U.S. Schools Fall Behind in National Rankings
Olivia Garrone, Editorial Board
December 13, 2019
In an international test of education systems around the world, the United States fell behind top countries, remaining around the same level it has found itself for the past ten years as other countries skyrocket in rankings. Though the U.S.’s already stellar reading results have improved, its aver...
Addition and Subtraction: Presidential Candidate Edition
Claudia Messina, Staff Writer
December 13, 2019
With election year rearing its dreadful but inevitable head, The final lineup for presidential candidates is beginning to solidify within each party. Each election season, at least one person joins the race later than others or drops out of the race altogether. In this year’s lineup for the democra...
The Koala Crisis in Australia
Veronica Preaskorn, Staff Writer
December 11, 2019
As the Australian bushfires continue to burn, they prove a threat to koalas and other animals. Many marsupials tend to run from fires, but koalas climb higher into the canopy of the trees. They have evolved to coexist with the fires, but this year fire is resulting in a higher amount of koala fatali...
Cultural Exchange at Oakton
Haley Longfellow, Staff Writer
November 6, 2019
Cultural experiences can be fascinating, offering people a glance into the day-to-day lives of others. They can shed light on the differences between simple things; say, shopping for groceries in California versus Egypt, or finding transportation in Laos versus Spain. To an outsider, these differences can define...
What is the future of ISIS?
Sahithi Jammulamadaka, Editor-in-Chief
November 3, 2019
The violent death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, in a raid by the United States forces, was announced Sunday, October 26, 2019. He has been hunted for more than a decade and he partly built an organization based on the assumption that this day would come eventually. ...
Subway: Eat Stale
Shevany Moharir, Staff Writer
October 31, 2019
Originally founded in 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut,, Subway has grown to become the largest fast-food franchises in the world. The build-your-own sandwich store even surpassed the number of McDonald’s in the U.S. and is often credited for sparking the “build-your-own” style of restaurants such as Ch...
More charges pressed in the college admissions scandal
Kartik Mukalla, Staff Writer
October 31, 2019
A few months after the wave of scandals that caught celebrities like multiple their attempts to fraudulently enter their children into elite colleges, a new wave of accusations have appeared in the press. Lori Loughlin, famous from shows such as Full House, and her husband, fashion...
Are youth changing climate change?
Lindsay Greenspan, Staff Writer
October 31, 2019
Sea levels are rising, the tenure of droughts are lengthening, and temperatures are soaring. These are all effects of climate change that have sharply increased since the Industrial Revolution. The topic of climate change is one that has been debated on the political stage for many years, shaping voter o...
Hole in the Ozone Layer is Shrinking
Zoe Siamon, Staff Writer
October 31, 2019
This year marks the smallest the hole in the ozone layer has been since it was discovered in 1985. The hole typically reaches its peak size in September or October, and this year's reports show that it reached an average of 3.6 million square miles. For comparison, the peak of the hole’s size, in 2...
Squirrel on the Loose?
Sameeha Khan, Staff Writer
September 23, 2019
Under construction, both Oakton High School and Cougar Towne have become a breeding grounds for the unusual. From mice and birds to leaky pipes, our hallways are littered with vermin, the low lighting shielding them from the eyes of students, administrators, and even janitors. While students often find...
Should American Citizens Consider Age in the 2020 Election?
Kinsey Clements, Staff Writer
September 16, 2019
Throughout the very controversial 2020 presidential campaign, debates over many different issues have arisen among the Democrats and Republicans. One dispute in particular is over Democratcic presidential front-runner, Joe Biden’s, old age and his memory loss associated with that. As per usual, Democr...
Should we be Worrying About What Others Post on Social Media?
Joe Wong, Staff writer
September 16, 2019
According to the The Harvard Crimson (Harvard’s school newspaper), Ismail B. Ajjawi flew to the US to attend the fall 2019 semester at Harvard but was denied access by a Customs and Border Protection agent. Why? Simply because of something his friend posted on Facebook that was deemed “Anti-America...
