GMHS Lasso Online

On the day before the 2012 presidential election, November 5, Mason students participated in a mock election to see how the political decisions of George Mason students compared to the results in Falls Church City.

Students received ballots in their homeroom and voted for either Governor Mitt Romney or President Barack Obama.  Ballots were only counted if they were anonymous and checked off only one candidate.

The results were released Wednesday, November 7, showing that eighty percent of the school voted for President Obama and only twenty percent for Governor Romney.

Mason’s results will soon be compared with the Falls Church City exit polls. Check Lasso soon for the results!

“Today we will be running three miles on the track. For the first mile you’ll sprint the straights and jog the curves. The second mile you’ll walk fifty yards and sprint the rest of the lap. For the last mile we’ll do Indian runs. You got it girls! You can do this!”  This is a popular workout from Varsity Head Coach Anne Steenhoek.

I’ve played on many Mason sports teams, including basketball, volleyball and softball. For each sport we did conditioning, but the workouts for these official George Mason sports don’t compare to that of the club field hockey team.

Each practice started with a run or heavy conditioning (sit-ups, push-ups, planks etc.) The distance varied each practice, usually averaging around three miles, excluding all other stick drills. Although the club team only practices three times a week, I have never been a part of such a team-oriented program.

Often times, our coaches would work out with us, proving that we could do it and that we could push ourselves to accomplish any feat. Almost every coach played on their college field hockey team, providing us with expert advice on training and fieldwork.

The two-year program, including both JV and varsity teams, had about forty girls participating for the 2012 fall season. There were participants from every grade, with large numbers of eighth and ninth graders who plan to stay on the team until they graduate.

The fact that participation is so high in the lower grades proves that this team will continue to flourish and grow in the coming years. In just two seasons, the field hockey team went from a record of 0-3, to a winning record of 6-4-1 this season.

The hard work and dedication put in by every player, every coach and every parent is astonishing. The only thing holding this team back from becoming a sport is funding.

A calculated estimate for the cost to make girls field hockey a sport was submitted to Athletic Director Tom Horn, who sends the estimate onto the school board. The school board will see if the cost could fit into the athletic program’s budget. If it fits into the budget, field hockey could become an official Mason sport, if not, we stay as a club team.

As a player, I have never been more proud to say that I was a part of any other Mason program. I know that many players feel the same way, and with our fundraising efforts and community awareness that we exist, we hope to become an official Mason sport next season.

In their first home game, the lady Mustangs varsity field hockey team snatched their first win of the season against the Potomac Field Hockey Club.

The Mustangs battled throughout the entire first half, keeping the game tied 0-0. With a strong performance from the Mustang’s defense, the girls knew they had to pressure Potomac’s goalie if they wanted a shot at winning.

“We were missing a few key players on our offense and defense, but that didn’t stop us from going out there and giving it everything we had,” said sophomore midfielder Emma Graig.

Five minutes into the second half, the lady Mustang’s perseverance paid off; freshman forward Darcy Jones scored the first goal of the season with an assist from senior midfielder Maggie Mascarenhas.

“It was a bit of luck being in the right place at the right time, but it felt good being able to use everything we had practiced and come out of our first home game with a goal!” said Jones.

The Mustangs will be back on the Mason turf at 8 p.m. Thursday, October 4 competing against Bishop O’Connell.

Not only did a huge storm cause major power outages in and around the Falls Church area on Friday June 29, but it severely damaged the GMHS baseball back-stop net.

The net, supported by six 100 foot poles, is ripped in numerous spots and will need significant repair work to be returned to operational condition.

The athletics department has “submitted the damage claim to the insurance carrier, and is currently awaiting their response”, said athletic director Tom Horn.

Based on what the insurance carrier says, plans will be made to either repair or replace the net.

Until a plan is devised, the most anyone can do is donate to the athletics program to help this project proceed with ease.

Tuesday, April 24, is a big day for the Class of 2012 as it marks fifty days until graduation.

Starting at 7:30 a.m., the Class of 2012 was served a wide variety of donuts, bagels, muffins and assorted pastries from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Each year, the sophomore class officers organize this breakfast for the senior class, to remind them that they are supported by their school and that graduation is getting close!

Vice president of the sophomore class, Sally Karstens, said “It was fun organizing this breakfast and in the end it turned out to be a great start to everyone’s day!”

“This season has been record breaking for us. We learned how to work harder as a team and push each other to do better. This has really reflected in our games.  For the first time in Mason history we beat Strasburg!” said junior first basemen Nicole Iraheta.

Not only did the Lady Mustangs beat them Tuesday, April 17, they shut them out 3-0. The team, led by senior pitcher Krista Kelly, is making huge strides this season and has a chance of doing very well in the district.

Last year, the softball team made George Mason history by competing for the first time ever in the regional tournament. Although the team was knocked out in the first round, this year the Lady Mustangs hope to advance even further.

Just five years ago, the Lady Mustangs were losing every game. In the spring of 2007, the  record was 2-16. The team was crushed every game, losing to teams like Strasburg, 1-22. Last year, the record improved to 8-11, including district and regional games, a drastic improvement from just a few years before.

In their most recent game, the Mustangs played Clarke County, currently ranked as number one in the district. The Lady Mustangs played a great game against them, holding them 2-0 into the fourth inning, but the Eagles came back and beat the Mustangs 9-2.

Even though the Mustangs weren’t able to pull through against Clarke, holding them to the fourth inning is pretty impressive considering the Eagles have shut out many teams in the district.

“Our hard work is really showing off. We beat Strasburg and we’ve been competing against teams like Clarke, so I think we’re close to beating teams like Madison and William Monroe,” said junior second basemen Johanna Roche.

This Mason team is steadily improving and has a bright season ahead of them. Their next game will be Tuesday, April 24, at Central Woodstock High School.

Each year, the Giant grocery store located across Haycock Road from George Mason features some sort of dish to honor George Mason High school’s Scholastic Bowl team on the weekend that the team’s “It’s Academic” episode airs on NBC.

This year, Giant is selling a “George Mason High School Chicken Salad,” in the deli, but here’s the catch: the special will only last from Friday, February 17 through Sunday. Make sure to stop by and grab a glimpse (or a bite) before the sale is over.

Tune in to NBC4 at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday to watch the tournament.

One would never know that the person sitting next to them in Chemistry or English class was homeless. This is because that person and their family are provided with housing from the Homestretch organization. Homestretch has almost 70 units of scatter-site housing throughout Virginia, giving homeless families a chance to start a brand new life.

Homestretch provides housing to over 100 homeless families a year with over 300 children. The goal of this organization is to help families get back on their feet and to give them better lives. They help them to secure permanent housing and gain the knowledge they need to live happy and fulfilling lives on their own. In fact, 90% of families that enter the program graduate successfully and are able to then stand on their own feet.

Homestretch has incredible success rates. 50% of clients were unemployed upon entering the program; 88% were employed upon departing the program, and the average rise in income for all Homestretch clients was 53% (including those who came in unemployed). Homestretch families repaid debts totaling $76,000 and placed a total of $32,000 of their monthly earnings into savings accounts for when they leave the program. 25% of all clients became debt free, and all families are making very significant process in doing the same.

These numbers are what make Homestretch a national model. In the past, over 80% of families who entered the program successfully graduated, meaning they secured permanent housing and attained self-sufficiency.

The organization puts much emphasis on the importance of education. Homestretch works with various academic and vocational schools to provide opportunities to adults and youth to hone their skills and increase their earning power. Nearly half of all adult clients take some sort of academic or vocational program in addition to employment. Homestretch is able to help many clients attain full or partial scholarships to attend NOVA, ACE and other accredited programs. Many high school and elementary students in the program are able to achieve straight A’s despite their family’s history of a rocky background.

50% of families in the program are survivors of domestic violence; other families have fled from war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, raising the percentage close to 70%. Homestretch helps the families recover from the cruelty and suffering they have experienced through rebuilding their lives.

Homestretch puts its main focus on the children. Homeless children are more likely to drop out of school, develop chronic illnesses and become involved in the criminal justice system. Homestretch recognizes this and does everything possible to help students do well academically and complete school. Homestretch provides a wide range of services to students including back packs filled with school supplies, back to school clothing and shoes, academic tutoring for any child that needs it, putting computers in the homes to help with homework, weekly life skills classes and even birthday gifts and birthday cakes on each child’s birthday.

The goal of Homestretch is to provide school-aged children the opportunity to be successful at home and that success will transfer to school.  So, while you may not know who in your class may be experiencing tough times at home, you should know that there are struggles even in our own community and there are wonderful organizations like Homestretch to lessen the effects of homelessness.

Homestretch is partially funded through the Fairfax County Community Development program, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City of Falls Church.

Nearly three years after the release of their album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay has produced their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto.

Coldplay is known for a sound. It’s a sound that their fans crave. It’s a sound that conveys so much emotion that listeners are able to feel exactly what the band wants them to which might just be why they have so many fans. In albums like X & Y and A Rush of Blood to the Head they made such a smooth acoustic sound, which to me is what made all of the songs on them so amazing. The tracks on all albums leading up to Viva la Vida had an honest sound, and fans were able to really feel something.

Viva la Vida introduced a whole other side of Coldplay, and one that fans loved. They produced a much more digital sound, which is completely different from their previous albums. The almost electric sound they produced took me a while to come to terms with, but the more I listened to the album, the more I loved it.

Mylo Xyloto has definitely followed in the footsteps of Viva la Vida. It has an even more digitized sound, which is great but is this really Coldplay? The Coldplay I know and love gives listeners a concert anthem in every song. There are three songs on the album that are under forty five seconds, and don’t get me wrong, they are great melodies but are they really album-worthy? The band is trying new things with this album, but there is nothing wrong with sticking with what works.

Although I was really hoping for a more acoustic sound from the band, I’m not at all disappointed with what they produced. I think “Paradise” is completely genius. From the catchy chorus to the amazing beat to the awesome bass, the song is undeniable. I also think that “Charlie Brown” is a hit. I love how it starts with the empty sound, which then turns into a fast upbeat song. Other songs I like on the album are “Don’t Let it Break Your Heart” and “Moving to Mars”.

Are you a Mason student interested in volunteer work? Are you an IB student looking for volunteer opportunities? Starting this Tuesday, September 27, a volunteer project will take place at H.D. Cooke Elementary school, helping students there to create their own volunteer project.

Mason students will be involved in a CAS volunteer program at H.D. Cooke Elementary, located in Washington D.C. As Mason students help the kids by tutoring and mentoring them, they will also be teaching them background information on how to start a volunteer project of their own and will be helping them carry it out.

“If you’re interested in tutoring the kids with homework, that’s awesome! If you just want to mentor have fun running around with elementary school kids, that’s awesome! If you want to get involved with promoting volunteering among their community and school, that’s what H.D. Cooke is all about” says project organizer, junior Abby Van Buren.

This project is aimed towards helping the elementary students learn how to volunteer and why it is important to do so. It is also a great way for Mason students to take what they are good at and use it towards the benefit of others. If you are good at sports, you can make a sports group with the kids, if you enjoy teaching, you can help the kids with their homework.

If you are interested or want to learn more you can talk to Juliana Morrison, Michael Irving or Abby Van Buren.

I attended the opening night of Mason’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, and never having been to a school production, I had no idea how professional the set, the sound and the acting would be.

As soon as I entered the theatre, the set on stage took my breath away. It had four or five houses on it resembling a neighborhood street, and although it was all crammed on a stage it looked completely realistic. It is clear that countless hours of hard work were put into the making of the set.

As for the acting, I was really impressed. All of the characters used southern accents, and they all sounded great. The way that the narrator, Rebecca Thackrey who played an older version of Scout, moved in out and out of the scenes was really creative and the way she and the rest of the cast were able to create smooth, southern accents was amazing.

Some standouts in the show were Emma Pierce as Scout, Sophie Knudsen as Mayella Ewell, Mike Larcamp as Bob Ewell, and Gus Constance as Jem.

The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” is loved by many and I can only imagine the pressure of trying to perfect it to satisfy fans of the book. The actors in this play had big shoes to fill, especially Bryan Ward who played the lead role and hero, Atticus Finch.

Ward’s stage presence was dauntless. He did a magnificent job playing Atticus Finch. By speaking slowly, clearly, and with great confidence, Ward was able to truly prove himself as an actor.

The cast and crew did an outstanding job this year, and with so much young talent already shining under the lights, hopefully there will be much more success to follow.

Are you lying on the beach dreaming of playing a Mason sport? Or have you been practicing a Mason sport and dreaming of lying on the beach? Either way, Mason athletes and their coaches are experiencing a much debated dilemma.

The situation presented to our George Mason High School athletes and coaches is whether to practice during spring break or to mentally and physically recharge their bodies and minds.  This creates a rift between players who want to rest, and players who want to be proactive and keep up the momentum of their respective sports.

Coaches experience the same scenario.  Boys varsity soccer coach, Frank Spinello, said, “I feel that if a student makes a commitment to play on a high school team, then they should go all in.  I regularly give my team a day off when we are overworked, have a tough game, or need a day to refresh.  But to give a week off randomly in the middle of a season is not good for long term success.”

Another perspective is derived from boys tennis coach, Matt Sowers, who said, “I feel confident that the gains our team has made up to this point in the season will carry through the one week off.  The team benefits from the rest and time off from the physical, emotional and mental stress the coaching staff puts on our players.”

As you can imagine, players have their own opinions as well.  Freshman tennis player, Dana Sembera, said, “I appreciate having a week off to rest.  During my spring break, I will spend time practicing tennis on local courts with my teammates and my family.”

There are many determining factors to this debated dilemma, yet in the end, it is up to each coach to decide whether they “got break” or not.

It’s that time of the year again: March Madness. For those who don’t know about March Madness, it is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball championship tournament.

There are 68 teams in total that compete in a single elimination tournament, which means that with just one loss, your team is out of the tournament for good.

This tournament is given the name March Madness because the tournament lasts from the first week of March until the first week of April.

In some people’s opinion, March Madness makes March one of the best months of the year.  All of the teams, those big and small, competing in over-packed gyms with passionate fans going crazy when their team gets that last second buzzer shot, makes March a very enjoyable month.

This year, some of the favorites are Ohio State, Duke, Pitt and Kansas, who started the tournament as top seeds in each of their regions, but just because they were number one does not mean things will stay that way.

For example, Pitt got knocked out of the competition by Butler in the last second of their game-- literally.

A more local team that made it into March Madness is Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). They definitely qualify as underdogs in this tournament, with wins over USC, Georgetown and Purdue.

As of now, there are 16 teams left in the competition-- the Sweet Sixteen as they are called. After these teams play each other, only eight teams will be left, known as the Elite Eight. This will then turn into the final four, but only two teams will continue to brawl in the National Championship.

The competition is high and the talent is young this year. All of the teams have a fair chance of taking the big win, but who will be the 2011 NCAA Division I champion?

As students choose their classes and electives for the 2011-2012 school year, the school’s online newspaper Lasso Online is not a top choice. As of last Friday only a handful of students had signed up for journalism for the upcoming year, which is not nearly enough to have a sufficient newspaper, let alone a class that will be on the official schedule.

With a ten student minimum requirement for any class at George Mason, the class will be cancelled if students don’t sign up soon. The online newspaper, which has won a Columbia Scholastic Press Association award this year and last, is nearly 60 years old.

“I think it’s really cool to be able to see your name in print, and the fact that everyone can see and recognize what you write is really cool. I think that the reason people aren’t signing up for the class is because they think it’s too much work, but it’s really fun and really rewarding,” said senior and Lasso Online Editor-in-Chief Hannah Leopold.

Students who take this class have very many journalistic opportunities, one of which being the class trip to New York’s Columbia University to attend seminars, workshops, sight-see and accept the CSPA award the paper has won.

Considering the school has had a newspaper for the past 60 years, why stop now? Lasso helps students to become better writers and become more responsible when it comes to time management, not to mention it’s the number one place for the Mason community to get their news.

Want to continue this legacy of achievement? Visit your guidance counselor to sign up for Lasso Online today.  The decision to cancel the class will be made in the next week.

On Saturday, February 12, the George Mason Relief Project (GMRP) hosted the annual winter formal with the unique theme of ‘Masquerade.'  Tickets were sold for $10 each and the proceeds went to the George Mason Relief’s current project: building a school in Mali.

This dance was not the typical winter formal held in the cafeteria; instead, it was held on the auditorium stage. One might wonder how that could possibly work, but students seemed to like this arrangement much better, “I really liked the fact that it was in the auditorium; the atmosphere made the dance a lot more fun,” said freshman Ali Dominguez.

There seemed to be roughly 60 people in attendance, but being on the stage with the music pumping, the lights flashing, and everyone dancing in what some could call one huge group, students were definitely enjoying themselves. Holding the dance in the auditorium gave a fun twist to the formal; another aspect that made the dance unique was the screen in the auditorium, which had been turned to face the stage.  Casablanca was being played in black and white, which really set the tone for the dance.

Not only was the overall mood of the dance fantastic, but the music was great, possibly even better than the Homecoming music. “I thought the music was definitely better, although I think they still played too much techno,” said sophomore Johanna Roche.

Congratulations go to the George Mason Relief Project for making this winter formal one of the best in a long time.

Get ready for a night of music. Starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2, the Mason Choral Department will be singing the night away for a great cause: their first community service concert.  Various opera scenes will be performed by the students and their choral director, Lauren Glass.

“I’m actually more excited than nervous to perform.  I love being on stage, and I think it’s kind of cool for my students to see me on the ‘other side of the podium’, so to speak. I see it as another opportunity to get my students and the community excited about opera, which is an amazing art form,” said Glass.

Admission to the concert is either two canned food items per person or $5. All canned items and proceeds will go to Food for Others (www.foodforothers.org). The concert will be held at MEHMS and doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

High school can be so stressful with all the essays, projects, and homework keeping students up until the early hours of the morning.  Because of this, students try to sleep in as late as they possibly can, making the morning a rush. But what happens to the students who have to wake up early everyday because they have to walk to school for lack of a bus?

Most Mason students have multiple bus stops near their homes, but not all. This unlucky handful of students have to find other ways to get to and from school.

Many of these students have to walk to and from school everyday because their parents have jobs and cannot take them. This can be a huge problem, especially when it is cold outside or when the streets are icy.

“My parents normally can’t take me to school in the morning, so my brother and I have to walk to school everyday. It isn’t too bad in the fall and the spring, but in the winter when it’s really cold, it’s such a pain,” said freshman Sally Karstens.

Something you may not know about Mason is that we have a one mile walking zone, which means that all homes located within one mile of the school do not have a school bus stop. Although a mile is a short distance, considering Falls Church City is 2.2 square miles, this sounds quite unreasonable.

Freshman Katharine Wakely said, “I think it’s an unbelievable statistic. It sounds kind of ridiculous that we don’t have bus stops that go out that far."

Bus stops are not the only bus related problem we have at Mason; the late bus is not called the late bus for nothing-- it is actually late every day.

The bus is supposed to arrive promptly at 4 p.m. after school everyday; instead it arrives around 4:15 p.m. A bus that is 15 minutes late daily can make a huge difference in a student's after school plans, especially if he or she needs to be somewhere at a certain time.

FCCPS Transportation Supervisor Nancy Hendrickson said, “There are many factors that can have a driver running late; traffic on Broad Street and everywhere else.  Weather can be a factor, construction, trash trucks, etc.  Also, Mount Daniel students have to be received by a parent at the end of the day, so if someone is not at the bus stop to receive their child, the driver has to take that child back to school which adds 5-10 additional minutes to the afternoon."

When asked if the arrival of the late bus would be able to be changed to a later time, Hendrickson said, “I will check with both drivers to find out the earliest they may arrive at Mason for the late bus and consider officially changing the time so students can use their time more productively."

Have you noticed the sudden uprising of outrageous candidate commercials, or the highways being plastered with signs of candidates? Once again we find ourselves in a contentious midterm election.   Depending on which side of the aisle you or your family support, this election will either improve your outlook or cause some serious upset!

All members of the United States House of Representative are elected every two years.  Every two years, one third of the United States Senate is also up for election.  When the elections, which are held in even numbered years, occur in the middle of a President’s four year term, they are referred to as a “midterm” election. 

It has been typical in the past few voting cycles that the party in power in control of the White House loses ground in the mid-term election.  The general feeling this year is that the electorate is  motivated to vote, and that due to the influence of conservative groups, such as the Tea Party, more Republican and Independent voters are expected to come out.

You may be tired of the commercials and signs, and you may be hoping that come Wednesday, November 3, all the election uproar will be over.  In fact, this is just the start of another two year long period of political wrangling, debate, compromise and legislation.