lasso print edition #1 2013

7/30/2019 Lasso Print Edition #1 2013

1/12

April 2013

Lasso staff returns from journalism confer-ence in NYC, inspired to attempt print medium

T h e O f f i c i a l S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f G e o r g e M a s o n H i g h S c h o o l I N T H I S I S S U E

NEWS (pg 1-2)

Pastry Wars

New Facil i t ies

FEATURES (pg 3-5)

Mason alumni

GMHS Les

Mis f lashmob

SPOTLIGHTS (pg6)

Masons real

heroes

SPORTS (pg 8-9)

Softballs ma-

kover

Mason runner

makes his tory

REVIEWS (pg 10)

The Hobbi t

EDITORIALS &

COMICS (pg 11-12)

Power of

anonymousEditors desk:

Why the print edition?

Special Print Edition

www.fccps.org/lasso

All year long our staff works

hard to improve on their journal-

istic skills. This year, Lasso hasdecided to make a special print

edition to show off a culmina-

tion of our best work.

As members of the FCCPS

community may know, Lasso

Online has been exclusively

online since 2001, so our staff is

not able to experience a major

part of the journalistic experi-

ence: writing for print.

Although modern journal-

ism has been transitioning into

a more tech-focused world

with the downfall of print and

an increasing amount of news

sources being exclusively

online, it is still important for

our staff to work with the print

medium.

We hope to create another

special print edition before the

end of the school year so make

sure to keep a lookout for it. The

overall theme of this edition will

be change. The Mason and

(Continued on page 12)

Although they did not return

with any awards, the Lasso staff

returned from the annual Co-

lumbia Scholastic Press Asso-

ciation Conference at Columbia

University with a greater sense

of unity and commitment to

creating a better publication.

George Mason was but oneof the schools from all over the

country in attendance. The Con-

ference consisted of 45 minute

workshop style presentations

hosted in the numerous aca-

demic buildings on Columbias

campus in uptown Manhattan.

Although some workshops were

more interesting than others,

every student took away ideas

shared by the diverse range of

presenters and audience mem-

bers.

Ive been taking the Lasso

staff to this conference for three

years now, and each year we

come back even more energized

and united. The newsroom will

be abuzz with excitement for the

remainder of the school year,

said Lasso Adviser Joy Wagener.

While the academic portion

of the trip was no doubt fas-

cinating, the most memorable

experiences came from other ac-tivities, including shopping and

visiting New York landmarks

such as the recently opened 9/11

Memorial and Macys depart-

ment store. The last night of

the trip culminated in seeing the

Broadway musical Nice Work

If You Can Get It starring Mat-

thew Broderick.

It was refreshing to be in a

different learning environment

and also a wonderful experience

to be able to bond with my peers

and teachers outside of the class-

room said senior staff member

Daria Butler.

Throughout this special print

edition of Lasso you can see

photos from the trip. You can

also visit us online at www.

fccps.org/lasso to view Ryan

Ogden and Daria Butlers vlog

Taking a bite out of the Big

Apple with Daria Butler.

On the last day of the conference, student journalists met in front

of Low Library to take a group photo. Eighteen members of The

Lasso staff and three chaperones attended workshop classes at the

Columbia Scholastic Press Association spring conference in New

York City. Photo Credit: Peter Laub

@LassoOnline

/LassoOnline

Keep up with us onSocial Media

By Alexandre Misenheimer


2/12

April 29, 201LASSO2

NEWSP a s t r y Wa r s b r i n g o u t c h e f s w i t h i n M a s o nBy Andrea Philbin

A buzz of excitement sur-

rounded the Mustang cafeteria

after school. Students oodedinto the doors eager to give their

money up in exchange for sweet

treats. Pastry Wars was a fund-

raiser run by the junior class,

with all proceeds going to the

2013 Prom. The competition

was held after school, February

22. Students paid for tickets to

taste and judge different desserts

prepared by Mason students and

faculty.

Many students came hungry

and prepared to sample delicious

food. Some treats in the com-

petition were New York style

cheese cake, made by junior

Maeve Curtin; chocolate chip

banana mufns, made by junior

Nate Jones; salted caramel cup-

cakes, made by freshman Callie

Gaskins; Pecan Pie, made by

eighth grader Kate Karstens; ju-

nior Allie Platas marshmallow

crunch peanut butter brownies;

and Ms. Harringtons Mustangmunchies cookies.

Junior Peggy Brozi summed

up the competition, I think its

a really close call between Mimi,

Kate, and Callie.

Many of the recipes used were

acquired from family members

and friends.

Gaskins told Lasso Online

how she got the recipe for her

triple salted caramel cupcakes:

I didnt come up with the recipe

myself, a family friend gave it tome.

Ofcer Rau explained his sour

cream walnut cake, saying, Ive

been making this as holiday gifts

for the staff for years.

Junior Juliette Hegadorn said

she got her recipe for chocolate

cake with butter cream frosting,

in a food and wine magazine

and found this recipe!

While students enjoyed the

treats, they voted on taste, pre-

sentation, and creativity of each

dessert.

Coming in third place was ju-

nior Juliette Hegadorn (not pic-

tured) with her Chocolate but-

ter cream frosted cake. Second

place was junior Mimi Nemec

with her Nutella and Ferrero

Rocher cupcakes. Finally, com-

ing in rst place was eighth

grader Kate Karstens classic

pecan bars.

Overall the fundraiser and

competition was a success. The

junior class made over

250 dollars on tickets

sold for the competi-

tion. This goes towards

costs for the Junior-Se-

nior Prom, making the

overall price of each

Prom ticket less.

Prom is May 18 at

the U.S. Chamber of

Commerce in Washing-

ton, D.C. The theme is

A Red Carpet Affair

and tickets are $40.

By Ryan OdgenDubbed the Master Plan,

FCCPS is aiming to renovate or

replace the deteriorating George

Mason High School building

to serve the needs of a growing

student populous. In fact, the

Master Plan is the #1 infrastruc-

ture priority for FCCPS.

It works for the students

that we have now, but as our

population continues to grow

were going to need more

space, said Susan Cassidy,

special education teacher.

The clock is ticking. By Sep-

tember 2016, assuming that the

portable trailer classrooms are

kept, the school will be lled

to its 900-student capacity or

24 students per classroom. Any

more is not considered an ap-

propriate learning environment

and more than 35 students per

classroom violates the re cod

A major renovation or

rebuild would be necessary [..

to accommodate our student

population growth, said Dr.

Toni Jones, superintendent. I

not a rumor, its a reality.

The signs of George Mason

busting at the seams are alread

evident in the daily lives of

students and teachers. Teach-

FCCPS pushes for newer fac i l i tes


First place winner Kate Karstens (left) and second place winner Mimi Nemec (right) pose with pa

tries donated by Natalias Elegant Creations. The erce competition brought out the pastry chef in M

son students and faculty. Photo Credit: Andrea Philbin

Photo Credit: Andrea Philbin


3/12

LASSOApril 29, 2013

FEATURESM a s o n a l u m n i c o m e b a c k t o t e a c h

By Erin McFallTheyre back! Some of

Masons faculty and staff

used to attend GMHS as

students.

Mrs. Dorothy Clinton

(secretary to the assistant

principals), Mr. Peter Laub(English and creative writ-

ing), and Mr. Will Stewart

(science) all used to come to

school here.

They used to go here?

Kate Mills, freshman, asked,

a shocked look on her face.

Ew. Thats weird. I would

never come back.

The alumni probably

thought the same thing when

they went here. But, nonethe-

less, they came to work here.

Clinton graduated in 1975.

She has worked at our school

for 25 years. She decided

to get a job here because,

after working in a law firm

in D.C., she did not want to

commute. Her sister worked

for the school board at the

time so she got an interview

(with her old principal) and

was hired.

When Clinton went to

school here, things were very

different. Students had much

more freedom. For example,

there was a smoking section

for students outside the build-

ing. People always roamed

the halls, even during class.I remember one year they

tried out a new system for the

English department, Clin-

ton said. They let us pick a

different course each quarter

instead of our regular Eng-

lish class, she laughed. I

remember one quarter I took

a class on Russian literature.

She said, The variety

show was also a much big-

ger deal then than it is now.

Everyone wanted to be in the

show and they all wanted to

do something different. There

were bands, the football team

did a skit, and people sang.

Everyone wanted to go see

it.

Years later, Laub at-

tended GMHS. He graduated

in 1998, the year many of

our freshmen were born. He

served as editor of The Lasso

and left his mark on GMHS.

I didnt specifically plan

to get a job here. I was com-

ing back from Turkey to the

D.C., Northern Virginia area

and I applied for many jobs.

George Mason just hired me

the fastest.Some of my old teachers

like Mrs. Dean-Pratt, Mrs.

Weber, Mrs. Hawkesworth

and Coach Greene still work

here, Laub said. It was

weird coming back and work-

ing with them.

Since he came to school

here, technology has changed

a lot. For example, there were

no lights on the football field.

The Homecoming game, as

with other games, took placeSaturday afternoon and the

dance was held that night.

There were also no projec-

tors. Classes watched videos

on VHS or, for a short time,

laser discs (similar to re-

cords).

The school has also

expanded since then. There

was no auxiliary gym and he

had an 89 student graduating

class.

It was so small when I

went here, Laub reminisce

Everyone literally knew

everyone. Take the size of th

school now, cut it in half an

thats what it was.

Since Mr. Stewart gradu

ated in 2007, not much haschanged. But since its only

been five years, he knows

some of the students and

many of the teachers.

I think the weirdest par

coming back is calling my o

teachers by their first names

Mr. Snyder, Ms. Goss, Ms.

Tooze, Mme. Mah and many

others still work here.

Weird or not, the Mason

alumni enjoy teaching here

and think its cool comingback.

Editors Note: There are

many other employees at

GMHS who are also alumni

including: Luis Sorto, Norm

Sorto, and Ryan Larcamp.

Mr. Peter Laub, class of 98,

was an editor for Lasso when

it was originally called The

Lasso.

Mrs. Dorothy Clinton, class

of 75, now serves as secre-

tary to the assistant princi-

pals.

Mr. Will Stewart, class of

07, returned in 2012 to

teach science.

Photo Credit: A. Lewis, H. Manlowe

Mr. Joseph Martinez, classof 99, returned to Mason as

a security guard after serving

in the military.


4/12

April 29, 201LASSO4

ers are sharing classrooms, the

wrestling and basketball teams

are using the facilities at MEH,

and there must be an abnormal

four lunches a day just to feed

students.

Mr. Bob Nissen, head of

maintenance, has been workingin the maintenance department

for the past 20 years. Looking

frankly through his spectacles,

he said, The building has

served the district well and

given a lot to the people of

Falls Church. I really think that

its time to look at not just a

renovation or an addition, but a

replacement.

Although Nissens sentiment

is shared by others, includ-

ing Principal Ty Byrd, thecity council has not decided

if they want a renovation or

a reconstruction. In the 90s

and before, a cheap and less

disruptive renovation would

have been the obvious solution.

Within the past decade though,

construction models have been

developed which provide ways

for the city to cost-efciently

replace George Mason without

closing the school. The issue isstill up in the air.

Despite the fact that time

is running out, the process is

still sluggishly slow. In fact,

FCCPS has been gathering the

necessary data and waiting for

the city council to have a sense

of economic security since the

spring of 2009. And the atmo-

sphere is still cautious because,

even though the city council did

have a recent surplus of $3.6

million, improving facilitieswould take an estimated $80 to

$90 million.

Therefore, all of this will

take time-- time to get the mas-

ter plan approved, time to get

enough money to enact it, and

time to carry it out. The years

collect rapidly, making 2016,

when George Mason will be

lled to capacity, seem not so

far away.

Bob Nissen, head of maintenance, reviews the original 1951 blueprints for the George Mason High

School building. The archaic, stale blueprints are a testament to the age of the school building they

depict. I really think that its time to look at not just a renovation or an addition, but a replacement,

he put frankly. Photo Credit: Ryan Ogden

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5/12

LASSOApril 29, 2013

Life imitates art as GM rebel students perform ashmob

By Daria Butler

The 2010 GM Les Mis-

erables cast faced a few

obstacles (not to mention a

threat of arrest) when trying

to execute their well-planned

and rehearsed ashmob of the

musicals rousing Act I nale

One Day More on December27, 2012.

Following the casts reunion

at the lm adaptation of Les

Mis, they gathered in the Ty-

On December 27, 2012, the cast of GMs 2010 production of Les Miserables reunited at the Tysons

Corner Centers food court following a viewing of the acclaimed movie. After a few setbacks, the cast

performed a ashmob of the musicals Act I nale One Day More. Photo Credit: Daria Butler

sons Corner food court to give

people a show. Unfortunately,

the microphones and speakers

werent exactly inconspicuous

and a security guard caught

them before they even began.

Determined to follow

through with their plans, the

cast attempted a different spotonly to be quelled again. Fi-

nally, the persistent cast mates

performed their ashmob sans

microphones and speakers to a

raving audience.

Samuel Waters, GMHS

alumni of 2011, who played

the lead role of Jean Valjean in

GMs production of Les Mis

and organized the reunion and

ashmob, said of the experience

It was a great opportunity to

reunite with the cast and alsoto spread the word about how

fantastic Les Miserables

is. Hopefully people saw our

ashmob and were inspired to

see the movie.

Zoe Goodwin, class of 201

who was also a part of the 201

cast gushes, It was great to

see everyone again, even if we

werent all in our original part

and it was awesome to be actually singing the music that we

bonded over together again.

However, she admits that

it didnt go down quite as

planned, due to pesky security

guards, but it also reminded

me of how strong we are as an

ensemble, because we actu-

ally sounded pretty good even

though we couldnt use our

microphones.

Senior Elizabeth Siebel wh

sang the part of Eponine in

the ashmob comments, Ive

always wanted to be in a danc

ing ashmob but since I cant

dance to save my life its a go

thing I was able to be in a sing

ing one. It was really fun to sin

Eponine because I got to make

a lot of noise and wear a hat.

Although, things didnt run

quite as smoothly as hoped, th

cast of Les Mis rolled with

the punches, deed authorityjust like in the story, and put o

a ashmob to remember.

THE LASSO STAFFEditors in Chief

Mimi Nemec

Allie Plata

Advertising Manager and

Social Media CoordinatorPaula ORourke

Broadcast

Ryan Ogden

News

Annie Dixon, Editor

Alexandre Misenheimer, Interim Editor

Melissa Johnson

Matt Lowery

Erin McFall

Simone Tucker

Features

Tara Holman, Editor

Andrea Philbin, Editor

Daria Butler

Shelby Fields

Sophia JungenbergAlexander Lewis

Hailey Manlowe

Harry Slonim

Laila Zoghi

Sports

Camilla Alsobrook, Editor

Paul Darmstadter

Ryan Short

Advisers

Mrs. Joy Wagener

Mr. Steve Knight

The Lasso staff, 2012-2013. Photo Credit: Joy Wagener

Special thanks to Mr. Laub for his help with our rst print edition!


6/12

April 29, 201LASSO6

SpotlightsCustodians are Masons

true heroesBy Alexander Lewis

Students may be surprisedto know that some of the most

hardworking people at George

Mason High School are the

custodians. Throughout the

day, custodians are cleaning up

mess after mess left behind by

students.

One custodian, Alejandrina

Sanchez, works an eight-hour

shift every weekday. Sanchez

moved to the United States

from Honduras 15 years ago,

and has worked tirelessly at our

school for 13 years. Sanchez is

one of the two custodians who

work during the school day.

Her duties may include open-

ing up the school, setting up the

tables in the cafeteria, cleaning

the bathrooms and conference

room, checking the hallways

to make sure they are clean,

vacuuming, and more.

At the time of the interviewwith Sanchez, bystanders piped

up commending her on all her

hard work.

Attendance Secretary Peggy

Monahan describes Sanchez as,

The happiest person I know

that works here. She always

has a smile. They [custodians]

like to know they are appreciat-

ed by students as well as staff.

The next time you walk

through Masons well kept

premises, please remember thatthis is only possible because of

the dedication of the custodians

at our school. Also, please take

the time to stop and tell them

you appreciate them and their

service to Mason.

Hardworking custodian Alejandrina Sanchez cleans windows at

George Mason High School. Custodians work tirelessly every day to

keep Mason a sanitary and safe place to learn. Sanchez has worked

faithfully at Mason for 13 years. Photo Credit: Alexander Lewis

Get to know the lady

behind the front desk

By Erin Mcfall

When students walk into the

front ofce they are greeted by

Mrs. Peggy Monahan asking,

What can I help you with?

When The Lasso approached

Monahan about her job, her facelit up, and she became increas-

ingly enthusiastic. Midway

through the interview, a parent

came in franticly looking to pick

up a student, and asked Mona-

han to nd the missing student.

Moments later the phone blares

loudly, but Monahan doesnt

miss a beat. Still writing the

pass, and talking to The Lasso

and the parent, Monahan an-

swered the phone with a profes-

sional, Hello, George MasonHigh school, this is Peggy

Monahan speaking.

When told that the student

body doesnt know her too well,

Monahan laughed and said jok-

ingly, Thats a good thing!

For those who dont know

her, shes the lady at the front

desk, there when students are

tardy or when a student needs to

leave early for something. How-

ever, do you really know Peggy

Monahan?

Monahan started working a

the attendance secretary in Oc-

tober of 2011. Monahan adore

her job, and went on to say tha

working as an attendance secre

tary is her dream job.Monahan smiled and said

she loves her job because It

isnt the average desk job and

everyday is a little different tha

the next.

Before Monahan started

working at Mason, she was in

the Navy . In the Navy, her job

was to drive the big ships.

I also earned a gold medal

in pistol shooting, Monahan

added with a proud smile on he

face.Mrs. Monahan tends to

bring cheerfulness and smiles

our faces, and she also does all

the holiday decorations in the

ofce, commented Counselin

Secretary Heather Richardson.

Monahan is more than just

the lady at the front desk and

she is just one of the many

great administrative assistants

who contributes to the positiv

Mason atmosphere.

Mrs. Peggy Monahan is busy with parents, students and the many

phone calls that come through every day. Photo Credit: Erin McFall


7/12

LASSOApril 29, 2013

Sharing classrooms proves

setback for teachersBy Tara Holman

In order to keep up with

the rising student population,

the administration has hired

more teachers. Although thestudent and teacher sizes have

increased, the George Mason

building has not, and due to its

old age, no renovations can be

expected anytime soon. Con-

sequently, some teachers are

classroom-less and left to share

with co-workers.

Constantly moving, always

unpacking and repacking into

different classrooms, how does

this affect their teaching?

Although English teacherMelissa Raeder teaches part-

time, her schedule designates

no set location as she teaches all

three of her classes in separate

rooms. She shares rooms with

history teacher Holly Her-

rington, and English teachers

Karin Tooze and Al DeFazio.

While Raeder describes

herself as very organized, it

costs [her] about 5-10 minutes

of teaching time ... to unpack,

repack, gure out what needs to

come with [her] to each room

and write an agenda.

Among those who share

classrooms is history teacher

Tracey VanderNaald who states

one of the challenges of sharinga classroom is staying orga-

nized.

Jokingly sharing that the lo-

cation of her ofce prevents her

from obtaining materials she

may have forgotten, Vander-

Naald explained my ofce is

on the other side of the build-

ing. So if I dont have some-

thing, I dont have something.

The inability to display

student work, make seating

arrangements and the difculty

for students to receive help out-

side of the classroom are three

setbacks of sharing classrooms.

Teachers feel less productive

as they spend most of their time

moving from room to room.

Teachers such as Raeder and

VanderNaald [are] very lucky

[their colleagues] have opened

up their spaces for [them],

however, they do hope to

see the situation improve nextyear.

Lasso staff enjoys sights,

sounds of New York City,

Columbia University

Editors in Chief Allie Plata and Mimi Nemec mug for the cam

era in Central Parks Belvedere Castle. Photo Credit: Joy Wagen

News Editor Andrea Philbin snapped a sele with actor Matthe

Broderick. Broderick stars in Nice Work if You Can Get It

Broadway. Photo Credit: Andrea Philbin

History teacher Tracey VanderNaald uses fellow teacher Holly Her-

ringtons room as a home base during Mustang Block in order to

help her students in a designated location where they will be able to

nd her on a regular basis. Photo Credit: Tara Holman


8/12

April 29, 201LASSO8

SPORTS

By Ryan Short

Following an impressive sea-

son, the Lady Mustangs came up

just short of the State title losing

to Floyd County, Friday, March

8 in the VHSL Girls Basketball

State Semi-Finals. It was a close

game to the very end with play-

ers working their hardest and

fans cheering their loudest.

But, just like in any sport,

there was heartbreak. Although

Mason students have gotten used

to winning the State title, this

year was a little different and the

team lost in a close game.

All players worked hard anddid everything they could to try

and secure a spot in the next

round of the State tournament.

Following State title wins

in the past few years, the team

was not able to repeat and now

must say farewell to graduating

players and get ready for next

year. The game was tight and

the Lady Mustangs left it all out

on the court, putting in a great

performance. Unfortunately, the

team could not beat the Floyd

Girls fall short in state semis

Following an impressive season, the Lady Mustangs came up just shor

of the State title losing to Floyd County, Friday, March 8 in the VHSL

Girls Basketball State Semi-Finals. Photo Credit: Araba Ankuma

County press resulting in rushed

passing which forced several

turnovers. The Mustangs could

not handle the excellent pressure

that the Floyd County girls puton and after the nal buzzer the

fans stood and applauded the

valiant effort put forth by the

Lady Mustangs.

The girls played a great

game and we support them no

matter what, too bad they lost,

said Evan Davis, sophomore,

after the game. In addition to

the turnovers, Floyd County

was in the bonus before the

end of the third quarter which

allowed for easy extra points

from free throws, putting the

girls down and unable to come

back. Although the team faced

a heartbreaking loss, the girls

had a positive outlook on their

season and those to come.

At rst we were all really

sad about the loss, and although

we all wish we still had won, we

quickly realized how amazing of

a year we had and how close we

got as a team, said senior Em-

ily Garrett in regards to the loss.

Even though this season

was cut short, there is a bright

future for this young team. With

a J.V. team that nished 17-0

Lights installed on Mason

baseball, softball fieldsAfter decades of not having

any lights on the Mason baseball

or softball elds, the teams nally

got to play under the lights for the

2013 spring season.

Considering that baseball and

softball games go on for abouttwo hours, in previous years,

all home games for the Mason

baseball and softball teams were

scheduled for 5:00 pm or earlier.

It was impossible to schedule the

games any later, because it would

get too dark for the players to see

the ball.

As of last season, George Ma-

son and Clarke County were the

only teams in the Bull Run Dis-

trict who didnt have lights. Since

most teams in the Bull Run Dis-

trict are so far apart from each

other, this meant that teams had

to leave school extremely early to

get to the eld in time to warm-

up for a 5 oclock game.

I never looked forward to

playing at Clarke because I wouldmiss my last class of the day each

time we went there then I re-

alized that every team probably

feels the same way about playing

us, said senior softball player,

Nicole Iraheta.

The light installation was

ready for the teams debut home

games against Madison County

April 2 at 7p.m.

The FCCPS school board ap-

proved a $110, 000 grant to help

and plenty of returning players

the Lady Mustangs will remain

tough competition for any team

trying to claim the State title

next season.

pay for the lights,

which cost $450,

000 in total. The

majority of the

money came from

donations.

The baseball

programs dugouts

also be underwent

construction. The

dugouts, which

used to be below

ground level, wereraised three feet.

They have a new

concrete oor and

new benches as

well.

The softball

program is also

breathing new life

into the upcoming

2013 season. Under


One of the six lights being installed on th

Mason softball eld gets placed along th

base line. Photo Credit: Allie Plata

By Allie Plata


9/12

LASSOApril 29, 2013

Softball elds

By Ryan Short and Paul

Darmstadter

Every two years, there areredistricting meetings with all

of the athletic directors in the

Virginia High School League

(VHSL) to address the constant

changes in school populations,

and the athletic abilities within

the schools. At this years meet-

ing there were huge changes for

all the teams in Virginia high

schools.

In regards to the new districts,

Athletic Director Tom Horn said

that they would be the biggest

changes in 40 years.

Previously, VHSL rules stated

that each district must be made

up of high schools that are all in

the same class. For example, the

Bull Run District is only made

Redistricting

changes the

VHSL norm

up of Single A schools. The class

of each school is determined by

the population. George Mason is

a small high school, so we are

put in the Single A class.

However, this can be deceiv-

ing. The class system is based

off of a population spread, not

exact numbers. So a Single Aschool, like Mason, is roughly

900 students whereas a school

like William Monroe, which has

competed in a Double A district,

has a little over 1000.

With this in mind, the VHSL

has taken strides to even the

playing eld come playoff time.

The current format will remain

similar up to the point of region-

al tournaments, where it changes

in a very big way. Beginning next

year, regional tournaments willbe grouped based on an almost

exact population, leveling the

playing eld for smaller schools

and also increasing travel for all

schools.

With the upcoming changes

The VHSL is celebrating a century of work with their

new logo. Photo Credit: VHSL.com

it will be interesting to see if the

playoffs become more fair and

maybe even more competitive

an almost entirely new coachi

staff, the girls hope to build

last years success.

The teams batting cag

which was only 30-feet lo

last season, has been torn dowand a new 70-foot cage has be

constructed. The girls also spo

brand new uniforms this seaso

I expect renewed intere

from the fans and for the pla

ers to be well rested and prepar

to play this season, said juni

baseball player, Grant Hagler.

Visit mustanglights.org

help donate to the Mustangs ne

lights.

By Ryan Short

Following the district

cross country meet October24, senior Jesse Schaffer was

awarded the title of District

Runner of the Year. This award

is given to the best runner in

the Bull Run district, decided

by the winner of the district

race.

This is a huge honor for any

runner and he clearly earned

it passing the top two runners

in the district early in the race

and holding the lead through-

out and nishing strong.To get an idea of how Jesse

won the race, it is good to start

off with how he preps for the

race.

I start off by doing some

stretching and warm-ups, then

I listen to some music to calm

my nerves, nothing in par-

ticular, just whatever comes on

my iPod. I spend a lot of time

thinking about my strategy for

M a s o n r u n n e r m a k e s h i s t o r y

the race and getting in the zone.

I just like to keep it simple and

do my best, said Schaffer.

During the race, Schaffer

said I felt good and condent,

I started off patiently and after

about the rst mile I began to

pass people and sooner than I

knew it I was leading the pack

The adrenaline rush you get

when you charge towards the

nish line with fans cheering i

awesome.

After the race Schaffer stat

It was good to win and a grea

way to end my last district rac

It took me a while to realize I

had even won!

Jesse Schaffer, senior, made Mason history last fall when he

was named District Runner of the Year. Photo Credit: Carol Sly


10/12

April 29, 201LASSO10

REVIEWSThe Hobbit is a classic

By Alexandre Misenheimer

J.R.R. Tolkiens books

have long been a favorite of

audiences. However, the wide

array of scenery, creatures and

action sequences has presented

difculties for lmmakers for

generations. Not until Peter

Jacksons rst Lord of the

Rings movie did technology

nally catch up with Tolkiensvivid imagination.

The Lord of the Rings

trilogy was widely hailed as

staying true to the book while

capturing the epic sense of

adventure. The Hobbit is

a different kind of story, but

Jackson accomplished the same

brilliant result.

The scenery is amazing

throughout the whole movie.

From the small farms of the

Shire, to the jagged peaks dot-

ting the plains of Middle Earth,

the scenery adds greatly to the

feel of the story. Aerial pans

over mountains look wonderful

on the big screen especially in

the new 48-frames-per-second

capture speed used to make the

movie.

One major change to the lm

production was increased use

of CGI for the creature models.

Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo in Peter Jacksons lm adaptation ofthe classic Tolkien adventure. Photo Credit: Newline Cinema

It looked sharp, but there was a

noticeable difference between

the appearance of orcs in this

movie and the costume-and-

makeup designs of past lms.

This change may be somewhat

bothersome to older fans, but

rest assured, they dont look

bad at all.

In regards to the actual story,

the lm retains the themes ofthe story that the book used

while sometimes incorporat-

ing identical dialogue from

the book. The way scenes are

set up is very true to the book.

Jackson did incorporate scenes

and interactions that were not

part of the book, but that were

happening concurrently accord-

ing to Tolkiens later writings.

The amount of narration and

back-story given is sufcient

enough to make newcomers

understand what is going on,

without boring people who

already read the book.

Combining all these ele-

ments with a memorable

soundtrack composed and

directed by Howard Shore adds

up to a truly awesome theater

experience. I personally cannot

wait for the next iteration of this

trilogy set to be released next

summer.

Otterbox cases: Commuter

and DefenderBy Melissa Johnson

Most students are seen

speed walking through the

hallways, with three binders,

one textbook, a pencil bag, and

a beloved iPhone in their hands.

One of those objects is bound

to drop, and it seems to be the

smallest object is the rst to go.

If you have a good case, your

iPhone can survive the long

drop from your overlled hands

to the hard ground. While there

are so many options for cases,

with so many different designs,the safest case arguably is the

iPhone Otterbox, Defender or

Commuter.

I have gone through so many

cases with my iPhone and as I

have tried them, some crack,

some wear down too quickly,

and some just dont give any

protection to my phone but yet

have a fashionable design.

Later, my friends and the

convincing salespeople at the

Apple Store told me the case tobuy is the Otterbox. There are

two main kinds of the Otterbox

cases for the iPhone, one called

the Defender and the other

called the Commuter. While

they both are very protective,

the Defender is known to be a

little more protective with three

layers. The Commuter is a little

less bulky than the defender and

has one less layer.

Both cases come with a

screen protector that helps pre-vent scratches. The Commuter

and Defender both protect the

iPhone if the phone is dropped

and prevents dust from get-

ting into the little nooks and

crannies of the phone. Both the

Commuter and the Defender

have different designs like

owers and solid colors. The

defender also comes with a

holster to buckle on your pants

while the Commuter does not.

When I got the Otterbox, I

had my doubts and just won-

dered if it would just be like

the other cases that would wea

down very quickly. Althoughthe Otterbox is a great product

there are some qualities that ar

not very good. Both Otterbox

cases dont t into a dock of a

iHome, so to play your music

out loud you have to take the

whole case off. Both Otterbox

cases are not easy to clean, the

get dirty quickly and it is not

easy to scrub all the dirt off be

cause of the texture of the case

The Commuter and the

Defender Otterbox cases taketime to put on and off, because

you have to match all the plug

ins together and make sure

everything is aligned, so after

you play your music in your

iHome you have to be careful

when you put your case back o

the phone. Other than those ba

qualities of both the Otterbox

cases, the good qualities make

up for them.

The hunt to nd an Otterbo

can be a little stressful. Many

local phone stores like AT&T,

Verizon, and Sprint sell these

at their stores but they can run

pretty expensive. Their Otter-

box cases can run about $50 f

a Defender case and about $35

for Commuter case. You can

also get an Otterbox at the ac-

tual Otterbox website, and the

are about the same prices as th

local phone stores. If you wan

to nd a good priced Otterboxgo to Amazon. They have both

the Defender and Commuter

Otterbox cases and you can ge

them cheaper than local phone

stores or the Otterbox web-

site. There all different prices

ranging from $15-$25 for the

Commuter and $25-45 for the

Defender. Although the hunt

for an Otterbox can be exhaus

ing, if you know the design an



11/12

LASSOApril 29, 2013

By Paula ORourke

Social networking sites andmedia of all kinds have had an

enormous impact on society for

years, especially on the younger

generations as sites such as

Twitter and Facebook become

a crucial piece of our everyday

lives. Though as great as these

sites can be, they can also be

equally as bad when abused by

a select few.

There has been a Twitter ac-

count made that takes after the

hit show Gossip Girl, wherean anonymous character blogs

about the lives of teenagers

living in Manhattan, blackmail-

ing and creating drama around

their personal lives. This show

is one of the most popular and

talked about T.V. shows that

recently had its series nale and

has apparently inuenced an

anonymous student at George

Mason to become a copycat and

try to recreate a show in Falls

Church.

Back in December, the ac-

count, @FCGossipGirl16, was

created for the rst time but was

quickly deleted after receiving

an outburst of rage and disbelief

among Mason students who

spoke out to the anonymous

creator of the account.

Mason students spoke out

saying, this is so embarrass-

ing, and who would ever

create thisso stupid #whatar-

eyouthinking.

I was

proud to see

my fellow

Mustangs

stand up

against

something

that could

potentially

cause some-

one personal

harm.

Unfortu-

nately, the

account reap-peared with

a different

username just

a few weeks

ago, and is

claiming that

its here for

good. This

time around,

the account

has been

praised for

humor and a source of enter-

tainment, even though there

have been personal public at-

tacks against students and thei

personal business.

Many students claim that a

the things that are posted are

false or made up because peop

are sending in false informa-

tion in hopes to make fun of thperson who created it, showin

them that no one will take it

seriously.

However true or false this

information may be, it is not

going to be known or received

as a joke to everyone that read

it, and can especially make

someone who it is directed at

feel victimized.

I would just like to take a

moment to remind the person

who is behind this account, anto anyone who has encouraged

this person by tweeting at them

sending in (false) informa-

tion, favoriting the Tweets,

or even just following that the

laws about cyber bullying in th

state of Virginia as well as in

the United States are extremel

serious.

The National Conference

of State Legislatures denes

EDITORIALS

Screen shots taken of the Twitter accounts show the amount of followers the accounts are receiving.

Picture #1 is the second account that was made which states that they are here to stay. Picture #2 is thnewest account made stating that the other one is not real enough, and seems to be a bit more ballsy.

Photo Credit: Paula ORourke

Screen shots from the Facebook account that was created in order to boost self esteem and

share thoughtful and kind things about students at Mason. The picture on the right explains

the purpose of the page and displays contact information. Photo Credit: Paula ORourke

The power of

a n o n y m o u s



12/12

April 29, 201LASSO12

cyberbullying/cyber harass-

ment as sending threatening

or harassing email messages,

instant messages, or blog entries

or websites dedicated solely to

tormenting an individual.

According to the VirginiaCode 18.2-152.7:1, If any

person, with the intent to co-

erce, intimidate, or harass any

person, shall use a computer or

computer network to commu-

nicate obscene, vulgar, profane,

lewd, lascivious, or indecent

language, or make any sugges-

tion or proposal of an obscene

nature, or threaten any illegal or

immoral act, he shall be guilty

of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

I would also like to point out

how easy it is to track an I.P.

address back to the computer

that was used in order to gure

out who is behind the account

as well as the G-mail email

account that was provided for

anonymous tips.

I think that whoever is

behind this account should real-

ize that this Twitter account is

not a made-up television series

about rich kids in Manhattan;its dealing with real people

in real life with real emotions

who could really end up feeling

Photo Credit: Melissa Johnson

Gossip Girl Twitter

Editorial

Otterbox Casesprice range you want to spend,

it can be a lot easier of a job.

The Otterbox Defender and

Commuter is a great product

that protects iPhones, is very

stylish, and can be a great

investment.

The Otterbox is great be-

cause I never have to worry that

if I drop my phone that it will

crack and break, commented

freshman Ginger Villamar whoowns an Otterbox Defender.

FCCPS websites have under-

gone many changes over the

course of the 2012-2013 school

year and the Lasso website will

soon be undergoing an update

as well.

We hoped you enjoyed ourrst print edition for this year

and keep supporting Lasso

Online by reading our content,

leaving comments, and writing

letters to the editor.

Mimi Nemec and Allie Plata

Editors In

Chief

Why the print edition?

Quie t i n t he l i b r a ry. .

Use at your own risk. .

There are starving children.

hurt and/or victimized from any

Tweets, no matter how true or

false they may be.

I sincerely hope that those

students who have encour-

aged the anonymous Mustang

hiding behind this Twitter

account think before they act,

and when interacting with the

account, remember how much

of an inuence an abundance of

feedback from Mason students

could have on his/her decision

to keep this account active.

To end on a positive note, I

would like to point out the

advantages to social network-

ing sites, such as GMHS

Compliments, a Facebook page

dedicated solely to compli-

ment and say nice things about

students from our school for allto see. The Facebook page was

just recently created and has

been praised among the George

Mason student body. If you

have compliments to share or

would like to see if youve been

mentioned, you can visit the

page and friend them at https://

www.facebook.com/gmhs.

compliments, or search GMHS

Compliments on Facebook.

2012-2013

Harry Slonim

lasso print edition #1 2013

Documents