Red&black v 4 issue 2 spring 2018

RED & BLACK Volume 4 Issue 2

Nation Ford High School

1400 A.O. Jones Blvd.

May 2018

Fort Mill, SC 29715

CO N T E N T S

FEATURES

4 ........................Tatum Brewer: Living with Hair Loss 6 ...............................................How to Deal with Grief ................................The Thrill of Hot Air Ballooning 8 10 10 ..........................................A Second Chance for Pets OPINIONS 13 ..............................................The Mystery of Dreams School Walkout Confusing ..............................

14 Gun Laws Need to Change for Safety..............

16 Halo Caused Gaming Community Split...........

18 16 Flint Water Crisis: Cost Over Public Health.....

20 College Atheletes Should Be Paid....................

22 SPORTS ..............LAX Player Zach Skidmore Brings his Best 28 23 24 ...................................Concussions & Consequences 26 ...................................Athletes Dealing with Injuries 28 .....................................NaFo Baseball True Winners RE VIE WS 30 .............................LAX Player Alex Ram‘s Final Year Mario Badescu Spray Not A Great Buy..........

31 “Subnautica” Terrific Game.............................

32 “Aurora” Shows Real Bea Miller......................

34 Cookout Offers More Than Great Food..........

37 Loving “Love, Simon”.......................................

38 37 “Truth or Dare” Disappoints...........................

Photo by Maggie Kell 40 Cover Nation Ford students walk out of classes as part of the “Battle Royale” Takes World by Storm......... 42 national March For Our Lives on March 14, 2018.

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RED & BLACK STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emma Nagel Sports Editor Zaria Drakeford

Graphic Designer Ben Doyle

Adviser Beth Swann

Opinion Editor Nick Biebel Reviews Editor Israel Plyler Features Editor Kiersten Lankford

Staff Lex Luther Walker Misek Missile Morillo Mia Rumsey

Ashley Pinedo Livie Snyder Diego Ruiz Haley Wilson

F E AT U R E “Knowing that you have something different than other people makes you want to hide it even more.”

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Maggie Kell

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“I’ve had alopecia since I was 2, and I wasn’t ever really attached with my hair.”

Tatum Brewer

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Living with Alopecia Areata hard because then I didn’t have a hairpiece. I had to wear hats and you could always pick me out of a crowd. I feel like a lot of people treat me differently because I don’t have hair. It’s that one thing that makes me different from everyone else.”

Alopecia patients have a chance to grow back their hair, but even if they do, it may fall out again. The disease does not cause pain nor does it make you terribly sick. It also doesn’t limit the lifespan of an individual. “I will most likely have alopecia for the rest of my life,” she explains. “The biggest thing is that

“I don’t want people to feel bad for me. I just want to be treated like a normal human being.”

I am not the same appearance-wise as other people. Since it’s up near my face, it’s where people eyes go to. I have very little hair on my arms, patchy hair, and not full eyebrows. I am lucky enough to have eyelashes, but my leg hair even comes out patchy.”

Tatum lives with her father, Jason Brewer and her step-mother, Dianne. She has three siblings, two of which are her half-siblings, and being the oldest, she feels a

responsibility to love and cherish them. Her 2-year-old brother, Cooper, is the love of her life. But she sometimes feels uncomfortable even around her family without her hairpiece.

“Knowing that you have something different than other people makes you want to hide it even more,” Tatum explains. “I don’t want people to feel bad for me. I just want to be treated like a normal human being. I am shy, I have anxiety, and my stress skyrockets just like everyone else.”

After two years, she still is extremely active in JROTC, or (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps), for the Marine branch of the armed forces. Tatum is also a part of the drill team, and she spends most of her Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with the team.

After high school, she wants to enlist in the Navy to train to be an OB-GYN or Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist to deliver babies.

She says she is a normal teenager but with alopecia. Tatum doesn’t want it to define who she is or who others think she is. She is as stubborn as a 16-year-old, and she laughs while she speaks about celebrity crushes.

Nevertheless, that image of a girl with black patches growing across her scalp is the Tatum that she hides.

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ts 5:30 on an early Tuesday morning, and the harsh sound of an alarm vibrates across a two-story house to awake Tatum Brewer (‘20), who would tend to ignore it, but the teenager knows this is the last warning to get up. With a groan of discontent she rolls away from the warmth of her blankets, softly stretches her arms over her head, rubs her blurry eyes, and lets a large yawn escape from her lips.

A mirror stands adjacent of her messy bed, reflecting her young image back across the room before she begins her morning routine.

She is one of few kids (2 percent of the population) to have alopecia areata, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the hair follicles (or the part of the skin which makes hair) resulting in patchy hair growth.

At age 16 Tatum stands 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with pale skin and dark freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. She has a delicate complexion, and a worn-out smile that greets anybody who comes near.

Though she has soft exterior, she says she lacks in self-confidence because of the disease that haunts her every day.

“I’ve had alopecia since I was 2, and I wasn’t ever really attached with my hair,” she says.

“I’ll see pictures of me when I was younger, and it was always really

Maggie Kell

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Source: Heath Thomas, health tech expert at University of Louisiana

Grief & Depression Kiersten Lankford

Experts recommend ways to cope with grief, bleakness

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taking antidepressants, side effects such as nausea, increased appetite causing weight gain, fatigue and lack of motivation, insomnia, dry mouth, blurred vision, irritability and anxiety may occur. Eight out of 10 people are taking antidepressants in the U.S. Suicide rates in South Carolina have doubled from 14.6 to 16.1 percent as of 2015, according to information posted by American Psychiatric Association.

Statics showed 45 percent of people under 18 were prescribed fluoxetines, which are sold under trade name Prozac. “Adolescents should have the option of antidepressants alongside therapy and counseling,” said Dr. Jane Morris, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the organization’s website.

An example of a severe case is a girl named Aimee Folan from Glasgow who was diagnosed with bipolar depression. Aimee was in and out of children’s homes, she went to see her general practioner and was prescribed antidepressants that had a devastating effect. Within one week she attempted suicide, according to a report on the BBC News. A poor reaction is one reason why antidepressants sometimes may not be the best option for adolescents.

As of 2017, suicide is the seventh leading cause of death in America, according to the NIH. Each year 44,965 Americans die by suicide. The people that are seeking help are being prescribed antidepressants, but that treatement is not working.

Mental institutions and health professionals can encourage those suffering from grief or depression to seek counseling a better understanding of the outcomes and solutions.

“Seeking professional help is also favorable to get out thoughts instead of locking them inside where they can become a reality.”

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n one point in our lives we all will deal with some sort of grief, whether that be losing a loved one, ending a relationship, or experiencing a major change in life. The question is how do we cope with grief? Many people don’t seek professional help. They’re often in denial about depression or ,mental illness. Going to see a therapist or doctor may seem nerve-racking, and people who are going through grief may fear being offered antidepressants.

After the initial shock or denial, but experts recommend seeking help when it’s difficult to cope or important to know about grieving process.

There are five stages of grief. Anger, happens first because most people think the event is their fault, or they could have done more to stop it. Next, sadness, occurs when people realize what they lost is gone.

Then people go through bargaining – for example, often people try to negotiate with higher power. They will do anything to get whatever was lost back. Depression, soon follows when people lose self worth.

People start beating themselves down for the slightest mistakes to the point where it’s paralyzing.

The final stage of grief is acceptance. Acceptance is keeping all thoughts private and reclusive.

Grief can become overwhelming to yourself and others around you, however there are ways to cope such as keeping a routine, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, avoiding things that could numb the pain, and talking to someone about how you’re feeling. Talking to someone you’re close to can help out, but some people fear being judged or misunderstood, and those feelings put them back in the dark.

Seeking professional help is also favorable to share thoughts instead of locking them inside where they can become a reality. Seeing a therapist when grieving is more likely to ease the pain because studies show that one out of two doctors automatically prescribe antidepressants, according to documents published by the National Institute for Health. While

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F E AT U R E

FULL OF HOT AIR

Israel Plyler

Ballooning can be an expensive hobby and rare adventure

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light flashes in a sack of canvas, it inflates, and slowly lifts an attached basket. A hot air balloon takes flight.

Hot air balloons are one of humanity’s first successful attempts to fly. Most don’t really know how they work, and even fewer know how to fly them. Few have ridden them either.

These magnificent works of art and color may be seen as a simple contraption to steer and drive, but the money and hours that go into training prove otherwise.

“To fly a hot air balloon, you need to be trained by a licensed pilot,” Robert Sarratt of Eagle Hot Air Balloons of Rock Hill says. A pilot for recreational flying without passengers must be 14 years of age, complete training and fly solo while being supervised in a controlled scenario. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. To carry passengers in the basket, a pilot must be 16 and pass a test, yet training can cost $7,000 to carry passengers, not including making a profit. A commercial pilot must be 18 years old and pass many checks, including an FAA knowledge test and a test of a controlled assent to 3,000 feet.

However, that is only getting a license.

The cost of purchasing a hot air balloon without any ground equipment could cost from $22,000 for a two-person balloon to $45,000 for a four-passenger and pilot-sized basket and balloon, making it an expensive field to get into, and one that pays little.

A ride at the local Eagle Hot Air Balloons of Rock Hill costs $250 and having only 2-4 riders would only net a pilot $1,000 a day at most. Not a lot for a job that costs tens of thousands of dollars to train and to get a license for.

“It’s more of a hobby,” says Sarratt. “Some people can get money off commercial flying.” The experience for the passengers is more about fun and festivities, with races and rides.

However, the hot air ballooning world is larger than commercial flying alone. For example, hot air balloon festivals take place in Albuquerque, new mexico, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, Igualada, Spain and many other places across the world.

“I’m from Louisville, Ky. where we have an annual hot air balloon race as part of a charity event during the numerous Kentucky Derby festivities,” said Mrs. Beth Swann, Nation Ford journalism teacher. “It’s really a beautiful and exciting event, and I always thought it would be fun.”

Soon, she did.

“I grew up watching the “Wizard of Oz” on television every year when it came on, and the fantasy of flying in a hot air balloon was attractive to me. So, for my 5th wedding anniversary, I surprised my husband with an sunrise balloon ride,” Mrs. Swann said. “It wasn’t until I had driven to the middle of nowhere to meet the pilot that I remembered my husband had an fairly significant fear of heights. Oops.”

The feeling of excitement however was unbelievable.

“The experience was thrilling. I had a blast – I was leaning over the basket a bit taking photos of the scene and of the balloon next to us,” Mrs. Swann said. “At the time, I had a fear of flying in airplanes, but a balloon ride was something else – and I could understand the science behind its very simple concept. Hot air rises, right? So I was on an adventure.”

“I think my husband was pretty nervous, especially when we had to clear power lines on take-off. Then there was the little incident of hitting a tree when the pilot wasn’t looking. She was leaning down to look at the altimeter, and I nonchalantly asked, ‘We aren’t going to hit that tree, are we?’ She bolted upright and pulled the cord. Whoosh! But it wasn’t quite quick enough,” she said.

“My husband threw one leg over the side of the basket, but I was able to stop him, thank God. We rose and got a little brush into the top branches, but we were okay. That shook him up though. I thought it was terribly exciting!”

As a hot air balloon soars towards the sky carrying passengers on a ride of their lives, the pilot keeps the fire in check and the sand backs held on tight.

Adventure awaits.

After a bumpy landing in a field on Pevely’s Dairy Farm outside St. Louis, Mo, Dr. Dennis Swann helps to anchor the hot air balloon. His wife, journalism teacher Beth Swann, had given the experience as a gift for their fifth wedding anniversary on July 30, 1988.

Photo by Ian Dooley courtesy of Unsplash

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Hot air balloons take flight in Albuquerque, N.M. during the city’s balloon festival.

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F E AT U R E

A Second Chance for Pets Emma Nagel

Volunteering at The Humane Society of York County has changed Mary Beth Knapp’s life for the better

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even days a week the work grind never stops for Mary Beth Knapp.

Her job takes a lot out of her, but it’s what she enjoys most – working at The Humane Society of York County.

It’s a job she wasn’t planning on, however it’s completely captured her heart.

With a bachelor’s degree in communications from Purdue University, Mrs. Knapp started her career working tirelessly as a Project Manager for MCI Corporation for about 20 years.

Then she and her husband relocated to Fort Mill, SC in July of 1998 along with their two dogs and one cat. When they moved across the county, she continued to work as a project manager. Then she made a big decision to change careers, and she became a nanny for several years. After deciding that nannying wasn’t for her, she ventured onto volunteer work at PAWsiblities Thrift Shop located in Fort Mill.

“When I stopped working from being a nanny, I had time on my hands, so I was looking for things to do, and I wanted to particularly help animals because that’s my passion. So I went to the thrift shop initially because that can keep your talents toned as far as retail management,” she said. Mrs. 10 Knapp has always been an animal

lover, and her passion certainly proves that. She’s been an active volunteer at the Humane Society since 2009.

“I’ve been volunteering with the Humane Society for close to 10 years, maybe even longer. Time gets away from you here, and it’s been quite the adventure,” she chuckled.

Mrs. Knapp also continues to work at the thrift store two times a week.

“I work there on Tuesdays to prep the shop for opening and I work there on Thursdays with the public.”

“I always say that you get puppy kisses, kitty kisses, you get the satisfaction that you are truly making a difference, which is wonderful.”

Her current position at the Humane Society is Chair of the Board.

“I started out first at our thrift shop, and then I moved to our rescue and did fundraising, and from there I moved into a bigger role which is chair of the board,” she said.

Their board is a group of five people, and none of them are paid – they do it out of sheer passion, and any dollar given goes directly to the animals.

Being chair of the board and volunteering may seem challenging, but Mrs. Knapp would not trade it for any other any other job.

“I absolutely love working here,” she said. “I couldn’t [work there] if it wasn’t a total passion, because I work pretty much seven days a week. But when I got paid, I worked five days and had my weekends off, and I do not get that any longer, but it’s all okay because it’s for the good of the animals. We do what we can, and we do our best.”

Mrs. Knapp recalls when she started to work at the Humane Society and how it’s evolved since then.

“The rescue was a whole other experience because our old rescue was quite small,” she said. “It was very tight, it was very cluttered, and it was a time where you could smoke inside, and then you had cat pee, so you had those two lovely smells,” Mrs. Knapp said with a laugh. “Now, we are so much better. We are established, we are stable, and we are doing very well. And our focus is always the animals.”

Typically when most people are looking for jobs or places to work, most of the time non-profit organizations are not the first that come to mind. However, Mrs. Knapp feels that volunteering and

Mary Beth Knapp holds a puppy from the Humane Society of York County on May 4. The puppy will be avalible for adoption soon.

Emma Nagel truly making a difference, which is wonderful. And being that the Humane Society is non-profit, we’re independent, which means we get no funds or any assistance from any other Humane Society, and it costs $45,000 a month to do what we do. So it’s pretty “It’s so important that young folks give up their time, and learn to give up their time so that they can carry it forward.” awesome to have people step up and help us do that.”

Since Mrs. Knapp has been at the Humane Society for close to 10 years now, she’s not sure where the next 10 years will take her.

“We are constantly looking

for someone young who has the passion and the integrity to step in, and basically help tailor the position so that they can carry it forward. So in 10 years, I could see myself sitting here and doing this, but I’d love to have younger people come on board because that comes with new and creative ideas on how we can do more for the abandoned puppies and kitties.”

Mrs. Knapp’s favorite part of working at the Humane Society is being immersed in all of the dogs and cats. But she also loves the thrift shop.

“The thrift shop is our biggest fund-raiser,” she said. “It gives close to $200,000 towards our effort every year, and it may be even a little more this year which is phenomenal, and that’s

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giving up your time to help those in need is much more valuable than a real paying job.

“There’s a dollar amount that some national company put together for volunteering, and it’s like $17 an hour or something like that,” she said, “and if I had to assess the volunteers who are at the humane society and at our thrift shop, I would say the value is so much higher because they are giving up their time freely, they have positive attitudes, they’re doing it for a mission, and they get zero funds in return.”

Mrs. Knapp has a fun way of keeping the optimism alive despite not getting paid.

“I always say that you get puppy kisses, kitty kisses, and you get the satisfaction that you are

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Orville the cat recently found a new home, and Arwen the dog is still waiting for his new best friend and fur-ever home.

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“Give up your time, whether it’s at the local shelter or at a local kid’s place, whatever your passion is, go and give a few hours a week.”

a necessary part to what we do, Mrs. Knapp said. “I love the people there, the volunteers are amazing, but when I get too much of people and dealing with the public, I come to the Humane Society, and I’m with the puppies and the kitties, and that helps me remember why I do what I do.”

Volunteering is fun, but it can also be stressful at times. Mrs. Knapp has a way of dealing with it.

“We have so many animals that need our assistance, so many – so in my world, this is how I handle the stress – I handle the one in front of me. So you can only help those that are in front of you,” she said.

“If you expand that too big then it gets very watered down, and you exhaust yourself. So, help the ones you can and do as much of

Emma Nagel an impact as you can, and then it should be a positive result.”

Mrs. Knapp encourages students to volunteer.

“It’s so important that young folks give up their time, and learn to give up their time so that they can carry it forward,” she says.

“I see every day a 7 or 8-year-old come in here, and it shocks me when they have a birthday party and they get gifts for our animals, and they bring it here, or they get money instead of gifts, and they bring it here for our animals. That is awesome, that is carrying it forward, and that’s what I would challenge everyone to do. It will make you a better person every single day.”

Dreams In your

Experts attempt to unlock the secrets of inscrutable dreams

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Adrianna Mancini Most of the time any dream will have a meaning behind it, although these meanings are completely clear. Meaning is typically created from knowledgeable guesses.

Many experts, for example, have claimed there are multiple interpretations of what a dream of drowning can mean. Depending on where you are drowning, how it happens, and if the dream begins and ends with the event, various meanings can be determined.

Oceans can represent natural struggles in your real life or a man-made location such as a swimming pool. For example, a pool could represent a struggle between you and another person (a man-made conflict) or possibly even an issue caused by society, such as poverty.

A dream of falling could perhaps be a sign of subconscious insecurities or anxieties.

Some people even claim to predict events before they happen.

In 1912, the year the Titanic sank, many people came forwards saying they had psychic dreams of the event before it happened. According to world-of-luciddreaming.com, people were even able to validate 19 of these claims. Predictive dreams may occur due to scientific causes, such as if one were to dream of a natural disaster directly before the event, it may be the body subconsciously picking up on natural signs.

Dreaming has many sides from predictions with mild nightmares, signs in innocent dreams, and hidden, subconscious warnings to yourself.

So next time you have a nightmare or a dream you don’t quite understand, do some research or ask a professional. You may discover something incredible.

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reams. What do they mean? Can we control them? Some people believe that dreams are a sort of inner guidance or possible predictor of future events.

In theory, we may be able to control our own dreams. To do that, some experts say you have to be thinking about what you would like to dream when you fall asleep.

For example, if you wanted to dream about going somewhere extravagant, in theory you would think about somewhere like Paris or Rome, and then dream about it once asleep – although this does not work for everyone.

“As you lie in bed waiting to fall asleep it can be hard to focus on one topic,” said Paige Burney (’21).

“Your mind drifts all over the place until next thing you know, you are waking up at 7 a.m. for school.”

There is an uncommon means of dreaming referred to as lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is an instance where the mind is aware you are in a dream, and you can partially control the people or events in it.

“The Vietnamese believe their ancestors try to communicate things through dreams. If you are awake in your dream you can better interpret those messages,” said English teacher Linh Tran.

There are even ways to train yourself dream lucidly.

“When I was young, my dad taught us to lucid dream, he would wake us up right after a dream, really early in the morning or late at night,” she said.

“He always asked very specific questions because it trained our minds to look for small details. Eventually we gained a level of consciousness in our dreaming.”

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O P I N I O N

Taking a Stand What was the real reason for the walk-out?

Who was in charge? Event was confusing to student body.

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Zaria Drakeford

adness and prayers spread across the victims, another student shouted out in support country on Wednesday, March 14, of gun rights. Some students also interrupted 2018 at 10 a.m. as students walked the moment of silence by shouting angrily in out of class for 17 minutes in memory response to support students who wanted to of the 14 students and 3 teachers who participate in the walkout to honor the lives that were killed in the shooting at Stoneman Dougwere lost on Feb. 14, 2018. las High School. But I think there was more “I really haven’t thought much about it at all to the movement than just remembering the since it happened,” Mr. Johns said in his office victims. in an interview after the event. “There’s no Nation Ford reason to. The High School event wasn’t “It is important for students to voice participated in school-led at their opinion, but walking out of the the movement all and was not with schools school-initischool isn’t going to across the ated. It’s my change anything.” nation. A of responsibility couple weeks as the principal before the walkout, Mr. Jason Johns, principal, to make sure students are safe, and there were made an announcement stating that the school three ways to address this walkout: do everywould participate in the walkout. His second thing I can to prevent them from walking out, announcment was that if students wanted to ignore it and pretend it wasn’t happening at all, walkout in memory of the victims on March 14, or allow the students to walkout but make it then they could vote to do so at lunch, and they as organized and safe and positive as possible voted to participate.

– and that’s the choice I decided to make,” Mr. However, on the day of the walkout, there Johns said. was no announcement to commence the event.

“It is important for students to voice their Teachers were even told that they were not to opinions, but walking out of the school isn’t gotake part in the protest or mention it to students. ing to change anything. The government didn’t As most of the 600 or so students walked out know we walked out. Doing something tangible of class, things didn’t go as originally planned. like seeking out to be kind is something that will As a student was reading off the names of the make a huge difference and can improve the

We have voices, too. making it a school-sponsored affair in my opinion. According to Student Body President Cassidi Sobas, “The purpose of the walkout was supposed to be honoring those who died in the Parkland shooting and promoting school safety. I think organizationally it went well, but it did go away from what we wanted it to be about. Student Council just made sure that the event was as safe and organized as we could make it. I think more safety in school would be a good thing and help reduce the possibility of more school shootings.”

It’s getting harder and harder for students to feel safe at school, and as students, we have a right to have a voice in what happens to ourselves, our peers, and the safety of our school – school sponsored or not.

“I really haven’t thought much about it at all since it happened.

There’s no reason to. The event wasn’t school-led at all, and was not school-initiated.”

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quality of someone’s life immediately.”

I do understand that Mr. Johns wanted to make the walkout as organized and as safe as possible. Because administration both wanted to allow students to have a voice and also be able to say the event wasn’t school-led and wasn’t school initiated, the result was confusing. If the event wasn’t school-led, why was Student Council involved?

Although Mr. Johns said that the school and the walkout had no connection to each other, clearly students were told where to stand and for 17 minutes.

An additional police officer and administators were at the event while Student Council planned to read names. Communication was confusing to students and teachers – it doesn’t make sense.

I also disagree when Mr. Johns said that the walk out isn’t going to change anything. The local press covered the event, and senior Aiden Puzzio was quoted in a story on the walk out in The Herald. What’s important is that people realize what guns do to our country and schools, and people vote to change those gun laws.

That’s when the government will realize that not just Nation Ford, but many other high schools around the state and country walked out of school in support of changing gun laws on March 14, 2018.

Student Council played a role in the event,

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Gun Laws

Regulations in America are off-track, too many avoid hurdles

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Walker Misek

’m an active gun supporter, I believe that Parents may tell their kids they don’t own a gun guns are a necessary thing for protection from to protect the children, but the parents may actually criminals. Having said that, I also believe there keep one sitting in their closet or somewhere the should be stronger regulations that say that if children aren’t allowed to access it. Some kids and someone has had a history of serious mental health young adults may not understand the purpose of issues coupled with violence, that person should not adults having a gun, and many kids might think it’s a be allowed to buy toy. Yet some people, or own a firearm. including may teens, For example, in may think guns are so the Parkland, Fl. dangerous that they school shooting, the just want to get rid of shooter admitted to them all together. having emotional One solution is problems, so his that all gun purchases ability to purchase should be limited to a a weapon should minimum age of 21, not have been and people who buy allowed. them should have a More stringent license to buy them. background checks Owners can have that like history and license taken away if crime records they commit a violent need to be put in crime. place. People also If someone under should have safety the age of 21 has training before possession of a gun, using a gun – they he should be charged Courtesy of Gammar Girl & edited in photoshop need to know about heavily for it – up to recoil, how to hold $10,000. If that person a gun properly, how to reload a gun, where to point a can’t pay for the fine, they could be given two years loaded gun, and to keep the safety on if not firing. of prison or juvie (if they are under 18). Harsher The Pew Research Center found that 42 percent of punishments should be implemented if they don’t people in the U.S. have fired a gun or currently own comply with these potential laws. one. Many of those people use the gun for protection. The world has some twisted people, and some Guns are dangerous, and obviously, they are even can’t be stopped, but a lot of them can. Laws and more dangerous in the wrong hands. People should other policies can be made, but people need to learn how to use a gun so they can protect themselves support them. from bad people.

I hope that gun rights won’t be taken away, and

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In 2016, there were over 33,000 people who died from guns that were in the hands of murderers.

– NY Times Magazine

The Pew Research Center found that 42 percent of people in the U.S. have fired a gun or currently own one.

Guns are easier to buy and take home than to get a puppy at a shelter.

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millions of others do, too. In 2016, there were over 33,000 people who died from guns that were in the hands of murderers, according to the New York Times Magazine.

Gun education is important as well.“We know less about gun safety than we do about our own health,” said Dr. Elinore Kaufman, firearms policy researcher and chief resident of surgery at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in an interview published in the April 2, 2018 issue of Time Magazine.

I have had a close encounter with a potential school shooting myself. I sat in math class with a particular student, and a few weeks later, I found out he had been arrested for possession of drugs and weapons – weapons he could’ve used on other students if he had snapped.

We need metal detectors at our schools and more resource officers on the campus. This would make me and everyone else feel so much safer in school. uns need more restrictions, but not to the point where it’s impossible to get guns. Heavier background checks, longer waiting times for people to purchase them, higher ages to purchase, and licenses need to be required.

More research into gun safety needs to be done as well. In fact, people should complete a safety course to be able to buy a gun. Right now there is no minimum age limit to buy or own a rifle in South Carolina, and in North Carolina, there is no age age limit to buy a handgun or rifle, according to the Gifford’s Law Center.

Guns are easier to buy and take home than to get a puppy at a shelter. I like guns – I just believe the hurdles to own a gun should be even higher than they are now.

The “March For Our Lives” protest that happened on March 24 was a massive fight for better gun safety with over 1.2 million people wanting what I want in the U.S. – instead of worrying about pointless trends, the politicians should worry about the country.

To those who say we don’t know anything because we’re just kids – don’t worry, we’ll be voting very soon.

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Israel Plyler

HALO CE:

I RED & BLACK

How a classic 2000s title caused the gaming community to split

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n the early days of gaming, people wanted Smodern gaming a new rat race in which players nothing more than gameplay and temporary must choose what consoles they would rather play, joy, and console exclusives divided people based solely on the games being offered, not the between Nintendo and Sega. However, as the hardwear* (physical console/computer) being shown.

1990s progressed into the 2000s, and games The plot of “Halo” is one of the more developed of such as “Half-Life” and “Final Fantasy” took the decade, revolving around a so called “holy war” the stage, both PCs and consoles were equally ahead between the UNSC* (United Nations Space Corps, of the game. It appeared that neither of them would the last human military left) and the Covenant, a be trying to overtake the other in the industry. collection of aliens of a quest to start the, “great Then Microsoft announced its journey” via activating giant-ring new console, the Xbox, and with baised worlds called “halos”.

“Halo” also created it the opening IP* (intellectual Story-wise the game was, and property, referring to a game or is, praised as being one of obstacles for gaming still game franchise) Bungie’s “Halo: the best narratives in the gaming Combat Evolved”, a game that both players and world. Gameplay-wise, players that has defined a generation and critics believe it is the turning developers may never and created a genre that saved point between the old first person the home console. However, shooters* (or FPS,a genre of overcome.

“Halo” also created obstacles video games where you shoot the for gaming that both players bad guys) (e.g: DOOM) and the and developers may never overcome, and has split new FPS (e.g: Call of Duty). However, the story and the community into separate fractions due to its gameplay contribute little to the fact that it split the exclusivity to the Xbox. So, we must ask ourselves, gaming community. did “Halo:CE” save and evolve gaming, or doom it?

If you look very briefly at the gaming community “Halo” brought back the console exclusive, and you will see two main Subcultures, in PC and caused a new wave of marketing decisions that made consoles. They are both in a constant battle over

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which is better. “Halo: CE” may be to blame here, The popularity of “Halo” still persists even today. as the game was an exclusive to the Xbox, and while Games are still being released today in the ever“combat evolved” could be connected to the PC and so-popular franchise. “Halo” is still being made by played, an Xbox was still Microsoft’s 343 industries, required to play it. In later hailing still as a Xbox years pirated* (illegally exclusive, even denying PC “Halo: CE“ made the copied and resold/distributed players a port (a re-creation online) copies have been console-exclusive viable of a game for another designed especially for the gaming machine, such as a in the modern age.

PC, however, they have not console) of all three of the gained the popularity of the original games in a re-release original release. package.

The subsequent games “Halo 2” and onwards had As we enter the new era of rival consoleno connection to the PC. The latest release of “Halo companies grabbing PC exclusives for themselves, 5” has the first PC port of a mainstream storyline we see a question that started long ago: is the “Halo” game in years,but it has lack-luster results ideology of making revolutionary games exclusive within the community. going to save an industry, or doom it?

“Halo” also separated the community of console With people fighting over who’s better, the players with its Xbox-only exclusivity. If Playstation gaming community has yet to see that the one and Nintendo fans wanted “Halo”, they would have tearing themselves apart are themselves. “Halo” to buy a different console to get the subsequent persists as an popular FPS and an arguing point for games that only come out for that console. “Halo: Xbox players to buy the newest consoles. Perhaps CE“made the console-exclusive viable in the modern if Microsoft chose to put all the “Halo” games on age. Long before games like “Killzone 2” and “Little PC, the argument would be that they need to allow Big planet” were marketed for the PS3, At this point Playstation gamers to have “Halo”. Perhaps gaming the words “Only on Xbox” became part of the normal was doomed as soon as “Halo” became a exclusive in gamer vocabulary. the first place.

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O P I N I O N

FLINT WATER CRISIS:

The devistation, ongoing struggles, the people who let it happen

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Mia Rumsey ince the beginning of The debate over whether or not 2015 citizens of Flint the officials knew the Flint River Michigan have been water was toxic and still allowed affected by high levels of lead people to drink it continues, and in their water due to switching the crisis still has long lasting from using Detroit as their effects on the citizens and the water source to using the Flint families of Flint. The city of Rivers. The Environmental Flint’s mayor, Karen Weaver, Protection Agency found one wants to provide Flint statefamily had been drinking water funded water bottles to Flint with nearly seven times more until the water is completely safe than the drinkable limit of lead, to drink – under 5 ppb. Lead in which is 15 parts per billion water causes or increases the (ppb). After another test, the risk of neurological damage, EPA found the lead amount comas, convulsions, Legionnaires increased to 397 (ppb) – but the Disease, organ failure – and in state Emergency Manager, Jerry the worst case, death. Even just a Ambrose, decided it would be low rate of lead in water can cause too expensive to change Flint’s learning disabilities, hearing loss, water supply from the river. This and inhibit growth. Their crisis event started the crisis. isn’t over and the long term effects Things only seemed to get will cost the city and their people. worse for the citizens of Flint It is the officials running Flint afterwards, and despite that, who are responsible for the crisis.

Flint’s government did little to Their their slow call to action and help. In June of 2015, scientists their concern of money over the from Virginia Tech tested the people of Flint has been clear from water again and discovered that the beginning in Jerry Ambrose’s the ppb had risen to 13,200, refusal to change back to Detroit classifying it as hazardous city water. The worst of the lead waste by the EPA. Studies from poisoning has been taken care of Virginia Tech were showing that by replacing the pipes as of 2016, the Flint River was corroding the but the effects are still hurting water pipes, and the damage was the citizens of Flint, especially now 19 times more corrosive the children. Stress and lead have than Detroit’s city water. It caused a retardation of children’s took till Oct. 16 for Flint to learning and some suffer from be allowed to transition back memory loss, from 2014 to 2017 to using Detroit’s water, and the reading level of third graders

by June 2015, lawsuits from in Flint has fallen to 10.7 percent citizens of Flint were filed from 41.8 percent, and about 9,000 against government officials children have been diagnosed and past mayor Dayne Walling. with lead poisoning. Many in

Flint still drink bottled water, especially if they have not been able to replace the pipes in their homes, and the financial burden of that can strain a family. About 40 percent of Flint’s residents were living under the poverty line as of 2016. The majority of their citizens are minorities. Water is a basic human need, yet the dangers the of contaminated water in Flint and the problems it is still causing could be permanent. The government of Flint did not react fast enough. Even after water was discovered unsafe, they didn’t switch their water source out of fear of the cost, and now the citizens are paying for it. But there are still ways to help the people of Flint – they are still using government-distributed water and donations from organizations such as the Flint Water Fund sponsored by United Way. Water is a resource that is unaccessable to many people, especially those in povertystricken areas and countries.

In the U.S, states (including California with the fires and Michegan with the pipeline crisis) are struggling with water issues, even though it is a vital and necessary resource. Although Flint is on its way to a regular and safe source of water, many people in our own country and others are struggling. Hopefully, after the Flint Water Crisis, caution has grown and those in power will act more responsibly.

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C ollege athletes $hould be paid

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Nick Biebel

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he National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) makes around $1 billion per year. They currently have a deal with CBS worth about $11 billion for broadcasting March Madness. If there were no athletes, the NCAA would have no money, and yet the athletes don’t receive any compensation from the organization. The athletes aren’t even allowed to make money through endorsement deals, and if a college pays a player to come to their school, the school or athlete can get punished. Punishments can include suspensions, losing scholarships, or even banning the school for competing for a set amount of time.

The NCAA makes a profit off of the players’ names through merchandise and televising games, but the players themselves can’t make a single dime off of their own name until they get out of college.

The NCAA has an “amateurism” rule, that disallows the athletes from doing anything that a pro athlete can. These rules for college athletes don’t only extend to being paid by the college or sponsors.

If someone is a college athlete and they want to play a friend of theirs in a 1-on-1 game for $100, that would be punishable by the NCAA. If an athlete makes YouTube videos and monetizes them, even if they aren’t profiting off their sport, it’s punishable by the NCAA, as was seen in UCF kicker Donald De La Haye’s case, as his football scholarship was removed by the school.

When you’re a college athlete, essentially 100 percent of your time is devoted to your sport, making it nearly impossible to get a job and make money. If any of the athletes aren’t on a full ride scholarship, not having money can be rough, especially for when they need to pay off student loans. Even if you can manage to get a job, if you get paid for more hours than you work, it can be punishable as well, which was the case for former Oklahoma starting

The NCAA makes a profit off of the players’ names through merchandise and televising games, but a player can’t make a single dime...

quarterback, Rhett Bomar, who was kicked off of the football team for this very reason.

The only difficulty with paying athletes is the variation of pay. It isn’t fair for a big name, millionaire school to pay their players as much as a small name school, and it’s also not fair to the athletes at smaller schools to watch athletes at bigger schools get paid multitudes more than them.

It also isn’t fair to people who play sports that have a smaller audience, like lacrosse, as they would get paid much less than basketball or football players.

This is also an issue for female athletes, as they would be paid less as well because less people watch women’s sports than men’s sports.

All of this begs the question, should college athletes be paid? I definitely think they should, seeing how much money that the NCAA makes off of the players.

“Despite the hours I put in every day, practicing, learning plays, and traveling around the country to play games, and despite the millions of dollars our team generated for UCLA—both in cash and in recruiting students to attend the university—I was always too broke to do much but study, practice, and play.”

-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, former basketball player at UCLA & NBA Hall of Famer

S P O R T S

At the Fort Mill staduim on April 12, Zach Skidmore (‘20) scores his second goal of the game.

The Jackets beat the Falcons in a 19-12 victory for regionals.

Big Dawg ‘Skid’Livie Snyder

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Zach Skidmore brings his best every game “We some dawgs,” he said.

“Everything needs to be together and everyone needs to do their role,” he said before the playoffs.

Their first playoff game was on April 17 against Byrnes, and the Falcons lost 10-9.

Skidmore had four goals that night.

“We didn’t play as a team last night, and we relied on one player to get all the goals when one person can’t do it all,” he said.

Skidmore’s 2018 lacrosse season for the Falcons came to a end with the playoff loss.

“My favorite part about this season was playing Fort Mill for the first time,” Skid also said. “The worst part about this season was losing so early in the playoffs.”

The team’s record is 7-8. After the loss to Fort Mill on Thursday April 12, as their last game before playoff the loss, the score was 19-12. Skidmore had 2 goals.

“I’m not going to miss too much about this season beside practicing everyday.”

“We some dawgs.”

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he current leading scorer of the Nation Ford varsity lacrosse team, Zach Skidmore (‘20) averages three goals a game.

The team is 5-3 in the region, and ranked 16 in South Carolina. Skidmore has been on varsity for two years now and was on junior varsity his 8th grade year.

“The team with the most competition this season was St. Francis de Charles,” he said.

The most Skidmore has scored in a game this season was 6 goals against Fort Mill, which was also his best game of the season.

He has been playing lacrosse since he was in the fifth grade. “I chose this sport because my older brother played it when I was growing up,” Skid says.

He also plays lacrosse for Team Carolina and has been on the travel team for the organization for two years.

Skidmore thought he and the Falcons would make it far in the playoffs.

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Concussions& Consequences What is CTE and how can it effect your life?

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Zaria Drakeford

ll it takes is a few concussions, and you can die. A disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is found in people, mainly athletes, who have had multiple head injuries, however it cannot be discovered until years after the injuries.

The symptoms of CTE usually begin years or sometimes even decades after the last brain trauma or end of being involved in an athletic sport.

These symptoms include memory loss, impaired judgment, confusion, impulse control problems, depression, aggression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, Parkinsonism, and even progressive dementia.

CTE can cause death and is normally not diagnosed until after death. The reason is because when someone gets a concussion, there is no sign of internal bleeding in the brain so it’s hard to spot CTE. Treatment to cure the disease does not exist at the moment. There is nothing doctors can really do spot CTE before death accept notice the behavior caused by the disease and act on it. You can only see it when the autopsy comes trough and the scans of the brain take place after death.

“We’ll do testing and go through an impact test, which is a series of visual and memory tests and the computer will determine the speed of their response.” explains Don Krutzig, athletic trainer and sports medicine teacher.

“To refrain from getting the disease, you can decrease the number of hits to the head, and if there is a concussion, let it fully heal before before rendering the sport or activity. Also understand the symptoms, and don’t let it go without taking action towards it” explains Don Krutizig.

It is very important that the side effects of CTE

are not ignored without taking action. A few side effects can become deadly.

It is also important that precautions are taken seriously, especially in football. At Nation Ford High School, there is a procedure to go through if a football player gets hit in the head during a practice or game.

“If they show symptoms they do protocol, and the player takes certain tests that they have to pass in order to go back onto the field. It’ll be up to the trainer or doctor if that player is able to continue. says head football Coach Michael Allen.

“Say if they don’t go back in, then they go into a different protocol,” explains Coach Allen. “He has to become symptom free completely and he then enters into a return to play protocol. That’s the process they go through to be cleared by a doctor.”

Be cautious when participating in a sport or activity. When getting hit in the head, it’s easy to believe that everything is ok. However, thinking everything is ok can turn into death really fast.

“To refrain from getting the disease, decrease the number of hits to the head.”

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“PT doesn’t come easy, they push you to the max until you get fit again.”

Olivia Giles (‘20) Center Midfield Attacker

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Ashley Pinedo

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Tendonitis Giles knows the challanges of dealing with injuries on the field

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Ashley Pinedo deal with her condition on the field day after day.

When Olivia goes to PT she mostly does leg workouts to strengthen her leg so she is strong when she goes onto the field. She enjoys this because it makes her feel like she can do anything, and it makes her leg feel so much better, she says.

“PT doesn’t come easy, they push you to the max until you get fit again,” Giles says.

Soccer players’ knees are constantly at risk due to running and sprinting throughout practice and during games.

“Student athletes who come to me every single day are mission-oriented and in a rush to play in for the season,” Physical Therapist Sam Molony says.

The delay of tendinitis remains a problem for young players as they grow and remain at risk for injuries, according to health experts.

Tendonitis can cause intense pain.

Inflammation can be treated using the P.R.I.C.E. principle: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation with the focus on rest and ice. Rest is absolutely necessary in treating tendonitis, but athletes find complying with the need to rest to be the most difficult.

Playing center attacker midfielder doesn’t come easy with Olivia’s condition, but her practice has brought her far.

Every other day before practice she goes to personal training for her patella (kneecap) tendinitis.

She has gained much strength from PT. The therapy makes her inflammation goes down, so that it's easier for her to play on the field.

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ntertaining the crowd. Meeting new teammates. Spring sports can bring excitement into lives high school students –especially for the players. But when an athlete suffers an injury, the effects can be a real challenge. Soccer midfielder Olivia Giles (‘20) knows all about it.

It has been a tough season for the girl’s soccer team.

“I believe that this year we, as a team, are learning things that will make us improve in the long run,” Giles says.

Out of all the games that they have played, they have won 10. It has been a good season overall, but the girls 2018 soccer season has had to deal with many difficulties and injuries.

No one is immune to muscle pain, whatever the personal level of activity, athletes are vulnerable to it.

Soccer players can develop tendon injuries causing pain on and off the field in their daily lives.

The pain may flare up, but then it may recede, and sometimes athletes feel fine. But then tendon pain may strike when simply walking around the house. At that point, it’s standing in the way of a student resuming old activities.

Giles has had to deal with tendinitis, which is a condition in which the tissue connecting muscle to bone becomes inflamed. She has been dealing with condition ever since the second month of this season.

She gets physical therapy and is learning to

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S P O R T S

Baseball

On the way to victory, Falcons take out everyone in their path

Misael Morillo

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“This team is by far the most talented team that I’ve ever coached, and I can never pick a greater group of guys.”

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he varsity baseball team, coached by Stas Swerdzewski – or as his players call him, “Stosh” – is looking to make a run at the state playoffs this season. As 2018 District Playoff Champions, the Falcons are not satisfied –they believe this team is one to remember, and they will not accept anything but the state championship.

This team is already stacked with talented players. With a D-1 commitment, shortstop Tyler Causey (‘19) has been accepted to play baseball at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Causey is not the only player who is signing with a university to play on the diamond. Pitcher Matt Levy (‘18) signed with Piedmont International University Bruins, a private Christian school in Winston Salem, NC. First Baseman Hayden Mobbs (‘18) is committed to Erskine College.

The Falcons started off struggling with 6-6 record and were third in the conference heading into a threegame series against crosstown rival Fort Mill High School. But the boys are turning it around. The Falcons come into the Upper State Playoffs with a record of 13-14 just below .500.

Even more, this is a team who gives back. The baseball team held a clinic for children in grades 1-5 on Saturday, April 10. Players, coaches, and the 150 kids who came out had an experience they will never forget, from batting, to fielding, to running.

The children had an opportunity to build skills in a fun camp experience.

“These kids are amazing, and I know I am a senior, but I really hope that these kids come back next year and continue their dream,” Levy said.

This team has always had some funny and unique traditions. One player on the varsity team is always wearing a red cowboy hat when it’s time for a rally or to distract the other team. They are always loud, and they have a reputation as being one of the most trash-talking teams at Nation Ford.

“We hate having to face Nation Ford because it’s the Mill Town Showdown, and it’s for all bragging rights but they make it hard for us to concentrate when they are yelling, mocking, and just doing their thing in the dugout,” Fort Mill varsity shortstop Dylan Helms (‘20) said.

These Falcons are relentless and will always challenge the opponent.

Fighting for a chance at the state championship, these athletes are ready, locked and loaded.

As this season is quickly coming to an end, and the school year is almost over, this team has been one to remember with many strong athletes and talented young men with bright futures.

“This team is by far the most talented team that I’ve ever coached, and I can never pick a greater group of guys,” Coach Stosh said.

For seniors, it’s hard to say goodbye, but it also opens up the future for new beginnings.

Misael Morillo

Teaching the basics of the game to the children of Fort Mill, Nation Ford High School baseball coach Stas Swerdzweski gathers young players on the school field during the youth camp on March 24. Both Varsity and JV Players helped run the camp of 150 kids.

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Final Year Senior Alex Ramadanovic reflects on his high school career on the lacrosse team

RED & BLACK

Lex Luther

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The season is full of last times. Last time playing a season opener, last time playing rivals, last time with the people that you’ve played with, last time going to school on a game day, last time to play at the home stadium. Finally, the last time to play for your school.

Playing for many years for Nation Ford, Alex Ramadanovic (‘18) comes is in his final season of lacrosse practice, games, and tournaments.

“I got into lacrosse because I needed a new sport to play – baseball got pretty repetitive,” he says.

Alex’s number is 26 on the field, and he’s reached nearly seven years of play time. His main position is attack, which requires the most stick skill out of all positions.

“My best memory of being a part of this team is either winning our first tournament or going to the championships in Myrtle Beach,” he says.

The Falcons left Myrtle with second place medals.

With the motivation to win, Alex always focuses on one thing during a game, putting the ball in the back of the net. He’s swift on his feet and dodges on coming players to get closer to the goal to score.

Like any athlete, he must drink and eat to stay energized for a game. Some athletes might go for energy drinks and granola bars, but for Alex, it’s a little different.

“This might sound weird, but I drink a lot of water and eat chicken alfredo. It gives me energy to perform at a high level,” he says.

He doesn’t get sick on the field nor does he feel too bloated to play – he genuinely loves chicken

Ashley Pinedo

Intent as he watches the game, Alex Ramadanovic (‘18) just came off the field, dripping with sweat after taking on the Fort Mill Jackets on April 12.

alfredo.

“Playing this sport has affected my future a lot,” he says. “I can say that teamwork is a major factor. Plus, if I want to be good at something, I have to put in the work. My work ethic has definitely changed since.”

While attending the University of South Carolina Lancaster, he will be majoring in Sports Management.

His career goal is to be a general manager for a major sports franchise.

While doing that, Alex hopes to be able to coach young kids and help them to develop skills to play with in his free time.

“Playing lacrosse or any sport has definitely pulled my family together,” he says.

While Alex’s parents have not played lacrosse, his influence rubbed off on his older sister, Devin Ram, and his younger sister, Alyssa Ram. Because Devin is currently away at college, Alex enjoys practicing with Alyssa and helping her train in his free time.

Sports they create bonds and give players moments that they can’t forget.

As the high school year comes to an end, and seniors prepare for college, it’s always fun to look back at the memories on and off the field.

R E V I E W

Mario BADescu

Kiersten Lankford

So-called moisturing spray just does not cut it

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brought against them for failing to disclose the inclusion of strong steroids in two of their products, one of them being the sprays, causing customers to be very upset. These steroids caused the skin to stain or irritation to the skin, making it terrible to use in a facial product.

The Mario Badescu website says it is best to apply after applying makeup to set and boost hydration in the skin. I have done this multiple times, and it has irritated my skin, making it itchy, causing me to remove the makeup.

Overall this is not going to be a repurchase. The formula does not work for dry skin types, making it a trial-and-error for me.

Although the actual product did not work, the packaging sure does. The simplicity of the product is what does it best for the company. They get the product description on the bottle, making it clear what it is designed to.

Mario Badescu does not only make facial sprays – they also have to offer many other products, which I have yet to try, but all the packaging flows nicely together and looks professional on store shelves.

I would not use the moisturizing product again, not only because it didn’t work for me, but every review I have read rarely has any good things to say.

In the end, I believe it all depends on the skin type of the customer using it. I would rather see results from products rather than pretty packaging.

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ario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater is probably worth the buy just to try once or twice, but to add to a daily skin routine would not be the best idea.

I have used this “moisturizing” spray for a month now, and I haven’t seen groundbreaking results. Although there are different skin types, most products I have tried in the past have been very versatile and beneficial, but not this spray. The product leaves the skin feeling tight – more firming than moisturizing.

I’ve noticed when I use the product that I have small breakouts where it’s been applied, but when I stop using the mist, and I go back to using regular products, my skin clears up. The Mario Badescu website states that it is “a cult favorite, makeup artist must-have. Revitalizes with dewy radiance.

Boost moisture and glow” and “ideal for all skin.” I disagree. For dry and sensitive skin types, it is very hard to find products, and this spray is not a solution.

Fragrance is a big factor for some people. Most skin products come in a dye-free and ligh- fragrance option. Mario Badescu’s leading fragrances are rose water, cucumber, and lavender. I’ve tried the rose water and cucumber, and they both have very subtle smells. Although the product contains very natural products, there are dyes found in the spray to give it its coloring.

In 2013, the brand settled a class action lawsuit

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R E V I E W

Ben Doyle

Subnautica

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An aquatic adventure

here are some games I have played while discovering new locations. Each biome has that give the player a fresh and unique its own music track that goes well with the location feeling that you will never get to feel and sets the mood. Every biome has its own feel again. Experiencing the beautiful and to it, and you will know for sure if you’re in the terrifying ocean world of Subnautica is blood kelp forests when you hear the pulsing cry of one of these moments. Subnautica is an open-world crabsquids around you. survival craft that is unlike all others in its genre.

One unexpected surprise from Subnautica is that You start your journey off in a escape pod from it is terrifying like no game I’ve played before in its an exploding star ship, and crash-land on an alien genre. It’s not scary in the sense of getting eaten by planet completely covered in water. To survive, you a large sea monster and losing all of your inventory must explore the oceanic depths, find resources, and – it’s the fear of the unknown, swimming in the flee from any sea monster that waits for you in inky-black depths knowing that safety is hundreds the shadows. of meters away, all while hearing As you explore the planet, you the echoing roars of some sea will slowly discover why your ship predator – and not knowing if that “Subnautica’s story crashed, and you will discover creature is behind you creates a scary the mysterious bacterium that has can go as deep as experience. infected some of the sea life around Subnautica does not offer defense the depths you. Subnautica’s story can go as against predator creatures. If you deep as the depths of the ocean. don’t want to be spotted by the of the ocean.”

The crafting system is giant leviathan predators, you will straightforward and easy. You gather have to use stealth, awareness, and resources found in the ocean to distraction to outsmart them. build tools and create seabases. You can also create One of these moments that I most vividly vehicles that will help you fend off aggressive remember was crafting a creature decoy that would creatures and help you reach deeper depths. At distract the leviathan so I could slip by it to get to deeper depths, more valuable resources can be my destination. found to create cool gadgets that help you along The beautiful and expansive world of Subnautica your journey. The progression can be slow at first is one of a kind and sets an example for what all but will eventually start to pick up. other open-world survival games should strive to Biomes range from the murky kelp forests to the be. With an interesting storyline, large variety of sea lava lakes found thousands of meters down in the creatures, and tons of unique underwater biomes, ocean. With a wide range of unique flora and fauna it will take you hundreds of hours to completely live in each biome – there’s never a dull moment explore the exciting ocean world of Subnautica.

With an interesting storyline, large variety of sea creatures, and tons of unique underwater biomes, it will take you hundreds of hours to completely explore the world of subnautica.

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R E V I E W

New Album ‘Aurora’ Is The Real Bea Miller Bea Miller shows her true self with her sophomore album

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ea Miller released her sophomore album on Feb. 23, 2018 via Hollywood Records as a follow up album to her debut album “Not An Apology,” which was released back in 2015. Ever since she appeared on the second season of “X-Factor” in 2012, Bea Miller has proved that she is a force to be reckoned with. Singing songs about defying conformity and expectations, Bea has risen to the status of superstar.

“Aurora” (originally titled “Spectrum”) is about growing up and transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. She sings about topics such as girl power, boredom, and slut-shaming.

“Aurora” is a body of work that showcases a girl with something to say and a voice to say it with.

In an interview with Teen Vogue, Bea breaks down the difference between creating her first album and creating her second album.

“What was different about the first album is that I didn’t write it,” she told the interviewer. “My label said, ‘We think you’re cool and have stuff to say, but you’re new to the industry. We’ve been doing this for so long, so just put out a record we think is going 34 to work.’”

Emma Nagel Bea was 15 at the time and tried to rebel against her label. “I rebelled like ‘No, this isn’t my vision!’ But they said, ‘If you do this now and pay your dues, your next record you can do what you want.’” And they kept their promise because Bea has writing credits on 13 out of the 14 songs, which is something she is very proud of.

“This album is the real Bea Miller. But I also don’t think in the past I was ready to be that, and now I’m ready to be here with all my walls broken down. “Aurora” let me figure out what the hell I was supposed to be doing. I was almost teaching myself through writing without even realizing it.

Bea’s creativeness really shines through on this album, and you could tell she put her heart and soul into every detail.

It’s like therapy. You can hear my progression as a person and how much happier I became, which is really cool for me to hear because I’m proud of myself,” she told Teen Vogue.

The album is full of 14 tracks in total and every song tells a story.

Before releasing the album in full, Bea released nine songs in three

chapters with three songs each.

Chapter 1: Blue, Chapter 2: Red, and Chapter 3: Yellow.

The first part of the album deals with the frustration of sadness, but also the message that it is okay for young girls to stand up for themselves.

“Song Like You” opens the album with Bea testing her limits on how far she can take her voice. She sings, “A song like you would never tell me the truth. It would turn me on, break me down, make me feel like there is nothing outside this room.”

What Bea is describing is being with someone who makes her forget about the rest of the world, and then the realization that her lover is not the good person she believed him to be, and instead he ended up being destructive to her mental health.

“Burning Bridges” is the second song on the album and serves as a breakup ballad. When providing commentary on the song in a self-produced YouTube video, Bea describes it as “The anger that you feel once you’ve recognized that you’ve been with somebody or had somebody in your life for too long, and you feel betrayed by the realization that they haven’t been doing anything positive for you.” This song has the angry tone of someone who is torn up

anyone’s feelings and just wants to screw them over. Bea sings, “Don’t call me just because you have nobody else. You’re desperate and full of sh**, boy I can tell.” The song is one of those anthems that girls will have on repeat when trying to get over a guy who did not treat them right.

“I Can’t Breathe” is a slower song out of all the tracks on the album. Bea wrote this song when she was in a dark place, when she was depressed, and she felt like she could not get out of it. Bea’s gentle voice is accompanied by a soft piano that pulls at your heartstrings. Bea sings, “How can

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inside by the fact that they stayed in a toxic relationship for too long. The English nursery rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down” is sampled in this song.

“Motherlove” is the third song on the album, and is the fiery anthem of the album, calling out a guy who doesn’t care about

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I live in the moment when my thoughts never feel like my own and don’t know how to admit that I’m broken.” This song is for those who are voiceless and who feel like they are worthless and can’t breathe. However, Bea reminds us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel no matter how down we are – there always comes a day when the sun will shine again. he middle section of the album switches gears and goes from being sad and angry and not doing anything about it to using that anger as empowerment to better herself and finally walk away from toxic situations. These six songs have a different tone to them than the rest of the album, but that is what makes them stand out.

“Like That” is Miller finally using her weaknesses as her strengths. She takes what once was tearing her down, and uses it to build up her empowerment.

She gets stronger from these past experiences and realizes the person she wants to be.

The next set of songs include, “Buy Me Diamonds,” “Outside,” “Girlfriend,” “Bored,” and “Warmer.”

“Buy Me Diamonds” is a dance song that is cute, but also tells the story of a girl who is tired of getting burned and does not want a relationship that will easily be destroyed, but rather something that is tangible and won’t betray her. She sings, “Give me something I can hold, that I can trust and call my own, that won’t run out and leave me cold...Save your love and buy me diamonds.”

“Outside” is essentially a song about not wanting to go outside because you’re in a slump. Bea said

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she wrote the song when she was in a rut and hated life. She notably sings, “It doesn’t even matter all the things I say, nobody’s listening to me anyway.”

“Warmer” is about the newness of a potential relationship – the feeling that you get when you like someone, and you are ready to start having fun again, but you want to keep it on the low because it’s still new, but it’s like you’re getting warmer or closer to a real relationship.

The final part of the album includes the songs “Repercussions,” “S.L.U.T. (Sweet Little Unforgettable Thing),” “Crash&Burn,” and “To The Grave.”

“Repercussions” has an electronic beat to it that makes it an instant bop. Bea really starts to show just how much she’s grown since the beginning of the album.

In this song she does not care about the repercussions of her actions, and she is going to do whatever makes her happy, regardless of what the haters think or say.

“S.L.U.T.” is a song about body shaming and calling out body shamers. Bea wanted to turn the narrative around on being called a slut. Instead of viewing it as a negative connotation, she decided to flip it to being called a ‘Sweet Little Unforgettable Thing.’ Bea sings memorable lyrics such as, “I love myself, I wanna see it. When I turn around, look in the mirror, and if you don’t like it, you can leave it, cause it’s my own and I’ll keep owning it.” As the song continues, it becomes more relatable with these lines, “We gotta learn to stick together. Love your color, gender or whatever, cause your happiness don’t need a censor. Just mind your

own and we’ll keep owning it.” It’s a positive way of showing a body shamer, Hey, I like who I am and you cannot change that.

The album ends with the song called “To The Grave” featuring Mike Stud. This song has the perfect melody, beat, lyrics, and production. It ends on a softer note but alludes to the fact that there is still so much more to come from Bea Miller.

Overall, “Aurora” is a killer album. From the vocals, lyrics, and production of every song, it makes the album a definite listen. Bea’s creativeness really shines through on this album, and you could tell she put her heart and soul into every detail.

I would rate this album 4 out of 5 stars because while I do not care much for the number of times she swears on the album, the production, and the thought that was put into the album are phenomenal. For only being 19-years-old, Bea Miller is a superstar and powerhouse. The album was definitely worth the wait, and I cannot wait to see what Bea Miller has up her sleeve next.

“You can hear my progression as a person and how much happier I became, which is really cool for me to hear because I’m proud of myself.”

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Ashley Pinedo

Lex Luther

Go Out to Cookout an exception compared to most with an diverse following. You will see rows of teammates after a game, a group of friends who want somewhere to hangout and want to sit and eat, or even an elderly couple who want to enjoy the local restaurant.

The atmosphere of Cookout is relaxed yet lively.

People can kick back and enjoy a meal yet still feel excited to talk about events of their day.

Although Cookout might not be best burger joint in South Carolina, it stands out from its competitors with the prices and quality of food. It’s affordable price attracts customers to give it a try, while the delicious food is inviting.

The cozy atmosphere makes it a perfect place to eat with friends and family. I would definitely go back and highly recommend it to someone who has never tried it before. My rating for the restaurant

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Cookout is an American-themed burger joint that is open for people who want great tasting, yummy burgers, sizzling chicken sandwiches, great milkshakes, for a great price.

A popular restaurant located at 2531 Cherry Road in Rock Hill, Cookout offers a marvelous dining experience. The restaurant, which has other locations in Pineville and Charlotte, can be a dine-in place or a take-out restaurant, depending on where you go.

I enjoyed eating at Cookout because of its affordability, delicious food, and relaxed setting. People normally order a cookout tray, which includes the main meal and two order of sides, usually adding up to $4.99. They also have a wide variety of milkshakes. The restaurant has over 40 different flavors ranging from classic vanilla to heath toffee.

The food and drinks are excellent and well worth the price.

More than a typical burger joint, Cookout is

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LOVING “LOVE SIMON”

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Mia Rumsey

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he story of a high school boy finding love through email, and then his coming out process to both his parents and his school, “Love, Simon” sheds light on a subject not commonly represented in movies, and it does so in a outstanding way.

Led by Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, “Love, Simon” is more than a romance – it shows the struggles of coming out in a non-accepting environment. Simon does not even have control of how or when his true identity comes to light.

Writer Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger of the screenplay “Love Simon,” and the author Becky Albertalli, who wrote the book “Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda,” the basis for this movie, are able to create a real and relatable story with ups and downs with a careful mixture of narration and natural story flow and progress.

The story shows the growth of Simon and his friends and family.

Simon’s journey to discover the identity of the boy from the emails, Blue, is marked with various characters who have their own different qualities as seen by Simon when he believes they are Blue, making them all believable subjects.

Stories like the one told in “Love, Simon” have an impact on our community, and in this case, the story has a positive effect.

The film shows that even in the face of oppression and fear, things can end up working out. Audiences learn that there is always support out there.

The cinematography throughout the movie is notable, especially considering a lower typical movie budget of $17 million. From the aesthetics of Simon’s room to the ferris wheel at the end, the scenery and lighting emphasises the emotion and creates an strong mood.

The majority of the cast and many of the crew members are LGBT, including the actor who plays Blue, Keiynan Lonsdale, and the director Greg Berlanti. This helps the story stay genuine and that is important for a movie that deals with treatment of LGBT people, a topic that is not always positively portrayed in typical Hollywood. For this reason, it’s important to support it.

With the release of movies such as “Moonlight,” and now “Love, Simon,” improvements in representation have grown, and now minorities, specifically LGBT people and LGBT people of color, get to see an aspect of themselves in these characters on the big screen.

Simon’s story is one that can be relatable for many people – LGBT or not – and it gives the message that while we all have different attributes and problems, we’re all human.

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‘Truth or Dare’

Haley Wilson

Jeff Wadlow disappoints audiences with 2018 direction of “Truth or Dare”

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“Tell the truth, or you die. Do the dare, or you die. Stop playing and you’ll die.”

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he Truth about Jeff Wadlow’s “Truth or Dare” is that it truly is a disappointment. “Truth or Dare” made its big appearance on the big screen on April 13, 2018.

“Truth or Dare” is labeled as a horror/ supernatural movie, but it’s more like a comedy. When you think of horror you expect to be scared, but all this movie does is make you laugh – although it’s suspenseful to watch these teens try to survive these ridiculous dares given to them by this old petty demon.

After being convinced by her friends to come with them to Mexico with them on their last spring break, Olivia (Lucy Hale) meets a guy named Carter (Landon Liboiron). Once he has flirted her up, he then gets Olivia and her group of friends to come back with him to an unknown place so they can continue to drink and party. Once there, the group decides to play a game of truth or dare. Little do they know that this is what starts the curse.

Carter is asked what his intentions are with Olivia, and since he’s already involved in the curse, he has to tell the truth. He then exposes his intentions and leaves the building, but not before telling Olivia that the game is real.

Of course, as young adults they don’t believe it. They only begin to

believe it when the curse claims its first victim from the friend group, but even then, not all of them believe the curse.

Some even take as long as taking their turn before they believe the curse is real. Once it gets to about the middle of the movie, the storyline begins to get rushed, which results in an overall sloppy job.

“Truth or Dare” and the movie “Within the Darkness” share similar special effects. When they’re asked the truth or dare question, their smiles get wide and their eyes get bigger. The same effects were used in “Within the Darkness” back in 2012. The 2018 verison of “Truth or Dare” is just the supernatural version of the 2013 “Truth or Dare.” Instead of getting killed by a demon, the group of college kids in the earlier version get killed by their number one fan who wanted to play by his own rules.

Overall, the movie just wasn’t good.

Though some of the scenes in the movie are really good, they still don’t make up for the countless other bad scenes. The acting wasn’t bad – the problem was just the storyline. It was all over the place.

I do not recommend seeing this movie unless you want to be left with loads of unanswered questions.

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Diego Ruiz

‘Battle Royale’ takes world by storm Despite Fortnite’s glitches, it’s a fun game.

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Diego Ruiz

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n action-packed game despite a few glitches, “Fortnite - Battle Royale" mode offers a good overall experience. It follows similar gameplay mechanics as other “Battle Royale” games, particularly PlayerUnknown's “Battlegrounds,” and can allow up to 100 players in one game.

You can play with a squad (four people), and try to be the last man or team standing as players to try kill other players and avoid being killed themselves.

Players all start with no equipment outside of a pickaxe for resource gathering, and they parachute onto the map. Once they land, they look for weapons, armor, and resources.

Throughout the game, a "storm" surrounds the map and makes it so that the "safe" area of the map shrinks down in size. Once the "safe" area has gotten smaller, it will generate, at a random location, a smaller circle within. Those caught outside the area take damage and potentially die if they remain in the “storm”.

There are also random airdrops of resources, weapons, and items that may require players to construct floors and ramps to access. Random items are determined by rarity. Every week they release outfits. Some of them are cool, and others not so much, but they're so expensive – $20 for one outfit. What kid has that type of money?

On Feb. 22, Epic Games released the battle pass, which is when they give you challenges every Thursday, and you rank up by tier.

There are 100 tiers, and at every tier, you get a reward. The battle pass includes six outfits, three gliders, three pickaxes all for $10. That’s a good deal.

Sometimes “Fortnite” servers go down because too many people are playing on the servers, or sometimes my game stops, and I can't move or anything, and that's an opportunity for a character to die.

Despite Fortnite’s glitches, it's a fun game. I rate Fortnite’s “Battle Royale” game mode 4 out of 5 stars.

Emma Nagel Spud, a mixed-breed dog, is one of many pets avalible for adoption at the Humane Society of York County.

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The RED&BLACK is a publication of the Introduction to Journalism classes at Nation Ford High School, and the magazine is the culminating group project.

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RED & BLACK Magazine

Nation Ford High School

1400 A.O. Jones Blvd.

Fort Mill, SC 29715