October 2016 Nighthawk News Magazine

New day dawns on Dare County Schools’ China Partnership

– Details inside, plus more news for the FFHS and OBX community

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ON THE COVER

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ne by one, the host students and their visitors from China stood up in the circle of chairs in the Oceanview Hall at Jennette’s Pier and spoke of the life-changing events they experienced together.

Some of the moments they shared were predictably silly and drew laughs. Others, however, provided powerful insights into just how valuable the exchange of ideas provided by Dare County Schools’ China Partnership can be.

Nearly all of the 22 Chinese students mentioned how much they enjoyed the fresh air on the Outer Banks, seeing sunrises and sunsets, and splashing in the ocean. One student described in detail that, to see the sun rise from her town in China, she would have to get up at 2 in the morning and climb 1,000 to 2,000 meters up a nearby mountain. Here, she marveled, they rolled out of bed at 6 a.m. and made the short drive to the beach.

Todd and Amy Feltz signed up to host a Chinese student so their daughters, Ansley and Kinnan, could experience this cultural exchange. They took their student, Gong Xue – who went by the name of Tracy to make things easier on her American friends – to see the

sunrise on the final day of the September visit. Amy Feltz captured the moment in the photograph we selected for our cover.

“My favorite part would have to be waking up early on Thursday to go on the beach to watch the sunrise,” said Kinnan, a freshman at First Flight. “As we were leaving the beach to go to school, Tracy said that seeing the sunrise was one of the most beautiful things that she had ever seen. I was really glad that my family was able to be a part of such a life-changing experience!”

That opinion proved to be the consensus for the host students and their parents from First Flight, Manteo and Cape Hatteras. The Chinese students were welcomed to America with pancakes, wide-open spaces and an open internet that proved hard to resist at times: Chinese students enjoy being on their devices as much as or more than their American counterparts.

Those of us in Dare County marveled at tales of school days that lasted up to 14 hours and how easy some of the Chinese visitors found our homework. Most of all, though, we can’t wait to continue the friendships formed here with a trip to China!

– From The Editor

Photo submitted by Amy Feltz Freshman Kinnan Feltz (left) and her sophomore sister Ansley stand with Chinese student Gong Xue after watching the sunrise at Kitty Hawk Pier.

WHAT’S INSIDE 4-5 – China Partnership builds cross-cultural bonds 6-7 – New staff members settle in 8-9 – Students adjust to Albert; Sawyer battles leukemia 10-11 – Serious fall play on tap; dress code questioned 12-13 – Aquarium’s new look; have a STEM summer 14-15 – ‘Greatest of all time’ remembered and missed 16-17 – FFHS alumni achieve carpentry dreams 18-19 – Festive fall activities, traditions 20-21 – Staff editorial challenges you to vote; Hawk Talk 22-23 – Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump 24-25 – Letters to the Editor; and ... Oh, Deer!

26-27 – This couple has a true love of running 28-29 – Homecoming photo gallery 30-31 – Nighthawk Sports Cards: Collect them all!

NIGHTHAWK News Magazine / / table of contents

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ighthawk News Magazine will be published four times this year by the journalism classes at First Flight High School. The publication is distributed free to the FFHS student body, faculty and staff and to First Flight Middle. Approximately 4,000 copies are inserted in the Outer Banks Sentinel, while another 1,000 will be distributed in various retail outlets on the Outer Banks.

The Nighthawk News staff strives to provide informative and accurate coverage of individuals and events within the school and the Dare County community.

The opinion pages serve as a forum for the publications staff and community.

Views expressed in Nighthawk News do not represent the opinions of the faculty or administration, the Dare County School Board or its administration. Editorials represent the views of the staff, while bylined columns are the opinion of the authors.

Readers are encouraged to write letters to the editor on matters of concern. Letters may be mailed to FFHS or delivered to Room B-214. They must be signed. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, grammatical errors or libelous content.

You can reach the Nighthawk News staff by mail at 100 Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills, N.C. 27948, by phone at (252) 449-7000 ext. 2437 or by e-mail at hanfst@daretolearn.org. Advertising inquiries can be made by phone or email.

Nighthawk News is a member of North Carolina Scholastic Media and the Columbia Scholastic, National Scholastic, and Southern Interscholastic press associations. Our stories also are published online at NighthawkNews.com. Follow us on Twitter @FFNighthawkNews, Facebook.com/NighthawkNews and Instagram @FFHSNighthawkNews.

Target Printing and Distribution of the Fayetteville Observer prints our publication.

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China Partnership a

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n a late Sunday night in September, a group of Dare County students settled onto an activity bus headed to Norfolk International Airport.

Their mission was to welcome and bring back students from Meicun Senior High School in Wuxi, China.

The students would be staying with families from First Flight, Manteo and Cape Hatteras while they experienced aspects of American life.

Students showed their Chinese friends a variety of activities, such as surfing: “It was a very fun experience, but there may be sand in my underwear,” said Sam, one of the exchange students who adopted an American name during his stay.

The Monday following their arrival, the Chinese students came to school and shadowed their hosts.

On Tuesday, they took to sightseeing across the Outer Banks. They

started with a trip to the aquarium in Manteo to see a variety of marine life.

Then they had lunch at the Manteo Pizza Hut, where some of the Chinese students enjoyed pizza for what seemed like their first time.

Next, they took to Jockey’s Ridge before venturing off to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Dinner was served family style at High Cotton in Kitty Hawk, and their final stop was the Kitty Hawk Pier.

American and Chinese alike took on the great Atlantic.

China Partnership leader Susan Sawin said that was a highlight of the event: “When we were doing our walk on the beach and watching both the American and Chinese students take one look at the surf and start running in.”

The next day, the partnership held a closing ceremony at Jennette’s Pier, during which the hosts

Photos by Amy Wrenn/Nighthawk News (Above, clockwise) Students enjoy the view from the monument at the Wright Brothers National Memorial during their Tuesday field trip to explore the Outer Banks. A Chinese student snaps a photo of an octopus at the aquarium.

The group wanders up to the Wright Brothers monument. Students explore the aquarium. Three Chinese students run for the ocean after dinner at High Cotton. The whole group poses for a photo before entering the aquarium. Newfound friends excitedly run up the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge.

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hit for hosts, visitors and visitors shared comments about their time together.

“During the closing ceremony, Stephen was telling me that I was the best American football player ever, and that was pretty funny,” sophomore Cole Kelly said.

One visiting student decided to set the record straight: “People from China do not eat cats and dogs,” Jeff said, drawing roars of laughter from the crowd and then doing a mic drop.

One thing’s for sure: These memories will never be forgotten.

“In his closing ceremony speech, he said how this has been his greatest experience,” freshman host Zoe Blankenship said of her student. “Once we got home he also told us this will be something he will never forget.”

Adam Blankenship also appreciated the impact the visit had on freshman twins Zoe and Zac. “Hosting Dong was a terrific

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experience for our family. It made us realize that people are people no matter where you are from and that cultural differences are what make us individuals, but basic needs are what make us human,” Adam said.

“Sharing parts of our everyday life such as our foods, that we take for granted, being relished and so appreciated, gave us new perspective on our everyday lives. It was only four days – we all thought of things that we wished we could have shared if only we had more time.”

Added fellow host parent Karen Bachman: “What a gift it was to be a host family for the China Partnership program! We enjoyed getting to know our host student and loved seeing the kids interact with such ease and quick familiarity. I think our student wanted to stay longer!”

– Compiled by Dair McNinch and Mack Doebler

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Students debate merits of drug testing program

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By Hannah Ellington Staff Writer

he room is sickly yellow. People line the walls, sitting in cubbies and sipping from plastic cups of water. The familiar “whooshing” sound of a toilet can be heard and then, suddenly, the door opens.

A sheepish student walks out, attempting to conceal the pee cup from the eyes of others.

In public schools across the nation, various drug testing policies and programs have been put into place. Substance abuse among teenagers is a prevalent problem: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly 40 percent of high school students have tried marijuana and 22 percent of students said they had been offered, sold or given an illegal drug on school property.

As stated by the Dare County Schools Code of Conduct, “The Dare County Board of Education strongly believes that drug and substance abuse can be detrimental to the physical and emotional health and the academic performance of its students. It is from this belief and out of concern for students’ well-being that a random drug test program is initiated in the Dare County Schools.”

Any student who plans to have a parking pass or be involved with school activities such as athletics and clubs is subject to random drug testing by the school. Students are chosen through a number system twice a month to put their urine in a cup and present it to a test administrator.

Simple as it sounds, the topic of drug testing at First Flight is a controversial one for some students.

“It’s good in the general sense, but it kind of just wastes time for some people,” sophomore Ryder Dudley said. “They always go after the good people.”

While some believe that students who actually do use drugs hardly ever get tested, it is a randomly chosen numerical system that calls down students to the In-School Supervision room where the testing takes place.

When it comes to actually getting caught with a positive test, consequences come into play.

“They pretty much take whatever you care about and not let you do it if you fail your drug test,” said senior Charlie Wright, who explained that he was kicked off the football team – something that he’s passionate about – for not passing his test earlier this year.

For a student who gets caught with a positive on a first test, their parents will be notified and there’s a mandatory retest. School officials don’t find out. For some, this doesn’t seem like enough of a consequence for failing a drug test. For others, it’s a whole different story.

“People that do get busted, their parents will send them to boarding school or crazy things, even on the first try when it could have been just a mis-test,” junior Ronnie Sunkler said.

The second time a student fails a drug test,

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the school system gets involved and there is a conference held between the principal, student and parent. The student is no longer eligible to participate in sports or clubs for 365 days.

“The school could definitely be a little more harsh about (consequences), but in a way, they shouldn’t be able to take away prom and sports and your parking pass,” sophomore Chloe Fowler said.

And if a third test comes out positive, the superintendent will be notified, a conference will be held, ineligibility will take place and the student must go through a mandatory substance abuse assessment.

“The purpose of all of this is to help high school students who are going through this transitional time of their lives by giving them these consequences, if you will, hoping that then they can turn themselves around,” administrative intern Diane Childress said. “It’s more of a tool to be a life-changing event in the way of trying to help them as opposed to charging them.”

Opinions on how to help a student live a better life differ.

“I think if you’re in a sport it should be expected, but I think also that if you’re minding your business and getting all your school work done and doing everything you’re supposed to be doing, then they shouldn’t be able to do that to you,” Fowler said. “I think it’s up to the law to catch people doing things, not the school’s business, necessarily.”

From the school system’s point of view, drug testing is purely a way to deter people from going down the wrong path.

“When I was in high school, I knew that if I got in trouble with my coach – and I’m not talking drugs, just with school or anything like that – I’d be off the team,” Childress said. “That sense of accountability and knowing that somebody else out there wants you to do well, doesn’t want you to fail, wants you to make good choices, in most cases encourages you to do those things.

Unfortunately, if you already have a habit of using drugs in outside-of-school activities, if you can’t stop it for a season, then you can’t stop.”

According to research conducted by the Institute of Education Sciences, “Some 16 percent of students subject to drug testing reported using substances covered by their district’s testing in the past 30 days, compared with 22 percent of comparable students in schools without the program.”

Dare County Schools pays for Sports Safe, a testing service company, to perform the drug testing. Approximately 50 percent of students enrolled are tested, costing about $30 per test with around 950 tests per year. For some, that is a small price to pay to teach an important lesson.

“In real life, these people that get caught with this go to jail,” Sunkler said. “So the consequences could be much worse.”

Sophomore Hannah Ellington can be reached at ellingtonha1214@daretolearn.org. fall / / 2016

New staff members make mark at FFHS

By Olivia O’Steen Staff Writer

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new school year brought new teachers to First Flight. Here is a chance to get to know them a little

better.

Geoff Harte, who teaches Spanish, is from New York and has taught at schools in Charlotte, Florida and even California. He is going into his 19th year teaching.

“The students here are very bright, and I’m very happy so far with the kids’ progress,” Harte said.

Jessie McClary, who teaches video game design, photography and broadcast, has lived on the Outer Banks since 2000 and was a graphic designer and artist for 15 years before she decided to start teaching.

Before teaching at FFHS, she taught in Currituck County.

“I feel so lucky to be able to bring my career experience as a graphic designer into the classroom!” McClary said. “My students benefit, too, because every project we do is parallel to a job or client situation in the real world. I make sure of that.”

Kyle Eaker, who is one of the school’s counselors, moved here from Hickory. He taught general education at Catawba Valley Community College before becoming a high school counselor.

“My favorite thing about living on the Outer Banks is that I love to swim and be in the water,” Eaker said.

Camie Romano, who is a new art teacher, just moved here from Virginia Beach. She taught art, worked with the office and tutored for AVID. Nighthawk News Magazine / / news

“First Flight is a great school and I have so many talented artists in my art classes. I look forward to what the rest of the school year brings,” Romano said. “So far I’ve enjoyed spending time at the beach and looking at all the local artwork in the area.”

Ricki Stewart, who teaches American History, grew up on the Outer Banks. Stewart attended Peace College in Raleigh, N.C. State, and then the University of South Florida.

“I’m a native of Dare County and am happy to be back serving the community I grew up in,” Stewart said. “I’m a lifelong learner and I love school. In college, I loved studying and traveling. I studied abroad at Oxford University in England and two summers in Yucatan, Merida, Mexico.”

Billy Folkes, the new gym teacher, has lived on the Outer Banks for 15 years and has worked at both Manteo Middle and Manteo High School.

“I love it here at First Flight,” he said. “The students and staff are excellent.”

One teacher is new to teaching all together. Molly Newbern grew up in Hertford and did her student teaching at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville.

“I think First Flight is one of the most beautiful schools I’ve ever seen,” she said. “The staff here is absolutely wonderful, administration is so welcoming and friendly, and it was so easy to slip right into place and feel at home.”

Sophomore Olivia O’Steen can be reached at osteenol@daretolearn. org.

Photos by Ben Tran/Nighthawk News (Counterclockwise from above) Spanish teacher Geoff Harte works with junior Will Lyon, school counselor Kyle Eaker meets with senior Mary Thompson, Digital Arts teacher Jessie McClary shows her class the inner workings of Adobe Illustrator, physical education teacher Billy Folkes throws a Frisbee outside during class with freshman Zach Hughes, History teacher Molly Newbern works with freshman Emma Byard, History teacher Ricki Stewart explains a topic to junior Matthew Gray, and Art teacher Camie Romano chats with sophomores Zoe Tholen, Megan Miller and Scout Landry.

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Nighthawks adjusting to new #AlbertNation

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By Dair McNinch Staff Writer

he bright Friday night lights deeply contrasted with the blacked-out First Flight student section as the Nighthawks took on rival Currituck in a highly anticipated football home game. Known by some as the craziest FFHS student section ever, chants they started echoed through the night.

One stood out: “Albert Nation.”

Students walked into the building the first day of school and had to embrace many changes. These changes mainly revolved around new principal Tim Albert, who current students were familiar with since he had been their principal at First Flight Middle School.

What the students weren’t familiar with was his stricter focus on rules at the high school.

“I know that I’ve come in here, have done a few changes, and some of those changes are not real popular,” Albert said. “The two biggest issues we’ve been dealing with is the cellphone issues and the empower time issue.”

This year, First Flight is enforcing Dare County Schools’ rule that cellphones have to be kept in students’ lockers during the school day.

“I feel that cellphones are necessary in the right place and the right time,” Albert said. “When they become a distraction to the educational process, that’s when I feel I need to step in and make hard decisions.”

There’s a clear divide in the response to this rule. Most students disagree and want some freedoms back that they had the last several years, when phone use was allowed during certain free periods and in the halls.

Most teachers see the phones as a distraction and agree with the enforcement of this county rule.

“I think it’s great that we’re enforcing the rule because how distracted (students) get having them,” math teacher Susan Blackwell said.

People have argued that the freshmen are not as opposed to the rule since they’ve never had the freedom, but that isn’t always the case.

“I think we should be able to use them in high school since we’re more grown up and responsible,” freshman William Harrison said.

Despite the controversy, Albert has a clear motivation for his ideas. He’s not just ruling the school however he feels like.

“I could hide behind the phone pol-

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icy and say, ‘I’m just enforcing school board policy, I don’t have to tell you anything else,’ but that’s not the way I do business,” Albert said. “Do I think every student in this building uses a cellphone for negative purposes? No. I do not. But I can’t take a chance that there’s going to be an opportunity that some students will use it for the wrong reason.”

The other big adjustment for students is the adoption of a much more structured Empower Time system.

Instead of last year’s model, in which students could go anywhere they wished for the 29-minute study hall, students now need to be claimed each day by a certain teacher and report to that class.

“Empower Time is still a part of the instructional day; therefore, we need it to be more structured to get more out of it,” Albert said. “I think once the students get into it and see that they do have choices, I think they’ll really enjoy what they’re going to see with it.”

About a month into the process, most students now are being claimed by specific teachers, with those who aren’t sitting in a quiet study hall in the cafeteria.

In response to the changes, some people have complained and some have spoken of trying to change it.

Senior Byrde Wells took a different course of action when he tweeted a Photoshopped picture one of the first few days of school. The picture was a parody of the cartoon “Avatar: The Last Airbender” that put Albert’s face on the villain of the show and former principal Arty Tillett’s face on the good guy.

Wells captioned it with the now-renowned phrase of “Albert Nation.”

“I knew it would be funny and it just kinda blew up. I didn’t think it would, but it did and just totally turned into something else,” Wells said. “The whole school doesn’t really agree with everything he did, but because of ‘Albert Nation’ we can kinda joke about it.”

Albert has made mention of his “popularity” on social media at different times during the first quarter, but also has reminded students that his door is always open to talk. Anyone who wants changes to be made to school rules might want to just go talk to him, because as sophomore Lawson Eldridge summed up, “Albert Nation is here to stay.”

Sophomore Dair McNinch can be reached at mcninchle1121@daretolearn. org.

Sawyer Sanchez finds the

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By Ashlee Geraghty Staff Writer

he beginning of Sawyer Sanchez’s junior year took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Sanchez was on vacation in New Mexico over the summer and said he began to feel very sick.

“After going to at least three urgent cares and not getting any answers, I decided to go to the ER, where they took blood tests and figured out something was wrong,” Sanchez said.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a type of cancer that forms in the bone marrow of the body. It is caused when the bone marrow starts making unusual types of white and red blood cells.

Symptoms of this include feeling tired, loss of appetite, fever, bruising and bleeding. There are a few kinds of treatment that go along with leukemia, such as chemotherapy, or in rare cases, bone marrow transplants.

In order for a bone marrow transplant, the donor must be a match to the person receiving it.

With the love and support from his family, friends and community, Sanchez has been staying strong through it all.

“Having my parents here all the time has made it a lot easier,” he said. “Also, having friends come visit always brings great positivity and makes my day a lot more fun.”

One of his close friends, junior Logan Haas, has been makfall / / 2016

Big Deal: Grant increases classroom book collection

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Photos submitted by Sawyer Sanchez Junior Sawyer Sanchez has met new friends like therapy dog Sarah Lee (left) during his stay at The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, but also has enjoyed time with old friends (top left) such as juniors Logan Haas (middle) and Caleb Macon.

By Jayne Walker Staff Writer

ucked away in a cozy classroom is a separate library full of a variety of books that can appeal to everybody. English teacher Lauren Deal has collected over 1,300 books in her classroom library, which is open to all students and teachers.

“I learned to read right before I turned 3, and I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember,” Deal said.

Her passion for reading inspired her to apply for a grant from the Book Love Foundation. The grant would award her $500 to spend on books for her classroom library in Room B-308. Some of her students, including sophomore Blair Smith, wrote letters to help Deal win the grant at the end of the last school year.

“Ms. Deal really helped all of us to find books that we like. She let us have freedom in what we read and helped us find a perfect match,” Smith said.

Smith included many wonderful things that Deal has done for her students, including helping them discover new genres, reach outside of their reading comfort zones and make

them actively want to pursue reading outside of the classroom.

“Ms. Deal made people who don’t like to read love to read,” Smith explained. “She helped us to actually know we like to read and what is interesting to us, and I really appreciate what she did for us last year.”

Deal’s love for her students is apparent in her work as a teacher and her guidance in reading selection.

“I give them as much say as possible and when I find out what they are interested in, I go out and find books that they like,” Deal said. “And I allowed students to pick out books to buy with the grant money.”

Her library is organized by genre.

Each book has a sticker on the spine and there is a key posted so students can find their favorite type. Genres include fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, LGBTQ+ and more.

Deal is always welcoming students to visit her collection. Anyone who tells her what they like will get a recommendation of as many books as she can think of, so visitors to her classroom library are bound to find something to love.

Sophomore Jayne Walker can be reached at walkerja0213@daretolearn. org.

strength to fight leukemia ing trips to The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk. During his visits, they usually watch movies and play card games.

“The hardest thing hasn’t been going to Virginia to see him,” Haas said. “It’s been hard seeing him the way he is.”

Sanchez has had to make many new adjustments in his life.

“The biggest change has been being away from home and the beach and adjusting to how the chemotherapy makes me feel,” he said. “I mostly miss seeing my sisters every day, and I only see friends every couple of weeks. I also miss the beach and not being able to sleep in my own bed at night.”

Sanchez has been keeping up with his school work through all of this. He has two tutors who come to see him once a day to help him out with his school work.

A bone marrow drive was recently organized by Sanchez’s mom and a close family friend, Carolyne Haas. Anyone from the ages of 18 to 44 could get their mouths swabbed to see if they would be a match for Sawyer or anyone else. The bone marrow drive took place Sept. 30 at First Flight. Many people from the community showed up to be swabbed or to volunteer.

“Being a bone marrow donor can help someone heal and save a life of someone in need,” Sanchez said. “Thanks to Be The Match and everyone who helped put together the drive.”

Junior Ashlee Geraghty can be reached at geraghtyas0916@ daretolearn.org.

Nighthawk News Magazine / / news

Photo by Amy Wrenn/Nighthawk News English teacher Lauren Deal shows a book to freshman Baxter Strydom before a recent reading session for her class. A $500 grant allowed Deal to increase her already-expansive classroom library, which is open to all students and staff at FFHS.

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First Flight takes a serious turn with this year’s fall play

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By Suzanne Harrison Staff Writer

et ready for a change of pace as First Flight takes on its most serious play in history. “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” captures the raw emotion of the Holocaust. Instead of the usual lighthearted and comedic cliche, the directors went a more somber route for this year’s show. This true heartfelt tale tells the story of the thousands of Jewish children who lived in the concentration camp of Terezin and the poems and artwork they left behind.

Sophomore Chloe Futrell is playing the lead role of Raja Englanderova, a teenager who survives the Holocaust. She acts as a narrator throughout the show, taking the audience through an hour-and-a-half journey of her life inside Terezin. This is Futrell’s first lead in any show at First Flight, which will showcase the performance Nov. 17-19.

“It’s pretty surprising I was cast as Raja. I did not even audition for a leading role,” Futrell said. “But that means a lot to me, that I was even considered for this leading role because I am a sophomore.”

With a larger role comes greater dedication to the show.

“It’s a big responsibility because of all the lines I have to memorize and the emotion I have

to convey throughout the play,” Futrell said. “(It) makes me nervous yet excited because I have never had a role like this.”

The show does not only revolve around the children of Terezin. Raja also gives the audience a look of what her life was like before the Holocaust, including sharing memories of her family.

Senior Paul Seyler plays Pavel Englanderova, Raja’s older brother. Seyler said this is one of the more difficult roles he has yet to play.

“In my previous roles I could use bits of my own personality for my character, but this role is different in a sense that I cannot relate to Pavel and his tragic life,” Seyler said. “Pavel is the closest thing in the show to an uplifting character. He is the only one in his family who truly accepts what is going on around him.”

Seyler admitted he was surprised when he found out what the play was: “I was honestly worried that the kids at the school wouldn’t appreciate it very much. I think that when they come see the play, they will take it more seriously.”

While actors are an important part of any show, the key component of making any show run smoothly is the technical crew behind the scenes.

Senior Avery Daniels has been on tech crew since freshman year and is the stage manager for “I Never Saw Another Butterfly.” While Daniels is used to working with the crew off stage, it is a whole different scene going to rehearsal every

day and being surrounded by actors.

“The hardest part about being stage manager is the fact that at this point in time I’m only working with the actors, and I feel more comfortable with tech, so right now I feel very out of my element,” Daniels said.

Directors Monica Penn and Lauren Deal wrote more than half the show to make roles for everyone in the cast of almost 30 students.

“This play is definitely a challenge because there is so much we need to re-arrange and re-do because we have made it very unique by adding lines into the show,” Deal said.

Both directors agreed it was time to do a more solemn show.

“We knew we would like a serious play this year, because First Flight has not done a serious play in a long time and we read the play and we were very touched by the subject matter and thought it would be a good challenge for our cast of students,” Deal said.

Members of the cast agreed that it is very important for people to come see this show, which promises to not only bring tears to the audience, but a history lesson along with it.

“Everyone studies the Holocaust in school and this play really brings this true event to life and it lets you dig deeper into the real lives of these victims,” Deal said.

Junior Suzanne Harrison can be reached at harrisonsu0716@daretolearn.org.

Photos by Ben Tran/Nighthawk News Cast members practice their scenes during a recent after-school rehearsal for the fall play ‘I Never Saw Another Butterfly.’ Sophomore Chloe Futrell (above left) and junior Miles Kasten are two of the main characters in the performance, which will take place in November.

Shorelines Yearbook Don’t forget to remember!

Pre-order your copy of the 2017 yearbook, which will be distributed in May so you have time to relive this year’s fun moments with friends. This keepsake is just $55.

Spots remain for business ads and senior tributes as well!

Order online or visit Room B-214 for more information.

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YearbookForever.com fall / / 2016

Dress code policy pits free expression against compliance

By Cassidy O’Neil Staff Writer

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new outfit can make a student feel outgoing, empowered and confident. For some, there’s nothing better than showing up to school looking good.

In an age where just about everyone tries to express themselves and be different, it’s getting harder to find a student who has not been dress-coded and kicked off that cloud nine experience of rocking a new outfit.

Dare County Schools’ Code of Conduct cautions students against wearing “Any type of dress which is disruptive, lewd or sexually suggestive, glorifies or depicts alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, or endangers the safety, education, and/or health of another person.”

Although most students sign the forms in the Code of Conduct, many disagree with what they consider to be a strict and out-of-date dress code policy.

“I think that you should be able to express yourself no matter what, and everyone has skin and a body,” senior Gabrielle Sullivan said. “In this day and age, showing some skin, or showing off your body a little shouldn’t be an issue.”

A dress code is needed to keep people’s private places – well, private – but rules about spaghetti straps not covering enough of the shoulders and back should not be against the rules, students argue: “It’s literally a spine,” sophomore Zoe Tholen said. “I don’t understand why girls get dress-coded for their backs showing.”

Added sophomore Scout Landry: “The school acts as if showing shoulders is a crime.”

While the purpose of the dress code is to maintain a safe and distraction-free learning environment, sophomore Taina Santana believes dress-coding people may do more harm than good.

“I think taking people out of class because of their clothing is ridiculous. It is implying that how they dress is going to affect their ability to learn,” she said. “If my outfits don’t distract me, they should not be treated as an issue.

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You make the call!

Students, what would your dress code look like if you could petition the school board for changes to the policy? Submit your ideas to a newspaper staff member or bring them to Room B-214.

My education should not fall victim to another student that lacks the ability to concentrate on their education.”

Sophomore Maddie Just has been dress-coded several times this year.

“If the school disapproves of my outfit, but my parents don’t take issue with it, who should have the final say?” she asked.

Even male students can be dress-coded. Sophomore Daniel Olszewski was told to cover up when he wore a traffic director’s vest one day last year.

“It was Spirit Week, so I felt like anything would be acceptable. I’m probably one of the only guys to ever be dress-coded,” he said.

Most male students don’t have the experience of being dress-coded. As for being distracted by what others are wearing, junior Alex Prior said, “I’ve never been unable to learn because of a girl’s outfit.”

Assistant Principal Caroline Pearce is primarily in charge of overseeing students abiding by dress-code rules.

“It’s a matter of getting students to dress for their job as a student, not as a beachcomber,” Pearce said. “It’s not right or wrong, good or bad, it’s compliance with DCS policy.”

That battle between compliance and freedom of expression is one many students feel they are responsible enough to handle.

“Although I think there should be a dress code, I wish the school would cut us some slack,” sophomore Izzy Warner said.

Sophomore Cassidy O’Neil can be reached at o’neilca1210@daretolearn.org.

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Renovations add new depth to aquarium

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By Beverly Murry Business Manager

ust keep swimming” – a famous quote most teenagers grew up on, just like many of them also grew up going to the Roanoke Island Aquarium.

The local staple for adults and children alike has recently grown up a bit, too, by completing a sixmonth, $6.5 million renovation, making the classic experience more immersive than ever before.

Visitors are now greeted by a large interactive screen that features historical figures from the Outer Banks along with dancing dolphins and other animated sea life. The Seven Rivers exhibit also boasts new technologies and more decor to plunge guests into what makes up the Albemarle Sound ecosystem. Other updated exhibits include walking through a sunken ship in the Sea Treasures display and the all-new Delicate Drifters, which showcases jellyfish in their futuristic homes.

“I think if you looked at all of the aquariums down the North Carolina coast within the system, every one of them is consistently working on upgrades. This one is getting a lot of attention because we did have to close for it,” said Brian Postelle, the N.C. Aquariums public relations coordinator. “If you look at Pine Knoll Shores, they had their own big renovation. So I think it’s a philosophy of constantly bettering the facility.”

The lengthy process at Roanoke Island caused some of the aquarium to be closed, which also led to a reduced ticket price. During the renovation process, animals were able to live either in their regular habitat or in on-site quarantine, making for a more peaceful transition.

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Photos by Amy Wrenn/Nighthawk News Visitors to the N.C. Aquarium in Manteo are treated to a variety of new features after extensive renovations to the tourist destination. Everything from digital creatures greeting guests in the entryway to a room dedicated to jellyfish awaits.

However, not everything was smooth sailing in the endeavor.

Some exhibits needed revisions in order to maximize the safety of the animals.

“There is definitely fine-tuning that goes on with the renovations,” Postelle said. “Building a habitat for animals is a whole different thing. You have to be very cognizant of providing a safe place for the animals. There were definitely times when revisiting the exhibits was required.”

In late September, several students visited the fully open aquarium on a field trip for the China

Partnership. The visit allowed them to go in depth on native species of fish and other intriguing animals.

“All of the Chinese exchange students really liked it when they first walked in with the giant opening and with all of the new technology,” sophomore Cole Kelly said.

“They had touchscreen stuff to learn more information about the fish, so I thought that was pretty cool.”

The whole reasoning behind the renovations was to create a better bond between the environment and people. Adding more lifelike touches not only makes the entire

experience more entertaining, but also educational.

“When (visitors) leave, they’ll look around: That’s one of the big things about putting the sound-side pier in a few years ago. was you get to walk out onto the sound and look at that environment,” Postelle said.

“So when they leave the aquarium, they see the ocean, the beach, the sound or the Alligator River and they have a deeper understanding of it. It’s not just something outside the car window anymore.”

Junior Beverly Murry can be reached at murrybe0316@daretolearn.org.

fall / / 2016

STEM camp prepares students for challenges of Naval Academy

By Sophie Johnson Staff Writer

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ath, science, engineering, sports, hacking computers and bioengineering were just a few of the things sophomores Cecilia Cortez and Madison Beaver learned about at the United States Naval Academy’s STEM camp this summer.

Not just everyone can get into this camp: They had to go through testing and even write an essay to attend.

“I applied and then they looked at my background, grades, GPA, class rank and drug testing,” Beaver said. “Also, I had to answer two essay questions on why I want to attend and why I’d be a good candidate for this camp.”

Once the application was approved, they had a six-hour drive to Annapolis, Maryland, where the camp is located. The camp is part of the Naval Academy, where Beaver would like to attend.

“I was looking at requirements for the Naval Academy and I came across the STEM camp,” Beaver said.

Cortez already had a little background on the camp because her brother, Kyle, who is currently enrolled in the Naval Academy, attended the camp a few years ago and had a lot of fun.

STEM stands for “science, technology, engineering and math,” and these were just a few of the things Beaver and Cortez learned about at the camp.

“Some of the things we did were look at destroyers, hack computers, dissect sheep hearts and veins,

Nighthawk News Magazine / / features

Photos submitted by Madison Beaver, Cecilia Cortez Sophomore Cecilia Cortez (left) enjoys a lighthearted moment with members of her squadron at the Naval Academy’s STEM camp, while Madison Beaver proudly displays her certificate from the scenic campus in Annapolis, Maryland. build tornado-resistant houses, and we also made batteries out of acid and pennies,” Cortez said.

Cortez thoroughly enjoyed the camp; however, a few activities stood out to her the most.

“My favorite part was meeting new people,” Cortez said. “I met someone from Alaska and even Hawaii. I also liked dissecting the sheep heart. That was really cool.”

While the camp was mainly focused on academics, students were still allowed to have a little fun. According to Beaver, the lunch

room has a silly rule for opening peanut butter.

“When you open a can of peanut butter, you have to smash it on your head,” Beaver said with a laugh. “You also have to yell ‘beat Army’ when you smash it because that’s the Navy’s catchphrase.”

Some kids aren’t as lucky as others when they smash it. One kid smashed it a little too hard and injured his forehead, so they had to stop for a week, Cortez claimed.

Both Cortez and Beaver said they would definitely like to attend

the camp next year, but unfortunately, Beaver will not be able to.

She joined First Flight’s R.O.V. Club this year, and the convention is the same date as the camp. To anyone looking to attend the camp, Cortez has a few tips: “Make sure you look at whoever is talking to you and use your manners,” Cortez said. “Also, try to be outgoing and talk to people that aren’t just in your squad.

Sophomore Sophie Johnson can be reached at johnsonso0628@ daretolearn.org.

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School grapples with loss of ‘best in the world’

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By Arabella Saunders Features Editor

amie Angel-Ramirez glanced up from her vocabulary worksheet as she heard the familiar sound of Marc Anthony’s hearty lyrics flowing through the classroom. Moments later, her Spanish teacher, Ramón Sánchez, appeared in front of her and asked her to dance. Nervous, the freshman stood and began to sway with the music. As the song progressed, her nerves subsided as she and Sánchez glided across the room. A wide grin spread across her face as Sánchez turned to the class, proclaiming, “She is the best dancer in the world!”

To students and faculty at First Flight as well as other community members, memories similar to this resurface every time they hear the name Ramón Sánchez.

On June 27, Sánchez passed away at the age of 72 after battling throat and lung cancer for about three years. Originally from Nicaragua, Sánchez taught Spanish in Dare County schools for over 20 years and impacted many people along the way.

“Since the day the school opened, my classroom was two doors down from him and there was never a morning where he did not greet me with a smile and a wonderful hello,” math teacher Jennifer Kinnisten said. “It just goes along with who he was, with the greeting every morning. He was just always positive.”

Assistant Principal Caroline Pearce first met Sánchez when he was teaching her daughter at Manteo Elementary School about 20 years ago.

“My first impression of him was he was accomplished, enthusiastic, well-groomed and he provided the necessary hook for English-speaking children to want to learn Spanish,” Pearce said. “And that’s absolutely how I would describe him today.”

Once a wealthy corporation owner, Sánchez left everything familiar to him behind when he and his family were forced to flee Nicaragua during the Nicaraguan Revolution.

“When he lived in his country, he was a very wealthy person, and when he moved to the U.S. he had to go from being at the top to starting from the very bottom, but I never remember him being negative,” Spanish teacher Nitzia Gale said. “He lost everything and that was very humbling, but he succeeded here.”

Sánchez’s success was evident at his memorial service, held at First Flight on June 30. The auditorium was packed full of friends, family, current and former students, and other members of the community.

“He was always positive and he had an impact on people that showed with the number of people present at his service,” Kinnisten said.

“There were students there who have been out of the building for five, six, seven years. It was amazing seeing that many students come back.”

While Sánchez’s teaching abilities were impressive, many agree that one of his greatest successes in life was raising his children with his wife, Teresitá.

“One of the things about him that really impressed me was how important his family

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Photos submitted by Michelle Sanchez Andrew Sánchez plays the piano during the memorial service for his father, First Flight Spanish teacher Ramón Sánchez, in a scene that mirrors Ramón performing for a crowd earlier in his life. The enthusiastic Sánchez, known for his catchphrase ‘the best in the world!’ died in June following a battle with cancer. was to him,” Pearce said. “That the boys were gentlemen and the girls were ladies and that they had self-respect and respect for others.”

Not only did he have outstanding character traits, Sánchez possessed skills that many are unaware of.

“I think I was the first person, years ago at Manteo High School, to discover that he was a concert pianist,” Pearce said. “We were doing an activity together in French and Spanish and he said, ‘Well, I can play that,’ and I said ‘Oh, stop,’ and so he sat down and just went from one end of the keys to the other. All I could think was, ‘Oh my gosh.’ ” In addition to being an accomplished musician, Sánchez was also a skilled pingpong player, earning a national title in Nicaragua and many other titles while competing in the United States. Sánchez was the sponsor and founder of FFHS’ Pingpong Club.

“He was very passionate about pingpong,” junior Leslie Jennings said. “But what made his passion even more strong was being able to share it with his students.”

Inspired by Sánchez’s unfaltering optimism and late science teacher Danielle James’ insightfulness, Principal Tim Albert has plans to make the teachers’ signature phrases “The

Ramón and Teresitá Sánchez best in the world” and “Have a plan” a constant theme throughout this school year.

“You just can’t say it, you have to practice it to make it happen, and part of that is dedication and caring for individuals,” Albert said. “We will weave that into any type of thing we do, whether that’s communication, whether that’s assemblies, whatever the case may be, we will have different things to honor them throughout the year.”

Junior Arabella Saunders can be reached at saundersar0214@daretolearn.org. fall / / 2016

Summer travel memories last a lifetime

By Buzzy Staten & Olivia O’Steen Staff Writers

W

aking up to a warm tropical breeze, seeing the sunrise over a mountainous landscape, feeling hot white sand under your toes, and hearing exotic animals off into the distance.

Over the summer, numerous First Flight students traveled to new places such as Italy, Greece, Belize and Spain. This upcoming summer, students can look forward to going to Costa Rica with Lauren Deal, Hawaii with Adam Herman and Greece with Sharon Crane.

“We are going to be going zip lining, snorkeling, whitewater rafting, kayaking, climbing up a volcano, lots of really cool stuff,” said Deal, an English teacher.

Herman, a social studies teacher, is taking students to Hawaii for a period of 17 days this June to explore the Big Island and Oahu, and the Greece trip in July with Crane – another English teacher – will take place for a second straight year.

While some students are looking forward to their upcoming excursions, others are looking back on their experiences this past summer.

Math teacher Melissa Frye took a group of students to Italy and Greece for nine days, going through Capri, Athens and Rome.

“Since it’s my senior year I’m glad I went on the trip because it was something fun to do before my last year,” Morgan Brinkley said.

“In Greece they didn’t like how we spoke English and several people refused to sell me

water,” junior Malia Garber said with a laugh. “It made me miss home a lot, actually. I love being able to explore new places and whatnot, but nothing compares to being home. But it was an amazing experience to travel to Europe.”

Sophomores Cole Kelly, Chloe Fowler, Ben Tran and Lorna Cameron, along with junior Alexandra Byers, all went on the Belize trip led

by Deal. They stayed at three different hotels around the coast for seven days.

“We went to the Mayan ruins and climbed up the big stones and could see over the whole country: We could see Guatemala and different countries,” Kelly said. “We went zip lining, parasailing, cave tubing, snuba (scuba diving and snorkeling) and sea trek, which is when you put on a big helmet and walk the sea floor, which was one of my favorite parts. We saw nurse sharks, sea turtles, stingrays and lots of fish.”

Tran also traveled to Vietnam over the summer to visit family. He has gone to Vietnam for a month at a time every couple of years since he was 7.

“Vietnam is a small country, but it’s also very scenic and beautiful. It’s almost a different world over there and it’s crazy how people over there have such different lifestyles than people in the U.S,” Tran said.

Some students decided not to go on trips with family or through the school, instead deciding to take matters into their own hands.

Sophomores Sophie Morgan, Caroline Murray and Izzy Warner went to Spain for two weeks to teach English and ended up becoming good

Photo submitted by Suzanne Harrison Juniors Suzanne Harrison (from left) and Morgan Brinkley enjoy time in Greece last summer with former Nighthawk Hannah Nettles. friends with a few of the other kids who were there from Ireland, France and Greece.

“When I was there I actually made pretty good friends with some of the people,” Warner said. “Caroline and I plan on going to Ireland this summer to stay with some friends at their house. We want to go to Greece with some other friends that we met there and also some friends from France.”

Why keep traveling?

“It was lit,” Murray said.

Sophomores Buzzy Staten and Olivia O’Steen can be reached at statenbu1127@daretolearn.org and osteenol0806@datetolean.org.

Jump into the hardcore world of parkour

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By Hunter Haskett Staff Writer

umping from rooftop to rooftop seems like a superhuman thing to do, but for junior Marcelo Munoz it’s a normal, everyday activity.

“My favorite part is that you really get into it and it’s kind of like a meditation where you just focus on only one thing,” Munoz said.

Munoz is an avid traceur – a practitioner of parkour.

Parkour is a sport where you move rapidly through an urban environment, climbing and jumping over obstacles such as buildings.

It is a French word derived from a military obstacle course training.

“You forget everything, whatever your issues, all your little mental troubles that people have,” Munoz said. “All you think about is, ‘Hey, there’s a wall, I gotta get over it.’ ” Parkour developed in the 1980s and has gained rising popularity through movies, documentaries Nighthawk News Magazine / / features

and social media. Munoz stumbled onto the sport with friends.

“WelI, I was just good at jumping fences with my friends,” Munoz said. “And I looked into it and things just went on from there.”

In parkour, obstacles could be anything from fences and buildings to railings. There are parkour gyms across the country to practice the sport in a controlled environment and meet other traceurs.

On the Outer Banks, there are no parkour gyms, but the area does have many interesting obstacles to practice on.

“There are various locations,” Munoz said. “It all depends on just the area, but my favorite location is probably the schools after dark or something.”

It doesn’t take a professional to parkour. People from all over and all different ages can learn to parkour in their own towns and communities with a little determination and practice.

“You don’t really need any

conditioning as long as you have the determination to do it and you practice, and you’re at least a little bit flexible, you should be able to do it,” Munoz said.

Parkour is a very disciplined sport and a lot of practice will take you a long way.

“Eventually you’ll get the strength to improve,” he said. “You don’t need to do pull-ups or pushups or be big. You just have to want to do it, know how you’re going to do it and just do it.”

Like most sports, injury can occur with parkour, but is preventable.

“I heard, ‘Don’t exceed your boundaries but explore them,’ ” Munoz said. “Test out your limitations, but you can only get better, and if you face your fears then the next time it gets easier.”

Munoz and a friend have personal experience with facing a challenge and then getting better.

“One cool thing I really want to do is go full speed from one roof to the other,” Munoz said. “There

was this one time my friend almost didn’t make the jump because he was just running full speed and he jumped straight ahead without looking.

“He was barely on the roof when he landed and he was like, ‘Oh my God, do not do that jump,’ but we still did it anyways. We made it and got used to it. You just really get into it. Your blood starts pumping, the adrenaline starts pumping and you just keep going, like there’s an obstacle there and you just naturally flow right over it without even thinking about it.”

People from all over the world parkour and are brought together by a common love and thrill of the sport. Munoz enjoys seeing parkour from all over the globe.

“You say, ‘Hey, I do that too!’ and it’s awesome because you see the other people doing it,” Munoz said.

Sophomore Hunter Haskett can be reached at hasketthu0318@daretolearn.org.

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Alumni carve out careers in carpentry

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By Mack Doebler Online Editor

t was after school one day when two freshmen appeared at carpentry teacher Skip Saunders’ classroom door. The year was 2010, and Saunders was beginning to expand his classroom into a more workable space. Davis Oehrli and Zack Harris were there to help, and Saunders set them on doing just that.

“I told them, ‘Here’s the layout, here’s the material, go for it on the cutting table.’ I went over to work on other things and kept my eye on them,” Saunders said. “I couldn’t believe what they did, kids that hadn’t even taken my class yet.”

The cutting table is still in use in the workshop, and Oehrli and Harris would continue to come in throughout the year to help with anything Saunders needed.

“That whole chop saw table in there, me and Davis built that,” Harris said. “Any time we could help in that class, we’d go in there and Saunders was definitely appreciative of that.”

They continued in Saunders’ classes, building cornhole boards, sheds, tables and eventually bedframes as their senior project. In carpentry class, the senior projects are pieces of furniture designed by art students and built by carpentry students.

Oehrli realized this and sought to give himself an advantage when building his senior project.

“The bed frames, I designed that,” Oehrli said. “It was separated between two years, because you had to be a junior to get into the furniture class. You needed a certain amount of math classes, so I kind of planned it out, took both art classes and carpentry class in the same year.”

He built a bed frame out of layered wood with hot glue, complicated wood-bending techniques and lots of clamps. It was a lot of work, but the end product was beautiful and sat out on display in the rotunda.

After completing their projects, Saunders has his students write an exit journal describing their experience in the class.

“Davis’ journal, one of the things he said that pretty much blew my mind was that he described what it was like to go out

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there and stand in front of his work with the students in the school,” Saunders recalled. “He said that this has been the most amazing experience for him and opportunity, because just as other kids are on football or run track or are in the school play or play basketball and people come to see them, he said this was his football game, this was his basketball game or soccer game where people can see the things that he really loves to do. That really struck a resonant chord and continues to do that as the kids get to show their work.”

Oehrli and Harris graduated in 2014 and went on to join the workforce, searching for jobs in woodworking. Harris now works in Virginia making pipe organs.

“After graduating high school, one of the mentors that taught me in Saunders’ class offered me a job and I worked for him until I moved,” Harris said. “When I came out here, I started looking for something in woodworking because that’s what I did. I found this place and I thought, ‘Hey, why not?’ and now I’m a borderline supervisor here.”

The process of building pipe organs is long and leaves little to no room for error, which is to be expected as they run anywhere from $500,000 to $800,000. And that doesn’t include installation costs.

“It starts out, we have a big map of plan paper and we’ll get about two dozen sheets of that and they show everything,” Harris explained.

“We start building the structure, kinda like Saunders does in class with building the houses: You kind of build a frame for all the parts and you build the chest and they channel the air to different pipes to play different notes. You build the pipes, the air lines, the nice fancy pretty stuff that you see on the outside. It’s pretty serious work and once we get all the components for it, we put it about 75 percent together in the shop just to make sure it fits and everything is right on it. We check measurements for a final time and then it gets packed up in the truck and shipped to wherever it’s going.”

That could be any number of places across the country. The last project Harris’ team worked on had them travelling to Cleveland to assemble their organ. For their cur-

First Flight graduate Davis Oehrli stands among his tools in his workshop. The shop graduation thanks to his experiences in Skip Saunders’ carpentry classes. rent project, they will be travelling south to Naples, Florida.

“When we travel, pretty much everything is paid for,” he said. “We get to go out to nice restaurants and everything.”

While Harris was out in Virginia building pipe organs, Oehrli stayed on the Outer Banks and bought a furniture fixing business. Now he’s his own boss, which can be a little intimidating.

“Most people work by the hour and know exactly how much money they’ll have with their paycheck, whereas I can work for 40 hours a week and make no money at all if I don’t work a certain way or know the right people,” Oehrli said. “It’s just totally different because you’re in control and you could make a lot of money and be good one week and have nothing another.”

For the moment, Oehrli works mostly on fixing furniture, but he hopes to expand his services in the future.

“I’d like to get into building furniture later down the road,” he said. “Furniture repair down on the beach with all the rental houses is a great opportunity with all the crazy renters breaking all the fur-

niture. I mostly refinish tables and re-glue chairs and stuff like that.”

The job sounds simple, but just looking in his workshop will prove that it is not. With all the projects going on and tools set up about the shop, it’s easy to tell that anyone less than a professional might find themselves lost.

“Davis, he’s pretty talented: He’s 20 years old and owns his own business and works an ungodly amount of hours,” Harris said.

“It’s ridiculous. It’ll all pay off. He took the initiative. When he got the chance to buy a business, he bought it – ain’t looked back since then.”

Oehrli’s experience in both carpentry and art paid off when he was hired to create a wooden statue of a mermaid for a friend’s ship.

“He always wanted a mermaid on the front of his sailboat and he never knew anybody who could do it,” Oehrli said. “Then he asked me if I could do it. At the time I had never carved anything – still haven’t carved anything – but two months later it came out pretty good.”

The process involved a slab of fall / / 2016

Funding sports, arts is a delicate balance

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Photo by Mack Doebler/Nighthawk News is the center for Oehrli’s furniture fixing business, which he bought after Brazilian wood two and a half inches thick. He cut off parts, glued parts and laid paper over some. After drawing out the shapes on the paper, he used a bandsaw to cut out the pieces and spent hours chiselling it down to the perfect form. In two months, he had the constructed masterpiece.

Successfully navigating the world of business in carpentry and woodworking is a feat that each of them mostly credit to Saunders, whose class taught them a lot about the business world.

“I talk to them about the ethics of contracting and how to write contracts and how to set up specifications and relationships with clients and building inspectors,” Saunders said. “It’s something that can help them if they want to approach careers in it, in any facet. I teach literacy skills in here: writing, communication, general engineering.”

Saunders’ class was one of the most important the young men had ever taken, and all throughout they were at each

other’s side.

“I’ve known Zack since second grade, since he moved here. Used to call him square head, still call him that,” Oehrli said.

Saunders used to joke around with the two of them, sometimes comparing their relationship to that of a married couple. All the while they pushed each other to create the best works of art that they could.

The two friends still keep in touch, and whenever Zack is on the Outer Banks you bet you can find both he and Oehrli at mutual friend Austin Turbitt’s house hanging out with the old gang and talking about what’s new with life – maybe even their work.

“Lennon and McCartney,” Saunders said. “They are a perfect example of that with their songwriting and they wrote songs when they were 14 together, just like (Harris and Oehrli) did with their work.”

Senior Mack Doebler can be reached at doeblerma0930@ daretolearn.org.

Nighthawk News Magazine / / features

By Chloe Futrell Staff Writer

he first time football coach Jim Prince greeted theater arts teacher Monica Penn with a cheerful “Hey, Coachie!” she quickly corrected him. “ ‘Oh, I’m not a coach, I am a director,’ and he says, ‘Oh yes, you are a coach just like everybody else, you lead a big group of people, and to me that is just like a sport,’ ” Penn recalled. “So I thought that was cool to draw that parallel.”

Coach is a pretty big title, and so is director, but to have that respect and relationship is a really big deal. Many schools have the well-known myth that arts and sports are competitors, that arts get nothing more than a crumpled up dollar bill while sports teams have money thrown at them. First Flight seems to appreciate both sports and the arts, but the funding between the two is not always the same.

“The school system has a formula,” Principal Tim Albert said. “The funding formula is pretty much based on the activities that take place and what it costs to fund those activities.”

Funding for both programs is based on two things: budgets provided by the district and money raised from booster clubs. At First Flight, each department has its own booster club that helps acquire money for their extracurricular activities. Fine arts programs are supported by the Fine Arts Booster Club, while sports teams get money for their uniforms and equipment from the Athletics Booster Club.

“You wouldn’t see the nice uniforms that they have if there wasn’t extra money to pay for those,” Albert said.

“There is a base set that’s allowed to pay for that stuff.”

That formula may seem out of whack to some, but what it comes down to is that how the community and the boosters support each individual department determines how much money the department will get.

“We have enough money to get our base needs just to keep the program going and growing,” said art teacher and former cheerleading coach Alice Baldwin. “But if we were to get extras, we could reach outside of the school more than we already do.”

That could include tackling extra art projects that would showcase student artwork throughout the community and allowing students to develop even greater skills than those that can be taught in the classroom.

Classroom art assignments are different than projects done through Art Club or through community art projects. Class assignments require supplies and tools which are provided by the school, but projects outside of the classroom are a different story. Lots of hard work is put into these pieces, and in order to create them, supplies need to be provided.

Funding is important to make sports and the arts an outlet for students to thrive, express their talents and find what they truly love to do. Studies show that students involved in the arts and sports tend to make better grades and enjoy more success after graduation.

That’s one of the reasons the football coach appreciates “the drama coach” at this school. ¨To me, that’s a term of great respect,” Prince said. “I give her that respect because she manages all those kids, she cares about all those kids.”

A good relationship like this one is important, but what about the funding question. Both the head coach and theater director earn extra pay for their work. The football assistant coach position, however, is a paid position, but the co-director position isn’t.

Why the difference when it comes to the assistant director’s extracurricular teacher supplement?

“That would be the No. 1 thing I would really like to see, is a paid position for assistant director equivalent to every other thing,” Penn said. “That is something that I have been writing to the superintendent about for years, and to our principals. This isn’t fair – Ms. (Lauren) Deal is doing just as much work as me.”

The good news is that Penn may finally get her wish.

“I will let you know right off the bat that it’s my understanding that the school board is actually looking at changing extracurricular teacher supplements,¨ Albert said.

A move to a more equitable funding formula would be well-received by many, because no matter where a student excels, he or she deserves to have a well-funded and supported department in which to do what they love to do.

“They are both extracurricular activities that help grow you as individuals both in determination and just life skills,” Baldwin said of sports and the arts.

Sophomore Chloe Futrell can be reached at futrellch1114@daretolearn. org.

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Pumpkin spice everything not so nice

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By Blair Smith Staff Writer

very year, fall is expressed with pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and new Starbucks coffee flavors. Every nook and cranny of the grocery store is turned into pumpkin spice mania: cakes, cookies, coffee, sausage, even dog treats!

And now, oil changes and even sermons are being promoted with pumpkin spice.

Coastal Fast Lube is participating in the frenzy for the second year in a row. The employees had their “Pumpkin Spice Oil Changes Are Back!” sign on the marquee again before changing it to a Hurricane Matthew theme and now to a Halloween focus.

“We thought it was funny,” owner Katy Appleman said. “We do all of our signs because they think they are funny.”

Kitty Hawk Baptist Church promoted a “Pumpkin Spice Sermon” one week in September.

“Everywhere I went, I was seeing pumpkin spice,” Pastor Don Tears said. “Starbucks had a pumpkin spice latte, and McDonald’s had pumpkin spice milkshakes, I got an ad that came in for pumpkin spice pretzels. It was just everywhere.”

Jill Tears, the pastor’s wife, said her husband took advantage of the pumpkin spice frenzy to make a point to his congregation.

“It was based on his series of sermons in Psalms,” she said. “It talks about prayer being a sweet aroma, and during this season the sweet aroma is pumpkin spice.”

The pastor bought pumpkin spice candles and lit them for the church service.

“I told the folks how our prayer is a sweet aroma unto the Lord, so it was a reminder how we ought to pray,” he said.

Not everyone enjoys pumpkin spice, though.

Sophomore Summer Banning tried pumpkin when she was younger and has disliked it ever since.

“I don’t like the taste,” Banning said. “I think it tastes like dirt.”

Math teacher Jennifer Kinnisten has never liked the fruit.

“It’s disgusting! I don’t like the flavor of pumpkin spice,” Kinnisten said. “It’s not pleasing to the pallet at all. Think about carving pumpkins with all the guts: What is appealing about that?”

Ironically, Kinnisten observes the Halloween tradition of pumpkin carving with her family even though it makes her gag.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2014 farmers produced 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins. Non-pumpkin lovers might cringe if they heard that. In 2015, pumpkin spice product sales came to a whopping $361 million, according to CNBC.com.

Junior Lauren Taylor, who works at Duck’s Cottage, explained that many people come in during this time of year just for pumpkin spice lattes.

“It’s repetitive, but not annoying,” she said.

Perhaps sophomore Peyton Mull will be a future customer. Although she doesn’t like pumpkin, Mull is still trying to find a good pumpkin spice latte.

“I don’t like pumpkin – it tastes like what a thrift store smells like,” she said. “I probably will try it again because I’ve never had anything good that tastes like pumpkin, so I will continue

Photo by Blair Smith/Nighthawk News The pumpkin spice craze seems to grow each year, to the point that some businesses even poke fun at the idea. Coastal Fast Lube treats drivers on the bypass to the notion of pumpkin spice oil changes. to search for the perfect pumpkin spice latte.”

So what do you think? Pumpkin spice – naughty or nice?

Sophomore Blair Smith can be reached at smithas0621@daretolearn.org.

Manteo’s Psychopath sent to an early grave

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By Cecilia Cortez Staff Writer

sychopath, like a ghost, has disappeared. Psychopath was a haunted trail located in Manteo at the site of The Lost Colony.

Thrill-seekers entered the trail in a group of about six and tried to mentally prepare for the spooks to come. The path went through buildings, woods, a boardwalk by the sound and The Lost Colony stage. Every twist and turn of the treacherous path was full of sinister monsters and mind-boggling special effects.

After three years of scares, Psychopath has been sent to an early grave. The event served as a fundraiser for The Lost Colony production, and according to Lost Colony CEO Bill Coleman, Psychopath wasn’t a very good fundraiser.

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“Ultimately, we spent a lot of money on it and it costs a lot of money for the labor, so it was never something that made us a whole lot of money,” Coleman said.

“Without sponsorships and grants it was difficult to pull off.”

The Lost Colony directors were hoping to get a grant from the visitors bureau and convert some money that was supposed to be used for a wine festival; however, that was not able to happen.

Some First Flight students were shocked that Psychopath closed because of money issues.

“There were always a lot of people there,” freshman Genevieve Olinger said. “We had to wait in line for at least 30 minutes every time we went.”

Students said Psychopath was worth the wait. It was entertaining in a hair-raising type of way. According to sophomore Jia Fitzger-

ald, Psychopath was her favorite part of Halloween other than trickor-treating.

This year, students were either unnerved or electrified for Psychopath after seeing early advertising for a new theme. “Carnevil” was going to include creepy clowns, an idea that has made national news in recent months.

“I do not like clowns at all,” sophomore Parker Sylvia said. “I might have changed my decision because I would have gotten really freaked out, but at the same time it kind of made me want to go more.”

Psychopath was not only a trail students went on for the spine-chilling experience, but also offered a chance to socialize with friends.

“We always went in a large group of friends, usually around seven, ever since sixth grade,” Olinger said.

Although there are other options such as Wanchese Woods and Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, people seem to think that those don’t compare to Psychopath.

“Wanchese Woods definitely comes in second place for me,” freshman Cee Cee Donahue said.

“That place is so scary sometimes, especially last year. That was really fun, though. Howl-O-Scream comes in third for me. It has its ups and downs. Psychopath has been my favorite for the past three years.”

In the years to come, Psychopath is going to be replaced with a wine festival as a fall Lost Colony fundraiser.

Just like zombies, however, Psychopath might come back from the dead.

Sophomore Cecilia Cortez can be reached at cortezce1029@daretolearn.org. fall / / 2016

Grandy delivers fall fun

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By Buzzy Staten Staff Writer

ummer is gone and the endless beach days are over.

School started with loads of homework piled up to the ceiling. Leaves are falling along with a chilling breeze, and pumpkin spice is back.

That means it’s time to get your pumpkin.

Grandy Greenhouse is a local favorite pumpkin patch and farmer’s market. The owners, Allie and Colon Grandy, have been running their pumpkin patch for over 20 years.

It all started with “the influence of a teacher from Manteo that wanted something exciting to do with her students, and that’s what got us doing it,” Allie said.

Many First Flight students have made it a tradition to go every October, piling into the open hay trailer and heading into the fields to find that perfect pumpkin.

“I’ve gone every year with my family since preschool,” sophomore Shelby Miller said. “This year I am going with Sophie Johnson and my sister, Hayley.”

In addition to their bright orange pumpkins to choose, Grandy Greenhouse has many other products, including its famous homemade apple cider. Allie said her husband “grinds the apples that come directly off the trees on a farm in West Virginia, then presses them into juice. The children are always mesmerized by this process.”

They especially enjoy the taste.

“Me and my sister made it a tradition a couple years ago to go with each other every year,” sophomore Izzy Warner said. “The best part is the yummy apple cider and frozen yogurt. If you ever have the chance to go pick your own pumpkin, it’s really fun and a great experience.”

The pumpkin patch experience is not just fun for the kids, but for the whole family. The farmers market has cooking demonstrations, fresh herbs and vegetables, fruit, a seasonal gift shop and even a greenhouse filled with plants Nighthawk News Magazine / / features

Photo by Buzzy Staten/Nighthawk News Pumpkins line the entryway to the Grandy Greenhouse, where traditional fall favorites like hayrides, apple cider and picking the perfect pumpkin await visitors each year. and flowers. For those who want to decorate for fall and Halloween, there is a plethora of pumpkins in all different shapes and sizes, different colored gourds, as well as hay bales.

The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. It is located at 6264 Caratoke Highway, just past the McDonald’s in Grandy on the drive toward Elizabeth City and Virginia.

“Everything is my favorite part,” Allie said. “I love seeing the children get on the wagon and wave as it takes them off to the patch, seeing them hop off and get a pumpkin, having a really exciting look on their faces.”

As Linus said in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He’s gotta pick this one. He’s got to. I don’t see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one.”

Stop by Grandy Greenhouse to see if it is that perfect pumpkin patch for you. You may just see a great pumpkin!

Sophomore Buzzy Staten can be reached at statenbu1127@daretolearn.org.

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Our View: Locals on ballot deserve careful scrutiny

F Editor-in-Chief – Mary Pat Thompson Business Manager – Beverly Murry Features Editor – Arabella Saunders Online Editor – Mack Doebler Opinions Editor – Sarah Skinner Photo Editor – Amy Wrenn Sports Editor – Byrde Wells Photographer – Ben Tran Staff Writers – Cecilia Cortez, Hannah Ellington, Chloe Futrell, Ashlee Geraghty, Suzanne Harrison, Trinity Harrison, Hunter Haskett, Sophie Johnson, Dair McNinch, Cassidy O’Neil, Olivia O’Steen, Alex Rodman, Blair Smith, Buzzy Staten, Jayne Walker Adviser – Steve Hanf

Don’t wait for the next print edition in December – stay current at the new NighthawkNews.com website!

or the past year, all of the This year, there are 28 offices focus has been on the preson the Dare County ballot. These idential election. We’ve enrange from Lieutenant Governor dured scandals, candidates to Soil and Water Conservation Disupon candidates, and unending trict Supervisor. The average voter political ads. It’s easy to wish the has never even heard of some of whole thing would just end so we them, and yet these are the peocould finally move on to something ple who make decisions on behalf new. of our state, our county, It’s necessary that our community. They we don’t, however. are making decisions on Annoying as it may be, behalf of you. as much as you don’t And don’t just vote like the candidates, it’s your party, either. Revital that every eligible gardless of their political American makes an leaning, each and every STAFF effort to get out to the candidate has a track EDITORIAL polls. It’s the way that record of what decisions we affect change in our they’ve made (in and out government. It’s your civic respon- of office), what issues they value, sibility as a citizen of this country. and what they plan to do if elected.

It’s what our founding fathers Don’t vote for a person who doesn’t fought for and died for – your right stand for what you hold important and opportunity to elect those who just because of the party beneath govern you. his or her name. In the couple of The constant media attention weeks before the election, take an makes it all too easy to forget that hour or two to research each of the your right to vote doesn’t end with candidates on the ballot. A sample the president. Beneath big-scale ballot can be found on Dare Counads and fiery debates all reaching ty’s website, www.darenc.com, and for the White House, there are a quick Google search can tell you levels upon levels of government. all you want to know.

On Nov. 8, get out to the polls.

The office of president is importIf you can’t make it yourself, vote ant, yes, but what of our state with an absentee ballot. The last senators? Our electorates for the time some of these offices were House of Representatives? Do you even know who’s running for North up for reelection, the decision was made by a few thousand, even a Carolina Governor? few hundred votes. Your vote does (Spoiler: it’s Pat McCrory vs. matter. Make sure it counts.

Roy Cooper.)

IN OUR OPINION

Hawk Talk: What impacts did you

“I got to stay home by myself. I made steaks and hung out with my dog. Afterwards, we went on a walk to go find clowns at night. There were no clowns.”

– junior Cort Varela

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“When my yard started to flood, my family and I had to move all the chickens from the coop outside into my bathroom on a blue tarp. They pooped everywhere and broke 90 percent of everything in the bathroom, including my toothbrush.”

– senior Lake Lige

“A tree leaned over enough that it was against Mack’s roof. Me, Mack, his dad and brother were trying to get onto the roof so we could cut the tree off. The experience was interesting and life-changing because Mack’s dad is the best.”

– junior Joey McNamara fall / / 2016

Label this: Millennial generation doesn’t exist

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y generation gets mis-stereotyped. We’re known as the ‘Me Me Generation.’ Lazy.

Narcissistic. Entitled. The thing is, I don’t see those traits reflected in most of the people around my age.

And rather than those negative traits, I see my generation – commonly called Millennials – as the hardest-working, most diverse and progressive generation yet.

I’m proud to know the artsy kids who compose their own music and create masterpieces in the AP Art classroom. I’m proud to know the exceptionally bright kids who work hard to earn their well-deserved straight-A’s. I’m proud to know the athletic kids who are so dedicated that they train every single day after school.

So here’s a proposition for you: Millennials don’t exist. The term “millennial” was coined in 1987 by authors Neil Howe and William Strauss, two demographers who study generations of people and their differences.

The division of groups of people based on age is not necessarily a bad thing. We do need a way to refer to specific time periods and the people who were born in them.

That’s fine. It’s what comes with these divisions – the presumptions about different generations – that upsets me.

We are all people who are capable of the same feelings, emotions and concepts. Being born in a certain year isn’t going to make you develop distinctive traits. Being involved with things and having

Nighthawk Notions Mary Pat Thompson different passions is what is going to make you develop distinctive traits.

Are there narcissistic millennials? Of course. But there are just as many narcissistic baby boomers, too. Here’s the thing, narcissistic people exist. And they didn’t become that way because of the year that they were born.

Adam Conover, a comedian who debunks everyday misconceptions, said it best. Generational thinking has always been reductive and condescending. The first ever economist who studied generations was named Hesiod, an ancient Grecian who is thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC. “They only care about frivolous things,” he said about the generation below him. “When I was a boy, we were taught to be (discreet) and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly … impatient of restraint.”

Hesiod sounds like my dad ranting about the teenagers of our generation. How many times have you heard adults say, “Back in my day….” followed by a statement about how noble and honorable

Illustration by Mack Doebler/Nighthawk News Contrary to popular belief, the average millennial dedicates his or her time to being a well-rounded individual, not a selfie-taking narcissist. their generation was as kids.

Ugh, ridiculous.

Even so, people have been judging the generation below them since the beginning of time.

I’m here to say that our generation does not fit the mold created for us. Michael Phelps – the most decorated Olympian of all time – is a millennial. For that matter, all members of the Final Five are millennials as well, including 19-year-old Simone Biles, the most-decorated American gymnast of all time.

Countless other inspiring individuals are millenials. Malala Yousafzai is a 19-year-old activist for female education and the

youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Rowan Blanchard, a 15-year-old actress, is known for her activism in the intersectional feminism movement. Tyler Oakley, a 27-year-old online personality, focuses on activism for social issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, education and suicide prevention.

These people are not lazy, narcissistic or entitled. They all inspire me. This generation inspires me. We are different than the other generations in some ways, of course, but in other ways we are all the same. And I find that comforting.

Senior Mary Pat Thompson can be reached at thompsonma1001@ daretolearn.org.

feel from Hurricane Matthew?

“I woke to the sound of really strong wind and tree branches snapping. I went downstairs to sleep and 15 minutes later heard the terrifying sound of a 100-foot tall tree being ripped from the ground and falling onto the roof. It’s still there.”

– senior Chandler Kelly

NIGHTHAWK News Magazine / / opinions

“I was bored after being stuck inside for so long, so I decided to surf on the sound because the waves were big. I learned the ocean is a lot easier to surf on.”

– freshman William Harrison

“My power went out for two and a half days because a tree knocked down the power line, and I could not get out of my driveway because the water levels were too high.”

– sophomore Heidi Sabatini

“It turned out that Friday ended up being our last shift for the season (at Red Drum).

We had three feet of water in the restaurant.”

– senior Mary Thompson

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Hillary Clinton: The most qualified candidate

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here is a not a more qualified presidential candidate than Hillary Clinton. She is a practiced diplomat and proven progressive on both social and economic issues.

As First Lady, she gained a wealth of experience in international diplomacy, and while working as the Secretary of State to President Obama she gained even more knowledge. Hillary understands that the best solution is a peaceful solution and is not afraid to use the United States diplomatic corps to its full potential. This is apparent in her goals for diplomacy in Iraq and in Syria, the origin nations of the Islamic State. They go beyond gunfire to find a real solution to the issues. On top of this, she takes a hard stance on Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.

Putin’s practices are corrupt and overly aggressive. He’s an ex-KGB agent whose head is still stuck in the Cold War. Hillary won’t let him bully the ex-Soviet bloc or the United States.

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Nighthawk Notions Mack Doebler Hillary knows that women deserve equal pay to men. She knows that women who do just as good if not better jobs as men do not get paid the same wages. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that women make 83 percent of what men do in median hourly earnings. This cannot continue.

What about voting? Hillary has plans to repair voters’ rights and create a system where every citizen is automatically registered at 18.

Both parties recognize that gun violence is a major problem in the United States, though they have different opinions on how to solve

it. Hillary supplies the better solution with increased background checks and measures to close gun show loopholes. This doesn’t mean the average law-abiding American cannot own a gun; however, it does make that citizen safer. If a person is on a terrorist watch list, they should not be able to purchase a firearm. That’s just common sense.

Addiction is not a failure in morals, it is a disease, and Hillary recognizes this. She plans to help rehabilitate those facing drug addiction, not force them into jail time.

Hillary’s economic plans are just as solid as their social counterparts. She knows it’s time to raise the minimum wage, and her proposed $12 federal policy will set a floor that works with the changing economy. She also knows that a higher education has become integral for a competitive American workforce despite the fact that many families cannot afford it.

Hillary worked with Bernie Sanders to create an approach to education

that empowers young Americans to take charge in their learning experience. Under this plan, student loans will be financeable and will be dropped after 20 years. Community college will be tuition free.

Privatizing something like health care will turn the much-needed services into a profiteering venture waiting to be exploited. Hillary knows that in order to keep health care human, it needs to stay federally run. She also supports the Buffett Rule, which will get the rich paying their fair share to help reduce the growing gap between the middle and upper classes.

There is no one with the same experience that Hillary Clinton has, nobody with as in-depth plans as hers, and no one more fit to be President of the United States. On election day this year, vote with hope and a clear head, not fear and nativist delusions.

Senior Mack Doebler can be reached at doeblerma0930@daretolearn.org.

fall / / 2016

Donald Trump: Beyond the biased headlines

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onald J. Trump is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, and now 2016 Republican presidential candidate. Trump has never pursued any kind of political office until the 2016 presidential race.

However, the subject has been coming up since the late 1980s, but he claimed that the timing was not right.

Throughout years of success in his many businesses, Trump has also faced many challenges and has found ways to overcome them. When faced with a problem, he has shown his willingness to take charge and fix the problem to the best of his ability. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1987, she asked Trump if he ran for president, did he believe he would win. He responded with, “I tell you what, I would not go in to lose.” Trump is a hardworking and determined individual, proving that when he sets out to do something he will put all of his effort into it.

Nighthawk Notions Ashlee Geraghty If elected president, Trump plans on bringing great changes to America. Some of them include lowering tax rates, cracking down on border security, and giving better support to our veterans. If tax rates are lowered, it will keep small businesses running in the United States, which will help create jobs and lower unemployment. Trump also wants to help veterans recover and get the aid they need. These people are out risking their lives for our country. When they are not receiving the help that they need, you know that something needs to change.

As well as being a presidential candidate, Trump has opened many successful businesses and has made millions throughout his lifetime. He knows what it takes to follow a budget and prioritize spending. America has become too generous with how it handles money by helping other countries and not putting the needs of Americans first, such as improvement of school systems and aid to veterans.

Recently, an old video of Trump surfaced that showed him making crude statements about women.

Many use this video as a reason to not support Trump; however, this video was taken back in 2005, before Trump had even thought about running for president.

There are always times when people say things they don’t mean, or say things before they think.

Trump knew that he was in the wrong, and as soon as this video was released, Trump made an apology video owning up to what he did.

The journey to the White House for Trump will be challenging. There are many people that have been quick to judge him based on anti-Trump headlines.

Coincidently, it was not until after he announced his candidacy that he had been identified as insensitive and racist and deplorable.

In fact, Trump supporters have been given the same labels. There are people who are making their own uninformed opinions on him, as opposed to taking the time to learn about him and his past.

Trump has shown for the past 30 years his dedication and support for America and its values.

With all of the hype in the media in today’s society, it is common to base political beliefs on biased headlines. However, if time is taken to learn the facts and develop a more informed opinion on the candidates, it could change the results of the upcoming election.

Junior Ashlee Geraghty can be reached at geraghtyas0916@daretolearn.org.

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NIGHTHAWK News Magazine / / opinions

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Oh, deer: Close encounters creep us out

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arkness engulfed deer stare blankly back at my car, the only me. source of light I should not have to coming from the worry about hitting a deer headlights. Rounding a going less than 2 mph in corner, I saw it: There, in my own driveway. I underthe center of the narrow stand that deer can’t just two-lane road, was a wild hang out in the forests of Southern Shores deer.

Southern Shores or wherevI screamed. Something er they go, but please, just that sounded like buck. leave me alone and do not After the chill in the initial middle of shock of the road. not hitting When a deer I first with my moved to car had Southern died down, Shores a my dad few years turned to ago, I Nighthawk Notions me and thought Beverly Murry asked if seeing the that was plethora really what I had said. of Bambis was so captivat“Of course not,” I reing. Now, I see at least one plied. deer every week. EverySouthern Shores is a where I go I see them: from lawless land, especially in watching me on the side of terms of the abundant deer the road to eating the flowpopulation that seems to ers in my front yard as if rule the stretch of Duck it were an all-you-can-eat Road and everywhere in salad bar. between. Everywhere you Don’t get me wrong: look, there seems to be a When deer aren’t just askdeer or a family of deer. ing to cause an accident, it Multiple times, I have tried is a somewhat unique expeto pull into my driveway, rience to look out your winonly to have a family of dow and see a little herd.

Illustration by Gabrielle Sullivan/Special to Nighthawk News The Southern Shores deer roam throughout the woods ... and roads and yards and flower gardens and everywhere in between, presenting a challenge for residents.

However, it seems that the deer are everywhere just to taunt me. Maybe it’s my horrible luck or just pure coincidence, but it seems that the Southern Shores deer gang is here to stay.

The only deer I truly can’t get over seeing is the coveted “speckled deer,”

technically known by the term “piebald deer.” Seeing this deer is like seeing a ghost: It just watches you from afar with a phantom-like appearance. This deer is the only one that rocks my socks to the core.

Perhaps it’s not their fault for being the way they

are, but something in their genetics. The deer can’t help wanting to cross the street and wander all over.

However, curiosity did kill the cat, so they might want to watch out.

Junior Beverly Murry can be reached at murrybe0316@daretolearn.org.

New administration embodies new spirit at games

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chool spirit has always been a fickle to not abuse their right of being spirited. The subject at First Flight High School. After result: First Flight’s student sections have been declared by some as “the most spirited in school the “white tee death squad” fiasco early history.” in the school’s history, every class that comes through First Flight has The Marlin Bowl against never seemed to catch a break rival Manteo this year was the at any spirit or sporting event, first time I’ve seen a First Flight whether it’s students getting in student section not get ridiculed trouble for derogatory chants, for wearing all white. Tensions vandalism of the football over white T-shirts seemed to field, or even sporting “white have finally dissipated, and T-shirts” to a game. For any students didn’t have to conrivalry game First Flight has stantly worry about any external played, it was almost inevitaissues with administration or Nighthawk Notions ble that someone was going another fanbase. All we had to Byrde Wells to get kicked out. The friction worry about was cheering for between school administration our Nighthawks. Our student and students never lessened: How can students section was not only loud, but more than tripled show spirit without having to worry about getthe size of Manteo’s section, even though the ting disciplined for an “intolerable” action at a game was at their field. As long as we were approsporting event? priate and behaved in a positive manner, we were This year, however, a breakthrough has allowed to act freely and truly show our spirit. happened. School administration changes over A couple of weeks later, First Flight football the summer brought in fresh faces to First was matched up at home with another big rival: Flight, providing a “clean slate” for students Currituck High School. The student section not

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only “blacked out” the stands, but was granted permission to even tailgate before the game, which I have also never witnessed as a student here at First Flight. For me, that was a sure sign that students and administration had complete trust in one another. The student section was allowed to be as vivacious as it wanted, as long as it didn’t represent the school in a bad way.

The tailgate proved to be pivotal, as it attracted more people to the student section to cheer on the Nighthawks as they beat Currituck in a narrow win. Even football coach Jim Prince and principal Tim Albert both personally thanked the students over the announcements the following week for the spirit they displayed.

If students keep up this positive spirit throughout the year, it will surely serve as a precedent for future students at First Flight to follow. First Flight doesn’t need to be known by past dilemmas that have “haunted” student sections and the school as a whole. I think it’s time for students to help First Flight break out of its old mold.

Senior Byrde Wells can be reached at wellsje1210@daretolearn.org. fall / / 2016

Students sound off in letters to the editor Kaepernick shows disrespect to flag, First Amendment

same flag Kaepernick “disrespects” serves as the symbol that gives him the right to peacefully protest. The founding fathers gave their citizens that right so they could fight any olin Kaepernick, quarterinjustice they see in the world and back of the 49ers, refused change it. to stand for “The Star Kaepernick, a very fortunate man Spangled Banner” before to be able to be on a professional one of his football games. His public act of defiance has caused much football team, kneels to represent all those who may not have as many controversy among the people of opportunities because of the color America. Kaepernick used his siof their skin. He kneels to prolent protest to embrace the “Black test the unfair prejudice that this Lives Matter” movement and although this inspired many, it also country has become accustomed to. Kaepernick said, “I offended a multitude of am going to continAmerican citizens. ue to stand with the Kaepernick mentions people who are being “rogue cops” and racism oppressed,” because he while explaining and decan’t look in the mirror fending his actions. Yes, and see other people there are cases in which LETTERS dying in the street that police misjudgment TO THE should have had the has led to situations EDITOR same opportunities he’s that otherwise could had. He cannot stand have been prevented. aside while his brothers and sisters And yes, racism still exists. Howcontinue to suffer under oppression. ever, we have to remember that no Controversial protests often matter how far America has come tend to raise the issue of “Black as a whole, individual minds still Lives Matter” vs. “Blue Lives Matmake up our country. Every living, ter.” These organizations, created breathing human is different, just with good intentions, have turned as every policeman is different. almost toxic. Rivaling organizaSome react to trying situations by tions such as these, created for impulsive actions, while others peace and equality, just end up react with prudence. pitting people against one another.

Our flag, a symbol of the ConThis solves nothing! If anything, it stitution, represents our freedom makes most issues increase at an as a nation and honors America. alarming rate. The answer will only The First Amendment protects our be found when everyone puts their freedom of speech, but that freeegos aside to figure out a solution dom is not to be taken advantage that will not only benefit themof by disrespecting our country.

Kaepernick is an influential mentor selves, but also the greater good.

Everyone just needs to remember: to a majority of young athletes.

All lives matter! I’m not saying Players on high school teams have mimicked Kaepernick without real- that if everyone works together, all the problems of the world will go izing the full implications of their away; it’s human nature to pick out actions. Offending a large segment what’s wrong with the world, but of the American population is not it’ll be one step closer to equality a conducive way to convey one’s for all, no matter your race, gender point. The First Amendment – a or sexual orientation. great freedom afforded to AmeriWe all need to work together to cans – has to be used in a responbuild a nation we can all stand for. sible manner after careful deliber– junior Summer Tonnesen ation.

– junior Brynn Karvala

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law is your civic duty, which makes your vote for government officials so important. Carry out your civic rights, students, faculty and staff, and vote for who you want to see shape the future of our country.

The right to vote is a valued responsibility in which people throughout history have made many sacrifices for – some even dying – to gain equality in voting. Educate yourself on all candidates, no matter what you think you support.

Look up and research all parties, all positions and candidates. There are

different government jobs to vote on for the North Carolina ballot, not just the president. Don’t just vote for Cherie Berry because her name is cool. Research her and even who Charles Meeker is, too.

If you don’t want to research each candidate, if you don’t know where or how to vote, and even if this was not convincing enough in regards to why citizens should vote, be sure to check out the display case on B hall at the high school!

– sophomores Charlotte Tyson & OJ Sawtell

IN OUR OPINION

Kaepernick has the right to protest during anthem

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olin Kaepernick has a right to peacefully protest police brutality in any way he sees fit. Some may say that kneeling during the national anthem shows disrespect and disgraces the flag, the founding fathers and all they stand for, but that very NIGHTHAWK News Magazine / / sports

Make sure you vote, and not just for the president

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hould you vote no matter what? The answer is YES! YES! YES! Haven’t you taken Civics & Economics?

Everyone should vote to express the opinions you have and get your political ideas in motion. Only elected officials can pass laws or vote against laws. Following the

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www.highcottonbbq.com 5320 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina 25

Nighthawks travel down the long road to recovery

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By Hunter Hasket & Trinity Harrison Staff Writers

t started out as a normal day.

Just a normal car ride. Members of the First Flight basketball team were headed to a game in Elizabeth City on June 21, carpooling their way up north.

Senior Blaiz Rodman was playing Pokemon on his Nintendo DS when, suddenly, his legs tangled – the car had gotten into an accident.

“I remember everything,” Rodman said. “Some random guy pulled me out from the opposite door. He was from another car that saw it happen.”

Months later, memories are still fresh for Rodman and his classmates, including sophomore Reese Jones. Their lives were forever changed by the two-car crash that left the driver of the other vehicle dead after his car crossed the center line on US 158 in Currituck and crashed into their vehicle.

“I was just sitting and talking,” Jones said. “I was looking out the window and then everything went quiet.”

Added Rodman: “The first two or three weeks after, cars were scary. But it’s fine now.”

Most of the boys were not wearing seatbelts when the crash happened, but Rodman was one of the few who was.

“The seatbelt’s actually what kind of broke my back in a way,” Rodman said. “Because my top part of my body went forward so fast and the seatbelt stopped my lower part.”

Rodman was the most seriously injured passenger, with a compression fracture in his back. He fractured his L3 vertebrae, which is located at the bottom of the back.

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Rodman underwent a surgery that fused together his L2 through 4 to prevent movement of the L3 vertebrae.

Jones also has vivid memories of the accident.

“I remember after we were all in the car and the guy was helping us out and I was kinda annoyed,” Jones said. “I was kinda mad because everyone was on top of me, I was trying to get out of the car, so it was annoying.”

Once out of the car, Jones was uncomfortable “I don’t know how they knew if I was hurt, but they put me down in the grass, and I had to lay down,” Jones said. “It was 95 out and bugs crawling everywhere. “I was like, ‘Why can’t I get up?’ I don’t get how they knew I was hurt.”

Not only was he uneasy, Jones was also disoriented and unaware of his injuries.

“I didn’t understand because Mast (Lige) was right next to me in the car and he was just sitting right next to me on the grass,” Jones said.

Jones broke the C5 and C6 vertebrae, which are located at the top of the neck. As a result, he had to wear a neck brace for seven weeks.

The accident has left the boys with a new outlook on cars and driving. They’re both now safety conscious when it comes to riding in a vehicle.

“I definitely wear a seatbelt every time now, but nothing else has really changed, everything else is normal,” Jones said.

Rodman was already good about wearing his seatbelt, but now he is passing on his advice to others.

“When I’m in a car with a bad driver, I tell them to drive better, but I’m not really scared at all,” Rodman said.

Photos submitted by Blaiz Rodman, Reese Jones Friends Reese Jones (left) and Blaiz Rodman play a game of catch despite the limitations of a neck brace and back brace. Following this summer’s car accident, Rodman had to have his vertebrae fused together (below).

Despite the injuries and traumatic experience, one positive did emerge.

“Blaiz and I got brought closer together being in the hospital together,” Jones said.

Sophomore Hunter Haskett can be reached at hasketthu0318@daretolearn.org and sophomore Trinity Harrison can be reached at harrisontr0314@daretolearn.org.

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‘Yailey’ Runners take this relationship one step at a time

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By Alex Rodman Staff Writer

hey run along trails, up hills, across sand – and through each other’s minds.

Together, senior Hailey Schreyer and junior Skylar (Yale) Stultz make up the First Flight cross country team’s power couple, commonly known as “Yailey.”

It all started with a text, in which Stultz timidly asked Schreyer out to lunch. One year later, the happy couple has established a lifetime of memories through their shared love of running.

“Since we have so much in common and do so much stuff together, I always have someone there to experience and share the memories with,” Schreyer said. “There is just so much we can talk about and look back on, like, ‘Oh, remember when we did this…’ With a lot of people you can’t do that, but he has been there for everything.”

Working toward a common goal, the two have not only had a positive impact on each other, but their leadership skills have been reflected in their team’s success. As captains as well as top runners, Stultz and Schreyer have led First Flight cross country to an undefeated conference season.

“First and foremost, Hailey and Skylar are good team leaders. They both have a good work ethic and they set a great tone for the team, which is why they are both captains,” coach Chris Layton said. “On kind of a sillier level, I think they are very cute together. They sort of embody for me all that is sweet and innocent about your first romance.”

Finding time for one another during the busy week can be a common problem for couples.

Luckily, the dynamic duo has the luxury of spending time together every day.

“One of the best parts of having Skylar on the team would be just being able to spend more time with him,” Schreyer said. “I know a lot of couples who don’t do sports or extracurriculars with their boy/girlfriend don’t get to see them except for on weekends.”

Being deemed the “power couple” has pushed the two runners to take on a higher sense of responsibility as they act as role models for the team. The title raises the standards of both their relationship and their athletics.

“I think it’s really cool to be known as the power couple,” Schreyer said. “It makes me feel really good, and it gives me motivation to live up to the name, to continue having strong goals and determination because people view Nighthawk News Magazine / / sports

Photo by Amy Wrenn/Nighthawk News Senior Hailey Schreyer and junior Skylar Stultz playfully pose after a home cross country meet. Oct. 14 marked the one-year anniversary for First Flight cross country’s ‘power couple.’ me – well, us – that way.”

Both Stultz and Schreyer agree that each other’s presence on the team fosters motivation as well as an overall sense of enjoyment.

“Running with Hailey makes me more devoted, I would say: She makes me run even when I

don’t want to,” Stultz said. “The best part about having her on the team is always having someone to rely on, and having the best person in my life in my favorite thing to do.”

Junior Alex Rodman can be reached at rodmanal0704@daretolearn.org.

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Homecoming 2016 Hurricane Matthew threatened to put a damper on Spirit Week, but the fun went on as planned Friday before the football game. Members of each class decorated their floats in class colors for the parade leading into the stadium. Festivities during the pep rally included cheer-offs, special events such as the tug-of-war, coach Jim Prince’s ‘I Am Somebody’ speech, and the moment everyone was waiting for: DECA’s pie-in-the-face contest. Principal Tim Albert received the most money in his jar, which sent the whipped cream flying. At the football game, Jennings Baker and Maggie Torchia were named Homecoming King and Queen.

Photos by Amy Wrenn and Dea Celaj/Nighthawk News

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Nighthawk News Magazine / / sports

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First Flight Fall Sports Spotlight

Katie Gunzenhauser

Junior How long have you been doing cross country? This is my first season!

Why did you choose to join cross country? Well, I needed to do a sport, and since First Flight doesn’t have pole vault, which I did at my old school, I thought cross country would be a good choice.

What is your favorite part about the sport? All of the people: They are so nice!

What is the hardest part about the sport? The running, especially when it is really hot and we have to do hills.

Sammie Lilliston Sophomore How did you get into tennis?

Well, I started doing camps when I was little, and then I liked it, so I just kept playing.

What is your favorite part of playing tennis? Winning.

What has been your favorite part of the season? Becoming friends with all the other girls.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why? I would go to Costa Rica because the water is really pretty and everything is really pretty there, and I like to fish and they have pretty good fishing.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Anywhere.

I guess I want to be traveling the world.

If you had a million dollars what would you do with it? I would buy a bunch of clothes.

What is your favorite restaurant? Chipotle.

Who’s your celebrity crush?

Zac Efron.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? It would be being able to run super fast.

What are your favorite breakfast foods? Lots of bacon and pancakes.

Who is your celebrity dream date? Liam Payne.

What is your dream job? I would want to be an author. I think I would write books about realistic fiction because I like to read that genre, about teen romances and that type of stuff. My favorites are written by Sarah Dessen.

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Where is your favorite place to eat on the OBX ... and what do you get there? Barefoot Bernie’s, and I get the Greek Salad.

What are you watching on Netflix now, or what did you watch recently? “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Zoe Blankenship Freshman What inspired you to start cheering? It looked really fun and I used to do gymnastics when I was younger, and that really helps with cheering.

How long have you been cheering? About seven years.

What’s your favorite sport to cheer for? Football.

What’s your favorite memory from this season? My favorite memory so far is at the football games when the crowd gets hype, like at the Currituck game.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you get to eat there? I like the Outer Banks Taco Bar and I get two chicken tacos.

What’s your go-to Acai Bowl at The Spot? Mermaid Bowl: It has pineapples, blueberries, almonds, hemp seeds, chia seeds and honey.

If you could choose one food to eat for a year, what would it be? I could eat Milanos, the cookies.

What is your favorite music artist and song? My favorite song is “Erase Your Social” and it’s by Lil Uzi Vert, which is also my favorite artist.

What’s your favorite song right now? “Closer” by the Chainsmokers.

What is your dream job? It’d be pretty cool to be a photographer.

What’s your dream pet? I would want an elephant.

What’s your favorite catchphrase? “It’s lit.”

What’s your favorite movie?

“Zootopia.”

What’s your favorite movie?

“Unbroken.”

Maggie Torchia Senior How long have you been playing? Five years What position? Outside Hitter What is your favorite memory from playing the sport? Our win over Currituck this year.

What is your favorite offthe-court moment this season?

Meghan throwing up after eating Bojangles.

What is your worst experience in volleyball? Not communicating during games and then having to run suicides in practice.

What future plans do you have with the sport? I’m going to play club or intramural in college.

What is your favorite Netflix series? “The Walking Dead.”

What is your dream job?

Marine biologist: Growing up here on the coast, I just think it’s really interesting.

Who is your celebrity dream date? Leonardo DiCaprio: “Inception” is my favorite movie.

Where is your favorite place to eat on the OBX? Mama Kwan’s.

I order the special occasion pasta every time.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? To talk to animals.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Buy an endless supply of dried mangoes. fall / / 2016

& more!

Conner McManus Senior What got you into football? I started playing football when I was 6 years old. I grew up in a football family watching football on Sundays and stuff, so I was always looking up to NFL players and college players, and then once I was eligible to play in a rec league, I started and just developed a love for the game.

What’s your position? I play wide receiver and cornerback.

Who are your favorite teams?

I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan, and then my college team is of course the University of North Carolina.

What is your celebrity dream date? I would probably get Mila Kunis off “That ’70s Show.” In her prime, she is a very beautiful girl, I feel like. I would take her to Jersey Mike’s and I’d use my card and get two free subs.

If you had to play any other sport, what would it be? Basketball, definitely basketball. It’s a sport I like to play in the off season. But there really isn’t a whole lot of offseason for football. It’s the type of sport that you’ve always gotta be playing.

When you’re not in season, what are you doing? A lot of times I’m working out. You gotta always be in the weight room if you want to stay in shape. Either that or at the beach or playing basketball.”

Who’s your favorite musical artist? Lil Boosie. He’s a rapper from Louisiana. He’s with Webby and Big Head and Foxx. They’re some pretty good rappers.

Favorite movie? “Stepbrothers.”

NIGHTHAWK News Magazine / / sports

Trent Powell Sophomore How long have you been playing soccer? 10 years.

What is your favorite memory from playing the sport? Going to Mexico with the Southeast Region team to play Mexican soccer teams.

What future plans do you have with the sport? To get rich and famous, and win a state title.

What’s your favorite restaurant? Plaza Azteca.

What would you do with three wishes? I would wish for more wishes.

Who is your favorite soccer player? Tommy Mahler, because he is a legend.

What one object would you bring to a deserted island? A helicopter, so I could leave.

If you could go to one place, where would it be? Mars, because it would be dope.

What genre of music do you listen to? Rap. What is one thing you couldn’t live without? My family and friends, and my vital organs.

What are your three favorite emojis? Eggplants, winky face, and the smirky one.

What is your favorite movie?

“Stars Wars.”

What is the best book you’ve ever read? “War.”

Logan Haas Junior Why did you start running cross country? The gains.

What is your favorite part?

The gains.

What’s your favorite food?

Cantaloupe.

If you had a superpower, what would it be? To fly extremely fast.

It would save gas.

What is your favorite pumpup song? “Break the Bank.”

If you couldn’t live in the U.S., where would you live instead? I would live in the UK because it’s a really nice country and I wouldn’t have to learn another language.

Peace. Love.

Books. Coffee.

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What is your all-time favorite movie? “Semi-Pro.” What is your spirit animal?

The Mystical Yale.

What’s your favorite meme?

The meme of Sid from “Ice Age” saying “father?” to a man with dreads that has a similar face structure. I’m not really sure why, but I think it’s funny.

What is your go-to OBX restaurant? Bad Bean.

If you went to the Olympics, what sport would you want to do? Why? Handball or volleyball.

Either way would be very fun. I would want to play those sports because they are both very fun and entertaining to watch, so there would be lots of viewers around the world, and USA has a strong team for both of those sports so becoming a gold medalist would be a possibility.

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