The Chariot 2022-23 Issue 2: Celebration of Life

CELEBRATION OF LIFE CELEBRATION OF LIFE

letter from the EDITOR

Last issue, we delved into the tumultuous nature of chaos - the good, the bad and the gray areas in between. However, with this issue, we took a turn. We came to the conclusion that news had long covered the harsh nature of society. We wanted to do the opposite. Now, we wholeheart edly invite you to the latest issue: The Celebration of Life. Here, we aim to commemorate the beauty within humanity - and maybe even win a Columbia Universi ty Crown Award in the process. With the holidays in full swing,

we hope to emanate the spirit of the seasons as well. We included some events to attend, some plac es to see and, of course, some ar ticles to read. We also decided to include a wide range of other top ics which epitomize the theme. From covering how one of our favorite movies, The Perks of Be ing A Wallflower, reflects the high school experience to how musi cians at the school have pursued their passions, we usher you into the holiday season with some great reads. So, grab a cup of hot choc olate, cider or eggnog and enjoy.

AASHWIN SHARMA & RACHEL ROTHMAN

Editors-In-Chief

ROUNDUP

Nikhil Bhagavati, staff writer

GERMANY

In the past few weeks, climate activists from the Letzte Generation (Last Generation) group have been van dalizing famous and expensive paintings in an attempt to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. The common theme is to throw a liquid at a painting and follow up by gluing oneself to the wall. The latest stunt was pulled off by a group of four individuals throwing mashed potatoes at Les Meules by Claude Monet. Fortunately, the museum ensured that the painting is fine, as it was protected by a layer of glass.

US/MEXICO

Every year, The Border Network for Human Rights hosts an event called HugsNotWalls. The goal of the program is to reunite families that were separated due to immigration or citizenship status issues and make for a nice atmosphere with low tensions, for the peace and safety of everyone there. For some families, it is their first time. For others, they have done it before. As explained by one father, “just crying it out, laugh ing, it’s a mix of emotions, because you have them right there and then the next moment they’re not there, so it’s very hard at times, very happy at some times, it’s just mixed emotions.” These families reunite each year at the border between the United States and Mexico, the Rio Grande.

IRAN

Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed in a South Korean rock climbing competition without wearing her hijab. When questioned, she stated that she was not mind ful of it as she was occupied with getting her equip ment ready when she was called to climb. One day after the competition, she also posted an Instagram story sharing the accident. Unfortunately, the Iranian government mandates that all women representing the country in sports or other events must wear a hijab. Rekabi might face consequences, as her actions incited female equality protests and military violence in Iran.

Xi Jinping is the current president of the People’s Republic of China and is currently dealing with controversy. In China, a president is elected every 5 years, with no term limits. Normally, a president holds power for at most two to three terms. In this case, however, the population began to retaliate because the value of the Chinese Yuan fell after the election of Xi Jinping for his 3rd term. Students are fighting against the action of communism itself, saying they “love [their] country. However, [they] don’t love the [Communist] Party. Tensions are rising and photos of protests have been leaked, showing the state of rebellion from within China itself. To help with the efforts, students all around have been scribbling in bathroom stalls, library books and even posting on social media.

KENYA

Near Lake Turkana, where pastures flourished four years ago, there now lies nothing but barren and cracked earth. After two years of high rainfall, the Turkana region faced four years of failed rains. This led many living creatures to the brink of starvation. Although that was tough to deal with already, the residents now have to worry about a new threat; the Turkana lake has begun to overflow, con suming land, people and their livelihood. Currently, the International Rescue Committee is working on providing aid to the many families displaced by the floods. As part of the aid program, the IRC has provided 1,000 bags of rice and vitamin rich food to families displaced, hoping to give the people of the region a chance to bring their lives back to normal.

JAPAN

The sacred deer of Nara, Japan, are dying due to the con sumption of plastic bags. Studying the significance of the problem, Takashi Nakamura has come up with a solution: edible bags. These bags, made of rice bran, are complete ly edible and biodegradable. While benefiting the Nara deer, these bags play a great role in the reduction of rice bran waste as well. The Japan Food Research Laboratory tested the bag, proving that the bag is safe to eat. While the bag is helpful, unfortunately, some companies are unable to transition due to the high price to produce the bags. Nakamura continues to expand on his invention and is currently working on making them equally cheap as a plastic bag. With the usage of these rice bran bags, he hopes that it will allow the deer to live and continue to be a part of Japanese culture.

The Daffodil Project

SEOJEAN AHN, staff writer

The Daffodil Project was recently brought to Johns Creek High School, making it the second high school in Fulton County to participate in the project.

The Daffodil Project originated in Atlan ta in 2010 by Dr. Andrea Videlefsky, a phy sician and philanthropist, and has been car ried out by Am Yisrael Chai, a nonprofit organization aimed to educate and spread awareness about the Holocaust.

The project essentially “as pires to build a worldwide Living Holocaust Me morial” by planting 1.5 million Daffodils around the world in remembrance of the 1.5 mil lion children who passed away during the Holocaust. The initiative also aims to spread awareness of current humani tarian crises and sup port child victims around the world. Although the project orig inated in Atlanta, it has quickly expanded around the world to countries like Poland, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany and more.

2022 was the first year JCHS participat ed in the project. Assistant Principal Ashley Barker led the project along with North Ful ton Daffodil Project Ambassador Lisa Wi nokur. They worked with Temple Emanuel, who provided supplies and equipment, to carry out the project. The project was adver tised through JCNN, the daily live morning news show, and through community emails.

The event took place Oct. 18 after school out

side of the cafeteria with approximately 40 stu dents and parent volunteers. Their motives for participating in the project were diverse. A lot of the students were Jewish. “We did the project at my church. Not only was it for a good cause, it was very pretty so I wanted to do it at our school,” Lainey Weissman, a junior, said. How ever, there were a lot of students who weren’t Jewish as well. “I’m not Jewish, but I think it is a very beautiful cause, and I think whether you are Jewish or not, it would be a really good idea to help out,” said Shreya Kumar, a sophomore. Abby Quinn, a re cent graduate, had spent a year in Isra el and grew to res onate with Judaism during her stay. “I wanted to come back and pay tribute to my high school.” Other stu dents claimed that by par ticipating in the project they were able to support the Jewish community, overcome hate in the world and earn community service hours. The event ended successfully with 250 more bulbs planted towards the goal of 1.5 million. There are cur rently 758,000 bulbs planted around the world.

“The idea is to make it continue at our school,” AP Barker said. He also plans to find another area at the school to plant 100 more bulbs in the near future. “It’s a very beauti ful flower that makes the school look nice, not to mention the actual representation of it from a symbolic standpoint.” AP Barker also hopes to spread the project in the district and get neighboring schools to participate as well.

Mark Cuban’s Pharmaceutical Company

Named by Forbes as one of the “400 Rich est People in America,” Mark Cuban has created a legacy of his own by being a cel ebrated shark on ABC’s hit reality television series, “Shark Tank,” as a highly successful entrepreneur selling a company he built for $5.7 billion. One of his most impactful endeavors, however, is his ambitious plan to take on the pharmaceutical in dustry and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

In partnership with the Capital Blue Cross, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company provides life-saving prescription drugs that are often too ex pensive, especially for recipients without insurance. According to CNET, the drugs treat conditions such as migraines, acid reflux, cancer and neurological disorders. By launching hundreds of commonly used medications with drastic cost cuts, the drug compa ny offers revolutionary changes to the pharmaceuti cal industry. For example, the generic version of Ac tos - typically prescribed for patients with diabetes and typically sold for $74.40 - is now available for $6.60 for 30 pills, thanks to Cuban’s company. An other study published by Forbes found that Cuban’s medication service sells drugs sometimes 10 times less compared to traditional offerings, such as a Leu kemia treatment drug which is usually sold at $9,657 for a month’s supply, but is available via Cost Plus for just $47 a month. The reaction from consumers was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Cuban also says that he plans to add brand name drugs to further advance his business. In an interview pub lished by Pharmacy Times, Yoona Kim, a renowned pharmacist and CEO, discusses the major impacts the company will have for patients across the nation. “Mark Cuban’s company provides hundreds of ge nerics at lower cost, and there’s price transparency around it. We know that already, nearly 10 percent of our population is uninsured. That’s more than 30 million people. So, this presents a good option for

those that need an affordable solution,” said Kim. Sky-high prices for medication are nothing new for the pharmaceutical industry in America. We spend more on prescription drugs - average costs are about $1,300 per person per year - than anyone else in the world. Since 1984, lack of price regulation, limited market competition and high administrative costs have all contributed to the high payment rates. Furthermore, the newly signed Inflation Reduction Act gives insurance programs such as Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices for the first time ever. Furthermore, Medicare spends over $115 billion an nually on prescription drugs. The Harvard Medical School found that if Medicare had purchased pre scriptions through Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs, they would have saved more than $3.6 billion in 2020. From providing low-costing medicine for un insured patients to helping save millions of lives, Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Compa ny has served as a catalyst in changing the face of pharmaceutical sectors across the nation.

SHAH, staff writer

SANJANA

LEE,

CelebrationofAthleticAcheivment VERA

opinion editor

Jackie Robinson:

In a time of rampant segregation, Georgia native Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first Af rican American to play in Major League Baseball. Throughout his 10-year career, Robinson won the Rookie of the Year award and became the first Af rican American to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, while maintaining an impressive .313 batting average. In 1997, the MLB gave Robinson one of the highest honors of being the first player to have his uniform number, 42, retired from all major league teams. With Robin son’s addition to the MLB came the end of the baseball col or line and more opportunities for African Americans to display their athletic ability, changing the MLB forever.

Muhammad Ali: Muhammad Ali, an icon of American boxing, is widely renowned as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers. Ali won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olym pics. In the 1964 World Heavy weight Championship, against everyone’s expectations, Ali beat Sonny Liston, the undefeated champion. He also participat ed in several publicized boxing matches like the Fight of the Century against Joe Fraizer and The Rumble in the Jun gle against George Foreman. Outside of the ring Ali was an activist, sharing how proud he was of his African American heritage and pub licly opposing the Vietnam War due to religious and ethical reasons.

Usain Bolt: Nicknamed Lightning Bolt for his speed, Bolt is an 11-time World Champion and an eight-time Olympic gold medallist. The pride of Jamaica, Bolt was able to run the 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds, a record that has not been broken for 14 years. After his retirement in 2017, Bolt con tinues to hold the world record in two other events: the 200-meter dash, and the 4x100 meter relay.

Michael Jordan: Michael Jordan is widely accepted across the country as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In his 15 seasons of playing in the National Basketball Association, Jor dan played shooting guard and won six NBA cham pionships. Renowned for his slam dunks from the free-throw line, Jordan has become a basketball icon. At the end of his career, Jordan won three NBA All-Star Games MVP awards and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Jordan has also achieved other accomplishments like owning his own NBA basketball team, starring in beloved children’s film “Space Jam” and being the face of popular shoes “Air Jordans.” In 2016, Michael Jor dan became the first billionaire in NBA history.

Michael Phelps: With a total of 28 Olympic medals, Michael Phelps is not only the most decorated Olympic swimmer, but also the most decorated Olympian across all sports. At the age of 15, Phelps qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics - becoming the youngest to do so since 1932. In the Olympics and World Champion ships he participated in, he broke record upon record. He currently holds the world record for the men’s 400-meter individual medley, complet ing the course in four minutes and three seconds.

Athlete Philanthropy

ETHAN PALGON, staff writer

Professional athletes earn sizable salaries and are often idolized by millions of fans world wide. This puts them in a unique position of being able to donate and raise money for their favorite charities. These philanthropic acts make athletes some of the most generous benefactors when it comes to helping out the less fortunate. First up on the list is Tiger Woods. Woods, who many may call the “world’s best golfer,” has been involved in charity work and donations for around 20 years. His Tiger Woods Foundation provides money for deserv ing impoverished students who want to attend col lege. It also awards dozens of grants to improve under privileged children’s health. Millions of young people have benefitted from his generosity. As of recently, the foundation has given out over $30 million in grants, scholarships and internships. It also provides specialized education programs for graphic design, marine biology and aerospace engineering majors so that these students can develop a meaningful career after they graduate from college. Additionally, he do nates regularly to Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Rainforest Foundation Fund and Caddy for a Cure. Another one of the world’s most philanthrop ic athletes is Serena Williams. Not only is Williams a whiz on the tennis court, she has also been given many awards for her work with charities such as the Young Heroes Award for her support of Big Broth ers Big Sisters, the Family Circle and Prudential Fi nancial Player Who Makes a Difference Award and the Celebrity Role Model Award from the Avon

Foundation for her work fighting breast cancer. Wil liams, a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador, has traveled to Ghana with UNICEF to lobby for better educational opportu nities for children in third-world countries. She also actively supports the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization that provides legal repre sentation to those who may have been denied a fair trial. Her foundation has helped build two schools in Kenya, The Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni and Wee Secondary School in Makueni.

David Beckham, the world-famous soccer star, also supports a wide variety of charities, including UNICEF and its Unite Against AIDS Campaign. His own charity, the Victoria and David Beckham Char itable Trust, provides children in need with wheel chairs and other support. Beckham has also advo cated for other charities, including the Red Cross, Malaria No More, the National Society for the Pre vention of Cruelty to Children and Peace One Day. He is a supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the war veteran advocacy group Help for Heroes. All in all, these well-known, wealthy athletes have shown the effect their fame and riches can have local ly, nationally and globally on the less fortunate. With these philanthropic acts of kindness from Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and David Beckham, the world has become a better and more positive place for all.

JCHS Boys Volleyball

HITI GUPTA, staff writer

The Boys Volleyball Team has been at Johns Creek for eight years and, since its formation, has become a force to be reckoned with across the state. In 2014, Ms. Clowe and former coaches Pia and Stephens set out to start the boy’s volleyball team. The club was start ed to address the lack of a boys team and to help boys in the school find their niche. Since early on, the club has connected with boys volleyball supporters across the nation and lo cally. An example of this is A-5 club volleyball, which provides practice space to the team and connects them with teams across the state to provide “high-level competition.” The club is now overseen by Coach Clowe and has about 20 members.

Like many other sports, the Boys Volleyball Team took a serious hit during Covid. Many schools

shut down their teams and players stayed home due to online school. However, the team made a come back and was back at state, earning second place two years in a row.

The Boys Volleyball Team is the only one in the Fulton County school system and, over the years, became one of the best teams in the state,competing in the state finals nearly every year. In 2017, the boys volleyball team won the state cham pionship and were runner-ups in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2021. The team practices three times a week during the season and starts competing right after the basketball team finish es up their season. Gladiator Army and the Girls Volleyball Team were key supporters of the team last year.

Oftentimes during practice, Coach Clowe reminds her team “ how you practice is how you play.” When

asked what she hopes for the team to achieve she stated “my biggest hope for achievement is to get sanctioned by the Georgia High School Sports Association”, by getting sanctioned the team can start receiving fund ing. Another goal Coach Clowe has is to go back to the state champion ship.When asked what motivates the team to continue, Coach Clowe mentioned that for her, it is the im portance the club has to many play ers. As for the students, it is often their first home at school. Over the years, the team has become a sec ond family to many and for Coach Clowe, the players are like her chil dren. Some of her fondest memories are seeing players getting recruited for something they are passionate about. The team is open to those fa miliar and unfamiliar with the sport and is open to anyone looking to join.

COVER:

COVER: CELEBRATION OF LIFE CELEBRATION OF LIFE

AILEEN HA,

managing editor

CHANDRA SENTELL,

features editor

In a world often con sumed with chaos and trage dy, society is constantly subject to the negativity pervading communities that is further generated by news outlets, so cial media and even indirectly by those clos est to us. It is during times of despair and loss that one tends to reflect the most. Yet, in all times and aspects of life, it is important to re member the positives, to cherish the memo ries and to recognize the silver linings. While the world continues to rampage, with news stories of upsetting events popping up wher ever one goes, the positives and people we appreciate keep us grounded. The world does not only revolve around a string of unpleasant experiences; it continues to grow with the uni

ty of people and the celebration of life that flows around us. Just like how “celebration of life” takes on multiple meanings, the world takes on multiple approaches to the traditions main tained when celebrat ing life. From conti nent to continent, the cultural cus toms range from incorporating spe cialty flowers to in corporating incense sticks. In Latin Amer ica, Nov. 1, also known as “Dia de Los Muertos,” is the day allocated for the dead, bringing about an air of celebration and happiness in remembrance of those lost. The day is usually spent with families visiting gravesites to decorate and clean tombstones of their beloved family members and of fering food, drinks and flowers, amongst many other meaningful contributions to their family altars. A similar approach ex ists on the other side of the world in Asia. While most of the countries in Asia do not possess a specific day dedicated to those who have passed away, many celebrate the dead based on the death anniversaries of those who died. Following the Lunar calendar, many Asian cultures spend the day of the death anniversary offering up food, pictures, flowers and candles to the altar, often light ing up incense to make wishes to the dead.

Additionally, many countries in Asia burn paper money and clothing in order to bring themselves closer to lost relatives and provide them with necessities wherever they may be.

In Eastern and Central Europe, Nov. 1 marks All Saints Day, a day in remembrance of all known and unknown saints. The next day, All Souls Day, focuses on the dead, and fami lies usually visit gravesites to clean and bring lamps to the tombstones. No matter where or when, every community celebrates life in its own way in honor of not just those lost in the past but also those in the present and future.

In our own community, our school works hard to unify and recognize students who go above and beyond in and out of the class room. The administration has worked hard to create programs like ISE and CREED to fur ther the connections between their students and staff. The idea of unifying the school began as a district initiative but the admin istration, staff and student body wanted to personalize this to our school; thus, CREED was created. CREED’s purpose is to bring the school together and create an easy way to recognize students and staff members for their good deeds. The school has made this possible by placing QR codes throughout the school that allow you to acknowledge some one’s kindness, as well as having created glad itude awards. These awards are accessible to everyone in the school and are slips of paper that you can give to your peers or a teacher who has committed an act of goodwill. They have also adapted our pep rallies with the help of Mr. Smith and Gladiator Army to be

more student based versus being solely about athletics. Gladiator Army was created with the hopes of inspiring the student body to be more involved and creating a safe space for students to celebrate our school. “[Gladiator Army] is a second family to me and has made school events more fun with things like tail gates before football games and pep rallies,” said member of Gladiator Army, Isabella Las tra. Another program, ISE, was created by Retired Assistant Principal Ms. Hudson with the intent of recognizing students who thrive in both school and the community. “It recog nizes the students who are not normally rec ognized,” stated Ms. Hudson. These students are nominated by their peers and are select ed based on their whole character, not just a piece. They are given these awards during the morning announcements and explain all they have done within the community. All of these efforts have been put in place to celebrate the people in our community for their exempla ry actions and help inspire people to do the same. “My hope is it becomes em braced by everyone,” said Assistant Principal, Mr. Martin. Once these pro grams become a sta ple in everyone’s lives, the school will be able to celebrate all of its stu dents and staff and contin ue to expand its initiative. Of course, can be celebrat ed across multiple forums,

and social media provides a platform that reach es mass audiences. While the subject of social media and its effects has been under scrutiny for a long time, there is no doubt that social media has positively impacted the communi ty. Although it has been a source of division in the past, social media continues to act as a me dium of communication that has brought the world closer in times of distress. Specifically at Johns Creek High School, the school’s many student-run Instagram pages act as sources of unification and humor. From the JCHS bad parking page to the many student club pages, these social media accounts have acted as fo rums that foster harmony and collaboration amongst the student body. Assistant Principal Mr. Martin agrees that the overall outlook on social media at the school is optimistic. “Since I’ve jumped on Instagram, I’ve been pleased with how students use social media to dis cuss school events,” said Mr. Martin. Despite the positivity surrounding social media at the school, “if you do not set the example in a pos itive way then it [becomes] a free-for-all, and there are not enough regulations to keep some accounts in check,” said AP Martin, emphasiz ing the im portance

of setting the standard for accounts and using social media responsibly. Of course, social me dia has allowed for the celebration of events and lives, creating a channel in which people can document and share the happiest moments of their lives. Regardless of the fact that social media possesses a platform in which hate and conflict can run amok, it cannot be denied that it has cultivated relationships, allowed for edu cation and awareness and connected society in a myriad of ways, unifying the world despite the differences and discord between communities.

The celebration of life unifies everyone from the past, the present and the future. It is crucial to focus not only on the negatives in this world but the positives that lie underneath. Together, we can connect and embrace life by honoring our ancestors, recognizing individuals in our community and continuing to connect through social media. Once you shift your mindset away from the negatives, you can embrace what you already have and shift your attitude to an “at titude of gratitude” that fully allows you to ap preciate the gifts you have been given.

What’s Happening

In the Creek:

ELLA CHO, news editor and AASHWIN SHARMA, editor in chief

December 3-18

The musical that was a hit on its Broadway run will be returning in ACT1 Theaters. The show is open to all ages and guarantees a night of enjoyment. Following the story of Raphie Parker and his search for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts, the audience can enjoy a sweet and humorous show with their family as Christmas approaches.

A Christmas Story: The Musical December 10 AlpharettaMarket:Christmas

With over 60 vendors signed up, the Al pharetta Christmas Market is a popular spot for holiday gift shopping. From food to crafts to jewelry and more, the vendors offer a variety of items. Whether it be hunting for presents, or finding an opportunity to hang out with family and friends, the Alpharetta Christmas Market is a must-visit.

December 13th

MODA: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Fashion Until

During Atlanta’s Sustainable Fashion Week, the Museum of Design in Atlanta is showcas ing the history of iconic hip-hop styles. The event starts at 6pm and is led by Dr. Courtney Hammonds - who is known as “The Dean of Fashion.” The event is free for MODA mem bers and $5 for nonmembers.

December 24th Cirque du Soleil Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities

MontrealPresentlylocatedinAtlanticStation,the basedCircusispresentingbreathtakingstuntsandperformancesuntilDecember 24th. Kurios is centered around andinnovationandhistory.Itfeaturesoddities wondersfromthepastandissuretobea memorableexperience.

Positive News

that fit the “Celebration of Life.” Most things I found were centered around death: The Queen, The Russo-Ukrainian War and North Korean missile launches. It took me signifi cantly longer to brainstorm for this issue’s theme than last issue’s “Chaos” theme. “I find myself hardly looking at the news any more because of how hostile everything is. It feels like I only see a positive news story once a month,” said Senior Kylie Frazier. In fact, a study conducted by Reuters Institute

GIULI CAPPARELLI, copy editor

found that 42 percent of Americans avoid the news, “with many respondents saying news has a negative effect on their mood.”

Although it is difficult to find positive world news, Good News Network does just that. Good News Network (GNN) is an online news platform started in the late 1990s by former CNN employee Geri Weis-Corbley. “Good news itself is not in short supply…GNN was founded because the media was failing to report the posi tive news,” according to GNN’s website. In a world full of negative news, Good News Network stands out with its solely positive network, stemming beyond just news. On their website, GNN has positive news ar ticles, positive podcasts and even ways to get involved and support their positivity.

With articles titled “Cute Dog Walking Around Golf Course has Collected 6,000 Lost Golf Balls Which Are Donated to Char ities’’ and “Kindhearted Boy Used His Birth day Money to Start a Food Bank in His Gar den Shed,” Good News Network gives readers a place to go when they need cheering up.

In March of 2020, when Covid hit the world, the entire internet was plagued with frightening and disheartening news. Articles titled “How COVID-19 Causes Loss of Smell” and “Man Dies, Woman Hospitalized After Taking Form Of Chloroquine To Prevent COVID-19” cov ered every news site, every article title sounding scarier than the previous. While the entire na tion locked up in their homes, sold-out shelves of water and overall panicked, news stations fueled the fire. To combat this, John Krasins ki, best known for his roles in “The Office” and “The Quiet Place,” started his own new channel on Youtube: “Some Good News” (SGN). Some Good News began in late March 2020, when Krasinski felt there was a lack of good news in the media and took matters into his own hands. Krasinski took to Twitter and asked his fans to send in all of the “feel good” stories they could

find. He then started recording on a camera at his home desk and got to sharing. In his first episode, Krasinski included an interview from Steve Carell, also known as Michael Scott, as well as an interview with Coco, a 15-year-old girl who had just finished her last Chemo treat ment. Along with sharing good news, Krasinski hosted fun events on the show. He reunited the cast of “The Office”, held a virtual prom for the class of 2020 and hosted a Holiday special with celebrity guest stars. Krasinski saw the world’s agony during these difficult times and used his fame and influence to create a form of happiness for people around the world. As well as helping those around the world, the series helped Kra sinski himself get through the tough time. Kra sinski explained, “[The creation of SGN was] the most emotionally fulfilled I’ve ever felt in my en tire life,” and that, “I’ve received the most amaz ingly kind notes about how much that show mean to everyone, but the truth is, it meant no more to anyone than me.” Some Good News provided people an escape from a low point that we were all stuck in, and John Krasinski made sure that the show truly lived up to its name.

Los Abuelos: A Deep Dive Los Abuelos: A Deep Dive

Aashwin and I were delight ed to hear that Los Abue los, a local Mexican grill, became the newest JCHS sponsor and partner. Such partners are a large part of why various activities, such as The Chariot, are possible. Armed with excitement and emp ty stomachs, the pair of us, along with Senior Jeremy McWhirter, headed to Los Abuelos after a long cross country practice with a mission to inform the people about the creek’s newest com munity partner. We also aimed to see if it lived up to its impres sive 4.8-star review on Google.

Walking in, we were met with a very welcoming hostess who was happy to fulfill our special request for a booth. Little did we know this was only the beginning of the excellent service experience at Los Abuelos. We started with drinks and an appetizer, settling for a round of waters along with que so. We were pleasantly surprised when the drinks arrived in unusu ally large glasses. While the que

so was delicious, we were slightly disappointed by its serving size.

Around this time was our first run-in with the manager, who stopped by our table to check on our food and us. He went to every table at multiple points through out our meal to check on them and ensure a positive experience. Coming from someone who worked in a restaurant for over a year, this was an impressive dis play of customer service and care.

I settled for the Los Abuelos bur rito with steak, thinking any menu item with the restaurant name in it would be a good test of qual ity. This turned out to be a great choice. The steak was well-cooked and shockingly tender, and the accompanying rice was very light and flavorful. Before I knew it, I had cleared my entire plate and was thrilled with my experience. But what did Aashwin think? Thanks for the assist, Drew. When we entered the establishment, which is less than a mile from Johns Creek High School, we were

greeted by a warm basket of torti lla chips paired with a tangy salsa. Once seated, our team of self-pro claimed food aficionados ordered a serving of queso for the table. Though the queso lacked the fla vor and portion size we famished men desired, the horchata made up for it - engulfing my taste buds in a bold cinnamon flavor. As I scanned the menu for a cure to my stomach’s groans, the restaurant’s namesake caught my eye. The Los Abuelos Burrito was savory and the burrito salsa is a must. What truly made the trip memo rable was the service. The staff was friendly, inviting and exceptional every step of the way. The man ager even parked at our table to enlighten us on the process used to keep the steak tender. At the end of the trip, our team had a few words to describe the experience: Johns Creek High School sports man Jeremy McWhirter called it “lively,” Sports Editor Drew Tostenson called it “excellent” and I simply called it “a staple.”

AASHWIN SHARMA, editor in chief and DREW TOSTENSON, sports editor

Musicians at Johns Creek High School

Johns Creek is home to many talented musicians and artists. The Johns Creek Orchestra, directed by Mr. Kim, has received a “Superior” rating every year from the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) since its founding in 2009. The Johns Creek Band, di rected by Mr. Daniels, has also received consistent “Su perior” ratings from performance assessments. It is clear to see that Johns Creek’s official music programs are excelling. There are also music clubs at Johns Creek, such as Guitar Club and Major (Music and Joy, Our Res olution) Small Ensembles Club. But what about the mu sicians at Johns Creek who are not in these programs? Some students make music on their own, some are a part of a band and others take on musical hobbies such as DJing.These musicians work hard and often fly under the radar, not receiving the recognition they deserve.

Senior Cooper Reagin is the drummer for Baker Miller Pink, a local band that creates original music and per forms covers. “I started playing drums by covering rock bands but then got really into jazz drumming,” Reagin said. He started playing the drums when quarantine started and signed up for lessons once it was ending. Re agin stated, “I’d describe the band as very spontaneous and carefree. The band started last summer when I got some friends from my music lessons together.” Jimmi

Hendrix and David Bowie are a couple of the band’s favorite artists and this common ground helped them grow closer. Baker Miller Pink performed a house show in early August and is looking to play more gigs, espe cially in Nashville, as their guitarist goes to school there. Regarding the band’s future, Reagin stated, “We hope to write more music and maybe release an EP or album.”

Seniors Mikey Elkhoury and Rohan Gonsalves began DJing as a duo earlier this year and have been improving their skills ever since. “We rented a turntable from Guitar Center to try it out and decided to buy it after discover ing we enjoyed it,” Gonsalves said. DJing involves mix ing multiple different songs, or tracks, together to spin existing music in a new way. Essentially, they are creat ing new music through hybrids of existing tracks. Since then, the pair has performed at multiple different events, successfully turning their passion into a small business. “We want to buy more equipment as we make more money”, explained Elkhoury. Like Baker Miller Pink, they are on the hunt for more gigs. They plan to contin ue improving their craft and wish to continue in college.

Between them and the JCHS Band and Orches tra, there is no shortage of musical talent at the creek. Hopefully, more musicians emerge and con tinue Johns Creek’s legacy of musical excellency.

DREW TOSTENSON, sports editor

The Perks of Being a Wallflower How Does It Reflect High School?

MAYA CLAY, staff writer

The coming-of-age genre has populated main stream media for almost 30 years. Beginning in the 1980s with John Hughes’ wave of teen-cen tered films — “Breakfast Club”, “Pretty in Pink” “Sixteen Candles” — and slowing down into the early 2010s, the genre explored teenagers’ growth in expression, emo tion and actions. The plot is a background character. The meat of the story is watching a relatable character go through familiar circumstances and learn to mature. It seemed to be a perfect reflection of the emotions of those who watched, yet by the mid to late 2010s, the genre had lost its footing, becoming a rarity in theaters. One of the films rounding out the era was “Perks of Being a Wall flower,” a quiet story about the introverted freshman taken under the wings of two upperclassmen; a familiar concept of mentorship and finding family. “Perks of Be ing a Wallflower” is one of those highly-revered movies, praised for its likeness to real high schoolers and their experiences. It replicated the quirks of relationships in adolescence, emanated mental struggles as teenagers and seamlessly illustrated the feelings of youth and freedom.

The friendship between the main character Charlie and seniors Sam and Patrick is reminiscent of most unlikely pairings. High school is a mixing pot of personalities. No

matter where a person’s interests may lie, they can find their niche in someone else. Charlie learns this as he finds his tribe and begins to build his own identity. He grows into a truer version of himself as he discovers new feel ings of friendship and romance, essential parts of the high school experience. The renowned quote, “We accept the love we think we deserve” defined a generation of people resorting to a relationship that undervalued them. “Perks of Being a Wallflower” showed them that their actions do not warrant anything less than genuine admiration.

The mental health aspect of the film is one of the more remarkable attributes. Charlie’s story is one for the survivors of sexual assault, for the people work ing through their depression and for the teenagers that had to sit by and couldn’t do anything when someone they knew took their own life. As the film progress es, it is revealed that Charlie’s aunt, who he idealized throughout the story, actually assaulted him in his for mer years. The movie centers on the reality of living with unresolved feelings and self-isolation as it per tains to childhood abuse. Far too many kids grow up unable to understand the sexual abuse and trauma they may have endured, but this film does not shy away from exploring its effects on teenagers as they develop.

Assault by a family member is rarely discussed in house holds whether it occurs or not, and therefore leaves the survivors confused as they experience new sexual rela tionships in high school. Charlie’s depression is also a sta ple aspect of the story. He enters high school dealing with the grief and weight of his only friend’s suicide fresh in his mind, leaving him emotionally stunted. Teen suicide is not new to films, but the movie pulled back the lens onto those affected by death and interconnected a web of young people that have experienced similar feelings. It helped them realize that their grief was seen, taking away the shame placed around mental health, grief and trauma.

“Perks of Being a Wallflower” encapsulates the essence of teenage liberation. Throughout the themes of friendships and mental illnesses, the movie captures what it is like to be a young teen experiencing the sense of freedom that is nav igating life. The scene of Charlie standing up in the back of the truck, flying through the highway tunnel, is recognized by the quote, “We are infinite,” epitomizing the feeling of be ing truly and unabashedly alive. Many high schoolers have had that moment, the climax of the life they’ve undergone in their teen years, where they’re floating on top of the world, entirely untouched by the stress, fear and pain of real life.

On the streets of New Orleans, it’s not uncommon to see funeral processions followed by boister ous jazz music and dancing. Unique to the city, these Jazz Funerals celebrate the life of the deceased in a spirited manner. Traditional New Orleans funerals were arranged to celebrate Black musicians around the 1800s, and since then, have become more popular. They combine aspects of African, French and early American funeral processions with a large jazz band. Their origins are credited to the practice of Ring Shouts performed by enslaved Black people where they would dance and clap in a circle during or after a Christian worship service. Jazz music started during the Harlem Revolution, the intellectual, cultural movement of African American culture. Jazz incorporates a large diversity of genres and music ranges making it very difficult to define. It has evolved dramatically since its origin and has cre ated many subgenres, influencing many other types of music like rock, R&B and hip-hop. Jazz Funerals often feature a first line, the percussion, brass band and a sec ond line made up of mourners. Standard instruments played in the first line are trumpets, tubas, trombones and saxophones. While called mourners, the mood in the second line is anything but grim. “I come from the era when you’re in your house and you hear music and you go ‘Second line!’ and you run outside,” Ausettua

N O L A

Jazz Funerals

Amor, artistic director of Kumbuka African Drum, says. COVID-19 saw many Jazz Funerals shut down. With about 18,136 deaths due to the pandemic in New Orle ans, many were unable to celebrate the passing of loved ones with the customary music and dance. During such a difficult time, the loss of one of the city’s most vibrant influences was detrimental to many. “You can trace the impact of the health crisis in New Orleans by the silence of the city – no brass bands, no funerals, no church ser vices happening,” says Matt Sakakeeny, Tulane Univer sity ethnomusicologist. The pandemic highlighted the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black com munities in Louisiana with 70 percent of COVID-19 re lated deaths at the start of the pandemic being Black de spite the demographic only making up 32 percent of the state’s population. With the loss of many great musicians, the city opted to postpone its Jazz Funerals until recent ly. Famous jazz musician Ellis Marsalis passed away in April 2020 and got his well-earned Jazz Funeral two years later at the music school he established, Ninth Ward. Jazz Funerals have existed for a long time, and just like the music they feature, will continue to change

ANIKA SRINIVASAN , staff writer

The two years following the pandemic debuted some highly anticipated movies like “Don’t Wor ry Darling”, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Dune” in theaters. There has also been a boom in the genre of biographical films, or biopics for short. Biopics detail events in a person’s, most often a celebrity, mu sician or politicians, life. The releases of these biopics have been quite controversial– and for good reason.

Netflix’s 2022 biopic, “Blonde”, has gotten plenty of criticism on social media since its release in Septem ber, mainly for its inaccurate representation of Marilyn Monroe and the uncouth details of the movie. The film is based on Joyce Carol Oates novel, “Blonde”, which is a fictional narrative of Monroe’s rise to fame. Although the novel contains a blatant disclaimer of the fictional ization, the film does not. To the question of whether or not “Blonde” honors Monroe’s life, the answer is no. The film’s focus on the trauma Monroe endured through out her childhood and career completely neglects her reported intelligence and wit, and renders her as merely a victim in every circumstance she faces. The narrative of abuse and sexual exploitation in Hollywood uncon ditionally contradicts the content of the film. It criticiz es the sexual objectification of Monroe in Hollywood while simultaneously hyper-sexualizing not only the character of Marilyn, but also the actress who portrays her, Ana De Armas. While commentary on the ex ploitation and abuse in the film industry is very import ant, especially in a time before women had a platform to speak out, “Blonde” just completely misses the mark.

BIOPICS

Another case of excessive victimization of the biop ic’s subject “Elvis”, the 2022 film which highlights El vis Presley’s exploitation of his career by his manager, Colonel Parker. Contention arose from the depiction of Presley’s friendship with Black musicians in the Mem phis music scene. Presley’s bond with some Black artists were accurately portrayed in the film, like Little Rich ard, who in an interview with the Rolling Stone claimed Presley boosted rock ‘n’ roll and blues music by intro ducing the genres to a white audience. However, other Black artists condemned Presley for taking the Mem phis-style blues and rock ‘n’ roll without credit to its Black creators. Ray Charles, a pioneer of American soul music in the 1950s, stated in a 1999 interview that “all Elvis was doing was copying” Black music and dance.

While the fictionalization of biopics is mentioned, or at the least insinuated, the audience does not always catch onto the distinction between fantasy and reality. That is where the danger of releasing fictional narratives about icons like Monroe or Presley stems. “I believe biopics should include both the good and the bad of the person’s life; however, what I’ve noticed is that the bad of a person’s life is often the part of their story that’s glorified… being fair in your portrayal is a key part of telling the story of a life,” Milo Khan, co-president of the Johns Creek High School film society says. This is not to say all biopics are harmful. For the most part, the purpose of the films is to honor a person’s life, and this can be done without creating a completely innocent narrative around them.

OLIVIA COURTNEY, staff writer

Celebration of Life: Murals + Street Art

SAVANNAH TOWNSEND, staff writer

One privilege given to the human race is the ability to influence one another. Some may do this by playing music, participating in a sport or writing books. But another way some people may influence others is through the creation of murals and street art. These may just look like a painting of a fa mous activist or wild colors and shapes, but if you look past their physical appearance, they encourage

Another function of murals is to represent their artist. For example, Hadley Breckenridge received her Mas ter’s degree from Georgia State University and enjoys participating in branding and marketing. She has also painted many other forms of street art including the “Enterchange,” also featured on the West Atlanta Belt line. She, like many others, has dedicated her life to the pursuit of joy, while also pursuing a normal life. Similarly, the John Lewis mural on the corner of Au burn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive celebrates the long life of John Lewis while also celebrating the lives of the Black community and their involvement in ending segregation. By painting Lew is, the artist celebrates his founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Com mittee and his impact on America through his participation in sit-ins and protests. Not only does the artist celebrate Lewis’ work, but also the passionate lives of the many people who participated in the civil rights movements past and present. From Freedom Rides to sit-ins to those who laid down their own needs to fight for the needs of their country, the John Lewis mural says, “thank you and we appreciate you.”

While some may consider these displays of celebration to be a waste of time or even vandalism, I disagree, as these are people who have received permission to beautify our country and bring joy and honor to those who are present now and those who came before them. These paintings dis play their grateful mind, selfless heart and devotion to their country. Murals allow people to be proud of their heritage and the hardships that brought them to where they are today, giving others the chance to be transported to a world that is full of “happy accidents,” as Bob Ross said. These paintings are truly celebrations of life.

Do Fantasy Football Punishments Go Too Far?

Fantasy Football: a “fun” game to play with friends in which you basically become the manager, coach and owner of your very own football team that you draft just before the start of the NFL season. The players you draft accumulate points (hopefully) each week and you compete against other teams in the league to see who wins or loses. Sounds lovely… Right? Well, as the regular NFL season dwindles down, fantasy football season ends as well. Let’s say, for instance, you see yourself leering at the league scoreboard because a dead-last finish is imminent. Typically, finishing last in your league comes with a punishment, regardless of how “unlucky” you were or how many injuries your play ers acquired over the past 18 weeks. So, how bad have these Fantasy Football punishments become?

A common and easy punishment for a league to do is the “shave your head” punishment. It’s pret ty self explanatory: one unlucky soul who found themselves at the bottom of the barrel will show up to school or work with a fresh new “cue-ball cut.” Another Fantasy Football favorite is to be forced to perform on the street until you earn 20 dollars (it’s harder than it sounds). Like always, some pun ishments go way too far. For instance, according to Bleacher Report, a Fantasy Football participant was forced to attend a football game fully decked out in his team’s jerseys and merch, only to watch the game from the middle of the rival fans’ section.

These Fantasy Foot ball punishments quickly became in creasingly popular,

as ESPN saw their Fantasy Games participants in crease by over 115 percent, allowing over 17.6 mil lion people to try their hand at arranging and ed iting lineups in an effort to crush their opponents. Within these 17.6 million players lies roughly 1.5 million losers (average of 12-player leagues). In all of the different Fantasy Football sites combined, in cluding ESPN, Yahoo! Fantasy, CBS, NFL and Draft Kings, there were over 4.1 million losers just in the United States alone. This means that if you were to find the percentage of U.S. inhabitants that became subject to a bottom of the table Fantasy-finish, it would equate to around 1.3 percent. Mathematical ly speaking, one in every 83 people in the United States have hit rock-bottom on their Fantasy luck. So, why do people still do Fantasy Football if they know there’s a possibility of them being punished? Most people do Fantasy Football as a bonding op portunity with their friends. But the reason the punishments began is based on overconfidence. Right after draft day people look back on their team and think, “No one’s beating me this year! I have the best running back in the league and two great wide receivers.” Well, a couple of below-par performanc es and injuries could land yourself as the league caboose. Regardless of how unlikely or impossible it seems, nothing is concrete in Fantasy Football.

ELI FLEISCHER, staff writer

Holidays are a large part of people’s lives from when they are old enough to un derstand what holidays are to when they have huge families of their own to share them with. Although some people may view them as just a break from the normal days filled with bor ing work or school, the holidays bring families together to worship, cele brate and enjoy each other’s presence. Some argue that holidays peak during childhood because they have more fun opening presents, eating all of the food adults spent time preparing, or running around with cousins or sib lings instead of experiencing the true meaning of the holidays like adults do. With age comes the ability to fully ap preciate loved ones’ company, as well as getting to see them open the pres ents picked out especially for them. Normally kids are the main recipients of presents during gift-giving winter

holidays like Christmas and Hanuk kah, and as people age, the gift-re ceiving tapers off. Instead, adults are supposed to go and buy gifts for the kids. Some may argue that holidays are not as fun when you no longer get to tear open a bunch of wrapped box es filled with the latest toys, but stud ies have shown that gift-giving actu ally releases more endorphins than gift-getting. During a study in 2006, scientist Jorge Moll from the National Institute of Health found that “when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust, creating a ‘warm glow effect.’” He also found that “altruistic behavior releas es endorphins in the brain, produc ing the positive feeling known as the ‘helper’s high’,” or in this case, ‘giver’s high.’” Maybe adults don’t have to be jealous of getting presents and it is kids who should be jealous of them.

For kids, holidays are a carefree time filled with presents and good food cooked up by a cluster of relatives. However, as these kids get older and the material aspect is diminished, spending time with others, what the holidays are meant to be about, be comes the focus. Holidays bring to gether the grandma that lives across the country, the sibling that goes to college up north and all of the rela tives that are not seen on a day-to-day basis. This makes holidays special for all members of the family, but espe cially for those who do not have pres ents to look forward to, or who have known these members longer than, say, the 6-year-old nephew. That is what holidays are all about, spend ing time with one another by partak ing in family traditions and gather ing together. Presents are temporary, but family memories are forever.

IZZY WILEY, staff writer

TNohe approach of winter brings with it plates of turkey, dreams of flying sleighs and a dazzling night of fireworks. Holidays are times of celebration and wonder, and who better encompasses the magic of the seasons than children? Perhaps adults are better at grasping the history be hind the festivities, but is it so wrong to relish in the mystical side of the holidays? Afterall, age only eats away the creative awe the seasons spark.

“Ignorance is bliss'' applies best in this context. To kids, holidays sym bolize eating delicious food, seeing old family, opening presents and en joying days off from school. “Kids can believe in the magic of holidays without the overbearing burdens adults deal with,” senior Emily Kim

ELLA CHO, news editor

said. “There’s no worrying about school the next day, but adults usually have to go back to work after getting only a day or two off.” For students, Thanksgiving break is a week long and winter break is two. For adults, some might get the same one or two week break, but it comes from their paid vacation. Some only get a day off. Maturity has benefits, but it de stroys the magic that holidays used to bring. While kids go to bed waiting for Santa Claus to land on their roof, adults go to bed running through their work schedule for the next day.

This doesn’t mean adults never en joy holidays like children do. As sad as it is, parents are the ones taking time out of their busy schedules to plan an enjoyable holiday for their kids. “The

older you get, the more stress you get. It’s not just receiving gifts anymore,” senior Isabella Lin claims. Kids don’t need to think about organizing events or spending money. They get to reap the hard work of the adults, and no one can yell at them for doing so. It’s their job to be free and naive while adults are expected to be diligent and ac countable. Age doesn’t just take away anticipation for stories to come to life; it takes away freedom and time as well.

Holidays will always remain as some of the most joyous days for people, old or young. An opportuni ty to celebrate religion or ancestors brings a wave of relaxation and new beginnings. Still, between the young and the old, the young are who will truly get the most out of festivities.

Tarot Cards

PRISHA MODY, staff writer

With many different subgroups in astrolo gy including zodiac signs, compatibility and horoscopes, tarot cards have always been shrouded in an air of mystery. They are often overlooked due to the mystic and eerie reputations they hold. A pack consists of 78 cards in two groups: Minor Arcana and Major Arcana. There are 56 cards in the Minor Arcana, with 14 cards in each suit, similar to a deck of cards. In comparison, the Ma jor Arcana consists of 22 cards, each with a different image in tune with the different problems encoun tered during the course of one’s life. These 22 cards represent the life lessons and themes that are said to influence a person’s life and their soul’s journey to enlightenment. When referring to a psychic to get a reading based on tarot cards, or doing a self-read ing of these cards, the main focus of the said read ing is the Major Arcana. These cards set the mood and scene by having the other cards all relate to the main themes of the Major Arcana card. With each card being able to foretell and answer questions that are burning in the customer’s minds, tarot cards can be used by people to make life-chang ing decisions. These deci sions and answers that are given can essentially be subconscious thoughts that the person de sires. When given the prophecy by the

cards of a certain future ahead, the person may shape their future to validate the reading, which would in crease the reliability of tarot reading and the con fidence that people have in tarot cards. Generally tarot readings, legitimize the answers already buried deep within people’s minds. However, tarot cards have been used to tell the future and the predictions have come true in certain circumstances. This can be due to certain body language and gestures made by the customer when getting their future foretold.

Austrian neurologist and psychologist, Sigmund Freud, in the course of his work, argued that many of our desires and feelings are suppressed because we perceive them as threats to our self-esteem or as a threat to our comfort zone. These desires can express themselves through dreams or situations that draw them out. One such situation is tarot cards. They draw out latent answers that already exist and pro vide comfort in knowing that even mystical powers have deemed the answer to the problem to be cor rect. Tarot cards provide a comfort in knowing that they can harness mystical powers to pro vide an answer. They give the read er what they truly desire. Many supporters of the cards men tion how the usage of the cards helps them make a decision if they are originally inde cisive. Howev er, tarot cards should be used with caution when answering major decisions, such as which col lege to go to or if they need to quit their job.

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The Chariot is a student-run publication printed for and distributed to the Johns Creek commu nity. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the en tire staff or those of Johns Creek High School, its students, faculty, staff or administration. Content is edited and controlled by staff edi tors, in collaboration with the staff adviser and the administration. The staff will publish only legally protected speech, adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity and the invasion of privacy.

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