By:

A rubber boot swaying on his head, multitudes of ties peeking out from under his salt-and-pepper beard, presidential candidate Vermin Supreme proudly distinguishes himself from the other presidential hopefuls with his signature opening line: “I am a friendly fascist, a tyrant you can trust.”

His campaign manifesto includes a mandatory dental hygiene law, funding for time travel research and an energy policy that involves harnessing the power of zombies.

Continue Reading

By:

It is sprawled on the bathroom stalls in sharpie and on the tops of desks in pencil. It covers everything it touches — roads and bridges and garage doors. Sprayed by artistic teenagers or painted by gangs to claim territory, it can be found from downtown DC to rural Great Falls.

“It’s a misdemeanor to do graffiti,” school resource officer Tom Harrington explained. “You can be charged with the removal of it, and that can go into the thousands of dollars, depending upon … how big it is.”

Continue Reading

By:

I started painting graffiti when I was a little kid mostly because it was a bit of fun and involved a lot of running and hiding like any other children’s game. It sort of started out as just painting quotes or offensive phrases and then as I got older I got a lot more creative and sort of branched out my painting spots.

For awhile I liked to find places where no one went because it gave me more time to paint and look over my stuff. Now I think I spend about 90% of my time thinking up ideas or matching colors – though I usually only get to paint about 2% of what I want to.

Continue Reading

By:

Over the past few months, like you, I’ve witnessed careful construction: a foundation poured, leveled, smoothed; supports set, checked, reset; and new wires stretched, tested, aligned. Though I could be describing the new science wing, I’m thinking about all of the developments I’ve seen from the AVID students, along with Taryn Barber, the AVID coordinator, and the rest of the AVID team.

In August, I participated in the AVID orientation, helping push a few kids out of summer stupor while also being surprised at how quickly most were adopting a new view of themselves as scholars.
Continue Reading

By:

Senior Ashley Coates sized herself up—not just against her competition, but more importantly, herself. At the Skills USA Hot Foods Preparation Competition on Feb. 11, Coates tested her cooking skills against fellow high school students.

“I have always grown up around cooking,” Coates said. “I thought it would be a fun thing to see if I actually know as much as I think I do.”

At the competition, Coates demonstrated her knowledge of hot food storage, knife skills and preparation of a roasted chicken.

Continue Reading

By:

Statesmen wrestlers James Cusack and Matt Crawford, both seniors, wrestled in the Virginia AAA State Wrestling tournament at Robinson Secondary School on Feb. 17 to 18, finishing in eighth and third places, respectively.

Crawford beat Yorktown High School wrestler Charlie Whel on the second day of the tournament to earn his third place finish in the state. Cusack lost his final match that determined the seventh and eighth place finishers in his weight class.

Continue Reading

By:

Six members from the Marshall Debate team traveled to Harvard University in Boston to compete in 38th annual Harvard National Forensics Tournament last Friday to argue in a weekend-long competition.

“This is probably the biggest thing Marshall Debate has done in a long time,” sophomore Olivia Martin said.

Freshman Anna-Liis Sutt and Sanam Analouei competed together, as did sophomores Taruni Paleru and Martin in the JV Public Forum. Public Forum duos debated the abolition of birthright citizenship in the US.

Continue Reading

By:

Black History Month sparks annual debate over its existence—a debate alive and well at Marshall, where the month is primarily recognized via facts on the morning announcements.

Senior Micheas Atkilt said he finds the announcements “demeaning.”

“It appears to me like African-Americans had a bad past so let’s give them a month to go over things that nobody cares about,” Atkilt said. He added that this sentiment was patronizing.

Senior Maha Hassan said she disagrees.

Continue Reading

By:

The entries had come in. Now it was up to the filmmakers to decide who would win.

After finishing their music video production project, IB Film Study 2 students took part in the Barberellos, a series of awards that recognize filmmakers for their productions.

IB Film Study 2 teacher Pierce Bello said that the idea for the awards came from students who wanted to recognize their peers’ film productions.

Voting occurred in two rounds. The first round had open nominations and the second had students pick from the top three choices for a winner.

Continue Reading

By:

The Marshall football program recently welcomed back alumnus Greg Sullivan to become its new head coach.

Sullivan, who graduated in 1979, has a long history in coaching football. He spent five years coaching at Ottawa University in Kansas before moving back to the Northern Virginia area. After spending three years as a head coach for the football team at T.C. Williams High School, Sullivan became an offensive coordinator at McLean High School.

However, Sullivan’s time away from Marshall has not stopped him from following his alma mater’s team.

Continue Reading

By:

There has been an influx of former Marshall boys basketball players into Vienna Youth Incorporated’s high school boys basketball league.

At least ten boys who had stopped playing for the Marshall team are now playing with each other again in the local house league.

The high quality of the league has players happy to return to their pre-high school league junior Jeff Townsend said. “I’m really loving my return.”

Players agree that the quality of play in VYI is what they are looking for in a league.

Continue Reading

By:

This Friday will be the second to last day of Freshmen Friday, an event headed by the Class of 2015.

Twenty-five songs ranging from Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” to Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song” will be available for selection on Freshmen Friday for 50 cents.

Any student can pay to play one of these songs or pay for a shout-out. Money raised from Freshmen Friday will go towards funding for the Class of 2015.

“We made it February-themed—happy—not just love-themed,” SGA executive board member Erica Sherr, freshman said.

Continue Reading

By:

Gotham City Impostors is a very interesting change of pace after Batman: Arkham City and it will satisfy most everyday gamers. First of all, it is an online first person shooter, with a maximum of 6v6 players online match, which was previously unseen for any batman game. Also, with its cartoony graphics and colorful character design the game takes a different spin on the Batman franchise.The game has a basic plot behind it: a group of Batman and Joker impersonators (Bats and Jokerz) fight each other over the control of Gotham City.

Continue Reading

By:

IB classes are hard. To really thrive, one has to dedicate time and effort to the work an IB class demands. Even students who are looking for challenge may not be able to ready to commit themselves to the responsibilities of an IB class. Students who are on the cusp between being ready for IB have no alternative but to stick with standard classes until they are ready to take on an IB class.

Continue Reading

By:

The English department will be adding in IB English Standard Level 1 as a course option for next year. English department chair Martha Noone said the decision came as a result of the FCPS School Board’s vote to add English Honors classes.

The school then looked at “what would be best for students” and decided to add IB SL English as a result, Noone said.

The program was not added before due to Marshall’s small size. Noone said that the course would be accessible for students coming out of English 10.
Continue Reading

By:

The dimming lights and the consequent hush that fell over the auditorium at sharply 6:45 p.m. last Wednesday signaled the start of Marshall’s annual International Night.

International Night is an event that celebrates the cultural diversity at Marshall. With over 20 countries and their cultures showcased, the night offered food, information boards and a variety of cultural performances.

The size and scope of the event mandated the collaboration of teachers, students, clubs and parent volunteers to achieve its large-scale goals of uniting the diverse cultures at Marshall.

Continue Reading

By:

Virginia legislators are on the verge of passing a bill that would change the way schools deal with serious student offenses. Principals in FCPS and throughout the state are not required to call the parents of a student who is in a situation where he or she could be suspended or expelled.

“Parents need to know when our children are in serious trouble, and I believe that this bill eventually will bring state law closer to that critical goal,” Virginia Senator Chap Petersen said in a statement.

Continue Reading

By:

Afrequent counterpoint to passionate political leaning speakers among critics is calling them ‘bigots’ or just obtuse.
However, a study by the University of Nebraska found that some people are actually biologically disposed to have fundamentally different political views.

Neuroscientists came to this conclusion by testing patients’ physiological arousal to a liberal and a conservative speaking, respectively.

Continue Reading

By:

The Lake Braddock/Marshall ice hockey team won 6-1 against Loudon Valley/Woodgrove on Feb. 10.

“I scored two goals, sophomore Dirk Edison scored one and the other three goals came from our teammates from Lake Braddock,” assistant team captain Scott Henning, senior, said.

Henning leads the team with nine goals in seven games. Sophomore Edward Hirka is second with seven goals in eight games.

Despite its win, the team lost a “close game that [it] could’ve won” three days earlier against Robinson/Jeb Stuart with a score of 3-4 on Feb. 6, Edison said.

Continue Reading

By:

Spring sports, such as lacrosse and baseball, have a positive outlook for the 2012 season with the introduction of Green Days, which are new as of this year for Marshall and all other Virginia public schools.

According to boys lacrosse coach Andrew Freeman, the state instituted the pre-season work out days because they allow the players to practice with more freedom before the season and they help high school sports provide the flexibility that club sports offer.

The state also instituted Yellow Days, which are pre-season conditioning, and Red Days, which are hands-off days.
Continue Reading

By:

In President Obama’s most recent State of the Union Address, he spoke of keeping students in school until they turn 18 and of making laws against dropping out of high school. While it’s true that research shows a direct correlation between how long one stays in high school and income later in life, making dropping out uniformly illegal is not the best way to help teens. In fact, it’s the wrong way.

Continue Reading

By:

After experiencing success at districts, the Theatre program placed third in the Feb. 10 Northern Region festival hosted by Lake Braddock High School.

The competition involved judging one-act plays. Marshall’s entry, “The Sea,” was directed by theatre teacher Mark Krikstan.

Despite their first place win over Stone Bridge High School and three other schools in the Liberty District competition, Marshall placed third overall at regionals. Junior Sarah Chapin was awarded Best Actress.

Continue Reading

By:

The administration has mandated that students register their smart phones, tablets, and laptops with the Information Technology department, the organization charged with regulating internet use at the school. Although the regulation of students’ use of technology was inevitable, the school is ill prepared for this move. The lack of warning, the limitations on administration’s power and the sheer multitude of devices owned will cause this measure to fail.

Continue Reading

By:

As the Republican primaries build to the presidential election, there has been a burst of politically-themed clubs, both online and in school organizations that had lain dormant since the 2008 presidential election. Sophomore Alex Nesterczuk founded the Young Republicans Club again after he “noticed that there were a lot of debates on Facebook that were sparked by the race.”

Continue Reading

By:

A tender kiss, a passionate embrace and an awkward exchange of glances are disappearing from filmmaking. A growing number of audiences have condemned romantic comedies, leaving theatres last Valentine’s Day empty. This trend derived from neither the jokes nor the acting, but instead the film’s failure to connect with the audience.

In essence, comedy depends on its creativity or association with the audience; romantic comedies depend on the latter of the two for their comedic value. Take for example, a good romantic comedy, The 40 Year Old Virgin.

Continue Reading

By:

The following is an edited interview on Feb. 8 between senior Sam Rosenberg and Rank & File that examines his participation in competitive powerlifting.

–

Rank & File: So powerlifting, where exactly did it start?

Sam Rosenberg: I started working out and lifting weights during my freshman year in high school, but I didn’t get serious about powerlifting until my sophomore and junior years. I started out at Fitness First Gym in Tyson’s and have been lifting there ever since. My powerlifting team, Team Force, works out there.

R&F:How do you train for competitions?

Continue Reading

By:

“I’m so sorry,” Cold War historian and author John Lewis Gaddis said in response to comments of Marshall history students regarding excerpts from his books as learning aids in IB Topics classes. “You must be suffering.”

Despite this lighthearted joke, Gaddis gave ten Marshall seniors and other historians an in-depth lecture on his new book, George F. Kennan: An American Life, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday.

Continue Reading

By:

Choral director Keri Staley is in the early stages of reviving the currently dormant men’s choir. She hopes to start the choir by this spring.

The group would be an extracurricular club, meeting on the first Red Day of each week during Learn. Though there has never been a male-only choir at Marshall for as long as Staley can remember, she hopes the new group will appeal to all-male singers with an open Learn schedule. Due to Staley’s other obligations, she would only be able to teach the choir in the morning on Red days.

Continue Reading

By:

Rather than informing the public about current issues the government is facing, this year President Obama’s State of the Union address focused too much bipartisanship and patriotism.

Much of the hour -and-a-half-long speech was spent trying to encourage both parties to work together in Congress. Obama used examples in history to create a sense of patriotism that would overpower the divide the two parties are experiencing.

Continue Reading

By:

As you walk in to Sushi Yoshi, the first question asked is: “Do you have a reservation?” Reservations seem a bit out of place in the small and quiet restaurant.

The modern hanging lamps are a contrast to the traditional fabric prints on the walls, which surround the small tables sprinkled throughout the room. The look hovers between eclectic and mismatched. In the back of the room, behind a tall bar, the sushi chefs are at work, crafting rolls and sashimi in front of patrons.

Continue Reading

By:

“If you ask any of my students if I’m weird, they might say yes.” Correcting himself, English teacher Jason Tamborini said, “They will say yes.”

Tamborini, a new teacher this school year, recently moved from Massachusetts, where he taught special education after earning a master’s degree from Emerson College.

“I just felt like I needed a change of venue,” he said. “It was time to do something different.”

Here, Tamborini is involved with theatre, and he helps “build sets [and works] with some of the students.”

Continue Reading

By:

Three teachers come home to babies ages two months, one year and two years, respectively. Each has a different perspective on the realities of being a parent. IB co-coordinator and history teacher Matthew Axelrod became one of the newest parents at Marshall when his daughter Natalie was born on Jan. 12.

“Babies are just loud and they don’t have a schedule. From one of the books we read [it] seems babies don’t develop a sleep schedule until they’re between two to four months old,” Axelrod said.

Continue Reading

By:

Kanye West, Steve Jobs and Yo-Yo Ma may not seem like they have much in common. However, they have all been recipients of the most highly regarded award in the music industry: The Grammy.

Something can be said for any ceremony that invites rap artists, music technology visionaries and classical musicians to the same hall.

But in recent years artists such as Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the band Tool, have challenged the concept of the awards ceremony.

Continue Reading

By:

1. The Black Keys: March 9 in Washington D.C. – Combining Jazz and alternative rock, Dan Aurbach and Patrick Carney are the raw blues rock band of the decade. 2. Elton John: March 15 in Roanoke, Va. – with a career spanning four decades, this English rock singer and pianistContinue Reading

By:

I am the founding father of the Young Democrats and I write to you because I’m really excited about it.
We have a great group of people and it’s a great club. If you have ever watched the Daily Show or the Colbert Report and liked it, you’ll like this club.
We are still new and young so there is a lot of room for growth. We will most likely have a debate with the Young Republicans Club in the near future and, if you are a young Democrat, we could use your axe.
Continue Reading

By:

According to a 2008 survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau called “Reasons For Not Voting, By Selected Characteristics,” 21 percent of people from ages 18 to 24 cited “Too busy, conflicting schedule” as a reason for not voting, followed closely by “Out of town” and “Not Interested.”

However, contrary to those statistics, there are seniors who will be voting.

In the week of Feb. 6, Virginia voter registrars came during IB Topics classes to help eligible seniors become registered voters.
Continue Reading