cheer contribute to the peaceful and joyous season embraced by all.
many families in our area are not as fortunate to live under a family’s roof, eat a healthy meal daily or spend time and receive gifts on christmas day.
amidst the chaos of finding gifts for family members and friends, students have found that volunteering their time through service work is the most fulfilling way to spend the holiday season.
for students, the holiday season is a relaxing period aside from homework and other stressful activities.
several students and organizations have devoted their free time to helping the needy during the holiday season.
“my grandma used to make me do toys for tots, but now i truly want to do it,” senior fallon Burklew said.
“i used to pick out gifts for myself when i was younger and now i get gifts for purely the children, as opposed to just spending $25 on gifts for myself and $25 for the children.”
while many students have contributed to the salva-tion army, our neighbors child and local organizations during the holiday season, giving back has become a group effort for some students at chantilly.
The Key club hosted several holiday volunteer events in order to get in the spirit of giving.
“we are visiting a retirement home and caroling through the halls and giving out cards and little gifts,” senior Key club president natalie Jamison said. “we are also visiting arlington cemetery and laying wreaths on the graves.”
The Key club mission of assisting children in the fairfax community was carried out on dec. 11 as they collected donations for the ronald mcdonald house while caroling. The gift of giving has spread throughout chantilly and into the community this year.
Giv in g
The commercialization of christmas has evolved into a bigger issue each year, and will continue to pose a threat to the holiday season as long as department stores and other retail stores remain in existence. The idea that christ-mas is distracted by commercial techniques has definitely aroused discussion among students during this holiday season. The impres-sive statistics from Black friday consumer reports has shed a light on americans spending a little too much on christmas gifts.
“a lot of big companies go out and over advertise during christ-mas time,” sophomore Brandon galindo said. “stores opening up on christmas and on other holidays contribute to commer-cialization and the general greed of people.”
decades ago when the economy was varied greatly from our current economic situation, families gave four to five gifts to their children
and concentrated on family tradi-tions, religion and peace during the holiday season. in today’s genera-tion, a greater concentration has been placed on giving more gifts as a token of one’s appreciation or love. to some students, commer-cialization does not pose as a threat to christmas, but rather a distrac-tion.
“i mean there are definitely commercial tactics, but i don’t think that should take away from traditional christmas,” junior grace gardner said. “traditionally the whole purpose of the holiday is supposed to be about the birth of Jesus, but now it is more centered on gift giving. most people enjoy shopping, so this is not really any-thing new.”
The enjoyment of christmas does not merely depend on receiv-ing or giving the most advanced gifts, the most extravagant dia-mond or in charlie Brown’s case, “a big, shiny aluminum tree.”
212 million people went shopping this year on Black friday
212 dots each dot represents one million people
price of a merry Christmas
four The amount of trash annually collected in the u.s. from giftwrap and shopping bags during the holiday season. from Thanksgiving to new years day, food waste, shopping bags, bows and ribbons all culminate to an additional 1 million tons a week to our land fills. conserve today!
milliontons
7.2%increase
The percentage increase in average shopper spending from last year (national retail federation) on Black friday. according to shoppertrak, oline and in-store sales rose 1.9 percent from last year, with total sales of $10.6 billion and $6.0 billion. stores opened as early as 12 a.m. on Black friday for eager shoppers to jump-start their christmas shopping.
Giving in the name of Christmas
A parallel between overspending and
heart-felt giving
com
mer
cial
izat
ion
Black friday has marked the beginning of profitability for the retail industry since this time. retail industries use ads to target shoppers, enticing shoppers to complete their christmases by purchasing mass-amounts of decorations and products before the sales end.
1970sretail
Retail industries reap benefits of holiday season, deviating from tradition
By JANE MUIR
photo By MIRANDA lEUNg
the
photos By JANE MUIR
14 features decemBer 17, 2010
By STEPhANIE DolEZAlremember the good old days when children
avidly watched television shows like “rocket power” and “spongeBob squarepants?” when everything a kid owned was based off of those television shows? it seems that many teenagers are reverting back to the old days and are decking themselves out in their favorite childhood ap-parel, as well as retro accessories on a daily basis.
as children, students wore pokémon attire and dressed up like disney princesses. Kids wished for Buzz lightyear action figures and Barbie dolls for their birthdays and other gift-bearing holidays.
freshman Thomas landrith remembers own-ing such toys.
“i remember as a kid i played with a lot of toys,” landrith said. “i played with toy dinosaurs, fake guns, legos, and play-mobiles.”
especially with the success of several kid mov-ies and television shows recently, an increase in teenage interest in children’s toys is being shown. students have expressed a child-like taste in entertainment as they have grown out of middle school.
“i carry around ‘phineas and ferb’ items,” senior diego elliot said. “i carry them around to show that i love the show, even though some people give me weird looks.”
television-related toys are not the only craze taking over teenagers. The most recent craze among children has been silly Bandz’ covering the arms and elbows of almost every young kid. The epidemic took over elementary schools and quickly spread to high schools as teenagers took a liking to the childish item. They caused so much trouble, in fact, that many schools around the country had to ban silly Bandz from their class-rooms in order to keep a focused educational environment for students.
teenagers have also recently been attracted to avidly watching children shows. mass amounts of teenagers watched “hannah montana” and still many more continue to watch “spongeBob squarepants,” since its beginning in 1999. some students even watch “icarly” off of the popular children’s television network nickelodeon.
“i watch ‘phineas and ferb’,” elliot said. “i like watching ‘phineas and ferb’ even though it is a kid show because it’s funny and it makes me feel like a kid again.”
elliot speculates that the increase can be ex-plained by a growing increase to be a kid again.
“i think that teenagers wear kid stuff to remi-nisce on the past and make them feel like a kid again,” elliot said. “or they think it is cool.”
Returning to Neverland
By cARolINE bAIlEY chloE cUNNINghAM
66 percent of the sinks work cor-rectly, 87 percent of the bathroom stalls lock; these are the statistics of the school bathrooms.
as money is raised for other school projects, students begin to question the level of importance of the bathrooms and why improve-ments like turf fields and tvs gain priority.
completely renovating the bath-rooms is a very extensive process and requires work to be done on plumb-ing. Because of this, updating the bathrooms can become a long pro-cess and can get very expensive. The bathrooms were completely redone in the early ’90s along with the renova-tion of the entire school.
“if you are going to do a renova-tion in your house, the two most ex-pensive things to renovate would be your kitchen and bathroom because there’s water, there’s plumbing, there’s a lot of costs associated with it,” principal James Kacur said. “in terms of trying to make the bathrooms pristine, that’s why a renovation is the time the bathrooms get redone.”
in order to make the bathrooms functional, with the faucets and stall locks working correctly, the school would need to fix or replace 27 out of 80 student bathroom faucets, as well as 5 out of 38 stall locks. individual locks for stall doors would only cost the school around $23.90 per lock, according to jacknob.com. to replace all of the broken locks, it would cost the school about $119.50 to replace them.
students can, however, let a school employee know of a problem in the bathroom and action can be taken to fix it.
“students need to communicate to teachers or administrators that there’s a problem with the bathroom so that it becomes a work order and we can get a repair done,” Kacur said. “if in two weeks time it’s still a problem, you need to go back and tell someone again that it’s still a problem.”
custodian diane payne said that fellow custodians report problems in the bathrooms to the appropriate people yet no action is taken because of the complicated nature of the needed fixes. Before blaming custo-dians for the bathroom conditions, students should question themselves if they are a culprit of leaving paper towels lying in the sinks, toilet paper on the floor or writing on the stalls.
teachers have also heard com-plaints from students and are willing to report problems in the bathrooms to a higher authority.
“i’ve heard kids talk about the student bathrooms,” english teacher mike murphy said. “sometimes there are paper towels on the floor and there is no toilet paper in the student bathrooms. That never happens in the faculty bathroom, but i wouldn’t say one is gross and one is beautiful. not too different really.”
over the next few months, faucets will be replaced if they are from the brand name moen.
“That has been something that has been on the maintenance side, a repair, for a long time mainly because they can’t find parts to fix them any-more so we’ll be making that change over the next couple of months,” Ka-cur said. “it won’t happen in a week’s time, and it won’t be all of them. The idea is that we have functioning bath-rooms for everybody in the building.”
Multiple faucets in the bathrooms don’t have proper water flow, or turn on at all.
Small fixes needed for bathroomsThe school bathrooms are
known for being out-dated and out of order
Students channel their inner-child through their clothing to reminisce about the past
Many students complain that the bathrooms are never in working order and are also deemed unsanitary.
Some students don’t throw trash in the correct receptacle, but on the floor.
photo By cARolINE bAIlEY
photo By cARolINE bAIlEY
photo By STEPhANIE DolEZAl
The shadow of depression
photo By MEhSA TAlEb
By SAM MEIERa sadness that cannot be de-
scribed and emptiness inside are just some signs of depression that can be found in any one around you. many students sufffer with depression, it is the most common mental disorder in teens in the country.
photo By cARolINE bAIlEY
■ about 20 percent of teenagers will experience depression before they reach adulthood.
■ 20 to 50 percent of teenagers with depression have at least one family member who suffer from the same or other mental illnesses.
■ 90 percent of suicide victims suffer from depression and some other mental illness.
■ teenagers who suffer with depression are 12 times more likely to attempt suicide.
■ less than 33 percent of teens with depression get help with treat-ing it and 80 percent of them are successfully treated and in remis-sion, according to teendepression.
By hANNAh MAkRIDISThe washington, d.c. area hosts
a multitude of events for the holiday season. people can take candlelight tours, see the national christmas tree and partake in a plethora of other activities.
The gaylord national resort at the national harbor is hosting an ice exhibit until Jan. 9 with the theme of “how the grinch stole
There is an array of activities available to the public in
Washington, D.C.
dec. 17, 2010style&arts
Featuring
Student, singer and songwriter
Look no further for homegrown talent than senior Alexis Keene, who has recently released a demo Cd.page 17
something to do Reston Town Center: the one place to go while it’s cold outsideEven if you aren’t a fan of ice skating, it doesn’t hurt to try this exclusive winter activity. Or you can just enjoy the night lights while you’re at it.page 19
Christmas time in the nation’s capital
continued on page 19
Gaylord National Resorts is hosting the exhibit “ICE!” until Jan. 9, consisting of colored ice sculptures that tell the story of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
photo By hANNAh MAkRIDIS
By SYDNEY MAhANThe lights go up and you are taken
into a world of music and wonder as the advance choirs serenade you and the band accompanies them. The drama students act out the songs you know and love. here at chantilly, the holiday season started off with the annual pro-duction of holiday spectacular.
“holiday spectacular is an oppor-tunity for the performing arts to come together and do pieces from disney or holiday music to create one concert,” junior adam gaskins who played the brother in mary poppins said.
holiday spectacular was started by the performing arts department in 1990; as a show for the community to celebrate the holiday season and showcase the talents of each of the performing arts in a collective group. approximately 350 students from chantilly’s advanced choir, drama, band, and orchestra classes were involved in this years’ production of hol-iday spectacular. The music and scenes change year to year. But santa claus and the grinch, however, are featured in the performance every year.
“There are many numbers within holiday spectacular, so they’re rotated annually, so we’ll use numbers from previous years and change them up ac-cordingly to the talent,” drama teacher shannon Khatcheressian said.
holiday spectacular took place on dec. 9 and 10. preparation for holiday spectacular started at the beginning
of second quarter. while drama 2, 3, and 4 students prepared the scenes and choreography, the students of choir practiced their music. soloists were chosen through audition and had to make it into the district 12 choir or be a senior of the 2011 class in order to get a solo in this years production. Band played the music for the pieces the choir sang to and the drama kids acted out the songs. orchestra students learned their music in class. These pieces had to be memorized by the dress rehearsals on dec. 6 and 7, two days before the show for the pre-schoolers and their families on wednesday dec. 8 called tiny tots.
tiny tots differs from holi-day spec-tacu-lar in that it runs for only 30 minutes because of the younger audience group. holiday spectacular is for adults, older kids and teens. tiny tots is a con-densed version of holiday spectacular and showcases about 4 numbers.
“This is my first time attending tiny tots. i used to teach with shawn frank
the assistant principal, and he in-vited me here. i think it’s a great opportunity, but i also like free community events,” tiny tots attendee erin perez said. “it’s 30 minutes so it’s perfect timing for a 2-year-old. i’m looking forward to seeing my son’s reaction. he’s 2 and he’s just getting into music like drums and guitars, so he’s re-ally excited about the music.”
most students are in class during the tiny tots perfor-mances, however, the academy class early childhood careers was able to attend.
“i went to tiny tots because our class got to take the head-start children so that they could enjoy something they normally wouldn’t have,” junior ryce sauer said. “i enjoyed the show and watching the kids have a twinkle in their little eyes.”
another part of the show was when the orchestra students, di-
rected by orchestra teacher aaron mynes, marched down the aisles
to perform “white christmas” in act one as well as a another song a trans-siberian orchestra song called “sarajevo” in act two. each song and performance made heads turn to look towards the doors as the orchestra advanced into the auditorium. Being so close to the audi-ence meant that the music was literally brought to the audience.
‘tis the season for something
continued on page 17
photos By david cooper
The choir and band directed by band director Gary English join forces to perform Disney and holiday songs. Their singing was accompanied by pantomiming drama students.
Chantilly’s Writing Center will 1. open in January to help students with writing assignments.
Watch Black Swan, one of 2. the most highly-anticipated psychological thriller films of the year.
The visual arts department will be hosting a DIY event 3. (sock puppets) on Sat., Jan. 15., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Order a Christmas tree from the softball team on 4. Sunday, Dec. 19 from noon to 4 p.m.
Fashion marketing and entrepreneurship classes are 5. selling goods from NYC at a discount today.
Zoolights • What: see a display of christmas lights sculpted into the shapes of zoo animals, including giant pandas, asian elephants and gibbons at the national Zoo.
holiday Market • What: independent artisans will be selling pottery, crafts, jewelry, clothing, accessories and a multitude of other items.• Date: dec. 3 to dec. 23. • Time: noon to 8 p.m. • Where: f street from 7th street to 9th street nw.
National Christmas Tree lighting• What: The 87th christmas tree lighting on dec. 9 • The tree is a 42-foot Colorado blue spruce transported to washington, d.c., from york, pennsylvania. sur-rounding the tree are 56 smaller trees; they represent the 50 states, five territories and washington, d.c.
To the surprise of the audience, Santa (senior Adrian Tafesh) and his helper elf (senior Lucy Smith) appeared in the aisles of the auditorium. They interacted with the audience by waving and saying hello to people.
5
Troves of Treasures for all
when christmas comes around, students, parents and teachers are all frantic about holiday shopping. They soon discover that finding the prefect gift for everyone on their
list can be difficult. There are two questions that come to mind once they get into the car: what to get and how expensive is it? The ultimate wish for holiday shoppers
would be to find that one special gift that can be distrib-uted amongst every type of person on the list, but that is an unrealistic dream. The next best thing would be to find the
right gift that is easy on the wallet.
for The sporTs fanaTicinstead of buying their favorite player’s jersey from the nfl store, buy them a replica jersey from modell’s for a third of the price. • women’s replica major league Baseball Jersey: $ 64.99 at modell’s• men’s reebok replica chris cooley Jersey: $79.99 at modell’stip: for a girl, consider buying her a large child-size replica jersey to save even more money.
for The TreehuggerBuy recyclable or reusable gifts and wrap them in a “green bag.” • sigg water bottle: $19.99 at target• green bag: $1.99 at Barnes & noble
for The BookwormThe book-lover on the list may be into more than just reading novels of fantasy worlds; they might have the secret ambition to write their own story. to help them get on their way to success, buy them a journal and a pen they will love to cart around with them to jot down all of their best ideas.• moleskine Journals: $12 at Barnes & noble• vera Bradley personal pen: $12 at collectible treasures
for The experimenTal BakerBuy something that they can use for their next project. perhaps buy them the fire extinguisher just in case things go awry.• dwell studio for target towel and oven mitt set: $4.99 at target• 3 piece cookie cutter set: $2.99 at target
for The Travelersince an all-expense paid trip to europe is out of the question, the next best thing would be to give them something to remind themselves of the trips they would wish to take and maybe to keep track of when they can go. also, buying a little token to help them start their journey would not hurt.• mini wall calendars: $ 7.95 at Barnes & noble• digital travel alarm clock: $10.99 at target
for The music loverinstead of searching for their favorite band and getting it wrong, buy them an itunes gift card with a legendary symbol, such as the Beatles, that will make you seem like you actually know something about music.• itunes gift card: any amount at any grocery store or department stores that sell electronics.
for The fashionisTainstead of buying the label brands, buy them neutral accessories that could be passed off as the real item.• mossimo supply co. ruched pocket crossby purse: $24.99 at target• merona ombre crinkle scarf: $12.99 at target
for The phoTo fanaTicleave purchasing the expensive camera with a different lens for every type of picture to the parents. instead buy the materials that the photographer can display their beautiful pictures.• single picture frames: $9.99- $19.99 at Kohl’s• iogear 12-in-1 pocket card reader: $9.99 at target
By lINDSEY ERDMANN
16 arts & style decemBer 17, 2010
17arts & styleissue 4
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Singer, songwriter, and student
By RANAE clEMENTSsenior alexis Keene, a 17 year old
singer and songwriter, just recently released her first demo cd in mid oc-tober. The cd was released on cdbaby.com, then physical cd and finally on itunes.
“i’ve been writing songs since i was 12, and i get a lot of my inspiration from actual experiences or other art-ists,” Keene said. “i focus on what i feel, and then i write a song about it.”
Keene wrote all but one of the songs on her cd, “take it on the run” by reo speed wagon.
“my producer in the studio wanted me to do an old hit and kind of re-make it into a country song, so he went through a majority of songs,” Keene said. “i didn’t even know the song at
first and didn’t want to do it. i wanted to do ‘come on, get higher’ by matt nathanson, but in the end they kind of forced me to do ‘take it on the run’ but i’m glad because it turned out amaz-ing.”
despite being a busy 17-year old, Keene did not have to worry about trying to create a balance between her cd and school because she finished recording the songs in august before school started.
“it took me a week to record in the studio, 10 hours a day for a whole week,” Keene said. “Then, three more weeks for the cd to be completely mixed, another three weeks for it to be mastered, and a few more weeks to get 1,000 duplications of it to sell.”
Though Keene credits her closest friends as a large source of her support, she has not forgotten others.
“i also have to thank all my fans on youtube, because without them, i wouldn’t be recording a cd in the first
place,” Keene said.most of Keene’s inspiration for the
production of the cd came from her fans.
“i was inspired by my youtube fans that have been supporting me for so long. i wanted to give them more than just videos. i was also inspired by other youtube [users], who have been recently producing ep’s or demo cds.
even with all her supportive fans and family, there were some hardships, as there would be for any teen trying to start a singing career.
“The only problem i would say is getting to and from the studio since it was about 20-25 minutes away and tak-ing 66 in traffic every day,” Keene said. “we also had to worry about pricing and finding cheap deals on cd duplica-tion, cd art and where i was going to sell my cd.”
funding the production of a cd can get expensive, but Keene’s parents didn’t mind spending the time or
Anything but an average high school student, senior Alexis Keene has produced a CD.
from page 15“we have to have both these songs
memorized, because unlike band and choir who are up on stage, we come into the aisles of the auditorium,” junior alex woods said.
The choir solos were chosen differently this year in that two people were assigned for each solo to be alternately sung, meaning that on the first night of holiday spectacular one of the assigned students would sing it and on the next night the other student would sing the song of choice.
drama teachers Khatcheressian and ed monk each had a different way of choosing which students would be what character when pantomiming to the dis-ney and holiday songs found in the show.
“in my class we go through the char-acter list really quick, and students can nominate themselves or other people” said Khatcheressian. “we take a quick vote, and then they’re playing a particular part,”
rehearsals for holiday spectacular were conducted separately in each of the performing arts classes. students practiced the music and the choreog-raphy they need to know. They were then required to attend two mandatory after-school rehearsals, in which all of the
departments compiled the pieces and per-formed them together for the first time.
“freshman year it was a lot more stressful. i felt like there was a lot more pressure but it’s more relaxed now that we know what we’re doing, so rehearsals run better,” woods said.
holiday spectacular consists of songs played and sung by chantilly’s band and orchestra, and advanced choirs. during some of these songs the drama department acted out well-recognized stories such as “The grinch” and “little mermaid”. The song “part of your world” found in “The little mermaid” was sung by junior erica Jensen. another piece that was performed was “mary poppins” in which sophomore wesley coleman performed “chim-chiminee”. The per-formers constantly used the aisles, liter-ally immersing the viewers into the show, most noticeably when santa entered and exited while waving to the crowd.
“i was told this was really good from other parents who brought their kids here in previous years so i wanted to see it my-self,” audience member elena taylor said. “what i was looking forward to the most was to hear songs that i know and my kids know so maybe we could participate and sing along, and we got to do that so i really enjoyed it.”
• Sufian Stevens – “Joy! Joy! Joy!”• Ron Sexsmith – “maybe this Christmas”• Trans-Siberian orchestra – “Christmas Canon”• Stephen Colbert – “Cold, Cold Christmas”• Train – “shake up Christmas”• Bing Crosby – “White Christmas”• Wham! – “Last Christmas”• Straight No Chaser – “12 Days of Christmas”• Fun. – “Believe in Me”• hot hot heat – “Christmas day in the sun”• Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Christmas Time is Here “
Holiday spectacular
In addition to singing, Keene also plays the guitar. “ I’m so glad I learned how to play guitar,” Keene said. “I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t.”
photo By kEvIN NgUYEN
continued on page 18
Jack Black stars as lemuel gulliver, a travel writer for a publication. gulliver decides to take an assignment in Bermuda. instead, he finds himself on an isolated island where he is a giant compared to the indigenous citizens. it is no coincidence that the main character’s name is also the name of the main character of Jona-than swift’s 1726 novel, gulliver’s travels. The book is the basis of the movie, as gulliver finds himself on an island called liliput. liliput was also the first “voy-age” described in part 1 of gulliver’s travels.
remember the comedy “meet the fockers” from 2004? “little fockers” is the continuation of all the activities of the focker and Byrnes family. This time though, the families must prepare for a baby. prepare for a character dealing with a midlife crisis, as well as suspense leading up to the way two characters decide to solve their differ-ences. it’s always heartwarming to see many well-known characters all together in one movie. all of the actors from meet the fockers are back, along with a few new faces. The crazy activities of those in little fockers may make you thankful for your somewhat normal family.
“how do you Know” is the story of reese wither-spoon’s character of lisa Jorgenson is a 27-year-old single woman who feels the pressure to get married. Jorgenson is currently dating a baseball player (owen wilson), but upon meeting a corporate business man (paul rudd), she immediately finds herself in a confusing love triangle. caught between the down-to-earth baseball player and the seemingly put-together businessman, Jorgenson must figure out how to move forward.
gUllIvER’S TRAvElS Release Date: dec. 22Rating: PGGenre: ComedyActors you would know: Jack black, emily blunt, Jason segel
lITTlE fockERSRelease Date: dec. 22Rating: PG-13Genre: ComedyActors you would know: Robert de Niro, ben stiller, Owen Wilson, blythe danner, Terri Polo, dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Jessica Alba
hoW Do YoU kNoWRelease Date: dec. 17Rating: PG-13 Genre: Comedy/drama/RomanceActors you would know: Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd
“country strong” was filmed in nashville, tennessee, the story follows a young singer/songwriter (gar-rett hedlund) who connects with a former country music star (gwyneth paltrow). The pair decides to go on tour in order to launch the young star’s career as well as try to resurrect the fallen star’s own career. paltrow’s husband/manager (tim mcgraw) also joins in on the tour along with a former beauty queen who dreams of a career in singing (leighton meester).
“true grit” is the second adaptation of charles portis’ 1968 novel. it follows a 14-year old girl who seeks to avenge her father’s death who was killed. The girl pairs with a u.s. marshal in order to track down the man who killed her father.
“tron: legacy” is a science fiction film produced by walt disney pictures as a sequel to the 1982 movie “tron”. The main character is haunted by the disap-pearance of his father who worked for a software company. his father has been trapped in an alternate, all-digital universe. however, on a search for his father, he ends up also trapped in the digital world. a company attempts to prevent his escape as he jour-neys across the digital world.
coUNTRY STRoNgRelease Date: Limited release on dec. 22 nationwide release on Jan. 7 Rating: PG-13 Genre: dramaActors you would know: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim mcGraw, Leighton meester, Garrett Hedlund
TRUE gRITRelease Date: dec. 22Rating: PG-13Genre: dramaActors you would know: Jeff bridges, matt damon
TRoNRelease Date: dec. 17Rating: PG Genre: science FictionActors you would know: Jeff bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, James Frain
18 arts & style decemBer 17, 2010
from page 17money on something that meant so
much to their daughter. “my parents paid for the studio time and
cd duplication,” Keene said. “They are such huge supporters of my music, so they were willing to spend the money on something that was worth it. we are hoping to make some of the money back through selling it.”
all of the songs on Keene’s cd have a real-life connection to her and how she feels.
“i wrote ‘feels like home’ in the sum-mer. it basically tells the story of a girl who lives in the city but wants to live in the country,” Keene said. “my grandpap owns a
farm up in pennsylvania, and i’ve been go-ing there since i was little. i fell in love with the country immediately, and that’s what inspired me to write this song.”
another song that really connects with Keene’s life is “closer.”
“i wrote this when i was a sophomore, about my friend’s relationship with her boyfriend.,” Keene said. “it is basically about a guy who is being distant to a girl and it’s probably one of my best selling songs just because i’ve had an acoustic version posted on youtube since i wrote it and it has about 11,000 views.”
Alexis Keene’s music career
photo By MIRANDA lEUNg
Keene’s will sing at the Barrel Oak Winery, in Delaplane, Virginia on Feb. 4. Keene will be performing all the songs on her CD, along with her favorite covers.
By MEgAN AMRAEN
Winter movie lineup Be sure to check out these upcoming movies. The movie theater is a great place to go when you do not feel like going outside to shovel snow or brave the cold weather.
from page 15christmas.” guests will walk through “The art of seuss”
exhibit and then proceed through revolving doors to the frozen world of the grinch.
“The art of seuss” exhibit is a walkthrough of the evolution of dr. seuss’ drawings. it shows his sketches and how they progressed over time to ultimately create the characters and stories that millions enjoy. it contains over 200 rare images of photographs and original materials.
The ice exhibit features scenes from seuss’ “how the grinch stole christmas.” These scenes are not roped off as you might see in a museum. instead, guests walk through the scenes, under the ice arches and glide down slides made purely of ice.
This 15,000-square-foot attraction is like stepping into the story. The ice has been dyed
with vibrant colors and at times illuminated with eternal lights. guests will wander their way through the scenes in chronological order as they appear in the book.
This wonderland was brought to life by 40 skilled ice sculptors from harbin, china. har-bin is famous for its annual international snow and ice festival. The artisans were brought here in mid october. This gave them about a month to take approximately 2 million pounds of ice and turn them into a colorful and magi-cal attraction for all ages.
tickets for adults for this event are $24 on weekdays and $29 on weekends (friday to sun-day). tickets are discounted for kids, senior citizens, large parties and military families. The ice is kept in a room with a temperature of nine degrees fahrenheit. Therefore, guests are supplied with parkas.
holiday exhibits around D.C.
photo By hANNAh MAkRIDISGaylord National Resort is home to the world’s largest Peep tree. This tree is made entirely of peeps and stands over 20-feet tall. It took two weeks to build and was transported to Maryland from Ohio.
By gINA SEYMoURKe$ha and her fans get a lot of heat
from people. it is the common idea that she is a gross and promiscuous homeless woman who is forced to resort to brush-ing her teeth with alcohol because she can’t afford toothpaste. while it has been speculated that this girl who gets so much criticism would be a one-hit wonder, the release of her new album “cannibal” has proven her haters wrong and shows us that this p. diddy wannabe won’t be going anywhere for a while.
while the new album is shorter than her debut “animal,” it makes up for that in clever lyrics and amazing beats. it gets pretty annoying when people criticize Ke$ha for her lyrics. no one ever said she was trying to be the next celine dion. she has a dollar sign in her name, guys. even though her lyrics are neither subtle nor romantic genius, no one can doubt that they are clever and entertaining.
in the title song, Ke$ha discusses how she “eats boys up” and when she’s thirsty she drinks their blood. she even compares herself to the notorious cannibal Jeffrey dahmer.
The songs to listen to from this album to are “cannibal,” “Blow,” “crazy Beautiful life” and, of course, the song that already started blowing up the radio before the album debuted, “we r who we r.”
i can admit as a big Ke$ha fan that she is not the kind of music you play when company comes over or when you’re in the car with your grandparents. trust me. if you get tired of listening to indie serious, in other words boring music, you should listen to “cannibal.” it won’t make you any more intelligent, but it will make you love your crazy beautiful life. if you think people will make fun of you, just “grow a pear.”
Ke$ha Rock$Ke$ha returns with new album, Cannibal, proving that she’s here
to stay on the music scene
photos By MIRANDA lEUNg
Junior Anita Chitnis, far left, returning her skates with fellow classmates junior Ariana Mollers and senior Chloe Cunningham at the rental center. Customers must leave their shoes in exchange for skates. For adults, renting a pair of skates costs $9.
Reston Town Center’s open-air pavilion offers shopping, dining, music concerts and an ice skating rink open during the winter. Families, lovers and friends bundled up this holiday season for a festive activity complete with music and a decorated rink.
With lights on every corner, Reston Town Center is a picturesque holiday
location for shopping and leisure.
Roaming around Reston Town CenterBy MIRANDA lEUNg & JANE MUIR
meet reston town center, home to more than 50 shops and 30 restaurants. it is an ideal destination that has something for everyone; friends, lovers, and fam-ily all included. remember to bring a camera along to capture a shot of the towering christmas tree at the center of fountain square. to top it all off, it is only dur-ing the winter season that one can have the opportunity
to enjoy the outdoor ice skating rink. open every day of the week (including holidays) until march, the ice skating pavillion is one of the biggest attractions of the “downtown of the 21st century.” even if ice skating isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other delights around reston town center; especially the night scenery. now is the perfect time to go, when the holiday mood is in full swing.
At the end of the Dr. Seuss portion of the “ICE!” exhibit there is a large ice angel and a scene of baby Jesus in the manger with Mary and Joseph.
19arts & styleissue 4
dec. 17, 2010
sportsBy JoSh WAllAcE
Before school on an average winter morning, most stu-dents are just getting ready for the upcoming day. others
are still asleep. not for chantilly’s wres-tlers. varsity wrestlers start practice at 6 o’clock in the morning.
Before the wrestling matches begin, coaches ask their athletes to lose weight in a process called “making weight” in order to get them in the best shape. although athletes are required to get fit and lose weight, the process is very healthy and well-regulated.
“it’s a scientific measurement that we do. it’s the only sport in virginia high school league (vhsl) that requires full hydration and optimum body fat. it’s a whole test, completely out of the coach’s hands,” wrestling coach phil cronin said. “The idea is to get the athletes as close to seven percent body fat, which all sports science studies say is ultimate weight for a male athlete.”
making weight for a wrestler is very standardized, and there are a lot of re-strictions on how the athletes can lose weight and get fit. according to vhsl’s website, vhsl has been “studying the incidence and harmful effects of exces-sive and rapid weight loss among wres-tlers” since 1989. The league has created many goals and rules about making weight, such as monitoring hydration and preventing unhealthy techniques, like diet pills.
The combination of working out and dieting is the biggest aspect of making weight for high school athletes.
“you work out a lot, and you eat as much organic food as you can, so your system is healthy,” sophomore pawan vohra said. “you don’t do all the [illegal things] like starv-ing yourself for dieting.”
Through healthy dieting and working out regularly, a wrestler can get down to his optimum weight, and through the process, gain a lot of strength and muscle.
“[i can keep my weight by] just working out and keep-ing a good diet, but once i [reach] it, i know i can eat a little bit more than i’ve been eating,” junior sam little said. “it’s very satisfying once i finally made it down to that weight.”
for some wrestlers, the altered diet has an affect on
their social lives, but otherwise, there are no repercussions from athletes changing their diets.
“sometimes when i go out with friends, and they go out and eat stuff, i have to get something really small, or some-thing really healthy, so i’m not as satisfied,” little said. “i get used to it after a while. it’s not that bad.”
although athletes are cutting back on food, they should not be skipping meals and starving themselves.
“not eating is like not putting oil in your car, and it usually blows up your engine,” cronin said. “any wrestler who’s not eating, it’s because they didn’t diet the way the coaching staff and the athletic training staff told them how to diet. There’s a specific minimum weight loss per week that they use. it’s [going to] adversely affect them.”
Throughout the season, athletes learn many lessons about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in a competitive en-vironment.
“it teaches me how to become an independent and have independent success,” little said. “There’s also a team, like when we have duals. it’s a team sport as well, so it teaches me teamwork.”
each athlete takes away newfound knowledge about independence, toughness, and hard work, thanks to the preparation of wrestling.
“it teaches what your limits are,” sophomore ryland ar-nold said. “a quote from one of the greatest wrestlers ever is, ‘once you’ve wrestled, everything in life is easy.’”
Cheerleaders tumble their way into gymnastics
Cheerleaders find an alternative sport to participate in, considering the cheerleading
cut from winter activities
photo By JoSh WAllAcE
Sophomore Cameron Rhodes (right) and junior Sam Cronin get into a hold during practice. To be prepared for each meet, wrestlers practice healthy eating and drinking habits.
photo By kRISTEN DIMARco
By kEvIN NgUYENwinter cheerleading was cancelled as a sport due
to budget cuts for this school year. Therefore the cheerleading season for all three teams was cut short this year to only the fall sport season.
“i really didn’t like cheering for basketball so i was kind of glad [winter cheerleading] got cut,” junior gabby snedeker said. “it’s sad for the seniors because our season was so short. it was sad to have to say goodbye so early.”
snedeker is one of the many cheerleaders that found a new sport in girls gymnastics this year.
“i was on varsity cheer in the fall, and now i am doing gymnastics,” snedeker said. “i’ve never done gymnastics before, and since winter cheer was cancelled this year, i needed something to do, so a lot of the cheerleaders are doing gymnastics together.”
senior gymnastics captain heather guryansky is excited about the addition of the new athletes.
“There are about four new girls that have come from cheer, and they’re going to be a good asset to the team because of their tumbling background,” gury
Senior Casie Morton performs a routine on the balance beam during practice. Gymnastics is a way for Morton to stay in shape without winter cheerleading. continued on page 22
The Purple Tide onlineGo on our website for daily sports updates such as team highlights from Tuesday’s basketball games or pictures from other sporting events. Also, check out pictures of your favorite players or perhaps yourself in the Purple Platoon.
WWW.ThEPURPlETIDE.coM
photo By STEPhANIE DolEZAl
theworth
weightAccording to VHSL rules, wrestlers have to make weight in
a certain way to avoid serious health issues
Boys’ basketball season kicks off on a new foot
By chRISTY hARPERhigh expectations for success can put
enormous pressure on a team and this year the boys’ varsity basketball team is expected to be on a whole new level. Their strong season last year and the talented players that remain has left the community looking for a winning season.
“our fans and community have very high expectations of this program, due to our success in the past,” assistant varsity coach christian dux said.
The varsity basketball team has the talent and potential this year to be highly accomplished. The players are talented and hard-working, which is typically a winning combination, so the team is excited for the season.
“i think our team will be very good this year,” senior John manning said.
The coaches also feel the team has the potential to go very far this season and that the team has great potential to thrive. The team is strong defensively and the team has a lot of experience on the court.
“as coaches, we are very excited to work with this group of guys,” dux said. “They are great on and off the court and a joy to spend time with.”
The high expectations the players have on themselves can be stressful for the players, particularly the sophomores who are now on the very talented and
experienced team. “i get nervous to be on the team as a
sophomore but, i envision myself as an upper classman on the court to keep my mind off of being nervous,” sophomore Brian sydnor said. “it’s a lot of pressure to try to be and successful as last year’s team was because last year they were really good but came up short, and this year we’re expected to go far again.”
instead of crumbling under the pressure, the team is working hard and to be a strong team that the community can be proud of.
“sometimes, it is difficult to live up to that expectation, but the boys are working very hard and are improving every day,” dux said.
according to coaches, one way the team can improve is to shoot better from the outside. results from the gonzaga tournament showed the team shooting 15 percent from the three point line.
The team plans to improve on this statistic in upcoming practices.
The team has played well in their first few games against madison and yorktown, which is promising of a winning season. however, the team is still working out the kinks so they can play to the best of their ability.
“honestly we aren’t as good as we could be yet, but we are working very
hard to get there,” manning said. at this point the team understands
that they are a new team, so they need to learn to play with one another to be a strong team.
“right now we are still figuring out what is the best combination of players and our best style of play,” dux said. “This team has to make its own identity.”
The team lost four talented seniors last year, who are hard to replace, but players are stepping up their game and not letting it hold them back.
“it is tough losing last year’s seniors, but we have several seniors this year that are filling those roles nicely,” manning said.
The team also lost Kethan savage, who would have been a senior this year, to episcopal high school, a private school in alexandria.
“[savage] would be a senior starter, from last year’s regional championship,” dux said. “he is tough to replace. he was our team mvp last year.”
according to stats from the washington post, savage has been very successful at his new school. hopefully the chargers can find away to work around his missing talent and continue to have a winning season.
“as the season goes on we’ll adjust to our new style of play and live up to the name chantilly,” sydnor said.
With the loss of multiple seniors and MVP player, the Chargers look forward to maintaining a winning record
22 sports decemBer 17, 2010
4437 Brookfi eld Corporate Drive
Suite 107
Chantilly, VA 20151
(behind Chantilly Post Offi ce)
(703) 222-5400Tuesday through Saturday Most insurance accepted
Mark Grimes DDS
photo By kRISTEN DIMARco
Varsity basketball coach, Jim Smith, talks with the 2009-2010 team during a time out at the state semi-finals last year at VCU. Anticipation builds to see if this years’ team will live up to last years’ success.
continued from page 20 ansky said. “we definitely needed the numbers because we lost a lot
of seniors last year.”according to guryansky, most of the cheerleaders will be
competing in the floor and beam events because of their tumbling background, while the more experienced
gymnasts will be competing in the uneven bars and vault events.
“i’m actually really happy that winter cheer is not happening this year because i can actually stand in
the fans section at the basketball games and get the experience that i’ve never experienced before,” senior ellie garner said. “it is so much fun being
the stands section. all of the cheerleaders are now in the stands, so we’re still helping lead the cheers.”
Though there were initial lamentations because of the elimination of cheerleading, cheerleaders are looking
toward the next sport season with optimism.“gymnastics is really fun so far,” snedeker said. “i mean, i
miss cheer, but i’m excited to compete.”
Cheerleaders choose gymnastics as an alternative winter sport
photo By kEvIN NgUYENSenior Heather Guryansky assists new gymnast and sophomore cheerleader Emily Fawcett during practice.
boYS bASkETbAll 3-2
winter sports highlights23sportsissue 4
1/4 vs. T.C Williams1/7 vs. Robinsion1/11 vs. Oakton1/14 at Centreville1/18 at Westfield1/21 vs. Herndon1/27 at. Robinson2/1 at Oakton2/4 vs. Centreville2/8 vs. Westfield2/11 at Herndon
12/3 at Madison (W) 51-4312/7 at Yorktown (W) 49-4412/10 Holy Cross (NY) (L) 62-6912/11 at St. Johns (MA) (W) 51-3412/12 Mount St. Joe’s (MD) (L) 43-5312/14 vs. Hayfield12/17 at West springfield12/21 vs. Wakefield12/28 Pohanka Classic vs. Thomas Jefferson12/29 Pohanka Classic12/30 Pohanka Classic
photo By SPoRTS kNEchTIoN
gIRlS bASkETbAll 2-11/7 at Robinson1/11 at Oakton1/14 vs. Centreville1/18 vs. Westfield1/21 at Herndon1/27 vs. Robinson2/1 vs. Oakton2/4 at Centreville2/11 vs. Herndon
12/1 at Marshall (W) 57-3512/3 at Edison (W) 60-3612/7 vs. Yorktown (L) 52-7212/10 vs. Madison (L) 44-4712/14 at Hayfield12/17 vs. West Springfield12/28 Pohanka12/29 Pohanka12/30 Pohanka1/4 at T.C. Williams
pho
to B
y k
RIS
TEN
DIM
AR
co
INDooR TRAck12/10 vs. Robinson & Wakefield12/18 vs. Edison & Fairfax12/28 Friends of Indoor Track Invitational1/8 vs. Robinson & Herndon1/8 Montgomery Invitational1/14 Liberty Flames HS Invitational1/15 Liberty Flames HS Invitational 1/21 vs. Centreville & Madison1/22 Kevin Dare Invitational1/28 Concorde District Championships
“ “our first meet (dec. 11) was a success, both boys and girls
won. The youth on the team is promising.
photo By kEvIN NgUYEN
SWIM & DIvE 2-212/3 at Oakton Boys (L) 139.5-175.512/3 at Oakton Girls (L) 135-17912/10 vs. Centreville Boys (W) 229-8612/10 vs. Centreville Girls (W) 190-12412/17 vs. Westfield12/18 at Herndon1/7 vs. Robinson1/14 at Oakton1/21vs. Robinson1/27-29 Concorde District Championships
gYMNASTIcS 1-012/9 Meet vs. Herndon, Langley, Madison, West Springfield (at Herndon)12/16 Meet vs. Robinson, Herndon, Oakton, Centreville, Westfield (at Robinson)1/7 Meet vs. South Lakes, Langley, Lake Braddock, Woodson, Madison, Herndon (at South Lakes)1/13 Meet vs. Westfield, Centreville South Lakes, Herndon (at Herndon)1/20 Meet vs. Herndon, Fairfax, Oakton, Marshall, McLean (Home)1/26 Concorde district Championships (at Centreville)
12/4 Madison (at Potomac Falls)12/4 Woodson (at Potomac Falls)12/4 Broad Run (at Potomac Falls)12/4 T.C. Willaims (at Potomac Falls)12/10 NOVA Classic12/18 Beast of the East (Delaware)
“
“
The season started off slow but hopefully it will pick
up/ i am really excited for the games against oakton and centreville, and out
team has the potential to be a great team.
“ “we are starting off a little rough but once we get it
together we will do better. we have a good team and
we have a chance to go far this year.
“ “
This season has been a lot differ-ent from previous ones because
i am captain. The season is going well. we won one and
lost one meet so far. i am looking forward to states in va beach.
“
“
The seasons going really well so far, it’s a step up
from last year and we’re all excited for regionals because we’re trying to
bring all 14 of our starters to the tournament.
“
“
we got first place out of 5 teams on dec. 9 in our first meet. heather guryansky and i are captains and we keep the team in line and get everything together.
we are supposed to be as good as we were last year, but the whole district is
supposed to be good this year.
photo By STEPhANIE DolEZAl
senior Aimee Knecht
senior Mo labor-Koroma Jr.
senior Becca yost
senior Ricky lopez
senior Casie Morton
senior Devin Ballam
WRESTlINg 5-0
www.ThePurpleTide.comVisit the website to get up-to-date news on what’s happening at Chantilly
The Back Talk
BEhIND ThE SCENESINSPIRATIONTAyloR SWIFT: you can no longer enter our workroom without the sounds of “speak now” filling your head. and regardless of how you feel about, you’ll know the lyrics to at least two songs. (we say lyrics rather than songs because all of the songs are the same.)SATURDAy NIGhT lIVE: even if it doesn’t hold a candle to the classic days of snl, we still love some of the new segments. most of all, we turn to stefon for our new york city travel tips.ThE SoCIAl NETWoRK: mr. Zinger is far less forgiving than Jesse eisenberg in his impression of mark Zuckerberg. going without blinking doesn’t sound that weird, but when put into ac-tion, you’ll have nightmares.
HOLIdAy dRINKSThis issue was fueled by starbucks beverages
and a plethora of horrible junk food delivered to us on our saturday work day. our favorites?
gina seymour digs gingerbread latte as well as pumpkin spice lattes (still). shannon lin-ford is obsessed with peppermint hot choco-late and would gladly accept a 60 oz. mug for the holidays. caroline Bailey fell in love with cappuccinos.
make sure you get your delicious starbucks holiday Beverage before they’re gone. it’ll be a sad, sad day when we can no longer pay outra-geous prices for addictive drinks.
however, the grinches on staff stand by the statement that starbucks is for suckers.
NExT ISSUE...our super phenomenal be all end all in & out list will be in our issue Jan. 27.
TWEET @THEPURPLETIdEin case you couldn’t tell, we really like twitter. we liveblog sports events. and stuff.
2k10... IN SUMMARySPoRTING EVENTS Between the olympics and the world cup, we ended up watching sports whether or not we liked them. countries united together, hid-den xenophobia became known as blind nationalism reared its lovely head. go team!SNoWPoCAlyPSE snow was fun for the first two feet. Then it was just ridiculous. By the end of winter, we were all pretty bitter from shoveling driveways and slipping too many times on the ice.PURPlE PlATooN The football team had a suc-cessful season advancing to region finals (10-3). The newly revived and rejuvenated fans would still be there, cheering on the team in their sports bras, body paint and individualistic head gear/hats.ZERo “ZERo” PolICy we still don’t get it. it doesn’t matter if it’s 64% or 7%, you’ll still be stuck in charger time. Zero curr.EVEN MoRE 3D MoVIES in case you didn’t get enough of the third dimension in real life, you can’t escape it at the movie theaters anymore, either.lEAKS & SPIllS The government isn’t looking so hot anymore after the Bp oil spill and wikileaks fiascoes. END oF AN ERA with toy story and harry potter coming to an end, so is our childhood, it seems. parting ways with beloved movie and book series is bitter and heartbreaking. growing up is highly over-rated.
MERRy NON-dENOMINATIONAL WINTER HOLIdAy
