MARCH MADNESS

University of Michigan players shoot around during an official 1&$$ 7ournament practice on March 16 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Photo by Nate Albin.

Beginning of NCAA tournament brings issues with distracted classrooms Streaming madness

Nate Albin albinnat000@hsestudents.org

Upwards of 70 million brackets will be filled out according to the )merican /ambling )ssociation for this year¼s 6C)) tournament. ?ith so many oٻce pools and competitions bet_een friends, it is not hard to imagine _hy people all over the nation _ill be glued to screens to maSe sure they do not miss a moment of the action. ?ith the advent of streaming, the tournament has been an enemy of _orSplaces all across )merica. .o` *usiness reports that )merican businesses _ill lose roughly  billion due to a lacS of _orSer productivity. ?hile schools _ill not lose money from the games being streamed, some cite a lacS of productivity during gametime. ¹1t has absolutely been a problem,” math teacher -van :eynolds said. ¹1 Sno_ it¼s going to happen.” ?hat :eynolds says he e`pects has been confirmed by students. ;ophomore )nthony )cYuisto admitted to streaming the games in class. ¹5uch to the disapproval of my teachers, 1¼ve definitely streamed,” )cYuisto said. ¹)round tournament time, 1 al_ays do_nload the 5arch 5adness app on my phone or laptop to _atch.” <he 6C))¼s 5arch 5adness 4ive app serves as the oٻcial streaming service for the tournament. 1t is easily accessible# the app is free and available on  different devices. ,ue to the accessibility, the 5arch 5adness 4ive app helps some in their streaming Yuest. ¹1f 1 have an online assignment in class, 1 have t_o tabs open,” junior *laSe *acSes said. ¹7ne _ith the assignment, one _ith the game. 7r people hide their phone.”

March 17 - April 6 68 Teams Single Elimination Final Four Host: Atlanta Reigning Champ: Virginia Midseason Number 1: Baylor Odds-On Favorite: Kansas. +550 (As of March 3) TV Networks: CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV Tournament Fast Facts .or some, the 6C)) tournament is more about _ho they are _atching _ith rather than rooting for their favorite teams and players. *ecause of this, _atching carries a different meaning. ¹-very year, me and my family and friends go to .lorida over breaS,” *acSes said. ¹?hile _e¼re there, _e al_ays _atch the .inal .our and championship game together.” 0istoric, e`citing moments dra_ people in to _atch the tournament each year. <_o upsets, /eorgia ;tate do_ning *aylor and )labama *irmingham stunning 1o_a ;tate, happened roughly  minutes apart from each other midday on 5arch !, . <his _as one of the first years the app _as in its current form. ?ith these moments, some struggle to Seep the jubilation in. ¹1t¼s hard to contain my e`citement,” )cYuisto said. ¹5ost of the time, 1 _on¼t. <here are a lot of fist pumps, but 1 don¼t thinS the teachers mind because they Sno_ _hat is going on.” ?ith that, teachers liSe :eynolds say they still believe in the school¼s policies regarding technology. -ven _ith that in place, they understand the inevitable. ¹1 try to stress »/et your _orS done¼ first,” :eynolds said. ¹?hat you do after is your time.” ;tudents cite struggling to _orS after the day is over, especially _hen considering first and second round games do not conclude until after  p.m. ¹1 do home_orS and _atch simultaneously,” )cYuisto said. ¹*ut 1 try to get as much basSetball in as 1 can. 1t¼s the end of the season and the players are putting it on the line for ultimate glory and every game means so much.”

Perfect pregame playlist Players make mixtapes to pump them up for their games

Meg Gibson gibsomeg000@hsestudents.org

One of the most common pregame traditions is listening to music before competitions. 5usic affects the motivation, fatigue and mood of athletes, according to a study by Sport Journal. Sophomore Kirah Fuller plays tennis and listens to music before matches and while she trains. Fuller prefers motivational and inspirational music for her pregame playlist. She especially loves Lizzo and other female empowerment artists. “Music mentally trains me and it helps me get focused,” .uller said. ¹5usic affects your mood a lot so it’s important to listen to uplifting music.” Tempo and rhythm are key factors to determining _hat effect music has on the listener¼s mood, according to a study done by Uxbridge University. Up-beat and high-energy music can increase the adrenaline and anxiety of the athlete, getting them pumped up and ready to perform. “Fast tempos keep up the pace and motivate me to do my best,” Fuller said. A study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCIB) showed that faster-paced music improves athletic performance in low-to-moderate exercise. The athletes distance travelled, pace or repetitions repeated were increased while the time exercising stayed the same. “I like super up-beat music that gets you ready to go,” junior Brynn Urban said. On the other hand, slower music will relax the athlete and calm their nerves to get them ready to compete. Another study done by the NCIB showed that slower-paced music, like classical or jazz, increased the athlete’s endurance. The athletes took longer to feel physical exertion while listening to slower music than no music at all. “My roommate in college would listen to ‘Boyz II Men’ then classical music to stay relaxed before competition,” assistant football coach and English teacher Ross Springman said. “It all depends on the athlete.” Familiarity and high-energy are two major factors for junior Tommy Chesebrough’s playlist. Chesebrough has ran cross country and track since seventh grade. “A good pre-competition playlist needs to have mostly exciting songs I already know so I can just enjoy it instead of needing to think much about it,” Chesebrough said. Pop and rap make their way into Urban’s playlist. Urban runs cross country and track. “It makes me excited before I run or compete so that way I’m in a good mood and ready to go,” Urban said. Lyrics are crucial to some listener’s enjoyment of music. Springman has been coaching football for nine years, but has been involved with sports for 25 years. “As an English teacher, lyrics matter to me and I would say they are bigger than the beat or the music a lot of times,” Springman said. “With hip-hop, you get both. You can get the fast pace and excitement from the music itself as well as the Æo_ and _ordplay of the lyrics.”

Juniors Riley Clayton and Emma Giger listen to music as they stretch after a long run for track on March 2. Photo by Meg Gibson.

Working it out Clubs provide non-competitive opportunities to stay in shape

Emma Tomlinson tomliemm000@hsestudents.org

Staying in shape does not always require participation in a sport. Exercise-based clubs at FHS allow students to take part in activities that allow them to stay active and healthy without the competitive aspect of organized sports.

Yoga Club <he stress of school can build up and affect mental and physical health. Yoga can help decrease stress and relax muscles. There are no equipment requirements and students of all experience levels are welcome. “We go through instructional videos and do roughly 30-40 minute sessions of yoga to destress from the school day,” senior Jake Lodde said. A common trait among high school students is high stress levels, often caused by excessive school work combined with sports or jobs. Stress often builds up in the body in the form of muscle tension, which can lead the body to feel tight or in pain. Yoga helps relieve tension by stretching areas where tension commonly builds up, like the hips and shoulders. “Stretching out after school really helps relieve my stress that can build up during the day,” Lodde said. According to Harvard Medical School, the incorporation of yoga into a daily routine can reduce both anxiety and depression symptoms. In their scientific study of yoga, the results demonstrated that mental and physical health are closely aligned and can both be improved by the practice of yoga. “I like being able to unwind at the end of the day and not have to think about homework or projects and just get to stretch out,” Lodde said. Yoga club meets every other Thursday from 3:10-4:00 in room A106.

Crossfit Tiger Cage Cross.it club holds hourandahalflong _orSouts offered to both students and staff. Cross.it is a highintensity fitness program that incorporates elements from different sports and types of e`ercise. FHS is one of only a few high schools across the country to have a CrossFit aٻliate. <he _orSouts that the club does include e`ercises that a regular CrossFit gym would provide, but for free. “We usually start with strength like bench press, power cleans and deadlifts,” sophomore Erin Hanna said. “Then, we proceed with either a timed workout or a certain set of exercises to complete and are timed for it.” CrossFit can be its own respective sport with competitors, but many athletes use it to stay in shape for other sports. Exercises can improve endurance, Æe`ibility, po_er, speed and balance. “I use CrossFit as a fun way to stay in shape for rugby. It’s a pretty rough sport, so staying in shape is very important,” sophomore Madi Crock said. At CrossFit club, members work out together on the same exercises. Hanna believes that working out with other people is much more motivating. ¹;taying in shape is also a great benefit, but 1 Sno_ 1 _ouldn¼t be doing as well without other people,” Hanna said. <he club _elcomes all levels of fitness and their goal is to forge a broad, general and inclusive fitness space for all members. CrossFit club meets every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 3:15-4:15 in the old weight room across from the doors to the main gym between FH6 and FH7.

5. 6. 7. Ski Club This annual club allows students to travel to Perfect North Slopes four Fridays a year, starting in January. The average cost of the club is $290. That money pays for a lift ticket, charter bus transportation and ski rentals. To save money on the rental fee, some students bring their own gear. “Skiing is fun because it is something fun to do on a Friday night and it¼s something different to do than just sitting at home,” freshman Claire Bolinger said. At Perfect North, there are options to ski, snowboard and snow tube. <here are different level trails that range from easy to most diٻcult for skiing and snowboarding. The tubing run is 1200 feet long and includes a lift ride back up to the top. ¹1 choose to sSi because 1 have prior e`perience _ith it and enjoy it the most,” junior ;arah )lderton said. ¹1 tried sno_boarding and _as not very good, so 1 stucS _ith sSiing. 1 have never tried sno_ tubing but it seems fun.” 8erfect 6orth also offers free sSi lessons included _ith the purchase of a lift ticket. “I saw people taking the ski lessons and they looked really helpful if you are a first time sSier or need some tips,” *olinger said. )ccording to the Colorado ;Si organibation, a person can burn around 400 calories per hour while downhill skiing. It can improve cardiovascular health, coordination, balance and strengthen leg muscles. “Skiing and winter sports are a bit underrated in terms of ways to get e`ercise,” )lderton said. ¹1t¼s a fun _ay to get active, considering you¼re in a different climate _hen compared to your typical forms of e`ercise.”

1

Freshmen Erica Combs, Claire Bolinger and Elle Powers pose for a photo on the slopes at Perfect North. Photo used with permission of Claire Bolinger.

-unior (mily *uldberg holds a modified boat pose, which improves core muscles and balance. Photo by James Fortozo.