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Sonia Phene, ‘11Copy Editor

Audrey Paduda, ‘13Staff Reporter

On an October afternoon in the theater, students gather in groups around the stage. Some clutch scripts and read over lines for the upcoming scene while others practice choreography. It is a rehearsal for Grease, the fall musical, and the cast and crew has jumped right into the action.

Based on the hit Broadway musical, Grease will be performed November 18-20. Set in Rydell High in the 1950s, Grease tells the story of bad boy, “Greaser,” Danny Zuko, played by senior Jeremy Friedman, and sweet girl Sandy Olsson, portrayed by senior Gretchen Schroeder.

The production got off to a fast start after 75 people auditioned two weeks into the school year. “I was amazed that so many people wanted to be a part of it,” said Ms. Theresa Severin, musical director for Grease. The production will include additional vocal groups, not in the original show, to incorporate more individuals.

The production has continued along at a smooth pace. “Once we’ve gotten through all the songs and scenes, it’s just a matter of sprucing it up,” said senior Faris Sanjakdar who plays Doody.

Mr. Keith Cassidy, director, is excited about the choice of Grease for the musical. “There’s a reason it’s still one of the most

Theater Department Greases Up For Fall

Reactions Mixed Over

Online Textbooks

popular shows,” he said. He thinks the music and songs make the musical as entertaining as it is.

“Everyone loves musicals and acting,” said junior Emily Mathae who plays Marty. “It’s great that we could all come together over this.” Ms. Severin noted that students from all grades, especially the freshmen, were enthusiastic about participating.

Not only does the cast come from multiple grades, but they also come from a variety of backgrounds. Mathae has been involved in productions since the fifth grade while Friedman just took Theater I last year. “I just wanted to be involved with the school and other people,” said Friedman. “I love singing so I figured this would be a great way to do this.”

The crew involved has also been central to the production. “The crew is really professional, and they bring a different kind of creativity to the process,” said Ms. Severin. She has high hopes for the crew and looks forward to a great production.

The cast also hopes for a cooperative production. “There have been no major problems, and this seems to be going great” said Schroeder. Friedman agrees, “I definitely think that it’s going well because we all get along.”

Staff as well as the students will be involved in the production. Mr. Gregg Robertson, principal, along with a few

teachers will perform in the song “Beauty School Drop Out.” Mr. Cassidy expects the audience to be excited to see their teachers and Mr. Robertson involved in the play.

Though the musical usually occurs in the spring, this year it is being held in the fall. Since spring break is late in the year, there was only one week before AP and IB exams started to put on the show according to Ms. Severin. The winter posed conflicts with the choral and theater departments, so mid-November worked out best.

Changing the production cycle does have its challenges. “It’s been really hectic with homecoming and preparations for that, but I have a good feeling about this and think we will work through it,” said Mathae.

According to Mr. Cassidy students look forward to rehearsals and do not mind practicing overtime even though it is the time of year when students are especially busy with starting school and sending out college applications. “It’s challenging to make sure that everyone gets the time to meet with [the musical director, choreographer and director], but we’ve managed and worked through it,” he said.

The theater department wants to bring out a huge audience when the musical happens in November. Ms. Severin said, “It is so great when we put on a show that the audience is excited about.”

News Sports Opinion

FeaturesLifestyles

Get to know some of the school’s new staff members and find out more about the DREAM Act.

Hear the benefits of charter schools and catch one student’s opinion on the lack of color on school walls.

Get an inside look at where the profits from ticket sales go, and read up on local professional sports teams.

Get the inside look on what to watch and what to skip this fall with our Re-view and Preview feature.

Find out about the school’s Adopt-a-Plot program and get the scoop on 3D movies.

Last year, during the first week of school, students walked home with backpacks filled to the brim with heavy textbooks. This September, many of the textbooks the school uses can be found online, and the school is encouraging teachers and students to take advantage of them.

“It’s the economy,” said Mrs. Natalie Root, social studies teacher. “We probably spend close to $1 million on social studies books, so in this lean economy the schools need to be more careful of their spending.”

Concerns over this budget-cutting technique have been rampant among students, who now need a site url, username and password to access textbooks. “They’re confusing,” said freshman Brittnee Bade. “It’s more difficult to find things in the online version.”

Students also expressed concern over the increased temptation to get off task while doing homework. “I get distracted easily because it is on a computer and Facebook is so easily accessed,” said sophomore Angela Mestre.

Some students also complain about the difference between staring at the pages of a book and the screen of a computer for hours on end. “It’s bad sitting in front of the computer reading for two hours,” said sophomore Sara Bourdouane, “That screen seriously damages your eyes.”

While many have found cause for complaint with the shift, others have embraced the lighter load and appreciate online textbooks’ convenience. “I can access my textbook from any computer now,” sophomore Alexis Sison-Postma said, “so it is easier to do my homework.”

Regardless of reactions to this change, Mrs. Root thinks online textbooks are here to stay. “This is the brave new world and this is a trend happening in schools and colleges all over the country.”

Members of Grease rehearse a scene from the second act of the musical. The show will be performed in the auditorium from November 18 until November 20, and will include a musical number from principal Mr. Gregg Robertson.

BY ANDREW ELLIOTT

until graduation

NEWS Crossed SabresNovember 3, 20102 NEWSCrossed Sabres November 3, 2010 3What’s

Going On?School news

and noteworthy events

November 5 at 7:30 p.m.: Washington-Lee home football game vs. YorktownThis is the last game of the season for the Generals. The Generals have lost this rivalry contest every year since 1985. As their season record currently stands, this game will have significant impact on the team’s possible post-season schedule.

November 6: SAT Test OpportunityThis is the second-to-last SAT that is available for seniors before college applications are due. The last opportunity for seniors to take the SAT before January college deadlines is on December 4. Registration for the December 4 SAT must be completed by November 5.

November 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m.: Grease Fall Musical PerformanceThe student cast will perform the popular story of Grease. Jeremy Friedman will play Danny (played by John Travolta in the movie version) and Gretchen Schroeder will be playing the top female role of Sandy (played by Olivia Newton-John in the movie version). Mr. Keith Cassidy is the director, and Ms. Theresa Severin is the musical director for the performance.

November 23 at 10:00 a.m.: Thanksgiving AssemblyThe last meeting as a school before entering a five-day rest for Thanksgiving Break. The assembly will have an ensemble of food traditions, poems and other cultural backgrounds involved with the Thanksgiving holiday. Come celebrate what you are thankful for with the Washington-Lee community.

-Andrew Karpinski ‘11

New Faculty Faces Education Paths for Children of Illegal Immigrants

Emily Cook, ‘12Staff Reporter

Sydney Butler, ‘11Staff Reporter

Congressional act would allow long-time residents access to higher education

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

As leader of the Latin American Student Association, Anto-nella Rodriguez-Cossio is an active supporter of the Dream Act. She hopes it will give children of illegal immigrants a permanent home and increased opportunities.

This year, there are 17 new teachers, two new counselors, and three new teaching assistants join-ing the staff. Meet 13 of these new staff members below and look for part two of this series in our next issue. Compiled by Zachary Perlman, ‘13 and Paige Taylor, ‘12.

Arlington’s Tutoring PowerhouseGreenbrier gives academic guidance to elementary schoolers, volunteer work to high schoolers

The Greenbrier Learning Center (GLC) was founded in 1994 by parents, teachers and community members who sought after school tutoring and enrichment programs for the children of Arlington. Many GLC tutors come from Arlington County Public Schools. According to Volunteer coordinator Ms. Sarah Bordeaux, GLC has many volunteers from Washington-Lee.

Students who volunteer at GLC help tutor the kids in writing, math, science and various other subjects. “It’s really nice and really rewarding to work with these kids, since many of their parents are not home or working during the day,” said junior Caitlin O’ Conner who has been a volunteer for GLC for about three months. “It’s really nice to be able to help them out so when reading becomes learning they have an easier time learning,” she said.

Many of the volunteer coordinators are from AmeriCorps, a national volunteering organization. “AmeriCorps are really great to work with,” said O’Conner, who praised the AmeriCorps members for their organizational skills.

Volunteers like O’Conner and the AmeriCorps members work closely with the kids to help them improve their reading comprehension and math skills. “Without the AmeriCorps members we probably could not reach our goals,” said Ms.

Bordeaux. The program runs from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

every weekday throughout the year. Each student takes part in a highly structured schedule, which includes allotted reading time, 45 minutes of homework and some form for educational activity designed by AmeriCorps volunteers.

“I love the program, and I love working with the kids,” said sophomore Maria Ornelas, whose younger brother is one of the children that GLC tutors. Many of the volunteers, such as sophomore Monkia Hossain, said they would recommend the program to those seeking volunteer work and enjoy working with kids. Hossain recommended it to one of her friends,

sophomore Simonia Sharma, who needed IB-CAS hours. “I love working with the little kids. They are very nice to interact with,” said Sharma.

“Thanks to all the work of the W-L and AmeriCorps volunteers, the students who attend GLC have improved greatly in their learning skills,” said Ms. Bordeaux. According to the GLC’s official website, this past school year’s improvement rates were the highest the organization had ever seen. Their data shows 87 percent of GLC’s students improved their reading and literacy skills, including 62 percent by two or more instructional levels. Also, 80 percent of the students reported receiving outstanding or satisfactory homework grades.

Greenbrier Learning Center by the Numbers

GLC was founded in 1994.

GLC has been recognized by Washington Magazine as one of 40 outstanding organiza-tions serving children in the Metro area.

62 percent of GLC students improved by two or more in-structional grades in reading last year.

80 percent of GLC students earned “outstanding” or “sat-isfactory” homework grades last year.

GLC has three locations: Greenbrier Baptist Church, Virginia Garden Apartments and Columbia Grive Apart-ments.

Two students who attend after-school sessions at Greenbrier Learning Center (GLC). High school students volunteer at GLC to entertain the children and help them with homework.

BY ANNIE PLOTKIN

Q. Why did you come to Washington-Lee? I decided to come when I walked in the building for my first interview. Every-thing seems to feel right about the school.

The students and staff seemed happy overall, and of course it was a beautiful building. Q. Where did you grow up? I grew up in La Paz, Bolivia. My mother is Bolivian, and we moved there when I was two. Q. What is your favorite song? All-time: “Black” by Pearl Jam; currently: “Party in My Tummy” from Yo Gabba Gabba.

Mr. Steven BrownSocial Studies

Q. Why did you come to Washington-Lee? When I moved to Arlington, I heard many wonderful things about W-L. When I started looking for a job, it was my goal to

work here. Luckily, it worked out.Q. Where did you grow up? I was born in Texas, but I grew up in Miami, Florida.Q. What is your favorite song? “Paperweight” by Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk.

Ms. Adriana DotsonEnglish

Q. Why did you come to Washington-Lee? I wanted to teach in a school that had a strong community and consistently suc-cessful academic programs. Q. Where did you grow up? I was born in

Minnesota and lived there through elementary school. I went to secondary school in Flagstaff, Arizona.Q. What is your favorite song? “Fool to Cry” by the Rolling Stones.

Ms. Stacy YuleSocial Studies

Q. Why did you decide to become a teach-er? I have always loved working and inter-acting with people. I like that I am a role model for young students, and I am an extra

support for them. I also like that the job is never boring. My day is semi-unpredictable, and it is different from day to day.Q. What is your favorite thing to do outside school? I love to go dancing with my friends. I learned how to salsa dance back in college and love to go out dancing on the weekends.Q. What was your favorite class as a student? Most of you could probably guess it was mathematics. Math always came very easily to me, and it actually made sense to me.

Ms. Lianne LoizouMath

Q. Why did you decide to become a teacher? The money. Just kidding. I love getting to work with students and help them reach a learning goal. It is satisfying to see

someone master something you have taught them.Q. What is your favorite thing to do outside of school? I love scrap-booking.Q. What was your favorite class as a student? My best subjects were science and math, which is why I became a science and math teacher.

Ms. Amanda MassieMath

Q. Why did you decide to become a teacher? I like helping people. I also did not want a job where I was sitting at a desk for eight hours a day.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do outside of school? Spend time with my three daughters and play Ultimate Frisbee.Q. What was your favorite class as a student? Math

Mr. Jim ZarroMath

Q. Why did you come to Washington-Lee? Because of its diversity, as well as its reputation. I loved the idea of meeting students from all over the world while also working with an excellent faculty and ad-

ministration.Q. Where did you grow up? I moved seven times before I was a teenager, but I spent my high school years in Virginia Beach.Q. What is your favorite song? “There’s Hope” by India Arie

Ms. Kristina Erkenbrack, English

“There are students here at Washington-Lee who speak English without an accent, think of themselves as American and work hard in school with plans of going to college,” said junior Jesse Ferrell, a member of the Buckingham Youth Brigade, a program that empowers low income families to become active members of the community. “They may seem like the average American teenager with hopes of contributing to society, but cannot achieve these dreams because of the fact that they crossed the border illegally, some of them when they were so young that they don’t even remember doing so.”

Each year across the nation, roughly 65,000 undocumented students and five-year residents of the United States graduate from high school, as indicated by the National Immigration Law Center. In response, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-NV) proposed the DREAM Act, (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) on September 14 to be included as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. According to the DREAM Act Portal, the DREAM Act would allow qualifying undocumented youth to enter a six-year “path to citizenship.”

The legislation would grant conditional legal residency for six years to immigrants younger than 35 who illegally entered the United States before age 16, have a high school diploma and have lived in the United States for at least five years. Permanent residency would be obtainable if they complete two years of college or serve two years in the military. In addition, the legislation would allow states to grant in-state tuition rates to alien students.

“I know there are a lot of bright students, some even doing full IB, that have ended up at NOVA. The Act would motivate students to study and give their academics in high school a purpose,” said senior Antonella Rodriguez-Cossio, leader of the Latin American Student Association.

According to USA Today, supporters of this legislation argue that with each year the act is left rejected, another class of high school students will graduate without plans for the future and America will lose a potential addition to an educated class of students. Additionally, some of these students will be deported to countries that they are unfamiliar with.

According to the Congressional Research Service, opposition to this bill includes objection to using U.S. taxpayer money to fund illegal residents through the granting of in-state tuition rates. Opponents further argue that it is unfair to charge unauthorized alien students in-state tuition, while charging some U.S. citizens higher out-of-state rates. Many believe that the availability of education benefits to the alien students will encourage more illegal immigration into the country.

According to the Pacific Daily News, the resistance to the passage of the bill was largely from Senate Republicans who wanted to block the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that was also included in the bill. As indicated by Ms. Jennifer McFadyen, the Immigration Issues Guide at a New York Times Company, much of the opposition to this act stems from the extensive effect it will

have in igniting immigration reform. “The most important aspect of this act is the financial help,” said Rodriguez-Cossio. “The aid would give them the opportunities that American children have, in school and then in the work field, thus financially assisting the families. It’s a snowball effect that would benefit the country.”

Democrats in the Senate failed to end a Republican filibuster against the defense bill on September 21, ending an opportunity for the DREAM Act to move forward as part of that bill. On September 22, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) along with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) introduced the bill once again. The DREAM Act was added onto the Senate’s legislative calendar on September 23, but without a firm date for re-introduction. Advocates do not expect the bill to be acted on before the November midterm elections.

Q. Why did you come to Washington-Lee? It’s funny, that same question was asked to me during the job interview. It’s a top 100 school and it has a staff reflective of that. It is because of all the programs, and

the diversity. Who wouldn’t want to be a General?Q. Where did you grow up? Upstate New York—Utica, NY—it is the geographic center of the state.Q. What is your favorite song? “Country Road” by James Tay-lor

Mr. Frank DeRoccoCounseling

Q. Why did you decide to become a teacher? I get to perform new experiments and still enjoy being a kid.Q. What is your favorite thing to do out-

side school? I love to curl up and read a book.Q. What was your favorite class as a student? I loved science always as a kid because I love space and all the things that made up our world.

Ms. Jennifer WeidmanScience

Q. Why did you come to Washington-Lee? I was a counseling intern last spring and absolutely loved it, so I applied for the job at the end of May and got it.Q. Where did you grow up? I was born in

Arlington but lived in Fairfax until the age of six. Then, we moved to Cincinnati, Ohio for my dad’s job. After that, we moved to El-licott City, Maryland when I was in middle school. My parents still live there along with my oldest sister and her family.Q. What is your favorite song? “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap

Ms. Nina Kuziel Counseling

Q. Why did you decide to become a teach-er? I love learning and teaching.Q. What is your favorite thing to do out-side of school? Play tennis

Q. What was your favorite class as a student? Biology

Ms. Ana RatcliffeScience

Q. Why did you decide to become a teacher? After helping friends in college with their math homework, I knew that I wanted to teach math.Q. What is your favorite thing to do out-

side of school? Hiking and being outdoorsQ. What is something your students don’t know about you? I played volleyball in high school.

Ms. Leslie HindmanMath

Q. Why did you decide to become a teacher? I’ve always liked helping young people learn so they can succeed.Q. What is your favorite thing to do out-

side of school? Coaching gymnasticsQ. What was your favorite class as a student? Math and sci-ence

Mr. Ron MelkisMath

PHOTOS BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Read more Crossed Sa-bres online at www.tinyurl.com/wlcrossedsabres.

See exclusive online re-ports about the after-school banana sales, spirit week, the stink bug infestation and a visit from Olympian Mr. Carl Lewis.

Also give feedback by taking our survey or sub-mitting a comment. Let us know how we are doing.

Politics of theDream Act

Key people, places and events

Americans for Legal Immigration is an outspoken critic of the bill and posted a list of House members on their website who, if elected, will support legislation to stop illegal immigration.

University of Texas Pan-American is one of many groups which has hosted a rally in favor of the bill. At the rally, Texas Pan-American students released 604 balloons, each representing one student’s dream.

California voters organized a “poke fun at [GOP gubernatorial candidate] Meg Whit-man’s anti-Dream Act stance” Halloween costume contest.

NEWS Crossed SabresNovember 3, 20104

Photo Contest WinnersThis month’s theme: SCHOOL SPIRIT

Next month’s photo contest:

Smiling may look physically appealing, but studies have shown that smiling may be healthy, too! Smiling releases endorphins, which means that just the act of smiling can dramatically lift your spirits. Smiling can also reduce symptoms that stem from anxiety such as high blood pressure and neurotic reactions. Studies show that just slower breathing and a change in expression can relieve stress. So, SMILE MORE! And don’t forget to take a picture! Next month’s Crossed Sabres photo contest is smiling. The prize, a $10 Chipotle gift card, will go to the picture of the best smile.

A Chilly Study AbroadPhysics teacher prepares for travel to Antarctica

Luisa Banchoff, ‘13Online Editor

The South Pole: Some Fun Facts

Antarctica is one and a half times the size of the United States.

Antarctica holds roughly one third of all the fresh water on Earth. The continent of Antarctica is buried under one mile of snow and ice.

It rarely snows in Antarctica. Instead, wind storms blow snow off the surface of the ice which creates the impression of snow storms. Antarctica contains 90 percent of all the world’s ice.

The countries of the world have agreed to waive owner-ship claims on the area, instead agreeing to jointly pursue sci-entific research.

Antarctica is the best place in the world to find meteorites. The Ancient Greeks conceived of an area similar to Antarc-tica, but it was not seen until 1820.

The first time anyone set foot on Antarctica was in 1821.

There are no planes flying by Antarctica from February to August.

McMurdo Station, the largest research station on Antarctica, hosts about 1,100 researchers each summer. In the winter, only 200 stay and work.

Facts from: factsmonk.com, thrifter.com and nhm.ac.uk

First Place (left) Emilia Zevallos, ‘13

Second Place (below)Eileen Breslin, ‘14

This fall, Ms. Katey Shirey, a physics teacher, will be embarking on the ultimate field trip. She has spent countless hours training, learning and answering questions about her destination. It is only a matter of weeks before Ms. Shirey leaves for Antarctica.

Ms. Shirey will be leaving for New Zealand on November 13, from where she will travel to McMurdo Station, a U.S. Antarctic research station located on the shores of Antarctica. After being processed, which includes additional training, Ms. Shirey will fly to a research station at the South Pole.

During her three weeks on the ice, Ms. Shirey will help scientists deploy photo collectors as part of a project called Icecube. The purpose of Icecube is to investigate what fuels cosmic rays as they fall to Earth. In order to do this, scientists capture light that is produced from the collision of a quark in a proton and a neutrino. A neutrino is a particle that can come from a cosmic event or nuclear decay. When the collision of neutrino and quark takes place, a particle known as a muon is produced. The muon emits light; this is essentially what the photo collectors are trying to capture. “It’s sort of a chain reaction; we see the end of the reaction and we are extrapolating backwards to find the

beginning of it,” Ms. Shirey said. Although she will be spending much

of her time working, it will not comprise the entirety of Ms. Shirey’s trip. While at the Pole, she will get a close-up look at additional experiments taking place. “My responsibility is to help with the work, but because I’m a teacher I get a lot of free time to talk to scientists and workers from other research projects happening,” she said.

Ms. Shirey’s trip is sponsored by PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating), a group that has been sending science teachers to both the North and South Poles since 2007. Ms. Shirey learned about the group through a conference at the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation two years ago.

Ms. Shirey will spend four weeks traveling in total, before she returns to Arlington the week before Winter Break begins. She hopes to integrate what she learns on the trip into her physics class curriculum.

In the mean time, Ms. Shirey encourages students to ask questions regarding her trip. She will be answering student questions weekly on the morning announcements.

Although Ms. Shirey will have limited contact with her students back home, she will be leaving them with an experienced substitute. Retired physics teacher, Mr. Ron Revere, will briefly exit retirement and cover all of her class while she is gone.

Leisure in the Metro Area

News Commentary

A Festival for the Ages

By Greg Jacks ‘11

Hot. Sweaty. Crowded. These are a few qualities which characterized my September 25 excursion to the 2010 National Book Festival. Located on the Smithsonian National Mall, this fair brings thousands of visitors each year. The festival is a showcase of authors and is sponsored by the Library of Congress. My mission was to find out why this event, which is about books after all, attracts so many visitors.

Soon after I arrived on the mall, I realized the sheer immensity of the festival. Towering white tents fanned across the green like rolling hills of a valley. The crowds were huge even in the last few hours of the event. The Library of Congress website reported that almost 130,000 people attended the festival.

The festival was divided into several different tents: tents with author press conferences (organized by genre), a tent with giveaway and freebees relating to each U.S. State (coined The Pavilion of the States) and tents with interactive games and crafts for kids.

The highlight of my trip, however, was listening to Mr. Peter Straub’s press conference. The renowned horror writer did not talk about his work, awards or rave reviews, he simply talked about his life. “When I was young,” said Mr. Straub, “I read to learn about the world, learn about what adults were up to, and to escape.”

As he described all his influences, I started to see him in a new light. The author, who seemed glorified and famous at first, quickly became relatable. That is when I realized the beauty of this festival: storytelling. These authors have incredible stories to tell, and this fair gives people a chance to hear those stories. More powerful than their most potent novels, these authors’ lives are what drag hundreds of thousands into the muggy Washington air.

So, my message for readers is simple. Although this event may sound nerdy, and the majority of attendees were my parents’ age, this festival is truly an adventure; a discovery of lives and people which can inspire, change and guide us for years to come.

Ms. Katy Shirey and junior Morgen Scott model Antarctic gear. All skin must be covered when exposed to Antarctica’s sub zero temperatures.

Left: Ms. Shirey poses as an Antarctic penguin. Right: The Antarctic research station where Ms. Shirey will conduct her work, eat her meals and sleep.

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

COURTESY OF KATEY SHIREYBY ABIGAIL BESSLER

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

LIFESTYLESCrossed Sabres November 3, 2010 5 Three-Dimensional Movies Fall Flat

After nearly 12 years of dancing, three hours a day, up to five days a week, sophomore Tenley O’Hara looks back at all her years of ballet with mixed emotions. With AP and IB classes looming before her, O’Hara is looking realistically towards her future- a future that may not include ballet.

It happens to everyone: when classes get harder and schedules become tighter, some activities just have to be left behind. The questions arise: “Will I really become a famous pianist?” and “Do I really have a future in acting? As a ballerina?”

O’Hara began ballet at the YMCA at the age of three with no intentions besides being with friends and wearing dress up clothes. Some of her first memories are of ballet class.

“I remember when I was really little, at the [YMCA] they showed us this lost and found basket where you could borrow ballet shoes if you forgot your own,” O’Hara recalled. “There was this really, really cute pair of shoes I really wanted. So, one day, I pretended I didn’t have my shoes, and I took them for myself!”

Over the years, ballet has become less laid-back and more serious. Five days a week, from 3:30 to 6:45 p.m., O’Hara goes to BalletNova for intensive ballet classes and workouts. Five years ago, classes got more intense when she went on Pointe, a type of ballet that puts her on the tips of her toes. Even more intense is her busy schedule: she gets home at 7 p.m. and has to start immediately on homework.

O’Hara’s busy ballet schedule also affects her mother, Mrs. Robin O’Hara, who chuckled while describing her car pool schedule and the fact that she is at BalletNova five or more days a week. Mrs. O’Hara commented on how the busy schedule has made her daughter more disciplined.

“Ballet is the one thing that makes the mind control all parts of the body,” Mrs. O’Hara said. “It’s good physically and mentally. I really feel that it has spilled over into her class work. She was pretty mad she had to miss the homecoming game though.”

O’Hara herself views ballet as more of a hobby than an actual career option. She acknowledged that although some dancers get to the professional level, realistically it probably will not happen for her. She might want become a designer, architect or art teacher, but one thing that is for sure is that O’Hara is transferring the creativity she has with ballet into potential career options.

For now, though, ballet provides O’Hara a place to see her friends and an outlet for her creativity. Although ballet is physically demanding like a sport, she does not really view it the same way. “Ballet is a form of expression,” she said, “an art with your body.”

Abigail Bessler ‘13Photo/ Art Editior

Isabel Larroca, ‘14Staff Reporter

Technology changes movies, ticket prices

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Anyone who goes to the movies can see that 3-D is on the rise. In the course of just a few months, multiple movies have come out in 3-D: Despicable Me, Toy Story 3 and Guardians of Ga’Hoole, to name a few. In the remaining months of 2010, movie-goers will have even more to choose from including movies ranging from Saw 3-D and Tron: Legacy to The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn-Treader to Monsters Inc. 2.

The reason behind the growing popularity of 3-D can be traced to last year’s box-office smash hit, Avatar. This more than $2 billion grossing film brought 3-D movies out of obscurity with new cutting-edge technology specifically created for the movie.

Far from the 3-D of the past, in which films were shot in 2-D and then converted to 3-D, recent movies are filmed in 3-D. This is done with two cameras strapped together so that each provides a different point of view (quite like how the human eyes function). This gives the screen depth, creating a foreground and background, rather than the past result of a flat image with random 3-D images popping out of the screen.

Not only has the filming changed, but the glasses have moved on from the original red-and-blue lenses. New polarizing glasses with filtered lenses remove different parts of the image on the screen as it enters the eyes. These new glasses give the illusion that the picture is being seen from two separate angles and do not distort the color of the screen.

After these improvements were made, the 3-D industry took off. The movies Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans followed Avatar, using its same technology. Older 2-D movies that had already been released to DVD were converted to 3-D with computer programs that mapped out the scenes and enhanced their depth. According to an article in the Kansas City Business Journal, Digital Cinema

Implementation Partners (DGIP), which was formed in 2007, has devoted itself to installing 14,000 movie theaters in the U.S. and Canada with 3-D projectors.

Third-dimension will be coming to television soon. Both Sony and Panasonic are said have announced plans to release 3-D television systems in 2010 (which will use similar technology to that used for movies.) Soon people will be able to see sports games, news reports and sitcoms in 3-D from their couches.

However, 3-D is not all benefits. Many movie theaters are going out of business because they cannot afford the $100,000 - $130,000 cost to install one 3-D projector, as mentioned in a Washington Post article, and can no longer compete with theatres that have 3-D projectors. According to a Newsweek article 3-D can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision and can end up becoming more of a distraction than an enhancement. Most of all, 3-D movies cost significantly more than regular movies-on average four dollars more than the usual price according to Fandango.com.

The general opinion of students about this 3-D trend is that 3-D movies are overused and overpriced. “Ever since Avatar, every movie has come out in 3-D,” said sophomore Taylor Leonard. “Some movies work in 3-D, but not all of them.”

Freshman Gracia Luoma-Overstreet brought up the matter of price. “I wouldn’t want to pay extra for [3-D] because it doesn’t add that much to the experience,” she said.

“3-D movies are a waste of money,” agreed

senior My-Anh Nguyen. “It costs a lot more to make them and it’s really not worth it.”

Junior Alex Kopenhaver was of a similar opinion. “If you’re going to make a lot of 3-D movies,” said Kopenhaver, “at least make sure the 3-D adds to the movie, not the movie adding to the 3-D.”

ART BY EMILY WALKER

PHOTO COURTESY OF TENLEY O’HARA

O’Hara (left) prac-tices on pointe shoes in full costume. O’Hara has been on Pointe, an advanced form of ballet, for five years.

AR ISTOf the Issue

Rock Hip-Hop + Electro-Pop Kid Cudi

SATURDAY

LIVENIGHT

3O ROCK Lil’ Kim Lil’ Wayne + Lil’ Mama

(Lil’) Nicki Minaj

FEATURE Crossed SabresNovember 3, 20106 FEATURECrossed Sabres November 3, 2010 7

Isabel Larroca, ‘14Staff ReporterAlbum & Artist

[Release Date]What To Expect Singles

Album PreviewsCOMPILED BY MATTHEW HIRSCH, ‘12

Speak NowTaylor Swift[October 28]

Pink FridayNicki Minaj

[November 23]

Sounds Like...

Swift’s fans should not be disap-pointed with this album. She follows her extremely successful formula of acoustic-guitar-driven country pop to deliver another album that should fly off the shelves. All of the songs on this al-bum were written by Swift herself

Minaj’s unique style of rapping, fea-turing different voices all fused in to one person, will be featured on this album. Her debut is highly antici-pated as it is the first big female rap release since Lil’ Kim’s The Naked

Truth, and it threatens to be even bigger.

Taylor has released three singles from the new album: “Mine”, “Speak Now” and “Back to December”. “Mine” features similar lyrics to past Taylor songs, as it is essentially about young love. In “Back to December,” the newest single, Taylor flips her usual lyrics and talks about how she re-grets breaking up with a boyfriend.

Nicki has released two singles. “Your Love” fea-tures her style of rap over a whimsical beat, while she tells you that “you’re the illest.” “Massive Attack” is different from her other songs as it is more of a club track and doesn’t prominently feature Nicki’s unique rapping as many fans have come to love.

Girl Problems

Acoustic Guitar + Revenge on Exes

Typical Taylor (In a good way)

COURTESY OF BIG MACHINE RECORDS AND YOUNG MONEY ENTERTAINMENT

Old-School Kanye + A Little Controversy

Kanye is back

The first single for this album, “Erase Me”, has already been released and includes a guest verse by Kanye West. It features a repetitive guitar riff throughout the entire song with a loud drum beat played during the chorus. Cudi sing-raps about a girl who should “erase” him from her memory and West provides the only real rap verse in this song.

Fans accustomed to Cudi’s trademark style of “space-age hip-hop” may be a bit lost as he goes for a more experimental sound on this new album.

West makes his return to rap. Boasting production from the man himself, as well as elite producers DJ Premier (formerly of Gang Starr), RZA (of the Wu-Tang Clan) and legendary producer Pete Rock, this album has been highly anticipated since its announcement. Special guests

are said to include Pusha T, Jay-Z, Eminem, Kid Cudi and many others.

“Power”, one of the confirmed tracks for the album, features a sample of King

Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”, while West forcefully raps about how “no one man should have all that power.” His other confirmed single, “Runaway” features a bare piano track and a loud drum beat while West sing-raps about his mistakes and personal downfalls. Pusha T is also given a guest verse on this track.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West[November 22]

Man on the Moon II: The Legend of

Mr. RagerKid Cudi

[October 26]

ANDPreviews Reviews

Coming Up Next...

ART BY EILEEN SOILES AND NOAH PILCHEN

Following an unfortunate first date set up by their mutual friends, Holly Berenson and Eric Messer are thrown together in Life As We Know It to be godparents to their deceased best friends’ newborn, Sophie.

Katherine Heigl stars as Holly, the owner of a promising bakery while Josh Duhamel is Eric, a network sports director for basketball. Heigl previously starred in the romantic comedies 27 Dresses and more recently The Ugly Truth. Josh Duhamel is most famous for his role in Transformers. Both actors were good choices for the roles needed in Life As We Know It. Heigl was very likable and the audience was able to sympathize with her problems throughout the film. Duhamel was laid back, so a good foil to Heigl’s character who had a more uptight personality.

An ongoing conflict in the movie was the social worker coming in to check on how parenthood was coming along with Berenson and Messer. However, this character did not contribute to the progression of the story.

At points, this movie was funny; however, the bathroom humor was overpowering and childish. This type of humor was unnecessary and did not further the plot of the movie. It was not the least bit funny when Berenson had gotten poop on her face after changing Sophie’s diaper for the first time. Then Messer compared the contents to Slumdog Millionaire and later in the movie, Sophie used Messer’s hat as a replacement for a diaper.

It was strange when Eric had a practice dinner date with Sophie. When Berenson and Messer first started caring for Sophie, one of the funnier parts was when they were improvising the words to “The Wheels on the Bus.” Their mentioning of how Keanu Reeves “saves the bus” was particularly entertaining.

Overall, this movie was immature and at points cliché. However, it was an easy to follow and had a simple and interesting story. Heigl and Duhamel were pleasant and had nice chemistry.

Life As We Know It is rated PG-13 and came out October 8.

Life As We Know It Just Got a Lot More Cliché

Paige Taylor, ‘12Staff Reporter

A host of new TV shows will be coming out this fall. With everything from pre-law student cheerleaders to spy assassins, chances are viewers should be able to find something to get their TV fix. The Huffington Post names Hellcats, Nikita, Hawaii Five-0 and the new series of Lone Star as the top shows to check out.

In an attempt to make money off the Glee hype, the CW network is advertising the new show Hellcats for fans of Glee. Featuring a pre-law student named Marty, played by Ally Michalka, who loathes everything cheer-related, the show focuses on her struggles as she must compete on the cheerleading squad in order to keep her scholarship. “I love Glee although I have never heard of Hellcats,” said sophomore Indranila Nowakowski.

Cheerleading teens will not be the only ones taking up the small screen with their antics, as sexy female spy assassins will be getting prime-time as well. Nikita on the USA network channel is a story about spy Nikita, played by Maggie Q., on the run from the very government agency that trained her. Adding to the drama is new spy Alex who wants out from said sinister organization. “Sounds interesting,” said senior Binita Pant.

Another action-filled drama rolling out this fall is Hawaii Five-0. Between the elbow-chopping fight scenes and gruff humor, the show makes an attempt at a plot. The basic premise is that the Steve is out for revenge on “the bad guys,” and the governor of Hawaii gives him a team to help him.

If you need a break from the dancing competitions and endless crime-scene dramas, Fox’s Lone Star will give you an hour’s worth of well-written drama. An action-romance about a con man who falls for the woman he is conning (a big no-no in this business), Lone Star features fight scenes with a cliff-hanger plot that keeps viewers anxiously awaiting the next episode.

Other shows to look for this fall are the comedy Better with You, medical drama Body of Proof and mystery-thriller The Event. With such a wide variety of shows, whether the quantity of new shows will be of any quality remains to be seen.

SONIA PHENE ‘11 ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE

Sydney Butler, ‘11Staff Reporter

Coming to a Theater Near You:

“I’m a complete Harry Potter dork. My friends and I are planning on seeing the midnight premiere in homemade cos-tumes.” --junior Jessica Whelan

“Superhero movies are the best! Plus, Seth Rogen is really funny.” --freshman Jeffrey Warren

“The Tempest is by far my favorite Shake-spearean play, and I’m sure Julie Taymor will make it visually stunning.” --junior Audrey Bowler

“I really like the book and the play ver-sion, so I’m hoping that the movie is just as good.” --senior Sonya Dagata

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (November 19, 2010)

Jane Eyre (March 11, 2011)

The Tempest (December 10, 2010)

The Green Hornet (January 14, 2011)

PHOTOS BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

New In Your TV Guide

Fall is here, and with it has come an endless barrage of television premieres. Some shows came back strong, while others failed to impress. In the end, Glee, 30 Rock, The Office and Saturday Night Live all showed varying degrees of promise.

First to debut this fall was the Emmy-award winning show Glee. In the premiere of its second season, which aired on Fox on September 21, Glee showed that it can uphold the reputation of being an infectious mix of high-school angst, colorful characters and massive musical numbers. The show stayed true to its vibrant and outrageous roots, with Finn being clueless, Rachel neurotic and Sue ruthless.

The biggest challenge for Glee is whether or not it will become more about how crazy the characters can be and how many famous guest stars can be crammed into each episode rather than the quality of the story line. The show is successful for its ability to walk the very fine line between unique and ridiculous, and hopefully will continue to do so.

Next to air was 30 Rock. The show ended last season with a bang, with Kenneth getting fired, Jack proposing to his pregnant girlfriend and Liz finding a possible soul mate.

The fifth season premiered on September 23 on NBC, and did not disappoint. Everything about this episode was refreshing, particularly the plot. These story-lines, paired with the show’s hilarious writing, have immense potential. Given the success of the recent live episode of the show, it looks like 30 Rock is headed for a wonderful season.

Right after the 30 Rock premiere on September 23 came the season debut of The Office, also premiering on NBC. At the end of its sixth season last year, The Office was dragging. Jim and Pam’s story lines had become boring, Dwight’s endearing oddities had started to border on insanity and Michael was no longer funny, just pathetic.

While the first half of the show’s premiere had viewers wondering if the new season would be similar to the last, the second half of the show regained The Office charm. We found Jim and Pam reverting back to their old prankster ways (e.g., trapping Dwight in an elevator), Dwight reacting in his bizarre manner (e.g., establishing a “pee corner” in the elevator) without seeming psychotic and Michael actually showing some backbone by spanking his 19-year-old nephew in front of the entire office.

In the end, the episode showed that The Office has potential for reclaiming its hilarious reputation. With Steve Carell leaving the show after this season, his character deserves a happy, and well-written, ending.

Last to premiere was Saturday Night Live. Anyone who watched the show regularly last year knew that it is in trouble. The show has lacked any consistency, some nights delivering plenty of laughs, but mostly disappointing with its lack of humor.

In its September 25 opening, the producers clearly made an effort to send a message that the show was back on track. Amy Poehler, one of the show’s favorite alumni, hosted, and many other past cast members made cameo appearances: Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey were all in attendance. New featured cast members Taran Killam, Jay Pharaoh, Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer also made their first appearances.

Even with all of these advantages, the show still fell flat. Though Poehler’s opening monologue showed promise, the subsequent skits were too long and overly reliant on single punch-lines. One skit was almost completely comprised of fart jokes.

In the end, Saturday Night Live suffered once again from the poor writing. COMPILED BY NOAH PILCHEN

9966

LIFESTYLES Crossed SabresNovember 3, 20108

Audrey Paduda ‘13Staff Reporter

Shocking as it may seem, the film that was destined to break all contemporary box-office records was initially rejected by its leading actor and was not expected to be very successful. However, when it was finally completed after post-production delays, Titanic became not only a success, but a global phenomenon. It launched something even more incredible: “Leo-mania.” After his premier role, Leonardo DiCaprio was crowned the leading Hollywood heartthrob, and teenage girls all over the world worshipped him with a devotion not seen since the days of the Beatles.

Now it is 2010, 13 years after Titanic made headlines, and it is becoming apparent that DiCaprio has evolved. He is no longer the teen idol whose looks won him more fans than his acting abilities. DiCaprio is now a respected actor whose films have garnered a multitude of accolades from the Teen Choice Awards and Golden Globes.

Part of his success is due to his versatility. He can play dark and brooding roles (Romeo + Juliet) or breezy and charming ones (Catch Me If You Can). He has mastered a South African accent. What is more, he knows whom can bring out the best in him. That is why he forged a durable alliance with Martin Scorsese that has benefited both, beginning with Gangs of New York and leading up to The Departed, which is the pair’s most successful and well-received film to date.

Even though DiCaprio’s rapport with young women today is considerable, Titanic was released in 1997, which means that his current fans were not any older than five at the time. English teacher Ms. Sarah Congable, however, remembers those days quite well.

Assistant Principals Mrs. Margarita Cruz and Mr. Tony Hall sweep up dirt and leaves from the front of the school after tending to their plot.

“[DiCaprio] was everywhere,” she said in an awed voice. “Every person in every age range went to see [Titanic], it seemed. Me, all my friends, my parents, even the kids I babysat.” She also believes the movie had standout performances from multiple actors. “[Kate Winslet] kinda rocked it,” she said.

Senior Benjamin Edgar thinks the thing that DiCaprio does best is make the lines come alive. “He makes you feel the words and not just hear them.”

Fellow senior Gretchen Schroeder, though, thinks the role matters more: “[DiCaprio] really connects well with his character.”

However, junior Mara Berkland disagrees. “[DiCaprio] chooses good roles, but he does not fulfill his potential,” she said. “He is not as deep into the character as the other people he works with.” Of all the movies DiCaprio has made, only one really appealed to Berkland: Romeo + Juliet.

This does not mean that she thinks DiCaprio is a lost cause. “He just needs to devote himself completely to the roles he is playing,” she said.

Currently, the big question for the actor is what follows Inception, which grossed over $21 million on its opening day. “People say Inception, Inception, Inception, but [Titanic] will be really be hard to go above,” said Edgar. “Not that that is a bad thing; he is still going to have a tremendous career.”

Taking a good look at the enthusiasm of DiCaprio’s fans and the quality of his most famous movies means that he may well be the kind of star who can be placed among the likes of James Stewart, Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Harrison Ford, a star for all ages. After a year like this one, he appears poised to do so, but only time will tell.

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE PETERS

Chad Hilla ‘11Opinion Editor

School Undertakes Beautification ProjectDepartments adopt plots, get their gardening gloves on

Adopt a Plot, a program that is attempting to beautify the outside of the new building, is new this school year.

In the program, different departments in the school “adopt” a patch of land and weed, plant and take care of the land.

It all began when Ms. Carol Callaway, the Director of Student Activities, proposed the idea to several departments.

“She came to us with this idea and several of our counselors were very vocal about their enthusiasm for the project,” Dr. Marie Bullock, the director of counseling, said.

The counselors decided to take care of their plot, which is right outside of door number two, as environmentally friendly as possible, using no fertilizers of any kind.

“We pretty much just went out there and dug and worked the ground with our hands and tools,” Ms. Heather Mizell said.

Another reason for the creation of the program was school spirit. “Generals Pride” has always been a big deal for the school and the beautification of the school

The story of Facebook is a compelling one--relevant to anyone with internet access and filled with enough drama to rival daytime soap operas.

The impact of Facebook is hard to deny. Over 500 million people across the world have accounts. “The Social Network is an important movie for this generation of students because it shows how Facebook originated.” said Ms. Stacy Yule, social studies teacher.

When Facebook was founded in 2004 by programming genius Mark Zuckerberg, it was marketed exclusively for Harvard students. The Social Network depicts Facebook’s development and the several obstacles the Facebook creators had to overcome.

While he attended Harvard, Zuckerberg created a website called Facemash.com which asked the visitor to compare two females side-by-side and decide which was more attractive. The site was immensely popular, receiving thousands of hits within a few hours. It was quickly shutdown, however, when it crashed the Harvard server.

In an effort to redeem his reputation after the angry backlack the followed, Zuckerberg created what he originally dubbed “the Facebook.” Six years later, the social networking site has evolved into a multi-billion dollar internationally known organization.

The Social Network tells the story of Zuckerberg’s rise to fame, and details the harsh rivalry between him and his best friend, Eduardo Saverin. Both Jesse Eisenberg (Zuckerberg) and Andrew Garfield (Saverin) filled their roles admirably, believably portraying embittered former business partners. Their arguments over the direction of the company were heated and engaging, and Garfield’s angry and empassioned speech toward the end of the film was chilling.

The script and pacing of the movie captured the audience’s attention through to the very end.

The movie was bolstered by a strong ensemble. Armie Hammer and Josh Pence skillfully portrayed the Harvard arrogance of the Winklevoss twins in a style that proved both infuriating and amusing.

Justin Timberlake played the part of Sean Parker, the inventor of Napster who drives a wedge between Zuckerberg and Saverin, with suprising ability.

Overall, the movie was astonishing and impressive. As the credits rolled and the lights turned on, I had a wide smile on my face. Director David Fincher does a phenomenal job of keeping the semblance of truth in the movie, while still including the Hollywood-style drama that people pay to see.

I give the film four out of five stars. Students and anyone who uses Facebook should see the movie and be ready for a fast-paced and interesting story.

Mrs. Cruz, Mr. Hall, and Mr. Jamelske work together to pull weeds from their plot around the flag pole on Stafford Street. Dif-ferent departments and organizations have chipped in to maintain the grounds around the school.

Manbir Nahal ‘14Staff Reporter

There are a lot of areas on the grounds that need care, and by taking care of them we are showing our spirit and pride in this school

- Mr. Hall

An Old Flame Still Burns Strong“Leo-Mania” takes on new form for younger generation

The Social Network Brings

Charm,Drama

shows the pride that the staff has. “There are a lot of areas on the grounds

that need care, and by taking care of them we are showing our spirit and pride in this school,” Mr. Tony Hall, assistant principal, said. “We want to make sure that our school looks the best.”

“I just felt that we had a new building, and we wanted it to be nice and inviting to show our General’s pride.” Said Ms. Mizell.

Adopt a Plot is not a county wide program. Only a couple of other schools, including Swanson Middle School, have taken up the program.

“It’s great being out there with the other counselors,” Ms. Mizell said with a smile. “And it’s good to be focused on the community and to be of service in a different way.”

Right now, with winter coming, there is not any gardening going on outside, but when spring rolls around again look out in front of the building and see the staff on their hands and knees working in the gardens.

SPORTSCrossed Sabres November 3, 2010 9

Spectators at the Homecoming game on October 1 witnessed number 28, senior Anthony Taylor, score four touchdowns for the Generals. At 5’11”, 185 lbs, the senior captain leads the team by example. “He’s not much of a rah-rah guy,” said fellow captain Daniel Guenther, “He doesn’t yell a whole lot, but he does what he’s supposed to do and he does it well.”

Arlington football welcomed Taylor ten years ago, when he played for the Arlington

This fall, Donovan McNabb had his season debut with the Washington Redskins, the only team who he has played for besides the Philadelphia Eagles.

McNabb was drafted in 1999 as the second overall draft pick by the Eagles, where he started as quarterback for the past 11 seasons. Eagle’s head coach Andy Reid and other members of the team’s organization decided to let McNabb go last season, which surprised many.

The Washington Redskins welcomed this six-time Pro Bowl quarterback with open arms, anxious to see if McNabb’s leadership and wisdom could spark some sort of magic in Washington, D.C. The Redskins have had five quarterbacks in the last six years. McNabb is the sixth, and taking over the position from Jason Campbell.

Redskins fans at Washington-Lee are ecstatic about McNabb’s arrival and believe he will be a great addition to the squad. “Even though [the Eagles] were rivals of the Redskins, I always enjoyed watching McNabb play,” said senior Redskins fan, Chris Nelson. “Aside from his great skill, I was impressed with how the rest of his teammates responded to him.”

That characteristic is one of the most

anticipated that McNabb will bring to Washington, according to head coach Mike Shanahan. The Redskins have had talent in areas throughout the team over the past years, however sports critics from ESPN cite a lack of leadership as the team’s main

A Fresh Start for an Old Star and RivalDonovan McNabb starts anew in D.C

problem. Hopefully McNabb’s experience will rectify this issue.

While McNabb’s football wisdom has its obvious positive influences in his overall ability, some football fans view his age as an issue. “He was a great quarterback a few

years ago,” said senior Cheru Mengesha. “Now he’s just good. Every day he gets older, slower and worse overall.”

Students are not the only ones concerned with the future of the Skins. Mr. Bobby Dobson, head coach for boys basketball, expressed concerns over McNabb’s long- term potential. “Even if he does good for us now, that’s not to say that he is a franchise-type player. He’s too old to do good things for [the Redskins] for years to come, which will leave us looking for another quarterback in a few years.”

Regardless of how the Redskin’s season turns out, fans will definitely gain something from McNabb’s arrival to the team, and that is change. Hopes for playoff success are high and almost expected it seems from the fan base at Washington-Lee, and McNabb seems to be leading this new wave of confidence.

The Redskins are currently 4-3 and are placed second overall in the NFC East division. One of those wins includes a 13-7 win over long-time rival Dallas Cowboys. “[The Redskins] haven’t done everything right so far. But they look like a different team to me since McNabb has been there,” said senior Saikhnaa Bayarsaikhan. “They’re fun to watch. They’re winning games. They are just an overall new team.” Record accurate as of Friday, October 29.

Athletes of the Issue

Ankle-Biters and then in middle school, in the Pop Warner league. He was brought onto the varsity team as a sophomore and was elected captain as a senior. His

COURTESY OF SADE OWENS

Andrew Karpinski, ‘11Staff Reporter

consistent optimism contributed to his election by his teammates. “If you stay

Anthony Taylor: Football

Emily Cook, ‘12Staff Reporter

calm and collected, things turn out well,” said Taylor.

Coach Joshua Shapiro also said that in addition to his strong work ethic, Taylor is a “genetically gifted” player with tremendous athleticism.

Taylor spends every day in the weight room and credits this personal drive to his success on the field and the inspiration of his teammates. “He never takes a practice off. He never takes a play off,” said Guenther. “He always does his best and when you see someone doing that, you feel you have to do the same.”

Recent honors for Taylor include being named week five Northern Region Player of the Week and his current position in the lead of the division in rushing yards and touchdowns. Guenther said, “He stays humble and hungry.”

BY MRS. CLAIRE PETERS

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Taylor catches a pass during practice. Earli-er in the season Taylor was named Northern Region Player of the Week .

Anthony Taylor was voted captain by his teammates for his leadership abilities.

Entering Washington-Lee for the first time as a sophomore, Annie Plotkin was in search of a hobby. She chose to pursue cross country because it was an easy option for her first year here and she had some friends on the team.

Now a senior and captain of the team, Plotkin reflects back on her first experience with cross country. “I was really intimidated and nervous my first day,” said Plotkin. However after two seasons of being on the team, Plotkin believes that her nerves have settled and her easy-going, yet determined attitude has allowed her to ease into the leadership position that she holds today.

“I never thought that I would be captain,

Annie Plotkin: Cross Country

Sophomore Sade Owens met Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb at a charity event. McNabb has been active in the Washington-area community since being traded.

Andrew Karpinski, ‘11Staff Reporter

but I guess the best trait that I bring to the team is my optimism,” said Plotkin. She says that she tries to bring together a sense of unity on the team that she thought lacked in previous years. “It’s important to me that I know all the girls’ names on my team. Winning is a factor, but I really just want [the girls] to feel like they’re part of something larger,” said Plotkin.

Although Plotkin never thought she would be given the chance to lead the cross country team her senior year, head coach Mr. Jeffrey McCarthy said that she was a clear choice for captain. “She’s a dedicated athlete, is always supportive of her teammates, and is a very good runner,” said Mr. McCarthy.

At the National District Cross Country festival on October 28, Plotkin led the girls

COURTESY OF ANNIE PLOTKIN

team to their first district championship in four years. “Annie played a huge role in the team’s victory,” said Mr. McCarthy. “Her enthusiasm and positive attitude at practice has made every practice more productive and led to a team that was 100 percent prepared for the district meet.”

BY ABIGAIL BESSLER

Plotkin transferred her sophomore year and found a niche on the cross country team.

Annie Plotkin races to the finish during a meet. This is her third year on the team and she is captain of the girls team.

The cold fall season has already begun, and with it comes another season with the Washington Capitals. Arlington has many dedicated fans, and new fans are coming out to support one of the strongest teams in the NHL.

Many Washington-Lee students are fans of the Capitals, and visit the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (KCI) in Arlington. The KCI is a rooftop ice rink on top of Ballston Mall that opened in 2006.

The county owns the facility but has leased it to the Capitals. Some activities at the KCI include viewing practices, public skating, recreational hockey leagues, playing pick-up hockey and figure skating. KCI also has many fans who come to watch Capitals games on TV at the facility.

“I like to go to the Capitals’ practices and bond with some of the players and coaches,” said junior Catherine Boryan, a hockey player. “Many youth and junior hockey teams from around the country come to play at KCI and just to watch the Caps.”

Fans can view Capitals’ practices in the

SPORTS Crossed SabresNovember 3, 201010Caps Fans with High Hopes

Manbir Nahal, ‘14Staff Reporter

BY MANBIR NAHAL

BY MANBIR NAHAL

Kettler Capitals Iceplex (KCI) in Ballston Mall before an adult league game. Capitals fans can watch practices, get autographs and bond with players at KCI.

Jerseys adorn the walls of the KCI gift shop. Fans can purchase various jerseys and Capi-tals paraphenalia at the gift shop.

The new building and school grounds have been completed since the beginning of last school year. The school consists of the building, the stadium and two natural grass fields behind the stadium. The fields are almost done, but students continue to wonder if the additional fields will give teams more practice time.

The fields were intended to provide both JV and freshmen teams with a spot to practice so that they would not have to wait for varsity teams to finish practice or go off site, which has been necessary in years past. However, the fields have not been used for anything lately, forcing both JV and freshmen teams to continue practice elsewhere. “It’s tough, but I’m just looking forward to getting more fields to practice on,” said freshman football team quarterback Sam Appel.

The fields are not playable yet because the seeds of grass on the field are still settling, and if it is played on with loose seeds, the field will face potential uprooting. Mrs. Carol Callaway, director of student activites, said that she is unsure when the fields would be ready for use, but added that more information will be available in

Practice Fields Still Not Readythe next few weeks.

However, the addition of the new fields will not solve everything. There are no plans for fencing or irrigation, which could present problems should there be inclement weather. On top of which, the practice schedule is complex and varsity teams will always have priority. The field will provide more space, however, which should allow all of the teams to stay on school grounds. “We’re looking forward to bringing the teams home,” Ms. Callaway said.

The completion of these grounds will also give diversity to the type of fields available. If a varsity team plays a team that has a grass field, then they might practice on the grass practice field. The same is true for JV and freshmen teams. Conversely, if they have games on turf, then they might be given the turf to practice. Ms. Callaway says the practicing schedule is a complex planning process with a lot of factors that go into organizing it.

The exact date that the fields will be ready for use is unclear, but the teams will be returning home soon. Sophomore Alex Coppa said, “We’re just hoping the fields will be ready for the spring, but if they’re not we will just have to make it work with what we have.”

BY ZACH PERLMAN

Zach Perlman, ‘13Staff Reporter

The extra practice fields sit vacant behind the new school buildings. Athletes are patiently waiting to use the fields for practice.

City gears up for new hockey seasonmornings. The team is on the ice between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sometimes after practices, usually on non-game days, the players have an autograph session. The Capitals are known for interacting with fans.

Freshman Heidi Schmidt loves to watch the Capitals’ games with her family. “I go to Caps games, even on school nights because my family and I have a twenty-game ticket plan. They are just fun to watch and it’s a great way to spend time with the family.”

Tickets are sold out for almost all of the Caps games, but tickets can always be exchanged or bought on Ticketmaster and Ticket Exchange. The KCI also sells tickets before 5 p.m. on game days.

Fans have waited in anticipation for a spot in the Winter Classic, an outdoor NHL game that occurs once per season. Their wishes have been granted, as this year the Capitals will be traveling to Pittsburgh to face the rival Penguins in the Classic.

The long wait of the off season is finally ending. The Capitals are currently on a road trip to away games in North Carolina, Minnesota and Calgary. The team will be returning home against Toronto on November 3.

Matthew Hirsch, ‘12Staff Reporter

Every other Friday, hundreds of students armed with $5 and school spirit descend upon Washington-Lee’s stadium for home football games. “I think it’s a waste of money to have to pay $5 when we are here to support the school,” said junior Emily H a r r i s o n ,

expressing her discontent over ticket

prices. “We should have to pay $2 at most.” Ticket price, however, is not set by W-L, but by the Northern Region of the Virginia High School League (VHSL) and this money is used for future funding of the football program.

After every varsity football game in the Northern Region, the money made is split between the home and away teams. On the Homecoming game, $9300 was raised. Thomas Jefferson and W-L shared the earnings equally. The school’s share was taken to the Education Center and put in what Ms. Carol Callaway, director of student activities, calls “the pot.” At the end of the school year, the Education Center divides all of the money in “the pot” amongst the different budgets supported by Arlington Public Schools must support,

Where Does the Money Go?

“I don’t like having to

spend money on our games,

but I like to support our school,

so if I have to pay, I will.”

-- junior Brendan Craig

including sports.The sports programs pay for themselves

in a cycle. A portion of the money that is taken out of “the pot” and given to the school is devoted to the sports programs and Ms. Callaway’s budget. It is her budget that pays for almost every component of home sporting events, including field or building

maintenance, parking patrol, and 13 other paid positions from ticket sellers and ticket takers to extra security. The only thing that is not paid for through her budget is the snack bar and food provided at games, which

are provided by the Boosters Club.

Juniors Evan Seklecki and Biru Jones pay for their tickets to a field hockey game. Students are reluctant, but willing, to pay to support the Generals.

BY MRS. CLAIRE PETERS

Students question high ticket prices

The Capitals finished first in their division during the 20 09-10 season with 54 wins. They failed to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, however.

The tallest Washington Capital is Jeff Schultz. He is 6’ 6” and 230 pounds.

Capitals players Karl Alzner, John Carlson, Jason Chimera, John Erskine, Matt Hendricks and Jeff Schultz are participating in Movember. They will be growing out mustaches throughout the month of November in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Capitals Fact File

Although some students such as Harrison stress about ticket prices, most are willing to give up their $5 to enjoy a football game and support the school’s facilities. Junior Brendan Craig said, “I don’t like having to spend money on our games, but I like to support our school, so if I have to pay, I will.”

OPINIONCrossed Sabres November 3, 2010 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg Jacks, ‘11Staff Reporter

Contact informationWashington-Lee High School

Attn: Crossed Sabres1301 N Stafford StreetArlington, VA 22201

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

wlcrossedsabres@yahoo.comwww.tinyurl.com/wlcrossedsabres

Emily Walker, ‘12Lifestyles Editor

Stewart, Colbert Plan to Rally a Beleagured Cause

Our Wailing WallsStudent laments school’s lack of color

BY

AB

IGA

IL B

ESSL

ERB

Y C

HA

D H

ILLA

This past year has been interesting for the political record books. The upcoming elections have spawned a revitalization of the American Tea Party, the Democratic Party faces possibly losing its majority in Congress and there have been numerous rallies promoting everything from gay rights to restoring honor to plain humor.

Wait, humor? On October 30,

acclaimed comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a rally on the National Mall in front of the Washington Monument for the sole purpose of comedy and entertainment. Stewart, host of The Daily Show, and Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, dubbed it “The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.”

The original plan was for Stewart to hold the “Rally to Restore Sanity” in response to Glenn Beck’s radical “Rally to Restore Honor.” Colbert was going to have a “March to Keep Fear Alive” and engage in a faux rivalry with Stewart. Then rallies had to be combined when only one permit was issued to them.

Many people from the Washington, D.C. area planned to attend; over 205,000 people were “attending” according to the Facebook groups for the rally. Mrs. Natalie Root with hopes of avoiding “hearing more virulent political rhetoric on the left and right.” She also carried faint hopes of meeting one of the Comedy Central celebrities.

Mrs. Root also went to find solace with other ‘silent moderates.’ “To listen/watch the media you’d think we’re all lunatics on the left and right fringe.”

While Stewart and Colbert claim the rally was being held purely for entertainment, some news sources, like Politico, think it may serve another purpose. The demographic of people who attended the rally was young

moderates and liberals, groups that carried potential weight in the November 2 elections, assuming there were able to get out to the polls.

The under-30 age group has had poor voter turnout in the past, making up only 17 percent of all voters in the 2008 presidential elections, which was almost double the turnout in 2000 according to www.pewtrust.org. If the October 30 events were able to mobilize young

moderates and liberals, they could could have worked to keep

Republicans and Tea Party members from taking too many Democratic seats in the midterm elections.

However, Ms. Root said that by the time the rallies happened, most voters would have already made up their minds on

who to vote for.I, along with many

other high school students, attended the rally to enjoy a

good laugh. However, I am slightly concerned with what

“Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” might say about America.

Do Americans enjoy their satire more than actual politics? If the rally was unable to mobilize young voters, America may face a generation of

politically unmotivated citizens who watch comedy shows more

than the actual news and care more about humor than real government

happenings. In defense of young

Americans, comedy is comforting. When oil spills

threaten ecosystems and miners are trapped

underground, it is nice to find some relief in satire at the expense

of right-wing radicals. It would be nice, though, if people got excited about real

news every once in a while. My hopes for the rally were

this: Stewart and Colbert provide extraordinary humor, fun and, of course, plenty of Glenn Beck/ Sarah Palin satire, while still mobilizing young people to vote on November 2. The only

question left: sanity or fear?

When I traveled to Yorktown’s new building this summer, I noticed that is was shockingly similar to ours. It made use of metal siding, decorated floors and rectangals. However, there was one deviation: it had color. Every classroom had a colorful accent on its outer wall, from magenta to yellow-orange. I was so jealous that I debated spending the whole day in the friendly confines of the building. I wondered why our school could not also liven up its bleak and sterile walls.

I feel a school with such diversity and culture should have a building which physically embodies this eclecticism. When I think of the old school, I reminisce of a school that was not exactly clean or sleek, but definitely had character. Our new school lacks this kind of personality. If anything were to be done, whether it be painting walls, putting up posters and murals or hanging up student artwork, one would see a definite change in student psyche.

To discover more of the logistics regarding this issue, however, I interviewed Mr. Gregg Robertson, principal, on the school practice regarding artwork in the new building. He explained to me that any mural idea would need to be approved by him and would most likely be temporary. The administration does not want future generations of students to lose the opportunity to put their stamp on the school, so direct painting on walls is highly discouraged to allow wall space

for upcoming students. Students from Ms. Katey Shirey’s IB

Physics class experienced this practice first-hand last year. They wrote a proposal which described the cost, purpose and location of the mural. Along with a sketch of the final product, their proposal was approved and can be seen on the third floor. While the students hoped their artwork would catalyze more of the kind, this change has not come. Apparently, says Ms. Shirey, the principal got many proposals, but the majority were rejected.

She believes that students are unaware that opportunities like this are available to them: “It is not that the practices are too strict, or that the students lack the initiative, it is that there is a lack of knowledge of the process.”

This process sounds a bit too harsh to me. I personally believe that the school should encourage, not inhibit artwork. I understand their reasoning, but it is a little weak. If we are constantly holding onto space for the future, we will end up having blank walls for quite some time. The administration needs to realize that the new building cannot be untouchable forever.

Mrs. Rosa Reyes, an English teacher, shares a similar sentiment. She feels that the school is still in the “it’s brand new, don’t touch it” phase. “I fear we could be hiding a really important artist, like the painter of the JFK mural decades ago,” says Mrs. Reyes. I encourage all students to contribute pieces of artwork for our building, There is evidence that W-L has the capacity for great art. We could turn this industrial- looking building into a bright and cheerful place with one simple improvement.

The walls of the art hallways lie bare, completely devoid of decoration.

The walls of the Yorktown hallways bear many colorful murals.

ART BY EILEEN SOILES

OPINION Crossed SabresNovember 3, 201012Generally Speaking

The Digital Dilemma

Jack Bardo, ‘11Managing Editor

The Biased Opinion of the Crossed Sabres Staff

No More Children Left Behind

In an academic utopia, college costs less, every student has number two pencils and online textbooks actually work like they are supposed to. The beginning of this school year has shown that this is not an academic utopia.

While high schools are limited in their ability to make college less expensive, and students will always be forgetting number two pencils, schools can and must do something to help with troublesome online textbooks. Difficulties with online textbooks include accessing the book, headaches from reading off a computer screen and the feeling of guilt after

using so many pieces of paper printing out textbook pages.

There are, however, upsides to online textbooks. The textbook is accessible through most internet servers, though not all, and students no longer have to lug textbooks around. Online textbooks also have extra study tools available that hard copy textbooks did not have. An example is the AP Government online textbook which has special features not found in the old hard cover edition, including an interactive Constitution and summaries of notable Supreme Court cases.

In addition to helping students academically, the online textbooks also help the School

Board and taxpayers save money. Purchasing an online subscription to the textbook for each student costs 20 percent less than purchasing hardcover textbooks. Money is being saved not only at the high school level, but at the elementary and middle school levels as well. The Arlington School Board had all schools, grades K-12, adopt what they call a “blended model” of textbook usage. This means that there is a combination of hardcover books and online textbook subscriptions available for every student.

Even though the upsides of the online textbooks help the students, they do not make up for the difficulties and potential pain that they pose. One problem

that can harm students is getting headaches or migraines from looking at the computer screen too long. This can be solved by merely printing out the pages assigned each night, assuming students do not mind using many pages of paper.

Another downside to online textbooks is trouble accessing them online. With today’s generation of tech-savvy high school students, who can be taught a new trick on the computer once and remember it forever, learning how to get into the online textbook should not be a problem. It is not students adapting to the new technology that presents a problem – it is teachers. To solve this, teachers should receive

training on the ins and outs of online textbooks, especially for older teachers that may not have had the Internet in their youth.

While there are downsides to the online textbooks, there is a very minimal chance that the textbooks will go away anytime soon. This is the age of electronics and Arlington County Schools must keep up with the times. Even though online textbooks have their pitfalls, they save the Arlington County School Board 20 percent of what they would spend on hard cover textbooks, which in a prolounged recession is all that really seems to matter.

Charter school sensation gripping the nation

In a nation where 68 percent of eighth graders cannot read on grade level, mathematics performance ranks 25th among developed countries and only 68.6 percent of students graduate from high school, the public education system has clearly failed to execute its mission.

The debate has been catalyzed by the release of the new and controversial film entitled Waiting for Superman, which critiques the effectiveness of our education system. The film tells the stories of five children each in a failing school system. They are waiting in lotteries to enter charter schools.

I believe charter schools are a viable alternative to the mainstream public schools, particularly to those that have been consistently failing to turn out high achievement and graduation rates.

As shown in a study released by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, charter schools introduced in failing school districts raise the standards of the traditional public schools. A charter option gives parents a choice between sending their kids to the failing district public school or to the local charter school. This creates a more capitalist-oriented education market in which schools must use their prestige to appeal to families, or else lose enrollment and be forced to close. The study was based on observations of school districts in Springfield and Worcester, MA; Jersey City and Trenton, NJ and Washington, D.C.

As public schools in these

cities began to lose enrollment to the charter schools, they proceeded to adopt programs and measures similar to those at the charter schools. These included Saturday study sessions and laptop computers for every student. All measures that the superior charter school used and yielded higher student achievement. Many of the school principals interviewed

in the study said the presence of the charter school encouraged them to raise standards for their respective schools.

According to the Atlantic Philanthropies, a charity and social justice organization, there is no evidence showing

that charter schools have higher student achievement. However, it is important to realize that charter schools are still a growing novelty in education. Therefore it will take time to notice an achievement gap.

Most state and local laws that govern charter schools set achievement standards that the school must meet in order to stay

open. Those that do not meet these standards will forfeit their charter and be forced to close. As long as governments vigorously work to enforce these laws, the charter school system will become stronger and quickly outperform the district schools.

Another advantage to charter schools is their community-centered focus. Their style of education is localized to their community and they do not need to follow a rigid state-wide or city-wide education program that organizes schools from the top down, forcing students, teachers and parents to mold into their glove.

Conversely, a charter school allows the education program to be tailored according to the students’ needs and the community’s philosophy. The school can implement a longer or shorter school day, Saturday study sessions, more vocational

Charter School Fast Facts

• Charter schools are part of the public education system and receive public education funds. They are not always subject to the same rules and regulations as regular public schools, but often have to adhere to certain standards of accountability. Charter schools are also allowed to

accept private funding.

• The goals they are held responsible for are expressed in each school’s charter.

• Admission to charter schools is usually by choice. However, when more students want to attend than slots are available some charter schools use

a lottery system to admit students.

• Laws about the creation of charter schools vary by. There are currently three charter schools operating in Virginia. There were 58 charter schools

in Washington, D.C.

• Only in New Orleans Public Schools are the majority of children educated within independent public charter schools.

training classes or whatever the school believes will be to the students’ best advantage.

Currently, Virginia has only three charter schools, but according to The Washington Post, Virginia has some of the best public schools in the country. Due to this ranking, charter schools are less of a necessity in Virginia. However, if a community wants to establish a charter school with financial contributions from firms and private individuals, they should not be discouraged. What is wrong with giving students more choices?

Fortunately, in 2009, then Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) signed a bill ending the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in the Commonwealth. This was a bipartisan measure involving cooperation between Gov. Kaine and Del. Scott Ligmanflter (R- Woodbridge). Despite the good standing of Virginia public schools, the commonwealth still has some underperforming schools.

Educators have raised concerns that charter schools will attract the best students and leave the average and struggling students behind. This is a legitimate concern, which can be addressed. Communities must establish charter schools that will allow any student to enter regardless of their academic performance. Any student should be given a choice in the type of education that they want to receive. This will maintain a heterogeneous pool of students in both the public and charter school systems.

The early studies of charter schools seem promising, and there are many localities acting as laboratories to test the effectiveness of these schools. Education experts should watch these localities closely to assess their long-term impact.

This article is the first in a series that will examine the pros and cons of various education reform ideas and movements in the Unit-ed States.