Have you read Looking for Alaska? You really should. As soon as possible. I say that to everyone I talk to about books, regardless of the topic of the discussion. It is my way of recognizing the quality of John Green’s writing; it is worth recommendation no matter the context. Green, who specializes in teenage slice of life/romance, has a rare gift: he can accurately write teenage characters in the first person.

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After flying President Franklin Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945, former pilot Elmer Smith spoke on his experiences during a presentation hosted by the Social Studies Honor Society on Jan. 9.

At the event, the former colonel of the US military reminisced about his journeys around the world with important dignitaries, such as former secretary of state George Marshall.

Smith recalled experiences such as the time the plane “lost an engine with President Truman on board.”

Smith noted the differences between him and today’s pilots.

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Surveillance systems will soon be installed in the cafeteria after the FCPS School Board approved their use in FCPS high schools on Dec. 16.

“It is a good practice for the safety and security of the staff,” principal Jay Pearson said. “For students waiting for rides, there would be a level of security and documentation.”

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In search of the kind of charity work he had been part of in his past, senior Ryan Moore drew from his roots.

Before coming to Marshall in his junior year, Moore spent three years in Beijing, China, where, at the International School of Beijing (ISB), he was actively part of Nightingale, one of the school’s charity organizations. Nightingale is affiliated with the Ping An Medical Foster Home.

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Though substitute teacher Barry Finkelstein calls himself “an open book,” his colorful past, which has had a great influence on him, has only recently been revealed.

According to Finkelstein, his personality and style of teaching are the products of his life in the military and his work for the federal government.

Finkelstein spent 36 years in the government: five in active duty and in the Navy, 27 with the Internal Revenue Service and four with the Department of Justice. His first tour with the U.S. Navy was as a line officer aboard a cruiser in Vietnam.

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America is outraged, and it should be. Four U.S. marines were videotaped urinating on dead Taliban soldiers in a callous display of dominance. The Marines have always been a respectable institution and these soldiers have betrayed the honor of their role as soldiers. Yet outrage over this video contradicts the society’s passive acceptance of similar behavior in video games.

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Teaching dating safety at an early age can provide young people the information and tools they need to build a healthy relationship. After all, early relationships play a pivotal role in teens’ lives and are important to developing the capacity for long-term, committed relationships in adulthood. The quality of adolescent romantic relationships can have long-lasting effects on self-esteem and shape personal values regarding romance, intimate relationships and sexuality.

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Rule of Thirds, the debut album from Azure Blue, is the perfect example of why indie music is often more impressive than its mainstream counterpart.

Lately, the electro and dance music scenes in America have been dominated by few artists and even fewer styles.

Skrillex, David Guetta, Deadmau5 and Bassnectar are some of the big names that may come to mind when thinking of the genre.

Interestingly, there is far more depth to dance than dubstep. It can be more conventional, emotional and lyrically rich, as evidenced by Azure Blue.

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Every team has its battles: the practices, the injuries and the daily juggle to balance school with sports. But unlike other sports teams, the indoor track team must overcome challenges unique to the season.

As one of the handful of winter sports available at Marshall, indoor track is handicapped by winter break early in the season. While it is possible for the team to plan around the break, the real issue is much more sporadic. Indoor track is the only winter sport to practice outside and is at the full mercy of the weather.

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This season’s boys varsity basketball team has made a substantial improvement from last year already having beaten last year’s final record with five wins and eight losses.

At this time last year, varsity’s record was three wins and ten losses and it finished the season with three wins and 20 losses.

Varsity basketball has not done this well since the 2009-2010 season finishing with a final record of 12 wins and ten losses.

This year’s team has more returning players than last year’s with five seniors compared to last year’s younger team of three seniors.

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