Great Falls Getting Stress Out Of Schools News, Page 3 Ed and Kathy Heberg have been married since 1980, and they both serve in many capaci- Comstock ties around Great Falls. Sees ‘A Good Session’ News, Page 7 Classifieds, Page 14 Classifieds, ❖ Sports, Page 16 ❖ In Love Entertainment, Page 10 ❖ Opinion 8 with History Valentine’s Stories, Page 12 Requested in home 2-10-11 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention ECR WSS ECR Postal Customer Postal PERMIT #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo by Deb Cobb/The Connection Photo online at www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.comFebruary 9-15, 2011 Great Falls Connection ❖ February 9-15, 2011 ❖ 1 Extensive Excellent Superior Expert Selection Value Service Craftsmen CUSTOM AREA RUGS CUSTOM BORDER RUGS CUSTOM STAIR RUNNERS WALL-TO-WALL CARPET HARDWOOD SERVING YOU SINCE 1998 EXCELLENT REPUTATION FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE & SUPERIOR CRAFTSMANSHIP Great Falls OPEN Leesburg Floors GREAT FALLS Calico SUNDAYS Rt. 193 Georgetown Pike Rte. 7 and Georgetown Pike (Route 193) . Rd. Old DominionMcLean Dr . Seneca Square (Next to Calico Corners) Dranesville Pkwy Rt. 7 Fairfax Co. 703-759-9200 1025-N Seneca Road RestonPkwy Monday through Saturday 10-6 • Sunday 12-4 • VISA • Master Card • Discover • AMEX Herndon Reston Tysons Corner 2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ February 9-15, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Great Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] From left, Beth Werfel, a psychologist at McLean High School and Kate Lewis, En- glish teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, speak at a panel discussion Zara Ibrahim following the Feb. 2 screening of “Race to Nowhere” at Langley High School. Photos by Alex McVeigh/ The Connection Preparing for Getting Stress Out Of Schools Leadership Safe Community Coalition students are pressured to get straight A’s as early as elementary school, and it can lead to a total aban- A Great Falls student becomes hosts showing of donment of motivation. “It’s such as emotionally charged film, there’s sad- Albright Institute Fellow. ‘Race to Nowhere.’ ness in children who want to please and the terrible pain of being trapped in a situation you don’t want to be in,” said Joan Tannenbaum, a guidance coun- ellesley College jun In January 2010, Wellesley By Alex McVeigh selor at Langley, who also served on a panel discus- ior Zara Ibrahim, College launched the Albright The Connection W sion after the film. “The song played over the open- the daughter of Institute to educate women to ing credits says ‘nobody really knows me,’ and it’s Rizwan and Amna Ibrahim of fulfill leadership positions, to he Safe Community Coalition hosted a true. Even as adults it’s common to feel that people Great Falls and a graduate of strengthen the role of women screening of “Race to Nowhere” Feb. 2 at only know you through one prism, whether it’s pro- Langley High School, has been in international relations and to TLangley High School, hoping to start a fessionally or academically.” named a fellow of the inform policy discussions and discussion about stress in students, even Donald E. Fraser Jr., director of education for the Madeleine Korbel Albright In- academic thought in global af- in elementary school. Parents and administrators National Association for College Admission Counsel- stitute for Global Affairs, which fairs. from schools around the county filled the auditorium, ing, and a member of the panel, urged parents to prepares women for positions “The Wellesley women of the all hoping to gain insight on pressures faced by the rethink their priorities when pressuring their students of global leadership. future have to understand how modern student. about school. He also told parents that while changes Ibrahim’s participation in the today’s global challenges are “As the parent of three teenagers, two at Langley to the educational system might be a long time com- institute began with an inten- connected,” Albright said. “The High School and a freshman in college, I have been ing, they also had a duty to their students who are sive course this January, where institute will adopt an interdis- concerned about the pressure that my children feel currently in school. she began lessons from various ciplinary approach to give these as they have to balance everything in their lives,” “We can’t wait for the system to change, that’s not international relations and pub- women leaders the tools they said Susan Mayman, who served as first vice presi- going to help anyone now,” he said. “We can work lic policy experts. Those experts need to deal with the most dent for the Langley Parent Teacher Student Asso- for change, but it won’t help our children at this include former U.S. Secretary of pressing issues.” ciation. “When my oldest graduated last year, my moment.” State Albright, a member of the The institute combines the main feeling was one of relief.” Fairfax County has established a homework guide- Wellesley College class of 1959, academic resources of Wellesley, The film deals with the struggle many students line, available on their website. They recommend a who served as the institute’s dis- the research capabilities of the have to balance their lives between hours of home- total of 30 minutes of homework for students in tinguished visiting professor. Wellesley Centers for Women work, preparing for their future, extracurricular ac- grades 1-2, one hour for grades 3-6, 1.5 hours (30 This summer, Ibrahim will par- and the insights of global lead- tivities and just being a kid. Many students in the minutes per core subject) in grades 7-8 and two hours ticipate in a Wellesley-funded ers. It draws on faculty from film spoke of staying up past midnight every single for grades 9-12. internship in the United States across the liberal-arts disciplines night to do homework, starting as early as middle But the two-hour guideline for high-schoolers or abroad, applying what she and alumnae in fields ranging school. comes with an asterisk, saying the amount of home- has learned in a real-life setting. from government to conserva- work may be greater for students enrolled in AP “As an Albright Fellow, I hope tion to social entrepreneurship. SUCH PRESSURES can lead to drug abuse, cheat- classes. According to the film, students cramming to gain a deeper understanding By combining academic theory ing, dropping out, eating disorders and in the case of how I can rise to our most with real-life perspectives, the of one 13-year-old girl, suicide. The film says that See Stressful, Page 6 pressing global challenges,” she program cultivates a new un- said. derstanding of global issues. Ibrahim, a biological sciences This year’s crop of Albright From left, Beth Werfel, a and Spanish double major, has Fellows hail from 12 countries: psychologist at McLean High worked as an intern at Kanti Afghanistan, Bangladesh, School, Kate Lewis, English Children’s Hospital in China, Ghana, Israel, Hungary, teacher at Thomas Jefferson Kathmandu, Nepal, and is a cer- Japan, Nepal, Republic of Ko- High School for Science and tified Emergency Medical Tech- rea, United Kingdom, United Technology, Joan nician. At Wellesley, she works States and Zimbabwe. Tannenbaum, a guidance as a research assistant in the Since 1875, Wellesley College counselor at Langley High Department of Biological Sci- has been a leader in providing School and Donald E. Fraser ences; as a Spanish tutor in the an excellent liberal arts educa- Jr., director of education for Pforzheimer Learning and tion for women who will make the National Association for Teaching Center; as a residen- a difference in the world. Its College Admission Counseling tial assistant. She serves as the 500-acre campus near Boston is speak to parents and admin- multi-faith council representa- home to 2,300 undergraduate istrators after the Feb. 2 tive for Al-Muslimat, the Mus- students from all 50 states and screening of “Race to No- lim organization on campus. 75 countries. where.” www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Great Falls Connection ❖ February 9-15, 2011 ❖ 3 News Week in Great Falls Optimist Club Hosts Speaker The Great Falls Optimist Club will meet Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Great Falls Library. The speaker will be Lynne Russell, Founder of the District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH), dedi- cated in memory of her 19-year-old daughter who was murdered Tristan by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Herbert, a The mission of DASH is to raise awareness of the dangers of Great Falls teen dating abuse, educate and encourage teens to engage in native, will healthy relationship behavior, help teens and parents to recog- be racing in nize and act upon warning signs and provide resources to iden- the 2011 tify places of help for teens in distress. Sport Club Lynne has been invited by Lynn Rosenhal, White House Advi- Car of sor on Violence Against Women to participate in a roundtable America’s discussion about teen dating violence with experts in Law en- World Chal- forcement and victim advocacy. She will be speaking before the lenge this George Mason University Sexual Assault Service year. There is no charge for more information call President T.R. Cook at 703- 938-1609. Photos Del. Comstock Honors Wolf Contributed Trap, Forms Arts Caucus Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34) introduced HJR 655, a resolu- tion commending Wolf Trap on the occasion of their 40th anni- A Need For Speed versary serving the community with “lasting memories that mil- lions of people will treasure over their lifetimes, through unique performing arts experiences and arts education programs.” Great Falls native takes on On Monday, Jan.