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Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Road Stafford, VA 22556
STUDENT NEWS Magazine MVHS VOLUME 14 ISSUE 6 April | May Check out pages 12 and 13 to read an open letter to all students at Mountain View.
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418 Garrisonville Rd. Stafford, VA 22554 Call: 540-657-0006 Website: Danscare.com Store Hours: Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM Sat: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun: Closed
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The Viewpoint APRIL|MAY 2020 VOLUME 14 ISSUE 6
Index
Managing Editors Isabella Roeske Danielle Piper
01 Front cover
14 senior columns
02 ADS
15 senior columns
Design Editor Caroline Pollock
03 Index
16 sports recap
04 Briefs
17 sports recap
Social Media Editor Javonna Brigham
05 Succulents for plant Parents
18 our teachers
06 Benefits of optional school
19 Celtic astrology
07 Food waste
20 overachiever’s college Guide
Briefs Editors Aisha SantiagoBurgos Lexi Jackson
08 the next step
21 overachiever’s college Guide
Adviser Trisha Strahl
09 the next step
22 covid-19 timeline
10 Valedictorian
23 ads
11 sourdough made sweet
24 theatre farewell
12 Meet the staff
25 music farewell
13 Our message to you
26 connecting
Photography Editor Jules Torrice
The Viewpoint is a cross-section of the news and opinions of the student body of Mountain View High School. It is a forum of expression published by Staples. Letters and art to the editorial board are welcomed and should be submitted to room 503.
Editorial While the 2019-2020 school year has blown by quicker than anyone expected, the Viewpoint staff took a minute to reflect on their best moment of the past ten months. The seniors on staff all looked back on how they were happy to finally be the oldest students at Mountain View. Caroline said, “My favorite part of this year was being able to feel like a senior as I walked around the halls. Even though we did not get to have many, if any, senior activities, it was still nice to have some time at the top of the food chain...ha.” With an unconventional end to the year, JoJo reflected, “My favorite part of this school year were the first 2 ½ quarters when I could enjoy my senior year in person and not online.” Dan and Bella, however, didn’t change much from junior year. They remained in a theatre-centric mindset and ignored the pressure of senior year as much as possible. “For me personally, I really enjoyed being in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It was my first musical performance, and even though they aren’t my favorite, it was cool to be in one even just once,” said Dan. On the other end, Bella looks back on preparing for Chicago (R.I.P) as one of the best moments of the year. The youngins in class had a different outlook than the seniors, and some seemed more affected by the new schedule than others. Lexi and Catelynn expressed their exhaustion in their reflections. Lexi said, “The best moment of this year would have to be when I don’t do any work except study for my exams. Although, I do miss my friends.” Thinking more about the school year itself, Catelynn said, “I liked it when in the third quarter I had classes with all my friends, so I could slack off and now I don’t have to worry about the consequences.” Sean said, “Personally, my favorite part of the school year was homecoming, because that might’ve been the last time I got to be in a crowd (and a dance) for a long time… :(.” Don’t worry Sean, The Viewpoint will be boogying again soon.
Staff Writers Catelynn Aiman, Ceci Alvarez, Javonna Brigham, Aisha SantiagoBurgos, Lexi Jackson, Sean Jones, Danielle Piper, Caroline Pollock, Isabella Roeske and Jules Torrice Front Cover Isabella Roeske
2014-2018 International Quill and Scroll First Place Articles 2014-2018 VHSL State Championship First Place Award 2013, 2014, 2015 Free Lance-Star Best Over All Newspaper 2011 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist
Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Rd. Stafford, VA 22556 index u april | may 2020u the viewpoint u 03
What’s new at the View? - COVID-19 poetry We stay inside both day and night for a rightfully forged fear. Don’t touch your face, don’t scratch your nose, keep your hand away from your ear. You find you’re annoyed by the people that you once held dear. And any thoughts of the future quickly disappear. Simon Call, April 2020
The 18th hour I stumble out of bed I look out the window, I see the flowers They are blooming, they are beautiful But I am scratching my head, wondering why I must watch the beauty bloom from the outside looking in Or rather the inside looking out I caress my chin Contemplating why I no longer see my neighbors wandering about We are all imprisoned in our own homes We are all trapped in our own minds But I scour through the dark for the light At least we are allowed more than one call on the telephone At least the prison metal bars are replaced with our window blinds At least we all will see one another again, as long as we keep up the fight
While others weep I stay in comfort The homeless not sheltered I stay in comfort Doctors work countless hours I stay in comfort They say “stay inside” They say “keep distance” I want to help But alas The only way to Help Is for me to Stay in comfort Edgar Rivera, April 2020
Jazmyn Whittingham, April 2020
- HEy all you seniors Here are some quick reminders about the rest of this school year and beyond! • Senior awards night is being held on Thursday, May 28. They are going to be videoed and sent out to everyone. • Remember to notify your counselor of any scholarships you have been awarded. • A senior/junior prom/dinner has been scheduled for July 31. • A graduation ceremony is scheduled for August 1. If you know that you cannot attend at this time, email Dr. Stemple to notify him. • Cap and gown distribution has been postponed. More information will come from Dr. Stemple in future. • Yearbook distribution has been postponed. More information will come from Dr. Stemple in future. • AP exams will be online and completed at home. Contact your teachers for more information. • DE is now pass/fail unless you request otherwise. Contact your teacher for information. • IB exams have been cancelled. Scores will still come out in summer. Contact Ms. Gaddy with any questions.
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Succulents for the aspiring plant parent
Everything you need to know to start a succulent army by Bella Roeske
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o you want to be a succulent parent. This is good news… maybe. Succulents are mean and picky and can be brats. This being said, they are also lovely friends and aesthetic plants. If you are truly interested in taking on the responsibility of welcoming succulents into your home, this is for you! First off, succulents love the sun. They would marry the sun if such a union were possible/legal. Even so, they can burn. Burns can look like scabs and yellow spots on the leaves. This can occur most likely due to shocking your succulent with too much sunlight after being indoors/in shade. The burned leaves will not heal, but your plant will be okay. Just move it out of direct sunlight and ease it into the light. Second, succulents and water have a love/hate relationship. Water is necessary for them to survive, yes, but too much water will kill them… very quickly. An overwatered succulent will have mushy and squishy leaves that begin to fall off from the bottom. Too much water in a poor draining pot will result in rotting roots. The succulent will then dry up because it cannot receive the water in the soil. A well draining pot is on with rocks on the bottom or holes to allow excess water to leave the soil. To save an overwatered succulent, take the plant out of the pot and rinse off the roots. Repot the succulent in dry soil and let her thrive without drowning. A good rule of thumb is to watch your succulents and water when the leaves become slightly wrinkly. Plants do not live on a watering schedule like we wish they would. They are living their own lives on their own time.
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hird, and my favorite point, propagating. This is a journey that should not be taken by the faint of heart. The success rate of propagating varies based on the fact that they are, in fact, brats. So, don’t be sad if it doesn’t work out for you the way you hope. Now, on to the fun. The first and easiest way to propagate succulents is to find a taller one that has a lot of leaves. Cut the stem so that there is about three inches of plant above the cut. The original plant still in the soil will be fine. The new cutting is going to become an independent succulent. Twist and pull off the bottom leaves about an inch or two up the cutting and place the cutting directly into new soil and water sparingly. It will grow roots in a few weeks. With the leaves that you carefully twisted off from the stem, you can also propagate into new, independent plants. There are two methods, but both start with letting the leaves sit to dry out for a few days and I prefer the following way. Lay the leaves on a tray of soil. Mist them with water every day and wait. In a few weeks, roots will grow out from the end and soon enough a baby succulent will begin to grow. To see a baby succulent, you will need to be patient for about six to eight weeks. The baby succulent will remain attached to the leaf for a while to recieve all of the nutrients it needs. The plant will be ready to spread its wings when the leaf shrivels up and dies and leaves the succulent behind. To order succulent cuttings while in quarantine, I suggest Partly Sunny Projects. Once quarantine is over, if you don’t want to spend money on buying new succulents, go to Lowes/Walmart/any other corporate store and ask a worker at the store if you can have any broken or fallen leaves. Nine out of ten times they will not care. Do not take leaves from a small business or pull them off a plant. Okay! Those are the basics of succulent care. Love and cherish them and do not let them die.
Baby succ! This is about six weeks into propogation.
This is my personal plant army. They welcome you to the plant family. feature u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 05
IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF ONLINE SCHOOL
Students should be keeping their brains active with online school work even if it is not mandatory By Jules Torrice Designed by Caroline Pollock
Shutterstock
On March 23, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam closed all Virginia schools throughout the academic year due to the coronavirus because congregating in such high numbers increases the risk of transmitting the virus. Recently, some of the teachers from the local schools have reached out to students and have given them optional school assignments to do at home. Since there is no way to physically go to school and the teachers are working hard to stay in contact and give us these assignments, it is the perfect time to do those optional school assignments. Benefits of doing these optional assignments during this time include keeping the brain active, reviewing things that were not covered from the previous school year, and getting ready for the next school year and possibly college for those soon-to-be seniors. According to Public School Review, “While some school districts have moved to year-round schedules, most still adhere to the traditional nine-month calendar, with a winter break, spring break, and a lengthy summer break sprinkled throughout the year. At 1012 weeks, summer vacation can result in a substantial brain drain that can significantly impact your child’s education.” However, we are in a pandemic which is forcing a much longer “break” on us than summer affords. Students who choose not to do the online school options are seeing this time as summer vacation. This is not summer vacation. Treating this time as vacation can cause brain drain which is the opposite of keeping the brain active. According to Brookings.com, over the course of a long vacation, students lose between two months of math skills from the previous from the previous school year. Some students also experience setbacks in reading ability. So, now imagine all the students choosing not to do those online school options which will double
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the loss of math skill and reading ability. The second opportunity that the online school options offer is helping finish the school year and covering what was missed. Students have technology at their fingertips 24/7 so if something is not understood, then they can just search it online. The teachers who are posting online options are initially helping with that. For example, someone may still have questions about trigonometry. Their math teacher is providing them with online worksheets and notes so they get practice and study time for them. This goes for any class subject. Also, the online assignments don’t have to be due the day you start them. The last benefit is getting ready for next school year and possibly college. The four years you are at high school prepare you for college or entering the job force. Either way you have had an educational experience. Juniors and seniors should especially be taking this time to study and research colleges and any information they might need for next school year. This includes those online assignments because they give valuable practice and you also have the option to email your teachers and counselors for any questions you might have. If you are one of the students choosing not to do the online school options then let me ask you this: Do you want to be the student that looks at this current way of life and learning as “optional” and not important, or do you want to be the student that says let me learn what I was supposed to learn at my own pace for an hour or so each day? I ask this because we will hopefully soon see which student ends up with more options to make themselves happy and with less of a struggle when we get out of quarantine. If you are not up to date with new information about school closings, stay-at-home orders, or the coronavirus in general, here are some websites to follow: NBC, CDC, and CNN.
food waste Check out the infographic below that displays the regions that have the most per capita food losses and waste in Kilograms per year By JoJo Brigham Designed by Caroline Pollock
1.3 trillion tons of food is wasted globally every year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Along with the food itself, $2.6 trillion worth of food is lost or wasted annually. These amounts combined could end our hunger problem and feed the over 800 million starving people in the world not only once, but four times total, according to Reset.org. Often confused, food waste and food loss deal with two different things. Food waste refers to the decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by retailers, food service providers and consumers. On the other hand, food loss is the decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by food suppliers in the chain, excluding retailers, food service providers and consumers. Food loss refers to a shorter supply of edible food. This occurs during the production and processing phases. It can result from factors such as bad soil on a crop farm, or spillage during packaging. Because of these factors, the food can’t be distributed or sold, leaving the food to serve no purpose. Food waste is exactly what it sounds like: wasting food. This is when food is still capable of being eaten, but is instead discard-
ed. This is very common at restaurants. Portions at restaurants often come in a much larger size than what will actually be consumed. By offering smaller sizes, the waste of food served would be cut down since consumers wouldn’t be obligated to order a big size. One way to combat this problem is even if you end up not eating everything on your plate while you’re at a restaurant, ask for a to-go container and eat it for leftovers later that night or the next day. Another large source of food waste is throwing out food that is nearing or hit the “best by” date. These dates on the packaging of food is simply just an educated guess as to when the food should be eaten by for the best taste. With proper or improper storage, this suggested date could be too early or even too late, according to reset.org. A helpful tip to reducing food waste in your own home is to put your new, fresh groceries towards the back of the storage unit ( fridge, cabinet, pantry. ) This will cause you to use up the older groceries first, since they’ll be up front and noticeable. One of the most straightforward but easily forgotten solutions is to donate food that you know you won’t use before they expire. Places in need of food are usually willing to take food donations and put them to good use.
Europe
North America and Oceania
290 kg/year
275 kg/year North Africa, West, and Central Asia
220 kg/year
Latin America
225 kg/year
South and Southeast Asia
125 kg/year
Industrialized Asia
240 kg/year
Sub-Saharan Africa
165 kg/year Source: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
feature u april may 2020 u the viewpoint u 07
Start Shenandoah University
East Carolina University
Hannah Shero, Kaitlyn O’Grady, Javanna Brigaham, Elizabeth Ramberger, Kallie Triplett
Savannah Dicola, Kayleigh Wood, Brooke Burzynski
germanna Community College
Ruth Espinal, Calli Cunningham
University of Mary Washington
Virginia military institute Joshua Licona, Mark Shelton II
Jameson Bolin, Tim Ratliff, Sarah Blevins, Jack O’Reilly, Mason Oberle
See where the class of 2020 is going beyond Mountain View by Lexi Jackson | Design by Bella Roeske
The next step VCU Maya Madore, John Comer, Bryce Harding, Bella Merendino, Cierra McFadden, Alexandra Crisp
James Madison University
Kamryn Cajohn, Chelsea Boakye, Jordan DiJoseph, Isabella Ruiz, Anthony Angelo, Ben Carthron
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia Kaylee Harris, Jillian Brence, Patrick Salvanera, Marcos Gonzalez, Slater Sparks
Megan Taylor
Eastern Florida College of State college William & Mary Mackenzie Hudson
nity Commu Chest
Megan DeBernard
Daniel Flett, Chris Coto, Danielle Piper, Carleigh Lamborn, Steven Flores, Meghan Brown, Zoë Christophe
old dominion university
Evelyn Thompson, Isabelle Fortiz, Abigail Sussman, Priya Singh, Jenna Ryan
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North Carolina Wesleyan University Dylan Thompson
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Rochester Institute of Technology
Mowry, Brennan Rhodes
Michelle Snow
Clemson University
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Mackenzie Rivero
Andrew Watson, Lena Steckler
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George Washington university Emma Reese
University of south Carolina Jya Johnson
University of California, Berkeley Keith Mankin
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Finish
Chance
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CNU
Abigail Worthington, Sydney Jo Smith
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Florida Atlantic University
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Most Likely to be the next Albert Einstein:
Juliana Calvert
The Wildcat spotlight lands on Juliana Calvert, the 2020 valedictorian By JoJo Brigham Designed by Caroline Pollock
Senior Juliana Calvert exemplifies everything it means to be an extraordinary high school student and a Mountain View Wildcat. Throughout her high school career, she has earned her way to the top of her class with her rigorous academics as a CGS student while also taking a variety of IB and AP classes. Some of her favorite courses throughout high school include Spanish, AP European History, IB Anthropology, and AP Biology. Calvert’s social studies teacher, Ms. Darby, says “Juliana is one of those rare students a teacher has only once or twice in a career. She is not satisfied with just good, but always strives for excellence. No matter the task, Juliana puts her all into everything.” She has been accepted into Yale University, Duke University and the United States Naval Academy. Although she has not decided where to further her college career, her ideal plans for her future would be to study computer science, engineering, Spanish and/or public policy. Everyone faces their first day as a freshman with fear. Calvert relives her first day as a Wildcat:. “I remember the nervousness of walking in on the first day as a freshman. But, even on that day, two sophomores in my Spanish class helped me figure out when I needed to go catch the travel bus, and I think that was a common theme throughout my high school experience.” Since that first day, though, Calvert has worked to make herself an instrumental part of the Wildcat community. Throughout her four years, Calvert has been involved in both concert orchestra and chamber sinfonia where she played the viola, along with interact club, and CGS Model UN. She was also a member of the Mountain View swim and tennis teams. “Thanks to encouragement from my close friend Priya Singh I joined the swim team and tennis team as a sophomore and truly enjoyed the experiences from late night trips to IHOP with the swim team to playing doubles with friends on the court. Priya Singh describes Calvert as “the most kind and compassionate person she knows.” Singh goes on to say, “She has always been there for me and others. I am so blessed to have known her these past seven years. Her passion towards her goal is admirable and I look up to her.” High school is a prime time for you to learn more about yourself, balance time management and how you like your life to be organized. Calvert stated that her biggest accomplishment was “learning how to balance rigorous courses with sports and social activities, and becoming more comfortable in my own skin as I explored different activities in high school.” Along with her close friends, her biggest support system and source of motivation has always been her family, who Calvert says “encouraged me through late nights of homework and supported me at events from orchestra concerts to tennis matches.” Congratulations to Juliana Calvert for leaving her mark on the Mountain View community. We wish her the best in everything she goes on to do.
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Laura Calvert
“Throughout high school, I have always been committed to academics, but some of my best high school experiences came from taking the opportunity to try new things.”
Sourdough made sweet How to make and perfect sourdough starter
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here’s nothing better than the smell and warmth of homemade bread, but many people are too intimidated by the time and attention bread takes to try it themselves. All the proofing, kneading and time needed, on top of stores being out of yeast, are intimidating for beginner and veteran bakers alike. The solution? Sourdough bread. Although using sourdough as the leavening agent takes more time than using store-bought yeast, it creates a crusty bread with a complex flavor that is worth all the effort. Before jumping into sourdough head first, here are some bread basics to simplify the science behind this carbohydrate:
Leavening agent: The leavening agent is what makes the dough rise and bread porous.
In bread, doughnuts, rolls, etc, yeast is encouraged to ferment and release carbon dioxide. Store-bought yeast needs to be added to warm water, sugar and oil and allowed to bubble before mixing it and flour together. Wild yeasts found in flour, dried fruit and the air are used to make a sourdough starter which can be mixed into flour and water. (Britannica website)
Kneading: For a lot of breads, all the yeast in the world doesn’t matter if the dough isn’t kneaded. After mixing flour and water, the proteins in the flour normally need help activating and forming a strong gluten network. Gluten is essential to keep in the CO2 released by the leavening agent, which creates a light and fluffy loaf. Dough can be kneaded with a bread hook or by pushing the dough forward and rolling it backward on a clean surface. It should be kneaded until a smooth (free of lumps), elastic (it can stretch without tearing) and slightly tacky ball is formed. (Bon Appetit website) Proofing: Proofing is the most temperamental part of the process, but it’s also the easiest because this is when the dough is left alone. There are several stages of the proofing process: (Masterclass website) Autolyse: This is when the flour and water is mixed together before the yeast mixture is added, 20 minutes to 1 hour. This helps with the gluten. First proof: This is when the yeast produces the most bubbles. After the yeast, flour and water dough is kneaded, it needs to be covered in a lightly oiled bowl. It then sits at around 70 degrees until it doubles in size, 1 1/2 to 3 hours. Sourdough typically takes longer to double in size. While proofing, the dough should be folded over every half hour. Shaping: This is when the proofed dough is placed onto a floured surface and folded or rolled into the desired shape. It can also be cut into multiple loaves. After shaping, allow it to sit for 15 to 40 minutes. Final proof: This is when the shaped and rested dough is placed into its “proofing vessel,” covered and allowed to rise again. This last proofing can be done overnight in the fridge if a sourdough, or for as little as one hour to keep it simple.
by Danielle Piper
Starter materials: Glass jar Unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat flour Filtered water Cheese cloth, coffee filter or a paper towel Rubber band Instructions: 1. Make sure the glass 16oz jar and spoon are clean and dry 2. Add ½ cup flour and ¼ cup water to the jar and mix until smooth. It should be thicker than pancake batter, but not a dough 3. Mark where the ½ cup line is for later 4. Cover jar with cheesecloth, and seal around the mouth with rubber band 5. Leave in a warmish spot in the kitchen, between 68 and 75 degrees, for 24 hours 6. The next day, stir in any liquid that may have separated, then discard* all but ½ cup of the starter (if there is any to discard) 7. “Feed” starter by stirring in another ½ cup flour and ¼ cup water 8. Recover with cheesecloth, and let sit for another 24 hours 9. After 24 hours, it should have risen slightly and produced some bubbles. Stir in any liquids, and remove all but ½ cup of starter 10. Feed, recover and let sit for 12 hours 11. When you next check on the starter, it should have doubled or nearly doubled in size. Discard all but ½ cup of starter, feed and cover 12. After 12 hours, repeat the feeding process. Feed every 12 hours for another 3-5 days. The starter should rise significantly after every feeding, produce plentiful bubbles and smells like a tangy yogurt (see above left).
Notes • • •
The starter is ready to bake with when it doubles 6-8 hours after being fed To keep starter alive, repeat the discard and feeding process indefinitely Sourdough can replace store-bought yeast in any recipe; it just requires a little more time to rise and a little bit of math. Since sourdough is equal parts flour and water, equal portions of flour and liquid from the initial recipe must be removed when sourdough is added. For example, a bread recipe calls for 3 cups flour and 3 cups water. When adding 1 cup sourdough, remove ½ cup flour and ½ cup water. The final recipe is 2 ½ cup flour, 2 ½ cup water, and 1 cup sourdough. • Efficiency tip: instead of discarding all the starter, use ½ cup of the discard and begin another jar, and create double the amount of starter. • Longevity tip: instead of feeding the starter every 12-24 hours, try keeping the jar in the fridge and feeding once a week
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here are all sorts of sourdough recipes to try. Bread newbies should search for a straightforward and knead-light recipe like sourdough focaccia bread. Some good resources for straight up sourdough bread are the King Arthur Flour Sourdough Baking Guide and Basics with Babish Sourdough Bread article. There are also lots of recipes that use the discarded sourdough like pancakes, crumpets and popovers. With sourdough, the possibilities are endless. Try not to be discouraged by unleavened cinnamon buns or pale pizza crust; sourdough and baking in general takes practice and patience, and screwing up a recipe is just one stop on the journey to perfecting it. recipes u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 11
Meet the staff
Aisha Santiago - Briefs Editor
Javonna Bringham - Social Media Editor
Most likely to become a food critic
“Who wants to see my belly button piercing?” “Remember that one time my sister tried to murder me?”
Jules Torrice - Photo Editor Danielle Piper - Managing Editor Catelynn Aiman
Best dressed
“Oh! It’s not in Russian, it’s just upside down!”
Most likely to read your palm
Ceci Alvarez
Bella Roeske - Managing Editor
Most athletic
“I promise I don’t have a foot fetish.“
Sean Jones
“January memes carry us through the year”
Claire Watkins Lexi Jackson - Briefs Editor
“Wait! I have to put my crocs in sport mode.”
Caroline Pollock - design editor
Most likely to become an actual magazine page designer 12 u the viewpoint u april | may 2020 u feature
Ms. Strahl - Master Chef
“Who wrote ‘women aren’t funny?’ Women are funny!”
Most likely to be avoiding work with Harry Styles
our message to you Hey all you cool cats and kittens! Everyone here on the Viewpoint thought that it was about time we addressed this whole COVID-19 thing. We want to talk in relation to high school students around the world and specifically at Mountain View, or rather our preferred homeschooling locations. This disease has uprooted a lot of families who are now currently dealing with loss, not only in terms of losing a friend, family, coworker, etc., but also in terms of employment, education, healthcare, safety, and more. As Wildcats, we are dealing with loss as well in terms of our school environment and all of the benefits that come along with going to Mountain View. Before getting into all of that, though, let’s take a moment to look back at all of the good things to have come out of the 2019-2020 school year. For starters, there was music played at every bell change on Mondays … for a while at least. We all survived starting school in August! That wasn’t so bad after all. Tater tots were served in the cafeteria at least 13 times and we had two pep rallies. Sports were played. Gamer kids gamed in the hallways before class. We became a blue ribbon school once again thanks to orchestra, band, and chorus. The Mountain View meme community grew -- thank you Will Schmitt. Eighth grade students visited and seniors ditched classes: the circle of high school life continued. Mr. Yeskey was gifted a fish, Mr. Day ate his cheerios, Ms. Crosswell challenged at her HL math students, and Mr. Basenback continued to grow and shave and grow and shave his beard. Ms. Tryon left just as our dress code relaxed enough for our shoulders to finally make their Mountain View debut. Ms. Rowe and Ms. Gray welcomed new members to their families. I can’t speak for all of you, but I sure learned not to be a “fuul and throw out the juul!” thanks to those effective posters! We all would have enjoyed Dr. Stemple’s Positive Sign Thursdays in the student parking lot if we were awake enough to read them. And last, but not least, we can all move into summer knowing that we get to hold onto our favorite math textbooks for some light reading. Now, let’s switch it up a bit and talk about specifics. Freshmen: you got off easy. The first year is always the awkwardest year with adjusting and by spring you’re mentally done already, so trust me when I say, getting freshman year cut short is the best deal out of the four classes. You all can be assured that sophomore year is ten times better. Be smart over this break, remember you’re no longer the bottom of the food chain, and get excited for driver’s Ed! Sophomores: relax. Junior year is pretty tough, not going to lie to you all. Sleep during this break. You’re going to miss it in a few months. I hate to say it, I really do, but start studying for the SAT and ACT. If you wait until the summer before senior year or even the Spring of junior year, you will regret it, believe me. Juniors: I am sorry. You guys got it rough! There is and will be a lot of uncertainty going into senior year. Hang in there and start figuring out the game plan. This situation works out in that you guys have time to research what colleges you want to apply to in a few months, which branch of the military you want to join, or what job career is for you. As for seniors, well, good luck, Charlie. If you’re not a senior, stop reading now. Cool, they’re gone. Let’s dunk on freshmen because those jokes never get old. All jokes, all jokes, but real talk, speaking as a senior myself, I get it, I do. This sucks dude, but we have to look at the positives. We could grieve over prom and graduation, but we have to have faith that Dr. Stemple and the rest of the faculty at Mountain View are working hard to ensure that we get to show off our dresses and tuxes and walk that stage. For now, we have to focus on the future since COVID-19 has taken away a lot of our present. We may not have gotten the goodbye we wanted but this will be a graduating class for the books. Literally. All you future history teachers following in Ms. Jannereth’s lead will see soon enough. That’s all for now - see y’all on the flip side. With love, The staff of The Viewpoint
Spread positivity, not diseases. Stay inside!
feature u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 13
Viewpoint 2 0 2 0 class of Javonna Brigham
Danielle Piper
“It was nothing like high school musical“
“The Viewpoint, and other coping mechanisms”
It feels like just yesterday I was getting lost in the hallway on the way to homeroom as a freshman, and now here I am at home during a global pandemic that ruined my last year of high school. I’m really no good when it comes to writing about myself, so here’s my crappy attempt at a senior column. I’ve enjoyed school since a young age, so naturally I tried to make the most out of high school. I joined some clubs, tried a new sport, went to football games, ya know, the usual experiences of high school. I also lost friends, made friends, cried, and laughed, just like all the scenes you see in typical high school based movies. Taking journalism and joining the Viewpoint staff was such an amazing decision. I was placed out of my comfort zone in a class that I had no close friends in and powered my way through. Everyone in the class looked at me as the shy girl who did her work and kept to herself. That was until I got close to Caroline. Dang, I love that girl. She brought me out of my shell and made me look forward to journalism days even more. I will forever miss the mini concerts she performed beside me in class. Ms. Strahl and the rest of the Viewpoint crew continued to make me feel welcomed and loved even in my darkest moments. Since no one reading this will probably take anything away from it, here’s a randomly placed pro-tip from first-hand experience for the future MV generations: DO NOT, under ANYYYY circumstance, apply to only one college. I don’t care if the school accepts everyone and you know you have your heart set on it. Apply to at LEAST two schools or else you might be stuck in a position where you don’t want to go to your first choice school anymore, but you decided too late so most schools aren’t accepting applications anymore, but you get lucky and find one beautiful school with rolling admissions and get accepted. Trust me, it happens. To speak a little bit more from my personal high school experience, here’s some more basic advice. 1: Make friends with some of your teachers, it will make the class more fun and if you ever need help outside of class it will be much easier to talk to them. 2: Always keep a jacket with you because MV stays cold 95% of the time. 3: Make grades as important as possible, but keep yourself first. The stress of high school affects teenagers’ mental health quite often nowadays, make sure you’re okay before putting something else on your mind. 4: Being yourself is going to get you way farther than trying to act like everyone else. Although everyone wants to fit in and find their place in high school, it’s also a crucial period of time for you to find yourself and what you like on your own. 5: Make the most of it!!!! High school takes up four years of your life, the last four years of getting to be a kid. Having my senior year cut short made me realize I didn’t treasure every moment. Try to have fun, make good memories, and take up every minute of it. High school is going to be filled with some of the best and worst times of your life. Without the support of my mom, there’s no way I would’ve gotten through it. She continued to push me through my tough times and motivated me through everything. I’m blessed to have her as not only my mom, but also my biggest fan. I am so thankful to have experienced high school at Mountain View. I have continually been tested and prepared for what comes at me in the future. The teachers and friends I’ve met during high school have helped me grow into a person I am proud of. It always brightened my day to talk to Mrs. Gallagher about our predictions on the Masked Singer, or walk into journalism and have Ms. Strahl compliment my shoes. It’s hard to say goodbye to the life you’ve known for the past 4 years, and although it didn’t end in the way I anticipated, it’s time to kiss it goodbye. I will forever remember my journey as a Wildcat. Here’s to the next four (or less since I’m indecisive and never know what I want) as a Hornet! 14 u the viewpoint u april may 2020 u feature
Mountain View is my seventh school and first public school ever. My time here showed me there are actual differences between DODEA (Department of Defense Education Association) and public schools, but not to the extent that I feared entering sophomore year. My mornings the week before the first day were spent in the student parking lot with my mom and sister. I couldn’t leave our car on Monday, but by Friday, my mom encouraged me enough to sit on the bench by the pick-up loop. A counselor from the base Child Care Development Center who I met in a McDonald’s two weeks before said familiarizing with a location helps with anxiety. I still wasn’t ready for the new school where my class had as many students as Quantico Middle/High School’s entire student body, but I couldn’t have prepared any more. Homeroom, first, and second block were a blur. Literally. I didn’t remember a single face and said a single word three times: “here.” Don’t worry, the day got better in drama and journalism where the forced name-games were actually helpful. After the super-big-deal-first-day, the rest of sophomore year was bumpy. Thankfully, I was forced from my comfort zone early on by my Viewpoint friend, Charlotte, who could probably hold a conversation with a wall. My ideas in journalism were also accepted, but challenged. For example, my first page was called out by the other future editor who said the background looked like weed (It was mixed salad. I still don’t understand the confusion). Our discussion-oriented environment made The Viewpoint the first space in Mountain View where I didn’t feel like an outsider. To avoid cliques, we moved seats halfway through the year. I didn’t like it at first, but that is probably the biggest reason I’m friends with the other future editor. Bella is the extroverted version of me, and I can’t picture a way I could have survived high school (and whatever comes now) without her. If junior and senior year taught me one thing, it’s that you shouldn’t give 100%. This is the opposite of what we’re told, and I wish I could have broken out of the 100% mantra sooner. Instead of doing “all the things!” as tech director Mr. Hokanson would say, you should sign up for as much as you can handle. Give 100% to two or three things, not 60% to five or six things, or worse 100% to five or six things and implode from the pressure. Basically, know your limits. I didn’t know mine, and the only ounce of sanity I had as copy and managing editor came from Selena, Bella, and Ms. Strahl. In junior year, Selena became my best snack and seat buddy. She pulled me back to reality many times. Bella was stolen from The Viewpoint by TOK class, so I forced her into Wildacts to compensate. She was thankfully back the next year, and even though working with her non-stop occasionally strained our relationship, her talent and dedication to this magazine impresses me daily. Lastly, I know I’ll get pegged a teacher’s pet for this, but I don’t care: Ms. Strahl is the best part of working on The Viewpoint. For the sake of explaining her awesomeness, and how much she means to me without sounding mushy, I’ll say this: when the counselors ask which teachers you know you can talk to, I always say Ms. Strahl. I want to thank Ms. Strahl, H, and my other teachers who dedicate so much with no expectation for compensation; my amazing supportive friends who are always up to be interviewed; the small but mighty Viewpoint staff: Bella, Caroline, Jojo, Lexi, Sean, Ceci, Aisha, Catelynn, Claire, and Jules; Wildacts for being my other outlet; and lastly, any student who has picked up a magazine they found on the floor.
Take a glimpse into what our seniors are taking away from their time on the Viewpoint by reading their senior columns and our parting words:
“Go forth and set the world on fire”
Caroline Pollock
Bella Roeske
“Once a Wildcat...”
“ T he Final Day”
Alas here it is...the end of something truly spectacular. My time at Mountain View High School was better than I could have ever imagined. I went from getting lost in the halls with one of those “freshman backpacks” to being a captain of the softball team that made school history. Every obstacle that I faced, every class that drained my mental health, and every lesson that I learned went into making me the person I am today and made the high school experience I had so special. Journalism was a sanctuary for me during these four years, and it was a place where I could be one hundred percent myself, but I would be lying if I told you this journey with the Viewpoint was a breeze. Truthfully, it took a lot of convincing by Ms. Strahl and my mom to make me renew my contract and stay on staff for another year and then another. The thing that really hooked me into continuing to pursue my work on the Viewpoint was the senior sendoff celebration that we had my sophomore year. The air had been filled with genuine emotions and lots of tears, and I remember wanting to be in that same position that the seniors were in. I wanted to make such a large impact on something that the goodbyes were unbearable. Now, I doubt that I left a significant influence on anyone in these four years, but I do know that these four years have had an impact on me. One goodbye that is unbearable for me is the friendship that blossomed with the girl who I happened to sit next to in Journalism class. We can all agree that once I started talking to you, JoJo, I never shut up again. There’s no one else that I would rather annoy with my constant babbling, singing, or dancing. I am so very grateful for not only the friends that I made that are my age, but also for the friends that I made as they taught me. Mrs. Ellis, I regret just meeting you this year. Thank you for the counseling sessions, “get your life together” days, and for the constant optimism that you radiate. Mr. Sanford, for enduring teaching me all four years, thank you for always believing in me and supporting me through every aspect of my life. I’m going to miss my daily visits. Ms. Strahl, you believed in me when I did not believe in myself, and you continue to show me my potential. You were the force that kept me on staff with your positive energy and contagious laugh. If it were not for you being the best teacher and pulling me out of my bubble, I literally would not be writing this senior column today. Lastly, to Mom, Dad, and Jacob, thank you for providing the best support system, teaching me the true meaning of hard work, and for preparing me for the challenges in life. If it weren’t for you three I would not be where I am today and for that I am eternally grateful. As I wind this down, a few words of advice that I would give myself if I could do it all over again: listen to DStemp when he tells you in that first auditorium assembly that the days go by slowly, but the years go by incredibly fast. From the very beginning, make everyday and every moment count because who knows what could happen. A pandemic could arrive and abruptly put an end to your senior year. The future is full of endless possibilities. With love, CP.
Walking out of Mountain View on March 12 certainly did not feel like my last day of high school, but here I am, writing my senior column at midnight in my bed because a sleep schedule doesn’t exist while in quarantine. My last block was none other than journalism. This was a blessing considering I got to hold my best friend back as the bell rang to dramatically step out of the door for the last time. Of course, we didn’t know it would be the last time; it was still a bit of a teasing joke to the students that we wouldn’t come back. Even so, if I had known on March 12 that it would be my final day as a student in Virginia’s public education system, I don’t think I would have changed anything. First block, I got to talk to Emma Reese in TOK, the first girl who I met at Mountain View. She walked with me on New Cats Day as I told her how nervous I was to switch counties and attend a school where I knew no one. For the past four years, Emma has been a rock from dissections in Honors Bio to Friday night concerts. Second block, I skipped (with permission) Mr. Yeskey’s ESS class with Jillian Brence to work on costumes for the spring musical, Chicago. Jillian took me to my first Wildacts meeting freshman year. While I wouldn’t join until junior year, Jillian and Wildacts both became extremely important to me. Jillian’s one-ofa-kind personality and energy brought light and laughter to every class we shared as the theatre, along with Mr. Hokanson and Mr. Clark, created a safe place inside the chaotic world that is high school. During third block, Dr. Watkins quickly became tired of our inability to sit still and took us for a walk around the building. We stopped by the IB room to say hello to Ms. Gaddy, the teacher who never failed to give me the worst looks when I walked in late to her class, but also supported me the most by reassuring me I wouldn’t fail my exams (if only we knew). Lastly, fourth block, I sat next to Dan Piper, my best friend and the most lovely person alive. We met sophomore year in journalism. While I don’t exactly remember how we became so close, memories of yelling at her for using hyphens in her writing and bonding over vegan recipes come to mind. After knowing my best friend for only two years, I can honestly say that I cannot imagine my life without her. Dan has stood by me through dying my hair red… twice, falling asleep during movies, countless arguments over commas, rock climbing to a mountain peak, and so much more. I thank journalism for not only bringing Dan into my life, but for keeping me sane and writing. Thank you to Ms. Strahl for her support throughout my time in her class and also for the year I wasn’t. Thank you to the past editors who I looked up to and strived to become. Thank you to all of the staff writers I have worked with as they have all taught me so much about writing and even just life. To Caroline and JoJo: we have done this together. Thank you guys for being the comedic relief and the kindness and the intelligence we needed throughout the past four years. To everyone I’ve mentioned and everyone I haven’t, thank you for being part of my high school experience and the memories I will have for the rest of my life. I truly wish you all endless happiness. Remember, Oxford commas are bad and exclamation marks are underappreciated. Love, Bella feature u april may 2020 u the viewpoint u 15
Last year M
ountain View has many sports teams from over the years, some great and some not so great, but all were memorable. Whether it was a team accomplishment, a special bonding moment, or an amazing year, all teams have something special to share.
2016
was a special year for Mountain View Baseball as they were able to reach the Virginia Highschool League, VHSL, state championships. That would be special in it’s own right, however the state championship was the same day as graduation. Not only would seniors be walking across the stage and graduating, they would be able go onto the diamond one last time and represent their school. They were even game day ready wearing their uniform underneath their cap and gown. Dr. Stemple even wore one and showed it off to the crowd at the end of the graduation ceremony to help wish the team good luck. While they didn’t win states, the seniors of 2016 had a year to remember.
was one of the most exciting seasons for the softball team. The year before was not an amazing year for them as they finished the year with a record of 5-13. But over the 201819 off season, they were able to pick up a newly transferred junior, Jessie Kantor, and had a new head coach, Brianna Worley. Kantor quickly became a new beacon of hope for the team. As Coach Worley told Steve DeShazo of the Free Lance Star, “Jessie is our backbone, when she has a good game, we have a good game. She puts us in a really good position, and the team just piggybacks off her.” With a new pitcher and a new coach, Mountain view had a new type of spirit that helped propel them to an incredible 19-3 record, a Region 5D Title, and a chance to win the state title. While they just came up short during the state championship, their recognition didn’t end there. Kantor was recognized as the Free Lance Star’s District and Region player of the year and was named to the The Free Lance Star’s First Team All State team, Worley was named the Free Lance Star’s Coach of the Year, and the whole team received a special recognition from Stafford’s School Board. It was an exciting year and it’s a real shame that we didn’t get to see this squad in action this year.
y s t r o p AS r o t s i H g n i r p S Let’s take a dive into some of Mountain View’s memorable spring sport’s history By Sean Jones
16 u the viewpoint u april | may 2020 u sports
W
e reached out to Coach Michael Porter and he gave such a beautiful and heartfelt message about and for athletes of the track and field team. It’s only appropriate if we shared these words of encouragement in its entirety.
Coach Fernando Ramos of the girl’s soccer team recalled how the beginning of 2020’s season started, “I will never forget the look on my girls soccer players’ faces when they walked into their newly decorated locker room for the first time this season which I believe would set the tempo for the rest of the year.” They were able to have a scrimmage against the defending state champions, Albemarle High School, and were able to hold them off ending the game tied 2-2.
“Our program will never forget the 2020 class, and they will always be with us in the future.”
“Since the coronavirus brought the spring sports season to an end, the senior athletes of 2020 have had little to celebrate. We hope the fond memories of competing at various track and field meets throughout the years bring a smile to their faces. We hope they avoid dwelling on losing their last season, and focus on the bigger picture. There are people out there dealing with more major issues than a missed season. Some will remember the grueling workouts, the long bus rides, or the nervousness of competing. A few are fortunate to get the opportunity to compete at the next level. Each athlete will have many special memories. We hope they remember the fun, the challenges they faced, and more important the friendships they made along the way. We developed a family atmosphere on the track and field teams. We make sure our athletes know they are ALWAYS welcome back after they graduate. We take great pride when one of our athletes come back to share their life’s experiences, whether it be college life, military maneuvers, or the birth of a child. As coaches, we cherish each individual in our program. We hope they continue to believe in themselves, and wish them much success in the future. They now have a unique ending to their senior year.”
ry sports u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 17
- A goodbye from some of our favorite teachers Some parting words from Mountain View’s faculty by Viewpoint Staff
To all my Strength and Body Seniors, I am going to miss all your funny stories, you telling me about the game you played in the night or weekend before, watching you learn new lifts, and Féliciations à la classe de 2020!! You guys will always hold a special place in my PR's on old ones. I am even gonna miss the begs to play basketball! heart. Best wishes for the future and always remember there are ¨two parts.¨ I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors and remember to Grosses Bises, continue to strive to be a better version of yourself than the day before! Mme Steaks -Coach L IB’s Favorite Things Words and names and moments that should resonate forever Although I had a senior accuse my class(to be sung to “A Few of My Favorite Things” (or at least for a little while) in the hearts of IB Lang & Lit room policies of violating the Geneva by Rodgers and Hammerstein) seniors: Comma splice. Threshold. Micturition. Salt Mine. Conventions, I hope none of you ever By: Mrs. Gaddy Semicolon. Copacetic. Muffin. The Three Truths. Sky Comma. looks back and thinks of me as a war Bob Ross. Quotidian. George Hudson. I'm Alive Alert Awake criminal. Dissecting kidneys Enthusiastic. Yeah. Cell Phone Shuffle. Mr. Dr. Watkins' PreAfter all, how could such a person hand Or panels for lipids, scient March 12 Au Revoir. I will miss you all. I already do. out so many pounds of Laffy Taffy? Pop Solving for X or titrating liquids, -Mr. Watkins so many bags of popcorn for so many? Watkins’ wall all covered with memes, Or take so much good natured ribbing These are a few of IB’s favorite things. To Senior Football Players in the Class of 2020: from so many of you? All the while, Thanks for the school-record 10 win season. Your leadership & striving to make sure each of you had a Granola bars, crackers, commitment to excellence was impressive. home in the theatre program. And fruit snacks from Aldi, I am sorry we missed Senior Steaks - maybe we can convert I will miss so many of you. This is your Soup in the crock pot that into Alumni Steaks. time and your future. Take it and fly..... That’s never too salty, Please stay in touch & good luck in your future endeavors. We -Clarkus Dropping HL on shirts Will S. brings, are proud of you and confident you will have success in the I wish all of you the best of luck and hope These are a few of IB’s favorite things. future. to see and hear of your great accomplishTnT for life! ments in the future! When the schools close -Coach Sorrentino & football staff -Mr. Offineer And the kids leave, Dear Class of 2020, When I’m feeling sad, What a way to end your high school career, at least the I have enjoyed getting to know so many of I simply remember IB’s favorite things, Class of 2020 will always have a story to tell! The "Boys" you this year. You are all bright, talented, And then I don’t feel so bad. will miss all of the IB History students and expect you and unstoppable in so many ways. You to come back to visit them. I wish you all the best movThe class of 2020 has made a lasting impression have brought me great joy since I became ing forward and know that amazing accomplishments on me. I have had the pleasure of getting to a Wildcat. Here are a few of my favorite are ahead for all of you! know some of the brightest, hardest working, memories: -Ms. Roeske and incredible students that will now be leaving 10. Making smoothies in the blender MVHS. I will miss their jokes, their tears, and 9. Tutoring sessions You are the class that was born to make history. You started their laughter that has filled my classroom in the aftermath of 9/11, you grew up with the first bi-racial/ 8. The heater on cold days and the halls. I can say without a doubt that 7. Refilling snacks multi-cultural President and you survived a pandemic. You these seniors are going to leave their mark at are Gen Z, you understand! President Obama said "...I believe 6. The missing granola bars Mountain View and anywhere else they will deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless 5. Sitting in the chair on my first day go. From table conversations with me and your we solve them together, unless we perfect our union by un4. Will’s posters peers, large group discussions (yes, I know not 3. Gaddy’s advice derstanding that we may have different stories, but we hold everyone enjoys these), skits about arranged common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may 2. Acceptance letters marriages, from daily breakfasts in my room, not have come from the same place, but we all want to move 1.The mouse face going through our highs and lows of the week, As you move to the next level, remember in the same direction — toward a better learning the latest slang words, laughing future..." Go and conquer! Home and family have your back. I that you can accomplish anything you set together, and getting to learn about the world believe that President Putin had better watch out because he your mind to. Stay focused on your goals around us better. You are all set for the next big has nothing on the Class of 2020. and always believe in yourself! adventure, no matter where it will take you. I Best of luck to you all! -Mrs. Allen will miss you all. -Mrs. Hamill -Ms. Heffner I hope you take away the importance of keeping yourself both I would like to send my best wishes to the entire Class of 2020. For some of you, we naviphysically and mentally healthy. To my IB Biology seniors my gated 4 years of math together, some of you it was only 2 months. I know that I am a better special message would be to always remember to choose the person for having gotten to know you. I hope you can walk away knowing math isn’t as healthy snacks because sugar makes you dumb. May each of scary or as challenging as you once thought. Best of luck to you as you move on to your next you think of the disappointment in my face when you eat that adventure. I know whatever you choose to do, it’ll be lit! massive doughnut or that 12th Oreo:-) -Mr. Sanford -Mrs. Gallagher
18 u the viewpoint u april | may 2020 u feature
celtic astrology Celtic Astrology is all about nature unlike Western where it is all about constellations, find out which part of nature you are By Catelynn Aiman Designed by Caroline Pollock Celtic culture is based in early Ireland and based on nature. According to What’s Your Sign website, Celtic astrology is centered around the “Tree of Life.” Unlike Western astrology, Celtic astrology is based on the moon not the sun. According to Celtic Earth Spirit website, the moon lines up with the “Tree of Life ‘’ creating each zodiac.
Birch: December 24 - January 20 “The Achiever” - Cool-headed - Natural leaders - Motivator
Oak: June 10 - July 7 “The Stabilizer” - Generous - Optimistic - Nurturing
Rowan: January 21- February 17 “The Thinker” - Visionary - Creative - Influential
Holly: July 8 - August 4 “The Ruler” - Leader - Vigilant - Ambitious
Ash: February 18 March 17 “The Enchanter” - Free-thinker - Artistic - Confident
Hazel: August 5 September 1 “The Knower” - Analytical - Efficient - Organized
Alder: March 18 April 14 “The Trailblazer” - Focused - Passionate - Charming
Vine: September 2 September 29 “The Equalizer” - Unpredictable - Elegant - Indecisive
Willow: April 15 May 12 “The Observer” - Intelligent - Patient - Intuitive Hawthorn: May 13 - June 9 “The Illusionist” - Well-adjusted - Caring - Curious
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Elder: November 25 - December 23 “The Seeker” - Thoughtful - Independent - Thrill Seeker
Ivy: September 30 October 27 “The Survivor” - Graceful - Loyal - Compassionate Reed: October 28 - November 24 “The Inquisitor” - Honest - Respectful - Inquisitive
astrology u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 19
The overachiever’s guide to applying to college 1
This tip may sound obvious, but it’s very easy to forget! Make sure, no matter what, you apply to at least one safety school, one or two target schools, and one reach or dream school. Of course, you can apply to more schools, but three is a happy number if possible. I personally applied to 20 schools and looking back, it was excessive and unnecessary. I did not know enough about each school I was applying to and my essays suffered because of it. Do your research and make sure you know for sure which schools you want to apply to before starting the process.
Let’s talk essays. They are time-consuming, but they can also be a lot of fun! The trick is to familiarize yourself with them early on. The Common App switches over for the new application season on August 1 every year with the new essays for each school. Check them out early and start thinking. Some schools have really fun, quirky prompts that give you the chance to make them your own and stand out to the admissions officers. For example, William and Mary has had a pretty open-ended prompt in the past asking, “Why are you unique?” For my response, I formed it as a letter and walked the admissions officer around my room explaining the stories behind things, such as my gold sparkly top hat and carrot pillow. This not only shows character but a strong interest in the school to have put the extra effort into your essay to not just make it another resume vomit. They already know your GPA and extracurriculars. Give them something that makes you different and desirable. A lot of schools have a very similar essay asking the student to talk about one extracurricular in detail. Do yourself a favor and have one essay to fit this prompt written up that you can modify on a case-by-case basis and make sure you don’t talk about an extracurricular that is discussed in your personal statement or a different prompt for the same school. Another common essay is the one where schools get to ask “why us?” This one is important. Make sure you know about the school. They want to know that you are genuinely interested and have done your research. Lastly, get them edited … twice. Do not submit before editing each essay for grammar and clarity. Ask your English teacher, your friends, your family, whoever - as long as they know English mechanics fairly well. Write them. Have them edited. Wait a week. Read them again. If you’re happy, submit.
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Remember rejection is part of the process. The first one is going to sting, but have faith that you will end up where you need to be to succeed. Being rejected or waitlisted does not define your worth. It is simply a reflection of how many qualified and overqualified students apply to each school in this day and age. You’ll be okay. Surround yourself with support rather than competition. Applying to college can be a super stressful time, and a toxic community can make it all the worse. Build each other up and be positive. “Concentrate not on being the best candidate, but on being the best person. Pay attention to what is going on in the world around you. If you do those things, not only will the world be a better place because you’re in it, your greatest admissions worry will be choosing which college to pick from,” said Martha Blevins Allman, Wake Forest University dean of admissions.
When it comes to interviews, whether they be in-person or online, they should be the least stressful part of the application process… in theory. So often they only make a difference in the decision process if you bomb the interview or just don’t show up. Alumni interviews are used to make alumni feel included in the admissions process and to get them to donate more money to the school. It’s hard to bomb the interview if you remember to be yourself, be kind, and be prepared with questions for the interviewer to show your interest in them and the school. Meet in a neutral place like Panera or Starbucks and brag away. Time to talk about testing. I cannot speak on the changes occurring due to Covid-19 If you want to do interviews, request them with more and more schools becoming test optional, but in my opinion, it’s about time. early. They are not always guaranteed and are Standardized testing is ineffective in so many ways and a number does not define you. For schools that are not test optional or for those of you who still want to send first come, first served. You can usually request scores, you are going to want to take the SAT and ACT. Most schools accept both. The SAT interviews either on the undergraduate admissions website or through your Common App is older and often the unspoken ruler on the East Coast, but the ACT is becoming more application. For example, you can request an prominent. Ivys are known to accept more students who submit SAT scores than those interview for Brown through the Common App, that submit ACT scores, but this could also be a reflection of more than the scores. Keep so for Brown and schools of the like, hit submit in mind that a lot of West Coast schools also want the optional essay from either test. on those first to have a better chance of getting an interview.
20 u the viewpoint u april | may 2020 u opinion
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Take some advice from a retired overachiever by Bella Roeske
As for recommendations, don’t go with the easy option. You’re going to want to choose at least two teachers you know well and have had for two or more years, if possible. Make sure these are teachers that can speak to not only your academic record, but also your personal attributes that make you a good student and person. If you never had a personal conversation with that teacher or never spoke up and interacted in class, do not choose that teacher. Personal glowing recommendations make a difference. Also, ask teachers in September for recommendations so that you are one of the first to ask, and they are not bored of doing them yet or mad at you for procrastinating. Make sure not to ask two teachers of the same subject. Diversify! Show multiple strengths. Once you’ve asked teachers, move on to a clergy member, coach, boss, youth leader, etc. You want one person who can speak to your leadership and teamwork skills and one that can speak on your most prominent career-related extracurricular. These can be a coach and boss from an internship. Again, ask them ahead of time and always give them a resume or list of accomplishments to reference. Not all schools allow for non-teacher recommendations, but these will help for those that do. After you submit your applications, ask for a copy of the recommendations from each person to reuse for scholarships. This will save a lot of time and energy, just make sure they adjust any university/college language first.
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There are multiple options for applying early if that is the path you want to take. There is an early decision in the fall which you can do for one school and it is binding, meaning that if you get in, you have to attend barring any financial problems. You may also apply to other schools early action if you do this as a cushion. Applying early action means that you are applying early but not binding yourself to that school if you get in. You can apply early action to as many schools as you wish. The University of Virginia, Tulane University, Howard University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have this option. There is also a restrictive early action in the fall which is not binding, but it means that you cannot apply early action or decision to any other schools. This is the case with most Ivy League schools. You do not have to apply early, though, and it is perfectly fine to wait and apply to all schools at the regular time. Applying early means that essays, recommendations and everything else has to be ready too. When applying regular decision, the deadline usually ranges from January 1 to January 15. You can apply regular decision to as many schools as you want and none of them are binding. Some schools have the option of applying early decision II which has the same or close to the same deadline as regular decision, but it is binding. Even if you choose to apply EDII to a school in the winter, you can still apply regular decision to other schools.
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Cost! This one is no fun, so let’s go quickly. If you plan on going to graduate school, the name of that school is going to be the name that is going to matter on resumes for future employers. Your undergraduate school will be less consequential, so plan to spend the bulk of your college fund on graduate school if it’s a concern. Think about community college for undergraduate school and then transferring after two years. Virginia has a stellar deal for that path. Also, think about location. Are you going to end up spending exponential amounts of money on plane rides to go home on breaks? Just think about it and talk to your family, counselors, or mentors. Apply for scholarships. They’re out there. Application fees also need to be considered when applying to schools. Some schools are really great and waive the application fee if you mark on the Common App that you are interested in receiving financial aid or are a first-generation-to-college student, like Bowdoin College, and others don’t have an application fee at all, like Wellesley College. Keep in mind, though, that other schools have $50-$60 fees.
Okay - this one is kind of fun. This is your chance to brag about all of the cool things you have done in the past four years. The Common App allows for ten spaces to fill with extracurriculars. Try to fill them all! Have a range of sports, clubs, community service, career-orientated activities, internships, and anything else specific to you. With that said, while being well-rounded is important, colleges don’t necessarily want to see that you did 10 completely opposite activities. Don’t freak out if that’s you, though! Longevity and commitment are also very important, but more on that later. Try to focus on a few things that are important to you. Let’s say you want to go pre-med. Try to have three extracurriculars that deal with medicine from internships to research to even just tutoring in biology or chemistry. Then, make sure you have a good balance with your sports/drama/music, community service, family responsibilities, leadership positions, etc. Schools want to see that you participated in at least some of your activities for multiple years and not just a day or a few months, unless it was an internship or a short-term project. That dedication will show that you are ready for college-level work and commitment. You also need to remember that your heart needs to legitimately be in your extracurriculars, otherwise they’re pointless, and it will be obvious in your application. Now on to the nitty-gritty. You can group things together. If you played multiple sports or participated in a couple of different community service projects, feel free to group them as one activity and list them in the box that asks for details. Also, for organization’s sake and to show you got your stuff together, order similar activities together and in order of importance if you’re applying on the Common App.
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opinion u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 21
Late 2019: Originated in Wuhan, China January 7, 2020: Outbreak came to be called Coronavirus
Coronavirus Timeline
China lost their first patient, a 61-year old to Coronavirus
January 20, 2020: First cases of Coronavirus were confirmed outside of China
January 21, 2020: The first U.S. confirmed case of COVID-19 was found in Washington state by a man in his 30s after coming from Wuhan, China
Check out this timeline with all of the major events of the 2019 Coronavirus
January 25, 2020: COVID-19 had been reported to be reaching more countries, approximately 38 total cases had spread February 11, 2020: World Health Organization announced a new name for the new Coronavirus disease: COVID-19 February 14, 2020: China reported that 1,716 health care workers had contracted Coronavirus and that six of them had died
The death toll due to COVID-19 surpasses 2,000
France reported its first COVID-19 related death February 26, 2020: Brazil gets its first case of Coronavirus, marking the first case in South America
March 11, 2020: World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic March 15, 2020: Italy’s death toll rose to more than 1,800
April 2, 2020: Deaths in New York surpassed 2,000 and the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases reached 92,381
April 6, 2020: China had reported its first day with no Coronavirus deaths since the outbreak began
April 23, 2020: The Coronavirus death toll in New York City surpassed 15,000
22 u the viewpoint u april may 2020 u feature
By Aisha Santiago
Designed by Caroline Pollock Information synthesized from NBC News, World Health Organization, and Johns Hopkins University.
February 27, 2020: There were 3,474 Covid-19 cases, including 54 deaths March 13, 2020: Europe became the epicenter of the pandemic March 23, 2020: Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam, announced that schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year March 27, 2020: Global Coronavirus cases topped 500,000, as the worldwide death toll rose to 24,082 April 27, 2020: The total number of global Coronavirus cases topped 3 million
April 24, 2020: The number of Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. topped 50,000
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advertisements u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 23
Theatre farewell
Amelia Milliard Adriana Keane
Amelia and Adriana were both involved with theatre for all four years of high school. Amelia is planning on attending the University of Florida. Adriana graduated earlier this year and is working on getting her auto mechanic’s certification. Throughout their time in theatre, they adopted an addiction for Monsters and a love for the techie life.
Isabella Roeske Danielle Piper
Danielle was involved with theatre all of her high school career. She made an impact as a trusted techie and master of male roles. Bella hopped in her junior year and became the official costume wrangler. Both girls held officer positions in MV’s thespian troupe. Danielle plans on majoring in communications at GMU and Bella is headed to Emory University to study public health.
Austin Butcher Ben Carthron Sam Rotsch
Sam will be attending West Virginia University, Ben is headed to JMU, and Austin is going to school to follow in Mr. Clark’s footsteps to become a theatre teacher. These crazy guys will be dearly missed in the theatre department. Their constant energy and excitement helped bring each show to life.
Karoline Colluci Sydney Givler Jillian Brence
All three have been involved with theatre their whole high school careers. Karoline will be attending WVU as part of the Honors College to major in international relations. Jillian is planning on studying biochemistry at UVA and Sydney is going to CNU for psychology. Karoline, Jillian, and Sydney were all in chorus, as well as theatre. Karoline and Jillian would like to thank their friends, family, Mr. Hokanson, and Mr. Clark for their support.
Mason Oberle Stone Summers Abby Sussman Beth Mowry
Liia Vanderhoof Lilia Vanderhoof Evelyn Pailthorpe Katy Secino
Abby and Beth were both involved with theatre all of their high school careers. careers.Abby Abbyserved servedas asThespian ThespianVP VPof ofTech Techfor fortwo twoyears, years,and andisisplanplanning ningon onattending attendingW&M W&Mto tomajor majorin inmathematics. mathematics.Her Herfavorite favoritetheatre theatre memory memory memory isisgetting isgetting getting stuck stuck stuck in inin aaskeleton askeleton skeleton morph morph morph suit. suit. suit. Beth Beth Beth isisplanning isplanning planningon on on attending attending attending VCU VT VTto to tostudy study studyenvironmental environmental environmentalsciences. sciences. sciences.Beth Beth Bethwould would wouldlike like liketo to to thank thankAbby Abbyfor forbeing beingher herother otherhalf halfand andboth bothgirls girlswould wouldlike liketo tothank thank Mr.Mr. Hokanson Hokanson forfor allall ofof hishis hard hard work, work, support, support, and and humor. humor. Stone Stone is is most mostlikely likelygoing goingto toattend attendVMI. VMI.Evelyn Evelynisisstill stillfiguring figuringthings thingsout, out,but but sheshe willwill have have funfun in the in the process. process. Lilia Lilia and and Katy Katy areare always always a bit a bit of of a a mystery mystery to the to department the department but will but surely will surely do great dothings. great things.
24 u the viewpoint u april | may 2020 u feature
Mason was involved with theatre all four years and is planning to continue his theatre studies at UMW so that he can write and perform his own plays. Mason reflects back (somewhat) positively on his exposed nipple during his performance in A Midsummer’s Night Dream. He would like to thank everyone who has attended one of his shows. He thrives on applause.
Mitchell Motley Mitchell jumped into theatre his junior year as one of the shirtless guys in Mamma Mia. Since then, he has held roles in two musicals and is planning on attending Penn State in the fall.
Music farewell
Isabelle fortiz
Emma reese
kyle gerlach
Evelyn was in chorus for all four years and plans to continue her education at W&M to someday work in either the CIA or the State Department. She plays piano and does a capella.
Isabelle was in orchestra all four years and plans to study kinesiology at W&M. She plays the violin and would like to thank Mac for being a great teacher of not only music but important life lessons.
Emma was in orchestra all four years and plans to continue her education at GW University. She plays violin and would like to thank Mac, her family, her orchestra friends, and Ms. Stumpf.
Kyle was in orchestra all four years and plans to study mechanical engineering and biology at VT. He has played cello for seven years and bass for one and is a member of the Tri-M Honor Society.
helen hazard
Morgan Neilson
Kamryn cajohn
patrick salvanera
Helen was in orchestra all four years of high school and plans to major in music at CNU. She plays the violin and would like to thank her private lesson teacher Ms. Anna for putting up with her for 2 years.
Morgan was in chorus for all four years and plans to continue her education at BYU to major in mathematics. She would like to thank Ms. Keene for her hard work.
Kamryn has been in orchestra all of her high school career and is going to continue her education at JMU with a. major in music education. She plays the viola and would like to thank Mac for pushing her.
Patrick has been involved with orchestra during his high school career as a gifted cellist. He will be attending UVA for chemical engineering. He would like to thank his friends and teachers.
Isabella Shimabukuro
Valerie Dalencourt
Nolan small
Caroline ford
Isabella was involved with band all of her high school career. She is a flutist and plans to study biology in undergrad with the intent to apply to med school. Isabella would like to thank her parents, Mr. Welch, and Dr. Kazik, her flute teacher.
Valerie played the violin during her high school career and is planning on attending Florida Atlantic University where she wants to study neuroscience. She would like to thank her parents for their support and her friends for all the memories.
Nolan played the trumpet throughout high school and plans on attending Liberty University. He would like to thank his parents for supporting him and Mr. Welch.
Caroline was involved with visual arts sophomore through senior year. She will attend CNU in the fall to study marketing and graphic design.
Visual arts farewell
Evelyn Thompson
feature u april | may 2020 u the viewpoint u 25
Connecting Tips on how to stay connected to friends and family no matter what distance By Danielle Piper
L
ife changes: families move, seniors go to college, families live far away from each other, friends meet online and unexpected events confine people to their houses. Regardless of how lonely it might feel being apart from friends and family, staying connected is easier than it has ever been...or is it? There’s no shame in feeling too tired or forgetting to text or call someone, and it can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure when work and school are factors too. However, staying connected is manageable, and with these tips, even the least social people can stay sane.
Tip 1: Utilize social media
This one sounds easy, but some days scrolling through your extended family members’ political posts or your friend’s hundredth selfie from their dream vacation require more willpower than you have. So, whenever social media feels like more of a chore instead of a chance to connect and spread positivity, take a break from it. It is essential to disconnect occasionally so when you do log back in again, you’ll be happy to see the hundreth picture of your baby nephew this week and not overwhelmed by it all.
Tip 2: Stay up to date
New relationships and responsibilities are important, but so are maintaining old ones. Anyone who was or is a Girl Scout knows this (and most people not affiliated), but it can be more difficult than it sounds. It’s important to keep people physically far from you up to date on how you spend your time and vice-versa. A boring conversation about the logistics of your new fast food job are actually very important. Small aspects of your life eventually become large ones, and not sharing them from the start means drifting from your old friends.
Tip 3: Set a schedule and reminders
Even if organization isn’t your strong suit, planning the when, where and whom makes it way easier to stay in touch. This schedule can be as in-depth or as loose as you want, but having a plan with specific steps is essential for connecting in the long run. One simple example is a weekly alarm to call your grandma; the conversation doesn’t have to be long, reaching out is the more important part of it. A different one that requires a little more planning is setting a time frame to text with a friend or sibling, i.e., Sunday afternoons while watching a show you both enjoy, or Thursday nights so you can work on homework together. A schedule doesn’t mean you can only talk when you plan for it, it just sets aside consistent time for you two to do something together.
Tip 4: Keep it lighthearted On a personal level, it can be easy to forget that conversations don’t have to be “about” something. Texting a friend doesn’t need a reason or an expectation; it’s important to keep things casual when trying to stay in touch. Simple “this reminded me of you” messages are both touching and low-effort. When in doubt, send a recipe or a meme.
Tip 5: Utilize birthdays, holidays and upcoming events Staying connected, especially with far off family, revolves around “family time” like holidays, reunions and birthdays. Tagging your aunt in a Facebook post, or sending an E-card to your cousin who just moved are simple, but thoughtful ways to show your family you care. Make sure to keep up with special dates, and use them as an opportunity to spread some love.
Tip 6: It doesn’t need to be digital
The last tip to staying in touch is to branch out in how you communicate, i.e., doing it by hand. Exchanging letters may be especially nice for your grandpa who doesn’t keep up with the times and is still running strong on Windows 95, but snail mail can be special for anyone you want to write to. Another non-digital option is to send a “care package” with books, treat or any other supply you might want to share. English teacher Trisha Strahl said, “My best friend from college and I send postcards--short, simple, but sweet.”
26 u the viewpoint u april | may 2020 u opinion
