The Talon v. 14 issue 1 Nation Ford High

Volume 14 Number 1

November 2020

The Talon Nation Ford High School

1400 A.O. Jones Blvd.

Fort Mill, SC 29715

Quarantined

by Layla Haliq

Carrie Starcher (‘21) had shown symptoms for COVID- 19 and suddenly had to move her workload to online – which proved to be more difficult than she thought.

Going to school during a global pandemic seems bad enough, but having to quarantine while school on Pageto 6 another level. is in session Continued takes the situation “The hardest thing about not being in school is not being able to speak and ask my teachers questions about assignments directly,” Starcher said.

Currently, 87 students at Nation Ford are in quarcontinued below

Opinion:

District Should Not Hold 5-day Per Week Classes

Students Struggle With Stigma, Isolation - continued from above -

antine. While having to juggle the stress of possibly having COVID19 and the work of high school, miscommunication is bound to happen. Not only is an unexpected quarantine hard on the student but also on the teacher. Both parties struggling so that the student doesn’t fall behind can cause frustration. Luckily, with everything already online now, it’s easy to get to classes and assignments. The hard part is keeping work from every class in order.

“When I’m in class I can hear the instructions for the assignment and ask questions if necessary, but most of the time I don’t have to because we cover everything in the lesson. Not being there leaves a lot of blanks,” Starcher said.

One of Starcher’s classes needed software downloaded that was only accessible at school, which left her with more work when she got back on top of the other work assigned. In fact, Starcher’s grades went down after she went into quarantine, and she has been trying to

get them back up as best she can. While being at school most of the time it might seem logical that she contracted the virus at school, but surprisingly, Starcher said she got it working at Walmart. She was apprehensive about coming back to school due to the stigma.

“I don’t want people to be scared to approach me because I had to isolate myself,” she admitted.

With the way that the media portrays the virus it’s easy to become wary of someone who had COVID-19. Some students worry that others knowing when they were in quarantine due to being exposed to the virus makes them outcasts. Peers know why students are out for 14 days and may not want to get close in fear of spreading the virus even more. Whether test results came back negative or not doesn’t matter when a student or teacher has been exposed.

Quarantine isn’t an easy feat to take on unexpectedly during school. Starcher would have much rather have been able to stay at school than missing 14 days of work.

2 • Opinion

More African American History Needed In United States’ Classrooms Today

by Zaria Drakeford

Students are often taught in American History classes that the stories of African Americans begin with their enslavement. Although there is far more to African American history than slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, that information, such as Juneteenth and the significance of the year 1619, is not taught in our history classes. We must expand our knowledge of African American history in our classrooms and reassign cirricula.

In August of 1619, a ship came onto the shore of the English colony of Virginia. The ship held more than 20 enslaved Africans who worked for the colonists. The Africans who were brought to the colonies were notslaves but indentured servants.

However, what debt could they have owed on their passage coming straight from their native land of Africa?

“Attempts to hold Black servants beyond the normal term of indenture culminated in the legal establishment of Black chattel slavery in Virginia in 1661 and in all the English colonies by 1750,” according Encyclopedia Britannica. This is the first time the Africans were brought to the U.S. and were forced to become slaves.

Why don’t we learn about this in school?

The 1619 Project is an ongoing project that was developed by the New York Times Magazine in 2019, and their objective is to reframe America’s thinking by placing the contributions of African Americans in the center of any study of the history of America.

“What we’re taught is that slavery is marginal, that it didn’t last that long, that it was largely just a product of the South,” says founder of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones in an interview on NPR. “One of the common things you hear is ‘Oh well only one percent of Americans owned slaves so it couldn’t have been that big of a deal.’ We are certainly not taught that it was central to our foundation.

We don’t talk enough about what it meant that the first 10 of our first 12 presidents were enslavers, that the entire Northeast relied heavily upon the prod-

ucts that were made by enslaved people, that the banking and shipping industries rose up to support slavery, so we absolutley don’t think of slavery as foundational. We think of it as kind of blip, a mistake that we made but that doesn’t have larger ramifications for everyday American life.”

At the founding of the Constitution, the U.S. was not a democracy. The Constitution in 1787 was actually a non-democratic document. It denied blacks, natives, women, and people who didn’t own land the right to vote. African Americans took the words written in the constitution literally and were dedicated to making their ideals real because they couldn’t receive any of the rights in the Constitution at the time. African Americans protested their inability to vote to get the U.S. to live up to its laws and ideals that were established in its founding documents.

Blacks stood alongside whites and helped to fight wars overseas to aid other countries in establishing a democracy, and then came home to be denied those same rights.

Although there may be some important information left out in the curricula about African American History, Fortunately Nation Ford history teachers try their best to educate their students on the black experience in the U.S. “Educators are striving to include more Black history as well as the history of other marginalized groups this year,” says U.S. History teacher Dawn Lisk. “More and more resources are available to us, which is quite helpful, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to learn and include more.”

So how can we expand our knowledge of African American history in our classrooms? Time Magazine has partnered with the Pulitzer Center to create a free curriculum on the 1619 project. Educators should download the project and study guides on the website to further educate their students. If students are taught the correct history now, they will learn the truth and the foundational contributions of African Americans to this country.

If students are taught the correct history now, they will learn the truth and the foundational contributions of African Americans to this country.

“More and more resources are available to us, which is quite helpful, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ... include more.”

Black History in Our Classrooms Zaria Drakeford ON AVERAGE, ONLY 8% OR 9% OF HISTORY CLASS TIME IS DEVOTED TO BLACK HISTORY, AND SOME STATES NEGLECT THE SUBJECT ALTOGETHER.

ON AVERAGE ONLY ONE OR TWO HISTORY LESSONS ARE DEVOTED TO THE BLACK HISTORY, IF AT ALL.

A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE SAID THE MAJORITY OF TEACHERS "CONSIDERED BLACK HISTORY AS INFLUENTIAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITY OF US HISTORY," YET THE LEVEL OF CLASS TIME DEDICATION WAS FAR TOO LOW.

Insider.com

Cover photo: As she fills feeding tubes for a student’s lunch, Nurse Lori Stout explains her tasks on a typical school day in her office to a reporter on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Photo by Khonnie Kounbandith

The Talon Staff Editor-In-Chief: Alex Cardona Khonnie Kounbandith

Staff:

Section Editors: Kaiden Bridges Zaria Drakeford Megan Jafarace Marcus Romec

George Gebrail

ad manager: Emily Willers Adviser: Elizabeth Swann

Gracie Chadwick Riley Crutchfield

Layla Haliq Ayden Hash Connor Lambert Olivia Miles Abigail Weber

Nation Ford High School 803-835-0000 1400 A.O. Jones Blvd.

Fort Mill, SC 29715

The Talon

The Talon Policy

The Talon provides students with an opportunity to research and write informative articles related to Nation Ford High School or topics students find interesting. 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 D111, or via email to swanne@fortmillschools.org.

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.

International 1st Place by Quill and Scroll Society 2015, 2016. 2019

November 2020

opinion •3

Hate Crimes on Asian Americans

Hate Crimes Rise With COVID19 Numbers, Must End Immediately As the rise of COVID-19 steadily climbs in the United States, a significant increase of hate crimes against Asian Americans has given them another reason to stay indoors. While scrolling on social media, or watching and reading the news, it’s easy to come across a racially charged incident against Asian Americans at least once a day.

Especially in a conservative state such as South Carolina, these incidents are rarely publicized, and that leaves negative opinions about Asian Americans, mainly due to the accusation that we caused COVID-19. Although the virus started in China, Asians, in America and around the world, are not the sole cause of COVID-19, the lack of precaution and ignorance is the cause.

For many countries around the world, COVID-19 cases have declined significantly earlier this year due to safe procedures such as mandated mask wearing and established social distancing, according to the John Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus daily tracking system. Although, some countries are reeling away from their preemptive safety measures and are seeing an increase in cases.

During the worldwide pandemic, Asian Americans have reported more crimes happening to them due to the stereotype that they are bringing COVID-19 to the places where they travel. In fact, at his Tulsa rally in Phoenix, AZ, on June 24, President Donald Trump labeled the virus as ‘kung flu,’ giving rise to a massive cheer from his audience and a new-found stereotype on Asians all over the world.

Trump has also tried to rename COVID-19 with the label ‘Wuhan virus’ and ‘China virus,’ to frame China as the cause of the pandemic and to divert the failure of his administration’s handling of the crisis.

According to the Word Health Organization’s guide on stigma regarding the virus, “COVID-19” was named to steer people away from stigmatization around a group of people, specifically Asians. The ‘C’ stands for Corona, ‘VI’ for virus, ‘D’ for disease, and ‘19’ to document the year it was discovered.

by Khonnie Kounbandith Due to President Trump’s labeling, which is a well-known biased and persuasive technique, many of his followers have been walking the path he paved.

“When I was playing an online game, there were these two guys talking about how China had started and spread COVID,” a NFHS Asian American student says. “I tried to explain that just because the virus originated in China, doesn’t mean it’s entirely their fault, or the Chinese peoples’. They got upset at me and called me the c-slur.”

In the U.S., 45 states have passed a hate crime bill to report felonies against a person’s race, religion, or ethnicity. Five states, which include Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Utah, Wyoming, and South Carolina, have not passed a bill stating that those who have been victim of a hate crime will get proper justice.

In a University of South Carolina study of 800 Asian American victims and bystanders, 100 of those who responded claimed they have experienced a crime or discrimination due to their race, but only 70 percent of victims said they had reported the incident.

Lisa Umemoto (‘23) has observed crimes on news and on social media. “I remember seeing a kid in New Zealand assaulted because he was accused of having COVID, and an older woman [was] set on fire for the same reason,” Umemoto explains. “I hear so many racist comments about Asian Americans in public and at school as well.”

Fort Mill’s local community has not reported any crimes or discrimination against Asian Americans, however comments and ‘jokes’ about COVID-19 and Asians are freuqently brushed under the rug.

“Bringing more awareness to Asian American [microaggressions] are important because they’re not taken seriously,” Umemoto says. “People comment with ‘it’s not that bad’ or ‘it’s just a joke,’ that takes away the seriousness of the topic.”

In the Nation Ford community, International Club uses their platform to inform students about the origin of cultures from around the world. By using social media, posting infographics around the school,

“I hear so many racist comments about Asian Americans in public and at school as well.”

AVOID SOCIAL STIGMA, ADDRESS THE ISSUE

by Khonnie Kounbandith

What is social stigma?

In the context of health, a stigma is caused by the negative association of a person or group with a certain characteristic(s). This group is stereotyped and discriminated against because of a perceived link with the disease (COVID-19).

How does this apply to our current events?

Asian Americans, and those around the world, are discriminated against for supposedly spreading COVID-19.

How do we address the issue?

Build trust in reliable health services and hold healthy conversations with those who were affected by COVID-19. Communicating how the virus affects others, physically and mentally, combats fear from the unknown aspects and steers away from social stigma.

Information from CDC COVID-19 Stigma Guide

and educating their club members, the club can advocate for the anti-discrimination of Asian Americans. As students walk from class to class, educational posters around the school can ignite the discussion to stop negative bias against Asian Americans -- or anyone else.

All Students Do Not Need College Not Free School Lunch Now Worth Debt

by Marcus Romec No more .25 cent milk. This year, along with the other school districts across the country, the Fort Mill School District announced that all student lunches and breakfasts are now free from September to the rest of the school year, or until there is no more funding available to ensure all students have access to necessary nutrition during the pandemic.

If every child enrolled in public schools gets a “free” lunch, it could cost taxpayers nearly $132 million to $147 million.

Thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding free meals to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year, no student, even those from wealthy families, no longer pay for school meals. While free lunch plans are a good safety net, it is unnecessary for those who can afford it. While the national debt rises $45 dollars per second, giving wealthy kids free lunch can only increase that number.

“This unprecedented move is part of USDA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring all children across America have access to nutritious food as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the USDA website.

Yes, kids who drive Corvettes to school can also

receive free lunches -- but not to the same extent.

While lunch is free at school, subsidized lunches outside of school are available to those who qualify.

“These program flexibilities allow schools and local program operators to operate a meal service model that best meets their community’s unique needs, while keeping kids and staff safe.

Additional flexibilities are being granted on a state-by-state basis, as required by law, to facilitate a wide range of meal service options and accommodate other operational needs,” the USDA Department of Agriculture said.

With the previous closing date for free lunch coming up, it was time to rethink how long funding will last.

“The Trump administration and the USDA extended the right to eat free lunches to the end of the school year”, said the USDA. With school lunches being free for the entire school year, no Nation Ford students will have to pay for lunch again -- unless the system changes with a new administration. Eating for free sounds good, but if you look at the bigger picture it’s only going to take more money out of the wallets of U.S. citizens over time.

While the national debt rises $45 dollars per second, giving wealthy kids free lunch can only increase that number.

November 2020

by Riley Crutchfield A lot of people who question the benefits of college already plan on going but they might not know why. Their parents just want them to have a degree and the college experience. But there should be some thought put into why you would go to college.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics most college graduates have a Bachelor’s degree and on average they make $468 more per week than someone with just a high school diploma.

College is a great place to acquire soft skills like working well with people and learning about yourself by pushing boundaries and going out of your comfort zone.

For some people attending college may not be so great because they might not really want to, but their parents think it’s a good idea. Say a student studies for a liberal arts degree in history and graduates at the top of their class, they might become a high school teacher with massive debt and only make $51,744 annually. It’s going to be awhile before they get their debt of $27,000 paid off and they might have been better off not going in the first place.

It is important that when you go to college you know what your major is and what job you plan on having after you graduate. If you don’t, you could potentially put a lag on yourself and your career from the debt acquired after college.

So college can be really important in your life/career, however there are skills you can learn without going to college. You could be really good at your job but receiving that degree will have you in debt after you graduate.

The Talon

4• Opinion

Fort Mill Schools Should Not Go Back To School Face-To-Face Every Day Staff Editorial

The district announces the return of students for Just two months away from the second semester, five days a week in the second semester “if it is safe” a third wave of COVID-19 is in full swing with flu as cases are soaring acroos the country, heading into season along with it, and there’s no vaccine. A record a third wave. Why let go of the hybrid A/B schedule high of 177,000 new cases for the third straight day if it is keeping the students and teachers safe?

Knowing that second semester students may rewas reported on Friday, Nov. 13.

On Oct. 20, Dr. Chuck Epps, superintendent of turn for five days a week, plexiglass, face masks, and the Fort Mill school district, announced to the school hand sanitizer won’t be enough if social distancing board the proposal of going to school five days a is lacking due to the classrooms not having enough week for the second semester. After only six weeks space to spread out desks for each student to sit safeof school, the decision has already been made by the ly six feet away from each other.

Many students have found ways to protest. Studistrict. The decision left a two-week window for students to decide between going virtual or face-to- dents like Dylan Butler (‘21) created a petition on Change.org to protest coming back five days a week, face from Oct. 23 to Nov 6.

Was it too early to make such an important deci- and at press time, the petition has nearly 600 hundred signatures. sion? Yes. Butler is hoping for Cumulative positive “I think we should stay in the A/B more signatures. cases for district staff is “I think we should stay already at an astonishing day, especially since there is not on the A/B day plan, es41 as of press time with 56 total students having been going to be any social distancing...” pecially since there is not going to be any social positive so far, accorddistancing, and people ing to Joe Burke, district -Dylan Butler (‘21) are going to slack on the communications officer. coronavirus practices, and Student quarantines have reached 536. According to the American Academy of cases are going to rise. It’s still here. COVID-19 cases Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, are still here.”

Shari Hartley, Fort Mill School District substiCOVID-19 is impacting children at “unprecedented levels.” Early research has shown through the tute coordinator, says 11 to 16 absent teachers are US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that currently undercovered a day within the district. only 56% of children had fever and a cough. The long During the hybrid A/B day schedule, teachers are term effects are still unknown. Children are becom- scrambling on their planning time to cover absent collegues because of the few substitutes available. ing ill during significant stages of development.

As of press time, 87 students are in quarantine and COVID-19 resurgence and flu season stretches be5 are positive, and 6 teachers are quarantined. Howtween December to February or even until May. Not only will students return face-to-face five ever, the school will only shut down when 30% total days a week (unless the school reaches 30% posi- are infected, according to administration.

With many factors to take into account, the detive cases) confusion between those with flu or those with COVID-19 will be problematic while social dis- cision of coming back face-to-face five days a week tancing will cease. Keeping desks six feet away from was made too early.

Lack of social distancing and inability to take preeach other in a class of 20 or higher is not possible.

As the CDC has recently announced, close contact is cautions in small spaces makes it impossible to keep defined as six feet of an infected individual for the students and teachers safe. Students should not go back five days a week. sum of 15 minutes. Classes are 90 minutes.

TIKTOK STATISTICS

by George Gebrail

The TikTok app has

MONTHLY USERS

been downloaded

TikTok has around

DOWNLOADS

over 2 billion times

800 million

with no signs of

monthly users

stopping.

worldwide.

COUNTRIES

MONEY

TikTok is available in 155 country's in 2019 with 75 languages.

around $500 million in all of 2020

AVERAGE MINUTE PER USER TikTok users spend a average of 52 minutes per day.

TikTok was estimated to get

CREATOR FUND The TikTok Creator Fund lets you earn money when people view your TikToks and liking them. TikTok has created $1 billion.

oberlo.com

The Talon

TikTok Should Not Be Banned By U.S.

by George Gebrail the comment section of every video, but others might TikTok, the popular video-sharing social net- just laugh at the confrontation. No matter the topic, working service, boasts close to 50 million U.S. users young people who make up the majority of the audidaily, according to the owners of TikTok. Although ence like to express themselves. the White House is trying to ban the app due to what Another pro about TikTok is that teens can conthey say is the risk of nect with other young Chinese espionage, the people. TikTok has a recourt has prevented the ally nice community, and government from banit is really easy to make TikTok can be ning the app. The Trump friends via TikTok. There administration granted are two categories of vidaddicting, and while there ByteDance an extension eos: recommended vidof 15 days on Nov. 15 to eos called the “for you are some downsides, it is an divest the app. page,” or videos of the TikTok can be addictpeople you are following amazing app to have fun, ing, and while there are on TikTok. If teens aren’t some downsides, it is careful, posting could be create videos, and watch an amazing app to have a way of losing friends fun, create videos, and or arguing with other videos and should watch videos and should people in the comment not be banned. section or just posting not be banned.

The videos posted on videos about them, but TikTok can be anything, overall, if users are maand anyone in the world ture and can use good has access to the app. While it’s true the app could be communication skills, the app is beneficial. dangerous for children, the age requirement is 13. Of Recently, there has been a lot of TikTok drama course, smaller children are finding ways to post and regarding pedophiles. For example, a user calling make videos on it, and they could come across some himself Gemini Official, has been exposed for being inappropriate posts which is why parents should a pedophoile to people. Gemini abused his power by monitor what their children are watching. having a lot of fans and followers on TikTok, so usHowever, the app can also be very educational. ers have to be careful just like with any other social Some accounts on the app help people understand media app. a wide variety of topics. For example, there are lots TikTok may have its ups and downs, but when of videos on how to stay safe in the pandemic, help used with caution, the app can be a fun, creative, and with math or english, and even surgery. a positive place to watch and make videos.

In addition, a lot of political postings on TikTok, There is no legitimate reason for the U.S. to ban can make others angry and can start arguments in the app.

November 2020

News •5

Newly Elected Board Talk About Virus For the new term, Kristy Spears and Scott Frattarolli opted to run for reelection, while Anthony Boddie, was a new challengers. With more than 31,000 votes, Spears won with 21%, Frattrolli with 20%, and Boddie with 16%. The three canidates join the Fort Mill School Board of Trustees.

Q:What are your plans for the term of 2020-2024?

Q:Do you think all students should return face to face or stay in A/B day schedule?

Q:What are your opinions on wearing masks?

Q:How will your position in the school board (if elected) change the Fort Mill School district?

Q:How do you think the school board should approach the balance of safety and education during the times of A: For the next four years, I am prepared to tackle whatever comes our way...

Certainly, none of us predicted that we’d be addressing a pandemic when we were candidates in 2016, but here we are. A few of the things we know will be happening -Kristy Spears in the next four years we will open two more schools (River Trail Elementary and Forest Creek Middle), make decisions on the future of the Virtual Academy, refresh the impact fee study (due in 2023), and continue to plan for the growth that we continue to experience in our area.

by Alex Cardona A: The decision to remain A/B day or return to five-day in person learning is up to District Administration, and as Dr. Chuck Epps, superintendent, explained in the most recent board meeting, he/they continue to monitor case numbers and Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) guidelines based on viral spread levels in York County to support the health and safety of all students and staff.

A: As of the present time, usage of masks is required by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). [The gist of the full guideline] is...“To support the national and state efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to best protect the health and safety of South Carolina public school students and staff SCDE is requiring face coverings to be worn on school buses and within public school facilities.”

A: I am extremely proud of all the District has accomplished in the last four years while I have been on the Board. We have opened three new schools (Pleasant Knoll Middle, Catawaba Ridge High, Kings Town Elementary), welcomed over 3,000 new students and over 200 new teachers into our District, implemented an Impact Fee to offset the costs

A : I ’ v e served and supported the students, families, and staff in our school district for the past 23 years as a parent, volunteer, teacher, assistant principal, principal, school-opening project Scott Frattaroli manager, and Board Trustee. I will continue to be an engaged, involved, and empathetic listener who considers the needs of all students, staff, and community involved in and impacted by the decision-making process. As we continue to face challenges with the pandemic, continued population

growth, and the ever-changing educational and safety needs of our students and staff, my commitment is to honorably serve our school community and to be a trusted voice on the Board of Trustees.

A: Fort Mill has already returned to full, in-person face-to-face instruction at all of our elementary schools. The district is prepared to evaluate the middle and high school plans at the end of the first nine weeks in conjunction with the latest recommendations and processes regarding COVID-19 tracking, student and staff protocols, and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)/Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.

A: The Board has been deliberate in listening to our school and district experts on the routines and expectations of day-to-day operations. Currently our mask policy is consistent with the latest guidance regarding COVID-19 from CDC and the SCDHEC I support the district’s decision regarding masks.

A: The measure of success of a School Board member isn’t about individual goals, ideas, or initiatives, but instead it’s about working as part of a team that

includes other board members, district and school administration, staff, students, and the broader community. I will be proud to serve as an active and engaged listener who will always work collaboratively with others to make decisions in the best interest of our students and staff.

A: In the last school board meeting, Dr. Chuck Epps, superintendent, made a statement that our district is “following the science” on decision-making related to how the district is balancing reopening schools and safety. Every single person in the Fort Mill School District community wants students to be back in schools five days a week without wearing masks - however, the science and data does not support this being the safest option for our students and staff. I believe we should continue to follow the lead of our district administration in making sure our plans are intentional and thorough regarding safety, while integrating new educational approaches to meet the needs of all students during this challenging time.

A: My number one concern is to make sure we manage our growth effectively and efficiently. Although the Fort Mill School Board cannot control how many people move into the district, we can have a seat at the table in reAnthony Boddie gards to how the area’s income that is allocated for the Fort Mill School is managed.

We have a top-ranked school district at the moment, and that is because our teachers, administrators, behind-the-scenes people and the school board are a very well-oiled machine. The continuously expanding population of Fort Mill, Tega Cay and the surrounding area can throw this well oil machined out of balance and into a state of chaos. I will do my best

to keep this from happening. Another plan of mine is to ensure our current teachers remain with the district and that we continue to bring in high quality teachers as we grow. If we do not manage our growth properly, we could see our excellent rating slip. And I do not want to see that happen to our wonderful community.

A: You know, this is a tough question to answer because I believe the studies that show children learn better from in-person instruction. However, I also believe we should continue to listen to the concerns of our teachers, administrators, the community and most importantly, our medical community. With all of this said, the split schedule reduces the number of people in the building on a daily basis and from what I understand, this makes people more comfortable to be at school. Please know that I do believe there is a place for virtual learning, now and in the future. We should never take a tool out of our tool kit.

A: I personally do not have an issue with [masks].

I know some people complain about them and think we should not be forced to wear one. That is their opinion and they are entitled to their opinion. I know many within the medical and science communities are split on how effective masks are and whether or not children in K-12 should even wear them. But in my view, if mandatory mask wearing will place peo-

ple at ease, then I’m good with that.

A: Wow, this is a great question! I consider myself an “out of the box” type of doer, planner and thinker. With that said, I believe my decades long experience of working in the entertainment and theme park industries will help me bring different views, thoughts, and opinions to the board as we deal with growth, obtaining new teachers and retaining our existing teachers.

A: I know this district, as well as countless others across this country, took a lot of criticism for how they handled the initial response back in the spring.

I believe we were all caught off guard because we all felt that the interruption would be a few weeks to maybe a month or two. However, I know the district put in some long hours over the summer to ensure that the children and adults of this district would be safe. With this said, I believe we should continue to listen to our medical advisers and make our game plan based on their advice. While I do believe in person learning is the absolute best option for our children, their health and safety should come first. As long as our medical advisers say it is safe to attend school in person, then I believe we should allow our children to attend school in person. But should their opinion change, then we should be agile enough to make the necessary changes to our school day.

November 2020

of new schools on existing residents, added School Resource Officers (SRO) to all school facilities, implemented Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math (STEAM) across the District, and continue to be rated the #1 public school district in the state of South Carolina. I hope to bring the experience I have gained in the last four years to ensure we continue to have the best schools in the state, made possible by hiring and retaining the best teachers in the state, for the benefit of what we know to be the best community in the state.

A: The School Board will continue to rely on District resources who are in constant contact with DHEC to monitor case levels, spread levels, vaccine progress, treatment progress, etc for the coronavirus.

As you mention, it is a delicate balance between the educational needs of our students and the safety of our community. We all have to remain flexible and understanding as information and guidance change over the course of the school year. Everyone is anxious for this pandemic to be over, and we hope it will be soon, but we cannot move any faster than conditions warrant.

The Talon

6 • News

Over $1 Million Spent On Sanitary Supplies For Fort Mill School District

by Alex Cardona

Empty desks, $1.7 million on sanitary supplies in the Fort Mill District. Nation Ford administration believes 300 packs of wipes and about 150 bottles of the clean smart surface spray should last until the second semester.

“We probably have several hundred of each of those items,” Principal Jason Johns said. “We have two for every teacher--137 certified teachers. In inventory, that is in addition to that, we probably have 75-100 of each. As teachers run out of those supplies we have for them.Those were all dis rict-provided.”

Johns suspected there would be difficulty in finding supplies as more schools open, and there may not be any available. As a result, Nation Ford decided to save supplies for the teachers so if the time comes when faculty runs out, administration will be able to provide.

Aktive Sanitizing wipes, Clean Smart Daily Surface cleaner, and Life shield Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer is only the beginning.

“All the schools are getting plexiglass trifold walls for teacher desks as well as students, which should be arriving within the month--by the end of October,” Johns said.

According to Johns, the district spent $1.7 million on sanitary supplies. Money for those materials is not in the school budget. To find the funding, the superintendent must ask for the school board to give him permission to release additional funding from the general balance.

Spending comes with difficult decisions.

“Then you have decided where you eventually get to the point where you need another art teacher, or I need 50 trifold protectors for my teachers’ desks,” Johns said.

The federal government provided Coronavirus

Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) for COVID-19 funding for all states. When South Carolina received CARES money, they allocated them to each district based on the district's number of pupils.

If the district wants extra funding specific to their district, they take it out of their general fund.

“If you are a school district, typically, you are required to purchase products from the lowest reliable bidder,” Johns said. “So the hand sanitizer we got was the cheapest high quality sanitizer we could buy. All these purchases are posted online so when you go to our school district, they can look up how much we spend on hand sanitizer, and see what kind we bought.”

Providing sanitizing supplies became easier when PPE providers that distribute to hospitals and medical clinics started to supply schools.

In addition, companies manufacturing plixie glass items have refitted their production rooms to produce because they are in high demand. Even distillers that made alcoholic drinks and have turned to producers of hand sanitizer because more profit is made from hand sanitizer now than alcohol or drinks now.

But misting rooms, wiping desks, and hand sanitizer is not enough, said Pamela Pittman administrator over COVID-19 protections.

“The supplies alone will never be enough to prevent the virus,” she said. “They are top of the line products but the biggest weapon we have is us.

Wearing masks, practicing social distancing, staying home when we are sick and letting the school know when someone is tested for the virus--these things will do more to prevent the virus than any disinfectant can.”

Though access to sanitary products is a factor, the biggest determination in effectiveness will be if supplies are used properly. Mr. Johns had an optimistic view on the first six weeks.

“We are doing a very good job, and our students are doing a really good job, and our teachers are doing a really good job of providing a safe school environment,” he said.

Nation Ford High Named National Blue Ribbon Award Recipient 2020

by George Gebrail

Nation Ford High School was named National Blue Ribbon School at ceremony in Washington, D.C on Nov. 13, and the administration is thrilled.

“Extreme pride! Proud of our great teachers and their hard work, and very proud of our amazing students,” said Debra Miller, assistant principal.

The Blue Ribbon Reward was earned by 13 schools in SC that have a high academic excellence. Since its inception there have been over 10,000 rewards to over 9,000 elementary, middle and high schools around the country.

This award means a lot to schools that earn it because it shows the school is a high quality educational institution. The school winning the recongition earns a plaque and a flag.

Nation Ford High School won this award for the overall academics, as well as for upkeep of facilities.

The award is primarily for academic skills that students learn in the schools.

Because the Blue Ribbon Reward program releases the application that the winning schools turned in, the Blue Ribbon Award does more than give schools recognition -- it also can model for other schools how to improve.

November 2020

Voices Lit Mag Named Best in South Carolina Students Win Nine Individual Awards

by Khonnie Kounbandith

The hard work of Nation Ford’s Voices literary magazine staff was honored with an All-state rating and the Best in State Award a Best in State Award during the virtual South Carolina Scholastic Press Association (SCSPA) Fall Conference on Oct. 27. Students also won nine individual awards for writing, art, photography and design.

Submissions are selected by the adviser and editors-in-chief to certified judges who grade each entry based on SCSPA guidelines. The competition recognizes individuals and publications for excellence in media and literary publications.

“Nation Ford High School has really built a dynasty in the areas of both students journalism and particularly, the student literary magazine,” says Mrs. Beth Swann, journalism, creative writing, and English teacher. “However, now that we have the new schedule with COVID-19 this year, the creative writing classes were cut at the last minute. We now operate through a club because I want students to have the opportunity to write, take photos, contribute their art, and have a chance to be recognized for their work. It’s important to offer a venue for students to express themeselves and also to read what other students have written -- and we can show off their amazing talents.”

The Voices staff finished the literary magazine during the spring semester of 2020 when COVID-19 first affected South Carolina, presenting challenges.

“During quarantine we spent many, many hours, and we had to do a lot of problem solving,” Mrs. Swann said. “Fortunately, I had three committed and talented editors who were willing to buckle down and meet the deadline. I couldn’t be more proud of the result.”

Voices Awards from SCSPA

Schools who earn recognition can show the high academic performance of students, and that can possibly get parents’ attention.

All-state rating Best in State 1st place Nonfiction: Alex Cardona (‘21) 1st place Theme: Alex Cardona (‘21), Khonnie Kounbandith (‘21), Anna Leach (‘20) 1st place Review: Connor Brandenburg (‘20) 1st place Sketch Art: Abigail Heeney (‘20) 1st place Fiction: Claude Hejl (‘20) 1st place Photography: Michael Marciniak (‘20) 1st place Poetry: Maggie Roskinski (‘21) 3rd place Spread Design: Alex Cardona (‘21) 3rd place Cover Design: Alex Cardona & Khonnie Kounbandith (‘21)

The Talon

Sports •7

Runner Katie Pou Races Ahead To Penn State

by Abby Weber She walks onto the track, shoulders back and head held straight. Spectators might not notice her then, but once the gun is fired she surges ahead of the crowd without waiting for the echo from the bang to die out. The runners have already started down the path behind her, mentally prepared for the 3.1 miles they’ve all been training for since the beginning of the season.

Since seventh grade, Katie Pou (‘21) has run Cross Country for Nation Ford. She won the Cross Country 5A state championship four years in a row, which is the largest division in South Carolina – and the hardest one to win.

Despite her success, she hasn’t always run cross country.

“I played soccer for six years -- before that I was never interested in running,” she says. “Then I decided, when I moved here to Fort Mill from Charlotte, I didn’t want to play soccer anymore. I tried a little bit of everything. I did swimming, tennis, and golf.”

One day her dad asked if she wanted to go on a run. She agreed, laced up her shoes and headed out the door. As they started their race, one thing was for certain- Katie Pou was a runner.

“I went out and I tried cross country here for Nation Ford because they didn’t have it at the middle school level,” she said.

In Cross Country everyone competes individually in a 5K. Athletes are put in various races based on gender and speed. The sport also includes a team component.

“The team aspect comes in at the end depending on your placement and the top 5 girls score,” she explains.

Scoring is based on what place the runners finish, so if a runner gets first she earns 1 point, second gets 2 and so on. The team score comes from adding

up the scores of the first 5 runners to finish.

Pou quickly fell in love with the sport. Later that season she was deemed “Rookie of the year” for the hard work she put into practice and for constantly trying to improve.

“I started off really slow, kind of average,” she admits. “I didn’t make varsity the first time around. I was one spot off of it, but I started improving each race and working hard in practice.”

It’s her hard work ethic that puts her ahead of the pack.

“To say that she’s a hard worker is a gross understatement,” Jake Brenner, the head cross country coach says.

“I think a lot of her success comes from her being driven, and she’s just really intrinsically motivated to be better and to win,” says. “We’re going to miss her,” Beyond her personal passion for cross country, she loves to work hard and see the results of it.

“My passion is finding individual success, but also as a team,” she says.

“That drives me day in and day out.

You never will be able to accomplish your goals if you don’t have a positive mindset and a plan to get to it.”

“I always try to have a positive mindset with everything that I do; I think that’s always key. Mentality is more than half the battle,” she says with a smile. “As well as physically taking care of yourself.”

Katie Pou’s biggest role models are her grandparents. They all came to America as immigrants. Knowing the hardships they went through – especially her grandparents from Cambodia – has pushed her to be successful and kind to others.

“They came to the US with nothing, not being able to speak English, my mom only having one pair of shoes for

At Anne Springs Greenway Katie Pou (‘21) runs against Fort Mill and Gaffney High Schools on Sept. 22. a whole year, and not living in the best circumstances, and to see all that they sacrificed makes them my role models and my heroes.

Not only did they sacrifice for their family, but they would also – even in the littlest situations – they would give back and help others.

Every year they go back to Cambodia to volunteer their time in helping the Cambodian community at a church.

Pou hopes to be like her grandparents in different ways, she always remembers to give back and help others.

“I do student council and Beta Club and also started my own running club for kids last year,” she says. “I started my own running camp this past summer for younger children in my neigh-

borhood.”

Twenty kids in total were impacted by the club. They ate healthy snacks, hung out with friends, and were able to become top-notch runners. Katie’s always working to improve herself and also help others.

“You never know what someones going through, so always be open-minded and kind to everyone,” Katie advises.

With high school coming to an end, Pous’s pace isn’t slowing down. She has already been accepted to Penn State University and is excited to see what she can make of her future.

Pou knows that she can accomplish any goal as long as she has a plan and a positive mindset.

Coach Forte Pins Down Hopes For Wrestling Season

by Ayden Hash year, we’d be able to do our presea As the new wrestling season kicks son practices on the mat. Right now, off, The Talon asks Coach Anthony we can’t be on the mat. So it’s just all Forte what to look for this year after pretty much outdoor conditioning.

COVID took away last season from Q: What do you think are some chalthe Falcon wrestlers. lenges your team’s going to face this Q: What are some of your expectayear? tions for this year?

A:“We’re probably still going to have A: “I’ve always been geared more a couple holes in our lineup. I think towards individuals and dual meets. we were missing four, sometimes So we had one wrestler last year, Stefive weight classes last year. This ven Johnson (’20) who took fourth in year right now I think we’re maybe the state, so you know, I expect him missing two. So we’re still going to to get back to the state tournament have a couple of holes, and so on the place a little higher. Then we have better teams like when you wrestle another junior, Caden Brandenburg Clover and Fort Mill, it’s tough to (‘22), who was wrestling in a highgive up points and still try to win the er weight class than he should have match. So it’s a numbers issue, getlast year, but he finished the season ting the participation numbers up. strong. So I’m expecting big things Q: Who do you think is the biggest out of him. I think we have a few othcompetitor for this area? er guys that may be able to make a Last season on Dec. 4, Solomon Moore (‘20) works for the pin against Catawba Ridge A“In our region it is going to be run in the postseason get to that state during their 69-12 victory. Photo courtesy Ashley Diblosi.

Fort Mill again, they have a winning tournament.” team. They’re usually one of the tops Q: Do you think there are any other students that we are working hard.” in the state every year. That’s one of our goals is to should be looking at this season?

Q: What are some of the difficulties between this up- eventually catch them because right now we think A: “As for the rest of it, I guess the two I mentioned coming season and the season prior to this? about wrestling in the area, it’s Fort Mill and like I earlier, Steven Johnson (‘21) and Caden Brandenburg A: “I think the main difficulties are probably just told our kids when we wrestle Catawba Ridge, that (‘22) I’m going to expect them to lead the way. We having to deal with all the restrictions that we’ve match shouldn’t be for second place- that should be also have a sophomore, Isaac Nieves (‘23) and he’s had from COVID. I wasn’t allowed to work out with for who’s going to challenge Fort Mill and let them had, a heck of a workout right now. So if what he’s the wrestlers in a dorm this spring and summer. Last know that we’re coming. So the main goal is to get a doing is just in our strength and conditioning, and year being my first year, I was kind of looking for- win over Fort Mill. There’s also no region Banner yet if he translates that into the mat, I think he’s gonna ward to that time period to have a full training cycle for wrestling in the gym yet either. So that’s another sneak up on a lot of guys, and some of our freshmen with the guys, which I haven’t had yet. If it was last thing we want to change.”

November 2020

The Talon

2 • Sports

Scorsone Skates Through Life On The Ice Assistant Principal Enjoys Hockey, Comradery On Weekends

by Kaiden Bridges

located my shoulder, and I’ve had a lot of stitches and bro At the local ice rink, he weaves in ken teeth,” Scorsone said. and out between the players up and Even with all of his injuries down the rink, then he shoots the though, the thought of endpuck in hope of scoring a goal. But ing his hockey career never it’s not his parents cheering him on crossed his mind. from the sidelines it’s his kids. “Go, “We never labored on the Dad!” thought of Anthony getting Their dad is none other than Ashurt while playing,” Pete sistant Principal Anthony Scorsone said. “There was one time at a who enjoys time outside of school tournament in Canada when on the ice playing hockey. he was about 12 and a skate “I’ve been playing hockey for 36 sliced open his cheek and we years now,” Scorsone said. “I was had to take him to the hospital born in upstate New York, and I for stitches. But despite his inlived only an hour away from the jury, he was ready to play the Buffalo area, as well as the Canadinext morning.” an border.”

But, even many years and Scorsone grew up playing the injuries later, Mr. Scorsone complex contact sport under the continued to play, even now influence of his older brother who at the Pineville Ice House. also played during his childhood.

“Our team is called Wheel “. . . All he wanted to do while house Media, which is the growing up was play hockey,” said name of our sponsor,” he said.

Mr. Scorsone’s parents, Pete and “There are eight tems in our Kathy. “Hockey is in his blood, league, with players ranging from the time he was three and from ages in their mid twenstepped on the ice for the first time, ties to old people like me.” he’s been in love with the sport.”

Scorsone’s team is now After high school, Scorsone went competing in their fall season, on to play hockey at Geneseo State with at press time a record of in upstate New York, which was his 3-1. hometown college. There he made The adult league at the very close bonds with his teamPineville Ice House provides a mates and still keeps in touch with great opportunity for players them today. He plays in a hockey to continue on the ice without tournament with them every year. an age limit.

“I feel very fortunate that I got to “The biggest thing I would play in college, and continue after miss about hockey if I didn’t that because some of my friends play hockey anymore would don’t play anymore because the be the comradery between the With 36 years of playing under his belt and now competing in an adult hockey league, Assitant aches and pains aren’t worth it to other players,” said Scorsone.

Principal Anthony Scorsone greets his children after one of his games at the Pineville Ice House. them,” said Scorsone. “. . . I’ve played a lot of other “I play center, which for those team sports throughout my who aren’t familiar with hockey, means a forward,” cause it’s a read and react type sport and the intenlife but none of them compare to the bonding experiScorsone said. “I grew up playing center, and I al- sity that comes with it,” Scorsone said. “. . . It takes ence you can get with hockey.” ways have ever since.” a lot of skill just to be able to skate, not to mention “I wouldn’t trade hockey for the world,” said Scorsone has always had a passion for sports, but trying to control a puck at the same time as well.”

Scorsone. “It’s given me so much and it continues to, hockey has always held a special place in his heart.

Hockey is a very rough, contact filled sport. and I will play until I can’t anymore.”

“I love hockey because of the speed. I love it be- “While playing hockey, I’ve broken my ankle, dis-

Swimmers End Season With Wins

At the Triregional match held at Springfield Golf Course on Oct. 1 Katie Griggs (‘25) walks down the fairway.

The future Falcon is one of four eighth grade girls in Fort Mill who made their debut on the Nation Ford team this golf season.

Un-Fore-gettable Golf Season

by Abby Weber

Nation Ford Girls Golf finished twelfth against 16 teams at the Upper State Championship in Chester Oct. 19.

“One of the biggest highlights of the season was when Sarah Tran got a Hole-in-One on her very first hole of the match at Spring Lake against York,” Coach Amelio Rodriguez said.

Despite how crazy that sounds, the best nine-hole score of the season was 186 where four of the Falcon girls all shot in the 40’s at the Spring-

The Talon

field Golf Course versus York.

“Another highlight includes Vivaian shooting a 40 and being the medalist (lowest score) at every 9-hole match except three off them,” he said.

There were eight players this year on the girls golf team, which includes: two juniors, two sophomores, one freshman, and three eighth graders.

Vivian Harris the freshman team leader qualified for the state tournament by shooting a 83. She finished 35th out of 88 girls with a two day total of 181.

by Marcus Romec & Kaiden Bridges High speed aquatic racing, Falcon swimmers have been powering through the pool for the last three months. The Falcons have finished first or second in almost all of their meets this season.

Even though they’re underwater they’re still affected by Covid-19.

“I’ve been swimming for a few years now and it’s always been fun, but this year we were limited due to Covid and it took away some of the fun,” said swimmer Ethan Black (‘22).

With states coming up Nation Ford will be represented by the girls more than the boys.

“Our boys team doesn’t have that many people going, but I think our girls team will do really good at states.”

Black said.

Nation Ford swimmers have been one of the top teams in their region this year, and they hope to keep up the good work.

On Oct. 10 both our boys and girls’ swim teams traveled to compete in the state championship in Charleston, SC. “I feel as if we had a really great season for what we had,” said Black.

“With such a young girls’ team, and

Against Fort Mill and Catawba Ridge High Schools, George Bujoreanu (‘20) swims in the boys’ breast stroke event on Sept. 24. the boys’ team only having three seniors and still coming third in states, we really had a good finish.”

Our lady swimmers finished second in the 200 meter freestyle relay.

Andrew Lockhart (‘20) now holds two South Carolina state records in the boys’ 50 and 100 meter Freestyle.

Both of our teams managed to pull out nine new team records at states. Lady falcons placed 5th in the state, while the boys placed 3rd.

Both Falcon swim teams had a remarkable finish at states and have high hopes to improve even more in the pool next season.

November 2020

Sports •3

Photo courtesy Clemson Photographer Madison Williams.

Gettin’ His Kicks 2020 Grad Walks On At Clemson To Excite Tiger Fans

Q

by Liv Miles

uinn Castner. We all year. knew the 2020 graduCoach Allen described him as “all ate was a solid kicker, business” on the field and a very hard but nobody saw him worker. kicking at a top-tier This year, when Coach Swinney asked school like Clemson Castner if he was ready to kick-off for the University. second half. Without hesitation Castner It was a tepid evening on Sept. 19 as put his helmet on and ran on the field the Tigers were warming up for their with special teams. home-opener against The Citadel. Waiting The crowds at Nation Ford games are patiently for two quarters on the sideline big, but nothing compared to those at stood Castner, waiting for his opportuniDeath Valley. Castner did not let it affect ty to prove himself to the millions of peohim. He felt confident in the huddle and ple watching the televised Saturday night. tried not to think about it. Darting onto Moments before the second half kick-off, the field, all Castner felt was excitement.

Head Coach Dabo Swinney approached Taking the steps towards the ball was all Castner and asked one simple question. he could think about. As soon as his cleat “Are you ready?” contacted the football, he knew it was a Playing football at Clemson University great kick. was always a fantasy for Castner.

“I could hear everyone on the side“Obviously I had dreamed about playlines going crazy, and when I ran over ing for the number one team in the nation, everyone was giving me high fives and but I didn’t realistically expect to ever play picking me up which was a really fun exat Clemson,” he explained. perience,” he recalled.

At the Clemson vs. Citadel game on Sept. 19, Quinn Castner (‘20) makes his He wanted to go to Clemson even if he Castner’s punt set the Citadel in their college football debut kicking off in the second half of the game. Photo courtesy did not play. Castner’s mentor and Nation own territory.

Clemson Photographer Madison Williams.

Ford head coach Michael Allen always Castner’s girlfriend of over a year, knew Castner would play somewhere but that ClemMiné Karatas, was there to support him. “We were son was a stretch. all so excited to see him get ready for his first kick teammates at Clemson are his family.

After accepted in the spring, Castner planned to Castner revealed that his favorite part of playing off,” she said. “We didn’t know what to expect. We walk on the team. He had been staying in shape all at Nation Ford was the environment his teammates were all up on our chairs! But as soon as he kicked, year and had been contacting the coaches regularly. created. he blasted it off into the zone. The crowd went wild!

And his childhood dream became a reality. He had “The atmosphere they created was different from We’re so proud of him.” gotten a call from one of the coaches explaining that any other sport I’ve played,” he said. “I really felt Castner explained that if you want to play for a a spot had opened up on the team for him. Thrilled, like I was a part of another family and they were al- division one school that you have to be determined he packed up all of his belongings in two days and ways there to have my back.” and unshakeable. moved on campus. Having only two days to prepare “Just be persistent, from contacting coaches regCastner played Nation Ford football for all four made Castner a little concerned. ularly to watching film, being persistent is how I got years, starting on Varsity for his last two.

“I didn’t know I was going to be ready or not beGrowing up he had always played Soccer and my opportunity,” Castner said. cause I only had two days to process what was going even did well at Track. He excelled at kicking those Quinn Castner may have changed uniforms, but on, but as soon as I got there everyone made me feel two years on the football team, and he was ranked he’s still the confident kicker we have seen for the at home,” he said. Just like his years as a falcon, his first in the state for field goal completions his senior past four years.

November 2020

The Talon

10 • Feature

Intern Makes A Splash

Nation Ford intern water skiis in her free time

by Riley Crutchfield It’s a sunny day on the lake, and the growl of the engine drowns out the birdsong as Marigrace Yuskaitis turns and glides over the water.

For some athletes, water skiing is an Olympic sport, but for the English intern, the rush of water beneath her feet is simply a hobby.

Experts say “water skiing is similar to snowboarding or snow skiing – both r r require balance and agility,” but it’s important to be able to work as a team.

It isn’t just one skier out there going up to 25 m.p.h. The sport can be dangerous at times, so teamwork is important.

As a beginner, there is a lot of skill involved. “The biggest thing I learned is that balance is important in any act that you are in and any type of water skiing you are doing,” Ms. Yuskaitis said.

A proud moment from her water skiing journey is when she applied what she learned to acrobatic stunts.

“The first time [I mastered a stunt], I did an overhead 360, which is when I put the rope above my head, and turned all the way around on my ski without falling halfway through,” she said.

It had taken many tries, and most resulted in failure, but that is how you learn.”

“My father is the one who motivates me to keep water skiing...and has always pushed me to learn new tricks,” she said. “He still skis on the team in New Jersey.”

Her dad has played a big part in her interest in water skiing.

“He would wake up early before his work day to

take me on ski trips, so that always made me feel encouraged and motivated to keep learning,” she said.

“I also learn how to persevere and stay encouraged throughout learning new things,” Her favorite pastime is water skiing with her family and helping others.

“I love water skiing with both my father and my brother, as well as teaching people how to water ski and learn new tricks,” she says.

Upon arrival at the lake you walk up the stairs onto the boardwalk. There are many sights and sounds possible at a lake.

“It is almost always windy, so you immediately feel the wind and hear the small waves crashing into the beach,” Ms. Yuskaitis said.“When you walk up the stairs, you see the small beach, the lake stretching across the horizon, and all the houses and boats lined up along the shore of the lake. Sometimes you hear little kids playing at the playground and moms talking while watching them.” The smells are unforgettable because of the eventful day each year.

“It usually either smells like food cooking from the restaurant or like sunscreen since everyone is putting that on before going to ski for four hours,” she said. “There is also the shed where the skis are kept, which is tucked underneath the stairs. It smells a little musty in there, and keeps all the skis in rows and all the costumes hung up on a closet bar type setup. There is also a washing machine and dryer in there, so sometimes you hear that [and] smell the fabric softener or washing detergent.”

Finally, a great ending to a tiring day of lake Mo-

During the 4th of July show, intern Marigrace Yuskaitis skiis with teammates on lake Mohawk in Sparta, NJ. As the second skier from the left on the bottom row, she supports the top tier of the pyramid. hawk’s annual water skiing show performed by the Ski Hawks. Everyone is glad to be back home with their families and they look forward to watching friends and family ski again next year.

Virtual School Challenging

by Megan Jafarace

Sydney Pitkowics snaps a picture of her desk, part-way through her online school work at 10am on Oct. 28.

“Definitely the sense of community is missing online; you can try but it’s hard.”

“In person you see the same people everyday and work together.”

– Mr. Daniel Bernard “While I do have issues with time management, I’m incentivized by the ability to move at my own pace and the extra time I now have.”

– Janini Salai (’21) The Talon

“I chose virtual school this semester because of the possibility of contracting Covid-19,” said Janani Salai (‘21) in an email, a senior learning virtually this year.

She’s clearly one of many – with 428 falcons learning virtually this year.

And Sydney Pitkowics (‘23), a student on a facetime call in a tie dye shirt, said she chose distance learning because she likes how it gives her a personal schedule.

The setup of the online class usually depends on the format and the teacher.

“The fact that they formatted the classes differently is what makes it hard,” said Mr. Whittemore, a math teacher sitting at his desk with a colorful mask and hawaiin leis on. “Some are Virtual SC, some are Google Classroom, and some are hybrid. Learning how to work on those has been challenging for everyone.”

Online meets are also an important component, but they can be tricky.

“The only complaint I have about virtual learning that pertains to the school is the use of Google Meet for meetings,” said Salai. “I feel that Zoom is much more widely used and has many more student-beneficial features that would vastly enhance our learning experience, as most of the issues we face as virtual students can be boiled down to Google Meet malfunctions.”

Teachers have different methods of conducting meets as well.“It’s a challenge getting people to show up, so I’ve stopped doing mandatory meets (on google) and now it’s optional/q&a,” English teacher Mr. Bernard said.

Online classes seem to function like a regular school day for the most part, the only difference being that it’s behind a screen, and out of the commitment of the classroom.

“I start school around the time [in-person students do] and work until four or sometimes earlier,” Pitkowics said.

The workload seems to be about the same unless

the student is taking higher level classes.

“I would say that the variation in level of effort that is needed for each class is similar to face to face courses,” said Salai. “Virtual students who take higher level classes generally have a heavier workload.”

Being behind a screen can be a different experience, though. Many students and teachers say that online school seems disconnected socially.

“This may seem cliched, but my least favorite part of virtual school is the sense of isolation it creates,” said Salai. “I feel as though I’m not truly connecting with my peers or teachers.” Teachers agree.

“Definitely the sense of community is missing online, you can try but it’s hard,” said Bernard. “In person you see the same people everyday and work together.”

Virtual school is also missing the bell and commitment for classes. It can be hard for some students to keep a healthy schedule.

“In face to face, it forces [students] to have that certain amount of structure,” said Mr. Whittemore.

“You’re in first block a certain time every day, the structure is not there unless the student and parents make it a priority.”

Although that can be a challenge, some virtual students don’t seem to struggle as much with structure.

“Majority [of students] turn in work on time and for every student that is struggling, there are some that are working ahead,” said Whittemore.

Some students even prefer virtual over in-person.

“I think I learn better virtually,” said Salai. “While I do have issues with time management, I’m incentivized by the ability to move at my own pace and the extra time I now have.”

Others miss asking teachers questions.

“I kind of miss regular school because you get to be with teachers and ask questions,” said Pitkowics.

“I like the in-person format more.”

Despite the benefits and challenges of it, it’s clear that virtual school experience varies, especially from person to person.

Bernard described online school as “well-intentioned.”

November 2020

Feature/Review •11

Online, Drive-in Concerts Popular During Pandemic

by Megan Jafarace Popular artists such as Harry Styles, The Weekend, Halsey, Maroon 5, BTS, and many more have postponed or cancelled their tours due to the current pandemic. Concert lovers all around the world have experienced cancellations.

Although stars can no longer perform in-person, online concerts have become a way audiences can still enjoy that magic — even if it’s only through a screen.

Despite the disappointment about cancellation of live shows, fans can now look forward to upcoming online performances from the 2020 Jingle Ball and Hanson.

Some artists are even holding drive-in concerts – Ward Davis, Town Mountain, and more are performing this December in North Carolina. Tickets are sold on Eventbrite and start at $15-$20.

Students at Nation Ford who had planned to attend concerts found them cancelled, and it was clearly dissapointing. Tame Impala, BTS, The Weekend, and Thomas Rhett to name a few out of a handful of concerts cancelled for students. “[It’s] sad because I have to wait longer to see [the artist],” said Joseph Henry (22’). Addison Allen (23’) agrees, “It was very dissapointing,” she said.

Even though online concerts are now an option, an Instagram poll posted on October 13 with 64 students revealed that 97% find in-person concerts more enjoyable, but it’s better than nothing at a time like this.

The MTV Video Awards

(VMAs) had to take a different approach than usual this year and chose to go half-virtual. It included pre-taped clips and masked in-person performances with social distancing. The show even included awards that pertained to life during a pandemic — best music video from home, best quarantine performance, and even everyday heroes: frontline medical workers.

Another popular online concert this year was “Together At Home” – a show full of many talented musicians, featured on lots of streaming sites. According to Variety, 20.7 million people tuned in.

Even though the experience is different, concert lovers find benefits to watching concerts from home. According to Global Citizen, “Together At Home” raised almost $128 million to help the COVID-19 Crisis. The online platform also allowed artists to open up emotionally because they were feeling more comfortable at home.

Taylor Swift performed “Soon You’ll Get Better” – a song she said she’d never play live. It was an emotionally difficult song about her mother’s cancer diagnosis – fitting for the current pandemic.

And artists’ online concerts went well, too – although some students said it wasn’t as good as going to a concert would have been. “It was surprisingly very well organized,” Allen said.

A year without concerts has been hard for music lovers – but at least online concerts have given them something to enjoy, and possibly a sparkle of hope.

Among Us: Fun New Take On Murder Mystery Games

by Ayden Hash With many different murder mystery games on the market, “Among Us” offers a refreshing, cartoonish take to the genre. Players can be a Crewmate, a part of a space crew that has to do task’s around the various map’s to win, or an Imposter whose goal is to kill the other Crewmates to win.

One of the unique things “Among Us” brings to the table is that once a body is found - which can be reported by a Crewmate, or an Imposter - everyone gathers around around a table and enter into a discussion panel, in which everyone tries to figure out who the imposter is, and when the discussion timer ends, you will have the choice to vote off one of the Crewmates or skip the vote, or not vote at all.

Another thing that’s unique is what happens after you’re voted off, you turn into a ghost. When you’re a ghost-depending if you’re an Imposter or Crewmate-you will have different abilities. As a Crewmate ghost you will still have the ability to finish whatever tasks you had whenever you were alive, so you can help the Crewmate team win. But if you’re an Imposter ghost, you will have the ability to close doors on crewmates and sabotage tasks to force crewmates into specific areas for another imposter to secure a kill.

Among the unique customization

November 2020

options for your character, you’re given the option to purchase a pet for $2.99. Which can range from a floating UFO to a mini Crewmate who will follow you around while you’re doing tasks around the map.

In Among us the player has a choice of playing one of the three maps. The first map being ‘The Skeld’- a spaceship flying through the stars. This map is the easiest map out of all three maps due to it being the smallest and easiest to memorize. The second map is the ‘MIRA HQ’ which is roughly the size of ‘The Skeld’ and is also as compact as ‘The Skeld’, but offers 8 different tasks, a unique sabotage, and a map specific security system called the ‘Doorlog’ which allows you to see who opened a door and in what part of the map they opened it in.

The last map is ‘Polus’ which is the biggest map in the game, it adds 12 different tasks, and changes up the security system, giving the camera a wider point of view but only allowing one camera to be viewed at a time.

With everything this game has put to use, it gives players an enjoyable experience to band together as a team – to win or spread deception and vote out others – or just have outright fun with friends and random people.

5 stars

BY KAIDEN BRIDGES

REVIEW

Rocket League Sports video game provides enjoyable exprience despite concept 4.5 STARS

by Connor Lambert I’ve thoroughly enjoyed many video games, but since I stumbled across “Rocket League, I have never felt the same way about another game.

“Rocket League” created by Psyonix, is a phenomenal sports game. Players might not like the concept, but they still love this game.

The game doesn’t offer much of a story, but the main premise of the game is playing soccer with cars.

There are a lot of easily learned skills involved, but it takes hours upon hours to know the skills and master them.

The game is fun and highly recommended for all ages for teamwork and good sportsmanship What some parents may worry about is the community of the game, with large amounts of swearing and toxicity (unnecessary insults and aggressiveness) in text chat. An easy solution is to simply turn off the text chat.

The gameplay is great as well -- it is easy to learn, but challenging to master. The gameplay is a fast-paced strategy game based on physics.

To start, you are greeted with the tutorial on how usually the game plays out. Some important points about the game are how you play, the angle of the camera to see the game, keybinds (choosing what button to press for a certain command), and the choice of car because they all have different hitboxes (different sizes of the car to make contact to the ball). When choosing the car, customize it to your liking and how you want to play the game.

Overall, Rocket League is a fun and exciting game that is recommended for all ages, to learn good sportsmanship, teamwork, and become a better person.

The Talon

INSERT for Featured Story Special Feature

THE TALON

Vol. 14 Issue 1

Front Line Heroes

School Nurses Face New Challenges In Pandemic

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by Gracie Chadwick ot a fever and chills? Muscle aches? Who you gonna call? Nurse Lori Stout and Nurse April Annin are in the building.

School nurses primarily work to give the school a healthy environment. Every work day can be different – from taking care of staff and students, contacting parents to health screenings and even calling ambulances, they stay busy.

The job includes providing preventive services, identifying problems in the earliest stages, and overseeing interventions and referrals as a way to foster health and ensure educational success.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, 25% of schools in the U.S. do not have a school nurse on staff, but Nation Ford has two registered nurses, though they cannot diagnose illnesses.

“I honestly think we’re doing remarkably well,” Ms. Stout says, and she believes hybrid/virtual school while wearing masks are the key reasons.

Ms. Annin agrees that Nation Ford is doing enough to prevent Covid.

“I feel like we are staying on top of the cases that are coming through,” she said. And although district administration just announced that the plans for next semester will currently be a return to five days a week, Ms. Annin thinks we might have to continue hybrid/virtual school for the rest of the year.

While Mrs. Stout thinks that the school is doing enough to prevent the spread of Covid-19 as well, she also believes that may change when flu season hits because the symptoms are so similar, and more students in the isolation room are likely.

“I don’t think we’ll really know until we get there,” Stout says.

To continue to keep students safe, she says students should keep masks on and over their noses, continue social distancing, and parents should to inform the school if their child is ill.

Annin says something else we can do to stay safe is to be aware of our surroundings and follow the guidelines reccomended for South Carolina and the rest of the country.

Stout says she decided to be a school nurse she started substituting as a school nurse while she was staying home with her son. She enjoyed it and liked to work with the students. She liked being one of the role models of the school.

Working in the hospital and working as a school nurse are two different situations, according to Stout. “In the hospital, they just want you to do your job.”

To start off Stout’s day, she checks emails and answers

Nurse April Annin sanitizes the cots in her office for students to keep students healthy with special cleaner in her office on Oct. 19. calls about Covid scenarios from parents. After an hour, she takes care of the special services students. She sees different students everyday, including students who are diabetic and take daily medicine These nurses communicate several times a day, whether it’s on the phone or meeting in person. They need to keep in contact with each other whether it’s about Covid cases in our school or suggestions for the school.

The easiest part of being a school nurse is caring for the students. “It comes naturally as a nurse,” Stout says.

As a nurse, it could be challenging to stay healthy while surrounded by others who are sick. Stout says she always wears a mask, washes her hands, and doesn't touch her face.

“It’s easy to do,” she says.

The hardest part of being a school nurse is staying on top of all of the paperwork, from getting information from parents, to paperwork from physicians.

“I wouldn’t change it though, I love it,” Nurse Stout says.