Outlook December Digital Magazine

OAKTON
OUTLOOK
DECEMBER 2020 | VOL. 15 ISSUE 1 | OUR STORIES
Page
4
COVID IN-DEPTH
In-depth stories following the Covid-19 Pandemic
The official newsmagazine
of Oakton High School.
Find more inside.

C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
dec 2020
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
coronavirus indepth
introduction
school reopenings
state’s going back into lockdown
COVID long haulers
the role of government in coronavirus spread
global economic impact of COVID
COVID vaccines
news
the death of alex trebek
the spread of misinformation
president-elect biden & potential cabinent members
kamala harris elected vice president
politics
biden’s 100 day plan
voter suppression and gerrymandering
the history of political division in the US
trump’s refusal to concede
feature
oakton minds matter Q+A
online vs in-person students
student hopes for the new year
things to do in DC
a&e
the grammy awards coverage
fun and COVID-safe winter activities
spider-man: miles morales review
no nuance november
all american’s new season
holiday celebrations in 2020
cry hard movies
sports
school sports calendar
oakton winter sports
athletes staying active
why the NBA will lose millions in the upcoming
season
opinion
comparing biden and obama
how the pandemic will create the next tech boom
why the 9 to 5 work schedule is outdated
ranking books read in english class
photo courtesty of anderson wozny
EDITORIAL BOARD
editors in chief
editorial board
adviser
sahithi jammulamadaka
zoe sauger
payton wozny
aubrey harrell
charlie williams
haley longfellow
shevany moharir
veronica preaskorn
eileen lincoln
claudia messina
sara boddie
elizabeth snyder
STAFF WRITERS
nour al-kaaby
anna allred
addison becker
portia dai
emma dennis
max dolinh
alicia ernst
lorne fowler
nathan henriques
serena hirani
lucy holt
tommy hunter
viraj khetan
katie le
aubrey leverett
harriet limkin
kartik mukalla
artin saadt
rania shah
anshul sreenvias
kaleb steele
ashley stewart
dilara vural
aidan whipp
katherine zevallos
The Oakton
Outlook is
the official
school newsmagazine
of
Oakton High
School.
>>
photo courtesty of
anderson wozny
photo courtesty of anderson wozny
OAKTON
OUTLOOK
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Dear Oakton,
This issue has certainly been challenging as we’ve
all been working from a virtual classroom, so we are so
excited to finally share a digital magazine with everyone!
From stories about Biden’s 100 Day Plan (page 19) to the
highly-anticipated start of the Oakton winter sports season
(page 39), we have covered current events as big as national
news to as small as the Oakton Community.
For this issue, a group of staff members collaborated
to create an in-depth section dedicated to the coronavirus
pandemic and its world-wide impact. There’s content about
the role of the government in the spread of coronavirus,
COVID long haulers, and hope for the vaccines. You can
check it out starting on page 4. Additionally, our news
and politics sections have a plethora of stories about the
2020 presidential election with in-depth information about
President-Elect Biden and potential members of his cabinet
(page 17) and voter suppression in the United States (page
20 and 21).
The Oakton Outlook is always striving to be inclusive
of the study body. We are accepting written submission,
political cartoons, artwork, and photographs to hear student
voices. 2020 has certainly been chaotic, so we hope you
are finding some normalancy in your daily lives. We wish
everyone a happy holiday season; stay healthy and warm!
Best,
Zoe Sauger
Sahithi Jammulamadaka
Payton Wozny
Editors-in-Chief
check us out online:
oaktonoutlook.com
Instagram & Twitter:
@oaktonoutlook
illustration by sophia bywater

CORONA
VIRUS
The deadly disease
that has taken over
the world
SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as
the coronavirus, has taken over 2020. What
began in March as a two week period to social
distance and “flatten the curve” has turned
into an ongoing nine-month-long period of staying
at home, wearing masks, and social distancing.
Since March it has been a difficult period of
In that seemingly dark moment, the world came
together to help each other up during this difficult
time. Together they baked banana bread,
did home workouts, learned TikTok dances, and
got acquainted with Zoom. We checked in with
friends and family around the world and used
the internet in creative and unique ways to support
each other. This time has shown us how capable
and strong we are in the face of adversity.
Coupled with the good, unfortunately, we have
also experienced immeasurable losses. As cases
grow around the world, and more specifically
in America, it has taken a toll on the mental
and physical health of many. Healthcare workers
are risking their lives in hospitals every
day to take care of patients and are taking on a
huge responsibility during this difficult time.
Right now, the number of coronavirus cases are increasing
exponentially by the day. In a time when
the people called for unification, coronavirus has
become a political talking point, polarizing the
country more than ever. While some are fighting
to stay alive, others are fighting to wear a mask,
putting us in a dark place as we enter the winter.
In this in-depth section, the Outlook will report,
comment, and discuss the status and extensive
impact of COVID-19. We will be addressing the
response from Fairfax County Public Schools,
going back into lockdown, the long and adverse
effects of the disease, the role of government
and politics on the virus, and the immense
global and economic effects.We hope you are
staying safe during this unprecedented time.
sahithi jammulamadaka | editor-in-chief
photos courtesy of ashkan forouzani on unsplash

6 7 December 2020
Back to school... and out
again
Understanding the extended school cancellation
as COVID numbers spike
It sometimes seems like yesterday when the call came in to
close FCPS. The general student excitement at the cancellation,
which at the time looked like a two week vacation,
quickly melted as those two weeks turned into two months,
and then three, and so on. As quarantine continued into
November, FCPS superintendent Scott Brabrand announced
a hesitant plan to bring elementary school students back to
in-person learning. This announcement was followed closely
by a massive spike in COVID numbers across the country,
forcing it to be retracted.
Obviously, the virtual option has not always been ideal.
Certain students have disabilities that make such a learning
environment unsuitable. Working parents now have the task of
watching their kids after school, a job previously reserved for
school-run care programs. Teachers themselves were forced
to reinvent their curriculums and ways of teaching when the
pandemic first hit, and the pre-COVID classroom setting
might never be quite the same again as a result. Despite those
complications, the issues of health and safety remain, and
in-person learning is still deemed too dangerous to attempt on
a large scale.
With a new back-to-school date of January 4th, it’s time to
step back and understand what’s going on. John Krizel, an
Oakton history teacher, gave his take on the process.
As an educator, how did you feel about the initial push to
start getting certain kids back into school?
Getting students back into school is such a tricky issue, with
so many moving parts, and so many different stakeholders.
Teachers, students, parents, the superintendent, the school
board, the community as a whole: all of these groups might
want different things at different times, and no one is ever going
to be 100% happy. With that said, the evidence that we’ve
seen so far with schools reopening during the pandemic is that
there have not been as many outbreaks as some feared, which
is great! The problem is that we are now entering a new phase
of the pandemic, where the number of daily cases is climbing
higher and higher as the weeks go by. The US has set a new
record for the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19
every day for the last two weeks. So clearly, the data that we
have about how much schools are spreading the virus are
insufficient to guide us on what to do next. I was happy when
FCPS tried to start getting kids back in, and I think it’s smart
that they’ve paused that in light of what we’re seeing now.
“The problem is that we are
now entering a new phase of
the pandemic, where the number
of daily cases is climbing
higher and higher as the weeks
go by.” -Mr. Krizel
Do you feel that keeping FCPS closed is the right, safe decision
in light of the spiking COVID numbers?
It’s really, really important to note that we cannot evaluate any
of the decisions FCPS is making in a vacuum. The pandemic has
been catastrophically mismanaged by our federal government
from the beginning. There has been an absence of leadership on
the part of our president and our Congress. The last COVID-19
relief package was signed into law on March 27, and since then
there has been no assistance to states, local governments, or
businesses to help them weather the economic and social impact
of the pandemic.
Fairfax County and the state of Virginia can only do so much to
both protect their citizens from the virus and help keep businesses
and schools open on their own (to say nothing of the fact that
millions and millions of Americans live in poverty, face food
insecurity, and may be evicted from their homes if help is not
forthcoming). State and local governments across the country are
faced with a quandary: they know that restaurants, bars, gyms,
and other non-school businesses have been the key spreaders
of the virus, but without another relief package from the federal
government, those businesses have to stay open (albeit in a limited
capacity) or they’ll fail. If Congress and the president got their
act together and passed another relief package, those businesses
could close for a period of time, helping us to get the pandemic
under control and making it safer for schools to reopen.
I know that people want someone to blame for why their kids
are not back at school. I’m oversimplifying here, and I know that
FCPS could have handled this better, but the fact that schools are
closed now is not the teachers’ fault, it’s not Oakton’s fault, it’s
not Dr. Brabrand’s fault, and it’s not Governor Northam’s fault. It
is the federal government’s fault. Their inaction is shocking and
criminal, and it is the reason we will probably stay closed for the
foreseeable future.
How was the news that we would remain virtual broken to
Oakton teachers? Do you know the faculty’s overall reaction
to the news?
Mrs. Lane and the administration at Oakton have a very difficult
job this year, more so than ever before. They are receiving
tons of input from so many different places, and new directives
from the county are coming in on a weekly (sometimes daily)
basis. They have to analyze and interpret these directives and
then accurately convey the information to the teachers, students,
and parents. Whenever there have been lapses in communication
or confusing messages coming from different places, they receive
a flood of questions from the community. In the face of all of this,
they are doing a great job, and they deserve more credit. I can’t
speak for the faculty as a whole, but I know I appreciate all of
their hard work.
“They have to analyze and interpret
these directives and then
accurately convey the information
to the teachers, students,
and parents.”
Some teachers have health complications like asthma and diabetes,
and are thus at a higher risk concerning COVID. Did
this knowledge influence your reaction to the developments in
virtual learning at all?
All of this is different for me, since I do have an underlying
medical condition that puts me at greater risk of severe complications
from the coronavirus. I was pretty secure in the knowledge
that I would be remaining at home all year since last summer.
I really feel for the teachers and students who are in a kind of
limbo, unsure of when or whether they will go back in. I especially
feel for the teachers who have registered their desire to stay
home, but do not have an underlying medical condition, like I
do. Many of those teachers will be forced to either go back in to
school once we reopen, or take an unpaid leave of absence. And
many students are really, really struggling with virtual learning,
and need to be back in school as soon as possible. Those teachers
and students are the ones I am most concerned about, and why
I’m (obviously) really hoping that we can get the pandemic under
control as soon as possible.
charlie williams|staff writer
Virginia photo courtesy of wiki commons
COVID photos courtesy of pixabay

8
STATES CLOSE AS CORONA
tommy hunter| staff writer
VIRUS RISES
What this means for Oakton
The pandemic was a shock for most Americans, but the
lockdowns and safety motions that followed were even
more surprising. In late July and early August, when
most states lifted their stay-at-home orders; most Americans
thought they were done staying at home. Still, with the recent
surge in coronavirus cases, many states are going back into
lockdown.
November has been the worst month on the pandemic so far,
and states like California and Pennsylvania have pushed for
stay at home orders and curfews. At the same time, Oregon
and Chicago have taken steps back in the reopening process
by closing Indoor Dining. These changes are due to the recent
“second wave” of COVID-19 cases, and more states are expected
to follow.
With more than 221 thousand cases in Virginia and 28 thousand
cases in Fairfax County, COVID-19 is a big problem
in Virginia. Many have wondered how these lockdowns will
affect Virginia, and more importantly, how it will affect Oakton’s
reopening plan. As of late November, Fairfax County
public schools are still planned to open completely by late
January; however, the surge in the Covid-19 cases in the area
might change this plan.
why he, and his family, chose this decision, and he stated
this.
“My mom has some Asthma, and my dad has pre-existing
conditions as well. I mean i wanted to go, but if i had to chose
between my parents, and myself - i would chose my parents.”
I also asked Charles when he thought it would be safe to go
back to school full time, and this is what he had to say.
“I think it’ll be safe either when the vaccine comes out, or
when the governers, or the government say its okay to come
out.”
Charles is only one of the millions of students in the United
States choosing to stay at home for fear of coronavirus. Many
schools that have opened have closed once again, for example,
the New York City public schools. They opened, but after
the coronavirus surged, they decided to close once again.
Charles Taylar (grade 10), a highschool student at Albemarle
high school. His school has already opened for hybrid learning,
but he and his family decided to stay online. I asked him
Many people are worried about the coronavirus and what it
will bring. For many, it can mean poverty and death. So the
closure of many states is a significant cause of concern for
many people. Now, maybe more than ever, it is vital to stay
safe and stop the spread.
left photo courtesy of goya maria, anna
right photo courtesty of photos, macua

9 December 2020
COVID 19 LONG HAULERS
Covid affects some people for more than a few
weeks and can have dangerous effects
nathan henriques|staff writer
A
Louisville, Kentucky resident was at work when she felt a sharp chest pain. Over the course of five months, she had 16 Emergency
Room trips and 3 hospitalizations, and now she can’t remember many things. She blames Covid-19 and considers herself to be a
long hauler. Long haulers include two groups of people affected by the virus: those who experience some permanent damage to
their lungs, heart, kidneys, or brain that may affect their ability to function and those who continue to experience debilitating symptoms
despite no detectable damage to these organs.
What are the symptoms that commonly
linger?
The most common symptoms are fatigue, body
aches, shortness or breath, headaches, difficulty
concentrating, difficulty sleeping, and inability to
exercise. With the disease so young, it is hard to
tell what the long-term effects will be, and experts
have no information on long-term recovery rates.
photo courtesy of sj obijo on unsplash
How common are lingering symptoms?
Long haulers of Covid-19 victims become drowsy, exhausted, and
feel like their brain is a fog. Tens of thousands of people in the US
are considered long haulers. And in the UK they are called ‘long
COVID’. Surveys conducted by patient groups indicate that 50%
to 80% of patients continue to have bothersome symptoms three
months after the onset of COVID-19 — even after tests no longer
detect virus in their body.
Who is more likely to fall victim and become
a long hauler?
As of now, it is not possible to accurately predict. In
a recent article from Science Notes.org, people who
are slightly affected by COVID still have lingering
symptoms while people who are severely ill are
back to normal quickly. However, we do know that
people over the age of 50 and people with chronic
illnesses are more likely to have continued symptoms.
Dr. Fauci, physician who serves as the director
of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, thinks many people who experience
damage to their organs will develop a condition
called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue
syndrome aka ME/CFS. ME/CFS can also trigger
other infectious illnesses.
Covid long haulers are more common than people
think, and anybody is susceptible. It can also lead
to other infectious diseases, so if you are still having
symptoms of COVID months later be on the
lookout.

GOVERNMENT DISEASE
Government effect on the spread of Covid 19
2020 has been a difficult year for students
across the world. For the entirety
of students’ school careers,
they have been going to school every day
of the week for several weeks on end, patiently
waiting for the summer to finally roll
around so they could catch a break. However,
summer came early this year and posed
a lot more challenges than usual with the
arrival of covid 19. Virtually no one has experienced
a pandemic of this magnitude in
their lifetime which led to an increasingly
large panic throughout the world. Covid-19
brought several new challenges, such as
closed borders, small businesses shutting
down, and a large portion of the population
left with no way to continue their studies.
In this time of crisis, many countries looked
towards their leaders for information and
how to handle the situation, however,
America’s current federal staff left many
fearful for the months to come.
When considering government effectiveness
relating to the pandemic, separation of
powers must be considered. Although the
federal government has authority over the
states, the state governments rule their
states directly and should be given more
credit for the effectiveness or ineffectiveness
of the states’ containment of the virus.
“Many states have done well - with limited
resources and unclear guidance from the
better-funded federal government - with
Governors having regular, informative,
fact-based briefings,” Explains Mr. Clark,
an AP U.S. History teacher at Oakton. “The
states have been limited in their effectiveness
by the near abandonment of the federal
government, which normally coordinates
national emergencies. They were left in a
sort of “Hunger Games” to fight for PPE
(personal protective equipment) for their
states’ citizens on the open market, which
led to inefficiencies and price-gouging.”
On a state level, many governments did as
much as they could to keep their case numbers
from rising and have provided effective
mandates of their own, such as the face
mask mandate in Virginia. For most of July
through September, the effectiveness of the
states began to prove themselves with lower
cases nationwide.
However, with events like the election, the
cases began to rise again and eventually
surpass the original spike over the summer
- this can be attributed to the example set
by the federal government and the political
and social division of America created
by the president. “The President seems to
have pressured many of the heretofore science-based
agencies (Centers for Disease
Control) to promote policies that downplayed
the virus, in an attempt to ‘open up
the economy’” states Mr. Clark. Trump’s
main focus during his presidency has been
on bettering and maintaining the economy,
so it came as no surprise when his attitudes
towards handling the pandemic were heavily
influenced by his economic motives.
During his presidential campaign the president
set many examples that promoted
the spread of the virus. The president held
many rallies and at most of these rallies,
proper covid 19 protocols were blatantly
ignored such as the wearing of masks.
Many thought that the president would start
taking the virus more seriously after he contracted
it in early October, but unfortunately,
the president brushed it off and continued
his campaigning, tweeting out, “Totally
10
Negative China Virus Reports. Hit it early
and hard. Fake News is devastated. They
are very bad (and sick!) people!” Not only
does this demonstrate to his followers that
the virus is no big deal, but it also promotes
a sense of racism towards those of Chinese
backgrounds, indirectly blaming them for
the virus. Overall, Trump’s attitudes and set
examples towards the virus have influenced
a portion of the population to believe that
the virus isn’t as serious as the health officials
are making it out to be, causing neglect
of covid 19 protocols and furthering
the spread of the disease.
With a vaccine on the way, many Americans
are hopeful that this pandemic will
finally come to an end. However, although
the case numbers may begin to finally go
down, the pandemic will surely influence
everyday interactions. “The effects, outside
of any poor federal response, will lead to at
least a year of reduced economic activity
(i.e. flying less, dining out less, attending
fewer mass events) and ongoing psychological
trauma for many people,” resolves
Mr. Clark. Additionally, people may continue
to wear masks in public long after the
pandemic is over and forms of greeting,
such as handshakes, and in other countries
kisses on the cheek, may start to become
less popular. “Sadly though, the politicization
of the virus by President Trump has led
to people not voting via mail ballots; not
wearing masks (which led to further cases/deaths);
doubting the legitimacy of the
news coming from our scientific community,
which will lead to less vaccine usage
and more damage,” all of which have the
potential to divide our country even more.
But political views aside, it is in the best interest
of everyone to follow these protocols
put in place by the state and local governments
to bring an end to the rising cases of
this virus, regardless of whether or not the
virus will have a personal effect.
claudia messina | staff writer
photo courtesy of the FDA

11 December 2020
GLOBAL ECONOMIC
REPERCUSSIONS OF COVID-19
COVID-19’s effect on 4 major economy’s
nour al-kaaby|staff writer
The United States have failed both public
health and their economy. With the unemployment
rates jumping to 13.5% this summer, and
stimulus checks taking a toll, the economy
shrank at a 32.9% annual rate. The USA being
the slowest to lockdown and acknowledge the
virus, also being the country with the highest
COVID-19 cases, it isn’t a surprise the U.S.
had it this bad. It’s recorded to make history as
the deepest decline on record.
China has just about got back to their 6% growth
rate. Their unemployment rates steady at an
unofficial 3.5% (officially 2.5%). China reacted
quickly to the virus leaving much more time for
the economy to boom. The chinese government
had protective measures that wiped the virus
almost completely. China’s imports have grown
13.2% than the year earlier.
Most of the world struggles with the
economy during the pandemic, while
some show promising rebounds. With
international trade slowing, factories closing, and
small business coming to an end we see a major
shift in the economy.We see countries trying to balance
public health and their economy. Economists
predicting global growth will fall 4.9%. With all
these factors in mind some countries were still able
to have a swift recovery, or little to no repercussions
at all. We’ll be looking at 5 different countries and
their economies during this global crisis.
Russia is to have a ‘deep recession’ according
to the World Bank. With their growth
expected to shrink 6% Russia is at its lowest
point in 11 years. Russia is expected to have
a slow recovery in 2021-2022. Even worse
Russian crude oil prices drop 53% taking a
toll on their economy. Russia also begins to
see a steep rise in unemployment. Its economy
is expected to shrink 5% before showing
any growth in 2021.
New Zealand also seeing a record
low ‘The worst recession is years’
describes BBC news. The country’s GDP
shrinking 12.2% April-June as lockdown
borders were enforced. New Zealand being
seemingly the fastest to get rid of the virus has
faced huge repercussions from the enforced
lockdown. Retail, transportation, and restaurant
industries have faced significant declines manufacturing
at 25.8% and 13% respectively. While
the prime minister enforced lockdown that only
allowed 25 deaths and fewer than 2,000 cases,
the repercussions from the month lockdown
will last years.

12
13 December 2020
ROAD TO A CURE
The innovation, production, and distribution of the
Covid-19 vaccines.
With the pandemic entering its 12th month, global demand for a vaccine is at an all time high. The
need for a cure is only becoming more dire as cases and deaths rise in concurrence with colder
weather and the holiday season, but hope is on the horizon. Vaccines from biotechnology companies
Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca are in the final stages of testing and certification. The U.S. government
has already ordered 200 million vaccines, and Vice President Mike Pence has said that distribution may
begin as early as the third week of December.
Moderna
The U.S. has also ordered 100 million doses from Moderna, and will likely use
them to supplement the Pfizer vaccine in the earliest stages of distribution.
Having multiple vaccines in the field is a good thing. According to Margaret
Liu, board chair of the International Society for Vaccines, “Just by sheer numbers, we
probably need multiple, multiple vaccines.” Moderna has submitted their request for
an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA, and is in the same process with foriegn
agencies. Moderna’s vaccine only needs to be kept at about -4 degrees fahrenheit
while maintaining an efficacy of 94.5%, meaning that the vaccine doesn’t need anything
beyond normal freezers. That’s a significant advantage compared to the Pfizer
vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine did show more severe side effects than Pfizer’s, including
fatigue, joint pain, and pain at the injection site, but all of those symptoms proved to
be short lived.
Pfizer
Will Oakton students get the vaccine?
poll from 121 students
zoe sauger | editor-in-chief
anna allred | staff writer
Pfizer owns the only vaccine which has gotten a go-ahead from any regulatory
agencies. The UK approved it for use on December 1st, and administered the
first doses on December 8th. The FDA has indicated that the Pfizer vaccine meets
their criteria for emergency authorization, and the paperwork could go through as early
as the 12th. Pfizer’s vaccine was 95% effective in preventing Covid-19 across race,
age, and gender demographics, and showed limited side-effects, with the most severe
reports being headache and fatigue. That’s incredible news for a world besieged by
the virus for so long, but it may not be a cure-all in every sense. There are likely to be
issues with distribution.
The Pfizer vaccine has to be kept at -76 to -112 degrees fahrenheit. Those are temperatures
found in Antarctica. Unfortunately, they aren’t temperatures often found in
doctor’s offices, walk-in clinics, or the trucks that will transport the virus. Pfizer has engineered
their own insulating containers, affectionately nicknamed “pizza boxes”, that
employ dry ice to keep the vaccine cold, but distribution could still present a challenge.
People employed by cold chains networks that distribute refrigerated vaccines around
the world aren’t used to handling such cold temperatures. Mistakes and delays in distribution
could cost lives. But necessary workers of all stripes have rallied through the
pandemic to establish new practices and systems, and Pfizer is “confident in [their]...
existing cold-chain infrastructure to distribute the vaccine around the world.” The United
States has pre-purchased 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for a whopping
$1.95 billion, and distribution could start as soon as the FDA approves it for use.
The AstraZeneca vaccine made quite a splash when it was released on November
23. The Dow Jones Industrial Average set an all time record the next day by
clearing 30,000 points. However, it may be awhile before we see the AstraZeneca
vaccine on the shelf. The 90% efficacy rate, combined with the fact that the vaccine can
be kept viable for at least 6 months at the temperature of your average refrigerator, are
exciting numbers. Unfortunately, they’re the result of a mistake. A hired company administering
the vaccine in the clinical trials made a mistake and gave half doses instead
of full. The half doses turned out to be more effective (90% compared to 62%), but those
results weren’t up to scientific snuff. AstraZeneca will likely have to run further studies
to prove that the half dose really works, which could mean that it’s months before the
vaccine becomes available to the public.
What’s next?
AstraZeneca
The big question that many people are attempting to understand is,
when will the vaccine be administered? The United Kingdom and The
United States are both taking leaps and strides with the vaccine, hopefully
jabbing many with scientific juice before the end of 2020. However,
there will need to be an order of who will get the vaccine when. The United
States program, Operation Warp Speed, which includes the Department of
Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, announced that
the federal government will produce a centralized format of distribution of
the vaccine. They plan to have healthcare workers receive the vaccine first,
followed by the elderlu who live in long term nursing homes, then the 87 million
essential workers which states will determine who falls in that category.
The goal is for the vaccine to be administered to all individuals by spring
2021. The major issue, although, is that many people will not be willing to
partake in the vaccine which would prevent the hope of mass immunization.
Many individuals are concerned with the rush of the vaccines and worry of
side-effects unnoticed from the dash to an approval. Overall, the plans for the
administration of a vaccine change daily and must be taken with patience.

NEWS
SAYING GOODBYE
TO A LEGEND...
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek
passes away from Pancreatic
cancer at age 80
shevany moharir|editorial board
14
Early last month on November
8, longtime gameshow host,
Alex Trebek, passed away at
his Los Angeles home at the age of
80 after an almost two year battle
with pancreatic cancer. In a statement
shared by the Jeopardy! Twitter account,
the show’s crew announced
“Jeopardy! is saddened to share that
Alex Trebek passed away peacefully
at home early this morning, surrounded
by family and friends. Thank you,
Alex.” The news came as a shock to
several lifelong Jeopardy! fans who
have watched Trebek continue to host
the show despite his health concerns.
In fact, Trebek was working and filming
episodes until October 29, just
two weeks short of his death. His incredible
work ethic and tremendous
prowess are what are going to make
saying goodbye to this legendary man
such a heartache.
The Ontario, Canada native has
hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons since
its revival in 1984, with a career spanning
almost five decades. He has received
numerous awards for the show
including seven Emmy Awards and a
Peabody Award. Trebek has also been
recognized for his contribution to geography
education, earning him the
Royal Candadian Geographical Society’s
gold medal for hosting the Great
Canadian Geography Challenge and
the National Geographic Bee.
Beyond his broadcasting career,
Alex Trebek was also an active member
of numerous charities, with his
philanthropy extending to organizations
such as World Vision Canada
and Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.
Though his loss may leave a
gaping hole in the millions of hearts
he touched, his impact will not be forgotten.
Several former contestants have
shown their support for the late
Jeopardy! host, notably Ken Jennings
who not only holds the record
for the longest running streak on the
show, 74 consecutive wins, but is
also the highest earning American
game show contestant of all time. In
his Tweet following shortly after the
announcement of Trebek’s passing,
Jennings writes “Alex wasn’t just the
best ever at what he did. He was also
a lovely and deeply decent man, and
I’m grateful for every minute I got to
spend with him.” Other contestants
such as James Holzhauer and Brad
Rutter have shown support and well
wishes for the game show host, a true
testament to his character and love for
Jeopardy!.
photo courtesy of pixy.org
Though the presence of someone
like Alex Trebek is one that can never
be replaced, there are still many
questions that fans have as to what
the fate of Jeopardy! will be. Before
his passing, Trebek had taped pre recorded
episodes which will continue
to air up until the end of the year. Jennings,
who also serves as the show’s
consulting producer, will be used as
interim host and began taping episodes
on November 30, and he will
continue to do so until a permanent
host is decided on by the Jeopardy!
staff. Until then, fans can continue to
watch Alex Trebek on Jeopardy! until
his final episode airs, but his memory
will remain in the lives he touched
forever.

15 December 2020
THE SPREAD OF
MISINFORMATION
How the internet is creating more chaos in 2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
payton wozny | editor-in-chief
In the Era of Information, technology allows for easy access to information for many people
all across the world. Breaking news can be shared and spread thousands of times in
minutes. Unfortunately, the ability to share content quickly opens the door for the speedy
spread of misleading or false information. With events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the
United States 2020 Presidential Election, dangerous misinformation has spread on a larger
scale than ever, and has contributed to the chaos that has been 2020 and increased polarization
in the U.S.
photo adapted from Needpix.
There has been widespread cover of coronavirus across the world for the majority of 2020;
the rush to enter the news cycle by news organizations and individuals sharing their 2 cents of
the matter on social media has all contributed to the massive amount of content about COVID
online. The voices of scientists and medical professionals are drained out by all the noise
surrounding this issue allowing for inaccurate information about masks, social distancing,
vaccines, etc. to grow. As election night came closer, COVID-19 became a political weapon
fueled by misinformation for the benefit of a political agenda and winning an election. All of
this, inevitably, has contributed to the growing number of cases of COVID-19, hospitalizations,
deaths, and has prevented effective containment of the virus.
photo adapted
from lauren manninen.
photo
adapted from josh sorosky.
United States 2020 Presidential Election
During campaigning, we saw the weaponization of media manipulation surrounding COVID
as a political statement to win votes. In weeks leading up to the election, we saw misleading
information about voting options and the integrity of the election being shared on platforms like
Twitter. Despite the end of the election, false information about the results of the election were
still being shared. Even after President-Elect Joe Biden being confirmed by the General Services
Administration (GSA), the integrity of the election was still being challenged by the Trump
Administration with factless claims of voter fraud in several swing states. It wasn’t until after
Biden was elected by the Electoral College that many Republicans, including Mitch McConnell,
acknowledged Biden’s win. Disinformation campaigns surrounding the election before and after
November 3 have only furthered the political divide in the United States and will likely affect a
peaceful transfer of power in January.
Fortunately, earlier in the year, social media companies began to implement large-scale factors in an attempt to combat the spread
of fake news. Major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube shared links to resources about COVID-19
including the CDC on content mentioning the virus. Social media companies shared information about ways to register to vote
and issued warnings about potential misinformation about the U.S. election. As for now, it may still feel as though the country is
divided more than ever by polarization and misinformation, hopefully there is hope for a future with more responsible sharing and
information.

16 17 December 2020
THE POTENTIAL CABINET
MEMBERS FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT
JOE BIDEN
eileen lincoln|editorial board
secretary of defense
Currently, the selected candidate for the secretary
of defense is Lloyd Austin, a retired military
general who served as the 12th commander of the
United States Central Command. However, despite
his military experience, this nomination has raised
questions and concerns for many around the country.
Many believe that a civilian - rather than a retired
general - should be the person to lead the Pentagon.
Additionally, Austin retired from active duty only four
years ago, which would require a Congressional waiver
for him to be initiated into office. Overall, the pick for
this position should be someone who promises to bring
normalcy to the country’s national security, especially
after the past four years of the Trump administration.
However, whether or not Austin will effectively fill this
role or not is unsure of.
gen. lloyd austin
anthony blinken
Who will be Joe Biden’s primary
advisors in navigating this difficult
time for the United States?
Starting from his inauguration less than sixty days from now, president-elect
Joe Biden will have many pressing issues he will be
expected to solve as quickly as possible, even within the first few
months of his presidency. With the COVID-19 crisis, the plummeting
economy, and some of the highest unemployment rates the country has
ever faced, Joe Biden will be heading into office during a difficult time for
the United States; making his decisions for members of the cabinet and
other advisors more crucial than ever.
After over 36 years of being a government official, including serving in
the Senate and working alongside Barack Obama as vice-president, there
will be a large variety of individuals Joe Biden can choose for his cabinet.
However, it is necessary they properly fulfill his campaign promises. This
means guaranteeing he has a diverse cabinet: one with people of all different
ages, gender, races, and even political parties, in order to successfully
represent the entire United States. With Biden’s promises towards
a unified country - where he doesn’t see red state or blue state, but rather
the United States - it is important that his cabinet choices and other early
decisions into his presidency reflect those ideals.
Biden’s closest foreign policy advisor, Anthony Blinken,
has been chosen as the nominee for Secretary of State.
Anthony Bliken has much experience in foreign policy:
working as the deputy Secretary of State for President
Obama, and serving as a part of the State Department
during the Clinton administration. During these times,
he primarily worked on targeting political instability
throughout the Middle East, in countries such as Egypt,
Iraq, Syria and Libya. This nominee seemed to be a safe
choice for Joe Biden, since due to Blinken’s past credentials
in the foreign policy world, he will play a crucial
role in the country’s competition with China and collaboration
with other world leaders. Jake Sullivan is projected
to be National Security Advisor for Biden’s new cabinet,
who will work alongside Blinken.
secretary of state
photo courtesy of flaticon.com
secretary of education
secretary of energy
Throughout his entire campaign, Biden has repeatedly stated his beliefs on the
importance of education: with his wife Jill Biden even being a teacher herself.
Therefore, he is committed to making his Secretary of Education someone with
vast educational experience, who can fully understand the struggles within the
classroom and find effective strategies to combat them. This has made Lily
Eskelsen Garcia, an elementary school teacher from Utah and former president of
the National Education Association, a leading contender for this role. A few other
candidates for the Secretary of Education include Randi Weingarten, president
of the American Federation of Teachers, and Linda Darling-Hammond, president
and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute.
Following his failure to be re-elected in the state of Alabama, Senator Doug Jones
has been widely speculated to be the next attorney general for Joe Biden. Throughout
his time as a federal prosecutor, he has worked on numerous civil rights cases:
one of his largest achievements including the prosecution of two Ku Klux Klan
members involved with the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. However,
he is expected to have much competition for this role, such as with Democratic
National Committee Chairman Tom Perez. Tom Perez served as an attorney
general for civil rights prior to being appointed by Barack Obama for Secretary
of Labor. Another possible candidate for Secretary of Justice includes Sally Yates,
former deputy attorney in the Obama administration.
photo courtesy of flaticon.com
photo courtesy of flaticon.com
Nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz, who worked as President Obama’s energy
secretary, has aided the Biden campaign on climate issues for the past few years.
Yet, for climate activists around the country - those who voted for Joe Biden
solely to see him make change on reducing the effects of climate change - this
potential nominee may be a bit worrisome. Ernest Moniz has many links to the
fossil fuel industry, and is even a director for Southern Company. Another potential
individual for this role includes Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, former deputy
secretary of energy for the Obama administration and White House coordinator
for defense policy.
Compared to the Trump administration’s leading health officials, primarily composed of
white, male individuals, Joe Biden is planning to include many more women and people
of color within his team to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and create an effective healthcare
plan. For Secretary of Health and Human Services, Biden has chosen California
Attorney General Xavier Becerra, which would make him the first Latino person to hold
this position. Becerra has vast experience not only in the healthcare world, but has advised
the Biden administration in the past for successful strategies to combat COVID-19. He is
a primary defender for the Affordable Care Act, has made numerous other efforts to cut
healthcare costs, and is even a strong supporter of the reproductive health movement.
secretary of justice
photo courtesy of flaticon.com
secretary of health & human services

ashley stewart|staff writer
WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS?
A dive into how Harris became an inspiration
18
On November 7th, It was announced that Kamala Harris
will be making history as the first Black and South-Asian
female Vice President-elect. But Harris is not new to being
the first
Kamala Harris comes from an Indian mother and a Jamaican
father. Her single mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, worked as a
cancer researcher and was a civil rights activist. Harris has made
it clear that her mother played a prominent role in her life and
dedicates her success to her mother, who passed away on February
11, 2009, from colon cancer.
Kamala got her start by getting her undergraduate degree from
Howard University, a historically black college. And she further
her education by attending the University of California for her law
degree.
photo courtesy of wikipedia commons
photo courtesy of unspalsh
At the beginning of her career, she worked in the Alameda County District
Attorney’s Office. Then following that she was elected the first African-American
woman to be California’s, Attorney General. She has made significant
impacts by supporting marriage equality, defending climate change
laws in California, supported the Affordable Care Act, and brought criminal
charges to gangs that dealt with human trafficking, guns, and drugs.
Following her time as California’s Attorney General, she became the first
South Asian-American to be in the Senate back in 2017. In the Senate, she
advocated for the underrepresented and strived for equality among all.
When she made her victory speech in Wilmington, she reached out to the
people of America who fought for equality, justice, and the truth from the
past months. Harris inspired hope for the future of America. But she also
acknowledges “the generations of women — Black women, Asian, White,
Latina, Native American women who throughout our nation’s history have
paved the way for this moment tonight“.
It’s no wonder that she has become an inspiration to women. Harris has
paved a road for future generations of women to follow. She has shown
young girls that they can take positions of power and lead society to success.
Not only is her being the Vice President-elect a major step for women, but
also supports people of color to be represented in our government.

19 December 2020 POLITICS
BIDEN’S 100 DAY PLAN
President-Elect Joe Biden shares what he plans to
accomplish during his first 100 days in office
addison becker | staff writer
One of President-elect Biden’s top priorities is to implement
the COVID-19 Task Force which will be led by Dr.
David Kessler. Biden said, “The advisory board will help
shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections;
ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently,
equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations.” Another
top priority will be to push COVID-19 legislation which will aid
Americans during this challenging time. This includes canceling
at least $10,000 student debt for all, making COVID-19 testing
more available, and producing more personal protective equipment.
In addition, Kamala Harris intends to found the COVID-19
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force. Furthermore, Biden
prepares to implement a vaccine distribution plan that will spend
$25 billion on vaccine production and distribution. Finally, Biden
will rejoin America into the World Health Organization to help
further fight COVID-19. “100 days to execute everything Biden
laid out is very ambitious and it will definitely be a challenge to
do so, especially if the Republicans have the Senate. He made
a lot of promises during his campaign so his 100-day plan is a
good way for him to keep those promises,” Oakton senior, Emily
Chen said regarding Biden. She continued, “As for the actual
plan, I like everything Biden plans to do regarding COVID-19.”
Economy
Within the first few days of his presidency, Biden plans to reverse
Trump’s tax cuts on corporations and raise corporate income taxes
back up to 28%. Biden hopes to start implementing his proposed
tax plan that will not raise taxes on Americans making less than
$400,000 a year. Additionally, his administration has been pushing
his “Made in America” Plan which will create 5 million jobs
through investments. The government will spend $400 billion on
buying companies and $300 billion on research and development.
Environment
Joe Biden has said he will reenter the Paris Climate Accord in the
first few days of his presidency. Furthermore, he plans to commence
his $2 Trillion Climate Plan, which includes the Clean Energy Plan
that aims to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the Environmental
Justice Plan which will support communities that are
disproportionately affected by the implications of climate change.
Health Care
One of Biden’s main campaigning issues was to expand
the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. With
the help of congress, he hopes to pass legislation that will
initiate the creation of a new public healthcare option.
Education
Within the first 100 days in office, Joe Biden says
he will invest in higher education, like community
colleges, and he vows to ensure teacher pay is adequate.
Foreign Policy
Within the first 100
days, Biden will start
to plan an international
summit among democratic
leaders to discuss
ways to fight corruption
and authoritarian
practices and expand
basic human rights. He
also hopes to hold a
Climate World Summit
with world leaders to
discuss the importance
and implications of
climate change. However,
COVID-19 may
delay the occurence
of these summits.
photo courtesy of gayatri malhotra on
unsplash
Justice
Biden has said he will
expand the Voting Rights Act. He also has vowed to reform the
police, after the protests raising awareness about the major racial
injustices occurring in our country. The administration plans
to put $300 million into community policing measures and create
a National Police Oversight Commission. Additional legislation
includes pushing Congress to Pass SAFE Justice Act
which will reduce the minimum sentencing for nonviolent crimes
Immigration
President-elect Biden plans to pass an executive order that will
reunite families that were separated at the U.S. Mexico border.
Additionally, he will “immediately rescind” Trump’s executive
order that bans travelers from some Muslim majority
countries. Finally, Biden will take away funding from
building the wall, which was one of Triump’s main issues
during his campaign. However, Biden does not plan to remove
any of the current 25 miles of wall that is still standing.

20 21 December 2020
VOTER SUPPRESSION IN AMERICA
Voting isn’t as easy as casting your ballot - especially
during a pandemic sahithi jammulamadaka | editor-in-chief
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is when electoral district boundaries
are manipulated to favor one political party. In thirty-five
states, state legislators control how the lines are drawn and
they can use this to their advantage. Gerrymandering is one
of the main ways that the system can be used to undermine
the political powers of minorities and use them as a way to
gain a partisan advantage. Here is how it’s possible:
50 people
Figure 1
America has always boasted itself as the oldest and best democracy in the world. In this country, one of the
best and easiest ways to make your voice heard is to vote. “You can’t complain if you didn’t vote” is a common
phrase among frequent voters, but rooted in this idea of fair elections is the untold story of widespread
voter suppression. The voting experience of an upper-middle-class white male in New York City is drastically different
from a black woman in rural Texas. Not every vote is treated the same and that can be seen from the systematic
hoops that certain communities have to jump through, just to do the simple act of voting. So, this begs the question:
how fair is the American electoral system?
Digital Voter Suppression
It is well known that much of voter suppression is motivated by partisan interests. This is exacerbated in our current society,
which is largely defined by our online presence. Digital voter suppression is extremely harmful as it is so easy to target specific
groups of people, namely first-time voters who are low-income, less educated, and people of color. Posts on social media platforms
might tell voters the wrong day to vote or that the election is rigged, incentivizing them not to go cast their ballot. The
goal of these social media posts is not to convince people to vote one way or another, but not to vote at all.
During the 2020 election, people in key swing states, such as Georgia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, were texted or called saying
that they could vote over text if they were first-time voters. This meant that uninformed voters might not have gone to polling
centers thinking they had already cast their ballot.
There were also mass registration misinformation campaigns. Bots online were telling people the wrong registration deadlines
and that they needed things like proof of citizenship or a birth certificate - none of which you need to register.
The pandemic, with the expansion of mail-in and absentee voting, added another level to digital suppression. There were
mass efforts to delegitimize mail-in and absentee voting on social media, which may have led people to not vote at all. President
Donald Trump played a big role in this. On August 11th, 2020 he tweeted “Mail-in ballots substantially increases the risk
of crime and VOTER FRAUD!” He convinced people that their ballot would not count if they submitted it by mail or early,
and many could not vote in-person on election day due to being high risk of coronavirus.
Physical Barriers
In 2020 there were many physical barriers that stopped people from voting or their votes from being counted. The pandemic
only exacerbated these concerns. The Trump administration made an active effort to stop mail-in votes from being counted.
Louis Dejoy (who is a Trump supporter) began to defund the USPS close to the elections, which made mail-in ballots take
longer to get to election offices.
Some states, such as Texas, didn’t allow the pandemic to be a reason to request a mail-in ballot which disenfranchised a large
population, and in states such as California, fake drop off ballots were put in the city.
There are also many cases where people fill out the absentee ballot or mail-in ballots incorrectly and are not sent them back.
Something as simple as a slightly unmatched signature could disqualify someone’s ballot. This was seen in Georgia where
Stacey Abrahms claims she lost in her Georgia gubernatorial election in 2018 because of this kind of voter suppression. It was
especially rampant in 2020 when mail-in and absentee ballots requests were high.
Let’s assume that there are 50 people in a small state. 30 of
them are a part of the blue party and 20 of them are a part
of the red party.
If we drew the lines vertically (figure 1) the state would
have 3 blue seats and 2 red seats which would be both fair
and compact as the founders intended.
If we drew the lines horizontally (figure 2) then the blue
party would win all 5 seats which wouldn’t be fair but it
would be compact.
But, there is a way that the red party can win more seats
in the state. If they drew the lines in odd enough shapes
(as shown in figure 3) then the red party wins 3 seats and
the blue party only wins 2, even though the blue party has
won the popular vote in the state. This is neither fair nor
compact and it is how most gerrymandering occurs across
America.
Although both parties are guilty of gerrymandering it is
more likely to happen in Republican states, as they are less
likely to get the minority vote. For example in states like
Wisconsin and Ohio, Democrats won the popular vote but
won fewer seats in state elections due to gerrymandering.
In Maryland, Republicans won 37% of the vote but only
won ⅛ of the seats. This doesn’t just affect state governments,
this is a national issue. In 2012 the GOP won the
House even though they had 1.4 million fewer votes than
Democrats did.
In Conclusion
60% blue | 40% red
3 blue districts
2 red districts
BLUE WINS
Figure 2 Figure 3
5 blue districts
0 red districts
BLUE WINS
2 blue districts
3 red districts
RED WINS
The 2020 election had the highest voter turnout of any election in American history, but there is still so much that needs to be
done. Making it easier to vote is the only way to solidify and expand the democracy we are so proud of.

22 23 December 2020
This article represents the opinion of the author
PARTISANSHIP IN THE
How America has
US: THE TRUMP ERA
come to be so divided
photo courtesy of chlorineer
artin saadat | staff writer
photo courtesy of
eugenio hansen
In his farewell address, Founding Father and first
president of the United States George Washington
issued a solemn warning against political
factions. He emphasized the importance of unity
and cautioned citizens that although political parties
“may now and then answer popular ends, they
are likely in the course of time and things, to become
potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious,
and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the
power of the people and to usurp for themselves
the reins of government, destroying afterwards the
very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
In other words, he feared that if Americans
placed party loyalty over the common interests of
the nation, it would foster a “spirit of revenge” and
generate nationwide division and corruption. Over
time, however, we have increasingly departed from
Washington’s eerily foretelling guidance and bought
into a rigid and divisive 2 party political system.
Although American politics have gradually grown
more and more partisan over the decades, it is since
the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump that
the United States government has reached a new level
of division— one that threatens the survival of America’s
democracy. The poles of the political spectrum
are ever-distancing, and there is no longer a middle
ground for bi-partisan compromise, causing gridlock
in decision making and barring social progress. Mr.
Waxman, an AP United States Government teacher
here at Oakton, agrees, saying, “There is increased
partisanship for sure. We’ve become accustomed
to just vote for our own team, sort ourselves out,
and only talk to people that agree with us, not across
the differences.” Even public health issues, like
Covid-19, have become points of political division.
Moreover, political parties, specifically the politicians
representing them, no longer act upon the
best interest of the American people. They instead
betray their commitment to their constituents to
promote their party’s ideology and gain control of
the branches of government, which is exactly the
corruption that Washington feared. As Mr. Waxman
puts it, “It’s the equivalent of verbal foodfight. They
just throw things at each other. They’re not really
trying to solve problems. They’re just trying to yell
louder and convince you that you're wrong and I'm
right.” More frightening, perhaps, are the unethical,
dishonest, and undemocratic measures that lawmakers
will take to do this— unlawfully gerrymandering
district boundaries in their favor, suppressing
voters through discriminatory laws, continuously
demonizing and dehumanizing the opposing party,
and making distorted accusations against them.
The latest example of this hyper-partisanship revolves
around President Donald Trump’s refusal to
concede: although all past presidents have gracefully
conceded in the case of a loss, President Trump
has refused to accept his defeat. He continues to
make false allegations of Democratic voter fraud,
mount groundless legal challenges, and refuse to
work with President-elect Biden’s transition team
towards a peaceful transfer of power, which, to
put it bluntly, is downright childish. However, his
actions are not only childish, they are also scary,
as they threaten the fundamental principles of
America’s democracy and normalize such efforts to
reoccur in future elections.
Even more concerning is the fact that the
majority of Republican politicians won’t speak
out against President Trump, even though many
of them may not believe in his actions. Although
a few prominent Republican officials, such as
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, former New
Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Senator
Mitt Romney, have had the courage to openly
disapprove of President Trump's baseless rhetoric
and accusations, most have stayed silent,
or even worse, spoken out in support of President
Trump's efforts in an attempt to push their
party’s narrative and garner his political support.
This illustrates how an increasing number of
lawmakers are betraying their duty to uphold
our democracy for their party’s advancement,
and in some cases, their personal gain.
However, extreme partisanship is not only affecting
the Capitol— it is also dividing everyday
citizens. In 2008, Americans felt nearly indifferent
towards the opposing party, rating their
“favorability and warmness” toward them 40
out of 100. Since the 2016 election of President
Donald Trump, though, Americans are feeling
more and more hostile towards those on the
other side of the spectrum, rating their feelings
towards them below 15 out of 100. In fact, a
2018 poll by Nielsen found that 60 to 70 percent
of Americans viewed fellow citizens of the
opposite party as a serious threat to the United
States. In Mr. Waxman perspective, “What’s different
today is there’s been a feeling that we’re
not willing to talk to one another as much.”
Further complicating this divide is the fact
that peoples’ political views are becoming more
and more representative of their identity. In
the past, both the Democratic and Republican
parties were relatively heterogeneous coalitions.
Over time, however, as the 2 parties have
become increasingly nationalized and comprehensive,
they have become more racially and
religiously divisive. This, under the blanket of
party alignment, has created a sort of all-encompassing
“mega-identity,” which is causing more
personal and, thus, hostile hatred, distrust, and
division across the country. To many Americans,
supporters of the opposing party are beginning
to seem more like distant enemies than fellow
citizens.
The political division that we are experiencing
today in the United States is already
unsustainable and restrictive of progress, but
when coupled with race and religion, it begs
for democratic collapse. With such volatility to
our democratic system, it seems inherent that
lawmakers step up and speak out for unity, no
matter the political consequences. But no— our
democracy’s accountability is crumbling right
before our eyes, and most political leaders continue
to act childish and exacerbate the divide
by demeaning the opposing party and making
unfounded accusations against them. Although
in his speech, President-elect Biden sent a message
of unity, vowing “to work as hard for those
who didn’t vote for me as those who did,” his
good intentions can only go so far against the
inherent 2 party nature of our political system.
photo courtesy of sagearbor

24
TRUMP’S
REFUSAL TO
CONCEDE
President Trump has not
accepted the final results
of the election
photo courtesy of mykola lazarenko
lorne fowler |staff writer
dilara vural | staff writer
With the results of the 2020 election now in, Biden
has been labelled the clear winner of it. But, when
President Donald Trump heard this, he did not accept
to commit to a peaceful transition as he said he would.
Furthermore, President Trump has contested the election results
and their validity, claiming that Biden’s win is the result of voter
fraud.This of course can ruin President Trump’s reputation
and jeopardize his political future. Although Trump has made
claims that he will refuse to concede, the constitution says otherwise
and will end his term.
How the Republicans are handling the situation?
“Stop the steal” has become the saying of outraged Republicans
who believe President Trump’s claims that Democrats
stole his reelection by committing massive voter fraud. It is the
hashtag they rally around the media and the slogan they chant
when they are on the streets, as they did on November 14th in
Washington, DC, earning a laudatory drive-by from the presidential
motorcade. Governor and senators wise, it is not going
so maturaley either. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky,
the top Republican in Congress, threw his support behind Mr.
Trump in a speech on the Senate floor. He declared that Mr.
Trump was “100 percent within his rights” to turn to the legal
system to challenge the outcome and criticized Democrats
for expecting the president to concede. Furthermore, in his first
public remarks since Mr. Biden was declared the winner, Mr.
McConnell celebrated the success of Republicans who won
election to the House and the Senate. But in the next breath, he
treated the outcome of the presidential election, based on the
same ballots that elected those Republicans, as unknown.
What does this mean for the presidential election?
Well for one, it is important that Trump has little power when
it comes to the outcome of this election. The election of the
president fundamentally lies in the hands of Congress and more
specifically the Senate as outlined in the constitution, so any
attempts to delay the election or even a refusal to concede as
we see here does not matter much. Judging by current results,
Biden will be sworn in as President on January 20th and there
is nothing Trump, or anyone for that matter, can do to stop it.
With that said, President Trump’s refusal to accept the results of
the election has furthered the divisive tensions throughout the
country, as his supporters double down on his message. Sources
say that concessions don’t really matter in a way that the duly
elected president will be inaugurated in January no matter what,
whether the outgoing president acknowledges the defeat or not.
But they do matter for a couple of other reasons. There is a
reason which is more personal than political, which is, most
politicians don’t like being seen as a loser. And if they ever want
to run again, being seen as graceful and dignified is to their
advantage. The second reason is to dampen down the tensions
that came up during the campaign. We have had several campaigns
in U.S. history that were very, very negative. And, in
some cases, supporters of the losing candidates screamed on the
streets because their candidate lost. The losing candidate should
publicly say, I accept the results of this election, and all of you
should support the new president, and help bring society back
together after the election campaign has divided it.

25 December 2020 FEATURE
Q&A WITH OAKTON MINDS
MATTER
Oakton Minds Matter Co-President, Taylor Hawthorne,
discusses the notable ways this high
school organization contributes to the awareness
of mental health.
Q: Who is involved in this organization?
Myself and Annie Wolsborn are Co-Presidents of the club, we are sponsored
by a couple of school counselors. We have a leadership team of
about 8-10 other students that assist with a multitude of different tasks.
photo courtesy of the noun projet
Q: What is the purpose of your organization?
A: To eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in the Oakton
community, along with spreading awareness of suicide prevention
and providing tools to cope with feelings of stress or depression.
Q: What brought this organization to where it is today?
A: Our commitment to making our school community a happier place, and the enthusiasm
among many students to have the chance to help their peers and even themselves.
Q: What has your organization done to support and or spread awareness to mental health?
A: We’ve conducted lessons during our meetings to bring attention to mental illness,
as well as made social media accounts and collaborated with big mental
health organizations in order to provide resources such as different coping skills.
photo courtesy of the noun projet
Q: What are your opinions on the effect of online school to the mental illness of students?
A: I feel that online school has certain benefits, being in school is actually a huge
stressor for many, and lots of students feel more relaxed learning in the comfort
of their own home. However, online school has brought feelings of loneliness to
many students, since school was one of the few places where many would get to see
their friends. Online school can also cause for burnout, students get overwhelmed
by all the work they are being assigned and feel unmotivated to turn anything in
considering that they don’t feel they have to. There’s also many people that may
not feel safe in their own home, which would make online school much worse
for them, and can easily be a cause of depression or other types of mental illness.
Oakton Mental
Health Resources
Suicide Hotline
Q: What do you suggest for students who are currently going through hard times?
A:I suggest that they reach out to others, whether it’s just talking to a friend or
a family member on the phone, having just a little bit of socialization can make
a huge difference. I would also suggest that if their situation gets worse they get
professional help from a staff member at Oakton, or a different trusted adult.
The school provides many resources (even in an online setting) that are in place
to help students when they’re going through any type of challenging time.
emma dennis| staff writer
800-273-8255

WOULD STUDENTS RATHER
RETURN IN-PERSON OR STAY
ONLINE?
alicia ernst|staff writer
Oakton Students weigh out the pros and
cons associated with their decision
Flashback to March 12, 2020 - Oakton’s student body was thrilled
for their spontaneous two-week break from school, eager to stay at
home and relax. Because those two weeks stretched into 9 months,
many students have found themselves longing to return to school,
and regretting ever taking it for granted. After months of attending
their virtual lessons, a brain break
is much needed. This statement may
sound questionable, given that the freedom
to attend classes while sitting on
the couch seems like enough of a break
already - but despite this, students and
teachers are just as drained as usual.
Every day follows the same routine,
so much so that they seem to blend together;
waking up, attending classes, completing homework, and
repeating. Ironically, returning to school in-person seems like the
perfect break from this vicious cycle. Although reinstating a hybrid
version of real life school is speculated to occur down the line,
it would likely come with two options - if Oakton students were
given the choice, would they choose to
remain online, or return to the building?
A crucial component that must be considered
when making this hypothetical
decision is the state of the pandemic.
If presented with the choice, students
must decide if returning to the building
is worth the risk, safety-wise.
26 27 December 2020
When asked about what safety precautions should be installed, many ideas were suggested: daily temperature checks,
limiting the number of kids per classroom, a strict no-touching policy, and mandatory mask-wearing. However, Sophie
Smoot-Canty, 10, notes that the issue lies not within what safety measures are taken, but how those precautions are enforced.
“I think there needs to be a way to make sure students are following rules, because if the school is safe but the kids
aren’t it doesn’t help.” Smoot-Canty said. “I wouldn’t return. I’d rather just skip the risk and stay online.”
Along with these possibilities, another factorable priority would simply be the student’s academic preferences. While
some find it easier to focus in the seclusion of their homes, a plethora of others are discovering challenges regarding their
lack of attention span and motivation. “I would definitely choose to go in person. I have a lot of trouble focusing online
due to my learning disability.” Says Jason Imbergamo, 10. He also noted how he misses social interaction with friends and
teachers, and events such as school-sponsored dances - all things often considered to be the best parts of school.
“I would definitely return to school. The state of my education
right now is horrible. I have not learned a single thing
and I 100% guarantee I will fail my finals. In person, I am able
to learn more effectively.” -Paris Phan, 10
As we are all tired of hearing the phrases “unprecedented times” and “once this is all over,” we continue to ponder the
question looming over our heads - when will we go back to normal? And as that pans out, what will “normal” even be?
This school year continues to challenge Oakton’s students and staff as we all try to adapt. If hybrid schooling is introduced
during the second semester, students must keep these ideas in their heads as they consider the most valueable factors of
in-person versus virtual instruction. It is important to keep an open mind, and learn to appreciate your surroundings - because
as we have all experienced this past year, they are absolutely subject to change.
The photos above are student submissions of what their work space looks like during online school each day.
leftmost photo courtesy of naomi yoon, middle photo courtesy of alicia ernst, rightmost photo courtesy of tuga
wangjie
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable at all. [COVID-19] cases are
still high and [too many people] are cramped inside the
school. I believe we should just wait until things get better,
like after the vaccines are distributed.” -Tuga Wangjie, 10
photo courtesy of alicia ernst
photos courtesy of flaticon.com

28 29 December 2020
THE OAKTON COMMUNITY’S
HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR
We asked Oakton community members about
their hopes for the New Year
To say the least, 2020 has been a challenging year. In March, the coronavirus pandemic drastically changed life for Americans, and
the health complications and precautions have been devastating. Social and political implications have also stirred the country,
causing extreme conflict. It’s unclear when things will go back to “normal” in the way that everyone seems to dream of, but for
now, many hope that some barriers will be broken down in 2021. Here are the hopes of some Oakton community members for the new
year.
“Obviously safety is our top priority and we need to be able to maintain that, but I
would love to see a lot more students back at school on a more regular basis, so that we can just get
back to a little bit more normal… if we can’t, I hope that we continue to get better at virtual learning,
and my number one priority in all of this is maintaining a sense of community and connection
amongst Oakton staff and students and the community. When the shutdown happened, it aligned
with a lot of our renovation process and that has not shut down… now there is going to be a lot of
beautiful new common area spaces, and a lot of beautiful new classrooms to enjoy, a lot of courtyards
and it just makes me smile everytime I go in it, so I hope it does the same for students. I think
in general, there’s always a silver lining to everything, and we just need to look into the positives of
whatever the situation that we are currently in. So, continuing to encourage everyone to find those
silver linings and positive influences and positive stories to bring us together and if anyone ever
needs anything, we are here, we are in a different format right now, but we are always here. That’s
the number one message I want everyone to get.” - Ms. Lane (Principal)
“This year, I hope we can tell our friends and our family how
much we care for them. Another hope for this year is that we make connections
with people that we lost touch with. I also hope that this new year everyone learns
something new. Do something that is...you. I hope is that this year we can share our
knowledge, teach a friend, a sibling or even a grownup. My biggest hope is that this
year we all help make this world a better place.” Anita Murthy (Parent)
“I hope that I get good grades and learn new stuff. Since
I’m a freshman, I’d like to be able to make new friends from different schools and
get closer with the track team and spending time with them. I also hope for a decline
in covid cases and going back to a normalish life.” - Krishiv Argawal (9)
photo courtesy of ken lee joo
"I’m hoping to be able to keep my grades up and get into my top college, but I’m
keeping my expectations realistic because at this point, you never know what is going to happen.
I’m hoping that in 2021 things will go back to normal. If [restrictions] will help everything go back
to normal, if [restrictions] will help others stay safe, I will do it… I of course hope that there are
less restrictions next year, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. I hope more than anything that all
of my loved ones stay safe and healthy.” - Zoe Siamon (12)
“
My personal hope for the new year is to complete junior year
successfully. I also want to change more peoples lives for the better in 2021. Earlier
this year I reached out to a nursing home to send letters and find a pen pal.
Unfortunately, they never got back to me. My goal in the new year is to reach out
to the nursing home again and send letters. There are so many people that can not
see anyone during the times we are living in. I want to give those people hope and
company. When they feel happy, I feel happy.” - Ryan Brittenham (11)
“I hope that we will be able to return to school and a semblance of normal. I also
hope that the number of cases and hospitalizations will go down. That the restrictions will become
more lax and we’ll be able to meet with other people again. I hope that I can drop lots of time in swim
events, learn a new language, and learn to play 15 songs on the ukulele.” - Allie Wheeler (10)
“As a senior, I really do bank on College Apps to give me hope
for the new year. I look forward to being able to live my own life once the
pandemic lessens and get into a school with a major I love.” - Jakob A (12)
“I hope that we can go back, but I also want us to be safe.
I think that continuing to find creative and innovative ways to make this time
even more special is what I’m most hopeful for. I think my biggest hope for
any extracurriculars right now when it’s safe is just finding ways for students
to be involved and finding a balance between screen time and fun. I think one
of my big hope for the year is more listening throughout our country. Our
country right now is very divided. No matter what side of that divide you
may be on, I think that we could really benefit from more listening.” - Ms.
Goodwin (Spanish teacher)
harriet limkin | staff writer
haley longfellow | editorial board
photo courtesy of david zydd

WASHINGTON D.C. AMID
THE CORONAVIRUS
As coronavirus cases soar nationwide,
Washington D.C’s Mayor
Bowser imposed a series of restrictions
to be enacted throughout the following
weeks, including limiting indoor gatherings
from 50% capacity to 25% capacity.
You may have seen a photo or two of the
tents being constructed outside of restaurants
to accomodate for this constraint. “We
can’t eat inside so let’s eat outside, inside,”
commented a D.C. resident on a photo of
the mini structures, humorously mocking
the new dining alternative. Bowser, however,
does not find much humor in these new
creations. She announced that restaurants
have two weeks to create proper outdoor
dining arrangements, otherwise they may
not continue serving their customers. This
is due to the limited air circulation in these
structures, posing a threat to the spread of
the virus that was presumed to be significantly
reduced with normal outdoor dining.
One notable effect the coronavirus has
had on D.C. is an increase in real estate
and housing prices. As cities are being
recognized as virus “petri dishes,” many
residents have begun searching the market
for homes farther from these densely populated
“hot spots.” Consequently, housing
prices in the suburbs have increased. However,
with the vaccine right around the corner,
city prices are slowly beginning to rise
again as suburb prices drop. This correlation
represents the public’s growing hope
for the virus to subside.
As for D.C’s transit system, things are
not looking too promising. Metro has been
pushed to the financial brink as
the virus led most employees to
telework- the working class having
been Metro’s greatest customer.
Others remain reluctant to use
public transit in fear of contracting
the virus. Mayor Bowser and other
local
officials are working to call attention
to this growing threat to D.C’s
public transportation, pleading Congress
for a federal stimulus package. “Regardless
of party or ideology, we must once again
come together to save Metro,” she said.
If a stimulus plan remains inexistent,
Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld
warns that a major budget cut, that will
result in longer waits and reduced hours
for trains, will be forcefully enacted. The
agency cited this cut is about 25% of the
$1.945 billion from projected operating expenses
- a gap so massive that the only way
it can be met is by eliminating weekend rail
services. This proposal raised much public
alarm to residents and employees who rely
on Metro to travel throughout the city.
“The proposed cuts to
Metrorail are nothing
short of an assault on
working people”
-Mrs. Suss
Ms. Suss, an English teacher at Oakton
High School lives in D.C. “It is insane that
we have a barely-functioning rail system
in our nation’s capital, and [Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] has
been dealing with budget shortfalls for as
long as I can remember. The proposed cuts
to Metrorail will render it effectively useless...
30-minute waits for each train- that’s
an enormous deterrent and will result in
passenger backlogs and jams.”
photo courtesy of sara boddie
30
Things to do
All this dull news has aided in fueling the
feeling of disconnection and a lost hope
that our lives will not “return to normal”
any time soon. However, several organized
events have helped D.C. residents and tourists
to maintain daily activities and to spend
time with their community; city dwellers
have proved that their spirit and camaraderie
will not diminish, even as coronavirus
cases increase.
One of D.C’s busiest attractions during
the winter is their Holiday Market on 8th
and F Streets NW. Open from November
20th to December 23rd, this outdoor market
features over 150 vendors- entrepreneurs
and small businesses from across the region.
Lights and decorations are displayed
and churros and hot chocolate are served;
nothing brings more holiday spirit than a
trip to D.C’s Holiday Market. On Saturday,
November 28th, Kamala Harris and Mayor
Bowser took a trip to the market to support
local small businesses. To address the safety
concerns provoked by the coronavirus,
adjustments were made to limit
the capacity of shoppers and stretch out
the aisles to encourage social distancing.
The structure of the market is in accordance
with all current city guidelines.
Another pop-up market that was recently
created is called “Soufside Market.” Malik
Sneed, a Black 25 year old from Ward 7,
created this market to support both Blackowned
businesses and his community in
South East D.C. After several Black-owned
businesses were denied a spot at the Freshfarm
Market in Dupont Circle,
they were excited to hear they
could sell their products at a market
specifically designed to “circulate
the black dollar,” said Sneed.
sara boddie | copy editor

31 December 2020 A&E
THE 2021 GRAMMY
NOMINATIONS ARE IN
Which artists strive in quarantine?
During this time of world panic one thing seems to be keeping us all sane. Music. Specifically new music that artist
have produced prior and during lock-down. Musicians like Lil Uzi Vert, Ariana Grande and BTS. With a year of
surprises also comes a year of new beginnings especially when it comes to music and with the creativity and free
time floating through different artists, you already know the Grammys have a great nomination lineup. Since next years
show (hosted by Trevor Noah) won’t be happening til January 31st and theres over 80 categories of music we’re just gonna
go over the Grammy’s General Field*.
photo courtesy of the grammys Org
Record Of The Year
• Black Parade | Beyonce
• Colors | Black Pumas
• Rock-star | DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
• Say So | Doja Cat
• Everything I Wanted | Billie Eilish
• Don’t Start Now | Dua Lipa
• Circles | Post Malone
• Savage | Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyonce
Song Of The Year
• Black Parade | Beyonce
• The Box | Roddy Ricch
• Cardigan | Taylor Swift
• Circles | Post Malone
• Don’t Start Now | Dua Lipa
• Everything I Wanted | Billie Eilish
• I Can’t Breath | H.E.R.
• If The World Was Ending | JP Saxe ft. Julia Michaels
Album Of The Year
• CHILOMBO | Jhené Aiko
• Black Pumas | Black Pumas
• Everyday Life | Coldplay
• DJESSE VOL.3 | Jacob Collier
• Women In Music Pt 3 | HAIM
• Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa
• Hollywood’s Bleeding | Post Malone
• Folklore | Taylor Swift
Best New Artist
• Ingrid Andress
• Phoebe Bridgers
• Chika
• Noah Cyrus
• D Smoke
• Doja Cat
• Kaytranada
• Megan Thee Stallion
aubrey leverett | staff writer
photo courtesy of chris pizzello
Although in the past Grammy Organizers have been accused of being biased including earlier this year when they denied
allegations of rigging votes, nominees were happy to talk of their excitement on social media. As artist exampled their
excitement a lot of people were not happy with this years nominations. Especially people like The Weeknd. Abel Tesfaye,
professionally known as The Weeknd, (who had one of biggest selling albums and hit song of 2020) took to social media to
express his anger towards the organization. The singer tweeted “The Grammys remain Corrupt, you owe me, my fans and
the industry transparency.” As multiple celebrities including Justin Bieber Chris Brown and Luke Combs have come to the
defense and agreement of The Weeknd, the Grammy organization president issued a statement later after the tweet saying he
expressed his shock with Abel but tried to not be too surprised by the nomination outcomes.
Of course this isn’t the first time the Grammys have been accused of snubbing other artists. Two Prominent and well known
artists Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce have been snubbed multiple times. So many times the Grammy organizers had to issue
a statement about it.
Focusing on current nominations it is easy to tell that the organization could appear to be somewhat biased. Besides categories
like album of the year their were several albums that weren’t nominated that definitely should have been including
Lil Uzi Vert and the late Juice Wrld who had two of the biggest selling rap albums of 2020. Not just rap but also Halsey’s
Manic and Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters.
Besides the biased allegations there were a lot of great albums and songs and anew artist this year. Some who had quarantine
hits tat turned to fame like Doja Cat. With her record of the year say so she dominated he charts and had the song
on almost every teens in America’s playlist. Lots of artists this year dominated the charts and each nominee had a well
deserved reaction but hopefully the show goes a lot better the reaction to the awards themselves.
*All information and more can be found on the grammy.com website

32
FUN WINTER ACTIVITIES
COVID-safe options for seeing your friends
With the threat of a second lockdown, many Oakton students are looking for fun activities to do with their
friends while remaining safe. While many winter activities have been cancelled due to COVID-19, there are
still many fun and healthy options to enjoy.
photo courtesy of johnell pannell
Ice Skating
Ice skating has always been the classic winter activity. It’s often
portrayed in movies and TV shows and is a staple part of Hallmark
Christmas movies. Emily Romero (grade 11) says that ice
skating is “a good way to stay active and is a fun skill to have.”
The most popular spot for Oakton students is Reston Town Center.
Reston Skating opens every year in early November through the
winter months. This year, they’ve taken many extra precautions
which are all listed on their website. Some of these precautions are
offered contactless payment and online reservations. Afterwards,
students can enjoy a cup of hot cocoa from Panera, browse the
nearby shops, or take a ride on one of the horse-drawn carriages.
Mini Golf
While mini golf is often viewed as a couples activity, it is also
perfect for friends. As long as everyone keeps their masks on and
remains distanced, it is a safe option for teenagers - especially
competitive ones. Oak Marr has a small course and offers “clubs”
and golf balls to play with. Just don’t forget to bundle up as the
temperature drops. If mini golf doesn’t sound appealing, Top Golf
is also an option if everyone is okay with a bit of a drive, seeing as
the closest location is located in Ashburn. The cost is about $15 per
person but is worth it. The goal is to hit the targets on the field from
a balcony. Points are awarded based on how close the goftball is
to the target.
Online Movie Marathon
At the beginning of quarantine in March, many streaming
services, such as Netflix Party and Kast, became widely popular
due to the ability to watch shows and movies with friends.
Netflix Party is limited to Netflix, for obvious reasons, but
Kast allows for any screen to be shared. While the buzz about
these options have died down, they still remain great options
for a Covid-safe night in with friends. Everyone can watch
from the comfort of their own home while still chatting with
their friends in the chat bar. This is also perfect for anyone
who can’t stand others talking during movies.
Virtual Book Club
For book lovers, many people have started an online book
club with friends or strangers. For anyone looking to participate
in this, just grab some friends- could be any number- set
a date to meet, choose a book, and start meeting at whatever
rate is most convenient for everyone. One way to choose
books is for everyone to collectively agree on one or designate
a different person each meeting to choose one. Different
weeks could have different themes or genres, like mystery
week or history week. Some groups will get into character
and dress up as the theme or even characters from their current
book.
veronica preaskorn|editorial board

33 December 2020
SPIDER-MAN: MILES
MORALES REVIEW
Despite it not be as lengthy as
some hoped, Insomniac’s second
installment in the Spider-Man series
is a great experience all around
Two years removed from the release of what many consider to be one of the best superhero
video games of all time, Insomniac has released another title in the Playstation-exclusive
Spider-Man series. This time we follow and control Miles Morales, the teenage
Spider-Man who appeared briefly in the 2018 game and recently inherited his powers. Coming
in with a $49.99 price tag, the game is not as extensive as its predecessor and features a shorter
story. Just like the previous game, the story is set in New York City, with missions and activities
all over Manhattan. However, unlike the first installment, the events occur during winter
and the holiday season, with snow frequently being part of the environment. The premise is
that the original Spider-Man and Morales’ mentor, Peter Parker, is taking a “vacation” for a
couple weeks, leaving Miles as New York’s only Spider-Man for the entirety of the story.
max dolinh | staff writer
image courtesy of abijithka
It might not come as a surprise, but the graphics and overall environment of the game are exceptional. Even though I was not able to
play the game on the newly released PS5, it still looks great and runs smoothly on the current-gen console. Additionally, the swinging
mechanics feel just as good if not better than on Marvel’s Spider-Man. The storyline and plot development is also nearly flawless. It
features new characters and does a great job at showing how Miles must come to terms with being a teenage superhero and how it affects
his friends and family, as well as trying to find an identity without being compared to his mentor. As stated before, the game is not
as extensive as its predecessor and that is apparent in the campaign. I completed the story in about four sessions, but I often stopped
to observe and interact with parts of the environment or complete side-quests. If you just played the main story missions, you could
probably complete the game in a couple long sessions or even just in one sitting. So for gamers who want a long experience with their
single-player games, the length of the story might not justify its $49.99 price tag. But if you are a fan of the franchise and just looking for
a high-quality title, it won’t be a waste of money. All aspects of the gameplay are extremely enjoyable. From the combat, which features
new electrically-charged moves and camouflage mode, to the story and side-missions, to just swinging around New York City, the game
does not feel dull for any one moment.
Insomniac delivered once again with Spider Man: Miles Morales. Apart from one of the antagonists being quite generic and the main
story not being comparable to a full-length title, the second installment in Playstation and Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise is a complete
hit. The game takes all the features that gamers loved about the previous title and elevates them in a game centered around a different
and unique Spider-Man. And if you are uncomfortable paying $50 for a game you might not play for more than a week, I’d advise to
wait for the price to go down before purchasing. However, the game is a must-play for all fans of the series and while the game might
not be exactly what some envisioned in the quantity department, it is everything and more in the quality one.

NO NUANCE NOVEMBER
Tiktok’s latest trend sparks heated debates
on a multitude of topics
34
Since the app’s creation, Tiktok has
been the source of many new fads
and trends that people of all ages
can enjoy. The app has been through
drastic changes since its Musical.ly days,
but despite its interface change it’s still
going strong and is a source of entertainment
for many, and even provides a
good platform for thoughtful discussions
regarding our world today. A mix of both
characteristics can be seen in the latest
trend to take Tiktok by storm, No Nuance
November.
At first glance, it can be hard to fully
grasp what no nuance November entails,
but the term generally refers to giving
hot takes with no context or further explanation
afterward. Most of the videos
display controversial opinions, leading
the trend to become more about sharing
unpopular opinions at times. The trend
got its start from Tiktok user @
abolish_ice, who first coined the term in
their caption when they posted a video to
their 13.6k followers saying they would
post a hot take every day of November.
Though this user isn’t considered a big
creator compared to the other TikTok
creators that have millions of followers
under their belt, TikTok’s algorithm
makes it possible for almost anyone to
get a viral video, regardless of follower
count. The trend quickly took the app by
storm, with big creators on the app like
flossybaby, dutchdecc, staceyismom,
and even Hank Green taking part. When
seeing a No Nuance November video on
your For You page (the page that lets you
see popular videos from users you don’t
follow), it’s uncertain what opinions
you’ll hear, considering they range from
“If you are drinking milk, any time other
than the time you’re eating cereal, you
belong in prison,” to more political and
serious takes. Whether it’s talking about
superheroes, life as a nurse, or the current
state of the United States, everyone of all
ages and origins had opinions to give,
no matter who they were. The format of
the trend has caused some minor spats in
comment sections considering the very
nature of the trend is to not give context
and prevent nuanced discussion, but
overall the trend is an entertaining and
harmless way to share opinions on the internet
in a witty and concise manner, and
it’s sparked plenty of conversation on a
great number of topics.
November has now ended, and the
#NoNuanceNovember tag has achieved
a whopping 2 billion views as a whole
on TikTok. This app has surely earned itself
a firm place in today’s modern pop
culture, with a demographic that consists
of people from all over the world. No
Nuance November is just one hit trend
out of many that have originated from
the app, and it’s exciting to see what the
future holds and what other ideas will
come from the creative minds of TikTok.
photos courtesy of aubrey harrell
@abolish_ice on TikTok @zki.99 on TikTok @ediblesrex on TikTok
aubrey harrell | editorial board

35 December 2020
NEW UPCOMING SEASON
OF ALL AMERICAN
Can All American season 3 live up to its
expectations?
anshul sreenivas|staff writer
photo courtesy of petey
photo courtesy of muyuan ma
“This is going to be one of the greatest shows of 2021”- Blake Neely
On October 10, 2018, a new show
was aired on the CW. No one
knew how it would turn out; it
was the first episode of the first season, so
it was a new take. A show about a young
kid growing up in Crenshaw, with many
problems in his life, and still being the top
of football, All American. Since that day,
it has been one of the biggest hits, and
one of the most watched TV shows in all
of America. With countless amounts of
good reviews, these actors who were once
not known to the world, were world wide
stars after season 1. Just the first episode
delivered over 880,000 viewers. Many
consider this to be one of the greatest
shows to exist.
The story revolves around Spencer
James casted by Daniel Ezra, the British
actor. The show continued on and the next
season was released. What no one expected,
it was even better. The character development
along with the intriguing story
line mashed amazingly together. Present
day 2020, in about one month, season 3 of
All American will be aired, with the exact
date not announced yet.
January 2021, will be something different
for All American fans. The crazy finale
to season 2, with Spencer James figuring
out he still has an injured shoulder, fans
have been awaiting this moment to hear
what he is actually dealing with. The show
that has had all the hype lately is about to
go off the charts with the numbers they
are going to hit with this new upbringing
of the show. Furthermore, because of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the audience
feared that they wouldn’t have all their
loving characters in the show. But due
to many safety precautions, the actors/
actresses have agreed to hit the show one
more time. A huge question going around
right now is, “Will it be just as good?”
COVID-19 could affect the quality of the
show. This pandemic has gotten the best of
many people, which could affect the acting
of the show. Another reason is actions
and interaction have been limited due to
this pandemic, so that can also affect the
quality of the show negatively. But as we
have all seen, the producers of this show
can pull off anything. Seasons 1 and 2
were beyond amazing, so I think we can
all infer season 3 can be just as good. Also
having the attention grabbing plot line for
season 3, I have no doubt this will still be
one the greatest shows of 2021.

HOW TO CELEBRATE THE
HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR
How to still enjoy the holiday season
amid the COVID-19 pandemic
The holidays are just around the corner. As the chaotic 2020
year is finally about to come to an end, many families around
the country are looking forward to hosting gatherings, traveling,
or spending time with loved ones. Over the last month, however,
the rate of COVID-19 cases has increased rapidly with many
states breaking records for the number of hospitalizations, cases,
and deaths. And public health experts predict that this winter season
will feature an even worse surge.
According to MedPage.com and a study from Miyu Moriyama
of AnualReviews.org, the coronavirus can survive longer in cold,
dry air and low humidity, as seen in common winters. Additionally,
they add: “low humidity also increases evaporation of respiratory
viral droplets into smaller aerosol particles that can linger longer in
the air, increasing the risk of airborne transmission in the winter.
It is plausible that this can also increase exposure to a higher viral
load during the winter.”
Because of this, Americans are encouraged to try their best to follow
CDC guidelines through this winter break, including wearing a
mask, social distancing, avoiding indoor spaces, and staying home
when possible. Unfortunately, this means many traditional holiday
plans might have to be adjusted. But don’t worry - there are still
plenty of alternative activities that you can incorporate into your
holiday celebration that are both safe and enjoyable.
photo courtesy of annie spratt on unsplash
2. shopping
36
viraj khetan | staff writer
eileen lincoln | editorial board
1. food
While hosting a holiday dinner with friends might
sound fun, gathering in an indoor space without masks
(because you are eating) might increase the risk of
spreading COVID-19. Instead, consider celebrating
virtually or limiting the celebration to members of the
household. If you do end up hosting a gathering with
guests of other households, the CDC recommends
having the party outside to increase ventilation, to
allow for mask-wearing, and to have space to social
distance. In addition, consider the duration of the gathering,
as according to the CDC, “Gatherings that last
longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings.”
The early weeks of December pose as the stretch of
time in which holiday shopping takes place. Whether
shopping early or last-minute, many stores will
contain crowds of people within indoor spaces, posing
a threat to your health. Instead, try shopping online
or using curbside pickup. This also applies to people
creating wishlists - try to avoid asking for gifts that
are only available in stores. If you do have to shop
in-person, the CDC recommends bringing your own
reusable shopping bags, disinfecting your shopping
cart, and using touchless payment if possible.
3. tv marathons
During winter break, many kids and families utilize
their time off to go out and enjoy holiday festivals,
watch parades, attend sporting events, or be part of
a New Years’ celebration. However, these activities
contain large assemblies of people in enclosed spaces,
which can increase your chance of catching the Coronavirus.
Instead, consider watching these events on TV
instead. If it’s difficult thinking about the comparison
of the live experience rather than watching it on TV,
just acknowledge that you’re inside the warm comfort
of your own home, rather than freezing yourself numb
outdoors.
In addition to these activities, here are some other ideas that can be carried out with your family: driving around your neighborhood
to look at some Christmas lights, decorating gingerbread houses, binging Christmas movies, playing board games, or baking cookies. If
nothing else, just take some time off to relax and unwind. 2020 has been the year of the unbearable, but using the holidays to connect with
your (immediate) family can help alleviate ongoing stress so that you can start off the new year strong.

37 December 2020
During this time, global pandemic
and all, people have knocked out
a series of books, movies, and
TV shows because what else is there to
do while you sit at home all day? Some
people don’t enjoy movies that will
leave them crying, but some do and it’s
somewhat of a comfort and therapeutic
to just cry it out from a movie. Whether
you do it for other reasons, or just do it
for the sake of crying, cry-hard movies
hit the spot in letting your tears flow out.
These movies that are listed below will
be sure to have you wanting to eat a pint
of ice cream while sitting in your bed for
a while, but also reaching for that box
of tissues that you’ll need to wipe away
those tears. Nevertheless, make time and
prepare to cry your heart out from these
movies.
Miracles in Cell No. 7
Now you’re probably wondering which
Miracles in Cell No.7 because there are
a couple or remakes, but the Korean version
is by far the best. This comedy-drama
movie is definitely a tear-jerker as it
revolves around a relationship between a
little girl, Ye-sung, and her father, Yonggu
who is mentally challenged. He gets
wrongfully convicted of a murder and
gets sent to jail, leaving his daughter on
her own at only 6 years old. Come to find
out that he is given the death sentence,
and it would take a miracle to convince
the court that he was innocent. This movie
takes you on the journey leading up to
the final court sentencing and afterwards,
leaving you sobbing all the way through.
katie le|staff writer
CRY HARD MOVIES
Seven movies that will get you
through a whole tissue box
Up
This may be a Pixar film, but Pixar
knows how to bring tears to your eyes
over their heartfelt movies. Up is definitely
one of them as a elder man, who
is widowed, is forced to move out of his
home and into a retirement home, but gets
away in his balloon floating house, bringing
a boy named Russel along with him,
accidentally. They both make the journey
of fulfilling his wife and his dream to live
by paradise fall, and you can’t help but
cry as this movie heavies your heart.
Me Before You
Many cry hard movies tend to be a love
story, and it’s true that love stories are a
tear jerker no matter how cheesy it can
be. Me Before you is one of them, but
it isn’t a traditional love story. It’s about
a girl named Louisa Clark who takes a
job as a caregiver to help her family out,
and meets Will Traynor, the boy she cares
for who is parablegic, and they spark a
romance between them. She is the one
who lights up his life and shows him the
meaning of it, but the story doesn’t end
there. This movie will surely leave you
crying by the end of it.
The Notebook
The notebook is a classic sob movie as
it revolves around the relationship of two
people that shouldn’t be together because
of their difference in social class. However,
their love for one another is too much
to keep them away from each other that
they have to be physically removed from
one another to keep them apart. Contact
between them stopped and they slowly
moved on without one another. This
movie is a roller coaster of emotion and
tears will be a part of it.
Clouds
This was a film directed by Justin Baldoni
and released on Disney+. It is about
a boy named Zach Sobiech, who struggles
with Osteosarcoma, pursuing his interests
in music, with the help of his best
friend Sammy Brown. After finding out
that he only has a short time to live, he
makes the most of his life, releasing an
original song that goes viral. Sobiech’s
story is certainly worth listening to and it
will have tears running down your face.
Avengers: Endgame
If you are a Marvels fan, this movie will
definitely leave you crying. It might be
an Action/Sci-fi movie, but that doesn’t
mean it won’t make you cry. This movie
is the last one of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe (MCU), which to a lot of
people is the end of an era. This movie
is bittersweet and has many unexpected
events that will keep you on the edge of
your seat. Regardless of its genre, it will
give you teary eyes when you watch.
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a must watch, even
though it is a three hour long movie it
is truly worth it. This movie takes us
through the life of Forrest Gump, who
is physically and mentally disabled. He
never let his disadvantages affect his life
and all throughout the movie it shows
as he was able to achieve so many great
things in life. Gump finds love, but things
took a tragic turn. This is also a movie
that will take you on an emotional roller
coaster ride, but it’s worth seeing it.

SPORTS
38
COVID-19 SPORTS
TIMELINE
Pandemic forces sports organizations to plan
differently in 2020
With everything that COVID-19 has damaged in 2020, it would only be right to mention
the impact it had on sports. When the virus emerged in the US in March, 3 major
sports seasons were postponed or cancelled. When an NBA player contracted the virus,
it quickly spread to his teammates and the NBA was forced to postpone the season. The NCAA
and NHL were quick to follow suit, with even the NCAA cancelling the March Madness tournament.
NBA postpones season
March 11th 2020
NBA season resumes in
Orlando, Florida
July 7th 2020
Los Angeles Lakers win
NBA Finals (season over)
October 11th 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers win MLB
World Series (season over)
October 28th 2020
NHL restart begins
November 25th 2020
Pac 12 Conference postpones
all sporting events through
calendar year
August 10th 2020
NCAA Football Begins
September 3rd 2020
March 12th 2020
NCAA cancels remainder of
season amidst COVID-19 pandemic
NHL suspends season
October 24 2020
Big 10 Conference reverses
decision and begins football
season
July 23rd 2020
Shortened MLB Season
Begins
September 28th 2020
Tampa Bay Lighting
win Stanley Cup (season
over)
July 30th 2020
NHL restart begins
November 6th 2020
Pac 12 Conference reverses
decision and starts football
season
August 11th 2020
Big 10 cancels fall sports season
Over time, leagues began to reopen with tighter restrictions on stadium capacity and team protocols.
Numerous NFL coaches were fined for their inability to follow mask protocols throughout the
game. Many marveled at the NBA’s Season restart, as 0 cases were found in the small league bubble.
Players in the bubble couldn’t leave the Orlando League grounds, or were placed in quarantine upon
their return. Many leagues should take note of the NBA’s efficiency and try to incorporate their protocols.
aidan whipp | staff writer
veronica preaskorn | editorial board

39 December 2020
...AND THEY’RE OFF!
Tryouts kick off the 2020-21 winter season, but
how will athletics adjust to Covid restrictions?
portia dai | staff writer
photo courtesy of christie mccormick
2020 has been a tough year for both
teachers and students, and not being
in school has really put a damper on
extracurriculars. Despite that, sports teams
are already prepping for their winter season,
with the basketball, gymnastics, swim
and dive, track, and wrestling teams starting
their tryouts. It comes without question
that this year will be different from previous
years, but exactly how different?
As per usual, athletes will have to fill
out the VHSL forms for athletics and get
their physicals before trying out. This year,
there will be a new online form that will be
distributed by the activities office that must
be filled out which includes registration
for tryouts and pre-season conditioning
as well as the concussion education form.
After filling out these forms and completing
the online registration, athletes will be
set for tryouts. Once arriving at tryouts,
athletes are asked to stay in their cars and
fill out a Google form asking them about
their health and require everyone to have
a 32-ounce water bottle. After completing
the form, temperatures are taken and if
everything goes smoothly, the athlete may
proceed to tryouts.
Basketball
Basketball tryouts began on December
7 and Coach Priester is ready for a great
season ahead. The start of the season will
begin with three days of tryouts. Coach
Priester says that because there was no
camp during the summer to identify freshmen
who could potentially be interested
in trying out, there is no estimate of how
many people will try out, which may extend
the process. As for the actual game,
there won’t be much of a difference besides
sanitizing and wearing masks. “Basketball
is basketball” Coach Priester says, and at
the end of the day, we have to live with
this situation as best as we are able. An
anticipated difficulty for the athletes will
be motivation and the intensity of play, so
coaches will be working more on game
preparation skills rather than drill work.
Overall, basketball is looking forward to as
normal of a season as possible. As Coach
Priester puts it, “We’re on until we’re off.”
The remaining winter sports tryouts begin
on December 14 and include gymnastics,
track, swim and dive, as well as wrestling.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics Head Coach McCormick
expects tryouts to be similar to pre-Covid
with a three day tryout period and scoring
sheets for athlete evaluation — those who
do well will be offered a spot on the team.
Changes include less time on the gymnastics
equipment and more space between
each other. This will pose a challenge because
athletes will not be able to get close
and there is only so much space and equipment
that can be used as sharing equipment
won’t be able to happen like previous
years. The team dynamic may also see a
bit of a shift because gymnasts will no longer
be able to physically congratulate each
other for jobs well done, and Coach Mc-
Cormick won’t be able to spot or physically
support them in their training. Despite
these challenges, the gymnastics team will
still maintain their regular routine and go
to competitions and do their best with the
situation at hand.
Track
Track is already in conditioning practices
and has been following the Covid
procedures when arriving at practice and
keeping their masks on when indoors or
in close proximity. However, when outside
and socially distanced, athletes are permitted
to take their masks off. Coach Decker
mentions the Covid check in as the most
challenging part of Covid procedures because
of the time needed to check people
in. Tryouts will be separated by events like
previous years with one event taking place
on each day. As for the athletes, the most
challenging part is the loss of the social aspect
of track simply because athletes cannot
be close together like they have been
able to previously. Facing these challenges
head on, the track team is thankful that
they will still be able to have a season.
Swim and Dive
Swim and dive does not have a finalized
plan for what tryouts will look like as of
now, but as for practice, social distancing
is enforced as best as possible and coaches
and athletes wear masks when not in the
pool. To further protect against contact,
dryland warmup is done at home rather
than at the pool facility. Like many other
sports, the team aspect of swim and dive
will be impacted with Spencer Dearman
(11) saying that “the team has to be separated
a little bit more than usual” which
will be a bit of a struggle to work around.
He also says that learning from coaches
has become more difficult especially for
freshmen because coaches can’t adjust
form or technique due to the social distancing
guidelines. The swim and dive
team will still be having a season, albeit
being shorter and altered to follow Covid
guidelines.
Wrestling
Wrestling, unlike other sports, does not
have traditional tryouts. Instead, athletes
have hard exercises and activities outside
for a week, after which the season begins.
However this year, there will be no tryouts
because wrestling is limited to eight people
per room, with groups of four working
out together for the entire year. Athletes
and coaches must also wear masks at all
times if they are not socially distanced and
are also working out outside as opposed
inside. Ryan Odell (11) says that the most
difficult part of Covid guidelines is the social
distancing because “you know your
friends are there but you also know you
have to stay away from them.” The wrestling
team is still continuing with off-season
practice but are not sure whether the
season is going to happen. However if it
does, the plan is to have no spectators and
a limited number of people competing.
It’s admirable how resilient these student
athletes are and we wish them the best as
they head into an unprecedented winter
season.

40
payton wozny | editor-in-chief
photo courtesty of lily darwaza
STILL IN THE GAME
Student athletes staying
active with high school
sports on pause
photo courtesty of mimi tyler
Lily Darwaza, 12, stunting with her All-Star
cheerleading team at Stingray Allstars.
Sami Tyler, 9, playing softball with her travel team at the
Potomac Lakes Sportsplex Loudoun.
photo courtesty of amy lucky
photo courtesty of sonja jansons
Jackson Lucky, 12, in the USTA single-gender 18U District
Championships.
David Jansons, 9, playing golf at International Country
Club with his family.

41 December 2020
NBA FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Why the NBA could lose millions
to billions of revenue in
the 2020-2021 season
kaleb steele | staff writer
photo courtesy of basketballforever.com
On March 11, 2020 the NBA season got postponed due to multiple players testing positive for COVID-19. The NBA came back
June 7, 2020 to a bubble in Orlando, Florida. Only teams that still had a shot at the playoffs were invited to the bubble. These
teams played a mini eight game regular season to get the players back in shape and finalize the standings. Additionally, the 8th
and 9th seeded teams played in a mini tournament to secure their spot in the playoffs. The playoffs then proceeded as usual, but still the
NBA’s revenue dropped 10% to $8.3 billion for the 2019-2020 NBA season
The NBA makes it’s profit from merchandising, ticktes, television, and sponsorships. It is projected to lose 40% in overall revenue
which is approximately $4 billion. However, the NBA salary cap and luxury tax will still increase this year, adding to the overall loss.
The NBA has taken a hit with merchandising since the 2017-2018 season. Since then the NBA has lost 5% of what they usually have
at the end of the season. The NBA has lost $16.6 billion over the years since 2018. I was able to speak with Oakton’s Sports & Entertainment
Marketing teacher Mr. Barrow about this upcoming NBA season and how will the NBA handle merchandising this season. These
were his thought, “ I don’t believe that the NBA will lose money from merchandising. Out of anything, they will get more money then
they usually do this year from merchandising.”
The NBA makes about $800 million from tickets as well making $2 million, on average, a game. The possible effect of no fans in
attendance, in this upcoming season, could lead to the league losing this entire form of revenue. Since the teams must submit a request
to the state to allow fans, this statistic is still unknown. Even though most teams have decided to not allow fans, others are deciding to
spend their own money to get the cleaning supplies to allow fans to attend the games. Fortunately, the teams will also save some money
not having fans at the game. Most NBA teams pay for more suites in the arena which they will not need to purchase. Also, they will not
need to pay the transportation companies to help get fans in and out of the stadiums as fast as possible. Teams still have to pay their staff,
plane tickets, hotels, buses, and their players.
The NBA has a deal with ESPN, TNT, NBA TV, and ABC to exclusively air specific games on their network. In return, the networks
give the league a portion of the advertising profit. COVID has hurt the NBA badly when it comes to money. Cancelling games throughout
the season will lead to less TV ad revenue. The NBA decided to come back early because they will lose less money. Also, they get
to have NBA Christmas Day games which usually attract a lot of fans. Even though last year’s season ended October 12th, this NBA
preseason will run December 11 through December 19. Therefore the regular season will tip off December 22 despite the lack of rest for
the playoff team players. The NBA is scheduled to play a 72 game season. In order to secure the last two playoff spots in their conferenference,
the 7th-10th seeds will have to play in a tournament. Another great money making event for the NBA is the All Star Weekend.
This usually occurs in February but they doubt it will happen because of COVID.
One good example of a profit making sponsorship is the deal with the NBA and NIke to add the logo on the jerseys. Nike and the NBA
increased their profit by 245%. However, the NBA had already lost $200 million to China over a scandal in 2019 where the General
Manager of the Rockets tweeted, and quickly deleted, comments supporting Hong Kong over China.
I think the NBA will hit a blockade in the road due to COVID and social media, but, once things start getting back to normal, whenever
that'll be, the NBA will start making the money that they used to and more.
“ I don’t believe that the NBA will lose money from merchandising.
Out of anything, they will get more money then they usually do this
year from merchandising.” - Melvin Barrow

OPINION
42
WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMERICA?
Joe Biden has made a promise for change, but only
time will tell whether he will uphold it.
kartik mukalla | staff writer
photo courtesy of gage skidmore
As soon as Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the
United States of America in January, he is bound to face an uphill
battle. President-elect Biden has found himself in a precarious
situation, inheriting a country overrun and an economy wounded by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Current President Donald Trump’s dogged insistence
that Biden won the Presidential election through fraudulent means,
along with his refusal to aid the installation of Biden and his transition team
in the White House further complicates matters as it appears that he is doing
everything he can to discredit his victory and impair a smooth transition
of power between terms. This is further complicated by Trump’s nonchalance
and negligence during this historic pandemic, leading to millions of
cases and hundreds of deaths nationwide as well as a lack of financial aid
for at-risk households caught in the midst of it.
In fact, the various legislative and executive decisions that President
Trump has enacted during his tenure in office will unavoidably hang a
shadow over Biden’s head as he attempts to make his mark on the American
presidency. In one of his first moves as President, Trump effectively
attempted to cripple the Environmental Protection Agency. He rolled back
various Obama-era policies focusing on emission restrictions, wetland conservation,
and municipal water cleanliness. However, Biden has already
made a point to reinstall Obama’s policies regarding climate change and
environmental preservation, meaning that the EPA is back to its former
standing after 4 years of cutbacks by President Trump.
The President also appointed Betsy DeVos as his secretary of education,
who promptly attempted to heavily reduce funding for public schools
and redirect it towards Christian private schools and charter schools was a
head-scratching policy plan that did not attract much support, even from
the Republican party. This was of course, due to the fact that doing so
would take vital educational materials from at-risk children in underserved
communities and place them in predominantly white and well-off communities
that certainly did not need them. However, her appointment and
subsequent attempts to defund public schools have garnered support from
heavily conservative sects of her party, who are sure to oppose many of the
measures Biden’s future secretary of education will attempt to implement.
Again, Biden’s transition team was quick to announce their intent to nullify
most of Trump’s executive orders and DeVos’s various actions against
the funding of public schools. They made a point to plan on reinstalling
President Obama’s policies towards increasing funding for public schools,
as well as promoting inclusivity for transgender students and reducing racial
discrimination by school disciplinary officials. Additionally, Biden has
begun exploring options for student debt forgiveness and the possibility of
higher education for free or at a heavily reduced price.
Political observers have noted that a trend can be found in Biden’s action
plan for his presidency: A reinstallation of Obama-era policies along with
a few progressive policies regarding the economy and the environment.
That was one of his main favorable talking points during his campaign.
Biden promised a return to normalcy for Americans, but there is a very real
possibility in those words that his presidency would be a continuation of
Obama’s. Coming off of a brutal summer where American citizens engaged
in nationwide protests surrounding police brutality that highlighted crippling
flaws in America’s justice system, voters and legislators across both
parties can only wonder if Biden will attempt to make legitimate changes
during his Presidential term or present more of the same for American citizens.

43 December 2020
TECH BOOM DUE TO PANDEMIC
Increase in innovation is fostered during this increasingly
digital era
photo courtesy of Jeswin Thomas
In the midst of the pandemic, technology
companies are continuing to invent.
By the time we’ve adjusted to COVID,
the world will be revolutionized. As we’re
all making the switch to online video calls
and asynchronous work, the current times
may be giving way to a new generation of
innovators. This new generation is inspired
by seeing companies continue to succeed
and innovate, even during this pandemic.
In fact, leading companies like Apple,
Xbox, and Playstation are still releasing
new products and making a profit. This
goes to show that technology based companies
have surpassed expectations for
growth throughout the pandemic and don’t
seem to be stagnating yet.
While other industries have been greatly
affected by the switch to contactless living,
technology companies have seen an
increase in sales or revenue. Amazon, the
prominent online retailer, reported almost
a 40% increase in sales compared to their
last quarter. Likewise, Apple received $65
million dollars in revenue on their newest
iPhone. As Luca Maestri, Apple’s finance
chief, said “There is lots going on here, and
everything is going incredibly well”. Clearly,
these companies aren’t struggling during
these tumultuous times. Not to mention, the
gaming industry is surging. With the closure
of live entertainment, the amount of
people buying game consoles has significantly
increased. Even with the ongoing
pandemic, Nintendo expects to sell 24
million of its Switch games consoles in the
year ending March 2021, an increase from
their forecast of 19 million.
Even with the initial shock of COVID
behind us, companies still want to reduce
physical contact. In particular, use of the
cloud, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality
are areas where there’s potential for
economic growth. Innovators believe that
improved VR could provide better web
conferencing and groupware. Although
there’s also a demand for AI to become
more efficient, it still takes humans to operate
it during unexpected difficulties. Most
importantly, it’s not a single technology
that creates an improvement, it’s how people
learn and adapt to new technologies and
use them efficiently and constructively.
However, this isn’t the first time companies
thrive during difficult times. Apple,
Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Uber
were all launched during economic downturns.
That could be why a recession may
sometimes be considered “a necessary
cleansing of the deadwood that allows the
strongest companies to grow, which creates
new space for innovative startups”. Some
owe their success to choices made during
the Great Depression. A few of those companies
became household names, such as
Disney, FedEx, Trader Joe’s, and more.
And although the pandemic caused unemployment
rates to increase, a fair amount
of “pandemic founders” were people who
were laid off and subsequently motivated to
seize the moment and start their own businesses.
Umesh Padval, the venture partner
with Thomvest Ventures, elaborates “investment
in innovation typically declines
as investors become very cautious. This
creates the Darwinian theory of survival of
the fittest. Lots of undifferentiated companies
can’t raise money and file bankruptcy
or they get sold. However, the best companies
with solid teams and differentiated
platforms, survive and get funded.”
The abrupt switch to digital teleworkingfrom
home means there are a multitude of
new ideas and approaches to expand on. As
of now, innovators are still working on the
next essential piece of technology; hopefully,
it will improve the quality of life of
people struggling at the moment.
lucy holt | staff writer

44
WHY THE 9-5 WORK
DAY IS OUTDATED
The new way to work
serena hirani |staff writer
photo courtesy of marvin meyer
At the end of this problematic year,
many across the world are starting
to get used to working from
home. Students and working adults alike,
many are getting comfortable with self
paced work. While the pandemic forced
this style of life on us, many having been
working on their own terms long before.
Here’s why the stereotypical nine to five
work day doesn’t work anymore.
“As long as I’m getting
the work done, it
doesn’t matter when
and where I do it”
When the system of 40 or more hour
work weeks was conceived, the majority
of the working population in America
were factory or manufacturing workers.
With this type of job, time was required
to help things go smoothly. Since then,
the values that most working adults hold
close have changed. The largest working
population now is made up of millenials
who, above all, value autonomy and
the ability to create their own schedule
when it comes to their job, according to
a survey by Pew. For this reason, many
companies have also become more
flexible in their work style. For example
companies such as Amazon, Facebook,
Microsoft, and many others are incentivising
workers to participate in long term
remote work instead of coming into the
office everyday. This system of work is a
win for everyone. Companies get to pay
less for office space, and workers can live
wherever they want and make any home
their office.
Some important factors in getting work
done are productivity and creativity. Recent
research suggests that being flexible
with work times contributes to better
creative output. Ms. Calvello, an Oakton
High School Counselor says, “My husband
needs to go into the office in order
to get work done because that helps him
focus, but I think it should be on an individual
basis, whatever works better for
you.” Different people work in different
ways. If someone gets an idea at 10 and
night or at 5 in the morning, they should
not have to wait till they get into work
to implement it. Similarly, if someone is
not feeling productive during a work day,
taking a break and trying later may yield
better results. This is better for both the
individual, and the company.
Along with this, in an age of technology
and communication, it is extremely
difficult to be totally shut off from work
as soon as you get home. You may need to
check your emails or communicate with
your boss, meaning the workday really
never ends. This creates a seemingly inescapable
cycle of exhaustion, stress, and
poor time management, making it hard for
people to find the time to spend with their
families or doing things they enjoy.
Humans are not machines. Everyone
works in different ways and people
need that flexibility to work their best.
Contrary to popular belief, Setting aside
half the day to work and half the day to
relax simply does not allow people to be
productive with any of their time. Breaks
are necessary and important to workflow.
Working from home on your own time
allows you more time to do the things that
make you happy and keep you motivated
to get to work again the next day.

OAKTON HIGHLIGHTS
Emery Steinberg (10) is an Oakton student making a difference in her community. Although due to
the Covid-19 pandemic community service has had to be looked at with a new perspective, Steinberg
chose to crochet, collect, and donate over 100 blankets to the Georgetown hospital NICU. In
an interview she shared, “Being a NICU grad myself, I started this project in hopes that newborns and
their parents will find warmth and comfort in these blankets. The pandemic gave me time to reflect and
sparked reason to give back.” Steinberg’s love for her community and hard work is such an inspiration
and we are so thankful for her kind effort to make a difference.
photo courtesy Emery Steinberg
The Science Olympiad is one of the numerous clubs at Oakton High School, and like many of the
clubs struggled to find a way to continue with virtual learning. However, the club adjusted with the
help of a new program, sci-olympiad, which allowed the students to still have competitions virtually.
Recently the club placed in the top ten at a competition hosted by Missouri. In an interview with the
club supervisor, Ms. Boyer, she remarked, “we have kind of enjoyed doing these (competitions) virtually.”
She continued to explain that there are limitations with the virtual science olympiad, but the officers
have done amazing work to create a close-knit club.
photo courtesy science olympiad
photo courtesy Dr. Fernandez
Dr. Fernandez is a biology teacher at Oakton High School and infamous for running around her classroom
as she teaches, standing on her desk to show examples of biology in real life, and always being
engaged with her students to help them understand the different concepts. However, how would this
all play out in virtual learning. In an interview, Dr. Fernandez explained, “The worst for me is not being able
to see the students and to get feedback from the students.” She has been able to combat this by teaching at
Oakton with a camera set up and also inviting her students to use their mics rather than the chat option on
blackboard collaborate. She continued, “ I’m getting to know some students because they come to office
hours and they participate in class using the microphone.” Dr. Fernandez is a great example of adjusting to
virtual learning and making the best of a difficult situation, we are so grateful for her and all the teachers for
making virtual learning the best it can be.
Beloved Oakton physics teacher, Ms. Condino, recently spoke in a webinar for aerospace education
and was run by the national aerospace association and national aviation hall of fame. Ms. Condino
had the opportunity to share her teaching experience in Preciado, Texas. She recounted how the
experience of teaching in this small town on the border of Mexico was the highlight of her career, but also
the hardest challenge for her. Ms. Condino brought physics to those students who never had the opportunity
before and started a rocketry program with the NASA Student launch initiative. Her program with the
students made it to the national finals and even the group was invited to the White House and met President
Obama. Ms. Condino shared in an interview, “ As a teacher you need to be creative in your strategies.” Ms.
Condino’s story is truly inspiring and we are so grateful to have her in the physics department at Oakton
High School.