The orchestra’s yearly Pops concert will be held much earlier this year due to renovation demands. According to choral director Catherine Bond, this will be the last orchestra performance held at Marshall until the new auditorium is finished.

Rescheduled for May 3, this free concert will also be the final performance for 12 seniors, who will be honored either through solo performances or renditions of songs chosen by the honoree. Cellist Brendan Metzger, senior, chose to be in the solo performance and will be playing a part in the Orchestra’s rendition of “Pavone for a Dead Princess.”
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The Fairfax County School Board approved a measure to investigate moving school starting times from 7:20 to 8:00 a.m., a motion that has resurfaced since it was intiatlly voted down by the board in 2009.

Although no plan currently exists to change start times, there is an intent “for the School Board to study how later start times could be achieved,” school board chair Jane Strauss said.

The revival of this issue can be partially attributed to the Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal.

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Marketing teacher and DECA adviser Jen Hendrickson received an Outstanding Virginia DECA Advisor award on March tenth at this year’s Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference, making it the third time she has received this award in her career.

“To be the only one from Fairfax County really surprises me because I work with a ton of other advisers who are awesome,” Hendrickson said.

These awards are based on a point system where advisers can earn points based on their participation in events at the local, district and state levels.

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The most memorable thing about Lockout were the nachos I had at the theater.

What I expected from the movie was an action-packed experience and a ridiculous story line, but Lockout was an absolute failure. The story line was completely stolen from Escape from New York, a far superior movie. Even the main character’s name from Lockout, Snow, sounds just like the Escape from New York character’s name, Snake.

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Following in the footsteps of the book series by the same name, the movie The Hunger Games was an overnight success. It is third in the box office for most money made on an opening weekend.

Despite this success, the movie has received unnecessary controversy from fans due to casting choices. Rue, a character described in the book as similar to the main character Katniss’ fair skinned sister Prim, but with dark skin, is played by African-American actress Amandla Stenberg. Over Twitter, some fans expressed discontent and shock over this casting choice.

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“Even though I didn’t know you, I always saw you as the kid who never stopped smiling.”

As students filled out notes in the cafeteria last week memorializing freshman Sam Solomon, they remembered a classmate who, despite his two-and-a-half year battle with leukemia, did not want to be defined by his disease.

Instead, friends, family and teachers will remember him as an excellent student, an avid reader and someone whose positive demeanor was acknowledged throughout the Marshall community, both by students who knew him and those who merely passed him in the hallways.

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From Tanzania to Thailand, foreign students come to the U.S. to experience American culture and an American education.

Sophomore Nathita Limprasittiporn came from Thailand to gain exposure to different cultures.

“When you first come here you don’t know anyone and you kind of adjust yourself to the new culture and society,” Limprasittiporn said.
Limprasittiporn enjoys in participating in activities that are not found in Thailand.

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The varsity and JV softball teams, led by head coaches John Reina and Stephanie Shaker, respectively, are in the midst of a season-long challenge to prove themselves.

The varsity team is working to achieve fourth place in the district in order to qualify for regionals.

“First, second, third place are all pretty set with Madison, McLean and Stone Bridge,” shortstop Kayla Marsh, senior, said. “But fourth place is really up for anyone.”

The varsity team is currently 6-5.

“It’s going to [be] really tough,” Marsh said about the team’s goal of getting fourth in the district.
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Having an international perspective in an IB school is invaluable to the learning experience.
I lived overseas for two formative years that shaped me as a learner. I was in Stuttgart, Germany for fifth and sixth grade living on an American military base. Although I lived on base, my parents sent my sister and I off base for school and made every effort to spend time in and around Europe.

Living overseas gave me language immersion, cultural acceptance and a new outlook on global issues. Despite living in a fairly metropolitan area, it is very easy to avoid cultural diversity.

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The girls lacrosse team is pushing to finish its regular season strong. It has one of its best records in school history following a loss to 15-5 loss to Langley on April 19.

Marshall’s 8-3 record includes wins over strong teams, such as its 15-2 victory over South Lakes and Marshall’s first ever win over Stone Bridge High School.

The Statesmen played McLean on April 23, the team’s Senior Night. Results were not available by press time.

April Reinhart said before the game that “the seniors are expecting to dominate and go out with a bang.”

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