“I’m so sorry,” Cold War historian and author John Lewis Gaddis said in response to comments of Marshall history students regarding excerpts from his books as learning aids in IB Topics classes. “You must be suffering.”

Despite this lighthearted joke, Gaddis gave ten Marshall seniors and other historians an in-depth lecture on his new book, George F. Kennan: An American Life, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday.

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This Friday will be the second to last day of Freshmen Friday, an event headed by the Class of 2015.

Twenty-five songs ranging from Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” to Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song” will be available for selection on Freshmen Friday for 50 cents.

Any student can pay to play one of these songs or pay for a shout-out. Money raised from Freshmen Friday will go towards funding for the Class of 2015.

“We made it February-themed—happy—not just love-themed,” SGA executive board member Erica Sherr, freshman said.

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In an attempt to foster the skills of young writers and artists, the Alliance for Young Writers and Artists recognizes excellence each year in creations by high school students on a local, regional and national level in the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Students in visual arts classes submitted work this year in several of the contest’s 28 categories. Their art was then entered in a selection process, which involves teacher and judge evaluation.

Art teacher Nicole Walter said art entered in the contest is judged on three artistic categories.

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Following a recommendation to principals from the FCPS Department of Information Technology, Statesmen are now allowed to use their smartphones, laptops and e-readers as freely as their teachers allow.

Teachers may designate their classrooms green, blue, yellow or red, with green designated as “general use” and red as “prohibited.”

“[Technology] is going to be ubiquitous,” Superintendent Jack Dale said. “The question like that is how do we use it?”

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After flying President Franklin Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945, former pilot Elmer Smith spoke on his experiences during a presentation hosted by the Social Studies Honor Society on Jan. 9.

At the event, the former colonel of the US military reminisced about his journeys around the world with important dignitaries, such as former secretary of state George Marshall.

Smith recalled experiences such as the time the plane “lost an engine with President Truman on board.”

Smith noted the differences between him and today’s pilots.

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Surveillance systems will soon be installed in the cafeteria after the FCPS School Board approved their use in FCPS high schools on Dec. 16.

“It is a good practice for the safety and security of the staff,” principal Jay Pearson said. “For students waiting for rides, there would be a level of security and documentation.”

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The cyber security team is one of the two Fairfax County high school teams left in the Cyberpatriot tournament.

The team has won two out of four rounds in the Airforce Association sponsored tournament, which consists of four rounds of tests for cyber security teams in high schools nationwide.

“There were a thousand high schools in this competition, now they’re down to the top 25,” academy administrator Jeff McFarland said.

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The dark screen suddenly brightens to reveal two cars screeching across the racetrack, hurtling closer and closer to the camera. Just when the pair appear to be on the verge of colliding with the cameraman, the two cars swerve and continue whizzing down the racetrack.

Senior Nathaniel Chen shot this scene in Englishtown, NJ, and incorporated it into his film “Drift,” a montage of drifting culture. The film placed second in the 2010 Video Fairfax Competition and Chen expects to compete again.

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Students Against Animal Cruelty is holding a donation drive for the Fairfax and Loudoun County animal shelters.

According to club sponsor and special education teacher Andrea Wallace, rescued animals typically overburden shelters this time of year. The drive—which ends in February and is the third since Wallace became the sponsor of SAAC—ordinarily collects two to three boxes of contributions.

“We’d like to see more,” Wallace said. “Animals need help [too.]”

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