Galentine’s Day: The 5 W’s
Sitota Mesfin, Staff Writer
March 3, 2020
Galentine’s Day. According to dictionary.com, it is the day before Valentine’s day dedicated to celebrating friendship among women. This all began when Amy Poehler, playing Leslie Knope in the sitcom Parks and Recreation, threw a Valentine's Day Eve party for her girlfriends. Now, it has turned into a traditi...
The Real Cost of Prom
Sameeha Khan, Staff Writer
February 20, 2020
Prom: an American rite of passage. Though it is only February, Oakton students have already begun planning what is supposed to be an evening of a lifetime. Prom groups, prom dates, prom dresses, prom shoes: the list goes on. But for many, prom is more than just an elaborate school tradition, it is a...
Spring Sports Tryouts
Portia Dai, Staff Writer
February 19, 2020
Spring sports tryouts are set to begin the week of February 24th just as the third quarter begins and students are scrambling to get all the required forms completed. The sports that will be holding tryouts are baseball, softball, boys and girls: lacrosse, soccer, and tennis, as well as crew and out...
What is the Senior Capstone All About?
Will Locklin, Staff Writer
February 19, 2020
At Oakton High School, each class does a capstone project that highlights a part of their learning inside or outside the classroom. Freshman must do the Exhibition Of Learning which requires them to present about a subject of their choosing. It could be about a subject school or a special experience ...
Climate Change: Sapporo Snow Festival
Grace Park, Staff Writer
February 19, 2020
Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival is held for one week every February in Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo. The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950 when high school students built a few snow statues in Odori Park. It has since developed into a large, commercialized event featuring magnificent sno...
The Significance of Black History Month Feature
February 19, 2020
Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements of significant black figures in history, recognized during the month of February. Around the world, black culture is celebrated through family traditions, studying history, and more rituals to appreciate the culture. This special month...
2024 Moon Landing: Ambitious or Hopeless?
Elene LIpartiani, Staff Writer
February 19, 2020
An ambitious goal set by the Trump Administration last year, numerous people hold skepticisms about NASA’s ability to successfully manage another moon landing by 2024. For the president, this would be an immense triumph in the last year of his second term should he be reelected. NASA meanwhile views...
To rename or not to rename high schools in FCPS?
Wendy Gao, Editorial Board
February 19, 2020
From its birth as the first colony to its now renowned reputation for producing presidents, Virginia has played a pivotal role in shaping America’s history since the beginning. But its past is not one of pristine patriotism, and like many other former Confederate states, Virginia’s story is one battered by...
Getting Back into the Swing of Things
Haley Longfellow, Staff Writer
January 24, 2020
In an ideal world, a long, rejuvenating break would bring about a strong urge to return to the security of daily routines. With the mind aching for the comforts of reality, an individual would quickly rejoin society and devotedly immerse themselves in work, school, or any other organized efforts. ...
Student veganism: balancing change and comfort
Ashleigh Tain, Editor-in-Chief
January 24, 2020
In the past weeks, Oakton’s AP Environmental Science class has been studying the waste unit by embracing action and challenges. After tracking and measuring daily waste for a week, they were assigned an optional challenge of pursuing veganism. A majority of her students pursued this, some being Aditi ...
Speaking (youth) truth to power
Wendy Gao, Editorial Board
January 24, 2020
At the close of business on New Year’s Eve, Newseum visitors found their way to the exits of the museum, and staff members began to shut down exhibits - as they had done for 11 years. Only this time, the Newseum would not open the following morning. The glass doors of the Newseum closed for the l...
“Junioritis:” a Form of Procrastination Inspired by Fear
Charlie Williams, Staff Writer
January 14, 2020
Every student on their final leg of learning at Oakton is familiar with the idea of “senioritis.” With the end of the second quarter, most seniors have either gotten into college or finished the worst of the submission process. As the suffix implies, senioritis is a psychological affliction that infects seniors with a profound lack of mot...
