The Talon Volume 9 Number 1
Nation Ford High School
October 2015
1400 A.O. Jones Blvd.
Fort Mill, SC 29715
Alanna O’Brien
Homecoming
Dance Saturday p2 Big Game Preview p10
New Study Reveals Health Risks of Alcohol & Weed p9
GHOST in the Cafeteria p6
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“The Homecoming Court is a very good group of girls, Nation Ford has excellent students to choose from.”
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fashion designer Edith Head was chosen: “Your dresses must be tight enough to show you’re a woman and loose enough to show onight Nation Ford High School you’re a lady.” Then, following the quote, was will host the homecoming game the line: “Leave something to the imagination.” against Clover, which will be fol- Some parents, students, and neighlowed by the school’s very first bors scattered throughout the commuhomecoming dance on Halloween nity took offense at quote and called – the dance for which the dress code contro- news stations to stress their opinions. versy was covered by many news outlets. However, others believe that the quote Tickets may be purchased at the door for explains the expected dress code with$10, and the dance will take place in the prac- out having to go into too much detail since tice gym from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Also, during semi-formal attire for girls may not follow half time, Nation Ford’s Homecoming Court strict dress code policy for a school day. will be escorted onto the football field where Students surveyed about the flyer by the Homecoming Queen will be announced. The Talon indicate that more females To qualify for the Homecoming Court, ap- were offended than not, and most plicants must be a senior girl in good stand- males didn’t have a strong opinion. Principal Jason Johns ing with a 3.0 grade has taken steps to try to point average, with address the controversy one teacher recomabout the flyer by whiting mendation. They out the quote. Still, some must also be asare complaining that simsigned to a senior ply whiting out the error homeroom. Girls doesn’t fix the sexism will be accompanied they feel it represents. by a senior escort. Johns stands by Out of the applihis opinion that he cations, 21 were sedoesn’t find the quote lected to be Nation – Renee Kozlowski, sponsor offensive, but that Ford High School’s he understands why court, and on Oct. 27, students voted on the top two for Maid edits needed to be made on the flyer. of Honor and Homecoming Queen. The Nation Ford’s Homecoming Committee Homecoming Court will participate in to- created the flyer and is in charge of the dance. day’s pep rally, and half time festivities. “We just want the dance to be a great tradi “The Homecoming Court is a very good tion that carries on from year to year,” M r s . group of girls; Nation Ford has excellent stu- Tina Heusing, the chair of the Homecoming dents to choose from,” said Renee Kozlowski, dance, said. “Students haven’t had anything the facility sponsor of the Homecoming Court. like this before. Hopefully next year it will get Tonight the Homecoming Queen will bigger and bigger, and I just want students to be announced, and the football game will have something to look back on later in life.” wrap up, but Homecoming Week isn’t The homecoming dance will go on as over. Tomorrow night, NFHS is hold- planned, and students, male and female ing its first ever homecoming dance. alike, are asked to wear semi-formal at The first thing that may come to mind tire that they feel comfortable wearing. homecoming dance is only regarding the Nation Ford homecoming The dance is ‘flyers’. Recently, Nation Ford has open to current high school students. been popular on news reports. Flyers for However, if Nation Ford students want the dance were posted all over the school to bring a date from Fort Mill High School, and on social media, and they ended up they may do so as long as they complete creating more controversy than clarity. an order form with the name, grade, and When the Homecoming Committee tried to contact information of the guest student, gently stress the dress code, a quote by 1920’s and turn it in before entering the dance.
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2 • News
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October 2015
News • 3
New Principal Already Feels At Home “This has been my favorite job ever in my history of jobs I’ve ever had.” – Mr. Jason Johns new principal observations, meeting with teachers, parents, and stuoaming the Nation Ford dents, and all three lunch duhalls with his walk- ties, which takes about three ie-talkie, Mr. Jason hours.” Johns already feels at home Mr. Johns wanted to beat his new school. He’s es- come principal at Nation Ford tablished a routine and new High Schools for multiple reasons, but he says a major policies already. On top of all of the students reason is that he loves kids. he deals with at school, Mr. “I believe students are the Johns also has children of his greatest natural resource on own. “I have six kids. Imagine this planet. By investing in being in an ocean, and you’re them, I think we can really drowning… with six kids,” he make a difference,” he said. say and laughs. “It’s a lot of “The toughest part of my job is seeing so fun though.” much poten When Mr. “The toughest part tial in a child Johns isn’t at school, he of my job is seeing and struggling with them to takes his famiso much help them see ly snowboardpotential ing in the winpotential in a child that in themselves,” ter time. Any other time of and struggling with he said. “Like you can do the year, he’s them to help them anything you out running, reading, or see that potential in want to and just helping going to after themselves.” you realize that school events is the toughest held at school. part. Kids be Mr. Johns v lieve they have is also a fan of the movies. “[I like] The Last to be like their parents, or the Mohicans, Tombstone, and I kids in their neighborhood, really like Forrest Gump!” he but really you can do anything you want to,” he said. “Helpsaid. When his free time is over, ing kids realize that is the and it’s time for him to get toughest part.” Mr. Johns is extremely exready, he’s busy. “I wake up at 4:15 a.m., run, cited about being the new plan out my day, and wake the school principal. “It has been kids up at six,” he said. “Then, awesome!” he said. we eat breakfast at 6:30, leave Five years may be a long for school at 7 a.m., and I an- way away, but Mr. Johns alswer emails from 7 a.m-8 a.m. ready has his eye on the prize: At 8 a.m.-8:40 a.m., I’m out in being the best school in the the lot for car duty. After the nation. bell rings, I’m doing classroom “We’re already the best in the
R
Hayden Biebel
Jalen Hodges
After his daily 4:15 a.m. jog and taking care of his large family, Principal Jason Johns takes time out of his school day to converse with students in the Commons on Oct. 10. state,” he said. “We’ll be the school where other schools send their teachers to watch and see how we work with students and show them how much our kids excel – being one of those model schools
where people send teachers and administrators, really.” All in all, Mr. Johns says he has been having a great time in his new position leadking the school so far. He’s excited to be working
Danielle Lennon Wins Fort Mill Teacher of the Year for District
N
Jalen Hodges
ew teacher at Nation Ford High school, Danielle Lennon takes the district by storm and wins the 2015 Teacher of the year for the Fort Mill School District. U.S. History teacher Mrs. Danielle Lennon was named the 2015 Teacher of the Year award for the Fort Mill School District on Sept. 21 by th. “I was completely blown away!” she said. “It is so exciting to win such a huge award!” Mrs. Lennon graduated from Winthrop University and was hired at Gold Hill Middle School where she taught for seven years. Later, she transferred to Banks Trail Middle School
October 2015
Mrs. Danielle Lennon when it first opened in 2011 to teach 8th grade social studies. After teaching at Banks Trail for 3 years, Mrs. Lennon joined the faculty at Nation Ford High School. “I am a very competitive
person so I will be working very hard to represent our school and district in the state level,” said Lennon. “The future is very overwhelming and crazy, but I am going to do my best to get the State title.” Outside of school, Mrs. Lennon says she enjoys spending time with her family and running her online boutique. Her storefront boutique, Jasmine and Samones, will be next to Highway 55 Burgers, she said. “I cannot wait for the boutique to open!” she said. “I am so happy to see everything come together and get a chance to play a bigger part in the area,” she said.
at Nation Ford High School and excited to be principal of the fifth best high school in the entire state. “This has been my favorite job ever in my history of jobs I’ve ever had,” he said.
Dr. Brian Biehl Dr. Maylyn Welch
BIEHL
(803)-547-5002
DENTISTRY 105 Ben Casey Dr. Ste. 139 Fort Mill, SC 29708
brianbiehldmd@hotmail.com The Talon
4 • OP/Ed
NFHS Flyer Controversy Points To Cultural Of Sexism
The [Sex Ed] course teaches strictly abstinence, and if we want to help the students, then it must change. Stats: The Center For Disease Control
SC SEX ED
It’s Not Working
T
Staff Editorial
he 1988 law setting Comprehensive Health as the definitive sexual education program in the state began with good intentions: to standardize a medically accurate course to properly teach young adults about their bodies and the danger of sexually transmitted diseases. This law was passed during the ‘AIDS Epidemic’ when it was paramount to most law makers to do something to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. South Carolina’s Comprehensive Health Education course about sexual relationships teaches strictly abstinence, and if we want to help students, then the curricula must change. “We follow the law,” said Mrs. Cherri Young, Director of Fort Mill Middle and High School Education. The course meets a state standard that is set in Columbia, but the objective is outdated and ineffective because it does not teach students what they need to know. While in theory an abstinence-only education should reduce the teen pregnancy rate, statistics show it does the opposite. South Carolina has the ninth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation with 65 per 1000 teen girls getting pregnant, according to the Center for Disease Control. Of the other states with the highest pregnancy rates, all but
Hawaii teaches abstinence only. Teens in these regions also have a higher STD rate due to lack of education about contraceptives. By nature teens are rebellious and are pressured from many outside influences, perhaps the least of which is school - for example, popular musicians like Drake & Jay Z produce countless songs includnging sexual double entendres. The current sex ed policy is obviously flawed, but what can South Carolina do to teach students about sex while keeping them from getting unwanted pregnancies or STDs? Nations around the world including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and Japan, are adopting a ‘sex positive’ program. Rather than teaching teens only how to avoid sex, this type of course also teaches how to have safer sex - handing out condoms and giving in-depth instruction on how to avoid STDs and unwanted pregnancies. This type of education has lowered the teen pregnancy and STD rates in most countries adopting it. The answer to South Carolina’s STD and teen pregnancy epidemics is to implement a similar course. As more countries switch to this type of program, it certainly appears that a more informative course is the future of sexual education, and South Carolina needs to catch up.
The Talon Staff Editor-In-Chief: Justin McGuirl Editors: Drew Carpenter Kailey Cota Raegan Craddock Essence Grant Preston Lyerly Emily Skroly Samantha Sweeney Ad Manager: Tre Cooper Adviser: Beth Swann
1400 A.O. Jones Blvd. Fort Mill, SC 29715 803-835-0000
The Talon
train boys to not harass females and, when in class, to focus on schoolwork? “Your dresses should Sexual harassment is be tight enough to show not only an issue within you’re a woman and loose our school, but it has been enough to show you’re a a culture issue eons before lady.” The quote recentthe Title VII of the 1964 Civly appearing in the NFHS il Rights Act, which stated 2015 homecoming flyer sexual harassment is a form – a line written by 1920’s of sex discrimination when clothing designer Edith it would not have occurred Head – was used to capture but for the person’s genthe dress code in a simple der. Movies, lyrics, music and less obvious way, acvideos and media around cording to Principal Jason the world streams a nevJohns. It took little time er ending dose of women for the students and parbeing objectified as sex obents of NFHS to realize the jects. Even if some were to quote targets females only. argue the school incident Parents complained was “not a big about the quote, deal,” it’s still saying it was too The Talon poll: contributing to inappropriate for an issue in our students in high Do you feel you have been society that has school. The school been one of the took action and sexually harrassed? most problematused white out on ic for centuries. all homecoming •26 of 41 female students Some people posters around the like to argue that school to block out •6 out of 12 male students women dressing the quote, and the provocatively is story was picked the sole cause of •2 out of 4 teachers up on local and naharassment and tional news sites. rape. How women dress “His [Mr. Johns’] re- victim of sexual harassand act should not be a sponse seems to sweep ment increases, making factor. If the woman says the sexist implications of this quote all the more ofno, it means no. Women do the original poster un- fensive and inappropriate not ask to be abused and der the rug by attributing for females in high school. the change to simply not According to the Women’s to suffer the physical and wanting to offend peo- Awareness Program, 79 psychological trauma that ple rather than wanting to percent of sexual harass- could come from harasseliminate sexist dress code ment cases involve female ment, abuse, or even rape. standards,” Seventeen Mag- victims. During the 2010 - School dress code is supazine said on their website. 2011 school year 48 percent posed to keep girls safe One of the many flaws of middle and high school – instead it is destroying with the poster was the fact female students stated they their confidence and sense that it targeted the girls, en- were sexually harassed of safety within the school. couraging tighter dresses, throughout the year. The The issue on dress code and and said nothing regarding effects of dress codes and harassment within NFHS male dress code. The poster harassment on campus neg- needs to be addressed and appears to leave the males atively impacts girls’ lives resolved as soon as possito dress however they feel daily. Instead of buckling ble – this time, with both but leave the girls trying to down on the girls’ dress genders, to desexualize and find the median between code, did anyone think to to respect girls and women. Raegan Craddock
Staff: David Beck Hayden Biebel Matthew Bieser Makayla Brown Cory Crawford Jymontae Drafton Carson Elliott Ashley Garcia John Gwinn Kennedy Hinkle Jalen Hodges Nick Hoffman Greg Lore Kristianlyn Mclellan Lyliana Mendez Amber Richardson Megan Richardson Lexcee Shelton Nathan Tyson
too tight and too loose. “I’ve heard some people comment that people upset about the poster need to ‘calm down,’” said Ms. Crystal Taylor, English teacher. “However, I feel that this response ignores the big problem the poster represents: the extent to which sexism is a part of our everyday culture. First, girls – and girls alone – are asked to ‘leave something to the imagination.’ This is problematic seeing how it sexualizes girls who are minors.” As girls get older, the chances of them being a
The Talon Policy The Talon provides students with an opportunity to discuss information related to Nation Ford High School. The paper’s objective is to notify the school community of the news in a timely and informative manner and to entertain them through articles and columns. The staff encourages letters to the editor. Nation Ford High School students, staff members, and the public can express their opinions and reactions to the articles in The Talon. Letters should be signed and should not exceed 150 words. Letters submitted may be published in the paper at the discretion of The Talon staff and will be edited for accuracy, length, and grammar, as well as offensive or inappropriate content. The staff may permanently keep all unpublished letters for reference or guidance for future writing. All submissions should be submitted to Mrs. Swann, room D517, or via email to swanne@fort-mill.k12.sc.us. Please keep in mind that opinions voiced in the articles and personal columns are not those of the Nation Ford High School newspaper staff or Nation Ford High School’s administration, faculty, or staff; opinions are solely those of the author who submitted the article.
2015 Best Newspaper in South Carolina 2015 Newspaper Palmetto Award ALL STATE Rating for 2015 International 1st Place by Quill and Scroll Society October 2015
OPinion• 5
Flex Time Needs Change
by reviewing the material on the test in ity to go wherever they feel they will between the times they take the test. receive the most benefit. He hopes ports. Classes. Clubs. They can put Also, these retests are extra work for that students will prioritize their acaa student behind in school work. teachers. When a student fails a test, a demics. But if a student does not have As a result, the typical student teacher must spend more time (with time after or before school to attend a stresses about completing assignments no extra pay) creating a new test with certain club, Mr. Johns hopes the stuand stays awake until ridiculously the same information and then grade dent will do that. However, hoping early hours in the morning. Some stu- it. Teachers can handle only so much is not good enough and requires no dents simply require academic assis- work. With large class sizes, many accountability. Measures should be tance with their classes. In response to teachers are already overwhelmed. put in place to ensure a student goes this serious problem, Principal Jason Flex shouldn’t just make the lives of where they require the most help. Johns created the new Flex program students easier, but also the teachers. Although it’s great that Mr. Johns Involved stu- trusts his student body, there may on Tuesdays dents often attend be confusion in the school as an outand Thursdays. classes during the come. English teacher Mrs. Jessica He was in“Flex time is academic entire Flex time Elia approves of Flex, however, she spired to create intervention rather than when they should thinks that if it’s scheduled more Flex based on academic remediation.” be at lunch for half than twice a week, the school will be observing two heavily disorganized. Students may of it. This comes types of stu–Principal Jason Johns wander through the halls or cause from unhealthy dents: involved lunches to become too crowded. stress put upon and struggling Other teachers support Flex, such students. Students need to eat for their students. Even though the purpose of as Ms. Rebecca Doktor. “I like Flex brains to function correctly on importFlex is worthy, it must be improved to because it gives kids a chance to get ant tests and quizzes. keep the high school running smoothly. caught up and participate in clubs who Struggling students are either un According to Mr. Johns, the can’t come after school,” Ms. Doktor willing or able to be successful. The main purpose for Flex is to prosaid. However, she hopes for some availability of a teacher during the vide students with time for exchanges. school day should help these stutra help in challenging classes. “It has a potential to work, but it dents excel in areas they usually Involved students are goal driven needs more support getting students struggle, according to Mr. Johns. He in every aspect of their life. Often, to where they need to be,” she said. has implemented programs simithese active students over extended. “Two days should be sufficient,” lar to NFHS’s Flex at other schools. Also, Mr. Johns feels that it is imMrs. Elia said. Mr. Johns started the However, at these other schools, stuportant to knock out some homework program with one day, then later exdents did not have the freedom to during the day with the help of a teachpanded it to two. With the addition choose the class they attended for er. “Flex time is academic intervention of more Flex days, students have Flex, and this choice is a problem. rather than academic remediation,” more time to complete difficult work. Some struggling students avoid Flex Johns said. Intervention helps students The largest issue with Flex is that altogether. Rather than attending a before they fail to understand the inforit takes away time from classes. Now class or club like they are supposed to, mation, whereas remediation doesn’t that Flex is being they remain at take place till after a student fails. held two times a lunch the entire Intervention includes allowing stuperiod to socialdents to retake tests they fail. Students If school administration week, it subtracts 12 minutes from ize with friends. have the ability to earn up to a 77 peris not careful, students classes each week. While talking to cent (a low C) on a retake. This practice may lose hard-earned This means that friends during contradicts the policies of many other the school schools. What a student receives on credit because the school students miss 3.6 hours per class a day is importa test reflects their knowledge of the did not provide enough semester. Students ant for mental subject and is what they deserve. Flex need 120 hours in health, Flex is should be used to prevent students hours in classes. class to get crednot meant to be from failing tests, not to raise a failing it from the state a social time. grade. This practice of retesting does and for college admission. The school These students already struggle not align with national and college had provided 135 hours per semester with their academics and need to fostandards, so it needs to be corrected. to allow for situations such as snow cus on passing the class. To solve Also, there is not enough time in a days, assemblies, and pep rallies. Mr. this problem, students who struggle Flex period to complete an entire test. Johns says he wants to make Flex evshould be automatically required to Half of the Flex time is allocated for ery day, which would cause students attend a class in which they have D lunch, giving students only 30 minutes to complete a test. This means that stu- or below. This way Flex guarantees to lose nine hours per class— that is dents will have to complete the test in struggling students improvement. more than a week of instruction lost. more than one sitting. Students who Some staff, such as biology teach- If school administration is not caretake their tests on time are at a disad- er Mr. Sean Naeger, agrees with Mr. ful, students may lose hard-earned vantage because students who take Johns that Flex gives students the op- credit because the school did not tests during Flex have the ability to look portunity to be responsible. Mr. John’s provide enough hours in classes. at a test, and then finish it another day. feels that students are trustworthy FLEX is a great idea, but it needs reThese students have the ability to cheat enough to be given the responsibil- organization to be most effective.
S
Justin McGuirl
Syrian Refugees Too Risky For America Lyliana Mendez About 12 million immigrants are known to be undocumented in the United States, whose population is just over 300 million U.S. residents, according to Politifact. President Barack Obama has instructed his administration to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. in the coming year. Sending the Syrian refugees to America cannot benefit the United States. The United States of America is the country people come to when people are looking for dreams to come true. Immigrants come to this country to be successful, to raise a family, and to make a difference. However, having more and more Syrian immigrants coming
October 2015
to America each year can be a problem. The Washington Post reports that 10.3 million Americans are unemployed currently in the United States; having more immigrants in this country can cause the unemployment rate
“We don’t want another Boston Marathon bombing situation,” –NY Rep. Peter T. King to increase and urban areas to be over-populated. Many Americans also feel taking in the immigrants is not safe because terrorism may be an issue. “We don’t want another Boston Mar-
athon bombing situation,” said New York Representative Peter T. King in a Sept. 10, 2015 New York Times article. Allowing the Syrian refugees into this country is not only risky but alarming. The United States will not know the outcome. While every refugee coming to America will not plan an act of terrorism, the United States needs to be cautious the actual goals of the Syrians. There are more negative than positive outcomes of allowing more and more immigrants to come to America. The Atlantic says that United States has already accepted 70,000 refugees this year, and 1,500 of them are from Syria. If not addressed, this refugee crisis is just going to continue and become a bigger issue for the United States.
SPEAK -OUT What Do You Think About Flex Time?
“I wouldn’t mind using Flex every day because it’s better than coming in the morning or afterschool.” – Ben Wissinger (’18)
“I don’t really like Flex because the lunches are so crowded.” – Madye Brizendine (’19)
“Flex is good for me because I don’t really do homework at home, so I think it helps a lot.” – Sarah Grennan (’16)
“Flex is very clutch.” – Jackson Clark (’17) The Talon
6 • Entertainment
NFHS favorite
Scary
movies Samantha Sweeney
25 20
20
14
“Double Double Toil and Trou Fire Burn and Cou
T T rick or
For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble!” Paranormal Encounters Scare School Lunch Staff R
13
12
reat
Raegan Craddock
umor has it -- there have been ghost sightings in the cafeteria. Ms. Bess Russell and Ms. Stacy Reid have worked in the Nation Ford High School cafeteria for more than six years and have had many encounters themselves. The first visitation was with Mrs. Kay Connor, the previous manager who claimed the ghost spoke to her. “It’s a female. She lets us know she’s here,” said Ms. Bess Russell. The lunch staff believes that the school is built on a burial ground from the Civil War. “The strategic importance of Nation Ford and Nation Ford Road was apparent during the American Revolution. The ford remained one of the principal crossing points of the Catawba River,” says The Catawba River Keeper website. The high school is built on an Indian trading route from the American Revolution. The lunch staff believes the ghost haunts the school because she was a cook in the war and that the construction of the high school has upset her.
Ms. Russell’s first encounter with the ghost was when she was alone, preparing food in line 5 when she heard a soft female voice whisper “Excuse me, excuse me...” but when she turned around, no one was there. “I could just feel… I got cold,” said Ms. Russell, shuddering at the memory of the encounter. Ms. Stacy Reid’s first experience was also in line 5. She was serving chicken to students when she turned away for a couple seconds, and the glass between the students and the food shattered. They had to shut the line down because the glass got in the food. Ms. Reid counted four personal encounters with the ghost, which have been the scariest of them all. Once, when she was taking meatballs out of the steamer, she set them on a table with wheels under it. Ms. Reid turned away from the table to put something else
in the steamer, however, the wheels on the opposite sides of the table flew off, and meatballs spilled everywhere. “When those meatball flew off that table, I almost had to leave,” Ms. Reid said. Other alleged encounters with the spirit include clean dishes shooting out of the dish washer, the clock dying then rebooting by itself, and custodians seeing shadows across the cafeteria. The lunch staff wants to know – would you spend the night in the cafeteria?
10 94 Students Polled The Talon
Nathan Tyson & Preston Lyerly
October 2015
EnterTainment • 7
What will you be for
uble; uldron Bubble
Halloween? Megan Richardson
“I’m dressing up as a cowgirl for Halloween.”
DIY: Zombie Costume Kennedy Hinkle & Kris McClellan Halloween is coming up and many of you are looking forward to being a part of the walking dead scene. Lydia Bass (’17), started doing costume makeup in the eighth grade, and she has some great tips on how to transform yourself into a revolting Zombie. “Zombies aren’t those type of things where you have to look a certain type of way,” said Bass. You only need a few simple items: liquid latex (order it online or get it from party city; be careful of latex allergies), or glue, toilet paper, fake blood, and costume makeup. YOU START with a clean face, with your hair pinned back. Apply latex/glue, you can apply it directly on face or put the latex on toilet paper. FOLD TISSUE for texture so you can get the wrinkly skin look. Be careful around eyes and apply smaller pieces. TO MAKE wounds add layers based on how deep you want the wound to be. To add color, apply a dark yellow for the skin - it’s okay if some pieces fall off. Add brown on the edg-
es to make shadows or to make you look dirtier like you just came out of the ground. ADD A little bit of green for a few minor details, then add a little bit of purple around the wounds. For your eyes, you add brown to make them look sunken in. Add a blackish purple color to wounds to make them look realistic. Take red and put it over purple and apply some around the mouth. For a gory look, put black in the center of the wound to add depth, and take the fake blood and put it in the wound. You will be surprised by how real it looks. You can spread the fake blood with your fingers, and it dries very fast.
Ms. Natalie Robinson, English teacher
YOU CAN also add brown around areas to make them look darker. Mess up your hair to get that walking dead look. Luckily for you it isn’t hard to take off, but do not, use a white towel to take the makeup off.
“I’m going to dress as an angel because I’m an angel.” Josh Ciccone (‘17)
“This year I’m going to dress as a slushie” Rachel Donovan (‘18)
“I have never been trick or treating, because they don’t do it in Trinidad.”
Shanice Mohammad (‘19)
October 2015
The Talon
8 • Features
Dangers Of Policing Today Officer Prescott Weighs In On Controversy drugs after searching the man’s ve- English teacher Marguerite Davis said. hicle. In response, the man accused Mrs. Davis beleives that if an individo far this year, 800 people Officer Prescott of damaging his ve- ual follows the requests of a police ofhave been killed in the Unit- hicle. However, Officer Prescott was ficer, then a situation involving alleged ed States by police officers, able to prove his innocence because police brutality wouldn’t escalate. “Cops are there to enaccording to reporters in an he recorded the entire with the fore the law, and protect article entilted “On Duty, Un- conversation people from those who der Fire” in The Washington Post on Oct. man. The evidence proved don’t follow the law,” 24. Police brutality has been a major that the man was a liar. Officer Richardson said. topic in social media, and the press has Obviously, some sus In addition, he befrequently implied or accused officers pects exaggerate encounlieves that cops are a of excessive force in numerous cases of ters with police officers to necessary part of sopolice shootings. Many people agree attempt to get out of trouble. ciety and should be with the press and say that police offi- “I believe whole hearttreated with respect. cers are far too aggressive and abusive. edly, if a police officer Many people do However, other individuals disagree. does something wrong, not show respect to One person who thinks police bru- then (he or she) should disciplined,” Offiwards police officers. tality cases are blown out of propor- be Officer Prescott contion is NFHS resource officer Dave cer Prescott said. He acResource Officer firms it happens frePrescott. Officer Prescott served nine knowledges the fact that Dave Prescott quently. Whether he is years at York High School as a school some cops may be guilty resource officer and as a police officer and deserve to be punished. communicating with a prisoner in jail for a number of years in California. He hates how the issue affects or with a civilian at a stop light, peo In his first nine weeks at NFHS, the community. “When people see ple call him insulting names regularly. Officer Prescott noticed NFHS one police officer accused of police Furthermore, when a police officer has the same type of problems as brutality, their perception changes approaches an individual, people have York High School: teenage drama. for all cops,” Officer Prescott said. the tendency to run away. This does Social media, too, not mean they have done something He got his first has influenced the wrong, but that they are simply afraid. impression of Fort feelings associated Biology teacher Sean Naegers ex“A police officer Mill Schools when with police officers. plained that if people simply follow he patrolled in the doesn’t decide “It scares me that what officers instruct what them to do, area. Originally, he thought the teenag- whether a suspect in a there is always the then cops would not need to take action. ers of Fort Mill acted case is guilty or not...” possibility that they “Respect the process of collecting could be corrupt,” evidence,” Officer Richardson said. “A extremely privileged Emma Thronsen (’17) police officer doesn’t decide whethand entitled. Now, af- Sergeant Wane Richardson said. She thinks that er a suspect in a case is guilty or not, ter working at NFHS, most cops are decent they are simply collecting evidence he thinks differently. “The students here are the most respect- people, however the press has instilled for a jury or a judge. If they are comful young adults,” Officer Prescott said. fear in her mind. In Thronsen’s opin- pliant, no situation will escalate to Officer Prescott thinks the topic of ion, most of the responsibility lies on the point where a person can say he police brutality is bogus. In his opinion, the police officer. She thinks that it or she is a victim of police brutality.” the press sensationalizes the reports of is up to the police officer to evalu- Mr. Naeger thinks body cameras police brutality to create a story. In fact, ate the situation and use discretion. would be a good solution. The techSergeant Wane Richard- nolgy would give courts and the mewhen evidence in alleged police bru- tality cases is analyzed, police officers son of the York County Sher- dia an objective view to determine are typically found innocent. “It’s just iff’s Office agrees with Thronsen. the truth instantly. No one can argue for the news,” Officer Prescott said. “Pulling a gun should not be the with evidence which supports whether He has been accused himself of first option,” Officer Richardson said. an officer is guilty of police brutality. damages and intimidation on the job. Many people believe that civilians are Officer Prescott agrees that the One night, when Officer Prescott ar- not at fault in most police brutality cases. use of body cameras would be benerested a man for possession of illegal “People don’t respect authority,” ficial for proving a cop’s innocence.
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Justin McGuirl
Loud Music Ruining Teen Hearing Today Nanthan Tyson Whether it be with speakers or earphones, high schoolers just love music – especially loud music. Many teens say that listening to music louder makes it a more enjoyable experience, but listening to music that is turned up too loud can have serious, life-long consequences. Over time, listening to loud music can cause tinnitus, a constant whiny, ringing noise. While faint, it can still cause aggravation and can overshadow other sounds. “Listening to loud music for a long period of time leads to hearing loss,” says school nurse Kim Dixon. She confirmed that wide spread ear damage these days is because of teens listening to music too loudly. The damage renders teens unable to hear at 16 to 24 decibels, making it impossible to hear some higher pitched sounds and harder to understand softly spoken words that others could easily discern. Some sounds, such as rustling leaves, whispering, or other high-pitched noises completely go over the heads of teens with damaged ears. Researchers doing a nationwide health survey compared 3,000 kids ranging from 12 to 19 years of age from 1988-1994, and 1,800 kids from 2005-2006 showed that hearing loss in teens increased from 15 percent to 19.5 percent. This is mostly because of the widespread availability of music players nowadays, but teens can still prevent hearing loss. Many experts, including Mrs. Dixon, say that simply listening to music on a lower volume can prevent ear damage. Turning the music down can spare the ears of teens from tinnitus and other hearing damage.
Collecting Sneakers: Not As Crazy As It Sounds Carson Elliott The block is crowded, more crowded than it’s ever been. Cars are honking because people are holding up the traffic and they can’t get by. The blast of car horns, people chatting, and sirens fill the cold February air. More than 100 teenagers and adults have been standing outside of Jeff Ng’s Reed Space Boutique for days, some missing work, most missing school, but all prepared with tents, food, lawn chairs, and jackets. They’re all here for the same reason. The Nike SB X Jeff Staples Pigeon collaboration. Only 202 pairs are in existence, 25 of which are released at Reed Space Boutique. If you’re ever fortunate enough to come across somebody selling a pair, they won’t take anything less than $4,000 – if you’re lucky. “All this for a pair of shoes. Are these people crazy?” No, we aren’t crazy. We’re passionate about shoes. In of February of 2005, the boom of the sneaker culture
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was born. Let’s go back a couple of years to 1986, the year that began most old-school sneaker lovers’ collections. Michael Jordan walks out on the court in a new black and red Nike shoe and gets fined because the shoe didn’t have “enough white” on it. This started the public’s passion for sneakers. Everyone wanted them when they released for $85.50. Now you’d be lucky to find a pair for sale under $3,000. There are two eras in the sneaker culture. The one for the old-school sneaker heads who rocked original Jordans, original Airmaxes, Reebok Pumps, and Penn’s(1986-2001), and the one that inspired a new breed of sneaker heads who rock retro Jordans, Flyknits, Yeezys, KD’s, Kobe’s, and Foams. Being a sneaker head doesn’t make you obsessed with shoes, just passionate about them. Being a sneaker head takes skill. They don’t have to be smart; you have to know what to cop a buy on, the release date, and what to sleep on while you wait. For example, when the Shattered Backboard Jordan 1 Retro [original
Jodan 1 silhoutte] released a lot of people passed on them. When the shoes released, they dropped for $170 and a few hours later people were checking online on Ebay or Kixify and couldn’t find a pair under $450. It takes heart to be a sneaker head because they care about their shoes as much as they care about themselves; some guys at sneaker conventions clean their shoes more often than they shower. What makes it worth all the hard work of camping out for a limited release, spending hundreds of dollars on one pair, and waking up at 7 a.m. every Saturday to order the newest release before the site crashes? It’s the art of resale. Collectors can pay retail price for a shoe (usually $120-$250) and resell the shoe if it sells out. Most shoes that are considered to be “hype” (meaning everyone wants them,) or (“heat” mean-
ing they’re going to resell for a lot more than retail) usually sell out online in under a few minutes. It’s amazing that two shoes, one from the 20th century, and one from the 21st century, can spark such a huge passion in men, women and children of all ages. Many people don’t know much about the sneaker culture. They may have a couple of friends with a lot of shoes, but they don’t know about the insane resale prices and struggles sneaker heads go through to get these shoes. People all over the world collect, myself included, and it’s surprisingly popular. You may never know how much the guy with cool looking shoes paid for them. At the end of the day, after spending $185 on a pair of shoes to take to Sneaker Con and sell for a few thousand, it is all worth it.
October 2015
Health • 9
Marijuana, Alcohol More Dangerous New Studies Show John Gwinn In school suspension. Expulsion. Jail. The legal consequences of abusing substances like weed and alcohol can be severe for students. Even more serious are the health risks – which can be lifelong. Despite many teens’ beliefs that alcohol and marijuana have less negative consequences than other drugs, recent studies confirm that both have severe health risks and can lead to death. According to a recent New York University study, drinking is a lot worse for teens because their brains are not fully developed. Researchers found that when drinking before the age of 15, teens are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who drink after the legal age of 21. For teens, marijuana is worse that alcohol because it affects them in many ways. For instance, they lose their ability to concentrate and focus. It also had an adverse effect on student-athletes: timing in sports, movement, reactions, and ability to make good decisions. Bit by bit, marijuana takes away an athlete’s ability to reach his or her highest potential. Marijuana also affects judgment by leading to risky and un-
safe decisions, such as unprotected sex that can expose teens to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV. The study also indicates that there is a high correlation between alcohol use and unsafe driving. Police officers reported that people who drink alcohol were more than 13 times likely to confess to being involved in a driving accident, the study shows. In comparison, marijuana users were only three times more likely to confess to driving accidents caused by getting high, according to the study’s author, Dr. Joseph J. Palmer. Students who use weed reported that they were more often guilty of doing stupid, illegal things as a result of getting high; they lost control of their better judgment and conscience. People who smoke weed are 23 times more likely to get in trouble with the police compared to alcohol drinkers, the study says. Teens who drink alcohol were more commonly reported to put their relationships with friends, family or loved ones at risk. If a female drinks alcohol, the consequences are a lot worse for her; she feels regret more deeply, according to Palmer’s NYU study. Weed smokers are subject to the
Health Risks Poor coordination Anxiety Bloodshot eyes Increased heartbeat
Increased sexual desire
Altered vision and hearing
Stimulates appetite
Slurred speech Vomiting
Headaches
Drowsiness Impaired judgement Liver disease Source: drugfreeworld.org
same effects as if they were smoking cigarettes, suc as respiratory illnesses that can lead to lung or esophagus cancer, according to another study by the University of Washington. A person who smokes weed will experience reduced blood flow to the
brain, impaired judgment, slow reaction time, and increased chance of being involved in accidents. Most importantly, weed affects the student’s motivation level, making it lower; it makes their ability to function in daily life a lot harder.
Stress Management Possible For Teens, Adults With Daily “Secret” Techniques Change equals stress. Humans have habits that they repeat evsolitary light focuses on the ery day. It’s their own order of how desk in the darkened room, things are supposed to go, so if the clock on the steamy coffee something changes, it triggers stress. pot says 2 a.m., and there’s a stack of Another thing that triggers stress work she still has to finish. I can’t do it. is worrying. Students fear that they Stress. If students have College won’t get something done or they Prep, Honors, or Advanced Placement did something wrong. When a stuclasses, they are constantly trying dent worries too much, he or she to make sure they don’t get any bad may trigger a panic attack. Pangrades -- which means they are always ic attacks are triggered by fear. stressed out. That’s when vacation Mr. Meachem has techniques to comes in. Students rely on vacations prevent from having a lot of stress. or at least a day off to relieve them- “First, break it down into parts, then selves from stress. recognize the This year problem one at Thanksgiving and a time,” he said. winter break have “Second, do the been shortened, easiest one first and there is only and then work one teacher work your way down. day first semester. And lastly, find The main caus-Mark Meachem, NFHS Psychologist a way to relax, es of stress for even if it’s just high school stutaking a deep dents are academics, family, social breath or doing some physical exercise.” and succeeding pressure. Everyone Relaxing takes time. This year’s is always trying to make sure they school calendar allows for very do well, get along with their families, few days to relax. Administrator and fit in with the right people – along Pam Pittman said that the schools with just trying to succeed in school. used to start earlier, so that the According to NFHS Psychologist students could take all exams beMark Meachem, stress can be caused fore Winter Break and that’s what due to timing and spacing. For exam- school officials returned to this year. ple, Thanksgiving break is only two “It’s best for the students,” Mrs. days long so if families already had Pittman said. She also likes it. vacation planned out for the whole However, some students week, they need to try to make it small- don’t like the new schedule. er which could lead to a lot of stress. “It’s not good, and we But Winter Break could be less stress- should have at least two weeks,” ful because the students take all the said Collin Meyers (‘18). exams beforehand, so they don’t have Teachers have less time off as well, to worry about studying over break. and their jobs are stressful. They
A
Ashley Garcia
“... find a way to relax, even is it’s just taking a deep breath or doing some physical exercise.”
October 2015
have to grade a ton of papers and plan what their schedule will be for the week. Some teachers said that they are excited about longer vacations. A.P. U.S. History teacher Mr. James Fitzpatrick likes the idea of taking exams before Christmas break. World History/Geography Honors teacher Brendan Wright just likes the idea of getting out of school faster. “I love the idea because my A.P .classes come faster,” Biology I Honors teacher Mrs. Katherine Seastead said. Although this year’s school calendar allows less time for relaxation, there are ways to people cope. Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph. D. lists “Six Best-Kept Secrets” about relieving stress, in Psychology Today. The first secret is that stress is in the mind of the beholder, which means if you have stress don’t think of it as a bad thing; try to look at it with a positive mind. The second secret is stress begets stress. Stress can cause more stress. If a person is constantly worrying, they are bringing more stress on themselves. Don’t constantly stress over big or tiny things because it will cause more stress. Everyone knows the saying: someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. It’s true. If a person wakes up with an attitude, it can really ruin their day. The secret to that is changing the attitude from being upset to
being happy, even if you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Stress can cause poor sleep, too. If Sally is stressing about something before she goes to bed, she will think about it all night which causes no sleep. No sleep means she is trying to stay awake all day, which causes even more stress. The fourth secret is to avoid stress before going to bed because you will stay up all night thinking about what you are stressing about. Hiding feelings can also be stressful. Joey was on his way to work when he spilled coffee on himself, now he has to go in with the spill on his shirt and act like nothing ever happened. Acting like nothing ever happened can be stressful because he has to act like he is happy even when he is not. Joey shouldn’t feel like he is putting on an act. The way he is feeling, should be how he really feels. There is one word that can cause students to have a lot of stress: Bullies. They make people feel like they are nothing. Most of the time the target gets a lot of stress because he or she tries to deal with the bully themselves instead of trying to get help from someone else. The final secret is to stop stress caused by a bully is to confront the bully or to get an adult to help fix the problem. It’s not wrong to tell on a student who is bullying another student, mental health experts say.
The final secret is to stop stress caused by a bully by trying to confront the bully or by getting an adult to help fix the problem.
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10 • Sports
High Flyer Hank Tuipulotu
Alanna O’Brien
Against arch-rival Fort Mill High School, quarterback Cole Martin (‘16) passes to wide reciever Josh Shade (‘16) in Bob Jones Stadium on Oct. 11. The Falcons claimed the victory with a 49-27 win.
Cory Crawford
Wide Reciever Hank Tuipoluto (‘16)
Family Man Looks To Achieve Goals Carson Elliott & Jymontae Drafton Falcon’s star football player Hank Tuipulotu has been playing ball for as long as he can remember. “Ever since I was young, my parents put me into a bunch of different sports, and we found out football fit me best,” he said. “My family inspires me to do my best work,” Hank said, “but sports-wise, I look up to Rob Grownkoski. The man’s a beast!” There are no off days for Tuipulotu. When he’s not playing football, he works hard to stay in shape. “I work out with my dad to stay in shape,” Tuipoluto said. Football isn’t his only sport. “In the off season I play basketball and football,” he said. Not only is Tuipoluto an amazing player, he’s and amazing guy in general. “Hank is a highly motivated player and is a leader to the other young men on the team,” said
Head Coach Michael Allen. “Hank is definitely a leader” said teammate Tae Sauls (‘16). “I’m really going to miss playing with him. His will to fight his hardest to win really makes the team a family.” Tuipoluto is also a bright student. Hank will be attending Brigham Young University and playing on their football team next year. “Hank is an amazing brother and I’m blessed to be his sister,” Sammy Tuipuloto (‘18) said. “Hank is very hard on himself to do his best and, contribute to the team the best he can. He teaches me and my brother valuable lessons, and we look up to him. We are really going to miss him.” “I love the environment at BYU,” Tuipoluto said. “I love the mountains, and the scenery is amazing. Outside of football, I’m looking forward to keeping up the family ‘tradition’ of being an athlete at BYU like both of my parents, but I am also looking forward to my classes.”
Falcon Football Looks To Homecoming For Big Win Tre Cooper & Nick Hoffman After 2 tough losses, the Nation Ford football team heads into tonight’s game full of optimism as they prepare to compete in front of the Falcons’ homecoming crowd when they take on the scrappy football team of Clover High School. With plenty of excitement and energy around campus, the table is set for the Falcons to improve upon their winning record to 6-4. Clover is led by leading rusher Willie Clark (’17) with 365 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Noah Lindsay (’16) with 374 passing yards
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team at practice. High intensity practicing is the motor behind the excellent execution on both sides of the ball which leads to all the big plays Falcon fans love to watch. The Nation Ford team will have to create a lot of big plays against Clover considering the bold prediction of the game players are giving. Two of the state’s top players, quarterback Cole Martin (’16) and Tuipulotu are predicting a blow out at 42-6 and 56-14 respectively. These predictions are especially ambitious considering the Falcons lost to Clover last season 30-34. Big talk needs big play to back it up.
Swim Team Glides Through Season Greg Lore The Nation Ford swim team placed fifth overall in state competition Oct. 10 at the University of South Carolina Natatorium. In addition to the strong finish as a team, Ryan Williams (‘18) took second in the 500 freestyle. The 4 X 1 relay team of Trent Cubine (‘16), Williams, Isaiah Fitzgerald (‘18), and Sam Fitzgerald (‘16) took fourth place. After the big win over town rival Fort Mill High school, the team was pumped.
“We hadn’t lost a dual meet and were feeling confident,” said swimmer Daniel Martin (’17). “Being on a relay that is top two in the state and had a chance to win state title is a great honor,” said Cubine. Unfortunately Cubine’s chance to compete in state was ended by an injury. “Sadly, I’m not able to participate in the event due to a sprained MCL,” said Cubine about regionals. Overall he felt confident the team would win the regional meet without him on
Saturday, Oct. 3. It was a perfect time to showcase their talent at the Rock Hill Aquatic Center. “This season was amazing,” said Coach Meredith Yocum. “The swimmers put their all in each and every meet. Many swimmers have made state, and all swimmers have cut a great amount of time from their individual events and rallies,” she said. The swim team rallied around their coach, who has 8 years of coaching under her belt for the swim team.
New Baseball Coach To Set Expectations Nick Hoffman
409 Featherson Road Fort Mill, SC 29715
and five touchdown passes. The Blue Eagles have an unimpressive record of one win and nine losses but that doesn’t mean they won’t be looking to ruin the last homecoming game for Nation Ford seniors – especially considering the Falcons are in the playoff hunt, and Clover would like nothing more than to trample on the Falcons big night. “We’re serious but having fun and know we have to take care of business,” said star wide receiver Hank Tuipulotu (’16). The Falcons seem to be clicking even after losing their last 2 games, and Coach Michael Allen is loving the energy and intensity of the
H i g h expectations are the motivation of every team in any sport. But the difference Stas Swerdzewski between Baseball Coach a good team and a great team is often the little things, and that’s what new baseball coach and World Geography teacher Stas Swerdzewski wants to perfect. That all starts with practice and Coach said he wants a
program with a hard-working atmosphere where each player gets better daily. This kind of program will not be easily achieved, but Coach Swerdzewski’s expectations are not small. He says he wants to build a program that will compete for a state championship on a yearly basis. These expectations are the usual for Coach Swerdzewski because he has a successful resume dating back to his high school days when he was a Division 5A state Champion. From there he went to Central Florida Community College where he set the single season home run record with 16. He was also a two-time Big South All Conference honor-
ee while playing at Winthrop University, which is where he finished out his college eligibility. He even has some professional playing experience in the Frontier League, an independent professional league. His coaching history starts at Winthrop where he was an assistant coach for four years when he worked with the hitters and catchers. He then went to York High School for four years where he was an assistant coach, and then head coach at the end of his tenure. He came to Nation Ford determined and definitely qualified to take the reins of an already strong Falcon program.
October 2015
Fantasy Football As Electronic Chips & New Laws May Change Landscape For Fantasy Football, Nation Ford Fans Remain Loyal Matthew Bieser Now days everything is become electronic, even football. Recently the National Football League installed Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chips into each of their players’ shoulder pads to track the movement of players on the field. The chips allow fans to see the speed, distance, and direction a player is going. Not only does it give commentators and football fans more more information, but it will assist fantasy football fans even more. Every week, fantasy team owners have to pay attention to who is performing, free agencies, and who is injured – everything. They do this to compete and lead their teams to the Super Bowl. Fantasy Football is just like the NFL. The season starts with the draft, where the teams draft their players, then they get to their preseason, and finally, the season starts and the excitement begins. Games start and so do rivalries. In certain leagues fantasy team owners can win money. In money draft leauges, they bid on players, which is how they get them, and then at the end of the season, depending on how they do, they could make some cash. However, gambling is considered to be a problem with fantasy football. Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana
and Washington have already banned daily fantasy football sites. Nevada has now decided to join the five states now banning it. In those states, players are now required to have a gambling license to play. New York, Illinois, and Louisiana all filed lawsuits accusing DraftKings.com and another site – FanDuel.com – of cheating. Both are popular fantasy football sites. Many places offer sites to play, including NFL.com,
ESPN.com, or Yahoo.com. However, there are also free leagues where fans don’t pay anything or win anything. Mr. Cory Johnson and other social studies teachers, such as Mr. Brendan Wright, Mr. David Berns, Mrs. Dawn Lisk and Mr. Michael Matkovich play against each other on Yahoo. With the addition of chips in every professional player’s shoulder pads this year. The chips will give fantasy taem owners will have even more
accurate stats on speed, distance, acceleration, and more to help lead teams to win their league Super Bowl. “Fantasy football is a way for me to follow more than just my favorite team,” Mr. Johnson said. Being competitive in fantasy requires paying attention to your players, meaning you will have to watch different teams to keep up with players and news. So what’s the best way to draft a winning team? Mr. Johnson’s tip when drafting: “Don’t pick your favorite players.” He ought to know – he is currently in first place. Chris Caricari (‘16) has another strategy. “Make sure you get a strong wide receiver and a strong quarterback,” he said. Many people just like competing. “I love the competitive nature and working on it ahead of time,” said Mrs. Sain. Simon Shore (‘17) also likes to win. “I play so I can dominate my friends and family,” said Shore. It is also a way for family and friends to bond. “I started fantasy football at age 9 because my dad was in a league and I wanted to be just like him,” said Hogan Drane (’19) “My 10-year-old brother just started this year, so it’s a great way to have fun with family & friends.”
Lady Falcons Finish Fabulous Season Lexcee Shelton The NAFO Volleyball team is coming off of a fantastic regular season with a record of 35-13-2 and 11-1 within reigon, and they are excited for what the postseason has in store. With NAFO ranking first in the region standings, the players have every right to be proud of what they’ve accomplished. “The season’s going really great so far,” said Jessica Kemp (’16). Her fellow teammate Ali Philbeck (’16), also has a positive outlook. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but overall it’s been an amazing season.” Madison Garner (’16) has a positive look on how the regular season will wrap up. “We just need to keep supporting one another and will hopefully win out the regular season,” she said. The players also have high hopes for the playoffs. “I’m hoping we’ll get really far,” Kemp said. “We want to win state.” Philbeck agreed. “We’ve been going strong and we hope to end strong. Our goal is to win
October 2015
Sports • 11
High Flyer Quin Sutphin
Emily Skroly
Vollyball player Quin Sutphin (‘17)
Ruling The Court: Volleyball Champion Travels To Victory Emily Skroly Whether striking kills on the court or getting As in class, Quin Sutphin (’17) exceeds in everything she does. Sutphin has been playing middle blocker on the Nation Ford varsity volleyball team since freshman year. Balancing AP classes along with the team, her goal is to go D1 in volleyball. Starting almost 5 years ago, she finds playing volleyball is a stress reliever. Looking forward to playing in college, Sutphin currently has three full ride offers from Fairfield University, Western Alabama and Piedmont. She has potential D1 offers from 12 other schools and is hoping to receive more. “My favorite part about playing for the school is
the tight bond that our team forms every year,” Sutphin said. “I know that I have 11 other girls to back me up on and off the court no matter what!” Sutphin also played on her off-season and nationally for Carolina Junior Volleyball Club. Traveling to 10 different states, including Colorado and Texas, she says she wouldn’t be the player she is today without her teammates and her mother’s support. “If you hear a lady yell, ‘Go big 10!’ -- that’s my mom,” Sutphin said. Sutphin says the best thing she can offer to her team is being a good supportive teammate. She enjoys creating a tight bond with her team every year. “Quin always brings a lot of energy to the team,” teammate Chanel Turner (‘17) said. “She works really hard on and off the court.”
Ashley Garcia
Playing at home against York High School, Quin Sutphin (‘16) sets up to serve the ball in an easy match. Nation Ford beat York in all three sets, clinching the 3-0 win on Sept. 10. state,” she said. But with every great team, there are always ways to improve. “We could learn to work together better,” said Philbeck. “I think just minimizing our errors and having fun is what we need to focus on,” said
Kemp. With so much positivity, it seems next to impossible for this team not to win state. It won’t be easy, but with great attitudes and determination, the Falcon volleyball team hopes to finish the season on a high note.
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