Viennavienna Oakton Loses in State Finals Sports, Page 12
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and Oakton Committed to Peacemaking News, Page 3 ViennaVienna Oakton Loses in State Finals Sports, Page 12 Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, ❖ Entertainment, Page 8 ❖ Casino Night Draws Hundreds of Party-goers Opinion, Page 6 News, Page 12 Bazin’s on Church owner Julie Bazin, community supporter Erica Manz, and Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid light up the night at the Vienna Rotary Casino Night. Requested in home 3-16-17 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention ECR WSS ECR Postal Customer Postal Page 5 #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. Photo by Donna Manz/The Connection STD PRSRT www.ConnectionNewspapers.comMarch 15-21, 2017 online Vienna/Oaktonat www.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Vienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] As a member of James Madison High School Amnesty International Club, Photos by Tim Peterson/The Connection senior Sean Doyle (center) is coordinating activism with others on such Marshall senior Aidan Kemp (center) is the lead senior mentor for the issues as abolishing the death penalty, reducing gun violence and police Marshall Freshman Transition program and does community service brutality, and convincing the Vienna Town Council to make Vienna an “I work through St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean. Welcome Refugees” town. Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County Committed to Peacemaking reception honors activists and advocates. By Tim Peterson ficking awareness to anti-genocide. Special Olympics and Sunrise Assisted Liv- ketball team and adding track and field. She The Connection “Few goals are more important in the ing. coaches both teams, and also helped the world today,” Evans said, “than promoting Vanessas Mae Avendano, senior at Rachel’s Challenge program find a presence uraya Sadeed said hearing more peace, acceptance, kindness and tolerance.” Falls Church High School at her school. Rachel’s Challenge deals with than 20 stories of students promot- Evans was joined in congratulating the Avendano is vice president of Falls stomping out bullying and promoting tol- Sing peace in and out of their students by fellow board members Ryan Church’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and erance and inclusion. schools made her believe “there is McElveen (at-large) and Dalia Palchik Transgender club and also founded Falls Donya Momenian and Chrissie still hope for a brighter future.” (Providence). Church High School United, a group of clubs Ivanova, seniors at Langley High Sadeed is a native of Kabul, Afghanistan Fairfax County Board of Supervisors vice united to spread peace and acceptance. The School who made a new home in the United States chairman and Mason District representative group has produced a series of videos deal- The two seniors co-founded a chapter of in 1982, fleeing the aftermath of the Soviet Penny Gross (D) read a letter of recogni- ing with anti-bullying and giving respect. the Girl Up Club at Langley, growing it from invasion. She founded the non-government tion from board chairman Sharon Bulova Sabah Munshi, senior at Hayfield two to 30 members who meet bi-monthly. organization Help the Afghan Children and that thanked the students for their commit- Secondary School The national and international club empow- is author of “Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul ment to peacemaking. Munshi helped organize a project called ers young women in education, fundraising, Guesthouse.” All the students have come together, Gross Walking for Water and raised both aware- advocacy and service, as well as runs de- The former owner of a real estate com- read from Bulova’s letter, “in one goal, ness of the world’s water crisis and more velopment programs in Guatemala, India, pany, Sadeed has risked dangerous situa- strengthening peace and unity.” than $2,000 for the Tap Project by UNICEF. Liberia, Malawi, Uganda and Ethiopia. tions to deliver humanitarian aid to women Del. Kenneth Plum (D-36) joined the She has also volunteered at Virginia Hospi- Naomi Soquar, senior at Robert E. and children in war-torn Afghanistan. On other elected officials in congratulating the tal Center in the renal unit. Lee High School Sunday, March 12, she addressed high award-winners. Surabhi Khanal, senior at Herndon Soquar helped found a chapter of the school students from around Fairfax County The 2017 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax High School Amnesty International Club at Lee — she being honored at the Student Peace Awards. County winners are as follows, bios accord- Khanal has been a member of the currently serves as its president. She led Sadeed spoke about the importance of ing to the event program: Herndon Leo Club and founded MedLove, club members and volunteers in writing let- promoting peace through education, as a Ethan Mirani, junior at the Cedar Inc, a non-profit organization with the mis- ters against human rights violations, which preventative measure against bullying, ha- Lane School in Vienna sion of helping rescue women in the United in one case contributed to two political pris- tred and violence later in life. Mirani was a member of the school’s Anti- States and abroad who are human traffick- oners in the Democratic Republic of Congo “The cost of providing peace education Bullying Commitee for two years and ing victims. Through the Key Club, Khanal being released. Soquar also serves with Girls to 8 million children in Afghanistan is less,” worked to grow the group as well as plan and other students also organized a benefit Learn International, the Capital Area Food she said, “than buying one military plane.” activities and keep things organized. gala to raise awareness of local trafficking Bank and Habitat for Humanity. The student peace awards are offered in Jasmine Howard, senior at and $3,000 for combatting HIV and AIDS Sean Doyle, senior at James Madi- all Fairfax County public high schools and Centreville High School in her native Nepal. son High School some private schools. Schools choose their Howard organized members of the Naba Khan and Shafia Tala, juniors A member of Madison’s Amnesty Inter- winners based on their work to promote Centreville Key Club to sell 240 wristbands at King Abdullah Academy in national Club Doyle is coordinating activ- peace as well as prevent causes of violence: from Guatemala, made out of leather and Herndon ism with others on such issues as abolish- poverty, discrimination and injustice. pieces of coconut shell with colored string, Khan and Talat founded the organization ing the death penalty, reducing gun violence Each of the individual or groups of stu- raising $1,700 in sales and donations that Women of the World (WOW) to promote and police brutality, and convincing the dents not only took action for peace, but went back to the wristband artisans and women’s rights and help women struggling Vienna Town Council to make Vienna a “I did so with creative, entrepreneurial energy disadvantaged foreign youth. with homelessness, hunger, oppression or Welcome Refugees” town. — founding clubs, organizing charity Shaan Chudasama, senior at abuse. Some of their projects include open- Aidan Kemp, senior at George C projects, leading training sessions or creat- Chantilly High School ing a sewing institute in Nalgona, India and Marshall High School ing documentary films. Chudasama co-founded and is vice presi- fundraisers involving the whole student Kemp is the lead senior mentor for the Fairfax County School Board chair Sandy dent of Young at Art, a non-profit organiza- body. Marshall Freshman Transition program and Evans said she was deeply impressed with tion using art-related activities to improve Jamie Hunstad, senior at Lake does community service work through St. the work of the students being honored at the quality of life of seniors, less fortunate Braddock Secondary School Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean. the Stacy Sherwood Community Center in children and veterans. With his sister, the Hunstad set up a Special Olympics pro- Fairfax, from anti-bullying to human traf- other co-founder, they’ve partnered with the gram at Lake Braddock, starting with a bas- See Peace Awards, Page 9 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 ❖ 3 People The Picklin’ Grannies Picklin’ Grannies at Providence Senior Center laugh and smile a lot but when they play pickle ball, it’s all business. The team consists of Cecilia Nee from Vienna, Sun Yung of Fairfax and Ursula Nogic of Reston. They play the game for the fun and camaraderie, as well as the health ben- efits. Their coach, Helen White, is a Pickleball National Champion and USAPA Mid-Atlantic District Ambassador. 4 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com The Center for Ballet Arts, Inc. Invites you to our Summer Intensive Session Practice Makes Perfect July 10th through August 12th Ballet, Pointe, Local educators share Modern, Jazz, Tap, strategies for getting Core Strengthening children to practice music. & Full-Day Children’s Summer Dance camps By Marilyn Campbell The Connection 3955 Pender Drive, Suite 105, Fairfax, VA 22030 Call: 703-273-5344 thecenterforballetarts.com hen Linda Gulyn’s son reached high school age and asked to quit his clari- Wnet lessons, the Arlington mother of Photo courtesy of Linda Gulyn four declined his request. Fifteen-year-old Timothy Gulyn plays “My son Timmy is an excellent clarinet player. The Christmas music with fellow clarinetists. philosophy I’ve established in my house is that mu- His teacher brings together all her clarinet sic is part of your overall education like science or students to perform with each other math, so you can’t just quit,” said Gulyn, saxophon- several times a year. ist, former music teacher and professor of psychol- ogy at Marymount University.