No Person Should be Stripped of their Citizenship – No Matter how Heinous their Crime
Jake Neuffer, Editor-in-Chief
March 6, 2019
Shamima Begum left the UK for Syria when she was 15. She quickly married Dutchman and ISIS fighter Yago Riedijk. Together, they had three children. Only one remains, and, now, Shamima wants to come home. There is one problem, though. Begum has no legal right to return because the UK has stripped her...
Demystifying the stress of junior year: an open letter to underclassmen
Emily Richardson, Editorial Board
March 6, 2019
Dear sophomores, freshman, and all years preceding, 11th grade has (quite unfortunately) been widely accepted as the hardest of our high school years. One of the main inducers of junior year stress is the prospect of college looming over our heads, not quite as real as it is for seniors but with the sa...
Cute Bookstores
Zoe Siamon, Staff Writer
March 1, 2019
If you’re like me and live for a cute small town or a cozy cup of coffee, you probably love a good locally owned bookstore too. Something about the vibe of a hidden little place with millions of books and an area to sit and read all day is so appealing to me. So, I decided to go on a mission to find the ...
The Dangers of Being Politically Correct
Asher Tankel, Staff Writer
March 1, 2019
Jussie Smollett, an actor on the critically-acclaimed show Empire, was seemingly attacked by two men wearing MAGA hats and yelling racial slurs on January 29th, 2018. This attack prompted a media firestorm. Many celebrities on Twitter were quick to jump on the bandwagon, with Comedian Michael Ian Black...
Top 5 Songs of Our Childhood
Alexandra Martschenko, Staff Writer
March 1, 2019
Ten years doesn't sound like a huge amount of time but so many things have happened in that short amount of time that it's important to look back on all the advancements and changes we have seen. 2009 was an undeniably amazing year; Obama was inaugurated, the iPhone 3g was released, and the...
Pusheen the cat- an internet star
Katherine Zevallos, Staff Writer
March 1, 2019
Origin Pusheen is a female cartoon cat created by Claire Belton and Andrew Duff in 2010. Everyday their comics and drawings would get cuter. Pusheen has been a popular and cute character around the world. Pusheen’s appearance has gray fur and dark gray stripes on her back and tail and her breed ...
Cultural cuisine: a sense of home
Ashleigh Tain, Editor-in-Chief
March 1, 2019
In the small talk and common utterings of how important food is in our lives, it is true that food bears a more meaningful and extensive connotation. To many, it’s nourishment is a catalyst of energy and health. It can also be a source of joy and happiness or nostalgia and reminiscence. Further, it’s a ...
What Trump’s Shutdown Means for the Future of American Democracy
Emily Bach, Editor-in-Chief
January 21, 2019
Throughout the government shutdown, Trump has repeatedly bashed Democratic leaders for their inability to compromise on border security. The shutdown, fueled primarily by Trump’s demands for funding for a border wall, has now reached a record-breaking 28 days, the longest in modern Amer...
Thinking about what to take next year?
Courtney Te, Editorial Board, Publicity Manager
January 18, 2019
With registration just around the corner (and for some, already beginning), many rising juniors and seniors are stressing about the potential options for their courses for next year. While Oakton students are notorious for taking 3+ AP level classes and multiple honors courses, I am here to be the on...
Oakton’s New Science Classes
Maddie Flickinger, Staff Writer
January 18, 2019
As we come back from winter break we have more than just snow days on our mind. Due to Oakton’s renovations and lack of space for classes, we as students have the task of quickly figuring out which classes to take in our upcoming year. As if Oakton didn’t already have enough options to choose from, ...
New Years Resolutions
Veronica Preaskorn, Staff Writer
January 18, 2019
With a new year comes new goals and deadlines. People make lists of how they can better themselves and it works… for the first week. After seven days, the novelty wears off and resolutions are forgotten. The lists are thrown away and carted off with spoiled leftovers from Christmas dinner. The gym ...
Retake Policy Reforms
Haley Longfellow, Staff Writer
January 17, 2019
Currently, a huge portion of the Oakton student body is aghast at the thought of a retake policy revision. It’s unclear exactly what the new policy might be; there are rumors of limited scores on a retake, a maximum score to be eligible for a retake, and even no retakes. Many Oakton students feel c...
